Site: waydate From: jennyme123 Date: 2015-12-18 19:43:10 HI Dear jenysme@hotmail.com How are you, hope you fine?my name is Miss Jenny i come across your profile now and became interested in you, contact to my email (jenysme@hotmail.com) so that i can tell you about me with my pictures for us to know each other ok. Thank and god bless you Yours Jenny From: jeny me Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 19:46:49 +0000 Subject: NICE TO MEET YOU HERE IS ABOUT ME WITH TRUST My Dearest How are you doing, hope you are fine together with your family? if so glory be to god, I guess that it is well with you. I know this mail will not come to you as a surprise since we have not had a previous correspondence, please bear with me, though you are too far but does not mean that we are not going to meet one day and have good things to share together. I believe that it is by grace of (God) that i am communicating with you? I have noticed that you are the kind of person I am looking for since all this while, I believe that you are a trust worthy and caring person, that's what makes me to disclose my identity to you now for the first time. My name is Miss Jenny Elhag 25 years of age single, from Rwanda and presently I am residing in the refugee camp here in West Africa Dakar as a result of the killing of my father who died in a helicopter crash and my only mother died during the bombing of our village, Rwandas state of Kigali. Please don't be discouraged for hearing this. I believe deep down inside me that you will never break my heart or let me down in anyway. But only believed in my sincerely words towards you. My late father Dr. Ahmed Elhag was the Chairman, Gruv-Melton Oil and Gas Company, and a private extracting oil firm in Kigali before his dead. The brutal killing of my mother who died after 17 days being in the hospital. I was in my second year in Applied Mathematics department in University before the death of my loved Parents took place. I contacted you for a possible help. My step mother was a very wicked woman and she intend to kill me since my father and my real biological mother is died. Then she planned to take away my entire late father's property and some other valuable things from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Parents. Meanwhile I wanted to find my way out of my country because I have seen what she is planning to do to me. I thereby plan to go to Europe, but she hides my international passport and other valuable traveling documents. Luckily she did not found where I kept my fathers File which contains important documents. I managed to escape with the documents which covers my late father's deposited money totaling $5.7M (five Million seven Hundred Thousand Dollars). Which he use my name as the next of kin. Meanwhile, I am residing here in west Africa as a refugee under the UNITED NATIONS COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES, I am saddled with the problem of securing a trust worthy foreign personality to help me transfer my money of which my Father deposited in the financial firm which I am the next of kin to your own Account pending my arrival in your country. I will like to see you face to face soon. Furthermore, on your wish to help me out of this critical situation of mine, I will give you the contact of the bank for confirmation and you can communicate directly with them regarding this fund of my late father which was deposited in their custody. I am giving you this offer as mentioned with every confidence on your acceptance to assist me retrieve the money from the bank and transfer it to your nominated account. I will like to further my studies as soon as I arrive to your country, and please try to help me to achieve this goal as I have a desire to become a famous personality in the nearest future. I will be pleased if you can do this for me. You can reach me through Rev father being our camp supervisor posted by the United Nations Refugee Authority. Call his office line +221767377481 from 09 hours GMT to 16 hours GMT for him to be in the office and his Email Adres (revfathersamejohn@gmail.com) tell him that you want to speak with Miss. Jenny Elhag, A Rwandan I am staying in the female hostel room 8. I have already informed him, that some one will call me through his phone. He will send for me from the hostel to come and speak with you. So please do not fail to call me because I need to hear your voice too. Dear on your wish to help me out, I will like to have your data such as i use it introduce you to the bank: 1.Your Full name 2.Your address 3.Your occupation. 4. Your phone or fax number. Immediately I receive this I will give you the contact of the bank where the money was deposited for you to contact them pending my arrival in your country.. Thanks and take a good care of yourself hope to see your pictures here as well as I have attached mine to you in other that you might know the person that you are having conversation witht ok. Dear I shall be stopping from here for now while I wait earnestly to be reading from you soonest. Yours sincerely, jeny From: jeny me Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 17:23:46 +0000 Subject: Please Contact the bank today and call me My Dear how are you and your health? i am short of word after reading your mail thank for your message I have the faith that you are doing fine over there all our family, I pray for you My beloved friend and family as you want to help me from here and this bank issue along with your other job, and everything and the dynamics all of that brings. I pray for you a special grace of Almighty God because you are honest man to me and you live with honest heart, and I ask God to bless you day after day and me too here. Then I pray for you, that you will live with God grace with all our family forever, even as the long distances care. And I ask God to keep us as one family and God to guide us from sin that make us lost way of Jannah. Amen. I pray that as we live through this experience, we'll be able to be together under one roof and give a happiness story soon. Amen. I love you my only beloved friend . Please this is my late father bank contact mail address. try and contact the bank and tell them that is me that send you on my behalf. Dr. Greg Anderson, Director - Credit Administration Dept, Barclay Bank Plc, 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, United Kingdom Tel: +447773645702 Fax: +448715039088 Email: (bankberclays@accountant.com) Email: (barcleysbankplc@englandmail.com) Name of Depositor: Dr. Ahmed Elhag, Name of Next of Kin: Jenny Ahmed Elhag. Amount Deposited: US$5,700,000.00 Account number 110/3335669969 i want you to call me today on same number i gave you now +221767377481 because I really want to hear your voice. Our Camp rev Fr email: (revfathersamejohn@gmail.com) after the transfer you will write the camp for my relocation that you want me to come and continue my education in your country because we are old family friend, according to my friend told me if we want to relocate and what my person we write the camp authority. I am waiting for your soonest response. Happy weekend to you. your beloved Jenny Ahmed Elhagl From: "Barclay Bank Plc" Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 08:55:25 +0100 Subject: Barclays Bank Plc Barclays Bank Plc 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, United Kingdom Account Ref No. CB/IO/45121/110/3335669969/2004. Email: bankberclays@accountant.com Email: barcleysbankplc@englandmail.com Tele: +447773645702 Sir/Madam, I have been directed by the Director, Credit Administration Dept to write you in respect to the mail which we received. Actually, we have earlier been told about you by the young lady miss Jeny Elhag, that she wishes you to be her Trustee/Representative for the claim of her late father's deposit with our bank. Dr. Ahmed Elhag. Was our late customer with substantial amount deposited with us? As asked, the volume of fund currently deposited with our bank is US$5,700,000.00. Hence you have been really appointed as a trustee to represent the Next of Kin cum Mandate Beneficiary. However before our bank will transact any business concerning the transfer of the fund with you, we will like you to send the following documents to our bank: 1. A power of attorney permitting you to claim and transfer the fund to your bank account on her behalf. This document must be endorsed by a Senegalese resident lawyer. 2. The death certificate of (Her deceased father) confirming the death. 3. A copy of the statement of the account issued to her late father by our bank. 4. An affidavit of oath from the Senegalese High Court. 5. The scan copy of your identity card. To enhance quicker processing of this fund, you are to provide this bank with the following Information needed in our BTD Form 41. 1. Full Name. 2. Contact Address. 3. Fax Number. 4. Name of Bank and where this fund is expected to be wired to. 5. You're Identity No. 6. Occupation/Profession. This information is urgently on receipt of this mail so that we can create your Fund Transmission File with the Data Processing Department and international payment Office/Telex Services Dept respectively. Note that the above are compulsory, and are needed to protect our interest, yours, the next of kin after the claims. These shall also ensure that a smooth, quick and successful transfer of the fund is made. We promise to give our customers the best of our services. Should you have any question(s) please contact me: through Email: (bankberclays@accountant.com) Mr. Greg Anderson. (World Operational/Wire Transfer Department Officer) From: jeny me Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:09:48 +0000 Subject: RE: Happy monday my beloved My Beloved Brother and friend please i don't know what deeply your heart is toward me but I believe that you love me because of your time you took many time thinking about me about what to tell me on message everytimes to console me and make me feel alive with you I really appreciate it to my heavenly God, because its not easy even me as am here as a woman doing nothing in the hostel it hard sometime to sit on computer just wasted my time on love you love you on Internet, because is like invisible love to me am sorry to say this, but at a time when i adapt to it i came across your Kind then with your courage and everything you shows me I really felt and believe in you so much till i felt to be completely reveal myself to you, and i believe it is my faith been the way i choose you on first day i saw your profile on the site. why i think a lot is about the trust between us because of the distance and a lot of thing rev father told me this afternon about many things on Internet, like fraud, cyber sex film and fraternity initiation, different like that, he ask me were I know you and if i trust you very well as real family to me? and he ask me your country and your age, and how we get locate our self today, he said truly if the Authority and United notion officer hear or see this my late father documents they will seize it from me till the day I will relocate from here under UNHCR to another country before they will release it back to me officially. and he said is a very big risk when things like money and such a big amount involve in Internet relationship, but i insist that i trust you very well than anyone on earth for now because you are my family friend and like father and Brother to me, he ask again why I did not tell him that is my late father document I kept with him since when they bring me to the parish here and I told him that some one have told me the week. I came that if I have big currency or stone like diamond or gold in my bag that UNITED NATION POLICE here or security they will seize it from me, that is why I keep it secret in me. and he gave me address of lawyer in city with Pass card to go out that I should go with the document and see the lawyer and he said we should committed everything in Gods hand first,that is how he conclude... I am confuse... I went to see the lawyer I just came back now and the lawyer said that it will cost us a little money to collect those document from their high court here but he never mention any amount it will cost us, and he said again that I will follow him to the high court in the city and I will swear in front of their justice man and sign before they will approve and give the documents. and he gave his contact address and phone contact he said you should contact him today to know the legal arrangement with him, he said the documents will be in your name to the bank as the bank ask, that he can help us with your corporation with him in just five days, and father Samuel said that the lawyer will do everything for us without delay that he trust him, my beloved Brother and friend please stand by your promise to me only YOU and I will know about this money in your country, you know the reason why i told you this? is because of how i lost my family in my country am shame of people call me orphanage please. not that am proud, i was born with golden spoon. but now the poorest children are better than me but still I give all glory to Almighty God who create me.my prayer is that i want to see you eye to eye and be together as one family forever. my Beloved Brother and friend your truly heart and care is most important in my life. This is the lawyer contact, Try to contact him today as possible so that he can explain better for you. Bar (Dr) Keenedy Bronw (Principal Partner).(ESQ) No 46 Avenue Anta Diop (7Th-floor) BP 450 Dakar Senegal.OFFICE Tell-fax +221707980337 +221766327233 Email; barristerkenedybrown@dr.com I want to go now my Beloved hope to read your good news, take care of yourself and our family at home. your Jenny Ahmed From: "barrister kenedy Brown" Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 01:12:18 +0100 Subject: Attention Mr. Bar (Dr) Keenedy Bronw (Principal Partner).(ESQ) No 46 Avenue Anta Diop (7Th-floor) BP 450 Dakar Senegal. Tell-fax +221707980337 Email; barristerkenedybrown@dr.com Attention Mr. My addition discussion previously with your sibling Ms Jenny Ahmed and your mail communication today' including Director of the orphanage camp Samuel on phone communication pedestal on require Certificates needed on her deceased father bond account and which she put forward the documents to me, dearth certificate of Late Dr Ahmed / deposit of statement Account of late Dr Ahmed (bankberclays bank plc) as you are aware. Her free out from united nation ong camp did not concern my routine there right lawyer office under the UNO permanents for them. Sir in Respond concerned your sibling decease father Estate bond account at bankberclays bank of London, The procedure of registration of your sibling late father original documents in this office that will be useful on this processing with my chamber in Federal High court of Justice Senegal are affirm as explanation below 1st Notice: for legislative of said documents in your name and your given Address in this chamber at a time when you are comply with my chamber will only takes 3 working days for me to legalized your documents out' from the Magistrate Court of my country, 2nd Notice: before this and Before we compile any files for this documentations, it will cost you (820.00 Euro) to endorse this documents from the federal high court of my country Republic of Senegal. 3rd Notice: Sir' you were counsel to send your Information accordingly to my request as your attorney demand, And kindly make an arrangement of our service and your documents cost (820.00 Euro) together with the form; 4th Notice: Requirement included is: No: 1. A Passport Size Photograph by Scan Duplicate. White and black Background No: 2. Scan and send the copy of your International Passport or your legal identification card. No: 3. Home Address No: 4. Telephone Number 5th Notice: bill breakdown: From the Federal High Court today, this documents will cost you only (720.00 Euro), below is the break down of why it will cost you so, (1) The Power of attorney will cost you (450.00 Euro). First it will be drawn and notarized at the Federal High Court of Senegal which This (450.00 Euro) will be pay to the Registrar Federal High Court of the Republic of Senegal for notarizing as well as affix stamp on the documents. (2) The Affidavit of oath will be sworn on your behalf at the Magistrate Court annex to the Federal High Court of the Republic of Senegal and this will cost the sum of (220.00 Euro) which is payable before the commissioner for oath at the Magistrate Court of the of the Republic of Senegal. (3) Our service/administrative fee which you will be required to paid is sum (150 00 Euro) only. Therefore a total of (670.00 Euro) stands the fee payable to the Judicial Authority/Government of the Republic of Senegal for notarize of the documents. My chamber service charge is (150 00 Euro). You are charge to pay a total fee of (820.0 Euro) Notice: This Amount should be paid before we proceed as this will be used in procuring and notarizing the said documents at the Judiciary authority of the republic of Senegal. As soon as I receive this amount, we shall commence our service which will take us within 24 hours to complete before presenting myself at high court of justice of my country. So you are advised to make the payment for your documents, via my Chamber Clark Names? Ossai Joseph Ejike via Western Union or Money gram, More prefer with my chamber otherwise you make this arrangement with your sibling Ms Jenny Ahmed Orphanage home Authority on possible to reach me by means of it. Payment must be paid before I can tender your files at high court of justice of my country. I give you guarantee of 72 hours to endues and receive all your documents, Our first priority is to make sure that our clients are full satisfied with our services. Above is my professional Id card to know whom you are dealing with Sir. We are Sincerely in Service Bar (Dr) Keenedy Bronw (Principal Partner).(ESQ) From: "barrister kenedy Brown" Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:03:55 +0100 Subject: Re: Bar (Dr) Keenedy Bronw Mr Sir i hope you are genuine person? am sorry for what you said because i dont need your money ok i dont understand what you are saying corncer fraudments or scammers. i think you are the one for this because you take me as your lawyer and you dont believe me when i advice you to do something, what kind of human being are you? if you are in this country i crush you bad i show you the kind of lawyer i am ok I dont care about your age i respect your age before but now i understand you, ask about this country senegal you will hear or know about it so keep your money aside i am not foolish for money. Your plan is to to take this young ladys money and run away? do you know many years it take me to be lawyer? you come to cheat a lady you know her condition is very bad You come and ask her late fathers documents to run away no it can never happen mr . I DONT HAVE CHANCE FOR THIS KIND OF WORK From: jenny me Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 10:36:19 +0000 Subject: Good news again to You. Hello Good news again to You. how are you doing in-life? Like this today i remember you and i decided to tell you that i have been very busy since over here in my School trying to fix everything accordingly. This is to inform you that I have concluded my own part in preparing for you to get this my compensation fund. I have sent all my documents to the bank in Dakar Senegal International Commercial Bank through courier speed post this morning and they assured me that the documents are good. All the documents were validated and approved before sending them to the bank. All you have to do now is to make contact with International Commercial Bank in-charge of the compensation fund 300,000,00US Dollars in your name, tell them that i Miss Jenny Ahmed ask you to contact their Bank Office to enable them wire the Total money to you into their bank Western Union money transfer with your name. Below is the contact information's. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK. EMAIL: (internationalcomercialbank361@gmail.com) TELEPHONE: +221778401082 CONTACT PERSON: MR JUDE JOHNSON. Thanks and have a nice day. From yours Miss Jenny Ahmed If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... : , , . , , . News / Press Release by Jacob Mafume - PDP National Spokesperson The People's Democratic Party (PDP) applauds the High Court ruling on the illegal demolitions of residential houses by the government and local councils.The ruling passed by Justice Priscilla Chigumba on Monday declared that "under no circumstances are the Government departments at liberty to demolish any structures in the absence of a court order authorizing them to do so, whether the structures are illegal or an eyesore.This comes as a relief to desperate home seekers who lost their entire life's savings and properties following the demolitions of their properties without the necessary court orders as enshrined in the Constitution.Thousands of families have been rendered destitute because of the callous demolitions, which in the first place an infringement of their fundamental right. As the PDP, we are concerned that some of the local authorities involved in the demolitions are run by opposition parties that claim to be social democrats but choose to cooperate with the heartless Zanu PF government in making unconstitutional decisions.This is a clear negation of duty on the part of this opposition grouping and we hope that the ruling will give them time to introspect.We totally support the advice of Justice Chigumbura to people whose homes were destroyed that they use court processes and sue the government and the Harare City Council over the unlawful demolitions. Lawlessness and anarchy must never be tolerated especially if it is coming from those who must abide by the law because they are knowledgeable and understand its requirements.It is also unfortunate to note that in the same local councils, service delivery is almost none existent while revenue collected from ratepayers is used to pay for luxury vehicles and holidays for the senior executives with ordinary workers going for months without receiving their salaries.In Harare, at least 15 cases of typhoid have been confirmed while and another 125 are being investigated. It is unheard of that a city like Harare should in this day record cases of curable Stone Age diseases such as typhoid or cholera.To worsen the situation, the Harare City Council has informed its residents to brace for more lengthy water cuts until July. While it is important that water infrastructure must be serviced, this must be done alongside necessary remedies such as providing water bourses to suburbs in low income areas so that people's fundamental right to access clean and potable water is not infringed as a result of administrative conduct.This sad state of affairs being witnessed in the capital is the same in most urban councils, such as Mutare, Gweru and Masvingo with the residents unfortunately bearing the brunt of the government and the local authorities' insensitivities. Residents are being forced to fetch water from unprotected sources as the local councils fail to provide clean and safe to ratepayers.Roads and other social infrastructure remain in a deplorable state while informal traders who are trying to make a decent living in such a difficult economic situation are being chased away and their goods are confiscated without compensation by the criminal cabals that have become of council police.As PDP, we restate our call for Harare Mayor, Ben Manyenyeni to resign and let other competent people run the affairs of the Harare City Council. By continuing as mayor, he is putting the lives of millions of residents at a risk at a time when the city should be striving hard to attain its much hyped status as a world class city by 2025. At least two tankers booked in recent days; Gasoline stocks at record high in Europe, U.S. Traders have begun storing gasoline on tankers off the coast of Europe as land storage tanks near maximum capacity, the latest sign of increasing stress in the refined oil products market. While demand for gasoline and its blending components was exceptionally high last year, particularly in the United States and China, a seasonal dip in demand has caused large product build-ups in the Atlantic basin in recent week. At least three long-range tankers have been booked for storage in recent days, according to shipping data, traders and ship brokers. The 80,000-tonne tanker Fair Seas has been booked by trading house Gunvor for storage over a period of 30 to 60 days at a daily rate of $23,000 and is currently loading its cargo in the port of Amsterdam, according to Reuters ship tracking. Similarly, the 60,000-tonne BW Orinoco was booked at similar terms by Litasco, the trading arm of Russian oil producer Lukoil , according to shipping data, traders and ship brokers. Several other tankers are being discussed for storage too, according to traders. Gasoline stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp storage hub hit an all-time high last week at 1.33 million tonnes, according to data from Dutch consultancy PJK International. Similarly, U.S. gasoline stores have risen to record highs. The ample supplies and weak demand have led to a decline in prompt prices, which are currently trading at a strong discount of around $50 a tonne to the April contracts, when demand for summer-grade gasoline traditionally rises ahead of the summer holidays. "Floating storage is happening for summer grade," a trader said. Traders started using barges for floating storage in recent weeks, causing congestion at several terminals in northwest Europe, according to traders and barge brokers. By Ron Bousso Too few icebreakers and lack of a second Poe-sized lock threaten shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Insufficient U.S. and Canadian icebreakers and reliance on a single Poe-sized lock to connect Lake Superior to the Lower Lakes and Seaway threaten the future of shipping on Americas Fourth Sea Coast warns Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) in its 2015 Annual Report released today. Another near arctic winter significantly impacted navigation, and then a 20-day closure of the MacArthur Lock in late summer gave us an uninviting preview of the delays and disruptions that will come should a mechanical or structural issue incapacitate the Poe Lock for a lengthy period of time. If unaddressed, neither augers well for the future of Lakes/Seaway shipping, the report said. The ice on the Lakes in 2015 was formidable, notes the Lake Carriers Association (LCA). A 767-foot-long U.S.-flag laker with an ice-strengthened bow and 7,000-horsepower engine packed in her hull sat immobile in Lake Erie, within sight of land, for five days in February. A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker was unable to free the Arthur M. Anderson. A Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker eventually broke the vessel out, but the ships last cargo had to be cancelled. Conditions had not eased when the Soo Locks opened on March 25 and within four days the Mackinaw the U.S. Coast Guards newest and most powerful icebreaker, had suffered a casualty to its propulsion system and was unable to operate at full strength for the remainder of the spring breakout. GLMTF, the largest labor/management coalition ever assembled to promote Lakes/Seaway shipping, hailed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 (signed by President Obama this month) for the provision authored by Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-Mich.) that authorizes construction of a new heavy icebreaker for the Lakes and will now focus its attention on having Congress appropriate the funds to build the vessel. Its cost is estimated at approximately $200 million. The Task Force also urged the Coast Guard to accelerate the modernization of the 140-foot-long icebreakers stationed on the Lakes. The vessels were built between 1979 and 1987 and are in need of extensive upgrading. GLMTF asked that the work be moved from the Coast Guard yard in Baltimore to Great Lakes shipyards. GLMTFs 2015 Annual Report also warns that last summers 20-day closure of the MacArthur Lock highlights the need to create redundancy at the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, by twinning the Poe Lock. The MacArthur Lock is 73 years old, the Poe Lock, 47. At least in this instance, vessels that normally transit the MacArthur Lock can use the Poe Lock, so cargo was delayed rather than cancelled. Poe-class vessels are too big to go through the MacArthur Lock, and they represent 70 percent of U.S.-flag carrying capacity on the Lakes. A lengthy closure of the Poe Lock would slow trade to a trickle at best. Although authorized by Congress at full Federal expense, a second Poe-sized lock has been stalled by a flawed analysis of the benefit/cost ratio. Fortunately, that flawed analysis is going to be reviewed, in part because a Department of Homeland Security report forecasts catastrophic and nationwide impacts if the Poe Lock is incapacitated. The Corps has reprogrammed $1.35 million for the re-evaluation and allotted 24 months for completion. We urge the Corps to complete the new analysis in not more than 18 months. The Task Force reported major progress on the dredging crisis. The Corps was able to dredge 21 ports and waterways and remove 3.1 million cubic yards of sediment. The Corps workplan for 2016 calls for dredging 25 projects and removing 3.4 million cubic yards. GLMTF continued to support S. 373, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, as it would establish a uniform, federal ballast water standard. The Task Force concluded its report by calling for fair trade in steel imports. We believe in May the best man win, but dumping steel into the U.S. market has cost the Lakes jobs and cargo. Trade in any commodity must be free but fair. By combining well-proven MacGregor Pusnes technology in bow loading and offloading systems, MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has helped to develop a solution that enables crude oil to be loaded directly from a floating production storage offloading (FPSO) facility or a floating storage offloading (FSO) unit to a conventional tanker, up to very large crude carrier (VLCC) size. The first contracts for the systems have been signed with China's Cosco Shipyard Group. "MacGregor, and its Pusnes brand, has a long history of developing pioneering offshore loading systems within the industry," says Hye Hyesen, Vice President, MacGregor Advanced Offshore Solutions. "Based on this legacy, MacGregor was invited by Cefront Technology, who developed the concept, to participate in the design and development of the loading systems." The Cosco Shipyard Group orders will see MacGregor design, manufacture, deliver and commission complete Pusnes loading systems for two cargo transfer (CTV) vessels. The vessels will be built at Cosco Nantong Shipyard and at Cosco Guangdong Shipyard. MacGregor deliveries are planned to start at the end of 2016. Each vessel will feature MacGregor's well-known Pusnes bow loading and offloading system, which principally comprises: two Pusnes bow loading systems, one Pusnes offloading system, including the world's largest crude oil hose reel with offloading hose; and two sets of Pusnes-patented releasable 700-tonne hawser winches, in addition to auxiliary winches and an integrated electro/hydraulic control system. "MacGregor is proud of its long and close relationship with Cosco shipyards in China," he adds. "The Cosco Shipyard Group is an important partner for the future and has proved to be a strong player in the merchant and offshore industries." MacGregor has previously delivered four sets of Pusnes bow loading systems to Cosco Nantong Shipyard and two sets to Cosco Zhoushan Shipyard, of which, one project is still ongoing. In addition to these MacGregor has delivered a range of deck machinery and steering gear to different Cosco shipyards. The Panama Canal has announced that Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), the consortium responsible for the design and construction of the Third Set of Locks Project, has successfully completed testing of the reinforcements in sill #3 of the Cocoli locks. GUPC technical personnel, the designers and Panama Canal Authority (ACP) specialists monitored the testing process which consisted of gradually raising the water behind the lock gate to the level in which the seepage was first detected in sill #3 last August. Later, the testing was inspected by a team of independent experts, professors and structural engineers from the Technological University of Panama (UTP), all of whom expressed satisfaction with the final results. Following the completion of this work, GUPC will proceed to test the electromechanical components necessary for the Expanded Canal to operate. Less than four percent remains to complete the overall project which will be inaugurated later this year. Wartsila has signed a contract with Shanghai Bestway Marine Engineering Design Co Ltd to design a new type of deepwater dive support vessel (DSV). The ship is to be built for China state-owned Shanghai Salvage Bureau (SSB), a professional salvage company in China. The contract with Wartsila was signed in January. The Wartsila design features a combination of capabilities, including deepwater (6,000 meters) salvage operations, deepwater pipe laying and construction work, and saturation (SAT) diving operations for 24 divers using two diving bells. SAT diving is a technique that allows divers to reduce the risk of decompression sickness when working at great depths for extended periods of time. All the design features are based on a single platform operating with DP3. When built, this will be the world's first SAT diving support vessel with Multi-Lay and ultra deep water construction capabilities, Wartsila said. Wartsilas contract with SSB covers initial and basic design of the ship, meaning that class and flag authority related drawings for the purpose of finalizing the necessary approvals and certifications, will be supplied. Wartsila will also provide the basic references for future, more detailed engineering requirements for building the vessel. U.S., Royal Thai, Malaysian and Japanese services practice noncombatant evacuation operations during exercise Cobra Gold 16, at Utapao, Thailand, February 17, 2016. Cobra Gold is a multi-national exercise designed to increase cooperation and interoperability through solving solutions for common challenges through training. During the evacuation training event Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 set up an MV-22 Osprey as a static display for the partner services while partner nations practiced actual evacuations. This is the civic action portion, said 1st Lt. Danilo O. Rodriguez, the officer in charge of the evacuation control center with 31st Combat Logistics Battalion, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Theres humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that goes into this entire Pacific region. We cant ignore that by focusing only on kinetic action. In this case, it allows us to be prepared for the next typhoon that hits the Philippines or the next disaster that hits Nepal. Rodriquez is part of a team that is designed to mitigate casualties during these types of disasters. We have the ability to liaison with the embassy representative in the nation we are deployed to, said Rodriquez, from San Diego, California. We have the ability to extract upward of 300 or more citizens. For Cobra Gold Rodriguez and his team are working with Marine VMM 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III MEF, which was deployed for immediate aid in Nepal after the earthquakes struck in May, 2015. The Osprey gives those coordinating at the embassy, MEU, and MEB levels different options they wouldnt normally have with just a helicopter or C-130, said Lt. Col. Matthew A. Baldwin, the commanding officer with VMM 262 from Bellevue, Washington. Traditional helicopters can be very weight and range limited during supply and evacuation focused missions. The Osprey has the ability to travel farther with a bigger capacity for supplies or personnel. The Osprey is a very popular aircraft, said Rodriquez, from San Diego, California. Other nations are always curious about it, which is one of the reasons we wanted to have it out here. [The other services] can actually board it and have a tour of the capabilities it offers. During the practice, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan demonstrated their own capabilities by using fixed wing and traditional helicopters. I believe all of us being here have taken away from each nation as far as how they execute their own portion of the ECC, said Rodriguez. My Marines came here well prepared for this type of exercise, but being able to work with other nations is a new and great experience. I know theyll be more prepared in a bilateral type of environment in the future. More Media Sailors with 2nd Medical Battalion tested their ability to work under pressure during a tactical combat casualty care exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 12. The exercise serves as an annual requirement for corpsmen that may deploy in support of 2nd Marine Logistics Group operations. Companies Alpha and Bravo of the battalion gathered inside of a warehouse to undergo a simulation that required them to split into fire teams. From there, they located and treated training dummies with a variety of combat injuries. Prior to beginning the exercise, instructors had sailors complete a series of physical training events to induce mild fatigue and then rolled right into their mission. "These sailors are going through a realistic tactical medicine course that enhances and enables them to utilize the skill sets they already have," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron Hudson, a TCCC instructor. "It is set up to physically and mentally stress our sailors in order to have them adapt and overcome austere conditions." Sailors also faced mental obstacles as they made their way through smoke and competed with the loud sounds of gunfire and explosions in their efforts to communicate. "I'm coming from a hospital so this is a different environment for me," said Seaman Cameron Alexander, a hospitalman with the company. "This exercise has made me confident about tactical combat casualty care." The extent of the injuries sailors had to treat included penetrating chest trauma, shrapnel penetration, amputation, airway obstructions and facial trauma. "Some of the senior corpsmen have done this many times, and so they lead the way for those doing this for the first time," Alexander said. Sailors concluded the exercise by evacuating their patients on stretchers and completing a nine-line medical evacuation request. This was a worst-case scenario exercise and sailors had to work quickly with the tools they had to be successful, Hudson said. The key thing for our sailors is to have them learn from their mistakes in a training environment so they are successful in treating a real patient. More Media News / Press Release by RTUZ The Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ) is appalled and condemns the abuse of teachers, school children and school premises by ZANU PF Secretary for the Women's League, Grace Mugabe.The overzealous Grace Mugabe appears to have little regard for education and academic freedom, even though she claims to be a PhD holder', because her consistent and deplorable conduct of disrupting learning in order to perform her cheap political circuses. In all the areas which Grace Mugabe has visited she has used school premises in many ways, most recent being Kanyemba Secondary School in Chiweshe and Chimhanda Secondary School in Rushinga.Firstly, the members of her advance security team which are often members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), ahead of the event and are accommodated in staff quarters at nearby schools. While in these quarters they threaten teachers and any other school staff who are suspected not to be interested in supporting Grace Mugabe's megalomaniac political ambitions.To subject teachers to psychological torture has repercussions on their performance in class. Teachers suddenly have to deliver the correct lessons' for as long as the CIO is around the school and thus sometimes prejudice learners especially in subjects such as history where certain topics and discussions are sensitive to Grace's ecstatic fantasies. This conduct is against various declarations on academic freedom which maintain that security forces must not be deployed in learning institutions unless if there is a real threat to property or life.Secondly by conducting her rallies on school premises, Grace Mugabe is disrupting lessons and thus unnecessarily prejudicing young learners who are enthusiastic to learn. This conduct invariable infringes on section 75 of the constitution of Zimbabwe which guarantees the right to education.Thirdly, Grace Mugabe's conduct also breaches section 200, subsection (3a & b) which state that no member of the Civil Service may (a) act in a partisan manner and (b) further the interest of any political party or cause. By forcing teachers, school authorities and school pupils to provide logistical support to Grace Mugabe's political rallies as ushers and general hands, puts the teachers and school authorities who are members of the Civil Service in a compromised constitutional position with regards to their conduct.Furthermore and more dangerously, Grace Mugabe wantonly violates the rights of children as set out in section 81, subsection (2h) which states that every child under the age of 18 years has the right not to be compelled to take part in any political activity.' By conducting her rallies on school premises, with school children and during school hours makes her conduct ultra vires the Constitutional provisions. Therefore what Grace is doing is to shred to tatters the national Constitution which is the very basis of our democracy and this is unacceptable and criminal.Given the hate speech, vulgar, bellicosity, tribalism and nak.ed violence which characterizes ZANU PF rallies in general and Grace Mugabe's rallies in particular, the young vulnerable minds are being traumatized in ways beyond imagination.It is disheartening to see young 12 year olds standing bemused as Grace Mugabe vulgarizes about her political party members' sexual activities or when Mphoko spits tribal loaded bile right into the young ears, piercing and wounding their conscience forever. This is a gross human rights violation which must be stopped forthwith.As RTUZ we warn the temperamental Grace Mugabe to keep her toxic politics out of schools and allow genuine young learners to enjoy their right to education quietly as they will never have the opportunity to attain fake doctoral certificates like she can do by means of a mere phone call.RTUZ will soon approach the constitutional court for redress in this matter.Released by;RTUZ Infor A duo of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters barreled through the sky, each transporting a team of Marines determined to retrieve their injured comrades. After the helicopters landed in the valley below, the objective area, the Marines shuffled out of the cargo doors and established a defensive perimeter. The aircraft withdrew from the area and a quiet was reinstated to the valley, but only for the moment. Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, conducted aerial Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, or TRAP, operations at Camp Pendleton, Feb. 10, 2016, in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The TRAP scenarios offered by the Expeditionary Operations Training Group, which include both day and night portions, are meant to give the Marines of 2/4 essential knowledge to tactically recover personnel, equipment or aircraft by inserting the recovery force to the objective location. In preparation for an upcoming deployment, we are integrating closely with our air combat element, getting familiar with how they employ their aircraft, and learning how we can work together to coordinate and quickly get in and out of an objective area with an isolated target, said 1st Lt. Justin J. Whitaker, a Houston native and TRAP commander with 2/4. To ensure that goal is met, EOTG personnel provide scenarios for 2/4 to work through. During this scenario, Marines inserted into daunting rocky terrain by two CH-53E Super Stallion cargo helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, tasked with retrieving a simulated downed pilot from the objective area. Once the pilot was located, he was transported back to the initial landing zone, where the Marines extracted from the area by helicopter with the recovered Marine. This mission serves as a realization for the Marines, establishing them as a jack-of-all-trades, giving them a different perspective beyond the standard duties of a mortarman, said Lance Cpl. Nicholas ONeill, a Rocheport, Missouri, native and a squad leader with 2/4. I want them to understand that through this training and our relationship with the aircraft wing, we will become faster, better and stronger, ready for any [recovery mission]. In addition to the daytime recovery training, the unit also conducted a night TRAP exercise with aerial support from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165, MAG 16, 3rd MAW. All throughout the week weve been studying terrain models and maps of the target area, along with being briefed the five paragraph mission orders and conducting night and day rehearsal drills to prepare us for the TRAP mission, said Sgt. Trevor Wilson, a Leon, Iowa, native, and a section leader with 2/4. Combat preparedness is everything, according to Whitaker. Although they are formally mortarmen by trade, TRAP scenarios, like those conducted by 2/4, provide Marines with the basic capabilities needed to efficiently accomplish a rescue and recovery mission. More Media Has Chicago Reached Debt Boiling Point? In the 1890s Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun, referred to Chicago as the Windy City. Chicago was one of many cities competing to host the Worlds Fair, and clearly the writer intended the double entendre to apply to the citys weather as well as its mouthy politicians. When it comes to Chicagos weather, anyone who has visited Chi-town (as the city is known in CB-lingo) can attest to the screaming wind off of Lake Michigan. It howls for what seems like days at 40 mph, carrying with it sub-zero temperature in the winter. As for Chicagos politicians, spouting hot air just happens to be a trait common to people in that profession.But now it might be time to paint some more of them with that broad brush.There you have it. The Chicago Public School system (CPS) is broke. Even after Mayor Rahm Emanuel took a knife to the CPS budget last summer, cutting away almost half a billion in spending, the system still faces a $500 million shortfall.District officials have come up with the brilliant solution to fund their operations by issuing bonds, as if that will bring in more tax revenue or lower their expenses. Bond buyers would have the promise that CPS will use its full faith and credit to repay the bonds.Theres only one problem. Its a lie, and the district officials know it.The term full faith and credit means that a borrower will use all assets available to repay a debt. But Chicagos school system, in the footsteps of Detroit two years ago and now Puerto Rico, has no intention of foregoing other expenses to pay bondholders.Their plan, just like Detroit and Puerto Rico, is to con whomever they can into giving the system cash. They have one goal: hold off bankruptcy just one more day, until theres not another sucker willing to take the bait.In this case, the bait is pretty tempting. The Chicago Public School system is offering an 8.5% yield on a municipal bond, which equates to a 12.3% taxable yield at a 35% tax rate.With property as valuable as Chicagos backing such an offering, Chicagos school system is counting on investors to give into greed, rather than the fear of non-payment. Many of them will. But just as I warned investors away from Puerto Ricos last bond offering, they should stay away from this piece of kryptonite.The sad part of the situation in Chicago is that it didnt have to happen. The sadder part is that the same story is unfolding around the country.The tale starts like so many others: with pensions. Many years ago the Chicago school system granted generous pension benefits to its employees. But then the city, which operates the school system, didnt keep up with its end of the funding.From 1995 to 2004, the city of Chicago didnt contribute one nickel to the school districts pension system, even though it is responsible for a portion of contributions in addition to what employees put in.In the mid-2000s the city got back on track, but by that time the system had a significant shortfall. Then the financial crisis of 2008 hit, crushing the value of the pension and also weighing on the citys ability to make its obligatory payments.To give itself some breathing room, the city granted itself a pension holiday from 2011 to 2013, allowing for smaller payments than it should have made. Today the city of Chicago must contribute about $700 million to the CPS pension system, an amount thats increasing by roughly 7% per year.For a school system that is running half a billion dollars in the red, thats simply an unworkable number. The city tried to cut pension benefits (a mixture of lower payments, longer vesting, and higher employee contributions), but a judge found that the changes violated the state constitution. According to that document, any state contractual benefit, such as pensions, that has been earned or offered in the future, cant be reduced. This leaves employees like teachers and administrators in a strong legal position to demand every cent they were promised. But the city cant pay. So it has turned to the state. Governor Rauner wont write a blank check to Chicagos public school system. Hes willing to bail it out, but only if the city turns over control and the legislature agrees to let the school system and the city of Chicago declare bankruptcy. Hmm. In a nutshell The CPS has zero chance of paying its pension obligations. The city wont raise taxes high enough to make good on its debts. The state will come in only if these entities can declare bankruptcy and discharge at least some of their debts. Typically that means reduced bond payments instead of harming employees or retirees, just like Detroit. And yet the school system wants to sell new bonds backed by its full faith and credit. Right. What's Really Scary... While the situation in Chicago is close to a boiling point, the same factors are percolating in school districts, cities, counties, and states across the country. Just look at this top 10 list of the states with the most underfunded pensions. The state that tops the list is Illinois, home of the Windy City itself. As of 2014, only two states have fully solvent pension systems: South Dakota and Wisconsin. Thats why its so important to research potential bond investments extensively before you put your money down. You dont want to end up relying on the full faith and credit of the next Detroit. Rodney Follow me on Twitter ;@RJHSDent By Rodney Johnson, Senior Editor of Economy & Markets http://economyandmarkets.com Copyright 2016 Rodney Johnson - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Rodney Johnson Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. BrExit - Visegrad Conspiracy, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Refuse to give up Migrant Benefit Payments from Britain With single mindedness or madness the Visegrad conspirator nations of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic have refused to play along with the smoke and mirrors illusion that the European Commission has been constructing for David Cameron to hoodwink the British public into voting to remain within the EU. Instead all four conspirator nations are refusing to give up a single 1 in benefits payments from British tax payers to their citizens by flatly refusing any curb in child benefit payments claimed for several million children who reside in their home nations to the determent of British children in terms of a lower payout rate and tapering of child benefit than would otherwise be the case given an estimated 1/3rd of the budget is being siphoned off into eastern europe. The bottom line is that if the Visegrad conspirators are playing hardball ahead of a UK In / Out referendum then what can Britain expect in terms of any agreement being honoured by the dozen or so eastern European UK benefits claiming nations? The answer is any agreement would NOT be honoured! Which is as I warned would happen following the charade of a couple of weeks ago that had David Cameron emerge 'chamberlain' style waving a piece of paper of 'reforms in our time' as my video analysis of the time illustrated - https://youtu.be/MF3QLhoxkwQ The glaring problem at the core of Britain's negotiations is that Britain is ONE, and the benefit claiming eastern block are a DOZEN, Where ONE will ALWAYS be outvoted by the DOZEN. Therefore the negotiations are meaningless, where even the propaganda smoke screen to fool the British people into giving up freedom and self determination is literally just paper thin. The negotiation deception is so glaring obvious that it further illustrates the point that the European Union is fatally flawed and is ultimately destined to break apart which a BrExit would hasten the trend towards. Where the saving grace for Britain is that the first to exit should avoid much of the turmoil that will befall especially the euro-zone members. But of course the likes of the Visegrad cannot think beyond the greed of their own present day self interest, they cannot see that their greed is sowing the seeds for the destruction of the European Union, they are literally determined to kill the goose that lays their child benefit golden eggs. Where the UK referendum is concerned, then this really IS Britain's very last chance for freedom as I illustrated a couple of weeks ago : 03 Feb 2016 - David Chamberlain Cameron, Britain's Last Chance for Freedom From Emerging European Super State Britain's Last Chance to Gain Freedom from Emerging European Super State What most pundits fail to recognise or lack experience of is trend and momentum both of which for the past 40 years have been moving in one direction that for the emergence of a highly centralised European super state that the financial crisis and subsequent economic depression of southern europe is accelerating the trend towards. So whilst it is too late for the euro-zone members who for better or worse are locked into a death embrace that has all but nullified democracy for most of the euro-zone states as the elections in Greece, Spain and Italy have clearly demonstrated the lack for even radical governments such as Syriza to do anything other than obey their German paymasters who control the euro currency and can within a couple of weeks bring fellow euro-zone members to the brink of collapse as was repeatedly demonstrated by Greece last year. Thus, for Britain the saving grace of not being in the euro-zone offers the UK a unique final opportunity to make the choice of either FREEDOM or become another satellite state revolving around a German centre that will increasingly dictate terms and conditions. Therefore, given that there would probably not be another referendum for at least 20 years, then this really is Britain's VERY LAST CHANCE. There WON'T be another opportunity because with each passing year the price for a BREXIT increases, and we are not that far off from the point of no return when an exit would result in an economic collapse, much of the situation the euro-zone members have been since they signed up to scrap their currencies and join the Euro-zone. Of course both the LEAVE and the REMAIN camps put out a lot of propaganda and spin on the others consequences. For LEAVE it's a case of everything smelling of roses in a Britain that has been freed from increasing European bureaucracy and interference, that would be in full control of Britain's borders. Whilst the REMAIN camp paints a picture of FEAR, of economic and financial catastrophe coupled with punitive terms for exit that would seek to punish Britain for daring to exit the euro-zone, so much for so-called european unity built on common purpose and friendship instead the European Union is increasingly a club of FEAR and PARALYSIS. The Price for Freedom The truth is that a BREXIT WILL BE ECONOMICALLY PAINFUL despite all of the benefits of being outside of the E.U. The cost of BrExit will be anywhere from 2% to as high as 5% of GDP if the euro-zone is determined to make an example of Britain to act as a warning to others by raising punitive tariffs on trade. However remember that attaining FREEDOM ALWAYS carry's a PRICE, in which respect even the worst case scenario for a 5% loss of GDP in the grand scheme of things does not compare against the infinitely greater price the people of Britain paid for their freedom in both past World Wars and so it is now THIS generations turn to pay a price for the freedom of future generations. What the people of Britain need to fully understand is that this really is their VERY LAST CHANCE for Freedom! The following video further illustrates the crisis consequences of the decade long failure to limit benefits for migrants that has prompted whole villages and even towns to up sticks and land themselves on Britain's cities demanding housing, healthcare, school places and of course benefits resulting in paralysis and crisis virtually EVERYWHERE! US Interest Rates 2016 US Dollar Trend Forecast Stock Market Trend Forecast 2016 US House Prices Forecast 2016 and Beyond Gold and Silver Price Forecast 2016 Ensure you are subscribed to my always free newsletter (only requirement is an email address) for the following forthcoming analysis - By Nadeem Walayat http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Copyright 2005-2016 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved. Nadeem Walayat has over 25 years experience of trading derivatives, portfolio management and analysing the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem's forward looking analysis focuses on UK inflation, economy, interest rates and housing market. He is the author of five ebook's in the The Inflation Mega-Trend and Stocks Stealth Bull Market series that can be downloaded for Free. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication that presents in-depth analysis from over 1000 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets, thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities. Nadeem Walayat Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. FTSE Bounce to Prove Brief The bounce in capital markets across the globe amid speculation of expanded stimulus from the European Central Bank and looser lending conditions in China may have sent risk assets and equities higher, but the positive sentiment is unlikely to last. Worsening fundamental conditions in the United Kingdom combined with a weak external environment have contributed to the sizable decline in FTSE 100 equity index over the last several months, with the benchmark dipping into a bear market last month following a widespread market selloff. A number of lingering issues continue to plague the index, keeping the pressure on performance high as concerns about the drag from energy, softer industrial activity, and another bout of regional bank weakness are offset gains from a more competitive Pound. Index Echoing Declining FundamentalsLooking at the sector weightings of the FTSE 100, it is not difficult to conclude as to why performance in the index has been lackluster, especially after a dismal 1-year return of -15.26%. The big picture breakout of the FTSE 100 shows concentrations in four key areas, with the personal/household sector accounting for 13.64% of the total weighting, followed by oil & gas at 12.82%, banks at 12.10% and healthcare at 10.37%. Starting with consumption, wage growth remains in positive territory but is nevertheless modest at best with retail sales growth still decelerating and possible deflation, a number of factors could hurt the outlook. Healthcare equipment have been strong performers amid the weakening backdrop, rising 2.31% year over year. However, the real losses will continue to be attributed to energy and banking.The collapse in commodity prices over the last year has had a widespread impact, especially on mining and energy extraction operations across the UK. For local firms it has been nothing short of a disaster, especially in the North Sea as plunging energy prices has seen widespread reductions in headcounts with profitability suffering. The oil equipment sector in particular has been hard hit, tumbling 33.62% over the prior year while producers have fallen by -22.69%. However, it is not the only drag especially as the Brexit talks heat up, impacting banks as it raises concerns about London remaining the global banking center. Additionally, UK banks are under pressure thanks to widespread weakness across the European banking sector as old problems resurface. Even with a cheaper Pound supporting shares on a relative value basis, the headwinds are too numerous to be overcome short-term as companies hunker down.Technically SpeakingWhile a modest global bounce in risk assets across the globe is to be expected after the prior weeks losses, from a technical perspective there is still plenty of room for a deeper downward correction in the FTSE 100, especially after the benchmark dropped into a bear market back in January. The FTSE 100 has been trading within a downward trending equidistant channel formation for the better part of the last three months, adding to the prevailing bearish bias. Although the Index has managed to bounce back from the prior weeks losses after Central Banks pledged to do more and following the latest lending data from China, the pattern remains intact, with any bounce presenting a useful opportunity to establish short positions in the index just slightly below 6000 with a target of 5500. Adding to the downward narrative are the moving averages and relative strength index. Even though the relative strength index is currently sitting in the middle of the range, should the signal line continue to rise rise above the 60-70 level, it could be highly indicative of a great entry point for potential short positions attempting to capitalize on the medium-term downtrend and renewed momentum lower. The moving averages are also trending lower above the FTSE 100 price action, adding to the downside case with both the 50 and 200-day moving averages acting as resistance. Should the FTSE 100 bounce of the rapidly approaching 50-day moving average, it could signal a great potential entry point. With the medium-term moving average crossing the longer-term moving average to the downside back in July, the death cross formation is also still in play. The Big Picture Both fundamentally and technically speaking there is a good case for further downside in UK shares over the medium-term as a number of factors contribute to the FTSE 100 indexs recent demise. Although the benchmark has bounced back from a string of recent losses, this does not necessarily make the case for a reversal in the trend lower, but merely resembles a pullback as evidenced by technical factors that exhibit a largely bearish bias. Combined with the projected weakness in both the energy and banking sectors over the next few months and the Index is set for another wave of losses. Although there might be a little more left in the recent risk bounce, the upside in the FTSE 100 should be looked upon as limited as downside risks escalate. Anyoption is the world's leading binary options trading platform. Founded in 2008, anyoption was the first financial trading platform that made it possible for anyone to invest and profit from the global stock market through trading binary options. Our goal here at Market Oracle is to provide readers with valued insights and opinions on market events and the stories that surround them. Website anyoption.com 2016 Copyright Anyoption - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. U.S. Presidential Primaries - Thats All I Can Stands, I Cant Stands No More A week after the New Hampshire Presidential Primaries, what lessons, if any, can we take from the dramatic victories of two outsider candidates? Former New Hampshire resident and occasional Automatic Earth contributor Nelson Lebo weighs in. Note: Nelson writes below that Trumpification is a clear and present danger for writers like me who rely on the best available data, statistics, facts. But so far I find Trump mostly amusing, and an excellent indicator of what America has come to. And theres little he can do to make representation of the facts in the media even worse than it is. Turns out, it didnt take Trump to Trumpify the media. It might well be the other way around, that the Dumbification of the press paved the way for Da Donald. Heres Nelson Lebo III: Nelson Lebo: While Ive lived in New Zealand for eight years, most of my adult life has been spent in New Hampshire, USA the Granite State where the official motto is Live Free or Die. Its on the license plate. You dont get more Libertarian than that. The states unofficial motto is First in the Nation, which refers to hosting the first Presidential Primary once every four years (Iowa is not a primary!). First of the first since 1964 has been the tiny hamlet of Dixville Notch, whose citizens have embraced the tradition of casting their ballots just after midnight. Of the nine eligible voters in Dixville Notch this year, five voted in the Republican Primary and four voted in the Democratic Primary. Counting the ballots took 30 seconds. John Kasich edged Donald Trump on the Republican side 3 to 2, but Bernie Sanders crushed Hillary Clinton in a 4 to 0 landslide. In order to vote in the primary one must be a registered voter: either as a Democrat, Republican or Independent. Registered Democrats and Republicans can only vote in their partys primary, but Independents may choose either. I lived in New Hampshire for 16 years, and over that time my primary votes got more and more strategic. I have voted in both primaries. When I was young I always cast my ballot for my candidate voting with my heart but as I got older my votes became increasingly strategic voting with my head. Left, right or centre, one thing we the people had in common last Tuesday was the rejection of so-called establishment candidates. Voters are fed up with money in politics. Voters are fed up with cronyism. Voters do not want a coronation of another Clinton or Bush. What shines as a beacon of hope for democracy from what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire is that no matter how much money and influence the powers-that-be throw behind their candidates, individual voters have the final say. I cant say that tears came to my eyes when I heard the result, but it did notch up my wavering faith in humanity. Let freedom ring! Let freedom ring! From this perspective, what happened on the Democratic side is nothing short of a Liberty Bell! Consider: o Every major NH newspaper endorsed Clinton. o Every establishment NH Democrat politician endorsed Clinton. o Sanders came from a 50-point projected deficit to win by over 20 percentage points: 60% to 38%. o Sanders won every demographic including 70% of women-under-30 except for over-65s and households making over $200,000. This result speaks volumes about the current and future generation and wealth gap not only in America, but also in New Zealand and worldwide. In other words, it is a snapshot of what we will see more and more often as Baby Boomers hold on to their wealth and status while Millennials are left holding the bag. Many of us have seen this form of intergenerational tyranny coming down the tracks for some time. To me it is as simple as this: In the older demographics, we have a generation or two in America and some other countries who got free university education, bought real estate when it was cheap, and enjoyed decades of cheap energy while destroying the planets climate system. Meanwhile in the younger demographics we have a generation or two that did not. Who does not see the imbalance? Like many culture shifts, this one will move like an earthquake: in creeps and ruptures. The New Hampshire democratic result was a rupture and a week later the aftershocks are still being felt as the political circus moves on to South Carolina. If anything, the gift of superdelegates to Clinton will only increase the tectonic activity between voter demographics, as did the condescending and sexist comments from Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem. The fact that feminist icon Steinem made one of the most sexist comments I have ever heard in an attempt to rationalise why young women support Sanders instead of Clinton shows the desperation of the wealthy, retired left. It appears that as the older and the wealthier and the whiter see their positions of wealth and privilege threatened, they fight and fight to maintain them. As the late Joe Strummer sang, Now war is declared and battle come down (London Calling, 1979). Consider: o Among democratic voters in NH the #1 issue was income inequality. Without doubt, Sanders is the income inequality candidate and Clinton is not. I find it troubling that Hillary was paid reported speaking fees of $600,000 (US) by mega investment bank Goldman Sachs, but refuses to release what she spoke about. Goldman Sachs was at the eye of the financial hurricane that started in 2008 and has only grown richer and more powerful since. I seem to recall Clinton saying during a recent debate something along the lines of, Of course Goldman doesnt expect anything in return. Right On the Republican side, NH had its largest turnout ever. Here is my favourite headline: After running xenophobic & racist campaign, Donald Trump wins easily in New Hampshire. I have written about the Trump phenomenon in the past, most recently naming him my Person-of-the-Year for 2015: Donald Trump is my Person of the Year. Who else has made a bigger splash in 2015? Pundits say he plays on anxieties that exist among a certain voter demographic. He appears fearless in his attacks on political correctness. Bombastic is a term we hear to describe him. But I say his most significant accomplishment has been in mastering a communication technique and ideology that has grown to achieve a critical mass of cultural significance: the double down. This is not to be confused with KFCs Double Down a beef burger between two pieces of fried chicken breast with cheese and bacon. Doubling down takes many forms. It can mean making a false statement, and instead of admitting the mistake, vehemently insisting on the truthiness of the statement in the first place. Alternatively, it might mean coming up with bad policy and then working tirelessly to try to justify it. It may be throwing good money after bad. In Trumps case, it also means making outrageous or controversial statements and refusing to backtrack. Doubling down means never having to say youre sorry. Trump is my Person of the Year not because he invented the double down or that he is the only person that does it, but because he has given it a living, breathing form. He is a meme with a comb-over and a personal jet. Trumps political success relies on the fact that many people only accept information that fits their existing worldview. Facts dont matter. Research doesnt matter. Trained experts dont matter. As Ray Davies sang in 1981, Give the people what they want. The Trumpification of Western society has reached its watershed moment. It marks the end of apology. For writers like me and Ilargi and Nicole who rely on the best available data, statistics, facts and sound research to build a case Trumpification is a clear and present danger. Like Sanders, Trump speaks to the economic angst many Americans feel. While both men have a populist message, they appeal to vastly different demographic sub-cultures. The irony of course is that a billionaire businessman has convinced thousands of minimum wage Joe Blogs that he will look after their interests. Right When I lived in New Hampshire I remember driving the back roads and seeing run-down, crappy mobile homes in the middle of nowhere with Republican lawn signs out front Bush, Dole, Romney, McCain and wondering why these people actively vote against their own economic interests. Alongside Clinton, the biggest establishment candidate on the ticket was Jeb Bush, whose advertising budget in the state meant that at the end of the day his campaign spent $1,086 (US) per vote. He finished fourth, barely ahead of Marco Rubio. The takeaway message from New Hampshire is powerful but not new. Voters in Greece have rejected establishment parties twice. Voters in Portugal recently rejected the establishment. Voters in Iceland did so years ago and their nation is now thriving. So whats behind all of this rejection? I reckon its because you can only push people so far. As Popeye the Sailor is famous for saying, Thats all I can stands, I cant stands no more. While Trump is a classic Bluto character large, loud and aggressive Sanders retains a classic Popeye attribute that has endeared him to an increasing number of voters: I yam what I yam and thats all that I yam. Trustworthiness and integrity were the number one characteristic New Hampshire Democratic Primary voters were looking for in a candidate. From this perspective there can be no doubt about last weeks overwhelming result. By Raul Ilargi Meijer Website: http://theautomaticearth.com (provides unique analysis of economics, finance, politics and social dynamics in the context of Complexity Theory) 2016 Copyright Raul I Meijer - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Raul Ilargi Meijer Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Opinion / Columnist Recent reports by both the private and public media indicating that the People First project led by the former Vice President Dr Joyce Mujuru has registered with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) as a political party in the country should be a wakeup call for the ruling party to make sure that it get united and focus more on the total implementation of ZIMASSET. The People First project which is now known as Zimbabwe People First Party (ZPFP) is now reportedly to be on a massive drive to recruit its members from both the ruling party and opposition political parties.So the coming in of the ZPFP into the political limelight is not good news to the ruling party considering that this new opposition political party is made up of mainly former Zanu-PF members who were fired after the December 2014 Sixth (6th) Zanu-PF People`s Congress. Those people felt that they were not fairly treated when they were dismissed from the revolutionary party and they chose to form their political party as a means to challenge Zanu-PF in the forthcoming 2018 harmonized elections. It is their belief that their dismissal from the ruling party was not procedural hence the move to form an opposition party to seek their innocence through the ballot.As such, Zanu-PF should take seriously some reports that the People First project has now become a political party because history has shown that political parties formed by disgruntled former members of the ruling elite towards elections sometimes take ruling parties by surprise in general elections. Zanu-PF should make sure that it continues to be on the ground meeting the electorate and making sure that the 2013 harmonised elections promises are fulfilled in total. The time of factional wars and divisions within the ruling party should cease and all members come together to prepare for the 2018 harmonized elections as a unit.The formation of the ZPFP in the country is something which cannot be taken lightly considering that the 2018 harmonized elections are some few months away and the People First party may want to ride on the economic decline prevailing in the country. Zanu-PF should be united and make sure the factional wars that are threatening to destroy this revolutionary party are stopped forthwith, replacing them with the unity of purpose. Current factional wars and dismissal of individuals in the party are not health as such a move can come to haunt the Zanu-PF in the 2018 harmonized elections. Those dismissed from the ruling party allegedly end up finding themselves sheltered in this new ZPFP making it appear as a saviour to those who would be facing their political demise.It is a fact that Zanu-PF is still powerful and it has state resources at its disposal hence it should make sure that its electoral ground work is well prepared to avoid the backlash which other revolutionary parties in the region faced some few years ago. In most instances some opposition political parties which are formed by disgruntled members of the ruling elite towards elections become threats to the ruling parties. It should be known by Zanu-PF leadership that its dominance in the political ground in the county could be tested heavily if those spearheading factional wars are not restricted. It has been discovered that some revolutionary parties which lost power in the region were removed by new political parties which were formed by disgruntled members of those ruling parties towards elections and Zanu-PF may not be exceptional if factional wars are not stopped.Zimbabweans in general and Zanu-PF in particular should recall that in 1994 Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which was led by Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda fell victim to Bakili Muluzi`s United Democratic Party (UDF) which got into elections being two years old. Some former disgruntled members of the MCP who felt that they were side-lined by the leadership of MCP in many important issues decided to form the UDF and the results was seen by the defeat of Banda in the 1994 general elections.While some people would want to call this writer a prophet of doom but those with the revolutionary party Zanu-PF at heart should take this writer seriously. In Zambia the United National Independence Party(UNIP) led by Dr Kenneth Kaunda, in power for more than three decades fell victim to the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy(MMD) in 1991, just a year after Fredrick Chiluba formed his party to challenge UNIP`s political leadership in that country. The UNIP a revolutionary party like the MCP have now disappeared from their political limelight in their respective countries because the then ruling elites failed to see some dangers which were associated with those new political parties. Zanu-PF should take that as a lesson and create unity within the party before it becomes history like other revolutionary parties that failed to see some writings on their walls.For that reasons Zanu-PF should make sure that its house is in order as a means to counter the emergence of the People First. The ZPFP being a party formed by disgruntled members from the ruling party could come to surprise Zanu-PF in the 2018 harmonized elections the same ways as how UNIP and MCP were surprised by the MMD and UDF respectively in their countries. It is now time for the ruling party, Zanu-PF to preach unity among its members and stop machinations that create divisions. Divisions within ZANU could lead to the ZPFP harvesting more supporters from those disgruntled members from the ruling party.It should also be known that the Kenyan African National Union (KANU) which was then under Daniel Arap Moi, after the death of its founding president Jomo Kenyatta, lost power to the coalition of some opposition political parties in 2002 as some disgruntled members of that revolutionary party parted ways with it and formed some opposition political parties. Mwai Kibaki who headed the National Rainbow Coalition (NRC) in 2001 found himself a new Kenyan president after the 2002 elections meaning that new political parties formed towards elections are always a threat to revolutionary parties. As such, Zanu-PF should guard against that so that the ZPFP won't replay what other new political parties did in the region.Recently the Masvingo Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) was advised by Cde Josiah Hungwe, the Politburo member from that province to stop dismissing people from the party saying that doing so was campaigning for the People First. Cde Hungwe`s advice to the Masvingo PCC should be heeded by all Zanu-PF members across the country so that the ruling party is not defeated in the 2018 harmonized elections because of disunity. Some people may fail to appreciate and understand the importance of such an advice but those with the revolutionary party at heart should take that advice seriously and make the ruling party stronger again Deputy Z.B. Smith of the Henry County Sheriffs Office, who was injured in a traffic accident early Sunday morning responding to a call, was in serious condition at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. I feel he will make a recovery from this, Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said early Tuesday night. The Virginia State Police is investigating the accident. A HCSO news release Sunday said the sheriffs office was dispatched to an individual threatening to jump off the river hill bridge on Greensboro Road on Sunday at about 12:50 a.m. Smith activated his blue lights and siren to respond to the call, and he lost control of his vehicle on Greensboro Road at the intersection of Tensbury Drive. The vehicle left the roadway and came to rest in the Kentucky Fried Chicken parking lot, the release said. Smith was airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Perry said when Smith lost control of the vehicle he was driving, it started rolling side over side. At some point he was thrown out of the vehicle, Perry said. The car probably was totaled, he added. The accident happened on a relatively straight stretch of highway, Perry said. He estimated that Smith probably is in his late 20s. Chris Turnbull, a spokesman for Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, said Tuesday afternoon that Smith was in serious condition. The individual who was threatening to jump was not located on the bridge but later was located in the city of Martinsville, the HCSO news release said. The Martinsville Police Department transported him for mental evaluation. Memorial Hospital in Martinsville has appointed a six-person panel comprised of area residents and a nurse who will advise hospital executives on how to improve patient care and safety. Members of the Patient Family Community Advisory Council were chosen because they recently have been patients or have had family members who were patients, and it is believed that their diverse backgrounds will enable them to provide unique perspectives, according to Liz Harris, the hospitals marketing director. Serving on the council are the Rev. John Fulcher Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church of Martinsville; Phala Fuller, a registered nurse who is the hospitals care coordinator; Wade Nester, the Henry County Public Service Authoritys right-of-way agent; Susan Reynolds, human resources director for the county government; Gene Teague, director of business planning for Nautica and a member of Martinsville City Council; and Norma Witt, coding manager for Dr. Jons Urgent Care in Ridgeway. The panel will help hospital officials come up with new ideas to enhance the delivery of health care services to patients, improve patient safety and patient and family involvement in patient care and strengthen the hospitals relationship with the community, Harris said. It also will provide suggestions to the hospitals leadership team for programs, policies, planning and evaluating services and educating patients about their health, she said. Panel members will meet with Memorials chief executive, nursing and medical officers, as well as other hospital representatives, as needed, she said. The fact that our council will have direct access to Memorial Hospitals leadership team truly underscores their (hospital officials) commitment to providing the highest quality of care in a safe and comfortable environment for patients, Fulcher said. Our goal is to provide high quality, compassionate care to every patient, and the patient voice is essential to our success, said hospital Chief Executive Officer Michael Ehrat, By inviting patients and family members to share their perspective and provide insightful feedback about their experiences, we can better understand their needs and augment how we deliver safe, high quality care. Teague and Nester both said that members of their families have received excellent care at Memorial and been treated well by the hospitals employees. However, some people have a negative perception about the hospital, Teague said. I hear mixed reviews from people about the care and service they have received, he said. I think thats what the hospital is trying to address by establishing the council. Nester said that as a council member, he will communicate to hospital officials what he has observed on visits to Memorial, what people have told them about their experiences during visits and what he has seen at other hospitals that he has visited. Based on what he has seen at Memorial, Nester said the hospital has made great strides in both inpatient and emergency department care in recent years. Memorial is the only hospital in the Martinsville area. Yet hospital officials want people to consider Memorial the hospital of choice for their general medical needs, Nester said. Tens of thousands of Virginians in Southwest Virginia shivered with no electricity Tuesday after freezing rain brought down power lines and trees. The region was let off easy Sunday and Monday afternoon with the fluffy white snow, but power lines and trees paid for that overnight Monday, when freezing rain poured down. Most districts cancelled school the night before in anticipation of the ice, while government offices, libraries and other businesses opened later in the morning while crews treated the icy roads and cleared downed trees. About 45,000 customers were left in the cold Tuesday morning, with most of the outages affecting Roanoke, Roanoke County and Franklin County, according to Appalachian Power Co. By 8 p.m., about 18,000 customers were still without power. Bedford County and Botetourt County also suffered a few hundred customer outages. Appalachian Power spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall said downed wires caused most of the outages. Either the ice has brought down the wires or the trees have, Hall said. A transformer exploded and ignited a blaze in a neighborhood in the 5500 block of Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke County at about 5:30 a.m. Power was cut to the neighborhood, which is near Icimani Girl Scout Camp. Hall said the company has more than 500 workers helping to restore power, including 200 local employees and 300 employees and contractors from outside the area. More workers are expected to join the effort Wednesday morning. Line workers are repairing the most critical outages that affect large numbers of customers. For some, service may not be restored until late Thursday night or Friday in a few isolate instances where damage is severe or access is difficult. Were stressing patience, Hall said. In Salem, the ice storm cut the power to about 2,000 customers Tuesday morning, city spokesman Mike Stevens said. By about 7 p.m., only about 100 customers were still without power, and those were isolated outages throughout the city expected to be restored possibly by Wednesday. Roanoke Fire-EMS spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury warned that residents should use safe methods to heat their homes and avoid using generators indoors, as it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or other dangers. Besides the power outages, ice created havoc in destruction of property and slippery roads. A tree fell on an apartment building in the 1500 block of Templeton Avenue Northeast about 5:40 a.m., displacing seven people, Bradbury said. Though no residents were injured, crew members had to use a chainsaw to reach people in two units at the front of the structure. In one unit, the tree punched a hole through the roof into the living room and kitchen. Regional American Red Cross Executive Director Lee Clark said the organization has provided a hotel room for six of the residents. Bradbury said the Roanoke fire department responded to 180 calls in a five hour period Tuesday. The calls ranged from down wire and tree calls to medical emergencies. Roanoke County Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton said crews dealt with about 58 down wires and 23 felled trees by the afternoon. The rising temperature and pre-treatment cleared ice on many roads. Police departments didnt report major crashes with serious injuries. Roanoke police spokesman Scott Leamon said there were a few wrecks throughout the day, but only one had had injuries, which were not believed to be serious. In Roanoke County, emergency responders went to several traffic wrecks, but there were no serious injuries reported by the afternoon. In Salem, Stevens said there were no wrecks because of icy conditions. By Tuesday night, there were still several highways blocked by downed streets, according to the Virginia Department of Transportations website. Staff photographer Stephanie Klein-Davis and staff writers Tiffany Stevens and Luanne Rife contributed information to this report. More than 4,500 Appalachian Power customers in Henry County and about 1,500 in Patrick County were without electricity on Tuesday due to icy conditions overnight and into the morning, the company reported. By late afternoon, the number of Henry County customers without electricity had dropped to under 2,000 as crews gradually restored power, information on Appalachians website showed. It could be a couple of days before all of the customers who remain without power see their electricity restored, said company spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall. Power outages were caused by ice-coated tree branches and limbs coming into contact with electrical lines and, in some cases, trees falling onto lines, Hall said. In some places, electrical lines and utility poles were lying on the ground, she said. There have been outages throughout area surrounding Appalachians office in Fieldale, Hall said. She was unable to pinpoint specific areas that experienced the most outages. Throughout the day, damage assessment specialists were patrolling power lines to determine levels of damages and the amount of resources needed to make repairs, Hall said. Until we get a clearer picture of the amount of damage to electrical facilities, we wont have an accurate estimate of how long it will take to restore all power lost, she said. But it could be 1 to 2 days. Appalachian is bringing in crews from elsewhere to help restore power in the counties, she added. Durwin Joyce, director of Martinsvilles electric department, said the city experienced scattered outages due to downed trees and limbs. The largest was along Whittle Road, where five or six customers lost power, he said. We lucked up in Martinsville in that there were only a few outages, Joyce said. As of late afternoon, all power in the city had been restored except at one home on Whittle. Joyce said the homeowner was going to have to call an electrician to install some new equipment at the house. Icy conditions knocked out electricity to roughly 45,200 customers throughout Appalachians service territory, Hall said. Franklin County saw the most outages at about 11,500, while Roanoke County saw about 10,000 and Roanoke city saw about 9,200, statistics on the companys website showed. Many of the outages were along and near the U.S. 220 corridor, Hall said. We knew we were going to have an icing issue Monday night and Tuesday morning, she said. But it was more severe than I think anyone anticipated. The National Weather Service predicted that a little icing would occur in the Martinsville-Henry County area Monday night due to freezing rain. But temperatures were expected to gradually warm overnight well above the freezing point of 32 degrees and start melting ice and snow from Mondays winter storm. That did not happen. Temperatures finally started going up gradually when the sun came up Tuesday morning, said Lisa Price Hughes, resident administrator at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) office in Bassett Forks. In terms of wintry weather conditions, you probably got the worst of all worlds in the Martinsville-Henry County area, said Ken Kostura, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Blacksburg. Heaving rain moved through the area during the early morning, bringing with it high winds that kept the air extremely cool, Kostura said. As warm air started invading the region, the wedge of cold air stayed in the center and eroded from the side, he said. The center just happened to be Martinsville-Henry County, which was the last area to warm up, he added. He mentioned that temperatures in Floyd and Carroll counties, for instance, rose above freezing by 8 p.m. Monday. Parts of Henry County saw as much as 4 inches of snow Sunday night and Monday, but the weather service did not have any measurements of ice locally, Kostura said. He estimated that the area likely received about 2/10 of an inch of ice based on measurements that weather observers in nearby Stokes County, N.C., reported. Henry County Public Safety Director Matt Tatum said ice brought down trees in sporadic locations throughout the county Bassett, Axton, Ridgeway, Figsboro and all (areas) between. Three or four small trees fell either into streets or near the edge of streets in Martinsville and had to be removed, said city Public Works Director Jeff Joyce. The city saw no major damage due to the winter storm, said Martinsville Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Scott. No traffic accidents occurred in Martinsville due to the icing Monday night and Tuesday morning, said Police Chief Sean Dunn. Roads and streets in the city got pretty slick, Dunn said. But most folks did not drive, so we had very few issues due to the ice. Staff at the Virginia State Police office near Ridgeway had not seen any reports of traffic accidents. Tatum said emergency crews in Henry County responded to three wrecks on county roads between midnight and 8:30 a.m. Tuesday but none resulted in any life-threatening injuries. Travel conditions improved significantly on Tuesday as sunshine and temperatures in the 40s melted snow and ice on roads, officials said. VDOT crews will be working around the clock until all roads in the counties have been scraped or no longer have snow and ice, Hughes said. By (today) up in the day, they should be in good shape, she predicted. The city finished scraping roads and streets at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Jeff Joyce said, adding that they were in pretty good shape by the afternoon. The weather services website showed there was a 50 percent chance of rain Tuesday night. With an overnight low of about 32 degrees, it was possible that snow would mix with the rain early this morning, but little to no snow accumulation was expected. Jeff Joyce said a city crew will come to work at 4 a.m. today to monitor roads and streets, and especially bridges and overpasses. They will put down abrasive materials if necessary, he said. High temperatures in the 40s and 50s and maybe in the 60s are expected daily into at least early next week, according to the weather service. Rain showers are predicted for Monday and Tuesday, though. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Technology / Internet by APO Facebook convenes group to focus on women's safety for Safer Internet Day NAIROBI, Kenya - Facebook hosted a Women's Safety roundtable in Kenya on February 10 with participants from NGOs, academia, women's rights groups, and safety organisations from Kenya and across Sub-Saharan Africa to highlight how the community can work together to create a harassment-free online environment where everyone can feel safe to share and interact. The roundtable coincided with Safer Internet Day (February 9, 2016), a 100-country effort to make the Internet a better place for everyone who uses it.The Kenyan roundtable was the first to be held around the world, with others to follow in Ireland, the Middle East, India and the US. The focus was on addressing the issues of online harassment of women."At Facebook, safety is at the centre of how we build products," said Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety for Facebook. "We have a community of nearly 1.6 billion people, and we work hard to develop our global policies that focus on safety, encouraging online respect, and honouring the cultural diversity of our platform. It is absolutely critical that we spend time with our partners around the world to listen and learn how we can do better as we develop our policies and educate people about how they can stay safe.""Facebook is an important way for people in Africa to connect and share, and we're committed to working with our partners to ensure our community, especially women, feel safe when they use our platform," said Ebele Okobi, Head of Public Policy Africa for Facebook. "This roundtable, our first in a global series, has proved invaluable to gaining insight to our approach in Kenya and across Sub-Sarahan Africa. We look forward to continuing the conversation in order to better reflect our community and develop the right policies."This year's Safer Internet Day's theme is Play Your Part for a Better Internet. Facebook is working with partners such as Watoto Watch in Kenya ( https://www.facebook.com/watotowatchnetwork ), SHIFT in Nigeria and J Initiative in Ghana ( http://jinitiative.org/blog/tag/ghana ) to ensure the safety and education of their communities and address the needs of vulnerable people.*See https://www.facebook.com/fbsafety/?fref=nf for tips and news about safety on the Facebook platform.Thirty organisations were represented at the roundtable in Nairobi, including participants from NGOs, academia, women's rights groups, and safety organisations. Representatives from the following organisations participated in the roundtable: S.K.I.R.T.S. (Socially Keen Individuals Redefining Tech Spaces, Women in Tech Africa, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), The Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), Her Zimbabwe, Digital Ubuntu, Hivos East Africa, Coalition On Violence Against Women (COVAW), Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), UN Habitat, iHub, NEST, Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Roshani Consultancy Services, Si Jeunesse Savait (SJS), Spinlet, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), Research ICT Africa (RIA), Botswana Information Technology Society (BITS), International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), Misa Malawi, Isis Women International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE), Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Zambia Chapter, Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), OpenNet Africa initiative, Akili Dada, FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund and Safaricom. Stop & Shop store The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. is advertising for replacement workers at a pay rate of $16 an hour as negotiations with the union representing the chain's workers continue. (Michael S. Gordon) SPRINGFIELD - The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. is advertising for replacement workers at a pay rate of $16 an hour as negotiations with the union representing the chain's workers continue. Stop & Shop has run similar ads in the past only to not need the replacement workers because a contract had been reached. The current three-year United Food and Commercial Workers Union contract with Stop & Shop and its parent Ahold USA expires at midnight on Feb. 27, said Daniel P. Clifford, president of Local 1459 in Springfield. The union represents 35,000 Stop & Shop workers across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode island, he said. Of those, 1,500 UFCW members work at Stop & Shop supermarkets in Western Massachusetts. Clifford is part of a UFCW team meeting with the company in Providence to negotiate a new contract before the expiration of the old labor pact and avert a strike. "I'm optimistic, just based on history," Clifford said in a telephone interview. "We generally get it done." Clifford anticipates having a contract ready to present to rank-and-file members at meetings on Sunday, Feb. 28. He said both sides are still going over contract language now. By the end of this week he hopes that the union and the company will be talking what he calls economic issues like wages benefits health and welfare pensions. "Right now, we are seeking full time jobs and more hours for part-timers," Clifford said. "As always good, affordable health care and retirement are our objectives." Stop & Shop spokesman Phil Tracey said in a prepared statement that the company is "working diligently and in good faith to reach a fair, new contract that continues to offer competitive wages and benefits for our store associates in New England and Connecticut." But Tracey said Stop & Shop needed to place the ads to protect itself in the event of a strike: "We have a responsibility to ensure that we are able to maintain store operations for our customers in all circumstances. Ads for temporary workers are part of our standard contingency planning should the need for temporary workers be required in the event of a union strike. The timing of these ads is consistent with our outreach efforts in years past. Stop & Shop has a long history of reaching new contracts without disruptions and these ads are in no way a reflection of the state of negotiations. It is important that any agreement responds to the competitive challenges facing our industry and puts our people and our divisions in the strongest possible position to succeed." The ads, which ran in the Sunday Republican kast weekend, say the replacement workers will be paid $16 an hour and applicants need to be 18 years old or older. Hiring sites include the La Quinta Hotel, 711 Dwight St., Springfield and the DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. The centers are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and Saturdays for as long as they are needed. Clifford said Wednesday that Stop & Shop runs the same ads every three years during contract negotiations. "It's part of their standard playbook. We think its unfortunate," he said by phone. "We think it's a slap in the face, obviously, to our working members who have given, in some cases, 40 years to the company. They are loyal to the company." Clifford pointed out that $16 an hour is more than some part-time union members earn. In 2013, the union and Stop & Shop reached a three-year contract that included hourly wage increases per hour for full and part-time workers ranging from 95 cents to $1.62 over three years. The expiring contract also protected part-time workers from having their hours cut as a result of the federal Affordable Health Care act regulations just then going into force. Valentina Tereshkova.jpg Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space in 1963. (NASA) By AMANDA JERMYN Special to The Republican When the Soviets successfully launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, on Oct. 4, 1957, a stunned America took notice. In response, NASA was formed, and in 1961, President John F. Kennedy made space flight a national priority, with the goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. The Space Race was on! I recently had the good fortune to attend a special exhibition, "Cosmonauts, Birth of the Space Age," at London's Science Museum. The term "cosmonauts" refers to Russians traveling in space, and the exhibition detailed their achievements and the technological advances that made these possible. The exhibition was particularly illuminating given the top-secret nature of the Russian space program and censorship of its failures during Soviet Union times. We tend to think it all began with Sputnik 1, but scientific achievements often build on the dreams and discoveries of others. As Sir Isaac Newton said, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." In this case, Sergei Korolev and other designers of the Soviet space program took inspiration from early visionaries such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who famously declared, "Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever." The Space Race was, of course, also fueled by the Cold War. The Soviets found that the intercontinental ballistic missiles they developed to deliver nuclear weapons could also be adapted to launch the first artificial satellites into low Earth orbit. Meanwhile, in the U.S., during and after World War II, missiles were developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in a program called Jet Assisted Take-Off. After World War II, both sides took on German rocket scientists to benefit from their expertise. Following Sputnik 1's success, scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the U.S. Army's Ballistic Missile Agency began collaborating, and, in January 1958, successfully launched the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. In July of that same year, NASA was established as the coordinating body of the U.S. space program. In this file photo from 2011, children look at a poster depicting Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut, in the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, as the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's April 12, 1961 space flight- the world's first manned mission in space began in many of the Russian republics. Pioneering accomplishments of the Soviet Union's space program include a number of firsts. A month after the launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, came Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika, the world's first animal to orbit the Earth. Sadly, Laika died within hours of the launch. Then, on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human launched into space, traveling on Vostok 1. He returned safely to Earth, a hero for the Soviet Union and its leader Nikita Khrushchev. The U.S. launched its first astronaut, Alan Shepard, into suborbital flight shortly after on May 5, 1961. The Soviet Union also sent the first woman into space. On June 16, 1963, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was launched in the Vostok 6 spacecraft, flying for three days, a flight longer than all the previous American manned space flights put together. Another coup for the Soviets was the first space walk, conducted by Alexey Leonov when he climbed out of the hatch of the Voskhod 2 capsule on March 18th, 1965. After 12 minutes in space Leonov had trouble getting back into the spacecraft, and had to deflate air out of his spacesuit in order to fit through the hatch. In 1975 Leonov flew on the Soyuz-Apollo mission, the first joint mission between the United States and the Soviet Union. A major triumph for the Soviet program was the Luna 2, the first spacecraft to reach the moon, and the first man-made object to land on another celestial body. Luna 3 produced the first image of the far side of the moon, and Luna 9, the first unmanned lunar soft landing. Lunokhod 1 was the first space rover, exploring the surface of the boon, and Luna 16 resulted in the first sample of lunar soil being extracted and returned to Earth. The Soviets also were responsible for the first space station, Salyut 1, established in 1971. They had their failures, too, most notably that of their 1960s-era manned lunar program, which only came to light in 1989 during a new period of openness in the Soviet government. Beginning in the 1970s they lost their lead because of poor organization and inadequate funding. The 1991 demise of the Soviet Union was witnessed from space by cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev while on board the Mir space station. Ten months later, Krikalev returned to Earth, a citizen of the Russian Federation. This 2010 photo taken at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, shows Expedition 26 Flight Engineer Catherine Coleman, right, of NASA, from Shelburne Falls, as she meets with Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, on the eve of Coleman's departure for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where she and her crewmates, Dmitry Kondratyev and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency launched on Dec. 16 on the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Tereshkova, 73, became the first woman to fly in space on June 16, 1963 aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft. With its new policy of glasnost, a period of collaboration between Russia and America followed, resulting in the establishment of the International Space Station in 1998. Currently, since the retirement of the U.S. space shuttles in 2011, Russia's Soyuz spacecraft are the sole means of transportation to and from the International Space Station. So far, despite cooperation on the space front, relations between the two great powers remain chilly. Join the Springfield Stars Club on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Springfield Science Museum for a panel discussion on Astronomy in the Digital Age. Discover how the advent of digital technology has brought about a transformation in amateur astronomy and ushered in a golden age of astronomical imaging. I will join the panel which also includes David Wexler, Richard Sanderson and Alan Rifkin. Dr. Wexler participates in solar research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory, Sanderson is curator of physical science at the Springfield Science Museum and Rifkin is an amateur astronomer and local telescope dealer. Refreshments will be served, and the public is welcome. The meeting is free for members, with a suggested donation of $2 for non-members. Also, on March 4 at 7:30 p.m., the Stars Club and the Springfield Science Museum will host "Stars over Springfield," an astronomy adventure for the whole family. Ed Faits will talk on "Exploring the Planets... To Pluto and Beyond." A fee of $3 for adults and $2 for children under 18 will be charged. Amanda Jermyn, of Longmeadow, is vice president of the Springfield Stars Club. For more information, visit the club's website, reflector.org, like them on Facebook or call (800) 336-9054. 030411 massachusetts statehouse.jpg The Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston. (The Republican file / Joe Deburro) BOSTON - The head of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Kirsten Hughes, is calling on state Sen. Brian Joyce to resign after a joint FBI/IRS raid at his Canton law office. "With federal investigators raiding his office after a series of deeply troubling corruption reports, it is time for Senator Brian Joyce to resign from office immediately," Hughes said in a statement. Joyce is a Milton Democrat. He's chairman of the Special Senate Committee to Improve Government. Gov. Charlie Baker, a fellow Republican, largely held his fire, citing the ongoing investigation while calling the news of the raid "very concerning." During a radio appearance on WGBH in January, Baker said the state Ethics Commission should take a "really hard look" at Joyce's activities. Brian A. Joyce The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance found in January that Joyce used campaign funds for personal use, including paying for a high school graduation party held at his home for his son. Joyce made a donation to resolve the issue. The independent agency also discovered Joyce had not been keeping precise campaign finance records. A Boston Globe report in January said a dry cleaner in Randolph claimed Joyce took advantage of his services. An earlier Globe report, in January 2015, said Joyce obtained sunglasses for his Senate colleagues at a discount. "Joyce's remarkable disregard for the law is a byproduct of the Democratic culture of corruption on Beacon Hill, where abuse of power appears to be a fringe benefit," Hughes said in her statement on Wednesday. An attorney for Joyce, Howard Cooper, gave a statement to the State House News Service. Mass GOP chair Kirsten Hughes "It is unfortunate that recent stories in the media appear to have sparked an investigation. Senator Joyce has been cooperating with each inquiry that has taken place to date resulting from those stories and believes that he has done absolutely nothing wrong," the statement said. Hughes, a city councilor from Quincy who is chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, also trained her fire on Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst. Pointing to a Rosenberg interview with the Boston Globe, where Rosenberg said state ethics regulations can be viewed as "overreaching," Hughes said, "The presence of such corrupt Democratic lawmakers is exactly why Senate President Rosenberg is wrong to want to weaken state ethics rules." A state Senate spokesman said the Senate will cooperate with any investigation. "The Senate will of course be fully cooperative with any and all requests from law enforcement," Pete Wilson, press secretary for Rosenberg, said in an email. "We will wait until the authorities have completed their investigation before commenting further." BROCKTON A carjacking suspect who allegedly victimized a woman and her baby was caught after a brief police pursuit on Tuesday. Brockton police responded to a report of an armed carjacking shortly before noon at the Westgate Mall, where a gunman confronted a woman who was in the process of strapping her infant into a baby seat in a Toyota Camry. "The suspect demanded the woman give him the car keys as she was putting her child into a car seat," said Massachusetts State Police officials, who radioed a description of the Camry to patrol units. Just after noon, Trooper Ryan Walczak spotted the Camry on Arch Street in Brockton and pursued the car northwest into neighboring Stoughton, where it crashed into a pole. The suspect exited the car and fled on foot, only to be caught about 30 second later by Walczak and two Plymouth County Sheriff's Department deputies, police said. Jose F. Robles, 32, of Taunton, was charged with armed carjacking, armed robbery, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating with a suspended license, and failure to stop for police. He was expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Brockton District Court. It wasn't immediately known if he had a lawyer. Two North Adams women were among 19 suspects arrested Tuesday by the Vermont Drug Task Force during a sweep in the southwestern part of the state. The 19 have been arrested on a variety of state criminal charges, predominantly heroin-related, according to a release issued by state police. They have been cited to appear in Bennington or Rutland superior courts. In addition to Tuesday's arrests, ten more suspects face federal drug charges and will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office as a result of arrests that took place over the last several weeks. All of the arrests were the culmination of enforcement efforts over the past year, specifically targeting suspect involved in the distribution of illicit drugs. "Understanding that these efforts will not eliminate the supply of dangerous drugs like heroin, the sustained focus of law enforcement targeting distribution networks plays a vital role fighting the heroin epidemic," stated the release. The task force has worked collaboratively with the FBI, DEA, ATF, local and county law enforcement agencies in southwestern Vermont, including state and federal prosecutors. The two North Adams women are: Cassie Morse, 26, two counts of sale of heroin; Shari Perras, 24, sale of heroin. The other state defendants are: Colleen Keefe, 43, of Rutland, sale of cocaine; Richard S. Grady, 34, of Rochester, 3 counts sale of heroin; Timothy B. Euber, 38, of Rutland, sale of heroin; Casey Clifford, 22, of Rutland, sale of heroin and sale of heroin/fentanyl; Anthony Courcelle, 21, of Rutland, sale of heroin; Daniel Pyne, 30, of Bennington, sale of regulated drug (oxycodone); Candi Peters, 36, of Bennington, two counts of sale of heroin; Andrew Onorato, 31, of Bennington. Also: Chelsea Hill, 24 of Rutland, sale of heroin and conspiracy to violate drug law; Sheri Fitzgerald, 52, of Rutland, sale of heroin and conspiracy to violate drug law; Kevin Scully, 25, of Ludlow, sale of cocaine; Spencer Mumford, 23, of West Rutland, sale of heroin; Felicia Ackerly, 28, of Rutland, two counts of sale of cocaine; Christopher Nadeau, 26, of Rutland, sale of heroin; William Manfredi, 36, of Rutland, sale of heroin; Carlos Vasquez, 42, of Bennington, heroin transportation and conspiracy John Mason, 33, of Bennington, sale of heroin, was arrested Wednesday, state police said. Richard Winnie, 42, of Bennington, sale of heroin, is still wanted. Federal defendants include: Kevin Williams (also known as Cap or Capone), 42, of Rutland, three counts sale of heroin; and Jason Tiraboschi, 27, of West Rutland; possession of a firearm. Some of the federal defendants face potential maximum sentences of 20 years, state police said: They are: Amanda Gibbons, 31, of Bennington, three counts of distribution of heroin, arrested Dec. 31. Indicted Jan. 7; Patrick Lorenzo, 33, of Rutland, arrested Jan. 12, indicted Jan. 20, one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute; Candace Alberti, 33, of Rutland, conspiracy to distribute heroin; Russell Gaspar ,32, of Rutland, conspiracy to distribute heroin, arrested Jan. 19, indicted Feb. 3; Mark McGinnis, 37, of Rutland, distribution of heroin, arrested Jan. 21, indicted Feb. 11. Also: Jalden Page, 35, of Rutland, distribution of heroin, arrested Feb. 1, indicted Feb. 11, Jennifer Webster, 26, of Rutland, distribution of heroin, arrested Feb. 1, indicted Feb. 11 and Kwasi Asante, 57 of Rutland, distribution of heroin, arrested Feb. 1, indicted Feb. 11. NOTE: Click any picture to enlarge. Goal for Day 1 - Top of tram to our designated Granite Canyon camp - red dot. Google Earth Image - red dot to right to red dot left - Camp 1 Our gear - Flyrod is carb loading. Our Chariot to the top. We look good!!! Tram makes quick work of gaining elevation The building at the end of the road is a restaurant - great views. Flyrod - "So I should use a dry fly up here?" Lewis and Clark impression Ready to go - Rendezvous Mountain. 10,450 ft. Our planned hike the first day was not very ambitious - about 5 miles. We took the Jackson Hole Resort Tram up to the top of Rendezvous Mountain to find the Rendezvous Mountain trail that will connect to the Middle Fork Cut Off spur trail; this would hook up with the Teton Crest Trail (TCT). Whew!! Easier than it sounds. The official trail head for the TCT is Teton Pass off of RT22 to the south. What we did is a common "cheat" to get to the TCT quickly. We did not feel bad about it at all. Great ride to the top. The National Park service offers a great map and additional information for the Teton Crest Trail and other trails within the Grand Teton Park. This is key to your planning.Go here next - Teton Crest Trail -Part 4 or back to beginning - Teton Crest Trail - Part 1 Prostitutes at Dennis Hofs world famous Moonlite Bunny Ranch legal brothel in Carson City, Nevada are banding together to announce their support of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. The sex workers have launched their Hookers For Hillary initiative, drafting a four-point platform to explain their endorsement. *Protecting Health Care Reform Hillary Clinton, as part of her husbands administration, envisioned health care reform in the 1990s, long before President Obama was able to sign a similar measure into law. The Affordable Care Act made health insurance available for the first time ever to the 500 independent contractors employed by Dennis Hof. With any Republican nominee likely to work for its repeal, the Bunnies want to protect the quality health coverage that they now enjoy. *Foreign Policy Experience As Secretary Of State, Hillary Clinton gained invaluable experience negotiating with foreign leaders, and the Bunnies can definitely relate to negotiating through a language barrier. The Bunny Ranch entertains customers from all around the globe, and the girls have great respect for any woman who can take powerful men from oppressive cultures and make them bend to her will. With her eye on the international landscape, the Bunnies are confident that President Hillary Clinton would also avoid a repeat of the Secret Services Colombian prostitution scandal by making sure that her detail buys American. *Support for Agencies To Protect The Publics Health Nevadas mandatory testing of legal prostitutes for sexually transmitted diseases is a successful example of effective government regulation. While Republican candidates have questioned the need for agencies like Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food And Drug Administration (FDA), the Bunnies applaud Hillarys recognition of the fact that responsible government oversight is a key to protecting the publics health from widespread disease. *Prevention Of A Return To Supply-Side Economics Bill Clinton presided over the most prosperous time in Bunny Ranch history, which coincided with a tax increase on the wealthiest Americans such as brothel owner Dennis Hof. The Bunnies recognize that thriving economies are built from the bottom up, where the vast majority of their clients originate. A return to relying on the disproven theory of trickle-down economics would only serve to exclude the vast majority of hard-working Bunny Ranch clients from having the discretionary income to enjoy with their favorite Bunny. For more information, please go to HookersForHillary.com. A 2014 Government Accountability study noted that Montana faces the greatest threat of statewide freshwater shortages over the next decade beyond every other state, even California. Furthermore, as the intrigue behind who will ultimately own our water utility illustrates, water rates likely will not decrease. The price we pay for our water reflects scarcity and uncertainty; through efficient water use, buildings can assuage such concerns. Brett Rosenberg Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/building-missoula-s-future/article_4b61bab3-9b3c-55b3-8bf8-79a1d9167116.html Big Sky High School students got a hands-on welcome to the Montana Tech Health Care Day. With the direction of Montana Tech professors, the students used laboratory equipment to test samples. "Today, I feel like, is a day to see what kind of things you can do here, so getting to see that would show me what opportunities I could have," said Big Sky High School junior Kelsi McEnaney. By Tiffany Lester, Butte Reporter, [email protected] Full Story: http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/big-sky-students-visit-montana-tech-for-health-care-day/38026486 *** Missoulas Big Sky students gain job skills in health, science academy http://www.matr.net/article-70064.html Grant Thompson is not an engineer, nor is he an expert on the crop sprayers designed by Boises GenZ Technology http://www.genztechnology.com/. He was hired as the startups CEO for one reason: to raise money. GenZs two founders, Chase Newsman and Rich Johnson, had already hatched a promising business plan to build crops sprayers that reduce pesticide and herbicide waste and pollution. But ideas without money wither on the vine, and selling ideas to investors takes skills the founders lack. By Zach Kyle [email protected] Full Story: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/business-insider/article60792561.html *** Boises GenZ advances to global competition for startups http://www.matr.net/article-70090.html As the host of his Emmy Award-winning travel show "Parts Unknown," Anthony Bourdain has spent the night in hotels from Myanmar to Mexico City. But of all the places he has slept, the Murray Hotel http://murrayhotel.com/ in Livingston ranks among his favorites. "I wake up in a lot of hotels, so I am fiercely loyal to the ones I love. A hotel where I know immediately where I am when I open my eyes in the morning is a rare joy," the former chef wrote as part of a list of his favorite lodgings, which included the Murray. "Theres something surprisingly outsized about Montana, something that reminds you constantly of the limits of yourself, that both inspires you and keeps you in check," Bourdain said then. "Paradise Valley: One of the few places that looks as advertised. Paradise is about right." By Lewis Kendall Chronicle Staff Writer Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/dailyfeatures/livingston-s-murray-hotel-garners-national-recognition/article_ea949480-af60-59b7-be23-94d583016015.html *** Anthony Bourdain says Livingston, Montanas Murray Hotel one of worlds best http://www.matr.net/article-69335.html The Network Coordinator is one of two key job classifications of the District Information Systems Center (ISC). The Network Coordinator teams with the PC/Network Technicians to provide overall support for all aspects of the Districts computer and network resources. Although each of the two job classifications is defined by key responsibilities, employees in both classifications assist the other with duties as the needs arise. The primary responsibility of the Network Coordinators is to maintain district servers, district user accounts, overall system security, network infrastructure and connectivity, stability of software installations and upgrades, and provide high level assistance to the PC/Network Technicians. A Network Coordinator will be assigned to one of three specific job assignments depending on expertise and training. These include: Network Systems Coordinator, Infrastructure Systems Coordinator, and Desktop Systems/Helpdesk Coordinator. Full Opportunity Information: http://mss.mcps.k12.mt.us/mss/custom/attachments/Network%20Coordinator.pdf *** All opportunities at MCPS: http://www.mcpsmt.org/domain/40 Wed appreciate it if youd mention that you found these opportunities on MATR.net Thank you Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Trying Anal For The First Time Curious What It's Like For Her When She Tries Backdoor The First Time? Read This The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Its generally been the consensus that butt stuff has entered mainstream American sexuality. A finger up the tush has become de rigeur, if not always a first date move props to the sex paladin who ate my butt on the first date though, what a keeper with more fingers to come, and, yes, eventually the schlong is expected to slide into that lil hole, too. Anal sex, elusive, oft-maligned, and messy, still sits somewhere at the crossroads of millennial third base and holy grail for some dudes. Its simultaneously super-taboo and like, totally vanilla if you dont give him the butt at some point. I dont think Ive ever been with a dude who hasnt asked for it, but theyre all totally aghast if you mention theyre not your butt-first. Thats all par for the madonna/whore complex course, but if Ive learned anything in my time on this earth, its that there are few things worse than reluctant participation in butt stuff. When its great, its really really great and when its bad, its terrible. So whats anal like for a lady? And how can you make sure its not just bearable, but totally dope? Come on a journey through time with your good friend Cat, and Ill tell you about my first time *** A bit of scene-setting. Im like, 19, and seeing this guy whos totally in love with my tush. Whether he loves the rest of me is debatable, but he has what I believe to be the most perfect penis in the world and Im totally in love with him so we make it work. Hes brought up butt stuff before, but Ive always rebuffed him, only allowing a finger sometimes two to find its way back there, and always with lube. (Butt stuff: youll never have too much lube!) However, I do want to try anal, if only so that I can say Ive done it. Im intrigued by the idea of another route to pleasure, and though Im not sure if itll be strictly pleasurable, knowing how badly he wants it is almost hot enough to get me off. So one night after getting thoroughly sauced and after hes made me come enough times to render me pleasingly glowy and melty, I tell him its time. He grins so wide its endearing as hell and my dumb little heart goes pitter-pitter-patter. Are you sure? he asks. Dont make me change my mind! I tell him. Im already on my knees, my butt perked up, at attention. And then is he? Yeah, he definitely is. This was like, five years before Jhene Aiko wrote those lyrics but dude is definitely eating my booty like groceries. And its fantastic. Science lesson: The opening of the anus is full of nerve endings, so its super sensitive. Thats why anilingus is so great; your li'l butthole is just totally dazzled by stimulation! But its also why its imperative to start out slow when it comes to butt stuff, because all those nerve endings mean that getting stretched out before youre ready really hurts. So, dude is eating my butt for a while and Im seeing stars and its all wonderful. Then, unbearably, he stops. One lubed-up finger slides in cool, Im used to this. After a pause to get me acclimated, he adds another, and it feels full, and stings a little, but its not bad. Then another. How does it feel? he asks me. Mmmph, I say. My face is sort of smushed into a pillow, and Im trying to take it, and I know if I just relaxed a little itd be so much easier, but lol my sphincter has other ideas. Im focusing on my breathing and he leans down and kisses me on the side of the forehead. Youre doing so well, he says, tenderly, and my heart breaks into a billion little pieces and Im like, OK, Im ready, Im ready! I tell him Im ready. On goes the condom, slicked over in a cold coating of lube. He braces himself with a hand on my back, still slippery with lubricant, and slides in, a tiny bit at a time. Hes watching for my reaction, for which Im grateful. Then he begins thrusting slowly at first. I can hear his awe-struck reaction at the new sensation somewhere above my head. How is it? I ask him. Amazing, he says. So what's first-time anal like? To be honest, for me it mostly hurts. Theres a feeling I can only describe as burning, an expansion where my body isnt used to accommodating something so large. But underneath it is a tiny electric current of pleasure, whitehot in its intensity, and as he keeps going, I feel it surface, until it totally overtakes the pain. I hear moaning and lol, its actually me. Suddenly, its intimate and achey and wonderful and Im almost a little sad when he comes quicker than he normally does and pulls out. I can still feel him inside me. That was great, he says. Lets shower, I say. (What can I say? I'm a romantic.) After him, there were other guys, of course. One guy tried to put it in without enough lube and that ended disastrously. Another guy put it in my butt by accident that didnt end well, either, though more because I was horrified at his poor aim than anything else. But as first times go, my first time with a dick in my tush went pretty great, and I should hope that it is always so good for you. There was trust, there was anilingus, and there was a bunch of lube. Want to get started with some anal play yourself? Here are some products to try: Pjur Backdoor Silicone Glide Im of the mind that one should always have two kinds of lubes on their nightstand: a silicone-based lube, which literally never stops working (avoid spilling it on hardwood floors) but isnt compatible with silicone toys; and a more traditional water-based lube, which will work with any toy. My silicone lube of choice is usually Uberlube, but for anal play, something thicker like Pjur makes entry easier. Pjurs anal lube, Backdoor Silicone Glide, has a rich, almost oily texture just a few drops is all you need and lasts forever. Its compatible with condoms, skin, and non-silicone toys (like the stainless steel Njoy Pure Plug, recommended below). Pjur Backdoor Silicone Glide, $29.00 at Babeland.com Sliquid Sassy Formula Sliquid Sassy is a water-based lube thats formulated for anal play, so its thicker closer in texture to a gel and offers lots of lubrication where you need it. Because its water-based, it tends to dry out faster than a silicone lube, but can reactivated with a little water just splash it on where you need things to be a little more slippery. Sassy is great for use with any kind of material, making it a must-have when starting to explore with butt toys. Its compatible with the two silicone toys recommended below. Sliquid Sassy Formula, $12.00 at Babeland.com Njoy Pure Plug The Pure Plug is a joy to behold its a hefty stainless steel butt plug with a cute little looped handle that makes insertion and removal easy. The weight of the steel makes the plug feel more substantial than it really is, and its teardrop shaped head is totally seamless for a smooth entry. Plus, the steel allows for temperature play it starts off cold, but heats up quickly once in contact with body heat. The Pure Plug comes in three graduated sizes, so you can pick whichever youre comfortable with though, fair warning, once you get started with anal toys, nothings ever big enough. Once inserted, the Pure Plug is too short to move or rock around, but thats not really the point of a plug, anyway. For penetration, youll want... Njoy Pure Plug, $70.00 at Babeland.com Tantus Silk Tantus Silk is a great starter dildo for anal play, helping to bridge the size gap between fingers and a penis or strap-on its made of firm silicone, for a pleasantly filling sensation, and smooth enough that youll be able to focus more on the pressure of penetration rather than the texture of the dildo itself. Like the Pure Plug, it comes in three graduated sizes, so you can ease your way into anal play the small is perfect for beginners. Tantus Silk, $35.00 at Babeland.com Babeland Anal Beads Anal beads are also great for starting out they increase in size, so the first ones are easily managed; the larger ones provide a satisfying, filling sensation. These ones from Babeland are a bare-bones silicone model with finger loops for easy extraction (pull them out to give an orgasm extra oomph) that should be used with a water-based lube like Sassy. Enjoy! Babeland Anal Beads, $17.00 at Babeland.com Related Reading Prepare To Have The Best Anal Sex Of Your Life 10 Anal Sex Positions Every Guy Should Master The Best Lubricants For Anal Sex AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. By Steve Anderson, Contributing Writer Share While call center staffing has been experiencing something of a renaissance in the United States, a new report from Forbes suggests the renaissance may be short-lived. While call center jobs are coming back in a big way, those jobs may end up taken soon by the same thing that took manufacturing jobs: robots. Forbes got the notion from The Economist, who noted in response that while humans are a big part of a good customer experience, that may not always be the case. Robots are getting better, the Forbes report notes, and making machines that more closely approximate humanity is a big part of that. Eventually, some posit, the robots will get so good that they will be indistinguishable from humans, and that's when they start answering every phone in the call center, not to mention handling the social media connections, Web chat, and everything else that goes into a fully omnichannel customer experience. This may not mean mass layoffs, however; even as the robots improve, they may simply be put to work doing the grunt work of a call center. Answering questions about store hours or balances due may be exclusively a robot's province, while the human call center worker will be put on attempted upselling, trying to get more out of the current customer base. Better language skills will be necessary to drive that growth, so it may mean that the American call center renaissance will carry on at the expense of places like India and the Philippines. It may also mean that it may only be a matter of time before that renaissance is shut down, as the robots' language processing skills become so great they're a match for a human being's. Businesses like robots. Robots require no rest, no vacation time, not even a bathroom break. The problem, of course, is that sufficiently extensive robot use destroys the economy as we know it. When enough robots have taken enough jobs, all those businesses that depend on call center workers' paychecks to survive suffer too. Robots don't buy food or housing or go on vacations, so that's a host of industries that get hit when there are enough robots taking human jobs away. Yes, robots will save a company huge amounts of money on salaries and benefits and a host of other points, but robots don't consume much either. Without consumers, huge parts of the economy crash and burn; just ask anyone who's been in a shopping mall lately. Change is inevitable. As the quality of our machines improve, so too will demand for their use, even to the point of removing humans. How long it will take to get there, no one knows, but call center workers may well be the next neck on the block. Edited by Kyle Piscioniere Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank. by Harvey Chipkin , Columnist, February 15, 2016 What makes travelers book? In the face of cascading technology, that question remains the central one. As a result, e-commerce solutions continue to emerge that aim to answer it as well as is non-humanly possible. As examples of these tools, consider two companies: one that uses language to persuade travelers; and another that sees peer group encouragement as the key to generating bookings. A company called Persado (derived from the Welsh word for persuade) has taken what it says is a scientific approach to language as used in marketing messages. Example: subject lines that suggest urgency are more effective than ones signifying gratification. According to the company, when it comes to using a one-time action to engage a consumer, travel suppliers are more likely to persuade with subject lines such as Book flights for $59 24 hours ONLY showing urgency rather than Enjoy great savings with this one-time deal, conveying gratification. advertisement advertisement Assaf Baciu, co-founder and SVP of Persado, with travel clients like Norwegian Cruise Line and Expedia, says, We want to make content more impactful and make audiences act. We spent five years accumulating and scoring language, organizing it in a way that can be used by computers. When you think about the number of offers across channels now available to marketers, its overwhelming. You need technology to help retain customers and acquire new ones. Of course, that language needs to constantly be changed. We generate the best message for a given point in time, says Baciu; you might even need specific language for Valentines Day. A change of two words in a subject line could dramatically change the response. It is not the discount that drives bookings; its excitement or whatever emotion you are stimulating. We will run multiple messages in a market to determine which part of the message is resonating emotionally. Meanwhile, a company called Make It Social sees tremendous opportunity in groups being able to plan and book a trip together if its done correctly. The company said its research found that 25% of social group bookings are abandoned sometime during the planning process due to hassles that includes wrangling group members preferences and payments. Make It Social recently relaunched its platform and, says Eddie Robb, founder and CEO, Were determined to take the burden off so-called group leaders and make the planning process less anxiety provoking and more accessible, social and secure. Make it Socials Invite Friends button triggers a group creation pop-up, allowing users to easily invite friends via email or SMS. If invitees decide to join the group, each is walked through booking and payment, with optional add-ons (e.g., spa access, breakfast, venue concessions), leading to increased revenue for the client and a streamlined experience for the user. Checkout amount is based on the total price split, with minimum and maximum occupancy taken into account. Each group member pays her or his share only, and money is not collected until the group leader finalizes the reservation. Make it Social provides real-time updates allowing all participants to see when invitees have viewed, joined or left the group; purchased add-ons or made payments. The platform is highly transparent and individualized (i.e., each group member sees personalized ticketing, payment and contact info); and can offer incentives including group discounts. Theres nothing new to the fact that persuasion is the goal of sales and marketing initiatives. Nor is there anything new to customers responding to specific language or to encouragement from friends and family. Now its up to all the emerging companies offering tools of persuasion to persuade marketers to spend their dollars with them and not with their competition. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, February 16, 2016 In a letter to Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, Google says it doesn't use personal data to target advertising to kids on its network of sites, but acknowledges that it collects information about students when they visit sites like YouTube and Maps. More than 30 million students and teachers use Google Apps for Education (GAFE), a free set of productivity tools that includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Groups, and Drive, and includes a word processing tool, spreadsheets, and presentations. There are no ads in GAFE core services, and student data in these services is not used for advertising purposes, Sue Molinari, Google's VP for public policy and government relations, explains in the letter to Senator Franken. advertisement advertisement Google, however, does track use for other reasons such as developing Google products. Tracking occurs when students sign into their GAFE account but use Search, YouTube, Blogger and Maps -- applications considered to be outside of Googles core educational package. "In GAFE, Google collects both personal data, like a students name and email address, as well as other information about how the services are used, such as the type of device and the IP address of the users network," Molinari writes, pointing to a Google Apps for Education Privacy Notice. Molinari explains that Google uses students' personal data in GAFE core services, allowing them to communicate using email and collaborate on assignments using Google Docs. Franken sent a letter to Google in January asking company officials to clarify how it uses data collected from students using its Internet services, GAFE, and Chromebook, the company's cloud-based laptop. "I am concerned that this collection of data may enable Google to create detailed profiles of the students and ultimately target advertising to them or use the profiles for other non-educational purposes without the students' knowledge," Senator Franken wrote in the Jan. 13, 2016 letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, asking for a response by Feb. 12. by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 17, 2016 Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt announced Tuesday that Google Ideas, the New York City-based Web and policy think tank, will become a tech incubator named Jigsaw. Jared Cohen will head Jigsaw and will remain an adviser to Schmidt. The former member of the U.S. State Department's Policy Planning Staff began running Google Ideas in 2010. Schmidt revealed the news in a post on Medium, explaining how the team will focus on using technology to tackle the toughest geopolitical challenges, from countering violent extremism and mitigating threats associated with digital attacks to online censorship. With the rebranding, Jigsaw moves under Alphabet, rather than remaining under Google. For now it will not become a separate Alphabet unit like Nest or Calico. advertisement advertisement "The new name acknowledges that the world is a complex puzzle of physical and digital challenges," Schmidt writes in a post. "It reflects our belief that collaborative problem-solving yields the best solutions." Schmidt tells us in a letter on the site that Google Ideas was created five years ago as an in-house think tank to explore how technology might help the next five billion people coming online for the first time. New Internet users come online in societies where censorship, corruption, or violence are daily realities, he explains. While not directly related to search advertising and marketing, many of the team's products and projects aim to protect access to information obtained from a search query on an engine or publisher's Web site. For example: Project Shield, which uses Google's computing infrastructure to protect against digital distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the Web, Password Alert, which helps protect against phishing, and uProxy that lets people share access to a free Internet, Schmidt writes. It's unclear whether the rebranding means Google plans to increase investments in the technology incubator. Schmidt explains that "Jigsaw will invest in and build technology to expand access to information for the worlds most vulnerable populations and to defend against the worlds most challenging security threats." Note: Medium is a site launched by Twitter cofounders to share ideas longer than 140 characters in a blogging format, calling it a place to read and write. by Thom Forbes @tforbes, February 17, 2016 In a letter to customers, CEO Tim Cook says Apple will oppose a chilling request by the FBI, backed by a federal judges order, to use the All Writs Act of 1789 to force it to unlock the iPhone 5C used by Syed Rizwan Farook who, with his wife, killed 14 people in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2. The order does not ask Apple to break the phones encryption but rather to disable the feature that wipes the data on the phone after 10 incorrect tries at entering a password. That way, the government can try to crack the password using brute force attempting tens of millions of combinations without risking the deletion of the data, write J. Freedom du Lac and Ellen Nakashima for the Washington Post. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor, Cook writes. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. advertisement advertisement The decision in the matter of an Apple iPhone seized during the execution of a search warrant on a black Lexus IS300 was handed down by Judge Sheri Pym in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It puts the courts approval on an order drafted by the U.S. attorney. The decision and Apples reaction is being spun in two ways, with variations. A London Times headline proclaims: Apple fights for terrorists privacy and says the company is on a collision course with security agencies across the world. PC World, on the other hand, tells us Tim Cook says Apple will oppose court order rather than hack customers. Beyond the headlines, the tech industry is also debating both the ruling and Apples reaction to it. Theres been plenty of comment over whether, in making this ruling, the FBI is essentially asking Apple to create a backdoor solution that it can use in similar cases, Jon Russell reports for TechCrunch. Opinion is divided, however. Techdirt argues that the ultimate goal of the order is a backdoor, while research organization Errata Security claims thats an overly active interpretation of the ruling. Cook says he can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack. Writing for Gizmodo, Jamie Condliffe predicts many others will join the fight. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, for instance, has already pledged its allegiance to the cause. The government is arguing that it needs Apple to help it find the password and access relevant, critical data on cellphone of Farook, explains Andrew Blankstein for NBC News. The iPhone in question is actually the property of Farooks employer, San Bernardino County, which has consented to the search. Despite a warrant authorizing the search, said prosecutors, the government has been unable to complete the search because it cannot access the iPhone's encrypted content. Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily. In the letter dated yesterday but released early this morning, Cook maintains that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other devices. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession, he writes. The tech industry and the White House have long been at odds over how much access government agencies should be given to private phone data, James Queally and Brian Bennett point out in the Los Angeles Times. Recently, [FBI Director James B.] Comey, Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch and other national security leaders met with representatives from Google, Apple and Facebook in San Jose to try and find common ground that would help investigators gain critical information about possible terror plots without compromising the privacy of the companies customers. Apple has five days as of yesterday to respond to the order if it believes as it clearly does that compliance would be unreasonably burdensome. As Condliffe writes, the outcome could prove to be a watershed moment for privacy in the U.S. by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, February 17, 2016 Political marketers affirm that a successful election strategy this cycle must incorporate a range of media and platforms. Much talk has been focused on digital media as a rival to TV. But other media can also have a significant impact on the 2016 presidential race and reach those critical undecided voters. Think radio. Consider the conjunction of politics and media, the influential radio talk shows come to mind. Many are catering to a trusting audience and can shape voter preference with large populations of loyal fans. Earned media plays a big role, particularly on conservative radio talk shows. During an MSNBC focus group, when asked where Ted Cruz supporters had heard good things about the candidate, they responded: The Glenn Beck Show on the radio, adding, Ive listened to him for years, and I trust his opinion. This trust is a significant part of the success radio advertising is poised to enjoy with upcoming electoral contests. advertisement advertisement Also of significance is the 97% of adult Hispanic Americans who listen to the radio on a weekly basis. Given the growing importance of minority voters, radio will gain additional traction as ad dollars start pouring in. With the enormous variety of radio shows, the targeting opportunities are robust. Listeners are reachable in diverse locations, as well as on mobile. One buyer tells Media Life: "In 2016, expectations are that 10%-15% of political spending will go into radio. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were both active radio spot buyers in New Hampshire, tallying more than 2,700 and 2,350 apiece, respectively, according to Media Monitors. In South Carolina, where the Republican primary is Feb. 20 and the Democrats a week later, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz lead with 836 and 712 ads, respectively. Clinton has aired more than 600 spots. Marketing Daily News reported yesterday on a Nielsen study that showed radio has the highest penetration among registered undecideds in important Super Tuesday states. Kristy McKnight of Veritone Politics, which launched an audio-based Cognitive Media Platform in late January, told Red, White & Blog that campaigns need to be acutely aware of the audio landscape this cycle, much of which may go unnoticed. With virtually every public event around the candidates being recorded and filmed, the breadth of audio data is staggering. McKnight pointed to the politicization of radio, especially the talk shows, as well as the vast array of political audio data on the likes of YouTube. Being privy to relevant audio surrounding ones candidate is paramount for marketing strategists. With total political radio spend expected to break $800 million, one of the largest, if not the largest, radio platforms in the country, iHeartMedia, recently bolstered its political strategy team with the hire of Capitol Hill veteran Brendon DelToro as vice president. As iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO, Bob Pittman told Fox Business: The price is always better on radio. With this incredible reach and more intimate companionship, its your best friend talking to you. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 17, 2016 A federal appellate court has upheld a contempt finding against FilmOn and its CEO, billionaire Alki David, for continuing to operate a streaming TV service after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar service offered by Aereo infringed TV broadcasters' copyrights. "The district court did not abuse its discretion by holding FilmOn in civil contempt," the appellate panel said Tuesday in a 26-page opinion authored by 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Hall in New York. The three-judge panel also upheld the portion of U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald's 2014 order that FilmOn pay nearly $150,000 in sanctions and attorneys' fees. FilmOn, like Aereo, operated a streaming TV service that drew on individual mini-antennas to capture programs and stream them to users on an antenna-to-user basis. That multiple-antenna technology -- which the appellate division refers to as a "teleporter system" -- was initially considered legal in New York, Vermont and Connecticut, on the theory that each stream was a private performance. advertisement advertisement In June of 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that Aereo's transmissions were public performances regardless of the company's back-end technology. The Supreme Court said in its ruling that Aereo resembled a cable system, and therefore couldn't publicly transmit programs without a license. Aereo suspended operations three days after that decision, but FilmOn didn't stop using its multiple-antenna system to stream unlicensed television programs until around July 8 -- nine days after Aereo did so. (FilmOn still streams programs in the public domain, and shows that it licenses.) The appellate panel found fault with FilmOn's decision to continue streaming programs without licenses after the Supreme Court ruled against Aereo. "Rather than following Aereo Inc.s lead and suspending operations, however, FilmOn cavalierly doubled down and continued deploying the Teleporter System throughout the Second Circuit with plans to expand," Hall wrote. The ruling affirmed Buchwald's finding that FilmOn violated a 2012 order against an earlier incarnation of the company. That matter also stemmed from allegations that FilmOn infringed copyright by streaming programs online, but before FilmOn was using the multiple-antenna technology at the center of the lawsuits involving Aereo. FilmOn argued that it believed in good faith that the 2012 injunction didn't prohibit it from using the multiple-antenna technology. FilmOn also said it believed it was entitled to a cable license as a result of the Supreme Court's rationale for ruling against Aereo. The court said in its decision that Aereo's platform was "for all practical purposes a traditional cable system." The appellate court rejected FilmOn's arguments on those points. The judges wrote that even though the Supreme Court decision in Aereo may have changed the landscape, FilmOn's response "was not a diligently reasonable attempt to comply" with the injunction. "The only prudent decision would have been to approach the District Court and argue that the law had changed in FilmOns favor. FilmOn took no such act," the appellate panel wrote. by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, February 17, 2016 Michael Houston continues his fast-track rise at Grey. Today, the agency disclosed that Houston has been promoted to global president of the agency. He continues to report to Global CEO James Heekin. The promotion makes Houston, 43, the number two executive at Grey and sources say hes a frontrunner to succeed Heekin someday -- while stressing there is no specific succession timetable at present. Heekin is 66. In a memo to the troops announcing the promotion, Heekin wrote that in his expanded new worldwide leadership role, Houston would work closely with him in the management of Greys EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions. Houston will also continue to oversee the agencys North American operations. This well-deserved promotion is a logical step for Michael who has been such a vital factor in the success of our New York flagship office and our North American region since 2007, Heekin stated in his memo. Hes built a first-class management team, a culture of innovation evident in our creative and new business success and nurtured a winning spirit second to none. advertisement advertisement Houston joined Grey New York in 2007 as executive vice president, director of marketing, to lead Grey's business development and brand marketing efforts. He was promoted to global chief marketing officer of Grey worldwide in 2010. He was named to the new position of managing director of Grey New York in 2011, and then chief operating officer of the 1,000-person-strong office in 2012. A year later Houston was promoted to the NA CEO post, overseeing the New York, San Francisco and Canadian offices as well as Grey Activation and PR and Wing, the multicultural marketing communications agency. Under his leadership, Grey has won such blue-chip clients as Gillette, Volvo, Hasbro, Papa John's, Kellogg's and Marriott. The promotion follows by two months the departure of Houstons long-time creative partner at the agency Tor Myhren, who had risen to become Greys worldwide chief creative officer. He left for a senior marketing communications post at Apple early this year. Employers with workplace wellness programs that encourage employees to become more physically active may be interested in a study that finds financial incentives of equal amounts can produce different results depending on how they are framed. As a motivator of exercise, it seems fear of losing money works better than having the opportunity to win it. Share on Pinterest The researchers say their findings show that the potential of losing a reward is a more powerful motivator for getting employees to exercise more. The study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It finds that an organizations incentives to increase physical activity in overweight and obese employees were more effective when framed as monetary rewards that could be lost, rather than as opportunities to gain the same amounts of money. While most people know that physical activity is good for health, more than half of American adults do not meet the recommended guideline of 2.5 hours of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) a week. Mitesh S. Patel, lead author of the new study and assistant professor of Medicine and Health Care Management, says: Workplace wellness programs aimed at increasing physical activity and other healthy behaviors have also become increasingly popular, but theres a lack of understanding about how to design incentives within these programs. Prof. Patel suggests employers use principles from behavioral economics such as loss aversion to incentivize employees to get physically active. Study compares different ways of framing same amount of incentive For their study designed as a randomized controlled trial the researchers enrolled 281 overweight and obese employees (body mass index BMI of 27 kg/m2 or more) from a single organization and gave them the goal of achieving 7,000 steps a day for the 26 weeks of the trial. The researchers explain that 7,000 steps per day is roughly 40% more than the 5,000 steps per day that American adults achieve on average. The participants were able to track their progress on an app that ran in the background on their smartphones. For the first 13 weeks, the participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a gain incentive group, a lottery incentive group, a loss incentive group and a control group. The control group received no financial incentives for achieving the goal. Participants in the gain incentive group received $1.40 for every day they achieved the goal ($42 per month), while participants in the lottery incentive group were included in a daily lottery each day they met their goal (the prize averaged to $1.40 each day that the goal was achieved). Participants in the loss incentive group were given $42 at the start of a month and then had $1.40 taken away each day they did not meet their goal. For the second 13 weeks, the participants continued to receive feedback and progress reports on their smartphones but were not offered any incentives. It may seem like an obvious link; inhaling polluted air simply cannot be good for the cardiovascular system. But science demands measurable outcomes to make a conclusion, and rightly so. New research shows that climate change and overall air quality including higher pollution levels are linked to a higher number of strokes. Share on Pinterest The researchers used data from China and the US the worlds two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, according to Dr. Longjian Liu. The latest results were presented at the American Stroke Associations International Stroke Conference 2016, which takes place February 17th-19th, in Los Angeles, CA. Each year in the US, stroke kills nearly 130,000 people, which is 1 out of every 20 deaths. And worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of global death, trailing heart disease. To conduct their study, researchers used data from the worlds two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for about one third of global warming to date, says lead study author Dr. Longjian Liu, from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. The two countries are the US and China. Dr. Liu and his colleagues explain that their study is one of the first to look into the interaction between air quality and stroke prevalence alongside temperature. A campaign to convince Latin American countries to do more to tackle a problem which is the leading cause of death in AIDS and yet is poorly understood, often misdiagnosed and frequently left untreated has been launched. Experts from GAFFI (Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections) believe more than 80,000 AIDS deaths worldwide can be attributed to histoplasmosis, an airborne infection which is related primarily to bat and bird dropping exposure in soil. They want the deadly fungal disease adopted as a priority by key public health agencies and have today sent out an open letter to every pan American health organisation. It stresses that if the UNAIDS target of reducing AIDS deaths to under 500,000 is to be achieved, action needs to be taken now on tackling histoplasmosis. GAFFI's President is Dr David Denning who is Professor of Infectious Diseases in Global Health at The University of Manchester. He wants greater awareness of the deadly disease and more reliable and practical tests made available in those countries most affected. He explains; "For example, in Manaus, Brazil, the age range of cases is 12-42 years, with an overall mortality of 48 per cent while in Panama, the median age of cases is 33 years, and 59 per cent of these patient die. "However, histoplasmosis doesn't only affect AIDS patients. It can attack people without underlying health conditions and any immunocompromised patients. So, even when AIDS is conquered, histoplasmosis will continue to pose problems, so improved diagnosis and therapy is required as part of capacity strengthening in very many countries." New research conducted by Plymouth University shows that young women with high emotional intelligence (EI) are more likely to use manipulative behaviours, resulting in a greater engagement in delinquency. The research, led by Dr Alison Bacon, lecturer in Psychology, was conducted to assess why young women with high levels of EI are more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour than young men - a conclusion drawn from her 2014 paper, Sex differences in the relationship between sensation seeking, trait emotional intelligence and delinquent behaviour. Two hundred and fifty-two young adults - 125 female - took part in the study, which saw them complete measures of EI; Machiavellianism, the personality type predisposed to conniving and deceptive behaviour; the managing emotions of others scale (MEOS); and self-reported delinquent behaviour. The MEOS sees participants answer standard questions on how they adapt their behaviour depending on, or to affect, the emotions of others, and the young women with high EI in the study showed they were more likely to engage in non-prosocial behaviours which may be inauthentic, concealing the truth and may worsen others' feelings. High EI females also presented higher levels of Machiavellian tactics and delinquency; both in literal delinquent behaviours and in relationships, such as social exclusion or coercion. Dr Bacon said: "The results suggest that high EI may enable manipulative relational behaviours in some females, which in turn support delinquency aimed at fulfilment of social or material goals. The study was conducted on a group of students and is not suggesting for a second that all young women with high emotional intelligence have these behavioural tendencies. It's just an interesting line of research to follow given that very little work has been conducted on EI and what it might facilitate in terms of non-prosocial behaviour. "As a result of these findings, the next study will be to investigate exactly why young women with high EI might be more prone to using manipulative behaviours resulting in a higher level of delinquency. I would hypothesise that it's partly due to evolution - in some circumstances, young women may have come to see social survival as more important than social niceties, so manipulation may have been an adaptive behaviour which has continued through to the present day - but we will find out when the study takes place." The full study, entitled Manipulative relational behaviour and delinquency: sex differences and links with emotional intelligence, is available to view in The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. Research published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth has examined whether the desire for romance leads to increased substance alcohol or tobacco use in adolescents. Wura Jacobs, Kwon Chan Jeon, Patricia Goodson & Thomas W. Valente studied over 1,100 Grade 10 pupils in Los Angeles, USA examining whether an association could be drawn between romantic ambition and the interaction with tobacco and alcohol. The research adds to the ongoing inquiries around how romantic relationships can affect adolescents in social development, academia, health and general well-being. The study measured two elements for each subject: the number of peers who considered the subject romantically and the number of peers that the subject considered or 'nominated' romantically. This was cross compared with the adolescent's alcohol and tobacco consumption over the previous 30 days. The researchers also tested to see if substance use had associations with academic performance and family influence. While the schools varied with regard to their 10th-grade students' alcohol use, overall, 35.5% of the total sample reported consuming alcohol within the past month, not including those who drank for religious purposes, whereas less than 10% of students reported having smoked in the previous 30 days. The researchers found opposing results for the effect of romantic desire on drinking versus smoking. They discovered that the adolescents actively seeking or aspiring to date are less likely to report smoking, possibly because it could be socially isolating. Conversely, with every increase in romantic nominations received, the popular teens in the study were slightly more likely to report drinking. These findings support theories that popular students are more likely to drink possibly because they attend more social gatherings that encourage drinking. This study is unique because it looks at aspirational rather than existing romantic relationships - the important stage of crushes and budding romances. Implications include the possibility that romantic crushes may have a stronger impact on alcohol use than other friendship networks and that these aspirations and relationships could act as bridge between users and non-users of alcohol in teens. Further research related to adolescents' social networks are suggested by the authors. Advertisement "We found a substandard medicine incidence of 15.62% for diclofenac sodium and 13.04% for amoxicillin trihydrate," said Ahmed Nawaz Khan, study co-author and assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan.Even some higher-priced medicines from reputed sellers failed to measure up. "This is sad because many consumers shell out more for reputed brands, believing those products are better," said Khan.To make the grade, a tablet must contain between 90-110% of the active ingredient named on the label, according to the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, an autonomous Indian health ministry institution. However, the CDSCO offers a 5% grace margin on that lower limit, a leeway Khan called 'needless'.If the more stringent Indian Pharmacopoeia specification was made the yardstick for quality, twice the number of samples of Khan's study would fall short. "The implications of this finding: Borderline quality suggests a lack of quality control," said Khan.Government surveys reveal a falling incidence of substandard and spurious drugs in the Indian market-from about 9% in the mid-1990s, as a 2015 International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences study cited, to 4.5% in recent years.Spurious medicines alone, distinguishable from substandard products for being imitations of (usually) popular branded drugs, with ingredients that may or may not match their label, make up a negligible part of the Indian drug market as per the CDSCO - 0.046% according to its 2009 Report on Countrywide Survey for Spurious Drugs and 0.11%, according to last year's regular sampling.What happens to drugs that fail quality standards? Manufacturers of drug samples that fail CDSCO tests for ingredients, dissolution, sterility, toxicity, among others, are served notice.Of six such manufacturers this reporter spoke to, only one private manufacturing unit, Akpash Pharmaceuticals in Madhya Pradesh, hauled up in December 2015 for a batch of metronidazole tablets that failed a dissolution test, consented to speak on the record:"We withdrew the entire batch from the market, investigated the cause, found a quality issue with the intermediate used as the binding agent for the tablet, and have since taken corrective action," said director Girdharilal Jadwani.Seven testing laboratories cater to all of India's drug-testing needs. No more than seven national-testing laboratories capable of processing about 15,000 samples per year cater to the entire country."State drug regulatory authorities have given out licenses left, right and center. But the rise in the number of manufacturing units and products hasn't been matched by expanded testing capacity. With cases becoming long-drawn affairs, penalties rarely enter the picture," said Khan.How to put testing in the hands of the consumer? Consumers need technology that allows them to verify the quality of a strip of medicines. That is possible with solutions from a host of companies, such as Sproxil, PharmaSecure and mPedigree.For instance, PharmaSecure, a global provider of verification technology for pharmaceutical companies, generates a unique alphanumeric code for a strip of medicines, printed on the package directly or applied via scratch-off labels or holographic labels, pasted on the packaging line. Consumers buying the medicine can inquire-via SMS, mobile app or online-whether the code, and therefore the medicine, is genuine or not.Samit Yadav, vice president - operations, PharmaSecure, said, "Typically, we process one inquiry for one code. A second inquiry for the same code could indicate that the strip had been passed on to an alternative user, who also wants to check its veracity, but a third and more inquiries for one code would definitely raise questions."PharmaSecure has been tracking a situation with the makings of a scam. "We have been receiving 15 inquiries a day, for the last couple of weeks, to verify one single code, and these inquiries have poured in from across India," said Yadav.After analyzing those interactions, PharmaSecure was passing on the data to brand owners for further investigation. "At worst, the situation would mean that an unscrupulous manufacturer has produced an imitation product bearing the labelling-code included-of one genuine packet of the medicine in question," said Yadav.Few companies in India voluntarily use medicine-verification technology, although it is affordable and locally available.The government's stand is that verification technology is expensive for small firms."Another technology that would help root out substandard drugs is near-infrared spectroscopy, a technique can filter hundreds of samples in a few minutes, much faster than conventional, expensive high-performance chromatography technique," said Khan.The bottom line: India's substandard-drug problem can be solved.Source: IANS Advertisement The MGH-based team tested combinations of several FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs with the goal to find some that induce CTL infiltration within the tumors of several lung cancer mouse models. Only the combination of oxaliplatin and cyclophosphamide (Oxa-Cyc) did so. The researchers then showed that lung tumors in mice treated with Oxa-Cyc alone grew more slowly. Tumor control required not only CTL infiltration into tumors but also an increased activity of the innate immune system within the tumor microenvironment, which also was stimulated by Oxa-Cyc treatment. Furthermore, combining Oxa-Cyc treatment with immune checkpoint blockade durably controlled tumor growth in the lung cancer mouse models, which neither treatment was able to do alone. The investigators also identified other chemotherapy drugs that, when combined with immune checkpoint therapies in mice, could delay progression of other cancer types, including fibrosarcoma and colon cancer.Pittet said, "The genetic mouse model of lung cancer used in this study is notoriously resistant to today's cancer treatments, in contrast to many other models that are sensitive to several chemotherapy agents. We hope this model replicates treatment-resistant disease enough so that our findings can be translated to patients, but clinical trials are needed to examine whether that will be the case. Since the drugs shown to work in this study are all FDA-approved, the combination could be quickly tested in patients with lung cancer. We also plan to explore whether precision medicine approaches, which could identify drugs that best promote tumor infiltration by CTLs in a given patient, could extend the benefits of checkpoint blockade to even more patients."Source: Eurekalert Advertisement The findings appeared in the"With widespread implementation, these discoveries have the potential to dramatically decrease the number of undetected cases of Type 2 diabetes, prevent complications from the disease and save lives," said Ariana Anderson, the study's lead author and an assistant research professor and statistician at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Anderson and Mark Cohen, a Semel Institute professor in residence, led a team that examined electronic records for 9,948 people from hospitals, clinics and doctor's offices in all 50 states. Although the patients themselves were not identifiable, the records included their vital signs, prescription medications and reported ailments, categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes.The researchers used half of the records to refine an algorithm that allowed them to predict the likelihood of an individual having diabetes, and then tested this pre-screening tool on the other half. They found that having any diagnosis of sexual and gender identity disorders increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes by roughly 130% - about the same as high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor.Other health conditions were shown to be nearly as important risk factors for the disease. Among them were a history of viral infections and chlamydia (which increase people's risk for diabetes by 82%) and a history of intestinal infections such as colitis, enteritis and gastroenteritis (88% increase). In fact, those predictors were nearly as strong as having a high body mass index (101% increase).Herpes zoster had previously been shown to have a link to diabetes, and the project confirmed that connection (finding that it increases the risk by about 90%) - along with some other lesser-known risk factors. Chicken pox, shingles and a range of other viral infections (which are grouped together under one ICD diagnostic code) increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes as much as high cholesterol, the team found.Researchers also determined certain factors that appear to be related to a lower risk for diabetes. Being prone to migraines, for instance, reduced an individual's risk for the disease by the same amount as being 29 years younger. And people taking anti-anxiety and anti-seizure medications such as clonazepam and diazepam had a significantly lower risk.Cohen said, "The overall message is that ordinary record keeping that doctors do is a very, very rich source of information. If you use a computerized approach to studying patterns in that data, you can greatly improve diagnosis and medical care."The researchers are affiliated with a laboratory run by Cohen that uses mathematical modeling to analyze large quantities of brain images. The team has applied similar techniques to predict diseases, including epilepsy and irritable bowel syndrome. In this case, they targeted Type 2 diabetes because so many Americans with diabetes have yet to be diagnosed.Additional research will be required to determine the medical reasons that certain factors correlate with greater or lesser risk. And because the analysis was based largely on diagnostic codes, rather than actual individual diagnoses, the findings are not fine-grained enough to tell precisely which conditions are linked to diabetes.For instance, the ICD code for sexual and gender identity disorders includes a wide range of conditions ranging from transexualism to exhibitionism, and the researchers do not know which one or ones are most important for a diabetes diagnosis. Similarly, the code for viral and chlamydial infections encompasses a wide range of conditions, including the human papillomavirus, chlamydia and coxsackie virus, which causes conjunctivitis and hand, foot and mouth disease.Traditionally, medical providers have determined whom to screen for the disease based on a limited range of factors, including blood pressure, BMI, age, gender and whether or not they smoke. But the pre-screening tool based on the entirety of a patient's electronic health record proved 2.5% better at identifying people with diabetes than the standard approach, and 14% better at identifying those who do not have it. The researchers calculated that if the new method were used nationally, it would identify 400,000 people who have not yet been diagnosed with the disease.Anderson said, "Given that 1 in 4 people with diabetes don't know they have the disease, it's very important to be able to say, 'This person has all these other diagnoses, so we're a little bit more confident that she is likely to have diabetes. We need to be sure to give her the formal laboratory test, even if she's asymptomatic'."Mining big data for ways to improve medical care emerged as a national trend following the 2009 economic stimulus package, which included incentives for digitizing medical records. Advocates argue that using computers to uncover unexpected patterns in vast amounts of data - or machine learning - has the power to revolutionize medicine.Cohen said, "There's so much more information available in the medical record that could be used to determine whether a patient needs to be screened, and this information isn't currently being used. This is a treasure trove of information that has not begun to be exploited to the full extent possible."Source: Eurekalert Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Recently, the Russian campaign in Syria reached its 100th day. An article in Expert Online, the website of the influential Russian analytical magazine Expert, reviews the state of the Syria war, analyzing the activities on various fronts as well as the Russian involvement. The article, by journalist Pyetr Skorobogatyj, states that, with Russia's help, the Syrian army is advancing slowly but surely. It stresses that the operation in Syria is not a substantial financial burden for Russia, and that it benefits Russia in many ways - including by allowing it to train pilots, test the performance of various weapons, and target Russian-speaking militants who are fighting in Syria. Most significantly, it allows Russia to establish a permanent presence in the Middle East that has an impact on all the region's countries. The article then reviews the military situation in Syria region by region. Focusing first on the north, it stresses that the Kurdish forces there are making headway against ISIS and are laying down the foundations for what may eventually become a Kurdish autonomy or even an independent Kurdish state. The main loser, says the article, is Turkey, who is powerless to stop these developments from unfolding. The article states further that Russia, using its S-400 missiles, has effectively set up a no-fly-zone in the north of Syria, thus enabling the regime forces to make substantial achievements against the rebels, especially in the Latakia area. It adds that the U.S., too, is planning to establish a military base in northeast Syria, in the Malikia area. Moving to the southern region, the article states that the stalemate between the sides there - namely the regime forces and rebel groups backed by Jordan - has ended, since Jordan has ordered these forces to stop attacking Assad's troops. In Damascus, too, the regime is slowly flushing out the rebels, street by street and building by building. As for eastern Syria, the article concedes that ISIS still maintains a strong presence there and will be difficult to defeat. The following are excerpts from the article.[1] "The Air Campaign Is Not Expensive For Moscow, And It Allows Russia To Train Pilots And Test Different Types Of Weapons" "As the Russian campaign recently reached its 100th day,[2] [Russia's] main goal appears to be the use of military power to force peace on the 'rational' [i.e., non-jihadist] rebel groups. There are a number of small [rebel] groups which have either joined Assad's military or have stayed independent but coordinate their activities with the Syrian army. [Russia's] largest partner [apart from the Syrian army] is the Syrian Democratic Army [SDA], a Sunni popular militia which is fighting in the north [of the country] alongside the Kurds and government troops. The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Russia supports the SDA with weapons, ammunition and airstrikes. 'For its part, the patriotic opposition [i.e. the SDA] coordinates its military objectives with the Russian aviation group,' noted Lt. General Sergei Rudskoy, Chief of Main Operations Management in the Russian Army General Staff... "The joint military campaign of the Russian Air Force and Syrian troops seems to be [progressing] slowly but surely. [The slow pace] is due to the broad spectrum of military goals which must be met, including pressure on all 'factions' in order to separate [potential] 'partners' from 'enemies,' as well as the necessity to return as much territory as possible to the Syrian government's control, in order to enable it to negotiate from a position of strength about the country's future. In addition, all the battle fronts seem chaotic, with many parallel 'seething cauldrons'... and with weather conditions are getting worse... All of these factors together make Russian air operations difficult, especially during the winter period. This week the 'bad guys' [i.e. ISIS] used the cover of a sandstorm [which hampered Russian air activity] to mount a major offensive on Deir Al-Zor, a Syrian enclave in the desert. This action resulted in a major defeat for the Syrian side. As prevailing weather conditions worsen, the... intensity of the military campaign will decrease... "Notwithstanding, during the first 100 days of Russian Air Force and Navy operations, 217 villages and towns were retaken, and 1000 sq. km. of territory. The Russian-Syrian coalition has no need to hurry. The air campaign is not expensive for Moscow, and it allows Russia to train pilots and to test the battle performance of different types of weapons. These benefits are in addition to the political gains and to the main goal, which is to eliminate Russian-speaking fighters in theaters far away from Russia's borders. "In addition, thanks to the new Russian air force base in the [the Syrian city of] Latakia, Moscow has established a permanent presence in the region, controlling a very important logistic hub. This modern military base (equipped with Iskander[3] and S-400[4] missiles)... changes the military and political situation in Iraq, Iran, Israel, the U.S... and, of course, Turkey"..." "Russia Has Set Up A No-Fly Zone Using Its S-400 Surface-To-Air Missile System" "[Meanwhile] the goals of the main participants in the Syrian battle have become clear. In the north of Syria... the Kurds are winning. They are finally receiving extensive military support from the U.S. and covert support from Russia. They are carrying out offensive operations against ISIS and expanding their territory, which might become a future Kurdish state or an autonomous region within Syria, depending on the final agreement... The main loser is Turkey, who is unpredictable, irresponsible and unable to keep agreements. Currently, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan can only look on as the Kurdish enclave continually grows stronger. [The Turkish President] can initiate military operations only on his own territory... "The geopolitical value of northern Syria is understood by all parties. Russia has set up a no-fly zone [there] using its S-400 surface-to-air missile system... [while] Syria is strengthening its Al-Bab air base with Russian military advisors and the S-300[5] missile system. The Americans are not napping either, and plan to set up a military base in Malikia in north-east Syria... This will allow the U.S to carry out an independent policy without having to depend on the Kurdish state which is being established... "The Syrian army, aided by Hizbullah's brigades, is doing very well in the Latakia governorate. The map [below] clearly shows the movement of the fighting forces over the last few months. The dotted red line represents the front on October 7, 2015. In the first half of January 2016, government troops finally showed fighting ability against the Islamist stronghold of Salma... It was the first time that Russian military experts actively took part in the campaign, probably coordinating the attack on Salma. Support from Russian planes in the northern Latakia province allows the Syrian army to continue its advance at full speed..." Military situation in Latakia and Hama areas, January 21, 2016 In The South, Jordan-Backed Rebels Have Been Ordered To Stop Attacking; In Damascus, The Government Is Flushing Out Islamists; In The East, ISIS Still Holds A Significant Area "In the Dera province in the south, the opposing sides had [previously] agreed to maintain the status quo. Damascus was avoiding a conflict with Israel as well as with Jordan, which openly sponsored tribal forces and Islamist brigades... [Today, however,] the tactic of constant pressure [by Syrian regime troops on these forces and brigades] is producing results. The Military Operations Command [MOC] in Amman... which is coordinating rebel activities in southern Syria, has ordered [the forces it sponsors] to stop attacking [Syrian] government forces... Jordan's logic is very simple... Syrian refugees in Jordan now total about 30% of the population, the same number as the Palestinians living in Jordan... so Jordan prefers to try to stabilize the situation in Syria rather than dream about cutting off Syria's southern territories from the rest of the country. On the other hand, Damascus has begun to raise the issue of Israeli[-sponsored] rebels occupying the [Syrian] Golan Heights. "In the Syrian capital, government troops are continuing to flush out Islamists and 'bad guys' from the city. The score is being kept not by counting streets retaken, but by counting buildings... The progress in the Damascus area is noticeable only when viewed over a long period of time. Below is a map showing the balance of forces in 2013, and beneath it a map showing the balance of forces in 2015. Damascus area in 2013 Damascus' area in 2015 "In addition, peace talks between the government and some rebel groups are now underway. Just recently, an agreement was made with a rebel brigade in the Al-Qadam suburb [in Damascus]. Some militants who were disarmed were moved to Raqqa and Idlib, while almost 1,500 others agreed to switch to Assad's side... "In spite of the relative success of government troops, ISIS still holds a significant area in the eastern part of Syria... The [ISIS] Caliphate is well-entrenched in the area it controls, with a strong force and command structure, and is not going to withdraw easily." Endnotes: In view of the escalated Russian military activity in Syria, and declarations by senior Saudi officials on the option of an imminent Saudi ground intervention in Syria, the editorialist for the official Saudi daily Al-Riyadh, Ayman Al-Hammad, published a caustic article attacking the Obama administration's Middle East policy. Al-Hammad claims that the Obama administration is adopting a soft-power policy in the Middle East, and particularly vis-a-vis the Syrian crisis, while forgoing the military dimension - thereby awarding Russia and her allies senior status in the region. Condemning America's "surrender of Syria", its neglect of the Palestine issue, and its rapprochement with Iran, the author claims that the U.S. has lost the trust of the Arab states, which feel that it has turned its back on them. Al-Hammad advises the Obama administration so stop eschewing military force, because this means is occasionally required "to put things back on track". Below is a translation of the article:[1] Ayman Al-Hammad (Image: English.dohainstitute.org) "[American political scientist] Dr. Joseph Nye coined the term 'soft power,' which denotes a state's use of non-military means and tools to create for itself a capability to influence, act and persuade. Such means, focusing on emphasizing the state's cultural legacy, help to improve its image in the world... "This term was quite prevalent in the literature on public diplomacy and international politics during the previous decade, particularly after September 11 and following the military campaigns and the tough security measures adopted after [this event], which appreciably affected the U.S.' image as a pluralist and free country. Following these [events, the U.S.] had no choice but to stress and emphasize some [other] part of [its] exemplary legacy in order to improve its image and to shine the spotlight once again on the positive side of the American presence. "During the previous decade, Barack Obama's presidency was characterized by an abstention from adopting military solutions and from dispatching American soldiers to combat zones, and [a preference for] political initiatives instead. The Syrian crisis is a conspicuous example of this. America's military absence from the region, be it in Iraq or in Afghanistan, and its surrender of Syria, helped tarnish its image in the eyes of the countries in the region. From these countries' perspective, the U.S. has turned its back on them, while Russia and its allies have assumed this role. This had a significant impact on the image of the U.S. and President Obama, whose arrival at the White House can be seen as [heralding] the pinnacle of America's soft power [policy]. He [Obama] disappointed the Arab states, which expected him to take a more sympathetic approach to their problems than his predecessor George Bush Jr. "Is the scant [use] of hard power necessary to reinforce soft power? The events in the region, at least, prove that U.S. abstention from military intervention in Syria, the neglect of the Palestinian issue and the rapprochement with Iran have damaged the U.S.' image and Obama's popularity, both amongst the ]American] people and amongst the elites. Tracing America's rise to power and global hegemony, we discover that this hegemony derived solely from its military force and from its cowboy and Star Wars films. [Only] after dropping the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki did the U.S. become the number one world power. Obviously, [my worlds] should not be misconstrued as support for the U.S.'s military adventures - and they are numerous. War actually is the worst [possible] tool, but occasionally its use is inescapable. Sometimes, a little firmness is needed to put things back on track." Endnotes: [1] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), February 14, 2016. The latest reports by intelligence agencies suggest that there is no video evidence with the Delhi police yet to show JNU student's union leader Kanhaiya Kumar mouthed "anti-national" slogans on the campus. They also rule out the role of terror elements as claimed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Kumar was arrested by the Delhi police on sedition charge for allegedly questioning Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging and delivering inflammatory speech. He is a member of CPI's student wing All India Students Federation. Instead, the reports point to two fringe organisations - Democratic Students Union (DSU) and Democratic Students Front - whose membership, intelligence agencies admit, is very scant. But they have been "volatile" and "reactive". The IB and Delhi police's special branch have been alerting the JNU from time to time about their activities. The last such report was filed on November 12 last year. Twitter Many of these activities other than mourning Afzal Guru's hanging include "they celebrated killing of CRPF Jawan in Dantewara, Chhattisgarh in 2010'; "worshipped Mahishasur in place of Goddess Durga during the September 2014 Navratra festival"; "they invited Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani [the permission was denied by JNU authorities]" and "They demanded beef in hostel mess". Even the February 9 event to mark anniversary for hanging of Afzal Guru was organised by DSU, an extreme Left-leaning organisation. It was led by a certain Umar Khalid, an ex-JNU student. Khalid is on the run. Even in his case, intelligence agencies have denied reports that he has links with any terror group. "We do not have any such evidence. All we can say is he is a part of Democratic Students Union, which as per our evidence is a front for Maoists," a senior IB official said. None of the video recordings with the Delhi police show Kumar shouting slogans like "Bharat Ki Barbadi tak, jung rahegi, jung rahegi", which have been attributed to him. Though he was present at the protest site, reports also suggest that DSU has been active for a long time on the campus. The intelligence reports fly in the face of Home Minister Rajnath Singh who had said that Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed was orchestrating JNU protests. Meanwhile, the Delhi HC dismissed a petition seeking NIA probe in the case. It termed the plea "premature". (This article originally appeared in The Times Of india) Arvind Kejriwal has kept his distance from the whole JNU controversy considering that neither the University nor Delhi Police comes under his administration and rightly so. This, however, didnt stop the Delhi CM from taking potshots at Narendra Modi as he shared a cartoon depicting the current situation in JNU. The sketch was from the Monday edition of The Hindu and showed a Hanuman lookalike figure lighting the fire at JNU, implying that it was just a facade created by the BJP. He faced some serious criticism over why he shared the cartoon and some people even asked the Delhi Police commissioner to take action against the Delhi CM for hurting their religious sentiments. @BhimBassi Delhi Police request please enter the fir against Arvind Kejriwal, he made a cartoon of Lord Hanuman pic.twitter.com/EJ9PNnOUrq Sachin Sharma (@SachinS55421685) February 16, 2016 The Delhi CM, however, has now written to PM Narendra Modi on the current crisis at the JNU University, asking the PM to take strict action against MLA OP Sharma. CM @ArvindKejriwal's letter to PM @NarendraModi on recent events that have taken place in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/OlfZkZoFwt Aam Aadmi Party- AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 16, 2016 This is the text of the letter which he sent to the PMO. Sh. Narendra Modi Ji Hon'ble Prime Minister of India 152, South Block New Delhi Respected Prime Minister, I am extremely worried over some incidents that have taken place in Delhi in recent days and that is why I am writing to you. It is being stated that some individuals raised anti-India slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. If somebody residing in India indulges in anti-national activities, then this cannot be tolerated at all and there is unanimity in the country on this issue. It is, however, not correct to arrest and victimize the innocent in the garb of this incident. Further, it is not correct to convert nationalism into a device for creating a fear psychosis by using constitutional institutions to run them according to whims and fancies. It is extremely dangerous that the JNU incident is being portrayed to show this institution as a terrorist centre. The JNU and its students have achieved fame at the international level due to it high academic standards and the hard work of its students. It is completely wrong to brand such a prestigious institution as a centre of terrorists. Whatever happened at the Patiala House Court premises on Monday afternoon is highly disturbing. Some individuals thrashed journalists, students and teachers inside the court premises in the presence of Delhi Police and the police personnel merely watched when even women were not spared from being assaulted. If such shameful incidents take place inside court premises, then where will the citizens be safe? Front pages of almost all newspapers on Tuesday have published the photograph of BJP MLA OP Sharma beating up a youth in full public view outside the court premises. His statement that if he had a gun he would have shot such people has also been published. If such incidents are not brought to an immediate end, I am afraid it might be too late then. I humbly request you to take the following steps immediately: 1) Immediate action be taken against lumpen and anarchist elements such as OP Sharma to give a clear signal that such kind of activities will not be tolerated. He is an MLA of the BJP and it must also take action against him. I feel even if you once call this MLA and scold him, he will not dare to repeat his actions again in life. If that is not done, then such elements feel they have the complete support of the central government. Nobody can be allowed to take the law in their hands and if public representatives, who swear in the name of the Constitution do so, then the country is headed towards a serious crisis. 2) Innocents arrested in the JNU incident should be immediately released, real culprits should be identified and they should be dealt with severely in accordance with the law. 3) Political interference in JNU and other academic institutions must be immediately stopped; educational institutions should be left to the academicians to manage. 4) The police administration of Delhi is directly under the control of the central government and the JNU incident shows, it appears to have miserably failed. I request you to give strict instructions so that the confidence of the people of Delhi on the Police can be restored. I request you with folded hands to urgently stop this fire from spreading any further. People are waiting with desperation for you to break your silence and intervene to bring the situation under control. In case you take the steps mentioned above, I am fully confident that the entire country will appreciate it and all political parties will cooperate with you on this issue. Thanking you Yours sincerely Arvind Kejriwal That the issue has now snowballed into a massive controversy after confrontations between the faculties, students on one side and the police on the other, it will need the direct intervention of the PMO to diffuse the entire situation. Lets just hope that it can be resolved within the next week or otherwise it might just wipe out the budget session of the parliament without a single day of work. The BJP government in Rajasthan, headed by Vasundhara Raje, has decided to remove the works of prominent Western poets from class 8th textbooks. Celebrated Western poets like T.S. Eliot, John Keats, William Blake, Thomas Hardy and Edward Lear have failed to make the cut to feature in a class VIII textbook in India. Yes, for real. BCCL Also, many chapters which had Urdu words have been removed from the class 8th textbook. One of the members of the textbook redoing committee told TOI, "These chapters and poetries were loaded with Urdu words which we believe are difficult for a majority of students to comprehend. Besides, they were highlighting practices of a particular community which is against our guidelines for redoing of textbooks. So, now, Eliots Macavity: The Mystery Cat, and Blakes The School Boy has been replaced by poems like The Brave Lady Of Rajasthan, Chittor, and My First Visit To The Bank. BCCL Last year, the Rajasthan government had removed famous Urdu writers Ismat Chugtai and Safdar Hashmi from the curriculum, and the move had invited criticism from educationists. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 asks states to include multi-lingual content in the syllabus to encourage national integration. BCCL We guess the only way now for children to be exposed to Western classics is through movie adaptations like Fitoor (adapted from Great Expectations), considering there is little exposure in schools. You might have thought that with the end of Free Basics all your worries about dual Internet lanes and throttled speeds would have come at an end. You would be wrong. Our network operators are more cunning than we give them credit for. Heres the latest trick up their sleeve. Indias biggest telecom operator Bharti Airtel has written to regulator TRAI to reduce data speeds from 512 kbps to a miserly 64 kbps once subscribers hit their data limit. Lets look at that again. Airtel wants to send you back to the 90s dial-up era by throttling your data speed at 64 kbps at a time when the world is moving to 5G speeds and India is testing 4G in more and more places. Or, seen another way, Airtel is challenging the governments own rule that sets a download speed of 512 kbps to qualify as a broadband connection. Facebook Its not just Airtel. Reliance Communications and Sistema Shyam Teleservices have also petitioned TRAI to do away with the 512 kbps limit. In a joint letter to TRAI, the Cellular Operators Association of India and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (Auspi) have also called for an immediate revision of the clause advocating a 512 kbps minimum broadband speed. Whats the rationale you ask? Well, according to Airtel, you have been abusing your internet speed at 512 kbps. It cannot be the prerogative of the customer to keep accessing data at the defined broadband speed even beyond the assigned quota. If broadband has to become affordable, the authority should not mandate any broadband speed after exhaustion of (data) quota, Bharti Airtel said. Even Reliance Communications wants the freedom to throttle speeds, post-expiry of assigned data limit to prevent misuse of fixed broadband services beyond the designated quota. You can read Airtels entire argument on TRAIs website here. Imgur Considering the entire telecom lobby is on the same page on this one, only a mass effort such as the one that thwarted Free Basics in India can challenge their authority. Not surprisingly then, mobilisation for the same is beginning to gain ground on social media. Individuals have begun writing in to TRAI in response to telecom operators stance on the issue on its website here. The link also contains responses from most of the broadband service providers in the country. You can also write in your views directly to kapilhanda@trai.gov.in . George Clooney took a break from promoting his new film Hail, Caesar! in Berlin to talk about the Syrian refugee crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Clooney supports Germanys open-door policy, led by Merkel, towards refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict, the Guardian reported. He told reporters at the Berlin film festival, I absolutely agree with her. Clooney and his human-rights lawyer wife, Amal, enjoyed a one-hour meeting with Merkel on Friday. They discussed the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and the political reaction to it in Europe and elsewhere, the Guardian said. More than 4.5 million men, women and children have taken refuge outside Syria since the conflict broke out in 2011, according to Amnesty International. Most of those people are in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan , Iraq and Egypt. In a move that has become increasingly controversial in Germany, Europes most populous country took in 1.1 million refugees in 2015, many of from Syria. Clooney didnt release any details about what he discussed with Merkel. David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary who is now head of the New York-based International Rescue Committee, accompanied the Clooneys to meet Merkel and told the BBC that the conversation covered possible solutions to the global problem. Clooney also praised Merkel for showing very strong leadership. Clooney, a United Nations Messenger of Peace, has said he wants to do more to help the people of Syria, though he doesnt want to get directly involved in politics. He has urged the United States to take in more refugees. Martha Ross provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Follow her at twitter.com/marthajross. Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis met at the Foreign Ministry today, Wednesday, 17 February 2016, with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer. During their constructive conversation, they looked at ways in which the International Committee of the Red Cross can more effectively assist the Greek government in its efforts to deal with the refugee crisis. Mr. Maurer expressed his admiration for the compassion shown by the islanders of the northern Aegean and for the Greek states actions, recognizing the significant progress that has been made in managing refugee flows. Mr. Amanatidis underscored that if the deeper causes are not addressed that is, if peace is not brought to Syria the refugee crisis cannot be definitively resolved. Finally, he thanked Mr. Maurer for the positive and supportive views he expressed with regard to the enormous efforts Greece is making to deal with the refugee crisis with humanity and effectiveness. A study recently published in the journal Antarctic Science says the B09B iceberg crashed with the Mertz Glacier Tongue and got stuck in Commonwealth Bay, an area that was rarely covered by sea-ice, making it ideal for Adelie penguin colonies. The B09B, with an area of about 1,120 square miles (2,900 square kilometers), blocked access to the penguins' natural feeding areas beginning in December 2010. The huge piece of ice forced the birds to walk more than 37 miles (60 kilometers) in search of food, gradually reducing the population to just a few thousand. "We saw a lot of dead carcasses, particularly the young, which was terrible to see. But the really important thing is that the penguins are just not coming back to that area," Chris Fogwill, a co-author of the study, told The Associated Press on Monday. The survey was conducted in 2013-14 by Fogwill and other scientists at the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales in Australia along with New Zealand's West Coast Penguin Trust. Adelie penguins can be found throughout Antarctica. They are known for being sociable and gathering in groups as well as for their appearance as the classic tuxedoed penguin. Researchers say it is hard to know how long it will take the Adelie penguins to recolonize the Commonwealth Bay area. The worst case scenario is that without their natural breeding cycle and lacking new members, the colony could die out in about 20 years. The 1,200-pound cannon, which is on renewable loan from the Detroit Historical Society, arrived in the village on Feb. 11, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported. The Grass Lake Area Historical Connections plans to showcase the cannon as part of the group's Michigan Military Heritage Museum. The group wants to build a replica carriage for the cannon with white oak. "It is marvelous, and a feather in the cap for a small Jackson County museum," said Marilyn O'Leary, president of the Grass Lake Area Historical Connections, formerly the Grass Lake Area Historical Society. The British army cannon once stood guard against American Indian or American Colonist attacks at Fort Lernoult in Detroit, a British-occupied fort, located in front of where Cobo Hall stands today. It was forged in England in the mid-1700s during the reign of King George III. Six such cannons have been recovered from the Detroit River since 1984, according to Joel Stone, senior curator for the Detroit Historical Society. Grass Lake is the fourth location to receive a cannon for display. The other cannons are at the Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority. When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the defeated British troops knew there weren't enough colonial troops to make them leave the fort right away, so they stayed for 13 years before finally departing for a new post in Canada, Stone said. Before the British troops left in the winter of 1796, they dragged the cannons onto the ice to keep them out of the hands of the colonial troops. When the river thawed in the spring, the cannons sunk to the bottom of the river. They were later discovered by the Detroit Police Department Dive Team. Two more cannons are unaccounted for and could still be at the bottom of the river, according to records from the old fort. BAD AXE Gov. Rick Snyders plan to privatize public mental health services has added another log to the fire for some local officials mounting disgust of state government. A section of the governors proposed 2017 $54.9 billion budget would move state funds to Medicaid HMOs. Crains Detroit Business reported Snyders budget doesnt cite savings for the switch, but the Michigan Association of Health Plans says it could save millions of dollars through improved efficiency. Huron Behavioral Healths CEO Suzanne Prich told county commissioners Tuesday of local effects if the budget plan passes, including what she says is the largest cut to behavioral health services in Michigans history $300 million. I think the $300 million would be understating what the real cut is going to be, she said. Were talking about, in the state of Michigan, over 300,000 people receive services from the public mental health system. For Huron County, she says behavioral health services would be moved to for-profit organizations, specifically to four different health plans that dont have a presence in this county. This would effectively eliminate the public safety net for our citizens, Prich wrote in a Feb. 12 letter to commissioners asking them to oppose the governors budget and seek support from Sen. Phil Pavlov and Rep. Ed Canfield. HBH says it plans to serve 1,036 people this year with a more than $10 million budget, drawn mostly from federal, state and local funding. The agency reports serving more than 700 adults with mental illnesses, 182 with developmental disabilities and 150 children with mental illnesses in 2014. The things we do to keep people stable, Prich said, include helping people find housing, employment and transportation. HBH provides assertive community treatment, a customized approach to help people with mental illness. Prich says it involves sending people to homes sometimes twice a day to tend to others and ensure medication is taken. Case management, children services, home-based services thats a lot of what we do, Prich said. Health plans dont provide those long-term services. Prich says if the proposed section of the budget passes, it will take the state back to the 1950s, and indigent people wont be able to afford treatment. Health plans have no accountability to groups such as you, Prich told commissioners. Shortchanging mental health services causes more people to be shoved into the judicial system, Commissioner Rich Swartzendruber said. You end up paying more than if you paid for competent mental health services, Swartzendruber said of costs shifting to jails and hospitals. Prich, speaking as a private taxpayer, said she thinks the $300 million will go to help Flints water system and Detroit Public Schools. She said she objects to figuring out the situations on the backs of vulnerable people. Commissioner John Nugent, who also serves on HBHs board of directors, said in January he suspects were going to feel the effects of this disaster in Flint. Because Genesee County will likely need more state funding to address mental health issues due to the water crisis in Flint, which reportedly put up to 9,000 children at risk of irreparable brain damage, Nugent said it could affect Huron Countys ability to get funding. Its tragic how mentally disabled people are treated, Nugent said, likening the proposed budget decision to destroying everyone by treating one segment, adding the federal government should get involved. A critic of past decisions the governor has made, Nugent said Snyder is poorly advised, ignorant and his administration is in shambles. It isnt the first time a proposed state decision has caused concern for HBH: In 2014, Prich said HBH expected its share of money from the statewide general community health fund to be cut from $834,000 to $208,000. Prich says HBH is still analyzing the effects on the local level and doesnt have specific numbers as to how its budget may be affected, but that it will be a major issue that will impact us greatly. Im concerned about it and I hope you are equally concerned, she said to commissioners. The developmentally disabled tend not to be voters and dont have a strong political voice, according to Prich. I believe they have to have someone talking for them. Air Force Gets Its Own Combat Dive Badge After Using the Navy's for Years Air Force officials said there is a notable distinction between Navy divers and their divers, which was a key reason for... It could have been the start of a nightmare scenario. Between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on a rainy night last December, Cpl. Justin McDaniel, an air traffic controller at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, was about two hours into his 8-1/2-hour shift. The rhythm of his typical work of monitoring aircraft on final approach to the airfield was fractured when a gunnery sergeant approached his work station with news about a crisis: A Marine AV-8B Harrier pilot with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, who had been flying close to the base for practice, had suddenly lost his entire heads-up display. While such a malfunction would ordinarily be cause for concern, the weather conditions turned the issue into a life-or-death emergency. With heavy rain falling and a dense cloud cover obscuring the ground at a low altitude of 440 feet, the pilot had been relying entirely on aircraft controls as he flew. All of a sudden, the controls were gone and he was lost in the clouds. "You can barely see three miles ahead of you," McDaniel said. "It's like driving blindfolded; that's the best way I can put it." The outage, the cause of which remains unclear, also affected the aircraft's gyroscopic instruments, making the jet more difficult to control manually. McDaniel, 22, had been an air traffic controller for about four years, but had never encountered a crisis like this one. He had little time for panic. "You hear an emergency' and your blood starts to flow," he said. "All you can do as an air traffic controller is take your adrenaline turn it back to your job. The pilot's life is in your hands." When McDaniel was first informed about the display malfunction, the pilot was in a descent at 4,000 feet. McDaniel took over when he was fewer than 1,600 feet off the ground. On the first attempt at guided descent the pilot was still in shock at the loss of instruments and was hesitant to take instructions, McDaniel said. But on a second attempt, the controller and pilot worked together like a machine. McDaniel had to give the pilot step-by-step directions, dictating left and right turns against a stiff wind that sometimes made it difficult to keep the aircraft on course. The three or four minutes it took to guide the pilot down out of the cloud cover felt like a much longer stretch of time. As the Harrier finally broke through the clouds, the pilot was rewarded with a welcome sight. "All he could see was the center line of the runway between his legs," McDaniel said. "When he first landed, our tower controllers, they just told us the pilot made it safely on deck; there was no issues. I mean, all we knew was we made it safe on deck, we did our jobs." McDaniel was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal on Dec. 3, two days after the incident, though his accomplishment was not publicized by the Marine Corps until this month. In a rare turn of events, the pilot of the Harrier also made an appearance at McDaniel's medal ceremony, officials said, extending personal thanks to the Marine from himself and his wife for bringing him out of the clouds without incident. "That was one of the biggest things I took away, knowing that I helped him," McDaniel said. In coming months, McDaniel said he plans to conclude his active Marine Corps service and look for work as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, where he can continue to use his ATC experience to guide American pilots to the ground safely. U.S. advisers have joined Iraqi forces mustering in central Iraq for an eventual attempt to retake Mosul, which would be the centerpiece in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State that has now cost the U.S. more than $6 billion. Citing a Defense Department spokesman, the Hill newspaper reported Wednesday that the overall cost of U.S. military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, has climbed to $6.2 billion. Each day, the missions cost an average of $11.5 million, it reported. The majority of the costs have come from the air campaign that now totals nearly 10,000 airstrikes. President Obama first ordered U.S. forces to the region in mid-June 2014 as ISIS fighters swept out of Syria into Iraq, and bombing began on Aug. 8, 2014. The costs were expected to rise as Defense Secretary Ashton Carter looks to "accelerate" the campaign with help from coalition partners to focus on retaking northwestern Mosul in Iraq and Raqaa, the self-proclaimed ISIS capital in northeastern Syria. The U.S. was expected to deploy more troops in the train, advise and assist role, and also for force protection, in the coming months if the Baghdad government agrees to the proposal, Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a video briefing to the Pentagon on Wednesday. In previous briefings, Warren has said that the additional U.S. troops would number in the "hundreds," and not the thousands. The U.S. currently has about 3,800 troops in Iraq, but the number has fluctuated above 4,000 as troop rotations overlap and some troops are sent on special assignments, according to the Pentagon. Warren said that some U.S. advisers -- he declined to give a number -- had moved into Makhmour, a Tigris River Valley town about 60 miles southeast of Mosul, to train and assist troops of Iraq's 15th Division who have begun massing in the area for an attack on Mosul that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pledged will come this year. The U.S. advisers were backed by additional troops for force protection, Warren said. "There's a lot going on in Makhmour. That's where one of our operations centers is located. So there are American advise-and-assist capabilities there," Warren said. "That's going to become an area that really kind of directs, I think, the battle going forward" to retake Mosul, he said. Iraqi officials have estimated that about 4,500 troops would be needed for the Mosul offensive. Makhmour was the site last year of an alleged ISIS mustard gas attack that sickened about 35 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters on the battlefield. Earlier this week, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a United Nations watchdog agency, said that soil samples from the area had tested positive for sulphur mustard, a banned substance. Warren said that there were growing signs from U.S. intelligence and open source reporting of dissent in ISIS' ranks and a loosening of its grip on hostage populations in territory in its control. U.S. and coalition airstrikes on ISIS cash centers and the continuing Operation Tidal Wave II on ISIS oil facilities and delivery trucks "have put a real dent in their wallets," Warren said. He estimated the costs to ISIS in the "hundreds of millions." On Tuesday, the Associated Press cited Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a researcher with the Middle East Forum and an expert on Islamic State documents, who quoted from an ISIS directive on salary cuts for fighters based in Raqaa. "On account of the exceptional circumstances the Islamic State is facing, it has been decided to reduce the salaries that are paid to all mujahedeen by half, and it is not allowed for anyone to be exempted from this decision, whatever his position," the directive said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com. Related video: The head of the U.S. Defense Department's F-35 program said the number of "deficiencies" in the stealth fighter jet's hardware and software is decreasing but that hundreds of technical challenges remain. Speaking to reporters last week in his offices in Arlington, Virginia, Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan discussed a range of issues affecting the Pentagon's biggest weapons program at nearly $400 billion, including the hundreds of lingering deficiency reports, or DRs, known as "technical debt" in acquisition parlance. "There are 419 things that we have yet to decide with the war fighters how we're going to fix them, whether we're going to fix them and when we're going to fix them," he said. The figure was three times higher a few years ago and "we think the technical debt that we have -- the deficiencies that we have -- are things that we can handle within the next two years," he said. During the more than hour-long briefing, Bogdan said the roughly $50 billion development part of the Joint Strike Fighter program is on pace to wrap up in early 2018, hit back against a recent test report that was critical of the aircraft's performance to date, and touted recent accomplishments and upcoming milestones, including the Air Force's plans to declare the F-35A ready for initial operations in August. MISSION SYSTEMS, ALIS When asked what technical areas were causing the deficiency reports, Bogdan said most of the issues were related to software for the aircraft's mission systems, including radar and sensors, and its inventory system, known as the Autonomic Logistics Information System, or ALIS (pronounced "Alice"), which determines whether the plane is safe to fly. Problems with ALIS are nothing new. The system in the past has recommended grounding functional aircraft -- against the recommendations of pilots and maintainers -- due in part to faulty parts numbers listed in its database, officials acknowledged in a 2014 segment on the CBS News program, "60 Minutes." In the past couple of years, the program office and contractor overhauled the development and fielding of the logistics system, Bogdan said. Prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., for example, reassigned more engineers to improve the software, "changed out" management of the system in the company's Mission Systems and Training unit in Orlando and added more oversight from officials in its larger Aeronautics business, he said. "At the time, we were treating it like a piece of support equipment, not recognizing that it has twice as much code in it as the airplane," he said. More recently, the program office on Jan. 16 launched its first of quarterly software upgrades planned for ALIS to fix previously identified bugs, Bogdan said. The "service packs" -- separate from annual software upgrades to incorporate new features -- are designed to speed up the fielding of improvements, he said. EJECTION SEAT One hardware issue Bogdan discussed in detail was improvements to the aircraft's ejection system to minimize the risk of lightweight pilots from sustaining neck injuries. Last year, officials identified an unacceptable risk of neck injury during parachute deployment at low-speed conditions for lightweight pilots, the Air Force has said. The requirement is for the seat to be certified for any pilot weighing between 103 and 245 pounds, but an unacceptable level of risk was discovered for pilots weighing less than 136 pounds, the service has said. Bogdan said the Pentagon's recent test report makes it sound like one in four F-35 pilots is at risk of sustaining a neck injury. In reality, he said, "the probability of any one pilot and ejecting and hurting his or her neck is one in 50,000 not one in four." While only one male U.S. pilot was affected by the ejection system issue -- he has been temporarily assigned to fly the F-22 Raptor, the Pentagon's other fifth-generation stealth fighter, and will return to fly the F-35 once a fix is in place -- partner nations have smaller aviators and so officials are working on solutions, Bogdan said. A fix will involve three changes slated to be in place by 2017: a lighter helmet to reduce neck loads during the catapult and windblast phases of ejection; a "weight switch" on the ejection seat to delay the parachute's opening for lighter pilots and thus reduce the opening shock; and developing a head support sewn into the parachute risers to reduce the rearward head movement of the pilot when the main chute of the ejection seat opens, Bogdan said. AIR FORCE CUTS Bogdan downplayed the significance of the Air Force's recent decision to cut the number of F-35As it plans to buy in fiscal 2017, which begins Oct. 1. The service reduced the number of conventional aircraft it planned to purchase from 48 to 43, according to budget documents released this month. The Air Force still plans to buy a total of 1,763 aircraft and that it deferred purchasing those five aircraft until a later date, Bogdan said. The Navy kept the number of F-35C carrier models it plans to buy in the next fiscal year at four, while the Marine Corps increased the number of F-35B jump-jet versions it plans to purchase from 14 to 16, representing a net loss of just three aircraft, he said. The program remains on track for the Air Force to declare initial operational capability this year, hopefully by Aug. 1, and to trim the cost of the F-35A model from roughly $100 million per plane to about $85 million per plane in 2019, Bogdan said. Indeed, a sign on the wall of his office included a countdown for upcoming milestones, including the "USAF IOC," which was listed as 173 days away. Overall, the U.S. and 11 partner countries still plan to buy a total of 873 Joint Strike Fighters over the next six years through 2021, Bogdan said. That's down just 20 aircraft when taking into account the recent U.S. budgetary changes and excluding the potential for more international customers, he said. "The price difference between 893 airplanes and 873 airplanes, I'm not sure I can even measure that," he said. "It's less than 1 percent." CANADA The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons acquisition program, estimated to cost $391 billion to purchase a total of 2,457 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. The Corps declared the F-35B ready for initial operations last year -- albeit with a less lethal version of the aircraft. The Air Force is expected to follow suit with the F-35A this year and the Navy with the F-35C in 2019. Eight countries have committed to help develop the F-35, including the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. Also, Israel, Japan and South Korea plan to buy production models of the aircraft. Canada's commitment to buy 65 Joint Strike Fighters is uncertain in the wake of a recent change in administration that has pledged to launch a new fighter jet competition. "Canada is still a partner in the program; they have not change their status," Bogdan said. "What I believe will happen is that sometime this spring the government will decide to have a competition. I also believe that the F-35 will be part of that competition, but it's up to Canada to decide that. "We clearly understand governments take time to make tough decisions like this," he added. "We're watching what happens and we will respond to the needs of Canada." --Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry. Related video: Senate lawmakers on Tuesday told Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald to cease his department's retaliation against a whistleblower at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and to transfer him to a VA facility outside the Phoenix system. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, told McDonald that since whistleblower Brandon Coleman testified before Congress in December 2014 about problems at the Phoenix facility, he has been subjected to retaliation. "As founding members of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, we are committed to ensuring that federal whistleblowers are treated fairly and that whistleblower retaliation is not tolerated within the federal government," the two said in their Feb. 16 letter. Grassley is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Johnson chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. VA is in possession of the members letter and will respond directly to their office, department spokeswoman Walinda West said. In a statement, the VA said it is committed to creating a work environment in which all employees feel safe sharing what they know, whether good news or bad, for the benefit of veterans, without fear of reprisal. Coleman is a former Marine and an addictions specialist at the Phoenix facility, where he was suspended previously after informing higher-ups that VA officials and staff were putting suicidal veterans at risk through neglect and poor treatment. He was one of several whistleblowers invited to testify before Congress in September, when the group talked about the continued harassment that whistleblowers face even as the VA pledges to protect them. In December 2014, Coleman filed a whistleblower complaint alleging the hospital was failing to properly care for suicidal veterans. A month later, the hospital's interim director, Glen Grippen, met with the VA's regional counsel to learn if they could "remove Coleman from employment," the senators tell McDonald in the letter. Coleman could not be fired for whistleblowing but could be removed for "unrelated conduct," the attorney advised, according to the letter. "Shortly after the meeting Mr. Coleman was accused of having an altercation with a colleague" and has been on administrative leave since February 2015, Grassley and Johnson said. Coleman also reported this past November that a VA employee dressed up as him for a Halloween party at the Phoenix hospital, suggesting that the embarrassing treatment of him has been acceptable to senior officials. Coleman wants a "simple, fair and equitable remedy," the senators told McDonald. "That remedy is not, as the Department seems to believe, to continue to force him to languish on extended administrative leave at significant unnecessary cost to the taxpayers with no ability, under current law, to challenge his leave status." He also wants those responsible for the actions taken against him to be held accountable, they said. The lawmakers also told McDonald they want the VA to brief their own staffs on what the department is doing about whistleblower retaliation. For that, they are requesting all correspondence relating to the investigations into the Halloween incident; to the Office of Accountability Review's inquiry into Grippen's alleged retaliation against Coleman; and to the decision to put Coleman on administrative leave back in February 2015. -- Bryant Jordan can be reached at bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bryantjordan. The U.S. again Tuesday ruled out having the military airdrop relief supplies to civilians in northwestern Syria where Russia has carried out relentless airstrikes, the Pentagon's chief spokesman said Tuesday. Moscow has not told the U.S., either directly or through third parties, to avoid sending relief flights into the airspace around Aleppo, but the U.S. was currently pursuing a "two-track" strategy in Syria that did not permit humanitarian airdrops, said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook. One track limited the U.S. military's role to supporting the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, in eastern Syria while the other diplomatic track overseen by the State Department focused on a "cessation of hostilities" -- at least in northwestern Syria -- that supposedly was to go into effect Friday. "The situation on the ground is complicated," Cook said at a Pentagon news conference. "We are not involved in any plans for humanitarian assistance at this point," he said, echoing statements last week from spokesmen for U.S. commanders. In California, where he was hosting Asian leaders, President Barack Obama said at a news conference, "This is not a contest between me and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin" in Syria. He called on the Russians to "stop the bombing of schools and hospitals and innocent civilians" that he said threatened to derail the tentative agreement on a cessation of hostilities. "If Russia continues indiscriminate bombing, you're not going to see a take up by the opposition" on a temporary halt to the fighting this Friday, Obama said. "We will see what happens over the next several days." The U.S. did not dispute "this is a dire situation" for Syrian civilians caught in the crossfire between a range of rebel groups and the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or hunkering down against relentless Russian airstrikes, Cook said. "We agree with that. We support bringing in humanitarian aid" and the best way to do that was with aid convoys on the ground which thus far have been blocked by the fighting, he said. "We, the U.S. military, has not been asked to play a role in that at this particular point in time. "There are humanitarian groups that are prepared to provide assistance at this time," Cook said. "It's up to, again, the Russians and others" to halt the fighting "so that that relief can come in. "This is a terrible situation on the ground in Syria," he added. "Every effort should be made to try and bring some relief to those people." In recent days, at least five different medical facilities, including a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, were hit by airstrikes in northern Syria, reportedly killing at least 50 civilians. Two schools were also hit in rebel-held areas in Aleppo and Idlib provinces in northwestern Syria, according to the United Nations. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the bombings cast "doubt on Russia's willingness and/or ability to help bring to a stop the continued brutality of the Assad regime." Russia has denied responsibility for the civilian deaths while U.S. military spokesmen have repeatedly said that American and coalition warplanes have not flown any missions near northwestern Syria. In the latest of a series of scathing statements on Russia's actions and the intentions of Putin, Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, "The intensification of Russian airstrikes in Syria over the past two days, including the bombing of schools and hospitals, is tragically unsurprising. "After all, none of it violates the recent agreement for a cessation of hostilities, which permits Russian forces and its proxies to continue fighting for another week" with the supposed cessation to take place this Friday, McCain said. "As expected, our adversaries in Syria are using that time to accelerate and conclude their siege on Aleppo," he said. "Once that is done, they will be able to continue bombing terrorist groups, which the Putin and Assad regimes insist is everyone. This is diplomacy in the service of military aggression, and unfortunately, the Obama administration is enabling it." Using another acronymn for ISIS, McCain added, "The cost is not only the lives of many more innocent Syrians, but the continued empowerment of ISIL and diminishment of U.S. credibility and influence in the Middle East." --Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. ATLANTIC OCEAN The Norfolk-based dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) rescued three fishermen Feb. 15 after responding to a distress call. It was late afternoon and the crew of the Carter Hall was conducting training and qualification operations in the Atlantic Ocean when they received a bridge-to-bridge mayday call. Two fishing vessels were sinking, and a group of fishermen needed help. Carter Hall quickly responded and steamed toward their location, about 60 miles off the coast of Virginia. As the sun began to set, the Sailors aboard Carter Hall could see a flare sent by the motor fishing vessels (MFV). The ships, MFV Miss Kaylee and MFV Capt. David, were both taking on water. After arriving at the MFVs, Carter Hall launched a rescue life boat and assessed the damage to the vessels. Miss Kaylee was determined to be seaworthy, but Capt. David was not. The three-man crew of Capt. David returned to Carter Hall, and the two-man crew of Miss Kaylee chose to stay aboard their vessel until the U.S. Coast Guard arrived. Once the fishermen arrived aboard Carter Hall, the ship remained there until a Coast Guard vessel arrived. Carter Hall then escorted the Coast Guard ship towing Miss Kaylee to the Oregon Inlet near Nags Head, North Carolina. "My crew's performance was outstanding, and I couldn't be more proud," said Carter Hall's Commanding Officer Cmdr. Christina Dalmau. "We train for these types of lifesaving events frequently because assisting the distressed is the responsibility of all vessels at sea." KVCC CAREER FAIR .JPG Job-seekers are shown circulating and looking for information at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's career fair in 2013. (Al Jones | MLive/Gazette File) KALAMAZOO, MI -- Dozens of area employers are expected to meet job-seekers on March 23 at The Kalamazoo Career Fair at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The Kalamazoo Career Fair at KVCC is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. on March 23, at KVCC's Texas Township campus. 6767 W. O Ave., Kalamazoo. The event is being sponsored by the Kalamazoo Gazette/Advance Internet/MLive. Bronson Healthcare, Gun Lake Casino and Stryker Corp. are among the employers signed on to host booths with information about employment opportunities. The purpose of this collaboration is to give student and community job seekers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with area employers," according to information provided by the community college.Last year's event drew more than 700 job seekers. The event is free for those job seekers. Those planning to attend should dress for success, bring copies of their resumes, and be prepared to meet with potential employers. A list of participating employers, video interviews with area employers, tips for job seekers, registration information for employers, and other information is available on the Career Fair website, www.kvcc.edu/careerfair. Employers interested in hosting a booth at the career fair should make reservations to do so by Feb. 29. The registration fee is $100 for for-profit businesses or $75 for non-profit organizations. 2016 Participating Employers Here is a list of participating employers, through Tuesday, Feb. 16: Company Company Website Degrees Wanted A&B Packing Equipment www.abpacking.com Sales, Engineering, Machining Accretive Health www.accretivehealth.com Medical Billing/Coding, Administrative Bell's Brewery, Inc. www.bellsbeer.com All Bronson Healthcare www.bronsonhealth.com Healthcare Consumers Credit Union www.consumerscu.org Business Diplomat Pharmacy, INC http://diplomat.is All Fabri-Kal www.fabri-kal.com Electrical, Manufacturing Technology Green Bay Packaging, Inc www.gbp.com Industrial Greenleaf Hospitality Group www.joingreenleaf.com Any Gun Lake Casino www.gunlakecasino.com Any Heartland Health Care jobs.hcr-manorcare.com Nursing, Food Service Home Care Transitions, Inc www.homecaretransitions.net Nursing Kalamazoo Community Foundation www.kalfound.org All Kalamazoo RESA www.kresa.org Accounting, IT, Teaching Kelly Services www.kellyservices.com Any KSS Enterprises www.kssenterprises.com All KVCC www.kvcc.edu/jobs Labor Ready www.laborready.com Manufacturing, Construction, Hospitality Lakeland Health www.lakelandhealth.org Healthcare Landscape Forms www.landscapeforms.com Welding, Maintenance Michigan Works! Southwest www.miworkssw.org All MOKA www.moka.org Human Services MRC Industries, Inc www.mrcindustries.org Any Peckham Inc. www.peckham.org IT PNC www.pnc.com Business PRAB www.prab.com Engineering, Design, Manufacturing Technology Pro Services, Inc. www.prosatwork.com Mechatronics, Electrical, Automotive, Maintenance Prudential Financial www.prudential.com Business, Finance Residential Opportunities, Inc www.residentialopportunities.org Psychology, Social Work, Human Services ResourceMFG www.resourcemfg.com Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Tech Right at Home www.rahhelps.com Healthcare Robert Half www.roberthalf.com/ Any S&K Tool & Die Co., Inc www.sktool.com Engineering, Design, Manufacturing Technology Speedway LLC www.speedway.com Any St. Joseph County Central Dispatch www.stjosephcountymi.org Criminal Justice, Business, Communication Stryker www.stryker.com Finance The OnStaff Group www.onstaffgroup.net Accounting, CAD, Human Resources, Engineering Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com Any Trillium Staffing www.trilliumstaffing.com Any TWO MEN AND A TRUCK www.twomenkalamazoo.com Any W. Soule & Company www.wsoule.com CAD Drawing, Welding, IT Systems, IT Helpdesk WSI www.wsitalent.com All X-L Machine Company www.xlmachine.net CNC Machinist, Programming Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive writer Al Jones may be contacted at ajones5@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter at ajones5_al The East Grand Rapids Public Safety Department has received a community "thank you" for its service. Jennifer Franson, representing Resurrection Life Church in Wyoming, presented officers with an "Appreciation Banner" made by the church's women's group, at the Feb. 23 City Commission meeting. Franson said the idea took root after she watched a police officer sit outside her home for hours waiting on someone doing "something rather silly." When she walked out to thank the officer, she was surprised to learn that they are rarely thanked. "I knew that the women's group at our church had been searching for a meaningful community project and I thought this was perfect." A first step was a large gathering at the church designed to thank local officers - seven police units were present at that event, which Resurrection Life hopes to make an annual celebration. A photo of the large group was taken at the event and the photo was used on the banner, which Franson is now distributing to other public safety departments, to say thanks. "Thank you for keeping us safe," she said. "Because you do your job, you keep us blissfully ignorant of what goes on around us." The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan will continue its Great Decisions global discussion series with "Our Allies in the Middle East: The Future of Kurdistan," at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29. The discussion will be presented by Dr. Jessie Clark, a geographer at the University of Nevada-Reno. She will talk about what current regional and internal state conflicts in the greater Kurdish region mean for the future of Kurdistan. Discussions are held at 6 p.m. Mondays at the Performing Arts Center at Aquinas College, 1607 Robinson Road. Cost to attend is $10 for members and $15 for others. No reservations are needed and tickets are available at the door. Free parking is available. Hickory Woods Park Hickory Woods Park in Pittsfield Township is pictured July 30, 2015. (Dominic Valente | The Ann Arbor News) Plans for an $800,000 community barn in the Hickory Woods Park are on hold while Pittsfield Township officials review resident input provided from its 2020 Vision planning process. The proposal, which calls for an approximately 4,000-square-foot "barn-like" community building, was met with opposition by some residents living nearby. They don't want the open parkland intruded upon by the structure. Some also charged the township tried to push through the project without input from those in the neighboring Hickory Pointe and Ashford Village subdivisions. The 2.5-story building would be used for polling, recreation programs and public meetings. While the 2020 process didn't involve specific questions about the proposed barn, it sought input on community and township park needs, said township supervisor Mandy Grewal, and that feedback will help officials determine how to proceed. "We're in the preliminary stages of review. This is typical of how we do things. We'll engage the neighborhood and lay out what we learned and take it from there," Grewal said. The situation is complicated because the barn is proposed for land in a conservation easement that's managed by the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. Before breaking ground, the Conservancy must OK any development in the open parkland's 46-acres. It gave that approval last fall, but is recommending the township build the barn near the parking area's northwest corner instead of the southeast corner where it's proposed. That would put distance between the structure and surrounding neighborhoods. Grewal previously said she isn't sure whether township is going to follow that recommendation. Steve Cortese, one of the neighbors who has been vocal in his opposition to the project, says he and many neighbors remain opposed, and, aside form open space concerns, they also question the expense. "This is a big cost to the township. They should really pose the question to residents 'Do you want to spend this much money?' Taxes have gone up the last couple years, so now do you want this?" he said. Jill Lewis, the Conservancy's executive director, previously told The Ann Arbor News the easement was put in place based on the land's open space and scenic value, and the Conservancy seeks to maintain those qualities in making development decisions. The easement stipulates the township can use the land as a park and park facilities can be built, Lewis said, and there's already a bathroom building there. But the easement doesn't specifically say that a large, community recreation building is permitted. That left the conservancy with a decision on whether the proposed building fits the easement's intent. The Conservancy concluded it did, though the location is "not ideal" in the Conservancy's view, Jonathan Trevathan, the Conservancy's board president, wrote in a letter to the township. But he noted it's outside wooded and prairie areas, and the township has spent a significant amount of money restoring the prairies. Additionally, the township's building policy prohibits the building from being used for commercial purposes, Trevathan wrote. Still, Cortese said this isn't what what neighbors envisioned when the park was developed and the land put in an easement. "The original intent of when the park was passive recreation. We want to keep our green space, and here they are talking abut bringing programs to the park. Well what happened to the original intent?" he asked. TimothyWachowski.jpg Timothy J. Wachowski ( ) BAY CITY, MI -- When a Bay City man with "Psycho X Pathic" tattooed across his brow crashed into another vehicle, his blood-alcohol level was nearly four times the point legally considered drunk. Timothy J. Wachowski on Wednesday, Feb. 17, appeared before Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly and waived his right to a preliminary examination, prompting Kelly to bind his case over to Circuit Court. Kelly then acted as a judge of the higher court in accepting Wachowki's plea. Wachowski, 32, pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, third offense. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. The charge stems from an incident that happened the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 29, when police responded to the area of South Monroe and 15th streets in response to a hit-and-run crash. A blue 2003 Dodge Neon had struck a 2005 Chevrolet from behind in the 300 block of South Monroe Street, court records show. Witnesses told police the Dodge's female passenger tried pulling the male driver -- Wachowski -- from the wreck. He eventually ran and tried to hide, but was followed by witnesses, court records show. Police found Wachowski sitting in snow on the sidewalk near the Rally's at 102 S. Madison Ave. He smelled slightly of intoxicants, was shaking, had a blank stare, pinpoint pupils, and did not respond to officers' verbal commands, court records show. In exchange for the plea, Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Huber agreed to dismiss charges of failure to stop after a collision, driving on a suspended license second offense, and an unrelated count of indecent exposure dating back to 2005. Huber also agreed not to seek a habitual offender sentencing enhancement. Wachowski on Wednesday told the judge he consumed some type of alcohol before the collision, though he couldn't remember the kind. "Police apprehended me, sir," Wachowski told Kelly. "I can't tell you if there was (a crash) or not." Wachowski's attorney, Bruce K. Mannikko, said a blood test revealed his client's blood-alcohol level was 0.316 percent. In Michigan, a person is legally intoxicated when their blood-alcohol level is at 0.08 percent. Mannikko asked the judge to reduce Wachowki's bond, which has been set at $25,000 since his arraignment. Mannikko said his client has an employment opportunity waiting for him if released from jail. Huber objected, saying Wachowski has drunken driving-related convictions from several years ago in Indiana and Florida, as well as convictions for violent offenses outside of Michigan. He also referred to Wachowski's blood-alcohol content as "alarmingly high." "He's lucky to be alive at this point," Huber said. "I agree," Kelly said. "We have a very high blood-alcohol content here." Kelly declined to reduce Wachowski's bond. Wachowski's sentencing date by a Circuit Court judge is pending. BAY CITY, MI --Just 10 days before she was to face sentencing for beating up her husband's pregnant teenage girlfriend inside a Walmart, a Bay City woman and her friends allegedly broke into a house and stole a man's TV. About 6:45 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, police responded to a home in the 1300 block of Fitzhugh Street for a reported home invasion in progress. Bay County Central Dispatch advised the officers the burglars had fled in a dark SUV, court records show. Police spoke with the 35-year-old resident, Gary Heilman, who had called 911. He said there was a party at his house the night before and that a fight broke out among the attendees, to which police responded. Heilman told police he awoke Saturday morning to the sounds of someone pounding on his door. He didn't leave his bedroom and called 911, and then he heard his door break open and several people enter his house, court records show. Heilman looked outside and saw an 18-year-old man who previously attended his party carrying his 46-inch Phillips TV outside to a waiting SUV, court records show. The front door appeared damaged, with the jamb broken inward, court records show. While police were speaking to Heilman, he received a call from Rita J. Orlik. Orlik told Heilman she had his TV and would give it back to him if he returned her wallet, court records show. However, court records indicate Orlik's wallet was seized by police who responded to the previous night's party. Police went to the home of one of Orlik's friends and arrived to find a green Dodge Durango with Orlik in the driver's seat and the 18-year-old male suspect in the passenger seat, court records show. Both were arrested. The 19-year-old female whose residence Orlik was parked at would not exit her home for police, but set the stolen TV outside, court records show. The arrested male told police he and two others went back to Heilman's residence with Orlik, but that he stayed in the SUV. Orlik told police she left her wallet at Heilman's at the previous night's party and that she called Heilman saying she wanted to come retrieve it. When she and her friends arrived, he wouldn't come to the door, so someone -- she wasn't sure who -- broke in, court records show. "Well, you know the rest," Orlik told police, according to court documents. "The next thing you know, there is a TV in the back seat and so was (two male friends). That was when I called Gary and told him, 'We have your TV and all I want is my wallet and you can have your TV back.'" She also offered to pay for the damage done to Heilman's door, court records show. Bay County District Judge Mark E . Janer on Tuesday, Feb. 16, arraigned Orlik on single counts of first-degree home invasion and larceny in a building. The charges are 20- and four-year felonies, respectively. None of Orlik's alleged accomplices have been charged with a crime related to the incident. Orlik is to appear for a preliminary examination before District Judge Timothy J. Kelly at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3. However, before that is to happen, Kelly is to sentence Orlik at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, on a conviction of misdemeanor assault and battery. Orlik pleaded guilty to that charge on Wednesday, Jan. 27. That conviction stems from an incident that happened about 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, when a Bay County sheriff's deputy responded to an assault complaint at McLaren Bay Region hospital. There, a pregnant teenager told the deputy she had been at the Walmart at 3921 E. Wilder Road in Bangor Township when she was assaulted, said Undersheriff Troy Cunningham, reading from a police report. The teen said she had been in the store with her 25-year-old boyfriend, who is still legally married to Orlik, according to the police report. While there, the teen received a phone call from Orlik, asking where she was, Cunningham said. A short time later, while the 16-year-old and her boyfriend were near the electronics department, Orlik appeared and proceeded to punch and kick the younger girl, Cunningham said. The man got between the two to break up the fight. The teen went to the emergency room for treatment of minor injuries, Cunningham said. Walmart surveillance camera footage captured the reported assault. Deputies arrested Orlik the next day. She told them she was at the Walmart shopping and found out that day the teen was pregnant, Cunningham said. "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." - George Washington News went round that Ghanaian musician, Atom had filed a law suit against the head pastor of International Gods Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim for using his song Y3 Wo Krom. According to the news, the bishop used the song for his church service without notifying the artiste, hence no royalty was paid. But in a recent post on his social media, the artiste denied that accusation, claiming that he has nothing against the man of God and has no problem with him using his hit song. The song Y3 Wo Krom is off Gasmillas Telemo instrumentals. This track has received massive airplay since it was released. That Jon Benjamin, British High Commissioner to Ghana, loves the creative arts community is no secret. He has attended quite a number of events aimed at promoting the arts in Ghana, and consistently told the world about his love for Musician Wiyaalas music and her stagecraft. Benjamin recently met with arguably Ghanas biggest artiste, Shatta Wale and his management. Safe to say he is the newest member of the Shatta Movement. Photos of the meeting below. King of African Dancehall, Shatta Wale, on Wednesday 17th February 2016 together with members of his management team paid a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, at his office in Accra. Among other things, the meeting was an avenue for both parties to discuss areas of partnership for the development of the country as a whole together with stakeholders within the Creative Arts industry and other sectors. Also at the meeting, Shatta Wale presented a branded Shatta Movement T-Shirt, a customised Shatta JB shirt and copies of a compilation of Shatta Wales songs on a compact disc to Jon Benjamin. Team Shatta Movement was led by Chris Koney who is responsible for Public Relations. Other members of the team included Charles Nii Armah Mensah Snr. (Shatta Wales father), Julio Cyriaano Olympio, Personal and Business Manager, Cecil Cofie, Personal Assistant and Adelaide Sarpong, Administrative Secretary of Shatta Movement. Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - Rivals in the Central African Republic's hotly-contested presidential run-off, seen as crucial to usher in peace after decades of turmoil, on Wednesday traded accusations of fraud, influence peddling and intimidation. The two candidates are both former prime ministers who have campaigned on promises to restore security and boost the economy in the mineral-rich but dirt-poor and chronically unstable country. The first round on December 30 was won by Anicet Georges Dologuele, a 58-year-old former central banker known as "Mr Clean" for his attempts to bring transparency to murky public finances when in office. He took 23.78 percent of the vote. He faced off against Faustin Archange Touadera, also 58. The former maths professor, who is standing as an independent, surprised everyone by coming second in the first round with 19.4 percent. A spokesman for Dologeule's party told a news conference they had "tangible proof of fraud organised by the adversary in (the capital) Bangui and in the provinces." "Fake polling stations were set up," Saturnin Ndomby said. "We have received reports of several cases of intimidation with chiefs of armed militias patrolling city districts and villages or in polling stations to influence voting." He also rejected allegations that Dologuele had held secret talks with a top official of the country's election authority, Julius Ngouade Baba, late on Monday on rigging the results. Ndomby denied such a meeting took place, adding that Touadera's camp was trying to "fuel a climate of tension ... and undermine the credibility of the institutions" organising the election. The Central African Republic's most recent episode of bloodletting was sparked by the March 2013 ousting of veteran president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance. The coup triggered a series of revenge attacks involving Muslim forces and Christian vigilante groups known as "anti-balaka" (anti-machete) militias. Thousands were slaughtered in the spiral of atrocities that drove about a tenth of the population of 4.8 million people to flee their homes. The suspected assailant arrested in connection with the murder of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North has re-enacted how he allegedly accessed the house of the MP and attacked him. The MP,aMr Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu was attacked by unidentified assailants at his residence at Shiashie, in Accra, in the wee hours of Tuesday, February 16, 2016. A police source told the DailyaGraphic that a team of investigators, including National Security and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) operatives took the suspect to the residence of the MP as part of investigations into the alleged murder and asked him to re-enact the incident. The details of the procedures were however, not disclosed. Preliminary investigations Preliminary investigations have established that the suspected killer scaled over a wall, entered the residence of the MP and with the help of a ladder entered the MP's room. There were bloodstains on the walls and footprints, which were believed to be those of the attackers, at the backyard of the house. The suspect The Accra Regional Police Command, led by the Accra Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, arrested the suspect, who is believed to have killed the MP, after a tip-off last Thursday. This was a day after the Police Administration had put a GH10,000 bounty on the killer's head. The suspect, whose identity has not been revealed, was arrested in a special operation. He has allegedly confessed to stabbing the MP. Three mobile phones, two of which were believed to belong to the late MP, were retrieved from the suspect. The suspect was later handed over to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), whose officials worked with personnel of the Accra Regional Police to effect the arrest. Other suspects Six persons were invited by the police for questioning soon after the MP was pronounced dead at the Police Hospital in Accra. Five out of the six persons were said to have been released last Wednesday while the sixth person, who was held by the police for further interrogation was later granted bail. Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah 17.02.2016 LISTEN The finals of the first edition of the innovative Ho West Basic Schools Annual Quiz Competition was held on 5th March, 2015 with Tsito Old Junior High School emerging as the overall winners. For their award, the school received a set of desktop computer and a printer to facilitate the processing of official documents in the school, which hitherto had to be done from commercial secretariat service centres outside of the school. Three pupils who represented the school in the competition were also awarded scholarships to complete their senior high school education in addition to other sovouniers, two of them are presently first year students at Mawuli Senior High School and Keta Senior High Technical School. The third pupil who is now in the final year preparing to write her Basic Education Certificate Examination this year would also be placed on scholarship once she qualifies for admission into a senior high school. The competition which was instituted by the Member of Parliament for Ho West Constituency, Hon Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah is aimed at encouraging the participants and all pupils in the district to take their studies seriously in other to improve upon performance and quality of education in the district. This years edition which is on the theme improving quality through competition kick starts today, 17th February 2016 at 9.00am at 16 centres with about 64 public and private junior high schools participating. 16 winners from this first round would be divided into 4 groups of 4 members to compete at a second round to be held on 26th February, 2016. The second round would produce 4 winners for the final round on the 4th of March. The Member of Parliament who described last years event as a huge success expressed optimism of its positive impact and pledged to continue to support through various means, the development of education in the district. He hinted that, a USA and Ghana registered charity organization known as NGORLI which is committed to promoting quality education and improving the living conditions of the rural poor is supporting him to organize this years competition. 17.02.2016 LISTEN Russia says it categorically rejects accusations of war crimes over the bombing of hospitals in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said those who make such statements are not capable of backing them up with proof. Up to 50 people were killed in missile attacks on at least four hospitals and a school in northern Syria on Monday. Meanwhile the UNs Syria envoy has said the Syrian government has a duty to allow aid deliveries and that this would be tested on Wednesday. Staffan de Mistura has been meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in the capital Damascus. It is clear it is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid. he said in statement. Tomorrow we test this. Hospitals targeted Russia has been accused, by Turkey among others, of being responsible for the attacks on rebel-held areas. The UN said intentionally directing attacks at hospitals and medical units would constitute a war crime. Mondays strikes hit two hospitals including one for mothers and babies and a school sheltering internally displaced people in Azaz, near the border with Turkey, the UN said. Thirty-four people were killed and dozens wounded. Two hospitals were also struck in Maarat al-Numan, further south in Idlib province, killing at least 12 people and wounding about 36. One of the hospitals in Maarat al-Numan was supported by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). It was reportedly struck by four missiles in what MSF said was direct targeting over the course of 90 minutes. MSF said 11 people died , including five patients, and that the toll was likely to rise. . Mego Terzian, president of MSF France, told Reuters either the [Syrian] government or Russia was responsible. But Mr Peskov told the BBC that the only proof Russia would accept from the ground comes from the Syrian authorities. He said their evidence shows the opposite. The Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Riad Haddad, previously said the US was to blame, a claim the Pentagon dismissed as patently false. The strikes came days after world powers including Russia agreed to work towards a selective truce in Syria, due to begin later this week. Earlier, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his first comments on Fridays cessation of hostilities plan, said it was doubtful all parties would be putting down their weapons within a week. Turkey backs ground offensive A Turkish official on Tuesday said Turkey would back a ground operation in Syria but only with our international allies. There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria, the unnamed official told reporters in Istanbul. Turkey has been watching with growing alarm the fighting on the Syrian side of its borders accusing Russian warplanes of violating its airspace and warning against recent Kurdish successes. Turkey views the Kurdish YPG militia as allied to the outlawed PKK, which has carried out a decades-long campaign for autonomy in Turkey. The YPG is part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which captured Tal Rifaat, a key town in Aleppo province, and is headed towards Azaz. Meanwhile, Syrian government forces backed by Russian air power reportedly continue to make advances around the northern city of Aleppo, capturing the villages of Ahras and Misqan on Tuesday. Almost five years of civil war in Syria have led to the deaths of more than 250,000 people. More than 11 million people have been displaced. -bbc The Minority in Parliament has mounted pressure on government to disclose details of an agreement to shelter two former Guantanamo Bay detainees in Ghana. In diplomatic relations youll have verbal communication but at least when the United States approached us, they did not come to us verbally they must have issued a note verbale to our embassy there and that is how the process started. So there is a written agreement and we are demanding to see it, Member of Parliament for Subin, Isaac Osei said. Addressing a news conference on Tuesday at the Parliament House in Accra, he said President Mahama breached the constitution by accepting the two former detainees. When power is exercised capriciously without due process, it is a usurpation of the peoples right. Our president is willing to bend over backwards to violate the immigration laws of Ghana by receiving these deportees, he added. The Minority is also questioning why a scheduled briefing on the development by Foreign Affairs Minister on Friday should be held in camera. According to them they have raised five urgent questions in conformity with Standing Order 64 (1) of Parliament and although the speaker is yet to admit them, Ghanaians deserve to know what went into accepting the two detainees. They therefore want the briefing held publicly so that Ghanaians will be in a better position to tell if government acted in their interest while accepting the two detainees, Joy News Elton Brobbey reports. The Minority says President Mahama could be cited for impeachment for failing to get Parliament to ratify the agreement. Isaac Osei explained that In 75(1), it says the President may execute or cause to be executed treaties, agreements or conventions in the name of Ghana. 75(2), says a treaty, agreement of convention executed by or under the authority of the President shall be subject to ratification by: a) an act of parliament or b) a resolution of parliament supported by votes of more than one half. It doesnt give you any room. The former Guantanamo Bay detainees - Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih al-Dhuby, both Yemeni - were transferred to Ghana on January 7, 2016 after a deal was reached between the governments of Ghana and the United States of America. The acceptance of the two caused a lot of panic among Ghanaians who believe the two pose a threat to the country's security. Many Ghanaians therefore called for their immediate repatriation but government defended its decision saying it did due diligence and that the two pose no threat to Ghanaians. Garamba National Park (DR Congo) (AFP) - In a remote part of Garamba, a vast national park in Democratic Republic of Congo, a team of rangers loads assault rifles and backpacks into a helicopter as they begin their hunt for elephant poachers. During their nine-day patrol to protect the park's precious beasts the rangers risk coming into conflict with the heavily armed poachers that prey on them. Garamba National Park's elephants were decimated last year, with 114 killed, still less than the 132 killed in 2014. Across Africa more than 30,000 elephants are poached every year to feed demand in Asia where a kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of raw ivory fetches around $1,100 (990 euros). Some of the tusks stored in a metal trunk inside a triple-padlocked strong room in Garamba weigh more than 30 kilogrammes each. "In 2015 the situation was really bad," said Alhadji Somba Ghislain, Garamba's 46-year old assistant park manager, who works for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (known by its French acronym, ICCN). "We are fighting groups which are real threats, they are militaries. It is a real war," he said. The elephant poachers of Garamba, as elsewhere in Africa, share a willingness to kill and die for their quarry, but little else. Rebel groups, renegade soldiers, regional militaries, armed cattle herders, gunmen on horseback and villagers with muskets are all held responsible. - South Sudan, LRA, Janjaweed fighters - South Sudan is the source of the greatest threat. "I see the whole of South Sudan as an armed group," said Erik Mararv, the 30-year old park manager who runs Garamba for conservation non-profit organisation African Parks. That chaotic war-torn nation spews its disorder across the shared border into the north of the park. Rangers have arrested South Sudanese poachers, had numerous firefights and seized weapons and uniforms of the South Sudan army, the SPLA, said Ghislain. Mararv reckons armed groups from South Sudan are responsible for "80 percent" of elephant killings. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan-led rebel group whose 150 remaining members maraud mercilessly around Central Africa also poach ivory, trading tusks for weapons. The group's extravagant brutality over three decades -- including massacres, mutilation and mass abductions -- means its role in the illegal ivory trade attracts disproportionate attention, even though it is now responsible for just a small fraction of the poaching in Garamba. "The LRA is an organisation on its way down," said Mararv. "We still have poaching by LRA but if you compare it to the larger scheme, especially poaching from South Sudan, it's not a big deal." It was not always this way. On the afternoon of January 2, 2009, the LRA attacked Nagero, the park headquarters on the southern bank of the Dungu River killing 10 people. Among the dead was Silu Masika, an 18-year old girl with a one-week old baby. Her father Alexis Tamwasi, a 60-year old ranger, has raised the orphaned child as his own and still seeks revenge. "If I find any LRA, I shoot him," he said. - Helicopter gunmen kill from above - Local Congolese villagers also poach inside the park, but while they may take a shot at an elephant if the opportunity arises, they are more focused on killing antelopes, buffaloes and hippos for meat. The most enduring raiders are armed Janjaweed horsemen from Sudan, who conduct long-range poaching missions across Central Africa. They killed around 300 elephants in Cameroon's Bouba N'Djida park in early 2012, ambushed and killed rangers in Chad's Zakouma park later that year and are blamed for wiping out Garamba's northern white rhinos in 2006. They travel for months at a time in militarised caravans, cutting a swathe through wildlife across thousands of kilometres. Armed nomadic cattle-herders also launch regular incursions, bringing their cows to graze in the park's north and carrying out poaching raids from their cattle camp bases. It was at one such camp that three rangers and a Congolese soldier working with them were killed in a firefight in October. After that deadly incident, Mararv said, the park authorities have let it be known that anyone found with a gun will be arrested and the camps have dispersed, for now. - Conservation as conflict - One further group of killers is the most mysterious, flying over the park in unknown helicopters. The first recorded incident was in March 2012 when 22 elephants were killed over two days, all shot in the top of the head. A dozen were killed in the same way a month later. Eight were killed the following year, and the same number died in the most recent attack last August. The only groups with helicopters in the area are the armies of Uganda, South Sudan and DR Congo, the United Nations peacekeeping mission and a US operation to hunt down LRA leader Joseph Kony. The Ugandan army denied Congolese accusations that it was responsible for the first killing. "Until now, we don't know where these helicopters are coming from, but we are investigating," said Ghislain. The variety, range and determination of the armed groups arrayed against Garamba's elephants mean this is more like conflict than conservation, but the park managers and rangers understand the threat and embrace the challenge. "I don't want my children to ask, 'Where is the elephant?' like they ask, now, 'Where is the white rhino?'" said Tamwasi, the ranger whose daughter died at the hands of the LRA. Kampala (AFP) - Seven candidates are challenging Uganda's incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 71, in Thursday's election, hoping to end his three-decade rule. Here's who they are: Kizza Besigye Museveni and Kizza Besigye, 59, were once close. They fought together in the bush war to overthrow Milton Obote, during which Besigye served as Museveni's trusted personal physician. Later, Besigye married Museveni's former girlfriend, but the two men eventually became political foes when Besigye broke ranks with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to make a bid for the presidency in 2001. This year is his fourth attempt to unseat Museveni with his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, his best performance so far being the 37 percent he won in 2006. Spurious accusations of treason and rape, frequent arrests and detentions, regular tear-gassings -- both of him and his supporters -- beatings and harassment have not put Besigye off. But opinion polls have him lagging behind Museveni with at most 32 percent of the vote, insufficient to force a run-off. Amama Mbabazi Another ex-NRM stalwart, Amama Mbabazi, 67, only abandoned the party he helped build after being denied anointment as Museveni's successor. The former prime minister and NRM secretary-general took the slight badly after years of loyal service, including helping to mastermind the removal of term limits in 2005 that paved the way for Museveni's continuing rule. Mbabazi is the most powerful party loyalist to turn on Museveni and he did so amid grand corruption allegations, which he has denied. Despite his high profile among Uganda's political elites, his campaign at the head of the Go Forward party has failed to gain momentum countrywide. Like his fellow leading contenders -- Museveni and Besigye -- Mbabazi hails from south-west Uganda. Other candidates Abed Bwanika, 48, of the People's Development Party (PDP) has made two unsuccessful runs for the presidency, garnering just over half a percentage point in 2011. The Christian vet is little more than a political sideshow, despite his propensity for populist rhetoric. Venansius Baryamureeba is a 47-year-old computer scientist, teacher and independent candidate. Benon Biraro, 57 and a retired soldier, runs the Uganda Farmers' Party. Maureen Kyalya, 41, is the only female candidate and is making her first step on the national stage in 2016 as an independent, having worked in local politics in the east of the country. Joseph Mabirizi, 40, is the youngest candidate and has campaigned as an independent on an anti-corruption platform. The headmistress of the Akyem Bomso Roman Catholic Primary School in the Kwaebibirim District in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Madam Christiana Obeng, has appealed to the government,Non-Governmental Organizations and the general public to provide the school with infrastructure in order to ensure quality education in the school. The headmistress made these passionate appeal when some members from Young People Initiative (YPI-Ghana) paid a courtesy call to the school. She emphasized that the school which was built some years back has been making waves in the education sector in recent times, but due to lack of infrastructural development such as classrooms, toilet facilities among others are hampering its growth. Madam Christiana Obeng said, the district assembly started classroom projects some years back but it was unable to complete the project and its has been abandoned by the assembly which is now serving as a shelter for most of the animals in the community. According to the headmistress, the school population is now dwindling at a faster rate due to lack of basic facilities that the school is currently facing. She complained bitterly that lack of toilet facilities in the school has made teaching and learning very difficult. Stressing on that she said, pupils always have to ask permission to ease themselves in their various homes whiles teaching is ongoing of which they will never returned. "Bomso R/C Primary School pupils are always found roaming in town during school hours in the name of attending nature's call" she said. Madam Christie continued that,their classroom block is now a death trap as it has uncountable cracks and rusted roofing sheets and it also serves as a place of convenience for some of the indigenes in the community. 17.02.2016 LISTEN In Ghana, Raymond Senyo Amezado and his ethnic ilk have effectively cannibalized the militant and politically rambunctious National Democratic Congress (NDC), the faux-civilian party founded by a megalomaniacal Chairman Jerry John Rawlings out to extending his erstwhile Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC)-driven military dictatorship with the overriding objective of imposing Ewe hegemony on the countrys Akan ethnic and cultural majority. And for the most part, it was been easygoing for the Anlo-Ewe minority political hijackers for the past 30-odd years and counting. Presently, however, the immitigably extortionate and odious pathological Culture-of-Silence has far and well receded into the auspicious thaw of Fourth-Republican democratic national politics. But, of course, the morally debilitating psychological scars and traumas are still raw. And even as I write, the National Democratic Congress still retains its top-heavy Anlo-Ewe composition. The Mahama cabinet continues to be remarkably overrepresented by appointees of Ewe descent, with their Fante-Akan ethnic expedient collaborators and co-conspirators a close second. And so I was not the least bit surprised when ethnic-Ewe Ghanaian-born U.S. Army veteran Mr. Raymond Senyo Amezado, rank not given, was reported to have been involved in disorderly conduct of some sort, perhaps a scuffle, at the American Consulate in Accra (See Police Releases Ghanaian-Born U.S. Soldier Allegedly Assaulted at U.S. Embassy MyJoyOnline.com 2/13/16). We are told that Mr. Amezado had accompanied an unspecified number of his brothers to the Consulate to enquire about the basis upon which these brothers had been denied visas to enable them travel to the United States. Evidently not satisfied with the answer that he had gotten from Consulate officials, Mr. Amezado, who reportedly serves with the 518th Sustainment Brigade of the U.S. Army, located in North Carolina, demanded that visa application fees paid by his brothers be refunded. The rest of the details of the story are not clear, but it well appears that Mr. Amezado was rudely and adamantly attempting to ride roughshod over non-refundable visa application fee rules and getting impertinently loud and out of control, when Consulate security agents forcibly tamed him and handed him over to some local Ghana Police Service personnel. Mr. Amezados case is quite interesting because it has the striking behavioral hallmarks of a stereotypical uppity Anlo-Ewe been-to, especially whenever and wherever a prime opportunity offers itself for the kind of boorish showoff that the 9-year U.S. Army veteran has been accused of being guilty of. The man obviously, and erroneously, presumed his veteran status with the U.S. Army to have authorized him to disrespect and get abrupt and, perhaps, even abuse Consulate officials with impunity. It is also not clear whether the MyJoyOnline.com reporter, Mr. Joseph Opoku Gakpo, who covered the event, very likely after the fact, and wrote the story fully appreciated the fact that Mr. Amezado is in deep trouble and may not be returning to the United States, and to his North Carolina army base, anytime soon. Indeed, if he had a good head over his shoulders, as it were, Mr. Amezado would be profusely apologizing to the U.S. Consulate officials he is alleged to have raucously affronted. And if he were really the disciplined U.S. Army veteran that he claims to be, he would have known far better than to provoke the sort of incident he has been accused of provoking. My prediction here is that Mr. Amezado is likely to be dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces, after having been meted some tough disciplinary measures. He may have rather unwisely tested the status of his naturalized U.S. citizenship. In all likelihood, Mr. Amezados brothers may have been denied entry visas into the United States because the non-governmental humanitarian organization that he claims to have established for their employment may have been discovered to be fraudulent. At any rate, it was rather presumptuous of Mr. Amezado to think that he could so imperiously dictate visa-disbursement policies to the U.S. Consulate officials. Looking at the pictures of his bloodied misshapen oblong visage and scraped right-knee cap, about the only fair and objective conclusion that yours truly could arrive at is the fact that Mr. Amezado clearly appears to have deserved what his unruly behavior reaped him. Any meaningful lessons? *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs 17.02.2016 LISTEN He actually speaks to the political and historical track-record of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), when the Deputy General-Secretary of the NDC laughably accuses the Presidential Candidate of Ghanas main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, of seeking to return the country to the dark days of slavery and dictatorship (See Koku Replies Nana Addo: Ghanaians want a President. Not a Ruler Peacefmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 2/16/16). The fact of the matter is that the so-called ruling National Democratic Congress never transitioned from the dictatorial militaristic culture of its antecedent era of the so-called Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC). In point of fact, the term National Defense Council, from which the present-day NDC derives its name, was the name of a (logistical) committee in the Ghana Armed Forces, as yours truly pointed out to the reading public not very long ago. It had absolutely nothing, whatsoever, to do with the search for and development of Ghanaian democracy. And it goes without saying that the history of the salutary revival and development of a democratic political culture in Ghana has far more to do with the yeomanly struggle against the Rawlings dictatorship of the likes of Nana Akufo-Addo, Prof. Adu-Boahen, Messrs. William Paa Willie Ofori-Atta, J. H. Mensah, R. R. Amponsah, Akenten Appiah-Menkah and Ms. Hawa Yakubu, among quite a legion of others. It has absolutely nothing to do with the so-called Founding Father of the National Democratic Congress and his henchmen and women. Indeed, if Mr. Anyidoho and his ilk half-appreciated the basic concept of a democratic political culture, they would not have expelled Mr. George Boateng from the party for daring to challenge President John Dramani Mahama for the 2016 NDC presidential nomination. In other words, even if one accepts Mr. Anyidohos patently vacuous premise that Ghana has by-passed the era of slavery and dictatorship, such purely hypothetical acceptance would be in spite of the key operatives of the National Democratic Congress rather than because of them. It is also criminally offensive for somebody whose party and government have been ruling via an Indemnity Clause, illegitimately inserted into Ghanas 1992 Republican Constitution, to be waxing high-and-mighty about the era of Democratic Progressivism. Likewise, even if one unreservedly decides to agree with Mr. Anyidoho that leadership by turn and pride of longevity is untenable and ought not to be countenanced in a democratic dispensation, the fact still stands that most of the most progressive policies being doggedly pursued by the NDC leadership in the areas of energy discovery, health insurance, education and youth employment development were initiated and implemented by the Kufuor-led government of the New Patriotic Party, of which Nana Akufo-Addo was a key frontline operative. Somebody should also remind Mr. Anyidoho that importing two of the most dangerous Arab terrorists from Guantanamo Bay or Gitmo without the knowledge and consent of the peoples legitimately elected parliamentary representatives, does not bespeak of the presidency of a country that has long transitioned beyond the primitive era of slavery and dictatorship. Indeed, the leadership style of President John Dramani Mahama fearfully recalls that of the megalomaniacal President Kwame Nkrumah. And to be certain, it came as absolutely no surprise when Mr. Mahama pontifically warned Ghanaian voters recently to desist from criticizing his NDC government because they have never themselves been elected president of our Republic! If he wants his criticisms of the NPP leader to be taken seriously, Mr. Anyidoho had better choose topics and subjects of which he has the expertise and stop blowing hot air. *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs 17.02.2016 LISTEN The Foreign Minister, Hanna Tetteh, is expected to brief Members of Parliament (MPs) in a closed-door meeting on Friday, and prior to that, the minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lambasted President John Mahama for by-passing parliament to accept the two former Guantanamo Bay Al-Qaeda detainees. According to the political grouping, the president's action is a clear breach of the 1992 Constitution which could lead to his impeachment. The minority said even though the president has an executive power, it is subject to the Constitution and that while Article 75 Clause 1 gives him the right to execute treaties, agreements and conventions in the name of Ghana, the same Constitution mandates him to seek parliamentary approval before the execution of such treaties, agreements or conventions. The minority, who made the observation at a press conference in parliament yesterday, noted that Article 75 Clause 2 of the Constitution says that such treaties, agreements or conventions executed by the president, shall be subject to ratification by an act of parliament or a resolution by more than half of all parliamentarians. The NPP Member of Parliament for Subin and Ranking Member for Foreign Affairs, Isaac Osei, who addressed the media, said the capricious use of the executive power by the president amounts to constitutional lawlessness and ought to be condemned in no uncertain terms. The minority accused President Mahama and his government of trying to conceal information on the two Gitmo detainees, stressing that attempts by members of the minority to use parliamentary tools to seek more information on the two former detainees had been thwarted by leadership of the House. Parliament is very much concerned and at least five members of the minority have filed urgent questions but the speaker is yet to admit them. I have personally filed an urgent question asking the ministry of foreign affairs to give details of the circumstances leading to the agreement for Ghana to accept the two Gitmo detainees. One of my colleagues also filed an urgent question seeking an explanation of the nature of agreement and rights and obligations of the two states while another urgent question had been filed to ascertain the travel documents they entered Ghana with, whether Yemeni, Americans or Ghanaians and what visa, entry or resident permit, they entered Ghana with. Simple questions requiring simple answers and we were unable to ask them on the floor of the House because the speaker of parliament has not allowed them, Mr Isaac Osei bemoaned. The minority said it was becoming increasingly worried as fresh information on the two detainees who are classified as 'dangerous' by the US, keeps emerging. According to the NPP, four Republican US senators had publicly said that the two Gitmo detainees had only been given a conditional release and had not been cleared at all by the US. . The minority explained that the four US senators Mark Kirk, Roy Blunt, James Lankford and Steve Danies had also expressed strong belief that Ghana does not have the capacity to manage the two former detainees and want the Appropriation Committee of the Senate to dock $10 million per detainee off US support for Ghana, should the two escape and attack American interests. According to the minority, one of the detainees, Mammoud Omar Muhammed bin Atef, was a one-time fighter for Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda group and served in the 55th Arad Brigade as indicated in a report by the US Department of Defence published on 28th December, 2007. The report said that bin Atef admitted he was a member of the Taliban group and also received training at the al-Faruq Training Camp and threatened to cut the throats of US citizens upon his release from the Guantanamo Camp, adding that he was adjudged a 'high-risk' detainee who was likely to pose serious threat to the US and its interests. The other detainee accepted by Ghana, Khalid Salih Mohamed al-Dhuby, was also classified as being of a 'medium risk,' even though he had manned military positions in Tora Bora. The minority said prior to the acceptance of the two men, four Yemeni citizens were arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on 24th November, 2015 with each carrying one counterfeit French passport and a genuine Yemeni passport, stressing that all the four (Yemeni) citizens had fake Ghanaian emergency visas. According to the NPP, these developments, in addition to the presence of the two Gitmo detainees, pose a serious security threat to the nation. Ladies and gentlemen, we are trying to build a democracy which our generation and future generations will be proud of. We have a national security issue with international ramifications. An issue which will transcend the term of office of the present NDC government; and President Mahama has decided the matter without broad consultations. In many democratic countries, consultations with parliament, political parties and civil society will certainly have preceded such a big decision. In Ghana, the president takes a decision and we are supposed to bottom up our lips because it is a fait accompli, Mr Isaac Osei said. In a related development, the minority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on the floor of parliament yesterday, questioned why the Minister of Foreign Affairs should come and speak to members of parliament in a closed-door meeting since the matter is already in the public domain and is of interest to all Ghanaians. But the speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, said there were a number of considerations beyond security matters and that was why the minister would be having a closed-door meeting with the parliamentarians, indicating further that the leadership would meet and consider whether to make it public or not before the minister comes on Friday. By Thomas Fosu Jnr Daniel Asiedu, JB Danquah killer 17.02.2016 LISTEN The 19-year-old school dropout accused of stabbing to death Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency of the Eastern Region, has said he stabbed the lawmaker three times. Daniel Asiedu, the prime suspected, claimed that he entered the home armed with a knife, a catapult and a cutter. He said his intention was not to kill the MP and that he stabbed him in the chest, his ribs and inflicted a fatal wound on his neck. The MP, after shouting for help, which never came, bled to death in his bedroom, the police prosecutor told a packed magistrate court in Accra yesterday. Daniel Asiedu, aka Sexy Don Don, yesterday told the Accra Central District Court that he went to the residence of the late MP to steal and not to kill. The suspect had earlier told the police that he was contracted to kill the MP for a prize of GH2,000, part of which he used to buy shoes. With head bowed throughout the session in the court presided over by Stephen Owusu, Sexy Don Don, speaking in Twi, said that he knew he had committed a crime. Confession Drawing the attention of the judge while in the dock by raising his hand, Asiedu, who was without a lawyer, said: I want to say something. I want to tell the court how the thing happenedI know I am wrong; I went to steal. I beg But the trial judge told the accused to wait if he had anything to say. Packed Court The accused, dressed in a white round-neck T-shirt over an ash Adidas pair of trousers, was ushered into the court by stern-looking gun-wielding police officers and officials from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Curious spectators could not help peeping through the window of the court to catch a glimpse of the supposed killer, who sat with his head bowed, probably pondering over his fate. Charged with murder contrary to Section 46 of Act 29/60, the plea of the accused was not taken. The prosecution, led by Superintendent Francis Baah, said that Sexy Don Don on February 9, this year, at about 1am at Shiashie, a suburb of Accra, intentionally and unlawfully caused the death of the MP. . The accused has been remanded into police custody until March 1, 2016. Facts Supt Baah said Mr JB Danquah, until his death, lived with his family in a one-storey building at Shiashie while the accused also lived with his girlfriend at Agbogbloshie, Accra. He stated that on February 8 at about 11:48pm the MP came home in his private car driven by his driver, one Samuel Berkoe Sarkodie. Supt Baah said the late MP retired to bed, adding that at about 1am Sexy Don Don, who was armed with a catapult, a cutter and a sharp knife, entered the house of the legislator through the iron fence on the blind side of the security man who was fast asleep. The prosecutor said the accused picked a ladder in the house and climbed to the porch of the top floor and entered the bedroom of the MP. Murder He said when the accused began searching the room, the MP woke up and held Asiedu but he (accused) stabbed him on the right chest above the breast. The deceased held the knife and shouted for help but no one came. The suspect pulled the knife though the deceased's hands, creating a deep cut in his palm, the senior police officer said. The prosecutor stated further that the MP, who was bleeding profusely, fell by his bed helplessly and the accused again stabbed him on the right chest below the breast and plunged the knife further into his neck. Suspect realising that the deceased was almost dead, left him and took away his two iphones and a tablet. Suspect managed to descend from the top to the back of the house, climbed one of the polytanks in the house and jumped over the electric fence into the adjoining house and escaped, Superintendent Francis Baah averred. Admission Supt Baah pointed out that investigations led to the arrest of the accused who confessed to the crime, stating that he went there to steal but in the process the deceased woke up and held him. By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson [email protected] 17.02.2016 LISTEN The New Patriotic Party (NPP) believes President John Dramani Mahama does not have what it takes to punish members of his government who fall foul of the law. It follows investigations ordered by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, into how the award of a contract which was supposed to have cost far less than GH2 million ended up making the Ghanaian tax payer cough up a whopping GH3.6 million, in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Transport, then headed by Dzifa Attivor, did not have funds to pay for the controversial contract. In her report, the Attorney General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, made recommendations for the public officials involved in the scandal to be investigated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) but till date no such action has been taken. This, according to the NPP, was part of reasons corruption and its related incidents have become so pervasive in the country. At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Communications Director of the party, Nana Akomea, raised issues with government's commitment to the retrieval of the over GH1.9 million fraudulently paid to Smarttys for bus rebranding contract. Justification Even though the Attorney General had made recommendations for further investigation and subsequent prosecution of all the public officials involved in the procurement and payment process in the 'stinking' deal, he said, President Mahama's government has not taken any action at all on this most crucial recommendation. This failure of President Mahamas government reinforces the great disappointment among Ghanaians on the government's commitment to fight against corruption. In view of the fact that the Attorney General established that the country's procurement law and processes had not been followed, Nana Akomea said, This straight away calls for prosecution as there are penalties for breaching the anti-corruption laws of the country. He wondered how the NDC government of President Mahama will not prosecute officials who have been deemed to have infringed the same procurement laws, especially when that determination of infringement has been made by the Attorney General herself and the government. . Gov't Ploy For him, what Ghanaians are being presented with as the fight against corruption, as exemplified in this bus branding saga, is this new-found plot called 'refund of corruptly paid-out monies.' In this new plot, the NPP's Communications Director said, NDC government officials go into collusion with individuals (who invariably have NDC affiliations), to misappropriate poor taxpayers' monies, (create, loot and share). When these collusions become exposed, he said, plot two is activated in which the NDC governmentgoes into negotiations with these partners in the plot, that they should refund the monies and that in plot three, the NDC government comes to tell the taxpayer that 'oh some of the monies have been refunded.' And the poor taxpayer is expected to be grateful and clap for the government. At worse he said, The NDC connected individual co-plotters, knowing the joke; do not bother at all to follow through with any payments and that even after the exposure, the NDC government itself doesnt bother at all with the exposures, and just move on. Anxiety According to the NPP Communications Director, what annoys the NPP most in this entire scheme is the fact that there is no talk whatsoever of interest payments when individuals and organizations who defraud the state are caught and asked to refund monies. He posited, So the new most profitable game in town is: Collude to misappropriate taxpayers' monies; deposit the monies into high-yielding instruments or investments; if alarm blows, you will be required to pay back the principal at your convenience; and if out of the goodness of your heart, you do some refund, you get to keep the huge interest, even if invested in treasury bills. The opposition party has charged the NDC to pay the full cost of GH3.6 million for this political advertising. By Charles Takyi-Boadu Mourners at the one-week ceremony 17.02.2016 LISTEN Yesterday was exactly one week since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, was murdered in cold blood at his Shiashie residence in Accra. Loyalists of the NPP, residents of Akyem Old Tafo, his hometown, and its surrounding communities therefore joined the bereaved family to mourn the sudden departure of their beloved MP. As if it had been prescribed, almost all the mourners were seen in red apparels, including T-shirts of the late MP, thereby making Old Tafo appear like a red sea. A few of them who were not in red were clad in traditional black clothes. The mourners included the East Akim Municipal Chief Executive, Peter Simeon Asirifi, assembly members, among other dignitaries, who joined the one-week service at the local Presbyterian Church before moving to the funeral ground to mourn the death of the Member of Parliament. Alhaji Bodinga wailing at JBs one-week ceremony JB, as he was affectionately called, was stabbed to death while he was sleeping in his bedroom; and with the vigilance of the police, one Daniel Aseidu a prime suspect and his suspected accomplices were nabbed and are currently in custody assisting in investigations. Some of the residents whose handkerchiefs were soaked with tears, passionately appealed to the security agents to get to the bottom of the heinous act and bring all the perpetrators to book. The Eastern Regional First Vice Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Umar Bondinga, led the regional executives of the party to partake in the solemn event. . Alhaji Umar Bondinga, who could not control his tears when speaking on behalf of the party, said the entire nation, the party, Abuakwa North constituents and the needy had lost a great icon and philanthropist who could never be replaced. Madam Margaret Darko, Regional Women Organizer of the NPP, called on the Almighty God and the ancestral spirits to expose all the people behind the MP's death. The Eastern Regional NPP executives donated 10 boxes of bottled water and several cartons of assorted drinks to the bereaved family. The Asene Abusuapanin of the family, Opanin Kwabena Mireku, addressing the mourners, said the family would on Thursday, February 18, hold another one-week celebration in Accra, adding that the family would then announce the date for the burial and final funeral rites of their late kith and kin. Expected to be in attendance are the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other big wigs of the party. The late J B Danquah, as gathered, had helped numerous constituents financially and through the creation of jobs for them. He was also said to have been paying the school fees of students whose parents/guardians could not afford to do so. The beneficiaries were spotted weeping uncontrollably and cursing the killer(s) as well as the brains behind the demise of the benevolent legislator. They also lamented how the death of JB was going to affect their situations. Some hairdressers from Akyem Kukurantumi who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said the late J B Danquah had been providing them with dryers and also paying their children's school fees. They expressed anxiety over the difficulty they would be passing through with the departure of the philanthropist. FROM Daniel Bampoe, Old Tafo Following significant delay, the ANC in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP) have finally replaced Marius Fransman as Leader of the Opposition in the WCPP. The DA welcomes this overdue appointment. I will write to Member Khaya Magaxa to wish him well in his new role. We commend Mr Magaxa on being up to the task of taking on the unenviable responsibility of leading his deeply fractured party. Outside the House, Mr Magaxa has come across as a quiet and dignified man while his fiery Marxist rhetoric, in the House, has become a well-accepted standard for a person so consumed by his political ideology. We look forward to robust debate with our colleague. Mr Magaxas first test of statesmanship will be on Friday 19 February 2016, the State of the Province address, when Premier Zille will present her case for the government, to be debated the following week. Last year provincial opposition politics (notably that of the ANC) hit a new low when Marius Fransman and his Chief Whip, Pierre Uys, destroyed the notion of free speech in the House and prevented the Premier from fulfilling her duty of reporting back to the people of the Western Cape. Should the, as yet untainted, new Leader of the Opposition not the allow the Premier her basic right to inform the residents of this province what her plans for the future are I suspect his tenure may be short. We fervently hope that Mr Magaxa will bring the level of gravitas that this time honoured position requires in a democracy and which his predecessor simply failed to understand. OUTLINE The management of OK F.M. a popular electronic medium in Ghana has apologized to its listeners, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and others. Neatly captured on the website of Peace F.M. a sister station is the heading, Despite Group renders Apology to listeners, Ken Agyapong, etc. Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has responded to the apology by assuring all that he will cease fire and expressed compassion for his attacker Valentina Afia Agyeiwaa or Afia Schwarzenegger. Now that there has been admittance of offence followed by apology and acceptance from the offended, it makes it open to discuss the issue further. The simple question many people are asking is who manages who, who edits what, who produces what and possibly who monitors who? If the structure of despite group of companies is not to malign, denigrate, insults against personalities in society as the company wants some of us to believe then it must do the right thing to serve as deterrent to others. Failure by management to let the axe fall on its staff who insults personalities against it structure as it wants some of us to believe, I will be right to say they are rewarding junk journalism. It is one thing to understand the difference between an opinion journalist and a partisan propaganda journalist in Ghana now. Living up to that distinction can be harder as friendships; opportunities and flattery are all conspiring to seduce true journalists to cross the line to partisan propaganda journalist. That is why it has become fashionable in recent times to wonder who is and is not a journalist. One may think this is the wrong question whiles others may also challenge that it is indeed a right question at this particular moment where JOURNALISM is facing a lot of problems. The question people should ask is not whether someone is called a journalist. Rather the important issue is whether or not the person is doing journalism. The meaning of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press as Mr.A.C.Ohene, my former editor at the Ghanaian Chronicle kept reminding me, are that they belong to everyone. But, communication and journalism are not interchangeable terms that is why he believes that, anyone can be a journalist but not everyone can be a journalist. There are three criteria that I use and still remind myself of in my quest to remain a journalist-one with a point of view. First and foremost is the ultimate commitment to the truth meaning not relating anything to my readers that in the end will turn out to be false. The next criteria was that I can be partisan, an opinion journalist, and still have a high obligation to be fair to those whom I disagreed which relates to the sense of obligation to my readers. That required being open with my readers, to make it clear to the audience what my views are and what my biases are which has made me stand out as a journalist and not a propaganda journalist. Real fact is that the profession of journalism in Ghana these days is facing a lot of problems that needs to be tackled immediately before something happens before we ask ourselves what happened. Ah, is that profession I practiced whiles in Ghana under the noble men and women of distinction as editors, managers and association leaders? A lot has changed from the period of practice under the leadership of Madam Gifty Afenyie Dadzie, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafu and Ransford Tettehs as distinguish leaders of Ghana Journalist Association GJA, who insisted on professionalism, code of conducts and respect for the journalist. From my own spectacle watching what goes on in journalism, I can bet that a lot has changed in the sector which is serving as a source of worry for many people. As a journalist myself when criticizing the work I profess, on what has gone wrong, going wrong and needs to be corrected, I often used my former publishers, editors, seniors and association leaders on what they taught me to make journalism excel. After all what on earth can the prolific ramblings of sometimes past journalists have to do with the mission work of journalism? It turns out a lot. Although others might debate the merits of former editors, journalists and publishers as well as association leaders abilities, I am a firm believer that there is no one who can challenge that they sat down and watched junk journalism to go on. Mr. Kofi Koomson, the publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle with his team of managers showed the importance of ensuring that all respected the bargaining agreement signed between staff and management. At the regional office of the paper in Koforidua a decade ago, Mr. A.C.Ohene as the editor will go through every report with his big red pen to ensure accuracy before it goes to the press. And the GJA executives both at regional and national levels keep monitoring the performance of journalists and media houses to offer advice and training on periodic bases to keep members on track. The story of Valentina Afia Agyeiwaa or Afia Schwarzenegger attacking Kennedy Ohene Agyapong on radio was not lacking in spontaneity. Her post with politicians such as Ibrahim Mahama the brother of President John Dramani Mahama and others will let one quickly suggest friendships; opportunities and flattery conspired to seduce her to run down Kennedy Agyapong. It has become a common practice where journalists sit on radio and television stations to attack politicians and goes scot free providing the platform for such junk journalism to go on. Back in the days of Nana Kofi Koomson, A.C.Ohene, Gifty Afenyie Dadzies where the ten elements of journalism were strictly adhered to hardly would you hear a journalist disgracing the profession to such a point Afia Schwarzenegger did. The management of Okay F.M. has apologized to Kennedy Agyapong, its listeners and all but it has to ensure that such thing never happens again. For instance the management can quickly organize an intensive in house training for all staff to sharpen their skills in scouting for news and spreading of news. The ten elements of journalism, code of conducts and bargaining agreement should be stressed to keep staff busy and professional. In the next edition, I will like to touch on two elements of journalism which says that, its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover, it must keep the news comprehensive and in proportion and citizens too have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news. My first impression was Cambodia was very plain, with fields and crops everywhere and a lack of metropolitan infrastructure. It was a stark contrast to the glitzy city of Bangkok, and very evident that as a developing country- it was still under construction and struggling with a lot of poverty. The sidewalks were basically dirt paths, and tuktuks existed instead of actual taxis that served as the dominant form of transportation there. Despite being in one of the big cities, Siem Reap- everything was very rural but quaint at the same time. At night, I took a tuktuk to Le Tigre Papier for a 3 hour cooking class which started with a tour of the old food market. Than, we selected our starter and main course dish. I made a mango papaya salad and seafood Amok, which is a yellow curry coconut concoction used to flavor the seafood. Our instructor even made us a huge plate of sweet sticky rice with fruits and jelly as dessert, and gave us a certificate of completion at the end. It was very much worth the $15USD cooking fee and I managed to make friends with two Danish girls. After class, we explored Pub Street and the Angkor Art Night Market after having some drinks. It was a great first day in Cambodia. 17.02.2016 LISTEN In contrast, Despite Group of Companies through the management of OK F.M. a sister radio station of Peace F.M. in Accra-Ghana tried to do what it means to pique the interest of its listeners. What management of OK F.M. did was drawing their listeners attention toward a Peace F.M. website to find an apology text they sent out to Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong. The letter of apology by O.K. F.M. management was in response to numerous calls by its listeners who condemned the attacking behaviour of one of its Radio/TV host Valentina Afia Agyeiwaa or Afia Schwarzenegger on Kennedy Agyapong two weeks ago. Until the incident happened who knew by heart the structure of management of OK F.M., apart from the phone in numbers, where were the management contact address, telephone numbers as well as email address? Even if we are giving them the benefit of hindsight, who was the manager of OK F.M. who signed that scanned apology letter which did not look clear and posted it on Peace F.M.? The point I am trying to make here is that so many companies especially media outlets are operating in the dark without making public their contact addresses as well as their management structure on their websites. The practice is making it dangerous for business transaction simply because there is no relationship between the management and the general public in anyway. When someone picks up the phone and calls a radio station, television station or newspaper printing house, the expectation is that a staff will speak to the caller. But in most cases, that is not what is happening in a lot of media houses where listeners or ordinary persons who want to lodge complaints or ask for corrections are ignored. In most recorded cases the practice is with the popular radio stations with their jingle priding itself with first with the news best with the news. A typical example is Okay F.M. which is powerful in the air like its sister station Peace F.M. However a double check on OK F.M. website will shock you that there is NO display of management structure, talk show hosts, presenters and editors, their contact address to reach them. Surprisingly, there is no display of postal address, phone numbers to call no email address to get the right person to talk to so where is the relationship between the station and the general public? Per the international registration law, a media house must have its publisher or owners name, editors, contact addresses and complaints desk boldly printed at a clear section of the paper or on its website. Browse British Broadcasting Corporation BBC, Canada Broadcasting Corporation CBC, check the pages of Toronto Star, New York Times and the Guardian and you will see it boldly printed or posted. When you take the list of the elements of journalism and look at it carefully, you will realize that the last item on the list gives rights and responsibilities to the ordinary person. For the benefits of readers let me state it here for you to know and it says, Citizens, too have the rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news. One may think this is wrong since the scouting or gathering of news as well as spreading of it is the sole responsibility of the journalist, editor and the publisher or broadcaster or the web master. No, the rights and responsibilities of gathering news lay both with journalists and that of the ordinary man on the street as it is emphatically clear. To make the point clear, read the story as told by Mr. Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach in their book titled THE ELEMENTS OF JOURNALISM. According to the story, on July 7, 2005, three bombs exploded in the London subway followed shortly by an explosion on a double-decker bus. He wrote that the suicide bombings killed fifty-two people in an attack evocative of the 2004 train explosions in Madrid. The British broadcasting corporation, or BBC, understood that it was a most important story and threw its staff at it trying to get information first and get things right that day. On that day alone, BBC received unprecedented help from London residents. Six hours after the attack, the organization counted more than 1,000 photographs, twenty video clips, 4,000 text messages and 20,000 emails all sent in by citizens. How would citizens be able to send in first hand report of what they witnessed suppose there was no phone numbers, email address posted on the organizations webpage? The same way some members of the public would have either called, send a text message or email to the management to raise red flag over Afia Schwarzeneggers insulting behavior on air that day. In order for the general public to play their role effectively in gathering news, the media houses should clearly post their contact addresses, staff on their websites. This is a mandate to serve therefore failure by any media house to comply with should attract penalties from the governing authority. Having made the points clear, it behooves Despite Group of Companies to make the corrections on its websites as soon as possible to restore the confidence in the general public. The Bank of Ghana has dismissed reports that it has issued new 100 and 200 Ghana Cedis denominations. It follows news making rounds suggesting the Central Bank has started issuing the new denominations. The Bank of Ghana has not issued and has no plans of issuing any new denominations of the Ghana Cedi and categorically states that the stories circulating on social media to the effect that the Bank is issuing denominations of GH100.00 and GH200.00 are false, an official statement from the Central Bank said. This is the second time in less than a year that the bank is reacting to such claims. A similar report making rounds with pictures of the supposed 100 and 200 denominations made rounds on social media in March last year. Please note that the Bank of Ghana always precedes issuance of new denominations with intensive sensitization and public education, the statement added. From left: OPK, Appietu-Ankrah and Asante 17.02.2016 LISTEN Pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), says it has been vindicated by governments introduction of an Interconnection Clearing House (ICH) to monitor the operations of telecommunications companies in the country. According to AFAG, ICH would serve as a monitoring policy that would help in addressing the issue of revenue monitoring, transparency and accountability among the telecom companies. At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Henry Asante, AFAG's Vice Chairman, indicated that the group has over the past seven years been concerned about the liberty of telecom companies to charge their own interconnect fees, which alienated those with smaller market shares. We are consistent in our quest to see the telcos show an appreciable level of transparency, accountability and a commitment to effective service provision, he noted. Mr Asante said AFAG was interested in the multifaceted benefits that Ghanaians and government would gain. AFAG feels much vindicated for supporting the introduction of Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) into Ghanas telecommunication sector. Our interest is how much would come to government. The ICH has multifaceted benefits like competitiveness in the industry. It also helps the smaller companies who hitherto could not operate at full scale to be privy to what pertains, he said. He disclosed that the ICH would devolve some powers from the telcos, especially with regards to interconnectivity pricing, full disclosure of call volumes by the telcos, avoid tax evasion, eliminate SIM Box fraud and also increase the number of telcos in the industry. Though several civil society groups had protested against the manner in which Afriwave Telecom Ghana Limited won the contract, Mr Asante stated that AFAG was not concerned about who won the bid. Our basic argument is not about who wins the bid or not. We are gratified by the fact that a least five companies saw the need to involve themselves in the bidding that clearly tells you that Ghanaians have accepted the Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) policy. Indeed, whether Subah or GVG, AFAG is happy these competitors expressed equal interest in the concept of ICH. This notwithstanding, the NCA should endeavor to protect existing active players in the industry, he added. AFAG, however, urged NCA to be transparent and fair to stakeholders. . [email protected] By Nii Ogbamey Tetteh 17.02.2016 LISTEN The Zongo Movement for Change (ZOMOC) has asked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to put forth an alternative programme for the Zongo communities and stop, as it put it, the desperate efforts at ridiculing the progressive Zongo Development Fund (ZDF) proposed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The ZDF is a development policy aimed at bridging the development gap in Zongo communities and was recently announced by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on behalf of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP Presidential Candidate for the 2016 General Election. We can understand the NDCs panic reaction to this well-laid out policy by Nana Akufo-Addo for two simple reasons: 1. The NDCs neglect and constant deceit of Zongo communities. 2. The overwhelming acceptance of the NPPs ZDF by Zongo communities since it was announced. The statement was jointly signed by the publicity committee of the movement made up of Khalid Abdul-Kadir Mainasara, Mohammed Hashir-Issah, Abdul-Rahman Cisse and Abdul-Raheem Musa who said that the NDC has been hit and unsettled by the massive support Zongo communities throughout the country have accorded the NPP throughout the community tours of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Every sincere political party seeking the mandate of its people to govern must not do so with propaganda and empty rhetoric, the movement said pointing out that it must do so sincerely with a bold, achievable policy such as the NPP has done with the ZDF. As serious as the NPP is, the ZDF policy has become its working document for seeking the mandate of Zongo communities in the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the movement stated. Campaigning for elections is a serious business which should not be reduced to childs play, propaganda and deceit, the statement noted adding that it should be about policies and alternative policies to help electorates decide. ZOMOC has, in view of the foregone, urged the NDC to stop what it describes as the ludicrous theatrics of running down the NPPs ZDF policy without any alternative policy for Zongo communities. For a party that has ruled Ghana for the past seven years and nearly half of Ghanas independence without any tangible policy to develop Zongo communities, it went on, the NDC should have been the first to commend the NPP for such a positive step of having a major policy focusing on Zongo communities. The movement recalled previous programmes which the NDC said were impossible to implement but ended adopting with negative results, a case in point being, as it said, the free SHS Developing Zongo communities is not about distributing sugar and rice during Eid celebrations they said, saying that it is a great insult for any political party to imagine that distributing freebies to our communities during Eid and prior to elections is akin to development. 17.02.2016 LISTEN Tension is mounting at Aviance Ghana Limited, as workers and management of the company are currently in a deadlock over the conditions of service of staff. Staff of the company expressed their grievances over the poor service conditions to the media on Tuesday in Accra. According to them, management of Aviance Ghana Limited, dominated by whites, had adopted communist inferior tactics to cheat and worsen the present bad situation of poor workers. They said management, headed by the Managing Director, Paul Craig had written a wicked letter to our unions that workers' retirement benefits which have been agreed with management must be reduced with immediate effect. Mr. Craig's explanation is that the company has lost one of its many customers and this has affected the income of the company, concerned workers of Aviance said in a statement. They explained that the Managing Director had insisted that his new retirement directive for workers which comes into immediate effect must be one and half months average salary times the number of years worked but the number of years worked must be capped at 36 months. According to them, This means that if you worked for 30 years he will pay you 36 months instead of 45 months. . The angry workers added that to add insult to injury, he will not use your last salary to calculate but your average working salary. The net effect is you will go home with half of the money you would have gotten using what is in the Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), this is very ridiculous, wicked and inhuman. The workers wanted to know from management whether the conditions of service would be improved should the company get new business or airlines. The Ghanaian workers claimed they were being shortchanged by their white employers, adding that they would embark on a sit-down strike action if the situation does not improve. The Managing Director is saying he does not understand why a black worker should go home with any retirement benefit. Toothless Bulldogs We wish the whole world knows that the white managers and the Managing Director have turned themselves into mafias and have made the Ghana managers toothless bull dogs who can't even assist their fellow workers. [email protected] By Melvin Tarlue Napo presenting the computers to Kwame Nkrumah (far right) 17.02.2016 LISTEN National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is cash-strapped and this is impeding the smooth running of the Commission, according to the Manhyia South Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, fondly called Napo. The MP, who is a member of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament, disclosed pathetically that government is not providing the NCCE with adequate funding to carry out its civic education duties. The Manhyia South MP stated that it is not proper that the NCCE is cash-strapped, especially as the country is preparing to go to the polls to elect the next president and parliamentarians this year. He therefore entreated the government to provide the needed funds to the NCCE so that it could carry out its mandate of educating the public about their civic and other rights and duties. Ghana, the MP stated, would develop effectively at a rapid rate when crucial bodies such as the NCCE received the needed funding and support from the government. . Napo made these observations in an address to a mammoth crowd when he presented brand new computers to the Kumasi Metro Directorate of the NCCE and the Manhyia District office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Monday. The MP used part of his share of the HIPC and Common Fund to purchase the computers following a passionate appeal made to him by the GNFS and the NCCE. Mr Mathew Opoku Prempeh also presented a sanitation vehicle (a tricycle) to the Afia Kobi Electoral Area in his constituency to help the residents deal with the sanitary challenges facing them. The Kumasi Metro NCCE Director, Kwame Nkrumah, admitted that his outfit lacked key logistics to perform its duties and urged other MPs to emulate Napo's shining example by supporting the NCCE with logistics. The Manhyia District Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Director Officer Grade 1 Napoleon Andrews, thanked Napo for responding swiftly to an appeal made to him by the GNFS and urged him to continue supporting them. From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi 17.02.2016 LISTEN Richard Okrah, Managing Director of Intravenous Infusions Limited, has appealed to government to help remove the trade restrictions placed on Ghanaian products by the Nigerian Government. He said as a result of various trade restrictions, his company could not export some of its products which are in high demand to Nigeria. Mr Okrah made the appeal when Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, paid a visit to the factory at Koforidua as part of his three-day working visit to the Eastern Region. He said since goods produced in Nigerian are allowed into Ghana with less restrictions, Ghanaian goods should be allowed to enter the Nigerian market. Mr Okrah said Intravenous, which is the largest private employer in the New Juaben Municipality, provides direct employment to 120 people and employs a lot of casual workers during peak periods. . He said the company has listed on the stock exchange to enable it raise funding to finance the proposed expansion of the company. Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah said the issue of trade barriers go beyond his Ministry but promised to take up the matter with the relevant ministries and the Ghana Embassy in Nigeria. He called on Ghanaian entrepreneurs to consider establishing export substitution companies to produce some products, which are high in demand by the pharmaceutical companies in the country. He said products like sodium chloride, corn and cassava starch used by the pharmaceutical companies in the country could easily be produced in the country. GNA Kwesi Aning 17.02.2016 LISTEN I have stopped taking Dr. Kwesi Aning seriously, and I hope that the so-called security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center does not take himself that much seriously either. In this column, our focus is not on Dr. Anings widely reported chiding of the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Mr. Angwubutoge Awuni, for giving strict and professionally savvy and precise self-defensive instructions to law-enforcement agents engaged in flushing out the Fulani Menace from the Eastern Region. We need to also quickly note, for the significant and morally edifying benefit of the reading public, that Dr. Aning is widely known to be an Akan of Fante descent from the Central Region. This teasing out of his sub-ethnicity and region of provenance, or origin, is very important because on the whole, the Central Region has suffered a diddly little from the predatory and wantonly destructive activities of the Fulani herdsmen, including the bestial and brutal rape of Ghanaian women (See DCOP Awuni Dares Aning Over Fulani Menace Kasapafmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 2/16/18). Indeed, it is a pity and a shame that it took so unbearably long for Operation Cow Leg to be strategized and implemented by the top-brass of the Ghana Police Service (GPS). According to news reports, Dr. Anings basis for admonishing Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Awuni to be lax with the marauding Fulani herdsmen is that the latter contribute hugely towards the development of the countrys economy. If he were really worth his designation as a security expert and a sectional leader at the Kofi Annan Center, Dr. Aning would have published his economic and statistical breakdown of the purportedly enormous contribution made annually by predatory Fulani herdsmen to the development of Ghana. Then, also, for the sake of justice and fair play, Dr. Aning would have researched and published the statistical breakdown of the incalculable loss callously wreaked by these same Fulani herdsmen, in terms of the wanton destruction of cultivated farmlands, the massacre and rape of the residents of the areas where their vicious and primitive predatory activities have been most intense. The fact of the matter is that nobody with an adequately informed understanding of the major threat posed by the Fulani herdsmen, in both the long and short term, would grandstand or pontificate so cavalierly and imperiously the way Dr. Aning has been doing these past several months. Maybe it is about time Mr. Kofi Annan took the biggest-mouthed and I mean it in both the literal and figurative senses of the term faculty member of his otherwise globally renowned and respected institute and pumped some common sense into his head. That Dr. Aning has increasingly been making a laughing stock of both himself and the institution of which he is one of the most visible leaders and most vocal spokespersons can scarcely be gainsaid. *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs [16 February 2016] Airtel Premier, a sub brand of Ghanas fastest growing telecommunications company that provides unparalleled telecom and lifestyle services for high value customers and Airtel Rewardz, the leading loyalty reward programme in the industry, jointly treated customers and their partners in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale who emerged winners in their ongoing In The Name of Love Valentine promotion to exclusive dinners, live band music performances and surprise gifts in fulfilment of their promise to reward loyal customers throughout the month of February. Overall, 50 customers were treated to exclusive Valentine dining experience in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale with Airtels partner hotels and restaurants including Gold Coast restaurant, Alisa hotel, Best Western Accra Airport hotel, Aboude restaurant, Best Western Atlantic hotel, Royal Richester hotel and Wooden restaurant across four regional capitals. Airtel Ghana announced plans to celebrate and reward its cherished customers in February, the love month, through the In The Name of Love Promotion. The month long promotion is set to give loyal customers and their partners the opportunity to win and redeem lifestyle gifts such as dinners, smartphones, movie tickets, spa and shopping vouchers amongst others from Airtel Premier and Airtel Rewardzs benefits partners across the country. Frank Djan, Head of Customer Experience, Airtel Ghana said In the Name of Love promotion is our way of saying thank you to Airtel Rewardz and Airtel Premier customers across the country throughout February. As a business, Airtel is renowned for celebrating and rewarding customers all year round. This promotion enables us to truly celebrate our customers for their loyalty. Over the weekend, 50 customers were treated to romantic dinners and this is going to continue throughout the month. We want to encourage all our customers to actively participate in the promotion by dialing *202# to purchase Premier packs of 30 cedis or more. Customers visiting our shops throughout the month also stand the chance of being rewarded with chocolate as we spread the love in this month of love, he reiterated. The first of its kind in the industry, Airtel Premier offers exclusive suite of telecom and lifestyle products and services aimed at recognizing, engaging and serving high value customers with tailor-made solutions, discounted services from partners and automatic enrolment onto Airtel Rewardz. Premier customers also stand the chance of enjoying complimentary gifts and invitations to Airtel sponsored events all year round. Airtel Rewardz is alsothe leading loyalty rewards programme from the Smartphone Network designed to recognize and appreciate all Airtel customers for every amount they spend on the consumption of any Airtel product and service. Airtel customers are eligible to participate regardless of their usage levels. The Loyalty programme is open to both prepaid and post-paid customers. To sign up for Airtel Rewardz, customers are required to text EN to short code 566. Enrolment can also be done by dialing *566# and selecting Join the Airtel Rewardz. Airtel is Ghanas fastest growing telecommunication network, offering superior communication, connectivity and collaborative solutions to its customers. Airtel is also the leader in data and digital innovation in the telecom industry in Ghana. About Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 335 million customers across its operations at the end of August 2015. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com About Airtel in Africa Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company. For more information, please visit www.airtel.com, or like the Airtel Ghana Facebook page via www.facebook.com/airtelgh or follow us on Twitter via the handle @airtelghana. Uganda is seeing a blend of Climate change issues with oil talks reach its political zenith, as the country warms up for presidential polls, with political gurus like Dr. Kizza Besigye assuring the public that Ugandas newly found wealth is a total curse without proper accountability and environmental sustainability. It is tough to even think that way. A natural resource that has captured our oil-my oil wider media cliche, perhaps being regarded as the most important mineral endowment the land locked country has ever controlled, and a phenomenal break in the countrys politico economic realm is labeled a curse! Sincerely, if oil wealth backfires economically, it might just be a reflection of what has happened in previous years in the greater African oil rich regions. Nigeria's Delta region is home to vast oil reserves, which make the country one of the world's biggest oil exporters but the region remains poor and above all, environmentally tattered as a result of ceaseless oil turmoil. For many years, armed gangs of youths, hid in the swamps and creeks that make up the Delta, attacked oil pipelines and seized foreign workers for ransom. And with fuming rebel activities sub-Saharan Africa dangles in, Uganda isnt resistant to catching similar fires of oil war. But this is not a reason strong enough to make us throw our hands up and say: To hell with oil. Theres a different story. If theres any single hurdle Uganda as a novice in the vast global oil sellers list will face throughout this century, it might be no more than the nasty truth unfolding between the fossil fuel and climate change. First, who cursed Uganda that oil would be exploited in this age of deteriorating global environment characterised by issues such as rising global temperatures, rising sea levels among a cluster of difficult questions pertaining climate change? Or shrugging enough, doesnt the 34 paged Climate spelling document Uganda already signed last year in Paris require us to phase out fossil fuels in pursuit of the broader United Nation Framework Convention Conference on Climate Changes (UNFCCC) 1.5 degree average temperature goal? Should the taps to estimated 6.5 billion barrels now be bolted; gigantic refinery blueprints trashed in the name of saving the planet lest the economy stagnate? Believably, these questions are daunting that no one in a panel of battling Ugandan politicians could honestly stand erect to tell the true story of what fossil fuel means to our environment. The shift to renewable energy is launched as climate change, World Bank notices is the biggest threat to humanity in the 21st century. Oil means death to earth owing to carbon emissions. Its the reason UNFCCC has decided to avail $100 billion dollars funds for development of green energy or renewable energy sources and begin a shift away from dirty energy sources. This seems appealing to greenies everywhere than to Ugandas politico-economic interest. In its Vision 2040 Uganda sees oil and gas generating revenues for development of other strategic sectors such as infrastructure and human resource development as it transforms into a middle income country. This is encouraging. But it can be more encouraging if the current oil exploration direction is redirected with plans to develop a robust renewable energy pathway. This will lead Uganda walk the talks of its own tone enshrined by Paris climate accord, without breaching the sections of the agreement. On January 18th, I embarked on my first solo trip to Southeast Asia. I split Thailand and Cambodia evenly, staying 3 days in each country. The first day I arrived in Thailand, I booked a half day noon tour for the Grand Palace. It was strikingly beautiful, so many intricately carved, architecturally pleasing, and so grandiose. Everything was colourful, gold, and beautiful. Despite the temperature being near 40 degrees and a lot of pushy asian tourists everywhere, I enjoyed taking all the palace sights in and photographing them. It was one of the most amazing places I've been to in my life to say to least. Definitely a must visit when in Bangkok. Staff at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa Wednesday laid down their tools to demonstrate against the appointment of a new medical director, Dr Barnabas Gandau to the facility. According to the staff, they were disappointed in the Ghana Health Service Council for overlooking Dr Chris Fofie who had served the hospital and for that matter the region for almost 10 years. According to them, although they held nothing against Dr Gandau, they believed Dr Fofie deserved the position for his 'dedicated and selfless service' to the region. Some of the demonstrators who spoke to Graphic Online said Dr Fofie deserved the vacant position because he had demonstrated true commitment and love for the region and the hospital. They said the issue had nothing to do with the competence or otherwise of Dr Gandau, but had everything to do with Dr Fofie's "remarkable sense of patriotism". Dr Fofie who hails from the Brong Ahafo Region, according to sources, was the only one among 10 doctors to have accepted his posting to the Upper West Region in 2007, and thereafter, several doctors, including natives, have turned down postings to the region, often complaining about the working environment and lack of working tools as demotivation. 17.02.2016 LISTEN THE Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Angwubutoge Awuni has deployed 120 security personnel to drive away the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle from the region. The Regional Police Commander, DCOP, Awuni charged the security officers not to gunned down any cattle unless they are directed at them and defend themselves only in cases of attack. DCOP Awuni gave the command on Monday when he launched 'Operation Cow Leg' at the offices of the Regional Coordinating Council. 'Operation Cow Leg' was meant to flush out Fulanis in areas such as Fanteakwa, Kwahu and the Afram Plains. I don't want you to come with one of you missing; you are not by this directed to fire indiscriminately but my instruction is that you have every right to defend yourself when you come under attack. And my instruction is that; gun down the cows who will be directed at you, he charged. . The Eastern Regional Police Chief cautioned chiefs in the area to give the security personnel free hand to work and not to distract them. The security personnel are made up of the 30 soldiers, 90 policemen and 10 immigration officers drawn from the region. The outgoing Eastern regional Minister, Antwi Bosiako Sekyere who is Chairman of the REGSEC briefing the media said the Fulani menace was becoming a major concern in the region and must be dealt with immediately. He said apart from the Fulanis activities of grazing their cattle on farm land and forest reserves, the herdsmen are also alleged to be into all sorts of crimes including armed robbery, rape, stealing, burning of farms and worst of it all, killing of farmers. Antwi Boasiako Sekyere indicated that the Regional Security Council wants to be more proactive this time in preventing the escalation of clashes between the herdsmen and farmers in the area as happened in the previous years. FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua 17.02.2016 LISTEN The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) is demanding the resignation of the health minister, Alex Segbefia, if one more death is recorded as a result of the recent outbreak of meningitis in the country. The disease which broke out in December 2015 has so far killed 93 people, with 548 recorded cases. Central Region is the only region yet to record any case of the disease. The Health Ministry disclosed on Monday that the disease had reached epidemic proportions especially in the Brong Ahafo region where it first broke. With 359 recorded cases, 52 people have lost their lives so far in the region. In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the PPP, Murtala Mohammed, the Party called on the Health Minister to stop the meningitis now or resign if he does not have the necessary capacity to curb the menace." The also questioned President Mahamas commitment to dealing with the situation. President Mahama should not give us reason to believe that he does not care about the lives of Ghanaians. We are therefore demanding that the Minister of Health must work with a sense of urgency to ensure that no more lives are lost to this preventable disease. We are calling for the dismissal of the health minister if he does not resign after one more death is recorded. Below is a copy of the full statement SEGBEFIA MUST RESIGN IF ANOTHER PERSON DIES OF MENINGITIS The Progressive People's Party (PPP) wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones as a result of the outbreak of meningitis in Ghana. We are completely devastated at the report from the Ghana Health Service that 93 innocent Ghanaians have died over the past few weeks. We commend the Ghana Health Service for intensifying their monitoring activities, field investigations and supplying antibiotics to affected patients. We believe that government must provide adequate funding to ensure that the disease is controlled. We cannot continue to count the number of people killed by this disease on a daily basis and not act with any seriousness. President Mahama should not give us reason to believe that he does not care about the lives of Ghanaians. We are therefore demanding that the Minister of Health must work with a sense of urgency to ensure that no more lives are lost to this preventable disease. We are calling for the dismissal of the health minister if he does not resign after one more death is recorded. When the minister appeared before parliament to explain his plans to secure lives in the affected regions, he was engaged in operational definitions of epidemiology and related scientific platitudes. How did he expect those definitions to stop the spread of the disease? At that time we had recorded 83 deaths and this has jumped to 93. We prefer his resignation to the loss of the 94th person. The Minister has failed to save Ghanaian lives and he must resign if another person dies. After all, one life is far more precious and valuable than Ghc3.6million bus branding saga! Ghana must learn from best practices to ensure the safety of every Ghanaian. The Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in five Florida counties due to the Zika virus. This is a national health emergency issue and we cannot continue to pretend as if the disease is under control when on a daily basis we are losing Ghanaian lives. Mr Alex Segbefia must stop the meningitis now or resign if he does not have the necessary capacity to curb the menace. Signed Murtala Mohammed National Secretary 17.02.2016 LISTEN In the past few weeks there was a series of publications against my personality and integrity by some newspapers namely, the Inquisitor, Informer, Enquirer and the Al Haj. The substance of the publication suggested that I am not my own man and that I have been under the control and influence of certain people, before, during and after the Klottey Korle Parliamentary Primaries held in November last year. In the view of the papers, these people were responsible for my sterling insult-free campaign and the current court action initiated by Nii John Coleman and I demanding justice to correct a wrong of monumental proportions. I would like to bring to the attention of these newspapers that we are in court to get the NDC to enforce its own rules that a member shall not qualify to contest primaries for any parliamentary seat if that member fails to satisfy the requirements for the election of a Member of Parliament - a citizen of Ghana, 21 years and above, and a registered voter. That is all! I do not think that we are asking too much from the court to get the Party to enforce its own rules. These newspapers have no justification whatsoever to peddle malicious untruths to bring me to public ridicule since I have maintained a very cordial relationship with the Press. I am proud of my working life both outside and inside politics. Before politics I was the General Secretary of the Ghana Merchant Navy Officers Association (GMNOA), which is affiliated to the International Transport Workers Federation ITF in the United Kingdom. I represented Africa on the Fair Practices and Maritime Policy Committees of the ITF and the International Maritime Organisation/ International Labour Organization (IMO/ILO) joint Committee on Maritime Training. I was also Secretary-General of the West African Transport Workers Federation (WATWF) I was the Managing Director of Ashton Forex Bureau Ltd. in Tema and was once the President of the Ghana Association of Forex Bureaux. I operated a Shipping Consultancy business and provided job opportunities for many Ghanaian Seaferers to serve on foreign flagships and many more. I was also President of the Ghana Association of Ship Manning Agents. In politics, I served the NDC in the Klottey Korle Constituency as a Branch Chairman and rose through the ranks to become Constituency Chairman. I was once the Chief Executive of the then Tema Municipal Assembly, twice Minister of State and presently the MP for Klottey Korle Constituency and member of the Judiciary Committee of Parliament. It is trite knowledge that for years I have shaped my personality as a firm and independent thinking individual making decisions on behalf of many Ghanaians. My working life, in politics and outside politics, attest to my high level of commitment to independent thinking. It is therefore unfortunate, malicious and provocative for these newspapers to suggest that I am not my own man and that I am a shameless boy-boy. I also consider it extremely unfair for these newspapers to continue to unnecessarily attack my personality without any basis and for no wrong committed, probably just to please their pay masters. High-ranking NDC members know the support and contributions I made from 2002 to 2008 to wrestle the Constituency from the hands of the Opposition. Yet today, misguided young men refer to me as a 'boy-boy'! I wish to state that a number of friends, government appointees, businessmen and women and high-up NDC members supported my campaign during the Primaries because they have the confidence, belief and conviction that, all things being equal, I can retain the seat for the NDC in the 2016 general election. But I can emphatically state that these people have restrained themselves from the current court action for varying reasons that I very much respect, and it is most unfair for anybody to try and draw them into it. I thank the many supporters of our party who have stood with me all these years in our collective effort to develop the constituency and many others who constantly call and pass by to show support, love and solidarity, as well as those who come to court every time there is a hearing. I appreciate all your sacrifices and your commitment to democracy and the rule of law. It is our unflinching dedication and commitment to the principles of Probity, Transparency and Accountability that has made our Party great and strong. We shall overcome! GOD BLESS YOU! NII ARMAH ASHIETEY MP KLOTTEY KORLE 0244317175/0244354468 17.02.2016 LISTEN The provisional licence to operate the Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) service was issued to Afriwave Telecom, six clear months before the policy received cabinet approval, raising eyebrows about what went into the nefarious deal. A letter signed by the Deputy Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and headed: Provisional Licence to Build and Operate Facilities for the Provision and Operation of Clearing House Services in the Republic of Ghana, revealed that Afriwave was given the green light on June 2, 2015. The letter read in part: The National Communications Authority (NCA) is pleased to inform you that your request has been favourably consideredThe NCA hereby grants a Provisional licence to Afriwave Telecom Ghana Limited to Build and Operate Facilities for the Provision and Operation of Clearing House Services in Ghana However, cabinet, in a letter dated 11th December, 2015, and signed by its Secretary, Roger K. Angsomwine, stated that the policy was considered and subsequently approved on the 10th day of December, 2015. The public brouhaha which accompanied the Ministry of Communications defective defence in the fraudulent issuance of the ICH licence to Afriwave Telecom, led to this revelation, first by the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and later by the President of Imani Ghana, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe. Mr. Cudjoe, who had a leaked report of the Application Evaluation Panel (AEP) which settled on Afriwave, had complained that the process that underpinned the award of the contract was fraught with rigging. But the NCA and the Deputy Minister of Communications discredited the Imani version of the report. Last Saturday, on Joy FMs News File, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu claimed the document being relied upon by Imani was a fabricated one, only to be discovered later that the authentic copy he claimed was in his possession had not being signed, which meant that it was fake, making his arduous task of rubbishing Imanis document, crowned with mockery and embarrassment. This expose consequently, irked the 20-year old National Communications Authority, which, yesterday published the so-called authentic copy on its website. Surprisingly, after the publication, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu, in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM, was left with no option than to confirm the signatures of all eight members of the Application Evaluation Panel, together with that of the Board Chairman, contained on the back page of the report made public by Imani, after his earlier denial. This time, his feeble explanation further deepened the reprehensible engagement of the NCA in the award of the contract. The report being heavily relied upon by the policy think tank, for him, was the draft copy. But an incensed Mr. Franklin Cudjoe considered the new NCA report as nothing more than a doctored document. A comparative glance at the Imani and the NCA copies of the report showed that they bore some semblance. Both reports were signed on the 30th day of January, 2015, by all eight members of the Application Evaluation Panel. The signature of the Board Chairman of the NCA, together with his comment, in the case of the leaked report, was contained on one page; the NCA had its on two separate pages. Again, while the NCA copy had 66 pages, 67 was the case of Imani. The figures had been painstakingly calculated to tally with the expected awarded marks, which is the converse in the Imani version, where Afriwave Telecom scored more than the maximum awarded marks in the scores awarded all the competing companies in the three main categoriesLegal &Management, Technical Capabilities and Financial Capabilities. In his rebuttal, Mr. Cudjoe told The Chronicle that: It turns out the Ministers of Communications have three versions of the NCA report when we at IMANI had the legitimate one. Their new report has 66 pages and ours 67 pages. He added: These are their own unsigned and amenable soft copy which Felix sent to News file and was caught, the newly doctored NCA report which has no signature of the board chairman alongside those of the evaluation panel and the signed hard copy which the ministers of communications have but the signature of the board chairman of the NCA is on a separate sheet. The Imani boss found it strange as to why the NCA did not publish the report even though it had completed the report 13 months earlier. He asked rhetorically: Why go through all this trouble when you finalised the report 13 months ago and awarded a license? Couldnt you have published it then? According to Mr. Cudjoe, The Ministry of Communications even went to seek Cabinet approval for the tendering process on December 10, 2015 when it had together with the NCA awarded the license in January 2015 and June 2015. He further soiled the NCA when he said that the Ministry of Communications had locked horns with the Ministry of Finance over who had the mandate to undertake revenue assurance. The mandate is in law and the Finance Ministry through the Ghana Revenue Authority has the mandate not the Ministry of Communications. So you now understand the source of the energy of the Ministry to defend the NCA. Well, it seems the Ministry of Communications wants to start collecting taxes! I am simply saying ignore the NCA. They doctored the report, he pointed out, adding that because the report was doctored, the fear of distorting information on subsequent pages made them leave these trails. Check page 23 of 63, 20 of 63, etc, of the newly doctored report of the NCA. Declaring that the new NCA report contained inconsistencies, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe touched on the colour format for scanning the same document, which he presumed were from the same scanner. Interestingly, on comparative grounds, they looked different. Funny enough, these inconsistencies correspond to the actual report narrative, and that of the evaluation score table. These two categories are different in colour / contrast. It can only be inferred that different scanners, different scanning periods, apply to these categories, as it is impossible to change the contrast for different pages of the document when scanning. Standard report writing does not suggest that captions/subheadings appear as the last line on a page whiles the narrative of that subheading goes onto another page. Indeed this principle is completely kept throughout the report we have. He also posited that Take a look at the final detailed score sheet, which is also an exhibit/appendix 3 on page 60. If their scanned evaluation report is anything to go by, then the right side of appendix 3 should have been perforated from the binding, if it truly came from the same document. However, appendix 3 alone isnt perforated, whiles the appendix 3 inserted in the evaluation report is perforated. (Audit Trail will always catch you because you dont think like the auditor). Talk less of the differences in the contrast from the scan of both documents. The ICH contract is primarily hinged on revenue assurance, where international calls would be monitored to ensure that the taxes collected from telecom operators, actually correlate with the air time used by their subscribers. And in this undertaking, Afriwave is expected to generate at least one billion United States Dollars over the next 10 years. By Pascal Kafu Abotsi ([email protected]) Akim Osenase (E/R), Feb. 17, GNA - Mrs Hellen Arthur Honesty, Chief Executive Officer of Facilitating Learning of Women in Emerging Regions (FLOWER), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has called on Ghanaians to stop stigmatizing against people with AIDS. She said stigmatization prevents people from checking their health status which was hampering the fight against HIV and AIDS. Mrs. Honesty made the call when her NGO organized a programme on; 'Stigmatization Against HIV/AIDS Patients' to create awareness on the issue. She entreated Ghanaians to join hands with the FLOWER to help reduce HIV infections and stigmatization against people with AIDS. Mrs. Honesty advised the citizenry to regularly go for medical diagnosis and comply with the use of condoms. FLOWER aims at embarking on strategies for women empowerment and teenagers' education and health improvement. Barima Ofosu-Ware III, Chief of Osenase, expressed gratitude to the NGO for the awareness and admonished the youth in the area to avoid early sex and rather take their education seriously. GNA Apam (C/R), Feb. 17, GNA - The Apam Traditional Council in collaboration with the Council of Churches and Muslim leaders would hold a public forum to educate the people on the need to register with National Health Insurance Scheme. The forum, has become necessary following refusal of majority of residents in the town to registration with the National Health Insurance scheme. Nana Obotantam Edu-Effrim, Chief of Apam, said this when he addressed nurses, doctors, paramedics, and staff of the Gomoa West Health Directorate Annual Performance review meeting at Apam. He said the health policy was not instituted for any political party member, but for all Ghanaians to ensure quality health delivery, adding that the lukewarm attitudes of the people towards NHI Scheme could be linked to political affiliations. Nana Edu Effrim who is also Akwamuhene of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area condemned the attitude, saying, NHIS was instituted to help the ordinary and the vulnerable citizen have access to quality healthcare. The Chief said many people in Apam have resorted to seeking treatment at church healing camps in the town. Mr Eric Owusu-Appiah, Gomoa West Manager of the National Health Insurance Scheme confirmed the low registration by the people in the District, but refused to give figures. He said the move by the Apam Traditional Council, Council of Churches and Muslim Leaders would encourage more people to register with the Scheme. GNA Accra, Feb. 17, GNA - Ms Abigail Edem Hunu, Communications Officer at Women in Law and Development Africa (WiLDAF), has called on parents to take full responsibility in the upbringing of their children "All children desire responsible parenting," she said advising parents to also start educating especially their girl child on sex education at an early stage. Ms Hunu said this when the Parents Teachers Association of St Barnabas Anglican School held a meeting with parents as part of their education week celebration. She advised mothers to be vigilant with their girl child and desist from allowing male personalities to bath their female children since some men or boys use that as an opportunity to abuse the girls sexually. She said research has shown that this practice has been the major cause of child abuse cases at home and in the society hence parents have to take control of their girl child's upbringing no matter how busy their schedule. Ms Hunu said when such girls are abused sexually by men, they may see it as the norm, and this may prevent them from reporting similar cases perpetrated by other men to parents and the right authorities. She said the situation was worrying and that parents need to stand their grounds to protect and ensure their children were well catered to become responsible adults. Reverend Father Ernest Tackie-Yarboi, Assisting Priest St Barnabas Anglican Church, urged parents to make their children an important factor in their lives saying 'you must do all that is possible to ensure your ward's academic excellence is achieved. GNA 17.02.2016 LISTEN The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has lamented bitterly over the invasion of self-proclaimed prophets in the country, especially on our airwaves. According to her, even though the country needs intercessors to pray for its peace and stability, the number of self-proclaimed prophets on our airwaves, and the kind of prophecies they give, were worrying. The Minister's concern comes in the wake of some of the self-proclaimed prophets making inflammatory statements, some of which have generated heated arguments in the country. Ghana, often referred to as a Christian nation, can now boast of over 1,000 different churches, many of which are charismatic and prophetic. The Minister was addressing members of the Aglow International, Ghana, at the opening session of a seminar under the theme; Watchmen on the Wall on Monday in Accra. The Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, who represented the President at the seminar, commended Aglow for interceding on behalf of the country, as well as instilling good morals and values in society for the past 20 years. Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare urged Aglow International, Ghana, to replicate Nehemiah in the Bible, who prayed and built the Jerusalem wall; stating: God has a mission for us, and wants us to unite, pray, do His work, and desire to build the walls of our country. She urged the Aglow members to continue to be the watchman for the nation. If we wake up to a peaceful country, we don't have to take things for granted; we know Aglow International is praying. The seminar, which coincided with the birthday of Dr. Mrs. Dorothy Danso, President of Aglow International, Ghana, was attended by participants from across the country, as well as delegates from the United States. Explaining the theme and citing an example from the Bible, she said: There were specific people that were chosen to lead in the performance of this assignment, and these people were called 'the watchmen,' who were chosen to make sure that the walls are protected and established, as mentioned in Ezekiel 33. According to her, the seminar also marked the Women Aglow Ministry's 50th anniversary. She added that the seminar hoped to bring together men and women who have made the commitment to learn, pray and speak with an understanding of issues arising in the Middle East to be advocates for Israel. I strongly believe with all my heart that as these intercessors are raised for this great assignment; the sound of the trumpet would change and bring reawakening as God delivers us from the sword, famine, plagues, economic hardships and every form of destruction mentioned in Zechariah, she said. Sandra Lee Wezowicz, Aglow International, Israel Education Director, called on the members to pray for Israel and the Jewish people. By Bernice Bessey 17.02.2016 LISTEN The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has, once again, reiterated his commitment to the setting up of a special fund aimed at enhancing infrastructural development in the Zongo communities and improving the lives of their residents, when, God-willing, he is elected President of the Republic, in spite of attempts by the ruling National democratic Congress (NDC) to discredit the policy. According to him, the Zongo Development Fund, which he first announced in the 2012 campaign to tackle the deprived nature of the Zongos, will be an integral part of the party's 2016 manifesto, and will be established if, God-willing, he is given the mandate to serve the people of Ghana, from January 2017. Nana Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, February 15, when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief Imam of the Western Region, Alhaji Ustaz Aliu Hassan, at his residence in Sekondi. He noted that the fund forms part a holistic policy approach, aimed at tackling the deprived nature of the Zongos, something which has never been done in Ghana's history. The NPP flagbearer was, therefore, not surprised that the ruling NDC government had, once again, embarked on an aggressive campaign to discredit this policy, just as the party did when the NPP proposed the setting up of the Northern Development Authority and the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, in 2008 and 2012 respectively. It will be recalled that when Nana Akufo-Addo suggested the idea of a Northern Development Authority and Northern Development Fund in 2008, then NDC vice presidential candidate John Mahama laughed at it, and stated that Nana Akufo-Addo should use monies for the fund to pay the debts of the Volta River Authority (VRA). Again, when the NPP mooted the Free SHS policy, the NDC indicated that this was unachievable and only intended to win votes for the NPP and destroy Ghana's education in the end, only for President Mahama to try to implement the policy. In this regard, Nana Akufo-Addo urged the gathering present at the Chief Imam's residence not to pay heed to the NDC, stressing that they had shown over their eight years in office to have no plans or policies for the development of the country. On the cancellation of the allowances paid Arabic tutors across the country by the NDC government, Nana Akufo-Addo assured that just as allowances were paid under the NPP government, led by President Kufuor, when you entrust the resources of this nation under my care, these allowances will be restored. The Zongo community has a special place in my heart. I am resident in Nima, and I know at firsthand the difficulties of Zongo communities in Ghana, and in office I will carry out this pledge to the letter, he added. Touching on the unfortunate incidents that occurred in Old Tafo, the NPP leader noted that it was a source of worry for many well-meaning Ghanaians, as well as for the NPP, and a development which must never occur again. He assured Alhaji Ustaz Hassan that he has an unwavering commitment to Ghana as a secular state that protects the rights of all its citizens to worship and subscribe to the religion of their choice. I stand for peaceful co-existence between Christians and Moslems, which we have known for several centuries in Ghana. We must continue this tradition, he added. In concluding, Nana Akufo-Addo appealed for the support of the Zongo community in Sekondi for the NPP in the November elections. Traditionally, Zongo communities have not supported the NPP. But this year, we are here to appeal for your support and your vote. We want all Zongo communities across the country to support the NPP, and help push the party to victory, he added. To the Chief Imam, Nana Akufo-Addo stated: When you pray to Almighty Allah, please say a prayer for the peace of the nation. Pray that Allah guides the EC, so that a level playing field is created for all the political parties, so that the final results will be readily accepted by all. Also, please say a prayer for me. Ask Allah to give me wisdom, strength and a compassionate heart to be a good leader, so I can work for the progress and prosperity of our country. Nana Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the acting NPP National Chairman, Mr. Freddie Blay; 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament and NPP MP for Essikado Ketan, Joe Ghartey; former presidential aspirant and former Minister of Trade and PSIs under President Kufuor, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; former presidential aspirant and former Minister of Information under President Kufuor, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; MP for Mampong and former presidential aspirant, Francis Addai Nimo, and a host of others. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has charged regional and constituency executives, as well as the party's parliamentary candidates from the Western Region, to win the majority of popular votes and seats in the region, as this will guarantee an NPP victory in the 2016 elections. According to Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana's electoral history in the 4th Republic has shown that you have to be able to win Western Region to be able to win a national election to be able to form a government. He noted that in as much as the people of Ghana are looking up to the NPP to win the November 7 elections, the entire party is also looking up to the leadership of the party in the region to ensure that the Western Region becomes a stronghold of the party once again. The NPP flagbearer made this known on Monday, February 15, when he addressed regional and constituency executives of the party at the GNAT Hall in Takoradi, after the one-week funeral ceremony of the late Ben Kwaw, former acting Western Regional NPP Chairman. Nana Akufo-Addo, who indicated that the party must honour the memory of fallen patriots like the late Ben Kwaw with victory in the November polls, stressed that the party cannot afford to relinquish a single vote in the metropolis of the Western Region. Be it in Sekondi, Takoradi, Effia, Kwesimintsim, Essikadu Ketan, Ahanta West, Shama, Mpohor, Wassa, this year, we must get good news from all of these constituencies. If we are to get this, it depends on the hard work we must all do. The hard work means that in every part of the region, we must send the NPP's message of hope to every Ghanaian voter, he said. He continued: The nation is in tatters, but [President] Kufuor showed the nation that its fortunes can be turned around, and the country put right back on track. That is the message we must send to all that we are coming to put Ghana back onto the path of progress and prosperity. We, in the NPP, have the men and women, with the knowledge and skill, to give this country a first class government, which will lift the masses from abject poverty and deliver jobs and prosperity for all. Nana Akufo-Addo, in this regard, appealed for the support of all members of the party, adding that this election is not for us to lose. Let's not do that. Let's win it and form a government. What is happening in Cote d'Ivoire next door, we can do better than that in Ghana. Let's all work together. To the new acting Chairman, Francis Ndede Siah, Nana Akufo-Addo admonished him to stand firm and be resolute, for God is with you on his assumption of the mantle of leadership of the party in the region, and ensure that the party in the region is united and prepared to work hard for an NPP victory on November 7, 2016. 17.02.2016 LISTEN The Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), has declared their intention to petition the Supreme Court over the Ministry of Finance's failure to pay its members their salary arrears in the last two years. Two other teacher unions, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), are also putting pressure on the Finance Ministry to pay their accumulated allowances. The Unions have already declared their intention to lay down their tools. The unions are demanding the payment of the arrears of the 2013 and 2014 batches of newly recruited teachers, allowances for teachers on promotion and others who were reinstated or re-engaged, and also the outstanding transfer grants and allowances for deserving teachers. The Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, also told Citi News they signed an agreement with government in November 2015 to have their arrears fast-tracked, but government has violated the agreement. . CCT to strike in two weeks Addressing the press in Accra on Wednesday, the Vice President of the CCT, King Ali Awudu indicated that if they are not paid within two weeks, they will embark on an indefinite strike. If within two weeks, all salary arrears, vehicle maintenance allowance, incremental credit arrears and transfer grants are not paid, then we declare that all teachers should stay out of the classroom in a massive strike to press home our demands. Supreme Court action Mr. King Ali Awudu says they are contemplating a possible court action against the state, to seek for interpretation of the law at the Supreme Court on the payment of salaries to public sector workers. We are seeking an interpretation to Article 24 (1) of the 1992 constitution, if the state or government has the right to employ and not pay these employee. Nevertheless, if by the end of this month, we do not see any assurances of the payment of our monies and all the issues we have raised are not addressed, then an indefinite strike has been declared in advance. -Citifmonline Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. I am a politician. Yes, I know. It sounds hard to believe that preachers and politicians can walk the walk and speak the speak. However, I am not a politician of the democratic order. I learned my politics from Jesus Christ (Yeshua ha Mashiach). By politics, wemy Lord and Isimply mean leadership, or better yet ruling in righteousness. The word politics translates from the Greek word politikos as dealing with citizens or affairs of the state. It is not a word that is set in stone as meaning democratic politics or elections. This does not mean that I would never do politics as a profession. I simply know that if you are going to lead, you must do it in righteousness. This article will address why so many Christians are heathen in terms of their politics. Such persons need to repent and see if their politics is really of the Christian persuasion. Ghana for example, is full of Christians who are interested in voting for leaders who never do the right thing (in righteousness). My Lord and His Politics Yeshua was a man after his Fathers heart. In truth, Yeshua never sinned once in his life. He led in righteousness. For this reason, his fire was never quenched in terms of his Fathers will being done in his life. Yeshua always did his Fathers will. This is why he taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth (Mattityahu/Matthew 6:9-10 ASV). The Kingdom is a government ruled from on high by the Most High. Where are its followers? They are on earth and in heaven. For this reason, government is the prerogative of any apostle of God, as well as the children of God in general. Our politics should be like Yeshuas politics: full of holiness and righteousness. And so, it is written, And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Mattityahu/Matthew 28:18-20 ASV). Yeshua ha Mashiach is the ruler of heaven and earth. The authority given unto him comes from the Father of heavenly lights. Therefore, as an apostle, my duty is to show out the glory of God in Spirit and in truth so that my people, the people of God, can get right and rule in righteousness. Yeshuas politics centered on two main things: the Kingdom of God and His Fathers righteousness. Yeshua wanted you to take part in his government. How? By believing that he was sent by his Father. This belief should follow from your choice to repent of your sins (i.e. repent from breaking Gods commandments and laws). My job as an apostle is to make sure that the people of God are well instructed according to truth and wisdom in order that people would know that Yeshua is Lord! Democratic Politics Why is democratic politics so popular to people? I will tell you one of the reasons. It is because it is a paradigm during which the will of man prevails periodically in selecting people who are not submitted to God to do their bidding among citizens of a nation. In democratic politics, the will of God is rarely allowed to prevail. It is why democracy is so foolish and often becomes the basis of so much waste in government. I want to know what you think. Is government supposed to be wasteful or prudent in spending? We wait to see what Yeshua has in mind for the Republic of Ghana. Then we will know. Ghana is a nation that has numerous monarchical and priestly entitiestraditional authoritiesthat rarely call upon the Most High God for counsel and wisdom in governance. It is no wonder then that the nation is now a nation that has so much debt and cannot even properly exploit its own resources without foreign help. Where are the prophets to speak to the situation? We need them to deliver judgement upon parliament, the judiciary and the presidency so that these institutions can fail from doing the bidding of Babylonian whores of unrighteousness. In case you did not know, the term Babylonian whore comes from a passage of scripture wherein it is written, And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15 KJV). The whore of Babylon is a city where fornication and sin of every sort are committed against Yahweh. Today, there are many cities in the earth that are filled with evil and vice to the point where God is ready to do judgement against them. There is ONE city however that tops the list: this is the city of BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5 KJV). This city system of government works in such a way that many cannot see what is controlling their lives or their passions about money, sex, family and other things. Heathen people are mainly the rulers of these cities. They are called wicked people according to God. In Ghana, some of them are in your church. I am an apostle to my generation in order that they would know how to live and prosper according to the grace of God and the righteousness of the Father in whom there is no shadow of turning. Hear this! Now is the time for salvation! Repent and believe the gospel! Amen. Yeshua is the Son of God It sounds hard to believe that God of all persons could have a Son. Nonetheless, it is so. He has one only begotten son and many others who have been reborn into His Kingdom government through the salvation provided by Him. These sons are led by the Holy Spirit, for it is written, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14 ASV). If you are a disobedient Christian and you do not submit to the Holy Spirit, you will never have sonship and favour from the living God. So then, it is written, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (Yochanan/John 1:12 KJV). Are you interested in joining Gods government? Time is running out. Be born again and live forever in Yeshuas name! Amen (and so shall it be). NB: I dedicate this article to the many of non-believers who are yet to hear the gospel preached in truth. Amen. Hear this! The gospel is not Christianity. It is righteousness fulfilled in the person of Yeshua, who is Lord. Amen, amen, amen. May his will be done according to his Fathers wisdom. Sincerely, Apostle of the Most High, Mawuetornam Dugbazah, In Yeshuas name The Media Foundation for West Africa, (MFWA) has learnt with concern the threats issued against Ato Kwamena Dadzie, a journalist with privately-owned Joy FM, by the Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency of the Central Region of Ghana, Kennedy Agyapong. On February 16, 2016, Agyapong reportedly accosted Dadzie in front of Joy FM and threatened to deal with him for comments the journalists had made about him. This morning he menacingly accosted me in front of Joy FM and threatened to slap, beat and "deal" with me if I don't watch the things I write about him, the journalist wrote on his Facebook timeline. He violently shouted all manner of threats and expletives at me as he was restrained and led away by onlookers. If the above narrative and other corroborative reports in the media are anything to go by, then Kennedy Agyapong has exposed his disregard for the right to freedom of expression. Resorting to physical confrontation and threatening a journalist is an unacceptable conduct, especially by a lawmaker who should rather appreciate the need to respect journalists and uphold the law. The MFWA therefore fully approves Dadzies decision to file a police complaint against the MP whose conduct in this matter is unworthy of a Member of Parliament. While we call on the Ghana Police Service to act on the journalists complaint with the seriousness it deserves, we also urge the leadership of the Parliament of Ghana to call Kennedy Agyapong to order. Food scientists in Ghana are asking the Ministry of Local Government to consider serving orange-fleshed sweet potato as one of the meals for Ghanas School Feeding Programme. Dr. Edward Carey of the International Potato Centre wants the School Feeding Programme to add sweet potato to the childrens daily menu. With its high nutritional value for children, it can serve as a substitution on the school feeding menu. He said. The proposal comes as concerns are raised over the quality of food served to children under the programme faced with funding constraints. Dr. Edward Carey is worried the crop has been neglected in Ghana despite its health and other potential benefits. Its been a neglected crop; we have realized the potential value of it for health and income. So we need to give it a boost, he said. Ashanti Region for instance, produces 620 metric tons of sweet potatoes out of 131, 990 metric tons, the least in the country. Food Scientist at the Food and Technology department of KNUST, Dr. Faustina Wiereko-Menu who has been explaining the nutritional benefits of potatoes to children wants more children to consume potatoes as the Orange Flesh Sweet Potato is said to contain contains high bitter carotene. Carotene is high in Vitamin A which tackles deficiencies of Vitamin A especially in children. Studies have shown that your intellectual potentials decrease when you have Vitamin A deficiency, ones it is decreased; the future economic development will be affected. Dr Wireko-Manu explained. A research by the International Potato Center in Peru expect500,000 households in Ghana to consume sweet potato by 2020. The Centre is currently working with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in efforts to realize the dream. At a ten-day training program in Kumasi, participants were taking through how to prepare simple local food with sweet potato as substitutes. 17.02.2016 LISTEN Maybe if you are a diehard National Democratic Congress stalwart, your beacon of revolutionary enlightenment is Iran. Which is why President John Dramani Mahama would so pathetically brag about having been the first African leader to have paid an official visit to the Islamic Republic since Tehran initialed its nuclear-freeze deal with the United States and its Western allies (See Im First African Leader to Visit Iran After Nuclear Treaty Mahama Starrfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 2/16/16). Those of us who are old enough to remember, which means that we are at least 50 years old and up, the Iranian Revolution was the bloodiest of its kind in the late 1970s and throughout much of the 1980s. As a Christian of proud Presbyterian heritage, the Iranian Revolution, led by the implacably vengeful and self-righteous Ayatollahs, did not present the sort of charitable image that would have attracted those of us who equated religiosity and religious leadership with love and compassion. In the heydays of the Iranian Revolution, ordinary citizens were routinely lined up on a daily basis and summarily executed by firing squad for crimes ranging from adultery largely in the case of women to suspicion of homosexuality, alcoholism and larceny or white-collar theft. And so when President Mahama lauds Iran for having staunchly backed African liberation struggles across the continent, it is not clear whether the self-professed Christian Ghanaian leader from a predominantly Muslim clan or extended family remarkably appreciates the stark hypocrisy entailed in such laudation or commendation. In other words, the Islamic Republic of Iran may very well have staunchly supported the anticolonial struggles in various parts of the African continent, but did the reality of Irans own political track-record at home indicate any emulative conviction among its top leadership in the principles and practices of freedom and justice? In sum, if charity does not seem to have begun at home, as it ought to have been, then why should it matter at all if the patently most uncharitable of revolutionary governments doggedly promoted charity abroad? I hope the Iranians, particularly the ordinary citizens of that country, are open-minded and enlightened enough to fully appreciate the fact that most Ghanaians do not have the flippant and morally vain mindset and attitude of their present leader. Indeed, so vainglorious is Mr. Mahama that when he became Ghanas Transitional President, in the wake of the mysterious circumstances culminating in the death of President John Evans Atta-Mills, among the first pronouncements that he made was that he was the first Ghanaian leader to have been born after 1957, the epochal year of Ghanas reassertion of her sovereignty from British colonial imperialism. I doubt very much that most Ghanaian teachers and other civil and public servants whose salaries and wages have been hermetically locked in arrears for three months or more, as of this writing, have any use for the shallow fact of whether Mr. Mahama is the first post-independence-born Ghanaian to accede to the presidency. Such historical trivia may make him feel proud and even superior to the rest of his countrymen and women, but what does this purely personal achievement do towards the socioeconomic and cultural advancement of the country? Indeed, I have absolutely no question in my mind, whatsoever, of the need for our country to forge a healthy and cordial relationship with each and every country in the world; nevertheless, pretending, nose-thumbingly, as if Iran has had any materially more significant relationship with Ghana than either the United States or Britain, for ready examples, is simply inexcusably farcical, to speak much less about the downright preposterous. If, indeed, Mr. Mahama envisaged Iran to be so indispensable in the area of petroleum and gas exploration and production, why did it take the Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to bring in American petrochemical engineers and investors from Texas to do the job? Where were the Iranians throughout the revolutionary shit-bombing tantrums of Chairman Jerry John Rawlings? Childishly thumbing his nose, under the specious guise of Ghanas Non-Alignment status, at the indisputably beneficent West does not do either Mr. Mahama himself or our country any good. And by the way, what has Mr. Mahamas being the first African leader to have paid an official visit to Iran, in the wake of the latters signing of a face-saving nuclear non-production and non-proliferation pact with the Western Powers got to do with the producer price of cocoa in Ghana? A word to thewho? *Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs A group photograph of the facilitators at the launch of the event 17.02.2016 LISTEN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unity Group of Companies, Dr Kwame Kyei, has launched a peace campaign towards election 2016 in Accra recently. The peace campaign, under the auspices of Unity Group of Companies and its facilitators, is to promote peace and ensure stability during election 2016. Nana Oto Darko, a presenter at Light TV in Accra, in his opening remarks at the event, disclosed the core objective of the project, highlighting that the campaign is geared towards becoming a voice that promotes peace, shared values and rule of law, human right, social and economic standards and to stop ambush politics in Ghana. General Manager of Unity Oil, Alfred Arthur Frimpong, reading a speech on behalf of Dr Kyei, pointed out that Ghana is said to often lead other African nations for her most powerful and open democracies in West Africa and across the continent. He continuedThe Republic of Ghana had till now experienced decade of relatively stable political progress. The 1992 Constitution, approved by referendum, establishes the multi-party system of Ghana's democracy. Nana Odupon Okomfo Abeka Sikafo II, president of the Ga Chief Priests Association, also expressed his appreciation to Dr Kyei for using the campaign as a platform to tour the I0 regions in order to maintain peace rather than to fight against the harmony we have enjoyed for years. One of the facilitators for the programme, Steven Ackah from Ankoma Foundation, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, mentioned that the new flagship programme is to enhance peaceful character among the youth as well as to enrich cultural discussion as we spur growth and prosperity in 2016. We want to strengthen our communities in Ghana by acting as ambassadors for peace in 2016. Other dignitaries present at the launch were Odineho Nii Kofi Abra II, Nii Otukpe I, head of Klornaatope; Nii Adama Pataku IV, chief of Akanmejeya; Naa Kordei I, queen mother of Jamestown; Naa Dede Alba Ohetse of Sempe Manye, Naa Gbegbe I and Naa Otobia from Adonten Otublonum. The decision by Dr Karl Mark Arhin to accept to be part of the 18-member steering committee of the Electoral Commission knowing he was a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been described as an 'unwise decision' by the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mr George Lawson. According to Mr Lawson, the NDC as a party was not informed that Dr Arhin had been appointed and he had gone ahead to accept the position. Dr Arhin was recently appointed to the steering committee of the EC as a representative of the National Service Scheme (NSS). Following information that he was a card-bearing member of the NDC, it was announced on Wednesday that he had been dropped from the election committee and the NSS was to appoint a replacement in the light of the feedback on his partisan status. Speaking on the matter in a radio interview on Asempa FM's Ekosii Sen programme, Mr Lawson said if the party was aware, it would have counseled Dr Arhin against accepting the appointment. It was 'very, very wrong for him to take up that position to me it was an unwise decision' and that the 'wise decision' would have been for him to 'decline' the appointment. 'And today look at how they are beating us, left, right, front, centre, whatever,' he noted. Mr Lawson said he thought the EC was probably not aware that Dr Arhin was a member of the NDC and described the development as a wrong move which must be condemned. He said the EC has provided a time table to all political parties and there was no indication of an inauguration of a steering committee on the timetable. The Campaign Manager of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, who also spoke on the Asempa FM programme said the steering committee was 'bogus.'' 'These are things that cast the integrity of the Commission in dispute. They appoint Dr. Arhin in the first place only for him to step down. What is the meaning of that?' Mr Manu said He said the whole steering committee thing had been done at the blind side of everybody and that even though he had been part of all Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings, the issue has never been tabled until the inauguration of the committee. Dr Arhin who is a Deputy Executive Secretary at the NSS, until recently, was said to be a former Deputy Director of International Affairs of the NDC. He was also a Deputy Elections Director of the NDC and an aspiring 2016 parliamentary candidate of the party at the Amenfi Central constituency. There has been arguments why he decided to accept the appointment at all knowing his partisan status. Pressure group Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) had on Tuesday called on the EC to dissolve the steering committee, which it said was NDC-biased. It contended that Dr Arhin's nomination was dangerous and questioned, "...how fair can this process be when the person nominated to facilitate this process is a leading member of the ruling party?" Until Dr. Arhin stepped aside; members included the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in-charge of Finance and Administration, Dr Karl Mark Arhin; Deputy Director General of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel F. Ogbe; Deputy Commissioner at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal and Deputy Chairman of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) in-charge of Operations, Samuel Asare Akuamoah. The rest are the Head of Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at the Ghana Education Service (GES); Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, Francis Azumah; Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), George Sarpong; Director General, Operations, the Ghana Police Service, COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu and the Director of Operations of the Ghana Prisons Service, Sylvester K.B. Rabbles. The committee was inaugurated on February 8, 2016. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are urging the UN Security Council to take action against Rwanda, which they accuse of recruiting refugees to oust the Bujumbura government, according to letters released Wednesday. Rwanda has repeatedly denied claims that it was arming Burundian refugees in a bid to overthrown President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose re-election has plunged his country in turmoil. Burundi's UN Ambassador Albert Shingiro called for an urgent council meeting to "take appropriate action to ensure that the Rwandan government does not engage in any act designed to destabilize Burundi," in a letter dated Friday. Kinshasa asked the 15-member council to "condemn without delay" Rwanda's actions and press Kigali to immediately end recruitments and other operations, Ambassador Ignace Gata Mavita said in a letter dated last Thursday. Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win. More than 400 people have been killed and some 230,000 have fled the country in the conflict that the United Nations fears could slide into ethnic warfare, similar to the conflict that led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to travel to Burundi on Monday to push for political talks and a stronger international presence to pull the country back from the brink, diplomats said. A UN panel of experts reported last month that Rwanda had recruited refugees, including children, in a camp in eastern Rwanda and provided them with two months of military training with a view to oust Nkurunziza. The United States, which has friendly relations with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, has said the reports of Kigali's military activities in Burundi are credible. During a visit to Burundi in January, Security Council ambassadors heard Nkurunziza blame Rwanda for the violence in his country. France is preparing a draft resolution that could provide for a UN police force to be deployed to Burundi to help quell the violence after Nkurunziza rejected a proposed 5,000 African Union peacekeeping force. Accra, Feb. 17, GNA - Alhaji Yussif Captain, National Coordinator of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Zongo Caucus, has said the Caucus is the predominant platform seeking to improve zongo communities in the country. He dismissed the claims by the New Patriotic Party that they will ensure better welfare of people living the zongo communities when voted into power in the November general elections. Alhaji Captain was speaking at the swearing-in of the Ablekuma Central branch and constituency coordinators of the Caucus in Accra. The occasion was also used to launch the Caucus's constituency campaign for the November elections which is aimed at galvanizing support for the party and President John Dramani Mahama. He said due to the massive developmental projects across the country, especially in the zongo communities by the Mahama-led administration, there was no doubt that the party would win more zongo votes. The National Coordinator said President Mahama-led administration has brought development projects to the doorsteps of the people, of which the people in the zongo communities are beneficiaries. These development projects, he said, would attract Ghanaians to vote massively for the NDC come November 7. On the Hajj Pilgrimage, Alhaji Captain said the Tamale and Kumasi Airports would help in airlifting prospective pilgrims to Accra to embark on the pilgrimage. Alhaji Ishmael Bawa, National Executive Member of the Caucus, said President Mahama has shown great commitment towards the country's development as well as excellent performance in providing long lasting solutions to major challenges confronting the country over the years, hence, the Caucus's optimism of achieving the 100 per cent votes for the party. He said developmental projects such as construction of roads, schools, health facilities, drainages, provision portable water among others are the priorities of the NDC government. Alhaji Bawa appealed to Ghanaians especially the Zongo youth to apply for the Youth in Entrepreneur programme which according to him would help reduce unemployment in the country. He also called on the youth to be innovative and come out with programmes that would create jobs for themselves. Alhaji Mohammed Ashkah, Greater Accra Coordinator of the Caucus, said the recent tour by President Mahama across the country has exposed the opposition lies about what they described as "incompetence" on the part of President Mahama-led administration. He said the tour revealed the hard work of NDC in its effort to improve the standards of the people as part of the Better Ghana Agenda. He cited the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kasoa interchange, Ho University, among others, as some of the hallmarks of the Better Ghana Agenda. GNA Accra, Feb. 17, GNA - The 23rd African Indian Ocean Satellite Network (AFISNET) Management Committee meeting has opened in Accra. The five-day meeting is being attended by delegates from countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Mr Fifi Kwetey, the Minister of Transport, who opened the meeting, said the establishment of the Network, demonstrated the principles of cooperation and brotherliness as enshrined in the charter of ECOWAS and the African Union. 'The establishment of this Network is one of the achievements we as Africans can boast of,' he said, adding 'the Network has brought together people of various nationalities to collaborate and ensure that the African airspace becomes one of the safest in the world.' Mr Kwetey expressed satisfaction with the fact that the meeting had invited specialist companies and vendors of satellite communications technology and services to deliberate on issues'and find common solutions to the problems confronting you as a body'. He urged participants to come out with what would best serve both global and African needs. 'Note should be taken of the fact that we want to build and sustain a regional airspace that would be one of the safest in the world, one that would be the pride of Africa and the envy of the world,' said the Minister. Mr Kwetey said it was necessary for participants to deliberate and come up with new ideas on the training of engineers and technicians, since they were the ones who operated installed equipment. He mentioned the New Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy, the New Passenger Terminal three (3) at the Kotoka International Airport which has a passenger throughput of five million passengers a year; the upgrade and extension of the runway at the Tamale airport with the provision of a new apron to accommodate code E and F aircraft; as well as the construction of a new airport at Ho, as vivid proof, that Ghana continues to improve upon its aviation infrastructure. 'On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, I welcome you all to Ghana,' the Minister said. Mr Simon Allotey, Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said air traffic control and air space safety, depended on numerous radio communication, navigational aids, surveillance systems, as well as engineers, and technicians who manage, operate and maintain the equipment. He said maintaining radio contact with aircraft flying over 'the vast expanse of the ocean and the deserts of Africa' was a challenging experience. Mr Allotey said the establishment of AFISNET in 1993 with the support of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the European Union, has been timely. 'Apart from its use for extended range VHF, it is employed mainly for point to point voice and data communication between adjacent Air Traffic Control Centers.' He said the network has greatly enhanced the dissemination of flight-related data within the Western and Central African sub-region, for which it was originally designed and had now been expanded further across the continent, 'reaching Madagascar and even further'. Mr Allotey said the fact that since the technical and financial support agreement with the European Union expired in 2002, civil aviation administrations have been left on their own to maintain their equipment and also source funding for their maintenance. 'Our engineers and technicians here in GCAA and those in your countries, have been able to stand the test and demonstrated great technical ability in maintaining the aging and somewhat obsolete systems. On behalf of all present here, I congratulate you on this achievement,' he said. The GCAA Director General said to the participants, 'it gives me great satisfaction that you have always maintained close ties among yourselves, and have collaborated in several areas to ensure that AFISNET is sustained.' He said there was the need to align AFISNET's engineering strategy with ICAO's Global Air Navigation Plan, to enhance air navigation capacity and efficiency, in the implementation of the Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU). Mr Allotey said the meeting came at a time when the aviation fraternity was looking to Africa to address various deficiencies in the provision of air navigation services. 'Your effective collaboration and unity of purpose will send a signal to the rest of the world that Africa can stand on its own,' he said. The conference ends on February 15th, 2016. GNA Akosombo, Feb. 17, GNA - Socioserve-Ghana (SSG), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in the Eastern Region, has partnered two others sister organizations to roll out a two-year project which would ensure a peaceful and incident-free pre and post-election period in the country. The Global Action for Women Empowerment (GLOWA) and Development Gateway International (De-GAIN) based in the Volta and Greater Accra Regions respectively, are the other collaborators. Mr. John Obuaba, the Project Coordinator, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Akosombo in the Eastern Region that the project named "Promoting electoral integrity in Ghana-2016 and beyond," has already taken off since last January and is expected to end by February 2018. The goal among others, is to focus on efforts to ensure that international standards and global norms governing elections are adhered to in Ghana before, during and the after the 2016 general elections, to achieve best outcomes. 'The project is expected to promote a violence-free, transparent and fair election cycle' Mr Obuaba added. It seeks to do this by strengthening cooperation among parties by activating Inter-Party Dialogue Committees whiles creating platforms for the political parties, especially parliamentary candidates, to engage in issue-based campaigning, he added. Mr. Obuaba said the project receiving counterpart funding from the European Union, is targeting political parties and local citizen groups in 15 constituencies from five regions of Ghana -Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Central and Western Regions. He said the coalition, after identifying the media as a critical component in ensuring violence-free election, has engaged the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), to train media professionals and to monitor radio stations to avoid doing things likely to spark violence Other strategies, the project has adopted also include creating a common platform for political party representatives at the constituency and regional levels to renounce violence and to cooperate with different electoral stakeholders to resolve election-related conflicts. 'It would also train political youth groups to become peace ambassadors within their communities and provide citizens with the knowledge, skills as well as opportunities needed to assess candidates based on policy issues and to make well- informed voting decisions, without let, hindrance or intimidation, the project coordinator said. GNA Sunyani, Feb. 17, GNA - Mrs Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has advised electorates to avoid selling their votes to politicians in a run-up to the November 7 general election. She said electorate could vote on merit in the general election if they vehemently reject gifts and monies from politicians that would coerce them to make uninformed choice. Mrs Addah gave the advice at a stakeholder's dialogue on the Open Governance Partnership (OGP) Initiative in Sunyani, attended by representatives of municipal and district assemblies and civil society organizations. She said Ghanaians should demand accountability from politicians, duty bearers, policy makers and help reduce corrupt practices by refusing bribes and gifts from those people. Mrs Addah emphasized that the national fight against corruption could be effective if the menace was tackled from all angles. She said GII, a local chapter of the Transparency International, was not a 'witch hunter' but rather a partner in development working to create a better society where institutions could function effectively. The open governance initiative required innovations and technology that would give opportunity to citizens to contribute meaningfully in decision making processes, she said, expressing regret that systems at some state and public institution set up to support the fight against corruption were very weak and under-resourced. GNA We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. you are here: Oil prices extended gains on Wednesday after Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying Iran supports the decision by OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers to keep a "ceiling" on oil production. "The decision that was taken for the OPEC and non-OPEC members to keep their production ceiling to stabilize the market and prices for the benefit of producers and consumers, is supported by us," he told the ministry's official Shana news agency. He was speaking after he met his counterparts from three other producing nations Iraq, Venezuela and Qatar to discuss a proposal to freeze output at January levels. Zanganeh did not explicitly say in his remarks quoted by Shana that Iran would keep its own output at its January level. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. Brent crude was up USD 1.83 at USD 34.01 a barrel by 10:52 am ET (1552 GMT), near a session high. US crude traded at USD 30.51 a barrel, up USD 1.47, also near the highs of the day. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Shana quoted Zanganeh as saying other oil ministers understand Iran's special situation. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear program last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. A freeze in production from the near-record levels in January would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," said PVM analyst David Hufton. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and would not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing US oil inventory data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute later on Wednesday and official government figures on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. business Banks need Rs 2.3 trn by 2019 to meet Basel, growth target: S&P Deepali Seth Chhabria of S&P Ratings Services says the banking system requires capital of Rs 2.3 trillion by 2019 to meet fund requirements as per Basel and for growth business Buy Bank of Baroda, advises Sudarshan Sukhani Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com is of the view that Bank of Baroda is an investment idea. Beadell Resources Ltd [ASX:BDR] had gained 15% on yesterdays close. Investors should realise Beadell has actually been a great stock to own over the last few months. What happened to the BDR share price? By early afternoon today, Beadell Resources Ltd [ASX:BDR] had gained 15% on yesterdays close. Apart from todays dramatic gains, investors should realise Beadell has actually been a great stock to own over the last few months. Why did BDR shares do this? Most analysts forecast BDR reporting lower revenues in 2015 before rebounding in 2016. This will be reflected in weaker earnings during the first half of 2016. On top of this, the stocks outlook has split the market. Some sees massive gains for BDR over the course of 2016; others expect it to fall. I want to remind investors the two things that have made BDR attractive recently. One is its push as a momentum stock. My own model has signalled a buy position for the stock over the last 22 weeks. That would have given you around 40% return. The other attractive feature relates to the companys core business gold mining. BDRs stock gains are by no means exclusive to it. It is occurring for all gold producers. An economic explanation of the rally in gold might be the flight to safety factor. Due to rising volatilities in the stock market, investors have been shifting money out of stocks, opting for cash and gold instead. That has dramatically pushed up the gold producers stock values. From my calculations on asset correlations, BDR has been a low correlation stock to the market. This is indeed a very attractive feature to have in a portfolio in the current market. What now for BDR? The question is will it last? The answer is unclear. I believe the momentum in BDR will perhaps persist for a little while longer before it starts to decay. On the gold side of things, I believe a re-stabilisation of the stock market will see money flowing back out of gold. This will mean a correction in the gold price. So Im not overly optimistic on BDRs short term future. I believe investors need to remain vigilant on BDR in the near future. Ken Wangdong+ Emerging Market Analyst, New Frontier Investor CEAL News: The latest Information for East Asian Librarians, from the Council on East Asian Libraries The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. Human Resource in Malaysia - Worker Policy - Migrant Workers(Foreign Workers) - well, all this comes under Ministry of Human Resources, and th at Minister is Richard Riot, Human Resource Minister Richard Riot said today that he is worthy of being appointed as a federal minister....Riot, who is also Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) deputy president, said his appointment as a federal minister was the prerogative of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak....But Riot had said he was in the Human Resources ministry because his first degree in Human Resource was from University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom while his Masters was also in the same field. Bernama - FMT News, 29/6/2013 But, if you have been following the reported stories about Malaysia's need for 1.5 million more migrant workers in Malaysia, one would be wondering whether we now have a working Minister of Human Resources? OR whether Zahid Hamidi is now the 'new' or 'de facto' HR Minister or maybe even have ousted the powers and responsibility of the current Human Resource Minister? Richard Riot has been exceptionally quite as far as reported media news, when one goggles this issue... The Minister who has been seen to be in the forefront is Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who is also currently the Deputy Prime Minister. Employers are apparently going to him about their 'human resource' problems, etc...WHY? And, it looks like he is dealing with them too? WHERE IS RICHARD RIOT? I believe this is wrong - it may be true that the Malaysian Immigration Department may be under this Home Minister, but really all matters concerning Human Resources must be handled by the Minister of Human Resources... RICHARD RIOT Even the question of LEVY, when it comes to levy relating to workers - it must be the Human Resource Ministry that decides on how many migrant workers, the quantum and who pays - not the the Home Minister. If the Home Ministry gets too involved, then there may be a clash in cabinet responsibilities and even the labour policy in Malaysia. Say, if the Human Resource Ministry is to protect local workers - but the Home Minister decides on who pays and how much LEVY, it may contradict with Human Resource Policies. Malaysia may be going through 'bad times' - but still the Home Minister(also Deputy Prime Minister) should not be just looking at how to make more money for Malaysia? Matters concerning human resources must still be handled by RICHARD RIOT Such 'interference' or even 'positioning' by Zahid Hamidi (the Home Minister) on matters of human resources should not be happening - Richard Riot is the Minister in Charge . Or, is Zahid speking for and on behalf the Prime Minister personally? Richard Riot need to behave like a MINISTER - not just follower of instructions of another Minister...The only persons who can overrule the Minister's decision is the Prime Minister (for he is the one who chooses his Cabinet and even his Deputy PM), or the Parliament..not any other Minister, even if he is the Deputy Prime Minister - this is my opinion. Remember, in Malaysia, according to our constitution, the PM has the power to remove his Deputy PM or any member of the Cabinet at any time. It is essentially the Prime Minister's Cabinet? Recently, I see that Richard Riot maybe in Bangladesh to sign the agreement? But, what is the Ministry's position - or is the Minister just simply doing as directed? Directed by whom? The Home Minister? The Prime Minister? ... The perceptions given by the media reports is confusing...and given that there seem to be little or no media reports highlighting what the Ministry of Human Resources' position is on the matter of the extra 1.5 million migrants to be brought in over the next 3 years? [There are many other concerns about this - would 1.5 million migrant workers in Malaysia be leaving Malaysia in the next 3 years? Would employers prefer to extend contracts of already trained now existing migrant workers or just bring in NEW migrant workers?....??? Should not ASEAN workers be the preference?] As such, It is the Ministry of Human Resources, who will decide on whether we need MORE MIGRANT WORKERS or Not. If the Ministry says they need, then the Immigration Department should just facilitate the entry or exit as determined by the Ministry of Human Resources...by facilitating the issuance of the required work permit/passes, Even on the question of LEVY - It should be Ministry of Human Resources that should be deciding. RICHARD RIOT, WHAT IS THE MALAYSIAN HUMAN RESOURCE POLICY? ON MIGRANT WORKERS, WORKERS, ETC... * If and only if, there are no local workers to fill the employment opportunities in Malaysia, employers would be given permission to employ foreign workers(migrant workers)? POLICY? * Exception MAY be, if there is a need for workers which have specific skills, which Malaysian workers do not have or could not be trained to have within a reasonable period (maybe 3 months), then employers will be permitted to seek and employ migrant workers sufficient to fill those positions? * DETERENCE to be put in place to ensure that local worker are preferred by employers. One of this would be that Employers be required to pay levy for each and every migrant worker they employ. Labour cost per hour(not taking into account other cost of recruiting, cost of bringing in and sending back, cost of additional health requirements, levy and other bonds) - Labour Cost per hour of work for Local Workers must be the same or lower than migrant workers. Now, for Local worker, employer pays an additional 13% of their income into the worker's account in the Employees Provident Fund(EPF/KWSP), hence the same or a higher amount should also be paid for migrant workers be it to a similar EPF-like fund or LEVY or ..... If not, labour cost per working hour of migrant workers becomes lower in comparison to local workers. * Access to Justice Restrictions Make Migrant Workers More Preferred- Present Malaysian policy and practice makes it near impossible for migrant workers to complain or access the available avenues of justice - making Migrant Workers easily exploited with no risk of employers being caught(and/or punished) for breaches of worker rights and other rights. This makes Migrant Workers more attractive compared to Local Workers. Solution:- (1) Migrant Workers who have claims/complaints against employers cannot be sent back until their claims/complaints are finally settled by the relevant departments in the Ministry of Human Resources, labour tribunals and labor/industrial courts, including also other courts - and employers will still have to pay wages for migrant workers during this period (or alternatively Migrants will be allowed to stay and work legally in Malaysia possibly with another employer pending final settlement of the complaints/claims procedure); (2) Holding of Pasports, etc - Employers do not hold on Malaysian Worker's MyKad - and anyone in any country without their identification papers/travel permits or visa is at risk - Malaysia needs to make it a CRIME with heavy penalty for employer's to hold on to Pasports, etc - which becomes like a 'lease' ...Bonded Labour? Human Trafficking? * Malaysian policy on Working Hours - 8 HOUR WORK, 8 HOURS REST, 8 HOURS LEISURE? - or is it now '12 HOURS WORK, 8 HOURS REST, 4 HOURS LEISURE'? Why? Malaysia has a draconian legal overtime limit of 104 hours now - when reasonably it should not be more than 50-60 hours per month. The need for Overtime is also something that should be happening infrequently - when there is sudden unforeseen spike in demand, etc - not a matter that happens too often - or every day/week/month? If so, that employers, should just increase their Labour Force - not force existing workers to work longer hours.. . Remember, when we say '8 Hours Work' - it does not include the time to get to work or from work back home, it does not include the required breaks and meal breaks - so effectively, even 8 hours work - really means 9-10 hours at workplace..and a further 1-2 hours to travel to and from work? Imagine then what a 12-Hour Working Day means? * Wages and Minimum Wages - The solution suggested recently by a member of Cabinet to work 2 jobs is shameful. Likewise, it is wrong to require workers to work overtime, on rest days and on public holidays just to earn enough to survive in Malaysia. The Malaysian government, must ensure that all workers earns sufficiently enough working normal 8 hours to sustain their and their families lives. Minimum Wage, one may say is wages required, to barely survive but sufficient for a decent livelihood of the worker and his/her family - is the Malaysian Minimum Wage sufficient to do that? * What are 'workers' in the perspective of the Malaysian government? Partners in industry/businesses - what is it, a partner with 10% share? or 40%? or 50%? In the Plantation Sector in Southern Thailand, where workers are employed to look after small plantations, where the employer/owner pays for all costs, the share of the profits is 40% for the workers, and 60% for the owner/employer? What is the Malaysian policy? Or are workers in Malaysia, mere 'commodities' to be exploited maximum. The word 'Human Resources' gives the impression that workers are now seen as mere 'commodities' or 'resources' - it may be good to consider changing this to 'Labour Ministry' or even 'Workers Ministry' or even 'Industrial Relations Ministry'? The name 'Human Resources' gives the impression that the government is merely concerned about the 'human resources' need of employers - not per se the workers interest or rights..??? At, the end of the day, Richard Riot need to step up and be the Minister of Human Resources - or he should just resign, and maybe Najib may appoint his deputy to be the new Minister of Human Resources or someone else? Your members asked for foreign workers, Zahid tells group BY MD IZWAN Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has chided the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, saying its members asked for foreign workers. The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, February 13, 2016. The request for more foreign workers was made by the industry players, including members of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), said Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi. The deputy prime minister revealed this after the group came up with a statement yesterday asking Putrajaya to clear illegal foreign workers in the country before bringing in large number of Bangladeshi workers. He asked FMM to check in advance with their members before making any statements on the issue. Zahid said three agencies responsible for managing foreign workers in the country had confirmed receiving the request from FMM members. "Yes they did not give any (official) letter. "But their members had applied to the Human Resources Ministry, Immigration Department and Home Ministry on the matter," said Zahid, who is also the home minister, told reporters in Shah Alam today. On FMM's call for the clearance of existing illegal foreign workers, Zahid said the government was merely meeting the demand from industry players short of labour. "The request came from the employers, we listened to their request, saying that their companies can't run due to shortage of workers," he said. Zahid said it was not the home ministry's decision but rather, policy-wise, was determined by the human resources ministry. "As chairman of the cabinet committee overseeing foreign workers and immigrants issue, I am sensitive to the demand from the industries," he said. FMM yesterday said the manufacturers did not specifically requested for the workers, but welcomed the additional source, in view of the challenges faced in hiring foreign workers from countries such as Nepal, Myanmar and Indonesia. It also urged the government to immediately convene a meeting with employer associations and share the details of the G-to-G arrangement especially on the cost of hiring the workers. February 13, 2016. Published : 15 Feb 2016, 23:54:57 Labour migration G2G plus deal with KL this week Under the agreement, around 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers will be sent to Malyasia through private recruiting agencies in the next three years, he said. A delegation, led by Malaysia Human Resources Minister Seri Richard Riot, is expected to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Wednesday), he said. Replying to a question over selecting recruiting agencies, the minister told UNB: "We will provide a list of experienced recruiting agencies having clean record to the Malaysian government and they will enlist it online." "Recruiting agencies will be selected following transparency and accountability," he added. However, the salaries of workers have not been decided yet, he added. About the migration cost, acting overseas employment secretary Begum Shamsunnahar said the range will be between Tk 34,000-37,000, including service charges of recruiting agencies, immigration smart card and registration fees. On February 8, the cabinet approved the draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia, which has set a target of deploying 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers in three years.- Published : 15 Feb 2016, 18:26:57 G2G plus deal to be inked with Kuala Lumpur Malaysia HR minister likely to arrive Wednesday To ink the deal a delegation, led by Malaysia Human Resources Minister Seri Richard Riot, is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday, he informed, according to a news agency - Idrak cleared by biplab. - Malaysian Human Resources Minister Seri Richard Riot is likely to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday to sign the government-to-government plus (G2G plus) agreement. The G2G plus deal between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur will be signed on Thursday (February 18), said Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister, Nurul Islam, on Monday. He said under the agreement, some 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers will be sent to Malaysia through private recruiting agencies in the next three years.To ink the deal a delegation, led by Malaysia Human Resources Minister Seri Richard Riot, is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday, he informed, according to a news agency - Idrak cleared by biplab. - Financial Express Bangladesh, 15/2/2016 The government-to-government plus (G2G plus)agreement between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur will be signed on Thursday, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam said on Monday.Under the agreement, around 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers will be sent to Malyasia through private recruiting agencies in the next three years, he said.A delegation, led by Malaysia Human Resources Minister Seri Richard Riot, is expected to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Wednesday), he said.Replying to a question over selecting recruiting agencies, the minister told UNB: "We will provide a list of experienced recruiting agencies having clean record to the Malaysian government and they will enlist it online.""Recruiting agencies will be selected following transparency and accountability," he added.However, the salaries of workers have not been decided yet, he added.About the migration cost, acting overseas employment secretary Begum Shamsunnahar said the range will be between Tk 34,000-37,000, including service charges of recruiting agencies, immigration smart card and registration fees.On February 8, the cabinet approved the draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia, which has set a target of deploying 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers in three years.- Financial Times Bangladesh, 15/2/2016 Despite reversals in court, lending giant Quicken Loans says its not giving up its fight against the federal government, which has accused the company of knowingly approving shoddy loans to make a quick buck. The Department of Justice is suing Quicken Loans, accusing the company of committing fraud to push through lousy loans during the financial crisis, according to a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Those loans were backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and left taxpayers to foot the bill when they defaulted. Quicken Loans is just one of many large lenders the government is suing for fraud. Unlike many of those lenders, however, Quicken is pushing back. In April, the company sued the DOJ and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, claiming the government had used a flawed sample of loans to build its case. That lawsuit, which also demanded a jury trial in Michigan where Quicken Loans is based was thrown out in December. But the company plans to renew its demand that the case be tried in Michigan, according to the Plain Dealer. And it has no intention of rolling over for the government. This case is absurd, Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson told the Plain Dealer. Were going to continue to fight it. Emerson also pointed out that Quicken Loans, the nations largest FHA lender, also has the lowest default rate. It turns out that when a licensed cosmetologist and a finance major meet, Midlanders get their hair blown back -- literally. Urban Glo Blow Dry Bar, the first of its kind in Midland, will open its doors in March to provide Midlanders a wash-and-blow-dry style service. The venture was created by local cosmetologist Juri Heiser and Vanessa Berthin-Pinto, who used to work in finance. The women said that the service will allow clients to have their hair washed with professional cosmetology products, blow-dried and styled in under an hour. The urban will be evident in the salons decor and atmosphere. Champagne and wine will be served in a contemporary urban-chic environment, the pair said. Clients will pick a hair style from a menu of seven styles and pay less than $40, according to Berthin-Pinto. Its an affordable luxury, so if you want your hair done every weekend, you go in on a Friday and have it done, Berthin-Pinto said. Were just really excited to reach out to new customers and get the word out as to what the concept is, if theyre not aware of it. Dry bars originated in the U.S. in 2012 to enable customers to have their hair professionally styled without needing an appointment or visiting a specific stylist, Berthin-Pinto said. The concept exists in larger cities such as New York, Miami, Dallas and Houston. Heiser, a hairdresser originally from Crane, saw the service in Dallas and believed it would work well in Midland. I thought it would be something really great for Midland because we dont have anything like that here, she said. Berthin-Pinto, formerly of Miami, said the idea came to her after attending several holiday parties with her husband. She was pregnant at the time and styling her hair was a chore. I just thought, I wish I could go right now and have someone do my hair. Why isnt a dry bar here? I think so many people would use it, Berthin-Pinto said. I just saw the opportunity here for so many new things that I didnt find here that I would find where I used to live. Urban Glo Blow Dry Bar came together when mutual friends referred Berthin-Pinto and Heiser to one other. Despite a lot of opinions that entering a joint-venture was not a wise choice, their partnership is what kept the venture afloat, they said. Its been great, Heiser said. We work extremely well together and dont have issues. We would probably not be here today if it wasnt for each other. Were both conservative. I think we both have a higher-end taste but we dont want to go overboard. While they do not anticipate opening their doors until next month, feedback has been positive from people familiar with dry bars or aware of the venture, Berthin-Pinto said. Follow Cassie on Twitter at @Cassie_Burton51 RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) President Barack Obama said Tuesday he would nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court who is "indisputably" qualified. He called on the staunch Republican opposition in the Senate to rise above "venom and rancor" and give the nominee a vote. "I intend to do my job between now and January 20 of 2017," Obama said. "I expect them to do their job as well." Obama told reporters at a news conference in his first extended comments on the fight over filling the seat left empty by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama cast the dispute as a question of how far Republicans want to push their opposition and whether the Senate can function in the hyper-politicized climate. Fights over judicial nominations are not new, he noted, but "the Supreme Court's different." "This will be a test, one more test of whether or not norms, rules, basic fair play can function at all in Washington these days," he said. Obama spoke as he closed a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders at Sunnylands, a Southern California desert retreat. Obama gathered ASEAN members for two days of talks on security and counterterrorism efforts. But the president's attention was divided. Since Scalia's unexpected death at a remote Texas ranch on Saturday, White House lawyers and advisers have been scrambling to refine and vet a list of potential replacements, while also devising a strategy to push a candidate through the Republican-led Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he doesn't think Obama should be putting a candidate forward. The Kentucky senator, as well as several Republican senators up for re-election this year, say Obama should leave the choice up to the next president. The November election, they argue, will give voters a chance to weigh in on the direction of the court. Obama dismissed that notion. He has said he will put forward a replacement in due time and that he believes the Senate will have "plenty of time" to give the nominee a fair hearing and a vote. Democrats say Obama has every right and a constitutional duty to fill vacancies on the court until he leaves office Jan. 20, 2017. The Republicans' recommended solution is "irresponsible and it's unprecedented," Sen. Pat Leahy, the ranking Democrat Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday. "The American public expects us to do the job we're elected to do. The president is going to do what he is elected to do and let's vote up or down." The dispute reflects years of escalating partisan hostilities over judicial nominations, as well as the unusual timing. The pace of lower court confirmations always slows in a presidential election year, as the party that does not control the White House prefers to hold out hope that its candidate will fill vacant judgeships rather than give lifetime tenure to the other party's choices. But Supreme Court vacancies in presidential years are rare, in part because the justices avoid retiring when prospects for confirming successors are uncertain. If Senate Republicans hold fast to their vow not to confirm anyone Obama nominates, then the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices not just for the rest of this court term, but for most of the next one as well. High court terms begin in October, and the 80 or so cases argued in the course of a term typically are decided by early summer. The court would be unable to issue nationwide rulings on any issue in which the justices split 4-4. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma oil-and-gas regulators on Tuesday issued their most far-reaching directive yet in response to a surge in earthquakes by asking the operators of nearly 250 injection wells to reduce the amount of wastewater they inject underground by 40 percent. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission wants operators over the next two months to reduce injections by more than 500,000 barrels of wastewater daily in an area that covers more than 5,200 square miles of northwest Oklahoma. The commission's plan has been in the works since late October and was not influenced by a 5.1-magnitude quake that hit the area Saturday, said commission spokesman Matt Skinner. People reported feeling Saturday's quake, the third-strongest in state history, in as many as 13 other states, including in Georgia, 900 miles away. "Obviously the events of the weekend are clear (and) underscore the need to put a plan like this in place," Skinner said. As the Corporation Commission was preparing to announce its move, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit asking that three major Oklahoma energy producers reduce wastewater volume. The number of earthquakes with a magnitude 3.0 or greater has risen in Oklahoma from a few dozen in 2012 to more than 900 last year. Recent peer-reviewed studies suggest injecting high volumes of wastewater could aggravate natural faults. In Oklahoma's six most earthquake-prone counties, the volume of wastewater disposal increased more than threefold from 2012 to 2014. Most operators comply with commission directives, though one SandRidge Energy Inc. initially refused to comply before reaching an agreement with the agency last month. Oklahoma House Speaker Jeff Hickman, whose home is 20 miles from the epicenter of Saturday's quake, is pushing a bill to make clear the Corporation Commission has the power to order wells to shut down or reduce volume. "We will remove any doubt at all that the commission has complete authority in these emergency situations, without so much as a notice or hearing, to take whatever action they believe is necessary in these emergency situations," said Hickman, a Fairview Republican whose bill is set for review in a House committee Wednesday. Alarm has swelled among Fairview residents after Saturday's earthquake, said George Eischen, 51, who works at the city's Chevrolet dealership. Eischen was delivering a pickup Saturday when the truck started "rocking back and forth like a ship," he said. The quake rattled doors in the dealership. Eischen said Fairview residents shrugged off a previous 4.8-magnitude quake recorded Jan. 6 a half-mile from the city. They aren't shrugging off this one, he said. "Everybody kind of just laughed and said, 'Ah, it was just a fluke,'" Eischen said. "And now, months later, we're sitting here with a 5.1, and now everybody's getting concerned." In its lawsuit, the Sierra Club wants to see immediate, substantial reductions to three Oklahoma energy companies' wastewater-injection levels. The lawsuit claims wastewater disposal from hydraulic fracturing operations at Chesapeake Operating, Devon Energy Production Co. and New Dominion is contributing to the increased number of earthquakes. Devon spokesman John Porretto said it would be inappropriate to discuss the litigation. The other companies didn't immediately reply Tuesday to requests for comment. Chesapeake operates wells affected by the new Corporation Commission directive, but Devon and New Dominion do not. Support groups this week Bariatric Support Group, 11:30 a.m. today (Wednesday), ACT Counseling Center, 2445 E. 11th St., Odessa; 272-4333. -- New Beginnings cancer support group, 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Texas Oncology - Allison Cancer Center, 400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway, Suite 100, 218-8714, fatima@giftsofhopemidland.org. -- Diabetes Support Group for Spanish Speakers, 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Casa de Amigos; sponsored by Midland Memorial Hospital; 221-3286. -- Diabetes support group, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Midland County Public Library Centennial branch; sponsored by Midland Memorial Hospital; 221-3286. West Texas Amputee Support Group, 11 a.m. Saturday, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital; 550-4371. -- Midland Odessa Chapter of the United Ostomy Association, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Midland Memorial Hospital West Campus. -- The Knot Adoption Support Group, 11:30 a.m. Feb. 24, First Presbyterian Church; Kathy Hagler, Kathy@WTIE.net -- Caregiver support, noon Feb. 24, HospiceMidland 911 W. Texas Ave., 682-2855. *** Weekly Meetings Alcoholics Anonymous hotline 580-7868. Narcotics Anonymous hotline 582-2926. Survivors of sexual abuse; interactive Bible study to help deal with the consequences of sexual abuse meets Tuesdays. Child care available; House of Hope, 570-5935. -- Overeaters Anonymous; 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays and 3-4 p.m. Sundays; B&J Plaza, 206 N. Midkiff Road, Suite 1-D; 553-1031. -- Peer to Peer support group for veterans, active duty, guard, reserves and their families, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Permian Basin Community Center, 401 E. Illinois Ave., Suite 403; Wil Hoggard, 213-5342, william.hoggard@wtcmhmr.org. *** Midland Memorial Hospital events Weigh to Success Informational Seminar, 4-5 p.m. Thursday, MMH. Contact Sundae Adkins at 638-8081 or sundae.adkins@midland-memorial.com Birthplace Tour for February, 5-6 p.m. Thursday, MMH. Contact Casey Weems at 221-3283 or childbirtheducation@midland-memorial.com Sibling Class, 10-11 a.m. Saturday, MMH. Fee is $10. Contact Casey Weems at 221-3283 or childbirtheducation@midland-memorial.com Becoming a Mom Class, 6:30-8 p.m. Sunday, Midland Memorial West Campus, 4214 Andrews Highway. Contact Hope Chest of Midland at 221-1150 or hopechest@midland-memorial.com Capacity Evaluation and Understanding Rules & Regulations of Therapeutic, Restrain of Patients, noon-1 p.m., MMH. Contact Rebecca Pontaski at 221-1625 or rebecca.pontaski@midland-memorial.com *** Midland ISD Wellness events -- Rebels on the Run 5K Benefiting Midland Lee Volleyball Feb. 20 Midland College - Fine arts building Registration 8:30AM, Race begins at 9:30AM -- Food for a Better You Feb. 23 Midland High School Library 4:30-5:30PM Door prizes and food samples to accompany discussion * * * MMH payment options Midland Memorial Hospital recognizes that our community is facing challenging financial times. Resources are tight and families are having to make important decisions about what to spend money on now and what has to wait. Realizing health care can be expensive and the increasing deductibles make it hard to manage, the hospital has adjusted its payment procedures. We want to make sure you receive the care you need, when you need it. To find out about the new options now offered to better accommodate your payment needs, call 221-4705. Source: Midland Memorial Hospital *** How sick are you? Midland Memorial Hospital offers a a nurse triage program 68-NURSE. The program is designed to help people determine whether their health situation warrants a trip to the emergency room. Midland residents can call the line by dialing 686-8773. The program is free and available 24 hours a day-365 days a year. Local nurses are available to help you determine the best place to receive care for your situation. 68-NURSE can help you save time and money by directing you to the most appropriate healthcare option, whether its a neighborhood clinic, urgent care center, emergency room or just staying home. * * * Contact your Hospital District representative MIDLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway, Midland, TX 79701 Phone: 221-1111 Website: www.midland-memorial.com President Russell Meyers 221-1584 President Russell Meyers 221-1584 Directors -- District 1: Dwain Tomlin, District 2: Dorothea Logan, District 3: Tommy Lent, District 4: Cressinda Hyatt, District 5: Alison King, District 6: Joe Kiowski, District 7: Jeffrey Beard PALO ALTO, Calif. A team of mental health experts from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in California this week to investigate a series of suicides by teenagers in the affluent university town of Palo Alto. Santa Clara County officials took the unusual step of inviting the CDC to do an epidemiological study on the teen suicide problem that has anguished Palo Alto parents, teachers and young people for at least seven years, the San Jose Mercury News reported (http://bayareane.ws/1PNhZkG ). The team, which includes representatives from both the CDC and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has spent the last three months working with the county Public Health Department to gather data on suicides, suicide attempts and suicidal behavior among Santa Clara County youth. Its members began meeting with local doctors and community leaders on Tuesday, according to the Mercury News. Their research also will include evaluating existing suicide prevention programs, reviewing media coverage of the teen suicides and identifying the factors that might put Palo Altos youth at greater risk, CDC spokeswoman Courtney Lenard told the newspaper. Six teenagers from Palo Alto, the home of Stanford University, killed themselves in both 2009 and 2010, events that triggered public forums, peer-run support groups and police patrols at the commuter train tracks where some of the young people ended their lives. Yet four more teens committed suicide in both 2014 and 2015. From 2010 through 2014, an average of 20 minors and young adults a year died by suicide in Santa Clara County as a whole. Palo Alto officials asked the state and county to request the CDC evaluation after hearing of a suicide assessment the agency conducted last year in Fairfax, Virginia, where 85 people between the ages of 10 and 24 killed themselves in a five-year period. The Fairfax County study concluded that among the possible risk factors facing young people there were an inadequate number of school counselors, stigma and denial around mental illness, pressure to excel academically and bullying through social media. A preliminary report on the situation in Palo Alto is expected to be completed soon after the site visit. Just Worldwide Opens in Singapore and Italy Healthcare fieldwork agency Just Worldwide has opened offices in both Singapore and Italy, adding to its existing network in the US, UK and Poland. Founded in 2010 and based in Guildford, Surrey, Just Worldwide offers clients with full qual and quant support and consultancy for any size of contract. Services include patient home interviews and ethnographies, along with CATI, PAPI, online questionnaires and omnibus solutions. Jackie Kwan joins to head the new Singapore operation with more than thirteen years' experience in the Asia healthcare research sector, gained while working at GfK, Ipsos, Sermo, and Medefield. The new Italian office will be led by Ian Becattelli, formerly of Doxapharma, Branding Science and Context. Worldwide MD Janusz Domagalski comments: 'The extent of Jackie's knowledge and experience in Asian markets is remarkable and we are thrilled at the prospect of sharing it with our clients. Ian has been one of our most trusted partners for so long. His experience at full service agencies and as a freelance moderator has given him a 360-degree understanding of our industry and we are honoured to add such perspective to the Just team.' Web site: www.just-worldwide.com . Fresh off three Grammy wins, Alabama Shakes have announced summer 2016 tour dates. On Tuesday (Feb. 16), just one day after dominating the rock categories at music's biggest night, the "Don't Wanna Fight" band has revealed eight new North American shows. Alabama Shakes have extended their spring tour dates with a round of new concerts. According to a press release, the new leg of their tour will begin on July 15 in Memphis, Tennessee. Alabama Shakes will then continue through the United States with shows in Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles and more before wrapping the tour up on Aug. 12 in Berkley, California. The majority of Alabama Shakes' new tour dates will be with special guest Dawes, who are set to open in Taos, New Mexico; Phoenix and Los Angeles. Throughout the spring and summer, Alabama Shakes will also be supported by Dylan LeBlanc, Hop Along and Kurt Vile and the Violators. Alabama Shakes are touring in support of their latest album Sound & Color. Alabama Shakes North American Tour Dates, 2016: 04/21: Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater ^ 04/22: Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheater ^ 04/23: Charleston, SC @ Volvo Cars Stadium ^ 04/25: Chattanooga, TN @ Track 29 ^ 04/26: Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium ^ 04/27: Athens, GA @ The Classic Center ^ 04/29: Ybor City, FL @ Cuban Club ^ 04/30: St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheater ^ 05/21: Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Festival 05/27: Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater ! 05/28: Burnaby, BC @ Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park % 07/15: Memphis, TN @ Mud Island Amphitheater * 07/16: Louisville, KY @ Forecastle 07/19: Chicago, IL @ Civic Opera House * 07/20: Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom * 08/06: Taos, NM @ Kit Carson Park * # 08/07: Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre * # 08/09: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre * # 08/10: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre * # 08/12: Berkely, CA @ Greek Theatre * % * - New Date ^ - with special guest Dylan LeBlanc ! - with special guest Hop Along % - with special guest Kurt Vile and the Violators # - with special guest Dawes 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. VH1's The Breaks was such a ratings hit that it's now becoming a TV series. The movie, which premiered in January was an instant hit and is ranked No. 2 in the list of cable original movies of the year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Breaks had 2.6 million viewers and gave VH1 a 42% boost among watchers under the age of 50. Based on the Dan Charnas' boo, The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop, The Breaks featured Wood Harris, Method Man, Mack Wilds, Afton Williamson, David Call and Antoine Harris. It has not been confirmed if the original cast will be in the series or how many have been ordered. The 90s just got a whole lot better! #TheBreaks is coming back as a series! Via @THR--> https://t.co/Wyja0tYe01 pic.twitter.com/n4s3UkKLHK The Breaks (@TheBreaksVH1) February 16, 2016 According to Complex, VH1 General Manager Chris McCarthy released the following statement: "The Breaks is VH1 at its best, intersecting '90s nostalgia with hip-hop for the masses. Both the viewers and critics have spoken, and we couldn't be happier to continue telling the story that has already connected with millions of pop culture fans." The Breaks was directed, executive produced and written by Seith Mann, director of The Wire. DJ Premier was named executive music producer and scored the movie, which focused on three friends and their love for hip hop music and culture. If you haven't seen the movie yet, check it out before the series drops! 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. While many celebrities looked to celebrate after the 58th annual Grammy Awards on Monday night (Feb. 15), but believe it or not, some artists weren't as lucky. After Paul McCartney was reportedly denied entry into Tyga's after-party at a popular Hollywood nightclub, the rapper received a lot of backlash. On Tuesday (Feb. 16), Tyga stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to explain his lack of involvement in the drama and even invited the music icon to an upcoming concert. Expecting to get into Tyga's huge bash at Argyle nightclub in Hollywood with ease due to his notable influence in the music industry, McCartney was shocked when he was turned away by security for not being on the guest list. The 73-year-old icon wasn't the only one rejected from partying at their establishment that night. He was accompanied by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and rock musician Beck. Many wondered how much of that decision came from Tyga and his camp. During a brief appearance on the late night talk show, the 26-year-old California native denied any connection to the after-party diss. In fact, Tyga revealed he didn't even know McCartney was outside of the club. In the segment, they jokingly wouldn't allow the rapper entry into show's greenroom. A photo posted by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) on Feb 15, 2016 at 2:15am PST "I wish I woulda knew he was outside," Tyga told Kimmel. "I woulda went out there with the mic, brought him in, perform 'Rack City' with me." Tyga admitted he was bombarded with texts and tweets filled with accusations about that night and TMZ footage which only helped to perpetuate the problem. Kylie Jenner's boyfriend also revealed he was performing during the time of the incident. Both artists seem to have put the incident behind them. The former Beatles member went on to party at the Republic Records after-party at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in Los Angeles with his wife Nancy Shevell, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, The Weeknd, Woody Harrelson, Beck, and Ariana Grande. Tyga, on the otherhand, is preparing to kickoff his two-week Rawwest Alive tour today in Portland, Oregon at the Roseland Theater. "I have a show coming up, February 26th at the Nokia Theatre. So, Paul, if you're watching this, I would love for you to come. I'll personally walk you in!" 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Feral parakeets are taking over London, England, and one theory on the origin of these birds first being introduced in the United Kingdom's big city points the blame at rock n' roll legend Jimi Hendrix. While the birds are nice to look at, there are just too many of them, according to residents, and some have traced the birds back to Hendrix, who lived in London in the 1960s. You can check out more buzzing news coverage from Music Times right here! Concern for London and the UK's ecosystem has heightened recently, because the numbers of these parakeets have been soaring to dangerous levels. Speaking to CBC.ca, one London resident, 55-year-old Keith Betton, explained the problems plaguing the city. "I don't particularly wish to have non-native species in Britain," he said. "If I could choose to never have them arrive, that would be my choice, but they are here." So, where did they come from? According to speculation, Hendrix allegedly set a couple of parakeets loose in London in the 1960s. "The first recorded parakeet seen in the wild was in 1855, so there had been escapes from collections before then. Typically for a population to establish there had to be multiple escapes. It's unlikely that just a pair, or a couple of pairs of birds, would be able to establish a breeding population," Conservation Projects Officer for the RSPB, Dr. Richard Black told GQ Magazine. "Jimi Hendrix was supposed to have released the birds in the Sixties on Carnaby Street, and the first recorded breeding success was in Kent, in about 1969. They weren't recorded breeding in London until about 1973, but they are quite long-lived birds and they don't start breeding typically until their third year." While it's fun to think that Hendrix had such a unique impact outside of music in London, there are other theories. For instance, some consider the bombing of the London Zoo during World War II could've started the spread, but Dr. Black's statistics above make that seem unlikely. 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A grand opening event is in the works for the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. This is phase one of The Trust for Public Lands project, which includes a bridge stretching 190 feet across the South Chickamauga Creek and connecting new sections of the Tennessee Riverwalk. Construction on the project began in May of last year and is scheduled to be completed by spring. The Trust for Public Land will host a three-day event to celebrate the completion of the project. The festivities will kick off Thursday, April 7, with educational programs. Students from Hamilton Countys public and private schools as well as the home school community will be invited for guided educational tours of the area, where they will learn about the environment, wildlife and history of the region. A ticketed outdoor cocktail reception is scheduled for later that evening and will feature a nationally recognized guest speaker who will discuss the details of the project. The following day, Trust for Public Land staff will visit neighboring businesses with information about the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. The three-day event will culminate with a day of family fun on Saturday, April 9. The afternoon will begin with the South Chick Sunriser 5K race, a standup paddleboard race, a bike parade put on by Art120 followed by live bluegrass music, a community art project, outdoor yoga classes, canoe and kayak rentals, food trucks, childrens activities and more. Rick Wood, Tennessee director for the Trust for Public Land said, The progress made on the Riverwalk with the addition of the new greenway connector is a huge asset to the community. Not only does it expand the outdoor experience, but also gives people access to more parks within walking distance. We share the communitys excitement in officially opening the bridge in April and look forward to the festivities. More information about the South Chickamauga Greenway Project and the grand opening festivities can be found at . Please enable JavaScript to experience the functionality of this website. - MWEB TwelveStone Health Partners officials announced Tuesday the company will build a new corporate headquarters, expanding its Murfreesboro operations. The headquarters will consolidate the companys corporate, logistics, billing and service divisions. TwelveStone, formerly Reeves-Sain Family of Medical Services, will invest $14.9 million and create 200 new jobs. We appreciate TwelveStone Health Partners for its ongoing commitment to Tennessee and creating 200 new jobs, Governor Bill Haslam said. The momentum of Tennessees healthcare industry is strengthened not only when companies locate in our state, but also when they decide to expand and grow here. We congratulate TwelveStone on todays announcement and thank the company for bringing us one step closer toward making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. In Middle Tennessee alone, the healthcare industry contributes an overall economic benefit of nearly $40 billion and more than 250,000 jobs to the local economy each year. Because of companies like TwelveStone Health Partners, that number continues to grow, Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd said. We thank TwelveStone for expanding its presence in Rutherford County and creating valuable jobs for our Team Tennessee workforce. "As a fourth generation Tennessee entrepreneur, creating high-value jobs statewide is very important to me, TwelveStone Health Partners CEO Shane Reeves said. The mission of TwelveStone Health Partners is very much in line with the Department of Economic and Community Development. We are building a business that will have statewide impact benefiting communities in Chattanooga, Memphis and Knoxville. I appreciate the support weve received from TNECD, it is no surprise given the tremendous leadership shown by the state of Tennessee in supporting business." TwelveStone will begin construction in mid-March on a new 30,000 square foot corporate headquarters at Heritage Square in Murfreesboro providing the company with a centralized space for business operations as well as warehouse space. The launch of TwelveStone Health Partners is a result of last years acquisition of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, Inc. and EntrustRx, its specialty pharmacy business by Freds Inc. TwelveStone will offer packaged medication, infusion and enteral services, respiratory therapy services and durable medication equipment. The company plans to expand its existing 44-county service area footprint to all of Tennessees 95 counties. "We are extremely excited about this opportunity for one of Murfreesboro's hometown companies, Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said. TwelveStone is a prime example of a business that started in Murfreesboro and through good leadership and management has become a national leader in its industry. We are proud to support both business expansions and new businesses as they continue to make Murfreesboro a great place to do business and provide jobs for our residents. We congratulate TwelveStone for adding jobs to our community, Destination Rutherford Chair Bill Jones said. When an existing company chooses to expand, its always a testament to the good health of our business environment, and this is no exception. We are excited to be a part of this homegrown companys ongoing success. TVA and Murfreesboro Electric Department congratulate TwelveStone on its decision to expand and build a new corporate headquarters in Murfreesboro, TVA Senior Vice President John Bradley said. We, along with the city of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Rutherford Chamber of Commerce and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, celebrate TwelveStones continuing business success and commitment to grow in the Valley. Those interested in applying for a position with TwelveStone can visit www.12stonehealth.com/contact/#careers. In collaboration with String Theory, the chamber music series hosted by Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, the Sewanee Performing Arts Series presents five musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Gloria Chien, piano; Kristin Lee and Sean Lee, violin; Richard O'Neill, viola; and Mihai Marica, cello. They will perform at the University of the South at 7:30 p.m. CST Friday, Feb. 26, in Guerry Auditorium."If one were to draw a line through classical, romantic, and 20th century compositions, the straightest of lines would go from Mozart, through Beethoven, to Korngold.Each consecutive composer could not have written what he did without the formers example, each building on the newly laid foundations of his predecessor."This program (Mozarts Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in E major, K. 542; Beethovens Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, Op. 47, Kreutzer; and Korngolds Quintet in E major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola and Cello, Op. 15) captures each composer at his creative best. Mozarts E major trio is a confident, bright work that belies the troubled circumstance under which it was written. Beethovens Kreutzer sonata is a major statement that pushed the boundaries of what a violin sonata could be. And Korngold, with his massively inventive piano quintet, creates a rich sonic world that he would later expand to symphonic scope, defining the sound of film for generations to come," officials said.Performing Arts Series tickets are $25/adults, $20/seniors, $10/students, and are available at the door. Sarkodie should have been bigger than ... An attorney on Tuesday argued that, while her client may have stolen from the Brainerd Trophy Shop, she did not set fire to the store. Fire investigators arrested Pamela McNabb and Gene Wegg for allegedly burning down the trophy shop on the morning of Feb. 5 to cover their tracks from breaking in and stealing merchandise. Both were charged with arson and Wegg waived his right to a hearing, meaning his case will go straight to the Grand Jury. During the General Sessions Court hearing for Ms. McNabb, defense attorney Erinn OLeary contended the arson charge should not apply to her because evidence showed she never intended to burn down the building. According to Fire Investigator Captain Anthony Moore, the Chattanooga Police Department received a call from Ms. McNabb several hours after the incident. The call led investigators to arrest the couple for the arson. There was no source of ignition, except for some type of human involvement, Captain Moore said, regarding the cause of the fire. He did not see Ms. McNabb in the segment of the surveillance video he watched only a male-like figure with his face covered raiding the store. But, based on Ms. McNabbs interview with Captain Moore, he believed she was the mastermind behind the burglary. The defendant, who briefly worked for the Trophy Shop until March 2015, confessed in the interview to robbing the shop with Wegg. She told Captain Moore she knew the layout of the space and had stolen from there before. Captain Moore said Ms. McNabb took Wegg to the facility, where he went inside and took a few items. Then the two left, came back, stole more, left, and came back again. On the third time they returned, Wegg allegedly burned down the shop to cover their tracks. Attorney OLeary used Ms. McNabb calling the police to her advantage, stating the fire shocked the defendant so much she called police because she had no part in that aspect of the crime. I dont know if she was the actual burner or not, Captain Moore said. But he believed her intentions were the same as Weggs. She knew she was going to get caught, he said. So she beat Wegg to the punch and turned both him and herself in. Prosecutor Ben Boyer argued that because Ms. McNabb returned to the trophy shop a total of three times the night of the arson, her involvement in the crime was clear. According to Jack Scruggs, owner of Brainerd Trophy Shop, the fire resulted in total destruction of his business, with around $200,000 in damage. Before coming to a conclusion on the hearing, Judge Clarence Shattuck ordered the defense attorney and prosecutor to listen to the recording of Ms. McNabbs interview with Captain Moore. He wanted them to confirm if she mentioned anything about her participation in the fire before he decided on whether or not to send the case to the Grand Jury. Judge Shattuck recessed the hearing until Wednesday. Sacramento, CA George Runner, who represents the Mother Lode area and District 1, shares his thoughts on publicly funded transportation. In his newest blog Runner asks, In our ever-changing-millennial-driven economy, does it make sense to continue diverting billions of dollars to underutilized mass transit systems? After detailing the problems and the decreasing use of current mass transit systems, Runner mentions other technology like self driving cars, noting the environmental benefits of various options, and calls on government to stop wasting public dollars. He sites long delays and wait times for public transit in contrast with like Uber and Lyft that provide carpool services. The State Board of Equalization Vice Chair then calls on government to invest more in roads and in road improvements rather than mass transit. Runners full statements are in the Blog I Take Public Transit But I Hate It. Sonora, CA The Supervisors in Tuolumne County are asking for help from Governor Jerry Brown to prevent the closure of a biomass plant in Chinese Camp. At yesterdays Board of Supervisors meeting it was noted that the future of the Chinese Camp based biomass cogeneration run by Pacific Ultra Power is dire due to the current trend of non-renewal of power contracts by PG&E. Pacific Ultra Powers 30-year agreement with PG&E expires in January of next year, and the county fears the plant could close even sooner because of declining subsidies. Pacific Ultra Power is one of an estimated seven biomass plants that could close over the next several months because of expiring power contracts. There has been no formal action taken by the states Public Utilities Commission to recommend renewal of the contracts. The countys letter urges the Governor to intervene and provide positive momentum in that direction. The letter adds, Tuolumne County currently enjoys the services of Pacific Ultra Power which uses both fuels from the valley orchards and products from this county. The alternative to non-renewal is likely burning the material on-site and releasing particulate matter into the atmosphere which contributes to air pollution. It adds that time is of the essence. The plant locally utilizes wood fuel, often from dead tree removal or pre-commercial thinning, to produce power that is purchased by PG&E. County meeting documents note that the seven statewide facilities that could potentially close utilize about 2.5 million tons per year of forestry, sawmill, ag, and urban biomass feedstocks. A judge says Flagler County's top law official, Sheriff James Manfre, misused his company credit card and accepted a gift without reporting it. The state ethics commission had been investigating Sheriff Manfre since 2013. They investigated excess charges on his credit card from work trips - things that reportedly include purchasing alcohol. Another part of the ethics investigation involves him staying at a vacation home but not paying full price. The sheriff released this statement in response to the claims against him: "The administrative law judge (ALJ) has rendered her opinion in the 3 allegations filed against me. From the very beginning; Ive stood firm in my position that I never intentionally violated Florida law, agency policy or used any public money for personal gain. The ALJs decision clearly shows that I never used corrupt intent in any decisions that I made or actions that I took. I sincerely apologize to the citizens of Flagler County and to the men and women of the Flagler County Sheriffs Office for making poor decisions as it relates to these incidents in my first few months in office and ask for your forgiveness. "I am an honest and sincere man, one who is extremely proud and honored to serve as your Sheriff and as soon as I was informed in 2013 of these allegations, I immediately directed staff to create policies that now clearly outline the processes everyone is required to follow in order to prevent this from happening to anyone in the future. "This ethics process has been all over the place. Initially, the commissions advocate recommended a negotiated agreement where I could have agreed to an improper car use and dismiss the other two allegations. A fine of $1,500 was suggested. Then we had the advocates most recent recommendation of three charges and a fine of $19,000. Now a recommendation is for the opposite: The ALJ has found violations of the issues they wanted to dismiss and found no violation in the use of the car. The ALJs recommendation is now a fine of $6,200 and public censure." The judge recommended a fine of $6,200 and public censure. The sheriff says as long as the ethics commission follows the recommendation, he has no intention of appealing this decision. The U.S. Coast Guard is suspending its search for a missing man off the Brevard County coast. The Coast Guard began searching for 38-year-old Lloyd Chamberlain of Merritt Island Sunday after a friend reported that Chamberlain did not return from a fishing trip. A search team found his boat near the Eau Gallie Causeway in Satellite Beach after pinging the man's cellphone. The search for the boater began near Millennium Beach Park in Indian Harbour Beach. The Coast Guard said it searched for Chamberlain from Vero Beach to Flagler Beach for three days. I want to extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Lloyd Chamberlain. The Coast Guard prides itself on rescuing survivors and returning them to their friends and family, which makes the decision to suspend a search and rescue case extremely difficult,said Lt.j.g. Kathryn Weber in a statement Tuesday. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission were also taking part in the search. No word on whether those agencies will suspend their efforts. Hundreds of angry teachers and other school employees are attending a Seminole County School Board meeting to give board members one simple message: they need to make more money. Susan Rutherford says she didnt become a teacher to become rich. I went into teaching but I love children, said Rutherford, who teaches at Crystal Lake Elementary School. Rutherford says shes worked for the Seminole County School district for nearly 10 years, but only makes a few hundred dollars more each year than newly-hired teachers. What is wrong? I mean thats insane. And they dont want to do anything about it, said Rutherford. The unions that represent more than half of Seminole County's school employees want a higher pay increase for next year. They argue the raise being offered 2.25 percent is less than what they got last year. Teachers say it's not enough to live on. If you are single and you have children, you cannot live on that alone," Rutherford said. "You qualify for free and reduced lunch. Theres something seriously wrong with that. When negotiations end, ultimately school board members will decide how much of a pay raise teachers will get. When talks stalled again last week, the district had agreed to offer up more money to help teachers cover healthcare costs. But Rutherford says if the district doesnt offer a higher pay increase, she will have to consider leaving Seminole County Public Schools. If they dont change everybody else is going to change because were going to leave. Well go to Orange County, Volusia County, well do something different which will be too bad because theyre not going to stay an A district without these people, said Rutherford. Its unclear how long it will take for the district and teachers to reach an agreement, but the district says it will take whatever steps necessary to bring bargaining to a conclusion. Seminole County school workers protest a 2.5 percent pay hike Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, which they say is less than last year's. (Jeff Allen, staff) A teen will spend the rest of her juvenile years in a detention center for her involvement in the shooting of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper last year. Morgan McNeil, 16, shuffled into the courtroom Tuesday, feet shackled and handcuffed and faced Trooper Channing Taylor. Regarding attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, I adjudicate you to be a delinquent child and sentence you to a maximum risk residential program, followed by conditional release, pronounced Judge James Earp with the Fifth District Judicial Court in Brevard County. On June 15, 2015, McNeil and her boyfriend, 15-year-old Zane Terryn, made a suicide pact, stole a gun from a relative and proceeded to drive to Ohio, where McNeil once lived, according to prosecutors. But when they stopped at a convenience store in Cocoa, Taylor noticed a headlight was out on the car the couple was driving. When he went over to tell them about it, Terryn opened fire, shooting and wounding Taylor. The trooper returned fire, ultimately killing Terryn. McNeil plead guilty to attempted first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer, second-degree murder and resisting arrest. During her sentencing hearing, it was revealed McNeil suffers from various mental disorders that her father said he knew nothing about. Earp told McNeil she will spend time in a maximum-risk juvenile residential program until she becomes an adult for the three charges, then will be set free if she fulfills all of the requirements set by the sentencing. Everything ends on her 22nd birthday. If she does not have any problems with her juvenile sanctions, then this will be a juvenile record, said McNeils lawyer, Greg Eisenmenger. That means she would have no felony record. Taylor was in court for the sentencing and said he thinks McNeil deserved more for her involvement. "Absolutely, more punishment and more treatment, Taylor said. Taylor was awarded the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor by the Florida Highway Patrol in recognition for his heroism during the shooting. PREVIOUS STORIES (June 16, 2015) Family and friends question motives of teen killed in trooper shooting (June 22, 2015) FHP trooper involved in shooting in Brevard County (July 6, 2015) Teen faces felony murder charges in FHP trooper shootout Brevard County Sheriff's investigators say Zane Terryn, 15, shot FHP Lt. Channing Taylor at a gas station off Interstate 95 near Cocoa before Taylor returned fire, killing the teen late Sunday, June 15, 2015. (PHOTOS/Terryn: Brevard Sheriff's Office; Scene: Vincent Earley, staff) A new retirement plan was adopted for Bradley County employees Tuesday afternoon. Beginning Oct. 1, the existing plan will no longer be available to new hires. Those who that began working prior to that date will be allowed to join the existing, or legacy plan. The Hybrid retirement Plan for state employees and teachers, will be employed after Oct. 1. In this plan, the county may make contributions to the defined contribution plan on behalf of an employee up to five percent of their salary and the employee will also have the option of individually contributing to a 401K. Teachers in the county already participate in this type of retirement system. Commissioner Dan Rawls said it is a good thing for individuals to take some responsibility for their own finances, and that he sees this as a benefit for employees. Buti if they do not have extra money, said Vice Chairman of the Board Jeff Yarber, they will not be able to buy individual retirement plans to supplement what is contributed by the county. If someone does not know how to budget their money, said Commissioner Rawls, maybe the county could provide help in the way of financial planning. Vice Chairman Yarber added that there is a possibility that people will lose their money. Commissioner Terry Caywood said he personally has had a bad experience with a 401K and that a fixed return which is provided with the legacy plan is a sure thing. The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System is ranked number five in returns, the commissioners were told. Commissioners Caywood and Yarber were the only dissenting votes for moving into the Hybrid Plan. Some questions that were answered to the commissioners satisfaction before the vote included how the change would affect an employee who left the job and returned. If someone is vested, which requires being in the plan for five years, and returns before seven years away from the job, they will be reinstated in the legacy plan. If an employee is not vested or stays away a day longer than seven years, they must participate in the new hybrid plan. If an employee had a break in service and refunded the money contributed by the county on their behalf, they would not be eligible to re-join the legacy plan. Another vote approved the resolution to amend and update Bradley Countys stormwater management policy, last implemented in 2004. The county was mandated to comply with the national pollutant discharge elimination system from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A unanimous vote by the commission rezoned property located at Stiles Avenue which had been recommended by the planning commission. The land was previously designated as High Density Residential District (R-2). With the vote, the zoning was changed to Rural Commercial District (C-1). Commissioner Thomas Crye said that the property is completely surrounded by commercial zoning so the change would cause no harm. A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of a Gator's Dockside employee during an armed robbery early Wednesday morning. The robbery happened 2:16 a.m. at the restaurant located at 13701 S. John Young Parkway. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said a man, later identified as 23-year-old Craig Bernard Kerry Jr., entered the restaurant brandishing a gun and demanded money. Deputies said the employee complied and handed the suspect money, but Kerry fired twice, hitting the employee. Kerry then fled the restaurant and reportedly got into a white Ford Mustang, deputies said. The employee was taken to Osceola Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries and a witness was taken to a nearby medical center for evaluation, investigators said. The Sheriff's Office said the Mustang was located at the Crestwood Suites located at 8010 Presidents Drive and deputies took Kerry into custody. He was charged with attempted second degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated battery. A Gator's Dockside employee was shot twice during an armed robbery on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Recent sub-zero temperatures caused water damage at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library and the neighboring Community Center. At around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, a pipe burst in the library and poured into the childrens department. The water then made its way into the community center next door, flooding the front offices. Crews were on the scene all day Tuesday assessing and repairing the damage. The library and community center, both located on Kensington Road, were closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Via a statement on its website, the town explained, We will provide further updates as additional information is available, and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Town officials reported that a substantial amount of damage was done at the library to the carpets, computers and books, mostly residing in the childrens department. Many of the computers affected were sent out for repairs. The library reported Wednesday that it had lost about 800 childrens books. When the library is able to reopen, the childrens section will most likely remain closed while it undergoes extensive repairs. It was a Godsend for all Chattanooga, and especially for the suburb of St. Elmo. Only un-married ladies were allowed to work there, and many widows or otherwise unattached ladies could not have survived without the "Medicine Company". My own grandmother was one of these, her husband - my grandfather - having died young at age 40. I grew up knowing a number of ladies who were totally dependent upon the "Medicine Company". It was founded by a man who was wounded on Snodgrass Hill (where the stone tower is today), during the Battle of Chickamauga; his name was Zeboim Cartter Patten, (known to his friends as "Zip"). While recuperating in Chattanooga he saw opportunities. Our city was destitute and needed all the help it could get. He therefore returned home to New York State briefly, before coming back here to stay. His ingenuity led to the creation of four companies that survived over 100 years - all four of which I plainly remember. They were the Patten Hotel, Patten and Payne Office Supplies (known more recently as "T.H. Payne"), the Volunteer State Life Insurance Company, and the Chattanooga Medicine Company. Although I have read an early account of how the business started, I have forgotten now just how their two principal products, Black-Draught (pronounced "Black Draft") and "Cardui" (pronounced "Car-dew-eye") were selected for production. Supposedly, British Navy personnel were obligated to take a nightly cup of water to which a black powder was added, and so it became known as a black draft. Think of it as a laxative if you had eaten bad food for dinner! And Cardui was for women's problems. Enough said. Next, the idea was to sell it, and so a fleet of salesmen was hired to peddle it throughout the entire Southeast, moving out in horse-and-buggies in all directions from Chattanooga. Barn roofs advertised both products, much as Rock City was advertised in succeeding years. The company prospered in spite of at least one lawsuit with the AMA (!) which threatened the life of the company - but good fortune smiled and the Medicine Company won! One day, when their reputation of success had been established, there was a visitor who came to the door asking to see Mr. Patten (known to his friends as "Zip"). The visitor had a secret formula he wanted to discuss with Mr. Patten, but he was not in that day. Disgusted, and unwilling to wait for "Zip's" return, the visitor went away - to Atlanta. There he made contact with someone who took one look at the man's secret formula and bought it instantly: it was called "Coca-Cola"! I heard that story directly from Mr. Alex Guerry, CEO of Chattem, Inc., whose great-grand-uncle was Z. Cartter Patten. We can only imagine how the life of Chattanooga might have been changed had Mr. Patten been around and possibly bought the man's formula! Fact is, though, that in those years the country was full of "secret formulas", "magic elixirs" and wonder-working "potions" which were supposed to cure everything from frostbite, to itch, to cancer! Chances are good that he would have rejected it simply because they already had some highly successful products. ("Kickapoo Joy Juice" of Li'l Abner Comic Strip fame, was a spoof on such elixirs and potions). Chattanooga Medicine Company continued to thrive through the years and their product acquisitions grew to astounding proportions with nationally known brand names. They gradually let go of their original products - Black Draught and Cardui - as their older customers died off and younger people sought glitzier products. Black Draught and Cardui had been advertised on a yearly calendar which could be found in almost every Southern household, and I remember many years ago while touring a visitor's center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I saw a painting of a very old mountain woman seated inside her log cabin home. There, over her shoulder, was an accurate rendering of a Black Draught calendar! These calendars came with an accompanying almanac, similar in format to other such almanacs, most notably the "Old Farmer's". My mother demanded one of each every year until she died at age 88! Mom was definitely a "believer" in the Medicine Company products! Before the computer age, and perhaps even before many offices had typewriters, notes were scribbled down by hand. To write a long name like "Chattanooga Medicine Company" took a bit of time, and probably did not help alleviate one's "writer's cramps", so the tendency was to abbreviate that long name by writing, "Chatt - M". And there you see how the old Chattanooga Medicine Company morphed into being the modern, "Chatt-em". (Chattem, Inc., to be exact). (Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net ) Two businesses in Red Bank were caught selling beer to minors during a sting operation conducted by the Red Bank Police Department. On Dec. 2, Red Bank Police sent an underage buyer into the Shell gas station at 3515 Dayton Blvd. The owners son was at the cash register when the sale was made. He was also talking on the phone at the same time and said he got confused about the date on the driver's license he was shown. The owner said he has instructed his son from now on to check all IDs regardless of the appearance of age. This was the first offense for the business. The second violation occurred that same night at the Rite Aid store at 4038 Dayton Blvd. when the clerk keyed the wrong date into the cash register. The drug store has a scanning system to verify age from a drivers license. However, Bradley Cole, the store manager, said that employees are told to manually enter the information because the bar code scans are not always accurate. From interviewing the clerk and observing a security video, the manager was convinced that the long time employee just made a mistake. Since then, corrective actions have been taken at the three stores managed by Mr. Cole. All employees have been required to re-train in alcohol sales and have been closely observed by the managers. A letter was placed in the file of the clerk who made the underage sale and she will be terminated if another violation takes place. The incident was the first offense for this store. City Attorney Arnold Stulce told the commissioners there were three options of punishment for a first violation. One is to do nothing and give a warning. Another option is to suspend the license for up to 10 days. The third choice is to suspend the license up to 10 days or less, or offer the option of paying a civil penalty not over $1,500. Saying that selling beer to a minor is a serious offense, Commissioner Rick Causer made the same motion to suspend the license for the full 10 days without an option of paying a civil penalty for both stores. The Shell station, admitting guilt, agreed to begin the penalty Tuesday at midnight. The Rite Aid store may exercise its right to appeal the decision, which must be done within seven days. Last summer Red Bank officials made the decision to combine two road paving projects into one, thinking it would be more efficient to have the work done together. The whole project resurfaced the road from Newberry to Brownstown Road. When both were combined, a mistake was made at the state level, said City Manager Randall Smith and $734,800, the cost of half the combined undertaking, was left out of funding provided by TDOT. The state has made the correction, but in order to make sure the accounting is correct, the commissioners passed a resolution to amend the contract by increasing the amount of the project by $734,800. The police department will be the beneficiary of several purchases that were approved at the commission meeting Tuesday night. At the Feb. 2 meeting authorization was given to buy two patrol cars. Tuesday night a vote authorized a third new vehicle for the department. During the year, the police department generated some revenue from the sale of confiscated items. A budget amendment was made, which added that money to the budget for use of the police department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The story of 16-year-old David Molak shook Alamo Heights and San Antonio to its core when reports of prolonged cyberbullying and harassment allegedly led him to commit suicide on Jan. 4, 2016. In May Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood announced no criminal charges would be filed related to Molak's death, but bullying in schools isn't a new phenomena. San Antonio-area schools saw nearly 800 bullying and harassment claims throughout the 2015 school year, according to data obtained by mySA.com under Texas open records laws. The records, obtained from 17 school districts covering nearly 200 elementary, middle and high school campuses in the San Antonio area, reveal how many bullying and harassment incidents were reported, as well as how many resulted in disciplinary action. Of 777 claims throughout the 2014-15 school year, 529 resulted in some type of discipline, according to the records. Click through the slideshow to view which San Antonio-area campuses had five or more bullying and harassment complaints during the 2014-15 school year. Steve Linscomb, director of communications at Judson Independent School District, said students could face counseling, in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension if bullying or harassment claims are deemed legitimate. He added that for repeat offenders, students could be placed in alternative school or boot camp. Still, each district is required by the Texas Education Code to choose their own bullying and harassment prevention policies and procedures, Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Lauren Callahan said. Theres a requirement for that to be included in their student code of conduct, but all of our districts are different, she said. They make the discretion to handle as they see fit. RELATED: Bullied Texas teen who shaved hair after student poured glue in it gets international support Sec. 37.0832 of the Education Code defines bullying as any verbal, written or physical expression that has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student or their property. On the other hand, harassment involves threatening students with physical or sexual harm, as well as any action that subsequently impacts a student's physical or emotional health, the code states. Reports of harassment on social media gained national attention when the Molak family suggested David Molak was a target of harassment on Instagram, a widely used photo sharing app. Molak, 16, was found dead at his Alamo Heights home before dawn on Jan. 4. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a suicide. In a previous report, Cliff Molak, Davids older brother, told mySA.com that his brother was bullied on social media over his physical appearance. RELATED: SAPD investigating harassment claims in David Molak's suicide in Alamo Heights Cliff Molak spoke of a social hierarchy at Alamo Heights High School one he said his brother did not exactly hold a top spot on which is why his tormentors found his relationship with a girl he described as the schools queen bee upsetting, he believes. Alamo Heights High School received four bullying complaints in the 2015 school year, and three ended in disciplinary action. The campus enrollment for that year totaled to 1,549 students. Campuses in the South San, North East, Northside and San Antonio school districts had the most bullying and harassment complaints, according to the records. Records were obtained from Alamo Heights, North East, Northside, San Antonio, Boerne, Comal, East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Judson, Lackland, Medina Valley, Randolph Field, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, Somerset, South San and Southwest school districts. Staff writer Madalyn Mendoza contributed to this report. rsalinas@mysa.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With incoming warmer weather, the presence of snakes is bound to slither upward as many snakes come out of hibernation, experts say. Snakes are ectothermic, or cold-blooded, so they rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. Snakes, along with other forms of reptilian life, go through a hibernation-like period during the winter months called brumation, according to LLLreptile.com. RELATED: 18-foot python captured in the Everglades among Florida's largest snakes on record Jarrod Forthman, who works at the Texas Snake Farm, Petting Zoo and Exotic Animal Park, said it doesnt have to be cold for snakes to start their brumation. Most snakes will start to hibernate when the days become shorter after Daylight Saving Time ends in November. Ectothermic creatures cant control their body temperatures, so they have to burrow underground. Once early spring comes around the busiest time of the year for many snakes they start to travel. Females are looking for food to prepare for mating later in the year. Snakes will travel further in order to attain food, and lots of baby snakes born in the fall are now more prominent and will travel, as well. RELATED: Snakes biting dogs are scary but rarely lethal situations Forthman said there are 85 different subspecies of snakes around Bexar County, and only four of them are considered dangerous/venomous. Forthman said the four main venomous snake types to be wary of are the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, the Western Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin, the Broadband Copperhead and the Texas Coral Snake. Remember: Red Touches Yellow, Kills a Fellow. To keep snakes away from a home, make sure that habitats arent developing for the snakes. That means tall grass, rock piles, brush piles and other forms of debris should be removed from the vicinity of your home or backyard. Insects and rodent populations also should be controlled by people living in areas that wish to keep snakes away, as this will reduce their food supply, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Some other things to keep as far away as possible from the home are wood piles, trash dumps and livestock pens. Overturned boats, tarps and similar objects are also potential shelters for snakes. RELATED: In rare sightings, venomous sea snakes seen on California beaches Holes in the main home should also be covered or filled to ensure snakes cannot get into the home, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Forthman said snakes are lot less harmless than most people think. Most snakes will only harm you if they are threatened. Snakes would rather flee than fight, Forthman said. He added that snakes are good for the environment, as they kill off rodents and other vermin. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An Oklahoma woman who claimed a Texas state senator stalked and threatened her now faces a felony charge for allegedly threatening the senator. Cynthia Lynn Ortiz, 46, was arrested in Lubbock on Friday and charged with retaliation, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. An investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety found that Ortiz had sent threatening emails to state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, on July 13, 2011, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by mySA.com. RELATED: Police: Crystal City mayor brought controlled substance into jail after arrest at council meeting Retaliation is a type of harassment charge under the Texas penal code that stems from the victim's status or work as a public servant. "You've turned a crazy sincere advocate into an adversary...pretty much as crazy," Ortiz said in one email, according to the affidavit. In a second email, Ortiz claimed that her ex-husband knew a lot of famous people and that he "can pull some strings and his reach is far. Got me??? Are we clear on this????" RELATED: 10 facts about the Texas presidential primary election that begins Feb. 16 Investigators found that Ortiz made multiple allegations against Perry on Twitter using the username @PerryStalkerVic, accusing the Republican senator of stalking, harassing and threatening her. On the account, Ortiz claimed that Perry or someone in his employ of hacking her phones, drugging her, installing cameras to spy on her, breaking into her, attempting to poison her and threatening her, according to the affidavit. "I have had a zillion people offer to kill Sen. Perry to end my misery," Ortiz tweeted on Dec. 22, according to the affidavit. Ortiz said she did not want that to happen. "Sometimes because of his constant intrusion & harassment I wish I could be (sic) the (expletive) out of Perry," Ortiz tweeted on Jan. 12. "Of course I'll never actually do that." RELATED: West Texas preschool special education teacher accused of shooting husband during argument In May 2015, Ortiz met with an officer with the Sapulpa Police Department in Oklahoma and claimed that Perry had stalked her and harassed her. The 46-year-old woman said Perry had hired people to threaten her, sabotage her car and break into her home in Oklahoma and Lubbock. Ortiz also alleged that Perry himself had hacked into her phone on a daily basis, according to the affidavit. A Sapulpa police investigator searched Ortiz' cell phone and found no conclusive evidence to corroborate her claims, the affidavit said. Ortiz told Sapulpa police that she started the Twitter account @PerryStalkervic. Ortiz is currently being held in the Lubbock County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond. RELATED: Former Miss Australia Felicia Djamirze claims face, hand melted after drug raid by police Ortiz claimed in a handwritten request for a protective order that she and Perry met at a Lubbock Area Republican Women's Lunch in 2009 and that he later became her accountant The Oklahoman reported in May. She previously owned a political consulting company by the name of Macdaddy Campaign Network Inc. in Lubbock, but later moved to Denton and then Oklahoma, according to the newspaper. Ortiz most recently danced at an all-nude club in Inola called Sensations, the newspaper reported. Perry's spokesperson Jordan Berry told the Oklahoman in May that Ortiz's allegations against Perry are "completely false." "She refuses to show any evidence, including any evidence that Charles has recently been to Oklahoma," Berry said. "She has a history of doing this. She has a history of making accusations about other people." jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 43-year-old preschool special education teacher allegedly shot her husband accidentally Monday in West Texas, according to police. Amelia Marie Clark is facing a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon family violence, according to a news release issued Tuesday. RELATED: Odessa woman sentenced to 50 years for abuse of stepson Deputies and emergency personnel responded at about 10:50 p.m. Monday to a gunshot victim call in the 10600 block of West 20th Street in Odessa. An affidavit states the shooting was accidental. Clark was distraught and crying at the scene when deputies arrived, and she was asking for the ambulance, the document said. A deputy entered the home and found a man lying on the floor of the living room with a gunshot wound to his lower left abdomen, according to the release. RELATED: San Antonio man jailed in Odessa, accused of shooting two cops The man, Clarks husband, told the deputy he and his wife had been having problems. The two had been arguing and fighting since he came home from work that day, the release said. He said he fell asleep on the couch, woke up to his cell phone ringing and responded by sending a text. At this time, Clark allegedly walked into the room and asked who he was talking to. After more arguing, she allegedly went back into the bedroom, returned with a firearm and shot him, according to the release. The husband was transported to Medical Center Hospital in Odessa for treatment. He is listed in stable condition, a hospital official said Wednesday morning. RELATED: 9-foot Chris Kyle bronze statue, plaza set for May unveiling in West Texas Clark, who has worked with the Ector County Independent School District since 2008, according to the Odessa American, has been placed on administrative leave since being arrested. She currently is employed at Carver Early Education Center and has previously worked at Sam Houston Elementary School and Gale Pond Alamo Elementary, according to the Odessa American. Clark, who is listed in jail records as Amelia Marie Godlevski, is being held in Ector County Jail on a $30,000 bond, according to jail records. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Former Miss Australia Felicia Djamirze claims she could lose vision in her right eye after police detonated a flash grenade in her home during a drug raid, according to media reports. Djamirze engaged to Dean O'Donnell, an alleged associated of the Australian motorcycle gang known as the Rebels told The Courier-Mail she was asleep on Feb. 9 when police threw flash grenades into her bedroom Hervey Bay in Queensland. RELATED: Pageant queen wife of drug cartel trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman trying to avoid arrest The 28-year-old told the outlet that one grenade exploded in her face, causing third-degree burns and severe injury to her eye as well as melting part of her hand. Djamirze and O'Donnell were each charged with drug trafficking after Queensland detectives allegedly found two kilograms or almost 4.5 pounds of alleged methamphetamine near the property, according to the Courier-Mail. O'Donnell faces 13 additional drug and weapons charges after detectives also found a loaded pistol and shotgun, the newspaper reported. RELATED: 'La Patrona,' financial operator for Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman captured in Mexico Djamirze's lawyer Chris Ford alleges that Queensland police behaved excessively and "nearly killed my client." "This was not a siege situation, or a situation where police were chasing an armed fugitive," Ford told the Courier-Mail. "There was no imminent threat and the police had the advantage of surprise." RELATED: Feds: Fugitive Texas elementary teacher tied to hit men, drug running and kidnapping Queensland police defended their tactics in a statement to Buzzfeed News. "The Queensland Police Service (QPS) conducts detailed risk and threat assessments prior to the execution of any search warrant to determine the most appropriate level of resourcing required to minimize risk to everyone, assist with officer safety and help ensure successful outcomes." "As this was an injury in custody incident officers from the Ethical Standards Command attend the address on February 9 and commenced an investigation. The woman and police were interviewed at the time. A formal complaint has not been received by police in relation to this incident." jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports Tomorrow, well be raising a glass in honor of National Drink Wine Day. In preparation for one of our favorite holidays, we wanted to let you know about some fantastic wines from Total Wine & More that boast sky-high ratings but wont break the bank. Californias Russian River Valley produces remarkable red and white wines that have helped the region accrue a reputation that can compete with more famous neighbors like the Napa Valley. With a 90-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, the 2013 Martin Ray Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley is a perfect example of the quality thats become synonymous with the area. With balanced flavors of pear and lemon and bright acidity, this wine also offers an inviting hint of orange blossom and caramel on the finish. Posted on 02/17/2016, 9:00 am, by Farmscape.Ca The Manager of Sustainable Development with Manitoba Pork suggests the use of solar power offers the greatest potential as an alternative source of energy within Manitobas swine industry. In an effort to cut operating costs while reducing their environmental impact swine producers have been exploring a range of alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind power and anaerobic digestion. Mike Teillet, the Manager of Sustainable Development with Manitoba Pork, says solar enegry can provide electricity for lighting as well as heat and solar panels can be installed on the ground or on the roof the barn. Solar power can provide energy in the same way that any energy source can. Generally speaking it can provide electricity. Often this can be done through using a boiler being heated by the energy from the solar panels. Solar has actually, in terms of costs, is one of those things that have come down quite a bit in the last few years. Its our understanding that the Chinese government has mandated a certain percentage of solar heat within China and so theres been a huge increase in production in China of solar power equipment, panels and so on and that has brought the cost way down from just even a few years ago. Teillet says, while wind offers many of the same advantages as solar and has been used to a limited extent for a long time, the equipment tends to be very expensive and wind is variable so you dont always have wind to generate electricity. He says anaerobic digestion is extremely expensive to install, in the range of one to two million dollars, and to maintain and the technology doesnt work in cold climates. The Marion County Democratic Party will host its Democratic Party Delegate Convention on Saturday, March 5 at 5520 Highway 41 in Jasper, Tn. to select the delegates that will that will go to the District Convention. The doors will open at 11 a.m. CST and all attendees must complete an Official Credential and a Pledge of Support Form where they will indicate which Presidential Candidate they are supporting. Caucuses will only be formed for candidates that have received 15% or more of the votes cast in the March 1 Presidential Primary Election. The doors will be closed and the Convention will start at noon CST. The event is open to all Marion County Democrats who are registered to vote and agree to support the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2016 Presidential election.Information about becoming a DNC delegate and the rules governing the DNC Delegate Selection Process may be obtained from tndp.org , or from the Tennessee Democratic Party, 1900 Church St., Nashville, TN 37203, or by calling 615-327-9779.All Democrats wishing to be a delegate for their favorite Democratic Presidential Nominee (Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton) should attend and be a part of the process to elect the next President of The United States. This is the beginning of the process which will select Tennessee Delegates to the National Democratic Convention in Philadelphia July 25-28, 2016.For more information, contact Jim Lewis at jim.lewis.217@gmail.com or 423-903-9724. Once an oil distributor, Triangle Stop has evolved into a small chain of convenience stores with an emphasis on local beer. NACS Ideas 2 Go shares innovative ideasboth big and smallfrom convenience retailers across the country. In addition to NACS Magazine articles, since 1994, the Ideas 2 Go video program has featured hundreds of interviews with retailers from nearly every state and five countries. To watch these retailers in action, visit nacsonline.com/ideas2go. Triangle Stop takes beer very seriously. Not only does the 10-unit chain in western North Carolina have an extensive craft beer selection, but four of its locations also have growler taps and on-premise beer and wine permits that allow for in-store sampling. People want to taste the beer before filling a growler, so we decided to add the on-premise license to serve both samples and drinks, said Beau Waddell, vice president of Triangle Stop. We get a lot of great local beer and cider in our stores that we rotate on our taps. But Triangle Stop didnt start out as a place to buy local craft beerits beginnings involved a different kind of liquid: oil. The J.H. Reaben Oil & Supply Company opened for business in 1929. My great-grandfather started out as an oil distributor, and we branched out into convenience stores in 1970, Waddell said. Now we only operate convenience stores within a 30-mile radius of our home office in Hendersonville, North Carolina. A Novel Idea The company might not have started out as a convenience store, but the chain has learned a lot about the industry in its four decades of existence. With a motto of Clean, Friendly & Convenient, Triangle Stop stores focus on foodservice and quality merchandise. Stores have roller grills and three locations offer a fresh pizza program. In addition, all stores serve fresh biscuit breakfast sandwiches in the morning. Newer stores offer more unique beverages, such as frozen carbonated drinks and milkshake machines. Besides traditional convenience store items such as snacks and tobacco, Triangle Stop locations carry a large selection of novelty items that cater to tourists visiting the western North Carolina region. Unique items for sale include puppets, purses, wallets, jewelry, wind chimes and Ty Beanie Babies, as well as seasonal items, souvenirs and local sports-related paraphernalia. Each store carries a slightly different mix of these products depending on the space available and the clientele, said Teresa Hill, general manager for Triangle Stop. While this is a high-profit category, the novelty merchandise also doesnt turn over as fast as other convenience store products, so we have to balance the space allotted to it with the location and customers. To keep the category fresh, Hill travels to a merchandise mart in Atlanta several times a year to check out the hot new items for consideration to add to the mix. We have our proven winners that are our core items, such as our metal signs and Beanie Babies, but we like to keep up with the latest trends, too, she said. The company has even developed its own novelty line of merchandise related to its Mountain River Tap and Growlers brand, which is the name of the chains first growler bar. Weve taken that name and logo and branched out into t-shirts, sweatshirts and shot glasses for the novelty category, Waddell said. Its Growler Time The Mountain River Tap & Growler bar opened in May 2014 inside the retailers Mills River Triangle Stop, becoming the first convenience store in the state with a growler bar after North Carolina legalized the containers. In October 2014, the Saluda, North Carolina, store debuted its growler bar, to be followed by a Brevard, North Carolina, store in early 2015. Asheville is the beer capital of the East Coast with around five major craft breweries here, plus 20 or so regional brewers in and around the area, Waddell said. We source our beer from these brewers, as well as a few local cideries that make apple and blackberry cider. Our goal is to have beer and cider on tap that you cant get in bottles or cans. The growler program has three options for customers: a 32-ounce and a 64-ounce refillable glass growler, and a 32-ounce sealable can for single use. The one-time use can has been extremely popular with those who dont want to invest in the growler container or who want to take the beer to a location where glass containers arent welcome, such as at local parks or lakes, he said. Two of the four Triangle Stop locations are more like neighborhood bars with limited seating. Their newest location at the Asheville Regional Airport has a genuine bar made from reclaimed pallets, topped with ambrosia maple and trimmed with walnut, plus 16 barstools and high-top tables. Its a professionally built and installed bar that showcases our craft beer taps and definitely gives customers that wow feeling when they walk into what looks like a typical convenience store, Waddell said. Overall, customer response to the growlers and bar has been wonderful. Folks who come in cant believe we offer such a variety of local beer on tap, he said. Its unexpected but welcomed by the community. The company hosts special events monthly at each of its stores that have a growler bar. We feature unique beer and partner with local breweries for the events, which have been very popular with our customers, Waddell said. The Future Triangle Stop doesnt plan to add a growler bar to every location, given the space constraints at some current stores. However, Waddell indicated that within the next two years, the company has plans to raze and re-build at least one current location to add a growler bar. Weve been around for a while, and were happy with our small number of stores, he said. Wed rather be successful with these 10 or so units than expand too fast and lose some of what makes our stores unique. Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and NACS Magazine contributor based in Fairfax, Virginia. Visit her online at www.sarahhamaker.com. SHARE By Laura Layden Arthrex is solidifying its presence in Collier County, with plans to expand its sprawling North Naples campus. The ever-growing medical device manufacturer has purchased two buildings and vacant land, steps from its corporate headquarters off Creekside Boulevard, for $21.95 million, county records show. Arthrex is committed to reinvesting in our community, and the most prudent investment is growing our business right here in Southwest Florida, said Lisa Gardiner, the companys communications manager, in an emailed statement. The company purchased the Polaris Center and the former Royal Palm Bank building, and a slice of undeveloped land between them off Creekside Parkway, near NCHs North Naples hospital and the busy corner of Immokalee and Goodlette-Frank roads. Arthrex plans what it describes as a phased expansion of its main campus within the Creekside Commerce Park, a 107-acre business park developed by Naples-based Barron Collier Cos. Further details will be presented over the next few months, Gardiner said. Within 10 years Arthrex expects to hire more than 1,000 new employees right here at our Creekside campus. Arthrex purchased the property from an affiliate of Barron Collier Cos., which has worked closely with the local company for more than 15 years to help it grow in the county, including donating 21 acres on Oil Well Road for a new manufacturing plant in Ave Maria. The extraordinary caliber of their research, manufacturing and innovative product development has created an enormous positive impact to our local economy and has benefited patients throughout the world, said Blake Gable, president of real estate and minerals management at Barron Collier Cos., in a statement. We look forward to many more years of partnering with Arthrex Inc. and their exceptional team as they expand their footprint in Southwest Florida. The Creekside Commerce Park, built in 1999, is also the headquarters for the Naples Daily News and Wolford College, and its home to several medical practices because it sits so close to a community hospital. Arthrex had leased space in the Polaris Center, a Class A office building spanning a little over 53,000 square feet, since 2008. Other tenants in the three-story building include the Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida, Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida and the Childrens Hospital of Southwest Florida. Arthrex has also been using the former bank building, which spans nearly 9,000 square feet, for employee training. County records show the company paid $19.2 million for the Polaris Center, $1.9 million for the bank building, and $850,000 for the developable land. The company now operates out of six buildings in the Creekside business park, where it first relocated in December 2003. It started with a 130,000 square foot headquarters. The company has more than doubled that space, as it has spread into neighboring buildings, most of which it now owns. In 2008, Arthrex purchased about 10 acres in the business park, at 1370 Creekside Boulevard, where its headquarters sit, for $3.3 million, property records show. It also owns a nearby building at 1250 Creekside Parkway, which it took over after manufacturer HellermannTyton Corp. left Naples. Founded in 1981 and incorporated in 1984, Arthrex is a private company that develops and manufactures medical devices for orthopedic surgeons. It is a leading provider of medical instruments for arthroscopic surgery, which involves making small incisions into joints, such as knees and shoulders, to treat diseases and injury, from arthritis to cartilage tears. Arthrex sells more than 8,500 products, with plans to continue adding new ones, with the goal of helping surgeons treat their patients better. The company has more than 2,000 employees in Southwest Florida and more than 3,000 employees worldwide, with an annual revenue of $1.7 billion. The company continues to expand its footprint in Ave Maria, where its adding a 54,000-square-foot finishing plant. Also, it now has the Arthrex Logistics Center in Lee County, spanning 258,000 square feet. John Cox, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, said hes worked closely with Arthrex and met regularly with its executives to try to ensure its growing needs can be met in Collier County. We know that Arthrex has facilities in Lee County, facilities in California, facilities in Europe. So they have already demonstrated the ability to build anywhere in the world they want to. The more they invest here the more it solidifies their continued and future operations in Collier County, he said. When asked for his reaction to Arthrexs news about hiring another 1,000 employees to work at its Creekside campus over the next decade, he said, Thats awesome. That is 100 new jobs a year for 10 years. David Stevens, a principal with Naples-based Investment Properties Corp., which handled the early leasing at Polaris, said Arthrexs purchase of the building and more property in the business park is a good sign, not just for North Naples, but the entire county. The Arthrex transaction represents a giant endorsement for that part of our market, he said. It says that Arthrex is absolutely here to stay, and wants to expand in that market. He noted the Goodlette Frank-Immokalee road area is very active, with a long-term care Landmark Hospital under construction and a new retail center shooting up nearby. Its one of the most dynamic intersections in our market, he said. Craig Timmins, another principal in Investment Properties, said he couldnt agree more. No question, North Naples continues to be a strong market, he said. Immokalee Road is very strong. Dave Osborn Columnist SHARE Patti LaBelle performs at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Singer Melissa Manchester arrives at the 16th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg) One possesses the delicate voice of a songstress, the other belts out songs with a fierceness few can match. Melissa Manchester and Patti LaBelle scored hits in the 1970s and '80s, and both continue to travel the U.S. performing, from "Midnight Blue" for Manchester to LaBelle's iconic "Lady Marmalade." The two perform this week in Southwest Florida. "My passion and my hunger for my art is as intact as when I started when I was 17," said Manchester, who turned 65 Monday, in a recent telephone interview. LaBelle, 71, said she continues to find new audiences. Part of that may be because of appearances on ABC television's "Dancing With The Stars" and in a guest role on the FX horror anthology TV series "American Horror Story." "It's about staying relevant in the public eye and ear," LaBelle said in a recent interview. LaBelle said her 90-minute show includes her hits and songs from others that she's enjoyed through the years. "I'm very spontaneous," she said. "And when I talk to my audience, they talk back." She thought she was done performing for good a couple years ago, when she lost her voice. But it returned and she continues, with her current tour not ending until late April. LaBelle said she hopes to perform for "at least 50 more years." "Why not? I'll be around that long," she said with a chuckle. "As long as I'm going to be around, I'm going to sing." Manchester said she took time off from performing to raise her children, but in recent years began touring and recording. Her 20th album, "You Gotta Love the Life," was released last year, her first album in 11 years. And by the end of this month, she plans to head to Houston for the premier of a musical she wrote, "Sweet Potato Queens." The play is loosely based on the life story of author and Sweet Potato Queens founder Jill Conner Browne. Manchester developed the play with songwriter Sharon Vaughn and Rupert Holmes ("Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"." Growing up in New York City, Manchester was exposed to the arts at a young age. Her father played bassoon for the New York Metropolitan Opera while her mother owned her own clothing firm. And Manchester said she did everything from park cars on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to work as an usher at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts when she was 16. "I had a very adventurous and delightful childhood because I was so damn busy all the time," she said. "I was raised with a very bright environment to follow your dreams and don't worry about a Plan B." She scored her first big hit at age 24 with "Midnight Blue," and others have included "Don't Cry Out Loud" and "Through the Eyes of Love" (theme song from 'Ice Castles')." Manchester also has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California and performed twice on the televised the Academy Awards show. "These are spectacular moments," she said. "I'm not ready to retire at all. I find life this interesting, unsteady, fabulous thing and I love it." IF YOU GO MELISSA MANCHESTER When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday Where: G&L Theatre, The Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Road, North Naples Tickets: $50 and $75 Information: theatrezone-florida.com/tickets or at 888-966-3352 IF YOU GO PATTI LABELLE When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, 506 1st Street Immokalee Tickets: Sold out Information: seminoleimmokaleecasino.com or 239-658-1313 TICKETS GO ON SALE ZZ Top will perform for the first time in Naples in a couple months. The Texas-based boogie rock band will perform at Artis Naples at 8 p.m. April 26 show. Tickets which range from $59 to $99 go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 23 art artisnaples.org or 239-597-1900. Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a dozen years ago, ZZ Top has scored hits including "La Grange," "Tush," "Cheap Sunglasses, "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin.' " TICKETS REMAIN Artis Naples, artisnaples.org and 239-597-1900: Pat Benatar and her husband and guitarist, Neil Giraldo, 8 p.m. Thursday From $74; and the Steve Miller Band, 8 p.m. Feb. 29. From $84. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall: bbmannpah.com and 239-481-4849: comedian Brian Regan, 7 p.m. April 24, all seats $44.93; Gordon Lightfoot, 7:30 p.m. March 9,$42.75-$63.95; Styx, 7 p.m. May 10, $45.75-$105.35 Germain Arena, Estero: germainarena. com: Moody Blues, 8 p.m. March 10, from $47.50 Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee: seminoleimmokaleecasino. com: Tony Orlando, 8 p.m. March 4, from $60-$70 (excluding fees) American Airlines Arena in Miami: Rihanna, 7:30 p.m. March 15, $31-$151. BB&T Center: thebbtcenter.com: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, from $55; AC/DC, 8 p.m. March 11, $70.75 to $125.25. Amway Center in Orlando: amwaycenter. com: Selena Gomez, 7:30 p.m. June 10, $49.50-$79.50; Justin Bieber, 7:30 p.m., $47.50-$112.50 (excluding fees); Twenty One Pilots, 7 p.m. July 1, $23-$43; Maroon 5, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9, $28.50-$123.50 Hard Rock Live Orlando: hardrock.com/live/locations/orlando: Joe Satriani, 8 p.m. March 18, $23-$53. Pate's Island Club restaurant plans to open in March 2016 in the center of Park Shore Resort, 600 Neapolitan Way, Naples. Photo by Tim Aten Q: You mentioned in your column, way back in November that the Island Pub at Park Shore Resort was under new management and scheduled to reopen on Dec. 16. It is still not open, and lots of people mainly owners at Park Shore Resort are wondering why. Can you please throw some light on this? To overshoot by this length of time would indicate that something is amiss. Bill Shallcross, Naples Q: I was wondering if you know of an opening date for Pate's in Park Shore that you told us about a few months ago. Many years ago, it was a favorite of ours! Thanks. Pat Carter, Naples Q: Have Stanley and Julie Pate opened Pate's Island Grill yet? If not, can you get a date? Ken Lemmer, Naples A: Pate's Island Club is still coming to Park Shore Resort in Naples, but getting the restaurant space in order has taken longer than expected. Despite plans to originally open in mid-December, and then earlier this month, longtime local restaurateurs Stanly and Julie Pate now hope to open in a couple of weeks on the island in the center of the condominium vacation resort, tucked away off Neapolitan Way. "It's more like the first week in March now," Stanly Pate said. "We're getting everything squared away. Just getting the building back in shape took longer than I thought." Although the building was home to restaurants for decades, roots of adjacent ficus trees had grown into the restaurant's drainage system, forcing its shutdown. The invasive roots of ornamental figs are well known for damaging sewer pipes. The issue led to the untimely closing last June of Magoo's Island Grille, which operated there for only a couple of months before the problem was discovered. To protect public health and safety, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's Division of Hotels and Restaurants ordered the establishment closed until the plumbing damage could be repaired. Extensive excavation work at the restaurant property was finally completed Friday, Pate said. "Everything is done," he said. "We had some complications that took longer than expected." The Pates are now able to work inside to ready the restaurant for opening at the resort's poolside tropical oasis. The tranquil spot is best known as the home of the Island Club and Island Pub for 30 years until it closed in 2012. "It's a beautiful view," Stanly Pate said. "We are going to do steak, seafood and prime rib, basically what we are good at." Expect Pate's Island Club to serve quality food in an affordable price range, Pate said. The new dining spot will include an extensive salad bar, he said. The Pates, who operate the Keewaydin Island concession boat, closed their Cloyde's Prime Steak & Seafood House last May after operating for only seven months on U.S. 41 in East Naples. Cloyde's Prime marked their return to the market after their longtime Pate's Steakhouse closed in spring 2014 at Ramada Inn of Naples and was replaced by Pompano Surf & Turf. The couple also had operated the short-lived Pate's House of Prime Rib at Coastland Center mall in Naples. Know more New Mimosa cafe brightens day in Naples For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten's "In the Know" columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow. SHARE Paul S. Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center talks about unfairness in U.S. elections. Ryan gave the inaugural talk in the "Progressive Voices Speak Out" lecture series on Feb. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist chapel off Pine Ridge Road. Lance Shearer/Citizen Correspondent Paul S. Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center talks about unfairness in U.S. elections. Ryan gave the inaugural talk in the "Progressive Voices Speak Out" lecture series on Feb. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist chapel off Pine Ridge Road. Lance Shearer/Citizen Correspondent Examples of gerrymandered voting districts. Paul S. Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center gave the inaugural talk in the "Progressive Voices Speak Out" lecture series on Feb. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist chapel off Pine Ridge Road. Lance Shearer/Citizen Correspondent Jim Swonk, right, gives the microphone to an audience member to ask a question. Paul S. Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center gave the inaugural talk in the "Progressive Voices Speak Out" lecture series on Feb. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist chapel off Pine Ridge Road. Lance Shearer/Citizen Correspondent By Lance Shearer No, he was not THAT Paul Ryan. As he was quick to point out, the Paul S. Ryan who spoke at the Unitarian Universalist chapel on Feb. 10 is not the newly-anointed speaker of the House of Representatives, nor a Congressman from Wisconsin. This Paul Ryan might agree with "the other Paul Ryan" that our country faces problems, but his solutions would be entirely different. Ryan was the first of six scheduled weekly speakers in the local Progressive Voices lecture series held each year at the Unitarian church. "To put it bluntly, our democracy is in crisis," Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, led off his talk. Elections, he said, are bought by those with the money to do so, and voter suppression has been ratified by the U.S. Supreme Court. The problem is not new, but it is growing worse and has reached an acute stage. "In 1968, literally, bags of cash were delivered to Nixon campaign headquarters. Watergate at its heart was a campaign finance scandal," said Ryan. "In 2013, in Shelby County v. Holder, by a 5 to 4 vote, the Supreme Court finished dismantling the protections of the Voters Rights Act" that was passed in 1965. Ryan is himself an attorney admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, but he told the audience less than one week before the death of Justice Antonin Scalia that in the prevailing climate, lawyers working for campaign finance reform go to great lengths to avoid taking a case to SCOTUS. In addition to the ever-increasing role of "soft money" and "dark money," and the influence it buys for the plutocrats who provide it, tightening of early voting opportunities, voter ID laws, and refusal to give civil rights to those who have served time in jail have disenfranchised large chunks of the electorate. "Black voters are three times more likely to be disallowed, and Hispanic voters are two times more likely to be disallowed than white voters," said Ryan. Concurrently with establishing a requirement to show a government-approved ID to vote, the state of Alabama closed 31 Department of Motor Vehicles offices, every one in a county where minorities are the majority. Another tactic to render elections unfair, said Ryan, is "gerrymandering," creating preposterously shaped districts designed to predetermine the outcome of elections, a topic that has been in the news recently for Florida voters. "This is what happens when legislators choose their voters, instead of the voters choosing their legislators," said Ryan, showing a slide with twisted, serpentine voting districts drawn to concentrate minorities or members of one party into a few districts, so those making the districts are able to retain effective majorities in the legislative body. Ryan and his Campaign Legal Center devote their lives to attempting to make election law fair, and to see that existing law is upheld, but as he made clear, calling it an uphill fight would be a gross understatement. Since the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, opening the floodgates to unlimited cash, there is little to dissuade incumbents, candidates and donors from gaming the system however they see fit, and what laws are on the books are routinely ignored. With three Republicans and three Democrats, he said, "the Federal Election Commission is designed to deadlock." Ryan waited until the question-and-answer session after his talk to let slip one of the most interesting facets of his organization. The Campaign Legal Center was created by Trevor Potter, who gained fame on "The Colbert Report" as the host's attorney when Stephen Colbert created a "Super PAC" to point up how toothless campaign law really is. And in his natty pink bowtie, Ryan did nothing to dispel the image of reformers as well-meaning but ineffectual do-gooders. Ryan has testified as an expert on election law before Congress, regularly represents the Campaign Legal Center before the Federal Election Commission and as a campaign finance law expert on news programs of CNN, NBC, C-SPAN, NPR and other broadcast media outlets. He is quoted regularly by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, among others. Ryan is a graduate of UCLA's law school, admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, California, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in addition to the Supreme Court. On Feb. 17, Jim Kenney, executive director of Common Ground, an adult study center focusing on the world's great religious, philosophical and spiritual traditions, spoke on "Islam in Europe: Fears and Realities." Feb. 24 brings Dr. Jean-Marc Oppenheim, a Middle East historian and Fulbright scholar who teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at Columbia and Fordham Universities, speaking on "Controlling Chaos in the Middle East." Additional speakers follow each Wednesday evening through March 16. In addition to the Wednesday lectures, all the speakers are conducting additional workshops while they are here, often delving further into topics related to their lecture subjects. All lectures are at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples at 6340 Napa Way, just south of Pine Ridge Road, with a $15 suggested donation including complimentary wine and refreshments, with reception at 6:30 p.m. and lecture beginning at 7. For more information, call 239-455-6553. Jason Easterly/Special to the Daily News Citizens pack the Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue District on Bonita Grande Drive before the District 4 candidates' forum held on Tuesday evening. The event was sponsored by the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. SHARE By Patrick Riley of the Naples Daily News Bonita Springs fire district officials have taken their fight with Lee County over emergency services to the state. Last month, district commissioners and staff went to Tallahassee and filed a bill that would change the process of obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which grants an agency the right to provide ambulance services. Currently, counties award COPCNs. The state lacks a uniform appeals process for denied applications. In some cases, the applicant must appeal to the county commission that denied the request in the first place. In other cases, appeals go to a court with jurisdiction. The bill filed by the Bonita fire district, known as House Bill 517 and Senate Bill 742, would require counties to provide a quasi-judicial process for the denial of a COPCN application. That would let an applicant who was turned down appeal the decision in circuit court. Right now we have no recourse, said Fire District Commissioner Lawrence Kosilla after Tuesdays monthly meeting. Its just like beating a dead horse. We just want an appeal system to work the way an appeal system should through a separate entity, you know, a judicial entity that can take the facts into consideration and overlook the entire system and decide whether you meet the criteria. The bill, which is scheduled to go before the Houses Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday, would give the district an avenue of appeal outside of just going to back to the county, said Fire Chief Joseph Daigle. This is the last stop, really, he said. Basically until next year to try to change the legislation. But its the last stop that we have in our disposal at this point. The county and fire district have been at odds over emergency services for a number of years. The fire district twice applied in 2010 and in 2012 to the county for permission to provide 24-hour ambulance and hospital transport. The county denied the districts application each time. In April 2013, the district sued after Lee commissioners again denied its request to provide ambulance services. In March 2015, a circuit court judge ruled that he had no jurisdiction over the matter and tossed the lawsuit. However, he did not rule on whether or not Lee was correct in denying the fire districts application. In December, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal sided with the lower courts decision. The courts decided they did not have the authority to rule on the issue. Bonita fire district officials say a COPCN would allow them to put more ambulances in South Lee County, thereby cutting down on patient wait times. The county argues that letting the fire district transport patients would have no positive impact on response times and would instead cause undue confusion and fragmentation. Lee County EMS currently has two 24-hour ambulances and one 12-hour ambulance stationed in Bonita Springs. Bonita firefighters can treat patients at an advanced life support level at the scene but cannot transport them. Allowing them to do so would get patients to the hospital much quicker and with much less stress on them, said Kosilla. The bottom line is were trying to do this for the city of Bonita Springs, he said. Its all for the citizens not for any other reason. Seven years ago, my husband and I were looking to buy a house. We fell in love with Stuart Heights, but heard a lot about the zoned school (Rivermont Elementary) and how if we had kids, we couldnt send them there. We bought the house anyway and watched as families who had loved our neighborhood fled to different school districts as soon as they had kids. Last year, a group of us (about half with kids, half without) decided to invest our time and energy into our school, instead of either complaining or bailing out. We started the Rivermont School Fan Club, met with school leadership to determine how we could contribute, won a grant from Causeway for seed funding, and havent looked back. I am excited to see the work being done on the Chattanooga 2.0 project and the increased focus on our public schools if youre not involved, you cant imagine the amazing work these teachers and administrators are doing. I would encourage everyone in Hamilton County even those like me who dont have children in our local school system to get engaged. Good schools build stronger communities and thats something all of us should support. Dawn Hjelseth Chattanooga 2020CON 3 Like the 20/20 Conservation lands themselves, the signs marking the properties and not fancy, usually small weatherworn makers hidden against the edge of the brush. The purpose of 20/20 Conservation lands more geared towards ecological preservation than area beautification. Photo by Jessica Waters By Maryann Batlle of the Naples Daily News Lee voters will weigh in on the county's land preservation program this November. But the county has no question to ask them yet. Lee's commissioners on Tuesday voted 4 to 1 to put Conservation 2020, the program, on the election ballot. They agreed to write the nonbinding referendum in the coming weeks. They said they will accept input about the language from the public. "It would be direct, and it will be precise and concise," said Commissioner John Manning. Lee Chairman Frank Mann dissented. Approving a referendum before knowing what it will say makes no sense, Mann said. "We're putting a ballot item on referendum that we have not seen," Mann said. "That strikes me as violating some parliamentary procedure." County Attorney Richard Wesch said it does make sense. The county commission was "just notifying the public" there will be a ballot measure, he said. "And that we are to work to develop a specific language," Wesch said. Since 1996, county taxpayers have spent more than $300 million to set aside open space in Lee. The county owns and maintains 24,931 acres of Conservation 2020 land. Environmental groups and activists asked the county to hone the ballot language and educate taxpayers. Any changes made to the program need public input, said George Wheaton, a Lee resident. He chairs the Conservation 2020 citizen advisory committee. "If a new (land preservation) program is going to be drafted, who is going to be the author?" Conservation 2020 and the environment were the center of Tuesday's commission meeting. Commissioner Brian Hamman requested county staff research ways to lessen the stormwater that runs from Lee County and into the Caloosahatchee River. Historic rainfalls have put a strain on Florida's flood management system. Since late last month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released billions of gallons of freshwater from Lake Okeechobee into the river every day. That water mixes with stormwater run off. Maybe some stormwater can be stored on Conservation 2020 lands, Hamman said. County Manager Roger Desjarlais said his staff has started analyzing alternatives but immediate options are limited. SHARE MaryJo Kolb explains how Switzerland, where she spends the summer, is more conducive to healthy living. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News NCH CEO Dr. Allen Weiss speaks to Marco Island residents about health and longevity during a a presentation on the benefits of living in the Blue Zones on Feb. 11 at the Rose History Auditorium. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News Blue Zones Director Deb Millsap, left, collects Blue Zones pledges from audience members. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News By Lance Shearer Allen Weiss has a mission. The physician and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System has made it his priority to spread the word about Blue Zones, and devotes a lot of his hours to the effort. "I should tell people, 'Thanks for being in the hospital four times. You're helping to pay my salary,'" he told an audience on Marco Island. "But I'd rather keep you out of the hospital. Who wants to spend the night in the hospital?" He asked for a show of hands, and none went up. Weiss and Southwest Florida Blue Zones Project Executive Director Deb Millsap went to Marco on Feb. 11 at the invitation of the Marco Island Civic Association, one of a series of groups and organizations to which they have presented the Blue Zones "gospel" of longevity and better health. Brought to Southwest Florida through sponsorship by NCH, in collaboration with Healthways and Blue Zones, Blue Zones Project is a community-wide well-being improvement initiative designed to encourage healthy choices easier through permanent changes to environment, policy and social networks. Blue Zones employs evidence-based methods to help people live longer, better lives. "The creators of Blue Zones looked at where people live the longest, healthiest lives, and then tried to figure out what it was those people were doing," said Millsap. Based on their findings, Blue Zones created their "Power 9," strategies and initiatives anyone can pursue to improve their health and longevity. Speaking to about 40 people in the Rose History Auditorium, Weiss put the principles of the Power 9 into accessible "sound bites," such as the 80 Percent Rule: "Eat mindfully and stop when 80 percent full." "Walking away from the table when you're still feeling a little bit hungry what a concept," Weiss said. Some of the precepts, such as Wine at Five, which suggests you "enjoy a glass of wine with good friends each day," (two if you're a man) are an easier sell, although Weiss did hasten to add he was not advocating anyone take up drinking if they didn't already. Weiss used statistics to show that healthcare in the United States is seriously out of whack, with our medical spending easily number one in the world, while we rank only 37th in health, behind Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and all of western Europe, among many others. Within this country, "your zip code matters more than your genetic when it comes to measuring life expectancy. We live in the 'Bacon Belt.'" Sixty percent of Americans would like to be able to walk to local amenities, he said, but only 5 percent can. MaryJo Kolb, sitting in the audience, shared that she spends "the other half the year in a village in Switzerland. It's easier to do the right things there." Every morning, she walks to the bakery or other stops, "and I see five people on the way." Water plays a factor in more ways than one in determining health and longevity, Weiss said. Drowning is the number one cause of death for preschoolers in our area, and "families never recover" from such a tragedy. "People say 'where's the 2-year-old?' and look into the whirlpool. Children are attracted to water. Let's give water safety lessons to our children" no matter how young. Average life expectancy is a major focus of the Blue Zones. For millennia, it hovered around 30 years for humans, and only in the last hundred years or so has it shot up. The reason? "Water sources. People got access to clean water." Exercising, reducing stress, eating less meat and more plants, investing time with family, "surrounding yourself with people who support positive behaviors" and "waking up with purpose each day" are all components of becoming someone likely to live a longer, healthier life. NCH has seen health outcomes improve for its own staff, since undertaking steps to move people in the right direction, Weiss said. "We had a wake-up call when three nurses got breast cancer, and one died. They hadn't had mammograms. In 2011, we stopped hiring smokers. There is $6,000 more costs for a smoker" than someone who is tobacco-free. "Our own healthcare costs are going down." Asked why he has made the Blue Zones a crusade, "It's the right thing to do," answered Weiss. "I took the Hippocratic Oath. You go into healthcare to help people. This is more useful than another hip replacement." For more information about how to make your group Blue Zones-certified, send an email to bluezonesprojectsouthwestfl@healthways.com. An Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. The mosquito is a vector for the proliferation of the Zika virus currently spreading throughout Latin America. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) SHARE By Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News One more case of travel-related Zika virus has been confirmed, bringing the statewide number to 22, according to the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday. The new case was reported in Brevard County. The states public health emergency spans nine counties, including Lee County which has had three travel-related Zika cases. All of the cases are travel-related, where the infected individuals had traveled out of the country and were diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus after their return. About one in five people infected become symptomatic, which generally involves a low-grade fever, rash and joint pain. Pregnant women are at risk if their unborn babies are exposed to the virus, which can lead to birth defects. Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are examining the link between Zika and birth defects. The state health department encourages residents to drain standing water in any containers, which is the breeding source for mosquitoes; cover exposed skin with long-sleeved shirts and pants, and to wear mosquito repellent outdoors. For more information, go to www.FloridaHealth.gov. Chris Rozansky is the new executive director of the Naples Airport Authority, which operates the Naples Municipal Airport (Photo provided by Chris Rozansky/Herald Tribune) SHARE By Joseph Cranney of the Naples Daily News Christopher Rozansky, who serves as director of the Venice Municipal Airport, is expected to take the same position for the Naples Airport Authority after members endorsed him to replace Ted Soliday, who is retiring after more than 20 years. Rozansky, 37, got the endorsement from the Naples authoirity's board during a Feb. 1 meeting. Rozansky has been at the Venice airport since 2010 and has worked in aviation for more than a decade, according to published reports. Rozansky was chosen from a field of four finalists. Sheila Dugan, the airport's deputy executive director who has there for two decades, was thought to be a top candidate but chose not to be interviewed, said Laurel Smith, an airport spokeswoman. On Feb. 1, Naples Airport Authority Chairwoman Donna Messer said "all of the candidates were excellent and that it was a difficult decision," according to meeting minutes. Attempts to reach on Tuesday Rozansky failed. The airport authority will vote on Rozansky's contract during its regular meeting Thursday. The board hired a headhunting firm last May to seek Soliday's replacement. In November, the board asked the firm to go back through a pool of candidates after top choice Gene Conrad, director of the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, dropped out. Dugan, who couldn't be reached Tuesday, was interviewed for the job in November and considered a finalist. Per the drafted agreement, Rozanky will start on March 28 and receive a base salary of $175,000, according to a draft contract agreement. Rozansky would take the job a month after the airport begins servicing commercial flights for the first time since 2007. Earlier this month, Elite Airways announced 10 weekly operations to and from Newark, New Jersey, Portland, Maine and other Florida locations. The commercial service will start Feb. 27. The 732-acre Naples airport had about 100,000 takeoffs and landing last fiscal year. The Venice Municipal Airport is a general aviation, 835-acre airport. Under Rozansky's helm, the airport has undertaken a plan to redirect flight traffic away from a group of about two dozen homes near the runways, according to published reports. In 2012, Rozansky was named to a list of the Top 40 airport business men and women under 40 years old by Aviation Pros, a trade website. Rozansky has worked in seven airports across five states, according to a profile on Aviation Pros. He interned at airports in Columbus, Ohio; Trenton, New Jersey; and Philadelphia. He later worked at the Collin County Regional Airport in Texas. Coalition of groups warm up before the immigration rally in the capitol rotunda in Tallahassee. SHARE By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News TALLAHASSEE The 100 or so people who visited the Capitol Wednesday to protest two immigration bills found a friend in Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla. As the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, told the group he refused to allow hearings for SB 872 by Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and SB 118 by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast. Like the protesters, he believed the bills discriminated against immigrants. "It is with great pride that I decided not to agenda bills that tear down our communities," Diaz de la Portilla said to the crowd. "Rest assured, I will stand in the way of any bill that attacks our community or tears down our community." The crowd of protesters, led by labor unions and immigrant rights groups, erupted into cheers in response to Diaz de la Portilla's comments. The roar in the cavernous rotunda area that separates the main entrances to the House and Senate chambers forced House staffers to close the doors so the chamber could prepare for floor session. The coalition of groups came to Tallahassee armed with petitions that included 2,000 signatures from people who were against the two bills. The hefty binders were hand delivered to the offices of Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. "And we also will deliver these signatures to Sen. Diaz de la Portilla and we will tell him thanks," said Francesca Menes, director of policy and advocacy for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "We need to let him know he is not alone." The bills that generated the petitions would create tougher deportation penalties, prohibit cities from creating sanctuaries for immigrants and require local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration law. The same group of protesters visited the Capitol during the first day of this year's legislative session on Jan. 12 to protest five other bills, but with this year's session past its halfway point, it is unlikely any of them will pass. Service Employees International Union Miami Lakes Chapter Executive Vice President Monica Russo said Bean and Hutson failed to remember that immigrants hold the hospitality jobs at vacation resorts around Florida. They are the heartbeat of Florida's lifeblood tourism industry, Russo said. "This is Florida's workforce whether we're immigrant or not immigrant," Russo said. "We are Florida." Protesters held up signs written mostly in Spanish that conveyed messages demanding respect, dignity and equality. In Spanish, they chanted "Yes it's possible." University of Florida student Sarai Chavarria said she drove from Gainesville to join other protesters to stand up for her parents, who came to the U.S. from Jalisco, Mexico. She said the proposed legislation did not reflect the viewpoints of all Floridians. "We're here to let the legislators know they can't play with the lives of our families," Chavarria said. "As a voter and the daughter of an immigrant I feel these pieces of legislation are not indicative of what we believe in." Contact Daily News reporter arek.sarkissian@naplesnews.com or 850-559-7620 SHARE Collier County Public Schools The "A" grade awarded to Collier County Public Schools by the state for 2014-15 offers a bottom-line look at how well the district is faring in the classroom. The grades are derived from seven factors, including achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Another criterion is the graduation rate. Collier excels historically, and comparatively across the state. Collier's graduation rate for the Class of 2015 hit 84.3 percent. That's 2.2 percent higher than the prior year and surpasses the state's graduation rate of 77.8 percent. Collier's graduation rate has risen 11.8 percentage points since 2010-11. Not coincidentally, Collier's excellent superintendent, Kamela Patton, took the administrative helm in June 2011. The district earned its "A" in the first year of using the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) test. Fewer than a third of the state's districts earned an "A." Another set of state data released earlier this month looked at teacher effectiveness in the classroom. Districts individually tailor their assessments, so a district-to-district comparison is risky. But importantly in that data, no Collier teacher rated unsatisfactory; less than 1 percent received "needs improvement." Those are tangible measures of classroom success, but there are other current examples why Collier should be proud of its "A" school district. Cambridge in middle schools Academic programs that challenge exceptional high school students are well-established, such as dual college enrollment and Advanced Placement. Now, however, Collier is offering a more rigorous program for middle schools. The Cambridge Secondary advanced studies program will mirror a version already offered at high schools. It enhances skills and knowledge in English, mathematics and science for higher-achieving middle school students. Among its benefits are enabling students to earn high school credit and improving study habits to help them become successful. Qualified students can apply through Feb. 29. A virtual connection The district's fourth in an innovative series of virtual town hall meetings is March 1 from 6 to 7 p.m. It focuses on helping parents understand what lies ahead in paying for the student's continuing education and options for financial help. The town halls are unique; parents in outlying regions can simultaneously interact with a panel of experts at multiple sites, connected through technology. Prior virtual town hall topics were early childhood learning, use of social media and college/career readiness. INCubatoredu The fruits of INCubatoredu are surfacing. Started at Collier high schools last fall, INCubatoredu gives student entrepreneurs a chance to develop a product and business model in collaboration with a teacher and business leader. Through an endowment, the district hopes to offer students real-life lessons on operating a business and provide a financial source for student businesses. A real tweet A voluntary program for school staff to use Twitter to keep parents better connected with what's going on at their child's school each day has taken off exponentially and will be featured nationally in a March 8 education webinar. Each school has its own Twitter account, as does the district, to communicate the day's goings-on at school. Parents can follow their school on Twitter: The program, initiated by Greg Turchetta, director of district communications, has jumped from 2,400 followers when the school year started to nearly 4,300 now. Awards are given at elementary, middle and high schools based on the number of followers; Avalon Elementary is tops at more than 400. An interesting trend, Turchetta said, is seeing schools in East Naples, Immokalee and some less-affluent areas of Collier leading the way in daily involvement with their schools on Twitter. We find that encouraging because it means more parents getting involved in their student's school and that can only be another plus for an "A" school district. SHARE Robert Jenkins, Naples Florida duo One can only wonder about how Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush are faring so poorly in the polls in Florida. I could understand Rubio's poor polling nationally as he is really an unknown product. Bush on the other hand, seems just plain poisoned by his brother's legacy. Yet here in Florida, neither is in double digits. When Rubio repeated his line about the president three times, (even after getting mocked about it after the second time) he looked pitiful. I honestly laughed at Bush trying to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump. I'm imagining that the GOP, a party I once proudly belonged to; will sink out of sight soon. I'm thinking no matter who runs as a Democrat; they will soundly defeat who the GOP puts up. My friends from up North joke with me and say you should run; you couldn't do any worse than those other two. I now believe we've earned the title Flori-duh. SHARE Keith Flaugh, Marco Island What we support Beth-Ellen Povlow's recent attack in a guest commentary brings to mind this quote: "If you're not catching flak, you're not over the target." It is full of distortions. FloridaCitizensAlliance.com works tirelessly, restoring local K-12 control to our communities and getting federal, state and greedy national textbook companies to stop subjecting our children to political/religious indoctrination, revisionist history and even pornography. We are 80 grass-roots groups, fighting to protect you and your families' individual rights and have more than 25,000 supporters, 3,000 here in Southwest Florida. The bills in question were killed recently, but the surrounding circumstances are fascinating. They had a near-record number of 24 sponsors/co-sponsors. In addition, they were supported by the future leadership in the House and Senate. All five Lee County legislators co-sponsored and Senate President Pro-tempore Matt Hudson of Naples publicly supported them. Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz, and Rep. Marlene O'Toole, R-Lady Lake, the committee chairs, killed these bills without allowing a single hearing, to protect the big-money textbook publishers. For the facts, read Daily News columnist Brent Batten's recent article headlined "No guarantee of book bill's passage." For the record, Florida Citizens Alliance and our regional counterpart are nonpartisan, issue-based advocacy groups. Our mission is to restore liberty, educate voters on the principles of liberty and vet candidates so you have a factual basis to make an informed vote. We don't endorse candidates. We do encourage candidates to complete two questionnaires: one regarding the office they seek and a second subjective survey, documenting their constitutional knowledge, principles and values. Finally, we didn't create the 2014 School Board contract, but did support its dissemination. SWFL Citizens Alliance didn't endorse any candidate. We simply provided the principles and values of candidates, and trusted voters to make an informed decision. EHC, Inc., a construction company that provides pre-construction, earthwork and infrastructure services, reports 40% revenue growth year-over-year, the addition of new clients, and the completion of a remarkable 10 projects throughout Southwest Florida in 2015. The company also celebrated its 25th anniversary. Many of the projects completed in 2015 were multi-million, multi-phased projects including the Hertz Worldwide Headquarters Campus in Estero, Orange Blossom Ranch in Naples, Oak Hammock in Punta Gorda, The Coves at Estero Bay in Fort Myers, Naples Square in Naples, U.S. Route 41 and CR 951 intersection in Naples, Caloosahatchee Bridge at I-75 in Fort Myers, Twin Eagles in Naples, Lindsford Phase 2 in Fort Myers, and the Eastport Water Reclamation Facility in Punta Gorda. Already in 2016, EHC began on the High Tech Buildings with new client Schneider Construction, a nearly 16-mile I-75 project in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties with new client The Astaldi Group, Lindsfords Phase 2a with The Ronto Group, and Tuscola with Trinity Commercial Group. The High Tech Buildings in Fort Myers kicked off in January of 2016 with new client Schneider Construction and developer High Tech Properties. Located at the corner of Six Mile Cypress and Metro Parkway, the first phase of the approximately 5-acre project is a flex-space single-story commercial and retail building. EHC is providing the clearing, earthwork, parking lots, concrete curbs, signage and underground utilities for a complete site package. I-75 in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties New client The Astaldi Group, one of Italys leading General Contractors, and among Europes top 25 firms in the construction industry, selected EHC for the nearly 16-mile I-75 project spanning Charlotte and Sarasota Counties which began in January of 2016. EHC is providing excavation, embankment, finish grading, stabilized subgrade, and base as well as temporary detours and access roads, and extensive berm and swale work on I-75 from south of Harborview Road to Sumter Boulevard in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Lindsford Phase 2A EHC is continuing with Phase 2A for Lindsford in Fort Myers. The Ronto Group has engaged the site construction company for underground sewer, storm, water, curb, roads, common area sidewalk, sodding, rock crushing, traffic signage, and lot grading. The latest phase of Lindsford features more than 220 home sites and broke ground in February of 2016. Tuscola Tuscola is an approximately 10-acre project in Northport with Trinity Commercial Group. The new project consists of 6 buildings ranging in size from over 4,000 square feet to over 10,000 square feet. EHC is providing the infrastructure for the common areas as well as each individual outparcel including clearing, more than 50,000 tons of import fill, roadways, parking lots, brick paver walkways, concrete sidewalks, curbing, traffic striping, signage and underground utilities such as storm drainage, water, fire lines and sewer. Phase I of Tuscola is planned to commence in late February 2016. Founded by native Southwest Floridians in March of 1990, EHC has grown from one project for one client to the completion of hundreds of projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars for a vast number of municipalities, developers, builders, owners and general contractors. The company attributes its success to continually finding efficiencies, ability to make quick changes, adapting to change and above all its people. EHC prides itself on a reputation of fostering long-lasting relationships and providing valuable services with a professional, reliable and qualified team. For the latest happenings at EHC, visit EHCconstruction.com, contact 239- 592-0828 or connect with EHC on LinkedIn. Crystal Clean, an independently owned custodial service announces that 2016 marks the companys 35th year in business. Starting out of a garage in 1981 with neither clients nor employees, the company has flourished into a successful enterprise that cleans over 200 buildings regularly, with 70 employees, and a 4,000 square foot facility. We are truly grateful to our neighbors in Southwest Florida for contributing to our steady growth, said Dave Harting, owner. The late Zig Ziglar once said If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want and I attribute that to our companys longevity. Seeing as how so many other cleaning services have come and gone over the past 35 years, I consider us to be very fortunate. To accommodate for growth, Crystal Clean recently expanded their operations. In December, the company added additional office and warehouse space to its current location at 3120 Winkler Ave in Fort Myers. An additional 1,200 square feet of warehouse space was added to make room for new supervisory and management personnel and to house an increasing number of supplies and equipment. As new technology, products, and methods continue to emerge in the janitorial industry, Harting recognizes the importance of progressing and evolving with industry standards. Crystal Clean has installed newly acquired work stations to enhance the overall appearance, efficiency, and productivity of the office. It has upgraded its phone systems to the latest release in the NEC line. Management hopes that the improved technology will allow them to better utilize the companys computer network, thus better serving clients by getting prospects in touch with the right manager or technician quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, the company has taken steps to embrace green cleaning products to reduce their clients exposure to harmful chemicals while removing germs and bacteria. Being able to progress with the industry has helped us to become one of the oldest privately owned cleaning services in Lee County, Harting added. Were not a franchise with corporate guidance so weve had to learn from a lot of our mistakes. But we believe that our service is better than it was 6 months ago and 6 months from now it will improve even more. Crystal Cleans janitors work around the clock providing both residential and commercial cleaning services at over 200 buildings in the Naples-Fort Myers Metro area. One of the companys specialties is providing cleaning services for common areas of condos. The management has extensive background in creating relationships and working with both board members and property managers of condo associations. Crystal Clean believes that reducing stress and headaches for its clients will increase their productivity and in turn, the companys success. By developing and building trust with their clients and employees, Crystal Clean has gained success and longevity in an ultra-competitive industry. For more information about Crystal Clean visit http://www.CleaningFortMyers.com. The County Commission was set to vote on Wednesday on the Bridge Plan retirement program, but Sheriff Jim Hammond pulled the resolution because two commission members were absent. Chairman Chester Bankston is dealing with heart issues and Commissioner Warren Mackey was called away on business, it was stated. Sheriff Hammond said he believes the full commission will pass the plan, but he noted there is some opposition to the program that is estimated to carry a cost of at least $350,000 per year. The sheriff said that amount will be taken from his budget. He said the office has been working almost five years to secure the plan, which allows officers to retire at age 55 with at least 25 years of service. The mandatory retirement age would be 60. The program would provide income almost equivalent to Social Security to the retired officers until they reach age 62 and can begin collecting Social Security. They would then go off the Bridge Plan. Sheriff Hammond said with the "current level of violence" that officers 60 and older are not able to be out chasing and fighting criminals. Larson on Wallace incident: 'It is what it is' Kyle Larson responds to his wreck with Bubba Wallace and Wallace's retaliation at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan didn't get the invite he wanted to the Leaders Debate on RTE on Monday night. He wasn't on the TV3 version last Thursday night either - instead he was in Tipperary town to launch the campaign of his party's Tipperary candidate, Gearoid Fitzgibbon. And he would have welcomed the opportunity to get his message across the national airwaves to the voters - because he knows it's something the party has not been very successful at it. Selling the green message to the people is proving a struggle but he and his team won't give up. He preaches the 'green economy' but with no TDs in the outgoing Dail, is anyone listening. Selling our message to voters is important and we haven't been good at it. We have patently not got it right, he said in an interview with The Nationalist at the launch in the Excel Theatre. But he won't give up, won't renege on the mission. He says - We are on a learning exercise, we need to share our message. All the political parties say they are all in favour of the environment but are we actually doing what we need to do. Are we making the significant changes we need? No, we are not. We are doing a lot of good things, it is not all bad but if it's so self obvious and patently good it would be happening, but it's not. Part of my job and the party's job is to be that voice and the main thing we need to change is to really convince people what I believe to be true - is that it's a better economy, it's a better system. The former government minister, whose party paid a heavy price in the last election for its coalition with Fianna Fail, has strong Tipperary roots - his family originates from the Glen of Aherlow and Dean Innocent Ryan of Cashel was his great grand-uncle. He believes Tipperary is a county that can spread the green message. Tipperary is as good an example as any of how that new economy might evolve. I was down here a few years ago with Con Traas and we met some of the Tipperary Food Producers and again it's happening here, there's that bottom up, new economy, where people are doing things for themselves, making really high quality food, getting a better price for it, and in a community and co-operative way. Tipperary is also into renewable energy and with efficiency and capability you start to get the bones of a strong rural economy. Going back to my time as a former energy minister, I had dealings with the Tipperary Energy Institute. They are very capable and probably the best in the country I have met. He describes Tipperary as one of those counties just at the cusp of a new way of thinking. We are laying ground for the future as much as contesting this election, he states. The election is about the economy, it always is, and as well as who wins and gets the seats, it should be a debate about where we are going from here and I don't think just abiding by the status quo will give stability. The former minister says one of the party's main tasks is to really present an alternative vision and show there's another way to do things. He said the recent climate change conference in Paris showed that countries are prepared to change and governments are ready to make it work. The world is changing, the world is going green, it's happening. If we were to sit back and ignore that, and not be part of it, we would very soon find ourselves falling back. So what we are doing is obviously to get elected and raise our base and profile but we are also representing that different economy and making the case that that's where Tipperary should go. Mr Ryan says his Tipperary candidate Gearoid Fitzgibbon is doing in real life what we are all about, promoting community energy, very involved in community development and that bottom-up new economy where we think we need to go, where the economy needs to go. He is a nice guy, someone you can trust and he may surprise a few people. Nationally he is hoping for three to four seats. I hope we will have role to play. We are on two to three per cent in the opinion polls like a number of parties. In the past when we got to four per cent we won six seats. If I got three or four seats I would be thrilled because then you have a team and politics is a team game. Gearoid Fitzgibbon, who hopes to be on that team in the Dail, has hit out at the system where TDs are elected on the basis of political favours - and claims that Tipperary has perfected the system. He says the country has been busy selecting politicians on the basis of personal favours, what is he or she going to do for me, with politicians trying to work out how to do the most number of favours for the most number of people to increase their pool of clients. Regretably this system has been perfected in Tipperary by the TDs.They might do very good work for their constituents but it's all on that basis. This is losing sight of where we should be going as a county or a country. One candidate claimed to have come up with the idea of being the first TD to have a constituency office. Let's close them down and take the 40,000 to 50,000 and give it to the Citizens Information Service where elderly people volunteer their time to give people information. They can get independent information free of any need for favours or votes. If elected I will give 35% of my salary to CIS to show I'm serious, he said. Eamon Ryan has a similar view at national level. It's a strange election and still all to play for, there's a lot of uncertainty and anger still out there. There's also a distrust of politicis which I think is disappointing because my experience in politics is that while there are bad people, mostly there are a lot of good people. So we have lost a certain amount of public confidence in our political system and we have to try and win that back. It's an election where unfortunately I think we are back to the same old promises, of cutting every tax and raising every spending line so I think that has almost added to the slight sense of distrust. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, in partnership with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, invites the public to participate in a free, one hour program at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 East Martin Luther King Blvd. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. This program will explore Union Lieutenant Albion Tourgees radical conversion on civil rights issues once the guns of war fell silent.Organizers said, "During the Civil War, soldiers often experienced debilitating wounds beyond description, but not all wounds were physical.Albion Tourgees interaction with slavery produced mental wounds that convinced him the war was intended for a higher purpose. 'Justice is pictured blind and her daughter, the Law, ought at least to be color-blind.' This quote, from one of his post-war law briefs, paints a picture of the moral crusade on which he journeyed. Without his traumatic wartime experiences, might Tourgee have not clothed himself in the mantle of civil rights at all?"Additionally, there will be free admission to the Chattanooga African American Museums Gateway to Freedom exhibit located in the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the National Military Parks website at www.nps.gov/chch The Cleveland City School Board voted at a special called meeting Wednesday to hire the Tennessee School Board Association staff to help with the recruitment and selection process for the next director of schools. On Feb. 5, the school board fired Dr. Martin Ringstaff from the position after learning he sent explicit sexual messages to a woman who was not his wife. Cathy Goodman was appointed as the interim director of schools. The brief afternoon meeting illuminated the fact that, by law, the director of schools could not enter into a contract 45 days before or 30 days after the general election. As a result, the school board needs to hire someone by June 1, 2016 for that person to be eligible to enter into a contract before the fall semester. Chairperson Dawn Robinson discussed the short time period from now until June 1 to tackle the difficult task of finding a new director. She recounted how the last time the board sought a director of schools it hired the Tennessee School Boards Association, an outside consulting firm, to screen applications for potential candidates. Board members Peggy Pesterfield and Tom Cloud, and Vice Chairperson Murl Dirksen remembered working with TSBA in the past and voiced their satisfaction with the organization. It is a tremendous amount of work to screen these applications, Mr. Dirksen said, to which board members agreed they did not have the time for this. Mr. Cloud said he approved of TSBA because the firm specialized in education and school board needs. Board member Charlie Cogdill, who has not yet experienced hiring a director of schools, asked what the board did regarding the candidates weeded out by TSBA the last time. Ms. Robinson answered they still looked at the names of all who applied. She said the way it works is the board decides what they want for a director of schools, and TSBA searches for that person. It could be a nationwide search if need be, Ms. Robinson said. Once TSBA narrows down the candidates, the board then travels to the prospective directors hometowns to interview them and speak with their peers. Every member present voted to hire TSBA in the search for the director of schools. They chose to go with the first of two plans the firm offered, which costs $6,500. Board member Steve Morgan was absent. If all goes accordingly, the application process will take place from March through April, and the selection process will occur in May in order to hire a new director by June. However, if the right person for the job does not turn up in that time, Ms. Robinson said the board would simply have to wait. On Tuesday the Metropolitan Planning Council hosted a roundtable discussion regarding the future of Chicago's Union Station. The presentation not only focused on efforts to bolster passenger capacity, widen platforms, and improve pedestrian flow, it also highlighted a master plan for transforming the historic 1925 station into a mixed-use destination for both travelers and non-travelers alike. Serving as a vital hub for the Metra commuter line and the Amtrak national system, Union is the nation's third busiest train station with an annual ridership of 3.3 million. Yet, despite the high traffic, most commuters descend from the street directly to the concourse level and typically bypass the station's landmarked Headhouse Building and its impressive Great Hall. The plan hopes to change this by restoring Union Station's many empty spaces to their former glory and to follow the example of New York's Grand Central Station by creating new destination restaurants, bars, and retail food markets. Roundtable presenter Ray Lang, President of Amtrak's Union Station Company, touched on some of the specifics of the plan which includes new pedestrian connections to Ogilvie Transportation Center and the CTA Blue Line. He was followed by architect Silvio Baldassarra of NORR who shared the challenges and unique solutions his firm discovered while upgrading downtown Toronto's busy Union Station. The panel also included Fulton Market developer Jeffrey Shapack of Shapack Partners who presented his perspective on Union Station's incredible potential and local restaurateur Chris Bisaillon of Bottleneck Management who touched on the hospitality aspects of the redevelopment. The roundtable was followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of Union Station led by Mr. Lang and Senior Facilities Manager Paul Sanders. The tour's first stop was a vacant space prime for redevelopment located just west of the Great Hall. Formerly home to the Fred Harvey restaurant, the area has remained unoccupied for several decades following a fire. Union Station management is hopeful the large room and mezzanine will find a high-profile restaurant or retail tenant now that new HVAC and sprinkler systems have been installed and asbestos remediation work is complete. The reactivation of this area may also see a new pedestrian access to Clinton Street above. Perhaps Union Station's most beautiful room off limits to the public is the former Woman's Lounge located off the northwest corner of the Great Hall. Restoration work is underway on the room's original but neglected wallpaper murals and ornate plaster ceiling. The lounge is expected to serve as a new event space after its scheduled reopening in October of 2016. Atop Union's recently restored travertine stairs made infamous by "The Untouchables" stroller shoot-out scene is yet another empty space that is ripe for a new restaurant concept. Located at the building's northeast corner near the Canal Street colonnade, the multi-level room has recently solved its ADA accessibility issues thanks to a recently installed elevator. The newly opened Legacy Club offers a glimpse at the sort of upgrades that the Master Plan envisions for the rest of the building. Much like an airline lounge, travelers are treated to a well-appointed private space that provides free wifi, coffee and tea, and complimentary alcoholic beverages during happy hour in exchange for a monthly or yearly membership fee. The club also includes the station's old barbershop. With its detailed tiled mosaic walls carefully restored, the space now hosts events and private meetings. In the center of Great Hall is Amtrak's new modern ticketing kiosk. Recently moved from the crowded concourse below, the structure must be technically temporary to get around the building's landmark regulations. Work on a new permanent ticketing counter just off the Great Hall's concourse access ramp is underway along with a new 16,000-square-foot Metropolitan Lounge which features special accommodations for Amtrak first class sleeper car and business class passengers. The space is expected to be ready for occupancy by June of 2016. Though a previous effort to redevelop Union Station by a Jones Lang LaSalle and Youssefi-Scott partnership fell through during the economic collapse of 2008, the current restoration and redevelopment work could not come at a better time, according to Amtrak's Lang and Sanders. Economic stimulus money provided the funds to add the air chiller and sprinkler system necessary to move forward with the site's redevelopment, and rail ridership is expected to continue to grow. The new Union Station Transit Center bus terminal is opening later this year to better connect train passengers to the rest of Chicago. Meanwhile the booming West Loop has created conditions ideal for supporting Union's upcoming retail, dining, and office propositions. Interestingly, the Union Station Master Development Plan may also include a new tower component to be built atop Amtrak-owned foundations already in place that are capable of supporting something in the 20-30 story range. While not much information has been released regarding the vertical expansion aspect of the project, the timing is certainly favorable with Chicago currently enjoying a highrise construction boom. Amtrak's Big Union Station Transformation Moving Ahead [Curbed Chicago] Union Station Repairs and Upgrades Are on the Way [Curbed Chicago] (NaturalNews) To many, censors in China are no different from editors atbecause, they say, both are responsible for preventing the free flow of information that would allow people to decide for themselves what is best.In recent weeks Chinese censors have been working overtime to block certain messages on Weibo, the country's huge Twitter-like micro-blogging platform, according to(FP) magazine. Recently, the censors had their busiest day ever, blocking the flow of information during student-led demonstrations in the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong Sept. 26.The protestors were demonstrating against what they perceived to be too much encroachment into the city -- which was managed by the United Kingdom until July 1, 1997 -- by China's ruling communist government, though Beijing has previously promised to maintain separate forms of government.On Sept. 28, FP reported, police in Hong Kong attempted to break up the demonstration using tear gas, pepper spray and batons; this was a major shock to a city that is traditionally very peaceful, because residents are not used to seeing police violence.FP continued its report:Indeed, "Hong Kong" and "police" were the top censored terms of that day, FP said.To give that a little perspective, the censorship rate on Sept. 28 was more than double that of June 4 -- the 25th anniversary of the Chinese government crackdown on the student movement in Tiananmen Square; that event is "so meticulously censored in both traditional and social media that many of China's younger generation" don't know anything about it, FP reported.But the encroaching authoritarianism and censorship hasn't stopped there. In recent months, Hong Kong managers have grown more concerned over the unsettled question of universal suffrage: Beijing has said it would only allow that if the candidates for the city's chief executive -- it's top official -- are chosen by a committee that would bend to communist Chinese interests, instead of being selected by open nomination processes.What authorities in China are doing -- censoring free speech and thought, cutting access to historical events and rigging elections -- are akin to what editors athave done when it comes to the free exchange of ideas on that site. Ashas reported, the site has been a source of ire among activists and experts seeking to better inform the general public about alternative medicines and the holistic approaches to healthcare.In fact, one of the site's co-founders, Larry Sanger, left after realizing that its editors were being completely biased toward conventional medicine by limiting or changing information pertaining to alternative approaches."In some fields and some topics, there are groups who 'squat' on articles and insist on making them reflect their own specific biases. There is no credible mechanism to approve versions of articles," he has said.And that's why most serious institutions of higher learning will not approvefor use by students researching topics for academic papers and projections: The site simply cannot be trusted.A recent petition against the site noted this form of censorship when it stated:That petition is here: Legalization in Colorado Legalization in Canada (NaturalNews) According to the latest report by CIBC World Markets, legalizing marijuana in Canada could create a $10 billion a year industry. Whilst it's understandably difficult to get real data on marijuana use, a survey by Statistics Canada suggests that 12% of Canadians have admitted to smoking pot.In British Columbia, marijuana consumption is estimated at being a $400 million industry, and if those figures are applied to the Canadian population of pot smokers, the industry would be around the $3 billion mark.Experts predict, however, that by using Colorado's legalization experience as a model, the market could be much larger than that.In Colorado, in 2014, the spending on marijuana totaled $700 million, which also yielded sales tax and licensing revenues of $75 million. It is predicted that this year pot sales will reach $1 billion.Whilst it is possible that Colorado's data is skewed by tourist buyers who are literally just visiting the state to legally buy pot if you adjust this number to Canadian dollars and examine the population figures, the industry could be worth $10 billion.There are reports that crime rates have dropped since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado with both burglaries and robberies decreasing between 1 and 10% over the past three years. It is too soon to say that this is a downward trend, however the legalization of pot is considered to play some part in these figures.It is thought that of the potential $10 billion made from the pot market, the Canadian government could take in a share of more than 50%, depending upon the level of "sin tax" that is applied which is currently high on products like alcohol and tobacco.A campaign byin Canada states that the current system of marijuana prohibition in the country does not work, as it totally prevents young people from smoking pot and too many end up with criminal records some just for possessing small amounts of the drug.The cost of arresting and prosecuting Canadians for these offenses is extremely expensive for the criminal justice system, with all the proceeds from the illegal drug trade supporting organized crime and threats to public safety such as human trafficking and hard drugs.suggests removing marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the existing Criminal Code, whilst introducing new, stronger laws that severely punish those who provide the drug to minors, operate a vehicle under the influence, or sell outside the proposed regulatory framework.The plan is to create a federal task force and design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution, under the advice and guidance of experts in public health, substance abuse and law enforcement.A combination of a proposal such as this one fromwith the Colorado model, could not only save money on arresting and persecuting Canadians for small amounts of marijuana use, but generate an income that simply cannot be ignored.On the one hand, it is worth noting that the predicted revenues would only be achieved if underground sales of marijuana are effectively extinguished; 70% of pot currently grown isn't sold domestically so would not be taxable. But on the other, the income that can be made from the legalization of pot, and the impact it will have on government funds, is worth considering.1. VancityBuzz.com 2. TheCannabist.co 3. Liberal.ca EPA wants total control, even if it disrupts lives EPA same organization that said fracking produces safe drinking water and lied about glyphosate knowledge (NaturalNews) First, the residents of Flint, Michigan , were drinking lead-contaminated water , all while Governor Snyder was well aware of water quality issues that ultimately destroyed people's emotional and physical health. Now, another state is in the throes of a government-versus-the-citizens water-related crisis, and the results could destroy farmers' livelihoods.In a nutshell, the EPA has its sights set on Pendleton County, West Virginia and not in a good way. There are 540 farms in the area, with each farm averaging a net income of approximately $45,000 annually. The median income in that county is just over $30,000, hardly an amount that exudes wealth. So what does the EPA think is appropriate to do to the people living in a low-income area? Why, take their farm land away, of course!The dire situation is perhaps best summed up in Third Circuit Court information stating that, "It is anticipated that a significant amount of Pendleton county farmland will have to be removed from production due to its proximity to waterways and the resulting impact of the Bay TMDL on local land use."TMDL refers to "total maximum daily loads," and has everything to do with how the EPA wants to have full land use control involving six states and the District of Columbia, all of which are part of the Chesapeake Watershed. Because Pendleton County is located in this watershed, it's unfortunately become the center of debate involving the EPA and the farmers. The EPA wants to alter the waters in the bay (which would strip away the farmer's land and source of income), while the farmers maintain understandably that such action would be overstepping laws that were put in place as part of the Clean Water Act In fact, The American Farm Bureau has even filed a suit against the EPA, stating that the organization simply isn't making sense in this matter. The EPA is simply bypassing people and states that should be more involved in decision-making processes, while latching onto pollution limit standards that only serve to fragment thousands of areas in the watershed. This in turn, would clearly be disruptive to farmers , both emotionally and financially.But tell that to the thousands of EPA employees and the likely response would probably be, "so what?" After all, this large amount of EPA employees don't live in a low-income part of Virginia. Instead, they reside in Arlington County, Virginia, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. There, the median household income is nearly $95,000, while the median family income is over $127,000. Quite a difference from the $30,000 in Pendleton County, wouldn't you say?Yet the EPA continues to flex its "we've-got-power muscle," much like a bully trying to shove those they deem to be beneath them, aside.Let's remember that the EPA is the same organization that issued a report about fracking , claiming that it doesn't pose any "widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water." Uh, sure. That's why all kinds of water system damage have been discovered. The report even states that several "potential vulnerabilities" have been identified but it also notes that those vulnerabilities aren't significant enough to threaten water supplies. Sure, whatever you say.And let's also remember that this is the same organization that has known about Monsanto cancer-causing glyphosate ... since the 1970s! That's right, according to Dr. Anthony Samsel a research scientist and consultant who says he has EPA documents which prove it for decades the EPA has been hiding the truth about the company's harmful chemicals.It simply isn't fair that these farmers or anyone else for that matter should have their lives destroyed because of some power and money-hungry folks who don't have a caring bone in their bodies. Climbing the ladder of success isn't about hiding truths, destroying lives and crafting loopholes. It's about helping each other so everyone can live healthy, productive lives, instead of living in fear that the only life they've ever known might one day be forcefully stripped away from them.See the Health Ranger's breaking announcement about the EPA (and his non-profit effort to test the water from 100+ U.S. cities) at EPAwatch.org. (1) TheFederalist.com (2) NaturalNews.com (3) NaturalNews.com (4) Science.NaturalNews.com (5) Science.NaturalNews.com Logan Square Activists Skewer Schmancy New Apartments In Parody Ad By Sam Stecklow in News on Feb 17, 2016 6:48PM Luxury Logan looks like a typical luxury site... Somos Logan Square, an anti-gentrification advocacy group, is taking aim at two luxury "Transit-Oriented Development" projects in the neighborhood with a site called luxelogan.com. Presented as promotional material for high-end Logan Square condo developments L and "the Two Towers," the site provides the point of view of developers and Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (pro-luxury developments) followed by quotes from residents who say they will be displaced or priced out by the developments. ...but this probably isn't what prospective renters expect to read (Luxury Logan) In 2013, Chicago City Council passed an ordinance allowing the so-called transit-oriented developments, or TODs, which are residential buildings built near public transit without parking spaces for all residents. Since then, the fight between Logan Square residents and developers (and Ald. Moreno) over TODs has been heating up . Logan Square, which has been gentrifying at varying rates over the last decade and change, has another new development to deal with as well: The 606 trail, which residents have said has raised their property taxes, while an affordable housing plan near the trail proposed by Emanuel has been met with skepticism. The roomful of historic maritime murals hadnt been seen in its glory for nearly four decades even though it sat in a popular San Francisco museum deteriorating just a floor above the models of wooden ships and mementos of the citys seafaring past. Now, more than 70 years after they were first painted by artist Richard Ayers and subsequently destroyed by neglect and abuse preservationists are toiling away in the museums rarely-visited second floor to slowly restore the quirky murals to their original condition. "Basically the murals were treated more or less as any wall surface," said artist Anne Rosenthal, who is performing much of the restoration. Joe Rosato Jr. The murals were painted in the San Francisco Maritime Museum, which was originally built as a bathhouse, as part of a federal works project in 1939. They featured abstract nautical themes with fish, ship parts and relief designs that even covered the rooms pillars echoing the bay sitting just beyond the rooms vast windows. The building was later converted into a National Parks museum but the murals apparently werent considered irreplaceable. Holes were drilled into them to mount display cases and eventually they were painted over as the room was partitioned into smaller rooms. "I dont think a lot of people knew this room was up here, they certainly didnt know it had murals in it," said Todd Bloch, a National Park architect overseeing the restoration. "So even if people did come up here when it was a maritime museum here, they would have no idea the murals were here underneath all this paint." Rosenthal and Bloch are now trying to reverse 70 years of destruction in an attempt to restore the grand rooms quirky art to its original condition. Rosenthal is repairing and repainting parts of the mural that are visible, and uncover the parts that arent. Joe Rosato Jr. "This is one of the major monuments in San Francisco thats never been seen authentically," said Rosenthal, who led the restoration of Coit Towers storied WPA frescoes. Recently, Rosenthal sat perched atop a scaffold, touching up a relief of a ships smoke stack with tiny brush strokes so fine they were barely visible. Across the room, her husband Michael Wolf scraped at the rooms long wall, revealing patches of the original paint underneath. Wooden fish protruded from the wall near a design of ships rivets that had to be partially replaced. A lack of photographs has required Rosenthal and Bloch to don detective hats in a search for clues as to what "original condition" actually meant. An unadorned pillar that had been re-painted white over the years proved to be the thorniest of the preservation no one had any idea what had been there before. But a ghost from the past turned up a valuable clue. A newly digitized color video surfaced of U.C. Berkeleys graduating class of 1919 holding its 20-year reunion in the room the very year the building opened. Joe Rosato Jr. Bloch captured several still shots from the video, which showed scant details of some of the art. One particular image showed the mystery pillar with what appeared to be a cutout of a shark matching a pair of wooden sharks in the museums collection. The cutouts fit perfectly on the column. "Were pretty confident that thats where these fish were," Bloch said. In another instance, Bloch said a worker peeled back a wood panel over one of the rooms doors to reveal a colorful painted tugboat matching one on the adjacent door. "Were pretty confident now that were going to have it restored to 99 percent of what it was like when it was opened," said Bloch, who acknowledged the restoration is still going to take many months. A silver chandelier shaped like a ship steering wheel hangs over the room, and the rooms door handles are also shaped like a ships wheel. A wall full of windows faces out onto the bay and the docks where the historic Balclutha wooden ship gave a hint to the citys maritime past. "These murals dont really tell a story of the city or people, theyre really just representing what you would see outside of these windows," Bloch said. "The ultimate goal is to showcase it again as it was intended to be seen in 1939." Add San Francisco State University to the growing list of college campuses banning hoverboards from the list of wheeled items banned from campus grounds, including the dorms. Students were informed of the no-hoverboard rule on Monday, the student newspaper, the Golden Gate Express first reported. The school cited the recent safety concerns raised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Fire Protection Association in the wake of several injuries and fires sparked by hoverboards charging in sockets. As of Feb. 2, the safety commission said investigators were looking at 48 such hoverboard fires in 20 states. SF State has had a no wheels ban for years, and just this week added hoverboards to the list of banned bicycles, skates, scooters and skateboards zipping around on campus. The new rule, however, means that hoverboards arent even allowed in the dorms at all, a housing representative explained. Those found with hoverboards will be cited, and the self-balancing scooters will be confiscated, she said, declining to give her name. San Jose State University also has had longstanding ban on all motorized vehicles anywhere on campus, spokeswoman Pat Harris said Wednesday, and simply has included hoverboards in that list. Cal State East Bay spokeswoman Kimberly Hawkins said hoverboards are OK at the Hayward campus, but the school did send out safety guidelines. As of January, more than 30 college campuses have said no to hoverboards. Outright bans also have been issued at schools such as American University and George Washington University, both in Washington, D.C. Other schools said they will forbid the scooters in dorm rooms or campus buildings, a policy adopted at colleges including Louisiana State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Arkansas. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez, who was first elected to the seat in 2008, is running for re-election amid calls for her resignation in the wake of the Laquan McDonald shooting. This year's election will be Alvarez's first contested run in the Democratic primary in eight years. She will face protege and former Assistant State's Attorney Kim Foxx as well as former federal and state prosecutor Donna More in the March 15 election. Alvarez is a Chicago native from the Pilsen neighborhood. She is the first hispanic woman to be elected as Cook County States Attorney. She has spent her entire legal career in the States Attorneys office where she has worked in a variety of capacities: Chief Deputy States Attorney, Chief of Staff to the Cook County States Attorney, Chief if the Special Prosecutions Bureau, Deputy Chief of the Narcotic Bureau, Supervisor of the Public Integrity Unit. She also served on the Gang Crimes Unit for 3 1/2 years. Alvarez has tried high profile cases, including the Girl X case that received widespread media attention. In that case, Alvarez prosecuted Patrick Sykes for a predatory assault that left the 9-year-old victim paralyzed, blind and without speech. According to a recent Tribune poll, Alvarez received 34 percent of votes with Foxx receiving 27 percent and More receiving 12 percent. Twenty-six percent of voters are either undecided or backing other candidates. Alvarez came under fire amid the Laquan McDonald scandal. McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicagoan, was shot and killed by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke in October of 2014. Van Dyke was not charged with McDonalds murder until November of 2015 when dash-cam footage of the incident was made public as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. Foxx released a campaign ad earlier this month claiming that in the wake of the Laquan Mcdonald shooting, Alvarez did nothing for 400 days as Van Dyke was not charged with McDonald's murder for 13 months. Its disappointing that Kim Foxx is running attack ads to score political points off the death of a teenager, Alvarezs campaign manager Mike Carson said in a statement to Ward Room. Foxx is a Chicago native, raised in the Cabrini-Green housing projects. She served as an Assistant States Attorney for Cook County for 12 years. Foxx more recently served as Chief of Staff for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. In this position, Foxx managed a $4 billion annual budget and served as counsel to Preckwinkle, who serves as president of the countrys second largest county. During her tenure under Preckwinkle, Foxx was the lead architect of the criminal justice reform agenda which deals with racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Foxx has received high-profile endorsements from Preckwinkle, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Jesus Chuy Garcia, among others. Foxx also secured an endorsement after courting the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31. AFSCME Council 31 is the largest county employee, representing roughly 21,000 workers. Foxxs record at the States Attorneys office has come into question recently. Aides to Anita Alvarez claim that in Foxxs 12 years at the States Attorneys office, she only tried one felony case. The Foxx camp has denied these claims. Donna More is a former federal and state prosecutor who has largely self-funded her campaign. More is focused on making gun violence a top priority and addressing overcrowding at Cook County jail. More rolled out an extensive TV ad campaign earlier this month. The campaign will be comprised of 700 ads that will run in targeted cable TV regions of Cook County. More addressed the City Club of Chicago last week calling Alvarez "a serial screw-up when it comes to high-profile cases." The election for the Democratic nomination for Cook County State's Attorney will be held on March 15. Christopher Pfannkuche will run uncontested on the Republican ballot. Pfannkuche served as a criminal prosecutor for the Cook County States Attorneys office for 21 years. During his tenure he served as a trial supervisor in the Felony Review Unit. Pfannkuche reviewed murder cases, police shootings, press cases, search warrants and a variety of other felony cases. During his 20 years in the Felony Trial Division, Pfannkuche litigated over 2,000 felony cases. Pfannkuche also served as Head of the Traffic Division in Macon County. The general election will be held on November 8. Gov. Bruce Rauner addressed the Illinois General Assembly Wednesday to outline his plan for 2017s state budget despite a historic budget impasse in the state. Illinois has been without an official budget since July 1 of last year, and while Rauners address Wednesday aimed to preview the budget for the fiscal year of 2017, which begins July 1 of this year, he began by acknowledging "this year cannot become a re-run of last year." "Although we succeeded last year in eliminating an inherited $1.6 billion budget hole without a tax hike, we are now in our 8th month without a state budget and court orders are forcing us to spend beyond our means," he said. "Shocking, yes. Acceptable, not even close." The impasse could soon cause layoffs at public universities and further cuts to social services. The state is also accruing billions of dollars in debt as a result of court-mandated spending and floundering revenue. "The truth is, we havent had a truly balanced budget in Illinois for decades," Rauner said. "In ways both obvious and hidden, weve overspent, and raised taxes to cover it." The budget impasse hinges on Rauners Turnaround Agenda which is focused, among other things, on weakening unions. Rauner will not agree to tax increases proposed by Democrats until the demands of his agenda have been met. "Raising taxes without addressing the costs of government, and improving the business climate of our state, merely drives families and jobs out of Illinois," Rauner said in his address Wednesday. Rauner claims to be focused on sweeping reforms dedicated to growing the states economy and increasing revenue while Democrats have focused on tax increases and cuts to the states budget. "Democrats wont support enough spending cuts to live within our current revenues, and you wont vote to raise taxes to cover your deficit spending unless Republicans agree to support your tax hike," Rauner said. "I wont support new revenue unless we have major structural reforms to grow more jobs and get more value for taxpayers." Rauner maintained in his budget address that funding for early childhood education and the General State Aid foundation level remain among his top priorities. Rauner said if reforms are not put in place, "cuts will have to be made." He suggested if lawmakers don't want to work together on those cuts, that they give the Executive Branch "the flexibility to reallocate resources and make reductions to state spending as necessary." "Youve given emergency budget authority to governors in the past other states have too and no one can dispute that we have an emergency on our hands," he said. "Its not my preferred course of action. It wouldnt solve our long-term challenges. But it would, at the very least, allow us to stop digging the hole deeper." During his state of the state address earlier this month, Rauner called for a "grand compromise" that will "cast partisanship and ideaology aside," a message he reiterated Wednesday. "The people of Illinois are sick and tired of this they want us to work together, not watch another pointless cycle of votes and vetoes," he said. "The people have been waiting long enough. I stand ready to negotiate with each and every one of you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." The Illinois Constitution requires that the governor work with the General Assembly to pass a budget by May 31. If a budget is not passed, a three-fifths majority vote by the General Assembly is needed for passage. For the fiscal year of 2016, Rauner proposed a budget with heavy spending cuts and no tax increases that would have left the state with a surplus of $505 million. Democrats also passed a budget, that was vetoed by Rauner, which would have left the state with a $4 billion deficit for the fiscal year of 2016. Rauner has only signed one of the 20 budget bills that came across his desk. That legislation kept schools open statewide by ensuring funding for elementary and secondary education. Rauner claimed that he wouldnt discuss the budget until Democrats made concessions on his Turnaround Agenda. Democrats say those reforms, that deal largely with politics and business, are not related to the states budget. "The savings for taxpayers from our Turnaround reforms would increase over time and could be many billions of dollars a year potentially much larger than our current annual deficit," Rauner said Wendesday. "Even if we only implemented a portion of these recommendations, in a few years wed have a balanced budget without a tax hike, and wed have billions of dollars in surplus funds to invest in our schools, our human services, and our infrastructure." According to Illinois Constitution, the state government cannot spend money without a balanced budget. According to the law, Illinois government should have shut down on July 1 of last year. Nonetheless, Comptroller Leslie Munger received a court order authorizing payment of state employees during the budget impasse. Court orders and other mechanisms have forced the state to fund about 90 percent of the states previous budget. At the end of the fiscal year, Illinois could owe more than $9 billion in unpaid bills. "Right now, were headed in the wrong direction," Rauner said Wednesday. "We need to work together to change the trajectory." On the 2700 block of North Campbell in Chicago, the street sign seems to make it clear: no parking north of the sign unless you have a residential permit. But south of the sign? Have at it. I dont think it could be much clearer, area resident Joe Rubinas told NBC 5 Responds. You see the arrows pointing north. Im just parking on my street in a legal zone. But in that legal spot in the past year, Rubinas said hes been ticketed not once, but twice, with $75 violations for parking in a residential permit-only zone. The first time he got a ticket, he appealed the violation and the City agreed, wiping out the fine. The second time, he used the same letter as he did in his first appeal, but with new pictures, and the City shot back a different answer. I got the notice from the City that the evidence you used was not sufficient and so I still had to pay the fine and thats when I got frustrated, Rubinas told NBC 5 Responds. His second ticket was upheld by an Administrative Law Judge, or ALJ, for the City who said Rubinas did not raise one of the permitted defenses. The denial was a real head-scratcher for the North Side resident, since his identical argument worked with an ALJ on the previous ticket. "It seems like a complete luck of the draw as far as who your judge is and maybe they had a bad day," Rubinas said. "I was just kind of baffled as far as what else you want me to do to show you that I was parked in a legal zone." His only option left was expensive court fees, which were about the same as the erroneous ticket, he said. Thats when he reached out to NBC 5 Responds. Last February, we profiled viewers who complained of uneven findings by ALJs, who are private attorneys hired by the City to hear parking ticket arguments from drivers who contest their violations. We revealed one ALJs findings favored the City over drivers more than two-thirds of the time. Officials at that time told NBC 5 the ALJ in question would be re-trained. One year later, we asked the City to take another look at Rubinas outstanding violation. A spokesperson looked into his case and told us the ticket should not have been written in the first place. The full statement from Molly Poppe at the Chicago Department of Finance: The City of Chicago has a deliberate process to review parking tickets issued by City personnel. In this particular incident, the Administrative Hearing Officer determined that the parking violation had occurred, but upon further review, City supervisors determined the ticket was issued in error, because the street signs do not accurately reflect the parking restrictions on this block. We regret any inconvenience experienced by the affected resident. The City will continue our ongoing training of ticket writers and hearing officers to help prevent tickets from being issued in error and subsequently upheld in the future. For his part, Rubinas says he is relieved, but wishes the process could be more even-handed for residents who try to defend themselves against unfair fines. "I tried doing it myself and it didn't work, he told NBC5 Responds. I reached out to you and I appreciate your help." U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin joined a group of advocates for higher education at the University of Illinois Springfield to address the effects of Illinois financial crisis on state universities and community colleges. As a result of the states budget impasse, dating back to July of last year, public universities and community colleges have gone without any state funding. The senator claimed that higher education in the state is at a breaking point. Students have also suffered as the state has not given schools money to fund grants that cover the tuition for 125,000 low-income students. It embarrasses me and troubles me to think weve reached a point where there are so many innocent victims, Durbin said. The Illinois Senate delivered a bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner Tuesday that would give him the spending authority to fund Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants. These grants would enable low-income students to continue to finance their higher education. The Coalition to Invest in Higher Education, which is comprised of businesses, labor and organizations representing public and private universities, supported Durbin during his speech. UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said the state currently owes the university nearly $18 million. The budget impasse has affected the universitys hiring and led to an across-the-board spending reduction of 20 percent. Were weathering this thanks to increasing enrollment, but were spending less in every area, Susan Koch said. Officials at the event claim the impasse has resulted in a variety of problems including lay-offs, cuts to programs and classes and an inability to secure grants for research. Officials also claim to have lost students to out-of-state institutions. "The time is now for legislators and the governor to find a solution for the stalemate over higher education funding as colleges and universities face a growing crisis in its eighth month," a release from the coalition said. Southern Illinois University was recently forced to close certain programs due to a lack of funding. This includes the school's Small Business Development Center which uses grant money from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help roughly 600 southern Illinois small businesses a year. The Board of Trustees at Chicago State University voted earlier this month to declare a financial crisis, clearing the way for the school's president and school leaders to make drastic cuts. Back in 2008, Russell Frantom was considered a threat to society. Almost eight years after his arrest for plans to carry out a Columbine-style mass shooting at his school in Indiana, he calls himself an artist and is speaking out to explain how some youth follow a dark path. "I think I honestly was hoping to be caught," Frantom told NBC Chicago. "If I hadn't been caught, I am not sure what would have happened." Authorities said Frantom, who had been a 16-year-old freshman at Penn High School near South Bend, spearheaded a Myspace page full of sympathizers of the Columbine shooters, according to NBC affiliate WDNU. It was through the page that he met a 33-year-old man from Lakewood, Ohio. The two plotted attacks at the school and in Ohio, selecting Sept. 11, 2008 as their doomsday. In April, police executed a search warrant at Frantoms uncles house and searched the teen's room, according to WDNU. In it, authorities found a life-size statue of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre killer, multiple knives, swords, Chuckie dolls and red paint smeared in his closet. A search of his computer revealed four photos of bombs, 74 pictures related to Columbine, and 44 images that appeared to have been taken in Penn High School, WDNU reported. Frantom served around nine months in juvenile detention over the incident, but he says today he is no longer the boy who made the threats: "I incorporate my past in my paintings. That's where that boy lives if anywhere." Despite how grim his past is, Frantom is anything but shy about discussing it. "I am perfectly open to the idea of talking about my past, because I feel that it could potentially be useful dialogue in solving some of the mysteries of why people become involved in things like this," Frantom told NBC Chicago. "It's easy for me to talk about, because I am not talking about me, the person that I am today. I am talking about someone else." Frantom, now 24, is a visual artist whose paintings are primarily multicolor, melancholy profiles of people and animals. His works have been shown in galleries across the nation, and he currently has an exhibit in South Bend. "I paint mostly profiles because to me, everything I do are portraits of myself. I consider myself an expressionist, and self portraits are what I want to create," Frantom said. It's also worth mentioning he's isn't the only person from the town whose brush with the law made headlines across the nation. Convicted murderer "club kid" Michael Alig, also an alum of Penn High School, served 17 years in prison for killing his roommate over a drug debt. He was also the subject of the 2003 film "Party Monster," which starred Macaulay Culkin as Alig (it's also worth mentioning that Frantom and Alig are friends). Frantom says he has received death threats in the past, but generally feels accepted in the community. "I am very active in the arts community here, and over a period of years I have been able to show people my true self through art," Frantom said. "I am kind to everyone I meet, and yes there are always some people who will look down upon me, and I can't say that I blame them. But more so I have support here." An Indiana college employee believed to be behind the "horrific" slayings of his niece and her 4-year-old son was found dead of an apparent suicide, authorities said. Lucius "Lu" Oliver Hamilton III was found at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Indianapolis Wednesday afternoon. Police attempted to make contact with Hamilton in his room, but he was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Boone County Sheriff's office. Authorities believe Hamilton is connected to the killings of his 31-year-old niece, Katherine Janet Giehll, and her 4-year-old son, Raymond Peter Giehll IV, according to police. Both victims were found shot to death inside a Zionsville home just before 9 a.m., police said. Authorities believe the motive for the murders was "strictly for financial gain from a family trust." "Through many investigative techniques, we were able track Hamilton down to a specific location in downtown Indianapolis where he cowardly took his life instead of choosing to face justice for his actions," Sheriff Michael Nielsen said. "My heart goes out to the Giehll family and to the first responders that witnessed this horrific scene. The murders prompted a multi-agency hunt for Hamilton, who was last known to be driving a van checked out from Wabash College, where Hamilton worked, according to authorities. He was last seen on campus that same morning. In my 32 years of law enforcement I have never witnessed a crime so heinous and heartbreaking," Nielsen said in an earlier statement. Students and faculty at the school were ordered to shelter in place and classes were canceled as police scoured the campus earlier Wednesday. Hamilton is listed as a senior major gifts officer on the school's faculty website. The university urged Wabash College students and staff to stay indoors around noon Wednesday at the request of Crawfordsville police, who began raiding all buildings on campus. Multiple officers could be seen canvassing the area. The shelter in place warning was lifted shortly before 2:30 p.m. "It became apparent this was serious when the dean addressed the students," said freshman Kaleb Hobgood. Daniel Craig, a senior at the school, told NBC 5 he had been huddled in the school's library for more than two hours with hundreds of other students. "The cops are going around evacuating each building, going into search and then clearing it and making sure Lou Hamilton is not there," Craig said. Local police have begun searching campus buildings. The shelter in place order remains in effect. Wabash College (@WabashCollege) February 17, 2016 Crawfordsville is about 50 miles northwest of Indianapolis. "Its disappointing," Hobgood said. "You see this stuff on the news all the time but you never really think it can happen to people close to the facility... It just makes it a little more close to home to know that its somebody weve been around every day." Rahm Backs Policy To Share All New Police Shooting Evidence Online Within 60 Days By Sam Stecklow in News on Feb 17, 2016 4:20PM via Getty Images Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Task Force on Police Accountability issued a series of recommendations Tuesday designed to build trust in the police and the police accountability system in Chicago. The recommendations include making all evidence, including videos, from police-involved incidents available online within 60 days, including evidence for currently-open investigations. There is an option for the police to extend the time by 30 days. In a statement, Emanuel embraced the recommendations, saying, "Simply put, the longstanding policy the City followed for decades is out of date and this new policy strikes a better balance of ensuring transparency for the public while also ensuring any criminal or disciplinary investigations are not compromised." He told the Tribune, "[The task force] helped the city take a bold step forward, in a comprehensive way, to establish the rules going forward that are clear to everybody." The Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates police-involved shootings, is planning on releasing all its evidence in accordance with these recommendations. Currently, IPRA just releases its reports after an investigation has been closedwhich take an average of 328 days according to a report commissioned by Emanuel. The city ordinance that originally created IPRA, replacing the CPD's Office of Professional Standards, allowed the agency six months to close each case. Civil rights lawyers argue that the video should be released within 48 hours. "[Video] protects the truth," Jon Loevy of Loevy & Loevy told the Tribune. "If the police haven't done anything wrong, it corroborates that." The task force, announced in the wake of Superintendent Garry McCarthy's firing, was originally met with criticisms that another blue-ribbon task force to reform the policethe third since 1997would allow Emanuel to sweep the issue under the rug. However, Samuel Walker, professor emeritus of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an expert in police accountability, says these recommendations, and the mayor's approval, are a genuine step forward. "There should be a policy on releasing information as early as possible; I think openness is all for the good," he told Chicagoist. "There's been too much secrecy, resulting in distrust." He said that he didn't anticipate the release of evidence to compromise open investigations. University of Chicago law professor Craig Futterman, who was instrumental in the case to release thousands of police misconduct complaints, described the policy to the Tribune as "baby steps" and said, "It really is the time for bold action." A New York man who was part of a group called the "Jedi Knights" that committed several crimes together has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for selling jewelry his friends stole from a Salisbury, Connecticut home, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. In February 2012, two associates of 33-year-old Miguel Mead, of Schenectady, New York, broke into a Salisbury home and stole around 250 pieces of high-end jewelry worth more than $2.5 million, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The jewelry included several rare and signed pieces from Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, Buccallati, Boucheron, David Webb, Sterle, Tiffany, among others that the victim inherited and planned to pass them on to her children, according to court documents. However, the people who stole the jewelry did not realize their value right away and threw some of the jewelry out the car window as they made their way to a hotel in Newburgh, New York, according to court records. State police did locate some of the discarded jewelry. When they got to the hotel, they met up with a third accomplice who told them the jewelry was very valuable, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. With the new knowledge the jewelry was valuable, the group called Mead as they headed to North Carolina and bought an airline ticket so he could meet them there. In North Carolina, Mead sold some of the stolen jewelry in exchange for $11,543.44 and the business melted the pieces down, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. One of the items Mead sold was a gold snail pendant the victim had an appraised for $65,000. He received $1,800 for it and the accomplices sold the other remaining pieces Mead, who had been detained since he was arrested on June 4, claimed the drink made me do it, according to court documents. On Oct. 13, he pleaded guilty to one count of sale or receipt of stolen goods. Officials said Mean has several prior convictions for assault and unlawful possession of firearms. He and his friends are suspected in 300 to 400 burglaries along the eastern seaboard between February 2012 and November 2013 in which money, jewelry and firearms were stolen, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. State Senator Andrew Maynard will not run for reelection in November, according to a statement from the Senate Democrats. Maynard was badly hurt in July 2014 when he fell from an outdoor staircase at his home in Stonington, hitting his head. Maynard underwent physical and occupational therapy to work on his balance, strengthen his right arm and improve the use of his right hand, according to a statement that came out at the time of the incident. He returned to the senate chambers in January 2015. In January of this year, he was involved in a crash on Route 32 in Waterford after driving on the wrong side of the road and suffered a concussion. His attorney says there's no reason to believe his injuries, from which she says he's recovered, played any role in the accident. He is serving his fifth term in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the 18th Senatorial District. He was first elected in November 2006 and he is currently the Senate Chair of the legislatures Transportation Committee. It has been an honor to serve in the Senate on behalf of my neighbors and the people of the 18th District, Senator Maynard said in a statement. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes, and I am grateful to live in such a beautiful and supportive community. I have made the decision to not seek reelection. There is much work to do this legislative session, and I am committed to continuing to work to create jobs, grow the economy and balance our budget. A Texas prisoner was executed Tuesday for the shotgun slaying of a Dallas-area liquor store clerk during a robbery more than 25 years ago. Gustavo Garcia, 43, was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. CST -- 16 minutes after the drug began to flow. His lethal injection was the third this year in Texas, which carries out capital punishment more than any other state. "God bless you. Stay strong. I'm done," Garcia said in his final statement, adding that he loved his mother and other family. No relatives, however, were among the witnesses to his death. As the lethal dose of pentobarbital began taking effect, he yawned, gurgled, exhaled and began quietly snoring. Within 30 seconds, all movement stopped. Garcia was sentenced to death for fatally shooting 43-year-old Craig Turski during a 1990 holdup in Plano. It was one of two killings during robberies linked to Garcia, who was 18 at the time, and then-15-year-old Christopher Vargas. Garcia's attorneys made no late legal attempts to stop the execution after the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal last week to rehear an appeal. A federal judge also wouldn't halt it, and the Texas parole board refused a clemency petition. Garcia spent more than half of his life on death row for the killing of Turski. Vargas was tried and convicted as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. His young age made him ineligible for the death penalty. Court documents show Garcia shot Turski in the abdomen on Dec. 9, 1990, then reloaded and shot the man in the back of the head. A month later, Garcia and Vargas entered a Plano convenience store armed with a sawed-off shotgun and carried out a holdup in which another clerk, 18-year-old Gregory Martin, was fatally shot in the head. Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend just before the shooting and told her to call police. Officers arrived and found Vargas standing over Martin's body and Garcia hiding in a beer cooler with the shotgun nearby. Authorities later determined the weapon was the same one used in Turski's death. In a statement to police after his arrest for Martin's killing, Garcia said he'd ordered Turski to his knees and then a customer entered the store. "I then panicked," he said. "I shot the clerk with the shotgun." On Thanksgiving night in 1998, Garcia and five other death row inmates were scaling a pair of 10-foot-high prison fences when corrections officers opened fire on them and they surrendered. A seventh death row prisoner, Martin Gurule, was shot but managed to flee, making him the first inmate to escape Texas death row since a Bonnie and Clyde gang member broke out in 1934. Gurule's body was found about a week later in a creek a few miles from the prison. An autopsy showed he drowned. "At least I can say I tried," Garcia said of the escape attempt in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. "Facing execution is scarier." Garcia's death sentence was overturned in 2000 on appeal. A year later, he was returned to death row after a second punishment trial. At least nine other Texas inmates have executions scheduled in the coming months, including three in March. So far this year, six inmates have been put to death nationwide -- three in Texas and one each in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Last year, 28 executions took place in the U.S., 13 of them in Texas. In a moment filled with powerful political symbolism, Pope Francis prayed Wednesday at Mexico's dusty northern border for the thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the United States and appealed for governments to open their hearts, if not their borders, to the "human tragedy that is forced migration." "No more death! No more exploitation!" he implored. It was the most poignant moment of Francis' five-day trip to Mexico and one of the most powerful images in recent times: History's first Latin American pope, who has demanded countries welcome people fleeing persecution, war and poverty, praying at the border between Mexico and El Paso, Texas, at a time of soaring anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign. Francis stopped short of calling for the U.S. to open its borders during a Mass celebrated just yards (meters) from the frontier. But in his homily, beamed live into the Sun Bowl stadium on the El Paso side, Francis called for "open hearts" and recognition that those fleeing gangland executions and extortion in their homelands are victims of the worst forms of exploitation. "We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people, whether by train or highway or on foot, crossing hundreds of kilometers through mountains, deserts and inhospitable zones," he said. "They are our brothers and sisters, who are being expelled by poverty and violence, drug trafficking and organized crime." Francis also praised the work of activists who "are on the front lines, often risking their own lives" to help those caught up in the migration crisis. "By their very lives, they are prophets of mercy," he said. And then, in a pointed message, Francis added a politically charged greeting to the 30,000 people gathered in the Sun Bowl to watch the simulcast on giant TV screens. "Thanks to the help of technology, we can pray, sing and celebrate together this merciful love which the Lord gives us, and which no frontier can prevent us from sharing," Francis said in Spanish. "Thank you, brothers and sisters of El Paso, for making us feel like one family and the same Christian community." Immigrants gathered in El Paso said they were greatly moved by the pontiff's words. Angelica Ortiz, who was among some 500 people who were invited to be on the U.S. side, could barely speak after the pope's prayer, saying in Spanish, "I'm overcome by emotion, a lot of emotion." Francis, a son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, had wanted to cross the border in solidarity with other migrants when he visited the U.S. last fall. That wasn't possible for logistical reasons, so he did the next best thing on Wednesday by coming within a stone's throw of the fence to pray and lay a bouquet of flowers next to a large crucifix that is to remain at the site as a monument to his visit. While migrant activists on both sides of the border cheered the gesture, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump criticized it as a politicized and ill-informed move. "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview last week with Fox television. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." He and GOP hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz have vowed to expel all the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally and build a wall along the border from Texas to California. Asked to comment on the criticism, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope is concerned about the plight of migrants everywhere, not just in the United States. "The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner," Lombardi said Tuesday. The border Mass, celebrated in a dusty field along a highway that runs parallel to the Rio Grande, marked the climactic end of Francis' five-day swing through some of Mexico's poorest states, where drug-fueled violence has soared thanks to the complicity of police and other public institutions. Francis took both church and state to task for failing their people and urged the next generations to resist the lure of the drug trade. In a speech Wednesday to workers and employers, Francis warned that without job opportunities, Mexico's youth risk being seduced into the drug trade. "Poverty becomes the best breeding ground for the young to fall into the cycle of drug-trafficking and violence," he said. He urged employers to think instead of the Mexico they want to leave for their children. "Do you want to leave them the memory of exploitation, of insufficient pay, of workplace harassment?" he asked. "What air will they breathe? An air tainted by corruption, violence, insecurity and suspicion or, on the contrary, an air capable of generating alternatives, renewal and change?" "God will hold today's slave-drivers accountable," he warned. Francis began his final day at Prison No. 3 in Ciudad Juarez, a city once considered the murder capital of the world. As a prison band serenaded him with their own mariachi compositions, Francis greeted a few dozen inmates who had been selected for the honor because of their good behavior. Looking on from the barred window of the lockup, a cluster of guards could be seen watching Francis' encounter as the smell of fresh paint indicated a last-minute spruce-up for the occasion. Francis told 700 or so inmates gathered outside the prison's chapel that they cannot undo the past. But he said they must believe that things can change, and that they have the possibility of "writing a new story and moving forward." Francis' message of hope came just days after a deadly riot at Monterrey's Topo Chico prison, where rival gang factions bloodied one another last week with hammers and makeshift knives. Eight more inmates were injured Tuesday in a brawl at another prison. Not long ago Juarez was wracked by violence as cartel-backed gang warfare fed homicide rates that hit 230 per 100,000 residents in 2010. A rash of killings of women, many of them poor factory workers who just disappeared, attracted international attention. Times have changed, though. Last year, the city's homicide rate was about 20 per 100,000 people, roughly on par with Mexico's nationwide average of 14 per 100,000 and well below current hotspots of drug violence, such as the Pacific resort city of Acapulco and surrounding Guerrero state. Many businesses that closed during Juarez's darkest years have reopened. Tourists are again crossing over from the United States and people say they no longer have to leave parties early to avoid being on the streets after dark. "At least now we can go out. We can walk around a little more at that time of night," said resident Lorena Diaz, standing under a huge banner of Francis hanging from her balcony. Diaz, who along with about 30 family members secured tickets for Wednesday's Mass, welcomed Francis' calls for Mexicans not to tolerate corruption and violence. "He's telling us to get out of the trenches, not to close ourselves off," she said. The Vatican has a message for Donald Trump: Pope Francis is not an instrument of Mexico's immigration policy and his concern about migrants is global, not just about the ones entering the United States. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi says, "The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace." Lombardi's comments Tuesday night came in response to Trump criticizing the pope's plan to visit the border wall that separates Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday to put a focus on the plight of migrants. Trump said in an interview with Fox that he doesn't think the pope understands the danger to the U.S. of an open border with Mexico. In Trump's words: "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." The local Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter held a news conference outside the Dallas County District Attorney's office Tuesday to express concern over the release of a man suspected in a fatal shooting last Christmas Eve. Dallas police charged 31-year-old Anthony Paz Torres with murder and aggravated assault after police said he opened fire at a tire shop in the 3700 block of South Buckner Boulevard. Enrique Mendoza, 25, was killed and another shop employee was critically wounded. "Detectives received information that Torres made comments and specifically used the word 'Muslim' as he was shooting," said Dallas Police Department Maj. Max Geron. CAIR officials said they were upset that the local Muslim community was not notified when Torres was freed on bail in January. "The Muslim community is justified in its safety concerns following the unannounced release of an individual who is accused of a bias-motivated murder," CAIR-DFW Executive Director Alia Salem said. Torres was arrested again Wednesday morning. Details of the arrest have not yet been released. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price delivered her fifth State of the City address Tuesday afternoon. There was of course talk about making the city easier to travel and healthier to live in, but the mayor focused her passion on a topic the city usually doesn't work on. "Education is economic development," the mayor told the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The city continues to grow with people and businesses coming in from out of state. The city, the mayor said, has worked to add more parks, make healthier choices easier, add a sixth patrol division in far north Fort Worth and improve transit in the last year. But she says if the city doesn't improve education, particularly keeping residents with bachelor's degrees living in the city, those gains in economic development could be lost. "Education is the backbone of everything, if you really start digging down, it has to be the strength to make a strong city," Price said. She said her bully pulpit as mayor allows her and the city to help improve schools throughout the city by bringing the business minds that attended the luncheon into the fold. "No child's zip code should determine their future success," Price told the attendees. "I know you'll be engaged and I know you'll be helping." She says there are already some efforts underway, but that the focus should be on career and technical education training and early education. "We have a definite vested interest," she said. "The city won't grow without a work force." "The connection between education and the economy is inextricable," said Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner. "As go the school, so goes the city." Scribner says he's working with the mayor to help bring the community into the fold of improving education in his district. "We're going to connect with business leaders, with the philanthropic community, faith-based leaders, (and) non-profits to create a collective focus on improving schools and our students, preparing them for success in college, career and community leadership," he said. The mayor's remarks were focused on how all the healthy initiatives, like Blue Zones and Fit Worth, and budget balancing have made the city great. She shared a slide with the audience about the investments businesses have made in the city in the last year, including Facebook's data center in north Fort Worth and that they recently bought 39 more acres in the area. The mayor also touted that two more California companies will be moving to Fort Worth, set to be announced next month. However, her passion for improving education is underscored in what two companies not coming here told her recently in Las Vegas. "I had two separate companies tell me, they said, 'you know we looked at Fort Worth, but we need very technical, post-graduate people, so we're going to Austin,'" the mayor said. "Well, there's no reason for that, we need to grow that gap that we have, too." Another number concerning education the mayor focused on was the percentage of Fort Worth residents with high school diplomas or better, it stands at 81-percent. However, the mayor said 19-percent of citizens fall beneath the federal poverty level and that is concerning for her and should be for the city. The mayor believes that if you can improve the schools in the city, the percentage of college degrees and post-graduate degrees will increase as they choose the schools in the city limits and not the suburbs. Those numbers, will in turn, keep businesses coming and Fort Worth flourishing, she said. When you see smoke at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Wednesday afternoon, don't be alarmed, it's just training. NBC DFW featured the Fire Training Research Center when it reopened bigger and better in 2013. DFW Airport Fire Training Facility Reopens The center is capable of recreating crash scenes as well as networking with experts from around the world in all aspects of aviation safety. Firefighters work on real-time fire disasters as flames engulf the facility's Airbus 380 mock-up. The FTRC offers real world training to thousands of firefighters worldwide. DFW FTRC has been conducting a Basic ARFF class for firefighters from Ohio, Oregon, Canada, and Arkansas. Posted by DFW International Airport Fire Training Research Center on Friday, October 30, 2015 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); The FTRC's outdoor training areas include the Airbus mock-up and fuel spill burn area as well as a liquid hydrocarbon pit that will allow firefighters to train with flames and heat similar to jet fuel. More: DFW International Airport Fire Training Research Center on Facebook Dallas-Fort Worth Internatonal Airports Fire Training Research Center was reopened Wednesday after a $29 million renovation. Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp apologized Tuesday to high school students for racial insults that some minority students say they heard while visiting the College Station campus last week. Sharp and Texas A&M President Michael Young met privately with the junior class at Uplift Hampton Preparatory, according to a statement from Uplift Education CEO Yasmin Bhatia. State Sen. Royce West joined the A&M leaders at the public charter school in South Dallas. University officials are investigating allegations that some white A&M students made racial comments or flaunted Confederate flag jewelry on Feb. 9 to taunt the visiting high school students, some of whom were black and Latino. Two black high school students say they were confronted. "The leadership team extended an apology to the class, praised them for the manner in which they handled a difficult and offensive situation, and offered them the opportunity to ask questions," Bhatia said. The A&M officials and West had expressed outrage last week over treatment of the teens. Texas A&M Student Body President Joseph Benigno, who also made the trip, presented letters from thousands of students at the college who disavowed racism and supported the high school students. Organizers had hoped to send 10,000 handwritten notes. Letter-writing stations were set up Monday across campus. Uplift Education spokeswoman Sara Ortega did not have an estimate on how many letters the students received but said there were thousands. "I encouraged our scholars to keep the letters as a symbol of time when they overcame an obstacle on their journey to a college degree," Bhatia said. Uplift Education is largest charter school network in North Texas, with 16 campuses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to its website. University officials did not immediately comment on Tuesday morning's private meeting or provide an update of the status of the investigation. West earlier called for possible expulsion of any A&M students involved in the incident. The Texas A&M University System, with 11 universities and other operations including a health science center, has more than 140,000 students. The Latest on campaign 2016 (all times local): 4:20 p.m. Jeb Bush says that his mother, Barbara Bush, will campaign for him again in South Carolina with days to go until the state's Republican primary. The former Florida governor said Tuesday that his mother, the former First Lady, would join him on the road as she did ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Campaign spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said Barbara Bush would come to South Carolina on Thursday and stay through Saturday when South Carolina votes for a Republican presidential nominee. -------- 4:00 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she may not endorse anyone ahead of Saturday's first-in-the-South GOP primary, but if she does, it certainly won't be Donald Trump. Haley said Tuesday she's still trying to make up her mind. But she said Trump represents "everything a governor doesn't want in a president." On Monday, Trump said Haley's not fighting the federal government hard enough on Syrian refugees and Guantanamo detainees. Haley says Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. She says governors want a president who will work with and fight for them, not come into their state and bash them. She called Trump's comments "quite Obama-like." ------ 1:15 p.m. If the Rev. Al Sharpton plans to make an endorsement in the 2016 Democratic primaries, he isn't talking. Sharpton and Hillary Clinton left a closed-door meeting at the National Urban League in New York and the former presidential candidate says only he and Clinton know but "they ain't telling." Clinton jokes, "My lips are sealed." The former secretary of state met with black leaders in New York. Sharpton tells reporters that for the first time, the nation will "see a black family leave the White House. We don't want black concerns to leave with them." ------ 12:45 p.m. Republican presidential candidate John Kasich says Americans have drifted apart and are divided by the cable television news programs that they watch. The Ohio governor is concluding a two-day campaign swing through Michigan Tuesday where he's telling voters that the country must unite again. He says that all citizens should play a role in fixing education, and addressing drug and poverty problems in their communities. Kasich, who is campaigning in the state ahead of Michigan's March 8 primary, says Washington has had inadequate leadership and he would "take the heat" for making unpopular decisions. ------ 12:15 p.m. Ted Cruz suggests that Donald Trump would not be the kind of president children should look up to. Cruz, campaigning in South Carolina Tuesday, said "any parent would be very dismayed" if their children repeated the language Trump uses in his rallies. Cruz said the president should be someone who brings people together and defends our values, "not one who attacks and insults with vulgarities anyone who might question his record." Cruz said South Carolina voters want a president who "won't engage in the insults, who won't roll around in the mud, who won't unleash profanity at whatever unsuspecting citizen might be walking down the street." South Carolina's Republican presidential primary is scheduled for this Saturday. ------ 11:50 a.m. Jeb Bush is touting himself as the Republican candidate for president best poised to lead and rebuild the American military. Speaking to more than 100 employees at FN America's Columbia, South Carolina gun manufacturing facility Tuesday, Bush said that his executive experience as governor, particularly leading and deploying Florida's National Guard, gives him the skillset needed to manage the country's armed forces and also help support them when they return home as veterans. Bush's comments Tuesday focused heavily on gun rights. He also addressed the Supreme Court vacancy following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia Saturday, saying that he would choose someone who like Scalia was a "lover of liberty." ------ 11:45 a.m. Marco Rubio says he's planning to release his tax returns "any day" -- or even "momentarily." The Republican presidential candidate addressed the release of his tax returns Tuesday as he campaigned in South Carolina. He released several years of returns during his 2010 Senate campaign, but has yet to release any returns beyond the 2009 tax year. Rubio did not specify the release date when pressed by The Associated Press Tuesday, but said it would be soon. He plans to release returns covering tax years from 2009 through 2014. It's common for leading presidential candidates to release their returns. ------ 11:40 a.m. Hillary Clinton says the country still has "work to do" to ensure equal rights and is focusing her campaign on "breaking every barrier." The Democratic presidential candidate is meeting with civil rights leaders in New York City. The civil rights groups say they have rules prohibiting candidate endorsements. But Rev. Al Sharpton is offering warm words for Clinton, nothing that he sometimes "goes the rails" and backs a candidate. Her rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, met with Sharpton in Harlem last week. She plans to deliver a speech on combating systemic racism this afternoon. Aides say she will call for a "comprehensive commitment" to equal opportunity for African Americans. Clinton's appearance with the African-American leaders comes as the Democratic nominating contest hurtles toward states with significant black voting populations. ------ 11:30 a.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is laying out his proposal for bolstering the U.S. military in South Carolina, a state with a large military and veteran population. Cruz on Tuesday detailed his military platform inside the U.S.S. Yorktown, a World War II-era aircraft carrier. Cruz called for increasing the number of active duty troops, airplanes and battleships. He did not put a price tag on his plans, but pointed to former President Ronald Reagan's approach as a model for how he would get it done. Cruz said he will pay for it by cutting federal spending by at least $500 billion, sell federal assets and properties and also audit the Pentagon to find savings. Voters in South Carolina will cast their votes for a Republican nominee for president on Saturday. University Of Chicago Gets $50 Million For Low-Income Students From VC By Mae Rice in News on Feb 17, 2016 4:52PM via Jazmin Medrano A San Francisco venture capitalist has given University of Chicago $50 million to run programs and initiatives for low-income students, the New York Times reports. Slated to be announced Wednesday, the donation will go towards two University of Chicago programs in particular, according to the Times: the Odyssey Scholarship, for enrolled University of Chicago students, and the Collegiate Scholars Program, for high school students gearing up for college. The donor in question is Michael Moritz, chairman of Sequoia Capital, made the donation with his wife, Harriet Heymanan alumna of University of Chicago. Moritzs venture capital firm has worked with Apple, YouTube, and WhatsApp, among other tech world successes. The Odyssey programwhich kicked off in 2007, with a $100 million contribution from a donor who just went by Homer, the Times notesconsists of a mix of financial aid and academic, social, and career support, according to the programs website. The Collegiate Scholars Program, the Times reports, has 479 alumni so far. Just shy of half of them have gone to University of Chicago, while others have gone on to Ivy League institutions like Princeton. The new donation will increase the scope of the Odyssey program so that it can cover study abroad and other academic programming, John Boyer, dean of the undergraduate college, told the Times. The new money will also allow for increased enrollment in the Collegiate Scholars Program. After going to the site of the massive gas leak plugged last week, two officials of the Obama Administration spoke of the need to review regulatory oversight. "Frankly, gas storage fields need a fresh look in terms of regulatory requirements," said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. "That was clearly brought home here." Moniz and Marie Therese Dominguez, administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration that has authority over gas storage facilities, spent more than two hours Tuesday morning at the SoCalGas company Aliso Canyon storage facility above Porter Ranch. A leak from one of its 115 wells was detected on Oct. 23, sending tons of methane and other chemicals into the air in a plume that was invisible, but the odorants carried by natural gas triggered more than 1,000 air quality complaints. During the ensuing months, some 4,000 households and two public schools relocated farther from the leak. Last Thursday, Gas Company officials reported that the leak had been stopped, and air quality instruments showed methane concentrations suddenly dropping to background levels. Following their time at the site, Moniz and Dominguez met with two members of Congress, along with state, county, and local officials in a "roundtable" at a Gas Company office not far away in Chatsworth. "What we need is nationwide natural gas safety storage standards. We don't have them," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Porter Ranch. "The federal government punted to the states, and the state regulation is weak." Though the PHMSA has authority over gas storage sites, in California inspection and oversight is handled by several state agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Rescources. Moniz, a physics professor at MIT called to serve in the cabinet of President Obama, said overlap between state and federal regulation is not unique to gas storage facilities, but acknowledged that situation as "confusing." In 1979, regulators permitted SoCalGas to remove and not replace an automatic emergency shut off valve from the well that failed, known as SS-15, one of 115 wells used to inject and remove gas from the geologic formation used for underground storage. Sherman and others believe that the presence of such a valve could have prevented the environmental disaster. SoCal Gas officials reported difficulty in stopping the leak, and to do so ultimately had to drill a new well some 9,000 feet down to the bottom of the leaking well. A "Save Porter Ranch" activist who attended the news briefing said he had hoped for more than he heard. "Someday, some agency will do some regulation to hopefully help us down the road," is how Matt Pakucko summarized the briefing. "In the meantime, we don't know if it's safe to go home." Though the leak has been stopped, the Gas Company has said it's in the process of sealing it with concrete. When that is completed, state officials with DOGGR will make the determination whether to certify the leak officially sealed. Sherman and another Congressman whose district includes Aliso Canyon, Rep. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, have both introduced legislation intended to increase federal regulation of gas storage facilities. Bills have also been introduced in California's legislature. One thrust of the bills is to preclude the Gas Company from resuming injection of gas into storage in Aliso Canyon until after a series of precautionary steps, including inspection of the wells, upgrading where necessary, and adding shut-off valves. Since October, SoCal Gas officials have said repeatedly that the company is committed to complying with regulatory requirements, and whatever additional steps may be indicated by what is learned from investigation into the cause of the leak. However, the company declined to respond specifically to the comments made by Moniz and others after the roundtable. The iPhone used by San Bernardino mass shooter Syed Farook remains locked and the phone is so secure that even the U.S. government cant break into it, despite two months of efforts. A judge ruled Tuesday that Apple must help hack the phone, but the tech giant is pushing back. Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday the company will resist the order. Cook asserted such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on future devices. Tuesday's ruling comes after 10 failed password attempts caused the device to automatically erase all of the phone's contents, which the FBI said were critical. The iPhone found in the couples car belonged to Farook and was given to him by his former employer. San Bernardino County Health Department officials gave their consent along to search the phone, but Apple did not. "If you try to look at this from Apples perspective, they want to ensure their customers they are taking great strides to protect their customers' privacy," said retired FBI special agent in charge Jeffrey Harp. The husband of one of the victims said Tuesday night he was upset Apple didnt volunteer to assist from the start. "For national security, it should not take three months to help the federal government with this decision," said Arlen Verdeh, whose wife, Bennetta Betbadal, was one of 14 people killed in the Dec. 2 attack. "I am very upset with Apple for not assisting the federal government." The couple's son celebrated his 11th birthday Tuesday night the first without his mother. "Peoples lives matter," Verdeh said. The FBI is desperate to access the phone in hopes its data could lead to other terrorist contacts or plans. "This could reduce other instances. Any assistance they can help the federal government in finding whats behind those phones is a big help," Verdeh said. The captain of the doomed freighter El Faro emailed his superiors asking about changing the route home the day before his ship sank in a hurricane near the Bahamas, according to testimony Tuesday at an investigative hearing. The email from Michael Davidson asked whether he could take a slower route home from Puerto Rico through the Old Bahama Channel after trying to outrun Hurricane Joaquin. The El Faro never made it that far. The ship sank Oct. 1 after losing propulsion while sailing from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico, killing all 33 aboard. Investigators are seeking answers about who bears responsibility for the ship sailing into a hurricane. Philip Morrell, vice president of marine operations for Tote Services Inc., told a U.S. Coast Guard investigative panel that it is not company policy for captains to ask for permission about voyages or routes. Morrell said the email showed common courtesy by the captain, not evidence that management dictated the ship's route. Investigators asked Morrell why another Tote official, John Fisker-Anderson, replied "authorized'' if Davidson did not need permission to change his route. Davidson had also described Hurricane Joaquin's behavior as erratic and unpredictable in his email. "It's clear in our manuals that he doesn't need our permission. He advises us, it's a one way conversation,'' Morrell said. The panel also sought answers about why the El Faro had taken the longer, safer route near the coast of Florida in 2015 during Tropical Storm Erika. The ship could have taken that route on this trip as well, and the panel sought to learn whether the decision to take the faster route was influenced by Tote officials. Keith Fawcett, a member of the Coast Guard's investigation board, said that company emails show that there was a lot of discussion between Davidson and Tote officials about Erika, a storm much weaker than Joaquin. Fawcett said the emails mention risk assessments for Erika and other safety precautions. Fawcett noted the lack of emails about Joaquin. "Did you send any risk assessments to Capt. Davidson about Hurricane Joaquin?'' Fawcett asked. "Not to my knowledge,'' Morrell said. The 40-year-old freighter, which is longer than 2 football fields, was also scheduled to have its engine boilers serviced in November, Morrell confirmed. But he said the maintenance was routine. It is still not know what caused the vessel's loss of power before it sank. Morrell said the ship performed as well as newer ships, and had similar repair requirements. It was scheduled to be dry docked and sent to Alaska in 2016 where it was to serve as a backup for another cargo ship. Some family members in attendance sobbed as the panel held a moment of silence for the victims. "The fact that we are seeing this hearing speaks to the severity and preventability of the El Faro tragedy. We're just not supposed to see maritime tragedies like this in this day and age,'' said Jason Itkin, a lawyer representing the family of Anthony Shawn Thomas, one of the sailors who died. Morrell said since the El Faro's sinking, the entire Tote fleet has been outfitted with updated weather reporting systems that provide routing help to captains. Asked why the company waited so long to give their ships this technology, Morrell said he didn't know. The hearings resume Wednesday and are expected to last through next week. A new study from the University of Florida analyzing the DNA of shelter dogs reveals that even experienced animal shelter workers often mislabel dogs as "pit bulls," resulting in potentially devastating consequences for the dogs including decreased chances at adoption. Researchers evaluated breed assessments made on 120 dogs by 16 shelter staff members. The staff members included four veterinarians at four different shelters, all of whom had at least three years of experience. Blood samples were then taken from the dogs, and researchers compiled DNA profiles for each animal to compare with the assessments made by shelter employees. The study concluded that true pit bull-type heritage was positively identified only 33 to 75 percent of the time, depending on which staff member was making the assessment. Conversely, dogs with no genetic evidence of being pit bull-type dogs were labeled as pit bull-type dogs as much as 48 percent of the time, once again depending on the staff member. Essentially we found that the marked lack of agreement observed among shelter staff members in categorizing the breeds of shelter dogs illustrates that reliable inclusion or exclusion of dogs as pit bulls is not possible, even by experts, said Julie Levy, a professor of shelter medicine at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and the lead author of a study published recently in The Veterinary Journal. Several hundred municipal governments nationwide have enacted strict breed-specific ownership limitations and bans, especially on pit bull-type dogs. The restriction is based on the assumption that certain breeds of dogs are inherently dangerous or aggressive, and in response to a number of highly publicized dog bites and attacks made by animals identified as pit bull-type dogs. Many of these dogs are not permitted in apartment complexes or by homeowner's associations, or are not allowed or covered under many homeowner's insurance policies. "Pit bull" is not a recognized breed, but a term applied to dogs derived from the heritage breeds American Staffordshire terrier or Staffordshire bull terrier. It is illegal in Miami-Dade County to own or keep "American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers" or "any other dog that substantially conforms to any of these breeds' characteristics" according to Miami-Dade County Animal Services. Owners can be fined as much as $500 for acquiring or keeping such dogs, and the dog may be forcibly removed from the county. In Broward, a ban on pit bull-type dogs was considered at one time, but was dropped due to a Florida state law against breed-specific bans. The law in Miami-Dade was passed in 1989 prior to the passage of the state restriction. An estimated 70 percent of dogs that end up in shelters are classified as pit bull-type dogs, according to data from PETA. Visit the UF Health Newsroom for complete details on the study. President Obama will not attend Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias funeral on Saturday, White House Press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed on Wednesday. The White House said Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will visit the Supreme Court on Friday to pay their respects as Scalia lies in repose. Earnest said Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden will attend Scalia's funeral on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Scalia died on Saturday at age 79. He joined the court in 1986 and was its longest-serving justice. The White House is gearing up for a fight on Capitol Hill over who will replace Scalia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Facebook that the next president should be responsible for appointing a justice. Obama has rejected the notion, saying he will put forward a nominee. President Barack Obama said Tuesday he would nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court who is "indisputably" qualified. He called on the staunch Republican opposition in the Senate to rise above "venom and rancor" and give the nominee a vote. "I intend to do my job between now and January 20 of 2017," Obama said. "I expect them to do their job as well." Obama told reporters at a news conference in his first extended comments on the fight over filling the seat left empty by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama cast the dispute as a question of how far Republicans want to push their opposition and whether the Senate can function in the hyper-politicized climate. Fights over judicial nominations are not new, he noted, but "the Supreme Court's different." "This will be a test, one more test of whether or not norms, rules, basic fair play can function at all in Washington these days," he said. Obama spoke as he closed a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders at Sunnylands, a Southern California desert retreat. Obama gathered ASEAN members for two days of talks on security and counterterrorism efforts. But the president's attention was divided. Since Scalia's unexpected death at a remote Texas ranch on Saturday, White House lawyers and advisers have been scrambling to refine and vet a list of potential replacements, while also devising a strategy to push a candidate through the Republican-led Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he doesn't think Obama should be putting a candidate forward. The Kentucky senator, as well as several Republican senators up for re-election this year, say Obama should leave the choice up to the next president. The November election, they argue, will give voters a chance to weigh in on the direction of the court. Obama dismissed that notion. He has said he will put forward a replacement in due time and that he believes the Senate will have "plenty of time" to give the nominee a fair hearing and a vote. Democrats say Obama has every right and a constitutional duty to fill vacancies on the court until he leaves office Jan. 20, 2017. The Republicans' recommended solution is "irresponsible and it's unprecedented," Sen. Pat Leahy, the ranking Democrat Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday. "The American public expects us to do the job we're elected to do. The president is going to do what he is elected to do and let's vote up or down." The dispute reflects years of escalating partisan hostilities over judicial nominations, as well as the unusual timing. The pace of lower court confirmations always slows in a presidential election year, as the party that does not control the White House prefers to hold out hope that its candidate will fill vacant judgeships rather than give lifetime tenure to the other party's choices. But Supreme Court vacancies in presidential years are rare, in part because the justices avoid retiring when prospects for confirming successors are uncertain. If Senate Republicans hold fast to their vow not to confirm anyone Obama nominates, then the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices not just for the rest of this court term, but for most of the next one as well. High court terms begin in October, and the 80 or so cases argued in the course of a term typically are decided by early summer. The court would be unable to issue nationwide rulings on any issue in which the justices split 4-4. Earlier, Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations spent the session trading their views on China's territorial claims to disputed water of the South China Sea, moves that have sounded international alarms and heightened tensions with some association members. Counterterrorism, a growing concern in the Asia-Pacific region, was also on the agenda. The U.S. maintains that maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully according to international law, a stance Obama emphasized Monday in welcoming leaders of ASEAN's 10-nation bloc: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. "Here at this summit, we can advance our shared vision of a regional order where international rules and norms, including freedom of navigation, are upheld and where disputes are resolved through peaceful, legal means," Obama said, opening the first ASEAN-only summit held in the U.S. The symbolism of the meeting is likely to be more significant than any outcome. Le Luong Minh, a Vietnamese politician and chairman of the association, said the U.S. is one of ASEAN's "important dialogue partners." He called the summit an "excellent opportunity to exchange our views" on important issues. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said ASEAN leaders hope Obama's attention and priority toward the Southeast Asian grouping will be continued and sustained by future U.S. presidents, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported. He said 10 ASEAN leaders acknowledged that the grouping's relationship with the U.S. was as important as its relationship with China. China says it has a historical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial islands, including with airstrips, to assert its sovereignty. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich international shipping lanes. Though not a claimant, the U.S. has spoken out against China's conduct and has angered Beijing by sailing Navy ships near some of the artificial islands in a show of support for its allies. The U.S. has argued for the maritime rights issue to be resolved peacefully and is looking for ASEAN to take a unified stance and call for the disputes to be resolved based on international law. But unity could be hard to come by; ASEAN has avoided criticizing China by name in joint statements issued at past summits. The diverse group of countries includes governments aligned either with Washington or Beijing. Only four of its members are embroiled in disputes with China and Taiwan, leading to sometimes conflicting views on how to handle long-simmering rifts. ASEAN nations typically tread carefully, preferring not to alienate either world power. While nations may look to the U.S. to help stand up to China's assertive behavior, they still count China as their main trading partner. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told a working dinner of the leaders on Monday night that China's role in the region is expected to grow, and that from time to time its larger presence could lead to frictions, uncertainties and anxieties, including on the South China Sea, but these issues must be managed peacefully to preserve regional stability and security, Singapore-based Channel News Asia reported. ASEAN statements in recent years have expressed concern over the escalating conflicts and called for freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed territories, but they have rarely gone to specifics. The Philippines brought its territorial conflicts with China to international arbitration in early 2013 after Beijing refused to withdraw its ships from a disputed shoal under a U.S.-brokered deal. China has refused to participate, but an arbitration tribunal based in The Hague heard the case and is expected to rule this year. Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, said negotiations were continuing on a potential joint statement that would cover various topics and not focus primarily on the South China Sea. Past U.S.-ASEAN statements have underscored a commitment to resolving disputes peacefully, freedom of commerce and navigation, and rule of law, she said. Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush came out of a gun factory on Tuesday with his own gun and a new meme. Engraved "Gov. Jeb Bush," the gun was given to the former Florida governor on a tour of an FN Manufacturing plant in South Carolina. And the Internet nearly exploded when Bush's Twitter account posted an image of the gun with a very simple caption: "America." Users quickly latched onto the tweet's brusque phrasing, tweeting the same caption along with all kinds of images. Many were funny, like one featuring Hulk Hogan playing a star-spangled guitar, but others showed outrage at America's gun culture Piers Morgan tweeted an image of John Lennon's gun-splattered sunglasses. "The replies to this tweet have restored my faith in the comedic capacity of the American people #MakeAmericaLOLAgain," MSNBC host Rachel Maddow tweeted. The moment was so big that Twitter collected some of the highlights. [[369045581, C]] Bush trails Donald Trump and several other Republicans in the race for their party's presidential nomination in South Carolina and across the country, but he's trying to push his way back to the front of the pack. He was asked about all the social media storm later Tuesday, but didn't respond to the meme directly. "We went to a gun manufacturing facility where lots of jobs are created, high wage jobs. And I received a gun and I was honored to have it," he said, according to NBC News. It's not Bush's first viral moment on the campaign trail. Earlier this month he asked a crowd to "please clap" for his foreign policy vision, a video clip that ended up on "Late Night With Seth Meyers." Asked in October what he thought about a recent shooting at a university that left 9 dead, Bush said "stuff happens," trying to explain that tragedies don't always prompt important laws. The strong reaction from many, including President Obama, prompted his campaign to say "It is sad and beyond craven that liberal Democrats, aided and abetted by some in the national media, would dishonestly take Governor Bushs comments out of context." [NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail The Chicagoist will be launching later but in the meantime please enjoy our archives. A team of mental health experts from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived in California this week to investigate recent clusters of teen suicides in the affluent university town of Palo Alto, home to Stanford University. They'll spend two weeks analyzing data from the Santa Clara County coroner's office, local hospitals, district schools and calls to emergency service agencies as part of an "Epi-Aid" investigation. According to the CDC, "an Epi-Aid allows rapid response by CDCs Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers, who assist in investigating an infectious or non-infectious disease outbreak, natural or manmade disaster, or other public health emergency." Experts will also facilitate about eight informational meetings with students, parents, teachers and community leaders about suicide prevention strategies. "Theyre really here to investigate and help us understand the youth suicides," said Mary Gloner, executive director of Project Safety Net in Palo Alto. "Theyll be looking at data weve already collected, exploring different programs and examining the media of how the coverage of teen suicides during the prime time period." Seven teen suicides were reported in Palo Alto between 2009 and 2011, according to Project Safety Net, and at least four occurred in 2014 and 2015. The teen suicide rate in Palo Alto last year was the highest in a decade. Researchers are responding to a joint request from the Palo Alto Unified School District, City of Palo Alto and the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health to provide insight as to why teen suicides have occurred so frequently. Each agency will provide data and convene community members to speak with researchers. The CDC will provide most financial resources. The Palo Alto Unified School district became interested in a CDC investigation in March 2015 after administrators read the CDC report on youth suicide in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Fairfax County study concluded that among the possible risk factors facing young people there were an inadequate number of school counsellors, stigma and denial around mental illness, pressure to excel academically and bullying through social media. In response, Palo Alto Unified School District allocated $250,000 for mental health services and more full-time school counselors. Caltrain removed vegetation along the rail corridor as part of a suicide prevention program and installed infrared cameras at busy intersections in Palo Alto. CDC researchers will be on the Peninsula until Feb. 29. A preliminary report on the situation in Palo Alto is expected to be completed soon after the site visit. SUICIDE PREVENTION: If you know someone who needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A county judge was 60 miles away from the ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died last Saturday but with the help of a phone, he decided that Scalia died of natural causes and an autopsy wasn't required. While the methods were unusual, Texas officials said, they are sometimes necessary for rural areas with vast counties. Presidio county Judge Cinderela Guevara consulted the county sheriff and a U.S. marshal by phone. Then he concluded there was no foul play. After speaking to Scalia's personal doctor later that evening, she decided that he had died of natural causes and no autopsy was necessary. "I have no issue with how she handled his death," said David Beebe, a justice of the peace in Presidio County, where Scalia died. Beebe is one of two justices of the peace in the county who are routinely called by authorities to verify a death. Both Beebe and the second justice of the peace were out of town Saturday. Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez, in need of a justice to conduct a death inquest, then called Guevara, who offered to hear the matter. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz laid out his vision for bolstering the U.S. military on an aircraft carrier in South Carolina Tuesday, vowing to rebuild the military so "it will be feared by our enemies and trusted by our allies." In a nod to South Carolina's sizeable military and veteran population, Cruz said he would model his approach to the military on that of former President Ronald Reagan. He did not put a price tag on the expansion he envisioned, but said he would pay for it by cutting federal spending by at least $500 billion, selling federal assets and properties and auditing the Pentagon to find savings. "If you think it's too expensive to defend this nation, try not defending it," Cruz said. "This will be a challenge and involve difficult choices." Speaking in front of a World War II Navy dive bomber inside the U.S.S. Yorktown, Cruz called for increasing the number of active duty troops, airplanes and fighting ships. He also called for expanding the Air Force to include at least 6,000 airplanes, up from 4,000, and to increase the number of battleships from 273 to at least 350. "It is time for America to once again prioritize a strong, advanced and robust military," he said. "We will not go picking fights around the globe. The purpose of this rebuilt military is not to intervene in every conflict and engage in expensive and protracted exercises in nation building in countries who have scant interests in the institutions we want to impose on them." The Obama administration has reshaped the military, shrinking it and emphasizing what it considers to be new-era capabilities that are better suited for the range of conflicts the U.S. is facing, including cyberwarfare and special operations missions. It has been constrained, however, by across-the-board budget cuts that Congress and the White House agreed to in 2011, which have left the Air Force and Army less ready for short-notice conflict. Cruz also pointed to a need for greater collaboration with the Jordanian, Egyptian and Israeli militaries, partnering with them on counterterrorism missions, and boosting counterterrorism cyber-surveillance. These are approaches the Obama administration has pursued vigorously in recent years, especially in military cooperation with Israel and Jordan. He also reiterated his pledges not to admit groups of refugees into the U.S. "who may have been infiltrated by terrorists," not allow women to be drafted into military combat and restructure the Veterans Affairs Department. There is currently no draft by the U.S. military, but a debate is raging over whether women, who are now allowed to seek combat assignments that previously were open only to men, should be required to register for a draft that theoretically could be held in the event of a national emergency. South Carolina is set to hold its Republican primary on Feb. 20. Jamaican health officials have only confirmed one case of the Zika virus in the country, but the Caribbean nation's Health Ministry isn't taking any chances on the possibility of more. Using the power of song, the government released a public service announcement in the form of a reggae dancehall jam to increase awareness of the mosquito-borne virus and inform Jamaican's on way to combat it. The accompanying video titled "We Nuh Want Zik V,' features Dr. Michael Abrahams, an obstetrician and gynecologist dubbed "the funniest ladies' doctor" by The Jamaica Observer. Abrahams warns to throw away stagnant water, dispose of garbage properly, and turn over "drum pan for prevention." Zika is carried by the Aedes aegypti and related species of mosquitoes, which lay eggs near stagnant water. "And special shout out to pregnant ladies: protect yourself and protect your babies," Abrahams sings, encouraging them to use mosquito repellents and citronella candles to ward off bites. Mounting evidence from Brazil suggests that infection in pregnant women is linked to abnormally small heads in their babies a birth defect called microcephaly. According to WHO, cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, the Western world's most common form of paralysis, is also on the rise in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Suriname and Venezuela all hit hard by Zika. Though a link remains unproven, frontline physicians believe the surge in Guillain-Barre cases may also be related. The World Health Organization declared the spread of the Zika Virus a global health emergency earlier this month. On Wednesday the U.N. health agency said it needs $56 million from member nations and donors to kickstart a response, NBC News reported. Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday it had made an experimental Zika vaccine and tests in mice looked positive. According to NBC News, the company said it will test the vaccine in non-human primates and initiate clinical product manufacturing. The Pan American Health Organization reports 26 countries and territories in the Americas with local Zika transmission. To date, there has not been transmission of the Zika virus by mosquitoes within the U.S., but some Americans have returned to the U.S. with Zika infections from affected countries in South America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. A Montgomery County man who allegedly transported millions of dollars worth of heroin in car batteries across several states was arrested in one of the biggest drug busts in the countys history. David Pacheco of East Norriton was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance and other related offenses. Pachecos arrest was the culmination of a nine-month investigation involving several agencies, including the DEA, Pennsylvania State Police, and four local police departments. Pacheco was first identified in April of 2015 as a suspect in a major heroin operation involving Atlanta, Montgomery County and New York City. Officials say Pacheco, who owned D&J Towing in Norristown, made at least nine trips, starting in September, 2015, to New York City to service wholesale heroin buyers. During each trip, Pacheco drove to Atlanta where he received kilos of heroin that were stored in retrofitted, working car batteries, according to police. He then allegedly drove to Montgomery County and then to the Bronx where he was paid for the heroin. Police said he then returned to Georgia with the drug money. Pachecos final trip occurred on January 10. He was pulled over by State Police at the King of Prussia Plaza toll on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Police said they found three kilos (6.6 pounds) of heroin with a street value of over $1 million stored in a car battery inside his vehicle. Pacheco was arraigned and held in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $1 million bail. Heroin is cheap, its deadly and its impacting the lives of too many families in Montgomery County and across the United States. We have severed an artery in a significant heroin trafficking organization, ultimately stopping the flow of this deadly drug into and through our area by David Pacheco, said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. Taking more than three kilos of heroin out of the pipeline is a huge success for the safety and well-being of the people of Montgomery County and the larger region. Its hard not to stumble upon a new development. Projects dot the skyline. Take a walk down just about any Center City or University City street and theres construction work going on. Head further afield to the Navy Yard, Northern Liberties, King of Prussia, Pa., or even across the Delaware River in Camden, N.J., and theres a lot of construction being done there, too. Even existing developments are getting infused with upgrades and capital improvements. The billions of development dollars being pumped in the region is expected to continue and one way to keep track of it is through a new Philadelphia Business Journal feature called Crane Watch. Read the full story here. For more business-related news, visit PBJ.com A Philadelphia detective escorted a man out of police headquarters and after going out of view of the security cameras kicked him in the knee hard enough to break his leg, authorities said Wednesday. Adam O'Donnell, 43, a detective with the special victims unit who was hailed a hero for surviving a shootout in 2010, was suspended with intent to dismiss after being charged with aggravated and simple assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, obstructing administration of law and official oppression. The Philadelphia district attorney's office alleged that O'Donnell was escorting 45-year-old Ted Life III out of the special victims unit on Feb. 3 when he kicked the man in the knee when they were behind the building. "He held me in the cell for two hours for no reason," Life said. "Then (he) kicked my leg for no reason. He assaulted me." Prosecutors said Life was able to stand but couldn't put any weight on the leg, and O'Donnell put him in an unmarked police vehicle and drove him to the Hunting Park neighborhood where he lives and then dropped him off "on a random roadside." Life was later treated for a femur fracture, "continues to walk with a limp" and is still being treated, prosecutors said. Life said O'Donnell referenced a lack of cameras in the area during the alleged assault. "(He said) 'What are you gonna do? There are no cameras out here,'" Life said. In a released statement, District Attorney Seth Williams said, a "senseless attack on one Philadelphian is an attack on all Philadelphians." Williams also added that he hopes the defendant is reminded that "when law enforcement does something to clearly hurt a complainant, it will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Life told NBC10 he was pleased with the charges against O'Donnell. Police said Commissioner Richard Ross has suspended O'Donnell for 30 days with the intent to dismiss. John McNesby, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told NBC10 he doesn't believe O'Donnell should have been charged. "It's one word against another," McNesby said. "For him to be charged is ludicrous." McNesby said union lawyers will defend O'Donnell and work to get his job back. "He's out there doing the job every day and he's a mild mannered officer," McNesby said. "There's nothing here that leads me to believe that any of this is true." O'Donnell, who was hired by the department in 2006, was one of two offices injured in a shootout that ended with the death of a suspect more than five years ago. Police said the officers pulled over a minivan that ran a red light in west Philadelphia on New Year's Eve in 2010, but the suspect opened fire when officers approached and they returned fire and killed him. O'Donnell was hit in the stomach but was protected by his bulletproof vest and was treated at a hospital and released. A poster showing O'Donnell with his son which reads, "My dad was saved by his vest. Always wear your body armor," hangs at police headquarters. Crowds of onlookers filled Bedford's streets Oct. 19, 1794, as the President of the United States rode into town. A witness recalled that 62-year-old Washington "the Father of His Country," as he was already widely called appeared pleased as he passed down a street, removed his hat and bowed. The crowds remained silent, "anxious to see this very great and good man." But this was no campaign stop. Washington stood at the head of an army thousands of men strong, and to many in Bedford, it was an unwanted occupying force. It would be the only time in American history that a sitting president led an army in the field. "They probably weren't happy to see he was there," local historian Larry Smith of East Freedom said last week. It's been more than 220 years since Washington stayed in Bedford as he moved to put down tax-protesting rebels in western Pennsylvania. As the country marks Presidents Day and the 283rd anniversary of Washington's birth this week, some in Bedford hope to turn the so-called Whiskey Rebellion into a point of pride - and tourism - for Bedford County. "We don't have Disney. We don't have a big, huge attraction," said Melissa Jacobs, owner of the 18th-centuryJean Bonnet Tavern outside Bedford, where rebels gathered in 1794 to protest the federal government. "What we do have, though, is our own unique story to tell." 'Children even drank it' The conflict that brought Washington's army to Bedford began with a familiar problem: a growing national debt. The newly created United States had won its independence with tens of millions of dollars in loans, and in the years after the war with Great Britain, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (best known today as the face of the $10 bill) pushed for new taxes to repay the fledgling nation's creditors. Just as politicians today look to unhealthy goods like cigarettes for new taxes, the U.S. government settled on whiskey as an easy source of revenue. That was fine for politicians on the East Coast. But in the mountain frontier of western and central Pennsylvania, whiskey was a way of life. "You couldn't really drink the water. It was like a Third-World nation," Smith said. Instead, they drank whiskey, made at home stills from the rye that grew across Pennsylvania. So-called Monongahela Rye was produced in huge quantities and shipped across the mountains to the cities of the East, providing a profitable industry for western settlers. "The children even drank it," Smith said. Western Pennsylvanians bristled when the whiskey tax passed in 1791, complaining that it was an unfair levy on an already poor region. Rumblings of discontent started around Pittsburgh and spread beyond Bedford County, which at the time included parts of modern-day Blair, Cambria, Somerset and Fulton counties. The reaction was bitter and sometimes violent. Farmers near Pittsburgh seized tax collectors, doused them in hot tar and feathers and marched them through the streets. Anonymous writers penned pamphlets threatening those who cooperated with the government, while bands of armed men met to organize further resistance. In Philadelphia, the nation's capital, politicians feared western Pennsylvania might secede and form its own country. In the west, farmers praised the French Revolution, talked of bringing the guillotine to America and raised a new flag with a stripe for each rebel county - including Bedford. Guilty or innocent It was summer 1794, three years into the unrest, when hundreds of Bedford County's farmers gathered at the Jean Bonnet Tavern to protest the federal government. They raised a "liberty pole" a symbol of independence that provocatively called to mind the American Revolution two decades earlier. "It was really a sacrifice for people to take part," said Jacobs, whose restaurant and inn bears a historical marker commemorating the occasion. Washington had had enough. That August, he issued a proclamation "deploring that the American name should be sullied by the outrages of citizens on their own government." Washington called for Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia to raise militias against the rebels, to be formed into an unprecedented national army he would lead into battle. The forces would gather in Bedford and Cumberland, Md., before marching into the rebel heartland. On Oct. 19, Washington rode into Bedford to review his army. The soldiers, according to one witness, "were affected by the sight of their chief, for whom each individual seemed to show the affectionate regard that would have been to an honoured parent." The soldiers even set up a dazzling light display in town to honor the president, historian William Hogeland wrote. The blazing display read: "Woe to anarchy." Washington's troops were eager to draw blood, contemporary Pennsylvania statesman Hugh Henry Brackenridge wrote at the time. "The more zealous among the officers ... were continually crying out that 'atonements' must be made, insurgents must be seized, examples must be exhibited pendent from the limbs of trees," he wrote. "It mattered not whether people were guilty or innocent." 'Free and independent' Soon after Washington's arrival, the arrests of Bedford County's rabble-rousers began. The Bedford County Historical Society maintains a list of dozens of men rounded up and charged with treason and sedition. While Washington plotted the final assault on western Pennsylvania, he stayed at Bedford's Espy House a stone building that still stands on Pitt Street. "I was carried and lodged quite comfortably," the president wrote in his diary. Washington stayed two nights with his army before turning back east to once again take up his presidential duties. Before he left, he issued an inspirational message to his army's commander, hailing the troops' bravery and the importance of their cause. "It is nothing less than to consolidate and preserve the blessings of that revolution, which at much expense of blood and treasure constituted us a free and independent nation," Washington said. With that, the president headed east (stopping, Smith said, at a Breezewood-area inn to play backgammon before he continued his journey). The army, meanwhile, camped at the Jean Bonnet Tavern the site of Bedford's protest months earlier. "He camped the troops here for a reason," Jacobs, the owner, said. "He wanted to say 'Yeah, you can get 500 men to protest. Well, I have 11,000 men.' He wanted to send a message." The army's advance caused the rebellion to swiftly crumble. Arrests followed across western Pennsylvania; some distillers were sentenced to hanging, but Washington issued pardons. As quickly as the rebellion began, it had been defeated. Leading his troops from a Bedford house, the president had reaffirmed America's unity and stamped out a burning insurrection that might otherwise have spread. The whiskey tax would be repealed a few years later. Making money from history Today, there are no legally recognized distilleries in Bedford and only a few in western Pennsylvania. Monongahela Rye is no longer the popular drink it once was but in Bedford and around Pittsburgh, some have sought to rekindle the 18th-century tradition and Washington's memory. A "Rebels & Rye" event, scheduled for Saturday at the Omni Bedford Springs resort, is set to raise money for the Fort Bedford Museum with whiskey, period costumes and radio ads boasting of "real wenches." "People are going to be in costume. There are going to be scripts," said Suzanne Trussell, director of archeology for the museum. The event will even feature a mock tarring-and-feathering of a government official, organizers said. The fundraiser, Trussell said, will help the museum's ongoing renovation, which is set to focus on Bedford's growth since the time of the American Revolution. The museum's new logo features Washington in profile, wearing his familiar military uniform (the president had passed through Bedford once before, as a young British officer in the French and Indian War). "I think that's part of the marketing as well," she said. "George Washington brings people in, for sure." Rebels & Rye isn't the first event to call to mind Bedford's place in the rebellion. Last year, Pittsburgh-based Wigle Whiskey itself named after a rebellion participant convicted of treason designed a special Bedford-themed whiskey for an event at the resort. Others have turned the rebellion into a tourist attraction: Washington, Pa., celebrates an annual Whiskey Rebellion Festival, while restaurants and inns with connections to the conflict have long drawn attention to their historical significance. The rebellion draws interest, and money, from history enthusiasts as well. Within the last year, an original 1794 letter from a rebel sympathizer at the Jean Bonnet tavern describing Washington's army sold for thousands of dollars at auction, Jacobs said. For a county like Bedford, colonial and rebel history can be a seemingly inexhaustible source of outside interest, especially with ties to the first president, Jacobs said. "I feel like the fascination with early America and Revolutionary War history that is something that never goes out of style," she said. From: The Altoona Mirror Tracy Harris delivers everything from diapers to dill pickles to Amazon Prime members. Now she's adding restaurant food. "Oh the customers are super excited," said Harris, "they see the product some to them in such a small amount of time." In November, Amazon Prime Now started delivering grocery items in San Diego from places like Sprouts and Bristol Farms. The promised delivery time is two hours. Now they say they can deliver food from nearly 100 San Diego restaurants in less than an hour; currently officials say it's down to 39 minutes. Customers order from their Amazon Prime Now phone app or from the website. Orders and payment are done online including the tip. There is currently no delivery charge. Edward Haidar owns Mama's Bakery in North Park and while he uses other restaurant delivery services he says he couldn't turn down Amazon. "Change is always good, that's the way I look at it.," Haidar said. He admits it makes his profit margin smaller but he hopes it brings in new faces to his Mediterranean style restaurant business. Tracy Harris works six days a week making deliveries. She says by adding restaurants to her grocery route she'll make sure she's not working on an empty stomach. "Definitely make sure I have my lunch," said Harris. Currently, Amazon Prime only delivers to 16 San Diego ZIP codes. By checking the app you can see which restaurants are in your area. The ZIP codes are: 92101, 92103, 92104, 92108, 92116, 92123, 92134, 92106, 92107, 92110, 92140, 92147, 92102, 92105, 92109, 92111. Premier Li Keqiang has called for key members of the State Council to be more responsive to the public and to international concerns about China's economic prospects. Key ministers and department chiefs were urged to meet the media to explain how China will overcome the difficulties it faces. The premier was reported by Chinese media on Tuesday as making the remarks during an executive meeting of the State Council on Sunday. He told officials at the meeting to inform their domestic and international audiences that China is confident it has sufficient policy weapons to help the economy cope with increased challenges. But he added, "We don't want to use our weapons when we're not fully prepared." The economy can draw on the creativity of the nation's 1.3 billion people, Li said. One example of China's resilience, he said, is the latest job data. The government reported that the urban unemployment rate stood at 4.99 percent in January after it improved the survey method. The premier said that as long as the job market remains stable, other economic fundamentals would be easy to manage. His comments came after volatility in international equity markets during the Spring Festival holiday triggered alarm among economists and overseas observers. But Li said the challenges can help the government to become more focused and more attentive in its work. He said that the measures and policies taken to cover volatility in the stock and exchange markets were the "right call." He added that such market-stabilizing measures, which were consistent with international practice, had defused certain "bombs" over a period of time and warded off systemic financial risk. However, the authorities should also learn lessons from this experience, address internal management issues and take a timely and effective approach, Li said. Xu Hongcai, director of the Economic Research Department at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, believes the resilience of China's economic development lies in its economic transition. "China is now undergoing its economic structural optimization, with consumption playing an increasingly larger role in the country's economic growth," he said. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, consumption contributed 66.4 percent to GDP last year, a year-on-year increase of 15.4 percentage points. "Meanwhile, the service industry is developing rapidly, which will provide more potential platforms for employmentan important index for a country's economic growth," Xu said. "Also, the potential for areas in central and western China has not been fully explored. All of these factors show there is better potential for China's economic development." As part of a nationwide Reclaim Our Schools event Wednesday, some San Diego teachers rallied for more time for learning and less time for testing. Groups of teachers and parents stood outside schools as students arrived at Oak Park Elementary. Other rallies were held at Clairemont High School and EB Scripps Elementary. Over 90 percent of our members were concerned that the over testing of our students is actually harming them, said Lindsay Burningham President, San Diego Education Association. Burningham said teachers do assessments every day in the classroom. We dont need to be stopping for multiple weeks at a time during our school year to be focused on high-stakes testing that measure how a student is doing one day out of an entire school year, she said. Oak Park Elementary parent Margaret Reese took part in the rally with her children Marcanthonee and Jonnah. She said students are missing a lot in the classroom if theyre out testing. Some kids dont test well. They might even know the answers but they might freeze and get nervous and then, what does that test really prove, Reese asked. San Diego Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the state of California, issued a statement regarding Wednesdays walk-in rallies. At San Diego Unified, we believe our students are more than a test score and have worked hard to eliminate all unnecessary testing in our school system, SDUSD Communications Director Linda Zintz said. We have cut the number of interim assessments from 3 to 2. These tests now start at second grade instead of first. This is real progress aimed at protecting children while insuring they receive a quality education. Any parent can decide to opt out of testing for their child, Burningham added. Other cities focused on issues surrounding funding and safety. For more information on the nationwide day of action, visit the national website. Community groups are asking the federal government to step in and investigate alleged misconduct by the San Diego Police Department when it comes to confrontations with mentally ill suspects. In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys Office, the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties and more than two dozen other community groups offer a series of incidents as evidence of what they call a pattern or practice of violating the fundamental rights of people with mental illness or experiencing a mental health crisis. The incidents include deadly confrontations involving Bradford Sarten in April 2010, Ja Ma Lo Day in July 2014, Nathan Manning in May 2010 and Fridoon Rawshan Nehad in April 2015. The incidents suggest that the SDPD has made an insufficient effort to supply necessary training and resources for responding to matters involving the mentally ill, the letter states. Read the entire letter here. SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman sent the following statement in response to the investigation: No police officer comes to work wanting to be involved in a shooting. Our training strategy focuses on de-escalating situations and deploying the appropriate resources to safely resolve an unstable situation. San Diego Police Officers responded to over 18,000 mental health calls for service last year alone. This is a 100% increase in the last seven years. Public safety is a shared responsibility. The rising mental health crisis facing society today demands the attention of more than just those families who are dealing with mental illness of a loved one. We welcome the opportunity to work together to assist those who are suffering from mental illness. On April 26, 2010, 55-year-old Bradford Sarten of North Park was shot and killed in a confrontation with police on Alabama Street. Sarten was diagnosed as mentally ill in the 1980s and had been committed several times, the family told the San Diego Union-Tribune after the shooting. The shooting took place at 11 a.m. after officers said they were called to evaluate Sartens mental health, the paper reported. Officers told NBC 7 Sarten was shot when he tried to attack them with a knife. Approximately a month later, SDPD Detective Edward Jones was involved in the deadly shooting of 31-year-old Nathan Manning. Officials said Jones tried to break up a fight between Manning and his roommate outside their apartment on Adams Avenue and Hawley Boulevard on May 27, 2010. Investigators told NBC 7 that Jones shot and killed Manning after Manning attacked him.The DA's Office ruled the shooting was justifiable. Manning's brother told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Nathan had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 17. Ja Ma Lo Day was a refugee from Burma who settled in San Diego six years before his death. On July 14, 2014, the 21-year-old man made threats to kill police officers and swung a machete at an officer, investigators told NBC 7. Two officers opened fire, killing Day. The deadly confrontation occurred just after 10 p.m. in the City Heights neighborhood of Menlo Avenue near Landis Street. A family member told NBC 7 Day had his share of troubles including previous arrests, drug use and mental issues. On April 30, 2015, San Diego Police Department Officer Neal Browder, a 27-year veteran cop, shot and killed unarmed Fridoon Rashawn Nehad, 42, in San Diego's Midway District. Nehad suffered from a long struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis decided Browder will not face criminal charges in the deadly shooting. Meanwhile, Nehads family has filed a $20 million claim against the City of San Diego in connection with the killing of their loved one. The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice have also launched an investigation into the shooting. Republican presidential hopefuls are planning to return to Virginia ahead of the March 1 primary, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Donald Trump is set to appear at an event at Regent University on Feb. 24 in Virginia Beach. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is scheduled to host a town hall meeting Monday at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. And retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson will be at Regent on Feb. 29. Virginia is one of several states holding a primary contest on so-called Super Tuesday. For all that's been written about the outrageousness of "Broad City," Comedy Centrals pot-propelled raunchfest chronicling the dysfunctional lives of twenty-something New York BFFs Abbi and Illana, the duo managed to boil down their appeal to one acronym: FOMO, the fear of missing out. In the best episode from last year's second season, FOMO drives Abbi and Illana manically from party to party. Then a sloshed Abbi, usually the mousier of the two, heads into a time capsule of a speakeasy where she's known by the ancient regulars as Val and wows them with a Judy Garland-worthy rendition of Get Happy. After sobering up, she claims no memory of her secret second life. There may not be much outright (or at least sober) happiness in "Broad City," but the Val episode epitomizes the shows knack for upending expectations. The comedys third season premieres Wednesday, giving viewers passage back into the strangely enticing world created by Abbi Jacobson and Illana Glazer. If you miss "Broad City," you're missing out. [[368965391,C]] The new season lands just four days before Sunday's return of "Girls." While there are surface similarities disillusioned young women navigating New York "Broad City" occupies a different zip code than the angst-filled and occasionally melodramatic terrain staked out by Lena Dunhams HBO show. "Broad City" plays more like an updated TV version of Martin Scorsese's underrated 1985 proto-hipster screwball comedy gem, "After Hours" only Glazer and Jacobson can mine urban oddities and futility for laughs, surreal and otherwise, anytime of day. Last season delivered on those counts in nearly all episodes: Abbi got stuck in a giant hole in the park on her way to a doggie wedding. Ilana and Abbi went to extremes to cope with the heat. Abbi learned the hard way that not all plastic is dishwasher safe. The show, which began in 2009 as a web series, got off to a much ballyhooed, if uneven, TV start two years ago. But the second season brought the programs often-crude stoner humor to a new level: It's crude stoner humor wrought with intelligence and delivered with occasional purpose. That includes a 420 take on the One Percent: While Abbi and Illana are more underemployed than underprivileged, they draw pointed humor from New Yorks increasingly tense haves-and-have-nots dynamic. They encountered a spoiled and substance-abusing version of Kelly Ripa, who deftly played against her down-to-earth image. They battled a snotty consignment store clerk. They chased a purse-snatching street kid home to find he was neither young nor poor: It turns out he lives in a fancy townhouse with his well-to-do family. Its unclear where Glazer and Jacobson will land next (though more appearances by Val would be welcome). The new season of "Broad City" arrives with the anticipation that the stars will defy more expectations, with nothing to fear except for missing out on what comes next. Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter. Maryland lawmakers held a hearing Tuesday to determine if counties can opt out of a new state law requiring all newly constructed homes be equipped with sprinkler systems. The goal is saving lives, but some builders and homeowners say it's too expensive. The building I was in did have a sprinkler system, which contained the fire, said James Hillman, who survived a fire at a Prince Georges County body shop three years ago and credits sprinklers for saving his life. I was the only one who had major burns, so it helped a lot of my coworkers not sustain any of these injuries. In Annapolis Tuesday, a committee hearing was packed with firefighters who support the state requirement that new construction must include fire sprinklers. Having residential sprinklers gives that early intervention to save lives to get those folks out of the house, and it's also saving firefighters with the light construction, these houses are starting to collapse much sooner, State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci said. But the housing industry wants counties on the Eastern Shore and in western Maryland to be able to opt out of the state requirement. Builders want sprinkler systems to be optional because they say some people in rural areas can't afford the extra costs for construction and water supply. Permits have dropped dramatically in that area since this mandate took effect, said David Reel, of Manufactured Housing Institute of Maryland. The market is slowly recovering from the great downturn. This is just chopping the legs out from people that need and want affordable housing. Builders say smoke detectors are almost as effective as sprinklers, which can cost $6,000 to $20,000 to install. "I know businesses that have closed because they aren't selling homes, and up in the rural areas where theyre so close to Pennsylvania and West Virginia, youre finding that those people are moving out of state," said Larry Checca, of Manufactured Housing Institute of Maryland. In January 2015, a massive house fire in Annapolis caused by a dry Christmas tree atop a bad electrical outlet killed 4 children and their grandparents, Don and Sandra Pyle. The house didn't have a fire sprinkler because it was built before Anne Arundel County required fire suppression systems in 2009. Prince George's County has required sprinklers since 1992. Montgomery County began in 2004. Neither county has reported a fire death in a home with a sprinkler system in all those years. In Montgomery County in 2015, we had 44 sprinkler activations in the county saving over 26 lives, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Kevin Frazier said. One of two Harford County Sheriff's deputies killed in the line of duty is being remembered as an "amazing person'' who "brought honor to his badge.'' Mourners are packing the Mountain Christian Church in Joppa on Wednesday for the funeral of Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey, a 30-year veteran of the department and volunteer firefighter. Dailey was shot and killed while responding to a complaint at an Abingdon restaurant. Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon was also slain before deputies killed the gunman. Dailey's body arrived on a fire truck escorted by police motorcycles, according to a pool report. His son, Brian, says after hearing many stories about his father, he can see he "was an amazing person.'' Gov. Larry Hogan called Dailey "a man who brought honor to his badge every day.'' Police in Washington say two people have been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting deaths of three people in a park in 1991. Police announced Wednesday that 44-year-old Michael Green of northeast Washington and 45-year-old Benito Valdez of Arlington, Virginia, were arrested Tuesday. Police say both are charged with first degree murder while armed in the 1991 shooting deaths of 29-year-old Curtis Pixley, 24-year-old Keith Simmons and 23-year-old Samantha Gillard. Police said Pixley and Gillard were living in Washington while Simmons was living in Fort Washington, Maryland. A newspaper article from the time of the shooting says the three were ``killed execution-style'' and found dead in a park at 18th and Franklin streets northeast. Another bout of wintry weather has ended, but school districts are grappling with what to do now that built-in snow days are running out. Read on to see what's happening in your school district: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA District of Columbia Public Schools Built-In Days: 1 Days Used: 2 According to DCPS, a make-up day isn't required for just one snow day. But with two days used this winter, the school year will be extended. June 16 will become the last full day for students, and June 17 will be a half day. MARYLAND Frederick County Public Schools Built-In Days: 7 Days Used: 6 So far, FCPS is in the clear, with one more snow day available. During the Presidents Day storm, county schools had planned days off for Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, so no snow days had to be used. However, if more than seven school days are needed, the first make-up day scheduled would be March 21. Montgomery County Public Schools Built-In Days: 4 Days Used: 6 According to MCPS' snow day policy, since the school district has surpassed its number of built-in snow days by two days, the school year will be extended two days. The last day for students is now set to be June 21. However, a final decision hasn't been made on how MCPS will process make-up days this year, said MCPS Senior Communications Specialist Gboyinde Onijala. Once a decision is made, MCPS will share the information with parents and students and will post it on the MCPS website, Onijala said. Prince George's County Public Schools Built-In Days: 4 Days Used: 7 PGCPS has four built-in snow days, according to public information officer Sherrie Johnson. The school district revised its 2015-2016 schedule, making Feb. 12 a regular school day for staff and students, a change from its originally scheduled professional development day for teachers. By changing Feb. 12 to a school day, the number of additional days added at the end of the school year will be limited. Johnson said PGCPS will wait until winter is over before deciding how to make up additional days. VIRGINIA Alexandria City Public Schools Built-In Days: 3 Days Used: 7 Alexandria has used seven days, so makeup days are set for March 4 and April 22. If more than nine days are used, the total instructional hours will need to be reviewed. Arlington Public Schools Built-In Days: 10 Days Used: 8 APS has two more snow days until the district's calendar is affected. According to Executive Administration Specialist Ricardo Sorto, after the 10 built-in days are used up, the school board will decide which days currently scheduled as teacher work days or early-release days should be used as makeup school days. Fairfax County Public Schools Built-In Days: 13 Days Used: 8 FCPS is an hours district, so it builds in the equivalent of about 13 days. So far, eight days have been used so no makeup days are required. If the district surpasses the amount of banked days, April 22 can be used as a makeup day. Falls Church City Public Schools Built-In Days: 9-10 days Days Used: 6 According to Superintendent Toni Jones, Falls Church is an hours district, so it builds in extra hours instead of days. The school district banks 65 hours, the equivalent of nine or 10 days, so they don't need to schedule any make-up days at this time. Loudoun County Public Schools Built-In Days: 15 Days Used: 8 No need to worry for LCPS. With the district only using eight of the 15 days built into the calendar, no additional days have been added to the calendar for students so far. LCPS will not be altering the schedule, said public information officer Wayde Byard. Manassas City Public Schools Built-In Days: Not Available Days Used: 5 MCPS has technically had seven snow days, but two of those days were during states of emergency as declared by Gov.Terry McAuliffe. Therefore, those two days don't need to be made up, leaving the district with five snow days used, said public communications coordinator Almeta Radford. MCPS did not provide a set number of built-in days. Currently, MCPS doesn't have to make up any days, Radford said. Manassas Park City Schools Built-In Days: Not Available Days Used: 6 MPCS could not provide the number of hours built into the schedule for inclement weather, but the fixed schedule is built to exceed minimum state requirements in total instructional time. According to staff, there are enough built-in hours to cover closure due to inclement weather, and MCPS will not have to make up snow days. Prince William County Public Schools Built-In Days: 12 Days Used: 8 According to Director of Communication Services Phil Kavits, the approved calendar for PWCS provides the equivalent of approximately 12 days' worth of hours above Virginia's 990-hour requirement for instructional time. The 12 days remained after the district's recent decision to have no school March 1 for the primary election, he said. With eight closures and a couple of delayed openings, PWCS has less than 29.5 hours left (fewer than five days) before the district would fall under the state minimum requirement. If this were to happen, makeup days, on which there are currently no classes, can be converted back to regular school days. Those possible days can be found on the school calendar. Some 2,500 residents of Basha Miao ethnic village in southwest China continue to preserve the traditional way of life passed down from generation to generation for more than 2,000 years.[Chinanews.com] Some 2,500 residents of Basha Miao ethnic village in remote Congjiang County of southwest China's mountainous Guizhou Province continue to preserve the Miao people's traditional way of life passed down from generation to generation for more than 2,000 years. Clad in Miao costumes made of hand-woven cloth, adults wear broadswords in their waistbands and carry fire lances over their shoulders. China's public security authority has given them special permission for gun ownership, but only within the mountains where they live in. They are called the last gun-toting tribe in China. The Basha people use sickles to cut their hair, worship ancient trees and elemental forces, and have a traditional adult rite after which the young people are entitled to have their own guns that accompany them through life. At the entrance of the mountain village, rows of villagers wearing silver jewelry and playing traditional musical instruments, greet visitors with rice wine in buffalo horns denoting auspiciousness. The Miao people fire their guns into the sky to welcome visitors from afar, just as the government uses a gun salute to welcome State guests. The adult ceremony denotes Basha boys have entered adulthood and independence. On the day of the ceremony, the boys can invite their friends to hunt birds in the mountain or catch fish in the river. The more they catch, the more achievements they will have in their life. The birds and fish they catch form the main dish of their ceremonial meal. They drink rice wine, sing ancient Miao songs and perform traditional dances in a carnival atmosphere, after which the tribe's wizard or chief cuts their hair with a sickle, transforming them into "independent household owners." They can then carry the gun their father has made for them to hunt in the mountains and earn their own living and start a family. The tribal chief cuts off all the boys' hair except for an area on top that is later worn in a bun as an indictor of adulthood, and this hairstyle is kept throughout their life. It is said to be the oldest male hairstyle still seen in China today. Some anthropologists call it the hairstyle of a "living terracotta warrior." Basha men wear a broadsword on the left of their waist and ox horn powder peg and calabash polished with iron sand on the right, as well as lucky belts on the back of their waists, which are given by their lovers. The more lucky belts a man has, the more female pursuers he has. Basha men wear black upper outer garments with brass buttons, and black trousers with broad legs. The loose clothes are comfortable and convenient in hunting and fishing. Basha women wear loose upper clothes, and pleated skirts. They wrap their legs with cloth delicately embroidered with old fancy patterns. They wear big, garish silver bracelets on important days. Basha people express their love through songs. The males help the females take care of the small patches of farmland, and they organize parties at night. The women feel proud if they are popular among the males, especially when some of their pursuers come from the other villages. In many cases, males are shier than females in Basha. Basha people live in stilt houses built on mountain slopes with wood and tiles. The gap between the floor and the ground prevents the mountain damp from entering the room from below, and is an effective protection against wild animals. Basha villagers still maintain old customs of worshipping ancient trees. In the village, every family plants a patch of trees when a baby is born in the family. The trees grow together with the child. After he or she dies, the family cut down a tree to make a coffin, and plant a new tree on his or her tomb, representing the continuation of life. The Basha have many old trees. Worshipping these trees means paying respect to ancestors and tribal history. The tribal chef said it is a good way to maintain discipline and order in the community. July 13th and 14th under the lunar calendar is Chixin Festival of Basha, when the villagers prepare sacrifices to their ancestors. Besides, there are the Miao New Year, Yingshanhong Festival, Lusheng Festival and Ghost Festival in Basha during the year. Basha people are good at making daily necessities from wood, bamboo and animal bones, and are proud of their self-sufficient life. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. What was supposed to be a three-hour direct flight to New York turned into a more than 30-hour journey from Punta Cana - first to Manchester, New Hampshire, then to Boston, and then finally to JFK in New York. What happened in between these stops has left passengers furious. A Delta spokesperson said due to weather they had to land in New Hampshire. That's when the waiting game began. First, there were customs issues that kept them on the plane for hours. Passenger Nicole Rosenfeld from Queens, New York, said, "It was a very, very long and stressful experience. There were babies crying, they didn't even let the kids off." Everyone ended up in hotels for the night and were set to leave in the morning for JFK Airport. However, on the way, weather became an issue again. Jared Kenish of Manhattan said, "I don't think I've ever felt as much turbulence. It felt like being thrown around. At this point people are throwing up, people need oxygen, absolute insanity." Jared Kenish decided to board a train because of the turbulence, which forced the plane to land at Logan Airport in Boston. And with more delays expected, he and several others decided they'd had enough of flying. Amtrak Train 86, traveling from DC to Boston, is stopped at the South Attleboro Station because of an electrical issue. According to Amtrak, there was a tree branch that was sparking in the power cables above the train so the power was shut down. The train is waiting for a diesel engine to push the train past the section. There are 164 people on the train but no injuries have been reported. Engineers are headed to the scene to removed the branch. Amtrak does not expect a lengthy delay but Providence Train 820 that is assisting the disable train is expected to be 80-100 minutes delays. It is on route to South Station. A financial adviser suspected in two bank robberies in East Granby was addicted to pain killers and was $120,000 in debt, according to the court documents. Kevin Baker, 45, of West Hartford, is accused of robbing the First National Bank of Suffield on Turkey Hill Road in East Granby on Jan. 27 and again Feb. 8. I dont want to hurt anyone, he said while brandishing a serrated knife during the first robbery, according to the arrest warrant application. Give me your 100s. He walked away with $15,867 and was hunched over in a possible attempt to disguise himself, a witness said. During the second robbery, he jumped over the counter, held a knife near the tellers and demanded money, according to police documents. Lets do this again, you know the drill, he said. All large bills. He then made off with $14,539 in cash, police said. As he fled on Route 10 in Simsbury, police broadcast a description of the vehicle used, a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officer pursued him and Baker back up, nearly hitting him, according to police. He almost hit two people as well. Police said they reviewed the surveillance video and reached out to the state Department of Motor Vehicles about the vehicle and determined similar vehicles were registered to Baker. An internet search revealed that Baker was listed as being with 4D Private Wealth Strategies and was the regional director for WealthVest, police said. Websites also said he has worked for MetLife, SunAmerica Financial Group and American Skandia Marketing, police said. According to police, Baker owes back car taxes in West Hartford and people who know the Baker family told police they were having financial problems. Baker started a financial planning company around three years earlier, after being laid off, and the family had received shut off notices, according to court documents. People police talked to said Baker was addicted to oxycodone. Hed had four spinal surgeries, was prescribed suboxone and he obtained prescription pads and wrote out prescriptions for oxycodone. A family member also told police that Baker had a problem with oxycodone. When police spoke with one of Bakers family members, she said they were deeply in debt, Kevin has sold his wifes diamond for a cubic zirconia and Baker had left the house the day of one of the robberies, saying he needed to pay bills. Baker also told another family member that he robbed the bank because of financial trouble and used a disguise, so police would not be able to prove he was in the bank, according to police. Baker, who does not have a criminal history, said he did not want to talk to investigators, according to police. NBC Connecticut tried to speak with Bakers wife, but she chose not to comment. Baker has been placed on medical and detox watch and he is scheduled back in court March 8. The Hampton New Hampshire Police Department have arrested four people in connection to the large brawl that occurred on January 3 outside of Stacey Jane's Restaurant at 9 Ocean Boulevard. Christopher Walker, 23, Cassie Walker, 21, and Dylan Justus, 22, of Hampton, New Hampshire, and Caleb Butts, 23, of Amesbury, Massachusetts, were all taken into custody on February 13. On January 3, the Hampton Police came upon a large fight outside of Stacey Jane's Restaurant that involved approximately 12 people. Police removed Casey Walker, who was actively fighting, to place her under disorderly conduct. During this arrest, Christopher Walker began to interfere and assaulted a police officer before attempting to flee the scene. Christopher Walker was then apprehended with the use of a taser. An ongoing investigation led to additional charges to Caleb Butts and Dylan Justus. Casey Walker is being charged with First Degree Assault and Reckless Conduct. Christopher Walker is begin charged with Attempt to Commit First Degree Assault. Dylan Justus is charged with Attempt to Commit Second Degree Assault, Reckless Conduct and First Degree Assault. Caleb Butts is charged with Second Degree Assault and Reckless Conduct. The Hampton Police have active warrants for 21-year-old Jacob Butts from Seabrook, New Hampshire for Attempt to Commit Second Degree Assault and Reckless Conduct. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hampton Police Department at 603-929-4444. A teacher in Manchester, New Hampshire, is accused of assaulting a middle school student. Anita Lemay, a 52-year-old teacher at Southside Middle School, turned herself in Wednesday and was arrested on a charge of simple assault. Police say the 14-year-old student was allegedly causing a disturbance in class while eating candy on Jan. 29. When he refused to listen, police say Lemay knocked the candy out of his hand, leaving a scratch on his wrist. According to Manchester Police, a para-professional witnessed the alleged attack and pulled the student out of class immediately. Lemay has been on paid administrative leave since Feb. 1, the school district confirms. A court date has not yet been set for Lemay. It was not immediately known whether she had an attorney. A Yale College student is hospitalized with probable bacterial meningitis, according to a statement on the Yale Health web site. The student was admitted last night to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where his or her condition is being closely monitored. As a precaution, the university is working with local and state departments of health to identify people who had close, extended contact with the student so they can offer preventative treatment. Only those who have come into close, extended contact with a person with bacterial meningitis are at risk of infection. Additional information on bacterial meningitis can be found on the Centers for Disease Control website, a statement from Yale Health says. I got my vaccination just prior to coming to college," Peter Chung, a Yale sophomore, told NBC Connecticut. Its a serious illness but Im not worried because, you know, there is a vaccine. The university has activated its emergency response protocol and set up a telephone hotline staffed by healthcare professionals for those seeking additional information. The hotline number is 866-924-9253. Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more Delia Smith interviewed at Norwich church Top TV cook and well-known writer Delia Smith spoke about her faith at SOUL Churchs weekly Chapel gathering on October 11. Read more Children's Christian holiday club in Briston A half term childrens holiday bible club is taking place in Briston next week, and there is no charge to take part in the fun. Read more Ashill church puts on music to touch the soul The Fountain of Life Church in Ashill is hosting an afternoon concert in early November with classical, jazz, opera, ballads and pop classics. Read more Fakenhams new rector is officially installed Rev Tracy Jessop has been officially installed as Rector for Fakenham during a service at Fakenham Parish Church on Tuesday September 27, fourteen months after their last reverend retired. Read more Norwich homeless charity holds information evening Homelessness charity St Martins is holding an information evening on Thursday 3rd November at The Forum in Norwich for anyone who would like to know more about the work of the charity and to potentially become a volunteer. Read more Sheringhams harvest flowers and Fairtrade boost Giving thanks for Harvest was the theme of the Harvest Flower Festival held at St Andrews Methodist Church, Sheringham at the beginning of October, which included a Traidcraft stall. Read more Fireworks paint the skyline at the Chinese Lunar New Year Eve over Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, on Feb. 9, 2013.[Xinhua] Less fireworks were set off across China in the Lunar New Year, banned in many places, over air pollution concerns. Two thirds of people polled in 35 major Chinese cities last year by the center for public opinion research at Shanghai Jiao Tong University were in favor of fireworks bans at Spring Festival. Public concern over air quality means people routinely check air quality and wear masks; many own air purifiers. Air quality only improved marginally last year in the area around Beijing, data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection suggests. In Shanghai, fireworks are banned completely downtown, and firework purchases require real name registration to track violators. A total of 138 cities in China have banned fireworks while another 536 cities have curbs in place, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The bans have made sanitation workers' life easier. They cleaned up 80 percent less firework waste in Shanghai this year. In nearby Hangzhou, host city of this year's G20 summit, fireworks have been banned for the whole year and police have offered rewards for reporting any sales, storage, transportation or lighting of fireworks. Still, there are people concerned that the ban kills off a harmless tradition. While fireworks may add to air pollution, some are calling firework makers to develop more environmentally friendly alternatives. Panda Fireworks, one of the country's biggest firework makers, said its traditional business has been hit badly by the ever expanding ban. The company said in June last year that it had began operating a P2P lending platform as part of a transition plan to reduce reliance on its firework manufacturing business. Panda fireworks told Xinhua that it is developing fireworks that produce less smoke and sulphur to reduce the environmental impact. Some new products went on the market this year and were well received. Lin Qiang, a business man in the eastern city of Wenzhou, said his firework budget for the Spring Festival this year shrank from over 3,000 yuan of stunning fireworks to just 100 yuan of firecrackers for his kids. "I'm thinking more about the environment and safety this year," he said. Millions of economists parse the Federal Reserve Bank's public statements on the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, only a few thousand observers concern themselves with the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) exploits. This is a missed opportunity: the FCC is every bit as fascinating and confusing as the Fed is enigmatic. But while many economists owe their employment to the opportunity to interpret the Fed's tealeaves, wireless engineers prefer and deserve a level of clarity that the FCC sometimes fails to provide. The example at hand is "jamming" of Wi-Fi and concerns two recent consent decrees and one enforcement advisory (search on "FCC," "Marriott," "Smart City," "Wi-Fi blocking"). So far, so good. "Wi-Fi blocking" sounds like something we would discourage. But there are many potential uses of blocking that, on closer inspection, seem quite reasonable. And both consent decrees target only one, easily condemned use, while avoiding any mention of the others. The respective FCC press releases start with a statement about the FCC authorizing use of the airwaves, and that no user shall disrupt another's legal communications. This is understandable, especially in the context of radio and TV transmission towers, even cellular communications and GPS. Few would disagree that over-the-air jamming of these communications systems is wrong. But the actual situation described is very specific. Both cases involve over-the-air disconnection of Wi-Fi clients in convention centers, preventing the use of cellphone-hotspot "MeFi" features and forcing exhibitors and users onto the venues' paid Wi-Fi Internet services. So we know this particular use of blocking is prohibited. And there's a satisfying moral to it: the FCC will prevent corporations from making money off the airwaves, at the expense of the individual. But it begs some questions how is "blocking" defined, and is it ever justified? For example, hospitals use Wi-Fi for patient monitoring, accessing pharmacy and patient records and more. If a visitor brings devices that generate large amounts of Wi-Fi traffic and interfere with these vital systems, is the hospital justified in shutting down these transmissions by "blocking"? Would patient safety be sufficient justification? Then consider an office worker who brings an access point from home and plugs it into the company's LAN. If they are sitting by a window and the access point is not authenticating users, anyone outside the building can tap into the company network. Is the WLAN manager justified in taking measures to neutralize this security risk? What if the organization is a retailer and an outsider could gain access to credit card data? What if the rogue AP was planted with criminal intent to steal company secrets, in a remote office where the WLAN is monitored from afar? Universities provide Wi-Fi for lecture halls, coffee shops, scientific laboratories, and residence halls. Their WLAN managers try to get students, staff, and visitors to play fair with the airwaves. Users are discouraged or prohibited from bringing their own, interfering access points on campus, because this can degrade others' access. The FCC ruling seems to indicate that students have a right to import Wi-Fi equipment onto school property and run it in any way they please, regardless of the consequences to their peers or the university authorities. Or is this a game where the authorities could confiscate said equipment, or otherwise prevent students bringing it on-campus, but cannot use over-the-air measures to contain it? Many companies have sensitive research or manufacturing areas where they prohibit visitors from taking photographs, making cellphone calls, and other activities. Can they prohibit visitors' use of personal Wi-Fi systems when on their property for commercial security reasons? If they do, should it make a difference whether they collect phones at the door or rely on Wi-Fi jamming to enforce compliance? Reading the examples above, most of us would have some sympathy for a WLAN manager using measures to maintain the safety or security of information, and agree that over-the-air methods may sometimes be justified to counter disruption of the network. These cases challenge our bedrock belief that jamming is always bad, because Wi-Fi is quite different from older wireless technologies. It is very short-range, effectively contained within buildings and campuses that are traditionally regarded as private property. Second, Wi-Fi often carries safety-critical and security-sensitive information. One can argue that it is unwise to do this in unlicensed spectrum, but it's a widespread practice. And organizations (owners of buildings and campuses) have built out WLANs that are used as a shared resource by everyone on the premises. These WLANs, with their intricate RF plans, are quite sensitive to interference from other Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi signals, but only when interference comes from within the same building as the WLAN. The whole system is clearly very different to, say, a 1930's radio station broadcasting over many miles. All we can say for sure after this series of FCC rulings is that venue owners may not prevent the public using their "MeFi," forcing them onto a paid Wi-Fi service. The FCC has declined to clarify any of the trickier applications of Wi-Fi control, although two of the five commissioners dissented from the latest ruling. It is not unusual for technology to move forward while regulation fails to keep pace. Deciding where "blocking" might be justified is a difficult problem, but the FCC should work harder to clarify the matter: it affects many networks in hospitals, schools, universities, retailers, and other environments. Network managers want to follow the law, but the current pronouncements are far from comprehensive. Glass and lasers are among the tools that researchers say can be used to store digital data for billions of years. Thirteen billion years, to be precise, if the media is kept at a globally warmed 190 degrees Celsius. The 2013 discovery is being formally presented at a major photonics conference this week. That's SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering Conference. The University of Southampton researchers behind the project are looking for industry partners, they say on their website. Long time Longevity like this this theoretically opens up a new dimension for humanity. If the storage functions as it should, we no longer have to worry about our intellectual property, Facebook posts, and tomes of wisdom not surviving us, should the human race expire. Capacious storage The memory technology uses nanostructured glass to hold the data, the scientists say. Their method is to use femtosecond laser writing to record five-dimensional (5-D) digital data onto that glass-based "eternal" media. A femtosecond is one millionth of one billionth of a second. The media holds a lot. The 300 TB/disc capacity means that any book, or indeed anyone's Twitter feed, for example, can be easily accommodated. Even national archives or entire libraries would fit, the researchers say. Perpetual memory The scientists think that their technique could mean information will last forever. "It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve documents and information and store it in space for future generations," Professor Peter Kazansky, of the university, said in the article on the school's site. 'Superman memory crystal' In 2013, when the discovery was initially made, the glass memory was compared to the "memory crystals" used in the Superman films. An experimental demonstration in 2013 successfully embedded a 300 kilobyte text file in 5-D. Existing tomes More recently, the team says that it has been able to record the Magna Carta, the King James Bible, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights onto the media. That last one was the United Nations General Assembly-adopted document arising from World War II. The data, in these cases, is embedded in fused quartz and is encoded in five-dimensions: two-dimensions for the size and orientation of the nanostructurescreated through self-assembly. And a further three-dimensional position. Read/write Super-fast lasers creating "short and intense pulses of light" write the files. "Three layers of nanostructured dots separated by five micrometers" make up the data, according to the article. A micrometer is a millionth of a meter. To read the data, an optical microscope and polarizer identifies the changed way that the light travels through the glassit does that a bit like a polarized pair of sunglasses. Stability And not only is the media extremely long-lasting "virtually unlimited at room temperature," the scientists say. It's also extremely resilient. It can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, they reckon. I can't imagine the world will warm much hotter. So that's OK. "This technology can secure the last evidence of our civilization. All we've learnt will not be forgotten," Kazansky says on the website. It's a rare business today that doesn't depend on data in some significant way, but does that mean most companies need a chief data officer? That's a question on more than a few executive minds in this big-data era, particularly as analyst firms wax increasingly enthusiastic about the role. Gartner, for instance, recently said it expects 90 percent of large organizations to have a chief data officer by 2019. Last August, Forrester found that 45 percent of global firms already have one, while another 16 percent said they planned to do so within the next year. Experian points to a similar trend. Should your company jump on board? That depends -- not just on your company and your industry, but also on who you ask. The chief data officer title isn't brand-new: Yahoo appointed one back in 2004. It wasn't until more recently, though, that the role began to gain traction, said Mario Faria, a research director with Gartner who previously served as a chief data officer himself. In general, the CDO holds responsibility for a company's data-management initiatives, "everything that has to do with information quality, information management, information strategy and acquisition," Faria explained. That's as opposed to the acronym-sharing chief digital officer, whose focus lies more on digital transformation and a company's efforts toward that end, Faria said. Then there's the chief analytics officer, the role that's typically focused on applying mathematical models to company data for business insight. It's the chief data officer job, though, that Gartner expects to ascend and assume responsibility for all three areas while the CIO retains control over all things associated with infrastructure and implementation. Often, it will be the CDO defining what needs to be done and the CIO determining how to make that happen, Faria said. "The CDO and CIO should be brothers or sisters in arms to help the business together," he explained. Eugene Kolker, chief data officer for Seattle Children's Hospital, takes a similar view. The CDO role focuses on data as a strategic enterprise asset, he said. Kolker has been CDO at Seattle Children's since 2007, when the CEO at the time created the role with support from other executives at the hospital. With a PhD in structural biology and a master's degree in applied mathematics and computer sciences, Kolker reports to the hospital's senior vice president and chief medical officer. As CDO, Kolker's "uber goal" is to improve clinical outcomes for patients and their families, he said. "The problems of today are extremely complex and multidimensional," he said. "Our human capabilities require as much support as we can get." Kolker and his team encourage data-based decision-making and provide executives and staff with the data and metrics they need to make effective changes. Data and analytics, as a complement to experience, expertise, intuition and "gut feeling," can "better guide your decisions and prioritize your actions," Kolker said. Kolker believes every organization needs a chief data officer. "Data are your customers, are your business, are you," he said. "Customers come first, then you need to re-align your business with customers' needs and aspirations." In many ways the CDO is the modern equivalent of the vice president of data management role that was common a decade ago, said Shawn Banerji, managing director at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. "Back then, it was focused strictly on capturing data, and less about making it actionable," he said. Today, the CDO typically reports to the CIO or chief marketing officer, Banerji added. Those in the job often have backgrounds in data science, including statistical analysis and mathematics. Companies large and small will increasingly appoint chief data officers, Gartner's Faria expects. Most are driven by one of three motivations: 1. The company needs to comply with regulations or manage risk better; 2. It's hoping its data assets can lead to greater efficiency; 3. It's looking to data analytics for extra value or extra revenue. "Most progressive, forward-thinking companies on some level view themselves as data companies," Banerji said. "Most of them are taking steps toward addressing that need, whether through the creation of a distinct role or by dispersing its responsibilities across existing roles." CDOs are currently more common in business-to-consumer companies, but there are plenty in B2B firms as well, he added. So how should a company decide if it needs a CDO? "First and foremost, sit down and go through an exercise of internal reflection and customer analysis -- you want to understand what are the desired commercial outcomes you're striving for," Banerji said. Next, think about data's role in achieving those goals. If data is central to the company's priorities, a CDO makes sense, he said. Otherwise, it may require more thought. "I think the worst thing you can do is go out in knee-jerk fashion and create the role just for the sake of creating the role," he said. Looking ahead, prospects for the CDO's continuing importance appear to be strong. "More and more organizations are becoming more data-driven," Banerji said. "I anticipate that the CDO will not only persist but become more prominent." Gartner's Faria agrees, but he expects that over time, the CDO will focus less on data per se and more on the algorithms used to get value out of it. "Having data without algorithms is like having a car without gas," Faria said. "Combining them is what lets you get ahead." The lifespan of consumer electronic products is getting ever shorter, and manufacturers aren't the only ones to blame: You could do the planet a big favor by hanging onto that shiny gadget a bit longer. That's according to a new study from Germany's Environment Agency (UBA), which notes that shorter product lifespans means more waste, more pollution and higher consumption of energy and raw materials. The study found no evidence of "planned obsolescence" -- the notion that manufacturers design their products to fail systematically after a certain period, to oblige customers to purchase a replacement. But it did note a significant increase in early product failures, at least of larger appliances: The proportion replaced due to a defect within five years of purchase rose from 3.5 percent in 2004 to 8.3 percent in 2013. One problem for consumers is that it's hard to know how long a product has been designed to last. The agency wants manufacturers to label products with their typical life expectancy -- as is often done for light bulbs -- to show their commitment to higher quality, longer-lasting devices. At the same time, the agency acknowledged that measuring the lifetime of something like a phone or a washing machine would not be easy. It suggests operating hours as the basis for labeling, but that measure may be harder to understand than the years of use by which people tend to plan their budgets. Units of measurement aside, labeling could encourage buyers to commit to using a device for a longer period. Too many people replace devices that are still in good working order, and consumers should use products for longer to reduce the pollution created during manufacturing and disposal, the agency said. Manufacturers could also extend the lifespan of products in other ways, such as making them easier to repair. That's the direction Dutch mobile phone company FairPhone is taking. The cases and components of its phones clip together, making them a little bulkier but easier to repair. Repair specialist iFixit gave FairPhone's second-generation model a perfect 10 for repairability, while Apple's iPhone 6 scored 7 out of 10, a little better than its predecessor. Paper-thin devices in which the subassemblies are glued together are inevitably harder to disassemble and reassemble. Even if a device isn't irreparably broken, some people might persuade themselves that it's a good idea to replace it with a newer one on energy efficiency grounds. However, according to the agency it's better to hang on to older equipment, at least when it comes to larger appliances like washing machines. "The energy demand and global warming potential during a life-time of five years is about 40 percent higher compared to a washing machine with a life-time of 20 years," the agency said. But won't products keep improving, making the gain from a newer device more significant? Well, no: These figures already take potential improvements in energy efficiency into account, according to the agency Besides, as time goes on, the absolute gains in energy efficiency are getting ever smaller, whether we're talking about a mobile phone or a huge data center: Every 10 percent improvement is worth less than the last, a cycle of diminishing returns. This is, perhaps, not what mobile phone manufacturers want to hear as they build up their booths in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, the giant telecommunications trade show. There they will launch new phones, many of them barely distinguishable from one another or from last years models. However, this is what we want them to do, the environment agency notes: Consumers have come to expect new developments every year. The agency's study, in German, looks at how to prevent obsolescence in household appliances large and small, consumer electronics, and information and communication technology products. A Google security engineer studying an SSH connection to a host unexpectedly discovered a deeper, darker secret in the GNU C Library (glibc). Google later proved that a bug in this library could be used to remotely execute code and cause a stack-buffer overflow condition. Though most Linux operating systems are protected from such an attack by address space layout randomization (ASLR), Google security engineers were able to circumvent this mitigation method. SSH is the Linux secure shell that provides an encrypted remote channel for authentication and a command line interface. The glibc library defines the system calls and other basic facilities used by many Linux distributions that C programs use to interact with the OS. Google reported this bug in a Security Blog post yesterday, explaining that a security engineer was able to craft a full working exploit. Google also reported that exploitation vectors are diverse and widespread, highlighting how important it is to to patch or mitigate. Google wont release the code, preventing it from being copied and used for malicious or criminal purposes. But it did make a non-weaponized proof of concept publicly available. Google wrote: The glibc DNS client side resolver is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when the getaddrinfo() library function is used. Software using this function may be exploited with attacker-controlled domain names, attacker-controlled DNS servers, or through a man-in-the-middle attack. When serious exploits like this are discovered, security analysts follow disclosure rules that, in most cases, keep the exploit confidential until a patch is released. Security analysts only make a disclosure public when the maintainers of the software are unresponsive, though motivation for disclosure can sometimes be suspicious around the time of large security conferences, like RSA in just two weeks. In the case of the glibc exploit, however, Googles announcement meets the standards of responsible disclosure because a patch is available. In the course of Googles investigation, engineers discovered that glibc maintainers knew about the bug and potential exploit since July. It wasnt clear if the bug had been fixed. While seeking a solution, the company learned that two Red Hat developers were also working independently on a solution to the glibc bug. Google and Red Hat collaborated to create and test a patch that is available now. The issue affects all glibc libraries after the 2.9 release, but updating older versions is also recommended. For those who cant immediately apply a patch, Google has found some mitigation methods that may help prevent the exploit. Dell is finding it tougher than it imagined to raise the funding for its $67 billion acquisition of EMC, thanks to the credit markets and the stock market tanking in recent months. The New York Post reports that Dell needs to raise $45 billion in order to finance the acquisition of storage giant EMC, and had hoped to price the first $10 billion of debt last Wednesday. However, the group of banks working on the deal, led by JPMorgan, said they needed another 10 days to arrange the loan. The Post, citing an unnamed source, said tightening credit markets have made the loans harder to sell than expected. And, wouldn't you know it, with the stock market tanking since this deal was announced last October, EMC is the one bright spot. While others are down 20%, 30% or more, including the once-invincible Apple, EMC is pretty much right where it was when the deal was announced; it was $28 in October and is at $25 now. VMware, though, hasn't been so fortunate. It was at a high of $82 in October and is now trading at around $48. The transaction includes paying EMC shareholders $24.05 per share in cash, along with an unspecified amount of tracking stock in VMware. The last thing they banked on was VMware stock losing nearly half its value. Last Friday, Dell Chief Integration Officer Rory Read (who did such a magnificent job at AMD) sent a letter to Dell shareholders on this issue. The letter was also recorded by the Securities and Exchange Commission, so it's public record. "Between the date the merger agreement was entered into and the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, the market value of the VMware Class A common stock has declined, thereby reducing the implied value of the stock portion of the merger consideration," the letter said. "Changes in the market value of the VMware Class A common stock also will impact the amount of cash that holders of EMC common stock will receive in the merger in lieu of fractional shares of Class V Common Stock," the letter continued. To pay for the deal, Dell plans to sell its Perot Systems services business, which it bought for $3.9 billion in 2009. One of the leading candidates for Perot, France-based Atos, has dropped out of the bidding, according to the post. In recent days, Japan's NTT Data has stepped up as a potential buyer. Selling Perot Systems is a real shame. Dell bought it to have a services arm so it could compete with IBM, which has basically become a services company that sells some hardware, and HP, which grabbed Ross Perot's first company, EDS. It was supposed to be a diversification maneuver, so as not to be totally reliant on hardware, and now it looks like Dell is reversing that. So either Dell is making a big mistake, or Perot Systems didn't quite pan out as they would have liked. Today, Read sent another letter, this one to employees, addressing what he called "chatter" over "possible financing headwinds" with the deal. Read said "I can assure you any suggestions our debt financing is in jeopardy are off-target and do not reflect our financing terms and the progress of our financing to date. The debt financing is fully-committed and is being underwritten by many of the leading global banks." Still, if they have to go through this much trouble, you have to wonder what kind of shape the company will be in once the deal is done. The 2nd edition of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) will be held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi from May 23-27, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) announced Tuesday. The UN environment agency said the assembly will focus on promoting the green agenda in line with sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Paris climate deal adopted by the international community last year. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the second edition of the global environment assembly would offer the world's governments an opportunity to chart a new future that is prosperous, inclusive and ecologically sound. "2016 has been called the year for implementation and delivery.UNEA-2 is our chance to show the world UNEP's readiness and commitment to achieving sustainable development goals through our program of work," Steiner said in a statement. The inaugural United Nations Environment Assembly was held in Nairobi in June 2014 following a unanimous decision by UN member states to upgrade UNEP status. Representatives from governments, multilateral agencies, private sector and civil society will discuss a range of topics like poaching, ocean pollution and chemical waste during the global environment assembly in May. Delegates will also discuss viable financing options to hasten the transition to a low carbon development. "UNEA will also consider the new stakeholder engagement policy, which will help to determine how civil society will be able to contribute in solving urgent environmental challenges and take advantage of environmental opportunities," the statement said. It added that UNEA-2 will strengthen science, policy and industry dialogue in order to find lasting solutions to poverty, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and chemical waste. Villagers back research fundraisers BAYDON is preparing for this years great village bake-off. The annual event helps raise money for research into the degenerative condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a condition affecting seven-year-old Hayden Howell who lives in Baydon with his parents, Kevin and Dawn, and sister Ellie, aged 10. Victims are predominantly male. Mrs Howell said: This is a degenerative disease that slowly eats away at the muscles. Most boys with the disease are wheelchair bound by their early teens. There is currently no cure for this life-limiting disease. However, there are some potential treatments, that are currently at the trials stage of development. She added: This is all funded by charitable donations. We therefore, of course, spend a lot of our time trying to raise as much money as we can. The Great Baydon Bake-off 2016 takes place on Saturday, March 5, and this year it features two new classes bread and rolls plus best decorated cake. The judging and raffle takes place in the Red Lion pub and all cakes will be sold afterwards to raise funds for the Action Duchenne charity. There is a recommended donation of of 2 per entry Entry forms are available on the Baydon website www.baydon.org Meanwhile there are two more fundraising events planned a Helping Hayden ball at Donnington Valley Hotel, Newbury, on March 12, and a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest caterpillar in a 10k at the BUPA London 10k run on the Monday, May 30, bank holiday. All proceeds from these events are donated to Action Duchenne, a charity that funds research into cures, and also aims to improve the lives of boys living with the disease, and their families. The family said in a statement: We spend much time trying to raise awareness of the condition with friends, colleagues, employers, as well as fund raising for research, and have made new friends and contacts as a result. We continue to have a full and happy home life, doing all the things youd expect a family with young children to do it just seems a little more urgent to enjoy things that require mobility sooner. As a family, we wish to thank all those that have leant help and support in whatever way over the last year, and all those who will join with us for Haydens journey in the future. For more about Hayden and the bid to raise funds to research Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, visit www.helpinghayden.org Flash Two Chinese ethnic Uygur men yesterday appeared at a Thai military court and denied all charges against them relating to the bomb attack that killed 20 people in Bangkok last year. Most of those killed in the August 17 explosion at the Erawan Shrine, which is located in the center of the city and is a popular attraction for tourists and Thais alike, were foreigners. More than 120 people were wounded in the blast. The two men Bilal Mohammad, 31, and Mieraili Yusufu, 27 face eight charges related to the bombing, including conspiracy to explode bombs and commit premeditated murder. The pair were making their first appearance at a military court since November, when they were read the charges against them. Bilal, also known as Adem Karadag the name on a fake Turkish passport he was carrying when he was arrested faces two additional charges of violating immigration law by entering Thailand illegally. Both men told the court yesterday that they were Chinese citizens but members of the Uygur minority, from the city of Urumqi, capital of west Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Thai authorities have said the bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown. However, some analysts said it might have been the work of Uygur separatists who were angry that Thailand in July repatriated more than 100 Uygurs to China. The shrine is popular with Chinese tourists, and many were among the victims of the bombing. Bilal was arrested on August 29 at a Bangkok apartment, while Yusufu was arrested on September 1 near the Thai-Cambodia border. Police said the case against the two men is supported by closed-circuit television footage, witness testimonies, DNA matching and physical evidence, in addition to their confessions. Police believe Yusufu detonated the bomb minutes after a backpack containing the device was left at the shrine by a yellow-shirted man they suspect was Bilal. The court said yesterday it has set April 20-22 for hearings to examine the evidence in the case. Police said in December that two other suspects wanted in connection with the bomb had been arrested abroad and that Thailand was in the process of requesting their extradition. Since then, there has been no progress in bringing the pair to Thailand and local police said this week they were unsure of the suspects whereabouts. Police have issued warrants for 17 people in connection with the attack. Fifteen of those wanted are still at large. The state Senate unanimously approved a joint resolution congratulating University of Wisconsin-Stout for 125 years of preparing students for successful careers and improving the economy in the state of Wisconsin. The resolution was co-sponsored by state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, and state Rep. John Murtha, R-Baldwin and passed on Feb. 9. The Assembly is expected to consider the resolution in the near future. Harsdorf, speaking from the Senate floor, lauded the university for remaining true to the philosophy of its founder, James Huff Stout, of preparing (students) for successful careers and fulfilling lives. The university also recognizes the importance of responding to the employers of western Wisconsin, Harsdorf said, and cited the example of the new mechanical engineering undergraduate major that has more than 160 students admitted for fall 2016. State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, joined Harsdorf in praising UW-Stouts focus on ensuring its students have successful careers upon graduation. UW-Stout has made a tremendous difference in western Wisconsin, Vinehout said, and has been helpful in solving all those (economic) problems we talk about in this building (the Capitol). UW-Stout was represented at the Senate proceedings by Provost Patrick Guilfoile and Doug Mell, executive director of Communications and External Relations. James Huff Stout founded UW-Stout in 1891 as Stout Manual Training School. It has grown into a comprehensive university with a record 9,535 enrolled students and was designated in 2007 as Wisconsins Polytechnic University by the UW System Board of Regents. The resolution noted that UW-Stout graduates consistently have achieved a job placement rate at or above 97 percent within six months of leaving campus, even through the worst recession since the Great Depression. The university, which won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001, continues to be an innovator in the field of higher education, the resolution said, and has added two dozen new undergraduate majors in the last two decades. The university celebrated its 125th birthday Jan. 5 with a standing-room-only ceremony featuring Gov. Scott Walker. He proclaimed Jan. 5, 2016, as UW-Stout Day in Wisconsin. More on the various events planned for the 125th anniversary year can be found at www.uwstout.edu/125. MADISON The Assembly early Wednesday morning passed a bill allowing online voter registration in Wisconsin but which critics say will halt some voter registration drives. The bill would make Wisconsin the 31st state in which online registration is permitted, a move that has broad support. Civic groups such as League of Women Voters have assailed a controversial provision in the bill that eliminates so-called Special Registration Deputies, or SRDs, from state law. Election clerks deputize SRDs to aid civic groups in conducting registration drives at senior centers, college campuses and public events. Supporters of the bill have dismissed concerns that it will halt registration drives. With online registration, they say special registration deputies no longer will be needed because anyone could help a voter register online using tablets or other mobile devices. Bill co-author Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie, said the bill is all about reducing paper. I am shocked that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are opposed to going paperless as it is saving trees and a progressive use of science and technology over the old way of doing business, Bernier said. She said the changes will save local government money by reducing paperworks and time need to process data. Opponents of the bill note that it requires voters registering online to have an ID that meets the state voter ID requirement. Voter groups less likely to have a drivers license or other ID, such as the very poor, elderly, students or minorities, would be excluded and also are the voters most commonly served by the special deputies who lead registration drives, they have said. The bills Senate sponsor, Sen. Devin LeMahieu, has said voters who lack the proper ID could be given paper registration forms instead. Or they could register at the polls on Election Day, by which time theyll need an ID to vote anyway. Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, a longtime advocate for online voter registration, said she was torn by her vote against the bill. She said the bill wasnt gaining traction among Republicans before the elimination of special registration deputies, a sign the provision was all about politics. We are supposed to want people to vote, Berceau said. You put me in a real bind here and thats really fun? The bill passed 56-38 with all Democrats and a few Republicans opposed. Republicans also amended the bill to close a loophole in previously adopted changes to the states campaign finance law that could allow out-of-state political action committees to give unlimited contributions to state political parties and legislative campaign committees. The amendment limits such contributions to $12,000 a year. The bill passed the Senate last week on a 19-13 vote. The Senate has to vote on the bill again with the amendment before it heads to Gov. Scott Walkers desk. The Assembly also passed SB 478 that was authored by Bernier. The bill creates a new standard for installing fire suppression equipment in places with open air options on county fairgrounds. Bernier said that the issue was brought to her attention by Rusty Volk, executive director of the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Rusty had an idea that would save the fairgrounds thousands of dollars, Bernier said. With help from the building inspector and fire chief, he came up with a building design that would serve both the general public and the storage needs of the fairgrounds. Rusty (Volk) had an idea that would save the fairgrounds thousands of dollars. Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). Meeting Tuesday night to pick up the pieces of the sidetracked $167 million facilities proposal, the Chippewa Falls School Board decided to begin working on a new proposal to take to the voters in November. Ladies and gentlemen, weve got our hands full, School Board President Jerry Smith told the board at the end of the session. I look forward to what we have to do. In December, a Facilities Planning Committee recommended an extensive school building plan that included $92 million for a new high school. The proposal also shifted middle school students to the current high school, moved grade 4-5 students into the middle school building and closed two elementary schools, most likely Hillcrest and Stillson. In all, the price tag came to $167 million, a staggering amount that caused considerable negative reaction to the plan. That opposition was on display at a Jan. 18 public hearing on the proposal, where many spoke out against it. Following the public comments, the School Board voted 6-1 not to act on the recommendations, preventing it from going on the ballot this April. Starting over On Tuesday night, the board picked up the facilities plan and attempted to decide what to do with it. After more than a hour of discussion, the board asked Superintendent Heidi Taylor-Eliopoulos to come up with guidelines for dates to go along with a series of work sessions she proposed that included plenty of community involvement, as well as taking a fresh look at the facilities in all of the districts buildings. The board would start with site visits to all of the buildings to see first-hand what condition they are in and the extent of repairs and improvements that have been suggested by the facilities report. Up until about eight months ago I had a very deep knowledge of the needs of the middle school, said Taylor-Eliopoulos, who served as middle school principal before becoming head of the entire district this summer, but not so much at the other schools. There are needs that exist that I had no idea about. Tours of each facility would address that. She recommended conducting visits during school hours when board members could see the building when it is being used. The board would then pick apart the comprehensive report, before going to the public for the first of as many as three times in the coming months for give-and-take informational sessions. In between, the board would come up with several different alternatives. We would take that and brainstorm a wide variety of options, whether its repairs across the board or a new building, Taylor-Eliopoulos said. We would look at what could be included, what could be delayed, and look at each option and narrow them to a smaller range of options that we would feel comfortable going back to the community. Timetable If were going to make this happen, we have to set a pretty firm date to make it happen, said Smith. A document prepared by Robert W. Baird broke down the referendum history in the state for the past 15 years, based on when referendums to issue debt were brought to voters, and their success rates. In November elections, 64.7 percent of referendums passed, which was the highest of all possibilities. The success rate fell to 59.4 percent in February, 51.3 percent in August or September, and 49.9 percent in April. February and August/September are primary election months, while April is the non-partisan spring elections. It was pointed out that there is no November election in Wisconsin in 2017. You have to take time to let the process work, said board member Pete Lehmann, wondering if November would provide enough time to allow for all of the work sessions and community meetings. A lot of work has already been done, said Pat Allen, one of two board members who were appearing Tuesday night via a video screen. We have a template, we have had community involvement and we can continue to do that. We arent entirely starting from scratch. So six months sounds realistic. If we get there and find that we arent ready, we can always go for April, Smith said. A resolution would have to be passed by the board 70 days before the election, which gives the board roughly six months before a late-August deadline. The board is expected to take the matter up briefly again during its regular monthly meeting Thursday. Reporter Noelle McGee is a Danville-based reporter at The News-Gazette. Her email is nmcgee@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@n_mcgee). MemorialCare Health System announced today that it has entered into a joint venture partnership with Fresenius Medical Care North America to operate 15 dialysis clinics in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Thirteen of these clinics are fully operational and two additional clinics are being developed in San Juan Capistrano and Huntington Beach. The partnership will provide comprehensive programs and services, including kidney dialysis treatment, medical services, patient and family support, wellness and prevention, disease management and continuity of health care services to ensure a high quality integrated care experience, while increasing access to community clinics throughout the Southland. Fresenius Medical Care, the world's largest integrated provider of services for patients with chronic kidney failure, cares for more than 170,000 people with end stage renal disease at over 2,200 dialysis clinics around the country. "This is a major step forward in MemorialCare's strategy and commitment to the community to improving the health and health care of those we serve by offering a full complement of integrated services across our wide and expanding geographic coverage area," says Barry Arbuckle, PhD, president & CEO of MemorialCare Health System. "Broadening our integrated system to cover all aspects of the care continuumfrom wellness and prevention to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitationallows us to ensure our patients receive convenient access to high quality and seamless coordination of care across our health system." One of the nation's top nonprofit integrated delivery systems, MemorialCare has 15,000 employees, physicians and volunteers; six hospitals; and more than 200 care locations in Southern California, including ambulatory surgery centers, imaging facilities, urgent care centers, Seaside Health Plan and countless programs and services. "For MemorialCare, being responsive to the needs of our communities has resulted in the expansion of our services and transformation of the way we deliver care," adds Mark Schafer, MD, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Foundation, which includes more than 2,000 physicians associated with MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians IPA. "This new partnership to provide extensive and far-reaching kidney dialysis services across the continuum of care is vital to our ability to provide the comprehensive, affordable, integrated care that is MemorialCare's hallmark." "In addition to providing what our patients and community need today, Fresenius Medical Care has the research and development infrastructure and capabilities to prepare us for innovations and patient care enhancements that will benefit our patients in the future, including increased utilization of home-based dialysis," adds James Leo, M.D., chair of MemorialCare Physician Society, representing 2,000 physicians from throughout Southern California who drive clinical outcomes and performance for MemorialCare. "As physicians, we are thrilled with the opportunity to engage in new and emerging technologies, techniques and treatments." The Fresenius Medical Care clinics offer traditional in-center dialysis in locations close to where the community lives and works, as well as access to regional home dialysis programs, which allows patients to perform treatments at home and on their own schedule while receiving comprehensive care and support. The clinics also offer other dialysis patient-centered services, including a kidney transplant support program, vascular care, anemia management, nutrition counseling, bone disease management and social worker support. "We are excited to be partnering with MemorialCare to continue advancing kidney care in Southern California," said Ana Silveira, regional vice president for Fresenius Medical Care. "MemorialCare patients in these communities will be able to have a comprehensive, integrated care experience and receive a superior level of care that is consistent with our commitment to improve the quality of life of every patient, every day." Patient dialysis treatment clinics included in the joint venture include: Fountain Valley Clinic: 17197 Newhope Street in Fountain Valley, (714) 241-0196) 17197 Newhope Street in Fountain Valley, (714) 241-0196) Fountain Valley Home Dialysis Clinic: 17197 Newhope Street in Fountain Valley, (714) 778-0488 17197 Newhope Street in Fountain Valley, (714) 778-0488 East First Tustin Clinic: 535 E 1st Street in Tustin, (714) 730-1428 535 E 1st Street in Tustin, (714) 730-1428 Fresenius Medical Care Santa Ana Clinic: 2740 Bristol Street in Santa Ana, (714) 754-1670 2740 Bristol Street in Santa Ana, (714) 754-1670 Goldenwest Westminster Clinic: 15330 Goldenwest Street in Westminster, (714) 373-1543 15330 Goldenwest Street in Westminster, (714) 373-1543 Laguna Canyon - Irvine Clinic: 16255 Laguna Canyon Road in Irvine, (949) 727-4495 16255 Laguna Canyon Road in Irvine, (949) 727-4495 Fresenius Medical Care Orange County Home Clinic: 1401 S Brookhurst Road in Fullerton, (714) 773-1407 1401 S Brookhurst Road in Fullerton, (714) 773-1407 Hospital Circle - Westminster Clinic: 290 Hospital Circle in Westminster, (714) 895-3698 290 Hospital Circle in Westminster, (714) 895-3698 Garden Grove Blvd. - Garden Grove Clinic: 12555 Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove, (714) 741-7255 12555 Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove, (714) 741-7255 Harbor Blvd. - Garden Grove Clinic: 12761 Harbor Blvd. in Garden Grove, (714) 539-3122 12761 Harbor Blvd. in Garden Grove, (714) 539-3122 Fresenius Medical Care Long Beach Clinic: 440 W Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, (562) 432-4444 440 W Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, (562) 432-4444 Fresenius Medical Care - Carson Community Clinic: 20710 Leapwood Ave. in Carson, (310) 323-8997 20710 Leapwood Ave. in Carson, (310) 323-8997 Fresenius Medical Care Norwalk Clinic: 13063 Rosecrans Ave. in Santa Fe Springs, (562) 404-7400 Dialysis, also known as renal replacement therapy, aims to replace the critical functions of the kidneys and sustain life in people with severe kidney failure. The majority of patients receive treatment in the in-center setting three times a week with each dialysis session lasting between three to five hours. Today, about 350,000 people in the United States use dialysis as a life-sustaining therapy. Overcrowding is a common problem in Israeli inpatient psychiatric wards, and appears to contribute to higher rates of problem incidents--including falls and aggressive behavior, reports a study in the March issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. "Our study confirms previous studies that overcrowding in psychiatric wards can be dangerous and can lead to an increased number of adverse events, such as violence and falls," according to the new research, led by Dr. Anat Tsur of Clalit Health Services and Dr. Alexander Teitelbaum of Kfar Shaul Psychiatric Hospital, Jerusalem. The results show evidence of a "dose-response" effect: as overcrowding increases, so does the risk of incidents. Call for 'Emergency Measures' to Address Overcrowding on Psychiatric Wards The researchers analyzed the relationship between bed occupancy rates and adverse events at four closed wards in an Israeli state psychiatric hospital during 2011-12. Closed wards, where patients' movements are restricted, were studied on the assumption that they might be more likely to show the effects of overcrowding. The study focused on two types of incidents: aggressive behavior and falls. Of approximately 700 adverse events, about 400 were incidents of aggressive behavior, including nearly 300 episodes of physical violence between patients. Overall, at least one incident occurred on 24 percent of days. The average net occupancy rate, reflecting all patients actually present, was about 96 percent; while the gross occupancy rate, including patients temporarily off the ward, was 106 percent. "These figures stress the fact that overcrowding is a serious problem in this psychiatric hospital," Dr. Teitelbaum comments. The researchers note that the rates far exceeded the maximal 85 percent occupancy rate recommended for optimal patient and staff safety and outcomes. Incidents were more likely on days when the wards were more crowded. Net occupancy averaged 98.6 percent on days when aggressive behavior or falls occurred versus 95.7 percent on days without incidents. There was a similar difference for gross occupancy: 107.7 versus 105.5 percent. The risk of adverse events increased from 18.6 percent when on days with net occupancy of 85 percent or less to 26.7 percent on days when net occupancy rose to 106 percent or higher. "This trend suggests a causal link between overcrowding and increasing risk of adverse incidents," Dr. Tsur and colleagues add. At the same rates, the probability of aggressive behavior increased from 8.3 to 14.1 percent. Overcrowding was associated with violent incidents for all wards overall and for three out of the four wards individually. The researchers believe the situation at their hospital reflects recent dramatic declines in psychiatric inpatient beds in Israel. They note that shortages of psychiatric inpatient beds are even more pronounced in some other countries, including the United States and Canada. At least in Israel, mental health care reforms are underway, with the goal of strengthening psychiatric community services and reducing hospitalization rates. In the meantime, Dr. Tsur comments, "We hope this study will convince healthcare providers and policymakers of the necessity to take efficient measures aimed at reducing overcrowding in psychiatric hospitals and making inpatient facilities safer for patients and staff." By Eleanor McDermid The selective sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) inhibitor ozanimod significantly reduces lesion activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), shows a phase II study published in The Lancet Neurology. Ozanimod inhibits only S1PR1 and S1PR5, in contrast with the nonselective fingolimod, which modulates S1PR1, S1PR3, S1PR4 and S1PR5. This should, in theory, reduce unwanted off-target effects caused by interactions with, in particular, S1PR3, say Jeffrey Cohen (Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA) and RADIANCE study co-authors. They add that the low peak plasma dose of ozanimod also reduces the risk of cardiac effects on first administration, in addition to which the team introduced the drug slowly, beginning at 0.25 mg/day and titrating up to the full dose of 0.5 or 1.0 mg/day on day 8. At the time of first administration, the team noted a "mild blunting of the normal circadian increase in heart rate". The most notable cardiac side effect was orthostatic hypotension, which occurred in 4-5% of ozanimod-treated patients, but also in 2% of the placebo group - mostly during the first day when orthostatic blood pressure was monitored hourly. Other adverse effects were mostly mild or moderate, and none of the four serious events were thought to be related to treatment. Events thought at least possibly related to treatment occurred in 13% of the placebo group, and 22% and 18% of the 0.5 and 1.0 mg ozanimod groups, respectively. Patients using other S1PR inhibitors were excluded from the study, and washout periods were required for those using drugs other than interferon beta or glatiramer acetate. Treatment continued for 24 weeks, and the 88 patients taking placebo had a cumulative average of 11.1 gadolinium-enhancing lesions on four magnetic resonance imaging scans during the last 12 weeks of treatment. By contrast, the 87 and 83 patients taking, respectively, 0.5 and 1.0 mg ozanimod had an average of just 1.5 active lesions. Likewise, ozanimod treatment reduced the cumulative number of new and enlarging T2 lesions, from 9.0 with placebo to an average of 1.4 with the 0.5 mg dose and 0.8 with the 1.0 mg dose. In a linked commentary, Per Soelberg Srensen (Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Denmark) describes the findings as "promising" but cautions that the study is "rather small". "Only efficacy and safety results of phase 3 trials will determine whether ozanimod has a more favourable risk-benefit profile than fingolimod and could be classified as a first-line drug by [the European Medicines Agency]." Licensed from medwireNews with permission from Springer Healthcare Ltd. Springer Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved. Neither of these parties endorse or recommend any commercial products, services, or equipment. Another clue to the workings of trachoma - the world's leading infectious cause of blindness - has been revealed in a new study published in BMC Infectious Diseases. Researchers identified markers of genetic regulation present in the early stages of infection that could predispose children to developing the condition in its long-term, severe form. The study was carried out by a team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, part-funded by Fight for Sight and The Wellcome Trust, in partnership with colleagues in West Africa. Trachoma is endemic in 51 countries and is the cause of irreversible blindness in 1.2 million people worldwide. Mass distribution of antibiotics can successfully treat the initial infection of the conjunctiva with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The conjunctiva is the mucous membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids. However, children in trachoma-endemic areas can suffer repeated episodes of infection and, in some, this triggers chronic inflammation and scarring of the eyelid. As the eyelids tighten, eyelashes turn inward and scratch the cornea - a condition called trichiasis - eventually leaving the cornea opaque and causing blindness. Researchers are investigating why only some people in endemic areas go on to experience inflammation and scarring. The research team has previously found that two microRNAs - known as miR-147b and miR-1285 - are increased in adults with scarring and inflammatory trachoma. MicroRNAs are small molecules that are key controllers of the activity of many other genes. The new study is the first report of microRNA activity in inflammatory trachoma during the initial stage of disease. The team looked at samples from children with both infection and inflammation compared to samples from children with healthy conjunctiva and no infection. The analysis showed that two microRNAs - miR-155 and miR-184 - have a direct relationship with the degree of inflammation. Lead author and Fight for Sight PhD student, Tamsyn Derrick from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "We found that miR-155 is increased and miR-184 is decreased as the severity of clinical inflammation goes up. We think this pattern of microRNA expression reflects the activity of immune cells in the conjunctiva. MiR-155 in particular has wide-ranging and profound effects on immune cell development and function, while miR-184 is the only microRNA that is present in significantly different levels between people with inflammatory trachoma that has persisted post-infection, versus uninfected healthy controls." Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Dr Martin Holland who led the research group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said: "Our results suggest that the presence of inflammatory cells is required to drive pathological responses in the conjunctiva. They also present in miR-184 a new target with significant therapeutic potential. "Studies conducted elsewhere have shown that increasing miR-184 prevents abnormal communication between cells in a mouse model of retinal disease and lower levels of miR-184 during acute corneal injury are restored upon healing. Its prolonged low-level state in post-infection inflammatory trachoma could therefore reflect prolonged wound healing and abnormal cell signalling. It may also contribute to thinning of the conjunctiva's outer layer, something we see in trachoma, which could predispose people to repeat infection." Dr Dolores M Conroy, Director of Research at Fight for Sight, said: "Inflammation is known to be a major risk factor for scarring trachoma and these results give us an important indication of why. One of the priorities for research identified by the Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership was to find out whether severe ocular surface diseases in children can be better managed. Knowing who is at risk and how that risk can be reduced is a major step towards better management of this globally devastating condition." A study of all Norwegian men born between 1965 and 1985 shows that male cancer survivors are less likely to have children than those without a cancer diagnosis. "These finds are important for male cancer survivors, seeing as we can identify groups at risk of having reproduction problems," says Maria Winther Gunnes, PhD candidate at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Bergen (UiB) and lead author of a recently published article in the British Journal of Cancer. May alter future cancer treatment This knowledge makes it possible to develop concrete treatment protocols which affect fertility to a lesser degree. In addition, measures like preserving sperm before starting treatment can be optimised. Male cancer survivors are three times as likely to turn to assisted fertilization to have children as males with no cancer diagnosis. Researchers from UiB and other institutions have sought to find out what cancer at a young age means for reproduction and marriage among male survivors of cancer in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. The number of survivors after treatment of cancer in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood has steadily increased over the past decades, due to improvements in treatment regimens and supportive care. It is now expected that close to 80 per cent of those diagnosed with cancer during childhood or adolescence will survive their cancer and subsequent treatment. Cancer does not affect children The study demonstrates reduced paternity among male cancer survivors, especially among survivors of testicular cancer, brain tumours, lymphoma, leukaemia and bone cancer. There is also less likelihood that cancer survivors get married than their peers without a cancer diagnosis. "It is important to be able to assure young, male cancer survivors that their illness and treatment will not have a negative impact on their own children," says Gunnes. The study shows that children of those who have survived cancer do not have an increased risk of perinatal death or congenital anomalies. Similarly, there were no indications of increased risk of preterm birth or low birth weight. The study cohort consists of all Norwegian males born between 1965 and 1985, registered in compulsory national registries in Norway. Compulsory national registries are not prone to selection bias and have given the researchers a large sample size, fully complete on a national level. Tackling antibiotic resistance on only one front is a waste of time because resistant genes are freely crossing environmental, agricultural and clinical boundaries, new research has shown. Analysis of historic soil archives dating back to 1923 has revealed a clear parallel between the appearance of antibiotic resistance in medicine and similar antibiotic resistant genes detected over time in agricultural soils treated with animal manure. Collected in Denmark - where antibiotics were banned in agriculture from the 1990s for non-therapeutic use - the soil archives provide an 'antibiotic resistance timeline' that reflects resistant genes found in the environment and the evolution of the same types of antibiotic resistance in medicine. Led by Newcastle University, UK, the study also showed that the repeated use of animal manure and antibiotic substitutes can increase the capacity of soil bacteria to mobilise, or ready themselves, and acquire resistance genes to new antibiotics. Publishing their findings today in the academic journal Scientific Reports, the study's authors say the data highlights the importance of reducing antibiotic use across all sectors if we are to reduce global antibiotic resistance. Lead author David Graham, Professor of Ecosystems Engineering at Newcastle University, said: "The observed bridge between clinical and agricultural antibiotic resistance means we are not going to solve the resistance problem just by reducing the number of antibiotics we prescribe in our GP clinics. "To reduce the global rise in resistance we need to reduce use and improve antibiotic stewardship across all sectors. "If this is not done, antibiotic resistance from imprudent sectors will cross-contaminate the whole system and we will quickly find ourselves in a situation where our antibiotics are no longer effective." Antibiotics have been used in medicine since the 1930s, saving millions of lives. Two decades later they were introduced into agricultural practices and Denmark was among the leaders in employing antibiotics to increase agricultural productivity and animal production. However, a growing awareness of the antibiotic resistance crisis and continued debate over who and which activities are most responsible led to the EU calling for the use of antibiotics in non-therapeutic settings to be phased out and Denmark led the way. The Askov Long-Term Experiment station in Denmark was originally set up in 1894 to study the role of animal manure versus inorganic fertilisers on soil fertility. Analysing the samples, the team - involving experts from Newcastle University, the University of Strathclyde and Aarhus University - were able to measure the relative abundance of specific -lactam antibiotic resistant genes, which can confer resistance to a class of antibiotics that are of considerable medical importance. Prior to 1960, the team found low levels of the genes in both the manured soil and that treated with inorganic fertiliser. However, by the mid 1970's, levels of selected -lactam genes started to increase in the manured soils, with levels peaking in the mid 1980's. No increase or change was detected in the soil treated with inorganic fertiliser. "We chose these resistant genes because their appearance and rapid increase in hospitals from 1963 to 1989 is well-documented," explains Professor Graham. "By comparing the two timelines, we saw the appearance of each specific gene in the soil samples was consistent with the evolution of similar types of resistance in medicine. So the question now is not which came first, clinical or environmental resistance, but what do we do about it?" Following the ban on non-therapeutic antibiotic use in Danish agriculture, farmers substituted metals for antibiotics, such as copper, and levels of the key -lactam genes in the manured soils declined rapidly, reaching pre-industrialisation levels by 2010. However, at the same time the team measured a 10-fold rise in Class 1 Integrons. These are gene carrier and exchange molecules - transporters which allow bacteria to readily share genes, including resistance genes. These findings suggest the application of manure and antibiotic substitutes, such as copper, may be 'priming' the soils, readying them for increased resistance transmission in the future. "Once antibiotics were banned, operators substituted them with copper which has natural antibiotic properties," explains Professor Graham. "More research is needed but our findings suggest that by substituting antibiotics for metals such as copper we may have increased the potential for resistance transmission. "Unless we reduce use and improve stewardship across all sectors - environmental, clinical and agricultural - we don't stand a chance of reducing antibiotic resistance in the future." ST. LOUIS I miss John Wayne. John Wayne would know what to do about ISIS. For one thing, hed call them ISIS, not ISIL or IS or Daesh. John Wayne wouldnt mess with them. Donald Trump said he would bomb the (stuff) out of ISIS, and he didnt use the politically correct euphemism, either. John Wayne would put on his Green Beret and go after them on film. He wouldnt need no stinkin diplomats. He wouldnt care about blowback in the Middle East. John Wayne knew that America could do whatever the heck it wants. I miss America doing whatever the heck it wants. John Wayne wouldnt be afraid of Megyn Kelly, either. John Wayne would throw her over his lap and spank her, the way he did Maureen OHara in McClintock and The Quiet Man. John Wayne knew how to handle uppity women. John Wayne knew what to do with immigrants, too. If they were women, like his Panamanian, Peruvian and Mexican wives, hed marry them. If they were good guys, hed make them his sidekicks and treat them like the help. If they were bad guys, with mustaches and bandoliers full of bullets across their chests, hed plug em with his Winchester. He wouldnt need to build a wall on the Mexican border because all hed have to do was tell em not to come. You think theyd defy John Wayne? I dont think so. Things were easier when America was great and John Wayne was in charge. This is the myth that Donald Trump is selling. You didnt have to worry about running into Caitlyn Jenner in the mens room. Men were men and women were glad of it. John Wayne didnt need no unisex bathrooms. You think if John Wayne owned a pizza restaurant, hed cater a gay wedding? Not in John Waynes America, which is where Trump thinks we need to get back to, back when white men were in charge andeveryone liked it like that. This was a better America. Oh, sure. If you were a woman or gay or black and getting lynched or hosed down with a water cannon, you might disagree. But John Wayne put Woody Strode in a lot of his movies and never once hosed him down with a water cannon. We need to get back to those times. We need to make Leave it to Beaver real again. You never saw Wally or the Beave or Lumpy Rutherford wearing sagging pants. Or listening to terrible music. We need Perry Como and Vic Damone back again, and Andy Williams. And Nat King Cole. You never heard Nat King Cole rapping, did you? Huh? John Waynes daughter, Aissa Wayne, has endorsed Donald Trump. If ever there was a reason to vote for a man, its that. The average American is mad as hell that our country is being sold down the river, she said in her endorsement letter. Yes, we are. As I watch John Wayne movies on my Korean-made television set while clothes are washing in the Chinese-made washer, I think, Boy, am I mad that America has been sold down the river. I will jump into my Japanese-made car and drive to my tax-subsidized Wal-Mart and try to find something made in America. At the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa, is a dark green 1972 Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon that John Wayne used to own. Good luck finding a station wagon in todays America. And it definitely wont be made by Pontiac. When we make America great again, well all drive Pontiac station wagons. Donald Trump will have to trade in his Rolls-Royces, Lamborghini Diablo and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. And hell get a great deal. A fantastic deal. The best deal ever. You think Donald Trump cant out-wheedle a Pontiac salesman? In John Waynes America, we werent politically correct. We could insult people all we wanted. We didnt have to pretend that black people worked hard to be good athletes because we knew they were naturally gifted. We knew that Jews had all the money and that Mexicans were totally lazy. We were comfortable with that. Now were uncomfortable and its their fault! And we cant even complain about it because its politically correct to be polite. Trump is a throwback: Hes a good old-fashioned jerk, insulting Muslims and Mexicans and prisoners of war, conservatives and liberals and especially the morons and losers and dummies who write about him. Trump is less John Wayne than the kind of guy John Wayne used to shoot. In The Shootist, his last movie, Waynes character explained his code: I wont be wronged. I wont be insulted. I wont be laid a-hand on. I dont do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. Trump wouldnt last long. At the risk of another dated cultural reference, hes more like Archie Bunker with money. RICHMOND Opponents of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline released an economic study Tuesday to bolster their argument that the $5 billion project ultimately would cost more than its worth to localities in its path in western and central Virginia. The study, commissioned by five citizen groups in four counties, estimates that construction of the 42-inch, high-pressure natural gas pipeline would do immediate and ongoing damage to property values, as well as ecological resources, tourism and small business development in Highland, Augusta, Nelson and Buckingham counties. Opponents are already using the analysis by Key-Log Economics in Charlottesville to bolster their case against the project before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is expected to decide later this year whether to certify the need for the pipeline and allow eminent domain to acquire rights of way along the more than 550-mile route from West Virginia to southeastern Virginia and North Carolina. The decision to approve or not approve the [Atlantic Coast Pipeline] does not hinge on a simple comparison of the estimated benefits and estimated costs, the 57-page study concludes. The scope and magnitude of the costs outlined here, however, reflect and are an important component of the full environmental effects that must be considered in making that decision. Impacts on human well-being, including but not limited to those that can be expressed in dollars and cents, must be taken into account by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and others weighing the societal benefits of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The pipeline developers, led by Richmond-based energy company Dominion, have released two economic studies estimating the benefits of the project. Those benefits include increased local taxes and jobs, primarily during construction, and $377 million each year in lower electricity costs to consumers in Virginia and North Carolina from providing a low-priced natural gas supply for power generation. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline issued a statement Tuesday that said the Key-Log report lacks factual basis and credibility. All you have to do is look at the experience of neighboring counties here in Virginia to see that, said spokesman Frank Mack, who cited thriving businesses near pipelines in Albemarle and Augusta counties, as well as Californias Napa Valley. There is no substantiated reason to think Nelson County will be any different. The company also challenged the reports assumption that pipelines diminish property values, citing FERCs conclusion after reviewing research on the issue two years ago in a case involving a pipeline proposed in New York. The commission concluded that there is no consistent information suggesting that the presence of a natural gas pipeline easement would decrease property values, Mack said. But opponents have argued that the companys studies dont measure true costs of the proposed pipeline to the communities in its path. To prove their point, five groups raised more than $40,000 in contributions from residents of the four counties to pay for the Key-Log study. The groups are Friends of Nelson, the Augusta County Alliance, Friends of Buckingham Virginia, Yogaville Environmental Solutions and Highlanders for Responsible Development. Opponents have shown before that they have financial support in their battle with Dominion, which owns Dominion Virginia Power, the states largest public utility. Last year, the All Pain, No Gain campaign raised almost a half-million dollars in contributions and in-kind services for an advertising and marketing campaign against the pipeline, according to co-chairs Nancy Sorrells of Augusta and Charlotte Rea of Nelson. The new study estimates up to $141.2 million in one-time costs from construction of the pipeline along a 126-mile stretch through the four counties The analysis also estimates ongoing costs of the proposed pipeline at up to $109.1 million a year, reflecting the effect on local revenues from tourism and other businesses in the four counties. But the biggest numbers presented in the report estimate a loss of up to $7.4 billion in property values in perpetuity because of the effect on viewsheds of the permanent easement in a region that places a high economic value on its scenic vistas. The House of Delegates voted Tuesday to grant broad protections to private entities that hold religious views against gay marriage, transgender people and those who have sex outside of marriage. Supporters said the controversial bill, approved on a 56-41 vote, would prevent government persecution of people of faith, but critics said it would allow some Virginians to be treated as second-class citizens. Gov. Terry McAuliffe is expected to block the legislation, but the floor vote offered a test of the Republican-controlled chambers appetite to take on a red-hot social issue. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in voting against House Bill 773, titled the Government Non-Discrimination Act. Three Republicans did not vote. The bills patron Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah said the measure would prevent government agencies from taking punitive action against religious people, businesses and groups as part what he described as an activist push to drive religion from public life. They are not satisfied with equality, said Gilbert. And they will not be satisfied until people of faith are driven out of discourse. Are made to cower. Are made to live in fear of speaking their minds. In an emotional speech, Del. Mark D. Sickles, D-Fairfax, one of two openly gay state lawmakers, said the vote would send a message to businesses considering moving to Virginia. They dont need to come here where people are second-class citizens when we pass legislation like this, Sickles said. He added that Republicans should not view the bill as a free vote due to its low chances of becoming law. Your vote will make a difference, Sickles said. Your kids will be looking back on what you do today and how you vote on this bill. The bill would prevent state agencies from altering tax treatment or canceling or reducing funding, contracts or other benefits for private entities based on beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman, that sex should occur only within marriage or that the terms man and woman are based solely on biological sex. Critics said the legislation would lead to government-sanctioned discrimination. Supporters argued that traditional beliefs should not be swept away by a fast-changing, secular culture. Gilbert laid out a possible scenario in which tuition assistance could be denied for Lynchburgs Liberty University based on the institutions religious principles, which he said is one of many ways that religious people could be made to cower and go away. On my watch, I will be proud to say that I fought to keep the government from being used as a vehicle for making that happen, Gilbert said. Democrats also raised constitutional concerns, saying the bill seems to set certain religious beliefs above others. I dont see how you can interpret it any other way than a license to discriminate, said House Minority Leader David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville. Del. Scott W. Taylor, R-Virginia Beach, was the only Republican who took the House floor to explain his reasons for voting against the bill. A candidate for Congress in the 2nd District, Taylor called the legislation too broad. Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, said the gay-rights movement has not taken a live and let live approach to religious views. This governor, if he really is tolerant, should support the bill, Marshall said. McAuliffes office said the governor opposes any legislation that will make Virginia less open and welcoming to people based on their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. Hes working to build a more equal and more prosperous Virginia and this bill is a step in the wrong direction, McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said. Other Republicans voting against the bill were Dels. Glenn R. Davis Jr. of Virginia Beach; Peter F. Farrell of Henrico; Christpher P. Stolle of Virginia Beach; Ronald A. Villanueva of Virginia Beach; David E. Yancey of Newport News; and Joseph R. Yost of Giles. The Republicans not voting were Dels. G. Manoli Loupassi of Richmond; Jason S. Miyares of Virginia Beach; and James W. Morefield of Tazewell. Morefield was not in the chamber Tuesday. Loupassi also called the legislation too broad, but did not elaborate. The House also approved legislation to limit public funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, but that legislation also seems destined for a gubernatorial veto. That measure, House Bill 1090, passed on a 64-35 vote. The following editorial was published in Sundays Wisconsin State Journal: Even lame ducks have been known to fly. Teddy Roosevelt made the Grand Canyon a national monument in his final year as president. Ronald Reagan steered a historic reduction of nuclear weapons through the U.S. Senate while communism was collapsing. Bill Clinton oversaw a record budget surplus. Expectations are understandably low for the final year of Barack Obamas second term. A highly partisan presidential election will only encourage further gridlock in Washington. Yet with help from House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, some big things can still get done. Obama, of course, is a Democrat, while Ryan is a Republican. The two were rivals in 2012, when Ryan ran as the GOPs vice presidential nominee. But big differences on policy and politics shouldnt stop progress for America. Where agreement does exist, legislation should move forward, with both leaders benefiting from accomplishment. Ryan has little interest in enhancing Obamas legacy. But approving popular measures with bipartisan support will improve the GOPs chances of holding swing seats and majority control in the House this fall. Obama highlighted several promising goals for the coming year during a recent White House meeting with Republican leaders, followed by a private lunch with Ryan. Four of Obamas priorities can and must be achieved, with the Democratic president staying open to GOP suggestions for cooperation: 1. Approve the free trade agreement with a dozen Pacific Rim countries. This wont be easy because several Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are stoking economic fears for electoral advantage. But free markets are the most effective way to lift prosperity in America and abroad. The Trans-Pacific Partnership will let the United States guide the rules for global trade, rather than China. That will mean more protection and opportunity for innovators, labor and the environment with stronger economic growth. 2. Commit more resources to fighting cancer. The president called for a moonshot effort to cure cancer in his State of the Union address. The goal deserves more resources for research, including promising studies at UW-Madison. If new dollars cant be found, then existing federal spending should be reprioritized. 3. Confront heroin addiction. Bipartisan support for stopping this scourge is strong, as evidenced by several smart laws the Wisconsin Legislature has adopted in recent years. This includes stricter monitoring of pain medications, better data to improve deterrents, and wider availability of a drug that counteracts overdoses. 4. Overhaul the criminal justice system. Ryan seems especially interested in this goal as a way to reduce poverty. He and the president have expressed support for flexibility on sentencing nonviolent drug offenders, and doing a better job of reintegrating inmates back into society, including federal help in finding work. Obama has less than a year remaining in the White House. But thats enough time to get these four goals done. Boy Thunder's secret identity will be revealed in January's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11 - but who is he? Boy Thunder is secretly "someone DC fans have known for decades" - but who? Happy Meal Books project wins award The awards honours outstanding achievements in the field of public relations and communications. Communication Director magazine, a Europe-focused magazine for corporate communications, public relations and public affairs, has celebrated the achievements of communications professionals for the past nine years, said a media release. As these sectors have witnessed rapid development globally in recent years, the magazine has taken the Excellence Awards beyond its European base, introducing it to Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Africa and North America for communications campaigns executed during 2015. The award will be conferred to Arcos Dorados in April in a ceremony that will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the company will have the opportunity to share the details of the campaign among a prestigious group of professionals and communications experts. Arcos Dorados, the largest McDonalds franchisee in the world operating the brand in Latin America and the Caribbean, launched a long-term project to impact children across 20 countries, and contribute to this new generations educational development. The aim is to stimulate their reading habits through different channels, so that the reading experience transcends the restaurants, gets shared with their family and social circles, and extends to every aspect of their lives. In Trinidad children enjoyed the Happy Meal Books campaign with four original, fulllength books featuring McDonalds Happy Meal characters including Paddington, Clark the Shark, Pete the Cat, and Happy Valentines Day, Mouse! all very recognisable, with an appeal to both girls and boys across the broad Happy Meal age range. For the January 26 launch event, at which the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) was a partner, local icons Jason JW Williams and Kimberly Farrah Singh made a special appearance for an in-store reading session at the Cipriani Boulevard outlet with children from various schools. The winners of the past six state Supreme Court races have at least one thing in common: Each received the most support of independent groups, including unregulated spending on thinly veiled campaign commercials known as issue ads. In particular, conservative groups have spent heavily two dollars for every one spent by liberal groups in recent years to help produce a right-of-center majority on Wisconsins highest court. Overall, outside interest groups have spent an estimated $13.2 million on issue ads alone since 2007 on behalf of Supreme Court candidates, according to data compiled by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Such dark money ads are contentious because their funders arent required to be identified. And while they purport to be about policy issues rather than a particular candidate, such ads rarely surface outside of an election and are intended to influence the election. Interest groups and observers say the millions of dollars typically spent on Supreme Court candidates likely will continue this spring as Justice Rebecca Bradley, appointed to the states highest court by Gov. Scott Walker on Oct. 9, seeks to keep her seat. She is being challenged by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joe Donald and Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg. The three will face each other in the Feb. 16 primary, with the two prevailing candidates squaring off in the general election April 5. The largest and most influential player in court races in recent years is the states business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. It has spent nearly $6 million on issue advertising for conservative-leaning candidates in the past six Supreme Court races and will likely spend high again. We fully expect to be involved in the same type of issue advocacy that weve done on issues surrounding the Supreme Court and the judiciary, said WMC lobbyist Scott Manley. He declined to provide details or expected spending amounts, though he added we do expect to be involved at the same level (as) in the past. Manley wouldnt say which candidate WMC was leaning toward, but in a September column on the groups website promoting Bradley, WMC spokesman Jim Pugh called her a judicial traditionalist and described Kloppenburg as a Madison liberal judge and Donald as a Milwaukee County liberal judge. The Greater Wisconsin Committee, which supports liberals, has spent around $4 million on candidates who won two of the six races. Officials with the group did not return calls seeking comment. In 2011, the group spent $1.6 million on behalf of Kloppenburg, according to Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates, on ads against her opponent Justice David Prosser who won that race. Prosser was the beneficiary of $1.1 million spent by WMC and $520,000 spent by the Wisconsin Club for Growth. Citizens for a Strong America, an arm of Club for Growth, also spent $985,000 on advertising and other efforts to support Prosser or attack Kloppenburg. The third-highest spending group in the past six Supreme Court races was the Wisconsin Club for Growth, dispensing $1.8 million since 2007. Overall, conservative candidates receive more support from more groups than liberals. Since 2007, eight conservative-backing interest groups have spent $8.9 million on Supreme Court candidates, while two liberal backing groups have spent $4.3 million. Influence on candidates While outside spending is part of the formula for a successful candidate, those in this years race were reluctant to endorse it or address whether they could be successful without it. Donald said his decision to run was pushed by his belief that the citizens of this state truly want an independent, nonpartisan justice but said he realizes the spending is a reality. Thats one of the things that concerns me if candidates are truly independent, he said. (Voters) want you to be beholden to the law and the constitution and not to politics, not to politicians, not to special interest groups. I believe my candidacy will send a message. Its not like I was this hand-picked or created candidate. Ive been a judge for 20 years and I decided to step up and say, Look, Im going to run for our state Supreme Court. Bradley declined to be interviewed for this story. A campaign spokeswoman said it would be improper to comment on any spending outside groups may do in order to take part in the spring election because the campaign is not coordinating with any outside groups. Justice Bradley intends to continue running a positive campaign focused on her experience, judicial philosophy and service to the people of Wisconsin, and she encourages all other candidates and outside groups to do the same, Bradley spokeswoman Madison Wiberg said. Kloppenburg said theres no question that large amounts of money from unregulated special interests that dont have to disclose their donors threatens to undermine peoples confidence in the court. She said shes running for the court a second time because Wisconsin residents want the court to act as an independent check and balance on the other branches of government. We dont control that we cant control that, Kloppenburg said about the prospect of ads purchased on her behalf by special interest groups. The special interests dont and cant define me. Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said spending will ramp up after the primary. I imagine the huge spenders like WMC will be holding their fire (until then), he said. Rothschild said you can bet Bradley will receive backing from WMC and the Wisconsin Club for Growth but wasnt sure which liberal-leaning candidate would draw the most support from groups looking to spend to promote liberal interests. He said spending on Bradleys behalf will be substantial from groups that have seen cases go before the court. They appreciate the return on their investment, when they are able to essentially purchase a seat on the state Supreme Court, he said. (The court has) ruled almost universally in favor of WMC and got the John Doe off their backs. Last year, the court ruled 4-2 to end a second secret criminal probe, known as a John Doe, of coordination involving Walker and his gubernatorial campaign with independent groups. Walker was never charged. Wisconsin Club for Growth, Citizens for a Strong America and WMC spent millions to support the candidacies of Justices David Prosser, Pat Roggensack, Annette Ziegler and Michael Gableman over the past seven years. WMC also helped write the controversial recusal rules under which justices and other Wisconsin judges decide whether to sit on a case. Those rules, adopted on a 4-3 vote, state that judges cannot be forced off a case based solely on their acceptance of legal campaign contributions or independent efforts done on their behalf. The court in July also ruled there is a First Amendment right to such coordination that prompted the John Doe investigation. The courts ruling cleared the way for candidates to coordinate with issue advocacy groups if they choose. Rebecca Bradley has had the backing of such independent issue advocacy groups. Wisconsin Club for Growth, a group that supported Walker and was investigated as part of the John Doe probe, spent $167,000 in Bradleys race to retain her seat on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2013. But Rick Esenberg, president and general counsel at the conservative legal group Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said its not just a conservative issue groups on both sides spend in order to promote ideologies, and the major players have become the mechanism to do so. The Greater Wisconsin Committee and WMC have become the vehicles to which a lot of this spending is done, Esenberg said. People are giving them money in order to spend money on Supreme Court races. Scott Greytak, senior policy counsel for the judicial election-tracking group Justice At Stake, said Wisconsin is the textbook example of a court that has fallen prey to special interest influence and special interest spending. He said Wisconsin mirrors national trends in judicial election spending in that business groups, like WMC, battle against groups representing trial attorneys or labor unions. Greytak said the states recusal rules have contributed to a loss of trust in the integrity of the court system. All four justices had benefitted from spending from outside groups and sided with the majority in the decision to drop the John Doe case talk about a hit on public confidence, he said. Esenberg said Supreme Court races became salient about 10 years ago, after the court made key decisions that set policy. Whether you like what they did or disliked what they did, they were significant decisions that appear to have represented a departure from past practice, Esenberg said. That had a significant policy impact, and when courts do that, people become very interested. There Were Rules on Handling Asbestos. They Were Ignored A bill that would ban so-called "sanctuary cities" for immigrants living in the country illegally passed Tuesday in the State Assembly 62-35. It withholds state funding from municipalities that enact ordinances, resolutions or policies that prohibit employees from inquiring about someone's citizenship status or not cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Madison city officials are among the bill's opponents. Mayor Paul Soglin, Council President Pro Tem Maurice Cheeks and Police Chief Mike Koval told lawmakers in a letter last month that the measure would not affect any existing city policies but could have a "chilling effect" on community relations, particularly with the city's immigrants. "We urge you not to thrust our local police departments into the eye of the immigration storm," Soglin, Cheeks and Koval wrote. "Madison police will not use their lawful authority to patrol our streets or walk our neighborhoods engaging in pretextual stops for the purpose of targeting individuals for deportation." Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, drafted the bill in response to an incident in San Francisco in which a woman was fatally shot by a man who had been deported several times and who had been released by the San Francisco County sheriff's office despite a request by federal immigration authorities to detain him. Critics said the bill sends the wrong message to immigrant communities, will clog up the local court system and could level huge funding cuts to local governments. "This bill attacks the spirit of the Statue of Liberty," said Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, on the floor Tuesday. "We're talking about mothers, we're talking about sons, brothers and sisters, and families who want a better life." Rep. Bob Kulp, R-Stratford, said the bill has been portrayed to the public inaccurately. He said "fear has been perpetrated in part, in some small part and maybe some large part, by inaccurate statements" about what bill does. Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee, who is Hispanic, took issue with Republicans' arguments that the bill has a narrow focus and has minimal impact. Zamarripa said the bill sends a negative message to Hispanic residents, the fastest-growing population in the state. Madison and Dane County have policies in place that prevent them from detaining people after local warrants expire. An amendment to the bill makes it apply to people charged with a crime, not those who have only been arrested or detained. The Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform recommended adoption of the Senate version of the bill 3-2, but it has not been scheduled for a vote in that chamber. (Newser) Louisiana's Daily Advertiser has a fascinating profile of Wren Thomas, who spent 18 days as the prisoner of crack-smoking, Dolly Parton-loving Nigerian pirates. Or as the paper calls it: "one of the world's most mind-blowing stories." While Wren was working an offshore oil job in Nigeria in 2013, his company was threatened by people angry that local villagers hadn't been given jobs. Wren was personally threatened with death at one point. Then early one morning a crew member woke up to tell him pirates had boarded the boat. The crew tried to hole up in the engine room, but it didn't work. They found an electric grinder and made a hole in the metal watertight door, Thomas says. Once they did that, they started firing rounds into the room from their AKs. Afraid someone would be hit by a ricocheting bullet, Thomas surrendered. While the mostly Nigerian crew was released, Thomas and his chief engineer spent the next 18 days as the pirates' prisoners. They played six or seven cell phones at once, blasting Dolly Parton and 50 Cent, while they smoked crack, smoked pot, and drank," Thomas recalls. "They told us when we first left our ship, that if anyone came looking for us, they would kill us." Thomas thought he was going to die. His company paid a ransom to the pirates, and he was released. But his ordeal didn't stop there. Once home, he suffered panic attacks and nightmares and was diagnosed with PTSD. Then Thomas met his "soulmate" and "guardian angel": a Rottweiler named Beaux. Read the full story here to find out why Thomas says the dog saved his life. (Read more pirates stories.) (Newser) The woman accusing Eliot Spitzer of assaulting her at the Plaza Hotel on Saturday is a $5,000-per-night escort, sources tell Inside Edition. She's been identified as Svetlana Travis, 25, and sources say she's the same "Svetlana Z" who wrote a Medium article in 2014 about having sex for money, to the tune of $5,000 a night. Spitzer hasn't been charged, and his alleged relationship with Travis is not clear. Sources tell the New York Daily News they were in a romantic relationship and the alleged attack happened after Spitzer got upset that Travis (original last name: Zakharova) wanted to return to her native Russia. But a woman claiming to be Travis, who responded to the Daily News' emailed inquiry, denies that she's the same person who wrote the Medium article. She also says she was the one who hurt herself by trying to cut her wrists, and that Spitzer actually stopped her: "If I didnt say Eliot started (it) all, I think I would be hospitalized in some mental home for a few months. I made up the story in order to not be hospitalized," she wrote, though she would not provide a photo to verify she is in fact Travis. Spitzer's lawyers acknowledge he knew Travis and even that he saw her Saturday, but say he did not hurt her, and they tell the New York Times she has apologized for fabricating the story and has flown back to Russia. (Read more Eliot Spitzer stories.) (Newser) The United States and Cuba signed a deal Tuesday restoring commercial air traffic for the first time in five decades, allowing dozens of new daily flights to bring hundreds of thousands more American travelers a year to the island as early as this fall, the AP reports. Immediately after the signing, the US Department of Transportation opened bidding by American air carriers on as many as 110 US-Cuba flights a daymore than five times the current number. All flights operating between the two countries today are charters. Barring other major announcements, the restart of commercial flights will be the most significant development in US-Cuba trade since President Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced in late 2014 that they would begin normalizing ties after a half-century of Cold War opposition. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the US," US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said after he and Cuban Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in a ceremony at Havana's Hotel Nacional. "It represents a critically important milestone in the US effort to engage with Cuba." The US Department of Transportation expects to award the new routes by the summer. The winning airlines then must negotiate their own deals with Cuba. Foxx said he believes Cuba is eager to restore commercial air service as quickly as possible. US visitors to Cuba will still have to qualify under one of the travel categories legally authorized by the US government. Tourism is still barred by law, but the number of legal reasons to go to Cuba has grown so large and is so loosely enforced that the distinction from tourism has blurred significantly. (Read more Cuba stories.) (Newser) A tip from the NYPD: "Don't put your cellphone under a pillow when sleeping or when charging your device"unless you want to set your head on fire. Deputy Inspector Wilson Aramboles of the NYPD's 33rd Precinct shared that message on Twitter on Monday alongside photos of a charred phone, battery, and pillow. It isn't clear if the photos are tied to a recent accident or an old one; Gothamist reports they might be from a 2014 incident in which a Texas teen's Samsung Galaxy S4 started a fire under her pillow. Either way, they "really do drive home the point," notes the San Francisco Chronicle. Cell phones need room to breathe, especially as they heat up while charging. While keeping a hot phone away from flammable materials like a pillow might seem like a no-brainer, some people choose to sleep with their phones nearby and rely on features like vibrating alarms. "It is recommended that you leave these types of devices on a hard surface so the heat can dissipate. The batteries heat up, they could meltin some cases, explodeand cause a fire," a fire chief told NBC Connecticut last May after a teen's phone set fire to his bed. (An exploding cell phone actually killed a man in China.) (Newser) Countries including Taiwan and Japan are speaking out against China after the country apparently deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to a contested island in the South China Sea. Satellite images taken Sunday, first published by Fox News, appear to show two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system on Woody Island. China's foreign minister didn't confirm or deny the deployment but described the "self-defense facilities" on islands in the South China Sea as "limited and necessary" and "consistent with the self-defense and self-preservation China is entitled to under international law." US officials and Taiwan, which claims Woody Island as its own Phu Lam Island, later confirmed the deployment, per the Guardian and CNN. The images appear to show an HQ-9 air defense system with a range of 125 miles. But that doesn't seem to have fazed President Obama, even after China's frosty reception to a US flyover of a man-made island in December. "The US will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows," Obama said Tuesday at a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "We will support the right of other countries to do the same." Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen tells Reuters that tensions have been raised in the region and "we urge all parties to work on the situation." A rep for Japan's foreign ministry adds moves like China's raise "serious concerns" and "cannot be accepted." (China is building an airstrip on another island.) (Newser) A Florida family has lost a child to cancer triggered by a rare genetic mutation, all the more tragic because it's the third time in six years this has happened to the Madings. Ten-year-old Isabella died this month at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh of brain cancer that was set off by something called Lynch syndrome, reports the Naples Daily News. Isabella's brother, Cody, died in 2010 at age 17 and her sister Averi died in 2013, also at age 17. "I am sick of it," says mother Erin Mading, per Fox6. "I am sick of it for my kids. I am sick of it for every person out there." The Mading children inherited the genetic mutation from their parents, one that Erin Mading and her husband had no idea they were passing along at the time, explains WTAE in a previous story on the family's plight. Lynch syndrome increases the risk of brain and colorectal cancers in particular, and Isabella was diagnosed at age 7. "This last year of her life, she just flourished," says her mom. "She was the social butterfly of our street." And had she beaten her cancer, Isabella knew exactly what she wanted to be when she got older: a nurse. "She grew up in a hospital with her brother and her sister," says Erin Mading. "She had a wisdom beyond her years." The family is from Bonita Springs, Fla., but they moved to Pittsburgh to make it easier for Isabella to receive a new type of infusion treatment. The Madings have two more daughters, ages 15 and 20, and one has tested negative while the other opted not to be tested. (Another genetic mutation seems to plague just one family.) (Newser) The night before her wedding ceremony in Walnut Grove, Calif., Durga Moparti's father danced. What followed the next day "seems like a total mystery," the 29-year-old tells Fox40. Prasad Moparti apparently told a relative he was going for a brief walk. The 55-year-old wandered off around 4pm Saturday and never returned to Grand Island Mansion, where the reception had been held. Family members and friends spread fliers over the past few days, while local police and the Coast Guard searched along the shore and the California Highway Patrol looked for clues from the air, all to no avail. On Tuesday, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department called off the search, reports the Sacramento Bee. A sheriff's rep says there is no sign of "suspicious circumstances or foul play" and that family members indicated the native of India suffered from depression. Although Prasad was considered to be missing of his own accord, "all resources were utilized" to look for him, per a sheriff's department statement, because of his possible mental health issues and the fact he wasn't familiar with the area. Durga says her dadwho she thinks possibly tripped or fell unconsciousdoesn't have his passport or cash on him. The only sign of discontent she had noticed: his idleness since coming to the States about a month prior. "He was a workaholic back in India and was managing several projects," she says, per the Bee. "He was bored." (This father of the bride went missing after his tux fitting.) (Newser) Saturday is Democratic caucus day in Nevada, and it should be a nail-biter: The latest CNN/ORC poll finds that 48% of likely attendees back Hillary Clinton and 47% support Bernie Sanders. Clinton is doing better with women while Sanders is doing better with young people, but both white and non-white voters are split fairly evenly between the two. The economy is seen as the top issue, and 48% trust Clinton to handle it while 47% say Sanders would do a better job. Sanders' supporters, however, weren't quite as certain as Clinton's supporters that they would actually participate on Saturday. Nevada's Republican caucuses will be held Tuesday, and the poll finds that Donald Trump has 45% support, followed by Marco Rubio with 19% and Ted Cruz with 17%. Recent polling for South Carolina's primaries, also held this coming Saturday and the following Saturday, show Trump and Clinton both holding solid leads. Looking ahead to the general election, a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll finds that in hypothetical matchups with Trump, Cruz, Rubio, and John Kasich, Sanders does slightly better than Clintonbut out of all of those hypothetical matchups, the only one a Democratic nominee managed to win was Sanders vs. Cruz. Nationally, that poll finds Clinton has 50% support of likely Democratic voters to Sanders' 40%, and Trump has 35% support on the Republican side to Cruz's 20% and Rubio's 17%. (Read more Election 2016 stories.) (Newser) Saved by the Bell fans, you may want to plan a trip to Chicago in June. During that month only, a pop-up diner called "Saved by the Max" will be open in Wicker Park, the Drinks Business blog reports. The Max, for those not in the know, was the restaurant frequented by the teen characters on the show. According to the Saved by the Max Facebook page, the pop-up diner will be a replica of The Max and will serve food and drinks, including cocktails, inspired by the showsuch as the "Preppy BLT" and the "Lisa Turtle Milkshake." There will also be Saved by the Bell-themed fun, including karaoke, trivia contests, dance parties, costume contests, and a Zack Attack cover band. (The Saved by the Bell cast recently staged a reunion skit.) (Newser) Smoking kills more people than Obama, although he kills lots and lots of people. Don't smoke; don't be like Obama." So reads a new anti-smoking ad spotted on a bus stop in Moscow, the Guardian reports. Dmitry Gudkov, a liberal member of Russia's parliament, spotted the poster, which features a picture of President Obama smoking, and posted it to Facebook on Tuesday. He calls the ad "disgusting and embarrassing." According to Newsweek, the ad will be removed, as it wasn't "legitimate" and was glued over another ad. But Gudkov's photo of it has already gone viral online, UPI reports. So far, no one has come forward to take credit for the ad. Gudkov claims Obama is close to replacing folk-tale witch Baba Yaga as the official scarer of Russian children. For example, a video posted online last week showed Russian students falling down while claiming Obama kills 875 people per week. Earlier that same week, Russian students created a video telling the UN that Obama needs to be "punished for thousands of lost lives." And yet another video this month, this one projected onto the sides of buildings in Moscow, shows a devil-horned Obama eating Ukraine, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria while blaming him for 56,000 deaths in those countries. Obama said in 2009 that he quit smoking for Michelle but occasionally relapsed. (Read more Barack Obama stories.) The Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill that would require school districts to track the number and type of crimes committed at high schools, at their events and on school buses would be printed on the state's school report cards. Any public high school, public charter high school or private voucher high school would be required to track reports of criminal activity beginning in the 2017-18 school year and submit the data to the state Department of Public Instruction annually under the bill authored by Rep. John Jagler, R-Watertown. State report cards would list the total number of incidents per 100 students reported by the school or school district, the average total number of incidents per 100 students reported statewide, the total number of violent incidents per 100 students and the associated statewide average. Currently, state report cards include information about student academics, such as averages of students' scores on standardized tests by subject matter, graduation rates, and attendance and truancy rates, and the percentage of students taking standardized tests. (Newser) South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Marco Rubio ahead of Saturday's first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary, the AP reports. A person close to the Republican governor with direct knowledge of her decision says she will endorse Rubio at his event Wednesday night in Lexington County. Haley's endorsement was considered the most coveted among South Carolina politicians. She joins Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy in endorsing Rubio, who was in third place in recent polling in the state. (Here's how things are shaping up in Nevada.) Turkey has asked its allies for support in a joint ground operation in Syria as pro-government forces, backed by Russia airstrikes, continue to advance near the Turkish border. According to a Turkish official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with reporters in Istanbul, it would be "impossible to stop the fighting in Syria" if there is no ground operation. "We want a ground operation. If there is a consensus, Turkey will take part. Without a ground operation it is impossible to stop this war," the official said reported by Reuters. "Turkey is not going to have a unilateral ground operation ... We are discussing this with allies." Over the past few weeks, government forces with the support of its allies have been on the offensive to take back rebel-controlled areas in the city of Aleppo and other regions in northern Syria. The advances have brought the forces within 15 miles of Turkey, increasing tensions between Turkey and Russia. Turkey has accused Russia of an "obvious war crime" for providing airstrikes that have killed dozens of civilians. Turkey made its comment after the recent attacks in Azaz and the Idlib province on two hospitals and a school. Russia has denied allegations that they were responsible for the missiles that hit a hospital. "We categorically do not accept such statements, the more so as every time those making these statements are unable to prove their unfounded accusations in any way," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Our relations (with Turkey) are in a deep crisis. Russia regrets this. We are not the initiators of this." Turkey has also been feeling pressure from Kurdish fighters, who the country sees as hostile insurgents. To prevent the fighters from advancing closer to the border, Turkey has been carrying out cross-border airstrikes. The country has also warned the Kurdish YPG militia of a "harsh response" if they do not retreat, VOA News reported. Turkey believes the militia is getting support from Moscow. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has threatened to sue opponent Ted Cruz if he does not take down his campaign attack ad. "I'm thinking about it very seriously," Trump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" about a potential lawsuit. "I've never dealt with anybody who lies like him. ...I think he's a very unstable person. I have never had somebody take something you believe in and say the exact opposite." According to Trump's initial press release, the lawsuit would be over Cruz' eligibility to run for president since he was born in Canada. He said, "One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President. If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC (Republican National Committee) should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me." Trump clarified his positions on numerous topics in the release. He reiterated that contrary to everything Cruz said, he would not appoint a liberal judge, he is pro-life, he is not in favor of ObamaCare, and he is a supporter of the NRA (National Rifle Association) and will not be taking away Americans' right to bear arms. Trump ended the release by declaring his superiority over the other candidates. He said, "I am the strongest on the borders and I will build a wall, and it will be a real wall. I am strongest on illegal immigration, strongest on ISIS, strongest on the military and I will take care of our Vets. I will end common core and preserve the second amendment. I will renegotiate our trade deals and bring our jobs back to our country. I am the only person who will Make America Great Again." Trump's statement comes after a dominating win in the New Hampshire primary and right before the South Carolina primary, which will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20. Four Americans including members of international media were detained in Bahrain for allegedly participating in illegal anti-government activities and for using falsified documents in entering the country according to official Bahraini police statement. One of the journalists arrested was media freelancer Anna Therese Day who previously did freelance work for various news outfits like CNN, New York Times, Al Jazeera, and CBS. "Anna and her crew are committed journalists who only want to ensure they could undertake their profession ethically and thoroughly. The allegation that they were ...involved in illegal behavior...is impossible. Anna Day is much loved and missed and we are concerned about her well-being as well as that of her three American colleagues," an official statement calling for the detained Americans' release as quoted by CNN. The US State Department is already aware of the situation but refused to comment for privacy concerns. The Bahraini security forces, however, firmly asserted that the four-man crew colluded with anti-government protesters in staging attacks on security personnel. "One of them was masked and taking part with a group of saboteurs in Sitra in acts of rioting and sabotage and attacks on security officials. The other three were arrested at a security checkpoint in the same area," the Bahraini police explained as mentioned in a report by The Guardian. Bahrain is an island-kingdom populated by Shiite majority- with alleged links to neighboring Iran- but ruled by Sunni-led monarchy. The Royal Family has been on constant vigilance since the 2011 protests which prompted the country's ruling Sunni minority to request help from fellow Gulf nations Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to avert any alleged Iran-inspired plot to overthrow the incumbent government. The protests were part of the larger Arab Spring pro-democracy movement that rippled across the Middle East in the past five years. "It is sad that the fifth anniversary of the protests is marked by the arrest of yet more journalists in Bahrain, which has since become one of the worst jailers of journalists in the Arab world," remarked Sherif Mansour of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists in a news story by ABC News. The multi-sided Syrian civil war has been fought across fragile and often confusing alliances involving government forces, rebels, and interested external parties. Last week, the Turkish military has been pounding areas purportedly under the control of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) through its armed wing the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria's North- a Syrian Kurdish rebel outfit with links to Turkey's homegrown rebel group Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). The complexity of the matter is that Turkey's enemies happen to be a US ally in an ongoing effort to militarily unseat Assad and fend off extremist elements that joined the fray. "The PKK is carrying out ethnic cleansing in northern Syria through its offshoot there, the PYD. The group has been doing this with the support of Russia. The PYD goes to territories where there is no or a small Kurdish population, and works to deport non-Kurdish ethnic population out of these areas," remarked Turkish MP Yasin Aktay in an interview with Al Jazeera. The accusation came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized America's coddling of Turkey's Kurdish enemies in US-led effort in Syria. Recently, Russia announced its support for enlarging Kurdish participation in Syria negotiations, a move vehemently opposed by Ankara. "At the end of the day, an ethnic group [the Kurds] which has a minor population in Syria is trying to take over a very large part of the country," Aktay added in a report by Newsweek. Aktay also noted that if PYD will be allowed to have its way, the Kurdish rebel group would be able to create a "corridor along the Syria-Turkey border" which Turkey deems intolerable as it threatens to upset the latter's national security. "If this humanitarian corridor was blocked, which PYD seeks to achieve, people cannot go on with their lives in Aleppo and they will try to take refuge in Turkey, fleeing ethnic cleansing. They are trying to create a corridor through the Syria-Turkey border. This creates an obvious security risk for our country," Aktay further explained as quoted by New Europe. Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, has responded to President Barack Obama's Tuesday night prediction that he "will not be president." Trump, who is known for his outlandish comments, directly responded to the President during his rally at Beaufort, South Carolina by stating, "You're lucky I didn't run last time when [Mitt] Romney ran because you would have been a one-term president." The real estate mogul also attacked the work that President Obama has done during his two terms. "He has done such a lousy job as president," Trump said. "You look at our budgets. You look at our spending. We can't beat ISIS. Obamacare is terrible. We're going to terminate it. We're going to absolutely terminate and replace it. I mean you look at everything. Our borders are like Swiss cheese." Trump's insults did not end with the rally. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "Interesting how President Obama so haltingly said I "would never be president" - This from perhaps the worst president in U.S. history!" Obama had said during his press conference, "I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president and the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people. Being president is a serious job. It's not hosting a talk show, or a reality show. The American people are pretty sensible, and I think they'll make a sensible choice in the end." Obama is not the only president that Trump believes has done a bad job. Trump previously blasted George W. Bush for starting the mess in the Middle East. Trump has also being busy attacking FOX News via Twitter. He called the news outlet "so biased it is disgusting." Lindsey Graham, the senator of South Carolina, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race, had gone on FOX News to say that Trump will lose against Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed the country's desire for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union. "Germany will make its contribution so that a result that satisfies everyone can be achieved, if possible already at the summit beginning tomorrow," Merkel said. "I am convinced that is in our national interest for Great Britain to remain an active member in a strong and successful European Union." The EU summit, taking place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, will be focused on keeping Britain as a member of the 28-nation EU, which will require the members to agree on Britain's reform measures for the EU. Merkel, who argued that British Prime Minister David Cameron's demands are reasonable, expressed hope that an agreement will be reached. "Cameron's demands are far from being demands that are just for Britain. They are also European demands and many of them are justified and necessary," she said and added, "Europe needs Great Britain's foreign and security policy commitment to assert our values and interests in the world." Merkel also spoke about the migrant crisis, urging countries to work with Turkey, who has taken in millions of refugees over the past few years. Merkel said that instead of trying to enforce quotas on the number of migrants allowed into a certain country, the EU should be more focused on helping Turkey stem the flow of refugees who reach Greece via the Aegean Sea. "Our common goal is to drastically and lastingly reduce the number of refugees so as to better help those people who really need our assistance," she said. "We as the European Union must learn to protect maritime borders. If we don't learn, we won't succeed next time with Italy, across the sea from Libya." The international community should also work harder to help improve the lives of the migrants who are living in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Snow during the morning will give way to lingering snow showers during the afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.. Tonight A few snow showers scattered about the area in the evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%. New Delhi : The Union Cabinet today recommended revocation of Presidents Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, a day after the Supreme Court refused to restrain the Governor from swearing in a new government in the state. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommended to the President to revoke central rule imposed on January 26. On Monday, 31 MLAs, led by Congress dissident Kalikho Pul, called on the Governor to stake claim for forming the next government in the politically fragile state. He was accompanied by 19 rebel Congress MLAs along with 11 BJP legislators and two independent members. This led the Congress to move the Supreme Court seeking an order that no new government formation be permitted and status quo maintained. However, the apex court refused to pass an interim order restraining the Governor from swearing in a new government in Arunachal Pradesh. The revolt by Congress dissidents led by Pul led to a political crisis in the state that finally led to imposition of Presidents Rule on January 26. Former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki reportedly has the support of 26 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. Congress, which had 47 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled. Eleven BJP MLAs and two independents backed the rebels in the bid to upstage the government. Later, 14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker. The Supreme Court, which is considering pleas against imposition of Presidents rule in Arunachal Pradesh, is hearing petitions seeking examination of constitutional schemes on the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The state Senate wont take up a bill making fraud against the states job-creation agency a felony, the chambers top Republican said Tuesday night after the Assembly passed the measure on a voice vote with little discussion. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said he wont schedule the bill if it doesnt have the support of Senate Economic Development and Commerce Committee chairman Sen. Rick Gudex, R-Fond du Lac. Gudex hasnt scheduled a hearing on the bill and his spokesman said Monday he shares concerns raised by the Wisconsin Economic Development Association that the bill could discourage legitimate businesses from applying for WEDC awards for fear of being punished for unintentionally misleading the agency. The Wisconsin State Journal reported in May that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. had given a $500,000 loan to a struggling Milwaukee construction company in 2011 without a thorough review and at the urging of Gov. Scott Walkers top aides. The company had been sued three times in the previous five years, though claimed in its application it faced no lawsuits. The loan has not been repaid and the companys owner, who told creditors he would repay debt with the state funds, has not been charged with a crime. The case became a focal point for the bipartisan bill, which has 39 co-sponsors. It makes committing fraud against WEDC a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and five years of extended supervision and a $50,000 fine. It also makes those convicted of fraud against WEDC ineligible for state economic assistance for seven years. Walker has voiced support for the bill. Amendment offered Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, offered an amendment Tuesday that would have required WEDC staff to report suspected fraud to the attorney general or local district attorney. It would have been retroactive to WEDCs creation in 2011, covering the period when the agency loaned $500,000 to Building Committee Inc. Several months after issuing the loan, WEDC officials learned from a luxury car leasing company the companys owner, William Minahan, had promised to repay debt with state funds. When the staff over at the WEDC found out that Bill Minahan wanted money from the taxpayers of Wisconsin in order to pay off his Maserati, then maybe somebody should have picked up the phone and called the district attorney, Barca said. But nobody did that. New Delhi : Telangana Police in co-ordination with their Odisha counterparts on Wednesday arrested 4 SIMI terrorists from the town of Rourkela. According to reports, those nabbed are members of banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which reportedly works in tandem with terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. Police also informed that all the four accused are said to be between 20 to 30 years of age. These terrorists were lodged in Madhya Pradeshs Khandwa jail till the past year but in August they fled the jail after prison break. From the hiding spot, the security forces also found five country made revolvers and explosives. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The arrest of JNU's student union President and activist Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges begets criticism and uproar in equal measure to the country. This can be seen as a litmus test for the current BJP government when it comes to freedom of speech. It has not only embarked on heated political debates but also has concerned the foreign media. Journalists, teachers and students shouted slogans during protests at JNU against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, denouncing violence by Hindu nationalists. Activist Kanhaiya Kumar is accused of shouting anti-national slogans at a demonstration at Jawaharlal Nehru University. This uproar is also being talked about and covered by the foreign media. Some of the leading newspapers have given immense attention to what happened in JNU. Washington Post has emphasised the students stance which is against government but not nation. It also drew a comparison of how the the country is divisive on what should be called freedom of speech and what is sedition? This has actually triggered an intensive debate on democracy, treason and campus activism. Their reportage of JNU row shows how the arrest of a University student on sedition charges has snowballed into a stiff standoff between Indian government and a prestigious university. The Telegraph of UK has enlisted the Universities that come together to condemn the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, terming it illegal. A joint statement has been signed by academics from Oxford and London School of Economics to free Kumar. It has also highlighted in its reports how Indian prime minister Narendra Modis BJP party was accused of stoking intolerance and stifling freedom of expression. On the other hand, Wall Street Journal reports the JNU row in the light of free speech debate that has been sparked again by Kumars arrest. The Guardian of UK has reported how the massive protests have paralised the University and once again sparked the intolerance debate in the country. The newspaper has extensively reported on how the current government has repeatedly been accused of seeking to repress free speech and of encouraging extremist nationalists who systematically intimidate critics. Not only in India but the foreign media is actively keeping an eye on the JNU row in the national capital. This issue is being dragged from court rooms to news rooms to social media. The fight for freedom of speech and expression is not constrained to the university campus. It became a national concern the day when outside a Delhi court room several dozen lawyers and BJP supporters attacked students and reporters. The Supreme Court will today hear a plea in connection with the thrashing of journalists, students and teachers by lawyers in the city court and seeking a fair trial free from fear of violence and prejudice for JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar. This has also raised the question if the protesting students can be termed anti-national by journalists hosting debates and shows on television. How fair is it for the journos to call the people seditious or anti-national? As this strongly turns our heads towards the ethics of journalism. When media is representing itself as the voice of the nation, it should better be careful with words. Felicity with which the stories are treated, issues are being discussed in the news rooms and how it reaches the general public matters a lot. Here is how the nation reacted to JNU row: Where'd you find students& teachers, ex&present from diff parties&ideologies unite to defend idea of a Univ? Saw this at #JNU today. Moving! Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) February 13, 2016 #ShutDownJNU & Kanhaiya Kumar arrest is wildly disproportionate. His video does not show him threatening India at all! Facts before arrests? Shoma Chaudhury (@ShomaChaudhury) February 13, 2016 #JNUCrackdown RG' choices: hide rather than stand with Nirbhaya rape student protestors but run to incite anti-national sentiments. Shalini Singh (@shaliniscribe) February 14, 2016 Dont #ShutDownJNU. JNU a quality institute, produces lots of good people & research. Find a way2 shut down Sharia-Bolshevik mafia in #JNU Abhinav Prakash (@Abhina_Prakash) February 10, 2016 #SaffronEmergency BJP MP with lawyers, goons attack students, teachers, journalists in court! Fascism at its worst!https://t.co/BOfPhBYJM6 Vinod Mehta (@DrunkVinodMehta) February 15, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : In open defiance of the Supreme Court order, the group of lawyers which assaulted journalists on Monday, again attacked mediapersons and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House Court. Reacting to the events, the apex court rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation in the court, hours after it had issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court in the wake of Mondays violence. We are concerned about the law and order situation, a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh informed the court about the fresh violence including the assault on Kumar when he was brought for remand proceedings. Chanting slogans like Vande Mataram and waving the tri-colour, the lawyers including Vikram Chauhan and some others who who had allegedly attacked the journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the court two days back, today came in a march to the court complex. They managed to enter the court complex despite heavy police presence and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. Police looked the other way, the journalists alleged. One of the journalists, identified as Anwar of news channel CNN IBN, said despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the police presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. Soon after the fresh assault, lawyers made a mention of the incidents before a Supreme Court bench which asked the counsel of Delhi Police to find out the situation at Patiala House Court and get back to it in ten minutes. The court also also said it may appoint local commissioner to take stock of the situation. The apex court asks counsel to tell Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. The court was also informed by senior advocate Indira Jaising that Kanhaiya has been attacked in the court premises when he was brought for remand proceedings. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Los Angeles: Disneys The Jungle Book, featuring Indian child star Neel Sethi as Mowgli, will hit the Indian theatres on April 8, a week before its release in the US. The live-action movie has an impressive list of voice stars in Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Christopher Walken, said a release here. Based on Rudyard Kiplings India-set adventure stories and inspired by Disneys animated adaptation of the same name, the beloved story revolves around Mowgli, a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when hes forced to abandon the only home hes ever known. Tales of The Jungle Book have been an intrinsic part of most of our growing up years. Adventurous stories of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa and Shere Khan are so beloved by the Indian audience. We are thrilled to confirm that Disneys all-new live-action epic, The Jungle Book, will be out in Indian theatres a week prior to the US release. We have a few more surprises in store for The Jungle Book fans in India, Amrita Pandey - Vice President, Studios, Disney India, said. Favreau has seamlessly blended live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. Kolkata: A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in Jadavpur University (JU), posters demanding freedom for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were found in the campus. Hum kya chahe - Azadi. Kashmir ki Azadi. Manipur ki Azadi. Nagaland ki Azadi (We demand freedom. Kashmirs freedom. Manipurs freedom. Nagalands freedom), one of the posters said. All such posters were signed by a group called RADICAL. Both the student unions and authorities have distanced themselves from such posters. These are some fringe elements. I met the students union leaders in the morning and they told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans, Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised at a rally on Monday taken out by JU students to express solidarity with JNU students protesting the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Das said he saw some student union leaders also walking in the rally yesterday in which pro-Afzal slogans were raised. As a Vice Chancellor, it is my responsibility to see that the students get their right to protest, their freedom of speech and expression is protected, he said. On whether the university would make any police complaint on this issue, he said the question did not arise. In university, the police has no role. I will never call police in the campus, Das said. Students union Forum of Art Students leader Sounak Mukherjee said the majority view of the students was not reflected in the posters. We are against it, he said. In the meantime, two opposing groups of students brought out rallies in the campus. The smaller group shouted slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai and voiced their concerns against yesterdays torch rally. They shouted slogans against eulogising Afzal. As a counter to this, other students also brought out a rally. JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in the university campus recently. The arrest sparked massive outrage among students and criticism from non-BJP parties. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Superstar Salman Khan has shared a video of his rumoured girlfriend and Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vanturs reality show, which she will be hosting. The 50-year-old Bajrangi Bhaijaan star took to Twitter to post a video of the show, where Vantur is conversing in Roman language. Samajh Mein aaya (Did you understand)?, he asked his fans. Salman, who spends a lot of time at his farmhouse, said he always wanted to host a reality show on farming. The show Ive been wanting to do for longest time. Its like BiggBoss but on Farm. Kitna kuch kar sakte hai iske Sath (We can do so many things), he added. The actor was last seen hosting the ninth season of celebrity reality show Bigg Boss. New Delhi: Lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan on Wednesday once again led a group of his colleagues in unleashing a brazen attack on journalists and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Courts complex, days after they were caught on camera thrashing scribes and JNU students and teachers branding them as anti-nationals. The group led by Chauhan, the face of both the assaults, attacked journalists and Kumar, in open defiance of an order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at the court complex. Despite restrictions by the Supreme Court, the lawyers managed to enter the court complex and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. All the while, journalists alleged, police looked the other way. When contacted, Chauhan wondered why he was being targeted while those chanting anti-India slogans have been made heroes. Why are you not questioning them? he asked. These JNU people had sent their goons to the court premises today as well. They raised anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. Following that a section of the lawyers voiced opposition to their acts. We were provoked, he said. Another lawyer identified as Surendra Tyagi boasted about their action, saying we have done our job for today. Chauhan alleged that a rival group of lawyers was trying to attack him. They are trying to beat us up and we dont even respond? Police has limited its action against Chauhan to merely summoning him despite the presence of visual evidence of his involvement in assaults on Monday and today which triggered outrage and attracted widespread condemnation. When asked about police inaction, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi only said summons have been issued to three lawyers, including Chauhan. BJP MLA O P Sharma was also caught on camera beating a CPI activist on Monday but police is yet to take any action against him. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today held a 10-hour-long meeting on law and order situation in the state and instructed police to curb criminal activities and ensure expeditious investigation. Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Director General of Police P K Thakur, Principal Secretary Home Amir Subhani, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarter) Sunil Kumar and others attended the meeting, an official release said. Kumar also spoke to Superintendents of Police of all districts in the state through video conferencing and took stock of the situation. The Chief Minister sought to know from the Deputy Inspector General of Police and the SPs about crime situation at police station level and pending cases, it said. He instructed the officials to identify the roads where accidents take place frequently and plan a strategy to prevent those, the release stated. The Chief Minister ordered officials to identify police stations witnessing higher cases of crime against women and speed up the process of investigation to ensure speedy trials, it said. Kumar also asked the police officials to be prepared for imposing prohibition in the state from April 1, this year, the release stated. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Wisconsin would become the 26th state to offer online voter registration under a bill up for a public hearing Tuesday morning. Several Dane County Democrats signed on as co-sponsors to the bill late last week, but they withdrew their support Monday because of several concerns, including that it limits registration options for certain voters, such as college students, seniors and low-income people, and is moving too quickly to address problems they have raised about it. The bill would allow eligible voters with drivers licenses or state-issued IDs to register to vote on a secure website maintained by the Government Accountability Board. Voters could also update their address information on the website. The bill allows GAB and the Department of Transportation to coordinate their records for verification purposes. Currently, voters can register by mail or with a special registration deputy no later than the 20th day before an election, a time frame that the bill would also apply to online registration. Voters currently also can register with a local clerks office up until the Friday before an election and at the polls on election day. The bill also eliminates special registration deputies, who are often volunteers working with groups like the League of Women Voters and trained by a local clerks office to register members of the public to vote. Bill co-author Rep. Kathleen Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, said the online system would allow anyone with a laptop or tablet to help voters register online, but the registrant would need a valid ID. Those with other forms of proof of residence would have to register in person. The GAB would upload voter registration information into a national database, the Electronic Registration Information Center. The technology is long overdue, Bernier said. This will be a huge money saver and time saver for local governments in getting rid of as much paper as possible. Bernier said the changes likely wouldnt take effect until after the 2016 presidential election because the upfront cost of the new system isnt included in the 2015-17 budget. Debra Cronmiller, president of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said the group supports online registration but has concerns that eliminating registration deputies will make it harder to register those who cant use the online system. If youre not already registered with DOT, if you dont have a record with DMV, the online systems not going to benefit you much, Cronmiller said. Theres all sorts of new obstacles that would be created without on-the-street deputized folks. The bill would define special registration deputies as those who help on election day at polling places. Bernier said the elimination of registration deputies prior to election day would also reduce errors or fraud. This is cleaner, better, more efficient, she said. Bill co-author Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in a statement that online voter registration would reduce errors associated with paper registration, and joining the national network would protect against fraud. Wisconsins strong voter ID law has finally taken effect. We now need to take steps to strengthen the security of the voter registration process in order to prevent voter fraud, LeMahieu said. This legislation will help bring Wisconsins elections laws into the 21st century. The legislation SB 295 and AB 389 was circulated among legislators Thursday afternoon with co-sponsorship requests due back within 21 hours. It was introduced late Friday afternoon. Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said she signed on initially because of support from local clerks, but withdrew her support Monday for several reasons, including a concern that college students whose drivers license addresses dont match their campus address wouldnt be able to use it, the elimination of special registration deputies and the fast pace that the bill is moving from introduction to public hearing. Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said he initially advised supporting the bill because online voter registration is long overdue in Wisconsin. But in a later memo to Dane County legislators he and Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl suggested five changes, including ensuring that voters who move can upload an acceptable proof of residence other than a drivers license in order to use the online system. We assume students would be the primary users, McDonell said. (If they cant) thats a major problem. Reps. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, a longtime advocate for online voter registration, and Robb Kahl, D-Monona, said earlier Monday that they would remain co-sponsors, but changed their minds by later in the day after hearing from colleagues. I thought being on there would be some leverage to get changes, Berceau said. But there is absolutely no trust in my caucus of the Republicans, and eventually no one wanted to go forward with this bill when we hadnt reached agreement yet on some amendments. The bill also requires GAB to maintain electronic poll lists, allows the GAB to require a test for chief election inspectors and moves up the deadline for absentee ballots to be submitted. Currently they must be postmarked by election day and received by 4 p.m. the following Friday. Under the bill, the ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day when polls close. Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska are among the 25 states and the District of Columbia that allow online voter registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill is scheduled for a joint public hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government and Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections. The state Senate scheduled a vote for Tuesday on a bill to ease the sale of public water systems into private hands, just days after the League of Wisconsin Municipalities reversed course and pulled its support for the legislation. Late Monday, Senate leaders added Assembly Bill 554 to the agenda for Tuesdays floor session. The Legislature is considering the proposal at the request of Aqua America Inc., a Pennsylvania-based corporation that owns drinking water utilities in eight states. Lars Fiorio, a spokesman for the bills lone Senate sponsor, Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, said he wasnt aware of any Wisconsin water utilities that wanted to sell, but the legislation still had value by providing an alternative. AB 554 would make it legal for out-of-state corporations to buy a water utility. Under current law only in-state companies can do so. No Wisconsin corporations are in that business now, the Assembly lead sponsor, Rep. Tyler August, R-Geneva, has said. Wisconsin law currently mandates a vote by the public on any proposed sale. The election must be held after the state Public Service Commission sets the price and terms. Under AB 554, that vote becomes optional, being held only if residents collect enough signatures before the terms of sale are set. After Aqua America contacted the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the organization registered in favor of the bill, because the league usually supports laws that put policymaking in the control of elected officials as opposed to public referendums. But on Friday, in a rare move, the leagues board met and voted 13-0 to withdraw support. One board member cited a Wisconsin State Journal report on high costs at the states only large privately owned water utility, said league assistant director Curt Witynski, but most objections focused on the large investments of public money that have built water delivery systems. Only one of Wisconsins roughly 80 large water utilities is privately owned. Allete Inc. of Duluth, Minnesota, has owned the water system serving Superior since 1923, and its customers pay among the highest rates of the large systems, according to PSC data.The PSC allows Allete to collect from water users total annual revenue that includes a 9 percent rate of return over operating expenses, more than any of the large water systems. When the PSC sets rates for water customers in Superior, it includes the profit expectations of Alletes shareholders, PSC documents show. Milwaukee County Judge Joe Donald once supported state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, one of his rivals in this years race for the high court. Donald was listed as a reference on Bradleys application for an appointment to the court of appeals in 2015 and endorsed her in a 2013 campaign to retain her seat as a Milwaukee County judge, the political website WisPolitics first reported Friday. Donald told WisPolitics he has since been bamboozled by Bradley. I really thought she was about being a trial court judge, Donald said. It became apparent that it had nothing to do with it, that this was clearly a process to put her in place to put her on the Supreme Court. Gov. Scott Walker appointed Bradley to the Supreme Court last fall, following the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks. The appointment came after Walker in 2012 appointed her to the Milwaukee County bench, and again to the District 1 Court of Appeals in May 2015. Donald did not return a phone call seeking comment. Campaign spokesman Andy Suchorski said in an interview that Donald supplied the reference because he was essentially a supervisor of Bradley, and that his endorsement in 2013 was part of a common practice on the part of judges to support incumbents. But Bradley in an interview said Donald offered his endorsement during her circuit court race unsolicited. Hes always been supportive of my judicial career and a friend to me, Bradley said. And, to me, this sounds like his campaign talking. Donald told WisPolitics he also was a reference for Judge Timothy Dugan, who applied for the post. In that reference, Donald wrote to Walker that In your review of all the candidates I can only hope that you will arrive at the same conclusion: that Tim will make a fantastic Court of Appeals judge. In an interview with the State Journal last week, Donald emphasized his desire to be an independent candidate and not one created to support conservatives or liberals, though he has drawn broad support from Democrats. Donald was first appointed to his seat by former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson. Bradley appointed to a temporary seat on the states highest court by Walker will face Donald and State Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg in a Feb. 16 primary for a permanent seat. The top two vote-getters will face off in the general election April 5. Kloppenburg spokeswoman Melissa Mulliken said Donalds past support of Bradley and his explanation raise troubling questions. He allowed Rebecca Bradley to use his name as a reference, but when asked by the governors office he gave a better reference to another applicant for the same job? she asked. He was bamboozled into supporting Rebecca Bradley a year ago because he didnt understand who she was? Suchorski said its untrue Donald supported Bradley twice. The Kloppenburg campaign is grasping at straws here, he said. MARSHFIELD -- Brilliant flashes of autumn leaves light up the landscape and attest to the change of seasons in this central Wisconsin city. But for Jean Zimmermann and her family, time stands still. More than six months have passed since her 21-year-old daughter was killed in her Downtown apartment after walking home from a morning exam at UW-Madison. Police have yet to find her killer. "Until we have justice for Brittany, there is absolutely no healing that can start," said Zimmermann, who spoke with the State Journal last week. It was first time she's talked publicly about her daughter's death. She said she decided to speak out now in an effort to draw more attention to a reward fund she hopes will help police solve the case. Jean Zimmermann said her pain burns even hotter because she still doesn't know how her daughter died. She can't believe no one on the busy streets around her daughter's apartment saw the killer. She can't understand why no witnesses have come forward. Her grief was deepened by revelations about mistakes made by the Dane County 911 center in handling a call from her daughter's phone. Jean Zimmermann also is haunted by the last phone call she got from Brittany on the day that she died. She and her daughter were very close, sometimes talking on the phone three or four times a day. "She was truly my life," Zimmermann said. "It almost feels like it's still a nightmare. You relive it every single day." Little is released Every day, Zimmermann logs on to the Internet to read the incident reports posted by Madison police and the crime stories on Web sites of Madison newspapers and television stations. Then she e-mails the detectives working on her daughter's case to ask if they've collected potential evidence from anyone arrested. "I say, 'Do you have that DNA?'" But Zimmermann doesn't know if police have DNA of her daughter's killer to compare with possible suspects. Madison police won't say what kind of evidence they took from the West Doty Street apartment where Brittany died around midday on April 2. Investigators have released little information - even to Jean Zimmermann - because they worry that publicity could harm the investigation. That has left the Zimmermann family balancing their frustration and the faith they say they have put in the police. "We have no answers," Jean Zimmermann said. "I don't even know what happened to her." Jean Zimmermann's family, including her sister, Kim Heeg, and her mother, Jeannette Andres, also of Marshfield, say they'll do whatever they can to help catch the killer. "If it takes money, we're going to try to raise the money," Zimmermann said. Last month they were provided with $5,000 from a group that helps financially strained families of crime victims set up reward funds. Contributions from relatives and friends have boosted the fund to more than $10,000. The Zimmermanns hope to add $5,000 by Nov. 15, which would have been Brittany's 22nd birthday. Heeg recently launched her own e-mail campaign to raise an additional $2,200, through 100 donations of $22. 'Traumatic injuries' Sitting with her sister and mother in Heeg's living room, Zimmermann remembers the day in 2007 when she and other family members helped Brittany and her fiance, UW-Madison student Jordan Gonnering, clean and paint the apartment they shared at 517 W. Doty St. It was a weekday, Zimmermann said, adding, "There were so many people around." "Especially around the noon hour," Andres said. On the day Brittany died, Gonnering found her body around 1 p.m. He called police, who quickly ruled him out as a suspect. Police said a door on the outside of the building had been forced open, and the coroner reported that she died from "a complexity of traumatic injuries." A source familiar with the investigation said she had been stabbed, but police have said little else. "I don't understand it. I ask (detectives) all the time how can this possibly have happened and no one saw it?" Zimmermann said. "Why isn't anyone coming forward? Why isn't anyone willing to help us?" "I don't want to put blame on anyone," Heeg said. "It just feels like we've been so let down." 'Working hypothesis' Madison Police Central District Capt. Mary Schauf said police believe that the killer was a stranger to Brittany, and detectives "have a working hypothesis" about what led to the murder. Withholding information about the homicide enables police to sift through tips, prioritizing those in which informants provide accurate details about the crime that haven't been made public, Schauf said. "The more information that gets out on a case, the harder it is" for detectives to get what they want when interviewing potential suspects, she added. "We haven't dried up the leads or the places to look yet. The energy is still going with the case." Members of the Zimmermann family contribute as much as they can. "We hypothesize every day," said Jean Zimmermann, who calls detectives and asks, "What about this scenario?" Invariably, they tell her they've already examined the theory she is offering. "You are constantly thinking about it. It consumes your every thought, every second of every day," Zimmermann said. Until recently, she and her husband, Kevin, would not go to bed until 3 a.m. because their "minds were so busy." "She was amazing, even as a child," Zimmermann said of their daughter, who worked hard to attend UW-Madison. She was a junior majoring in medical microbiology and immunology and had plans to become a physician. "She truly was someone who wanted to help people," Zimmermann said. "She never disappointed us. She never got in trouble. She never was a risk taker. ... Kevin and I said, 'How did we get her?'" The 911 call Jean Zimmermann said detectives have told her how they will deliver the news of an arrest: If she and her husband are at work, detectives will call and tell them to go home, so they can both be on a phone at the same time to be told what's happened. Zimmermann said that when she learns how her daughter was killed, it will be as if she's died all over again. "It's finally going to seem like it's actually real," she said. The case has attracted intense attention in Madison and to some extent nationally, in part because it appeared to be one of a series of random killings. It captured additional interest after it became known that a 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann's cell phone was made at about the time she was killed. An emergency operator mishandled the call, and officials later gave detectives incorrect information about it. The problems set off a public controversy about staffing and management at the county 911 center. The preliminary findings of an audit of the center's staffing and practices are due out this week. The revelations added another layer of grief. "She did everything right, and nobody helped," Jean Zimmermann said. Another call Jean Zimmermann is haunted by another phone call from her daughter. "The day she died, I missed a call that she made to me on the way home from school," Zimmermann said. After Brittany got out of class that morning, she returned a phone call from her fiance's sister, leaving her a short, cheery message. At 11:57 a.m. - about the time Zimmermann believes her daughter would have been getting home - a call from Brittany's phone came in on her mother's work phone at Marshfield Clinic. Jean Zimmermann was away from her desk. Her phone wasn't equipped with voice-mail, but the caller ID caught Brittany's number. "I probably would have been on the phone with her when this happened," she said. "You feel so guilty not being there for her. If only I had been on the phone, I could have called 911." Zimmermann had planned to call her daughter back at 3 p.m., after work. When she arrived home, there was a police car in her driveway and officers were waiting inside with her husband. He told her, "'Something happened to Brittany. Somebody murdered her.'" Nothing feels safe Zimmermann said she and her husband seldom go out, because people want to talk to them about Brittany. "I get teary," she said. "I have to leave. I can't deal with it." "We can hardly be in Madison anymore," said Heeg, a social worker who went to UW-Madison for her master's degree. They no longer feel secure, even in Marshfield. "Nothing makes us feel safe," Heeg said. "Nothing makes us feel at peace. Nothing makes it better." "Nothing," Zimmermann echoed. As palpable as their anguish is, when Zimmermann, Heeg and Andres talk about Brittany's life, they are aglow with a joy that mirrors Brittany's face smiling from a picture frame on a living room table. They share memories of how she was always thinking about what she could do for her family, how she wanted all of them to come to Hawaii where she planned to be married next year on the beach in bare feet, how she loved her three cats like they were her children and how much she loved ham. It's almost like Brittany is still with them. Gold charm Around her neck, Jean Zimmermann wears a gold charm with an impression of Brittany's thumbprint made after her death. On the back is an image of a butterfly and the word "kisses" - a reference to the song "Butterfly Kisses," which Brittany had chosen for her wedding dance with her father. On Zimmermann's wrist is a bracelet with Brittany's name, sent to her by Anne and Tim Olson of Oregon, the mother and stepfather of 25-year-old homicide victim Angela Drake, who died in 2005. And on Zimmermann's finger is a diamond ring from her husband that Brittany designed. Before Brittany's body was cremated, Zimmermann said, Gonnering slipped a diamond engagement ring onto one of her fingers. It was a ring they had picked out, but not purchased, before her death. "I think about him all the time, finding her, how horrible the memories must be," Zimmermann said. "It's very hard for him." Brittany's parents have not taken the urn containing her ashes to the cemetery. "My husband and I don't want her there by herself," Zimmermann said. When Jean or Kevin Zimmermann dies, the survivor will bury the deceased spouse together with Brittany's remains. A heavily edited recording of the 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann's fiance after he found her stabbed to death was released Friday on the orders of a Dane County judge. Officials have edited out about 68 seconds of the five-minute recording. The recording is the first release to the public of audio from the scene in Zimmermann's West Doty Street apartment on April 2. Jordan Gonnering called 48 minutes after the 911 center received a call from Zimmermann's cell phone. Recording equipment in the dispatch center picked up screaming and sounds of a struggle, but the 911 operator didn't hear anything that registered with her as an emergency, and police were not dispatched. County officials say they can't explain what happened, but insist they can find no indication of equipment failures. "I just came home, the door was bashed in and my girlfriend has been shot," Gonnering told the 911 operator, who directed police and an ambulance response to the scene within four minutes. The recording confirms information previously made public. Previously unsealed police warrants revealed that Gonnering thought Zimmermann had been shot, even though she had been stabbed multiple times in the heart. Police said there were signs of forced entry after being prodded by the Wisconsin State Journal in April to release that information. Gonnering's attorney had asked Judge Richard Niess not to release the audio saying it would traumatize Zimmermann's family and others. The city also argued it would have a chilling effect on the public's willingness to dial 911 if their calls for help were made public. Niess rejected those arguments as not being based in law, and said most documents pertaining to the call and the subsequent internal investigation should be released so that the public could have important information about the performance of the dispatch center. The judge agreed with Madison police that certain portions of the audio have value as evidence because they describe the homicide scene. Those details conceivably could be used to elicit a confession from the killer, the city argued. State law provides an exemption to the open records law for ongoing law enforcement investigations. Niess blocked release of the entire recording of the call from Zimmermann's cell phone until the police find the culprit. After county officials in May acknowledged multiple errors related to the call that sent police on the wrong trail, a group of media organizations, including the Wisconsin State Journal, filed a lawsuit to obtain documents not initially released by the county. Discover the shocking truth about organic produce from China Have you ever tried having healthy, organic food from China? Well, if you have, you might be in for a surprise. After extensive research, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, reveals that organic products from China are largely a hoax. Basically, there is no limit to how much mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum is allowed in organic products. The USDA organic standards place no limits on levels of heavy metals in organic food. Organic certification, really, does nothing to address environmental sources of pollution such as chemtrails, contaminated irrigation water, and fallout from industrial or chemical factories that might be nearby. A certified organic farmer can use polluted water on their crops and still have the crops labeled organic. As such, the environment in which organic foods are produced is critical to the cleanliness of the final product. Unfortunately for consumers, China, one of the biggest producers of organic food, is one of the most polluted countries in the world. Why do so many formulators and food companies in the USA still buy ingredients from China? Well, if you want to learn more about how much of an environmental nightmare China is, read the below excerpt of the Health Rangers take on the topic: Raw materials from China are cheap! Across the board, raw materials (foods, superfoods, supplements) from China are about 1/4th the cost of materials grown in North America or Europe. This means getting your ingredients from China grants your product a lot more profit in the marketplace. For those selling through Whole Foods whose product shelves are littered with ingredients made in China this profit margin is essential to economic survival. If youre buying a superfood powder sold at Whole Foods and paying $50 at retail, the actual ingredient cost that goes into that superfood canister is often as little as $5. So sourcing those materials from China is crucial to having the margins. Whole Foods might only pay your company $22 or so for a product they sell at $50. So your company has to buy the materials, pay for shipping, insurance, labor, packaging, formulations and everything else and still somehow make a profit to stay in business. So you source from China. You make a really nice-looking label, you get it certified organic with a nice USDA logo on it, and you sell it to Whole Foods which adds another layer of legitimacy to the product. But inside the bottle, there could be mercury hiding in there. Or pharmaceutical residues. Or pesticide residues. Or just about anything, including melamine. Now, obviously Whole Foods has a level of quality control in place, and they do require C of As for products they carry. But China is expert at FAKING these documents and tricking importers, formulators and manufacturers. In China, the idea of forging a laboratory analysis document is no big deal. Fabricating fake documents is routine. You have to understand the philosophy of these people living without any code of ethics, surviving under a police state communist regime: There are no ethics. No values. No moral compass. Forging a fake lab report is no different to them than planting seeds: its just one more step needed to make money. There is no moral difference in their minds between telling the truth and lying. Its a relativistic morality philosophy. Im not saying all people in China are liars and deceivers. But a lot of them are. Anyone who has actually lived there for any length of time knows exactly what Im talking about. This is a country where deceptive manufacturers take white sesame seeds and coat them in toxic black ink just to sell them as black sesame seeds. This is a country where infant formula producers spike their formula with kidney-destroying melamine in order to make an extra five cents a pound, even while killing babies by the thousands. THEY DONT CARE. China is a nation that has abandoned morality and even attacked it. This is a country where the Falun Gong group of meditation advocates and yoga practitioners is arrested and thrown in prison by an extremely oppressive, dictatorial government. Look, cultures are different everywhere around the world. You want to hang out with really nice, intelligent and honest people? Get yourself some Dutch friends. Theyre the most upstanding, moral, educated bunch of folks youll ever meet. You want to hang out with highly-innovative rule followers? Get yourself some German friends. They follow the rules. And theyre smart, innovative people on top of that. Brilliant minds. Some of the greatest scientists in history came out of Berlin. You want some friends who are wildly creative? Those are Americans. Americans make the best movies, the best music (well, along with UK musicians anyway), and a lot of the best computer software on the planet. Americans are rebels. They break the rules and forge a new path. America is a nation founded on rebellion. But if youre looking for people who will stab you in the back in a business deal, go the China. There, you will find the most back-stabbing, dishonest cheaters and liars youll probably ever meet, short of Nigeras Prince Nubula whose emails promise youll receive a million dollars if you only send them $5,000 first. Why you wont hear this truth anywhere else I know that telling the truth is unpopular and not politically correct. Im not interested in winning a popularity contest. What Im doing here is flat-out telling the truth that most other people are too afraid to say on their own: The very idea of organic coming out of China is a disturbing contradiction. And organic standards have a huge gap in the fact that they dont require foods to actually be free from mercury or other contaminants. Overall, organic is a wonderful standard and Ive been a strong advocate of organic, but when a USDA organic label is slapped on a product grown in China, you really have to scratch your head and say, Yeah, it might be organic, but is it clean? It may be, but you just dont know until you test it. Organic grown in the USA can be assumed to be clean, but organic grown in China must be assumed contaminated unless proven otherwise. Until China enforces some really strict environmental standards, organic from China is largely a fraud in my opinion. Its a hoax. You can lie to yourself and say, Well its ORGANIC so it must be clean! but youll be swallowing mercury, lead, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals in various amounts. Laboratory tests confirm everything Im telling you here. This is the dirty little secret of the organic food industry that nobodys talking about. Chinas environmental nightmare Just how polluted is Chinas environment? As I mentioned above, its so bad that a Chinese environmental official was recently offered over US$30,000 to take a 20-minute swim in a local river. He declined the offer, as would any sane person. Are these the same rivers that are being used to produce organic crops in China? You have to wonder. A river can be so inundated with smelting factory runoff and chemical pollution that even bacteria struggle to survive in it; yet this water can be legally sprayed on crops that are exported to America as organic. If you buy organic foods, superfoods or supplements grown in China, you need to know about this. As The Guardian reports: A recent government study found that groundwater in 90% of Chinas cities is contaminated, most of it severely. The head of Chinas ministry of water resources said last year that up to 40% of the countrys rivers are seriously polluted, and an official report from last summer found that up to 200 million rural Chinese have no access to clean drinking water. By the way, this is another story altogether, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that China is headed for an environmental collapse. The country has polluted itself far beyond the point of long-term sustainable life. Children are being born as mutants. Rivers support no fish life. Soils are building up obscene levels of contaminants and becoming so toxic that crop yields are affected. Cities are so filled with airborne pollution that the mere act of breathing causes cancer. And on top of that, Chinas one-child policy has resulted in mass gendercide where baby girls are routinely and yes, I mean ROUTINELY murdered, drowned, suffocated, etc., because the family wants a son, not a daughter. In its quest for economic power, China has poisoned itself to death, and now its only a matter of time before the nation collapses in a cesspool of toxicity and lies. The economic boom of China is nearly over, and it will be followed by an environmental implosion so huge and disgusting that the world will be absolutely horrified. Remember: China is so corrupt that it wont stop factories from openly dumping toxic waste directly into the groundwater supplies. Instead of acknowledging the source of pollution, Chinese officials simply accept bribes and cover it up. The corruption in China is so deeply rooted in the culture that honesty and accountability can never overcome the deception. With some exceptions, when you buy food grown in China, you are buying food produced in the most toxic environment on planet Earth, grown by some of the most deceptive and most corrupt liars and back-stabbers on the planet, all ruled by one of the most dictatorial and tyrannical governments history has ever known. That about sums it up. Ultimately, China has a terminal environmental crisis on its hands, compounded by an eternally corrupt, dictatorial communist regime government that oppresses freedom and outlaws religion while forcing families to kill their own baby girls under its population control mandates. In summary, China suffers from: An environmental nightmare An almost complete abandonment of morals and integrity A deeply corrupt communist police state political system that mandates the mass murder of baby girls Is this the vibe you really want to be putting into your body? Source used: NaturalNews.com Submit a correction >> ISIS has made and has used chemical weapons: CIA (NationalSecurity.news) The director of the Central Intelligence Agency has said that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] has manufactured and even used chemical weapons against enemies. In an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes program, CIA Director John Brennan said that ISIS fighters have the capability to manufacture small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas. We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield, said. ISIL is another name for the Islamic State [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]. Brennan also said that the CIA believes that the Islamic State has the capability to also make small amounts of poison gases for weapons. There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and munitions that they can use, he said. The director the worlds most capable spy agency also warned that it was possible for the Islamic State to try and export such weapons to the West, for financial gain. I think theres always the potential for that. This is why its so important to cut off the various transportation routes and smuggling routes that they have used, he said. When he was asked if any American assets [were] on the ground in the war-torn regions of Iraq and Syria in search of chemical weapons and caches, Brennan said, U.S. intelligence is actively involved in being part of the efforts to destroy ISIL and get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside both countries. Brennans comments came a few days after Director of National Intelligence James Clapper made similar statements before a congressional committee. ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent sulfur mustard, Clapper told lawmakers last week, adding that it was the first time an extremist group has made and used a chemical agent in an attack since Japans Aum Supreme Truth cult used deadly sarin to kill commuters during rush hour on a Tokyo subway in 1995. Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government and rebels it is battling have both accused each other of using chemical warfare in the almost five-year-old civil war that has killed a quarter of a million people. Following a sarin attack in 2013 outside Damascus that much of the world blamed on the Assad government, he agreed to hand over the countrys chemical arsenal to international organizations. In November The Associated Press reported that U.S. and Iraqi intelligence officials believed then that ISIS operatives were working to acquire chemical weapons. AP noted further: Their quest raises an alarming scenario for the West, given the determination to strike major cities that the group showed with its bloody attack last week in Paris. On Thursday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned that Islamic extremists might at some point use chemical or biological weapons. Terrorism hit France not because of what it is doing in Iraq and Syria but for what it is, Valls told the lower house of Parliament. We know that there could also be a risk of chemical or biological weapons. See also: Agence France Presse The Associated Press NationalSecurity.news is part of the USA Features Media network of sites. Submit a correction >> Jack Hanrahan / Associated Press During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood. Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people down the street, across the country and around the world. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Connecticut towns are struggling to cover a budget gap that opened when the state slashed its contribution to the cost of resident state troopers. Localities are now required to pay 85 percent of the cost of the two highest-paid troopers, including salaries, benefits and cruisers, and the full cost for all other troopers, up from the 70 percent they paid until last year. Local officials have been grappling with the issue since the Legislature approved the cuts last June, after towns had set their budgets for the year. The states spending is out of control, the budgets out of control and the states out of control, said Oxford First Selectman George Temple. To get back in control they start taxing the municipalities resources. New Fairfield took $280,000 from its projected budget surplus to cover the costs of its seven troopers for the current fiscal year, First Selectman Susan Chapman said. For the coming fiscal year, the town budgeted more than $1.2 million, up from the $919,000 budgeted before the mid-year cut took effect in 2015. That alone raised the towns overall budget for 2016-17 by 2.8 percent. Its unfortunate that the state keeps doing this, Chapman said. In Washington, the decline in the states share forced the town to make a $28,500 appropriation this year to support its lone trooper and to budget almost $159,000 next year, up from the $132,000 for this fiscal year. Shermans trooper budget has increased by more than 50 percent since the state cut went into effect, rising from about $137,000 to more than $200,000, said First Selectman Clay Cope. Its more difficult for us and our budget and we had to make concessions in other areas, Cope said. As much as they deplored the states cut in its contribution, some town officials said they gave no thought to cutting back on expenses for troopers. Our resident state trooper is invaluable to our town, Cope said. You cant put a price on public safety. Temple agreed. I dont want to sacrifice public safety for anything, he said. If it costs more, it costs more. Temple said Oxford might have to make cuts to cover the increase. Still, several towns are reconsidering how they use resident troopers. Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, said some communities have reduced the number of troopers or paired up to pay for them, and some are considering a regional police force. Roxbury and Bridgewater, for example, are piloting a shared trooper arrangement. Bridgewater First Selectman Curtis Read anticipates a $12,000 increase in the towns trooper budget for next year, in addition to the $80,000 the town is already paying. What can you do? Read asked. Its a tough cut to take, but everybody across the state is facing the same thing. New Fairfield formed a committee to explore ways to more efficiently protect residents, including replacing some state troopers with local officers. But Chapman said she does not expect to create to an independent police department because of the expense. Temple said Oxford might examine its safety force, which includes both troopers and local officers. He added that the system is inherently unfair because residents troopers can be pulled away from town to cover calls elsewhere. Theyre actually working for the state while the town pays for it, he said. Im not overly delighted about that. Madison police believe there may be a connection between the unsolved homicide of UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann and an early morning break-in at a University Avenue tavern months later involving three Madison teenagers with gang ties, the State Journal has learned. Assistant City Attorney Roger Allen confirmed there is a "possible connection" between Zimmermann's April 2, 2008, strangulation and stabbing death in her Downtown apartment and the July 9, 2008, break-in at the Blue Moon Bar and Grill, 2535 University Ave. Police won't say why they think the crimes are linked, and there's no evidence in the available record that any of the teens involved in the Blue Moon break-in were involved in Zimmermann's killing. But a State Journal review of hundreds of pages of police and court records suggests an unknown accomplice to the burglary may have been at the homicide. The newspaper began its review after the parent of another teen questioned by police in connection with the Zimmermann case told the Wisconsin State Journal that a detective told her DNA associated with the homicide matched DNA from another crime at a local bar. The parent, whose son knows one of the Blue Moon burglars, requested anonymity out of concern for her family's safety. Police wouldn't confirm the parent's account, or say whether they've matched DNA from the Zimmermann case to any other crimes. Nor would they say if the Zimmermann investigation is focusing on Madison teenagers with gang associations. The detective who spoke with the parent, David Miller, along with the two other detectives working on the Zimmermann case, Gregg Luedtke and Greg Esser, declined to be interviewed and referred questions to Central District Capt. Mary Schauf. Schauf said the department "will not discuss any evidence" or "any working theory ... or any persons of interest." But, in an acknowledgement that the two crimes may be connected, she said records of the Blue Moon break-in, which the State Journal has requested under the state's open records law, were being reviewed first to remove information involving the ongoing Zimmermann case. Zimmermann was killed after returning from an exam at about 12:30 p.m., after someone forced open the outside door to her apartment building at 517 W. Doty St., said police. They have released few other details about the death of the 21-year-old student from Marshfield. The Zimmermann investigation was hampered from the start after a call taker at the Dane County 911 Center mishandled a call from Zimmermann's cell phone around the time she was killed. The call taker said she didn't hear a woman scream or sounds of a struggle which police later said were captured on the recording of the call and police weren't sent to the scene until Zimmermann's fiance found her body 48 minutes later. In a second failure the same day, dispatch center personnel misread their recording system and sent police after a false lead for two weeks. A fingerprint, then DNA Three months after the Zimmermann homicide, on July 9, 2008, burglars attempted to enter the Blue Moon through a Plexiglas window but failed, according to police and court records. A nearby door was pried open, and a large-screen TV was moved but wasn't taken because it was connected to the ceiling. A fingerprint found on the window was matched to Spencer L. Hutchins, now 20, who, along with Darrielle L. Banks and Ryan K. Cook, both now 19, admitted involvement in the burglary. The three also admitted to burglarizing three other nearby businesses the same night. On Sept. 19, 2008, the state Crime Laboratory notified police that a swab of the Blue Moon window turned up DNA. The DNA didn't match any of the three teens or anyone in a national database, court records show. That same day, Miller and Luedtke contacted the other three businesses the teens had burglarized the Sushi Box, San San's Day Spa and a local union office, all located at 2433 University Ave. seeking additional evidence, police records show. In an effort to find the identity of the possible fourth burglar, police also obtained DNA samples from at least three other teenagers and one man in his early 20s who were implicated in the Blue Moon break-in by Banks, according to search warrant filings. None of those four, nor a fifth person also said to have been involved in the burglary, has been charged. Burglar feared for his life While Hutchins admitted his involvement in the Blue Moon break-in to police in September 2008, Assistant District Attorney Mary Ellen Karst said Hutchins "obstructed the investigation regarding his co-actors," according to a transcript of his Oct. 14, 2009, re-sentencing hearing. Records show that at an Oct. 1, 2008, court appearance, Hutchins denied that a fourth person was involved in the break-in. According to the re-sentencing hearing transcript, Hutchins' attorney, Kate Findley, told the judge that prosecutors were "offering consideration if Mr. Hutchins was willing to testify in other matters, which he was not. It basically would have put his life in danger. He was not willing to take that." The transcript does not elaborate on what matters prosecutors had sought Hutchins' cooperation, and Madison police would not say if it concerned the Zimmermann case. Karst declined comment. Findley did not respond to repeated messages for comment. Through a Department of Corrections spokesman, Hutchins, Banks and Cook declined to be interviewed for this story. Investigations ongoing In response to the State Journal's records request, police released 40 pages of records from their investigations of the break-ins at the three other businesses targeted the night of the Blue Moon incident. Along with the Blue Moon burglary, all remain open investigations. Police also released the first 54 pages in the Blue Moon investigation, while about 600 more pages are being reviewed for information relating to the Zimmermann homicide or other open investigations, said Capt. Carl Gloede, the department's records custodian. The records show that Miller and Luedtke interviewed Hutchins for about four hours on Sept. 26, 2008. During the interview, Hutchins said he had taken the drug Ecstasy on at least three occasions and described it as a "mood swing" type of drug that "makes you do things that you thought you would never do." Hutchins, who eventually named Cook and Banks as participants in the Blue Moon break-in, repeatedly told detectives that he had never been a snitch and he did not want to identify his friends and be labeled as a snitch. Criminal records, gang ties Hutchins, Banks and Cook all have criminal histories, including numerous break-ins, and have known or alleged gang ties, according to police and court records. On Dec. 27, 2007, Cook was arrested with Kendrick Briggs for operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, court records show. Briggs, 17, a member of the Cuddy Mac Boys street gang, was later convicted of first-degree reckless homicide in the June 9, 2009, gang-related shooting death of 17-year-old Karamee Collins on Madison's Southwest Side. According to court records, Madison police were conducting surveillance of Cook's residence the night Collins was killed. Cook, Hutchins and another teen were arrested that same night as they returned from burglarizing several businesses in Cambridge with stolen televisions and a safe. Dane County Sheriff's records identify Hutchins as a relative of Collins, and Madison police records identify him as a member of the Dipset street gang. And court records state that Banks whom Assistant District Attorney Shelly Rusch described as "a single-man crime spree from the age of 12 until the age of 18" also is an alleged gang member. At the time of the Blue Moon break-in, Banks was on electronic monitoring after convictions for possessing a firearm as a juvenile delinquent and bail jumping, the records show. Four days before the burglary, Banks cut off his monitoring bracelet and ran off. He was arrested July 12, 2008, after giving a false name while driving a vehicle and was later convicted of escape. Eight days after the Blue Moon break-in, on July 17, 2008, Hutchins was arrested in North Carolina with two other teens in one of two rental cars they stole days earlier in Middleton, Madison police and court records state. Records show there were two guns in the car. Hutchins is serving a prison sentence for the Blue Moon and other burglaries. He is scheduled to be released from the Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Institution on Jan. 24 but faces a charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child in Dane County. According to a criminal complaint, in June 2009 Hutchins had sex with a 15-year-old girl who became pregnant and had a baby in February. Banks is scheduled to be released from the Racine facility Nov. 30, 2011. Cook served two consecutive jail terms for the Blue Moon and related burglaries. This isn't just about Brittany' Kim Heeg, Zimmermann's aunt, said she was unaware of a possible link between the Blue Moon break-in and her niece's slaying. "All along, we have said someone, somewhere has to know who did this. ... This piece of information supports that," Heeg said. "This isn't just about Brittany. We need support from the community to help us get (whoever is responsible for the killing) off the street." (All amounts in US$ unless otherwise specified) VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone") (TSX: CS) today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015. Operating cash flow before changes in working capital (1) for the year was $60.0 million or $0.16 per share, with a net loss of $251.5 million and an adjusted net loss of $31.9 million after adjusting for certain non-cash and non-recurring charges. Copper production for the year totalled 92,600 tonnes (89,300 tonnes of payable copper) at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.99 per payable pound produced with copper sales for the year of 87,500 tonnes at a C1 cash cost (1) of $2.00 per payable pound sold. Capstone will hold a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results; call-in details and information on associated slides are provided at the end of this release. This release should be read in conjunction with Capstone's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2015, which are available on Capstone's website at http://capstonemining.com/investors/financial-reporting/default.aspx and on SEDAR. An updated corporate presentation, including results to December 31, 2015, in addition to the 2015 year-end webcast slides, will also be available at http://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. Overview Q4 2015 Q4 2014 2015 2014 Revenue ($ millions) 92.1 139.5 420.5 656.0 Copper produced (tonnes) 25,691 22,478 92,577 100,940 Payable copper produced (tonnes) 24,781 22,282 89,341 99,739 C1 cash cost per payable pound produced (1) ($) 1.81 1.88 1.99 1.93 Copper sold (tonnes) 22,322 23,705 87,521 103,901 Realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb)* 2.05 2.79 2.35 3.03 Adjusted realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb) ** 2.26 2.79 2.43 3.03 C1 cash cost per payable pound sold (1) ($/lb) 1.82 1.87 2.00 1.89 All-in sustaining cost per payable pound sold (1) ($/lb) 2.27 2.55 2.46 2.32 All-in cost per payable pound sold (1) ($/lb) 2.78 2.80 2.92 2.49 Fully-loaded all-in cost per payable pound sold (1) ($/lb) 2.78 2.92 2.89 2.70 Net loss ($ millions) (19.5) (34.4) (251.5) (22.4) Net loss attributable to shareholders ($ millions) (19.3) (33.9) (202.7) (21.1) Net loss attributable to shareholders per common share ($) (0.05) (0.09) (0.53) (0.06) Adjusted net (loss) income (1) ($ millions) (8.0) (3.3) (31.9) 32.0 Adjusted net (loss) income attributable to shareholders (1) ($ millions) (7.8) (4.1) (30.4) 30.8 Adjusted net (loss) income attributable to shareholders per common share ($) (0.02) (0.01) (0.08) 0.08 Adjusted EBITDA (1) ($ millions) 25.9 40.4 96.2 231.6 Adjusted EBITDA (1) per common share ($) 0.07 0.11 0.25 0.61 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital (1) ($ millions) 12.5 30.7 60.0 199.4 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital per common share (1) ($) 0.03 0.08 0.16 0.53 Cash and cash equivalents ($ millions) 101.6 150.1 101.6 150.1 Net (debt) cash (1) ($ millions) (247.9) (127.7) (247.9) (127.7) * Q4 2015 includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $4.2 million (2014 negative $13.6 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $(0.09) per pound (2014 $(0.26) per pound) of copper sold during the quarter. YTD includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $25.8 million (2014 negative $11.2 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $(0.13) per pound (2014 $(0.05) per pound) of copper sold during the year.** Adjusted realized copper price includes the provisional pricing adjustments noted above and realized gains of $10.1 million related to copper put contracts exercised in Q4 2015 (2014 nil) and realized gains of $15.9 million related to copper put contracts exercised in 2015 (2014 nil). "Despite very challenging market conditions for base metal companies in 2015, we posted positive cash flow before changes in working capital of $60 million," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "We took a number of steps through the year to reduce costs and improve reliability at our operations, with fourth quarter throughput at Pinto Valley of 54,000 tonnes per day surpassing our expectations and positioning the mine well for the next planned expansion. In addition, we made several strategic decisions throughout 2015 to preserve our financial flexibility, including protecting our revenue through price fixing and zero-cost copper collars, as well as suspending work on our Santo Domingo project until market conditions improve." "We ended the year in compliance with all of our debt covenants," continued Mr. Pylot. "All of our mines are operating on plan with significantly lower operating costs projected for 2016 and we remain focused on cost control and efficiencies across the company. Our expected capital expenditures for 2016 are also substantially lower as we completed the capital spending for expansion in 2015 to set us up for the future. In addition, we have a number of options to ensure liquidity and covenant compliance should circumstances warrant." Financial and Production Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2015 Net loss of $251.5 million which included: Loss from mining operations of $30.5 million , Realized copper price of $2.35 per pound Production costs included a $24.2 million non-cash charge related to the write-down of inventory at the Pinto Valley and Minto Mines , A non-cash charge of $201.7 million related to the impairment of mineral property, plant and equipment at Santo Domingo , Minto and Kutcho, A non-cash charge of $5.8 million related to the impairment of available-for-sale securities, A commodity derivative gain of $24.0 million , comprising a realized gain of $15.9 million combined with an unrealized gain of $8.1 million , An income tax recovery of $19.0 million . which included: Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $96.2 million or $0.25 per common share after making adjustments for certain non-cash and other items. of or per common share after making adjustments for certain non-cash and other items. Operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 of $60.0 million or $0.16 per common share. of or per common share. Working capital increased to $162.4 million at December 31, 2015 (which included $101.6 million of cash and cash equivalents) from $106.5 million at December 31, 2014 . at (which included of cash and cash equivalents) from at . Production of 89,341 tonnes of payable copper at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.99 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced. Revenue of $420.5 million generated primarily from the sale of 87,521 tonnes of copper. Operational Highlights for the Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2015 Pinto Valley Mine: Produced 16,358 tonnes of copper during Q4 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.76 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 60,412 tonnes of copper during 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.97 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced. Mill reliability significantly improved, with Q4 2015 setting daily, monthly and quarterly throughput records under Capstone ownership of 60,500, 54,800 and 54,100 tonnes per day ("tpd"), respectively. Released the PV3 PFS in January 2016 , which extended the mine life by 13 years to 2039 and increases throughput by 8% without any major capital investment. Annual production will average 55,700 tonnes of copper from 473.8 million tonnes of proven and probable reserves grading 0.31% copper. Cozamin Mine: Produced 4,883 tonnes of copper during Q4 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.30 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 15,650 tonnes of copper during 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.47 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced. Changes in mining practices and the need to adapt practices to increase ore production from the footwall zone resulted in a shortfall in production in the first half of the year and slower than expected mine development during H1 2015. Activities related to dilution control produced significant improvements in the latter half of the year and while the mine is continuing to work toward increasing developed stopes, it has largely overcome the issues that led to the production shortfall experienced early in the year. Minto Mine: Produced 4,450 tonnes of copper during Q4 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $2.58 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.29 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2015 to $2.29 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2015 to per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 16,515 tonnes of copper during 2015 at a C1 cash cost (1) of $2.54 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.24 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2015 to $2.30 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2015 to per pound of payable copper produced. The mill processed ore from underground and stockpiles for much of 2015, while awaiting receipt of a Water Use Licence Amendment. The Yukon Water Board issued the Water Use Licence on August 5, 2015 , which completed the final stage of permitting for all of the mineral reserves identified in the July 2012 Phase VI Pre-Feasibility Study. Stripping of the Minto North pit began immediately, with first ore reached as expected in December. Operating Outlook Capstone's 2016 production guidance is 108,000 tonnes (5%) of copper with C1 cash costs(1) of $1.45 to $1.55 per pound of payable copper produced net of by-product credits and selling costs. Capital Outlook Capstone's 2016 capital expenditures are expected to be $40.2 million for sustaining capital, $2.3 million for PV3 development work and $37.7 million for capitalized stripping at Pinto Valley and Minto. An additional $8.4 million is budgeted for both brownfield and greenfield exploration, however as exploration activities are discretionary they will be aligned with prevailing market conditions, financing capacity and corporate priorities. Conference Call and Webcast Details Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1094432&s=1&k=949A9A55D556086D2F443F4A7444D365 Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 535944# The conference call replay will be available until Wednesday, March 2, 2016. The conference call audio and transcript will be available on Capstone's website within approximately 24 hours of the call at http://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. About Capstone Mining Corp. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has two copper development projects; the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, and the 100% owned copper-zinc Kutcho project in British Columbia, Canada, as well as exploration properties in Chile. Capstone's strategy is to extend the lives of our current mines with mineral resource and reserve expansions, maintain optionality on the Santo Domingo development project, prudently progress the exploration portfolio and grow through acquisitions in politically stable, mining-friendly regions. We will pace our growth with our financial capacity, ensuring we retain, as a priority, sufficient financial flexibility to meet the requirements of our existing operations and our committed development projects, while maintaining an adequate cushion to deal with market volatility and operating risks inherent in the mining industry. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and Capstone Mining Corp. (the "Company") does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Company management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, success of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "outlook", "guidance", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document, certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance", "may", "future", "expected" and "projected". By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks related to actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of mineral resources; possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; accidents; assumptions related to geotechnical conditions of tailings facilities; dependence on key personnel; labour pool constraints; labour disputes; availability of infrastructure required for the development of mining projects; delays or inability to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals for mining operations or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals; increased operating and capital costs; operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation; impact of climatic conditions on our Pinto Valley, Cozamin and Minto operations; compliance with debt covenants; and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. National Instrument 43-101 Compliance Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents. The technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The disclosure of the Technical Information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gregg Bush, P. Eng., Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Technical Information related to mineral exploration activities has been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Exploration. Both are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101. Alternative Performance Measures The items marked with a "(1)" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Consolidated Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2015 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. (1) These are alternative performance measures; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release. SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp. For further information: Cindy Burnett, VP, Investor Relations and Communications, 604-637-8157, [email protected] REGINA, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - Input Capital Corp. ("Input" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: INP) (US: INPCF) is announcing its unaudited results for the fiscal 2016 third quarter ended December 31, 2015. All figures are presented in Canadian dollars. THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS Revenue from streaming contracts of $15.640 million on the sale of 31,889 metric tonnes ("MT" or "tonnes") of canola equivalent at an average price of $490 per MT on the sale of 31,889 metric tonnes ("MT" or "tonnes") of canola equivalent at an average price of per MT Generated an additional $6.973 million of sales revenue from canola trading for total quarterly sales revenue of $22.613 million ; of sales revenue from canola trading for total quarterly sales revenue of ; Cash operating margin 1 from streaming contracts of $13.613 million , or $427 per MT (87.0% cash operating margin); from streaming contracts of , or per MT (87.0% cash operating margin); Adjusted net income 1 of $3.084 million , or $0.04 per share; of , or per share; Adjusted operating cash flow 1 of $17.728 million or $0.22 per share; of or per share; Invested $6.653 million of upfront payments 2 into eighteen multi-year streaming contracts, adding two new contracts, adding over 21,000 MT 2 to the Company's future canola sales; of upfront payments into eighteen multi-year streaming contracts, adding two new contracts, adding over 21,000 MT to the Company's future canola sales; Finished the quarter with: Cash and cash equivalents of $40.088 million ; Total canola interests (current portion and long-term portion) and other financial assets (herein referred to collectively as canola interests) of $89.280 million ; Multi-year streaming contracts with 77 farm partners, up from 42 a year ago; Total shareholder's equity of $118.567 million ; and No debt. YEAR-TO-DATE HIGHLIGHTS Revenue from streaming contracts of $27.443 million on the sale of 56,350 MT of canola equivalent at an average price of $487 per MT; on the sale of 56,350 MT of canola equivalent at an average price of per MT; The Company generated an additional $13.585 million of sales revenue from canola trading for total year to date sales revenue of $41.028 million ; of sales revenue from canola trading for total year to date sales revenue of ; Cash operating margin 1 from streaming contracts of $23.930 million , or $425 per MT (87.2% cash operating margin); from streaming contracts of , or per MT (87.2% cash operating margin); Adjusted net income 1 of $4.920 million , or $0.06 per share; of , or per share; Adjusted operating cash flow 1 of $25.142 million or $0.31 per share; and of or per share; and Invested $24.150 million of upfront payments2 into thirty six streaming contracts, adding twelve new contracts to the portfolio, the longest of which is a twelve-year contract, adding more than 81,000 MT (gross of contract buybacks and cancellations) to the Company's future canola sales. "This most recent quarter is notable for very significant canola sales volume," said President and CEO Doug Emsley. "Last year, Input had only sold about 35% of that year's canola by December 31, and this year, thanks to warm weather and smooth logistics, that number is over 90%." "As a result, Input has recorded $25.1 million in adjusted operating cash flow for the year to date and ends the quarter with $40 million in cash. In this our third full year in operation, our cash flow in just the first three quarters is actually greater than the initial capital raised to start the company, demonstrating how quickly Input is to cash after signing new streaming agreements. This canola sales performance positions Input to grow using internally generated resources, and now that the New Year is passed, we are seeing increased activity in our deployment pipeline." KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER AND FISCAL YEAR TO DATE ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW: CAD millions, unless otherwise noted Three months ended Dec 31, 2015 Three months ended Dec 31, 2014 Change Nine months ended Dec 31, 2015 Nine months ended Dec 31, 2014 Change Revenue from Streaming Contracts 15.640 3.607 334% 27.443 7.788 252% Gross Profit from Streaming Contracts 5.196 1.052 394% 9.255 2.232 315% Canola Sold from Streaming Contracts (MT) 31,889 8,182 290% 56,350 16,912 233% Average Price per Streaming MT $490.44 $440.81 11% $487.00 $460.48 6% Total Gross Capital Deployed2 6.653 16.874 -61% 24.150 28.726 -16% Total Gross Capital Deployed since inception to end of period2 104.4 61.1 71% Active Streaming Contracts at end of period 77 42 83% Canola Reserves (MT)2 246,000 181,000 36% Cash operating margin1 13.613 3.031 349% 23.930 6.521 267% Cash Operating Margin per Streaming MT1 $426.87 $370.47 15% $424.66 $385.60 10% Adjusted Net Income1 3.084 0.265 1065% 4.920 0.365 1247% Adjusted Net Income / Share1 $0.04 $0.00 nmf $0.06 $0.00 nmf Adjusted EBITDA1 12.612 2.174 480% 21.327 4.480 376% Adjusted EBITDA / Share1 $0.15 $0.03 480% $0.26 $0.06 333% Adjusted Operating Cash Flow1 17.728 3.342 430% 25.142 5.549 353% Adjusted Operating Cash Flow / Share1 $0.22 $0.04 430% $0.31 $0.07 312% REVENUE During the third quarter, Input had total revenue of $22.613 million, up 366% from the same quarter last year. Revenue of $15.640 million was generated from the sale of 31,889 MT of canola equivalent from streaming contracts for an average realized price of $490 per MT. Input's average realized price on streaming contract tonnes was 6.9% higher than the average cash canola price (RSY00) of $459 during the quarter. The 334% increase in revenue from canola streaming during the fiscal year was driven by an expanded portfolio of streaming contracts, which grew to 77 streams at the end of the third quarter, up from 42 streams a year ago. During the quarter, additional revenue of $6.973 million was generated from canola trading; an increase from the $1.243 of trading revenue in the comparable quarter last year. Fiscal year to date, Input had total revenue of $41.028 million, up 306% from the same time period last year. During the nine months, $27.443 million was generated from the sale of 56,350 MT of canola equivalent from streaming contracts for an average realized price of $487 per MT. Both of these metrics surpass the totals from the previous fiscal year. Year to date, additional revenue of $13.585 million was generated from canola trading; an increase from the $2.325 of trading revenue in the comparable period last year. CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT AND STREAMING CONTRACT PORTFOLIO Gross capital deployed into streaming contracts during the quarter was $6.653 million2 during the third quarter, down from $16.874 million2 during the previous third quarter. During the quarter, the Company found opportunities to renew contracts, thus extending the original term of the streaming contract. This allows the Company to extend relationships with producers with which it is already comfortable. At the end of the third quarter, Input had total gross deployment $104.4 million2, with 77 active streaming contracts in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. BALANCE SHEET KEY BALANCE SHEET ITEMS ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW: Statement of Financial Position CAD millions, unless otherwise noted As at Dec 31, 2015 As at Mar 31, 2015 Change Cash and cash equivalents 40.088 39.598 1% Canola interests and other financial assets 89.280 70.651 26% Total assets 131.341 115.887 13% Total liabilities 12.774 10.808 18% Total shareholders' equity 118.567 105.079 13% Working capital 61.169 52.821 16% Debt - - N/A PROJECTED STREAMING TONNES FOR F2016 Due to a few thousand tonnes of crop being tied up in the legal process associated with the three contract terminations, management has revised its estimate of streaming tonnes to be sold in the current fiscal year from 65,000 MT to 62,000 MT. The affected tonnes will be received in the next fiscal year. WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS A conference call will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 starting at 9:30 am Saskatchewan time (10:30 am Eastern time) to further discuss the Q3 results. To participate in the conference call use the following dial-in number: Participant Dial in #: (888) 231-8191 (North America Toll Free) Participant Dial in #: (647) 427-7450 (International) Webcast URL: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1126407&s=1&k=A9EF5CF689D0D5D6B4138874C3AF2B0A It is recommended that participants dial in five minutes prior to the commencement of the conference call. Soon after the completion of the call, the webcast will be available for download on the Input Capital website at www.inputcapital.com. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. ABOUT INPUT Input is an agriculture commodity streaming company with a focus on canola, the largest and most profitable crop in Canadian agriculture. Input enters into multi-year canola streaming contracts with canola farmers in western Canada. Pursuant to the streaming contract, Input purchases a fixed portion of the canola produced, at a fixed price, for the duration of the term of the contract. Input is a non-operating farming company with a diversified portfolio of canola streams, all of which produce canola and revenue for Input within a year of being signed. Input plans to grow and diversify its low cost canola production profile through entering into additional canola streaming contracts with farmers across western Canada. Input is focused on farmers with quality production profiles, excellent upside yield potential, and strong management teams. Forward Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Input and its business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Input's management. In some cases the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Input, including risks regarding the agricultural industry, economic factors and the equity markets generally and many other factors beyond the control of Input. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Input undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Non-IFRS Measures Input measures key performance metrics established by management as being key indicators of the Company's strength, using certain non-IFRS performance measures, including: Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per share; Adjusted Operating Cash Flow and Adjusted Operating Cash Flow per share; Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per share; Crop Payment per Tonne; Cash Operating Margin and Cash Operating Margin per Tonne; and Cost per Tonne Acquired and Canola Replacement Ratio. The Company uses these non-IFRS measures for its own internal purposes. These non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and these measures may be calculated differently by other companies. The presentation of these non-IFRS measures is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The Company provides these non-IFRS measures to enable investors and analysts to understand the underlying operating and financial performance of the Company in the same way as it is frequently evaluated by Management. Management will periodically assess these non-IFRS measures and the components thereof to ensure their continued use is beneficial to the evaluation of the underlying operating and financial performance of the Company, and to confirm that these measures remain useful for comparison purposes to other royalty/streaming companies. For more detailed information, please refer to Input's Management Discussion and Analysis available on the Company's website at www.inputcapital.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. __________________________________ 1 Non-IFRS financial measures with no standardized meaning under IFRS. For further information and a detailed reconciliation, refer to "Non-IFRS Measures" in the accompanying MD&A. 2 Includes contracts that were signed but not completely funded at the end of the fiscal quarter. SOURCE Input Capital Corp. For further information: Doug Emsley, President & CEO, (306) 347-1024, [email protected]; Brad Farquhar, Executive Vice-President & CFO, (306) 347-7202, [email protected] Despite canceling a hearing this month, Republicans say theyll continue to push a bill seeking to penalize Wisconsin municipalities that block law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status or cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The bill seeks to prevent so-called sanctuary cities, or communities that adopt policies that prevent them from helping federal authorities deport immigrants living in the country illegally. Communities that adopt such policies could be challenged in court and if found to violate the bills provisions face the loss of $500 to $5,000 in shared revenue each day they arent in compliance. Critics of the bill say it sends the wrong message to immigrant communities and could undermine efforts by local law enforcement to cultivate relationships and to investigate violent crimes. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Milwaukee-based immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, said it could open up municipalities to lawsuits if citizens dont think local law enforcement is doing enough to police federal immigration policy. It opens up this can of worms youll have local municipalities dealing with lawsuits when they have more important work to do, Neumann-Ortiz said. The job of immigration is an extremely complex role and should be left to the federal government. Bill author Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, a former Texas police officer, said the bill does not require communities to enforce federal immigration law. What people are saying this bill does, it doesnt do, Spiros said. Its not there to get rid of illegal aliens. Its really those who commit a crime. The bill was scheduled for a public hearing earlier this month, but it was abruptly removed from the agenda after critics began rallying opponents to attend the hearing. Spiros said his office heard few concerns about the bill when it was introduced in October, but asked the bill be removed from the Dec. 15 agenda of the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs so the committee could book a larger room and allot more time to hear public testimony. The committee plans to hold a public hearing on the bill on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. in Room 412E of the Capitol, which is where the Joint Finance Committee meets, according to a spokesman for committee chairman Rep. Ed Brooks, R-Reedsburg. San Francisco incident Spiros drafted the bill in response to an incident in San Francisco in which a woman was fatally shot by an immigrant who had been released by the San Francisco County sheriffs office despite a request by federal immigration authorities to detain him. The sheriffs office doesnt detain people on federal civil immigration charges and otherwise didnt have reason to continue holding him. San Francisco is one of more than 300 municipalities and counties across the country identified as a sanctuary city, according to Ohio Jobs and Justice PAC, which advocates for stricter enforcement of immigration laws. Madison, Milwaukee and Milwaukee County are included on the groups list because of resolutions passed by their governing bodies. Madison passed a resolution in June 2010 calling on Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney to stop reporting immigration status to federal authorities, but it had no legal effect. Spiros bill would not apply to municipalities with existing policies or previously adopted resolutions. Mahoney faced criticism in 2009 from immigrant rights groups for reporting immigration status to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The policy had been in place for decades but was resulting in more deportations because of stepped up enforcement at the federal level. In July 2014, the Dane County Sheriffs Office changed its policy so that it no longer will hold an inmate identified for detention by ICE for up to 48 hours after a jail term ends. Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said the policy change came in response to a federal court decision that viewed ICE detainers as discretionary and not mandatory. Under the countys policy, people being booked into the jail self-report their citizenship status and ICE has access to that information. Beyond that, we do not contact ICE, Schaffer said. Its up to them if they choose to put a hold on one of our inmates. We do not hold anyone past their court-required time in jail based on holds by ICE. New federal policy In November 2014, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new policy, called the Priority Enforcement Program, for working with local law enforcement to detain immigrants. The policy states that federal authorities dont have the resources to initiate deportation proceedings against all immigrants arrested for local crimes, but that it will prioritize immigrants suspected of terrorism, those apprehended while crossing the border illegally and those convicted of felonies, and then those convicted of three or more misdemeanors, other than minor traffic offenses. Madison Police Chief Mike Koval cited that policy in response to a question about the citys policy for handling contacts with immigrants who are in the country illegally. He noted the city will not detain someone based on immigration status. Given the overcrowding at the jail, coupled with the desire to not incarcerate for minor infractions of the law, if the person has additional means of proving that he/she is who they say they are, then we can still cite-and-release, Koval said. If the officer cannot corroborate ID, then the individual will be physically arrested and conveyed to jail where they will sit until they can post or until released. The number and type of crimes committed at high schools, at their events and on school buses would be printed on the states school report cards under a bill being circulated this week. Any public high school, public charter high school or private voucher high school would be required to track reports of criminal activity beginning in the 2017-18 school year and submit the data to the state Department of Public Instruction annually under the bill authored by Rep. John Jagler, R-Watertown. Jagler said the idea of the bill was triggered by a large fight in September at Milwaukees Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education. He said he subsequently learned from police department employees that Milwaukee police are often called to the school, but Jagler could not find related data from the state Department of Justice or DPI. I was kind of surprised that the information wasnt there, or wasnt easily available and I was kind of surprised the data wasnt being tracked, he said. To me, I dont know how anybody can think this information shouldnt be available to parents. Schools are required to track the number and type of incidents that result in suspensions and expulsions, which DPI publishes on its website. Jagler said sometimes school incidents are handed off to police officers without official discipline being handed down by school officials, causing the DPI data to be an incomplete picture. If the legislation is successful, state report cards would list the total number of incidents per 100 students reported by the school or school district, the average total number of incidents per 100 students reported statewide, the total number of violent incidents per 100 students and the associated statewide average. Currently, state report cards include information about student academics, such as averages of students scores on standardized tests by subject matter, graduation rates, and attendance and truancy rates, and the percentage of students taking standardized tests. Each school and district receives a score based on the report cards data. The bill would prohibit crime data from being used to calculate the schools report card rating. I dont want anyone to use it as a stick, Jagler said. The bill requires the DOJ to work with DPI to develop a reporting system for schools to track homicides, sexual assaults, aggravated assaults, cases of arson, possession of alcohol, drugs or firearms and disorderly conduct. Tom McCarthy, spokesman for the DPI, said in an email the proposal could be expensive for districts and local law enforcement, depending on the final bills details, Both in staff time for reporting and the creation of data systems for collection/display. Jagler said for parents, the data would be worth whatever burden it may cause to compile the information. Dan Rossmiller, lobbyist for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, said he supports the bills provision not to include a schools crime statistics in the report card calculation, but the bill could potentially give a wrong impression if it requires reporting on things schools have little control over. The bill would track crimes that occurred on school grounds, at school-sanctioned events and on school buses regardless of whether they occurred during the traditional school day that are reported to a school principal, school security staff or to local law enforcement. Rossmiller said schools cant help where they are located and it takes not just schools but city and village and law enforcement efforts to make sure that neighborhoods around schools are safe. In response, Jagler said he would be open to discussing those concerns in order to develop a final bill. Jim Bender, president of voucher school advocacy group School Choice Wisconsin, said Jaglers bill will hopefully spark a very important conversation about school safety, school culture and informing parents about the overall educational environment. Rossmiller said aside from being another mandate for schools, he did not know until more details are known whether the organization would ultimately support the proposal. I can tell you that school boards take student safety very seriously, he said. If students do not feel safe in school, they cant learn and achieve to their potential. The bill is backed by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, according to his spokeswoman Kit Beyer. Spokeswomen for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Gov. Scott Walker did not respond to requests late Thursday seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Madison School District did not respond to a request late Thursday for information about what data the district collects and how it reports it. Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday ordered the hanging of one Omoilodan Seun and Gbenga Kayode, who were convicted of armed robbery.... Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday ordered the hanging of one Omoilodan Seun and Gbenga Kayode, who were convicted of armed robbery.Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, who pronounced the judgment, said the state proved its case against the convicts beyond reasonable doubts.She convicted them on three counts of conspiracy, attempted armed robbery and armed robbery.The Lagos State Directorate of Prosecutions had in the charge filed against the convicts accused them of robbing one Alhaji Jinadu of phones and money on November 2, 2011 on Ayangburen Road, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.The convicts were also said to have waylaid and robbed one Rilwan Gbadamosi and his wife on November 9, 2011 along the same Ayangburen Road in Ikorodu.The state prosecutor, Mr. Akin George, had told the court that the convicts violated Section 295(2)(b) of the Criminal law of Lagos State.The convicts had upon their arraignment on three counts pleaded not guilty but the court found them guilty following evidence by the state.Upon their conviction on Wednesday, their lawyer, Damola Victor, pleaded for the courts leniency in sentencing them, saying they were first-time offenders, with no previous records of conviction.In her judgment, Justice Ipaye sentenced Seun and Kayode to life imprisonment on the count of attempted armed robbery but she sentenced them to death by hanging on the charges of conspiracy and armed robbery. The Federal Government has accused the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, of avoiding trial in order to keep the ma... The Federal Government has accused the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, of avoiding trial in order to keep the magnitude of his alleged wrongs against the country away from the public.It stated this in a counter-affidavit which it filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja in opposition to an application by Dasuki seeking an order discharging him from further standing trial on charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms instituted against him.The ex-NSA had predicated his application on the grounds of Federal Governments alleged brazen disobedience of a series of orders of court granting him bail.He urged the court in his application to discharge him and prohibit the Federal Government from further prosecuting him on the grounds that his re-arrest by the DSS was tantamount to Federal Governments alleged act of assault on the court which had released him on bail.The Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is prosecuting Dasuki before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja on four counts of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms.In its counter-affidavit to Dasukis application filed by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), the Federal Government denied the allegation of disobeying the order granting bail to Dasuki with respect to the case.A lawyer in Okpeseyis firm, Emmanuel Ikpebe, who deposed to the counter-affidavit, stated that while the prosecution was ready to proceed with the case, Dasuki was allegedly reluctant to go on in order to keep the details of his wrongs from the public.The counter-affidavit stated, That the respondent (FG) is willing and ready to proceed to prove the case with the order of this court at the last hearing on January 20, 2016 fixing the case for definite hearing.That I know that the applicant is not interested in facing his trial before this court.That I also know that the applicant is averse to general public knowing the magnitude of the wrongs against the Nigeria state he has been charged with in court.The prosecution insisted that Dasuki was re-arrested because of multiple criminal cases pending against him in different courts.On Tuesday, at the resumed hearing before Justice Ademola at the Federal High Court, both the prosecution and the defence disagreed on the alleged violation of the order granting bail to Dasuki.Dasuki maintained a blank facial expression while seated in the dock throughout the Tuesdays proceedings.His lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), insisted before Justice Ademola that the Federal Government had violated the courts order granting bail to his client.He said his application sought to prohibit the Federal Government from continuing to prosecute his client, adding that by further indulging the prosecution, which was allegedly in contempt of the orders of the court, to go on with the case, would amount to mockery of the judiciary and an assault on the rule of law.He asked for an adjournment to file a response to the prosecutions reply to his clients application.But in response, prosecuting counsel, Okpeseyi, opposed the application for adjournment as he also denied the allegation of disobeying court order.But in his ruling, Justice Ademola granted the application for adjournment and directed that the defence should file its final reply within seven days.The judge adjourned till March 3 and directed that the prosecution must produce the ex-NSA in court at the next sitting and subsequent ones.The judge also said he would deliver a pending ruling on an application by the prosecution for witness protection on March 3. The notorious 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann's cell phone the day she died carried the sounds of a woman's screams and a struggle, according to long-sealed search warrants obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal. Madison police and Dane County officials have for months refused to disclose the content of the call, which has been at the center of a public controversy over operations, management and staffing at the county 911 center. The case has drawn intense public interest because police said a stranger with an unknown motive may have killed Zimmermann and because the center mishandled the call, significantly delaying the police response. On April 2, when Zimmermann's fiance found her at their West Doty Street apartment, she was cold and lifeless and she had been stabbed in the heart so many times that he thought she had been shot in the chest, one of the warrants revealed. The six search warrants unsealed in Dane County Circuit Court give the public glimpses for the first time into secrets long held by investigators who have been trying - without success - to find Zimmermann's killer. 'Woman screaming' The warrants include police statements describing the 911 call from the UW-Madison student's phone. "The disconnect call started with the sound of a woman screaming and the line remains active and open picking up the background sounds of a struggle for a short period of time," according to a description of the call by Madison Police Detective Marion Morgan. An autopsy report in one of the warrants said that Zimmermann died from "complex homicidal violence including multiple stab wounds and strangulation." Reports in other warrants noted she had also been beaten, and nearly half of the knife wounds that killed Zimmermann were to her heart. The stab wounds were inflicted with a knife that was 2 to 5 inches long with a width of about three-quarters of an inch. The weapon had not been found as of the April 10 search warrant. Seal expired The warrants also detail the gathering of evidence, including DNA, from potential suspects who have since been ruled out. The warrants, most of them filed in April with one in June, have been sealed and resealed by judges at the request of police and Dane County prosecutors. The latest seal on all of the warrants, however, expired last week and no request was made to extend them. Police and prosecutors didn't intend to unseal the warrants and intended to seek a judge's order to extend the seals, District Attorney Brian Blanchard said. The failure to request an extension was an "oversight," he said. Neither Blanchard nor Madison Police Central District Capt. Mary Schauf would say if the police or the district attorney's office was at fault for the oversight, but Blanchard said it's a "collaborative process with shared responsibilities." Blanchard said he would not seek to have the records resealed. "I don't know what the point would be of that," he said. Schauf said the unsealing of the warrants would have little impact on the investigation. "These are old search warrants," Schauf said. "They aren't going to have any long-term effect on where we are going in the case. "We continue to actively look at different leads in the case," Schauf said. "We are still moving forward." Body found The warrants state that Jordan Gonnering last saw his fiancee about 11:30 a.m. on April 2. As he talked to her by cell phone, he said, he could see her below him from the balcony where he stood at Van Hise Hall on the UW-Madison campus. The 911 call from Zimmermann's phone came at 12:20 p.m., the search warrants state. Court documents don't state at what time Gonnering called 911 to report finding Zimmermann, but police were sent at 1:08 p.m. Detective Morgan found Gonnering crying, trembling and in shock. "His face was blanched and his eyes were fixed and forward," Morgan observed. "She was the nicest person ever. Who would do this?" he said to Morgan. Gonnering was quickly ruled out as a suspect. At the direction of a 911 dispatcher, Gonnering said he was to look into her mouth to see if anything was obstructing her breathing. He said she was cold to the touch and her fingers were stiff. There was blood on her face, he said. Zimmermann was pronounced dead at 1:34 p.m. by Deputy Coroner Jeff Sholtz. From Zimmermann's apartment police gathered a long list of potential evidence that included clothing, kitchen knives, computer equipment, bedding and other items. Among the things they took were bloody women's slippers, a paper towel with an "unknown red substance," a sheet of computer paper with suspected blood drops and 18 blood samples. Investigators also took 23 swabs for DNA and 10 fingerprints. They also took nine partial footwear prints from the apartment and two sink traps and their contents. Gonnering told police he didn't have time to notice whether anything was missing from the apartment, but said their computers were still there. Among the valuables in the list of items taken by police was also a backpack, a purse, a digital camera, an iPod and a diamond ring. Besides a phone charger, the only reference to a cell phone in the apartment, according to the inventory, was "cell phone parts." Family informed Along with the public, members of the Zimmermann family had been kept in the dark about details of the homicide, including how Brittany was killed, and had been bracing themselves for when they would learn more. A State Journal reporter called Kim Heeg, Zimmermann's aunt, Monday afternoon after the search warrants had been released and at her request shared some of the details they contained - news Heeg said Zimmermann's parents had expected to hear from detectives before it was made public. Schauf said detectives called the Zimmermann family after the State Journal call. Zimmermann family members didn't respond to a request for comment Monday night. In October, Jean Zimmermann, Brittany's mother, said she missed a call from her daughter at 11:57 a.m. the day she was killed, about the time she believes her daughter would have been getting home from campus. She said that when she learned how her daughter was killed, it would be as if she died all over again. "It's finally going to seem like it's actually real," she said. "Until we have justice for Brittany, there is absolutely no healing that can start," Jean Zimmermann said. Suspects ruled out As police started their investigation, they took DNA from at least three men, all of them homeless, who had come to their attention. All were ultimately cleared, Schauf said. The three included Thomas Cosgrove, 51, a British man who was arrested March 23 at a UW-Madison building. Jeffrey D. Ball, 49, was arrested on April 2, about nine hours after Zimmermann's death, while police were trying to remove him from a Butler Street building. A third man, Chauncey A. Mack, 53, was arrested on May 5 after getting into a fight with another man on State Street. Mack was convicted in August of disorderly conduct and sentenced to four days in jail. All three were ruled out as suspects, according to court records. Shauf said police have still not identified a suspect and are "looking at leads and tips." She would not say whether police have identified a motive or what they think might be a motive. In October, Schauf said police believed the killer was a stranger to Zimmermann, and detectives "have a working hypothesis" about what led to the murder. Schauf would not comment on details or evidence cited in the search warrants. WHAT WAS REVEALED Newly uncovered court documents reveal: * Screaming and a struggle could be heard during a 911 call made from Brittany Zimmermann's cell phone before she was found dead. * Forty-eight minutes elapsed from the time of the mishandled 911 cell-phone call until the time police were sent to Zimmermann's apartment. * Zimmermann had been stabbed in the heart repeatedly, beaten and strangled. * Police did not find a weapon at the scene. Before Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley became a judge, she and fellow attorneys urged candidates for the states highest court not to sign a so-called clean-campaign pledge pushed by the state bar association. Bradley and Milwaukee attorneys Don Daugherty, David Simon and Daniel Kelly said in a 2008 opinion column that a pledge put forward by the State Bar of Wisconsins Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee shouldnt be signed by candidates because it infringes on free speech. The Bar should not try to regulate speech by judicial candidates in a way that would be plainly unconstitutional if done by the government, the four wrote. The far better course is for candidates and their supporters to provide information they believe appropriate good, bad, even ugly and let voters decide. The committee was created in 2007 by the bar associations then-president, Tom Basting Sr., as a self-appointed watchdog group that tried to referee that years race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. The committee was disbanded in 2009, according to the bar association. Basting and his group issued seven statements reacting to advertising in the race that it deemed false or to have impugned the reputation of either candidate or the court. His group was criticized, mostly by conservatives, for being biased toward incumbent Justice Louis Butler, who signed the committees clean-campaign pledge, and against then-Burnett County Circuit Judge Michael Gableman, who did not. The committee issued a strong statement decrying one of Gablemans ads, and it found fault with commercials run by both liberal and conservative third-party groups. Gableman won the race but received an ethics charge from the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, which said one of his ads attacking Butler violated the state Code of Judicial Conduct by lying about Butlers record. The 2008 column, published before that ad was released, was co-authored by Bradley and said no matter how well-intentioned, the pledge will effectively prevent Wisconsin voters from obtaining the fullest information possible for deciding who is best-suited to serve on our highest court. Bradley in the column said the bar association shouldnt determine when speech crosses the line. Although it pays lip service to the First Amendment, the pledge will force candidates to choose between exercising their free speech rights as they see fit and facing a possible scolding by the committee, they wrote. The column noted the pledge should not preserve the judiciarys image (at) the expense of free speech. That raises the question why the committee should be deciding for voters when words are poorly chosen, the four wrote. The committees task of determining conclusively and objectively whether statements made during a campaign are false or unfair is quixotic, at best. Bradley said last week in an interview that she and the fellow attorneys wrote the column to address the creation of the committee, which they believed to be unique. It was rather unprecedented in Wisconsin and somewhat alarming in its attempt to stifle free speech and First Amendment rights, Bradley said. She said the group worried the pledge would end up restricting the amount of information available to voters. The column refers to a portion of the pledge that asks candidates to publicly disavow advertisements that impugn the integrity of the states judicial system, another candidate or erode public trust and confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary by verbally or visually attempting to lead voters to believe that a candidate will decide issues or cases in a predetermined manner. Bradley said she relies on the states judicial code of ethics, which includes rules for judicial candidates campaign activity. The pledge relies on much of the codes language. Liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now executive director Scot Ross said the column brings Bradleys integrity into question, and characterized her column as endorsing lying in campaigns. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Joe Donald, who also is running for the Supreme Court seat Bradley is seeking, said through a spokesman he would have no problem signing the pledge. This pledge is no different than the pledge my mother held me to when I was a child growing up, he said. Wisconsin voters deserve to be treated with respect, and I intend to conduct my campaign with the same integrity that I have demonstrated during my two decades as a judge. Melissa Mulliken, spokeswoman for state court of appeals judge and Supreme Court candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg, said Kloppenburg would sign the pledge if it made clear that it was meant to apply to advertisements that are untrue or inaccurate. She said Kloppenburg is scrupulous in adhering to the states code of judicial ethics. In addition, our campaign already adheres to the fundamental precepts laid out in the pledge, Mulliken said. New Program Helps Catholic Parishes Become More 'Evangelizing' -- RENEW International Introduces 'Be My Witness' in Diocese of San Angelo PLAINFIELD, N.J., Feb. 16, 2016 / RENEW's pastoral staff travels to the diocese in February to train San Angelo's parish leaders to lead Phase 1 of 'Be My Witness.' This first phase gathers and equips pastors, parish staff, and lay leaders to assess, discuss, and address five key areas of focus for evangelizing parishes: enhancing Sunday worship, creating a welcoming environment, fostering a sense of belonging, witnessing to faith, and reaching out in a spirit of mission. Unique to this process, the RENEW Parish Assessment tool provides parish leaders with valuable insights by helping them view the five key areas of parish life through the lens of evangelization. The parish team recruits members of the parish community, from the most committed to the least involved, to evaluate each of the five areas on 12 specific dimensions. The online assessment tool generates analyses to guide the team on current areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. The assessment results, along with learning videos and meeting guides, lead the teams on a journey of exploration and discussion. Reflecting on the pope's vision for evangelizing parishes, the leaders develop a plan for the parish based on the agreed-upon priorities. In addition to attending trainings delivered by RENEW International pastoral representatives, parish leaders will receive ongoing pastoral support from RENEW's staff as they develop their plans. Speaking on this new initiative being rolled out in the Diocese of San Angelo, Bishop Michael Sis remarked that he sees 'Be My Witness'in Spanish as 'Sean mis testigos'as a great opportunity to "tune parishes into a missionary key." Beginning in fall 2016, Phase 2 will build an ever-widening circle of commitment to the evangelizing mission of the parish. This next phase of 'Be My Witness' invites parishioners to take part in a small-group effort to develop the attitudes and behaviors of what the pope calls, "missionary disciples." The small-group model and RENEW's video and print resources encourage participants to evangelize in everyday life and lend their energy to parish outreach. Sr. Terry Rickard OP, RENEW's president and executive director, commented, "RENEW International has a longstanding and positive relationship serving the Diocese of San Angelo. We are honored to have this opportunity to work with parishes as they commit even more deeply to putting Christ's evangelizing mission into action." Parishes and dioceses across the country can learn more about 'Be My Witness' by signing up for a free online information session at bemywitness.org/webinar/ or by visiting RENEW International is a canonically-recognized Catholic organization operating under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark. For almost four decades, RENEW International has fostered evangelization and spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition in more than 160 dioceses in the United States and in 24 other countries. It can be found on the web at Share Tweet Contact: Deirdre Malacrea, RENEW International , 908-769-5400 ext 126PLAINFIELD, N.J., Feb. 16, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- RENEW International announced that the Diocese of San Angelo will be the first in the country to launch RENEW's newest program developed to bolster parish evangelization. Entitled 'Be My Witness: Formation for the New Evangelization,' this process draws its inspiration from Pope Francis' landmark document, 'The Joy of the Gospel.' The entire process is designed to develop vibrant parishes that are "centers of constant missionary outreach" and to help parishioners see themselves as modern-day disciples.RENEW's pastoral staff travels to the diocese in February to train San Angelo's parish leaders to lead Phase 1 of 'Be My Witness.' This first phase gathers and equips pastors, parish staff, and lay leaders to assess, discuss, and address five key areas of focus for evangelizing parishes: enhancing Sunday worship, creating a welcoming environment, fostering a sense of belonging, witnessing to faith, and reaching out in a spirit of mission.Unique to this process, the RENEW Parish Assessment tool provides parish leaders with valuable insights by helping them view the five key areas of parish life through the lens of evangelization. The parish team recruits members of the parish community, from the most committed to the least involved, to evaluate each of the five areas on 12 specific dimensions. The online assessment tool generates analyses to guide the team on current areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.The assessment results, along with learning videos and meeting guides, lead the teams on a journey of exploration and discussion. Reflecting on the pope's vision for evangelizing parishes, the leaders develop a plan for the parish based on the agreed-upon priorities. In addition to attending trainings delivered by RENEW International pastoral representatives, parish leaders will receive ongoing pastoral support from RENEW's staff as they develop their plans.Speaking on this new initiative being rolled out in the Diocese of San Angelo, Bishop Michael Sis remarked that he sees 'Be My Witness'in Spanish as 'Sean mis testigos'as a great opportunity to "tune parishes into a missionary key."Beginning in fall 2016, Phase 2 will build an ever-widening circle of commitment to the evangelizing mission of the parish. This next phase of 'Be My Witness' invites parishioners to take part in a small-group effort to develop the attitudes and behaviors of what the pope calls, "missionary disciples." The small-group model and RENEW's video and print resources encourage participants to evangelize in everyday life and lend their energy to parish outreach.Sr. Terry Rickard OP, RENEW's president and executive director, commented, "RENEW International has a longstanding and positive relationship serving the Diocese of San Angelo. We are honored to have this opportunity to work with parishes as they commit even more deeply to putting Christ's evangelizing mission into action."Parishes and dioceses across the country can learn more about 'Be My Witness' by signing up for a free online information session at bemywitness.org/webinar/ or by visiting bemywitness.org RENEW International is a canonically-recognized Catholic organization operating under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark. For almost four decades, RENEW International has fostered evangelization and spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition in more than 160 dioceses in the United States and in 24 other countries. It can be found on the web at www.renewintl.org or at www.facebook.com/renewintl For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close New Orleans police booked Terry Mack, a 22-year-old from Baton Rouge, with second-degree murder after saying that DNA linked him to the November 2015 shooting death of Bourbon Street bouncer Brandon Robinson. Reporting stolen guns could soon be mandatory in New Orleans Should reporting stolen guns be mandatory in New Orleans? Where city officials stand Stabbing suspect who set victim's house on fire is in hospital for smoke inhalation: NOPD How many graduates got TOPS money at your school? See the data The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. WASHINGTON (AP) The House Jan. 6 committee plans to unveil "surprising" details at its next public hearing about the 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol. The session Thursday afternoon is likely to be the last public hearing before midterm elections next month. The panel is expected to include new evidence from the U.S. Secret Service about its actions with Donald Trump that day. Ahead of a report later this year, the panel is summing up its findings. The committee says Trump, after he lost the 2020 presidential election, launched an unprecedented attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory. They say the result was the deadly mob siege of the Capitol. Walk around the open house for the proposed new Council Bluffs police station and you will hear one word over and over location. Dozens of local residents and potential voters on an upcoming bond referendum to pay for the new police station showed up at a law enforcement center open house and public meeting on Tuesday night at the Council Bluffs Community Hall. Most wanted to know what sites are being discussed and what sites have been eliminated. Ten potential sites have been narrowed to three the Woodbury site (land just north of NP Dodge on Woodbury Avenue); the Google site, part of the Google property near South 24th Street and 34th Avenue; and the Sapp Bros. site near 23rd Avenue and South 24th Street. While those locations seemed to be frontrunners, residents also got a chance to read about seven other locations, which longtime Council Bluff resident Delbert Henrikus appreciated. We wanted to come out and hear their opinions on each of the sites. I really wanted to see what other areas they had in mind and why theyre no longer being considered, Henrikus said. I went step-by-step through each site, and I had questions about each one, and I got them answers, which was nice. Council Bluffs mayor Matt Walsh said he has heard from many residents who preferred the new police station to part of a revitalized section of town or preferred the proposed police station be built where Sears was located in the northeast corner of the Mall of the Bluffs. I know the (Council Bluffs Law Enforcement Center Community) Study Group listened to those ideas, but those areas didnt work, Walsh said. They looked hard at those locations, and for a variety of right reasons the group eliminated those locations. The three remaining locations are all empty fields with plenty of available land to expand in the future, which Council Bluffs resident Meka Tate said was important to her. You cant expand the police force without expanding the building which the police are in, she said. The top three sites seem really good, especially with you consider they can just start building and they dont have to tear down, which could cost more money or slow the process down. In the middle of the community hall were boxes, sheets of paper and pencils. Residents could write questions or suggestions or even their favorite site on the paper and slip it into the box. The study group and law enforcement officials will start looking at the suggestions on Wednesday. In May, residents will get a chance to vote on a bond referendum to pay for the new police station. Walsh said passing a bond referendum in Iowa could be difficult. In Iowa, its a supermajority, so you need 60 percent of the vote, Walsh said. You need to get voters convinced that youve done your homework and youve done enough to earn their trust in your decision. Without that trust, it just wont pass. Community Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place. Cuba the focus of 2016 World Day of Prayer On March 4, Christians in more than 170 countries and in 2,000 communities across Canada gather to learn about and pray for Cuba during the World Day of Prayer. Locally, a World Day of Prayer service is being held starting at 1 p.m. March 4 at St. Locally, a World Day of Prayer service is being held starting at 1 p.m. March 4 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Supplied photo. On March 4, Christians in more than 170 countries and in 2,000 communities across Canada gather to learn about and pray for Cuba during the World Day of Prayer. Locally, a World Day of Prayer service is being held starting at 1 p.m. March 4 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. The National Flower of Cuba is the white butterfly jasmine, a press release said. Cuban women have used the flower not only as an adornment for their hair, but also to transmit messages during liberation wars, and as a sign of their being Cuban. There can be no better emblem for the 2016 World Day of Prayer service. For more information about the service at St. Anthony's, phone 705-522-9006. Northern Catholics' new bishop is a Sudburian A Sudbury-born Roman Catholic priest said he's looking forward to taking on the challenge of leading the church in the northern dioceses of Hearst and Moosonee, which geographically cover half of Ontario. Father Robert Bourgon was recently appointed Bishop of Hearst as well as apostolic administrator of Moosonee by Pope Francis. Photo by Heidi Ulrichsen. A Sudbury-born Roman Catholic priest said he's looking forward to taking on the challenge of leading the church in the northern dioceses of Hearst and Moosonee, which geographically cover half of Ontario. Father Robert Bourgon was recently appointed Bishop of Hearst as well as apostolic administrator of Moosonee by Pope Francis. The date of his ordination hasn't yet been set, but Bourgon said it will probably be in April. He's currently the priest of St. Bartholomew in Levack, St. Stephen in Dowling and St. Francis Xavier in Cartier, as well as judicial vicar, chancellor and vicar general of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. Bourgon, who will turn 60 next month, grew up in Creighton Mine, a community near Lively that's now a ghost town. He attended St. Peter's Seminary in London, and was ordained to the priesthood nearly 35 years ago. He obtained a doctorate in canon law from St. Paul University in Ottawa in 1997. Bourgon said he's been stationed all over Ontario, but has spent most of his time as a priest in his hometown of Sudbury. With his new job, he'll be based out of the community of Hearst, which has a population of about 5,000 people. Given he currently lives in Dowling, Bourgon said he's used to living in a small community. But some of his parishes will only be accessible by bushplane or rail, and that will be a new experience. It's going to be the real mission territory some people dream about, said Bourgon, who's travelling to Hearst this week to discuss his new post with Catholic officials in the area, and to visit some parishes. I think that kind of call is really important for the church and will be beneficial for me. It will teach me again the roots of what it is to be Christian, and a Christian priest. I hope to have a positive impact and to help bring the great message of our salvation to as many people as possible. Bourgon said he'd like to thank his fellow priests and the church communities in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie that have shaped him so much. I ask them to pray for me, as I'll pray for them, he said. Health Sciences North would need to invest around $1.5 million to build a space that could safely house a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, says the hospital's vice-president of regional cancer services and medical imaging. Health Sciences North would need to invest around $1.5 million to build a space that could safely house a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, says the hospital's vice-president of regional cancer services and medical imaging.In December 2015, Ontario's health minister, Dr. Eric Hoskins, announced the province would provide $1.6 million per year to cover the operational costs for a PET scanner at Health Sciences North.But as with all large hospital purchases, the province will not purchase the scanner the cost of which hovers around the $3.5 million range nor cover the cost of building a space to house the expensive machine. That means the hospital needs to raise at least $5 million before it can have a PET scanner.Because PET scans emit radioactive gamma rays, the room, likely to be attached to the Northeast Cancer Centre, would need walls reinforced with at least 37 centimetres of concrete.My guess would be that at the very best, were probably looking at a year of work before we would have that space ready, said Mark Hartman, Health Sciences North's vice-president of regional cancer services and medical imaging.Hartman said the hospital has already had meetings with an architecture firm and designers to plan for the space.To date, the Sam Bruno PET Scanner Fund Committee, established to raise funds for the PET scanner in conjunction with the Northern Cancer Foundation, has raised more than $1 million to purchase the machine.In early February, Greater Sudbury city council committed $1 million, in the amount of $100,000 per year, over 10 years, to help pay for a PET scanner.The northeast is the only region in Ontario without a PET scanner, which would allow oncologists to detect certain types of cancer earlier and better manage patients treatment plans.In 2013, there were around 570 PET scans done on people who live in the northeast. These were primarily in Ottawa and Toronto. Hartman said that number is likely close to 700 today.The provinces operational funding would allow the hospital to conduct around 1,000 PET scans per year. But before even a single scan, the hospital needs the capital funds to bring a machine to Sudbury.To donate to the Sam Bruno PET Scanner Fund click here Check out the March issue of the "Northern Ontario Medical Journal" for an in-depth story on the fund's history and the ongoing struggle to get Health Sciences North a PET scanner. Volunteer safety fears see OPP kill trails program The OPP and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs have announced the Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol (STOP) program has been discontinued to protect the safety of volunteers. The OPP and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs have announced the Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol (STOP) program has been discontinued to protect the safety of volunteers. Supplied photo. The OPP and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs have announced the Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol (STOP) program has been discontinued to protect the safety of volunteers. The STOP Program was a partnership between the OPP and Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs volunteers who were appointed as special constable and assisted OPP officers with snowmobile patrol on the trails. The program started in 1995, and has undergone a number of changes since then. Following a comprehensive review both agencies agreed that it was no longer feasible to continue the program. Part of the volunteers' duties were to assist OPP officers in handing out tickets for contraventions of the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act. But in recent years, that has proven to be more dangerous, said OPP Sgt. Lise Grenier. We've got sledders out there that are injuring our own officers, said Grenier, a specialized patrol co-ordinator with the OPP's Highway Safety Division. She said one sledder ran into an OPP officer's snowmobile last year in an attempt to injure the officer. Because the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs volunteers don't have the necessary training or equipment to deal with dangerous situations, the program was discontinued. When the volunteers are out there we wouldn't want them to be involved in any activities that would result in them being hurt, or anyone else for that matter, Grenier said. She added OPP officers will continue to patrol the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trails, and other initiatives, such as the Trail Ambassador program, will continue. Every project begins with the first step and the North Platte City Council has given the Downtown Association something that could stimulate progress down the road. The North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corporation asked the council for permission to submit a request for funds to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, for the purpose of enhancing the economic vitality of downtown North Platte. The proposal is for a matching grant. Several business owners spoke in support of the request. Shae Caldwell, owner of Whitetail Screen Print at 507 N. Jeffers St., said that even minor improvements could inspire other property owners. As you know, if you drove into downtown from the north side, our building was pretty ugly, Caldwell said. We worked with the city on refacing that north side [of the building]. I get random emails every week from people who drive by and thanked me for making that change because they love driving into the city now. And it was such a little thing that we did that turned out to be so huge. That little change did spark a lot of excitement. It sparked our neighbors in the alley to paint their building, to put lighting back there. Its sparked a lot of things. With the approval of the city council, the application will be submitted to the NDED. We are hoping to apply for a Community Development Block Grant, said Megan McGowan, vice president of Economic Development and director of Communications and Marketing for the chamber. The maximum grant amount is $30,000. There is a requirement of a 25 percent match. Half of that 25 percent can be in-kind and half must be attached match. We do have matching funds committed from the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation as well as from the Downtown Merchants Association, and in-kind contributions have been committed from the North Platte Area Chamber and Development. After hearing from several downtown association members and other North Platte residents, the council voted to approve the request. Excitement breeds excitement, said Mike Honerman, downtown association member. What an opportunity to take some money, it doesnt matter if its a little or a lot, and have somebody match it and put it toward your business. Its hard not to get excited about downtown. North Platte resident Tracy Martinez spoke out against the request, stating the downtown merchants knew what they were getting when they purchased the older buildings and should fund their own repairs. However, most meeting attendees agreed that the proposal was a good idea. I think its a great boost to downtown to get individual building owners and give them some ideas on some effective and fairly reasonable cost improvements to their buildings, said Michael Phillips, president of the downtown association. Were hoping this will be contagious as we get one or two building owners to take advantage of the program, and maybe their neighbors and then their neighbors will look to improve the look of downtown. In other action: n The council passed an ordinance to rezone a BG-T neighborhood transitional district to a B-2 highway commercial district located at 321 S. Dewey. n Issuance of general obligation flood control bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $400,000 for the purposes of paying costs of storm water control was approved. n The one- and six-year road plan was approved. Eugene Avenue was added to the plan at the previous meeting after hearing from the public who addressed that the road was an issue that needs to be resolved. n Resolution approved to designate Farmers State Bank as a warrant lender incorporating terms and conditions of ordinance No. 3874. n Resolution approved authorizing and issuance of a warrant to Nebraska Department of Roads in the amount of $67,121.72 concerning the Jeffers Street construction project. SCHERERVILLE Three new businesses will open soon in a new strip mall at the Crossroads of America, the intersection of Indianapolis Boulevard and U.S. 30. Valparaiso-based gourmet burger chain Burgerhaus, Jimmy Johns and Batteries Plus will locate in the new 5,000-square-foot strip mall on the southwest side of the intersection, Schererville town manager Bob Volkmann said. The retail development in front of the landmark Crossings of Schererville office building had been planned for a decade, but was stalled during the Great Recession. More development is coming soon, including the next phase at the Shops on Main lifestyle center at Main Street and Indianapolis Boulevard. Nordstrom Rack plans to open a much-anticipated 25,000-square-foot store there. Volkmann said there had been talks with many other retailers, including J. Crew, but that nothing was official. Regency Center Communications Manager Eric Davidson said he could not confirm any rumored tenants for Shops on Main, such as Ann Taylor. Everybody, all the stores there, are really busy, Volkmann said. Theres a lot of traffic. Whole Foods has said its doing very well, above expectations. Josh Halpern, president of Alberts Diamond Jewelers, also is moving forward with plans for the Shoppes on The Boulevard retail center at the site of the former Krispy Kreme at 320 Indianapolis Blvd. The project will include a 10,000-square-foot building and a 4,200-square-foot building. Construction is expected to start in the spring, and businesses should be open before the end of the year. With the Nordstrom Rack, retails getting some momentum, Schererville Town Councilman Kevin Connelly said. While retail has been booming in Schererville on U.S. 30 and especially Indianapolis Boulevard, the town wants to redevelop its downtown as well, Connelly said. The hope is to make it more of a destination like downtown Valparaiso. Wed love to see the main corridor of the downtown district get cool restaurants and complement what wed already have, he said. Schererville is offering incentives to lure businesses downtown, including tax-increment financing funding and facade grants that will match up to $15,000 in renovations. Information on all 17,700 Kankakee Valley REMC customers was accessed in a cyber-security breach, exposing information ranging from names to REMC account numbers, according to the member-owner electric utility. The breach was identified following a cyber-security audit conducted on the electric cooperatives system in mid-January, when it was discovered that a foreign Internet Protocol address had accessed a storage device on its computer network. Immediate action was taken and the accessed pathway was removed, according to the electric cooperative. "We do not know at this time if information was copied or taken from the area accessed on our system," said Kankakee Valley REMC CEO Dennis Weiss. "What we do know is that the information was viewed. We are managing the incident as if the data has been compromised to ensure the highest level of protection to our membership." Kankakee Valley REMC, headquartered in Wanatah, serves owner-members throughout Starke, Pulaski, Porter, Lake, Marshall, St. Joseph and LaPorte County. The foreign device accessed members' names, addresses, phone numbers, Kankakee Valley REMC location numbers, Kankakee Valley REMC member numbers and Kankakee Valley REMC account numbers, the utility stated in a news release. Social security numbers and credit card information of the membership was not accessed during the breach because the electric cooperative adds an extra layer of encryption to all critical information. Moving forward, the utility cooperative has procedures in place to conduct regular cyber security audits that will increase the effectiveness of its cyber-defense systems, according to its news release. "We are managing the incident as if the data has been compromised to ensure the highest level of protection to our membership," Weiss said. The electric cooperative has mailed letters to customers explaining the breach and encouraging members to use steps outlined at the Indiana Office of Attorney General's Web site to protect their identity. "We are taking this situation very serious," Weiss said. "As a company it is our duty to protect the most critical identity information of our membership. Not only do we have software in place to protect this information, but we also have procedures to ensure that members electric account information cant be accessed over the phone or in person without proper identification." Diners who have a taste for authentic Polish cuisine won't go wrong planning a visit to Cavalier Inn in Hammond. Cavalier Inn, located at 735 Gostlin, has been in existence since 1955. In 1955, however, it was located only a few blocks down from its current location. (The eatery moved to the current locale in 1963). "My mom and dad started the business," said Wally Kasprzycki, who serves as manager now. He said his late father actually began another restaurant/bar business in the area in 1949. At the Cavalier Inn, which is akin to a banquet/hall setting for dining, guests will find an assortment of Polish specialties as well as other American-style entrees. The eatery also has a bar area, with seating. In the bar, guests will even find a juke box which plays old 45s. Kasprzycki's mother Mary still takes the helm in the kitchen as she produces homemade, old-style Polish dishes with a few other cooks who've worked at the Cavalier Inn for 20 plus years. "It's all homemade stuff," Kasprzycki stressed, adding his mother and the other cooks work hard in the kitchen as they produce the high quality, authentic fare. On a recent Saturday, we visited Cavalier Inn for an early lunch. Kasprzycki was our friendly server that day and let us know what soups were featured. He also talked a bit about how various entrees were prepared and what they included. We ordered Golabki (stuffed cabbage, $9.75) and also Pork Chops ($10.75). Both were served with a relish plate featuring coleslaw, which was a sweet concoction made on the premises, as well as bean salad and cottage cheese. We also tried the cheese and sauerkraut pierogi ($1.75 each). All entrees are hearty portions. The stuffed cabbage was well seasoned and was served with a choice of potato, which in our case was a baked potato. Cavalier Inn's pork chops, Kasprzycki said, are one of the popular items and we quickly learned why. The chops were lightly breaded, extremely tender and flavorful. Mashed potatoes and a serving of green beans went well with the dish. Other dishes on the menu include Roast Loin of Pork ($8.50); Chicken Liver and Onions ($7.75); Polish Potato Pancakes ($7); Polish Sausage with Sauerkraut ($9.50); and Pierogi ($7.50 for 5). Homemade soup is featured daily. Selections rotate but often include potato, chicken noodle, pickle, Czarnina; and others. Breakfast dishes, including eggs, omelets and French toast, are available all day at the restaurant. Kasprzycki said diners order a great amount of seafood. Available at Cavalier Inn are Lake Perch ($12.25); Frog Legs ($10.75); Salmon Patties ($8.25); Walleye ($13.50) and more. Burgers and Sandwich Specials are also featured. Cavalier Inn is popular with clientele who have been visiting the restaurant for decades but Kasprzycki said they often see new faces. "We're getting more and more new ones. Word travels," he said. Through the years, the restaurant's prices haven't changed drastically. "As a neighborhood place, we can't raise our prices much," Kasprzycki said. CROWN POINT A Gary woman admitted to getting on her boyfriend's back while his face was being smothered into a mattress, wrapped a phone cord around his neck and pulled the cord with all her strength, according to court records. Santrina Echols, 43, pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter, a Class B felony, and is expected to be sentenced to 15 years in prison. Echols had faced a murder charge and was scheduled to stand trial Feb. 29. Clester Sims, 37, of Gary, was found dead July 13, 2013, in the 1400 block of West 16th Avenue. Former Gary Police Chief Wade Ingram found the body after receiving a call from a concerned resident. The first autopsy determined he died from cardiomyopathy and the manner of death was undetermined. A second autopsy later determined he died from asphyxiation due to smothering, compression and ligature strangulation. Sims was living with Echols at the time, and the two had a volatile romantic relationship. Weeks before the homicide, Sims had pleaded guilty to a charge of battery, a Class A misdemeanor. Echols was the victim in the case. Two weeks before the homicide, Echols went to the Rough Rider Motorcycle clubhouse in the 2100 block of Broadway in Gary and began arguing with Sims and a woman he was dating. Echols admitted in Wednesday's plea agreement that she hit the woman in the head with a "blackjack." She pleaded guilty to a charge of battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Class C felony. When Sims arrived at Echols' home on July 13, 2013, he appeared to be intoxicated and the two began fighting. He had spent the previous night with the other woman he was dating. Echols admitted to killing Sims while acting under sudden heat, because of the past episodes of domestic violence and the affair he was having. She told Judge Pro Tem Michael Lambert that she was taking medication at the jail to treat her mental health problems. The plea agreement calls for Echols to be sentenced to four years in prison for the battery by means of a deadly weapon charge and 15 years for voluntary manslaughter. The sentences will be served concurrently. She will be sentenced April 6 by Lake County Criminal Judge Samuel Cappas. VALPARAISO Defense attorney Larry Rogers told jurors Wednesday the case against his client, Steven Lindsey, is built upon a false positive gunshot residue test "They looked at every piece of evidence with the eye that Steven must have done it," he said. The claims were made as prosecutors began a third attempt at proving Lindsey, 36, guilty of murdering his wife, Melinda Lindsey, 23, by shooting her in the head as she was in bed at the couple's home along Ind. 149 in Center Township. The first attempt in September ended with a mistrial after a last-minute witness came forward claiming an earlier person of interest carried out the home invasion and slaying. The case was then tried over nearly three weeks in November, but ended in a hung jury. Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matt Frost told jurors during opening arguments Wednesday that evidence points to no one but Steven Lindsey. "Steven Lindsey is the murderer, he is the killer of his wife," Frost said. Evidence began with the playing of two 911 calls Lindsey placed on the morning of the slaying. Marsha Kistler, a Porter County 911 dispatcher, testified that she could not understand any of the first call, which was made up of a series of drawn out moans and cries by Steven Lindsey. During the second call, which came six minutes later at 6:25 a.m., Lindsey said, "They shot my wife." He also said, "I couldn't do anything." Frost told jurors that after Lindsey hung up on the first 911 call, he called his brother for 40 to 50 seconds and then called back to 911 and said, "They took my wife and I heard a gunshot." Lindsey later told police he was attacked while sleeping on a couch, rendered unconscious, bound and moved to his toddler daughters bedroom, where he awoke to the sound of a gunshot that turned out to be someone shooting his wife in their bedroom. The invasion came after weeks of harassment by a stalker/thief, he said. Frost said Steven Lindsey and his wife had been having problems, in part because she wanted to return to her former job as an exotic dancer. They were also falling behind in their bills and Melinda Lindsey had purchased a $1.1 million life insurance policy. Rogers dismissed the life insurance policy as a motive, saying the couple had fallen behind on the premium payment just before the killing. He said Melinda Lindsey had been stalked before her death and had been in a series of earlier relationships, most of which were violent. PORTAGE A woman was arrested for allegedly drunken driving with her two children in her car following a crash late Tuesday afternoon on Willowcreek Road. Sarah Saalwaechter, 35, of Hobart was charged with three counts of operating while intoxicated including a felony county of having minors in the car. According to police, Saalwaechter's 2001 Lincoln Navigator struck the rear of a stopped 1997 Pontiac Gran Prix on Willowcreek Road near Swan Avenue. The Gran Prix was then pushed into the rear of a 2001 Ford Windstar van. The driver of the Gran Prix complained of pain to his head and neck and was provided with medical care on the scene. Saalwaechter, who police said smelled of alcohol, failed several field sobriety tests. She refused to take a portable breath test. A warrant was received and Saalwaechter was transported to Portage Hospital for toxicology tests. Her two children, ages 3 and 5, were in the back seat of the vehicle and uninjured. They were released to a friend. Police also found two empty vodka bottles in the vehicle's console and another nearly empty bottle in the SUV. According to police, one of her children told them her mother "drinks one of those a day." MICHIGAN CITY A resolution reaffirming support for Muslims will be reviewed by a committee before any action is taken by the full City Council. The resolution was presented Tuesday night to the Michigan City City Council. Council President Chris Schwanke questioned whether any action is necessary due to the rights of all Americans being protected under both the federal and state constitutions and the oath elected officials must take to uphold those laws. All of the things in this resolution are already in those documents, Schwanke said. Other concerns include whether Muslims are singled out for protection, which might be viewed as unfair and offensive, he said. Is it trying to protect a religion or trying to protect maybe Middle Eastern people? Not everybody who is Middle Eastern is Muslim, said Schwanke. The Michigan City area is home to one of the oldest mosques in the nation, the Islamic Center of Michigan City on County Road 500 East south of U.S 20 in The Pines. It was founded in 1914. Specifically, the resolution states hateful and intolerant acts against Muslims are contrary to the United States values of acceptance, welcoming and fellowship with those of all faiths, beliefs and cultures. It goes on to state the rise of hateful and anti-Muslim speech, violence and cultural ignorance plays into the false narrative spread by terrorist groups of western hatred of Islam, and can encourage certain individuals to react in extreme and violent ways and these acts affect not only the individual victims but also their families, communities and the entire group whose faith or beliefs were the motivation for the act. If approved, the council under the resolution would be denouncing acts of hate targeted against mosques, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslims and outlining its dedication to the rights and dignity of all of its citizens of all faiths, beliefs and cultures and recognizing the Muslim community nationwide as having made countless positive contributions to society. The resolution also declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of all U.S. citizens should be protected and preserved and urges authorities at all levels to work to prevent hate crimes and prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law and reaffirms the inalienable right of every citizen to live without fear and intimidation and to practice their freedom of faith. The resolution sprung from Concerned Citizens for Syrian Refugees, a local group formed to raise money to help the people from Syrian fleeing their country with basic needs. Jeanette Neagu, chairperson of the group, said the resolution is clear on its intent and was disappointed a need was felt to send it to a committee for further review. Apparently, there was some members that wanted to make some modifications to the language. Were not sure what those modifications are or what they want to do. We certainly dont want it have diminished in any way, Neagu said. She said one of the hopes is to send an approved resolution to the governors office and members of the house and senate to try and persuade Gov. Mike Pence to soften his stance against accepting Syrian refugees. Pence and many other governors are concerned that terrorists will pose as refugees to try and get into the country. Neagu said residents of Syria are already the most heavily screened and she would be opposed to letting the refugees come here without such thorough screening. SCHERERVILLE With a goal of starting construction this spring, representatives of Shoppes on The Boulevard presented revised plans for the proposed retail center to the Schererville Plan Commission at its Monday study session. Josh Halpern, president of Alberts Diamond Jewelers, is the developer of the center at the site of the former Krispy Kreme franchise at 320 Indianapolis Blvd. That building has since been demolished. The development originally received the OK from the Town Council in 2013 to proceed. The original plans for Shoppes on The Boulevard called for a 22,600-square-foot building to house five to 11 businesses on the 2.1-acre site located south of Woodhollow Drive. The revised plans presented at the study session by Mike Aiello of Aiello Architecture Design in Glenview, Illinois, and Jim Reilly, general contractor with KGM Inc. of Munster, features two buildings one a 4,200-square-foot stand-alone structure with one tenant and a 10,000-square-foot building with four tenants. Alberts will not be one of those businesses. Halpern said prior to the meeting the development already has a restaurant committed to the site, although no information is available now. We are working with a few retailers, said Halpern, who did not address the plan commission directly. Reilly stressed to commissioners the goal is to begin construction of the retail center in March or April and have tenants businesses open by the end of the year. A larger tenant, perhaps a family-type restaurant, will occupy the north end of the larger building, Reilly said. That would enable patrons to use the center parking spaces. Although the original plans called for drive-up entrances for some businesses, Reilly and Aiello said the goal is to not have a drive-up window in this new plan. Aiello presented the new architectural design for the project that still has a Prairie-style facade, but features lighter brick as well as stone and stucco. The roof that was a Mansard-style in the original plans has been changed to a flat roof to accommodate HVAC units on the roof-tops that will be hidden by horizontal elements above the doors. We increased the amount of glass and have better placement for signs, Aiello told the six-member Plan Commission. The fronts of both buildings are aligned facing U.S. 41 and the buildings are mirror images of each other, the architect said. After asking a number of questions, commissioners commented that they liked the new look of the retail center. Town Manager Bob Volkmann said the original variances granted in 2013 by the BZA for this project have expired and new variances need to be reviewed. That could potentially slow the progress of the project, he said. Several options are open over the next two months to receive variances prior to a public meeting in front of the plan commission. Commissioners said development representatives need to meet with Volkmann and his staff to work out those details. VALPARAISO | If the Valparaiso Community Schools went to trademark its "Viking logo," it would have a problem. The school district don't own it. So it doesn't have the ability to allow a new Family Express franchise to use the Valparaiso Vikings as its theme, either. Administration officials discovered the logo is owned by the Minnesota Vikings football franchise, which allows Valparaiso to use it. The topic came up during a recent School Board meeting during discussion over the planned Valparaiso Viking-themed Family Express being built on Calumet Avenue. School Board attorney David Hollenbeck said to the best of his knowledge, the Viking logo has been the symbol of the Minnesota Vikings since the franchise was created in 1960. He said he's had no recollection of a potential issue until the consultant used for the recent referendum project expressed a concern. "Contact was made with the Minnesota Vikings and the team had no problem with the Valparaiso Community School utilization of the Viking likeness," Hollenbeck said. "That being said, VCS is not in a position to grant anyone else the privilege of using the logo." Superintendent E. Ric Frataccia and other School Board members discussed the possibility of coming up with a new logo. "By establishing our own Viking logo, we can trademark the likeness and avoid any potential future problems and conceivably could license our own logo as a revenue source," Hollenbeck said. Frataccia said a new logo could be created using local students in the art field. HAVANA The United States and Cuba on Tuesday signed a deal restoring commercial air traffic for the first time in five decades, allowing dozens of new daily flights to bring hundreds of thousands more American travelers a year to the island as early as this fall. Immediately after the signing, the U.S. Department of Transportation opened bidding by American air carriers on as many as 110 U.S.-Cuba flights a day more than five times the current number. All flights operating between the two countries today are charters. Barring other major announcements, the restart of commercial flights will be the most significant development in U.S.-Cuba trade since Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced in late 2014 they would begin normalizing ties after a half-century of Cold War opposition. The Obama administration is eager to make rapid progress on building trade and diplomatic ties with Cuba before the president leaves office. The coming weeks are seen as particularly crucial to building momentum ahead of a trip he hopes to make to Havana by the end of March. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the U.S.," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said after he and Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in a ceremony at Havana's Hotel Nacional. "It represents a critically important milestone in the U.S. effort to engage with Cuba." The U.S. Department of Transportation expects to award the new routes by the summer. The winning airlines then must negotiate their own deals with Cuba. Yzquierdo declined an interview request but Foxx said after meeting with the Cuban minister that he believed Cuba was eager to restore commercial air service as quickly as possible. "Every indication I have in the conversations we've had today is that the Cubans want to move as fast as we're able to move," Foxx said. "People will actually be able to go buy a ticket and fly to Cuba on a commercial airline. That's a pretty big step. We haven't been able to do that in 50 years." The agreement allows 20 regular daily U.S. flights to Havana, in addition to the current 10-15 charter flights a day. The rest would be to other Cuban cities. Nearly 160,000 U.S. leisure travelers flew to Cuba last year, along with hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans visiting family, mostly on expensive, frequently chaotic charter flights out of Florida. "The adoption of this memorandum is an important step that will soon permit the establishment of regular flights between the United States and Cuba," said Yzquierdo Rodriguez at the signing ceremony. Commercial flights make travel to Cuba far easier for U.S. travelers, with features such as online booking and 24-hour customer service that are largely absent in the charter industry. U.S. visitors to Cuba will still have to qualify under one of the travel categories legally authorized by the U.S. government. Tourism is still barred by law, but the number of legal reasons to go to Cuba from organizing professional meetings to distributing information to Cubans has grown so large and loosely enforced that the distinction from tourism has blurred significantly. Commercial travel will give travelers the ability to simply check an online box on a long list of authorized categories. The deal does not contemplate flights by Cuba's national airline to the United States, where lawyers for families and businesses that have sued Havana over decades-old property confiscations are eager to freeze any of its assets they can get their hands on. American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said the company plans to bid on routes from Miami and other unspecified "American hubs." "We applaud the Administration for making commercial air service a priority," American chairman Doug Parker said in a written statement. "American looks forward to submitting a Cuba service proposal to the Department of Transportation in the coming weeks." United Airlines is also looking to serve Havana from some of its hubs, spokesman Luke Punzenberger said. The carrier's major hubs include Chicago, Houston, Washington and Newark, New Jersey. It currently does not fly charters to Cuba. "Assuming service is approved, United customers will benefit from United's expanded global route network and new opportunities for leisure and business travel to Cuba," the airline said. JetBlue Airways said it was eager to offer service between "multiple" cities in the United States and the island, with spokesman Doug McGraw saying that "interest in Cuba has reached levels not seen for a generation." There have been some major seismic shifts on the national and state political scene recently, some of which are still creating aftershocks. The one that has the biggest potential for change, as well as continued turmoil and noise, is the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday. Scalia was a strong conservative voice on the court. Even before he had a chance to have a funeral with the dignity he deserves, there were more emotions about the future of the court than the loss of a longstanding justice. Whether you agreed with his decisions or not, you should admire his dedication to the law and to the nation he served for so long. Scalia was dead only a matter of hours before Republicans were expressing their dismay that President Barack Obama could nominate a replacement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even said Saturday that the Senate wouldnt vote on an Obama nominee. Anyone focused on good government, rather than lousy politics, would see the dangers of a court having the potential for 4-4 tied votes for any length of time. The focus should be on ensuring the proper functioning of the judicial branch, not about fighting the president. If I were Obama, I would appoint a well-qualified, moderate Republican, and let the senators try to decide whether to continue their policy of fighting Obama or accept a nominee who isnt a liberal. Government must go on, despite the bickering. That brings us to our next big change in the political landscape, the announcement by Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann that she would rather seek the presidency of Ivy Tech Community College than to seek a second term as Gov. Mike Pences lieutenant. It says a lot about the Pence administration that he and his No. 2 are parting ways. The governor's race, between Republican Pence and Democrat John Gregg, appears to be a toss-up at this point. Ellspermann might be a good fit for Ivy Tech. She has the right background for it. Pences new running mate will be Eric Holcomb, a former Indiana Republican Party chief and former chief of staff to retiring U.S. Sen. Dan Coats. Holcomb was running for Senate, but he failed to get much traction in a state where the Republican Party is farther to the right than it used to be. That brings us to another seismic shift that promises continuing repercussions. U.S. Rep. Todd Young, who wants to ascend to the Senate, is accused of not getting enough signatures on his petitions to qualify for the Senate race. There are a lot of lessons in this. The first, of course, is that a candidate should get a lot more signatures than necessary to run for office. If any of the signatures are challenged, its easier not to sweat when you have far more than necessary. Its also harder to challenge a candidate with far more signatures than necessary. Having a lot of signatures also is a sign of an aggressive grassroots campaign, one that will be strong enough to offer support not just in the primary but also, voters willing, in the general election. With Young possibly out of the race, that could mean a very conservative Republican candidate for the Senate. So what does that mean for the general election? The Republican presidential field is shrinking, with Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie withdrawing Wednesday following the New Hampshire primary. By the time the Indiana primary rolls around in May, the nomination for both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates still could be in play. Whos at the top of the ticket could affect votes in other races as well. The governors race is so close it could go either way. I fully expect Indiana to go Republican when it comes to the presidential race, but what if enough voters go Democratic in the gubernatorial race to affect the Senate race, too? Or what if the Senate candidate says something so far right as Richard Mourdock did four years ago in saying its Gods will when a child is the product of rape that voters give a Republican Senate seat to the Democrat, former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill? The Senate, don't forget, is charged with confirming Supreme Court nominations, among myriad other duties. For now, well have to wait to see how all these aftershocks turn out. This past Sunday, The Times published a Rich James column that opined, Marissa McDermott wouldnt be running for Lake Circuit Court judge if she werent married to Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. No, the thought never would have crossed her mind. I am not sure how James would have any idea of what crosses my mind as he and I have only spoken once, in a social setting, years ago. Despite any actual firsthand knowledge, he argues my candidacy is nothing more than the ego-fueled ambition of my husband as though a woman could not possibly have her own notions about her own career. Reading that column, I could not help but think of the recent Progressive Insurance commercial in which the antiquated man worryingly asks an assertive Flo, Where is your husband? While I would have hoped we would finally be at the point where female political candidates are no longer subject to the soft bias of low expectations, I guess I am wrong. James snarks that a circuit judicial candidate has to be a "pretty strong horse," forcing me to drag out the resume he chooses to ignore. I spent the first 3 1/2 years of my life in a Polish orphanage. I was raised by a New York police officer and special education teacher. My father didnt raise a princess, teaching me to clear brush, paint houses, lay brick and spackle drywall right alongside my brother. He later cashed out his police retirement to send me to college and then to Notre Dame Law School, where I met my husband, Tom. I turned down a job offer at one of Manhattans largest law firms to set down roots here in Northwest Indiana. In the 15 years since graduating from Notre Dame, I have raised four children, taught at Purdue Calumet, served in various community organizations and launched a successful law practice. Most of my law practice has been devoted to representing individuals, which I have done in almost every court in Lake County from federal court to small claims court. I value the good relationships I enjoy with my colleagues, and I think James would be hard-pressed to find a fellow attorney who would doubt my ability and professionalism. Had he asked around, James would have learned there were quite a few members of the Lake County Bar who were uncomfortable with the way in which the current Circuit Court judge achieved his office six years ago. However, few people were more infuriated than James, himself, who expressed outrage at what he saw as evidence of political shenanigans: At 11:56 a.m. on Feb. 19 four minutes before the close of filing for the primary Arredondo withdrew his candidacy for re-election. Two minutes before he withdrew, Merrillville Town Judge George Paras filed for Lorenzo's Circuit Court seat. What it comes down to is that Arredondo and Paras decided that they know what's best for the people of Lake County. With the utmost arrogance, they decided the voters don't matter. In that same column from six years ago, James chastised Lake Countys attorneys for ignoring this alleged stunt, calling us "sheep in the pasture." That he would now criticize an attorney who dares offer a choice to voters is puzzling. One thing is beyond doubt, however. I am running for office the old-fashioned way. I filed my candidacy well before the deadline. I have already met countless Lake County voters to explain why I believe I am a good candidate for the position. Whether I succeed or fail in this bid, I ask only to be judged on my own merits. A recent study by Ball State researchers takes issue with the use of tax increment financing districts in Indiana. We take issue with those findings. Done right, TIFs can be a boon to economic development. TIFs are generally used to generate additional property tax revenue from redeveloped property, often capturing the increased amount to pay off government borrowing for infrastructure improvements. "More than half of the assessed value growth in Indianas TIF districts is attributable to the 'capture' of growth from non-TIF areas that would have happened regardless of the presence of a TIF. This has reduced property tax revenues to local governments by as much as $320 million per year," the study said. The study, released Jan. 29 by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, correctly notes that property taxes captured within TIF districts is to be spent within those districts. Typically, that means spending the money on infrastructure improvements and other priorities. "The public school share of costs is equivalent to roughly 2,400 teachers or the operation of more than 900 additional buses per year," study authors Michael J. Hicks and Dagney Faulk said. But that need not be the case. In some communities, like Burns Harbor, money captured within a TIF district is shared with the school district. Valparaiso, for example, worked out a deal with East Porter County School Corp. for the portion of taxes captured within that school district's boundaries. Valparaiso is a city where the TIF tool has been used effectively. Mayor Jon Costas recently credited the TIF mechanism for helping bring substantial private investments to the city. In using TIF money effectively, a broader footprint is better, because that means the use of that money can be broader, too. TIFs also have an expiration date, something that shouldn't be forgotten. It's not as if TIF money is permanently devoted to use within the TIF district. Those who oppose the use of TIF districts often contend that the money generated from private investments within the district should be available for use elsewhere within the community. Higgs and Faulk make that point, putting a $320 million price tag on it statewide. But that's true only if the private investments would have been made regardless of whether the TIF incentive were offered. The study says 5.16 percent of net assessed value was captured within TIF districts in Lake County and 4.21 percent in Porter County between 2003 and 2012. No LaPorte County numbers were available. We're all for data-driven decisions in governance, but we also can't discount the value of experience. In communities without the wherewithal to provide infrastructure incentives through other means, the use of TIF districts can be a valuable tool. That tool is even sharper when the district is broad enough to not be limited by a single project like a new factory. And while a TIF isn't the right tool for every project, it's a good tool to have in an economic development toolbox for the times when it's needed. SPRINGFIELD On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a statewide agriculture group that his standoff with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly over this years budget now in its eighth month is not really about the budget. Its about the future direction of Illinois, Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield. Thats what this is about: Are we going to stay on the track weve been on or are we going to go in a new direction? Rauner will press his case for that new direction Wednesday in his address to lawmakers. Based on his public statements in recent weeks, it appears Rauner will continue to promote aspects of his policy agenda. In speeches to business groups last week, the governor continued his call for reforms such as changes to the way legislative districts are drawn and consolidation of units of local government. Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending. According to excerpts of the prepared text of his speech, the governor will announce that his party will be introducing a stand-alone funding bill for early childhood, elementary and secondary education. No matter how this session unfolds send that education bill to my desk CLEAN NO GAMES and Ill sign it immediately, the excerpts read. The governors office says he will call for record funding levels for elementary and secondary education. Meanwhile, two organizations held news conferences Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge Rauner to change the tack hes taken in budget negotiations. The Grassroots Collaborative, a group of community organizations, labor unions and others, unveiled what it calls the peoples agenda, its alternative to Rauners pro-business, union-weakening turnaround agenda. Arguing that compared with other states, Illinois spends too little on key areas such as education, health care, public safety and human services, the group is pushing for revenue increases, including a graduated income tax and a tax on millionaires. Families are hurting all across Illinois, said Amisha Patel, executive director of the Grassroots Collaborative. For over a decade, the state has been divesting from vital public services. The Responsible Budget Coalition also called on Rauner to choose revenue in his budget proposal. Roy Harley, director of coalition member Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said the current impasse has resulted in home visits and other services around the state scaling back or shutting down. Without a budget, we are failing the most vulnerable and needy among us, Harley said, calling the situation unconscionable and irresponsible. One of the major crisis points in the budget impasse has been funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students. Those areas havent received any state funding since the fiscal year began July 1 because Rauner vetoed all but the elementary and secondary education portion of this years budget. The spending plan Democrats passed was at least $4 billion out of balance. Democrats in the General Assembly passed a bill last month without any Republican votes that would devote $721.5 million to funding community colleges and grants through the Monetary Award Program. Rauner vowed to veto the bill because he said theres no money to pay for it, so Democrats waited two weeks to send it to him, offering what they called a cooling-off period. Flanked by students, Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, on Tuesday delivered the bill to the governors office. He has heard from the students. He has heard from the administrations how this is hurting the universities, Trotter said before delivering the bill. Hopefully he has given thought to that and will sign this bill. Rauners office said he still plans to veto the bill. SPRINGFIELD Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner offered lawmakers two distinct options Wednesday to end Illinois' historic budget stalemate: Implement his cost-saving proposals in exchange for a $36 billion budget, or give him authority to make $4 billion in cuts. Rauner's second budget address, delivered eight months after the current fiscal year's budget should have taken effect, reinforces what he's said in the past about his openness to raising taxes but only if lawmakers are willing to give him some of the reforms he wants. "You choose," he told lawmakers. "But please, choose now." Without some reforms, he added, "We cannot in good conscience raise taxes on the hard-working families of Illinois." Democrats who control the Legislature already have balked at the idea of giving Rauner unilateral power to make cuts, repeatedly dismissed his suggested reforms, such as curbing the power of unions, and say the solution is a combination of spending cuts and raising taxes on the wealthy. The speech only made them dig in harder. "We're all better served ... if we follow the traditional approach, people become reasonable with each other, move away from extreme agendas, recognize that the No. 1 problem facing the state of Illinois is the budget deficit," said House Speaker Michael Madigan, who's been Rauner's chief political rival during the stalemate. Rauner's budget with cuts would be $32.8 billion, because the state doesn't have enough revenue to match a $36 billion spending plan that would cover all expected state agency operations. Even members of his own party said nearly $4 billion in cuts is an unappealing option. "My belief is those reductions would be so steep as to be harmful to the state overall, if we only dealt with reductions," said Rep. David Harris, the Revenue and Finance Committee's ranking Republican. He said the state must find additional revenue, whether through taxes or cost-saving reforms. Sen. Christine Radogno, the Republican leader in the Senate, praised Rauner's speech. "I thought it was a fair assessment of what our choices are right now given the extremely serious financial condition that we're in," she said. "It was delivered without rancor and with a sincere invitation once again to the Democrats to come to the table and negotiate a good path forward for the state." Illinois faces a roughly $5 billion budget deficit this year, and its unpaid bill backlog could reach almost $26 billion by 2020 if current revenue and spending policies continue. Since the beginning of this fiscal year in July, several social service programs have closed or seen massive cuts, and officials at the state's public colleges and universities are worried their institutions will be permanently harmed if a budget doesn't come soon. A roar of chants calling Rauner to fund higher education filled the third-floor rotunda during the budget address, with hundreds of Illinois college students yelling, "Save our schools!" Demonstrators booed him following his speech. The predicament of giving a budget address for the future while still having no spending plan for the current year mystified Democrats. "We're more than halfway through a budget year with no budget, and now we are debating what could best be described as sketches for a budget for next year, so it almost wasn't a budget address," Senate President John Cullerton said. Many of the sticking points in the ongoing battle haven't changed, including negotiating a new labor contract with the state employees' union that would save $3 billion over three years. Rauner wants state labor regulators to determine whether the negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are at an "impasse," a declaration that would open the door for him to impose his on terms on state workers. Democratic leaders have remained steadfast in their support for AFSCME, which has been one of the party's biggest political allies over the years. Rauner, a wealthy former venture capitalist, also remained steadfast in the pro-business political philosophy that helped him defeat Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014, emphasizing that the key to the budget crisis includes reducing worker compensation costs, passing tort reform legislation and lowering property taxes. "To create jobs and raise incomes, we've got to change our state's reputation as being hostile to business," Rauner said. CAIRO Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a veteran Egyptian diplomat who helped negotiate his country's landmark peace deal with Israel but then clashed with the United States when he served a single term as U.N. secretary-general, died Tuesday. He was 93. Boutros-Ghali, the scion of a prominent Egyptian Christian political family, was the first U.N. chief from the African continent. He stepped into the post in 1992 at a time of dramatic world changes, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a unipolar era dominated by the United States. His five years at the helm remain controversial. He worked to establish the U.N.'s independence, particularly from the United States, at a time when the world body was increasingly called on to step into crises with peacekeeping forces, with limited resources. Some blame him for misjudgments in the failures to prevent genocides in Africa and the Balkans and mismanagement of reform in the world body. After years of frictions with the Clinton administration, the United States blocked his renewal in the post in 1996, making him the only U.N. secretary-general to serve a single term. He was replaced by Ghanaian Kofi Annan. In a U.N. Security Council session Tuesday, the 15 members held a moment of silence upon news of his death Tuesday in a hospital in the Egyptian capital. He had been admitted after suffering a broken pelvis, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper reported last week. "The mark he has left on the organization is indelible," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. He said Boutros-Ghali "brought formidable experience and intellectual power to the task of piloting the United Nations through one of the most tumultuous periods in its history." Ban pointed to Boutros-Ghali's landmark 1992 report "An Agenda for Peace," a proposal for how the U.N. could respond to and prevent conflict. Many of his proposals are still used by the United Nations. In his farewell speech to the U.N., Boutros-Ghali said he had thought when he took the post that the time was right for the United Nations to play an effective role in a world no longer divided into warring Cold War camps. "But the middle years of this half decade were deeply troubled," he said. "Disillusion set in." In a 2005 interview with The Associated Press, Boutros-Ghali called the 1994 massacre in Rwanda in which half a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days "my worst failure at the United Nations." But he blamed the United States, Britain, France and Belgium for paralyzing action by setting impossible conditions for intervention. Then-U.S. President Bill Clinton and other world leaders were opposed to taking strong action to beef up U.N. peacekeepers in the tiny Central African nation or intervening to stop the massacres. "The concept of peacekeeping was turned on its head and worsened by the serious gap between mandates and resources," he told AP. The Bosnian War also brought the same contentious mix of issues: U.N. peacekeeping, world powers' intervention and limits, and the need to protect civilians from atrocities. During a December 1992 visit to Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, under a brutal Serbian siege, he insisted to angry local journalists that upcoming peace talks were the solution and told them he knew of at least 10 places where conditions were far worse than Sarajevo the sort of answer that deepened his reputation for arrogance. He and the U.N. came under further fire after Serb forces massacred 8,000 Muslims in July 1995 in Srebrenica under the eyes of a U.N. force that was supposed to be enforcing a safe zone. His legacy was also stained by investigations into corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq, which he played a large role in creating. Three suspects in the probe were linked to him either by family relationship or friendship. Boutros-Ghali frequently took vocal stances that angered the Clinton administration such as his strong criticism of Israel after the 1996 shelling of an U.N. camp in Lebanon that killed some 100 refugees. In writings after leaving the U.N., he accused Washington of using the world body for its own political purposes and said U.S. officials often tried to directly control his actions. He wrote in his 1999 book "Unvanquished" that he "mistakenly assumed that the great powers, especially the United States, also trained their representatives in diplomacy and accepted the value of it. But the Roman Empire had no need for diplomacy. Neither does the United States." Noted for his dignified bearing and Old World style, Boutros-Ghali was the son of one of Egypt's most important Coptic Christian families. His grandfather, Boutros Ghali Pasha, was Egypt's prime minister from 1908 to 1910. Born Nov. 14, 1922, Boutros-Ghali studied in Cairo and Paris and became an academic, specialized in international law. In 1977, then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat named him minister of state without portfolio, shortly before Sadat's landmark visit to Israel to launch peace negotiations. Sadat's rapprochement with Israel brought harsh criticism from across Egypt's political spectrum. His foreign minister, Ismail Fahmi, resigned in protest. So Sadat turned to Boutros-Ghali, naming him acting foreign minister and minister of state for foreign affairs. Boutros-Ghali played a major role in subsequent negotiations that produced the Camp David peace framework agreements in September 1978 and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in March 1979, the first such between an Arab state and Israel. Israelis considered Boutros-Ghali a hawkish negotiator. But he also staunchly defended Egypt's peace efforts against Arab opposition. At one African summit, he retorted to Algerian criticism, saying, "Algeria wants to fight Israel to the last Egyptian soldier." President Hosni Mubarak, who succeeded Sadat in October 1981, kept Boutros-Ghali as minister of state but didn't promote him to foreign minister. Putting a Christian to the post was considered too controversial. After leaving the United Nations, Boutros-Ghali served from 1998 to 2002 as secretary-general of La Francophonie a grouping of French-speaking nations. In 2004, he was named the president of Egypt's new human rights council, a body created by Mubarak amid U.S. pressure to adopt democratic reforms. He was married to Lea, an Egyptian Jew. They have no children. ___ AP correspondents Maram Mazen in Cairo and Edith M. Lederer and Cara Anna at the United Nations contributed to this report. WASHINGTON The Obama administration, frustrated by Syria's ongoing violence, told Russia on Tuesday to "put up or shut up" about implementing a ceasefire in the Arab country, even as the U.S. backpedaled from an agreement for the truce to begin by Friday. Washington and Moscow announced after at a conference in Germany last week that the ceasefire would start by Feb. 19, raising hopes of a major breakthrough in a war that has raged for nearly five years, killed more than 250,000 people, beset Europe with its worst refugee crisis since World War II and helped the Islamic State emerge. But State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday only stressed the need to "see some progress on a cessation of hostilities in the coming days." He said he couldn't "say categorically that ... there must be a cessation of hostilities" by Friday. Toner blamed Russia for the impasse, condemning it for "unacceptable" attacks on hospitals and civilians. Russia must exert influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government to halt its ground offensives, Toner said. Russia says it is targeting terrorists, not civilians. Despite all the talks of ceasefire, the conflict is threatening to escalate. Turkey said Tuesday it is pressing for ground operations in Syria amid fears that U.S.-backed Kurdish militants are making gains at the opposition's expense. Washington sees the Kurds as an effective fighting force against the Islamic State. Little headway appears to have been made on securing humanitarian access to besieged areas throughout the country. Last week's Munich agreement demanded that access be provided immediately amid Western charges that Assad is starving his opponents and civilians into submission. Toner said some aid has reached certain areas, despite no United Nations confirmation of successful deliveries. In Syria, U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped food and other supplies would make it through Wednesday. The ceasefire announced by Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart last week appears most unlikely at this point. Toner said a U.S.-Russian-led task force that is supposed to map out the details of the truce still hasn't even met. He expressed hope of an initial gathering Wednesday. GENEVA The World Health Organization says it may be necessary to use controversial methods like genetically modified mosquitoes to wipe out the insects that are spreading the Zika virus across the Americas. The virus has been linked to a spike in babies born with abnormally small heads, or microcephaly, in Brazil and French Polynesia. The U.N. health agency has declared Zika a global emergency, even though there is no definitive proof it is causing the birth defects. WHO said its advisory group has recommended further field trials of genetically modified mosquitoes, which have previously been tested in small trials in countries including the Cayman Islands and Malaysia. "Given the magnitude of the Zika crisis, WHO encourages affected countries ... to boost the use of both old and new approaches to mosquito control as the most immediate line of defense," WHO said in a statement. WHO says at least 34 countries have been hit by the virus in the current crisis, mostly in Latin America. Meanwhile, the European Union on Tuesday pledged 10 million euros ($11.2 million) to fund research on the mosquito and the Zika virus in Brazil the epicenter of the outbreak. The pledge came as Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro met with representatives of 24 European nations in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia. Next week, WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan will also travel to Brazil to discuss Zika and microcephaly with Castro and other officials, agency spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said on Tuesday. WHO said previous experiments that released sterile insects have been used by other U.N. agencies to control agricultural pests. The agency described the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread Zika as well as other diseases including dengue and yellow fever as an "aggressive" mosquito that uses "sneak attacks" to bite people, noting that the mosquito has shown "a remarkable ability to adapt." Last month, British biotech firm Oxitec said tests in Brazil in 2015 showed that genetically altered sterile male mosquitoes succeeded in reducing a type of disease-spreading mosquito larvae by 82 percent in one neighborhood in the city of Piracicaba. The genetically modified males don't spread disease because only female mosquitoes bite. Environmentalists have previously criticized the genetically modified approach, saying wiping out an entire population of insects could have unforeseen knock-on effects on the ecosystem. Some experts agreed it might be worth using genetically tweaked mosquitoes given the speed of Zika but were unsure of the eventual consequences. "The way this is done wouldn't leave lots of mutant mosquitoes in the countryside," said Jimmy Whitworth, an infectious diseases expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He said the Zika mosquitoes are an imported species that were accidentally brought to the Americas hundreds of years ago, and was optimistic their eradication wouldn't damage the environment. However, he said such a move would be unprecedented and it would be impossible to know what the impact might be before releasing the insects into the wild. "You would hope that the ecology would just return to how it was before this mosquito arrived," he said. "But there's no way of knowing that for sure." Last week, a group of doctors in Argentina, Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns, suggested the jump in microcephaly cases may not be caused by Zika, but by Pyriproxyfen, a larvicide used in drinking water that aims to prevent mosquito larvae from developing into adulthood. The group said the larvicide has been used since 2014 in Brazil in several areas with a reported rise in babies with birth defects. Spokeswoman Chaib said scientists at WHO and elsewhere had rejected any such link. "They have reviewed all the scientific literature linked to this pesticide in particular and found the same conclusion: That there is no scientific evidence that can link this pesticide in particular to the cases of microcephaly," she said. Brazil's government has repeatedly said pesticides were not connected to microcephaly, and has noted many cases of microcephaly in areas where Pyriproxyfen was not used. The government also noted that WHO had approved use of the chemical. Cheng reported from London. AP reporters Peter Prengaman in Buenos Aires and Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo contributed. Over the past year, barre workouts have become the latest trend to hit the Northwest Indiana fitness arena. The barre method uses isolated ballet movements (and a ballet barre, obviously) combined with some Pilates and yoga for a full-body toning workout. While fitness centers have been holding barre classes for a while, several studios are now opening up that specialize in it. Id been hearing so much about this new phenomenon that I wanted to try it for myself. I used to do ballet when I was younger, I thought. How hard could it be? I visited Studio Barre in Crown Point, a quaint new space with cheery, modern decor located in the towns Sportsplex compound. My instructor was Tabitha Davis of Schererville, an energetic, efficient woman in great shape. Clearly this whole barre thing is working for her. They set me up with a mat, band, and a small ball. The receptionist who was helping me asked what size weights I wanted. I considered saying eight pounds but decided on five. I hoped people wouldnt think that was a wimpy choice. Right before class began, however, Tabitha warned us that if we used anything above three pounds we might be in for a hurting. So I switched, wondering what kind of torture might be ahead of me if three-pounders were considered the high end of the spectrum. The class started with a bang. I was expecting a slow warm-up but instead, we launched right into upper body work with the free weights (yeah, three pounds was enough) and pushups. All of the movements in this class are quick, driven by the beat of energizing pop music. Tabitha told me later that motivating music is one of their basic tenets; it keeps people going. I found myself internally singing along to many of the songs, a nice little distraction from the pain. We then moved to the barre, using the small ball to squeeze our legs while simultaneously doing plies, squats and releves. We were constantly facing different directionssometimes the funky chandelier, other times the beautiful boutique. You wouldnt expect to hear those words at a workout class, but here this use of language is very intentional: this is a desirable place to be. When you have pretty things to look at, the whole experience is a little more enjoyable. Even when your muscles are screaming to stop. Every once in a while we would pause to stretch, which made me excitedly think the workout was over. (And yet, I didnt want it to be over.) Alas, following the stretch wed go into another set of movessquats, leg lifts, some with weights or the band, some without. The moves are small but surprisingly difficult. This class works every inch of your body, says Whitney Holtz of Crown Point, one of the class members whos been attending Studio Barre since it opened last September. It makes places hurt that you didnt even know could hurt. All throughout the class, Tabitha helped ensure that people were using the right form by repositioning them when necessary. Its a hands-on class, literally, she laughs. You can see Im touching tushes all over the place! She also frequently complimented individual class members on their hard work or good form, amazingly remembering everyones name. (At one point she called me Superstar Julia, which made me smile and also work harder. I didnt want to let her down.) The class finished with ab work that followed the same vein as the rest of the classsmall, quick movements that make you feel like your abs might actually break. Then, the glorious final stretch. For real this time. Although the class was much more difficult than I was expecting, I can see why people keep coming back. Its clearly effectiveit wouldnt be as painful if it werentand it was kind of fun. People say they feel long and lean when they leave, Tabitha says, and Whitney adds that going through the tough parts with other women makes it worthwhile. Were laughing through the pain together. Police in Manhattan are looking for a man they say assaulted a tourist at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Monday . Cops say a woman approached a 33-year-old man and tried to sell him tickets for the Statue of Liberty. They say the man refused and that's when another man allegedly punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious. Mayor Bill de Blasio says he's confident the NYPD will crack down on criminals who target tourists. "If there's something aimed at tourists, or aimed at the Staten Island Ferry we will get at it very, very aggressively," the mayor said. "We obviously deeply appreciate that people come to visit us. We had the highest number of tourists we've ever had last year, 58 million plus, and we wanna keep it that way." Investigators say the victim was taken to the hospital and treated for a skull fracture. Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. Over at the Swiss Institute in SoHo, the walls were lined with the latest candy-colored bags and shoes from Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel of Mansur Gavriel, the handbag label that has become a favorite thanks to its outside-the-industry status. After the frenzy that surrounded their best-selling bucket style in 2014 (and six months after the debut of their footwear), the designers, who nine months ago won the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design, introduced two new bags and five new shoe styles. The Sun tote comes in mini, medium and large sizes, and a choice of suede, calfskin or patent leather. The square-shaped Elegant, with both a top handle and a clasp, appeared to be a foray into more formal territory for the designers. Their prediction for the labels next sellout item: light-hued, shearling-lined suede ankle boots. The boot we always wished we could have, Ms. Gavriel said. When I started calling hospital systems to ask about security, the answers I got were all over the map. Some huge urban hospitals, like Bellevue in New York City, ban all weapons. Other tiny suburban hospitals use them. Many big hospital systems like Johns Hopkins and Emory refused even to tell me if their security guards were armed, saying it was sensitive information. (I admit I became obsessed: Every time I visited a hospital with a sick relative, I was staring at the security officers hips for telltale bulges.) I also discovered that the training of hospital security officers was highly variable: One hospital that used Tasers did so only after putting in place rigorous guidelines as to when and how they could be used in a health care setting. They fired guards for inappropriate use. Other hospitals merely hired what one expert called rent-a-cops, who received little additional instruction about the fundamental difference between how to approach a street criminal and a sick patient. Eventually, I interviewed Alan and, ultimately, met the entire Pean family, one Sunday morning at The New York Times, when they were in from Texas. A close-knit clan with Haitian and Mexican roots, the family is filled with professionals doctors, nurses and teachers. They were articulate and thoughtful about how Alans harrowing brush with death had changed their worldviews. It struck me that our readers should have an opportunity to hear directly from Alan and his family. I floated the idea with Catrin Einhorn, a wonderful Times multimedia journalist. We toyed with putting audio clips into the article, but decided that scattered sound bites wouldnt do the story justice and so started thinking about a possible podcast. After getting the go-ahead from The Times, Catrin approached Ira Glass, the host of This American Life, who was enthusiastic about the possibilities. We felt confident that the more issue-oriented tone of a Times special report and the more personal/emotional tone of a This American Life podcast would be complementary rather than compete for readers attention. Making sure the two pieces dovetailed with each other has been a fascinating, fun and exhausting process. We hoped the audience would want both and invite you to let us know what you think. In the end, the most difficult task was to get responses from the hospital or the police, which both basically went dark. As youll hear in the This American Life piece, a crisis manager hired by the hospital told us that it would not answer questions. The police wouldnt comment, citing an active internal investigation. We managed to get some records through Freedom of Information requests (but only a heavily redacted incident report). After months of legal argument, we got the hospital to release Alans 1,000-plus-page medical chart (with his permission, of course). SAN FRANCISCO Nearly four years ago, the venture capitalist Michael Moritz donated $115 million to his alma mater, the University of Oxford, to bolster the British universitys financial assistance efforts. Now Mr. Moritz, the chairman of Sequoia Capital, and his wife, Harriet Heyman, are providing a similar gift for an American institution. The University of Chicago plans to announce on Wednesday that Mr. Moritz and Ms. Heyman have given $50 million to expand the schools initiatives catering to low-income students. Those include the Odyssey Scholarship Program, for those enrolled at the university, and the Collegiate Scholars Program, which is aimed at helping high school students apply to and prepare for entering college. The donation is the latest big-ticket donation by Silicon Valleys top financiers to educational institutions. Last year alone, both John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mark Stevens of Sequoia each gave $50 million to American universities: Mr. Doerr to Rice to start a leadership program and Mr. Stevens to the University of Southern California for a brain research institute. The marquee Volkswagen brand was hit in January by its biggest decline in European sales since the German carmaker was engulfed in a diesel emissions scandal last year, according to industry data released Tuesday. The European carmakers association, ACEA, reported that sales of Volkswagen brand cars dropped 3.8 percent from a year earlier, putting a drag on deliveries for the group, which includes the Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands. Away from VWs struggles, the trade group said overall sales in Europe in January of more than one million cars were encouraging for the near future, as the upward market trend remains stable. Jerome Weinrib, an old-school rug merchant who helped build ABC Carpet into one of New Yorks most successful home furnishing brands, died on Saturday at his home in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 86. His daughter Paulette Cole confirmed his death. The familys business was started by Mr. Weinribs grandfather, Samuel, an Austrian immigrant, who began selling carpets and linoleum from a pushcart in 1897. Mr. Weinrib took over ABC Carpet from his father and, in 1961, moved the store from East 28th Street to the Flatiron district. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Weinrib had a talent for buying and selling merchandise. He was considered a pioneer for opening a retail store at 881 Broadway, near Union Square, which at the time was largely a weathered industrial area. He expanded the business across the street to 888 Broadway, which became the flagship store. Rinse the rice and cook it as Kim Severson has taught. As it steams, dice the onions and sweat them in a saucepan with a splash or two of olive oil set over medium-high heat. When the onions begin to go translucent, add the garlic and, if youre using meat, that as well, and continue to cook until the meat has started to crisp and the onions are beginning to caramelize. Add a healthy dusting of cumin, some salt and pepper to taste, and allow it all to go muddy and fragrant in the pan. Splash it with the orange juice maybe half a cup and allow it to cook down, almost to syrup. Then add the beans from the can, stir to combine, turn down the heat and allow the flavors to come together, perhaps using a spoon to mash some of the beans into paste as they cook. Serve the beans on top of rice, adorned with wedges of lime and accompanied by warmed tortillas or buttered toast. We like some pickled jalapenos, cilantro and hot sauce on there, too, but they are hardly necessary. Cheap, filling, delicious: Thats what Cooking is all about, at least for today. It is not all were about, though. Make sure to take some time today to read Kim Seversons dispatch from a growing culinary hot spot, Atlanta, a city that she reports is coming into its culinary own. Meet the profane hip-hop star and unlikely gastronomic tour guide Action Bronson, profiled this week by J.J. Goode. And join Eric Asimov in Argentina, as he learns about a winemaking region going beyond malbec a journey that may lead you to rethink your next trip to the liquor store. And if you want an actual recipe to cook tonight: How about a relatively quick and definitely easy dinner of roasted chicken Provencal? Or a fast dinner of smashed chickpeas in pita, perfect with olives, lemon and plenty of parsley, with hard-boiled eggs if you have the time? Spaghetti with broccoli rabe? Some pork katsu with pickled cucumbers? Cooking is filled with ideas that we hope will inspire you to cook something delicious tonight. Please save the recipes you like into your recipe box. And please let us know how those recipes work out when you cook them. Leave a note on those youve cooked, if you like, to alert us and others to substitutions youve made or shortcuts youve taken. (If you find yourself really jammed up, you can reach out to us for help: cookingcare@nytimes.com.) The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued new guidelines for blood banks intended to help prevent the contamination of the nations blood supply with the Zika virus. Among other measures, the agency called for blood banks in areas where the virus is transmitted locally like Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands to import whole blood and red blood cells from regions without an outbreak instead of using local donations. There have been no reports of the Zika virus entering the United States blood supply, but experts say it is likely that the infection can be transmitted via contaminated blood. Recently, two possible cases of transmission via blood transfusion were reported in Brazil. There is no F.D.A.-licensed test to screen blood donations for Zika virus. Once one becomes available, blood banks in Puerto Rico and other areas with locally transmitted Zika infections will be permitted to use local donations of red blood cells and whole blood, the agency said. The mistreatment of women, the central theme of Diary of a Chambermaid and Sunset Song, is most vividly and, for a Western audience, unusually presented in the Iranian filmmaker Kianoush Ayyaris The Paternal House (2012). Beginning with a long, frantic but eerily prosaic depiction of an honor killing in 1929 Tehran, it traces the events ramifications through three generations, nearly to the present. Knowledge of the murder, a secret that circulates haphazardly through the family, inspires responses both outraged and pragmatic, and the perpetrators of the killing remain crucial and, in some ways, sympathetic characters. Also treating relatively recent history is Vuk Rsumovics assured, poignant No Ones Child, which opens with the discovery of an abandoned boy in Yugoslavia in 1988. Based on actual events like its obvious model, Francois Truffauts magnificent Wild Child it follows the attempts of a dedicated teacher and a sympathetic schoolmate to civilize the boy (Denis Muric). Unlike Truffauts film, though, its not about the humanizing influence of education and reason here, those Enlightenment ideals fall to the wayside, accompanied by the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Discovered in a Bosnian forest, then sent to an orphanage in what would become Serbia, the boy winds up back in the forest, this time with a gun in his hands. Traveling furthest back in time is the festivals most distinctive selection, Blood of My Blood, the latest feature from the seemingly ageless Italian master Marco Bellocchio. Told in two parts, it begins with a story set in a Renaissance village, where a young priest has apparently killed himself. The priests twin, Federico (Pier Giorgio Bellocchio, the directors son), is determined to clear his sibling of the mortal sin of suicide, and luckily for him, a seductive nun (Lidiya Liberman) is accused of leading his brother astray. However, Federico finds himself falling for the nun as well, and as she inconveniently survives one test of witchhood after another drowning, branding his loyalties are severely tested. Filled out by a fantastical modern-day chapter, in which the ancient convent has become the home of a vampire who holds sway over the town like a courtly, benevolent Mafioso, Blood of My Blood is minor Bellocchio but possesses his characteristic fluidity and subtle (yet devastating) humor. Filmed in his hometown, Bobbio, which was also the setting for his scalding debut, Fists in the Pocket, it dips into the past to demonstrate that blood, in all of its literal and symbolic manifestations, is always about to be spilled. After spending much of the past year engaged in partisan politics as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination, Gov. Chris Christie asked New Jersey lawmakers on Tuesday to put aside their petty political differences as they worked to solve some of the states most pressing problems. With his presidential aspirations dashed after a disappointing showing in the early primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, Mr. Christie used his annual budget address to the State Legislature his first speech in New Jersey since his withdrawal from the campaign trail to plunge back into some of the states most difficult and politically divisive issues. From a state pension system strained to the breaking point to a transportation fund in danger of running out of money, the issues confronting the state demand action, Mr. Christie said. Many of you are already focused on the next election, raising money, some spending their own money to run advertisements already, he said. Weve looked at the basic question, the mayor said of his administration, which has sought to reduce the number of people held on Rikers and improve conditions for those who are there. But, he said, it would cost billions of dollars that right now we dont have, never mind the sizable logistical issues. For a mayor who has at times reveled in they-say-it-cant-be-done promises and programs, it was a moment to display the sort of political pragmatism that he has tried to underscore in recent speeches and in his budget presentation, which contained few big new initiatives. I want to be real with people, Mr. de Blasio said at one point on Tuesday. My job is to level with the people of New York City, he said later. There are roughly 10,000 inmates in the citys jail system, a vast majority of whom are housed on Rikers Island. Any plan to close the crumbling facilities, which have been the site of brutal episodes of violence and are now subject to federal oversight, would probably require Mr. de Blasio to embark on a yearslong political war fought in many pitched battles. (Already the de Blasio administration has struggled in the much smaller task of moving 16- and 17-year-old inmates from Rikers Island. No suitable alternative has been found so far.) The first battle would be in the court system, where officials would have to wring efficiencies out of the process to bring the Rikers population to a more manageable level. That effort, joined by Mr. de Blasio as well as Ms. Mark-Viverito and Mr. Lippman, has already begun and is focused on bail and summons reform. But the culture of criminal justice would also have to shift among lawyers, judges and district attorneys to ensure that fewer New Yorkers languish in city jails awaiting trial, experts said. The move would require changing the way the citys criminal justice system operates, said Michael P. Jacobson, a former city correction commissioner who has written on downsizing prisons. By some estimates, those changes, coupled with diversion programs, could cut the jail population in half. At that point, our rate would be a European rate, he said, speaking of the proportion of New Yorkers who are in jail. The United Nations is failing some of the most vulnerable children it is supposed to protect. A decade ago, the organization acknowledged that some of the peacekeepers sent to international conflict zones were sexually abusing local women and children, and it promised corrective action. The scourge continues, prompting one senior United Nations official to recoil at what he called the constant horror story of allegations against the peacekeepers. The latest accusations, like ones that have gone before, discredit the United Nations and everything it stands for, not least a commitment to help restore stability, public safety and the rule of law to countries ravaged by civil war or international conflict. They also indict many of the governments that contribute troops for peacekeeping operations by highlighting their refusal or inability to end the culture of denial that allows these abuses to go on. This month, Human Rights Watch said that at least eight women and girls were raped or sexually exploited last year in the Central African Republic by troops from the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Tuesday, United Nations officials said four minors, residents of a camp for displaced persons in the Central African Republic, had reported abuse and exploitation in 2014 and 2015 by peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a 2007 argument on taxpayer standing, the justice badgered me mercilessly on why I did not follow my argument to its logical end and fully embrace the position that taxpayers didnt have standing he had long championed. We went back and forth, at times tensely. Justice Samuel Alito then jumped in, and I clarified that I was only reconciling the courts discordant cases. Justice Scalia said: Why didnt you say so? Ive been trying to make sense out of what youre saying. Followed, of course, by (laughter). His influence extended well beyond the court. An entire generation of law students learned the law, in large part, by reading Scalia opinions. And given the clarity of his memorable prose style, his opinions have a disproportionate impact. I have had scores of law students, across the ideological spectrum, confess that they always read the Scalia opinion first whether majority, dissent or concurrence. And it is hard to blame them. Who would rather read about some dry, multipronged doctrinal test than about 60,000 naked Hoosiers (in his nude-dancing opinion) or even just nine people selected at random from the Kansas City phone book (addressing the relative competence of the nine justices to decide right-to-die issues)? And his colorful prose could have serious consequences I am not sure the Lemon test on religion and the First Amendment ever recovered from Justice Scalia comparing it to a B-movie ghoul. The justice had a profound personal effect on every one of his hapless law clerks, myself included. One of the great joys of the clerkship was that so much of the interaction with the justice was through conversation. I suppose that was partly by necessity. He certainly did not need law clerks to help him with his opinions. Indeed, I often suspected that the only reason he bothered asking us for drafts was that he did not know how to format a WordPerfect document. But he always engaged his clerks in a vigorous discussion of the cases, which resembled nothing so much as an oral argument before the court. I remember, just a few years after my clerkship, rather recklessly telling a prominent general counsel that he was wrong on a legal matter and offering an alternative theory on the issue. As I walked out after the encounter, I wondered where I summoned the courage to confront such an important client. The only explanation that occurred to me is the one that must occur to every Scalia clerk and every lawyer who has argued before the justice once you have tangled with Justice Scalia on a legal question, nothing else in the law can be truly intimidating. LA PAZ, Bolivia Shortly after President Evo Morales of Bolivia quashed rumors last month that he had shelled out $200 for haircuts, a more serious allegation has transfixed the country, one of the poorest in South America, and now threatens his bid for a fourth term. A Bolivian journalist reported that Mr. Morales, 56, who is single and has closely guarded his personal life, had a child with a young woman, Gabriela Zapata, in 2007, the year after he took office. The journalist, Carlos Valverde, said the relationship would not be considered a scandal if not for the evidence he had that suggested Ms. Zapata has profited handsomely from her ties to the president. She is a senior executive at a Chinese company the Bolivian state has awarded contracts worth more than $500 million. Photos of her luxurious house have started circulating online. The scandal comes at a particularly bad time for Mr. Morales, the countrys first indigenous president. Bolivians will vote in a referendum on Sunday to decide on a constitutional change that would allow Mr. Morales to seek a new term in 2019. His supporters hail him as a transformative leader who has empowered the countrys long-marginalized indigenous community, sharply reduced poverty and narrowed the countrys inequality gap. Donald Trump has been recognized for his mastery of the media, his fascination with gilt and his bold advocacy for baffling hair. But I think his greatest distinction is as a surrealist. Not since Salvador Dali has someone so ambitiously jumbled reality and hallucination. Im thinking of his news conference in South Carolina on Monday and of one assertion in particular, though with Trump its always hard to pick and choose. In an appeal to African-American voters, he charged that Barack Obama had done nothing for them, and drew a contrast between himself and the president by saying: Im a unifier. Obama is not a unifier. When the Swedish sneaker and accessories brand Eytys approached the South African artist and teacher Esther Mahlangu about a partnership, she had a full schedule. I was working on a major exhibition at the UCT Irma Stern Museum at the time, she says, referring to the University of Cape Town institution, as well as celebrating my 80th birthday. But perhaps drawn in by the lack of specific direction or by the promise of a different material (in her decades-spanning career, she has painted on surfaces like clay pots, museum walls, skate decks, a BMW and her own house), she agreed. Image The sneakers are available in black and in white. Her take on Eytyss Doja style stemmed from one of her small natural pigment works on canvas, a very typical design of the older generation of paintings, the way my mother and grandmother would have done it, Mahlangu says. The geometric shape therein represented her signature design of the old shaving blade as the centerpiece. The pigments that were used on these works are various clays from the nearby river, limestone and charcoal. To prevent the pigments from cracking and coming loose from the canvas I use cow dung as a bonding agent. This was the way that we always painted before we knew the modern acrylic paints. The three-year-old Eytys translated the traditional Ndebele process to embroidery, a practice that is uncommon in the artists culture. The collaborations I have done have always been printed, painted or done in beadwork, Mahlangu says. This was the first time and when I saw the shoes I was very pleased with the way they turned out so much so that she posed in the suede shoes and celebratory Ndebele clothing near her Mpumalanga home. Tech companies have spent years developing better, cheaper devices to immerse people in digital worlds. Yet they are still figuring out how to make virtual reality the kind of technology that people cannot live without. So for inspiration, they are turning to science fiction. At Oculus, a leading virtual reality company, a copy of the popular sci-fi novel Ready Player One is handed out to new hires. Magic Leap, a secretive augmented reality start-up, has hired science fiction and fantasy writers. The name of Microsofts HoloLens headset is a salute to the holodeck, a simulation room from Star Trek. Like many other people working in the tech space, Im not a creative person, said Palmer Luckey, 23, a co-founder of Oculus, which was bought by Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. Its nice that science fiction exists because these are really creative people figuring out what the ultimate use of any technology might be. They come up with a lot of incredible ideas. Those ideas are especially relevant now, as some of the biggest technology companies are nearing a major push of a new generation of virtual reality products. In the next few months, virtual reality headsets from Oculus, Sony and HTC go on sale. Venture capital money is pouring into the industry. Unhappily, those filmed sequences, following the trail of a black American journalist named Oscar Fate (subtle Bolano isnt) to the fictional Mexican city of Santa Teresa, are more dynamic than anything we see enacted onstage, perhaps in part because Eric Lynch, who portrays Oscar, makes for such a compelling presence, both on screen and off. But lets begin at the beginning, with The Part About the Critics, which focuses on the relationships among four academics all obsessed with the same fictional postwar German novelist, Benno von Archimboldi. Serious trouble looms almost immediately. Reflecting Bolanos tendency to summarize events rather than bring them alive through dialogue and intricately rendered scenes, the characters spend most of this section telling us who they are, what they have done even what they are doing rather than actually interacting with one another. What they do, primarily, is attend academic conferences the set for about half the section is just a couple of tables and neon-green chairs where we learn how and when they became Archimboldiphiles. Tentative romantic relationships develop between the French scholar, Jean-Claude Pelletier (Lawrence Grimm), and the English one, the only woman, Liz Norton (Nicole Weisner), as well as between Liz and her Spanish colleague, Manuel Espinoza (Demetrios Troy). Unsurprisingly this confuses the men, inflaming their egos and resulting in a violent attack on a London cab driver who insults Liz. Eventually they travel to Santa Teresa after obtaining a tantalizing clue to the whereabouts of the elusive Archimboldi, who seems to have vanished without a trace. FROM MOXY, TWO NEW U.S. HOTELS Moxy Hotels, Marriott Internationals millennial-focused brand of affordable and stylish properties, debuted in September 2014 with the opening of Moxy Milan. This spring, the brand is entering the United States with two properties, Moxy Tempe in Arizona and Moxy New Orleans. Moxy Tempe opens in Arizona on March 18; it has 186 rooms, a pool and a free-flowing indoor/outdoor space that is separated by roll-up garage doors. Moxy New Orleans, near the citys French Quarter, is opening on April 15 and has 108 rooms. In both properties, the guest rooms have motion-sensor lighting and plenty of USB outlets; the hotels also feature public quiet zones, free Wi-Fi and an area for self-service snacks that is open 24 hours a day. STAY AT A PALAZZO, MAKE A PIZZA Palazzo del Vice Re, an upscale boutique hotel in the fishing village of Lezzeno on Lake Como, Italy, is reopening for the 2016 season on March 24 with a tasty new amenity: a pizza-making class with one of the owners, Alessandro Pertusini, and his parents, Laura and Bruno Pertusini. The session takes places in the elder Pertusinis home near the property. Guests start with an aperitif in their orchard before moving into the kitchen, equipped with a wood-burning oven, where Mrs. Pertusini, known as Mamma Laura, teaches them how to make and roll out pizza dough and gives them the chance to create their own pies. Lunch accompanied by wine and Prosecco follows. Classes from 84 euros (about $94) a person. Room rates from 200 euros ($224) a night. BEAUTY AND THE HAWAIIAN BEACH The St. Regis Princeville in Kauai, Hawaii, has partnered with Violet Grey, the popular Los Angeles beauty boutique, to assemble a set of products tailored for a seaside getaway. Called the Island Essentials Set, it includes 10 products, and several are from lesser-known but well-respected brands sunscreen for the body and a body shimmer oil from Soleil Toujours, based in Bronxville, N.Y.; blotting sheets from the Japanese line Tatcha and a hair and body oil from the French company Leonor Greyl. The set retails for $300 and is available to purchase at the St. Regis Princeville, the Violet Grey boutique or online at VioletGrey.com. Gudeg Yu Djum; Jalan Kaliurang KM 4,5; gudegyudjum.co.id. Yogyas singular cuisine, gudeg, a sweet stew based on the young jackfruit, comes in dozens of ways, steeped with coconut milk, egg, tofu and chiles, red beans or fried chicken, in banana leaves for breakfast or with crunchy coconut flowers late at night. From 17,000 to 35,000 rupiah. Ministry of Coffee, Jalan Prawirotaman 1/15a, ministryofcoffee.com. Dainty desserts, stalwart local and Western entrees, and crusty sandwiches revolve around two dozen kinds of coffee and as many teas and fresh juices. Extra: newspapers, readings, recitals and a tiny, classy hotel. From 15,000 to 55,000 rupiah, and coffee drinks around 25,000. Madame Tan Resto; Jalan Jendral Sudirman No. 16. Simplicity attains elegance as Chinese standards like pork knuckle stew and spicy sea cucumber vie with the regions specialties like poached fish wrapped in a sultry basil, in a relaxed white tablecloth setting. From 18,000 to 65,000 rupiah. Ikan Bakar Jimbarjan, Jalan Damai No. 36 B, Ngaglik, Kabupaten; jimbaranjogja.com. A gracious, open-sided pavilion four miles north of town grills fresh seafood, prawns, mahi-mahi and snapper alongside local coastal and fresh-water fish never found outside of Java, listed on the massive chalkboard overhead, and washed down by liters of spiced iced tea. Select it yourself and pay by the ounce; a good place to ask iki apik? or, is this good? From 175,000 to 200,000 rupiah. Abhayagiri, Dusun Sumberwatu Sambirejo, Prambanan, Sleman; www.sumberwatuheritage.com/abhayagiri. Up a winding road to an elegant Javanese resort complex, to a terrace overlooking Prambanan and Sojiwan Temples and, looming above the tropical haze, the still-active volcanic crown of Mount Merapi. You may not notice the food, Western and regional, all of it fancy, plus a few local specials every day such as the house duck, redolent with spices picked within eyeshot. From 200,000 to 450,000 rupiah. GALLERIES Cemeti Art House, Jalan D.I. Panjaitan 41; cemetiarthouse.com. Ark Galerie, Suryodiningratan 36A; arkgalerie.com. The curator Alia Swastika is well-connected in the local scene. VENUES Art PSBK. The director Jeannie Park keeps track of performances all over town. Dusun Twin Rt. 04-05, Tamantirto, Pity, Bantul; psbk.or.id. A federal judge in Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday blocked the use of more than $58 million of BP oil spill recovery money for construction of a hotel and conference center along the Gulf of Mexico. Senior Judge Charles R. Butler Jr. said government officials had not appropriately determined whether there were reasonable restoration alternatives to the project, which supporters have called crucial to attracting visitors after the spill in 2010. The projects executive director, Cooper Shattuck, said that there are other funds available for the continued work on the lodge that do not include taxpayer dollars. Robert Wiygul, a lawyer for the Gulf Restoration Network, which challenged the plan, praised the decision. Scrambling for the support of black voters as a crucial primary in South Carolina nears, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont made appeals on Tuesday to corral their backing. Mrs. Clinton used an address in Harlem to propose $125 billion in new spending to reinvigorate poor and minority communities, and Mr. Sanders barnstormed the South, pledging to combat institutional racism and reform police departments nationwide. With Mr. Sanders trying to cut into his rivals long-held advantages among black voters, Mrs. Clinton, her voice growing hoarse, warned her audience, in a reference to Mr. Sanders: You know, you cant just show up at election time and say the right things and think thats enough. We cant start building relationships a few weeks before a vote. The black vote is likely to make up roughly half the Democratic electorate in the partys Feb. 27 primary in South Carolina, and the two candidates highlighted similar themes in their appeals: the disproportionate economic barriers that young black men, in particular, face and the need to overhaul a criminal justice system that incarcerates young black men at high rates and to work with police forces to prevent officers from shooting black men or singling out African-Americans for arrest. Mr. Sanders, speaking to students at a town-hall-style meeting at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, said he was tired of seeing videos of unarmed people being killed by police officers. WASHINGTON A judge in California on Tuesday ordered Apple to help the F.B.I. unlock an iPhone used by one of the attackers in the assault in San Bernardino that killed 14 people in December. The ruling handed the F.B.I. a potentially important victory in its long-running battle with Apple and other Silicon Valley companies over the governments ability to get access to encrypted data in investigations. Apple has maintained that requiring it to provide the keys to its technology would compromise the security of the information of hundreds of millions of users. The F.B.I. says that its experts have been unable to get into the iPhone 5c used by Syed Rizwan Farook, who was killed by the police along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, after they attacked Mr. Farooks co-workers at a holiday gathering. Prosecutors said in a court filing that Apple had the exclusive means to bypass the security features on the phone, but that the company had declined to provide that assistance voluntarily. F.B.I. experts say that because of the phones security features, they risk losing the data permanently after 10 failed attempts to enter the password. Such is the transformation of this small town down the road from Sun Valley in the Northern Rockies, where yellow ribbons were once wrapped around trees along Main Street and Bring Bowe Home stickers were plastered on car bumpers. The ribbons and stickers are mostly gone, and the five years that Hailey stood behind its hometown kid when he was held by the Taliban have given way to a distrust of outsiders and a bitterness about the hostile tenor of American politics. There is a mob mentality thats been created and is being created, said Lawrence Schoen, the commissioner of Blaine County, where Hailey is. People in town have heard the demands of Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican and a former prisoner of war, that Sergeant Bergdahl be punished. People have also heard Donald J. Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, regularly call Sergeant Bergdahl a dirty, rotten traitor who should be executed or simply pushed from an airplane without a parachute. The valley that surrounds Hailey is a relatively affluent and liberal sliver in a deeply conservative state, which added to the sense of being under siege in the immediate aftermath of Sergeant Bergdahls release. Theres some really ignorant people who live some places in the West, said Fritz Haemmerle, the mayor. Theyre very right wing, theyre very militant, theyre very uninformed and theyre people with guns and with an attitude. Details about a memorial and funeral for Justice Antonin Scalia and the Supreme Courts week ahead began to surface Tuesday, three days after Justice Scalia, a lifelong Roman Catholic, was found dead in his room at a Texas ranch. Here is what is known. FUNERAL PLANS On Sunday, Justice Scalias body was flown to Virginia, where he lived for many years with his wife, Maureen McCarthy Scalia, in McLean, after being held in a funeral home in El Paso. The justices body is at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, Va., said its assistant manager, Bob Gallagher. In line with recent tradition, Justice Scalias body will lie in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court on Friday, surrounded by marble busts of former chief justices. President Obama on Tuesday offered an extended critique of the Republicans running to replace him, describing them as troubling to people around the world and singling out Donald J. Trump as someone who would not be a serious president. Speaking at a news conference in California at the end of a two-day summit meeting with leaders from Southeast Asian nations, Mr. Obama criticized the positions taken by the Republican candidates on climate change, Muslims in America and immigration. There is not a single candidate in the Republican primary that thinks we should do anything about climate change, that thinks its serious, Mr. Obama said. Well thats a problem. The rest of the world looks at that and says, Well, how can that be? The president said Mr. Trump was not the only Republican who raised concerns, but he singled out the real estate mogul as someone who would be singularly unprepared for the responsibilities of the Oval Office. This would be tantamount to declaring political war. Yet after more than seven years of wrestling with Republicans, Mr. Obama may think that he has little to lose by provoking them, especially if he is reasonably confident that a Democrat will win the White House in November. He could choose from among the younger stars in the party, like Kamala D. Harris, Californias attorney general. He might select a left-leaning judge like Diane P. Wood of the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. Or he could opt for the dream candidate of the left: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Image Some Democrats believe choosing Senator Elizabeth Warren would unify liberals. Credit... Zach Gibson/The New York Times Some Democrats believe that the nomination of Ms. Warren, a deeply admired voice in the party on economic inequality, could be a unifying move after what is turning out to be a bruising battle between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders. Such a nomination could be a balm for liberals and young people if Mr. Sanders loses the nomination, given that he and Ms. Warren are strong critics of corporate malfeasance and public corruption. While Ms. Warren is a Harvard Law School professor, she may be reluctant to put herself through a nasty confirmation battle, and it is not clear that Mr. Obama holds her in high regard: He did, after all, pass up the chance to nominate her to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Still, the selection of such a strong progressive voice would energize Democratic and Republican voters because of the possibility of a five-member liberal majority on the Supreme Court. Make It Awkward for Republicans This may be the most far-fetched choice in an era of polarization, but Mr. Obama could put Republicans in an awkward position by nominating an admired Republican figure. This may lure a few votes from Republicans while also suggesting that the president was acting above the partisan political fray. And it could appeal to those independent voters or moderate Republicans who are tired of Washington gridlock. Using a court pick to woo voters from the opposition is not without precedent: President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, used a recess appointment to nominate William J. Brennan Jr., a Roman Catholic Democrat from the Northeast, in October 1956. (The next month, Eisenhower carried New Jersey, Brennans home state, along with the rest of the Northeast.) Image Picking Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada, a moderate Republican, could hem in his party. Credit... Cathleen Allison/Associated Press In the remote possibility that he decides to go down this path, Mr. Obama would appear to have two options. He could name an older Republican who would not serve on the court for long. (Senator Orrin G. Hatch, a former chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the chambers longest-serving Republican, will turn 82 next month.) Or he could tap a younger Republican who is politically moderate enough to appeal to Democrats but would still hem in Republicans. Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada supports abortion rights and, after the courts same-sex marriage decision last year, said his states arguments against marriage equality are no longer defensible. He is also from a fast-growing and increasingly diverse swing state, is Hispanic and was state attorney general and a federal judge before becoming governor. WASHINGTON A newly declassified report by the National Security Agencys inspector general suggests that the government is receiving far less data from Americans international Internet communications than privacy advocates have long suspected. The report indicates that when the N.S.A. conducts Internet surveillance under the FISA Amendments Act, companies that operate the Internet are probably turning over just emails to, from or about the N.S.A.s foreign targets not all the data crossing their switches, as the critics had presumed. The theory that the government is rooting through vast amounts of data for its targets messages has been at the heart of several lawsuits challenging such surveillance as violating the Fourth Amendment. The report, obtained by The New York Times through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, was classified when completed in 2015, and it still contains many redactions. But several uncensored sentences appear to indicate how the system works: They suggest that the government supplies its foreign targets selectors like email addresses to the network companies that operate the Internet, and they sift through the raw data for any messages containing them, turning over only those. In a country where 40 million people owe upward of $1.2 trillion on their student loans, its not hard to imagine why a tale about armed federal agents showing up at the door of a Texas man to arrest him over unpaid student loans set the Internet abuzz. But as is the case with many stories that are shared widely online, the truth is a bit more complicated: Mainly, the authorities said the Houston resident, Paul Aker, was arrested after he disregarded years of orders to appear in court and address the repayment of a student loan from almost three decades ago. When United States Marshals finally made contact with him last Thursday, officials said he threatened two deputies. So for the millions of Americans who may worry that the authorities will show up with handcuffs to collect old student debt, Mr. Akers arrest is hardly typical as long as you respond to the governments requests to pay up. The American corporate owner of the cargo jet impounded in Zimbabwe after the bloodied body of a man was discovered aboard during a refueling stop confirmed on Tuesday that man was a stowaway found in a compartment adjacent to the nose landing gear. The owner, Western Global Airlines of Estero, Fla., also said that it was working with the Zimbabwean authorities to investigate the matter. The MD11 aircraft, en route on Sunday to Durban, South Africa, from Munich, Germany, was carrying a diplomatic shipment for the South African Reserve Bank, the company said. Officials quoted in Zimbabwe news accounts said the shipment was a large amount of South African currency. Western Global Airlines, which specializes in cargo flights to Africa, said that the identity of the body had yet to be established but that there was no indication that his presence is related to the company or this specific cargo shipment. HONG KONG The Pentagon has evidence that the Chinese military has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, a United States official has said. The deployment escalates regional tensions that have been inflamed by Chinas extensive effort to build artificial islands in the South China Sea, bolstering its claim to sovereignty over an area about the size of Argentina, where the Philippines, Vietnam and other nations also claim territory. The United States does not recognize Chinas claims, and in recent months, it has sailed warships and flown military aircraft near the Chinese outposts to assert its right to freedom of navigation. The United States official said the Chinese appeared to have deployed HQ-9 missile batteries on Woody Island in the Paracel chain. China has long had military and civilian infrastructure on the island, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Taiwans Defense Ministry, in a statement, confirmed on Wednesday that China had placed antiaircraft missiles on the island. The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not confirm or deny the missile deployment, but it noted that the Chinese Navy and Air Force had deployed forces on the Paracel Islands for many years. The hype by certain Western media outlets is purely them playing the old China threat tune, the ministry said in a faxed statement. HONG KONG A group of young students seeking greater autonomy for Hong Kong is forming a political party to participate in local elections this year, a move that is likely to unsettle a Chinese leadership fighting multiple separatist movements within its borders. We want to take back our future, said Joshua Wong, the leader of the group, Scholarism, which rallied students to protests that paralyzed streets in several districts here in 2014 as part of a campaign for democratic reform known as the Umbrella Movement. In about a decade, Mr. Wong said in an interview on Wednesday, the new party will push for a referendum that would let Hong Kongs voters determine whether to split from China after 2047, the year when Chinas promise of 50 years of high autonomy and a one country, two systems governing principle in the former British colony expires. Im certain the Chinese Communist Party would crack down on us, but thats not my concern, he said. MADRID The national court on Tuesday ordered the extradition to the United States of a Spanish businessman accused in a major art market scandal that involved the sale of nearly $70 million in forged paintings through Knoedler & Company, once New Yorks oldest gallery. The businessman, Jesus Angel Bergantinos Diaz, was arrested nearly two years ago in Spain. His younger brother, Jose Carlos Bergantinos Diaz, an art dealer, was also arrested and is awaiting a separate decision by the court over an American extradition request. Federal prosecutors in New York have accused the brothers of being at the heart of a major forgery ring that led collectors to buy dozens of fake masterworks said to be by Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell and other painters. Last week, a lawsuit against the defunct Knoedler gallery over the sale of one of the fake paintings ended in a settlement. The lawsuit centered on a Rothko painting that had been bought for $8.3 million by Domenico and Eleanore De Sole. What makes a landmark? The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is about to decide the fate of 95 properties that have been languishing, some of them for decades, on its calendar. Late in 2014 the commissions chairwoman, Meenakshi Srinivasan, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, announced that the slate would simply be cleared. City Hall let it be known that earlier administrations had created the backlog. It was time for a fresh start. This thrilled the Real Estate Board of New York, which the mayor was courting. Preservationists went ballistic. Behind the scenes, I heard that some staff members at the commission were also upset. They had worked long hours over many years to research which properties deserved to make the calendar in the first place. Of course, the bigger issue was that erasing the backlog meant dozens of potential landmarks could suddenly be demolished. In calendar limbo, at least they were temporarily preserved. New York is a dynamic metropolis, propelled by change, but it isnt a giant Etch A Sketch. On the eve of a critical hearing in his criminal case earlier this month, Bill Cosby sued the two lawyers for the woman who accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her, according to court records. The timing of the legal action meant that what was already a dramatic scene two weeks ago inside a courthouse in Norristown, Pa., had extra meaning for the two lawyers, Dolores M. Troiani and Bebe H. Kivitz, who have tenaciously challenged Mr. Cosby in representing their client, Andrea Constand, over the past 11 years. Both testified in a pretrial hearing knowing that they were the subject of a separate civil action. Only on Tuesday did Judge Eduardo C. Robreno of United States District Court in Pennsylvania lift the seal on parts of the civil case. The hearing, in Montgomery County court, was over whether the criminal case against Mr. Cosby could proceed. The judge, Steven T. ONeill, later ruled it could go forward. The suit, which was filed in United States District Court in Pennsylvania and initially placed under seal, underscores how aggressive and multifaceted Mr. Cosbys legal strategy has become in combating the numerous civil cases and the criminal case against him. Michael Pollan is food-shaming us again, this time in a four-part Netflix docu-series. Its a gentle sort of shaming, and informative, but unless youve previously been converted to Pollanology through his books (The Omnivores Dilemma) or his other screen appearances (Food, Inc.), youll come away feeling mighty guilty about what you eat. The series, which debuts Friday, is called Cooked, and its based on Mr. Pollans 2013 book of the same title, in which he explored food past and present through the four elemental categories fire, water, air, earth while trying to improve his own cooking skills. The book certainly lends itself to a cinematic treatment. He and the episodes directors (Alex Gibney, Caroline Suh, Ryan Miller and Peter Bull) flesh out his musings with trips to a baker in Morocco, a cheese-making nun in Connecticut, hunters in Western Australia and more. Its a long-view history lesson in how innovations that we take for granted transformed the human species. Cooking with fire relieved us of the chore of chewing raw food for hours, among other things. The invention of pots that could withstand flame made it possible to cook with liquids, to mix things in soups and stews. It opens up a whole new palette of possible flavors, Mr. Pollan says, and suddenly you have the birth of cuisine. The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday settled with a former stock analyst over accusations that he had failed to tell investors what he really believed about the value of a companys shares he was promoting. Charles P. Grom, who worked for Deutsche Bank, will pay $100,000 to settle charges by the regulator that his recommendation to buy shares of the retailer Big Lots was inconsistent with his own negative view of the stock, which he privately expressed to a few colleagues and hedge fund clients. Mr. Grom, who neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing, will be suspended from the securities industry for one year. He was dismissed from Deutsche Bank in 2013 for conduct not consistent with firm standards, the S.E.C said. Patrick Smith, a lawyer for Mr. Grom, said his client was pleased to put this matter behind him and looks forward to continuing his career in the future. The Spanish police raided the Madrid subsidiary of one of Chinas largest banks on Wednesday and arrested five of its directors as part of a broad investigation into money laundering. The Madrid branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is accused of helping several Chinese and Spanish criminal syndicates commit financial fraud, according to Europol, the police agency of the European Union, which helped the Spanish police in its investigation. The investigation, code-named Operation Shadow, builds off a case last year by the Spanish police that claimed that a group had laundered 40 million euros of earnings from discount stores operated by Chinese businessmen across Spain. The group was also accused of importing goods from China without declaring them to Spanish customs authorities, avoiding the payment of import and tax duties. Thirty people were arrested in that case. After last years operation, the Spanish police said they followed the money trail and found that the syndicate had deposited its earnings at the Spanish subsidiary of ICBC. The bank then sent it to China without checking their origin as required by law, according to Europol. OTTAWA Bombardier, the Canadian transportation company, said on Wednesday that it would lay off about 7,000 employees over the next two years, as it struggles to find buyers for a new series of planes that for the first time put it in direct competition with the aviation giants Boeing and Airbus. After a prolonged drought in sales announcements, Bombardier said that Air Canada, which has its headquarters in Montreal, had signed a letter of intent to buy 45 of the new CSeries planes, with options for 30 more. Bombardier expects to start delivering the aircraft within three years and estimated that all 75 planes could cost up to $6.4 billion. The company also reported on Wednesday that its revenue had fallen to just over $18 billion in 2015, from about $20 billion in the previous year. It lost $2.58 a share for the year, compared with a loss of 74 cents in 2014. While the Air Canada sale provided important help for the CSeries, sales of the aircraft remain below levels that analysts generally view as assuring the projects success. Including the 45 planes for Air Canada, Bombardier now has 288 firm orders. MOSCOW Russia filed a lawsuit against Ukraine in the London High Court on Wednesday over $3 billion in unpaid loans, escalating a legal battle that is adding to the geopolitical tensions between the two countries. The lawsuit centers on a controversial $3 billion loan that Russia granted to Ukraine in 2013 under the former Ukrainian president. In December, Ukraine declared a moratorium on paying the debts, unless Russia joined a restructuring program that included other creditors. The dispute is the latest between Ukraine and Russia to spill off the battlefield and into European courts. While a shaky cease-fire has reduced violence in eastern Ukraine, a year-old peace accord still faces major obstacles. The new Ukrainian cabinet has insisted that Moscow agree to the same 20 percent write-down and delay in repayment that was accepted by commercial creditors in a restructuring deal last year. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has rejected the deal as unfair. After high school, Mr. Moore joined the Army and served as a medic. In 1962, a time when a group of black ministers was threatening a boycott of The Inquirer for the almost total absence of blacks in its newsroom, he was hired as a copy boy. He helped change the newsrooms culture when he refused to answer an editors perfunctory summons, Boy! I stood my ground by not answering to what was not my name and took the fellow aside who yelled Boy loudest and most frequently, Mr. Moore recalled in 2011 when he accepted a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Black Journalists. I told him, quietly and privately, that calling a black man boy was a classic, racist insult, and if he said it again that night, I would meet him after work and we could discuss it outside. The association grew from the 44 members who gathered for its founding assembly in 1975 to more than 3,000. It provides education and career development opportunities and promotes diversity in hiring and coverage. Mr. Moore was promoted to reporter in 1968, a month before the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. He was the papers fourth black reporter. I do what I do for two reasons, he said in an interview with Butch Ward of the Poynter Institute, a former Inquirer editor. First, to tell the true story of black people in Philadelphia and across America, because 40 years ago, that was not done. And second, to make a difference, to erase stereotypes that go beyond race, and to have an impact on the world because of what I write. In the 1970s, he interviewed distraught mothers whose sons were victimized by gang violence. They trusted Acel to tell their story because he was not a stranger to their fears, said Arlene Morgan, a former colleague and now assistant dean of the School of Media and Communication at Temple University. The company now has contracts with more than 70 artists, six-figure revenue, seven full-time employees and artists in eight cities. Spencer Powers departed for business school, leaving his sister in charge. Last summer, Ms. Powers raised more than $1 million from more than 20 venture capitalists and angel investors. Among them was Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, a social enterprise that began by giving away a pair of shoes to a needy person for every pair the company sold. Mr. Mycoskie started the TOMS Social Entrepreneurship Fund last fall, and ArtLifting was among its first investments. Lizs realization that talented homeless and disabled artists should have a market to sell their artwork and that a purpose-driven business could fill this need felt very much like the Aha moment to start TOMS, Mr. Mycoskie said. A believer that the best ventures combine profit and purpose, Mr. Mycoskie eschewed the nonprofit route because he did not want to depend on an endless series of grants and fund-raising to sustain the business. It is a philosophy shared by Ms. Powers. Ms. Powers is eager to dispel any misconceptions about the company. ArtLifting is not a charity, and she is not a caseworker seeking artists living under overpasses. ArtLifting is an art broker, and all the artists are recommended by someone from various shelters around the country; the artists must apply to ArtLifting to represent their work. The artwork must fit the companys mission and be of high enough quality to be approved by a staff curator. The staff includes three art history majors, two of whom worked at Boston area art museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts. WASHINGTON A Florida company involved in an unusual race for approval of a drug that treats a rare neuromuscular condition had a setback on Wednesday, after federal regulators said they needed more information before deciding whether to approve it. The drug, the subject of a front-page article in The New York Times in December, treats a disease called Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, and for years was given away by a New Jersey company, Jacobus Pharmaceutical, under an obscure federal drug provision. It never had formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Now Jacobus and the Florida company, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, are vying for approval, and the winner is likely to receive seven years of exclusive rights to sell the drug. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has told investors it expects to sell hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the drug, and the companys application has raised fears among patients of a punishing price increase. The study was too small and short-term to address another longstanding question about testosterone gels: whether using them increases the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer and other conditions. And that, said Dr. Richard J. Hodes, the director of the National Institute on Aging, was deliberate. About 15 years ago, worried about soaring numbers of men using testosterone gels, Dr. Hodes and administrators at the Department of Veterans Affairs suggested a huge clinical trial that would involve thousands of men, go on for years and find out definitively what the risks and benefits of testosterone treatment were. But the plan ran into resistance. There were real hazards to men participating, critics said. Not just risk of cancer and, it later emerged, the possibility of heart disease, but an issue with P.S.A. tests, the blood examinations used to screen for prostate cancer. Testosterone increases P.S.A. levels. Men with high levels usually get biopsies of their prostates to look for cancer. But in a large clinical trial, investigators do not know who is getting the drug and who is getting a placebo. So thousands of men taking testosterone could end up with biopsies resulting solely from P.S.A. levels that were raised by the drug, not by cancer. Dr. Hodes turned to the Institute of Medicine for guidance. A group of medical experts there advised starting small. Do a study, they said, that first asks if there is any benefit to testosterone in older healthy men with low levels of the hormone. If there is no benefit, why do a trial? The new study is the result. The testosterone gels used by the men in the study are not as powerful as the very high doses of testosterone and similar hormones that some bodybuilders and athletes have injected to grow muscle and improve performance. Some men with serious medical conditions that deplete their bodies of testosterone use the hormone as therapy and that practice is not in question, researchers said. At issue is the men whose testosterone levels dropped simply because they grew older. For David Bostick, a 71-year-old Pittsburgh man who participated in the study, the appeal of testosterone was that it might help with his sluggish feeling and reduced libido. After a few weeks of smearing a gel he did not know if it was AndroGel or a placebo on his stomach, he began to feel different, with more sexual desire and more energy. He guessed he must be receiving testosterone. When the study ended, he saw his primary care doctor and obtained a prescription for AndroGel. He knew there were possible risks but, he said, I made an informed decision to take it. On Saturday, he received a letter from the study finally telling him what was in the gel he had used. It was testosterone. Scrutiny is about to begin of a proposal for the tallest tower in Brooklyn, one that would be impossible to ignore. Two developers have submitted plans in recent weeks for a 1,066-foot building in Downtown Brooklyn, which would be almost twice as high as anything surrounding it. The complex, at 9 DeKalb Avenue, would also bring the current surge in supertall towers across the East River from Manhattan. The 73-story structure, to be built by JDS Development Group and the Chetrit Group, would be more than double the height of the 512-foot Williamsburgh Savings Bank building, which was once the tallest in the borough. The plans were drawn up by SHoP Architects, whose portfolio includes another of the most recognizable new buildings in Brooklyn, Barclays Center. Were more hateful words ever howled by a mob in New York history? Burn the niggers nest. This was one of the cries taken up by a crowd that descended on the Colored Orphan Asylum during the first night of the draft riots in July 1863. The sentiments left no doubt about the attackers goal: to kill African-American children. Providence and quick thinking spared the 233 youths from death or injury, though the riots would claim more than 100 lives. But the asylum, a Greek Revival building that sat prettily atop a hillock off Fifth Avenue, between West 43rd and 44th Streets, was destroyed by the mob. Some 500 of them entered the house, the asylum managers reported on July 25, 1863, in a record book now kept at the New-York Historical Society. After despoiling it of Furniture, Bedding, Clothing, &c. &c. they deliberately sat fire to it, in different parts simply because it was the home of unoffending colored Orphan Children. To the Editor: Re Not Just a Death, a System Failure (Sunday Review, Feb. 7): Barbara Moran blames American medicine for the grisly and brutal manner of her mothers death. Without knowledge of the details of her mothers complex situation, it is impossible to comment on if and how it was a failure of the system, or on whether her prolonged intensive-care stay and all the suffering it entailed were the price she paid for a reasonable chance to recover from her illness. In my 20 years of being involved with several thousand medical ethics consultations at a major tertiary-care hospital, where specialized consultative care is provided, my experience with end-of-life ethical dilemmas is the opposite of Ms. Morans. In the vast majority of cases of patients in my hospital who have lingered in I.C.U.s with no chance of recovery, it has been the families of patients who have insisted on futile, invasive treatment, not the doctors. In fact, New York State does not give legal protection to physicians who would unilaterally withhold or withdraw life support from such patients, and so their suffering may be prolonged for weeks or months. Lastly, I would not agree that the American medical system is characterized by the lack of palliative care, unwillingness to face end-of-life decisions, and an inability to just let go. Significant improvement in end-of-life care has taken place in American hospitals over the last decade. Palliative care, home and inpatient hospice facilities and improved physician-patient and family communication are becoming the rule rather than the exception. WASHINGTON The closing of Al Jazeera America, expected in April, is a sad conclusion to a project that was by turns uplifting and inspiring as well as troubling and depressing. Its demise offers a lesson in both the limitations of public diplomacy and the obstacles to providing high-quality television journalism. Al Jazeera America was the latest, and perhaps most ambitious, branch of a media empire that the tiny but wealthy Gulf emirate of Qatar has used to project its influence, first regionally and then globally. The American-specific incarnation, begun in 2013, was partly an effort to rebrand for the United States the earlier iterations of the franchise, Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English. But the American network was hobbled from the start by this very legacy. Because Al Jazeera Arabic overtly promoted Dohas foreign policy objectives, the network was controversial and disliked by virtually every other government in the region. The Arabic station introduced a freewheeling reporting style except for avoiding any criticism of Qatar that transfixed Arab audiences with previously unheard-of debates. Impartial it was not: A hefty dose of old-fashioned Arab nationalism and a strong bias for the Muslim Brotherhood, which was supported by the Qatari government, were unmistakable. This ideological orientation led to exaggerated accusations in the United States, especially in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, that Al Jazeera served as a media affiliate of Al Qaeda. WASHINGTON Last month, some of President Obamas top intelligence advisers met in Silicon Valley with Apples chief, Timothy D. Cook, and other technology leaders in what seemed to be a public rapprochement in their long-running dispute over the encryption safeguards built into their devices. But behind the scenes, relations were tense, as lawyers for the Obama administration and Apple held closely guarded discussions for over two months about one particularly urgent case: The F.B.I. wanted Apple to help unlock an iPhone used by one of the two attackers who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., in December, but Apple was resisting. When the talks collapsed, a federal magistrate judge, at the Justice Departments request, ordered Apple to bypass security functions on the phone. The order set off a furious public battle on Wednesday between the Obama administration and one of the worlds most valuable companies in a dispute with far-reaching legal implications. This Apple case really goes right to the heart of the encryption issue, said Ira Rubinstein, a senior fellow at the New York University Information Law Institute, and in some ways, this was a fight that was inevitable. Tuesday evening, a federal court ordered Apple to help the F.B.I. unlock an iPhone used by one of the attackers who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., in December. Wednesday morning, Apple said in a strongly worded letter that it would challenge the courts request. While technology companies recently have resisted government demands, Apples letter is one of the industrys most forceful pushbacks against a court ruling. In the hours after Apples letter was published, technologists and legal experts have been dissecting what, exactly, the Cupertino, Calif., company cant or wont do to help the government. What is the government asking for? The Federal Bureau of Investigation wants to examine the iPhone used by Syed Farook to determine whether he and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, had planned the shooting directly with the Islamic State. The iPhone, a 5c version of the smartphone that was released in 2013, is locked by a passcode, which the F.B.I. wants Apple to circumvent.Apple would have to build a new version of its iOS smartphone software that allows the F.B.I. to bypass certain restrictions. Apple claims this software can give someone the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. The app does have one problem: If you properly close this app, it forgets your topic choice, so you will have to keep tapping if you only want to see cellphone news. The apps content is more conversational and lighthearted than you will typically find on TechCrunch, which makes for easier reading. The Engadget app isnt perfect, though, and some app store reviewers complain it can be slow. Engadget is free on iOS and Android. CNET reporting team members are regulars at the Mobile World Congress, and they cover many of the cellphone manufacturers special debut events live, as well as sharing other news and reports from the show. The CNET app is a great way to get this content. Though this app is also designed as a scrollable list, the news articles in the list are presented in a more attractive way, with larger images than in rival apps. From the top menu bar of the app you can also choose to see featured articles or the list of latest published news. The app does not break down its news content by topic, however. If you are specifically interested in learning about a new phone from Samsung, for example, you may have to use the search feature, or scroll through the home page list to find the news. When you tap to read an article, you will find it reads much the same as if you were reading on the mobile web. While this is no bad thing, the text can seem quite small and there is no way to change its size, as in the TechCrunch app. CNETs app is free on iOS and Android. If youve never heard of the human-resources start-up Zenefits, get ready to never forget it. The company announced last week an escalating series of errors and investigations that will most likely go down as a defining scandal of the latest tech boom. The situation looks bad, and is likely to get worse. Its bad in ways specific to this start-up, but also in larger ways ways that highlight how last years enormous funding rounds and their attendant overinflated expectations may wreak havoc on Silicon Valley for years to come. In particular, Zenefits may be among the first of several cautionary tales to highlight a sobering lesson: For a start-up, growing too quickly can produce just as spectacular a failure as growing too slowly. First, the back story: Zenefits is a three-year-old company that makes software for small businesses. In its short life span, it has been called both the most unsexy company in tech, and one of the most promising. Back in December, when Marin Mazzie went to see The King and I with her mother, she was just there for fun, not to scope it out as a job prospect. For one thing, she had no idea Kelli OHara would be leaving the show. But she is leaving, this spring, and when she does Ms. Mazzie will be headed back to Broadway. Forced to pause her career for much of last year after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the three-time Tony nominee will take over for Ms. OHara in Bartlett Shers Tony-winning production at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, beginning May 3. Sounding upbeat and energetic in a phone conversation Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Mazzie said that the offer came out of the blue. Her agent called her Jan. 7 with an unexpected question: Would she be interested in replacing Ms. OHara in The King and I? The next day, her oncologist told her that her cancer was in remission. Ms. Mazzies return to Broadway will come 12 months after her belly started swelling uncomfortably during rehearsals for the Encores! production of Zorba! at City Center. She received her cancer diagnosis May 6, the day that show opened. If you were asked to assess African-American voting power, you might think about the long history of disenfranchisement that still lingers today, in troubles in Ferguson, Mo.; in efforts to roll back the Voting Rights Act; or in recent moves to limit voting access around the country. So it can be easy to miss something right in front of our faces: Were living in an era when blacks have essentially played kingmaker in the most important elections in the nation (thus also the world). And its happening again, as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton battle to win the South Carolina primary on Feb. 27. Mr. Sanderss first move after his resounding victory in New Hampshire last week was to travel to meet Al Sharpton at Sylvias Restaurant in Harlem the next morning. Hes under no illusion: If he can make inroads with black voters and other nonwhite voters in the remaining primaries, hell have a chance against Mrs. Clinton. If he cant make those gains, he wont, as my colleague Nate Cohn has calculated. Recent history makes it clear: In the 2008 Democratic primaries, Mr. Obama could not have won without unified black support. Mrs. Clinton was the clear favorite. In late 2007, a Pew poll showed her ahead of Mr. Obama by 14 points in South Carolina. But after Mr. Obama won Iowa, black voters swung behind him, and he defeated her in South Carolina by 29 points. According to exit polls, blacks made up 55 percent of the South Carolina Democratic primary electorate, and Mr. Obama won 78 percent of that vote to Mrs. Clintons 19 percent. He went on to roll in states with large black populations, and he needed every bit of that help, barely holding off Mrs. Clinton for the nomination. A teenager in South Florida who was advertising his health care services had certifications in holistic healthcare. He had lab coats and a stethoscope. He even had a medical office. What the 18-year-old Malachi A. Love-Robinson didnt have, officials say, is a medical degree. On Tuesday, Mr. Love-Robinson was accused of practicing medicine without a license after officials said he was caught performing a physical exam and offering medical advice to an undercover agent. The episode is the latest in a series of encounters with law enforcement dating back to early 2015 as Mr. Love-Robinson tried time and again to portray himself as a doctor, officials said. The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that Mr. Love-Robinson managed to open and operate his own office, called New Birth New Life Medical Center & Urgent Care, in a building populated by medical and dentistry offices in West Palm Beach, complete with a grand-opening celebration held in January. In Florida, practicing medicine without a license is a third-degree felony. Mr. Love-Robinson was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. WASHINGTON President Obamas senior adviser and his top lawyer were blunt with liberal activists on a strategy call as they jumped into what political professionals in Washington expect to be one of the hardest-fought Supreme Court battles in a generation. In what one participant described as part pep rally and part planning session, Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, and Neil Eggleston, the White House chief counsel, urged dozens of the presidents allies who were on the phone not to hold back in their condemnation of Republicans for refusing to hold hearings to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last week. The White House hardly needed to prod the interest groups during the Tuesday call. The outcome of this battle could determine the fate of a vast array of contentious issues for decades to come: immigration, climate change, gun rights, campaign finance, health care, affirmative action, gay rights and abortion. So in record time, the liberal and conservative Washington lobbying and advocacy machines have roared to life as both sides prepare for a fight on a battlefield that includes the White House, Congress and the campaign trail. Advocacy groups are vowing to spend millions of dollars. I did two tours in Iraq, the man said, as the crowd erupted in cheers and chants. If it werent for Mr. Trump right here, I dont think any of us would have the voice that we have. Rival Republican candidates have long criticized Mr. Trump for once holding liberal views on matters like abortion. And conservative commentators have exposed his apostasy on issues like free trade and entitlements. But nowhere was his break with the partys orthodoxy more vivid than in the debate last Saturday in South Carolina, a week before Republicans hold their primary here. Besides attacking the former president, while the audience booed loudly, Mr. Trump asserted that, abortion aside, Planned Parenthood did wonderful things for womens health. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who last year threatened to shut down the federal government over funding Planned Parenthood, and who has been hoping to carve evangelical support away from Mr. Trump, quickly went up with a negative ad about Mr. Trumps support for the group. But many people at his rallies agreed with Mr. Trump on the issue. I oppose abortion, but I think Planned Parenthood does a lot of good for people who cant afford birth control, said Kim Wells, a schoolteacher and Trump supporter in North Augusta. At a rally in Louisiana last week, Mr. Trump rejected attacks from Jeb Bush and other candidates that he was not a conservative. He dismissed ideological labels altogether, a sentiment endorsed by the 10,000 people in the arena, who thundered their approval over and over. Instead of calling himself conservative, Mr. Trump said, Im a guy with common sense thats going to make us a fortune. WASHINGTON As a legal matter, the showdown between the Obama administration and Apple touched off Tuesday by the ruling of a federal magistrate judge in California turns on an 18th century law. More practically, though, it boils down to this question: Should you be able to lock your phone so securely that even the F.B.I. cannot open it? The Obama administration and police officers around the country say no, and their precedent is the past. Homes and cars do not have unbreakable locks. You cannot buy an uncrackable safe. And terrorists and child molesters should not be able to buy a hand-held computer that keeps its secrets forever. Apple, backed by technologists and civil libertarians, says yes. People live their lives electronically; their phones are a record of loves and fantasies, illnesses and losses. Apple built its recent iPhones to keep that data private and says nothing less than the future of privacy is at stake in this fight. The Justice Departments success in obtaining a court order demanding that Apple help write software to disable those defenses was a significant victory for the Obama administration. It relied on the All Writs Act, a law that can trace its origins to the first Congress in 1789. In short, it says courts can require that people do things to comply with their orders. Despite his own reservations, and those of much of his staff and student body, the president of the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday announced rules that will allow concealed handguns to be carried on campus, including in classrooms. A new Texas law requires public colleges and universities to adopt policies that will generally allow concealed carry, which has been prohibited on the flagship Austin campus. The law allows private schools to keep their prohibitions, and the most prominent among them, including Rice, Baylor and Southern Methodist, have said they will do so, but public universities were not given a choice. I do not believe handguns belong on a university campus, so this decision has been the greatest challenge of my presidency to date, the university president, Gregory L. Fenves, said in an open letter announcing the policy. I empathize with the many faculty members, staffers, students and parents of students who signed petitions, sent emails and letters, and organized to ban guns from campus and especially classrooms. As a professor, I understand the deep concerns raised by so many. CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico Stepping to the concrete edge of the Rio Grande, Pope Francis on Wednesday went to a militarized divide of the United States-Mexican border and prayed for compassion toward immigrants. He never set foot in the United States, but he did step directly, and deliberately, into the acrimonious American debate over immigration. Beneath a brilliant blue sky, Francis turned the dusty no mans land of the border into a media-saturated setting for a potent symbolic moment: On one side was a crowd of 200,000 people waiting for him to lead Mass in this Mexican border city. On the other was a small group of people from the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, along with police officers and border guards, some peering at the spectacle through binoculars usually used to catch migrants trying to sneak over the border. Francis slowly walked up to a sloped memorial that was built for his visit to commemorate those who have died along the Mexican border. He stood before a large cross overlooking the border fence, made the sign of the cross and prayed before laying a bouquet of flowers on a small table before the cross. Then he looked over to the United States and waved his hand to offer a papal blessing. Assadullah, who was wiping the dust from his Toyota Corolla outside a Soviet-era apartment block in the Macrorayan neighborhood where he lives with his family, said he had only two hours of electricity a day. If there is no electricity, then there is no heat, he said, and we dont get running water, which means all the toilets and bathrooms are unusable. Every evening, the women and children stand in line to fill buckets with water from the downstairs tap, which they then lug up the stairs. Honestly, we dont have any expectations for this government; they cant help the people, Mr. Assadullah, who also goes by one name, said. I dont even know whats happening with the problem because there is no electricity to watch the news on TV. Beyond the inconvenience and the damage to the countrys limping economy, the cuts to power have exposed the vulnerability of a city that already felt besieged. The Taliban have been gaining ground since the departure of most United States and other NATO combat soldiers at the end of 2014, staging daily attacks on police and army checkpoints in Kabul and the surrounding provinces. Traveling by road even a few dozen miles outside the city can be a dicey proposition because of insurgents and brigands. The government has blamed the Taliban for the power failures, though the insurgents, through a spokesman, denied responsibility. Conspiracy-minded Afghans suggest that the destruction of power lines was the work of gangs seeking to profit by selling generators and the diesel to run them. Regardless of who is responsible, the areas where the pylons fell are the scenes of major battles between the army and the Taliban, and repair work cannot begin until hostilities cease and mines are cleared in the area. At the best of times, DABS, the power company, is able to meet less than three-quarters of the capitals demand of 800 megawatts of electricity, Mr. Delawari, the chief executive, said. Emergency measures, including the use of an American-financed diesel-powered plant, have made up some of the deficit, he said, but the supply is still well short of normal. HONG KONG China has apparently deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, escalating regional tensions with Chinas neighbors and the United States. According to a United States official who insisted on anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, the Pentagon has evidence that there are HQ-9 missile batteries on Woody Island in the Paracel chain, which is claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan as well as by China. The official did not give details about how many missiles there were, how long they had been there or whether they were operational. Taiwans Defense Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday, also saying that antiaircraft missiles were present on the island. Tensions over the sea have been inflamed by Chinas extensive effort to build artificial islands there, intending to bolster its claim to sovereignty over most of the sea and the many reefs and islets in it. Chinas claims in the sea overlap those made by other nations including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The United States does not recognize Chinas claims, and in recent months, it has sailed warships and flown military aircraft near the Chinese outposts to assert its right to freedom of navigation. HONG KONG The Chinese Embassys stationery seems safe for now. President Obama is expected to veto a bill that would change the address of the embassy in Washington from 3505 International Place NW to 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza after the Nobel Peace laureate imprisoned in China. Ted Cruz, the Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate, introduced the legislation, which passed the Senate on Friday. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House. Mr. Liu, a literary critic and prominent figure in the 1989 Tiananmen protests, was sentenced to an 11-year prison term in 2009 for inciting subversion after he compiled Charter 08, a pro-democracy manifesto. One year later, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to human rights in China. Mark C. Toner, a deputy spokesman for the American State Department, said on Tuesday that it was his understanding that Mr. Obama would veto the bill if it reached his desk and that changing the name would not be effective in encouraging China to respect human rights and release political prisoners. KABUL, Afghanistan Child soldiers recruited by the Taliban were used in the battle to overrun the northern city of Kunduz last year, a prominent human rights organization said on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch reported 13 cases of children recruited to fight for the Taliban in that battle. Its researchers found that the insurgents used Islamic religious schools in the area to provide military training to children between the ages of 13 and 17, many of whom have been deployed in combat. Human Rights Watch said the Taliban begin indoctrinating children from as early as 6 years old. The United Nations has documented that children as young as 10 participated in the fighting in Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz Province. That northern city was captured in September by Taliban fighters; government forces, backed by United States air power, reclaimed the city days later. The French Parliament voted on Tuesday to extend the state of emergency for another three months. Marc Trevidic, a judge who oversaw terrorism cases for 10 years, emphasized the dangers for France if it failed to strike the proper balance. During his tenure, he said, he listened to many wiretapped phone conversations of young people considering whether to follow a more extreme form of Islam. They have the impression that France doesnt like Islam, Mr. Trevidic said, adding that those young people often have not yet taken the step of becoming active in a terrorist organization because they have jobs, families and a stake in society. As the number of warrantless searches rises in the weeks after the attacks, scores of French citizens posted photographs and videos on social media websites showing the damage to their front doors, their furniture and their possessions. The damage stung all the more for those who did not have the money for the repairs. In one widely reported case, police officers burst into a halal restaurant where families were eating dinner and ordered them to put their hands on the table, but did not check their identity papers. They searched mosques as well as a shelter for battered and homeless Muslim women. Often it was unclear why the police were conducting the raid. Amnesty International reported this month that many people caught up in the raids said in interviews that they feared the searches were often based on little more than unsubstantiated suspicions passed along by neighbors. The authorities have also put 407 people under house arrest since Nov. 14, requiring them to report to the police three times daily, which forced those who were working to quit their jobs or take leaves of absence. But the Conservatives have been split on Europe since before 1990 when Margaret Thatcher was pushed out as prime minister. She supported membership of the European Economic Community, as it then was, in Britains previous referendum in 1975, but became steadily more hostile to European integration. Her ouster in a 1990 putsch was partly caused by European policy, and her successor, John Major, was tormented by her supporters. Even now, several years after her death, there is debate about how Mrs. Thatcher would have voted on exiting the bloc, a spectacularly silly discussion, according to Mr. Rees-Mogg, who ridiculed it by suggesting a quick seance. Knock once for yes, knock twice for no, he said, before rapping twice on the table and announcing, with a grin, that Mrs. Thatcher had spoken from beyond the grave. Its no! Mr. Rees-Mogg makes an economic case for Britain to go it alone, saying that Europe is narrowing Britains trading focus, when we need to broaden it. But he also highlights historical factors that, he says, set Britain apart, including that its also a long time since we have, off our own bat, wanted to fight anyone in Europe. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. As for his personal style Mr. Rees-Mogg, who does not own a pair of jeans, believes that arguments, not personal quirks will decide the referendum. Anyway, he says, I cant suddenly pretend to be Mr. Trendy. Not all euroskeptics are as entertaining as Mr. Rees-Mogg, perhaps because some have spent decades studying the subclauses of European Union treaties, regulations and other, mind-numbing texts. The best known and most knowledgeable of these is Bill Cash, a veteran lawmaker once derided by Mr. Major as obsessive, driven and, on Europe, frankly a bore. ROME The Italian Senate has postponed a vote on a contentious bill that would recognize civil unions for same-sex couples, after a boisterous discussion that risked defeating the law. Debate over the bill and in particular over a clause that would allow a partner in a same-sex couple to adopt the biological child of the other partner has divided public opinion, as well as Parliament itself, mostly along ideological and religious lines. When discussion of the bill began Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lost an important ally: the populist Five Star Movement pulled its support of an amendment proposed by Mr. Renzis center-left Democratic Party that would thwart thousands of amendments proposed by the center-right opposition. Mr. Renzi has a slim majority in the Senate, and his own party is divided, so support from the Five Star Movement was critical to passage of the legislation, which Mr. Renzi supports. ISTANBUL Turkey reeled on Wednesday from a deadly bombing of a military convoy in the capital, plunging its leaders deeper into crisis mode and underscoring the countrys vulnerability to the Syrian war and revitalized Kurdish insurgency. The bombing in the capital, Ankara, made President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even more combative; he vowed to strike at enemies in Syria or anywhere else. The blast hit a convoy of buses filled with soldiers as it was stopped for a traffic light near the Parliament building. Officials said the explosion killed at least 28 people and wounded more than 60. No group took responsibility immediately, but some officials said Kurdish militants might have been responsible. GENEVA More than 100 trucks laden with emergency food and medicine began deliveries on Wednesday to tens of thousands of desperate Syrians in five locations besieged for months by the civil war, United Nations officials and relief workers reported. The deliveries were the first significant aid to the afflicted civilians under a diplomatic arrangement negotiated during a meeting in Munich last week by the so-called International Syria Support Group of 17 nations and completed on Tuesday between the United Nations and the Syrian government, which had blocked access to the locations. International aid agencies had loaded 115 trucks with food and medical supplies for 100,000 people in the western towns of Madaya and Zabadani, the northwestern towns of Fouaa and Kfarya, and the Damascus suburb of Moadhamiyeh. The trucks started moving in convoys on Wednesday and by evening three trucks had reached Zabadani, 24 trucks had entered Madaya and 13 had gone into Fouaa and Kfarya, relief workers and independent monitors said. They also said that aid had been delivered to Moadhamiyeh. Consumers looking for someone to handle their income tax returns may not know that many paid tax preparers arent required to have special training or pass a test to prove their expertise. So its important to do some research before handing over your financial information. Certain types of tax preparers certified public accountants, tax lawyers and tax specialists called enrolled agents generally must meet minimum standards for education and training to maintain their licenses. (C.P.A.s and lawyers are licensed by states, while enrolled agents some of whom are former Internal Revenue Service employees are federally licensed.) But a large number of independent paid preparers are largely unregulated and dont have to prove they have any special tax expertise. Just a handful of states (California, Maryland, New York and Oregon) require paid preparers to meet any minimum education or competency standards. The vast majority of preparers are not credentialed, said Chi Chi Wu, a lawyer with the National Consumer Law Center. The desire to reunite with his mother will stay with Delvin throughout his life, yet he quickly blossoms under Olivers tutelage. He is a young boy hungry for knowledge. He takes pleasure in cataloging the flora and fauna, smells and sounds that populate his world. In Delvin, Smith creates a character sufficiently complex for the emotional tumult life will hand him. Young Delvin spends his days reading ancient tales of adventure and conquest, and trying to find the right words to describe specific moments and emotions. He has a poets appreciation for the uncanny. I want to see the world, Delvin writes, but only the parts that are surprising. Smiths own background in poetry (he has published eight collections) is on impressive display throughout the novel. The quotidian country world is full of magic in his hands; characters walk through emollient, fribbly sunshine and eat cornbread with textures as varied as the streaks of red in Southern clay. Smiths fondness for lists leads to surprising juxtapositions that are a joy to read: Bole and bunch, dry squeak of old runner carpet, a cracked vase painted blue, a white shirt on a hanger hooked on a bedroom wire, smell of liver frying in the morning. He heaps images on top of images, conjuring snatches of life until the reader feels as if shes flipping through a stack of Eudora Welty photos on every page. After an incident in the woods as a teenager, Delvin fears for his life and leaves Chattanooga by freight train. He takes to life on the rails, and for a few pages there is hope he might become a hobo of the Jack Kerouac variety, traveling the country in search of self-actualization and worthwhile stories. But Delvin has black skin, and his rails traverse the South. He encounters a world that is free of responsibility yet constrained, occasionally fraternal and utterly segregated. It is a peculiar landscape through which men walk the Negro half-towns and sham-cities delivering messages verbatim for a few dollars, and elderly Confederate soldiers are alive and doddering just over yonder hill. It is a land full of wanton violence, but also good will. People, no matter what happened, Delvin observes, kept their eye on the living side of things. Smith smartly uses Delvins journeys and maturation as a way to explore the novels central question. Seeking to find a mentor who might be able to fill the hole left by Mr. Oliver, Delvin works as an assistant to Professor Carmel, an eccentric self-styled scholar with a traveling collection of photos of the Negros trials and sufferings and joys on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Carmel possesses a wide variety of books on black political thought from Sojourner Truth to W. E. B. Du Bois to lesser-known pamphleteers which gives Delvin an opportunity to wrestle with his own beliefs. Does he agree with writers who proclaim that the Negro man should rise up in violent revolt, or is he more in line with Truth, who focuses on the need to love one another, regardless of color? For Delvin, who is nothing if not measured, the raising of the question is more important than the answer. The fear of white violence undergirds the narrative of Ginny Gall like a buzzing in Delvins ear that never ceases. His own eventual captivity is precipitated by a moment of scorn from the white world, and a split-second decision to stand up for himself. Delvin and seven other black boys are accused of raping two white women. Smith presents the arrests and sentencing as swift and startling, yet inevitable. Delvin becomes one of the K. O. Boys, a fictional group of falsely accused black teenagers reminiscent of the real-life Scottsboro Boys who were accused of a similar crime in 1931. In opera, voice is everything. The narrator of The Queen of the Night, Lilliet Berne, is a star of the Paris Opera. She possesses a rare and delicate Falcon soprano range, named for Marie-Cornelie Falcon, whose voice famously shattered in the middle of a performance and never recovered. Lilliets world is one of silence and sound, of risk and fragility, and the balance between vocal power and expression. Voice is everything in historical fiction, too: One of the novelists critical creative decisions is how to present the voices and world views of people in the past, while making them accessible for modern readers. Many authors of popular historical novels attempt something that simply sounds a bit old-fashioned, in an attempt to create a sense of authenticity, as if that were actually possible. But what is assumed to be authenticity is a genre convention that owes more to the influence of early historical fiction than to genuine speech patterns of ancient Rome or the real pirates of the Caribbean. There are other approaches, such as the vaulting ventriloquism of Sarah Waters or Peter Carey, or the postmodern voice showcased in Jeanette Wintersons The Passion. In Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel mastered the transparent voice; subtly reflecting Tudor speech and language, without us tripping over a single prithee or gadzook while in The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton reproduced a syntax and vocabulary reminiscent of Dickens. Whatever the authors particular spin, the characters voices, especially in first-person narration, create an imagined past for the reader, and need to sing in tune. The Queen of the Night, Alexander Chees salute to the music and literature of the 19th century, is also all about voice. The rags-to-riches plot is an intentionally improbable picaresque featuring all the glorious elements of great operas of the era: love at first sight, disguise, intrigue, grief, betrayal, secrets, scheming aristocrats, a besotted tenor, dramatic escapes, grand settings, fabulous costumes, murder, fallen women, sacrifice the follies of humans at the mercy of Fate. Victory, defeat, victory, defeat, victory, defeat is a refrain. On your reality show Bar Rescue, you do speedy overhauls of failing bars. Do you ever worry that moving so quickly sort of undermines the owners? Theres an independent website called Bar Rescue Updates that we have nothing to do with, and they track us. According to them, we have a 70 percent success rate the highest in all of transformation television. I did not know there was a name for this genre: transformation television. I love a good transformation television show. Well, its so Shakespearean, if you really think about it. You know: person in trouble; resists change; goes through a transformation. And then, a happy ending. You tend to reference a lot of popular psychology on the show. Do you have an interest in science? When I went to college, I really became interested in cultural anthropology. Our behavior isnt that different from other primate species. Seventy percent of people who walk into a shopping mall make a right turn. That stuff bothers me if I can get them to turn left, I can make millions. You also studied political science in college, and you hoped to go into politics yourself. Were you planning on running for office? I really was going to run for Congress. I look at it today, and Im sort of glad I didnt. I am in a profession where I often go to peoples houses to work with their children. I have one client whom I like very much and who has requested my services a number of times, but whenever I leave that clients house, I find myself troubled. This family has a teacup pig, which lives with them in a medium-size apartment. I consider myself an animal lover, and it so happens that I have looked into the fad of teacup pigs. I know that they are really piglets of a larger variety, the potbellied pig, which are unintentionally underfed by owners who have been led by dishonest sellers to believe that the pigs need to eat less than they really do. Right now the pig is small, perhaps 10 to 15 pounds, but I know it will keep growing and that the lowest healthy weight for a full-grown teacup pig is about 60 pounds; a potbellied pig can easily grow to more than 100 pounds. I asked the family how big the pig would get, thinking perhaps they knew the facts and had some plan. They told me that they expect it to remain the size it is now. The worst part? They often remark that the pig is acting hungry; I imagine they feed him the too-small amount they were directed to by the seller. I believe that this family loves their pig very much and that I am witnessing an unintentional act of animal cruelty, but I am in a quandary: Should I tell them that they are unwittingly mistreating their beloved pet? I worry that I would be overstepping my professional bounds. People can be very touchy when it comes to their pets, and I want to maintain cordial relations with them for the sake of my continued employment. Do I have an ethical obligation to tell them the truth about teacup pigs? Name Withheld If youre right, this pig is suffering from hunger and malnourishment, and its owners dont know. Because animals cant speak, its especially important that we speak for them. These owners, in your view, dont mean to harm their pet. So in theory, they ought to be grateful to you for bringing the facts to their attention. In reality, as you fear, they might be chagrined and reluctant to see you again. Much comes down to diplomacy. You can say that coming to know their pet led you to explore what you had heard about the breed . . . and then tell them what youve found out. When it comes to the treatment of animals, Jeremy Bentham captured the essentials more than two centuries ago: The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? For a research project on a famous ancestor of mine whose father is unknown, Ive genetically tested (with their full permission) a number of male descendants. (Im female, so my own DNA wont give me the information about the male line.) One of these relatives is an elderly man who is very proud of this ancestor. But the results showed that the man he thinks is his biological father is not. I havent shared this news with him because I think it might hurt him terribly, but I dont know him well enough to know that for sure. He also has children who might want to know their actual genetic line. I truly dont know the right thing to do. Name Withheld This issue is going to come up more and more often. Genetic testing makes it increasingly clear that fatherhood involves more faith than motherhood. Studies have come up with figures ranging from 2 percent to 30 percent for rates of nonpaternity, though the most likely figure for the contemporary United States is at the very low end of that range. The director Lileana Blain-Cruz didnt so much stand up as pop out of a chair in New York Theater Workshops rehearsal studio. She then danced across the floor toward the actors Alex Breaux and Lucas Caleb Rooney. Im going to switch something up for you, she nearly sang, suggesting a change in the fight scene they were rehearsing for Red Speedo, now in previews at the theater. I guess when I get excited thats how I end up processing it, or when something feels like its the right direction, I start to jump up and down, she said the next morning, between bites of a bagel at an East Village diner. (James Nicola, the Workshops artistic director, said in a phone conversation that she dances during auditions, too, where her buoyancy and her burst of energy can help to relax nervous actors.) I feel like we chose this crazy art form because theres a sense of play inside of it, she said. Were being kids to some extent. Her time as an actual kid was spent in both New York and Miami, and though she majored in English at Princeton University and intended at the time to become an English professor, Ms. Blain-Cruz, 30, remembers when she was first captivated by theatricality. At about age 10, she recalled, her father took her to see La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera and the sense of ceremony chandeliers rising and a massive set being revealed made a deep impression on me, she said. Lately, the Faure Requiem has weighed heavily on Naian Gonzalez Norvinds mind. So have the requiems of Mozart, Dvorak and Verdi. Its an immersion course for the role of Caitlin, a 17-year-old violinist who has taken off her senior year, with her parents blessing, to compose a death Mass of her own in Greg Pierces Her Requiem, opening Feb. 22 at the Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center. I try to not only listen to requiems at my leisure, sort of indolently, but to make sense out of them, which is extremely difficult, she said over lunch at a Chelsea tapas restaurant. And, just for the pleasure of it, to discover these new pieces of music and maybe one you like so much that it will follow you for the rest of your life. At 24, Ms. Gonzalez Norvind a daughter of the Mexican actress Nailea Norvind and granddaughter of Eva Norvind, a Norwegian-born New York actress, filmmaker and dominatrix has plenty of life ahead. Sarah Charles Lewis is only 11, but already she has a position on immortality: If offered a liquid that would allow her to live forever, but keep her always at her current age, she would decline. I feel like Id miss out on being a mom, and a grandmother, and I feel like Id miss out on everything, she explained. Its not the kind of question most fifth graders grapple with. But Sarah is an unusual child, who has just left Georgia to move to New York and make her Broadway debut in Tuck Everlasting, a musical about a girl whose life is upended when she meets an immortal family in the woods. The show, with music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle, is adapted from the classic childrens book of the same title; Sarah will play Winnie, the girl who must ultimately decide whether to drink from the magical brook that provides eternal life. In Eclipsed, which begins previews Feb. 23 at the Golden Theater, Zainab Jah plays Maima, an AK-47-toting soldier who has given herself the name Disgruntled. But one evening at a South Brooklyn bistro, plates of oysters arrayed before her, Ms. Jah seemed content. Im greedy, she said, with enthusiasm and without apology. A self-described fitness fanatic who declined to give her age (I dont tell; Im a lady, she said), Ms. Jah is slim and not quite 5-foot-2, but with her plumb line posture, coiled braids and forceful energy, she looms larger. Especially when shes holding a machine gun. Onstage, in Danai Guriras play about women entangled in a civil war in Liberia, she is incandescent, fierce and gentle, moving with tenacious grace. Offstage, the wattage is only a little dimmer. She even manages to slurp oysters with poise. Born in England, she spent her first 10 years with a grandmother in Sierra Leone before joining her parents, both doctors, in England. It was that grandmother who first introduced her to theater, recruiting her for a church troupe called Christs Little Band. Despite pressure from her parents to pursue medicine or law, she trained as a dancer and worked happily for several years before she began craving another form of expression. I just sat up in bed and said, I want to be an actor, she said. In 1997, scientists found the first scrap of Neanderthal DNA in a fossil. Since then, they have recovered genetic material, even entire genomes, from a number of Neanderthal bones, and their investigations have yielded a remarkable surprise: Today, 1 to 2 percent of the DNA in non-African people comes from Neanderthals. That genetic legacy is the result of interbreeding roughly 50,000 years ago between Neanderthals and the common ancestors of Europeans and Asians. Recent studies suggest that Neanderthal genes even influence human health today, contributing to conditions from allergies to depression. Now scientists have found that the genes flowed both ways. In a study published on Wednesday in Nature, a team of scientists reports that another instance of interbreeding left Neanderthals in Siberia with chunks of human DNA. This exchange, the scientists conclude, took place about 100,000 years ago. Thats a puzzling date, because a great deal of evidence indicates that the ancestors of todays non-Africans did not expand out of Africa until 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. John Scofield, an internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist and instructor in NYU Steinhardts jazz studies program, was named the winner of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album for his album Past Present. The Grammy Award is Scofields first; he was also nominated this year for Best Jazz Solo Performance, which went to Christian McBrides Cherokee. In Past Present, from record label Impulse!, Scofield reunites with his acclaimed jazz quartet from the 1990s, including saxophonist and fellow Steinhardt jazz faculty member Joe Lovano. The nine-song album of original compositions by Scofield performed by a quartet of superb improvisers, according to The Guardian blends jazz with rock, pop, blues, and country influences. Scofield is known for his distinctive guitar sound and stylistic diversity, and has collaborated and played with musical greats Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, Pat Metheny, Mavis Staples, and Phil Lesh. He has been part of the jazz studies faculty at NYU Steinhardt since 2005. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards were held yesterday in Los Angeless Staples Center, hosted by rapper LL Cool J. In addition to Scofields two nominations, other nominees from the NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions included composer Julia Wolfe and alumna Ruthie Ann Miles (07, Vocal Performance). Wolfe, associate professor of music composition and co-founder of the music collective Bang on a Can, was nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Anthracite Fields, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for Music last year. Miles was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album for The King and I, which competed against albums from Broadways Fun Home, An American in Paris, Something Rotten, and the ultimate winner, Hamilton. Miles received a 2015 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role in The King and I. About NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions Established in 1924, Steinhardts Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions (MPAP) is a leading research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, songwriting, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama). Prominent alumni include: jazz great Wayne Shorter, music theatre composer and songwriter Cy Coleman, lyricist Betty Comden, composer Elmer Bernstein, and playwright and film writer John Patrick Shanley. Visit Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions website for more information. Report shows need for policy shift to address child poverty 17 February 2016NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Louise Green says a report released today is further evidence that the government is failing to address the impact of its policies on poor children.The Salvation Armys latest State of the Nation Report shows that there has been limited progress in reducing child poverty levels.It is extraordinary that the government claims that the economy is working well when we have an unacceptably high number of children living in desperately poor situations.She says the report backs up what teachers, principals and education support staff have been saying about the effect that poverty has on education.It says that more effective teaching practices to close educational gaps will only take us so far if gaps around material hardship of broader opportunities are not addressed."This again supports the findings of an OECD report released last week which showed that disadvantaged children in New Zealand are more than six times more likely to underachieve in maths than children from wealthier homes."The Salvation Army report shows that while the number of children living on benefits has fallen, child poverty measures show little change since 2010.This is an indication that our wage rates are too low and that too many families with parents in work are living on incomes that are simply inadequate .Thats why NZEI Te Riu Roa supports the call for a living wage of $19.25 an hour, as well as for the government to address the chronic housing problem. Low income and poor housing have a hugely negative impact on the education and well-being of hundreds of thousands of children in this country." ALISO VIEJO The city is spearheading the construction of a new wetland that will help treat urban runoff from four South Orange County cities. The Dairy Fork Wetland and Habitat Restoration Project will collect storm drain runoff from Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest before it reaches Aliso Creek. The water will sit in pools, and surrounding plant life and prolonged exposure to the sun will kill 99 percent of bacteria in the water, according to Aliso Viejo environmental programs Manager Moy Yahya. Today, the water in Aliso Creek is unsafe to drink, though it likely will not cause harm if it comes in contact with a persons skin, Yahya said. After filtration through the wetland, the water should be significantly cleaner, he said. Construction of the wetland will cost a little more than $1million, Yahya said. About $900,000 of that will come from the Orange County Transportation Authoritys Measure M2 Environmental Cleanup Program and the state Department of Water Resources Proposition 84 grant money; the four cities will split the rest of the costs. For the cost, its the most effective treatment system, Yahya said. And its got the least environmental impact. The project also will restore native California plants to an area largely overgrown with nonnative plants that were introduced to the area when it first was developed, said Aliso Viejo Public Works Director Shaun Pelletier. One particularly invasive plant species that will be removed is arundo, which looks like bamboo. Arundo was planted along Aliso Creek in the 1970s to stabilize the creek bed, Pelletier said, but it eventually grew so out of control that it had to be removed. The Laguna Canyon Foundation will remove the arundo from the Dairy Fork area, as it did at the creek. Foundation Executive Director Hallie Jones said her organization is pleased to partner with the city, county and other supporting organizations because the wetland will provide further biofiltration of pollutants and enhanced native habitat across more than 6 miles of Aliso Creek. Construction of the wetland is expected to be completed by the end of May, Pelletier said, though rain potentially could delay the process. The city will officially break ground on the project Monday, which is before the nesting season begins for area birds, at the Southwest corner of Aliso Viejo and Moulton parkways in Aliso Viejo. Planning for the project began three years ago, Pelletier said, which gave the city plenty of time to secure funding and to get permission from the county, which owns the land, and Southern California Edison, which has power lines running over it. Given the land ownership and use situation, members of the public will not be able to enter the wetland freely. But once construction is completed, Pelletier said the city staff will take groups, organizations and school classes on tours through the finished area. Its going to be a beautiful, natural habitat once were done, Yahya said. Contact the writer: 949-667-1933, cyee@ocregister.com and @ChrisMYee on Twitter The FBI is investigating whether five recent Southern California bank robberies are linked to at least a dozen other holdups by the Gone Plaid Bandit, who last struck in 2013. Two banks in Orange County were robbed Tuesday and two more on Friday by a man the FBI has dubbed the Whitewashed Bandit. There was a fifth robbery in Valencia. After hearing witness descriptions in the most recent crimes, authorities are investigating whether this suspect is linked to the Gone Plaid Bandit, who is wanted in at least a dozen heists over three years. They are investigating to see if there is a link between the robberies, said FBI spokeswoman Ari Dekofsky. We cant say definitively right away if its the same person. At 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, a man went into a Union Bank at 701 W. Weir Canyon Road in Anaheim, Dekofsky said. He was given the name Whitewashed Bandit because of the white shirts and white fedora he sports. The second robbery occurred around 3 p.m. at an East West Bank inside a 99 Ranch Market at 5402 Walnut Ave. in Irvine, where he brandished a gun. No one was reported hurt. In past incidents, the suspect has handed over a note demanding cash, but Dekofsky did not know if he did so Tuesday. Based on the witness descriptions and the (motive), it appears to be (him), Dekofsky said. The robberies mirror two others committed Friday, also within an hour of each other. The suspect was first seen shortly before 12:10 p.m. at a Comerica bank in Brea, 2500 E. Imperial Highway, where he handed a teller a note demanding cash. At 12:45 p.m., a man matching the same description handed a bank employee a note at an Opus Bank in Yorba Linda, at 17672 Yorba Linda Blvd., according to FBI officials. The suspect threatened violence, but no one was hurt in either the Brea and Yorba Linda robberies, and no weapon was seen. Brea police described him as a white man in his 40s, 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build. On Tuesday, he was wearing gray Converse shoes, a white T-shirt, jeans and a white fedora. The Gone Plaid Bandit is suspected in robberies in Fullerton, Laguna Niguel, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Mission Viejo and Anaheim Hills, the FBI said, adding that the last robbery by that bandit was on April 27, 2013. He is also suspected in a US Bank robbery in Valencia on Feb. 10. Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com WASHINGTON During the 2008 financial crisis, Neel Kashkari worked tirelessly to save the nations largest banks. As a senior Treasury Department official in the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, he helped those banks grow larger than ever. On Tuesday, he said it was time to think about breaking them up. I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy, Kashkari said at the Brookings Institution, delivering his first public speech as the new president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He described the threat of another crisis that might force the government to bail out large banks, as it did in 2008, as a rare instance of a clear and preventable problem. The question is whether we as a country have the courage to actually take action now, he said. Kashkaris remarks caused a stir in Washington. Such views have become relatively common at both ends of the political spectrum providing fuel for the presidential campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Donald Trump, a Republican but Kashkari is a moderate Republican and a former employee of Goldman Sachs. There are lines in your speech I can imagine a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren saying, David Wessel, a former economics editor at The Wall Street Journal who moderated the Brookings event, told Kashkari during a panel discussion after the speech. Its not what one expects from a Goldman Sachs Republican. Kashkari, who joined the Minneapolis Fed in January after a postcrisis stint at the investment management firm PIMCO and an unsuccessful run for governor of California while living in Laguna Beach, responded that he was calling things as he saw them. He said his views on financial regulation were shaped by the crisis, convincing him that strong, simple safeguards are the most sensible. If Im not willing to stand up and share my concerns, then I wouldnt be doing my job, he said. Other Fed officials are divided over the adequacy of postcrisis reforms. Eric S. Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and an influential voice on regulatory issues, said in a recent speech that the government had made substantial progress. He said new regulation had reduced both the probability and the cost of a large-bank failure. Donald L. Kohn, who worked with Kashkari during the crisis as the Feds vice chairman, said after the speech that he had greater confidence than Kashkari in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which grants regulators new powers to constrain and, if necessary, dismantle large banks. I think the new regime, once its fully in place, probably will work, he said. Kashkari said the cost of large crises underscored the importance of minimizing risk. Its not simply the cost of the bailout, he said. Its the economic damage thats inflicted across society. He said the Minneapolis Fed would begin a research effort to consider more transformational measures the government could pursue, and that he hoped to publish a proposal by the end of the year. Asked by reporters whether he had consulted the Feds chairwoman, Janet L. Yellen, or other officials, he responded, Im looking forward to getting their feedback. Kashkari outlined a number of potential options for restraining large banks, although he emphasized that the list was not intended to be comprehensive. The first and most familiar is forcing large banks to break into smaller pieces, the approach favored by Sanders, who released a statement Tuesday saying he was delighted by the speech. Big banks argue they play a unique role in the global economy, and that foreign rivals would take up the slack. They also say big banks are stronger in some ways, and that regulations are adequate. Breaking up the U.S.-based global financial institutions would ensure that one of the United States most competitive global industries serving companies small and large is turned over to banks based outside the United States, said John Dearie, acting chief executive of the Financial Services Forum, which represents the interests of large financial firms. Alternatively, the government could limit risk-taking by increasing the share of funding banks must raise in the form of capital rather than borrowed money. Kashkari compared this to the safeguards imposed on nuclear power plants, where failure is regarded as unacceptable. Anat R. Admati, a Stanford finance professor, is a leading proponent of this approach. A third, broader approach would impose a tax on borrowing throughout the financial system, reducing risk-taking not just by banks but a wide range of other financial intermediaries. The role of banks in the financial system has declined over time, and many experts regard the rest of the financial system, relatively less regulated, as a more likely source of future crises. Critics of both the second and third approaches argue that economic growth requires risk-taking, and preventing risk-taking by banks will shift activity to less regulated sectors. Kashkari said that limiting the risks posed by large banks could allow the government to ease regulation of smaller banks. He also took a pre-emptive shot at the banking industry, noting the endless objections its lobbyists have raised to proposals for stronger regulation. We need to move before we as a society have forgotten the lessons of 08, he said. HAVANA A Cuban-American veteran of the Vietnam War has lost his lawsuit seeking to force the U.S. government to restore the pension that was cut off when he moved back to Cuba. Otto Macias was 19 when he left Cuba, enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a machine-gunner in Vietnam. As he stayed with family in Havana in 1980, he required hospitalization for a mental breakdown and never returned to the U.S. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs then ended his pension. Lawyer Jason Flores-Williams says that was because of the Unite States trade embargo on Cuba. On Wednesday, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge denied Macias suit seeking the restoration of the pension. The wait is almost over for Irvine fans looking forward to the arrival of East Coast giant Dunkin Donuts. The shop, famous for its Boston Kreme and coffee, is opening Feb. 24 at 15415 Jeffrey Road. Doors open at 5 a.m. with the first 100 customers receiving a free travel mug. The first person in line, in both the drive-through lane and in-store, will receive a $250 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Free doughnut samples and coffee will be available throughout the day. The shop will have a 24-hour drive-through lane. We look forward to serving local students and the greater Irvine community, said franchisee Brad Anderson. We are confident that Dunkin Donuts will quickly become the preferred destination for Irvines morning coffee, afternoon pick-me-ups and late night treats. Anderson and his business partner Joe Haupt own Precision Hospitality & Development. They opened the first Dunkin Donuts last year in Laguna Hills, also open 24 hours. The group owns the rights to develop 10 Dunkin shops in South Orange County and the surrounding area. Dunkin Donuts plans to open 1,000 locations in California. Nearly 200 are in the works for the greater Los Angeles area. Besides Laguna Hills, Dunkin Donuts has opened locations in Santa Ana and Westminster. This year, more Dunkin Donuts shops are slated for Yorba Linda and Villa Park. Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com White House lawyers are scouring a lifes worth of information about President Barack Obamas potential picks to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court and not all of it is about the law. Prospective justices are put through the nations most thorough background check, an invasive process in which nothing is off-limits. After all, a surprise dredged up later could scuttle confirmation. So candidates taxes, writings, childhood, business dealings, medical history and yes, love lives, are all scrutinized for potential red flags. Many of the answers given in private interviews with the White House will remain private at least for a while. Answers given in response to Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaires tend to be made public in short order, although some remain confidential. A look at questions that recent Supreme Court nominees have had to answer, compiled from presidential archives, Senate questionnaires and Congressional Research Service reports: What was the most unpleasant or embarrassing thing that happened to you while in high school? Did you have sex in high school or junior high? If so, how often? How many different girls? Where? Were there any pregnancies? Were there any abortions? Did you ever contract venereal disease? Did you use contraceptives? Did you ever have any fist fights? What were your grades in high school? Were you ever abused by your parents? Did you ever engage in homosexual activity? Did you engage in any aberrational sexual activity? Do you have any bitter friends, e.g. bitter girlfriends? Did you ever engage in cruelty to animals? Did you ever use drugs? Glue sniffing? Parents prescription drugs? Did you buy or sell pornography? Did you (and your wife) live together before you were married? Do you have any current medical problems? (cancer, heart disease, AIDS, herpes) Have you ever made public or private statements, either orally or in writing, that could be held to be, even mistakenly, racist or sexist? What courses have you taught? Describe the 10 most significant litigated matters which you personally handled. Did you make any representations to any individuals or interest groups as to how you might rule as a justice, if confirmed? Has anyone involved in the process of selecting you for this nomination ever discussed with you any currently pending or specific case, legal issue, or question in a manner that could reasonably be interpreted as seeking any express or implied assurances concerning your position? List sources and amounts of all income received during the calendar year preceding your nomination and for the current calendar year. Have you ever been a member of any club or organization that excludes as members or restricts access to individuals on the basis of race or national origin, religion or sex? Is there anything in your personal life that could embarrass you, your family, or the president? ANKARA, Turkey A car bomb went off in the Turkish capital Wednesday near vehicles carrying military personnel, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to parliament and armed forces headquarters and lodgings. Buses carrying military personnel were targeted while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the contemptible and dastardly attack. We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. At least two military vehicles caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Kurtulmus pledged that authorities would find those behind the bombing. He said the government had appointed seven prosecutors to investigate the attack, which he described as being well-planned. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on IS targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkeys deadliest attack in years. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the bombing saying it exceeds all moral and humane boundaries. Turkey is determined to fight those who carried out the attack as well as the forces behind the assailants, he said. Our determination to retaliate to attacks that aim against our unity and future grows stronger with every action, Erdogan said. It must be known that Turkey will not refrain from using its right to self-defense at all times. Wednesdays attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer and renewed fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. The Syrian war is raging along Turkeys southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkeys border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border. Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has also been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers boats. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the terrorist attack and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. Stoltenberg said there can be no justification for such horrific acts and that NATO Allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts we are on the side of Turkey. Washington also condemned the attack, according to a statement by Mark Toner, deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department. We reaffirm our strong partnership with our NATO Ally Turkey in combatting the shared threat of terrorism, Toner said. After the attack, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled a visit to Brussels Wednesday evening and attended a security meeting with Erdogan and other officials. Erdogan postponed a trip to Azerbaijan planned for Thursday. The government meanwhile, imposed a gag order which bans media organizations from broadcasting or printing graphic images of the dead or injured from the scene of the explosion and also banned reporting on any details of the investigation. Turkey has imposed similar bans after previous attacks. Last month, 11 German tourists were killed after a suicide bomber affiliated with the IS detonated a bomb in Istanbuls historic Sultanahmet district. More than 30 people were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Suruc, near Turkeys border with Syria, in July. Catalina residents and businesses may soon have a new freight provider. Catalina Freight Line, run by Dana Point resident Richard Coffey, Avalon Freight Services and Curtin Maritime have been fighting for more than a year to bring groceries, water and other essentials to Santa Catalina Island. The California Public Utilities Commission will decide next week whether to grant operating licenses to one or more of the companies. At its Feb. 25 meeting, the PUC will decide whether to deny a license to Avalon Freight Services, grant one to Curtin Maritime, and allow Catalina Freight Line to submit its license for review, or grant licenses to all three. We feel that the judge has done a very good job of understanding the situation and applying public utility code in a very fair and reasonable way, said Martin Curtin, chief executive of Curtin Maritime. We feel confident that the commission will review it and make a decision thats good for the citizens. Avalon Freight Services is a newly formed freight carrier created by the Bombard family, which also owns the ferry that brings people to and from Catalina. Coffeys Catalina Freight Line is the current provider of freight to the island and has been for 40 years. His lease with the Santa Catalina Island Co. will end March 31, he said. SCICo, which owns the 60,000 square feet of dock, warehouse and storage space Coffey rents, had opted to issue the lease to Avalon Freight Services instead. The judges proposal does what we need it to do and gives us an opportunity to continue to compete, Coffey said. It pushes the Island Company to negotiate with Curtin Maritime and us. At the end of the day, the Island Company still gets to decide who gets to use their facility, Coffey added. Were the ones who know what we are doing there and know how to operate at the facility. AFS is a brand new service which doesnt know what its doing. After Island Co. initially granted a lease to AFS, concerns were raised by Coffey and Curtin. If Avalon Freight Services is granted a license, it along with SCICo would have a monopoly on travel to Catalina, the two said. Coffey added that losing the lease would destroy his business since there are no other central landing docks on Catalina. Greg Bombard, the co-owner of Avalon Freight and Randall L. Herrel, the chief executive of SCICo, said there would be no monopoly as a result of the lease. Both declined to comment for this article. The Bombard family has a long history of doing business with SCICo, which was created by the Wrigley family. Together they operate a freight service at Two Harbors, on the islands unincorporated northwest side. Curtin Maritime and Catalina Freight Line told the PUC that multiple freights should be allowed at the dock. AFS and SCICo contend the dock is too small. Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans WASHINGTON A U.S. magistrate ordered Apple Inc. on Tuesday to help the Obama administration hack into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the December attack in San Bernardino, in a first-of-its-kind ruling that pits digital privacy against national security interests. The ruling by Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, a former federal prosecutor, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature, which erases the phones data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. The decision gives the Justice Department a significant victory in an entrenched technology policy battle, as more-powerful encryption services threaten the ability of federal agents to uncover important evidence in criminal or terrorism cases. The Obama administration, which has embraced stronger encryption as a way to keep consumers safe on the Internet, had struggled to find a compelling example to make its case. The ruling Tuesday tied the problem to the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a Dec. 2 shooting at a holiday luncheon for Farooks co-workers. The couple later died in a gun battle with police. Federal prosecutors told the judge in a court application Tuesday that they cant access a work phone used by Syed Farook because they dont know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a persons employer. The judge told Apple to provide an estimate of its cost to comply with her order, suggesting that the government will be expected to pay for the work. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any devices contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phones passcode. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press asking about the case. The order requires that the software Apple provides be programmed to work only on Farooks phone, but it was not clear how readily that safeguard could be circumvented. The order said Apple has five days to notify the court if it believes the ruling is unreasonably burdensome. It also was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farooks work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about whom the couple communicated with and where they may have traveled. The couple took pains to physically destroy two personally owned cell phones, crushing them beyond the FBIs ability to recover information from them. They also removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found despite investigators diving for days for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. It was not known whether Farook forgot about the iPhone or did not care whether investigators found it. The phone was running the newest version of Apples iPhone operating system, which requires a passcode and cannot be accessed by Apple, unlike earlier operating systems or older phone models. San Bernardino County provided Farook with an iPhone configured to erase data after 10 consecutive unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The FBI said that feature appeared to be active on Farooks iPhone as of the last time he performed a backup. The California judge didnt spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In that case, Magistrate Judge James Orenstein has not yet decided whether the government can compel Apple to unlock an iPhone under the same 18th century law applied to the California case. The All Writs Act has been used to compel a party to help the government in its law enforcement efforts, but Apple has argued that it is not its role to act as a government agent and that doing so would breach trust with its customers. Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Maliks timeline from Dec. 2. Investigators have concluded they were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group; Maliks Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the groups leader around the time of the attack. In 2014, Apple updated its iPhone operating system to require that the phone be locked by a passcode that only the user knows. Previously, the company could use an extraction tool that would physically plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress last week that investigators in the case had been unable to access a phone in the California case but provided no details. It is a big problem for law enforcement armed with a search warrant when you find a device that cant be opened even when a judge says theres probable cause to open it, Comey said. It affects our counterterrorism work. San Bernardino, a very important investigation to us, we still have one of those killers phones that we have not been able to open, and its been over two months and were still working on it. WARSAW, Poland Hundreds of letters that the Polish Cardinal who later became Pope John Paul II wrote to a woman philosopher document a difficult and courageous friendship of 32 years and suggest she could have been in love with the Catholic Church leader, the head of Polands National Library said Tuesday. The library bought the letters via Sothebys for a seven-digit amount in 2008 from the woman, Polish-born American thinker Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, and is planning to publish them in coming years. The head of the library, Tomasz Makowski, told The Associated Press that the letters were written by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla who later became pope, from 1973 until shortly before his 2005 death. He said they hint that Tymieniecka, who died in 2014 aged 91, might have been in love with him, but he kept their relationship on a purely friendly and intellectual level. Wojtyla, who lost his mother at the age of eight, and then his older brother and father by the age of 21, was open to people and cultivated friendships with dedication and care. Makowski said he has read every page of the purchased file that also includes a priceless working copy of Wojtylas book that Tymieniecka edited for an English-language edition, with his hand-written remarks. They first met in 1973 when Tymieniecka proposed to edit his Person and Act philosophical work, and the long collaboration and exchange of views grew into a friendship. It temporarily grew sour over the editing when she rushed the book, titled by her The Acting Person, to publishers after Wojtyla was elected pope in 1978, but was later rekindled. When I read the letters I thought it was a difficult friendship, for many reasons, and a very courageous one because John Paul II was one of the very first high church officials who were not afraid to cooperate with women, Makowski said, noting they both had very strong characters. In every letter John Paul assured Tymieniecka he was praying for her and was thinking about her family and her problems, and also asked about her husband and her three children. These are letters of a true, concerned friend, Makowski said. But he wrote such letters to many other people, too. The question is: was Tymieniecka in love with Wojtyla? I dont know, but it is very probable, he said. She was a philosopher. Let us not reduce her only to the level of a person in love, he said. She could have also been simply fascinated by John Paul IIs mind. The AP saw two handwritten letters one referring to the time Cardinal Wojtyla and his secretary, Father Stanislaw Dziwisz, spent with her family in the summer of 1976 at the familys vacation cottage in Pomfret, Vermont, the other one about philosophy. Makowski says the library doesnt have Tymienieckas letters to Wojtyla. In 2014, the year when John Paul II was announced a saint, Dziwisz said that letters in his possession had been burned, in line with the late pontiffs last will. CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico Pope Francis was wrapping up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a politically charged visit to the U.S. border for a huge open-air Mass as he focused on problems of violence and migration, a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. He also visited a major prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates. And he was to meet with Mexican workers, grassroots groups and employers in an encounter at which he was likely to repeat his mantra on the need for dignified work for all and land, labor and lodging. The altar for Wednesdays Mass is snug against the U.S.-Mexico border, with just a highway between its edge and the Rio Grande. Clearly visible is the skyline of El Paso, Texas, where at least 30,000 people were expected at the Sun Bowl for a simulcast of the ceremony. Francis was expected to stop at the border fence and give a blessing in honor of migrants on the other side, as well as those who died trying to get there. Migration is a theme close to the pontiffs heart. He has demanded that countries welcome those fleeing poverty and oppression and denounced what he calls the globalization of indifference toward migrants. Its a message that hasnt gone down well with some in the U.S., at a time when border apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors rose significantly in the last three months of 2015. Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz have vowed to expel all the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally and build a wall along the entire border from Texas to California. On the eve of Francis trip, Trump criticized the popes border stop. I dont think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico, Trump said in an interview with Fox. I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. Theyre making a fortune, and were losing. Late Tuesday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope is concerned about the plight of migrants everywhere, not just in the United States. The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace, Lombardi said. Francis came to the border metropolis of Juarez after flying out of Mexicos capital with a final tour in the popemobile and serenades by mariachi bands. His whirlwind five-day visit has focused heavily on the injustices faced by Mexicos poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable to the countrys drug-fueled violence. And he has sought to offer comfort while taking Mexicos political and religious leaders to task for failing to do good for their people. The pope makes a point of going to prisons on nearly every foreign trip, part of his longtime ministry to inmates and his belief that the lowest in society deserve dignity and hope. Mexico has about 250,000 prisoners, including about 8,000 female inmates. In his remarks Wednesday, Francis told the 700 or so inmates gathered in the prison chapel that they cannot undo the past. But he said they must believe that things can change, and that they have the possibility of writing a new story and moving forward. You have known the power of sorrow and sin and have not forgotten that within your reach is the power of the resurrection, the power of divine mercy which makes all things new. He urged the inmates to use their experience in prison now for good, to help end the cycle of violence that has torn Mexico apart in recent years. The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say has experienced hell, can become a prophet in society, he said. Work so that this society, which uses people and discards them, will not go on claiming victims. The meeting comes a week after a riot at Monterreys Topo Chico prison, where rival gang factions bloodied each other with hammers, cudgels and makeshift knives. Eight more inmates were injured Tuesday in a brawl at another prison. Ciudad Juarezs Prison No. 3 is relatively calm these days. But it has seen violent clashes before that reflected the chaos outside its walls. Not long ago Juarez was considered the murder capital of the world, as cartel-backed gang warfare fed homicide rates that hit 230 per 100,000 residents in 2010. A rash of killings of women, many of them poor factory workers who just disappeared, attracted international attention. Times have changed. Last year, the citys homicide rate was about 20 per 100,000 people, roughly on par with Mexicos nationwide average of 14 per 100,000 and well below what is being seen in current hotspots of drug violence such as the Pacific resort city Acapulco and surrounding Guerrero state. Businesses have reopened and tourists are again crossing over from the United States to shop and dine. People say they no longer have to leave parties early to avoid being on the streets after dark. At least now we can go out. We go to the parks. We can walk around a little more at that time of night, Lorena Diaz said, standing under a huge banner of Francis hanging from her second-floor balcony. Diaz, who along with about 30 family members secured tickets for Wednesdays Mass, has followed news of Francis tour and welcomed his calls for Mexicans not to tolerate corruption and violence. Hes telling us to get out of the trenches, not to close ourselves off, Diaz said. After the prison stop, Francis set a meeting with workers and advocacy groups at which he was expected to address poverty and income inequality. Juarezs proximity to the U.S. has brought a job boom at hundreds of foreign-owned assembly plants known as maquiladoras that manufacture clothes, electronics and other goods to be shipped north. But many workers say conditions can be poor and pay low. At a recent demonstration, protesters said they were struggling to get by on wages of just $45 a week. Francis also planned to visit the border with El Paso, Texas, where he was expected to stop at the fence, give a blessing in honor of migrants on the other side and pray for those who died trying to get there. Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman in Ciudad Juarez and Astrid Galvan in El Paso, Texas, contributed to this report. LOS ANGELES A former Alaska Airlines pilot from Newport Beach pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of operating a passenger plane while under the influence of alcohol. David Hans Arntson, 60, was arrested last month on the felony count and released on a $25,000 bond, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. At todays post-indictment arraignment in Los Angeles, the case was transferred to the federal courthouse in Santa Ana, where a March 28 pretrial conference will be held. An April 5 trial date was also set. A message left with Arntsons attorney was not immediately answered. According to the criminal complaint, Arntson was the pilot of two Alaska Airlines flights on June 20, 2014. The first flight was from San Diego International Airport to Portland, Oregon. He then piloted a flight from Portland to John Wayne Airport in Orange County. After landing at John Wayne Airport, Arntson was selected for random drug and alcohol testing by Alaska Airlines, court papers show. A technician for Alaska Airlines performed two tests on Arntson and received results that the pilot had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.134 percent and 0.142 percent, according to the complaint. After the technician informed Alaska Airlines of the test results, the carrier immediately removed Arntson from all safety-sensitive duties, federal prosecutors said. According to federal law, a person operating a common carrier, such as a commercial airliner, is presumed to be under the influence of alcohol when his or her blood-alcohol content is 0.10 percent or higher. Arntsons co-pilot on the two flights remembered seeing the drug tester when the plane landed at John Wayne Airport and recalled Arntson saying, I bet its for me, according to the complaint. Arntson has since retired from Alaska Airlines. Those in command of passenger jets, or any other form of public transportation, have an obligation to serve the public in the safest and most responsible way possible, Los Angeles U.S. attorney Eileen M. Decker said. We cannot and will not tolerate those who violate the trust of their passengers by endangering lives. The charge of operating a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol or drugs carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. For Joshua Paskowitz, its more than just an art show its a whole retrospective of his family legacy. The Paskowitz clan considered the first family of surfing will have their life story told at The Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center starting Saturday. The art show and exhibit dives into the unique family of nine children, headed by Dorian (Doc) and wife Juliette, who raised their children on the sand at San Onofre. Its a beautiful presentation on what is going to be the history of Doc and our family legacy, said Joshua Paskowitz, 41, the youngest of the family. The whole thing is embodied in a timeline, along with my art and never-before-seen photos we found in our archives. Doc Paskowitz, who died in November 2014 at age 93, was honored last year by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the decades Paskowitz and his family taught thousands of people to ride waves through a surf school operated out of south Orange County. As a Stanford-trained physician, Paskowitz also provided medical care around the world and, at times, tried to use surf culture as a way to foster peace in the Middle East. Over the decades, Paskowitz was an object of media attention. The New York Times once dubbed his clan the first family of surfing, and a 2007 documentary, Surfwise, looked at his life. Paskowitz traveled with his young children to developing countries, and during winter months in the U.S. hed pack up his family in their 24-foot trailer and go to poor areas that needed a doctor. Among the memorabilia to be shown at the show are such items as the trailers license plate and Docs medical bag. A video tribute by Surfwise director Doug Pray will also be shown. Part of the installation includes Doc Paskowitzs legacy through his children, such as the work son Israel does with Surfers Healing, which helps autistic children learn to surf, or artwork of the family by Joshua. Joshua Paskowitz said hes honored SHACC chose his family for the show. They are the keepers of the beautiful surf history, he said. Im trying my hardest to preserve his legacy of Aloha. Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com SANTA ANA A 24-year-old man was identified Wednesday as the Santa Ana resident killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday evening. Authorities were called at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday about a shooting in the 1100 block of South Harmon Street, said police Cmdr. Matt Sorenson. An officer found Francisco Sotelo Gonzalez with a gunshot wound to his upper body. (Gonzalez) was standing out in front of a house with two other gentleman, a vehicle for unknown reasons drives by and shoots several rounds at our victim, striking him in the upper torso, police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics took Gonzalez to a hospital, where he later died. No one has been arrested. We dont know if he was the intended target or not if this was a random act, Bertagna said. Hes not a documented gang member and has no criminal history. Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com BEIRUT Turkey said Tuesday it is pressing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies as a force dominated by Kurdish fighters pushed through rebel lines and captured more territory near the Turkish border. In Damascus, the U.N. envoy to Syria suggested that humanitarian aid would be allowed into several besieged areas today, calling it the duty of the government of Syria. Tomorrow we test this, Staffan de Mistura said after meeting with Syrias foreign minister. The U.N. later announced the government of President Bashar Assad has approved access to seven such areas across the country and that convoys would head out in the coming days. De Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fighting north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syrias largest city to the border with Turkey. Syrian government troops and allied militias, backed by heavy Russian bombardment, are closing in on the area, hoping to seal off parts of Aleppo held by rebels since 2012 in what would be a major blow to the opposition. Syrias state news agency SANA and opposition activists said government forces have seized two more villages. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, which had mainly battled Islamic State and remained largely neutral in the civil war, are advancing in the same region, fighting rebels and other insurgents opposed to Assad in a bid to expand a nearby enclave. A Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters in Istanbul that his country is pushing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies against Islamic State. But he ruled out the possibility of Turkey undertaking unilateral action or the prospect of a joint Saudi-Turkish venture without broader consensus in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. While some of us find it difficult to host guests for a few weeks, this Chinese couple have generously shared their home with a mentally ill homeless person for the past 35 years. When Xue Shunlu and his wife Li Huannv first found Xue Zhen on the streets of Fenglingdu, in Chinas Shanxi Province, the poor man was in a terrible state he was unable to talk or defend himself from bullies on the street. So the couple rescued him and took him to their house in a neighbouring village in Yuncheng city. Although they lived in a small house and barely earned enough to support themselves, the kind couple didnt hesitate to share everything they had with a total stranger. They told him to treat the house as his own and spent their free time teaching him to cook, clean, and take care of himself. They even allowed him to share Xue Shunlus family name. Xue Zhen initially found it difficult to adjust to the new environment and ran away a few times, but always returned to the couples home, eventually becoming a permanent member of the family. Despite his mental illness, the 70-year-old is now able to do household chores, light the fire, and buy his own food. Not much is known about Xue Zhens background, but Xue Shunlu and Li Huannv believe that he might have been a member of the Communist Party of China in the 1950s. They are still trying to find out more information about him, especially if he might have any living family members left in China. But Xue Zhen might not really need his real family after all, thanks to the couples kindness and patience. In fact, Xue Shunly, who is now 83, and Li Huannv might actually need Xue Zhen to care for them as they grow older. Photos via CSYTV (Chinese) via Daily Mail Tullamore DEW has recruited five new Local Brand Ambassadors to promote the whiskey in the U.S. market. Tullamore DEW has recruited five new Local Brand Ambassadors to promote the whiskey in the U.S. market. The new recruits, who were trained at the Tullamore DEW Visitor Centre in Tullamore, will be relocated to cities across the U.S. prior to an intensive St Patricks Day marketing campaign by Tullamore DEW The five new recruits will be spreading the message of Irish True, the successful campaign which has been cementing Tullamore DEWs position as the worlds second largest selling Irish whiskey with sales growth of 15% per annum in recent years. The Local Brand Ambassadors will promote the first ever Irish Kings of Comedy Tour taking place in Chicago, Kansas City, San Francisco and Boston, a campaign designed by Tullamore DEW for St. Patricks Day and starring Irish comedian Ardal OHanlon. The new recruits will interact with consumers, bar trade, media and influencers during VIP Toast and Taste events prior to each show. The team will run further Toast and Taste whiskey tasting events with Tim Herlihy, U.S. National Brand Ambassador for Tullamore DEW, as part of an ongoing initiative to educate consumers in the market about the legacy and blend of the whiskey. The Local Brand Ambassadors were recruited through IBECs Export Orientation Programme (EOP), Irelands longest-running and most successful graduate placement programme providing graduates of all disciplines with a valuable introduction to international business. Following a comprehensive training programme, the Tullamore DEW recruits will embark on a series of marketing assignments for the brand in San Francisco, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. The team will focus on building brand awareness for Tullamore DEW among trade partners, promoting the whiskey and communicating its distinctive heritage and blend to bar managers. The five new recruits are: Kevin Pigott, Athlone - Msc International Business, Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business Grace Conway, Dublin - Business Degree, Tallaght Institute of Technology Katie Loane, Cork - Business Studies, University of Limerick Jane Maher, Kilkenny - French & History of Architecture, Trinity College Maurice Power, Tramore International Business, Waterford Institute of Technology . Tullamore DEW is the second largest Irish whiskey brand in the world, selling more than 760,000 cases annually worldwide. The brand has achieved significant growth in the U.S. market over the past few years, growing at over 20% per annum. Welcoming the new recruits, Tullamore DEW Global Brand Director Shane Hoyne said: We are delighted to be taking on such a talented and enthusiastic group of Local Brand Ambassadors for the U.S. market. The new recruits are arriving at the perfect time, supporting our marketing team on a series of new Irish True creative comedy events to promote the brand during the St. Patricks Day period and we all know that nobody does comedy like the Irish! Our team is looking forward to promoting Tullamore DEW over the St Patricks Day festival and throughout the coming year across the U.S. market. Tullamore DEW has been widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs, and was last year awarded Best Irish Whiskey of the Year for its 10 Year Old Single Malt at the third annual New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC). Earlier in 2012, the brand also received Gold Best in Class for Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve at the International Spirits Challenge and Double Gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition for Tullamore DEW 10 Year Old Single Malt and Tullamore DEW 10 Year Old Blended Whiskey. In addition, Tullamore DEW 10 Year Old Reserve and Single Malt also took home Gold Medals at the Spirits Masters. A LIFES dedication to ploughing has been recognised with a surprise presentation to a man whose 21 year association with the National Ploughing Association has come to an end. A LIFES dedication to ploughing has been recognised with a surprise presentation to a man whose 21 year association with the National Ploughing Association has come to an end. Colleagues of Dawson Bagnall at Kilcavan Ploughing Association made a presentation to the true man of the land to acknowledge his work after he lost his position on the national committee at a recent election. At their annual dinner, Joe Fitzpatrick, president of the local club says his contribution to the countrys biggest event cannot be overstated. We are obviously very proud of the amount of work he has put into ploughing at club, county, national and international level hes been a savior, says Mr Fitzpatrick, who describes him as a brilliant ambassador to ploughing at all levels. The accolades are echoed by the clubs chairman Tom Gowing, who said the presentation shows the goodwill and thought for what hes done for ploughing. Hes to be admired, said Mr Gowing. Hed leave his own farm at a moments notice to check a proposed site for an All-Ireland. That takes great dedication, he added, saying that Mr Bagnall set high standards for ploughing in his own club. It has to be done right, he said, because ploughing is important in the interests of starting with the earth and being able to bring it to a high standard in crop production. Dawson Bagnall himself is modest about his achievements and contribution and admits he was very disappointed to lose his place on the national committee, particularly this year. This is the eightieth national ploughing match and hed hoped to be part of these celebrations and then retire. I would have been delighted to finish out this year, he says, adding that he will miss being on the national council where he has served a good many years. Over his 21 years in the NPA he built up great friendships, across the 32 counties and internationally. He started marking out plots for national competitions with the late Aidan Murphy many years ago and then took over responsibility for the job and the team from the mid 90s. He cant say what the appeal of ploughing is for him, but admits he got bitten by the bug at a young age. He started ploughing competitively in 1969 when the late Tomas Culliton offered trophies at junior and senior level to the local Kilcavan Macra club In 1973 he won an all Ireland title and when Macra folded in Kilcavan in the mid 80s, he and a number of others founded the Kilcavan Ploughing Association. But he has no intention of giving up involvement in ploughing and has been seen in the last week meticulously turning sods. Children from the Laois Offaly Families For Autism are preparing themselves for stardom as they have just recorded a single which will be sold to raise funds for the organisation. The children and their families spent last weekend in Golden Egg studios in Portlaoise, recording the chorus of a song about the 1916 Rising. Patrick 'Joe' Brown has written a song commemorating the Rising, and he wants to donate all the proceeds of the sales to LOFFA, Sinead Walsh explained. The song is about a taxi driver who picks up a fare in Dublin and he wants to see the GPO and Kilmainham Gaol. It turns out that it's the ghost of Padraig Pearse in the back of the taxi. The children will join in on the chorus of the song. Joe is the godfather of the Chairperson's friend, so while he didn't have a direct link, he was aware of the organisation and seems to have an interest in disability services. There was approximately 15 taking part in the recording and we were joined by 5 or 6 scouts too, who are working towards their community badge. Sinead is not sure when the CD will be available to buy, but they hope to have it on sale by April. April is Autism Awareness month and we normally have an information stand in the shopping centre for a day, so we would hope to be able to sell it from the stand that day. LOFFA is a local support group by parents for parents and families of children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They have been in existence since 2001 and currently support over 250 families. Sinead continued: The children are so excited about going to the recording studios and seeing how it all happens - even their brothers and sisters are asking if they can be involved too. It will be a fantastic experience. It's not a major fundraiser for us, but it's something new and different. LOFFA provide subsidised access to a private Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Art Therapist for those families who are forced, through lack of services from the HSE to obtain private therapies for their children. They also run Junior Play dates, 10 Pin Bowling sessions and Art & Drama Groups for our children and their siblings to give them the opportunity to meet and socialise with other children like themselves. One of Irelands leading manufacturing companies, Grant Engineering, has announced an investment of 7million as part of a major expansion plan for their facilities in Birr, Co. Offaly, which will also see the creation of 50 new jobs. By Damian Moran e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie Twitter: @offaly_express For almost 40 years Grant Engineering has been at the forefront of cutting edge technology in their product design and has led the way in manufacturing efficient, affordable and innovative heating appliances. This investment is in response to increased demand for the companys products both on a local and international level. The expansion will increase the size of the current facility and will include, a state of the art innovation centre, a new extension to the manufacturing facility, a customer services centre and a training school. Building works will commence in the coming months with completion of the investment programme over the next two years. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: It is only by growing jobs and the economy that everything else that we want to do becomes possible reducing taxes to make work pay, investing in the services that families around the country depend on. That is why the first step in our long term economic plan is to create more and better jobs in every region of the country. Companies like Grant Engineering innovative companies, making products and services in Ireland for sale in Ireland and export overseas are driving the jobs recovery in every region of the country, and I am delighted to welcome this very welcome initiative. Grant Engineering Founder Stephen Grant said: Over the past recent years we have continued to grow our business and this investment will allow us to continue to increase capacity and expand into new markets and to develop new products. It also reinforces our commitment to innovation, the local community and the local economy. This is a very exciting time for Grant Engineering as we continue to build on our reputation of supplying reliable, affordable, forward-thinking home heating technologies, which enable our customers to save money and lower their carbon footprints, added Stephen. Grant Engineering at peak season between full and part time roles employs over 320 people in Ireland and 70 in the UK. The 50 new jobs will include a range of part time and full time roles ranging from operative roles to highly skilled engineering roles and are being supported by Enterprise Ireland. Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed to freeze oil output at near-record levels, the first coordinated move by the worlds two largest producers to counter a slump that has pummeled economies, markets and companies. While the deal is preliminary and doesnt include Iran, its the first significant cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers in 15 years, and Saudi Arabia said its open to further action. Oil pared gains after the accord was announced, signaling traders see no immediate end to the global supply glut. The deal to fix production at January levels is the beginning of a process that could require other steps to stabilize and improve the market, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in Doha Tuesday after the talks with Russian Energy Minster Alexander Novak. Qatar and Venezuela also agreed to participate, he said. Saudi Arabia has resisted making any cuts in output to boost prices from a 12-year low, arguing that it would simply be losing market share unless its rivals also agreed to reduce supplies. Al-Naimis comments may continue to feed speculation that the worlds biggest oil producers will take action to revive prices. The reason we agreed to a potential freeze of production is simply the beginning of a process over the next few months, al-Naimi said. We dont want significant gyrations in prices. We dont want a reduction in supply. We want to meet demand. We want a stable oil price. More than a year since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided not to cut production to boost prices, oil remains about 70 percent below its 2014 peak. Supply still exceeds demand and record global oil stockpiles continue to swell, potentially pushing prices below $20 a barrel before the rout is over, Goldman Sachs said last week. While Novak has said he could consider cuts if other countries joined in, Russia faces significant obstacles to doing so. The freeze is conditional on other nations agreeing to participate, Russias Energy Ministry said. This is an announcement of a production freeze among countries whose production didnt even grow recently, said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. If Iran and Iraq are not a part of the agreement, its not worth much and even then there is still a question of compliance. Iran, OPECs fifth-largest producer, ruled out any curbs on its oil production when the group met in December. It plans to boost output and exports by 1 million barrels a day this year following the lifting of international sanctions last month. This week the nation loaded its first Europe-bound crude cargo in four years. Iran will not forgo its share of the market, the Oil Ministrys news service Shana reported Tuesday, citing Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. Iraq continues to boost production as it recovers from years of conflict and under investment. The nations output reached a record 4.35 million barrels a day in January and more increases could follow, according to the International Energy Agency. The country is prepared to cap production at current levels, or even cut, if other producers commit to the Doha accord, said an official who asked not to be identified. JNU professor calls Arnab Goswami a "traitor" to journalism Bengaluru oi-Shubham By Shubham Bengaluru, Feb 17: While journalists took out a rally on Tuesday to protest against lawyers and others who attacked media personnel at the Patiala House court the day before, one belonging to their ilk faced flak from a professor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who called him a "traitor" to the tradition of journalism. JNU fiasco: How The Telegraph won the plot that Arnab Goswami lost Why Arnab Goswami is shouting more nowadays and perhaps loving it, too In an article published in The News Minute, Parnal Chirmuley, Associate Professor at the Center of German Studies, School of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies at the JNU took a strong dig at Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for his channel's aggressive handling of the issue and attacking the students of the institute as "anti-national". He said: "We must remind ourselves that journalists are also amongst the bravest, ferreting out the truth at great risk to themselves, from the State, from warlords, from disease, bearing a deep commitment to the voice of the oppressed and the dispossessed. Why go as far as Ken Saro-Wiwa - there are examples closer home. Take note, nationalist Arnab. In 1886-7, Dwarkanath Ganguly set newspapers alight with his expose on the Slave Trade in Assam' that laid bare the indentured coolie' system in Assam, that continued even after the abolition of slavery in British dominions. Ganguly went to great lengths, undertook arduous journeys, took great risks to expose this dark history. So much so that this was taken up as an important issue in the nationalist movement. He showed integrity and great bravery, lauded in the history of journalism, that resulted in real change for oppressed people. Arnab is a traitor to that tradition," he said. Earlier in the article, Chirmuley said: "Here is yet another half baked' piece by an academic you might be tempted to call an anti-national, simply on account of institutional affiliation. This is how Arnab Goswami described the entire spectrum of serious, sober, well informed, nuanced, if anguished engagement by the academia with the present moment of crisis unfolding at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, where student leaders are being arrested, picked up for interrogation, intimidated, as though they were dangerous criminals, because a few anti-national' slogans were heard on the campus." "We are all used to media trials now. Those of us watching things from the inside', as it were, are watching the disturbing repercussions and consequences of this trial. The social media are awash with calls baying for the blood of innocent students, calling for a shutdown of the country's most prestigious university, ranked as the best by the State's own ranking mechanisms. Many are given to an outright dismissal of the news media, but most recognise its vital importance in sustaining a democracy. That is also why there is great alarm at journalism that is not only irresponsible, but an instance of criminal intimidation, using hate speech to incite violence against those who voice their opinions and stand by a progressive politics," the professor said. Chirmuley further said that Goswami was "on the frontlines of this parallel war against nuanced thought, against honesty, against intellectual freedom, and against truth. Over the past week since news broke' (yes, the truth is shattered to pieces when presented by Him), he has used a range of careful strategies to achieve the end of the demonization of public education. It is easy to see these if you put aside the sick froth of vitriol." "Arnab Go Back!" shouts students at JNU Meanwhile, angry students in JNU protested against the "media trial" particularly in the wake of Goswami's strong opinions against the students and calling things "anti-national", said a report published in the Quartz. "We won't tolerate media trial," the students were quoted as saying. They said the media's presence on the campus won't be tolerated if they cannot report the facts right. "I have joined a protest for the first time today because terrible things have been happening to students of this campus, and television media has ostracised us and turned this issue into a political game where all actors show up on debates and score points," said one student, the Quartz report said. There were also calls of "Arnab Goswami go back!" from the students. According to faculty members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the nature of coverage of the incident has created problems for the students. Oneindia News JNU uprising: Are we losing the real picture? Feature oi-Pallavi Opinions on Kanhaiya's arrest and the police raaj on students have many takes from many quarters of the country. Social media is divided with students from the same university having different opinions about the entire fiasco. But what if the entire scuffle was a way to divide attention? Create confusion and chaos? In fact, there are broken fragments that do not fit the story, giving rise to a question that may have long-felt repurcussions. Identifying the 'Anti-nationals' What was supposed to be a cultural event protesting the capital punishment of Parliament attack conict Afzal Guru, took a sudden sporadic turn questioning nationalism and democracy. Voicing against the "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat" and empathising with the "struggle" of Kashmiri migrants at the Sabarmati dhaba in the campus are ideas that do not bear harm. Understood...but when did the 'India Murdabad' slogan happen and why? [Read: BJP's Shatru on JNU row: JNUSU president Kanhaiya has said nothing anti-national] It is said that a group of ABVP students buzzed off sloganeering against the event, demanding the expulsion of the event organisers. They alleged that the students at the event shouted anti-Indian slogans and released a video supporting the statement. But do we have evidence who these students were? It is claimed that Kanhaiya, the accused arrested in the case, did not chant the slogans. As rumors go, he was protesting with a group, and a separate group joins in and starts the fiasco. Who were these people? The situation went out of control before we got an answer. Interestingly, their has been no word from the authorities too. Comments unprecedented According to a leading newspaper, Rajnath Singh's comment on Hafiz Saeed backing the uprising in JNU was clearly unprecedented, especially when it was based on a fake post by an unknown individual. The Tweet from the fake account @HafeezSaeedJUD invited JNU students to Pakistan "to continue their Pro-Kashmiri, Anti-India Propaganda in our Universities". [Read: BJP to be aggressive on JNU row, fire up nationalism debate] The misunderstanding was further cleared when Saeed tweeted,"Reality of all Indian allegations including 26/11 is evident from this fake twitter account scandal. Indeed a new low for Indian gov #JNU" All said and done, has anybody paid attention to the unidentified person who started the confusion? Intelligence bureau seems to have gone in deep slumber and we too are too busy with our debate on nationalism. The un'law'ful act Why was the media attacked and why did lawyers land up in the scene? That too when Kanhaiya was being taken to the court! Not just that, even bystanders and the elderly were roughed-up for no known reason. Going by a journalist's version: "am not even a JNU student. We are peacefully waiting for him. Some 6-7 lawyers, started pointing towards us and then they abused and called us Pakistanis. The lawyers thrashed a journalist. I saw them beating him up brutally. They were saying that it is not the court, but they who will decide the matter." Patiala House Court - Lawyers assault Kanhaiya Kumar in court] Is it even remotely possible that a group of lawyers are standing just to roughen up the JNUites? Do we have any evidence that these lawyers were even lawyers in the first place or normal goons in their guise? We haven't yet heard from anyone yet. And what was the second scuffle today all about? A new controversy Having lost the Afzal Guru agenda, social media now speaks thunders regarding nationalism, anti-nationalism, democracy, Pakistan and Kashmir. Raging debates on Godra, Dadri can be heard, while the actual reason behind the incident is forgotten. Students question their existence if the nation-state use police brutality, they criticize the NDA and eulogise the Congress and the meaning of the protest is completely lost. [Read: JNU: Lawyers scuffle, some attack journalists again] Quite evidently, the humanitarian grounds on which the event started, protesting against capital punishment of convicts/terrorists, took a rather terrorising turn. Was keeping the fight for Kashmir alive the sole agenda? Or was it scratching long-healed wounds (read Godra, Dadri) to keep debates alive? Are we missing out on something? Answer these, and one may have the real picture. "Kick us out if we don't do anything": How Modi's emotional appeal resembles that of Mamata JNU: BJP has given a full toss to Left but they still look clueless on Cong alliance Feature oi-Shubham By Shubham The Left has got a golden opportunity to regain their lost ground in India's politics, thanks to the anti-incumbency against Mamata Banerjee general and the ongoing fiasco in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its impact on various quarters of the society. [The survey that convinced Bengal CPM eager about an alliance with Congress] The Bengal unit of the CPI(M) has spoken in favour of an alliance with the Congress in the state polls, which, however, the Kerala chapter is not ready to accept. The Politburo and Central Committee meetings so far haven't taken a decision in favour of the Bengal leaders as they continue to try convince their Kerala counterparts, who have a heavier presence in the Politburo, that the only way out for the Left in Bengal is to ally with the Congress. Ideological compulsion against supporting Congress? The Kerala chapter has cited the same, old ideological compulsion as the reason against allying with the Congress. It has said the class character of the Congress doesn't make it an ideal side to ally with. The southern leaders are clearly not in a mood to let ago the opportunity to return to power by defeating a tainted Congress-led government in Kerala and fear that an alliance in Bengal with the same party could ruin its prospects. Whatever be the internal contradiction, the CPI(M) can only to hope to give the Trinamool Congress (TMC) a fight in Bengal by having an alliance with the Congress. The stand taken by the Kerala leaders of the party also doesn't fit any logic if we revisit history. History shows otherwise Even though the Left has traditionally fought against the Congress in Bengal (till the point when Mamata Banerjee left the Congress and took its place as the main anti-Left force in the state), there have been instances of its friendship with the latter at the Centre. In 2004, Left supported Congress-led UPA from outside but they were fighting Congress at states In 2004, when the Left recorded their most number of seats in the Lok Sabha, they decided to support the UPA I government from outside---mainly to keep the communal' BJP at bay. There were no talks on the opposite models being pursued at the state and Centre. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had just one MP in that term in its supremo Mamata Banerjee, often used to mock the Congress-Left's pattern of functioning. Just three years prior to that, the TMC and Congress had fought the Assembly polls in Bengal together against a powerful Left, only to lose decisively. Left won Bengal & Kerala polls in 2006 yet remained with Congress at Centre If the Left really had a problem with the Congress's 'class character', then why didn't it withdraw its support from UPA I in 2006, when they won in both Bengal and Kerala Assembly polls? They ultimately withdrew in 2008 on the question of a Indo-US nuclear deal and paved the way for a Congress-TMC alliance in UPA II. CPI(M) backed UPA's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee in 2012; Cong-TMC alliance was still there In 2012, too, the CPI(M) and Forward Bloc backed the Congress's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the election to the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the CPI and RSP abstained), despite the fact that the Congress-TMC alliance was still in force then. They even expelled a leader for criticising the support to the UPA. Why then didn't they back a separate candidate like they had done in 2002 by supporting Laxmi Sahgal? The Left is known to miss buses in Indian politics at crucial times. Now also, when it should have approved a tie-up with the Congress in Bengal at once to at least rattle the TMC camp if not defeat it in the actual elections, its internal fault lines are becoming more prominent. The BJP and the right-wing elements have given it a full toss but the Left is wondering where to hit it. May be a long phase of depression has pushed them into a state of confusion. Why PM Narendra Modi is upset with social media Feature oi-Shubham The social media had played a significant role in his rise before and during the Lok Sabha election 2014. He was even dubbed as India's first social media prime minister. But today, nearly two years after taking over, the same Narendra Modi is not quite happy with the new media. [FTII, Hyderabad, JNU: Modi is lucky there is no JP Narayan around] [Gomata vs Gopalan: The fierce Left-right conflict in India with none to balance] The PM, who invited the Opposition leaders top his office on Tuesday to ensure that the next parliamentary session is not disrupted in the wake of various noisy episodes, reportedly expressed his dissatisfaction over the way the social media is behaving at times. He regretted that the media is not being used in a constructive way as too many people are expressing their viewpoints through it, reports said. Prior to the Lok Sabha polls, Modi had stressed social media and set up his own team for campaigning. One reason for it was the mainstream media's unkind attitude towards him, something which had started after the Gujarat pogroms in 2002. The extensive utilisation of the social media by Modi's election team saw his opponent parties fall much behind as they were more familiar with the traditional ways of poll campaigning. The Congress, which is not known to be tech-savvy, lost the contest decisively because of the social media factor. Other leaders though tried their hands in this form of media to match Modi, but the latter had already taken a big lead over them. Modi did not forget the social media even after becoming the prime minister. He regularly tweets even though hasn't held a single press conference till date as the PM and often pushes his ministers to connect to the public through social media to project their work. Has social media started to boomerang now? The Opposition has mocked that when Modi had started using social media for a political purpose, others were yet to get a hang of it but now they have slowly started gaining momentum. And moreover, with a series of incidents happening across the country beginning from Dadri to Hyderabad to JNU, the same social media is feeding growing anti-establishment sentiments, something which even the best of rulers across the world have faced. Modi had a favourable equation with the social media when the former UPA government was buried under the pressure of anti-incumbency and also in his earlier days. But with a couple of electoral losses and occurrence of issues like in UP, Hyderabad and New Delhi, the strength has started to show as a weakness. PM Modi will look to bounce back in some form soon to regain the immense popularity he had on social media in the recent past. Why pro-naxal unions are subservient to ISI sponsored groups Feature oi-Vicky By Vicky On October 18 2012, the then Director General of Police in West Bengal, Naparajit Mukherjee had stated that there is a growing nexus between the naxals and the ISI sponsored terrorist groups. He further stated that the nexus needs to be considered with all seriousness and it could spearhead into a major problem. This statement is a grim reminder of how the naxalites would side with any group that is anti-national. This point needs to be discussed today considering that the probe into the JNU row has revealed the hand of a group called the Democratic Student's Union (DSU). This union which is the frontal organisation for the CPI-Maoists is said to have been behind the anti India sloganeering during the protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru. Naxalites and their frontal groups have been cozying up to ISI sponsored groups since 2009. It was the financial and the weapons crunch being faced by the naxalites which led them to exploring a nexus with the ISI. For the ISI the naxalites were the best bet to promote home grown terror. The naxal-ISI nexus: In the year 2009, the ISI realised that the naxals were facing a financial crunch. The naxals had become desperate. While they were hesitant at first, they bit the bait when large chunks of money and arms were offered to them. The ISI which is well networked in Dubai used some Indians to get in touch with the naxals. When the Intelligence Bureau tipped off the police about this nexus, there was an arrest made in Karnataka. The person who was arrested went by the name Altaf and he revealed for the first time that he was trying to establish a link between the underworld in Dubai and the naxals. Moreover he was instructed to hand over Rs 25 lakh to a naxal sympathiser who in turn was supposed to strike a deal between the ISI and the naxals. The next move by the ISI was to sent an operative by the name Umer Madani to talk with the naxals. Madani a Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative active in Kashmir. Madani who was arrested told the police that he was asked by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to pass on money to the naxals. His questioning led to the police finding a person called Yusuf Salim. The police learnt that Salim who also hailed from Kashmir had held talks with the naxals. Roping in the SIMI: With several Lashkar-e-Tayiba operatives being arrested, the ISI then roped in the Students Islamic Movement of India to carry forward the talks with the naxals. cadres of the SIMI were told to relocate to naxal infested areas. The talks between the SIMI and the naxalites was successful. The police at first did not realise how the naxals continued to get arms and finances despite a massive crackdown. Later on it was found that the routes that the SIMI had set up were being used by the naxals to source arms and ammunition. Intelligence Bureau officials say that the close ties between ISI sponsored groups and the naxal has been a danger since the past seven years now. The Delhi police would need to look closely into this link while probing the JNU case. For the ISI, the Afzal Guru issue is a trump card which they can flog while trying to keep the Kashmir issue alive. The ISI may find it difficult to operate directly in New Delhi and hence would rely on naxal sympathetic groups to further their cause. This year around the Afzal Guru related protests were planned intentionally in New Delhi. Students did participate in a protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru. However, in the crowd were members of the pro naxalite DSU which raised the slogans against India as a result of which this issue has snow balled into such a major controversy. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 11:00 [IST] With PFI banned, the forest training modules come under scanner of agencies 4 suspected SIMI members arrested in Odisha India oi-Vicky Odisha, Feb 17: Four persons have been arrested in Odisha on the suspicion that they were part of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. The police have recovered four revolvers from them. The joint operation was carried out by the Odisha and Telangana police. The police claim that these persons were involved with the SIMI and were planning on carrying out their activities in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Prradesh. They had rented a flat at the Qureshi Mohalla at Rourkela. The police say that these persons were attempting to extort people and raise money for terror related activities. The four persons who are residents of Madhya Pradesh were on the wanted list of the National Investigation Agency. The NIA has been probing a case in which several members of the SIMI had indulged in bank robberies to raise money for terror related activities. A team of the NIA is likely to question them soon. OneIndia News Lok Sabha polls: Kumar Vishwas may campaign for BJP in Delhi Former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas's security to be reviewed after 'Khalistan' claim against Kejriwal AAP leader Kumar Vishwas to replace Salman Khan as TV host? India oi-Reetu New Delhi, Feb 17: Remember the popular TV show 'Dus Ka Dum'? Well, Salman Khan made his TV debut with this show and hosted the show for two seasons. New season of the show will soon come and guess who will host the show? If reports are to believed then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas will be the host of this season. According to the reports, makers of the show have approached Kumar Vishwas and if all goes well, then Vishwas will be seen hosting Dus Ka Dum' on Sony TV. Farmer suicide at rally: 5 AAP members to be questioned Though Salman was the first option as host for the show but apparently the actor has a very busy schedule and thus, Vishwas was approached for the show. Reportedly, two seasons back Kumar Vishwas was also offered to be a part of Bigg Boss' but he demanded whopping Rs 5 crore to be a part of the show. Kumar Vishwas had earlier urged the central government to take "stern" action against the students who raised anti-India slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus. "This is high time India as a system sets an example by punishing all those who have shouted/supported anti-India slogans in the JNU," Mr Vishwas tweeted. "Indian rule of law has set sections against such activities. The GOI (government of India) should take stern action against these anti-national minds," he added. He advised police to take quick action against those who shouted anti-India slogans in JNU. "Delhi Police that is often quick to take action against 'set targets' should rather act quick in JNU matter and detain anti-nationals," he tweeted. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 15:40 [IST] Fact check: Did AISA Students Fake Injuries During Violence At JNU? Deprivation point to be brought back for PhD students in JNU BJPs Shatru on JNU row: JNUSU president Kanhaiya has said nothing anti-national India oi-Jagriti New Delhi, Feb 17: Actor turned BJP politician Shatrughan Sinha, who is not on good terms with BJP presently after being sidelined in recent Bihar elections, has said that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has done nothing anti-national or against constitution. Sinha took Twitter to express his views on ongoing JNU row. In a series of tweets posted on Wednesday, Shatrughan even wished for Kanhaiya Kumar's early release. On the night of February 9, some students organised a meet at JNU to mourn the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat. Anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at the gathering. JNU stir: If Afzal Guru a martyr, who was Lance Naik Hanumanthappa? asks wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt Delhi Police registered a sedition case on last week against Kanhaiya Kumar. Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti national or against constitution. Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 Hope wish and pray that he's release soon, sooner the better... Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record &history. Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 It is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 We need to be very cautious while making sweeping statements maligning an institution. They are our own children and our own students. Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by. Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 17, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 9:08 [IST] Kharge vs Tharoor: Counting of votes today; Cong to get first non-Gandhi president in 24 years Cong raises Arunachal Governor issue at all-party meet India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 16: The controversial actions of Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa were today raised by Congress at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, in this backdrop, the role of Governors could figure in the President's Address to the joint sitting to Parliament next week. At the two-and-a-half-hour meeting in the Prime Minister's Office, parties like Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP and JDU emphasised that the upcoming Budget session should be allowed to function without any disruptions. With regard to disruptions, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed strong objection to Modi's recent comment that "one family" is stalling the legislative work in Parliament, an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, according to sources present in the meeting. Azad and his party colleague Anand Sharma referred to Rajkhowa's actions, to which the Prime Minister is believed to have said that the role of Governors, past and present, is something that can be debated upon, the sources said. He told the meeting that he had recently held a "frank" discussion with President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue of Governors' role, the sources said. The issue of Governors might figure in the President's customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament on February 23, the first day of the Budget session, they said. During the meeting, leader of NDA-constituent Akali Dal Naresh Gujral is learnt to have remarked that minorities are feeling "uneasy" in the country even though he praised the Prime Minister as well as his government, the sources said. D Raja of CPI is believed to have said that the situation in the country is "scary" and the government should take action, the sources said. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien, while pressing for passage of the long-pending GST bill during the upcoming Parliament session, said BJP and Congress, whether while being in government or opposition, had wasted enough time. With regard to the JNU issue, Congress and Left parties were together in objecting to the government action which was defended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who said there is a difference between "free speech and hate speech". With regard to functioning of Parliament, leaders of Congress and CPI(M) made somewhat similar comments, according to the sources. While Azad said Parliament is the "mirror of the society", Mohd Saleem of CPI(M) remarked that Parliament is a "reflection of the society", the sources said. Significantly, the Prime Minister was in a mood to chat and recalled his days as a BJP worker and then the party spokesperson. He spoke on the issue for about 10 minutes, said one of the leaders present. Modi, an avid user of social media, remarked that it was a useful tool for dissemination of information but now it is being abused. PTI Geelani had raised anti India slogans to trigger outrage: police probe reveals India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Feb 17: The Delhi police has begun questioning S A R Geelani in connection with the JNU case. Geelani a former professor at the Delhi university was arrested by the Delhi police on Tuesday, Feb 16. The police say it was Geelani who had raised the anti India slogans at an event organised at the Press Club to observe the death anniversary of Afzal Guru last week. The police say that Geelani had planned the event in a systematic manner. He was aware that shouting anti India slogans would trigger an outrage and could also spread across the country. Geelani so far has not revealed much information to the police. The police say that they have proof that he had organised the event. The police have with them an email sent out by him. The email was sent to book the Press Club to host the event. The police have slapped sedition charges against Geelani. The charge states that he had intentionally shouted anti national slogans so that there would be outrage. He did try and incite violence through his slogan shouting the police have also said. Geelani whose questioning will continue today will be asked about the persons who had helped organise the event. Further the police also want to know who had paid for the event and at whose behest was he organising the event at the Press Club. Geelani will also be questioned by officials of the Special Cell and the Intelligence Bureau. Geelani has been in the eye of the storm for long. He had been arrested in connection with the Parliament attack case. The Supreme Court while hearing his appeal acquitted him of all charges. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 9:07 [IST] Ignoring SC order, men in black robes beat scribe, student India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 17: In an open defiance of Supreme Court order, a large group of men dressed in lawyers' robes today again barged into the Patiala House court complex and allegedly beat up a journalist and a student ahead of the hearing in the sedition case of JNU students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar. The group, which could be seen raising slogans "Vande Mataram" and waving India's flag in the court premises, was led by Vikram Chauhan, one of the lawyers who had attacked JNU students and faculty on February 15. The journalist, identified as Anwar of news channel CNN IBN, said despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the cops' presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. The Supreme Court had, earlier in the day, restricted the number of people inside the courtroom, allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing. The apex court had acted on a petition that alleged that the police were a "mute spectator to the brazen display of brute force" on February 15. On Monday, groups of lawyers had beaten up journalists and JNU students and teachers ahead of the hearing of the sedition case registered against Kumar. Yesterday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists had hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in police presence. The journalists had also sought Supreme Court's intervention in protecting freedom of speech. PTI JNU row- Delhi cops say some suspects in the campus India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Feb 17: The Delhi police is in talks with the administration of the JNU after it has been found that some of the accused persons were still on the campus. The police has been trying to arrest some persons who were part of the protest at the JNU in which anti national slogans were allegedly shouted. However the Delhi police will tread carefully before entering the campus as there has been criticism when they did it for the first time. We have not taken any decision on whether to enter the campus and conduct a search. We have identified the suspects and some are still in the campus. We are in talks with the JNU administration in this regard, a Delhi police official said. We will also seek permission from the vice chancellor in this regard the officer said. JNU controversy: Ratan Tata caught in social media crossfire The Delhi police is also seeking the help of the intelligence bureau and its special unit in this case. The police apart from looking for the suspects and the organisers is also trying to find out if the organisers of the event at the JNU and the Press Club had received any finances. Looking for a financial link will be helpful and if it has come from some banned outfit, then charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act will be slapped. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 8:41 [IST] Fact check: Did AISA Students Fake Injuries During Violence At JNU? Deprivation point to be brought back for PhD students in JNU JNU row: Lawyers beat up journalist outside Patiala House Court India oi-Avinash New Delhi, Feb 17: A journalist has again been beaten up by lawyers outside Patiala House Court after a scuffle broke out between two groups of lawyers. Television cameras showed two groups of lawyers gathered outside the court premises and seen clashing with one another. Cameras also showed lawyers pushing and beating up a journalist who works with a media house while police remained mute spectator. "When I took a photo of the scuffle, the lawyers started beating me up. I can identify him," said Tariq Anwar, of Firstpost. Police was a mute spectator like yesterday. I have photos to prove: Tariq Anwar, Firstpost on scuffle in Patiala House Court premises today ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2016 "There were two groups, pro-Kanhaiya & anti-Kanhaiya group. A person from anti-Kanhaiya group beat me up. Police was a mute spectator like yesterday. I have photos to prove," Tariq Anwar added. Meanwhile lawyers protesting outside the Patiala House court said they didn't beat up anyone. "We did not do anything, we did not beat any one up," group of lawyers told media persons. Earlier on Monday, a similar brawl took place at the Delhi court after about 40 lawyers present inside the court shouted slogans against the Jawaharlal Nehru University asking the institute's faculty to leave the court. The lawyers, heard shouting 'Bharat mata ki jai' and 'Vande Mataram', also attacked students and the media personalities present at the court premises. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 14:20 [IST] Chetan Bhagat tries Gandhigiri with critics on Facebook; gets trolled again MeToo in India: Chetan Bhagat accused of sexual harassment, says sorry 'was going through a phase' Who is Tarana Burke? the women who started the #MeToo movement a decade ago I am not a harasser. Never was, never will be: Chetan Bhagat responds to #MeToo allegations JNU row: Chetan Bhagat trolled for saying 'Every dog that barks need not be arrested' India oi-Reetu New Delhi, Feb 17: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy refuses to die down as on Tuesday author Chetan Bhagat was trolled on Twitter after he expressed his views on the incident. Reactions of the Twitterati shows that his tweets on the issue were not really liked by many. Bhagat in his tweets said that students who protested for a terrorist' are indeed anti-nationals'. He while tweeting said, "Every dog that barks need not be arrested. What they did was wrong, but sedition charges bit too much." He further went on to tweet about the issue and said: Terrorists take innocent lives. No justification or sympathy for their actions. If you do support them, you are anti-national. Period. Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 14, 2016 The best part of JNU is Ganga Dhabha. The rest is not to be taken seriously. Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 14, 2016 Every dog that barks need not be arrested. What they did was wrong, but sedition charges bit too much #JNU Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 16, 2016 Making anti-India slogans was a mistake. Full blown police crackdown bigger mistake. Using that to hurt budget session, the biggest mistake. Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 16, 2016 Modi hate can blind you to the point that you can even tacitly support anti-India protestors. Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 16, 2016 If JNU management had kept their students in check,this day would not have come. Trying to be cool-alternative-lefties, they're loonies now. Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 16, 2016 It could. But one doesn't justify the other. If both sides blind, nothing ever gets solved. Great for media tho! https://t.co/9by4iw4cYZ Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) February 17, 2016 After the author tweeted on the issue, here is what people said: @chetan_bhagat Sir you joined elite league of Mahatma Gappu by calling students dog! Apke swani ne pilla bola tha. @Ajitkumar_Kanan DreamStrongIndia (@isupportIndiani) February 16, 2016 If celebrity @chetan_bhagat comes 4 Modi's rescue.. Then it means the damage is very severe!! #SaffronEmergency https://t.co/nG2SowVCVU Indrajith (@Balaindrajith) February 16, 2016 Chetan Bhagat thinks taxpayer money is wasted in student politics? Was taxpayer money in IIT and IIM supposed to make a third rate author? Arun Nambiar (@aruns_nambiar) February 15, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 13:42 [IST] Want to work at night, adhere to pollution rules: HC to MMRCL What the construction of 44 roads along the Indo-China border means L&T eyes road sector as govt focuses on highways India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 17: As the government looks to double the length of the country's highways to 2 lakh km, engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro has said it sees huge opportunities in the sector. It has, however, listed out a number of challenges facing the roads sector, including funding constraints. In a presentation to investors, L&T has listed the "increased road build-out by NHAI with current focus on EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) projects" as "opportunities". In the last two weeks alone the government has bid out 31 projects worth Rs 28,000 crore, of which nearly half were under the EPC mode. The infrastructure major saw its bottom-line surge 19 per cent to Rs 1,034.8 crore in October-December. L&T also eyes "expressway projects by state governments, elevated corridors and ring roads in major cities" as some of the other opportunities in the investor presentation besides dedicated freight corridor programme and highway projects in the Middle East. As for challenges in the infrastructure segment, it has listed "investment constraints, lending capacity of banking system, lack of private sector interest in PPP projects, land acquisition, government funding, environmental clearances, slow evolution of policy frameworks, pace of awards and execution." It also sees "oil price-led fiscal deficits in the Middle East" as another challenge. L&T's road and bridges portfolio has 16 projects for 1,721 km worth Rs 17,800 crore. L&T is India's largest E&C company with interests in projects, infrastructure, development and manufacturing, among others. Its revenues stood at USD 15 billion last year and the company has a market cap of USD 18 billion as on December 31. L&T is aiming to restructure its top management as part of succession plan as well as making efforts to expand global presence. Group Executive Chairman A M Naik had recently said the company is looking to expand its global presence. PTI Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again Minister regrets Delhi BJP legislator's hooliganism India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Feb 17: Senior BJP leader and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said his party legislator in Delhi O.P. Sharma "should not have taken law into his own hands and not resorted to violence" ahead of a court appearance of JNUSU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been charged with sedition. The communications and information technology minister said the law will take its own course against Sharma and that the party could not possibly condone his actions. Speaking to India Today TV, Prasad, however, justified the action taken by Delhi Police against the students of Jawarlal Nehru University (JNU), saying the Narendra Modi government "will not tolerate anti-national activities of any kind on campus". He also justified invoking of sedition charges against Kanhaiya Kumar. The university has been on the boil over the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar after some students organised a meet to mark the anniversaries of executions of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat. Anti-India slogans were raised at the gathering. Delhi Police last Thursday registered a sedition case and arrested Kanhaiya Kumar. He was sent to three days' police custody on Friday although he denied raising the anti-India slogans. IANS MIOT hospitals denies negligence led to death of 18 patients India oi-PTI Chennai, Feb 16: The MIOT Hospitals today denied the charge that its 'neglience' had caused the death of 18 patients due to lack of oxygen when its generators were reportedly flooded in the heavy rains last year. The hospital stated this to the notice issued to it by the court on a petition by social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy who had levelled various charges against it. Ramaswamy had charged the hospital with having violated medical rules and not providing mobile or back-up generators or power supply, resulting in the death of 18 patients due to lack of oxygen during the floods last year. The patients died in the hospital on December 4 allegedly due to flooding of generator room and resultant snap of ventilator and oxygen support. The hospital had then been running on generator as there was there was no electricity. Managing Director of MIOT hospitals P V Mohandas in his reply to the first bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundaresh, said there was no neglience on the part of the hospital and the patients had not died of lack of oxygen, as alleged. He also denied another charge of the petitioner that the Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Trauma (MIOT) was built near the banks of Adayar river, flouting all rules and said it was constructed 193 meters away. The First Bench, headed by the CJ, had issued a notice to Tamil Nadu government and MIOT hospitals on a PIL by Traffic Ramaswamy, alleging that the 10-storeyed building was built very close to Adyar river and in a low-lying area. The petitioner had alleged collusion by top police officials with the hospital management and submitted that an improper case had been registered. He had also sought a direction to police to initiate criminal action against MIOT Hospitals for 'willful negligence' and to authorities to demolish 'illegally' constructed buildings. The MD submitted that an eight-acre property of a private company lies between the hospital and the river and so the charge of the petitioner is not correct. He also denied the charge that MIOT was in low-lying area and said that as per the certificate given by Airports Authority of India, it was built 10 meters above Mean Sea Level (MSL). To another charge that construction was not as per the approved plan, MIOT said it was done by a well-known firm Larson and Toubro (L&T), as per approval. The District Collector, in his counter affidavit, said the hospital was not built on poromboke land and only on patta land and hence the question of encroachment does not arise. He also submitted that there was no encroachment on water canals, as alleged by the petitioner. The First Bench posted the matter for further hearing to March 31. PTI Moments before death, security guard donates eyes India oi-PTI Bengaluru, Feb 16: A security guard with his body severed into half after being hit by a speeding lorry here today expressed a wish just moments before he died on way to a city hospital that his eyes be donated, police said. The 26-year-old man was on his way to work on a two wheeler when the mishap occurred near Nelamangala here. The impact was such that his body was severed into two, they said. A video clip of the man with severed body lying in a pool of blood calling for help was broadcast by local channels. The man pleaded for help for some time, a person claiming to be an eyewitness, told a TV channel. Moments before he breathed his last while being taken to hospital, he expressed a wish for his eyes to be donated, police said. Police said the lorry driver was arrested and case booked against him under various sections of the IPC, including 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way). PTI Mumbai engineer gets 3-year jail in Pak for espionage India oi-Pallavi Mumbai, Feb 17: In a shocking incident, a Mumbai-based engineer is said to have been jailed for 3 years in Pakistan over charges of espionage. The 27-year old engineer and management graduate from Mumbai, Hamid Ansari, is reported to have confessed of entering Pakistan illegally and possessing sensitive documents. He is also said to have had 7 Facebook accounts and 30 email addresses. Ansari's father Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manger and elder brother Khalid Ansari (32) is a dental surgeon. His parents said,"It was on January 13 that we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan army's custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India." "We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely," "We have been running from pillar to post and I have already appealed to the external affairs ministry and have submitted all documents," " We are sure that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young guy like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail." Given the efforts taken for Hamid's release from both the sides, his mother thanks a number of people. I am grateful to the Indian government and also to some people in Pakistan who took up my son's case, including senior counsel Kazi Mohammed Anwar, who represented Hamid in the court and did not charge a single rupee for legal service," said Fauzia. While the Pakistani media claims that Hamid Ansari has confessed to his crime, his mother wonders what it was. "I am not sure what crime my son has committed. As per his chats with his friends from Pakistan on Facebook before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was a victim of a social evil," said Fauzia. Ansari was convicted in Kohat, which is a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and was shifted to the Peshawar central prison. He has the right to appeal under the Pakistan Army Act. OneIndia News Man holds 8-year-old precariously in well on theft suspicion; Case registered after video on social media Toddler who filed 'FIR' against mom gets bicycle, chocolates from MP minister PM Modi to visit MP on Feb 18; elaborate security arrangements made India oi-PTI Bhopal, Feb 17: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would release operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna at Sherpur village in the neighbouring Sehore district tomorrow. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with top officials yesterday visited Sherpur and personally monitored preparations to make the visit "historic". The visit assumes more importance as BJP yesterday won the Maihar by-poll for the second time in the history with more than 28,000 votes. Chouhan, on behalf of farmers will felicitate Modi as "Kisan Mitra" for launching Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, Soil Health Card Scheme, National Agriculture Market scheme, relaxing rules for awarding compensation and for launching Kisan Channel, Agriculture department's principal secretary, Dr Rajesh Rajora told PTI. On the occasion, Modi will also distribute soil health cards and compensation to three farmers each as a token. He will also handover the trophy of 'Krishi Karman Award' for 2013-14 to Chouhan as he was unable to receive it at a ceremony in Rajasthan. "Madhya Pradesh has processed claims worth Rs 4,300 crore of nearly 20 lakh farmers - largest by any state in the country so far under the existing crop insurance scheme -- whose crops were damaged due to various reasons," he said. According to an official release, the Prime Minister is likely to arrive at Bhopal's Raja Bhoj Airport 12.55 PM and will leave for Sherpur in a helicopter and reach there at 1.30 PM. Modi will visit Kisan Kalyan Mela at Sherpur and after taking part in the felicitation programme by farmers, he will leave from helipad at 2.45 PM for Bhopal from where he will leave for Delhi at 3.10 PM, it said. State government has designated Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Uma Shankar Gupta and Revenue Minister, Rampal Singh as Minister-in-Waiting for the visit. Gupta will be present at the airport to receive the PM while Singh will welcome Modi at Sherpur helipad, it said. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the high-profile visit with Sehore by-pass remaining out of bound for Indore-Bhopal commuters, a senior police official said. PTI RCP vaccines may control population explosion, says study India oi-PTI Kochi, Feb 16: Noting that rising global population is the root cause of environmental pollution, a study says Riboflavin Carrier Protein vaccines may be helpful in controlling population explosion. While discussing his research based on RCP at the International Conference on Ecotoxicology and Environmental Sciences here, Prof Mukesh Kumar, who hails from Rajasthan, said the vaccine can be used as a potential birth control method for both women and men. "RCP-based vaccines are in a very advanced stage of development, which may provide additional choice for contraceptive users (as there is no contraceptive vaccine to date) with many advantages over the currently available birth control methods," Prof Mukesh said at the conference which started yesterday. According to the research paper environmental pollution can be tackled by controlling population in the world. "Birth control technology has played and is playing a very important role in limiting the family size and thereby controlling the population of the world," it says. Over 150 scientists from India and abroad, besides research scholars and post graduate students are attending the three-day conference being organised by Institute of Eco Toxicology and Environmental sciences at Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) here. The conference, sponsored by the World Academy of Sciences, a sister wing of UNESCO, discussed the impact, detection, measurement and control of large number of toxic substances being generated. They also discussed ecology, human health, prediction on ecotoxicological effects of contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Coal India Limited, Life Insurance Corporation, State Bank of India, GAIL India Ltd, Mahanagar Gas Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, LNG Ltd, Bharat Heavy Engineering Ltd and Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd are the co-sponsors of the conference. PTI SC regulates entry in courtroom in Kanhaiya Kumar case India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Feb 17: The Supreme Court on Wednesday regulated the entry of people in the Patiala House courtroom where JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar will be produced. An apex court bench comprising Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre while taking note of the February 15 incident where JNU students and journalists were assaulted within the court complex, said that the entry of the accused lawyers, prosecution, relatives of Kanhaiya Kumar and five journalists only will be permitted. On being apprised that the relatives of Kanhaiya Kumar are not in Delhi, the court said that one member from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) faculty and one student would be permitted in the courtroom on behalf of Kumar. Besides the five journalists, another 25 mediapersons will be allowed in the court premises whose names will be mentioned in a court order. IANS Partial solar eclipse on Diwali: Can you perform Lakshmi Puja on Oct 25? Shahrukh Khan gets his graduation degree from Hansraj College after 28 years India oi-Preeti New Delhi, Feb 17: Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan finally received his graduation degree from Delhi University's Hansraj College in the national capital on Tuesday, Feb 16. Shahrukh visited his college after 28 years, to promte a song of his upcoming film 'Jabra', where he also collected his long-pending degree. While receiving the degree, 50-year-old actor walked down the memory lane and recalled his days spent in Hansraj College. Khan was quoted saying as, "This is a very special moment for me. I am back in my college, which I left in 1988. I am missing only one thing - my children are not with me today, as I wanted to show them every corner of my college." Hansraj College Principal Rama Sharma, who presented the degree to its special superstar former student, said institution is proud of its superstar student. "We are very happy to present him the degree after so many years. We had kept his degree safely in our college. We are proud to bestow him with it today," Sharma said. The actor also signed the register after collecting his DU graduation degree. The college students were very excited to meet their alumnus. Shahrukh even perfrmed for his young fans. Shahrukh, who was born in Delhi, studied at St Columbia's School and accompalished his bachelor's degree in Economics from Hansraj College in north campus. [PICS: Shahrukh Khan Dances With Fans At Hansraj College] OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 12:18 [IST] Army Chief to pay first visit to areas under northern army command, including Siachen Tearful farewell to soldiers who died in Siachen India oi-IANS By Ians English Chennai/Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Feb 16: A tearful final farewell was given on Tuesday to four soldiers from Tamil Nadu and one from Andhra Pradesh who were buried alive in an avalanche on the hostile Siachen glacier on February 3. All of them belonged to the Madras Regiment and their last rites were performed with full military honours. The bodies of Havildar M. Elumalai, Sepoy G. Ganesan, Sepoy N. Ramamurthy and Lance Havildar S. Kumar were brought to Chennai on Monday night and later taken to their native places. Elumalai was laid to rest with full military honours in Adukumparai village in Vellore district. Ganesan was cremated in his native village Chokkathevanpatti in Madurai district, while Kumar was laid to rest in his home village in Theni district. The last rites of Ramamurthy were performed in Krishnagiri district. The Tamil Nadu government announced a solatium of Rs.10 lakh each to their families. In Andhra Pradesh, Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed waslaid to rest with full military honours in his native village in Kurnool district. A pall of gloom descended on Parnapalle village in Bandi Atmakur mandal of Kurnool as people bid tearful adieu to the soldier. Military, police and civil officials and politicians paid their last respects to Mushtaq, who was buried at a village graveyard. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy and YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy were among those who attended the last rites. The deputy chief minister later presented a cheque of Rs.25 lakh to the family of deceased soldier. The body of Mustaq reached the village late Monday night from Hyderabad, where it was brought from New Delhi on Monday by a special aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF). Mustaq, 30, is survived by his wife and aged parents, according to a defence statement. He had enrolled in the 19th Battalion the Madras Regiment in 2004 and served as part of his battalion in counter insurgency operations in the North East and in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also served in the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) force in Jammu and Kashmir. A keen sportsman, Mustaq volunteered to be part of one of the most crucial posts in the icy Siachen Glacier. It was February 3, when an avalanche swept away one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and nine Other Ranks (ORs) in the Siachen Glacier while they were on duty. The soldiers were buried under nearly 30 feet of ice and snow when the avalanche hit the Sonam Post on the Siachen glacier at an altitude of around 20,000 feet. Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was the only one found alive even though he was trapped under the snow for about six days. He succumbed to multi-organ failure at the Army Hospital Research and Referral in New Delhi last Thursday. Koppad was cremated in his home town in Karnataka on Friday. The bodies of the remaining nine soldiers were retrieved a week after the tragedy, and flown into New Delhi from the frontier Ladakh region on Monday. The mortal remains were later flown in IAF planes to Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, for sending them to the native villages of the deceased soldiers. The other soldiers were Subedar Nagesha T.T. of village Tejur in Karnatakas' Hassan district, Karnataka, Lance Naik Sudheesh B. of village Monroethuruth in Kerala's Kollam district, Sepoy Mahesha P.N. of village HD Kote in Karnataka's Mysuru district, and Sepoy (nursing assistant) Suryawanshi S.V. of village Maskarwadi in Maharashtra's Satara district. IANS Union Cabinet recommends revocation of President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh India oi-Shradha The Union Cabinet today recommended revocation of President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, after the Supreme Court yesterday ruled out passing an interim order to restrain the Governor J.P.Rajkhowa from swearing in a new government in the crisis-ridden state. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommended to the President to revoke central rule imposed on January 26. As per media reports, on Monday 31 MLAs, led by rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul, called on the Governor to submit their proposal of forming the next government in Arunachal Pradesh and end the political mess. He was accompanied by 19 rebel Congress MLAs ,11 BJP legislators and two independent members. In order to counter the claims, the Congress appealed to the Supreme Court seeking an order that no new government formation be permitted and status quo maintained. "Now we have heard you. We propose not to pass any order on that," Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar who heads the constitution bench, told senior counsel Kapil Sibal who is representing former chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh Nabam Tuki. Sibal had told the court that governor could not swear in a person who enjoyed the support of legislators disqualified by then speaker Nabam Rebia. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had urged the apex court not to restrict the Governor from exercising his constitutional authority, and that every action taken by the Governor could be examined by the court. According to media reports the Home Ministry was waiting for a report from Governor J P Rajkhowa about the latest political situation in the state after 31 MLAs, led by rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul, who had met the Governor on Monday. The court order came in the course of the hearing of the petitions by the constitution bench questioning the role and discretionary powers of the governor in the ongoing political crisis in the border state. Congress, which had 47 MLAs in the 60-member assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers revolted against Tuki's leadership. Eleven BJP MLAs and two independents backed the rebels in the bid to upstage the government. Later, 14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker. Congress against revocation of President's Rule: Meanwhile yesterday the Congress urged President Pranab Mukherjee not to accept any recommendation from the government to revoke President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, arguing that former chief minister Nabam Tuki still had a majority in the Assembly. A revolt by Congress rebels led by Pul had led to a political crisis in the state that resulted in imposition of President's Rule on January 26. Former chief minister Nabam Tuki reportedly has the support of 26 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. A memorandum, signed by Congress leaders alleging BJP of purposely attempting to destabilize the legitimately elected government in Arunachal Pradesh was submitted to the President. [Congress raises Arunachal Governor issue at all-party meet yesterday] Arunachal Media calls for statewide agitation: Threatening a statewide agitation, media organisations in the politically fragile state have called for a non-cooperation movement against the state government if all the pending bills are not cleared within February 19. Referring to a meeting held on November 2 last year, when a delegate of media professionals met the then Chief Minister Nabam Tuki who then had assured to clear around 15 per cent of the outstanding dues within a week, the agitators said that nothing has happened since then. Media reports have mentioned APC (Arunachal Press Club) President Chopa Cheda say that the press bodies are keen on boycotting celebration of Statehood Day and events related to it. Besides APC, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and Arunachal Electronic Media Association (AEMA) also seconded the movement till full and final settlements of the entire outstanding bills is done. The organisations have also sought immediate removal of the incumbent Principal Secretary and Secretary (Finance) including the IPR director. With Agency inputs Who is Neerja Bhanot & How Pan Am-73 flight was hijacked in Sept 1986? India oi-Preeti Bengaluru, Feb 17: Neerja Bhanot was 23-year-old when she bravely fought against terrorists, who had hijacked Pan-Am flight-73 in Karachi on Sept 5, 1986. While saving the lives of 380 passengers, young Neerja did not bother about her own life and like a real hero, she fought till her last breath. The hijackers claimed 20 lives of those who were on-board the ill-fated flight including Neerja and two American nationals. Neerja was posthumously awarded Ashoka Chakra for her act of bravery. [Bollywood film 'Neerja' banned in Pakistan] Now, a Bollywood film Neerja-based on her life is about to be released on Friday, Feb 19. Let us know more about the braveheart Neerja, who chose compassion over cowardice and performed her duty till the end of her life. [Bengaluru-based doctor, Pan Am hijack survivor recalls Neerja] [20 Unseen Pics Of Neerja Bhanot] Born on Sept 7, 1963, Neerja hailed from Chandigarh and is the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest civilian award for bravery. Neerja Bhanot had also done a few ad-films and later she applied for a flight attendant's job with Pan Am. Neerja studied at Bombay Scottish school and graduated from St. Xavier's College. Neerja got married in 1985, but due to dowry demands, she returned to her parental home in Mumbai, within two months. She got the training for flight attendant from Miami. For her courgae and bravery, Neerja is also internationally known as 'heroine of the hijack'. Neerja's father, Harish Bhanot and mother Rama had set up a trust to institute an annual award for Indian women who displayed exemplary courage. Her father was a veteran journalist, who passed away at the age of 86 on Jan 1, 2008. Her mother also passed away at the age of 86, on Dec 5, 2015. Neerja is survived by her two brothers--Akhil and Aneesh. For honouring her tremendous courage, Neerja Bhanot award was founded in her memory in 1990. [Mumbai's Chanda Asani to get Neerja Bhanot Award] There are two Awards consisting of Rs 1,50,000, a trophy and a citation each. The first is given to an Indian woman who, when subjected to social injustice like dowry, desertion and so on, faced the situation with guts and grit and then helped women in similar social distress. [Nominations called for Neerja Bhanot Awards] The second is given to a flight crew member, worldwide, who acts beyond the call of duty in a difficult situation. She was also awarded the "Tagme-e-Insaniyat" by Pakistan, the flight Safety Foundation Award and the Medal of Heroism of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution by the US. Indian Postal Service, released a stamp in her honour in 2004. Neerja Bhanot Chowk was named after her in Mumbai's Ghatkopar (East) suburb. What happened on Sept 5,1986? There were 380 passengers including Indians (13 were from Karnataka out of whom 2 had died), Germans, 41 Americans, Mexicans and Pakistanis and 13-member cabin crew in Pan Am-73 flight, when the plane, that was flying from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt, was hijacked on the tarmac at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. Four heavily-armed Palestinian terrorists, dressed as airport security guards, entered the aircraft while firing shots from an automatic weapon and seized control of the plane. The terrorists were part of Abu Nidal Organization and were backed by Libya. According to reports, pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer abandoned the hijacked aircraft, on the instructions given by Neerja, so that plane could not take off. Then hijackers held Neerja at gunpoint and told her to announce that the plane was hijacked. The main hijacker was Mustafa, who ordered Neerja to collect passports of all passengers. When Neerja realised that American passengers were their prime target, she hid their passports, to save their lives. After 17 hours of being parked at the runway, by 9 pm, the fuel of the plane had exhausted and there was darkness inside the aircraft. Then Neerja made a quick rescue plan by opening the emergency exits and passengers safely de-boarded the plane. But only three children were left to be rescued, when terrorists fired AK-47 bullets on Neerja, killing her instantly. Had Neerja Bhanot thought about saving her own life, she could have been the first one to exit from emergency gates, but putting her life at stake, she cared about lives of hundreds of passengers. Out of the three children, who were saved by Neerja, one, who was 7-year-old at that time, is now a captain of a major airlines and Neerja is her inspiration! Here is the audio of Neerja's last voice: Here is a touching video of Neerja's mother Rama Bhanot who blessed the entire crew of Bollywood biopic Neerja: There is nothing purer than a mother's blessings. Rama Bhanot, Neerja's mother blesses the film #Neerja, in the video... Posted by Fox Star Hindi onWednesday, February 10, 2016 OneIndia News We respect courtbut Lakshman Rekha must not be crossed: Rijiju as SC puts sedition law on hold Will sedition charge against JNU student leader Kumar stand? India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Feb 17: The Delhi police has repeatedly claimed that it has enough evidence to prove the sedition charges against JNU Student leader, Kanaihya Kumar. The junior home minister, Kiran Rijiju says that material evidence will be produced soon to substantiate the charges of sedition against Kumar. Many would say that while action has to be taken against those students if they have indulged in anti national activities, others contend that the Delhi police may have jumped the gun in slapping sedition charges. A preliminary report of the Delhi police does not make a mention of the videos they claim to have of the event where anti national slogans were shouted. The reliance is on a clip circulating on the social media which has a speech of Kumar where no anti national remarks had been made. Can Delhi police sustain the sedition charge? There is a very poor record in the country where sedition charges are concerned. More often than not they are dropped or have been thrown out by the courts. The law relating to sedition is very clear. The Supreme Court has said that sedition charges would stand the test of judicial scrutiny if sloganeering against India leads to mob violence. However, in this case it would all depend on what kind of proof the Delhi police have against Kumar. An intelligence bureau report states that two unions the Democratic Students Union and the Democratic Students Front were in fact reactive and also indulged in anti national activities. However the report is silent about the role of Kumar in shouting out anti national slogans. The other theory that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba was behind this protest is also gradually losing steam. A tweet supporting the event posted under the handle of Hafiz Saeed has been declared fake. Someone had created this account and after posting a message took down the same immediately. Delhi police still confident: The Delhi police however say that they are confident about their case. We cannot put out all details in the initial report, a senior officer informed OneIndia. Further the police also say that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba connection is not based on the tweet. There are other aspects that we are probing into. There will be material evidence produced before the court and we are confident of sustaining the charges of sedition, the officer also added. Delhi police commissioner, B S Bassi continued to maintain that they have enough evidence. We cannot discuss the evidence with the media. We will produce it before the court, he also said. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 8:34 [IST] Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India No way out in sight for China's zero-COVID strategy China deploys missile in disputed South China Sea, says Taiwan International oi-Jagriti Beijing, Feb 17: China has deployed surface to air missile on disputed South China Sea, media reported. "First-hand intelligence confirms the existence of missile batteries in the region, which is hotly disputed by China and its neighbors," said a statement issued by the Taiwan's Defense Ministry. "The Taiwanese Defense Ministry has learned of China's deployment of surface-to-air missiles on the Woody Island in the Paracel Islands. The Republic of China military is closely monitoring further development of the situation," the statement added, reported CNN. Obama calls for tangible steps to reduce tensions in the SCS The development has come at the time when President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asia met in California on Tuesday for peaceful resolution of the region's maritime disputes. Deployment of missile in the South China Sea will increase tension in the area. China which claims biggest part of the South China Sea, are disputed by several nations. OneIndia News Entire J&K including PoK is an integral part of India: UK MP International oi-PTI Jammu, Feb 17: A UK lawmaker said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including parts "illegally controlled" by Pakistan, were integral part of India. "State of Jammu and Kashmir in totality is part of India an integral part of India and it needs to be reunited and should come under the dominion of India," UK Member parliament and leader of ruling conservative party Bob Blackman told reporters in Jammu during a meet the press function organized by the Press Club of Jammu. Blackman said Pakistan must vacate the territory of Jammu and Kashmir "illegally occupied" by that country. "The erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir had signed instrument of accession with India and given the control of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to India, it is Pakistan which illegally occupied its territory which it should hand back to India through negotiation," he said. Blackman said that as both the countries were nuclear power, so there was no question of both the nations for going on war for Kashmir, but Pakistan must itself vacate the territory and hand it over to India. The lawmaker from the Harrow East constituency in England said that in the past Pakistan lobby had strong presence in the UK parliament but things have changed and people like him who are "friends of India" have been started speaking about India. He said that the ties between India and the United Kingdom have grown stronger even since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of power in India and his last year's "historic visit" to UK has further strengthened the bond. Jammu and Kashmir may see PDP-BJP government soon Invoking the Gujarat model of development he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to develop India as an economic and military power of the east and United Kingdom was ready to provide all possible support to India for attaining the goal. He said Modi has been working tirelessly to take India to "greater heights", he said. He said India has been a victim of terrorism originating from Pakistani soil and it should take measures to rein in the "forces" that spread terrorism in countries like India. Asked why UK does not declare Pakistan as a terrorist state, Blackman said he cannot speak on behalf of the UK government, but he was aware of the terrorist attacks that India faced and that originated from the Pakistani soil. He said that UK government was aware of the terrorism being faced by India and it stands shoulder to shoulder with India to combat terrorism. PTI Kargil war was a stab in the back of Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Nawaz Sharif International oi-Jagriti Islamabad, Feb 17: In an unexpected move, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted that the occupation of Kargil by Pakistani troops in 1999 was a misadventure, media reported. "It was a stab in the back for then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," reported the India Today. India and Pakistan were involved in a peace process at Lahore when war broke out between India and Pakistan in Kargil in 1999. The PM Vajpayee paid a historic visit to Lahore in the same year in February. "Vajpayee told me that he was stabbed in the back because of Pakistan's misadventure in Kargil, especially during the process of Lahore Declaration. Vajpayee was right. I would have said the same thing - he was certainly backstabbed (in Kargil)," he was quoted as saying by the report. Indian sentenced to three years for espionage in Pakistan "But, who do I complain to about that now. We (India and Pakistan) pray to the same God," he added. OneIndia News A great tragedy say activists after 200 bodies are recovered from roof of Pakistan hospital International news brief: Confident of Pak's commitment, ability to secure its nuclear assets, says US & more From 'dangerous' to 'secure and confident': US makes a u-turn after Biden's comment on Pak The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married 'India won't listen to anyone': Anurag Thakur gives strong reply to PCB Pakistan, US to hold strategic dialogue this month International oi-IANS By Ians English Islamabad, Feb 17: Pakistan and the US will hold strategic dialogue in Washington later this month on security, anti-terrorism and economic cooperation, officials said on Wednesday. It will be the 6th "Ministerial level Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue" since the dialogue process began in 2010. The fifth session was held in Islamabad in January last year. Pakistan's top Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and US Secretary of State John Kerry will lead their respective sides on February 29, the Foreign Ministry said. A Foreign Ministry statement said the six segments of the dialogue -- cooperation in Economy and Finance, Energy, Education, Science and Technology, Law Enforcement and Counter Terrorism, Security, Strategic Stability and Non-Proliferation and Defence -- will come up for discussion. "The upcoming meeting will afford an important opportunity to take stock of the entire gamut of Pakistan's bilateral relations with the US," the statement said. The talks were disrupted in 2011 when the US forces conducted a unilateral raid to kill the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad. The process was restored in 2014. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the US in October 2015 provided necessary impetus and direction to the dialogue mechanism, the Foreign Ministry said. It would be third meeting since Sharif assumed office in 2013. Both countries will hold the dialogue weeks ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Sharif to Washington. President Barrack Obama has invited the prime minister to attend a nuclear summit, officials said. IANS Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India UN says abducted employee was murdered in Iraq International oi-PTI Baghdad, Feb 16: A United Nations employee abducted north of Baghdad last year was murdered, the UN's Iraq mission said today, condemning the killing and calling on authorities to investigate. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq "condemns in the strongest terms the killing of one of its staff members, who was abducted in April 2015 and whose death was verified only on Monday", it said in a statement. "The Mission calls on the Iraqi authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice." Amer al-Kaissy, the UN's representative in Diyala province, was seized in the city of Baquba on April 26, 2015, and "is suspected to have been abducted by militias active in the area", it said. Iraq turned to paramilitary forces dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias to help counter an offensive by the Islamic State jihadist group that overran swathes of territory in 2014. While militia forces have played a major role in combatting the jihadists, they have also carried out abuses including killings, kidnappings and destruction of property. UN Iraq representative Jan Kubis said the mission had made repeated unsuccessful appeals to the authorities following Kaissy's abduction. "For more than nine months we have sought the intervention of the government on the local and national levels to ensure his safe return to his family," Kubis said in the statement. "We have expressed serious concern about the lack of progress in identifying his whereabouts and achieving his safe release. I am deeply disappointed that our efforts and appeals went unanswered," he said. The UN suffered one of the worst attacks in its history in Iraq in 2003 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged truck at the Canal Hotel in the Iraqi capital. The blast smashed a corner of the building, killing Brazilian UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others. AFP What does the US actually want in Syria? US: Cyber-attack was on the card on Iran if n-deal failed? International oi-Jagriti Washington, Feb 17: If report is to be believed then US had planned to carry out a cyber-attack on Iran in case of failure of nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic nation. This has been revealed in a documentary film "Zero Days" to be out soon, reported the New York Times. "Zero Days" to be shown on Wednesday at the Berlin Film Festival. The plan of cyber-attack which was coded as Nitro Zeus was planned to criple air defenses, communications systems and crucial parts of Iran's power grid. Thousands of American military and intelligence personnel were involved in the planning of Nitro Zeus'. It was part of an effort to assure President Obama that he had alternatives, short of a full-scale war, if Iran lashed out at the United States or its allies in the region. Iran nuclear deal: Loses and gains for India Iran and P5+ 1 nations reached the deal in April last year to curb Iran's nuclear programme and end most economic sanctions imposed on country. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany are called P5+1. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 12:43 [IST] 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. General Information on State Sales Tax, Resellers Permit, Tax Certificates, Business Registration, Wholesale License Virtually every type of business must obtain a type of State Sales Tax Number, such as a Resellers Permit, Tax Certificates, Business Registration, Wholesale License Registration. If your business sells products on the internet, such as eBay, or through a storefront, and the item is shipped within the same state, sales tax must be collected from the buyer and the sales tax must be paid on the collected tax to the state. Depending on the type of business and the amount of revenue, the state sales tax collected must be paid either monthly or quarterly. Items shipped within state are taxable. Items shipped out of state are usually not subject to state sales tax if annual revenues are less than four million dollars. Purchases for Resale You are able to purchase items without paying state sales tax. When you buy an item for resale, you purchase the item without paying state sales tax. Items must be for resale or qualified business use. If you purchase an item from a wholesale organization, or even another retailer, and are reselling the item, in most situations, you will be exempt from paying state sales tax. Almost every wholesale company will require a sales tax number before selling an item or product for resale use. The same applies to opening most commercial resale accounts. Wholesale trade shows and merchandise marts usually require a state sales tax identification number in order to allow your business to participate. Online Application For fastest processing, please have the following ready to complete the online application for a State Sales Tax Number. Tbilisi Set for Next Week's Georgia Gaming Congress Published February 17, 2016 by Sol FH Key players in the iGaming industry heading to Tbilisi for important event next week. The 2016 Georgia Gaming Congress will begin on February 25 at beautiful Tbilisi the capital city. Held in high regard as one of the most important events in the industry, the jam-packed one-day show includes leaders from online casinos, investors, software developers, investors and more. After success in 2015, the event is preparing for an even bigger showing covering burning subjects. Many of the industry's best will be attending the congress to hear and discuss what will be happening in the near and more distant market in the European region. Managers of major online casinos and other experts from markets in Georgia and the rest of Europe will be presenting and giving talks about a range of burning issues. Dollars for Cents One of the central themes of discussion will talk about how to make a profit due to dynamic currency conversion in online gambling. When players transfer one local currency to a casino and the operator accepts another, how can this become profitable? Attendees will be able to learn everything about the benefits that some operators miss out on from currency conversion. Igromat stays Golden Recently, Igromat the provider of technologies for online casinos, became a golden sponsor of next week's congress. With over 170 games from a handful of the best developers around the world, Igromat is betting on the Congress for some positive exposure. Their demo-zone is expected to be the place to learn about software and hardware and how to benefit your business. Party, Georgian style As the congress moves into its wee hours, participants will be able to talk, network and mingle at the planned party at one of the hottest eateries in the city. The entire experience is said to be one of the most enjoyable of the year and when considering it is in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it only makes the congress that much sweeter, Akwa United extended their unbeaten run in the Nigeria Professional Football League to six games after they were held to a 2-2 draw by their hosts Gombe United in a rescheduled fixture at the Pantami Stadium on Sunday, reports Completesports.com. Musa Usman gave the home team the lead from a long range effort four minutes before the half hour mark. Substitute Emmanuel Charles restored parity for the visitors 12 minutes later when he nodded the ball home from a tight angle. Akwa United took the lead for the first time in the game when Mfon Udoh headed the ball home six minutes from time. Udoh has now scored seven goals for the Promise Keepers in 10 league outings this season. Gombe United however rallied back to earn a share of the spoils with Usman Musa converting from the spot two minutes from time. In Makurdi, Champions Lobi Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Katsina United. Martins Usule volleyed home in the 12th minute to hand Kastina United the lead in the keenly contested encounter. The hosts levelled scores from the spot in the 68th minute awarded after substitute Stephen Micheal was fouled in the box. At the Gateway International Stadium, Shagamu, Remo Stars defeated hard fighting Wikki Tourists 2-1. Lanre Runsewe put Remo Stars ahead on 20 minutes after he was set up by Dare Shokunbi. Isa Gata equalised for Wikki nine minutes before the break when he nodded home Ahmed Jimoh s cross. Remo Stars captain Victor Mbaoma netted the winning goal for his side from the spot a minute before time. Kada City also defeated Yobe Desert Stars 2-1 in another rescheduled game in Kaduna. Kabiru Sanusi gave Kada City the lead with a firm header from close range in the 18th minute. Philip Auta levelled scores for Yobe Desert Stars with a well placed header from from a delightful cross from Chinedu Solomon three minutes after the break. Kabir Sarki got the winner for the hosts from a header two minutes before the end of the game. Bendel Insurance and former champions Enyimba battled to a 0-0 draw at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Benin. FULL RESULTS Insurance 0-0 Enyimba Remo Stars 2-1 Wikki Lobi Stars 1-1 Katsina Utd Gombe Utd 2-2 Akwa Utd Kada City 2-1 Yobe Stars By Adeboye Amosu Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: A lot of Japanese investors have been watching overseas markets and emerging economies, looking to deploy capital to take advantage of the developments in those markets, says Matt Roberts, a partner at Harney Westwood & Riegels. Speaking during the latest Opalesque 2016 Japan Roundtable, Roberts added that in the offshore funds sector, he sees the Cayman Islands continuing to be used as the domicile of choice by Japanese investment managers as a result of the many advantages that Cayman funds offer and investor familiarity. He explained, "In particular, we expect that the use of the Cayman Islands exempted unit trust structure (which is the preferred investment vehicle for Japanese offshore hedge funds as a result of Japanese investor familiarity, tax and regulatory reasons) will continue and should be quite healthy. We are very bullish about Cayman and its importance to the Japanese economy." Roberts said there is also plenty of interest amongst Japanese institutions in China, particularly, investing in Chinese equities products that they consider are properly regulated products. Those products include Shanghai or Shenzhen QDLP and the RQFII. However, all of those investments are only sold by Chinese managers that are licensed by the Chinese government. In order to get around this barrier, a number of ...................... To view our full article Click here Last month, as US border patrol agents began rounding up Central American women and children denied asylum, a small group of international peace activists from Voices for Creative Nonviolence boarded a plane for Helsinki, Finland, to visit two longtime Iraqi friends who fled Baghdad last summer and somehow completed a perilous seven-week journey over land and sea to reach this northern seaport. Negotiating our way from the airport in Helsinki to Laajasalo, a small island and suburb where we were to stay with a Finnish journalist, we crossed a frozen and snow-covered Baltic Sea, as white flakes swirled in the streetlights and the temperature dropped to minus 25 degrees Celsius, a long, long way from Baghdad. Our friends Mohammad and his teenage son, Omar, come from a small farming village where they grow okra. Last autumn, like hundreds of thousands of others, they were part of the swollen river of refugees whose headwaters sprang from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where endless war has devastated society and local violence has left so many people at grave risk. The journey to Europe is not merely a long, exhausting trip. It is treacherous from the start. the author, Mohammad and Omar at a Finnish camp for asylum seekers, January 2016 (Image by Hakim, Afghan Peace Volunteers) Details DMCA To begin with, while leaving their country of origin, people risk their lives traveling through contested parts of their country or over roads controlled by militias or warlords known to capture and kill people of their ethnicity or religious sect. Risks, we can be sure, they wouldn't undertake except out of desperation. All of this merely to enter Turkey. In Istanbul, where refugees must try to find a trustworthy smuggler, make a deal with one of his agents, and pay a hefty fee -- held in a sort of escrow until a specific, agreed-upon part of the trip is completed -- Turkish police patrol the streets and coffee houses looking for migrants. Iraqis are particularly at risk. If captured in Turkey and identified, they are imprisoned and eventually turned over to Iraqi authorities. And in the charged, sectarian atmosphere in Iraq, refugees shudder to think what might follow. From Turkey, Mohammad and his son planned to travel by bus to a port town -- "Well, it's not really a town, just a place at the beach" -- and launch a rubber dinghy onto the Aegean Sea at night. Their hope was to reach Farmakonisi, a tiny, largely uninhabited Greek island five and three quarter miles from the Turkish coast. Leaving Istanbul is itself like crossing open seas. It involved a nine-hour bus trip. The first trick is getting on the bus without being captured by police, and then again eluding police while traveling out of the city. No small feat. This isn't a tourist bus or a standard bus route where you gather with other passengers trying to blend in at a regular, authorized location. It's an empty mini-bus into which twenty refugees cram themselves and their luggage all at once. Not an easy thing to hide. "The bus, "Mohammad told us, "will wait 2 minutes. No more." Of course, people are anxious and on edge. He described three failed attempts to successfully leave Istanbul. In one attempt, the smuggler's agent assigned a meeting place, then changed it four times over the next couple of hours, until the group, which included women and young children, crouched in the dark on the edge of a wood, looking down a dirt path to a street corner where, at a specified time, the bus was supposed to appear. According to the smuggler's agent's directions, a phone call would alert the refugees that the bus was approaching the appointed pickup spot. In the meantime, they should organize themselves into four sub-groups of twenty people, the first sub-group dashing out when the first bus appears. By this point, however, and despite the best efforts of Mohammad and other group leaders, such discipline was beyond them. Sleep-deprived, frightened, and hungry, too many people ran out, and the mini-bus fled without boarding anyone, forcing the smuggler's agent to reschedule the attempt for another day and leaving the refugees with nothing to show for their effort but an unfulfilled promise. On another attempt, the refugees successfully boarded only to be spotted by police as they left the city. Two of the four buses were apprehended. In the third bus, Mohammad and Omar watched as their driver swerved recklessly around the police and drove breakneck down the road. "He has to do this," Mohammad explained. "For him it is life or death because it is a twenty-year prison sentence if you are caught." In the end, this attempt also failed, when the group was rounded up by police after being delivered to the beach. Mohammad describes what happened: After a long wait, some tourists came down the side of the hill and saw Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Palestine Chronicle The Israeli "Right," as demonstrated by a scary coalition of rightwing nationalists, ultra-nationalists and religious zealots, deserves all the bad press it has garnered since its formation last May. But none of this should come as a shock, as the "Right" in Israel has never been anything but a coalition of demagogues that catered to the lowest common denominator in society. As unlikable as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, he is, in fact, a fair representation of the worst that Israel has to offer, which, over the years, has morphed to represent mainstream thinking. But Israel has not always been ruled by the right-wingers, and the likes of current Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, who has made a habit of calls for extermination and genocide of Palestinians, are relatively newcomers to Israel's political tussle. In previous Knessets, the likes of her would have been assigned to a neglected seat in the back of the Knesset, along with other lunatics who often mouthed profanities and incessantly called for killing all Gentiles. Tellingly, she is now one of the main centerpieces in Netanyahu's menacing coalition. Somehow, this may be of benefit to the wider world. At least now, many would get to see Israel as the country that it has always been, but which has cleverly hidden its real nature under a mask of liberal facade and ever-touted democratic ideals. Few, with good conscience, can claim that Netanyahu and his partners -- Moshe Yaalon, Naftali Bennet and Shaked, among others -- are icons of democracy, any democracy, however lacking. In fact, a new draft in the Knesset, which is in the process of becoming a law, proposes to punish any Israeli organization that dares question Israel's behavior and undemocratic practices. Those who are anticipating the supposed liberal democratic forces in Israel to rise against the destructive rightwing machine should also reconsider. Isaac Herzog, the chairman of the Labor Party and head of the Zionist Union coalition is not markedly different than Netanyahu, at least when it comes to issues of substance. At best, he is a true manifestation of Israel's center-left, double-faced approach to politics. Oddly enough, it is the "Right" that has learned the tricks of the trade from the "Left" in Israel, not the other way around. In recent comments, Herzog shouted from the pits of his party's political irrelevance that he does not "see a possibility at the moment of implementing the two-state solution." He told Israeli Army Radio that if he is to become a Prime Minister, he would focus on implementing security measures instead of investing in a bilateral agreement with the Palestinians. While he partly blamed Netanyahu for the failure to achieve the supposedly coveted goal of two states, he also assigned equal blame to the ever-hapless Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who has been watching for years as his make-believe world of "peace process" has been collapsing around him, unable to even control his own exit from, or entry to the West Bank without a prior permit from the Israeli army. However, the issue is far more important than blaming Israel's hypocritical and cowardly "Left": but, rather, to highlight a dominant myth about the "Right" and "Left" within Israel's political establishment. For many years, much of the Western world's understanding of Israel has been based on a cluster of myths, from the early fables of the Zionists making the desert bloom, to Palestine supposedly being a land without people for a people without land. This intricately constructed and propagated mythology evolved over time, as Israeli hasbara labored to provide a perception of reality that was required to justify its wars, its military occupation, its constant violations of human rights and its many war crimes. One aspect of the Western perception of Israel is that the "Jewish-state," which is also a "democracy," has been experiencing a long-drawn-out battle between rightwing ideologues, and liberal forces that have labored to preserve Israel's democratic ideals. However, such misrepresentations are always grossly at odds with the reality. Take any aspect of Israeli history that many, even in the Western hemisphere, now see as immoral and inhumane -- for example, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, the massacres of 1947-48, the racism against Palestinians who remain in today's Israel after the Nakba, the illegal Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the illegal annexation of East Jerusalem, the construction of the illegal settlements, the building of the Apartheid Wall, and, more recently, the wars on Gaza which killed over 4,000 people since 2008. Much of these atrocities have the fingerprints of Labor and their allies. The fact is that it was the Mapai Party, which was later joined by other supposedly "progressive" forces to form the Labor Party in the 1960s, that has been responsible for most of the bloodletting, ethnic cleansing and illegal practices that have pushed the situation to this degree of desperation. The rightwing in Israel did not achieve prominence until the late 1970s. Prior to that, Israel was ruled exclusively by Labor governments. Netanyahu's current rightwing government officials are by no means short of exacting utter cruelty in inhumaneness, and the reality is that this behavior is rooted in a political past. What largely differs between the "Right" and "Left" in Israel is the expression of their political discourses, certainly not the outcomes. The fundamental reason why some insist on maintaining that myth -- of Israel's "Peace Camp" compared to the ominous "Right" -- is that they are frenziedly promoting the idea that Israel is still governed by democratic forces, an assumption that allows Western governments the time and space to ignore the plight of the Palestinians. Rightwing leaders like Netanyahu and his coalition partners are an utter embarrassment to Europe -- still a major supporter of Israel -- and they make it very difficult for the United States to even sustain the charade of its peace process. The West longs for the days when Israel was governed by less belligerent sounding leaders, regardless of their violent agendas. Labor governments in Israel, whether those that existed in the late 40s and 50s, or those that ruled under the leaderships of Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, etc., never truly showed any genuine sign that ending the Occupation and granting Palestinians a form of real sovereignty was ever on their agendas. Reprinted from WSWS Turkey is pressing for the US and its allies to launch a ground invasion as the only means of ending the nearly five-year-old civil war in Syria, an official in Ankara told the media Wednesday. "We are asking coalition partners that there should be a ground operation," said the official, who was authorized to speak on the condition of anonymity. "We are discussing this with allies." While adding that such an invasion would not take the form of a "unilateral military operation from Turkey in Syria," the official insisted, "Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria." The potential support for such an escalation of the Syrian war has found expression in a concerted propaganda campaign, particularly in Europe, over the deaths of some 50 civilians in attacks on hospitals and schools in northern Syria on Monday. The Western media and several European governments have blamed the deaths on the Syrian government and the Russian forces supporting it, charges that both Damascus and Moscow have denied. Earlier this month, both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which, like Turkey, are key patrons of the Islamist militias in Syria, announced that they were prepared to send troops into the country. The Saudi royal regime transferred four of its warplanes to Turkey's Incirlik air base. Asked what the goal of such a ground operation would be, the Turkish official replied, to remove "all terror groups from Syria," adding that Turkey included in this category not only the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but also Syrian Kurdish forces and the Syrian government itself. While insisting on the need for the "international coalition" to participate in any invasion, the Turkish official left open the possibility of unilateral action if this failed to materialize. "Of course, it is difficult to reckon what could happen in 10 days," he said. "If conditions change, there might be some options." These statements came as Turkey continued its bombardment of northern Syria with long-range artillery for a fourth consecutive day. The target of the Turkish fire is the YPG, or People's Protection Units, the Syrian Kurdish militia. Backed by Russian air strikes, the YPG has made major military advances near the Turkish border against Al Qaeda-linked Islamist forces supported by Ankara and the West. Meanwhile, troops loyal to the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad have scored similar victories around Aleppo, which was Syria's largest city and commercial center before the US-orchestrated war for regime-change. This war has claimed the lives of over a quarter of a million Syrians and turned 11 million more into homeless refugees. During a visit to Ukraine -- undoubtedly staged in a deliberate bid to ratchet up tensions with Russia -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday that Turkey would continue its bombardment of Turkish territory until the YPG withdrew from the strategic border town of Azaz. The Turkish shelling and demands for an outright invasion of Syria reflect the growing desperation of the imperialist powers and their regional allies over the reversals suffered in their attempt to overthrow the Assad government by arming and funding Salafist jihadi forces in a sectarian civil war. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared its support for the so-called war against ISIS initiated by the US with bombing campaigns in both Iraq and Syria. Ankara has used this campaign, however, as a cover for launching its own military assault against Kurdish forces in both of those countries, together with a bloody crackdown against the population in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish provinces. It has drawn an equal sign between ISIS, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the YPG, branding them all as "terrorist." Ankara's immediate concern is to prevent the YPG advances from linking up two separate Kurdish enclaves in northwestern and northeastern Syria, effectively creating an autonomous Kurdish territory on Turkey's southern border. At the same time, both the Erdogan government and the Saudi monarchy are determined to prevent the advances by the YPG and Syrian government forces from cutting off the last supply routes that have been used to funnel massive quantities of arms and supplies to the Islamist militias in an operation coordinated by the CIA. Any Turkish-Saudi intervention would be directed at crushing the Kurds and supporting the Islamists. Both these aims would quickly pose the direct threat of a military confrontation with the Syrian government and the Russian forces that are supporting it. Given Turkey's premeditated ambush of a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border last November, it is certain that any attempt to send Turkish planes into action over Syria would provoke a swift response. Russia has deployed advanced S-400 anti-aircraft weapons systems in Syria for just such a purpose. Americans love to mock the British for choosing -- in the 21st century -- to live under a monarchy and honor the hereditary succession of a royal family. I enthusiastically participate in that derision. Few concepts are as antithetical to reason and democratic liberty as anointing families that are vested with an entitlement to wield power through dynasty and lineage. The U.S. officially has no formal royal families, but clearly loves dynastic political power. As the U.S. becomes increasingly oligarchical -- all of its institutions, including its political ones, dominated by a tiny number of extremely rich families -- it is natural that all forms of hereditary power will flourish. There are still examples of people from backgrounds devoid of family wealth or influence attaining political power -- Barack Obama certainly qualifies -- but it's virtually impossible for them to succeed without the overwhelming support of those oligarchical circles. Click Here to Read Whole Article Tim Cook Apple CEO Tim Cook says his company will resist a federal magistrate's order to hack its own users in connection with the investigation of the San Bernardino, California, shootings. In a statement posted early Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, on the company's website, Cook argued that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices. (Richard Drew/AP file photo) WASHINGTON -- Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will fight a federal magistrate's order to help the FBI hack into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, California, rampage in December, saying doing so could potentially undermine encryption for millions of other users. Cook's response, posted early Wednesday on the company's website, set the stage for a legal fight between the federal government and Silicon Valley with broad implications for digital privacy and national security. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym had ordered Apple to help the FBI break into an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the Dec. 2 attack that killed 14 people. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, died in a gunbattle with police. The ruling by Pym, a former federal prosecutor, requires Apple to supply software the FBI can load onto Farook's county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature that erases the phone's data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. The Obama administration has embraced stronger encryption as a way to keep consumers safe on the Internet but has struggled to find a compelling example to make its case. This July 27, 2014, photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. A U.S. magistrate has ordered Apple to help the Obama administration hack into an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, Calif. The ruling by Sheri Pym on Feb. 16, 2016, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the phone to cripple a security encryption feature that erases data after too many unsuccessful unlocking attempts. Federal prosecutors told the judge they can't access a county-owned work phone used by Farook because they don't know his passcode. Cook called the ruling an example of government overreach and said "this moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake." He argued that the order "has implications far beyond the legal case at hand." He said it could undermine encryption by using specialized software to create an essential back door akin to a "master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks." "In the wrong hands, this software -- which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," Cook wrote. "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a back door. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." Federal prosecutors told Pym that they can't access Farook's work phone because they don't know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a person's employer. The magistrate judge told Apple in Tuesday's proceeding to provide an estimate of its cost to comply with her order, suggesting that the government will be expected to pay for the work. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. Previously, the company could use an extraction tool that would physically plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. The magistrate's order requires that the software Apple provides be programmed to work only on Farook's phone and said Apple has five days to notify the court if it believes the ruling is unreasonably burdensome. It was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farook's work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about whom the couple communicated with and where they may have traveled. The phone was running the newest version of Apple's iPhone operating system. It was configured to erase data after 10 consecutive unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The FBI said that feature appeared to be active on Farook's iPhone as of the last time he performed a backup. Farook and Malik took pains to physically destroy two personally owned cell phones, crushing them beyond the FBI's ability to recover information from them. They also removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found despite investigators diving for days for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. The judge didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Malik's timeline from that day. Investigators have concluded they were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group; Malik's Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the group's leader around the time of the attack. -- The Associated Press students generic.jpg (Randy L. Rasmussen / The Oregonian / 2015) Oregon is one of just seven states that do a great job of preventing people with criminal backgrounds from becoming teachers and making sure that any teachers who engage in serious misconduct get ejected from the profession, a USA Today investigation found. The national newspaper's reporting found that many states issue teacher licenses without first running background checks. Worse, states sometimes fail to notify national authorities when they discipline a teacher for abusing students, which can allow a teacher with a sordid past to work in another state. Investigative reporter Steve Reilly led a team of reporters in many states that used state open records laws to discover those flaws. Oregon, however, got high marks for running strong background checks on all applicants who apply for a teaching license, requiring schools to report suspected teacher misconduct and informing the public of all teacher discipline. The Oregonian helped strengthen Oregon's system for ensuring student safety with its 2008 expose of school districts concealing alleged teacher sexual misconduct from hiring districts, allowing educators to resign and move on to jobs elsewhere working with children. The Oregon Legislature banned such deals in response to the newspaper's investigation. A recent audit of Oregon's teacher licensing agency found that its investigations into teachers' alleged misdeeds moved at a snail's pace for years. When an educator was accused of misconduct, some of it quite serious, it took the agency an average of 14 months to complete its investigation, the audit said. But those delays have largely been eliminated in recent months thanks to beefed-up staffing, auditors said. -- Betsy Hammond and Caleigh Byrne photojoiner-6.jpg David Huckaby as a member of the St. Paul Classical Orchestra and inside the Klamath County jail. (Photo courtesy of SPCO and KCSO) Pot and music. Rap has Snoop Dogg. Country: Willie Nelson. Rock: The list is too long. And classical music's most famous stoner? Maybe it's David R. Huckaby. Huckaby, the man busted by Oregon State Police with more than 100 pounds of marijuana in his car last Friday, is reportedly an accomplished, Juilliard-trained cellist from the Twin Cities and Los Angeles. Before recreational pot's legalization in Oregon, getting nabbed with that much weed would have been a felony. But Huckaby, 33, faces only misdemeanor charges after being stopped for going 39 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone near Bly. A Minnesota classical musician is accused of possessing this haul of marijuana in Oregon. The state trooper searched Huckaby's car and found 113 pounds of processed, packaged marijuana in the car's trunk, police said. Police estimated its value at $226,000. Huckaby was charged in Klamath County Circuit Court with possessing more than 8 ounces of marijuana and unlawful delivery of marijuana. Both counts are below the felony level. According to the Star Tribune, Huckaby joined the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra as a cellist in 2009. He left the orchestra in 2013 and performed as recently as August in Los Angeles. The Star Tribune also reports: Huckaby remained held Tuesday afternoon in the county jail in lieu of $15,000 bail. His attorney, Phil Studenberg, said if the arrest had been made in another state, his client could be looking at "a prison sentence, which is just wrong on every level." Yes, but he may never live down the ribbing on Twitter: -- Joseph Rose 503-221-8029 jrose@oregonian.com @josephjrose On five different mornings between June and October 1990, a Vancouver farmer named Richard Fazio found five of his cattle dead. The cows' carefully dissected remains -- including eyes, tongues and organs (ew!) -- were scattered across three different pastures along the Columbia River. An Oregon State University analysis found the animals' wounds were consistent with "electrosurgical excision" and "heat-induced injury," possibly from a laser. Without an arrest or any other possible explanation, students of the paranormal classified the discoveries as further evidence of "Moo-F-Os." In the past 50 years, space aliens, seemingly obsessed with our farm animals, have been blamed for mysterious livestock mutilations across the country. In the Pacific Northwest, authorities have found evidence of at least 10 so-called bovine excisions, all unsolved, since the 1960s. But Christopher O'Brien, an author headlining Sunday night's Paranormal Pub at Portland's McMenamins Mission Theater, says something far more sinister may be happening. "This is more complicated than aliens," O'Brien, the Arizona-based author of "Stalking the Herd: Unraveling the Cattle Mutilation Mystery," said during a recent phone interview. "That's the most popular plot line. But it been railroaded by tireless believers propagandizing a cultural meme of aliens coming down mutilating cattle when there is very little evidence to support that." O'Brien said only about one in 10 cattle mutilations might have a connection to extra-terrestrials possibly trying to learn about humans through cows. (Cattle hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells, is nearly an exact match with that found in people.) Unsolved cattle mutilations in the U.S., 1967-1989 O'Brien's theory? Prepare to feel a chill run like lightning up your spine. After more than two decades working with veterinarian pathologists, biologists and police, O'Brien believes the mutilations could be part of a covert environmental monitoring process perpetrated by a shadowy operation with highly advanced technology. "As far as I'm concerned, this could be the greatest unsolved serial crime spree in history," O'Brien said. "There could be multiple groups involved." The motives likely run the gamut, and change over generations, from testing for nuclear radiation and bacterial-weapons fallout to monitoring food-borne diseases, according to the book. Certainly, that might be one explanation for why someone dumped 11 dead Holstein calves - skinned and mutilated - in the desert northeast of the Deschutes County town of Millican in March 2000. "Stalking the Herd" also asks readers to consider our ancient and symbiotic relationship to cattle. The environmental and health impacts of modern cattle raising are catastrophic to the health and well-being of humanity and the planet, O'Brien said. "This is a serious thing," he said. "I'm not some crazy conspiracy theorist from the black helicopter crowd. This is science reporting." Despite O'Brien's distaste for theories involving UFOs, the cover of "Stalking the Heard" features an illustration of a cow being beamed up into the sky. He isn't ready to totally disregard a possible other-worldly connection to the bizarre animal deaths. One of his first UFO investigations also had a mutilation case on the same night in November 1992. The cow was found about 60 miles south of the UFO sighting. In fact, the book retells the 1999 story of 19 U.S. Forest Service workers who saw a metallic object lift an elk into the sky near Mount St. Helens. "These cases involve all kinds of animals - goats, sheep, horses," O'Brien said. "But cattle tend to be the preferred target." Of course, looking at the police reports from the 1990 Fazio case in Vancouver, it's hard to dismiss the very real possibility of freaky little E.T.'s running around, dissecting our critters while we sleep. Fazio is still out there, but he didn't return my calls. But neighbors told Clark County sheriff's investigators they had heard strange sounds they couldn't attribute to farm machinery that summer. A woman driving home late one night also reported being startled by a "little man" apparently carrying a "flashlight" in one of the pastures. Could human brains or other parts of, ahem, our body be next? That does it: I'm officially never going to sleep again. -- Joseph Rose 503-221-8029 jrose@oregonian.com @josephjrose Ben Carson In this Nov. 6, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during the Black Republican Caucus of South Florida event benefiting the group's scholarship fund, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) Ben Carson spoke critically of Muslims (again) Tuesday, saying followers of Islam who adhere to Shariah law have to be schizophrenic to embrace American values. Nick Gass at Politico first reported the comment, which Carson made during an interview with Breitbart News Daily host Stephen Bannon. "I don't see how they can do it otherwise, because they have two different philosophies," Carson told Bannon after saying Shariah-abiding Muslims can only embrace American values if they're schizophrenic. Gass noted Carson is "no stranger to making comments about Muslims." The Republican presidential candidate has repeatedly said no president, congressperson or member of the judiciary should be muslim unless he or she renounces the faith's laws. What do you consider American values? Are any faiths incompatible with those values? Note: This post has been updated to make it clear Carson was referring specifically to Muslims who adhere to Shariah law. -- Melissa Binder mbinder@oregonian.com 503-294-7656 @binderpdx Every month, the librarians at the Forest Grove City Library tell us what's popular among patrons and what books they recommend. Thanks to Ariel Yang, library services supervisor, here's a look at what Forest Grove is reading in February: Most Requested Adult Title: "The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir" by Ruth Wariner, a coming-of-age story told by a woman who grew up in a polygamist Mormon Doomsday cult. Recommended Adult Title: Yang recommends "Nelly Dean: A Return to Wuthering Heights," by Alison Case. This year marks the 200th anniversary of author Charlotte Bronte's birth, and readers will find several new works of fiction and nonfiction coming out this year to celebrate the family's legacy. "Nelly Dean is a gripping piece of literature that tells the story of 'Wuthering Heights' through the eyes of the Earnshaw family's youngest servant," Yang writes. Most Requested Teen Title: "Winter" by Marissa Meyer, the fourth and final book in The Lunar Chronicles series, remains ever popular. Recommended Teen Title: Librarian Amy Gregory recommends "MindWar" by Andrew Klaven. It's the first in the MindWar trilogy, which will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and Maze Runner series. Gregory writes: "Rick was just a normal high schooler. That is until his videogame prowess is discovered by a secret government agency. They recruit Rick into their system under the guise of thwarting cyber attacks on America. But the more Rick delves into the agency, the more he starts to question their purpose." Most Requested Children's Title: Kids want to know about weather this month, so books about snow, rain, thunderstorms and the clouds that make them are hot (or should we say cold?) Recommended Children's Title: In the weather vein (heh), Linda Taylor suggests "Everything Weather: Facts, Photos, and Fun that will Blow Your Mind!" by Kathy Furgang. For a look at upcoming events, book club selections, and more staff book picks, sign up for the library's online newsletter "Grove Reads" by visiting the library's website. A Wood Village man will spend the next decade in federal prison for distributing and possessing methamphetamine and heroin, federal officials say. Guadalupe Ortiz Carrillo, 33, was arrested in July 2014 after he arranged to have a runner deliver 4 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer, Gerri Badden, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland, said in a news release. A search of Carrillo's and the runner's homes turned up another 6 pounds of the highly addictive stimulant, as well as three-quarters of a pound of heroin, drug packaging tools and $10,524 in cash, Badden said. Investigators learned that Carrillo had been paying the runner $500 a week for more than a year to store and deliver the drugs. In July 2015, Carrillo pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the drugs. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez sentenced him to 125 months in prison, followed by three years of probation. Billy J. Williams, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, praised federal and local law enforcement agencies for holding "significant drug dealers accountable for poisoning our community." -- Robbie Olivas DiMesio 503-294-4063 (Becky Coggins roots in Averill go back to her great-grandparents William and Bertha Siechert who came from Germany with two sons and one daughter. One son, Carl, would become Beckys grandfather and his adopted daughter Gertrude would become Beckys mom. Beckys story continues.) Children didnt come immediately for Clare and Gert Bailey. Becky said, Mom and Dad thought maybe they wouldnt have any children. Married eight years, their first child was a son they named David born in 1939. Becky was born in 1942 and Peter was born in 1944. Becky attended the Averill country school graduating from the eighth grade and then went into Midland to attend Northeast in the ninth grade and then Midland Senior High on Eastlawn. Becky rode the bus unless it was really cold and then her dad would drive her to school. Becky said, My dad was way ahead of his time. He would babysit with us kids. He did all the cooking. Their mom and her best friend Marville Kent would go on shopping trips to Detroit for the weekend and Clare was content to stay home and babysit. Becky remembers her great-aunt Marie, who was a sister to Carl, living in an apartment attached too the larger Siechert house. Marie had been married and widowed but had no children. Carl and Maries older brother had gone to California to live. When Marie passed away they found a box of quilt blocks that had never been made into quilts. Becky said, When you opened the box up all you could smell was Blue Waltz perfume. Christmas morning in the Clare Bailey home was a family gathering with grandparents Carl and Minnie and their Uncle Ted coming to share in the festivities/ Becky said, Our grandfather gave each of us ten dollars. That was big money then. I could buy two Ship & Shore blouses. Before St. Pauls Lutheran Church was built in Sanford, Becky remembers attending church in Leroy and Martha Thomas basement in Sanford with ten families attending each Sunday. Music was provided by Kay Sorg playing the pump organ. Pastor Rook from St. Johns Lutheran Church in Midland drove out each Sunday to conduct worship services. In 1947 St. Pauls Lutheran Church was erected on Lynn Street with church members providing the labor. Becky and her brothers David and Peter were all confirmed at St. Pauls. Gert sewed and knitted with the result that most of Beckys clothing was made at home. Becky said, It was a thrill to buy something in a store. I would have given my eye teeth to have a store boughten sweater. In 1957 Beckys grandparents moved in with the Clare Bailey family. Becky was in high school by then. Her grandmother Minnie had fallen, hitting her head which caused almost instant blindness. Becky said, If that happened today they could have done something about it. Becky met her future husband Carl Coggins in high school when they were juniors. They graduated in 1961 and in August of that same year they eloped. Clare and Gert purchased the house next to them owned by Charles and Hattie Lanphierd for Becky and Carl. The Lanphierd home had originally been built by one of the lumber barons who had lived in the Averill area during the heyday of lumbering. In 1962 Becky and Carl became parents when their first child Jeff was born followed by Michelle and Tim. Becky was a stay-at-home mom until Tim was in school and she decided to get a degree from Delta College in Business Management. Her first job was at the nuclear plant where she worked for the next seven or eight years. Becky said, I loved it! Where else could you go to work wearing jeans and a sweatshirt? I met a lot of neat people there but in 1984 the plant closed and we were all out of a job. In 1985 she took a job with Comerica retiring in 1998. Carl Siechert, born in 1875, died in 1964. His wife Minnie followed the next year. Born in 1876 she was 89 when she passed away in 1965. Today there is a Siechert family plot in Midland Cemetery with Beckys great-grandparents William and Bertha Siechert, her grandparents Carl and Minnie Siechert and her Uncle Ted buried there. The caskets of William and Bertha Siechert had been moved from the small Averill cemetery behind the Red Keg Hotel and re-interred in the Midland Cemetery. Next to the Siechert plot are the graves of Clare and Gert Bailey. Clare died in 1977. Gert died in 2009 at the age of 98. Changes have occurred. Becky and Carl lived next door in the Lanphierd home for years and after her mom went into an assisted living facility, they decided to move into the home Becky had grown up in. Eventually they sold the Lanphierd home. The little Methodist Church next to the Lanphierd home was moved to the grounds of the Sanford Museum and named the Clare Z. Bailey Chapel. Becky and Carls three children are grown now all busy with their own careers. Jeff is an electrician for U.S. Steel in Indiana. Shelly works for Ford and lives in Detroit. Tim is property manager for the senior complex at the Village of Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City. Their grandchildren are no longer around Midland. Sarah lives in Los Angeles. Jonathon is in Indiana. Paul lives in Wayne. Amelia is in college and Austin is in high school. The village that Becky grew up in is no longer the village of her childhood. She remembers going across the railroad tracks to play with a schoolmate, Susan Sasse, whose family lived in the former Red Keg Hotel. Two little girls playing together unaware of the history that surrounded them. Not knowing the part the Red Keg Hotel had played in Averills lumbering history. Unaware that not far from where they played was the largest log rollway in the world at one time. That a cemetery with early Averill settlers and lumberjacks was behind the green painted home where Becky and Susan played. Today, Becky says, I wish I has asked more questions. Ever since Sheriff Scott Stephenson requested eight additional corrections officers for the jail, Midland County officials have struggled with the request. That request resulted in a jail staffing study that county commissioners voted to accept at Tuesdays board meeting. The study came back with two recommendations: Either increase staffing levels or decrease the inmate population. Either option would ensure that inmate supervision and control is maintained constantly and both the jail deputies and inmates are afforded safe and secure conditions, the study stated. Following the study, completed by consultant Bill Wilson, the sheriff and board have decided to maintain an inmate population for the 274 bed jail in the 80 percent range, or between 200 and 224 inmates. The sheriff and I have talked quite a bit about this, as he has with a lot of commissioners. We both have decided this is the path we want to take the jail to keep it around this number, said Board Chair Mark Bone. The analysis had received unanimous approval at last Thursdays finance meeting as Commissioners Scott Noesen, Eric Dorrien and Jim Geisler all voted to recommend that the board receive the analysis. At Tuesdays board meeting, Commissioners Rich Keenan and Jim Leigeb voted against the item, while Bone, Al Kloha, Geisler and Dorrien all voted in favor. Scott Noesen was absent. The sheriff is comfortable with this. Were financially comfortable with this. I dont think we have to micromanage the sheriff. If this is how he wants to run the jail, fine, hes an elected official, Bone said. However, Keenan felt that the sheriff should be talking to the board and not Bone. I feel Commissioner Bone can say whatever he wants as he discusses this with the sheriff, Keenan said. If you go to a court of law what Commissioner Bone or myself says about the number of prisoners is hearsay. To which Bone responded, I should probably should have expressed that he be here. I thought this would not undergo so much deliberation. But, when he asked for the eight other officers, that was when we had 270 people in the jail. Stephenson also was absent for the initial discussion on the report during Thursdays County Finance Committee meeting, which concerned Keenan. The sheriff has an open door policy, but those are all private meetings. The last time the sheriff was in a public meeting, he asked for eight more corrections officers. Why isnt our sheriff here saying this himself? Why is he missing from our public meetings? That makes me very uncomfortable voting on something, Keenan said. When contacted by phone, Stephenson stated that he had talked to each commissioner individually and it was the commissioners who requested the analysis. Typically, I dont attend meetings unless I am making a request, Stephenson said. The analysis was right in line where I thought it needed to be. Since we have dropped the jail population, we are running a much safer jail. Wilsons analysis provided a matrix for a ratio of inmate population versus staffing. Wilson, who has served 16 years as the jail commander for the Monroe County Sheriffs Office in Bloomington, Ind., recommended that if the county wanted to maintain a jail census of more than 250, it should raise staffing levels from 37.2 full-time equivalent positions to 47.15. If the county wants to maintain an inmate population level in the 200 to 224 range, current staffing levels are adequate. These inmate staffing recommendations are dependent upon a few things not just the number of inmates, but the classification of the inmates we have. The higher security inmates you have on a sustainable base would require more staffing, County Administrator/Controller Bridgette Gransden said. Those staffing levels concerned Keenan, who asked if the numbers would be permanent if the analysis was accepted. Are we going to say if you have X number of inmates, you will have X number of corrections officers? Is this going to be the rule we are going to follow? Keenan asked without really receiving an answer. In order to pay down debt at the jail, the county rents out jail beds to federal marshals, Michigan Department of Corrections and Genesee County. So, with less inmate population, how will that affect the funding stream? In defense of the sheriff, he has worked diligently to try and increase the level of federal inmates to help increase the revenue stream, Gransden said. Right now, if we were to analyze what we received in January, well be fairly close to what we projected for the budget. Now, its February. I cant tell you what is going to happen in November or December. Following the discussion on the staffing analysis the board entered into closed session to discuss labor negotiations. The next board meeting will be March 1 at 9 a.m. in the Midland County Services Building. The same day Jessica Cooper left Guatemala after serving on a mission trip in July 2015, she started planning her return. That day is nearing. On March 17, Cooper along with six of her seven family members and nine friends and fellow church members will leave Midland and travel to Poptun, Peten, Guatemala. The group will work with 59 children of the Ahikam Childrens Home, a facility that houses orphaned children and teens removed from their homes due to neglect or violence. The mission trip group members range in age from 8- to 50-years-old and include Kassidy Cooper, Joseph Cooper, Michael Pieper, Timothy Cooper, Donald Cooper, Jessica Cooper, Elizabeth Sian, Claire Booth, Jon Groening, Tyler Church, Amanda Russell, Kyle McCarthy, Karin Meyer, Danielle Zieroff and Brady Zieroff. The group will return to Midland on April 3. This mission trip will be Jessica Coopers fourth time serving in Guatemala. My entire life, I have known that I was going to work with children from a third world country, she said. When Les Melton, a missionary to Guatemala, came to our church to speak about his work with the Ahikam Childrens Home several years ago, I knew I was called to eventually go. My family sees my passion and wants to join in. While serving at Ahikam Childrens Home during past mission trips, Jessica started a program called the Ahikam Hope Project. The purpose of the project is to teach children skills for their future, she said. My concern is that (the children) will age out of the orphanage and have to return back to the lifestyle that they were once rescued from, she said. It is my plan to teach them sewing, cooking and parenting skills, along with a long-term vision of offering support as they move on to that critical stage of their lives. The mission trip group will be in Guatemala during Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. Cooper said Holy Week in Guatemala is the one big week of the year where everyone goes to visit family. But the children and teens staying at Ahikam Childrens Home have no family to visit. Cooper said she and her fellow mission trip group members plan to fill in that role of family to those staying at Ahikam Childrens Home. We have a bus bring them to the city and we act as their family for the week, Cooper said. We will work on our sewing and cooking projects, as well as providing a vacation Bible school-style week for them. We will be showing them that they are worthy of our smiles, our hugs, and our love, hopefully conveying to them the message that they are treasured in the eyes of Christ. Because of their family history and circumstances, several of those staying at Ahikam consider Cooper a motherly figure, she said. To help fund travel, food and lodging expenses for the 59 children and directors to get from Poptun to Guatemala City for Holy Week, the mission group will be hosting several fundraising events. A spaghetti dinner, silent auction and bake sale will take place at New Life Vineyard Church, 1014 E. Ashman St., on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. People can purchase tickets for the dinner in advance for $5 by calling (989) 205-5377 or purchase them at the door for $6. To provide an opportunity for others to learn more about the Ahikam Hope Project, Cooper and her family will also hold a mission mingle on Monday, Feb. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. inside the East End Market, 307 E. Main St. Jessica said she is looking forward to the pure joy on (childrens) faces when they see me again. When they see that I still care and I am back to show them more love, care and concern, that pride that other moms understand. ... The feeling of your heart swelling in your chest when you thought your heart was already full but realize you have room to love 59 more, yes, thats what Im looking forward to the most. Tax deductible online donations can be made by selecting Ahikam Home Central Am Missions from the dropdown on the website: https://midlandvineyard.ccbchurch.com/w_give_online.php With a unique award recipient and some surprises in store, the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated 77 years of business and innovation Tuesday morning at the organizations annual meeting. Chamber CEO Bill Allen said there was bit of a wild agenda planned for the 354 people in attendance, including chamber staff who gathered award nominations and put together an event to remember for the business leaders of Midland. I hope we were able to exceed your expectations last year, because you know thats really our goal, Allen said. We hope youre still proud of this chamber and share these communications with your colleagues. The Chamber was gathered to celebrate an 89 percent retention rate over the past year, a figure Allen called an amazing number, made even more amazing by a Board of Directors and staff team that worked hard through leadership changes and a new partnership with Midland Tomorrow. It wouldve been easier to stay status quo, Allen said. But thats not leadership. Steve LaLonde, chair of the chambers 2015 board, said it was his honor to choose and announce the most prestigious award that represents commitment to the Midland Chamber. The heart and soul of this organization never faltered, LaLonde said, because of the recipient, who was referred to as both he and she before he revealed all 10 chamber staff members would receive the Chairmans Award. The Chamber staff members honored were: Amy Berry, Information Specialist; Diana Butler, Director of Membership; Roger Chamberlin, Director of Finance; Melissa Eigner, Program Specialist; Stephanie Kolodziejski, Farmers Market Master; Kristy LeVasseur, Director of Communications; Tina Lynch, Business Development Coordinator; Diane Middleton, Director of Community Programs; Char Reed, Information Specialist; and Lindsay Rotarius, Program Specialist. "These are my heroes," LaLonde said, while the crowd clapped and whistled and the staff members, taken by surprise, made their way up to the stage. "They are simply the best." The ATHENA Award was presented to Bobbie Arnold, president and CEO of the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation. She jokingly scolded her kids for lying to her about her necessary attendance at the annual meeting, and expressed gratitude for her parents. I want to thank them because I grew up in Midland. It is a wonderful, wonderful community, Arnold said. The ATHENA Award is given to a female business leader, for striving toward the highest level of personal and professional accomplishment, excelling in her field and devoting time and energy to the community in a meaningful way, while forging a path of leadership for other women. In his keynote address, Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Rich Studley touched on the challenges and achievements that made up 2015 and said there is still work to be done. Working together, we can solve those problems, Studley said about issues such as the Flint water crisis and the finances of the Detroit Public Schools district. Read more of his keynote speech here. A press release following the event detailed other awards bestowed upon businesses and individuals at the annual meeting: J. Kermit Campbell Partnership Award was presented to the City of Midland for longstanding commitment to education and understanding that a communitys growth depends on an educated citizenry. Entrepreneur of the Year: Aberro Creative Agency, for demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance and determination in a business less than three years old. Business of the Year: SPACE, Inc. and MidMichigan Health. Both businesses demonstrated outstanding workplace quality, community involvement and business growth. Heritage Award: Greater Midland, as an outstanding organization that has been in business for longer than 30 years and recognizes longevity and the ability to adjust to changing economic conditions throughout the years. Outstanding Customer Service: Culvers of Midland, for sustained, outstanding customer service and offering an environment that encourages great customer care. Ambassador of the Year: Tammy Denno of Saginaw Bay Underwriters, who has stood out among the others for their commitment and support of the Chamber. The honoree is selected by peer Ambassadors. Leader of the Year: Jon Lauderbach of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, a 1995 graduate of Leadership Midland for his extensive professional accomplishments as well as his lengthy list of volunteer efforts with organizations spanning from economic development to youth education. There were 11 members recognized for joining the Chairmans Circle, a group that has held Chamber membership for 30 years or longer: Circle Quality Shoes, Davenport University, Gay Excavating, Inc., Ingenuity IEQ, Laurence C. Lang II, DDS, McLaughlin Welding & Dist., Inc., Mobile Waterproofing, Inc., RE/MAX of Midland, Rodnick Chiropractic Clinic, Thomas Trading Post, Inc. and Wilson Miller Funeral Home, Inc. To learn more about the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.macc.org. The League of Women Voters of the Mount Pleasant Area will host a Town Hall meeting on redistricting Thursday at the Gladwin Community Building, city park entrance, from 1-2 p.m. The presentation will explore how legislative lines are drawn in Michigan, who draws them and why it is an important question for those concerned about fair representation. The speaker is Kathy Ling of the Mount Pleasant League. BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) The Latest on the 2016 race for president, three days out from the South Carolina Republican primary (all times local): 10:15 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says President Barack Obama should not travel to Cuba next month. The White House is planning to make the announcement about the visit as early as Thursday. But asked about reports of the president's plans on Wednesday night during a town hall in South Carolina broadcast on CNN, the Republican candidate for president said Obama shouldn't make the trip "as long as the Castros are in power." Cruz's father was born in Cuba, where he was arrested and jailed before fleeing to the United States in the 1950. "My father has seen firsthand the evil and oppression in Cuba," Cruz said. Cruz is also speaking out against any plans of closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying he fears Obama will do so before leaving office next year. ___ 9:55 p.m. Bernie Sanders is repurposing his well-received "America" television ad for the upcoming Democratic contests in Nevada and South Carolina. The gauzy ad featuring the music of Simon and Garfunkel was first released during the Iowa caucuses. The people featured in the original spot were overwhelmingly white, leading top Hillary Clinton ally David Brock to say the ad presented a "bizarre" image of America. Nevada and South Carolina are more racially diverse and the new ads feature more minorities, as well as scenes from locations in both states. The changes come as Sanders tries to boost his appeal with black and Hispanic voters. Clinton's campaign is hoping to offset Sanders' strength with young voters by drawing big vote totals among minorities. The new Sanders' ads are airing in the Reno, Nevada, and Greenville, South Carolina, areas, according to Kantar Media's CMAG data. ___ 9:30 p.m. Marco Rubio says a significant portion of minority families in America feel they're being treated differently. The son of Cuban immigrants says he was a victim of racism as a 7-year-old, during a mass migration of Cubans in 1980. Rubio said older kids in his Nevada neighborhood told him to get on a boat and go back to his country. Rubio said during Wednesday's CNN presidential town hall, "That disturbed me as a young child." Rubio would become the nation's first Hispanic-American president if elected. He noted he was endorsed Wednesday by South Carolina's Indian-American governor and will campaign Thursday alongside the state's African-American senator. He said, "That says a lot about the Republican Party." __ 8:45 p.m. Republican Donald Trump says that, if he's elected president, any person he nominates for Supreme Court justice will have to pledge to uphold a landmark gun rights case. Trump was answering questions on a televised town hall on MSNBC when he was asked whether he would make upholding the Heller decision a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees. The 2008 case determined that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. Trump responded: "I give that commitment right now. Absolutely. " He added that he's been "very strong" on defending the Second Amendment and that both he and his sons are members of the National Rifle Association. ___ 8:20 p.m. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson says he would probably nominate a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia if he was now in the White House. "Why not do it?" Carson asks at a town hall broadcast by CNN from Greenville, South Carolina. He'll be followed later Wednesday night by fellow Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. South Carolina's GOP primary is on Saturday. Carson says he would have litmus tests for the candidates for the high court. But rather than ask potential nominees about where they stand on an issue such as abortion, "I would look back at what they've done throughout their lives." Carson says that's a better way to learn about a candidate for the court, rather than in interviews for which candidates have prepared in advance. Several of Carson's fellow Republican candidates for president have said the choice to replace Scalia should be made by the next president, and not by President Barack Obama. ___ 7:34 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says he has been "saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus" and that informs how he's running for president. Cruz spoke Wednesday evening in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at an event organized by the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Cruz has been defending his trustworthiness against accusations from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio that he is a liar and engaging in dirty campaign tricks. Cruz has denied the claims. He said Wednesday that his religious faith informs every decision he makes, including how he runs his campaign. Cruz frequently extols supporters in his stump speech to "awaken the body of Christ" to save the country. Cruz's win in the Iowa caucuses was fueled by evangelical Christian support, a group of voters he is also aggressively courting in South Carolina ahead of its Saturday primary. ___ 6:17 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is campaigning alongside Marco Rubio for the first time since endorsing his presidential bid. The Republican governor campaigned alongside Rubio during a Wednesday evening event in suburban Columbia just hours after news her endorsement was announced. She said there were a lot of good people running for president, but her job was to find one who could do the job best. She credited Rubio's fight, passion and conviction. And she said she wanted to find a candidate who would prove to her immigrant parents they made a good decision by coming to America. Haley said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America." Rubio's Republican rival, Jeb Bush, described Haley as "the most meaningful endorsement there is" in South Carolina. ___ 5:33 p.m. Donald Trump says he worries the Republican-led Senate may cave to President Barack Obama and appoint a new Supreme Court justice. At a rally in Walterboro, South Carolina, Trump says he's "hearing these little cracks" that suggest the GOP might not hold its ground in opposing any nomination before the election to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly last week. Trump says Obama wants to nominate a justice who will be "very negative" on the Second Amendment and gun policy. He says the Senate's GOP leadership "gave Obama everything" on the budget as well as the health care overhaul law. Trump says if he can win in South Carolina on Saturday, he can "run the table" in the rest of the GOP nominating contest. ___ 4:43 p.m. John Kasich is spending the day of South Carolina's Republican primary campaigning and raising money in Massachusetts. Kasich's campaign says he may return to South Carolina on Saturday evening to await the primary results after earlier events in Massachusetts, but the schedule is not finalized. Saturday's events include a fundraiser in Boston and a town hall meeting in Worcester. Massachusetts is one of just a few northern states holding its primary on Super Tuesday on March 1. The Bay State, alongside Vermont and Minnesota, are seen as more favorable territory for Kasich than South Carolina and a string of Southern states voting on March 1. ___ 3:42 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is getting an earful of advice much of it about Donald Trump during a campaign appearance in South Carolina. One man in the town hall audience of about 300 people told Bush his presidential "campaign has been co-opted by the P.T. Barnum of our time." Another man at the same event told Bush, "I'm afraid that your message isn't resonating," suggesting Bush turn the other cheek to Trump's continual taunting. Bush calls Trump "a bully," and suggests the best approach is to "punch him back in the nose." The former Florida governor is struggling for a strong finish in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Gov. Nikki Haley is poised to endorse rival Marco Rubio. ___ 3:19 p.m. GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush says he is "disappointed" that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing rival Marco Rubio just three days before voters in the state cast ballots for the Republican nominee. Speaking to reporters after a campaign event in Summerville, S.C., Bush said of Haley: "She's a very good governor and should I win the nomination, there'll be a role for her in the campaign." Haley's endorsement of Rubio was confirmed by a person close to the Republican governor with direct knowledge of her decision. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the endorsement ahead of a Rubio event Wednesday night, where she's expected to make it official. Bush has struggled to keep his campaign afloat, calling in help from brother George W. Bush, the former president, and his mother, Barbara Bush. Jeb Bush's brother and father won big primaries in the state in 2000 and 1988. ___ 3:00 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Marco Rubio ahead of Saturday's first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary. A person close to the Republican governor with direct knowledge of her decision says she will endorse Rubio at his event Wednesday night in Lexington County. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the endorsement ahead of the event and spoke on condition of anonymity. Haley's endorsement was considered the most coveted among South Carolina politicians. She joins Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy in endorsing Rubio. The state's first female and first minority governor said just Tuesday that she may not endorse this cycle. But she's been very critical of Donald Trump. Haley endorsed Mitt Romney a month before South Carolina's 2012 presidential primary and campaigned with him. Romney lost to Newt Gingrich, breaking the state's three-decade tradition of backing the party's eventual nominee. ___ 2:40 p.m. Hillary Clinton is praising President Obama and pledging to continue many of his policies as she campaigns in his hometown of Chicago. The former secretary of state told several hundred people at a Wednesday rally a few miles from Obama's home that she is "unapologetic" about her loyalty to the president. She called his two terms in office "impressive," saying he got the economy back on track, passed his signature health care bill and saved the auto industry from collapse. Clinton says "I will build on the progress that President Obama has made." Clinton also stressed her own ties to Chicago, reminding the crowd she was born in the city and raised in its suburbs and recalling previous visits, including a meeting with Obama where he asked her to be his Secretary of State. Clinton was joined on stage by the mothers of several young black people from Chicago who were killed by the gun violence that has ravaged many of the city's predominantly black neighborhoods. Also with her: the mother of Sandra Bland, a suburban Chicago woman who was found dead in a Texas jail cell after a 2014 traffic stop. Both Clinton and rival Bernie Sanders are trying to appeal to minority voters as the contest moves to Nevada and South Carolina. ___ 2:30 p.m. Marco Rubio has a new outside group in his corner, and it is backed by a Miami donor who says he will spend more than $1 million on the 2016 presidential race. The super political action committee, called Values Are Vital, recently put $133,000 into pro-Rubio mailings in the next-to-vote primary states of South Carolina and Nevada. One postcard portrays Rubio rivals John Kasich and Jeb Bush as "liberals." The group's chief donor, Ronald Firman, tells The Associated Press that he does not personally know Rubio, a Florida senator, but is "convinced he can win against the Democrats." Firman says Rubio has the best mix of foreign policy and economic credentials and proposals of any GOP candidate. Firman, a 53-year-old in commercial real estate, and Las Vegas attorney Martin Burns formed Values Are Vital two years ago to help their childhood friend Paige Kreegel in a special election for a Florida congressional seat. The pair spent more than $1.5 million; Kreegel lost. ___ 1:27 p.m. John Kasich says he disagrees with Apple's CEO that the government overreached in ordering the company to help the FBI hack an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, California. The Ohio governor told reporters Wednesday, "I don't think it's an example of government overreach to say that, you know, we had terrorists here on our soil and we've got to understand more detail about who they may have been communicating with." Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, murdered 14 people Dec. 2 before the couple was killed by police. The phone was recovered from their vehicle in the aftermath of the attack. Apple CEO Tim Cook says helping authorities unlock the shooter's phone could undermine encryption for millions of other users. Kasich said if he was president he would resolve the problem quietly, adding "some of these things just shouldn't be talked about" in public. ___ 1:15 p.m. Rapper Killer Mike is touching off a controversy with his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, in which the rapper told supporters, "a uterus doesn't qualify you to be president of the United States." The remark Tuesday was an apparent reference to Sanders rival Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who would be the nation's first female president. The comment raised tensions between the two campaigns as they head into pivotal contests in Nevada, South Carolina and a string of "Super Tuesday" states on March 1. The rapper, whose real name is Michael Render, suggested that Clinton would be slow to move on issues of racial justice. ___ 1:10 p.m. John Kasich predicts he'll fare "better than squat" in South Carolina's Republican primary. The Ohio governor said before a campaign rally Wednesday in Bluffton, South Carolina, that he hopes to beat expectations during the South's first presidential primary Saturday. Kasich told reporters: "I don't think people expected me to do squat. And I think we'll do better than squat, but we'll see." Kasich finished second in New Hampshire last week, but headed to South Carolina with less money and fewer campaign staff and volunteers in the state than his nearest rivals. About 200 people turned out to hear Kasich in Bluffton, and he implored them to spread the word by calling friends. ___ 12:56 p.m. Hillary Clinton is being joined in Chicago by prominent black lawmakers and the mother of a black suburban woman who died in her Texas jail cell last year. Geneva Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland, is campaigning with Clinton Wednesday as the Democratic presidential candidate works to appeal to minority voters ahead of contests in Nevada and South Carolina. Bland was found dead days after she was pulled over by a white officer in Texas last year. A medical examiner ruled her death a suicide, though the 28-year-old's family has questioned that account and how the stop was handled. The case became a symbol of mistreatment of blacks by law enforcement and inequalities in the criminal justice system. Rep. Danny Davis, who has represented his West Side Chicago district since 1997, says he backing Clinton over rival Sen. Bernie Sanders because of her record of fighting for health care, education and other issues important to black people. ___ 12:51 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says he would not vote to approve a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court who he had previously supported for a federal appeals court post. The Republican presidential candidate said at a news conference Wednesday that he would not vote to confirm U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Sri Srinivasan if he were nominated by President Obama. Srinivasan was approved on a unanimous 97-0 vote by the Senate for the federal court post in Washington D.C. in 2013. Cruz says the Senate should not confirm any nominee in a presidential election year. Cruz says it is "very different" voting for a judge to serve on the federal appeals court and the Supreme Court. Cruz says he wants to make the presidential election a referendum on which candidate would make the best appointments to the Supreme Court. ___ 12:42 p.m. Donald Trump says the GOP lost the 2012 presidential election when Mitt Romney named Paul Ryan his running mate. Trump says the problem is the way Ryan's budget dealt with Social Security and Medicare. Trump told several hundred people at a Sun City retirement community in Bluffton, South Carolina, Wednesday that Ryan represents cutting entitlements. Trump pledged that he would not cut the programs to assist seniors. He recalled a Democratic-leaning group's 2012 ad that showed a stand-in for Ryan pushing an elderly woman off a cliff. Trump said "that was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan." The Ryan budget would slash spending for safety-net programs for the poor, remake Medicare , cut personal and corporate taxes and push down the deficit. Ryan's office had no immediate comment on Trump's remarks. ___ 12:36 p.m. Jeb Bush is getting more family support on the trail ahead of South Carolina's Feb. 20 primary. The Bush campaign says Barbara Bush will be in Clemson on Thursday for a rally with her son. The former first lady campaigned with the former Florida governor in New Hampshire earlier this year. On Monday, former President George W. Bush appeared with his brother in North Charleston. ___ 12:16 p.m. Ted Cruz says if Donald Trump sues him as threatened over a campaign ad, the lawsuit would be dismissed as frivolous. Cruz lashed out at Trump at a news conference Wednesday in South Carolina, three days before the state's primary. Cruz says the ad, which includes footage of Trump declaring his support for abortion rights, can't be defamatory because it includes comments Trump himself made on national TV. Trump has since said his position has changed and he is anti-abortion. Speaking directly to Trump, Cruz says. "you have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life. Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." ___ 11:41 a.m. Marco Rubio says going forward he'll address audience members who use "outrageous, over-the-top and egregious" language during his events. That's in response to an incident Tuesday night when an audience member shouted out "Waterboard Hillary!" Rubio laughed on the suggestion at the time. He pointed to the press in the back of the room while chuckling and said he didn't hear the comment, but knew it wasn't profanity. The next morning in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Rubio said he didn't hear exactly what the shouter said. He added, "But I also can't be I the position of correcting everyone in the audience that says something, because I'll never get through my speech." Rubio says that going forward, "If it's something outrageous, over the top and egregious, I'll address it." Presidential candidates are often confronted with heated or violent rhetoric during their events. Hillary Clinton was criticized after laughing off an audience member's suggestion last fall that someone strangle Republican Carly Fiorina. In 2008, John McCain corrected an audience member who called President Barack Obama an Arab. __ 11:40 a.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump declared on Wednesday morning that "torture works" and repeated his vow to bring back waterboarding and approve other, tougher interrogation techniques. "Don't tell me it doesn't work. Torture works, OK folks?" Trump tells a crowd of several hundred in Sun City, South Carolina. "You know, I have these guys, torture doesn't work. Believe me, it works, OK? And waterboarding is your minor form." Trump has repeatedly advocated enhanced interrogation techniques for foreign prisoners, including during a recent GOP debate. He said again Wednesday he would "absolutely" allow waterboarding, which simulates the feeling of drowning. "But we should go much stronger than waterboarding," he adds. "That's the way I feel. They're chopping off heads. Believe me, we should go much stronger because our country's in trouble, we're in danger. We have people that want to do really bad things." "Waterboarding is fine, but it's not nearly tough enough," he says. (Waterboarding was practiced until late in the Bush administration, but was disavowed by President Barack Obama. A 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded that harsh interrogation techniques failed to produce information the CIA couldn't have obtained elsewhere or didn't already have. Republican leaders objected to the report's findings, as did some former CIA officials, who said they gained vital intelligence that still guides counterterrorism efforts.) ___ 11:33 a.m. An outside group supporting John Kasich's presidential bid is up with an ad in South Carolina featuring a defense by the most recent winner of this state's GOP primary. In the television spot from New Day for America, the image - but not the voice - of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich appears, defending Kasich against attacks that paint the Ohio governor as soft on defense. Earlier this week, an outside group backing Jeb Bush began airing an ad in this miitary-minded state - home to to Fort Jackson and Parris Island, massive training installations for the Army and Marine Corps, as well as a number of air bases and a naval training school for nuclear submarine officers - aiming to use Kasich's own words against him. Both Kasich and Gingrich denounced the criticism. In the New Day ad, a narrator quotes Gingrich's recent remarks to a newspaper that Kasich, alongside whom he served in Congress, "consistently fought for a better, more effective military." On the trail himself on Wednesday, Bush continued to take on some of his GOP rivals, including Kasich, who have not argued for military spending increases on the same scale Bush has, painting himself as best-positioned to assume the role of commander in chief. ___ 11:22 a.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in Sun City on Wednesday, calling his former rival "one of the dumbest human beings I've ever seen." Trump was responding to Graham's appearance on Fox News earlier Wednesday, when Graham called Trump "a kook" and "unfit for office" and said he would be "the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican Party." Trump hit back from a stage in Sun City, mocking Graham's demeanor, saying, "He couldn't even talk. He was shaking - the hatred. "He went crazy. The guy is a nut job," says Trump. Graham appeared calm in the interview. Trump also mocked Graham's low level of support in polls before he dropped out of the GOP contest as well as his perspective on U.S. military engagement. "I could push him over with a little thimble," says Trump, adding: "This guy knows nothing." It was in Sun City in June that Trump read Graham's cell phone number out loud to the crowd one of the first signs that his campaign was eager to break all the rules of political decorum. ___ 11:10 a.m. Jeb Bush is swinging hard at fellow Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and John Kasich Wednesday, dismissing them as ill-prepared as he fights for his political survival. The former Florida governor says Rubio's claim that Bush has no foreign policy experience is "a low blow." Bush touts his two terms as governor and 30-plus years in the private sector, which included overseas trade missions. He called Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, "a back-bencher" and "a guy whose office has a hard time actually saying what his accomplishments are." National security is a key issue in the South Carolina primary. Bush is in a fight with Rubio, Ohio Gov. Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for second place to Trump's commanding lead in Saturday's primary. Plea deals have been offered to two people charged in connection with a Dec. 2 armed robbery at a Geneva Township convenience store. The suspects in the case, Peter John Stockero, 38, Mount Pleasant, and Blake Andrew Powaga, 19, Midland, are both waiting for pre-plea presentencing reports to be completed in their cases. Stockero faces charges of armed robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, as well as an habitual fourth offender enhancement. Court papers state his attorney, Dan Duke of Midland, has requested a referral for a Cobbs plea. Prosecutors have offered a deal calling for Stockero to plead guilty to the armed robbery count and an habitual second offender enhancement, in exchange for the dismissal of the second count filed against him as well as the habitual fourth offender enhancement. Stockero also is to pay restitution and cooperate with officials against Powaga, if necessary. During a Cobbs hearing, which is not open to the public, the judge uses the information at hand to inform the defendant of the likely sentence in a case, and the defendant can then use that information in deciding whether to enter a plea. The defendant can withdraw the plea if the judge does not deliver the expected sentence. Powaga is charged with armed robbery and accessory after the fact to a felony. His attorney, James F. Gust of Saginaw, has requested the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act status in the case, which could leave him with a clean record if he completes sentencing terms set by a judge. Prosecutors have offered a deal calling for Powaga to plead guilty to the count of accessory after the fact to a felony. A conference is set in the case against Powaga for March 10; Stockero is set for a Cobbs hearing on March 28. The men were arrested after deputies were called to the Country Store II, 3054 W. Saginaw Road in Coleman, at 5:59 p.m. on Dec. 2. The 36-year-old female clerk told deputies she was alone in the store when a man entered, demanded all the $10 and $20 bills from the till, and brandished a knife. After the robber left the store, the clerk walked into the parking lot and got the license plate number of the car involved, then called 911 with the information. Deputies, with the help of Coleman Police and Midland Police, used the plate number to identify and locate the suspects and arrested both within two hours of the crime. Money stolen during the robbery was recovered. Armed robbery is punishable by up to life in prison, while carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and accessory after the fact to a felony are each punishable by up to five years in prison. With fanfare and afterburners, U.S. Pacific Command personnel joined Airmen from several nations as they kicked off the Singapore International Airshow here, Feb. 16, 2016. Throughout the week, U.S. Airmen, Sailors, Marines and Soldiers are showcasing a variety of U.S. aircraft via static display and aerial demonstrations. In addition, senior Department of Defense leaders will meet with regional counterparts to strengthen security ties. Of particular note, this year marks the first time the F-22A Raptor, the U.S. Air Forces premier 5th generation air dominance fighter, will be displayed at the show. "We are very excited to showcase this unique capability at the Singapore International Airshow," said General Lori J. Robinson, Pacific Air Forces commander. "Only the U.S. Air Force has the global reach to bring 5th generation fighters anywhere in the world and we are proud to display this capability here in Singapore." While the F-22 is currently the only operational 5th generation fighter in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, Robinson noted that the introduction of the F-35 Lightning II will further expand shared capabilities between the U.S. and its ally and partner nations throughout the region. "Im excited to see what this new platform will bring to the region in terms improving interoperability and ensuring air superiority for years to come," Robinson said. "Bringing the F-35 into this region through the robust and growing consortium of international allies and partners will strengthen global security especially here in the Pacific. In doing so, we can better ensure regional stability and prosperity." While the range of flexible U.S. aerial capabilities on display at the show are impressive in their own right, Robinson stressed that the men and women behind these machines are the key to their continued success. "The U.S. Airmen, Sailors and Marines you will meet here at this show represent some of best and brightest our nation has to offer," Robinson said. "Im so thrilled to be here with them and proud of what they do every day." The airshow is a biennial event and is the largest defense exhibition and biennial international tradeshow in the Pacific. This years exhibition is the 5th iteration since its inception in 1996. Through participation in airshows and regional events, the U.S. demonstrates its commitment to the security of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, promotes interoperability, displays the flexible combat capabilities of the U.S. military, and creates lasting relationships with international audiences to strengthen the bonds that support partnership building throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. US Air Force F-22 Raptors arrive at Osan AB An Air Force Security Forces member stands guard next to an F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, after it conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. It was joined by three other Raptors, four F-15 Slam Eagles and four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards/Released) UTAPAO, Thailand - A TRAP, or tactical recovery of aircraft personnel, mission is when a team of service members assigned to be a reaction force to every flight, flies in to tactically remove isolated personnel and bring them back to safety. The scenario we took part in today, started with an F-18...down, said GySgt Patrick Ray an explosive ordinance detector with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. While examining the area for survivors, Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 found two good parachutes, announcing that they're believed to be survivors. Two UH-1Y Hueys escorted an MV-22B Osprey carrying the trained assault force of nine Marines and one Sailor to recover the isolated Marines. While on stand-by in the air, we received a radio call with the go ahead to land and proceed to scout for the survivors, said Ray. The TRAP force bounded from the Osprey and began their search in the direction the isolated Marines were last known. When we found the casualty we authenticated her identity and began giving her medical attention, said Ray. The service members then loaded back into Osprey and waited in the air until the second survivor was authenticated. After the second survivor was confirmed, we landed again and brought him back the same way we did the first survivor, said Ray. The Corpsman on board the aircraft also demonstrated to the Marines the medical aid to give to the casualties. In the unfortunate event that an aircraft goes down, our pilots inside need to be assured that someone is coming for them, said Ray. We dont leave Marines behind. LATOWAN, Thailand -- Royal Thai, Republic of Korea and U.S. Marines helocasted from an MV-22B Osprey Feb. 10, 2016 for the first time in a joint environment during exercise Cobra Gold 16 in Thailand. Cobra Gold is an exercise that increases cooperation, interoperability and collaboration among partner nations in order to achieve effective solutions to common challenges. Helocasting is a technique used by reconnaissance teams to insert into maritime environments. Other platforms regularly conduct helocasting missions, but for the Osprey this was one of the first times it has been done. Helocasting is part of the MV-22s training and readiness syllabus, according to U.S. Marine Maj. Arturo Guzman, the squadron director of safety and standardization for Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. The Ospreys operational test and evaluation squadron conducted helocasting most recently in 2008 to validate the Ospreys ability and collect data. VMM-262s goal while conducting the helocasting operations during CG16 was to gather more data and either recommend or not recommend it as a useful tactic for the battlefield. After Cobra Gold, our recommendation is that it is absolutely a viable tactic, said Guzman. We conducted this in a crawl, walk, run approach. First was a simulator, then a fresh water lake and salt water in Okinawa, Japan with no personnel. The last step was during Cobra Gold in Thailand with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Maritime Raid Force, Royal Thai and ROK Marine Recon teams. The exercise is a great opportunity to build on Marine units capabilities while also building stronger relations with our partner nations in the Pacific region, according to U.S. Marine Capt. Chad Bainbridge, the Platoon Commander for the Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon, MRF, 31st MEU. This is the first time weve ever helocasted from an Osprey and the first time anyones helocasted from an Osprey alongside our partner nations, said Bainbridge. Completing this mission alongside our Thai and ROK counterparts is very beneficial to building upon our abilities to work together. Cobra Gold, in its 35th iteration, is designed to build both the U.S. and its partner nations capabilities in planning and executing complex and realistic operations. The helocast conducted alongside their partners enable participants from all three militaries to build their capabilities in a developing technique. It was an honor to be one of the first Koreans to helocast from the Osprey, said Republic of Korea Gunnery Sgt. Hong, Suck Joon, a ROK Reconnaissance Marine. I very much appreciate the training with the U.S. Marines and Thai marines during Cobra Gold. The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) returned home Feb. 12, to awaiting friends and family gathered at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam submarine piers, following the completion of her final deployment, a five-month cruise in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.Tracey Cepal, mother of Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Sam Cepal, traveled from Sacramento, California to surprise her son. It was great to hear the ship's whistles blaring when the boat was coming in and see the excited crowd, she said. "It was a lifetime memory."USS City of Corpus Christi's commanding officer, Cmdr. Travis Petzoldt, of Beaver Falls, New York, said he was exceptionally proud of the tenacity and grit of his crew during the ship's last deployment."It is not easy keeping a ship as experienced as 'City of' out at sea and on tasking, but they did it," said Petzoldt. "We traveled 30,000 nautical miles, enough to travel around the Earth at the equator and then some."Master Chief Machinist's Mate Richard Magee, Chief of the Boat, said that the new Sailors were the energy that kept him moving. "Our newly reported Sailors performed better than I could have hoped for," Magee said. "They were energized all of the time, eager to learn and willing to work as hard as we needed them to in order to keeps this 33-year-old boat doing her job."During the deployment, 27 Sailors and three officers earned their submarine qualifications and now wear the submarine warfare insignia. Additionally, 18 Sailors were advanced in rank including four who were advanced meritoriously."Being a junior Sailor aboard a submarine can be difficult," said Fire Control Technician Seaman Dakota Marshall. "You must acclimate to the submarine culture and then become a master of your craft; however, the benefits and growth that I've experienced outweigh the costs substantially."A number of milestones were achieved during the submarine's deployment, including participation in a combined joint exercise with India and Japan during Exercise Malabar 2015 and a visit to Yokosuka, Japan as her last foreign port call before being returning home.The USS City of Corpus Christi is at the end of her 33-year career, which has included service in the Cold War and the Global War on Terror. The warship has been home-ported in Groton, Connecticut, Apra Harbor, Guam, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than 1,500 Sailors served aboard 15 deployments during which they were awarded eight Battle Efficiency awards.Commissioned in 1983, USS City of Corpus Christi has maintained a long standing tradition of excellence and achievement. Her highly trained crews supported the boat through a variety of critical missions in service to the United States Navy. Measuring more than 300 feet long and weighing more than 6,000 tons, the submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, surveillance and reconnaissance.For more news from the Pacific Submarine Force, visit www.csp.navy.mil THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary Joint Statement of the U.S.-ASEAN Special Leaders Summit: Sunnylands Declaration Sunnylands, California February 15-16, 2016 We the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States of America gathered in Sunnylands, California, on February 15-16, 2016, for a Special Leaders Summit. This Special U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Summit was the first ever to be held in the United States and the very first Summit following the establishment of the ASEAN Community. The Summit marked a watershed year for both ASEAN and for the increasingly close U.S-ASEAN. strategic partnership. In 2015, ASEAN Member States celebrated the establishment of the ASEAN Community, working together toward an ASEAN that better serves the people of Southeast Asia. At our Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November 2015, we elevated the U.S.-ASEAN relationship to a strategic partnership, recognizing the transformation of our relationship over the past several years. On the occasion of this Special Summit, we the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of ASEAN and the United States of America take this opportunity to reaffirm the key principles that will guide our cooperation going forward: 1. Mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and political independence of all nations by firmly upholding the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter and international law; 2. The importance of shared prosperity, sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development, and the nurturing of our young people to sustain continued peace, development, and stability for mutual benefit; 3. Mutual recognition of the importance of pursuing policies that lead to dynamic, open, and competitive economies that foster economic growth, job creation, innovation, entrepreneurship and connectivity, and that support SMEs and narrow the development gap; 4. Our commitment to ensure opportunities for all of our peoples, through strengthening democracy, enhancing good governance and adherence to the rule of law, promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, encouraging the promotion of tolerance and moderation, and protecting the environment; 5. Respect and support for ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the evolving regional architecture of the Asia-Pacific; 6. Firm adherence to a rules-based regional and international order that upholds and protects the rights and privileges of all states; 7. Shared commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); 8. Shared commitment to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas, and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as well as non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of activities; 9. Shared commitment to promote cooperation to address common challenges in the maritime domain; 10. Strong resolve to lead on global issues such as terrorism and violent extremism, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as illicit trafficking of wildlife and timber; 11. Shared commitment to addressing climate change and developing a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable ASEAN, as well as to implement individual countries nationally determined contributions made under the Paris Climate Agreement; 12. Shared commitment to promote security and stability in cyberspace consistent with norms of responsible state behavior; 13. Support for the advancement of a strong, stable, politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, people-oriented, people-centered and rules-based ASEAN Community; 14. Shared commitment to strengthen people-to-people connectivity through programs that engage ASEAN and American citizens, particularly young people, and that promote opportunities for all our peoples, particularly the most vulnerable, to fulfil the vision of the ASEAN Community; 15. Shared commitment to promote a global partnership for sustainable development through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, to ensure a sustainable, equitable and inclusive society where no one is left behind; 16. Shared commitment to enhance collaboration at international and regional fora, especially at existing ASEAN-led mechanisms; and 17. Shared commitment to continue political dialogue at the Head of State/Government level through our Leaders attendance at the annual U.S.-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit. SOUTH KOREA - Four U.S. F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft conducted a combined formation flight alongside Republic of Korea F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft and U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters to demonstrate the capabilities of the ROK-U.S. alliance Feb. 17, here. The F-22 'Raptor' is the most capable air superiority fighter in the world, and it represents one of many capabilities available for the defense of this great nation. The U.S. maintains an ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea, said United Nations Command, U.S. Forces Korea deputy commander and U.S. 7th Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, during a combined press engagement with media. Republic of Korea Air Force Lt. Gen. Lee Wang-keon, ROK Air Force Operations Command commander, spoke about the strength of the ROK-U.S. alliances air combat capabilities during his brief remarks. The ROK and U.S. combined Air Forces remain ready to deter North Korean threats, and are postured to defeat them with the strength of our combined air combat capability, Lt. Gen. Lee said. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Evans, 36th Fighter Squadron commander, flew alongside the formation, showcasing Osans readiness mission. The combined nature of this flyover highlighted the high level of integration and interoperability between our two Air Forces, developed through decades of combined training, said Evans. Furthermore, the inclusion of F-22s, and a B-52 in January, demonstrated the firm resolve of all [United States] forces as we stand united with our counterparts from the ROK air force, he added. The mission demonstrated the strength of the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea and the resolve of both nations to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula. BLOOMINGTON Calling on students to become interfaith leaders, Illinois Wesleyan University's Founders Day speaker said Wednesday focusing on commonalities, not differences, is the key to understanding. An interfaith leader is someone with the vision, knowledge and skill set to build understanding and cooperation between people who orient around religion differently, said Eboo Patel, founder and president of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core. In America in the world in the 21st century, what could be more important? Patel's path to becoming an interfaith leader began when he was 8 or 9 years old when he was invited to a friend's birthday party. A Muslim whose family came from India, Patel was given two all-beef hot dogs in a plastic bag and told by his mother to ask that they be cooked in a pork-free pan. Patel related how he hid the hot dogs then slipped into the kitchen, standing in a corner, trying not to be seen, when he saw another boy with two hot dogs in a plastic bag. My name is Hyam, the other boy told him. Are you Muslim? young Eboo asked. No, I'm Jewish, Hyam replied. To which Patel responded, I don't know what that means, but, you and me, we're going to be friends. Growing up in the western suburbs of Chicago, Patel had many friends with different backgrounds. It was an experience in high school that solidified his commitment to interfaith understanding. Among his diverse group of friends was a Jew from Cuba. But when his friend was harassed for being Jewish, I watched him suffer and said nothing, Patel told the crowd in IWU's Westbrook Auditorium. Years later, the friend said it was Patel's silence that hurt more than the bullying. That's when, Patel said, he decided whoever I'm going to be when I grow up, I don't want to be that guy who fails his friend. My guess is you have had some similar moments, he told the mostly student crowd. The experience might have been something in a different tradition that inspired you, even though it's not your own tradition, yet you see a connection with your own beliefs, Patel said. Remember that moment, he said, calling such moments the building block of an interfaith leader. Introducing Patel, IWU Provost Jonathan Green said, In an era of extremism and fear mongering, Eboo Patel emerges as a voice of reason. In addition to the Founders Day address, Patel led two workshops on interfaith leadership while on campus one for faculty and staff and one for students. NORMAL When Illinois State University sophomore Emily Pete was working in Guatemala on an alternative winter break project, she gained a greater appreciation for clean water. While we were there, all the water we used needed to be bought or boiled, said the social work major from Rockford. It made you realize how lucky we are here. Then she learned about the crisis in Flint, Mich., where city water contaminated with lead and other substances is causing health problems. You don't expect to see that when you come back here, said Pete, noting that Flint is less than a six-hour drive away. So, as part of an honors project, Pete has joined with other ISU students and the School of Social Work to collect money and water for residents of Flint. In addition to raising money, the students also are working to raise awareness, explained LaCrisha McAllister, a social work graduate student from Chicago who also is involved in the project. Even if they can't donate, we're encouraging them to have this conversation and get that word out there, McAllister said. A lot of people, when I tell them what's happening in Flint, say, 'What country is that?' The problem happened when the nearly bankrupt city of Flint switched from Lake Huron water that it was buying from the city of Detroit to water from the Flint River, which turned out to be highly corrosive to pipes, resulting in high levels of lead entering the water. The decision to save money by switching water sources was made by an unelected emergency manager appointed by Michigan governor. Noting that about 41 percent of Flint residents are living in poverty and 56 percent are black, McAllister said, This was like a perfect storm for these vulnerable people. Not only will the effects of lead be long-lasting for children who were exposed to it, the water crisis also has an economic impact on an already struggling community, according to McAllister. Who's going to want to buy a house in Flint? she asked. The students have been in contact with Janet Hunter, community response coordinator for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, to find out what's needed. They are seeing full cases of water and commercially sealed gallon or larger containers of water. An expiration date at least six months in the future is needed on all containers. The last time students will collect donations on the second floor of the Bone Student Center is from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday. Donations of water or money also can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. through Friday at the School of Social Work office on the third floor of the Rachel Cooper building, next to Fairchild Hall on South University Street. McAllister said they are looking into delivering the donations in person. BOLINGBROOK OSF Center for Health-Streator is one step closer to having the state's first non-hospital-based emergency center after action Tuesday afternoon by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Meeting in Bolingbrook, the board voted unanimously to approve an emergency center for the OSF outpatient facility, which is at the site of the former St. Mary's Hospital. However, the emergency center can't open until a license to operate is granted by the Illinois Department of Public Health, said OSF Regional CEO Dr. David Gorenz. Public Health has OSF's license application, which it will review, followed by a site visit to the proposed emergency center. Gorenz anticipates a Public Health license with a few weeks. Meanwhile, the urgent care center that is operating at the proposed emergency center is accepting basic life support patients as of last Thursday after Public Health approved a waiver. Critically ill or injured patients can't be treated there until it opens as an emergency center, Gorenz said. "We're very pleased," Gorenz said of the board's approval Tuesday. He acknowledged that Streator-area residents were concerned when St. Mary's Hospital including its emergency department was closed by the Springfield-based Hospital Sisters Health System on Jan. 4. HSHS then donated the hospital building to Peoria-based OSF Healthcare, which opened the 24/7 outpatient center in place of the hospital. Opening a non-hospital-based emergency center required a state law change before the state board acted Tuesday. "Today's action is a step to alleviating the concerns of area residents," Gorenz said. OSF will spend about $1.1 million on the new emergency center, mostly for upgraded equipment, he said. "This is very good news for the city of Streator and the surrounding area," Mayor Jimmie Lansford said. "It's unfortunate that these extra steps were needed." "This doesn't replace the inpatient hospital but, under the circumstances, this is the best news that Streator can receive at this point in time," Lansford said. DECATUR Former Decatur Police Chief Brad Sweeney filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that his firing by City Manager Tim Gleason was retaliation for disagreements between them, including Sweeney confronting him for allegedly illegal use of a police car for personal use. Sweeney, 43, who is represented by attorney Jon D. Robinson, is asking for a judgment that will reinstate his seniority status, as well as back pay, compensation for litigation costs and other relief the court deems just, including more than $50,000 in punitive damages. Sweeney has asked for his case to be tried by a jury. The lawsuit names the city of Decatur and Gleason as defendants. The suit, filed in Macon County Circuit Court, alleges that his termination was a violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act because he disclosed violations of state laws, rules and regulations to his employer. In this case, the employer was represented by the city manager. On May 7, 2015, on Gleason's orders, an on-duty, uniformed Decatur police officer drove Gleason to the St. Louis airport in a City of Decatur squad car, the complaint says. The uniformed officer was taken out of service for at least five hours that day. The complaint alleges that Gleason's actions violated one or more laws and regulations, including the Illinois official misconduct statute, a Class 3 felony. The lawsuit also alleges that about six days before the Feb. 1 City Council meeting Gleason told Sweeney he expected him to speak in support of a local motor fuel tax. Sweeney immediately refused to make the public statement. Gleason responded with hostility, and he told Sweeney to leave his office. The two reportedly had another confrontation on the tax issue at a Feb. 2 meeting of department heads. Sweeney was terminated on Feb. 4 after declining Gleason's offer to resign. Sweeney obtained his personnel file on Feb. 11, and there is no documentation of any kind to support Sweeney's termination, the complaint said. Regarding the issue of Gleason using a police vehicle for personal transportation, the complaint said that Gleason has recently stated publicly that then-Mayor Mike McElroy, now deceased, gave him permission to use the vehicle to catch a plane for his vacation." The complaint said that Gleason, a former Pekin police lieutenant, would have known that was against the law. Sweeney, a 20-year veteran of the Decatur Police Department, was appointed as police chief, effective Jan. 3, 2015, by then-city manager Ryan McCrady. Gleason, former city administrator of Washington, began his stint as city manager March 23. Gleason did not return a phone call in reference to this article. SPRINGFIELD On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a statewide agriculture group that his standoff with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly over this year's budget now in its eighth month is "not really about the budget." "It's about the future direction of Illinois," Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield. "That's what this is about: Are we going to stay on the track we've been on, or are we going to go in a new direction?" Rauner will press his case for that new direction Wednesday in his address to lawmakers. Based on his public statements in recent weeks, it appears Rauner will continue to promote aspects of his policy agenda. In speeches to business groups last week, the governor continued his call for reforms such as changes to the way legislative districts are drawn and consolidation of units of local government. Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending. Rauner vetoed all but the elementary and secondary education portion of this fiscal year's budget, which was supposed to take effect July 1. The spending plan Democrats passed was at least $4 billion out of balance. According to excerpts of the prepared text of his speech, the governor will announce that his party will be introducing a stand-alone funding bill for early childhood, elementary and secondary education. "No matter how this session unfolds send that education bill to my desk CLEAN NO GAMES and I'll sign it immediately," the excerpts read. Meanwhile, two organizations held news conferences Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge Rauner to change the tack he's taken in budget negotiations. The Grassroots Collaborative, a group of community organizations, labor unions and others, unveiled what it calls the "people's agenda," its alternative to Rauner's pro-business, union-weakening "turnaround agenda." Arguing that compared with other states, Illinois spends too little on key areas such as education, health care, public safety and human services, the group is pushing for revenue increases, including a graduated income tax and a tax on millionaires. "Families are hurting all across Illinois," said Amisha Patel, executive director of the Grassroots Collaborative. "For over a decade, the state has been divesting from vital public services." The Responsible Budget Coalition also called on Rauner to "choose revenue" in his budget proposal. Roy Harley, director of coalition member Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said the current impasse has resulted in home visits and other services around the state scaling back or shutting down. "Without a budget, we are failing the most vulnerable and needy among us," Harley said, calling the situation "unconscionable and irresponsible." One of the major crisis points in the budget impasse has been funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students. Democrats in the General Assembly passed a bill last month without any Republican votes that would devote $721.5 million to funding community colleges and student financial-aid grants through the Monetary Award Program. Rauner vowed to veto the bill because he said there's no money to pay for it, so Democrats waited through a "cooling-off period" and delivered it to him Tuesday. Rauner's office said he still plans to veto the bill. Tyler Beddoes was one of the first responders to the rescue scene. He didn't know that what turned out to be an ordinary rescue mission would change his life. According to him, it was the voice of an angel that they heard from inside the car, the one that called out to them from the wreck. It was a year ago when a dramatic rescue mission made headlines. A partially submerged overturned car was found 14 hours after it hit the icy rivers in Spanish Fork, Utah. In a video on Yahoo News, Beddoes recounted how they heard the voice of an adult woman from inside the wreck, beckoning to them to help her. It was not only Beddoes who heard the cries, but four of them heard "Help me!" coming from inside the car. They were expecting to find an adult woman, but to their surprise, they found that the only survivor was an 18-month old baby in hypothermic state. The driver, the baby's mom, apparently died instantly from the accident. According to Fox News, Beddoes described the voice as, "...an adult woman's voice. A calming voice." He further said that, "When we flipped the car over, there was no other explanation for it, other than an angel. There was no one else there." According to Beddoes, the event changed his life, which was why he decided to write about the events that transpired during that heroic rescue effort. His new book was entitled, "Proof of Angels." He said that his faith wavered when he got to respond to a quadruple-murder scene where two children died. But the rescue of Lily has renewed his faith in God. In effect, his faith was also rescued in the process. He said, "When this came around, it really changed everything for me. I wondered why I ever doubted Him." To date, Beddoes is still in close contact with the family of Lily Groesbeck, now a healthy and normal two-year old. Miraculously, the toddler did not show any adverse lasting effects from the crash despite having been in it for 14 hours in freezing temperatures a year ago. Seaside wedding ceremonies are romantic and memorable, but not when the bride is a 12-year old girl and the groom is a 65-year old man, who is old enough to be the grandfather of the former. This wedding took place in Lebanon, which elicited a lot of angry reaction from passers-by and even from social media. The horrible scene was simply too much to bear for a lot of passers-by. Although not everyone who saw what transpired were angry. There were also those who expressed congratulations to the groom, according to Mirror. The footage also drew an international outcry considering the tender age of the child. In another account by Independent, one passer-by questioned the groom and the photographer, accusing the former as a "criminal." To such an accusation, the groom retorted, "This is none of your business. I got permission from her parents." But before emotions got too high at such a disturbing footage, many people were soon relieved when they found out that the child and the groom in the video were actors whom the campaign group KAFA hired. In Arabic, "kafa" means "enough." The video was intentionally shot as part of the campaign to put a halt to the rising number of young girls being forced into marriage at such a tender age. In accordance with the Lebanese culture, parents can give permission to their nine-year old child to marry. When girls reach the age of 14, they can already give their own consent without their parents' permission. Maya Ammar, one of the campaigner said, "The scene was supposed to seem shocking because the practice itself is shocking." Statistics shows that this early marriage is common in families belonging to the low and middle income brackets. This practice of marrying off girls early is not only found in Lebanon, but also in other Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Pakistan, Jordan, etc. albeit with different age requirements. The United Nations Population Fund has reported that by 2050, more than 1.2 billion girls will be forcibly married. As a way to thwart such a practice, the Lebanese government introduced a legislation that will require civil registration for all marriages. The government is hoping that such a law will be passed. Child brides are being frowned upon in the international community considering that many of these young girls end up committing suicide or dying during childbirth. However, with the KAFA campaign, there might just be a glimmer of hope for these young girls. Who would have thought that Twitter could be used for something other than ranting your thoughts within 140 characters? As it turns out, it's possible to use tweets for beer brewing. According to Munchies, a British marketing company has created craft beer with the use of data collated from thousands of posts on social media. The company, called Havas Helia, uses "data, technology, intuition, and creativity to connect people to brands in a meaningful way." With that vision in mind, the company decided to create a beer that would perfectly encapsulate the New Year. The company looked at "emotional keywords" posted on Twitter and Facebook during the end of 2015. The data found was then compared "to a set of predefined emotional states." After much data analysis, Havas was able to link 38 different emotions with the time period, witch keywords like "love," "joy," "harmony," and "cheerfulness." The team then gave the information to Watson - an IBM supercomputer that recently produced a cook book based on data regarding food commonly enjoyed by people - and programmed it to find an "ideal beer recipe." The computer had to pool through a lot of 2,800 that have been matched with the Havas tasting notes. Using its Personality Insights tool, Watson was able to assign each recipe to have its own corresponding keyword, like " assertive" or "friendly." Ever wonder what the new year would taste like? Havas helia has a beer for that. #havas #brewedbydata https://t.co/A0bYn1VhBy Havas WW Strat Farm (@HavasStratFarm) February 11, 2016 With all the data gathered, Havas selected ten beers that were perceived to be closest to the 38 New Year feels, and even combined it with more common ingredients. What has been dubbed as the "ultimate New Year beer" has been produced, boasting of a "cream ale from English microbrewery High Peak Brew Co., made with honey and Nelson Sauvin hops." According to the beer's website, "0101 is the first beer brewed by data." There are only 500 bottles in existence, which tastes like "Optimism. Love. Imagination. Add gentle overtones of excitement, with light notes of intellect." This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions The terrorist attack in San Bernardino last December rightly scared the bejeezus out of a lot of Americans. It raised questions about ISIS influence in America, it sparked a massive and controversial debate over whether the government should place a moratorium on the influx of Muslim immigrants and refugees, andmost pertinently to todays newsit reignited the possibility of increased government surveillance of the population. The FBI has been stumped by the locked iPhone of perpetrator Syed Rizwan Farook, so with the support of a court order, it has ordered Apple to build a backdoor that would allow the Bureau to solve the password and access the phones data. The catch: Apple has refused to comply. In an open letter to its customers, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the companys stance, citing fears that the backdoora software alteration that allows unlimited password attempts without the deletion of the phones data, rather than the ten attempts currently allowedwould be abused. The FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation, he writes. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. Cook goes on to chastise the FBIs use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify its actions, calling it a dangerous and overreaching precedent to set. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyones device to capture their data, he elaborates. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phones microphone or camera without your knowledge. You can and should read the full letter here. This is a very important debate in which to engage, whether you agree with the governments argument that a backdoor is a necessary evil for national securitys sake or you side with Apple in its protection of all users privacy. Broad Citys Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer started off their Late Show visit innocently enough by explaining whats hot on the scene to Stephen Colbert. After enlightening the host on the emerging rainbow bagel trend coming out of Brooklyn the trio is teleported to a whacky cartoon land Happy Bagel Place where they are greeted by the Happy Bagel Babies. But it doesnt take long for the facade of happiness to wash away as the Happy Bagel Babies warn Colbert that they are prisoners of The Bagel King and he is the only one with the power to slay him. Spoiler alert: Colbert saves the day by shooting lasers from his belly button. Watch the whole thing below. Broad City returns to Comedy Central Wed., Feb. 17 at 10 pm EST. Add this to the list of horrifying food truths: an increase in ingredient substitutes for 100% Parmesan products may mean youre eating wood pulp, according to the FDA. Tests by the Food and Drug Administration have shown products under the 100 percent label are routinely being made with cut-rate substitutes such as cheaper cheeses cheddar, Swiss and mozzarella, as well as the aforementioned tree parts. Bloomberg News performed their own tests on supposedly Parmesan products, and obtained some shocking results. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese was 7.8 percent cellulose, while Whole Foods 365 brand failed to include cellulose as an ingredient but tested for it at 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, Kraft had 3.8 percent. The FDA is taking steps to address the issue by going after offenders of the food crime in court. In fact, the government agency is currently in the midst of prosecuting Castle Cheese for supplying big grocery chains with false Parmesan for almost 30 years. Castle sold product that contained no Parmesan to Target, among other retailers, despite claiming the cheese was 100 percent on their labels. This month Castles president is expected to appear in court, where his guilty plea for peddling scam cheese could lead to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. For a better idea of how bad this actually is, there was apparently so much scam cheese and so much profit for this company that they were able to adorn the factory with crenelated battlements and curved archways that made the place look like a medieval castle, purely for aesthetic value. Back in 2014, Castle Cheese filed for bankruptcy after a fired factory worker exposed the bad business practices to the FDA. Although spokespeople for Kraft Heinz, Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods have questioned Bloombergs findings, some industry members are arguing that packs of grated Parm are just shredded lies, claiming that 40 percent of whats out there isnt even a cheese product. Members of Iranian thrash band Confess have been jailed for playing metal music and could face execution on charges of blasphemy, according to Metal Nation News. Nikan Siyanor Khosravi and Khosravi Arash Chemical Ilkhani, two members of the band, were jailed in November and held in solitary confinement until Feb. 5 when they were released on bail. Making or listening to metal, rock, rap and some pop music is reportedly banned in Iran and has been linked to Satanism, according to the BBC. Khosravi and Ilkhani could face between six months and six years in prison and if found guilty of blasphemy they could be executed. The full list of charges brought against against the group include blasphemy; advertising against the system; forming and running an illegal band and record label in the satanic metal & rock music style; writing anti-religious, atheist, political and anarchistic lyrics; and conducting interviews with forbidden foreign radio stations. Made in Florida but sold mainly in Chicago, Jeppsons Malort is a localized drink largely unknown outside of the Windy City. To those who have tried it, however, the drinks bitter, nearly unpalatable flavor is legendary. To most, its a rite of passagea nearly undrinkable shot choked down in a Chicago bar amongst friends, often to be talked about but never to be consumed again. Yet, to some, Malort represents something largera distinction, a challenge, a quest. The liquor gets its name from the Swedish word for wormwood, and is the only wormwood-based drink to never be banned in the US. The origins of the bitter, herbal concoction are Scandinavian; the modern version migrated with Swedish immigrants to Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. A Swedish newcomer, Carl Jeppson, started selling what would become todays recipe door-to-door during Prohibition, labeling it as medicinal. Through several acquisitions, the brand survives today. Malort is harsh and difficult to love. One YouTube video, titled What Does Malort Taste Like pretty accurately captures the experience. It starts with grapefruit and honey, but quickly devolves into a melange of gasoline, earwax, Adolph Hitler, and OFF! Deep Woods. The makers of Malort admit that the product is niche. The original label featured the following challenge: Most first-time drinkers of Jeppsons Malort reject our liquor. Its strong, sharp taste is not for everyone. Our liquor is rugged and unrelenting (even brutal) to the palatewe found only 1 out of 49 men will drink Jeppsons Malort after the first shock-glass. So what is the appeal? Most people, this writer included, try the drink on a dare at the end of the night, egged on by friends (um, thanks, Todd and Soren?). Yet, although rare, some people actually like the taste. Lindsey Wallace, a transplant to Chicago, is a fan of the flavor: I do like Malort, she explains. Now, I dont have a bottle at my house, and I drink it only occasionally. BUT I do like it. But the most interesting aspect of Malort is how driven people are to try to make Malort drinkable. Chicagoan Simon Spartalian tells of an afternoon with Sergio Jaimes, the co-owner of Logan Squares The Whirlaway Lounge. The two spent hours concocting various classic cocktails with Malort as the base liquor. Some were terrible (the Malort Old Fashioned and the Malort and Coke scored particularly low), but some showed promise, including the Malort Sex On The Beach and a Malort Sunrise. We both noticed throughout the whole affair that Malort mixed with sweet things can actually generate some interesting flavors, Spartalian explains. The bitterness gets cut, but is still absolutely present. Another Chicagoan, James DeNoyer, has been tinkering with Malort recipes on his own and seems to have found success. His favorite? The Mortball. Shake equal parts Malort and Fireball over ice and strain into glasses, served neat. Says DeNoyer, Personally I dislike both separately, but for some reason together the bitterness and sugariness compliment each other. Yet even Malort recipes that work have limited appeal. The Mortball is great when everyone has already had a few, and we all feel like being a lil silly, explains DeNoyer. I always refer to Malort as the last drink of the night, cause I usually dont want anymore after. Someone loves Malort so much, they got a Malort tattoo. Via Jeppsons Malort/Facebook Hillary Clinton became a canonized figure in feminist and American history for redefining the role of the First Lady in American politics. Her womens rights speech in Beijing in 1995 made her a household name. But today, Hillarys brand of feminism is limited. It is what some have dubbed white feminism because it ignores racial and economic justice. As our society has advanced, so too has our understanding of womens issues. Feminism now embraces the idea of intersectionalitythat women experience layers of oppression based on factors like race, class, sexuality, whether they are cis or trans gender, ethnicity, etc. Nevertheless, shes won the endorsement of several major womens groups including Planned Parenthood, EMILYs List, and NARAL Pro-Choice America over her rival and intersectional feminist, Bernie Sanders (who has a 100% record from NARAL). Womens groups endorsing Clinton are at least more understandable than her most recent endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus CBCPAC (without the approval of the CBC membership). New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries even spoke out on her behalf, calling her a true friend to the African American community for the last 40 years. There is very little in Hillary Clintons past to warrant this praise. As a teenager, Hillary Clinton cut her teeth campaigning for Barry Goldwater, one of the originators of the GOPs infamous Southern Strategy who many believed was a segregationist. Though our teenage convictions arent necessarily determinative of who we become, this grounding offers insight into why Hillary Clinton rose to national prominence when she did. The 1990s were a time of GOP narrative dominance. Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party had successfully realigned the south, and stripped the Democratic Party of its strongest voting base by way of the Southern Strategy using coded language as racial dog whistles to appeal to white voters. Where the Civil Rights Movement (and subsequent 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act) had put the south under the microscope for the world to see, the southern realignment shifted the focus back on the black community. Crime and welfare abuse by welfare queens became racial dog whistles, conjuring up images of feckless and criminal black people in the minds of Americas conservative white voters. Race baiting was used to sell Milton Friedman-style, laissez-faire economic policies (or Reaganomics). A new breed of Democrats, calling themselves New Democrats, rose up to restore balance to the political system by winning back those pesky southern whites. Instead of challenging the narrative, they practiced third way politics embracing elements of the Republican platform in terms of economic and social policy. Unfortunately that meant embracing a platform tailored to win over the racist vote, as Republican strategist (and mentor to Karl Rove) Lee Atwater explained in an interview in 1981: The New Democrats retreated from the legacy of civil rights, and distanced themselves from Jesse Jacksons Rainbow Coalition, the New Deal, and the Great Society. The leaders of this insurgent movement were the Clintons. Its a stark fact that the United States has less than 5 percent of the worlds population, yet we have almost 25 percent of the worlds total prison population. The numbers today are much higher than they were 30, 40 years ago despite the fact that crime is at historic lows. Hillary Clinton Bill Clinton campaigned on the notion that he would be tough on crime. Of course, this way he could tap into the Reagan legacy. This effort translated to nothing less than a complete abandonment of the black community. The infamous Sister Souljah Moment where he scorned black America for the LA riots, and specifically Sister Souljah for her reactionary remarks, captured the attitude of his administration perfectly; his was not Johnsons Democratic Party. In 1994 Clinton signed into law the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (VCCLEA). This bill, which included the Violence Against Women Act and the Drivers Privacy Protection Act, also contained several controversial components. These included the expansion of the death penalty to 60 new offenses (including drug-trafficking and carjacking), criminalization of gang membership, the elimination of education grants to inmates, a three strikes youre out rule for repeat drug offenders, and the allocation of federal grant money to states to build prisons and make their sentencing laws harsher. And just for good measure, in 1996, Clinton signed into law the Housing Opportunity Extension Act which contained a one strike rule for public housing which allowed for the eviction of drug offenders and their families, and barred those with criminal records. This took nationwide effect in 1998. HUD told Human Rights Watch that 46,657 applicants were denied application for public housing due to the law. As one would expect, considering the provisions contained within relating to womens safety, First Lady Hillary Clinton joined with her husband in support of the tough on crime measures. She called the 94 omnibus both smart and tough. However those provisions werent the only parts of the law she supported. We will be able to say, loudly and clearly, that for repeat, violent, criminal offenders: three strikes and youre out, Clinton said at a 1994 conference of female police officers, We are tired of putting you back in through the revolving door (a reference to Bushs racist Revolving Door ad). Two years after the passage of the omnibus, during the 1996 election cycle, the First Lady touted it as an effective measure to combat gangs of young superpredators without conscience or empathy. The imagery and message were clear: this was how white America would fight back against wanton acts of violence by inner-city black men. The fact is, race is an inseparable and undeniable element of the tough on crime Clinton Administration. The VCCLEA was a major contributing factor to our current problem of mass incarceration, where one in three black men will end up in jail in their lifetime. It also contributed to the high poverty rates among poor and minority communities across America. To this day, in spite of her rhetoric against mass incarceration, Hillary Clinton has not distanced herself from the misguided and racist tough on crime policies of the 90s that saw many nonviolent (mostly minority) drug offenders put behind bars. She does not support legalization of the recreational use of marijuana or decriminalization. Even as the data shows that marijuanas illegality disproportionately hurts minority communities (especially black America), Clinton finds herself stuck in the past. As I mentioned before, welfare reform was a priority for the Clinton Administration. Not wanting to be outdone by the Republican Party, President Bill Clinton promised to end welfare as we know it. And in 1996, he did just that, signing his welfare reform legislation called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which was a part of the GOPs Contract With America. The act targeted Reagans mythical welfare queens; it was meant to curtail laziness, sexual promiscuity, and out-of-wedlock births among welfare recipients. Among other things, it gave the states near complete discretion over administration of benefits, eliminated the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (ADFC), replacing it with Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) and jobs training. A lifetime limit of five years on recipient benefits was also introduced. The end result was a purging of welfare rolls nationwide. The PRWORA has been panned by liberals and progressives ever since its passage. And looking back it is responsible for causing a spike in extreme poverty, and hitting minorities and single women particularly hard. While employment did increase, most of the former recipients who did find jobs did not escape poverty. Feminist icon Barbara Ehrenreich criticized the law in A Step Back to the Workhouse? for perpetuating negative stereotypes of poor blacks, and asserting that it reinforced patriarchal views regarding the legitimacy of children. Notably absent from the numerous liberal voices who have criticized the law is Hillary Clinton. Not only did Clinton not oppose welfare reform at the time, she fought for its passage. As Samuel Adler-Bell and Clio Chang of the New Republic point out: [W]hen it comes to welfare reform, First Lady Clinton was much more than a supportive spouse. She whipped Democratic votes for the bill. She praised it in the press and wrote columns lauding its impact through the 1990s. As recently as 2008, Secretary Clinton defended the legislation as necessary and successful, insisting that welfare should not be considered an anti-poverty program. In fairness to the former First Lady, that was then and this is now; shes had years to reconsider, but she hasnt. In fact, shes turned it into a campaign talking point about how her husband put people back to work! Hillary Clintons antagonistic relationship with race resurfaced again in 2008 when she was running against now-President Barack Obama. As the race became tighter, Clinton dipped into Lee Atwaters playbook, and circulated a picture of Obama dressed as a Somali elder in an effort to gin up racial fears. David Plouffe, Obamas campaign manager, had this to say: On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering weve seen from either party in this election. This is part of a disturbing pattern that led her county chairs to resign in Iowa, her campaign chairman to resign in New Hampshire, and its exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties and diminishes respect for America in the world. Bernie Sanders hit the nail on the head when he asserted that the establishment was lined up behind Hillary Clinton. CBCPACs endorsement of Hillary is just the most recent example of this trend. The Clintons are a huge money-making political machine with arguably more influence than any other in Washington (on either side of the aisle). Not only do they throw money at Congressional races, but their ties extend globally. While Hillary was Secretary of State, she was in a unique position to extend her influence globally through, among other things, the sale of arms. An investigation from the International Business Times found that the State Department under Hillary, sold weapons to countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation at a greater rate than those that did not. The Clintons have built an empire by cozying up to, and exchanging favors with the most powerful people in the world (like executives on Wall Street). This allows them the resources necessary to exert control over the Democratic Party and the media. Recently Gawker released emails revealing exactly how far that influence extends (Clinton spokespeople apparently get to request certain language in pieces reporting on Clinton). Even MSNBCs Chris Matthews, who came under fire for playing softball with Hillary, has ties to the Clinton political machine. As it turned out, his wife, Kathleen Matthews, is running for Congress with the aid of the Clintons. It is becoming more apparent by the day that Bill and Hillary are remarkably similar to the Koch Brothers. They are not the embodiment of Democratic values; they are the embodiment of American politics after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. The worst part about this situation, is how much the Clinton machine threatens to subvert the democratic process. Before any votes were cast, Hillary had a 45-to-1 superdelegate advantage over Sanders in the primary. While superdelegates have never been determinative of the outcome, that ratio is still disturbing in light of the results of the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary. It is clear that if our system is to survive, the kind of influence peddling practiced by the Clintons must end. Late yesterday Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Apple to help the FBI break into an iPhone recovered from one of the San Bernardino shooters. Apple's CEO decided to go to war publicly over the issue again and published "A message to our Customers." Apple's message outlined the issue over the court order from Apple's perspective. Obviously the court didn't think of imposing a gag-order. Apple's CEO took advantage of that to try the case in the press and on the web. The case had Donald Trump weighing in on the matter as a personal opinion and now Edward Snowden, who ignited the privacy debate originally, is siding with Apple. Not that this should surprise anyone. CNN reports that "Edward Snowden -- the ex-NSA contractor who started this whole privacy debate -- has joined the ranks of Apple defenders." Snowden tweeted today that "The FBI is creating a world where citizens rely on Apple to defend their rights, rather than the other way around." In a second tweet noted below, Snowden remarks that "This is the most important tech case in a decade." To be honest, there isn't much balance in the CNN report that seems to only present the view or side of those opposing the court order. With that said, CNN quotes Bruce Schneier, one of the world's top cryptographers, who warns that criminals could also use this kind of special access to break into people's phones to steal messages, photographs and other personal information. If Apple creates a weaker version of its operating system, others will get their hands on it. Schneier added that "If the court wins, we all lose. Today's government access is tomorrow's PhD thesis and the next hacker tools. In the future, criminals will be using this." Technology policy think tank TechFreedom warned today: "The FBI is trying to hit the ultimate reset button on privacy." If you tend to lean on the paranoid side of the issue, which is a legitimate position, then there's certainly no shortage of fear mongering quotes to be read in the CNN report that you could read here. On the other hand, if we simply focus on the immediate case at hand rather than future cases, an enterprise security firm made a clear case today that Apple can comply with the court order without reinventing the wheel because the iPhone in question is a 5c model that doesn't have Touch ID to complicate matters. This position was echoed by the White House today. Reuters reported this afternoon that "In a briefing with reporters, White House spokesman Josh Earnest deferred to the Justice Department but said it's important to recognize that the government is not asking Apple to redesign its product or "create a new backdoor to its products." Earnest said the case was instead about federal investigators learning "as much as they can about this one case." "The president certainly believes that it is an important national priority," he said. Apple's CEO is making a habit of overreacting to any government or any security agency wanting to discuss end-to-end encryption. While it's very possible that this issue could be explosive at some point in time in the future, it shouldn't be for this one case. Back in 2014 we posted a report titled "Apple's iPhone 6 goes on Sale in China October 17 after Assuring China's Ministry that there's no Secret Back-Doors." Is this the underlying issue behind Cook's recent string of overreactions? Only time will tell. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend. On February tenth Patently Apple posted a report titled "FBI Director Frustrated with Inability to Access Data from One Smartphone from the San Bernardino Terrorists." Our report noted James Comey, FBI Director stating that "Investigators still have not been able to access the contents of one of the cell phones used by the San Bernardino shooters two months ago." Comey cited that particular problem as an illustration of authorities' frustration with technology that allows cell phones to lock with no apparent means to override that default position, slowing all sorts of cases, from terror conspiracies to more ordinary criminal investigations even when a judge rules that the phone contained useful data." Then on February 13 we posted a related post titled "Apple Seeks Court's Relief over Issue of Unlocking iPhones." In that report we noted that "Apple recently wrote a letter to the judge advising him that they're now being pressed by the government to open yet another iPhone and need a ruling in order to know how to proceed with this new case. The other iPhone may very well involve the San Bernardino terrorist's smartphone that was in the news this week." Late last night it was revealed that indeed the other smartphone that Apple had referenced to the judge was indeed owned by terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook. Late yesterday Reuters reported that "A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered Apple Inc to help the FBI break into a phone recovered from one of the San Bernardino shooters, an order that heightens a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said in a ruling. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts and assisting investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. The Reuters report further noted that "Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Tuesday requested the court order to compel Apple to assist the investigation into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by Farook and his wife that killed 14 people and injured 22 others. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has been investigating the couple's potential communications with the Islamic State and other militant groups and treating the case as an incident of domestic terrorism. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Apple could still help investigators by disabling "non-encrypted barriers that Apple has coded into its operating system." Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said Tuesday Apple might have to write custom code to comply with the order, presenting a novel question to the court about whether the government could order a private company to hack its own device. In the Wall Street Journal's report on the matter they add that "Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said early Wednesday that the company would oppose the judge's order saying it was an "unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers" with "implications far beyond the legal case at hand." In Apple's official response that is posted on their website, Apple's CEO covers topics titled The Need for Encryption; The San Bernardino Case; The Threat to Data Security; and a Dangerous Precedent. Apple's Tim Cook in discussing the San Bernardino Case in particular, noted that "the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession." Cook added that "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." While Cook noted that "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users," I think that the proper context here is that this user was a killing terrorist. Cook also stated that "The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone's microphone or camera without your knowledge." And yet the context has always been that the government would require a court order to prove the need to have access to a criminals' iPhone. Not a regular citizen's iPhone, one owned by a criminal or terrorist. Apple makes a huge leap in their letter to add fear that the government could demand surveillance software that is so beyond the San Bernardino case that it's not funny. Apple is creating a fear scenario that is not on the table by the government. What is presented to the court is restricted to opening of the San Bernardo iPhone and to assist the government in all similar cases under specific circumstances. If the government would ever make the leap that is currently only in Apple's make believe scenario, then I think they'd have a strong case. But creating an evil-government scenario to support this current situation is overboard. You could read Apple's full response titled "a Message to our Customers," here. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the government's filing before the court states that "Evidence in the iCloud account indicates that Farook was in communication with victims who were later killed during the shootings perpetrated by Farookand toll records show that Farook communicated with Malik using the subject device. The filing further noted that "Farook may have disabled the automatic iCloud backup function to hide evidence. There may be relevant, critical communications and data around the time of the shooting that has thus far not been accessed, may reside solely on the subject device, and cannot be accessed by any other means known to either the government or Apple." A last point made by the WSJ is that "The filing also says San Bernardino County officials have told investigators the automatic backup feature was turned on when the phone was given to Farook. Before Oct. 19, backups occurred 'with almost weekly regularity.'" As we've said time and time again, this issue will be with us for some time to come. This week the movie "Trumbo" is on iTunes for rent. It's a story about Dalton Trumbo (played by Bryan Cranston) who was Hollywood's top screenwriter until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs. History has shown us that right-wing governments in the U.S. and around the world have turned on groups of citizens and turned their lives upside down. So when I read Cook's statement about the "FBI's good intentions," I couldn't help but think of the old saying that states that "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." One interpretation of that saying "is wrongdoings or evil actions are often masked by good intentions, or even that good intentions, when acted upon, may have unforeseen bad consequences." So in the big picture, citizens are generally leery of the government's intentions especially in light of the recent Edward Snowden revelations about government surveillance going overboard. And Cook's argument plays right into that fear and line of thinking. With that said, what the court is now asking of Apple is not in that dramatic league. At the end of the day, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said in a ruling that Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. Judge Pym also stated that Apple has five business days to contest the order if it believes compliance would be "unreasonably burdensome." Apple has responded in full to their user base. Yet what Apple will actually state in their formal response to the court may or may not be the same and may or may not be made public. The response to the government however, won't be able to intentionally veer off into their theories of potential government threats or intrusions down the road. They'll have to focus rightly on the specific request at hand. Update 7:30 a.m PST: Also read our follow-up report titled "Enterprise Security Firm Says Apple Could Easily Comply with the Court Order to Open the iPhone 5c" here. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend. Side Note: Dalton Trumbo HUAC Testimony Excerpt, 1947 Other Reports on the Encryption Issue Last October we posted a report titled "Jony Ive & Vogue's Anna Wintour will Co-Host the Met Museum's 2016 Fashion Exhibit on Fashion in an Age of Technology." The show is to debut this May. Today Vogue has posted a story titled "Apple and Fashion: A Love Story for the Digital Ages." It is here where Tim Cook and Jony Ive discuss the synergy between Apple and fashion, two worlds fueled by curiosity and change. Kick starting things, we're able to see Vogue's stylized yet strange photo of Apple's Tim Cook and Jony Ive. Wouldn't you agree that it would make a great poster for a new Zombie movie? I mean, just check out those eyes Yikes! It's Possession 101. But humor aside, the light and dreamy Vogue article comes just at the right time as the firestorm over the US government v. Apple rages on over a court order to open an iPhone 5c owned by one of the San Bernardino terrorists. Today's Vogue report reviews Apple's upcoming Spaceship headquarters. Vogue notes that "From aerial mock-ups, the building variously suggests a spaceship that has touched down gently in a clearing or a softened, highly styled Pentagon, sure to contain as many secrets." In one segment, architect Norman Foster talked about the state-of-the-art building by stating that "There was from the outset a concern with breaking down barriers. The circular form is intended to encourage chance encounters outside the corporate box." For more on this, check out the full Vogue article here. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend. According to the author of a new Wall Street Journal report, "Tim Cook is playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship with the U.S. government. In the process, he may set in motion political and judicial processes that will endanger the security of all our mobile devices." The WSJ reporter Christopher Mims notes that "First, let me say that I agree with the spirit of Mr. Cook's open letter rebuffing a court order that Apple is to create a new version of the iPhone's operating system to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to access the locked, encrypted phone used by one of the assailants in the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif." Mims continues, "Yet here's the rub: The FBI says it wants Apple to create this software only for this one device. But if the code gets into the wildand these things have a way of doing soit will render the encryption on all iPhones everywhere essentially moot. Still, the specifics of this case are messier than Mr. Cook allows, and not all in Apple's favor. First, there are the optics of the situation: As tech analyst Ben Thompson notes, "It's a case of domestic terrorism with a clear-cut bad guy and a warrant that no one could object to, and Apple is capable of fulfilling the request." This is a point of view shared by Philip Lieberman, president and CEO of Lieberman Software who says that "Its trivial for them to write this code, its an afternoons worth of work. Its just a patch to one phone and then thats it." Finally, notes Mims, there is a risk that however this case turns out, Apple risks losing a larger legal war. The fallout could force Appleand others, including Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. to back down on their project of bringing strong encryption to everyday devices. For more on this, check out the full WSJ report here. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend. Apple's Firestorm covered in Four Other Reports Today Edward Snowden Steps into Apple's Privacy Case: "This is the most important tech Case in a Decade" Jan 17, 2016 Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Sides with the Court on Unlocking an iPhone while Railing against Apple Jan 17, 2016 Enterprise Security Firm Says Apple Could Easily Comply with the Court Order to Open the iPhone 5c Jan 17, 2016 The Court Rules that Apple must Provide 'Reasonable Technical Assistance' to Unlock an Infamous U.S. Terrorist's iPhone Jan 17, 2016 Earlier this month we set out a home-work assignment of sorts for those interested in exploring more of the rich diversity in contemporary American Buddhism. That assignment was to get Diana Ecks 2001 book A New Religious America: How a Christian Country Has Become the Worlds Most Religiously Diverse Nation and read/discuss the chapter on Buddhism. Eck begins this great book by drawing attention to a shift that has occurred in her lifetime as a baby-boomer: The religious landscape of America has changed radically in the past thirty years, but most of us have not yet begun to see the dimensions and scope of that change, so gradual has it been and yet so colossal. It began with the new immigration, spurred by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, as people from all over the world came to America and have become citizens. (p.1) That period marks a key point in the lives and religious imaginations of many Americans. However, as Mushim Patricia Ikeda pointed out her recent Crossing the Great Divides in US Buddhism that period doesnt mark a beginning to the story of Buddhism in America, which goes back well over a hundred years. Reading on, Eck describes her work, beginning in the 199os, of mapping religions in America with the Harvard Pluralism Project. Coming to Buddhism, she writes: We are astonished to learn that Los Angeles is the most complex Buddhist city in the world, with a Buddhist population spanning the whole range of the Asian Buddhist world from Sri Lanka to Korea, along with a multitude of native-born American Buddhists. Nationwide, this whole spectrum of Buddhists may number about four million. (p.3) Here, Eck seems to imply the Two Buddhisms (Asian Buddhists along with native-born American Buddhists) model. While its a somewhat unfortunate wording countless Asian Buddhists are also native-born American Buddhists the notion of categorizing Buddhism in America in this way dates back several decades. As one of the early proponents of the typology, Charles Prebish, notes, describing Two Buddhisms along with Jan Nattier and Martin Baumanns different Three Buddhisms: Each of these typologies and labels had supporters and detractors, and each, to some extent, worked well as a description for a particular time and circumstance. Typologies, however, are never set in stone. Today, Buddhism in America is incredibly diverse and no longer seems to fit into the neat typologies of previous decades. (2006, Introduction to a BuddhaDharma Forum on Diversity and Divisions in American Buddhism see this article for an excellent discussion with Socho Koshin Ogui, Rev. Ron Kobata, Wakoh Shannon Hickey, and Duncan Ryuken Williams) Yet, as Mushim noted in her recent post, if you ask white converts to describe of three to five typical American Buddhists youll likely get a vastly different response than if you had asked the same question of folks in a Buddhist group founded by Asian Buddhist immigrants. As she puts it, between these groups [there] is what seems to me like an almost impenetrable wall, often, or an abyss in which phone and Internet signals mysteriously disappear. The rest of Mushims article is a wonderful prescription for surmounting, or at least chipping away at, that impenetrable wall. And the 80-page chapter on Buddhism in America in Diana Ecks book is an excellent starting point for doing just that. Her chapter begins in Los Angeles, which she says is unquestionably the most complex Buddhist city in the world (p.148). Here we find Hsi Lai Temple, east of town in the suburb of Hacienda Heights. Like Eck, I had the privilege of visiting Hsi Lai, myself as an invited instructor of Buddhist Ethics for a group of Whittier College students who had signed up to live and learn in the temple for a week over winter session. That was in 2010, many years after Ecks visit in 1991, and her subsequent chronicling of the rise of the beautiful temple. That rise, it would turn out, mirrored that of many early Buddhist temples in the U.S.: a population of Asian immigrants yearning to continue their Buddhist practice, a dominant Caucasian culture suspicious at best and racist at worst of those Asians and their religion, and the conflicts that would follow as the Asian Buddhists tried to enjoy their right to free exercise of religion. Luckily, after a rocky start, the Buddhists initiatives to win over their neighbors won out and the temple remains a stunning icon in the Los Angeles religious landscape. Her chapter continues by chronicling how Buddhists in America approach the 3 refuges, or 3 jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. In doing so, she weaves in the difficulties that non-Buddhists have had with Buddhism: If Buddhas not your God, who is? Indeed she cites the gathering of the Parliament of World Religions in 1993, where Buddhist delegates, no doubt somewhat exasperated by the talk there of many faiths one God, issued a statement reading: leaders of different religious traditions define all religions as religions of God and unwittingly rank Buddha with God. We found this lack of knowledge and insensitivity all the more surprising because we, the religious leaders of the world, are invited to this Parliament in order to promote mutual understanding and respect, and we are supposed to be celebrating one hundred years of interfaith dialogue and understanding! Along with this basic misunderstanding of the Buddha by others, Eck writes of the many understandings of the Buddha within the Buddhist tradition, all represented alongside one-another here in America. From this insiders division of understanding, Eck moves on to an outsiders typology with sections running in a rough chronological order based on appearance in the U.S.: The Chinese in America, Japanese Buddhists in America, The Pioneers (early European Americans who adopted and adapted the religion), and onward All, or at least nearly all, of the big names in American Buddhism are represented, from Anagarika Dharmapala and Soyen Shaku to Paul Carus and Henry David Thoreau and Helena Petrova Blavatsky; D.T. Suzuki and Jan Chozen Bays, Jack Kerouac and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Mahaghosananda, Henepola Gunaratana and Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg and Sylivia Boorstein, and of course Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama along with at least a dozen others. Close to home, Eck a fellow Montanan writes eloquently of the particular difficulties faced by the earliest Buddhists in my home state: Chinese who had followed the gold rush and copper kings to towns like Virginia City and Butte, MT. That, however, is a rich story best saved for another time. She concludes where she started, zooming out a bit as a scholar does, suggesting that we might think of Buddhism in America as still dominated by a divide between Asian Buddhism and Euro-American Buddhism or . old Buddhists from Asia and new Buddhists from the West (p.216). However, on the same page she rightly notes No simple paradigm can adequately categorize the many Buddhist communities of America. And that is, indeed, where we are left today. While the story of Buddhism in America has always been one of interaction, adaptation, compromise, and at times conflict, it is a story which, for the time being, defies any attempt at a master narrative. In all, Eck demonstrates her superb abilities both as an academic and as a story-teller. What are your thoughts on Buddhism in America, academic efforts to understand it, and/or the future of the religion here? Add your comments here for others to read and discuss and if you have a blog, please consider writing a full post on the topic and sharing the link here in the comments section. Some older posts on the topic: Mapping Buddhism in America (Feb 2015) Buddhism dominates Western States behind Christianity (Jan 2014) Painting the West Saffron by Jeff Wilson at Tricycle (June 2014) What does Buddhism in America Mean to You? (July 2013) Race in American Buddhism Earthlyn Zenju Manuel interviewed by Sam Mowe at Tricycle, a discussion here (Nov 2011) Stay in touch with American Buddhist Perspectives on Facebook: I did watch the debate on Saturday, you see and even tweeted as a form of live-blogging/taking notes. But my Sunday consisted of church, trying to do some cleaning of my parents house (the fridge! oh, the fridge!), taking them to a matinee concert (the DSOs tickets are a bargain compared to Chicagos symphony), cooking dinner, and playing Hearts with the family. In any case, I still want to share my thoughts with you the bottom line of which is, I cant believe people still support Trump after what he said! but there are other bits here too. The debate started with the usual explanation of how the process works allotted time, how candidate and audience are notified, etc. and my first wish was that, next time around, theyd just say, after your allotted time is over, your microphone will be cut off. Right out the gate, the moderator asked the candidates their opinion on a successor to Scalia. Kasich gave a rambly answer which both called for Obama to nominate a bipartisanly popular nominee, and also to not nominate anyone. Rubio said its been 80 years since a lame-duck president appointed a SCOTUS justice. (Strictly speaking, the 80 years is applicable to cases where the Senate is held by the opposite party, and excludes Reagans nomination/the Senate confirmation of Kennedy because the process started the prior June with borking Bork.) Cruz must have said something similar because the moderator tried to pull a Candy Crowly and claim that he was wrong, and Cruz didnt hesitate to pull out enough specifics to counter the moderators claims. Carson is asked a question, and before he proceeds to give a fairly lame answer, he starts in again with his passive-aggressive thank you for including me in the debate. By the way, heres a bit of trivia on Ben Carson and Detroit: on the way from the highway to Orchestra Hall, you pass by Ben Carson High School. He is (or was) a genuine hometown hero. And then one of the big moments of the debate I dont remember the question, but Trump again starts into I was the only one to oppose the Iraq war; I knew it was a bad idea from the start. And then George W Bush is responsible for 9/11 OK, thats not a direct quote from Trump, but thats my tweet at the time. I was shocked that, to a Republican crowd, he took the very Democratic mentality of blaming Bush for 9/11. I have never heard a Republican make that claim before! Im not sure if this is a matter of tone-deafness, and thinking this is an angle to attack Bush with, or if he genuinely believes it and it just demonstrates that he has no true partisan affiliation other than the Trump Party. The moderator started in with some questions pushing candidates their promises: To Trump: how will you fund your promises? The answer: magic beans. OK, actually he claims well get jobs back from China, and save Social Security by you guessed it fighting waste, fraud, and abuse. To Cruz: how can you be sure a VAT will reduce, not increase taxes? that is, addressing the concern that once youve introduced a wholly new way for the government to collect money, the government will be happy to increase rates on both forms of taxation, rather than keeping the lowered rates on income tax that were meant to be the gain from applying the VAT. Answer: magic beans. Well, actually, he doesnt address this issue, but just repeats his usual claim that the VAT + a flat 10% income tax will spur economy growth. To Rubio: What do you have to say about the fact that your highest tax bracket, 35%, is higher than the highest rates of any of your opponents with tax plan proposals? Rubio launches off into his proposal for high tax credits for parents, and alludes to his parent penalty concept, though it wouldnt really make sense to a listener who didnt know his plan. The debate turns to immigration. Trump repeats that hell build a wall. Rubio is asked how do you define amnesty? which allows him to repeat his rationalization that amnesty means forgiveness without consequence but that his plan offers forgiveness with a consequence because therell be a fine. You buy that? Cruz calls Gang of 8 the Rubio-Schumer plan, and Rubios retort is, basically, waaah, you did it too, which sounds a bit petulant. Bush is asked to affirm his act of love statement, which he does, and asks us to show respect for them. Kasich supports legalization PLUS a guest-worker program (whoa! I thought wed abandoned that!). And Ben Carson asks us to go to BenCarson.com to read his immigration plan. A few more bits: On Planned Parenthood funding, Trump is asked about his prior support, and he says, Planned Parenthood does wonderful things again, I cant believe he said this and his supporters dont care! And yet that seems to be the case, judging by Trump supporters posting on Facebook groups, saying Cruz is smearing him for citing these statements. Rubio repeated his newly-favored line that Americans dont trust the government to enfoce immigration law until they see it implemented, so that he is now a convert to Enforcement First (though never mentioning that the enforcement doesnt include any deportations). Its unfortunate that he doesnt comprehend that this mistrust extends to him, and that no matter how many times he repeats that line, he still has to reach out more genuinely to potential supporters for whom his immigration stand is a deal-breaker. So there you have it. Did you watch? What did you think? Patna: District officials in Patna on Friday sounded a red alert in view of the Ramnavami festival that is to be observed on Saturday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jitendra Rana said the police had identified over 200 sensitive areas in the district where security would remain ultra tight to avoid any communal unrest. The District Control Cell will be monitoring all these sensitive areas round the clock and will react rapidly in case of any trouble, he said. Among the areas that are considered 'super-sensitive' are Patna Junction Hanuman Temple, Phulwarisharif, Patna City, Sultanganj, Malsalami, and Khajekalan. Meanwhile, a large crowd of devotees had already started to gather outside Mahavir Temple that is decked for the occasion appropriately. Elsewhere in Patna also, elaborate arrangement has been made to mark the Hindu festival. "Besides tight security and monitoring of all activities through surveillance cameras all around the temple, arrangements have been made to ensure the convenience of the devotees," Mahavir Temple officials said adding the temple would open its door at 2:00 am Saturday morning and would remain open until midnight. Patna: A day after he held a 45-minute meeting with his numero uno nemesis Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek financial assistance for Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday met with his Delhi counterpart and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi describing both meetings as a gesture of 'courtesy'. Kumar met with Mrs. Gandhi at her residence at around 12:30 pm though the content of their meeting remained a mystery. Later, the Chief Minister met with Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat where he was welcomed by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Along with other Janata Dal U leaders, Kumar had his lunch with Kejriwal and his party leaders. Talking to the reporters, Kumar described both of his meetings as mere courtesy extended to other leaders. "I congratulated Mr. Kejriwal on his party's fantastic victory in Delhi elections," he said. Reports said Kumar expressed his support for the full statehood of Delhi and his trust in Kejriwal's leadership. "AAP had a brilliant run in Delhi elections but people of the entire nation have very high hopes from you," he reportedly told the Delhi Chief Minister. JD-U MP K. C. Tyagi, Kumar's secretary Chanchal Kumar, and Bihar Niwas Commissioner Vipin Kumar were also present at the lunch with Kejriwal. The Chief Minister's claim of 'courtesy' visits to Mrs. Gandhi and Kejriwal, however, came crashing down when he ended all media speculations to rest about his meeting with Delhi leaders when he visited the Tihar Jail to meet with the INLD leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala who is serving ten years at the nation's maximum security prison in connection with the illegal appointment of 3,216 junior basic teachers in Haryana during 1999-2000. To further confirm that Kumar's trip to Delhi was anything but 'courtesy calls', the Chief Minister also met with former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to confirm his steadfastness to be a part of the proposed 'Janata Parivar' that is supposed to dethrone Narendra Modi in the next Lok Sabha elections. Patna: In yet another tragedy on Patna roads, a ten year old boy was crushed to death by a speeding car in Gosai Tola under Pataliputra police station on Tuesday morning. As reported, Durga Mahto, the ten year old son of Triloki Mahto, was crossing the Digha-Gandhi Maidan Road to meet his father at the diara area when a car driving on the wrong side of the road hit him before escaping the scene of accident. Durga died on the spot. The incident caused uproar in the area as grieving family members blocked the road with the boy's dead body demanding the arrest of the hit and run driver and compensation to the family. After much persuasion, the crowd dispersed and the body of the boy was sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for an autopsy. Durga is survived by his parents, two elder brothers and two elder sisters. Patna: Police in Patna on Tuesday resorted to water treatment to the NDA leaders who had taken out an 'Akrosh March', or the march of anger, to protest against what they called the 'failed policies' of Nitish Kumar and a convicted politician like Lalu Prasad Yadav. Carrying placards with anti-Nitish slogans, NDA leaders including leaders from the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) began their march from the BJP office on Birchand Patel Marg on its way to the Raj Bhawan. However, once they arrived at the R-Block, police stopped them from moving forward. As always, a clash ensued that led to the law enforcement officials to bring in water cannons to disburse the crowd. BJP state President Mangal Pandey said the Nitish-Lalu government had completely failed in checking crime in the state and despite a sharp rise in murder and abduction, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, like a blind man, continued to undermine the collapse in law and order. "The Chief Minister was doing his best to hide actual crime figures in order to avoid the label of 'Jungle Raj' in Bihar but the fact is, crime has skyrocketed since Lalu-Nitish and the Congress came into power. Local leaders are systematically being eliminated to suppress the voice of the opposition but these things do not matter to the Chief Minister. He cannot escape his responsibility by continuing to blame the opposition for everything bad in Bihar," Pandey said. Former minister Nand Kishore Yadav blamed the state government for rise in suicide cases among Bihar farmers, breakdown in law and order, and declining standard in education saying since the Mahagathbandhan government came into power Bihar had been on a downward spiral in all economic indices. BJP leaders Prem Kumar, Dr. C. P. Thakur, Nitin Navin Brishan Patel, Arun Kumar Sinha, Sanjay Mayukh, LJP leaders Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras, Satyanand Sharma, Veena Devi, Nutan Singh, Niraj Kumar Bablu were among many who took part in today's march. The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now The Ultimaker 2+ ($2,499) is an upgraded version of the Ultimaker 2 ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , which was our Editors' Choice high-end 3D printer when we tested it in 2014. The new model features a revamped filament feeder, four extruder nozzles in various diameters, and a modified airflow system that, according to the company, can produce smoother prints. Indeed, the Ultimaker 2+ ($3,100.77 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) provides very good print quality and overall solid performance despite some glitches in testing. It costs less than the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer ($2,099.00 at Walmart)(Opens in a new window) , our current Editors' Choice high-end 3D printer, but isn't as problem-free in its operation and lacks the Replicator's wide range of connection choices. A Dutch company, Ultimaking Ltd., manufactures the Ultimaker 2+. In the United States, Ultimaker printers, even the models sold by Amazon, are distributed primarily by Dynamism(Opens in a new window), which provides service and support. Design and Features A single-extruder 3D printer with an attractive, boxy, white frame, the Ultimaker 2+ is nearly identical in appearance to the Ultimaker 2. It has an open front and top, translucent sides, and an interior that is well lit by strings of lights running down each of the front inside edges. The Ultimaker 2+ measures 23.2 by 19.9 by 13.4 inches (HWD), and weighs 24 pounds. Its build area measures 8.1 by 8.8 by 8.8 inches, about average for a 3D printer at its price. It can print with either polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic filaments. The build platform is a sheet of glass, which is heated before each print job to keep the corners of ABS plastic objects from curling up. Unlike most 3D printers, which use 1.75mm-thick plastic filament, the Ultimaker 2+'s extrusion system uses a thicker 2.85mm filament. Other than Ultimaker, Aleph Objects, the maker of Lulzbot printers such as the Editors' Choice Mini 3D Printer ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , is the only other brand we've seen that uses this filament thickness. The new feeder, which pulls the filament from the spool into the extruder by means of a gear system, proved reliable in our testing, which wasn't the case with the Ultimaker 2 Extended ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) or the Ultimaker 2 Go ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . When we tested those two models last year, we experienced significant problems with both of their filament feeders, which required extensive troubleshooting with Ultimaker's support team. The original Ultimaker 2, however, fared fine with the old filament-feeding system. The Ultimaker 2+ comes with the 0.4mm extruder nozzle in place, and the other three nozzles0.2mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mmin a small cardboard box that also contains a hex wrench and screwdriver. The nozzles are easy enough to switch out. First, you remove the filament from the extruder, using a process that heats up the extruder and nozzle. When it's cooled down, unscrew the nozzle from the extruder with the hex wrench, select a new nozzle, and screw it into place. Then change the nozzle size setting in the software, and you're ready to print with the new nozzle. Setup Setup is fairly simple. It consists of snapping the filament spool holder in place in back of the printer, affixing the build plate to the build platform with metal clips, attaching the Power supply, turning the printer on, and then following the instructions on the five-line display on the front panel, which is controlled by a dial next to it. It first guides you through leveling the build plate, which involves moving the extruder to three different positions above the build plate and lowering the extruder at each position, by means of the dial or set screws until a sheet of paper fits, with slight resistance, between the extruder and build plate. Next, you put a filament spool in place in its holder, and push the free end of the filament into a tube until it's grabbed by the gear system. Once the filament catches, it is guided through a tube into the extruder, and soon it melts and comes out of the nozzle. You then select one of the test 3D object files from the memory card, press Print, and the extruder should heat up and then print out the test object. SD Card and Software The printer has an SD card slot, and comes with a 4GB SD card with a few test files already loaded. Ultimaker offers a free software package, Cura, for download. The software is easy to use, and lets you resize and move objects, load multiple objects for printing, and change the resolution and other settings. I installed Cura on a laptop running Windows 8.1. I then loaded a number of files into the Cura software, saved them to an SD card on my computer, transferred the card to the printer, and began printing. The process took 15 to 20 seconds longer than it would have had I been able to print directly from my laptop over a USB connection. There is a USB port on the back of the printer, but it's just for firmware updates. It's unusual that any printer, 3D or otherwise, lacks the ability to print from a PC over a USB connection, and many models offer multiple connection methods. The MakerBot Replicator can't print from SD cards, but it can print from a USB thumb drive or over a USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi connection. Being limited to SD card printing may not be ideal, but I didn't find it particularly bothersome, and it does have one advantage over USB: You don't have to worry about a print failing because you accidentally disconnect a cable. Dynamism offers comprehensive solutions for higher-end clients that may include software-based methods of printing via USB. For most Ultimaker 2+ users, though, printing from an SD card is the only option. Resolution and Print Quality We perform most of our 3D printer testing at the printer's default resolution, with at least one print at the fastest preset. The Ultimaker 2+ offers three preset resolutions: High (60 microns), Normal (100 microns), and Fast (150 microns). With 3D printers, resolution is a measure of layer height, so the lower the number of microns, the higher the resolution. With the 0.4mm nozzle, you can set a custom resolution anywhere between 20 and 200 microns. With the 0.2mm nozzle, the lowest resolution is 150 microns; with the 0.6mm nozzle, it is 400 microns; and with the 0.8mm nozzle, it is 600 microns. With the standard 0.4mm nozzle, the Ultimaker 2+'s default Normal setting is a higher resolution than the default of most 3D printers. Although a higher resolution can translate into better print quality, its downside is longer print times. It took about twice as long for the Ultimaker 2+ to print the same test objects as the Makerbot Replicator at each printer's default settings. Even the Ultimaker 2+'s Fast preset is slower (and of higher resolution) than the Makerbot Replicator's default Standard (200-micron) setting. The difference in print quality between Ultimaker 2+'s 150mm and 100mm settings are barely perceptible, and relatively minor even between the 150mm and 60mm settings. We test mostly at default settings because users tend to stick to them. Although you can change presets, or use custom settings or different nozzles, I would have preferred that the Ultimaker 2+ have a lower default resolution with faster print times. Print quality in my tests was generally very good to excellent, with its best prints rivaling those of the Ultimaker 2 and the Ultimaker 2 Extended, as well as the MakerBot Replicator Desktop. The printer did botch several prints, however, including one file that we printed twice with the same issues. At Dynamism's request, I sent the file to a technician, who encountered the same problem, also on an Ultimaker 2+ using the same default settings. She was able to get a better print by reducing the print speed, and suggested lowering the fan speed as well. However, few users would think to do these things, and might well assume that the problem was with the file itself. The Ultimaker 2+ is quieter than most 3D printers, and is unlikely to disturb people sitting close by. As with any open-frame 3D printer, there is some risk of being burned by the hot extruder, so you have to be careful to keep the printer beyond the reach of young children and advise anyone using it to avoid touching the extruder. Also, be sure to use it in a well-ventilated place, particularly when using ABS, as it can emit a burnt-plastic odor. Conclusion The Ultimaker 2+ offers some improvements over previous-gen Ultimaker 3D printers, thanks to a more dependable filament-feed system and the switchable filament nozzles. Overall print quality is strong, although the printer had its share of misprints in our testing. Like older Ultimaker models, but unlike most 3D printers, it is limited to printing from an SD card. The MakerBot Replicator Desktop, which has an unusually wide range of connection choices, consistent operation, and very good print quality, remains our top choice for high-end 3D printers. But with the Ultimaker 2+ you can save a few hundred dollars and get an easy-to-use model with very good print quality. Ultimaker 2+ 3.5 (Opens in a new window) Check Stock $3,100.77 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) MSRP $2,499.00 Pros Easy setup and operation. Very good overall print quality. Includes several nozzles in various sizes. Relatively quiet. View More Cons Limited to printing from SD cards. Relatively slow at default settings. Several botched prints in testing. Open frame increases risk of burns from a hot extruder. View More The Bottom Line The Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer is easy to set up and use, and has good overall print quality, but it can't unseat our top pick. A serious flaw in how Linux operating systems handle server requests could leave millions of electronic devices vulnerable to hacking, according to security researchers. A Google engineer discovered the vulnerability, which affects the GNU C library, the main Linux source code. Google(Opens in a new window) and Red Hat(Opens in a new window) released patches that fix the security issue and related bugs, but because software updates require extensive testing, it could be a long time before administrators of major Linux systems apply them. "The main impact as it stands right now appears to be when a Linux system makes a query to a DNS server, and gets back a large response," security expert Mark Loveless told PCMag. Using this knowledge, a remote attacker could create a specially crafted DNS response which could cause a crash or potentially execute code with the user's permission, according to Red Hat. Because accessing DNS servers is a core component of most Linux operating systems, the flaw could affect many applications. In fact, any operating system that uses the GNU C library, commonly referred to as "glibc," could be affected, said Loveless, a researcher at Duo Security. That includes applications built with PHP, Python, and Ruby on Rails, as well as operating systems for tablets, phones, and other mobile devices. The degree to which Android operating systems are affected is still unclear, however. While Android does use glibc, Ars Technica reports(Opens in a new window) that its implementation is an adapted version called Bionic, which may not be as vulnerable. Google explained in a blog post(Opens in a new window) that while its engineers were investigating the vunerability, they discovered that programmers who maintain glibc had uncovered a similar bug in July 2015. Cooperation between the two groups made it easier to develop the Google patch. Linux powers so many operating systems for mobile devices because it is thought to be relatively secure, although today's vulnerability is the second major security flaw discovered in less than a month. In January, security researchers found a three-year-old bug that could give malicious hackers the ability to overtake Android devices running KitKat or later. Apple will fight a U.S. court order that directs Cupertino to help the FBI break into an iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Los Angeles District Court Judge Sheri Pym on Tuesday ruled that(Opens in a new window) Cupertino "shall assist in enabling the search" of an iPhone 5c owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. The tech titan must provide "reasonable technical assistance," like disabling the auto-erase function that kicks in after 10 failed password attempts. The hope is that the FBI can use "brute force" to crack the code, trying millions of combinations without fear of deleting crucial information. Pym's controversial order does not explicitly ask Apple to break the phone's encryption, but rather to develop and install a new mobile operating system to allow the government access to Farook's data. But Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has argued in favor of encryption, hit back, calling the request "dangerous," and saying that building a version of iOS to bypass security "would undeniably create a backdoor." "In the wrong hands, this softwarewhich does not exist todaywould have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," Cook wrote in a public letter(Opens in a new window) published to Apple's website. "The implications of the government's demands are chilling," adding that unlocking an iPhone is just the beginning. Apple started encrypting its mobile OS by default beginning with iOS 8, and Google did the same beginning with Lollipop. The move was in large part a response to the Edward Snowden docs and revelations that the feds were using more invasive technology to spy on citizens than most people thought. As a result, Apple, Google, and other tech companies have pushed back on the government's request for access to people's iPhones and Android devices, prompting criticism from agencies like the FBI. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customersincluding tens of millions of American citizensfrom sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals," Cook's letter said. "The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe." Apple is not completely ignoring the FBI, though, Cook said. "When the FBI has requested data that's in our possession, we have provided it. Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants, as we have in the San Bernardino case. We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI, and we've offered our best ideas on a number of investigative options at their disposal," Cook wrote. States like New York(Opens in a new window) and California have introduced bills that would ban the sale of encrypted devices. Last week, however, two members of Congress introduced a bill that would thwart state efforts to weaken smartphone encryption. Google will reportedly stop selling Play for Education licenses next month. "As of March 14 or later, Google will no longer sell Google Play for Education licenses," a company spokesman told TechCrunch(Opens in a new window). "We're committed to providing schools with the best-in-class tools for the classroomand a strong and growing ecosystem of educational apps." The app store section, introduced during Google I/O 2013, helps teachers and administrators discover apps and programs designed specifically for K-12 students. It's organized by subject matter and grade level, with apps from partners like NASA and PBS. It also offers textbooks to rent or buy from the top five higher-education publishers, allowing college students to read course materials on their mobile devices, saving hundreds on hefty hardcovers. Play for Education officially launched in November 2013, letting schools choose from three different "classroom-ready" tablets: the 7-inch Nexus 7, 10-inch Asus Transformer Pad, or 8-inch HP Slate 8 Pro, starting at $229 per device. Management capabilities cost another $30 per device. Schools can then explore and discover teacher-approved educational apps, and buy in bulk to instantly distribute apps, videos, and other content to students via the cloud. The company will reportedly continue to support existing Play for Education customers and their devices. Google did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. Perhaps Google is focusing its educational efforts on Chromebooks, which have taken off in classrooms around the country. As America's mounting anxieties over terrorism run up against its engrained mistrust of authority, the result has been a surprisingly robust debate about encryption and digital rights. Various law enforcement agencies have decried how strong encryption makes the Web "go dark(Opens in a new window)," i.e. it stymies their ability to peruse the Matrix unfettered in search of bad guys and their nefarious intentions. (In this case, "going dark" may overlap withbut should not be considered synonymous with"The Dark Web," which refers to the occasionally seedy(Opens in a new window) underbelly that lives within the Tor network). At the same time that authorities are seeking to enhance their digital surveillance powers, privacy advocates are pushing for more default encryption in order to protect the civil liberties of users who are often more than willing to exchange privacy for convenience. To those ends, lawmakers at all levels have proposed bills that will limit (or, in some cases, outright ban) the public's access to things like encrypted iPhones, while others have proposed legislation that would boost it. (And we should note that the political tussle over encryption has been refreshingly unbounded by today's entrenched partisan divides. There are Republicans and Democrats on both sides of the issueit probably won't last, but this non-tribal policy debate is a nice change of pace.) In many ways, the encryption debate is very particular to this exact moment in technological history. If things were to truly "go dark" on a vast scale, it would essentially take the authorities back to a pre-Internet time when it was harder to snoop remotely. Meanwhile, the protection offered by encrypted phones is quickly becoming technologically quaint as intelligence agencies shift their attention from tapping smartphones to tapping smart homes. Yes, your smart TV might be snitching on you (which is far from paranoid fantasy). We spoke with several digital privacy experts for a thought experiment about what the Internet would like would look like if strong, ubiquitous encryption was the rule rather than the exception (and if that would even be possible). If all devices and communications were encrypted by default, would users recognize a difference in the end experience? Amie Stepanovich, U.S. Policy Manager, Access Now(Opens in a new window): There are different types of encryption. There's transit encryption and encryption in storage. When you talk about transit encryption, that's what you get when you see HTTPS: at the beginning of a URL. A lot of companies have been slow to transition to that because there was an argument that it was slower or that it broke things. At least the argument about it being slower has fallen by the wayside. In 2011, there was a big hacking of Gmail by China. At the time, Gmail wasn't using transit encryption. They said it was because it would make things slower. And then after the China hack, they were like 'Oh, maybe we should put that into place.' And it really hasn't impacted the user experience at all. People essentially had no idea that the change had occurred except that they were a lot more secure on the other end. When it comes to more robust forms of encryption, there are some more cost benefits to consider. For example, end-to-end encryption isn't always searchable, and it isn't available on devices where you don't have a key installed. So you can't, for example, check email across devices. It depends on the implementation and what level of security you're looking for. Most of the time you're not even going to recognize them. Does encryption guarantee that all your data remains private? AS: [An encrypted device] is not necessarily the end of the story...if you store something in Apple's cloud, [for example,] Apple will have access to it. Even if everyone had a default encrypted iPhone, it doesn't protect your data once you sync your information to the cloud. Rule of thumb is if you have information on a device and you drop that device in a puddle and it dies, but you can still gain access to your data, your data is not completely secure. A lot of people turn sync on because of convenience because they want to be able to get access to their data across devices. The idea that we're heading towards ubiquitous encryption and everyone is going to go dark is quite disingenuous because people have a reason not to use the strongest securityusers might want Apple to store their information on their cloud because they want to back it up and have access to it from many places, but they should just know that Apple will then have access to that information. [Note: While many users know data is encrypted in Apple's iCloud, Apple does have the ability to decrypt that information and share with authorities if it is legally compelled to do so(Opens in a new window).] Does encryption negate the intelligence-collecting capabilities that Edward Snowden revealed such as PRISM, which allows the NSA to search anyone's email by just looking up their name? Peter Eckersley, chief computer scientist, Electronic Frontier Foundation(Opens in a new window): Unfortunately we aren't close to having any sort of encryption that would protect the contents of your email against a PRISM-like attack. We need to build these things, but the strong encryption that is being debated right now doesn't do that. We are maybe getting there with text messages, but don't have a way to do end-to-end email encryption yet. Not a practical one. Services like Silent Circle or Whisper offer end-to-end encryption, but are not yet a practical replacement for email. There's a technology called PGP(Opens in a new window) which has been around for a while, but it's not yet practical for email for most people. There are some big technical differences between email and text messaging which make email a lot harder: People expect to have all their old emails; they expect to be able to search all their old emails really fast from a phone even if they have 10GB worth of messages which they couldn't store locally on their device. Today's email platforms have very sophisticated spam filtering and prioritization features that have been built into these email platforms. To replicate all that functionality in an end-to-end encrypted system is an unsolved problem. In the age of supercomputers is there even such a thing as unbreakable encryption? AS: There are brute force attacks that would take yearsup to hundreds of millions of yearsto access encrypted information. That's the hardest way to gain access. In many cases it's going to be impossible. That's why when people want to gain access to informationbe they hackers or governmentsthey go about it in a different way. They might encourage the use of a vulnerability they can break. Or they might install a piece of malware that allows them access to your devicewhether or not you're using default encryption doesn't matter, because they're on your device and they can see the unencrypted information. That's what happened in Kazakhstan. The government there required citizens to install a government-mandated vulnerability(Opens in a new window) on their devices. So it wouldn't matter how much encryption you're using or how you're using itthey've owned the devices. All the computers and phones have this program on it which presumably allows encrypted information to be decrypted. Are vulnerabilities and backdoors always created with the knowledge of manufacturers? AS: They can be inserted with or without the manufacturer's knowledgeIn one example, we know that the NSA and GCHQ got access to SIM card keys. In that case we have no reason to believe that the manufacturer knew that the SIM card keys had been compromised, but they were compromised all the same. So, there's lots of different ways. Creating a backdoor is actually a lot harder with open-source software, which is why a lot of technologists advocate for it. Could a government even completely ban encryption if it really wanted to? It seems like someone could just engineer around it. PE: If the FBI wants to create new backdoors into systems, it's not going to affect programmers creating their own software. The authorities, however, might be able to restrict the types of services that large corporations can provide to the American public. You could install strong crypto software yourself, but the government might be able to restrict Apple or Google's ability to give you that in a convenient product that keeps you or your corporation secure. Would default encryption really stymie governments' abilities to control things? PE: Strong encryption by default would be a great win. One example of things that happen when you have, say, a strong encrypted version of Wikipedia is that governments can't censor particular Wikipedia articles. We've seen a lot of governments around the world that want to allow Wikipedia, but want to block particular articles they really don't like. Having strong encryption means that a connection to Wikipedia can't be distinguished easily from any other connection, so the government has to let people read freely. We've been fighting to increase the use of transit encryption for decades. And we made a huge amount of progress. But we know that unfortunately once you have this encryption in place there are still a lot of things that can go wrong if you're being attacked by a hacker or an intelligence agency. Those include malware that gets on to your computer or data breaches at the server side of things. So you have a secure encrypted connection to a website, but then the database that the website has gets hacked separately then all the data you put in there is vulnerable. There's a technique called "traffic analysis" where instead of reading the content of the communications your computer is sending, people surveil the pattern inside of those communications. And unfortunately there's a huge amount that can be learned from that type of data analysis and metadata. So we are only at the beginning of a long struggle to protect Internet users and the Internet against these problems. You can be assured that until we succeed, bad guys, be they hackers or governments, are going to use those techniques against us. What exactly is the problem with governments having the ability to go through a backdoor to peruse encrypted information on a device given they go through the proper legal challenges? AS: When people say backdoors and vulnerabilities, it's shorthand for several different approaches the government might take and have taken in order to maintain their access to data. One method is when the government allows a company to implement some type of encryption, but insists that it has some sort of vulnerability or defect that still allows them to get in. The problem is that you can't have a defect that can't be exploited by everybody. Once there's a hole there, anyone can poke around and look for that hole...these things are eventually figured out. Maybe not right away, but they will be eventually. They're gonna get broken into, and they're gonna get broken into by the bad guys. Interviews were conducted separately over the phone and Skype and answers were edited for brevity and clarity. Leap Motion is going hands on with its new virtual and augmented reality software and hardware. Dubbed Orion, the program aims to improve natural hand and finger input in simulated scenarios. The beta software, available today for developers, tracks faster and farther, promising lower latency and more reliability, even as you flail your arms about the room. Plus, improved performance in all lighting conditions means you can expect high-precision hand tracking at any time of day, in any type of environment. "Orion software represents a paradigm shift in how we do hand tracking," Leap Motion CTO David Holz said in a statement. "It's built from the ground up specifically for VR. It's radically smoother, faster, more reliable, and far more capable than even the best of what's existed before." Watch Leap Motion's "Blocks" demo in the video below, which highlights an alpha release of Orion on the Leap Motion interaction engine. Orion will launch alongside Leap Motion's embeddable hardware for AR and VR headsets, though a launch date was not revealed. Until then, the program works with current hardware like the Leap Motion Controller ($199.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . Developers can visit leapmotion.com/developers(Opens in a new window) to download the free beta software, watch demo experiences, and find other tools. "The holy grail of virtual reality is a sense of total presence and immersion. With Orion, we're enabling developers and OEMs to create that type of experience," CEO Michael Buckwald said. "People can use their own hands and fingers to interact with digital content in VR with the same ease and nuance they use in the real world." Leap Motion hit the scene about three years ago with the launch of its $80 gesture-based controller. In the fall of 2013, the company announced plans for a Hewlett-Packard-branded 3D-motion-controlled notebook. It wasn't until about a year later that the San Francisco-based start-up jumped onto the virtual reality bandwagon: In August 2014, Leap Motion introduced an Oculus Rift add-on that let users track their hands in apps designed for the VR headset. About a year ago, newcomer Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) announced an optional faceplate embedded with Leap Motion's software and hardware would be added to its Hacker Dev Kit. Google last week said that while it does collect information about students using Google Apps for Education (GAFE) programs, the data is not exploited for advertising purposes. The Web giant acknowledged the practice in a response to Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, who last month inquired(Opens in a new window) about Google's student data privacy practices. That came after the Electronic Frontier Foundation in December accused Google of deceptively collecting and mining school children's personal information, including Internet searches, for non-educational purposes, without consent from school administrators, pupils, or parents. In a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the EFF alleged that the Chrome browser's "Sync" feature is enabled by default on Chromebooks sold to schools, allowing Google to track and store "records of every Internet site students visit, every search term they use, the results they click on, videos they look for and watch on YouTube, and their saved passwords." And while Google maintained its tools comply with the law and company policies, it told EFF it would disable the setting on school Chromebooks that allow Sync data to be shared with other services. Franken was still concerned, though. In a Jan. 13 letter(Opens in a new window) to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, he asked Google to answer half a dozen questions, most of which were a variant of "What kind of data does Google collect on an individual student?" In a response(Opens in a new window) dated Feb. 12, Google explained that the data gathered through GAFE programs is similar to what is collected from any other user: name, email address, phone number, device hardware model and operating system, mobile network details, and log data. In her seven-page response, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations Susan Molinari addressed each of the senator's questionsa "thorough" response, Franken said on Tuesday. Still, he plans to follow up with Google to further clarify a few points, like what the company does with information it collects and processes. Franken is also advocating for stronger privacy protections, including the ability to opt out of data collection. Since May 2015, Microsofts revamped Outlook.com has remained in preview. Thats over as of Wednesday, and Microsoft has added some new plugin capabilities to go along with it. Once known as Hotmail, Microsofts new Outlook.com is now built upon Office 365 technology, and the company has begun adding useful plugins on top of itplus some fun, if impractical, GIFs from Giphy.com. These same plugins are also available to some users of the Outlook desktop apps, though youll need to download them as separate plugin apps from Microsofts online store. If youve already participated in the preview of Microsoft Outlook.com, you probably wont find much thats new. For millions of others, though, things will change. In a blog post, Microsoft said that the new look and feel is going live for users in North America. Users in other geographies will be transitioned over the next few weeks. One note for users of the Mac version of Outlook 2016: youll need to delete your Outlook.com account, then re-add it, to see the changes. Why this matters: While its sort of a pain to load up a dedicated browser tab for email and other Microsoft online apps, it can be worth it. Sure, your data is trapped in the cloud, but its also saved constantly, minimizing the traditional risks from PC crashes or hard drive failures. Microsoft often pushes some of its new features online before it migrates them to its dedicated apps. A walk through the new Outlook.com If youre seeing the Outlook.com service for the first time, however, be aware that Microsoft has made a number of changes over time. Windows 10s Mail app is a fairly basic way to send and receive email. The new Outlook.com, by contrast, is even more sophisticated, in some ways, than Microsofts dedicated Outlook apps. Microsoft Mentions now flag your email to whoever you choose. For one thing, Outlook.com now pays attention to the people you email with most, so expect to see a list of the your most frequently accessed contacts. We havent seen Microsoft add Facebook-style Likes in yet, but the complementary Mentions (an @ character, then a persons name) will flag that email as important for a particular user. You can also set your own flags, and pin email to the top of your inbox. Outlook.com also supports one of the niftier features Microsoft offers, Clutter, sort of a second-level spam filter. (Interestingly, Outlook.com users have another option, tooif you like the way Googles Gmail organizes its inbox, a new service makes that available for Outlook.com users.) As you write an email, Outlook now supports emoji and can also make any embedded pictures pop a bit more with some image creation tools. Email as a hub Microsoft has also begun to recognize that an email itself has a certain weight to it; if we send an email, it usually means somethingtheres a document attached to it, for example, or it may include a formal request for assistance. Outlook.com now launches complementary Microsoft cloud services, alongside email. Microsoft Microsofts revamed Outlook.com allows you to open and work on a Word document right next to the email that discusses it. For example, if you send a Word document, you dont need to send the actual document; instead you can send a copy of the file thats already stored in OneDrive, rather than downloading and re-uploading it to the Outlook.com service. (This works for Box and Dropbox, too.) And if you receive a Word document, Word Online will open the document in an adjoining pane, so you can work alongside it. Likewise, Microsoft now recognizes that email isnt necessarily the most appropriate medium in certain situations. Perhaps your mother sends you an email, and you need to respond now; Outlook.com can trigger Skype calls and chats right in your browser. Those are just the Microsoft-authored tools. A number of plugins now can be triggered right from the menu bar at the top of the screen. Did your buddy send you a teasing reminder that you skipped out on the check? Tap the PayPal icon at the top of the screen, and a sidebar pane will open and allow you to settle the bill. Microsofts added similar plugins for Uber (a code, OutlookLove, allows you to get a $20 discount), Wunderlist, Evernote, and Boomerang. You can also now embed cat GIFs with Giphy, and check out online reviews at Yelp. If you use the dedicated Office apps like Outlook 2015, you can get most of these via downloadable plugins at the Office Store. Microsoft Look at the top of the Outlook screen for a list of plugins to integrate with your email. Microsoft said moving Outlook.com to the Office 365 platform will help all the platforms work together better, but its online apps have always been test beds of sort for new features. Expect that to continue. Email remains the backbone of digital communications in todays world and were committed to making email awesome with Outlook experiences at home and at workacross all the devices you use, according to Javier Soltero, vice president of the Outlook team, in a blog post. Todays milestone with Outlook.com is one more key step in that journey, and you can expect to see more improvements and enhancements over the coming months. Apple may have taken on the fight of its life in standing up to the FBI, which is demanding that it help break into an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators in Decembers San Bernardino mass shooting. Apple has promised to fight a U.S. magistrate judges order Tuesday requiring it to assist the FBI, and legal experts say the case could go all the way up to the Supreme Court. Apple needs to tread carefully, however. A divisive presidential election has further polarized the country around issues including how to respond to terrorists, and Apple needs to be careful the public doesnt turn against it. By refusing the courts order, Apple is choosing to protect a dead ISIS terrorists privacy over the security of the American people, Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. Despite the lofty rhetoric and whichever side youre on, its a position Apple would certainly rather not be in. If the order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym still stands after Apples appeal, the company can elevate the case through the courts. With the case involving privacy, national security and other major issues, the Supreme Court may be interested, some legal experts said. Some cases take years to reach the nations highest court, but this one is likely to move faster because its related to a high-profile terrorism investigation, with the FBI possibly hunting for associates of the shooters. This is a particularly important case, said Gregory Nojeim, a senior counsel with the Center for Democracy and Technology. While sometimes these things fester and drag on, sometimes they move quickly because theyre important. Like Apple, the FBI could also appeal any judicial order that reverses Pyms decision. And the FBI is likely to fight on, given that the December 2 mass shooting is a high-profile terrorism case, and that FBI Director James Comey has been raising alarms about smartphone encryption since late 2014. The FBI wants Apples assistance to defeat an iPhone feature that erases the information on the phone after 10 unsuccessful password attempts. Pym gave Apple five days (view a PDF of the court order) to appeal if the company finds it unreasonably burdensome. Its clear Apple will appeal, after CEO Tim Cook said Pyms order amounts to a request for Apple to hack our own users. The U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create, Cook said in a statement. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. The next steps If Pyms order still stands, Apple could take it next to a district court judge. If it loses there, it could move to an appeals court, where it would likely be heard by a three-judge panel. If the company loses again, it could appeal the case to the full appeals court or the Supreme Court. Apple will appeal immediately to a district judge if it loses a second time before Pym, Kevin Bankston, director of the New America Foundations Open Technology Institute, said by email. Their need to comply [with the order] would almost certainly be stayed pending that appeal, and likely stayed pending a circuit appeal if that happened. Although legal experts say its unlikely, Pym could hold Apple in contempt of court if the company refuses to cooperate with her order. She could potentially impose significant fines, said Braden Perry, a regulatory and government investigations lawyer with the Kennyhertz Perry law firm in Kansas City. Fines could accrue while the company refuses to comply. Contempt of court penalties also can include prison time, but most legal experts dismissed that possibility. The judges order has ratcheted up a long-simmering debate about encryption and law enforcement access to personal information on smartphones. On the other side of the debate to Senator Cotton, digital rights group Fight for the Future is planning nationwide protests at Apple Stores in opposition of the court order. The FBIs request is a dangerous demand that will endanger the privacy of all smartphone users, said Evan Greer, Fight for the Futures campaign director. Though it feigned indifference to the two-day summit between President Obama and leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping was very much interested in the tenor of the meetings that wrapped up yesterday at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage. Beijing was not especially concerned about stronger economic ties between the U.S. and ASEAN members the ranks of which include, in descending order of gross domestic product, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. In fact, an editorial appeared this week in Global Times, which is backed by Chinas Communist party, suggesting that, though the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the 12-nation free trade agreement partly aimed at China, according to the Times, and though the pact includes four ASEAN members and more might eventually be included (t)he TPP and the China-ASEAN free trade zone can be compatible. By contrast, Xis government was clearly perturbed that President Obama had the temerity to broach the matter of Beijings expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea. Sunnylands wrong place to discuss South China Sea row, protested the headline accompanying the editorial in the Global Times. But we think Mr. Obama absolutely did the right thing in leading ASEAN members in a discussion of Beijings provocations in the South China Sea over the past two years. Indeed, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter last May demanded that Xis government halt it supposed reclamation projects, which have entailed turning underwater reefs not considered land under international law into permanent islands. In the meantime, China has territorial disputes with several of its smaller neighbors, including ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines. The latter has challenged the legality of Beijings so-called nine-dash line, which, the Communists claim, entitles them to control of the Spratly Islands. Xis government worried that, at Sunnylands this week, the Philippines would continue to play the victim and urge the ASEAN to take a hard stance against China over the territorial disputes with the backing of the United States, as Xinhua, the official news agency for the Peoples Republic, propagandized this week. But Beijings fears of ASEAN members taking a hard stance proved overblown. Led by Mr. Obama, ASEAN members agreed to let an international tribunal at The Hague decide whether Chinas claim to virtually the entire South China Sea is valid. If, as we expect, the tribunal sides with the Philippines, we will see if Beijing respects the rule of international law on the high seas. If it doesnt, then ASEAN members will see clearly that Beijings expansionist ambitions know no bounds. When Apple announced this week it would not help the FBI break open an iPhone used by a shooter in the San Bernardino attacks, the tech giant did not fall back on that dry hallmark of corporate America, the public statement. Instead, Apples resistance came in the form of a forceful, fiercely worded letter personally signed by its chief executive, Tim Cook, who has quickly become one of Americas most prominent and outspoken corporate activists. We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack, Cook wrote. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government. Cook has become a surprisingly candid firebrand atop the most valuable company on the planet, which was made infamous for corporate stealth and secrecy under its co-founder and former chief executive, the late Steve Jobs. But while Apple, now worth more than half a trillion dollars, has remained guarded, Cook has opened up speaking out vehemently on gender discrimination, cybersecurity, climate change and political crap. Cooks strong stance on digital privacy, which he has called a fundamental human right, is a long-standing one, and it has earned him applause from groups like the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which honored him at its annual Champions of Freedom event last summer in Washington. In 2014, Cook told journalist Charlie Rose that if the government laid a subpoena to get iMessages, we cant provide it, adding, Our business is not based on having information about you. Youre not our product. In December, on 60 Minutes, he repeated that view: I dont believe that the tradeoff here is privacy versus national security. I think thats an overly simplistic view. Were America. We should have both. But Cook has also charged into arenas far removed from modern tech. He told climate-change-denying investors in 2014 to get out of this stock after they complained about the companys pledge to slash greenhouse-gas emissions. Under Cook, Apple has also publicly supported workplace-equality bills, advocated for same-sex marriage and opposed state measures that would discriminate against gays and lesbians, including in Alabama, his native state. He became the first openly gay chief of a major American company in 2014 when he wrote in a public essay that he was proud to be gay, adding that he will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up. Since then, Cook has penned aggressive editorials, including an essay last March in the Washington Post, saying religious freedom bills rationalize injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear. He has also used some of that oratory firepower to stand up for Apple, calling congressional claims that the company profits off an overseas tax scheme total political crap. Cooks high-profile advocacy has earned him love from Apples peers and rivals in Silicon Valley. After Cook came out, Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg wrote, Thank you Tim for showing what it means to be a real, courageous and authentic leader. Cooks headline-grabbing stare-down with the FBI could, as cynics have said, be seen an incredible promotional opportunity for Apple, the chief seller and protector of the virtually uncrackable iPhone. Cooks letter is titled A Message to Our Customers, and can be found at apple.com/customer-letter. But Cooks deep involvement could help boost his prestige, too, in the eyes of customers and, perhaps more importantly, in the minds that Silicon Valley spends heavily to recruit. Who doesnt want a gutsy, stands-up-to-the-man CEO to make their phone, or be their boss? California is one of 17 states that have banded together to push for the development of more renewable energy and the infrastructure to handle it. Gov. Jerry Brown joined with Democratic and Republican governors from states across the country on Tuesday, Feb. 16, to announce the Governors Accord for a New Energy Future. Brown said the effort was in some ways a reaction to congressional gridlock. We think we can make major strides forward and bypass all this bickering you see in Washington, Brown said. The accord aims to increase renewable energy generation, expand and improve existing electrical grids and engage in cooperative efforts, including exporting energy from one state to another. The goal, Brown said, is to clean up the countrys air and water. Neighboring states Nevada and Oregon are part of the agreement, as is the state of Washington. San Bernardino County is already home to the largest solar thermal power plant in the world, the BrightSource project in Ivanpah. More renewable energy plants are on the way. UC Riverside has contributed important renewable research, particularly in the area of large batteries for storing electricity. Details of the governors accord were few, but Brown said the efforts would include upgrading the current electric grid to include smart technology, allowing for more efficient distribution of energy and integrating storage systems where excess electricity could be funneled until needed. That element, he said, is just as important as creating new energy. Were not in any way downplaying how you can screw things up if you just mindlessly build renewable energy facilities, Brown said, during a telephone press conference. There needs to be a system in place to handle that energy, he said. Brown was joined in the conference by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada. Sandoval said that the soon-to-be-completed Tesla battery plant being built in his state will be the largest such operation in the world. Nevada is also planning to build an electric highway between Las Vegas and Reno to accommodate electric cars that would need to recharge along the way. He said one-third of the electricity generated in Nevada is exported and more could be made available. Weve been in ongoing talks about sharing renewable energy when we can, Sandoval said. Thats why we need to complete (a transmission line project) thats under construction. We think we have amazing potential. We have the ability to export it to these other states. Contact the writer: mmuckenfuss@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9595 Im not sure why the cute oinker in the logo for Naughty Pig Butcher Shop & Encased Meats in Murrieta is winking and grinning. After moving out of the New Farmstead Public Market at Kalmia and Jefferson streets this past June, owner/chef Daniel K. Johnson has reopened his store for epicurean carnivores at 25359 Madison Ave., Suite 108 in a 1,565-square-foot former vaping lounge. Johnson, 32, has earned some impressive chops pun intended as a culinary school grad and former head sous chef of the snazzy Triple Creek Ranch a Relais Chateaux in Darby, Mont. Nothing he sells at the Naughty Pig has additives, antibiotics, artificial ingredients, hormones or chemicals, whether its the grass-fed Black Angus beef from Kansas, Duroc pork from Iowa, Jidori chicken from California, Colorado lamb or wild-caught sustainable seafood. Other favorites include his duck and lamb products, pate, foie gras, charcuterie and homemade sausages. He even cures and smokes his own meats. Johnson has introduced $75 per person pop-up dinners. After selling out three Valentines Day multi-course feasts this past weekend with baked oysters, lobster ravioli, cured shrimp and lamb chops the butcher chef said hes planning more specials. Information: 503-757-3578, Facebook or naughtypig1.com FROM EDGY TO HOMEY Goodbye, trendy, upscale and pricey food. Hello, comforting, affordable Cajun chow. Two months ago, Liberty Kitchen moved into the site of the former Edge Restaurant & Lounge, 28544 Old Town Front Street in Temecula. Libertys owners, Christina and David Conway, have unleashed the flavors that David grew up with in the Gulf Coast region of Texas and Louisiana. The menu features staples such as poboys, including two vegetarian versions; shrimp and grits; crawfish etouffee; fried green tomatoes; chicken fried steak; duck tostadas; fried gator; a veggie gumbo; collard greens; sweet potato pie; and a fresh gulf fish plate. Prices run from about $13 $17. Oh, and did I mention that the grub is a fiesta of fried stuff? Lots of cornmeal, gravy and cream sauce, too. Information: 951- 506-3309, thelibertykitchen.com THE MITTENS HANDOFF Chef Roberto Argentina, 52, who helped transform Redlands culinary scene with his fresh, organic farm-to-table food at several restaurants, is leaving the city for good after 17 years. In an email, the former owner of Farm Artisan Foods and The Farm, who introduced Lunch at the Mitten Building, 345 N. 5th St., Suite A, in August 2014, announced that he and his family are moving to Houston where his parents reside. But not until he whips up his last multiple-course wine dinner on Sunday, April 24. The cost is $100 per person to help Redlands Grove High School finish restoring and occupying the historic Barton House. Two of Chef Robertos proteges, chefs David Pond and Benjamin RosasLeon, whove been doing much of the Argentinas cooking for the past few years, will continue running Lunch at the Mitten Building. Owner of the historic site, Jami Spencer, said the duo will keep the same organic, local and free-range ingredients and continue baking daily Argentinas signature sourdough bread. Information: 909-793-9372, mittenbuilding.com/lunchatthemiten/ BEE-CAUSE ITS GOOD Mikolich Family Honey of Temecula has created a buzz, recently winning a Good Food Award for the second year in a row, this time for its sage buckwheat honey. The competition attracted 1,927 entrants from 33 states, yielding176 winners. Turning his passion into profits, Alan Mikolich and his wife Mary launched their bee-based biz in 1985. Today their three kids, Erika, Scott and Kevin, help with sales, marketing, harvesting, extracting honey and pollinating. Information: 951- 295-1903, mikolichhoney.com PIZZA WITH A PUNCH Knockout Pizza Round 2, which opened Jan. 25 in Riverside, is now slugging it out with scores of area competitors. Knockouts owners, Eddie and Crystal Hendrix, who launched their Round 1 shop in Hesperia four years ago, occupy the former Giulianos Trattoria at 6060 Magnolia Ave. Information: 951-788-7093 To pass on tips about restaurants, breweries and food shops that are opening or closing, contact Laurie Lucas at llucas@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9559. President Barack Obamas motorcade, preceded by CHP and other law enforcement vehicles, arrived at Palm Springs International Airport at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16. The president got out of a black SUV and walked a short distance to greet cheering visitors, including Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon. Obama shook hands with a throng of special guests including a man holding a baby. He walked back to the plane and boarded at 3:35 p.m. Air Force One circled to the back of the runway and was off the ground at 3:43 p.m. President Barack Obama, during a press briefing following the conclusion of the U.S.-Southeast Asian summit in Rancho Mirage on Tuesday, vowed to nominate a qualified candidate to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. After expressing his condolences to Scalias family, Obama said: The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen when there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court. The president of the United States is to nominate someone, the Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee or that nominee becomes a Supreme Court justice. Historically, this has not been viewed as a question, Obama said, as part of closing remarks as the two-day U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit ended at the Sunnylands estate. Theres no unwritten law that says it can only happen in off-years. The president said he was amused by those who consider themselves strict interpreters of the Constitution read into it provisions that are not there. There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider, in a thoughtful way, a nominee I present and make a decision. Obama said he would nominee someone with an outstanding legal mind, someone who cares about our democracy and rule of law. Part of the problem we have here (is) weve almost gotten accustomed to how obstructionist the Senate has become, adding that 14 judicial nominees who cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee have not been voted on. The fact that weve almost grown accustomed to a situation that is almost unprecedented, where every nomination is contested even when theres no ideological objection certainly where theres no disqualifying actions by the nominee that have surfaced I think is a measure of how unfortunately, the venom and rancor up in Washington has prevented us from getting work done. This would be a good moment for us to rise above it. The president said he understood the pressure facing some Republican senators to not allow a vote on any nominee he puts forward. But he said the Supreme Court is different and that elected leaders need to rise above day-to-day politics. Your job doesnt stop until youre voted out or until your term expires, he said. I intend to do my job. I hope that they do theirs. Obama said his remarks shouldnt be seen as a sign he will nominate a moderate. You shouldnt interpret anything other than they are well-qualified. Obama dismissed the idea of appointing someone to the court while the Senate is in recess. President Barack Obama used a news conference in Rancho Mirage on Tuesday, Feb. 16, to confidently predict that Donald Trump will not become president and shame Senate Republicans into holding a hearing on his pick to replace deceased U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama, who was in town for a summit of Southeast Asian leaders at the historic Sunnylands estate, also said Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have a lot in common and that Russia should join the international community in seeking a political solution to the Syrian civil war. Obama said he continues to believe that Trump, a flamboyant billionaire and the current frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, will not replace him in the Oval Office. And the reason is I have a lot of faith in the American people, the president said. And they recognize that being president is a serious job. Its not hosting a reality show or talk show. Its not promotion or marketing Its not about pandering and what will get you in the news on any given day. Foreign observers, Obama said, are troubled by what they are hearing from the Republican contenders for the White House, not just Trump. He says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying as well, the president said of Trump. So he may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment, but if you look at what the other Republican candidates have said, thats pretty troubling, too. He may express strong, anti-immigration sentiment, but youve heard that from the other candidates, as well. Obama also took a veiled shot at Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a GOP presidential candidate, who was among eight senators to sponsor an immigration reform package that the president supported. Hes running away from it as fast as he can, Obama said. SUPREME COURT While the ASEAN summit focused on trade and security issues involving 10 Southeast Asian countries, the first question for Obama was about whom he will nominate to replace Scalia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Republicans and GOP presidential contenders have said the process to fill the high court vacancy should wait until the next president is elected. After expressing his condolences to Scalias family, Obama said: The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now. When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination, and either they disapprove of that nominee or that nominee is elevated to the Supreme Court. Historically, this has not been viewed as a question. Theres no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off years thats not in the constitutional text. The president said he was amused by those who consider themselves strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider in a thoughtful way the record of a nominee that I present and to make a decision. Obama said he would nominate someone with an outstanding legal mind, someone who cares about our democracy and rule of law. Part of the problem we have here (is) weve almost gotten accustomed to how obstructionist the Senate has become, adding that 14 judicial nominees who cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee have not been voted on. The fact that weve almost grown accustomed to a situation that is almost unprecedented, where every nomination is contested, even when theres no ideological objection certainly where theres no disqualifying actions by the nominee that have surfaced I think is a measure of how unfortunately, the venom and rancor up in Washington has prevented us from getting basic work done. This would be a good moment for us to rise above it. The president said he understood the pressure facing some Republican senators, including from some voters in their home states, to not allow a vote on any nominee he puts forward. But he said the Supreme Court is different and that elected leaders need to rise above day-to-day politics. Your job doesnt stop until youre voted out or until your term expires, he said. I intend to do my job. I hope that they do theirs. Obama said his remarks shouldnt be seen as a sign he will nominate a moderate. You shouldnt interpret anything other than they are well-qualified, he said. BERNIE VS. HILLARY Asked if he agreed with former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons assertion that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had not been loyal to him, Obama said: Thats the great thing about primaries. Everyone is trying to differentiate themselves when in fact Bernie and Hillary agree on a lot and disagree with the GOP. He said he knows Clinton better because she served in his administration. I suspect on certain issues she agrees with me more but there may be some issues Bernie agrees with me more, the president said. For now, I think its important for Democratic voters to express themselves and for the candidates to be put through the paces. SYRIA The president said Russias military invention on behalf of Bashar al-Assads regime is a sign that the Syrian regime is weak. If somebody is strong, you dont have to send in your army to prop up your ally, he said. You send in your army when the (force) youre backing isnt effective. Yes, Russia is a major military, he said. Obviously a bunch of rebels are not going to be able to compete with the hardware of the second most powerful military in the world. But that doesnt solve the problem of stabilizing Syria. The only way to do that is bring about some type of political transition. Im under no illusions here that this is going be easy, Obama added. A country is shattered because Assad was willing to shatter it. The real question we should be asking is what is it that Russia thinks it gains if it gets a country thats been completely destroyed as an ally that it has to perpetually spend billions of dollars to prop up. Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@pressenterprise.com CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the organization that funded a proposed referendum on the World Logistics Center. CCAEJ Action, a project of the Advocacy Group, was behind the effort. Moreno Valley residents will not get a chance to vote on the World Logistics Center. Opponents failed to gather enough signatures to force an election on the project, election officials announced Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 16. A referendum submitted in late December by critics of the 40.6-million square warehouse complex fell short of the signatures required to place it on a ballot, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters announced. Referendum supporters needed signatures from 7,609 registered voters, or 10 percent, to qualify. The registrars office determined that the petition had 6,059 valid signatures, meaning the petition was declared insufficient, according to a notice provided to the Moreno Valley city clerks office. Almost 10,000 signatures were submitted to the registrars, but a committee funded by developer Iddo Benzeevi mounted a counter-campaign to get voters to withdraw their signatures. Registrar Rebecca Spencer said her office did a random sample of 500 signatures submitted for the referendum but had to check all withdrawal signatures, of which 9,584 were from valid registered voters. However, only 11.4 percent resulted in withdrawn signatures from the referendum, she said. Kathleen Dale, a Moreno Valley resident who helped lead the referendum drive, on Tuesday declined to comment on the results until she had independently verified them. Benzeevi, CEO and president of Highland Fairview said the outcome shows the public supports the project. Once again, the residents of Moreno Valley have made their views crystal clear: they want to move forward with the World Logistics Center as quickly as possible, his statement released through spokesman said. Referendum backers say they began the effort because they were outraged by the City Councils November decision to adopt three ballot measures supporting the project without putting them to voters as promised. Those measures repealed the August project approval and replaced them with nearly identical language. Highland Fairview backed the three measures, aimed at giving the project additional legal protection. In a 2014 case, the California Supreme Court ruled that voter-approved development initiatives are generally exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires a detailed analysis of traffic, pollution, wildlife and other environmental impacts. Nine lawsuits have been filed against the project, including by Riverside County, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. They contend that the council-approved study did not meet CEQA requirements and failed to address traffic, air pollution and other environmental concerns. Penny Newmans Jurupa Valley-based Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, is among those suing over the project. The referendum effort was funded by CCAEJ Action, a project of the Advocacy Group. It shares an office with Newmans group and works with it on environmental issues, but is separate. Highland Fairview funded efforts by a group called the Moreno Valley Jobs Coalition, which sponsored the three ballot initiatives and the effort against the referendum. Project foes say signature-gatherers for the referendum were harassed and followed by campaign workers for the Moreno Valley Jobs Coalition in an attempt to keep people from signing it. Eric Rose, a Highland Fairview spokesman, has said there was no credibility to the accusations. The developer put more than $800,000 for its campaign to pass the measures and fight the referendum, outspending opponents 4 to 1. The Committee to Protect Moreno Valley spent $187,775, campaign finance statements show. Proponents say the project will bring 20,000 jobs and $2.5 billion in economic activity, while opponents say it will clog area roads and freeways and increase pollution in a region where air quality is already one of the worst in the nation. Attorneys have been awaiting the outcome of the signature drives. Those suing the city have described the initiatives as an obvious attempt to circumvent environmental challenges and expect to challenge them. They have also said there are other legal grounds to fight the project. Contact the writer: 951-368-9558 or ighori@pressenterprise.com A federal civil rights lawsuit alleges a San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department patrol car side swiped a long-distance runner causing him to fall and sustain injuries and then deputies used racial slurs during his arrest in a February 2014 incident. In the lawsuit filed Thursday, Feb. 11, Trevor R. Arthur states deputies continue to harass, follow him and intimidate him while he is running around Needles and at a local high school. Arthur was arrested Feb. 24, 2014 in Needles, detained at sheriffs Colorado River Station there and released about three hours later. A San Bernardino County Superior Court misdemeanor criminal complaint about an incident the same date charges a Trevor Ryan Arthur with obstructing and resisting an officer. The complaint was dismissed in December 2014, according to court records. County spokesman David Wert wrote in an email that the county isnt familiar enough with the case to offer a comment. The federal lawsuit states that Arthur, a runner with the Fort Mojave tribes Spirit Runners, was hit by the patrol car bumper in the right leg, tossed into a fence and tackled by deputies who put him in a choke hold, and treated him roughly at the jail. His mother took him to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Riverside names as defendants San Bernardino County and the Sheriffs Department, sheriffs administrators, the city of Needles and sheriffs deputies Pat McMullen and C. McCarthy. The city contracts with the county for law enforcement services. The saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. If youre as desperate for answers as the United States government is in the aftermath of last years mass shooting in San Bernardino, those measures apparently include creating a tool that could theoretically unlock any iPhone on the planet. Thats the message Apple CEO Tim Cook has put out in an unprecedented open letter on the tech giants website. In it, he claims that in the search for data relating to the shooters, the FBI have pressured the company into constructing an exploit to circumvent their encryption technology. Even in the face of an event as tragic and seemingly senseless as the shooting which left 14 dead and many more injured Apple is refusing to retool their operating system, saying building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. Although a Californian judge has backed the FBIs move, Cook claims the government is asking Apple to hack our own users, which would undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers including tens of millions of American citizens from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. Moreover, he claims the if government kept that key for later use, it could theoretically intercept an even larger portion of data sent and received from iPhones. So here we are, ladies and gentlemen the ideological battle between the right to privacy and the right to justice is only ramping up. Well update this story as it develops. Source: Apple / CNN. Photo: ChinaFotoPress / Getty. Agents of Spring is a rad research and innovation agency, always on a mish to find the incredible. Agents of Spring use unique methods and innovative strategies to help businesses solver problems, identify growth opps and generate new ideas using consumer research and clever problem solving. Agents of Spring is on the hunt for a new Creative Agent (AUS) to join the creative arm/team Agents of Ideas! As an Agent, you will naturally be the curious sort who oozes enthusiasm. You will participate in problem solving workshops where youll participate in multiple activities, exploring and solving client problems. You will be collaborative in nature, working alongside others to create killer concepts. If you think youre incredible, or at least the sort who is always full of ideas, and better yet, know how to apply these ideas to creative problem solving and design thinking then go get em while they hot and apply HERE. Orange Line is an industry leading, performance marketing digital agency, delivering stellar solutions to businesses and getting strategic shit done. Orange Line assists companies in achieving business objectives through their online presence. A awesome opportunity has arisen for a Digital Content Editor (SYD) to work at the chill, yet profesh Orange Line HQ. As Digital Content Editor (SYD), you will be reporting to the Art Director, in collaboration with the Account Managers and Team Leads. You will be responsible for supporting clients digital strategy, pitching perf ideas for articles, managing freelance copywriters, as well as editing all copywriting work through the agency. If this doesnt already sound like your gig, youll also get a side serving of perks, including top-notch training opportunities, free breakfast cause thats the most important meal yknow, sick team events on the reg, and Beers & Brains Thursday (we dont know what that is but we want in!). If you consider yourself a digital guru, who can help direct clients through the multifaceted, digi-landscape, then do not delay and apply HERE. The National Trust of Australia is an independent, non-profit organisation supported by a killer community. The National Trust of Australia is Victorias premier heritage and conservation organisation and the major operator of historic places like Como House, Old Melbourne Goal and Rippon Lea Estate. The National Trust of Oz is on the hunt for an Operations & Development Manager (MELB) to put their proactive personality to good use, and take on responsibility and management of two of Melbs most popular & award winning attractions The Old Melbourne Gaol & Polly Woodside! As Operations & Development Manager, youll also need to be nifty at growing community engagement, as you will focus on the expansion of business development strategies across these National Trust sites. If you have a few years experience (five to be exact), have some hefty knowledge of financial reporting, and consider yaself to be all things innovative & inspiring then dont let this doozy of a job slip you by, apply HERE! Matter Design is a boutique creative digital agency providing some killer design & development services. Matter Design work by being driven by results & coffee lots of coffee a simple, and realistic approach to the everyday. The guys at Matter are a team of super experienced individuals who bring so many skills to each project. A sick opportunity has opened up for a Frontend Website Developer (HOB) to join the swanky, new office being opened in the heart of Hobart. As a Frontend Website Developer, you will be collaborative in nature, as youll work with digital designers to transform their creations into a funky & functional website. Youll work well independently and alongside clients. Youll need to have some serious understanding of responsive websites, and have some front-end framework experience up ya sleeve. If youre dig the collab-vibes, enjoy the caj coffee, and wanna work in a forward-thinking boutique agency, then apply HERE. All deets courtesy of Pedestrian Jobs. Dont let your dream job slip you by Love your work! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and get yourself signed up to our Daily Job Alerts. Kochanny: We did one last hike before the longest day of the year sports 1. Its World Class 2. Its Bad Ass 3. Oskar Blues 4. Location, Location, Location 5. Enduro 6. Kick Ass / Kick Start 7. Beast Mode! 8. Old School meets High Class 9. Family 10. Your Adventure is waiting! Photos by Icon Media Asheville courtesy of Blue Ridge AdventuresI've been able to race this awesome event 5 times in the last 7 years. The Pisgah Stage Race has been carefully refined year after year. All the hot trails in Pisgah are featured, and each day contains almost 75% single track. Professional chip timing and electronically scanned Enduro segments yield accurate and worry free results. Each evening, a gourmet catered dinner is complimented by a professionally produced video featuring race action from that same day. Theres also a professional photographer capturing all the action. Youll be sure to find a great photo of yourself to make all your friends jealous. Blue Ridge Adventures has continuously improved this event over the past 7 years and the finished product shows it. Racers come from all over the US and the World to participate. Ive raced in this event with folks from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, the Caribbean, and all corners of the US.Thats right, bad ass! The easiest way to put it is well let's just say that where youre from there is a beginner, an intermediate, and an expert trail... a green, a blue, and a black diamond. You need to step that up when you come to Pisgah. The riding is physical its raw. Rocks, roots, repeat.When you have a headline sponsor like Oskar Blues , you know its going to be a great event. Whats a great mountain bike race without great beer, right? Well no need to worry because Oskar Blues has you covered with the best beer, brewed right in town in Brevard. You can crush a stage, and then stop by the brewery and see and taste first-hand how great beer is crafted.The town of Brevard N.C. is the primary staging point for the Pisgah Stage Race , and its in the heart of the Pisgah Mountains. Each stage starts and finished very close to town, so you dont have to worry about transferring from town to town with each stage. Brevard is a tourist attraction in its own right and is popular for many family and adventure vacations. Transylvania County surrounds Brevard and contains much of the Pisgah Forest. The county is known as the Land of the Waterfalls with over 250 places where water cascades over the unique geography of the region. Nearby Dupont State Forest has an amazing network of well groomed trails as well as some spectacular waterfalls. Asheville N.C. is close by and boasts a vibrant arts scene and plenty of historic architecture. You wont have any shortage of activities to fill your spare time and all these opportunities make for great adventure for your family to enjoy as well.Video stills by Land of Sky Media courtesy of Blue Ridge AdventuresWould you rather focus on shredding the downhills? You will love the Enduro sections! Think you can win your stage category and take the Enduro segment? Why not, theres some serious talent that shows up for this race. Throw your hat in the ring. Each stage features a chip timed Enduro section.Anyone who has done a stage race will tell you that by the end of it, you're usually rolling stronger than you started. Plus, training for a stage race in the Spring is going to help turbo charge your summer season. The Pisgah Stage Race will kick start you out of the winter cold and set you up for a kick ass season.Riding in Pisgah is demanding and raw. Completing the Pisgah Stage Race will turn you into a brawler and leave you with the Pisgah Tattoo. Race in Pisgah for a week and youll return home a prize fighter ready to rage on all the trails you used to think were hard. You might come to the race as an animal, but youll leave as a beast.Just because you are racing in the oldest mountains on the planet, with some of the gnarliest trails on the East Coast, dont expect the event to be old school. The Pisgah Stage Race is a modern, high class and high tech event. Blue Ridge Adventures has been continuously improving and refining the event every year. A constant evolution of course design, catering, post ride events and activities, ensures you can focus on one thing, having the best damn time possible enjoying all that Pisgah has to offer.The Pisgah Stage Race really is a family affair. Youll race together, dine together, and share in the challenges and triumphs. Blue Ridge Adventures becomes your extended family for the week and will absolutely make sure you have a good time. Every day youll get to know the friendly staff and folks out there on the course making sure you stay on track, that your well stocked, and of course having fun. Even if you come to the Pisgah Stage Race without knowing anyone, I guarantee youll leave with a lot of new friends.Over the years, Ive participated in lots of racing and riding events. From the local cross country circuit to bigger adventures such as the BC Bike Race and many hundreds of miles in the NUE series. But theres something about Pisgah that always calls me back. Out of all the places Ive raced, and all the events Ive been fortunate enough to participate it, the Pisgah Stage Race is at the top of the list. Every time Ive been able to race it, Ive always come away with new stories of adventure, new friends, and memories Ill carry throughout the rest of the year. Oh yeah, and I come out a beast.Sign up for the Pisgah Stage Race From Our Firehouse to Yours COOKS - It is sort of strange how things get started, some projects take a lot of time and thought, others are off the cuff ideas. In the case of... Seul Choix Haunted GULLIVER - The big fundraiser for the Gulliver Historical Society, Haunted Lighthouse is coming this weekend to a real haunted Lighthouse located in Gulliver, Mich. Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse is... Out and About Audio Article Atascosa County Anti-Bullying Rally Oct. 19 Poteet Strawberry Festival grounds, main pavilion, 6-8 p.m. Guest speaker Batman & Co. and... JISD Supt. McAllister announces retirement Audio Article The retirement of Jourdanton ISD Superintendent Theresa McAllister was announced at the meeting of the school board held on Oct.... 2016 EPT Dublin Main Event Day 3: Bubble Bursts, 45 Remain, and Alex Goulder Leads February 17, 2016 Frank Op de Woerd Day 3 of the 2016 PokerStars European Poker Tour Dublin 5,300 Main Event started with the 605-player field already diminished to just 127 hopefuls. Some 40 of those would still leave empty handed, as there were just 87 checks to be handed out. Some of the well-known players not to make it were Carlos Chadha, Michael Wang, Nick Abou Risk, Pratyush Buddiga, Fernando Brito, and Chris Moorman. Another player that didn't make the cut was 2015 World Series of Poker November Nine member Zvi Stern, who had started the day with a very healthy 140,000-chip stack. He called a three-bet out of position with ace-nine and front shoved all in for a couple times the pot after flopping a flush draw. Unfortunately for him, his opponent, Jean-Noel Thorel, wasn't backing down with his unimproved ace-jack high, and he called. After both the turn and river blanked, Stern made his exit. Despite collecting a big pot there, and winning several others, Thorel would not make the money. The Frenchman, known for not giving up in pots easily, moved in with an open-end straight and backdoor flush draws, only to run in to the set of former November Niner Antoine Saout. The bubble loomed not much later after EPT Deauville champion Ognyan Dimov made his exit in 89th place. Hand-for-hand play started with 88 players remaining, a stage that took just a little while with Sven Magirius busting out soon after it began. He was down to just four big blinds and made his move with ace-king. Brazilian player Alexandre Rivero woke up with pocket tens and put the German at risk. Rivero flopped an open-end straight draw and turned his straight to send Rivero packing. As one might expect, with the bubble out of the way, players busted out left and right. Christoph Vogelsang, David Vamplew, and Bart Lybaert were just a couple of the players signing for a min-cash worth 9,100. Liv Boeree signed for the same payout, as she was unable to beat ace-nine suited with pocket sevens. Her opponent flopped an ace and turned a flush on a card that gave the British PokerStars Team Pro a set. The board failed to pair on the river, and Boeree made her exit in 74th place. Well-known French rounder Fabrice Soulier was the first to bust out in a higher pay grade, receiving 10,270 after getting rivered with ace-jack against king-queen. Andrew Chen (nines against jacks), Mike McDonald (ace-king against jack-ten), and Anthony Zinno (ace-king cracked by king-queen) busted out not much later, also receiving 10,270. Where some fell, others thrived, with Alex Goulder as a prime example. He ended the day as chip leader with 1.02 million in his stack, good for 102 big blinds at the start of Day 4. PokerStars Team Pro Luca Pagano (470,000) the only player with three EPT Dublin cashes to his name already PokerStars Team Online member Jaime Staples (241,000), and British regular Scott Margereson (642,000) also collected healthy stacks on Day 3. Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts Rank Player Chips 1 Alex Goulder 1,020,000 2 Frank Williams 881,000 3 Christopher Kruk 812,000 4 Ivan Banic 715,000 5 Gilles Bernies 657,000 6 Scott Margereson 642,000 7 Adrian Mateos 631,000 8 Rhys Jones 630,000 9 James Akenhead 626,000 10 Kuljinder Sidhu 613,000 Dzmitry Urbanovich will be making an appearance on Day 4 as well, though his 164,000 stack is on the low side. Same goes for two-time EPT Prague finalist David Boyaciyan (147,000), Russian karate expert Artem Litvinov (326,000), and 2015 November Niner Pierre Neuville (262,000). Day 4 of the Main Event starts Thursday at 12 p.m. local time with another five 90-minute levels on the schedule. Besides the Main Event, the three-day 10,750 High Roller gets underway at 12:30. PokerNews.com will be on site for coverage, so check back to get updates from both big events in the Irish capital of Dublin. In the meantime, check out Sasha Salinger's interview with then chip leader Chris Kruk. Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+! A Dallas police officer working an off-duty security job was injured in a fight with three members of the British Royal Navy trying to break up a bar brawl early Saturday in Uptown. Senior Cpl. Gerardo Huante was working in full uniform at the Concrete Cowboy in the 2500 block of Cedar Springs Road when he tried to break up a fight in the bars parking lot around 2:30 a.m., police said. The three men kicked and hit Huante. They have been identified as Christopher Casey, 28; Christopher Hickman, 30; and Callum Duncan, 26; they were arrested and each charged with assault on a public servant, a third-degree felony. All three men are no longer in jail, the Dallas Morning News reports. Huante was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital for treatment and later released. Police did not release details on his injuries. Constable Thierry LeRoux (Photo: Surete du Quebec) The Algonquin community of Lac Simon, Que., is in shock after a man opened fire on a police officer and then killed himself. On Saturday night, police were called to a domesitic disturbance call at a residence in the community 500 kilometres north of Montreal. As officers approached the house, shots were fired and Constable Thierry LeRoux, 26, was killed according to a a release from the Surete du Quebec. The alleged shooter, Joseph Anthony Raymond-Papatie, 22, killed himself, APTN News reports. Carroll County (MD) Sheriff James T. DeWees (Photo: Facebook) Carroll County (MD) Sheriff James T. DeWees posted on Facebook Saturday morning a letter to the president following the deaths of law enforcement officers across the country, including two sheriff's deputies in Harford County. The letter reads: Dear President Obama: In case you havent heard, eight American police officers over the past eight days have been killed in the line of duty. Two of these police officers were Harford County Sheriffs Deputies that were gunned down at a Panera Restaurant just 50 miles from where you live. Ive watched and listened intently for words of encouragement and sorrow to come from you, but havent heard or seen anything. Conversely, just two weeks ago my governor, Larry Hogan, spent the better part of a week placing a call each day to one of my deputies that was involved in a severe traffic collision in Carroll County. He wasnt satisfied with speaking to me in order to send his prayers and regards; he called every day after the collision until he spoke with my deputys wife. Governor Hogan also drove to Harford County the day after two deputies were slain to meet Sheriff Gahler and the men & women of his office to grieve with them. The governor is in the middle of the 2016 Legislative Session and is pretty busy, yet found time to call, visit and pay his respects to me & my deputy, and the men & women of the Harford County Sheriffs Office. I understand that you are a busy man and are being pulled in multiple directions every day of the week. But, when my president doesnt take the time to openly recognize the sacrifices that brave men & women of law enforcement make each day to keep domestic peace, Im disappointed! I suspect that if these same deputies walked in to a restaurant, and without provocation shot and killed an innocent man, you and your staff would quickly whisk their family away to Washington for a future speech to make an example of police officers nationwide. For me Mr. President, it has nothing to do with Republican or Democrat; black or white, male or female; but, it has everything to do with leading or following. Im not shocked that you havent openly reached out or acknowledged publically the recent rash of deaths in law enforcement, but Im tremendously disappointed! Mr. President, your silence about these events SPEAKS VOLUMES!!!! PS: I'll be standing outside in the cold next week with my deputies for the funerals of the Harford Co deputies; I'll save you a spot next to me! James T. DeWees Sheriff Carroll County Maryland The Grosse Ile Police Department in Michigan used Vigilant Solutions fixed license plate reader (LPR) cameras to exonerate two individuals from wrongdoing. Grosse Ile has Vigilant Solutions fixed license plate reader cameras monitoring one of the bridges to the island community to enhance the safety of its citizens. Based on recent successes, they are in the process of adding additional fixed LPR cameras to cover the other bridge onto the island. Lieutenant Robert Bow of Grosse Ile PD explains two separate cases in which the cameras were used to exonerate individuals from false accusation: "In the first instance, a woman had accused her ex-husband of vandalizing her vehicle. Upon questioning the suspect, he informed us that he had not been on the island during the time of the reported incident. We began investigating his alibi, and the data from the license plate reader cameras helped to support his claim. Upon querying his license plate in our system, we were able to confirm that his vehicle was not on the island at the time of the crime. This data allowed investigators to focus on other suspects, and ultimately solve the case. "In another case, we had someone call the department claiming that a friend had held him at gunpoint and threatened him. The suspect denied the incident, and stated that he had not been on the island at the time of the reported incident. Upon checking the LPR system, we were able to find data that supported this alibi. We then questioned the complainant on his accusation, at which point he confessed to filing a false report in hopes of getting his friend in trouble." Lieutenant Bow concludes, "It is important to note that the LPR system is unable to place an individual in a vehicle it is anonymous in nature and only provides us with data points on the vehicle's location. Because of this, the LPR data was not sufficient by itself to exonerate these individuals. But, this data allowed investigators to better focus their efforts and exonerate these individuals and arrive at the truth." About Vigilant Solutions Based in Livermore, CA, Vigilant Solutions is a pioneer of innovative intelligence solutions that help law enforcement protect officers, families, and communities. For additional information, visit www.vigilantsolutions.com. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump has hit a new low by jumping on board the conspiracy theory that President Obama had Antonin Scalia murdered. Video: Transcript via Media Matters: SAVAGE: Donald I need to come back to the topic weve been all screaming about here which is Scalia, was he murdered? I know its pretty brutal to say that and Im not wanting to drag you into this but this is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. I went on the air and said we need the equivalent of a Warren Commission, we need an immediate autopsy before the body is disposed of. What do you think of that? TRUMP: Well I just heard today and that just a little while ago actually you know I just landed and Im hearing its a big topic thats the question. And its a horrible topic, but they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. I cant tell you what I cant give you an answer. You know usually I like to give you answers but I literally just heard it a little while ago. Its just starting to come out now, as you know, Michael. SAVAGE: Well Ive been covering it for an hour and a half, theres a lot more to it than that. There was no medical examiner present, there was no one who declared the death who was there, it was done by telephone from a U.S. marshal, appointed by Obama himself. So let me not try to drag you into something you havent studied because I dont think it would be fair to you and to the audience. I think after you look into these facts, Donald, you yourself will have to come to some different conclusions than you may think. Donald Trump is Americas first modern conspiracy theory presidential candidate. Trump doesnt just subscribe to conspiracy theories. He uses them for political gain. Donald Trump set the stage for his 2016 candidacy with his birther attacks during President Obamas first term in office. Trump still refuses to admit that the president was born in the United States. Trump has gone birther on his main rival for the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz. A new poll of South Carolina revealed that Trumps lead in the polls is directly related to his conspiracy laden, bigoted, racist platform. There is no great conspiracy behind Antonin Scalias death. Scalia lived the lifestyle that many conservatives preach. He was a morbidly obese smoker who didnt exercise and ate what he wanted. The shock isnt that Scalia died. Its that he lived to see age 79. Barack Obama did kill not Antonin Scalia, but that wont stop Trump from using Scalias death to literally scare up Republican primary votes. Just when you think Republicans cant go any lower with their Obama hate, Donald Trump pushes the conspiracy that President Obama had Justice Scalia murdered. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print While the residents of Flint, Michigan continue to suffer from the lack of clean water caused by the incompetence and greed of Governor Rick Snyders administration, as well as its complete disregard for human life and basic democracy, former House Republican and now talk show host Joe Scarborough earlier this week abused his journalistic pulpit of the Morning Joe show to blame the federal government for the poisoning of Flints children and families. He let Snyder off the hook for the possibly criminal negligence in knowingly allowing poisoned water to flow through the household taps of Flints residents. Its hard to imagine greater chutzpah or political hypocrisy. I dont mean to over-emphasize the power of the smug Scarboroughs political voice or his cultural authority. Rather I want to analyze his political tact of blaming the federal government (implicitly meaning the Obama administration) for problems created and worsened by years of Republicans obstruction, and also their policies enacted as assaults on peoples basic rights and well-being. This tactic is representative of the GOPs tendency to reduce government revenue, usually through tax breaks for corporations and the wealthiest citizens, undermining governments ability to serve its citizens, and then blame the government for not working effectively and for being too big, even as they shrink it and weaken it. Heres what happened on Morning Joe. After letting Snyder ramble on expressing pride for his addressing the water problem in Flint and blaming everyone under the sun but himself for the damage inflicted on Flints people, Scarborough turned to his guest Jeffrey Sachs, renowned economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, a leading intellect in the fight to end poverty. Before Snyders interview, the two had been discussing the need for government investment in infrastructure. Turning to Sachs, Scarborough shifted focus off Snyder, saying he would the leave the judgment of Snyder to history, but that he wanted to discuss the issue of infrastructure spending. Washington DC chokes off infrastructure money, chokes off spending money, he complained, and then invoked the Hurricane Katrina disaster as the result of the federal governments refusal to invest in infrastructure. Most generally, Scarboroughs hypocrisy lies in the fact that he repeatedly touts himself as a conservative, railing against big government, tax-and-spend liberals, deficits, and the like. And yet in this instance, he is quick to, if not absolve, at least deflect attention from Snyder and his management of Michigan, and blame Washington, D.C., not even being honest about the fact that it has been congressional republicans who support tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy and reduced spending and who have historically blocked infrastructure spending bills. Last March, for example, Senate Republicans blocked an amendment to the 2016 budget proposal, introduced by Bernie Sanders, which would have provided 478 billion dollars for infrastructure spending. According to Eric Pianin, reporting for The Fiscal Times, Hundreds of billions in new spending would have been offset by closing a number of corporate tax breaks that allow some major companies to escape paying taxes or stash profits overseas. But Republicans objected and said a large tax increase on business was not the right economic plan. Scarborough blames the federal governmentcoded as Washington, D.C. for refusing to fund infrastructure spending, refusing to identify Republicans as the obstacle, so he can keep alive the ideological narratives that big government is the problem and that the federal government needs to cede power to the states. More specifically, Scarboroughs hypocrisy rests in his ignorance of or dishonesty about who is really responsible for the poisoning of Flints people. First, while Scarborough turns the conversation away from Snyders tyranny and disregard for the lives of the working-class, the poor, and people of color to the federal governments lack of infrastructure spending, it is not at all the case that the chief problem in Flint was one of infrastructure. Jesse Jackson, for example, has reported that when General Motors complained to state officials that the water being newly supplied from the Flint River was corroding auto parts in its factory, Snyders team restored the automakers hook up to the water delivered from Lake Huron, while continuing to insist water from the Flint River was safe. When it came to GM, the infrastructure seemed just fine. They could just get hooked up again to clean water. But when it comes to the largely African American and much less affluent Flint population, suddenly its a matter of infrastructure? Come on, Mister Morning Joe, drink some coffee and wake up. Moreover, as is widely known and as any responsible journalist should know, the problem didnt begin with the pipes themselves but with the fact that the water was not treated, as is typical practice, with the necessary additives to prevent the water from corroding the pipes and hence leaching lead into the water. Was this failure to properly treat the water the fault of Washington, D.C., of our overly big democracy? Once again, Joe, the answer is no. In fact, quite the opposite, the fault rests in the suspension of democracy in Flint and the establishment of tyrannical rule. After Snyders election, he passed a law with the legislature authorizing the state to intervene in local units of government experiencing financial emergencies, as determined by the state, and remove authority from democratically elected representatives. In Flints case, Snyder installed an emergency manager, Darnell Finley, who made the decision, under the auspices of Snyders office, to refuse Detroit water services in March 2014 and tap into the waters of the Flint River, widely known to be polluted. Was the poisoning of the people a consequence of choked off federal spending on infrastructure? Again, sorry, Joe. The problem begins at the state level with, once again, Snyders mismanagement and tyranny. When he took office, he gave sizable tax breaks to corporations and the rich. Switching water services was supposed to be a cost-saving measure, part of the overall effort to make up for the revenues lost from the tax cuts. It seems Republicans dont even believe their own baloney about tax cuts paying for themselves. Counter to the typical story Republicans peddle, exemplified in Scarboroughs GOP-driven journalism, the problem has nothing to do with Washington, D.C. choking off infrastructure spending. The problems lay in Snyders tax cuts, his own choking off of spending, and his betrayal of democracy in installing an emergency manager (read: authoritarian dictator) who did not represent the interests, or even remotely care about, the people of Flint. Sachs responded to Scarborough by correcting him, reminding him that Snyder campaigned on a platform of cutting taxes, not infrastructure investment. He scolded Scarborough that Snyders behavior is the culmination of an anti-government agenda that has been going on for thirty years, starving the government and inflicting social decay on the American people in the name of lowering taxes on the wealthy. Flints tragic example warns what happens when we as a people fall prey to the seduction of tax cuts and dont understand that taxes are actually investments in our well-being. Moreover, studies show that infrastructure investment, such as that being proposed by Bernie Sanders now, in addition to ensuring peoples well-being by providing amenities such as clean water, also improves the nations financial well-being, expands employment, and raises median incomes. I dont mean to pick on Scarborough as an individual, as smug and irresponsible as he is, but to highlight the dangers of this typical republican storytelling. Say it aint so, Joe. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Not content to let his last name damage his prospects, Jeb Bush shared a picture of a gun with his name on it and above it, America this afternoon on Twitter: Rah rah America. Look at your gun stats, courtesy of Everytown: How about those family values? Everytown explains: Rates of firearm injury death increase rapidly after age 13. And unintentional shootings of children and teens are underreported in the CDC data, possibly because of the difficulty of characterizing a childs intent after he or she has killed himself or a playmate with a firearm. In research released in 2013, Everytown documented 100 unintentional gun deaths of children 14 and under, 61 percent more than reflected by CDC data.5 Everytown also tracks unintentional shootings involving children, which are reported in the press every 34 hours, on average. The American public does not agree with Republicans on guns. The public, including a large amount of gun owners, think that we should stop selling guns legally to terrorist suspects. Go figure. Republicans have refused to vote on or voted against background checks that would close the loopholes that allow suspected terrorists to buy guns legally. America is not a gun. It takes true talent to further damage the Bush brand, but Jeb has done it here. After a good debate, he just couldnt help himself in the jostling for love from the rabid base. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print In 2015 CE, a cabal of powerful American conservatives gathered together to find a way to prosecute their war against Donald Trump, who had announced his intention to be the next president of the United States. They were all men Representatives Mark Meadows, Mick Mulvaney, and Jim Jordan and they came up with a scheme to throw Speaker John Boehner under the bus and rally the party against Planned Parenthood. Womens access to healthcare had to go to show Trump and his supporters that these were real Republicans and to prevent a Trump victory. In 42 BCE a cabal of powerful Roman conservatives gathered to find money to prosecute a war against the murderers of Julius Caesar, who had been assassinated two years before, and to prevent a conspirators victory. They were the so-called triumvirs, all men Caesars great-nephew and heir Octavian, general and Consul Mark Antony and Master of Horse, Marcus Lepidus. They came up with a scheme to tax wealthy women, some 1400 of them whose wealth Roman wealth was based on property exceeded a certain level. The triumvirs would skim the rest. Those to be taxed were only women after all. Who was going to complain, far less stop the scheme? In point of fact, the women would. As historian Pat Southern writes, They were foiled by protests from a delegation led by Antonys mother Julia, Octavians sister, and Hortensia, the daughter of the orator Hortensius, who jointly protested that that as women they had no political rights and therefore did not see why they should pay for a war in which they had no voice.[1] This protest took the form of a march on the forum, the equivalent today of a march on the Capitol Mall. Soldiers gave way, civilians gathered to listen, and the women stalked to the rostra, where speakers stood to address crowds in front of the senate house. The historian Appian in his book on the Roman civil wars, has preserved the speech of Hortensia, which resonates today: You have already deprived us of our fathers, our sons, our husbands, and our brothers, whom you accused of having wronged you; if you take away our property also, you reduce us to a condition unbecoming our birth, our manners, our sex. Why should we pay taxes when we have no part in the honours, the commands, the state-craft, for which you contend against each other with such harmful results? Because this is a time of war, do you say? When have there not been wars, and when have taxes ever been imposed on women, who are exempted by their sex among all mankind? The triumvirs were naturally not happy at women talking back to them. As Appian put it, While Hortensia thus spoke the triumvirs were angry that women should dare to hold a public meeting when the men were silent. Sounds a lot like the New Testament prohibition against women lecturing men. Maybe one of them, Octavian or Lepidus, lifted his finger, like Rand Paul, to shush them and say calm down. Not Antony. Though his wife had shown these women the door, his own mother stood on the rostra. So these Roman men were no more happy than conservative men today when faced with women standing up to them. They wanted the women ejected from the rostra. Yet the men, powerful masters of the Roman world though they were, were unable to silence the women because the crowd would not permit it. It has often been said that the mob ruled Rome, and well these particular Romans knew it. Condemnation for their temerity? Not from the crowd. And Appian had nothing but praise for Hortensia: For by bringing back her fathers eloquence, she brought about the remission of the greater part of the tax. Quintus Hortensius lived again in the female line and breathed through his daughters words. The upshot of this early confrontation about taxation without representation was that the very next day, the triumvirs conceded the point and reduced the list from 14000 to 400. So they were left to find their money in another way, which mostly concerned murdering people and stealing it. It was an ugly outcome and not the womens fault. What is astonishing is that women are being forced to fight the same battles today as these remarkable Roman women did over two thousand years ago. If women can vote now, they are hardly equal: their fates are often decided by all-male congressional committees and hearings, and if they protest, they are called sluts and worse. Hortensia pointed out that women were not allowed to fight in wars, and even today American conservatives, like Roman conservatives, think they should not. They should be home, and pregnant, and not even in the workplace, let alone firing bullets at enemies. This episode serves to illustrate how very little we have progressed down all these long centuries. We are really not very far removed from the concerns of a group of Roman women about wars that took place before Jesus birth, or the actions of men who in their thirst for power and dominance differ stood to underhanded means to get their way. These actions today include faked videos about Planned Parenthood, and to prevent a woman becoming president, a faked scandal about Benghazi. Women stood up for their rights in the Roman forum 2000 years ago, and women today are forced to do the same or they consent to male control. The truth is, conservatives seem to have not evolved at all in their attitudes towards women, or in the means employed to exercise that control, and that is a very sad and depressing state of affairs. Notes: [1] Pat Southern. The Roman Army: A Social & Institutional History. Oxford University Press, 2006, 73. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Mitch McConnell once wrote that the President is elected by the people to carry out a program and altering the ideological directions of the court would seem to be a perfectly legitimate part of a presidential platform. Oh dear. That was when the President was a Republican. After the Senate had rejected two of Republican President Richard Nixons Supreme Court nominations, now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wrote that politics should play no part in the Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court nomination, according to Andrew Wolfson of the Courier-Journal. The President should alter the direction of the court because the people elected him to do just that, argued McConnell in a law journal article from 1970-71, the Courier-Journal reported. More: The president is presumably elected by the people to carry out a program and altering the ideological directions of the court would seem to be a perfectly legitimate part of a presidential platform, wrote McConnell, the chief legislative aide to Sen. Marlow Cook. To that end, the Constitution gives to him the power to nominate. Oops. McConnells office tried to explain that its the lame duckness that renders the president stripped of the powers given to him by the people who elected him. Historians and fact-based, reality-oriented people do not agree with McConnells fictional version of How Things Work and so far no one has been able to locate the Republican version of the Constitution wherein the powers of the presidency are stripped for the entire fourth year of the term. The last time a Supreme Court nominee was denied a hearing, as McConnell vowed to do to an Obama nominee within hours of Justice Scalias death, was 1875. So nope, not the norm. Later, in the same article: He (McConnell) also quoted Cook, who died earlier this month, saying the ideology of the nominee is the responsibility of the president. The Senates judgment should be made, therefore, solely upon the grounds of qualifications. Oh, so the President should definitely influence the direction of the court ideologically because that is what he was elected to do. Obama won by five million votes, so it was pretty decisive, as pointed out by a fed-up Senator Elizabeth Warren. All of those millions of voters want President Obama to nominate the person he thinks best for the Supreme Court. But now, in the face of rampant Republican obstructionism, many pundits are saying that President Obama should nominate someone, but he should be careful not to nominate a liberal firebrand. So President Obama should not do what he was elected to do and he should water down his ideology because Republicans threw yet another tempter tantrum. (Its a good thing these pundits dont raise their kids like this give the violators all of the goodies for a reward!) The problem with McConnell being on record vowing to obstruct President Obama at all costs no matter what is that Republicans have often, inevitably, found themselves disagreeing with their own previous statements. Mitch McConnell was all for the President having the power to alter the ideological makeup of the court until the President was President Obama. This wont stop TV pundits from calling this a partisan fight, when in fact it is a Republican war being waged on Democracy and the Constitution, but its solid proof of the war. McConnell was all for it when it was Nixon, but now he is all against it. Talk about being on the wrong side of history. Yes, at the GEC voting center at the Westin. Yes, at one of the satellite voting centers open on Saturdays. No; I'm voting on Nov. 8. No; I'm not voting in the general election. Vote View Results Campaigning in South Carolina on behalf of his wife, Bill Clinton said today that that the married coupled that engaged in the deadly mass shooting San Bernardino, California, had never been to the Middle East. But as Nathan McDermott of BuzzFeed points out, one of the shooters was raised in the region and the other had made several trips there. Tashfeen Malik was born in Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia for most of her life. Syed Rizwan Farook, Maliks American-born husband, had also been to Saudi Arabia multiple times, including for several weeks in 2013 as part of a pilgrimage to Mecca. The next year, Farook traveled to Saudi Arabia again and returned with Malik after they had met online. There was a time when Bill Clinton was as good as anyone Ive seen on the campaign trail. By 2008, he seemed only so-so. Eight years later, he looks more and more like an embarrassment. Given the number of times Vladimir Putin has rubbed President Obamas face in it, one shouldnt be surprised to see Obama talk trash about the Russia strong man. Today, at his press conference, the president claimed to have gotten the better of Putin in Syria adding, with equal doses of condescension and chutzpah, that he takes no pleasure in it. According to Obama, Putin now finds himself in a Syria quagmire. The Russian boss is bogged down in a war he cannot win. Syria is broken and no matter what Russia does, it will remain broken absent a political settlement. So there! I take no pleasure in pointing out that Obama is twisting the meaning of quagmire, misapprehending Putins objectives, and quite possibly laying the groundwork for another U.S. humiliation. Russias direct military involvement in Syria consists mainly of an air campaign. Others are doing the fighting on the ground. In this sense, it resembles Obamas strategy in the fight against ISIS. We bomb; others fight. The biggest difference is that Russia is succeeding in degrading and destroying its enemy; Obama, not so much. Russia, then, is no more in a quagmire in Syria then we are in Iraq and Eastern Syria. Indeed, senior U.S. officials admit privately that Russia, with a comparatively light footprint, has achieved its central goal of stabilizing the Assad government and, at a relatively low cost and with minimal casualties, can sustain the operation at this level for years to come, if necessary. Obama is probably correct in saying that Russia wont be able to reclaim large chunks of Syria for Assad. But Russia doesnt need to. It appears to have saved Assad and is helping expand the area he controls. In the process, Putin has cemented an alliance with an Iranian regime dedicated to saving Assad. Thanks in no small part to Obama, Russias new friends in Tehran are poised to become the dominant power in the Middle East. Putin has also increased Russian influence with nations traditionally aligned with the U.S. They are tilting more towards Russia, in part because where Obama claims to see a quagmire, they perceive old-fashioned success. Obama concluded his remarks on Russia by urging it to reach a political settlement. That way, he asserted, Putin can extricate himself from the alleged quagmire. I continue to believe that Putin would like to reach a Syria settlement with Obama. Who wouldnt, given the deals Obama has made in the past (e.g., ending sanctions against Iran and selling out Poland and the Czech Republic)? Obamas press conference today, with his laughable claim that Russia is losing in Syria and his pathetic appeal for a settlement, suggests that he once again is willing to allow our adversaries to steal his pants. Though far from bogged down in Syria, Putin presumably understands that making a deal with the perpetually pliant Obama is an option worth considering. After all, Obama has only 11 more months in office and might (but, to be fair, might not) be replaced by a president to be reckoned with. Hillary Clinton seems to be coasting towards victory in the South Carolina primary, but Nevada is a different story. A new CNN/ORC poll finds her in a virtual deadlock with Bernie Sanders. Clintons one point lead (48-47) is well within the margin of error (fewer than 300 people participated). As the preferred candidate of the union bosses, Clinton may be better positioned than Sanders to get supporters to show up at caucuses (Nevada isnt a primary state). But the Clinton campaign appears to be deeply concerned, nonetheless. Jon Ralston, the dean of Nevada political coverage, reports that the Clinton panic is palpable. In fact, Clinton spent Monday in Nevada and sent Bill to fill in for her at Florida events. In addition, Clintons staff is spinning furiously. According to Ralston, it repeatedly claimed that Nevada was as white as the first two early states [Iowa and New Hampshire]. Nevada may be roughly as non-black as these states, but it was included in the early primary lineup, at the urging of Harry Reid, precisely because of its diversity, i.e., its substantial Hispanic population. When Reid therefore criticized the Clinton campaigns assertion, Hillary contradicted her staff. This campaign is having trouble getting out of its own way. Perhaps more salient than the racial composition of Nevada is the fact that it has struggled economically. James Hohmann of the Washington Post suggests that because Nevada has been hit much harder than Iowa and New Hampshire, voters may be especially receptive to Sanders promise of political revolution. On the Republican side, things are much less exciting (for a change). Donald Trump has a massive 45-19 lead over his closest rival, Marco Rubio, according to CNN/ORC (the poll covers a period both before and after the South Carolina debate). Ted Cruz, at 17 percent, is the only other Republican in double figures. Trump may be a good fit for Nevada, but the poll result in that state may signal problems for the rest of the field in many other states. Republican contenders have spent considerably less time in Nevada than in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Trump may have a natural advantage in states where candidates dont spend lots of time courting voters at an individual level. In these states, which will make up the overwhelming percentage of the remaining calendar, name recognition and brand count for more than in states where voters believe they get to know the candidates. And candidates like John Kasich cant use scores of town hall meetings to offset a Trump mass rally. If Trump couples a win in the Nevada caucuses with a victory in South Carolina, I suspect he will become not just the frontrunner, but a more-likely-than-not favorite to be the Republican nominee. Today at his press conference, President Obama was asked about the battle for the Republican presidential nomination. His response could hardly have been more dishonest. Echoing a favorite talking point of Hillary Clinton and the DNC, Obama asserted that Donald Trump merely expresses in more interesting ways the views of the GOP field as a whole. This is untrue. To my knowledge, no other Republican candidate proposes a ban on Muslim entry to the U.S. To my knowledge, no other Republican proposes systematically rounding up and deporting every illegal immigrant in the U.S. No other Republican says that the federal government should make sure every American has health insurance. No other Republican speaks favorably of Vladimir Putin. No other Republican speaks unfavorably of George W. Bush. How did Obama support his claim that the Republican field mirrors Donald Trump in substance? He claimed that, like Trump, the other candidates express anti-Muslim sentiment. But Obama cited no examples, and I am not aware of any. Perhaps Obama had in mind the fact that GOP candidates dont favor letting Syrian refugees into the U.S. at this time. But thats not an anti-Muslim sentiment; its an expression of concern about the fact, acknowledged by the administration, that we have no good way of identifying which Syrian refugees have ties to terrorists. It is intellectually dishonest for Obama to equate this concern with anti-Muslim sentiment. Obama also claimed that the rest of the GOP field expresses strong anti-immigrant sentiment. As evidence, he cited the fact that one candidate (Marco Rubio) sponsored a bill Obama supported on illegal immigration, but now is running away from it. Obama knows a thing or two about political flip-flopping (see, e.g., marriage, same-sex). But Rubios reversal on illegal immigration is not evidence of anti-immigrant sentiment. Rubio proposes to get the border under control and then consider what to do on behalf of immigrants who are in the country illegally. To characterize this view as anti-immigrant is dishonest. Rubio proposes nothing that would change the status of illegal immigrants for the worse and holds out the possibility of changing it for the better. In any event, Rubios position is not Trumps position stated less interestingly. Finally, Obama said that all of the Republican candidates are denying climate change. This turns out to be false as well. Some candidates do not accept the science on climate change as settled; others (basically half of them) do, but reject the lefts prescription for dealing with the problem. Obama is lying about this. Is anyone surprised? The big political news this morning comes via Drudge in the new Quinnipiac poll that is posted here. Quinnipiac notes that it conducted its survey over the period February 10-15. Donald Trumps outrageous performance at the South Carolina debate on the evening of February 13 is therefore not fully factored into this poll. As of the dates covered by this poll, Trump continues to surge. Quinnipiac provides this summary of the results on the Republican side: The Donald Trump juggernaut rolls to a 2-1 lead among Republican voters nationwide, with 39 percent, his highest total so far, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 19 percent and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas with 18 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 6 percent with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Dr. Ben Carson at 4 percent each. Nine percent are undecided. This compares to the results of a February 5 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University, showing Trump with 31 percent, Cruz with 22 percent and Rubio with 19 percent. The top three Republicans are closely matched in terms of voter opinion as Trump gets a 62 31 percent favorability among Republicans, with 64 17 percent for Rubio and 62 23 percent for Cruz. I thought Trumps performance in the Republican debate in South Carolina hosted by CBS News this past Saturday night disqualified Trump as the standard-bearer of the Republican Party. He continues to benefit from a splintered field. In my view, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Ben Carson need to remove themselves from the race as soon as possible. A three-way race may still be to Trumps advantage, but he should not have the benefit of five opponents. What about the Dems? For many months, Ive been strongly in favor of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, Senator Cotton joked in a year-end interview. At last nights Minnesota GOP Lincoln-Reagan dinner, Senator Cotton reiterated his endorsement of Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. Dems appear to falling into line behind Senator Cottons endorsement of Sanders: In the Democratic race nationwide, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has 44 percent, with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 42 percent, and 11 percent undecided, unchanged from February 5. The linked Quinnipiac poll includes much else of interest. Interested readers will want to take a look at the whole thing here. The Chairman of the Commonwealth Election Observer Group to Uganda and Nigerias former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has called for peaceful and transparent election in Uganda. A statement issued on Tuesday by Will Henley, Commonwealth Communications Officer, said Obasanjo made the call when he joined the team in Kampala ahead of the scheduled presidential and parliamentary polls. Obasanjo expressed the hope that people of Ugandan would enjoy a peaceful and credible election scheduled for Feb. 18. As observers, we hope to see a transparent and credible election process. Our eyes are open and we will report what we see without fear or favour. All stakeholders, including party candidates and supporters, election officials, police and security forces, should play their part in ensuring that voters are free to express their preference at the ballot box. They should also ensure that the election is conducted peacefully, without resort to intimidation or violence. We will be utterly impartial and objective in conducting our duties as observers and acting in our individual capacities as independent Commonwealth citizens. Our assessment will be our own, and we will aim to be as constructive as possible, the statement quoted Obasanjo saying. He wished the people of Uganda well and pledged the unwavering solidarity of the Commonwealth family to the strengthening of the countrys democracy. The statement added that the Commonwealth election observer teams travelled to Arua, Gulu, Kabale, Kampala, Jinja, Masindi, Mbale and Mbarara earlier on Feb. 16. It said the teams would observe voting, counting and results processes at polling stations and counting centres. According to it, an interim assessment of their observations will be issued shortly after the Election Day. basanjo and heads of other international observer missions in Uganda have urged stakeholders to refrain from any act, statement or dissemination of information that might cause tension. They also advised the people to eschew acts that could attract ill-will, disturbance, and intimidation and adversely affect the peaceful and orderly conduct of elections. It said that the 13-man strong team had since its arrival in Uganda met with the Electoral Commission to discuss preparations for the polling day. It has also heard from political parties, citizen observer groups, human rights, gender and youth groups, as well as resident High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries. The groups eminent members include serving and former politicians, electoral commissioners, and human rights, gender, youth and media experts. The eminent members hail from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Dominica, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and the United Kingdom, it said. (NAN) On Newsstands Now: Here's Everything You'll Find in CityBeat's Latest Issue From a Bigfoot hunt to delightfully spooky ghost stories from one of Cincinnati's watering holes, here are the stories you'll find in CityBeat's latest print edition. By CityBeat Staff Oct 19, 2022 For many of us, Bigfoot is a legend present only on an episode of Ancient Aliens, or perhaps only among the towering, mysterious pines of the Pacific Northwest. However, for CityBeat's latest issue, we went on a hunt for Bigfoot in a place where the massive furball had allegedly been spotted before Ohio's Pleasant Hill Lake Park... The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Stanislas Kamanzi, has asked the Nigerian government to draw lessons on how his country tackled genocide, in the fight against insurgency. Mr. Kamanzi made the call, Monday, while delivering a lecture at the American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola, Adamawa State. Speaking at the universitys Diplomatic Lecture Series, the envoy said only purposeful and committed leadership would help Nigeria overcome its security and development challenges. Mr. Kamanzi, who took the audience through the complexity of the 1994 genocide which claimed over a million lives, noted that Rwanda has pulled out of the crises and was making tremendous progress. Nigeria can overcome her problems if the government adopts some measures taken by our government in Rwanda, said the envoy. Purposeful leadership, dignity, tolerance, resilience, and self belief were some of the things we did that made us overcome the catastrophe and move on. Twenty-two years down the line, Rwanda is today, one of the safest countries to live in Africa. According to him, his country has moved its citizens from the poverty line to an appreciable level of wealth, adding that his government achieved the feat by making the people belief and accept that things can change for the better. Despite the massive destruction and killings during the genocide, he said the Rwandan Government found a way to bring the people together to work for the good of the country. Mr. Stanislas added that Nigeria can learn from how Rwanda stopped the genocide and build a solid country. With the collective commitment and determination of the leaders and people of Nigeria, insurgency will be tackled, the envoy said. Unemployment was one area we addressed in Rwanda and I believe that if unemployment is addressed in Nigeria and other Africa countries, 90 percent of the continents problems would have been solved. The envoy defended President Paul Kakagmes third term ambition, saying the people of Rwanda want the president to continue because of the extraordinary way he had repositioned the country. He, however, called on the Nigerian government to give priority to the education of its citizenry, saying, Education remains the best way to move the country forward as a well informed person is well equip to face challenges. Mr. Stanislas also advised the government of Nigeria to develop the agricultural sector so as to attend food security and generate the needed foreign exchange for the country. Newly-appointed national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, on Wednesday vowed to lead the party to regain control of the federal government in 2019. Mr. Sheriff said nothing would stop his party, which lost power in 2015, from ousting the current All Progressives Congress administration. Mr. Sheriff is a founding member of the All Progressives Congress. He defected to the PDP in 2014 ahead of national elections in 2015. He gave his remarks on Wednesday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, during a thanksgiving service organised to mark the victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at the Supreme Court. The court had on February 3 affirmed Mr. Okezies victory in the April 11, 2015 governorship election. Mr. Sheriff, a former senator and governor of Borno State, who was named PDP national chairman on Tuesday night, said the PDP would soon come out with its master plan on how it would defeat the All Progressives Congress from power. We are here today, we are starting from here, and we are going to Aso Rock, Insha Allah by 2019, the PDP chairman said. We will head from here and we will do it together. This my long cap is prepared to lead my colleagues and brothers to Aso Rock, Insha Allah. By the grace of Allah nothing will deter this party from going to Aso Rock in 2019. By the time we put down our master-plan I am sure they (APC) will go back to where they came from. And Insha Allah, nothing will stop us. President Muhammadu Buhari has not indicated he would seek a fresh term at the expiration of his office in 2019. Mr. Sheriff, who arrived the event late, regretted missing the speech presented by Mr. Okezie, but expressed confidence that he spoke well. Mr. Sheriff noted that from the crowd he saw in the stadium where the event held, was clear that the governor was popularly elected. He said, I missed the speech of my younger brother the governor of Abia State who stayed in Maiduguri, who I have known in Maiduguri. But I am sure he said all the right things. From what I have seen in the stadium, it is clear that his election is the election of the people. It is election that God has destined. It is not election that we call it election by air, election by writing. This is the election of the people. Earlier in his remark, the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, congratulated the governor on his victory at the Supreme Court. He said it was clear that the governor came to power by popular mandate. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said the change the nation expected could turn out to be chance. Mr. Okezie said since he assumed he had provided infrastructure in the state, including the construction of about six roads in Aba. Other PDP governors who attended the event include Nyesome Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and deputy governor of Ebonyi State, who represented the state governor, David Umahi. The four governors like Mr. Okezie had their elections confirmed by the Supreme Court. Nigeria was becoming a pariah state under former President Goodluck Jonathan, and President Muhammadu Buharis frequent foreign trips seek to reverse that status and drive investment, Information Minister Lai Mohammed has said. Nigerian ministers on Wednesday reviewed President Buharis recent foreign trips, and defended the president against criticisms that the trips had become too frequent and frivolous and of no value to a nation facing multiple crises. Mr. Mohammed, and the Minister for Environment, Amina Mohammed, who spoke to journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting, said the trips were meant to attract investments to Nigeria. You do not run a country by being isolated and the personal presence of the president in many of these fora is very important because before now we were almost a pariah state and the two things that have been driving investments away from this country are terrorism and corruption, Mr. Mohammed said. One thing that nobody can fault this president on is his determination to fight these two ills. Mr Presidents presence in these fora is very crucial even to the economy back at home. Before now the level of corruption was very high that nobody was ready to risk his investment in Nigeria. The cost of doing business was so high that most international businessmen didnt want to come here. Who is coming to invest in a country where there is insecurity? Mr. Buhari has lately been criticised for his frequent foreign trips at a time the nation faces severe economic troubles. Since assuming office in May 2015, he had made at least 19 trips to 14 countries. The environment minister, Ms. Mohammed, said that investments secured by Mr. Buhari justified the trips. We hope to see the president going out and advocating for this country to get more investment so that we can take everyone out of poverty. That is really what is important. We see it as an investment with a return worthwhile, she said. She said the country will get back on track once the 2016 budget is passed by the National Assembly. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Tuesday met with President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential villa, Abuja. The meeting with the President was about peace and progress of the nation which he stands for and I stand for, the Ooni said after the meeting. What is also key is youth empowerment. That is the main purpose of this meeting. There is a lot. I am currently working with the Minister of Agriculture. We have been able to assemble over 200,000 youths within a space of 30 days. It is unbelievable. We are encouraging them to go back to the farm. See photos from the meeting below. The Borno State government said on Wednesday that it was working on plans to re-open major highways linking Maiduguri to other parts of the state. The state governor, Kashim Shettima, stated this while speaking at an interactive forum with traders of the Monday Market in Maiduguri. The governor explained that the objective was to rejuvenate the economy of the state, which had suffered setbacks due to the Boko Haram insurgency. He said the government had also constructed shopping malls in different parts of the state capital to encourage business activities. Mr. Shettima expressed optimism that the lingering Boko Haram insurgency would soon be over, following successes recorded by the military in its campaign against terrorism. He commended the leadership of the traders for maintaining unity among them. Mr. Shettima assured that the government was ready to assist the traders and other business owners to overcome the hardships they were facing due to the insurgency. The permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Trade and Investment, Hamza Hamawa, said the forum was organised by traders to express appreciation to the governor for initiating an interest-free loan for them. Mr. Hamawa said many traders had benefited from the scheme. (NAN) Over 300 Nigerians on Federal Government Bilateral Agreement Education Scholarship Scheme abroad have petitioned the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, demanding the full payment of their 2015 stipends, including their allowances and return tickets for graduating students. The students, under the aegis of Ph.D and Senior Postgraduate Students on BEA Scholarship, said they did not receive their entitlements between January and December 2015 thereby causing them hardship. The scheme is a bilateral agreement between the Nigerian government, through the ministry of education and the federal scholarship board, and other countries to train students in various fields while the home government takes care of their upkeep during their stay in the host countries. It is the largest federal government scholarship scheme with students in Russia, China, Ukraine, Cuba, Hungary, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. In the letter dated January 3, 2016 and signed by their president, O.G Ezinkwo, the students, numbering 375, told the minister that they and 600 other beneficiaries around the world had been abandoned for 11 months with no source of livelihood due to the inability of the government to promptly release their stipends. They said the development had exposing them to very dangerous and pernicious situation in foreign lands. They claimed that every year Nigerian scholarship students always had to be evicted from their accommodation due to inability to pay, visas and passports get expired with no funds to renew them. They also stated that in the process some of the students became sick and could not be treated due to the lack of the mandatory health insurance and were always being threatened with expulsion on an annual basis. Nigerian students are popularly known as giant mendicants among even lower African countries because they have to resort to begging for at least six months before their stipends are paid with this year being the worst with a waiting period of 11 months and counting, they said. In June 2015, some students graduated and could not purchase tickets to go home due to lack of funds from the government. The consequence is that visas got expired and laws of other peoples land were violated and some were on the verge of being deported. In December 2015, a number of PhD students are graduating and will possibly be confronted with the same fate as there is no proper arrangement for their return tickets and may likewise face deportation upon graduation. In 2013 when this matter first got to the seventh national assembly students were subjected to starvation for six (6) months. In 2014, students were abandoned for eight (8) months and 2015 eleven (11) months. By the numbers stated above, which can also be corroborated by the national dailies of respective years; it has clearly become an exacerbating reoccurring decimal. Mr. Adamu could not be reached for his response. In a separate letter to the Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, Nikolay Nikolayevich, the students pleaded with the Russian government to temporarily suspend the BEA owing to the failure of the Nigerian government to meet her obligation towards the beneficiary of the scheme in Russia. The students also requested Mr. Nikolayevich to raise the issue with the Nigerian government as a set of PhD students are graduating in February/March and would possibly be confronted with the same fate as there is no proper arrangement for their return tickets and may likewise face deportation after graduation if nothing is done to avert the infraction of the immigration laws of the Russian federation. They also asked the Russian Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs to prevail on the Nigerian Ministry of Education and Federal Scholarship Board to seek for a permanent solution to this perpetual problem as students can no longer study properly due to perpetual hardship, starvation and hunger amidst the global economic crises. Farmers in Ondo State rose from a meeting on Tuesday to address the perennial conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen, concluding that the planned grazing zones and grazing routes would not be feasible in the state. In January, President Muhammadu Buhari said a plan to map out grazing areas would soon be presented to the Nigerian Governors Forum as a temporary solution to the frequent conflicts until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing. But the Ondo farmers said in a communique that the planned grazing routes and zones were not practicable in the state as lands were not sufficiently available for such projects. They also demanded federal governments immediate payment of N2 billion compensation to victims of herdsmen in the area. The federal government should encourage and facilitate the option of feed lots, making hays and establishment of mega ranches in the North, the communique read in part. The farmers said that the nomadic herdsmen were entitled to a settled life as well. The farmers held that the position had become necessary in view of the peculiarities of Ondo State as well as other South-West states that are all largely tree crop zones and in further consideration of the fact that the people were largely farmers. We cannot afford to be lukewarm to the havoc being wrecked on our people through wanton destruction of our farms, bush burning, rape, robbery and kidnapping (the recent one being that of the Chinese), the communique read further. They argued that it should no longer be accepted that the nomads would continue a life of wandering about in the jungle in the guise of keeping their culture. Culture is dynamic, it is not static and that the direct descendants of father Abraham/ Ibrahim which are directly the Jews and the Arabs respectively have modernized their husbandry and they are doing better. The culture of roaming about with animals serves no ones interest, including that of the cattle, the herdsmen, the farmers and the nation. If our brothers up North are not ready to modernize their culture, it should be restricted to their geographical zone, since culture is geographically restricted as well, it read. The farmers therefore called on senators and representatives from Ondo State to press for reliefs for the plight of farmers in the state as a result of the activities of herdsmen. The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a grandmother, Bose Adebayo, in Abeokuta, for allegedly attacking her grandchild with a hot pot. The victim, Tope Oke, an eight-year-old Primary Two pupil of St James Primary School, Ijeun-Titun, Abeokuta, was attacked by her grandmother, who accused her of eating a bowl of rice without her consent. The victim was immediately rushed to State Hospital in the Ijaiye area of the state capital where doctors were battling to save her life by Tuesday. Sources close to the family told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs. Adebayo returned from a party with some cooked rice served at the ceremony, which she kept in the house with the hope of eating it later. However, the granddaughter allegedly ate part of the food, infuriating her guardian. It was learnt that her angry grandmother, who soon discovered what happened summoned Tope, tied her with a rope and beat her up for daring to tamper with the food. Mrs. Adebayo allegedly inflicted bodily injury on the young lad in the process. Angered by the attack, residents of Baba Olodo House in Ijeun Titun/Oloronbo community, where Mrs. Adebayo reside, alerted the police, the ministry of women affairs and social development and the Child Protection Network, an umbrella body of all non-governmental organisations in Ogun State. When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident. He said the suspect would be charged to court on completion of investigations. When PREMIUMTIMES visited the Ibara Police Station was being held, she was seen behind the counter awaiting transfer to the Anti-Human Trafficking Department. The Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Women Affairs and Social Development, Adenike Osoba, described the action of the suspect as crude and inhuman. She vowed that the law would take its course on the matter. Mrs. Osoba said the authorities would not allow anybody to maltreat their children or any other person. She said the victim would also be taken into the ministrys custody after proper medication. Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command and officials of the State Ministry of Health on Tuesday sealed off a fish depot for warehousing expired fish at Oba Akran Road, Ikeja, Lagos. The depot, belonging to an Indian company, Premier Fish Product Limited, allegedly stored over N700 million worth of expired fish. The company had been under surveillance for about two weeks, the police said in a statement on Tuesday. The lid was finally blown yesterday by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, following a tip off from sources that the company was revalidating the expiry dates of the stock, the police statement said. The Lagos State health officials on Tuesday inspected four cold rooms of the company containing several tons of fish before sealing off the company. An environmental health officer, Kuforiji Adebayo, who led officials from the Ministry of Health, said the state government was sealing off the cold room to pave way for thorough laboratory test of the fish found in the cold room. This place is being sealed off for health analysis, Mr. Adebayo said. The samples of the consignment being taken are for laboratory analysis. What we have met on ground physically is highly suggestive of the fact that there are questionable practices here as most of the fish has expired. What we have established here is a deceit and fraudulent activity, he said. Mr. Adebayo also said they discovered the company was revalidating the expiry date of its products. What we have seen indicates the condition of the fish was not okay before being frozen. That is why there are blood stains in the cartoon of the fish. If the labels are being changed now, the impression it leaves is that the labels might have been changed before the investigations, he said. The company management, however, insisted it was not revalidating its products expiry dates, adding that the products which are to expire in March 2016 would be sold off before expiry date. According to the depot manager, Sabir Alli, the stickers that littered the corridor to the cold rooms fell off because of the shifting of fish cartoons to create space for accommodation of new consignment. The spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus, confirmed the incident, saying a staff of the company alerted the police of the development. We got a call that they were revalidating the products yesterday and we decided to swing into action. This was confirmed by a lot of the stickers found in the lobby with March 2016 as expiry date, said Ms. Badmus. A magistrates court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a 28-year-old cart pusher, Obinna Eze, to 18 months imprisonment for burgling a shop and stealing 83 pairs of ladies shoes worth N300,000. Mr. Eze, who resides at Ijora, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of burglary and theft. The convict, who had earlier been arraigned in the court on February 9, pleaded guilty. The prosecutor, Philip Osijiale, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on December 20, 2015 at about 2:00am. According to him, the convict burgled the shop of one Temitope Ogunbanjo at No. 19, Savannah Plaza, Gbajumo Street, Ajah Park, Balogun, Lagos, and stole 83 pairs of ladies shoes. Mr. Osijaile said the offences contravened Sections 285, 309 (10) (2) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The magistrate, Memunat Folami, sentenced the accused to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour, without an option of fine. Mr. Folami admonished Nigerian youths who leave their various villages for Lagos with the mindset of making quick money to stay in their villages and take up farming, instead of embracing crime. It is not compulsory that everybody must to come to Lagos, the nation needs young farmers. Most of these young men come to Lagos and when they cannot make ends meet, they steal and rob. This will serve as an example for other miscreants like him still out there, she said. (NAN) UPDATE: Due to a family emergency, Chuck Ragan has been forced to cancel the remaining dates in his tour, which includes the scheduled concert for Friday, Feb. 19th. For info on refunds go to Support.Ticketfly.com Indie artist Chuck Ragan and the Camaraderie will headline a one-night-only concert at Dante Hall Theater of Stockton University in Atlantic City 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. Ragan is best known for his work with Hot Water Music, a punk band he formed in Gainesville, Fla., in 1993. After Hot Water Music split, Ragan went on to release several mostly acoustic-based solo albums, but Fridays performance will focus on material he recorded for The Flame and The Flood, a video game soundtrack that he recently completed. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased by going to ChuckRaganTix.com. Call 609-626-3890 for more info. R Sridharan, president of AIPIMA and Vimal Mehra, past-president of AIPIMA, in this interaction, say, the association is doing all it can to... By PrintWeek Team All eyes are on the Awards Night of the 12th edition of the PrintWeek Awards to be held at the Grand Hyatt (Santacruz East, Mumbai) on 2 Nov... Latest Poll Print and packaging is a huge industry, but it is not seen as heavy manufacturing, nor as cutting-edge technology. What should be the topmost priority? For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Survey of 4000+ Directors Conducted by Groysberg, Bell, and Cheng; Spencer Stuart; and WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation Captures Board Concerns about Strategy, Cybersecurity, Risk, Talent, and Regulation NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In a global survey of 4000+ corporate board directors, Professor Boris Groysberg and Yo-Jud Cheng of Harvard Business School, Spencer Stuart, the WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation (WCDF), and researcher Deborah Bell have found that most directors are uncertain about economic prospects and are not seeing growth in the future. The 2016 Global Board Survey, which garnered responses from male and female directors from 60 countries around the world, provides a comprehensive snapshot of the business climate and strategic priorities as seen from the boardroom of many of the world's top public and large, privately held companies. "Over the last decade there has been an increasing focus on corporate governance and more and more is expected from boards," says Boris Groysberg of Harvard Business School. "We felt it was really important to take the pulse of what board members are thinking about and focusing on so we created a comprehensive survey in scope and depth covering topics from diversity to board dynamics to CEO succession in order to better understand boards from around the world. We believe the subsequent analysis of the survey could generate a number of best practices that will improve corporate governance in years to come." The team is launching the initial results of the survey today, and in subsequent months will release additional findings related to board processes and governance priorities. Key Findings of 2016 Global Board Survey: Economic Outlook, Risks, and Strategic Challenges for Boards 1. Uncertainty dominates boardroom economic outlook, and few directors predict growth. Fifty-nine percent of directors are uncertain about growth prospects globally, driven primarily from directors in the U.S. and Western Europe (63% of each cited uncertainty about future growth, vs. 36% in Asia, and 53% in Australia/N.Z.). Just 2% of directors across all regions predicted a period of strong global growth over the next 3 years. Groysberg explains, "This pessimism about growth is one of the most surprising findings of our survey. It seems that the market volatility and low prospects for growth as well as the unpredictable economic outlook are what keep board members awake at night." 2. Cybersecurity in top 3 of political issues relevant to directors. The political issues directors ranked as most relevant to them are the economy, the regulatory environment, and cybersecurity. "Cybersecurity continues to be a leading issue on the agenda from a regulatory, reputational, and contingency standpoint," says Julie Hembrock Daum, head of Spencer Stuart's North American Board Practice. "We see boards considering a number of different approaches to getting smart about the broader impact of technology on the business. In certain cases they have added a director with a strong digital or security background. However, the board should not isolate cybersecurity responsibility with just this one board member, but continue to view cybersecurity as a full board priority." 3. Women directors report higher concerns about risk than male directors. Across the board, female directors reported a higher level of concern about various risks to a company than their male peers from concerns about activist investors and cybersecurity to regulatory risk and the supply chain. However, female directors also felt that their companies had higher level of readiness to address these risks than did their male cohorts. Susan Stautberg, Chairman and CEO of WCDF, believes that women directors may be educating themselves more about the potential risks: "We believe that women in particular bring a real thirst for knowledge and curiosity to their board service, and this includes getting up-to-speed on what the real risks are to an organization. All good directors do this, but we think being relatively new to the boardroom can create a greater sense of urgency to learn." 4. Private companies see need for top talent as #1 strategic challenge, with regulatory environment the top challenge for public companies. Private company directors see attracting/retaining top talent as the #1 challenge to their company's achieving its strategic objectives, while public company boards cite the regulatory environment as #1. "This was interesting because we do see in larger, more established public companies a greater maturity in their HR processes and deeper resources invested in talent management and development," says Daum. "Identifying and recruiting individuals who fit the culture, bring impact to the organization, and endure is a high priority for nearly all companies. However, many private companies, which tend to be smaller and have less brand awareness as a whole, often have less robust HR structures to attract the level of talent across the organization." Boardroom Grades, Diversity, and Turnover 5. Boards rate themselves as less effective in people-related processes. Directors gave their own boards lower ratings on their effectiveness in HR/talent management, CEO succession planning, and director evaluations. But directors gave their boards higher marks for effectiveness in compliance and staying current on the company. "These ratings underscore directors' views that attracting and retaining top talent is a common challenge, and underline the need for these HR competencies on boards," says Stautberg. Harvard Business School doctoral candidate Yo-Jud Cheng adds, "Despite the fact that directors recognize their weaknesses in these areas, boards continue to prioritize more conventional areas of expertise, such as industry knowledge and auditing, in their appointments of new directors." 6. Greater scrutiny/spotlight doesn't always drive greater diversity. Public companies have more independent directors than the private companies whose directors participated in the survey have, but private company directors report similar proportions of female and ethnic minority directors on their boards. "This finding was very interesting. There has been much debate about the use and effectiveness of quotas. To see the parity of diversity among public and private companies reinforces that the tone needs to come from the top regarding bringing a fresh, diverse perspective representative of the company's stakeholders and interests," says Daum. Groysberg adds, "Although we are hearing more talk about the importance of diversity from boards, it's not necessarily translating into numbers. Unfortunately, we haven't seen as much progress as we were hoping for compared to our past survey on the diversity of boards." 7. Directors especially women favor tools to trigger board turnover. Female directors are more in favor of director term limits (in favor: 68% of women vs. 56% of men) and mandatory retirement ages (in favor: 57% of women vs. 39% of men) than their male peers. "It was encouraging to see the majority of respondents in favor of retirement ages and term limits. Turnover among S&P 500 companies has trended at 5-7% roughly 300 to 350 seats a year. Boards need tools they can use to ensure that new perspectives and thinking are regularly being brought to the boardroom," says Daum. "This isn't just an issue tied to activist shareholders, but something institutional shareholders are asking about as well: what are boards doing to ensure independent and fresh thinking?" 8. Search firms have been successful in expanding talent pool to qualified female directors. In their pathways to the boardroom, female directors are more likely than their male counterparts to have been recruited by an executive search firm, while male directors are more likely to have been appointed by a major shareholder. "Search firms may be able to open doors that networking opportunities may not have been doing until relatively recently, at least for women," says Stautberg. "Building up networks and getting known is something that women directors are engaging in much more actively now." 9. Why isn't the number of women on boards increasing? Older male directors disagree with women as well as with younger male directors on the reason. As the percentage of women on boards stays stagnant, there is both a gender divide and a generation divide on why this is. Male directors, especially older respondents, report the "lack of qualified female candidates," while women directors cite most often the fact that diversity is not a priority in board recruiting and that traditional networks tend to be male-dominated. But the younger male directors (those 55 and younger) surveyed agreed with women: that traditional networks tend to be male-dominated. "Men in the younger generation I think just see their qualified female colleagues out there, but know that the traditional board networks still tend to be male," says Stautberg. "It's often hard to see an informal 'network' if you are in the middle of it, but you can see it very clearly when you're on the outside." 10. Boardroom diversity quotas not supported overall. Nearly 75% of surveyed directors do not support boardroom diversity quotas. Forty-nine percent of female directors support them, but only 9% of male directors do. Support for diversity quotas also declines with age, particularly among female directors: 67% of female directors ages 55 and younger personally support boardroom quotas, as compared to 36% of female directors over 55 (the majority of male directors, of any age, do not support quotas). For more information about the 2016 Global Board Survey, please contact Suzanne Oaks Brownstein or Trang Mar at Temin and Company at news@teminandco.com or 212.588.8788. About WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. (WCDF) The WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. (The WCD Foundation) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors, with more than 3,500 members serving on more than 8,500 boards. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the WCD Foundation has 71 chapters around the world, with seven more to launch over the next year. The aggregate market capitalization of public companies on whose boards WCD Foundation members serve is over $8 trillion. In addition, WCD Foundation members serve on numerous boards of large private and family-run companies globally. WCD Foundation membership provides a unique platform for learning from the intellectual capital of accomplished women from around the world, and the WCD Foundation's mission is to increase courage, candor, inclusion, and cohesion in the boardroom. The WCD Foundation has 71 global chapters, located in Arizona, Atlanta, Austin, Beijing, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Chile, Cleveland, Colombia, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greater Colorado, Greater New Mexico, Guatemala, Gulf Cooperation Council, Hanoi, Hawaii, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kansas City, Kenya, London, Los Angeles/Orange County, Malaysia, Melbourne, Mexico, Milan, Minnesota, Mongolia, Morocco, Mumbai, Netherlands, New York, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern California, North Florida/South Georgia, Panama, Peru, Philadelphia, Philippines, Quebec, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Diego, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, South Africa, South Florida, Spain, Switzerland, Sydney, Tampa, Tennessee, Toronto, Turkey, Washington, D.C., and Western Canada. For more information visit www.womencorporatedirectors.com or follow us on Twitter @WomenCorpDirs, #WCDboards. About Spencer Stuart At Spencer Stuart, we know how much leadership matters. We are trusted by organizations around the world to help them make the senior-level leadership decisions that have a lasting impact on their enterprises. Through our executive search, board and leadership advisory services, we help build and enhance high-performing teams for select clients ranging from major multinationals to emerging companies to nonprofit institutions. Privately held since 1956, we focus on delivering knowledge, insight and results through the collaborative efforts of a team of experts now spanning 56 offices, 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties. Boards and leaders consistently turn to Spencer Stuart to help address their evolving leadership needs in areas such as senior-level executive search, board recruitment, board effectiveness, succession planning, in-depth senior management assessment and many other facets of organizational effectiveness. For more information on Spencer Stuart, please visit www.spencerstuart.com. Boris Groysberg Boris Groysberg is the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Professor Groysberg's work examines how a firm can be systematic in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage by leveraging its talent at all levels of the organization. He is the coauthor, with Michael Slind, of the book Talk Inc. (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). Follow him on Twitter @bgroysberg. Deborah Bell Deborah Bell is an independent researcher of organizational behavior whose work focuses on leadership, drivers of success, and organizational effectiveness and dynamics, especially at the board level. Yo-Jud Cheng Yo-Jud Cheng is a doctoral candidate at Harvard Business School whose research focuses on CEO succession, top management teams, and corporate governance issues. Methodology This survey was conducted through a partnership between Professor Boris Groysberg and Yo-Jud Cheng from Harvard Business School; WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation, led by Susan Stautberg; Spencer Stuart, led by Julie Hembrock Daum; and independent researcher Deborah Bell. About 4,000 board members of companies headquartered in 60 countries (U.S. boards made up 48% of the sample) responded to the survey. Results are based on all responses submitted between October 12 and December 1, 2015. The data were analyzed along several dimensions including gender, company ownership, geography, and industry (not all respondents provided information on these dimensions). Boris Groysberg and Yo-Jud Cheng are continuing to work with Harvard Business School's Global Research Centers to increase the response rate in certain countries and regions. Related Links http://www.womencorporatedirectors.com SOURCE WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc.; Spencer Stuart TOKYO, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) today announced that its European subsidiary, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH Group (headquartered in Munich, Germany; hereafter, DSE), has granted exclusive rights to Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the US and Canada (hereafter, MSD) to market the oral, once-daily anti-coagulant, LIXIANA (edoxaban), in 13 European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. DSE currently has no affiliated companies in these countries, so this agreement will contribute significantly to the growth of edoxaban in Europe. The aforementioned 13 countries are subject to the marketing authorization of the oral, once-daily anti-coagulant edoxaban which was obtained from the European Commission last June. Sales will proceed as soon as MSD completes launch preparations. "Following the successful launches of the oral, once-daily edoxaban by Daiichi Sankyo in a number of European markets, we are extremely happy about the agreement with MSD which makes edoxaban now also accessible to patients in Northern and Central Eastern Europe", says Jan Van Ruymbeke, CEO Daiichi Sankyo Europe, "and we believe having one of the biggest pharma companies in the world as our partner is a vote of confidence in edoxaban's potential in the NOAC market." About Edoxaban Edoxaban is an oral, once-daily, direct factor Xa (pronounced "Ten A") inhibitor. Factor Xa is one of the key components responsible for blood clotting, so inhibiting this makes the blood thin and less prone to clotting. Edoxaban received EU approval in June 2015 for the prevention of stroke and SE in adult patients with NVAF with one or more risk factors, such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), as well as for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and prevention of recurrent DVT and PE in adults. Edoxaban is currently marketed in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, the US and Japan. In other countries, regulatory review is ongoing. About Daiichi Sankyo Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 17,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to its strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension, dyslipidemia, bacterial infections, and thrombotic disorders, the Group's research and development is focused on bringing forth novel therapies in cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, pain management, and oncology, including biologics. For more information, please visit: http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu. Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about future developments in the sector, and the legal and business conditions of DAIICHI SANKYO Co., Ltd. Such forward-looking statements are uncertain and are subject at all times to the risks of change, particularly to the usual risks faced by a global pharmaceutical company, including the impact of the prices for products and raw materials, medication safety, changes in exchange rates, government regulations, employee relations, taxes, political instability and terrorism as well as the results of independent demands and governmental inquiries that affect the affairs of the company. All forward-looking statements contained in this release hold true as of the date of publication. They do not represent any guarantee of future performance. Actual events and developments could differ materially from the forward-looking statements that are explicitly expressed or implied in these statements. DAIICHI SANKYO Co., Ltd. assume no responsibility for the updating of such forward-looking statements about future developments of the sector, legal and business conditions and the company. Contact Christina Werthner (Europe) Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH Head of Corp. Communications +49-(89)-7808442 press@daiichi-sankyo.eu SOURCE Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited DUBLIN, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/59hr78/europe_waterborne) has announced the addition of the "Europe Waterborne Adhesives Market - Segmented by Product Type, By Polymer, By Application, By End-User Industry, and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2015-2020)" report to their offering. Waterborne Adhesives, owing to their eco-friendly and low-toxic nature; high solid content, and high initial adhesion properties, is becoming an integral part of various commercial and industrial sectors. In the Waterborne Adhesives market report, we have taken the following major end-user sectors into consideration: Building and Construction, Paper board and Packaging, Wood and Furniture, Automotive, Footwear and Leather, and Others. This market is driven by a number of factors, such as the stringent environmental regulations to control VOC emissions, growing automotive industry, and accelerating demand from packaging industry. However, this market faces certain drawbacks, such as formulation constraints, and nearly matured market conditions. These factors may act as a roadblock to the growth of the market. Key Topics Covered: Market analysis for the Europe Waterborne Adhesives Market, with region specific assessments and competition analysis on Europe and regional scales and regional scales Market definition along with the identification of key drivers and restraints Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenarios, rising prospective opportunities, and identification of key companies that can influence this market on a Europe and regional scale and regional scale Extensively researched competitive landscape section with profiles of major companies along with their market shares Identification and analysis of the macro and micro factors that affect the Europe Waterborne Adhesives market on both Europe and regional scales and regional scales A comprehensive list of key market players along with the analysis of their current strategic interests and key financial information Companies Mentioned: BASF SE Icon Group 3M Co. Xalapa Avery Dennison Corp. Dow Chemical Co. ADCO Global Inc. Sika AG Ashland Inc. Illinois Tool Works Inc. H.B. Fuller Co. RPM International Inc. Adhesives Research Inc.. Beardow & Adams (Adhesives) Ltd Chemence, Ltd. Henkel AG & Company, KGaA Huntsman Corp. Pidilite Industries, Ltd. Mapei Spa Super Glue Corp. Rohm and Haas Co. Ninghai Dingcheng Adhesive Co., Ltd. American Biltrite, Inc. Report Structure: 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Overview 4. Market Dynamics 5. Market Segmentation and Analysis 6. Regional Market Analysis (Market size, growth and forecast) 7. Competitive Landscape 8. Company Profiles For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/59hr78/europe_waterborne Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets BRUSSELS, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe's leading experts, medical specialists and patient advocacy groups on hepatitis announced their intention to work towards the elimination of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Europe by 2030. The 'Hepatitis C Elimination Manifesto' was presented at the first EU HCV Policy Summit, organised by the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association, and supported by the main European patient and clinician groups. Signatories of the 'Hepatitis C Elimination Manifesto' pledge to: Make hepatitis C and its elimination in Europe an explicit public health priority to be pursued at all levels an explicit public health priority to be pursued at all levels Ensure that patients, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders are directly involved in developing and implementing hepatitis C elimination strategies Pay particular attention to the links between hepatitis C and social marginalisation Introduce a European Hepatitis Awareness Week Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, delivered a keynote speech at the event, commenting: "Hepatitis C has in the past been referred to as a "silent" epidemic within the European Union. It is high time that we brought this "silent" epidemic out of the shadows and into the light, so I welcome initiatives such as this Summit and the Elimination Manifesto to create momentum for action, for raising awareness and for stimulating discussion". After twenty five years of research, scientists have delivered the means to effectively cure hepatitis C, paving the way for elimination in Europe within the next decade. "What would have taken a hundred years for us to achieve, is now at hand! This is a unique opportunity, but political action is needed to make this happen", stated Prof Angelos Hatzakis, Co-Chair of the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association. "Our 'Elimination Manifesto' is a rallying platform for policymakers and advocates. If we act now, Europe will be hepatitis C free by 2030", continued Prof Hatzakis. The specific challenges of hepatitis C require holistic, people-centred, health system-wide approaches to disease awareness, prevention and integrated care, with all stakeholders combining their diverse skills and resources in a unified response. "Succeeding against hepatitis C in Europe is even more important given the current international crises and refugee flows towards our countries", explained Cristian-Silviu Busoi, Member of the European Parliament and Co-chair of the Parliament's Friends of the Liver group. Busoi continued: "Elimination strategies need to take into consideration the links between hepatitis C and marginalised groups, such as recent migrants, people who inject drugs and others." "The Manifesto sets out our vision and commitment to eliminate hepatitis C in Europe", declared Prof Michael P. Manns, Co-Chair of the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association, "concrete actions at all levels must follow to achieve our goal". The Manifesto will be presented to national and local governments as well as to the European institutions to encourage action. Signatories The Elimination Manifesto is supported by the following organisations: European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) The Correlation Network The International Center for Migration Health and Development (ICMHD) The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association About Hepatitis C in Europe In the EU more people die each year from HCV than from HIV. from HCV than from HIV. HCV is 7 times more prevalent than HIV in Europe . in . An estimated 15 million Europeans are chronically infected, including 5.5 million living in EU ; each year there are 27,000-29,000 newly diagnosed HCV cases in the EU/EEA. ; each year there are HCV cases in the EU/EEA. Existing evidence shows that, for some European countries, annual deaths from HCV have quadrupled over the past 20 years. About the first EU HCV Summit The EU HCV Summit was organised by the Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association in partnership with European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), the Eurpean Liver Patient Association (ELPA) and the Correlation Network. It was financially supported by AbbVie, BMS, Gilead and MSD. The Summit, which was attended by 120 policymakers and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond, was officially endorsed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the International Centre for Migration, Health and Development (ICMHD), the European Parliament Friends of the Liver Group and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). About Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association The Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association was founded in 2009 by a group of leading European scientists, public health experts and patient advocates. We aim to urge and facilitate the formulation of public policies at national and international level for the communication, prevention and management of viral Hepatitis B and C. The Association's unique approach in furtherance of this aim is to gather together, and work in partnership with, the major stakeholders in the field of these diseases including regulators, patients, clinicians, public health and civil society communities and the private sector. For more information about the Association's activities please visit http://www.hepbcppa.org For more information, please contact: Ann Fox, Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association afox@hepbcppa.org 19 rue Eugene Ruppert L-2453 Luxembourg Tel: +39-339-65-96-105 SOURCE Hepatitis B&C Public Policy Association IAOP 2016 Global Outsourcing 100 celebrates HGS as a Leader and Innovator in Business Process Outsourcing CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (HGS) (Listed on NSE & BSE, India), today announced it has been named a Top 100 Global Outsourcer by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) for the 6th year in a row. The accolade celebrates HGS as one of the world's best outsourcing service providers and a leader in optimizing customer experience. HGS' inclusion in The Global Outsourcing 100 (GO100) reflects the company's continued drive to make companies more competitive by helping their customers get the right answer fast. "We are delighted to once again be recognized as one of the best outsourcers in the world," said Andrew Kokes, Global Head of Marketing at HGS. "Our clients have come to expect nothing less than the best from our integrated, data-driven and unified customer experience services that help their customers get the right answer fast." The GO100, now in its 11th year, recognizes the world's best outsourcing service providers. An independent judging panel selected the top 100 service providers from around the world. "Choosing the right partners is more important than ever. Companies that outsource, not only in the traditional sense but also through the wide array of the ever-changing collaborative business models are scrutinizing their providers very closely," said Debi Hamill, IAOP CEO. "The GO100 is the definitive guide to help companies research and compare service providers with whom they are considering relationships." HGS will also be exhibiting at the IAOP Outsourcing World Summit (OWS16) from February 15-17 at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort & Conference Center in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The annual global gathering is where outsourcing customers, providers, advisors and academics come together for education and vendor exhibits. HGS will be exhibiting in Booth 23. About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) HGS is a leader in optimizing the customer experience and helping our clients to become more competitive. HGS provides a full suite of business process management (BPM) services from consumer interaction solutions to platform based back office services and digital enablement solutions. By applying analytics and interaction expertise to deliver innovation and thought leadership, HGS increases revenue, improves operating efficiency and helps retain valuable customers. HGS expertise spans the telecommunications and media, healthcare, insurance, banking, consumer electronics and technology, retail, consumer packaged goods industries, as well as the public sector. HGS operates on a global landscape with around 40,000 employees in 65 worldwide locations delivering localized solutions. For the year ended 31st March 2015, HGS had revenues of US$ 458 million. HGS, part of the multi-billion dollar Hinduja Group, has over four decades of experience working with some of the world's most recognized brands. www.teamhgs.com About IAOP IAOP is the go-to association leading the way to improve outsourcing outcomes by bringing together customers, providers and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional development, recognition, certification and excellence. With over 120,000 members and affiliates worldwide, IAOP is not only on top of the latest trends but in front of them. Through its expansive global chapter network, premier training and certification programs, knowledge center, member community and more, IAOP helps members learn, grow and succeed. For more information and how you can become involved, visit www.IAOP.org. About The Global Outsourcing 100 As the global, standard-setting association and advocate for outsourcing professionals and the organizations they support, the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) annually produces the following research to help companies in their outsourcing decisions: The Global Outsourcing 100 the annual listing of the world's best outsourcing service providers in its eleventh year The World's Best Outsourcing Advisors the annual listing of the top outsourcing advisors and consultants in its eighth year The Global Outsourcing 100 and its sub-lists are essential references for companies seeking new and expanded relationships with the best companies in the industry. The lists include companies from around the world that provide the full spectrum of outsourcing services not just information technology and business process outsourcing, but also facility services, real estate and capital asset management, manufacturing and logistics. They include not only today's leaders but tomorrow's rising stars. Related Links http://www.IAOP.org SOURCE HGS NEW YORK, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Hosting & Domains Provider, ResellerClub, celebrates 10 years in the industry today with a proud record of over 200,000 current resellers, operational in over 200 countries worldwide. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130522/614177 ) As they turn a decade old, they're celebrating this mammoth milestone with Big Birthday Bash promotions throughout February, offering never-seen-before discounts on Hosting Products, Domains and Add-Ons and giveaways. Here are some offers: - Dedicated Hosting - Upto 15% off - Single Domain Hosting - Upto 35% off - Multi-Domain Hosting - Upto 50% off - Domains - Upto 90% off - Website Builder - Upto 20% off Speaking about the milestone, General Manager & Business Head, Shridhar Luthria says, "As ResellerClub completes a decade in the industry I'd like to salute each and every Web Designer, Web Developer, Host and Reseller on our platform for their incredible hard work, talent and drive in bringing the world of SMBs online. It has been a fantastic journey and we couldn't be prouder of all we've achieved over the years, together. Our team has grown from a handful to 250+ strong, all working day in and day out to keep the brand at the top of its game." When the Wholesale Division of Directi was molded into the ResellerClub brand in 2006, they were ranked 22nd largest domain registrar in the world and today, ResellerClub has become a dominant player in India, China and other growth markets with a top-5 play at the global level. Expressing his appreciation and gratitude to resellers, Shridhar announced the best-ever Birthday Bash promotion yet from the ResellerClub stables: "We celebrate not just this milestone but the entrepreneurial spirit our resellers have shown through the years. We thank our resellers for making it their priority to take the Internet to the masses through their businesses. We're also giving away iPads, Moto G Turbo phones, over 20 India Dedicated Servers, 300 Multi Domain Hosting packages, 300 Reseller Hosting packages and .WEBSITE domains for Free through a Slot Machine contest. We hope our resellers are able to make the most of this party." For more information about the promotion and the contest as well as a detailed timeline of ResellerClub's evolution, please visit the company's website: http://www.resellerclub.com About ResellerClub: The ResellerClub platform powers some of the World's most popular Web Hosts, Domain Resellers, Web Designers and Technology Consultants. ResellerClub provides scalable and secure Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, VPS Solutions as well as Dedicated Servers, in addition to a comprehensive suite of gTLDs, ccTLDs, new gTLDs and other essential Web Presence Products. Current Partners: Over 200,000 Domains Served: Over 5 Million Server Locations: US, United Kingdom, India, Hong Kong, Turkey Team Strength: 300+ Media Contact: Karthik Balachander pr@resellerclub.com, +91-22-3079-7676 (extn: 7791) Associate Manager Marketing & Communications ResellerClub SOURCE ResellerClub COPENHAGEN, Denmark, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Welltec, a world leader in the development of innovative well construction solutions, is pleased to announce that its award winning Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) has been selected by Total E & P Congo as a completion component for the upcoming wells in their deepwater, Moho Nord project. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140219/671153 ) Sufficient quantities of WAB's were purchased to achieve multiple barriers per well during the drilling and completion of the 17 wells planned for development of the Moho Nord field. The wells will be completed in water depths of 450 to 1200 meters producing from the Albian reservoir via a tension leg platform. "The Moho Nord project is the biggest oil project to date in the Republic of Congo. Total E & P Congo are determined to deliver this project efficiently while assuring integrity of the wells for their full life. Welltec has supported our operations in Congo for years with their technologies and methodologies for well interventions," states Philippe Labrugere, the Project's Drilling Manager. "So when Welltec introduced the WAB to us, we immediately identified the advantages it could offer to improve efficiency, assure integrity and successfully deliver such a complex project." The Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) is an expandable, metal barrier which can we used for well integrity, zonal isolation or cement assurance applications. It won the OTC Spotlight on New Technology in 2015 as one of the latest, most advanced technologies that are leading the industry into the future. In addition to being rugged, it is full bore, expands on command with surface control, can be rotated during installation in high angle wells and has high expansion and Delta P capabilities. "This is a milestone award," explains 'Gbenga Onadeko, Senior Vice President, Africa. "Our clients in the region have previously used Welltec Completions products to address drilling and production challenges but this is our biggest single award so far. We are excited to secure this significant order on the biggest, highest profile oil project in Congo. It is an opportunity to introduce and demonstrate to Total E & P the advantages which the WAB can provide, setting up future completions successes around the globe for their organization." To read more about the WAB or Welltec's innovative Flex-Well completion approach, download the new 2016 completion brochure at http://www.welltec.com/solutions/completion-solutions/ SOURCE Welltec SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 6-in-10 senior citizens (59%) report they "never" feel lonely or isolated, according to a new report from Caring.com. Another 17% say they "rarely" feel lonely or isolated. This debunks the common perception that seniors become less social and are often isolated from family and friends as they age. In fact, only a small number of seniors (6%) report that they often have feelings of loneliness or isolation. Nearly 6-in-10 senior citizens (59%) report they "never" feel lonely or isolated. Another 17% say they "rarely" feel lonely or isolated. Interaction with family members appears to play a large role in warding off loneliness. The majority of respondents connect with their family either every day (58%) or at least once a week (24%). "Social interaction is a key component to staying both emotionally and physically healthy as we age," said Andy Cohen, founder and CEO of Caring.com. "Staying active in communities and connecting with family on a regular basis could actually be adding years to your life," Mr. Cohen added. Surprisingly, just being around more people doesn't make seniors less lonely. Seniors living in urban areas are about twice as likely to feel lonely often compared to those living in suburban and rural areas. Loneliness and isolation also appear to decrease as income and education levels increase. The study found that people making an annual income of $30,000 or less report higher instances of loneliness than more affluent seniors. Likewise, respondents with a high school education or less report feeling lonely "often" or "sometimes" at a greater rate compared to people who attended or graduated from college. Political affiliations also appear to have an influence on loneliness. 30% of Democrats say they are lonely "often" or "sometimes," more frequently compared to Republicans (19%) and independents (17%). Democrat respondents also didn't own cats or dogs as much as Republicans or independents, which could have an impact on their higher frequency of loneliness. It is often recommended that seniors own pets to ward off loneliness and isolation. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in more detail here: https://www.caring.com/articles/lonely-old-people-stereotype Methodology PSRAI obtained telephone interviews with 628 adults age 65 or older living in the continental United States. Interviews were conducted by landline and cell phone in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source, January 7-10 and 21-24, 2016. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. About Caring.com With more than three million visitors per month, Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. A Bankrate company headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Caring.com provides helpful caregiving content, online support groups, and a comprehensive Senior Care Directory for the United States, with more than 100,000 consumer ratings and reviews and a toll-free senior living referral line at (800) 325-8591. Connect with Caring.com on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and/or YouTube. For more information: Adriana Perisa Publicist [email protected] 917-368-8637 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334119 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334120LOGO SOURCE Caring.com ATLANTA, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced that it has contributed $350 million in shares of its common stock to its pension plans. This is in addition to the $825 million in cash contributions the company has already made to the plans this year. To accomplish this contribution, the company issued 7.85 million shares from treasury. To avoid diluting existing shareholders with this contribution, the company has entered into a $350 million accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreement. The ASR is part of Delta's existing $5 billion share repurchase authorization and is in addition to the company's previous guidance of $425 million of share repurchases for the March quarter under this authorization. Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 328 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com. Forward Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections or strategies for the future, may be "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the cost of aircraft fuel; the impact of rebalancing our hedge portfolio, recording mark-to-market adjustments or posting collateral in connection with our fuel hedge contracts; the availability of aircraft fuel; the effects of terrorist attacks or geopolitical conflict; the possible effects of accidents involving our aircraft; the restrictions that financial covenants in our financing agreements will have on our financial and business operations; labor issues; interruptions or disruptions in service at one of our hub or gateway airports; disruptions or security breaches of our information technology infrastructure; our dependence on technology in our operations; the effects of weather, natural disasters and seasonality on our business; the effects of an extended disruption in services provided by third party regional carriers; failure or inability of insurance to cover a significant liability at Monroe's Trainer refinery; the impact of environmental regulation on the Trainer refinery, including costs related to renewable fuel standard regulations; our ability to retain management and key employees; competitive conditions in the airline industry; the effects of extensive government regulation on our business; the sensitivity of the airline industry to prolonged periods of stagnant or weak economic conditions; and the effects of the rapid spread of contagious illnesses. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2015. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which represent our views only as of Feb. 17, 2016, and which we have no current intention to update. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO SOURCE Delta Air Lines Related Links http://www.delta.com TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovation Metals Corp. ("IMC" or "the Company") is pleased to report on the successful testing of its proprietary Rapid Solvent Extraction ("Rapid SX") process, for the low-cost separation of rare-earth elements ("REEs") and other technology metals. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334193LOGO "The patent-pending Rapid SX approach reduces the number of SX separation stages by over 90%," said Patrick Wong, CEO of IMC, "leading to a significant reduction in plant footprint and associated capital expenditures. The process also leads to dramatic reductions in operating costs and time to process completion, when compared to conventional SX." In June 2014, IMC joined the first phase of a REE supply-chain development program, led by Technology Metals Research, LLC ("TMR") with US$1.2M in funding from the US Army Research Laboratory ("ARL"), part of the US Department of Defense. This first phase enabled the Company to operate a 130-stage, lab-scale conventional REE SX separation pilot plant in 2014 and 2015. Results from this work will be presented at the IMPC meeting in September 2016, to be held in Quebec. In 2015, IMC began work to improve the conventional SX process, through its participation in a $1.7M second phase of the TMR / ARL development program. The Company evaluated a number of avenues before focusing on its current approach to Rapid SX. "Rapid SX utilizes the time-proven chemistry of SX, in a set of proprietary columns filled with a simple contact medium," commented Gareth Hatch, President of IMC, co-founder of TMR and the Principal Investigator for the ARL-funded program. "The process avoids the need for expensive resins or other separation approaches unproven at scale." Rapid SX has been used at the bench scale to successfully separate a number of REEs from REE concentrates, with purities greater than 99% being obtained. "We have successfully shown that the Rapid SX process is effective at the bench level," said Dr. Hatch. "The next step is to demonstrate the process at scale. IMC has just completed the commissioning of a pilot-scale Rapid SX facility and will begin operating it later this month." Rapid SX has garnered significant interest from current and future REE producers around the world. "The process has changed our entire business model," said Mr. Wong. "5 years ago we truly believed that REE separation should only be centralized, but with our technology, it is now cheap enough, small enough and easy enough to operate, for every REE producer to have its own separation plant. In fact, a Rapid SX plant could replace existing SX infrastructure, in the REE industry, as well as for metals such copper, cobalt, nickel, uranium and the like. Rapid SX also has the potential to benefit the heavy mineral-sands industry, where an on-site Rapid SX plant could be used as part of the process of monetizing waste monazite." IMC will be hosting tours of its Rapid SX capabilities at facilities in Mississauga, Ontario, during PDAC Week (March 6-9, 2016). Interested parties are invited to contact the Company for more details. About Innovation Metals Corp. Innovation Metals Corp. ("IMC") is a private Canadian-based company and the developer of Rapid SX, a patent-pending process for the separation of REEs and other technology metals. The company will provide low-cost REE separation to producers and assuring security of supply for end users and sovereign governments. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains projections and statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States laws. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of Innovation Metals Corp. ("IMC"), or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "could", "would", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "estimate" and similar words and the negative forms thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond IMC's control, and which may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of IMC to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and IMC's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. IMC can offer no assurance that its plans will be completed. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, IMC assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Contact: Mr. Patrick Wong, CEO Innovation Metals Corp. Telephone: +1-416-477-2412 Email: [email protected]nnovationmetals.com Web: www.innovationmetals.com SOURCE Innovation Metals Corp. Related Links http://www.innovationmetals.com "In the fashion industry, there seems to be a big disconnect between the business sector and the creative field there's a real chasm between the two," Ronen says. "We decided it would be great to provide a program for creatives who want to learn how to run a business and for business professionals who want to work in the fashion industry." The 30-credit program, which can be completed in one year as a full-time program or two years part time, will launch in the fall with 25-30 students in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from the New York City fashion industry. Unlike other fashion-related business programs that emphasize retail merchandising, the Rutgers program focuses on core business principles, with courses including finance, accounting, supply chain management, marketing and entrepreneurship. "What we've put together covers all interdisciplinary fields," Ronen says. RSVP to attend an Open House on March 5 to find out more about the new Master of Science in Business of Fashion. Learn more. Fashion industry executives told a Rutgers Business School task force, set up in 2012 to explore the need for a master's program, of a demand for graduates who have a better understanding of skills including retail math, retail production and supply and demand as they relate to the fashion industry, Ronen says. Research by Rutgers reaffirmed that graduates who have an understanding of both the business and creative elements of the industry make for stronger, sought-after job candidates. The New York fashion industry employs 180,000 people, accounting for 6 percent of the city's workforce and generating $10.9 billion in total wages, according to the New York Economic Development Corporation. The city is home to about 900 fashion companies, 13,800 fashion establishments and more than 75 fashion trade shows a year. Phyllis Siegel, Rutgers Business School senior associate dean for graduate programs, says the business school is well-positioned to meet the needs of a growing global $1 trillion industry, regionally and worldwide. "A number of important factors are aligned to make the timing right for the graduate program: industry growth, market demand, an RBS supply of top talent program faculty and students and a university that supports innovation and meeting the needs of our business community," Siegel says. Last year, Rutgers Business School introduced an undergraduate Business of Fashion Concentration & Minor. The concentration, three nine-credit courses, is open to business majors, while the minor 18 credits, nine in basic business skills and nine in specialty courses is for non-business majors. Urvi Tiwari, a December 2015 Rutgers Business School grad who is working at KPMG in New York, stayed on for an extra semester to take the business of fashion concentration courses because she hopes to one day match her business background to a fashion-related position. She says the master's program is another great opportunity for people like her interested in applying business skills to a career in fashion. "There's a huge gap in the fashion industry between those who are running businesses and those doing the designing," Tiwari says. "Having more synergy between the two would be amazing." Sign up to receive more information about the new Business of Fashion graduate program, including updates about when applications will begin being accepted. To learn more about Rutgers Business School, go to www.business.rutgers.edu. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333873 SOURCE Rutgers Business School Related Links http://www.business.rutgers.edu DENVER, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ProtectWise, provider of the industry's first Cloud Network DVR for complete detection, visibility and response to enterprise threats, today announced the availability of ProtectWise File DVR, a powerful new approach to file analysis. Current file analysis solutions rely on blacklisting and whitelisting to identify malicious files, but struggle to keep pace with today's continually evolving threats. ProtectWise File DVR applies artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science capabilities to analyze the characteristics of suspicious files, in real-time and retrospectively, and as a result expedites forensic investigations and incident response. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333941LOGO The ProtectWise File DVR leverages the automated, continuous real-time and retrospective threat detection of full fidelity network traffic of the ProtectWise Cloud Network DVR and applies it to files. Using its latest threat intelligence and knowledge of new developments in the threat landscape, ProtectWise can discover malicious files that may have been previously unknown by analyzing historic file metadata automatically. This 'look back' capability reduces the dwell time of file-related threats on the network. "We built our Cloud Network DVR as a way for organizations to store full fidelity network data, creating an accurate representation of the actors, applications and network traffic flowing across all network segments," said Ramon Peypoch, chief product officer at ProtectWise. "ProtectWise File DVR taps into that value provided by our Cloud Network DVR, and discovers malicious files that may have been previously unknown by analyzing historic file metadata automatically. As a result, security teams are freed up to focus on other, more critical projects." Additional features of ProtectWise File DVR include: Complementary existing sandbox investments. It provides a full set of indicators of compromise (IOCs) and the option to integrate with sandboxing tools. It provides a full set of indicators of compromise (IOCs) and the option to integrate with sandboxing tools. Instantaneous deployment. As part of the extensible ProtectWise Enterprise Security Platform, File DVR is delivered as a value-added service. There is no new hardware or software to deploy, but simply requires turning the service on from within ProtectWise's Visualizer. As part of the extensible ProtectWise Enterprise Security Platform, File DVR is delivered as a value-added service. There is no new hardware or software to deploy, but simply requires turning the service on from within ProtectWise's Visualizer. Fast, intuitive search. Search your network haystack back three or six months to quickly determine if a file has previously been seen on the network. ProtectWise File DVR relies on the latest threat intelligence and knowledge of new developments in the threat landscape to enable incident response teams to quickly identify, investigate and respond to malicious files. Learn more about ProtectWise File DVR by visiting the ProtectWise website. About ProtectWise ProtectWise is disrupting the network security industry with its Cloud Network DVR, a virtual camera in the cloud that records everything on the network. The service allows security professionals to see threats in real time and continuously goes back in time to discover previously unknown threats automatically. By harnessing the power of the cloud, ProtectWise provides an integrated solution with complete detection and visibility of enterprise threats and accelerated incident response. The Cloud Network DVR delivers unique advantages over current network security solutions, including an unlimited retention window with full-fidelity forensic capacity, the industry's only automated smart retrospection, advanced security visualization, and the ease and cost-savings of an on-demand deployment model. Founded in April 2013, the company is based in Denver and led by a team of security and SaaS industry veterans from McAfee, IBM, Mandiant and Proofpoint. ProtectWise has raised more than $37 million in funding and was named to Network World's list of "10 Security Start-Ups to Watch." For more information, visit www.protectwise.com. Contact: Tracey Workman, [email protected] SOURCE ProtectWise Related Links https://www.protectwise.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- QuickMobile, the global leader in enterprise mobile meeting and event apps, today announces a strategic shift towards meaningful attendee engagement, empowering companies to personalize attendee journeys and interactions, empower attendees to collaborate and take action at the right time, and unlock insight from an engaged community. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333773LOGO QuickMobile is pioneering new ways for event organizers to better understand attendee motivations, preferences, and needs and continually adapt to attendee behavior and intelligence. This strategic shift includes a focus on easy-to-administer tools and enhanced personalization capabilities to allow attendees to engage with others, while providing event planners with vital insight into important business decisions. "Once again our passion and leadership in event technology is setting a new standard. As the leading innovator in the space, we have architected our platform and new capabilities with a bold vision in mind," said David Smith, CEO at QuickMobile. "We are redefining event apps with new, innovative capabilities to unlock insight from an engaged community. This strategic shift is a clear differentiator in today's marketplace and aligns with customers' needs for improved collaboration, making the QuickMobile Platform indispensable to the world's most sophisticated and successful enterprises." Today's announcement means QuickMobile will focus on four strategic aspects of the QuickMobile Platform to empower companies to deliver rich, personalized experiences that facilitate engagement and create community: Personalized Experiences Driving attendee participation while staying in full control from start to finish is a requirement for event planners. The QuickMobile Platform delivers relevant content and meaningful connections to the right audience or attendee, at the right time. It aligns an attendee's profile and event goals with up-to-date and relevant information, materials, notifications, networking, and messaging with other attendees and morewhile keeping event planners in full control. Social Engagement- Leveraging social marketing, video experiences, rich mobile applications, and other interactive tools are important ways for companies to set their brands apart. Beyond sharing photos, likes and comments, and quick polls, the QuickMobile Platform gives event planners powerful in-the-moment social networking experiences at events, creating communities among groups of attendees that want to share, collaborate, and connect with each other. Deeper Integration Integrating directly with enterprise business applications, analytics applications, and existing customer databases that drive the business is essential to delivering relevant attendee experiences. By providing deeper integration with these systems, the QuickMobile Platform supports thousands of highly-personalized interactions across multiple events entirely through a single platform. Increased Productivity - From the organizer's perspective, mobile event apps must deliver increased productivity, data analytics, and ROI benefits that reach beyond paper replacement and logistics management. The QuickMobile Platform delivers powerful new features, leading to new ways of getting information, working together, and making events more productive, valuable experiences for attendees and planners. "To date, no vendor has delivered an attendee engagement platform that can truly orchestrate and manage attendee experiences," said Julie Bevacqua, CMO at QuickMobile. "These capabilities set a new standard for attendee engagement and firmly establish QuickMobile as the industry leader." The QuickMobile Platform makes it easy to create and manage apps for mission-critical meetings and events, from marquee trade shows and user conferences to shareholder meetings, sales kickoffs, and beyond. The company develops mobile event apps for enterprise clients, associations, trade shows and conferences, providing a secure, scalable, and flexible mobile event platform that delivers an immersive experience for attendees and deep analytics that help drive the business forward. About QuickMobile QuickMobile deepens the value of meetings and events with mobile apps that engage and delight audiences. QuickMobile's enterprise mobile app and analytics platform creates an always-on communication channel that allows event owners to increase attendee participation, build loyalty and generate revenue through richer experiences. By fully leveraging the capabilities of QuickMobile's mobile and social solutions, customers can extend events into yearlong conversations and build lasting relationships with their audiences. QuickMobile's head office is located in Vancouver, Canada. For more information, visit www.quickmobile.com. Follow QuickMobile on Twitter @quickmobile. Media Contact: Julie Bevacqua, 604-875-0403 ext 339, Email SOURCE QuickMobile Related Links http://www.quickmobile.com GREENVILLE, N.C., Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SpringShire Retirement, LLC, a North Carolina not-for-profit corporation, is pleased to announce the closing of Revenue Anticipation Bonds to move forward with the development of a retirement community in Greenville, NC. These bonds will allow the community to move forward with the updated design and marketing of the community slated to begin construction in 2018. The community is being developed by Retirement Living Associates, Inc., a firm that also manages a number of other senior living communities in the Southeast including Springmoor Life Care Community in Raleigh, NC. "When we first started marketing SpringShire, there was an extremely positive response from the Greenville community," says David Ammons, President of RLA, Inc. "We continued to market the community through the recession, but due to a slow real estate market in Greenville, we stopped actively taking deposits for a period of time." Now that the real estate market has improved remarkably in the region, Mr. Ammons recommended to the SpringShire board that the time was right to move forward with pre-development financing through Herbert J. Sims, a respected senior living finance institution. Sims assisted SpringShire in obtaining $14,825,000 in pre-development capital to finance this stage of the community. The bonds were issued through the Public Finance Authority in Wisconsin. Once the community reaches a certain percentage of pre-sale reservation deposits, it will move forward with obtaining permanent bond financing to begin construction. SpringShire will consist of 150 independent living apartments, 12 independent cottages, an 8-bed assisted living unit and a 12-bed skilled nursing unit. The community will be situated on 127 acres of land located off of Highway 43 near Ironwood Country Club in Pitt County. In addition to well-appointed homes, the community will offer a variety of services and amenities such as dining venues, theater, fitness center & indoor pool, card rooms and easy access to nature trails and walkways. SpringShire will be licensed as a not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), which is a term that describes a community that offers a continuum of living and care options for older adults. The senior living industry is changing this designation to Life Plan Communities, which better describes the type of community that SpringShire will be. "Today's Life Plan Communities provide large residential homes with full-size appliances and all the amenities found in new homes today," says Ammons. "More importantly, we offer fitness and wellness programs, fine dining, creative enrichment programs, socializing opportunities and much, much more. And of course, we still provide top quality health care services if and when one of our residents develops that need." SpringShire will be a Life Plan community offering a resident the opportunity to move in while they are independent and enjoy a host of amenities; all while living amongst peers with similar goals and interests. The residents will have peace of mind knowing their needs will be met should they have a change in health. "This is an exciting time for the people of Greenville and surrounding areas," says Ammons. "SpringShire will offer a new opportunity in retirement living." Dr. Robert Deyton has served on the SpringShire board since 2007. He is a retired physician and has served as a local OB-GYN for more than 40 years. "I am happy to see SpringShire moving forward so we can share this new community with people in our region. It will be a great place to live in retirement," says Deyton. Residents interested in learning more about the SpringShire lifestyle can visit www.springshire.org or call (800) 884-2203. The Information Center for SpringShire is currently under construction, and will reopen in the Spring with updated designs and information about the community. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE SpringShire Retirement, LLC Related Links http://www.springshire.org NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc, the digital health marketplace used by millions of patients nationwide, today unveiled a top-to-bottom brand refresh that will challenge the conventional wisdom and color palette of the healthcare industry that Zocdoc has been modernizing since 2007. Meet Zocdoc Zocdoc's always-changing logo Zocdoc homepage At the center of Zocdoc's rebrand is the patient and a new logo called Zee, a line drawing of a dynamic letter Z and two eyes that evokes an always-changing patient face. Together with an optimistic and warm yellow-led color palette, Zocdoc's new look eschews the traditional blues and greens and common cross and staff symbols of healthcare design. "The new face of Zocdoc looks the way healthcare should friendly, simple and, most of all, reflective of patients and real life," says Zocdoc vice president of marketing Richard Fine. "With this redesign, we are finally matching our design philosophy with the ethos of our brand." Zocdoc's mission has always been to give power to the patient, helping millions of people find in-network, neighborhood doctors, book appointments instantly online, complete forms just once, and manage wellness appointments. But a legacy design system based on two cartoony doctors and an $80 logo never quite matched the vision. "Zocdoc is re-imagining what it means to be a patient, giving people the help they need beyond just when they're wearing a paper gown in the exam room," says Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz. "Now, our image reflects our vision and is a powerful outward signal of the role we play for patients as a center of care." KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS Always-changing logo. Meet Zee, a line drawing of a dynamic letter Z and two eyes that evokes an always-changing patient face. In resting pose, Zee is friendly and warm eyes open with a subtle smile shaped by the curved foot of the Z. Other Zees are cheeky (with a smile and a wink), feel meh (with a zigzag mouth and downturned eyes), or are puzzled (with an S-shaped mouth and open eyes). Simplified word mark. Far from the unremarkable two-tone, two-weight Helvetica stamp (cost $80) that marked Zocdoc for its first eight years, the new word mark simplifies the company's identity by dropping the capital D and leaves no confusion about what a Zoc is. Optimistic color palette. Healthcare has the blues, quite literally. The stalwarts of medicine over-index on the blue and green side of the color wheel. With this rebrand, Zocdoc is taking the bright spot of optimistic and warm yellow. Accent colors in the new palette are saturated pastels and vibrant tonal primaries. Modern imagery. Real life finds its way into the Zocdoc design lexicon for the first time with rich-hued, slightly humorous and true-to-life photography of patients' day-to-day a modern Norman Rockwell style. A germy elevator ride anchored with Achoo? Find a doctor. A positive pregnancy test and surprised couple titled with Surprise? Find a doctor. An ever-harder squint at a book with Blurry? Find a doctor. Animation with Zee out front. The redesign takes Zocdoc's animated heritage in a new direction, favoring animated patients over doctors with Zee as the face of every patient. Oversized, full frame images distinguish the style. Cleaner search. A horizontal homepage search bar brings the Zocdoc user experience in line with familiar horizontal search. brings the Zocdoc user experience in line with familiar horizontal search. Round provider headshots on search pages and provider profiles echo iOS and Outlook experiences. on search pages and provider profiles echo iOS and Outlook experiences. Clearer marks for in-network and out-of-network providers underscore one of Zocdoc's most prized services a provider database with more accurate insurance listings than the average payer site. Zocdoc's in house design team partnered with creative consultancy Wolff Olins on the rebranding work. "We couldn't be prouder to have collaborated with the team to bring their vision of friendly healthcare to the world," says Wolff Olins creative director Lisa Smith. "Zocdoc is revolutionizing a stale industry to connect with patients in the simplest, most relevant and human way. Zocdoc will radically impact how patients interact with healthcare moving forward, and its revamped brand and digital experience is only the beginning of what's to come." Zocdoc began its business with online scheduling and has expanded to answer more patient needs. Today, Zocdoc serves 60 percent of the U.S. population, partnering with independent practitioners and top health systems to improve patient access to care. The average national wait time to see a doctor is nearly three weeks. The typical Zocdoc patients sees a doctor within 24 hours. About Zocdoc Zocdoc is the tech company at the beginning of a better healthcare experience. Each month, millions of patients use Zocdoc to find in-network neighborhood doctors, instantly book appointments online, see what other real patients have to say, get reminders for upcoming appointments and preventive check-ups, fill out their paperwork online, and more. With a mission to give power to the patient, Zocdoc's online marketplace delivers the accessible, seamless, and simple experience patients expect and deserve. Zocdoc is free for patients and available across the United States via Zocdoc.com or the Zocdoc app for iPhone and Android. Media Contact Amy Juaristi I [email protected] I 212.933.9895 Video - http://youtu.be/c0a9NjCiqJ0 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333812LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333810LOGO Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333813 SOURCE Zocdoc Related Links http://zocdoc.com Name : hamster-time-tracker Product : Fedora 23 Version : 2.0 Release : 0.3.rc1.fc23 URL : http://projecthamster.wordpress.com/ Summary : The Linux time tracker Description : Project hamster is time tracking for individuals. It helps you to keep track on how much time you have spent during the day on activities you choose to track. Whenever you change from doing one task to other, you change your current activity in hamster. After a while you can see how many hours you have spent on what. Maybe print it out, or export to some suitable format, if time reporting is a request of your employee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Update Information: add upstream patches for GNOME 3.18 - workaround for a segfault in glib/gio - prevent warnings with introspection - rhbz#1074967 - rhbz#1307256 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - References: [ 1 ] Bug #1307253 - [abrt] hamster-time-tracker: connection.py:651:call_blocking:DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name :1.637 was not provided by any .service files https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1307253 [ 2 ] Bug #1307256 - [abrt] hamster-time-tracker: strlen(): python2.7 killed by SIGSEGV https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1307256 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - This update can be installed with the "yum" update program. Use su -c 'yum update hamster-time-tracker' at the command line. For more information, refer to "Managing Software with yum", available at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/yum/. All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at https://fedoraproject.org/keys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - _______________________________________________ package-announce mailing list package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/package-announce Aden, Feb 12 : At least five policemen were killed on Friday in an attack in Yemen's port city of Aden, a government official said. According to the Aden-based government official, a group of militants believed to be Al-Qaeda members attacked a police station in Aden's district of Daar Saad, Xinhua reported. Three police personnel were also injured in the attack, the official said. "Masked attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at the police building and then opened heavy fire," local residents said. The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past weeks resulting in the assassination of Aden's former governor, several high-ranking security officers and judges. Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East and the affiliate of the Islamic State. The security situation in the country has deteriorated since March when war broke out between the Shia Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. Gaza, Feb 13 : The Islamic movement is open to any initiative that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people due to keeping the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt closed, a senior Hamas official said on Saturday. Ismail Haneya, Hamas deputy chief, said his movement was ready to cooperate with any party that presents any initiative to keep the key crossing permanently open, Xinhua reported. Haneya welcomed Egypt's decision to temporarily open the terminal for two days as of Saturday. "Egypt's historic, Arab and Islamic role cannot be abandoned, and the Palestinian cause is one of the major concerns of Egypt," he said. Internal division between Haneya's movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party that started in 2007, was the major reason for keeping the crossing closed, mainly differences on who rules the crossing. Egyptian officials had repeatedly said the country would not keep the crossing open from its side for the Palestinians, while the Palestinians are divided, and it would only open it permanently when the internal Palestinian division ends. Haneya called on Egypt to extend the opening of the crossing for more than two days to let a bigger number of Palestinians to travel, mainly patients and students. According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior, there are 25,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are in an urgent need of travelling through the sole and main gate for the Palestinians to travel abroad. Last week, delegations of the two rival groups; Fatah and Hamas held a two-day round of talks in Qatar to implement former reconciliation deals and understandings reached between them in the last four years. The two groups agreed on the principle of implementing their agreements, but said both will get back to their political leaderships to agree on the mechanism of implementing their reconciliation agreements. Egypt competes with Qatar on sponsoring the issue of Palestinian reconciliation and sponsors the internal Palestinian dialogue since it started in 2007. Earlier in the day, Egypt temporarily opened the Rafah border crossing for two days after it remained closed for 70 days, officials said. The last time Egypt reopened the terminal was on on December 3 last year for two days. In a statement, the Hamas-ruled Borders and Crossings Corporation said Egypt reopened the crossing from its side and the first bus of passengers had already crossed. It added that the crossing will be working on Saturday and Sunday for Palestinians who want to travel in both directions, adding that priority was for humanitarian cases, students and those who hold dual citizenships. Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Saturday morning at the Palestinian side waiting for busses to move them into Egypt. The corporation said the Rafah terminal was opened for only 21 days in 2015, adding the year was the worst ever for operating the crossing, the only gate for around two million Palestinians in Gaza to the world. Since 2007, Hamas movement has been ruling the Gaza Strip, including Rafah crossing after it violently seized control of the enclave following weeks of internal fighting with security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. Mumbai, Feb 13 : Finland on Saturday expressed its support for India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. "The prime minister of Finland reiterated the support of Finland to India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council," a joint statement issued following a bilateral meeting here between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finnish counterpart Juha Sipila said. "The two countries called for forward movement in the intergovernmental negotiations on United Nations Security Council reform, and expressed their commitment to initiate text-based negotiations within the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly," it stated. Sipila is in Mumbai to attend the 'Make in India Week' that got underway here on Saturday. He along, with Modi, jointly digitally inaugurated Finnish firm Trivitron's Labsystems Diagnostics IVD (in-vitro diagnostics) factory in Chennai. According to the statement, in their joint effort to strengthen global non-proliferation objectives and the multilateral export control regimes, SipilA took a positive view on India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Missile Technology Control Regime. "Both prime ministers acknowledged that there is wide convergence in views on the international political and economic situation," it said. Both the leaders also "condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated zero tolerance for this menace which seriously undermines international peace and security, growth and development". "They emphasised the importance of ratification and implementation of all UN legal instruments to counter terrorism and encouraged enhanced efforts towards making progress on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism," the statement said. The two prime ministers agreed on the need to tap the full potential of the European Union (EU)-India strategic partnership and welcomed the prospect of resumption of talks on the India-EU Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA). There are over 100 Finnish companies in India and some 25 Indian companies in Finland. "Many of the Finnish companies in India have manufacturing plants in the country and are truly Make in India companies," the statement said. Several Finnish companies are engaged in the renewable energy and clean-tech segments while a Finnish energy firm already owns two solar power plants in India and has won a bid to build a third one. A Finnish mobile phone network manufacturer has a research and development centre in India that employs 6,000 people and their equipment serve 280 million mobile phone subscribers, according to the statement. The Indian companies in Finland are operating in diverse sectors including information technology, health and tourism and have promising prospects for enlarging their investments and involvement in Finland. Sipila welcomed the efforts of the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi himself in outreach to the business sector and linking with it in a meaningful manner, the statement said. Modi mentioned that several initiatives, including ease of doing business have been taken to bring in consistency, clarity and predictability in policies. Sipila also highlighted Finland's capacities in the civil nuclear energy field. Finland has four reactors in operation and new ones are being built and planned. " "Both prime ministers agreed that there would be a lot to gain to increase cooperation in innovation and transforming ideas into internationally marketable product"," the statement said. " "They agreed that the cooperation between universities and institutes of higher learning is an important part of this cooperati"n." According to the statement, around 20,000 Finnish tourists visit India every year and the facility of eTourist visa to Finnish nationals as also recent Indian investment in Finland in this sector is going to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges. The two sides also appreciated the recent conclusion of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between civil aviation authorities on code shares, intermodal services, routing flexibility, open sky on cargo and on domestic code-sharing. Thy also appreciated the decision to move forward with a bio-refinery project for production of fuel grade ethanol, acetic acid, furfural and bio-coal from bamboo in Assam, the statement said. Mumbai, Feb 15 : Actress Alia Bhatt says attending the famed New York Fashion Week is a "dream" for her. One of her favourite make-up artists, Elton J Fernandez, has been sent to New York Fashion Week by Maybelline New York, and she is "super excited for him as it will be his first-time working backstage with renowned designers and international makeup artists". Wishing him lots of luck, Alia said in a statement: "It has been my dream to attend New York Fashion Week, where ultimate fashion and style icons have made their mark! It's a brilliant platform and I would love to attend Fashion Week next season." Alia is currently busy shooting for a new film with superstar Shah Rukh Khan. -*-'Rock On 2' shoot nears end The shooting of "Rock On 2" is nearing its end, and actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar has thanked his team for it. Written and directed by Shujaat Saudagar, the film is a sequel to the 2008 film "Rock On!!". "As the Rock On 2 journey nears its end, the riders step off one by one. Thank you Shashank S Arora .. It's been a pleasure. Keep shining," Farhan tweeted. Produced by Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani, the music has been given by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Besides Farhan, the film stars actors Arjun Rampal, Prachi Desai, Purab Kohli who were also seen in the prequel of the film and it also stars Shraddha Kapoor who is new to the franchise. -*-Bejoy Nambiar to launch music video 'Aarachar' on Tuesday Music video "Aarachar", featuring actress Aditi Rao Hydari will be launched on Tuesday, announced its director Bejoy Nambiar. Aditi and Nambiar shot the video for the Kerala-based band Thaikkudam Bridge. "Finally we are launching the music video 'Aarachar' by Thaikkudam Bridge tomorrow, feat Aditi Rao Hydari. Watch this space (sic)," Nambiar, who has films like "Wazir" and "Shaitan" to his credit, posted on the micro-blogging website. "Aarachar" is a Malayalam song but Nambiar also plans to subtitle it in Hindi and English and reach out to a bigger audience. New Delhi, Feb 16 : A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Tuesday over some lawyers thrashing journalists at a city court here on Monday, Delhi Police said. "We have registered an FIR in connection with the incident that occurred in the court yesterday (Monday). We are looking into the matter," Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said here at a function of 69th Raising Day of Delhi Police. "We are taking all steps to identify the people and action will be taken as per the course of law," he added. When questioned about alleged police inaction during the thrashing, Bassi said: "If it is proved that police did not perform its duty or showed laxity, appropriate action would be taken against those as well." Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also attended the event, said: "An inquiry is going on over the incident." However, Rajnath Singh, who had earlier claimed a link between terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and the protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, refused to disclose any details. Four journalists, including one from IANS, and some JNU students were assaulted at the Patiala House courts by a section of lawyers. IANS reporter Amiya Kumar Kushwaha was slapped inside a courtroom while some other journalists were attacked within the court premises by lawyers who were raising "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans. The incident took place just before the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been arrested on charges of sedition, was to be presented before a court. Kiev, Feb 17 : Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday failed to pass a non-confidence bill against the government led by Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk, the parliament's press service said. The result helped avoid the immediate prospect of a snap election in a country grappling with an economic recession and a pro-Russian insurgency in the eastern areas of Ukraine, Xinhua reported. The bill, put forward by the ruling Solidarity Party, only won backing from 194 lawmakers with a required minimum of 226 votes, said a statement on the parliament's website. The vote in parliament came hours after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko asked the country's Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk and the Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to resign amid lack of public confidence. In his address to the nation, Poroshenko emphasised the necessity of carrying out a "complete reshuffle" of the Ukrainian cabinet to make it continue functioning in a proper way. "Total reformatting of the government should take place on the basis of the current ruling coalition comprising of Solidarity, People's Front, Samopomich and Fatherland political parties," Poroshenko said. Apart from Solidarity Party, Tuesday's vote gained support from the Samopomich and the Fatherland political parties, as well as from Radical party, while the majority of lawmakers from other political forces voted against the bill, the statement said. While requesting the lawmakers to prepare the vote of confidence earlier this month, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that his entire government, which came to power in December 2014, is ready to resign if parliament decides to lay off at least one of the ministers. In accordance with the Ukrainian law, only one confidence motion can be put to vote during the parliamentary session, which means that the current cabinet cannot be disbanded by parliament at least until September. Washington, Feb 17 : President Barack Obama suggested the American people are too "sensible" to elect Republican frontrunner Donald Trump as president even as he and Hillary Clinton held commanding leads in the next battle ground of South Carolina. But he diplomatically avoided taking sides in the Democratic race between his former secretary of state and self-styled Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders who is posing a stronger than expected challenge to her. "I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president," Obama said at a news conference in California Tuesday. "And the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people. Being president is a serious job. It's not hosting a talk show, or a reality show." "It's not promotion, it's not marketing. It's hard. And a lot of people count on us getting it right," said Obama. The presidency isn't "a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get you in the news on a given day." He also took shots at two other Republican candidates senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Trump responded to Obama during an event in Beaufort, South Carolina, saying: "He has done such a lousy job as president." But he didn't mind being targeted by Obama, and took it as a "great compliment." Turning to the Democratic race, Obama praised Clinton saying: "You know, I know Hillary better than I know Bernie, because she's served in my administration, and she was an outstanding secretary of state." "And I suspect that, on certain issues, she agrees with me more than Bernie does," he said. But then added: "On the other hand, there may be a couple issues where Bernie agrees with me more. I don't know, I haven't studied their positions that closely." "Ultimately, I will probably have an opinion on it, based on both -- (having) been a candidate of hope and change and a President who's got some nicks and cuts and bruises from -- you know, getting stuff done over the last seven years." Meanwhile, A CNN/ORC survey found Trump holding a broad 16-point lead (38 percent to 22 percent) over his nearest rival Ted Cruz among those likely to vote in South Carolina's Republican primary this Saturday. Cruz was followed by Rubio with 14 percent and Jeb Bush with 10 percent. Hillary Clinton topped Bernie Sanders by 18 points (56 percent to 38 percent) in the state's Democratic primary, which will be held a week later. Republicans by far see Trump as the strongest candidate to handle the economy, illegal immigration and fighting terrorism. They also see him as the most likely to win in a general election. But on social issues and foreign policy, Trump holds only slim leads over Cruz. Clinton won handily on all issues, with vast advantages on health care policy and race relations. Sanders did manage to keep it close on gun policy, an issue that some Democrats say he has been weak on. However, according to the New York times Clinton's campaign is threatened by a generational schism as revealed by the New Hampshire primary where she lost the women's vote by 11 percentage points. In the meantime, after bringing older brother and former president George Bush to fire up his sinking presidential campaign, Jeb Bush Tuesday tweeted an image of a gun engraved with "Gov. Jeb Bush" given to him by a gunmaker with the single-word caption "America." (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) Mumbai, Feb 17 : "Triple 9", a gritty heist thriller starring Kate Winslet, will release in Indian theatres on March 11. With plenty of bloodshed, action sequences and witty dialogues, it will keep the fans of this genre deeply entrenched, read a statement from PVR Pictures, which is releasing the movie in the country. Directed by John Hillcoat, who is known for his dark and adult oriented dramas, "Triple 9" tells the story of how a group of corrupt policemen are blackmailed by gangsters to perform a near impossible robbery. In the US, '999' is the highest-priority code police use when one of their own is wounded in a gun battle. The plan in the movie involves killing a rookie police officer (Casey Affleck) by the crooked officers, but everything goes wrong when the former refuses to roll over and fights back. The cast features an overspill of talent in the form of Winslet, Gal Gadot, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Woody Harrelson. Also featuring are TV actors such as Norman Reedus and Aaron Paul. Winslet features as a cold-blooded mafia boss which is a far cry from her days of portraying the innocuous Rose in "Titanic". She will be sporting a Russian accent and will be seen dressed in risque outfits. Srinagar, Feb 17 : Independent legislator from Kashmir's Kupwara district, Engineer Rashid, was on Wednesday detained as he took out a march against the arrest of S.A.R. Geelani and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protestors. Rashid, who represents Langate constituency, took out a march with at least 200 supporters from his official Jawahar Nagar residence in the city. The march was taken out by the MLA to show solidarity with those who protested at JNU on Afzal Guru's death anniversary on February 9. The march was also intended against the arrest of former Delhi University teacher, S.A.R. Geelani by Delhi Police on Tuesday. Police stopped the protestors near the Abdullah Bridge. The MLA was detained and taken away in a police vehicle to Rajbagh police station. The protesters dispersed peacefully. New Delhi, Feb 17 : Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi on Wednesday said they had "adequate" evidence against Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on sedition charges after allegedly raising anti-India slogans at the varsity last week. "We have adequate evidence against Kanhaiya Kumar on the basis of which he was arrested," Bassi told reporters. He also said that police have identified all suspected students involved in anti-India sloganeering at JNU last week and their search was on. "As per our investigation, some outsiders were also involved apart from JNU students. We are investigating this aspect, and we are conducting searches as well," he said. Kanhaiya Kumar's police custody ends on Wednesday and he be will be brought to the court later in the afternoon. Islamabad, Feb 17 : A bomb hoax at the Karachi University caused panic on Wednesday, leading to its evacuation, Dawn reported. Police found no bomb or explosive. The police came to know that three bombs were placed in the campus premises after which the bomb disposal squad was called, Superintendent of Police Gulshan Farhad Ahmad said. After the attack on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bacha Khan University on January 13, educational institutions in Pakistan have been on high alert. The university has more than 27,000 students and over 4,000 teaching and non-teaching staff. New Delhi, Feb 17 : The CPI-M on Wednesday demanded the exit of Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi after a section of lawyers assaulted JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar at a court here. The Communist Party of India-Marxist also blamed "RSS/BJP goons" for the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, "under the very nose of the police". "There appears to be a complete breakdown of any authority of the law enforcing force in the nation's capital and the subversion of judicial orders is done with impunity," a CPI-M statement said. "The CPI-M strongly condemns the Delhi Police for not carrying out the directions of the Supreme Court to provide adequate security to Kanhaiya Kumar... "(Bassi) has brazenly justified such vandalism. He has no right to continue in office. "This is nothing but a blatant attempt to subvert the process of delivery of justice in the country. Such strong arm tactics are reminiscent of highly authoritarian and fascistic tendencies," it said. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president was under police custody since he was arrested for sedition on February 12, allegedly for raising anti-India slogans. He has denied the charge. On Wednesday, he was sent to judicial custody till March 2. "These charges are baseless," the CPI-M said, adding that Kanhaiya Kumar must be immediately released and the charge of sedition against him and other students be dropped. It also deplored the attack mounted by the RSS under the patronage of the BJP-led government against JNU. It said Wednesday's "brutal physical attack is the second in a row on lawyers, media persons and JNU students and faculty members who were present in the court premises..." The statement accused the Modi government of trying to sharpen communal polarisation by rousing jingoism "on the basis of fabricated and preposterous charges against the progressive values of JNU". New Delhi, Feb 17 : JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, sent to judicial custody on Wednesday till March 2 after being arrested on charges of sedition, appealed to students to maintain calm. "I would like to appeal to all student unions and organisations to maintain peace," the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) said in a statement. "I am an Indian and I don't support anti-national activity. I condemn the February 9 event, which happened at the JNU," he said, referring to the allegedly anti-India slogans raised at a meeting there. "I believe in the integrity and unity of the country," he said, adding that those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". "I have full faith in the (Indian) Constitution," he said in the statement that was leaked to the media by his lawyers. Aden (Yemen), Feb 17 : At least 13 soldiers were killed and several others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a military camp in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, a security official told Xinhua. "A suicide bomber detonated his explosives belt at the main gate of Ras Abbas military base in Aden's western district of Buraiga, where scores of new army recruits were present for training," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The suicide bombing resulted in the deaths of 13 people, mostly soldiers and new recruits, and injured several others at the scene, the source added. Nearly 50 soldiers were critically injured, according to a medical official. The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past weeks that resulted in the assassination of Aden's former governor, several high-ranking security officers and judges. The turbulent and complicated security situation in Aden and neighbouring southern provinces of Lahj and Abyan is one of the biggest challenges for the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces operating in Aden. The Saudi-led Arab coalition has dispatched thousands of soldiers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Sudan and Bahrain into five anti-Houthi southern provinces to support and train local Yemeni security forces there. Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East and the affiliate of the IS. The security situation in the country has deteriorated since last March when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. Mumbai, Feb 17 : A website dedicated to the union government's Maritime India Summit 2016 to be held in April was launched on Wednesday by Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari at the ongoing 'Make in India Week' event here. "A strong maritime sector will create economic growth and jobs. Realising this potential is our duty towards the nation. I am committed to bring the sector into focus; to achieve our goal of port-led economic development," Gadkari said while launching 'www.maritimeinvest.in' portal. The website will facilitate investors and participants access detailed information about the summit, including registrations, the minister said. He urged potential exhibitors and other participants to register themselves online and avail the "early bird discount" till March 10. The Maritime India Summit, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 at the city's Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, will be the maiden global summit to be organised by the shipping ministry. "The Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2016 will comprise an Investors' Summit on April 14 and 15, 2016, along with exhibition and demo sessions spread over three days," the ministry said in a statement in New Delhi. "Republic of Korea is the partner country for the MIS 2016 and will be represented by a high-level ministerial and business delegation. More than 50 other maritime nations have also been invited to attend the summit," it added. Speaking at a seminar at the event on shipping and port sectors, Gadkari said many initiatives including modernisation and capacity addition have already been undertaken for ports with an investment of Rs.80,000 crore. Similarly, an Indian Port Rail Company has been established with the thrust on railroad connectivity, he said. He said the shipping ministry will issue tenders for appointment of a consultant by March for the proposed transhipment port at Colachel in Tamil Nadu. Colachel in Tamil Nadu, Sagar in West Bengal and Wadhawan in Maharashtra would be the three new ports on the Indian coast, he added. Addressing a separate seminar on roads and highways, the minister said the bureaucracy cannot be solely blamed for delays in awarding projects. "The system is to be blamed for delays in approval processes. I strongly feel that one cannot blame the system every time as well. Political support will also play a crucial role in this," he said. Kolkata, Feb 17 : Known for his innovative method of filming, editing and sharing one-minute videos every 24 hours, American video diplomacy expert Christoph Alexander Geiseler feels the focus in India should be on contents that stand the test of time instead of messages for social media that are consumed swiftly. "I think it should be about what videos will stand the test of time instead of focusing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and Snapchats... contents that are consumed very quickly. What videos you will be watching 5 or 10 years from now? What are the voices, the stories that our great-great-great grandchildren will hold on to? The valuable stories stand the test of time," Geiseler told IANS here. Geiseler and his teaching partner, Anouschka Dap, were here for a two-day video course at the US Consulate. Selected trainees participated in a hands-on workshop to learn how to produce one-minute videos within 24 hours using the method invented by Geiseler. "Video diplomacy is an amplifier for a way to transmit a message. An institution can speak to the public and public can speak back. Twitter is to blogs as one-minute videos are to movies," he explained. Geiseler, the founder of the One Minute Academy, also consults for the US Department of State as a cultural envoy. He admitted people doubt the potential of one-minute videos at the moment. And this is exactly why, he said, there is a "great opportunity to enter the field and establish ourselves as innovators and pioneers". Asked on the recent cultural appropriation controversy over British rock band Coldplay's "Hymn For the Weekend", Geiseler said showcasing a vibrant image of the country is a positive step. "If they are showing a side of India that is beautiful and colourful and makes people come to India, sounds like a great occasion to me. They are not harming anybody and not saying negative." "Think about the millions of dollars which will be poured into the economy because a foreign band came here and made a video. They probably paid for rights to get clearance, paid taxes for filming certain landmarks etc." Warangal (Telangana), Feb 17 : Hundreds of thousands of people have reached Medaram in Warangal district for Sammakka Sarakka jatara, India's largest tribal fair, which began on Wednesday. Devotees, both tribal and non-tribal, from different parts of Telangana and other states like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and AKarnataka are participating in the four-day fair, also known as Medaram jatra. Medaram and surrounding villages in the forest, about 100 km from district headquarters, have turned into sea of humanity for the tribal festival, organised once in two years. Men and women took a dip in Jampanna stream, which they believe wash away their sins. Devotees belonging to different states and speaking different languages throng the forests to pay obeisance to tribal goddesses Sammakka and Sarakka. The unique rituals, which include devotees offering jaggery to the deities, will begin Wednesday night with the customary arrival of Sarakka's image from Kannepally village which will be placed on a platform. The image idol covered in red cloth was brought in a vessel laden with vermilion and turmeric powder. The idols of Sarakkaa's father Pagidigidda Raju and husband Govinda Raju will also be brought to Medaram. Serpentine queues of devotees were seen even before the formal launch of the festivities, which will reach the peak on Thursday when the image of Sarakka's mother Sammakka will arrive from Chilalagutta village. Sammakka and Sarakka were legendary warriors from the Koya tribe who fought against the Kakatiya empire 800 years ago and were killed. The festival, which marks the celebration of tribal traditions, has grown in size during last few years with authorities making elaborate arrangements for the transport of the devotees and smooth conduct of the mega event. As the jatra this year is the first in Telangana state, the government has gone all out to make massive arrangements. According to officials, more than Rs.180 crore had been spent to make fool-proof arrangements. Two state ministers - A. Indrakaran Reddy and A. Chandulal - had been camping in Medaram for last couple of days to supervise the arrangements. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will visit Medaram on Thursday to make the offerings to tribal goddesses. According to Warangal District Collector Vakati Karuna, as many as 30,000 people have been engaged to ensure smooth conduct of the event. They include 9,000 policemen, 5,000 sanitation staff, forest officials, doctors, paramedical staff and volunteers. Officials expect more than 10 million people to participate in the festival this year. The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced that it will running 16 special trains for passengers attending the jatra while Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will operate 4,000 special buses. This is in addition to thousands of private vehicles. New Delhi, Feb 17 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on the pleas of Congresstreasurer Motilal Vora and Young India Ltd, seeking quashing of trial court's order allowed summoning of some documents in National Herald case. Justice Sunita Gupta sought Swamy's response and posted the matter for March 15. On January 11, the trial court had allowed the plea of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, seeking some documents from various ministries and other agencies in National Herald case against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi. Vohra and Young India Ltd. moved the high court challenging trial court's order. In his application in trial court, Swamy had sought documents relating to the company, the Associated Journals Limited, Herald House from ministries of finance, urban development, and corporate affairs, the Delhi Development Authority and the registrar of companies, saying they were necessary for the purpose of the trial and other proceedings. On February 12, the Supreme Court refused to put on hold criminal proceedings against Gandhis and others in the National Herald case but exempted them from personal appearances, noting their presence in the trial court would cause more inconvenience, than convenience. On June 26, 2014, the trial court issued summons to the Congress leaders on Swamy's complaint about "cheating" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd., which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young India Ltd, "a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 percent stake". Congress leaders Vora, and Oscar Fernandes, family friend Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda were also named as accused in the case. The Delhi High Court in December dismissed the plea of the Gandhis to quash the summons issued to them by the trial court on Swamy's complaint. New Delhi, Feb 17 : JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya Kumar was brought there. With another day of scuffles at the Patiala House court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the law and order situation in the national capital was "fast deteriorating" and the Communist Party of India-Marxist demanded Bassi's removal following the "assault" on Kanhaiya Kumar. Bassi, however, maintained that the JNU student was not beaten up. As the controversy over JNU protests escalated, Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country was eager to hear "eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice" from the university. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen sent Kanhaiya Kumar to judicial custody after Delhi Police said it did not need the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president any more for interrogation. The court directed Delhi Police, who will escort him to the jail from the court, and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Kanhaiya Kumar, in a statement leaked to the media, appealed to students to maintain calm and said he does not support anti-national activity. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". Ten student organisations owing allegiance to different political parties on Wednesday pledged support to him while Amnesty International sought his immediate release. Meanwhile, with the scuffle at the court and the assault on him reached the apex court where a bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said it will be the Delhi Police chief's personal responsibility to ensure his safety as well as those attending the court proceedings. The court adjourned the hearing till 2 p.m. so that a team of lawyers, comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Ajit Sinha, A.G.N. Rao and Harin Rawal, and could and assess the situation in the Patiala House court complex. The team said they witnessed an "unprecedented" situation with an atmosphere of "fear and terrorising people" and Dhawan told the court that the "collective view of the team is that police did not do their job". He told the court they were not only abused in the filthiest language but were described as Pakistani agents. The court gave Delhi Police till Friday morning to submit its report and directed the next hearing of the matter on Monday. Earlier, several journalists were beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court. Among the journalists who were assaulted were a Firstpost photographer and reporter each as well as a journalist from Network 18. Two groups of lawyers -- one opposed to Kanhaiya Kumar and another supporting his legal rights -- earlier got into a scuffle in the court in the heart of the capital. The lawyers who attacked the journalists were noisily protesting against JNU students who allegedly raised anti-India slogans a week ago. The journalists alleged that police personnel present in the court refused to come to their help. On Monday, many journalists including an IANS reporter, were beaten up by the same group of lawyers in the court. Bassi however told reporters that Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex here but was only jostled around. He said police have issued summons to three people, including Vikram Singh Chauhan, one of the lawyers captured on video in the court violence on Monday. BJP legislator O.P. Sharma, who had been filmed attacking a CPI activist, had also been summoned. Kolkata, Feb 17 : A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard in the prestigious Jadavpur University, its campus was on the boil on Wednesday as posters "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding 'freedom' for Manipur and Nagaland were put up, and subsequently torn by a rival group of students shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai". Vice chancellor Suranjan Das dismissed Tuesday's slogans eulogising parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru as the handiwork of "fringe elements" and ruled out any action including calling in police. However, a police officer said the matter was being "throughly investigated". The posters appearing on Wednesday morning were purportedly put up by a group which called itself "Radical". "Hum kya chahe, Azadi/Kashmir ki Azadi/Manipur ki Azadi/Nagaland ki Azadi" (We demand independence/Kashmir's independence/Manipur's independence/Nagaland's independence), said one poster. Another empathised with Afzal Guru and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon, both of whom have been hanged. "If the Gujarat mass murderers, those who hanged Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon are patriots, and if the students of Kashmir seeking independence are anti-nationals, then we are all anti-nationals." A third poster refered to a quotation of Mao Tse Tung and declared: "We are in favour of freedom fo all oppressed people." Some of the students took out a rally denouncing the "fascist" Narendra Modi government and decrying the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and the atrocities "brought down" on JNU students by the BJP and other arms of the "Sangh parivar". "I don't think this is a secessionist slogan. If I am an Indian citizen, I have freedom of expression. People of Kashmir are being tortured every day. If they want freedom, I support it. I don't think this is an anti-national step or slogan," said Zubi Saha, a member of Radical. A little later, another group of students carrying the tricolour and shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai" went round the campus and even staged a sit-in outside the university's administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan. They shouted slogans demanding exemplary punishment for those indulging in aceanti-national" activities and raising secessionist slogans in the campus. The group -- though small in number -- then tore up the pro-Guru, pro-Memon and other posters supporting independence of Manipur and Nagaland and condemned the pro-Guru slogans heard on Tuesday. Instead, they put up posters condemning the Radicals. "We are from Jadavpur University. We don't support anti-nationalists," a poster said. Some of them also cried "Pakistan murdabad, Hindustan Zindabad". Angry over the tearing of posters, the first group then took out a big rally that went around the campus, alleging that the posters were torn by those with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad connections. The vice chancellor claimed certain "fringe elements" had indulged in the pro-Guru sloganeering on Tuesday and called it "insignificant". "Some individuals had convened the rally. That rally was not officially convened by the students' union. They have told me," Das told the media here. "I have seen in the media that a large section of students who were present in the rally, including some of the office bearers of the students union, have unequivocally said they have completely disassociated from these anti-national slogans. They are not supporting it," added Das. "If in a rally, some fringe elements gave certain slogans, then that is inconsequential. If some fringe elements have given such slogans, then condemning the entire student body and maligning the image of the university is also unexpected and inconsequential." The context in which they had rallied was to show solidarity with students nation-wide for the right to express themselves, clarified Das. He ruled out lodging any police complaint, saying the university was a place for rational thinking and free speech. Police said they were looking into the matter. "Though no case has been lodged, we are thoroughly investigating the matter. If we find legal action is needed we will act," a senior Kolkata police officer told the media. The BJP said those who raised "anti-India slogans" at Jadavpur University deserved a "good thrashing". "What has happened is highly condemnable. It's a shame that some students raised anti-India slogans. Very soon, come people will give them (Jadavpur students) a good thrashing, which they deserve. It is only then that they will understand the true value of nationalism," said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. New Delhi, Feb 17 : The escalating tension arising from an obscure meeting on Kashmir held at the JNU here has spiralled into an acrimonious nationalism-versus-intolerance debate. The row has pitted Hindu nationalists, mostly from the ruling saffron alliance, against those opposed to the Narendra Modi government's alleged intolerance and its bid to crush dissent. An incident that would in normal times have made no ripples exploded on the national stage after the arrest of JNU's left wing student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, fuelling a debate on issues related to freedom of speech. Held for allegedly making "anti-national remarks" under a colonial-era sedition law, Kumar's detention has caused political fireworks just ahead of parliament's budget session. JNU students backing Kumar, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, have drawn support from large sections of the civil society -- but have also run into a wall of aggressive Hindu nationalists. "They have arrested an elected student union president on the draconian charge of sedition without even a shred of evidence. The message is clear. Fall in line with the BJP/RSS agenda," CPI-M leader Brinda Karat told IANS. Brinda Karat, whose husband and Marxist leader Prakash Karat was once a student leader in JNU, said the Modi government wanted to "impose its political and ideological hegemony over all academic institutions". "It is an authoritarian move to subvert democratic ethos," said Karat, an MP and a former student activist. Modi supporters who love to dub people like Karat "anti-national" now want the JNU -- a known leftist bastion -- to be shut down. BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said the JNU row had nothing to do with free speech as the heart of the issue was the shouting of slogans denouncing the hanging of Afzal Guru, convicted for the terror attack on parliament. On Wednesday, when a court sent Kumar to judicial custody till March 2, lawyers calling themselves Hindu nationalists assaulted him as well as the journalists covering the case. One of the lawyers was identified as Vikram Chauhan, who is said to be close to leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. On his part, Kumar has denied shouting anti-India slogans or taking part in anything that could invite sedition charges - which carries the maximum punishment of life imprisonment. The sedition law was widely used during India's independence movement and was slapped on Mahatma Gandhi in 1922. Legal experts doubt if Delhi Police can prove the sedition charge against the jailed Kumar - who has been transformed from an unknown student leader to a virtual national figure. Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde said sedition requires speech to cross the line into action. "The law is clear. Unless there is an actual incitement to violence, there is no sedition," Hegde told IANS. "There are two points regarding this case. Did Kanhaiya shout slogans? Was there any incitement to violence? I don't think police have evidence to prove that." (Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in) Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 Panaji, Feb 17 : Swami Agnivesh on Wednesday said that the sedition law, enforced by the British to safeguard the Raj, should be repealed since it was misused to muzzle dissent. The Arya Samaj scholar and social activist also said that by attacking an institution like the Jawaharlal Nehru University and arresting its student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the Centre has sent out a wrong message to the country. "This sedition law - Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code - was made by the British to safeguard their empire. They arrested Mahatma Gandhi and (Bal Gangadhar) Tilak under this law? Were they anti-national?" Agnivesh said at a function organised by the Popular Front of India in Panaji. He said that those who shouted slogans in favour of executed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on the JNU campus on February 9 must be identified and tried under the law. However, police should not arrest students on their whims and fancy, the social activist said. "The JNU has a legacy of providing educational opportunities to the poor students. The mother of Kanhaiya Kumar is a labourer, his father has paralysis. They earn Rs.3,000 per month. But they could still educate their son because he went to the JNU... his arrest will send a wrong message to the country," Agnivesh said. CPI(M) leader and parliamentarian M B Rajesh on Wednesday took to Facebook to take a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party following media reports that the Delhi Police Special Branchs report on the JNU issue, which was submitted to the Union Home Ministry, makes no mention of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar being present at the Afzal Guru event organised on the campus. Nor does the report mention Kanhaiya as one of the organisers of the event, thus giving the lie to BJPs charges against him of indulging in anti-national activities. In his Facebook post, M B Rajesh called for those who labelled Kanhaiya Kumar and the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University as anti-nationals to tender an apology. The treason story has burst like a bubble, the post says, adding that the Home Ministry has now acknowledged Kanhaiya has not done anything anti-national. He also hit out at Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, pejoratively asking whether Mr. Singh, who accused the JNU students of being involved in anti-national activities on the basis of a tweet sent from a fake account of terrorist Hafiz Saeed, was now at a loss for words. If the Union Government was sure about the involvement of Pakistan in the JNU row, why didnt they register their protest with the Pakistan Government? Rajesh asked. The Facebook post asks rhetorically whether the Delhi court turning down the request to have the NIA investigate the JNU issue was a setback to the government. M B Rajesh termed the Sanghis (a generic term for RSS activists and right wingers) the true successors of Nazis, comparing the incidents at JNU with the Reichstag Fire (when Nazis set fire to the German Parliament and pinned the blame on Communists). As a footnote, he wrote that attempts to muzzle speech through threats and vilification would come a cropper, adding that a person had called him on his landline phone at midnight showering expletives on him on account of the Facebook post that he made on Tuesday. New Delhi, Feb 17 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo in Arunachal Pradesh as its summoned original records pertaining to the disqualification of 14 legislators by the then speaker Nabam Rebia in December 2015. The status quo order effectively forestalled revocation of the president's rule and, for now, no new government can be sworn in. The constitution bench headed by the Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, while directing the parties to the litigation before it to maintain "status quo", asked its secretary general to facilitate the "implementation of the instant order" seeking original records relating to the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress lawmakers before 10.30 a.m. on Thursday. "In the meantime, the parties before this court shall maintain status quo. For further consideration," said the court as it directed the listing of the matter on Thursday. Referring to the post lunch proceedings, the constitution bench that also comprises Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice N.V. Ramana, in its order, said: "We are of the view, that it is essential to peruse the original record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs." The "record pertaining to the proceedings conducted by the Speaker - Nabam Rebia - under the Xth Schedule of the Constitution pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, held on December 14 and 15, 2015, be produced in this court in a sealed cover at the earliest, preferably by 10.30 a.m. on February 18, 2016, by the secretary of the state legislative assembly, in whose official custody, we are informed, the original record is available". The bench further said that "some part of the above record, is also in the safe custody of the Gauhati High Court, and has been retained in a sealed cover". The court directed that the registrar general of the Gauhati High Court to "ensure, that the sealed record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, assailed, is produced in this Court at the earliest, preferably by 10.30 a.m. on February 18, 2016". The court order came after in the post lunch session, senior counsel Fali Nariman told the court that efforts were on to install a new government by revoking the president's rule wherein 14 MLAs who were disqualified would be counted for the purposes of majority support in the government formation. He said the high court had, by an interim order, stayed their disqualification and the same order is in challenge before the apex court, and argued till the court decides on their fate, they could not be counted for the purpose of forming the new government. New Delhi, Feb. : New Delhi, Feb. Feb 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday counselled "moderation" instead of taking "extreme positions" in dealing with the situation arising from the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and charging him with sedition. Telling the rival counsel that a "blame game would not help anybody", a bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said: "Moderation seems to be the best option." The court's observation came in the course of rival counsel contesting each other's version including blaming police inaction in dealing with the violence unleased by a section of lawyers. Referring to the incident in the Madras High Court where security of the court premises was handed over to the Central Reserve Police Force, the court said that police is blamed either way whether it acts or not. The court's observations came as senior counsel K.T.S. Tulsi who leads the team of lawyers defending Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that violence in court premises was totally "unacceptable" and that the beating of journalists in Patiala House Court complex on February 15 has "severely jolted the sanctity of the judicial proceedings". While counsel Prashant Bhushan described the attack on the media persons and the JNU students by a section of lawyers as a "fascist onslaught", senior counsel Rajeev Dhawan said that "court of justice can't function if hoodlums are inside and outside the court. It vitiates the atmosphere". The court witnessed an advocate shouting slogans as lawyer R.P. Luthra sought to tell the court that a section of lawyers in Patiala House Court complex got infuriated after slogans were raised in support of executed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The displeased court stopped the hearing for some time to know who was the person who had raised slogans. As the court was told that he had vanished, it said that if the said person had the courage then he should voluntarily come forward and admit to his conduct. Later lawyer Rajiv Yadav appeared before the court and offdered an unconditional apology which was accepted by the court. "We must also place it on record that while the proceedings were going on in the morning, there was considerable amount of concern and agitation among the members present in the court hall. At some stage, there was a certain commotion as one of the members present shouted certain slogans at a pitch which is not normally permitted in the court. "Later, the person named Rajiv Yadav(advocate) who created the commotion, tendered an unconditional apology. We accept the apology and close the matter," the court said in its order. Mumbai, Feb 17 : Superstar Aamir Khan says the next season of his popular television show "Satyamev Jayate", which focuses on social issues, will have an episode on the water crisis in Maharashtra and other areas. "The topic of water problems will be tackled in this season of 'Satyamev Jayate', especially the problems related to Maharashtra," Aamir said at a press conference held to announce the 'Satyamev Jayate Water Cup'. "The response to 'Satyamev Jayate' was so strong that we felt we will take one more step ahead and focus on one topic. We decided to work on water and Maharashtra. Water is important and Maharashtra is my birth place. I feel if we respect water, water will respect us so we all need to come together for this," Aamir said at the event. A competition will be organised where villages will be involved in water conservation activities, with the winning village bagging prize money of Rs.50 lakh. The contest will be held between April 15 and May 31. Aamir and Kiran Rao's NGO Paani Foundation will also work in association with the Maharashtra government towards solving the water crisis in the state. Previously, "Satyamev Jayate" had featured an episode on rainwater harvesting, which spoke about the various methods of conserving water, steps which could be tried even in housing societies. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Aamir's "3 Idiots" and "PK" director Rajkumar Hirani were also present at the event. "When we went for promotions of 'PK', some episodes of 'Satyamev Jayate' had been shot. Wherever we would go, we had to stop Aamir from talking about it. He was so passionate of talking about 'Satyamev Jayate'," Hirani said. "He often said it is our job to not just showcase the flaws in the society, but also to offer a solution to it through the show," he said. About the water initiative, Hirani said: "If Aamir has taken it up, he wouldn't give up, he will anyhow do it." However, Aamir said he will not be the only face of this project. "I will not be the only face, we will have Sachin Tendulkar and many Marathi celebrities. All of us are the face of this project," he said. The first edition of the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup will focus on three districts, and one taluka each within those districts. Helmed by CEO Sayani Bhatkar and COO Reema Dutta, Paani Foundation is a not-for-profit company whose main objective is to communicate, impart knowledge and bring about a change in outlook among people at the grassroot level about water conservation and watershed management. New Delhi, Feb 17 : Former leaders of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) on Wednesday called on Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and urged him to take stringent action against people who raised anti-India slogans at a gathering in Jawaharlal Nehru University. "No student has the right to raise anti-Indian slogans. Though there is no restriction on protesting, anti-national activities won't be tolerated," the group of students told Rijiju. The delegation included Sher Singh Dagar, former legislator Anil Jha and Gaurav Khari among others. They also termed as "condemnable" the way supporters of Communist parties used abusive words for the prime minister. Earlier, the current DUSU panel also wrote to JNU vice chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar and urged him to launch a probe against the other three office-bearers of the JNU Students' Union(JNUSU), apart from president Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on sedition charges after allegedly raising anti-India slogans. The controversy erupted last week when some students organised a meet to mourn the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat, where anti-India slogans were raised. Another commemorative meeting was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi where anti-India slogans and placards were raised. "Since the three elected office-bearers of JNUSU were involved in the entire incident and the president of the union has been arrested and sent to judicial custody by court, the role of the other three office-bearers should be investigated in detail, and if found guilty, should be relieved of their duties," said the letter to the JNU vice chancellor. Chennai, Feb 17 : DMK president M.Karunanidhi on Wednesday announced his party will not participate in the assembly proceedings owing to the arrogant attitude of the ruling AIADMK. In a statement issued here, he said the ruling party members are allowed to speak anything about him or his family and it goes on record whereas the remarks of senior law makers of his party are expunged. Karunanidhi said given this situation, the party has decided not to participate in the assembly proceedings and take the issue to the people's court. On Wednesday, DMK legislators were evicted when they protested against a remark by the ruling party member apparently referring to their party treasuer M.K.Stalin's son-in-law. The DMK members demanded the remark be expunged while the speaker said he would look into the records and take a decision. The DMK's decision not to participate in the assembly proceedings will not have much impact as this is the last session of the 14th assembly and will conclude on February 20. Mumbai, Feb 17 : IRB Infrastructure Developers on Wednesday said it expects to sign the concession agreement for the Rs.10,500 crore Zojila Pass Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir by March. "We will be signing the concession agreement for the project by March and in the next six months, we hope to complete the financial closure," said IRB Infrastructure Developers chairman Virendra Mhaiskar at the Make in India Week here. IRB Infrastructure Developers won the contract from the ministry of road transport and highways for construction, operation and maintenance of the Zojila Pass tunnel. The project includes building approaches on National Highway-1 on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (annuity) basis. Scheduled to be completed in seven years with a concession period of 22 years, the project involves constructing a 14.08 km tunnel with a 10.8 km approach road with three vertical ventilation shafts, an avalanche protection mechanism and a 700-metre snow gallery. Mhaiskar highlighted that the project has socio-economic and strategic importance as it will provide the much needed all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and the rest of Jammu and Kashmir. Till the end of the concession period, IRB Infrastructure Developers will receive biannual annuity of Rs.981 crore from the government after the start of the project commissioning. New Delhi, Feb 17 : Terming the union cabinet's nod for ratifying the WTO's trade facilitation agreement a "very significant step", Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the government has already taken several steps to fulfil its obligation on the pact. "It is a very significant step and I am glad that the government has taken this step today," she told reporters here. The cabinet on Wednesday accorded approval to the agreement which could increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion annually. Sitharaman said that in the last two union budgets, the government had made several commitments towards improving systems within India for trade facilitation. However, she said, there are important areas where India will require legal changes that include inward and outward processing to facilitate re-import and re-export of goods for repair and reconditioning, as well as allow release of goods before payment of duty on a surety in all cases of imports where the duty is not determined prior to or upon arrival, or as rapidly as possible after arrival. "We have asked for time on things which require further investment and also technology and other things or which require legislative amendments. We have asked for five years. "What this will mean moving forward will be that we will now deposit with the WTO our ratification formally," she added. The cabinet also approved setting up a national committee on trade facilitation, which will have the secretaries of revenue and commerce as co-chairs. The TFA, approved by 160 WTO members, aims to streamline and harmonise customs procedures. The WTO has said full implementation of the TFA could increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion annually. The agreement will come into force when two-thirds of the 161 WTO members have ratified it. An agreement between India and the US last year opened the way for a consensus on the TFA which eluded the WTO members. Mumbai, Feb 17 : Karnataka received Rs.9,700 crore of investment proposals on Wednesday at the week-long 'Make in India' event being held here, an official statement said. "The investments include Rs.6,000 crore by First Solar for a solar cell unit, Rs.2,284 crore by French firm Tar Kovacs Systems for an ocean-based renewable energy project and Rs.1,250 crore by Pert Telecom to make smart products and solutions for street lighting, IT security, surveillance and global positioning system (GPS)," it said. Promoting the state for attracting investments at the mega summit, Industry Minister R.V. Deshpande said Karnataka had innovated, invented and invested to lead the future of the country, and noted it haf emerged as one of the most preferred foreign direct investments destinations. Lauding the central government for organising the mega event to make the country a global hub for manufacturing, state's Additional Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha said the states were not competing but complementing each other to showcase their strengths to attract investments. "The beauty of India is its unity in diversity. Our new industrial policy (2014-19 encourages the manufacturing sector and drives growth in a sustainable and holistic manner in line with global trends and challenges," said Prabha. Industrial Development Commissioner Gaurav Gupta made presentations on diverse sectors, including aerospace & defence, automobiles, machine tools to flag the state's strengths as a hub for high value manufacturing. Kolkata, Feb 17 : A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard in the prestigious Jadavpur University, its campus was on the boil on Wednesday as posters "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding 'freedom' for Manipur and Nagaland were put up by some students, and subsequently torn by a rival group shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai". Vice chancellor Suranjan Das dismissed Tuesday's slogans eulogising parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru Aas the handiwork of "fringe elements" and ruled out any action including calling in the police. However, police said the matter was being "thoroughly investigated". The posters appearing on Wednesday morning were purportedly put up by a group which called itself "Radical". "Hum kya chahe, Azadi/Kashmir ki Azadi/Manipur ki Azadi/Nagaland ki Azadi" (We demand independence/Kashmir's independence/Manipur's independence/Nagaland's independence), said one poster. Another empathised with Afzal Guru and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon, both of whom have been hanged. "If the Gujarat mass murderers, those who hanged Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon are patriots, and if the students of Kashmir seeking independence are anti-nationals, then we are all anti-nationals." A third poster referred to a quotation of Mao Tse Tung and declared: "We are in favour of freedom fo all oppressed people." Some of the students took out a rally denouncing the "fascist" Narendra Modi government and decrying the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and the atrocities "brought down" on JNU students by the BJP and other arms of the "Sangh parivar". "I don't think this is a secessionist slogan. If I am an Indian citizen, I have freedom of expression. People of Kashmir are being tortured every day. If they want freedom, I support it. I don't think this is an anti-national step or slogan," said Zubi Saha, a member of Radical. A little later, another group of students carrying the tricolour and shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai" went round the campus and even staged a sit-in outside the university's administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan. They shouted slogans demanding exemplary punishment for those indulging in "anti-national" activities and raising secessionist slogans in the campus. The group -- though small in number -- then tore up the pro-Guru, pro-Memon and other posters supporting independence of Manipur and Nagaland and condemned the pro-Guru slogans heard on Tuesday. Instead, they put up posters condemning the Radicals. "We are from Jadavpur University. We don't support anti-nationalists," a poster said. Some of them also cried "Pakistan murdabad, Hindustan Zindabad". Angry over the tearing of posters, the first group then took out a big rally that went around the campus, alleging the posters were torn by those with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad connections. Meanwhile, the vice chancellor claimed certain "fringe elements" had indulged in the pro-Guru sloganeering on Tuesday and called it "insignificant". "Some individuals had convened the rally. That rally was not officially convened by the students' union. They have told me," Das told the media here. "I have seen in the media that a large section of students who were present in the rally, including some of the office bearers of the students union, have unequivocally said they have completely disassociated from these anti-national slogans. They are not supporting it," added Das. "If in a rally, some fringe elements gave certain slogans, then that is inconsequential. If some fringe elements have given such slogans, then condemning the entire student body and maligning the image of the university is also unexpected and inconsequential." The context in which they had rallied was to show solidarity with students nation-wide for the right to express themselves, clarified Das. He ruled out lodging any police complaint, saying university was a place for rational thinking and free speech. Police said they were looking into the matter. "Though no case has been lodged, we are thoroughly investigating the matter. If we find legal action is needed we will act," a senior Kolkata police officer told the media. The BJP said those who raised "anti-India slogans" at Jadavpur University deserved a "good thrashing". "What has happened is highly condemnable. It's a shame that some students raised anti-India slogans. Very soon, come people will give them (Jadavpur students) a good thrashing, which they deserve. It is only then that they will understand the true value of nationalism," said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. Meanwhile, a number of Left student unions brought out a rally demanding release of Kanhaiya Kumar in solidarity with the students in JNU. The CPI-M backed Students Federation of India, CPI supported All India Students Federation and the Revolutionary Socialist Party's arm Progressive Students Union were among those who took part in the rally from College Square to the Y Channel in the city centre. Ankara, Feb 18 : At least 28 people were killed and 61 others wounded in a car bomb attack targeting the Turkish military here on Wednesday, Turkey's deputy prime minister and government spokesperson said. According to Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulus, the government has so far no information on who carried out the attack, Xinhua reported. Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar said the authorities believe that the explosion was caused by a "bomb-laden vehicle". The bomb targeted the housings in Ankara where shuttles for military personnel were awaiting, according to the Turkish military, triggering two explosions near a military compound of the headquarters of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, local NTV news broadcaster reported. News footage showed a large plume of smoke rising into the sky at the explosion site. The area is also near the Turkish parliament in central Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said they are looking into details of the explosion, while the parliament spokesperson Omer Celik referred to the blast as a "terror attack". The government has banned domestic reporting of the incident. The attack happened at a time when a high-level security meeting, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was being held at the presidential palace. The Turkish General Staff has strongly condemned the attack in a statement, saying there were military personnel among the casualties. Turkey has suffered from a series of deadly attacks. In July 2015, a bomb attack in the border town of Suruc in southeastern Turkey left 34 pro-Kurdish and left-wing activists killed. In October, twin suicide bombings in Ankara claimed a total of 103 lives. Both were blamed on the Islamic State (IS) militant group. On January 16, 11 people, all German tourists, were killed when a suicide bomber affiliated with the IS attacked the tourist heart of Istanbul. Ramallah, Feb 18 : Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have reached a "tentative agreement" on forming a unity government, a senior Fatah official said on Wednesday. Abbas Zaki, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, said the preliminary agreement was reached during the two-day dialogue held in Qatar on February 7 between leaders of the two rival groups, Xinhua reported. Besides forming a unity Palestinian government, the meeting also decided on a specific date for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections "within six months to one year," said Zaki. He added that contacts on high levels are continuing between the leaderships of the two groups in order to reach a final understanding on the mechanisms of implementing the agreement. A new date is to be fixed soon for holding another round of dialogue in Doha to finalise all related issues, said Zaki, reaffirming that any final deal "has to be guaranteed for immediate implementation". Among the sticky and outstanding issues is the question of paying regular monthly salaries to around 45,000 employees appointed by Hamas after the movement's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Handing over security affairs and control on crossing points either between Gaza and Israel or between Gaza and Egypt was another outstanding issue that was deeply discussed in the last session of dialogue, according to Zaki. The senior Fatah official also clarified that the current Palestinian situation and the ongoing changes in the region have urged the two sides to seriously think of ending the internal Palestinian split. "In case the two sides reach a final agreement, President Mahmoud Abbas will immediately head to Qatar to sign the agreement with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal," said Zaki. Last week saw a plot of land in northern Hong Kong sell for less than market experts had predicted amid concerns that the Hong Kong real estate market is slowing down. While this particular plot was in the suburbs of Tai Po it was nonetheless a major concern for investors. The next public sale of land will occur on 26 February and while there are hopes that this plot, in one of the more central areas, will perform better in relative terms all eyes will be on the sale. The major concern amongst investors in Hong Kong real estate is the fact that a slowdown in the Chinese economy is most certainly having an impact on the region. When you bear in mind that Hong Kong real estate attracts one of the highest valuations in the world, any downturn in confidence could have a dramatic impact. Credit rating agencies concerned A recent report by credit rating agency Standard & Poors confirmed the suspicions of many real estate investors in Hong Kong. The agency believes that the price of homes in the city will fall by between 10% and 15% during 2016, land prices will step down and there will be a minimal increase of up to 5% in transaction volumes. These figures do not make good reading especially with many experts believing that the Chinese economic downturn is only in its relatively early stages and there may be more bad news to come in the short to medium term. Dependency on property related activities The Fitch credit rating agency also had much to say about the Hong Kong property market estimating that approaching 20% of the citys economic output is related to property activity. The potentially enormous knock-on effect of any downturn in the Hong Kong property market does not bear thinking about as it will impact employment and the wealth of individuals and companies. While it may be a little too soon to ring the alarm bells, we only need to look at the impact the downturn has had on Chinese real estate companies to see how quickly markets can turn. The last few months have seen a number of Chinese real estate companies forced to restructure their debt with some unable to pay the interest on their bonds. As the number of companies struggling to refinance their debt continues to grow this has a major impact upon confidence and the risk/reward ratio within financial markets. Is there any good news? The good news is that Standard & Poors is not expecting a massive downturn in real estate prices across Hong Kong at this moment in time. Indeed there is a suggestion that prices could fall by up to 30% without having any major impact upon the credit ratings of Hong Kongs wealth property developers. While this is obviously encouraging, we would certainly not want to be testing that 30% downturn cushion any time in the near future! It is obvious that any further downturn in the Chinese economy will impact the Far East but areas such as Hong Kong, often compared to the London real estate market, are probably in a better position than most to withstand any dramatic fall in worldwide property prices. Discounted starter homes could be out of reach for the majority of families in need of an affordable home in many parts of the UK, it is claimed. First time buyers will be able to buy 200,000 new starter homes over the next five years at a minimum discount of 20% of the market value with discounted prices capped at 450,000 in London and 250,000 elsewhere. However, according to an analysis by the Local Government Association while the national starter homes scheme could help some people onto the housing ladder it wont help everyone who wants one of these homes. The LGA pointed out that crucial details of the scheme are yet to be confirmed but it is concerned it will help the fewest numbers of people in areas where the housing affordability crisis is most acute and will be out of reach for many people in need of an affordable home in the majority of local areas. Although house builders will be able to build and sell starter homes below the price caps, councils are concerned that this could be difficult for developers to achieve without compromising on quality, particularly in areas with higher house prices. Town hall leaders are calling for the system to be flexible regarding the number, type and quality of starter homes so that they meet the needs of local communities. Councils also need powers to provide affordable rented homes that are crucial for enabling people to save money towards a deposit, and the means to secure investment in vital infrastructure that new home buyers will expect and will rely on. The analysis by real estate services firm Savills for the LGA reveals that discounted Starter homes prices will be out of reach for all people in need of affordable housing in 67% or 220 council areas and are out of reach for more than 90% of people in need of affordable housing in a further 80 council areas. People in need of affordable housing are defined as those who would have to spend 30% of their household income to rent or buy a home. The research says that for the average earner with a minimal deposit of 5% looking to buy an average priced house, a 20% discount would make it possible to borrow enough to buy a starter home in just 45% of all council areas in England. This includes all average priced homes in the North East of England, 95% in the North West and 90% in the East Midlands. Being able to save a 20% deposit would make an average priced home with a 20% discount affordable to buy in a further 29% of local areas. This includes a third of council areas in Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands. The average earner living in 85% of London boroughs, 49% of council areas in the south East and 40% in the South West would need a deposit greater than 20% to be able to buy an average priced home with a 20% discount The 20% discounts for new buyers would be funded by exempting developers from paying Section 106 contributions towards affordable rented housing and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions. In its own analysis, the Government has suggested that should 100,000 starter homes be built through the planning system, between 56,000 and 71,000 social and affordable rented homes would not be built. The LGA is urging Lords to back amendments allowing councils to continue to ensure a mix of affordable homes based on local needs and to ensure that councils have the means to invest in the vital infrastructure home buyers and communities will rely on. Discounts on starter homes should also be applied to them when they are resold to benefit future generations and help them also get on the housing ladder, it said. The shortage of houses in this country is a top concern for people who are finding that buying their first house is increasingly out of reach. Councils support measures to boost home ownership and starter homes are one of the ways this can be achieved, said Peter Box, LGA housing spokesman. This new analysis shows that starter homes will be out of reach for the majority of people that are in need of an affordable home. Not everybody is ready to buy, and it is crucial that councils are still able to ensure there is a mix of homes that are affordable for those people that need them, he explained. He pointed out that while in some places, such as the North East and Midlands, the scheme will give people better chance to get on the housing ladder, a national scheme will not work for every area and fewer people will benefit from Starter Homes in areas where the housing crisis is most acute. Councils must have the flexibilities to shape the number, location and types of starter homes to ensure that they meet local need, and the powers to secure vital investment in associated roads, schools, health and other community services that people will rely on, he said. The private sector has a key role to play in solving the housing shortage, but it cannot build the 230,000 needed each year alone. Councils need to be able to ensure genuine affordable homes continue to be built for rent and sale across the whole country for future generations and the millions of people stuck on waiting lists, he added. Theresa Scalzitti joins Cruise Planners as Vice President of Sales & Marketing Theresa knows the Cruise Planners business model, understands the travel and cruise market and already comes with Cruisitude, said Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative. Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, the nations leading home-based travel agency network will be welcoming Theresa Scalzitti, a 20-plus year veteran with Royal Caribbean International to the team. Scalzitti will come onboard as Vice President of Sales and Marketing on February 29th and will manage the strategic direction of the marketing, sales and business development teams at Cruise Planners, among other leadership strategies. Scalzitti is known within the travel agent community as an advocate for travel professionals, a strategic and results-oriented thinker and someone who is focused on delivering revenue results. After more than two decades with Royal Caribbean in various roles, she was most recently National Account Sales & Marketing Senior Manager and consistently met or exceeded annual revenue goals for the past 11 years for her account portfolio. Scalzitti was an instrumental player in the Cruise Planners sales growth with Royal Caribbean and was awarded National Account Sales Manager of the Year for 2015 and Presidents Challenge Award Winner for two consecutive years. Cruise Planners recently earned the prestigious Chairmans Award based on a proven track record of success and mutually-beneficial innovation and partnership. Theresa knows our business model, understands the travel and cruise market and already comes with Cruisitude, said Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative. We know she could have gone anywhere, and we are happy she chose Cruise Planners and will join our amazing leadership team at Home Office to support our hard-working travel agent network. Theresa is a visionary and innovator and we know she will hit the ground running at Cruise Planners. One of the creative innovations that Scalzitti brought to the table is the Come Sail Away With Me marketing and sales campaign that is unique to Cruise Planners travel advisors. This program is a well-rounded approach that encourages bookings, strengthens the client and travel agent relationship and adds value to each cruise booking. These multi-faceted solutions combine her experience from various roles in product marketing, operations and sales and truly make her uniquely qualified for this new role at Cruise Planners. Theresa was a valuable member of the Royal Caribbean team, said Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales and trade support and service at Royal Caribbean International. We wish her the best as she embarks on a new chapter in her career with Cruise Planners. Theresa is a native Floridian. In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with her three young children and husband. She loves to travel, is an adventure-seeker and loves to do CrossFit to stay in shape. Cruise Planners will continue to be a leader in the travel industry, Garcia said. We are proud to welcome Theresa to the CP family. About Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is the nations largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the travel industry. Cruise Planners operates a network of more than 1,400 franchise owners who independently book amazing vacation and travel experiences for their clients. The Florida-based Home Office Team positions franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing, booking and lead-generating tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industrys top executives. The company continues to be lauded and has been named the No.1 Cruise Tour/Travel Agency by Entrepreneur magazine for 13 consecutive years. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the Top 30 Franchise Innovators in Technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is listed on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by The Sun Sentinel. Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla. for more than 22 years, Cruise Planners has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include numerous Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly for the past seven years, American Express Travel Representative Excellence Award for 11 consecutive years (2004 2014), American Express Agency of the Year (2010), Royal Caribbean International Chairmans Award (2015), Royal Caribbean International Presidents Award for Overall Achievement (2012 and 2014), Royal Caribbean International Home-Based Partner of the Year (2007-2013), Norwegian Cruise Line Franchise Agency of the Year (2011-2015), Celebrity Cruises Field Sales Account of the Year (2015), Celebrity Cruises Home-Based Account of the Year (2013-2014) and Celebrity Cruises Southeast Region Travel Agent Partner of the Year (2010), American Express Vacations Best of the Best Globe Award (2008-2015), Globus Family of Brands Premier Agency Partner (2009-2014), Platinum Member of the 500 Club for Sales Excellence (2014), Platinum Circle Member with Viking River Cruises (2009-2015), Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Top Producer (2008-2014) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises Top Producer. Cruise Planners is one of the Top 50 Franchises for Veterans according to GI magazine, the Top Franchise Brand for Veterans according to Franchise Business Review, has been named one of the Top 25 franchises for African-Americans by Black Enterprise magazine and is a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. For more information, visit http://www.cruiseplanners.com. Stay in Touch: Media can stay up-to-date with Cruise Planners by visiting our media room, following us on Twitter @Cruisitude or on Facebook. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should locate a travel advisor near them. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit our franchise website. # # # Use our system to generate the 1094-C and 1095-C reports. The addition of section 6056 to the Affordable Care Act makes it mandatory for an Applicable Large Employer (ALE) to adhere to certain guidelines as laid down in the said section. Distinguished provider of time attendance solutions AMG Employee Management is now helping businesses generate 1094-C and 1095-C reports right from AMGtime Systems. This organization has carved a niche in the market with their high-quality time and attendance management solutions such as biometric devices, proximity time clocks, and now government required reports. With the addition of section 6056 to the Internal Revenue Code, an Applicable Large Employer (ALE) is now required to file information returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Now, these employers must also provide the health insurance coverage statements to all their full-time employees. The website of Internal Revenue Service also informs that ALE members that sponsor self-insured group health plans also are required to report information under section 6055 about the health coverage they provide. Every business falling into the category of Applicable Large Employer (ALE) according to the ACA rules will be impacted by these changes. It is extremely important for these businesses to start using a technology solution that helps them take care of this reporting in an automated manner without spending a fortune. For over a year ACA reporting has been a part of AMGtime Systems. This feature allows businesses to find out whether they fall under the category of Applicable Large Employer. The company has recently enhanced their software by incorporating the 1094-C and 1095-C reports within the reporting of the system. Therefore, all ALE clients of AMG Employee Management will be able to generate their 1094-C and 1095-C reports within the system. Highlighting the companys service can help the ALE clients, AMG Employee Managements owner and founder Tony Galstyan said, We make it easy for our clients to calculate if they are ALE or not in real time. And then if they are ALE, they can use our system to generate the 1094-C and 1095-C reports." About the Company With more than 20 years of experience, AMG Employee Management Inc. is a national leader in time attendance products, services and solutions. This innovative Los Angeles-based company has a passion for offering employers advanced time attendance systems that boost the efficiency and accuracy of time and payroll records and facilitate clients to select the best solution to meet their needs. ... with a patented solution that is ready to be licensed, this science could be one of the most important pieces of work in cancer One Million Solutions in Health is pleased to announce another presentation in its ongoing effort to help effect and drive the NIH research Road Map, and find more collaborations and licensing deals for the NIH via the Signature Square program. This particular opportunity features an exceptional discovery in the search for unique cancer antigens that can potentially create cancer vaccines. One Million Solutions in Health has established a one-of-a-kind, new partnership with the United States National Institutes of Health Office of Technology Transfer (NIH-OTT) and the National Cancer Institute Technology Transfer Center (NCI-TTC) to increase awareness and understanding of NIH technologies by potential partners in the life science and healthcare industries. The Signature Square program brings together Subject Matter Experts to evaluate new or established scientific technology. The Signature Square program provides feedback to commercial providers, academics and public sector scientists on technology in the healthcare or life science industry. The vendor or scientist discusses their solution during a live webinar presentation with an audience of relevant Subject Matter Experts. This particular opportunity features a NIH scientist who has isolated a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) that is widely expressed in various human tumors. This can set the stage for a cancer vaccine solution. The Signature Square evaluation is based on several criteria that summarize a new or established technologys Market Readiness and Value Proposition to the Marketplace. The final outcome of each evaluation results in a ranking: Blockbuster, Upstart, Novel or Innovator. This is an opportunity for technology providers to receive direct evaluation, which can be used to inform potential investors and partners. The Signature Square program with this scientist will be presenting some outstanding results. Understanding how immune cells control diseases like cancer, and how we can use this knowledge to develop potent therapeutic formulations to combat cancer, with a patented solution that is ready to be licensed, is one of the most important pieces of our work, says Dawn Van Dam, President and CEO of One Million Solutions in Health. Because this technology has such major applications, it was important to present it to a diverse audience. In this way, he can better direct the Road Map for this technology based on the feedback of the Subject Matter Experts from various backgrounds. Current thinking suggests the need to induce immune responses against cancer. In considering a cancer vaccine, in order to be effective, it needs to have a unique target, against which immune cells will be responding. This technology, which has found a unique tumor-associated antigen for cancer vaccines, has the potential to elicit long-lasting, disease-free survival. For those interested in attending this event, please click on the link here: http://www.onemillionsolutionsinhealth.org/event/tumor-associated-antigen/. To know more about the Signature Square program, please contact Dawn Van Dam, President of One Million Solutions in Health. Alternatively, if you would like to see the details of the all of the NIH Signature Square events, along with their full reports and recordings of the Signature Square presentations, please contact us for more details on how individuals or companies can join the Technology Evaluation Consortium and have full access to all of the Signature Square evaluations. ABOUT ONE MILLION SOLUTIONS IN HEALTH The goal of One Million Solutions in Health is to shape health care by sharing solutions and, importantly, to accelerate the discovery, development and delivery ... of innovative cures, treatments and preventative measures for patients around the world. In this next year, we will be reviewing 1000's of new solutions and new scientific discoveries. By engaging scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, industry experts, health care professionals, and patients across various disciplines, and from around the world, we can utilize the power of the internet to disrupt things in a positive and transformative way to accelerate the movement of new solutions and scientific discoveries from the scientist to the patient. We are on our way towards accelerating high-potential innovations, catalyzing investment and increasing awareness of, and support for, transformative ideas to improve health and save lives. By facilitating efforts to ensure organizations can Connect, Learn + Share, Innovate and Collaborate, our vision is to improve health care delivery, accelerate life sciences research and share patient and consumer-focused ideas and solutions. As a not-for-profit, we welcome your participation and are thrilled to have you be a part of this transformative journey! ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION CONSORTIUM The Technology Evaluation Consortium from One Million Solutions in Health is dedicated to improving and accelerating life sciences R&D and health care outcomes. The Technology Evaluation Consortium brings together life sciences and/or health care companies and industry vendors or scientists, and other relevant partners (e.g., government and Universities), to evaluate and validate technologies or services in a collaborative environment. The model empowers technology providers/scientists and industry end-users to collectively assess a number of solutions in a cost-effective manner, producing a depth and breadth of results that no company can achieve alone. Our mission is to triage and streamline new technology consideration for the industry and to be the place for the industry to conduct their evaluations and validations. Media Contact Dawn Van Dam President and CEO dawn.vandam(at)onemillionsolutionsinhealth(dot)org http://www.onemillionsolutionsinhealth.org Viewpoint Construction Software, a leading provider of innovative software solutions to the construction industry, welcomes Kevin Carr as VP of North America Sales. Maury Plumlee, who has been a sales leader with Viewpoint for more than 35 years and most recently served as VP of North America Sales, moves to lead the organizations marketing efforts as VP of Global Marketing. Kevin has a proven track record of successful sales leadership and brings more than 20 years of experience with leading technology firms. He most recently served as Senior VP of Sales for Deltek, the acknowledged leader in providing ERP solutions for architects, engineers and project-based businesses. Prior, Kevin was VP of World Wide Sales with Intellitactics, Inc., a provider of security incident and event management software solutions, based in Reston, VA. Kevin brings an expertise in building and leading sales teams, and implementing structured methodologies to shorten sales cycles, providing a more positive customer experience, stated Manolis Kotzabasakis, Viewpoint CEO. Our organization will benefit from Kevins proven leadership, ingenuity and noted ability to utilize technology tools to increase customer value and at the same time improve effectiveness and performance of his teams. About Viewpoint Construction Software Viewpoint is a provider of innovative construction-specific software solutions to the global construction and capital project industries. Viewpoint provides the tools they need to improve project profitability and visibility, manage risk, and effectively collaborate with the entire project team. Viewpoint solutions include everything needed from preconstruction to construction and facilities maintenance, and are offered on a variety of platforms, including Cloud, Mobile, SaaS and On Premises. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and with offices in the UK and Australia, Viewpoint has become the technology partner of choice, with customers located across the globe in more than 28 countries. These customers include more than 40 percent of the ENR 400, and over 20 percent of the ENR 600. For more information, please visit http://www.viewpoint.com. 2016 Viewpoint, Inc. dba Viewpoint Construction Software. All Rights Reserved. Viewpoint, Viewpoint Construction Software, Vista by Viewpoint, ProContractor by Viewpoint, Viewpoint For Content Management, Viewpoint For Mobile, Viewpoint For Projects, Viewpoint For Field View, Viewpoint For Estimating, and Jobpac by Viewpoint are trademarks or registered trademarks of Viewpoint, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Digital Divide Data (DDD), the pioneer in impact sourcing and an emerging leader in business process outsourcing (BPO) services, has for a second year in a row been selected as a Rising Star for the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) 2016 Global Outsourcing 100 List. Being on the list of the top outsourcing firms worldwide for a second time is a big success and honor for us, said Jeremy Hockenstein, CEO and Co-Founder of DDD. We are proud to serve Fortune 1000 clients and leading institutions all over the world from our offices in Asia, Africa and North America where we we also make a positive impact on local communities. The IAOP's choice to include us on the Global Outsourcing 100 list recognizes our quality service as well as our impact," added DDD President Frank Heitmann. To be considered a Rising Star, a firm must not only show significant growth in the past but also capacity and potential to grow even more in the future. Other selection criteria include customer references, awards and recognitions, programs for innovation and corporate social responsibility. DDD anticipates revenue of more than $10 million in FY16 and has over 1,200 employees. The firms innovative work-study model enables talented youth from low-income families to access professional opportunities and earn lasting higher income. The Global Outsourcing 100 list showcases the best in the industry, said Michael Corbett, IAOP Chairman. IAOP is pleased to recognize Digital Divide Data for their excellence and achievement. The 2016 full listings will be announced in a special advertising in feature in FORTUNE magazines FORTUNE 500 issue on newsstands June 8th. About IAOP IAOP is the go-to association leading the way to improve outsourcing outcomes by bringing together customers, providers and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional development, recognition, certification and excellence. With over 120,000 members and affiliates worldwide, IAOP is not only on top of the latest trends but in front of them. Through its expansive global chapter network, premier training and certification programs, knowledge center, member community and more, IAOP helps members learn, grow and succeed. For more information and how you can become involved, visit http://www.IAOP.org. Media Contact: Kate Tulloch-Hammond, Media & Communications Manager, IAOP +1.845.452.0600, ext. 122 | Kate.hammond(at)IAOP(dot)org About DDD DDD delivers digital content, data, image processing and research solutions to clients worldwide. Customers receive high-quality competitively priced digital content services. At the same time, DDDs innovative social model enables talented youth from low-income families to access professional opportunities and earn lasting higher income. Media Contact: Christina Gossmann, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications +1.212.461.3700 | christina.gossmann(at)digitaldividedata(dot)com DDC Logo The Djibouti Data Center (DDC) has announced today that it has concluded a cooperation agreement with ChinaNetCenter, who will build a content delivery network (CDN) service node in the DDC, which will bolster its end-user Internet access experience within Africa and its global network. By joining the DDC ecosystem - including the Djibouti Internet Exchange (DjIX) - ChinaNetCenter expands its connectivity in Africa, and can leverage new capabilities to provide higher performance and low latency connectivity across many of the worlds fastest growing emerging markets. We are very excited about having Chinas largest CDN provider join the DDC community, which is now a leading regional hub providing advanced services in Africa to our partners, says Anthony Voscarides, Chief Executive Officer of the DDC. The DDC and DjIX ecosystem is best positioned in east Africa to attract major global CDN providers, and positions the hosting DDC ecosystem as a major Internet hub in Africa for the good of the Internet and the rapidly growing Internet communities across all of Africa. The partnership with the DDC will extend our network reach to Africa and help us better serve our customers, says Chu Minjian, Board Member and Vice President of ChinaNetCenter. This new network deployment brings advanced CDN technology to east Africa and will ensure the delivery of a faster and much improved Internet experience to the markets and customers we serve. ChinaNetCenters globalization strategy was officially launched in 2010 and has been successfully collaborating with oversea partners to expand our global footprint. Were delighted to continuously provide high-quality global CDN service to our customers. In 2015, the DDC implemented the neutral, open, and independent Djibouti Internet Exchange (DjIX), which now gives global and regional telcos, mobile network operators, ISPs, content and CDN providers greater control over their Internet traffic flow to better serve the populations in east Africa. The DjIX now leverages the core DDC ecosystem and its unique access to 11 international and regional fiber cable systems, to provide a high speed, reliable and resilient IP exchange facility. About the Djibouti Data Center (DDC) The Djibouti Data Center (DDC) is the first and only Tier 3 carrier-neutral data center ecosystem in east Africa with direct access to all major international and regional fiber optic systems connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia markets with Africa including upcoming AAE1 and SMW5. The DDC also operates the Djibouti Internet Exchange (DjIX), a neutral and independent IXP in Africa. The DjIX offers high speed, reliable, and resilient service. Both the DDC and DjIX are catalysts in east Africa that enable new applications and services that help to drive economic development and social well being in the region. Learn more about the DDC products and services at http://www.djiboutidatacenter.com For Further Information Please Contact: John Melick jm(at)djiboutidatacenter(dot)com Tel: + 1.703.627.1332 About ChinaNetCenter ChinaNetCenter is a branded name of the company registered as Wangsu Science & Technology Co., Ltd. It is a leading Internet service platform provider and one of the largest content delivery networks with 16Tbps of traffic. With over 3,000 customers across industries such as media, gaming, e-commerce, Internet portals, public sector and leading consumer brands, ChinaNetCenter has the most industry coverage and most customers in the industry of Internet data centers and content delivery in China. Its now serving China and international customers with subsidiaries across Mainland China, Hong Kong, USA and Malaysia. Learn more information of ChinaNetCenter products and services at http://en.chinanetcenter.com/ For Further Information Please Contact: Rocky Zhang zhangyan(at)chinanetcenter(dot)com Tel: + 86 186 8877 4065 Michele Young Announces Congressional Run Attorney, civic leader, and author Michele Young announced today that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Congress in Ohios First District, which includes Greater Cincinnati and Warren County. If elected, Ms. Young would be the first mother to serve the district in this important role. She is the only candidate in this contest endorsed by both the Hamilton County Democratic Party and the Cincinnati Womens Political Caucus. Both of her primary opponents have run unsuccessfully for Congress before one as a Republican in another district, the other twice in District One as a Libertarian candidate. The voters of this congressional district deserve a real choice, said Young. The stakes are too high. For those of us who care about the lives we are entrusted to serve, partisan politics is a luxury we cant afford. Now is the time to think differently and dream bigger dreams. I will answer only to the citizens of this district and refuse to join in the divisive bickering that passes for public discourse these days. The daughter of two New York City public-school teachers, Young arrived in Cincinnati on a Greyhound bus 25 years ago to serve as a law clerk to a U.S. Circuit Court judge. A Georgetown University Law Center graduate and former adjunct law professor, she has written many editorials and articles and co-authored a 728-page book for the American Bar Association on the Affordable Care Act and medical malpractice. While raising five children, Young worked with her husband to research and trade stocks in the 1990s and to expand the family law firm to ten Ohio and Kentucky offices in the 2000s. A close brush with death in 2009 led Michele Young to refocus her priorities on giving back to the community, by providing legal counsel to clients ranging from prominent political and human rights leaders to the poor and powerless. Young managed the 2012 landslide campaign victory of Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco the first Hindu, first female, and first Indian immigrant to be elected as Hamilton County Coroner. She also co-chaired the successful campaign of Judge Nadine Allen that year. The Cincinnati Political Women's Caucus honored Young as an Outstanding Woman of Achievement in 2014. Noted for reaching across political and demographic lines, she has developed bipartisan coalitions in support of public-safety initiatives, including Coroner Sammarco's efforts to secure a state-of-the-art forensic crime laboratory for Hamilton County. While working with interfaith leaders to make Cincinnati a more welcoming environment for all, Young has also spearheaded several effective public-interest and media campaigns. Her innovative "Don't text and drive!" public-service ads featuring local celebrities reach hundreds of thousands of Tri-State homes daily on three local television stations. Im an attorney and a mother of five, with a busy professional and family life, said Young. So why am I running for Congress? I want to give a voice to the families who are struggling just to hold it all together, in a nation where the American Dream seems increasingly out of reach. When I asked myself what I could do for my kids and yours, I decided I should offer to serve the First Congressional District of Ohio. Marketing professionals and graphic artists volunteered to design the campaign website-Micheleyoung.org- which was then built by her son, reflecting the campaign's philosophy that our elections should be determined by the quality of the candidate's character and devotion to service, not the size of his or her wallet. "We can have a politics where momentum, created by the collective energy of citizens, helps to balance the playing field for all Americans." Contact: Liam Neess, Liam(at)micheleyoung(dot)org From a fun new lineup of apps and small plates in the bar, to seasonal specials and updated entrees from the refreshed menu, this isnt your grandfathers Cabin restaurant fare. Theres a new kid in town, with a fresh take on the storied culinary tradition of The Cabin of Willowick a longstanding culinary institution along Lakeshore Boulevard. This month, new chef/owner Carmen Paponetti unveiled plans for breathing new life into the iconic seafood and steak eatery beginning with the release of a fully redesigned menu, which serves up a flavorful array of locally sourced ingredients and scratch recipes. This is where we return The Cabin to its roots, and grow some new traditions, says Paponetti. While some changes are more subtle than others, from a new water system and streamlined back of house, to fresh linens and modern tableware it all matters. About the New Menu From a fun new lineup of apps and small plates in the bar, to seasonal specials and updated entrees from the refreshed menu, this isnt your grandfathers Cabin fare. Were not trying to do whats trendy, but were also not stuck in the past says Paponetti. We cure and smoke our own pork belly in house, for a specific flavor profile. We cant get that from buying it from someone else. The chef and staff labored over the old menu and released new dishes in both the bar and main dining areas. Across the board, the menus are more playful offering more modern recipes, high-quality ingredients, upgraded seafood and Certified Angus Beef. As for popular new items like Ancho Tacos with Mango Salsa, one patron claimed they were the best tacos theyd had since Mexico. The bar also offers up a signature Cuban sandwich, featuring slow roasted loin on pineapple Hawaiian bun, with fresh cut Cabin Fries. Perhaps the biggest change? Every section of the menu now offers a rustic vegan or vegetarian option, including new favorites like the Roasted Eggplant and Falafel entrees, and Burrata cheese board. Stop Out to The Cabin Paponetti is quick to detail the one recipe for getting people to Stop Out to The Cabin retain its authentic and local charm, and cook up a more inviting destination and dining experience for the next generation of foodies in Northeast Ohio. Night after night people share their stories like, I came here for my first Prom or my reception for first communion was here, Paponetti says. Some people say theyve been coming in since it first opened. For the entire Cabin family, there is also an opportunity to carry on a tradition in the community. With plans to release an all new dessert menu later this month, maybe its time you make plans to stop out to The Cabin. Quite simply, you can drop FileSight in anywhere and itll find data everywhere on servers, clouds and hybrid infrastructures Access Control Devices Incorporated (ACDI) the leading distributor of PaperCut software in North America, today introduced a brand new search technology product, FileSight, to their growing product portfolio. Aimed at addressing the mounting issue of timely document search and retrieval, ACDIs dealer network will now have direct access to FileSight for distribution to their customer base. This comes on the heels of ACDIs announcement last week that they will begin distributing Presto, a mobile print solution. Complicated and unproductive document searches have become a mounting problem for many organizations, across almost every industry. Statistics point to an unprecedented level of inefficiency and frustration on the part of the average knowledge worker. In fact, the typical corporate user now stores data in 6-12 places, from their archived email to company shared drives to desktops or temporary locations, and beyond. This equals, on average, that 15% to 30% of an employees work time is spent looking for information. FileSight is designed to find and index all documents and data within an organization, whatever the format, structure or location. Businesses across multiple industries can rapidly deploy FileSight and realize immediate value. FileSight is also designed to mitigate any additional IT overhead as no custom coding or complex integration is required. Like PaperCut, FileSight is an agnostic document search tool that works with every brand of copier and scanner. Quite simply, you can drop FileSight in anywhere and itll find data everywhere on servers, clouds and hybrid infrastructures, said Mark Hart, ACDIs Director of New Business/National Accounts. This is a turnkey solution that will integrate information from every corner of any enterprises digital landscape. With FileSight, all applications are cross searchable. Plus, FileSight will index all existing documents alongside all newly created data moving forward. With powerful optical character recognition (OCR), FileSight fully indexes previously non-searchable PDF, TIFF, JPG, FAX and GIF files, allowing users to search inside scanned documents for the first time. Addressing a problem commonly found with other search solutions, FileSight users arent required to organize or tag files in advance. With FileSight, no special training is needed. Normal descriptive terms and intuitive keywords easily find needed files, said ACDI President Josh Lane. Users can save and then find files anywhere and even misspell the file name when saving or searching. And they can do this from any device including PCs, iPads and smartphones. FileSights technology ensures enterprise information is instantly and securely accessible regardless of what it is, where it lives or who needs it. As a result, organizations unleash the power and value of their information, turning it into a true asset instead of a liability. For businesses that are ready to deploy their knowledge better, faster and more thoroughly, FileSight is the answer, added Hart. The list of benefits that FileSight can provide are infinite, added Lane. This is a product that will streamline workflows, deliver virtually instantaneous results, accelerate decision-making, and increase employee productivity, while delivering a return on investment essentially from day one. About ACDI Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI), is a rapidly growing Professional Services Company, based in Arkansas, that sells and supports dynamic software and hardware solutions. With channel distribution and development partnerships with many of the largest copier and printer manufacturers worldwide, ACDI has a wide ranging client list that consists of fortune 500 companies, prestigious universities, large healthcare systems and various other businesses with the need to control print and copy costs. Additionally, ACDI is the leading distributor of PaperCut software in North America. PaperCuts print management software has helped over 60,000 organizations in over 100 countries lower their print costs and environmental impact. Learn more at http://www.accessfilesight.com, or visit ACDI on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. As e2b teknologies (http://www.e2btek.com) enters a new year, the company has added two new employees to its growing ERP software practice. Brenda Keene has joined the team as a Senior Application Consultant for Sage 100 ERP and Lindsey OBrien has been hired as the new Marketing Communications Specialist. Brenda Keene comes to e2b teknologies with over 20 years of experience working with Sage 100 ERP. Keene started her career in accounting with a degree from Hawkeye Community College. From there, she found her niche in accounting software. She holds a multitude of Sage 100 certifications including Applications Consultant for Financials and Distribution, Sage 100 Technical Consultant, Sage 100 Certified Trainer, and Sage Intelligence Consultant. Further, Keene brings extensive experience with JobOps by Synergistic Software Solutions. JobOps is the leading manufacturing extension available for Sage 100 and a popular add-on product for e2b teknologies customers. Ive worked with Brenda at a previous company, said e2b teknologies ERP Practice Manager, Mary Jo Mahood. She will fit in extremely well with our consulting team as a senior consultant. In fact, she hit the ground running and is already working on several major implementations for our new customers. Lindsey OBrien joins the marketing team after starting her career as a reporter for the News-Herald in Willoughby, Ohio. OBrien graduated with a bachelors degree in journalism from Ohio University in 2015. As the Marketing Communications Specialist, OBrien manages company communication and events with direct responsibilities for all e2b teknologies divisions and brands. This includes communications with media, trade associations, partners, customers, and employees through email, written communication, social media, and live events. She also coordinates trade shows and webinars as well as philanthropic activities and employee events. We really needed someone with a strong writing background and social media skills on our team, said e2b teknologies Chief Marketing Officer James Mallory. Lindsey really stood out with a lot of real-world experience working for a very reputable local media outlet. She brings a fresh perspective and exceptional marketing skills to the position and were excited to see what she can do to help us tell our customers' stories to the outside world. The two recent ERP practice hires are just the start of what e2b teknologies has planned to support its 2016 annual revenue plans, this following a record year for the business. A former Inc. 500/5000, Weatherhead 100, and Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 award winner, e2b teknologies is dedicated to building a healthy technology workforce here in Northeast Ohio. About e2b teknologies e2b teknologies (http://www.e2btek.com) is a business application developer and reseller located in Chardon, Ohio. The company provides consulting, custom development, integration, and support services for popular ERP software (http://www.e2benterprise.com) including Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3, and Epicor ERP as well as specialized business applications for CRM, HCM, EAM, BI, and more. Anytime Collect (http://www.anytimecollect.com) by e2b teknologies is a leading cloud-based accounts receivable credit and collections management application sold globally. ISO 17025 accredited test equipment calibration and repair services are provided by e2b calibration (http://www.e2bcal.com) nationally. The company is a former Inc. 5000 award winner and Microsoft Managed Partner. QURE Healthcare is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mary Tran, M.S. as its Director of Clinical Programs. Ms. Tran is an internationally recognized healthcare strategist having worked with care providers, industry firms, public regulators and policy experts around the world to assist in delivering high-value and cost-effective medical care. As the Director of Clinical Programs, Mary will oversee study development and quality assurance across each of QUREs focus areas: health care providers, life sciences and global health. Mary will also play a lead role in building QUREs Life Science capabilities with her deep experience advising life science firms in developing and implementing market access strategies (coverage, pricing and reimbursement) for an array of products across a number of clinical areas. Marys work serving as the nexus of coverage and reimbursement discussions among health technology assessment committees, payers and manufacturers will aid QURE in further demonstrating its value proposition to different types of life science companies. As we continue to prove the value of QUREs CPV vignette tool for developing key clinical utility data for life science companies seeking coverage and reimbursement, Mary will provide important leadership along with our Vice President, Scott FitzSimons for expanding QUREs reach to other types of diagnostic, device and pharmaceutical companies seeking to better understand the clinical utility of their products. said Dr. John Peabody, QUREs President and Founder. Marys deep understanding of the regulatory environment, coupled with her strategic insights will be a valuable addition to projects with life science companies facing greater pressure to show value in an atmosphere of ever-changing regulatory priorities. We live in an era of value where all healthcare entities must work together to provide high quality, cost-effective care. QUREs unique tool aligns providers around evidence-based medicine and efficiently demonstrates product value to achieve both, said Ms. Tran. I am excited to be a part of QUREs fast-growing team and to deliver its unique solution that is greatly needed in the market place. Ms. Tran comes most recently from New York where she held leadership positions in the MedTech Global Market Access group within Navigant Consultings Life Sciences practice, an international healthcare consultancy. Mary received her M.S. in International Affairs with a focus on International Business and Development from New York University, during which she interned with the United Nations Development Programme and held research positions abroad. In addition, Mary received a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan, where she also completed a pre-medical curriculum. About QURE Healthcare QURE Healthcare is a research and business strategy firm committed to improving the quality of clinical care. QURE uses its proprietary software technology, CPV (Clinical Performance and Value) vignettes, to evaluate clinical practice and the cost-effectiveness of health care services at the level of individual physicians and other health care providers. CPV vignettes are used in health systems in the US and over 30 countries worldwide. Core services include CPV studies, health economic analyses, and physician-level data collection. The ease, validity and affordability of CPV vignettes attract a wide array of clients: payers, hospital systems, life science firms, medical technology companies, medical licensing and education institutions as well as international health development organizations. For more information visit LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/qure-healthcare), Twitter (https://twitter.com/QURE_Healthcare) or the QURE homepage (http://www.qurehealthcare.com). Valerie Portner Attorney Valerie Portner, has just been notified that she has achieved the top Superb 10.0 Avvo rating. While the firm has recognized her as a 10.0 lawyer for years, it is happy that Avvo has recognized Valerie as one of the top lawyers in the field of personal injury. In truth, for all of the firms larger personal injury cases, Mrs. Portners expertise is consulted. In preparing for litigation against an insurance companys attorney, Mrs. Portner offers invaluable knowledge and assistance for the firms trial attorneys. The result of this collaboration has been countless large injury awards. Avvo uses a rating system to distinguish the best attorneys from the worst attorneys. Numerous factors are used to calculate this rating, including the quantity of reviews and the quality of reviews the attorney receives, as well as his or her level of experience. The more awards, recognitions, and peer reviews an attorney receives, the higher the rating. Mrs. Portners clients laud her dedication and hard work in helping to obtain settlements or trial outcomes that far exceed the clients expectations. Avvo uses four factors that a client can use to rate an attorney: trustworthy, responsive, knowledgeable, and keep the client informed. Mrs. Portners clients all agree that she is the best in every category with five stars for all four factors. Mrs. Portner has been practicing law in Maryland and Washington, D.C. since 1988. She first started working at what used to be Marylands largest law firm, Venable, Baetjer, and Howard. Next, she was in-house counsel for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County. In addition to Avvo, in the field of personal injury she was recently recognized by and became a member of The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Achieving this 10.0 rating is one of Mrs. Portners favorite accomplishments because it takes into account legal skills, knowledge, experience, and client satisfaction. Portner & Shure is extremely proud of Mrs. Portner for reaching the pinnacle of Avvos ratings with a 10.0. The firm, unlike few other personal injury firms in this region, now has two attorneys with a 10.0 rating. The Garcia Team We help our clients through the entire buying or selling process and are fortunate that many have become life long friends. Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, a leading real estate firm located at North Carolina's Outer Banks, would like to congratulate the Beth Garcia Team for earning the firm's 2015 Agent of the Year award. "We are very grateful to have careers that we love and to live in such an incredibly beautiful place. We help our clients through the entire buying or selling process and are very fortunate that many have become life long friends," says team leader, Beth Garcia. In addition to earning the Agent of the Year award, The Garcia Team has also qualified for membership in the Coldwell Banker International Presidents Circle. This prestigious membership has been awarded to the top six percent of all Coldwell Banker sales associates / representatives worldwide. The team accepted their award at the beautiful Duck Woods Country Club on February 9, 2016. Few Brokers in the Real Estate industry give their clients the care and attention that Beth, Zak and Debby give. That is why they are consistently achieving great results for all of the clients they serve, says Gordon Jones, President of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty. Locally established for over 25 years, Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is family owned and operated with over 45 dedicated real estate professionals providing the full range of residential and commercial real estate services throughout the Outer Banks and northeast North Carolina. Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty sells more real estate than any other firm on the Outer Banks.* *As reported by OBAR for the period of 1/01/2015 - 12/31/2015 Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Venture Atlanta announced today that they are accepting applications for their 11th annual business launch competition. The purpose of BizLaunch is to support the creation and growth of new companies and to strengthen and expand Georgias strategic high tech clusters by showcasing Georgias startup community and to help launch a local start up technology-based company. The BizLaunch prize package includes $50k cash, $400k in services, and the coveted first spot at Venture Atlanta. Past winners and participating companies include Pindrop Security, Monsieur, Techturized, Salesloft, and Rigor. Last year over 100 start-ups submitted applications for the competition. Twenty-one companies were chosen to compete at the semi-final level, and the overall competition was won by Gimme Vending. Gimme received the grand prize of $50,000 cash, a package of services, and went on to present at Venture Atlanta. The Business Launch continues to be a great launch pad for startups and we are thrilled to support it, said Allyson Eman, Executive Director of Venture Atlanta. Business Launch clearly supports our mission of connecting entrepreneurs with sources of capital at all stages to propel them and help them grow. Applications from tech startups are now being accepted online at http://bit.ly/2016bizlaunch for the 11th annual competition. Eligible companies include software and hardware companies that are developing products, online services, or back-end technologies which extend the reach, flexibility, and ease of the internet. BizLaunch showcases the entrepreneurial talent that is driving our innovation economy, said Jennifer Sherer, Vice President of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. This is the perfect opportunity for early stage tech companies to pitch to top investors and get valuable feedback and exposure. Preliminary applications are due on March 18, 2015. All applicants will be invited to the Investor and Judge Meet and Greet Event on March 22nd. For more information, applicants are encouraged to visit http://bit.ly/2016bizlaunch or to contact Amanda Hendley or Lowell Pratt at 404-817-3333. About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 30,000 members and hosting over 200 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 34 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAGs mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgias technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgias technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the states economic climate for technology. For more information, visit http://www.TAGonline.org. About Venture Atlanta With the shared goal of bringing the premier venture capital event to the state of Georgia each year the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Technology Association of Georgia joined forces in 2008 to create Venture Atlanta. Venture Atlanta evolved from the Atlanta CEO Councils ION Venture Forum (previously called the Atlanta CEO Venture Forum). The annual nonprofit event is held every October as the forum for Georgias top technology innovators and top-tier investors. Dating back to 2002, Venture Atlanta and its earlier iterations, have assisted companies in raising over $1.3 billion. Be sure to look at the Past Events section to see all the companies who have taken part in these venture conferences and find out where they are today. For More Information, visit http://ventureatlanta.org/. About Metro Atlanta Chamber From recruiting businesses to tackling policy issues, MACs efforts in metro Atlanta are designed to promote prosperity and growth for you and your business. In the last 10 years, our project managers recruited more than 500 companies creating 55,000 quality jobs. We hone in on recruiting corporate headquarters and global business as well as companies in supply chain and advanced manufacturing, bioscience and health IT, technology and service sectors. We also believe it is our duty to roll up our sleeves and solve challenges our community faces, so we often tackle critical issues such as transportation, water, public health and education. From the arts to sports, we understand that a healthy business community is derived from a well-balanced community. MAC cannot succeed without its valued members, and we work hard to help our members stay involved, connected and informed. That is why MAC offers more than 150 events and activities each year. "Its a pleasure doing business with you, is not just professional etiquette for us. Its a responsibility that we take seriously. Learn more at http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/ Mighty Auto Parts Mighty Distributing System of America, a franchisor of sales and services in auto parts, announces a comprehensive new VS7 vehicle detailing product line available to the automotive aftermarket through its authorized Mighty Auto Parts franchises. Mightys comprehensive offering of vehicle detail products includes: Car Wash, Exterior Dressing, Leather Cleaners & Conditioner, Clay Bar Lubricants, Floor Cleaners, Service Items & Dispensers, Compounds, Waxes & Polishes, Glass Cleaners, Specialty Cleaners & Products, Degreasers, Interior Cleaners, and Tire & Wheel Cleaners. The extensive offering of detailing products will be blended and filled by ECP, Inc., which has been providing appearance protection, protective coatings and ancillary products to the automotive industry since 1969. Mightys 108 North American franchisees, some of whom have new car dealerships and car wash business operations of their own, service over 900 new car dealerships and hundreds of car wash businesses across the continent, said Brad Bradshaw, Mightys Vice President of Product Management. Bradshaw added, Our franchisees already provide these businesses an extensive array of VS7 preventive maintenance service chemicals, in addition to OE quality parts. This enables our Mighty franchisees to become even more of a one stop shop for these automotive service professionals. Mightys new VS7 vehicle detail product line is comprised of 40 different chemical washes, cleaners, waxes, etc. and 30 different product applicators to ensure the products most effective use. About Mighty Distributing System of America Mighty Distributing System of America, a franchisor of sales and services in aftermarket auto parts, is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia and supports 110 distributors in 42 states and four international markets. The Mighty System features attentive local service, inventory management expertise, classroom and on-site training in conjunction with extensive offerings of OE quality underhood and undercar parts, chemical products, lubricants and shop supplies. The Mighty business model attracts independent repair shops, quick lubes, tire centers and new car dealerships across the nation and abroad. Recognized as a top 25 franchise brand by The Wall Street Journal, Mightys unique approach of dealing directly and exclusively with automotive professionals began in 1963. Clean label phosphate replacement in meats is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating value-added technologies to better the food industry. Our team is excited to demonstrate Citri-Fi's value within the growing clean label food segment. Fiberstar, Inc. (http://www.fiberstar.net), a market leader in citrus fiber technologies, introduces a natural, clean label phosphate and sodium reduction system for meat and poultry. This new clean label development emerges during a time when the demand for recognizable and short ingredient statements has grown significantly in several regions of the world. We have seen an uptick in demand not only in the U.S., but also, internationally for clean label systems that perform equally or better than conventional ingredients. said Fiberstar, Inc. President & CEO, John Haen. Citri-Fi, a natural, functional citrus flour, is currently being used in many parts of the world as a yield enhancer in poultry products." Citri-Fi which can be listed as citrus flour, dried citrus pulp or citrus fiber resonates well with the clean label markets. Because of Citri-Fis high water holding capacity, low viscosity and small particle size, Citri-Fi 100M40 is the ideal citrus flour product to use for reducing phosphates and sodium in poultry products. The Citri-Fi usage rates are less than 0.5%. This natural ingredient can be added directly to brine solutions while mixing or added as a dry blend with other ingredients. For complete phosphate replacement, it is recommended to use Citri-Fi in conjunction with a rice starch or carrageenan to maintain or improve yields. Two different studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Iowa State University meat labs validated these valuable findings. The whole bird chickens were injected with a brine at 14-16% injection level, stored overnight (when purge was measured) and cooked. Yield values demonstrated that the Citri-Fi variables produced less purge and generated higher yields compared to the control containing phosphates. Not only did the Citri-Fi improve yield, but also, Citri-Fi produced chickens with exceptional sensory appearance in addition to reduced sodium compared to the phosphate-containing control. The reduced purge and increased yields provide customers opportunities to reduce costs and increase their profit line. Citri-Fis unique functionalities also provide benefits in other meat application types such as ground meats. This natural citrus flour provides cost saving opportunities by extending ground meats. Citri-Fi 125FG or Citri-Fi 100 are ideal when used at less than 1% along with additional water. For FSIS regulated products, Citri-Fi can be found on the Safe and Suitable list for injected poultry and ground meat products where binders are permitted. The FSIS approved labeling declaration is dried citrus pulp or citrus flour. In another study conducted at Iowa State Universitys meat lab, ground beef (80/20) was prepared, formed into patties and then cooked by using several different cooking methods. Post-cook yields were determined and cost comparisons were made after factoring in the original formula and yield losses. The study also demonstrated Citri-Fi 125s umami flavor enhancement during sensory evaluations due to the Citri-Fi 125FG flavonoids and/or salts present. This functional flavor approach allows manufacturers to not only increase yields and lower costs, but also to replace synthetic ingredients often used to provide savory flavors like umami. Fiberstar continues to develop new meat product technologies. Citri-Fi provides several functional benefits which include: yield improvement, reduced syneresis, moisture management, allergen removal (e.g. soy) and superior texture. These functionalities benefit various meat applications such as: Injected beef, pork or seafood Minced or canned meats Frozen meats Vegetarian meat analogs such as patties, links and ground crumble John Haen concludes, We are devoted to using our patented citrus fiber technology to provide the evolving marketplace unique solutions. Clean label phosphate replacement in meats is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating value-added technologies to better the food industry. Our team is excited to demonstrate Citri-Fi's value within the growing clean label food segment. About Fiberstar, Inc.: Fiberstar, Inc. (http://www.fiberstar.net) is a privately held innovative biotechnology Company focused on enhancing food performance by manufacturing and marketing value-added food ingredients. Its largest brand, Citri-Fi is an all-natural highly functional fiber produced sustainably from orange pulp or peel using a patented process. Citri-Fi is GRAS, non-allergenic, neutral in taste & odor and non-GMO. This functional fiber line benefits meat, dairy, bakery, gluten-free, sauce, condiments, frozen food, beverage and health & wellness food products through textural improvements, nutritional enhancements and/or cost savings. Headquartered in River Falls, Wisconsin with manufacturing in Florida and Wisconsin, Fiberstar sells products globally in over 65 countries. Four rooms, loosely grouped by historical periods, feature more than 1,600 hand-painted tiles and 36 ceramic vessels, tapestries, and custom wallpapers. Black Cube, a nomadic contemporary art museum based in Denver, is partnering with Sala Diaz, a San Antonio-based experimental nonprofit, to produce Mock Pavilion, a site-specific ceramic installation by Black Cube artist fellow Stephanie Kantor. This immersive pop up exhibition is being coordinated as part of Contemporary Art Months annual exchange (CAMx). The exhibition will take place at Sala Diaz, 517 Stieren Street in San Antonio, from March 5-31. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, March 5 from 6:00 10:00 P.M. that is free and open to the public. Mock Pavilion explores points of cultural transition through the interpretation of historic design motifs from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Inspired by the repurposed domestic space of Sala Diaz, Mock Pavilion oscillates between referencing the interior of a bourgeois home, museum period rooms, and cultural pavilions as places of visual and experienced pleasure. Four rooms, loosely grouped by historical periods, feature more than 1,600 hand-painted tiles and 36 ceramic vessels, tapestries, and custom wallpapers. Kantors vivid ceramic works defy categorization as painting, sculpture, or pottery, and the artists interpretation of traditional patterns creates a space of cultural amalgamation, hybridization, and boundary blurring. Mock Pavilion questions cultural identity as defined by geopolitical boundaries to highlight the shifting nature of visual culture and the fluidity of the world around us. About the Artist: Stephanie Kantor's work explores the paradoxical aspects of culture, both expansive and local. She samples at will, an arbitrary collection of misinterpretations, gentrifying foreign cultures. Kantor makes large scale, sculptural ceramic pots and places them within created environments, transporting the viewer to an alternate reality. She utilizes ornamentation and decoration to create a facade of culture, where her objects speak to multiplicity, cultural diversity, and artifice. Kantor holds an MFA in Ceramics from University of Colorado Boulder and BFA from Penn State University. Kantor has shown nationally at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Pargraph Gallery, The Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art, Belger Crane Yard Studios, and Leedy Voulkous. About Black Cube Black Cube is a nonprofit, nomadic contemporary art museum. At Black Cube, we see ourselves as an unconventional museum pursuing the most effective ways to engage new audiences while supporting artists sustainability. Without the traditional boundaries of a physical building, Black Cube is experienced primarily through pop-up art exhibitions and shops conceived by our artist fellows. Black Cube was founded by artist and philanthropist, Laura Merage. Find out more at http://www.blackcubeart.org. Although we cannot see God with our eyes, we can see his hand. His brother was healed after being paralyzed, his own asthma was cured and hes encountered countless other miracles around the world. In his new book, I Am Omnipowerful, author Otto Umana explores these miracles he has experienced firsthand. Umana, an obstetrician and medical missionary, inspires readers and offers real advice on how to forge a closer relationship with God. Although we cannot see God with our eyes, we can see his hand, Umana said. Through his work here on Earth, we can see exactly who he is and what he does. Umana has seen this love often through his medical work around the world and has established two hospitals in Nigeria. He will also be going on additional medical mission trips to Liberia, Nigeria and Haiti this year. I was once asked by my coworkers why I talk about God so much, Umana said. The question made me realize all of the miracles Ive seen in my lifetime and inspired me to share them with the world. For more information, visit iamomnipowerful.com. I Am Omnipowerful: The Most Powerful Person of Earth By Otto Umana ISBN: 987-1-4917-0431-8 Available in softcover, hardcover, e-book Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iUniverse About the author Dr. Otto Umana, a native of Nigeria, immigrated to the United States in 1999 to complete his medical education. He is a member of Solid Rock Assembly of God in Columbus, Ga., and is a physician. Dr. Umana and his wife, Kari, are independent medical missionaries and have helped establish two hospitals in Nigeria. # # # For review copies or interview requests, contact: Jade Schwarting 317.602.7137 jschwarting(at)bohlsengroup(dot)com The WhiteSpace Alliance (WSA) , a global industry organization enabling sharing of underutilized spectrum, today announced recipients of its 2015 Pioneer Award. The award recognizes significant achievements by member companies and supporting organizations to develop and deploy broadband solutions using underutilized VHF/UHF TV Band spectrum (whitespace). Whitespace technology is ideal for use in rural and remote areas where wired infrastructure is not cost effective to deploy, and vegetation makes line-of-sight wireless solutions unreliable. Introduction of new products and positive results from field deployments highlight the progress our members are making in delivering market-ready whitespace solutions, said Dr. Apurva N. Mody, Chairman of the WhiteSpace Alliance. Sharing these developments with government officials and other industry groups will help speed delivery of economical Internet access to underserved populations around the world. WSA recognized four organizations for their contributions this year: Saankhya Labs Saankhya Labs is commended for their pioneering work on implementing the first IEEE 802.22 Standards-based chipset to realize the vision of Make in India. Saankhya Labs has also developed Base Station (BS) and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) based on the WSA Wi-FAR Specification. The module uses VHF/UHF TV Band spectrum to provide connectivity in wireless regional area networks. A single BS is expected to cover 300 sq. km and provide an aggregate throughput of 18 to 22 Mbps. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay at Mumbai IIT Bombay team was commended for their extraordinary contribution and pioneering work on proliferation of the WhiteSpaces to enable Digital India rural broadband connectivity. IIT Bombay conducted an extensive field trial using TV whitespace in several villages in the Palghar region of India. The trial equipment demonstrated bandwidth of 11Mbps over non-line of sight distance of more than seven kilometers. National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan NICT is commended for their pioneering work on implementing the first IEEE 802.22 prototype that is based on the WSA Wi-FAR specification. They are also commended for their pioneering work on implementing a wide variety of standards-based prototypes for WhiteSpaces. NICT recently announced their prototype standards-compliant 802.11af chipset, the first baseband integrated circuit for TV whitespace wireless local area networks. The awards were presented at the recent WhiteSpace Alliance Global Summit in New Delhi, India. WhiteSpace Alliance, developer of Wi-FAR and WSAConnect interoperability specifications, has a following of more than 200 major commercial, academic, government and regulatory organizations around the world. WSA member organizations benefit from access to technical specifications that decrease development costs; expanded access to global markets, regulators and government agencies; and ongoing marketing support at no additional cost. Consumers benefit from a multi-vendor, interoperable ecosystem that brings down the overall cost of broadband access. For more information on WhiteSpace Alliance, please visit http://www.WhiteSpaceAlliance.org. About WhiteSpace Alliance The mission of the Whitespace Alliance (http://www.whitespacealliance.org) is to promote the development, deployment and use of standards-based products and services as a means of providing broadband capabilities via WhiteSpace spectrum. By promoting the use of standards, the Alliance will enable companies to provide broadband connectivity at reasonable cost. The WSA will also act as an enabler of the emerging white spaces ecosystem by helping to put in place interoperability, conformance, and compliance testing to make sure that our member stakeholders get the needed information & collaborations to succeed both in the market place and with regulatory requirements. Interoperability specifications will allow multiple vendors to enter the market and help to reduce the costs for the consumers. WhiteSpace Alliance promotes the use of IEEE, 3GPP and IETF Standards for use in the WhiteSpaces. We believe branch transformation is entering a new stage. For growth, leaders are looking to unlock the value of their greatest asset -- the workforce. Kiran Analytics a leader in intelligent branch transformation announced today that it will share its branch workforce optimization insights at three major industry events -- CBA Live 2016, Retail Banking 2016, and International Retail Banker 2016. CBA Live 2016, the premier event of the Consumer Bankers Association, will be held on March 7-9 in Scottsdale, AZ. Retail Banking 2016 Conference, the premier event of the retail banking industry in the US, will be held on April 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV. International Retail Banker 2016, the premier event of the retail banking industry in the UK, will be held on May 19 in London. To keep up with changing consumer banking behaviors, retail banks have been making significant technology investments in digital banking and branch automation. They have also been closing unprofitable branches, eliminating teller lines, and reducing operating hours to improve operational efficiency. Kiran Analytics CEO Jim DeLapa said, We believe branch transformation is entering a new stage. The first stage of branch transformation primarily focused on strategies for reducing expenses because most banks viewed their branch network and branch staff as expenses. Bankers realize that while customers value the speed, flexibility and convenience of digital banking, they still prefer face-to-face interactions in branches for account openings, complex service needs, and financial advice. Leaders in the next stage of banking transformation are focusing on strategies for growing revenue because they view their branch network and workforce as under-utilized assets. He added, Heads of retail banks are now asking us two critical questions: Do I have the right staff skills and resource capacity to improve revenues where the majority of customer acquisition and cross-selling still takes place? And, how do I maximize the value of my greatest asset, the workforce, in the face of the dynamic complexity of omni-channel delivery? The answers to these questions can no longer be based on intuition and one-size-fits-all solutions. Given the increasing pace of change and differences across regions and micro-markets, the answers lie in solutions driven by data and advanced analytics. At the upcoming industry events, Kiran Analytics will be sharing insights on how its innovative advanced analytics solutions are helping retail banks optimize their workforce for growth. About Kiran Analytics Kiran Analytics drives intelligent branch transformation for retail banks through the application of predictive analytics. Kirans solutions have been deployed in over 10,000 branches helping to forecast optimal branch staff levels accurately, hire better people faster, and to plan and schedule resources efficiently. As a result, retail banks increase sales and customer service while reducing operational costs. Kiran Analytics is a member of Bank Administration Institute (BAI) and Consumer Bankers Association (CBA). Diving with whale sharks in Belize's clear Caribbean waters is an unforgettable experience where else can you combine a whale shark adventure with exploring a pristine rainforest and ancient Maya temples? Belizes Caribbean coast offers a rare opportunity for people to get up close and personal with one of the largest creatures on earth, and The Lodge at Chaa Creek is once again assisting travellers to take advantage of the gentle behemoths spectacular annual visit with a unique all-inclusive Belize vacation package, according to the popular eco resorts natural history centre. And no, the creature in question is not a whale. According to Brion Young of Chaa Creeks Belize Natural History Centre, whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet, and observing them in the wild is an unforgettable sight. To see these huge, gentle creatures in the wild is an incredible experience, and Belize, being one of the few countries in the world to host an annual whale shark migration, offers a rare opportunity to do this. The warm, crystal clear Caribbean waters, sheltered by the barrier reef, make whale shark excursions a comfortable and safe experience for people of all ages and levels of fitness, Mr Young said. Since anyone can remember, Sapodilla Tom, as whale sharks are called here, have been regularly visiting Gladdens Spit and the Sapodilla Cayes near Belizes Great Barrier Reef to gorge themselves when mutton and dog snappers spawn, making Belize one of the few places on earth where people have a good chance of hanging out with them, Mr Young explained. To coincide with the whale shark migration, each year Chaa Creek offers tours and vacation packages to give guests a chance to see the massive fish, he added. This year Chaa Creek has once again partnered with Roberts Grove in Placencia to offer the Whale Shark Adventure all-inclusive Belize vacation package, which offers people a chance to get close to these magnificent animals while enjoying a very full yet relaxing Belizean holiday, Mr Young said. Chaa Creeks Whale Shark Adventure is being offered this year during April and May, and again in June, Mr Young explained. The spring portion will be available April 25 to 30, 2016, and May 21 to 31, with a summertime option offered for June 20 to 28. Due to the growing popularity and narrow window of time for whale shark visits, travellers should consider booking now to avoid disappointment, Mr Young advised. The limited time, all-inclusive Belize vacation package takes guests from Maya temples and inland rainforests to Belizes Caribbean coast with stays at both Chaa Creek and Roberts Grove. All transfers, accommodation, full breakfasts, lunches and dinners, activities and everything else for a complete vacation at both resorts are included for one set price, Mr Young explained. While at Chaa Creek, guests will enjoy three nights eco-luxe lodging with farm-to-table dining in the onsite Mariposa restaurant, a trip to the Belize Zoo, visits to the ancient Maya temple at Xunantunich and ceremonial caves at Barton Creek, a choice of zip lining and cave tubing in Belize or an excursion to the ancient Maya city of Tikal in neighbouring Guatemala, guided tours of the Belize Natural History centre and Butterfly farm, with canoeing, nature walks, swimming and other activities within Chaa Creeks 400 acre private nature reserve. The Roberts Grove portion of the Belize vacation package includes four nights accommodation, a full meal plan with breakfast, lunch and three course dinner, two days of a choice of whale shark snorkelling or scuba diving with two tanks per day, a day of reef snorkelling or scuba diving with two tanks and all dive gear included, as well as use of the resort's three swimming pools, canoes, kayaks, windsurfers, Hobie Kats, gym, and bicycles. Roberts Grove provides all air and land transfers to their Caribbean seacoast location where guests are greeted with a welcoming cocktail, Mr Young said. Roberts Grove shares our philosophy of excellence combined with environmental responsibility, and by partnering with them were confident of being able to offer the most comprehensive, comfortable and affordable whale shark excursion available anywhere. Its a rare opportunity to take in Belizes pristine rainforests and rich ancient Maya heritage while seeking out one of natures largest and most beautiful creatures, Mr Young said. Although understandably mistaken for a whale due to its size, docile nature and feeding habits, the whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, is a true shark, and the worlds largest fish, with a recorded length of 12.65 m (41.50 ft) and a weight of more than 21.5 metric tons (47,000 lb), although larger specimens have been reported. Relatively unchanged over the last 60 million years and larger than a school bus, the mammoth creatures are filter feeders, drawing water though mouths four and a half feet wide to strain plankton and other nutrients, much as many species of whales do. They are regularly seen laying on the sea floor and dont seem to mind interacting with humans. Three or four days before and after the full and new moons in April and May are the best times to see whale sharks, with the Gladden Spit area (about 26 miles off the coast of Placencia where Roberts grove is located), a favourite spot for the hungry world travellers, who gather in large concentrations when mutton and dog snappers are spawning. And while Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, Mozambique, Indonesia and the Yucatan are also some of the few places to host regular whale shark migrations, Mr Young counts Belize as among the very best. Were very fortunate in Belize to have such perfect conditions to host whale sharks, as well as the perfect conditions to see them. With calm, protected clear waters, generally excellent weather and a wealth of local knowledge, Belize must rank among the best of the worlds few spots where whale sharks migrate to, Mr Young said, And where else can you combine a whale shark adventure with exploring a pristine rainforest and ancient Maya temples and cities while enjoying exquisite dining, luxurious amenities and so many exciting activities? Whale sharks are truly some of natures most magnificent creations, and I like to think that we do them justice with our Whale Shark Adventure Belize vacation package, Mr Young said, adding that people can contact their travel agents or Chaa Creek directly for bookings and enquiries. The Lodge at Chaa Creek is a multi award winning eco resort set within a 365-acre private nature reserve along the banks of the Macal River in Belize. ENDS Both Dennis and Don have been tremendous supporters of Year Ups values and mission, recognizing the programs ability to develop much-needed talent. Celebrating the commitment of two leaders who have made a strong and measurable impact on the lives of young adults, Year Up National Capital Region (NCR) honored Dennis Barger and Colonel Donald W. Newton by presenting them with the Urban Empowerment Award. The award was presented at Year Up NCRs graduation ceremony on January 29, 2016, where 84 graduates of Year Ups innovative job training program received certificates for completing six months of intensive hands-on skills training followed by a six-month internship at a corporate partner firm. Both Dennis and Don have been tremendous supporters of Year Ups values and mission, recognizing the programs ability to develop much-needed talent, said Guylaine Saint Juste, Executive Director of Year Up NCR. Dennis has hosted many Year Up interns at Thermo Fisher Scientific over the years, and hires at least one from each class as a full-time employee. He understands that partnering with Year Up ensures that his company can continue to compete in a demanding market. Don is a dedicated Year Up champion, generously donating his time and attention to the young people we serve, and helping to fund our students training. With his 30 years in the United States military and 13 years at Booz Allen Hamilton, hes helped us build relationships critical for scaling our success in this market, said Saint Juste. Dennis Barger is Vice President and General Manager for Fisher BioServices, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. He joined Thermo Fisher in 2006 and has more than 30 years of experience at industry-leading life sciences firms. He graduated from University of Montana and has a Masters degree from Villanova University. Donald W. Newton graduated from Tennessee State University in 1970 before receiving a Masters from Pepperdine University in 1980 and graduating from Air War College in 1990. He received his commission from the United States Air Force in 1971, and served in the military until 2001. He then worked at Booz Allen Hamilton until his retirement in 2013. Year Up NCR was launched in 2006 to serve young adults in the Greater Washington area, providing them with technical, professional and communication skills in areas including information technology and financial operations. Students can earn college credits for completing their coursework during the first six months of the program, and then go on to participate in a six-month internship at a corporate partner such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, NASA, Hilton, AOL and Capital One. Founded in Boston in 2000, Year Up currently has sites in 16 cities. The program provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, with six months of technical and professional skills training followed by a six-month corporate internship. Eighty-five percent of graduates are employed or attending college fulltime within four months of completing the program, with average starting salaries of $36,000/year. About Year Up Inc. Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 3,000 students a year at sites in Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville, the National Capital Region, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay Area, and South Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org or http://www.youtube.com/yearupinc. Salesforce.org is dedicated to changing the way companies think about corporate philanthropy. Today, were excited that NewVoiceMedia is joining us in giving its resources back to the community. NewVoiceMedia announced today that it is among the first U.K. companies to join Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement which launched in the U.K. this week. Founded by Atlassian, the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, Rally and Salesforce.org, Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to improve communities around the world. NewVoiceMedia is one of the first to join Pledge 1% U.K., which has more than 25 companies joining the movement at the time of launch. NewVoiceMedia is joining an impressive network of entrepreneurs and companies across the globe that have committed to philanthropic efforts through the Pledge 1% movement. By pledging 1% of its time and product, the business is demonstrating a commitment to philanthropic leadership. NewVoiceMedia is a leading global provider of cloud technology which helps businesses sell more, serve better and grow faster. Its intelligent communications platform integrates seamlessly with Salesforce to connect organisations with their customers worldwide, enabling them to deliver a personalised and unique customer experience and drive a more effective sales and marketing team. We are delighted to be part of the Pledge 1% movement. Were proud to be able to contribute to the efforts of creating social impact on a global scale, while enabling our employees to support the causes that are important to them, said Jonathan Gale, CEO of NewVoiceMedia Salesforce.org is dedicated to changing the way companies think about corporate philanthropy, said Suzanne DiBianca, president, Salesforce.org. Today, were excited that NewVoiceMedia is joining us in giving its resources back to the community. This is another great example of the power that business has to effect positive change. We are thrilled that NewVoiceMedia has joined the Pledge 1% movement and is committed to sharing its success with the community, said Scott Farquhar, co-founder and co-CEO, Atlassian. Employees, shareholders, customers, and the community all benefit when a company builds giving back into its DNA. Its one of the best decisions we ever made". We believe Pledge 1% is a great step for businesses to become a force for good in the world, said Ryan Martens, Board Chairman EFCO & Founder/CTO, Rally, now part of CA Technologies. We applaud NewVoiceMedia for committing a portion of its success to its community stakeholders and social impact. About NewVoiceMedia NewVoiceMedia powers customer connections that transform businesses globally. The leading vendor's award-winning cloud customer contact platform revolutionises the way organisations connect with their customers worldwide, enabling them to deliver a personalised and unique customer service experience and drive a more effective sales and marketing team. With a true cloud environment and proven 99.999% platform availability, NewVoiceMedia ensures complete flexibility, scalability and reliability. Spanning 128 countries and six continents, NewVoiceMedia's 500+ customers include PhotoBox, MobileIron, TNT, Lumesse, JustGiving, Canadian Cancer Society and Wowcher. For more information visit http://www.newvoicemedia.com or follow NewVoiceMedia on Twitter @NewVoiceMedia. About Pledge 1% Pledge 1% is an effort spearheaded by Atlassian, Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, Rally for Impact, Salesforce.org and Tides to accelerate their shared vision around integrating philanthropy into businesses around the world. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, product and employee time for their communities, because pledging a small portion of future success can have a huge impact on tomorrow. Pledge 1% offers companies turnkey tools and best practices, making it accessible for any company to incorporate philanthropy into their business model. To learn more or to take the pledge, please visit http://www.pledge1percent.org. Salesforce, Salesforce1 and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. "Our recognition in the 2016 Magic Quadrant, for the second time in a row, is a validation of our broad context-aware and content-aware capabilities," said Alexey Raevsky, CEO and General Manager, Zecurion. Zecurion, a leading developer of Data Loss Prevention solutions, today announced that Gartner Inc., the worlds leading information technology research and advisory company, has recognized Zecurion in the 2016 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Data Loss Prevention. Gartner is a well-respected IT research and advisory company and their evaluation criteria for the Magic Quadrant are based on thorough research, customer feedback and a well-defined methodology. We are honored and believe that the recognition by Gartner is a reinforcement of our continued focus on technology innovation and elevated customer experience," said Alexey Raevsky, CEO and General Manager, Zecurion. Zecurions suite of DLP solutions, comprising Zlock, Zgate, Zserver, Zdiscovery and Mobile DLP, are market leading, unified DLP solutions for SMBs and large enterprises. While most DLP vendors only allow storage of incidents, Zecurions DLP solution provides full archiving of all data extracted via multiple channels - USB drives, CD/DVD-recorders, printers, email, and internet. In addition, it captures screen shots and has an extensive set of baseline data dictionaries that it uses as the basis for developing rules. Zecurion is one of the very few DLP vendors to provide extensive language support for English, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Greek, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Turkish, Malaysian, Korean and Hindi, among other regional and localized dialects. In addition to DLP solutions, Zecurion is expert in cryptography, and a leading provider of encryption to protect data during storage and transfer. Its product suite and integrated platform is easy to deploy simple administration set up and policy selection and easy to manage with an intuitive console that can easily be customized. Zecurion is continually developing solutions including those addressing the risk of leaks through social and mobile applications. As part of this, it offers an optical character recognition capability for identifying content, and the solution provides interfaces to monitor social media, Web and cloud storage interactions. About the Magic Quadrant Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Zecurion Zecurion One of the largest developers of DLP systems that protect against internal threats and data leakage. Zecurion has been professionally engaged in the area of information security since 2001. The company's solutions provide comprehensive protection against leakage of information throughout the course of its lifecycle from creation, to recording and archiving, as well as deletion. The Zecurion DLP system is used by more than 10,000 organizations, including Allianz ROSNO, Aeroflot, Bashneft, VTB, Rosbank, Rosgosstrakh, Rosneft, Rostelecom, Tupolev, Technosila, and the Federal Ministry of Finance and Treasury. Zecurion and the Zecurion logo are trademarks of Zecurion. Takeshi Uchiyamada Chairman of the Board Toyota Motor Corporation Mr. Uchiyamada will speak Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Riverview Ballroom B at Cobo Center. Paul W. Smith will serve as emcee for the event. SAE International announces that Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman of the Board Takeshi Uchiyamada will be the featured speaker at the SAE 2016 World Congress Annual Banquet. Mr. Uchiyamada will speak Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Riverview Ballroom B at Cobo Center. Paul W. Smith will serve as emcee for the event. The SAE 2016 World Congress will be held April 12-14 at Cobo Center in Detroit. Toyota will provide Executive Leadership and Aisin will serve as Tier One Strategic Partner for the event, which has a theme of Powering Possibilities. Mr. Uchiyamada graduated from Nagoya University with a degree in applied physics in March 1969 and joined Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in April the same year. In January 1994, Mr. Uchiyamada became project general manager of Vehicle Development Center 2. In January 1996, he became chief engineer of that center, which developed the Prius-the world's first mass-produced gasolineelectric hybrid car. After being named to the Board of Directors in June 1998, Mr. Uchiyamada oversaw Vehicle Development Center 3. In June 2000, he became chief officer of Vehicle Development Center 2, and in June 2001, managing director and chief officer of the Overseas Customer Service Operations Center. Mr. Uchiyamada was made a senior managing director and also appointed chief officer of the Vehicle Engineering Group in June 2003. In June 2004, he became a chief officer of the Production Control & Logistics Group, and in June 2005, he became an executive vice president. Mr. Uchiyamada was appointed vice chairman of the board of directors in June 2012 and chairman in June 2013. For more information on the SAE 2016 World Congress and Exhibition, visit http://www.sae.org/congress/. To request media credentials, email pr(at)sae.org or call 1-724-772-8522. SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting more than 137,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. http://www.sae.org Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Author of "The Conscious Parent" and Expert in Clinical Psychology and Mindfulness Dr. Shefali has the authority and understanding to expand our awareness to encompass the dimensions we may not talk about as much. The Care Plus Foundation, Inc. (CarePlus Foundation) has announced that Dr. Shefali Tsabary will present at Bergen Community College for the 2016 Annual Conference for Children on Friday, April 1. The world-renowned doctor will share her expertise in blending the western study of clinical psychology with the eastern philosophy of mindfulness. Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, award-winning author, and international speaker who has been a keynote at numerous events. In addition to being a frequent flyer on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), Dr. Shefali has also presented at TEDx, Wisdom 2.0, The Kellogg Business School, and The Dali Lama Center for Peace and Education, among many other conferences and workshops. Her most popular book The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children, a New York Times bestseller, has been called one of the most profound books on parenting by Oprah. The concepts and approaches to parenting that are explored in the book will be the driving force of the conference presented by CarePlus. There are a number of factors that go into total well-being, stated Caitlyn Yerves, Advocacy Specialist at CarePlus. Bergen County has developed the 8-dimensions of wellness model, which addresses the importance of the many aspects of health. Dr. Shefali has the authority and understanding to expand our awareness to encompass the dimensions we may not talk about as much. The presentation, entitled The Art of Conscious Parenting: Bringing Mindfulness to Families, will consist of a number of topics including the foundation of mindful connection and learning to transform the act of discipline by using appropriate consequences. The event will include practice sessions for the audience to put lessons into action, as well as a question and answer segment. There is also time reserved for a book signing at the end of the event. Our goal has been to provide an educational opportunity that not only benefits those who work in the field of psychology, but also the greater community, continued Yerves. These conferences have historically been more clinical in nature, so we are expecting that this topic will bring in a new wave of attendees, as well as many of our past participants. The event will run from 8:30 am to 1 pm and will include a continental breakfast and beverages. Participants can register online at http://www.CarePlusNJ.org/2016Conference. CarePlus has noted that seating is limited. The registration fee is $75 and includes 2.75 Continuing Education Units approved by the New Jersey National Association of Social Workers. The CarePlus Foundation is also seeking sponsorship and resource tables for the event. For more information, contact Alexis Fatigati at 201-981-5070 or AlexisF(at)CarePlusNJ(dot)org. About CarePlus Foundation, Inc. ("CarePlus Foundation") The CarePlus Foundation the supporting arm of CarePlus was created with a mission to decrease the stigma of mental illness and pave the way to accessibility of care for those looking to seek help through community education, advocacy, and fundraising. Care Plus NJ, Inc. (http://www.CarePlusNJ.org) is a northern New Jersey provider of recovery-focused mental health, primary care, substance abuse, and family services that addresses the unique needs of individuals with a holistic approach to recovery and overall wellness. Operating out of 23 sites including three outpatient centers located in Paramus, Fair Lawn, and Montclair, ten residential facilities, offices at three local hospitals, and seven community offices their services are convenient to clients located throughout Northern New Jersey. They also provide educational programs on mental health-related topics to schools, organizations, and community groups; training topics including certified Mental Health First Aid, Suicide Prevention, Bullying Prevention and Crisis Planning and Intervention Strategies for Schools. CDI LLC named to CRN 2016 MSP 500 list I am proud of the role that CDI plays in helping our clients manage an increasingly complex technology and compliance driven landscape. Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC) announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named CDI LLC to its 2016 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the MSP Elite 150 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their top-notch offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments. As a member of the MSP Elite 150, CDI LLC is recognized as a large data center-focused solution provider that has a strong mix of on-premise professional services as well as off-premise services. In todays fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRNs MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations. According to the CRN Channel Group, MSPs meet a critical need in the IT market, providing customized, turnkey services that allow for predictable operational expenses, effective control of expenditures, precise allocation of limited resources and convenient access to on-demand and pay-as-you-go technology. We congratulate the service providers of the MSP 500, who continually reinvent themselves to successfully meet their customers changing needs, helping businesses get the most out of their IT investments and sharpen their competitive edge. It is an honor to once again be recognized as one of the top IT solution providers by CRN. I am proud of the role that CDI plays in helping our clients manage an increasingly complex technology and compliance-driven landscape, said John Carter, president, CDI Managed Services. As companies continue the trend of outsourcing to best-of-breed providers, we are focused on providing a superior customer experience that helps them achieve greater operational efficiencies and tighter controls on their environment, he added. The MSP 500 list is featured in the February 2016 issue of CRN and online at http://www.crn.com/news/managed-services/300079707/crns-2016-managed-service-provider-500.htm About Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC): CDI LLC was founded in 1995, with corporate headquarters in Teterboro, NJ, as well as office locations in New York City, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta. As one of the nations top 500 business IT solution providers, the firm architects, deploys and manages multiplatform hybrid IT solutions, including traditional IT, public, private and hybrid clouds, to a wide variety of industries. CDI LLC continually focuses on achieving client satisfaction by developing and implementing comprehensive and innovative technology solutions that enhance day-to-day business automation and workflow processes. For more information, visit http://www.cdillc.com or call 1-800-234-5531. Follow us for continual coverage on Twitter @cdillc or YouTube. About Computer Design & Integration Managed Services (CDI MS): Computer Design & Integration Managed Services (CDI MS), a Roswell, GA-based wholly owned subsidiary of CDI LLC, helps companies with stringent IT requirements increase operational efficiencies and reduce cost by providing proactive managed technology solutions at a fixed monthly rate. CDI MS customers show dramatic improvements in essential technology-specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), while reducing operational costs by as much as 30 percent. For more information, visit http://www.cdillc.com or call 1-800-234-5531. Follow us for continual coverage on Twitter @cdillc or YouTube. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. Mr. Curt VanderZanden, Mortgage Express Manager "Mortgage Master on Morf Playbook is a fantastic introduction to the industry that I know will reap dividends for my business. Morf Media Inc. and Americas Mortgage Institute(AMI) today announced that Mortgage Express is seeing success with the training from the online Mortgage Master course available now on Morf Playbook. The Mortgage Master Program, delivered on-line and as an App for mobile devices and smartphones, provides approximately 40 hours of engaging, informative learning material that includes mortgage terminology, loan products, ethics, sales techniques and more. It provides the fundamental mechanics vital to every mortgage loan originator, including mortgage math, prequalification, loan program guidelines and compliance as it pertains to mortgage originations. Mortgage Express manager, Curt VanderZanden underscored the value and the results he is seeing from top notch training content from AMI delivered in an engaging way on Morf Playbook: Having been in the mortgage industry since 1993, working my way up from a rookie loan officer, branch manager, trainer, sales manager and regional sales manager, one of the biggest challenges is growing new rookie loan officers. Rocko Karim started at Mortgage Express in November and is new to the mortgage industry. He recently completed the Mortgage Master training and found it extremely beneficial in terms of helping him get up to speed quickly while leveraging his prior experience. I enjoyed the training program because it gave me an opportunity to think about my past business experiences and how I could incorporate the ideas presented in the program to benefit my specific situation. As a new MLO there is a lot to learn and you get a lot of information thrown at you. This program is a great reinforcement of information that may be you didnt completely understand, you forgot, or perhaps was never shared with you. Karim found the features of Mortgage Master, including instructional videos, interviews, games and quizzes kept him engaged and served as an enhancement to the material. Overall, Karim said, I recommend Mortgage Master to anyone who is getting started in the mortgage industry. Its a great way to learn the fundamentals of the industry and to help get you started originating loans. Developed by industry experts, Mortgage Master utilizes several different learning methodologies videos, games, quizzes and unique, active learning strategies on a state-of-the-art Morf Playbook gamification platform with text-to-voice technology to keep learners engaged and enthusiastic about the content. It fills a definitive need for fundamental education to serve as a base for pre-licensing education, while sharpening skills of existing loan originators. VanderZanden added, I have not seen a more comprehensive training program that imparts, not only the fundamentals of the industry, but also the mechanics of how to be a loan officer and work effectively within your office. The training outlines the ethical behavior and a structure for how to set yourself up from day one to build a network of business. Today, the stakes are too high to not properly train your personnel. Mortgage Master on Morf Playbook is a fantastic introduction to the industry that I know will reap dividends for my business. To learn more or sign up for the course, please visit Morf Media or contact Heidi Deishl @ Heidi.deish(at)morfmedia(dot)com. About Americas Mortgage Institute Built on a long and successful history in mortgage banking, America's Mortgage Institute (AMI), established in 2010, is committed to restoring confidence and public trust in the mortgage lending industry. Based in Cherry Hill, NJ, the mission of AMI is to provide the mortgage service industry and aspiring career entrants the finest in mortgage training, consulting and support services designed to ensure regulatory compliance while optimizing performance and profitability. For more information, contact Jen Biderman at JBiderman(at)americasmortgageinstitute(dot)com or 856-334-1745. About Morf Media, Inc. Morf Media, Inc. is a social, mobile platform for HR talent development and training for the modern workforce. Made easy, fast, fun and socially oriented, Morf Playbook provides one to one leadership, skill building and training development, anytime, anywhere on a smart phone or tablet. Morf Playbook delivers interactive three minute courses via a variety of media, including text to voice and video. Its gamified social framework delivers feedback that empowers people to perform at their best while providing managers with reporting, metrics and communication tools to optimize talent management. Contact: Heidi Wieland Vice President Marketing of Morf Media, Inc. USA 805-722-7413 Heidi(at)morfmedia(dot)com Nina Gross, a matrimonial and family lawyer with Dobrish Michaels Gross LLP, was selected to Super Lawyers for five consecutive years - from 2010 to 2015. No more than five percent of practicing attorneys in the state are included in Super Lawyers, making continuous inclusion in the listing a considerable achievement for any legal professional. The Super Lawyers selection process begins when a candidate receives a peer nomination, or the Super Lawyers research team identifies the candidate. The initial vetting process includes third-party feedback, independent research, and a wide-range of other indicators related to the candidates experience, honors, professional activities, and more. Candidates with high point totals serve on a Blue Ribbon Panel, which evaluates other candidates within their main practice area. Only those with the highest scores are included in final selection. According to Super Lawyers, this is no more than five percent of attorneys in the state. About Nina Gross Attorney Nina Gross joined Dobrish Michaels Gross LLP in 1998 after working at the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division, where she represented children in a variety of familial situations. Nina is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a member of the Matrimonial Committee of the Womens Bar Association of New York, and a member of the Family Law Section of the New York Bar Association. Today, Nina is wholly devoted to family and matrimonial law - specifically, cases that involve high net-worth divorces and complex financial and child custody matters. She has written for the Family Law Review and lectured for the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and the Practice Law Institute. Find more information about Nina Gross here. TenantBase has announced that Max Morris, an 18 year veteran of the Orange County office market, will be heading all real estate activities as the company expands their operations into Southern California. Morris was formerly with SunCoast Properties in Orange County. Our team is thrilled to have Max on board. We feel that he is a perfect fit for our culture and mission to provide a new and high quality service to small and midsize businesses trying to find and lease their office space. Max brings the skillset needed to lead our local team, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit to help us solve a big problem for tenants and landlords in smaller lease transactions says Mike Zei, Co-Founder. TenantBase will formally launch their service in Orange County this month in conjunction with a new design of their website and upgrades to their tenant facing software. In addition to Morris, TenantBase is actively looking to add several real estate professionals to deliver the local service in Orange County. Having been in the business for almost two decades, representing both tenants and landlords, I have seen an extreme demand for streamlining the leasing process on transactions under about 3,500 sf. The TenantBase approach solves this problem by inserting technology combined with local broker knowledge says Morris. Morris continues to state, Many other companies have tried to either be a source for selling leads or have technology take over the entire process, but our integrated solution is more effective due to the inclusion of the brokerage community and our dedication to supporting an underserved group of tenants from start to finish. The addition of Morris and Southern California expansion follows TenantBases completion of a seed funding round and acceptance to EvoNexus, a technology incubator with locations in Irvine and San Diego, in June of 2015. The company has also added several key Advisory Board Members and Greg Hawkins, former Ingram Micro Executive and Buy.com CEO, as Executive Chairman during this time. About TenantBase TenantBase is a technology enabled office space brokerage built specifically for small to medium size businesses. They make the office space search and lease process easier by combining technology with experienced local real estate advisors at no cost to the tenant. TenantBase exists to help small to medium size businesses find and lease the perfect office space for their needs. TenantBase now has operations based in Irvine, CA and Nashville, TN. Find out more at http://www.tenantbase.com or follow on Twitter: @TenantBase Executives of Realogics Sothebys International Realty (RSIR) announced today the signing of a long term lease for approximately half of the Old Hardware Store building at 240 Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island. After sitting vacant for the past four years, the nearly 70-year old building was acquired in January 2016 by The Old Hardware Store, LLC managed by local businessman Joseph Lacko. Recent announcements end years of speculation about what would come of this historic centerpiece on Winslows main street. We are proud contributors to the next generation of this nostalgic address on Bainbridge Island, said Dean Jones, President and CEO of RSIR. Everyone shares a passion to create a special place for locals and visitors to come together, just as it was generations ago. While the products and services of this building have evolved with the times, it's spirit of community remains. Jones confirms his Island Living Gallery, a full-service real estate brokerage, along with Bruciato Osteria, a new restaurant by local chef Brendan McGill will be the anchor tenants. The two businesses have been collaborating with Lacko for several months after being hand-selected to re-envision a sustainable and dynamic use for the building. Lacko was inspired by the history of The Old Hardware Store, which existed as a portal to the mainland for its island customers. It was a place where the the township came together to enjoy a cup of coffee, get prudent advice on their real estate projects and obtain nearly anything needed for building a storybook lifestyle on the island. I smile thinking about wallhung family photos throughout Bainbridge Island that use nails purchased at the old Holgers Hardware Store, said Lacko. Soon new memories will be created within the walls of the restored building. Weve identified tremendous local businesses that will return this retail storefront into that special third place it once was. As the first building to be built on the north side of Winslow Way, the building has a proud, front-and-center perch within the city center. The new storefront will almost completely open up to create an indoor-outdoor environment inviting pedestrians to come in. Guests will enjoy a voluminous barrel roof ceiling, exposed concrete floors and a rural but contemporary aesthetic that pays tribute to its historic past while embracing the future. The retail floor plan is carefully designed to read as one living room that doubles as a reception for the real estate brokerage as well as an expanded lounge for patrons of the restaurant. Preliminary plans include a fireside library, an integrated showcase of properties, an art gallery and access to Italian coffee, fine food and robust beverage services operated by Bruciato. A large barn door will open between the retail spaces for even larger community events like art and fashion shows, philanthropic programs and community celebrations including the annual Fourth of July parade. Smaller venues may also serve full-service private dining, executive meetings and presentations by special guests. The Island Living Gallery will be host to pop up events as well, said Jones. In addition to third party businesses, we envision pairing food and wine with unique real estate and travel opportunities to showcase sun, surf and snow destinations from our network. After all, we are uniquely positioned to help clients whether their next address is around the corner or around the world. RSIR plans to consolidate their two Bainbridge Island locations into this new gallery upon completion, which is scheduled for completion in early summer 2016. The global real estate network arrived to Bainbridge Island in March 2011 with a branch office and art gallery located at 271 Madison Avenue South. Over the past five years, RSIRs operations have grown significantly to include 18 sales professionals and employees. Despite being boutique, the firm ranks third in total dollar volume and is a top producer on a per broker basis, according to Trendgraphix research. While global in reach, Jones confirms his company culture is very much rooted on Bainbridge Island with local professionals that have made it their home and their business for decades. We now have a venue and the opportunity to get even more involved in the community, adds Jones. We look forward to returning this building into a living piece of history for all to enjoy. Jerri Lane, Executive Director of Bainbridge Island Downtown Association recently welcomed McGill, Jones, and his many brokers during a private event held at the building. As a former Senior Vice President of Marketing for Visit Seattle, she knows firsthand how vital it is to maintain a vibrant retail presence while adding attractions and enhancing visibility for other Bainbridge Island businesses. There is much anticipation about this future use of the Old Hardware Store and I think its an excellent evolution, said Lane. This may be the best kept, well-known secret on the island. About Realogics Sothebys International Realty (http://www.RSIR.com) - Artfully uniting extraordinary homes with extraordinary lives, Realogics Sothebys International Realty is a leading global sales and marketing brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest. Recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal amongst the fastest-growing private companies in Washington State for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 the boutique real estate firm of 140+ brokers consistently ranks among the top producing firms within the markets that it serves with branches in downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland and Issaquah. EDITORS NOTES: For high-resolution photography contact Andrea Savage at 206.448.5752 or email Andrea(dot)Savage(at)RSIR(dot)com. Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. Scranton and Wilkes-Barre personal injury attorneys Melissa A. Scartelli and Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. will serve as faculty for a CLE sponsored by the National Business Institute on March 30 in Scranton. The session, which offers 6 CLE credits for Pennsylvania and 7.2 CLE credits for New Jersey, will focus on one of the most important aspects of a successful lawsuit: expert witnesses. Entitled Effectively Employ the Rules for Expert Witnesses, the day-long program is an intensive, in-depth examination of the many ways in which the rules of evidence and procedure can be used to maximize the effectiveness of your own experts while discounting the validity of opposing experts. Attendees will learn to: Maximize the effectiveness of expert witnesses by learning how judges want you to employ them. Analyze your experts' reports to pinpoint mistakes that could have case-devastating potential. Get your experts ready for deposition by ensuring they thoroughly understand the deposition procedure from start to finish. For more information, or to register, visit the NBI website. The president and founder of Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., Melissa A. Scartelli has represented seriously injured plaintiffs in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years. An experienced and compassionate personal injury and medical malpractice attorney, Scartellis areas of practice include automobile accidents, medical malpractice, construction and workplace accidents, nursing home negligence, product liability, and more. The managing partner of Scartelli Olszewski, Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. has been in private practice since 2010, focusing his practice on personal injury, medical malpractice, and criminal defense. Prior to that, he served as district attorney of Luzerne County and a judge in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. About Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.: Founded in 2001, Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. handles personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of auto and truck accident victims, malpractice victims and other injured individuals and their families, as well as criminal defense. Practice areas include medical malpractice, automobile accidents, tractor trailer accidents, auto defects, criminal defense, defective drugs and medical devices, insurance bad faith, liquor liability, nursing home negligence, premises liability, and product liability. Scartelli Olszewski is small enough to care, yet large enough to win for their clients in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., region. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.scartelli.com. This Just In @HIMSS16 with Justin Barnes Discussions are sure to be lively, insightful if not contentious at times Healthcare IT News, a HIMSS Media brand and the industrys authoritative source for health IT decision-makers, and acclaimed HIT advisor Justin Barnes, just launched This Just In @HIMSS, a groundbreaking radio event featuring select VIP guests broadcast live at HIMSS16. This Just In @HIMSS, sponsored by Citrix and Lenovo, is hosted by Justin Barnes, Founder of the weekly syndicated radio show This Just In. The premier HIMSS16 radio show will feature live interviews on the show floor with some of healthcares most acclaimed CIOs, CEOs, policy leaders and entrepreneurs. Watch and tune in to industry leaders tackling the biggest challenges and opportunities in health IT. This Just In @HIMSS kicks off at the HIMSS Media Booth #951, March 1-2 from 1:30-5 p.m. at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. "Im very excited to have the This Just In radio show partner with HIMSS and to be able to broadcast live from HIMSS16 in Las Vegas with so many friends and peers, said Justin Barnes, HIT advisor and host of This Just In @HIMSS. Our guest line-up is unparalleled, as well have the industrys leading executives, innovators, stakeholders and policymakers sharing actionable intelligence on how health systems, care providers and even patients can successfully navigate the future of healthcare. You can say were guilty of big-time name dropping about first-of-its-kind radio program This Just In @HIMSS: Aneesh Chopra, Farzad Mostashari, John Halamka, Ed Marx and those are just a few of the industry luminaries you can hear from live at the conference. Not to mention host Justin Barnes, said Tom Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare IT News. The thought leadership discussions are sure to be lively, insightful if not contentious at times and, perhaps best of all, a lot of fun to listen to. Featured Guests: Jitin Asnaani, MBA, Executive Director, Commonwealth Health Alliance Aneesh Chopra, Co-Founder, EVP Hunch Analytics; Former U.S. CTO, NavHealth Dr. Karen DeSalvo, MD, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dr. John Halamka, MD, CIO Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gareth Hall, Director of Worldwide Health Mobility of Microsoft H. Stephen Lieber, President and CEO of HIMSS Ed Marx, Executive Vice President of The Advisory Board/Clinovations Dr. Farzad Mostashari, MD, CEO, Aledade, Inc. Sarah Muckler, Director, Worldwide Health Marketing, Health Industry, Microsoft Ivo Nelson, CEO and Chairman of Next Wave Health Ben Wilson, MBA, MPH, Senior Director Healthcare Strategy, Citrix Systems; Co-Founder, Mobile Health Consortium Mariann Yeager, MBA, CEO The Sequoia Project About Healthcare IT News Healthcare IT News, a HIMSS Media publication, is the industrys authoritative source covering the people, policy and technology driving next-generation healthcare in the U.S. For more than 12 years, it has been the leading voice of health IT, delivering strong and unbiased editorial insights on compelling topics such as electronic health records, health information exchange, privacy and security, data analytics, patient engagement, population health and revenue cycle management. Healthcare IT News audience spans across all media platforms and reaches some 54,100 qualified print subscribers and has more than 240,600 readers for print and digital products. For more information, visit HealthcareITNews.com. About This Just In This Just In is a weekly syndicated radio show that focuses on the latest trends impacting our nations healthcare, economy, innovation and opportunity. The host, Justin Barnes, aka @HITAdvisor, is an entrepreneur and corporate advisor. Hes a former executive with Greenway Health, McKesson and most recently, an entrepreneur-in-residence at Georgia Techs Advanced Technology Development Center. Whether its a trending topic or the next big thing, Justin is sure to be talking about it with his broad circle of peers. You can listen to This Just In on the Business Radio X network (ThisJustIn.BusinessRadioX.com) and the Healthcare Now Radio network (HealthcareNowRadio.com/Programs/This-Just-In). ABOUT HIMSS MEDIA HIMSS Media is the fastest growing B2B media group focused exclusively on healthcare and technology markets. Through its suite of market-leading brands, such as Healthcare IT News, Healthcare Finance and MobiHealthNews, HIMSS Media delivers news, analysis and must-have information to an audience of senior healthcare and technology influencers. HIMSS Media is also the leading producer of important live events, such as the Privacy & Security Forum, Patient Engagement Summit, Revenue Cycle Solutions Summit and Big Data & Healthcare Analytics Forum. The award is one of the highest recognitions an IBM Business Partner can receive and its a great accomplishment for Prolifics. Prolifics announced today that it was named the winner of the IBM Beacon Laureate Award, which recognizes a Business Partner that has consistently demonstrated excellent achievement in a single Beacon Award category. Prolifics, an IBM Business Partner, was selected for the award for its exceptional accomplishments in the Technical Excellence category. For Prolifics to be presented with the Beacon Laureate Award for Technical Excellence is truly an honor," stated Sam Ourfalian, President of Prolifics. "The award is one of the highest recognitions an IBM Business Partner can receive and its a great accomplishment for Prolifics. It recognizes our commitment to providing the most innovative, complete, best-in-class solutions to our clients. IBM Beacon Laureate Award winners are chosen for their ability to help clients solve problems and unlock value by consistently delivering transformative solutions, said Marc Dupaquier, General Manager, IBM Global Business Partners. This year, Im pleased to bestow Prolifics with the Beacon Laureate Award for Technical Excellence and look forward to continuing to lead together in the cognitive era. The Beacon Laureate Award and 24 additional Beacon Award winners were announced at the IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference 2016 in Orlando, Florida. More than 1,500 Business Partners and IBM executives from around the world attended the conference. For more information about the IBM Beacon Awards, including information about winners and finalists, please visit https://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/pw_com_prb_beacon. To learn more about IBM PartnerWorld, a comprehensive program that offers marketing and sales resources, training, certification and technical support to help create new revenue and market opportunities for IBM Business Partners, visit http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld. About Prolifics Prolifics creates a competitive advantage for organizations around the world by implementing customized, end-to-end IT solutions that achieve business success, leveraging IBM, Microsoft and Open Source technologies in a global delivery model. For more than 35 years, the company's technology expertise, industry-specific insights and certified technology accelerators have transformed organizations around the world by solving complex IT challenges. For more information, visit http://www.prolifics.com. Peanut Butter is a straightforward tool for companies large and small, as well as a powerful resource for employers to recruit and retain top talent. Peanut Butter joined 1871 today to announce a new student loan repayment benefit that will be available to all 1871 companies, as well as alumni members who have graduated from the space but maintain membership. Through a special arrangement, member companies will be able to use Peanut Butters platform to offer a student loan repayment program as a benefit to their employees. This announcement follows the launch of the 1871 Health and Employee Benefits exchange late last year, which made 1871 the first incubator in the world to offer a private health exchange to its members. Peanut Butter is a straightforward tool for companies large and small, as well as a powerful resource for employers to recruit and retain top talent, said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. Adding this student loan repayment benefit to our robust set of resources further distinguishes 1871 and its member companies as they develop their businesses and make new hires. Peanut Butters technology helps organizations make regular, secure contributions to their employees student loan debt and track the impact of those payments. The company provides support for employee enrollment, loan verification, and the coordination of payments to student loan servicers. 1871 is helping alumni and member companies equip themselves with the employee value propositions that will attract the creative forces of top developers, designers, digital marketers, and account executives, said Peanut Butter CEO David Aronson. Paying off student debt is often one of the most meaningful accomplishments in the early part of ones career. Companies that adopt student loan repayment are sending a clear message that they care about the financial well-being of employees and are working to establish a culture of shared achievement. While more than 25% of the U.S. workforce currently holds student debt, that figure is estimated to be close to 50% in the technology industry, in which most employees hold at least one degree and many workers are in their 20s or 30s. Student loans are a major consideration for many Millennials who are being considered for hire by entrepreneurs", said Kaitlin Reimann, 1871 member and co-founder / CEO of uBack, a free mobile app designed to seamlessly connect donors to nonprofits and allow them to give in seconds. As a company focused on the Millennial workforce, I see Peanut Butter as an incredible benefit to help Millennials support their financial well-being and help companies attract the best talent. It's exciting 1871 and Peanut Butter have made it possible. In addition to student loan repayment, 1871 also offers its members plans for health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, identity theft protection, telehealth services, and pet insurance. All of these offerings are part of an ongoing effort from 1871 to make entrepreneurship more accessible to everyone. The Peanut Butter student loan repayment plans will be available to 1871 companies beginning today. To learn more, visit http://www.1871.com/getpeanutbutter and read 1871 CEO Howard Tullmans article about the company at http://www.inc.com/howard-tullman/making-student-debt-less-sticky.html. About Peanut Butter, Inc. Peanut Butter helps companies attract and retain Millennial employees through unique benefit programs. By facilitating company contributions to employee student loans, we help reduce our clients' turnover and hiring costs while differentiating their employee value propositions. Together, we're helping to solve Americas $1.2T student debt problem. Peanut Butter, Inc. is a Chicago-based benefits administrator incubated at 1871. About 1871 1871 is the home of more than 350 early-stage, high-growth digital startups. Located in The Merchandise Mart, this 120,000 square foot facility is also the headquarters of nationally recognized accelerators Techstars Chicago and the Good Food Business Accelerator; impact investing fund Impact Engine; half a dozen industry-specific incubators in key areas such as real estate, education technology, food and financial technology; several emerging tech talent schools (Flatiron, The Fullbridge Program, Designation and the Startup Institute), and the state's leading technology advocate, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition. It is the second home to Chicago-based VCs, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, MATH Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels, OCA Ventures, OurCrowd and Chicago Ventures, as well as satellite offices for Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and DeVry. 1871 has fast become recognized as the hub for the citys entrepreneurial/technology ecosystem and has been featured in Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Crains Chicago Business among other top media. 1871 is the flagship project of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. ### Gam3rCon 2016 will be held on the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego this July. Each year, thousands of video and table-top gaming enthusiasts gather for four exciting days of interactive gaming, art, music and more at Gam3rCon, the premier gaming convention in San Diego for gamers, by gamers that takes place during San Diego Comic-Con International. In 2016, NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NewSchool) is pleased to serve as the primary venue for Gam3rCon on July 21-24, 2016. The 7th annual convention, which celebrates game play and the gaming culture, highlights cutting-edge trends and technology in the digital gaming industry, and is an affordable, family-friendly event for gamers and industry professionals alike. Along with all the exciting gaming opportunities available at the convention, Gam3rcon also offers a variety of art, music and live productions that highlight the vibrant aspects of the world of gaming, said Brendan MacNeil, Chief Operating Officer at Gam3rCon. Participants will have the chance to attend informative panel discussions and workshops that bring them up close and personal with the current cutting-edge activities in gaming, as well as get a sneak-peek into some innovations that are on the horizon in the industry. Many of those innovations are being designed and developed right in the center of Gam3rCon at the Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool of Architecture & Design through their relationship with industry-recognized and awarded Media Design School in New Zealand." Gam3rCon is committed to supporting the gaming community in an active and meaningful way by bringing developers and gamers together on a regular basis at their monthly Gam3 Days throughout the year, several of which have also been hosted at NewSchool. In conjunction with serving as host for the 2016 convention, NewSchool and Gam3rCon will be jointly launching a scholarship for students who are interested in studying game development. The university boasts the Media Design School of Digital Arts, a unique collaboration between NewSchool of Architecture & Design and the industry-recognized Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand, which is ranked by Autodesk CG Student Awards to be among the top three schools in the world to provide VFX/Animation and Game Development qualifications. The unique digital art school brings a global perspective to digital arts degree programs including game development, game programming, animation and media design. I think its fantastic that the 7th annual Gam3rCon is being hosted at the NewSchool campus, said George Rothrock, a contributing faculty member in the Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool. Gam3rCon presents a wonderful connection between the public and the expression of gamer and geek culture. For our Media Design School students it will be great opportunity to connect with their own tribe, and for the rest of the campus community, offers exposure to the exciting world of gamers and gaming. This type of industry event is incredibly valuable for any young creative professional to better inform their craft, regardless if theyre studying game development, or even architecture or great product design. Gam3rCon tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gam3rcon-tickets-19904602201. Now until March 1, participants may buy half-price tickets. Student, military, and veteran discount ticket options are also available. About Gam3rCon: Gam3rCon is a volunteer run not-for-profit organization by gamers for gamers in San Diego, Calif. Gam3rCon hosts events year-round for the community and during the summer, produces its annual multi-day, family-friendly Gam3rCon convention. For more information, visit http://www.gam3rcon.com. About Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool of Architecture & Design: Located in downtown San Diego, NewSchools curriculum prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. Programs of study include architecture, construction management, product design, media design, game development, and interior architecture & design. The schools design environment provides inspiration for the schools students and faculty, recognized for their work regionally and internationally. NewSchool is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission. NewSchools Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NewSchool is a member of the Laureate International Universities network a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. Through this network, students at NewSchool are prepared to work in a global and diverse work environment through the schools collaborations with sister institutions in the Laureate network, including award-winning schools such as Domus Academy in Milan, Italy and Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand. For more information about Laureate International Universities, visit http://www.laureate.net. Paul Vitenas, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery is elated to be named as one of 2016s Spectrum Award winners by City Beat News (CBN). Paul Vitenas, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. is pleased to share this honor with his exceptional staff of nurses, aestheticians, and patient coordinators. CBN is one of the most respected research and publishing companies in the United States. Their primary focus is identifying outstanding small to mid-size companies across the country, using a variety of sources, rankings, and assessments. CBN is not a customer review site, and they are known for only nominating those businesses with the top ratings in their specialized field of service. The Spectrum Award for Excellence is unique in that it reflects overall customer satisfaction, without bias. The information presented by CBN is then available as a tool to assist potential clients in choosing a trusted business in the future. Additionally, the Spectrum Award tells employees that they are doing a good job, and empowers them to continue the hard work. As the newest winner of the Spectrum Award for Excellence, Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery brings patients a cutting-edge array of innovative surgical procedures. Dr. Vitenas specializes in breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation, and body sculpting techniques, such as the body lift and Mommy Makeover. Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique, also managed by Dr. Vitenas, offers an equally vast variety of noninvasive techniques. The cornerstone of Vitenas Cosmetic Surgerys success is patient satisfaction. The staff diligently works to provide a safe, supportive environment, where customers consistently receive natural-looking results. Dr. Vitenas explains, I invite everyone to view our Before/After pictures and look at our body of work, as it speaks volumes for itself. Read the reviews, and get a sense for yourself of the kind of practice we have, who we are, what we are about, and how we might fit for you. Dr. Paul Vitenas is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has been serving the Houston area for more than 25 years. The founder of Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Vitenas stays active in the local community, supporting a variety of nonprofit groups including SillyBox and the Houston United Way. If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Paul Vitenas, please contact Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery at 281.484.0088. For more information on the City Beat News Spectrum Award for Excellence, go to http://citybeatnews.com/about-the-spectrum-award. Contact: Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery 4208 Richmond Avenue Houston, Texas 77027 281.484.0088 http://www.drvitenas.com We pride ourselves on delivering superior service to our customers and ensuring that our business practices are effective, efficient and successful, so its gratifying to be recognized for that fact. -Larry Casto Crown Automotive Group is proud to announce that Crown Jaguar was recently honored with the 2016 Pride of Jaguar Retailer Excellence Award. Only a select few Jaguar dealerships were selected for this award. The Pride of Jaguar Awards recognize Jaguar dealers throughout the U.S. who excel in key elements of the business and exhibit outstanding business practices. A total of 16 Jaguar retailers earned the honor in 2016, out of a total of 162 Jaguar retailers throughout the U.S. Were incredibly honored to be a recipient of this esteemed award for the ninth year in a row, said Larry Casto, General Manager of Crown Jaguar. We pride ourselves on delivering superior service to our customers and ensuring that our business practices are effective, efficient and successful, so its gratifying to be recognized for that fact. Crown Jaguar is currently the No. 8 Jaguar dealership in the country, and has been a recipient of the Pride of Jaguar Award 12 times in total. The Pride of Jaguar award annually honors those select dealers who exceed expectations in customer satisfaction, sales performance, and overall business excellence. These retailers dedication to such key elements play a large role in the continued success of the overall Jaguar brand, said Joe Eberhardt, President & CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. To view the complete list of Jaguar dealerships to earn this prestigious award, visit http://www.jaguarusa.com/news-and-events/news/jlr-announces-top-retailers.html. To learn more about Crown Jaguar, or the other dealerships that make up Crown Automotive Group, visit CrownCars.com. ABOUT CROWN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP Crown Automotive Group has been in business for more than 40 years, and currently operates domestic and international automotive franchises in Florida, Ohio and Tennessee. The group is dedicated to customer and employee satisfaction, and is your source for new and pre-owned vehicles, parts and service, financing and more. No matter what youre looking for, you can be confident that you are getting an incredible deal and outstanding service when you visit one of the many dealerships that make up Crown Automotive Group. To learn more, visit CrownCars.com. Smash Properties Chicago Real Estate Search "We dont want our clients to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of properties when looking for a home. Chicago is currently divided into about 45 different neighborhoods, each with their own appeal and character." - RJ Yozwiak Operating in Chicago, SmashProperties.com now offers a revolutionary neighborhood search feature on the site, enabling future homeowners and renters to browse properties by area. Since the launch of Smash Properties.com, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff brokers and founders RJ Yozwiak and James DeMarco have sought to provide an easier way to browse houses and condos in Chicago. According to RJ Yozwiak, We dont want our clients to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of properties when looking for a home. Chicago is currently divided into about 45 different neighborhoods, each with their own appeal and character. James DeMarco adds, Weve noticed many people search for homes by using key phrases. By eliminating the clutter, were hoping to match each client with the community that theyre seeking right on our website. In order to access this new feature, visit the Smash Properties homepage at SmashProperties.com and scroll down to the heading titled, Search Properties by Neighborhood. The most searched neighborhoods, such as River North Condos, can be accessed by a designated icon. Additional neighborhoods can be found via the blue View All Neighborhoods button, which leads to the neighborhoods landing page. From here, users can review neighborhoods at a glance before making a selection. Dive into greater detail by clicking on a neighborhood. Selecting Old Town Condos, for instance, yields an overview of the neighborhood culture, mentioning historical charm and Victorian-era buildings, next to real estate statistics, followed by all of the available condos and single-family homes in Old Town. The design is exceedingly simple and user friendly. Intuitive navigation pairs with clear, concise and highly relevant information, making for a quality experience. RJ Yozwiak and James DeMarco had a vision, to simplify the search, and SmashProperties.com delivers. RJ Yozwiak and James DeMarco are licensed brokers of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 23 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, Western Suburban communities, and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and Fort Dearborn Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Avoid eye strain at the office with these tips from the American Academy of Ophthalmology When using computers, follow the 20-20-20 rule: take a break every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking into the distance allows your eyes to relax. Long touted as good for backs and necks, proper desk ergonomics are also important for the health and comfort of the eyes. In support of Workplace Eye Wellness Month in March, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is offering tips to desk workers everywhere whose eyes may need relief from too much screen time. Many people who spend long hours reading or working on a computer for their jobs experience eye discomfort. Focusing on tiny type for hours on end can cause eye strain, fatigue and headaches. Staring at screens for long periods can also leave eyes parched, red and gritty-feeling. One reason dry eye affects computer users in particular may have to do with blinking. Every time the eyelid closes, it washes moisture over the front of the eye. Normally, people blink about 14 times a minute or so. Focusing the eyes on computer screens or other digital displays has been shown to reduce a persons blink rate by a third to a half, drying out eyes as a result. To help avoid workplace dry eye and eye strain, follow these eye ergonomics tips from the American Academy of Ophthalmology: Stay at arms length: The eyes actually have to work harder to see close up than far away. If you have a desktop computer, try placing the monitor 25 inches away from your face. No measuring tape? Put your screen an arms length away. You may need to adjust the type to appear larger at that distance. Take care of glare: While many new phones and laptops have glass screens with excellent picture quality, they also produce a strong glare that can aggravate the eyes. If you use a glass screen device, try a matte filter for your screen. Give your eyes a break: Just as carpal tunnel syndrome from overuse can hurt your wrists, eye strain occurs after long, continuous periods of reading paper or viewing digital screens up close. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: take a break every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking into the distance allows your eyes to relax. Defy dry eye: Many newer office buildings have humidity-controlled environments that suck moisture out of the air. In winter, heaters on high can further dry your eyes. Try a desktop humidifier to add localized moisture. Keep artificial tears at hand to help lubricate your eyes. Lighten up: When your screen is much brighter than your surroundings, your eyes have to work harder to see. Adjusting your environmental lighting can reduce eye strain. Also, try increasing the contrast on your monitor. I have many patients who work long hours in an office setting, and it can be irritating to the eyes, causing dryness, strain, even blurriness, said Natasha Herz, M.D., clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Luckily, changing a few simple things in your environment and on your desk can help solve some of these problems. Those experiencing consistently dry red eyes or eye pain should visit an ophthalmologist, a physician specializing in medical and surgical eye care. For more information on computers and eye strain, see the American Academy of Ophthalmology's public information website at http://www.aao.org/eye-health. About the American Academy of Ophthalmology The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the leading membership association of eye physicians and surgeons in the United States and globally. Its 32,000 members are passionate about preserving vision and fighting preventable blindness. They are also educators, humanitarians and advocates for their patients. The Academy is a leading provider of eye care information to the public. The Academy's EyeSmart program educates the public about the importance of eye health and empowers them to preserve healthy vision. For more information, visit http://www.aao.org. Shruti Malik, M.D. hosts Ask the Expert Forum on Fertility App, Glow Shady Grove Fertility is proud to be working with an organization dedicated to helping increase access to healthcare, such as fertility treatment. - Shruti Malik, M.D. Shady Grove Fertility and Glow have created a new way for thousands to learn about their personal fertility health, reproductive options, and how infertility treatment works through a new, weekly, live question and answer (Q&A) forum, Ask the Expert. This feature on the free mobile app, Glow, occurs on Wednesday evenings, typically between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m., EST, and is hosted by a Shady Grove Fertility physician. Over the past 5 weeks, there have been over 10,000 viewers and 600 comments from participants, all of whom are hoping to better understand their fertility. In 2014 Shady Grove Fertility partnered with Glow, a mobile application that was created by PayPal and Slide Founder and chairman of Yelp, Max Levchin, to offer women the ability to track their reproductive cycles while providing them with feedback about their reproductive health. By partnering with Glow, SGFs physician team supports Glow editors by providing medically sound content about fertility options, how to interpret success rates, common causes of infertility, when to seek help from a fertility specialist, and much more. Shady Grove Fertility is proud to be working with an organization dedicated to helping increase access to healthcare, such as fertility treatment, says reproductive endocrinologist Shruti Malik, M.D., of Shady Grove Fertilitys Fair Oaks and Woodbridge, VA, offices. The weekly Q&A forum covers all aspects of fertility with different topics highlighted each week. Dr. Malik has led this endeavor and has already hosted multiple sessions on in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), weight and fertility, and egg freezing. An increase in interest and general questions about male infertility led to guest host and reproductive urologist and male fertility specialist, Paul R. Shin, M.D. who recently hosted the Q&A on male factor infertility, which causes 40 to 50 percent of all infertility causes. At Shady Grove Fertility, we know that accessibility to medical advice by leaders in the fertility community can help more families achieve their dreams of parenthood, says Dr. Shin, M.D., who sees patients in the K Street (Washington, D.C.); Frederick, MD; and Woodbridge and Fair Oaks, VA, offices. About Glow: Founded by a team of technology veterans including Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal & chairman of Yelp, Glow is a San Francisco-based data science company on a mission to redefine health care. The original Glow app was launched in August 2013, Glow Nurture in July 2014, and Eve by Glow in July 2015. Beyond the app offerings, the company aims to advance scientific discoveries in the field of reproductive health. More information about Glow is available at:http://www.glowing.com. About Shady Grove Fertility: Shady Grove Fertility is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence offering patients individualized care, innovative financial options, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. Since 1991, more than 40,000 babies have been born to patients from all 50 states and over 35 countries around the world. Shady Grove Fertility physicians actively train residents and reproductive endocrine fellows and invest in continuous clinical research and education to advance the field of reproductive medicine through numerous academic appointments and partnerships with Georgetown Medical School, Walter Reed, and the National Institutes of Health. Today, 34 reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, Ph.D. scientists, geneticists, and more than 600 highly specialized Shady Grove Fertility staff care for patients in 18 full-service offices, and four satellite sites throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. For more information, call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com. The continued increase in the number of Vanguard Cleaning Systems Janitorial Franchises reflects the efforts of Vanguard Master Franchises across the U.S. and Canada. The Vanguard Cleaning Systems brand was ranked #15 in Entrepreneur magazine's annual Fastest Growing Franchises list for 2016. This ranking is based on the number of new franchise units added in the U.S. and Canada within a franchise organization year over year. We are pleased to once again be ranked as one of the Fastest Growing Franchise brands by Entrepreneur Magazine, says Steve McConnell, Vice President of Marketing, Vanguard Cleaning Systems, Inc. The continued increase in the number of Vanguard Cleaning Systems Janitorial Franchises reflects the efforts of Vanguard Master Franchises across the U.S. and Canada. Vanguard Master Franchise regional offices provide their franchisees with the programs to open and operate a complete office cleaning business. Vanguard regional offices offer support and certification opportunities to their franchisees throughout the lifetime of their businesses. About the Vanguard Cleaning Systems Brand Founded in 1984, the Vanguard Cleaning Systems organization is built upon over 3,000 independently owned and operated franchised commercial cleaning businesses, which are licensed and supported by a Master Franchise network of 56 independent regional offices throughout North America. Vanguard franchised commercial cleaning businesses service more than 15,000 businesses, healthcare companies, educational facilities, and non-profit organizations. The Vanguard brand has been included among the top 50 franchises of Entrepreneur magazines annual Franchise 500 list for eight consecutive years. You can learn more about the Vanguard Cleaning Systems franchise organization at http://www.vanguardcleaning.com. Pearson today announced the winners of its third annual Student Coding Contest. The contest encourages individual college students and teams to develop original innovative learning applications that integrate with Pearson Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Students were challenged to focus and integrate efficacy, a positive, measurable impact on learning, into the development of their applications. In the final round of the competition, judges observed as the three final contestants demonstrated how their apps improve learning. View a short video of the three winners. First Place/Cash Prize: $5,000 -App Name: Lightpath, Anisha Srivastava, University of Texas at Austin, Texas With Lightpath, as students interact with course content, they create "lightbulb moments" whenever a concept clicks, by either recording a concise summary, a video URL or an article link that clarified a concept. This leads to more effective learning and better retention. This contest has been a transformational experience in my coding journey, said Srivastava. Moving forward, I feel much more confident and better equipped to take on bigger development projects and pursue more innovative ideas. I am so grateful for the multi-dimensional learning experience Pearson provided. Second Place/Cash Prize: $2,500 App Name: ClassMap, Aaron Martin Team Members: John Tran, Soumith Thumma, Travis Clinkscales, and James Davis Troy University, Troy, Alabama Using mnemonic devices such as imagery and keywords, together with the concept of mind-mapping, ClassMap collectively creates course and subject learning paths that can be used by other students and instructors in adaptive teaching and learning. The drag and drop interface is simple to use, and students vote to rank concepts higher on the learning path. Third Place/Cash Prize: $1,000 App Name: Mint, Jorg Doku Team Members: Yen-chieh Huang and Nikita Dubnov Cornell University, Ithaca, New York The Mint essay application makes use of Pearson's APIs in order to search for new content on the same page as a writer edits an essay. This is a main feature for Mint, since it reduces the unnecessary movement from page to page, and search engine to search engine. The Pearson Student Coding Contests panel of judges brings a wealth of education technology experience to the evaluation of this years entries. The seven judges who chose the final three winners come from a number of different backgrounds and all have a critical eye for assessing the ways that the entries can be used to improve teaching and learning. They are: -Terry Austin, department chair, biology, Temple College, Temple, Texas -Susan Nesbitt, head of business development, Make School, San Francisco -Wendell Santos, editor, ProgrammableWeb, San Francisco -Jeff D. Borden, Chief Innovation Officer, Saint Leo University, St. Leo, Florida -Seth Levine, managing director, Foundry Group, Boulder, Colorado -Emily E. Reid, director of education, Girls Who Code, New York, New York -Mike Jackson, vice president, software engineering, Pearson, Denver, Colorado I am really impressed with the students designs, in terms of technology skills and the creativity of ideas. I believe the power of tech is in using it to solve problems. I was amazed to see how the students are using their apps to solve important problems in education, said Emily Reid, director of education, Girls Who Code. We are truly proud of the innovative and effective learning applications that these talented students continue to produce year after year, demonstrating excellence in computer science and entrepreneurism. With this level of expertise, they will be well positioned for rewarding and lucrative careers in todays in-demand STEM fields, said John Wannemacher, vice president, higher education strategic marketing, Pearson. Follow @PearsonNorthAm on Twitter, and use #alwayscoding to join the conversation. For more information, please visit this website. About Pearson Pearson is the world's learning company, with 36,000 employees in more than 70 countries working to help people of all ages to make measurable progress in their lives through learning. For more information about Pearson, visit http://www.pearsoned.com/. Media Contact: Scott Overland, scott(dot)overland(at)pearson(dot)com, 202-909-4520 CSTA invites teachers, curriculum supervisors, administrators, business leaders and the broad education and business communities to review the K-12 Computer Science Standards and offer feedback. During the past several decades there has been an increased awareness of the value of learning computer science in K-12 schools and more interest in making the subject available to all students. No matter what a students ultimate field of study or profession, no other subject opens as many doors as computer science. CSTA first developed the CS Standards in 2011. These standards were based on the 2003 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Model Curriculum, which ACM and CSTA updated in 2006. The goal of the K-12 CS Standards was to create a set of learning standards designed to provide the foundation for a complete computer science curriculum and its implementation at the K12 level. Unfortunately, CS concepts and courses have not kept pace with other academic areas in the United States. Furthermore, the general public could better understand what computer science is, how it affects students educational experiences and how its availability to all students could address the shortage of computer scientists. A task force, which was formed in August 2015, developed the draft version of the revised standards. The task force includes K-12 CS educators, higher education educators and administrators. The task forces work included reviewing substantial material to create the revised standards, including: previous public input on the 2011 CSTA K-12 CS Standards, teacher input, the K-12 CS Framework, other organizations standards, writing practices and international standards. These standards can be used in numerous ways--from creating new curriculum to modifying current curriculum to improving instruction, said CSTA Executive Director Dr. Mark R. Nelson. It is so important that we hear from a wide variety of people and organizations who have a stake in CS education. These standards are critically important for K-12 educators to building and delivering high-quality CS curriculum. The public review process is now open and ends Thursday, March 3 at 11:59 PM PST. Instructions for submitting online feedback can be found at http://www.csteachers.org/?2016Standards. The standards review is an ongoing process. The task force will meet in March to review the feedback from the public and to further enhance the draft revised standards. Another public review will take place in Spring 2016. ### About The Computer Science Teachers Association The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) is a membership organization that supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines. The Association of Computing Machinery founded CSTA as part of its commitment to K-12 computer science education. CSTA provides opportunities for K12 teachers and students to better understand the computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare themselves to teach and learn. By combining buy-side, sell-side, and automated document creation we can instantly deliver the next generation contract management platform to an under-served market. Exari, the leading provider of cloud-based contract lifecycle management solutions, today announced it has acquired CMA Contiki, a leading provider of enterprise contract management software. The combination will create the new gold standard for end-to-end enterprise contract management platforms. The acquisition was an all cash transaction. This acquisition creates a fantastic vehicle for growth, said Ed Mullen, Chairman of the Board, Exari Group. The combined company will serve hundreds of thousands of users across 80 countries in key industries including Financial Services, Insurance, Utilities, Professional Services and Energy. By combining buy-side, sell-side, and automated document creation we can instantly deliver the next generation contract management platform to an under-served market. With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, Exari will continue to acquire new customers and expand within our existing multinational customers worldwide. The new platform unifies contract management across an entire enterprise. Critical business issues being addressed include complex contract creation, strategic sourcing, revenue assurance, eContracting, supplier risk and performance management, a contract repository, management dashboards and sophisticated contract analytics. Unlike other vendors, only Exari delivers a unique Universal Contract Model combined with deep granularity of contract data to deliver unprecedented insight and control. This is a powerful combination, said Bill Hewitt, CEO of Exari Group. The team at Contiki, headed by CEO Reidar Hauge, has deep industry knowledge and broad buy-side experience. Were thrilled to welcome Reidar and the entire Contiki team to the Exari family. According to Gartner, CLM is evolving from an operational record-keeping system, primarily used for legal audit purposes, to an enterprise-level core system addressing business risk, costs and the pursuit of revenue maximization. Leading organizations are seeking a wide CLM context, encompassing all (or most) contract processes and agreement types across the organization. 1 Charlotte Parker, Supply Chain Analyst at Centricas Exploration and Production business, said: We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Contiki following its acquisition by Exari, which will strengthen the services from Contiki we already receive. We would like to congratulate both organizations on this move. Were excited about the next steps in Exaris evolution, said Nigel Rea, Director of Precedents and Drafting, LexisNexis UK. Through our strategic partnership we deliver world class document automation and management and look forward to bringing unified enterprise contract management technology to our clients. For more information, please visit http://www.exari.com/Contiki. To reach a sales representative, please send an email to sales(at)Exari(dot)com. About Exari Exari is the market-leading Enterprise Contract Management platform for delivering 100% Contract Certainty. Hundreds of thousands of users in over 130 enterprises across 80 countries use Exari for strategic sourcing, contract creation, negotiation, and contract analytics. 5 of the top 15 banks, 4 of the top insurance brokers, and numerous market-leading energy companies use Exari. Exari is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in Oslo and Bergen, Norway, London, UK, Munich, Germany and Melbourne, Australia. Learn more at http://www.Exari.com. 1 Gartner, Market Guide for Contract Life Cycle Management 16 July 2015 LiquidFrameworks' FieldFX App By integrating FieldFX to ERP and various other applications, our customers are experiencing a faster time to value. LiquidFrameworks announced today that it will join forces with Dell Boomi to present the webinar: Deploying Seamless Integration from Quote to Cash. Oilfield, industrial and environmental services companies are experiencing immediate value by connecting the FieldFX software suite to their critical business processes- such as ERP and Payroll with the Dell Boomi AtomSphere integration platform as a service (iPaaS). The FieldFX solution is a cloud-based, mobile field operations (quote to cash) software suite designed to manage contracts, quotes, equipment, jobs and field tickets, along with customer-specific electronic forms, such as JSA and other safety forms, inspections and other operational data reports. Ron Prichard, CFO of Energes, will also be featured in this webinar. He will share why Energes selected FieldFX and Dell Boomi and the benefits theyre experiencing as a result. David Levitt, Vice President of Worldwide Sales at LiquidFrameworks said, By integrating FieldFX to ERP and various other applications, our customers are experiencing a faster time to value with a seamless solution. Dell Boomis integration platform as a service solution, AtomSphere, allows our customers to streamline their entire company and leverage data from anywhere in their portfolio of business applications. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 1:00 CT. Click here to register. About LiquidFrameworks LiquidFrameworks is a leading provider of cloud-based, mobile field operations management solutions serving the oilfield, industrial and environmental services industries. LiquidFrameworks FieldFX solution provides companies with numerous benefits, including increased and accelerated revenue capture, increased cash flow, improved contract compliance, increased invoice accuracy and improved customer responsiveness. LiquidFrameworks is based in Houston, Texas. To join the conversation, follow @LquidFrameworks on Twitter. About Dell Boomi Dell Boomi delivers the first and only multi-purpose PaaS for AtomSphere integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), Master Data Management (MDM) and API Management, and enables customers to integrate any combination of cloud and on-premises applications without software, appliances or coding. Organizations of all sizes, from growing mid-market companies to very large enterprises, enjoy rapid time to value as a result of drastically reduced implementation times and substantial cost savings over traditional integration, MDM, and API management solutions. Visit http://www.boomi.com for more information. It was a great evening to gather and honor the originality in the hospitality industry and the people behind the work, said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has celebrated the 59th annual Adrian Awards at the New York Marriott Marquis. At this pinnacle event, HSMAI honored 2015s outstanding hospitality advertising, public relations and digital marketing campaigns before nearly 1,000 attendees. It was a great evening to gather and honor the originality in the hospitality industry and the people behind the work, said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. Tonight we celebrated incredible campaigns and achievements in advertising, digital marketing, public relations, sustainable tourism, and lifetime achievement added Fran Brasseux, HSMAI Executive Vice President. The Adrian Awards began in 1957 and consider entries from every segment of the travel and hospitality industry, including hotels, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, and destinations, among others. Winners are selected from a field of more than 1,300 entries by senior industry and media experts. Gold Awards went to one of the largest groups of winners in the Awards history, including 70 awards in Advertising, 122 in Digital Marketing and 139 in Public Relations, and were honored during the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception co-hosted by HSMAI, Booking.com, Google, and TravelClick. Platinum Award winners were selected from the most-outstanding Gold Award winners. The galas highest honor Best of Show was selected from Platinum winners. Best of Show Awards were presented to the following winners in the advertising, digital marketing and public relations categories: Advertising Best of Show Creative and Colourful Places Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism - and its agency Target Digital Marketing Best of Show Millionth Mobile Check-in Marriott International We are so excited, said Marriott International representatives David Menda and Amanda Olcott. This project was a true cross-collaboration between the global and digital marketing teams. Public Relations Best of Show The Epic Big Board Campaign Visit Huntington Beach and its agency Development Counsellors International. In beach terms, I am stoked! said Visit Huntington Beach representative Susan Thomas. The community was an integral part of the making and shaping of this project. The city will be so proud. Platinum Awards were given to the following recipients in the advertising, digital marketing and public relations categories: Advertising Platinum Winners: Company; Agency Visit Tampa Bay; PP+K Hilton Worldwide Homewood Suites; Van Winkle Pearce Embassy Suites by Hilton; Y&R Chicago Visit Greensville South Carolina Aruba Tourism Authority; The Concept Farm Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism; Target Digital Marketing Platinum Winners: Company; Agency Hotel Pennsylvania; HeBS Digital Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions; Expedia Media Solutions CheapCaribbean.com; MMGY Global Triumph Hotels; HeBS Digital Visit Savannah Hilton Head Island Bluffton Chamber of Commerce; VERB Interactive Marriott International; MEC Global and BCM Marriott International Public Relations Platinum Winners: Company; Agency Israel Ministry of Tourism; Geoffrey Weill Associates The Library Foundation of Los Angeles; MFA, Ltd. Extended Stay America; Zimmerman Nomadic Expeditions; Hawkins International Public Relations Wyndham Hotel Group; MMGY Global VisitScotland; Laura Davidson Public Relations Singapore Airlines; Weber Shandwick Hilton Worldwide; Edelman Best Western Hotels & Resorts; Allison and Partners Visit Huntington Beach; Development Counsellors International At the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception, Gold winners submissions were shown on digital displays and featured throughout the Gala stage presentations, including in Trend Spotting presentations on Consumers as Publishers where marketers are positioning themselves as curators of this consumer-created content, and Experiential Marketing with examples ranging from an augmented reality app to a mobile museum. HSMAI presented its 2015 Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization in a reception co-sponsored by Questex Hospitality + Travel and congratulated them on stage during the Gala. Two industry leaders were honored with HSMAI Lifetime Achievement awards. George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, received the Albert E. Koehl Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Marketing. When I was given the wonderful news about being selected for this award, I quickly began to think about what my careers been like for these 40 plus years and theres no doubt its been a real good one, said Aguel. Gordon Lambourne, senior vice president, consumer public relations, at Marriott International, Inc., was the recipient of the Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations. I have embarked on a journey of experiences. My job was a true dream job, every day, every year, said Lambourne. I have been blessed personally and professionally and Marriott has been my rock. The sixth annual Leader in Sustainable Tourism award, presented by HSMAI and National Geographic Traveler, went to Wilderness Safaris and their agency Hawkins International Public Relations. The photos from last evening show the winners excitement over being recognized for their accomplishments. Please credit Getty Images when using event photos. For more information about the Adrian Awards visit http://www.adrianawards.com. To interview an HSMAI spokesperson about the event and the winners, please contact Shawn Taylor Zelman at szelman@hsmai.org. About HSMAI The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industrys leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals & their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAIs MEET, Adrian Awards, and Revenue Optimization Conference. HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at http://www.hsmai.org, http://www.facebook.com/hsmai, http://www.twitter.com/hsmai and http://www.youtube.com/hsmai1. ### DWR Manhasset Studio rendering, courtesy of D Form A (DFA) Design Within Reach, the largest retailer of authentic modern furniture and accessories in the world, today announces its return to the Long Island market with a new retail location in Manhasset, New York. The company previously operated Studios in East Hampton and Roslyn on Long Island, but their small retail footprints could accommodate only limited assortments. The new DWR Manhasset Studio, which will be adjacent to Apple on Northern Blvd., looks to provide design enthusiasts with 12,000 square feet of engaging design innovation and exceptional client experience from best-in-the-industry design account executives. Founded in 1998, Design Within Reach made modern design accessible to the U.S. market through its groundbreaking catalog and e-commerce site and has evolved into a destination for its exclusive collection of modern furniture and accessories to complement the iconic midcentury classics it has offered for years. The experience at the new DWR Manhasset Studio will be unlike that offered by any other furniture retailer on Long Island. Situated across two spacious floors, a glowing installation of hundreds of pendant lights called a Light Cloud welcomes customers to the space and invites them to discover DWR's extensive product assortment. Twenty-four fully realized room vignettes integrate iconic, authentic classics of modern furniture with DWR's exclusive collections and the work of designers including Charles and Ray Eames, Chris Hardy, Egg Collective, George Nelson, Jens Risom and Norm Architects. Customers looking to individualize their decor will love the Swatch Wall (itself a piece of beautiful design), which shows off more than 300 of the thousands of upholstery options available from the likes of Maharam fabrics and Edelman and Spinneybeck leather, and the opportunity to see how products will look in their own homes using the DWR 3-D Room Planner. The new Manhasset Studio will also showcase an extensive assortment of DWR-exclusive outdoor collections for lounging and dining as well as a dedicated area to test task chairs from Herman Miller, Knoll and Humanscale. "We're thrilled to be back on Long Island with an innovative space that truly allows us to show customers how to live with authentic modern design," says John Edelman, CEO of DWR. "Long Island has a long history of architectural excellence, and we look forward to sharing our passion for modern design." DWR continues its partnership with New York-based architecture firm D Form A (DFA) to bring the Manhasset Studio to life, as well as enlisting the help of Light Studio LA in creating dramatic lighting design throughout the space. DWR Manhasset Studio, located at 1900 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, NY 11030, is expected to open in spring 2016. Design Within Reach is hiring: dwr.com/careers. Design Within Reach, Inc., founded in 1998 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is the world leader in authentic modern design. The company sells its furniture and accessories to residential and commercial customers through retail Studios in North America, via the Web at dwr.com, by phone at 1.800.944.2233 and through the Contract division at dwrcontract.com. For additional images and information, contact Kim Phillips at pr(at)dwr.com. National University, the second-largest private nonprofit university in California, and Planetree, Inc., a mission-based not-for-profit organization that partners with healthcare organizations around the world, announce the first collaboration of its kind to train a new generation of health professionals in exceptional patient-centered care. This is Planetrees first partnership with an academic institution, and it offers a unique opportunity to jointly prepare students in patient-centered care. Patient-centered care emphasizes the active participation of patients and their families in the health care decision process. Planetree, a leader in patient-centered care through an alliance with 700 healthcare organizations and 19 countries, helps organizations develop a cohesive strategy of health care services through patient emotional, psychological, social and physical healing. Starting this month through the partnership, National Universitys School of Health and Human Services will initiate a school-wide process to evaluate areas for integration and alignment with patient-centered care principles. We are very excited to be partnering with Planetree to prepare a new generation of health care leaders dedicated to the highest standards of patient centered care, said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, President of National University and Chancellor of the National University System. At National University, we put a top priority on the exceptional student experience through initiatives like this one that address a clear need in the professional marketplace and that allow our graduates to contribute in ways that will have an immediate positive impact on our health care system. Planetree has worked with numerous healthcare organizations across the country and globally for nearly four decades, including with hospitals, clinics, long-term care and assisted living, and with large integrated healthcare systems including the Veterans Administration. They are considered the gold standard for setting standards and assessment of patient-centered care through their Planetree Designation Program. Among their many partnerships include those with three Sharp Health hospitals in the San Diego area, which have each achieved Planetree Designation for their patient-centered models, as well as many others. This collaboration with National University will create a pipeline of students trained in these practices to work in health care organizations incorporating such models. We are truly excited to have this opportunity to collaborate with National University to help prepare a new generation of health care leaders to advance and integrate patient-center care practices and innovation, said Randall Carter, Sr. Vice President at Planetree. In order for patient-centered care to be truly effective, it needs to be integrated throughout entire organizations, and the Universitys high quality School of Health and Human Services diverse offerings of specialties allows us to collaborate in preparing students to meet that need on so many levels. National Universitys School of Health and Human Services, led by Dean Dr. Gloria McNeal, offers programs for students interested in clinical health sciences careers, healthcare administration programs, nursing degrees, public health, informatics and more. Students in all specialty areas will benefit from the collaboration, with Planetree collecting input this month from faculty, students, staff, partners and potential employers. The fully-inclusive process will identify areas for curriculum alignment and integration that will be followed by patient-centered training, education and other supportive services by Planetree. We are very excited for the opportunities this partnership will open up for our students as they become fully trained in patient-centered care approaches that have already been adopted by so many health care organizations, said Dr. Gloria McNeal, Dean of the School of Health and Human Services. This academic partnership completes the circle of making patient-centered care a priority on the organizational and education levels, allowing us to work even more collaboratively toward improving health care and patient lives. About National University Founded in 1971, National University is the second-largest private, nonprofit institution of higher education in California. With 30,000 students and more than 150,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two colleges the College of Letters and Sciences; the Sanford College of Education; the School of Business and Management; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies offer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at locations throughout California and across the nation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. http://www.nu.edu/ About Planetree Planetree is uniquely positioned to represent the patient voice and advance how professional caregivers engage with patients and families. Its dedication to the widespread adoption of patient centered care is supported by a structured process that enables sustainable change. Planetree is a not-for-profit organization that supports an alliance of more than 700 healthcare organizations (including acute care hospitals, long term care communities and ambulatory care centers) located across the United States and 19 foreign countries that are committed to patient empowerment, improving the patient experience, and the delivery of patient centered care. http://planetree.org/ Top WordPress Web Design Companies Recently, 10 Best Design announced the February winners of the Best WordPress Web Design Firm awards. This is a new monthly award that is being handed out to the best of the best in a field known as WordPress web development. There are a lot of great WordPress Web Design firms out there, 10BestDesign decided the recipient of the #1 spot deserved to go to New York, N.Y.-based. Big Drop Inc. As a leading WordPress web design company, Big Drop Inc creates and develops completely custom websites through content management systems, tailored to fit the specific needs of each client. One of the things that sets Big Drop Inc apart from competitors is its commitment to provide plenty of technical assistance and help to clients who have yet to launch a website in order to attract more local clients. Big Drop Inc knows how to incorporate e-commerce WordPress features such as inserting product listings right into blog posts, for example, perhaps better than anyone. For these and other reasons, the title of Top WordPress Web Design Company is certainly well deserved for this firm. The second spot for the February award was given to another top WordPress web design firm, Blue Fountain Media. The principal hub of the company is located in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. When it comes to creating functional, ascetically pleasing, affordable websites for local customers, the staff at Blue Fountain Media use one of the most popular and well-regarded content management systems available today. The firm prides itself on having extensive experience with managing both the front and back ends of CMS platforms that support anything from blogs to online stores. Coming in at the number three spot on the list of best WordPress web design firms is Maxburst. This organization is a business that serves a sophisticated and specialized Web design clientele, and it has managed to establish some fairly deep roots in Long Island, New York. No matter what kind of project is taken on, Maxburst can apply WordPress to quickly create a beautiful looking, fully functional website that meets and exceeds its clients expectations. 10BestDesign is a team based in San Francisco, California, and it is made up of individuals from around the country who are experts in online branding, web development and web design. With many years of experience working with technologies including PHP, CSS, JS, and HTML, and extensive knowledge of online branding and SEO, the opinions of 10BestDesign can be counted on. For more information, visit http://www.10bestdesign.com. Our hearts are breaking for this widowed young father and his son. Helping them is a perfect fit for our new community enrichment program, which we formed to help unify community support for neighbors in times of crisis. The Tyler Hitchcock Agency has unveiled a new charity campaign in their ongoing community enrichment program serving the families of Grand Prairie, TX. Young Lulu Arellano, just 19, died in a tragic car accident last month, leaving her husband, Devin Macias, and their little boy to cope with her loss alone. Understandably, Devin is overwhelmed by hospital bills, funeral expenses and everyday living expenses. Community members who wish to help may contribute their support here: https://www.gofundme.com/luluarellano. Lourdes Lulu Arellano was a hard-working, devoted wife and mother at just 19 years of age. She and her husband, Devin Macias, also 19, had known each other all their lives when they fell in love six years ago. Their son Revin was born a year later. On the morning of January 23, 2016, Lulu was in a terrible car accident and spent three days in the hospital on life support before succumbing to her injuries. Her devastated young husband and son are struggling not only with the loss of a loving wife and mother, but also with staggering hospital bills and funeral expenses. Everyday living expenses will continue to be a challenge, as Lulus job was essential to meeting their responsibilities. Devin is deeply grateful for any help the compassionate community can provide. Our hearts are breaking for this widowed young father and his son, said Tyler Hitchcock, owner of The Tyler Hitchcock Agency. Helping this family is a perfect fit for our new community enrichment program, which we formed to help unify community support for neighbors in times of crisis. Devins plight certainly fits the bill. Social media and an email awareness campaign will be used to help the agencys caring team to spread the word about the campaign for Devin Macias. They have also featured the cause in their monthly magazine, Our Hometown, which is delivered to thousands of households in the Grand Prairie, Fort Worth/Dallas metro area. The electronic Flipbook version of the current issue may be viewed here: http://tylerhitchcockagency.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_46 Supporting their latest Community Cause has never been easier, as The Tyler Hitchcock Agency has pledged to donate $20 to Devin Macias for each and every referral they receive for an insurance quote, with no purchase necessary. Readers who would like to view the campaign, refer a friend or make a personal donation may do so here: http://www.tylerhitchcockagency.com/Our-Hometown-Magazine_46. Utilizing its own resources and seeking the help of its vast network of customers and business partners, The Tyler Hitchcock Agency marches on to ensure customers, friends, family and neighbors are always in good hands. The agency recently launched their master charity program, promising to choose a new local organization, family or individual every two months to receive support. To learn about past campaigns, please visit: http://www.tylerhitchcockagency.com/community-cause. Further information about The Tyler Hitchcock Agency is available at: http://www.tylerhitchcockagency.com/. About The Tyler Hitchcock Agency Serving the families of the Fort Worth-Arlington-Dallas metro area from offices in Grand Prairie, TX, The Tyler Hitchcock Agency is committed to bringing local people an agency which understands their needs. Tyler Hitchcock and his team of dedicated professionals work with carriers to assemble a variety of products and services which will ensure their clients peace of mind. From all of the products a typical consumer needs (home, auto, boat, ATV, etc.), to financial planning services, The Tyler Hitchcock Agency delivers consistently superior service. The caring experts at The Tyler Hitchcock Agency may be reached by calling 972-642-0798. Marco Logo Adding this tenured group to our team allows us to serve our enterprise accounts more effectively within all lines of business, not just IT. Marco announced today the addition of a new Enterprise Network Team focused exclusively on providing business enablement technology solutions to enterprise businesses. The hires are part of Marcos growth strategy to expand its business by investing in highly experienced and technically competent specialists. The team will enable businesses to solve their toughest technology challenges and uncover smarter ways of operating across all lines of business. The solutions employed will include unified communications, data center services, advanced networking services, telepresence, wireless and cloud. This new team will focus on technology planning, budgeting and deployment strategies for Marcos enterprise clients. The end result will be a better client experience and a more integrated, proactive approach to business technology. The addition of the new team provides more depth to Marcos growing roster of technology experts. Earlier this year, Marco achieved the Master Collaboration Specialization from Cisco. This specialization recognizes Marco as having the ability to represent Master-level business expertise as well as technical efficiency, having fulfilled the training requirements and program prerequisites to sell, deploy and support highly sophisticated applications-based Cisco Collaboration solutions. Eight of the ten new hires were former Cisco employees and include Sales Director, Todd Erne; Account Managers Bill Peterson, Tom Gust, Jered Schock, and Brett Dahlof; Solution Architects Steve John, Matt Erickson, Mike Burgard, and Justin Jongbloedt; and Consulting Specialist Justin Bigger. Adding this tenured group to our team allows us to serve our enterprise accounts more effectively within all lines of business, not just IT, said Jonathan Warrey, Marcos Chief Operating Officer. This in-depth focus will help our customers uncover and implement more impactful solutions across an enterprise. About Marco Marco is a leading technology services company that specializes in business IT services, cloud services, managed services, telecom carrier consulting services, copiers/printers, phone systems, document management and audio/video systems. Marco serves over 27,000 customers through the Midwest and nationally with offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska. Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. # # # # Some Miami customers call us confused about the 10% discount on sliding glass door repairs. They wonder if it also applies to sliding glass door replacement service and hardware Express Glass and Board Up, Miamis experts in glass door replacement services, is proud to announce a clarification to the sliding glass door repair page. Discounts and services apply equally to sliding glass door replacement service as well as repairs and hardware. Some Miami customers call us confused about the 10% discount on sliding glass door repairs. They wonder if it also applies to sliding glass door replacement service and hardware, explained Yaniet Santos, General Manager of Express Glass. We decided to clarify our page and confirm that the 10% discount applies to all those services for new customers who mention the discount prior to engagement. To view the updated page about sliding glass door replacement, go to http://www.expressglassfl.com/sliding-glass-door-parts-replacement/. Details clarifying the use of the 10% discount on service for sliding glass door repair or replacement can be viewed at that URL. Miami-specific information on glass repair can be found at http://www.expressglassfl.com/miami-glass-window-repair/. Miami Residents Can Have It All via a Sliding Door Replacement Sliding door replacement in Miami may appear simple when a professional offers quick service at discounted prices. The confusing piece may arise when a glass repair technician begins to write out the job estimate. Sliding glass door parts such as locks, wheels, tracks and handles can vary in quality and price. Discounts apply to some items, but not to others. As the price for a sliding glass door replacement rises, it may become a confusing and costly headache to the homeowner. Express Glass & Board Up strives to be different from other less trustworthy glass repair services. The company uses its Internet website to issue clarifications on a timely basis based upon customer inquiries and confusion. Express Glass and Board Up has recently announced a clarification to the Miami sliding door replacement page, for example. Replacing an old or broken sliding door can be affordable and easy to understand. The skilled technicians at Express Glass offer the companys 10% discount to all sliding glass door replacement and repair service and hardware. Miami locals can have excellent service and quality parts all at one affordable price. About Express Glass and Board Up Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass a highly-rated glass repair service. If customers are looking for Miami sliding door replacement, as well as sliding glass door repair in Delray Beach or West Palm Beach, please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24 hour emergency service for sliding glass door replacement in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Miramar, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in 24 hour emergency sliding glass door repair and home window glass repair; technicians will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority. Express Glass Repair and Board up http://www.expressglassfl.com/ If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. "...king of the hate left..."-- "As my friend Capper -- the best Wisconsin blogger ever -- says, there will be more. There's always more." - karoli "...the psychiatrically attuned Capper..."-- "This is really great of you! I'm so proud to know someone like you"-- "Capper, a reasonable (and maybe even likeable) Lefty..."-- "capper, the Sidney Freedman of the hate left..."-- "I love capper because, well, what's not to love. But I also hate capper for alerting me to nonsense like this."--- "Capper, you really have a knack for this kind of writing. Really."-- "Crap. I agree with capper. Can Armageddon be far behind?"-- "capper is right. OMG, did I actually say that?"-- News World news The Great Energy Summit in Warsaw, Poland Started Today The business conference was opened officially by H.E. Robin Barnett, HM Ambassador to Warsaw, Director Central European Network AUTHOR: Atanas Georgiev H.E. Robin Barnett, HM Ambassador to Warsaw, Director Central European Network publics.bg publics.bg The Great Energy Summit, organized by the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), takes place on February 17-18 in Warsaw, Poland. UKTI is the British Government Department that helps UKbased companies succeed in the global economy and helps overseas companies bring their highquality investment to the UKs dynamic economy. The event is sponsored by CMS, Ernst & Young, Urenco, Cleantech, and Intercontinental Hotel Warsaw. The evening before the event started, the British Ambassador to Bucharest, Romania, H.E. Paul Brummell and Tim Buisseret, Head of UKTI Sofia and lead on the Energy sector for Central and Eastern Europe, welcomed the guests of the event, reiterating the possibilities of the region to foster energy sector cooperation. The business conference was opened officially by H.E. Robin Barnett, HM Ambassador to Warsaw, Director Central European Network, who stressed that innovation is key for the development of the economy. He emphasized, that all over Central and Eastern Europe there are opportunities for cooperation in energy. According to him, Poland and the region have much to offer, including great ideas and talented entrepreneurs that the economy needs to excel. Ms. Hanna Trojanowska, former Polish Government Commissioner for Nuclear Energy reiterated, that the energy sector is a driving force for the economy. She reminded, that the increase of energy prices for industry leads to carbon leakage to non-EU countries. Also, Ms. Trojanowska noted, that unemployment in the EU is quite higher than in the USA just like gas and electricity are twice more expensive than in North America. The Keynote Speech was delivered by Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at the British Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). She also participated in the panel discussion, which followed in the plenary session. The Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd reminded that COP21 in Paris has given a long-term direction and long-term vision to zero emissions in the second half of this century. According to her speech, the UK will continue to use fossil fuels in the next several decades during the decarbonization, which will also include shale gas exploration. This is about protecting jobs and revenues as well as about energy security. The gas and oil that we produce is the gas and oil that we do not have to import. Even if we in the UK have good relations with our energy suppliers, not all of the other EU countries are in the same situation. So I welcome the yesterdays publication of the Winter Security Package. The UK has been supportive of measures to reduce the dominance of Russia in the EU gas markets., Rt. Hon. added during the speech. In order to diminish emissions, the UK will have to switch from coal with gas, Rt. Hon. Rudd added. Soon the DECC will propose to close all coal stations from 2025 and to limit their production from 2023. For the UK this makes sense. Each country has to make its choice. Also, the 2030 framework should be flexible enough to allow each country to choose its low-carbon path. Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd added, that in the UK low-carbon also means nuclear for baseload electricity. According to her, currently RES provide less than 7% of energy, after a decade and about 50 bn GBP of investments. Much of that investment has been supported by public funds for green energy. We have to be pragmatic and to demonstrate, that our low-carbon transition in energy can be sustainable and according to the pocket of customer. As costs of low-carbon technologies reduce, the subsidies will as well., Rt. Hon. Rudd added. She reiterated the importance of the business conference by adding, that we do not have all the answers for decarbonization today and science, government, and business all will have their role in this innovation process. Mr. Michal Kurtyka, Deputy Minister of Energy in Poland, presented the activities of the institution since its foundation 2 months ago. He shared with the audience, that currently about 2/3 of the final energy consumption in Poland is heat, and about half of this quantity is consumed by the industry. According to Mr. Kurtyka, there are many possibilities for cooperation in this field between industry and smart cities, in order to use cogeneration in the right way. Also, Mr. Kurtyka said, that Poland is exploring the possibility to produce heating energy through nuclear cogeneration facilities. The plenary session continued with presentations of innovative companies. Neill Ricketts presented the graphene applications, provided by Versarien plc. David Kaye from Highview Power Storage Ltd. presented the innovative Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology, which could provide services to both TSOs and power producers. Adam Mallion and Rebecca Hillier from OC Robotics presented the snake-arm robot technology, suitable for the energy sector. Day 1 continued with thematic nuclear, oil & gas, and coal panel discussions. The gas session included a representative from Bulgaria Mr. Konstantin Stamenov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers. He reminded that the gas challenge of Bulgaria currently is that we the country is highly dependent on Russian gas and has very insignificant current local production. We are transit country, transiting big volumes toward Turkey and Greece. The gas goes only in one direction and we hope to have an integrated market in a few years with interconnectors for backhaul capacity or even without physical flow in reverse, to have virtual flows and market relations., Mr. Stamenov said. Mr. Stamenov considers the gas sector provides possibilities for investment. As such, he mentioned the gas interconnections with neighboring countries, the development of gas storage (both upgrade and new ones), the connection of additional municipalities to the national transmission system, as well as gas trading opportunities with the liberalization of the gas market in the country. Should the Supreme Court take up Apples appeal of its e-book price-fixing case? An event scheduled for last week in Washington D.C. was set to address that questionuntil it as was canceled by weather. But Monday a group of antitrust scholars gathered online at the Truth on the Market blog for a symposium titled: The Apple E-Books Antitrust Case: Implications for Antitrust Law and for the Economy. The symposium was sponsored by the International Center for Law and Economics, which also filed one of the seven amicus briefs supporting Apples Supreme Court bid, and whose executive director, Geoffrey Manne, contributed a spirited defense of Apple. Manne detailed several errors he believes were made by the lower courts, including Apples contention that the court incorrectly applied the per se rule to Apples conduct. Absent review by the Supreme Court to correct the Second Circuits error, the result will be less-vigorous competition and a reduction in consumer welfare, Manne argued, noting that the negative consequences of the courts ruling will be particularly acute for modern, high-technology sectors of the economy. But several attorneys said the lower courts got the case exactly right. Attorney Jonathan Jacobson went so far to say it is hard to find an easier antitrust case than United States v. Apple. In his analysis, antitrust attorney David Balto also rejected Apples argument. For the Apple case, Balto writes, a simple truth remains: there was overwhelming evidence that there was a horizontal agreement among suppliers and that Apple participated or even led the agreement as a seller. This is, by definition, a hub-and-spoke conspiracy that resulted in horizontal price fixing among e-book suppliers, an activity worthy of per se treatment. Balto acknowledged Apples desire to portray the case not as a horizontal price fixing agreement but as a series of vertical agreements, citing a modern antitrust revolution devoted to scaling back the practice of per se condemnation of vertical restraints. However, the facts of this case simply make this a bad case to resolve any matter of vertical restraint law, he concluded. Apple was not approaching publishers individually, but aggressively orchestrating a scheme that immediately raised e-book prices by 30% and ensured that Apples store could not be undercut by any competitor. Consumers were very obviously harmed and the horizontal price fixing conspiracy could not have taken place without Apples involvement. The Supreme Court is expected to decide on Friday whether or not to take Apples case, although at press time it was not yet known if the sudden passing of Justice Antonin Scalia will impact the courts schedule. Disclosure: I was invited to participate on this panel as well to offer a perspective on the state of the e-book market, which I contributed. Any opinions expressed in my contribution are my own. Former Chief Brad Sweeney was fired Feb. 4 after more than 20 years with the central Illinois city's police department. He sued the city and City Manager Tim Gleason Tuesday. According to the Herald & Review, the lawsuit claims Gleason ordered an officer to drive him to the St. Louis airport in a squad car last May. Sweeney claims he complained to Gleason about the move. Sweeney's lawsuit also accuses Gleason of pressuring him last month to support a proposed fuel tax that the chief declined to back. City officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. Seth Gillman was accused of filling Passages Hospice with patients when they didn't need hospice care and over-billing the government for procedures that wasn't required. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday said the 47-year-old Gillman of Lincolnwood bilked Medicare of more than $7 million between August of 2008 and January 2012. During that time, Passages received more than $90 million in Medicare payments for hospice services, including more than $20 million billed as general inpatient services. Prosecutors say Gillman faces up to 10 years in prison. Three other Passages employees have been accused of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. One, 39-year-old former nursing director Carmen Velez, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Aledo -- A formal agreement for services with Aledo Main Street Inc. was discussed at Tuesday's city council meeting. The 2016 budget already includes $22,650 of financial support to the program, but this is the first formal agreement given consideration. According to the agreement, Aledo Main Street will maintain designation with Illinois Main Street and the National Trust Main Street Center; sponsor and coordinate two special events, including Antique Days and Holly Days; assist in the coordination of the Rhubarb Festival; support activities and events in the downtown; maintain an inventory of available properties in the downtown; and assist the city with general economic development and tourism activities. Dana Murphy, who just completed her first year as executive director of Aledo Main Street, encouraged people to volunteer with the program. "I think people hear that word (volunteer), and they get really scared, and we dont want your leg -- we want 20 minutes of your time or maybe two hours of your time," she said. "We have a lot of support from the businesses in the community, but were always looking for residential support. Ms. Murphy said her goals for the coming year are to maintain and increase the events currently put on and supported by Aledo Main Street. Mayor Chris Hagloch said he discussed with Sen. Chuck Weaver the need for repair on the stretch of Highway 17 between the Wal-Mart intersection and east to the first curve past Gold Star FS. He said, shortly after that meeting, he received information about the Illinois Department of Transportation's plan to repair the approximately four-mile stretch with federal funding. Ald. Michael Chausse noted the Sherrard village board may be having some of the same concerns with Mercer County Animal Control that Aledo has. He discussed talking with Sherrard to see if their concerns match and said he hopes the council will look into the matter as they pay about $14,000 per year for service. In other business: - Police Chief Chris Sullivan said Sgt. Nick Seefeld and Officer John Murphy have been assigned as Aledos two investigators who will work with the new Henry-Mercer County task force. He said both are homicide certified investigators through the state of Illinois. - The council approved the purchase of a John Deere X730 Riding Tractor Mower from Martin Sullivan Inc., Aledo, for $1,050 under the $10,000 budgeted. - The council also approved support for the Mercer County Agricultural Society in the amount of $2,500. EAST MOLINE -- Aldermen Tuesday approved hiring a new police officer to replace one who recently resigned. The authorization will return the department to its desired 37-member force, Capt. Tom Reagan said. The new officer will head to the police training institute in Champaign. Two other East Moline officers will graduate from the institute March 27. It is generally a pretty exhaustive process to hire a new police officer, Capt. Reagan said. Prospects must pass background investigations and polygraph, physical and psychological tests, he said. After graduating from the institute, officers undergo another 14-week training session by the East Moline department, said Police Chief John Reynolds. New officers generally make about $46,000 per year, Capt. Reagan said. It also costs more than $5,000 for initial costs, including uniforms and supplies. Aldermen on Tuesday also agreed to spend $90,734 on a new dump truck and $13,496.82 for a new mower for the city's water and wastewater department. Both were approved on 5-1 votes. Ald. Gary Almblade, Ward 2, who opposed each resolution, said he believes the city needs to make an effort to use its resources for as long as they can. In other action, finance director Megan Peterson told aldermen 37 residents completed applications for a chance at money to help fix their homes. At least four people will get a minimum of $30,000 for home repairs, with a lottery-like drawing planned for 4 p.m. today in council chambers, Ms. Petersen said. The money was part of East Moline's $180,000 share from a $25 billion settlement reached a few years ago by Illinois and other states with banks over fraudulent foreclosure practices. MOLINE A different player may enter the picture for Intouch Adult Day Care. Help At Home's application to be the licensed operator of Intouch's Moline center was denied by the Illinois Department of Aging, according to Sharon Patten, Intouch program director. Addus HealthCare of Downers Grove, with operations in 24 states, has applied with the state to modify its current contract and add the adult day service in Moline, which has 70 employees and serves more than 250 people. Ms. Patten noted Help at Home hadn't previously operated any adult day service programs, but Addus has several. At the last minute there was fumbling for us to be assumed to continue, she said. We're very hopeful services will continue without a break. She said they are learning new things about their future daily. Previously, it had been announced the facility would close Feb. 26. Ron Ford, chief executive officer of Help at Home, said Tuesday it appeared to him Addus HealthCare would be approved as the licensed operator of Intouch adult day care. The state is not going to let Intouch down, he said, adding he was frankly surprised his own agency hadn't already been approved. Mr. Ford said he had stepped in originally because nobody should slip through the cracks. He said he hired all of the in-home service providers who had worked for Lutheran Social Services and moved them into existing office space in Moline. He added although he offered them all jobs including three administrators and 38 direct caregivers the workers have the freedom of where they will go. Ms. Patten said the in-home care people who had formerly worked for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) are now working for Help at Home. We're being split between two agencies, she said. Henry County Board member Kathy Nelson, of Geneseo, was headed to Springfield on Tuesday for a United Counties Council of Illinois event where one of the issues would be adult day care programs. She said she was planning to bring the organization up to date. Ms. Nelson said she's been a 30-year supporter, volunteer and advocate for Lutheran Social Services after growing up three miles from the Andover Lutheran Children's Home and going to school with the orphans from there. She also noted the strong support of the program from her church, First Lutheran of Geneseo. I have a long-time connection with what this ministry is all about, and I'm passionate about it, she said. She said LSSI has had tremendous success in keeping people healthy and helping those struggling with whatever kind of addiction they might have. 'It's very concerning because you know there's a lot of people's lives being affected by this, she said. Clients, employees, families. It's just very troubling. It's so disruptive to so many people's lives, and they are not fulfilling contracts made in good faith with many, many vendors. It's tragic. She said she's already made phone calls and talked with state senators, the governor and members of his staff about the issue. We're talking about the lives of people. She noted LSSI helps not only people in the Quad-Cities but operated a day care program in Atkinson for perhaps a dozen years before it had to close for lack of funding. She doesn't want to see another closing. Even if it's one day, that's one day too much, she said. LSSI, the largest statewide provider of social services, announced Jan. 22 it was ending 30 programs and eliminating jobs of more than 40 percent of its staff because of the state's non-payment of more than $6 million due to the agency. There are 250 clients of both the Intouch site and in-home programs. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A central California school district settled a free speech lawsuit brought by a high school junior who was sent home for refusing to change out of a T-shirt that read, "Nobody Knows I'm a Lesbian." The deal approved Tuesday night requires the Manteca Unified School District, which serves the cities of Stockton, Lathrop and Manteca, to adopt a policy clarifying that students may wear clothing with statements celebrating their or their classmates' cultural identities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The case is the latest in a long line of legal disputes over the clothing messages that school and college officials may prohibit for the stated purpose of maintaining discipline. Taylor Victor, 16, and her mother sued two Sierra High School administrators who told the girl in August that her shirt was an improper display of sexuality that violated the school's dress code and might be disruptive. A teacher had her called to the office when she showed up in the shirt, according to court documents. "The law on this is very clear: Public schools can't censor the personal beliefs of students," ACLU attorney Linnea Nelson said. "The message of Taylor's T-shirt expresses the most fundamental type of speech already protected by the First Amendment, the California Constitution and the California education code." Under the terms of the settlement, school administrators deny violating Victor's free speech rights and they and the district deny any wrongdoing. The school board approved the required dress code updates Tuesday night, spokeswoman Victoria Brunn said. "Students continue to be supported in their right for self-expression in all of our high schools," Brunn said in a statement. "Our number one priority continues to be the ability to keep our kids safe physically and emotionally." Victor, who was open at school about identifying as a lesbian, said she had reviewed the district's dress code before deciding to wear the shirt. Not finding any rules prohibiting pro-gay messages, she says she chose to go home instead of change. "I knew that rule did not exist, and I knew that was my free speech right to wear that shirt to school," Victor said in an interview. A high school senior in South Carolina was suspended in September for also refusing to change out of a T-shirt with the same phrase as Victor's. The school district ended up overturning the punishment, saying the shirt bothered some adults but wasn't a problem for other students. In other recent cases, Ohio University last year agreed to revise its student conduct code and pay $32,000 to a student who sued after a campus group was told not to wear T-shirts bearing a sexually suggestive double entendre. In 2013, a Connecticut school district agreed to let a high school student wear a T-shirt with a slash mark through a gay pride rainbow after facing the threat of legal action from the ACLU. But federal courts have allowed some limits on student speech. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that an Alaska school acted within its discretion to discourage illegal drug use when it suspended a student who displayed a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at an Olympic torch relay. And the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in 2014 that administrators at a Northern California high school plagued by racial strife lawfully banned T-shirts bearing the American flag while the campus commemorated "Mexican Heritage Day." With the central California settlement in the works last week, Taylor was given the go-ahead to wear the disputed T-shirt. "I wore the shirt on the first day I was allowed to," she said. "My mom bought me the same shirt in a different color, and she bought me a sweat shirt that says 'Dare to be Different' in rainbow colors." Earlier this month, court records showed that Sharper had renewed plea negotiations with federal prosecutors and was preparing a trial defense. Sharper had pleaded guilty as part of a deal involving charges in four states, but a federal judge deferred acceptance of the deal last year. He also has pleaded guilty or no contest to similar charges in state courts in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana. Court records show that U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo last week also pushed back a trial date for Sharper and his two co-defendants: Brandon Licciardi and Eric Nunez. The trial had been set to start March 7, but now it is set to begin May 16. An attorney for Nunez declined to comment Tuesday. Other attorneys involved did not return messages seeking comment. Two Louisiana state counts of aggravated rape against Sharper stemmed from accusations that he sexually assaulted two drug-impaired women at his apartment in September 2013. The federal indictment charged Sharper with distributing the drugs alprazolam, diazepam and zolpidem more commonly known by the brand names Xanax, Valium and Ambien, respectively with the intent to commit rape. Sharper was selected All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during a career that included stints with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and the 2010 New Orleans Saints victory. Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, known as Dr. Robinson to his patients, was arrested after he allegedly gave physical exams and medical advice to people including an undercover officer at a holistic medical clinic he founded in West Palm Beach. Sources say Love-Robinson is the same teen caught in January 2015 masquerading as a doctor at St. Marys Medical Center, peeking in on gynecology exams and keeping a wardrobe of lab coats in his car. Dr. Sebastian Kent, an OB/GYN whose office is on the St. Marys Medical Center grounds, said he was amazed to hear that the same teen who had introduced himself as a doctor a year ago had been accused of impersonating a doctor a second time. Ive been in practice for 36 years, this is the first time something like this has happened, he said. Its very strange. Very, very strange. Love-Robinson is charged with practicing medicine without a license. He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on $6,000 bail. According to the Florida Department of Health, Love-Robinson came onto the agencys radar after receiving a tip in October that he had been practicing medicine without a license. Authorities sent a cease-and-desist letter, said department spokesman Brad Dalton, but Love-Robinson continued to practice. He opened the New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center and Urgent Care in West Palm Beach. In paperwork for the business, he is listed as the CEO. His title: Dr. Malachi Love-Robinson. His website boasts that he holds a Ph.D., an HHP-C and an AMP-C, though it is unclear what the latter two designations stand for. After the tip rolled in, Dalton said the health department reopened its investigation into Love-Robinson. Officials quickly realized he had already been told once to stop what he was doing. He has a name that stands out, Dalton said. The health department called the Sheriffs Office and members of the Palm Beach Narcotics Task Force to investigate. They sent in an undercover officer. After that officer received a medical exam and advice from the young doctor, they arrested him. Last year, Love-Robinson was briefly detained by West Palm Beach police after he was found wandering around St. Marys Medical Center wearing a doctors coat and interacting with patients. Kent said Love-Robinson, then 17, was in his office and introduced himself as an anesthesiologist, but Kent became suspicious because of Love-Robinsons youthful looks. This guy can schmooze his way around, he can tell any story you want to hear, Kent said. Thats what he tried to do with me he tried to ingratiate himself with me so I would take him around, and after a while it started to not make sense to me. I thought something was wrong. Love-Robinson was questioned, but ultimately not charged. According to Healthgrades.com, a website that ranks doctors, Love-Robinson has a five-star rating, based on two reviews. The website gives Love-Robinsons age as 25, says he can speak French and lists his specialties as naturopathy, psychology and mental health. According to his grandfather, William Robinson, its all a big misunderstanding. He said his grandson never claimed to be a medical doctor, only a holistic doctor, and that he had received proper certification to practice. Those certificates are from online schools, Robinson said, though he wasnt sure which ones. He said his grandsons certificates were hung on the walls of his office. He was pursuing things, but I dont really know what it came to, Robinson said. He was pursuing the field that he wanted to get into. Robinson denied that his grandson had ever seen patients at the clinic. The idea was to open the practice with Love-Robinson at the helm, then attract other doctors to come work for him. He described his grandson as a passionate person who is smart and driven. Among his accomplishments, Robinson said, was his position as an up-and-coming minister at New Birth Outreach Ministries, the church where William Robinson is pastor. On a website offering free ordained ministry certificates, Love-Robinson is listed as a reverend who specializes in philosophical theology, religious epistemology and Christian apologetics. His biography states he is working on a doctoral thesis and lists him as a naturopathic physician. Hes not out doing drugs, hes not out trying to rob nobody, Robinson said. Hes trying to do something constructive, and if he did do something and the paperwork wasnt right he can get ahead of himself sometimes and he may have been trying too hard, but he had good intentions. Upon hearing of Love-Robinsons arrest, Kent said he was shocked, but ultimately unsurprised. I just met him that one time, and I heard a lot about what he had done afterward and various encounters people had with him, Kent said. But yeah, it doesnt surprise me he did this. I knew he would strike again. Cruz has had some trouble getting all his facts straight in debates, has used campaign tactics that some find suspicious and had an ad by an outside group temporarily pulled for questions about its accuracy. His opponents are blunter, calling him simply a liar. The Texas senator shrugged off the criticism Tuesday while campaigning for Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary. "Both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have this very strange pattern where if you point to their actual record, if you point to the words that have come out of their mouth, they don't respond on substance. They just scream 'Liar! Liar! Liar!'" Cruz said Tuesday. Both Trump and Rubio have accused Cruz of distorting their records with increasing frequency. And while such charges are common in presidential politics, Cruz's team has also faced rebukes for misleading voters in recent weeks from multiple outside groups the Iowa Secretary of State and a prominent anti-abortion group, among them. The fiery conservative's ability to navigate questions about his integrity could well decide his fate in the crowded 2016 contest, where he remains a top-tier contender. "He's lying. And I think it's disturbing," Rubio said in Beaufort. "Just here in South Carolina this week, he's lied about my record on Planned Parenthood, he's lied about my position on marriage, he's lied about his own record on immigration. So, I think this is very disturbing when you have a candidate that now on a regular basis just makes things up." Trump was even more aggressive, describing Cruz the day before as "the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise." "And I have seen some of the best of them," the billionaire businessman said in a statement. "His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much." Virtually all of the 2016 candidates have been caught stretching the truth over the course of the campaign, including Trump and Rubio. But only Cruz has embraced trust and the play on his first name, "TRUSTED," as the fundamental rationale of his campaign. After a legal review, a South Carolina television station over the weekend pulled down an ad from a pro-Cruz super PAC that targeted Rubio's position on immigration. Among other charges, the ad said Rubio worked to allow "sanctuary cities" as part of the immigration deal he struck in 2013. Although the ad is running again, the station had questioned whether the charge was misleading. The Cruz campaign, which is barred from legally coordinating with the super PAC, claimed no knowledge of the ad. Yet Cruz continues to face fallout from at least two incidents leading up to his victory in Iowa's Feb. 1 caucuses. As Iowa voting began, Cruz supporters incorrectly spread word that rival Ben Carson was leaving the race. That was just days after the Iowa Secretary of State condemned Cruz campaign for sending bogus notices warning of election "violations" to Iowa voters to persuade them to participate in the caucuses. Iowa's secretary of state criticized the tactic "as not in keeping with the spirit of the Iowa caucuses." Late last week, Cruz was also chastised by the anti-abortion group, National Right to Life, for accusing Rubio of not fighting to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood. The organization called Cruz's attack "inaccurate and misleading." And on immigration, Cruz in recent weeks has repeatedly overstated the deportation records of past administrations and misstated his own position on the 2013 so-called "Gang of Eight" legislation. The senator publicly backed legislation that proposed eventual legal status for millions, while stopping short of offering them a path to citizenship. While polls indicate Cruz's favorability is falling, his loyalists seem unperturbed. "I trust Cruz 100 percent," said 67-year-old Dick Winters, a retired Navy veteran from Charleston. "They're taking things he's done and twisted them around." It was much the same at a Rubio rally 90 miles down the South Carolina coast, where Carol Benz, a 54-year-old Republican from nearby Port Royal, said her confidence in Cruz was based on a series of actions over time, not a single event on the campaign trail. "Do I trust him? Yes I do," Benz said of Cruz, citing his fight against the federal health-care overhaul that triggered a government shutdown. "He didn't back down." But Trump supporter Tom Kennemore said he appreciates the brash businessman's willingness to tell the truth no matter what. "I'm leaning away from Cruz," Kennemore said at a Trump rally in Greenville Monday night. "I'm glad Trump pointed out his dishonesty." Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis... Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The... Russo-Elling Mourned More than 300 first responders lined up on Thursday night to honor FDNY EMT Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, as her body was placed into a waiting... Meshel Laurie is co-host of ARNs KIIS Melbourne breakfast show has never been one to shy away from tackling the difficult subjects. Meshel is the organiser behind the GoFundMe campaign to raise money to send Ballarat child sex abuse survivors to Rome to see Cardinal Pell give evidence at the commission Brad March talked to Meshel about the campaign. Firstly, how is the new show with Matt going on KIIS 101.1? Well it certainly feels good. Its a brilliant, enthusiastic team with great management so I feel very supported. Im pushing myself harder than ever, but loving every minute of it. We understand that you are the organiser of the GoFundMe campaign to send child sex abuse survivors to Rome to see Cardinal Pell give evidence? Well yes, I guess I am. Its my name on the GoFundMe account. How and why did that come about? I happened to be in Ballarat last weekend, chasing leads for my podcast The Nitty Gritty Committee. I found myself on the phone with one of the survivors who told me that they were trying to figure out how to crowd fund to get to Rome and I offered to help. Next thing I knew I had started a GoFundMe campaign. I was terrified of failing those people but incredibly, it caught on. Its been, dare I say, a miracle! An issue that is close to your heart? Honestly, its been close to my friend Gorgi Coughlins heart because she lives in Ballarat. She and I work together on The Project every Friday night and shes spoken to me many times about heartbreaking conversations shes had with survivors. She made it very real and immediate for me. Are you covering the issue on air at KIIS? Yes we are. Ive never shied away from difficult issues on air and Ive been thrilled to discover that Matt is a man after my own heart in that regard. And many others! You are actively using your social media streams to promote the cause? I am. Ive always seen my socials as a tool for dissemination of information, and for offering support to important ideas. I was house-bound with baby twins during the Brisbane floods, but was able to connect people in need with people who could help them through Twitter. I learnt a lot about what social media can do at that time, but Im still in awe of what its done in the last couple of days. Im very unsuccessful at getting free stuff through my socials though. I really need to work on that. Who are some of your main supporters? I saw a big rise in donations within minutes of Lisa Wilkinsons tweet in support of the campaign. I guess she has rich, generous fans. Hardly surprising really. Stunning woman! Obviously Tim Minchins support took it next level. Ive been having a chuckle today at the cool publications that are suddenly interested. Not so much when it was just the two mums from The Project attached! Bless him and his hipster fans for getting extra exposure and dollars for survivors. Was it easy to get fellow talent to support the cause? I never tried. It was really just about Gorgi and I activating our social media networks and then others joined out of the goodness of their hearts. Im sure if wed actually planned any of this wed have approached people for support but it just happened too fast for that. They have raised far more than the $55k that they need to raise, so a lot of people obviously behind you on this ? Almost 3000 donors last time I checked. Wheres the fund raising up to? Well its still growing quickly, but it was around $120K last time I hit refresh. How did Tim Minchin get on board and how did the song come about? I really dont know. Ive known Tim for a long time, I know hes been passionate about this issue for ages, but I think he pulled the song together pretty quickly too. The first I knew about was when someone told me he pledged the proceeds from the song to our GoFundMe campaign. I chatted with him this morning though and well catch up in a couple of weeks when hes back in Melbourne for the opening of Matilda. Thanks for your effort on this one Meshel, its a worthy cause and one which a lot of people will be watching very closely. You can show your support and donate Send Ballarat Survivors To Rome via the GoFundMe campaign here. Brad March is Managing Director of Connected Management www.weareconnected.com.au. He is Director of Marchmedia, a Director of Radio Today, and is a former CEO and Group Programmer of Austereo and ARN. For those who are feeling triggered, please know that support is available: Adults Surviving Child Abuse (National) 1300 657 390 9-5, Monday to Sunday http://www.asca.org.au CASA (Victoria) Ph: 03 9635 3600 (9am to 5pm) 1800 806 292 FREE (5pm to 9am) http://www.casa.org.au Relationships Australia (National, 24/7 services available) 1300 364 277 http://www.relationships.org.au/contact-us/services Royal Commission into Child Abuse (National) 1800 099 340 FREE (8am to 8pm) https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/support-services Its company reporting season and the first out of the blocks is Macquarie Media, who have released their results for the half year to December 2015. Its their first full report since the merger with Fairfax Medias radio assets on April 1 last year, and revenue has fallen. Macquarie Media posted a 9% fall in half year revenue to $66.83 million, the combined revenues of Fairfax Network and Macquarie Network prior to their merge was $73.7 million. Macquarie Media Executive Chairman Russell Tate said: I am confident of achieving our full year earnings (EBITDA) guidance in the range of $20 $25 million. Our sales force has undergone massive change in both personnel and approach to the market and we are now starting to see the benefit of those changes in year-on-year revenue increases. We continue to fine tune our operating structures and personnel and we will realise further significant savings in operating costs. EBITDA for the period was $12m, an increase of 126% over the combined results in the prior period. With NPAT at $6.6m, this represented an increase of 175% over the prior year combined figure. A fully franked interim dividend of 2 cents per share was declared. COLUMBUS Archer Daniels Midland's recent launch of a strategic evaluation of the future of its dry mill ethanol plants could impact the Columbus plant, but how remains unclear as the nations largest ethanol producer strives to boost returns while grappling with lower profit margins and oversupply. Earlier this month, ADM announced the review of the companys dry mill ethanol assets that, despite cost reductions, have been operating at historically low profit margins. ADM CEO Juan Luciano said recently that even with the improvement in costs, company officials are concerned about the long-term future of the dry mill ethanol part of the industry. ADM has spent $1.3 billion since 2006 to build two dry mills in Columbus and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Luciano told industry analysts during a recent earnings call that the Chicago-based company was going to run through the different scenarios all the way from one extreme to the other during the review, but there was no rush to get it done. The whole operation is having positive cash flows, positive contributions, so there's no need to panic, said Luciano, according to excerpts from the earnings call released by ADM. Jackie Anderson, a media relations spokeswoman for the company, said we do not have any further details to share about any potential impact to the Columbus dry mill at this time. In Columbus, ADM operates both a corn wet mill and dry mill along with a number of facilities to support both. The wet mill is not part of the review process. Dry mills produce ethanol, corn oil and distilled dried grains, or DDGs, which are used in animal feed. The company makes several different food, fuel and feed products from corn in addition to ethanol at its Columbus and other wet mill facilities. Steve Dewald, manager of ADMs ethanol plant just east of Columbus, did not return phone messages seeking comment on the local impact of the companys strategic review. While the review in underway, ADM officials expect the dry mill cost improvements to continue, Luciano said during his recent call with industry analysts. And we have seen in 2015 improvements in enzymes, improvement in yields, improvements in corn oil recovery, Luciano said. So we're very pleased with what the teams are doing in that. It's just we have an industry problem and we want to see how we can participate in addressing that through strategic options. With the Syrian crisis and other conflicts in the region, the Mediterranean is attracting increased levels of global strategic interest. Through the new Mediterranean Foresight Forum (MFF), RAND has been examining key issues that are currently affecting the region, from economic, political and social instability right through to the migrant crisis that is currently impacting mainland Europe. Leading the development of the MFF for RAND Europe is Giacomo Persi Paoli, an Italian Navy veteran who gained first-hand experience on the frontline of the migrant crisis by rescuing migrants at sea. He takes a look at the impact of temporary internal border controls in EU member states and what this means for the migrant crisis, Europe and the Mediterranean region. The migrant crisis across Europe has led to some EU member states re-instating temporary internal border controls in an attempt to control the flow of migrants. According to Article 26 of the Schengen Borders Code a pan-EU agreement on borders the temporary re-establishment of border controls is allowed under exceptional circumstances threatening public order or internal security, and can be extended by up to two years. There are conflicting arguments for and against this temporary measure. The argument against re-establishing border controls is that it is not a long-term solution to the migrant crisis. In fact, it simply moves pressure points from one border to another. At the same time, it creates divisions within the EU, with national interests being prioritised ahead of a common plan for all the member states. However, it can be argued that re-establishing border controls is rational behaviour from EU member states that are looking for a temporary reprieve from the flow of migrants to their countries. Political pressure and public opinion against migration and the notion of Europe in these countries also means that they are willing to sacrifice a united Europe approach and prioritise their own national interests. There are a number of challenges that the EU needs to overcome if it is to develop a coordinated plan to successfully manage the migrant crisis across the member states. The goals should be to achieve a more balanced redistribution of migrants; establish a more efficient processing of asylum applications; and establish more effective engagement in the Mediterranean region, especially with countries of transit. While these points have been in the EU agenda since the Special Meeting of the European Council in April 2015, there has been little progress in addressing them. The redistribution of migrants has not happened in a coherent manner. The processing of asylum applications is still too slow to cope with the scale of the problem. No meaningful impact has resulted from political engagement between EU member states and other countries in the Mediterranean region. The lack of long-term thinking is further reflected in the response from the broader international community. The primary focus has been on emergency humanitarian relief for migrants rather than addressing the problems in their countries of origin or encouraging neighbouring countries to receive and empower migrant refugees over the longer-term. With the EU and international community having no effective measures in place to address the root causes of the migrant crisis, it appears that the phenomenon will persist. In this context, the absence of a unified, clear and actionable plan to deal with the migrant crisis gives legitimacy to unilateral initiatives at a national-level, such as the temporary re-instatement of border controls. However, with a few months still left before the weather conditions improve enough to re-open the migration sea routes across the Mediterranean, now is the time to commit to a strong and united response. The EU should take advantage of this opportunity to resolve disputes between member states and to establish itself as a strong, united, and credible player in carving out a solution to the migrant crisis. This commentary originally appeared on E!Sharp on February 17, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Last month, the National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA) released its report on the Army the United States needs to meet the strategy outlined in the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The QDR recommended the Army be composed of 970,000 to 980,000 total troops, with active-duty personnel numbering 440,000 to 450,000. This active-duty figure is down from 570,000, a decrease based on 2014 assumptions including a stable Iraq, the planned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and an approach to Russia that increased transparency and reduced the risk of military miscalculation. The QDR largely repeated the president's guidance from 2012: U.S. forces will be capable of defeating a regional adversary in a large-scale multi-phased campaign, and denying the objectives of or imposing unacceptable costs on a second aggressor in another region. The NCFA agreed with these figures, though it recommended the larger 450,000 figure for active-duty soldiers. It notes: The Army is appropriately sized, shaped, and ready to meet the strategic guidance it has been given, first promulgated in 2012 and reiterated in the Quadrennial Defense Review 2014 but only just so. Unfortunately, it is not 2014, and the NCFA's recommendations about the Army the United States needs, barely adequate then, are woefully short of what is needed in 2016 and beyond. The world has changed: the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured large parts of Iraq; the Syrian civil war has escalated and caused a refugee crisis in Europe; the war in Afghanistan continues with no end in sight and with a continued requirement for a large U.S. Army ground presence; Russia invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea and is fighting to maintain President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria; North Korea is more bellicose and testing nuclear weapons; U.S. forces fled Yemen when a civil war erupted; and China is building islands in the South China Sea and turning them into military installations. The NCFA report recognized some of this observing that the QDR did not address ISIS, Russian aggression against Ukraine and continuing US troop deployments to Afghanistan. However, this observation is made on page 43 of the report leaving the impression that the Army structure that was thought by many to be inadequate in 2014 is fine for 2016 and into the future. Army end-strength is not the sole measure of effectiveness to consider, and the Commission did focus much of its report on modernization. But here, too, the report comes up short. The adversaries the United States could easily fight tonight, a term used in the report about current challenges, already have capabilities that in some cases outmatch those in the Army: antitank guided missiles that can defeat U.S. tanks; integrated air defenses and man-portable air defenses that put U.S. helicopters at risk; long-range rockets that U.S. forces cannot find or counter; unmanned aerial systems the United States cannot shoot down; and cyber capabilities that could cripple U.S. command and control. The Army, understandably focused on countering insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq, has largely failed to keep pace with the increased capabilities other potential adversaries have been fielding in the past decade. Unfortunately, the NCFA report treats these largely as over-the-horizon challenges, but, in fact, the Army could face many of these threats today. What the nation needs is a clear-headed assessment of the strategic challenges it faces now and into the future that answers two questions: What must the Army be ready to do as part of a joint force, now and in the future (the problems)? What capacities and capabilities should the Army have in order to be ready (the solutions)? Unfortunately, the NCFA comes up short in its answers to both of these questions and, in so doing, missed an important opportunity to help Congress get America the Army it needs. David Johnson is a senior historian at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. From June 2012 until July 2014, he established and directed the inaugural Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic Studies Group. He is a retired U.S. Army colonel with a Ph.D. in history from Duke University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on military strategy. This commentary originally appeared on The Hill on February 16, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Moscow court upholds detention of Russian businessman Polonsky MOSCOW, February 17 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has upheld a lower courts decision to extend the detention of real estate tycoon Sergei Polonsky, who stands charged with large scale fraud, until March 12, the court's press service told RAPSI on Wednesday. The businessnan asked the court to mitigate the judicial restraint. Polonsky, head of Potok Group (earlier Mirax) has been charged with fraud in absentia in the case of embezzlement of 5.7 billion rubles ($75 mln) from the Kutuzovskaya Mile residential community interest holders in the summer of 2013. In May 2015, Cambodia, where Polonsky was escaping the Russian law enforcement, extradited him to Russia. In June, experts found the businessman sane. If convicted, Polonsky could face up to ten years in prison. Polonsky has pleaded not guilty. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on the website. The purposes of using cookies are defined in the Privacy Policy of RAPSI If you agree to continue using cookies, please click the "Confirm" button. If you do not agree, you can change your browser settings. COLUMBUS Columbus residents will decide May 10 whether to keep local sales taxes as a funding source for city purchases and projects. The city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to place two separate questions on the primary election ballot that will determine the future of the 1 percent and half-percent taxes, but one must pass for the second to be approved. Revenue from the 1 percent tax, which is set to expire April 1, 2017, would continue to pay for drainage, street and other improvement projects, capital purchases such as city vehicles and equipment and operation of Pawnee Plunge Water Park and Columbus Aquatic Center. The tax, which was first approved by voters in November 1994, is a major funding source for the city. Finance Director Anne Kinnison told the council last month she believes this revenue stream has helped lower the municipal property tax rate, which has decreased about 10 cents per $100 in valuation since the sales tax was added more than 20 years ago. The half-percent sales tax, which is expected to expire later this year when bonds issued for the water park expansion are repaid, would serve as a funding source for two major projects the city council is considering a proposed downtown library/cultural arts center and upgrades to the police and fire facilities. This tax, which was used to pay for the construction and expansion of Pawnee Plunge, improvements at Pawnee Parks Memorial Stadium and design work for the proposed library building, can only be extended by voters if the 1 percent sales tax also receives a favorable vote during the May 10 election. Without the 1 percent tax, the city couldnt afford to proceed with the projects outlined in the half-percent proposal, according to Kinnison. The half-percent tax would end when debt issued for the library and public safety projects is repaid. It would also be killed if voters decide later to reject these projects during bond elections. City officials are asking for a 10-year extension on the 1 percent tax. The two local sales taxes generated a combined $6.36 million in revenue for the city last fiscal year, nearly $2 million more than property taxes are expected to bring into city coffers in 2015-16. Each of the 32 cities in Nebraska with a population of 5,000 or more has a local sales tax of at least 1.5 percent, according to Kinnison. Seven of those communities, including Norfolk and Lincoln, have a local sales tax higher than the 1.5 percent rate paid here. Columbus City Council members also voted Tuesday night to start the selection process to find a consulting firm that will be hired to complete a feasibility study for the public safety project. The council agreed to seek proposals for the work, which will help city officials determine what upgrades are needed for the police and fire facilities and set a budget for the improvements. Potential options include construction of a joint fire/police station, which was originally proposed at a price tag around $16.5 million, or a scaled-down plan that would upgrade the current police building and construct a new fire station to replace the rundown downtown location. Mayor Mike Moser said the feasibility study will look at the best, and most economical, ways for the police and fire departments to serve the city moving forward. The selection committee for the study will include the city engineer, city administrator, police and fire chiefs, a professional engineer or architect, two city council members and two Columbus residents. A current timeline for the process calls for a consulting firm to be hired around June with construction slated for 2019-20. Councilman Terry Reardon, who is also a volunteer firefighter, took issue with the timeline, saying it isnt ambitious enough. Im just wondering if we had to relocate for a library if this would be a little bit quicker, said Reardon, who has previously said he believes the public safety facilities need to be addressed before the library project. The initial plan for the library/cultural arts center placed that building at the corner of 26th Avenue and 14th Street, where the former senior center and fire station are currently located. Since then, the city purchased the former Gene Steffy Ford property at 24th Avenue and 14th Street as the preferred site for the library building. The former car dealership property, former Wal-Mart building at 3620 23rd St., which most recently housed the Apogee call center, Columbus Municipal Airport and existing sites of the police and fire stations all remain in the discussion for the public safety project. In other business, the council approved: a final plat for Park Place Eighth Addition, 18 lots along 32nd Street just east of 48th Avenue. the citys one- and six-year street plans. The one-year plan includes 14 project totaling $14.1 million, with $10.7 million budgeted for the Third Avenue viaduct and 18th Avenue pedestrian overpass. a preliminary plat for Centennial Park Seventh Addition, 14 lots along Third Street between Fifth and Third avenues. a preliminary plat for OFF Properties Subdivision, five properties located just east of 33rd Avenue along what will be 42nd Street. The plan, which calls for the construction of a convenience store near the new Columbus High School, has drawn some opposition. Columbus Planning Commission recommended the council reject the preliminary plat, which was approved 7-1 with Councilman Rich Jablonski providing the lone vote in opposition. The Obama Administrations assault on the nations coal producers took a remarkable turn recently. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay against the presidents massive Clean Power Plan (CPP), blocking the new program until a federal court determines its legality. The ruling produced a huge sigh of relief from the 27 states currently suing to halt what they see as the most far-reaching and intrusive regulations ever imposed by the EPA. Cash-strapped states no longer need to scramble to reduce power sector carbon dioxide emissions 32% by 2030. Because the power plan requires interim targets in 2022, though, many states were already mobilizing to build new power sector infrastructure at substantial cost. Thankfully, states have now been granted a temporary reprieve from these exorbitantly expensive projects. But much damage has been done in terms of cost outlays and risks to affordable, reliable power generation. Whats most worrying for the many states currently depending on affordable, coal-fired power is that the administration is still waging a wider battle against it. So, even if the CPP is ultimately struck down, affordable power remains under siege. Thats because the president has made it a priority to replace coal with solar and wind power, even though neither one has demonstrated real ability to generate robust power or cost efficiency. The Department of the Interior recently proposed a complete overhaul of coal mining regulations, largely replacing environmental oversight by the states with a massive new set of federal rules so broad as to potentially render more than half of U.S. coal reserves off-limits. Even though states have demonstrated considerable success in policing their respective mining sectors, the Stream Protection Rule (SPR) proposed by the Obama Administration has morphed into a staggering expansion of regulatory controls that, if fully implemented, could eliminate up to 280,000 jobs tied to the coal sector. This hostility to coal was clearly on display during the presidents final State of the Union address, when he announced a moratorium on federal coal leases. If the president cant stop coal through the CPP, he will simply order it to remain in the ground. Sadly, federal coal leases provide much of the nations affordable power supply, and generate whopping annual revenues, thanks to the hefty 40% royalty and tax fees applied to mining claims. The great problem with this war on coal is that it ignores coals preeminence in generating roughly 37% of U.S. electricity (compared to less than 5% for wind and solar). Coal remains the most dependable source of continuous power, and the state-of-the-art clean coal plants that scrub emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter are currently running overtime to keep Americans warm during the winter. In short, any one of President Obamas three proposals would result in higher electricity costs. Not only would this harm Americas already troubled economy, but it would disproportionately affect the countrys most vulnerable populations, like seniors and low-income communities. Americans on the poverty line, and rural residents depending on electricity co-ops, already pay an outsized percentage of their income for energy. Without affordable coal power, they will be significantly affected by higher monthly electric bills. The Obama Administration has a record of imposing regulations without regard for expense, however. Last summer, the Supreme Court struck down a separate EPA regulation on coal, saying the agency must consider cost before deciding if a regulation is appropriate and necessary. Thus, the administration is now 0 for 2 in imposing its agenda. The Supreme Court may not be able to stop every one of the administrations efforts, though, which means the American people could be the real losers if the president continues his costly assault on coal. Property details: Worried About the Rising Sea Waters and Flooding? Come to a higher elevation and a higher quality of life. Lower ins. rates (compared to coastal areas) and affordable prices make this area a great investment for your future! COUNTRY HOMESITE near Rainbow River, Withlacoochee River, Florida State parks and Goethe State Forest! This .99 acre parcel (135 x 320) is located a short drive from Tiger Lake and Bonable Lake. This parcel is located on a paved road. YOU ARE BIDDING ON THE DOWN PAYMEN... Price: $ 500 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: Portulaca Court State/Province: Florida Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential Location: 344**, Dunnellon, Florida You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Residential Shrine Circus set for Ag Park COLUMBUS -- The Pawnee Shrine Club of Columbus is presenting the Shrine Circus Feb. 24-25 at Platte County Agricultural Park Arena. The shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. All tickets will be sold at the door. Little Hats, Big Hearts at CCH COLUMBUS -- Columbus Community Hospital is celebrating American Heart Month by partnering with the American Heart Association for the Little Hats, Big Hearts program, which raises awareness of heart disease and congenital heart defects. Through the program, every baby born at CCH in February will receive a red knitted or crocheted hat handmade by a volunteer. This is the third year of the Little Hats, Big Hearts program, which provides hats to newborn babies in 35 states across the country. But this is the first time Nebraska hospitals are participating. For more information on the program or a list of hospitals receiving donations, visit www.heart.org/LittleHatsBigHearts. CCC scholarship deadline slated COLUMBUS -- Central Community College has set March 1 as its deadline for new and returning students who want to apply for scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year. Students are encouraged to apply online by going to ccc.awardspring.com. Applicants must register to create an account. Students who are interested in federal financial aid for the 2016-17 academic year must also complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. They should use the Link to IRS option when reporting their 2015 income. For more information, contact the financial aid office at the Columbus Campus at 402-562-1290. Electrical code seminar at CCC COLUMBUS -- A National Electrical Code (NEC) review seminar will be offered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 4 and from 8 a.m.-noon March 5 in the North Education Center, Room 920, at Central Community College-Columbus. The seminar is designed for electricians, safety and electrical engineers, contractors, journeymen, apprentices and supervisors who want to review the major components of the NEC manual. Class size is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $220. The seminar has been approved for 12 continuing education units by the Nebraska State Electrical Board for electrician license renewal. For more information or to reserve a space, contact Sue Baer at 402-562-1425; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1425; or email sbaer@cccneb.edu. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/17/2016 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Ben Higgins admits the only competition for the rose on his three-on-one date in Warsaw, IN, was between Becca Tilley and Amanda Stanton During Monday night's episode of , Higgins took Tilley, Stanton and Caila Quinn to a farm in his hometown of Warsaw, where they rowed canoes, flew kites and just enjoyed the sunshine.However, the three-on-one date quickly became awkward and uncomfortable because only one girl could get the rose and it represented Higgins' sincere desire to meet her family and visit her hometown."I was more worried about this three-on-one date than I had been the two-on-date last week. By far. Last week I knew I was going to have to send someone home at the end of the day, and, as hard a decision as that was, I was prepared for it. I went into this date honestly wanting to meet the families of each one of these women," Higgins wrote in his People blog."I knew that tensions were high after the past week in the Bahamas, and the pressure had only increased since we arrived in Indiana. From the second we sat down in the barn, you could cut the tension with a knife. Normally I would want to have some activity to lighten the mood but the boats just showed me that nothing was going to help today and I just needed to get to it."Higgins then confessed Quinn basically had no shot to receive the only rose up for grabs that day."To be honest, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to give Caila the rose... Mostly because while I was still extremely interested in her, I knew I needed more time with Becca and Amanda, and I had just had a one-on-one with Caila last week," Higgins explained."So it came down to Becca and Amanda. I hadn't had a one-on-one with Becca since Las Vegas, and I knew that she needed some validation in a bad way after our talk. But Amanda being a mom and knowing the depth of what a hometown date meant to her was not lost on me."Going into the three-on-one date, Higgins wasn't sure what he was going to do. However, after talking to all three women, the choice became clear."I really felt like I needed Amanda to know I was ready to meet her children. I felt that if I was really going to be able to see if Amanda and I had a future, I needed to see her as a mom. I don't really feel like I could accurately know who Amanda really is without that. And on top of that, I just really liked her," Higgins said.Stanton then got a mini one-on-one date with Higgins during the night portion of the Group Date. He ended up taking her to McDonalds, a favorite spot of his in Warsaw, and they hopped behind the counter and worked the drive-through. Afterward, they enjoyed a carnival in town complete with rides, games and the community."The rest of the date with her just confirmed that I had made the right decision. She had such a joy doing something as simple as handing out food at McDonalds and all I could think about during the carnival was how fun that would be with her daughters there. I could not wait for next week."airs from 8-10PM ET/PT every Monday night on ABC. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/16/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. host Chris Harrison would describe Ben Higgins as a "gentleman" if allowed only one word, but Harrison changed his tune with a big laugh when the topic of Fantasy-Suite dates was brought up.During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Harrison made a bit of a telling comment about Higgins' upcoming overnight dates.When Harrison was asked if his "gentleman" description of Higgins is a preview for what's to come in regards to the Fantasy Suites, the host replied, "Not gentleman enough!"Harrison quickly added, "A gentleman can still be a generous lover."According to an insider, Higgins had sex with all three bachelorettes during his round of fantasy suite dates in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, which worsened the fact he ended up saying "I love you" to two of them when he could only pick one at the end of his journey, Us Weekly reported."Ben was intimate with all the finalists... The women were all so confident in Ben's feelings after the fantasy suite dates," the insider explained. "[They] didn't realize just how torn Ben was."Harrison told EW that even though the show no longer has drama queens around like Olivia Caridi and Leah Block , fans are going to get "a different kind of drama on a much deeper level.""We turn inward... Every girl going on a hometown says, 'I love you.' You've also seen that Ben admits he loves two women," Harrison said. "What we're about to face is multiple women in love with Ben, [and] he's in love with multiple women. That's a recipe for disaster. That's not going to end well for one or all."creator Mike Fleiss recently told Us that the finale of Higgins' season is going to be "brutal" and there is going to be "heavy, heavy heartbreak." Rosa Mendes and fiance Bobby Schubenski welcomed their first child on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT The 36-year-old WWE Divas wrestler and "total Divas" star announced she gave birth to daughter Jordan Elizabeth Schubenski in a statement to E! News the same day. "The love we have for her is indescribable," the new mom gushed. "We want to thank our family and friends, and I especially want to thank my WWE family for supporting me from day one. I can't wait for all of you to meet her in person. She's so special." "[Jordan] was the first name [Bobby] said and I've always loved that name for a girl!" she added. "So, we didn't even look up names or have any issues with finding a name. We just fell in love. He said the name, I loved it and that's how we picked her name." Mendes shared the news and several photos of her baby girl on social media Sunday, writing, "The best day of my life!!! Welcome our daughter Jordan Schubenski #motherlylove" and "My everything!!! We love you so much!!!" Mendes and Schubenski announced they were expecting in August and got engaged in October. The WWE Diva told Yahoo! Parenting in January she always wanted to be a mother but was previously focused on her wrestling career. "I love children and I've always wanted kids, but I didn't know when I was going to be able to," she said. "I've been with [WWE] a long time, and have so many goals I want to achieve in the company, so I wasn't really preparing to have a child at the moment. But when it happened, I was very happy. I cried happy tears, and it was a beautiful feeling." Mendes joined "Total Divas" in Season 2. The reality show co-stars the Bella Twins, Brie and Nikki Bella, and airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. If you are a retiree wanting to move to a new home or you have decided to stay in an eligible house, you might want to consider getting an HECM or Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. HECM or better known as reverse mortgage is where your retirement income will come from. In the United States, the HECM reverse mortgage are insured and regulated by the federal government through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as well as the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). According to Forbes, the HECM program is composed of the variable and fixed-rate loans. The fixed-rate loan is not common though. Retirees choose reverse mortgage after considering all possible options during their retirement planning. Reverse mortgages nowadays still connote negative impression to people but not the same intensity as before. Thanks to television commercials that constantly air about reverse mortgages. Furthermore, the developments made in the past few years also allow this type of mortgage hard to dismiss. The improvements the federal government is making towards the HECM program include developing its sustainability as well as ensure the borrowers have enough funds so they can continue funding their property taxes and other expenses. Academically, research articles demonstrated that responsible use of reverse mortgage improves one's overall plan for retirement income. Reverse mortgages allow responsible retirees the choice to create liquidity for an asset that was otherwise illiquid. This can in the long run help support a more effective retirement income strategy. An article from Nolo said most retirees regard reverse mortgages as a better way to use their home (their most important asset) to obtain an income that is much needed later in their life. Reverse mortgage also allows retirees to draw towards home equity. This is in order for them to receive monthly income without the need to pay their loan until their death. Former MVP Miguel Tejada is not giving up on selling his Florida home as he relists the property back in the market with a staggering price cut, which is down to $4 million. According to Realtor, the property in Fort Lauderdale has been on and off the market for the past two years as it was first listed for $5.5 million back in 2013. The waterfront Old Spanish-style house has a total area of 5,387 square feet and was purchased by the six-time All-Star player for $3.5 million in 2008. It has a total of five bedrooms and it also features 94 feet on Intracoastal Waterway and a 124-foot dock. The residence also has a library, wine room, home theater and a guest house. Listing details of the property reveal that the owner is motivated to sell the house given the drastic price reduction on the property. With the five bedrooms is six full bathrooms and a half bathroom. It also has a gym and an elevator. The living area is decorated with a stone fireplace and crystal chandeliers. The residence also features an Italian country kitchen which has a breakfast area and butler's pantry. Outside, it has a built-in outdoor grill, a heated pool and spa. The home has two floors, and the ground floor contains one bedroom and a spacious sitting area. The first floor entry has volume ceilings and French doors, and the floors are made of marble or wood. The second floor is where the master bedroom is located, and it has a master bathroom that is equipped with dual sinks, separate tub and shower and a whirlpool/spa. The guest house has one bedroom and bathroom, and it also has a patio. After filing for bankruptcy last year, the 41-year-old Dominican-born shortstop is now playing in the Mexican League. While playing for the Kansas City Royals, he got a 105 game suspension because of his drug violation. Recent report say the shortage of skilled workers may even get worse in the next few months. In Florida, statistics have shown a total of 441,700 workforce. It grew by 28,600 last year. The National Center for Construction Education and Research reported that in order to keep up with the demand of experienced workers in the market, the state has to find ways to fill in the gap of workers which amounts to over half a million. A poll conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America showed that construction companies are struggling to find qualified workers by about 70 percent. On the other hand, the percentage of companies that believes the labor market condition will become even worse this 2016 amounts to 69 percent. A huge number of construction workers lost their jobs after the breakdown of the housing market in the latter part of 2000, The Real Deal reported. These workers did not return anymore to the building trade. Another factor that affects the shortage of workers is the retirement of baby boomers while the millennial generation shows only less interest in this kind of work. Chief economist Ken Simonson of the Association General Contractors of America revealed that the industry is thoroughly looking for people to fill in the slots. But contractors revealed the job is quite tough. They admitted the difficulty lies in finding the right workforce that has the skills that are needed for the job. With that, they are forced to pull in other people with other expertise just to fill in the vacancies. A report from the last year said that another reason for the shortage is that experienced workers leave the country and pursue a better life and career in states like Texas and North Dakota, according to Tampa Bay Times. Moreover, the younger generation do not seem to embrace this kind of job. Noted child psychiatrist David Shaffer who is also known as Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's ex-husband, has just listed his Soho pad for $5.995 million. According to New York Curbed, Shaffer bought the property back in 2012 for $4.3 million. The three-bedroom Soho pad features includes 11-foot high ceilings, hardwood floors and cast iron columns. The Observer reports that the home features a sunny yellow living room and an office that is equipped with brown leather chairs and desk, and it also has a built-in bookshelves. It also has three bathrooms and eight skylights. The place also features a chef's kitchen and an artist studio. It was also reported that that the place was renovated. Shaffer reportedly bought the place around the same time he sold his West Village townhouse for $6.88 million to actress Claire Danes and her husband Hugh Dancy just years after his divorce from Wintour with whom he has two children. Wintour, on the other hand, maintained residence at the Greenwich Village, where she has a townhouse. The building itself offers some rich history since it has been attracting more artistically inclined potential buyers. It was reported that another unit located on the same floor used to be owned by the late pop artist James Rizzi who bought the place in 1983 for $181,000. Shaffer is a celebrated figure in the field of psychiatry. He is now teaching child psychiatry at Columbia University, and he is also the chief of pediatric psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. COLUMBUS Deb Fischer worked her way from person to person, spending a few minutes with each before standing before the room to field questions during a community coffee in Columbus. The United States senator from Nebraska made a stop Tuesday morning to Sip Espresso Bar to update people on her work and hear from constituents. It was one of several informal visits Fischer is making to communities this week. About 30 people attended the event, and they asked a variety of questions, ranging from the vacant U.S. Supreme Court seat to tax reform. The first subject that arose was about filling the seat on the Supreme Court because of the recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The issue has become a political hot topic because this is an election year. The president is expected to nominate a person to replace Scalia, but whether that nomination is confirmed by the Senate is another issue. Fischer said a precedence was set a long time ago by Democrats that Supreme Court nominations arent confirmed in the last year of a presidency. President Barack Obama has 10 months left in office. Fischer said filling the seat is a big item. This will be one of the biggest votes I ever taken because its generational, she said. When asked about the Supreme Court ruling earlier this month issuing a stay on the Clean Power Plan, Fischer said it was unexpected and surprised people like her who are opposed to the plan that would regulate carbon dioxide emissions. That stay will be in place for the rest of this administration. So for the next 10 months, we dont see the EPA pushing their agenda. That is a good thing, in my opinion, she said. Because Nebraska is a 100 percent public power state, Fischer said the plan would hit citizens especially hard by raising electricity bills if coal-fired power plants are forced to shut down. When Fischer was elected to the Senate in 2012, she said one of the issues she expected to take up first in Washington was tax reform. That has yet to happen and it has been frustrating, she said, because if the economy is to grow, tax reform and looking at regulations should be a priority. Those are two things, in my opinion, that holds back growth and jobs, she said, adding that changes need to be made to keep businesses from leaving the country and lessen the gap between rich and poor. Fischer also spoke about securing the borders to keep America safe. It isnt just focusing on the southern border, but the whole country. Weve got to secure the entire border of this country. We need to know who is coming in, what they are bringing and making sure we dont have holes all over. Our ports are very vulnerable, she said. Fischer believes there is consensus to make the border secure because it is a matter of national security. But it has turned into an immigration issue. It has, of course, ties to immigration, but in my opinion, and I think in most of my colleagues opinions, the biggest issue is national security, she said. That should be the dealt with first before reforming the immigration system. Fischer said she hopes an honest discussion can be held about immigration without demonizing people with opposing opinions. Yes, we want to welcome people to this country. Immigration is what grew this country and makes it strong. But its legal immigration. Sometimes in the discussion, people who talk like me or think like me are demonized that we dont have a heart. We are the most compassionate country on this Earth. We take in more than 1 million legal immigrants every single year, she said. When asked about the presidential race, Fischer, who has endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination, said the race on both sides has been fascinating to watch. Entering her fourth year as senator, Fischer serves on the Armed Services Committee and Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. She pointed out that work in the Senate has been picking up steam with more votes on amendments occurring now than before. In 2014, she said the Senate took just 15 votes on amendments, but that rose to more than 200 a year later. I point that out so you can see there has been a change. Things are working. We are able to offer legislation, offer amendments, debate it and have them voted on. That is the way the system is supposed to work, she said. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Julia Oleinik, RN. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome in 2003. Please don't use my photographs without my permission. Don't know what Sjogren's syndrome is? Read all about it here and here Athens-Clarke County commissioners have spent the past several weeks drafting legislation to fight discrimination against African Americans, gays and other minorities at bars in downtown Athens. But at the state level, a different conversation is taking place, with multiple bills that offer 'religious freedom,' which many fear would allow legal discrimination against the LGBT community. COLUMBUS Travis Johnson sees local opportunities in the fast-growing hobby of remote-controlled racing. Johnson, who works at Connecting Point in Columbus, has firsthand knowledge of how the miniature, engine-powered vehicles are growing in popularity. The local electronics store sold around $175,000 in remote-controlled vehicles last year, according to Johnson, who expects that figure to climb closer to $250,000 in 2016. Connecting Point, which has been selling RC cars for about 18 months, offers models ranging in price from $130 to $900 and draws customers from Norfolk, Fremont, Yankton, South Dakota, and other communities, according to Johnson. But theres one major roadblock for local RC enthusiasts, he says. Columbus doesnt have a public space to race the vehicles. Johnson hopes to change that, and he started Tuesday by pitching his plan to create a track for RC vehicles to the Columbus Board of Parks Commissioners. The local man said a small group of people who own RC vehicles, himself included, regularly meets at Duncan Lakes to take their toys for a spin. But thats private property. Johnson told the board he also uses Pawnee Park. However, theres not a designated area for RC vehicles. We really dont have anywhere else to go, Johnson said. A preliminary proposal he presented to the board puts the projected cost to build a track at $34,000 to $40,000, including dirt work, a racing podium, storage building, fencing and scoring and timing system. Johnson also told the park board hes working to establish a nonprofit group that could contribute money to the project through fundraising or business sponsorships and help maintain the facility. The racing association would be comprised of local RC enthusiasts. I would be open to ideas, he said. Columbus Public Property Director Doug Moore recently took a trip to a public RC track in Grand Islands Ashley Park, which could be a model for Columbus to follow. He said a private group raised most of the money to build that track, and the citys only regular involvement is trucking in clay a couple of times each year so the group can reconfigure the racing surface. They basically take care of themselves, said Moore, who did note that finding a location for an RC track in Columbus could be tricky. Moore plans to work with Johnson to scout potential sites before the park board considers the request at its March meeting. Johnson said his ultimate goal is to establish weekly RC racing leagues and other events that provide a family friendly atmosphere for local hobbyists. Larger tournaments could also bring out-of-state competitors and tourism dollars to the city, he said. He doesnt want a track that gets torn up by bikes, four-wheelers and skateboards, so finding a secure location is a priority. In other business, the park board recommended approval of Columbus Softball Associations annual canned-beer permit for Gerrard Park. At 5 p.m. on May 15, all final grades for the spring 2016 semester are due. While some students celebrate graduation, the kickoff of summer vacation or the beginning of study abroad and internship adventures, others will log into Athena with more than their GPA on the line. Elisabeth Ansley, center, poses for a portrait with her daughters/models Chaeli, 20, Niamh, 8, and Georgia, 17 on Jan. 19, 2016 in Plymouth, Minn. Ansley turned a late-breaking photography hobby into a surprising career. Just five years after creating her first book jacket image, the Plymouth resident's work adorns the covers of pop-fiction page turners by big names like Stephen King and Danielle Steele and, this month, her biggest score yet, international no. 1 best seller James Patterson. (Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star-Tribune/TNS) SHARE By Kristin Tillotson, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) PLYMOUTH, Minn. When Elisabeth Ansley says shes between covers, she doesnt mean her sheets and duvet. Ansley shoots cover photographs for mass-market paperback books, often from her home in a newish Plymouth, Minn., housing development, using her three daughters as models. She has shot nearly 500 covers, published in 25 countries, in less than five years. Her latest work, for the thriller Private Vegas, co-authored by top-selling James Patterson, came out Jan. 26. Ansley, 44, has created cover shots for other big names, including Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Mary Higgins Clark, Danielle Steel, David Baldacci and Anna Quindlen. Most have been for European editions. But the new Patterson a guy so important to major player Hachette Book Group that they have a whole department, including three art directors, devoted just to him is for the substantially larger American readership, and her biggest score to date. Hes the Holy Grail, said Ansley, a soft-spoken, laid-back presence who can whip up a nuanced cover-shot mood by artfully draping curtains over the lights in her upstairs bathroom. Her basement laundry room contains a wardrobe of elaborately embellished satin gowns culled from vintage-store bins. Ansleys success story reads like something from one of the adventure romance novels that make up one category of her business. A self-taught shooter, she wandered into her career after discovering a passion for landscape photography in Australia, where her husband, Christopher, an international tax consultant, was temporarily working. That led to an online portrait business, and her first book cover, for a self-published Australian author. Criticism of her portrait work actually led to her surprising profession. I was often accused of doing photos that looked unnatural, more like dramatic storytelling like book covers than realistic portraits, she said. I really like telling stories, so the penny dropped and I realized I should be doing just that. She began researching agents who sold work to publishers, found one in England who looked prosperous and prestigious, and gave him a call. He must have been feeling charitable that day, because he took me on before I even knew he was the guy, she said. LOOKS EASY, TAKES A KNACK The guy is Michael Mascaro, owner of Arcangel Images, a leading supplier to the publishing industry. It can take photographers a long time to get to the point where they just see covers when they are shooting images, said Mascaro. Liz has developed this ability its become second nature. Like many talents that might seem easy to master, Ansleys is based on a lot of practice, research and developing an eye. To be able to get to this stage, she has studied international trends and other photographers images, Mascaro said. She is also constantly improving her own technique and style. Ansley grew up in Arizona. The family moved to Minnesota in 2003, but has lived around the world because of Christophers job which helps with her ability to shoot salable images for different markets. One of her best resources is the Internet, which has brought together a worldwide niche community of unsung cover creators like her. Through social media and fan pages (Ansleys is on Facebook), they trade ideas and support. Were in competition with each other, but were also the only ones who understand what each other is doing, she said. Ansley figures she clears about $200 a cover, though the Patterson job paid quite a bit more. Im one of the few who makes a living at it, she said. I make about as much as a teacher. TWIRLING EXPERTISE A PLUS Ansleys most frequent models are daughters Chaeli, 20, Georgia, 17, and Niamh, 8, with other friends and family members filling in when older folks are needed. Most do it in exchange for some photos and the knowledge that theyve modeled for a book cover. So what skills does this particular type of modeling require? Theres a lot of twirling, said Georgia. And running away while looking over your shoulder. Sounds simple, except when an antebellum look is required, and Mom wrestles one of the girls into a hoop skirt with bustle in a public park. The girls are good-natured if a bit blase about helping their mother. Its become an expected chore, like dusting or drying the dishes, only more fun. But Dad remains steadfast in his abstinence from posing as a pirate or private eye. Ansley pays professional models now and then, especially when a certain historical period must be invoked. I have to try to look sad a lot, said Niamh, a chatty, high-energy pre-tween. I got so used to it that once when some people were smiling for a family picture I told them, No, dont smile, like Mom tells me. What sells? Simple and bold If Ansley gets on the Patterson bandwagon, it could ensure steady work for years to come in a field she says is fickle and getting more crowded all the time. Between the several new titles that Patterson produces each year (some co-written mostly by others, with his endorsement) and the repackaging of already-published work, Hachette creative director Anne Twomey estimates they put out at least one title a month under his name. To publishers, the most important aspect of a cover image is how well it helps sell the book. It needs to be direct and iconic, bold and bright for the mass market, said Twomey. To get your work used a lot, youve got to have that kind of imagery down. Ansley typically shoots subjects from the back, or in silhouette, or both, because readers may prefer an indistinct image onto which they can project their own fantasies. We dont want to spell out exactly what a character looks like, because readers like to picture it themselves, said Twomey. Ansley has learned that diverse but generic imagery, uncluttered backgrounds and using a lot of reds and blues, help keep her work in demand. But when shes got three models right there at home living under the same roof, she cant resist showing them off, too. Besides, she said, its like with advertising. Women just sell better than men. Photos by Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Mistletoe sixth-grader Lexi Angell (from right) reads along with Johnny Bartolo, 8, and Milagros Rico, 7, on Tuesday at the school in Redding. SHARE Mistletoe honor students Jocelyn Stewart (from left), Olivia Keyser and Andrew Stripling, all 13, work on proportional reasoning during their math class Tuesday at the Redding school. By Alayna Shulman of the Redding Record Searchlight It was a great school then, it's an even better school now. That's how one official with a program that designates high-performing schools characterized Redding's Mistletoe Elementary School, just awarded redesignation as one of California's 33 "Schools to Watch." "It's just truly, really avant-garde kind of education going on out there," said Carole Carlson, California director of the Schools to Watch Taking Center Stage program. "We were blown away." The program looks at how well schools teach their students and also establish a positive social environment on campus. It's put on by the California League of Middle Schools and the California Department of Education, as well as the California Middle Grades Alliance. Mistletoe is the only school in the county and one of only two schools north of Sacramento to be awarded the designation. It's the third time the school has been awarded designation, for which schools must apply. As a School to Watch, Mistletoe literally has that happen Principal Heather Armelino said other schools, some from as far as Sacramento and the Bay Area, come to Mistletoe to observe the award-winning education and relationship-building models that got them the status. Specifically, Carlson said the school's robust science, technology, engineering and math or STEM program played a large part in its redesignation. "I'm just so impressed with how progressive they are," she said. "(The STEM program) is probably one of the best ones we saw in the state." Armelino also noted the innovation of the STEM program at Mistletoe in the past year or so, Mistletoe became the first in the county to teach STEM to all students, Armelino said, not just those in honors programs or who seek it out as an elective. "A lot of (STEM) is about that resilience of 'keep trying,'" she said. "We've sort of made that very central to the way we teach." Indeed, eighth-grade math and science teacher Brad Fulton said remembering that STEM is meant to be taught differently is part and parcel to its success. He compared children learning STEM to infants learning to walk. "They're (babies) really bad at it; they make lots of mistakes, they stumble ... but they're having a great time," he said. "That's the way learning should occur for our brains, but something about the school system shuts that down. You're learning in front of peers, you're being tested on it. So STEM is going back to a more natural learning style." Armelino also touted the school's fairly unique dynamic as one that hosts kids from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Because kids stay so long, they develop confidence and also mentor younger children, which is beneficial to both. "We train our kids up from the time they're in Kindergarten, and so there's an element of kids being willing to risk because this is like their home," she said. "They, in turn, sort of model that for the younger kids." Carlson said Mistletoe also received the honor for those kinds of relationships and the camaraderie observed between students and staff. "It's about rigor and relationships," she said. Fulton said the climate at Mistletoe is so ideal, many teachers send their own kids there. "We believe if you want to teach the mind, you first have to reach the heart," he said. SHARE By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight Costco has pulled out of its contract with Redding for a new store in the Oasis Road area, building more speculation over where the big-box discount retailer will ultimately move. Within minutes of City Manager Kurt Starman announcing at a City Council meeting Tuesday night that Costco had notified him the company was terminating its credit and reimbursement agreement related to road work, a Facebook page called Bring Costco to Anderson sprang up and had picked up 95 likes. "Help the cause by posting some great Anderson pictures. Let's get this done," the first post on the page said. Nonetheless, Mayor Missy McArthur wasn't rattled by Costco's notice, which had been seen coming for weeks after the developer of Oasis Towne Center dropped a revised development agreement draft on the city Dec. 2 as a condition that needed to be met before the renewal of a land sale agreement with Costco. The Feb. 1 deadline for that to have happened has passed. "I'm sure they want to stay in Redding because it's the population base. Obviously people don't like to travel further than they have to," McArthur said following the council's meeting. In a certified letter obtained by the Record Searchlight, Costco says its project cannot move forward because there is no land sale agreement with Don Levenson of LD&C of Los Angeles, the developer. Additionally, Costco and the city did not finalize a development scheduled by April 30, 2015, the letter says. Starman said the design work for the off-site improvements was 60 percent complete. Costco states it will cover all of that work through Tuesday. "All of the Costco personnel and consultants that have worked on this matter appreciate the cooperation and dedication the City and its representatives have demonstrated over the past several years," wrote Seth S. Katz, Costco Wholesale Corp. corporate counsel. "However, after years of working with the (Levenson) Trusts for acquisition and development of the Costco Project, we have been unable to reach an agreement with them and must pursue other alternatives." Starman's announcement Tuesday came after a 10-minute talk in which he spoke of the discussions between Costco, Levenson and the city since 2013, when two agreements were created to move forward with the relocation of Costco at Oasis Towne Center. He said the city would continue to work with Costco, but the Oasis site will not work for the company, he said. The responsibility for Costco walking way is not solely the fault of Levenson, Councilman Gary Cadd said. The city, too, bears responsibility, he said and cited the passage in the letter in which Costco referenced the April 2015 deadline that was not met by the city. He was then cut off by McArthur. "This should be a wake-up call that all of us can improve our game when it comes to development opportunities in Redding," said Walt McNeill, a Redding attorney who represents Levenson. McNeill also sometimes represents the Record Searchlight. He had said his client would get no profit from selling to Costco and wanted assurances he would be able to build his entire shopping center. But McArthur and Vice Mayor Brent Weaver, joined by council members Francie Sullivan and Kristen Schreder, rejected his argument. "I spoke to high-level people at Costco, Sullivan said. They made clear their only issue is one person and it was not city staff," she said, suggesting it was Levenson. She also raised questions whether he has built other projects. Earlier, Starman had said the city understands development agreements. The issue was the timing, he said. Weaver defended Starman and city staff, saying how they had stayed quiet about negotiations with Levenson but decided to speak after McNeill started to show up at council meetings to put a spin on the issue. He talked about the financial risk the proposed development deal carried and cautioned against spending the future of the community's children on one project. "Do I want Costco? Absolutely," he said. In a stinging rebuke to critics, including McNeill, he said deals are built on trust, not those ideas of being in a "smoke-filled room" or over pizza. "Without it, we will not move forward with an entity." Late Tuesday night, Weaver took to Twitter. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Time to move a different direction on Costco," Weaver tweeted. "We either need to fish or cut bait. I'm ready to cut bait," McArthur said before calling for a vote. That vote came down 4-1 in favor of appointing her and Weaver as the city's liaisons on the issue. Cadd dissented and said he too would continue to do what he could to keep Costco in Redding. Read the letter that Costco Wholesale sent to the city of Redding terminating its contract for off-site improvements in the Oasis Road area. In other business, the council: -- Voted 4-0 to negotiate with a local contractor on the possible sale of the former police station on California Street. Weaver, who owns the Gateway building on the same block, recused himself from the vote. The city's negotiations will be with Jamie Lynn of Building Adventures. If a deal is reached, he would buy the property at fair market value. Starman said Lynn is proposing to transform the old station into a full-service restaurant that has the same feel of an Old Spaghetti Factory. A drawing shows the building having the same brick from the station. That brick came from the former Carnegie Library. Lynn would build a two-story building on the adjacent secured parking lot. That development would have five residential units, office and retail space and a "fast casual" restaurant. Proceeds from a potential sale would go toward the general fund. The council has agreed up to $375,000 would go toward starting a sobering center. Voted 5-0 on a transportation service agreement that adds a third SkyWest flight to and from San Francisco beginning April 5. It requires appropriating $500,000 in federal transportation grant funds. Of that amount, $450,000 is in guaranteed revenue and $50,000 for marketing and promotion. -- Agreed to form a panel that can come up with a plan to tackle prostitution and its ties to illicit massage parlors. The move followed a report from City Attorney Barry DeWalt that studied a local group's proposal for new rules to regulate massage parlors. DeWalt said the Redding Police Department was unable to track any cases that would show the city has a problem with sex trafficking. But his research on the Internet provides evidence there is a problem and there may be a need for a vice unit at the Police Department, he said. He talked about the financial challenges legitimate businesses would face through regulation and offered a different path the city could take. It could go with a law that requires massage therapists to go through a background check, close businesss by 10 p.m. and wear clothes. Several speakers addressed the council, raising their objections to any rules that require certification. A registered nurse said the Northern California Anti-Trafficking Coalition's efforts were admirable but reminded the council that there aren't any schools in the area that offer certification. April George said there are laws in place to address sex trafficking. Give police the tools, she said. Another speaker who stays at the Good News Rescue Mission said she was glad that the council was addressing the issue because she sees a lot of prostitution involving minors. Matt Moseley, one of the founders of the coalition, said his group's proposal was only meant as a conversation starter, and going after massage parlors is not the "end-all." But he said he wants to make Shasta County a tougher market for pimps and illicit massage parlors. He was open to working with a committee on the issue, given the city's tight finances. Among those who may serve with Moseley are DeWalt, Sullivan and Weaver, McArthur suggested. SHARE By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight SHASTA LAKE Two people gave the Shasta Lake City Council an earful about homeless camps and the problems they're causing in the pair's neighborhoods at the meeting Tuesday night. "I've chased people off my property at least three times," said Jesse Lane, one of the two who also presented dozens of pictures of the homeless camps and the trash he said that people leave strewn around. The issue was one of several the council took up at its meeting it also approved moving forward with a land sale in which the council will serve as both the buyer and the seller of a property the utility wants to develop into its first power plant. Lane said he wanted to bring the camps to the council's attention in addition to publicizing the drug, health, environmental damage and dangers from the camps. "I had a birthday party for my 11-year-old son with about 10 11-year-olds in the house. I had a gentleman come to my door and stated he's a time traveler and was needing to get to Oregon," Lane said. "(My brother-in-law and I) drove him as far north as we could and dropped him by the side of the road." Sometimes when he reports the camps, Shasta Lake sheriff's deputies order them to leave the property, though another property owner has been told their hands are tied. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said his deputies have been going into the camps and mapping where the camps are. However, trespassing laws have specific criteria in order to force a person to leave, he said. One suggestion, he said, is to place "no-trespassing" signs up. While the county does have a camping ordinance, city manager John Duckett said he's not aware of any similar ordinance for Shasta Lake. Lane presented one type that the Sacramento Police Department put forward that bans camping on private and public property except with the owner's permission for one night. The council told staff to look into a camping ordinance similar to the county's. Bosenko, Lane and council members Greg Watkins and Larry Farr all acknowledged, however, that such an ordinance is not a silver bullet for homeless camps the solution will be much more complex and span several agencies. That's because when one area, such as Redding, ups its enforcement, the homeless move to other areas, becoming a cycle of simply shifting the problem around different jurisdictions, Bosenko said. "It becomes nothing but an endless circle," said Bosenko. Duckett noted that Redding councilwoman Kristen Schreder has been spearheading a homeless study for ideas to address the area's homeless problem. Mayor Lori Chapman-Sifers told Lane she's hearing similar concerns and complaints around town. The council also approved beginning negotiations for the city's utility to purchase a 32-acre lot for the city's first power plant. But the council will also be the agency representing the state for the deal because the property is a redevelopment property. When the state ended the redevelopment agencies, the City Council took over stewardship of the properties as the redevelopment successor agency. That means the council has to sign off on any sale of any redevelopment properties. The utility expects to pay up to $93,500 for the property, a combination of a series of debts attached to the property along with the fair market value price, said Tom Miller, director of the electric utility. The state would have to approve the deal as well. SHARE 9:50 p.m. update: Click here to read the letter that Costco Wholesale sent to the city of Redding terminating its contract for site improvements in the Oasis Road area. 7:15 p.m. update The warehouse giant Costco today terminated its contract with the city of Redding regarding site improvements for a new store in the Oasis Road area, it was announced at the City Council meeting tonight. City Manager Kurt Starman said the city will continue working with Costco, but he added the Oasis Road area site will not work for the company. The responsibility for Costco walking away is not solely the fault of developer Don Levenson's LD&C, council member Gary Cadd said tonight. Cadd said the city, too, is to blame. "This should be a wake-up call that all of us can improve our game when it comes to development opportunities in Redding," said attorney Walt McNeill, who represents Levenson. McNeill also sometimes represents the Record Searchlight. Costco is looking for land along Interstate 5, McNeill said. Council member Francie Sullivan made a motion for Mayor Missy McArthur and council member Brent Weaver to serve as liaisons related to the Costco project. The council voted 4-1 to appoint McArthur and Weaver with Cadd dissenting. Cadd said at the meeting he's not going to let this go and will do what he can to make sure Costco stays in Redding. Cadd, repeating what McNeill said in today's article in the Record Searchlight, said: We need to get put people inside a room, order pizza and lock the door to work on a deal. ORIGINAL STORY The Redding City Council tonight will receive an update on the proposed relocation of Costco in the Oasis Road area. The project is on shaky ground because of a development agreement that the property owner, Don Levenson of LD&C of Los Angeles, seeks with the city before he sells land to the big box discount retailer. Tonight's meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave. Attorneys for Levenson has been asking for a development deal to ensure he will be able to build the shopping center along with the relocation of store but the city has ignored his requests for more than five years. But the city said, as written, the draft agreement would require $32 million in taxpayer commitments to pay for the road infrastructures in the area and is risky. Also, officials expressed concerns about the timing. Levenson submitted his proposal on Dec. 2. Meanwhile, Costco had set a Feb. 1 deadline for the company and LD&C to renew their land sale agreement. The deadline has passed without the two entering into contract. The council is expected to act on a recommendation to negotiate exclusively with Jamie Lynn of Building Adventures for the possible sale of the former police station and adjacent secured parking lot on California Street. Lynn is proposing to turn the dilapidated building into a full-service restaurant and build a two-story mixed-used building on the parking lot. The council will receive a report from City Attorney Barry DeWalt related to sex trafficking and the possible ties to massage parlors. This report is at the request of the local group Northern California Anti-Trafficking Coalition, which seeks an ordinance to regulate the area's massage parlors. Tweets by @jennyespino_RS One of the homes Alejandro Ruiz operates in Laredo Texas for Cuban migrants. Some of the migrants he helps transport to Cuban enclaves in Florida, others stay at the home for months while they obtain Social Secucity numbers, food stamps and work permits. Thousnads of Cuban have poured into Texas in recent months. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske/Los Angeles Times/TNS) SHARE By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times LAREDO, Texas Scores of Cubans crossed the border bridge here from Mexico on a recent weekday, pregnant women in fluorescent rhinestone-studded T-shirts, men in tight jeans towing suitcases all in search of Alejandro Ruiz. Many of the migrants find Ruiz via his cellphone or by navigating his Facebook page. But on this day, those searching for Ruiz came up empty when they reached his storefront office. He was on the other side of town, busy helping new arrivals at one of two temporary shelters he operates. Ruiz, 49, a Cuban-American auto body shop owner, noticed the need here years ago as the influx was just starting. He encountered Cuban migrants at the border checkpoint who seemed to have no idea what to do once they stepped into America, the same overwhelming feeling he had when he flew from Havana to New Jersey in 1992. Back then, a Cuban womens group helped him navigate the system. Now a citizen, Ruiz founded Cubanos en Libertad, a nonprofit that provides transportation, shelter and assistance to Cuban migrants. The number of Cubans arriving in the U.S. has steadily increased since 2009 but nearly doubled in the fiscal year that ended in September to more than 43,000, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. At Ruizs transit shelter, a white corner house on a run-down stretch of Hidalgo Street near the San Augustin de Laredo historic district, new arrivals chatted in rapid-fire Cuban Spanish in a rear courtyard. On the living room couch, next to a pile of luggage, teenagers listened to Dos Copas de Mas, by the pop duo HaAsh, on Spanish-language radio on their cellphones. In a darkened back bedroom, two women slept. In the kitchen, a cook served Cuban fricase de pollo, stewed chicken and potatoes with black beans on rice, and a desert of dulce de toronja, candied grapefruit rind sprinkled with Mexican white cheese. I only help the people who dont have money. I have a little house, and I help them get documents, Ruiz said as he sat down at the kitchen table for lunch. Of course, its more complicated than that. Thanks to the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, Cubans who arrive in America are granted permission to stay legally. Unlike the tens of thousands of Central Americans who have poured into south Texas in recent years, the immigrants from Cuba are also eligible for federal welfare benefits and permanent residency, a path to citizenship. But as relations between the U.S. and Cuba began to normalize in 2014, thousands fled toward America, afraid their window of opportunity would close. Most of the Cuban migrants fly to Ecuador, then travel north through Central America and Mexico to this Texas border town. Its a longer trip than the traditional overseas route to Florida but considered a better bet. Once they arrive, Ruiz a heavyset man with gray hair and a goatee is there to help. He provides temporary shelter and arranges drivers and vans to ferry many of the new arrivals to Miami, a top destination. Others stay for months at one of the houses while he helps them get Social Security numbers, food stamps, work permits, Medicaid and other benefits. Then when they get their permit for work I say, Youre on your own! Ruiz said. Many arrive hoping to join relatives, some of whom came during past mass migrations. Those who dont go to Cuban enclaves in Florida migrate to Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Louisville, Ky. the last the home to a host of immigrant resettlement groups. Others go to New Jersey or to Omaha and slaughterhouses that are hiring. About 600 arrived two weekends ago, Ruiz said, clicking through emails on his smartphone. A friend was emailing him updates from Costa Rica, where an estimated 8,000 Cuban migrants have been stranded since late last year after Nicaragua closed its border. Central American leaders announced a deal last month that allowed the stranded Cubans to fly from Costa Rica to El Salvador, then travel by bus to the border for $550. On Feb. 9, officials added the first direct flight to Laredos sister city, Nuevo Laredo. But many of the migrants Ruiz was aiding were not on that plane. When they said they were going to have only two flights per week, the Cubans said we will be here another six months. So they contacted coyotes to cross, Ruiz said, adding to the influx here. One of them was Ernesto Rosales, 23, a barber with rhinestone studs in his ears who fled Matanzas, Cuba, in early December, leaving behind his mother and 18-year-old brother. After landing in Ecuador, he traveled to Costa Rica, where he was stuck for months, working as a barber. When Rosales heard about the new flight limits, he knew it was time to go. He paid a coyote $650 to get him to Honduras, another $300 to reach southern Mexico. I didnt want to be stuck another five months, he said. This week, Rosales and three other men will go with Ruiz to get Social Security cards, Medicaid and food stamps. Rosales plans to find work as a barber in Miami or New Jersey, become a citizen and bring the rest of his family to America. Sulen Marrero, a 15-year-old bottle blond wearing a pink tank top, also turned to a coyote after spending three months stuck with her mother and 27-year-old sister in Costa Rica, living in a partitioned room with more than 100 others and working as a stylist. Now theyre headed to Miami to join her stepfather. Marrero recalled the most dangerous part of the trip was traveling through Colombia, where she saw armed men in the streets. There were some others who got kidnapped, robbed. They just want money. If you dont give it, they kill you, she said. (EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE) Another migrant, one of the first passengers from the Costa Rica flight, is six months pregnant and said she has yet to see a doctor. I want it to be free, Janey Saque, 27, said of her unborn baby. Saque said she spent three months in Costa Rica and that she and her mechanic husband paid $38,000 for the trip after leaving Havana. On the plane with them from Costa Rica were about 40 other pregnant women, she said. That worried Ruiz. He has been trying to get the government to provide more assistance here and in Florida, where at least one lawmaker has proposed a job training and placement program for them. Tomorrow he is meeting with officials from a local Methodist church who may help. If more people start coming, Ruiz said, we are going to be in trouble. 2016 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Map of voter ID laws. San Diego Union Tribune 2016 SHARE Chart of voter turnout after voter ID laws. San Diego Union Tribune 2016 By Daniel Wheaton, The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGO Researchers from the University of California, San Diego have created a new statistical model indicating that voter identification laws do what detractors claim reduce turnout for minorities and those on the political left. Overall, the researchers found, strict ID laws cause a reduction in Democratic turnout by 8.8 percentage points, compared with a reduction of 3.6 percentage points for Republicans. The study focused on the 11 states with the strictest voter ID laws, generally requiring photo identification to cast a ballot. Researchers used a large voter survey database to compare turnout in those states to those in states with lesser or no ID requirements. Several states have passed less strict ID laws. But in 17 states including California, New York and Illinois, a more traditional honor system still applies at the ballot box. The ID requirements have been pushed by groups who say they want to protect the integrity of the ballot box, but critics say fraud is minimal and the real motivation is to suppress minority and liberal voters. The report by professor Zoltan Hajnal, a UCSD political scientist, sheds no light on the motivations of lawmakers passing such requirements, but does indicate the laws have an effect on turnout. The analysis shows that strict identification laws have a differentially negative impact on the turnout of Hispanics, Blacks, Asian-Americans, and multi-racial Americans in primaries and general elections, the report says. We also find that voter ID laws skew democracy toward those on the political right. Along racial lines, the researchers found, minority voter participation dropped an average of 4.7 percentage points among self-identified Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans and mixed race individuals in general elections and 5.7 percentage points in primaries. According to the research, the effect on turnout based on ideology is also pronounced. Self-identified strong liberals tend to turn out by 7.9 percentage points less when confronted with strict identification requirements. Strong conservatives vote at a higher rate, by 4.8 percentage points, in the strict ID environment, the research indicates. Hajnal wrote the paper with UCSD researcher Nazita Lajevardi and Lindsay Nielson of Bucknell University. They used voter data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Studies database, maintained by Harvard University. The database contained survey results for 50,000 respondents regarding elections from 2006 to 2014. The authors say their paper contains more recent election data from states with stricter laws than previous research that found negligible impact on voter turnout. Their paper has been posted online and distributed among other political scientists. It has yet to withstand peer review or be chosen for publication in an academic journal, but Hajnal has been published repeatedly on matters of race and politics, in the American Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, Urban Affairs Review and elsewhere. He is the author of last years White Backlash: Immigration, Race, and American Politics, from Princeton University Press. Richard Hasen, professor of law and political science at UC Irvine School of Law, cautioned against drawing conclusions from the paper, which is an outlier. Social science is not this kind of thing where you have one study and its a smoking gun and thats it, Hasen said. Its a situation where you have a ton of studies and they all point in a particular direction. Hasen said many confounding factors and changing rules affect voter turnout. Surveys show wide support for voter ID laws. A 2012 Pew Research Center poll found that 77 percent of registered voters support a photo ID requirement to vote. California doesnt have a voter ID law, although conservative talk show host Elise Richmond of Palm Springs tried unsuccessfully to gather signatures to get one on the ballot in 2014. She said the idea that certain groups dont have or are unable to obtain IDs is paternalistic and offensive. If the laws discourage voters initially, she said, they would eventually get used to the requirement and get an ID. In order to do anything in the U.S., you need an ID or some sort of number to identify you, she said. How do you get your welfare checks if you dont have some sort of number? Richmond, and other voter ID supporters, mentioned Mexico as a model that the U.S. should follow; that nation requires a photo ID to vote. Tony Krvaric, San Diego County Republican Party chairman, said that voter ID is a common-sense way to prevent any possible voter fraud. Krvaric voted for the first time when he was in his native Sweden, which required him to have an ID and proof of address. When he immigrated to California, he said, he was surprised when he was only asked for his name. I still have that in the back of my mind, he said about voting, that I want to prove who I am. As far as the studys findings, Krvaric said, informing voters of the requirements is the best way to keep turnout constant. After time, he said, any reduction in turnout would even out. You need an ID to fly, you need an ID to drive a car, you need an ID to borrow a library book, so I think its a common sense position, Krvaric said. For organizations looking to boost voter participation and engagement, voter ID laws present a hurdle. Jeanne Brown, President of the San Diego League of Women Voters, said that voter ID laws create an inconvenience, resulting in lower turnout overall. I like to see any statistics the other side has on voter ID laws doing anything but restricting votes, she said. There are very few cases of people trying to vote when they arent qualified to vote. In the UCSD study, Hispanics show the largest drop in turnout under strict voter ID laws, followed by Asian-American and mixed race individuals. White individuals showed only a small decrease. The researchers presented the evidence with a caveat: The reduction in votes could be caused by other factors, such as strict ID states also having more rigid registration deadlines and fewer vote-by-mail options. Also, the paper says, strict voter ID laws may simply tend to pass in states that have other environmental factors intimidating minority voters. The effects of voter ID laws that we see here are eerily similar to the impact of measures like poll taxes, literacy tests, residency requirements, and at-large elections which were used by the white majority decades and centuries ago to help deny blacks many basic rights, the paper says. The nature of older barriers and current voter ID laws today remain eerily similar: they were both instituted by advocates who claimed they would help to ensure the integrity and legitimacy of democracy. Both Lajevardi and Hajnal said that Hispanics may be turning up less frequently because of a broader set of issues including controversy over immigration policies and enforcement. Rose Conde, secretary for the League of United Latin American Citizens of the Desert, said a combination of barriers including the very process of getting an ID may explain why Hispanics are disproportionately affected by the laws. Sometimes it is expensive, and some people dont want to pay the fees, Conde said. To boost participation, LULAC has been focusing on youth engagement in politics, because Conde said, they are the demographic most likely to have the proper IDs. 2016 The San Diego Union-Tribune Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. SHARE "We've always gone through periods when our democracy seems stuck. And when that happens, we have to find a new way of doing business. We're in one of those moments." President Barack Obama, Springfield, Feb. 10, 2016. When President Obama uttered those words in Illinois last week, urging bipartisan cooperation, he could not have guessed how relevant they would soon become or how quickly they would be disregarded. The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, alas, quickly sent partisans to their battle stations. Republicans vowed to block any nominee, arguing that the decision should not be made by a lame-duck president. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid retorted, "Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate's most essential constitutional responsibilities." The president has indicated he will submit a nomination. The question is: What kind? If Obama is sincere in his wish for a new spirit of compromise, he can demonstrate it, and perhaps inspire it, by looking for someone acceptable to reasonable people on either side of the aisle. Senate Republicans don't hold all the cards here. If they appear obstructionist, they could not only damage the GOP presidential nominee but torpedo some of the incumbent Republican senators facing re-election this year. Republican leader Mitch McConnell has to wonder whether holding to a hard line on the court vacancy could mean losing the Senate. Obama obviously is not going to win over the opposition party with a liberal dream candidate the Democratic version of Scalia. If he is to have any hope of getting his nominee approved, the candidate will have to be a Democratic version of John Roberts or Anthony Kennedy. What Obama should be looking for is someone who sees the role of a justice much like Roberts outlined it in his confirmation hearings: "Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules, but it is a limited role." Roberts and Kennedy, appointed by Republican presidents, have sometimes disappointed Republicans. There is no shortage of candidates who would verify Obama's willingness to meet the other side halfway. One is Sri Srinivasan, who served in the Solicitor General's Office under President George W. Bush and Obama and was confirmed for the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by a unanimous vote of the Senate. Another is Merrick Garland, chief judge of that court, who is considered a moderate. Or the president could break the usual mold of candidates and choose someone from elective office. Maybe the White House has in mind other prospects of this sort who would actually have a prayer of getting through the Senate. Republicans would be forced to choose between a comparative centrist now and a staunch liberal next year, if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected. Obama could boast that rather than make a partisan selection to please his Democratic base, he's nominating someone who at times may surprise and even flummox him in the coming decades. Just as Justices Roberts and Kennedy at times have surprised and flummoxed Republicans. The alternative for Obama is to choose an unmistakable liberal for symbolic or ideological reasons. We realize suggesting that he do otherwise asks him to buck his political instincts. Many Democrats will be peeved if he doesn't choose someone in the mold of his earlier nominees now on the court, the usually reliable liberals Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Sure, Obama's submission of a doomed choice now could be used to tar the GOP as intransigent and rally the Democratic faithful on behalf of the party's presidential nominee. By taking that route, though, Obama would not only assure a protracted vacancy on the court but drive a bigger wedge between the two parties on Capitol Hill. If he wants to establish "a new way of doing business," this is his chance. Chicago Tribune If the Make in India campaign is to succeed, more attention needs to be focused on what is ailing the countrys exports sector, rues AK Bhattacharya, Editor, Business Standard The significance of an exports decline for the 14th consecutive month does not seem to have fully dawned on everyone in the government. The tendency so far has been to blame it all on the world trade environment. Globally, exports are slowing and economic growth in major markets for Indian goods has taken a hit. The argument seems to be that there is little that anybody can do about Indias falling exports. And that once the global economic environment improves and the markets for Indian goods start reviving, Indias exports too will roar back with the kind of double-digit growth that they witnessed till a few years ago. This is worse than complacency or what might be described as market fatalism. Consider the absolute numbers of Indias declining exports in the last few months. In January 2016, they were estimated at $21 billion. A year ago in January 2015, exports fetched foreign exchange worth $24.39 billion and two years ago in the same month of 2014, the value of exports was $26.75 billion. In other words, Indias monthly exports in January have seen a drop of 21 per cent in the last two years. Worse, exports continue to fall even on a lower base. Its true that monthly imports too have fallen by a similar margin, causing no undue pressure on Indias trade account. On the contrary, the trade deficit has actually shrunk from what it used to be a year or two ago. This, however, is of little comfort as falling exports -- apart from having a deleterious impact on industrial growth -- can be a significant dampener for the Modi governments much-hyped Make in India campaign. If the Make in India campaign is to succeed, more attention needs to be focused on what is ailing the countrys exports sector. Remember that a booming exports sector can also help find jobs for millions of young Indians who are entering the employment market every year. So, what can the government do in such a situation? First, it must recognise that Indias exports sector is in a crisis. Recognising it as such is the first task. Even as smaller Asian countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam are growing their exports, Indian exports are declining. This should make the government sit up and assess what those countries or their exporters have done which is giving them higher exports even in the current situation of a slowing world economy, and what the imperatives for India and Indian exporters should be to overcome a similar challenge. The second important task would be to recognise that the role of the commerce ministry in promoting exports is critical -- but it cannot hope to perform the desired job in the same way it could do during the licence-permit era. The commerce ministry does not have too many levers of policy control in todays liberalised economic environment by which it could make a material difference to Indias exports performance. Instead, it can function as a facilitator for exporters by helping them overcome the many problems they face while dealing with other ministries and agencies. Could the commerce ministry work closely with other ministries in charge of the railways, roads, ports, Customs and even labour to resolve the exporters day-to-day problems that could come in the way of expeditious shipment of goods? An equally important task for the ministry would be to work with Indian embassies abroad and help Indian exporters identify potential markets. Perhaps the commerce ministry has already begun liaising with other departments and ministries in the Union government to help Indias exporters. But given the steep and consistent decline in exports, it is time the ministry set up a permanent inter-ministerial body to monitor exports and remove the bottlenecks that come in their way. Indeed, the time may be ripe for setting up a Cabinet committee on exports which could be headed by the prime minister. Until some years ago, a Cabinet committee on exports was part and parcel of the Union governments economic policy machinery. That body is no longer in existence. The crisis on the exports front has reached a point that it is perhaps necessary to revive it. There is an added advantage of having an inter-ministerial body monitoring exports or a Cabinet committee on exports. Proposals to boost exports can then be examined from all perspectives as different economic ministries can give their inputs on the possible adverse consequences of any move to help the exports sector. For instance, the commerce ministry has now mooted the idea of exempting units located in Special Economic Zones from the levy of minimum alternate tax or MAT at the rate of 18.5 per cent of their book profit. The objective is to provide incentives for the 4,122 units operating in the 204-odd SEZs in the country which account for almost a fifth of Indias total exports. The total investments in these SEZ units are estimated at Rs 3.63 lakh crore and they employ around 1.5 million workers. The commerce ministrys logic behind restoring the MAT exemption for SEZ units is that exports would go up. However, if such a proposal gets discussed in an inter-ministerial body or the Cabinet committee on exports, a more considered view could be taken on the matter. For instance, it would be argued that improving the infrastructure conditions around the SEZ units would have been of far greater impact than exempting them from MAT, which would run contrary to the governments stated policy of phasing out exemptions even while reducing the peak rate of corporation tax. And hopefully, such an inter-ministerial committee or a Cabinet committee on exports would also lend its weight to the need for depreciating the rupee to provide the necessary boost to exports. The latest updates from Tamil film industry. Kamal Haasan has been in the United States since the beginning of February, and has faithfully kept his fans informed about his activities through Twitter. One of the first events he attended in the US was the annual India Conference of the Harvard Business School on February 6, where he was invited to deliver a keynote address on Freedom of Speech. He also made time to attend an initiative for cancer care and awareness, where he was seen along with his partner and actress Gautami Tadimalla in Dallas. Later, he made a brief stop at San Jose to meet his extended family. 'All Haasan boys except. Mr Charuhasan. RtoL. Chandrahasan Nirmal Haasan Siddharth Haasan and Me K.Haasan. San Jose,' Kamal tweeted. In the photograph, the actor is seen with his older brother Chandra Haasan, his son Nirmal and grandson Siddharth. The week also saw Kamal interact with the Indian techies at the Google headquarters in Boston. He wrote, 'Googling the Google & managing some googlers. Was at the heart of @google & there was so much of it there @YouTube.' The actor is also believed to have finalised the locations for his next Tamil-Hindi bilingual, which is to be entirely shot in the United States. *** Rajinikanth inaugurates store at Malaysia Social media is rife with news that superstar Rajinikanth inaugurated a showroom at Malaysia belonging to one of his hardcore fans. This is a first for the actor, who has never endorsed a brand in India in a career spanning nearly four decades. Rajinikanth, however, made an exception for Abdl Malik Dastageer, his longtime fan and incidentally also the distributor of his upcoming venture Kabali, for which he is currently shooting in Malaysia. Yashpal Singh (left) attacks a JNU student during the violence outside a Delhi court on February 15, 2016. Photograph Courtesy: VictorVibhu/Twitter There were 10-15 JNU guys who came in fake lawyer dress and instigated the violence. They want to give us a bad name. When someone holds my brother lawyers neck must I wait for permission from the media and the police to beat the attacker? These JNU guys are raising anti-India slogans and I am saying Hindustan Zindabad, and you say I have created problems? Yashpal Singh, one of the lawyers caught on camera assaulting students and media-persons in the Patiala House court in New Delhi on Monday, when Jawaharlal Nehru University student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being presented before the judge, denied beating any journalist and said it is the media that is tarnishing his image unnecessarily. He spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com on why he is angry with Kanhaiya and why he beat up people who raised anti-India slogans. Why did you attack JNU students in court? They are speaking against India and saying Hindustan Murdabad. How can they say that? Dal-roti hamari khata hai, humko hi gaali deta hai ***** (he eats our food and yet abuses us). There were 10-15 JNU guys who came dressed in fake lawyer dress and instigated the violence. They want to give us a bad name. Why was there violence in the court? Because we were attacked by these fake lawyers. What is the reason for your anger against the JNU students? I have got no affiliation with any political party but if anyone speaks against my country, I will not tolerate that. Do you think you should take the law in your hands? We were not beating them, they were attacking us first. If someone holds my neck will I wait for the law and the police to come? So does it mean that you will beat up anyone speaking in favour of the JNU students? No problem, we will beat everyone whom we can lay our hands on. Why did you attack the journalists? We are not attacking journalists, it was the fake lawyers of JNU. We have no problem with journalists. Today (Wednesday), we caught two fake JNU lawyers and handed them over to the police. What are their names? I dont know. You claim fake lawyers from JNU beat up the journalists but on television it is your face that is being shown? I am a patriot. I have not created this problem. These JNU guys are raising anti-India slogans and I am saying Hindustan Zindabad, and you say I have created problems? And if I have created this problem, I will do it again and again. Whoever says anything against my country, I will beat him. The Bharatiya Janata Party guys are also saying... (Interrupts) I am not from the BJP. So why did you indulge in violence in court? When someone holds my brother lawyers neck must I wait for permission from the media and the police to beat the attacker? You mean to say JNU guys attacked you first? They have attacked us. We must start a movement against JNU which produces anti-national elements. Can we sleep peacefully? Can we travel peacefully? We want to fight all this with our movement. What do you think must be done with JNU? JNU must be shut down. You pay Rs 400 a year and get subsidy of Rs 4 lakh from the Indian tax-payer's money. And you produce terrorists. They say Hindustan Murdabad with our money. The police is not allowed to enter JNU. What kind of institution is this? But it is your photograph that is appearing on television and newspapers while indulging in violence. I am saying Hindustan Zindabad. If that is violence I will say it a thousand times. But why are you taking the law in your hands? I am an advocate so dont teach me the law. Why didn't you inform the police when you are attacked? When will I go to the police? They kill us by coming inside our home. These people make bombs here and kill us in our homes. What has the police done? Are you saying the police is involved with them? No, the police is not with the JNU but they have so many restrictions. When you wear the police uniform you are told what your limits are. But on television we saw mobile phones of journalists being snatched by lawyers. Those are fake lawyers. They are wearing black coats but are from JNU. Dont you think all this violence is creating a law and order problem? You dont see any law and order problem in JNU when they shout anti-India slogans. If you cannot stop that, then I would prefer to die. In court they shouted Pakistan zindabad. How can I hear all this? I am a citizen of India, son of a farmer, and I cannot tolerate it if anyone spreads terrorism in India. But what about law and order? What are you talking of the law? There are six accomplices of Kanhaiya who shouted anti-India slogans, where are they? They have still not been arrested. Where is the law? The sedition law states that it can only be applied if there is violence after a speech, isnt it? Kamaal kar diya sir aapne (you surprise me). Which law have your read? Tell me the sections. The sedition law is what I am talking about. They are holding a meeting against India and shouting slogans against India and saying Pakistan zindabad. In JNU, people like (absconding accused in the JNU case) Omar Khalid and people from Pakistan make the atmosphere dirty and you want me to keep quiet and let these meetings go on. Do you mean to say whoever speaks against the nation must be jailed? Our soldiers are dying in Siachen but they are getting a free education and talking against our country. A person who is class 12 pass is going to Siachen to die for the country and these people earn Rs 30,000 and are doing PhD in JNU. And the funding is being done by the government, the remaining things they get from Pakistan. What must the Narendra Modi government do? It is up to Modi to decide. I have got nothing to do with him. But you are the one who will be arrested because you are caught on camera. I will get arrested. What is the problem? I will go to Kanhaiyas jail and beat him over there. But did Kanhaiya say anything that is anti-national? In JNU they were asking for azadi (freedom). If you want azadi, go and stay in Pakistan. There is no place for traitors in India. If there is something wrong in the family, then the head is responsible. There were six others who were shouting anti-India slogans, they ran away. If I get them I will not leave them. Isolated Congress party signals that disruption will continue to be its preferred tactical parliamentary weapon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's heartfelt appeal to allow Parliament to function on Tuesday elicited a positive response even from groups like the Janata Dal-United that are rivals of the government. However, his outreach failed to melt the Congress, which was isolated but signalled that disruption would continue to be its preferred tactical parliamentary weapon. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, leader and deputy leader of the Congress in the Upper House who attended the all-party meeting called by the prime minister ahead of the budget session of Parliament beginning on February 23, nodded vigorously in agreement when the PM said disrupting Parliament served no useful purpose for either the government or the Opposition. But Sharma said: "Hum shareer par aghaat sahan kar sakte hain, lekin dil par chot nahin (we can withstand an assault on our person, but not on our heart). Ghulam Nabi Azad explained the context: the PM's statement at an election rally in Assam some days ago that Parliament was not being allowed to run because of the whims of one family. "You should remember that sacrifices have been made by five generations of this family to the cause of India, to ensure India is kept together," Azad said. It was left to the normally mild-mannered Naresh Gujral of the Shiromani Akali Dal to retort: "If you are saying that five generations of the family have made sacrifices, then that is not enough. More sacrifice is needed". Later, Sharma and Azad stayed back after the other leaders had left, presumably to discuss something with the PM separately. Interestingly, at the meeting Modi pointedly and categorically distanced himself from the events in Arunachal Pradesh where 11 Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs have supported a breakaway group from the Congress to make a bid to unseat a ruling Congress government and form a government of defectors. The PM said, suo motu, that not only had he made his disapproval of the Arunachal Pradesh events clear to his party colleagues, but had also told governors privately that this kind of thing was unacceptable and should be avoided. Home Minister Rajnath Singh was not present at the meeting. The Congress and the Left parties were clear that if they were not given a hearing, they would ensure that the government did not get a hearing either. The Left parties, which were represented by D Raja and Mohammad Salim, said: "We will not disrupt the House and will allow bills to be passed. But the issues that agitate and worry us must get a hearing too". The PM said: "You have as much right to make demands on me as the rest of India. I am the prime minister for India, not just for the BJP". He added: "It is my responsibility to listen to you -- and not just to you but to everyone". "The PM seemed eager to discuss every issue. He was ready to hear whatever people and other political parties wanted to ventilate," said a leader of a regional party who was present at the meeting. The Samajwadi Party's Ramgopal Yadav said: "Our party does not enjoy the kind of strength it takes to disrupt Parliament". JD-U's Sharad Yadav said: "While we continue to have faith in disruption of Parliament as a tactic, you can't do it again and again. In any case, our party does not have the strength to disrupt Parliament repeatedly". The JD-U is the Congress's alliance partner. Bhratrihari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal was clear that disruption of Parliament was erosion of democracy and was unacceptable. 'We want Parliament to run,' he told the PM. Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien said: "We might not be present for the entire duration of the budget session because of our preoccupation with the assembly elections but we are eager to see the House function". A member of an opposition party present there said: "The Congress was completely isolated. But for the Left parties, no one seemed to be in support of their methods in the two houses". The BJP's position was clear: "Because of Rahul Gandhi's bent of mind two sessions have been washed out. The BJP would like Parliament to function. Our government is making all efforts for the smooth functioning of Parliament. The Congress is once again looking at issues to stall Parliament. We hope that in the interest of the country, better sense will prevail," BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said. Government sources said if the Opposition continued to stall Parliament, decision-making would increasingly be done through executive order. Government sources said that at the meeting of leaders of all major parties in both the Houses of Parliament, that the PM made his opening remarks and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu intervened briefly and most of the talking during the two-hour 15-minute-long meeting was done by leaders of various parties conveying their concern over persistent disruptions witnessed over the last two sessions. Other opposition leaders said disruption of proceedings was lowering the image of Parliament. "Even children are making fun of the Parliamentarians; the poor are the worst affected; regional and other small parties are being deprived of opportunities to raise issues of concern for their states and people; for parties like the BSP whose leaders do not go to TV studios, Parliament is the only forum for raising issues concerning weaker sections and this is being denied and the economic agenda of the country is getting derailed". Several of the over 30 leaders who attended the meeting said that with the government willing to discuss all issues of larger concern, there was no reason to disrupt proceedings. Responding to the Jawaharlal Nehru University incident raised by the leaders of Congress and CPM, Jaitley said the implications of the incidents need to be understood properly. He asked if any responsible political party can endorse the slogans made at the so-called protest meet in JNU; and that all should await the inquiry report in the matter. Naidu said the government was willing to walk the extra mile to enable smooth functioning of Parliament and details of legislative agenda would be informed to the parties at the all-party meeting on February 22. According to sources, "The force and spirit of the demands for smooth functioning of Parliament made at Tuesday's meeting would make any party think twice before thinking of disrupting the proceedings." Image: PM Narendra Modi at the all-party meet. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Days after a court in Bihar issued a notice to Lord Hanuman's statue, another court has issued summons to Lord Hanuman to appear before it in an encroachment case. The sub-divisional magistrate court in Rohtas district on Wednesday summoned Lord Hanuman to appear in the court after hearing a complaint from the public works department. The PWD in its complaint has sought the courts intervention to remove the panchmukhi (five-headed) Hanuman temple from a road in Dehri On Sone in the district as it creates problem for the people. The courts order was pasted on the idol of Lord Hanuman by officials of the district administration. A group of Bajrang Dal activists and local Bharatiya Janata Party workers have opposed the courts notice and demanded that it be withdrawn at once. Early this month, in the states Begusarai district, officials issued an encroachment notice against Lord Hanuman. While issuing the notice, officials ordered the temple to be demolished as it created an obstruction for vehicular traffic. However, Bajrang Dal workers protested against it and forced the authorities to dump the notice. In another incident on February 1, a lawyer in the states Sitamarhi district filed a case against Lord Rama and his brother Laxman for renouncing Sita, which was rejected by chief judicial magistrate Rash Bihari. Photograph: @ANI_News / twitter BAE Systems on Wednesday announced selection of Mahindra as its India partner for the nearly $700 million (Rs 480 crore deal for the supply of 145 M777 howitzers, which are ultralight weight artillery guns having a strike range of 25 kilometre. The gun deal would be through Foreign Military Sales but the spares, maintenance and ammunition will be operated through Indian systems, defence sources said. BAE Systems has down-selected Mahindra as its business partner for the proposed in-country Assembly, Integration & Test (facility for the M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer, BAE said in a statement. India and the United States are in discussion for supply of 145 M777A2 LW155 howitzers for the Indian Army, it said. BAE Systems looks forward to working with Mahindra in the coming weeks to finalize details of this AIT facility and to negotiate the terms of its contractual arrangement, the company said. Last year, BAE developed and submitted a US government-supported proposal offering a higher degree of indigenisation on the M777 weapon system. The highlight of this is the commitment to establish AIT capabilities in India in partnership with a domestic Indian company. The selection follows a detailed assessment of Mahindras ability to fulfil the requirements and provide the best value to the M777 India programme, and in the future, grow its capability as a strategic partner for BAE Systems in India, it said. Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager, Weapon Systems, BAE Systems said that as a founding partner of defence manufacturing in India, BAE Systems is pleased to partner with Mahindra. The facility is a fundamental part of the M777 production line. A domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility will enable the Indian Army to access maintenance, spares and support for the M777 locally. We will continue to support the two governments to progress to contract agreement so that we may begin the process of Make in India for M777, Senftle said. On its part, Mahindra said M777 will give the army a much needed operational advantage and an access to state-of-the-art technology. Mahindra M777 facility will also ensure that the life cycle support is available locally thereby enhancing operational availability of the guns, SP Shukla, group president, Mahindra Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Group said. Slapped with sedition charges, Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday said that he is an Indian who has full faith in judiciary and the Constitution, a statement the police latched on to say that it will not oppose his bail. "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country," Kumar told Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings. "The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial," he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings. Kumar, who has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week, has been arrested by the Delhi police. He has been remanded to judicial custody till March 2. Reacting to the statement, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said if Kumar applies for bail, then police will not object to it. "I personally feel, a young person...perhaps be given bail," he told reporters. Kumar told the committee of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court to asses the situation in the Patiala House court that he was treated well by the police. "I have no complaints against the police. When I was brought to the court, a mob attacked me. Police was escorting me to the court room and they tried their best to save me from the mob. But still, I was beaten up. Even some of the police officials were assaulted," he said. The magistrate immediately ordered medical examination of Kumar by a team of doctors in the court. The magistrate ordered the deputy commissioner of police (security) present in the court to ensure that there is no attack on him. He also directed the superintendent of Tihar jail to ensure security of Kumar. Photograph: PTI Photo A 55-year-old Indian man, who was on a visit to the United States to attend his daughter's marriage, has gone missing, prompting authorities to launch a massive search operation. Prasad Moparti, from Hyderabad, had been in the US since January and was scheduled to return to India on February 26. He was attending his daughter Durga Moparti's wedding at Grand Island Mansion in Walnut Grove in Northern California on Saturday when he walked away about 4 pm and never returned, said Tony Turnbull, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. "I believe that he was just walking and he fell unconscious, and he just tripped or something like that, but I'm really not sure what happened, and this seems like a total mystery," Durga, 29, said. Turnbull said authorities suspended their search for Moparti as there was no "suspicious circumstances or foul play leading to his disappearance". He said Moparti was considered a voluntary missing person but considering his lack of familiarity with the area and history of depression, the department used "all resources available in attempts to locate him". "Family members ... indicated Moparti suffered from depression, and that he showed indicators of his depression leading up to the wedding," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. That contradicts the picture painted earlier Tuesday by daughter Durga. She could not be reached after the search was suspended. "Our dad was really very happy. He was dancing. He was really joyful," she told reporters hours before the search was called off. She said her father, an avid walker who manages apartments in Hyderabad, danced at the party on Friday and enjoyed the ceremony on Saturday. She said as people were packing to leave the mansion on Saturday, Prasad Moparti told a family member that he was going for a short walk. When he didn't come back, she said the family searched for 10 miles before calling the police. Moparti was dressed in traditional Indian attire when last seen. The family posted fliers from Isleton to Rio Vista, Sacramento Bee reported. On Saturday and Sunday, searchers from the Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and Coast Guard units meticulously combed the shores as the brides family circulated the fliers. On Monday, a CHP plane searched by air while a sheriff's dog attempted to pick up a scent. "We've done just about everything imaginable," Deputy Dave Kirby said before the search was called off. Now, the newlyweds are holding out hope that he is found safe. They have postponed their honeymoon until they know what happened to Moparti. "My dad missing is the only thing going on in my head right now, nothing else," Durga said. A section of the Twitterati attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for posting a cartoon which shows a Hanuman-esque figure assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi that public attention has been diverted towards Jawaharlal Nehru University from other pressing issues. Kejriwal posted the cartoon, published in a leading national daily, on his Twitter account. Within minutes, #Kejriwalinsultshanuman started trending. A person lodged a police complaint against the Delhi CM in Hyderabad seeking appropriate action against him for hurting religious sentiments. The point of contention appeared to be a character sporting a tail which can be seen flying towards Modi while assuring him, Done Sir, all attention is on JNU. The PM is shown standing amid raging fires over several socio-economic and security issues. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman. Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal must apologies unconditionally for mocking India and insulting Hanumanji, one Arvind Gupta tweeted. Amit Malviya, in-charge of Bharatiya Janata Partys national IT department, tweeted, If Kejriwal is benchmarked to the logic seculars applied after the Charlie Hebdo act, he should be at least in jail. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman. Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay condemned Kejriwal for hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus by portraying their revered Hanumanji in bad taste. We feel that this bad portrayal has been intentionally done to please the Leftist section, which is responsible for anti-national propaganda at JawaharlalNehruUniversity, he alleged. Kejriwal must immediately apologise to the nation, especially to Hindus, for hurting the religious sentiments, he said. Amid the escalating row over the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students union leader in a sedition case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday saying it was completely wrong to brand the varisty as a centre of terrorists and demanded immediate release of innocents arrested in the case. Kejriwal, who also met Union Home Rajanth Singh over the issue, asked the PM to direct the police to take action against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA OP Sharma and those involved in attacking students and journalists within and outside the Patiala House court premises on Monday. In his letter, Kejriwal said, It is not correct to convert nationalism into a device for creating a fear psychosis by using constitutional institutions to run them according to whims and fancies. It is extremely dangerous that the JNU incident is being portrayed to show this institution as a terrorist centre. Kejriwal asked the PM to break his silence on the incident. I request you with folded hands to urgently stop this fire from spreading any further. People are waiting with desperation for you to break your silence and intervene to bring the situation under control, he said. He said innocents arrested in the JNU incident should be immediately released and real culprits identified and dealt with severely in accordance with law. In his letter, he said political interference in JNU and other academic institutions should be stopped immediately and left be to managed by the academicians. Terming as highly disturbing the attack on students teachers and journalists, Kejriwal demanded strict action against Sharma who was seen attacking a Communist Party of India activist outside the court premises. Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up allegedly by groups of lawyers in Patiala House court complex where JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate for remand proceedings. If such shameful incidents take place inside the court premises, where will the citizens be safe? Front pages of almost all newspapers today have published the photograph of BJP MLA OP Sharma beating up a youth in full public view outside the court premises. Immediate action should be taken against lumpen and anarchist elements such as Sharma to give a clear signal that such kind of activities will not be tolerated, he added. Kejriwal said he feels if PM calls Sharma once and scolds him, he will not dare to repeat his actions again in life, and added that if that is not done, such elements will feel they have the complete support of the central government. In case, you (PM) take these steps, I am fully confident that the entire country will appreciate it and all political parties will cooperate with you on this issue, he said. Earlier in the day, Sharma had claimed a group of people had hit him and that his action as natural. Here's your weekly digest of odd, crazy moments from around the world. Merrylu Casselly and Jozsef Richter, both circus performers, pose with an elephant as they celebrate their wedding in front of Budapest's basilica on Valentine's Day in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Laszlo Balogh/Reuters Norik Yajian reacts as a four wheel car drives over him during his attempt to break a Guinness record in Tbilisi, Georgia. Photograph: David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters A model presents a creation made from chocolate by French Maitre Chocolatier Patrice Chapon (right) during the international exhibition of chocolate "Salon du Chocolat" in Milan, Italy. Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters A worker puts the final touch to a replica of a giant woman made with lemons and oranges which shows a scene of the movie "Amarcord" during the Lemon festival in Menton, France. Some 140 metric tons of lemons and oranges are used to make displays during the 83rd festival, which is themed "Cinecitta", and runs from February 13 through March 2. Photograph: Eric Gaillard/Reuters People take pictures in front of an art installation by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei that consists of life vests worn by refugees bound to the columns of the concert house at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Germany. The life vests were among the thousands discarded by migrants and refugees after they crossed the sea from Turkey to Greece. Ai Weiwei lives in Berlin and is currently involved in several projects relating to refugees. Up to 80,000 refugees currently live in Berlin and the city is preparing for the likely arrival of 30,000 more in 2016. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/Getty Images Members of the public look at artist Sophie Ryder's sculpture Rising, that has been installed in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral as part of an exhibition by the artist in Salisbury, England. The solo exhibition, Relationships, featuring life-sized Minotaurs, Lady Hares and giant 20ft high clasped hands installed in and around the historic Cathedral, opens on February 12 and runs until July 3. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Schoolchildren take part in a pancake race ahead of the annual Shrove Tuesday ladies trans-Atlantic pancake race on February 9, 2016 in Olney, England. On Shrove Tuesday every year the ladies of Olney, Buckinghamshire compete in a Pancake Race, a tradition which dates back to 1445. Children from Olney schools also take part in their own races. Olney competes every year against the women of Liberal, Kansas, US in a friendly race dating back to 1950. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images An orangutan drinks milk on a couch at a studio, in Kunming, Yunnan province. Photograph: Wong Campion/Reuters A 20-meter-high slide inside a five-storey shopping mall in Shanghai, China. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters A customs officer stands in front of a stuffed leopard in a taxidermy hall as part of a fight against the trafficking of protected species at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. French customs, who seized seven stuffed animals in 2015, deliver them to the museum for their collections.Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters Skip, a Yorkshire Terrier, is groomed in the benching area before judging at the 2016 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Sculptures in the shape of cows are displayed in a paddock for Valentine's Day on the outskirts of the town of Nowra, south of Sydney, Australia. The cow sculptures have become a local tradition to mark Valentine's Day. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters At least 28 people have been killed and 61 others injured in an explosion hit military vehicles at an intersection in the Turkish capital of Ankara, officials said. The explosion went off in the administrative heart of Turkey's capital Ankara. Photograph Reuters Terming the explosion as a terror strike, the Turkish military condemned the "contemptible and dastardly" attack. The explosion hit three military vehicles and a private vehicle in central Ankara, near Turkish parliament buildings, Turkey's semiofficial Anadolu news agency reported, citing Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar. The vehicles were stopped for a traffic light at the time, the military said. Authorities believe a bomb-laden vehicle caused the explosion, Kiliclar said, according to Anadolu. Plumes of smoke were seen rising over the area and the powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic. Television footage showed an intense fire around a burned-out bus and emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. Turkish soldiers stand guard near the site of the explosion. Photograph: Umit Bektas/Reuters There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Security sources told Reuters that initial signs [indicated] that militants from Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were behind the Ankara bombing on Wednesday that killed at least 18 people. This has not been confirmed. Turkey has suffered a string of bloody terrorist attacks on its soil in the past 18 months, most of which were blamed on Islamic State militants. Other security sources told the news agency that Isis was behind the attack on the military convoy in Ankara. Turkish police cordoned off the area and Turkeys broadcasting agency, RTUK, issued a ban on showing footage or graphic images of the dead and injured. Cars of emergency services arrive after the explosion. Photograph: Umit Bektas/Reuters Turkey's deputy prime minister says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has canceled a planned visit to Azerbaijan following the deadly attack in the country's capital. Numan Kurtulmus says Erdogan was due in Baku on Thursday for talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also canceled a visit to Brussels due to the attack in Ankara Wednesday that killed at least 28 people and wounded 61 others. A team of senior lawyers set up by the Supreme Court to report to it on the situation in the Patiala House courts where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar was produced on Wednesday, said there was "complete breakdown of law and order" and an atmosphere of "fear and terror" prevailed there and the police did not act. A lawyer waves a Tricolour at Patiala House Court. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo "There is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused (Kanhaiya) and this police will be unable to save him," the six-member team of lawyers said giving an oral ground report to the apex court. They said they too bore the brunt of the people in lawyers' robes who gave them "the choicest of the abuses and tried to hurt them by throwing sharp-edged flower pots and water bottles". Stating that visuals of the events were filmed by one of them using mobile phone, the lawyers said "this particular atmosphere is unprecedented. Police did not do their job." "The crowd broke the cordon and threw water bottles and sharp-edged flower pots on us. This is broadly the report," they said, adding that The committee, comprising senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Harin Rawal, Ajit K Sinha and advocates Prashant Bhushan and A D N Rao, had rushed to the Patiala House court after being directed by the Apex court. It was Dhawan, who started giving an account of the panel's visit to the Patiala House Court to a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre, saying he had never seen the crowd of such a proportion as witnessed there and termed it as "an unprecedented situation". Dave joined him saying the atmosphere was surcharged and of "fear and terror". Noted lawyer Kapil Sibal leaves Patiala House Court. Photograph: Atul Yadav/PTI Photo Dhawan said they had spoken to Kanhaiya Kumar who said he was attacked and beaten on his way to the court room and inside, a man in dark spectacles, not in lawyers' dress, had gone near the accused, asked him something and hit him. This man also sat in the court room later, he added. "How did he get inside the court room when there was a specific order of this court? When the accused asked the police to stop him, no action was taken," Dhawan said. Dhawan said the team also spoke to area DCP Jatin Narwal, who was present in the court room as to why the man was not stopped, the officer had no answer even when he was specifically told about the Apex court order passed in the morning. "Each one of us told him how that person entered the court room and how he pushed the accused," Dhawan said, adding that the accused was beaten outside and pushed inside the court room. "We need a report on how this person was allowed in the court room," the senior lawyer said. Dhawan said as they were entering the court with police escort, Sibal was abused and flower pots etc were thrown on them and slogans like "Ye Pakistan ke dalle hain (They are Pakistani agents)" raised. He even mentioned an expletive in Hindi saying he was sorry to mention it but "there were all kinds of abuses for them". While Sibal, Dhawan and Bhushan had appeared for the petitioner N D Jayaprakash, an alumnus of JNU, who filed the petition against police inaction on February 15 and seeking safety of Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with the offence of sedition, Sinha had represented the Delhi Police and its Commissioner B S Bassi in the matter. Rawal, former Additional Solicitor General during the UPA government, and Rao were watching the proceedings and had agreed to be part of the panel. Dhawan said though the team was under the security cover, the police cordon was broken and "Rawal has recorded everything on his mobile camera." A lawyer shouts slogans at Patiala House Court. Photograph: PTI Photo He also said he spoke to registrar general of Delhi high court who was asked by the bench's order to be present in Patiala House court and had asked the DCP to arrest the man who had entered the court room unauthorisedly, but this was not done. Dave again said, "There is a very serious threat to the safety of the accused. This police will be unable to save him. We interrogated DCP Jatin Narwal how that person came in and out of the court. The DCP didnt have the answer." The bench interrupted him and wanted to know from Delhi Police counsel and senior advocate Ajit K Sinha if he can find out how many officers were there in the court. He said around 30 officers were there and the police was waiting for the accused' medical examination after which he would be taken safely. Expressing apprehension whether the 30 people could provide safety and security to the accused, the senior lawyer said "there is a need for CRPF as even our cordon was broken. The accused is terrorised." After this statement of Dhawan the bench asked Sinha to speak to Commissioner of Police about taking responsibility of the safety of the accused saying he (CP) will be responsible for any untoward incident. While they were making submission of the situation orally and made reference of the film of the events made by Rawal on his mobile, the bench said, "Put everything in the report about what you have narrated and experienced." The bench also mentioned about the submissions made to shift the venue of proceedings saying that it did not pass any such order "as it would have given a wrong signal." "That is why we didn't do that," the bench said. The bench also asked senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who was representing the Delhi high court Registry, "Can proceedings be conducted in this way?" He gave certain suggestions including that of holding the proceedings near the lock-up of the Patiala House court complex which was opposed by counsel from the other side. Dave, who was critical of the security provided to Kanhaiya Kumar, said such was not the situation when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who has filed defamation case against AAP leaders, came for recording of his statement. "There was unprecedented security when Jaitley had come," he said, but the court preferred to refrain from making any remark on his this submission. When Dhawan said the accused was still under threat, Sinha said the police commissioner has communicated to him that the accused will be 100 per cent safe and secure. At this, Dave said, "Today, we have witnessed a complete failure of law and order situation." When Sinha said that the accused would be medically examined in the Patiala House court complex itself, the court questioned him, "why medical examination there?" Sinha also told the bench that Kanhaiya Kumar has given a hand-written application before the magistrate and has explained certain things. Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha, who has often taken a position at variance with the party's stand, on Wednesday came out in support of arrested JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charges, and called for his release soon. "Hope wish and pray that he's released soon, sooner the better...," the actor-turned-politician said, adding Kumar has said nothing anti-national, contradicting his partys stand on the issue. "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti-national or against Constitution," wrote Sinha on Twitter, the platform which he uses frequently to launch attacks against his party. Kumar is facing sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti-national slogans during an event organised at JNU campus last week to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on his third death anniversary. As the Jawaharlal Nehru University row escalated, Sinha also countered the claim by some BJP leaders that the prestigious varsity has become the hub of anti-national activities. "It (JNU) is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment," Sinha said. Sinha also said that any accusations in the JNU controversy needed to be substantiated with hard facts. "If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by," he said in another tweet. "The JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record &history," he added. Image: Students take out a protest rally, condemning the arrest of JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar in Kolkata. Photograph: PTI UK: UN panel rules Wikileaks founder 'arbitrarily' detained at embassy Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 4 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, UK: UN panel rules Wikileaks founder 'arbitrarily' detained at embassy, 4 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299a5a.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 04, 2016 Julian Assange has not left the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012. (file photo) A United Nations panel has reportedly ruled that the confinement at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange amounts to "arbitrary" detention. Sweden's Foreign Ministry announced the finding by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on February 4, a day before the panel was due to formally publish its report. Assange, who is wanted for extradition to Sweden on an accusation of sexual assault, has lived at the embassy in London since June 2012. In 2014, Assange complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" because he could not leave the embassy without being arrested. The British government says it has a legal obligation to extradite Assange to Sweden, and maintains that Assange is voluntarily avoiding a lawful arrest by choosing to remain at the embassy. It also has said the UN panel's ruling would not be legally binding in the United Kingdom. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and BBC Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 German authorities say terrorist plot foiled in Berlin Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 4 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, German authorities say terrorist plot foiled in Berlin, 4 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299b2fe.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 04, 2016 Authorities in Berlin said on February 4 that they foiled a terrorism plot in the German capital that was being planned by Algerian extremists with suspected links to Islamic State militants. Berlin police spokesman Stefan Redlich announced the developments after police conducted a series of raids in Berlin in search of the suspects. Two Algerian men were arrested on existing warrants in other cases one in Berlin and another at a refugee home in the western town of Attendorn. Two other suspects, including an Algerian man who was at a refugee home in the city of Hannover, were questioned but not immediately charged. The German news agency dpa quoted German security officials, who said phone calls were intercepted in which the suspects discussed potential targets in Berlin that included Checkpoint Charlie, the Cold War crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin, and Alexanderplatz. Germany has been on high alert since Islamic extremists killed 130 people in a series of attacks across Paris on November 13. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Moldovan protest leader accuses U.S. of 'unification plot,' hails Soviet past Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 4 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Moldovan protest leader accuses U.S. of 'unification plot,' hails Soviet past, 4 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299c11.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 04, 2016 By Eugen Tomiuc and Merhat Sharipzhan Moldova's Socialist Party chairman Igor Dodon (file photo) One of the pro-Moscow leaders of recent antigovernment protests in Moldova has made anti-U.S. remarks that appear to be aimed at tapping into east-west tensions to whip up support for early elections that could boost Kremlin influence in his country. Socialist Party chairman Igor Dodon accused Washington of pressing for the "terrible scenario" of the unification of Moldova and Romania and urged a return "home" of tiny, politically fraught Moldova "back in the U.S.S.R." through membership of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Dodon and some unlikely allies are currently fighting for fresh elections that polls suggest would favor pro-Moscow forces, potentially bolstering Russia's influence in a state that borders the European Union and NATO. Street protests peaked in late January after lawmakers approved a new pro-European government led by Prime Minister Pavel Filip but have ground mostly to a halt aside from a small tent camp in the capital, Chisinau. The tensions, which included the storming of parliament by angry demonstrators, follow a year of political turbulence since revelations in late 2014 that more than $1 billion or around one-eighth of Moldova's gross domestic product disappeared from the banking system. In an interview with Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda on February 3, Dodon claimed that Moldovan authorities had received "carte blanche from the West to use force" in their efforts to maintain control. Dodon added that despite "hatred, and a passionate desire to overthrow the government," he and the leaders of the pro-Russian Our Party and the pro-European Dignity and Truth party leading public protests cannot reach a common position. Dodon suggested the pro-Russian protest camp is advocating patience in order to avoid provocations, while its pro-European counterparts are more impatient to force change. "Nobody wants blood, but the clock is ticking," Dodon told Komsomolskaya Pravda. He blamed the United States and its NATO ally Romania for abetting the political crisis plaguing Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries. "Why invest [money] in tiny Moldova, why get involved in her problems and save her from starvation?" Dodon asked rhetorically, adding, "Now the Americans have another, much more terrifying project, called 'Unirea 2018'" Romanian for Unification 2018 "the merger of Moldova with Romania to mark the centenary of the Grand Unification of 1918." The U.S.S.R. incorporated the former Romanian province of Bessarabia during World War II, turning most of its territory into the Soviet republic of Moldova but also granting part to Soviet Ukraine. Both Moldova and Ukraine became independent in 1991. The topic of unification is an emotionally charged one between the two countries, which share a common history and language. Dodon warned that any Moldovan unification with Romania would trigger a regional conflict pitting Romanian and Ukrainian troops on one side against Russian troops currently stationed in Moldova's separatist region of Transdniester on the other. "This is what the United States is hoping for," Dodon said, without offering details, adding that such a "tragedy" would spread conflict well into the European Union with whom Moldova signed an association agreement in 2014, much to the annoyance of Moscow. Dodon said the only way back to the "fairytale times" of Soviet prosperity is through the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan along with Russia. "We want to go home," Dodon said. "Back in the U.S.S.R." Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Turkish PM accuses Russia of 'war crimes' in Syria Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 4 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkish PM accuses Russia of 'war crimes' in Syria, 4 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299dc.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 04, 2016 Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused Russia and other supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of committing "war crimes" in Syria. Speaking on February 4 at a fund-raising conference in London for Syrian war victims, Davutoglu said the root cause of the humanitarian crisis is "the war crimes committed by the Syrian regime" and by Islamic State (IS) militants. He said "those who are helping the Assad regime are committing the same war crimes. I am especially saying this today because Aleppo is under heavy attack by Russian airplanes." In Moscow, Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov responded to Davutoglu's criticism by accusing Turkey of "intensive preparations for military intrusion" into Syria. Konashenkov said Russia has registered "an increasing number of signs of the Turkish armed forces' hidden preparations for active operations" within Syrian territory. A government spokesman in Ankara said later that Moscow is making claims of Turkish military preparations in order to divert attention from its "crimes." Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and TASS Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 IMF chief 'concerned' about corruption charges in Ukraine Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 5 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, IMF chief 'concerned' about corruption charges in Ukraine, 5 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299e29.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 05, 2016 By RFE/RL IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde says she is concerned about corruption alleged by a Ukrainian economy minister who resigned. International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde said she is concerned about the sudden resignation this week of Ukraine's reformist economy minister, citing government corruption. "I would like to pay tribute to his efforts. His recently announced resignation is of concern," Lagarde said on February 4 when questioned about the resignation of Aivaras Abromavicius to protest alleged influence-peddling and graft by a top ally of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, among others. "If the allegations that he makes in his resignation are correct, then it's obviously an indication that the anticorruption measures that were committed by the government are not yet working," the IMF managing director said. The IMF is the main source of rescue financing for Ukraine as the cash-strapped country contends with crises ranging from falling commodity prices to a new trade embargo by Russia, its main market for agricultural and industrial goods in the past. The fund has a $17.5 billion bailout program for Ukraine that is conditioned on the government enacting free-market economic reforms and fighting corruption. "There's more progress to be had in this area," Lagarde said. "A lot of work needs to be done, and it has to be implemented vigorously because the Ukrainian authorities are not only accountable to the Ukrainian people but also to the international community." While Lagarde did not discuss the status of its loan program for Ukraine, Kyiv is hoping the IMF will decide soon on disbursing a third tranche of loans of $1.7 billion, which has been delayed since October. Ukraine is battling an economic depression which saw the economy shrink by more than 10 percent last year, a downturn made worse by its war against pro-Russian separatists, who have taken control over parts of the country's eastern industrial heartland. The IMF and other western lenders in Europe and the United States are apprehensive about Ukraine's instability amidst war and recession. Abromavicius is the fourth reform-minded minister to tender his resignation since Ukraine's 2014 break in ties with Russia and shift toward Europe. Last-Ditch Talks "The consequences of his announcement are hard to predict, but it's clear that they are very negative," a Kyiv lawmaker from Poroshenko's faction told the Reuters news agency. "It could lead to the postponement of the IMF tranche." Poroshenko held last-ditch talks with the Lithuanian-born Abromavicius on February 3 in a bid to change his mind and reassure him that all his charges would be investigated in full. But there was no indication afterwards that the minister had changed his mind, although the government announced that three other Ukrainian cabinet members who had previously tendered their resignations said they would remain in their posts. Poroshenko arranged a meeting with ambassadors from the Group of Seven economic powers on February 4 to reassure them, while Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk held an emergency cabinet meeting to try to repair the damage and demonstrate unity in the deeply divided government. Yatsenyuk said the government was determined not to stray from its reform drive. "Our principle is one for all and all for one. We came as a united team and we will work as a united team," he said. "We demand...an end to blackmail, political pressure, [and] under-the-table dealings for positions of ministers, their deputies, or the heads of state companies," he said. The health, agriculture, and infrastructure ministers, who had previously tendered their resignations after Abromavicius's announcement, said they would continue to work provided they were allowed to pass reform initiatives without political interference. But Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Groysman said Ukraine was entering a "deep political crisis" and called for a government reshuffle. One legislator raised the prospect of holding a vote of no confidence in the government. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Saudis say they may send ground troops to Syria against IS Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 4 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Saudis say they may send ground troops to Syria against IS, 4 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299e6.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 04, 2016 U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on February 4 that the government of Saudi Arabia has indicated it is willing to do more in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants. Carter made the comment hours after the Associated Press quoted a Saudi military spokesman as saying that the kingdom is ready to send ground troops into Syria to fight IS provided the U.S.-led coalition agrees to the proposal. Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri said on February 4 that the proposal would be discussed with coalition leaders at a gathering in Brussels later in February. Asiri did not say how many Saudi troops Riyadh was prepared to deploy. In Washington, Carter said he was aware of the reports of Saudi readiness to deploy troops. Carter also confirmed that the proposal is on the agenda of the Brussels talks. The Saudi announcement came a day after tentative, UN-mediated Syria peace talks in Geneva were put on hold. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Thousands of Syrians flee toward Turkey amid government offensive Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 5 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Thousands of Syrians flee toward Turkey amid government offensive, 5 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4299f15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 05, 2016 Tens of thousands of Syrians are fleeing toward the Turkish border to escape heavy fighting near the northern city of Aleppo. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on February 4 that up to 70,000 may be heading to the border, while a monitoring group put the number at about 40,000. Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have advanced near the country's largest city. Around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped in Aleppo after the rebels' main supply route was cut off by government forces in an offensive that torpedoed UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva this week. The breakdown in negotiations came as Moscow and Ankara traded barbs over the escalating crisis in Syria. Davutoglu has accused Russia and other supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of committing "war crimes" in Syria. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov responded to Davutoglu's criticism by accusing Turkey of "intensive preparations for military intrusion" into Syria. Based on reporting by AFP and BBC Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 NATO says Russian air strikes 'undermining' Syrian peace talks Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 5 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, NATO says Russian air strikes 'undermining' Syrian peace talks, 5 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a011.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 05, 2016 NATO says Russian air strikes in Syria are "undermining" UN-mediated peace talks aimed at finding a political solution to end the nearly five-year conflict. "The intense Russia air strikes, mainly targeting opposition groups in Syria, [are] undermining the efforts to find a political solution to the conflict," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on February 5 as he arrived for an EU defense ministers meeting in Amsterdam. "The increased Russia presence, the air activity in Syria, is also causing increased tensions and violations of Turkish airspace ... violations of NATO airspace," he said. "This creates risks." The peace talks in Geneva broke down earlier this week as Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, launched a new offensive against rebel forces in the northern city of Aleppo. The Syrian army has made significant advances against the rebels around Aleppo and is advancing on the country's largest city. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Police raid offices of Russian state news agency Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 5 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Police raid offices of Russian state news agency, 5 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a11c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 05, 2016 The Moscow offices of TASS, the Russian government news agency, have been searched by unknown law-enforcement officials. TASS spokesman Dmitry Pertsev said the February 5 searches by police were connected to the previous professional activities of one of the agency's employees, but did not disclose the employee's name. Another TASS representative, Natalya Akafyeva, said the searches had nothing to do with the agency's activities. Media reports in Russia cited employees of the Moscow-based Mikhailov and Partners Communications Agency (M&P) as saying that company's offices were raided on February 5 as well. M&P was founded by Sergei Mikhailov, who has been the director of TASS since 2012. In 2004-06, Mikhailov worked as an adviser to Vladimir Yakunin, when he was the president of the state-owned Russian Railways company. Yakunin is a longtime intimate associate and business partner of President Vladimir Putin He is also believed to have worked for the KGB during Soviet times. Yakunin's resignation as head of Russian Railways in August has been seen as a sign of a possible conflict within the Kremlin. Based on reporting by Vedomosti, Business-Gazeta, Rusnovosti and versia.ru Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Ukrainian prime minister threatens to quit Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 5 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainian prime minister threatens to quit, 5 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a16.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 05, 2016 Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (file photo) Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has threatened to quit along with his entire cabinet if parliament pushes for a government reshuffle. "We all came in as one team and we will continue working in the future as one team," the 41-year-old leader told a televised session of parliament on February 5. "And if it is decided that this team should be changed, then we will all leave together." Yatsenyuk's comments come after President Petro Poroshenko on February 4 said it is essential to "reset" the government amid a growing political crisis heightened by this week's shock resignation of reformist Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius. Yatsenyuk's comments came two days after the shock resignation of Ukraine's reformist Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius. Abromavicius said his resignation was borne out of frustration over the "sharp escalation in efforts to block systemic and important reforms." His resignation sparked concern among Ukraine's Western allies and prompted Poroshenko to hold a meeting with ambassadors from the G7 group of leading industrialized nations in a bid to allay their concerns. Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia: Lawyer says deal struck for Savchenko's return to Ukraine Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Lawyer says deal struck for Savchenko's return to Ukraine, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a315.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 06, 2016 Former Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko is questioned in a court in the Russian city of Donetsk on February 3. The lead defense lawyer for Ukrainian pilot and Verkhovna Rada deputy Nadia Savchenko says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to the conditions of her return to Ukraine. Lawyer Mark Feigin told Ukraine's Channel 5 television on February 5 that Savchenko, 34, will be convicted "toward the end of February" on charges that she directed artillery fire in a 2014 incident in which two Russian journalists were killed. Savchenko says she was kidnapped in Ukraine before being taken for trial in Russia's Rostov region. Feigin said that after she is convicted, it has been agreed that she will be turned over to Ukraine. He said her trial in Russia was "political and propagandistic." Savchenko has been on a hunger strike since December 17 and is reportedly suffering health complications. Based on reporting by Channel 5 Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Top Iranian commander, six militiamen reported killed in Syria Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Top Iranian commander, six militiamen reported killed in Syria, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a429.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 06, 2016 Iranian media reported on February 5 that Revolutionary Guard Corps Brigadier-General Mohsen Ghajarian was killed in fighting in Syria, along with six Basij militia volunteers. The news agencies said the deaths occurred in the northern province of Aleppo, where the Syrian government, backed by Russian air strikes, has been staging a major offensive this week to encircle the rebel-held city and cut off its supply route from Turkey. "Six volunteer Basij members were martyred in Syria while fighting against takfiris near Aleppo while defending Shi'ite holy shrines," Tasnim news agency said, using a derogatory term for ultraradical Sunni Muslim militants, in a likely reference to Islamic State. Tehran has claimed it sends military advisers and volunteers to help Assad's forces, but denies sending its own troops. Even so, Iranian media have reported the deaths of more than 100 Iranian "volunteers" in Syria since October. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Relaxed visa rules between Russia, Iran take effect February 6 Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Relaxed visa rules between Russia, Iran take effect February 6, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a4c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 06, 2016 An agreement between Russia and Iran to simplify procedures for issuing travel visas went into effect on February 6. The agreement was signed in November between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rohani and was finalized on February 4 by a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a trip to Moscow. The agreement simplifies and relaxes visa rules for Russian and Iranian businessmen, people participating in scientific, cultural, and creative activities, students, teachers, tourists, and other categories of travelers, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Khamenei adviser Ali Akbar Velayati announced the introduction of the rules while visiting Moscow and said the two nations were considering going a step further and authorizing visa-free travel between the two countries. More than 5 million tourists from Russia visited Iran in 2015 while Iran has been eager to increase its business and governmental ties with Moscow. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Featured Post The Occasionally Fabulous Cartooning Life of Eric Orner, part 1: Ethan Green and Disney by Mike Rhode Eric Orner has been a professional cartoonist for decades, and worked his way through many types of cartooning. Early in the s... ComicsDC is a blog for information and events relating to cartoons, cartoonists and comics including comic books, webcomics, comic strips, political cartoons, animation and caricature in Washington, DC and its environs (roughly Baltimore, MD down to Richmond, VA and Annapolis, MD out to Front Royal, VA). Press releases including store events are welcomed. Established 2006. Subscribe by email Get new posts by email: Subscribe Upcoming events calendar ComicsDC logo Upcoming Events UPCOMING EVENTS - CLICK HERE TO PULL UP POSTS Mike Rhode, editor in chief Our Motto "All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why." James Thurber, writer and cartoonist. Translate "Every noble work is at first impossible." - Thomas Carlyle ComicsDC 2012 logo by Michael "MJ" Pohrer Another Logo Blog Archive Reader maps, or Where in the world is ComicsDC? Our First Principle "I try to be interested in very nearly everything. I always think boredom is to some extent the fault of the bored." - Julian Kestrel, the hero in Kate Ross's novel Cut to the Quick . Afghanistan: Nations to press for direct peace talks with Taliban by end of February Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghanistan: Nations to press for direct peace talks with Taliban by end of February, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a566.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last updated (GMT/UTC): 06.02.2016 17:47 By RFE/RL Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah Representatives from four nations involved in talks aimed at ending the violence in Afghanistan have agreed to continue to push for direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government by the end of the month. Officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States, and China made the announcement on February 6 at the end of their third round of talks in Islamabad. They said the countries "agreed to continue joint efforts for setting a date for direct peace talks between the representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban groups expected to take place by the end of February 2016." "The group stressed that the outcome of the reconciliation process should be a political settlement that results in the cessation of violence, and durable peace in Afghanistan," the statement added. The statement also said that the group would hold its next meeting in Kabul on February 23. Pakistan has called for an "actionable road map" for the peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan government. "In our view, a clear, well-defined, and actionable road map for the peace process between the Afghan government and Taliban groups is important," Pakistan's adviser for foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, said at the start of the talks. Islamabad is expected to have a key role in bringing the Taliban, which is based in Pakistan, to the table eventually. Kabul, too, expressed its eagerness for results. "We are desperately waiting to see the immediate effects and results of our quadrilateral meetings and the progress we have made in the two previous meetings," Javed Faisal, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, told AP. Aziz said the road map should be "aimed at persuading the maximum number of Taliban groups to join the peace talks." "This will contribute to imparting a momentum to the process offering the incentive of political mainstreaming to the insurgent groups, and gradually shrink the space for the irreconcilables," he added. Aziz said a joint effort by the quartet would help persuade the Taliban to join the process and lead to a "significant" reduction in violence. The first round of talks was held in Islamabad last month and a second round was held in Kabul on January 18. The talks urged the Taliban groups to enter into early talks with the Afghan government without preconditions. The Taliban has not participated in any of the talks yet. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Up to 35,000 Syrians massed on Turkish border Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Up to 35,000 Syrians massed on Turkish border, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a62f4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last updated (GMT/UTC): 06.02.2016 21:22 The number of Syrian refugees massed on the border with Turkey after fleeing a government offensive near the northern city of Aleppo has nearly doubled in the past 48 hours. Suleyman Tapsiz, the governor of the Turkish border province of Kilis, said 35,000 refugees had reached the border area up from an estimated 20,000 on February 5. Tapsiz told reporters that another 70,000 Syrians could be expected if Russian air strikes and military advances by the Syrian regime continued. He said Turkey would provide aid to the displaced within Syria but would only open the gates in the event of an "extraordinary crisis." Fierce fighting has been reported between the rebels and government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, who have virtually surrounded Aleppo, a rebel stronghold. The Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes on February 5 around Ratyan, a town near Aleppo, cost 120 lives on both sides. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it estimated "up to 20,000 people have gathered at the Bab al-Salama border crossing and another 5,000 to 10,000 people have been displaced to Azaz city" nearby. Around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped in Aleppo after the rebels' main supply route was cut off by government forces in an offensive that scuppered UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva this week. Based on reporting by AFP, BBC, and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iran reverses ban on 1,500 election candidates Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran reverses ban on 1,500 election candidates, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a72d.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 06, 2016 Iran's constitutional watchdog, the hard-line Guardians Council, has reversed a ban on 1,500 candidates who had registered to run in the February 26 parliamentary elections. Iranian state media said the new list of approved candidates now numbering over 6,200 had been sent to the Interior Ministry. Last month, the Guardians Council, a vetting body made up of clerics and jurists, disqualified thousands of moderate and reformist parliamentary candidates and four-fifths of the candidates for the body that will choose Iran's next supreme leader. That decision sparked a growing dispute between Iran's hard-liner and reformist factions. It is unclear how many of the newly approved candidates are considered to be reformists. The upcoming vote is seen as a showdown between hard-liners and moderates, who hope for a boost in the wake of the newly implemented nuclear deal with world powers and the lifting of international sanctions. Based on reporting by AP and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Deadly blast rocks Pakistan's Balochistan province Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Deadly blast rocks Pakistan's Balochistan province, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a7e.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last updated (GMT/UTC): 06.02.2016 13:35 A bomb blast has rocked southwestern Pakistan, killing at least seven people and wounding 35. Pakistani officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on February 6 that a convoy of Frontier Corp troops was targeted in the attack in Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan Province. Muhammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack. Officials said the dead and injured included both security personnel and civilians. Security forces have cordoned off the area and the injured have been taken to a nearby hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Similar attacks in the past have been blamed on Baloch separatists who have been waging a low-intensity insurgency for years, demanding autonomy or outright independence for the mineral and gas-rich province. Based on reporting by Express Tribune and Dunya News Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 IRGC chief says Saudi Arabia wouldn't 'dare' send troops to Syria Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 6 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, IRGC chief says Saudi Arabia wouldn't 'dare' send troops to Syria, 6 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a817.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 06, 2016 The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says Saudi Arabia lacks the courage to send ground troops to Syria. "They claim they will send troops [to Syria], but I don't think they will dare do so," IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted as saying on February 6 by the hard-line Fars news agency. Jafari made the comments in reaction to a statement by Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia that it was ready to join ground operations in Syria to fight the extremist group Islamic State (IS) if the U.S.-led military alliance decides to start them. "This will be like a coup de grace for them. Apparently, they see no other way but this, and if this is the case, then their fate is sealed," Jafari said. A number of Iranian fighters are already deployed in Syria, where dozens of them have been killed in recent months. Iranian media say the fighters are "volunteers." Tehran claims it has only sent "military advisers" to support its regional ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Based on reporting by Fars and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iraq's prime minister rejects Baghdad wall plans Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 7 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq's prime minister rejects Baghdad wall plans, 7 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429a915.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 07, 2016 Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has dismissed plans to build a wall around the capital. "Baghdad is the capital for all Iraqis," Abadi said in the statement released late February 6. "There can be no wall or fence to isolate it or prevent other civilians from entering it." He said Baghdad would be secured by reorganizing checkpoints and closing gaps in the security perimeter while easing transit in and out of the city of around 4 million. The Iraqi military had said on February 3 that preparatory work for a security barrier around Baghdad was underway in a bid to prevent attacks by the Islamic State (IS) group. IS militants seized large swaths of territory north and west of Baghdad in 2014. They have claimed several attacks in recent months in the capital, mainly targeting security forces and the country's Shi'ite majority. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Helmand province district 'on verge' of being overrun by Afghan Taliban Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 7 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Helmand province district 'on verge' of being overrun by Afghan Taliban, 7 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429aae.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 07, 2016 An Afghan army commander says a key district in the southern province of Helmand is on the verge of being overrun by the Taliban. The unidentified commander told the BBC that most of Sangin district had been capture by the militants. He said the government still controls a few key locations in the district's main city, Sangin, but warned that those areas are under imminent threat. The commander said repeated Taliban attacks on government positions had killed a number of soldiers in recent days. He also claimed there had been no reinforcements for days and rations are low. Last month, Helmand's police chief, Abdul Rahman Sarjang, said the Kabul government had sent reinforcements to the districts of Gereshk, Marjeh, and Sangin amid reports that the Taliban were threatening to capture them. Based on reporting by the BBC Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Czech government 'paid ransom' for two women kidnapped in Pakistan Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 7 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Czech government 'paid ransom' for two women kidnapped in Pakistan, 7 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429ab23.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 07, 2016 Media reports claim the Czech government paid a $6 million ransom to kidnappers to secure the release last year of two Czech women abducted in Pakistan. The weekly Respekt magazine reported on February 7 that negotiations with the kidnappers on the payment of a ransom were carried out by the Czech State's Security Council. Czech students Hana Humpalova and Antonie Chrastecka were seized by armed men in March 2013 in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, near the borders with Afghanistan and Iran. The pair, both 24 at the time, had entered Pakistan from Iran as tourists. In a video released shortly after their kidnapping, the women had pleaded for the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, jailed in 2010 in the United States on charges of terrorist links. The Czech government announced the women's release and return to Prague on March 28, 2015, after two years in captivity. The AFP news agency quoted government spokesman Martin Ayrer as saying Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka "will not be commenting on this report." Based on reporting by AFP and TASS Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Turkey says it won't 'abandon Syrian refugees to death' Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 7 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkey says it won't 'abandon Syrian refugees to death', 7 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429ab6.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 07, 2016 Turkey says it will continue to let in Syrian refugees, despite reaching "the limit of its capacity to absorb the refugees." Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on February 7 that tens of thousands of refugees trapped on Turkey's border at Kilis after fleeing a new Syrian government offensive "have nowhere else to go." "Either they will die beneath the bombings...or we will open our borders," Kurtulmus told CNN Turk television. Turkey will not abandon the refugees "to their deaths," he added. Some 35,000 Syrian refugees have massed on the border with Turkey after fleeing the Syrian government offensive on rebel-held positions near Aleppo. Earlier, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Turkey to let in the refugees, saying there was a moral, if not legal, duty to provide protection. In November, the EU reached a deal with Turkey, offering $3.3 billion to care for Syrian refugees on Turkish soil. Turkey is home to at least 2.5 million Syrian refugees. Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and the BBC Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Davutoglu: Turkey will take Syrian refugees 'when necessary' Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Davutoglu: Turkey will take Syrian refugees 'when necessary', 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429ac15.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (right) speaks with Angela Merkel during a welcoming ceremony for the German chancellor in Ankara on February 8. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said some 30,000 Syrians fleeing a Russia-backed government offensive in the northern region of Aleppo have amassed at the border with Turkey. Speaking on February 8 at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Ankara, Davutoglu said Turkey would admit the displaced Syrians "when necessary," adding that Russia's air assault should not be tolerated with the idea that Turkey will accept the refugees. Davutoglu said Turkey and Germany have agreed on a joint diplomatic initiative to stop the offensive against Aleppo. He also said Turkey would inform Brussels next week on the projects it plans after receiving 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in funds from the European Union aimed at curbing the flow of migrants to Europe via Turkey. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 The African Network for Environmental Sustainability (ANFES) aims to ensure that environmental sustainability research agenda and commercial exploitation of local communities natural resources benefit local communities by responding to their needs and aspirations and by improving their livelihoods opportunities. At least three Afghan soldiers killed in suicide bombing Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, At least three Afghan soldiers killed in suicide bombing, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429aec.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 At least three Afghan soldiers have been reported killed in a suicide bomb attack on an army transport bus in the northern province of Balkh. Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the bomber was on foot and targeted the army vehicle in the Dahdadi district on the morning of February 8. He said 18 other military personnel were also wounded in the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the bombing. Taliban militants have recently increased their attacks across the country against Afghan security forces. Balkh has been considered relatively safer than its neighboring provinces. In the eastern province of Nangarhar, officials say unknown gunmen killed a presidential palace guard. Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the man was shot inside his house. His mother was wounded in the attack. Based on reporting by AP and dpa Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia detains 7 alleged IS members planning terror attacks Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia detains 7 alleged IS members planning terror attacks, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429af4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 The Russian state security service says it has detained seven members of the Islamic State (IS) group in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. The FSB says the seven, who include citizens of Russia and Central Asian states, were detained on February 7. It says the group was planning to carry out "high-profile terrorist attacks using self-made explosive devices on the territory of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Sverdlovsk region" in the Urals. The FSB says a laboratory for making explosive devices was uncovered during the search operation. The group was led by a member of the IS group who had come to Russia from Turkey, it adds, and the alleged militants planned to join IS fighters in Syria after perpetrating the attacks in Russia. Russian authorities estimate that some 3,000 Russian citizens have joined the IS group in Syria. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 RFE/RL correspondent freed after detention by Kyrgyz border guards Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, RFE/RL correspondent freed after detention by Kyrgyz border guards, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429b04.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last updated (GMT/UTC): 08.02.2016 20:02 By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service and RFE/RL's Tajik Service RFE/RL correspondent Masum Muhammadrajab (file photo) BISHKEK A correspondent for RFE/RL's Tajik Service, who was detained by Kyrgyz border guards at a disputed segment of the border between the two Central Asian nations, has been released. Masumi Muhammadrajab was released in the evening of February 8, after eight hours in detention. Earlier, Kyrgyz border guard spokeswoman Gulmira Borubaeva told RFE/RL that Muhammadrajab had been detained on February 8 for failing to cross the border through a Kyrgyz checkpoint. Muhammadrajab was detained in the Bobojon Gafur district, where he had been sent to cover a dispute that emerged after Kyrgyz border guards installed their national flag on a Tajik-owned private house on February 6, claiming that the building was on Kyrgyz territory. Many parts of the borders between the five Central Asian countries have remained in dispute since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In recent years, the tension along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek and Kyrgyz-Tajik borders have intensified after outbreaks of violence involving residents and border guards from all sides. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Ukraine's ex-economy minister sharing evidence with anticorruption investigators Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukraine's ex-economy minister sharing evidence with anticorruption investigators, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429b115.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 By RFE/RL Aivaras Abromavicius Former Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius says he is providing anticorruption investigators evidence of influence peddling involving key government officials and state companies. Abromavicius made the comments on February 8 ahead of his expected testimony to Ukraine's top antigraft investigation agency and just days after his resignation brought the government to the brink of collapse. The Lithuanian-born Abromavicius was one of several foreign-born officials brought in by President Petro Poroshenko as part of efforts to clean up endemic government corruption. But the push to improve transparency and eliminate problems like bribery, kickbacks, and preferential hiring for wealthy insiders has proceeded at a glacial pace, resulting in growing frustration both inside Ukraine and among Western officials and lenders. In his February 3 resignation letter, Abromavicius singled out Ihor Kononenko, a wealthy tycoon who is a member of Poroshenko's political party, saying he had lobbied to get his people appointed to head state companies and to top government positions. Kononenko rejected the allegations as "completely absurd." Abromavicius told reporters in Kyiv that he had collected ample information that he intended to share with the National Anticorruption Bureau. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Canada to end air strikes in Iraq, Syria Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Canada to end air strikes in Iraq, Syria, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429b2e.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 Canada will end air strikes targeting the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Iraq and Syria and pull out six fighter jets within two weeks, Canada's prime minister has announced. Justin Trudeau said Canada would end its bombing mission by February 22 but military personnel in the region will increase to 830 from the current 650 and provide planning, targeting, and intelligence expertise. Canada will also keep two surveillance planes and refueling aircraft in the region. "In any mission, you need to make choices. We can't do everything," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa n February 8. He said air strikes alone cannot bring long-term stability for local communities. The government has also pledged to provide $718 million in development and humanitarian aid over three years for the Mideast region. Trudeau won an election in October promising to pull out six jets that have been bombing targets in Iraq and Syria. The White House said President Barack Obama "welcomed Canada's current and new contributions to coalition efforts" in a telephone conversion with Trudeau on February 8. The White House said they spoke about Canada's role in the international effort to combat IS. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russian police whistle-blower released from prison Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian police whistle-blower released from prison, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429b325.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 By RFE/RL's Russian Service Major Igor Matveyev had been sentenced to four years in prison for abuse of office. (file photo) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia A former Russian Interior Ministry officer who was sent to prison after claiming that soldiers were fed dog food has been released. He had served more than four years. Major Igor Matveyev made headlines in May 2011 after he claimed that soldiers in Russia's Far East were given to eat dog food to save money. He said in a video that the dog food labels on the cans had been covered with labels reading "premium quality beef." In September 2011, Matveyev was stripped of his military rank and sentenced to four years in prison for abuse of office. His term was later extended by five more months. Investigators eventually discovered his claims to be well-founded. After his release from prison in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on February 8, Matveyev said he would continue "seeking justice." Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iraq deploys troops to retake Mosul Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 8 February 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq deploys troops to retake Mosul, 8 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c429b36.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. February 08, 2016 The Iraqi Army is deploying thousands of soldiers to a northern base to eventually retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, officials said on February 8. Mohammed al-Wagaa, an Iraqi Army officer at the camp where the troops will be stationed, said they were "trained by the coalition forces near Baghdad." IS militants seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in June 2014. Iraqi officials have vowed to recapture Mosul this year, but past Iraqi military operations have been repeatedly delayed. The U.S.-led coalition says it is too early to set a timetable for an operation to liberate Mosul. An operation to retake the city is expected to be one of the most difficult battles of Iraq's war against IS due to the city's size, the presence of large numbers of civilians there, and the long period the militants have had to prepare defenses. Backed by coalition air strikes, Iraqi forces recaptured Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, in December in a major blow to the militants. Based on reporting by AFP and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Apothecary Salon & Spa ready to pamper locals at Burton Lane location More than two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives and careers of millions of Americans. Some folks took the opportunity to learn more about themselves. WEDNESDAY Free tax assistance The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children's program COMANCHE A program about birds for children age 3-5 will be presented from 10-11 a.m. at Comanche Public Library. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is free. Art film A showing of the art documentary 'Robert Motherwell and the New York School, Storming the Citadel' will begin at noon at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. A discussion will follow. Participants are invited to bring a lunch. Candidate forum COMANCHE The Comanche County Law Enforcement Association will conduct a candidate forum at 7 p.m. at the Comanche Community Center. A dinner will be served. Participants are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert. Ubuntu lecture As a part of the Ubuntu lecture series, Shannon Sedgwick Davis will give a presentation, 'Justice for Kony's LRA: Seeking Peace in Central Africa,' at 7 p.m. in Matthews Auditorium at McMurry University. Admission is free. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' A production of the musical 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for military, seniors and students; and $5 for HSU faculty, staff and students. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St. Blood drive, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m, First Financial Bank, 400 Pine St. Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St. Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815. Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd. Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570. Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Support Group, 2-3 p.m., Western Hills Healthcare Residence, Comanche. Alzheimer's disease support group, 5:15 p.m., Cedar Crest Care Center, 1901 W. Elliott, Breckenridge. Assists those who have a family member with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 1-800-272-3900 or 254-559-3302. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818. Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995. Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200. THURSDAY Free tax assistance The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Mac class The MacUser Group will conduct a free Mac computer class at 1 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. For more information, call 325-692-1087. Ubuntu lecture As a part of the Ubuntu lecture series, Shannon Sedgwick Davis will give a presentation, 'Global Leaders and the Servant Leadership Model,' at 7 p.m. in Matthews Auditorium at McMurry University. Admission is free. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' A production of the musical 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for military, seniors and students; and $5 for HSU faculty, staff and students. 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' A production of 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center at McMurry University. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for McMurry faculty, staff and students. For more information, call 325-793-3889. Other ... Blood drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Baird High School. Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300. Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road. Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092. Retired Military Wives Club social meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490. Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Sagerton Hobby Club, 2 p.m. Sagerton Community Center. Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center. Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St. Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575. Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. FRIDAY Free tax assistance The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1214 N. Mockingbird Lane. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Barn dance TYE A barn dance featuring Muddy Creek will be 7-10 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel. Information: 325-829-1517. 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' A production of 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Fulks Theatre at Abilene Christian University. Tickets are $15. For more information, go to www.acu.edu/theatre. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' A production of the musical 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for military, seniors and students; and $5 for HSU faculty, staff and students. Auto racing The Ice Breaker races will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Abilene Speedway, 6825 West Highway 80. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for military, $5 for children age 6-12 and free for children age 5 and under. For more information, go to www.abilenespeedway.com. 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' A production of 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center at McMurry University. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for McMurry faculty, staff and students. For more information, call 325-793-3889. Dance OPLIN A dance featuring Midnight Blue will be 7:30-10:30 p.m. at the Oplin Community Center. Admission is $5. Information: www.grandoleoplin.com. Sing Song The 60th annual Abilene Christian University Sing Song will be presented at 8 p.m. in Moody Coliseum on campus. For tickets, go to www.acu.edu/singsong. Other ... Blood drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Eastland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112. Abilene Chinese Corner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Abilene Christian University library. lld09a@acu.edu. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. SATURDAY Roadshow The 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. More than 100 vendors will be present. Admission is $4. Dog parade The Krewe of Barkus Mardi Gras Dog Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Camp Barkeley at Nelson Park, 2070 Zoo Lane. Admission is free. Wildlife tracking workshop COLORADO CITY A workshop on wildlife tracks and signs will be presented from 10 to noon at Lake Colorado City State Park. Regular park admission will apply. For more information, call 325-728-3931. Free tax assistance The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1214 N. Mockingbird Lane. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sing Song The 60th annual Abilene Christian University Sing Song will be presented at 2 and 8 p.m. in Moody Coliseum on campus. For tickets, go to www.acu.edu/singsong. Musical ANSON A country musical show will begin at 6 p.m. at the Anson Opera House. Free admission. A brisket dinner will be served at 5 p.m. for $7. Information: 325-338-2184. All Around the Campfire COLORADO CITY 'All Around the Campfire,' a night of campfire stories and songs, will be presented from 6-8 p.m. at Lake Colorado City State Park. Information: 325-728-3931. General park admission will apply. Auto racing The Ice Breaker races will begin at 7 p.m. at Abilene Speedway, 6825 West Highway 80. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for military, $5 for children age 6-12 and free for children age 5 and under. For more information, go to www.abilenespeedway.com. Fur Ball The annual Fur Ball dinner and dance fundraiser will be 7-10 p.m. at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. Tom and Lisa Perini will serve a dinner, with a buffet for dogs presented by Pam's Pets, and the Abilene Community Band will perform. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children age 12 and under. Dogs will be admitted free. Proceeds will go to Rescue the Animals, SPCA. For tickets, call 325-698-7722. 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' A production of 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Fulks Theatre at Abilene Christian University. Tickets are $15. For more information, go to www.acu.edu/theatre. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' A production of the musical 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for military, seniors and students; and $5 for HSU faculty, staff and students. Philharmonic concert The Abilene Philharmonic will present 'Pops II Easy to Love' at 7:30 p.m. at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. For tickets, or for more information, go to www.abilenephilharmonic.org. 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' A production of 'Horrid Massacre in Boston' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center at McMurry University. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for McMurry faculty, staff and students. For more information, call 325-793-3889. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 10 a.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Big Country Chapter American Association of Medical Transcriptionists meeting, 10 a.m., Arbec Room, first floor, Texas State Technical College, East Highway 80, Abilene. For medical transcriptionists or anyone interested in becoming one. 325-698-8898. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 10 a.m. to noon, 2043 N. Second St. Incident reports released Tuesday by the Abilene Police Department: Criminal mischief, 1000 block of Chestnut Street, Tuesday Someone reportedly was stealing electricity from a neighbor via an electrical cord. Burglary of a vehicle, 3100 block of Sutherland Street, Monday Someone reportedly broke into several vehicles and stole a total of $843 worth of property. Burglary of a vehicle, 2200 block of North 19th Street, Monday A woman reported that while she in the hospital, someone broke into her car and stole more than $300 worth of property. A committee looking into ways to both educate and retain workers for local businesses recently began meeting in Abilene. At the behest of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Seaton Higginbotham, president of Arrow Ford, formed the 28-member group, which first met in December. Members have been touring area high schools and two-year colleges to get a feel for how students are being prepared for the workforce. The panel is a marriage between the education and business worlds, Higginbotham said. "This committee is going to come up with some interesting ideas and opportunities for the Abilene community," he said. "We're trying to connect the academic and the business worlds with each other. If we can do that, we're going to be able to create jobs for this community." Two weeks ago, the committee toured Abilene High School's numerous career and technical education programs. Committee member Gail Gregg, deputy superintendent of the Abilene Independent School District and director of career and technical education, led the session. Gregg said the committee certainly learned a lot from the experience, but the AISD also might be able to use some ideas posed by committee members to tweak its programs to better serve the needs of employers. He said the ability to get the committee which is composed not only of business leaders and educators but also parents and students into the schools to see what they offer was valuable enough. At least to start. "We just went for a tour and a talk," Gregg said of the experience at AHS. "A lot of the people in the community don't really know what's happening in our schools. We're doing a lot of good things, but there are some things we know we need to improve on. Doing this gets us to the table to talk." On Tuesday, Higginbotham's group stopped by Texas State Technical College's campus on East Highway 80 and the school's Culinary Institute on North First Street. The school's training programs focus on preparing students to enter the workforce, and TSTC officials reiterated their need for a new facility, a request that Chancellor Mike Reeser first made public at a special meeting of the Development Corporation of Abilene earlier this month. The new facility, if built, would house a number of programs as TSTC strives to train more workers in technical skills for the growing industrial job markets. TSTC also focuses on job training for workers already employed, including grant programs available to help companies fund employee training, such as the Skills Development Fund and the Skills for Small Business grants. Higginbotham said the committee could use more input from its younger members, especially students, as the panel studies issues involving the recruitment and retention of educated workers. There are only two students on the committee, he said, and more would be welcome. To learn more about the committee, contact Higginbotham at Arrow Ford at 325-692-9500 Twitter: @TimothyChippARN Early voting in the March 1 Republican and Democratic primaries got off to a fast start with 560 votes cast in person Tuesday in Taylor County. The total compares with 372 in-person voters on the first day of balloting in the last joint presidential primary election in May 2012. Both Republicans and Democrats have hotly contested races for president this year. In addition, local Republicans are voting on several races of interest, including District 19 U.S. representative; District 24 Texas Senate; District 71 state representative, Taylor County district attorney; county court-at-law No. 2; and Precinct 3 county commissioner. Early voting continues through Feb. 26. Taylor County residents may vote Wednesday at: Taylor County Plaza, 400 Oak St. Suite 101, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hastings, 4709 S. 14th St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. United Supermarkets, 1095 N. Judge Ely Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Kmart, 4565 S. First St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mall of Abilene, 4310 Buffalo Gap Road, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Disney Sweepstakes List is full of current sweepstakes to win free Disney vacations, sweepstakes offered by the Disney company, and more. Disney sweepstakes give you and your family the chance to win a trip to Disney World or Disneyland, a free Disney cruise, or other great prizes without paying a cent. Disney sweepstakes often include Park Hopper tickets, free stays at the Disney Resorts, and special events like VIP tours of the Disney parks, breakfast with Disney Princesses, stays in the Cinderella Suite, and meet and greet events with prominent Disney stars. Good luck! 1. Visit Orlando - Family Vacation Sweepstakes Enter to win a free vacation in Orlando, Florida for up to four people. Entry Frequency: 1 x daily per person End Date: June 29th, 2022 Eligibility: Open to the U.S. (void in HI & AK) More Information about this Sweepstakes Enter Sweepstakes Directly Enter to Win More Vacation Sweepstakes If you'd like to win other vacation prizes as well as Disney sweepstakes, visit the Top Vacation Sweepstakes List for all of our best sweepstakes and contests with dream vacation prizes. The race for Congress this week veered from the road to the March 1 primary. It's not unusual in elections entering the voting stage early voting began Tuesday for a candidate either getting nervous about another candidate with momentum, or a candidate trailing in polls to launch an offensive. Sadly, their tactic often is offensive. Candidate Michael Bob Starr was questioned about his advocacy of LGBT rights in an article published on the "progressive news" site Breitbart. With the story are photos of Starr arriving at the finish line in Dyess Pride runs in 2014 and 2015, when Starr was commander of Dyess Air Force. In September 2011, the 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy came to an abrupt end. Gays no longer were banned from openly serving in the military. Then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said there would be "zero tolerance" of harassment. Thus, Starr and others in similar leadership positions were under strict orders not to discriminate. Maybe wearing an event T-shirt is too much for some but Starr was charged with supporting his men and women of all lifestyle choices. There likely were other base-related events in which he participated. End of story, right? Not in the world of politics. On Monday, the Starr campaign provided a flier they said was placed under windshields at a campaign event last week in Snyder. At a forum in Lubbock, candidate Jason Corley challenged Starr about support of gay rights at Dyess. Corley asked other questions about what he perceives to be questionable military policy. Breitbart's article states Starr did not answer these questions but that "it appears he has been very active in supporting gay rights group on his base." At a media conference Monday, Starr said a "false and malicious article" is being circulated. Starr's campaign does not believe it originated with Corley but criticized him for his role distributing it. Starr's folks believe someone else, someone with money to burn, is to blame. Hence his comments that "some are trying to buy their way into Congress. Some are relying on sleazy political tricks." Another candidate, Greg Garrett, released this statement: "I am disappointed that any Republican candidate would have engaged in and supported activities that are so diametrically opposed to both Biblical and Republican principles." Added Jodey Arrington, "I have great respect for the colonel's military service, but I disagree with his decision to participate in ... social events like the Pride Alliance fun runs ... The military should not be part of the Obama social engineering policies that he has forced on our country." Starr probably would've been better off ignoring the original accusation and should pass on these misguided responses. It's a late-campaign grenade lob. His opponent(s) were hoping he'd try to lob it back and it would explode in his face. The Starr campaign chose to bring out the bandwagon and local supporters jumped aboard, including Mayor Norm Archibald, who said it was time to "circle the wagons and shoot out." The mayor said an attack on Dyess was an attack on Abilene. "We are Dyess Air Force Base," he said Monday. "This is a slam against us." We don't see this as an attack on Dyess nor Abilene. It's a low-blow punch at candidate Starr, trying to stall his momentum in this race by tying him to gay rights, which doesn't fly in conservative District 19. This tempest in a political teapot is the very thing many district residents say they are tired of in Washington, a cycle voters wish would end. The accusation. The response. The rebuttals. Rinse. Repeat. Starr said as much. "These attacks are the reason people are tired of politics and politicians," he said. The reality, though, is he now is a politician. The risk a political figure takes is talking too much. The more that is said, the greater the chance of a misstep. Whoever originated this attack is anonymous, for now. Starr's responses, however, are attributed to him. His personal beliefs did not factor into decisions as commander. But when he speaks now as a candidate for Congress, his beliefs such as support of traditional marriage are fair game. Let's stick with the real issues that affect Texans and particularly West Texans, such as water, agriculture and energy. Starr is eminently qualified to talk about national security. Should he be elected, there could be an opportunity to review military policy. The candidate as commander followed orders and supported those on his base. A natural reaction is to respond and refute. Tempting as that may be in politics, that is not always the best approach. We can be better in this Republican primary race, better than what we've seen in presidential debates. We'd need a statesman and not a mudslinger to emerge from District 19. The Texas Department of Public Safety has released further information on the Thursday morning crash that killed a Brownwood ISD teacher. According to Trooper Travis Hounshell, Amber Diane Corley, 30, of Early, a high school Spanish teacher, was traveling eastbound on U.S. 67 in a 2015 Ford Fusion when she veered into oncoming traffic about 4 miles northeast of Comanche. Corley's vehicle collided with a westbound Mack truck driven by James Luther Morrow, 52, of Cleburne, according to Hounshell. Morrow "was unable to avoid the collision," according to the DPS report, and the Fusion "struck the rear axles of the towed trailer." The Mack truck rolled onto its right side and ended up in a barrow ditch facing north. The Fusion spun back across the highway and ended up on the south shoulder facing north. Comanche County Justice of the Peace Johnny Conine pronounced Corley dead at the scene. Morrow suffered minor injuries, according to the DPS. A third vehicle was struck by debris from the crash. The 2001 Toyota Echo, driven by 32-year-old Carla Lee Willis, of Stephenville, then slid to a stop in the barrow ditch. Willis was uninjured, according to the DPS report. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the DPS. Wednesday could be sunny with a daily high near 77 and a nightly low around 50 with wind gusts up to 25 mph. Expected highs this week could fluctuate between the 60s and up into the 80s with the nightly lows in the 40s to 50s. There could be a 20 to 40 percent rain chance Sunday and Monday. Your seven day forecast: Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 50. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. The ruling Chinese Communist Party has announced new regulations that will ban foreign companies from publishing online media, games and other "creative" content within China's borders from next month. The "Regulations for the Management of Online Publishing Services" also ban foreign-invested joint ventures from engaging in online content provision, according to a copy of the rules posted on the official website of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. And any Chinese companies wishing to produce online creative content, including audio, video, games and animations, must first seek official approval from the country's media regulator. Any organization in breach of the rules will be issued with a "warning letter," as well as an order to remove the "illegal content," according to Clause 51 of the regulations, which also require licensed online content providers to use service and storage facilities located in China. While content producers will be tasked with self-censorship, local governments will also be required to monitor creative content providers in their region and oversee their annual inspection, the regulations say. The move shows Beijing taking a much harder line towards foreign-produced online content than under previous rules, which allowed licensed foreign-invested joint ventures to publish original and adapted creative content online. It comes as the administration of President Xi Jinping rolls out a raft of new legislation aimed at minimizing foreign influence in the country in the name of "national security," analysts said. "These regulations take national security as their starting point," Hu Xingdou, professor of economics at the Beijing University of Science and Technology, told RFA. "It means that they want to prevent 'foreign forces' from exerting any influence on China's online content industry," Hu said. "Of course, this is going to affect foreign companies who have already invested in this industry in China," he said. Growing assertiveness According to a recent article in the National Law Review, Xi's new emphasis on national security is "an integral part of ... a growing assertiveness of the Chinese government in its dealings with foreign governments and businesses." "This focus on national security has important implications for companies and governments with current or potential interests in China," the article said. The new rules come after Xi told an Internet conference in Wuzhen, Jiangsu last year that each country should be able to control its own corner of cyberspace. "We should respect each countrys right to choose its own approach in internet governance," Xi told delegates. "Cyberspace is not a place beyond the rule of law." According to Sichuan-based rights activist Huang Qi, who founded the Tianwang rights website, said his site would carry on as normal for the time being, but that the new rules could make that harder in future. "Of course, these new rules mean that I am operating in a more hostile environment than before," Huang said. "They will ... increase the level of fear and anxiety in our work." He said Beijing is extremely concerned about the impact of the Internet on public opinion in China. "China's leadership at the highest level is very worried about online content," Huang said. "As more and more information becomes available online, in particular as more and more foreign content flows into mainland China, they will step up controls again and again, so as to maintain control over the Internet," he said. Reported by Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. An aerial view shows part of the city of Sansha on the island of Yongxing, also known as Woody island, in the disputed Paracel chain where China reportedly moved in antiaircraft missiles. Accusations that China has placed anti-aircraft batteries on a disputed island in the South China Sea are stoking tensions in a region that is grappling with Beijings claim to maritime rights that cover nearly the entire area. On Wednesday Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that it had "grasped that Communist China deployed" an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. Moving the ground-to-air missiles onto the island, would allow China to bolster its claim on an important strategic resource. China has been building new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and what look like military installations. Woody Island, which the Chinese call Yongxing, is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The island contains an artificial harbor, an airport, roads, army posts, a helicopter base and other buildings, the Associated Press reports. Some of the worlds busiest sea lanes traverse the area which is also a rich fishing ground and may contain petroleum reserves beneath the sea bed. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that the U.S. expects to have "very serious" talks with China about the South China Sea. There is every evidence, every day that there has been an increase of militarization of one kind or another. Its of serious concern, he said. Weve had these conversations with the Chinese, and Im confident that over the next days we will have further, very serious conversation on this. China did not directly deny the reports, instead Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the media for making sensationalist claims, while he bragged about the public goods and services the nation provides in the region, according to news reports. Taiwan and China both claim nearly the entire sea. Vietnam and the Philippines also have large claims, while Brunei and Malaysia have smaller stakes to waters and features that lie much closer to those nations than they do to far away China. Obama seeks "tangible steps" Beijings move comes just after President Obama and leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations wrapped up a meeting in California. Obama called for a halt to militarization in the South China Sea after the meeting ended on Tuesday. We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas, Obama said at a news conference Tuesday."Freedom of navigation must be upheld and lawful commerce should not be impeded." While the joint ASEAN-U.S. statement issued after the meeting failed to mention China by name, it included a commitment to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight. That language has been a consistent watchword for the U.S. and its allies as they seek to counter Chinas ascendance in the region. This happened when the U.S.-ASEAN summit took place as Washington and the ASEAN leaders agreed to voice the concerns over the South China Sea, Tran Cong Truc, the former chief of Vietnams border committee, told RFAs Vietnamese service. China decided to push forward with their plan in an attempt to try to ruin the common voice of ASEAN and the U.S. in countering China, he said. While China may want to drive a wedge between ASEAN and the U.S., it is also testing its neighbors, he explained. By doing this they want to test the water to see how other countries will react so they can continue with their plan, deploying modern weapons to the Spratly Islands, Tran Cong Truc said. Taiwan military analyst Chen Guoming told RFAs Cantonese service that the satellite intelligence is highly unlikely to be mistaken, and that the missiles on the island are likely China's home-produced Hongqi-9 series, or the Russian-built S-300 series. Chen said the militarization of the Nansha, or Spratlys, could mean that China's neighbors and fellow claimants may do the same. Vietnamese concerns The dispute hits Vietnam particularly hard, as many Vietnamese feel the Chinese move smacks of imperialism. Vietnamese activists chanted anti-China slogans in Hanoi Wednesday as they marked the 37th anniversary of a border war with their giant neighbor, AFP reported. In a pre-planned event, more than 100 people gathered in Hanoi to mark China's 1979 invasion of Vietnam's northernmost provinces.Security officials stood by as veterans chanted "down with China, down with China's invasion, AFP reported. The short but bloody war came after Vietnam toppled the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge regime in neighboring Cambodia. The war ended with Chinese forces withdrawing and both powers claiming victory. Although Vietnam celebrates military victories over the French and American armies, there are no official events to mark the China border war. But Beijing's increasingly assertive stance in the contested waters triggered public anger and rounds of protests in authoritarian Vietnam where the demonstrations are sometimes forcefully broken up. Just how far Vietnam will go is unclear as China is also a one-party communist state that, like Vietnam, rejects outside pressure over its human rights practices and shortcomings in the rule of law. China is also Vietnams biggest trading partner. Fox News reported that China had moved surface-to-air missiles to the Paracels, identifying them as two batteries of the HQ-9 system, along with radar targeting arrays. The missiles have a range of about 200 kilometers (125 miles), making them a threat to all forms of civilian and military aircraft. We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang told reporters after a meeting with Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop. The development is largely civilian oriented and benefited the region, he told the AP and pointed to the construction of light houses, weather stations, and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. "All of those are actions that China as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there," minister Wang said, according to reports. Construction of military infrastructure is "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that," he said. Reported by RFA's Cantonese and Vietnamese Services. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met for a third time with Myanmars military commander-in-chief on Wednesday following the landslide victory by her National League of Democracy (NLD) party in general elections last November, to discuss the rule of law and approaches to lasting peace in the Southeast Asian nation, which continues to be plagued by civil wars. Aung San Suu Kyi, chairwoman of the NLD, held discussions with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for more than an hour at the Paunglaung guest house in the Naypyidaw military command center, according to a post on the commanders Facebook page. The meeting came after a local media report last weekend that Min Aung Hlaing had secured his position as military commander for another five-year term. No other details from Wednesdays meeting were released. The two met previously on Dec. 2 and Jan. 25 to discuss a peaceful transfer of power to the NLD from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), although specifics about their conversations remain unknown. The NLD-led government will formally assume power on Apr. 1. Aung San Suu Kyi, who has pledged to end the fighting between the government army and various autonomy-seeking armed ethnic groups, needs the cooperation of the countrys military, which controls a quarter of the seats in parliament and appointments to three key ministries. Motion to end fighting In the meantime, the lower house of parliament unanimously approved a motion on Wednesday to end fighting between the government army and armed ethnic groups in the Palaung Autonomous Region and surrounding area near the town of Kyaukme in northern Myanmars restive Shan state. Sai Aung Tun, a lawmaker from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party, who represents Kyaukme, made the motion on Tuesday. It was supported by 12 other lawmakers, including two military representatives. Win Htoo, a lawmaker from the Palaung Autonomous Region, urged the incoming NLD-led government to hold a peace conference that includes all armed ethnic groups, and said it was the responsibility of the nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) monitoring group to end the hostilities and bring about peace. The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S), which signed the NCA between the government and eight of the countrys armed ethnic groups last October, has been engaged in a new round of hostilities against the Palaung/Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) since Feb. 7. The peace accord signed with Myanmars military-backed USDP was boycotted by seven of 15 ethnic groups that have battled Myanmars central government for decades in a bid for greater autonomy. The Shan State Army-North, the second of the main Shan rebel armies, was among the groups that refused to sign the document, while the TNLA was excluded from the pact. Myanmars army had teamed up with the RCSS, the political organization that oversees the SSA-S, after the group signed the NCA and launched an offensive against the holdout rebel TNLA army in Shan state. During the parliamentary discussion, lawmakers called for aid and relief for the thousands of civilian refugees who have fled areas where the hostilities have occurred, following testimony about the situation from officials from government ministries and the Presidents Office. The TNLA has been battling the RCSS near Mong Wee village in Namhkam township since Nov. 27, when the SSA-S crossed into front-line territory and opened fire, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported. More than 3,000 locals, including 300 students, have taken refuge in 17 shelters in Kyaukme, according to local media reports. Reported by Myo Thant Khaing, Win Ko Ko Lat and Win Naung Toe for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Tibetans in two areas in Chinas Sichuan and Qinghai provinces have been conducting prayer services in the privacy of their homes for the speedy physical recovery of the exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in response to stepped-up efforts by Chinese authorities to prohibit such activities, Tibetan sources from the areas said. The 80-year-old Dalai Lama, who lives in Dharamsala, India, traveled to the United States last month to get a regular medical checkup and receive treatment for a prostate condition at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., followed by a one-month rest period, according to information on his website. Tibetans in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) town in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Chinas Sichuan province and in the Mangra (Guinan) county area of Tsolho (Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Chinas Qinghai province have been praying in secret for the good health of the Dalai Lama, the sources said. Tibetans in Ngaba and other areas of the prefecture also are conducting prayer services through the Chinese mobile text and voice messaging communication service We Chat, a Tibetan from the town told RFAs Tibetan Service. They were worried and wanted to conduct a large prayer service for his speedy recovery, but because of Chinese restrictions, it is difficult to form a large prayer congregation, said the source, who declined to be named. So many individuals have been praying in the privacy of their homes. Although authorities have cut off Internet service Ngaba for some time, local Tibetans who live there were aware that the Dalai Lama had gone abroad for medical treatment, he said. Keeping watch over Tibetans In Mangra county, Qinghai province, Chinese officials have been paying frequent visits to Tibetan monasteries and keeping watch over Tibetan activities, making it very difficult for monks and others in monasteries and villages to hold prayer services for the Dalai Lama, said a Tibetan in exile, who is a native of Mangra. So the individuals are conducting prayers quietly in their homes, he said. [But] after learning about the Dalai Lamas medical treatment in the U.S., Tibetans are worried and nervous. They wanted to conduct mass prayers, but with an increase in the intensity of the political reeducation campaign, it has been very difficult for Tibetans to congregate. Earlier this month, authorities in Sichuan province detained two senior Tibetan monks from Chokri monastery in Draggo (Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture on suspicion of holding prayers for the good health of the Dalai Lama. The monks had organized a prayer ceremony on Jan. 25, according to the Tibetan Centre For Human Rights and Democracy. Authorities in three government departments in Draggo also issued an order on Jan. 31 for shopkeepers to turn over their stocks of photos of the Dalai Lama, threatening severe punishment for those who failed to comply by Feb. 2. The order mandated that merchants could no longer sell or display the photos in shops or stores serving the public. The Dalai Lama, whose photos are banned by Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas, fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 and is reviled by Chinese leaders as a dangerous separatist who seeks to split the formerly self-governing region from Beijings rule. Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. S President Barack Obama and Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders pose for a photo before the ASEAN conference in Rancho Mirage, California. From left: ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, Laos' President Choummaly Sayasone, Obama, Philippine's President Benigno Aquino, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and Myanmar's Vice President Nyan Tun, Feb. 16, 2016. President Obama was the belle of the ball this week as members of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pushed him to pay closer attention to the region, as they face pressure from giant neighbor China. As the two-day conference came to a close in California on Tuesday, the group's leaders urged Washington to make a bigger showing in the region as the alliance hopes a greater U.S. presence will temper Chinas assertive stance toward the disputed South China Sea territory. The White Houses decision to host ASEAN leaders in the U.S. for the first time at the same venue where Obama hosted an informal summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, symbolizes the pivotal role the U.S. can have with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Obama and the ASEAN leaders spent Tuesday discussing regional security issues, including counterterrorism and Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has built up islands in the region with airstrips that can handle military aircraft and has also sent oil-drilling rigs into the area. The moves have alarmed the other nations with competing claims in the area, and brought a response from Obama. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas," Obama said at the end of the conference according to a Reuters report. The U.S. continues to maintain its stance that the disputes to be resolved peacefully according to international law. Its a position stance Obama emphasized Monday in welcoming leaders of ASEAN's 10-nation bloc: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Strong commitment "The United States and ASEAN are reaffirming our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld," he said. Le Luong Minh, a Vietnamese politician and chairman of the association, said the U.S. is one of ASEAN's "important dialogue partners," the Associated Press reported. He called the summit an "excellent opportunity to exchange our views" on important issues. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said ASEAN leaders hope Obama's attention and priority toward the Southeast Asian grouping will be continued and sustained by future U.S. presidents, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported. He said 10 ASEAN leaders acknowledged that the grouping's relationship with the U.S. was as important as its relationship with China, All parties must exercise self-restraint, avoid increasing tensions in the disputed areas," he told Malaysian journalists here Monday, Bernama reported. While some of ASEANs members want to see a more muscular U.S. presence, it is unlikely they will ditch China as Beijing is their main trading partner and a political backer of several of the more authoritarian members of the bloc. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged Washington to use a stronger voice and "more practical and more efficient actions" to prevent militarization and island-building in the South China Sea, the Hanoi government said. Still the ASEAN members at least continue to capture Washingtons attention as Obama will visit Vietnam in May during a trip to Asia, the White House said on Monday. Obama accepted the invitation by the Vietnamese prime minister during a meeting at ASEAN. Human rights protest While much of the talk among the U.S. and ASEAN members inside the Sunnylands Center dealt with Chinas power, voices were raised outside the resort as human rights groups pushed the U.S. to be more assertive on human rights. Hundreds of demonstrators protesting human rights abuses gathered in the California desert near Rancho Mirage, Calif. To protest the dismal human rights record in some of the ASEAN nations. A number of demonstrators were naturalized Americans who formerly lived in Southeast Asia. A group called for the end of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sens three-decade-long domination of the government. "We are here today to send a clear message to Hun Sen that we don't support communists, we don't support a dictator, Bona Chhith of the Cambodian American Alliance told Voice of America. We don't support a tyrant. Hun Sen must go," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said Obama should seize this golden opportunity to inject some long-missing values into his much-trumpeted Asia policy. He should not only demand the release of all political prisoners but, standing side by side with the Vietnamese prime minister, also call for the country to follow Burmas example and hold genuine multiparty elections, Adams wrote in a blog post. On a visit to Moscow, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called for better relations between Russia and Europe. "We all are interested in normalizing relations between Russia and Europe," Orban said during talks with President Vladimir Putin. This corresponds to Hungary's interests. The two leaders have developed close ties, and Hungary has pushed for the lifting of EU sanctions against Russia imposed over its actions in Ukraine. Orban told Putin that the EU would not "automatically" extend sanctions against Russia when they come up for renewal at the end of July 2016. The EU has made the prospect of lifting sanctions contingent on the fulfillment of a peace deal for eastern Ukraine, but Putin emphasized on February 17 that it's up to Ukraine to fulfill its end of the deal. Putin has been eager to exploit divisions within the European Union over sanctions on Moscow and develop economic ties with European countries like Hungary that remain willing to keep up business relations with their old Soviet-era trading partner. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax TARAZ, Kazakhstan -- The killing of a 5-year Kazakh boy has triggered ethnic tensions in Kazakhstan's southern region of Zhambyl. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the village of Buryl on February 17, demanding that the whole family of the alleged killer -- a local Meskhetian Turk -- leave the community and the immediate release of several Kazakh men who were detained on hooliganism charges on February 16 after they tried to attack Meskhetian Turks' houses. The police presence has been increased in the village, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. The regional police department said the victim, identified as A.S. Duisenbek, was found dead with marks of violence in his parents' house on February 15. A local resident identified as D.M. Kavazolgy was arrested on February 16. Police said he confessed to the killing, saying he entered the house with the intention to steal some items and killed the boy to get rid of a witness. A leader of local Meskhetian Turks, Dunyadar Abdullaev, said his community wants "the killer to receive the maximum punishment." Some 30 percent of the 12,000 residents of the village are Meskhetian Turks. ASTANA -- More than a dozen protesters have blocked a major street in the Kazakh capital, Astana, demanding the immediate release of former Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov from prison. The protesters unfolded a large placard across the street that read, "We Demand Justice!" The protest also caused a traffic jam. Police dispersed the February 17 protest and detained the demonstrators. Akhmetov, 56, was sentenced in December to 10 years in prison on corruption charges. The former prime minister, who pleaded not guilty, called on President Nursultan Nazarbaev "to forgive my negligence which led to corruption" in the central Qaraghandy region. Akhmetov is a native of the Qaraghandy region. He served as prime minister between September 2012 and April 2014. Thousands of Kosovo opposition supporters have gathered in the capital, Pristina, calling for the government to resign, accusing it of violating the country's constitution in reaching deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Opposition supporters came from all over the country on February 17 on the anniversary of Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence in 2008. "We want to remove [Prime Minister] Isa Mustafa and his fellow politicians. This is why we are gathered here today," said Visar Ymeri, head of the opposition Self-Determination party, in a speech to the protesters. The opposition rejects a deal between Kosovo and Serbia reached last year, giving more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. In December, the Constitutional Court decided that part of it was not in line with the constitution. The opposition is also against a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and has called for a referendum or fresh elections. They have attempted to disrupt the work of parliament with tear gas, pepper spray, and whistles. Based on reporting by AP and AFP One year after the closure of one of Russias oldest independent TV stations, former employees are still paying the price for their work. The award-wining regional Tomsk TV-2, a station in the western Siberian city of around half a million, aired its last program January 1, 2015. The closure came after Roskomnadzor, the state agency that regulates Russias media, withdrew its license, and another official body, the RTRS, later refused to renew the channels broadcasting contract. Both agreements were discontinued without explanation and former employees and managers from TV-2, which was known for its editorial independence, believe the decision was politically motivated. We didnt just lose our jobs, we lost our faith in anything changing, said Melanie Bachina, a former TV-2 reporter and presenter, and long-time RFE/RL Russian Service contributor. Thousands of people turned out to protest the closure of TV-2, more proof to Bachina and her colleagues that their programs enjoyed popular support. But the mood changed when a local media smear campaign set Bachina and other well-known TV-2 personalities in its sights. Accusations and Insinuations American Servants read one headline in an article published in the newspaper Tomsk Week that skewered Bachina as a puppet of the West. The author wrote that she, together with RFE/RL, wanted to overthrow the constitution of Russia and create chaos in the country by organizing a Russian version of the Euromaidan demonstrations that ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. An article that appeared in the newspaper in April emphasized the fact of Bachinas birth in western Ukraine, and accused her of collaborating with the pro-Bandera Western media outlet RFE/RL. Stepan Bandera was a World War II anti-Soviet insurgent who is widely regarded in Russia as a Nazi collaborator, while being embraced by far-right nationalist groups in Ukraine. For Russian audiences, the association with Bandara implies fascist sympathies. We simply told the story of both sides of the conflict in Ukraine, said Bachina. We went to the Maidan and reported what was really happening there. This was shocking for the Russian public because they saw that there were normal people there, not just zombies and Nazis, as was reported by the state media. We also interviewed people who are critical of the Russian government and are not allowed on state channels, and we asked officials uncomfortable questions. We did our job, and for that we were closed. The character attacks against Bachina and her colleagues moved online and continued throughout 2015, taking on a much more sinister tone. A local news website accused her of selling Russian orphans after she produced a video report for RFE/RL about an American family that had adopted a Russian child. (The report was published after Russia banned adoptions by American families.) Another site posted a photo of her that had been digitally altered to add a symbol to her shirtsleeve of the Azov Battalion, originally a volunteer militia that is now a part of the Ukrainian National Guard and that allegedly has ties to far-right nationalist groups. After the more pernicious stories had circulated online, Bachina was inundated with nasty messages on social media and threatening emails. When she asked the police to investigate the threats, she says she was rebuffed, and in a chilling official response, was informed that she herself wouldnt be charged with making false accusationsthis time. Im not afraid for myself, but I worry about my children, she said. Bachina says her former TV-2 colleagues did not escape unscathed either. Around 40 of them were interrogated and charged with unlawful demonstrating after they picked in front of the station to protest the closure. Everyone was fined 30,000 rubles. Symptom of a Wider Societal Divide One year on, Bachina believes the frenzy of threats that continues to flood her inbox, as well as the disdain shown by the police to journalists, is reflective of the deepening divisions in Russian society as a result of the countrys foreign policy. Its much worse here now than during the Soviet Union. Society is so overheated, with everyone divided into us vs. enemies, with family members refusing to speak to each other over differences of opinion on Ukraine and Syria, she said. Its terrifying and you can feel it in the air. I dont go out much anymore, to shops and places like that, unless I have to. The Reporters Without Borders 2015 World Press Freedom Index, which ranked Russia 152 out of 180 countries, down four places from the previous year, noted that in Russia the climate has become very oppressive for those who question the new patriotic and neo-conservative discourse and, in some regions, local despots have taken advantage of this new climate to step up their persecution of critics. The report also warned that while the leading TV channels continue to inundate viewers with propaganda, independent media outlets are being either brought under control or throttled out of existence. While many former TV-2 journalists have left the profession all together, Bachina continues to contribute regularly to RFE/RL and says she finds strength in her colleagues, as well as in a small circle of local journalists who also continue to report, often for struggling websites. We do support each other and well continue to work, she said. But to be honest, sometimes it feels like were living in a bunker. --Emily Thompson/Evgeniya Konovalova MOSCOW -- An improvised memorial near the Kremlin where Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was gunned down nearly a year ago has been vandalized for a fourth time since the beginning of the year. Activists Sergei Kolesnikov and Karine Kovkhayeva said on February 17 that they were at the site overnight when police took them away for questioning. After they returned 90 minutes later, all the flowers had been removed from the spot, they added. The activists preserved Nemtsov's portraits, which they reinstalled at the site. Nemtsov was fatally shot on a bridge near the Kremlin on February 27, 2015. Several men from the North Caucasus region have been arrested and charged with the killing. Nemtsov's relatives and lawyers have expressed skepticism about the probe, insisting the killing must have been ordered by high-ranking Russian officials. With reporting by OVD-Info Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement to allow long-haul trucks a grace period to return home after forbidding transits by each others' freight haulers. Over 600 Ukraine-registered trucks that are currently on Russian territory will now be allowed to leave, and approximately 600 Russia-registered trucks will be allowed to exit Ukraine before the borders are closed again, Ukraine's Transport Ministry said. The grace period will last through February 25. Russian cargo haulers are having an increasingly difficult time reaching Europe. Moscow's transit agreement with Poland -- another key mainland route to the EU -- lapsed at the beginning of February and Russia-registered cargo trucks are no longer allowed to enter Poland. Until this problem is resolved, many Russian truckers have been switching to Belarusian vehicles so they can continue their trek through Poland, the Transport Ministry said. Russia's Transport Ministry closed its borders to Ukrainian trucks on February 16 after Ukraine announced that Russian trucks would not be allowed to enter Ukraine. Relations between Moscow and Kyiv have soured since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The tit-for-tat ban on truck transits follows similar bans on food sales between the two countries. Based on reporting by AP and Interfax Russian media report that Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has flown to Antarctica to say Mass at a scientific research station. Kirills spokesman Aleksandr Volkov said on February 17 that Kirill flew to Russia's Bellingshausen scientific station on the Island of Waterloo from Punta Arenas in southern Chile where he had wrapped up his Latin American tour. "This is an historic event in the life of Russian Orthodoxy, a proof that the Russian Orthodox Church exercises its office on all continents," Volkov said. He said the service, to be attended by polar explorers, will be held at the Holy Trinity Church, the only Orthodox place of worship in Antarctica. Last week, Kirill held a historic meeting with Roman Catholic Pope Francis in Cuba. As leaders of two of the largest branches of Christianity with 1.3 billion combined followers, they pledged to work for unity in the future. Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS Russia has been sending in thousands of recently mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of the southern region of Kherson, where Kyiv's forces have been making major advances in their offensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow, the Ukrainian military said, as fresh Russian strikes on civilian targets were reported on October 21. "Up to 2,000 mobilized Russians arrived in the temporarily captured Kherson region to replenish losses and strengthen units on the contact line," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement on October 21. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. "At the same time, the occupation authorities issued an order to prepare for the evacuation of the so-called banking institutions and Russian medical workers and teachers," the statement said. Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnieper River that bisects the country. Russian soldiers on the western bank, where the city of Kherson is located, are reportedly close to being cut off from supply lines and reinforcements. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said on October 20 that Ukrainian forces mounted 15 attacks on Russian military strongholds in the Kherson region in what appears to be the start of a major push to liberate the region and the strategic city of Kherson. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said the Kremlin's forces repelled Ukrainian attempts to advance with tanks on the Kherson villages of Sukhanove, Nova Kamyanka, and Chervoniy Yar. Neither claim could be independently confirmed. The city of Kherson, with a prewar population of about 284,000, was one of the first urban areas captured by Russia when it invaded Ukraine, and it remains the largest city it holds. The city is an important objective for both sides because of its key industries and a major port on the Dnieper River. Moscow-installed officials have urged residents to evacuate and allow the military to build fortifications. Officials said 15,000 residents of an expected 60,000 had been relocated from the city and surrounding areas as of October 20. Kherson is one of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally seized following Kremlin-orchestrated referendums denounced as sham by Ukraine and the West. Putin declared martial law in the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions on October 19 in an attempt to assert Russian authority in the annexed areas as Moscow faced battlefield setbacks, a troubled troop mobilization, increasing criticism at home and abroad, and international sanctions. In a video address to EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels on October 20, Zelenskiy warned that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine, and if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian workers have been thrown out of the facility, leaving Russians in control. He asserted that Russia "has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack." He called for an international observation mission and the return of Ukrainian personnel to ensure the mines are removed from the dam and its units. Zelenskiy's comment came two days after Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed head of the Kherson region of Ukraine, announced an "organized, gradual displacement" of civilians from four towns on the right bank of the Dnieper River to the left side. Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of planning to destroy the dam and also warned of "an immediate danger of flooding." The Moscow-appointed deputy head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, encouraged people to cross over to the left bank of the Dnieper River and posted a video of a column of buses on Telegram. Kyiv has denounced Moscow's move, calling it a "deportation" of Ukrainian civilians to Russia. Over the past 10 days, Russia has also unleashed a wave of deadly attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure using artillery, air strikes, and Iranian-made suicide drones that destroyed 40 percent of the country's energy grid and prompted Kyiv to introduce rolling electricity restrictions for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion eight months ago. WATCH: Ukrainian forces first got their hands on FH70 155-millimeter howitzers courtesy of Italy in May and received training in Estonia. RFE/RL journalists met with a frontline FH70 crew and watched them in action against Russian forces. Early on October 21, a series of blasts rocked the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya, authorities said. Missiles hit an industrial facility in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Separately, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Sinegubov said five people had been wounded. No further details were immediately available about the Zaporizhzhua blasts. Zelenskiy told EU leaders that the Russian attacks against civilians and infrastructure are aimed in part at provoking a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries. "Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many problems as possible with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter and for as many Ukrainians as possible to go to your countries," he said. This should be "answered immediately," primarily by more air-defense systems sent to Ukraine, the president said, speaking by video conference from Kyiv. "We must do everything possible to make it completely impossible for Russia to destroy our energy system with missiles and drones," Zelenskiy said in the virtual speech, calling on Ukraine's partners to provide systems "to create a truly reliable air shield." With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and BBC About Us You cannot help but smile when you look at Rosie, our 25 foot Airstream trailer. But Rosie is a late addition to the family and not where this story begins. After decades of camping in tents, we decided to add a new level of "comfort" in our camping activities. So, we jumped from tents to an Airstream. The timing was perfect as we are also looking at entering the world of retirement. After more than 30 years of teaching at state universities, it is time to pass the laser pointer on to the next generation of professors. (This will not be a complete retirement because I will continue teaching graduate classes online. All I have to do is stumble into a WiFi signal ever other day to keep the grad class up and running!) This means that we will be able to venture out more in Rosie and visit more parks that we will be able to report on. KYIV -- An ally in Ukraine's ruling coalition has quit, calling the alliance a "clans' coalition that brought the nation to the extreme point of destruction." The leader of the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, Yulia Tymoshenko, made the announcement on February 17 and urged other lawmakers to also walk out of the coalition. The move comes after lawmakers representing Batkivshchyna and another party, Samopomich (Self-Assistance), boycotted a parliamentary session to protest against Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's survival in a no-confidence vote. Samopomich called the February 16 parliament vote "a cynical overthrow of the government" and accused President Petro Poroshenko of taking part in it. Yatsenyuk survived the no-confidence vote on February 16, hours after Poroshenko called on him to resign "in order to restore trust in the government." Yatsenyuk said on February 17 that it was essential to reshuffle the ruling coalition, adding that he was in discussions with political groups, including the populist Radical party. With reporting by Reuters A leader of the tiny Belarusian community in Crimea, who is known for his pro-Russia stance, has been detained on fraud and bribery charges. Writing on Facebook on February 16, Yauhen Suprunyuk says he was arrested on January 26 in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, on "trumped-up charges." Suprunyuk said he is surprised that he and his associates, "who faced persecution by Ukrainian authorities" for their political activities aimed at uniting Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, are being persecuted by Russian authorities. Suprunyuk's wife, Aliye Suprunyuk, told RFE/RL that her husband's pretrial arrest had been extended on February 16. She declined to give any other details. Suprunyuk, who is the chairman of the local NGO, Regional Belarusian National and Cultural Autonomy in Crimea, strongly backed Russia' annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. He served as a lawmaker in Crimea from 1995 to 1996. According to 2014 census figures, some 21,700 Belarusians live in Crimea, making up less than one percent of the overall population. Congratulations. You have just witnessed a big-budget spectacle titled The Reset, in which the main roles were played by the president [of Ukraine], his prime minister, and members of parliament. I am not going to analyze why the deputies of [oligarchs Rinat] Akhmetov, [Ihor] Kolomoyskiy, and [Viktor] Pinchuk did not vote no-confidence in [Prime Minister Arseniy] Yatsenyuk. The prime minister has been working fruitfully with them for some time already. All you needed to do was to watch the latest talk shows on ICTV and 1+1 in order to know that those votes weren't coming. The real question is about the faithful "army of the president," whose voting shows that either the president has lost his influence over his "business wing" (which is unlikely) or.... ...Or the failure of the vote for Yatsenyuk's dismissal went according to a prearranged script in which President Poroshenko was either an active participant or, at the least, the behind-the-scenes puppet master. Let me tell you how it worked. In the last round of voting, quite suddenly, 20 deputies of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc did not vote in favor of the no-confidence motion. At 7:50 p.m., parliament voted on a resolution expressing dissatisfaction with the cabinet of ministers. Two hundred forty-seven voted in favor, including 120 votes from Poroshenko's bloc. This preliminary vote had no legal consequences. But 15 minutes later, at 8:05 p.m., a vote was held on a much more significant resolution -- the vote of no-confidence in the government. This vote entails a raft of concrete consequences, including a change in the head of the executive branch. It was the moment when parliament would vote on a matter that was of the greatest importance to the president -- the replacement of the government, which he had just called for a few hours earlier. And on this resolution, the Poroshenko bloc provided22 fewer votes. Not two fewer votes, but 22 -- votes that somehow melted away in the course of 15 minutes. Let's look more closely at who did not vote for it. The list includes businessmen who are afraid of only one thing -- attracting the anger of Poroshenko. Look at the names of those who did not vote in favor: [Ruslan] Demchak, [Hleb] Zahoriy, [Borys] Kozyr, [Andriy] Pavelko, [Oleksandr] Tretiakov. People who are loyal to Poroshenko personally. Or take General [Viktor] Korol, who has developed a close relationship with Poroshenko over the course of several renditions of the Verkhovna Rada. Speaker [Volodymyr] Hroysman and his faithful [Vitaliy] Tkachuk also did not vote in favor. Or the manager and business partner of [Borys] Lozhkin by the name of [Hryhoriy] Shverk. In this situation, every vote was worth its weight in gold. One Eloquent Fact In general, it seems strange to hold a vote of no-confidence at a moment when there clearly were not enough votes to support it. But Hroysman, who is always able to work around the legislature, in this perilous moment decided to go ahead with a vote instead of putting the matter aside for further study. But let's look at one more, very eloquent fact -- how deputy Oles Dovhiy voted. Dovhiy is President Poroshenko's man inside the group of businessmen/deputies called People's Will. In terms of influence, he has already surpassed his friend, Serhiy Berezenko. Dovhiy gathers up votes for Poroshenko in critical situations -- and he never speaks out against Poroshenko's positions. And, at the most critical moment, when the vote on Yatsenyuk's removal was at stake, he removes his voting card. Look at the results of the vote -- it says that Dovhiy was absent. But the cynicism of the situation becomes clear when, after the vote was counted and it was clear that the government would not be removed, Dovhiy filed a request with parliamentary officials asking that his vote in favor of the no-confidence resolution be recorded! Maybe you don't believe me and you think that perhaps Dovhiy really wasn't in the chamber? Luckily, the plenary sessions of the Verkhovna Rada are recorded. And at the moment of the vote on no-confidence in Yatsenyuk, it can be clearly seen that Dovhiy was sitting in his place, turning around to speak with Volodymyr Lytvyn andnot voting. What is more, it wasn't just Dovhiy who asked that his vote be added after the fact -- a total of four People's Will deputies did so. All of them, at the moment of voting, removed their cards from the system. Why did People's Will, whose gas producers ([Yaroslav] Moskalenko and [Oleksandr] Onishchenko-Kadyrov) are always fuming at Yatsenyuk for raising the fees they pay and who are always looking for ways to endear themselves to Poroshenko, suddenly decide not to vote? Why pay so much attention to the unfortunate Dovhiy? Because he is Poroshenko's debt collector on the free political market. Dovhiy has been connected with [Serhiy] Berezenko and [Ihor] Kononenko for many years and by many projects going back to the days of their joint work in the Chernovetskyy bloc. Now he is in charge of Poroshenko's political outsourcing beyond the framework of his coalition. He is the president's soldier, more devoted to him than many of the members of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc. And who -- with all these amusing maneuvers of removing his card and then later asking for his "in favor" vote to be added after the fact -- has given away the entire game. Paying A Higher Price? Of course, losing his devoted Prosecutor-General [Viktor] Shokin was painful for the president. However, he should have made this sacrifice back in December when he promised to get rid of Shokin in talks in Kyiv with [U.S. Vice President] Joe Biden. Now, in February 2016, a good opportunity came along not just to surrender Shokin, but to "sell" him as a significant concession on Poroshenko's part, as a signal of his readiness for a "reset" that did not happen because of parliamentary resistance. In reality, it isn't even certain that Shokin is leaving, inasmuch as in recent weeks the country has seen several examples of people "withdrawing" their letters of resignation. But if he does leave, then the loyal Yuriy Sevruk will take his place. And, by the way, an acting prosecutor-general does not have the right to ask parliament to lift the immunity and sanction the arrest of any deputies. But that doesn't seem to bother anyone. In front of the entire country, a back-room deal was played out, and the word "reset" is now no less discredited than the word "deoligarchization." P.S. As usual, you will ask: What next? Such spectacles do not pass without leaving traces. All of the participants will pay a price. Having rejected the "soft scenario" of changing a government that is riddled with corruption, we will arrive at a more forceful scenario in which popular anger will demand that everyone pays a much higher price. And then early elections won't seem like a catastrophe, but like a life preserver. This blog post appeared on the website of Ukrayinska Pravda. Serhiy Leshchenko is a journalist, an activist of the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protest movement, and a member of the Verkhovna Rada -- Ukraines parliament -- from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc. Translation by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson A Ukrainian who testified in the Russian trial of filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and later recanted his testimony has been transferred to a harsh punishment cell and is being denied medical care despite worsening health. Hennadiy Afanasyev's lawyer told RFE/RL that Afanasyev, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence after being convicted on charges widely seen as fabricated, had requested a transfer to another facility so he could get treatment for a blood infection, but that has been rejected. Earlier this month, they moved him to a punishment cell, his lawyer, Aleksandr Popkov, said, after allegedly finding contraband items including a phone SIM card and, earlier, a razor blade. Afanasyev denied the items were his. "Theyre seriously squeezing him," Popkov said. "Theyre using the full power of the repressive machine against him. This, most likely, worries him most. One thing after another is piling up: problems with his health, problems with the [prison] director, who is reprimanding him without cause." Afanasyev was arrested in Crimea in May 2014, along with Sentsov and two other men, and was accused of being part of a terrorist conspiracy on the Black Sea peninsula, which had been annexed by Russia two months earlier. Afanasyev initially provided testimony that helped convict Sentsov and his co-defendant Oleksandr Kolchenko. But he later retracted his statement, saying he had been tortured by Russian security agents. He was sentenced in December 2014 by a Moscow court, and sent to a prison colony in the northern Russian region of Komi. Senstov, who received international acclaim for his 2011 film Gamer, stopped his filmmaking in late 2013 as protests in Kyiv against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych began to build. Those protests later culminated in violent clashes that sent Yanukovych fleeing the country in February 2014. Sentsov later helped bring food and water to Ukrainian soldiers who had been barricaded in their bases in Crimea after Russia's stealthy takeover of the peninsula. He was accused of organizing the firebombing of pro-Russia organizations on the peninsula and was sentenced to 20 years in prison Popkov said Afanasyev had also been barred from receiving telephone calls, and relatives reported he hadn't been receiving mail since December. With reporting by Igor Bubnov of RFE/RL's Russian Service The UN Security Council is "concerned" about Turkey's shelling of Kurds in Syria, UN diplomats said after a meeting requested by Russia on February 16. Venezuela's UN Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, the current council president, told reporters in New York that "all members of the Security Council are agreed to ask for Turkey to comply with international law." Turkey since the weekend has been shelling positions held by the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara says is linked to Kurdish militant groups outlawed in Turkey. Ankara fears the YPG, which is an ally of the United States in its fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, is close to securing the last stretch of the Syrian border with Turkey not already under its control. Turkey has warned the YPG that it would face the "harshest reaction" if it tries to capture the town of Azaz near the Turkish border. Taking an increasingly activist stance toward the conflict in neighboring Syria, Turkey on February 16 said it was seeking allies to send ground troops into Syria, apparently to bolster rebel forces that have been fighting a losing battle against government and Kurdish forces in the Aleppo region. Turkey's actions have stirred alarm in Moscow and Damascus, while prompting more muted objections from Washington, which has asked Turkey to stop the shelling. Syria sent letters to the Security Council protesting Turkey's alleged border violations, while its close ally Russia asked for the closed-door meeting on the matter. Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov, in an apparent allusion to the United States, said council members with close ties to Turkey should tell Ankara to "stop your inappropriate behavior in Syria." Turkey is a member of NATO, which has cooperated with the United States in its campaign against IS, but on Kurdish matters it has often been at odds with U.S. goals in the region. U.S. officials have lauded the Kurdish YPG militia, backed by air strikes from the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS, as the most effective force fighting against the Islamic extremist group in Syria. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and TASS U.S. President Barack Obama has challenged Russia to back peace rather than war in Syria and said a negotiated truce that is supposed to begin this week will be a "test" of Moscow's intentions. Obama challenged recent assertions by Russian and Syrian leaders that they are winning the ground war against rebel groups in the "shattered" country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops, backed by Russian air strikes, may have made "initial advances," but three-quarters of the country remains out of their control, Obama told reporters in California after an East Asian summit on February 16. The president said Russia's and Syria's gains, moreover, have come at a horrible cost in human lives and displacement of thousands of Syrians, much of that the result of Russia's "indiscriminate" bombing. "The real question in Syria is what is it that Russia thinks it gains if it gets a country that has been completely destroyed as an ally and that it now has to...spend billions of dollars to prop up," he said. "A country has been shattered because [Assad] was willing to shatter it," he added, and Russia "has been party to that entire process." What forced Russia to intervene in Syria was the Syrian regime's weakness, not its strength, Obama said. "You send in your army when the horse you're backing isn't effective," he said, asserting that Russia's deep recession and faltering government revenues will not permit Moscow to support a long war there. "Putin may think he's prepared to invest in a permanent occupation of Syria," Obama said, but "that's going to be pretty costly...If you look at the state of Russia's economy, that's not what would be best for Russia." Obama said it would be smarter for Putin to help broker a peace settlement and political transition in Syria, and this week's truce gives him the opportunity to get started on that process. The president's comments were echoed by other administration officials earlier on February 16. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said the United States expects Russia to honor the truce, which negotiators in Munich last week said should begin by February 19, and wants to "see some progress on a cessation of hostilities." Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the truce agreement is a "test" and "a new marker" for Russia. "We will be keeping a close eye on who abides by it and who does not, and we will be in a position to say clearly, and to respond if necessary, if there are violations of that cessation of hostilities," Cook said. With reporting by AP, Reuters, NBC News, and AFP WASHINGTON -- VimpelCom, the Dutch-headquartered telecom that operates one of Russia's largest mobile communications providers, said it was in negotiations with U.S. authorities to settle corruption allegations related to its investments in Uzbekistan. The company said in a corporate filing on February 17 that under the terms of the potential settlement with U.S. and Dutch authorities, it would "acknowledge certain violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act" and Dutch laws, and pay fines and financial penalties. The extent of the penalties was not clear, though the company, whose shares trade on the NASDAQ stock exchange, said last year it was putting aside nearly $1 billion to deal with potential criminal liabilities. Both the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission declined to comment. The news was the latest development regarding a handful of telecoms that have been caught up in multinational investigations into bribery and other illegal payments tied to investments in the Central Asian nation. Most of the allegations have centered on a company linked to Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbek President Islam Karimov. That company has been identified in court papers and corporate filings as Takilant Ltd. The Gibraltar-registered company's nominal head was a close business associate and confidante of Karimova, who is now reportedly under house arrest in Uzbekistan. The corruption allegations date back several years, though it wasn't until early 2014 that VimpelCom and two other companies -- MTS and Scandinavian giant TeliaSonera -- announced they were under investigation for possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. U.S. authorities have used the 39-year-old statute aggressively to investigate corruption around the world, such as last year's probe of world soccer's governing body, FIFA. MTS is Russia's largest mobile phone operator, controlled by Russian conglomerate Sistema, whose majority shareholder is billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov. VimpelCom, through its Beeline subsidiary, is Russia's third largest operator. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is controlled, through a series of intermediary companies, by billionaire Mikhail Fridman. Other Investigations The United States and Dutch authorities aren't the only entities involved in investigating Uzbek-related corruption. Norway has gotten involved by way of VimpelCom's minority shareholder, Telenor ASA. The Norwegian government holds 54 percent of Telenor, and questions of whether government-owned shares have been tainted by illegal payments have sparked political debates in Oslo. Last year, Vimpelcoms former chief executive officer was detained by Norwegian police. The government also forced the resignation of Telenor's chairman in October. The other company facing potential U.S. penalties is TeliaSonera, a Swedish-Finnish communications giant. Swedish authorities have aggressively investigated bribery allegations after reports on Swedish television, and four senior executives later resigned. A criminal investigation by Swedish prosecutors may return indictments in that case sometime this year. Last March, the U.S. Justice Department asked Sweden to seize $30 million in funds held in the Scandinavian bank Nordea in connection with the probe. "The U.S. investigation has revealed that VimpelCom, MTS, and TeliaSonera paid bribes to Uzbek officials to obtain mobile telecommunications business in Uzbekistan and that funds involved in the scheme were laundered through shell companies and financial accounts around the world, including accounts held in Sweden, to conceal the true nature of these illegal payments," said the Justice Department request, which was dated March 20. Gulnara Karimova spent years in the limelight as an aspiring pop star, fashion designer, and socialite. Her prominence sparked speculation that she might one day succeed her father, who is 78. But she appeared to fall out of favor in 2014 as the multinational corruption investigation gathered steam, and photographs published last year purported to show her under house arrest in Uzbekistan. "A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma," is how British statesman Winston Churchill once described Russia and the difficulty of predicting its behavior. But if Moscow is a puzzle to many, it seems to be less so to those who live in Russia's immediate neighborhood. They describe Russia not as unfathomable but as a powerful yet troubled state they feel they understand well. In a series entitled Russia & Me, 12 former leaders of countries which once were Soviet republics reveal how they regard Russia and its policies. The interviews, conducted over a six-month period by Anna Sous of RFE/RL's Belarus Service, reveal feelings toward Moscow which range from anger, to pragmatism, to affection. Taken together, they offer a rare collection of insights into a Russia whose behavior under President Vladimir Putin, these leaders say, is remarkably like that of the Soviet Union. "There is no sovereign Ukraine for (Russia's leaders), Ukraine exists as part of Russia and this is the core of their philosophy," says Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's first president from 1991 to 1994. He recalls how newly independent Ukraine felt intense pressure from Moscow to stay in Russia's orbit from the moment the Soviet Union dissolved, despite an accord that each post-Soviet state would be free to chart its own future. Many of the former leaders express bitter disappointment that Putin crushed their early hopes that Russia might one day become democratic, something that once looked possible under Mikhail Gorbachev's program of perestroika and then the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. "It was a time of hope," says Vytautas Landsbergis, who was Lithuania's first head of state after it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. "I'm sorry that the Bolshevik-style forces of vengeance and imperialism proved stronger." Like many, he remembers Yeltsin fondly. "He had honor and pride. I saw this during our negotiations, including times when his colleagues tried to sway him into acting unfairly," Lansbergis recalls. By contrast, he says for the Kremlin today "a person is worth nothing, but territory and power are valued above all." But not all the former leaders are as critical of Moscow as that. Some say they understand Putin's efforts to keep the Soviet world effectively intact. And they blame some of the wars and crises that have resulted upon what they term an inability to negotiate with Russia. Nino Burjanadze, who twice served as acting president of Georgia, defends Moscow's actions in annexing Crimea from Ukraine. She says "nobody doubts" the people of Crimea wanted annexation "because almost the entire population -- 90 percent -- took part" in a March 2014 referendum conducted by Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities on joining the Russian Federation. Burjanadze's description of the referendum is patently false -- it was not monitored by independent observers, so no one knows what the real voter turnout was. But her statement illustrates the passions generated by Moscow's efforts to shape the post-Soviet world, even as she argues that the way to deal with Russia is through dialogue and identifying mutual interests. Georgia itself fought a war with Russia in 2008, a confrontation Burjanadze claims could have been averted. Another former leader who views Russia as a country that can be worked with is Askar Akaev, the president of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 to 2005. Asked to define his own view of Russia, he replies that it is his "second motherland" because he grew up in the Soviet Union. In a pitch-perfect echo of the Kremlin's own claims of noninvolvement in the military campaign in eastern Ukraine, Akaev asserts that "Russia is not taking part in any military conflicts, either in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world." (The interview, conducted in June 2015, predated Russian military involvement in Syria's civil war.) But his admiring view of Putin as a man who "fiercely defends Russia's sovereignty" is in itself a challenge to other world leaders to ask if they really understand what sovereignty means to the Kremlin and how it defines Russia's national interests. Some former leaders in Russia's neighboring states say they are surprised that countries farther away from Russia often seem so mystified by Moscow. "The Americans often say to me, 'Well, tell us something about Russia we don't understand them,'" says Guntis Ulmanis, the president of Latvia from 1993 to 1999. "But for how long can we not understand them, I ask?" Ulmanis says "it's time to study Russian, meet with Russians," so that Western nations acquire the same knowledge of Russia its neighbors have. Only, then, he suggests, can one understand how Russia acts and how to respond. The 12 interviews in the Russia & Me series are a step in that direction. In addition to those already mentioned, the other former leaders included in the series are Robert Kocharian, who has twice been Armenia's president; Petru Lucinschi, president of Moldova from 1996 to 2001; Rolandas Paksas, president of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004; Arnold Ruutel, president of Estonia from 2001 to 2006; Stanislau Shushkevich, Belarus's first post-Soviet leader, who was in office until 1994; Vladimir Voronin, president of Moldova from 2001 to 2009; and Viktor Yushchenko, president of Ukraine from 2005 to 2010. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Feeding America Southwest Virginia recently received a truckload of fresh, heart-healthy food donated by Food Lion in recognition of American Heart Health Month. The donation included 600 cans of soup and 7,000 pounds of fresh produce, such as carrots, onions, celery and potatoes-foods packed with vitamin A, vitamin K and other key nutrients to ward off heart disease and high blood pressure. "I can't think of a better way to serve during Heart Health Month than donating these fresh foods," said Rob Ward, Food Lion's director of operations. "As we focus more and more on providing fresh fruits and vegetables to our clients, it's important to build partnerships with the community to accomplish these strategic initiatives," said Pamela Irvine, president and CEO of Feeding America Southwest Virginia. "Food Lion, an early corporate partner both food and funds, has provided this donation at a time when we need assistance to help the hungry in our region." Also present was the Rev. Mike English of United Christian Inner City Ministries, a Feeding America Southwest Virginia partner agency that receives donated food from Food Lion to supply the church's food kitchen. Without the support of Feeding America Southwest Virginia and Food Lion, English said, they would not be able to continue the outreach they do. "It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of love, too," he said. Submitted by Feeding America Southwest Virginia RICHMOND Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday he will not change his estimate of revenues available for the two-year state budget he proposed in December. McAuliffe ruled against revising revenues either up or down, as the governor often does in the middle of the General Assembly session to allow legislators to adjust their proposed budgets. The money committees are scheduled to release those plans Sunday. While we believe lowering the estimate is an unnecessary step that will impair investments in core programs, we also recommend against spending more than the current budget and raising the possibility of a revenue shortfall down the road, the governor said in a statement. Secretary of Finance Richard Ric Brown told the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees Tuesday that the governor would not change the total amount of revenues available for the states general fund budget, which accounts for more than $40 billion of the $109 billion budget. The governor noted that his proposed budget lowered its assumptions for collection of estimated income tax payments, or those not paid through payroll withholding, by more than $750 million in this fiscal year and the 2016-2018 budget. However, the governors office said McAuliffe is proposing adjustments to individual sources of revenue to better align the forecast with actual revenue collection trends on a source-by-source basis. These adjustments offset one another, creating no net change in total revenue, the governors office said. House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said the adjustments lower the forecast for sales and corporate tax revenues by about $60 million. That would be offset by reduced income tax refunds paid by the state and increases in revenues from taxes on deeds and other court records, and insurance premiums. Taking down corporate and sales [tax revenues] is a prudent approach, Jones said. Jones also agreed with the governors decision not to change the total state revenue estimate. However, he cautioned, I still have concerns about income tax withholding [collections] at the end of the day. General fund revenues, primarily income and sales taxes, grew by 6.8 percent in January compared with the previous year, but sales tax collections fell by almost 1 percent for a period that included the Christmas holiday. Total general fund revenues grew by 2.4 percent from July 1 through January, trailing the forecast of 3.2 percent for the fiscal year that ends June 30. Senate passes measure to regulate Airbnb The Virginia Senate on Tuesday approved legislation to legalize and regulate Airbnb, the online platform that allows property owners to rent out rooms, apartments and houses to travelers seeking short-term stays. Senate Bill 416 passed the chamber on a bipartisan 20-19 vote almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Similar legislation had easily passed the House earlier in the session. But senators, led by Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City, dug into the language of the bill and concluded that it does not explicitly require that Airbnb, or any limited residential lodging company, to register with the state Department of Taxation and set up a system to remit state and local taxes for stays booked through its portal. Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, said localities were opposed to the measure and advocated for slowing this train down a bit and taking more time to figure it out. Bill addresses funding for students with disabilities The Republican-led House of Delegates approved a bill Tuesday that would allow certain students to use public funding for private school tuition. The bill passed 53-46. It would allow parents of students with disabilities to take a portion of their childs share of state school funding and put it toward other educational expenses, like textbooks and tuition at a private school. Republican Del. Dave LaRocks bill initially sought to create education savings accounts for all students. But it was narrowed to apply only to students with disabilities amid opposition from the Virginia Education Association. The bill states that expenses from the accounts would be audited and reviewed, but the VEA has said its concerned about the potential for the money to be misused. Medicaid expansion hits walls in committees For the third consecutive year, Gov. Terry McAuliffe will not get his most fervent wish expanded health coverage of hundreds of thousands of uninsured Virginians through the state-federal Medicaid program. Senate Finance Co-Chairman Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, confirmed this week that the committee will not include McAuliffes proposal to expand Medicaid in the two-year budget it releases on Sunday. Nor will the spending plan include the governors proposals to cut the state corporate tax rate and expand the individual tax exemption with anticipated state savings from using federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to expand coverage to Virginians who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, said Hanger. He was a leader of a failed attempt in 2014 to use billions in federal funds to expand coverage. This session needs to be let the dust settle and not be aggressive on anything related to the Affordable Care Act, Hanger said Monday after a meeting of the Finance subcommittee on health and human resources. The position is the same in the House Appropriations Committee. Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said the proposed House budget will not include any of the spending items proposed by McAuliffe using an estimated $157 million in net state savings from using $2.5 billion a year in federal funds to pay for hospital coverage of prison inmates and community mental health services, and reduce subsidies for indigent care by hospitals. The governor linked eight spending proposals to the anticipated savings, including a proposed $63.7 million cut in the corporate income tax rate and $42 million for an increase in the personal exemption, which both committees say they will not support. Both campaigns are part of a major push from interest groups on the left and right to mobilize their resources and grass-roots activists around the Supreme Court vacancy. Just days after the courts conservative stalwart died, these groups are plotting strategy, raising cash that will help shape their budgets and setting up events aimed at swaying the November elections. Conservative organizations such as FreedomWorks and Heritage Action for America back Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells refusal to consider an Obama nominee, while MoveOn and its allies are pressing Obama to pick a more liberal-minded jurist to replace Scalia. Right now, this is the No. 1 priority for FreedomWorks, said Levey, executive director of the groups foundation. The only thing that protects limited government, and liberty in general, in this country is the courts when politicians either, like Obama, dont believe in limited government or Republicans in Congress arent willing to stand up for it. THE jury in the case of five men and two women accused of 61 child sex offences in Rotherham has retired to consider its verdict. The judge in the case has this week been summing up the evidence given by 12 alleged victims over the past two months and the jury began deliberations this morning. The offences are alleged to have taken place mainly in Rotherham, but also span Sheffield, York, London and Blackpool between 1987 and 2003. Arshid Hussain (40), of East Cowick in Goole, is accused of 28 offences, including rape, assault, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape and aiding and abetting rape, while his brother Basharat Hussain (38), has denied 15 offences including indecency with a child, procuring a female for sex, indecent assault, rape, false imprisonment and threats to kill. Childrens charity found Karen MacGregor (58), of Wath, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiring to procure a child to become a common prostitute and false imprisonment, while 40-year-old Shelley Davies (40) is charged with conspiracy to procure a woman under 21 for sexual intercourse and false imprisonment. Another pair of brother is also among the seven defendants Sajid Bostan (38), of Sherwood Crescent, Rotherham, faces seven charges including rape, indecent assault and aiding and abetting rape, while 37-year-old Majid Bostan (37), of Ledsham Road, Broom, denies indecently assaulting a girl under 16 in Rotherham. The seventh defendant is Qurban Ali (53), of Clough Road, Rotherham, who faces four charges of conspiracy to rape, indecent assault, rape, and procuring a woman under 21 for sexual intercourse. All the defendants deny all the charges against them. THE NUMBER of people claiming out-of-work benefits across the Rotherham borough has fallen. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 4,380 people across the borough - which includes Maltby, Dinnington and Mexborough - claimed jobseekers allowance (JSA) in January - a fall of 840 compared to the same month last year. Youth unemployment also fell by 23 per cent last month with 1,015 people aged 18 to 24 claiming JSA or universal credit. Nationally, the employment rate now stands at 74.1 per cent. Nigel Coleman, of Jobcentre Plus, said that unemployment has fallen across South Yorkshire with Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley doing slightly better than Sheffield. Mr Coleman said that the introduction of universal credit was making it easier for people to take on jobs because it is based on the amount earned rather than the hours worked which he said used to limit people getting back into work in the past. In the Rotherham area, there are 2,000 temporary vacancies with Pearson Edexcel on the Hellaby Industrial Estate covering eight or nine weeks from May working on processing exams. There are 60 vacancies with Greencore in Kiveton, as well as other opportunities with employers across the area. Sector-based work academies with South Yorkshire Transport Executive and Toyoda Gosei on Bessemer Way, Masbrough, have provided training, work experience and jobs too. Mr Coleman said: Its very encouraging. Iain Duncan Smith, secretary of state for work and pensions, said: February is another record-breaking month as the employment rate is now the highest it has ever been, wages continue to grow strongly, and 150,000 more disabled people in work over the past year. People from all backgrounds, right up and down the country, are benefiting from our policies and now enjoying the security of a pay cheque. The number of people in Yorkshire is now at a record high, with the employment rate at 71.8 per cent. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) welcomed the increase in employment. Neil Carberry, CBI director for employment and skills, said: While its encouraging that employment continues to rise strongly, lacklustre pay growth underlines the need for a pickup in productivity before wages can rise faster. Propelling innovation by broadening access to existing research and development incentives and not adding to the cumulative burden on businesses, from recent government policies, will help firms to create more jobs and boost productivity. MURDER suspect Dale Jones once told a probation officer he thought all Pakistanis were rapists, a court heard. Jones (30), of East Bawtry Road, had admitted a public order offence in March 2015, for which he was given a supervision order. He made his racist belief apparent to probation officer Alisdair Kirkpatrick, while discussing his violent offending. In a statement read out at Sheffield Crown Court today, Mr Kirkpatrick said he was taken aback by the comment made last April, four months before pensioner Mushin Ahmed (81) was beaten to death. Most of the session was spent exploring [Jones'] attitude towards violence, Mr Kirkpatrick told the court. A comment he made alarmed me and I was quite taken aback by his racist belief. He said: P**** make me very angry. I asked him why and he replied: All P**** are rapists. I could tell by his responses and body language that he had felt this way for some time. Both Jones and co-defendant Damien Hunt (30), of Doncaster Road in Clifton, deny murdering Mr Ahmed. The trial continues. Kiran Gems Private Limited, the worlds largest manufacturer of diamonds, has recently opened a huge polished diamond manufacturing unit in Surat, as mentioned in a press release from the company.This new factory is a part of planned strategy to streamline its manufacturing units of larger diamonds. It is 500,000 sq ft factory and houses various functions in the cutting and polishing process. The unit will be using the state of the art manufacturing capacity for planning, cutting and polishing diamonds.Kiran Gems is known to have the highest number of sophisticated machines, to plan and mark diamonds for cutting and polishing.The company processes over 5.5 million carats of rough diamonds to meet the demands of its globally spread customers.This new factory will play a crucial role for the company, smoothing the rough diamonds processing logistics and cutting down processing time significantly, thereby considerably strengthening inventory of certified diamonds and enabling Kiran sales team to service their customers efficiently.Vallabhbhai Patel, chairman of Kiran Gems, said on the occasion that "Kiran has a long term view and strategy for the diamond industry and this factory is a part of it. We have been upgrading in the past and will continue doing so, even in the future. It is essential to provide excellent quality of diamonds; and observe cost optimisation in order to create a sustainable business. And this factory is designed to fulfil that purpose." Anglo American, which has an 85 percent stake in De Beers said the diamond giant is this year expected to record cash savings of $200 million. It could not state how the savings would be initiated, however, the company previously indicated that it would place Damtshaa Mine and its Snap Lake mine in Canada onto care and maintenance. The company said lower rough diamond sales volume and weaker price index, had been partly offset by richer product mix. De Beers underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) dropped 58 percent year-on-year to $571 million in 2015. The companys diamond production also dropped 12 percent to 28.7 million carats last year compared to 33Mct realised in 2014. Production was reduced in response to weak trading conditions, it said. The group was set to produce between 26 million carats and 28 million carats this year subject to trading conditions. Anglo said De Beers would focus on Gahcho Kue completion in Canada, progress on Venetia underground development in South Africa and Jwaneng Cut-8 projects in Botswana. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished The sixth International Diamond Week in Israel officially opened at the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) trading hall. Distinguished guests from overseas and hundreds of Israeli diamond dealers were present at the opening ceremony. The recently elected President of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) Yoram Dvash greeted the guests: "It is my great honor to open the Sixth International Diamond Week in Israel. Every opportunity to witness a packed rough trading hall in the Israel Diamond Exchange is most welcome." At the ceremony he also spoke about the relevant changes needed to bring the diamond industry to normalcy, setting mood for the whole event. "I call on everyone to think outside the box. This is what we do in the Israel Diamond Exchange and this is what we must all do in our private diamond businesses," Dvash noted. Eli Izhakoff, Chairman of the World Jewelry Hub in Panama and Honorary Lifetime President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, noted the diamond sector has started to revive after a difficult year. "Things look more optimistic than they have before. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Izhakoff concluded. CIBJO President Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri spoke of his close and fruitful relationship with the Israeli diamond industry. "I was very pleased to be able to offer the assistance of CIBJO. We will do all we can to help with this initiative," Cavalieri stated. Israel Diamond Institute Chairman and former President of the Israel Diamond Exchange Shmuel Schnitzer welcomed the various dignitaries attending International Diamond Week in Israel. "I am very pleased that the tradition of International Diamond Week in Israel is continuing. It is heartwarming to see so many members of the diamond industry here today. We hope that 2016 will bring better business results - this year we will enjoy more successful outcomes," Schnitzer said. Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow The Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) signed a MOU with MSSDS (Maharashtra State Skill Development Society) on 8th February 2016, in the presence of Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis informs a press release from GJSCI. Through this MOU the signatories Prem Kumar Kothari, Chairman GJSCI and S. S. Sandhu, Principal Secretary Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Maharashtra have undertaken to explore collaborations for increasing employment potential in the State of Maharashtra by enabling supply of skilled manpower in the desired sector, strengthening the training infrastructure related to the requisite skill set as well as by adopting new age technologies as per the demand of industries. The statement also states that MSSDS along with GJSCI would undertake the onus of skilling 12000 tribal girl child in the next 2 years and hereon, any kind of skilling and improvement in the working conditions of the artisans in the gem and jewellery sector will be routed through GJSCI. Formed under the aegis of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in 2012, GJSCI is the nodal entity for skill development of the Indian gem & jewellery industry. It covers all the areas and functions of the industry such as diamond processing, coloured gemstone processing, jewellery manufacturing, wholesale and retail. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished (TASS) - ALROSA, the leader of the global diamond mining industry, intends to employ the Kristall Factory based in Barnaul to establish a manufacturing hub cutting diamonds mined by the company. This was announced by Andrey Zharkov, President of ALROSA at a meeting with Alexander Karlin, Governor of the Altai Territory. The company launched a program to reform our cutting and polishing unit. The Groups manufacturing unit is represented by three companies located in Barnaul, Moscow and Orel. It was decided to turn the Barnaul Kristall Factory into a center of our cutting and polishing business. In fact, it will be its parent company, Andrey Zharkov said. He noted that the manufacturing factory in Orel was currently undergoing the stage of bankruptcy. So far, there was no final decision to preserve it or not. In any case, the Orel- and Moscow-based factories should later be turned into branches of Barnauls Kristall, President of ALROSA said. According to Andrey Zharkov, the Barnaul factory will undergo technical modernization in 2016. ALROSA will contribute about RUB 35-40 million worth of equipment into the charter capital of Kristall. In addition, the company mulls to organize a trip of experts to India to explore fundamentally new diamond cutting technologies, which will be tested at the Barnaul factory. Alexander Sharapov, CEO of Barnauls Kristall said that his factory had exceeded its production target in 2015 by 3.4% and by as much its sales target. According to the administration of the Altai Territory, Kristalls total production last year reached RUB 92.1 million (up 7.6% vs 2014 in comparable prices), having processed 55,300 carats of diamonds. In 2015, Kristalls losses were RUB 5.9 million. The factory projected its output for 2016 at the level of RUB 96.9 million. Fears of diamond industry According to the president of ALROSA, the need for reforms in the miners cutting and polishing unit arose from several factors. In his view, the Russian diamond cutting industry mainly found itself in a difficult situation, which was now affecting Barnauls Kristall and other subsidiaries. In general, the Russian diamond cutting industry was only losing its development pace for the last 20 years. During the past 5-6 years, we saw polished production in the Russian Federation shrinking at about 7% a year. There are objective and subjective factors affecting the situation. Unfortunately, there has been no consistent government policy in the field of diamond cutting industry, Andrey Zharkov said. According to the president of ALROSA, September of 2016 will be one of the difficult moments for the diamond manufacturing industry. Under the obligations incurred by Russia in the framework of the agreements signed when joining the WTO, one of the major measures of state support to the diamond manufacturing industry to date which is the 6.5% export duty on rough diamonds is to be cancelled. This may deliver a severe blow to the diamond cutting industry, the head of ALROSA said, while noting that the Group should still maintain stable operation. According to Andrey Zharkov, the Russian company has other competitive advantages, including operations on a tolling basis (without paying for received materials), meaning that ALROSAs enterprises have no need to purchase rough. Due to this, they have no debt commitments born by many other companies, which have to buy rough. We are optimistic about this companys potential development, and I think that later on we shall further elaborate a plan for medium-term and short-term measures to be taken, so that it was possible to ensure stable operation, as well as indexation of the tariff and wages, summed up the company's president. ALROSA is engaged in the exploration, extraction, production and sale of diamonds. The company mines diamonds in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Arkhangelsk Region. In 2015, ALROSA produced 38.3 million carats of diamonds, its sales totaled 30 million carats. Last year, ALROSA earned no less than $ 3.4 billion in diamond sales revenues. The largest shareholders of ALROSA include the Russian Federation - 44%, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) - 25% and Yakutias uluses (municipalities) - 8%. The companys free float is 23%. Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard is expected to sign the bill. Gay and transgender rights activists say it discriminates against transgender children. The issue of transgender people and bathrooms has flared up recently, particularly after Houston voters last year repealed an anti-discrimination ordinance that had been decried as a bathroom bill. Dozens of school districts have grappled with this issue, but South Dakota would be the first to make it a matter of state law. About a dozen states are considering similar legislation, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The bill does not carry any penalty for students or schools that violate the law. A similar bill in Virginia was rejected last week in a Hous Via O Pais: Combate a febre-amarela ataca municipio de Belas com mais de um milhao de vacinas.[Fight against yellow fever "attacks" municipality of Belas with over one million vaccinations] Edited excerpt from the Google translation: Starting next Friday, February 19, Belas municipality will receive the vaccination campaign against yellow fever, which every day continues to make new victims all over the country. So far, about 100 cases have been reported, including more than 30 deaths. The province of Luanda is so far the epicenter of the disease that has spread also to Cabinda, Huambo, Kwanza Sul and Kwanza Norte. According to the provincial director of Luanda Health, Rosa Bessa, in the municipality of Belas, which already has more than five registered cases of the disease, the campaign will vaccinate about 1,100,000 people, including pregnant women and children as a program priority. According to her, to avoid the long lines at vaccination clinics, the immunization process at the Belas municipal level will take place in the local delegation of Health, the neighborhood committees and the communal administrations. There will be three days of intensive vaccination work in Belas (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). To make the process faster, Rosa Bessa advanced as it provides daily immunize about 10,000 people in all vaccination centers. The intention, according to the official, is to bring together all the technical and human conditions so that the process is developed smoothly. "The launch of the campaign, in Viana, allowed us to collect a lot of experience and will certainly help technicians perform better. Now it is necessary to appeal to the discipline of citizens to comply with the queues without tensions, in an organized way, because in sequence we will go to other districts of Luanda," he said. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) selected nine rail projects in eight states to receive nearly $10 million to upgrade and increase the safety of railroad crossings along energy routes under the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program. FRA received 34 eligible applications requesting five times the $10 million available for the program, or $50.8 million. Three states, Wisconsin, Louisiana and North Dakota will benefit from more than $5 million in funds. Wisconsin will use its $3 million to improve safety and security for Waukesha County communities along rail lines carrying crude oil. I have been sounding the alarm for two years on the need to put in place strong rail safety protections and am proud to announce this critical investment in Wisconsins rail infrastructure, said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Louisiana will use its $1.1 million to increase safety at railroad crossings along six miles of Kansas City Southern tracks from North Street to Louise Street in Baton Rouge. These grants will reduce accidents and fatalities at railroad crossings and help modernize our nations rail system, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Through a combination of these grants, education and enforcement, we can and will achieve our goal of preventing accidents and deaths at railroad crossings. Of the 15 crossings along the route, six will be closed and nine will be upgraded to have lights, gates and other road improvements. Since 2000, there have been 11 accidents that have resulted in four injuries along this corridor in Baton Rouge. An average of eight trains travel along this route each day. In 2014, Louisiana ranked in the top five states for fatalities at railroad crossings with 13 fatalities. Families in this neighborhood travel across these tracks every day taking their children to school and going to work. But these crossings do not have all the safety measures that families and this community deserve with so many trains transporting crude oil and other energy products. [This] investment will go a long way to keep families safe and move us closer to achieving the goal of reducing fatalities at railroad crossings, said FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg. North Dakota will use its more than $1 million award to upgrade grade crossings on the energy corridor with active warning signals at five locations: 126th Ave NW of Epping; 86th Ave NW east of Ross, Grand Forks Cr16 Niagara; Grand Forks CR20 West of Larimore and 79th Ave NE Ramsey County CMC 3638 NW of Devils Lake. Weve been working hard to maintain and improve our states infrastructure, especially our railways, said Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND). This funding will go towards upgrading grade crossings, which will improve rail safety and allow us to continue building an all-of-the-above energy plan for our nation. FRA notes that highway-rail grade crossings collisions are the second-leading cause of all railroad-related fatalities. While the number of fatalities has decreased for the last several decades, this number increased in 2014 for the first time this decade. The FRA unveiled the availability of the funds last September. The guidelines for the grant applications set by the FRA encouraged states to include innovative solutions to improve safety, especially at highway-rail grade crossings. Craft brewer Boston Beer Co. Inc. (SAM) has been experiencing downtrend in its Sam Adams brand, due to increased competition, and a slowing in the Cider category. Meanwhile, the company is excited by the planned introduction of its Samuel Adams nitro series in the first quarter of 2016, and remains confident about the long-term outlook for the craft category at Samuel Adams brands. To maintain the pace of innovation and to react quickly to any emerging opportunities, the company increases its investment in new beer and cider development capabilities. While reporting third-quarter results, the company said its focus in 2016 will be on innovation within the Samuel Adams family, integrated programming across point of sale, promotions and media for all its brands, and prioritizing the core styles of Angry Orchard and Twisted Tea for increased distribution and promotion, and maximizing the Coney Island Hard Root Beer opportunity. The company is due to release its fourth-quarter numbers after the bell on Thursday, February 18. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect earnings of $1.13 per share on revenue of $224.18 million. Analysts' estimate typically exclude certain special items. In the previous quarter, the company reported higher profit, largely due to increased net revenue, increased gross margin and a lower income tax rate, partially offset by increases in advertising, promotion and selling expenses. FY15 Guidance The company now sees full year 2015 earnings per share to be $7.40, a decrease in the range from the previous communicated estimate of $7.10 - $7.50. Full year depletions and shipments growth is expected to be between 3% and 6%, a decrease in the range from the previous communicated estimate of between 6% and 9%. Boston Beer estimates price increases of between 1% to 2%, and intends to increase investments in advertising, promotion and selling expenses by between $30 million and $35 million. This does not include any increases in freight costs for the shipment of product to our distributors. Effective tax rate to be about 37% in 2015. Q3 Overview The company's third-quarter net income was $38.6 million or $2.85 per share compared to $37.9 million or $2.79 per share in the prior year period. Net revenue for the third quarter was $293.1 million, a 9% increase compared to the previous year's revenue of $269.7 million, mainly due to core shipment growth and increased revenue per barrel due to product mix. Third quarter 2015 gross margin increased to 53.6% compared to 53% in the third quarter of 2014. This is primarily due to price increases and lower ingredient costs that were partially offset by product mix effects. Depletions grew 6% from the comparable 13 and 39 week periods in 2014. Martin Roper, the company's President and CEO stated, "In the third quarter, our depletions growth benefited from strength in our Coney Island, Twisted Tea, Traveler and Angry Orchard brands that offset a decline in some of our Samuel Adams styles." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recommended restriction of donating blood in areas where Zika virus transmission is active. FDA said individual donors from areas affected with Zika should wait for at least four weeks before donating blood. The recommendation is mainly based on the view that the virus may not give any symptoms during the initial days of infection. In Latin America, the virus infected people are showing mild or no symptoms at all. People from Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa are found to have Zika infections. FDA has also asked U.S. blood banks to reject donor blood from those who have traveled to Zika-affected countries in the last four weeks. Peter Marks, biologics director of FDA said the recommendations will help reduce the risk of collecting blood and blood components from donors affected by the virus. Zika virus was first identified in Uganda and later found in equatorial Asia. Fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis are the symptoms of infection. It can cause microcephaly or reduced head size and incomplete brain development in children born from infected mothers. The virus can also cause Guillain - Barre syndrome that affects immunity of the body that attacks peripheral nerves. In the last two years, the virus spread across the South Pacific, including Hawaii, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is usually passed on to people through mosquito bites. Researchers are suspecting that body fluids also can cause infection. Until February, 39 countries have reported infection and the number is on the rise. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said the nation's biggest banks remain too big to fail and pose significant risk to the . "While significant progress has been made to strengthen our financial system, I believe the [Dodd-Frank] Act did not go far enough," Kashkari said in a speech at the Brookings Institution. "I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy." Kashkari urged the Congress to consider to solve this problem once and for all. "Large banks must similarly be able to make mistakeseven very big mistakeswithout requiring taxpayer bailouts and without triggering widespread economic damage. That must be our goal," Kashkari. Kashkari said Congress must consider breaking up large banks into smaller, less connected, less important entities. They should also turn large banks into public utilities by forcing them to hold so much capital that they virtually can't fail. "Taxing leverage throughout the financial system to reduce systemic risks wherever they lie," Kashkari said. Kashkari said the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is launching a major initiative to consider transformational options and develop an actionable plan to end too-big-to-fail banks. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News : . 506 505 701 . Palestinian Foreign Ministry: General strike is form of resistance RAMALLAH October 20. 2022 (Saba) - The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, Thursday, considered that the comprehensive strike that pervades the homeland is a form of popular resistance in rejection of the ongoing Zionist escalation and its crimes. Aggression kills over 7,000 in Yemen so far SANAA, Feb. 17 (Saba) The acting ministers held here on Wednesday a press conference, reviewing the Saudi aggression crimes and the destruction it left in the public and private facilities. Over 325 days, the Saudi aggression has killed and injured thousands of innocent people and has affected all the life aspects in the country. The death toll of the aggression amounted to 7,018 martyrs, including 1,601 children and 1,161 women, and the number of wounded reached 16,551 people, including 2,247 children and 1,755 women, as well as 147 handicapped, the acting health minister Dr. Ghazi Ismail said in the press conference. Dr. Ismail stated that more than 340 medical facilities, including hospitals, medical centers and specialized units were destroyed by the aggression. He also referred to the damage resulting from the lack of the oil products and medical materials due to the unjust blockade on the country, which led to the death of many patients with chronic diseases. The acting minister of human rights Ali Saleh Taiseer indicated that his ministry has issued recently its annual report on the crimes and violations committed by the Saudi aggression in Yemen, which fall within the war crimes and crimes against humanity. Those crimes include the deliberate murder through targeting civilians and populated areas, devastating the infrastructure and the service facilities and starving the people via the complete siege on the country and preventing the entry of foodstuffs and goods and bombarding ports, airports, roads and bridges, Taiseer explained. In the agricultural sector, three million workers have lost their jobs because of the Saudi aggression, which destroyed 4,817 sites, 19 water dams and barriers, 98 water pumps and irrigation networks and 20 agricultural buildings and facilities, according to the acting minister of agricultural and irrigation Dr. Mohammed al-Ghashm. The aggression also caused damage to 11 central markets for vegetables and fruits, 40 rural souks, two ports for agricultural exports, 300 livestock stables, 110 poultry farms, 19 cold storage stores and six agricultural cooperatives, as well as the damage resulting from the lack of the oil derivatives, which led to drought in large agricultural areas and crops spoilage. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has stopped presenting its services to more than 5.7 million beneficiaries, the acting minister said. The amounts paid via the social security network, estimated at 97 billion Yemeni rials (Y.R.) annually, have been suspended because of the situations being experienced by the country, he explained. He indicated to the damage suffered by the Handicapped Fund and the social care houses due to the Saudi aggression, which caused the stopping of 350 thousand workers in the private sector. The oil exportation has stopped and the production declined due to the aggression on the country, the acting minister of oil and minerals Yahya al-Ajam said. In addition, the aggression has destroyed 244 fuel stations, 189 oil trucks and 37 installations, including the Seismology Center and the Yemeni Petroleum Company brunch in Dhamar province and Ras Isa oil facility, as well as the lay-offs in the oil companies. For his part, the acting minister of Telecommunications and information technology Musleh al-Ozair confirmed that the telecommunications sector has suffered massive losses estimated at tens of billions of rials because of the Saudi aggression. BA Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [18/February/2016] Via the Brazilian MOH: Brasil e EUA iniciam estudo na Paraiba sobre microcefalia associada ao virus Zika. [Brazil and US launch study of Zika-related microcephaly in Paraiba] Edited excerpt from the Google translation: The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the government of Paraiba and the US CDC, on Tuesday (16) will launch a case-control study of microcephaly related to Zika virus in Brazil. The research will include the participation of 17 experts from the CDC, nine from the Ministry of Health, and Paraiba government officials. The objective of the research is to estimate the proportion of babies born with microcephaly associated with Zika, besides the risk of virus infection. "Brazil has been working in partnership with other countries and has been available to the WHO from the start, giving priority to research and investment in new technologies that work together to find solutions and improve care," said Health Minister, Marcelo Castro. Castro made the announcement during a meeting on Tuesday (16) with 24 ambassadors of the member states of the European Union in Brasilia to present the measures adopted by Brazil to face the Aedes aegypti mosquito, transmitter of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. On the occasion, Ambassador of the European Union Joao Cravinho told the Minister of opening a credit line of 10 million euros for studies on Zika. All institutions in the world may participate in the tender, which should be launched on March 15. "Science today has no boundaries. The intention is to create alliances between Brazilian institutions and institutions in other parts of the world. It is expected that the document will enable the creation of international consortia, joining the best institutions specialized in these areas, "said Cravinho. The CDC team arrived in Brazil this week to begin research. Meetings will be held with local authorities and field studies conducted with interviews and collection of blood samples for additional tests of Zika and other diseases such as cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis. Paraiba is the state with the second-highest number of suspected cases of microcephaly in the country. In all, 756 cases have been reported, 54 confirmed, 275 rejected and 427 still under study. Josef Stalin didn't get to run the Soviet Union by being an idealist about human nature. "One death is a tragedy," he famously observed. "A million deaths are a statistic." Severe droughts and floods triggered by one of the strongest El Nino weather events ever recorded have left nearly 100 million people in southern Africa, Asia and Latin America facing food and water shortages and vulnerable to diseases including Zika, UN bodies, international aid agencies and governments have said. New figures from the UNs World Food Programme say 40 million people in rural areas and 9 million in urban centres who live in the drought-affected parts of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Swaziland will need food assistance in the next year. In addition, 10 million people are said by the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) to need food in Ethiopia (pdf), and 2.8 million need assistance in Guatemala and Honduras. Millions more people in Asia and the Pacific regions have already been affected by heatwaves, water shortages and forest fires since El Nino conditions started in mid-2015, says Ocha in a new briefing paper, which forecasts that harvests will continue to be affected worldwide throughout 2016. Almost 1 million children are in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition in eastern and southern Africa. Two years of erratic rain and drought have combined with one of the most powerful El Nino events in 50 years to wreak havoc on the lives of the most vulnerable children, said Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala, southern Africa regional director of the UN childrens agency, Unicef. Governments are responding with available resources, but this is an unprecedented situation. The situation is aggravated by rising food prices, forcing families to implement drastic coping mechanisms such as skipping meals and selling off assets. At some point, more likely sooner than later, all our wars, outbreaks, and domestic political squabbles will be drowned out by famine and famine-related diseases on a planetary scale. Charity rock concerts will no longer avail. The politics of the mid-21st century will be utterly unlike those we now consider normalif a Hobbesian war of all against all can be called politics at all. His insight explains how calmly you are likely (if well fed, with reliable internet access) to react to this report in The Guardian: El Nino is causing global food crisis, UN warns . Click or tap through for the full report and many links. Excerpt and then a comment:At some point, more likely sooner than later, all our wars, outbreaks, and domestic political squabbles will be drowned out by famine and famine-related diseases on a planetary scale. Charity rock concerts will no longer avail. The politics of the mid-21st century will be utterly unlike those we now consider normalif a Hobbesian war of all against all can be called politics at all. I hope I live to see myself proven wrong. For the underdogs its impossible: Rents in Halifax reach unreachable heights Amanda needs to separate from her husband and move out of their house, but shes stuck. Shes been searching for about four months for a rental in the Halifax area, and even though she has the money to offer three months of rent and a damage deposit ... A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the I give my consent to Sakshi Post to be in touch with me via email for the purpose of event marketing and corporate communications. Privacy Policy Via The New York Times: Conspiracy Theories About Zika Spread Through Brazil With the Virus. Excerpt: SALVADOR, Brazil The Zika virus, some Brazilians are convinced, is the inadvertent creation of a British biotech company that has been releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat dengue fever in Brazil. Others here and elsewhere see it as a plot by global elites to depopulate the earth and install a one-world government. And after a group of Argentine doctors asserted that a larvicide, not the mosquito-borne Zika virus, was to blame for a surge in cases of the birth defect known as microcephaly, Brazils southernmost state went so far over the weekend as to ban the use of the larvicide in its drinking water even though scientists and health officials insist there is no such link. Like Zika itself, rumors about it have replicated with viral ferocity through social media and word of mouth, frustrating the Brazilian authorities as they grapple with a poorly understood pathogen whose origins and implications are still something of a mystery. With many of the rumors started and spread abroad, Brazils Health Ministry has been scrambling to do damage control. In a statement on Monday, the government noted that microcephaly, which causes brain damage, was also growing in communities that did not use the larvicide, pyriproxyfen, and declared bluntly, The association between the use of pyriproxyfen and microcephaly has no scientific basis. Graham B. White, a medical entomologist who is a consultant to the United States Defense Department on disease-carrying insects, called the Argentine doctors assertion ridiculous and not credible. Mr. White said that the larvicide did not work through the nervous system, the part of the developing fetus affected by microcephaly. He noted that it had been approved by the World Health Organization and had been widely used for years to treat drinking water in places where mosquitoes breed. None of which was mentioned in myriad posts on Facebook and Twitter, where the American actor Mark Ruffalo was among those sounding the alarm, with a post on Monday that was shared nearly 500 times. Adrian Martinez thrives in K-State offense Turning Adrian Martinez loose has not come back to bite Kansas State. The senior quarterback has yet to turn the ball over this year. Via Folha de Pernambuco: Pernambuco tem 1.546 casos de microcefalia notificados.[Pernambuco has 1,546 reported microcephaly cases] The edited Google translation: From August 1, 2015 to February 13, 2016, 1,546 cases of microcephaly have been reported in Pernambuco. Of this total, 600 (38.8%) meet the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) to microcephaly, which identifies the malformation in babies with head circumference equal to or less than 32 centimeters. In all, 184 cases were confirmed as microcephaly and 159 were discarded - taking into account the outcome of babies' imaging. Also recorded were nine cases of stillbirths and seven that died soon after birth. It is noteworthy that none of the cases had microcephaly as the underlying cause of death. Deaths were in the cities of Recife (03) Ipojuca (03), Bodoco (01), Bom Jardim (1) Caruaru (1) Forest (1), Goias (1), Ipubi (1), Olinda (1), Petrolina (1), Sao Caetano (1) and Sao Lourenco da Mata (1). Since the notification of cases of pregnant women with rashes was made compulsory in the period from December 2, 2015 to February 13, 2016, 97 municipalities in the state have reported 1,440 cases of pregnant women with this clinical picture. Of this total, 12 pregnant women have confirmation of intrauterine microcephaly. It is worth noting that the notification of women with rash does not necessarily mean that they are suspected cases of dengue, chikungunya or Zika, since other factors may have caused the red spots (rubella, poisoning, allergies or some other virus). The rash is not indicative that the woman will have a child with microcephaly. In Pernambuco, the Research Center Aggeu Magellan/ Fiocruz confirmed 34 cases of microcephaly related to Zika virus detection of IgM antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid. The reagents were provided by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Three other cases were negative and one was inconclusive, out of a total of 38 tests. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Obituaries Ling O. Harry O Hom Ling O. Harry O Hom, 92, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, February 8, 2016 at home. He was a resident of Ventura County for 66 years. He was born October 5, 1923 in Canton, China to his parents Ying and Yuet Hom. He worked as a teacher in China for 6 years before he immigrated to the United States to live the American Dream. He was the proud co-owner of Lins Chinese Food in Santa Paula, CA with his brother, Lin Hom for 55 years. He enjoyed cooking, writing Chinese calligraphy, playing the Erhu (Chinese violin), gambling (craps and slot machines), and watching Chinese soap operas. Family was a very important aspect of his life and he loved spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bradenton, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/17/2016 -- A well-respected law firm based in Southern Florida offers convenient, no-obligation consultation services to victims involved in serious accidents. The firm, Jodat Law Group, states that their consultation services are available to injured victims 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, to ensure victims receive immediate legal counsel after an accident. "We cannot stress enough the importance of contacting an attorney within the first 12 to 24-hours of a serious accident," said Shannan Neri, the Senior bodily injury attorney of Jodat Law Group's personal injury division. "The first 24-hours are crucial to the success and outcome of a personal injury case. It is during this time that victims should consult with a skilled attorney to evaluate their case and develop a plan of action to help them receive the money and justice they deserve. 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Founded in 1994 by Gary Jodat, the firm has earned widespread recognition throughout the area for their outstanding performances and outcomes on behalf of their clients. The firm has received several awards and earned an excellent 10.0 Avvo rating. Jodat Law specializes in a range of legal fields, including personal injury, criminal defense, family law, bankruptcy, and worker's compensation. For more information about Jodat Law Group or to schedule a no-obligation consultation, please visit http://www.jodatlawgroup.com or call 877-854-4990. Media Contact: Gary Jodat Jodat Law Group, P.A. Address: 521 Ninth Street West, Bradenton, Florida 34205 Phone: 877-854-4990 Gary.jodat@jodatlawgroup.com http://www.jodatlawgroup.com Trondheim, Norway -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/17/2016 -- SEONorway.org announced a new marketing strategy in Nordic countries. 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Setup & Custom Profile Design They create and customize Social media profiles with quality content and aesthetics that resonates with a brand and audience SEO Norway Company offers search marketing and a bespoke analysis of a company's mobile marketing strategy tailored to meet businesses' needs. About SEO Norway SEONorway.org is a Norwegian search engine optimization company. They have been working on various niches and promoting companies online since 2011. These experts are specialized in SEO, content marketing in Nordic languages, Pay Per Click Campaigns, Social media marketing in Norwegian and the other Scandinavian languages. Media Contact: Company Name: SEO Norway Phone: +4790612731 Email Address: sales@seonorway.org Website: http://www.seonorway.org/ A new paper published in the journal Scientific Reports describes the first and only fossil evidence from the High Arctic of the giant, flightless bird Gastornis. The evidence is a fossil toe bone from Ellesmere Island above the Arctic Circle. The Gastornis fossil from Ellesmere Island has been discussed by paleontologists since it was collected in the 1970s and appears on a few lists of the prehistoric fauna there, said lead author Prof. Thomas Stidham, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. But this is the first time the bone has been closely examined and described. Gastornis a large middle Eocene (55-36 million years ago) bird probably was a vegan, using its huge beak to tear at foliage, nuts, seeds and hard fruit. The fossil specimens of Gastornis also have been found in Europe and Asia, Prof. Stidham said. We knew there were a few bird fossils from Ellesmere Island, but we also knew they were extremely rare, added co-author Dr. Jaelyn Eberle, of the University of Colorado at Boulder. In addition to the Gastornis bone from Ellesmere, another scientist reported seeing a fossil footprint there, probably from a large flightless bird, although its specific location remains unknown. She added: about 53 million years ago during the early Eocene Epoch, the environment of Ellesmere Island was probably similar to cypress swamps in the southeast U.S. today. Fossil evidence indicates the island, which is adjacent to Greenland, hosted turtles, alligators, primates, tapirs and even large hippo-like and rhino-like mammals. According to the paleontologists, Gastornis, along with some of the mammalian and reptilian members of the Eocene Arctic fauna, likely over-wintered in the Arctic. Multiple paleoclimate proxies estimate a mild temperate climate for the Eocene High Arctic, where winters remained at or just above freezing and summer temperatures extended to 20 degrees Celsius or higher, Prof. Stidham and Dr. Eberle wrote in the Scientific Reports paper. These temperatures are a far cry from todays High Arctic, where central Ellesmere Island experiences a mean annual temperature of minus 19 degrees Celsius, a warm month mean temperature of about 6 degrees Celsius and a cold month mean temperature of minus 38 degrees Celsius or colder. Despite the milder Eocene climate on Ellesmere Island, prolonged periods of darkness occurred during the winter. In the same paper, the scientists described another Ellesmere Island bird from the early Eocene. Named Presbyornis, it was similar to birds in todays duck, goose and swan family but with long, flamingo-like legs. The evidence was a single humerus, or upper wing bone, collected by the same team that found the Gastornis bone. It is not known whether Presbyornis migrated north to Ellesmere Island every year or lived there year-round, Prof. Stidham said. Given the fossils we have, both hypotheses are possible. There are some sea ducks today that spend the winter in the cold, freezing Arctic, and we see many more species of waterfowl that are only in the Arctic during the relatively warmer spring and summer months. _____ Stidham, T.A. & Eberle, J.J. 2016. The palaeobiology of high latitude birds from the early Eocene greenhouse of Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada. Sci. Rep. 6, 20912; doi: 10.1038/srep20912 Dependent on imported fuel, Pacific islands sustain shift to renewables despite fall in oil prices, notes Fatima Arkin. Many of the Pacific small island developing states (SIDS) are benefiting from declining global oil prices but their governments commitment to becoming energy independent by using renewables remains intact. The vast majority of Pacific islands are largely dependent on imported oil, Dolf Gielen, director of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Innovation and Technology Centre, tells SciDev.Net. Lower oil prices benefit consumers so they are seeing the real benefits today. The price of oil has plunged from US$100 a barrel in late 2014 to below US$30 last month (15 January), the lowest level since 2003. The Pacific islands import over a billion litres of oil each year at a cost of more than US$800 million. But renewables continue to be a priority. In 2012, renewable energy generation in Fiji was over 60 per cent and over 50 per cent in Papua New Guinea. The Paris climate agreement last December further acknowledged the need for enhanced deployment of renewables in the SIDS. Here are some of the reasons why the gloomy state of the oil industry is not putting a damper on investments in renewables. Diversifying energy uses The use of oil as a fuel for power generation has decreased substantially over the past few decades. Oil now accounts for less than five per cent of the global electricity supply, down from 25 per cent in 1973, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Oil remains predominantly used for transportation. In 2011, transport accounted for over 60 per cent of global oil consumption, according to the IEA. In the Pacific SIDS, 75 per cent of fuel imports now go towards transportation, which is completely dependent on petroleum products. Gielen acknowledges that recent reductions in oil prices could impact investors immediate interest in alternatives such as liquid biofuels, natural gas fuelled cars and electric and hybrid vehicles. But he says the development phase of many alternative biofuels, including infrastructure and research and development, makes them less vulnerable to short-term fluctuations in global oil prices. A big issue is that foreign assistance doesnt favour transportation. According to a 2013 report of IRENA, most of the foreign assistance to the Pacific is directed towards substituting fossil fuels with renewables for power generation because of the centralised nature of generation, which makes it a lot easier to implement and evaluate fuel saving programmes. [1] The highly fragmented and diverse nature of energy use for transport has made it very difficult to create programmes that can clearly demonstrate substantial import energy savings and carbon emission reductions in the islands, says the report. Renewables generate electricity Renewables are used mainly to generate electricity. The more important issue when it comes to renewables is not the price of oil but the price of electricity, and the latter is not solely based on the cost of fuel, says Scott Nyquist, an expert on sustainability at the consulting firm McKinsey. The cost of maintaining the electrical grid is expensive and in some markets, gas is linked to the price of oil. [2] Still, the need to address critical issues such as climate change ensures that renewables continue to shine. The very existence of the SIDS is threatened by rising sea levels and biodiversity loss, which has caused the SIDS governments to declare ambitious renewable energy targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, the SIDS, along with Australia and New Zealand, signed the Majuro declaration for climate leadership, which called for an energy revolution. Renewables also figured prominently in the SIDS Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), which are plans outlining how and by how much each country plans to reduce their carbon outputs that were submitted in advance of the Paris climate talks last December. In their INDCs, several of the SIDS, such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji, aim to be or approach 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030. The details remain hazy but the intent is clear. Science has made renewables cheaper and more accessible. 3-D printers can now produce solar cells that are flexible and easy to transport. Perhaps most notably, storage is improving and investments in the field are rising. The main hurdle to the widespread adoption of non-hydro renewables is that they cant be saved for the evening or rainy days. But there has been considerable progress in the production of high-capacity, low-cost lithium ion batteries. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to see the highest growth in advanced batteries for utility scale applications over the next ten years, according to a recent report from the technology research firm Navigant Research. [3] Volatile oil prices When it comes to the Pacific islands oil consumption, one of the main challenges is overcoming uncertainty with long-term pricing. History tells us that oil prices are volatile and will surely go up again, John Holmes, a senior research fellow in environmental policy at Oxford University and co-leader of the Smart Villages initiative, tells SciDev.Net. Any long-term view will value the cost certainty provided by renewables with known up front capital costs and relatively low operating costs against the unknown future costs of oil-based energy. Renewables also enhance diversity in the Pacific islands energy mix, which helps build up the regions energy security. In 2012, 17 of the 22 power utilities in Pacific states relied on fossil fuel to meet 98 per cent of their electricity demand, Solomone Fifita, head of the energy programme at the economic development division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, tells SciDev.Net. A lot has been done, some progress made and there is a lot of interest from many partners, etcetera, but there is still a long way to go, he says. Small islands, big issues. This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets South-East Asia & Pacific desk. Off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, land is being reclaimed from the sea to host Eko Atlantic, a futuristic new city for the mega-rich. Touted as the Hong Kong of Africa, it will boast the continents largest shopping mall and financial hub, a marina, private international schools and hospitals, and 250,000 residents. Ten kilometres away is the slum neighbourhood of Makoko, also built on water and already home to 250,000 people. They live along polluted waterways, in densely packed stilted houses, under constant threat of demolition by government. we can [now] see just how poorly Nigerias economy is set up to serve most people, and how rampant inequality there is compared to other countries Sally Murray Its well known that Nigerias richest and poorest people are worlds apart. But what about the typical, middle-income person? How does Nigerias growth, wealth and poverty affect them? Until earlier this month, it was very hard to access data on mid-income groups in most countries. Now, for the first time, the US think-tank Center for Global Development (CGD) has published figures on the middle (median) incomes of almost all countries. It turns out that the middle earner in Nigeria takes home just US$1.80 each day below the international poverty line of US$1.90 a day. The data also shows that in several countries with a similar GDP (gross domestic product) per capita to Nigeria, the middle earner has a more comfortable living: more than US$7 in Tonga and US$9 in Bolivia, for example. Meanwhile, in Nigerias northern neighbour Niger six times poorer as a country per capita the middle earner lives on US$1.90 per day. Its incredible that this data wasnt published before. We knew Nigeria had an inequality problem, but until now discussions have been steered by per capita (mean) incomes and these are heavily skewed by the incomes of the mega-rich. But by looking at median income statistics we can see just how poorly Nigerias economy is set up to serve most people, and how rampant inequality there is compared to other countries. For countries at the lower end of the income scale, median income is not just a tangible statistic that can be easily understood, it is also highly correlated with the sorts of measures we want it to illuminate: poverty, inequality and the living standard of the majority. [1] If its so useful, why has median income data only just been made available? CGD had to use a convoluted method to drag it (kicking and screaming) from the World Banks PovcalNet, a repository of data from over 850 household surveys from 126 countries, first made publicly available five years ago. Much of that data is itself recent: when global poverty rates were estimated in 1990, the analysis had only 22 household surveys to draw on. [2] Today, the science of household data collection and analysis remains far from perfect: a huge amount of data has been collected, but only the simplest, most crucial, income, consumption and inequality data is readily comparable across countries. The World Banks publication of core household survey data , and CGDs follow-up with median income data, is, however, a good step, and part of a wider trend of increased sharing (and more thoughtful use) of data about poverty and its alleviation. In Rwanda, the national statistics agency often draws on the motto: If you dont count, you dont count! Data from sources such as household surveys offer the best chance of thoroughly testing our prejudices about the complex and varied lives of the poor. The more people generate and share this kind of data, the more scrutiny and thoughtfulness will be applied to it, and the more reliably policymakers can align their efforts to tackle chronic poverty with peoples real needs. Sally Murray is a country economist at the International Growth Centre (IGC), a research institution based at the London School of Economics and in partnership with the University of Oxford, both in the United Kingdom. She works in Rwanda, overseeing the IGC Rwandas research on urbanisation, energy, public sector performance and tax. She can be reached via Twitter: @sally_bm An initiative to harmonise research grant administration in Africa is good news, Linda Nordling writes. When Tanzanias national science funding body, the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), got a budget increase in 2010, it did not spend it all on research. Rather, COSTECH spent a significant chunk of the windfall on expanding its administrative capabilities such as financial management and quality review systems. The reasoning behind this choice was sound. The funder was expecting its income both from the Tanzanian government and from international donors to balloon in coming years. In order to spend these growing research funds wisely, COSTECH needed to modernise its grant-giving practices. Good financial practice, it knew, doesnt come cheap. Now, a nascent initiative to create an African grant management standard could help other institutions improve their administration practices, making them more attractive to donors in turn. But the initiative will only fulfil this promise if African researchers engage with its design to make sure it addresses their problems. The initiative, launched in Nairobi, Kenya, is an important step in bolstering Africas scientific autonomy. Linda Nordling It also could mean better information on who funds what in Africa a question that is harder to answer than it sounds, given the multiplicity of donors funding research on the continent. A necessary requirement Research grant management may not be the sexiest topic as we consider Africas scientific renaissance. But it is an important one, and one that poses major problems for researchers on the continent. The main challenge is not administration in the national funding system, as in the case of Tanzanias COSTECH. Rather, the international donor funding that bankrolls much of the continents research comes with stringent auditing requirements. Often, each foreign-funded research project that an African institution participates in comes with its own particular reporting criteria. Where institutions get their funding from a variety of donors, these criteria turn into a morass of red tape, which often overwhelms these institutions scanty grant management capacities. As a result, African scientists themselves tend to spend a lot of time dealing with grant administration, rather than focusing on their research. It is just one of the many ways in which they are at a disadvantage compared with their better-resourced colleagues in the global North. For instance, universities in the United Kingdom and the United States employ many grant managers to help institutions cope with the administrative burdens of winning competitive grants. Developing good practice There are initiatives to boost research management capacity in Africa through regional research and innovation management associations, so-called RIMAs. The southern African one, SARIMA, is the continents biggest, with around 400 institutional members. Its eastern, central and western counterparts (EARIMA, CARIMA, and WARIMA) are smaller but nevertheless active in their corners of the continent. A common standard for grant management will ultimately help those funders and observers who want better oversight of international funding in Africa. Linda Nordling These initiatives will be backed by a new initiative launched in Nairobi last month (27-28 January) to harmonise financial reporting requirements across Africa. The Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) initiative, which is being implemented by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in partnership with NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africas Development) Agency and the African Organisation for Standardisation, aims to produce a standardised management system for African institutions and donors by the end of 2017. The idea grew out of a discussion that began in 2012 between major funders of medical research and development aid in Africa, according to the AAS. Two of these funders the UK Wellcome Trust and the UK Medical Research Council are funding development of the standard. The idea is to canvass African researchers as well as international donors as to what should be in the joint standard. The consultation started in Kenya last month. This month, funders will meet in London to discuss what they want out of a joint grant practice. And a West African meeting is due to take place in Dakar, Senegal, in early March. Engagement is needed The initiative, launched in Nairobi, Kenya, is an important step in bolstering Africas scientific autonomy. By consolidating their financial reporting to donors, African research institutions will save time and money that they would otherwise spend on grant administration. And by adopting the standard, they also furnish funders with a guarantee as to their ability to manage grants boosting their credibility as grant-seekers. Indeed, the GFGP initiative is great news for Africa if it is truly shaped in the interest of the continents researchers. For that to happen, the researchers must in turn engage with the initiative to make sure it meets their needs. And African researchers must also accept that they may need to be more open about their sources of funding.Because, on the other side of the grant management coin is a long-standing ambition to map who funds what in Africa especially when it comes to medical research to avoid overlaps or gaps in this multi-funder landscape.A common standard for grant management will ultimately help those funders and observers who want better oversight of international funding in Africa.Journalist Linda Nordling, based in Cape Town, South Africa, specialises in African science policy, education and development. She was the founding editor of Research Africa and writes for SciDev.Net, Nature and others.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk. An immense iceberg settled at the coast of Antarctica six years ago, and may be impacting Adelie penguins. Scientists have found that the increasing ice may have cut down on the food source of animals and altered forever their habitat. Since the iceberg first landed in 2010, there's been a massive decline in the penguin population. It's gone from 100,000 to 200,000 to just 5,520 pairs. This decline, in particular, is mostly to be blamed on the lack of access to open water and food. While it's certain that the penguins are missing, there's no proof that the penguins are dead. In fact, some experts believe that there may be a less horrific explanation for the missing birds; it's very likely that the birds picked up and moved rather than staying to await starvation. "Just because there are a lot fewer birds observed doesn't automatically mean the ones that were there before have perished," said Michelle LaRue, a penguin population researcher at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis who wasn't involved in the study, in an interview with Live Science. "They easily could have moved elsewhere, which would make sense if nearby colonies are thriving." It's true that the population in the specific location has dropped. However, this could just be because the population has simply moved elsewhere. With that said, there is the possibility that some of the penguins have died due to a lack of food. Either way, more evidence is needed before any firm conclusions about the state of the penguins as a whole are drawn. The new study was published in the journal Antarctic Science. Related Articles Penguin Parents' Labor Division May Hurt Chicks During Lean Seasons World's Oldest Bird, Wisdom, Just Hatched Another Chick at Age 65 For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN). Fresh off a month-long missionary trip teaching at a Bible college in the Philippines, David Thomas drove to Clemson last week to listen to real estate tycoon Donald Trump. Thomas wore a tie and a brown jacket zipped against the cold and sat front-and-center just steps away from the GOP presidential candidate. He came to hear a man speak who he believes to be the next Theodore Roosevelt an unorthodox outsider who will shake up Washington at a time it needs someone to break through the federal logjam. Yet Thomas, a former state senator, is a conservative Christian Sunday school teacher and the exact sort of person who many political pundits say should be turned off by the brash, rude and crude Trump style. But that style gravitas, as Thomas called it is what sucked him in. I was not blown away by any of the candidates and when Trump came along I could see the advantages, Thomas said. He might be able to bring such a new sweep and a new vision that it will open channels that we dont currently have. Thomas represents a fissure thats opened wide among South Carolina evangelicals in the lead-up to the GOP presidential preference primary on Feb. 20. The cracks began to open in 2012 when a twice-divorced Newt Gingrich won South Carolina, but its been ripped wide open by a twice-divorced Trump. As candidates court the roughly 65 percent of GOP voters in the state who count themselves as evangelicals, many of those voters are looking beyond faith to choose their candidate. Instead, evangelicals are split into two camps and the divide has grown in the 20 years that Michael Lindsay, a sociologist who wrote the Pulitzer-nominated book Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite, has studied evangelicalism in politics. Trump, and to a lesser extent Cruz, have tapped into the populist evangelicals, those working-class folks who listen to conservative talk radio, are drawn to mass rallies and hold the idea that motivating great masses of people is the way to achieve political influence, Lindsay said. Rubio has garnered the support of the bulk of the GOP evangelical power brokers who Lindsay describes as cosmopolitan evangelicals, the strategy-minded, highly educated evangelicals who are reliant on their connections, Lindsay said. They have been effective in the recent past because of their more nuanced understanding of how politics works, he said. In this election, the populist, anti-establishment sentiment has dominated so far, and Trump, the unlikely evangelical candidate, has benefitted, he said. In the latest South Carolina poll released Friday by the Augusta Chronicle, Morris News Service and Fox5 Atlanta, 33 percent of evangelicals favored Trump, versus 23 percent for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and 15 percent for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Cruz has openly courted evangelicals, hosting a rally for religious liberty at Bob Jones University and building a 100-strong coalition of pastors led by Columbia-based minister Mike Gonzalez. Rubio has his own South Carolina religious liberty advisory board made up of pastors, priests and pro-life advisors. In an appearance at the Faith and Family Forum at BJU last week, Rubio essentially laid out the evangelical plan of salvation to a rousing response at the Christian university. National religious figures like Russell Moore, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Association, have blistered Trump for his moral misgivings and shift in stance on abortion. Evangelical support for Trump has held strong even without support from faith leaders in the state with the notable exception of Mark Burns, pastor of Harvest Praise and Worship Center in Easley and co-founder of the NOW television network. Burns led an opening prayer for Trump last week in Clemson and then spoke in place of Trump at BJU on Friday afternoon. The response to Burns prayer signaled the everyday evangelicals who turned out for Trump. As he closed his prayer, Burns called out In Jesus name, if you believe it, say Amen! The crowd, in near unison, shouted out Amen. Pulpits vs. pews While preachers and faith leaders back others, Trump has still commandeered support from those sitting in the pews. That doesnt surprise Scott Huffmon, a political science professor at Winthrop University. When they go to the ballot box, South Carolina voters behave like voters, not churchgoers, Huffmon said. Thats a little different than Iowa cause they do tend to coalesce behind one candidate, but not here. While it does look good for Rubio, Cruz and to an extent, Bush, to have ministers support, thats not necessarily going to influence how evangelicals vote, he said. Candidates need only to make a nod toward religious voters in South Carolina to give voters here the freedom to select their preference, he said. So despite Trumps nominal and sometimes comical efforts to identify with evangelicals, like when he tried to put his offering in the communion plate in Iowa, or mispronounced Second Corinthians as 2 Corinthians, hes done enough to pacify some voters here, Huffmon said. And indications are that many are willing to overlook Trumps demeaning comments towards women, his raunchy speech and his barrage of insults to other candidates. They have the same anger that any other voter has toward the establishment and they feel sort of blocked in and bunkered in and they want somebody who will fight for them, he said. And as long as he gives them a nod Yeah, Christianitys the best, they will say OK, well I wish he went to church more. I wish he didnt use a little bit of foul language, but by gum we need a strong fighter like that to stand up for us Christians. Secular but strong The evangelical vote will be split widely among the candidates, but Trump has done perhaps the best job of striking a chord with conservatives on issues that have frustrated them like immigration and terrorism, said Jim Guth, political science professor at Furman University. Evangelicals also have begun to shy away from backing candidates solely for their religious beliefs, he said. George Bush, for example, could say all the right words and share a lot of their faith at the same time that he might expand the role of the federal government or other things that they dont approve of, Guth said. The change in mindset may reflect a political maturation of evangelicals who realize no candidate is ideal, said Lindsay, who is now president of Gordon College, a small Christian liberal arts college near Boston. Its possible evangelicals as a bloc could mobilize around him, but Trump will have to make significant inroads with those cosmopolitan evangelicals for that to happen, he said. It would be a significant departure for values voters to rally around a candidate who seems to use language that is so antithetical to their values, he said. By and large, Upstate pastors have shied away from political involvement this election cycle, which could lead those values voters to make up their own mind, Guth said. Guths students at Furman have listened at local churches for political speech from the pulpit and are hearing little, he said. The lets just stay clear of this attitude seems to be prevalent this year, he said. Thats created a vacuum that Trump has more than filled. Voters like Thomas who supported Mike Huckabee and George W. Bush in the past, have moved beyond looking for the candidate who resembles their religious belief system. Trump has seized onto those disaffected voters with promises to lead by strength, confront enemies and bring a business-like mindset to the Oval Office. It could very well be that Trump could accomplish the purpose of the conservative Christian endgame that your more avowed Christians wont be able to pull off, Thomas said. COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Folks released from jail in Richland County wont be getting taxis, which County Council previously was considering, but they might be getting a ticket to ride the COMET. The bus system currently makes four stops every weekday at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the last at 3:18 p.m., according to COMET executive director Robert Schneider. Jail officials say to put detainees on a bus after release, theyd need a stop at least as late as 6:30 p.m. and theyd need the bus to visit on weekends. Right now, folks who do not have someone to come pick them up are dropped off by a county van at downtown Columbias bus transfer station to catch a bus from there to where they wanted to go. Area residents have complained that this practice leads to people wandering aimlessly while they wait for a bus or for local indigent services to open for the day. Bryan Stirling, director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, told the council of solutions he has seen work with people released from prison. We try to release as close to the (timetable of the) bus that theyre taking as possible, he said. Youre sitting for 12 hours, youre going to get bored. Youre going to go somewhere, and the next thing you know, you might be a guest of the county jail because you made a bad decision. Councilman Seth Rose argued that using the COMET could cut costs for the county by not having the expense of van transport and by not diverting a jail employee from other duties to drive the van. But he stressed the issue is not just a financial one. We have made great strides in the revitalization of Main Street, he said. We need to keep that going with progressive thinking. I want people to know why Im putting this forward. In addition to the bus stop in the jail parking lot, Schneider said theres one about a mile away, which currently operates on weekends. He suggested officials consider a shuttle to that location for weekend releases. The county and the city of Columbia both are considering transportation options, officials said. City Manager Teresa Wilson did not respond to request for comment as to what options the city is considering. COLUMBIA, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley hasnt made up her mind yet on which GOP candidate she will support in Saturdays presidential preference primary but she knows it will not be Donald Trump. The governor said she has talked with all of the candidates and expects to decide soon if she will make an endorsement. Im doing what a lot of people in South Carolina are doing, she said. Im looking at all the candidates that are there and trying to figure out who that person would be. What Haley said she is looking for is someone who is going to keep our country safe, someone who understands the problems the states face and a fighter. I want someone who is going to hold Republicans accountable, and I want someone who is going to make a difference, not just for our party but for every person they represent in the country," she said. But that person will not be Donald Trump, she said. Trump said at a Lowcountry appearance this week that Haley had been weak in her responses to the issues of the possibly transferring prisoners from the federal detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to South Carolina and in opposing the acceptance of Syrian refugees. Haley has fought consideration of the Naval Brig in Charleston as a site for prisoners if Guantanamo closes and has also opposed bringing Syrian refugees into South Carolina, saying she does not have enough confidence in the vetting of Syrians. When you have a candidate that comes in and goes against a governor, its everything a governor doesnt want in a president, she said. Because we dont want a president thats just going to bash and sit there and tell us what we're not doing right. We want a president that is going to help us fight, help us win and help explain why we dont want Syrian refugees and why prisoners at Guantanamo Bay dont need to come to South Carolina. Haley also said she took her daughter to the GOP debate in Greenville Saturday and was "embarrassed" at the criticism of former President George Bush by Trump over Iraq and 9/11.. Trump said during the debate that Bush made a "big fat mistake" on Iraq and accused the Bush administration of lying about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Trump also said that Bush did not keep the country safe during 9/11 because the World Trade Centers were attacked on his watch. "I was embarrassed to see a candidate criticize the president on one of the worst days that weve had in American history, she said, and criticize the way this president handled it. That was a sad day for America and a tough day for the president and to sit there and put him down in front of my daughter, I didnt know what to say to that. There were no words. Haley in 2012 endorsed the GOPs eventual nominee, Mitt Romney. But GOP voters in South Carolina instead picked Newt Gingrich. Haley said it is possible she will not endorse any candidate. She said this elections dynamics are different, with the nation facing massive debt, the threat of terrorism and the loss of a Supreme Court justice. Danielle Vinson, a Furman University political science professor, said one of the considerations Haley has to face is if she endorses a candidate who does not win. Trump enjoys a comfortable margin in the polls over the rest of the field. Vinson said a Haley endorsement might move some people at the margins who are looking at Kasich and Bush. If she were to endorse Bush, it might suggest he has some momentum, she said. If Haley declines to endorse anyone, it keeps her from burning any bridges among candidates, Vinson said. And so it leaves her open for vice president or a cabinet position at some point regardless of who wins that nomination, she said. Of course, if someone wins who doesnt receive her endorsement, they are certainly free when looking at VP candidates to look for others who have been more helpful and who are from states who dont automatically vote Republican. Whoever picks her doesnt need her to get them votes in South Carolina in the general election. But some of them might need help in the primary. Haley said she is not sure of the value of endorsements. I dont know how much endorsements mean, she said. "I've never put a lot of weight on endorsements. Trying to figure out whether that matters or not is what Im trying to weigh out right now. The 84th edition of the Most High Healing Conference held at Akure from January 28 to January 30th 2016. We had morning sessions which started at 6am and evening sessions that started from 5:30pm each day. It was a power packed session as the Spirit of God was present in our midst and working wonders. A unique feature of our conference is that we offer video and audio livestreaming services to people all across the world who are not able to travel down to Akure for the program. This edition, we had people log on to the program live from around the world. We had people from United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium, India and other parts of Nigeria. Rev Olufemi Louis Ogundare ministered the word and also prayed for the sick. He also took some time to give us an outlook of what 2016 would be like. He said 2016 would be a year that would require aggressive prayers that would lead to prophetic answers, this year, we would be answer to many people just like Moses was an answer to the prayer of the Israelites under slavery in Egypt. Year 2016 we would be swifter, sweeter and stronger for God is releasing a new sword for us. Here are photographs from the conference: Rev Olufemi Louis Ogundare ministering at Most High God Conference, From Strength to Strength Dr (Mrs) A. O. Ogundare ministering the word at the Most High God Healing Conference, From Strength to Strength Worship session Attendees listening with rapt sttention Cross section of attendees listening with rapt sttention Messages from all 6 sessions can be downloaded from the downloads section. We are sure the power of God will touch you as you listen to the audio messages. If you would like to participate in future editions of the conference, kindly fill the form below and we will be sure to send you SMS and email invitations as the event draws closer. When you read this update and the Lord draws your heart towards the work, then, most probably you should be part of the work. This can be achieved by praying along, going with us or by committing a portion of your money (as the Lord lays in your heart). Come! Let us do the work of our father together. His business is soul winning. IT IS ALL ABOUT SOULS. This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. God bless you! The decision by the Pentagon to allow women to serve in all combat jobs has put new focus on an often-forgotten U.S. institution: the Selective Service. While America has not had a military draft since 1973, all men must register with the Selective Service within 30 days of turning 18. U.S. leaders repeatedly insist that the all-volunteer force is working and the nation is not returning to the draft. But there are increasing rumblings about whether women should now be required to register if they can indeed serve in all areas of the military. Some questions and answers about the Selective Service and any moves toward requiring women to register: Q: Is the Selective Service part of the Defense Department? A: No. It is an independent agency that exists to ensure that the nation would be able to force men into military service in a fair and equitable way if directed by the president and Congress in a national crisis. Q: Are women subject to the draft? A: No. Under the current law, women can volunteer to serve in the U.S. military, but they are not required to register and they would not be subject to any draft. Q: Has the law been challenged? A: Yes. In 1981, the Supreme Court heard a case brought by several men challenging the law for gender discrimination. The court upheld the constitutionality of the male-only draft registration law. The court accepted Congress decision to exclude women from registration because they were excluded from direct combat by statute and by military policy. Q: Who would decide if women need to register? A: It would take an act of Congress. Recently four U.S. House members introduced legislation to abolish the Selective Service, saying that the all-volunteer force is working. And two members of Congress introduced legislation requiring women to register but said they actually opposed their own bill. They said they were only doing so to trigger a debate on allowing women to serve in front-line combat jobs which they also oppose. Q: What does the Pentagon say? A: When Defense Secretary Ash Carter decided to open all combat jobs to women, the Defense Department did a legal analysis of his decision. The analysis found the landscape has changed since the court case, and that opening combat jobs to women further alters the factual backdrop to the Courts decision. The Pentagon had made no recommendation on the matter, but the department said it will consult with the Justice Department when needed. Q: Do military officials and politicians believe women should register? A: During recent hearings, the Armys chief of staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Robert Neller, said they thought women should have to register. Some key lawmakers, including Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, agree. Republican presidential candidates Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush said they supported the idea of having women register. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said later that including women would be nuts and a dangerous example of political correctness. Q: What penalties are there if an 18-year-old doesnt register? A: If an 18-year-old man does not register with the Selective Service he could lose his eligibility for student financial aid, job training and government jobs. Immigrant men could lose their eligibility for U.S. citizenship. According to the latest annual report, 73 percent of 18-year-olds registered on time in the 2015 fiscal year ending last Sept. 30. And, the registration rate for all men aged 20-25 was 94 percent. The original plan to build a port at Cilamaya in Karawang, West Java was conceived with Japanese funding but the project was canned because of conflicts with Pertamina's facilities due to its proposed location. National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) director for transportation, Bambang Prihartono, said he was slated to meet a representative from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) next week about possible investment from Japan. He said the new seaport project, in Subang about 50km east of Karawang, would be developed in a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, with the government relying on loans for the project, in contrast to the previous plan which was based on private investment. The amount is still under discussion. It could be complimented by the state budget. We need to know how much they are willing to lend and our capacity to borrow, Bambang said. He said the private sector will still be involved in the port project as it would still be open for tenders, as reported previously but this has raised fears that the relationship with Tokyo would be strained since the Japanese government previously thought it would secure the now cancelled project and JICA had conducted a feasibility study that cost between $2.5m and $3m. Bambang said the government is making progress on the project. We have just been looking for the funds and the feasibility study and the detailed engineering designs will follow afterwards, he said. However Bambang noted that the tendering process would likely take awhile as the government needed to put the project in its soon-to-be launched Blue Book, which lists the countrys public-private partnership projects. The government previously aimed for the project to be fully funded by the private sector to reduce state expenditures. The planned port, which needs an initial investment of more than $1.2bn for the first phase of construction, will have a capacity of 3.75m teu a year, or more than two-thirds the capacity of Indonesias largest port, Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. Bambang said the government aimed to accelerate the issuance of permits for the seaport project, such as the environmental impact analysis, so construction can start during Jokowis administration. The construction will take awhile and may finish after 2019, but the construction should start soon, he said. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2016-32 The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged biopesticide company Marrone Bio Innovations and a former executive with inflating financial results to meet projections it would double revenues in its first year as a public company. Marrone Bio agreed to pay a $1.75 million penalty to settle the SECs charges. The SEC alleges that former chief operating officer Hector M. Absi Jr. concealed from Marrone Bios finance personnel and independent auditor various sales concessions offered to customers, leading the Davis, Calif.-based company to improperly recognize revenue on sales. Absi allegedly profited from the fraud. He resigned in August 2014 shortly before the alleged fraud came to light and the companys stock price plunged more than 44 percent. In a parallel action, the U.S Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California today announced criminal charges against Absi. We allege that Marrone Bio misled investors to make itself look like a fast-growing new public company, said Jina L. Choi, Director of the SECs San Francisco Regional Office. Public companies and their officers should know better that taking shortcuts to recognize revenue in the near term is harmful to investors and can be damaging to a companys long-term success. According to the SECs complaint filed in U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California: In November 2015, Marrone Bio restated its results for fiscal 2013 and the first half of fiscal 2014, reversing approximately $2 million of previously reported revenue. Absi previously inflated Marrone Bios revenues by offering distributors inventory protection, a concession that allowed distributors to return unsold product. Absi also inflated Marrone Bios revenue by directing his subordinates to obtain false sales and shipping documents and intentionally ship the wrong product to book sales. Absi abused Marrone Bios expense reporting system to pay for personal items, including vacations, home furnishings, and professionally installed Christmas lights for his home. Absi falsified his bank and credit card statements to make it appear as though he had incurred the expenses for legitimate business purposes. Absi personally profited from his scheme, receiving more than $350,000 in bonuses, stock sale proceeds, and illegitimate expense reimbursements. The SEC also instituted a settled administrative proceeding against Marrone Bios former customer relations manager Julieta Favela Barcenas for violations of the books and records provisions of the federal securities laws. Favela entered into a cooperation agreement to assist in the SECs investigation and ongoing litigation against Absi. As required by Section 304(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Marrone Bio CEO Pamela G. Marrone has reimbursed the company $15,234 and former CFO Donald J. Glidewell will reimburse the company $11,789 for incentive-based compensation they received following the filing of Marrone Bios misstated financial statements. They werent charged with any misconduct. The SECs investigation was conducted by Joseph P. Ceglio and John A. Roscigno and supervised by Tracy L. Davis, and the litigation is being led by Robert L. Tashjian and Jason M. Habermeyer of the San Francisco office. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Press Release February 17, 2016 Cayetano: Lauro Vizconde, a symbol of an ordinary citizen denied of justice "A glaring symbol of injustice." This was how vice presidential candidate and Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano described the case of Lauro Vizconde, the patriarch of the family murdered in their own home in 1991. Attending Vizconde's interment at the Manila Memorial Park, Cayetano said the broken justice system is culprit to the continuing disorder and lack of security in the country. "This is something personal to me. My dad, the late Sen. Rene Cayetano, helped Mr. Lauro Vizconde seek justice for his family. To see that Mr. Lauro died without getting justice 25 years after the heinous crime happened is not only heart-breaking, it also angers me," Cayetano said. "This is the reason why, 25 years after this happened, hardened criminals still murder Filipino families and rape women and children with impunity," Cayetano added. The senator said the Vizconde case highlights the double standards in the government's concept of justice. "If you are poor, you'll rot in jail. If you're rich and influential, you'll get away scot-free. This is wrong. This cannot continue any longer," he stressed. "Nakakalungkot na ililibing natin si Ka Lauro nang hindi pa natatapos ang kanyang laban para sa hustisya. Kaya para sa mga kagaya niyang napagkaitan nito, nais naming ituloy ang krusada na maging ligtas ang ating mga kababayan sa kalye at sa kanilang mga bahay," the senator assured. If elected, Cayetano said he will address the disorder and rampant criminality in the country by strengthening the five pillars of the criminal justice system. "I will not allow disorder and the lack of justice to continue. If elected, I will take bold and fast action to instill among criminals fear of the law and make our streets and communities safe for Filipino families," Cayetano said. "More than any other issue, this is what's at stake at the present. We will confront and end this crisis," Cayetano concluded. Press Release February 17, 2016 CHIZ ALARMED BY IMPACT OF HIGH COST OF EDUCATION ON STUDENTS Sen. Chiz Escudero lamented the death of a college student from Bicol who allegedly took his own life after losing his scholarship, saying no student should be pushed to this situation because of the prohibitive cost of education in the country. According to news reports, Jessiven Lagatic, a fourth year student from Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, committed suicide on February 11, after his scholarship was taken away from him and was forced to pay his school fees amounting to P7,000. "Kung libre lamang sana ang edukasyon sa ating bansa, walang estudyanteng kailangang kitilin ang kanilang sariling buhay dahil walang pambayad ng matrikula," Escudero said. "Walang estudyante ang dapat humantong sa ganitong sitwasyon dahil hindi siya makapag-aral." The leading vice-presidential contender said this is a reason why "Gobyernong may Puso" intends to put an additional P20 billion to the SUCs' budget to subsidize free tuition in all public colleges and universities across the country. According to a statement released by the League of Filipino Students (LFS), the case of Lagatic was the "fifth education crisis-related suicide under the Aquino administration." In 2013, Kristel Tejada, a student from the University of the Philippines Manila committed suicide because of the "no late payment policy" of the university. LFS also added that last year, Rosanna Sanfuego, a student from Cagayan State University, Nilna Habibun from Zamboanga Sibugay and Jhoemary Azaula from Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology also took their own lives because they were unable to pay their school fees. Escudero, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the total allocation for 114 SUCs under the 2016 national budget is P47.4 billion. "Hindi ba't nakakalungkot na nariyan ang bilyun-bilyong pondo para sa edukasyon pero kailangan pang may magbuwis ng buhay para lamang magising sa katotohanan ang mga kinauukulan?" Escudero asked. "Huwag na sana nating hintayin na magkaroon na naman ng Jessiven Lagatic o Kristel Tejada bago natin iparamdam sa mga mamamayan na ang edukasyon ay karapatan, at ang edukasyon ay para sa lahat--mayaman man o mahirap, matalino man o hindi," he added. The senator also vowed for the full and effective implementation of the student financial assistance program under Republic Act No. 10687, or the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act (UniFAST), which was enacted in October 2015. Unlike the typical scholarship program, Escudero said the UniFAST covers all students, not only those with honors or with exemplary scholastic record. Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) would show that of the 3,044,218 that enrolled to college in school year 2011-2012, only 648,752 completed a four-year course and graduated in 2015, or a 21.31-percent survival rate from first to fourth year college. Although there are existing student financial assistance programs for tertiary education, these programs served only 60,240 college students in 2011, or 1.97 percent of the 3,044,219 students who enrolled that year. Press Release February 17, 2016 GUINGONA AFFIRMS VALUE OF PARTNERSHIP WITH CABALENS SENATOR Teofisto "TG" Guingona III returned to the province of Pampanga for his second senatorial campaign, where he highlighted the importance of partnership in steering the country to the direction of shared progress. "As a country, we are faced with a lot of challenges, many of which involve finances that are intended to uplift the lives of as many Filipinos; and partnership, in all its forms, is what we need to reinforce among ourselves to keep moving forward," Guingona explained. The re-electionist senator spoke before the students, teachers, and administrators of Pasig National High School in Candaba, Pampanga after he led the blessing and inauguration of the school's newly constructed eight-classroom building called "PPP Building." The two-story structure was made possible through the cooperation between private donors and the local government. "In the same vein, the Kapampangans' tenacious unity in choosing your leaders is an exemplary attribute that must translate to the greater scale of nation building, for it is in this oneness that we truly exhibit genuine partnership," Guingona said in an added statement. Pampanga ranks 10th among the vote-rich provinces with 1.2 million registered voters. Among its officials who joined Guingona during the ceremony were Pampanga 4th District Board Member Ric Yabut, Pampanga 4th District Rep. Rimpy Bondoc, and Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque. Aside from the PPP Building inauguration, Guingona also graced a motorcade in Candaba, Sta. Ana, San Luis, San Simon, Macabebe, and Masantol on Wednesday, where he visited secondary schools and markets. Guingona also met with the students and teachers of the City College of San Fernando, where the facilities and full scholarship program profoundly impressed the legislator. He is set to round up his Pampanga visit in the municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Apalit, and Minalin. Press Release February 17, 2016 POE PINS HOPE ON SC As the Supreme Court closed oral arguments on her cases Tuesday night, leading presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe expressed confidence that the highest court of the land would render judgment that will not be discriminatory to foundlings like her. Poe, whose name is included in the 57 million ballots being printed for the May 9 elections, said she hopes not just to put all legal hurdles behind her but also to set a precedent for all abandoned children who may want to enter public service someday. "Kumpiyansa naman kami dahil naging positive ang argument. Mismo si Chief Justice Sereno nagsabi na may karapatan ang mga nadampot. Si SolGen Hilbay ay nagsabi na ako raw ay natural-born and ang residency requirement ay natugunan. He has higher responsibility for what is right and what will affect the majority of the countrymen," Poe said in a press briefing in Roxas City in Capiz. Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno asked all petitioners and Poe's legal camp to submit their final memoranda within five days. The deadline will not be extended, she said. Poe, whose run for the presidency is being challenged by her opponents through several disqualification cases, reiterated that the strength of her case does not depend on finding a DNA match to prove that she is a natural-born Filipino. Poe is the first foundling to run for president of the Philippines. She was found at the holy water font of the Jaro Church in 1968 by Edgardo Militar, whose family raised her until she was adopted by movie icons Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces. The Supreme Court started hearing oral arguments on Poe's case on January 19, dedicating a half-day a week to the controversial cases that center on whether Poe has met the citizenship and residency requirements for presidential candidates. "Ako ay naniniwala na malakas ang kasong ito. Kaya sila ay nag-iimbento ng mga storya na ganiyan," Poe said when asked during a press briefing in Iloilo about reports that someone from her campaign was exerting pressure on the Supreme Court. "Kahit nga ang pangulo ay hindi naimpluwensiyahan ang SC. Nakita naman natin ang appointed ng ating pangulo diyan at siya ay nakaupong pangulo, pero hindi naman lahat ng kanilang naisampang kaso ay nadesisyunan pabor sa kanila. Kami pa kaya? Alam naman natin na ang mga taong ito ay meron namang kredibilidad na pinangangalagaan din," Poe said of the Supreme Court justices. Poe assured the public that while her team will exhaust all legal remedies available to defend the rights of all foundlings, she will respect the decision of the Supreme Court. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ever since the 1983 publication of Roman Vishniacs A Vanished World, the Russian Jewish photographer (1897-1990) has been inextricably identified with the iconic books elegiac prewar imagery of Eastern European Jewish life. Vishniacs poignant portraiture immortalized a way of life that was soon to be destroyed with the Holocaust: tightly cropped portraits of bearded scholars, black-cloaked rabbis, religious-school boys, children playing in cobblestone alleyways. His world-famous 1935-38 photos even served as the Oscar-winning cinematographic inspiration for Schindlers List. Vishniac is responsible for taking the most widely recognized and reproduced photographic record of Jewish life in Eastern Europe on the eve of its annihilation, and yet this was only four years in a career that spanned 60 years of surprising stylistic range, said International Center of Photography curator Maya Benton during a recent tour of her comprehensive exhibition Roman Vishniac Rediscovered. The retrospective is drawn from the Vishniac archive of 50,000 objects, including 10,000 negatives, and originated at ICP in New York. It is now on view at San Franciscos Contemporary Jewish Museum through May 29. (ICP, in collaboration with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, has made the entire Vishniac collection available online at www.vishniac.icp.org.) I hope this repositions Vishniac as a much more accomplished and modernist photographer than has previously been known, said Benton. He was often thought of as a ghetto and shtetl photographer, when in fact most of his work was taken in major urban centers. Discovering Vishniacs keen eye for modernist composition is a revelation throughout the CJM exhibition, which includes hundreds of photos that have never before been seen. Whether capturing street scenes in 1920s and 30s Berlin (including several in which his young daughter, Mara, poses in front of shops hung with Nazi propaganda), the citys later postwar ruin, portraits in 1940s New York or his late-career scientific photography (photomicroscopy), Vishniac had an acute sense of avant-garde composition, Benton said. I showed several curatorial colleagues his Berlin work and they were astonished, she said. They had guessed it was a Bauhaus master. In one unpublished 1930s photo, a Jewish boy in a cramped basement dwelling is exquisitely framed against a vertical register of kindling. A shot of a Polish porter asleep in his cart emphasizes the way his muscular form perfectly bisects the frame. In Vishniacs riveting image of polar bears taken from inside their cage in the Berlin Zoo, which was a popular meeting place for the citys middle- and upper-class Jewish community before the war, he created the prescient illusion that the people are in the cage and the polar bears are looking at them. It was taken weeks before Jews, including Vishniac, were banned from visiting the zoo, Benton said. Jessica Zack is a freelance writer who frequently covers art and film for The San Francisco Chronicle. Roman Vishniac Rediscovered: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (except Wednesday), 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday. Through May 29. Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. (415) 655-7800. www.thecjm.org. In his most forceful language to date, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said his company will fight a judges order compelling the tech company to build a backdoor that would allow law enforcement officials to hack into the locked iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters. Cooks firm stance comes after a Tuesday ruling by Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in which she told the company it would be required to produce specialized software to federal investigators so they can bypass the auto-erase feature on the work phone of Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the Dec. 2 attack. Both Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were killed in a shootout with law enforcement shortly after the attack, which killed 14 people. The problem, Cook said in a lengthy explanation addressed to customers on Apples website, is the FBI is requesting the company build an entirely new operating system for the wildly popular iPhone, which would allow the government, or really anyone with access to the operating system, to access the confidential information of anyone using an iPhone. The FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation, Cook wrote. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. Cook noted that Apple has been assisting the FBI in the investigation of the San Bernardino attack, providing data when they have it and complying with all relevant subpoenas and search warrants. The company has also provided its own engineers to federal investigators, in advisory roles, to help bolster the governments efforts as they continue to comb through evidence. Building a one-off tool to be used just in this instance sounds easy enough to the average layperson, but in todays world, where so much personal information is stored on tiny, personal computers we keep in our pockets, creating a master key to unlock those devices would undermine the security of everyone who uses one, Cook argued. The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But thats simply not true, Cook wrote. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable. Currently, if the wrong passcode is entered into an iPhone too many times in a row, the phone goes into self-destruct mode and wipes all its data. What the government is asking for, according to Cook, is a redesigned operating system that would allow a user to enter that passcode electronically, trying thousands or millions of combinations with the speed of a modern computer. The implications of the governments demands are chilling, Cook continued. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phones microphone or camera without your knowledge. Cook sent condolences to those mourning the loss of life in San Bernardino and called for justice for the families affected, saying we have no sympathy for terrorists, but said the ramifications of complying with the judges order were too far-reaching to ignore. Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government, Cook wrote. While we believe the FBIs intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect. Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale A 71-year-old Lake County man who has spent 18 years in prison for a child molestation that his accuser now denies he committed has been ordered to be freed. Luther Jones, who had nine years remaining on his 27-year sentence, was ordered on Tuesday to be released after District Attorney Don Anderson told the court he no longer believes Jones was guilty. Jones was convicted in 1998 based on the testimony of a 10-year-old girl, the daughter of a woman who was his former girlfriend and who was battling Jones at the time for the custody of another child. The witness, now 30, came forward last week and recanted her testimony, Anderson said. In essence, she said her mother invented this, Anderson said. She said she was told to go to school and tell the school officials she was molested. She obeyed her mother. The false account, said Anderson, had been eating at her for several years. Jones has been in poor health and is being treated at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, Anderson said. He is believed to be suffering from diabetes, liver and kidney ailments. Anderson said he did not know if Jones release from custody would mean that he would be able to leave the hospital. We want to get (Jones) released as soon as possible, Anderson said. Angela Carter, Jones attorney, said her client may not be physically able to go out and enjoy his liberty but there must be a lot of enjoyment being vindicated. It was unclear if the girls mother, Elizabeth Woods, will face charges for forcing her daughter to lie. Anderson said it was hard to piece together things that happened 20 years ago. Carter said she hoped the district attorney would investigate the mother, because if she did what shes accused of, its evil. During his 1998 trial, Jones denied the allegation and said the girl was lying because of the child custody dispute. Anderson said there were some irregularities in the girls condition but no physical evidence of molestation and very little corroborating evidence. But the jury believed the girls account and convicted Jones. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF San Franciscos political elite including Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi gathered with the public Tuesday to remember Hadley Roff, a gregarious and sharp-witted figure who worked as a political troubleshooter through some of San Franciscos most unstable periods. Roff died last week at 85. He served four mayors, including Feinstein, who hired him as deputy mayor in 1979. Intensely loyal He was intensely loyal, and he was able to be a positive counsel in a very difficult time, Feinstein said, speaking at Roffs celebration of life, which was attended by nearly 300 people at Delancey Street on the Embarcadero. Other notables included Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a former mayor; former Mayors Willie Brown and Frank Jordan; and San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. Mayor Ed Lee sat in the front row. Feinstein hired Roff during one of the citys most troubling periods. The city was shocked when then-Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were gunned down, unexpectedly elevating Feinstein then-president of the Board of Supervisors to mayor. In a 49-square-mile city filled with hate and fear out came Hadley, Feinstein said, recounting her early days with Roff, which included the deaths of hundreds of San Franciscans at Jonestown, the AIDS epidemic and ballooning homelessness. He never panicked, she said. For me, he was a mainstay. Skilled negotiator But it was Roffs skills as a negotiator and his dynamic personality that made him an invaluable figure in city politics beyond his time with Feinstein. He worked as an aide to Jordan and then to Brown, who appointed him to the citys Fire Commission. A large American flag hung from the extended ladder of a fire truck at the memorials entrance along the Embarcadero on Tuesday. He loved politics and he loved people and he made them both work, Jordan said. He was an excellent mediator without claiming that title. Roff grew up in Santa Cruz and started his career in newspapers, working for the News and Call-Bulletin in San Francisco after graduating from Stanford. He later did public relations and moved into national politics, working on Democratic campaigns, including that of President Lyndon Johnson, before taking a job as Mayor Joseph Aliotos confidential secretary in 1967. Joined Feinstein In 1970, Roff moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for nearly a decade before joining Feinstein back in San Francisco. Roffs hunger for politics was matched by his appetite for food, strong drink, books and conversation. His comfort zone stretched from inside City Hall to his favorite restaurants and bars, where friends said saloonkeepers were ready with a Ketel One vodka. He knew his way around the English language and he knew his way around the city of San Francisco, Pelosi said. He was without a doubt the most beloved figure in San Francisco present company excluded. Roff his friends said was a fount of ideas and opinions to the end. As his body gave way and he struggled to breathe, Roff still tried to talk politics between gasps, his brother-in-law, Elliott Trommald, said. The state of the city, country and globe were never far from his mind, Trommald added. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky The San Francisco district attorneys office is teaming up with the FBI to investigate public corruption in the wake of the sprawling, multiyear federal probe that snared former state Sen. Leland Yee, Chinatown crime boss Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow and others. The new task force, announced Tuesday by District Attorney George Gascon and David J. Johnson, the leader of the FBIs office in San Francisco, seeks to tap federal resources and investigators to look further into possible wrongdoing by the citys public servants. We as San Franciscans can no longer blame the lack of resources for systemic problems that cause the public to lose faith in local government, Gascon said at a news conference. This today is the beginning of a process to try to short-circuit that. The good old boys, the pay-to-play system that has worked in San Francisco so well for so long, has to end. San Francisco prosecutors filed corruption-related charges last month against former Human Rights Commissioner Nazly Mohajer, former commission staffer Zula Jones, and political consultant and former San Francisco school board President Keith Jackson. The bribery and money-laundering allegations emerged during a federal racketeering investigation into Chow, in which Mohajer and Jones allegedly discussed accepting $20,000 from an FBI agent posing as a businessman in secretly recorded conversations, in exchange for access to Mayor Ed Lee during his 2011 campaign. We filed cases on three individuals, Gascon said Tuesday. We do not believe that is the end of the road, and that is why we are continuing to see where that takes us. The FBI has launched scores of public corruption probes in San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond and other Bay Area cities in recent decades. In 2014, six plainclothes San Francisco police officers were indicted following an FBI investigation into allegations they entered single-room occupancy hotel residences without warrants and stole money. Prompt decisions Special Agent in Charge Johnson said the task force will allow for prompt decisions on whether cases should be filed locally or in federal court. This type of criminal activity erodes public confidence, undermines the strength of our democracy and, if left unchecked, threatens our government, Johnson said. Lee has said he did nothing wrong during his 2011 campaign, and theres no evidence he was aware that anyone had promised access to him in exchange for illegal campaign contributions. His spokeswoman, Christine Falvey, said Tuesday that he would work with new Ethics Commission Director LeeAnn Pelham and every city department to ensure that all employees are in full compliance. San Francisco has some of the strongest ethics and open government laws in the nation, and the mayor expects every public servant to fully comply with those laws, Falvey said. There is absolutely zero tolerance and no place in city government for anything less. According to campaign finance disclosures, Lee between July and December spent $7,297 of his 2015 mayoral campaign funding on legal representation from the San Francisco law firm Swanson & McNamara, which specializes in criminal defense and complex civil litigation. Falvey said the firm was retained by Mayor Lee in 2015 to ensure full cooperation and appropriate communication with the government. Supervisors react The creation of the task force prompted a mix of reactions at City Hall. Supervisor Scott Wiener said he believed accusations of corruption can get overstated. I know all of the elected officials at City Hall, and my experience is these are all dedicated, earnest people who are in (politics) for the right reasons, he said. Supervisor David Campos said he welcomes any extra scrutiny. I think that given some of the developments in the last few weeks, there are a lot of questions about what actually happens in City Hall, Campos said. We want our public to have complete trust in their elected officials, and I personally think there has to be a very clear message that corruption has no place in San Francisco politics. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi, whose office is representing Keith Jackson, said he worries that the corruption task force wont be transparent. When Jackson and his co-defendants appeared in court in January, the district attorneys office requested a protective order that would prohibit defense attorneys from disclosing any evidence they obtained from prosecutors. If youre talking about bringing in federal wiretaps and other things, Adachi said, then people have a right to know from their elected district attorney exactly what theyre doing and how its being done. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Emily Green contributed to this report. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo Geary, Shea, O'Donnel, Graton & A search for a missing Santa Rosa attorney who was representing a Sonoma County sheriffs deputy accused in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy was suspended Tuesday after his car was found abandoned over the weekend near Bodega Bay, authorities said Steven Mitchell, 56, was last seen at his home around 9 a.m. Saturday, police said. His wife called the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office around 8 p.m., saying her husband had not been heard from all day and it was highly unusual for him. Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office / Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office / A missing Truckee man may have drowned while searching for glass at Santa Cruz Countys Davenport Beach, officials said Tuesday. The man, 54-year-old Peter Koci, and a friend arrived at the beach about 10 a.m. Saturday to hunt for sea glass. The friend last saw Koci about 1 p.m. walking south on the beach out of sight after he said he was going to look for a restroom, authorities said. Omaha, Neb. Canadian Pacific plans to ask federal regulators for preliminary approval of the structure of its proposed takeover of Norfolk Southern railroad. CP CEO Hunter Harrison said Tuesday his railroad is taking this step because shareholders of both railroads sought it. The move may put additional pressure on Norfolk Southern to engage in talks ahead of a shareholder vote this spring that Canadian Pacific requested. "We still think this action is unnecessary, however, we believe listening to the shareholders the owners of our respective companies is important," Harrison said Part of the reason why Norfolk Southern has rejected all of Canadian Pacific's offers so far is because it questions whether the U.S. Surface Transportation Board would approve such a deal or would impose onerous conditions on the railroads. No major rail mergers have been approved since regulators imposed tough rules on them in 2001. Canadian Pacific has proposed setting up a voting trust and installing Harrison as CEO of Norfolk Southern while the deal is reviewed. Norfolk Southern believes that would violate a prohibition against an acquiring railroad taking control of its target before a deal is approved, so it has recommended that Canadian Pacific seek this preliminary approval of the structure. CP officials have said they don't see a problem with the proposed trust structure. "We are skeptical that the STB will give a definitive ruling, especially when NS will not even sit down with us, but we are willing to go the extra mile if that is what it takes to get NS to the table," Harrison said. Norfolk Southern praised the move, but didn't say whether it would help Canadian Pacific apply for the ruling. "Canadian Pacific has acknowledged that there is a path to determine the validity of its proposed voting trust structure by seeking a declaratory order from the STB," the railroad said. Norfolk Southern has also said it believes Canadian Pacific's offers remained "grossly inadequate" even as they approached $30 billion. WASHINGTON A top architect of the 2008 federal bailout of the financial industry said Tuesday that the government has not done enough to prevent a repeat. Neel Kashkari, a Treasury Department official in the George W. Bush and Obama administrations and now president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said it is time to think about measures including breaking up the largest banks. I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy, Kashkari said at the Brookings Institution. The speech caused a stir in Washington. Such views are common at both ends of the political spectrum providing fuel for the presidential campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders, independent-Vt., and Donald Trump, a Republican but Kashkari is a moderate Republican and a former employee of Goldman Sachs. It was also Kashkaris first speech in his new job, which he began in January. There are lines in your speech I can imagine a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren saying, David Wessel, a former journalist who moderated the Brookings event, told Kashkari during a panel discussion after the speech. Its not what one expects. Kashkari responded that he was calling things as he saw them. If Im not willing to stand up and share my concerns, then I wouldnt be doing my job, he said. Kashkari said that the Minneapolis Fed will begin a research effort to consider more transformational measures the government could pursue. The first and most familiar option is forcing large banks to break apart, the approach favored by Sanders. Opponents argue that large banks are actually stronger in some ways, and that they play an important economic role. A second possibility, Kashkari said, would be to greatly reduce the ability of banks to borrow money by increasing the share of funding they must raise in the form of capital. He compared this to the safeguards imposed on nuclear power plants, whose failure is regarded as unacceptable. Anat Admati, a Stanford finance professor, is a leading proponent of this approach. A third, broader approach would impose a tax on borrowing throughout the financial system, reducing risk-taking not just by banks but a wide range of other financial intermediaries. The role of banks in the financial system has declined over time, and many experts regard the rest of the financial system, relatively less regulated, as a more likely source of future crises. Critics of both the second and third approaches argue that economic growth requires risk-taking, and that preventing risk-taking by some intermediaries will simply shift activity to less-regulated companies. Kashkaris bleak assessment is not shared by some other Fed officials. Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and an influential voice on regulatory issues, said in a recent speech that the government had made substantial progress. He said new regulation had reduced both the probability and the cost of a large-bank failure. Donald Kohn, who worked with Kashkari during the crisis as the Feds vice chairman, said that he did not share Kashkaris pessimism. Congress responded to the crisis by passing the Dodd-Frank Act, which grants regulators new powers to constrain and, if necessary, dismantle large banks. I think the new regime, once its fully in place, probably will work, Kohn said. Kashkari, in response, emphasized that the potential cost of large crises underscored the importance of minimizing risk. Its not simply the cost of the bailout, Kashkari said. Its the economic damage thats inflicted across society. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate More than 300 employees at Yahoo offices in California were told they would be losing their jobs on April 18, as the beleaguered tech giant continues to trim its operating expenses in order to survive. The terminations are part of Yahoos plan to decrease its global workforce by 15 percent, nearly 1,600 employees, by the end of the year. Yahoo said on Wednesday in a note to state officials that layoffs cover 128 employees at its headquarters in Sunnyvale; 46 employees in San Francisco and 60 in Los Angeles. The company also plans to shut down its Burbank office, affecting 90 employees. The cuts, in addition to the layoffs announced last week, affect people in its media division, as well as employees in other roles such as engineering or research. On Wednesday, Yahoo announced the closure of seven digital magazines that covered food, parenting, health, makers, travel, autos and real estate. Many magazine employees were in New York or California. Yahoo has struggled to gain audiences for its digital magazines, receiving criticism from analysts for not doing enough to attract Millennials and spending too much money recruiting marquee names like former New York Times tech columnist David Pogue. The economics just dont support that in the digital space, said Gabriel Kahn, a professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Digital video cannot pay for the salary and entourage of a Katie Couric. Yahoo hired Couric in 2013 as its global news anchor, doing video interviews. In addition, Yahoo faced stiff competition in the online content game. It becomes so difficult for them to try to claw their own space in digital media, Kahn said. Randy Giusto, vice president and lead analyst at Outsell, said competition is particularly heavy in areas like health and parenting. The magazines also werent seen as prime advertising sites, Giusto said. There is too much noise out there today, and everyone worth influencing is on social media, Giusto said. Martha Nelson, Yahoos global editor in chief said in a blog post that the company is still committed to delivering content that its users need. We know you come to Yahoo because of our distinct voice and unique blend of original content, aggregation and personalization, Nelson wrote. With a renewed focus on News, Sports, Finance and Lifestyle, we will be working to make Yahoo an even more essential part of your life. Yahoo Tech was not among the list of magazines set to be closed, but its editor in chief, Dan Tynan, is no longer with the company. Yahoo Tech was part of the 2014 launch of the digital magazines, with a splashy presentation led by Pogue. Wednesdays notice of 324 layoffs with Californias Employment Development Department is part of a wave of dismissals that will take place on April 18. Last week, Yahoo informed state officials there would be 107 layoffs at its Sunnyvale headquarters on April 11. The New York Department of Labor said Wednesday it had not received any notification of layoffs from Yahoo. To see a copy of the layoff notice, go here: sfchron.cl/yahoonotice Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee Dan Lurie Three people were injured in a shooting in Berkeley on Tuesday night, authorities said, though few other details about the incident were immediately available. Police sent out a notification about the incident around 8:15 p.m., indicating that three individuals had been hurt in a shooting on the 1100 block of Parker Street near San Pablo Avenue. Two convicted felons were charged Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court with the murder of a 29-year-old Hayward man who was killed during a robbery last week near the Oakland Zoo. Quentin Robinson suffered a gunshot wound Feb. 8 on the 10100 block of Foothill Boulevard near MacArthur Boulevard and stumbled into a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A witness told police 20-year-old Hector Gonzalez of San Leandro was involved in the shooting, and Gonzalez confessed after he was taken into custody Thursday, according to the affidavit for his arrest. Police said Gonzalez disclosed that 22-year-old Michael Gonzalez-Navarro of Oakland was the primary shooter and robber during the incident. Gonzalez-Navarro, who suffered gunshot wounds during the alleged robbery, was arrested three days later in Oakland. It was unclear how he got shot. Because Gonzalez-Navarro was convicted of two prior crimes one of which was a burglary he could be subject to the states three strikes law if convicted of the killing and go to prison for a minimum of 25 years to life, according to the Alameda County district attorneys complaint against him. Gonzalez also was previously convicted of a felony burglary in 2014. Oakland police said there is a familial relationship between the two suspects but did not elaborate. Both are being held without bail, Gonzalez in Oaklands Glenn Dyer Jail and Gonzalez-Navarro in Dublins Santa Rita Jail. The fatal shooting was the third known homicide in Oakland this year, police said. At this time last year, there had been 12. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Michael Macor/The Chronicle An inmate serving a life sentence at a state prison outside of Sacramento for a Marin County murder conviction was found dead in his cell Monday, the victim of a homicide prison officials believe was committed by his cellmate, authorities said. Around 8:20 p.m., officers found the victim a 53-year-old prisoner, whose name was not released unresponsive in his cell at the California State Prison-Sacramento facility in Represa, just north of Folsom (Sacramento County), Lt. Tony Quinn, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in a statement. Tulfo says Claudine is 'down and out' ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 08/17/2012 7:24 PM | Updated as of 08/17/2012 7:43 PM MANILA, Phi... San Mateo County Sheriffs Office / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office / A 25-year-old Half Moon Bay man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an altercation with an acquaintance, police said Tuesday. During the incident Thursday evening, a 21-year-old man was stabbed in the torso with a sharp object near the intersection of Main Street and Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay. A family member transported the victim to a nearby hospital, and the assailant fled the scene on foot, police said. A 21-year-old homicide suspect confessed to stabbing his father, a pastor, to death in their San Leandro home last week and was charged with murder Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court, officials said. Neighbors called police after hearing someone yell I dont want to die and sounds of a struggle coming from the apartment in the 900 block of Juana Avenue about 5:30 a.m. Friday. When police arrived, Isaiah Bostic answered the door with blood covering his hands and clothing, officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Federal prosecutors are recommending a 2-year prison term for former San Francisco political consultant Ryan Chamberlain, who admitted illegally possessing toxins and a handgun after prosecutors dropped a potential life-sentence biological weapons charge. The terms of the plea agreement were disclosed Wednesday, a day after Chamberlain, 44, pleaded guilty to two felony charges. He has been in custody since his arrest in June 2014, and could be released in July, with time off for good behavior, if U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria imposes the recommended sentence. Chamberlain was the target of a nationwide manhunt after federal agents, investigating illicit online transactions on the secrecy-shrouded dark Web, said they found bomb-making materials, incendiary equipment and biotoxins in a search of his San Francisco apartment. Police arrested him less than three days later about 3 miles from his home. He had worked as a consultant on local political campaigns for more than a decade and was a district organizer in Gavin Newsoms successful 2003 campaign for mayor. He also worked as an independent contractor for The Chronicle in 2012. Chamberlain was held without bail after his arrest as prosecutors described him as a dangerous man who was in the process of building a bomb. But as the case was about to go to trial, prosecutors withdrew the bomb-related charges and agreed to let Chamberlain plead guilty to illegal possession of biological toxins and of a .22 derringer pistol with the serial number removed. In the plea agreement, Chamberlain admitted using the dark Web to buy two vials of ground rosary peas, which contained a toxin called abrin, in December 2013. He also acknowledged that agents who searched his apartment found items that included a rocket motor, a remote control, matchstick powder and sodium cyanide. He agreed to allow the government to monitor his Internet use for three years after his release and to undergo mental health treatment. The charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 12. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: begelko@sfchronicle.com Bill Hutchinson A San Francisco man is recovering from injuries he sustained after being pistol whipped by two robbers who broke into his home Tuesday night, authorities said. Around 8:40 p.m., officers responded to reports of the robbery on the 2100 block of Mason Street between the North Beach and Russian Hill neighborhoods, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman. Most of the stars in poker are coming to San Joses Bay 101 Casino for the Bay Areas most compelling poker tournament, the Shooting Star on March 7-11. Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu and Palo Altos Phil Hellmuth are registered to play, along with local players like San Joses Faraz Jaka, Sacramentos J.C. Tran and San Franciscos Neil Blumenfield, said tournament coordinator Brian Gudim. The Shooting Star is part of the World Poker Tour, and WPT announcers Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton are both registered to play as well. Bay 101 is great because of the people, said Van Patten, who is among the players who typically chat with fans during breaks. The Bay Area is historically a gambling mecca going back to Gold Rush days it rubs off on the poker, and the excitement spills over to the tables, Van Patten added. Making the tournament special is an incentive to knock out players designated as Shooting Stars. About 50 players will be Shooting Stars, including Van Patten. Those who eliminate one earn a bounty of $2,500 and a T-shirt with the stars image that the celebrity player typically signs. To knock off a famous poker superstar and get cash on the spot, thats a complete winner, Van Patten said, adding that the format gives amateurs bragging rights and is truly exciting for everyone. Poker pro Negreanu said theres nowhere on the tour with a more dedicated fan base. He enjoys being a bounty, but said that, ultimately, People target you for the bonus money. Blumenfield, who finished third in last years World Series of Poker main event, said the Shooting Star is a place where he gets to play with my old Bay Area poker friends. Not only is it the biggest tournament in the Bay Area, he added, pretty much everyone agrees that it is the most enjoyable tournament of the WPT season. Buy-in for the Shooting Star main event is $7,500, but many players get in for less by winning satellites. The $275 satellite contests have begun and will be at 9:30 a.m. daily, except Saturdays, through Feb. 26. A series of $550 satellites are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, and Feb. 27-March-2. The $1,100 satellites are slated to run March 3-5. The final satellite is a two-day event set for March 6-7, and has a $2,100 entry fee. It typically sells out, so Gudim encourages anyone interested to register early. Theres also a high-roller event March 9-10, with a $25,000 buy-in. Those who enter are typically big-bankroll players whove been knocked out of the Shooting Star main event. For more details, visit www.bay101.com. Michael Shapiro (www.michaelshapiro.net) is author of A Sense of Place. Twitter: @shapirowrites This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Any single Bay Area sunrise can be breathtaking enough to remember for a lifetime. But imagine you had spent nearly three decades watching day break behind Mount Diablo from a couple of thousand feet. You'd feel like you need to share the view. That was the situation for Ron Cervi, who's been covering Bay Area traffic from above for 27 years. "This is such a beautiful area to work. And for so many years I've felt I have this unbelievable opportunity. It's only recently that technology has allowed me to share my view of our little paradise," said Cervi, who has built impressive Twitter and Instagram followings from his perch in SKY1, the plane he calls an office. "I thought I would just do a few pics on Twitter. That was about 4 years ago. But I got such a great response, I decided to keep doing it. Sometime during this past year, I passed 80,000 followers on Instagram." Late last year we featured some of Cervi's best pictures of 2015. This time around he gave us permission to highlight recent pictures of the Bay Area at sunrise, which he captures regularly while reporting on the morning commute for KCBS. "For about 6 months out of the year, I fly during the periods of sunrise and daybreak. And when daylight savings kicks in, I always wonder...what will I take pictures of now? But there's always something" Cervi said, pointing out that his most popular photos are of unique angles on the Golden Gate bridge and other Bay Area landmarks. Cervi describes himself as a "picture taker" rather than a photographer, and says his primary mission remains the same as it was in 1988. "My number one job is reporting news and traffic. It's always the priority," he said. So at what point does the San Francisco skyline get old? Cervi is still waiting to find out. "When I got the job, my goal was to be a serious news reporter, so I told them I'd only do this as long as it's fun. And to this day, it's still fun," said Cervi. "I'm still awed by a sunrise behind the Golden Gate Bridge or the fog rolling over the hills or buildings poking through a low layer of clouds." Follow @Sky1Ron on Twitter or Instagram if you want to see the sights that keep him inspired. 1 Groveland Four: The arrests and killings of four African American men accused of raping a white woman in Groveland, Fla., in 1949 is considered one of the great miscarriages of justice in the years prior to the civil rights movement. On Tuesday, Groveland city officials will consider a proclamation encouraging the exoneration of the four men known as the Groveland Four. None of the men is alive, but their relatives still live in the central Florida community that today is an Orlando suburb. The proclamation requests that Gov. Rick Scott and his Cabinet pardon Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin, Charles Greenlee and Ernest Thomas. A resolution exonerating the four men has been introduced in the Florida Senate this legislative session. 2 Squalid shelters: Auditors have reported finding unchecked squalor including rodents, vermin, mold and fire hazards in New York homeless shelters, faulting inadequate state oversight. In a report released Tuesday, the comptrollers office said its auditors visited 20 certified and 19 noncertified shelters statewide, including 26 in New York City, giving operators less than 24 hours notice. They estimated New Yorks homeless population at 80,000. The audit from April 2013 until last Aug. 5 said most shelters were in disrepair with filthy living conditions, some posing serious and obvious health risks. BEAUFORT, S.C. Ted Cruz is getting hammered by his Republican rivals over what they call a pattern of unethical campaign tactics and inaccurate statements by the Texas senator who has shaped his White House bid around trust. Cruz has had some trouble getting all his facts straight in debates, has used campaign tactics that some find suspicious, and had an ad by an outside group temporarily pulled for questions about its accuracy. His opponents are blunter, calling him simply a liar. The Texas senator, whose 2015 autobiography is titled, A Time for Truth, shrugged off the criticism Tuesday while campaigning for Saturdays South Carolina Republican primary. Both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have this very strange pattern where if you point to their actual record, if you point to the words that have come out of their mouth, they dont respond on substance. They just scream Liar! Liar! Liar! Cruz said Tuesday. Both Trump and Rubio have accused Cruz of distorting their records with increasing frequency. And while such charges are common in presidential politics, Cruzs team has also faced rebukes for misleading voters in recent weeks from multiple outside groups the Iowa secretary of state and a prominent antiabortion group, among them. The fiery conservatives ability to navigate questions about his integrity could well decide his fate in the crowded 2016 contest, where he remains a top-tier contender. Hes lying. And I think its disturbing, Rubio said in Beaufort. Just here in South Carolina this week, hes lied about my record on Planned Parenthood, hes lied about my position on marriage, hes lied about his own record on immigration. So, I think this is very disturbing when you have a candidate that now on a regular basis just makes things up. Trump was even more aggressive, describing Cruz the day before as the single biggest liar Ive ever come across, in politics or otherwise. And I have seen some of the best of them, the billionaire businessman said in a statement. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much. Virtually all of the 2016 candidates have been caught stretching the truth over the course of the campaign, including Trump and Rubio. But only Cruz has embraced trust and the play on his first name, TRUSTED, as the fundamental rationale of his campaign. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In San Francisco's notoriously high-priced real estate market, homes listed for under $1 million are often heaps of rotting wood that need to be taken down to the studs or torn down altogether. Cracked plaster, caving ceilings and peeling paint are all par for the course with these fixer-uppers. That's not the case at this sweet Ingleside two-bedroom with swanky midcentury style, a two-car garage, and a $779,000 price tag. The kitchen and two bathrooms may be a little dated and the yard a sea of concrete, but otherwise the home itself is pristine. The floors are gleaming, the paint fresh and most importantly, the pest report is only $2,600. Listing agent Heather Stoltz of Berkshire Hathaway says a small leak in the roof, which has been repaired, caused some rot that can easily be fixed. More for you Price on Stinson Beach stunner slashed another $2 million "It's in better condition than I thought it would be," Stoltz said. "Everyone who came through the house on Sunday said it's in such good condition." Perched on a hill with leafy views of Lake Merced, 154 Ramsell is in the up-and-coming Ingleside neighborhood. Median home sales in this area have gone up 21 percent year-over-year, according to Trulia, while they've increased 11 percent overall in San Francisco. This makes sense as the neighborhood has seen improvements in the past few years with a Whole Foods and new restaurants and cafes moving onto nearby Ocean Avenue, and public parks undergoing renovations. What's more, the location is convenient for commuters, with Daly City Bart within walking distance and easy access to Interstate 280. In a city where two-bedrooms easily go for well over $1 million, is the home priced too low? It seems like it could be just right as the median home sales price in Ingleside between Sept. and Dec. 2015 was $794,000, according to Trulia. "It's in the southern end of the city and things tend to be less expensive out there," Stoltz said. "I don't think I priced it incredibly low. I just think I priced it fairly." WASHINGTON A U.S. magistrate ordered Apple Inc. on Tuesday to help the Obama administration hack into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the December attack in San Bernardino, in a first-of-its-kind ruling that pits digital privacy against national security interests. The ruling by Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature, which erases the phones data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations until it finds the right one. Evan Vucci/Associated Press NEW YORK Making a direct appeal to black voters, Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she would give African Americans their next ally in the White House and offered a detailed plan to overcome racial disparities ahead of crucial primaries in South Carolina and the Deep South. Clinton took her presidential campaign to Harlem in New York City, her focus squarely on solidifying support among black voters who twice backed her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and will be vital in upcoming contests against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has made gains with African Americans but has struggled to compete with Clinton. Clinton has 63 percent support of black voters compared with Sanders 23 percent support according to a recent poll. The Man Who Came to Dinner is the story of an unwilling dinner guest who couldnt and then wouldnt leave. The classic comedy originally debuted in 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It will be performed at 7 p.m. nightly, Thursday through Saturday, by Mineral Area Colleges Little Theatre Guild in the Fine Arts Theatre on the Park Hills campus. Tickets are available at the MAC Bookstore or at the door on the night of the performances $7 for general admission, or $3 for MAC students and senior citizens. The play begins as Sheridan Whiteside, world-famous theatre critic and radio star, makes a visit to Mesalia, Ohio, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, to have dinner with the towns wealthy factory owner and his culture-vulture wife. When Sherry slips on a patch of ice outside Mr. Stanleys house, his injury necessitates his being confined to a wheelchair in the home. The Stanleys and their young-adult children quickly realize Sherrys ego and personality has just made their house 10 times smaller than it actually is. Hilarity ensues as the handicapped houseguest manipulates family members, invites all manner of guests from convicts to movie stars into his adopted home, and generally wreaks havoc on the family and the town from his wheeled perch in front of the Stanley Christmas tree. Playing the part of Sheridan Whiteside is Jonathan Turner of Fredericktown. Asked to describe the character, Turner said, Hes a little bit saucy, Id say. He always gets his way and when he doesnt get his way he has a little tantrum and hell work it around where he gets his way, no matter what. Turner admits that, while hes appeared in a number of plays over the past 15 or so years, he has never played a character quite like this one. He can be very rude, but charming at the same time, he said. He has outlandish expectations of people and gets them to do what he wants them to. What I like most about the play is the interaction of my character with the various other characters and how we react to each other. The play is a good laugh. Youre going to see representations of people in your life that have been similar in aspects to these characters. Its like Oh, my gosh, I see so-and-so in this person. Its that familiarity that people will like. MAC theater major Caitlyn Emert of Pilot Knob plays the part of Sheridan Whitesides long-suffering secretary, Maggie Cutler. I love that she takes whatever he gives her, Emert said about her character. Shes independent. Shes not afraid to say what she feels. Shes just a strong lady. Im the one person Sheridan Whiteside can be mean to and she'll give it right back to him. In addition to having a fondness for the character she plays, Emert is a big fan of the play, as well. The storyline, the jokes, the comedy all of it is hilarious, she said. Theres so much about it, its hard to pick what I like best. The audience is definitely going to love the characters. Little Theatre Guilds cast list also includes Mrs. Stanley: Leslea Walter of Pacific; Miss Preen: Rachel Gann of Park Hills; Richard Stanley: Zach Dane of Bonne Terre; June Stanley: Greta Balasz of Park Hills; John: Logan Willmore of Farmington; Sarah: Mikayla Watkins of Park Hills; Mrs. Dexter: Haley Francis of Park Hills; Mrs. McClutcheon: Kourtney Kopp of Park Hills; Mr. Stanley: Aaron Gamble of Potosi; Dr. Bradley: Frank Miller of Desloge; Harriet Stanley: Kimberly Kowalski of Ste. Genevieve; Bert Jefferson: Sam Gallaher of Farmington; Professor Metz: Wyatt Nickelson of Potosi; Loraine Sheldon: Shiloh Burt of Crystal City; Sandy: Danny Montgomery of Desloge; Beverly Carlton: James Mullaney of De Soto; Banjo: Ian Miller of Desloge; and Westcott: Adam Steele of Potosi. Auditions for the guilds April 20-23 performance of The Pajama Game will take place at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Fine Arts Theatre. Roles are available for six men and eight women who should be prepared with a one minute vocal audition. Bring a karaoke disc or sheet music for accompaniment no lead vocals. A short dance routine will be taught. The Farmington R-7 Board of Education moved quickly through a light agenda on Tuesday night during its monthly meeting. During the meeting, the board approved a bid for $33,159 from Daktronics for a new center hung four-sided scoreboard for the new field house which is presently being built as part of the non-tax increase bond issue approved in April 2014. We took a bid on the scoreboard tonight which actually came in about $17,000 under what we originally budgeted. Any time we can save money is always good, said Superintendent Matt Ruble. We will be getting a center hung scoreboard with two complimentary scoreboards on each end so the players will have a view of them. In addition, Ruble said the district was still on schedule on the high school project which includes the new gymnasium, band and choir rooms and the science labs, and should still be able to open in October or November. In addition, the board approved a bid from Provision Data Solution for the districts wired and wireless infrastructure for a cost of $102,357, including installation. According to Andy White, the director of technology, the district will only be paying 20 percent of the cost as a result of a government-funded project that is pushing district to upgrade and eliminate funding for land lines and cellular phone communications. We upgraded a lot of this area in 2015 as part of the bond issue, Ruble said. It is a chance for us to upgrade the rest of it at only pay 20 percent of the cost. Once we get this upgrade in place, we will actually in good shape district wide not only for the next two, three years, but more like four, five years. According to Ruble, the government program ends in about a year so it just made sense for the district to take advantage of it. During the meeting, the board approved the Parents for Teachers and Early Childhood Education Program Evaluation as is it was presented. This is one of the best programs we have in the district, Ruble said. The purpose is to get into the homes and work with the families to give them a strategy to all their children to be successful and get them ready for Pre-K or Kindergarten. Ruble added Kim Weakley and Parents as Teachers are doing a tremendous job with the less money each year and are still making an impact on more lives than they thought possible. During the meeting, Dr. Lori Lamb, the principal of Washington-Franklin Elementary School presented the Featured Teacher Award to Amanda Sullivan who was selected by colleagues as the schools Teacher of the Year for the 20142015 school year. According to Lamb, Sullivan, who is a fourth grade teacher at the school, is passionate about her students, and dedicated to her colleagues. Mrs. Sullivan is always willing to step into any role asked of her, Lamb said. She often leads the charge in innovative learning and the challenges behind effectively implementing the changing curriculum. In addition, Sullivan is a participant of the math and science curriculum committee and the professional development committee. Earlier this year Sullivan also took on a leadership role with fourth grade Character Council which has taken on a greater role at the school. The board's next scheduled meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on March 15 at the districts administration building at 1022 Ste. Genevieve Ave. The meeting is open to the public. Police in Indiana busted two suspects sought in an armed jewelry-store heist last week in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County sheriffs officials said Wednesday. The alleged robbers Jebediah Deangelis, 25, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and 24-year-old Kevin Malone of Longboat Key, Fla. were nabbed in Indianapolis around 4 p.m. Friday when the cops pulled the two over for a vehicle code violation, deputies said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dozens of Bridge City residents poured out of council chambers Tuesday night and into the hallway as they cheered City Council's decision to vote against a proposal that called for low-income housing to be constructed near the city's intermediate school. The project, called Canal Place, proposed 55 free-standing, single-family brick homes on Martin Avenue. Park Companies, the developers behind the project, said the homes would be valued at around $150,000 and rented for $750 to $775 to eligible applicants. Tax-supported, low-income housing like Canal Place has drawn vocal opposition in the past couple of years, with development talks in cities like Silsbee, China and Beaumont. The opposition makes it clear that homeowners don't want lower-income, multi-family apartments or housing clusters near their neighborhoods. The only Southeast Texas city that appears to openly embrace the projects is Port Arthur, where officials hope the new developments can jump-start the city's blighted downtown. Bridge City Mayor Kirk Roccaforte said Tuesday night the city cannot prevent Park Companies from building Canal Place because the proposed site is private property. The developers need the city's backing to get the federal tax credits, he said. Residents, citing potential increased crime rates, overcrowded schools and decreased property values, packed city hall to ask council members to reject the project. "If we wouldn't have come out, I think there is a chance they would have approved it," said Michael Rowe, a 33-year-old father of two school-aged children. Trudy Pellerin addressed council members, asking that the city invest in a project that will bring economic development to Bridge City, rather than in a project that, in her opinion, will lower citizens' standards of living. A man, who identified himself only as M.D., told council that his father was stabbed to death near a low-income housing site in Houston when he got lost while driving in the area. "Those (crime) photos still haunt me to this day," he said. Councilman Eric Andrus applauded citizens for showing up and engaging in city matters, saying public opinion makes a difference. Talks of low-income housing strikes a nerve amongst Southeast Texans, even though nearly half of Bridge City's residents would meet the federal requirements for affordable housing, said Roccaforte. "There's a mindset when you say low income that automatically makes the brain engage and say 'no, no, no, we don't want it,'" Roccaforte said. In 2012, city council approved a low-income housing project on Texas Avenue, Citrus Cove Bridge City, which is projected to open in August. Roccaforte said he opposed Canal Place at Tuesday's meeting, pending the outcome of the Texas Avenue project. "I don't want to just start doing these all over the town. I want to see what kind of situation (Citrus Cove) brings," he said. Guiseppe Barranco/Photo Editor Beaumont reviewing multiple proposals In Beaumont, City Council is deciding whether to support a half-dozen proposals to build new properties through tax credits. The city has 12 tax-credit built properties with more than 1,400 rental apartments with a vacancy rate of 7 percent, according to figures assembled by Itex Group, which also proposes to build a property on 11th Street on the site of the old Castle Motel. Most of the properties are clustered in the North End, South Park and Pear Orchard. "These projects are not terribly welcome in Beaumont," said Ward 2 councilman Mike Getz on Tuesday. "From the comments I've received, maybe we've had enough." Ward 3 councilman Audwin Samuel said no one raised objections when lower-income properties were built in his North End ward."They didn't argue when it's Ward 3 or Ward 4," Samuel said after the council meeting. "In 'high-opportunity,' non-minority areas, now it's a problem." Most audience members who spoke on the issue urged council to take no action, which would essentially kill the tax-credit applications, which are due by March 1 at the state housing agency. Guiseppe Barranco/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Port Arthur floating downtown development In Port Arthur, City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to add a measure to the May ballot that, if passed, would allow the EDC to partially fund affordable single-family homes downtown. The proposal is an attempt by city officials to raise the property values downtown. The Port Arthur EDC has proposed setting aside $300,000 for three years to help low-income prospective homeowners buy new homes valued at around $130,000. The issue has to be put to a citywide vote since the Port Arthur EDC was created to help with industrial growth rather than funding affordable housing. The EDC is targeting a five-block area ranging from Atlanta Avenue to Nashville Avenue and Fifth street to Eighth Street near Lamar State College-Port Arthur. The EDC decided on this "tight" area so they can measure the interest level and see if the proposed homes would raise the property value, said EDC board member Richard Wycoff while discussing the plan with council at Tuesday's meeting. The EDC estimates building eight to nine houses a year, hoping to draw from employees who work for the city, college and school district. EDC Director Floyd Batiste estimates 50 homes could be built in total if there is enough interest. The homeowners would have to qualify for a loan before going before the EDC and asking for financial help. Wycoff told the council that the EDC is talking about setting a $35,000 cap on assistance, though they haven't officially set those parameters. If the measure passes in May, the program will start on Oct. 1. MLibardi@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/ManuellaLibardi DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallach MHeath@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/mheath31 Sixteen-year-old Taylor Victor laughed when she went to a shopping mall last summer and saw a T-shirt that proclaimed Nobody Knows Im a Lesbian, because shed come out to everyone she knew a year earlier. But officials at her Central Valley high school werent smiling when Taylor showed up on campus in August with the shirt. They told her to change her apparel or go home. Taylor went home and a few days later contacted the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the Manteca Unified School District in federal court. This week, the school board district approved a settlement with the 11th-grader that will require the district to allow students to display controversial messages, such as the one on Taylors shirt, as long as they dont disrupt the school and arent an attack on other students. Im very proud of who I am. Thats the whole reason I wore that shirt, Taylor said Wednesday in a blog post. She said she wanted other students to know that its OK to be yourself at school ... even if what you believe makes your teacher or your principal uncomfortable. Schools, said ACLU attorney Linnea Nelson, should be encouraging kids to think for themselves and not punishing them for being themselves. The San Joaquin County district, which has more than 23,000 students, agreed with her in a statement announcing the change in its dress code. Students continue to be supported in their right for self-expression in all of our high schools, the district said. On the day she wore the shirt to school, most of Taylors fellow students at Sierra High School either paid no attention to it or had good things to say about it, Taylor wrote. But during third period, she was summoned to the office of Vice Principal Greg Leland, who told her she wasnt allowed to display her sexuality on her clothing. She phoned her father, who took her home. Over the next few days, she said, she and her father met with school officials, who told her the shirt was disruptive and an open invitation to sex and that it might be gang related. Thats when she and her family called the ACLU. The suit relied on free-speech rights that the U.S. Supreme Court established in a 1969 ruling allowing public school students to wear black armbands on campus to protest the Vietnam War. More conservative court majorities have scaled the ruling back in later decisions, allowing principals to censor student newspapers and upholding discipline of a student who displayed a banner near campus with the slogan Bong Hits 4 Jesus, which school officials said promoted drugs. But the courts have still required officials to show that student speech would be disruptive before suppressing it. Federal courts ruled that school officials in Poway (San Diego County) had met that standard in 2006 when they stopped a student from wearing a shirt that declared Homosexuality is shameful, which the school said could foment attacks on gay students. Courts also upheld Morgan Hill school officials refusal in 2010 to let students wear U.S. flags on their shirts on Cinco de Mayo, a year after flag-bearing Anglo students at the same school had exchanged threats and profanities with a group of Latino students carrying a Mexican flag on the holiday. Judges said the school was trying to prevent violence. Nelson, the ACLU attorney, acknowledged that the line between free speech and disruptive conduct is sometimes hard to define. But in the case of Taylors T-shirt, she said, the law is clear that you cant have a hecklers veto. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Washington, D.C.'s vacant psychiatric hospital, St. Elizabeths sits ignored near the Congress Heights Metro station. No one visits or inhabits this National Historic Landmark save for trash scattered around the site, mostly fast food bags and styrofoam containers. Only a few security guards surround the site, while neighbors pass by without seeming to notice the development anymore. At one point, the federally operated hospital housed more than 8,000 patients, and in the late 19th century, the hospital even took in animals due to a lack of lodging at the not yet built National Zoo. Until its eventual closure, the development served as a source of economic stability for neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and was an advocate for moral treatment of the mentally ill. Today, the hospital stands silent. While not in total disrepair, it is neglected. Soon enough, it will house Southeast D.C.'s next business boom. This year, construction is set to begin for the first phase of the redevelopment of the hospital's East campus. More than 15 acres of the land will eventually house a $55 million Washington Wizards practice facility, as well as 1,300 residential units, 206,000 square feet of retail space, and a whopping 1.8 million square feet of office space. Two hotels are also planned for the campus. With a boom anticipated, residents are worried about eventually being priced out of their homes. Because of this, Congress Heights residents proposed a "displacement-free zone" in October 2015. This zone would enact a temporary prohibition on property tax increases for residences and small businesses. When St. Elizabeths opened in 1855, there were only a handful of private and public mental hospitals in the U.S., but the living conditions in these facilities were more often than not inhumane. Interest in healthier conditions for those with mental illnesses eventually grew. With this interest, the most famous and influential psychiatric reformer of the nineteenth century, Dorothea Lynde Dix, was able to convince Congress to construct the hospital on a site that was used as a farm at the time. St. Elizabeths Hospital purchased the East Campus, which is composed of four two-story red brick buildings, 14 years after its opening. Originally, the Campus housed barns, stables, henneries and piggeries. The first group of buildings for hospital facilities were constructed in 1902 with the final phase of construction complete in the early 1960s. It wasn't until 1916 that the development became known as St. Elizabeths, thanks to legislation passed by Congress. Previously, it was officially known as the Government Hospital for the Insane. The name, St. Elizabeths, came from the name of the tract of land that the hospital is located on. It was also preferred by wounded soldiers who were treated there, who avoided admitting they lived in an asylum. In September 2015, St. Elizabeths East Project Manager James Parks, IV gave Curbed permission to tour St. Elizabeths East Campus grounds. Below, you can take a tour of what you might find at the campus. For an inside look into St. Elizabeth's Hospital, go to this Curbed DC article. Otto, Thomas. St. Elizabeths Hospital: A History. Washington, D.C.: U.S. General Services Administration, May 2013. St. Elizabeths East [Official Website] All St. Elizabeths coverage [Curbed DC] Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Socorro Beltran Sanchez worked so hard to help the families and students who attended the school where she was a counselor, she was dubbed the Eva Peron of the West Side, referring to the charitable first lady of Argentina in the 1940s and early 50s. She got nicknamed that because nothing stopped her as far as helping those people better themselves, her son Paul Sanchez said. She wanted to see that the kids had a chance to develop their God-given talents. Sanchez died Thursday at 82. Raised in Laredo, Sanchez had a Catholic education and married soon after graduating from St. Augustine in her hometown. More Information Socorro Beltran Sanchez Born: March 11, 1932, Laredo Died: Feb. 11, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Husband Pablo Sanchez; daughter Yvonne LaHue; parents Ramon and Carolina Beltran. Survived by: Sons William Sanchez and daughter-in-law Gloria, Paul Sanchez and daughter-in-law Margaret; seven grandchildren; son-in-law Greg LaHue; a brother. Services: Visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, rosary at 7 p.m., at Mission Park Funeral Chapels North, 3401 Cherry Ridge; funeral at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 10703 Wurzbach Road, followed by burial at Mission Burial Park North, 20900 Interstate 10 West. See More Collapse Her husband, who worked for what was then the Missouri Pacific Railroad, was transferred to San Antonio in the early 1960s. Sanchez decided to go to college, the first in her family to do so, after her husband was diagnosed with cancer. He recovered, but the experience prompted her to envision a future without him. After graduating from Our Lady of the Lake University in the late 1960s, Sanchez taught second grade at J.T. Brackenridge Elementary School for several years, often working with students who spoke little or no English. A lot of that area is poverty-stricken, Paul Sanchez said. She wanted to break that cycle of poverty. Determined to get her masters degree, Sanchez enrolled in the University of Texas, commuting to and from Austin in a Volkswagen bus. It was no small undertaking, Paul Sanchez said. Driving to Austin, managing the home. Sanchez was also making frequent trips to Laredo to visit her aging parents. As a counselor, Sanchez became a real force in the surrounding community, her son said. If she detected a problem with a student, she would do anything in her power to help, from meeting personally with their teachers to cajoling administrators. Sanchez also made home visits to her students parents. She was trying to get to the root of the problem, Paul Sanchez said. Although her career kept her busy, Sanchez was always present with her own three children. She would come home and cook a real meal every day, Paul Sanchez said. Take off her work clothes, put on her house clothes, get in the kitchen and start cooking; that went on until we were in college. Though she retired in 1997, Sanchez returned to work a year later, counseling for another decade. My mother found her calling in life becoming an advocate for underprivileged kids, her son said. mheidbrink@express-news.net In most presidential elections, Supreme Court nominations are a major issue for elites and a substantial concern for significant parts of the conservative movement. Other voters usually see the future makeup of the court as a side matter, or not essential to their decisions at all. Justice Antonin Scalias death on Saturday will change this. The issue of conservative judicial activism had already begun to take hold among liberals because of a series of fiercely ideological and precedent-shattering 5-to-4 decisions. You read that right: After decades during which conservatives complained about liberal judicial activism, it is now conservatives who are unabashed in undermining progressive legislation enacted by the nations elected branches. Scalia will be remembered fondly on the right as the brilliant exponent of the theory of originalism that provided a rationale or, in many cases, a rationalization for decisions that usually fit conservative ideological preferences. In 2010, Citizens United rewrote decades of precedent on Congress power to regulate how campaigns are financed, facilitating a flood of money into elections from a small number of very wealthy Americans. Three years later, Shelby County vs. Holder ripped the heart out of the federal governments enforcement power in the Voting Rights Act. Last week, conservatives on the court halted the implementation of President Obamas Clean Power Plan, his central initiative on climate change. This is merely a partial list. The courts conservatives have also regularly undercut the power of unions and the ability of citizens to wage legal battles against corporations. Such decisions already had the potential of broadening the range of progressive constituencies invested in making the court a major election issue, including political reformers, African Americans, environmentalists and organized labor. But Scalias death means that Obama or his successor if that successor is a Democrat could overturn the current conservative majority on the court, which could lead it to revisit many of the most troubling decisions of recent years. And Republicans did themselves no favors in the coming argument by moving in a hard political direction even before most of the tributes to Scalia had been published and even before the president had actually picked someone: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proclaimed that no Obama nominee would be considered, period. The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice, McConnell said. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. Republicans claimed precedent for ignoring court appointees from presidents on their way out the door. During Saturday nights debate in South Carolina, Marco Rubio said that it has been over 80 years since a lame-duck president has appointed a Supreme Court justice. Ted Cruz made a similar point. Well. A Senate controlled by Democrats confirmed President Reagans nomination of Anthony Kennedy on a 97-0 vote in February 1988, which happened to be an election year. By what definition was Reagan not a lame duck when he put Kennedy forward on Nov. 11, 1987? Obama rejected the rejectionists. He said Saturday he would name a new justice and that there would be plenty of time ... for the Senate to fulfill its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote. My hunch is that Obama will try to put the Republicans obstructionism in sharp relief by offering a nominee who has won support and praise from GOP senators in the past. Three potential candidates who fit these criteria and won immediate and widespread mention were Merrick Garland and Sri Srinivasan, both judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and Jane Kelly, a judge on the Eighth Circuit. (I should note that Garland is a dear friend of long standing.) Whatever choice Obama makes, he will try to make it as hard as possible for Republican senators especially those struggling for re-election this year in blue or purple states to claim that he had picked an ideologue. Obama could also argue he had deferred to the Republicans Senate majority by offering a candidate whom many of them had supported in the past. An extended court fight would allow progressives, once and for all, to make clear it is their conservative foes now using judicial power most aggressively. The partisan outcome of this years election just became far more important. This fall, Americans will not just be picking a new chief executive. They will be setting the course of the court of last resort for a generation. E-mail: ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne. SACRAMENTO State lawmakers irked at the California Coastal Commission for firing its executive director introduced legislation Tuesday that they said is needed to limit the influence of wealthy developers on the powerful regulator. Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz County), said AB2002 would hold commissioners accountable the same way lawmakers are held accountable by requiring lobbyists to disclose whom they are working for and how much they are being paid to influence decision-makers. Stone said groups that lobby the Coastal Commission have been uniquely exempt from such disclosures and that last weeks firing of Executive Director Charles Lester showed a need for increased transparency. One of the things that became very apparent after that hearing last week is that there are some very, very cozy relationships between certain lobbyists and certain commissioners that are not being disclosed, said Stone, who previously served on the Coastal Commission. This bill would help force some of the disclosures about whom is working for whom and how those pieces fit together. The commissioners voted 7-5 last week to fire Lester in a closed-session meeting that many contended could and should have been held publicly. While the reasons for the firing were disclosed in closed session, some commissioners who voted to sack Lester said the director failed to address a lack of diversity on the Coastal Commissions staff. Environmental advocates charged that commissioners pushed Lester out to appease builders and wealthy homeowners who want to build mansions on the coast. Public trust must be restored, said Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, who is a co-author on AB2002 along with Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. The California coast is just too important. The public has a right to know who is trying to influence a commissioners vote. Levine said that later this week he will introduce legislation to address another issue at the commission the revolving door of commissioners who leave the commission and immediately begin working for companies with business before the regulator. As with lawmakers, Levines bill would bar commissioners from doing business with the commission for one year after they leave. The commission was created by a 1972 voter initiative to regulate development and protect Californias coastline. The 12 members of the commission are appointed by the governor, the state Senate Rules Committee and the Assembly speaker. After Lesters firing on Feb. 10, Atkins apologized that her appointees werent better stewards of the coast. On Tuesday, she specifically said she was disappointed in one of her appointees Commissioner Mark Vargas. She is barred by law from removing him from the commission. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez HAMMERFEST, Norway After hiding below the horizon for two long months, the sun has finally risen in Hammerfest, casting a pale pink hue over the Arctic landscape surrounding the worlds northernmost refugee shelter. From her modest room, Huda al-Haggar admires the wonderland of snow and ice, a sight so different from her native Yemen, where a Saudi air strike destroyed her home, forcing her to flee with her young son. Its wonderful when I wake up in the morning and see this picture, the sea and the mountains. Its a wonderful place, the young woman says as 5-year-old Omar plays with Legos on her lap. The wooden barracks where al-Haggar and her son live used to house oil workers until Europes refugee crisis reached the jagged shores of northern Norway, where the continent drops dramatically into the Arctic Ocean. Waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, hundreds of people in emergency shelters in Hammerfest and neighboring towns are slowly getting used to the extreme climate and unfamiliar customs of the High North. They say they have adapted to the cold the temperature rarely drops below 14 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast, though it gets much colder farther inland. Its the darkness that throws them off. Rami Saad, a 23-year-old Syrian from Damascus with a neatly groomed beard and tight slacks, says workers at the Hammerfest center warned him about the polar night, but he didnt believe them until late November, when suddenly there was no sun. Few of the asylum-seekers expected to end up here, 280 miles north of the Arctic Circle, when they left their homelands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia to escape violence, poverty, forced marriages, or armies they didnt want to join. Some were relocated by Norwegian authorities after entering the country from Sweden in the south. Others blazed a new trail into Western Europe by first entering Russia and then crossing its Arctic border with Norway. MONG ARK, Burma On a freshly scarred battlefield, a die-hard rebel army is facing off at gunfire range against a military that for decades has imposed iron-fisted rule over this Southeast Asian nation. Overhead, vultures circle the mountainous terrain while insurgent soldiers crouch near deep foxholes, prepared, they say, to throw back another possible assault. Burmas civil war the longest in modern world history hasnt ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knifes edge. Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy swept Novembers elections, has promised that bringing peace will be the top priority when her government assumes power April 1. We will try for the all-inclusive cease-fire agreement, the Noble Prize laureate said recently. We can do nothing without peace in our country. But suspicions of the countrys military were again aroused as it battled the Shan State Army-North in these remote hills of northeastern Burma just as voters were casting their ballots across the country. As the countdown to democracy proceeds, so do clashes with the Kachin Independence Army, the Taang National Liberation Army and others. The rebel armies represent various ethnic groups that for decades have been fighting for autonomy while resisting Burmanization, a push by the Burman ethnic majority to propagate its language, religion and culture in ethnic minority regions. No, no, no we dont trust them, Shan army Maj. Gen. Hso Hten said of Burmas military, vowing they would only lay down their arms if their goals were fully implemented, the foremost of which is a federal system in which ethnic minorities are granted genuine autonomy. That would include use of ethnic languages in schools and greater control over forests, hydro-power and other natural resources across Burma, which is also known as Myanmar. During the battles in Shan state, which ended with a fragile cease-fire at the end of November, government jet fighters and helicopter gunships strafed and bombed military and civilian targets. They swept into villages, driving more than 10,000 from homes they looted and sometimes destroyed, according to refugee and Shan army accounts. Both sides accuse one another of sparking yet another round of warfare in an insurgency that erupted in the early 1960s among the Shan, the largest of 135 officially recognized ethnic minorities that make up 40 percent of the population. The first uprising, that of the Karen, was launched 67 years ago. TEL AVIV Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cybersecurity to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. The Israeli government recently allotted nearly $26 million in this years budget to combat what it sees as worldwide efforts to delegitimize the Jewish states right to exist. Some of the funds are earmarked for Israeli tech companies, many of them headed by former military intelligence officers, for digital initiatives designed to gather intelligence on activist groups and countering their efforts. MORELIA, Mexico Pope Francis urged Mexicos priests on Tuesday to fight injustice and not resign themselves to the drug-fueled violence and corruption around them, issuing a set of marching orders to shake up a Mexican church known for its cozy ties to the rich and powerful. Francis traveled to a hotbed of Mexicos drug trade for a Mass with the countrys priests and nuns. It was the first event of a daylong visit to Morelia, the capital of Michoacan state, that includes a meeting with young people, a fixture of papal trips that often produces some of the most memorable and spontaneous moments. Francis visit was also a symbolic vote of confidence for the citys archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda. Like Francis, Suarez Inda has called for Mexican bishops to be closer to their people and not act like bureaucrats or princes. Last year, Francis made him a cardinal an unambiguous sign that Francis wants peripheral pastors like him at the helm of the church hierarchy. In his homily, Francis admonished the priests and nuns to not become resigned to the problems around them or give in to paralysis, which he called the devils favorite weapon. What temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability? What temptation might we suffer over and over again when faced with this reality, which seems to have become a permanent system? Francis asked. I think we can sum it up in one word: resignation. It was a clear reference to the situation in Michoacan, a major methamphetamine production hub, as well as the nation at large, where gangs and drug lords have thrived thanks in part to the complicity of police and other public authorities. That corruption came to light most recently in the case of drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who escaped for a second time from a maximum security prison in July, and was recaptured after an October meeting with actor Sean Penn. Since beginning his Mexico trip Friday night, Francis has repeatedly taken to task the Mexican church leadership, many of whom are closely linked to Mexicos political and financial elite and are loath to speak out on behalf of the poor and victims of social injustice. Sometimes the violence has made us give up, either out of discouragement, habit or fear, said Fausto Mendez, a 23-year-old seminarian. Thats why the pope comes to tell us not to be afraid to do the right thing. Francis wraps up his five-day visit on Wednesday by traveling to Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for a cross-border Mass expected to focuson the plight of migrants. ANKARA, Turkey Assailants on Wednesday exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to where military headquarters and parliament are located. Buses carrying military personnel were attacked while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the contemptible and dastardly attack. Louai Beshara/AFP / Getty Images DAMASCUS, Syria Germany revived calls Wednesday for a no-fly zone in northern Syria an idea that once might have greatly helped the beleaguered rebels and protected civilians from bombardment but now is more complicated, dangerous and unlikely due to Russias air campaign supporting President Bashar Assad. The proposal came amid international efforts to coax at least a temporary truce, and as the government allowed humanitarian aid to head for besieged areas around the country, part of an effort described by a Russian official as a first step toward implementation of an agreement reached among world powers in Munich last week. MINSK, Belarus Ukraine saw more political turmoil Wednesday, as former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced that her faction was withdrawing from the governing coalition, which she criticized as an obstacle to reforms. Tymoshenkos move came a day after Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuks Cabinet survived a no-confidence vote in parliament even though a majority of lawmakers declared its work unsatisfactory. The vote reflected lawmakers fears that it could lead to the collapse of the governing coalition and an early election. With only 11 months left to go in President Barack Obamas presidency, a host of preservationists and at least a pair of Santa Fe County Commissioners are hoping La Bajada Mesa, with its beautiful vistas and vast open space, will become a national monumentjoining other greats in the state like the Aztec Ruins outside of Aztec, the Cliff Dwellings near Silver City, and Bandelier, just outside Los Alamos. But among all the hurdles that might be ahead, the idea first has to get through more than a few angry ranchers and residents who live in La Cienega and La Cieneguilla. Not only have they seen their private properties shrink in size over the years by an ever encroaching federal government, but their rights to graze and harvest and hunt have been drastically limited in their government-owned backyard. Since the days of Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican president who created the Antiquities Act, the designation of national monuments have all but petrified the legacies of more than a few presidents. Not to be undone or considered any sort of exception, Obama has already signed off on more than a dozen, with three just last week in California's desert area, and he's closing in on Bill Clinton's record-setting 19. The mesa would be New Mexico's 15th national monument, but first it has to beat out other notable contenders, like Otero Mesa, which has been waiting for a designation since 2012. The region sits in the southeastern part of the state, in an area surrounding by gas and oil drilling. The proposal also couldn't have come at a more inopportune time, when anti-government hostility among ranchers and cattlemen are running high these days, as evidenced by the recent stand-offs in Oregon and Nevada. While Santa Fe County's ranchers aren't nearly as radical and are certainly more sensible, that's not to say there is a certain amount of resentment and anxiety when it comes to the federal government, in this particular instance with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, which together own 120,000 acres under consideration. "We're in a doughnut hole here," Jose Varela Lopez, a 55-year-old cattle rancher, tells SFR, referring to La Cienega and La Cieneguilla, which butt up against the proposed boundaries, tiny islands in a sea of government property "I don't know what's going on here or whether this is just one big kumbaya," adds Varela Lopez, who's taken his own personal plight as far as the US Congress, where he testified before a House of Representatives public lands use subcommittee a few years ago. "But whenever I hear the word 'preservation,' I start to worry. In order to preserve something, don't you have to be destroying it first? "Well, we're not destroying anything out here." Three weeks ago, he and at least a dozen cattlemen, a few dressed in cowboy boots and leather vests, showed up at a Santa Fe County Commission public hearing to voice their disapproval, and they ultimately convinced the commission to postpone a vote on a resolution that would have endorsed the designation before sending it off to Obama. The testimony was mixed, however. Ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts implored the commission to think twice and not to act prematurely, as preservationists framed the designation as a win-win situation that would not only protect the land from future development but also bring in hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the local coffers. Dianne Elise Strauss, who founded the Coalition to Protect the Gateway several years ago and was the point person involved, was more than disappointed by the delay, saying, "Time is running out," and that the county won't consider it for another 10 weeks. She says La Bajada Mesa would complete a three-piece jigsaw puzzle that already is blessed with the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in the northern part of the state near Taos and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in the south near Las Cruces, both officially named as such under Obama. "I like to think of it as the Holy Trinity," says Strauss, a private art dealer. Fact is, it's time to protect the landscape during these turbulent times, Strauss says, where already there's a plan to mine 50 acres of private land in its midst, for its basalt for asphalt. The coalition itself was a defense mechanism that grew out of an opposition to the proposed development of Santa Fe Canyon Ranch, a vast area a portion of which Santa Fe County subsequently purchased. "If we don't do something now, and fairly immediate, we could lose the land and the beautiful scenery," she said. "Time marches on, things change quickly; we need to make sure this land doesn't fall victim to that." But ranchers say the land, as it is, doesn't need protection, and that the BLM instituted a resource management plan four years ago to make sure of it. Nothing, for example, can ever occur up on the 600-foot-high mesa, nor in its vicinity. No drilling, no solar power, no wind power, no motorized vehicles along certain roads. If you don't think the issue is highly political, it is. Commissioner Liz Stefanics, who's running for the state Senate seat formerly held by Phil Griego in the upcoming primaries, addressed the commission after the public hearing, saying, "The last thing that Santa Fe County needs is to be portrayed by major media outlets as not accepting a national monument." And Commissioner Robert Anaya, who was born and raised in Galisteo, slightly scolded the ranchers, saying that while they may accuse outside forces of being interlopers who are driving the debate, they're the ones who are doing the organizing and coming up with the ideas. He told the ranchers that just because people aren't from here originally doesn't mean they can't have a voice, and then he asked an important question of the ranchers: Where have they been all this time? Anaya said he often hopes to look up and spot a few of his friends in the crowd during commission hearings or town halls but that he rarely sees them. "When I look up, I always hope to see a mirror image of me, looking back at me, but you're nowhere out there," he said. "You always say you're not here, because I'm here to represent you." Santa Fe Reporter City Deficit Growing The city of Santa Fes budget deficit keeps growing. Dan Schwartz reports it is due to building maintenance and street paving that has been put off for years. Birth Certificate Challenges The compromise Real ID bill that is headed to Gov. Susana Martinez desk and dont have access to their original birth certificates. State Gets F Grade for Teacher Background Checks USA Today gave New Mexico another , this time for its policies on teacher background checks. Federal rules require education agencies in every state to audit their submissions to a national database that tracks teacher misconduct. An examination of the records found more than 1,400 cases where a teacher permanently lost his or her license but was not listed in the database by moving to new states, according to the report. Ethics, Schmethics KOB reports, A proposal that would have allowed New Mexico voters to approve an independent ethics commission to oversee state government entities , as expected, on Tuesday. A Common Cause New Mexico poll showed 90 percent of New Mexico voters support an independent ethics panel. House Approves Video Archives Open government advocates are cheering a decision by the New Mexico House to beginning next year. The bill may not get done in time, and analysts predict it will die in the Senate, which has resisted it before. AG Opposes Amendment Joey Peters reports that members of the attorney generals staff walked out of a committee meeting hearing their bill to close loopholes in the states child pornography laws when . Mental Health Rally Mental health advocates rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday and calling on lawmakers to stop proposed cuts to behavioral health care services, days after the state Senate approved an amended budget that would cut such services by $3.7 million, according to reporter Justin Horwath. Prison Facilities Near Capacity Deborah Baker reports that working their way through the Legislature. Longer sentences are proposed for a variety of violent crimes. But there may not be money to house inmates for longer, and the New Mexico Department of Corrections says its . In fact, the female population grew by 11 percent, which . Pope Visits Border Close to a million people will head to Juarez to listen to today, hoping he will bring a message of a message of peace and reconciliation to the area, which has been rocked by drug cartel violence. Open Records Lawsuit The University of New Mexico is being related to a fetal tissue study. Michael J. Seibel, who represents the New Mexico Alliance for Life, claims that UNM Health Sciences Center violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act when it failed to release documents he requested from a 2015 study that used extracted eyeballs from babies aborted up to 24 weeks gestation, according to a statement from the group. Big Kumbaya The debate over making , with scores of ancient archeological sites, a national monument continues between ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts. Roussey Contemplated Suicide UFC fighter Ronda Roussey, who lost her title belt to New Mexicos Holly Holm, told Ellen DeGeneres that she thought about killing herself after the loss. Now, to the ring. Bent Released Wayne Bent, a convicted sex offender and cult leader, is serving the remainder of his 10-year prison sentence at home. Judge Abigail Aragon ordered him released on New Year's Eve so he could undergo . Santa Fe Reporter Video Description: Jeb Bush stands onstage at a campaign event, where he was being endorsed by Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham asks: "How many of you are Democrats?" No one in the crowd raises their hand. Jeb Bush looks around, then raises his hand, obviously trying to be funny, and then, when no one responds to his hilarious joke, he puts his hand down and looks around, awkwardly grinning. Here is some stuff in the news today...[Content Note: War on agency] Yesterday I mentioned Indiana House Bill 1337, an utterly appalling anti-choice piece of legislation. Today, that bill is being heard in committee, and you can follow coverage on Twitter under the hashtag #HB1337 . Please see yesterday's post for ideas on how to take action.[CN: War on agency] In other anti-choice fuckery : "An Alaska bill introduced last week requires doctors to terminate pregnancies in a way that affords 'the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive' after the procedure, without jeopardizing the woman's life. SB 179 also mandates Alaska physicians to judge if a fetus is viable and outlaws abortion care in those cases. ...In addition, the bill says fetuses that are 'born alive' can be turned over to the state's care under its 'children in need of aid' provisionan unusual requirement in anti-choice legislation." JFC.[CN: Transphobia] Meanwhile, in transphobic fuckery : "South Dakota lawmakers passed an anti-trans bathroom bill on Tuesday that bans transgender students from using bathrooms in accordance with their gender identity. House Bill (HB) 1008 passed the state's house of representatives earlier this month and today cleared the senate by a vote of 15-20. If signed by Governor Dennis Daugaard, HB 1008 would be the first statewide bill in the United States to ban transgender students from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity." Rage seethe boil.[CN: Flint water crisis; class warfare] I don't even have words : "Not only did Flint residents drink tap water contaminated with lead and other chemicals throughout 2015, but they were also paying the highest prices in the country to keep that poisoned water flowing through their pipes. A report released by Food & Water Watch on Tuesday confirmed what many residents had long suspected: that their water bills, averaging $140 a month, were the highest in the country."Apple CEO Tim Cook explains why his company refuses "to help federal investigators unlock encrypted data hidden in a phone used by one of the San Bernardino terror suspects." Shorter Cook: Slippery slope![CN: Discussion of institutional racism] This is a great piece by Rembert Browne on Hillary Clinton's speech in Harlem yesterday, and with so much of the coverage of her address focusing on her coughing fit , I particularly lvoed his description of how the audience reacted to it: "It's like watching someone with the hiccups; you don't really know when they're going to end. But herein lies the beauty of the goodwill Hillary had built up in the roomthe beauty of black people being an expressive bunch: The room started clapping loudly, almost to mask her coughs until she was done, to get her through this stretch. People were acting like it was church, when some member of the congregation gets up to speak but suddenly gets emotional or nervous. Shouts of 'Take your time, Hill' and 'You're okay' rang from all corners of the room. After a few coughs, Hillary squeaked out, 'I've got too much to say,' which was met with laughter. When some of the coughing halted, Hillary softly said a few sentences with her voice at about 10 percent strength, and after every few sentences, people cheered her on. There were even some 'HILLARY, HILLARY' chants. I couldn't believe it. This was followed by a second wave of coughs, more cheers and supportive messages from the crowd, which ended with Hillary saying, 'Thank you, you're a great amen chorus.' And a few minutes later, her voice was at full strength again. She was back."[CN: Video may autoplay at link] In other presidential news: Clinton and Sanders are separated by just one point in the new CNN/ORC Poll . "Overall, 48% of likely caucus attendees say they support Clinton, 47% Sanders. Both candidates carry their demographic strong points from prior states into Nevada, with Clinton holding an edge among women, while Sanders tops the former secretary of state among voters under age 55."President Obama says Donald Trump will never be president . ""I continue to believe that Mr Trump will not be president. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people. ...They recognise that being president is a serious job. It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show, it's not promotion, it's not marketing, it's hard. It's not a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get you in the news on a given day." From your lips to Maude's ears, Mr. President!Jeb Bush is the worst presidential candidate ever:Oof.[CN: Misogynoir] Perfection: An "anti-Beyonce protest" (sure) scheduled in NYC yesterday was attended by, uh, no one. Except : "A bunch of pro-Beyonce people came out, and they joined up with some Black Lives Matter organizers, and the whole thing turned into a pro-Beyonce, pro-BLM, anti-police-violence demonstration. AMAZING."[CN: Scat; sedition; racism] What the actual fuck : "The FBI said it has found a trench of human feces and a road excavated on or next to a sensitive cultural site with artifacts at the Oregon wildlife refuge where armed men staged a standoff with authorities, according to court records filed on Tuesday. ...U.S. Attorney Billy Williams of Oregon wrote in the filing that investigators found 'significant amounts of human feces' in a trench at an outdoor camping area that was either on or next to a 'sensitive cultural site.'"[CN: Displacement] Y'all know I love space exploration as much as the next nerd, but I really loathe shit like this : "China is to relocate more than 9,000 people before the unveiling of the world's largest radio telescope later this year." Note that it's never, ever, white people who are displaced for the purposes of giant telescopes. RIP George Gaynes . "Gaynes, who portrayed an irritable foster parent on the '80s sitcom 'Punky Brewster,' the bewildered commandant in seven 'Police Academy' films, and a soap opera star with a crush on Dorothy Michaels, whom he doesn't know is Dustin Hoffman's character in drag, in the hit feature comedy 'Tootsie,' died on Monday in North Bend, Wash. He was 98."And finally! "Keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo are delighted to announce the birth of a Przewalski's Horse foal, born on January 20. The female foal has been named Bukhara after a reserve in Uzbekistan, Mongolia, where the population of this Critically Endangered species is regaining a foothold after being declared Extinct in the wild. ...'There are now almost 2,000 Przewalski's Horses in human care and in the wild today, which is a huge step for this species that was once Extinct in the wild,' said [Unit Supervisor Pascale Benoit]." Port of Tauranga, New Zealand's biggest port company, reported a 9 percent drop in first-half profit as export log volumes fell and after the year-earlier result was inflated by a one-time gain. The company guidance is for flat full-year earnings. Profit fell to $38.6 million, or 28.3 cents a share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $42.6 million, or 31.3 cents, a year earlier, which included a $4.1 million gain from an asset sale, the Tauranga-based company said in a statement. Profit about matched brokerage Forsyth Barr's forecast. Operating income fell 9.8 percent to $121.9 million. The company warned shareholders at their annual meeting last October that earnings growth may stall in 2016 because of uncertainty about log and dairy export volumes, which could counter the benefits of increased container traffic. Today, the company affirmed that full-year profit was likely to be unchanged at about $79 million. In the first half, log exports fell 16 percent to 2.4 million tonnes, although dairy volumes were up 29 percent and container volumes rose about 10 percent to 470,928 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units). Port of Tauranga is aiming to be the key hub port in the North Island servicing a future shipping trade expected to be characterised by fewer, larger vessels that need deeper berths. Freight would be brought around the coast from smaller ports to fill the big ships or carried by rail or road. The company said today that it is about a third of the way through its project to dredge Tauranga's harbour channels to a depth of 14.5 metres inside the harbour and 15.8 metres outside the entrance, work that's expected to be completed in July. Port of Tauranga was the first in the sector to pioneer inland freight hubs, with its Metroport facility in Auckland, which helped drive a 24 percent increase in container volumes railed to Tauranga from Auckland. Overall export volumes across its wharves rose 0.8 percent to 6.5 million tonnes, while import volumes rose 1.6 percent to almost 3.7 million tonnes. The company will pay a first-half dividend of 23 cents a share, up 1 cent from a year earlier but below the 25.3 cent payment forecast by Forsyth Barr. The dividend will be paid on March 25, with a record date of March 11. The shares last traded at $18.05 and have gained 2.6 percent in the past 12 months. The stock is rated a 'sell' based on the consensus of five analysts polled by Reuters. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update VCT - Operational performance for the 3 months ended 30 Sept 2022 NZL - Forestry Estate Acquisition October 21st Morning Report Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer Books Close Spark welcomes C-band spectrum allocation AIA - 2022 Annual Meeting Chair & Chief Executive Addresses MOVE Completes Purchase of Vessel for Trans-Tasman Service Insurance Australia Group's New Zealand division posted a 94 percent drop in first-half earnings as reinsurance costs more than doubled from an arrangement entered into with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Sydney-based IAG's New Zealand business is the biggest general insurer in the country, with the Lumley Insurance, NZI, AMI and State brands on this side of the Tasman. The local division reported an insurance profit of A$11 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, down from A$193 million a year earlier. Gross written premiums fell 4.1 percent to A$1.07 billion, while reinsurance expenses jumped to A$340 million from A$143 million a year earlier, due to the sharing arrangement with Berkshire Hathaway that kicked off on July 1 where the US firm takes 20 percent of IAG's premiums and pays 20 percent of its claims. The New Zealand unit's insurance profit was also hit by a NZ$150 million increase to its risk margin from the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake event. The insurer had already gone beyond its NZ$4 billion reinsurance cover and today announced it has entered into a NZ$600 million adverse development cover deal in excess of NZ$4.4 billion with Berkshire, giving it effective cover of up to NZ$5 billion on the February quake. The extra cover also provides reinsurance protection on legacy liability and workers' compensation policies with exposure to asbestos risk written by CGU in the 1970s and 1980s, IAG said. The cost of the Berkshire cover will be recognised in the second half. IAG joins local insurer Tower and Suncorp's Vero New Zealand in lifting its assessment on the cost of the Canterbury earthquakes, with more complex claims taking longer to sort out and as the repair and rebuild costs in Christchurch continue to mount. The insurer has completed 85 percent of all claims by number, valued at NZ$5.3 billion, it said. IAG said the New Zealand division's underlying profitability is expected to remain strong through the rest of the 2016 financial year. The parent reported a 20 percent drop in first half profit to A$466 million on a 1.1 percent decline in gross written premium to A$5.54 billion. IAG's board declared a fully-franked interim dividend of 13 Australian cents per share, unchanged from a year earlier, and a special dividend of 10 cents. Both are payable on March 30. The Australian insurer said it expects gross written premiums to be flat in the full year and said insurance margins will likely be at the lower end of earlier guidance of between 14 percent and 16 percent. The ASX-listed shares last traded at A$5.25, and have declined 5.6 percent this year. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. 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Related News: Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update VCT - Operational performance for the 3 months ended 30 Sept 2022 NZL - Forestry Estate Acquisition October 21st Morning Report Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer Books Close Spark welcomes C-band spectrum allocation AIA - 2022 Annual Meeting Chair & Chief Executive Addresses MOVE Completes Purchase of Vessel for Trans-Tasman Service The Washington State Department of Health's Public Health Laboratories campus in Shoreline. Within the CET program here at Shoreline, students learn a wide range of skills in preparation for future employment in a renewable energy or high-performance building design field, said CET Program Director Louise Petruzzella. Conducting high-level analysis and learning the skills to present recommendations based on those research findings is an important part of that career preparation. This is high-level, real-world work these students are doing in our program, said Petruzzella. We really put them through their paces here so that when they graduate they are able to enter the workforce with the skills and knowledge employers are seeking. SCC's Clean Energy Technology (CET) program students got real world training on how to work with clients in an industry setting. In January, following months of research, students in the Zero Energy Design Practicum class presented an in-depth solar installation proposal to a board of managers and directors at the State of Washingtons Public Health Laboratories.That analysis started during this past summer quarter, when advanced program students participated in the Zero Energy Design Practicum, which is based on a curriculum aimed at presenting students with real-world solar photovoltaic (PV) system design situations and face-to-face customer interactions.The students were given a variety of projects, including the opportunity to design a solar energy system for the Washington State Public Health Laboratories. The large laboratory campus, located in Shoreline, provided students with a unique challenge, as energy requirements and building layout and composition are more complicated than most typical residential situations.For this specific project, the students were able to experience an on-site tour of the property, during which they were allowed to analyze the buildings current energy and HVAC systems and perform a solar site analysis to gauge the viability of a potential solar power system. After the information gathering period, the class spent the following weeks developing a potential system design for the laboratory, and put together a presentation outlining their plan.The students presented their findings to a board of 10 managers and directors at the Public Health Laboratories. Through their submission to the panel, students were able to educate laboratory personnel in the intricacies, challenges, and benefits of a solar installation, as well as to their specific projects efficacy. Oklahoma's death chamber An Oklahoma grand jury investigating flawed executions in the state met on Tuesday after three top officials who previously testified before the panel submitted their resignations shortly after. Death penalty opponents said the resignations underscore the state's systemic failures in implementing the death penalty. The state's leaders see the grand jury as a necessary step in identifying problems that they can solve to then soon resume executions. The latest person to resign was Steve Mullins, the general counsel to Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican. Mullins, who announced his decision last week, said he was doing so because of the stress of the job. "One reason Oklahoma executions are so flawed is the lack of transparency. The public doesn't know where the state gets its drugs or the qualifications of those who carry out the executions," said attorney Dale Baich, who has represented death row inmates in Oklahoma. The other officials who resigned are State Penitentiary Warden Anita Trammell and Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton. Both said they were stepping down for personal reasons and to take on other work. The state set up the multi-county grand jury in October that has met behind closed doors. It is expected to finish its work in July and issue a report. Oklahoma drew international condemnation following a troubled execution in 2014 in which medical staff did not properly place an intravenous line on convicted murderer Clayton Lockett. The execution was halted after the needle popped out, spewing lethal injection chemicals in the death chamber. Lockett, seen twisting on the gurney, died about 45 minutes after the procedure began due to chemicals built up in his tissue. The state then revised its protocols but the two planned executions that followed last year were flawed, with the wrong chemical being added to the lethal injection mix. One of the executions was carried out and convicted murderer Charles Warner said in his final words, "My body is on fire." The other execution of Richard Glossip was halted just minutes before the planned time after the mistake was discovered. After that, the state placed a moratorium on executions. Oklahoma had been one the leading states in terms of executions since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, executing 112 death row inmates in the time, according the Death Penalty Information Center. Source: Reuters, Feb. 16, 2016 Nicht Ihr Computer? Dann konnen Sie fur die Anmeldung ein Fenster zum privaten Surfen offnen. Weitere Informationen BENGALURU: Google, the multinational tech giant has undergone colossal transformation on October 2015 when Alphabet was named as the parent company for Google and its subsidiaries. The projects that weren't part of Google's core business (Google search engine and Android) were spun out into separate Alphabet companies with their own CEO. Below is the list of the 15 ambitious moonshot projects under Alphabet, as compiled by Times of India: Delivery Drones With the core mission to replace your mailman with flying drones, Google has launched Project Wing by filing a patent on October 2014; giving us a better view on the project. The drone will lower a package using a winch to tiny robots on the ground. Those robots will then wheel the package to a safe holding location. Project Wing is Alphabet's desire to replace your mailman with flying drones. A patent filed October 2014 gave us better insight as to how the project would work. Read Also: Top Mobile Brands and Their Announcements at MWC 2016 Jaw-Dropping Price Cuts of 15 Trending Smartphones WASHINGTON: Three Indian-American legal luminaries may be among the possible candidates whom US President Barack Obama could nominate as a Supreme Court judge following the sudden death of conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia. Within hours of the death of Scalia at a ranch in Texas, the name of Chandigarh-born Sri Srinivasan popped up as the top contender to the post. Sri Srinivasan, 48, is currently the US Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which many call as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court. He is not only considered as a favourite of Obama, who has called him as a trailblazer, but also his nomination to the Court of Appeals was confirmed by a record 97-0 votes, which is an achievement given the bitter political divide in the US Senate. The White House yesterday refused to give any indication of the list of persons Obama is looking into to zero in on his nomination for the next Supreme Court judge. But given his track record - wherein he has appointed a record number of Indian-American judges to various US courts - and him publicly praising some of them, it would not be a big surprise that in addition to Srinivasan a few other individuals from the community too figure up in his list. Among them could be his home town resident Neal Katyal, who served as Acting Solicitor General of the US from May 2010 until June 2011 and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is considered to be very close to Obama. Harris, who traces her roots to Chennai, is currently running for the US Senate seat in California. On Monday several media outlets mentioned Harris as among the potential ones who could replace Scalia in the Supreme Court. Harris, 51, who was among the six people mentioned by New York Times, has not reacted to the speculation so far. In 2011, she became the first African-American, Asian-American, Indian-American and woman to hold the post of California attorney general. Many say Katyal, who would turn 46 on March 12, could emerge as a dark horse in the process. With extensive experience in matters of patent, securities, criminal, employment, and constitutional law, he has orally argued 27 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, with 25 of them in the last six years. Obama intends to nominate someone as Supreme Court judge who honours constitutional responsibilities, have impeccable credentials and understands how laws affect the daily realities of people's lives, the White House said. "I would not anticipate an announcement this week, especially given that the Senate is out on recess," White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters. Schultz refused to engage in speculation about lists and names. When asked about what kind of individual Obama is looking to nominate someone to be the next Supreme Court judge, Schultz said President's judicial nominees should adhere to a number of basic principles. "Number one, I'd say the President's judicial nominees are all eminently qualified with a record of excellence and integrity. The President looks for individuals who have impeccable credentials," he said. "Number two, the President intends to nominate individuals who honor constitutional responsibilities. These are individuals who have a commitment to impartial justice, respect the integrity of the judicial process, and adhere to precedent. The President seeks judges who will faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand," he said. "And lastly, the President is also mindful that there are rare cases where the law is not clear, and we acknowledge that those incidents occur most often at the Supreme Court," he said, adding that in those times, a judge will have to bring his or her own ethics and moral bearings into a decision. Read Also: Obama to Nominate Indian-U.S. Judge on U.S. SC? Clinton, Sanders Spar Over Race, Immigration Source: IANS Page Content As part of the Ministries approach to developing partnerships, the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) signed off on a collaboration agreement with the American University of the Caribbean, School of Medicine (AUC) on February 11th. Although the Ministry has been collaborating with AUC since 2012, this agreement formalizes and enhance the current relationship by creating the VSA-AUC Platform. This platform, will allow continued collaboration among representatives of the university, the ministry, health care institutions and the community for the common good of Sint Maarten. AUC Executive Dean and Chief Executive Officer Heidi Chumley, MD stated, AUC is proud to join the Ministry in developing programs to support public health research that can be used to inform the Ministrys efforts on behalf of the citizens of Sint Maarten. This mutually beneficial partnership provides our physicians-in-training with the opportunity for meaningful volunteer experiences that are focused on the needs of the community. The shared vision through this Platform allows for a win-win situation for both parties by enhancing the education of AUC medical students and providing resources and medical expertise to the Ministry. One of the main projects that is executed is a Chronic Disease Prevention Program utilizing the mobile health bus. With health care costs on the rise worldwide prevention programs are a proven means of reducing the burden of these diseases for a population. AUC will provide dedicated volunteers, students and faculty to assist with the execution of the program, through the use of this Platform. This Health Bus initiative will also be valuable in helping to collect data for the business case for the SMMC project, stated Minister Lee. Both parties recognize a mutual need to perform public health research. In 2013 through a joint research project, the zero-prevalence for Chikungunya Virus Disease could be established. The research will provide the Ministry with information that can be used as basis for public health activities and policies. The research will provide AUC medical students the opportunity to engage in public health research projects and gather experience by partnering with the Ministry VSAs professionals. This agreement also further solidifies the possibility to continue volunteering in the community. In line with Project H.E.L.P (Health Education Literary Project),, AUC medical students can partner with Ministry VSAs professionals to perform focused community specific services. Parties also recognized a mutual need to organize continuous medical education (CME) on Sint Maarten for local medical professionals. The platform thus gives the opportunity for AUC to explore collaboration with NASHKO and other institutions, such as the University of South Florida (USF) School of Medicine, which would then allow for the provision of CME, across the health care spectrum to local medical professionals. The net borrowings this fiscal is estimated as Rs 35,129 crore and the outstanding debt including provident fund (of Rs 2,47,031 crore) constitutes 19.62 per cent of GSDP. Chennai: The state has registered a significant 9 per cent dip in its revenue, particularly in the commercial taxes, due to reduced sales tax realisation on petroleum products and the public debt burden is expected to increase to Rs 2,47,031 crore at the end of this current fiscal, as per the interim budget 2016-17 presented by finance minister O. Panneereselvam on Tuesday. The net borrowings this fiscal is estimated as Rs 35,129 crore and the outstanding debt including provident fund (of Rs 2,47,031 crore) constitutes 19.62 per cent of GSDP. The decrease in revenue was inspite of revenue collections. This is because of the downtrend in taxes particularly sales tax, transport, stamp and registration, and because of global depression. Overall there has been downtrend in economy and even manufacturing states like Gujarat and Maharashtra felt the impact of global economic slowdown, said K. Shanmugam, additional chief secretary to government, finance department. He claimed the states general economic growth was good but the states own tax revenue growth rate fell, particularly in the commercial taxes, due to reduced sales tax realisation on petroleum products owing to the fall in international crude oil prices. Further, the reduced share in central devolution, delay in reimbursement of grants-in-aid from government of India, in addition to reduced central share in centrally sponsored schemes have caused strain on the state finances, Mr Panneerselvam said while presenting the interim budget. In spite of constraints on revenue receipts, the overall fiscal deficit, net borrowings and debt-GSDP ratio would be fully kept within the permissible limits except during 2017-2018 based on the presumption that the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, he added. We have made conservative estimatesnone of the programme implementation has slowed down because of fiscal constraints. Tamil Nadu is topping on the human development index, Mr Shanmugam told reporters on Tuesday evening. The star lashed out at people and asked them to stop making speculations. Mumbai: After subtly asking people to mind their own business with a dubsmash video, Arbaaz Khan has yet again come forward to make himself clear. B-town is abuzz with Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khans divorce reports since a long time. Though Malaika has so far kept her lips sealed, its her husband Arbaaz who is doing all the talking. Tired with people poking their noses in the stars life and marriage, Arbaaz took to his Twitter account and lashed out at the rumours and people talking about it. The star has asked everyone to not read between the lines into his pictures since he and Malaika owe nobody any explanations. Also read: People need to mind their own business: Arbaaz Khan reacts to divorce rumours Stop frickin reading too much into mine and malaika's Instagram pictures and speculating about our marriage and writing shit everyday. It's not my work or films you are talking about, it's my personal life and marriage and we owe no one any explanations so back off !!! Will talk about my personal life if and when I want to so mind your own business and stop speculating, It shouldn't be hard to understand, Arbaaz wrote. The actor also posted a picture with his message. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Delhi: Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday said no filmmaker made a movie with the intention of inspiring people in a negative way and it was 'sad' that viewers were influenced to do wrong things by watching films. SRK was asked to comment on the cops' claim that the accused in the kidnapping of Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna was inspired by his 1993 film Darr in which he played a crazed stalker. The actor said, "Celebrities do have an amazing effect on fans. I feel we affect people more positively and less negatively. Our work influences them in a bigger way than we think. No filmmaker tells a story to inspire anything negative in people. There are times when people get negatively affected. It is unfortunate." "Darr was a story of this obsessive lover, who can give life for the woman he loves and he does. It wasn't meant to inspire negative things. But I do feel our film touch poeple's lives," he said at the press conference held after the launch of a song from his upcoming film Fan. Five men were arrested on Monday for allegedly kidnapping Snapdeal employee Dipti Sarna last week. The police said the prime accused was a psychopath who had escaped from jail in Haryana and had been following her for months after being inspired from the film Darr. SRK's Darr co-star Juhi Chawla and filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Hansal Mehta had earlier said Bollywood couldn't be blamed for the incident. Just five years ago, she was in the throes of dance moves, working as assistant choreographer, and even background dancer with star actors around her. Now, things have changed for the talented and beautiful actress Sruthi Hariharan. The svelte star who saw a sea of change in her career ever since she gave a nod to Cinema Company, was later catapulted to a dream world with Lucia. Currently awaiting three Kannada releases Jai Maruthi 800, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, and Sipaayi with a few films in Tamil too, the actresss career is slowly taking shape. She recently started shooting for her latest Kannada venture Urvi, and speaks exclusively to Bengaluru Chronicle about her dancing journey, her acting and the inherent wish to tell her own story onscreen. That apart, she is also busy with Madha Mattu Manasi alongside Prajwal Devaraj, and has recently signed Beautiful Manasugalu where she is making a comeback with her Lucia co-star Neenasam Satish. She is also co-hosting a dance reality show. Basically, I am going crazy with work when compared to earlier, when I had no work at all. I love to work, and its that passion which drives me and keeps me focused. I have accepted the Dance Dance reality show for the sole reason that I love dance, and so far it has been a completely different experience shooting for the small screen. I am usually asked about my career since Lucia, and I am extremely fortunate that every year, I am getting offers. I consider myself lucky as I could have stopped working in the industry before I ventured into acting. However, I feel there have been a lot of discrepancies in my journey with gender inequality in terms of work when actresses are treated as pretty dolls in star films, reveals Shruthi Hariharan. She stresses that such attitudes towards actresses should change and that while she is slowly learning to get accustomed to such conditions, its not the right way forward. As an actor, Shruthi feels that it is normal to want more, and not just be satisfied by what is in her kitty, she feels extremely happy at how things have panned out in her career so far. I was good at studies, and most people in my family thought I would become a scientist or achieve something in dance. However, when I chose acting, it initially took sometime for them accept. My mother has always been my greatest strength. She shields me from prying questions, though she jests nowadays that I have forgotten home! Being an actress has its own stereotypes, says Shruthi. In Urvi, she plays one of three main characters centred around the strength of women. Primarily, men are considered strong (physically) but women are not weak. Urvi talks about such inner strength. The recent spate of good films in the Kannada industry is all thanks to talented writers and makers though I feel the credit should go to the audience who is open to a new kind of cinema, away from commercial masala movies. Some day, I wish to tell my own story, the process has already begun in my mind, Shruthi reveals adding that she will direct soon. Dance, for her, has always had an emotional bond and since she has been away from it often, she, Switches to music and dance in my mind, and those moments help me manage pretty well, she smiles. De Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fighting north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syria's largest city to the border with Turkey. China says it has a historical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial islands, some with airstrips, to assert its sovereignty. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich waters, an important thoroughfare for international shipping. Nikki Galrani from Bengaluru, the younger sister of actress Sanjjanna, is making her Telugu debut with Krishnashtami opposite Sunil. This is her first Telugu film, Actually my parents wanted me to become a doctor. But right from my days in college I started getting offers. I was not interested initially, but after some thought I wanted to give it one shot, says Nikki. She started off with working in ad films. I changed my stream from science to fashion designing before deciding to act in films, she says. Nikkis movie debut was with the Malayalam film 1983. I got good offers in Malayalam, so I signed up there, she says. That was in 2014 and since she has worked in over 15 films. I was in Kerala when I got a call from Dil Rajus office. But my dates were clashing with a Malayalam film and so I had drop out. I got a call again from them again after a few weeks and this time, I told them I could accommodate the dates. Thats how I got this project, adds Nikki. I play a writer who writes a book called, Pallavism. My character travels throughout in the film, with Sunil. Its a cute role, says Nikki. When asked that actresses havent usually received good projects after acting with Sunil, she says that she will change that. I dont think its about the hero. A lot depends on the story and this one was made for a big star. Im confident that people will like it. I am sure the image will change from this one, says the actress. She adds: I want a complete change in every character that I portray. There are big differences in my roles from one film to another, she says, adding, I am currently playing a village girl in a Malayalam film and then I got this film in which I have to play an NRI. I like these challenges. The actress had made her Tamil debut with the remake of the Telugu hit Prema Katha Chitram. She has signed another Tamil film with Raghava Lawrence. This is a remake of Pataas. Im learning dance from Raghava master for this film, she says. Does she take advice from her sister Sanjjanaa? Yes, I am very attached to my sister and she is always there for me. She is happy about my successful career as I always give top priority to my family, says Nikki. This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted. Notley appointing a retired reporter to 'review' the gov'ts media policy is nothing but bait and switch. Later Tuesday, the government announced that it had appointed a retired journalist to review the government's policy and report back within two to three weeks. "In light of the controversy around this issue," Oates said, "we've asked Heather Boyd ... to consult with media and give us recommendations on a media policy for the Alberta government." First, by putting a two-week time frame on the report the Alberta NDP hope to outlast the news cycle. That will work and is why a court challenge is important. Second, by putting a 'process' in place, the Government tries to validate and justify their power-grab from the Alberta legislature press gallery. Next time something happens, the press gallery will have to ask the government of the day for permission, or to see if it works within their review. Banning a media source from the press gallery, and all that entails, is not within the purview of the government. There is nothing for the gov't (or more realistically the NDP party) to review, change, or implement. The government in this case can only acquiesce to what the legislature press gallery requires and according to their president, The Rebel did exactly that. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02204e0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f00a0c10)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02204e0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f00a0c10)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0224e30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f00a0c10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f00a0c10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e25737b0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f011d990)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f011d990)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612efe34828)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573970)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612efe34828)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573970)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612efe351d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573970)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573970)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573a48)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612efe26cc8)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612efe26cc8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01e1c10)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0620268)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01e1c10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0620268)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0081e88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0620268)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0620268)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e25748c8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f082ef88)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f082ef88)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02cac30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02d36f8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02cac30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02d36f8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01cc010)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02d36f8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f02d36f8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612efc2ba98)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01b96a8)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01b96a8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 'Real-world Indiana Jones' Sarah Parcak unveils a wish to enlist people around the world to help save antiquities, February 16, 2016 during the TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo: AFP) Vancouver, Canada: A technology-wielding archeologist billed as a real-world "Indiana Jones" called on Tuesday for an online platform that entices just about anyone to help find undiscovered treasures and defend archeological wonders. Sarah Parcak envisions a 21st century army of citizen scientists to battle the looting and destruction of the world's antiquities. And now, thanks to winning this year's coveted TED Prize, her wish may just come true. "We are at a tipping point with our cultural heritage," Parcak told reporters. "We are losing the battle against looters. If we don't do something in the next couple of years, it will be gone." The TED Prize provides a million dollars to kickstart a big vision and opens a door to call on the nonprofit organization's innovative, influential and ingenious community of "tedsters" for help. Parcak wants people around the world to become explorers, detecting antiquities looting faster than currently possible and pointing archeologists to promising spots on the planet. "The only way we are going to be able to get ahead of the looters and protect sites is to engage the world and make them part of what we do as archeologists," Parcak said. Her exploration includes a game with digital "cards" that people can quickly flip through to scrutinize satellite imagery for tombs, pyramids, looting "pits" and other points of potential interest to archeologists. Only tiny sections of imagery will be shown, along with broad location data such as what country is involved. "The last thing we want is for looters to log-in and help find sites to loot," Parcak said. "The most exciting part is, it will be a game." Parcak condemned destruction of antiquities by the likes of violent extremists from the Islamic State group and saw looting done by the desperately poor as "heartbreaking." Digital digs Archeologists will follow up on sites pinpointed by the "crowd," paving the way for protection from governments or law enforcement agencies. Virtual explorers will visit digs using social media tools such as Periscope, Instagram and Google+. "The world is going to get to engage with archeology in a way that has not been done before at this scale," Parcak said. Her team is consulting with citizen scientists and game experts on the project. "We don't know what getting people excited about discovery will do," Parcak said. "We know this will allow the world to become archeological activists as well as discoverers." Enlisting people in countries around the world is vital in the fight against intentional destruction of antiquities and looting that is "spiraling out of control," she maintained. "We can't stop the looting, and we can't change the mindset of people like ISIL, but we can become advocates to stem the antiquities trade," Parcak said. She hopes to roll the platform out this year. "Sarah is the ultimate 21st century explorer," said TED Prize director Anna Verghese. "We find ourselves at a critical moment in time when we can empower and ignite an army of citizen scientists to find, share and protect our heritage." Spying the past from space Parcak was introduced to aerial photography through her grandfather's use of it in forestry work. She was studying Egyptology at Yale when she began exploring the potential for using more modern tools to apply her grandfather's approach to archeology. Parcak was pursuing an advanced degree at Cambridge University when she created a technique for processing infrared imagery from satellites that helped her detect undiscovered archeological sites in Egypt. She has since turned to mapping looting. Her work has caused some to refer to Parcak as a real-world version of the Indiana Jones character made famous in films starring Harrison Ford. Parcak is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she founded the Laboratory for Global Observation. She has won attention for her work satellite mapping Egypt and uncovering hidden pyramids, tombs and settlements. The annual TED Prize has grown from $100,000 to a million dollars since it was first awarded in the year 2005, to U2 band leader Bono and his vision of fighting poverty and disease. The TED community includes scientists, celebrities, politicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 1984, the gathering has grown into a global forum for "ideas worth spreading." TED has won a worldwide following for trademark "talks" during which accomplished speakers deliver thought-sparking presentations. Videos of talks are available for free online at ted.com. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f056c268)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f05ce490)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f056c268)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f05ce490)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0559580)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f05ce490)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f05ce490)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e25737b0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f05e0388)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f05e0388)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Coca-Cola Amatil managing director Alison Watkins delivered the first profit growth in three years but warned that Australia's largest soft-drink bottler will need to keep ploughing cash into marketing, new products and prices to arrest declining soda consumption. Ms Watkins remains committed to restoring earnings growth to near 5 per cent, but says the timing is uncertain because she would prefer to invest about $100 million in cost savings in Australia into the business to underpin long-term gains rather than opt for quick returns. On the rise: Coca-Cola Amatil's Alison Watkins has restored earnings growth for the first time in three years. Credit:Daniel Munoz "We could take out costs and push them through to the bottom line," Ms Watkins told Fairfax Media. "But we'd like to grow this business slowly and steadily we need to go about this thoughtfully in a way that balances what shareholders expect today while building a stronger tomorrow." Morrison began by referencing a conversation with a friend, Clay Nelson - an American he says he met 10 years ago in New Zealand. Nelson's father, Morrison informed us, was the first Elvis impersonator in history; we also learnt that he and his friends used to play pranks on each other by putting alligators in each others' hunting cabins. It's a question that rung out across the land on Wednesday as Treasurer Scott Morrison stood up at the National Press Club to deliver his first major speech of the year. "Clay had a saying that he always used to say to people," Morrison recalled. Clay Nelson (right) in one of his YouTube videos. Credit:YouTube "He was in sales, surprisingly. Clay would sit down with a client or a mate or a friend or whatever and first thing he'd always say to you was, 'How can I help you win today?'" The phrase initially made Morrison recoil - "that's a bit full on; that's a bit much" - but he came around when he realised how much Nelson meant it. It has inspired Morrison's own catchphrase, one we can expect to hear much more of over the election year: How can I back you in today? "You're out there trying to make something happen," he explained. "How can I as Treasurer, how can the government, back you in in terms of what you're doing and what you're hoping to achieve?" China, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims in the area and the US has objected to any "militarising" of the islands. US President Barack Obama concluded a two-day summit with South-east Asian leaders on Tuesday promising US support to the ASEAN nations to counter China's expanding claims and declaring that freedom of navigation must be upheld and lawful commerce should not be impeded. "The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," he said. "We will support the right of other countries to do the same." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to address the media in Beijing on Wednesday with his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, who is in the capital for annual strategic talks. Ms Bishop said before the trip that she intended to question China about its activities in the South China Sea. "What we have maintained publicly and privately to China and other claimants in the South China Sea is that we urge all parties to cease reclamation and construction work," Ms Bishop said during a preceding trip to Tokyo on Monday. "We note that [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] said in Washington that China did not intend to militarise the constructions in the South China Sea and we hold China to that." The Diplomat also reported last week that China's South China Sea island-building had expanded into the Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The report has not been confirmed. Images that were separately obtained appeared to show dredging and filling at two new sites in the Chinese-held island chain and the construction of a helicopter base. China has already constructed airstrips and naval berths capable of use for military purposes on the islands. Confirmation of the deployment of missile launchers came as the US and ASEAN issued a joint statement at the California summit that called for "maritime security" but did not specifically mention the South China Sea, indicating division among regional countries on how to counter China's assertiveness. Countries like the Philippines and Vietnam favour a more aggressive approach while other nations like Cambodia and Laos, which have closer ties with Beijing, are reluctant to directly challenge China's behaviour. China late last year provoked condemnation when it landed civilian planes on an artificial island where it has built infrastructure that can accommodate military aircraft. Vietnam has accused China of towing a $1 billion oil rig into disputed waters in a potential rerun of a stand-off that sparked violent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam in 2014. The United States has obtained final approval to expand its military presence in the Philippines and has begun making spy flights over the region in Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft based in Singapore. Carlyle Thayer, an expert on the South China Sea from Australia's Defence Force Academy, said the deployment of the HQ-9 missile system raises the stakes for future US maritime patrols. The system is capable of threatening carrier-based planes coming to the assistance of any US Navy warship confronted by China during freedom of navigation exercises, he said. Professor Thayer said the deployment of such a sophisticated and lethal air defence system was no doubt in response to US aerial activities and the patrol near Triton island. The deployment was also a demonstration that at short notice China can deploy similar systems to other disputed islands on the pretext of a threat from the United States. Professor Thayer said that until now concerns of the US and other countries had focused on artificial island development by China. But China first constructed an airstrip on Woody Island in 1990 than can accommodate fighter jets. Existing facilities on the island include naval docks, precision approach radar, a fuel depot and military facilities, including troop accommodation. Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said the reports of China placing surface-to-air missile batteries on Woody Islands were "sadly not surprising". "This will further militarise the tensions in the South China Sea. It reinforces the view that China intends to exert growing control in these international waters, including potentially by declaring an air defence identification zone. "It is also against the spirit, if not the letter, of Xi Jinping's assurance last year that China was not putting weapons on the artificial islands it has made." He's a little chunkier than when we last saw him and now sporting a more manageable crew cut, but Chris the sheep is back, in finer form than ever. Chris' massive fleece went on display for the first time at the RSPCA's Weston shelter on Tuesday, and it will stay there before being transferred to a permanent display at the National Museum of Australia. Since being relieved of his mammoth 41.1 kilogram fleece in September last year, the merino has piled on 30 kilograms and only a couple of kilos of that can be chalked up to wool, RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said. "That just shows how underweight he was," she said. New Delhi: Ace designer Manish Arora has been awarded the 'Knight of the Legion of Honour', the highest French civilian distinction, for his contribution to the world of fashion. The award, which was presented to Arora in a ceremony here last evening, also recognises his long standing ties with France. "I'm thrilled and honoured by the recognition I have received from the country that I love with all my heart. France has been an inspiration always." "I now live between Paris and Delhi and for me France is literally my own country. I hope to keep getting inspired by France, the beauty and elegance of the French people," Arora said. The Ambassador of France to India, Franois Richier, presented the honour to the designer on behalf of the President of the French Republic. "Manish has a long-standing connection with France, which is like a second home for him. He is a pioneer in bringing the fashion culture of both countries together with his exuberant imagination. I am delighted to confer this high honour on him," Richier said. In past Indian personalities like Satyajit Ray, Sivaji Ganesan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zubin Mehta, Amitabh Bachchan, and Shah Rukh Khan have been honoured by the French government. The family, she said, had been told little detail of what had happened. She said her nephew was a happy, loving child, who would not hurt a fly. "He was a great kid, the gentlest soul," Mrs Simpson said. "He would get along with anyone, would want to help anyone." Mrs Simpson, sister of the accused, said other relatives were also preparing to travel to Canberra this week. She said news that her brother had been accused of the murder had left her "completely shocked". The father faced the ACT Magistrates Court briefly on Tuesday morning, appearing stunned and dazed. He was charged with the murder. No pleas were entered and the case is expected to return to court in March. Police say the son was rushed to hospital after the attack, but died later that night. They are continuing their homicide investigation and are asking for witnesses or anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Still coming to terms with the news, Jacka residents gathered for a candlelit vigil outside the property on Wednesday night. They will come together each night at 8pm until Monday to honour Bradyn's memory. Young children placed flowers and teddy bears on the nature strip with their parents by their side. The mood was sombre, with many shedding tears and hugging family members. Nikita Picker, a 13-year-old girl who lives in Jacka, began to cry when she placed a handwritten note alongside candles and flowers. "I came here to show my respects to the little boy," she said. "I didn't know him personally but I met him once or twice. In my note I told him he was safe now and no one would hurt him." Michael Job, who said he had known the boy's family for seven years, will travel from Gowrie in Canberra's south every night this week to pay his respects. "He was a well behaved boy that was always happy and never caused any trouble," he said. "It was excellent to see so many people come along tonight. It just shows that people out there still care" Shemee Caldwell, 20, said she felt it was important to show her support for the local community. "It is good that everyone has come together," she said. "Hopefully more people will come by during the week and the pile of flowers will only grow." Another neighbour, Michelle Woods, remembered Bradyn as a boy who was always surrounded by kids. "He was always playing in the middle of the kids; he was always on his bike. He was a happy chappy," she said. Bradyn was to attend her son's birthday party on Saturday. She said her son was too distraught to attend school on Tuesday. The potential problems when local councillors are also property developers have been highlighted in a report tabled in NSW Parliament on Wednesday. The antics of the controversial property-developing Auburn councillor Salim Mehajer have been well publicised. Allegations of misconduct: Hurstville councillor Con Hindi. Credit:Dallas Kilponen Now, Hurstville's property developing Liberal councillor Con Hindi will be the subject of a formal investigation over allegations of misconduct, according to a report by the Office of Local Government. Last year Fairfax Media revealed that Cr Hindi repeatedly failed to comply with orders from his own council staff to remediate his asbestos-contaminated development site in Crump Street, Mortdale. Frustrated passengers on board an AirAsia flight scheduled to travel from Malaysia to Australia say they have been stranded in Bali for more than a day, after two separate medical emergencies and then immigration restrictions grounded their plane. Flight D7206, an Airbus A-330, took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday night bound for Coolangatta on the Gold Coast, but was forced to divert to the Indonesian island of Bali two hours into the trip due to a medical emergency involving a passenger. The sick passenger, who was experiencing severe stomach pain, disembarked in Bali and, several hours later, on Tuesday morning, the plane took off for Australia. But about an hour into the flight, the plane was forced to return to Bali again when a second passenger became ill. By the time the plane landed, the crew had exceeded their flying hours, and a replacement crew had to be found. It's the kind of magic worthy of a graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Royal Bank of Scotland conjured up at least 1 billion pounds ($2 billion) in tax breaks by investing in controversial financing deals for Harry Potter films and a host of other blockbuster titles that involved no risk to the bank. The transactions, which RBS has never disclosed, are revealed in hundreds of public filings by at least 25 companies set up by the bank to take part in movie "sale and leaseback" arrangements a decade ago. Those companies are still active and earning income for RBS, though they've been shifted to a division that houses unwanted assets for the remaining lifespan of the 15 to 20-year leases. The filings show that RBS owns rights to the third and fourth Harry Potter films, Troy, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and at least 20 other movies, though the film titles aren't always listed in the available paperwork. From 1998 until around 2007, RBS took advantage of the tax breaks without paying any production costs, or risking losses if the movies bombed. At least 10 of the transactions have been probed by the UK tax collection agency, according to company records. Between 2003 and 2006, RBS avoided or delayed paying about 1 billion in tax using the deals, according to calculations based on public filings and historic tax rates. The vineyard and luxury lodge developer who built the second largest stake in Australia's ailing Kakadu uranium miner has broken his silence and declared that all stakeholders would be better off if mining were to continue at the Ranger mine. Speaking publicly for the first time since buying 11.87 per cent of Energy Resources of Australia, Richard Magides said nuclear power should be part of the world's energy future and he hoped ERA's Ranger mine would be part of that. Uranium prices have been depressed since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. Credit:Glenn Campbell Mr Magides built his stake during a 20 month period in which ERA shares fell from $1.39 to $0.33 after its majority shareholder Rio Tinto withdrew support for the company to continue mining. Rio and the local Mirarr indigenous group have both expressed their desire for mining to finish and rehabilitation to begin at the environmentally sensitive Ranger site, but the ERA board has yet to clarify whether it will go along with those wishes. Just over a year ago, a troubled Iranian refugee, Man Monis, entered a Sydney cafe with a shotgun and held 18 people hostage. He killed one; another died in the ensuing police raid. Monis, too, was shot dead. Years earlier, Monis had been on ASIO's terrorist watch list, although he was removed from it in 2008. He had been charged numerous times for sexual assault; he had also been jailed. His rhetoric became more extreme and he declared his support for Islamic State. Two days before the Sydney siege, an anonymous caller to the anti-terrorism hotline warned authorities about Monis' state of mind. ASIO investigated, but decided he wasn't a threat. A hostage runs to police after fleeing Sydney's Lindt cafe on December 15, 2014. Credit:Jason Reed The report of one of the later inquiries recommended that, in response to the siege, states and territories extend their so-called "extraordinary temporary powers" laws. These laws, among other things, allow police to detain suspects for a limited number of days without charge, to protect public safety. This "preventive detention" requires only that police believe a threat exists. The report's recommendation was unusual; after all, police and intelligence agencies had had the opportunity to use these powers to detain Monis. They didn't, but nor should we have expected them to. Some said a wildcard like Monis should have been under closer observation and stopped. Yet others, such as former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, said the siege wasn't terrorism at all, describing Monis as "someone who was committing suicide by police, as a lot of people with mental problems do". "... how I came to enter, I cannot well say, being so full of sleep, whatever moment it was I began to blunder, off the true path." - The Inferno of Dante (translation by Robert Pinsky). Daniel Andrews hasn't yet entered the gates of hell. Far from it. But like Dante who would later enter a portal taking him through nine circles of suffering the Premier looks to have stumbled into some "tangled and rough" woods. And like Dante he may well be wondering exactly how and when he came to blunder from the "true path". The anniversary of Andrews' November 27 election win seemed to mark something of a turning point. Indeed, for the past couple of months the state government has barely had a good day, let alone a good week. In December the government was buffeted by a report from the state's Auditor-General finding Labor's decision to abandon the East West Link cost taxpayers more than $1.1 billion, "for little tangible benefit". Australia needs politicians like Bronwyn. I am a firm believer in the two-party system. Yet both parties seem to be on trajectory of alienating and disempowering Australians who are or want to be part of our political journey. National politics is becoming a club of insiders that is foreign and daunting for everyday Australians. What message are we sending when on the one hand we are saying now is the time for older Australians to do more, be active and continue in the workforce, while at the same time we are willing to push out one of the most talented and successful members of Parliament? Some of the leading candidates in the US presidential elections will be in their 70s if they secure the keys to the White House. Taking into account all the recent retirements in the Australian Parliament, there are now only two MPs out of the 150 that are aged over 65. Yet 15 per cent of the Australian population is aged 65 or over. And this is growing every year. Bronwyn represents an important constituency, but more importantly she is a role model for that constituency. Yes she made a mistake, but if we continue to raise the bar of recrimination we will end up with political droids, with no real passion or ability to inspire Australians to be active in our polity. Like her or loathe her, there is a simple yet undeniable fact. Bronwyn has the ability to bridge the divide between the political class and the electorate. Political parties need people who can connect with Australians to bring them back into the national debate. Bronwyn has that ability to connect, motivate and draw people to her. Her drive and capability is as strong today as it was when she first became the member for Mackellar. To lose it, would be churlish and the nation, and national political debate would be the poorer for it. Jeremy Mitchell was an adviser to Bronwyn Bishop from 1993-97. The NSW government is under growing pressure to reconsider its plan to move the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta and sell off its inner-city Sydney site to property developers. Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, former NSW premier Bob Carr, businessmen Geoff Cousins, Graeme Wood, Trevor Kennedy and Jack Cowin, former Art Gallery of NSW director Edmund Capon and Penelope Seidler are among more than 170 prominent people who have signed an open letter to be published in Thursday's Sydney Morning Herald with the heading "Please Don't Destroy the Powerhouse". Clive Lucas, Penelope Seidler and Nick Pappas outside the Powerhouse Museum. Credit:Louise Kennerley The letter describes the proposal to move the Powerhouse as "folly" and argues that the community's investment in the museum's Ultimo site will be wasted if the site is sold to developers. The alternative is a garage that is Saharan in summer and arctic in winter. So it is easy to understand why Catherine O'Donnell took up a residency at Parramatta Artists Studios. "It's also nice to leave my home and my garage to get away from the cooking and the cleaning," she says. "You know, grabbing washing off the line because it's going to rain. It helps me focus." Artists Keg de Souza, Catherine O'Donnell and Tarik Ahlip at Parramatta Artists Studios. Credit:James Brickwood O'Donnell's gaze is focused on the urban landscape of hardscrabble suburbs in western Sydney, which she documents in intricate charcoal sketches. About 80 percent of employers in the U.S. use financial incentives of some kind in wellness programs. (Photo: Pixabay) When employers are trying to encourage workers to get more physical activity, offering a monetary award that can be lost if the goal is not met yields better results than offering a bonus that can be gained if the goal is met, according to a new study. Most people assume that people are rational, but we know that this is not true. People are irrational but in predictable ways, said lead author Dr. Mitesh S. Patel of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Patels group studied 281 overweight or obese adult employees who enrolled online. Participants reported their height and weight, and used a smartphone step-counter app to track their activity levels for 13 weeks. On average, U.S. adults take about 5,000 steps per day. For this study, participants were given a goal of at least 7,000 steps per day and then randomly divided into four groups. One group received no incentives, another received $1.40 for each day they met the goal, another lost $1.40 from a monthly incentive ($42) each time the daily goal was not met, and the last group drew lottery numbers for a chance to win $50 which they could only collect if they had achieved 7,000 steps on the previous day. All received daily feedback on their step count.The loss-incentive group met their step goal on 45 percent of days, compared to 36 percent of days in the lottery group and 35 percent in the gain incentive group. Those in the comparison group with no incentive only met their goal on average 30 percent of days, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. During the following weeks, when step count was still reported but no incentive was offered, step counts decreased for all groups. According to a few seminal behavioral economics experiments, people don't like losing something twice as much as they like gaining the same thing, as a rule of thumb, said Marc Mitchell of the University of Toronto, who was not part of the new study. A more tailored design might have yielded different results like if the researchers had measured how much each person was walking before the study and asked them to increase their step count by 2,000, rather than setting the same goal for everyone, Mitchell told Reuters Health by email. Just tracking activity using a smartphone or wearable device will help, but for those who are overweight or obese or have a chronic condition tracking alone is unlikely to boost activity, which is where a financial incentive comes in, Patel said. About 80 percent of employers in the U.S. use financial incentives of some kind in wellness programs, he said. Most simply lower insurance premiums if employees achieve health and wellness goals, he noted. Many are moving to more penalty based schemes given the short-term financial benefit for the company, but this may not be a good way of promoting quality health behavior change, Mitchell said. For most employer wellness programs around the country, you do something, you get paid for it, Patel told Reuters Health by phone. Sometimes relatively soon, sometimes off into the future. In this case, the gain and loss incentives were the same, only framed differently depending on the group, he said. This technique of framing the incentive comes from previous work in behavioral economics, Patel said. He added, I think the evidence is clear, these financial incentives could be better designed if they were based on insights from behavioral economics. The Australian economy is facing hazards unlike any seen in more than 20 years, and is starting from a position of income weakness, according to a frank new report. It means incomes and the tax base will grow much slower than governments have become used to, making budget repair harder at the federal level. The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) - one of the country's most respected think-tanks - has released its annual Economic and Political outlook for 2016. It predicts business confidence will be a "significant issue" this year, because even though Australia's economic reality is rosier than business surveys suggest, it will likely be negatively influenced by the politicking of the federal election. The Turnbull government should split up the National Broadband Network and start preparing to sell it off to private companies, according to a landmark infrastructure plan. The Infrastructure Australia report, which presents a 15-year vision for the nation's infrastructure needs, says the NBN should be privatised in the "medium term". "In the near term, the Australian government should commission a scoping study to assess the most appropriate approach, structure and timing to deliver a privatised NBN model," the report recommends. "The scoping study to assess the most appropriate approach and structure for a privatised NBN should include options to efficiently support delivery of NBN services in regional and remote areas that are non-commercial." Roxy Jacenko's four-year-old daughter Pixie Curtis has become a victim of digitally altered, indecent images circulated online by three people in the Sydney fashion industry. The well-known PR maven, who runs companies Sweaty Betty and The Ministry of Talent, filed a complaint to Rose Bay police in Sydney's eastern suburbs "months ago" after she saw the images of her child that were digitally altered to make her appear in "explicit situations". Roxy Jacenko calls doctored images of daughter Pixie Curtis, 4, '"paedophilia". Credit:Instagram/pixiecurtis Pixie, often called the "Princess of Instagram", has more than 109,000 followers on the popular social network, run by her mother, where she often models designer clothes and her own range of Pixies Bows. Speaking to Fairfax Media on Wednesday, Jacenko described the pictures as "cruel" and "creepy", adding: "It's sick, it's utter paedophilia." Cardinal George Pell has responded to attacks on his refusal to travel to Australia to face the child abuse royal commission in person, including a provocative song penned by comedian Tim Minchin. In a strongly-worded statement, Cardinal Pell said he considered himself an ally of abuse victims and was willing to meet with them, listen to them, and express his ongoing support. "The past few days has seen a great deal of incorrect information relating to Cardinal George Pell and his upcoming royal commission appearance," Cardinal Pell's office said in a statement on Thursday. "The Cardinal is anxious to present the facts without further delays. NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has urged the federal government to restrict the number of students allowed to go to university in fields such as teaching where there are limited employment opportunities and an oversupply of graduates. The call comes after a Fairfax Media investigation revealed that the practice of admitting students with lower than the minimum ATAR into university courses was endemic. There are currently more than one million domestic students studying in Australian universities. "Where there are a limited number of places, or jobs available, they should be capping places," he said. "Why are we training all of these people when the majority of them won't get jobs?" A potentially revolutionary therapy that trains the immune system to attack cancer has shown "extraordinary" results in early trials involving terminally ill patients. In one study, 94 per cent of participants with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia saw their symptoms vanish completely. Stanley Riddell, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle. Patients with other blood cancers had response rates greater than 80 per cent with more than half experiencing complete remission. The technique involves removing immune cells called T-cells from patients, tagging them "receptor" molecules that target cancer, and infusing them back in the body. A former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing three young altar boys in regional NSW in the 1980s has been found guilty in a Sydney court of 10 child sex offences. John Joseph Farrell, also known as "Father F", was tried in the Downing Centre District Court for 17 offences he was accused of committing against the boys, aged 11 and 12, between 1980 and 1984. John Joseph Farrell during a hearing at Armidale Court. Credit:Barry Smith Fairfax Media can reveal his identity after Judge Peter Zahra late on Tuesday lifted a suppression order that had covered his name for more than 2 years. Late on Tuesday, after 2 days of deliberations, the jury found Farrell guilty on 10 counts and not guilty on the other seven. Brad Hazzard has failed to rule out calling the counsel assisting the corruption watchdog's investigation into Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen to ask "Do you know what you are doing?" before public hearings were due to commence. In parliament on Wednesday Mr Hazzard - who was attorney-general at the time - was asked by opposition leader Luke Foley to confirm the call to counsel assisting Michael Fordham, SC in 2014. Brad Hazzard speaks during Wednesday's question time at NSW Parliament. Credit:Peter Braig Mr Hazzard responded that he had "no recollection of what you're asserting". Premier Mike Baird hit back at Mr Foley, accusing Labor of trying to smear Mr Hazzard and warning him to be "very very careful" about where he got the information. The family of the teen killed in Tuesday's bus crash are appealing for help to pay for the young man's funeral. Casey Stinson was on board the bus that rolled over on Tuesday injuring all on board. He suffered catastrophic head injuries and died later on Tuesday from his injuries. On Wednesday friends set up a memorial page on Facebook for the young hospitality student and posted a touching photo montage of his short life. On Tuesday, he announced he was interested in vying for pre-selection in Warren Truss's seat of Wide Bay, after the outgoing deputy prime minister announced his retirement plans. Former deputy premier Jeff Seeney said he was considering a tilt at federal politics as he did not believe his "talents or abilities" have been "used to their fullest extent" after the Newman government's election loss. Credit:Renee Melides Mr Seeney, who has served as the Member for Callide for 18 years, lost out in the subsequent LNP reshuffle and was denied a place on the shadow bench. Former deputy premier Jeff Seeney said he was considering a tilt at federal politics as he did not believe his "talents or abilities" have been "used to their fullest extent" after the Newman government's election loss. Speaking to the ABC, Mr Seeney said he was "disappointed not to have a more active role in the opposition" after the LNP was voted out of government after just one term, adding "but that's politics". "I'm in a position now where I don't think my talents or abilities are being used to their fullest extent on behalf of the people of regional Queensland," he told the ABC. "So I need to decide how I can best serve the people of regional Queensland, whether it's continuing in this role here or seeking another role in the federal parliament." While Mr Seeney is yet to make a final decision, or have had any guarantees he would be successful in his Canberra bid, Queensland's Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk greeted the news with mirth on Wednesday. "I've never seen Jeff look so happy," she told journalists. There is more than one issue to worry about here. When the video of a girl smoking with her guy friends went viral on Facebook, people took sides, pointed fingers at her or supported her freedom. But a more basic question iswhy do we bother either way, why does it attract the attention it gets that a video of men smoking does not? Even an online portal takes the stance of a moral police, chiding the young woman for what they call licentiousness. Ask around and you find many women nodding, with some similar experience to talk about. Ammu, a content writer in Thiruvananthapuram, says: One time, couple of years ago, a female friend and I were commenting on a post in my wall and had happened to say something about drinking and were calling each other names, like any friends would do. Someone took a screenshot of this and shared it in some group that we were not a part of, giving a title Kerala samskaram (Kerala culture). Soon enough, I started getting messages from random men asking if I drink and want to get together, which I chose to ignore. As for my friend, she had someone stalking her in real life after this incident. The title chosen here Kerala samskaram says a lot about what causes offence. That question of Malayali culture that we as a society appear to pull out of a drawer and use whenever there is a woman involved. In the words of writer Jaishree Misra, In Kerala, womens empowerment has travelled backwards, sadly. When the matrilineal system was prevalent among the Nairs, women were highly empowered in every way - financially, socially and sexually. Prudish Victorian men took all that away, leaving moralistic, judgmental and highly conservative attitudes instead. Now it looks like we will need to start the fight from the very beginnings again just to get a level playing field. Ammu feels the reason it becomes an issue in Kerala is simply because it is not commonly seen. In movies, sure, but its always the bad girls or hookers doing it (smoking). Im not talking about just the men, even moms and little girls stare. But thats also the case when you wear short skirts or a tank top in Kerala. Girls, who are thus judged bad, are then approached in a different way. A 21-year-old who doesnt wish to be named talks about a time two men saw her smoking and stopped their bikes to ask how much she charges. I thought I heard them wrong but then they asked if I would sleep with them. And then there are some ultra concerned stranger uncles who say you are like my daughter, go on to advice you about smoking, and then grope you later. The girl in question here, may not have known about the video being made. Thats what upsets Farhana, who works at Technopark. It is absurd that people are pointing fingers at the girl - what about the men taking a video without her consent and then sharing it online? Out of principle, I didnt watch the video. These people shamelessly go on and on about culture and values, but where are their own values when they infringe a persons privacy? Thats plain hypocrisy. Journalist Neelima Menon says: I think there is a fundamental problem in our upbringing. Chauvinistic thoughts are ingrained from a young age. Men are just not tuned to accept strong women. Feminism is an abused term. Feminism is about equal rights not purusha vidhwesham (hatred of men). We are judgmental about everything. From Manju Warrier to Ranjini Haridas, we are eager to label them all as sluts just because they chose to live the life they wanted." A comforting point to take away here is how a lot of young men also voice their anger at all the moral policing. Shibily, a college student from Angamaly, says: Why is everybody giving too much attention to the girl in the video when she is surrounded by eight or nine guys. This is the biased thinking that comes from the typical Malayali girl'concept. Being a girl should never be a reason for not having fun. Everybody has their freedom to live the way they want. Annastacia Palaszczuk's office has been caught up in an embarrassing blunder in the announcement of a major Hollywood film to be shot in Queensland. Last week the Premier's office sent out a release reporting their involvement in luring the new film Jungle, starring Daniel Radcliffe, to be shot in Queensland. Daniel Radcliffe will star in Jungle being shot in Queensland this year. Credit:Getty Images It boasted a stellar Aussie cast including Queenslanders Alex Russell, who shot to fame in Angelina Jolie's film Unbroken, and Jason Clarke, who was last seen in Terminator Genisys and Everest. These big names were to be joined by Packed to the Rafters and Love Child star Ryan Corr, who won acclaim in the Aussie flick Holding the Man. Gold Coast have appointed William Zillman and Nathan Friend as co-captains for the 2016 NRL season, with NSW State of Origin representative Greg Bird overlooked. Zillman and Friend, a foundation Titan who returned to the club this season following four years with the Warriors, replace Nate Myles who left the club to move to Manly. Nathan Friend returned to the club this season after four years with the Warriors. Credit:Hannah Peters Bird, who was stripped of the Gold Coast co-captaincy after an off-field incident in December 2014, recently said it would "definitely bother" him if he wasn't installed as captain. Titans coach Neil Henry described Zillman and Friend as ultimate professionals in every way. "Given that radiofrequency emissions are one of the most heavily researched agents that science has ever assessed, and given that (contrary to Catalyst's claims) no substantiated health effects have emerged, we can be very confident that the emissions are indeed safe," Professor Croft said. Catalyst reporter Maryanne Demasi, right, with Devra Davis, a US cancer epidemiologist, in a screengrab from the program. Credit:ABC Reaction on social media also expressed dismay that ABC TV's flagship science show had given credence to a well-trodden public health conspiracy. Demasi's reportage relied extensively on Devra Davis, a US cancer epidemiologist and campaigner, who said the lack of increase in brain cancer rates since the adoption of the new technologies merely reflected brain cancer's "long latency". US cancer epidemiologist and campaigner Devra Davis warns about the health risks associated with Wi-Fi. Credit:Nic Walker "When the bombs fell at the end of World War II in Japan, we followed every person who survived. Forty years is how long it took for brain cancer to develop after that exposure," Dr Davis said. This drew a strong response from Simon Chapman, emeritus professor of public health at the university who has studied health conspiracy theories extensively. "That is just complete rubbish. It is just crap." Professor Chapman referred to a 2004 study of cancers of the central nervous system, including brain cancers, among atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Of 187 cases diagnosed after 1958 and 1985, 110 or nearly 60 per cent were before 1985, or in the first 40 years. A further 27 were diagnosed before 1958 - within 13 years of the bombs - but not included in the study. "We have had mobiles in Australia since 1988 - some 90 per cent of the population use them today and many of these have used them for a lot longer than 13 years, but we are seeing no rise in the incidence against the background rate," Professor Chapman said. "Brain cancer incidence has all but flatlined" across the years for which data are available, he wrote in an article for The Conversation. The age-adjusted incidence rate of brain cancer in Australia per 100,000 people was 6.6 in 1987 and 7.3 a quarter of a century later in 2011. Physicist Ken Karipidis of ARPANSA, who was quoted on the program, said that, while the evidence was not good enough to say mobile phones cause cancer, some studies showed a possible association between prolonged mobile phone use and certain brain tumours. He said those who wanted to reduce their exposure should limit holding their mobiles against their heads. "We do recommend that parents limit their childrens' mobile phone use," Dr Karipidis added. "When it comes to children, there's not enough evidence in this area, so our recommendation is slightly stronger," he said. Veteran ABC health reporter Norman Swan, who was highly critical of the 2013 program, said he did not believe Tuesday's program showed enough scientific rigour. "It's a legitimate debate; however, there is no proven biological mechanism for electromagnetic waves to cause cancer," Dr Swan, who presents Radio National's Health Report, said. "The program did not take into account that young people are not holding their mobile phones to their heads - usually they are texting or Facebooking. "And I'm not convinced by the argument that there is a 40-year lag in the development of cancer - we often see signs after much less time that that." A Mentone pastor has supported local families in their call for Father John Walshe's resignation, stating that church leaders must always be held "accountable" for their actions. Senior minister at Mentone Baptist Church, Murray Campbell, has hit out at a decision to allow Father Walshe to retain his position as the Catholic Mentone-Parkdale parish priest in a blog post. Baptist minister Murray Campbell is speaking out about Father David Walshe. Credit:Jason South The parish services two local schools St Patrick's School in Mentone and St John Vianney's school in Parkdale. Fifty years after he escaped Pentridge prison with Ronald Ryan, Peter Walker has again been sentenced to a jail term, for drug, firearms and deception offences. Walker notoriously spent 19 days on the run with Ryan - the last man hanged in Australia - after they escaped from Pentridge on December 19, 1965. Peter Walker, photographed in 2002. Credit:Paul Harris While on the run Walker shot and killed associate Arthur Henderson. Ryan was convicted of the murder of prison guard George Hodson during the escape. Despite leading a relatively crime-free life over the years since he was re-captured in 1966, convicted of Henderson's manslaughter and eventually released from jail in 1984, Walker was in 2014 arrested at Perth Airport with more than $100,000, a fake passport and a one-way ticket to England. The long-term lease of the Port of Melbourne will not happen this financial year unless parliament signs off on the asset sale, Treasurer Tim Pallas has conceded, as a stalemate with the opposition shows little signs of easing. The government and opposition have been locked in talks to sell the Port, with the Coalition refusing to move on its compromise position of no more than a 15 year compensation clause. Negotiations over the Port of Melbourne sale stall. Credit:Joe Amaro The government said a 15-year compensation period would devalue the asset and strip value out of Victoria, especially given a new port is only going to be needed, at earliest, in 30 years. A lawyer with Victoria Legal Aid sexually assaulted a young woman who was an alleged victim of family violence and had met with him to discuss the case against her partner, a court has heard. Mark Edmondson, 47, a former solicitor with VLA's Morwell office, was on Wednesday convicted and fined $3000 in Melbourne Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault. Mark Edmondson, a lawyer of more than 20 years' experience, resigned from Victoria Legal Aid when the allegation was made. Credit:Getty Images Edmondson was representing a man accused of family violence when he met with the alleged victim in Morwell on July 3 last year to discuss her statement, and sexually assaulted her while they were seated in his car. The 21-year-old woman's partner was in prison at the time. Important records from the Stolen Generation story have found a new home at Curtin University. And they have been reunited with a much larger collection of artwork and other documents from an earlier era of mission education for Aboriginal children. A landscape by artist Edie Wallam in Curtin's Collection of Carrolup Artwork. Credit:Curtin University The small, but significant collection of art produced by children at the Carrolup Mission, near Katanning, was transferred from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs on Wednesday for permanent loan to the Bentley-based tertiary institution. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier handed over 21 artworks, letters and photographs created from 1945-51. The family of Esplanade train station brawl victim, Paddy Slater, have threatened to kill the 11-year-old boy charged with his murder if he is released on bail. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Perth Children's Court on Wednesday via video link from Banksia Hill Detention Centre with his mother and father by his side. About 20 members of the deceased man Paddy Slater's family were in court to hear the boy's application for bail refused. The group told awaiting media outside the court they would "kill" and "stab" the boy if he was released. Perth medical students who applied for assistance payments months ago are struggling to make ends meet as Centrelink sits on their applications. While most universities head back at the end of February, the academic year for Notre Dame students started a month ago - and are now feeling the pinch. Centrelink has defended its new debt recovery processes in recent weeks. Credit:Fairfax Media Medical student Peter*, who stopped full-time work two days before starting full-time study, applied for Youth Allowance almost three months ago. The 22-year-old said Centrelink messages which updated him on his application progress stopped in December. US Ambassador Richard Verma leaves South Block after being summoned by MEA (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Reacting strongly, India on Saturday summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over Obama administration's decision to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Verma to the South Block and during the 45-minute meeting told him about India's concerns over US military aid to Pakistan which New Delhi believes goes into anti-India activities. We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama Administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan pic.twitter.com/NGdrAL2m9i Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) February 13, 2016 According to sources, such military aids will embolden Pakistan. External Affairs Ministry also issued a strong statement expressing its "disappointment" over the US decision. It said it disagrees with the rationale that these arms transfer to Pakistan will help in combating terrorism. Read: India disappointed over US decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan "We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan. We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism. Read: Barack Obama administration notifies Congress of sale of F-16s to Pak "The record of the last many years in this regard speaks for itself," the MEA statement said. Read: Congress questions Modi's foreign policy over US' decision to sell F-16 jets to Pak The Obama administration today said it has decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan worth nearly USD 700 million. The proposal has now gone to the US Congress, which has 30 days to take a decision on it. There is a feeling in official circles here that India has turned out be the victim whenever any military aid has been given to Pakistan in past. Read: US' proposed sale of F-16s to Pak likely to face resistance A bushfire that threatened parts of Brunswick has been further downgraded to "advice" as the threat to lives and homes receded. An emergency warning was originally issued on Wednesday at 2.30pm by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, however 30 minutes later that was downgraded to a "watch and act". A bushfire is bearing down on parts of Brunswick. That was further downgraded at 4.20pm to a "bushfire advice". The threat to property has now eased for homeowners living near Howson Drive and Billabong Court WA Deputy Premier Liza Harvey has defended proposed anti-protest laws that have drawn criticism from the opposition, activists, legal experts and United Nations representatives. Ms Harvey, who is also the police minister, says the proposed legislation, which will allow for the arrest of protesters locking themselves to trees or machinery to prevent lawful activity, will not prevent people from protesting. "This does not strip people in any way, shape or form of their right to protest ... it says that if you take that to the extreme end and you want to lock yourself onto a device that requires a tremendous effort and blocks access to a site, well there's going to be consequences," Ms Harvey told ABC radio on Wednesday. United Nations experts on Tuesday urged the WA government to reconsider the legislation, which they said would contravene international human rights law. Greens MP Lynn MacLaren said she was concerned Ms Harvey and Attorney General Michael Mischin continued to ignore local and international pleas for the proposed legislation to be reconsidered. "When you put it up for scrutiny amongst lawyers, this law goes way too far, it's too broadly drafted and it really will serve to limit our ability to speak out about the dissent that we feel when the government is wrong," she told ABC radio. "It's a very serious offence if they pass this legislation and it inhibits our ability to do the right thing." Opposition leader Mark McGowan also opposes the idea and says if anti-protest laws are passed, Labor will repeal them if they win next year's election. "These extreme laws could be used against farmers, church members, conservationists, local community groups, workers or anyone involved in a peaceful protest," he said. AAP Ankara: Twenty-eight people have been killed and dozens wounded in Turkey's capital Ankara after a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and other government buildings. The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the city on Wednesday. A government spokesman said 28 people had been killed and 61 wounded in the blast, which took place near a busy intersection less than 500 metres from parliament during the evening rush hour. Later in the day, a centre frequented by Turkish nationals in Stockholm, Sweden, was targeted. Police said all the windows of the Turkish cultural association building were blown out and investigations were under way to determine the cause of the explosion. There were no reports of casualties. The practice is called Smurfing, named after the blue, mushroom-dwelling cartoon characters, and it is part of an exodus of capital that is casting doubt on China's economic prospects and shaking global markets. Over the last year, companies and individuals have moved nearly $US1 trillion from China. A man looks at a subway map at a metro station in Shanghai. Some Chinese citizens are looking at ways of getting their savings out of the country and China's sliding economy. Credit:Bloomberg To get around the country's cash controls, individuals are asking friends or family members to carry or transfer out $US50,000 ($70,000) apiece, the annual legal limit in China. A group of 100 people can move $US5 million overseas. Hong Kong: As the Chinese economy stumbles, wealthy families are increasingly trying to move large sums of money out of the country, worried that the value of the currency will fall and their savings will shrink. Some methods are perfectly legal, like investing in real estate elsewhere, buying businesses overseas and paying off debts owed in dollars. Others, like Smurfing, are more dubious, and in certain cases, outright illegal. Chinese customs officials caught a woman last year trying to leave the mainland with $US250,000 strapped to her chest and thighs and hidden inside her shoes. A woman seen through a window prays at Longhua Temple in Shanghai, China, as fears of financial instability rattles the nation. Credit:Bloomberg While individuals are limited to moving $US50,000 a year across China's borders, companies and sophisticated investors have more freedom to send out money legally for big-ticket purchases and investments. Overseas and domestic companies, which maintain bank accounts in various currencies, can also shift their cash, as well as borrow based on which currency they think will fall in value. Yet unofficial methods abound. Companies have inflated trade invoices to keep more profits outside the country, although Chinese authorities have cracked down on the practice. Two years ago, the government gave permission for insurers to invest 15 percent of their assets overseas, up from 1.5 percent. But China abruptly told insurers this winter to suspend many of their overseas plans, according to Hong Kong financiers. Beijing has restricted the withdrawal of renminbi from overseas branches of Chinese banks. In Shenzhen, banks have begun requiring that residents make reservations up to a week in advance if they want to change the daily maximum of $US10,000 worth of Chinese currency into dollars. POINTE BLANCHE:--- Recent news headlines may have eluded to the perception that bids for the development of the new hospital have already been received. Contrary to that, we are currently still at the first phase of the bidding process, where engineer firms were presented the opportunity to submit proposals for the development of the terms of reference for interested turn-key developers (design-build and maintain) who will construct a new and sustainable hospital for country St. Maarten. Previous Government had no plans on the exact criteria of what it is we want our new hospital to entail. The perception that the new hospital was ready to be built was an illusion created by the former Government. The bids that we received last week will now allow us to have an engineer firm along with the Building Team clearly define what will be the design including what specialties, patient flows, etc. From the four bids received from engineer firms - Lievense, ICE, Arcadis and Royal HaskoningDHV for the first phase of the plans, the winner will be chosen by Friday February 17th. The engineer firm selected will be given approximately 2 months to create the bidding package for the interested turn-key developers (design-build and maintain). The open process approach has attracted interested turn-key development companies from around the world including Europe, Canada, India, China and USA of which Vamed is still an interested partner. There are three main items we will be looking for as it pertains to the bids, 1. Local inclusion, 2. Amount of experience in turn-key development project for hospitals, and 3. Pricing. We believe that by making one legal entity responsible to design, build and maintain, the quality of the construction will be increased. Maintenance contract will be based on a fixed costs and therefore creating an incentive for high quality so that excessive maintenance costs does not become a long term expense right after building the hospital., stated Minister Lee in press briefing on Wednesday. EnSync Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results MILWAUKEE, WI (Marketwired) 02/16/16 EnSync, Inc. (NYSE MKT: ESNC), dba a leading developer of innovative energy management systems for the utility, commercial, industrial and multi-tenant building markets, today announced second quarter 2016 results, ended December 31, 2015. The Company made significant progress on many of its key projects during, and subsequent to the end of the second quarter of fiscal year 2016, including: Phase I is complete and supplying power to the University. Phase II will be complete by early March. The project is on schedule to be commissioned by May. The Agile Hybrid batteries have shipped and installation and commissioning will be complete by May. Our equipment has shipped to the Cayman Islands and the installation and commissioning will be complete by May. Fourteen Agile Flow Batteries were shipped from Meineng Energy to EnSync customers since the beginning of Q2. Thirteen Matrix Energy Management Systems have either been shipped from Meineng Energy to EnSync, or are in process of assembly and test in China. Meineng is now qualified to build and test our advanced Matrix systems and modules. Our Matrix Energy Management platform is now listed by ETL to UL1741 specification. Our inverters are among the first to achieve this designation. The V3-Series Installed Base Upgrade Program is complete. All candidate systems have been upgraded, with significant improvement to performance. The program has been finished under budget. We achieved the milestone of 1.0MWh of Hybrid Flow-Li Ion batteries shipped for C&I / Microgrid applications less than a year from announcement. EnSync remains the premier supplier of hybridized commercial energy storage solutions. Brad Hansen, president and chief executive officer of EnSync, commented, I am pleased with the progress we are making and the accomplishments during, and subsequent to the end of the quarter. The capabilities of our differentiated technology and systems solutions allow our customers to prioritize their electricity use from the grid, renewables and storage, synchronizing each of these sources in real time and leveraging their respective values. These capabilities will be a driving factor in moving the economy from a focus on coal-generated power to one utilizing renewable energy sources. These solutions, coupled with our expertise and credibility for economic modeling, system design and project development are a competitive differentiator in the PV + Storage systems market. Mr. Hansen continued, The University of the Nations project is on schedule and Phase I is performing well. Five other contracted power purchase agreement (PPA) projects are in varying degrees of construction and commissioning. Our near term efforts have transitioned from closing PPA contracts to marketing our existing projects. In December, we hired Fred Vaske as Vice President of Structured Finance to drive the development of an investor base and in turn, sell these projects. Fred brings a great deal of knowledge from his 20 years of project financing experience including major players in renewable energy, such as SunPower, Recurrent Energy, HanWa Q-Cells and Scatec Solar. Fred Vaske, Vice President of Structured Finance for EnSync, added, There is a great deal of interest in the EnSync PPA projects from both banks and corporate investors that have previously been investors in solar projects. They have recognized that there are new and variable services attributable to solar + storage installations that are lacking with solar only projects. Investors also recognize, based on regulatory and policy changes such as what recently occurred in Nevadas retroactive application of net metering reductions, that storage offers a degree of insurance against unanticipated change. Investors will also be very pleased with EnSyncs industry leading control, communications and monitoring of the value generated by the project over the contract life. Mr. Hansen concluded, Recent developments validate our strategy. The President signed the budget bill, which extends the solar/storage investment tax credit an unprecedented five years, providing a strong foundation for future growth. The Supreme Court endorsed FERC jurisdiction over demand side management. This ruling will become important as we introduce our capability to perform supply response on-demand applications for commercial buildings. Additionally, state commissions continue to make changes in Net Metering programs and rate structures that enhance the value of storage in self-generation systems. Finally, weve put together a great executive team, with the right products and a robust strategy to address these developing opportunities. Total revenue for three months ended December 31, 2015 was $382,261 compared to $300,654 for the three months ended December 31, 2014. Total costs and expenses were $4,889,717 compared to $3,575,886. Loss from operations was $4,507,456 compared to $3,275,232. Net loss attributable to common shareholders was $4,515,762 compared to $3,446,642. Loss per share was ($0.10) compared to ($0.09). Current backlog for components, systems and engineering services is approximately $2.5 million. Additionally, the Company has acquired PPA contracts valued at approximately $11.2 million. The Company ended the second quarter of fiscal 2016 with total assets of $44.8 million, including $28.1 million in cash. As of December 31, 2015, we have cumulative project costs of $5.8 million related to PPA contracts. We plan to recover substantially all of these costs before the end of our fiscal year as we sell or finance these projects. Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Time: 4:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. CST) Domestic participant dial in #: 888-471-3843 Participant passcode #: 9519944 Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. A replay of the call will be available later on the same day via the investor relations section of the companys web site at until April 16, 2016. Domestic replay #: 888-203-1112 Replay passcode #: 9519944 EnSync, Inc. (NYSE MKT: ESNC), dba EnSync Energy Systems, is enabling the future of electricity with advanced energy management systems critical to a global economy becoming increasingly reliant upon the expansion of renewable energy. Whether part of the grid power transmission and distribution network, or behind the meter in commercial, industrial and multi-tenant buildings, EnSync technology brings differentiated power control and energy storage solutions to electricity-challenged environments. Our technologies also serve as the system level intelligence in microgrid applications, by seamlessly integrating multiple generation and storage assets to deliver power in remote and community level environments not served by the grid, or areas electing to use the grid secondary to microgrid assets. In 2015, EnSync incorporated power purchase agreements (PPAs) into its portfolio of offerings, enabling electricity savings for customers and providing a stable financial yield for investors. EnSync is a global corporation, with a joint venture in AnHui, China at Meineng Energy, as well as a strategic partnership with Solar Power, Inc. (SPI). For more information, visit: . Certain statements made in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as believe, expect, may, will, should, could, seek, intend, plan, estimate, anticipate or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements in this press release may address the following subjects among others: statements regarding the sufficiency of our capital resources, expected operating losses, expected revenues, expected expenses and our expectations concerning our business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including those risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We urge you to consider those risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Three Part Advisors, LLC Jeff Elliott (972) 423-7070 Matt Selinger (817) 310-8776 Phillip Kupper (817) 778-8339 Michelle Montague (262) 735-5676 Weyland Tech Highlights Recent Corporate Actions Posted by Publisher Hardware HONG KONG, CHINA (Marketwired) 02/17/16 Weyland Tech Inc. (OTC: WEYL) (Weyland Tech or the Company), a provider of mobile business applications, highlights two recent corporate actions: On February 11, 2016, the Company signed an exclusive Software Licensing Agreement (SLA) with Augicom S.A. of Switzerland (Augicom) to market, sell and distribute the Companys CreateApp platform in the Euro-Zone. Augicom, a company incorporated in Switzerland, since 2001, holds a public telecommunication license from OFCOM, the Swiss Federal Office for Communication. Augicom is an active supplier of telecommunication voice/data minutes and has significant partnerships with major European operators including Orange, Colt Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and many others. The focus is on the Euro-Zone (except for Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan) Augicom estimates there are 30 million Small-Medium-sized-Businesses in the target countries. On February 10, 2016, the Company appointed Mr. Brett Lay, a seasoned business executive with 28 years of operating experience including 15 years as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for both private and public companies. Mr. Lay has served as company officer in diverse sized organizations including; Asia Pacific CFO of MediaOne Group, now part of AT&T, CFO at Pihana Pacific/Equinix, and recently completed the sale of Pacnet to Telstra for $750M, where he was CFO from 2007 to 2015. Mr. Lay has his Masters of Science Finance and Masters of Science Management, from the University of Colorado, Denver. Weyland Techs CreateApp platform is focused on the Asia markets. Our CreateApp platform is offered in 11 languages and enables small-medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to create a mobile application (app) without the need of technical knowledge and background. CreateApp can increase sales, reach more customers and promote their products and services via a simple easy to build mobile app at an affordable and cost-effective manner. This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements including statements regarding: the continued growth of the e-commerce segment and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements. Investor Relations TREWGrip Focuses on Enterprise Mobility Market With New R&D Kits CINCINNATI, OH (Marketwired) 02/17/16 TREWGrip today released enterprise mobility featuring the TREWGrip Mobile Dock, a handheld, rear-type keyboard with built-in air mouse and game control capabilities. The R&D kits are designed for innovators and early adopters working on developing more productive enterprise mobility solutions. The Mobile Dock works seamlessly with existing technology platforms, including mobile devices, desktop computer and AR/VR technology, and can be used for research, development and training purposes. A recent Harris Poll found that enterprise mobility will be the main focus of IT investment by IT decision makers in 2016, said Mark Parker, president of . While much of the focus for enterprise mobility has been on apps and security, what workers really need are tools that allow them to be mobile and productive. In most cases, the technology platforms that execute the apps are what determine true mobility. Most devices categorized as mobile, such as convertible tablets and laptops are really portable solutions, and smartphones are just impractical for doing real work. The purpose of TREWGrip is to make enterprise mobility a reality by enabling mobile workers to be productive while sitting, standing or moving around in the field. A includes a Mobile Dock unit, a set of small, medium and large handgrips, a set of docking plates and a micro-USB charging cord with wall cord. The Mobile Dock allows users to connect via Bluetooth HID to up to three devices simultaneously, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, Smart TVs and other computing platforms. On the bottom of TREWGrip is a full QWERTY keyboard. On the top is a LED map of the keys on the bottom providing visual cues to help non-touch-typists locate the keys using hand-eye coordination. The Mobile Dock also features integrated mouse and game controls that engage by simply tilting and turning the device. We see TREWGrip evolving into a computing platform that can take enterprise mobility to the next level, added Parker. We want to get TREWGrip into the hands of people building enterprise mobility solutions so they can put the device and rear-typing to the test in real-world scenarios. As we continue on our development path, we value the insights of users and the opportunity to partner with organizations interested in advancing the platform. The R&D kits retail for $350 and are available online at . TREWGrip is exhibiting at 4YFN from February 22-25, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. The exhibit is part of Mobile World Congress 2016, the worlds largest mobile industry exhibition. TREWGrip is a start-up company focused on developing solutions that improve how mobile workers interact with technology. The companys first product is the TREWGrip Mobile Dock, a new form factor/hardware platform for that enables workers to be mobile and productive. TREWGrip is based in based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more details, please visit or follow on Twitter. Media contact: Kevin Wilson 513-898-1008 Kochi: Knowledge has no age barriers! The Sacred Hearts College, Thevara, will start skill development courses for people of all ages, including senior citizens, by this month end as part of an initiative under Age-Friendly Ernakulam. SH College will start skill development courses in two weeks which will be open to all without any age barriers. The initiative is being carried out in joint co-ordination with the district panchayat and a leading city hospital. Initially computer classes will be offered, said Dr Fr Prasanth Palackappillil, Principal. A group of 25 college students has been selected as Resource Personnel. An hour-long class will be held daily (4.30 pm to 5.30 pm) besides a two-hour long session every Saturday. We have a capacity for 60 persons in our laboratory and more resource personnel will be included based on the candidate strength (1:1 ratio). Geriatric patients will comprise a major share of the beneficiaries. We already had a workshop with them when they were taught to make paper bags, he said. The initiative is part of the University of Third Age (U3A) that aims at providing training to retired and elderly persons. The learning programme would provide them the opportunity to learn new skills, start new business and find post retirement employment, said Balu James, Co-ordinator, Age-Friendly Ernakulam. Local Company Wins Provincial Tender NEW WATERFORD, NOVA SCOTIA (Marketwired) 02/17/16 Health Outcomes Worldwide (HOW), one of Canadas top e-health software solution providers, has been awarded a significant contract, which will see the company manage phase one of a Provincial Wound Care Program Redesign. The Provincial Wound Care Program Redesign will aim to provide an integrated and harmonized model of wound care management, with the goal of improving the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care in Nova Scotia. This project will focus not only on patients; but also clinicians, long term care facilities, home care workers, care givers, physicians and acute care providers. HOW will also develop comprehensive educational materials, consult with industry leaders to consider formulary adjustments, analyze wound care funding models and recommend legislative and policy changes. Phase one of the project commences immediately. We applaud the province of Nova Scotia for being one of the first in North America to consider a program that will undoubtedly improve wound care management for patients and health care providers alike, said Corrine McIsaac, HOW Founder and CEO. Our team is absolutely thrilled to be playing a key role in this process, she added. HOW is headquartered in New Waterford, Nova Scotia with satellite offices located in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The company has made previous headlines with their award-winning software, how2trak, which gives healthcare providers real-time, evidence-based direction wound care management. HOW also has the largest wound care database in Canada and has developed groundbreaking technologies that ensure patient care follows the Gold Standard of best practice. For more information, visit . Contacts: Health Outcomes Worldwide (HOW) Monica Brewer Manager of Customer Solutions 902.862.8704 (o) / 902.577.5730 (c) OpenHouse Brings You One Step Closer to Home With In-Depth Neighborhood Insights Posted by Publisher Internet SANTA MONICA, CA (Marketwired) 02/17/16 Theres a new kid on the block. Today, , the only real estate company that fuses home listing information, social media and demographic data to recommend the best homes, neighborhoods and real estate agents based on your needs, Now available for iOS, desktop and mobile web platforms, OpenHouse makes you the center of your own neighborhood by for your current residence, dream home and areas of interest to drive more personalized recommendations and context than any other real estate site. Based on your preferences, geo-location and app interactions, OpenHouse will send you using deep data insights to educate you on the overall real estate market, your current neighborhood and other topics as identified by your profile (ex. shifts in buyer and seller markets, architecture styles, desired design details, etc.). To further simplify the home shopping experience, OpenHouse provides to help you make the most informed home buying decisions. Home listings go beyond the basic housing information such as square footage and number of bedrooms to , like local school ratings for each institution, neighborhood income levels and eyebrow-raising statistics like age, ethnicity and even the types of magazines your neighbors read and the cars they drive. OpenHouse is the only company that aggregates and translates to give consumers true insight on their desired neighborhood and the neighbors that live there. A product of the Fall 2015 merger of Agent Aces objective and unbiased real estate agent recommendation service and fypios lifestyle home search, OpenHouse gives consumers the most comprehensive and compelling way to find their dream home and a smarter way to connect with the agent that can make it a reality. OpenHouse is available in 14 metropolitan areas including, San Francisco, San Jose, Greater Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C./Bethesda, Miami, Boston, and will continue rolling out to additional metros nationwide. Download the app today from the . For more information, please visit and . Mobile technology and social media have fundamentally changed the way we live, explore and buy a home. It has been a challenge for the real estate industry to catch up with that evolution, but OpenHouse is excited to be that catalyst for change. Adding the demographic data and social media component is a natural next step for buyers, sellers and agents, who are frustrated by the search-based processes. With the launch of OpenHouses more personalized profiles, curated real estate collections and side-by-side showdown comparisons, people can now engage with real estate through a level of transparency never before seen by the industry. Buying a home is an emotional process, particularly because everyone has a different definition of their dream home. That realization drove us to tailor our recommendation engine not only to provide information about the architecture of a house, but also the experience of living in a home and neighborhood. Launching more personalized profiles arms us with the data we need to deliver powerful and unique information in curated real estate collections and side-by-side showdown comparisons using deep analytics and social data. OpenHouse helps buyers and sellers make smarter decisions about the biggest transaction in their lives by answering the most important question: what could my life be like in this home? The right house is more than a zip code, a price tag, a floor plan. Its you. Powered by data, OpenHouse is a better way to find your dream home, and a smarter way to connect you with the agent that can make it yours. Founded in 2010 as Agent Ace, OpenHouse is headquartered in sunny Santa Monica, Calif. To find the life you want to live, visit . Image Available: Image Available: Cristin Zweig Culver 619-865-7019 Julie Noble Inner Circle Labs for OpenHouse 415-684-9564 Photo caption: Refugees being stopped by the police at the GreekMacedonian border. Many of Toronto's faith-based communities are stepping up to sponsor refugees./ Photo Credit: Arbeitsbesuch Mazedonien via Wikimedia CC By Leah Bjornson Special to The Post In this weeks round-up of whats been making headlines in Canadas ethnic media: faith-based organizations are at the forefront of Syrian refugee resettlement efforts; Taiwans elections are lauded as a step towards democracy in China and members of Vancouvers Sikh community are helping to spread the love this Valentines Day. Refugee crisis brings back painful memories for Jewish community Faith-based organizations in Canada play a pivotal role in resettling refugees during crises, one not often undertaken in other countries, according to a panel hosted by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute of the Greater Toronto Area earlier this month. Globe and Mail columnist Doug Saunders explained to an audience on Feb. 5 that unlike in other countries, where the government has greater control over resettlement processes, in Canada, many faith communities make efforts to privately sponsor families and assist them in their transition period. As reported in The Canadian Jewish News (CJN), the Jewish community has stepped up significantly to assist in the ongoing crisis. In total, 35 groups working with Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS) have formed sponsorship initiatives. Even more have formed independent sponsorship groups looking to bring Syrian families to Canada. The Canadian Jewish community has a long history of supporting incoming refugees. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the community actively sponsored many Vietnamese families escaping the aftermath of the Vietnam war. Naomi Alboim, professor and chair of the policy forum at the school of policy studies at Queens University and one of the panellists at the event, explained to the CJN that the current anti-refugee movement sweeping Europe brings back painful memories for the Jewish community. Were responding to this crisis as Jews, because its the right, humanitarian thing to do, she said. Were paying it forward. This faith community is not alone in its endeavours. Torontos Muslim and Catholic communities have also stepped forward to contribute in some way. Some synagogues have even joined mosques or churches to submit joint applications to sponsor Syrian families. The article makes note of an event in December, during which Jewish communities in Vancouver fundraised to bring two Kurdish families to Canada. Taiwan election heralded as beginning of democracy in China Panellists lauded Taiwans recent election of its first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, as a sign that democracy is compatible with Chinese culture at a recent event hosted by the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The forum, held on Jan. 28, discussed the election that saw the former opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, beat the Kuomintang with 56 per cent of the popular vote. Known for being pro-China, the Kuomintang has ruled Taiwan for the past eight years. This is also the first time that the Kuomintang has lost control of the legislature. Panellist Andre Laliberte, a professor at the University of Ottawa, told Epoch Times after the event, It is proof that people who have Chinese culture can have democracy, and democracy is compatible with Chinese culture. Laliberte was joined on the panel by Wu Rong-chuan, the newly arrived representative for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, or the Taiwanese embassy in Canada. Wu told the Times that he felt voters had acted more rationally during this election than in years past and that policies were well discussed. There was little sensational language during the election, he said. Canadian Senator Michael MacDonald expressed his hopes that this victory would mark the beginning of significant change in what is going to be the big, emerging real quest in mainland China for democracy. If you want to see what China could do with democracy go to Taiwan, he said. Sikh volunteers spread the love this Valentines Day Sikh organizations in Vancouver are scrambling this weekend as they finish collecting 900 roses, chocolates and greeting cards to distribute to shelters across the Lower Mainland for Valentines Day. Hosted by Guru Nanaks Free Kitchen and Global Girl Power in partnership with Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar, this annual event sees donors and volunteers working for several weeks to raise money and organize the logistics for the big day. Sikhs believe in Guru Nanaks philosophy to love all and feed all, Roveen Kandola tells The Indo-Canadian Voice. Kandola, who works with Guru Nanaks Free Kitchen, adds, Its important that during these times, we think of those less fortunate and make their day much brighter. Over the past three years, this initiative has reached over 100 shelters in Vancouvers Lower Mainland including Burnaby Safe House, Elizabeth Gurney House and Vancouver Rape Relief & Womens Shelter. The intent of the event is to give women and children at these locations the opportunity to experience a more enjoyable Valentines Day, the Voice reports. Irene de Ocampo at Elizabeth Gurney House says she is very thankful for the work of these volunteers and donors. Our residents (moms and kids) truly appreciate your generosity. All packages will be distributed to shelters this weekend. This piece was originally published in New Canadian Media. See http://newcanadianmedia.ca/item/33219-faith-communities-step-up-to-welcome-refugees How an adventurous priest's bike ride claimed him on Western Ave. Jan Klimczyk was pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Neighbors where he was hit on a bike say speeding traffic on Western Avenue is dangerous. Vijayawada: Bus connectivity to the Rayalaseema and Visakha regions from state capital Amaravati has not been increased by the APSRTC even after theres increa-sed people flow to these regions and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu along with some of his Cabinet colleagues has begun functioning from here for the last six months. People from various districts in both the regions are experiencing inconvenience while visiting the Vijayawada and Guntur cities for works directly or indirectly related to state administration. The Chief Minister's residential and camp offices are located on both sides of River Krishna in and around Vijayawada city. People are making a steady stream to these places to meet the CM and ministers to present their grievances, seek aid from the CMs Relief Fund etc. The state government is set to construct the propo-sed temporary secretariat in the capital region. Passenger flow to Amaravati is sure to increase from all over the state as also from Hyderabad. But the APSRTC management is failing to measure up to the situation. It also, intentionally or otherwise, let go of an opportunity in exploring the increased scope for commercial earnings from this scenario. Those who visit Amaravati have been forced to depend on alternative transportation modes like Railways, private sector buses or their own vehicles, said K. Hari Prasad of Anantapur district, who is on a visit to Vijayawada. N. Srihari, a resident of Guntur, said the common man is bearing the brunt of this neglect by APSRTC. He is not able to afford the high rates of private luxury buses that are charging heavily. He said, whatever the motive, APSRTC has let down the people. It is high time the corporation provided bus services connecting all the 29 villages in the Capital region, since the state government has begun taking a lot of decisions on a daily basis for the development of the CRDA. The APSRTC officials said they would look into the matter and increase the services once they are convinced there is a real need. Officials step up efforts to shift headquarters from Hyderabad The APSRTC is making serious efforts to fully shift its headquarters from Hyderabad to the Pandit Nehru Bus Station here. This is being done in stages and the bus station is set to get a major facelift as well. Developing the PN Bus Station as a world-class best bus station was a dream of former Chief Minister late N.T. Rama Rao. Though it did not materialised at that time, the present government under his son-in-law, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is developing it in ways as to meet the needs of future generations, and with ultra-modern facilities. Bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh state has prompted the APSRTC to shift its headquarters to Vijayawada, helping in development of the PN Bus Station. The corporation renovated the station with granite floors for the platforms, amo-ng other innovations. All servicing counters have been converted into centralised digital systems, at the PN Bus Station, stated deputy chief traffic manager A. John Sukumar. Two mini theatres are under construction. A video wall was placed for passenger information and advertisements. All pillars are covered with ACP panels for effect and LED lights installed to save electricity. Passengers and moving area are separated with railing. The public announcement system has been digitalised. So far, the MD and vice-chairman, EDs and HoDs have been shifted to the new APSRTC Bus House. Very soon, the rest of the officials of the corporation would be shifted from Hyderabad to here, said Mr Sukumar. The BBMP seems to have made a head start by distributing LED bulbs across the city. Bengaluru: While the state government is still in talks with various international agencies to replace power consuming street lights with LED lights, the BBMP seems to have made a head start by distributing LED bulbs across the city. As part of a special awareness drive, the state government has instructed Bescom to give away 100 LED bulbs for free at each of the 198 wards. BBMP officials are now distributing free LED bulbs in slums, EWS quarters and similar areas. Commenting on the need to create awareness, Mayor Manjunath Reddy said that energy-efficient lights were vital in reducing power bills. The drive aims to reduce the use of power-guzzling lights and promote energy-efficient lights. Understanding this need, even the BBMP has decided to switch to LED bulbs. The Malaysia government-owned UDA Holdings Berhad has proposed to install LED streetlights on all arterial roads and flyovers free of cost, he said. Mr Reddy said that the BBMP is paying Rs 12 crore towards electricity bills every month and with LED lights, it can be brought down drastically. The firm has also recommended that revenue to BBMP will increase and the revenue generated through advertisement hoardings will be shared equally by the company and the BBMP, he added. EESL sells 2.71L bulbs in city At a time when experts have hinted that switching to LED bulbs will become inevitable for the city, the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) on the other hand, is leaving no stone unturned to promote LED bulbs. Apart from selling bulbs at Bescom billing centres, it is ensuring that BengaluruOne service centres too are stocked to sell maximum number of bulbs. The EESL has predicted that the state may need 6 crore bulbs, while the city alone would need 2 crore LED bulbs. BESCOM sells it at low price BESCOM, in association with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, has been adopting various measures to promote the use of LED bulbs. Apart from selling bulbs at subsidised rates, the agency is putting up stalls at Cubbon Park, Bengaluru One Centres and other public areas to increase the awareness about the benefits of LED bulbs. The Corporation has sold 9 watt LED bulbs at Rs 100 per bulb Oak Creek to host outdoor 2022 World Cup watch party A partnership between Morans Pub in South Milwaukee and the city of Oak Creek will offer residents food, drinks, music and games on Nov. 25. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea Minister V. Srinivasa Prasad pays last respects to Sepoy P.N. Mahesha at Pashupathi village in KR Nagar taluk of Mysuru district on Tuesday Mysuru: People turned out in large number to pay their last respects to sepoy Mahesh P N, killed with nine other soldiers at the Siachen glacier, at his funeral where the rites were conducted according to Veerashaiva customs in Pashupathi village on Tuesday. Also present were Army men from the Madras Regiment Centre, Nilgiris. The body was received by the district administration at the government guest house in Mysuru at around 11.40 pm Monday night. The 29-year-olds death when he had only 15 days of duty left on the Siachen glacier has left his mother, Sarvamangala broken. I always had a lot of confidence in him. He was a winner all through. I never dreamt this would happen. Even when we heard he was missing, I hoped he would come back alive. He had just 15 days of duty left in Siachen, she sobbed while her older son P.N. Manjunath comforted her. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who paid homage to the soldier both at the government guest house in Mysuru and again at HD Kote on Tuesday, gave a cheque for Rs 25 lakh to his family and promised it four acres of land, a site and a government job to any one of its members. An artist's concept of two black holes circling each other before merging. For the first time in history, scientists have directly observed a black hole merger, using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). For the first time in history, scientists have physical proof that pairs of black holes will sometimes circle around each other, collide and mush together to form a single, bigger black hole. This news of binary-pair detection is extremely significant for astrophysicists, but it was somewhat eclipsed by the simple fact that the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) had detected gravitational waves at all. It was the first instance of a direct detection of these ripples through space-time, and it marks the dawn of a new subfield of astronomy. Vicky Kalogera, a black hole scientist at Northwestern University in Illinois and a member of the LIGO team, said it was appropriate that gravitational waves took center stage last week. But she took some time to talk to Space.com about why the pair of black holes that LIGO detected is particularly strange and exciting, too. [Stirred, Not Shaken - How Colliding Black Holes Make Waves] Using laser beams, scientists have detected the physical distortions caused by passing gravitational waves. See how the LIGO observatory hunts gravitational waves in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) Another first There are two things that make the pair of black holes detected by LIGO interesting to astrophysicists like Kalogera. One of the ways that black holes are thought to form in the universe is via star death. The hypothesis goes that when massive stars stop burning fuel, all their mass collapses down into a very small area, and creates an object with such a massive gravitational pull that not even light can escape. The gravity is so intense that the laws of physics, as humans understand them, break down. Individual black holes have been observed in various ways, but until last week, there was no physical proof that black holes can exist as binary pairs that circle around each other and eventually collide. "We see binary stars all the time," Kalogera told Space.com. It should follow that those star pairs should one day die and form black-hole pairs. And yet, "up until now, we had zero experimental evidence, even indirect, that binary black holes exist. So, the significance of this discovery from an astrophysics point of view is that it confirms all the theoretical predictions that binary black holes exist." Without a gravitational-wave detector like LIGO, scientists would never have been able to study binary black holes. Researchers can spot individual black holes in distant locations because material around those objects gets accelerated and radiates light. But Kalogera said scientists don't expect to see any kind of light radiated from around two black holes spinning toward each other and colliding, because the dynamics of the system would be very chaotic, and not very conducive to material accumulating and staying nearby. So detecting them with light-based telescopes may be impossible. The fact that the recently upgraded LIGO detector spotted a binary black hole merger so early in the instrument's observation period means there's a chance that scientists will have a lot of black hole data to study in the coming years. Fat black holes and how they form The second really interesting feature of the black hole duo is their mass. The colliding black holes detected by the LIGO collaboration have 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, respectively. These are not, by any stretch, the most massive black holes ever detected. The black hole at the center of the Milky Way, for example, is more than 4 million times the mass of the sun. The most massive black holes in the universe seem to be about 12 billion times the mass of the sun. It's still a mystery how these exceptionally massive black holes form. Using X-ray telescopes, scientists have identified black holes that seem to have formed from stars similar to Earth's sun, but Kalogera said those black holes reach a maximum mass of about 20 times that of the sun. Black holes with masses of 29 and 36 times that of the sun are somewhat hard to explain. "The 29 and 30-plus solar masses come as an unusual surprise. If you look at most binary stars in [the Milky Way] galaxy, given the composition of the stars, we don't expect black holes of this mass," Kalogera said. "The higher mass tells us that these binary black holes formed from a particular environment [with a] metallicity that is different than [the sun's] metallicity." Metallicity refers to the fraction of the star that is not made up of hydrogen or helium, but instead consists of heavier elements. A higher concentration of hydrogen and helium allows the star to retain more of its mass through its lifetime, Kalogera said. Stars continuously lose mass because of stellar wind, a flow of particles away from a star's atmosphere. But in the past seven or eight years, scientists have revised their theories to show that stellar winds are weaker than previously thought. "If those winds are very strong, you end up with final masses that are very small and you don't form heavy black holes," Kalogera said. "Around in the late 2000s, estimates of how strong [solar] winds are were revised. Astrophysicists realized from electromagnetic observations that the winds are weaker than we thought. So, if you now put weaker winds in your stellar models, your final masses are heavier, so you're getting these heavy black holes to form in your models. By now, many groups have confirmed those predictions." The detection by LIGO further corroborates those theories, but this is just the beginning. More observations of black hole binaries will help scientists refine their models even more. One major question Kalogera said she hopes astrophysicists will eventually be able to answer is how black hole binaries form. There are two leading models, which she refers to as "vanilla" and "wacky." Many stars in the universe live as binaries, because stars are born in clouds of gas and dust and these stellar nurseries typically have more than enough material to form multiple stars. The "vanilla" description of binary black-hole formation starts with a happy, stable pair of normal stars, living their lives in relative peace. They grow up together, they get old, they both explode into supernovas, then collapse into black holes. After that, they stick together and eventually merge. The "wacky" idea is a bit more chaotic. "They're dancing, basically, in a swirl of stars, flying around, and sometimes, through recoils, [the stars] can shoot some of the other stars out of the cluster," Kalogera said. So it could be that binary black holes form from stars that weren't born in the same litter, but were flung from their original homes. Or, these complicated interactions could also lead to scenarios in which multiple, newly formed black holes can move toward the center of a stellar group. There, some of them would be ejected while others remain, forming stable binaries only after becoming black holes. Eventually, with a larger sample of binary black holes from LIGO, Kalegera said scientists may be able to discern which formation method dominates in the universe. "We'll be able to tell whether wacky wins or the more vanilla [model]," she said. Kalogera and the other members of the LIGO scientific collaboration published a paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters that describes what the researchers have already learned about the newly discovered black hole pair, and how that fits with current theories. In the wake of last week's historic announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), British physicist and black hole theorist Stephen Hawking was quick to congratulate the US-led collaboration, sharing his excitement for the historic news. "These results confirm several very important predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity," Hawking said in a BBC interview. "It confirms the existence of gravitational waves directly." ANALYSIS: We've Detected Gravitational Waves, So What? As is becoming clear, the direct detection of these ripples in spacetime not only confirm Einstein's famous theory of general relativity, they open our eyes to a previously "dark" universe. Astronomy uses the electromagnetic spectrum (such as visible light, X-rays, infrared) to study the universe, but objects that do not radiate in the electromagnetic spectrum will go unnoticed. But now we know how to detect gravitational waves, there could be a paradigm shift in how we detect and study some of the most energetic cosmic phenomena. "Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe," said Hawking. "The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionize astronomy." Using LIGO's twin observing stations located in Louisiana and Washington, physicists not only detected gravitational waves; the gravitational waves they detected had a very clear signal that closely matched theoretical models of a black hole merger some 1.3 billion light-years away. Already, from initial analysis of the black hole merger signal, Hawking has realized that the system seems to align itself with theories he developed in the 1970's. ANALYSIS: Hawking Tries to Find Black Hole's Emergency Exit "This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging," he said. "The observed properties of this system is consistent with predictions about black holes that I made in 1970 here in Cambridge." Hawking is perhaps most renowned for his work on melding quantum theory with black hole physics, realizing that black holes evaporate over time, leading to his involvement in the fascinating "Firewall Paradox" that is continuing to rumble throughout the theoretical physics community. But here he refers to his black hole area theorem, which forms the basis of the "second law" of black hole mechanics. This law states that entropy, or the level of disorganization of information, cannot decrease within a black hole system over time. A consequence of this theorem is that should two black holes merge, like the Sept. 14 event, the combined event horizon area "is greater than the sum of the areas of the initial black holes." Also, Hawking points out that this gravitational wave signal appears to be in agreement with predictions based on the "no-hair theorem" of black holes, basically meaning a black hole can be simply described by its spin, mass and charge. The details behind how this first gravitational wave signal of a black hole merger agrees with theory are complex, but it is interesting to know that this first detection has already allowed physicists to confirm decades-old theories that have, until now, had little to no observational evidence. ANALYSIS: We Just Heard the Spacetime 'Chirp' of Black Hole Rebirth "This discovery also presents a puzzle for astrophysicists," said Hawking. "The mass of each of the black holes are larger than expected for those formed by the gravitational collapse of a star so how did both of these black holes become so massive?" This question touches on one of the biggest mysteries surrounding black hole evolution. Currently, astronomers are having a hard time understanding how black holes grow to be so massive. On the one end of the scale, there are "stellar mass" black holes that form immediately after a massive star goes supernova and we also have an abundance of evidence for the existence of the supermassive behemoths that live in the centers of most galaxies. There is a disconnect, however. If black holes grow by merging and consuming stellar matter, there should be evidence of black holes of all sizes. But "intermediate mass" black holes and black holes of a few dozen solar masses are astonishingly rare, throwing some black hole evolution theories into doubt. VIDEO: Gravitational Waves Confirmed: A Historic Discovery With the detection of gravitational waves on Sept. 14 came the realization that a black hole binary merger caused it. Two black holes, "weighing in" at 29 and 36 solar masses, collided and merged as one, generating a very clear gravitational wave signal. But, as pointed out by Hawking, how black holes of this specific mass came to being could provide some clues as to how black holes grow. One thing is clear, however: This is the first time that we've acquired direct evidence of a black hole merger a key mechanism that underlies black hole evolution theories so it's good to know we're on the right track. Watch the full BBC Stephen Hawking interview here: Originally published on Discovery News. In "Star Trek," space travelers can easily "replicate" any food they desire. But for real space travel, scientists are working on technologies that will help keep astronauts well-fed. If future space travelers wish to make a cup of Earl Grey tea like Captain Jean-Luc Picard from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" or chocolate treats, as the show's character Deanna Troi asked for they'll need technology and ideas seeded by scientists today. NASA, "Star Trek" and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers Foundation (ASME) want students to help figure out the future of food production in space, so the organizations have created the "Star Trek" Replicator Challenge. ASME is asking students to create 3D-printed designs for hardware that will be needed to prepare nutritious meals in space. Examples could include hardware to grow plants, or to prepare or dispose of food. "Sustainability will be a critical aspect of long-duration space missions and will require off-planet manufacturing technologies to create all of the items our future astronauts need," said Niki Werkheiser, NASA's in-space manufacturing manager, in a statement from NASA. NASA's Star Trek Replicator Challenge is calling on the next generation of starship engineers to create 3D-printed designs for things astronauts need in space. (Image credit: NASA) According to a video announcing the challenge, the winning designs will fly in space in 2050. The challenge was recently launched at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City and runs through May 1. Several prizes are available for winners of the Replicator Challenge, such as a visit to the Intrepid Museum (home to the space shuttle Enterprise) with an astronaut, a 3D printer for the school of the winning inventor, or a "Star Trek" prize pack. While "Star Trek" is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, food has yet to actually be "replicated" in space or on Earth the way it has been depicted in the many incarnations of Trek shows and films. In the Trek universe, characters can simply tell a machine what they desire, and it appears almost instantly. Real-world astronauts can use a 3D printer onboard the International Space Station to create tools and other hardware that might move them toward "replicating" food for future space travelers. The first 3D printer was sent to the station in 2014 and has successfully printed 21 items so far. NASA pointed out that successful food production will be essential for the agency's plans to colonize locations out in space, specifically Mars. More information on the "Star Trek" Replicator Challenge is available at http://www.FutureEngineers.org/StarTrek. Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Sarita alleged that her husband and other members of his family started torturing her over her fathers inability to give them dowry. Bihar: In less than two months after her wedding, a woman from Saran district, Bihar was forced to abscond from her in-laws house in Haryana as her husband, with some help from his sister-in-law, allegedly arranged for the woman to be sold to porn movie makers for 7 lakh rupees. Sarita devi (name changed), managed to reach her family in Bihar in a distraught condition. Her family was shocked to see her back from Haryana barely two months after her wedding. Sarita narrated the entire incident to her family upon which, they filed a complaint with the Taraiya police station, in Bihar according to a report in India Today. Sarita alleged that her husband and other members of his family started torturing her over her fathers inability to give them dowry. According to Sarita, her in-laws wanted her father to give her husband 2 lakh rupees in cash along with motorcycle for the marriage, but he was unable to meet their demands because of his financial condition. She added that her in-laws not only taunted her for her fathers inability to provide a dowry, but also started treating her roughly. They even made me work as a labourer in the fields, she said in her complaint. Sarita further alleged that her husband, with some help from his sister-in-law, sold her to porn filmmakers for 7 lakh rupees. When Sarita learned that she was to be handed over to her buyers the next morning she eloped from Haryana and went back to her family in Bihar. Police are looking into Saritas case and an investigation is ongoing. Bengaluru: The ruling Congress in Karnataka suffered a setback winning only one Assembly seat of the three which went to polls on Saturday while the opposition BJP bagged two seats including the prestigious Hebbal in Bengaluru, where veteran Congress leader Jaffer Shariefs grandson, Rehaman Sharief, had contested as Congress candidate. The BJPs Y.A. Narayanaswamy trounced Sharief by a margin of over 19,000 votes in Hebbal, where the JD(S) candidate lost his deposit. The BJP sprung a surprise wresting Devadurga from Congress, for which the only consolation was the Bidar North seat, won by party candidate Rahim Khan. The BJPs Shivanagouda Naik won Devadurga defeating Congressman Rajashekar Naik while in Bidar North, Khan crushed the challenge from BJPs Prakash Khandre with former CM Dharam Singh lending a helping hand. All eyes were on Hebbal, which the Congress turned into a battle of prestige after the party top brass virtually imposed Rehaman Sharief on state leaders including CM Siddaramaiah. Now that the results are out, accusations have started flying that Rehaman lost because of internal sabotage. Fingers are being pointed at the Siddaramaiah camp which wanted MLC Byrathi Suresh as the candidate, instead of Rehaman. Others aver that minority community leaders, who do not see eye to eye with Jaffer Sharief, wanted to check his clout and subtly did the damage. What has further fuelled doubts about the enemy within is Narayanaswamys massive margin of victory in what was supposed to be a battle which would go down to the wire. Ground Zero of Global Geopolitics Moscow's approach to diplomatic efforts has clearly shown just how cynical this game has become. Russia has said that a real cease-fire can't be reached before the end of February, making it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin only intends to negotiate once he has reached his military goals. And German diplomats have said that Russia has refused to offer any guarantees that the Assad regime would adhere to a cease-fire. Aleppo has made it clear that there could very well be a military solution for Syria: the victory of Assad achieved with the help of Russian bombs and Syrian and Iranian ground troops. It would be the victory of a regime that tortures and murders, a regime that drops barrel bombs on its own people and kills them with chemical weapons. It is a regime which stands accused by the UN of the "extermination" of its own population. It would likely, though, be a victory without peace. Syrian President Bashar Assad's calculation seems to be that once the rebels are destroyed, only the regime and Islamic State would be left -- and no other alternatives. But the Sunnis, which have long been in the majority in Syria, aren't likely to throw their support behind an Alawite-Shiite Assad regime. Syria would face years of Somalia-like failed state status. The war has long since ceased being solely about Syria. The country has become Ground Zero of global geopolitics, an unholy mixture of Russia's desired return to superpower status, an increasingly authoritarian Turkey, tentative US foreign policy, the Kurdish conflict, the arch-rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Islamist terror and the inability of a divided, crisis-ridden EU to do much of anything. The war in Syria has transformed from a civil war into a world war. It has long since reached Europe in the form of millions of refugees, terror attacks in Paris and attacks on tourists in Tunisia and Istanbul. And America, which has long been the leader of the West and guarantor of security in Europe, has refused to get involved. Aleppo is therefore a test of Russia's relationship with the West , a measuring stick for the value of democracy and a litmus test of the effectiveness of a morals-based foreign policy. Vladimir Putin: 1; World: 0 Already, Vladimir Putin looks to be one of the conflict's winners. When it comes to the war in Syria, he is now in control. Without his bombers, military advisors and special forces, the weakened Syrian army wouldn't be able to make any advances at all. Indeed, it was the looming defeat of Assad that pushed Putin to intervene at the end of September in the first place. At the time, Putin was still claiming that his goal was that of defeating IS -- and many Western governments hoped naively that perhaps Russia could finally impose order in Syria. Since then, though, it has become clear that the opposite is true: In four-and-a-half months, Putin has reversed the momentum in the Syrian civil war in favor of dictator Assad and has increased the chaos -- all while largely ignoring Islamic State. What's more, Moscow has targeted exactly those rebels that the West had hoped would fight IS. Putin has embarrassed the US superpower, discredited the UN and transformed Russia into an influential power in the Middle East. In addition, his brutal operation has driven tens of thousands of people to take flight, thus intensifying the conflict between the EU and Turkey, dividing Europe even further and propelling the Continent's right-wing populist parties to unprecedented heights. Those are all desired side-effects that conform to Moscow's calculus: Everything that hurts Europe makes Russia stronger. Berlin, too, has become convinced that Putin's involvement in Syria is about more than merely providing support for his ally Assad -- and about more than just the Middle East. For Putin, it's about Europe, about ending the sanctions and about recognition of Russia's zone of influence. "Putin is intentionally aggravating the refugee crisis in order to destabilize the EU. That is part of Russia's hybrid war," says German parliamentarian Niels Annen, foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democrats (SPD). It has become increasingly clear that Russia is not a partner in the fight against Islamic State, as some in Europe had hoped. Rather, Russia is an adversary that is willing to achieve its goals by way of violence if necessary. How, then, should Europe deal with the unpredictable ruler in the Kremlin? Should it talk to Putin or fight him? What are the consequences of American reticence for Europe? And how can this five-year tragedy be brought to an end? Is there still a solution at all beyond Bashar Assad? The Foreign Ministry in Moscow is a combination of Russia's historical pride and its new-found self-confidence. The tip of the Stalin-era structure still juts darkly into the winter sky, just as it always has, but the facade of the right-hand wing shines with a fresh gloss. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, whose portfolio includes Syria, receives visitors on the fifth floor. The Middle East, Gatilov says, will continue to be a focus of Russian foreign policy for years to come. He believes that Moscow has a particular responsibility for the region and that Russia is "geographically and historically closer" to Middle Eastern countries and that "we understand their mentality better than the West may do. At least we have never tried to force our will on the people there." The comment was aimed at Washington. But in the Syrian drama, Moscow has another significant adversary: Turkey. The ambitions of Recep Tayyip Erdogan are dangerous and the West must finally recognize that fact, Gatilov says. Would Moscow suspend its bombing campaign during cease-fire negotiations as a gesture of goodwill? Gatilov shakes his head: No, the airstrikes must continue, "even in the event of a cease-fire. The logic of a cease-fire includes all those who have a real interest in negotiations, but it does not include terrorists." The Russian Offensive There are currently around 3,000 Russian troops stationed in the province of Latakia on Syria's coast and Russian jets have flown roughly 7,300 sorties since the end of September. During daylight hours, a Sukhoi warplane takes off from the Hmeymim air base about every 20 minutes and the Kremlin-controlled media releases claims of success daily: "The terrorists have sustained heavy losses in Aleppo!" and "More and more volunteers are joining Assad!" Footage of advancing Assad units is accompanied by hymnal choir music. But because the troops loyal to Assad -- which have long been made up primarily of Iranians and Lebanese -- are in reality only advancing slowly, they are now being supported by Russian troops. That looks to be the case from video footage from northwestern Syria that has been analyzed by Russian activists belonging to the Conflict Intelligence Team. One video shows a Russian-speaking officer who is observing the battlefield. Another shows Msta-B artillery pieces, a weapon that Assad's army has never possessed. Russian commands can be heard: "Number two, ready. Fire!" The Russian offensive managed to achieve more in just a few days than the Assad regime had in the years that preceded it -- and has also reduced Tehran's influence in Syria. Putin is now the most powerful man in Damascus and he appears to be following a strategy similar to the one he once employed in Chechnya: destroy everything until there are no more people left, there is no more resistance and no political alternative. Then he is free to install a leader of his choosing. The West has been observing the consequential brutality of Putin's new foreign policy strategy with a mixture of awe, indignation and horror. Yet it is a strategy that has long since been outlined in Putin's speeches or in the papers of Kremlin-allied think tanks. Retired General Leonid Ivashov, once a high-ranking Defense Ministry official and now the president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems in Moscow, weeks ago declared 2016 to be a decisive year "in which Russia takes a leading role in the Middle East, thereby challenging the West and reestablishing its civilizing determination. Russia is becoming an independent geo-political actor." He says that Russia has redefined its goals and will distance itself from the West, thereby breaking America's dominant role. The Middle East, he believes, will be the focus of conflict. Putin would never say such a thing openly, but it seems likely that he is thinking in a similar vein. He has never been particularly shy about pursuing his foreign policy vision. He showed as much in Georgia in 2008 and then again in the Ukraine crisis. Now, its Syria's turn. Merkel 'Horrified by Human Suffering' That's why it is naive for senior German politicians, like Social Democrat head and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel or Horst Seehofer, head of Bavaria's Christian Social Union -- the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats -- to dabble in foreign policy by meeting with Putin in the hope that he might help solve Germany's and Europe's problems. The East-West dialogue that they allegedly wanted to restart has been continuing the entire time. But Putin has never rewarded attempts at mediation, preferring instead to use Moscow visits by Western politicians for his own domestic political propaganda. If anything, Putin is more affected by unambiguous criticism from Merkel, who recently said she is "horrified by the human suffering caused by the air raids, particularly from the Russian side." The Kremlin immediately and brusquely rejected the critique, an indication that such words are not without effect. NATO too has recently changed its strategy when it comes to dealing with Putin. The Western alliance is currently preparing an operation in the fight against migrant smugglers in the Aegean and intends to station additional troops in its eastern member states. The plans are to be completed prior to the NATO summit scheduled for the beginning of July, with up to 1,000 troops to be sent to each of the eastern alliance members. Both objectives are primarily to be understood as messages to Putin: NATO is taking action on both the refugee crisis and in response to eastern provocations. An old Cold War term has taken on new life in the debate: deterrence. But with the intensified air war against Islamic State in Syria, the danger of a direct confrontation with Russia has also increased. There have been repeated airspace violations in recent months, with the Turkish shooting down of a Russian military jet in November marking the most severe incident. Ankara refrained at the time from asking for help from the alliance. But should Russian provocations continue, the Turkish government could invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which holds that an attack on one or more members of the alliance is an attack on the alliance as a whole. Should that come to pass, the Western alliance would find itself on the brink of a military confrontation with Russia. And the situation in Aleppo could trigger the kind of escalation between the West and Russia that hasn't been seen in decades. Currently, refugees from Aleppo and its surroundings are now camping out at exactly the place where this danger is at its greatest: on the border between Syria and Turkey. Tens of thousands of people have fled the Russian airstrikes in recent days, including many women and children, poor people, the elderly and the sick. Most of them possess little more than the clothes on their backs and for many, it is not the first time they have fled the violence of the civil war. The tents set up on the Syrian side of the border by Turkish and international aid agencies have long since filled up. Instead, people are sleeping on cardboard out in the open, despite the rain and cold. Most of them want to get out of Syria as quickly as they can. But the Turkish military has closed the border, only allowing the sick and injured to pass. Soldiers are patrolling between the checkpoints and tanks roll down the streets while in the distance, explosions can be heard and columns of smoke can be seen. "Here alone, we need at least an additional 1,500 tents. We have no sanitary facilities and not enough food," says the manager of the refugee camp at the Bab Al-Salameh ("Gate of Peace") border crossing. "Some 60,000 people who previously fled live in our camp and in seven additional camps. All schools and mosques are full of people. It is cold, it's raining. We need help!" Dozens of refugees are camped out on a bit of unused land on the Turkish side of the border, not far from the city of Kilis. Waled Kabso, a 66-year-old mathematics teacher from Tall Rifaat, a town just north of Aleppo, is squatting on a blanket. He came with his daughter, whose son was injured and who is now receiving treatment in Kilis. His wife and 11 other children remain stuck in Syria. Kabso takes a mobile phone out of his jacket pocket and tries to reach his family, but is unable to. "Erdogan says we Syrians are his brothers, but why isn't he helping us?" 'Erdogan Fears Kurds More than Assad or IS' Turkey has already absorbed over 2.5 million refugees, but Erdogan no longer wants to take any more Syrians into the country. His reasoning has more to do with forcing political concessions from Europe than with fears that his country will be overwhelmed. Although Brussels has approved 3 billion in aid to Ankara for dealing with the refugee crisis in the country, Turkish politicians have been saying for some time now that they consider this sum to be too low. The escalation of the conflict also provides Erdogan with the opportunity to push ahead with a plan he has long embraced: the establishment of a buffer zone in northern Syria as a place he can send refugees back to. More important than providing a safe zone for refugees, however, doing so would help Erdogan stop the advance of the Kurds . Erdogan himself has been one of the biggest losers in the Syrian drama. For years, he supported some of the rebels in their campaign against Assad, but with prospects of the Syrian dictator's ouster slipping, Erdogan's ultimate nightmare could actually come true -- the formation of a Kurdish proto-state located directly on the border, governed by allies of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). "Erdogan fears the Kurds more than Assad or the IS," says Evren Cevik, the foreign policy spokesman for the pro-Kurdish HDP party in Turkey. The Kurds have been most adept at positioning themselves in the complex Syrian conflict. They are aligned with the West against Islamic State and, more recently, increasingly with the Russians as well. Last Wednesday, the Kurdish-Syrian PYD opened its second international representation office on the outskirts of Moscow. So far, the liaison office is comprised only of a telephone, a conference table and two dozen chairs, but one need look no further than at one of the most high-profile guests at the opening reception to gauge the magnitude of the outpost's symbolic impact: none other than Alexander Borodai, who rose to international prominence as the "prime minister" of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic," a veteran of Moscow's hybrid warfare . On the same night of the opening, Syrian Kurds captured the Minnigh air base, located between Aleppo and the Turkish border, following Russian airstrikes and advances by Assad-aligned troops. The Kurds deny they are fighting alongside the regime, but all indications suggest there is some form of cooperation. The greatest risk right now, though, is that of a direct confrontation between Turkey and Russia. After Turkey shot down the Russian warplane in November, Moscow moved to increase air defenses so heavily in Syria that it would now be extremely difficult for Ankara to intervene in the hostilities taking place next door. There are nevertheless rumors that Turkey could be preparing for an invasion with ground forces. This week, Turkey sought to dispel such speculation that it was considering a solo ground effort, instead asking the US and other allies to form a coalition for a joint ground operation to bring hostilities in Syria to an end. But what would happen if a Turkish aid convoy were to be attacked by Russian fighter jets? Or if the Russians armed the Kurds with anti-aircraft missiles -- and these were then used to shoot down a Turkish jet? Or if Turkey were to provide the rebels with these weapons which they could then use to target Russian jets? Would NATO have to intervene at that point? Obama's Silence The man who could answer many of these questions is saying very little these days about Syria, despite the recent drama. In the past, Barack Obama has said that Assad must step down and he still refers to him as "a brutal, ruthless dictator." At the same time, though, Obama is doing nothing to counter him and there are no signs that he has anything up his sleeve either. The New York Times recently wrote that it is difficult to distinguish between Putin's and Obama's Syria strategies. Meanwhile, historian and journalist Michael Ignatieff and Brookings Institution fellow Leon Wieseltier lamented in the Washington Post, "It's time for those who care about the moral standing of the United States to say that this policy is shameful." It is very clear at this point that the US has no strategy beyond its half-hearted efforts to provide training and arms to rebels -- and to otherwise rely on negotiations. But none of this has born any fruit, as events in early February demonstrated. Secretary of State Kerry worked for three months to get the warring parties to a negotiating table under the auspices of the United Nations -- moderate rebels, representatives of the regime, Iranians, Saudi Arabians and Russians. But Moscow then turned around and launched its offensive right as the talks began. Within 48 hours, the Russian air force carried out 320 airstrikes in northern Syria alone. It was no coincidence that the storm on Aleppo began at that exact moment. The aim was that of destroying any possibility that the opposition would have a say in Syria's future. "All sides were aware that a continuation of the talks would become increasingly difficult for the opposition as the regime intensified its military offensive," diplomats in Geneva said. After two days, the UN mediator Staffan de Mistura suspended talks. Right now, it doesn't look as though the opposition will be prepared to return to Geneva on Feb. 25 as planned. And why should they? Assad's 'Core Syria' Strategy Assad's aim right now is to capture militarily a kind of "core Syria," in which the majority of the population lives. If successful, he will be able to negotiate from a position of strength and dictate the conditions, which are certain not to include his resignation. At a reception held during the Syria donors conference in London at the beginning of February, three human rights activists from Syria asked Kerry why the US hasn't done anything to ensure the protection of the civilians. The secretary of state countered: "Don't blame me, blame your opposition." "Kerry was really angry," one of the women, who wishes to remain anonymous, recalls. "He said the opposition should have accepted what they were capable of getting. We replied that the Russians had dropped 230 bombs on Aleppo on a single day. He corrected us by saying it had only been 180. Then he said, 'These airstrikes will continue for three more months. The opposition will be decimated.' And he said it would be their fault and not that of the Russians." Has Obama Given Up Hope? When Putin intervened in Syria, Obama seemed to give up any hope of being able to solve the crisis in the Middle East, if he hadn't already. He is afraid of a confrontation with the Russians, but he is also concerned because he needs Moscow to ensure that the nuclear deal with Iran is a success. "This administration is not going to change their engagement," argues Hardin Lang of the Center for American Progress, a think tank with close ties to the current administration. Lang says Assad's removal is but a "distant prospect" now and it would be "difficult to imagine how a transfer of power between Assad and a new government could work anytime in the near future. The world looks different today than it did only three or four months ago," he says. Currently, Obama's Syria strategy consists almost entirely of fighting Islamic State. In contrast to Assad, whom he views simply as being an annoying dictator, the president sees Islamic State as a threat to US national security. In addition to airstrikes, this strategy also includes an emphasis on supporting Kurdish operations. More than 50 special forces are operating in northern Syria and Iraq right now in support of the Kurds. The strategy is proving effective, even if only slowly, with the area under IS control having been reduced by one-third. But this has also entailed a bizarre division of labor: The US is bombing IS in the east of Syria while Assad and Putin recapture the rest of the country. To many Syrians, that looks a lot like cooperation. At the same time, in order to force the rebels to the table at the failed talks in Geneva, the US ceased providing military aid to rebel groups and also pressured its allies to do the same. The rebels, who are fighting against Assad, but also against IS, are embittered, angry and desperate. "How could Obama have been so naive to believe that all he had to do was cordially invite Putin or Assad?" asks a perplexed Ismail Naddaf, of Aleppo's Fatah Brigade. "America never wanted to topple Assad. They wanted negotiations, but that was illusory. Assad doesn't negotiate." 'Looking on as We Get Massacred' Abd Alsalm Hmedi, a former fighter pilot from Aleppo who defected to the Free Syrian Army in 2012, also feels abandoned. "You cheered on the revolution, but now you are just looking on as we get massacred by Assad and the Russians," he says. Like many moderate rebels, he has the feeling that the predictions made long ago by radicals are now coming true: that America is betraying them. Some fighters will now join forces with IS and many will turn to the Nusra Front, part of al-Qaida. Diplomacy too has its price, particularly when it fails. The price of Western passivity is the endless suffering of people in Syria, the strengthening of Putin, divisions in Europe and the rise of the radicals. And yet, there were opportunities in the past five years for steering events in Syria down a different path. The West, especially the United States, could have been more resolute in its support of the rebels and provided them with the necessary equipment. It could have implemented and enforced a no-fly zone in parts of the country, giving countless people the possibility of staying in the country rather than fleeing. And Washington should have followed up on its threat that there would be consequences if the "red line" of a chemical weapons attack were crossed, as happened on August 21, 2013. Such a response could have come in the form of targeted military strikes against regime positions and military bases. Back then, it still wasn't too late. Playing Chicken with Moscow If the West were to conduct a military intervention today in order to prevent further tragedy in Aleppo, the risk of a direct confrontation with Russia would be considerable. Despite that threat, an increasing number of observers are calling for action. If the US and NATO allow the siege of Aleppo to proceed, they will be "complicit in crimes of war," Ignatieff and Wieseltier wrote in the Washington Post. "Aleppo is an emergency, requiring emergency measures." It is also an opportunity, they wrote, "perhaps the last one, to save Syria." Their plan calls for the US, with the use of its naval and air assets and under the NATO umbrella, to establish a no-fly zone from Aleppo to the Turkish border -- and make clear it will be defended. There is, of course, a threat of a confrontation with Russia, but that is in no way a foregone conclusion, especially given that the US Air Force is already in constant contact with the Russian military about its operations in Syria. If the price of intervention gets even higher for Putin, he would likely be more prepared to make concessions, they write. That "may set the stage for a tough and serious negotiation to bring an end to the slaughter." Saudi Arabia has already announced that it wants to send in ground troops, prompting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to warn on Thursday that boots on the ground could spark a "world war." However, there is nothing to indicate that the United States has any plans to lead an invasion army -- at least not for the remainder of Obama's final term. In all likelihood, though, starting in 2017, a more strongly interventionist president will reside in the White House. But by then, Assad may have won. It's a victory that would result in many, many losers. Almost all of the rebels and most of the refugees are part of the Sunni majority. Middle East expert Nicholas Heras, from the Center for a New American Security, believes that changing the country's demographics is a cornerstone of Assad's strategy. "The Assad regime has a clear devastation and depopulation strategy," he recently told BuzzFeed. "Both the Assad regime and Russia understand full well that in order to win the war, they have to destroy the local communities that give the rebel movement support." If some rebels then join al-Qaida or Islamic State, that could even benefit Assad because it will increase the willingness to see the Syrian president as the lesser of two evils. Yet that would not mark a return to the pre-2011 Syria, nor would it establish the security and stability necessary for a return of the refugees. The hate is too strong, the destruction too vast and the fear of revenge and persecution by Assad's secret services too great. The remaining rebels may just continue fighting in a bitter war of attrition. As the situation currently stands, people will continue to die. People like canary-breeder Juma al-Najar, 45, his wife and 18-year-old daughter. When the Russian airstrikes began, they fled their hometown of Maraa, located between Aleppo and the Turkish border. A week ago Monday, they returned in the hopes of soon being able to escape to Turkey, but on Tuesday, a bomb dropped by a Russian jet hit their house. Only their legs, arms and heads remained, quickly buried in six plastic bags. People will continue to be wounded. People like the grandchildren of the farmer's wife Fatima al-Dik in the village of Ratyan. They were hit by a missile and are now fighting for their lives in a hospital in Kilis. Or people like the 82-year-old great-grandmother Fattum Kaddour, who has now, for the second time, been pulled out of the rubble of her bombed out home in Aleppo. She has now managed to flee to the Turkish border. "I wish I were dead," she says. The horror simply continues, like in Aleppo, where two children were just recently torn apart by Russian bombs in front of their school. The school is in a basement, because it is at least halfway safe underground. The story is told by a former law student named Zuhair, who organizes classes in seven Aleppo schools. "Entire city quarters have emptied out; teachers have fled as have many families. And that even though the border is closed and nobody knows where they might be safe. Everywhere I look, I see fear in people's faces." On Monday, Feb. 7, several bombs fell on a street in the residential Aleppo district of Sakhour, he recalls. "It was terrible. There were body parts lying all over, here a hand, there a head, a foot, a torso. And people just kept walking, hardly any of them looked shocked and nobody stopped," Zuhair says. "Have we become monsters? Or is that our way of staying normal amid the lunacy that surrounds us?" By Benjamin Bidder, Katrin Kuntz, Juliane von Mittelstaedt, Christian Neef, Maximilian Popp, Christoph Reuter, Mathieu von Rohr, Christoph Schult, Holger Stark, Wladimir van Wilgenburg and Bernhard Zand Sneak Peeks What people really liked about our first 10 episodes is we dont really space stuff out. So hes in almost every episode of the last 13 in various capacities. Theyre going to lock some hours together those two, thats for sure.It gives her some firm footing with Weller, definitely. Shes in such a state of flux. Finding anything that can be real and true any sort of grip point for her to start orienting herself is incredibly useful. I think it means a lot to her. Sneak Peek 5 Thanks to Karai9 for the heads up. 03/11/2016 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Friday) : "GRIMM" REACHES A MILESTONE 100 EPISODES AS NICK AND MONROE FALL INTO A WORLD OF TROUBLE - JACQUELINE TOBONI AND DAMIEN PUCKLER GUEST STAR - Nick (David Giuntoli) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) find a treasure in Germany that has been hidden for centuries. Back in Portland, Capt. Renard (Sasha Roiz) joins Hank (Russell Hornsby) and Wu (Reggie Lee) to track down a deadly assassin who has thrown Portland into havoc. Little do they know that Eve (Bitsie Tulloch) is on a hunt of her own for the same man. Meanwhile, someone from Rosalee's (Bree Turner) past tracks her down. Claire Coffee also stars. Next Chapter of Hit Event Series to Premiere this Summer on FOXTwo-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America) has been cast as a series regular on WAYWARD PINES, the hit psychological thriller event series returning for a second season this summer on FOX. Hounsou will portray CJ MITCHUM, an original resident of Wayward Pines and a historian for the town with extensive knowledge of its complex origins, and the one person who can provide a unique bridge between the current world of Wayward Pines and the previous world that humans inhabited. Hounsou joins Jason Patric, who was previously announced in a starring role on Season Two of WAYWARD PINES.From executive producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Visit) and based on the world created by author Blake Crouch in his international best-selling series of books, the 10-episode, second season will pick up after the shocking events of Season One,with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation. As events unfold in Wayward Pines, the thoughtful and philosophical Mitchum a former teacher makes a decision that will affect the fate of Wayward Pines and every resident living there.Djimon Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards for his roles in director Ed Zwicks Blood Diamond and director Jim Sheridans In America. He also is well known for his breakthrough performance as Cinque, the African who leads an uprising to regain his freedom in Steven Spielbergs Amistad. Hounsou earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and a NAACP Image Award for the part. He later shared a SAG Award nomination as a member of the cast of Ridley Scotts Academy Award-winning Best Picture Gladiator. Recent film credits include Fast & Furious 7, Guardians of the Galaxy and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Hounsou next co-stars as Chief Mbenga in the upcoming feature film Tarzan, set for release this summer, and director Guy Ritchies Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur. Hounsous forthcoming movie credits also include Same Kind of Different as Me, with Greg Kinnear, Jon Voight and Renee Zellweger. He most recently finished work on the documentary In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven. On television, Hounsou voiced the Black Panther in the animated cable series based on the Marvel comic of the same name. He also starred as a refugee who sought asylum in a memorable six-episode arc on ER, and played a recurring role on Alias, starring Jennifer Garner. Born in Benin, West Africa, Hounsou moved to Paris at the age of 13, and was later discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler. He subsequently modeled for and appeared in several iconic music videos for legendary photographer Herb Ritts and director David Fincher. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bang the drum loudly, very loudly. And do it with extraordinary precision and dramatic energy. That is the goal of Yamato: The Drummers of Japan, which will bring its Roar tour to Fairfield Universitys Quick Center for the Arts on Monday night, Feb. 22, as part of a multi-month tour of the U.S., Canada and Germany. Traveling with giant Taiko, a type of unpitched percussion instrument, and heavy batons (traditional drum sticks they are not), the troupe of 10 performers will present Bakuon (roar): Legend of the Heartbeat. In a recent telephone chat from a California tour stop, founder and artistic director Masa Ogawa pointed out that the drums are an integral part of Japanese tradition and folklore dating back about 2,000 years. To many Japanese people, the sonorous beat of Taiko is soothing, for it is the sound of Japan itself, resounding at Shinto rituals and festivals in every part of the nation, Ogawa writes on the groups website. More Information The Quick Center for the Arts, 200 Barlow Road entrance to Fairfield University. Monday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $50, $45, $35. 203-254-4010, quickcenter.com See More Collapse Established in 1993, the group takes its name from where it was founded: Japans Nara Prefecture, formerly known as Yamato, he said. Since then, the troupe has given more than 2,500 performances in more than 50 countries and regions, touring from six to 10 months every year. Our audiences continue to grow because we are always traveling and introducing people to the instruments and spreading appreciation for the ensembles original compositions, he said. As we continue to tour and perform throughout Japan and around the world, whether in concerts, classrooms, school assemblies or workshops, our troupe will continue to cherish and uphold Yamato, the spirit of Japan, he has said. Ogawa, a glass-blower by profession, said his job of the past 20-plus years was not the realization of a life-long dream, but rather the result of a serendipitous find by his mother. By chance, his mother came across a really old Taiko from more than 100 years ago and requested that her son do something very special with it. Not wanting to disappoint her, he obliged, he said, laughing. Ogawa said his troupe is known for its heart-pounding performances that are bursting with energy. Our greatest goal is to send our audiences home after each performance with a new vitality and passion for life, he has said. pasboros@ctpost.com; Twitter: @PhyllisASBoros Chennai: Chennai can save up to Rs 1,000 crore per year if it reduces 20 per cent of non revenue water (NRW) loss, according to Ashok Natarajan, CEO, Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company Limited. Speaking to DC on the sidelines of a workshop here, he said, the Tamil Nadu government was interested in reducing NRW loss, but the recent floods in Chennai have temporarily stopped the initiatives. Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is supplying 1,400 million litres per day and one-third of the water is coming from desalination plants. Chennai is having about 50 per cent of NRW loss where ideally the loss should be around 15 per cent. Even if we are able to reduce the NRW to 30 per cent we can save up to 300 million litres per day and we can save around `1,000 crore per year, Ashok Natarajan said. Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, six cities in Tamil Nadu, including Vellore, Coimbatore and Hosur, will have improved water supply system. We have given the report to the state government, he added. He said water would be measured from the source to end connection in these cities. Assets mapping will be done and to detect leakage and corrosion of water pipes, localisation and trenchless technologies will be used. If we reduce 25 per cent of consumption, we can supply water to the periphery areas of Chennai, which are newly added to the corporation, he said. Even for smart cities, reduction of NRW is an important factor. We will come out with schemes for recycling of water and better distribution management, segregation of customers, accurate metering and pipelines without leakages, he added. A New York man, who federal authories say was part of the Jedi Knights burglary operation, has been sentenced in the theft of $2.5 million in jewelry from an upstate Connecticut home. Miguel Mead, 33, of Schenectady, N.Y, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling jewelry that was stolen in a Connecticut home burglary. Deirdre M. Daly, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, said between February 2012 and November 2013 Mead and a group of friends who referred to themselves as the Jedi Knights, committed numerous residential burglaries in Connecticut and elsewhere along the Eastern Seaboard, stealing money, jewelry and firearms. In February 2012, two of Meads associates burglarized a residence in Salisbury and stole approximately 250 pieces of jewelry valued at more than $2.5 million. They then traveled to a hotel in Newburgh, N.Y., where they met a third accomplice who identified the jewelry as being very valuable. Shortly thereafter, the three accomplices traveled with the jewelry to North Carolina. On the way, they contacted Mead and bought him an airline ticket, which he used to immediately fly to North Carolin, Daly said in a release. After he arrived, Mead was given several pieces of the stolen jewelry, which he subsequently sold to a business in North Carolina in exchange for $11,543.44. The business then melted the pieces down. The investigation revealed that the business purchased one of the pieces, a gold snail broach, for approximately $800. The victim confirmed that the broach was unique and had an appraised worth of $50,000. Mead has been behind bars since his arrest on June 4, 2015. On Oct. 13, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of sale or receipt of stolen goods. Mead has multiple prior convictions, including convictions for crimes of violence, such as assault, and unlawful possession of firearms. An order of restitution will be issued at a later date. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Contributed Photo / Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Robert W. Marchant / Robert W. Marchant /Hearst Connec Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Contributed Photo / Contributed Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Larry Kudlow of Redding, a TV and radio financial pundit, spent seven months pondering a challenge to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal this fall. On Tuesday, he decided not to. In an interview on CNBC, the former adviser to President Ronald Reagan said that he doesnt want to give up his broadcast jobs. CNBC is like an extended family to me, said the 68-year-old commentator, who in recent months was contemplating his first run for elective office. I love it some much I dont want to give it up. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and 16 other governors representing states from Hawaii to New Hampshire are pledging to work together to battle climate change and save money by expanding clean energy and transportation choices. The Governors Accord for a New Energy Future announced Tuesday offers a road map and a commitment by 17 governors to promote clean energy and transportation and work toward a modern electrical grid. It also provides a way to collaborate with each other and leverage partnerships in energy planning and policymaking, the governors said. Advancing clean energy is about advancing our future, Malloy said. In Connecticut, we have coupled a forward-thinking vision with first-in-the-nation initiatives that dramatically reduce carbon emissions. All of the New England states, except Maine, signed the accord. The states, which include both Democratic and Republican governors, represent nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population. More News Bridgeport coal plant owner cleared for gas project With this agreement, governors from both parties have joined together and committed themselves to a clean energy future, said California Gov. Edmund Brown, a Democrat. Our goal is to clean up the air and protect our natural resources. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, offered similar thoughts. Massachusetts will continue to lead the way on clean energy, energy efficiency and the adoption of innovative technologies such as energy storage, Baker said. These efforts, and our legislative proposal to bring additional hydroelectricity and other renewable resources into the region, will ensure we meet our ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets while also creating a stronger economy for the Commonwealth. Malloy noted the goals of environmental protection and economic growth can be achieved together. We believe that economic growth and environmental protection arent mutually exclusive, but can happen in concert - we can indeed create good paying jobs, lower electricity bills for residents and embrace greener, cleaner forms of energy, Malloy said. States involved in the accord pledged to diversify energy generation, expand clean energy sources, modernize energy infrastructure and encourage clean transportation options. The other states signing the accord are New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Washington, Minnesota, Virginia and Oregon. For nearly all small-business owners, business ownership is a labor of love. Yet running a business with your loved one can bring on additional challenges that may take all the romance out of a relationship. The challenges that face a typical business owner -- working 24/7, operating on tight budgets and wearing many hats -- are often intensified when a spouse or significant other is a business partner. Yet many couples have achieved success both personally and professionally working together, and offer lessons that can be applied by all small-business owners. Ive had the opportunity to learn from a number of these successful business owners. Here are three tips from working with business couples that I think every pair who runs a business can put in place to help to ensure their entrepreneurial partnership is as successful as their romantic one: 1. Separate your accounts. For couples who have their personal finances intermingled, its important to take the step to separate business finances to avoid confusion and potential headaches down the road. Related: The Pros and Cons of Working With Your Spouse Business checking and credit accounts that are kept separate from personal accounts can help business owners maintain accurate and complete records of all business-related income and expenses. It also can help keep you both more organized and less stressed. Also, if business owners might seek future financing, having a separate business account can help demonstrate a strong credit profile and solid business financial information. 2. Build a business plan that defines roles and responsibilities. When owning a business with your significant other, a business plan can help clearly define roles. For example, your business plan should specifically state who owns the company, the companys structure, who is on the management team, responsibilities for each role and any additional information that demonstrates your ability to run the business. A smart way to go about this process is to identify your respective strengths in the areas of leadership and business, and then together determine your roles and responsibilities according to those strengths. The business plan should also list any investors, partners or other people who own part of the business, along with the percentages that each individual or group owns so everything is well documented, on paper. Every business -- big or small, sole proprietor or corporation -- needs a plan to ensure it has a strong foundation for long-term success. A well-thought-out business plan is key to helping business owners stay focused on company goals and objectives, as well as track progress. Related: 5 Musts to Keep a Relationship Strong While Growing a New Business 3. Put in place a suitable exit strategy. When creating a business plan, its important to plan an exit strategy as well. Winding down a business is a crucial stage of the business lifecycle and something that should be addressed early on. While it may be uncomfortable to think of divorce or business failure, an exit strategy lays out the process to follow if the unthinkable happens. This strategy can clarify what will happen if one partner decides to leave the business for another job, or there is a need to close the business for other reasons. Whether the business will be passed to a family member, a partner or sold to an external buyer, thoughtful planning is essential to making the transition successful -- not only for the business owners and the successor, but also for the long-term health of the company. Make time to meet with a financial advisor and a tax advisor to establish a plan that works best for both of you and the business. And finally, remember to take time to be a couple outside of the business relationship. Its a theme we hear regularly from couples who own businesses. The line between work and home can be blurred when owning a business with your significant other. So its not surprising that business-owning couples tell us about the importance of dedicating time to stay connected together. No doubt, starting, running and growing a business with a loved one is hard work. However, those couples who have taken steps to avoid common pitfalls also report that its rewarding work that makes their relationships even closer. Related: How to Make It Work When You're Married to Your Co-Founder Related: 3 Tips for Succeeding in Business With Your Loved One The Pros and Cons of Working With Your Spouse 8 Ways to Build a Business Without Strangling Your Spouse Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Police is "openly flouting" Supreme Court orders and wondered what instructions Commissioner BS Bassi has from his "bosses" after an attack on JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar and mediapersons at Patiala Court premises. The chief minister also said he has sought time from the President to discuss the law and order situation in the national capital. The Commissioner is acting "brazenly", Kejriwal alleged while seeking to know what was the "source of his (Bassi's) confidence". "Delhi Police openly flouting SC orders. Bassi acting so brazenly. What is source of his confidence? What instructions does he have from his bosses?" Kejriwal tweeted. In another tweet, he said, "Delhi law and order situation fast deteriorating. Have sought time from Hon'ble President to discuss the situation." Kanhaiya, who is named in a sedition case, and reporters were today attacked by a group of lawyers when the students' union leader was being produced at the Patiala House Court complex, where similar scenes had unfolded earlier this week. Supreme Court had earlier today directed the Commissioner to ensure adequate security at the court complex where Kanhaiya was to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. Later, following the attack on the JNU leader and mediapersons on the court premises, the apex court rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the situation on the ground. "We are concerned about the law and order situation," a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh informed the court about the fresh violence, including the assault on Kanhaiya. Raising slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and waving the tricolour, the lawyers -- including Vikram Chauhan and some others, who had allegedly attacked journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the Patiala court two days back -- today marched to the court complex. One of the journalists, identified as Anwar of CNN IBN, said despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the police presence did not deter the lawyers from raising slogans and clashing with journalists and students. L ooking for a job in fashion? Then consider Amazon. The e-commerce giant is ramping up hiring for its Amazon Fashion Private Label team, with a raft of new jobs including 'fit specialist' and 'merchandiser' positions appearing on its online jobs site. Amazon has been steadily moving deeper into clothing, recruiting London model and actress Suki Waterhouse to front its first fashion advertising campaign last July. It also opened a huge photography studio in Shoreditch to match an existing site in Brooklyn, New York, that is being used to promote the fashion brands sold on all the European Amazon websites. But the new jobs advertisements are the clearest sign yet that a launch of the company's own fashion line is on its way. "When you think of buying new clothing, shoes, watches and jewellery, do you think of Amazon? Not yet? Well, we are going to change that," an ad for a senior software development engineer in fashion technology says. The fit specialist will be required to ensure "fashion products delight our customers in terms of product quality and fit". Amazon warehouse gears up for Black Friday "They will be part of a team of experts who will work with designers, merchandisers, and sourcing managers to ensure we build best in class products," it adds. P imlico Plumber Charlie Mullins has brushed off the threat off Uber-style apps stealing his market share with claims the public would not trust them to do a good job. I know they are creeping in but I just dont think the general public would put up with that (service), the boss of Londons biggest plumbing firm told an audience of entrepreneurs at the Evening Standards Business Connections event at City hotel The Grange St Paul's last night. An Uber for plumbing would find it especially tough to compete with tradespeople, he said, because customers want to trust the workers they invite into their homes. I dont see it as a threat - people will always pay for quality and a personal service. And I dont believe something of that scale can offer what we can offer. Wearing a suit the same shade as Pimlicos vans, the Londoner, was bullish on the current business climate and said he was particularly optimistic for the prospects of female tradespeople, saying the market for their services was massive. To read more news about London-based entrepreneurs and to get their top tips on how to make a business a success, join the Evening Standard's small business community, Business Connections. Nellore: AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishat authorities issued charge memos to 120 medical officers attached to primary health centres, area hospitals and community health centres in Chittoor district for dereliction of duties and running their own clinics. APVVP district coordinator, Dr Saralamma, revealed this during a surprise visit to the government hospital in Madanapalle on Tuesday. Speaking to media persons after the inspection, she said that notices have been served after sending reports to the government about the private practice of the medical officers. She said that six among the 120 are attached to the hospital in Madanapalle. She said that they have sent proposals to the government to establish equipment such as digital X-ray, scanning, ultra sound and ECG in all the community and area hospitals in Chittoor district besides recruiting radiologists and ophthalmologists. She said that they have proposals to setup emergency tre-atment facilities equipped with ventilators in all the hospitals located close to the National Highway as per the directions of the district collector. She expressed her displeasure over the authorities of the hospital for not making use of the scanning equipment und-er the pretext that it was not registered though orders were given to carry out the process in 2013. She directed the superintendent, Dr Anjaneyulu, to put the equipment to use within next three days. The MLA, Dr Desai Tippa Reddy complained about unbearable smell from the mortuary because of defunct freezer box. I ran played hardball over a potential freeze on oil production sought by rival members of the Opec cartel as traders nervously eyed crucial talks in Tehran. Major producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, who met in Qatar yesterday, are attempting to broker the first major oil deal in 15 years, which would hold production at January levels. The deal hopes sent Brent crude briefly soaring above $35 a barrel this week. But Brent was flat at around $32 a barrel on Wednesday as Iran, which has recently had sanctions lifted after years of restricted exports, labelled attempts to freeze production illogical. An Iranian oil glut is one of the main drivers behind the recent fall in prices, which has eased petrol to around the 1-a-litre mark. "It would have no credibility whatsoever." In December the Iranians pumped 2.9 million barrels, nearly three times as much as they were allowed to export under the sanctions regime. The nations Opec envoy Mehdi Asali warned: Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices. How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price? Ministers from Venezuela, Qatar and Iraq are in Tehran for talks over a deal. We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level, Asali said. Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels per day of crude before sanctions. The Saudis and Russia are pushing for a freeze despite production from both countries at record highs. Industry expert Paul Stevens, from the Royal Institute of International Affairs, said Russia reneged on previous agreements and added that a deal would have no credibility whatsoever. I t took a while but Mike Coupe has finally found a fan of his 1.3 billion takeover of Home Retail Group which is just as well as the deadline for Sainsburys to make a firm offer is approaching fast. While many in the City remain baffled by the supermarket chiefs swoop for the Argos owner, broker Exane BNP Paribas is warming to the 1.3 billion, cash-and-shares deal. Analyst John Kershaw lifted his rating to outperform and urged clients to stock up on shares in Sainsburys, 9.8p fresher at 259.4p. He argued that their complementary property portfolios are the swing factor and could cut costs by as much as 200 million, almost double what Coupe claimed was possible. Whether Sainsburys can really grow Argos remains moot, but it can give the business more reach, said Kershaw, who added that around 320 of the supermarkets stores share a postcode with the catalogue retailer. Sainsburys, which has barely risen this year despite strong gains from rivals Tesco and Morrisons, has until 5pm on Tuesday to make a firm bid or walk away. The global stock market rally showed no sign of slowing with oil prices stable, helping the FTSE 100 put on 57.20 points at 5919.37 a rise of 1%. The vampire squid that is Goldman Sachs sucked the life out of Old Mutual, down 1.2p to 165.3p, when it dropped its buy tip on the South African financial-services giant. Goldman suggested weakness in the rand could mean Old Mutual struggles to afford to pay its dividend. Investors hitched a ride on Auto Trader, up 13.5p to 374.8p, as it raised its full-year profit guidance to between 169 million and 171 million, stripping out exceptional costs, telling shareholders business is booming. The online second-hand car dealer is using profits to reduce its debt pile and should be in a position to return cash to investors in the near future. That looks even more likely with David Keens on the board, the long-serving, former finance director of Next, the High-Street fashion group which is well-known for its shareholder payouts. The strong update lifted traditional car dealers Inchcape, up 17.5p to 702.5p, and Pendragon, which raced ahead 1.75p to 37.25p. HSBCs upgrade to buy sparked a rush for shares in FTSE 250 electronic parts distributor Electrocomponents, 14.5p brighter at 224p, while AIM-listed UK Oil & Gas Investments rose another 0.2p to 2.17p after more encouraging oil flows at the so-called Gatwick Gusher well near Londons second airport. L ondons fitness fanatics will soon have a new chain of venues to work out in, with celebrity haunt Xtend Barre flexing its muscles for expansion, it has revealed. Nine years after launching in Florida, Xtend Barre has chosen Marylebone to open its first dedicated European site. It was founded by professional dancer Andrea Rogers, whose workouts combine elements of dance, pilates and ballet. They have become popular with A-list stars including actresses Diane Kruger and Margot Robbie. Up until now in the UK, the firm has only leased space in gyms and studios. But, advised by the property agent Shelley Sandzer, its new standalone home at 49 Marylebone High Street will open in May. Up to three more London venues are planned before the end of next year. Classes will include roll-and-release yoga and parent and baby workouts. Casey Philips, acquisitions agent at Shelley Sandzer, said there has been a massive growth spurt over the last five years of spinning, yoga and personal fitness brands entering the market here. The UKs fitness industry was worth 4.3 billion as at June last year, according to the Leisure Database Company. T he polls have been unequivocal about the EU referendum in one respect all along: many people will take their lead on the issue from politicians they respect. So, if David Cameron returns from his negotiations with other EU leaders announcing victory and campaigns full-bloodedly for Britain to remain, many voters will follow suit. Now a poll from Ipsos MORI suggests that the Mayor, Boris Johnson, carries similar weight to the PM. If he campaigns for a Brexit, then about one in three voters will take his views into account. He could, accordingly, just about cancel out the influence of the Prime Minister if the two of them campaign on opposite sides. Given that the lead enjoyed by the In campaign amounts to about 15 points, that means Mr Johnsons stance matters a lot. This is a weighty issue with grave consequences for the UK whichever way the vote goes. There are coherent arguments on both sides. Right now there seems little doubt that the vote will go in favour of remaining in the EU but the real campaigning has not begun; it will only start when the PM returns from Brussels with his deal. Mr Johnson is reported to be genuinely torn about which side to take. And that is not the stance of an unprincipled man but of an intelligent one. He knows better than most politicians, having spent time in Brussels at the EU, about the structural weaknesses, routine corruption and unaccountability of the institution. On the other hand, as Mayor of London, he is aware of the dangers attending Brexit for the City. He is right to think deeply. We must hope that not just he, but all the major figures in this contest such as Michael Gove and Theresa May, will not see this in terms of political advantage but as a matter of principle. This is the most important issue facing the country in a generation. The big beasts of politics such as Mr Johnson can make a difference to the result; its a heavy responsibility. Zacs tax The Tory mayoral candidate, Zac Goldsmith, has declared his willingness to publish his tax return and says all the other runners should do so. The trouble is, the other candidates returns are unlikely to be as interestingly complex as Mr Goldsmiths. He is the beneficiary of a so-called blind trust established in Geneva by his late father for the benefit of his children, from which he derives income which is subject to UK tax. He has no control over the trust; before becoming an MP he had non-dom status. All of which reminds voters that he is a man of means, which Labour is making the most of. Yet Mr Goldsmiths fiscal affairs are also a reminder that the rich do not just own or earn more than the rest of us they also pay more tax. Mr Goldsmiths move to tax transparency is riskier for him than for other candidates though even Mr Khans income will seem generous to Londoners on low pay but his wealth should not be an impediment to his election or to him taking a strong line on companies such as Google avoiding tax. His wealth does, however, mean he will be under heavy scrutiny; thats as it should be. Most voters dont mind wealth; what they do mind is when the rich dont pay their fair share. London v Paris Carine Roitfeld, the former editor-in-chief of French Vogue, has confirmed what every Londoner already knew but was too cool to brag about our city, not Paris, is the fashion capital of the world. And the English are the kings and queens of style, no less. Various City firms have muttered darkly about shifting jobs to France in the event of Brexit: but frankly, for anyone with even half an eye on the latest trends, London is the only place to be. N o excuses time: thus does one senior Government source characterise the challenge facing ministers on Friday if David Cameron flies back from the EU summit in Brussels with a deal in his back pocket. After all the fence-sitting, procrastination and agonised deliberation the moment of decision is at hand. It is four years since William Hague launched his review of the balance of competences an audit of what the EU does and how it affects the UK and three since the Prime Minister promised an In-Out referendum on renegotiated terms of membership. In No 10 the mood is anxiously pre-natal: there are still sticking points, not least over the withholding of benefits from EU migrants and the relative position of those nations inside and outside the eurozone. This is more than footnotes and fine print. It is still conceivable that Cameron will not secure agreement at this council. That said, the PM still has the initiative and the necessary momentum. As hostile as some of our European partners undoubtedly remain to parts of the deal, they know that, sooner or later, the issue of Brexit must be addressed decisively so that the EU can move on to other equally pressing matters not least the migration crisis. If the European Council cannot sign off an agreement before Friday it will have to return to the issue before long perhaps at an emergency meeting. The incentive to settle for the least worst arrangement on offer is powerful. So let us assume, for the sake of argument, that Cameron gets his deal. On Friday morning he will fly back to address a special meeting of the Cabinet on the terms of the agreement. This will not be a political Cabinet which means Boris Johnson will not be there. But you can bet that the Mayor will be fully and lavishly briefed on the merits of the renegotiation. Even now, with the clock ticking loudly, those around Cameron are unsure where, precisely, Boris stands. Were he to declare himself pro-Brexit in the next few days, he would be taking a colossal risk. He would also transform the terms of trade at a stroke and send a bolt of lightning through the campaign. Whatever the Mayor chooses to do, the storm clouds of deep division loom menacingly over the Conservative Party. The PMs team expects a ferocious assault from the Eurosceptic press over the weekend as the governing party divides into two bitterly opposed camps. For 10 years Cameron has tried to lead the party as a unifier, a healer of wounds. But the moment that his EU deal is signed off, Conservative politics will become perilously binary. The passions about to be released have been stewing for years. As one pro-Brexit Cabinet member puts it: This isnt about the details of the deal. This is about our long-standing concerns about the EU. Therein lies the essence of the problem. For many perhaps most of those who will champion Brexit, Camerons deal is an irrelevance. They detect a fundamental incompatibility between Britains best interests and the trajectory of the EU. They want, and have long wanted, out. To minimise tensions in the Government, Cameron will suspend collective responsibility on the single issue of Brexit for the duration of the campaign. The most obvious precedent is the 1975 referendum on Common Market membership, during which Harold Wilson granted similar latitude to his ministers. In 1932, likewise, there was an agreement to differ within Ramsay MacDonalds National Government over tariff policy. More recently the Coalition of 2010-15 was made possible by a series of pre-emptive agreements to differ over electoral reform, tuition fees, Trident and the tax allowance for married couples. Accordingly, the Ministerial Code was amended in 2010 to permit the suspension of collective responsibility where it is explicitly set aside. In theory, therefore, ministers will campaign against one another over Brexit but continue to govern harmoniously in every other respect. That, at least, is the idea. But one has only to consider the reality of the next few months to realise how naive this assumption really is. Take, for instance, the position of Iain Duncan Smith, a staunch Eurosceptic for decades. As Work and Pensions Secretary he is expected to represent the position of the Government in the Commons. Yet given his known hostility to the deal that Cameron is seeking, how can he possibly take departmental questions at the despatch box? Imagine the first question: Would the Rt Hon Gentleman tell the House whether he believes the proposed emergency brake on benefits for EU migrants will be effective? IDS could, of course, recuse himself for the duration of the campaign. But who would stand in for him? Surely not his deputy, Priti Patel, who is also a supporter of Brexit? This is but one of the anomalies, abrasions and embarrassments that face the Government during the campaign. Europe is the Tories favourite catnip mouse, the toy it loves to play with most. But the toy is toxic, too. It helped to bring down Margaret Thatcher and did for John Major. Cameron has no intention of going for the hat-trick. To prevent that happening he must soar over his party like Yeatss Long-Legged Fly, delegating, as far as possible, the squabbles and the fisticuffs, presenting himself as the serene representative of the nations best interests rather than a harassed party leader. The stakes could scarcely be higher. Cameron will prevail only if he resists the temptation to be drawn into the Tories long-planned bout of screaming self-harm. He began his leadership as a party reformer. Now he must leave his fellow Tories to a bedlam of their own making and show voters that, in the long hours of EU deal-making, he was always thinking of them. Due to a production error, William Waldegrave was mistakenly described as former Foreign Secretary in Matthew dAnconas column last week. T he figures released by the Resolution Foundation are sad indeed and just show how deep Londons housing crisis is [February 16]. Decades of failure to build enough new homes has caught up with us and high demand has pushed prices to unaffordable levels. The mismatch between house prices and wage rises has made London a city of renters. Only now has the Government started to wake up to the forces at play in our unsustainable housing market, spurred on last year by the desire to win votes in the general election. Most people realise they must save hard for the chance to own a home, but they cant when rents are so high. Schemes such as Help to Buy make homes more affordable, while the proposed investor surcharge in stamp duty should also help first-time buyers compete with investors. But Londoners looking for a roof over their heads need support and should not have to compete with those just wanting a piece of Londons lucrative housing market. Building homes for Londoners needs to be the core focus of the capitals housing policy. Paula Higgins, chief executive, HomeOwners Alliance With 86 per cent of the public saying they want to own their own home, we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do so. Government initiatives have already helped 270,000 people to buy since 2010, including thousands of Londoners who have been supported into ownership by government-backed housing schemes. The number of new homes has increased by 25 per cent in the last year alone and we are pushing ahead with plans to deliver 200,000 starter homes at a 20 per cent discount. The Housing and Planning Bill will kick-start a national crusade to get one million homes built by 2020 and includes measures to reinvest in new affordable properties and provide more protections for tenants. We are also determined to create a bigger and better private rented sector by attracting billions of pounds of investment to build homes specifically for private rent. This will increase choice for tenants and raise standards, ensuring they will get a fair deal and a safer home. Brandon Lewis MP, minister of state for housing and planning Jenny Thomas [Letters, February 15] claims that London tenants have unrealistic expectations and that owning their own home is not their entitlement. For most of the 20th century, the UK had a bundle of policies which kept house prices down while squeezing out private landlords. The inevitable result was precisely as intended a massive increase in the number of owner-occupiers. And yes, people did see this as their entitlement it is precisely this entitlement that recent governments have snatched away. Mark Wadsworth, Young Peoples Party The only way is up as the capital grows Londoners should be careful what they wish for. It was announced earlier this month that Renzo Piano is to amend his designs for a 254-metre tower in Paddington following local protests. However, the new design is likely to be less tall but wider in order to fund a 60 million public plaza and entrance to the Underground. Last year our research showed some 260 towers were either under construction or in the pipeline in the capital. London will have to be developed more densely as it faces the prospect of a growth in population of another 2.5 million people over the next quarter of a century, and accommodating these sorts of numbers will inevitably demand more tall buildings. In an Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by NLA, the majority of people were not as antagonistic to tall buildings as some commentators might believe. Will we learn to accept towers as an expression of the changing scale of the city? Of course, we need to make sure they are well designed and elegant additions to the skyline, but shorter and fatter buildings are not the answer. Peter Murray, chairman, New London Architecture Are black cabs an outdated service? Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association overstates his case when he says the recent TfL consultations about private hire regulation were about enhancing safety [Letters, February 15]. They were in fact a package of proposals designed to shore up an outdated regulatory system and protect the black cab sector by raising costs for both Uber drivers and conventional minicab firms. If TfL wants to ensure drivers continue to enter the black cab trade, it should consider modernising the knowledge test and relaxing their expensive cab design specifications. There is no getting around the sad fact that changes in technology have a downside for those already in the trade, and developments in satnav and Uber-style booking systems will only ensure that knowledge of roads will not be so critical as to justify a two-tier system. Andy Thompson Your correspondent T Constantinou gives a brief insight into what the 25,000 licensed London taxi drivers are up against. He claims to have been a taxi driver in the past, and now all of a sudden he is an Uber Partner part of a system that allows people to earn a living by bypassing the very training that divides a professional like me from someone who cant be bothered. I fear that despite having 37 years of experience, I am being run out of town by an app that offers little more than a cheap ride into the unknown. When my trade is destroyed by this mad rush to the bottom, Londoners will wonder what we have lost. James Savage Channel 4 is striving to promote diversity All debate about improving diversity in the arts is to be applauded [The Oscars will spin the race row in their favour, Comment, February 12]. However, while Channel 4 is publicly owned it does not, as Rashid Razaq claims, receive any public funding and never has done. Our self-sufficient commercial model allows us to plough all our profits back into activities that maximise our unique public service remit to be innovative, challenge the status quo and promote diversity. Dan Brooke, chief marketing and communications officer, Channel 4 At New York Fashion Week this morning Michael Kors presented his take on the fashion world's "buy now" revolution with a dynamic collection with "no rules, no season and no time of day". Keen to assert his multi million dollar business as one that is poised to adapt to an altering industry that demands all aspects of fashion throughout the year, Kors showcased a collection that spoke to no specific season or lifestyle but to a woman navigating a fast paced digital world. Addressing the press ahead of the show, Kors cited the "women who inspire him" as motivation for the collection and credited every one from his mother to Alexa Chung as inspirations. Accordingly, this collection was one for every woman - providing she has cash to spend - with everything from feather trimmed tweed coats to skirt suits and glass beaded trousers in the mix. JP Yim/Getty A fine interpretation of the dressing habits of contemporary women, Kors layered crisp white collared shirts under luxurious cashmere sweaters and floral print fur coats and paired feather trimmed skirts with t-shirts. A lilac coat "an Easter coat in autumn" further harnessed the idea that this show was seasonless. The designer also toyed with the idea of a tracksuit as a luxury item repurposing a classic hooded style in cashmere and layering it under a decadent feather trimmed tweed coat. This outfit, presented alongside a pair of sling backs with low Cuban heels, served as a tangible embodiment of this collection's versatile message. A classic pair of wide cut jeans presented alongside a dashing brocade overcoat continued this idea. JP Yim/Getty Kors, who chose a cast of models that included Freja Beha Erichsen and Kendall Jenner, wanted each of the women in his show to celebrate her own individual identity. To this end, some sported pony tails with others wore their hair loose. An experienced businessman with stores across the globe, Kors understands that in a changing fashion climate the customer profile must be broad. Intent on delivering to all ages, this collection was youthful in silhouette but also heavy with purchase appeal to big budget shoppers. Serving as proof that there is truth to the idea that collections need no longer be seasonal, Kors also chose today's show to debut his first "buy now" pieces. While customers will have wait until August to buy the bulk of this offering, a handful of pieces including a Donegal cashmere cable cardigan and a feather trimmed tweed coat are to go on sale online and in Michael Kors New York flagship immediately. Citing the ongoing discussions that surround the existing fashion calendar as "a healthy conversation", Kors aligned his interpretation of the "buy now" phenomenon to the way in which a film industry releases a movie. "The pieces available today serve as trailers to the fall collection, that's how we're doing it here. But every designer will have to figure out what's right for them". Parisian chic is a fantasy and the English are the kings and queens of fashion - according to the former editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Carine Roitfeld, who was at the helm of the magazine for more than a decade and is now global fashion director of Harpers Bazaar, comes to the capital to find more unusual clothes. "I go to London to get dressed when there is nothing in France," she told ES Magazine. "Youre one step in advance. You know, chic comes from England, not from France. In France, OK, we have Karl [Lagerfeld] and we had Mr Saint Laurent and a lot of amazing designers but in London you have this street craziness." "You have Vivienne Westwood - she is my goddess, a genius. I think fashion is something very British - no one looks at you if you have purple hair, orange hair. For me, the English are the kings and queens of fashion." Vivienne Westwood SS16 at Paris Fashion Week 1 /25 Vivienne Westwood SS16 at Paris Fashion Week Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Vivienne Westwood A model walks the spring/summer runway Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty When asked about Parisian style, Roitfeld, who grew up in the French capital, said: "Its our way of thinking. Of sitting, of crossing the legs, of eating, of everything. I think its a fantasy. I think Paris is not so good, you know? I think we think Paris is great because of Catherine Deneuve in Belle De Jour and all these amazing movies from the Sixties." Roitfeld, 61, was speaking ahead of her second collaboration with high street brand Uniqlo. She said the collection, which includes skirts for 29.90 and jackets for 89, draws on her own wardrobe for inspiration and features several items in "classic black". "French Vogue was aligned with a specific group of people that love fashion," she added. "Now with Uniqlo Im talking to millions of people worldwide, and its very exciting. When I was young, there was nothing for young girls so they had to create outfits themselves. The high street doesnt exist in France, you know." "I went to a lot of flea markets. Or you had to go to London; I went to Kings Road and Carnaby Street. But it is getting easier and now you have a lot of brands, so you can have lots of style with not a lot of money. Its not like before when it was, This season is about pink. Twenty years ago you had to follow. Now there are so many propositions in fashion." Read the full interview in ES Magazine - Free every Thursday and Friday V ivien Leigh is the leading lady in an exhibition celebrating the changing styles of Shakespearean theatre. An image of the actress playing Titania in a 1937 production of A Midsummer Nights Dream is used as the poster for the British Librarys Shakespeare In 10 Acts. The show, to mark the 400th anniversary of the writers death, also features the headdress Leigh wore for the role along with a green gown used for her 1955 performance as Lady Macbeth. Lead curator Zoe Wilcox said: We wanted to look back at the whole scope of his legacy from his own time right up to the present day so were looking at 10 key performances which reveal how his work has been constantly reinvented across the centuries. Other items include the only surviving script in Shakespeares hand and the earliest printed edition of Hamlet from 1603. The exhibition runs from April 15 to September 6. Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout Y oull know if youve ever had an Ari Gold burger, the one with the Aberdeen Angus beef patty, pickled onions, ketchup, smoked mayonnaise, lettuce, cheese and a brioche bun. If it sounds like a lot of other burgers in London, it isnt. Its still, in my view, one of Londons best. The idea for it came from a road trip across America taken by Joe Grossmann, who returned to London to recreate what hed tasted out there by hosting burger pop-ups. There was a collaboration with Street Kitchen at Test Bed in Battersea, SW11, where people drooled over the menu and then, in 2013, Grossmann opened his first restaurant on St Jamess Street, later opening a second in Liverpool Street followed by a test kitchen under an arch where they also host guest chefs to cook for a night in London Fields. This week he opens a site on Old Compton Street Street in Soho. Here Grossmann tells us his about his food shopping escapades around the city. Where do you live? On my own around Westbourne Park Road in Notting Hill. Where do you shop for home cooking equipment? Ive actually had the same cooking stuff for the last five years and its just battered up pots and pans and knives that need to be sharpened desperately but I just havent got round to doing. If I dont, I would just order some more from Nisbitts. Do you have a favourite kitchen gadget? The Nutribullet because, one, its so quick and Im usually running out of the door so its awesome to chuck stuff in there and blitz it up. Two, I try and eat as healthily as possible outside of work because Im always busy churning some filthy goodness. Tasty: a Patty & Bun burger / Paul Winch Furness What about your favourite fishmonger, grocer and butcher near home? I get meat from HG Walter in Barons Court - we get it for the restaurant from here too. Theyre legendary and Ive been working with them since the beginning of Patty & Bun. Its family-run and, as importantly, the meat is epic. Ill also pop into Hill & Szrok every now and then if Im in London Fields near our prep kitchen. When it comes to fish Im more of a convenience shopper, which I hate to say. I probably go to Billingsgate once a year, which is fun, or if Im down in Borough Market, Ill get some there. For groceries, I often get stuff locally around London Fields or I love going down to Portobello Market. I live locally so supporting that sort of trade is awesome. Theres a woman whos been there for 25 years and has an amazing spread of fruit and veg. Its also cheap as chips and the freshest youll get. Cheeky chappy: Joe Grossman Which cookbooks are you cooking from at the moment? I absolutely love the Robertas cookbook, by the guys behind the pizza place in Brooklyn in New York. I love Robertas and they have a lot of the same principles that we base our stuff on, in terms of their cult essence, and having started small and evolved into something different. But there are some epic recipes in there, but also some good story lines in there on how it came about. Are you experimenting with any new ingredients? Less so at home, but we do loads in the restaurant for our snacks menus. There is this Urfa chill sauce which is so smoky-hot but not chilli-hot. Were also trying roast chicken skin with maple hot pepper sauce and Hazar salt which is Turkish. Using that has opened my mind to what you can do with salt, rather than just using plain stuff. Do you make any larder-type items at home? My kitchen is full of stuff from our prep kitchen, so lots of things like homemade peanut butter, jams and Nutella-type stuff that I eat a lot of. Its for something else were working on. Have you tried any interesting dishes in London lately? Everything at The Palomar is great and I love the cucumbers at Silk Road. The Hoppers bone marrow dish is awesome, and also I love the whipped cods roe at Kitty Fisher's. What are your vices? I drink a lot of coffee to keep me powering through the day. At the moment I go to Monmouth on Monmouth Street a couple of times a day, or, when east, I get to Allpress in Dalston or on Redchurch Street which I love. And if Im not on coffee, Im loving Guinness at the moment, especially at weekends. I usually go down to The Cow on Westbourne Park Road and sink enough for a small army. Patty & Bun Old Compton Street opens on Monday February 22; pattyandbun.co.uk Follow Victoria on Twitter @vicstewart In a letter to Modi, she referred to a Central team's visit to Tamil Nadu in April last year for inspecting five suitable locations for an AIIMS Hospital. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure initiation of steps for setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in the state without any delay. In a letter to Modi, she referred to a Central team's visit to Tamil Nadu in April last year for inspecting five suitable locations for an AIIMS Hospital. "However, so far the final decision of where the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu would be set up is yet to be communicated (to her government)", she said. "I request you to expedite the announcement of location of the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu and to ensure that the construction and establishment of AIIMS is initiated without any further delay", she said. Jayalalithaa recalled that after an announcement in the Union Budget for 2014-15 that new All India Institute of Medical Sciences would be set up in different places in the country, she requested one such Institute for Tamil Nadu. "In response, in the Union Budget 2015-16, the establishment of an AIIMS in Tamil Nadu was announced." She had also indicated then that the state had already identified the required land in Thanjavur, Kancheepuram, Pudukottai, Erode and Madurai districts. The Chief Minister said the "prestigious project will provide State-of-the-art medical facilities and services" to the people of Tamil Nadu and requested steps for expediting the project. F ancy swimming in a pool with a serious view this summer? February may be grey and cold in London, but weve rounded up ten of the most spectacular places on the planet to take a dip. From wild lagoons to inner-city nirvanas, heres where to head for some rest and relaxation - in peaceful waters that blend seamlessly into the surrounding environment. Marina Bay Sands hotel, Singapore This architecturally stunning inner-city pool stands on a platform that stretches over the three towers of the 2,561-room Marina Bay Sands hotel (marinabaysands.com) and offers exceptional views of the Singapore skyline. Jade Mountain, St Lucia Architecturally astonishing and blessed with beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, Jade Mountain (jademountain.com) is a maze of zigzagging stone walkways, sculpture-topped stone pillars and cascading koi pools. Rising majestically above a 600 acre beach front are an array of glass tiled, private infinity pools in which to take in the mind-blowing panorama of the hilltops views. With uninterrupted solitude, this is the ultimate honeymooners' retreat. The Cambrian Hotel and Spa, Switzerland Situated amid the pristine scenery of the Swiss Alps, and with stunning snow-capped mountain views in every direction, The Cambrian (thecambriandelboden.com) offers the kind of location that tense desk huggers the world over spend their days dreaming about. Now you can soak it all in from the side of the hotels outdoor hot pool, which sits at eye level with some of the worlds most incredible mountain scenes. Swiss bliss at its finest. Infinity pool at The Cambrian in the Swiss Alps One & Only Reethi Rah, Maldives Looking for a little slice of paradise? The One & Only Reethi Rah's (oneandonlyresorts.com) dreamy swimming spot is perched just above the Maldives crystal waters, and is surrounded by palm trees and white sand. Guests can book one of hundreds of tiny villas which look out onto the beach, and rent one of the pool's 'bubble beds' to relax and take in their tranquil surroundings. Kuang Si Waterfalls, Laos This infinity pool is all natural - a three tier waterfall has created an infinity effect, and is open to the public all year round. Sitting about 29 kilometres south of Luang Prabang, these falls are a favourite side trip for tourists, so make sure you arrive early to secure a peaceful spot. Perivolas Ois, Santorini The magnificent infinity pool at Perivolas (perivolas.gr) overlooks the beautiful greek Island of Santorini - a rugged landscape of whitewashed cubist houses sitting on the Aegean sea. The swimming pool offers a spectacular setting from which to sip an afternoon cocktail, take in the beautiful sunset and soak in the views of the citys volcanic calders. Got the blues: the Perivolas' infinity pool Four Seasons, Maui If palm trees and sun worshipping is your thing, head to the Four Seasons in Maui (fourseasons.com/maui), where guests can marvel at panoramic views of the island of Lanai and the West Maui mountain from the tropical Serenity pool. Hotel Fasano, Rio Hotel Fasano's (fasano.com.br) spectacular pool, designed by Philppe Starck, flows infinitely onto Ipanema Beach below, so you get the vibes of one of Rio's most popular spots, minus the crowds - and palpable luxury. Six Senses, Thailand Six Senses offers individual villas around the world - this one is nestled in Yao Noi (sixsenses.com). If privacy is your thing, this little infinity pool is all yours, complete with Thai scenery and not a Full Moon party in sight. Private infinity pool at Six Senses, Thailand Follow us on Twitter: @eslifeandstyle S taff were allegedly threatened with a gun after armed robbers stormed a betting shop in north London this morning. Police were called to the Ladbrokes branch in Church Hill Road, East Barnet, shortly before 9.45am on Wednesday to reports of an armed robbery. Three men were said to have entered the premises with two approaching the counter and threatening a member of staff with what police said was a firearm. The third member of the group stood guard at the door before all three fled the scene with a "quantity" of cash. No shots were fired during the robbery and no-one was injured. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said no arrests had been made and enquiries were ongoing. Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting CAD 2155/17FEB or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A n alleged Islamic extremist discussed carrying out a terror attack on US soldiers outside military bases in Britain similar to that on Fusilier Lee Rigby, a court was told. Delivery driver Junead Khan, 25, described creating a road accident involving vehicles carrying American military personnel, weeks after driving past US Air Force (Usaf) operated bases in East Anglia, prosecutors claim. His trial heard he used an encrypted messaging app called SureSpot to talk with a man calling himself Abu Hussain, who the prosecution allege was Junaid Hussain, a Briton in Syria. The prosecution said that In messages sent on July 5 last year, Khan, from Luton, told Hussain: "When I saw these us (sic) soldiers on road it looked simple but I had nothing on me or wouldve (sic) got into an accident with them and made them get out the car." Abu Hussain replied: "That's what the brother done with Lee Rigby." He added he would send Junead Khan a manual for making a "pressure cooker bomb", adding: "It's best to have at least pipe bombs or pressure cooker bomb in a backpack in case something happens - so you can do isthishadi bomb in case they try arrest you." Prosecutor Max Hill QC told Kingston Crown Court in London: "This is an individual (Khan) who is a delivery driver who is going to the perimeter fences, on occasion, of US bases in this country. "What does that mean? It's perfectly clear from the response ... 'That's what the brother done with Lee Rigby'." Mr Hill told the court an isthishadi bomb was a "suicide bomb". Khan's work as an agency driver for a pharmaceutical firm legitimately took him to East Anglia in May and June 2015, the court heard. During these trips he drove close to bases operated by Usaf in Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the prosecution allege. He was arrested on July 14. Junead Khan is charged alone with making preparations for attacking military personnel in the UK between May 10 and July 14 last year. He is on trial alongside his uncle, Shazib Khan, 23, also from Luton, with whom he is jointly charged with making preparations for travelling to Syria to fight for Islamic State (IS). The pair were also charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between August 1 2014 and July 15 2015. They deny all the charges. The case continues. A care worker was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher by a man with anger issues after she asked him to turn down his television, the Old Bailey heard. Michael Meanza, 47, had been living in a mental health hostel in Acton, west London, for three months when he bludgeoned Jenny Foote, 38, over the head and face with the heavy implement. Ms Foote visited the defendants room in the early hours of July 7, 2015, to speak to him after receiving a complaint about the noise of his TV, the court heard. After a short chat in the doorway, she returned to her office. Prosecutor Brian O'Neill QC said: "There is nothing further of relevance for the next three hours until just before 6am when Meanza left his room, made his way downstairs and killed her." Jurors were told the defendant had admitted manslaughter, but denied murder, citing a "severe anger pathology". Meanza, who had been the subject of a hospital order since the 1990s, would argue that he was suffering from a personality disorder which affected his ability to exercise self-control. But Mr O'Neill said: "In our submission it cannot be right either as a matter of law or on the grounds of public policy that Michael Meanza - or any defendant - should be able to escape full responsibility for an unlawful killing on the basis he is too angry an individual to be guilty of murder." The trial continues. Additional reporting by PA A tailor fleeced some of Londons top lawyers out of thousands of pounds in deposits for bespoke suits that never materialised. James Smith, 26, took orders from more than a dozen eminent legal professionals for suits costing up to 550 between August 2013 and June last year. He would take their measurements and convince them to pay a 50 per cent deposit. However, no suits were supplied and Smith pocketed the cash, totalling around 5,000, and used it to pay off debts to material suppliers. Smith, wearing a black suit and white open-collar shirt, admitted 13 counts of fraud on the first day of his trial at Southwark crown court yesterday. John Greenan, prosecuting, said Smith landed himself in financial difficulty at the end of 2012, owing more than 9,000 to one supplier. The court heard he used social media to contact potential customers about the supply of suits, principally to lawyers, barristers and solicitors. Mr Greenan said: He took their measurements for a suit or shirts. A suit would cost up to 549, more for an extra pair of trousers. He took a deposit of half of the monies, but then nothing would be heard. Clients would get in touch, but they heard nothing, but sometimes he would respond and then come up with excuses such as IT problems and ill health. No suits were made and the deposits were kept. The court heard that when interviewed by police Smith admitted his excuses were untrue and that he had used the money to pay his debts. One of Smiths victims was Birmingham-based barrister Ali-Reza Tabari, ranked in the 2014 edition of the Legal 500, who ordered his suit at his headquarters, St Philips Chambers in Birmingham. The court heard Smith had fallen out with two of his suppliers and was in debt to the tune of 10,000 to one and just over 1,500 to the other. Drea Becker, defending, said Smith had stopped his clothing business and had been working full-time as a steel worker on the railways to pay back some of the money he owed. She said: He has made repayments of upwards of 9,500 to other individuals. This was a legitimate business gone wrong and he was over his head. Judge Anthony Pitts said: Youre clearly an intelligent man and you pleaded guilty and that will go in your favour a custodial sentence is a real possibility. Smith, of Wenvoe, near Cardiff, was given unconditional bail and will be sentenced on March 15. A Jewish boys school has been criticised by Ofsted after pupils shared a universal view that a womens role is to look after children, clean the house and cook. Beis Aharon School in Stamford Hill was visited by inspectors on January 14 who found it did meet the required standards for independent schools. A report published by Ofsted on Tuesday found the school, which charges annual fees of 2,860, prioritises the ethos of its faith over the independent school standards. The school was also criticised for not preparing children for life in modern British society, with pupils holding very narrow views about the role of women in society. The report said: In discussions, the majority of pupils still express views about the roles of women and men that indicate that the school does not prepare them for the reality of life in modern British society. Pupils universally consider that the role of women is to look after children, clean the house and cook, while men go to work. Inspectors said senior leaders at the school continue to preclude teaching awareness of areas under the Equality Act 2010, including sexual orientation. Pupils were also unable to show mutual respect and tolerance to those of different faiths and beliefs, the report found, because their knowledge of other faiths is very limited. An example given in the inspectors report was that the word Christmas was crossed out whenever it appeared in a reading book being used in a year four lesson. The report also found that the school continues to allocate just one hour a day to the secular curriculum, which inspectors said fails to meet the schools own policy of a broad and balanced curriculum. The school was given a list of 34 points from The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 to ensure they follow. A spokeswoman for the school declined to comment on the report when approached by the Standard. A maths teacher who has created more than a thousand videos to explain the subject to pupils is in the running to win a Nobel-style prize for teaching worth $1 million. Colin Hegarty, who works at Preston Manor School in Wembley, has made it to the final 10 shortlisted for the second annual Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize The award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and the winner is due to be revealed at a ceremony held at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai next month. Mr Hegarty said he was "shell-shocked when he learned he had made the shortlist. "It's an amazing idea to get good news stories out there about amazing teachers," he said. Videos: Colin Hegarty uploaded clips of his maths lessons onto YouTube for pupils to watch / PA Wire The 34-year-old who became a teacher six years ago, after previously working as an accountant for Deloitte, added: "I love teaching maths, ever since I changed career, I can't get enough of it." The maths specialist starting creating videos on the subject about four years ago, after an A-level student had to take time off to see his sick father and he was worried about the student falling behind. Mr Hegarty decided to put his maths lessons online and the student kept up with his studies and passed his A-level. Since then, Mr Hegarty has made more than 1,000 videos, which have amassed a total of six million views. He said: I didn't make the videos to be a YouTube sensation. It kind of snowballed. When I got a few positive comments it made me want to make more. After winning a UK teacher of the year award prize in 2014, Mr Hegarty is now taking a sabbatical to establish a dedicated website for his maths videos, which went live last week. Mr Hegarty said that if he wins the Global Teacher Prize, he will invest the money in his website. He added: "I would like to use it to make this website change maths education. The other nine finalists are from countries around the world including Pakistan, Kenya, Palestine, the USA, Japan, Finland, Australia and India. The winner will receive $1 million (about 630,000) and be asked to serve as a global ambassador for the Varkey Foundation, attending events and speaking about their work. They will also be required to remain working as a classroom teacher for at least five years as a condition of winning the award. Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said: I want to congratulate Colin Hegarty for being selected as a top 10 finalist from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers. I hope his story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the UK and throughout the world every day. Additional reporting by Press Association. A man who burned himself to death in the grounds of Kensington Palace was an award-winning nurse who had been sacked from his hospital job four days before Christmas, the Standard reveals today. Amin Abdullah, 41, of Notting Hill, was dismissed without notice from Charing Cross Hospital for gross misconduct after writing a letter in support of a colleague about whom a patient had complained. He doused himself in petrol and set himself alight outside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges London residence in the early hours on Tuesday last week, two days before a scheduled appeal. Terry Skitmore, his partner of 12 years, said Mr Abdullah went into a spiral of depression after being sacked and was being treated at St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove. At 8.30pm on the night of his death he was allowed to leave the unit to collect a change of clothes for a meeting with his union representative. Graduation: Amin Abdullah and his boyfriend Terry Skitmore at Amin's graduation ceremony from Buckinghamshire New University His charred body was found by police called to a disturbance in the palace grounds, less than a mile from his home in Kensington Park Road, at around 3am. Mr Skitmore, 62, said: They let him out alone and he never came back. The next thing I know, he is dead. I thought he was in safe hands. Mr Abdullahs highly defamatory letter, about a patient who had criticised a colleague in September, is understood to have been signed by 17 people as it circulated round the ward. He also wrote an email to a colleague accusing the patient of being a professional complainer which found its way to his NHS bosses. Three months later, on December 21, he was dismissed for gross misconduct after a formal hearing. Hospital chiefs concluded that Mr Abdullah had not followed the trusts complaints procedure, which constituted a very serious breach of the professional code of conduct. The trusts deputy divisional director of nursing William Gage accepted that his actions were a foolish mistake but upheld the dismissal. He wrote: I consider your actions serious enough to warrant summary dismissal. I have no confidence in your ability to recognise and follow the nursing code of conduct, and your responses during the hearing confirmed my lack of confidence and trust in you. Forensic officers at the scene in west London this morning / Jeremy Selwyn Mr Skitmore, a retired postal worker and grandfather-of-two, said: Amin had a totally exemplary background and had never been disciplined, never even had a day off. When they told me how he died it completely crucified me. At 1.30am in the morning the police broke the chain lock on the front door and said Are you Amin? I said hes in the hospital but they said Thats the problem, they let him out to get clean clothes, but he never went back. They came back at 5am and said Youd better sit down. I knew what was coming. They said he was dead. He poured petrol over himself and burned himself. Something triggered him and he didnt want to go any further. Mr Abdullah was raised in an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, until the age of 18 and moved to the UK in 2003 before becoming a British citizen. He graduated with a nursing degree from Buckinghamshire New University and won an award from the League of Charing Cross Hospital Nurses for his clinical knowledge. Mr Skitmore said: We have been together for 12 years. We had a great relationship. What pushes you to cover yourself in petrol and set fire to yourself? A police tent yards from Kensington Palace / Jeremy Selwyn What a horrendous way to die, and Ive got to live with that for the rest of my life. He was very shy and kind. He was just a nice human being - thats why he was into that profession. He lived for that job. He was so proud of his position having grown up in an orphanage. As far as he was concerned he had made it. Then suddenly they took it all away from him. This happened all because he wanted to support his upset colleague. Mr Skitmore has been inundated with flowers and letters from his neighbours in the exclusive millionaires row, including broadcaster Jeremy Paxman. Mr Skitmore said: Amin was sacked because he tried to stick up for a colleague. Had he just signed the petition, he wouldnt have been sacked and hed still be alive today. Amin admitted he had made a foolish mistake in writing the letter but stressed he didnt mean she officially complained all the time, just that she was known for being a bit of a moaner to staff on the frontline. I feel like my life has been destroyed. There are no words to describe my emotions. My brain is absolutely everywhere. They have destroyed a really beautiful man for absolutely nothing. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Charing Cross Hospital, said: We are saddened to hear of Mr Abdullahs death and would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. The trust will engage fully with any investigations into Mr Abdullahs death. A spokesman for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, which runs St Charles Hospital, said: We will work with other agencies to get to the bottom of what happened. For confidential support on mental health call the Samaritans on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or attend a local Samaritans branch. P olice have arrested a man after raiding a house filled with a forest of cannabis plants in south London. Officers seized more than 400 marijuana plants spread across five rooms when they searched the property in Hampton Road, Selhurst, at around 11.20am, last Thursday. The mains electricity meter inside the house had been bypassed and unsafe wiring installed throughout the house to create the conditions for the plants to grow, police said. Officers posted pictures of the find on Twitter, which showed masses of cannabis plants growing inside the property and the dangerous electricity wiring. Some of the younger plants being grown... #cannabisraid pic.twitter.com/1HxdKTXM7a PC Horvath (@MPSSelhurst) February 16, 2016 The mains electricity meter had been bypassed, and unsafe wiring installed throughout the house... #cannabisraid pic.twitter.com/jUo2frgn99 PC Horvath (@MPSSelhurst) February 16, 2016 Police arrested the man during the raid. He has since been bailed pending further investigation. Y esterday the Evening Standard revealed how Frankfurt is on a mission to persuade the worlds bankers away from London to leafy Mainhattan in the event of Brexit. Now France is also trying to seduce our financiers, with the countrys finance minister Emmanuel Macron saying hed love to have them over in Paris. France will roll out the red carpet for those who would want or need to relocate if Britain quits the European Union, he said. Macron was speaking to Politicos Pierre Briancon on the train from Paris to Brussels, another fave destination for French high-earners in self-imposed exile from their socialist capital. His comment came after Douglas Flint, HSBCs chairman, said the bank wouldnt be relocating its headquarters from London to Hong Kong. While Macrons comments were meant humorously, its an old wound: Prime Minister David Cameron joked back in 2012 that Britain would roll out the tapis rouge for French financiers hit by President Hollandes plan to raise the French income tax upper bracket to 75 per cent. Not something Dave or Boris are likely to suggest. Ever. Paris has plenty to offer bankers. La Defense is home to outposts of most of the big global banks; Fauchon and the 16th arrondissement are attractive equivalents to Ocado and Kensington, and the city offers great work-life balance. Anne Hidalgo, now Mayor of Paris, once claimed London was a suburb of her city. That said, there is currently more traffic in the other direction. The half-a -million French people in London weve done a great job of bringing their world-class bankers over to London easily outnumber the 400,000 Brits in the whole of France. Police said that the notes seem to have been printed locally but the gang was saying that they bought them from Chittoor district. Vijayawada: Counterfeiting Indian currency is passe for this gang, which is involved in circulating fake currency. In order to make lakhs out of a single note, the gang led by one Sk Jaleel of Machilipatnam adopted a new way of circulating Turkish currency Lira in the district but failed in their initial attempts. City task force police who got a tip-off about the activity of the 10-member gang, put them under surveillance and finally caught them red handed while they were trying to sell off a Lira in the denomination of 5,00,000 at a city hotel a few days ago. The gang includes Md Munna, Sk Khazavali, Viswanathuni Srikanth, Lakshmi Malleswari, Lakshmi Rajyam of Machilipatnam and Tiru-vuru and Bellamkonda Yasvanth of Hyderabad. Malleswari is wife of an advocate from Tiruvuru in Krishna district. The gang members were arrested by Governorpet police under Section 489 (b) (c) read with 420 of IPC. The gang of 10 members had 100 notes in the denomination of 5,00,000 and tried to sell them for Rs 10,00,000 each to various persons in Machilipat-nam and Vijayawada. They told their customers that each note would get them Rs 1,15, 64, 195 in Indian currency if exchanged. They claimed that they had more than Rs 115 crore in the form of Turkish currency. Police who inquired about the validity of the notes with various bankers in the city found that they are not worth at least a rupee and are not in use in Turkey. The Turkish government had withdrawn the Lira note printed in denomination of 1,00,000 to 10,00,000 in the year 2004. Police said that the notes seem to have been printed locally but the gang was saying that they bought them from Chittoor district. L abour's mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan was mocked today after he was accused of promising to set up a housing policy very similar to one he had previously rubbished. Mr Khan repeatedly panned former minister Tessa Jowells Homes for Londoners plan when he was fighting her to be Labours City Hall candidate. But Tory rivals now point out Mr Khan has made his own Homes for Londoners plan a key part of his campaign pitch. Bromley and Chislehurst Tory MP Bob Neill said: Khan has slammed the idea that has become central to his housing policy. The Khan experiment will in his own words delay the vital house building London needs and mean higher taxes for Londoners. As the race to be Labours candidate was heating up last year, Ms Jowell announced she would set up a new body called Homes for Londoners, to be led by a housing commissioner and with power to build homes on public land. But Mr Khan trashed it, claiming it would take time to get going and cost a lot of money. Instead he said he would personally take charge of housing rather than chair a meeting once a month of a new quango. But after defeating Ms Jowell, he confirmed he would set up a City Hall team called Homes for Londoners if he beats Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith in Mays election. A spokesman for Mr Khan said today: This is another desperate attack from the Tories. Sadiq has outlined plans for a new homes team in City Hall working directly to the Mayor, different from Tessas plans for a separate agency outside City Hall. Building genuinely affordable homes will be Sadiqs top priority as Mayor. A Tory spokesman said Mr Goldsmiths Action Plan would deliver the homes Londoners need. Last year Mr Khan backed a campaign to remove sexist advertising on the Tube, something also previously championed by Ms Jowell. T ory mayoral hopeful Zac Goldsmith has pledged to publish his tax return after facing pressure over his finances. The multi-millionaire Tory MP said he fully anticipated disclosing his records and called on his rivals in the City Hall race to do the same. After a grilling on his former non-dom status, he insisted that he has always paid full tax on his income in the UK because he has always lived here. But Labour urged him to come clean over his history as a non-dom and the offshore trust that holds his wealth and property. On whether he will publish his tax return, he told BBC2s Newsnight: Of course I will and I think all candidates should in this election. If this is something the candidates agree to do, then of course I will do that. I fully anticipate doing that. He was quizzed over whether his own tax affairs will prevent him from speaking out about the activities of multi-national firms such as Google, which have been accused of tax avoidance. Mr Goldsmith said on last nights programme: I have a huge family which covers every continent in the world. My father was an international businessman and established an overseas trust before he died. I am a beneficiary of that trust but its a blind trust and I have no control over it. What I do have control over is the income I get and that income is subjected to the full tax regime in the UK and has always been. He said non-dom status let individuals make lifestyle choices to avoid paying tax. But he insisted: Ive never been accused of not paying tax. The MP, whose wealth is estimated at between 200-300 million, inherited his non-dom status from his father, billionaire financier Sir James, who died in 1997, leaving a 1.2 billion fortune now in a discretionary trust run from Geneva for the benefit of his children. Mr Goldsmith relinquished his non-dom status before becoming an MP. He and his wife are understood to have a mortgage with a high street lender for their home in Barnes. It was not clear whether Ormeley Lodge, the family home where his mother lives, or his West Country estate, which he sold in 2012, were ever owned by the trust. Non-dom status, often seen as the preserve of the rich, means individuals pay tax on their UK earnings but not on any foreign income or foreign capital gains, for example if they sell shares or a second home. Labour published a list of questions for Mr Goldsmith to answer on his finances, including how much tax he avoided during his 10-plus years as a non-dom. It also asked what percentage of his income did not come from the UK and exactly what he had been referring to when he commented that he had gained very few benefits from the tax status. Labour mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan has previously said that Mr Goldsmiths wealth did not mean he could not empathise with Londoners experiences. However, he has also suggested that his Tory rival has not made the most of the opportunities life has afforded him. Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, said: Zac Goldsmith needs to come clean about his non-dom status and the offshore trust he holds wealth and property in. Its not enough to say he pays UK tax thats the minimum anyone expects of a candidate for Mayor. Londoners want to be assured that the Conservative candidate for Mayor is not using any loopholes to gain an unfair advantage. Most Londoners are happy to buy their home without the aid of offshore trusts. Why does Zac Goldsmith have to use one? B oris Johnson will come off the fence in the European referendum battle on Friday and a new poll reveals he could be a game-changer in the historic vote. The Mayors promise to say which side he is on came as an Ipsos MORI survey showed one in three people regard him as important to deciding whether they vote In or Out. Speculation that he will put his weight behind David Camerons campaign to remain in a reformed EU grew after he pledged to make everything abundantly clear by the end of the week. Mr Johnsons critical importance to the Prime Ministers gamble was underlined today when he was invited into 10 Downing Street to be briefed by Mr Cameron on detailed negotiations on a reform deal, which will be hammered out between 28 leaders at a crunch summit in Brussels tomorrow night. Leaving No 10 after 40 minutes of talks, Mr Johnson told reporters: Ill be back, no deal. Sources said he is likely to be updated again by the Premier in the next 24 hours. A plan to restore the sovereignty of Parliament over European Court of Justice rulings may be key. The campaign to stay in the EU is just 15 points ahead, according to todays poll which means the Mayor could sway the outcome on June 23, the expected date of the referendum. Reports claimed Mr Cameron looked very stressed during last-minute talks in Brussels. Today he was working in No 10 and meeting senior ministers to prepare for one of the biggest tests of his career. The negotiations are expected to go on late into tomorrow night and Friday morning. Ipsos MORIs research confirms private polling shown to No 10 which suggests a united campaign by Mr Cameron and Mr Johnson in favour of staying in the EU would persuade millions of Britons. However, if they end up on op-posite sides, the Prime Ministers strong appeal would be partly cancelled out. Ipsos MORI tested the importance of political figures who will be prominent in the EU debate. The Mayor was deemed important by more people than George Osborne, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, all of whom are ex-pected to endorse a Stay vote. Mr Johnson was seen as much more important than the two most high-profile Leave campaigners: Ukip leader Nigel Farage and former chancellor Lord Lawson. The Mayor was important to 32 per cent, second only to the Prime Minister on 44. Mrs May and Mr Osborne were on 28, with Mr Corbyn a point behind. Only 20 per cent said Mr Farage was important, while 21 per cent said that of Lord Lawson, who heads the Leave campaign. Businessman Stuart Rose, leading the Stronger In campaign, was deemed important by 23 per cent. Boris is genuinely undecided and in a dilemma, said a friend of the Mayor, adding that the results were not a surprise. Gideon Skinner of Ipsos MORI said: Boris Johnson has a broad range of appeal both to In and Out supporters, Conservatives and non-Conservatives, and whether people have already decided or may change their minds. Today Mr Cameron met Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to plan the final stages of his negotiations. At least four countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, look set to demand his flagship proposal a curb on migrant benefits be watered down. France has manoeuvred to stop him winning special protection for the City of London from regulations designed to shore up the euro, and MEPs have refused to promise they would not water down the reform package further when they legislate on it after the referendum is held. Downing Street conceded there are still details to be nailed down. The poll also found only 34 per cent of people think he will come back with a good deal. Overall, the Stay campaign leads by 51 to 36. L abour leader Jeremy Corbyn will address a major rally in London being staged to oppose renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system, it was claimed today. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament announced that Mr Corbyn, whose party is deeply divided on the issue, had agreed to give a speech in Trafalgar Square, although Mr Corbyns office said nothing had been confirmed. The rally, and a march from Hyde Park, comes ahead of a major vote in the Commons due later this year to decide plans for a replacement submarine missile system. Labour moderate MP David Lammy today backed the rally, saying he could not in all conscience approve the cost of a like-for-like replacement which the Government estimates would cost up to 20 billion but critics say would be far more. For me the renewal of Trident is inextricably linked with the lack of resources and austerity we see across the country, said Tottenham MP Mr Lammy. I could not in all conscience vote for renewal worth 31 billion or more when this is happening. For these reasons I support the demo. CND is hoping for a big turnout at the rally on February 27. It claimed it was getting backing from many Labour MPs, and said Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would also attend. T he heartbroken parents of a two-year-old girl who died after an 11-day battle with meningitis have pleaded for wider vaccinations against the disease. Toddler Faye Burdett died on Valentine's Day at Evelina Children's Hospital in London after she was taken ill with meningitis B. She had battled the illness for almost two weeks - even having a leg and an arm amputated - but eventually succumbed to the disease. Today her parents Jenny and Neil, from Kent, appealed for immunisations against all forms of meningitis to be rolled out to all children up to the age of 11 on the NHS. What are the symptoms of meningitis? From September last year, newborns have been vaccinated free of charge on the NHS against meningitis B. But parents say private vaccinations against the disease for children born before September can cost between 300 and 450. Shocking: Faye's parents agreed for her picture to be shared to raise awareness of the need for vaccinations In an emotional message on Facebook her parents, from Maidstone, wrote: "Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead, she was then transferred by south bank retrieval service to Evelina Children's Hospital where her heart stopped in the ambulance. "They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her, we were given a 1 per cent survival rate but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting, after a few days she seemed to have turned a corner but the the sepsis started to effect her more and the decision of limb removal was made, but the extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery. "But she was getting tired, her little body consumed by meningitis and sepsis (blood poisoning) we had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord, we decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away and at 9pm February 14th she finally fell asleep forever. "All this in only 11 days." A post by family friend Charlene Reed urging people to sign a petition calling for a change in legislation has already been shared 85,000 times. This is Faye and This is Meningitis.As youre aware, ive had a pretty shit weekend with news, some of that news being... Posted by Charlene Reed on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Ms Reed wrote: "Faye fought for a whopping two weeks with meningitis and at times, we really thought she would come through so to receive the news on monday morning was not only heartbreaking but shocking. "Faye, and her so very brave mum has given permission to share this photo to raise awareness. No it's not nice but it's reality, and it's what this disease did to Faye which made her sadly lose her life on Sunday. "We are trying to get parliament to reconsider charging us hundreds of pounds each to protect our children from this. In Faye's legacy we will fight to raise awareness. " The petition on the parliament website reads: "all children are at risk from this terrible infection, yet the Government plan to only vaccinate 2 to 5 month olds. There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11". It has already garnered more than 250,000 signatures. Ms Reed has also set up a JustGiving page in memory of Faye, which has already raised more than 3000 for the hospital where the youngster was treated. A post by nurse Aimee Beesley urging people to back the campaign has also been shared thousands of times. Signs and symptoms of meningitis The first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell. Limb pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than the rash, neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and confusion. Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis. Not everyone gets all the symptoms and they can appear in any order. Signs of meningitis in babies include a tense or bulging soft spot on their head, refusing to feed, being irritable when picked up, with a high pitched or moaning cry, and having a stiff body with jerky movements, or else feeling floppy and lifeless. Fever is often absent in babies under three months of age. If you are seriously worried about someone who is ill, do not wait for a rash to appear, and seek medical help. However, if a rash is already visible, press a clear glass tumbler firmly against the rash. If you can see the marks clearly through the glass seek urgent medical help immediately. Information provided by www.meningitis.org She wrote: "Every time I look at this picture it reduces me to tears, but I feel this needs to be shared to spread awareness and fight for what is right. "We've already hit our aim of 10,000 signatures in literally 2 days. I'm so proud of the ladies working alongside myself in trying to get the meningitis B jab free for our children. "You may have seen me speaking about a young girl now very close to my heart, Faye. Her so very brave mum has given permission to share this picture to help raise awareness. No, it's not nice, but it is reality. "And it is what this disease did to Faye which made her sadly loose her life on Sunday 14th February 2016. We are trying to get parliament to reconsider charging us hundreds of pounds each to protect our children from this awful disease. "In order to get this issue to parliament for debate we need to reach 100,000 signatures. In Faye's legacy, we will fight to raise awareness. "To the most beautiful girl and the most bravest mummy. I hope we make her proud rest in beautiful peace little angel xxx" As the petition has surpassed 100,000 signatures, MPs will already have to consider debating the matter in parliament. J eremy Corbyn has been called upon to personally look into allegations of anti-Semitism at Oxford University Labour Club. An investigation was launched after the club, which counts Michael Foot and Ed and David Miliband as former members, was rocked by claims of racism. Co-chairman of the club Alex Chalmers, an undergraduate at Oriel College, resigned earlier this week after claiming a large proportion of members "have some kind of problem with Jews" and some sympathise with Islamic militant group Hamas. The University's Jewish Society, known as JSoc, said it had heard reports of slurs and songs sung that amount to anti-Semitism. Labour MPs say they are "deeply concerned" at the allegations while the Israeli embassy said it is "appalled" by the claims which, if true, are "abhorrent". Labour Students, the body which Oxford University Labour Club is affiliated to, has launched an immediate investigation into the matter. John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, told the Press Association the Labour leader should ensure a thorough investigation is carried out. He said: "I have written to the Labour Party asking for an investigation as a matter of urgency. "It is hugely embarrassing for the Labour Party. This is something Jeremy Corbyn should personally look into." MP Louise Ellman, vice chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel, said: "I am deeply disturbed by the news that Oxford University Labour Club has decided to support Israel Apartheid Week and by the revelations from Alex Chalmers about the troubling tone of the discourse in which this debate appears to have been conducted." She said comparisons between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa "are a grotesque smear and the Labour Party should dissociate itself from them". The Israeli embassy in London said it was appalled by the reports of anti-Semitism, intimidation of Jewish students and support for terrorism against Israel at the Oxford Labour Club. A spokesman added: "We would not expect such disgraceful activity from any morally upright person - let alone students at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. "Anti-Semitism masquerading as politics is abhorrent. It must be recognised as such and condemned by all." Mr Chalmers said he resigned following the club's decision to endorse Israel Apartheid Week. In a public post on his Facebook page, he said that despite the club's "avowed commitment to liberation", the attitude of certain members towards disadvantaged groups was "becoming poisonous". His comments, alongside allegations published by the university's Jewish Society, has sparked the investigation by Labour Students, which said it is "deeply troubled" at the reports. A Labour Party spokeswoman said the Party "condemns anti-Semitism in any form" and that they welcome the investigation. The executive committee of the Oxford University Labour Club said it would co-operate with the investigation. In a statement they said: "We are horrified at and whole-heartedly condemn anti-Semitic behaviour in all its forms. "The comments detailed in JSoc's statement last night indicate a shocking pattern of hateful and racist behaviour by some club members, and it's of the highest priority that this be dealt with swiftly and lastingly. "Labour Students is launching an investigation; we will fully co-operate with this and encourage any of our members to come forward with any information that will assist the process." Additional reporting by Press Association. P ope Francis temporarily lost his composure after eager crowds caused him to almost topple onto a child in a wheelchair. As part of a five-day visit to Mexico, the pontiff greeted fans at a stadium in the western city of Morelia, with some clearly overwhelmed by their closeness to the pope. As the Pope shook hands with members of the crowd who had gathered, one person behind the barriers grabbed on to his sleeve and causing Francis to lose his balance. The pontiff almost fell onto a child in a wheelchair waiting to be greeted, causing the pope to brand the crowd selfish. With an irritated look on his face, the Pope was caught on camera saying Dont be selfish, dont be selfish in Spanish. Francis then took a couple of steps back as appeals came over the public address system asking the crowd not to group together. Tempers flared: Pope Francis lost his cool after crowds grabbed hold of his sleeve / EPA/SASHENKA GUTIERREZ The pontiff waved to people for a few more minutes before leaving. The Argentinean Pope ditched the Popemobile used by his predecessors as a way to get closer to the public, often using open top cars instead of the bullet-proof vehicle. The special car was introduced after the attempted assassination of John Paul II in 1981 in St Peters Square at the Vatican. During the visit to Morelia, Pope Francis also urged Mexican priests not to resign themselves to a society dominated by drug-fuelled violence and corruption, but to get out of their comfortable lives and fight the injustices tormenting their flock. The visit to Morelia acted a symbolic vote of confidence for the city's archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda. K anye West has hinted at his plans to run for President of the United States in 2020. The US rapper, 38, made a reference on Twitter while criticising the US education system. West - who has two children, North, three, and Saint, two-months with wife Kim Kardashian - demanded that school equipment be made cheaper so parents can afford it. He tweeted: "I have a friend who works really hard and makes $370 dollars a day "Her son just got in a really good school and his textbooks are like $400 dollars each. I mean, his mom has to work 2 days just to afford 1 book for her son. "Shes giving everything she has to make sure her son has a better future. Steve Jobs wanted to lower the cost of textbooks. "Education puts Americans into debt before they even get a chance to get started." West - who last week claimed to be $53 million in debt - finished: "We have to lower the price of textbooks Id rather teachers got paid more and books cost less #2020." I have a friend who works really hard and makes $370 dollars a day KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 Her son just got in a really good school and his textbooks are like $400 dollars each KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 I mean, his mom has to work 2 days just to afford 1 book for her son KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 shes giving everything she has to make sure her son has a better future KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 Steve Jobs wanted to lower the cost of textbooks KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 Education puts Americans into debt before they even get a chance to get started KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 We have to lower the price of textbooks KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 Id rather teachers got paid more and books cost less #2020 KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 16, 2016 The rapper has been very vocal on Twitter of late. This week he called on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion into "Kanye West ideas". He later asked "white publications" to stop writing about "black music", tweeting: "To Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and any other white publication. Please do not comment on black music anymore." Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 launch 1 /22 Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 launch Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Caitlin Jenner and Kylie Jenner attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kendall Jenner, holds her neice North West as she talks to Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the unveiling of the Yeezy collection and album release for Kanye West's latest album, "The Life of Pablo," Bruce Barton/AP JP Yim/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Olivier Rousteing, Kris Jenner and Melanie Griffith attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Kylie Jenner, Lil' Kim, Kanye West, ASAP Rocky, Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Caitlyn Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardshian attend Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 Collection presentation and listening party for the "The Life of Pablo" album during New York Fashion Week February 11, 2016. Also pictured are Jonathan Cheban (top R) and Kris Jenner (seated, front C). Andrew Kelly/Reuters Models pose during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Model Naomi Campbell appears onstage during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 JP Yim/Getty Images David Otunga, Jennifer Hudson, Rosie O'Donnell and Blake O'Donnell attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Lil' Kim and Caitlyn Jenner attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Kanye West attends Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Kanye West attends Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Follow @StandardShowbiz for more entertainment news. P izza Hut has attempted to relieve Kanye Wests debts by offering the US rapper a job kneading dough at one of their UK stores. West, 38, last week announced that he is $53 million in debt and called on Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion in Kanye West ideas. He also hinted that a fashion group could cover the money that he has invested over the past 13 years with a Lebron style deal. But Pizza Hut has now offered the star an opportunity to earn some cash. Stop telling everyone you need dough and try kneading some dough. We got your C.V. today. You start at 9am tomorrow. https://t.co/7ZnKzL38Q6 Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 The official Pizza Hut UK account tweeted: Stop telling everyone you need dough and try kneading some dough. We got your C.V. today. You start at 9am tomorrow. They later posted a mock C.V - in the style of his The Life Of Pablo album cover - which listed Wests skills as being the greatest and rapping and noted Baggy pants under experiences. His references included God, Kanye, Kim and North West - with a huge cross through Taylor Swift's name. The picture was captioned: We're sorry Kanye. We just can't accept this. Please give us a call. .@kanyewest We're sorry Kanye. We just can't accept this. Please give us a call. pic.twitter.com/NpuAX7vbry Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 The post comes after West reached out for more money, tweeting: "I just feel rich people are always too cool to ask for help trying to impress each other at dinner parties. "I want to help the world and I need help to do it. I am an artist and I care about humanity. "Yes I am personally rich and I can buy furs and houses for my family. But I need access to more money in order to bring more beautiful ideas to the world." Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 launch 1 /22 Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 launch Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Caitlin Jenner and Kylie Jenner attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kendall Jenner, holds her neice North West as she talks to Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the unveiling of the Yeezy collection and album release for Kanye West's latest album, "The Life of Pablo," Bruce Barton/AP JP Yim/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Olivier Rousteing, Kris Jenner and Melanie Griffith attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Kylie Jenner, Lil' Kim, Kanye West, ASAP Rocky, Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Caitlyn Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardshian attend Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 Collection presentation and listening party for the "The Life of Pablo" album during New York Fashion Week February 11, 2016. Also pictured are Jonathan Cheban (top R) and Kris Jenner (seated, front C). Andrew Kelly/Reuters Models pose during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Model Naomi Campbell appears onstage during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 JP Yim/Getty Images David Otunga, Jennifer Hudson, Rosie O'Donnell and Blake O'Donnell attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Lil' Kim and Caitlyn Jenner attend Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Kanye West attends Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Kanye West attends Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Follow @StandardShowbiz for more entertainment news. S he was once among the most unpopular women on the planet, but Yoko Ono believes the publics perception of her has changed because people are getting wiser. John Lennons widow, blamed by some for the break-up of The Beatles, will pick up the Inspiration Award at tonights NME Awards, in Brixton, held in association with Austin, Texas. The artist, who turns 83 tomorrow, told the Standard: Im just so thrilled. Isnt that great? I never thought that this would happen to me. Its been such a long road... And that kind of thing never happened to me at all. Yes [the publics perception of me has changed]. I think there is a difference now. Because people are getting wiser. The fact that they understand all the things that I did, like unfinished music and all of that. The most anticipated albums of 2016 1 /13 The most anticipated albums of 2016 Sia - This Is Acting The wig-happy singer is airing songs she originally wrote for other people. Due on January 29 Christopher Polk/Getty Elton John - Wonderful Crazy Night The legendary songwriter is releasing his new album on February 5 Tasso Marcelo/AFP/Getty Kanye West - SWISH The rapper's long-awaited 8th album is due on February 11 Christopher Polk/Getty The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It Matt Healy and co return with a tongue-twisting second album on February 26 Jesse Grant/Getty The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect Miles Kane and Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner have re-teamed for a second album from their side project, arriving in April Lady Gaga The pop icon is expected to make a huge comeback with her fifth album - and has been working with Elton John Kevin Winter/Getty Rihanna - ANTI The R&B star's new record has been a long time coming - and despite having an album cover and title, it seems Rihanna is still working on it in the studio Christopher Polk/Getty Images Radiohead It looks like the Oxford band's 9th LP might finally be ready this year - though little is known about it Getty Images Frank Ocean - Boys Don't Cry It was supposed to arrive last June, but Frank Ocean's Boys Don't Cry hasn't surfaced yet - fingers crossed for 2016 Karl Walter/Getty LCD Soundsystem James Murphy's cult band LCD Soundsystem have reunited, and confirmed that a new album is on the way Mark Metcalfe/Getty Ono is a big user of Twitter and called social media the next art scene. She had some advice for Stephen Fry in dealing with trolls after he quit Twitter this week following criticism after he jokingly compared costume designer Jenny Beavan to a bag lady as she picked up her Bafta for Mad Max: Fury Road. Ono said: Its better not to deal with it. When you dont deal with it, it solves itself. When you start to mess around with it, you start a dialogue. And thats really dangerous. It is 47 years since Ono and Lennon held their famous Bed-In to promote world peace, spending a week in hotel rooms in Amsterdam and Montreal. But despite admitting not much had changed, she believes todays artists must also take part in similar protests. She added: If they want to do more Bed-Ins, thats fine, but I think we have to look to something new... It was exciting when you think about it now, but at the time it didnt really gel. There are only two ways we can go. We can be very pessimistic and we will all just jump in the water together. Or, we can have some positive dreams... Id rather go with the positive thinking. Yoko Onos new album Yes, Im A Witch Too is out on Friday. We may be enjoying jokes but we do not want to become jokes ourselves, says Counsel New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought suggestions from Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and the lawyer Harvinder Choudhury within judicial dimensions as to how the ban on circulation of sardar jokes from websites could be implemented. A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices R. Banumathi and Uday Lalit granted six weeks for them to come out with concrete suggestions. The CJI told counsel R.S. Suri and Ahluwalia, You want the court to sensitise the public and also introduce guidelines to even schools. When we say do not crack such jokes, how do we enforce the order. Of course we do not want you to be ridiculed but please tell us in what way we can do something. Counsel said, Certain type of jokes are hurting us. It is not only the Sikhs. It covers Biharis and also people from the north east also. We may be enjoying jokes and also cracking jokes ourselves. But we do not want to become jokes ourselves. T he BBC have an impressive array of new dramas at the moment, with the continuation of Happy Valley and the launch of American Crime Story this week and now its time to add One Child to the list. Across three episodes, the miniseries explores various elements of Chinese culture and society through a thriller plot of mistaken identity and injustice. Here are four things you need to know about the show. 1) Its part of the BBCs China season As part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, BBC Two have been broadcasting a variety of programmes about the countrys culture and heritage from One Child, to Rick Steins Taste of Shanghai, and documentaries about New Year traditions. 2) It stars Harry Potter actress Katie Leung The lead actress in One Child will look familiar for anyone who watched the later Harry Potter films Mei is played by Katie Leung, who took on the role of Harrys on-off girlfriend Cho Chang. This time she stars as a young woman in her early twenties, born in China but given up by her birth parents due to the one child rule. Having grown up in Great Britain, Mei receives a call from her biological mother, revealing that she has an old brother back in China whos been arrested for a murder he didnt commit. Best TV dramas 2016 1 /38 Best TV dramas 2016 The Missing The addictive and twisty second series of the BBC's crime anthology series BBC/New Pictures/Robert Viglasky Dark Angel Joanne Froggatt stared as Victorian mass murderer Mary Ann Cotton in this ITV drama ITV Close to the Enemy Stephen Poliakoff's post-war drama thriller BBC/Little Island Pictures Ordinary Lies The BBC anthology drama returns with more twisted tales BBC/Red Productions/Adrian Rogers The Night Of Riz Ahmed stars in HBO's critically acclaimed crime mini-series HBO Cold Feet The classic ITV comedy-drama returns - and it's just as good as it ever was ITV Victoria ITV have given Poldark some stiff competition with this period drama about a young Queen Victoria ITV Poldark The BBC's hit drama returns with more brooding, and less naked scything BBC/Robert Viglasky One of Us The BBC kept everyone guessing with this claustrophobic four-part whodunit Ripper Street The fan-favourite Victorian police drama returned for Series 4 BBC/Tiger Aspect 2016/Bernard Walsh The Secret Agent Toby Jones led the cast in the BBC's Joseph Conrad adaptation BBC/World Productions/Mark Mainz/Matt Burlem The Living and the Dead The BBC's gothic romance debuted in full on iPlayer BBC Preacher AMC's adaptation of Garth Ennis' cult comic book is available week-by-week on Amazon Prime Amazon / AMC Versailles A raunchy royal romp around the court of King Louis XIV, spicing up Wednesdays on BBC Two Canal +/ BBC Locked Up The Spanish prison drama came to the UK thanks to Channel 4's Walter Presents series Channel 4 / Global Series Peaky Blinders The Birmingham-set gangster thriller was more popular than ever in its third series BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky The A Word The BBC gave us a nuanced and emotional take on autism BBC/Fifty Fathoms Marcella Anna Friel stars in ITV's British take on the Scandi-noir thriller ITV Grantchester James Norton is back as the crime-solving vicar ITV / Lovely Day Stag The comedy-thriller from the team behind The Wrong Mans is both hilarious and chilling BBC/Des Willie/Hal Shinnie/Matt Burlem Vinyl Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger present a glossy drama about the Seventies music industry HBO American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson Cuba Gooding Jr leads an all-star cast in a dramatic re-telling of the 'trial of century' BBC/Fox Happy Valley Sarah Lancashire returned as Sgt Catherine Cawood for a second series of the gritty crime thriller BBC/Red Productions/Ben Blackall The X Files Mulder and Scully return for a brand new set of mysteries War and Peace The BBC's epic adaptation of the Russian literary classic BBC/Mitch Jenkins Call the Midwife The BBC period drama moved into the Sixties for Series 5 BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian Dickensian Charles Dickens' most famous characters collide in this historical soap BBC Jericho ITV's British western set in the wilds of Yorkshire Silent Witness The hugely popular detective drama returns for a 19th series 3) Its not just about the One Child Policy While Chinas population control policy marks a jumping-off point for the show, the three episodes also explore themes around corruption in Chinas legal system, the application of the death penalty, and the disparity of wealth in the economically-booming country. 4) It has a fan favourite from Game of Thrones While the show is predominantly set in China, Meis British adoptive father will be recognisable to Game of Thrones fans its Donald Sumpter, who played Maester Luwin in HBOs fantasy epic. BBC Two, 9pm Hyderabad: A city-based advocate has filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments of Hindus by posting a cartoon over JNU row on Twitter, police said on Wednesday. K Karuna Sagar, in a complaint lodged with Saroornagar Police Station on Tuesday, said that the Delhi CM had posted a cartoon over the JNU row on Twitter which was carried by an English daily. He alleged that the cartoon "hurt" his religious sentiments and also the sentiments of crores of Hindus, and sought for necessary action against Kejriwal by registering a case, Inspector S Lingaiah said. "No case has been registered so far...the complaint has been forwarded for legal opinion. We will act accordingly based on the legal opinion," the Inspector said. Kejriwal had posted a cartoon on Tuesday, which depicted a Hanuman-esque figure assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi that public attention has been diverted towards JNU from other pressing issues. New Delhi: India is likely to select by the year-end at least one fighter aircraft that will be manufactured by the private sector under the 'Make in India' process for supply to IAF, said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Tuesday. He said that there may be one or two more jet fighter plants, either operational or in the process of being set up, in India in the next three years or so. Asked if this meant HAL will set up more plants, Parrikar said, "It is private sector which will be required to supply to the air force. We need fighters. We may encourage...there are proposals." He, further, added, through "proper process", by year end "we might select few aircraft to Make in India. Which one I don't commit. But there will be at least one, may be two also." Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the US, Saab of Sweden, Dassault Aviation of France and Eurofighter have offered to set up manufacturing bases in India along with transfer of technology if their fighter aircraft was selected for Indian Air Force. All the companies are also in talks with Indian private firms to select a local partner. However, they are awaiting a clear signal from the government before selecting their partners. Parrikar also made it clear that 'Make in India' does not mean just assembly of equipment but manufacturing through transfer of technology. The development comes as both India and France are in the last stage of concluding an Inter-Government Agreement on direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jet planes. The government has also decided to equip IAF, which is facing a severe fighter shortage, with indigenously developed Tejas combat aircraft. HAL is already in the process of increasing its capacity to manufacture 16 Tejas aircraft per year. New Delhi: In open defiance of the Supreme Court order, a large group of men dressed in lawyers' robes barged into the Patiala House court complex and allegedly beat up a journalist and a student before the court was to hear the sedition case of JNU students' union chief Kanhaiya Kumar. The group shouted Vande Mataram and waved the Indian flag. It was led by Vikram Chauhan, one of the lawyers who had attacked JNU students, faculty and several journalists on February 15 at the Patiala court where they had gathered to hear Kanhaiya's appeal. Journalist Anwar, who was beaten up, said clashes erupted in the court complex and the cops present did not deter lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week on charges of sedition for allegedly chanting anti-India, pro-Afzal Guru slogans at a February 9 event in JNU. However, he was given a clean chit by Delhi police who stated that Kumar was not involved in any anti-India sloganeering on campus. According to reports, more forces have been deployed at Patiala House Court after the attack. Read: BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha backs JNU student union leader, calls for his release The Supreme Court was to hear today a plea on whether the police had acted as mute spectators to the brazen display of brute force on JNU faculty, students and scribes at the Patiala court on February 15. Unfortunately, lawyers protested inside the top court too, forcing judges to adjourn the hearing till February 22. Lawyer Rajeev Tadac and his colleagues had chanted 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans during the hearing. "If this is happening inside the SC, then what are we left to say," the Supreme Court observed before adjourning the matter. Read: JNU row: Delhi Police conducts inter-state raids The Supreme Court also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at Patiala House court complex where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, is to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate later today. The apex court ordered there will be restricted entry of people when Kanhaiya's case is heard at Patiala court today. Kanhaiya's extended police custody of two days expires today. Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the apex court bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said two family members of the accused, if present, would be allowed in the court room, or one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused. The bench also restricted the entry of the media inside the court room and said only five would be allowed inside. It said 25 journalists could enter the compound after proper identification and verification. The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to only today. The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court would meet at 2 pm to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on February 15 at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists present in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case. Read: JNU row: Supreme Court agrees to give urgent hearing to plea on court scuffle The petition was filed by N D Jaiprakash, who alleged that police were a "mute spectator to this brazen display of violence and brute force being perpetrated on innocent persons". "This petition merely seeks to assure safety of the accused, their relatives, friends, lawyers and journalists while discharging their legal as well as professional obligations. The surcharged and vicious atmosphere in the Court premises would come in the way of the fundamental right of the accused for a fair trial," the plea said. The petition, which was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief J T S Thakur by senior advocate Indira Jaising, also demanded that the security measures in the court complex should be such that no person becomes victim of violence. Read: JNU teachers divided over students stir The petition said the violence witnessed in the court not only endangered the life of Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition, but also prevented journalists from carrying out their work of reporting court proceedings. Hundreds of journalists held a protest march against the attack on mediapersons covering the hearing of a sedition case in which the JNU students' union president has been arrested and demanded that the culprits be brought to book. The scribes, representing various journalist bodies, took out a march from the Press Club to the Supreme Court raising slogans in support of freedom of expression and against alleged police inaction during the incident yesterday. Read: A group of people hit me, my action was 'natural': BJP MLA A delegation of journalists also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought a thorough probe into the incident and strict action against those involved in the assault at the Patiala House Court Complex. The journalists questioned the "silence of police" over the attack on students and scribes and dubbed it an insult to the judiciary as the incident took place inside a court complex. Read: Lawyers attack JNU students, scribes in Patiala House court complex Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up allegedly by groups of lawyers, drawing criticism from the press amidst calls for the Home Ministry to look into the "dereliction of duty" by police, which has been accused of being a "mute spectator" during the incident. The journalist bodies said it was a matter of "great concern" that attacks on media are "going up". Read: Venkaiah Naidu asks students to focus on education instead of Afzal Guru Police have said two FIRs have been registered against unnamed persons in connection with the attack. Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said the alleged negligence on the part of police is being probed and the guilty will face legal action. Meanwhile, police refused to register an FIR against Rahul Gandhi on the complaint of some BJP leaders in Kanpur for supporting students protesting in JNU saying, it was out of their jurisdiction. Read: Rahul Gandhi condemns attack on journalists in Delhi, calls it 'very wrong' Terming Gandhi's act of support as 'anti-national' BJP president Surendra Methani along with other leaders marched to the police station to lodge an FIR. But Circle Officer Rajendra Dhar Dwivedi said that BJP Kanpur since the incident happened in Delhi, he refused to take the FIR. Retired Nebraska State Patrol Sergeant Larry D. Wally Wallace, 70, of Gering, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at his home. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15, at Monument Bible Church, 4124 Ave. I, Scottsbluff with Pastor Daniel Kachikis officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the family to be designated at a later time. Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Tributes of sympathy may be left at www.dugankramer.com Wally was born June 9, 1945, at Alliance to H.A. Wallace and Marjorie (Gould) Osborn. He attended school in Alliance graduating from Alliance High School with the Class of 1963. Wally was united in marriage to Pat Darveau on May 7, 1967, at Alliance. The couple made their home in Alliance, Gothenburg, Bridgeport and Gering. Wally served with the Nebraska National Guard from 1963-1969 and started his law enforcement career with the Scottsbluff Police Department. He joined the Nebraska State Patrol in 1967 and resigned in 1971. He rejoined the Nebraska State Patrol in 1973, being their first rehire, retiring in 1998. He served in three fire departments Gothenburg, Alliance and Bridgeport as an EMT. Wally also served as the Western EMS Coordinator with HHS for 11 years. Wally is survived by his wife Pat of Gering; daughter Sue (Mike) Phillips; sons Jeff (Teresa) Wallace and Travis (Mistie) Wallace; eight grandsons Kyle (Morgan) Wallace, Derek (Brittli) Wallace, Brady Wallace, Tyler (Cailey) Wallace, Justin Wallace, Brandon Wallace, and Jared and Jace Phillips; great-grandson Korbin Wallace; sister Marjean (Bud) Garrett; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members including a special nephew Sherman Osborn. Wally was preceded in death by his parents and brother Ronald Osborn. Wally responded to his last call. The murder of a 13-year-old girl, Nicole Lovell, of Virginia, has highlighted one social media app, called Kik. Lovell had been messaging the 18-year-old man accused of killing her on the app. Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Monty Lovelace said he has had a lot of questions about the app. Unfortunately, cases like Lovells are happening every day in our area. Lovelace, who has led the Internet Crimes Against Children investigations for NSP - Troop E, speaks about recent cases when he presents to parents and others about Internet safety. In one week, we had three cases where there were girls between the ages of 11 and 13 sending nude pictures of themselves, he said. In one of the cases, the offender is overseas and two of the cases are active. In the overseas case, which occurred in 2014, a 12-year-old girl had been sending photos of herself to a man who was overseas. I was notified last week that individual was arrested on possession of child pornography. That guy will not be contacting her or anyone else in the area. He was arrested. Not all cases make local headlines he said. Over the last four years, he said, Nebraska State Patrol-Troop E investigations have taken nearly 50 offenders off the streets. Sometimes, those cases are in another jurisdiction, but by the click of a button, they are in our backyard, he said. I do not care if they are here in town or in Israel. We are going to try to get them offline so they are not talking to our kids. Though kids might not think about sending a photo in the heat of the moment, those photos can live on. Lovelace said there is a lot of child pornography on websites and they are getting shared and viewed. These children are getting exploited and they do not realize it, he said. And on these sites, there is a fantasy to push it as young as you can. They have come up with a fascination that younger is better. The younger (the child), the more exciting it is, he said. In his presentations to parents and kids, Lovelace advocates being proactive about protecting our kids. Nine out of 10 kids have a cell phone and over the last few years, activity has shifted from laptops and desktops to smartphones. Lovelace will speak to parents and others during a March 7, 6 p.m. presentation at the Lied Scottsbluff Public Library. Though he urges parents to bring their children, children should be in sixth grade and older as some of the materials are sexual in nature. During his presentation, he urges parents to be proactive. He tells parents to know about everything on their childs phone, including apps. For example, Kik isnt a new app, though lots of parents have indicated they did not know about it. There are a lot of parents who check their kids call logs, their messages, yet they have no idea what the applications do. We try to preface with parents to understand what the applications are," Lovelace said. Ignorance is not an excuse, he said. Parents can Google an app and find out information about it. There are other ways to be proactive, he said, including using software on your childs phone to track their activity. Some parents do it and dont tell, he said. Some say, I am going to hold you accountable and this is how Im going to do it. How parents do it, it is between them and their kids but I think that being proactive is a good thing. Be proactive and attend a presentation on Internet safety. I consider myself Internet savvy and Ive learned from these presentations. You wont regret it. This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page Published: 17 February 2016 More open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2015 than one year earlier According to the Job Vacancy Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 21,900 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2015, which is 11 per cent more than one year earlier (19,800). The reference period of the data is 1 December. In the whole of 2015, there were 28,900 open job vacancies, on average, which is roughly the same number as in the previous year (28,500). Job vacancies 2014/IV 2015/IV Year/Quarter 2014/IV 2015/IV Number Share, % Number Share, % Job vacancies 19 800 21 900 Part-time 4 300 22 4 300 20 Fixed term 6 700 34 8 100 37 Hard-to-fill vacancies 8 300 42 9 800 45 The sub-groups are not mutually exclusive so their sum does not correspond with the total number of open job vacancies. In the last quarter of 2015, in all, 15,600 or 71 per cent of the job vacancies were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while one year earlier the corresponding share was 75 per cent. Compared with the quarter one year earlier, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the major regions of Helsinki-Uusimaa and Southern Finland. Examined by the industry of the establishment, open job vacancies increased most in the industry group of manufacturing, mining and quarrying and other industry (+1,800). In the last quarter of the year, 20 per cent of all open job vacancies were part-time positions and 37 per cent were fixed-term. The shares changed only slightly from one year ago. Employers estimated that 45 per cent of the job vacancies in the last quarter were hard to fill, while one year earlier the corresponding share was 42 per cent. For example, the trade industry had plenty of jobs in sales considered hard to fill, and information and communication activities had many IT expert positions that were considered hard to fill. The number of open job vacancies can also be viewed on annual level as averages of the quarterly figures. Of the open job vacancies in 2015, on average, 74 per cent were offered by establishments owned by private enterprises, while the corresponding share in 2014 was 71 per cent. Open job vacancies increased in the major region of Helsinki-Uusimaa (+1,200). Examined by the industry of the establishment, the number of job vacancies rose particularly from one year ago in establishments belonging to the industry group of trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities (+1,200) and decreased most in the industry group of professional, scientific and technical activities, and administrative and support service activities (-1,000). Examined on the annual level, the shares of part-time and fixed-term jobs in all job vacancies changed relatively little. The difficulties experienced by employers in filling open job vacancies increased somewhat. On average, 37 per cent of the open job vacancies in 2015 were assessed as hard-to-fill by the employers, while in 2014 the corresponding share was 33 per cent. Job vacancies in 2014 2015 Year 2014 2015 Number Share, % Number Share, % Job vacancies 28 500 28 900 Part-time 6 700 24 6 400 22 Fixed term 13 300 47 12 800 44 Hard-to-fill vacancies 9 500 33 10 700 37 The sub-groups are not mutually exclusive so their sum does not correspond with the total number of open job vacancies. Annual figures on job vacancies are averages of quarterly figures. Statistics Finland has been collecting data on open job vacancies quarterly since 2002. The inquiry is directed to persons responsible for recruitment in private or public sector establishments. The data provider can respond either using the web questionnaire or through a telephone interview. The data collection includes approximately 2,500 different establishments in every quarter. The statistics are based on Regulation (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The objective is to produce up-to-date and comparable information about the number and structure of job openings on the labour markets of EU Member States. More information about open job vacancies is available in the appendix tables of this release and in the database tables of the statistics (only in Finnish). The figures in the tables are rounded, for which reason the sums do not always amount to the totals. The accuracy of estimates and standard errors are explained in the quality description of the statistical release (only in Finnish). Latest data on open job vacancies published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat . Source: Job vacancy survey 2015, 4th quarter. Statistics Finland. Inquiries: Minna Wallenius 029 551 2749, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma Publication in pdf-format (261.6 kB) Updated 17.2.2016 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Job vacancy survey [e-publication]. ISSN=1798-2278. 4th quarter 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 21.10.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/atp/2015/04/atp_2015_04_2016-02-17_tie_001_en.html This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. 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Kanhaiya was produced before the court, after the expiry of his police custody remand, amid tight security and sloganeering by lawyers inside the court premises. The left-leaning campus leader has been in prison since Friday over his participation in events where anti-India slogans were allegedly shouted. Soon after the clashes began, a grimacing and cowering Kumar was escorted onto the court premises on foot by a few policemen. Several reports said he was punched and kicked as he was taken inside the courtroom. About a dozen lawyers threw rocks at reporters and protesters. One of them grabbed the camera strap of a photographer, bruising his hand and breaking his lens. At least one reporter also said that the lawyers beat him and broke his cellphone while the police watched. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week on charges of sedition for allegedly chanting anti-India, pro-Afzal Guru slogans at a February 9 event in JNU. However, he was given a clean chit by Delhi police who stated that Kumar was not involved in any anti-India sloganeering on campus. During the hearing before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen, only six lawyers representing Kanhaiya were allowed to be inside the court room along with one JNU professor and five journalists. The Supreme Court had ensured restricted entry earlier in the day when its premises was also not spared by lawyers protesting Kanhaiya's 'anti-national' leanings. Read: Do not indulge in 'character assassination', demand student unions Kanhaiya was attacked by a group of people when being escorted by police from the vehicle to the court room during which even the cops with him were beaten up. Doctors have found "minor" abrasions on the face and legs of Kanhaiya Kumar. A two-member team of doctors from R M L Hospital conducted the medical check-up on Kumar at the court premises following an order by metropolitan magistrate Lovleen after he was attacked. "According to the team, there were only minor abrasions on his face and both the legs. There were no major injuries," said hospital sources. A visibly shaken Kanhaiya was brought in the court room at 2.45 pm where an unidentified person tried to assault him. During the hearing, which commenced at 3 pm, advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj, who appeared for Kanhaiya, told the magistrate that despite the Supreme Court direction, the police has failed to maintain the law and order as their client was assaulted inside court premises and even outside the door of the court room by the person. The lawyers claimed that despite Kanhaiya asking the police officials to apprehend the person, who was trying to assault him near the gate of the court room, the police allowed that person to go scot-free. Read: Journalist attacked by lawyers again outside Patiala House court At this juncture the magistrate told the lawyers that he will call the doctors from the Patiala House Court dispensary to medically examine Kanhaiya inside the court room itself. During the hearing, the investigating officers moved the application requesting the court to send Kanhaiya to judicial custody, saying he was not required for any custodial interrogation. Read: JNU row: Kanhaiya wasn't involved in anti-India sloganeering, say cops During the hearing, Kanhaiya's counsel moved an application seeking direction to the jail superintendent to ensure safety and security of their client in the prison. The court ordered the DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal, who was present in the court room, to take appropriate action to ensure that Kanhaiya is being taken to the jail safely and also directed the jail authorities to ensure his safety there. During the hearing, Kanhaiya's counsel apprised the Magistrate that the Supreme Court has appointed some senior advocates as court commissioners and they are on their way to Patiala House court. The six-member team of lawyers comprised Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit Sinha and Harin Raval. At around 3.25 pm, the team of SC-appointed commissioners came in the court and asked Kanhaiya and their counsel as to what has happened with the accused in the court premises today. Initially, advocate Vrinda Grover briefed them about the assault and later on the commissioners asked Kanhaiya about the incident. Narrating the incident, Kanhaiya told the commissioners that he was attacked by a group of mob while he was being escorted to the court room. The commissioners then called DCP Narwal and asked him to explain about the failure of law and order despite the Supreme Court directive. Narwal, however, told them that when the mob attacked Kanhaiya, even police personnel were beaten up and one of the cops was attacked with blade by those persons. After 1.30 pm a group of men dressed as lawyers were shouting slogans and also tried to manhandle 3-4 persons during which the police intervened and escorted them out safely. Read: JNU row: Delhi Police conducts inter-state raids Openly defying the Supreme Court order, the group of men in lawyers' robes again attacked mediapersons and chanted slogans like "Vande Mataram" and waved the tri-colour. Among the group of men was lawyer Vikram Chauhan and some others who had allegedly attacked journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the court two days back. They managed to enter the court complex despite heavy police presence and yet again roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. Police looked the other way, the journalists alleged. Soon after the fresh assault, lawyers made a mention of the incidents before a Supreme Court bench which asked the counsel of Delhi Police to find out the situation at Patiala House Court and get back to it in ten minutes. The team of senior advocates, after taking stock of the situation at Patiala House Court, informed the apex court that there is serious threat to safety of Kanhaiya who was beaten and pushed by unknown persons in the court. After this the apex court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure safety of Kanhaiya and others who attended the proceedings in the court today. KOCHI: A detailed discussion lasted for more than four hours but failed to give a clear picture to eradicate the apprehensions of City Corporation councillors over the implementation of the Smart City project. During a special session of the council convened on Tuesday, top officials of the state level Smart City Mission failed to address the apprehensions of councillors on user fees, formation of the special purpose vehicle and financial structuring of the project. Meanwhile, the high power steering committee meeting to be chaired by the chief secretary on Wednesday at Thiruvananthapuram will take a decision on SPV formation and appointment of its CEO. Mayor Soumini Jain will also attend the meeting. Strongly criticizing the Smart City Missions and Mayor Soumini Jains approach of keeping the councillors in the dark over imposing user fees and formation of SPV, Education Standing Committee chairperson Dr. Poornima Narayan said that even the top authorities were clueless about the Smart City guidelines and implementation. There are several questions that remain unanswered on the role and powers of the civic body in the SPV, nomination of its CEO, following a uniform guideline for all the selected cities, imposing user fees and other hidden traps if any. As per the proposal submitted by the civic body to the Union Ministry of Urban Development, the civic body has agreed to impose user fees for all essential services including drinking water and sewage management, she said. Replying to the debate, Mayor Soumini Jain said the that implementation of the project would be done in a very transparent manner. The civic body can use unused funds of other projects as ULBs share of the Smart City initiatives, she said. Ms. Jain added that the project would not result in regional disparity in development as the two pan city solutions like Smart Card and 24X7 drinking water supply would cater to the entire city areas. Three divisions in the Central area and four divisions in west Kochi areas had been included in the Smart City development plan, she added. Councillors T.K Ashraf, Syamala Prabhu, K.R Prem Kumar, Johnson master, Adv. Sunila Selvan, V.P Chandra, K.J Basal, Aji Francis and Rajeev Chandrasekharan also participated in the debate. Wednesday, 17 February 2016 23:28:14 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Governments general attorney, Luis Inacio Adams, said the arrangement will allow company to pay for the damages through specific programs. Adams said the Brazilian government expects to reach agreement with Samarco by Friday, settling down a BRL 20 billion ($4.9 billion) lawsuit for the Mariana disaster. Brazilian authorities have reached an agreement with pellets producer Samarco, a 50/50 JV between Vale and BHP Billiton, for compensating the damages caused by a deadly iron ore waste dam burst in November.Governments general attorney, Luis Inacio Adams, said the arrangement will allow company to pay for the damages through specific programs. Adams said the Brazilian government expects to reach agreement with Samarco by Friday, settling down a BRL 20 billion ($4.9 billion) lawsuit for the Mariana disaster. Despite the willingness of both sides to reach an agreement, the deal wont protect executives from any potential prosecution, Adams noted. The discussion is going clause by clausethe devil is in the details, the general attorney said. Marilene Ramos, head of Brazil 's environmental protection agency, Ibama, told media that a formal signing of the agreement should happen before the end of the month. Backed by both Vale and BHP, Samarco is expected to create a foundation that will manage the compensation funds and repair the damages it caused to the environment, a media report added. However, Samarco still needs to improve its environmental recovery plan, Ramos said. EBC, Brazil s news agency, said Wednesday is the final day for Samarco to complement its environmental recovery plan to restore the Doce river, which was severely affected by the dam burst. Ibama labeled Samarcos recovery plan for the Doce river as generalist and superficial. Additionally, Samarco reached an agreement with the Minas Gerais state court and the local Public Ministry, a body of public prosecutors, to hire an independent audit to analyze the repair and the stabilization of the companys dams in Mariana city. Wednesday, 17 February 2016 11:18:55 (GMT+3) | Brescia Speaking in Brussels on February 15, Antonio Gozzi, president of Italian steel producers association Federacciai, stated, "We ask European leaders to reject market economy status (MES) for China. Recognizing that this status would deprive Europe of the ability to stop Chinese dumping and that China would fatally undermine the European production base and threaten millions of jobs, I view positively any instrument which restores the rules, such as preventive surveillance measures. I hope that defensive measures will soon be adopted. The Chinese steel industry is losing $4 billion a month and is a state-subsidized sector, and so I do not understand how China can be considered to be a market economy. " Mr. Gozzi was speaking amid protests held in Brussels by both European steel entrepreneurs and steel workers in a bid to block the granting of market economy status to China later in the current year - against the backdrop of fears of a collapse of the steel sector in Europe amid a flood of cheap imports from China. Market economy status for China would also increase CO2 emissions. Chinese production (80 percent coal-based) is in fact far more damaging to the environment than European production (28 percent coal-based), Federacciai said, adding that replacing European steel production with imports of Chinese steel would result in a 43 percent increase in CO2 emissions. Wednesday, 17 February 2016 23:33:31 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Brazil exported 39,800 mt of hot dip galvanized (HDG) coils to the US in January, priced at $557/mt, FOB conditions, for the product with less than 4.75mm in thickness, said the local ministry of development, industry and foreign trade, MDIC. The figures represent increases of 149 percent in volume and 3.4 percent in price compared to December 2015. It was the highest monthly volume of HDG exported from Brazil to the US over the last years. In January, all such exports were from the producer CSN, as Usiminas has gradually reduced its exports of HDG coils to the US, following the reduction of its crude steel production. In 2015, Brazil exported 192,000 mt of HDG coils to the US, of which 171,000 mt by CSN and 21,000 mt by Usiminas. An industry source told SteelOrbis that the increased sales of January results from marketing efforts next to the local consumers, rather than from increased demand from the US market. The source added that the most recent deals for export of HDG coils to the US were closed at up to $590/mt, FOB conditions. Health Minister Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu says he feels frustrated by the absence of the results of the investigation into the case involving infants hospitalised at the Marie Curie Hospital with an haemolytic-uremic syndrome. "I am very frustrated that we do not have the results of this special investigation, but I am not obliging anyone to provide other than the real results, and reality is what it is. The investigation was conducted along the exiting standard procedures. We have also called on our colleagues elsewhere in Europe and we will provide more details after hearings at Parliament. Parents are very much confident in the doctors here; we are all fighting for the children," the minister said on a visit to the Marie Curie Hospital.He added that if the investigation shows the doctors of Arges, the county wherefrom the ill infants came, were late in sending the infants to Bucharest, appropriate measures will be taken against them.The minister added that the Arges Public Healthcare Directorate will be investigated to see whether or not it acted properly.Achimas-Cadariu said no culprits should be sought now, but solutions for the healing of the little ones.He added that he did not come to the Marie Curie Hospital as a minister, but as a doctor, to encourage his colleagues. AGERPRES Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and working president of National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday said that harassment of Kashmiri students in Delhi is unacceptable and cautioned against making them convenient scapegoats in the JNU issue. He said the harassment and hounding of Kashmiri students on the pretext of the JNU crackdown reeked of an all-too-familiar profiling of Kashmiris in the national capital. If the Delhi Police and the Home Ministry want to unleash a dictatorial and tyrannical crackdown on dissenting voices and students in Delhi, they should not make Kashmiri students convenient scapegoats and stigmatize them and in turn ruin their careers. This is unacceptable, he said in a statement here. Abdullah said, There have been numerous instances in the past when the Delhi Police has cited intelligence inputs to falsely implicate young Kashmiris only to be acquitted by the courts after years of incarceration. He added, Now this recent decision to hound Kashmiri students from JNU and other colleges seems to be another addition to this chapter. We express our resentment against this blanket stereotyping and maligning of Kashmiri students and demand that the Government of India desists from ruining their careers for the benefit of political expediency. The NC leader said such policies of selective persecution and profiling adds to the perception of alienation and isolation among the youth of the State. The message this type of policing sends out is disastrous and has severe long term implications on the psyche of our youth. Profiling and hounding Kashmiri students on one pretext or the other creates a deep sense of insecurity and apprehension among thousands of our students enrolled in universities across the country. He termed it as extremely unfortunate and warned We will not remain silent and allow their en-masse persecution. Meanwhile, independent lawmaker and leader of regional Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Sheikh Abdur Rashid was on Wednesday detained by police along with dozens of his party men and supporters as they marched along the streets of Srinagar in solidarity with detained JNUSU leaders and against the recent killing of two students in Army and police firing in the States Pulwama district. Chanting Bravehearts of JNU, We are with you, we are with you, Dunya bhar mein shor hai, Delhi adam khor hai and Jis Kashmir ko khon se seencha, woh Kashmir hamara hai, they tried to relocate to the City centre Lal Chowk but riot police came in their way and whisked them away in their vehicles. They were, however, released from a police station later. Before his detention, Rashid who is also known as Engineer Rashid said that people of Jammu and Kashmir are thankful to all those saner voices especially the youth who are raising their voice in favour of Kashmiris at JNU, Kolkata and other places. Congress and BJP are trying to score the political points with regard to this uprising in the educated class of India but need to understand that the uprising is not for Congress or against BJP but the Indian youth has started feeling pain of Kashmiris, he asserted. He added, The protests being carried out in prestigious universities are being attended by students and scholars of all most of all states without caring for caste, creed and religion. As such New Delhi has lost the argument of blaming Pakistan in interfering into internal affairs of India. He also condemned attacks on media persons by ultranationalist lawyers and activists in Delhi court premises and said that world community should know if these so called protectors of law, can mishandle and abuse those who have similar views as of them about Kashmir, what would they do with those who differ with them in their ideology and views. Mumbai: The bodies of the two medical students who perished in Smolensk Institute in Russia arrived in India via an emirates flight on Wednesday. The parents and relatives of the two girls said that they had received information from other students that there was no proper explanation of escape routes for students in case of emergency. The parents are in touch with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the ministry of external affairs and are demanding that a proper probe be initiated in the incident. The families of the deceased got custody of the bodies and BJP leader Kirit Somaiya assisted the families to complete formalities. The bodies will be taken to Pune and Mumbai in two separate ambulances. The two girls from Maharashtra who were studying medicine in the Smolensk State Medical University in Russia and had died due to suffocation after they were trapped in their room when a fire broke out in their hostel on Sunday. Source had told Deccan Chronicle that as per the preliminary report by the Smolensk region department of the Russian Investigative Committee, the fire broke out at the fourth floor of the six-floor dormitory of the university in the morning on February 14. The two students namely Puhja Kallur from Navi Mumbai and Karishma Bhosale from Pune were roommates and were trapped in their room on the same floor. Both the girls were fourth year students of the MBBS course. After the fire was brought under control, the firefighters went through the rooms and found the bodies of both the girls. The cause of death was shown as death due to suffocation, but it will be confirmed only after the post mortem reports are received, said the source. What you pay for car insurance depends on more than what you drive and how you drive it. It depends on where you live, your credit score, and sometimes your occupation and education level. High school dropouts may pay more than people with masters degrees even when the well-educated have worse driving records. Janitors may pay more than business executives. People who rent may pay more than home owners. People who live in poor, crime-ridden parts of town will pay much more than others. Of course, your driving record affects this too, as does the car you drive. Insurers say its all an effort to match rates to the risk presented by a driver. Critics, however, say insurers are discriminating against the poor. The rate differences can be dramatic. If you live in ZIP code 63147 which stretches along north Broadway into the citys Baden neighborhood count on paying the highest auto insurance rates in the St. Louis area. Residents of other poor city ZIPs face also face high rates, according to a rate analysis by Carinsurance.com, an online auto insurance market. A good driver might pay $1,974 to cover a 2012 Honda Accord in the 63147 ZIP, according to the survey, which averaged the rates of six big insurance companies. Move the same car and driver to the southern or western suburbs such as Crestwood or Chesterfield and its owner would save about $700. Move it to the far suburbs of Metro East such as OFallon or Columbia and the savings are about $1,000. Insurance companies say claims statistics explain much of the difference. Payouts are higher in areas plagued by theft and vandalism. Areas of dense population also produce more accidents, they say. All the other factors used in rating be it late payments on credit cards or the absence of a high school diploma can be directly tied to a persons chances of filing an auto claim, says Steven Weisbart, chief economist at the Insurance Information Institute, an industry organization. The object of rating is to group people of similar characteristics, then charge them by the claims record of that group. To most people, that seems fair, says Weisbart. BETTER DRIVERS? Consumer advocates say something sneakier is going on. They say insurers are using factors designed to screen people by wealth, as well as risk, figuring that they can sell more financial products to people with money. Critics complain less about ZIP code ratings than they do about the use of factors such as education, job titles, marital status, credit scores and home ownership. Companies often charge a poor but safe driver more than a well-off but dangerous one, according to the Consumer Federation of America. The group last month released a survey of auto rates in 12 cities, including St. Louis. It compared rates offered two 30-year-old women living on the same street in a middle-income ZIP code looking for equal auto coverage. One was single, a high school grad who rents her home and work as a receptionist. She had a clean driving record but had been without insurance for 45 days. The other driver was a married executive with a masters degree who owns a home. She was at fault for an accident that caused $800 in damage. In two-thirds of the 60 cases studied, large auto insurers quoted higher premiums to safe drivers than to those responsible for an accident, the federation reported. In most cases, the difference was more than 25 percent. State insurance regulators should require auto insurers to explain why they believe factors such as education and income are better predictors of losses than at-fault accidents, said Robert Hunter, the federations insurance director, and a former Texas state insurance commissioner. In St. Louis, Progressive offered a higher rate to the receptionist. Farmers Insurance didnt offer coverage to the receptionist at all, although it would cover the executive. Allstate and State Farm offered better rates to the accident-free receptionist, according to the survey. State Farm, which has nearly a quarter of Missouris car insurance market, charged the good-driver receptionist less in all 12 cities. Weisbart says the study is flawed, in part because the receptionist had a break in insurance coverage. That break can justify higher rates even though it has nothing to do with accidents. It costs a company money to issue a policy, he notes, and someone who let their last policy lapse may not keep up the payments on a new one. Some people sign up for insurance in order to register their cars, planning on dropping the policy the next month. But other comparisons also show higher rates for people with less education and lower-paying jobs. OR BETTER CUSTOMERS? Doug Heller, former director of Consumer Watchdog, gives a presentation featuring the St. Louis insurance rates offered by Geico. Its designed to show how things with little obvious connection to driving can affect rates. He used Geicos rate-quote website to get rates for University City drivers identical except in education and occupation. A driver with a masters degree and an executive job was quoted $481. With only a high school diploma, the executives premium went to $540. Make the high school grad into a waiter and the premium went to $694. Using Geicos website, I compared quotes for two fictional 35-year-old bachelors with flawless driving records living around the corner from each other in a middle-class part of Richmond Heights. The manager with a masters degree was quoted $343 for a six-month premium. The high school dropout working as janitor would pay $436 for the same coverage. Geico did not respond to a request for comment. Insurance rating systems differ widely by company, and consumers can profit by shopping around. In the 63147 ZIP on the north side, rates for the Accord varied from $1,227 to $3,562 in the Carinsurance.com study. (The excessive rate may indicate an insurer that doesnt want to do business in that area.) Can things like income, occupation and payment record really predict accidents? I dont believe so, and Im an actuary, said Hunter. Weisbart differs. He points to a 2007 study by the Federal Trade Commission of credit scores in insurance rating. Credit-based insurance scores are effective predictors of risk under automobile policies, the FTC concluded. They are predictive of the number of claims consumers file and the total cost of those claims. Weisbart feels the same can be said of education, job title and the other factors, though he didnt offer any studies that proved his point. Hunter says its not enough to show that people with poor credit or low education have more accidents, he says. Actuarial science demands a reason to believe that one causes the other, i.e. correlation is not the same as causation. If I were to ask about hair color, they would provide me with undeniable proof that blondes cause more accidents, or maybe they cause less. That doesnt mean its meaningful, says Hunter. In fact, the FTC said it couldnt tell why people with low credit scores had higher insurance claims. Critics think insurers should drop such factors and give more weight to a persons actual driving record. However, Weisbart thinks using multiple factors can better assess a drivers risk. They wouldnt be doing this if they didnt have the data, he says. Insurers may have another reason. Heller, of Consumer Watchdog, believes companies use low rates to lure in well-off customers, then shift the cost of claims to lower-income customers. The rich executive who is married probably has a more expensive car, and a second car and a home he wants to insure and money that he could put in your affiliated bank, he says. Insurance departments in Missouri and Illinois largely stay out of this debate. Insurers dont need state approval for rates in the two states. The states basic requirement is that rates not be discriminatory. Missouri law says rates cant be excessive, and that credit scores cant be the only factor in setting rates. We have a lot of competition in Illinois, so we allow the market to competitively rate. We dont get very deep into the models, said Caryn Carmean, an actuary with the Illinois Department of Insurance. DETROIT As the Takata air bag saga drags on, concerns are growing that tens of millions of U.S. drivers with cars that haven't been recalled could be at risk of death or injury from the potentially defective devices. Federal safety regulators last month confirmed that a South Carolina man's death in December was caused by a driver's air bag inflator that wasn't under recall. It was the ninth Takata-related fatality in the U.S. In a Feb. 10 letter to Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., urged the agency to recall all Takata inflators in U.S. cars. He said the agency's current approach of issuing recalls piecemeal, "appears to be confusing many consumers" who wonder if their cars have an unsafe air bag that hasn't been recalled. Since 2008, 14 automakers have recalled 24 million vehicles to replace the inflators, which can rupture in a crash, shooting metal shards at the driver and passengers. Experts say there could be as many as 50 million Takata air bag inflators in cars that have yet to be called back for repairs. For drivers of those vehicles, finding out if their car has a Takata inflator can be tricky. They either have to convince a dealer to take apart the car to look, or get the automaker to tell them. Some, like General Motors and Ford, won't tell. Nissan and Toyota won't say if they will disclose a Takata inflator. Fiat Chrysler, Mazda, Mercedes and BMW say they'll tell if asked. NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge says the agency doesn't have the data yet to justify a recall of every Takata inflator. The agency has given Takata until the end of 2018 to solve the problem or issue a blanket recall. Takata says it continues to investigate the cause; NHTSA and the auto industry also have investigations under way. The death of Joel Knight, 52, underscores how perplexing the search for a solution is. On Dec. 22, Knight's 2006 Ford Ranger struck a cow on a rural road near his home in Kershaw, South Carolina. He died after metal fragments from the driver's inflator impaled his neck. According to a law firm representing Knight's family, the crash was moderate and otherwise survivable. NHTSA says Knight's driver air bag hadn't been recalled because tests on hundreds of inflators like the one used in his Ranger did not show any failures. The passenger air bag had been recalled. Knight's death fits into one prevailing theory about the cause of the ruptures: his truck was an older model, and spent a long period of time in a region with high humidity. Takata is nearly alone among inflator makers in using the chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that inflates the bags in a crash. Tests show that over time, high temperatures and humidity can degrade the chemical, causing it to explode with too much force, rupturing a metal canister that's supposed to contain the explosion. The pieces can hit a car's occupants. Initially, the recalls targeted older vehicles along the Gulf Coast, and NHTSA has ordered that dealers in those areas receive the bulk of replacement inflators as they're made. But the latest recall from Volkswagen includes cars from 2014, and a recent Honda recall has a 2016 model. "Recent events and recalls involving relatively new vehicles with these types of inflators raise serious questions as to whether Takata's ammonium nitrate propellant is inherently dangerous," Nelson wrote to Rosekind. "I am concerned that the current approach may be needlessly incremental and fail to adequately protect public safety." Scott Upham, who runs a Rochester, New York, research firm that tracks air bag sales, estimates there are 50 million unrecalled Takata inflators on U.S. roads today. Until they're all recalled and fixed "people are going to keep dying," he says. Takata maintains that most of its inflators are safe, but says it agreed with government demands to stop making those with ammonium nitrate by 2018 except for inflators with a drying agent. All of the deaths have been caused by driver's inflators, and NHTSA's Trowbridge says all but a few thousand of those without a chemical added to keep them dry have been recalled. That means most of the unrecalled inflators are on the passenger side, where there have been fewer serious injuries. Still, the piecemeal approach to recalls has allowed the population of Takata inflators to grow so large that a total recall wouldn't immediately fix the problem because replacements can't be manufactured fast enough. Takata says it and other suppliers can make up to 1.5 million replacement inflators per month, meaning up to 18 million a year. But some of those must go to other countries, where about 30 million more inflators are being recalled. In the U.S., it would take about four years to replace inflators now under recall. So far, automakers have replaced about 5 million inflators. That low rate is due both to the limited number of inflators and to an issue common to most recalls: People don't take their cars in for repairs, even with a problem this serious. Two other senators want to make sure everyone with a Takata inflator can get a replacement. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, in a separate letter this month, asked NHTSA to recall all the inflators and force Takata to publish all makes and models for which it has supplied air bags since 2000. The public also should be allowed to see inflator test results, they said. "Every consumer deserves to know whether their vehicle could be lethal in a fender-bender," the senators wrote. ___ Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C.; Joan Lowy in Washington and News Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. A developer plans to redo the historic, longtime home of International Shoe Co. in downtown St. Louis as a 140-room boutique hotel. Fe Equus Development, of Milwaukee, bought the building at 1501 Washington Avenue on Feb. 12 and is beginning on the $47 million projects design. Tim Dixon, the companys owner, said Tuesday that he hoped to open the hotel in August 2017. Dixon said he and his investment partners planned an independent hotel on Washington Avenue. We dont bring a brand, he said. We develop a brand within the city. Among other Fe Equus projects is the 100-room Iron Horse Hotel in an old warehouse in downtown Milwaukee. Dixon said his hotels were food centric. He said the St. Louis hotel, which he has yet to name, would offer food and drink on the main floor. We like to say were a great restaurant with rooms upstairs, Dixon said. Planned hotel features include a rooftop swimming pool and a top-floor ballroom. The hotels food, beverage and event space will become the ambassador to our rooms, he said. Dixon said downtowns strong residential market factored in his decision to put a hotel in the loft district. The 10-story Washington Avenue building, opened in about 1905, was home to International Shoe, where playwright Tennessee Williams father worked as a manager in the 1930s. The building has been vacant since a charter school moved out in 2014, officials said. Financing the hotel had yet to be completed, but Dixon said the project would use state and federal historic preservation tax credits. JLL, a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm, represented IBC Investors LLC in the buildings sale to Fe Equus. John Warren, a JLL vice president in St. Louis, said Fe Equus had a unique plan and a solid track record for creating innovative urban environments that can help transform neighborhoods. Aries Capital is the investment partner working with Fe Equus on the St. Louis project, JLL said. Dixon said he was aware of other boutique hotels downtown, adding that he believed the market could support his project, too. The Magnolia Hotel, formerly the Mayfair, opened in 2014 on North Eighth Street. Developers Amy and Amrit Gill recently bought the 122-year-old Union Trust building on Olive Street and plan to redo it as apartments and 130 boutique hotel rooms. Gary Andreas, a hotel analyst based in Chesterfield, said downtown St. Louis could support three boutique hotels as long as development costs dont price them out of the market. To succeed, such a hotel needs a nightly room rate well north of 200 bucks, he said. Andreas said one category of a boutique hotel customer was the business traveler who wants to be near a downtowns office core. Another is the leisure traveler who wants to stay in a more residential area a bit off the beaten path, such as the area of 1501 Washington, he said. Current financing markets for hotels arent too bad, Andreas said, adding that some investors were eyeing St. Louis. There are people out there crunching the numbers and feel the time might be right for (room) rate explosion, he said. New Delhi: A day after former DU lecturer SAR Geelani was arrested under sedition and other charges, Delhi Police today said that a few others "involved" in the same case are likely to be apprehended soon. "In SAR Geelani's case, we are interrogating a few others and those involved will be arrested soon," Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi told reporters. Gilani was arrested yesterday under charges of sedition, criminal conspiracy and being part of an unlawful assembly in connection with an event organised at Press Club of India here on February 10, in which a group had allegedly raised anti-India slogans. The FIR against Geelani was registered on February 12, the day on which JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a separate case of sedition registered over an event in the varsity's campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Between Friday and Monday, the police questioned Delhi University professors Ali Javed, Nirmalangshu Mukherji and Tripta Wahi. All three of them were present with Geelani on the dais at the Press Club event. On Monday evening, Geelani was detained for questioning and later arrested in the wee hours yesterday. In Geelani's case, the police had claimed to have registered the FIR taking suo motu cognisance of media clips of the incident. Police also claimed that Geelani was booked as he is presumed to be the "main organiser" of the event. "Request for booking a hall at the Press Club was done through Geelani's e-mail and the nature of the event was proposed to be a public meeting, which did not turn out to be so," a senior official had said. In 2001, Geelani was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the Parliament attack case but acquitted for "need of evidence" by the Delhi High Court in October 2003, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2005, which at the same time had observed that the needle of suspicion pointed towards him. Recently, I went to France to test drive some porcelain cookware. I wanted to see how it handled my favorite cooking method grilling! For inspiration, I headed to the famed indoor food market, Les Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse. The meat was displayed like jewels and treated as such. After speaking with a butcher, I settled on a beautiful piece of pork. It was long and oval with a thin fat cap on top. Perfect for grill-braising. In the U.S., this cut is sold as a pork roast or a pork center loin roast. You also can use a traditional pork loin, or a crown roast of pork, which is simply a bone-in pork loin. Whatever you buy, try to get a piece of pork that still has a thin layer of fat on the top. This will help keep the lean meat moist during cooking, as well as add flavor. As I tested recipes and cookware, my goal was to keep things simple. I started by placing shallots on the bottom of the dish to elevate the meat, like an edible roasting rack. This offered the added bonus that the meat produced its own sauce during cooking. Beer was my choice of braising liquid, as I like the bold, yeasty flavor. But you could use wine and/or chicken broth, or even apple cider. Just remember that the braising liquid is a key flavor ingredient, so it will alter the taste of the dish. This very simple recipe is soul satisfying and the combination of herbs de Provence, shallots and beer tastes far more complex than the simple combination suggests. The best part of the dish is the bed of shallots that melt into a ragout-like sauce as the pork cooks. You slice the roast, then just stir the pan juices and soft shallots together to make a pan sauce. It was Friday night, date night, and we were going out to dinner. My wife suggested that we go to a restaurant that isnt ethnic. I know what she meant. Our last several meals out had been to places that were conspicuously ethnic Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Turkish and I forget what else. So for this dinner she wanted to go to some place more American. But that got me thinking: Isnt all American food essentially ethnic? Culinarily speaking, the American menu really is a melting pot. We take a pinch from one culture, a dash from another and blend until thoroughly combined. As I have mentioned before, what we think of as quintessentially red-blooded American food hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza all came from foreign lands. But so did everything here, in one sense or another, except for the dishes known to have been created by American Indians, such as buffalo stew, fry bread and walrus flipper soup, which is a real thing. Even so, if you went to a restaurant serving walrus flipper soup, youd probably consider it ethnic. The foods that we bring from our own or our ancestors native shores eventually become part of the American culinary landscape. Spaghetti, burritos, stews cooked in wine for that matter, the concept of wine in general all were brought here from other lands. Even foods that are so American that you can specify a region of the country that they came from are usually just variations on Old World themes. You can have your barbecue Texas style or Memphis or North Carolina, but the idea of cooking meat for a long time over a low fire has been a part of cooking since cooking began. Chili is American, but it wouldnt have existed without Mexico. I suppose a case could be made that dishes made from native American foods are inherently American. Corn and tomatoes first grew here, of course, so something like succotash is truly American. Then again, it was invented by American Indians. And anyway, if a restaurant serves nothing but succotash it is not likely to stay in business very long. Typically, immigrants bring their native dishes with them, and for a while they are eaten only by members of that group. But then other Americans start to try them and find that they like them. The dishes are first sought out by food-lovers in the know, and then they become trendy. Eventually, they are assimilated and they join the collective body of American foods. But is that a good thing? When the first wave of Chinese immigrants came in the mid-1800s, typically to work on the railroads, they tried to re-create the dishes of their homeland with ingredients they could find here. From such efforts arose the likes of chop suey and chow mein. These dishes became enormously popular across the country. In the 1970s, another influx of Chinese immigrants began arriving, and many came from provinces other than Guangdong, which at the time we called Canton. They brought the markedly different cuisines of their home provinces, which were soon discovered by those in the know and then the trendy. Soon, everyone was eating General Tsos chicken. Everyone but the 1.3 billion residents of China who have never heard of General Tsos chicken and have only vaguely heard of General Tso (apparently he was Zuo Zongtang, a military commander who became a statesman). In a sense, Americans have appropriated the foods, or at least cooking styles, of China, as we have of most other cultures. We have taken the vast and immensely varied cuisines of Mexico and distilled them into a type of food originally found only along the Mexican-American border. We have taken the venerable foods of Italy, sweetened them with sugar and shocked them with large amounts of garlic. We have taken the humble bagel, staple of the Jews of Eastern Europe, and puffed it into something massive, sweet and largely flavorless. Sorry. I get a little upset when I think about bagels. The point I was trying to make was that it isnt Chinese food anymore, it isnt Mexican or Italian or Jewish. JEFFERSON CITY A bill that would require the state to sell 4,200 acres of Ozark land purchased using lead mining settlement money received first-round approval in the Missouri House on Tuesday. The state and federal governments have reached settlements with lead mining companies since 2009 totaling $49.3 million to be put toward cleanup from decades of mining in southern and southeastern Missouri. About $11 million from the funds is aimed at the new state park in Oregon County, near the Arkansas border. Lawmakers have complained since the fall that the land is nowhere near areas affected by mining, that the Department of Natural Resources didnt notify them about the plans, and that state ownership takes money out of the countys tax base. Rep. Linda Black, R-Park Hills, said that all settlement money should have been used where land has been directly impacted by lead mining, not 100 miles to the south near the Arkansas line. My area from an airplane view looks like a lunar landing no vegetation grows, Black said. This money was to restore the damages and make the citizens in that community whole, she said. That has not happened. Republican Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, said that while he disagreed with the new park, selling it without requiring a minimum bid is a bad move. He said without one, the state would likely only recoup a fraction of the $11 million it paid for the land. Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, has been a proponent of the new park. We cannot lose $10 million on a land transfer within a year, just because we want to show the governor, Engler said. He continued, We might be cutting off our nose to spite our face here, and lose a bunch of money just to prove a point. Engler said that his district has been affected by lead mining and that he would support the bill. But he said the Senate should amend it to require a minimum bid. The bill would also expire in August 2017, potentially spelling problems for its viability if someone sues and a court fight extends beyond then, Engler said. Rep. Tracy McCreery opposed the bill, saying the DNR was within its right to buy the land, and that it would be a boon to the Oregon County economy. In addition, the land would be preserved in perpetuity. I think buying this land is a valuable use of the settlement money, its going to make a big difference in the area and more importantly long after were gone its going to be there for us to enjoy, McCreery said. Lawyer after lawyer has said that the funds are being used for remediation, but buying a new park with some of the funds is a legitimate use for the remaining funds. Rep. Genise Montecillo, D-Marlborough, said she liked the bill, mainly because the DNR has said there are $400 million in needed repairs at existing state parks. To me, its irresponsible to make these kind of purchases when were not taking care of the property we currently have, she said. The bill received initial approval on a voice vote. It still needs final approval before moving to the Senate. Rep. Robert Ross bill is House Bill 2187. JEFFERSON CITY A Republican state lawmaker from Ballwin cited personal issues when he abruptly resigned Wednesday, becoming the third lawmaker to step down under a cloud since May. Former Rep. Don Gosen, a 53-year-old insurance agent, would not elaborate on the specific reason for his immediate resignation. Neither would House Speaker Todd Richardson, though he said he asked Gosen to resign Tuesday night. Theres been rumors running around this building, some true, some of them not true, and matters that are being handled within the confines of my home with my family, Gosen told the Post-Dispatch. It doesnt really deal with anything work-related or legislatively related. Gosens resignation comes after two lawmakers stepped down last year amid allegations of inappropriate dealings with college interns, prompting Republican leaders to develop new intern and sexual harassment policies, as well as to put a package of ethics-related measures on the fast track. Another lawmaker who resigned last year joined a St. Louis-based lobbying firm. Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said in a statement Wednesday that Gosens departure was the right decision. At the beginning of this year, I said the actions of this body would not be defined by a few. I was serious then, and I am serious now, Richardson said. I believe as I said on the first day of session that as individuals we must be at our best and as an institution we must be better. We owe nothing less to our state and to the people we represent. Richardson would not comment on whether an ethics complaint was filed against Gosen, saying that process would be confidential. Richardson said he doesnt know all the details, but he said neither interns nor staffers were involved in Gosens personal situation. State Rep. Mike Kelley, R-Lamar, said the resignation of his seatmate on the House floor came as a shock. He said the only time Gosen hinted at leaving the House was during debate on a bill instituting restrictions on lawmakers wanting to become lobbyists. He said if it possibly prevented him from working in the insurance industry that he would probably resign, Kelley said. Thats the only mention hes made to me on that topic. The Senate on Wednesday afternoon took up legislation designed to impose a cooling-off period for lawmakers seeking to become lobbyists. It is part of a package of proposed laws designed to clean up the image of the capital city after last years scandals. In addition to requiring lawmakers to wait for one year before leaping into lobbying, the package includes a ban on lobbyist gifts and tougher reporting requirements. Without some sort of a cooling-off period, we are concerned the offer of a job will influence behavior. It undermines the legitimacy of our democracy, said state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis. Lawmakers, meantime, said Gosen rarely spent time on the House floor, preferring to instead listen to debate in his nearby office. He wasnt in here that much, said Rep. Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, who sat behind Gosen. Hed only come out here to vote. Gosen first was elected in 2010 and had planned to run for re-election this year. He was chairman of the House Select Committee on Insurance and had $94,603 in a campaign account as of January. He said the decision to quit came quickly and that he didnt want to be a distraction. I didnt want an issue to be Don Gosen when real issues such as Ferguson and the University of Missouri need to be addressed, he said. He is an insurance agent with State Farm and the co-owner of a small brewing company in Hermann, Mo. He is married with three children. I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the people of the 101st District, he said in a brief resignation letter submitted to the Speakers Office. Jack Suntrup of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the city Gosen lives in. Gosen, who could not be reached for comment, sent a text message to a Post-Dispatch columnist saying he lives in Ballwin. County records do not show that Gosen owns the Ballwin home, but they do indicate he listed the address as his home. ARNOLD Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt formally announced his re-election campaign Friday, lambasting President Barack Obama and asking supporters let him "continue representing you at a critical time." Blunt criticized Obama as a weak world leader and an anti-business president, but made no mention of his likely Democratic opponent, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. "Our friends don't trust us anymore and our enemies aren't afraid of us anymore," said Blunt, criticizing Obama's foreign-policy record. He quipped that the only countries in the world where we now have better relations than we used to do are Iran and Cuba. Blunt also stood by his position that he will vote against any Supreme Court nomination that Obama makes even if it were his own daughter, who is lawyer. "I think the American people ought to be able to vote" on the issue with their choice of the next president, he said. Blunt will almost certainly face Kander in November, in a race that has gained national attention. Missouri is among a cluster of states with Republican-held Senate seats whose outcomes will determine the control of the Senate under a new President. Blunt has been in Congress for 20 years, the last five of it in the Senate. This tour will officially launch for him a campaign season he has tried to avoid. While Kander announced a year ago, Blunt has mostly declined to comment about campaign-related issues over that time. Kander has criticized Blunt for being too much of a Washington insider, and Democrats in Missouri have tried to make an issue out of the lobbying of Blunt's wife, Abigail, for Kraft Foods, and by his son, Andy, a well-known state lobbyist in Missouri, who is also Roy Blunt's campaign manager. Both Roy Blunt and Andy Blunt have said they believe Missourians are far more worried about the economy, health care, and other issues. Kander this week also criticized Blunt for agreeing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that a "lifetime appointment" for the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court should be left up to the next President. Blunt's position on the issue as he articulated it Friday was slightly different than that of some Republicans who have said Obama shouldn't even attempt to nominate someone to the high court. "This president has the constitutional opportunity and, I think, responsibility to nominate somebody, but I will not be supporting that nominee . . . even if it's my own daughter," said Blunt. "I think this needs to be left to the next president." Blunt made his campaign announcement on the cavernous warehouse floor of Unico Manufacturing in Arnold, to stress the pro-business, anti-regulation theme of his campaign. Unico makes heating and cooling systems. A company official who spoke to the crowd credited Blunt for co-sponsoring legislation, with U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., that cleared a regulatory problem for the company. Arnold was the first of 10 stops on Blunt's two-day tour of Missouri. Subsequent campaign stops over the two days will be in Kansas City, St. Joseph, La Plata, Hannibal, Joplin, Springfield, Columbia, Poplar Bluff, and Cape Girardeau. Chuck Raasch of the Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau contributed to this report. LADUE After a January count showed high numbers, Ladues City Council is expected to vote next month to allow bow hunting in the city to control the deer population. Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved asking staff to come back to the council with recommendations on legislation that would allow bow hunting. They also asked to set up, in conjunction with that action, a presentation to the city on March 28 by Erin Shank, an urban wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, on deer control measures. In a previous presentation to the city, Shank had said that archery hunting would be the most appropriate way to cull the deer herd in the city. We need to look at reducing the deer herd so it doesnt get out of control, Mayor Nancy Spewak said. Police Detective Dennis Pohlmann told the council Tuesday that he and a biologist with contractor White Buffalo Inc. had conducted deer counts at night Jan. 11-14 while traveling on main roads throughout the city. In the count south of Clayton Road, we are estimating 43 deer per square mile, Pohlmann said. North of Clayton Road, we didnt see any deer, so the estimate is less than 10 per square mile. Spewak said that data tells me were approaching and on the cusp of having a problem. The deer population is unlikely to decrease on its own, since the report shows more fawns are surviving, she said. We need to implement deer management sooner rather than later. Police Chief Rich Wooten said that, as of mid-December, there were 14 deer killed in collisions with vehicles in 2015, an increase from seven the year before. Pohlmann said a deer was reported killed by a car on a night during the population count. In other business Tuesday, the Council approved two special use permits. One allows for a concealed cellular telephone antenna to be placed within a new 12-foot-taller spire to allow a tower of up to 118 feet in total height at St. Peters Episcopal Church, 110 North Warson Road. The other allows for installation by DRA Properties of an 85-foot-tall cell tower to be disguised as a pine tree on leased land at the Evangelical Lutheran Village Church, 9233 Clayton Road. Spewak said that cell phone coverage is becoming so important to residents that we need to ensure service can be provided. CLAYTON U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri aligned Tuesday with St. Louis County in taking aim at the only state in the union without a comprehensive database to track the distribution of the physician-prescribed opioids that experts say are the entry point to heroin abuse: Missouri. A news conference in Clayton to introduce legislation that would establish a database to monitor the dispensing of OxyContin and other prescription painkillers at St. Louis County pharmacies was quickly followed by a late-morning roundtable meeting McCaskill convened to address the issue. At the earlier event, a briefing attended by county health officials, physicians and officials with alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs, County Executive Steve Stenger said the legislation would establish in St. Louis County the same type of prescription drug database that, with one exception, is required in every state in our nation. That lone exception is our own state of Missouri, where prescription opioid misuse and the heroin abuse it leads to have become epidemic. Missouris failure to properly monitor such prescriptions has led to our states macabre designation as the top tourist destination for pill shoppers from across the nation, Stenger said. The bill was presented to the County Council on Tuesday night. Councilman Sam Page, an anesthesiologist who unsuccessfully pushed for similar legislation while serving in the Missouri House, is the sponsor. The Justice and Health Committee has scheduled a hearing on the measure at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the council conference room. The absence of a statewide monitoring system leaves detection of opioid abuse to pharmacies and physicians. And that, some say, can mean identification is often a matter of luck. Dr. Leslie McCrary-Etuk, a member of the McCaskill roundtable, noted that painkillers such as OxyContin are in the same class of drugs as heroin. One pill fetches about $35 on the street, said McCrary-Etuk, chief medical officer at Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers in north St. Louis. You do the math, she said of a 90-pill prescription. McCrary-Etuk said that she recently prescribed a patient OxyContin and learned through McCrary-Etuks sister, also a doctor, that the same patient came to her with the same spiel two weeks later. We have to find out ways to have our own radar detection, McCrary-Etuk said following the roundtable in Olivette. We are really handicapped. Stenger expressed hope that other jurisdictions will follow St. Louis Countys lead a trend that could replace radar detection with a regional database. McCaskill, at her event, seconded a regional approach, suggesting that the county enlist St. Louis city as a partner in the initiative. We are drunk on medication in this country, she said. Joined at the meeting by officials representing area health departments, school districts, religious organizations, law enforcement, social services agencies and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, McCaskill took some stubborn people in Jefferson City to task for raising a false flag about privacy invasion to block a statewide opioid database. Legislation to impose a statewide prescription notification program has stalled in the Missouri Senate the past two years after receiving the overwhelming endorsement of House members. The bill this year is facing opposition from the Missouri Alliance for Freedom, a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization. The bill currently awaits debate in the House, which has not yet voted on the measure. Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, a lawmaker who is heading the effort to block the legislation, has said the bill raises privacy issues. Dragnets are un-American, Barnes told the Post-Dispatch. The (prescription drug database) proposal would track private medical information of innocent Missourians without their consent. Theres no reason an innocent person should have their activity tracked, especially when it regards medical information. Barnes contends that the programs enacted in 49 other states havent worked as advertised. An addict is going to get their fix whether their purchases are being tracked or not, Barnes said. How are they going to get their fix? Well, if they dont get pain pills, theyre going to get heroin. McCaskill brushed aside Barnes contention. This does not invade peoples privacy, this saves peoples lives this helps us catch people who are trafficking in illegal opioid use, the senator said. There is a reason why there is only one state that hasnt done this: There are some stubborn people in Jefferson City that want to use political talking points instead of reality as the basis of their decision making. The reality, according to Joseph Forand, is the two to three calls each day to south St. Louis County medical service teams seeking assistance for overdoses or other opioid emergencies. I see firsthand how destructive opioid drug abuse is, not only to the users but their families as well, Forand, an anesthesiologist and president of the medical staff at St. Anthonys Medical Center, said at the Clayton news conference. He shared the story of his nephew, Mitch Stenger, a musician who died of a heroin overdose just three weeks after his uncle was elected to the countys top office. Mitch Stenger, the county executive told the gathering, followed a common trajectory that began with the use of opioid pills in high school and escalated to cheap, available and potent heroin. He was talented. He was smart. He was strong, Stenger told the gathering. But he was no match for heroin. Jack Suntrup of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. JEFFERSON CITY Lezley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, made an emotional appeal to a Missouri Senate panel Wednesday urging lawmakers to approve a bill requiring body cameras for police. Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer on Aug. 9, 2014. His death sparked protests in the St. Louis area and nationwide and brought the regions racial tension to the fore. A St. Louis County grand jury decided not to charge Darren Wilson in Browns death, but McSpadden said that details from that August day are still unclear. She said body cameras wouldve helped. I am here because my son was shot and killed at the hands of a Ferguson police officer, she said, fighting back tears. It has been 557 days, and Im still left with the mystery surrounding what really happened to my son on Aug. 9. This evidence can ... ensure that ones guilt or innocence is determined in a court of law, and not in a court of public opinion, McSpadden said. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, would require police in the states largest cities Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Independence and Columbia to wear body cameras. On-duty officers would have to record each interaction they have with the public from beginning to end. The bill would exclude undercover officers and those working in police stations, Nasheed told the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee. Police departments would have to store footage for at least two years, and after an open records request is filed, the recordings would be available in the same way police incident reports are. Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, said she wanted to make sure video of domestic disputes, incidents involving children or blanket video of protests isnt available under the states Sunshine Law. Nasheed said shed be open to discussing restrictions on when and how video is released. The bill would cost an estimated $5.7 million to implement during the its first year. Nasheed said that to avoid an unfunded mandate to cities, the bill would be enforced if the Legislature appropriated the funds. She said the state could also apply for federal money. Make no mistake about it, the implementation of body cameras will cost money, but this cost is little compared to the cost of lawsuits that will be placed throughout those cities, Nasheed told the committee, referring to lawsuits filed against police departments in use-of-force cases. Nasheed said after the hearing that attitudes toward body cameras are changing in the GOP-dominated Missouri Legislature. We have a lot of work to do in terms of educating our colleagues, she said. We have to let them know that this is not an attack on law enforcement. Kevin Ahlbrand, the president of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, said that the union, which represents about 6,000 Missouri police officers, isnt opposed to body cameras. He said the group agreed not to testify against the bill because the union is in productive talks with Nasheed about tightening the language. Nasheeds measures are Senate Bills 628 and 691. Students of Jadavpur University participate in a rally over JNU row, at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI) Kolkata: A day after protests and pro-Afzal Guru sloganeering in Kolkatas Jadavpur University, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the West Bengal government to submit a report on the alleged anti-India rally. In a communication, the Home Ministry told the West Bengal government to send a report detailing the circumstances leading to the students protests, their acts and the issues raised during the march, official sources said. On Tuesday, slogans in favour of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised in a rally organised by Jadavpur University students to express solidarity with their Jawaharlal Nehru University counterparts agitating against the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. "Geelani bole azaadi, Afzal bole azaadi, jo tum na doge azaadi, toh chheen ke lenge azadi! (Geelani and Afzal demanded freedom. If freedom is denied, we will snatch it!)," shouted JU students during their march inside the campus Tuesday evening. Students also raised anti-Modi slogans like "Modi ka Hindutva nahin sahenge, Modi ke Brahmangiri nahin sahenge." Slogans were also raised in favour of Ishrat Jahan, who was gunned down by cops in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in June 2004. Watch the video here: WATCH: Anti-national slogans raised at a protest march organized by students of Jadavpur University in Kolkata.https://t.co/2qdni8QiNN ANI (@ANI_news) February 16, 2016 Other slogans like "Freedom from RSS, freedom from Modi government", "Jab Kashmir ne maangi azadi, Manipur bhi boli azadi" were also raised. MACOUPIN COUNTY, Ill. Skeletal remains found in Macoupin County may be those of a man reported missing in 2012, Illinois authorities said Tuesday. Investigators with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said they had not positively identified the bones found Monday. However, police were considering the possibility that the remains could be Joseph Wilson, who was 24 when he disappeared in April 2012 from the village of Royal Lakes. The bones were discovered about 3:30 p.m. Monday by children playing near a creek off Illinois State Route 159, near Prairie Dell Road. Officials said it is just south of where Wilson was last seen. Police said that evidence found near the remains suggests that the death was a homicide. Wilsons relatives had told the Post-Dispatch after his disappearance that Wilson was mentally challenged had the mind of a 7-year-old and could not take care of himself. Investigators have long suspected that Wilson was the victim of a crime. His disability checks were cashed after his disappearance. However, officials have never revealed whether they had any suspects.Wilsons last known residence was the home of a cousin in Royal Lakes who is a registered sex offender. EAST ST. LOUIS All that remains on the barren property on South Eighth Street by a rusting railroad trestle are weedy piles of dirt and rubble and a plain, beige storage shed tagged with graffiti. Signs on this sheds facade say the property is under 24-hour video surveillance. It was on the same land more than six years ago that cameras on a different building captured pieces of a fight and violent car chase. The scene played out about 4 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2009, outside the City Nights nightclub. As bullets tumbled to the ground and dust kicked up by tires drifted into darkness, Anthony Rice, 23, of Bethalto, lay dying. The man authorities say ran over and killed Rice could be sent to prison this week after negotiating a plea agreement with prosecutors. That man, Reginald O. Allen, now 33, of Dupo, a bouncer at the club owned by his family, has been free on bail most of the time since being charged in the case in 2011. Allen is white; Rice was black. Its a distinction not lost on Rices family, considering that he died after exchanging racial taunts with the clubs white bouncers that night. The case sparked frequent street protests in East St. Louis by some who claimed Allen was getting a free pass because of his skin color. Now, as the racially charged case winds down, Rices mother says a maximum of six years in prison for Allen falls far short of serving justice for her son. Hes been out all this time living life, and ours has been torn apart, said Annette Nash-Smith, of Cahokia. At first I was so mad, so angry, so distraught. But I can no longer let bitterness and hatred discourage me and keep making me sick. So I learned to let it go. I had to let it go. Nash-Smith has a hard time talking about the night her son died, but she says she has plenty to tell Allen at his sentencing on Friday in St. Clair County Circuit Court. A rock. A gun. A crash. Rices family has contended that his death was racially motivated at a club they suspect welcomed only whites. But Rices death isnt even the reason Allen may soon head to prison Allen pleaded guilty of mob action for the rock he hurled at Rices friends car moments before a melee of gunfire and mangled metal ruined a 22nd birthday celebration for Rices younger brother, Aubrey Rice. Allens attorney, Thomas M. Daley, said Anthony Rices death was an accident. He stressed that prosecutors had dismissed the reckless homicide charge because of a lack of evidence. Allen was trying to escape getting shot at, Daley said. There is no proof that Reggie ran over Anthony. Daley also has said that Allen was mislabeled as a racist by Rices relatives, noting that Allen cares for a biracial toddler who lives with his family. Police records and legal transcripts describe a chaotic scene outside the club: Anthony and Aubrey Rice arrived in a Chevrolet Camaro while their friends, Andrew Neal and Jeremy Williams, pulled up in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The four, all black men, were turned away when the white bouncers told them the club was closing for the night. Oddly, another bouncer told them they could enter if they paid the $5 cover charge. When they decided to leave, Aubrey Rice told police, one of the bouncers yelled, Yeah leave, Chris Tucker. Yeah, you heard me, a reference to the black actor and comedian. The Rice brothers and friends took it as a racist comment, and one of them retorted, Shut up, Fat Albert, you need to take that tank top off and put a T-shirt on. Part of what followed was recorded by the nightclubs security cameras. Allen threw a rock, shattering the drivers side window of the Monte Carlo as Neal sat behind the wheel. Neal grabbed his pistol and shot two or three rounds into the air. According to police reports, Allen ran back through the club to a rear lot, pulled his truck around, chased Anthony Rice around a utility pole and struck him in the road, killing him. Allen, in interviews with police, admitted throwing the rock. After getting in his car, he said, he stopped his truck and got out when he saw a fight in the front lot and peeled out in an attempt to avoid gunfire. My car door was open and I hear gunshots POW! POW! and I look back and theres a guy with a gun running up on me, Allen told police. So I get in my car and I go forward and I back up, and the Camaros chasing me, and I dont know if I hit (Rice) or not. I was just looking back, scared. And I went to turn back around and the Camaro T-boned me. Aubrey Rice told police that after seeing his brother get hit, he chased Allen and rammed Allens pickup with his Camaro. Aubrey Rice suffered several broken bones but managed to crawl back to help his brother. I remember giving him CPR, Aubrey Rice said in a deposition. And after that I just felt weak and went cold. Next thing I know, I woke up in St. Louis University (Hospital). Daley, Allens attorney, said he thought it was more likely that Aubrey Rice ran over and killed his own brother while chasing after Allen. Daley acknowledged he had no evidence to support the claim but said there was no evidence that Allen had run over him either. To continue to blame Reggie for (Rices) death is ridiculous, Daley said. In 2010, A St. Clair County coroners jury ruled Rices death a homicide. At the time, Rices family hailed the decision. But they didnt know their fight for justice was just beginning. Its been an up-and-down roller coaster ride, Rices mother said. Its been very hard. And heartbreaking. Two lives collide Rice was the oldest of three brothers and left behind two sons, now 11 and 7. Rice was an Army ROTC student at East St. Louis Senior High School. After high school, he held a job as a nursing assistant at a senior home in St. Louis and worked as a choreographer for a dance troupe in the Metro East. He touched a lot of lives, his mother said. He always let you in. If you were a part of his life, you were a part of his life for the long haul. Rice had no felony record, unlike Allen, whose criminal history stretches back more than 17 years in St. Clair County alone. Allens criminal past includes more than a dozen charges of assault or battery, armed violence and property damage. Of the 90 cases against Allen visible in online St. Clair County court records, 71 have been dismissed. About two months after Rices death, City Nights, 1100 South Eighth Street, burned to the ground. The clubs building looked similar to the new one that stands there now a large storage structure with a pitched roof. Illinois State Fire Marshal records say the fire appeared to be caused by human involvement and sparked by a rubber tire stuffed with gasoline-soaked clothing. But no charges have been filed in that case. Justin Meehan, a lawyer and great-uncle of the Rice brothers by marriage, represented the Rice family in a civil suit against the Allen family and their businesses. The Allen family also owns Miss Kittys nightclub in Washington Park. Meehan said the Rice family believed that the justice system coddled Allen because he is white, and that he might have benefited from political influence because of his familys business connections. Protests and plea deal Rices death sparked frequent weekend protests by his relatives and supporters outside East St. Louis City Hall, until charges of reckless homicide were filed against Allen in June 2011. Over four years, the case was postponed in court at least 17 times. Meehan believes legal problems for two disgraced St. Clair County judges, who had been assigned to Allens case, caused further delays. One of them was Michael Cook, a former drug court judge who went to prison in 2014 for drug and weapons crimes. A year earlier, Associate Judge Joseph Christ, 49, died of a cocaine overdose at Cooks hunting cabin. In all my 40 years of practice, including criminal defense, I have never, ever, seen a defendant with such an extensive criminal background drag out the criminal justice process for as long as Allen has, Meehan said. Even after pleading guilty, Allen was able to celebrate the Christmas and New Years holidays with his family while we all sat across from an empty chair at our table. Had the races been reversed, (Allen) would have never been allowed bond with such an outrageous criminal record, and the case would have been over in less than a year. In December, Allen struck a plea agreement with prosecutors. The reckless homicide charge was dismissed, and he pleaded guilty of mob action for throwing the rock at the car. Prosecutors also dropped other felony counts of aggravated battery and mob action tied to an unrelated assault in 2012 of a dancer in the bathroom at Miss Kittys. More than six years have passed since Rice died. His family settled a wrongful death lawsuit against the Allen family and their nightclubs for $1 million. Rices mother says the money doesnt matter. Tears flow easily whenever she talks about her son, and she hopes prison time helps Allen learn from his mistakes. The only sense Ive made of it is that my son is not here, she said. It was a senseless act done by a senseless person. I just want (Allen) to know that Im not mad. I feel sorry for him, but Im not mad. I think he needs to be held accountable for his crime. Hopefully, he changes and finds a new perspective on life. Crews will narrow and shift eastbound lanes on Highway 40 (Interstate 64) between Highway 141 and Interstate 270 beginning at 8 p.m Thursday and on Friday, and up two lanes will be closed overnight. All lanes will be open by 5 a.m. the following day, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. When the work is complete, drivers will have three 11-foot lanes in that stretch of interstate. Crews will also close the left lane on the Interstate 64 South Outer Road from Highway 141 to Mason Road this will include a permanent ramp closure from the outer road to the interstate between Maryville Center Drive and Mason Road. Drivers will still be able to get onto eastbound Interstate 64 from the outer road at Highway 141 and past Mason, MoDOT said. Next week, crews will close two lanes on weeknights between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. to place barrier walls on the right shoulder of that portion of Interstate 64. This work is part of the continuing widening project on the interstate. Maybe its not us. Maybe its the candidates. This election cycle is thrilling, but not necessarily in a good way. Tuesdays vote in New Hampshire lent support to the theory that both Republican and Democratic base voters have gone rogue. Think about it: The winners, by huge margins, were a billionaire reality-show host who has never held elective office and an aging socialist who promises a revolution. If you imagined this a year ago, Im curious what you were smoking. It may be the case, as I have hypothesized, that both parties have lost touch with the nation they are supposed to serve. But at least part of the problem may be that voters are being asked to choose among candidates who are deeply flawed. On the Democratic side, it is hard to argue with the proposition that a war is underway for the partys soul. Bernie Sanders, who wasnt even a Democrat until he launched his campaign, won in a landslide Tuesday over the ostensible nominee-in-waiting, Hillary Clinton. He beat her pretty much across the board, but the most striking contrast is generational: Among voters under 30, according to exit polls, the 74-year-old Sanders crushed Clinton by a jaw-dropping 83 percent to 16 percent. Sanders has never been described as silver-tongued or telegenic, yet he fills arenas with fans and raises campaign cash faster than he can count it. He may be one of the unlikeliest political rock stars weve ever seen. His appeal is often attributed to his undeniable authenticity, and I dont quarrel with that analysis. But I wonder if this would be the case if Clinton did not come across as so very inauthentic. She just does. Despite her resume and record Clinton is one of the most qualified presidential candidates weve seen in a long time she always seems to be triangulating, always searching for words that do not offend. Unfortunately, neither do they inspire. And, lets face it, she has baggage all the good and bad of her husbands years as president, the continuing investigation of her emails from when she was secretary of state, the hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees she received from Goldman Sachs. Democrats have to be somewhat nervous about her prospects in a general election. But they have to be at least as nervous about how an avowed socialist would hold up under withering Republican attacks. So the Democratic race isnt just a head-versus-heart conundrum. Its a contest between two candidates who both have potentially lethal vulnerabilities. The situation in the Republican Party is even more fraught. After Iowa and New Hampshire, the undisputed leader of the pack is Donald Trump. With him as the partys standard-bearer, what could possibly go wrong? I hear the GOP establishment sobbing. Suffice it to note that there is a large segment of the voting population that would never vote for Trump under any circumstances, according to polls. And at any moment there would be the possibility that he could say or do something so outrageous that it would send the GOP to historic defeat. But running second among Republican candidates is Ted Cruz, whose doctrinaire far-right views could also drag down the partys whole ticket. And Cruz has an additional problem: He comes across as unlikable, perhaps because of his tendency to sound like a pitchman on a late-night television commercial. He is so unpopular among his Senate colleagues that they would have to swallow hard to give him energetic backing in the general election. The GOP establishments great hope was Marco Rubio, until his software-glitch performance at last weekends debate caused him to fade in New Hampshire and finish fifth. Hes got the youth, the looks, the hair and the smile, but seems so lacking in the gravitas department that he looks increasingly like a risky bet. Ben Carson? Be real. Jeb Bushs candidacy still has a pulse, to the extent that a fourth-place finish in New Hampshire, with only 11 percent of the vote, can be spun as a good thing. But the campaign has revealed his weaknesses on the stump, and he, like Clinton, must bear the heavy burden of dynasty. That leaves John Kasich, who finished second and has fewer glaring liabilities than his rivals. The question, however, is whether he is too moderate and reasonable to survive the Republican primaries and win the nomination. So many candidates, so many flaws, so few choices that inspire any degree of confidence. As is often the case, quantity does not ensure quality. Eugene Robinson Copyright The Washington Post In the first month of its session, the Missouri Legislature has advanced some important ethics reforms. But the most important reform reducing the influence of big-money campaign donors hasnt gotten a sniff. It might take a Republican outsider to get it the attention it deserves. The Legislature seems open to limiting lobbyists gifts to lawmakers. It might require retiring legislators to wait at least a year before becoming lobbyists. Proposed reforms could forbid lawmakers from serving as political consultants for their colleagues. But legislative leaders have zero interest in reimposing limits on campaign donations. Despite talk of leading an effort to put this question to voters, the states top two Democrats Gov. Jay Nixon and Sen. Claire McCaskill now seem uninspired. I looked at it, Nixon told us recently. He said he decided that the effort of raising the money for a concerted public-support campaign would be a distraction. With the limited time I have left in this job, he said, a better use of my time, rather than running another political campaign, was to serve the people of the state. Fighting to limit big-dollar donations is serving the people of the state. What could be more important? Nixon said he was encouraged that other ethics reforms are moving forward, and that as long as we keep talking about this issue, perhaps the Legislature will follow what 70 percent of people voted on before. In 1994, voters by a nearly 3-to-1 margin approved a ballot proposition enacting donation limits. Nixon, then state attorney general, successfully defended the 1994 law before the U.S. Supreme Court. In voting with the 6-3 majority in the 2000 case, Nixon v. Shrink Missouri PAC, Justice John Paul Stevens clearly defined reality: Money is property, not speech. But the courts majority and opinions changed. And in 2008, under Republican Gov. Matt Blunt, conservatives in the Legislature thumbed their noses at the will of the people and discarded donation limits altogether. Efforts are underway, however, to give voters another shot this November. The one thats furthest along is headed by a conservative Republican outlier, Fred N. Sauer of Creve Coeur, an investor who unsuccessfully sought the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2012. He heads the Missouri Roundtable for Life and a political committee called Returning Government to the People. So far Sauer, who is his committees sole donor, has put $673,000 into the effort. Hes hired a Georgia firm to collect the roughly 158,000 signatures needed to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. For a politician, Sauer is intensely private. Hes trying to go it alone. He should have Missouris top two Democrats fighting on his side. Imagine the public good if this principled conservative had some help from some principled progressives. Tax increment financing is a popular and often-used economic development tool that unfortunately is being used and abused to the detriment of taxpayers in many St. Louis municipalities. There is no shortage of economic impact studies from across the political spectrum supporting TIF reform in the St. Louis region. They correctly conclude that, most of the time, the only winners are developers of suburban box stores who get to defray costs and risk at taxpayers expense. A TIF is a legitimate and even laudable way to subsidize development and stimulate investment, especially in struggling areas where developers are reluctant to go. The municipality typically freezes property taxes for the development area and issues bonds to fund the project. The bonds are backed by anticipated growth in the propertys value or sales tax revenue. In Missouri, TIFs can help fight blight, aid conservation, foster economic development or a combination of the three. The oversight structure can break down, however, when TIF commissions, which weigh the merits before voting on proposed tax incentives, can be overridden by the city councils whose jurisdictions are affected. The commissions represent libraries, fire, ambulance and school districts that stand to lose future revenue to finance developments. In St. Louis and St. Charles counties, municipal governments routinely overturn commission decisions because communities are fighting one another for potential revenue. State Rep. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, has introduced a bill to limit the problem. His bill, HB 1434, would only allow a municipality to subsidize the cost of demolishing buildings and clearing land if a TIF commission rejects a proposal. The Legislature should approve this measure. Its one way of weaning cities from their greedy tendency to use TIF incentives to rob each other of employers and development projects, while leaving taxpayers footing the bill for the concessions needed to make the deal happen. Previous TIF reform efforts have failed in the Legislature, beaten back by developers. Koenig told the Post-Dispatchs David Nicklaus that hes optimistic this time, having won support from Schnucks supermarkets and the Missouri Grocers Association. Wed like to see Koenigs bill become a springboard for real overhaul, which would include making TIFs available only in blighted, low-income areas where theyre truly needed. Does Maryland Heights really need the TIF sought by Stan Kroenke and a business partner for a retail project? Its time for a skeptical review of various development-inducement strategies. A new study by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that financial enticements to lure out-of-state companies dont lead to significant job creation. New and homegrown companies account for 87 percent of jobs created, the study says. The conservative Tax Foundation also has raised concerns about the raw deal that taxpayers get from many of these arrangements. Clearly, its time for reform. During interrogation, Kanhaiya Kumar maintained that he did not say anything seditious. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Police on Tuesday interrogated JNU students union chief Kanhaiya Kumar where the latter admitted that he made a fiery speech criticising Modi government, its policies and the RSS, according to an India Today report. However, Kanhaiya maintained that he did not say anything seditious. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week on charges of sedition for allegedly chanting anti-India, pro-Afzal Guru slogans at an event in JNU. He is currently in remand and is being questioned by officials from the Delhi Police. According to the report, Kanhaiya denied raising anti-India slogans at the pro-Afzal Guru event that was organised on the JNU campus on February 9. He told the cops that he got to know of a cultural event being organised by the Democratic Students Union on February 9 a day in advance. He also claimed that he was unaware of the agenda. He further added that he was unwell on February 8 and was asleep for most of the day before the event. He claimed the he only woke up when members of the All India Students Federation (AISF) came and woke him up and informed him that the administration had withdrawn permission for the event that was being organised by the DSU. Kanhaiya said that it was his associates from the AISF who informed him that the situation at the venue was turning tense and that there was a clash building between the ABVP and members of the DSU. Kanhaiya told the police that when he reached the Sabarmati Dhaba in the evening, the venue of the event, sloganeering had already begun and the situation was tense. The students union president went on to say that he took the microphone and spoke to the crowd that had gathered. He admitted that he made a fiery speech where he criticised the RSS, the Modi Government and its policies. However, during his interrogation Kanhaiya has insisted that he did not say anything that was seditious. He also denied raising any of the anti-national slogans that can be seen in the video clips from JNU. During interrogation, DSU members Umar Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya, Riazul Haq and Rubina Saifee were named as key organisers of the event by Kanhaiya. Kanhaiya has also emphasised that a lot of the people making the anti-India slogans were not from JNU. We take all litigation seriously. But news surrounding Seattles lawsuit against Monsanto and support of that litigation by the Seattle Times editorial board and reprinted in this paper needs reconsideration, as well as some additional facts (Hold Monsanto accountable for devastating impact of PCB pollution, Feb. 10). Last month, Seattle joined other West Coast communities in filing suit against Monsanto for the costs of cleaning up PCBs from a nearby water body: in Seattles case, the Duwamish River. These suits are not based on an allegation that Monsanto discharged PCBs into those water bodies. Rather, they fault Monsanto as the manufacturer of a highly useful and lawful product that was incorporated by hundreds of different companies into thousands of different products over 40 years ago and then subsequently disposed of, potentially improperly, in the Duwamish, by still hundreds of others. Responsibility needs to be placed on and shared by the parties who actually disposed of PCBs in the river. The city of Seattle itself may well be one of the largest PCB dischargers to the Duwamish. The former Monsanto began making PCBs in the 1930s as a component part for use by other companies and the U.S. government in finished products ranging from electrical equipment to military defense. PCBs were durable and fire-resistant, so they protected products from fire. They were also chemically stable and added desired properties to many products. But, it turned out those useful qualities kept PCBs from degrading in the environment. When company scientists confirmed this, Monsanto notified its customers and announced it was voluntarily ceasing sales of PCBs for virtually all non-electrical applications. Still, many building codes required the use of PCBs, so the U.S. government and electrical companies insisted on their continued use in electrical equipment until suitable substitutes could be developed. Even so, Monsanto still voluntarily stopped making the product years before the United States banned most applications of PCBs in 1979. Of course, that didnt stop the production of PCBs by other companies in countries including West Germany, East Germany, Japan, France, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia and China. Production and use of PCBs continued by many other companies in these countries into at least the 1990s. Today, PCBs continue to be used and imported into the U.S. lawfully through various products, and PCBs continue to be manufactured as a byproduct of other chemical processes. To say that every PCB molecule found in the Duwamish is Monsantos is simply wrong. Monsanto did not have PCB manufacturing operations on the Duwamish River. However, many different companies used PCBs for many different purposes along the Duwamish River and in the area served by the city of Seattle sewer system, including the former Monsanto in a facility unrelated to PCB manufacturing. The Lower Duwamish Waterway is currently the subject of a cleanup overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Monsanto and many other companies that had manufacturing operations near the Duwamish are already part of that process, along with the city of Seattle, which has a long history of discharging PCBs into the Duwamish. We agree with Seattle that those who are responsible for the necessary environmental cleanup of the Lower Duwamish should accept that responsibility. We only hope that as the Post-Dispatch continues to follow this story, its writers and editors take time to reach out to this company, located in its own community, so they can get all the facts, from all sides, to share with their readers. David F. Snively is executive vice president, secretary and general counsel at Monsanto. Dolores Boschert and Liz Buchholz, juniors at Duchesne High School, have both been chosen to attend the American Legion Auxiliary Missouri Girls State Program, which will be June 26-July 2, at Central Missouri State University, in Warrensburg, according to a press release. An annual leadership program that originated in 1940, Girls State provides the opportunity to come together to study city, county and state government to young women who have just finished their junior year of high school. It enforces the understanding every person is an integral part of the political process and has responsibility to make tomorrow a better time and the world a better place, regardless of religious or political beliefs. Girls of different backgrounds from different high schools all across the state come together at Girls State to learn to work together in unity for the common good. Missouri Girls State was such a rewarding experience for me, said Molly Sifford, Duchesne High Schools program rep for 2015. Not only did I meet some amazing young women, but I also learned a lot throughout the week. I got involved by being a part of the broadcast team and starred as the official Missouri Girls State weather girl. The importance of our government and what it means to be a good citizen is now very clear to me. Girls State nominations originate with high school faculty and staff members. Duchesne High School has a long tradition of participation, having sent at least one representative annually, sometimes two. Candidates must demonstrate high moral character, show strong leadership abilities, and show above average scholastic achievement. This year, 21 juniors were nominated at Duchesne. A group of finalists was then submitted to the American Legion Auxiliary, which interviewed applicants from each high school and made the final selections. Our organization gives seven St. Charles high schools the opportunity to be involved in Girls State, said Lucille Armbruster, Girls State Chairman for the American Legion Auxiliary, which sponsors selected girls. This year, 12 girls from five schools were interviewed. Two of the six girls chosen are from Duchesne. We also selected two alternatives. The American Legion Auxiliary is able to send these local young women to Girls State with the help of several sponsors: Lions Club of St. Charles, Optimist Club of St. Charles, Kiwanis Club of St. Charles and the Sons of the American Legion, Squadron 312. I am honored to be attending Missouri Girls State this summer," Boschert said. "I am excited to meet new people and work with them on figuring out how to better our community." I look forward to learning more about the inner workings of government and the specific role that I play in it, Buchholz said. This unique experience will allow me to further develop my political, social and leadership skills. Founded as St. Peter High School in 1924, Duchesne High School is located at 2550 Elm Street, in St. Charles. Duchesne is a Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school affiliated with the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Tuition at Duchesne is frozen for the 2016-2017 school year. For more information, contact Lindsay McCullough at 636-946-2603 or visit duchesne-hs.org. LONDON MARKET OPEN: UK retail sales fall adds to investor gloom Friday, October 21, 2022 - 09:01 Both the pound and London share prices were losing ground early Friday, after two UK economic indicators made for depressing reading, compounding the sense of unease caused by preparations to pick the third prime minister so far this year. The FTSE 100 index opened down 21.47 points, 0.3%, at 6,922.44. The FTSE 250 was down 99.48 points, 0.6%, at 17,289.45 and the AIM All-Share down 0.88 of a point, 0.1%, at 785.56. The Cboe UK 100 opened down 0.2% at 692.34, the Cboe UK 250 down 0.4% at 14,779.33, and the Cboe Small Companies down 0.1% at 12,259.67. Following the resignation of Liz Truss, the Conservative Party now begins the process to select a new leader, with the result to be announced no later than next Friday. "Normally, a PM resignation means uncertainty and limited visibility; it's not a preferred scenario for the market. But the little time Liz Truss stayed in power was so hectic that investors welcomed the news that she departs sooner rather than later," said Swissquote Bank's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. Amongst those believed to be in the running are former chancellor Rishi Sunak, leader of the house Penny Mourdaunt, and even former PM Boris Johnson. "Whoever it is, the main challenge for the next PM will be to reassure the markets! We expect to see some more bumpy trading for the British assets until the dust settles," Ozkardeskaya added. Sterling was quoted at $1.1199 early Friday, lower than $1.1294 at the London equities close on Thursday. UK retail sales suffered a bigger-than-expected decline in September, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics. Retail sales fell 6.9% annually in September, with the decline accelerating from a 5.6% fall in August. It also was worse than FXStreet-cited market consensus, which had expected a fall of just 5%. On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 1.4% in September, with the decline easing slightly from 1.7% in August. However, sales saw a steeper fall than expected, with consensus expecting a 0.5% drop. Meanwhile, consumer confidence rose slightly in October but remains near historic lows as the UK grapples with the "new abnormal" of soaring energy, food and mortgage costs. GfK's long-running consumer confidence index clawed back two points but continues to languish at an overall score of minus 47. Among retailing stocks, Next was 2.3% lower, while JD Sports Fashion lost 4.4% and Frasers shed 3.3%. Elsewhere, InterContinental Hotels Group was down 2.3%, on news that its chief financial officer, Paul Edgecliffe Johnson, will leave to become CFO of sports betting firm Flutter Entertainment. Flutter was down 1.6%. IHG reported strong revenue growth in the third quarter, with revenue per available room rising 28% year-on-year. RevPAR now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, it noted. The hotel owner said demand remained "robust", and it managed to open 51 hotels during the quarter, despite an industry-wide slowdown in hotel opening activity. In the FTSE 250, Asos lost 4.1%. The stock was cut to 'reduce' by HSBC. Elsewhere, food delivery firm Deliveroo said gross transaction values rose 8% annually in the third quarter to 1.70 billion, as orders fell 1% to 72.8 million. However, it lowered its guidance range for GTV growth for the full year to 4% to 8% in constant currency, compared to a previous range of 4% to 12%. It expects a slight improvement in the margin for earnings, aiming to reach breakeven earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation at some point between the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024. Deliveroo shares rose 1.9% in early trade. On AIM, Orosur Mining surged 22%. The South America-focused mineral exploration and development company shared "encouraging" drill results from Pepas and Pupino. Holes PEP005 and PEP007 returned "substantial gold intersections", including 80.55 metres at 3.05 grams per ton gold. "PEP001 was clearly a spectacular result, but being only the first hole, caution was warranted. It is encouraging therefore that further holes have confirmed this first result and we eagerly await results from better positioned holes," CEO Brad George said. In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris opened down 1.1%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt opened 0.9% lower. The euro stood at $0.9774 early Friday, against $0.9822 on Thursday. Against the yen, the dollar was quoted at JP150.42, up versus JP149.77. Gold was quoted at $1,620.01 an ounce early Friday, lower than $1,641.90 on Thursday. Brent oil was trading at $92.03 a barrel, lower than $93.29 late Thursday. In Asia on Friday, equities traded mostly lower. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index closed down 0.4%. In China, the Shanghai Composite closed up 0.1%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 0.1% in late trade. The S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney closed down 0.8%. Still to come on Friday's economic calendar is eurozone consumer confidence at 1500 BST. Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. A lawyer, center, who spoke to the media supporting student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, is beaten up by other lawyers outside Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: In a complete shocker yet again and in open defiance of clear directives issued by the Supreme Court, a group of men in lawyers robes that had assaulted journalists on Monday once again attacked the media, other lawyers and JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House courts despite the huge presence of the Delhi police, raising questions on the handling of the situation by the police. After medical examination, the student leader was remanded to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till March 2. Read: Kanhaiya Kumar beaten by lawyers in court, to be in jail custody till March 2 The Supreme Court, reacting to these unprecedented events in the heart of the national capital on Wednesday afternoon. even rushed a team of senior lawyers with police protection to assess the situation in the court, hours after it had issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court complex in the wake of Mondays violence. The Union home ministry also asked city police commissioner B.S. Bassi to submit a report on the fresh violence in the court premises, where the JNU Students Union chief got badly injured. Mr Bassi, however, denied that the JNUSU chief had been beaten up. Read: JNU row: Kanhaiya wasn't involved in anti-India sloganeering, say cops Summons have been issued to three lawyers and BJP MLA O.P. Sharma over the attacks on journalists, Mr Bassi said, adding that the use of force in the court would have been counterproductive. While the police chief claimed that there was enough evidence to back the sedition charge against Kanhaiya Kumar, he also said his force will not object to his bail plea. The police is reportedly looking for 30-odd students who were directly or indirectly involved with the controversial February 9 event on the JNU campus. The NHRC issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government, the Delhi police and the university authorities over the police action at the campus. Both students and teachers did not attend their classes at JNU on Wednesday for the third consecutive day. Senior Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was an alternative voice in the university which should also be heard, JNU vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar appealed to all political parties not to interfere in campus matters, saying that the university was capable of dealing with all such issues internally. Mahyem once again broke out at the Patiala House court complex on Wednesday when a group of men in lawyers robes first targeted journalists within and outside the courtroom where Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced. They even threw stones television OB vans and at camerapersons. One journalist was thrashed inside the courtroom. Later, the student leader was attacked by a large group of men in black robes outside the courtroom despite the heavy deployment of policemen escorting him. He was kicked, slapped and punched, and then the 28-year-old was attacked for a second time while he was kept iside a room prior to the hearing. He was slapped by a person wearing dark glasses who was attending the hearing. Kanhaiya Kumar later told the court that he was attacked by a person sitting right in front of him. The police saved me, he said, but his attacker managed to leave the courtroom without being stopped by the police. The court also asked the police how the student leader was attacked despite the heavy security and protection provided to him on court orders. The court then directed the police commissioner to personally ensure his safety. Read: 'Lawlessness' continues in Delhi courts, journalist beaten up again The magistrate also ordered the DCP (security), who was present in court, to ensure there was no further attack on the accused. He also directed the superintendent of Tihar Jail to ensure the student leaders security. On the courts directions, he was medically examined inside the court. A doctor said he had suffered abrasions on his nose, legs and face. He was later moved to Tihar Jail. In a statement at the start of proceedings, Kanhaiya Kumar told the court in an impassioned statement that I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well in the judiciary. He told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen while being produced for remand proceedings: The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there is no evidence against me, there should be no media trial. In response to the outbreak of violence in the Patiala Hose complex. the Supreme Court tushed a team of top lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation hours after it issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court in the wake of Mondays violence. We are concerned about the law and order situation, a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh told it about the fresh violence, including the assault on Kanhaiya Kumar. The court also said it may appoint a local commissioner to take stock. It asked the counsel for the Delhi police to tell the police commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. Mr Bassi, meanwhile, coming out of a meeting at the PMO, claimed that there was enough evidence against Kanhaiya Kumar and that people from outside had also come to the controversial event at the JNU, where anti-India slogans had allegedly been raised. We have adequate evidence against him (Kumar). I wont be telling you about the process of investigation and what we found out so far, Mr Bassi told reporters. But then he went on to add that if the student leader applies for bail, his force would not object to it. I personally feel a young person... (can) perhaps be given bail, he said. Read: JNU row: Delhi Police conducts inter-state raids Several students unions of different parties said everyone should wait for the completion of the inquiry on the JNU row and should not indulge in character assassination of the university At a joint press conference addressed by the leaders of outfits like the All India Students Association (affiliated to CPI-ML), All India Students Federation (CPI), the National Students Union of India (Congress), the Students Federation of India (CPI-M) and Students Forum For Swaraj (SFS), they demanded the immediate release of Kanhaiya Kumar. Read: Jungle raj in Delhi, Congress demands Bassi's removal The JNU vice-chancellor also appealed to all political parties against interfering over university matters and said the university was capable of dealing with such issues internally. I appeal to all political parties to not interfere in this matter. The university can deal with these issues internally. Condemning the attack on students and teachers at the Patiala House courts on Wednesday, Mr Kumar said: It was brought to our notice that some of the teachers were manhandled. The university condemns the alleged attack on them and is of the view that the law should be allowed to take its course. A U.S. paratrooper assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade prepares to land onto Juliet Drop Zone in Pordenone, Italy, Jan. 20, 2016, during an airborne operation from a U.S. Air Force 86th Air Wing C-130 Hercules aircraft. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility within 18 hours. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Davide Dalla Massara) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Patna: Mounting a frontal attack on the party leadership and siding with JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha on Wednesday said, Kanhaiya Kumar didnt say anything anti-national. The senior BJP leader also wished for his immediate release and urged his party leaders to be cautious while making sweeping statements maligning an institution. Mr Sinha contradicted his own party leaders who had opposed and protested against Kumars JNU speech terming it as anti-national. He claimed that he heard the transcript of Bihari boy Kanhiya Kumar, president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti-national or anything against the Constitution. The hard-hitting statements were made through a series of tweets on Wednesday which left BJP state unit leaders fuming and demanding Mr Sinhas expulsion from the party. by Austin Bay February 16, 2016 The latest closure of the jointly-administered South Korea-North Korea Kaesong Industrial Region illustrates the limitations of over-reliance on "soft power" -- in this case, Seoul's well-intentioned economic and diplomatic power-- when confronting a vicious dictatorship that relies on "hard power" military might and terror for survival and prestige. That describes the North Korean regime in a nutshell, so to speak. To retain power, dictator Kim Jong Un's pathological regime violently subjugates North Korea's wretched populace. His regime glorifies its quest for nuclear weapons, and on a daily basis threatens South Korea, Japan and the U.S. with nuclear immolation. Kim's ballistic missile tests are a macabre form of advertising, not as noxiously vile as an ISIS beheading video, but serving the same terrifying purpose. Among the vicious, negative prestige is prestige. Several military analysts have concluded the missile North Korea test-fired Feb. 7 could strike the continental U.S. That's a dire threat. It must be acknowledged, and -- at some point -- resolved. It goes without saying that diplomatic information and economic power can help reduce North Korea's existential threat. "DIME" -- that's one acronym for the four elements of national power: "Diplomatic," "Information/Intelligence," "Military" and "Economic" power. They complement one another. Applying soft power to Pyongyang to avoid war was the concept behind The Sunshine Policy South Korea began implementing in 1998. Great name -- very "war is not the answer." But for many, "soft power" became the only answer. In 2002, (Sunshine Policy's apogee), Seoul formally proposed Kaesong. Seoul would finance a cooperative manufacturing park in North Korean territory, 10 kilometers above the Demilitarized Zone. Southern managers and business teams could commute from Seoul, a scant 50 kilometers south of the DMZ. South Korea would supply power and water. In Kaesong, South Korean managerial expertise and manufacturing technology would combine with North Korean labor and benefit both Koreas. The goal was most ideal: convince North Korea that war is not the answer. Kaesong would demonstrate that Seoul could separate politics from economics and create a win-win pay off. Thousands of North Korean workers would see firsthand that southerners were not bitter adversaries. Over time, as the economic pie and bank roll grew, the Kim regime's belligerence would fade... Except it didn't. The Kim regime never separates politics from anything. Politics ultimately means the Kim regime maintains total, unquestioned control. Kaesong became a North Korean economic hostage. In 2009, Pyongyang canceled wage and rent agreements, then demanded pay increases, ostensibly for North Korean workers. The truth is that the Kim regime immediately rakes off 70 percent of what Kaesong workers earn. In April 2013, North Korea shuttered Kaesong. When it re-opened five months later, South Korean companies operating its facilities had lost an estimated one billion dollars. Yet South Korea stuck with Kaesong. Despite murderous acts of war by North Korea, the worst being the 2010 sinking of a South Korean naval vessel that killed 46 sailors, South Korea let it expand. In late 2015, some 54,000 North Koreans worked in Kaesong. Now, thanks to North Korea's psychopathic belligerence, the Sunshine is gone. On Jan. 6, 2016, Pyongyang tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb. South Korea and Japan warned the North that proceeding with another missile test would have consequences. Feb. 7: North Korea launched. Feb. 10: South Korea withdrew its citizens from Kaesong. Yes, Seoul closed it, pre-empting North Korea. On Feb. 11, North Korea went through the pretense of closing Kaesong. Actually, North Korean military forces occupied Kaesong. Recall my point about reliance on military might? Seoul has asked the U.S. to provide it with advanced anti-ballistic missiles. Do these events mark a turn for the worse? Perhaps. However, North Korea has failed to turn for the better. I think they mark a return to realism. South Korea has learned an old lesson -- soft power must have a hard spine. Wellesbourne Airfield Chairman of the Parish Council, Bill Cook, said Long Compton is very proud to be the first of Stratford Districts towns and parishes to reach the Referendum stage in its Neighbourhood Plan process. "If the Parish vote in favour of the plan, we will have a blueprint for the development of our village until 2031. "It will enable Long Compton to meet the needs of the district and the expectations of the government for new homes, but will do so in a way which will keep a firm grip on the things which make our Parish special. "As a part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it is vital that new homes reflect the character of the village and that developments take place in locations which protect our 'green lanes' and the glorious views to and from the village. "The process is long and challenging, but, thanks to the foresight of my predecessor as chair of the Parish Council, Ken Treadaway, and the commitment and drive of our Neighbourhood Plan committee, led by Jill Kirby, we now have a plan which we can be proud of and is the basis of a secure but forward looking future for Long Compton." Other Neighbourhood Plans are currently emerging in Bidford, Kineton, Ettington, Wootton Wawen, Loxley, Welford and Stratford town. Wellesbourne Airfield The advisors, who will be based within Warwickshire County Councils Community Safety and Substance Misuse Team, will develop and deliver an action plan in support of the Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police Cyber Crime Strategy. Initiatives will help raise general awareness of the risks of cybercrime as well as targeting specific vulnerable groups. They will also act as a central point of contact for partners and local agencies, helping to provide a more co-ordinated response. Research conducted jointly by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Warwickshire County Council last year revealed that the scale of online crime in Warwickshire was significant, costing an estimated 2.5million a year. Responses to the a survey of the public suggested that there could be around 82,000 victims of online crime across the county each year, with around 25,500 suffering some kind of financial loss as a result. Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Ball, said: While there has already been a great deal of good work carried by many individual agencies across Warwickshire to try and combat this trend, it was clear to me that a more co-ordinated approach would prove helpful and ensure that the right expert advice from all agencies can get out quickly and effectively to the public. This way of working has already proved very beneficial when tackling business and rural crime where I have provided funding for similar advisors, so I am delighted to be able extend this to cybercrime. Wellesbourne Airfield Eleven-year-old Ben dreads his regular Friday nights at granny's house. She is the epitome of boring, she insists on a game of Scrabble and an early night and her menus consist only of cabbage-based recipes. But boring nights at granny's house soon become the most anticipated night of the week when Ben makes an exciting discovery - a secret stash of priceless jewels in granny's biscuit tin. Stories of granny's former life as a master jewel thief are compelling indeed and it isn't long before the pair become partners in crime on a dangerous mission to steal the from jewels from no less than - the Tower of London. Well, it's got to be more interesting - and less humiliating - than competing in the dance competition to keep Strictly fanatics mum and dad happy. Ashley Cousins and Louise Bailey steal the show in the main roles - that is, once you're able to suspend belief that Ashley is eleven. But it's another triumph for Birmingham Stage Company, also known for bringing us Roald Dahl and the Horrible Histories shows. Gangsta Granny will hopefully mark a new chapter in collaborations for the team who know how to keep an audience of all ages thoroughly entertained. Gangsta Granny plays at the Belgrade until Saturday. Wellesbourne Airfield When completed the Mail Rail will be the worlds first driverless electric railway and the ride will include audio visual displays to help visitors explore a part of hidden London, revealed to the public for the very first time. 26million is being spent on the museum in Clerkenwell which is expected to attract around 186,000 visitors a year when it opens early in 2017. As well as the Mail Rail, visitors can also explore the museums archives and travel through five interactive zones detailing the history of the postal service. Patrick Severn Lamb, managing director at Severn Lamb, said: We are extremely proud and excited to have been chosen as the train and ride specialist. The chance to design and build a train to allow visitors to experience these practically unknown tunnels under our capital is a unique opportunity. We look forward to being part of the creation of this new and exciting UK attraction. British Postal Museum and Archive director Adrian Steel added: Severn Lamb has extensive experience of projects of similar scale and purpose to Mail Rail, and is at the cutting edge of new technological developments and applications. Having them on board will help ensure we deliver a first class visitor experience and we look forward to working with them as we move forward on this unique journey. KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR) announced today that its subsidiary, ADESA, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eight auctions owned by the Brasher family. Brasher's eight locations are: Brasher's Salt Lake, Brasher's Sacramento, Brasher's Portland, Brasher's Boise, Brasher's San Jose, Brasher's Northwest, Brasher's Reno and Brasher's Fresno. Brasher's key corporate and local auction personnel will maintain leadership roles across the Brasher auctions. In 2015, Brasher's sold approximately 190,000 vehicles, generating revenue and EBITDA of approximately $140 million and approximately $34 million, respectively. In addition to its physical auction services, Brasher's also provides floor plan financing to its customers and has a loan portfolio of approximately $55 million. Brasher's will be acquired for approximately $283 million in cash. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including the expiration or termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period. KAR expects to finance the transaction with available cash and proceeds from its revolving credit facility. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016. Commenting on the acquisition, KAR Chairman of the Board and CEO Jim Hallett said, "The Brasher family is one of the most highly respected families in our industry. It is a tremendous honor that they have agreed to become part of ADESA. Brasher's is a premier auto auction with a strong management team that shares our passion for the auction business and desire to provide the best customer service possible. I am also pleased that the members of the Brasher family and other leaders in their business have agreed to join our management team." Speaking on behalf of the Brasher family, John Brasher said, "For 67 years, Brasher's has been synonymous with outstanding auto auctions. We take that commitment to our employees and our customers personally, and do not approach this sale of our auctions lightly. We fully believe that our auctions will reach even greater levels of excellence as part of ADESA." Stephane St-Hilaire, CEO and President of ADESA added, "Brasher's is a leader among independent auctions with a strong mix of commercial and dealer consignment customers. Along with increasing ADESA's footprint in three new states, the addition of Brasher's enhances ADESA's physical and online buyer bases. It also increases our ancillary services, while enabling our sister company, AFC, to develop a presence at Brasher's eight auction locations. As part of the KAR group of companies, we plan to offer Brasher's customers the complete suite of KAR's end-to-end vehicle remarketing services." Expansion of KAR's Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility In order to facilitate the acquisition of Brasher's, on Wednesday February 17, 2016, KAR Auction Services exercised the $300 million accordion feature of its existing $250 million Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, resulting in an expansion of this credit facility to $550 million. There were no other changes to the credit facility's terms or conditions. Teamster mechanics voted overwhelmingly today to reject United Airlines' final offer and authorize a strike. There are over 9,000 mechanics in the bargaining unit. Over 93 percent of mechanics who voted cast ballots against the company's offer. "The membership has spoken clearly. The final offer from United Airlines was soundly rejected today and the membership has authorized a strike because of the substandard proposition," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "At a time when United Airlines is incredibly profitable, it is clear that mechanics deserve a better offer from the company. United is profitable because of the dedication, passion and professionalism of their workers and the carrier needs to reflect those characteristics in their negotiating position. United needs to come back to the table and deliver an industry-leading contract for our hardworking mechanics." "The membership voted strongly against this substandard agreement. The idea of implementing B-Scale wages for incoming mechanics is unacceptable," said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. "There is no need to place the financial burden for this agreement on the backs of future mechanics. Executives at United Airlines are being compensated with million-dollar packages and the mechanics deserve their fair share." The leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will petition the National Mediation Board for a release to begin a strike. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former Deutsche Bank research analyst with certifying a rating on a stock that was inconsistent with his personal view. An SEC investigation found that Charles P. Grom certified that his March 29, 2012 research report about discount retailer Big Lots accurately reflected his own beliefs about the company and its securities. But in private communications with Deutsche Bank research and sales personnel, Grom indicated that he didnt downgrade Big Lots from a BUY recommendation in his report because he wanted to maintain his relationship with Big Lots management. Grom agreed to settle the charges by paying a $100,000 penalty, and he will be suspended from the securities industry for a year. When research analysts tell clients to buy or sell a particular security, the rules require them to actually mean what they say. Analysts simply cannot express one view publicly and the opposite view privately, said Andrew J. Ceresney, Director of the SEC Enforcement Division. According to the SECs order instituting a settled administrative proceeding: Grom violated the analyst certification requirement of Regulation AC, which requires research analysts to include a certification that the views expressed in a research report accurately reflect their own beliefs about the company and its securities. Grom and Deutsche Bank hosted Big Lots executives at a non-deal roadshow on March 28, 2012. Grom became concerned by what he believed to be cautious comments by the Big Lots executives. After the roadshow concluded, Grom communicated with a number of hedge fund clients about Big Lots. Four of the hedge funds subsequently sold their entire positions in Big Lots stock. The next day, Grom issued a research report on Big Lots in which he reiterated his BUY rating. As required by Regulation AC, Grom signed an analyst certification included at the end of the report stating, The views expressed in this report accurately reflect the personal views of the undersigned lead analyst(s) about the subject issuer and the securities of the issuer. During an internal conference call with Deutsche Banks research and sales personnel within hours after the publication of his report, Grom said, among other things, that he had maintained a BUY rating on Big Lots because we just had them in town so its not kosher to downgrade on the heels of something like that. On April 24, 2012, during another conference call with Deutsche Bank research and sales personnel, Grom discussed disappointing first quarter sales figures at Big Lots and stated, I think the writing was on the wall [that] we were getting concerned about it, but I was trying to maintain, you know, my relationship with them. So, thats why we didn't downgrade it a couple of weeks back. Antonia Chion, Associate Director in the SEC Enforcement Division, said, When research analysts employed by broker-dealers violate their legal duty to issue research reports that accurately reflect their personally-held views, they undermine public confidence in the integrity of the research and must be held accountable. Grom consented to the entry of the SECs order finding that he willfully violated the analyst certification requirement of Regulation AC of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Grom neither admitted nor denied the SECs findings. The SECs continuing investigation is being conducted by Drew M. Dorman, Robert B. Hanson, Jason Litow, and Kevin Gershfeld. The case is supervised by Yuri B. Zelinsky and Antonia Chion. Kevin Lombardi and Cheryl Crumpton have assisted with the investigation. The Enforcement Division has been assisted by Eugene Canjels, Samantha Grunberg, and Stuart Jackson in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis. LOUGHBOROUGH, England, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At this year's Mobile World Congress, CommAgility will be showcasing its latest hardware and software products at Stand 7C88. CommAgility's embedded signal processing and RF modules, and its LTE PHY/stack software, provide compact, powerful and reliable solutions for 4G and 5G mobile network and related applications. At MWC, CommAgility and Quortus will be demonstrating a 'network in a box' solution based around CommAgility's new AMC-D24AF4-RF2 AdvancedMC module, along with the company's eNodeB Physical Layer and Protocol Stack software, and a complete LTE Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solution from Quortus, all integrated on the Texas Instruments (TI) TCI6638 System-on-Chip (SoC). The new AMC-D24AF4-RF2 is a highly integrated AdvancedMC (AMC) card with two wideband RF transceiver channels. The module's main processor is the KeyStone II architecture-based TCI6638 digital signal processor (DSP)/ARM SoC, which includes eight TMS320C66x+ DSP cores, as well as four ARM Cortex-A15 cores for higher layer processing. The module also has two C6678 DSPs, plus a large Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA. Quortus ECX Core is a fully-featured virtualized LTE core network with advanced features such as integrated VoLTE / SIP voice, S1/X2 handover, dedicated bearers, CS fallback (CSFB), SMS, inter-RAT and SRVCC. Designed to run on a broad range of hardware, from cloud servers to embedded processors such as the TCI6638 processor, ECX Core allows the creation of NiB solutions that function as standalone private networks, or with interconnect to existing MNO infrastructure. A two-channel variant of CommAgility's existing AMC-D24AF4-RF4, the AMC-D24AF4-RF2 is designed to support wireless baseband processing and a 2x2 MIMO air interface in radio test systems, small cells, and UEs for standard or specialised LTE and LTE-Advanced systems up to and beyond Release 10. The AMC-D24AF4-RF2 is available now. For pricing, please contact CommAgility. About CommAgility: CommAgility is an award-winning, world-leading developer of embedded signal processing and radio modules for 4G and 5G mobile network and related applications. We design the latest DSP, FPGA and RF technologies into compact, powerful, and reliable products based on industry standard architectures. Our customers around the world integrate CommAgility products into high performance test equipment, specialised radio and intelligence systems, R&D demonstrators and trial systems. We are highly flexible and work closely with our key customers to meet their technical needs and to support them through development into volume production. CommAgility was honoured with a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2013, appeared in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 list of fastest growing technology companies in 2015, and featured in the Deloitte UK Fast 50 in 2013 and 2012. See www.commagility.com. In March 2015, CommAgility acquired MIMOon GmbH, headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, a leading licensor of LTE Software IP for mobile devices & wireless infrastructure. MIMOon's portfolio of products includes Physical Layer and Protocol Stack (SmallCellPHY and SmallCellSTACK) for Small Cells, Physical Layer and Protocol Stack for terminals (MobilePHY and MobileSTACK), advanced scheduler for small cells (SmallCellSPECTRUM) and IP development in the areas of advanced PHY algorithms on multi-core SDR platforms. Website: www.commagility.com Contact: [email protected] Twitter: @commagility Tel: +44 1509 228866 About the Texas Instruments Design Network CommAgility is a member of the TI Design Network, a premier group of independent, well-established companies that offer products and system-level design and manufacturing services complementing TI's semiconductors to a worldwide customer base to accelerate product innovation and time-to-market. Network members provide product design, hardware and software system integration, turnkey product design, RF and processor system modules, reference platforms, software development, proof-of-concept design, feasibility studies, research, certification compliance, prototyping, manufacturing, and product life cycle management. For more information about the TI Design Network, please visit http://www.ti.com/designnetwork. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/commagility-and-quortus-to-demonstrate-lte-network-in-a-box-at-mobile-world-congress-300221346.html SOURCE CommAgility Hyderabad: The Medical Council of India has rejected an application by the Deccan College of Medical Sciences (DCMS) for increasing the number of MBBS seats from the existing 150 to 200. Its reason was that its assessors team found several deficiencies in the norms prescribed by the MCI. It has also decided to issue a show-cause notice to the college asking why it should not withdraw recognition even for the existing courses. An application had been sent by the DCMS, an institute run by the trust headed by MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, for enhancing the seats in the MBBS course from 150 to 200 for 2016-17 session. Deccan college fails eligibilty rules A team of assessors from MCI had visited the college on January 21 and 22 and submitted its report to MCI. It had pointed out several deficiencies in running of the college including not complying with the norms relating to faculty and other departments. The executive committee of the MCI had met and considered the report and decided to reject the application by DCMS. It said: The applicant college does not meet the qualifying criteria 6(a)(ii), 6(a)(iii) and 6(a) (iv) of opening of new or higher courses of study or training (including postgraduate course of study or training) and increase of admission capacity in any course of study or training. OPD (out patient department) attendance, bed occupancy and unitary campus are not as per the (specifications), the executive committee of the Council has decided to return the application for increase in MBBS Seats from 150 to 200 at DCMS Hyderabad under NTR University of Health Sciences under section 10A of the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 for academic year 2016-17 recommending disapproval of the scheme to the central government as there is no provision under section 10A of the Act or the regulations framed therein to keep the application pending in the council office for the next academic year. It decided to invoke its powers under clause 8(3)(1)(c) of Establish-ment of Medical College Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2010 and serve a show-cause notice. For this, it quoted the rule: It is observed during any regular inspection of the institute that the deficiency of teaching faculty and/or residents is more than 10 per cent and/or bed occupancy is less than 80 per cent. Such an institute will not be considered for processing applications for postgraduate courses in the academic year and will be issued show-cause notices as to why the recommendation for withdrawal of recognition of the courses run by that institute should not be made for undergraduate and postgraduate courses which are recognised under section 11(2) of the Act along with direction of stoppage of admissions in permitted postgraduate courses. When contacted, a senior official from DCMS who wished not to be quoted said: We are in the process of rectifying all the deficiencies. The principal and CEO of DCMS said that only managing director of DCMS, Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, was authorised to speak on the issue. PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) (NYSE: HPE) today published the HPE Cyber Risk Report 2016, identifying the top security threats plaguing enterprises over the past year. As the traditional network perimeter disappears and attack surfaces grow, security professionals are challenged with protecting users, applications and data -- without stifling innovation or delaying enterprise timelines. This year's Cyber Risk Report examines the 2015 threat landscape in this context, providing actionable intelligence around key areas of risk including application vulnerabilities, security patching and the growing monetization of malware. The report also highlights important industry issues such as new security research regulations, the "collateral damage" from high profile data breaches, shifting political agendas, and the ongoing debate over privacy and security. "In 2015, we saw attackers infiltrate networks at an alarming rate, leading to some of the largest data breaches to date, but now is not the time to take the foot off the gas and put the enterprise on lockdown," said Sue Barsamian (@suebarsamian), senior vice president and general manager, HPE Security Products, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. "We must learn from these incidents, understand and monitor the risk environment, and build security into the fabric of the organization to better mitigate known and unknown threats, which will enable companies to fearlessly innovate and accelerate business growth." Applications are the New Battlefield While web applications pose significant risk to enterprises, mobile applications present growing and distinctive risks. Mobile applications' frequent use of personally identifiable information presents significant vulnerabilities in the storage and transmission of private and sensitive information.(1) Approximately 75 percent of the mobile applications scanned exhibited at least one critical or high-severity security vulnerability, compared to 35 percent of non-mobile applications.(1) Vulnerabilities due to API abuse are much more common in mobile applications than web applications, while error handling -- the anticipation, detection, and resolution of errors -- is more often found in web applications.(1) Patch or Perish Software vulnerability exploitation continues to be a primary vector for attack, with mobile exploits gaining traction. Similar to 2014, the top ten vulnerabilities exploited in 2015 were more than one year old, with 68 percent being three years old or more.(3) In 2015, Microsoft Windows represented the most targeted software platform, with 42 percent of the top 20 discovered exploits directed at Microsoft platforms and applications.(3) 29 percent of all successful exploits in 2015 continued to use a 2010 Stuxnet infection vector that has been patched twice.(3) Monetization of Malware Malware has evolved from being simply disruptive to a revenue-generating activity for attackers. While the overall number of newly discovered malware samples declined 3.6 percent year-over-year, the attack targets shifted notably in line with evolving enterprise trends and focused heavily on monetization. As the number of connected mobile devices expands, malware is diversifying to target the most popular mobile operating platforms. The number of Android threats, malware, and potentially unwanted applications have grown to more than 10,000 new threats discovered daily, reaching a total year-over-year increase of 153 percent. Apple iOS represented the greatest growth rate, with a malware sample increase of more than 230 percent.(2) Malware attacks on ATMs use hardware, software loaded onto the ATM, or a combination of both to steal credit card information. In some cases, attacks at the software level bypass card authentication to directly dispense cash.(2) Banking Trojans, such as variants of the Zbot Trojan, continue to be problematic despite protection efforts. More than 100,000 of these were detected in 2015. (2) Ransomware is an increasingly successful attack model, with several ransomware families wreaking havoc in 2015 by encrypting files of consumer and corporate users alike. Examples include: Cryptolocker, Cryptowall, CoinVault, BitCryptor, TorrentLocker, TeslaCrypt, and others.(2) Actionable Intelligence & Recommendations Apps are the New Battlefield: The network perimeter is vanishing; attackers have shifted focus to target applications directly. Security professionals must adjust their approach accordingly, defending not just the edge but the interactions between users, applications and data regardless of location or device. Patch or Perish: 2015 was a record year for the number of security vulnerabilities reported and patches issued, but patching does little good if end users don't install them for fear of unintended consequences.(4) Security teams must be more vigilant about applying patches at both the enterprise and individual user level. Software vendors must be more transparent about the implications of their patches so that end-users aren't afraid to deploy them. Monetization of Malware: Ransomware attacks targeting the enterprise and individuals are on the rise, requiring both increased awareness and preparation on the part of security professionals to avoid the loss of sensitive data. The best protection against ransomware is a sound backup policy for all important files on the system. Prepare for Shifting Politics: Cross-border agreements pose challenges for enterprises struggling to keep their systems secure and in compliance. Organizations must follow the changing legislative activity closely and maintain a flexible security approach. Related Videos, Infographic and Webinar Methodology Published by HPE Security Research, the annual report offers in-depth industry data and analysis on the most pressing security issues, providing business leaders and security professionals with actionable intelligence to better protect their digital enterprises and drive fearless innovation. The full methodology is detailed in the report. HPE will be addressing the latest trends in enterprise security at the RSA Conference 2016, taking place February 29 - March 4 in San Francisco. Additional information about HPE at this year's conference is available here. Keep up with event happenings by following the event hashtag #RSAC and follow @HPE_Security. About HPE Security HPE Security helps organizations protect their business-critical digital assets by building security into the fabric of the enterprise, detecting and responding to advanced threats, and safeguarding continuity and compliance to effectively mitigate risk. With an integrated suite of market-leading products, services, threat intelligence and security research, HPE Security empowers organizations to balance protection with innovation to keep pace with today's idea economy. Find out more about HPE Security at https://www.hpe.com/us/en/solutions/protect-digital.html. Join HPE Software on LinkedIn and follow @HPE_Software on Twitter. To learn more about HPE Enterprise Security products and services on Twitter, please follow @HPE_Security and join HPE Enterprise Security on LinkedIn. About Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an industry-leading technology company that enables customers to go further, faster. With the industry's most comprehensive portfolio, spanning the cloud to the data center to workplace applications, our technology and services help customers around the world make IT more efficient, more productive and more secure. (1) HPE Security Fortify on Demand Findings included in the HPE Cyber Risk Report 2016, HPE Security Research, February 2016, software analysis section, pages 54-63 (2) HPE Cyber Risk Report 2016, HPE Security Research, February 2016, malware section, pages 34-51 (3) HPE Cyber Risk Report 2016, HPE Security Research, February 2016, exploits section, pages 30-33 (4) HP Security Briefing, Episode 22, June 2015 Forward-Looking Statement This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Hewlett Packard Enterprise could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of Hewlett Packard Enterprise for future operations; other statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that expected benefits may not materialize as expected and other risks that are described in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risks described in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Registration Statement on Form 10 dated July 1, 2015, as amended August 10, 2015, September 4, 2015, September 15, 2015, September 28, 2015 and October 7, 2015. Hewlett Packard Enterprise assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. Embedded Video Available Embedded Video Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2964784 Source: Hewlett Packard Enterprise NORTH CHARLESTON, SC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/16/16 -- Take a break in North Charleston with hotel deals that offer an exceptional opportunity to gain bonus rewards. Giving travelers something to smile about as the calendar moves closer to spring, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate hotel is offering 2,000 Marriott Rewards bonus points seven days a week! A great opportunity to boost your Marriott Rewards account and enjoy a comfortable and friendly stay, this limited time offer can be used any day of the week allowing business and leisure travelers to take advantage of this amazing offer. Situated just off Ashley Phosphate Road, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North hotel's location is ideal for easily accessing many top attractions in the historic South Carolina city and is near Charleston Southern University and Joint Base Charleston. So, whether planning a business trip, visiting friends and family, shopping for a spring wardrobe or taking a well-deserved break, now through April 24, 2016 is a good time to add value with up to 4,000 extra bonus points. The popular Marriott Rewards program offers member perks with every stay, including free in-room Wi-Fi, Mobile Check-in and more, while also allowing travelers to earn points that can be used for travel worldwide. Those who are not members can easily join when making hotel reservations. Rewards members are encouraged to share their experiences on social media, using the hash tag #lovemarriottrewards. Spacious accommodations at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North include an offering of well-appointed studio suites so travelers can find the space that best fits their needs. All guest rooms include marble bathrooms and plush bedding ensembles along with a mini-refrigerator, microwave, 32-inch LCD TVs and premium movie channels. Studio suites also include one king or two queen-sized beds along with a sleeper sofa for added comfort and flexibility for traveling families and groups. Booking accommodations with this special hotel deal can be done online at https://www.marriott.com/specials/mesOffer.mi?marrOfferId=853517&displayLink=true#terms or by calling 1-888-236-2427 and referencing promotional code M11. Specific terms and conditions are also noted on the website. About the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate The Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate welcomes guests with thoughtful amenities and friendly service so they can make the most of their time in South Carolina. Whether traveling for business or leisure, the hotel is designed to boost productivity and relaxation in a confident setting that is both comfortable and accommodating. Guests can stay connected with free Wi-Fi in the warm and inviting lobby and have full access to computer and printer services in the hotel business center. Pampering in-room amenities include complimentary high-speed Internet access and spacious work areas for added convenience. Committed to providing a first-class experience, the hotel welcomes guests to enjoy the benefits of a free hot breakfast served daily and take advantage of its well-equipped fitness center and seasonal outdoor pool. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2965208 CONTACT: Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate 2540 North Forest Drive North Charleston, South Carolina 29420 1-843-725-5400 http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chsfn-fairfield-inn-and-suites-charleston-north-ashley-phosphate/ Source: Fairfield Inn & Suites Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate K-12 technology industry leaders join forces to empower educators and improve student success through integrated analytics and processes for millions of teachers and more than one third of U.S. students AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PeopleAdmin and PowerSchool LLC, two companies leading the K-12 industry in education technology software, announced today they will partner to help educators integrate teacher performance and effectiveness information with student achievement information to harness the power of analytics to improve academic outcomes. PeopleAdmin is the leader in cloud-based talent management solutions for K-20 education. PowerSchool is the leading K-12 technology provider of Student Information Systems (SIS), and Enrollment and Assessment solutions. The collaboration will bring immediate advantages to teachers and principals using both PowerSchools SIS and PeopleAdmins TalentEd Perform, a teacher evaluation system that is part of a comprehensive suite of K-12 talent management solutions including SchoolSpring, the top K-12 educational job site. This partnership is about using technology to make a difference in the lives of teachers, administrators and students, said Kermit S. Randa, CEO of PeopleAdmin. Educators using our systems will be able to enjoy a seamless experience as they more easily manage their daily information needs. More broadly, we will help them leverage the power of data and analytics to achieve improved academic results. To improve the education experience, school districts need to understand how to develop and recruit more teachers based on the performance and success of the students they teach, said PowerSchool CEO Hardeep Gulati. We are excited to partner with PeopleAdmin to deliver best-in-class, unique analytics and capabilities that will significantly benefit both companies large education communities. PeopleAdmin, based in Austin, Texas, serves a third of all educators and administrators across the U.S. education spectrum, who in turn serve more than 30 percent of all students in America. PowerSchool, based in Folsom, California, serves 25 percent of all K-12 schools in North America and over 15 million students in more than 70 countries. The partnership includes plans to build single sign-on between PowerSchool and PeopleAdmin. The integration will make it easier for districts to access student and teacher information, and will save principals time in gathering student information for teacher evaluations. Any time we can help K-12 schools, districts and consortiums better focus on serving their teachers and students through data, were helping improve our educational system and the lives of others for decades and generations to come, Randa said. About PeopleAdmin PeopleAdmin is the leading provider of cloud-based talent management solutions for education and government. Its software enables clients to streamline the hiring process, onboard new employees, efficiently manage positions and employee performance, develop compliant and defensible audit trails, and use industry-leading reporting and metrics. PeopleAdmins integrated talent management suite includes applicant tracking, faculty search committee management, position management, onboarding, and performance management. PeopleAdmin solutions are rapidly deployed, easy to use and supported through a world-class customer service organization. Visit www.peopleadmin.com for more information. About PowerSchool PowerSchool, the #1 leading provider of K-12 technology solutions, serves more than 40 million users and over 15 million students in 70+ countries, playing a central role in K-12 education around the world. PowerSchool provides industry leading best-in-class secure, compliant school operations solutions including Student Information System and Student Enrollment solutions, including online applications, school choice lotteries, new and annual student registration designed specifically for Pre K-12 independent, charter, and public schools of any size. PowerSchool also provides innovative digital classroom capabilities, enabling a consistent user experience for managing attendance, grading, assignments, assessments and analytics to empower teachers and drive student growth. Learn more about PowerSchool at www.powerschool.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217006398/en/ PeopleAdmin Amanda S. Johnson, 512-987-9817 Chief Marketing Officer Source: PeopleAdmin By Nick Carey (Reuters) - Union leaders at an air conditioner factory in Indianapolis threatened with losing 1,400 jobs to Mexico said on Tuesday the plant's owner expects to pay Mexican workers $3 an hour compared to an average of more than $20 an hour for the U.S. workers. "We haven't given up the fight yet," said Chuck Jones, president of the United Steelworkers union local that represents workers at the Carrier Corp plant. "But Carrier has pretty well indicated that the wage differential is too great and there's not much we can do." A spokeswoman for Carrier, a unit of United Technologies Corp (NYSE: UTX), said the company pays a "competitive wage" based on local conditions and could not discuss pay levels. Union and Carrier officials were locked in talks on Tuesday as a political storm raged around them. The announcement last week from Carrier that it would shift 1,400 jobs from Indianapolis and 700 from another plant in Huntington, Indiana to Monterrey, Mexico starting in 2017 prompted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump to say he would tax Carrier air conditioning units for moving to Mexico. Local leader Jones said it was "helpful to have anyone talking about job losses" but added that Trump has said auto workers get paid too much. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been more consistent on the dangers of trade deals and corporate greed, he said. Carrier is one of many U.S. manufacturers moving jobs to Mexico. However, videos of a company official delivering the news to the Indianapolis plant's stunned work force, posted on YouTube, provided a vivid look at the pain and anger such decisions cause. Indiana's Republican Governor Mike Pence said in a statement on Monday he was "profoundly disappointed" in Carrier's move and offered retraining support for the workers who will be laid off. Democratic Indianapolis council member Zach Adamson said he has told the heating company that services his house he does not want Mexican-made Carrier products, and said the city should try to "claw back the incentives and benefits they have received to be here," he added. Abby Gras, Indiana Economic Development Corporation spokeswoman, said incentives contracts for Carrier and UTC are still active, "meaning they must remain compliant and maintain a certain number of jobs for Hoosiers throughout that contract." "Closing a facility would also result in non-compliance," she said. (Reporting By Nick Carey) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko arrives for the Presidential debate at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2016. REUTERS/Michael Dalder KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's biggest party will ask the parliamentary speaker to hold a no confidence vote in the government on Tuesday, its parliamentary leader told reporters, shortly after President Petro Poroshenko suggested the prime minister should resign. Parliament is due to vote on a report that reviews the government's performance in 2015 and its agenda for this year. If the government loses, lawmakers will need 150 signatures in parliament to hold a no confidence vote, which could lead to national elections if the coalition cannot agree on a new cabinet. "I will give these signatures to the parliamentary speaker with the suggestion not to postpone all this (and) today ... to hold the vote of no confidence in the government," party leader Yuriy Lutsenko said. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Matthias Williams) Increased end-of-year demand, particularly for mussels, has taken New Zealand seafood exports to a record high of $1.63 billion. This was more than 6 per cent up on 2014, said Seafood New Zealand chief executive Tim Pankhurst. He said up to the end of October export growth was tracking at about 3 per cent. Increased demand in November and December pushed the growth to over 20 per cent for those two months and lifted total growth for the year to 6.6 per cent. A significant part of that was from greenshell mussel exports as new season supplies became available, Pankhurst said. "Three hundred tonnes of mussels were shipped to Korea in December compared with 97 tonnes in the same period in 2014. Total exports to Korea grew by 11.6 per cent last year." Despite economic uncertainty, exports to China grew by 14.9 per cent. Exports to the United States also showed strong growth of 12.2 per cent. "The long term outlook for New Zealand's seafood industry is bright as discerning consumers around the world are increasingly looking for high quality, sustainably harvested seafood," he said. "New Zealand seafood ticks those boxes." A tourist driver crashed into a ute after failing to stop for a stop sign at the corner of Old Renwick Rd and Jacksons Rd, near Blenheim. A Marlborough man says he and his grandson were lucky not to be killed when a tourist driver crashed into their ute on Saturday. Mike's Mowers and Chainsaw Services owner Mike Gardiner credited his trusty Ford ute for escaping the wreck without a scratch. "The good part about it was no-one was killed ... They hit us that hard, my truck became airborne. It's a real credit to Ford as to how good their vehicles are." Gardiner said he bought the $63,000 ute three months ago. READ MORE: * Chinese driver opts for chauffeur after crashing into ute in Marlborough * Dangerous intersection gets a revamp * Crash at black spot * Two die at high speed * Driver in court after fatal crash Chinese tourist Ge Liang was convicted of careless driving at the Blenheim District Court on Monday. He failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Old Renwick Rd and Jacksons Rd. His lawyer Byrony Millar said Liang did not understand the stop sign. Gardiner applied for $3600 in damages from the court. He was upset to learn Liang was sentenced to pay only $1500 in reparation, along with six months' disqualification from driving in New Zealand. "It's bloody frustrating." Liang and his wife both held Chinese driver's licences. When the family got out of the car they appeared bewildered because there were no traffic lights at the intersection, Gardiner said. "They started saying 'no lights, no lights'," he said. Gardiner had no injuries from the crash, but his grandson was taken to Wairau Hospital, in Blenheim, with pain suspected to be bruising from the seatbelt, Gardiner said. It was a stressful experience for his grandson, he said. "It's a horrific experience for a kid to go through." Liang had arranged for a friend from Christchurch to drive him and his wife around the South Island for the rest of their holiday. The corner of Old Renwick Rd and Jacksons Rd was a dangerous intersection, Gardiner said. There had been 15 crashes at the intersection between 2005 and 2015, including three fatal crashes. A Linton soldier has been dismissed from the army after a drug-fuelled unruly night out in Palmerston North where a group of soliders smashed their heads against a wall, causing their heads to bleed. Private Luke Brame, 22, whose court martial is took place at Linton Military Camp on Wednesday pleaded guilty to supplying the psychoactive substance N-bomb. He also pleaded guilty to doing an act likely to prejudice service discipline and offering to supply a psychoactive substance. Brame has been dismissed from the army and sentenced to 90 days detention in the defence force's correctional facility in Burnham. READ MORE: * Five soldiers discharged from Linton Military Camp for drug use * Soldiers hospitalised after taking mystery substance Judge Anne Gaskell and a panel of three military members took just over two hours to make the decision. Gaskell said there was a need to hold Brame responsible for his actions. Brame was one of eight soldiers taken into custody over Labour Weekend in Palmerston North after they were found acting strangely in the city centre and were suspected to be under the influence of drugs. The drug was understood to have been the synthetic hallucinogen "N-Bomb" which triggered a psychotic reaction in the men. Gaskell said those in the armed forces needed to be able to rely on their comrades not to be under the influence of drugs. She said three of the soldiers involved had already lost their careers in the army and the army had suffered from the incident also. Supporters of Brame in the public gallery sobbed as the verdict was handed down. In a summary of facts read by the prosecution for the first charge of supplying a psychoactive substance it was said Brame thought he was purchasing synthetic MDMA. He was at a party with soldiers Taylor Reid, Logan Bertram, Josh Mapson, Barclay Bishop and Luke Roode when Brame instigated the discussion stating he could organise caps for the group through a contact. He offered to sell them to the group and at some time after 12 in front of The Daily nightclub he purchased the caps and distributed them throughout the group. At this time, he believed it to be synthetic MDMA. That substance has been identified as being N-Bomb. After consuming the substance the group began to display erratic and troubled behaviour, which resulted in the New Zealand police being called. In video footage of the group when they were in custody it showed members of the group who had to be physically restrained to stop them from hurting themselves or others. All members of the group were hallucinating and two caused their own heads to bleed after smashing their heads against a wall, Stuff understands. The second charge of offering to supply a psychoactive substance said in the summary of facts Brame had offered to supply a cap to Alex Jansen during the evening, which Jansen refused. The third charge of doing an act likely to prejudice service discipline was by Brame consuming half a cap of N-Bomb. CALLS FOR DETENTION Prosecution lawyer Major Ben Bateman said they were calling for Brame to be dismissed for his actions and serve 90 days in a detention centre. He said the effects it had on the group that took the substance was substantial and they required time under medical supervision after the incident. Bateman said there was an expectation members of the Defence Force were to uphold the highest standard of conduct at all time. "It is intolerable and unrealistic for him to stay in the New Zealand Army. "His behaviour exhibits the opposite... of comradeship. "He put himself and his friends at risk." TROUBLED PAST Captain Graeme Tavendale was called as a witness by the prosecution and said Brame had trouble in the past with substance abuse and previously completed a drug and alcohol course in 2014. He completed a second course in December 2015 after the incident. Brame was an apprentice mechanic and after the incident on October 25 he was taken out of his role as Tavendale said they didn't want him to influence any of the other soldiers. He had not completed any courses or any work towards his apprenticeship since and had mostly been doing maintenance tasks. REMORSE SHOWN Defence lawyer Amy Whittaker said she felt dismissal alone would be a suitable punishment. She said Brame had acknowledged he had let himself and his service down. However, she said even though Brame may have started the discussion to buy the drugs the idea was taken up by the other members in the group and they gave him the money. The reaction the group had to the drug was not intended and Whittaker said Brame showed remorse for the outcome. She said Brame had been working hard towards his apprenticeship and due to being dyslexic it was something that hadn't come easy to him. "Perhaps frustration on that has flowed through to his behaviour." Whittaker said she thought Brame was a good person who made a mistake. Brame acknowledged he had a problem with alcohol and had been intoxicated the night of the incident. He had been receiving weekly counselling sessions and had a desire to confront the problem. After the incident he spent three days in close arrest at Linton Military Camp and then was on open arrest for 15 days after that. He had to move out of his home in the Linton housing area and had been unable to perform his normal duties since Labour Weekend. COURT EMOTIONS A member of the public gallery cried as Brame was marched into the court martial. Five of the soldiers involved have since been dismissed from the army. Of the three remaining, two have elected to tried by court martial, and the third referred for court martial, but no dates have been set. Two were set to be called as witnesses in Brame's court martial. The court martial, in front of Judge Anne Gaskell and a panel of three military members, continues. Linton Military Camp commander 1 (NZ) Brigade Colonel Hugh McAslan has spoken previously on the incident and said the behaviour was "disappointing". He said drug use "erodes trust", and trust was crucial in their line of work. "It's absolutely fundamental to what we do." Paper and pens have been ditched in favour of an online system that will allow hospital complaints and incidents to be dealt with in real time. The Waikato District Health Board reported 13,000 incidents a year on paper forms. The move is part of the board's patient quality strategy, designed to speed up the process when incidents are reported. The board's director of quality and patient safety, Mo Neville, said the internal system went live on February 2. "The system is much more visible, rather than a little silo database that we had to push information out," she said. "With a paper system, there tends to be the minutest amount of information on the form whereas the electronic system prompts you to fill out all the important fields - time, location, day. All those details are key when you're trying to do improvement work." Neville said the board is one of the first in the country to adopt the UK-based reporting system, Datix. "Paper forms stopped when we went go-live electronically in February, so there are absolutely no more incidents on paper," Neville said. "Complainants can still complain verbally or send written complaints - essentially, we'll still have a person here that loads them into the system." Neville said the benefits of the online system means the incidents can be dealt with the same day they are loaded. "We load them centrally. Before, we would have to scan the letter and put it in the mail and then have it sent across to investigate it," she said. "So you end up with better information that you can analyse and can track emerging trends quicker." She said staff can also set up the system to monitor specific types of incidents. "If a staff member was concerned about falls in the area, they can set up their dashboard to see what their fall incidents were like over a week or a month. "It's really intuitive. You want people reporting everything because it shows an open and transparent culture. We want to absolutely make sure we do things straight away to make improvements." *An earlier version of this story said paper complaints were being phased out. Complaints to the Waikato District Health Board can be made in written form, verbally or online.* Mothers and their babies descended on parliament calling for a rejig to a members bill, spacing out the proposed eight extra weeks of paid parental leave evenly over the next three years. Advocates of Hamilton's Labour List MP Sue Moroney's Paid Parental Leave Bill brought their children along as their submission was made to the Select Committee. Moroney said having babies in parliament was "very cool". "It makes parliament a very real place when babies turn up to fight their cause," said Moroney. READ MORE: *Paid parental leave extended for pre-term babies *Paid Parental leave legislation passes first hurdle over Government opposition *Paid parental leave bill finally defeated 26 for Babies spokeswoman Rebecca Matthews-Heron approved of 26 weeks paid leave but the group sought an amendment to have the increases implemented year-by-year until 2018. Under Moroney's bill, the first four weeks would be applied this year, taking it to 22 weeks and a further four week increase in 2018. "Change the implementation dates to give babies at home four more weeks at home with their family next year and another four weeks in 2018," said Matthews-Heron. 26 for Babies is a coalition of organisations including Plunket, Unicef, The Post Primary Teachers Association, Barnardos, The New Zealand Breastfeeding Authority and the Council of Trade Unions. Last September, Moroney's second bill on 26 weeks paid parental leave was pulled from the ballot after the first was defeated in February. But in the ensuing months, the Government moved to extend paid parental leave from 14 to 18 weeks. That increase to 18 weeks comes in April but 26 weeks was still the goal, said Matthews-Heron. "That defeat saw government introduce four more weeks and already in this bill, [Act Party's] David Seymour has introduced greater access to leave for pre-term babies. "So it's an opportunity to talk about how we get more and better paid parental leave." Government earmarked a $5.5 billion total spend over the next three budgets and Matthews-Heron said the eight more weeks would sit within that. If the amendments were approved, the first four week increase would be applied on April 1 next year. Moroney said it was a sensible amendment. "It makes sense because I've succeeded in getting paid parental leave extended to 18 weeks on the first of April this year and it makes logical sense that the next increase will come in in 2017," said Moroney. New Delhi: In a huge setback to the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Union Cabinets decision earlier in the day to lift Central rule in Arunachal Pradesh to pave the way for a new government led by rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul. A five-judge Constitution Bench of Justices J.S. Khehar, Dipak Misra, Madn B. Lokur, Pinaki Chandra Ghose and N.V. Ramana directed the Centre to maintain the status quo in the state as of Wednesday. The Bench, after hearing senior counsel Fali S. Nariman and Kapil Sibal, also summoned the records pertaining to the original disqualification proceedings initiated by then Speaker Nabam Rebia. The senior counsel urged the court to stay the Cabinets decision to revoke Presidents Rule. Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommended lifting of Presidents Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, after Tuesdays Supreme Court order that declined to restrain the governor from swearing in a new government in the state. The Cabinet recommended to the President that Central rule, imposed in the state January 26, be revoked. Nelson woman Tamika White is making slow but steady progress in her recovery after she suffered a serious brain haemorrhage while in surgery at Nelson Hospital last year. White returned to Nelson in August after fighting for her life in intensive care at Wellington Hospital and has since been surrounded by family. Her sister Julie Brown said White spent three months in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation unit at Nelson Hospital where she had learnt to walk and talk again. READ MORE: * Nelson mum's fight for life after brain bleed * Family upset by Air NZ's lack of compassion * Battle continues for Nelson mother "When it first happened she was completely paralysed on one side, now she is walking unaided," Brown said. "She was pretty incapacitated so we didn't know what to expect." The 41-year-old was placed on life support after she failed to wake up following a hysterectomy at Nelson Hospital and a scan revealed she had suffered a serious brain bleed. Brown said in the early days, White asked the doctors if she would walk again and they said they didn't know, but 10 days later she was standing up with support. White has been able to move back into her home with the support of family and carers, and her eldest son has moved back home to help with running the household. "The biggest problem has been her mental exhaustion, memory and concentration which I think is all normal for a brain injury," Brown said. She is now able to walk unaided although she has a limp when tired and her arm has been much slower to improve. "How much it will come back we still don't know," White said. "She has struggled with accepting the change in her life but is determined to try and get better." Brown said her sister was grateful for the support she had received from the community. "I think she finds it hard to understand why people that don't know her are also supporting her recovery but I told her that what goes around, comes around and she's always been willing to help people in need in the past so now it's her turn to accept the help." Brown said it had been an especially difficult time for the family as the day White was discharged from the rehabilitation unit, their father passed away. Before the haemorrhage, White had a mobile hairdressing business and she hoped to return to hairdressing in the future if she could. "We are very happy with her progress and hope she continues to get better and gets back to living a normal life," Brown said. Torrential rain and high winds caused overnight havoc in the region, with flooded homes and roads, felled trees and swollen rivers. The Fire Service had nine callouts, mostly flood-related, after the deluge hit around 1am. Nelson Fire Service station officer Craig Davies said the eight occupants of two central city apartments in Bridge St had to be evacuated after ceilings collapsed. A blockage in the building's internal gutterings caused water to overflow into the plaster ceilings. Six occupants in one apartment and a couple in the other had to find other accommodation. Firefighters were also called to the former State Insurance Building in Bridge St where water leaked through the roof, drenching both floors. A garage flooded in Washington Rd, and a downstairs apartment in NIle St was also flooded. 1 of 10 Helen Murdoch The Waimea River in flood on Thursday morning. Around 146mm of rain fell in the Lee catchment overrnight. 2 of 10 MARION VAN DIJK Scaffolding damage under the Clouston Bridge on Nile St after the Maitai flooded. 3 of 10 18022016. Photo: Helen Murdoch/Fairfax NZ The Waimea River in flood this morning. Around 146mm of rain fell in the Lee catchment overrnight. 4 of 10 Tamara Eggers Flooding in the Appleby region on Thursday February 18. 5 of 10 Tamara Eggers Flooding in the Appleby region on Thursday February 18. 6 of 10 TAMARA EGGERS Flooding in the Appleby region on Thursday February 18. 7 of 10 TAMARA EGGERS Flooding in the Appleby region on Thursday February 18. 8 of 10 SALLY KIDSON/FAIRFAX MEDIA The swollen Maitai River, as seen from the Collingwood St Bridge. 9 of 10 Char Wells Washbourn Gardens in Richmond flooded after heavy rain in the early hours of Thursday February 18. 10 of 10 Char Wells Washbourn Gardens flooded after heavy rain in the early hours of Thursday February 18. Civil Defence said the rain-swollen Wairoa River at Brightwater caused extensive surface flooding, including over State Highway 6 at Brightwater bridge. Police alerted residents in the worst-hit areas, but there were no evacuations. READ MORE: * Four rescued from car roof in Waimea River * Pair winched to safety at Farewell Spit The Tasman District Council said with more than 300mm recorded in the Upper Lee Catchment, the Wairoa River at the Irvines site above Brightwater reached 1300 cubic metre/sec, the second largest flood at this location since recording commenced in 1957. River berms were flooded down much of the lower Waimea River. A rain gauge in the hills behind Takaka had recorded a whopping 528mms in the last 48 hours. Warren Gamble Nelson's Maitai River swollen by heavy rain Contractors closed a section of Maitai Valley Rd at Ralphine Way early this morning after a sustained downpour saw the Maitai River rise quickly and flood the road. The Maitai walkway between Collingwood St and Bridge St was also closed by surface flooding. At 6am on Thursday morning Civil Defence Nelson-Tasman group controller Roger Ball said the Maitai had been causing concern but was dropping back as the rain eased. Have you been affected by flooding in the Nelson region? Email newsdesk@nelsonmail.co.nz Char Wells Washbourn Gardens flooded after heavy rain in the early hours of Thursday February 18. In Golden Bay, flooding at Upper Takaka made the highway impassable for a period last night. The Anatoki River reached its third highest level since records began in 1979, although this was considerably lower than the major flood experienced in 2010. There was surface flooding in many areas including Ferntown, Waitapu Splash and Lindsay's Bridge. Contractors were assessing and clearing roads this morning. Ball said further rain was forecast in the region today but was not as worrying as the overnight deluge. He asked drivers to take extra care coming to work today because of the surface water. It is also recommended that people take extreme caution around rivers and streams, and stay away if practicable. Last night strong winds brought down several trees in Nelson. At 7.15pm firefighters received reports of a tree coming down in Murphy St and at 6.50pm a tree came down on Brook St. At 7.36pm firefighters were called to secure a trampoline after it blew into a house in Stoke. Richmond resident Helen Bowler said a tree on her Landsdowne Rd property split and fell through her neighbour's fence. "Just before I realised how bad it was I had walked under it. I heard a big crack and thought it was lightning. "It was extreme last night. Rain was coming from all directions, directions I have never seen it come from." Spring Grove resident Simon Gorman estimated rainfall of around 180mms on the Wai-iti River overnight. He said that although rainfall patterns indicated another deluge tonight, rain usually came in "pulses" and small breaks were enough to prevent flooding. "The challenge is when you get a pulse in a certain level, then you get flooding." Wednesday night's rain had topped up his water tank for the next four to six weeks and his feijoas and olives were undamaged, he said. "They were just looking like an exposed group of ballet dancers because they were bouncing around, but they're in absolutely peerless condition." Tasman District Council communications advisor Chris Choat said Waimea River bridge on the Great Taste Trail was now closed. "There's still river water up around the entrances to them and we're not able to assess the extent of the damage." Choat said access to the bridge had been washed away and a section of it was still underwater on Thursday afternoon. The trail between Lower Queen Street and Redwood Road was closed. A coastal section of the trail between Lower Queen St and Rabbit Island had been washed away and was also closed, Choat said. He advised caution for those using roadside trails as there would likely be debris remaining. The Wairoa River Cycle Bridge between Pugh Road and Bryant Road was re-opened after it was assessed by an engineer. Sheeza Shark (Nathan Williamson) in the winner's circle at Ascot Park. Southland mare Sheeza Shark has been sold and will leave for New York on Friday. Makarewa trainer Austin Stack formerly owned Sheeza Shark with Terry Ashby, of Christchurch, and his brother-in-law Neil McDiarmid, of Mataura. Stack thought the C9 mare would be joining Mark Harder's stable. Sheeza Shark is in Christchurch and has been there since her seventh in a C2-9 mobile mile at Ashburton on February 6. She ran fourth in a C0-OC 1950m (mobile) at Addington on January 29. READ MORE: * Shark set to take a bit ouf of Riverton Cup She had two wins in mobile miles in Canterbury in December, scoring in 1:54.7 at Ashburton and in 1:55.5 at Addington. Sheeza Shark set a mares' track record at Gore when running 2:41.9 (2200m mobile) in October. She leaves New Zealand with a record of 10 wins, six seconds, five thirds and $78,794 from 36 starts. New Zealand Post is adopting the use of the four wheeled electric vehicles. A union for posties is accusing New Zealand Post of arrogance in the wake of proposed changes to how and when mail is delivered. John Maynard of Postal Workers Union of Aotearoa, which represents about half the country's posties, said there was a proposal for posties to work fewer days and longer hours but said NZ Post was not talking to the union about the move. "The company is going around predetermined that the union will agree with the company to extend from six and a half hour days to nine and a half hour days," he said. "And they're going ahead quite arrogantly without having consulted with the union. "In fact they've said they won't be consulting with the union and that's a breach of the collective agreement." READ MORE: * NZ Post buggie trial a hit with posties and the public * Posties test out electric new rides * NZ Post announces new vehicle purchase to keep up with changing consumer demands * Post delivery cut to three days a week Maynard said there was the possibility the longer hours, combined with the compulsory reasonable overtime, could lead to 11 hour days for posties. But New Zealand Post service delivery chief operating officer Ashley Smout said they had discussed the changes with staff and received mainly positive feedback from the proposed changes to working hours. "That would mean longer hours per day and that might not be for everybody but the consensus we've got so far is there's a huge amount of interest in fewer days and longer hours," he said. He said the aim was for everyone to have at least two days off in a row, instead of the six days a week posties usually worked. The disagreement comes at the same time as the mail deliverer introduces electric delivery vehicles that have not won overall favour with the posties who trialled them in New Plymouth and Upper Hutt last year. In the New Plymouth trial of the three-wheeled, hi-tech vehicles there were five incidents in the first two months. In one incident a postie sustained two fractured ribs after he lost control of the vehicle when rounding a corner. Despite that record Maynard said posties preferred the three wheelers to the 500 four wheeled vehicles he said NZ Post planned on buying in the next two years. He said if, "and there's a big if", they did agree to the longer hours, they wouldn't have to work the overtime. Maynard said posties were happy to drive the four wheeled vehicles for short periods but did not want to be in them eight hours a day because of the heavy steering. "Posties are riding them for three to five hours at a time, and they say that's enough," he said. He also cited health and safety concerns with the vehicles. "If you're stopping and starting all the time...people are worried about getting an occupational overuse syndrome from repeatedly applying the handbrake," he said. However Smout said there had been positive feedback from the trials of the new vehicles and people could take some time to get used to them. "Everybody that has been on them doesn't want to go back to the old ways of working," he said. "I'd say let's not judge too early, let's give people a chance to get used to them and then have those conversations and if there needs to be training, then we'll invest in that." Choosing the four wheelers over the three wheelers was a technical decision around battery life. "The longer we can have these vehicles out there on the road the better. So it was a pretty difficult call to make. We're very happy with that choice," he said. Hyderabad: The final guidelines of the Assisted Reproductive Technique (ART) has got several gynecologists and IVF centres on tenterhooks as the government has set the condition that someone can be a surrogate only once. Protection of the surrogate is of prime concern. According to sources in the committee: We have seen cases where surrogates were being exploited for monetary gains. The protection of the surrogate mother is of prime importance due to health risks involed therein. During pregnancy or childbirth, the surrogate is well taken care of by the hospital but after that if there are any complications, will she be attended to? This is also an important aspect. At present, clinics opt for two to three surrogate pregnancies. The stress is also on couples opting for a woman from within their own family instead of a surrogate mother offered by the IVF clinic. A senior gynaecologist said, When it is a family member, then the commercial aspect is done away with. But if no one in the family is willing, then the option of a woman outside the family cant be denied to them. The need to crack the whip on commercial surrogacy is due to the manner in which couples are being lured by some. Dr Roya Rozati, a senior gynaecologist said, Websites displaying pictures of women and the various services offered to couples is not the right way. This has to stop. There will now be a proper tracking system to ensure that couples are not exploited and the intended benefit of a healthy child is provided to them. Doctors cry kill Bill, find differences in old, new Gynecologists have found major discrepancies in the Assisted Reproductive Technique (ART) Bill and want them to be addressed in the final draft before it is introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Experts say that the Bill that was shown to them in 2014 is very much different from what they had seen when it was drafted in 2005. Former senior vice-president of Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists Society of India, Dr Laxmi Shrikhande said, The Bill states that from one donor not more than seven eggs must be derived but it can be given to two recipients. How is that possible? They have created a clause which will be very difficult to implement at the clinical level. Another aspect was that the treatment must not be carried out till 23 years of age. A senior gynecologist said, In our country the legal age of marriage is 18 years. With some women having bad quality eggs, it means that the chance to conceive with a good egg is lost as the patients will have to wait till they are 23. The age restriction has been defined between 23 and 50 years and gynecologists have requested that it must be reconsidered as 20. At the same time, the guidelines squarely blame the treating doctor for the death of a surrogate mother during the period of pregnancy in the clinical set up. This has been strongly objected to. The scrap-picker was opening a 10-litre paint can and it suddenly exploded. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: A 43-year-old man was killed and another injured in an explosion that occurred when he opened a paint box in Narsingi area here on Wednesday, police said. The incident occurred when one M Kumar, a scrap-picker, was opening the 10-litre paint can and it suddenly exploded resulting in his death on the spot, Narsingi Police Station Inspector P Ramchander Rao said. "The blast occurred when he was trying to open the paint box. It contained expired paint...and it seems may be due to chemicals in the box there was a blast," the Inspector said based on preliminary investigation. A bomb disposal squad and forensic experts reached the spot and collected the remains of the paint box, he said. Another person who was injured in the incident has been shifted to a hospital, police said. A case under section 174 CrPc was booked, they said, adding that further probe was on. The agitating MLAs also raised slogans against the Speaker in the assembly. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Amid noisy scenes, DMK members were on Wednesday evicted enmasse from the Tamil Nadu Assembly after they protested certain remarks by a ruling AIADMK legislator against the party. Trouble started when Vilathikulam MLA G V Markandayan during a debate on the interim budget made some remarks about DMK and in particular about its Treasurer M K Stalin's son-in- law Sabareesan, which infuriated the party members. Stalin, DMK's Legislative Party leader, immediately sought the removal of the remarks but Speaker P Dhanapal said he will go through the records and take action. Stalin also made some remarks which triggered angry and noisy response from the Treasury benches and the Speaker expunged them. As the party's demand for expunging the remarks made by Markandayan was not accepted, DMK members were locked in a heated debate with the Speaker, who strongly objected to their conduct. Dhanapal repeatedly insisted that he will take action on their demand after going through the records but DMK MLAs did not budge and remained standing even as some of them were having animated arguments with the ruling legislators. With the Speaker's repeated plea for maintaining decorum failing, he summoned the marshals and ordered the eviction of the DMK members. As some of them immediately squatted before him, they were forcibly removed. The agitating MLAs also raised slogans against the Speaker. Later, Dhanapal said he had to take action against the DMK MLAs as they had repeatedly disrupted the proceedings, besides not heeding his request for smooth functioning of the House. The Speaker particularly reprimanded DMK's J Anbazhagan, saying he spoke and behaved with him in a "disrespectful" manner. Leader of the House Finance Minister O Paneerselvam also earlier tried to pacify the angry DMK members, referring to the Speaker's stand that he will take action on the matter after going through assembly records. He and his senior colleagues, Ministers for Electricity and Housing, Natham R Viswanathan and R Vaithilingam, respectively, were seen in a huddle near the Speaker's chair during the incident when the DMK MLAs stood steadfast near the Chair. The Cabinet recommended to the President to revoke central rule imposed on January 26. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday recommended revocation of President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh, a day after the Supreme Court refused to restrain the Governor from swearing in a new government in the state. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommended to the President to revoke central rule imposed on January 26. On Monday, 31 MLAs, led by Congress dissident Kalikho Pul, called on the Governor to stake claim for forming the next government in the politically fragile state. Read: SC refuses to restrain Governor from swearing-in new CM in Arunachal He was accompanied by 19 rebel Congress MLAs along with 11 BJP legislators and two independent members. This led the Congress to move the Supreme Court seeking an order that no new government formation be permitted and status quo maintained. However, the apex court refused to pass an interim order restraining the Governor from swearing in a new government in Arunachal Pradesh. Read: SC orders status quo in Arunachal Pradesh till records perused The revolt by Congress dissidents led by Pul led to a political crisis in the state that finally led to imposition of President's Rule on January 26. Former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki reportedly has the support of 26 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. Congress, which had 47 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled. Eleven BJP MLAs and two independents backed the rebels in the bid to upstage the government. Later, 14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker. The Supreme Court, which is considering pleas against imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, is hearing petitions seeking examination of constitutional schemes on the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor. Later, briefing media on Cabinet decisions, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to comment on the recommendation to revoke President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh saying it is a "privileged communication between a governor and the President". Softer demand from China and displaced product from Russia isnt helping the situation, but the real issue at the moment is increased production from Europe driven by the retention of subsidies, he says. Its concerning that some European countries are wanting to move backwards to more regulation. Instead they need to keep moving forward to more market orientated structures. The more farmers around the world live with the economic realities of the decisions they make, the more stable a market we will get for all farmers. This is something our government needs to take up through direct diplomatic channels and the World Trade Organisation, and if next season is going to be any different to this one theyre going to have to move quickly. This mornings Global Dairy Trade auction brought a 2.8 per cent drop in the price index, lumping further pressure on New Zealand dairy farmers. A member poll from Federated Farmers also shows that more than one in 10 dairy farmers (11.1 per cent) are now under pressure from banks over their mortgage. Thats up from 6.6 per cent in August and 7.6 per cent in November. So far weve been pleased with the support of banks and their long-term view of the dairy industry, but when youre talking about one in 10 farmers feeling the squeeze thats a worrying statistic. With prices not expected to recover until next year this increase in pressure from banks means farmers need to be even more pro-active around budgeting and scenario planning, and make the most of the support available from DairyNZ, accountants and farm advisors." The Federated Farmers poll was conducted at the beginning of February. It had a sample of 1225 members representing all 24 provinces and seven industry groups. The poll asked a question about mortgage pressure also used in Federated Farmers August and November Banking Surveys, which also had a similar sample size. There was none so excited about the arrival of Kiwi Air in Tauranga than schoolboy Bailey Pellow. We now have a choice and we now have competition. That is cool for Tauranga," says Bailey. Police investigating the attempted armed robbery of a liquor store in Greerton are asking for any witnesses to come forward. A man walked into Greerton Liquor, on the corner of Cameron and Chadwick roads, just before lunchtime yesterday, armed with a knife and demanding cigarettes. Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga is urging all Kiwis to learn a few words of another Pacific language this year to keep the use of these languages alive in New Zealand. While almost all New Zealanders will understand simple sayings such as talofa lava (hello in Samoan), I would really like to see Kiwis connect with our Pacific cultures during one of our Pacific language weeks, Mr Lotu-Iiga says. We are a Pacific country and our Pacific neighbours have had a huge influence on our history and culture. New Zealand is home to many Pacific people but the use of their languages here is in decline. There are seven Pacific language weeks this year, each celebrating the language and culture of a Pacific Island nation. Our sense of self is inextricably linked to our heritage, culture and language. It is important that our young Pacific people retain their links to their heritage. It is wonderful that New Zealand recognises and embraces its place in the Pacific. Google has this week launched Google Translate for Samoan, which Mr Lotu-Iiga described as a positive sign for Pacific languages. People are using Samoan enough on the internet that translation is required. I would love to see that extended to our other Pacific languages. If everyone spoke or wrote a few simple phrases in their everyday language, then Pacific languages will remain alive in New Zealand, Mr Lotu-Iiga says. The 2016 Pacific language weeks line-up begins with Samoa Language Week in May and ends with Tokelau Language Week in October. Dates for 2016 Pacific language weeks: Samoa LanguageWeek: 29 May 4 June Cook Islands Language Week: 31 July 6 August Tonga Language Week: 4 September 10 September Tuvalu Language Week: 25 September 1 October Fiji Language Week: 3 October 9 October Niue Language Week: 16 October 22 October Tokelau Language Week: 23 October 29 October Source: Office of Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga. Much has been written and said about the R.K. Pachauri case, about the complaint of sexual harassment against him, the internal committee finding him guilty, his appeal to court where committee recommendations were set aside for the moment and he was allowed to travel abroad extensively, the resignation of many within The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), the pressure on the complainant to take back her complaint, her frustration in not seeing any action and finally quitting, and, to the horror of many, his reinstatement 10 days ago. It took the allegation of a second complainant a few days ago to ensure the governing council sent Mr Pachauri, Teris executive vice-chairman, on indefinite leave, a decision that was apparently taken with him being in the same room. This case has been such a fiasco in so many ways and is symptomatic of our many silences. It is, in fact, the great Indian cover up. In my book, Own It: Leadership Lessons From Women Who Do, one of the chapters is called Pin Stripe Predators and deals with harassment of women at work. In the course of my research for the book, during interviews I heard repeatedly about the cover-ups, the circles of constructive termination, which makes an environment hostile for a victim or complainant and force them to quit, and the shame assigned to the victim. In one instance, a girl was grabbed and kissed on the staircase by the CEO of a company in a moment of weakness because he was supposedly in a bad place in his head (not very dissimilar to the I was drunk excuse). A colleague was passing and witnessed this act. The CEO was known for having been involved in previous such incidents too. This witness made sure his colleague was fine and then, later, reported it to a senior colleague. The senior colleague called the woman in to counsel her and encouraged her to report it to HR, but she nervously refused. Coming from a conservative family, she neither had the courage to stand up against this powerful man, nor did she want her family to know what had happened. Why? Because she would be blamed a risk run by all victims of sexual violence and intimidation in India. We told you not to work. You think you are very independent? See what happens. Why do you wear make-up? I can think of a hundred reactions to this type of case, none of which would involve the family saying: How dare he? Lets take this up so it never happens to you or anyone else again. The fault, I am afraid, lies with us. What of the senior colleague in whom she had confided? He did the right thing by asking her to report it (given the absence of a sexual harassment committee in the office), but when she refused I was furious that he had not taken it upon himself to report it. Why? Because by not doing so, he became complicit in the silence around the harassment, and jeopardised the safety of the rest of the women in the office. If someone doesnt have the strength to report it, why dont we? Isnt it appropriate for us to bring it before people in the company people who are entrusted with our welfare in the workplace? It is the easy way out to say the victim doesnt want to. When a complaint is made, the law says it needs to be 100 per cent confidential. No one in the office must know of the complaint or the complainant. Any witnesses and corroborators who need to be questioned are also subject to this duty of confidentiality. The senior colleague in this case, however, remained quiet, thinking he was respecting the wishes of the victim. He could just as easily have gone to HR and reported the incident under the cloak of anonymity. He could have demanded a committee be set up. He had a voice. The woman didnt. Maybe HR would have acted and instituted a committee. Maybe other women would have felt safe enough to tell their stories. The fault, I am afraid, lies with us. What of the other women who were harassed verbally by this CEO? He asked one woman, after she had returned from her honeymoon, whether she had lost her virginity. She giggled nervously in response. Another woman was subjected to everyday verbal harassment and was scared of coming to the office. But both were rewarded with guilt-laden favours and promotions in return for their silence. They took the benefits one was a single mother and had a family to support, the other was in fear of the powerful CEO. Both women needed their jobs. Both had no recourse. What of HR? Why was there no committee as mandated by law? Why, despite being a large office with as many women as men, was there no committee? The fault, I am afraid, lies with us. What of the colleagues who later came to know of this story? Not once did anyone confront the CEO and say: I know what you did and I will do nothing to support you. He was due for retirement so he was let go with a festive party, farewell gifts and fond speeches. For all these reasons, the fault does indeed lie with all of us. We are conditioned, prepped and primed to protect the powerful, to stay quiet about the perpetrators, to hold on to the pain because the shame is ours. The repercussions are large and the possible legal issues are huge. We need to change our workplace habits and culture and begin unequivocally to attach the shame, blame and horror of these acts to their perpetrators. Because everytime we fail to do so, the injustices of the Pachauri case, and every other case of sexual violence and harassment will lie at our own feet. Andrew Cuomo New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a rally for paid family leave in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. ((AP Photo/Seth Wenig)) SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Business Council of New York State ripped Gov. Andrew Cuomo's paid family leave proposal on Wednesday as the governor rallied support for the plan in New York City and Buffalo. If approved by the state Legislature, New York would have the most expansive and least business-friendly paid family leave law in the nation, according to the Business Council. "New York State employers are already facing a blizzard of federal and state labor law mandates and cost increases. Imposing additional state-level requirements would only add to perception that the Empire State is hostile to business," said Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council. "Current paid family leave proposals would place an undue burden on small businesses and create a system where business owners will have to comply with separate standards from the state and federal governments," she said. According to the Business Council's analysis, only three other states (California, New Jersey and Rhode Island) have paid family leave laws. A fourth state, Washington, has passed, but never implemented, its paid family leave legislation. Cuomo wants New York workers to be able to take up to 12 weeks of employee-funded paid family leave to care for a new baby or sick relative. The maximum benefit period of California and New Jersey's leave laws is six weeks while Rhode Island's is four. Cuomo proposed that all New York employers comply with his paid family leave proposal and that employees be eligible for the benefit after four weeks on the job. In comparison, the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides for 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for workers, exempts employers with fewer than 50 employees, and requires employees be on the job for a year before becoming eligible. "We have heard concerns from employers of all size that a mandatory paid leave law, as proposed for New York, will impose significant compliance and staffing challenges," said Briccetti. "The Business Council of New York State encourages our lawmakers to avoid adding extra burdens on employers." Cuomo pitched his paid family leave proposal during his State of the State speech Jan. 13 in Albany and in subsequent rallies, including one with Vice President Joe Biden in New York City. "There are times in life when you should be with family members, because that's what it's all about at the end of the day," Cuomo said at the rally with Biden. "When you have a newborn baby, you should be there and you should enjoy it and you should feel it and the baby should have the benefit of you...If you have a family member who is passing away, God forbid, you should be there." "You should have that option in life and you shouldn't have to choose between losing your job and being in debt and being a decent human being in life," Cuomo said. He pointed out that Surinam, Padua New Guinea and the United States are the only countries without paid family leave. Under Cuomo's proposal, all workers would have 60 cents a week deducted from their pay starting in April to build up a state fund that covers a portion of an employee's salary if they take family leave. Starting in 2018, workers could take paid leave and collect 50 percent of their average weekly pay. That compensation would gradually increase each year to 67 percent of an employee's average weekly wage - up to 67 percent of the state average weekly wage - in 2021 and thereafter. The annual deduction from workers' paychecks would increase to an estimated $1.09 a week. Cuomo has said his proposal won't cost businesses anything. Assemblyman Bill Nojay, R-Pittsford, disputed that, saying there will be new costs, especially for small businesses or nonprofits. If a worker goes on 12 weeks of paid family leave, their employer will have to pay overtime to other workers or hire a new employee to do their job, he said. "For an employer, there are immense hidden costs," Nojay said in an interview Feb. 3. The state Assembly passed an employee funded paid family leave bill on Feb. 2 that is similar to Cuomo's plan, but has some differences. The state Senate has not voted on a paid family leave bill. The Business Council, which endorsed Cuomo when he ran for governor in 2010 and 2014, also has voiced opposition to his proposal to gradually increase New York's minimum wage to $15 an hour. Contact Mike McAndrew anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3016 111607Bruno2HB Bruno Schirripa poses on stage in the comedy showroom at Wise Guys in Franklin Square in 2008 (Heather Bragman) A bunch of the old gang from the old Wise Guys Comedy Club in Syracuse is getting back together again. Syracuse native and comedian Moody McCarthy. Photo courtesy Chris Langston It's a one-night only reunion show put together by Bruno Schirripa, who first brought Wise Guys to Syracuse in 1986. The show will take place at the Palace Theatre in Eastwood at 8 p.m. on April 1. (No fooling.) Proceeds will benefit the Father Champlin Guardian Angel Society, which serves at-risk youths. The lineup of comedians includes performers Schirripa has worked with in the comedy business for 30 years, starting when he opened his first club in Pittsburgh in 1980. They are: Tom Anzalone, who Schirripa said was the first comedian he worked with in Pittsburgh and who made several appearances in Syracuse. He is a veteran of clubs across the countryy. Moody McCarthy, a Syracuse native who started at local Wise Guys shows before gaining fame on the David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien shows, among other venues. Jim Dailakis, an Australian comic who now tours internationally and has appeared in Syracuse on several occasions. Schirripa sponsored Dailakis' initial entry visa into the U.S. The show will also include "cameos" by other "local personalities," Schirripa said. Schirripa first opened the Syracuse Wise Guys on Bruce Street (in the former Giovanni's Restaurant), before moving it to the Hotel Syracuse and later Franklin Square. He sold it to David Wheeler, who moved it to 201 South Salina St. in downtown Syracuse and then to the former McNamara's Pub, renamed Stein's, at 5600 Newport Road in Camillus. That closed in July 2014. Schirripa said he's often asked if Wise Guys will ever reopen. "I can't say never,'' he said. Ticket info: Tickets to the April 1 show are $25 and can be purchased online at guardianangel.org or by calling 315-422-7218. The recent income-tax notice sent to Vodafone International Holdings BV (in the Netherlands) for Rs 14,200 crore, including a penalty, and threatening the seizure of their assets, has created fresh controversy and raised the bogey of scaring away investors. Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia tweeted that the notice is a routine exercise wherein collection notices are sent to all those whose dues are not stayed by any court, but this does not cut much ice with the people concerned. Even the seizure bit is part of the pedantic exercise until the actual action happens. It does seem illogical for the I-T Department to send a notice, though legally correct, when the Vodafone case challenging the tax notice is pending arbitration in London. The I-T Departments argument that the arbitration case is going nowhere is no ground to send a notice. The arbitration delay is due to a judge from the Indian side suddenly recusing himself from the case and another resigning, making it necessary to find new judges. The Vodafone case pertains to the acquisition of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Wampoas 67 per cent stake in its telecom JV with Essar (Hutchison Essar) in India for $11.1 billion. The deal that was structured involving several Vodafone companies in different countries, was executed in the tax haven of Cayman Islands. Much later, during the tenure of the Manmohan Singh government, the I-T department slapped a basic capital gains tax demand of Rs 7,990 crore on the transaction. Though the Supreme Court struck down this tax demand in 2012, saying that Vodafone was not liable to pay tax on the deal, the Manmohan Singh government amended the law to retrospectively apply the tax on such transactions. This amended law still remains on the statute books and until it is scrapped there will always be an element of uncertainty. After the Narendra Modi government came to power in May 2014, both the Prime Minister and finance minister Arun Jaitley have been declaring repeatedly that they would not indulge in tax terrorism and would not impose retrospective taxes. Whilst their intentions are not in doubt, more clarity is needed on the retrospective taxation cases that are already in court. Mr Jaitley had said that cases already in existence would run their course. But whilst foreign direct investment has been pouring in and Mr Modi has said that 2015 saw the largest ever inflow of FDI, the fact remains that every time the tax sleuths issue a notice to Vodafone, the ghost of tax terrorism returns. India, with its huge middle class and untapped regions, remains the most attractive destination for foreign investors. However, it would be in tune with the governments various reforms if this retrospective taxation issue can be clarified unambiguously once and for all. JusticeCenter.jpg Onondaga County Justice Center (David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com) SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A nurse who cared for a female inmate in the Onondaga County jail before she died of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy has been suspended and fined $500 by the state. The state Education Department took the disciplinary action against Robert James DeForge Jr., a registered nurse, of East Syracuse, after charging him with professional misconduct for failing to maintain accurate patient records. In a signed consent agreement, DeForge did not contest the charge. The state suspended his license for six months and put him on probation for one year. Chuniece Patterson DeForge was named in a lawsuit brought against Onondaga County by the family of Chuniece Patterson, who died Nov. 12, 2009 at the Onondaga County Justice Center 14 hours after she began complaining of abdominal pain. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs outside the womb. A ruptured ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which the fallopian tube gets torn or bursts, resulting in internal bleeding. The county, which admitted its employees' negligence caused the 21-year-old woman's death, was ordered by a state Supreme Court judge to pay the woman's mother $385,000. The Education Department did not identify Patterson in its charges against DeForge. It said he visited an inmate at 1:50 a.m. on Nov. 12, 2009 and failed to document changes in the patient's condition and whether he took the patient's vital signs. In a deposition in the lawsuit against the county, DeForge said he visited Patterson in her cell at about 1:30 a.m. on that date after she complained of having trouble breathing. When he got to the cell, Patterson was lying on the floor. DeForge said he checked Patterson's oxygen level which was normal and listened to her lungs which were clear. He said he did not see any reason why she should be short of breath and thought she might just be experiencing anxiety because she was in jail. DeForge said a nurse who worked the previous shift did not document two visits she made to Patterson or verbally brief him on her encounters with the inmate. DeForge said in the deposition had he known Patterson had complained earlier of severe pain and vomiting he would have handled the examination differently. " ... I could have dug a little deeper to find out how much pain she was in," he said. An investigation by the state Commission on Correction found that the other nurse, Melissa Clayton, acted with "gross negligence and incompetence" by misinterpreting and minimizing the significance of Patterson's pain and vomiting.The report also faulted an Onondaga County sheriff's deputy for "failing to recognize Patterson was in need of medical attention." In a deposition in the lawsuit against the county, Clayton said the state Office of Professional Medical Conduct investigated the care she provided to Patterson. State Education Department records show Clayton has not been disciplined yet. Neither DeForge nor his attorney returned phone calls from syracuse.com. Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245 ivory1.jpg The total value of the wildlife trafficked by Ferdinand Krizan, of Franklinville, ,NY, according to the DEC, was $141,877. As part of the plea, he will give up about 100 pieces of ivory carvings, DEC said. (Courtesy of DEC) A 77-year man pleaded guilty today in U. S. District Court in Buffalo to trafficking prohibited wildlife - specifically, the buying and selling of elephant tusks. Ferdinand E. Krizan, of Franklinville, entered the plea before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci. The change carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Franklinville is in Cattaraugus County. The plea was the culmination of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Some of the ivory elephant tusks and other items that federal and state officials seized from Ferdinand Krizan of Franklinville. The court case was handled by U.S. Attorney Aaron J Mango. According to a DEC press release on the case, "on Nov. 6, 2013, Krizan, owner of Fred's Antiques in Franklinville, bought two elephant tusks from an auction house in Montreal, Quebec for $4,320 Canadian dollars." "On Nov. 28, 2013, Krizan transported the tusks from Niagara Falls, Ontario into the United States through the Rainbow Bridge, port of entry, violating the Endangered Species Act. Subsequently, on May 31, 2014, the defendant sold the tusks, along with four additional tusks to a buyer In Massachusetts for $50,000 American dollars. At the time of the sale, Krizan knew that the two elephant tusks had been improperly transported into the United States. At no time did the defendant apply for, or receive a permit under the Endangered Species Act authorizing the importation, delivery, receipt, transportation or sale of ivory." The investigation also determined, according to the DEC, that Krizan had engaged in illegally trafficking other protected wildlife. Items included: "*A narwhal tusk, which he sold for $8,000 American dollars in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. (A narwhal, or narwhale, is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada, and Russia.); "*Two elephant tusks, which he sold for $66,000 American dollars; "*A carved elephant ivory art object, which he purchased for $1,020 Canadian dollars; "*One elephant tusk, which he purchased for $3,130. 68 Canadian dollars; "*One hippo ivory carving, which he sold for $1,400 American dollars; "*One elephant ivory musican carving, which he sold for $2,525 American dollars; "*One bronze and elephant sosoon figurine, which he sold for $3,700 American dollars; "*One elephant ivory trip-tix, which he sold for $2,700 Canadian dollars; and "*One carved coral figurine, which he sold for $3,400 American dollars." The total value of the wildlife trafficked by Krizan, according to the DEC, was $141,877. As part of the plea, he will also give up about 100 pieces of ivory carvings, DEC said. His sentencing is set for May 19 before Judge Geraci. "Elephants are being slaughtered daily by poachers for their ivory. Each tusk represents one step closer to their extinction," said Edward Grace, deputy chief of law enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said his agency's special agents and wildlife inspectors "are not only working tirelessly to investigate, apprehend and prosecute the illegal ivory trade in the United States, but we are also working with global counterparts to track criminals abroad. "Ivory poachers and traffickers will understand that the U.S. is committed to stopping this heinous activity and we will find you. If the demand for ivory is not reduced, and the illegal activities continue, then these magnificent animals won't be on our planet for future generations to enjoy." Basil Seggos, acting commissioner for the DEC, noted that Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014 signed a new state law to prevent the trade of illegal ivory, with the goal of eliminating "this illegal and immoral activity in New York and safeguarding imperiled species of animals around the globe. "Today's announcement builds on that promise and serves as a declaration to the public that we will not take this lightly," he said. WASHINGTON - Syracuse University today became the first large private university to endorse a U.S. Senate bill to help combat sexual assaults on college campuses. The bill co-authored by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., would make colleges and universities more accountable to survivors of such on-campus attacks. The Campus Accountability and Safety Act requires colleges to make annual, anonymous surveys about sexual violence on campus, and forces the federal government to improve its disclosure of investigations into colleges accused of mishandling sexual violence. SU Chancellor Kent Syverud said the university decided to back the bill because it has been a national leader in combating sexual violence. Vice President Joe Biden, an SU law school graduate, visited the Syracuse campus with Gillibrand in November as part of a White House effort to raise awareness about the issue. "I am fortunate to work with a dedicated team of student, faculty and staff leaders who strive to make Syracuse a safe campus, and be ahead of the curve in working to prevent sexual assault," Syverud said in a statement today. "As chancellor of one of the largest private universities in New York state, I know more work on this critical issue is needed," Syverud said. Gillibrand said sexual assault on college campuses "is too often swept under the rug," a reason why it's important to make colleges and universities more accountable. A bipartisan coalition of 34 senators supports the bill, including 12 Republican senators. The bill has also been endorsed by the State University of New York system, Southern Oregon University and Daemen College in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst. Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC Patrick Tuyizere.JPG Patrick Tuyizere, a refugee from Rwanda, is one of the student plaintiffs suing the Utica school district along with the New York Civil Liberties Union. The plaintiffs claim the district segregated refugee students from the general high school population. (Provided Photo) UTICA, N.Y. -- Two Utica refugee programs deemed "academic dead-ends" by the state's Attorney General will be shuttered, court papers said. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugee's Newcomer Program and the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Alignment of Pathways and Programs for Learners of English were the subject of a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in November. The Attorney General claimed that the programs were diverting students older than 16 away from the public Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica. The AG's lawsuit followed a similar suit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and a handful of refugee students. The AG's suit accused the school district of: Asking students with limited English to provide immigration documents as proof of age. Not allowing students to earn credits toward a diploma in the alternative programs. Separating immigrant students from their peers for extra-curricular activities, lunch rooms and buses. The school district and Superintendent Bruce Karam fired back at the AG in motions filed in federal court this week. The defendants are asking a judge to toss the lawsuit. In court papers, they question the AG's investigation and claim that investigators did not visit Utica schools or interview district officials, except to discuss the lawsuit with the district's lawyers. Karam also said that the district was never given the opportunity to correct complaints. According to Karam, the district attempted to offer enrollment to more refugee students after the NYCLU's lawsuit was filed. Echoing local lawmakers, Karam said in his affidavit that the AG's interest in the Utica school district "appears, in part, to be retaliation" for the small city schools lawsuit, claiming the state has severely underfunded eight districts including Utica. According to Karam, the school district did not supervise, staff or house either program and it had no role in enrollment or curriculum for the programs. Yet, both are being cancelled by the end of this school year. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugee's Newcomer Program closed its doors at the end of 2015. Reached by the Utica Observer-Dispatch, the program director declined to say why. Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Alignment of Pathways and Programs for Learners of English will be terminated at the end of this school year. Officials told the Utica Observer-Dispatch that dwindling enrollment was part of the reason they closed the program. BOCES would look at other ways to serve interested students, the Observer-Dispatch reported. In court papers, the district argues that the problems with refugee enrollment in Utica's public high school are largely a matter of how refugees are processed when they enter Utica. According to Karam, the refugees are often in contact with the agencies that run the alternative programs before they reach the school district. Some start going to these programs before the district is aware of their presence in Utica, Karam said. "Simply put, there is no governmental mechanism for the District to know about refugee immigrant students coming to the District," he said in the affidavit. The court papers offer a snapshot of the immigrant population in Utica schools: Last school year, 519 new English language learners were enrolled in district. That year, a total of 464 ELL students were enrolled at the high school only. Of the top 10 graduates in the class of 2015, eight were English language learners. This year, 178 new ELL students enrolled in Utica schools. Each year for the last five years, about 30 new English language learners, 17 years or older, enroll in the school district. Read the superintendent's full statement: Utica Superintendent response to lawsuit Reporter Julie McMahon covers public education and Syracuse city schools. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 Students, teachers and supporters of four leftist student organizations walk in a procession protesting against the arrest of a student union leader of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University in Kolkata. (Photo: AP) All have the right to voice their opinion Atul Kumar Anjaan It is unfortunate that a non-issue is being turned into an issue by the Government of India. Jawaharlal Nehru University is a centre of excellence and a premier institute of the country. The students of JNU have always expressed their views on national and international issues. While there can be agreement or disagreement on any given issue, in a vibrant democracy everyone has the right to speak and express their views and anger in a constructive manner. In a democracy, ideas are ventilated through different forms of expression writing, speaking, demonstrating, shouting slogans and through debates and seminars. That has been the tradition. However, from time to time, this freedom is being opposed by the rulers of the day. The same thing happened in JNU. Its a matter of concern that the Union government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party has, once again, shown its intolerance and acted in haste by branding their political opponents as anti-national. The charge of sedition has been slapped on the JNU students union chief Kanhaiya Kumar. Mr Kumar belongs to the organisation called All-India Students Federation (AISF) which has a long history of fighting against imperialism and working for the unity and integrity of the country. The (Communist Party of India-affiliated) AISF was formed in the midst of the Freedom Movement in 1936 to fight against British imperialism and its leaders played a very significant role during the freedom struggle and many of them became paramount leaders in later days. More than hundred activists of this organisation became leaders of the CPI. They laid down their lives fighting anti-national forces and fought for national unity. In Punjab, more than 3,000 Left leaders were killed by terrorists for raising the banner of national unity and integrity. BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah and home minister Rajnath Singh, have made allegations that do not hold any ground. In fact, their comments reflect their ignorance of the Freedom Movement. The Jan Sangh and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were not part of the Freedom Movement and none of these leaders went to jail or got imprisoned while fighting for this country. The British sent more than 600 freedom fighters to Cellular Jail for life, of which around 350, after coming out of jail, formed the CPI. The president of the Ghadar Party, Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, was a CPI leader. We have many such examples of our leaders who have been arrested and hanged while fighting to liberate India. So the charges of anti-national activities made by Mr Singh are entirely baseless and he should immediately withdraw his comments. If the BJP does not apologise and withdraw its allegations then it will just be conclusive proof that they are a bunch of twisters of truth. Atul Kumar Anjaan is a senior CPI leader Nobody can be above the nation Rakesh Sinha The Jawaharlal Nehru University incident is an eye-opener for more than one reason. Anti-India slogans, with a war cry to continue the struggle till India is broken in 10 or more parts, were raised in a so-called cultural evening organised at JNU by a Left-wing students organisation, but was attended by the cadres of all shades of the Left movement. The speakers called the hanging of Afzal Guru, the 2001 Parliament attack convict, judicial killing. The agenda of the cultural evening was glorification of Afzal Guru and showing their love and loyalty for Pakistan, which was obvious by their slogan, Long Live Pakistan. The slogan reflected the ideology and the force behind the students. Unfortunately, instead of showing solidarity with the Indian state, the Opposition parties in their paranoia of RSS-BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi forgot the distinction between nation-state and the government. Can any sovereign state allow disruptive groups to campaign for its Balkanisation? For the Indian Left, it is not far fetched. Their history is replete with instances of sabotaging the nations unity and integrity, least to say her pride. It is the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which legitimised the two-nation theory and gave it its full support, both in theory and practice in the late 1940s. Its resolution in support of Pakistani nationality is known as Gangadhar Adhikari resolution. CPI(M) has no regret for its past deeds. The JNU incident gave birth to many trivial incidents and the Leftists, being masters in the art of propaganda, are trying to shift the focus from the seditious acts to law and order and procedural issues. However, they are unlikely to get public sympathy or support. The chorus definitely obstructed investigation and acted as a deterrent in finding out the leaders of the anti-India campaign. Another reason for the crackdown given by the Leftists and their ilk was that it was a sinister effort to discredit and defame JNU and kill its critical tradition of debate and discussions. Can Cambridge or Harvard University allow people to glorify Osama bin Laden and raise slogans to split America in 10 parts? Who is stopping anyone from debating the nationality question or throwing mud on the RSS and Mr Modi? The Left has been consistently abusing the RSS and Mr Modi by calling him the perpetrator of genocide in Gujarat and Hindu fascist. Government policies are being opposed. Nobody called that seditious, and no one was censored or threatened. But the same impunity cant be extended to an attack on the Indian state. It is ironical that JNU claims monopoly on critical traditions, debate and discussions. This is not a trait exclusive to the JNU; it is in the DNA of the nation. It is pertinent to quote a Vedic verse Vade vade jayate tatv bodha that declaims uniformity of thought and reinforces diversities. The Opposition parties betrayed their commitment to nationality for the sake of discrediting the government. This also exposed Leftist elites who are disconnected with the psychology and feelings of the Indian masses. Rakesh Sinha heads a RSS think tank Rating: Over the years, numerous Chinese smartphone companies have been making steady inroads into the Indian subcontinent, citing a steep escalation in demand for premium-budget handsets. In the last couple of years, smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Gionee have gained weighty traction in the Indian smartphone market, owing to their affordable, flagship-quality range of smartphones. Interestingly, all the aforementioned companies, including a few others have managed to generate a colossal wave in the smartphone sector in India, disrupting bigger players such as Samsung, Motorola, and even Apple. Well, all the good things said, the factsheet still shows that the major players are ahead in the race. Well, a vast number of smartphone users in India are on the lookout for a few select factors: a good camera, fast multi-tasking, decent design, and durability. However, most of the premium-budget devices I have used fail to bind all the above qualities in to a single handset, until now. Of late, all of you might have heard about Le Eco (formerly known as LeTV), the company that made their grand official entry in India last month. Well, there is a reason behind it: the company has launched two stunning smartphones in the Indian handset marketthe LE MAX and the LE 1S. Today I am going to take your through a short and crisp assessment of the affordable flagship device, Le 1S. I have been closely inspecting and playing around with the handset for quite some time, and I am rather captivated. Moreover, I also feel that this smartphone perfectly blends in to the premium-budget range of smartphones available in the marketand that too at a much lower cost. So without further ado, here is the full review of LeEcos LE 1S. Design and Display: When I first received the device, the first thing that struck me about this massive device is its full-metal aluminium grade unibody design. While all-metal handsets tend to be on the heavier side, they certainly have an added level of aristocracy. Likewise, this device is also on the a bit heavy at 169g, but it is still fairly sleek with a width of just 7.5mm. Moreover, all-metal body handsets are rapidly gaining popularity among smartphone users. The front part of the devices is predominantly occupied by the large 5.5-inch FHD display with almost negligible bezel space on the sides. On the lower section of the front side, we have three capacitive keys for navigation, which are only visible when they are in use. The 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR-emitter are placed on the top of the handset. A 5MP secondary camera and a sensor can also be found above the large display. Both sides of the device have chamfered edges; the power and volume keys are located on the right hand while the dual-SIM tray is located on the left hand side. On bottom of the phone, there is one single speaker along with a Type-C USB charging port. Flipping the device reveals a unique mirror-pattern finger print scanner, the primary camera and single LED flash, and a large LETV logolooks like the company did not manage to re-brand the current Le 1S units, and future devices might have a LeEco logo in place. The handset is ergonomically sound with a subtle design, a firm grip, and premium feel. However, if you are a user who is accustomed to smaller sized devices, Id rather suggest you to refrain from buying this handset, but if you are a regular phablet user, getting accustomed to this handset will be a piece of cake. All-in-all, the design of the phone looks attractive without any noticeable flaws. Moving on to the display, the smartphone surely delivers excellent multimedia experience, owing to its large 5.5-inch IPS FHD display, which also offers excellent viewing angles. Brightness and colour levels are decently balanced to churn out a good display output. Additionally, there are various colour modesLETV, neutral, vivid, and Softfor different scenarios and user preferences. The screen feels quite smooth and responsive and Im sure most users will like this feature. However, users should carefully handle the device, as the Corning Gorilla glass protection may fall short when it comes to scratch prevention. A big screen coupled with beautiful display is a fantastic combination and the company perfectly managed to pull the rabbit out of the hat. During my time with the device, I successfully watched several movies and played games with great ease. Specifications and hardware: Under the hood, the handset is powered by an octa-core 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio X10 chipset along with 3GB RAM. An integrated PowerVR G6200 GPU also gives good graphic boost, enhancing gaming experience on the device. Le 1S comes along with 32GB on-board storage, and unfortunately the company has offered no option for storage expansion. In terms of connectivity, the device supports 4G on both the micro and nano SIM cards, and all the other usual options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. Moving on, the audio quality on the device seemed a bit subdued, and I feel that the company could have done a better job. Another feature that disappointed is the fingerprint scanner, which has a very slow response time, Additionally, the device fails to recognise a fingerprint if you do not place your finger accurately on the scanner. However, the company cannot really be blamed for it, as they are also offering some other high-quality specifications at a price of just Rs 10,999. I would also go on to say that the device executes functions extremely well and offers better performance than handsets priced much higher than it. I was able to breeze through games without encountering any lags; multi-tasking capabilities are also very good on this handset. Users will be happy to know that the heating issue on this device is negligible unlike most other metal-bodied devices. Even the 3,000mAH battery is decently good and can last a day of normal usage with ease. If you are running power hungry apps and games constantly, the handset might only stay alive for approximately eight hours. However, the fast charging technology assures that you never stay low on charge, and is capable of restoring considerable amount of charge in a matter of minutes. At its price point, this device is surely offering great specifications for users to enjoy relentless multi-tasking and efficient gaming. Camera and software: The Le 1S is equipped with a 13MP primary camera supported by a single LED flash. My experience with this camera was two-fold: Some of the shots came out brilliantly, while some failed drastically. The camera sometimes takes too much time to focus and struggles quite a bit with exposure. But there are instances where the camera performs extremely well: The camera is very good in low light conditions and can take amazing macro-shots. The 5MP secondary snapper is also ideal for sefies and video calling. The video-shooting capabilities on this device is just above average and you wont achieve very high quality ones. In short, the camera on the Le 1S is pretty good in contrast to its price, and there number of positives that overshadow the negative aspects. Here are some samples images clicked in different conditions with the Le 1S primary camera: Moving on to software specifications, the LE 1S runs on an Android Lollipop OS with LeEcos heavily customised theme eUI on top. Like most native OS, the app drawer is missing, and customisation options are rather low in comparison to a ColorOS. The smartphone native OS looks a tad confusing and will require some practice to use it properly. The numbers of pre-loaded apps are also low in count and users will have to access Google Play to download additional apps. One noticeable aspect about the eUI OS is that all app shortcuts and settings have been moved to one screen. It took me half a day to figure out the OS properly, but once you get used to it, the device is quite easy to use. Verdict: Recent reports have clearly indicated that the phone is a scorcher. Even I believe that this phone is amazing considering its low price. This handset will enable many people to enjoy the prowess of a flagship on an affordable device. Moreover, the style quotient on this device is also quite high, and is more than capable of competing out-of-the-box against bigger players like Samsung and Motorola. Some of its main market competitors in India will surely be Xiaomi, OnePlus, LG, and Motorola. According to the companys claims, the latest flash sales for the Le 1S saw approximately 55,000 units sold out in 9 seconds. It goes without saying that the smartphone has become a clear favourite among consumers, and rightly so. If you are someone who likes phablets or large-screened handsets, Le 1S is an affordable flagship that you cant afford to miss. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. When 81-year-old Vero Beach resident Judy Hassey tells a story, you can expect two things: it will be captivating and you won't likely forget it. This weekend the Native American storyteller will be sharing her colorful childhood memories at the 13th Annual Thunder on the Beach Powwow at the Indian River County Fairgrounds. "This is something I look forward to every year," said Hassey, who has been a part of the event since its inception in 2004, when it was called the Vero Beach Powwow. "It's important that we keep the Native American heritage alive and I try to do that through my stories," she said. "And boy do the kids enjoy it and so do their parents." Known for drawing thousands of people near and far each year, the three-day event is a smorgasbord of all things Native American. From teepees, arts and craft booths, full-ceremonial dances and a lot in between, organizers say the goal is to honor and learn about the culture and of course to have fun. "We want people to know that all Indians weren't savages, there were good tribes and bad tribes," said Hassey, who grew up on a Pennsylvania reservation, learning to heal the wounded and hunt as a young child all of which she describes in her stories. "Today we're like celebrities, but back then we (Native Americans) got spit on and got hit with brooms and it's important that we share that history." Dona Chesser, event founder, said powwows were traditional Native American gatherings to meet old friends and make new ones. That's the goal of the Indian River County event as well as to share the culture's history, customs, rituals and legends. "This is a good way to be educated and entertained at the same time," said Chesser. "Where else can kids sit, watch and learn about Native Americans and then shake their hands and have a conversation with them after?" she added. About the event What: 13th Annual Thunder on the Beach Powwow When: 3-9:30 p.m. Feb. 19; 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Feb. 20; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 21 Where: Indian River County Fairgrounds, 5500 77th St., Vero Beach Admission: $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and kids 6-12; kids under six are free Florida's new Zika hotline is getting dozens of calls, including from out-of-state tourists concerned about visiting a state where mosquitoes are common, according to the Florida Department of Health. They're being assured the mosquito-born virus isn't spreading in Florida, although health officials have confirmed that 44 travelers contracted it overseas and then came back to Florida. None are on the Treasure Coast, said Health Department spokeswoman Mara Gambineri. The closest case to the Treasure Coast is one in Brevard County; Miami-Dade County has the most with seven. In humans, the virus typically only survives three to 10 days, said Jorge Rey, director of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach. There is international concern about Zika, which in Brazil is being linked to birth defects in infants born to women who had Zika. The World Health Organization and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued travel alerts about Zika. Last week, the state Health Department established the Zika public information hotline that has received 440 calls as of Feb. 16. Most are about travel to nations with Zika outbreaks, such as Brazil or Colombia, or about travel to Florida and the symptoms of Zika. "Our call center is assuring visitors that it is safe to travel to Florida," Gambineri said. "There is no evidence of Zika virus spreading in Florida." The hotline number is 855-622-6735. Florida has the same species of mosquito, the Aedes aegypti, that carries Zika elsewhere in the world. It is usually seen around homes and can breed in stagnant water such as in containers left outdoors. At present, researchers don't know whether Florida's Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are as receptive to the virus as those in other nations, Rey said. The cold weather is slowing the development of the mosquitoes in Florida during a time when South Florida has received a lot of rainfall that normally helps them grow to flying size. Mosquito control agencies in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties say they are being extra vigilant about mosquito outbreaks. Because of Zika, the University of Florida at the beginning of the month surveyed 300 people throughout the nation who traveled internationally in the past five years. That study found that the virus isn't "stopping Americans from making international travel plans, but many who do plan to go aboard say they want more information about the virus," according to a university statement about the study by its Tourism Crisis Management Initiative. Initiative director Lori Pennington-Gray did say the rise in cases in Brazil "is having an effect on planning and managing of the upcoming the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro." People in her survey said they plan to use mosquito repellents when traveling to nations with Zika outbreaks and they want timely information about current conditions. Visit www.floridahealth.gov for the latest information from the state Health Department on Zika in Florida and what repellents to use. VERO BEACH Officers who responded to a report of a bank robbery Wednesday afternoon said no crime occurred at the Florida Community Bank, according to the Vero Beach Police Department. The incident happened about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday in the 4000 block of 20th Street, police spokesman Officer Anna Carden said. Staff at the bank contacted authorities because of the man's behavior, said Vero Beach police Lt. John Pederson. The man, who was still inside the bank when officers arrived, suffers from an unspecified medical condition, Pederson said. Police said they would release the man to the care of a relative. The same bank location was robbed in November. That suspect fled to South Carolina, but was apprehended. St. Lucie County felony arrests: Feb. 16, 2016 Lorenzo Richardson, 19, 2900 block of Anderson Drive, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of probation, sale or delivery of marijuana. Noli Matzulis, 48, Miami; battery. Luis Martin, 29, 4800 block of 38th Circle, Vero Beach; warrant for court order to revoke bond, petty theft. Crystal Hayes, 23, Okeechobee; warrant for amended violation of probation, retail theft. Michael Castagna, 45, 2800 block of Ann Arbor Road, Port St. Lucie; aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability. John Spivey, 31, 600 block of Roselyn Avenue, Fort Pierce; warrant for grand theft, dealing in stolen property, giving false information to a pawnbroker. Peter Krysinsky, 33, 100 block of Hialeah Avenue, Fort Pierce; warrant for tampering with a witness, victim or informant. Vincent Robinson, 48, no street address, Fort Pierce; kidnap false imprisonment of an adult. Lori Letourneau, 50, 1300 block of Binney Drive, Fort Pierce; warrant for failure to appear, possession of cocaine, use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Donia Celestin, 31, Orlando; possession of a synthetic narcotic with intent to sell or deliver; possession of marijuana over 20 grams; possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Dylan Miller, 24, 4000 block of Greenwood Drive, Fort Pierce; larceny/grand theft of a firearm; dealing in stolen property. Rafael Declet-Pagan, 31, 100 block of Naranja Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrants for dealing in stolen property, grand theft, giving false information to a pawnbroker. Waymon Hampton, 18, 300 block of Belmont Circle, Port St. Lucie; burglary of an unoccupied dwelling; larceny/grand theft. Gregory Milden, 21, 3200 block of U.S. 1, Fort Pierce; aggravated battery on a pregnant victim. Twaneshia Rumph, 32, 1400 block of Concha Street, Port St. Lucie; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill; aggravated battery. Kenneth Lamb, 35, 2400 block of 25th Street, Fort Pierce; driving while license suspended, third or subsequent offense. Santos Roblero, 37, 200 block of 11th Street, Fort Pierce; child neglect without great bodily harm. Joseph Vankirk, 20, 400 block of U.S. 1, Fort Pierce; out-of-county warrants, Indian River County, retail theft, grand theft. De'quay Roberts, 20, 200 block of 39th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for burglary of an unoccupied conveyance. Evelyn Lopez, 49, 1700 block of Desert Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrant for criminal use of personal I.D. information; warrant for violation of probation, retail theft in concert with others. Tatiana Flood, 22, Sanford; warrant for violation of probation, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Onesimus Stockton, 33, 3400 block of Sallie Chupco Tommie Way, Fort Pierce; warrants for aggravated assault on an officer with a deadly weapon, driving while license suspended, habitual offender, failure to comply with directions of an officer or firefighters, resisting an officer without violence, leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage. Jimmy Reed, 25, 700 block of Avenue E, Fort Pierce; warrants for first-degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, shooting a deadly missile. Jonathan Hill, 21, Lake Worth; warrant for petty theft. William Clark, 44, 2500 block of Acorn Street, Fort Pierce; battery; aggravated battery. Ryan Ferris, 33, 4200 block of Tumble Street, Port St. Lucie; possession of a synthetic narcotic with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of cocaine; possession of a controlled substance without prescription; possession of marijuana over 20 grams; smuggling contraband/introduction into a detention facility. Kimberly Guastalli, 37, 4200 block of Tumble Street, Port St. Lucie; possession of a synthetic narcotic with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of cocaine; possession of a controlled substance without prescription; possession of marijuana over 20 grams. Jack Maxwell, 30, 1600 block of Mariner Lane, Port St. Lucie; sale of marijuana; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; public ordinance crimes use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony. Razalin Badalian, 49, 800 block of River Shores Boulevard, Stuart; warrants for third degree grand theft, organized fraud, fraudulent use of a credit card. Starr Harris, 35, 100 block of Arbor Avenue, Port St. Lucie; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. Brandon Ciancio, 33, 600 block of Tangelo Circle, Vero Beach; warrant for giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property. Malachi Wilkins, 18, 1100 block of Hamrock Avenue, Port St. Lucie; burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. Justine Barrett, 30, 500 block of Archer Avenue, Port St. Lucie; possession of a controlled substance (morphine) without a prescription. Victoria Mcfayden, 28, 3200 block of Louisiana Avenue, Fort Pierce; driving while license suspended, habitual offender. James Manack, 34, 1200 block of Citrus Avenue, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of St. Lucie County sex offender restrictions. Robin Everette, 48, Cooper City; warrants for grand theft, giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property. Rebekah Cordero, 39, 800 block of Commonwealth Road, Port St. Lucie; warrant for introduction of contraband into a detention center. Stefen Scheiber, 21, 100 block of Pleasant Grove Way, Port St. Lucie; possession of a controlled substance (Xanax, oxycodone) without a prescription. Phantaegia Johnson, 21, 700 block of Grenada Street, Port St. Lucie; re-admit, possession of cocaine, possession of alprazolam, grand theft of a motor vehicle. Jamelle Davis, 29, 4100 block of Avenue R, Fort Pierce; warrant for amended violation of probation, aggravated battery, perjury. Arturo Lopez, 31, 300 block of Decordre Court, Fort Pierce; re-admit, DUI. Krista Crowley, 26, Duluth, Ga.; re-admit, giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property, grand theft. SEBASTIAN If there's one thing that Larry Wapnick wants people to remember about the actions of the "Four Chaplains" during World War II, it was their service to others without regard to race, ethnicity or religious beliefs. The four clergymen, Lt. George Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander Goode, Jewish; Lt. John Washington, Catholic; and Lt. Clark Poling, Dutch Reformed, gave up their life jackets to save others after the USAT SS Dorchester was sunk by a German submarine in the icy Atlantic on Feb. 3, 1945. As the ship began to sink, the chaplains spread out among the soldiers, calming the frightened, tending the injured and guiding the men to lifeboats. When no more life jackets were available, the chaplains took off their own life jackets and gave them to four young men. Survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains, arms linked, offering prayers and singing as the ship began to sink. Of the 902 men aboard the Dorchester, only 227 survived in the frigid waters. "The chaplains truly represented interfaith in action," Wapnick said. "They paid the highest price for others they didn't even know." To honor the actions of those four brave clergymen, there will be a special ceremony at Sebastian's Riverview Park on Saturday. The event will take place at the "Four Chaplains" monument in the park, which was dedicated in 2012 to recognize the bravery of these four clergymen. The late Ernest Heaton of Vero Beach, himself a survivor of the Dorchester sinking, was a champion for the monument in Riverview Park. Heaton worked to get the monument built before his death from cancer in 2012. The Sebastian monument contains an eternal flame which is dedicated to all members of the Armed Forces. As the story of the "Four Chaplains" is shared, Wapnick said new details have come to light. One of those stories is about Charles Walter David, Jr. an African-American crew member of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Comanche that assisted with the rescue efforts for the Dorchester. David dove into the water and saved more than 25 men and to recognize his heroism, the U.S. Coast Guard dedicated a new cutter named after him in 2013. Wapnick said the keynote speaker for the anniversary event is Capt. Louis A. Cavaliere, Navy retired, and chairman of the board of the Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia. Cavaliere will speak about the renewed interest in the story of the chaplains who made the ultimate sacrifice 73 years ago. The full military ceremony will include a Color Guard, representatives from local veterans' organizations, a performance by the Sebastian River High School Choir and patriotic songs performed by children from St. Peter's Charter Academy in Gifford. All are invited to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. FOUR CHAPLAINS MEMORIAL SERVICE When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Riverview Park, U.S. 1, Sebastian Admission: Free For more information: Contact Larry Wapnick at (772) 532-8749 About this story On Jan. 21, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that overhauls how Florida regulates water pollution. Critics say it lets polluters decide how theyll reduce nitrogen in stormwater runoff that fouls Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon with no deadlines and weak enforcement. Treasure Coast Newspapers asked: How will we know if, when and by how much the water is getting cleaner? Our investigation found the states annual progress report likely paints an overly rosy picture. Among the reasons: It uses the honor system, gives some projects a questionable amount of credit and ignores Lake Okeechobee discharges. On paper, the state is ahead of its 2018 goal to reduce pollution that fouls the St. Lucie River, but whether the water is any cleaner is anyone's guess. The state's annual progress report on its 2013 cleanup plan takes polluters at their word, gives them credit for actions they can't prove worked and ignores key factors like Lake Okeechobee discharges. For example, the state credits Port St. Lucie with keeping 9,388 pounds of nitrogen out of the river each year through an educational program that includes a website and brochures, as well as a summer ban on fertilizers. But the report does not explain how the state arrived at such a specific number. Turns out, that and many other numbers in the report are estimates based on computer models. The state does not measure whether people are actually reading the information, changing their behaviors and adhering to the ordinances to reduce nitrogen pollution that can spur toxic algae blooms in the river. The state defends its calculations, saying they're "based on peer-reviewed data and actual water quality data." The Department of Environmental Protection is revising its methods and promises a more thorough analysis in 2018, according to project head David Glassner. The department is open to denoting in future reports which data is the result of measurements versus computer models, said Kevin Coyne, an environmental administrator. It is important that the report's findings are as accurate as possible because they are used to inform policy and financial decisions, such as which water projects to do. "They tend to underestimate the problem basically going to sugarcoat what is going on," said Drew Martin, spokesman for the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group. "They're going to go out of their way to make it look good." Guess and check The state collects and publishes measured, quality-controlled water data; however, it is unclear how much of it is used to estimate the effectiveness of the 198 projects and programs designed to clean the river, which drains a portion of its water into the Indian River Lagoon. In the original 2013 cleanup plan, the state lists the locations and capabilities of 98 water quality monitors within the river and environs. But only one water quality measurement is explicitly mentioned in the report: a water-sampling station at the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart. DEP could not provide another specific example of where water quality measurements were used in the 2015 report. "Nowhere in the report does it distinguish real data from simulated numbers," said Gary Goforth, a Stuart environmental engineer who designed and evaluated water projects for the South Florida Water Management District for nearly 20 years, including the Kissimmee River restoration. "It gives the reader the impression these are real numbers." The reason for using computer models is twofold, said Del Bottcher, a state contractor who has done computer modeling for the Lake Okeechobee cleanup plan. Computer modeling shows how similar, future projects could affect water quality and gives a best estimate when something cannot be measured, he said. "The bottom line, if you want to know what is coming out of a stream, you have to measure it," Bottcher said. Even if the estimates are spot-on, the progress report credits polluters for nitrogen-reducing measures they took as far back as 2000 13 years before the state even launched the cleanup plan. "The situation is much worse than what the state's progress report claims," Goforth said, calling it "fictitious and misleading." Goforth ran his own analysis using the state's publicly available measured data and presented it to DEP in September. The agency's 2015 progress report issued in December did not factor in his methods or findings, and ignored huge nitrogen loads from one of the river's biggest polluter: Lake Okeechobee discharges. Lake O The state's final, 2028 goal, is to reduce the amount of nitrogen flowing into the river to 1.14 million pounds each year a little more than a fueled and filled Boeing 747. Even if the state's calculations proclaim it is exceeding that goal, the river still could be loaded with nitrogen-rich lake water. Case in point: The lake alone dumped 1.3 million pounds of nitrogen into the river during the "Lost Summer of 2013" so named for the resulting toxic algae blooms that kept people from enjoying the water. It was so bad protesters held a mock funeral for the river and lagoon. Yet the state's first progress report in 2014 said polluters were ahead of their nitrogen-cutting goal. Asked if he would cite the state report, Goforth said, "No ... I wouldn't base any decisions on it." The state didn't factor in lake discharges, Glassner said, because "we don't want to make them (St. Lucie River polluters) responsible for something someone is doing up the Kissimmee." He means polluted stormwater runoff from Orlando-area cities and farms that flows from the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee and out the St. Lucie River. "It's kind of frustrating to see all these management plans out there and the river looks like it does," said Liberta Scotto, a marine biologist and former researcher at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute who has worked on the river and the lagoon since the '70s. Honor system When it comes to nitrogen, the river's most consistent polluter is agriculture. The industry contributed 71 percent of the river's nitrogen in 2013, the state estimates. Yet the industry contributed only 26 percent of the reductions during the last reporting period, July 1, 2014 to June 30. One Martin County project alone a $3 million Bessey Creek water treatment facility reduced twice as much nitrogen as the entire agriculture industry during the same period. Within the 16-county South Florida water district stretching from Orlando to the Florida Keys the state has only six employees to monitor farms for compliance with the cleanup plan, according to the progress report. To get full credit for compliance, all farmers have to do is sign a document saying they intend to implement guidelines called "best management practices." Those practices include such voluntary measures as reducing fertilizer application during the rainy season, so it doesn't run off into the river. The progress report assumes 100 percent of farmers who sign the document fully comply with those guidelines. "With no data, the state has no idea what is coming off these farms," Goforth said. Gov. Rick Scott in January signed a bill that adds verification and enforcement measures to the guidelines, but the legislation contains no details and critics say there are no deadlines and only weak enforcement measures. Until that bill goes into effect July 1 and DEP updates its progress reporting methods, Treasure Coast residents will continue to wrestle with the disconnect between seeing a polluted river and the state saying it's exceeding its pollution-control goals. "I've become skeptical of anything and everything called a 'report' by the state," Indian Riverkeeper Marty Baum said. "Everything I've been involved with them is skewed to support agriculture." Breeze Airways makes it official: Flights from Vero Beach to begin Feb. 2 The Utah-based airline already flies to six Florida cities and has destinations across the country, from New York and Virginia to California. Up in Pennsylvania, I used to write about what I termed the "two Lancasters." Which is to say that the city of Lancaster is becoming a hip, vibrant, even trendy place. Millennials flock downtown; "Gallery Row" is a hit with both artists and patrons, new clubs and brewpubs are being opened, public art installed. There's a sense the city is on the upswing, and it's a shining regional example really, the ONLY regional example of how a declining city might re-imagine itself. But there's another Lancaster. It's a place where shootings aren't infrequent, where people don't frequent art galleries, where neighborhoods crumble and schools struggle. That broad sense of newfound prosperity isn't shared here. Here, there seems to be only decline. The "new" Lancaster preferred not to think too much about the "old" Lancaster, preferring to believe a rising tide lifts all boats. The "old" Lancaster greatly resents the "new," sensing correctly that it's leaving a lot of people behind. The divide boils down to inequality, though it's not often articulated as such. And inequality, as anyone who plans to vote for Bernie Sanders and maybe even Donald Trump will tell you, is the defining political issue of our time, both nationally and in our hometowns. So when I came to the Treasure Coast I was interested in the issue of inequality, and I've written about it on many occasions, perhaps to some readers' chagrin (but based on the feedback, to others' delight). It's not hard to find if you care to look. For example, the median home sale price in Martin County in December was $300,000; the average sale price for that month was $484,702. This, in a county where advocates will tell you that there's an affordable housing crisis not a shortage, not a mere "crunch," but a full-blown crisis. Martin County schools are widely and rightly regarded as the finest in the region. But from 2013-2015, nearly 42 percent of the county's middle school students were eligible for free or reduced lunches. Let me rephrase that: More than two in five middle-schoolers here need help paying for lunch. And that percentage has steadily increased for the past 10 years. And the United Way of Florida's Study of Financial Hardship, released in the fall of 2014, counted 7,487 Martin County households below the poverty line. Working poor households or "asset limited, income constrained, employed," ALICE for short totaled more than 20,000, 33 percent of all households in the county. Added together, 55 percent of Martin County households are struggling, according to the report. So are there two Martin Counties? Maybe. Inequality is indeed an issue here, whether we've articulated it or not. Some have. And in my short time here, I've been privileged to get to know a few of the people and organizations that confront the ramifications every day. I spent a morning last week at House of Hope's Jensen Beach location, one of four facilities in the county run by the charity where food, clothing, furniture, financial assistance and other services are provided to area residents in need. Here's another metric for you: House of Hope Communications Director Diane Tomasik told me that when she started with the organization in 2008, House of Hope distributed about 190,000 pounds of food annually. Now it distributes about 600,000 pounds of food per year. For the math-challenged, that's a 300 percent increase in just eight years. The Jensen Beach branch recently expanded its hours, opening Mondays to serve the growing need. Its main office in Stuart will soon undergo major renovations that will allow it to remain open evenings and weekends. House of Hope along with the United Way of Martin County, Project Lift, Habitat for Humanity and several other partners is working to renovate and develop the historic Golden Gate building in Stuart, which will be transformed into a community center offering programs, classes in life skills, health and nutrition, vocational training and library services, among other things. I hear great things about Love and Hope in Action, though I've yet to meet the folks over at LAHIA. I hope to be knocking on their door soon. Others I have met, from We Can Help Martin Inc. and SafeSpace, are doing great work, trying to weave the region's safety net a little tighter something that every community, in our age of inequality, is going to need. I'm fascinated by this issue not because I'm some starry-eyed do-gooder, but because I'm convinced that it's only going to grow in importance politically, and we and every other community should spend some time thinking about what that means, what it looks like right here at home, and what can be done about it. Martin County is a prosperous place. But communities, and the country as a whole, have an obligation to ensure that the prosperity is as broadly shared as possible, not just as a basic measure of fairness but as a way of heading off political problems at the pass. Next time I see a man in the moon I'll think of Pete Anderson. You see he and his wife, Lynn, were having a beer on the porch of their Sebastian home in early 2014 when they looked to the heavens and saw clouds in the shape of a cartoon character. It was their own pareidolia, they thought. What a name for a line of beers the longtime home brewer could sell in his own pub some day. The next day Anderson, 48, saw a GoDaddy.com commercial and bought the PareidoliaBrewing.com domain name. Then he trademarked it. By Labor Day 2015, the Andersons were moonlighting as owners of a craft beer pub in the 400 block of U.S. 1 in Sebastian. It is difficult to find. Pareidolia is tucked away in a plaza a block and a half south of Sebastian Boulevard. I thought the location would be the kiss of failure, even though Anderson had some great brews including my favorite at the time, a Scottish ale. But Anderson said the location is fine. His patrons come in the back door, via a parking lot on Indian River Drive used during Riverview Park festivals. By spring 2015, Anderson was working 80 hours a week trying to keep the pub stocked with his own brews and with his full-time job: ensuring fourth-graders at Liberty Magnet School enjoyed learning. After surviving busiest month after busiest month even over summer Anderson's taking some time off from teaching. He's trying to figure out how to satiate customers' growing appetite for his brews, from increasing capacity to finding off-site storage refrigerators. Ultimately, he hopes regional restaurants will serve his beer. He might open a second facility. "Brewing is a very hands-on job," the 6-foot-5 Anderson said, noting he brews enough to pour about 1,600 glasses a month. "It's manual labor." It's work Anderson, with a master's degree, wasn't really accustomed to. Before Pareidolia, brewing never paid the bills. "The advantage of being a teacher is we do not make a lot of money," said Anderson, whose wife is an executive secretary at the Indian River County School District. "But I don't need a lot of money to be happy." After all, Anderson, who grew up in New Jersey and Florida, had many altruistic-type jobs after giving up a job at Xerox to attend college in California. He worked as a claims adjuster after the Northridge earthquake and as a mentor for the Boys & Girls Club. He even helped developmentally disabled youngsters learn to take care of themselves. At his student-teaching job in eastern Washington, Anderson had a tough group. One student, a 12-year-old convict with an ankle-bracelet monitor, cried and hugged Anderson on his last day in the classroom. Former students occasionally returned to his classroom years later to say thanks. "Even if I saved just a couple of kids it's more than some people do in their entire lives," Anderson said. He got into craft beer in his early 20s in California. He found Anchor Steam beer and raspberry pale ale from Montana. Without recipes from the Internet, home brewing was a challenge. In 1985, there were about 50 breweries in the country (today there are about 4,000), he said. "This is an interesting business. It's really not competitive in the normal sense," he said, noting he and other craft brewers in the area often help each other. "It's about bringing more good beer to more good people." This weekend, Anderson will feature Black Coral rum porter at the Vero Beach Sunrise Rotary Club's Florida Craft Brew and Wingfest on Royal Palm Pointe. Anderson used Riviera Beach-made rum to brew his entry. The other day, I sipped on some amazing Wahoo coffee porter, named after the Cocoa Beach company that roasted coffee beans used for brewing. Sitting there with Anderson, whose outgoing, fun attitude makes him the perfect elementary teacher and bartender, he told me his altruistic purpose in Pareidolia. "We sell happy; we make people give up the grumpy," said Anderson, pointing to similarly themed bumper stickers making light of the six old grouches who allegedly grace Sebastian. Ironically, the Andersons' pareidolia of a cartoon character was Nelson Muntz, bully on "The Simpsons." Folks like Nelson and the grouches seem to stay out of Anderson's bar, where he said right-wing conservatives and members of the gay community sit side-by-side civilly and talk about something they have in common: responsibly drinking good beer. Florida Craft Brew and Wing Fest New Delhi: Noida-based domestic handset maker Ringing Bells has announced India's cheapest smartphone for just Rs 251. "The launch is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for empowering India to the last person, transforming India's growth story", the Noida-based company said. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar is expected to launch the smartphone 'Freedom 251' at an event in New Delhi on February 17. The Freedom 251 sports 4-inch display, along with a 3.2MP primary camera and a 0.3MP secondary front facing camera. The smartphone supports 3G, and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB using a microSD card. A 1,450mAh battery fuels the smartphone. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Since the summer of 2013 we've been asking all the powers that be to buy the land and send the water south. Last week Gov. Rick Scott asked the Army Corps of Engineers to send the water south. They agreed. Did we win? Yes and no. We won a really important step in sending the water south. It's been waiting to happen since before the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was created. The governor, the corps, the U.S. Department of Interior, the Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District all deserve to be congratulated and thanked. They cooperated instead of blaming each other. One by one, they removed the constraints to implementing the Modified Water Delivery Schedule, a plan that has been in the works for decades. It's about moving the water south toward the south end of the River of Grass. Among friends, the project is called Mod Waters. It gets water out of a diked conservation area, past the Tamiami Trail, into Shark Valley Slough and the heart of the Everglades and down to Florida Bay where it is desperately needed. The blockage was the Tamiami Trail. Though the first bridge has been built and the second is on its way, we still couldn't implement Mod Waters. The next bottleneck was getting water out of Conservation Area 3A. Until the Central Everglades Project is built, there are only two ways for water to get out to the south. One of them, the eastern outlet, has been closed because of constraints below the Tamiami Trail. For years now, the federal government has been acquiring ownership of lands south of the trail as a part of Everglades Park expansion. There were six parcels the federal government had not been able to purchase. If we bridged the Tamiami Trail and opened the gate from the conservation area, those lands would get flooded. Last week, we acquired rights to flow water on those six remaining parcels. Now, thousands of cubic feet per second can travel south down the Eastern portion of the Shark Valley Slough and into Florida Bay. That's what we won. It's really important. We should shout, "Hallelujah!" and say, "Thank you!" Then we need to regroup and get cracking on buying the land south of Lake Okeechobee to send the water into the upper part of the River of Grass. Even when all the Tamiami Trail Bridges are finished and Mod Waters is fully operational; when the Central Everglades Planning Project is implemented; when reservoirs east and west of the lake are finished; we still will get dumped on when it rains a lot. The latest climate studies say South Florida will see more extremes in rainfall more really wet years and more really dry years. They are predicting there will be twice as many El Ninos. If the governor, the corps, the DEP, the SFWMD and the Department of Interior can get together again and cooperate, we can identify the land we need south of the lake to make COMPREHENSIVE Everglades restoration work. We can stop fighting over losing the option on the U.S. Sugar land and identify an acreage and location we can all agree on to meet the storage needs clearly identified by CERP and the University of Florida's Water Institute study. We need to do that now. If we do, we can save our St. Lucie Estuary, restore the Everglades, save Florida Bay and protect the water supplies of the coastal urban counties of southeast Florida. Maggy Hurchalla was a Martin County commissioner for 20 years and is a member of the Everglades Hall of Fame. Ask Dave Barry where his Pulitzer Prize is located and he will tell you he has no idea. His wife stashed it somewhere after he kept misplacing it. Such irreverence is to be expected from this acclaimed author, whose priority has always been entertaining people with his satiric humor ranging from his columns in the Miami Herald to his adult and children's books. Tickets are still available for his upcoming performance at the Emerson Center on Feb. 27. Barry grew up in a small town called Armonk, 30 miles outside New York City. He graduated from Haverford College in Pennsylvania in 1969. His first newspaper job was as a reporter for the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa., where he covered school board meetings and wrote obituaries. 'Obits are the best training for a new journalist. You know somebody is going to read it, so you better have the facts straight,' Barry said. 'Does anybody really read an article on a local school board meeting?' Big time In 1983, the Miami Herald took him on but it would take time before he finally moved to Florida. He thought Miami was a scary place. But he eventually took the plunge and planted his roots in Coral Gables. 'You still hear gunshots but at least they aren't aimed at you,' he says, somewhat jokingly. Barry's career spans decades but his fame came from his Miami Herald humor columns, which covered everyday topics in a twisted yet funny and informative way. Upon awarding Barry his 1988 Pulitzer Prize, the committee cited his 'consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns.' On the trail Barry has written more than 30 books, including such highlights as 'Big Trouble,' 'Lunatics,' 'Tricky Business,' 'Insane City,' 'I'll Mature When I'm Dead,' 'Babies and Other Hazards of Sex,' 'Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys' and 'Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs.' Recently, he donned his Herald press credentials and went on the campaign trail, covering the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. 'I don't write a weekly column anymore, but I still really enjoy covering events every once awhile putting the ID badge around my neck and working the story,' he says. 'It's turning out to be one of those elections where it's harder to come up with things that are funny versus what is actually happening.' Without a doubt, Barry will be sure to bring his unique way of examining real issues with a sense of humor and humility to his upcoming Celebrated Speakers Series appearance. Barry predicts his listeners 'probably won't learn anything. In fact, I'm pretty sure they will leave less intelligent than when they walked in to hear me speak. 'You'd think I would have some kind of message to deliver, that there will actually be content.' Other audiences His latest book, entitled 'Live Right & Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster),' was released in 2015. But Barry does more than amuse adults. He has also written a children's book series with friend Ridley Pearson a sort of prequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan stories including Peter and the Starcatchers (2004), Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (2007) and The Bridge to Never Land (2011). Pearson is also in Barry's band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, a group of authors wielding musical instruments who have played book fairs and literacy events for decades. Carl Hiaasen, Stephen King and Amy Tan are just a few of the best-selling satellite members. 'I play the guitar and Pearson plays the bass, and the others come and go,' Barry explained. 'That's why we play at the literacy events. They are the only people who would actually come out to hear us play.' There was a television show based on his work, 'Dave's World, 'from 1993-97 on the CBS network. 'It was really weird having Harry Anderson playing me on TV,' Barry recalls. 'Especially since he was never writing anything but having funny dad adventures.' He figures when they ran out of his column material, the show ended. Proud achievement Another credit to his name is his crucial championing of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, held every year on Sept. 19. Barry explained that it sort of fell into his lap. Two guys approached him in Miami and said they were going to start a campaign to urge everyone to spend a day filling their conversations with 'Argh' and 'Ay, matey!' 'I can only take credit for popularizing it, but I am pretty sure it will be my lasting legacy,' Barry says. 'It really struck a chord with people, and each year it gets bigger and better. I really enjoy it.' Barry credits his success to writing every day. There is no magic process or rituals. It simply takes the time, dedication and effort and the occasional deadline to get the story told. Most importantly, it takes humor. The Emerson Center is located on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, on the southeast corner of 16th Street and 27th Avenue. There is an elevator to the second-floor balcony and seating is available for people with physical challenges. You can purchase tickets for Dave Barry's event by calling 772-778-5249, visiting their website at www.theemersoncenter.org or stopping by the venue. Gone are the days when kindergarten began a child's educational journey. With the ever-growing list of expectations, they must come to school, 'Ready to learn!' Twenty years ago, 5-year-olds attended kindergarten to learn how to function in the classroom environment. It was all about their 'social game.' The rigors of the day were walking in line, sharing, raising one's hand, using the restroom without assistance and not eating the glue. If children picked up their alphabet, colors, numbers one to ten and learned how to spell their names that was a bonus. But increased testing standards have required children to come to school from the start developing the tools needed to reach state and national goals. Florida does not require kindergarten attendance, therefore many children in our area don't start school until the first grade. Multi-faceted approach Indian River County Public Schools and The Learning Alliance have been working on childhood literacy through the Moonshot Moment a county-wide goal to have 90 percent of students reading on grade level by third grade. They have rallied parents, educators, business representatives, nonprofits, childcare providers and community leaders to implement a multi-faceted approach to literacy. But once the Moonshot goal was set it became clear there was a need to focus on the child before he or she ever sets foot in a classroom. So the Literacy Initiative was developed to identify ways to combat the problem. However, beyond that it was soon recognized the task at hand was bigger than any one group so the Kindergarten Readiness Collaboration (KRC) was created 'As a result of the Moonshot Moment goal, we discovered many children were coming to school a year or so behind. And while we still needed to focus on the third-grade reading goal, it became apparent we had to start addressing needs at a much earlier age,' says Meredith Egan, Chief Operating Officer of the United Way of Indian River County and chair of the KRC. 'The KRC was formed to identify, build and strengthen the early-child system in Indian River County. We were all working in fragments and it wasn't an organized system. We want anyone that touches a child's life, and could help that process along the way, to be part of the initiative.' Surveys show Kindergarten readiness is one of the four focus areas of the national model for grade-level reading, based on several studies pointing to the need for early intervention. Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicates learning begins well before children head off to kindergarten. Children who are behind when they start kindergarten rarely catch up. In fact, as their academic career progresses, the gap often widens. If children are behind by the time they reach third grade, only 15 percent will catch up. Some children disproportionately those from families with financial needs fall behind in critical literacy skills as early as 18 months. A United Way report shows that 47 percent of families in Indian River County are unable to meet basic food, housing and health needs, which in turn contributes to the risk of children being unprepared. While Florida does fund school-readiness programs, state dollars are not enough to meet current needs and provide high-quality alternatives. Filling the gaps The KRC is currently funded through philanthropic donors and partner agencies, such as The Learning Alliance, the United Way and other local grant makers. Shannon Maitland, KRC Coordinator and KRC Manager Jessie Ray work to oversee its strategic plan. They have evaluated the literacy situation, in the microcosm we call home and across the state, seeking best practices for increasing kindergarten readiness. The KRC's mission is to create and support a high quality family-centered early childhood development system so that all children in Indian River County are prepared across the five critical domains: social and emotional, physical health and well-being, cognitive skills, communication and adaptive learning. 'This is a movement, to support culture change in our community that prioritizes children and early learning. All families should have access to the resources they need to help their children arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed,' says Maitland. 'The KRC is bringing together many stakeholders in our community with the goal of ensuring that our children arrive at Kindergarten with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful. Local pre-school providers, the school district, and numerous community organizations are all working together on this initiative,' says Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell. 'This is an overwhelmingly positive partnership and I believe will pay big dividends for our children and our community in the long run.' More needs In response to its research, the KRC will be adding a Parent Outreach and Engagement Specialist this year to work in the Gifford community as a resource for parents, providing information and support. They will also moderate their fifth Community Summit in April to promote the collaboration of local organizations by hosting targeted focus groups to garner feedback from parents, preschools and service providers. 'Our work consists of bringing together service providers, families, funders and the broader community to build on our strengths and find solutions to needs that help us achieve our vision,' says Maitland. Their mission begins at home, but draws on the resources of its partner organization's and their funders. 'While every child is unique and education begins at birth, there are developmental milestones that guide parents' expectations of what their child should be able to do by a particular age. Knowing these milestones, getting regular well-child check-ups with a pediatrician, and talking with their child's caregivers are important steps to knowing if a child is developing on target.' Providing support Providing parents with support and knowledge relating to the all-around development of their children is at the center of the KRC's approach. 'We need parents and caregivers of young children to believe they are doing the most important work of providing a safe, nurturing environment for these little ones,' says Maitland. 'We need them to read, play, sing, and talk to young children. 'We need parents and caregivers who aren't sure what to do, to not be afraid to ask for help. They can call us, talk to their doctor or reach out to a service provider they already have a relationship with.' She also stresses the KRC's role in guiding those who want to help. 'We're asking community partners to join us by looking at their services and asking: 'What do we do best? What can we do differently? How can we partner with others to better serve our families?' And we want local funders to partner with agencies that are committed to being family-centered and adapting as they learn from their practices.' To achieve its goal, Maitland says, the KRC plans on continuing to show the community 'that early learning is one of the best returns on investment that it can make.' The KRC is hosting a Pre-K Party & Kindergarten Round-Up for parents to register their children for kindergarten and learn more about the services available in the community at the Indian River Mall on Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative call 772-617-4350 or email kreadinesscollaborative@gmail.com. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Sister companies Denon and Marantz have become the first A/V receiver manufacturers to release firmware updates enabling their products to decode DTS:X soundtracks. The free firmware upgrade is currently available on the companies flagship units: Denons AVR-X7200W/WA receiver and Marantzs AV8802A preamp/processor. Owners of those models can download the firmware immediately, directly from the respective units. Owners of other DTS:X-ready models will be happy to know that this initial upgrade list is about to get longer. Heres another story youll be interested to read: The next big thing in home theater: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X On February 18, Denon will release the DTS:X firmware update for its AVR-X6200W and AVR-X4200W receivers. And on March 3, Marantz plans to release DTS:X firmware updates for its SR7010 and SR6010 A/V receivers, and its AV7702mkII preamp/processor. Denon and Marantz have created special pages to help users prepare for the firmware upgrade at www.denon.com/dtsx and www.marantz.com/dtsx Marantz The Marantz AV7702mkII will get the DTS:X upgrade on March 3. Denon and Marantz are first out of the gate with DTS:X upgrades on select models, but neither company has announced firmware updates for the rest of their DTS:X-ready lineup. None of the other manufacturers with DTS:X-ready receivers on the market have announced firmware updates either. Sources tell me Yamaha plans to provide its first DTS:X firmware upgrade as early as March. The timeframe for other manufacturersincluding Anthem, Onkyo, Integra, Theta Digital, Steinway Lyngdorfis even more vague. Barring surprise announcements, users might have to wait until late spring or early summer to get the firmware updates that will enable them to play DTS:X soundtracks in their home theaters. What more have we learned about DTS:X? As firmware upgrades for Denon and Marantz slowly trickle out, weve learned a bit more about how the technologys potential and real-world implementation are coming together. I recently sat down with DTSs Director of Global Communication Jordan Miller and gained some additional insight about the technology. Denon Denon DTS:X can take advantage of all standard height-speaker layouts. Denons updated user manual providers users with a layout placement guide. Denon With regard to how DTS:X supports multiple speaker layouts, Miller said: In its current state, DTS:X itself supports nearly any layout you can imagine. Practically speaking, there is a limitation to how many layouts each manufacturer would like to support, so its a case-by-case basis. For those A/V receivers that have been sold as DTS:X ready, youll see traditional 5.x, 7.x, or 9.x layouts, plus two or four height speakers. 11.2. is the maximum DTS:X configuration that A/V receivers will support for the immediate future. In practice, users have multiple options for height speakers. You can use in-ceiling, on-wall, and even Dolby Atmos up-firing speakers for height channels. Miller told me that if up-firing speakers are used, DTS:X outputs audio as if there were physical height speakers present. Height speakers can only be configured in pairs. DTS delivered on its promise of backwards compatibility with previous bit streams and speaker layouts. It also features a spacial remapping engine called Neural:X, which will give you an immersive audio experience with older 2.0-, 5.1-, or 7.1-channel content. According to Jordan, Neural:X utilizes highly advanced spatial analysis algorithms to derive an ideal remapping path between the native content format and the end-users speaker layout. Simply put, it creates an impactful and tasteful 3D spatial experience by breathing new life into your current library of movies and music. First impressions about content upmixed through Neural:X have been positive. Denon The speaker layouts you can use will be dependent upon those supported by the manufacturer. Here are the different speaker layout options that Denon supports. Denon DTS:Xs interactive elements include Dialog Control, which treats dialog as a separate audio object. This gives you the ability to adjust the dialog independently of the rest of the mixregardless of which speaker its coming from. As cool as this feature sounds, in practice, youll only be able to use Dialog Control if it has been specifically enabled in the content metadata; in other words, it wont necessarily be available in every soundtrack, even it is encoded with DTS:X content. While its great news that consumers who purchased DTS:X-ready gear are finally getting the firmware updates needed to enable that technology. As promise and real-world practice come together, on the other hand, its becoming apparent that not every aspect of DTS:Xs potential will be realized in the real world. Some features will rely on the way audio engineers master content, while otherssuch as speaker-layout optionswill depend on what consumer-electronics manufacturers choose to enable in their products. Mexico: Saying Jesus would never ask them to be hit men, Pope Francis begged young people in Mexicos gang-infested heartland on Tuesday to shun the lure of easy money and big cars offered by drug traffickers. Gang wars over the methamphetamine trade have torn the western state of Michoacan apart. Widespread kidnapping and extortion by gangs have sparked an uprising by vigilante groups. It is a lie to believe that the only way to live, or to be young, is to entrust oneself to drug dealers or others who do nothing but sow destruction and death, he told young people at a stadium rally in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. Jesus would never ask us to be hit men, the pope said. He would never send us out to death. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Mexicos drug war over the last decade as rival gangs fight over territory and smuggling routes to the United States. Francis, the first Latin American pope, is travelling to some of the poorest and most violent corners of Mexico on a six-day trip to bring a message of hope to millions of marginalised people. While appealing to the young to shun a life where fleeting happiness is found in easy money, fast cars and brand-name clothes, Francis also took a swipe on Tuesday at Mexican authorities for failing to provide opportunities for the young. It is hard to feel the wealth of a nation when there are no opportunities for dignified work, no possibilities for study or advancement, when you feel your rights are being trampled on, which then leads you to extreme situations, the Pope told them. There was tight security for the visit to Morelia, a picturesque city known for its Spanish colonial architecture, given scattered outbursts of violence in recent months. It is Francis first trip to Mexico as pontiff. In Mexico City, he chastised bishops for being gossips obsessed with coddling wealthy patrons and failing to denounce the evils of the drug trade. Be front-line priests On Tuesday morning, the Argentine pontiff urged priests not to be resigned to evils around them like drug trafficking, and not to remain entrenched in their churches, but rather to head out to the front lines to help those suffering. Before the rally with the young, Francis visited Morelias 17th century baroque cathedral. Tens of thousands of people who could not enter his events lined the streets for a glimpse of the Pope. Its a miracle that he has chosen to come here to lift our spirits, said housewife Maria Hernandez, 66. Michoacan has suffered so much. In 2014, the state descended into bitter conflict as vigilante groups took up arms against the powerful Knights Templar drug gang. President Enrique Pena Nietos government sent in the army and forged an uneasy alliance with the vigilantes. Before Francis entered another stadium in Morelia for a morning Mass, the crowd counted aloud to 43, a gesture to remember dozens of trainee teachers who were abducted and apparently massacred by a drug gang in league with corrupt police in 2014 in the neighbouring state of Guerrero. As many as 200,000 Catholics are expected to cross from El Paso, Texas into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday to see Francis in a massive pilgrimage likely to choke roads and immigration offices. One day after a judge ordered Apple to help the FBI access the locked iPhone that was owned by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters, CEO Tim Cook has spoken out against the decision, confirming that the company will appeal the order. Judge Sheri Pym said in a ruling that Apple must give "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators attempting to unlock the data on the iPhone 5c. Authorities want Apple to create software that will circumvent the device's security system, including a feature that erases all data on the iPhone if the passcode is entered incorrectly ten times. "What the court is essentially ordering Apple to do is custom-build malware to undermine its own product's security features, and then cryptographically sign that software so the iPhone will trust it as coming from Apple," wrote Kevin S. Bankston, director of New America's Open Technology Institute in an emailed statement to PCWorld. The auto-delete feature has to be activated by the user, but authorities can't tell if the function has been enabled in this case. As prosecutors don't know the passcode, they can't access Farook's work-issued iPhone. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," the prosecutors said. Apple chief Tim Cook said in a letter to customers that, despite the order, the company won't be building a backdoor to the iPhone. We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software --- which does not exist today --- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. Cook went on to warn of the implications of the government's demands. The government would have us remove security features and add new capabilities to the operating system, allowing a passcode to be input electronically. This would make it easier to unlock an iPhone by "brute force," trying thousands or millions of combinations with the speed of a modern computer. The implications of the government's demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone's device to capture their data. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone's microphone or camera without your knowledge. The December 2 shooting, perpetrated by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, resulted in 14 deaths and 22 serious injuries at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. It reignited the debate over tech firms weakening their products' encryption or providing backdoors so authorities can monitor suspects. Last year, Apple said it would not perform data extractions in response to government search warrants on devices running iOS 8 and later because it could not access the data without the user's passcode, which it does not possess. Apple added that it has never worked with any government to create a backdoor in any of its products or services, and it never will. A new form of Android malware has appeared in Europe that is being spread via SMS messages. Danish company Heimdal Security, which uncovered Mazar BOT, told the BBC that it has already spread to 100,000 devices in Denmark, although it's not clear how far it's reached beyond the county's borders. The SMS messages in question contain a link, claiming to be a multimedia message, that when clicked will prompt users to download a malicious Android application package (APK) called 'MMS Message.' The text messages generally look like this: 'You have received a multimedia message from +[country code] [sender number] Follow the link http:www.mmsforyou [.] Net /mms.apk to view the message.' Once installed, Mazar gains administrator rights that allow attackers to do whatever they want with the phone, including reading text messages or sending them to premium channel numbers, monitor calls, root the phone, and even erase all the data stored on the device. It also uses TOR for communication. "Attackers can open a backdoor into Android smartphones, to monitor and control them as they please, read SMS messages, which means they can also read authentication codes sent as part of two-factor authentication mechanisms, used also by online banking apps and ecommerce websites, and use their full access to Android phones to basically manipulate the device to do whatever they want," warned Heimdal The company has only tested devices running Android Kit Kat, but it says older versions will likely be at risk as well. Phones with the latest versions of the OS haven't been tested. One of the interesting things about Mazar is that it won't install itself on an Android smartphone that has Russian selected as the operating system's language. The malware has been advertised on the Dark Web for a while, but this is the first time it's been used in active attacks. Despite Mazar requiring people to click on the SMS link and allow software from outside the Play Store to be installed on their device, it is still spreading. As a warning to less tech-savvy users, Heimdal said: "First of all, NEVER click on links in SMS or MMS messages on your phone. Android phones are notoriously vulnerable and current security product dedicated to this OS are not nearly as effective as they are on computers." A new Microsoft patent hints that the company could be working on a Surface-branded "modular computing device" aimed at fans of do-it-yourself projects. Previously, Microsoft is rumored to be working on its Surface phone to replace the Lumia smartphone series. Now, if the patent posted at the United States Patent and Trademark Office is any indication, it looks like Microsoft's Surface team is also readying a modular PC. The Redmond-based company applied for the patent back in July 2015, but it was just published last Thursday. One of the authors of the patent is Tim Escolin, a senior industrial designer at Microsoft's Surface devices and accessories team. Microsoft's patent demonstrates how the PC will turn out to be. Based on the diagrams, the desktop machine enables users to easily replace parts such as processors, memory, graphics or storage, instead of purchasing an entire new computer when upgrades become available. This means the users could add in new functionality to the computer should the need arise. From the looks of it, a display is included in the hardware design. With the use of a hinge, the stackable hardware can be hooked to the display. This stackable hardware encloses removable modules, such as storage, battery, processor, memory, graphics card, wireless communication component, speakers and holographs. The modules also have housings that are "configured to be physically and communicatively coupled to the display device of the display modular component." Moreover, the components are, of course, swappable. In this way, the computing device may be altered and changed readily by a user in an intuitive manner without requiring detailed knowledge of the hardware, reads the patent. Google is already toying with the idea of manufacturing modular devices via its Project Ara. Acer, in the meantime, has also its modular mini-desktop. As such, it is not at all surprising if Microsoft will also build is own modular device, in the form of a modular PC. On top of that, there is no denying that Microsoft's Surface brand has picked up traction, with the help of its Surface tablet and Surface Pro 4. This fuels the possibility that Microsoft, particularly its Surface hardware team, could have more new things in the pipeline, which might include this machine. Do note, though, that having applied for a patent does not guarantee that this concept could soon materialize. Nevertheless, it is great to see what Microsoft has in mind at the moment. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In light of the Zika outbreak, the Jamaican Ministry of Health taps into the power of song and dance to increase awareness about the virus. The health agency released a reggae music video titled "We Nuh Want Zik V" starring comedian-songwriter Dr. Michael Abrahams who also happens to be a gynecologist and an obstetrician. The catchy beat makes the public health announcement a hit. In the video, Abrahams tells - rather sings - people on how to protect themselves from the Zika virus-carrying mosquitos. The Ministry of Health Jamaica urges people to look out for possible breeding areas of mosquitos such as uncovered water containers, old tires and drums and flower pots. The health agency says it is best to get rid of these trouble spots. In the video, Abraham advises people to change water in flowers vases daily, dispose garbage properly and even tour the community for possible breeding areas where there is stagnant water. Of course, Abrahams sings a special line for the pregnant women. "A special shout out to pregnant ladies, protect yourself and protect your babies," sings Abraham. To date, Jamaica has reported only one confirmed case of Zika but the government remains proactive and advises women to delay pregnancy in the next six to 12 months. Jamaica's "We Nuh Want Zik V" public announcement is being played on the television, radio and movie theaters. The very catchy beat and witty lyrics help a lot in spreading the word out. Last Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the first Zika vaccines might be 18 months away from large-scale clinical trials. The health agency continuously urged women to avoid or delay traveling to Zika outbreak regions, in response to its link to the neurological disorder microcephaly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the same advice to women who are pregnant and those who plan to conceive. WHO reinforced that its response to the increasing Zika problem is "proceeding very quickly." In the quest for the world's first Zika vaccine, WHO said there are about 15 companies and groups already working on the job. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung is all set to unveil its next flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, ahead of the 2016 Mobile World Congress in a Feb. 21 Unpacked event. The official teaser video that Samsung attached to the invitations for the said event did not reveal much, only bearing the hashtag #TheNextGalaxy. It is a good thing then that the rumor mill is bursting with information regarding the upcoming and highly-anticipated Android-powered smartphone. Ahead of the official unveiling, it has been discovered that Samsung is planning a March 11 release date for the smartphone. While tech journalist Shai Mizrachi confirmed that the March 11 date is for the European rollout of the Galaxy S7, Samsung usually launches its devices into the market on the same day worldwide. This means that once the smartphone is officially unveiled, it can be in the hands of users in as soon as less than three weeks. But what is the Galaxy S7 all about anyway? What is up with all the hype? Being the next flagship smartphone of Samsung, users can expect the device to come packed with top-end specifications and components such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. The chipset which will be the one powering the variants of the Galaxy S7 that will be sold in the United States. A Snapdragon 820-powered Galaxy S7 appeared on AnTuTu early this month, with the benchmarking platform giving the smartphone a score of 125,288. For those that are wondering, the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a very capable smartphone in its own right, managed to score only around 82,000 on AnTuTu. Other expected specifications for the Galaxy S7 include a 5.1-inch 2,560 x 1,440 Quad HD Super AMOLED display, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 supported by an Adreno 530 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The smartphone will feature options of 32 GB or 64 GB for internal memory, and is tipped to be bringing back expandable memory through a microSD card slot. These specifications could be enough to propel the Galaxy S7 to high sales figures upon its launch, but Samsung is apparently not taking any chances. A report claims that, for a limited time, customers that pre-order the smartphone after its unveiling on Feb. 21 will be receiving a free Gear VR headset. The source of the report said that the offer has so far only been confirmed in the Netherlands, but it is highly unlikely that the inclusion of Samsung's virtual reality headset for pre-orders of the Galaxy S7 will be limited to just one country. If the report is true, the offer is an immensely attractive deal to get customers to purchase the new flagship smartphone, as virtual reality is all the rage these days. Renders of the Galaxy S7 have also been leaked, hinting at the colors that the smartphone will have as options for users. The renders hint that the Galaxy S7 will only come in gold and black, while the Galaxy S7 Edge will come in gold, black and silver. Excited fans of Samsung devices are now surely looking forward to the unveiling and release of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, though the price of the smartphone has not yet been confirmed. A report claims that the Exynos-powered variants of the smartphones which will be coming to the United Kingdom will have a price tags equivalent to about $789 for the Galaxy S7 and about $902 for the Galaxy S7 Edge, but so far no information is known on the Snapdragon-820 powered variants for the United States. The latest video from Indonesia shows latest flagship smartphones getting soaked because waterproof. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The discovery of prehistoric claw marks inside a Western Australian cave suggests an extinct and anatomically bizarre animal that can climb trees and rocks. This animal may have been Australia's top predator before going extinct. For the past 150 years, scientists have been studying about the marsupial lion that lived in the continent more than 40,000 years ago. Also known as Thylacoleo carnifex, the lion was believed to have powerful jaws and large claws. In the study published in Nature's Scientific Reports, the findings of the researchers show valuable information about the lion. They reveal two key aspects of marsupial lion's biology, which includes their ability to climb trees and they were reared young in caves. Paleontologists Sam Arman and Gavin Prideaux, from Flinders University, shed light on the behavior of one of the most unique carnivores ever to live in the continent. They have revealed that the marsupial lion left thousands of claw marks on surfaces inside a cave of limestones. "The largest of the scratch marks could only have been made by adults of T. carnifex," Prideaux said. "Many of the smaller marks were made by juveniles: they have the same form as that of the adults, but do not match claw marks made by other known cave dwellers," he added. The team saw few high scratches on the walls near an exit suggesting that adults were strong enough to scale sheer rock. They also found that marsupial young cubs are underdeveloped. They cannot be left alone in the cave until they are weaned. These caves serve as a safe and climate-controlled dwelling perfect for raising young marsupial lions. Several bones of a rhinocerous-sized Diprotodon optatum, found in the cave showed few bite marks from a marsupial lion. This implies that these lions are flesh-eating and stripping experts. Their ability to climb trees or rocks coupled with a powerful bite and sharp claws make them an epitome of strength. Can you imagine that this lion can actually prey on the largest marsupial? "Given that marsupial lions were apparently adapted to apprehending and consuming large prey, it is feasible that they hunted cooperatively," the researchers said. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A tornado ravaged through Escambia County in Florida on Monday afternoon, leaving more than 20,000 without power. Gulf Power confirmed that about 2,600 customers had no power after the storm hit and the number grew. By Tuesday morning, the company restored power to all but 6,200 customers. The tornado kick started its wrath in Century, Florida at 3:30 p.m., the National Weather Service reported. At least three suspected tornadoes touched down in Florida's Panhandle and Mississippi, destroying more than a dozen houses, damaging a school, and trapping residents under debris. In Panhandle alone, as many as 30 homes were damaged. The tornado's path was directed towards Alabama. Officials launched an assessment of the extent of damage as well as the exact path taken by the storm system. The tornadoes are suspected to be part of a giant winter weather system over eastern U.S. They were packed with strong winds, rain and snow. "Most of the storms push out by 8 o'clock off the coast altogether as we dry out and see more sunshine through the day," meteorologist Troy Bridges said. According to Escambia County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Dewes, he has never seen a tornado as big and fast as the one he witnessed landing in Florida. The tornado uprooted trees, destroyed homes and instilled terror among those who saw it. "I saw it coming across toward us, I felt my house shake. It went on for a good 30 seconds," a resident, said. He was thankful that none from his neighborhood was killed by the giant tornado. On the other hand, western states such as California and Arizona, are experiencing record-high temperatures. The abrupt and extreme changes in climate are thought to be driven by the ongoing El Nino phenomenon. The present weather condition in the country is brought about by the phenomenon is part of a worldwide impending problem. In the U.S., this means experiencing many months of cool and wet temperatures across some parts, while others are faced with relatively warm and dry conditions. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The rate of teens committing suicide in Palo Alto, California has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct investigations. The sunshiny city with clear blue skies and beautiful lawns seems to have the happiest residents. Nothing appears to cause major grievances, hence it is quite shocking to know that the place is baffled by teen suicide epidemic. Suicide Rates In Palo Alto From 2009 to 2010, Palo Alto witnessed six teens succumb to death due to suicide. Four more teens did the same between the short period of October 2014 to March 2015. Some of these young people committed suicide on the tracks of Caltrain, which is a commuter train line near Henry M. Gunn High School and Palo Alto High School. In an interview conducted during school year 2013 to 2014, 12 percent of students admitted that they have seriously considered killing themselves in the past year. In Henry M. Gunn High School alone, 42 students have been admitted in the hospital from the beginning of the school year through March all due to major suicide ideation. All in all, the combined suicide rates in the two Palo Alto high schools are four times higher than the average national rates. Request For Help The teen deaths in Palo Alto fall under what the CDC calls as "suicide cluster." The agency describes this as three or more suicides that happened within close vicinities and in short time intervals. The 2009 to 2010 and 2014 to 2015 teen deaths in the city are considered suicide clusters. "In response, the California Department of Public Health issued a formal request to the CDC for assistance, on behalf of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD)," the Epi-Aid on Youth Suicide in Santa Clara County reads. The federal agency and the Substane Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have already sent a team to perform surveys and investigations in the area. Community Action The community has also taken steps to address this growing concern. The Palo Alto Unified School District and the Santa Clara Health Department have arranged programs to protect teens against suicide using materials given by the CDC. Denise Hermann, Henry M. Gunn High School's principal, says the school officials have started several programs to help students. One program involves teaching students some stress-busting techniques such as yoga and breathing exercises. Another effort entails fresh high school graduates to come back and share life after high school to current students. Lastly, there is a freshman-adult buddy program where young students and adults can meet throughout the school year and both can get one-on-one attention. Suicide is not just a problem for middle and old-aged adults as young people are affected, too. For instance, teens taking in high doses of antidepressants tend to be more suicidal. Moreover, the CDC states that suicide is the third leading cause of death among youths aged 10 to 24. This translates to about 4,600 lost lives every year. Photo : David Sawyer | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its displeasure and disappointment over the decision. (Photo: AFP) Washington: The US' decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan should not be a cause of concern for India as the regional security situation was taken into account at the time of sale, the Pentagon said on Wednesday as it rejected India's disappointment over the move. "We don't think it should cause concern for India," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said when asked to comment on India's reaction to Obama Administration's decision to sell the sophisticated fighter jets to Pakistan. Read: Disappointed at India's reaction to F-16 deal with US: Pakistan "We think this is a capability that will help Pakistan in its counter-terrorism effort and we think that's in the national security interests of the United States," Cook said. The Obama Administration said on February 13 it had decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets worth nearly USD 700 million to Pakistan despite mounting opposition from influential lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Read: India disappointed over US decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan "This sale always took into account the regional security situation. We look at our relationship with Pakistan and our relationship with India as separate relationships. We think this is important capabilities for the Pakistanis to go after terrorists in that country," Cook said. India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over the decision. Read: India summons US ambassador over sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan India disagreed with the US' rationale that such arms transfers help Pakistan in combating terrorism and believes the US military aid to Pakistan goes into anti-India activities. These additional F-16 aircraft will facilitate operations in all-weather, non-daylight environments, provide a self- defence/area suppression capability, and enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter terrorism operations, the Pentagon had said. The Chinese government plans to relocate more than 9,000 people before the opening of the world's largest telescope, which is designed to reflect radio signals from deep space and perhaps signs of extraterrestrial life. Several members of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference proposed the relocation of residents in Pingtang County and Luodian County in 2015. They will be moved to four settlement sites by the end of September. The evacuation of residents living within 3.1 miles of the telescope was suggested to create a sound electromagnetic wave environment. The Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in the southern province of Guizhou is expected to be completed in September. Once finished, it will become the world's largest telescope, about 650 feet larger than Puerto Rico's 1,000-foot-wide Arecibo Observatory. Started in 2011, FAST will also be three times more sensitive than Arecibo, the setting in the 1995 James Bond movie "GoldenEye." This telescope will help scientists study space at new distances, explore alien life and capture barely audible radio transmissions. If there's intelligent life in deep space, FAST can detect remnants of messages left by them. Offered Only Pittance The government plans to give a subsidy of 12,000 yuan ($1,839) to each resident while each ethnic minority household will get 10,000 yuan ($1,532). That's barely half of the average annual salary in China, which is at $4,755. Not The First Time The number of residents to be evacuated for FAST is just a small number compared to past relocation projects. In 2010, the Chinese government relocated more than a million people to pave way for the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. This dam's reservoir is 410 miles long and floods an estimated 244 square miles of land, including more than a thousand villages. Though compensations are intended to be given to these residents, the efforts have been plagued by local corruption. Some of the residents complained about not receiving any money promised by the government. In the coming years, the government also plans to move about 250 million residents from rural areas to newly constructed urban cities. China plans to replace rural houses and farmlands with high-rise buildings. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A United States judge ordered Apple on Tuesday to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters and access data A cryptography expert, however, has estimated that it could take 10 years to break the password on the gunman's phone. NBC News reports that a federal judge mandated Apple to help investigators gain access to the encrypted data on the iPhone 5c used by Syed Farook, one of the shooters behind the deadly attacks in San Bernardino, California in December 2015. Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik are responsible for killing 14 people on Dec. 2. This order comes hot on the heels of FBI Director James B. Comey's admission a few days ago that the bureau has not been able to open one of the phones of the murderers. It has been two months now, and we are still working on it, Comey told Congress a week ago. Relevant, Critical Data In its 40-page filing, the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles says it needs Apple's help to crack the password of Farook's iPhone to obtain "relevant, critical ... data" that will help authorities understand the truth behind the attack. The data may help in finding out who the assassins were communicating with to help them plan and execute the attack. It may also provide information as to where the attackers traveled before the shooting. "Despite a warrant authorizing the search, the government has been unable to complete the search because it cannot access the iPhone's encrypted content," prosecutors say. They believe Apple has the exclusive technical means to help the government carry out its investigation, "but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily." United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker says in a statement that this move is a "potentially important step" in learning everything about the San Bernardino attack. The Ruling The judge ordered Apple to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI to salvage the data from Farook's iPhone. This includes disabling the device's auto-erase function and allowing investigators to submit an unlimited number of passwords to unlock the device. Apple has five days to respond to the court if it thinks that conforming to the order would be "unreasonably burdensome." The Complication There's an obstacle, though. The process of cracking an iPhone's password can take a long time. Apple says it would take 5 1/2 years to guess a six-digit password using lowercase letters and numbers. Using a supercomputer can significantly hasten the process, but the FBI still needs to obtain the hardware key built into the iPhone. Apple doesn't keep a copy of the key, and the FBI can only access it by resorting to a multitude of techniques that do not guarantee they will be able to recover the passcode. Matthew Green, a cryptography expert at Johns Hopkins University, says the FBI could crack a six-digit numeric code in around 22 hours. "But once there's numbers and letters, that's when things get interesting." Green tells The Washington Post. He says it may take 10 years for the investigators to crack a strong password on the phone. That means it could take until 2026 before the case is closed. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Either Chewbacca is a little too distraught with the events that happened in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" or the First Order is framing the beloved Wookiee in our galaxy because, on Tuesday, police announced that they arrested Chewie and a Stormtrooper in Times Square for harassing tourists. According to police, the two misguided folks from a galaxy far, far away posed for a photo-op with tourists then forcefully demanded to be paid $10 each. Both Chewie and the Stormtrooper did not allow the tourists who took photos with them to leave until they gave in to their demand. The two costumed offenders, 46-year-old Kasey Braxton and 36-year-old Tobert Williams, were arrested by police on Monday at Broadway and 45th St. on grounds of aggressive panhandling, but Williams had also been charged with harassment. The two were not the only ones arrested, however, because just half an hour prior to their arrest, the friendly Cookie Monster from Sesame Street was hauled in the New York Police Department Substation for the same offense. It seems Cookie Monster proved to be grouchier than Oscar the Grouch because, after being friendly with a tourist and posing for a photo, the furry blue monster harassed the human and demanded to be paid for the photo. The fake cookie monster, 29-year-old Nestorina Morales Perez from New Jersey, was arrested for aggressive panhandling and harassment too. Police say they have received many complaints about costumed individuals harassing tourists in the area. The city is already in negotiations to mark off activity areas for costumed individuals but the Times Square Alliance (TSA) says they need more support. "We need help ensuring that the Rebel Alliance's proposals are passed or we could quickly revert to the Dark Side this summer," TSA Spokesperson Tim Tompkins said. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hackers have taken the computer system of the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center hostage, with the ransom at $3.6 million or 9,000 Bitcoin. The hospital in Southern California was victimized by ransomware, with the facility's computers now shut down for more than a week as recovery continues. As such, the hospital's staff has been forced to go low-tech to be able to keep up with the hospital's operations. With access to computer systems blocked, doctors have been communicating through fax messages, nurses are writing down patient information on paper charts and patients are forced to drive back to the hospital to claim test results. While there are some "old school" nurses that actually prefer the pen-and-paper way of tracking down patient information, Tina Bordas, a nurse at the hospital, has said that operations have been moving slowly. While that may be the case, the hospital is forced to employ low-tech means to maintain the care of their patients. Some of the more advanced medical equipment that need computers to be operated have also been shut down. That is why patients who depend on these equipment for diagnosis or treatment needed to be transferred to another hospital. With doctors punching in numbers to send in fax messages and nurses writing things down on paper, with advanced diagnostic and treatment options cut off, the crippling power of ransomware is on full display. Ransomware is a kind of malware that is usually propagated through malicious downloads and phishing campaigns. When a victim opens the gates by accessing a malicious link, for example, the ransomware installs itself in the victim's computer and its system to encrypt system files. Once the ransomware is latched on, the system is blocked, usually with a message that if the user does not pay a certain amount to the hacker within a certain time limit, all the files in the system will be deleted. While it has not yet been determined if hackers were able to extract sensitive information on the hospital's employees and patients, that would not be the case if ransomware was involved. Hackers using ransomware are more interested in acquiring ransom payments as opposed to stealing information. The business model for ransomware has been a lucrative one for hackers, with security company Bromium estimating that ransomware attacks doubled in number last year compared to 2014. CryptoWall 3.0, one of the leading ransomware tools, was able to bring in about $325 million worth of ransom last year, according to the Cyber Threat Alliance. An estimate pegs that 44 percent of the victims end up paying the ransom, which is often requested in the form of Bitcoin to make it harder for authorities to trace the identity of the hackers. The incident brings to light concerns raised by the FBI in April 2014 that the health care industry of the United States is vulnerable to cyberattacks, as cybersecurity in the sector was lagging behind compared to the retail and financial sectors. With the ransomware affecting all the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center's staff and patients, concerns regarding cybersecurity in the health care industry will surely be voiced out once again, especially as hackers have now shown the ability to take hospitals back to the pre-computer age with their attacks. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Remember how Nintendo was expected to start registrations for a new Nintendo Account service on Feb. 17 in North America? Good news for those wanting to secure their username quickly - the registration for a new Nintendo Account has opened up earlier. That's right. Nintendo has started the rollout early, allowing Nintendo fans to swoop in on their desired username faster. The service debuted in Dec. 2015 in Japan, and eagle-eyed Nintendo buffs who were unable to register at the time can now do so and stay ahead in the race. On Tuesday, the new service went live a little before 10 p.m. ET. The page's loading time may take slightly longer due to the rush, however. One will be able to create a Nintendo Account the new multiplatform account system at accounts.nintendo.com. Currently, the account functionality will be limited to users confirming their nickname as well as linking the Nintendo Account to their social media accounts. However, the registration terms make references to the "mission status" of an account becoming lost if a user closes it. Functionalities, such as My Nintendo, are not live currently but should be soon. The registration for Miitomo, the much-touted social experience in the mobile space, is also not open yet. Fortunately, the pre-registeration for Miitomo is slated to go live a day later on Thursday. A Nintendo Account will be required for those looking to pre-register. To register for a Nintendo Account, fans can deploy their Google+, Twitter, Facebook accounts or their Nintendo Network ID. Signing up for the Nintendo Account is pretty simple. The methods of registration are as follows: Connect to your existing Nintendo Network ID or NNID. This will pull the necessary information your email address, name, date of birth required to register the Nintendo Account. The process will take a few seconds. Alternately, one can deploy their social media account. Connecting to a user's Google+, Facebook or Twitter account will also pull the required data needed to register for the Nintendo Account. For those wary of using their social media account or if they do not have an account with any of the above-mentioned services, then they need to go to this link and key in the necessary information. Once you have registered, you can start using your Nintendo Account by signing in at this link. Users will be able to edit the name linked to their Nintendo Account, which is great if one gets bored! If you are an early bird when it comes to registrations, you get to earn a mysterious bonus in Miitomo, which is set to debut in March. Miitomo is Nintendo's first-ever smart device app. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple's fortunes in India are not faring too well as it's on the heels of reducing the price of its latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus due to poor sales. Now, the company has taken the decision to stop selling the older-gen iPhone 4s and the budget-friendly iPhone 5c smartphones in the country. On Wednesday, Apple stopped selling the older-gen iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c through its official channels. Apple's withdrawing the entry-level iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c from India is seen as the company's move to increase the average selling price of its products, so that the company can enhance its profitability. The decision was taken by Apple as the ASP and profitability was "under strain." "It's a step to improve the ASP (average selling price) which was falling since iPhone 4s was till recently one of their highest selling model in India due to its lower price," divulged Pulkit Baid, director at Great Eastern, a consumer electronics retail chain in eastern India. In Q4 2015, the ASP for Apple declined 20 percent year-over-year per figures from Counterpoint Research. Apple retailed the iPhone 4s and the iPhone 5c for Rs. 12,000 ($175) and Rs. 20,000 (approximately $292), respectively, in India. With the departure of these two phones from the country, the iPhone 5s is currently the cheapest Apple smartphone available in India. The smartphone costs Rs. 24,000 (approximately $349.90). Apple even already slashed the iPhone 5s's price by nearly half in December 2015 in the country in a bid to lure more consumers and leverage the brand. Apple India's website has been updated to reflect that the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c are not listed for sale anymore. The site only shows that the iPhone 6s models, iPhone 6 models and the iPhone 5s are available in the country. Analysts who are conversant with the dynamics of the Indian consumer space estimate that the iPhone 5s will fill the void left by iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c. These models were long withdrawn from major markets such as Europe and the U.S., and now India follows suit. With the transition, OEMs from China and Samsung will be able to push their Android-powered offerings to gain a slice of the Indian market share in the lower price segment between Rs 10,000 (nearly $150) to Rs 20,000 ($175). Apple is also anticipated to launch the next-gen iPhone 5se in the coming months, possibly March 2016, and the company may have withdrawn the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c smartphones to lay the groundwork for the new budget phone's arrival. Photo : Maurizio Pesce | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is possible to know if teen males will live with their future children, a new research suggests. A young teen's attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy and birth control could predict fatherhood patterns. For years, scientists investigated the views of young women on motherhood in an effort to reduce teen pregnancy. Researchers from the Northwestern University, however, conducted one of the first reproductive health studies focusing on men and fatherhood. Sexual Behavior, Birth Control And Pregnancy The team interviewed 10,253 male teenagers and young adults. Participants were asked to answer certain statements like, "If you had sexual intercourse, your friends respect you more" or "It wouldn't be all that bad if you got someone pregnant at this time in your life." After 20 years, the researchers followed up with these men to compare their past responses to whether they had a child, if they are living with the child and their age when they got the mother of the kids pregnant. More Concerned Men Lived With Their Kids Males who are less concerned about risky sex were 30 percent less likely to live with their child while those who felt it wouldn't matter if they got a young woman pregnant had 20 percent greater chance of becoming a non-resident father. Young males, who understood the efficacy of birth control like its pros and cons, are 28 percent less likely to become a non-resident father. This suggests that sex education among teen males is vital to address teen pregnancy and teens becoming fathers at a very young age. "We can intervene so these young men don't go on to become teen fathers and are less likely to become non-resident fathers," Dr. Craig Garfield, associate professor in pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said. "That's a role the school system and health care workers can play when seeing young men for physicals. Together we can help young men think about their futures," he added. Teen Pregnancy By The Numbers The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that about 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and about 1 million girls under the age of 15 give birth each year. Another 3 million girls undergo unsafe abortions every year. In the United States, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women aged 15 to 19 years in 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. Photo: Christian Scheja | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. European scientists have successfully carried out a detailed analysis of the atmosphere of an exoplanet that is more than eight times more massive than the planet Earth. In a study featured in the Astrophysical Journal, research from the University College London (UCL) and other scientific organizations described how they were able to detect spectral fingerprints of gases present in the atmosphere of 55 Cancri e. 55 Cancri e is a super-Earth located in a solar system in the Cancer constellation around 40 light-years from our own planet. It has been given the nickname "diamond planet" because astronomers have long believed that its interior is rich in carbon. 55 Cancri e To find out more about this massive exoplanet, UCL scientist Angelos Tsiaras and his colleagues Marco Rocchetto and Ingo Waldmann developed a revolutionary way to process data collected through the Hubble Space Telescope. Using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), the researchers scanned 55 Cancri e's host star in order to create several spectra of that part of space. They then processed their observations using computer software to produce spectral fingerprints of the exoplanet that are embedded in starlight. Study co-author Professor Giovanna Tinetti of UCL said that this new technique allowed them to take a closer look of the atmosphere surrounding 55 Cancri e. They now have information as to what the super-Earth is like and how it was able to form and evolve. Hydrogen Cyanide In The Atmosphere One intriguing aspect of the study is the detection of hydrogen cyanide traces in 55 Cancri e's atmosphere. This suggests that the planet's surface could likely contain high amounts of carbon. Olivia Venot of the University of Leuven in Belgium, who created an atmospheric chemical model of the exoplanet to help analyze the researchers' observations, explained that such high levels of hydrogen cyanide could prove that carbon to oxygen ration in 55 Cancri e is quite high. UCL researcher Jonathan Tennyson said that if they are able to confirm the presence of hydrogen cyanide as well as other molecules in 55 Cancri e's atmosphere, it could further the idea that the exoplanet is indeed rich in carbon. However, this would also mean that 55 Cancri e is not a habitable planet since hydrogen cyanide is known to be a highly poisonous substance, according to Tennyson. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Probably the only company that can bypass the security measures of an Apple device is Apple, and that is what the government is now asking the company to do - hack itself. But Apple can't - and won't - do it. Apple has testified numerous times before numerous judges that it is technically unable to break into an iPhone. This is because Apple's security measures on the iPhone include an auto-erase feature. When a user activates this function, it will erase all data on the device should incorrect credentials be entered 10 times into the iPhone. If such an attempt to do so were successful, it would have taken at least 10 years. Moreover, however, Apple intends to keep its promise of protecting its customers' data above all else, even above what may seem like the law. In an open letter signed by Tim Cook, Apple reaches out to its customers to describe an unprecedented step taken by the government that could potentially set a precedent that would ultimately expose users to a greater risk of attack. Due to the San Bernardino tragedy last December and the government's efforts to solve the case, a judge has ordered Apple to cooperate with the FBI to crack the password of the iPhone 5c the terrorists used. Apple shares that is has done everything both within its power and within the law to help, but as mentioned above, it can only do so much. As a result, the FBI is now asking Apple to create a special version of iOS that would essentially create a backdoor to the iPhone. Apple doesn't want to do it, and it seems that by sharing an open letter to the rest of the world, it hopes to garner public support. "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control," writes Tim cook. As smartphones become tactile physical representations of our lives as a whole - they hold our private conversations, photos, notes, contacts, financial information, health data and our location history - the need to protect that personal data is as equally important as possibly solving a crime. In this case, instead of asking for legislative action through Congress, the FBI is using the All Writs Act of 1789 to extend its authority. In his final words, Tim Cook says that Apple challenges "the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and love of our country" but also asks if it really is worth it. "And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect," Tim Cook says in closing. Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. [Warning: There are a few spoilers ahead for the Feb. 14 midseason premiere of AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'] It looks like this is the closest to the zombie apocalypse that we're ever going to get. On Sunday night, a family in Great Falls, Montana, was enjoying a simple family activity, specifically, tuning into AMC's dystopian zombie drama The Walking Dead for the show's midseason premiere. But their wholesome night chock-full of reanimated corpses (and, in light of the date, maybe even a Valentine or two) was interrupted by an armed squad of police officers called to the scene by neighbors, who called the cops after taking the screams of characters wearing zombie gut-embroidered ponchos and the sounds of gunfire and rocket launchers for the real thing. According to the 911 call transcript, a neighbor heard "screaming from a house about someone having a gun," which prompted the well-intentioned Samaritan to ring up the cops. "We had a whole bunch of guys on that one," commented Great Falls Police Department Sgt. Brian McGraw, who described to local paper the Great Falls Tribune how his fellow police officers circled the residence. But the venture turned out to be less exciting - or less dangerous - than the officers had imagined. "We heard someone screaming from a blue house about someone having a gun," said Jim Wells, another GFPD sergeant, in an interview with ABC News. "Basically, we show up [and] we can see a TV on inside and people talking." "We will usually hang back and observe before we make contact. The windows next to the TV were open," he added. Accordingly, no official police report was filed regarding the actual incident after confirming that no one in the residence was harmed or in harm's way (spoiler alert: unless you're counting the very controversial fate of the Andersons, that is). Check out the promo for AMC's next episode of The Walking Dead in the video clip below. Source: Great Falls Tribune 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China has said it would not seek militarisation of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defences. (Photo: AFP) Beijing: China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and US officials said, racketing up tensions even as US President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region. Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 year but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions," Lo said on Wednesday. A US defence official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox News. News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the region but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its claims. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarisation of disputed areas," Obama told a news conference. The United States has said it will continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. RISING TENSIONS Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from of the Centre for a New American Security, said it was not the first time that China has sent such weapons to the Paracels, under Chinese control since 1974. "I do think surface to air missiles are a considerable development," she said. "If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment." A US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at countering efforts by China, Vietnam and Taiwan to limit freedom of navigation. China condemned the US action as provocative. China has said it would not seek militarisation of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defences. "Woody Island belongs to China," said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. "Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarise it." Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region. "We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai said. The missiles arrived at Woody Island over the past week, Fox News said. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on Feb. 3, but the missiles were visible by Feb. 14, it reported. A US official told Fox News the imagery viewed appears to show the HQ-9 air defence system, which has a range of 125 miles (200 km) and would pose a threat to any airplanes, civilian or military, flying close by. Asked about the report, Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely." Although Kara woke from a dream about life on Krypton in the last episode of Supergirl, she has no time to dwell on what happened to her: on next week's episode, Kara must battle the Master Jailer, a serial killer targeting and executing escaped prisoners from Fort Rozz. Next week also features the first appearance of Siobhan Smythe, a new employee of Cat Grant's. In DC Comics, specifically the New 52, Siobhan is an Irish immigrant who befriends Kara and eventually becomes Silver Banshee. Of course, the two don't stay friends for long, and eventually, they become enemies. The episode will also see James Olsen and Kara argue over the Department of Extra-Normal Operations' methods of dealing with aliens and alien threats. Last week's episode saw Maxwell Lord coming to Supergirl's aid after she fell unconscious. Does this mean that Lord is no longer a threat to Supergirl and her friends? Actor Peter Facinelli, who portrays the character, thinks that Lord's motivations don't necessarily make him good or bad. "There's a fine line between good and evil," said Facinelli to Comic Book Resources. "He doesn't purposely do evil acts. In his mind, he does things for good. Sometimes you have to do bad things to get there. Even when you are at war, sometimes you have to sacrifice one for the greater good of many. That's where his mindset is. He's not a Lex Luthor, selfishly trying to take over the world. In his righteous mind, he's doing good." Not only is this season of Supergirl gearing up for a crossover episode with The CW's The Flash, but former Smallville Supergirl, Laura Vandervoort, will soon arrive on the series as Indigo, a villain who causes trouble for Kara. "She's been particularly fun to play because we didn't really have much time to discuss how they wanted Indigo to come across, so by the time I was on set in my wardrobe, I was just feeling her out in her skin, so to speak," said Vandervoort to Collider. "I just started playing and having fun with it and trying strange things that I don't normally get to try. You can get away with more when you're a villain because you're a little mentally unstable." Supergirl airs at 8 p.m. EST Mondays on CBS. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A "familiar face" has suddenly appeared among the rocks at Tintagel Castle, but despite the legends of old that have preserved his name for centuries, it looks like some would rather that the sorcerer Merlin stay well in the past. The English Heritage Foundation has unveiled a sculpture of the infamous sorcerer's face carved into the cliffs that limn the peninsula and isles where the historic site is located - and an ensuing objection to the artwork has led to accusations of vandalism. Opponents of the sculpture have accused the Heritage Foundation of prioritizing fantasy over historical reality, especially in light of the fact that Tintagel, located in the county of Cornwall, has been traditionally cited as the location where Merlin's acolyte and "once-and-future king" Arthur was born. Despite the centuries-old associations with the founder of the Knights of the Round Table, notable historians like Charles Thomas have denounced the connection, citing lack of archaeological evidence, despite the fact that a number of excavations have taken place at Tintagel over the years. Even with the lack of physical evidentiary support, the area is known for its Arthurian-themed landmarks, like Arthur's Footprint, a petrosomatoglyph (or a hollowed rock, this one in the shape of - you guessed it - a footprint) said to belong to the King of Camelot himself, as well as Merlin's Cave, where the sorcerer supposedly once dwelled, and fitttingly, where the sculpture is located. "This official vandalism has been condemned by people who love Cornwall, both at home and as far away as Australia," declared a spokesperson for Kernow Matters To Us (KMTU), an organization dedicated to preserving the history of Cornwall and its surrounding areas ("Kernow" is a historic name for the area). "This is nothing but 'false' history and diminishes our heritage. It is a disgrace. No doubt it will enhance tourist numbers for a season or two - but at the cost of further denuding the Cornish cultural and historical context of this location." But many, like the people behind the project, don't see it that way. "Merlin's face is just the beginning of our exciting new project here at Tintagel - but what a start," stated Matt Ward, a property manager at the site, to the Heritage Foundation. "Tintagel is a place of landscape and legend, and Merlin, emerging so organically from the rock, sums that up perfectly," he added. "We've got lots more to come over the next few months and I can't wait to see it all take shape." The artist behind the sculptural reimagining is a local craftsman named Peter Graham, who spent three months on the project - more precisely, chiseling pieces of the rock face away to bring the visage of the infamous sorcerer to life. "Recreating Merlin has been a wonderful challenge. You are working in this amazing place, but with the elements, too - enduring tides, gales, and winter storms," he continued. Usually you would choose the perfect stone from a quarry, but here I have worked into the rock of Tintagel's landscape. Merlin has emerged organically out of that rock, to see him now is really rather satisfying." The figure of Merlin has been an enduringly popular figure for centuries, from the first known tales about Camelot and the Round Table written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1136 CE, to the Italian 13th-century tome The Prophecies of Merlin, which served as a Merlin-centric spinoff and contained fictional predictions of the future, to the 1998 Merlin miniseries starring Sam Neill and Helena Bonham-Carter. The most recent popular adaptation of Merlin and the Arthurian mythos was the 2008-2012 BBC fantasy series Merlin, which starred Colin Morgan as the titular warlock. The show reimagined Merlin and King Arthur as contemporaries, rather than the traditional portrayal of a mentor-mentee relationship. Then again, some think that there might be wizards out there more deserving of having their face chiseled into a rock. Of course it is a disgrace! Merlin who? They should have carved Gandalf or Dumbledore! :tuck_out_tongue: https://t.co/ifmsHeOZT5 Luis Andrade (@YiJingMan) February 17, 2016 Learn more about Merlin's return to Tintagel in the video clip below, courtesy of the Heritage Foundation. Source: English Heritage Foundation 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hackers are holding a California hospitals network hostage for $3.6 million A ransomware is wreaking havoc in Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center located in California. The hospital computers have been down for more than a week after ransomware infection encrypted all the files on the hospital network. The problem is so severe that the hospital authorities are transferring patients to other hospitals because of the outage. The ransomware has taken the connected medical devices and portals offline, as well. What is worse that the ransomware hackers are reportedly asked for more than $3.6 million to decrypt the system and the hospitals files, CSO reports. To help tide over the crisis, the hospital staff has now shifted to manual mode of working and using fax machines and landline telephones to get work done. The hospital computers were apparently infected with a ransomware when a hospital worker clicked a malicious link or attachment. However the $3.6 million demanded by the hackers is one of the most outlandish digital ransom requests in recent memory. FBI is investigating the case in collaboration with LAPD and other international agencies.The hospital didnt immediately respond to a request for comment and hasnt elaborated on how far the attack has spread, what kind of ransomware infected its network, or how it was even infected in the first place. Hackers breach JNU website to avenge anti-India slogans raised in the campus The pro-Afzal, anti-Indian sloganeering has whole of India on the boild with many Indians siding with the government for cracking down on the demonstrators. They seems to have found a new ally in form of hackers who hacked the JNU website and defaced it with a pro-Indian message. Yesterday a group of hackers defaced the JNU websites central library home page as a mark of protest against anti-India sloganeering by one of the universitys student bodies. On opening the link lib.jnu.ac.in (currently it gives a 503 error), one was greeted with a picture of the Indian flag. It is accompanied with a song from Lata Mangeshkars evergreen patriotic hit Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon playing in the background. The hackers also had a terse message for the pro-Afzal brigade. The missive by Indian Hackers Online Squad asserted that Pakistan will never get Kashmir. The message left by the hackers read, So, as you said Kashmir ki aazadi tak jang rahegi-jang rahegi. You are thinking that you will get Kashmir just by barking in the campus of JNU. It also referenced an earlier defacement by the hacker group of Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris website back in October 2014. Back then too, the reason for defacement had been the Pakistan Peoples Party chairmans comment on getting back Kashmir. As I also told Bilawal Bhutto that without any violence let me tell you that Pakistan will never get Kashmir. This is the truth. You have to accept it So anti-national elements at JNU should also accept that Pakistan will never get Kashmir, read the message. One of the hackers from the group that defaced the library page, who goes by the alias [email protected] [email protected], told TOI over email: Only the library site was targeted and the reasons behind the hack were anti-national slogans that students of JNU raised in their protest. The message on the defaced page also invoked the soldiers of the Indian army. To all the leaders who are saying that we have the freedom to speak anything and supporting the JNU incident, ask to those widows (sic), ask to those mother (sic), ask to their children whose husband, son, father (sic) sacrificed their life for the nation. At least show some respect to your motherland or at least your parents, the message said. The defaced page also carried a meme-like picture of actor Sunny Deol with a caption promising to eliminate all Afzals. This was in response to the reported slogan, Kitne Afzal maaroge har ghar se Afzal niklega (How many Afzals will you kill, one will emerge from every house). Ironically this is the first Indian website that the hackers have hacked and defaced. The prime motive of the Indian hacking groups has been to take down websites belonging to government and businesses in neighbouring Pakistan, mostly in tit-for-tat hacking wars. A 40 anos de Malvinas "Revisar el pasado es pensar el futuro". La frase de la presidenta de Telam, Bernarda Llorente, resume el espiritu del documental coproducido entre la agencia de noticias y el canal publico de TV sobre la cobertura que los medios de comunicacion hicieron del conflicto, plagada de censura y mentiras. Una autocritica necesaria para mirar hacia adelante en un (ya viejo) contexto de fake news y negocio informativo. Worse still, the appropriation of the term apartheid is an affront to black South Africans. The supporters of Israeli Apartheid Week would do well to remember the words of Nelson Mandela: As a movement we recognise the legitimacy of Palestinian nationalism just as we recognise the legitimacy of Zionism as a Jewish nationalism. We insist on the right of the state of Israel to exist within secure borders, but with equal vigour support the Palestinian right to national self-determination. We share this vision and believe it is in the best traditions of OULC - and more importantly, the ethos and values of Oxford University. Around one-in-11 vacancies currently being advertised are likely to be obsolete by 2035, according to calculations from jobs website Adzuna. The roles - which include machine operators, legal secretaries and other admin jobs - are expected to lose out to automation in the coming decades. Of the 56 major UK towns and cities studied by Adzuna, Exeter has the highest proportion of vacancies at risk, with 9pc likely to eventually be replaced by robots. In contrast, London, Reading and Edinburgh are estimated to have the most future-proof jobs. We've noticed you're adblocking. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. Thank you for your support. Warsaw: A BBC report alleging that pope John Paul II had a close relationship with a married woman lasting 30 years was dismissed by Polands national library as a Valentines Day joke. Its a rather bad joke, said Tomasz Makowski, director of the library in the BBC documentary aired on Monday that was based on more than 350 letters written by Karol Wojtyla both as a cardinal and pope. The documentary sourced the letters from the librarys archives in Warsaw, the first dated in 1973 and the last a few months before his death in 2005. Makowski noted that the Polish communist secret police, known as the SB, had microphones everywhere spying on priests. If there was anything going on, the SB would have known and used it ... A British journalist managed to find information that the SB couldnt? he told AFP. The documentary says the pope did not break his vows of celibacy, but at the same time it suggests exactly the opposite, said Makowski, adding that he has read all the letters in their original Polish. The BBC journalist who compiled the documentary said the Polish-born Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka and the future pope were more than friends but less than lovers. The library director showed AFP two letters written by the pope to Tymieniecka, including one in which he sends his blessings to her husband and three children. Makowski said photos of the pair shown by the BBC misrepresent them as being alone in secluded areas. In reality, the pictures were taken on kayaking and hiking trips that involved a larger group of friends, he said. Makowski also stressed that a term of endearment used by Wojtyla in which he referred to Tymieniecka as a gift from God, was something he said routinely to friends. Those who dont understand this, will draw conclusions that have no basis in reality. John Paul wasnt afraid of being in contact with women, whether they be nuns or lay people, he was in the habit of holding their hands and caressing their cheeks. A close associate of John Paul II told AFP on Monday it was possible the married philosopher had fallen in love with Wojtyla before he became head of the Roman Catholic church. Women fall in love with priests all the time, and its always a big headache, Adam Boniecki, editor-in-chief of the progressive Tygodnik Powszechny Catholic weekly, told AFP. If she was in love with Wojtyla, she was most likely not alone, said Boniecki, himself the author of a detailed account of the pope-turned-saints life. Barclays investment banking chief Tom King is expected to retire from the bank next month, less than a year after winning an internal struggle over the future of his unit. The New York-based executive joined Barclays in late 2009 and rose to his current position in May 2014. Less than a year ago, Mr King is understood to won a battle to reduce the scale of cuts hitting the investment bank, winning the board over with his vision for the unit. Iran has cautiously "welcomed" a plan from its major rivals to freeze oil production, but refrained from committing itself to any deal to help stabilise the world's over-supplied markets. Saudi Arabia and Russia had raised hopes of an imminent deal to cap oil output at January's record highs if they gained the assent of Iran and Iraq following a meeting in Doha on Tuesday. Responding to the agreement, Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said the Islamic Republic saw a freeze as the "first step" to arrest a 70pc oil price decline in 18 months. Opposing sides of the EU referendum debate are throwing conflicting numbers at each other in an attempt to gain a foothold in the campaign. As renegotiations for a better deal for Britain inside the European Union are coming to an end, the "Remain" and "Leave" campaigns are preparing for the crucial vote. Immigration, UK sovereignty and the economic impact of Brexit are all likely to feature heavily in the in-out debate. The Telegraph has crunched the numbers on the key issues that will decide the referendum - here are the facts. EU immigration and the UK Immigration is already becoming one of the hottest topics in the EU debate, with the Leave campaign claiming that Brexit give Britain control of its borders. In the first quarter of 2015, just over three million EU-born people lived in the UK - approximately 1.9 million of which were employed in the UK. Over recent years, EU immigration into the UK has increased, while non-EU immigration has stayed relatively stable. Between June 2010 and June 2015, non-EU immigration has fallen by eight per cent, but EU immigration has increased by 51 per cent. This has been partly driven by the introduction of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU, according to Migration Observatory figures. London: Prince William's wife Kate Middleton on Wednesday turned guest editor for the UK edition of The Huffington Post to tackle the stigma associated with the "heart breaking" and "devastating" issues of mental illness among children. The Duchess of Cambridge launched "Young Minds Matter", a global initiative as part of her role as patron of a number of children's charities, including Place 2 Be and Action on Addiction. "For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help," she wrote in one her first blog posts for the news website. "Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it. We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older," the 34-year-old mother of two said on a more personal note. "We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness." The royal is carrying out her editorial role from a temporary newsroom set up at the royal couple's London home of Kensington Palace. In preparation for the day, Kate had already helped to commission a series of blogs and videos from several leading figures in the mental health sector. The issue has been close to her heart since she married the second in line to Britain's throne in 2011. "I often heard some heart-breaking stories about lives that had been torn apart, with devastating impacts for all involved, particularly children. What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges," she writes. The Huffington Post published data showing that one in three parents worry that they will look like a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem. Stephen Hull, editor-in-chief of Huffington Post UK, said: "The duchess has been extremely helpful in connecting us to the people who are working hard to tackle this issue." According to research conducted by Beefeater, 20 per cent of women said they would like to propose to their partner. Despite the fact that almost a third of women said they would be worried about their partner's reaction. However, more than half of men (59 per cent) would love their girlfriends to get down on one knee. Damascus: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday reiterated her proposal for a no-fly zone in Syria where civilians would be protected, a suggestion that was promptly rebuffed by Moscow, which said it can only be done with the Syrian government's consent. In Damascus, over 100 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid were expected to reach five besieged areas in the country, part of an effort described by a Russian official as a first step toward implementation of an agreement reached among world powers in Munich last week. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fighting north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syria's largest city to the border with Turkey. The violence in Aleppo and lack of improvement on the humanitarian front led to the collapse of indirect talks between the Syrian government and its opponents in Geneva earlier this month. It also appears to have revived a long-standing proposal of establishing a no-fly zone in northern Syria, an idea that has been repeatedly floated by Turkey and other opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the five-year-old war. A no-fly zone would potentially create a safe haven for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians. But Washington has long rejected the idea, fearing it would draw US forces further into the civil war. Merkel expressed support for the idea yesterday, and repeated it again today. She said it could be done by agreement between Assad, his supporters and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. At a news conference, she said such an agreement would be "a sign of good will" and would put many people at ease. Enforcing a no-fly zone has become considerably more difficult since Russia began its air campaign in Syria late last year. A senior Russian diplomat, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, shrugged off Merkel's proposal, saying it would require Damascus' consent and Security Council approval. The US, Russia and other world powers agreed last week on ceasing hostilities within a week, the delivery of urgently needed aid to besieged areas of Syria and a call to return to peace talks in Geneva. Gatilov said that "the implementation of the Munich agreements on Syrian settlement has started." He said a working group on humanitarian access to the besieged areas has met and is set to again meet tomorrow. He said it will discuss practical issues related to the aid delivery. "As regards F-16 sale, Pakistan and the United States closely cooperate in countering terrorism. US spokesperson clearly announced that the sale is to enhance precision strike capability," it added. (Photo: AP) Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday said it is "surprised and disappointed" at India's reaction over the US' decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, arguing that India is "the largest importer" of defence equipment and its arsenal stock is "much larger". Pakistan reiterated the Obama Administration's justification that the acquisition would enhance the country's precision strike capability to combat terrorism. "We are surprised and disappointed at the Indian Government's reaction. Their (India's) army and arsenal stock is much larger and they are the largest importer of defence equipment," the Foreign Office said in a statement in response to media queries. "As regards F-16 sale, Pakistan and the United States closely cooperate in countering terrorism. US spokesperson clearly announced that the sale is to enhance precision strike capability," it added. Pakistan's reaction comes a day after India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over Obama Administration's decision to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets worth nearly USD 700 million to Pakistan. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Verma to the South Block and during the 45-minute meeting told him about India's concerns over US military aid to Pakistan which New Delhi believes goes into anti-India activities. According to sources, such military aids will embolden Pakistan. India yesterday disagreed with the US rationale that such arms transfers help Pakistan in combating terrorism. "The record of the last many years in this regard speaks for itself," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement. The proposal is likely to face stiff resistance in the Republican-controlled Congress. Officials said that the killed militants were linked with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and anti-Shiite Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group. (Photo: AFP) Lahore: At least seven Taliban and LeJ terrorists were killed in a fierce gun battle between police and militants in Pakistan's Punjab province, police said on Wednesday. A gang of at least 12 terrorists were making their way to Sharqpur near Lahore when exchange of fire took place between the militants and police personnel, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police said. The militant resorted to firing on seeing the police, leading to an intense encounter in which seven militants were killed, while the rest of them escaped due to darkness, police said. Police also seized 2kg explosives from the possession of the terrorists. Officials said that the killed militants were linked with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and anti-Shiite Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group. Pakistan has increased anti-militants operations after recent attack by Taliban at a university in Charsadda town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where 21 people were killed, mostly students. The former president of Brazil, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, deemed the comeback of the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, unlikely. | Read More Camelot said: That's ridiculous. If the President nominated someone who was confirmed for the Appellate Court with a vote of 97-0, your extremist argument would be laughable. You just don't have the get's to stand behind your rhetoric. Click to expand... This is the Supreeeeeeeme court not an Appellate court! This will decide whether we continue down the road toward communism because that is the end game, socialism is just a stepping stone to communism. I for one will not go silently while the supposed intellectuals of the democrat party, the narcissists who think they know better than anyone else what I should do with my money, and my life, continue to lie cheat and steal this country blind! It sickens me because there only desire is power, and control not freedom and liberty. Liberal Democrat Progressive Socialist set the precedence!There are some who believe that the President, having won the election, should have the complete authority to appoint his nominee, and the Senate should only examine whether or not the Justice is intellectually capable and an all-around nice guy. That once you get beyond intellect and personal character, there should be no further question whether the judge should be confirmed.I disagree with this view. I believe firmly that the Constitution calls for the Senate to advise and consent. I believe that it calls for meaningful advice and consent that includes an examination of a judges philosophy, ideology, and record. And when I examine the philosophy, ideology, and record of Samuel Alito, Im deeply troubled.I have no doubt that Judge Alito has the training and qualifications necessary to serve. Hes an intelligent man and an accomplished jurist. And theres no indication hes not a man of great character.Again, ideology is key. And as Senator, Obama insisted that the Senate should examine a nominees ideology and that confirmation should not be expected or anticipated. Naidu proposes reforms in AP school education Hyderabad, Feb 17 (INN): In line with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's aim of making Andhra Pradesh an education hub and a knowledge state, tech giant Dell has come forward to assist the state to introduce grass-root reforms in school education. Turning a new leaf in the state's Higher Education chapter, the Chief Minister stressed on incorporating technology with latest teaching standards to overhaul the existing education system In this regard, a delegation from Dell led by Asish Dawan met the Chief Minister and gave a presentation on rejuvenating the education system in the state schools. The delegation elaborated their plans to improve the education system and make Andhra Pradesh among the top 3 states for education. The delegation has come forward to provide assist the state government in providing quality education with international standards in order to make Andhra Pradesh an education hub. The delegation added that there is a need to reduce dropouts, while increasing the number of teachers in some cases. Recalling their past experiences, the delegation elaborated to the Chief Minister their efforts to increase the level of education in Brazil and Pakistan. Students in 60,000 schools in Punjab, Pakistan received an award from the state's Chief Minister recognizing the academic excellence of the students. They have also been working in Haryana for two years and achieved good results. Speaking after the presentation, the Chief Minister said that the government aims to transform a poor and under-performing students into outstanding students. Stating that there is no shortage of resources and funds, the Chief Minister said, there needs to be an effective driving force in place. Given that there are 72 lakh students in private and government schools in the state, the Chief Minister suggested the Dell Group to develop a system where each teacher and student are made aware of each other. He has also offered the delegation to propose an effective way to take responsibility for the implementation of the new education system. Responding positively, the delegation has agreed to roll out initiatives by June. Advisor (Communications) Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, Sandhya Rani Commissioner, School Education and others were present. News Posted: 17 February, 2016 The Phnom Penh Post reported that the number of international tourists visiting Siem Reap fell 9 per cent last year compared with 2014, largely on a decline in European visitor arrivals, citing a tourism official. Chhoey Chhan, head of Siem Reaps provincial tourism department, said of the 5 million tourists that visited Siem Reap city last year, 2.1 million were foreigners, with European travelers registering a drop of 16 per cent. He said Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese tourists dropped around 10 per cent, but European tourists dropped the most. Chhan attributed the decline in European visitors to fears of terrorism, concerns over regional air safety and economic issues at home. According to Chhan, the drop in European tourists was in part compensated by an increase in Chinese and Thai visitors, which registered a 14 and 9 per cent increase, respectively. Ho Vandy, an adviser to the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, agreed that some European tourists view Cambodia as an insecure travel destination. However, he predicted that regional economic integration and local government strategies will cause tourism to rebound, particularly the launch of the Asean Economic Community and improved transportation between Asean countries. Source: Siem Reap tourist traffic dips 9% in 2015 Thai PBS English News Criminals who say things like that while committing their crimes in no way indicts an entire movement. If you have issues with the BLM movement, it shows a clear lack of comprehension of indisputable history and a bias against black people. Plain and simple. If you have to make posts that are an attempt to throw manure onto a long standing and well documented history of abuse by some law enforcement, of minorities and the powerless, it means you are a racist scumbag whose need to deny reality and pretend that standing up for all civil and human rights for all citizens is a bad thing, and it actually proves that point. All you racist pieces of **** who revel in a crime like this so you can pretend it takes away from a valid movement, dishonor all law enforcement that has not abused it authority and all families who are Americans who have had their lives torn apart by the death of a loved one or a wrongly convicted family member suffering under a system still not cleanly removed from systemic racism and a code that prevents the good guys from outing the bad guys they see engage in this abuse of power and hiding behind their badges. If you aren't black and/or you haven't lived in poverty in a more urban environment, you have no clue what you're even bitching about. And if all your free time goes to being annoyed by the Black Lives Matter movement, and pondering why black people are still "complaining" about injustice, it proves you're a clueless racist, whose opinion means ****. There's nothing quite like picking up the phone on a dreary Tuesday afternoon and being greeted with this message: "Hi, Phil. This is Tom Wolf."No, it was not a recording. And it wasn't a fake. The governor was calling, even if he didn't identify himself as such. I kind of like the idea that Wolf didn't use his title when he greeted me. He campaigned on the idea of being a "different" kind of governor. Well, this unannounced phone call certainly qualifies as that. I'd like to think Wolf specifically decided to call me to chat. My guess is that he was doing likewise with newsmakers and opinion shapers across the state. Not surprisingly, he wanted to talk about the state budget. Or rather the lack of one. Wolf has been locked in a standoff with Republican leaders since last summer, unable to agree on spending and the revenue (read tax hikes) to pay for what the governor wants. Last week, Wolf went through the charade of presenting a new budget, this despite the fact that his initial proposal is still being batted around Harrisburg. But Wolf did something else. He struck something of a defiant tone, chiding Republican legislators and suggesting if they were not interested in doing their jobs, they might want to seek employment elsewhere. The first thing I asked Wolf was if he regretted the tone - and what some criticized as more harsh political rhetoric - he used in the speech. I have some bad news for Republicans who recoiled at the governor's comments and suggested they weren't helping the process. He's not backing off. Wolf is not blinking. In fact, he repeated it. The governor believes Pennsylvania - and Republicans in both the House and Senate - need a reality check. He believes it is time for the Keystone State to confront the ugly truth of its fiscal health, which is not good. "What I was saying is that this is the truth," Wolf said of his spending plan, which once again calls for a series of tax hikes, including a new levy on the state's now less than robust Marcellus Shale business, and an increase in the personal income tax, as well as making more items applicable to the state sales tax. "Folks, we have a hard task here," is how Wolf summed up the situation. Here's something else what probably won't come as a surprise. Wolf is going to have a very hard time getting what he wants from the Legislature. Part of that is because while the state backed him (some would argue they voted against Republican incumbent Tom Corbett), at the same time they actually were expanding Republican majorities in both the House and Senate. Wolf is well aware that he is operating under a divided government, and he specifically says he does not feel he was handed any special mandate by Pennsylvania voters. What he was handed is what he calls several fiscal time bombs. Actually, the governor intimated that he probably could have managed to get by in the 2015-16 budget with a few patches and other cosmetic fixes to address what he says is a $500 million deficit. The same does not hold true for the budget he presented last week for 2016-17. He says the state's deficit is set to balloon to somewhere north of $2.2 billion. He believes his spending plan shows a sense of "urgency" needed to address the state's fiscal woes. He is urging everyone to buy in - including Republicans in Harrisburg. He again is pushing for increases in aid to education to address the state's ranking of 45th in the nation in terms of share of education spending. He is the first to admit this is a "huge philosophical shift." And he closed the call with a new challenge to Republicans. "I'm making the case as clear as I can," Wolf said. "Now is the time for this to happen." He probably could have said the same thing last July. My guess is that he's going to be saying for awhile longer. Canada has resettled 800 times more Syrian refugees in three months than Australia has in almost twice the time, fuelling concern the delay is pushing desperate families in the Middle East into a perilous crossing to Europe. Labor has called on Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to explain why Australia has resettled just 26 Syrian refugees five months after former Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced an emergency intake of 12,000 "as quickly as possible". In just three months, the Canadian government has flown in 20,490 Syrian refugees. Brussels: Belgian prosecutors have charged three of 10 people detained earlier on Tuesday on suspicion of operating a recruitment ring for terrorist group Islamic State. Belgium has been at the heart of investigations into the November 13 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed as four of the suicide bombers had either been living in Belgium or held Belgian-Moroccan citizenship. A policeman walks as people pay respects to victims in front of the Bataclan concert hall in Paris after the November 13 attacks. Credit:AP The country has one of the highest per capita rates of participation in militant groups such as Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Prosecutors said one woman in her thirties, named as Marianna A., and two men in their twenties, Azzeddine K. and Mohamed O., - have been placed under arrest. 9.40am: One person has been extricated after a two vehicle crash on the Parkes Way/ Coranderrk Street roundabout. One eastbound lane remains closed. 9.32am: Eastbound traffic on Parkes Way is moving slowly after being reduced to one lane following a two-vehicle crash involving a truck on the roundabout at Coranderrk Street. 9.27am: A two-truck crash on the Parkes Way/Coranderrk Street roundabout is causing major traffic issues in the city. One eastbound lane is closed on Parkes Way, please avoid the area. 9.25am: One person is trapped after a crash involving a truck on the Parkes Way/ Coranderrk Street roundabout in the city. The jaws of life will be used to get them out, an ACT ESA spokesperson said. 9.22am: The turnoff into Coranderrk Street from the Parkes Way roundabout is shut down after a crash involving a truck. One lane is closed. 9.20am: Looks like there's been a smash on the Parkes Way/ Coranderrk Street roundabout in the city. Look out for roadworks on a northbound section of Gungahlin Drive from Sandford Street in Mitchell to the southern end of Kosciusko Avenue in Palmerston. The disruption should last between 7am and 4pm. There are other changes surrounding the Majura Parkway with new traffic lights at the intersection of Monaro Highway and Morshead Drive now operational. Motorists travelling northbound from Fyshwick to the airport and Queanbeyan have been encouraged to use either the Fairbairn Avenue exit off Majura Parkway or Morshead Drive. Gundaroo Drive will be closed for resealing work from the intersection of James Kirk Street/Gozzard Street to the intersection of Pallin Street/Hollingsworth Street between 9.30am and 4pm on Thursday. If you see any accidents or have any info on the morning commute, let us know whenever it is safe to do so: morningblog@canberratimes.com.au or tweet us @canberratimes Benjamin Penny, director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the ANU will host a discussion and lecture from 6pm at the National Library of Australia. The National Gallery will host a discussion around artists, subjects, technique and biography from 1pm to 2pm. More information here. Ben and Jerry's Openair Cinema is on at Canberra's central lakeside venue on Patrick White Lawns. Until 21 Feb. See 2015's best political cartoons at the Behind the Lines exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Touch or click through for more David Pope Today: Sunny. Light winds. Max 28. Friday: Sunny. Light winds becoming westerly. Min 12, Max 31. Saturday: Partly cloudy, slight (30%) chance of a shower. Min 14, Max 28. Sunday: Partly cloudy, slight (30%) chance of a shower. Light winds. Min 14, Max 29. Trainer John O'Shea has always placed great faith in stable jockey James McDonald's ability to ride with instinct and the trainer is hoping that same unique quality will be on display when Exosphere attempts to win Saturday's $750,000 group one Lightning Stakes at Flemington. O'Shea said that one of the appealing features of the former Kiwi jockey was that he never panicked in difficult situations in major races. John McDonald on Exosphere in the Pro-Ride Skyline Stakes. Credit:Getty Images But O'Shea makes no secret that Exosphere faces one his toughest assignments so far in his short but successful career. "To start with, he's never been up the straight which is always a challenge in itself and he's never competed in weight-for-age, with Saturday's race being a first on both counts," O'Shea said. Arrium will meet its financiers in the next few days to discuss if the South Australian steelmaker has a hope of survival. The company, which has warned it may be forced to close its Whyalla steelworks and iron ore mines, will meet with its financiers over the next few days as net debt has topped $2 billion. It is reviewing refinancing proposals which may result in a rescheduling of some loans. Bluescope Steel won government assistance, which Arrium is now seeking. Credit:Louie Douvis Arrium has also warned in its latest accounts of "uncertainty which may be material" in determining whether it "will continue as a going concern". At risk is an estimated 2500 jobs across the group's steelworks and mines along with 1.3 million tonnes of annual steel capacity, about a quarter of the nation's potential steel output. The threat to jobs and the South Australian economy has prompted it to form a taskforce with the state and federal governments to look at measures which could help the plant survive. The main lobby group for the superannuation industry will have to find a new chief executive to lead it through expected governance and tax changes after Pauline Vamos decided to step down after 8 years in the role. Ms Vamos' resignation from Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia will be effective at the end of the financial year. Association of Superannuation Funds chief executive Pauline Vamos will retire from the role from June 30, 2016. Credit:Jeremy Veitch She said the priority for her successor would be to ensure policy debates were informed by accurate information and moved towards making the superannuation system more financially sustainable. "Looking ahead there will be significant regulatory changes impacting the super sector over the next two to three years. In an election year it feels now is an appropriate time for me to pass the ropes to someone new who can lead the industry through this next phase," she said. East coast grains handler GrainCorp has moved to increase its dominance in the west, joining a consortium aimed at privatising Western Australian grains co-operative CBH Group. The plan, revealed by Street Talk last Friday, is part of a long dreamt deal of creating an Australian agricultural champion. GrainCorp CEO Mark Palmquist has his eyes set on western expansion through the privatisation of CBH Credit:Arsineh Houspian The proposal aims to "modernise the ownership structure of CBH" - which is Australia's biggest grain exporter with a near monopoly on the west coast. It will also inject $600 million to $1 billion in Western Australia's grain growing areas. GrainCorp joined the consortium, which calls itself the Australian Grains Champion and comprises CBH growers and former directors, on Wednesday. The British-born, Auckland-based CEO of a $4.4 billion Australasian company says New Zealand's tax regime is so far ahead of Australia's that all his new recruits want to move across the ditch. Fletcher Building chief executive Mark Adamson also tipped a bucket on any talk of an Australian infrastructure boom, saying the state of Australian politics has dented his confidence that projects will actually be delivered. Mr Adamson said that in contrast to New Zealand, Australia charged too much tax, through a system that was overly complex. "New Zealand is a very simple tax regime. I take five minutes to fill in my tax return and I'm a fairly complex tax person. The taxes are low and they simply encourage entrepreneurs to swing their bat and try new things," he said. DEXUS Property has reported a Funds from Operations (FFO) of $323.9 million, up 25.3 per cent on the previous corresponding period, thanks to new leasing deals, with a focus Sydney and Melbourne city towers. The group, which is the largest office landlord in the country, has forecast a falling vacancy level in the Sydney market next year, helped along by the sale of buildings for the Sydney Metro rail line. One is 39 Martin Place, which DEXUS is in "serious" discussion with the NSW government, as well as the retail tenant, Tiffany & Co. DEXUS has completed its 5 Martin Place, Sydney development. DEXUS chief executive Darren Steinberg said with improving demand, limited supply, post-Barangaroo leasing and a considerable withdrawal of stock, DEXUS is forecasting vacancy in the Sydney CBD to trend down to below 6 per cent by the 2018 financial year. He forecast a guidance for the 12 months to June 30 for 5.5-6 per cent growth in FFO per security. So former deputy premier Jeff Seeney believes that his considerable talents are being overlooked, as he languishes on the state opposition backbench. And that perhaps a bigger stage - representing the LNP in Warren Truss's federal seat of Wide Bay - could be more compatible with the ample abilities he's honed after almost 18 years in state Parliament. Former deputy premier Jeff Seeney believes his talents are being overlooked. Credit:Glenn Hunt Jeff Seeney wasn't the only MP feeling unloved this week, with Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Ian Macfarlane announcing he will retire from federal Parliament. It should be remembered that Macfarlane's decision comes hot on the heels of his failed bid to defect to the Liberals' Coalition partner, the Nationals. It's an entertaining, intimate, and ever-so-slightly manic reflection on French's life. ("Prepare to have the living shit talked out of you," she warns the audience, as she embarks on her mission to compress 58 years into two hours.) 30 Million Minutes is an up close and personal, autobiographical show that takes its name from the amount of time French has spent on earth. Dawn French needs no introduction. The devilishly funny dame is one half of arguably the most famous British female comedy duo of all time, though she's just as well-known for starring in the long-running, popular BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley as for her pioneering sketch work on French and Saunders. The show may leave you wishing French's career was addressed at greater length she did, after all, devote more than a few million minutes to it but it's impossible to complain with such a warm blend of personal anecdote and self-deprecating humour on offer, especially when it's fringed by deliciously silly physical comedy. French draws much of her material from recollections of family and childhood. She grew up on an RAF base. One of her earliest memories, documented by video, is of meeting the Queen Mother as a five-year-old and mistaking her for a witch. French also re-enacts perverted games she played as a girl, and tells affectionate tales of her two grannies one good, one evil. There's a poignant invocation of her father, an air force sergeant who secretly battled severe depression and committed suicide when French was 19. Some hilarious stories of her redoubtable (and quite shameless) mum had the audience cackling with delight. French touches on the remorseless intrusiveness and cruelty of the British tabloid media once in an extended segment celebrating, and poking fun at, her body; and again in a tribute to her adopted daughter Billie. Those hideous headlines stand in stark contrast to the confidence and magnanimity of the performer's own storytelling. Indeed, Dawn French is the sort of natural raconteur witty, insightful and verbally secure who can make the hours fly by. And the only thing that can shut her up seems to be her own irrepressible talent for clowning, which bubbles to the surface at regular intervals. Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality. This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape. All the posts here were published in the electronic media main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts. Tentative and anxious, newly arrived in New York, she's the quiet centre of the film, set against the more sharply defined characters around her: her new colleague, Robin (Rebel Wilson), who has ferociously embraced hedonism, and draws the timid Alice into her orbit; there's Alice's sister, Meg (Leslie Mann) a work-focused obstetrician who unexpectedly finds herself longing for a baby. How To Be Single doesn't set itself up as a guide or a cautionary tale or a comic coping manual in fact, it could almost do with a question mark at the end of the title. It's a romcom about certainties and uncertainties, with Dakota Johnson as Alice, a shy college graduate who suggests to her long-term boyfriend that they separate for a time: she tells him she wants to discover who she is on her own. Secondary characters also include Tom (Anders Holm), a bar attendant who has refined the art of remaining single into an exact science; and David (Damon Wayans Jr), a single father whom she meets when she's trying to network. Lucy Alison Brie), obsessively searching dating sites for her perfect match, is an amped-up comic foil who interacts mainly with Tom. How To Be Single is based on a novel by Liz Tuccillo. It is directed by Christian Ditter from a screenplay by a veteran romcom writing crew: Abby Kohn, Mark Silverstein and Dana Fox (whose CVs include Valentine's Day, He's Just Not That Into You and The Wedding Date). At it feels at times like a work of pooled resources, a series of case studies or separate characters shoe-horned into a plot, with a few telling gags inserted at various points. Meg seems to have wandered in from quite another film, and the movie could easily dispense with her altogether. Lucy is on her own comic track; the hyperactive Robin takes charge of every scene she's in. Yet there are quite a few elements to appreciate in this mixed-up patchwork. The movie doesn't pair off its characters neatly at the end it lets them go at a certain point, when some have learned a little more about themselves. Being single is treated as neither a triumphant achievement nor a terrible disaster. Wilson's character isn't expected to have mended her wild ways. And no one has come to New York to be an artist or a writer an almost shocking departure from the usual storyline. The sledging match between Virginia Haussegger and Samantha Armytage has descended into tit-for-tat jibes, with the ABC presenter revealing Armytage's failed attempt to land a job with the national broadcaster. In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Haussegger questioned Armytage's memory after the Sunrise host claimed she had to 'Google' the senior journalist. "I did have to Google [Haussegger] to find out who she was," Armytage told Mamamia on Tuesday morning. All of federal Labor's West Australian lower house MPs are abandoning ship, with retiring frontbencher Gary Gray declaring the party is "highly unlikely" to win the next election. But while Opposition Leader Bill Shorten concedes Labor is the "underdog" in the election fight he says he's in it to win it and he's excited about the prospect of renewal in the WA branch. The opposition's resources spokesman, Mr Gray has become the third sitting Labor MP from WA to announce retirement in the last month, following on from Melissa Parke and Alannah MacTiernan. While Labor is expected to hold all three seats, the exodus has left ALP's WA branch with a highly factional pre-selection mess that has sparked speculation of a federal intervention. The Federal Government has released its Infrastructure Australia report to address deficiencies and future challenges for the Australian society and its economy. The Minister for Major Projects, Paul Fletcher, was on ABC's AM program on Wednesday morning to promote the program. Large-scale reform can be complex. Attempting to deconstruct it into simple sound bytes can produce convoluted explanations. Mr Fletcher had a go, but his efforts sounded a little but like something that would come out of the fictional Nation Building Authority on the satirical ABC television show Utopia. Can you spot the difference between comments by Mr Fletcher and the characters from Utopia? Tony Abbott came to power promising to shake up industrial relations laws and return them to the "sensible centre" in a policy document that made 14 key pledges. But in the two and a half years since the September 2013 election the federal government has failed to pass any significant industrial relations laws and at least half of those 14 promises have not been met, prompting one of Australia's foremost workplace law experts, professor Andrew Stewart, to declare the Coalition had largely "failed" to deliver its election agenda. At the same time, Australia's three biggest business groups - the Business Council, AiGroup and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry - have also expressed their disappointment with the Coalition's inability to pass key policies. Since September 2013, just four pieces of industrial relations legislation have been passed into law. A bushfire that devastated the Blue Mountains hamlets of Winmalee and Springwood in October 2013 was ignited by a rotting wattle tree falling on to uninsulated power lines, the opening day of a class action has heard. Residents and business owners are suing Endeavour Energy for damages in the NSW Supreme Court, claiming the energy distributor failed to prune or remove a hazardous tree next to a power pole on a property at Linksview Road, Springwood. Fanned by wind gusts of up to 100km/h on a hot and dry day, the fire destroyed 194 homes and razed 3600 hectares of bush, but remarkably there was no loss of human life. Mosques in Sydney have been kicking out controversial preachers, irritating extremists who have resorted to speaking in rented halls and private spaces instead. The spiritual leader of hardline Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir is among a handful of preachers who have lashed out on social media at what they say is an attack on freedom of speech. Threat to freedom of speech: Ismail al-Wahwah asked to tone down his sermons. Credit:Steven Siewert In a now-deleted Facebook post, Ismail Al-Wahwah claimed he was banned from giving Friday prayers at one mosque due to pressure from ASIO. Fairfax Media understands ASIO officers have visited Sefton Mosque several times. On one occasion, they asked the caretaker, Mohammed Elzamtar, whether any worshippers supported Islamic State and warned him about free religious CDs stocked in the mosque. They also told him to be careful about who gives sermons. Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen was a "special guest" at a fundraiser for the Rev Fred Nile's political party shortly after he questioned her nemesis, anti-corruption chief Megan Latham, at a parliamentary inquiry. Now Mr Nile is preparing to vote on the committee conducting the inquiry when it decides whether to release explosive telephone intercepts that Ms Cunneen is trying to prevent from becoming public. The Christian Democratic Party Annual Dinner was held on August 18 last year, with NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione as "special guest speaker". Mr Nile posted on Facebook about the success of the $60-a-head event, which he said attracted almost 300 people, and that Ms Cunneen was one of the "special guests". The Texan arrived in Australia without warning in July 2014, with an axe to grind and two goals - to see his child, and intimidate the man he believed stood between them. A week later, the Texan, 51, was charged with attempted murder after lying in wait behind bushes at his ex-wife's Central Coast home on July 15. A rubber mask confiscated by police after an American man used a crossbow and tomahawk in an attack on a Central Coast man a week after arriving in Australia. He aimed a crossbow at her husband, ordered him to his knees and hit him on the head with the victim's own tomahawk, bought at Bunnings for a few dollars and picked up by the Texan as he walked through the property. But the Texan, who cannot be named for legal reasons, came off second best in a fist fight after the man used his laptop as a shield. Tributes are flowing on social media for a teenager killed in Tuesday's Whitsundays bus crash, as police prepare to review dashcam footage in a bid to determine what caused the crash. The small town of Prosperine has been rocked by the death of Casey Stinson, 19, who suffered fatal head injuries in Tuesday's crash. The teenager was rushed to hospital after the bus rolled at Cannonvale, between Proserpine and Airlie Beach, with 13 people on board but doctors were unable to save his life. Eight Queensland mayors have been spared the bother of campaigning ahead of the next month's council polls owing to a lack of opposition. The Electoral Commission of Queensland drew the ballot positions for all the state's 77 councils on Wednesday, with 273 hopefuls putting their hands up to be mayor of their communities. Mareeba Shire Council mayor Tom Gilmore is one of eight Queensland mayors who have been re-elected unopposed. Credit:Mareeba Shire Council Mayors Dereck Walpo (Aurukun), Ernie Camp (Burke), Anne Baker (Isaac), Wayne Butcher (Lockhart River), Tom Gilmore (Mareeba), Stuart McKenzie (Quilpie), John Wharton (Richmond) and Graham "Butch" Lenton (Winton) have all been re-elected unopposed, more than a month out from the March 19 poll. Cr Gilmore said he was "very fortunate" that no other candidate nominated. South-east Queensland must find 700,000 homes for an extra 1.4 million people within 15 years, Australia's pre-eminent infrastructure body says. On Wednesday, Infrastructure Australia said if no key infrastructure projects were built in the south-east, the cost of waiting in traffic for commuters, small, medium and large businesses will escalate from $1.9 billion in 2011 to $9.2 billion by 2031. Infrastructure Australia identified "solutions" to Queensland's share of the national problems of congestion, population growth and transport infrastructure. Credit:Glenn Hunt Queensland's population will grow to 6.4 million and south-east Queensland's population will grow by 1.4 million in 15 years. That is the blunt warning to Australian governments and industry organisations from Infrastructure Australia as it begins a major campaign to persuade governments they must commit to big infrastructure projects. Part of Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel refinery has been isolated after an explosion was caused trying to fire up a roaster stack. The Townsville plant's administrators, FTI Consulting, said there was a minor explosion at one of 12 of the plant's roasters at about 9.30am, but no one was injured. It's understood the incident involved a roaster stack at the plant. Credit:Bloomberg They also said the roaster had been shut down for a time and was being turned back on when a build up of hydrocarbons sparked the blast. Roaster stacks are used in part of the refinery process to burn crushed nickel ore and extract the mineral. Queensland's Education Minister has hit out at her Opposition counterpart for spreading "misinformation and fear" after the LNP demanded the government "urgently" review use of the Safe Schools Coalition resource in the state's schools. LNP shadow education minister Tim Mander said activists had "hijacked" the resource, currently used by 450 schools in Australia, which is designed to help staff and students support and accept same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse people. Tim Mander says activists have "hijacked" the Safe Schools resource, but Kate Jones says he's failed to "do his homework". Credit:AFR The Australian Christian Lobby Queensland branch protested against the use of the resources shortly after it was made available to Queensland schools, in an opt-in model, decided by school principals, from the start of second semester 2015. The federally-funded program approved by the Commonwealth education department as a resource, which is available to schools throughout the east coast, as well as the ACT and Tasmania, is designed to make the educational environment "more inclusive for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse young people". A respected Brisbane private school is looking into removing the name of a former headmaster who helped protect a known child sex offender in the late 1960s from its walls. The Year 11 boarding house at Marist College Ashgrove, in Brisbane's inner north-west, bears the name of Brother Othmar Weldon, who fronted the child sex abuse royal commission in Canberra. Brother John "Kostka" Chute. Credit:Martin Jones Brother Weldon was the college's headmaster in the 1950s, described as a "progressive thinker" and remembered for his "ambitious building programme" on the school's website. At the commission Brother John William Chute, also known as Brother Kostka, admitted to sexually abusing a boy in Lismore but the provincial council only handed him a "canonical warning" and shifted him to another school. Doctors at Brisbanes Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital are refusing to discharge a 12-month-old asylum seeker baby from their care, fearing her return to Nauru. The hospital has stated that the child will be discharged only once a suitable home has been identified. Baby Asha The child, known as Asha, was born in Australia to parents who arrived by boat. She was previously removed to Nauru in June 2015, and has been allowed returned to Australia for medical treatment after she was accidentally burnt by boiling water. Refugee advocates are asking the government to allow the baby to stay. The government has agreed to give the baby a 72-hour notice period prior to removal, after the Human Rights Law Centre filed emergency proceedings in the High Court. While national vaccination rates have been increasing overall in recent years, the National Health Performance Authority data shows about one in 10 (9.1 per cent) Australian children were not fully immunised in 2014-15. This is despite the Chief Medical Officer's target of 95 per cent coverage - a level at which herd immunity is thought to protect communities from outbreaks of serious diseases such as measles. The latest immunisation data shows 10 to 20 per cent of one-year-old babies in Melbourne's CBD, Albert Park, Middle Park and Brighton are not vaccinated. There are similarly low rates in the lower socio-economic suburbs of Sunshine, Glenroy, Broadmeadows, Fawkner and Dandenong. Some of Melbourne's wealthiest and poorest suburbs have close to the lowest vaccination rates in Australia, putting residents at risk of potentially fatal disease outbreaks. Other hot spots for low vaccination coverage were Kyneton in Victoria with a rate of 80 per cent for one-year-olds. However, Brunswick Heads in NSW had the lowest coverage in Australia, with a rate of 73 per cent. The film Vaxxed will no longer screen at the Castlemaine film festival. Credit:Thinkstock A spokeswoman for the Public Health Association of Australia, Angela Newbound, said it was concerning that very few areas across the country had rates at or above the 95 per cent target, putting people at risk of devastating infectious diseases such as whooping cough. Ms Newbound, a nurse who specialises in vaccination, said it was common to see low vaccination rates in wealthy and poor suburbs where parents tend to not vaccinate their children for different reasons. In rich suburbs, she said some well educated people did not trust doctors and vaccines, despite reliable evidence outlining the benefits and very small risks. In some cases, she said these people were guided by naturopaths and chiropractors and rejected other conventional medical treatments such as antibiotics. In contrast, many parents in poorer areas were struggling to get their children vaccinated on time because of difficulty accessing services or lack of transport. A 105-year-old Aboriginal woman from Western Australia's Kimberley region is holding her first international art exhibition in the United States this month. Loongkoonan was 95 when her niece encouraged her to try painting at Manambarra Aboriginal Artists Studio in Derby. Loongkoonan is 105 and exhibiting in New York. Credit:Diane Mossenson The then-budding artist's first piece was quickly snapped up by indigenous art collector Mossenson Galleries. She has painted enthusiastically ever since, producing hundreds of works showcasing Nyikina country along the Fitzroy River. Federal Labor MP Gary Gray says he's not contesting the next election because his party needs the next generation to step up. Mr Gray, who served as resources minister and special minister of state in the Rudd government, believes it is the right time to step down. Brand MP Gary Gray is retiring to make way for Labor's next generation. Over Christmas he thought about his father-in-law Peter Walsh, a former finance minister in the Hawke government, who died last April. "Pete had a big career in federal politics but he retired by the time he was 58," Mr Gray told ABC radio on Wednesday. A self-confessed Perth "hoon" on his eleventh driving suspension said he laughed when he received a letter in the mail from WA Police encouraging him to curb his driving behaviour. In January, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan announced he would be contacting 14,000 of Western Australia's worst drivers by text message or letter to tell them to wise up and stop being a risk on WA roads. WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan has begun sending letters to WA's worst drivers. The first of two letters obtained by WAtoday appeals to the driver's better nature and takes a moral approach to the impacts of dangerous driving. The second is more direct, focussing on the driver's history. People who receive the letter have committed two or more Category A driving-related offences in the past two years. On Tuesday night, the Eagles of Death Metal finished the concert they began in Paris on November 13, when terrorists interrupted their performance at the Bataclan theatre in a brutal attack that killed 90 concertgoers. In total, 130 people died across the city in the Paris attacks, and many more were injured. Performing at the Olympia Concert Hall on Boulevard des Capucines, the rough-and-tumble California rock band invited all of the survivors of the November attacks to attend; many were in the audience. "It's the first concert of the rest of my life," one of them, Emilie, told Le Monde. Los Angeles: Debra, a waitress, was discovered shot in the chest three decades ago in an alley. The body of 25-year-old Janecia was found in a dumpster in 2007. There were at least eight other women. And one who got away. Lonnie Franklin Jr is accused of killing 10 women between 1985 and 2007, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said. The women, all between the ages of 15 and 35, were strangled or shot and left in alleyways near Franklin's home in south Los Angeles. Sexual contact was also usually involved, according to Associated Press. They were young and black and leading troubled lives, some working as prostitutes. Most were killed along a corridor in the Manchester Square neighbourhood of South Los Angeles. Police kept the cases quiet - a decision that later led to outrage over what seemed an apparent disregard for the victims as well as the community's safety. The slayings were eventually linked to a serial killer, dubbed the Grim Sleeper. Let's get one thing straight the oft-invoked "rules" in the South China Sea have very little to do with law. You'll hear plenty of talk from Australia, the United States and Japan about the importance of China respecting international law but, in truth, every country is selective about when the law applies. The US has never ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a point of fact that Malcolm Turnbull last month warned "diminishes American leadership". But Australia as China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quick to remind people after meeting on Wednesday with Julie Bishop has also carved itself a generous exemption to the law of the sea relating to settling maritime boundaries. (East Timor is fuming about that one.) A vast oil tanker sailed over the wreckage of the British indie band Viola Beach's car moments after it plummeted off a bridge that had opened to allow the vessel through, London's Telegraph has revealed. Five men were killed in the early hours of Saturday when their vehicle plunged more than 25 metres through a gap in a highway bridge, which had opened to let the boat pass underneath. The disclosure raises the prospect that the band could have survived the initial impact of the fall from the bridge and instead been killed by the passing boat. Ideas that were touted as answers to the crisis last year have either failed or remain stuck in limbo. Continental unity lies in tatters, with countries striking out to forge their own solutions - often involving a razor-wire fence. And even the nations that have been the most welcoming toward refugees say they are desperately close to their breaking point, or are already well past it. But with only weeks to go before more favourable spring currents are expected to trigger a fresh surge of arrivals, the continent is no better prepared. And in critical respects, it is even worse. London: After an unparalleled tide of asylum-seekers washed onto European shores last summer and autumn, the continent's leaders vowed to use the relative calm of winter to bring order to a process marked by chaos. The result, analysts say, is a continent fundamentally unequipped to handle the predictable resurgence of a crisis that is greater than any Europe has faced in its post-Cold War history. Migrants walk between registration tents at the border to Slovenia in Spielfeld, Austria, on Tuesday. Credit:AP On Thursday, European leaders will have one last opportunity to reckon with the crisis before the pace of new arrivals inevitably begins to climb again in the spring. But few have any expectations that this week's summit will succeed where countless others before it have failed. The scale of disorder and political disruption could be even greater than that Europe faced in 2015. The numbers themselves are already of an entirely new magnitude: Although arrivals are down from the height of the crisis last autumn, the number of people who crossed the sea to reach Europe in the first six weeks of the year - around 75,000 - is 25 times higher than it was during the same period last year. More than 400 have drowned along the way. On the Greek islands, the most common European landing spot for people fleeing war and oppression in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, thousands have arrived even travelling on days when the rough winter seas were churned by gale-force winds. The development of the two secret programs suggest how seriously the Obama administration was concerned that its negotiations with Iran could fail. It also demonstrates the critical role cyber operations now play in both military planning and covert intelligence operations. Just as US generals began incorporating nuclear weapons into their war plans for protecting Europe or countering the Soviet Union in the 1950s, and in the last 15 years made armed drones a central part of military efforts in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, cyber warfare has become a standard element of the arsenal for what are now called "hybrid" conflicts. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is interrupted by a Code Pink antiwar group member during a demonstration against the nuclear deal with Iran last year. Credit:AP The existence of Nitro Zeus was uncovered in the course of reporting for Zero Days, a documentary film which will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday. Directed by Alex Gibney, who is known for other documentaries including the Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side about the use of torture by US interrogators and We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks. Zero Days describes the escalating conflict between Iran and the West in the years leading up to the agreement, the discovery of the cyber attack on the Natanz enrichment plant, and the debates inside the Pentagon over whether the US has a workable doctrine for the use of a new form of weaponry whose ultimate effects are only vaguely understood. Gibney and his investigative team, led by Javier Botero, interviewed current and former participants in the Iran program who revealed details of the effort to infuse Iran's computer networks with "implants" that could be used to monitor the country's activities and, if ordered by Mr Obama, to attack its infrastructure. (Under rules laid out in presidential directives, some made public three years ago by Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, only the president can authorise an offensive cyber attack, just as the president must approve the use of nuclear weapons.) An Iranian woman shows the victory sign as people celebrate on the streets of Tehran following the landmark nuclear deal. Credit:AP The New York Times conducted separate interviews to confirm the outlines of the program. The findings were described over the past two weeks to White House, the Pentagon, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, all of which declined to comment, noting that they never discuss planning for military contingencies. For the seven-year-old US Cyber Command, which is still building its cyber "special forces" and deploying them throughout the world, the Iran project was perhaps its most challenging program yet. "This was an enormous, and enormously complex, program," said one participant who requested anonymity to discuss a classified program. "Before it was developed, the US had never assembled a combined cyber and kinetic attack plan on this scale." Nitro Zeus had its roots in the Bush administration but took on new life in 2009 and 2010, just as Mr Obama asked General John Allen, at US Central Command, to develop a detailed military plan for Iran in case diplomacy failed. It was a time of extraordinary tension, as the Iranians accelerated their production of centrifuges and produced near-bomb-grade fuel and Western intelligence agencies feared they might be on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. It was also a period of extraordinary tension with Israel, partly because of its presumed role in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, and partly because of evidence that Mr Netanyahu was preparing a pre-emptive strike against Iran, despite warnings from the US. At the time, Mr Obama's aides thought he did not have a credible military contingency plan. In his memoir, Duty, former Secretary of Defence Robert Gates described his concerns laid out in a highly restricted memorandum to the White House in January 2010 that America's top national security leadership had not even begun to debate what a fast reaction to Iranian aggression would look like. Nitro Zeus quickly emerged as one possible response for Mr Obama, a way to turn off key elements of the Iranian infrastructure without firing a shot. While cyber operations have long been contemplated in other war scenarios, Nitro Zeus "took it to a new level", one participant said. Yet the planners warned that depending on how the conflict unfolded, there could be significant effects on civilians, particularly if the US had to cut vast swaths of the country's electrical grid and communications networks. While Cyber Command would have executed Nitro Zeus, the National Security Agency's Tailored Access Operations unit was responsible for penetrating adversary networks, which would have required piercing and maintaining a presence in a vast number of Iranian networks, including the country's air defences and its transportation and command control centres. It is tricky business, the war planners say, because their knowledge of how networks are connected in Iran, or any other hard target, is sketchy and collateral damage is always hard to predict. It is easier to turn off power grids, for example, than to start them up again. Even as the Pentagon prepared for a broad conflict, US intelligence agencies had a narrower target: How to sabotage the underground Fordo enrichment site, just as they had sabotaged Natanz at the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of the Obama administration. That effort accelerated in 2012 and 2013, as the Iranians began to fill Fordo's deep underground cavity with more than 3000 centrifuges. But it was set aside, after the Iranians significantly slowed their enrichment activity during the negotiation over the nuclear deal, and then dismantled part of the Fordo plant. Ciudad, Juarez, Mexico: Pope Francis heads to the once notorious Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday, a major migrant crossing on the US doorstep where grisly drug violence has killed thousands, to pray for those who risk their lives migrating north. Once one of the worlds deadliest cities, Ciudad Juarez remains a violent magnet for Mexican, Central American and Asian migrants looking to jump across the US border. Francis' visit, and his focus on the plight of migrants who risk murder, rape and extortion in their quest to reach the United States, is a symbolic critique of the anti-immigrant rhetoric of candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Billionaire Donald Trump has surged ahead of his rivals with his message that Mexico is "killing" the United States with cheap labour, while sending over "criminals, drug dealers (and) rapists." He has also called for a border wall to be built. Encouraging a Close-Knit Creative Community https://www.facebook.com/craftaffairmy or visit their Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/craftaffairmy/ . Enquiries are welcomed at thecraftaffairmy@gmail.com . Being able to be part of the organizing team of Malaysia's first craft and hobby weekend is certainly another milestone set for The Artsy Craftsy. We are off to a great start this year, that's for sure. Besides our recent collaboration with Etsy on Etsy Resolution bootcamp to Malaysians and the revamping of our brand image (check out our new website design and logo), The Artsy Craftsy has been busy partnering up with some of the coolest pioneers in the local creative industry.Together with Craft Haven and Ryl Designs (you might know them as organizer of I Love Bazaar ), we are proud to present the. The Craft Affair is a 2-day craft and hobby event featuring a variety of artisans and makers, with creative workshops happening concurrently.Visitors can definitely expect an interesting array of products and creative activities offered. This event also aims to provide a productive curated platform for all creative artisans and makers to sell and share their exclusive arts and crafts creation to the public, while cultivating a well balanced lifestyle with productive, creative interest among Malaysians.Rest assured that participants can learn and improve their crafting skills and get more craft supplies for personal use, as they meet and mingle with other fellow homegrown artisans and makers.The Craft Affair hope to nurture fellow Malaysians of all ages to bring out the creative spark in them. Families and friends can gather and use this time to bond, especially during the workshops and at the Make and Take booth manned by the Craft Haven team.There will be shrink plastic making, silver making, mug painting and rock painting. As for the workshops, we will have Craft Haven conducting the Polymer Clay Pendant workshop, Fabric Painting Journal Cover workshop by The Artsy Craftsy, Brush and Modern Calligraphy by Letterings.my , as well as a demo on soap making, candle making and mold making by Craftiviti Be sure to look out for some of the vendors of leading brand names such as Earth Care Soaps TinyPinc Miniatures and many more original vendors. Fore more information on, visit their Facebook page Two additions have been announced to the creative team for the Broadway premiere of Becky Mode's solo comedy Fully Committed, starring five-time Emmy Award nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The production is helmed by Pitch Perfect and Avenue Q director Jason Moore. Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Richmond will make his Broadway debut writing original music for the show, and Tony Award winner Darron L. West also joins the creative team as sound designer. Richmond is known for his work as a composer and director on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock, both sitcoms created by his wife, Tina Fey. Ferguson will play more than 40 characters in the comedy, which follows a day in the life of Sam, a reservation-line receptionist at one of New York's trendiest restaurants. The play, inspired by characters Mode created with Mark Setlock (who originated the role), was first presented at the Vineyard Theatre in 1999, transferring to the Cherry Lane Theatre and running for nearly 700 performances. Fully Committed begins performances Friday, April 1, and opens Monday, April 25. The limited engagement runs through July 24. This marks Ferguson's return to Broadway for the first time since originating the role of Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2005. In addition to Richmond and West, the creative team includes Derek McLane (scenic design), Sarah Laux (costume design), Ben Stanton (lighting design), and Jill BC Du Boff (sound design). Barbara Whitman and Patrick Catullo serve as producers. For tickets and more information, click here. First Drive 2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible Review By Henny Hemmes Sunny side up! LOS ANGELES, February 16, 2016. The calendar says that it is still winter in Southern California, but the unusually warm winter weather is ideal for a first drive in a new convertible. We do not even need sweaters or scarves to keep us comfortable in the new Mini Convertible, as the sun does not fail to come out and the temperature is a summerlike 84 degrees. How different this was from seven years ago, when the new Mini Convertible made its road debut. Then, we were in Austria and I remember very well that colleague Ian Kuah and I had decided to drive with the roof down whatever the weather circumstances were going to be. It was cold indeed and white fluffy stuff did not stop from falling down from heaven. Fortunately we could keep moving, so that the snow was blown over our heads, while the heater and our hats, gloves and down jackets kept us warm. After a day of driving in the Alps, we returned to the base, the roof still down. The Mini staff did not believe we drove topless all the way, but the Always Open Timer proved us right: this special gauge in the dashboard showed the amount of hours that the roof had been down. I teamed up again with Ian and this time the weather was perfect for enjoying the third Mini model that is offered as a convertible. The very first open Mini was based on the original Mini Cooper and built between 1993 and 1996. Next came the first modern Mini Convertible which debuted in 2004. From then until the new generation arrived in 2009, some 164,000 units found a customer. During the past six years the next Convertible became as popular as its predecessor and now it is up to the latest Mini Convertible (F57) to keep the pace until somewhere in the early 2020's. 3-in-1 soft top The most important feature of this new 2016 Mini Convertible is its black textile soft top that opens and closes fully automatically in 18 seconds, even while driving up to 18 mph (30 km/h) at the touch of a toggle switch located on the front roof frame. When the car is stationary, the top can also be raise and lowered by using a button on the key remote. The soft-top has a heatable rear window, and the top's multi layers include optimized acoustic insulation for reduction of NVH. The new soft top cannot only be opened or closed, but now also has a sliding sun roof type function that opens up to nearly 16 inches (40 cm, thats why I call it 3-in-1. I am convinced that the Mini community will like a new $500 option; the Mini Yours soft top with woven black and grey Union Jack graphic. Other options are the wind deflector with reduced weight and simplified mounting and 2-zone automatic air conditioning with convertible mode. Moreover, drivers do not have to worry about a possible upcoming thunderstorm when parking their topless Mini along the beach, because they can check the cars new rain warning system using Mini Connected weather data. Unfortunately, it is a bit too early to expect technology to close it autonomously at the forecast of rain, although I believe that the same sensors that automatically turn on the windshield wiper at the first "feel" of rain could also be plugged in to raise the top...I guess that will be coming next. Invisible safety bars Based on the new generation Mini hatchback, the 2016 Convertible shares the longer wheel base and wider track. Compared to its predecessor, the new convertible is nearly 4 inches (98 mm) longer, 1.7 in (44 mm) wider and has the same height. Cargo volume increased 25 per cent to 7.6 cu.-ft. (215 liters) and 5.56 cu.-ft (160 liters) with open top, and even more with the rear seats down. Carried over is the Easy Load function that allows you to bring up the roof base of the top for getting stuff in and out easier. The steering wheel is horizontally and vertically adjustable and with the adjustable sport seats it is no problem to find the right driving position. By the way, to meet US regulations, the head rests of the rear seats cannot be lowered completely like in the European model. If you think they disrupt the design of the Convertible, you can always remove them, but if your Convertible is seating four, the headrests should be kept in place. The looks of the new convertible have benefited from the use of the invisible, fully integrated rollover bars that are triggered within 150 milliseconds by sensors as soon as their protection is needed. I especially liked the color of our test car, Caribbean Aqua metallic (an option at a additional $500), which is one of 11 new colors. Fun under the sun Time to get the sunglasses and jump on the drivers seat, enjoy the well executed cockpit, push the start button and feel the engine come to life. The test cars were Cooper S models with luxury trim and lots of options, such as head-up display, satellite navigation and LED headlights with LED running day lights. We did not have a wind deflector, and we did not need it either as the warm breeze hardly touched our heads in the open cabin. We started our drive in the Cooper S with the Steptronic transmission. In the afternoon, we also drove a version with the 6-speed manual, but I will come back to this later. We headed from our hotel on Wilshire through the usual morning traffic to the coast for a lovely, sunny drive to Malibu. I was not bothered by the quickly reacting start/stop system of the Cooper S and we had no problem whatsoever to be the first car driving from the traffic lights without looking like we were at the start of a race. However, when it was my colleagues turn to drive, he disabled the start/stop system via a toggle switch. The car remembers the preferences between drivers, but does not (yet) recognize who is the driver. Again a possible new feature: sensors in the seat that measures your weight and/or shape..? Engaging The Mini feels engaging and steering is direct and responsive. The new Convertible is less rough on bad patches of road than its predecessor. Its somewhat longer wheel base, which reduces harshness, while the suspension is a bit softer than that of the Cooper S hatch to compensate for the reinforcements that are necessary in a convertible. This model also has the optional adjustable dampers, that also makes a difference in the "ride". The Steptronic shifts unnoticeable at the right revs. In daily traffic I am perfectly happy to go in Drive, while roads such as Mulholland Highway literally ask for paddle shifting, which enhances the fun, as the transmission reacts smooth and fast. The buttons in the ring around the shift selector offer a choice for Sport mode, Mid and Eco, changing the color of the ring around the center display changes from red to blue to green. The Sport mode speeds up the response of throttle and transmission, so that not only the car feels more active, you get into a more dynamic mode yourself as well. Choices, choices The Cooper has a low center of gravity and the Convertible only weighs 44 pounds more than the hatch, so you can expect excellent handling on roads like the winding Pacific Coast Highway and happily we were not disappointed!. We are already familiar with the direct-injected 2.0-liter Twinpower turbocharged engine that produces 192 hp at 4,500 rpm with 206 pound-feet of torque. It is powerful enough for our dynamic drive through the canyons. The engine also seems to like the drive and reacts fast to throttle input, with a nice sound as well. The topless Mini enters bends with only a tiny little tendency to under steer when you really push it, but the right amount of steering and throttle input make it an obedient companion. Michelin has been able to hugely improve the compound of the run-flat tires, which are now softer and provide a better feel. We felt no turbo lag and that brings me back to the drive with the manual transmission. In this configuration, the Mini Convertible has a slight amount of torque steer, something that lacked the combination with the Steptronic. The reason for this is in the torque converter of the automatic transmission, it keeps the revs up under shifts, so that the turbo remains under pressure and there is no turbo lag. Contrary to a manual transmission, where the throttle is lifted before shifting and the revs have to match again upon accelerating, resulting in a very short moment of turbo lag. It is up to personal taste and sometimes finances to make a choice between automatic and manual, but in this case the lighter Steptronic transmission also offers a slightly better fuel consumption, which can be decisive as well. It speaks for itself that the latest connectivity systems are either standard or available for this addition to the Mini model line. For those who want the extra sporty touch, there is the Sport Package ($1,500) with LED headlights, dynamic Damper control and wheel upgrade, like on our test car, which was also equipped with 17 wheels. Giving buyers the opton of different driving modes, so make sure you throughly test drive the different options and combinations Whatever configuration, the Mini Convertible is a good looking, well executed and pretty practical model for people who are prepared to drop the top as soon as the first sunrays appear at the sky. Technical details Mini Cooper S Automatic Engine: 4-cyl. turbocharged. Capacity: 1,998 cc. Power: 141 kW/192 hp @ 5,000-6,500 rpm. Torque: 206 lb-ft/280 Nm @ 1,250-4,000 rpm; w/overboost 221 lb-ft/ 300 Nm. Transmission: 6-speed Steptronic automatic. Acceleration 0-62 mph (100 km/h):7.1 sec (manual 7.2 sec. Top speed: 143 mph/230 km/h (manual 142 mph/228 km/h). Fuel cons. average (Eu cycle): 5.8-5.6 liter/100 km (manual 6.1-6.0 l/100 km), or 40.55-42.0 mpg (manual 38.55-39.2 mpg). CO2-emission: 134-131 g/km (manual 142-139 g/km). Mini Cooper S Convertible Base Price $ 29,600 (MSRP). The Fully Loaded Package is a combination of three packages for $ 4,750. Prices start at $25,950(MSRP) for the Base Cooper Convertible. The Most In-Depth MINI Vehicle Shopper's Research - Anywhere! Birmingham international trade advocate dies after long illness A WELL-KNOWN advocate of international trade in Birmingham has died after a long illness. Jonathan Webber, director of international trade at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), had been battling cancer. He was 58. Mr Webber, who joined the then Birmingham Chamber in April 1999, was awarded the MBE for services to international trade and development in the Queens Birthday Honours in 2011 and was made a deputy lieutenant in the West Midlands in 2014. Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the GBCC, said: Jonathan has fought a brave battle against his illness for over two years. He will be remembered for his dedication to international trade after criss-crossing the globe to promote UK business. He had a life-long relationship with Asia and Africa and his expertise and character will be sorely missed by the chamber. Greg Lowson, Birmingham Chambers president, said: Jonathan was a strong character in everything he did and this manifested itself in his battle against his illness, during which he maintained a stoical and amazingly realistic demeanour. Former Birmingham Chamber chief executive Jerry Blackett said Mr Webber was a real one-off and a maverick. He never missed his targets we were the top performing UKTI team across the country year after year. It was his intelligence and ability that enabled that he got the best out of his team. Born in Watford, Mr Webber spent most of his working life involved in exports and specialised in regional small to medium enterprise (SME) export strategy, European programmes, international trading links between the West Midlands and South Asia, East Africa and North America. He was also director of Enterprise Europe Network (West Midlands) and Europe Direct, Birmingham. He was previously an advisor to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on trade with Greece and the Balkans, and before that spent 17 years working in Athens and Salonika as a literary agent/publisher. He became chief executive of the British Greek Chamber of Commerce in Athens. Latterly, he helped deliver European Commission-funded private sector capacity-building programmes in some of the most challenged communities in developing economies. He had worked in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan, Georgia and Ukraine. A grant-funded nonprofit plans to work with the City of Albany to encourage new business development here. The Oregon Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network is a two-year-old nonprofit that combines government, academia and business communities within Lane, Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties to bring out and encourage otherwise latent entrepreneurship. To this end, RAIN hosts startup meetings and seminars to help people with business ideas network, learn to pitch their ideas and use resources to bring their plans to fruition. The group met last December with city officials and Chamber of Commerce members to discuss how best to introduce the program here. The city will host a RAIN-sponsored event, called a Start Up Meet Up, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Brick and Mortar Cafe, 222 First Avenue W. in downtown Albany. The free meeting will put enterprising community members in touch with business startup advocates, with the hope of launching some new businesses in the community. Originally formed to bring university research to the business world on a state level, the nonprofit normally works with university towns such as Corvallis and Eugene, where new ideas and entrepreneurial spirit are expected. But the program has become more generalized, encouraging enterprise from every arena. Albany City Manager Wes Hare said bringing RAIN to Albany is fitting because he and his staff encouraged its formation through testimony before the Oregon Legislature four years ago. Its always been wise for Oregon to invest in trying to keep your research close to home, he said. But the move to include all enterprise has given way to some novel ideas, he said. One RAIN project was a sunglass company made from recycled materials, he said. Partnering with Albany is part of RAINs rural outreach, a move the group hopes will reveal the same spirit as the college towns. Some people say, Oh, there are only good ideas coming out of the larger cities, said RAIN Venture Catalyst Caroline Cummings. Having recently partnered with Newport and Florence, Cummings said, when coaxed, such entrepreneurs can come out of the woodwork. Most importantly, she said, is that a lot of people with great ideas tend to steer clear of traditional channels. The people coming out to the events are not the usual suspects, she said. Entrepreneurs are not joiners by nature, so they dont sign up with the chambers of commerce or other traditional groups. Cummings said Florence City Manager Erin Reynolds remarked she had never seen any of the people at the start up event held Oct. 28. Encouraging entrepreneurship in Albany is a priority for Economic Development and Urban Renewal Director Kate Porsche. She said bringing out enterprise among residents can be a boon to the local economy, partly because the traditional strategy of attracting large companies is not always as viable. The smokestack chasing of old is not really where its at, she said. That happens few and far between. So we want to focus on local entrepreneurs, which come in all shapes and sizes. Porsche said the partnership is a part of her larger economic development efforts, and that she is excited to put together the pieces of what she describes as a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, involving enterprisers, mentors, investors, and elected officials. The initial event will be one of three collaborative meetings planned in Albany. The next one is planned for April 5. The Call of Interest meeting will teach participants how to launch a new venture in Albany using the citys start-up activities. Finally, a startup seminar is planned for May 5. Participation will not cost the city anything; RAIN last year received $2 million in grant money through the Legislature. Still, Cummings said participating cities, along with providing the space for meeting, could provide matching grant funds as well as mentors from the community. So, what does it mean for the city? Cummings said the existence of an entrepreneur support program in a community can be attractive to potential new residents. Having moved to Eugene from Philadelphia, she said knowing a community has programs for entrepreneurs can go a long way toward making it more desirable. Participants who move through the three planned Albany events may have their ideas selected for development at one of RAINs two Business accelerator facilities, located in Eugene and Corvallis. The accelerators shepherd entrepreneurs through 12-week programs designed to incubate and launch a business, bringing professional mentorship, technology, funding and networking to bear in order to realize the project. As Hillary Clinton regaled an audience with a soul-stirring speech on race and opportunity in America today, inmate #0000950785 sat alone in Georgia prison cellblock. Known as Little B on the street, Michael Lewis was 13 years old and less than 5 feet tall the day he was checked into an adult correctional facility. That was nearly 20 years ago and, although he is up for parole review again in 2016, it remains doubtful that the now-32-year-old will ever see the light of day. Serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, Lewis likely cannot recite the names of the people who put him behind bars. He surely remembers Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, who had been just elected the first black district attorney in Georgia and who made the decision to try the diminutive teenager as an adult. However, it is improbable that he can recall the names of the federal lawmakers who voted in favor of the 1994 crime bill and successive pieces of supporting legislation or the state elected officials, including Gov. Zell Miller, who decided a 13-year-old could be tried as an adult. In 1997, convicted in the shotgun killing of an Atlanta man, Lewis was among thousands of black children who were labeled super-predators. Lewis has probably never heard of Sen. Bernie Sanders and is likely unaware that he and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton both supported the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. But it wasnt the 1994 crime bill that put Lewis in an adult prison for a shooting many say he did not commit. (Lewis has maintained his innocence and many of the initial witnesses have recanted.) It was the mood sweeping the country that inspired the comprehensive legislative package and others like it that passed at the state level. There was, beginning in the early 1990s, a constant drum beat for mandatory minimums, federal dollars flowing to local governments to hire 100,000 police officers, and billions in prison funding. The thumping came from black churches and politicians. It came from Republicans who were running on a theme of personal responsibility. It was the same tide that caused an uptick in the number of children charged as adultsteenagers like Kalief Browder, who in 2010 was sent to Rikers Island and held in solitary confinement for allegedly stealing a backpack. It was, as many now know, the beginning of mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline. It is an era that most politiciansDemocrats and Republicans alikewould rather not talk about. And since both Democratic candidates for president supported the legislation, many believe its off the table as an issue. It shouldnt be. Former U.S. Senator turned Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered what some are calling a very strong and wide-reaching speech on race today. Her audience included former Attorney General Eric Holder, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and a host of others who take Clinton at her word when she says she will put an end to mass incarceration and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The truth is neither Clinton nor her primary opponent can credibly say they have been reformers. The record on that is clear. In fact, together with then-Rep. Bernie Sanders, Clinton zealously supported the very policies that led to over-policing in non-white neighborhoods and stripped wealth and opportunity from the families who could least afford it. In 1995, then-Congressman Sanders voted against legislation that would have demilitarized local police departments. In so many ways, we can thank him and others for the tanks rolling through the streets of Ferguson and the riot gear donned by police officers in Baltimore. While the Vermont senator now calls himself a social justice reformer who marched with Dr. King, he was touting his strong and extensive record of supporting tough crime legislation as late as 2006. He voted in favor of mandatory minimums, as well as the reauthorization of and multiple funding increases for COPS, which was created by that 1994 crime bill, until 2005. Clinton, like Sanders, was among those who pushed the 1994 crime billwhich was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. They are not just gangs of kids anymore, the then-first lady said, two years after its passage. They are often the kinds of kids that are called super-predators. No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel. Lewis is now heeling at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison, a maximum-security facility known as Jackson State located about an hour south of Atlanta. It must be said that there was no pre-trial psychiatric evaluation back in 1997 and no assessment to determine if Lewis was competent to stand trial as an adult. His court-ordered public defender did not press for it, nor did the judge in the case find it necessary. But one look at his school records, where administrators admitted that Lewis was enrolled for less than two years, would have revealed that he had an IQ well below average. His crack-addled mother smoked up the water, Lewis would tell his defense attorneys, referring to how she spent money meant for utility bills on drugs. In fact, every dime of her welfare check went into the pipe. Her three children, who never knew their fathers, survived in a roach-infested, lean-to house with no electricity, with no running water. Despite the prosecutors flagrant, if not heinous, errors and the grossly inadequate defense, Lewis was convicted of murdering Darrell Woods in front of his wife and children at a convenience mart. The Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court both upheld the life sentence. The age of criminal responsibility is 13, district attorney Howard said of a then-new Georgia law, defending his decision. Thats what the legislature set for violent crimes. Howard wasnt simply speaking for himself. He was speaking for people who were frustrated with the bloodshed. He was echoing the voices of people like Clinton and Sanders. The mood across the city and the nation was that the prosecution had done its job and that the boy in question was not only guilty but unworthy of saving. Lewiswhom sociologists called a super predatorwas quickly shackled, shuffled though the polished, wood-paneled doors and largely forgotten. Ironically, it may have been Lewiss own social justice activism that has kept him locked up. Due to his participation in a 2010 inmate strike, he has spent at least three of the last five years in solitary confinement and his minimum sentence was increased by five years. Lewis, who was adopted by former Black Panther leader and community activist Elaine Brown, led the nations largest system-wide inmate strike to protest poor living and working conditions in the Georgia correctional system. In speech after speech, debate after debate, until today little has been said about how we will begin to reverse the tidealthough it appears Clinton has now opened that conversation in earnest. Social justice, at least for Sanders, seems to be focused mostly on income inequality and the unprosecuted, criminal tomfoolery of Wall Street bankers. Notwithstanding the flowery language on a campaign website, he has yet to offer tangible policy solutions that specifically answer the problem. No one, after all, wants to be seen as soft on crime. We cant hide from any of these hard truths about race and justice in America. We have to name them, and own them, and then change them, Clinton said to a packed audience today in New York. However, as both Sanders and Clinton find a new battleground among black voters, our question must be: What are you going to do to repair what you did to our children? Its time for us, in Clintons words, to name the real issuesto own up to our mistakes and make a meaningful change. Donald Trump has accomplished another first: Hes the first presidential candidate to praise Saddam Hussein during this campaign. (And you thought Trumps glowing words about Vladimir Putin were alarming?!) Trumps comments about the former Iraqi dictator came during his disjointed press conference on Monday where he shrieked that Ted Cruz was an unstable person and a liar whom he will sue unless Cruz grovels to Trump with a public apology. Trump then turned his ire to George W. Bush, who was hitting the campaign trail Monday in South Carolina to help brother Jeb. And thats where Trump started talking about Hussein. He started out accurately enough, saying, You know, Saddam Hussein was a bad guy. Trump shouldve stopped there and then focused on the intelligence errors leading up to the Iraq War. But, of course, he didnt. Instead Trump then praised the former Iraqi leader saying, But one thing about him: He killed terrorists. He even said it a second time: Saddam Hussein understood and he killed terrorists. Look, you can (and should) criticize the Iraq War as a horrible mistake. But praising Hussein for anything is like saying Pol Pot was bad, but you have to admit that he was great at reducing crime. Hussein was barbaric. Theres absolutely no place for even the slightest place for praise of this ruthless dictator who publicly supported terrorism and tortured and killed his own citizens. Could it be that Trump was so caught up in slamming George and Jeb Bush that he again lost control and inadvertently began putting a positive spin on Hussein? As we have come to learn, once Trump gets emotional, reason goes out the door. Even Rush Limbaugh said the same after Trumps over-the-top performance at last Saturdays GOP debate. Rush Limbaugh noted on Monday that when Trump gets revved up he has emotional incontinence and flies out of control. (Not the best quality for someone who wants to be our nations commander in chief.) Or equally as disturbing is whether Trump is actually uninformed about what the man known as the Butcher of Baghdad did to his own people and his supporting of terrorism. Hussein was like ISIS to anyone who dared object to his polices. This is a man who horrifically used rape as a political weapon. As was widely reported, Husseins forces would rape female relatives of suspected dissidents or political opponents and then threaten to release videotapes of these rapes in an effort to blackmail the male relatives to cooperate with Hussein. And as the world (but maybe not Trump) knows, Husseins security forces would systematically torture people who did not do exactly what Hussein wanted. We are talking ripping out of fingernails, dripping acid on skin, burning people with blowtorches and the like. Or could it be that Trumpwho recently stated that if he was elected president he would bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding isnt troubled by these techniques because its what he has mind to use? And as most except Trump are apparently aware, Hussein infamously gassed his own citizens. The worst of this took place in March 1988 in the small town of Halabja, located on Iraqs northeastern border. Hussein let loose a barrage of mustard and sarin gas on the Kurdish population there. After it was all over, nearly 5,000 people were killed. And thousands of survivors to this day suffer horrible physical ailments. Putting aside this barbarity, what about Trumps claim that Hussein killed terrorists? Well, that would depend on your definition of terrorist. Im sure to Hussein those who opposed or questioned him were terrorists and deserved to be killed. But I imagine that few of us would concur. Im sure all of us agree that suicide bombers who detonate themselves inside restaurants or cafes, killing innocent men, women and children, would be considered terrorists. Only thing is Hussein didnt kill those people. Rather, he supported them. As has been well documented, Hussein would pay $25,000 to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers who slaughtered Israeli civilians in coffee shops, on buses, etc. Estimates are that Hussein paid millions out to these suicide bombers families over the years, and harbored other terrorists who had killed innocent people in the West. Yet despite this history of Saddams barbarity, human-rights violations and even openly supporting terrorism, Trump still sees a silver lining with Hussein. This is not much different than Trumps public bear hug of Putin. Although not to the extent of Hussein, Putin also boasts an appalling record of human-rights violations. Plus Putin has done all he can to crack down on journalists who dare criticize him. In fact, in terms of press freedom, Russia ranks at 180 out of 199 countries, actually putting it behind Iraq, and Putin may have even had reporters killed. (Which Trump actually defended by stating, Our country does plenty of killing also.) Are there other brutal dictators that Trump admires for their strongman tactics despite human-rights violations? As president, would Trump alarmingly crackdown on dissent like Putin and Hussein? We simply dont know yet but we do know that Trump publicly defended his supporters beating up a black protester in November and just yesterday praised two supporters who tackled a man who dared give Trump the middle finger at his rally in South Carolina. But the most immediate question is will any of this matter to Trump supporters? Stop laughing. Trump is probably right that he could shoot Americans on Fifth Avenue in New York City and he would still not lose votes. And that very truth may be the scariest thing of all. Updated: 9:13 a.m. to add new details Taking shots of your junk with your cellphone might seem inadvisable at best, but in the developing world, cervical selfies can save lives. Cervical cancer is responsible for the deaths of more than 270,000 people annually, about 85 percent of whom live in low- or middle-income countries, and it is a leading cause of death in developing nations. Unlike many other medical conditions, though, cervical cancer is relatively easy to identify and treat. Researchers found that death rates from the disease the World Health Organization calls one of the worlds deadliestbut most easily preventableforms of cancer for women decreased between 20 percent and 60 percent after women began to be screened for cervical cancer (PDF). Theres no reason a woman should die of cervical cancer just because of the fact that shes not screened on time, said Ariel Beery, the CEO and co-founder of Tel Aviv-based startup MobileODT, which makes and sells a small, easily portable, and relatively cheap version of a magnification instrument called a colposcope. So what we do is make sure that woman gets screened on time. In the U.S., cervical cancer rates have been drastically reduced thanks to routine Pap smear screening, but that requires a health care infrastructure too often lacking in other parts of the world, particularly in rural areas. What are increasingly prevalent, on the other hand, are mobile phones, including smartphones: those small machines whose highly developed built-in imaging technology, in the form of cameras, has become so commonplace that most of us rarely think about the power we hold in our pockets and the outsize effect it can have around the world. MobileODT has sold more than 150 mobile colposcopes so far that integrate with smartphones to detect cervical cancer, for use in Kenya, Nicaragua, Haiti, and more than 15 other countries. One country where doctors have been trained to use the cellphone-enabled mobile colposcope is Afghanistan. But the device might never have reached the Afghan city of Jalalabad, on the border with Pakistan, had it not been for an Iranian-raised former nurse from San Diego named Fary Moini. Moini, who grew up in the southeastern Iranian city of Jiroft, moved to the U.S. in 1983. After the 9/11 attacks she saw a television news clip showing an Afghan woman holding her daughters hand as they fled toward the mountains. We have to find a safe place, Moini recalls the mother saying in Persian. It was this link to her own languagethe Afghan and Iranian variants of Persian are mutually intelligiblethat pushed Moini to volunteer at a refugee camp near the Afghan-Pakistani border. Moini, who is 56, has been to Afghanistan 25 times since 2002 representing the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, helping to set up a new school in Jalalabad that now has more than 7,000 students. In November, she flew to Tel Aviv to be trained by MobileODT in how to use the mobile colposcope, then flew to Turkey to share her training with four female Afghan doctors and a technician and to give them cancer screening devices for two hospitals in Jalalabad, along with donated fetal monitors from another company. Cancer screening is set to begin there soon. We are hoping with this step, at least its a start to make women aware that there is a possibility of a cure, said Moini. That is what the significance of this little gadget is. In addition to screening for cancer, the device is also helping spread awareness of the disease, and of womens bodies. We have to break the taboo, said Moini. Culturally, women are ashamed of even talking about their body parts. The cervical selfies spread body consciousness beyond Afghanistan. It was at a flower factory in a remote agricultural area of Ethiopia that Ellen Starr saw firsthand that educating women about their own bodies was an unexpected benefit of screening them for cancer. Starr is a womens health nurse-practitioner and the clinical director of Grounds for Health, a Vermont-based aid organization that works to diagnose and treat cervical cancer in Latin America and Africa. The aid group started using the MobileODT devices last spring, and when Starr joined a trip to Ethiopia in October, she saw women gathering in the factory lunchroom to peer at photos of the bright-red cervixes on the (male) community coordinators iPad after a round of cancer screening. What we found as a side advantage, said Starr, is that women really like seeing their cervixes. At the moment, most of the Grounds for Health screening of women aged 30-49 is being done by local health providers who wash the cervix with vinegar and look for white lesions with the naked eye, with the mobile colposcopes reserved for quality assurance and remote feedback on those findings. The NGO treats women with lesions the same day to ensure they dont fall through the cracks. Starr said she would ultimately like to be able to give a mobile colposcope to all their local health providersthere are 410 of them in four countriesso they can consult with local experts and referral facilities for second opinions, as well as collect data on the results and keep track of patients with abnormal findings. Starr notes that screening would be essential even if programs vaccinating girls and young women against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes the disease, are highly successful. Its going to be 30, 40 years before we can eradicate cancer through vaccination, she said. It will be wonderful when we do, but in the meantime we dont want to lose all those people who are beyond vaccination age but could still develop cancer. The idea for using existing cellphone technology as part of a cancer-detection system came from David Levitz, a biomedical engineer who specializes in optics. Levitz, who co-founded MobileODT with Beery in 2012 and serves as its chief technology officer, was building optical equipment at a university lab when he began wondering why such big, expensive instruments were in demand when the smaller, cheaper cameras used in cellphones were everywhere. He eventually helped design the mobile colposcope. But why pair it with a cellphone? Youre getting a much better camera with much better specifications [on smartphones] than you are on this expensive medical device, said Levitz. It seems counterintuitive, but theres just so much more innovation happening on the phone side that the phone cameras are just better, and going to get much better. The next steps for MobileODT, which won the 2015 MedTech Innovator competition and has raised $3.3 million from a combination of prizes, grants, and funding from angel investors including Mark Cuban of Shark Tank fame, are geared to the U.S. market: launching a next-generation smart colposcope and using the cancer screening device to document sexual assaultand potentially help convict rapists. The same imaging system used to screen for cancer is part of a pilot program in which U.S. hospitals use the mobile colposcope to provide visual documentation of genital injury resulting from sexual assault. Used in conjunction with a rape kit to collect semen and other forensic evidence, the imaging device can be used both for consultation with other medical experts and, ultimately, as evidence that could help put rapists behind bars. Research has shown that there can be a big difference in the extent of genital injury observed by medical staff, ranging from 5 percent of the time, when the genitals are examined with the naked eye, to 87 percent, when a colposcopic technique is used, according to a 2007 review in the journal Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. And forensic evidence of injury has consistently been shown to play a significant role during criminal justice proceedings, from the victims decision on whether to report an assault to the decision to prosecute and, ultimately, to convict, the study found. Our experience is that images are helpful to make the case, particularly when injuries are severe, Marilyn S. Sommers, the study author and a professor of medical-surgical nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, told The Daily Beast. She did express reservations about potential security and confidentiality issues for the sexual assault application, but MobilODTs Beery, who previously helped found the social entrepreneur accelerator PresenTense, said the sexual assault documentation system comes with custom-built software aimed at capturing evidence securely and demonstrating an established chain of custody. Whether the mobile colposcope is being used to screen women in developing countries for cervical cancer, educate them about their bodies or help women in the U.S. put their rapists behind bars, it all comes down to one concept: Basically, said Fary Moini, a smartphone is going to save women. Dear Anderson Cooper, As you prepare to moderate the coming Republican town hall, there is one subject that has not been discussed in a single Republican debatevoting rights. You have an opportunity to be the FIRST debate moderator to seek their views on the future of the Voting Rights Act and the problem of voter suppressioncritical issues in this election year. First a bit of history. For decades, Republicans were proud to be known as the party of Lincoln and many played a key role in creating and then later defending the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act. The original act was written in the office of Republican Minority Leader Senator Everett Dirksen, who joined with President Lyndon Johnsons lawyers to craft a bill that would win bipartisan support. They were successful: 92 percent of Senate Republicans supported the passage of the act, a number greater than Senate Democrats (73 percent, the disparity explained by Southern segregationists who were still Democrats). When the acts temporary provisions came up for renewal in 1970, 1975, 1982, and 2006, Republican Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George W. Bush signed the bill into law, despite the fact that each now courted former Southern Democrats who had joined the Republican Party because of the 1960s Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. The Voting Rights Act had liberated African Americans, especially in the South, from the legal constraints that had prevented them from voting, and members of the House and Senate, including Republicans, sought their votes. Congress overwhelmingly supported passage of the act each time it came up for a vote. In 2006, every member of the U.S. Senate voted for it. The Voting Rights Act helped elect our first African-American president in 2008 and the minority coalition President Obama built persuaded Republicans that the only way they could win the presidency was through voter suppression. Following the Republican congressional victory in 2010 (Republicans now controlled both legislative bodies in 26 states, and 26 governorships), Republican legislatures passed and governors enacted a series of laws designed to make voting more difficult for Obamas constituencyminorities, especially the growing Hispanic community; the poor; students; and the elderly or handicapped. These included the creation of voter photo ID laws, measures affecting registration and early voting, and, in Iowa and Florida, laws to prevent ex-felons from exercising their franchise. Democrats were stunned. There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and all the Jim Crow burdens in voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today, said former President Bill Clinton in July 2011. Then, in 2013, the Supreme Courts conservative majority struck down a crucial provision of the Voting Rights Act, weakening it severely. Once again the voting rights of American minorities were in peril and they remain so today. A bipartisan group in the House has drafted a new Voting Rights Act, but Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, believes the bill is unnecessary. House Speaker Paul Ryan, although a supporter of the legislation, refuses to force Goodlatte to hold hearings. So much for history. How do todays current Republican presidential contenders stand on the issue of voter suppression? Donald Trump apparently has no position on the issue. Hes said nothing about it during the nine previous debates, although in fairness, not a single moderator has sought his views. His websitedonaldjtrump.comdescribes his positions on U.S.-China Trade reform; Veterans Administration reforms; tax reform; Second Amendment rights; and immigration reform. But it is silent on voting rights. You might ask him what he thinks. Despite Ohio Gov. John Kasichs pleasant demeanor, he is no friend of voting rights. As governor, he enacted the law that significantly limited opportunities for early voting and abolished same-day voter registration. Each had made it easier for all Ohioans to vote. Jeb Bush has a questionable record on voting rights. In 2000 the then-governor of Florida helped to elect his brother president by purging 12,000 Floridians from the voting rolls when they were mistakenly designated felons and denied the right to vote. Later, authentic ex-felons had to seek the governors permission to again cast their votes and while almost 400,000 submitted applications during Bushs governorship, only one-fifth won the right to vote again. When CNNs Eugene Scott asked Bush in October 2015 if he supported a reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, Bush replied that since access to voting had improved dramatica[lly], he would not support restoring the act. The other Floridian in the race, Sen. Marco Rubio, believes that his constituents should not be allowed to vote in federal elections without first showing a government-issued voter ID, although evidence of voter fraud has been shown to be almost nonexistent. The senator has also opposed early voting and allowing nonviolent ex-felons to again have the right to vote. Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs website (tedcruz.org) offers a litany of his achievementsprotecting the Ten Commandments, the Cross, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Second Amendmentand provides a chance to Get Cruz Gear: cups, glasses, cell phone covers, caps, and sweatshirts bearing the campaign logo. But the website is silent on voting rights. Nevertheless, Cruzs various public statements make it clear that he is rabidly opposed to making it easier for Texans to vote. He is a fierce supporter of Texass voting rights programs, which The Nations Ari Berman calls the strictest in the country. They include an official photo ID (a concealed handgun license is acceptable but not a student ID). The ACLUs Voting Rights Project found that approximately 600,000 Texans, predominately minorities and the poor, lack the documents needed to vote, documents which are too expensive or time consuming to acquire. For many Texans, going to the polls is no longer a practical option and they have chosen not to vote. It is tragic that such programs are supported by a Canadian-born son of a Cuban immigrant. Finally, there is retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. He often urges us to visit his website, bencarson.com, where he promises to lay out his detailed proposals. A visit there finds his views on cyber security, education, energy, foreign policy/national defense, government reform, health care, immigration, and more. But nothing on voting rights. Thats a bit strange because he has publicly mentioned the Voting Rights Act. To CNNs Wolf Blitzer, he said: Of course I want the Voting Rights Act to be protected. Whether we still need it or not, or whether weve outgrown the need for it is questionable. Maybe we have, maybe we havent. But I wouldnt jeopardize it. He might be asked for a more definitive view. Four of the candidatesKasich, Bush, Rubio, and Cruzclearly favor policies that make it harder, not easier, for African Americans, Hispanics, students, and the poor to vote. Trump is uncharacteristically silent while Carson is equivocal. Are Republicans still the party of Lincoln, or even Everett McKinley Dirksen? Forcing them to discuss their views on voting rights will be a first. Go for it! Good luck. Gary May is the author of Bending Toward Justice: The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy. A few months ago I wrote that Donald Trump was probably going to withdraw before the Iowa caucuses rather than face the embarrassment of defeat. Wrong. He did lose Iowa, seemed momentarily humbled, but then quickly reverted to form by asserting that he really won. He went on to a landslide victory in New Hampshire and now leads in South Carolina. While much of the political world speculates that Trump may be creating a new kind of candidacy largely immune to normal attacks, let me make another assertion (that may prove as wrong as the previous): Donald Trump should be easy to defeat. What makes him not a normal candidate actually makes him more vulnerable rather than stronger. Let me explain. In a Republican primary, Trump lacks both an ideological or geographic base. For all the focus on his bigoted remarks about Mexicans and Muslims, Trump has won self-identified moderate voters in both Iowa and New Hampshire. In Iowa, he lost conservatives and very conservatives but won them in NH (in a landslide victory like he had in NH, its hard to win everything.) In a party that is increasingly dominated by the South and Sunbelt, Trump lives on Fifth Avenue. Like a lot of things in life, this is a strength until circumstances change and it becomes a weakness. Think of Trump as a highly leveraged asset, say a stock or a home. As long as it continues to rise in value, borrowing on that asset to buy other like assets is hugely profitable. But when it starts to go south, welcome to the world of the Big Short. What Trump lacks as a candidate is a fundamental value proposition. There is no real reason for moderates to support the candidate who labels Mexicans rapists and wants to impose a religious test on those boarding airplanes in Toronto to fly to Chicago. Nor is there a reason for conservatives to support a man who is a casino executive, defended partial birth abortion, and agrees with Michael Moore on the Bush administration. And saying hed like to date his daughter if she wasnt his daughter is skin-crawling creepy. The Upper East Side is full of wealthy men with much younger wives who are a lot like Donald Trump. They just dont win Republican presidential primaries. Then there is the image of Trump as a business success. This should be subjected to the old Letterman watermelon treatment and dropped from a high floor to see what happens when it hits the sidewalk. Theres the simple stat that if he had taken his inheritance and invested in stock index funds hed be much wealthier, a handy way to illustrate that he has underperformed the American average. And there are specific failures, like his spectacular flop in Mexico. This is the man who claims that he can get the Mexican government to pay billions for a wall but couldnt even build a Mexican resort? Plus the four business bankruptcies. Like no other candidate, Trump defines his candidacy and his own self-worth by his net worth. If ever there should be someone eager for the world to see how rich he is, thats Donald Trump. Yet he refuses to release his tax returns. Why? Its not modesty. When hes not talking about how rich he is, Trump loves to boast about his high IQ. This falls into the category of proving the opposite in assertion. Do NBA centers feel the need to point out how tall they are? Theres no reason to believe Donald Trump has anything but a mediocre mind and more reason to put him in the category of one of his favorite words, dummy. He has proven to know less about foreign affairs than Al Sharpton when he ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004. Its a joke when a candidate says he preps for foreign affairs by watching all the shows, as Trump did on Meet the Press; its pathetic when a candidate doesnt even get the joke. After hammering Barack Obama for not releasing his birth records, Trump refuses to release his supposedly high IQ tests or his college transcripts. Again, modesty? Lastly, Donald Trump, like no presidential candidate in memory, responds to every charge and accusation. This is a huge advantage for an opponent. As Lyndon Johnson once famously said after accusing an opponent of having sex with a pig, I just want to hear the son of a bitch deny it once. One of the long established keys to success in politics is message discipline and constantly being drawn off message to respond to accusations is the surest way to lose any focus. Boil this all down into a communications plan and it looks something like this: * Commit to attacking Trump until he is defeated. This is key. Its impossible to beat an opponent with a lead and ability to respond in media without a full-scale effort. No jabs or quick hits. The candidate and campaign must be focused on engaging Donald Trump until he is driven from the field. Risky? Not really. Hes winning and youre losing. Beat him and you win. * Control the pace: Trump is accustomed to existing in a comfortable world of his own design. He campaigns at a leisurely pace and has little of the support staff of a normal presidential campaign. To beat Trump, a campaign must take him out of his comfort zone and make him respond on your terms and timetable, not his. Like a hurry-up offense in football, attack Trump in rapid bursts with new, specific charges. Accelerate the pace. Keep him responding and dont let him regroup. After his stumble in Iowa, campaigns inexplicitly failed to pressure him and he regrouped for the NH win. Dont make that mistake again. * Make defeating Trump a cause: If Donald Trump wins, the conservative party will be represented by a Manhattan trust fund liberal with three wives and four bankruptcies who boasts that whats important is having a young and beautiful piece of ass, who loves Canadas government-controlled health care, and who ridicules the American military as never winning. If Trump is what Republicans stand for, the party has walked away from every fundamental value. * Make specific, blunt charges that undermine the premise of Trumps candidacy: Donald Trump is Dumb. Donald Trump: What A Joke. Donald Trump Loves Michael Moore. * When Trump responds, hit him harder and escalate the charge. Its not just that Donald Trump doesnt share the values of most Republican primary voters; its that Trump is a disgrace. Weve all seen how Trump responds to pressure, and its never pretty. A faulty microphone at a rally in Pensacola, Florida, sends him off on a rant. Predictable questions from Megyn Kelly drive him from the debate stage. This is someone who is accustomed to being treated with respect by unctuous underlings. Treat Donald Trump with the respect he deserves: none. Ultimately Donald Trump with his tanning goggles cartoon persona and paper-thin ego is a silly person who has stumbled into a serious pursuit. The campaign that takes him on and beats him will grow in strength and likely win the nomination. Its not hard but no one is trying. Have at it and win. A low-profile foundation started by a fabulously wealthy heiress who seemed to like birds more than people is bankrolling those anti-immigration ads you see during the presidential debates. Heiress Cordelia Scaife May lost sleep over human population growth, drove around in a Mercedes with a Stop the Storks bumper sticker on it, and left hundreds of millions of dollars to fund todays hardline anti-immigration groups, according to the Los Angeles Times. And now, those groups are running ads capitalizing on the anti-immigrant sentiment that Donald Trumps presidential bid has stirred up. One ad in particular, paid for by NumbersUSA, which airs during both Republican and Democrat debates, shows civil rights leader Barbara Jordan arguing forcefully for less immigration, overlaid with Michael Bay-esque music and ominous lighting. NumbersUSA has spent years organizing and mobilizing activists on the far right to block comprehensive immigration-reform efforts. The group has significant cachet with conservative voters and politicians, and it played a key role in blocking the 2013 Gang of 8 legislation. But the bulk of its funding doesnt come from the right. Rather, the group is buoyed by a foundation that bankrolls environmentalist, population-control, and right-to-die effortscauses most conservatives find repugnant. Its an indicator of just how complex the immigration debate is: Though the Republican presidential candidates have largely spent the 2016 debates grappling over who would do the most to keep undocumented immigrants out, the grassroots support for that view is funded by far-left cash. From July of 2011 to June of 2014according to the most recent available tax formsa group called the Colcom Foundation gave NumbersUSA Education and Research Foundation (thats its full name) a total of $11 million. Over that same three-year period (from October of 2011 through September of 2014), NumbersUSAs total net revenue was $21.2 million, according to its publicly available tax forms. So about half of its cash comes from this one foundation. So NumbersUSA as we know it wouldnt exist without Mays Colcom Foundation. And its generosity comes at a crucial time for the group. In 2014, organizers of CPAC confaban annual gathering of conservative grassroots activists, leaders, and candidatesdidnt send a speaking invite to NumbersUSA and their fellow travelers. Immigration in the national interest is completely not allowed here anymore, said government relations director Rosemary Jenks at the time. At the same time, the group was running on full cylinders to try to stop Marco Rubios comprehensive immigration reform plan from getting a vote in the House of Representatives, where it likely would have passed. But immigration opponents rallied against the bill, and then-Speaker John Boehner never brought it up for a vote in the House. So, you might ask, what is the Colcom Foundation and why does it invest so much in stopping immigration reform? May established the Colcom Foundation to further her two passions: protecting birds and reducing human population growth. It funds anti-immigration efforts because of fears that population growth in the United States will hurt the environment. The LA Times notes that her foundation is the single-largest donor to the anti-immigration cause, pouring funds into groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Californians for Population Stabilization, Negative Population Growth Inc., and, yep, NumbersUSA. George Griffith, a longtime friend of hers, told the newspaper that the heiressa big Planned Parenthood supporterlost sleep worrying about population growth. She loved animals almost more than people, he said. She left her foundation $400 million after she died, and its been bankrolling anti-immigration agitating ever since. And some of the groups it backs take stances that many rank-and-file conservatives find deeply troubling. One of its beneficiaries, Negative Population Growth Inc., has argued that women who have more than two children should be stigmatized. In pursuing the various ways of encouraging lower fertility, this requires an explicit effort, both by leaders and role models and through the manipulation of incentives and disincentives, to make it clear that going beyond two is socially undesirable, reads one of the groups white papers. The group also argues for [p]riority in public housing programs for families with fewer than three children. Colcom also funds the Federation for American Immigration Reform, whose president once compared Central American immigrants to the Europeans who colonized North America centuries ago. In the end, take a look at what happened to the Native Americans when they didnt properly screen for contagious diseases back in 1620, he said. And Colcom supports Californians for Population Stabilization, which mourned the end of Chinas one-child policy. One of their bloggers, Fred Elbel, argued in October that Chinas one-child law was a rational and necessary population policy. Besides all that, Colcom also supports groups that push for right-to-die legislationefforts that pro-life conservatives adamantly oppose. Colcom gave Hemlock of Illinois $3,000 in 2014 to promote the convention of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies in Chicago. And it supports Compassion and Choices, a group that lobbies state governments to make aid in dying available to every American. Some conservativesincluding bloggers at Red State and Mario Lopez at the Human Life Reviewhave decried the influence of Colcom-backed anti-immigration groups on the conservative movement. But it doesnt seem to have whatsoever dampened the rights appetite for immigration restrictioneven though the money behind the loudest restrictionists is as unconservative as it comes. Back in 2006, the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, a Brattleboro-area civil rights organization, hosted a Candidate Night. The race for the open U.S. Senate seat between Bernie Sanders and Richard Tarrant, a Republican and one of the wealthiest people in the state, had grown increasingly acrimonious. The audience of African-American activists and other Vermonters of color should have been a friendly one for the socialist congressman. Instead, remembers Curtiss Reed Jr., the executive director of the group, it became something of a showdown. Sanders was just really dismissive of anything that had to do with race and racism, saying that they didnt have anything to do with the issues of income inequality, Reed told The Daily Beast. He just always kept coming back to income inequality as a response, as if talking about income inequality would somehow make issues of racism go away. And since winning that race, Sanderss approach toward Reed and his organization has been one of benign neglect, the activist added. We are a major statewide organization. It would stand to reason that you would check in with your major constituents, but voters of color are simply not on his radar. As the Democratic primary heats up, Sanders has made a major point of reaching out to minority voters, picking the endorsement of former NAACP chairman Ben Jealous and campaigning alongside author and social activist Dr. Cornel West. But, in a sense, these are catch-up moves. When the campaign began, Sanders stumbled over issues of race, dismissing Black Lives Matter protesters who interrupted a speech he gave at Netroots Nation in Phoenix. The flat-footedness, allies said, was in part because of the fact that Vermont is 95 percent white. But while the number of African Americans in the state is small, it is also not nil. And many activists and leaders of civil rights organizations say that Sanders has turned a blind eye to their concerns. Shaan Mouliert, an activist who founded the African-American Alliance of the Northeast Kingdom, recalled approaching Sanders at a state fair and asking him about a bill sponsored by Michigan Rep. John Conyers that would have examined the issue of reparations for the ancestors of slaves. Sanders, she says, was dismissive, telling her that he didnt and wouldnt support it. I felt completely negated. Like I was invisible, she recalled. She later invited him to speak at her organization. Sanders canceled, she said, due to weather, and then never tried to reschedule. I think Bernie tends to run away from racial and ethnic issues, said Vaughn Carney, a corporate lawyer and a leader in the states black community. Carney has voted for Sanders in every election but is backing Hillary Clinton this year. Racial profiling is a fact of life here. Vermont incarcerates black people at the fourth-highest rate in the U.S., but no one talks about that. I have been beating on that drum for a while now, and I hoped that Bernie would up that mantle, but he has not. He is like a lot of Vermonters who like to congratulate themselves on how progressive they are but sweep these issues under the rug. Carney met with Vermonts other senator, Patrick Leahy, as well as the states lone congressional representative about these concerns. Sanderss office didnt respond to his efforts, Carney said. Other civil rights leaders said much the samethat Leahy seemed far more responsive than Sanders. Overall we felt as though Sen. Leahy was interested in keeping informed on our issues, said Reed, a compliment he did not pay to his other senator. When the state was in danger of losing its charter to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Reed said he and others scrambled to keep it. We put out an all-points bulletin to our congressional delegation. Leahy responded and was instrumental in drawing attention to it. We got no response back from the other senators office, which was an indication that civil rights was not his top priority. Which is not to say that Sanders does not have his fans among the African-American community in Vermont. Patrick Brown, the executive director of the Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center, said that Sanders has been a regular at their annual Diversity Conference, once welcoming Anita Hill on stage and once being presented an award by Al Sharpton there. (A spokesperson for the Sanders campaign did not respond to an emailed question about what Sanders specifically had done for the African-American community of Vermont.) I am surprised he has not tapped into me as an African-American person to speak about his record here, Brown said. This is an area he could capitalize more on. We are all so proud of him. Shela Linton, an African-American supporter of Sanders from Brattleboro, said the senator deserves credit for his outreach to the black community, especially considering that they are just under 2 percent of the states population. You dont know what you dont know, and he hasnt had to be accountable to communities of color before, she said. And others say that if Sanders was quiet on the issues before, he is making up for it now with his frequent mentions of the unequal justice system at his rallies. He could have been a little more forceful around the race issue as a senator, said Paij Wadley-Bailey, the director of the Vermont Anti-Racism Action Team and a longtime supporter of Sanderss. It is good that he is beginning it now but it would have been even better if he had made it more a part of his positions before. Jeannette Miller has read the script for Picasso at the Lapin Agile and loves it, but shes never seen the play performed live on stage. Until now. When the play, written by comedian Steve Martin, opens Friday night at the Majestic Theatre, Miller wont need a ticket; shes the director. I stumbled upon it in 1996 and just fell in love, Miller said. Ive dreamed about it and visualized it in my head. Over the years, Miller has had to settle for watching YouTube snippets of the play. So she pitched the play last September during community proposals at the theater, and the timing worked out perfectly. Picasso at the Lapin Agile was given the green light. The absurdist comedy puts Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, played by Rus Roberts and Aaron Marchbanks, in a Paris cafe/bar called the Lapin Agile (agile rabbit). It is 1904, right before the artist introduces cubism and the physicist published his theory of relativity. Miller, who wrote Fear Camp and directed Svens Song for last weeks presentation of Love in Unexpected Places by the Majestic Playwrights Lab, says Martins play is very layered with smart and well-written jokes. Hell set up the joke early on and then the punch line or reference to the joke will happen later on in the show, Miller said. Einstein and Picasso long debate about the value of genius and talent, each thinking he is better than the other. Both are certain they will have a major impact on the next century. Other supporting characters add humor in their interactions with the two confident geniuses. The bartender, Freddy (Cliff Feldman) seeks Einsteins help with complicated math problems as soon as the physicist enters the bar. Gaston (Bob Greenwade), an older patron who hangs out at the bar every night, speaks his mind abruptly and often. A young woman named Suzanne (Anna Mahaffey) comes in and tells the others how she hopes to reconnect with Picasso. The two previously slept together, but Picasso, a bit of a womanizer, doesnt remember her. Another young inventor, Charles Dabernow Schmendiman (Pat Leathrum), arrives at the bar, arrogantly believing he is the third genius in the room, though he isnt very bright. Also joining our main characters are the waitress Germaine (Maureen Frank), a snobby art dealer Sagot (Patrick Chappell), The Countess (Lexie Quiner), and a female admirer of Schmendiman (Wendy Cortwright). Soon after Picasso and Einstein find common ground and begin to bond, a third genius enters the picture. Called The Visitor (Joshua Burlock), he solidifies everything that has happened before, Miller said. The director didnt want to reveal the identity of The Visitor, so it will remain a surprise to the audience. Signing a contract to market the Linn County Fair & Expo Center last May was a coming home event, Greg Hansen told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning. The 1970 Albany Union High School graduate owns Global Qualitative Group and was selected after an exhaustive search by a local committee. Hansen said his family moved to the mid-valley in the mid-1950s from western Nebraska. The family spent six months in Sweet Home with family and then moved to Circle Drive in Albany. We must change the perception, attitude and behavior of current and former Linn County residents about Albany, Hansen said. Albany used to have a bad image, but in fact, its a wonderful place to live and the Expo Center is a wonderful amenity for the entire mid-valley. Hansen said numerous groups are working to develop tourism opportunities in the mid-valley, but those efforts are somewhat fragmented. Some groups, such as the Linn County Parks Department, are doing very good work, Hansen said. Brian Carroll and his staff are doing an excellent job collaborating with others in Albany and Sweet Home, and the parks amenities are outstanding. Hansen said the bad part of the equation is that too many of the groups are fighting over the same tourism dollar. We all need to streamline our efforts and to focus on strategic objectives, Hansen said. Hansen has had successes booking area events and is working to land some larger events in the coming year. He said there will be a two-day meeting of the Travel Oregon group at the Expo Center next Monday and Tuesday. Marketing the community includes focusing on the excellent Boys and Girls Club and the new YMCA, Hansen said. I often hear that Linn County runs from the foothills of the Cascades, but the truth is, the county runs to the top of the Cascades and includes beautiful Clear Lake, Hansen said. Hansen said the Five Ps of marketing are product, place, price, promotion and people. He said the countys product is the Fair & Expo Center, and it is a quality venue. Its location is ideal at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 20, where more than 50,000 vehicles pass by each day. Its prices are well within the range of other facilities, and the people who operate the facility are outstanding. That leaves promotion and thats his job, he said. Hansens three-year contract calls for a base salary of $3,335 per month, plus varying commissions for new bookings and return bookings. The position is funded by the city of Albanys transient room tax revenues (motel taxes) in partnership with Linn County. When Hansen accepted the contract, he said the goal was to secure 20 new clients by the end of 2016. Although major contracts have not been inked, Hansen urged the commissioners to bear with us a little longer. He said several projects are in the works and should soon become reality. The Linn County Fair & Expo Center opened in 1997 and has never been self-sustaining, although annual deficits have been greatly reduced in recent years. First travel retail exclusive from Bushmills Bushmills Irish whiskey has launched its first range of limited edition Irish whiskeys to be available exclusively to shoppers in select travel retail outlets The Steamship Collection. The first release in the collection, Sherry Cask Reserve, marks the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of SS Bushmills. The bottle is presented in a distinctive maritime-designed pack featuring a replica illustration of the famous Bushmills steamship. The limited edition collection is inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship to new corners of the world and introduces a range of special cask matured Bushmills Irish Whiskeys. In 1890 the ship, commissioned by then owners The Boyd Brothers, set course for America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, before eventually returning refilled with casks of rum, fortified wine and bourbon the gateway to new flavour possibilities. David Phelan, director of Jose Cuervo global travel retail, says: The launch marks an exciting phase for Bushmills and demonstrates Jose Cuervos commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey in the high profile travel retail channel. The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow, and while it cant be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world, just like the voyages of SS Bushmills to the US, Asia and beyond. Sherry Cask Reserve is exclusively matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts to deliver additional spiced honey, dark chocolate and rich dried fruit flavours. Colum Egan, master distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, comments: For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. Ttogether with master blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys. A limited number of bottles of Sherry Cask Reserve are available now exclusively to travellers in Belfast City, Dublin and Heathrow T5 priced at 80, 65, $89 for 1litre. It is the first release in the collection, which will soon comprise three permanent expressions plus regular special releases. 17 February 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor According to College Station police, Devin Wayne Ragsdale, 18, was spotted walking away from a man's car in the 1000 block of Sun Meadow Court at around 3:50 a.m. Sunday. The man said his car had just been burglarized, and he and another man held Ragsdale to the ground. When police arrived, they found a wallet taken from another car and a backpack with a laptop taken from a third vehicle, officials said. For its silent auction, the Friends of the Albany Public Library usually receives donations such as vacations at the Oregon Coast, dinners at fine restaurants and even $100 bottles of wine. But the organization never has received a gift remotely close to this. The estate of Marie Scotte Mascotte, a local library patron, donated two 19th century French bronze sculptures and the bidding starts at $2,000 on each statue on Saturday. Mascotte, who died in December, had a lifelong love of reading and a huge collection of books, said her life-partner of 30-plus years, Marsha Swanson. About 1,500 of Mascottes paperbacks also were donated to the library. Books were really important to her, and I think the fact that the library opens up a whole world to children That was a huge thing for her, and for me, too, Swanson added. Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit childrens library programs and services and also be used to purchase books and other materials for young readers. The silent auction will take place during the third annual Library Uncorked, a wine-tasting event held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E. If the minimum bids on the statues arent met, they will be taken to a major art auction house, said Nancy Powell, the Friends of the Librarys special projects coordinator. She added that the value of the sculptures, cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne, would be somewhere between $6,000 to $8,000. One of the statues is titled Artemis von Gabii, while the other is named Diana the Huntress, Powell said. Both are about two-feet tall. Barbediennes foundry at first made smaller reproductions of Greek and Roman statues that were popular in museums, then gained living artists as clients in the mid-1800s, according to various online sources. According to Wikipedia, Barbediennes reproductions made art more available to the public. Mascottes family purchased the statues while on vacation in France in the 1950s, roughly about the same time as Barbediennes descendants closed the foundry. Were really proud that she thought enough of our library to donate them, Powell said. I think its fabulous. Its very generous, said LaRee Dominguez, resources coordinator for the Albany Public Library. Swanson said that the gift was really from Mascottes entire family, as her remaining siblings agreed to the donation. The Friends of the Library raises more than $25,000 each year for the Albany Public Library. An annual book sale held at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center in November usually brings in more than $5,000, while used bookstores inside the main library and the downtown Carnegie library combine to make about $1,000 each month, Powell said. Last year, the silent auction brought in $10,000. If we did $15,000 this year, Id be really excited, Powell said. Ed Gallagher, library director, said that the city of Albanys operating budget has barely kept up with costs in recent years. At the library, we are pretty desperate to find funding for the purchase of materials. The Friends work is critical, he added, calling the group big important partners for keeping us afloat. Tickets to Library Uncorked are $25, and attendees receive a free wine glass, five tasting tickets, and an entry to win the grand prize drawing, which is a two-night stay at the Overleaf Lodge in Yachats. Tickets are available at both libraries and at Browsers Bookstore, and the event is capped at 200 people due to fire code. The evening also will include appetizers to accompany the wine tasting, jazz music and more. There are more than 50 silent auction items and more donations are coming in, Powell said. For more information, contact Nancy Powell at 541-928-4400 or nnpowell@comcast.net. February 14, 1918 - February 13, 2016 Poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson observed: "I have thought a sufficient measure of civilization is the influence of good women." Always a positive, yet feisty influence on those she loved (she might kick you under the table if you said something she didn't like), Nellie Beal passed away on Saturday, February 13, 2016, one day shy of her 98th birthday. Nellie was born on Valentine's Day, 1918, in Shreveport, LA, to Horace Smith and Kate Groesbeck Smith (an army officer/farmer and a homemaker). Raised in Bunkie and Eola, Lousiana, on a large farm with a dairy, Nellie was third of five childrenincluding her siblings Mary Ellen Smith, John Douglas Smith, Ruth Groesbeck Smith and Annie Smithand was the sole surviving member of her immediate family. In the Smith home, literature and education were important, and Nellie loved to read, win awards for spelling and practice her skills as a seamstress, even at an early age. Luckily, she learned to be resourceful even after her family farm home burned to the ground (destroying all of her newly-purchase school books and clothes, just before she began fourth grade). Years later, upon graduating from Bird High School in Shreveport, Nellie moved with her family to San Antonio, then came to Bryan and found work as part of the cotton census with the USDA (Triple A Department) and became an expert with a comptometer. At USDA, Nellie met Albert B. Syptak, then later married him in the same home in which she rented a room in Bryan. During World War II, they lived in Galveston where Albert worked repairing ships for the military. After Albert enlisted in the Army, serving three years in the Infantry in Europe, Nellie moved with her two sons to her parents' home in San Antonio, Texas until the war ended. Later, the couple bought a farm in the Steep Hollow Community, went into the egg business and raised 30,000 hens, along with parakeets and love birds. The Syptaks had four children before Albert passed away in 1976: John B. Syptak (and wife Julie), Albert B. "Buzz" Syptak, Jr., Mollie Kate Syptak (who died as an infant) and Ruth Ellen Syptak Merka Byers (and husband Danny). Alone after having been widowed for ten years, Nellie took in her (newly-widowed) daughter and four grandchildren before marrying Jacob Beal, himself a widower. Jacob called Nellie by her middle name, "Kate," by which she was known until the time of her passing. The couple made a home in Matagorda Bay, living there until Jacob sadly died, a short eight years later. At length, Nellie sold her home in Matagorda to join her daughter Ruth in Lubbock before later settling in Allen, Texas. Additionally, Nellie's closest friend of 75 years, Burma Beal (married to Jacob's brother Oren) now survives her. Here in town, Nellie served as president of The Reading Club and consumed books voraciously, especially mystery stories by Catherine Coulter, Steve Martini and Agatha Christie. Her passion for a good "whodunit" led her to love television shows like Perry Mason and Murder, She Wrote, during which she warned other viewers not to interrupt the story by chatting. Throughout her life, Nellie was also an avid seamstress and quilter, and she loved a good crossword puzzle. Aside from her quiet indoor hobbies, Nellie loved roadtrippingeven in the days before interstates and air conditioningand once traveled from Bryan to El Paso, showing her children the rocks and mountains along the way. (As a result, her son John became a geologist.) She even made it as far as Disneyworld and a 30-day European tour with her good friend, Inez. On such adventures, she loved sampling new and favorite foods (fried shrimp) and desserts (Snickers bars), often wearing her favorite color (blue). Additionally, Nellie was an active member of First United Methodist Church and the Women's Club, which strengthened her formidable faith and set a positive example for her children and grandchildren; she viewed her function as the "family caretaker" to be her ultimate career. In addition to her four children, Nellie tended and loved eleven grandchildren, including Kyle B. Syptak, Matthew Winston (Nicole), Eric Winston (Jennifer), Andrew Winston (Katie), "Jamin" A.B. Syptak III (Janet), Stephanie Syptak Kasper (Doug), Steven Syptak (deceased)(Kimberly), Karen Merka Haley (Chris), Timothy Merka Byers, Mary Merka Laugherly (Kacey) and Sarah Merka Perry (Chase). Eventually, her beloved great-grandchildren came along (Avery, Gracyn, Walker, Julie, Jackson, Josephine, Ella, Benjamin, Zachary, Ben, Justin, Ashton, Bennett, Tyler, Katie, Mollie and Macie) and even three great-great grandbabies. Nellie never doubted her ability to be reunited with her family in heaven, and those she left behind now find comfort in the strength of her faith. Family and friends will gather to honor Nellie's life from 9-11 AM on Friday, February 19, 2016 with a Life Celebration officiated by Pastor David Porterfield at 11 AM at Hillier Funeral Home of Bryan. Interment will follow at Bryan City Cemetery. Go online to learn more about Nellie (and leave condolences) at www.hillierfuneralhome.com. In addition, the recently-concluded, but not yet effective, TPP deal between a dozen Pacific nations, including the United States, Canada and Mexico, covers an area that generates 40% of the world's GDP. This crucial phase of the push to create a new global economic system through proposed free trade deals, on top of policy changes being carried out by existing institutions such as the European Union, will have many effects of a currently uncertain nature. One certainty, however, is that their impact on the global working class will be harsh, especially for workers in the global agriculture system. Recent struggles over dairy pricing demonstrate how some of the people who stand to lose the most from these deals have begun to fight back. Dairy sector is now a major 'free trade' battle field As Europe continued reeling from the summer's developments, a major point of contention in the TPP negotiations was Canada's interventionist system of dairy 'supply management'. Thanks to last-minute concessions, supply management appears to be safe for now, although the included import increases will still pose a hardship for small farmers and yet more will have to be spent on subsidies to counter its ill effects. The comparatively gentle terms of the dairy provisions in the final agreement, and the electoral collapse of the country's social-democratic NDP opposition in October, mean the issue is likely settled for now, although organised opposition to TPP remains. While North American dairy farmers may be pacified for the time being, the stakes will be just as high in the battle against TTIP. Dairy is one area of trade where tariffs remain relatively high, and US agribusiness is expected to target economic supports for 'non-competitive' farmers in the TTIP - particularly the EU Single Farm Payment. The dairy industry, therefore, remains a major field in the global war on small farmers, agricultural and food production workers, and on the food rights of the world's poor. Meanwhile, corporate profiteering and law-breaking The rampant gangsterism of late-stage food processing companies in the dairy industry is typified by one recent price-fixing scheme: an investigation found that between 2006 and 2012, executives at 90% of French yoghurt and dairy dessert manufacturers, including major player Nestle-Lactalis, used dedicated mobile phones to arrange "clandestine meetings in hotels" in order to introduce coordinated price increases. Similarly, it is not uncommon for the largest companies to collude while bargaining with smaller ingredient suppliers in order to ensure that their bids remain as uncompetitive as possible, These are major strategies for large food processing companies in general - unlike many in the manufacturing sector, they depend almost as much upon cheap ingredient prices and the proximity of their facilities to large consumer markets as they do on cheap labour. This is especially true for dairy - a product highly perishable in its fresh form; the insulated transport of liquid milk alone accounts for a third of total production costs. In the age of global capitalism, these types of costs pose a stubborn geographic impediment that food manufacturers have aimed to eliminate through their political influence. As the Corporate Europe Observatory found earlier this year, agribusiness representatives have held more meetings with TTIP negotiators than has any other industry; in addition to industry groups such as FoodDrinkEurope, both Mondelez International and Nestle have met with the negotiators on their own, multiple times each. Meanwhile, transnational corporations have utilised existing trade mechanisms and the ongoing negotiations as a central component of a growth strategy based on expanding sales into developing markets, while also running small local competitors out of business. The result is that developing nations become highly dependent on imports and on the food corporations to provide them. Now 'free trade' trumps human rights Under current policies, governments are expected to value free trade over human rights. Since the 1995 WTO Agreement on Agriculture, there has been a concerted push to create a 'global agriculture' system and participating governments have agreed to a set of rules which compel them to prioritise trade liberalisation over food security or sustainable development. NGOs, including Oxfam, ActionAid and a number of US faith denominations, have condemned the TPP agreement on this basis. They argue that its provisions "fail to take into account that national food security is a legitimate interest governments must protect", and that simply increasing national food supplies through trade - with no guarantee of its fair distribution - does not satisfy this standard. In the face of the decades-long corporate onslaught, organisations including the IUF union federation and anti-poverty NGOs have challenged existing trade goals with an alternative 'rights-based' approach to global food production and distribution. The upsurge in farmer militancy is an encouraging sign that others in the food chain are also prepared to fight back when they recognise a mortal threat to their interests. Their approach has the potential to unite masses of farmers with trade unionists throughout the world in pursuit of shared interests against the large corporations that control much of the world's agricultural policy. A global struggle for good food, good jobs and good pay The primacy of food manufacturers within this neoliberal agriculture system threatens not only food access and public health, but also the livelihoods of over a billion people employed in the sector - an entire third of the global workforce. Just as small suppliers have suffered from corporate expansion, the biggest food corporations have concurrently transformed local labour markets. They employ people in appalling conditions throughout most of the world. As an increasingly few companies come to dominate local agriculture in developing markets, they introduce a submissive, easily-threatened, temporary workforce, destroy local producers and promote further impoverishment. For example, Nestle, in addition to (allegedly) encouraging trade unionist assassinations in Colombia, avoids permanent employment relationships by classifying large numbers of employees as 'non-core'. These workers hold roles in production, packaging and distribution that may be filled by temps on an indefinite basis. As a result, there are entire countries where most of the company's workforce is employed through temp agencies. This process is encouraged by a system of intra-regional competition among facilities, tracked with sophisticated IT systems. The elimination of political and regulatory barriers to trade will fit these existing structures of corporate operations, especially given their need to transcend the geographic challenges that are inherent in food production and distribution. The movement for food sovereignty is a crucial stage in the international struggle for workers' rights. A trade unionist approach to food justice has the potential to unite a broader coalition in support of the rights of workers and small farmers in developing countries. The dairy protests that began last summer and continue today show that such a broad-based movement can meet the challenge. People can still take back control of the food system and in doing so will allow agricultural workers to take control over their livelihoods. As long as international trade is designed in the interests of the large food manufacturers and against those of workers and small producers, we remain on a dangerous path. David Miller is a labor activist and writer based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This article was originally published by openDemocracy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. This version includes some additional reporting by The Ecologist. A Penhook man charged with two felony counts of aggravated DUI manslaughter in connection with a Sept. 4. 2015, traffic crash on U.S. 220 is headed to Circuit Court. In Henry County General District Court on Friday, Judge M. Frederick King certified those two charges against Jason Ryan Hurt, 24, to the grand jury. The accident happened about 3:35 p.m. on Sept. 4 when a 2014 Chevrolet 3500 pickup pulling a trailer was traveling north on U.S. 220 in the right lane when it struck a 2006 Subaru Outback that also was traveling north in the right lane, according to the Virginia State Police. The Subaru lost control, ran off the right side of the road and over an embankment before striking a tree, police said. The driver of the Subaru -- David Ray Stanford, 53, of Collinsville and a passenger in the Subaru Roger Lee Smith, 61, of Stanleytown died at the accident scene. According to testimony during the preliminary hearing Friday, the medical examiners office determined that Stanford and Smith died from blunt-force-trauma injuries. The accident occurred between Grassy Creek and Fieldale about two miles south of Virginia 609, which is the Fieldale exit off of U.S. 220. Two motorists in separate vehicles who witnessed the crash testified Friday. Donna Turner Martin testified that she was driving a Nissan Sentra northbound in the left lane on U.S. 220 when she saw a white truck pulling a motocross-type trailer approaching from behind in her lane and driving erratically. She said she tried to get off the road to avoid being hit and that the truck pulling a trailer barely missed hitting her vehicle. After passing by her vehicle, the truck continued on a distance and struck the rear end of a car, which went off the roadway, Martin said. It left the ground. There was smoke everywhere, she said. She added the truck kept driving a distance before stopping. Martin said she ran to the car. The horn would not stop. The car started to catch fire and someone on the scene put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, she said. Martin said she looked but couldnt find anyone from the car. We couldnt find anybody. The car was so damaged that she couldnt tell what kind of vehicle it was or the color, she said. She said she stayed on the scene until a law enforcement officer asked her to leave. I was so upset, she said. During cross-examination by defense attorney Will Davis, Martin said she could not identify the driver of the truck. She also said, The truck was never under control. She said the truck was in the right lane when it hit the car but was moving back to the left. Matthew Roberts testified he was driving north in the left lane of 220 at a speed of almost 80 mph when he saw a truck pulling a trailer approaching behind him at pretty fast speed. He said the trailer was swerving. Roberts said he pulled into the right lane and slowed down a bit. He said the truck pulling the trailer continued in the left lane and the trailer nearly struck Martins car. Shortly after that, the truck hit another car, which then veered to the right and left the roadway. The truck pulling the trailer shook from the impact, Roberts said. The truck pulling the trailer continued on for maybe a half-mile before stopping, Roberts said. Martin had estimated a similar distance. Roberts testified that the car that was struck was completely demolished, so much that he couldnt tell which was the front end and which was the rear end. He said he also looked for anyone who may have been in the car but didnt see any people - until a wrecker pulled the car off of them. Loud cries could be heard from some observers in the courtroom when Roberts said that. Roberts testified he could not identify the driver of the truck. Trooper M.R. Lovette of the state police testified he received a call around 3:35 p.m. Sept. 4 about a crash on 220 North north of the U.S. 58 exit. When he arrived at the scene at 3:47 p.m., he saw a bluish Subaru sedan upside down. Photographs were introduced into evidence showing skid marks leading off the roadway. Lovette said ground and grass were disturbed leading to the car, which came to rest 75 feet or so off the shoulder of the road. He also observed damage to a tree. Lovette said the defendant, Jason Ryan Hurt, walked from the truck to the crash scene and sought out Lovette. Hurt said he was driving the truck and that the Subaru was stationary in the right lane when the vehicle he was driving struck it, Lovette said. Hurt had an obvious odor of alcohol and bloodshot eyes, and he was unsteady on his feet and stumbling, Lovette said. Lovette said he administered several field sobriety tests. Hurt said he had an ankle injury a year and a half before but that he had no balance problems. Hurt said he had drunk a beer to a beer and a half that day before the crash, and that he had not had any narcotics, Lovette said. Lovette observed on the first field sobriety test that Hurt had involuntary jerking of the eyes caused by drinking alcohol. On the second field-sobriety test (one-leg stand), Hurt swayed (using his arms for balance) and his leg touched down several times. On the third test (walk a line), Hurt stepped off the line a number of times, Lovette said. Lovette said he also administered a preliminary breath test and placed Hurt under arrest for driving under the influence at 4:34 p.m. Hurt was transported to the magistrates office, where he was given a test that showed his blood alcohol content was 0.19. (That was nearly 2 1/2 times the legal limit of 0.08). Lovette said there were two other people in the truck with Hurt. One of the passengers walked to the wreck scene and said he wanted to go to the bathroom in the woods. That passenger was charged with drunk in public. Lovette said the other passenger had left the scene. Lovette said he didnt know either of the passengers names. Hurt often looked down at the defense table during the preliminary hearing. He did not testify. His attorney did not present evidence. Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Nester nolle prossed (discontinued prosecution of) a misdemeanor charge against Hurt of DUI: first offense, blood alcohol content 0.15-20 percent. That charge will come back by way of a direct indictment to the grand jury. Today I just wanted to focus on the felonies and not create any double jeopardy issues that could arise in the future, Nester said in an email. Also in General District Court on Friday, James Curtis Rumley, 49, of 241 Penrose Drive, Bassett, was found guilty of failure to ride a bicycle on the right edge of the roadway and no headlight on bicycle. He was fined a total of $30. Rumley was charged in connection with an accident about 9:20 p.m. on Jan. 12 on Virginia Avenue at the intersection of Printers Lane. Trooper M.R. Lovette of the state police has said that Rumley was riding a bicycle south in the center turn lane of Virginia Avenue when it was struck head-on by a northbound Chrysler Concord, which was turning left on Printers Lane. The driver of the car Danielle Davis of 700 Zee Street, Martinsville was not charged. Rumley was not seriously injured, Lovette said in court Wednesday. SHARE By Donna B. Stinnett Through ups and downs, through tears and laughter, a group of Thursday night friends have become a lot like family instead. It's because they have at least one very important thing in common: Someone they love spouse, partner, son, daughter, grandchild, sibling, parent has had a past or present addiction illness. The Thursday night group, which meets at First Christian Church at 7 p.m., is called Al-Anon and it's a "fellowship of family and friends" who are seeking knowledge about coping with their various situations. " I didn't know about Al-Anon until I needed it," said "Lana." "Addiction is a lifelong disease. It comes with a lot of ups and downs, so that's where this group helps the most. If there is a relapse, you are already in here and you know you can get better." When she first started attending the group about eight years ago, "Lana" hoped she and her husband would find the magic key for "fixing" their addicted son. The reality they learned instead was meaningful and enduring. "We were very desperate at that point," she said. " We learned through this group that we did not cause it. We can't control it. We can't cure it. We had to learn how to cope." Al-Anon is not affiliated with any religious group. It's just a support group for those looking to own their sanity. Many have been attending for years seeking their own peace of mind and stick around to see if they can help others achieve that same plateau once critical mass has subsided. Others are brand new. "We have quite a few years between us," said "Doug." "One of the mistakes we all talk about is that we think we're here for our loved one, that we're doing what's best for them. But we're really here for ourselves." And they think there may be others who could benefit from such a support system. "We are a welcoming group," said "Diane," recalling the night someone new showed up to find group members eating some of the wonderful baked goods one of the members likes to bring and laughing easily among themselves. That person, she said, expected to find a bunch of sad sacks, drowning in misery, but their joy in fellowship and shared experiences outshone the rougher times they've all experienced. "Bill" described his own demeanor the first time he showed up to join the group. "I was mad, disappointed, disgusted and felt out of control," he said. "I'm a fix-it person. But I've learned you can't do that with addiction. It's a growing process." He says he feels very different now after spending a couple of years in Al-Anon. "I'm so far educated about the process now. My anger is gone and my frustration has somewhat subsided," he said, echoing "Betty's" feeling that the group is for him, not his adult daughter who had an addiction to prescription pain medication. "I am a strong advocate for this group. You get to share with people where you are." That in itself, can be cathartic. "My grandson's (Alcoholics Anonymous) sponsor brought me in here the first time," said the baker. "He told me this was a place I could get help. And now I love them all like family. I can tell them things I can't tell family, and share their lives. I don't hold everything in in here." Elizabeth was at the end of her rope when she finally came to the group, bringing another family member along for support, which made it easier. "I was one of those people who used a lot of Kleenex and tried to deal with my son's addiction myself," she said. "Finally it became such a burden. I didn't want anybody to know about it. But we came here and right away it helped me tremendously. I really did need this group. "I learned to quit worrying about it and start respecting my son's boundaries," she added. It can be hard going that first time, several acknowledged. The founder of the local group was inspired to do so several years ago in the wake of an adult daughter's stay in a 28-day addiction recovery center. During a Family Week visit, he and his wife were exposed to Al-Anon, but started attending meetings out-of-town where they wouldn't be recognized. But soon that feeling vanished. "We found out that it didn't matter," "Dan" said. "Wherever you go to a meeting it's family." He asked their pastor for permission to host an Al-Anon group. That was more than a decade ago. "Betty" said that a blessing in addition to anonymity outside the group is the knowledge that when a "crisis alert" happens "you can pick up the phone and call anyone in the group and they will come to help you." She said it was one of her fellow Al-Anon group members that drove her son to rehab "the fourth or fifth" time. "We were worn out with it," she added. "This is the big thing. There are times dealing with an addict that it gets more than you can bear." Knowing who to call and where to go can be so valuable. "Many people walk through the door because they don't know where to go," said the group's leader. "This group gives them hope, no matter what happens, it's going to be all right. You are going to be all right." Darrin Phegley / The Gleaner The Smith Mills Volunteer Fire Department building in Smith Mills is no longer in use, having been replaced by a new building in 2015. SHARE By Beth Smith of The Gleaner HENDERSON The issue of asbestos testing of condemned buildings not owned by the county ended in a stalemate during Henderson County Fiscal Court on Tuesday with two magistrates voting for, two voting against and zero available to break the tie. Absent from Tuesday's meeting was Judge-executive Hugh McCormick, who is recovering from a successful surgery on Feb. 11 to remove cancer from his lung. McCormick is expected to be in the intensive care unit for several more days. Magistrate Charles Alexander was also absent. Magistrate Butch Puttman presided over the meeting. The issue arose when County Engineer Bill Hubiak asked the panel for permission to hire Elite Environmental Services, an asbestos inspection company from Evansville which at $300 had been the low bidder to test the old Smith Mills Volunteer Fire Department as well as two other structures on the property. The buildings are located at the intersection of Kentucky 136 and Kentucky 359. "Two of the three structures have been condemned by the County Codes Department," he said. "We contacted construction companies for bids on the (demolition), which will be presented on a different date." Hubiak said asbestos testing is required before demolition can occur. "Why don't we just sell (the property)?" said Magistrate Carter Wilkerson. "We can't do that because we don't own it," Hubiak said. "Then we can't be tearing it down until we own it either," Wilkerson responded. Magistrate Bruce Todd also voiced opposition. "We've got homes out there that we've been trying to get torn down that are more of a safety hazard than the old fire department," he said. "I've got a list, and we're trying to work through the list of condemnations with the limited budget that we have," Hubiak said. Both Hubiak and Henderson County Attorney Steve Gold told magistrates that since the buildings have been condemned, it gives the county the authority to remove them. Gold told the court that the county is trying to acquire the deeds to the property partly because of the storm siren on the property. Hubiak added that there is money in the codes department budget to cover the expense of the testing. "Do we know that there's asbestos in the buildings, or are we just trying to determine it?" Magistrate George Warren asked. Hubiak said a preliminary look didn't show asbestos, but the testing is required on a commercial building. "So if I understand this," Puttman said, "Elite Environmental will go in, perform this test and give us the results, which we think is going to be negative. The test is part of the process and one of the qualifications needed before the demolition takes place ... And our concern going forward is that the longer we wait, we are looking at some damage that could happen or injury to someone in the public just by virtue if the buildings collapse." "That's correct," Hubiak said. "And we can't move forward without this inspection," Puttman said. "That's correct," Hubiak said. In the end, Warren and Puttman voted in favor of moving forward with the testing, while Todd and Wilkerson opposed it. "From what I understood, that the testing of the property, under the condemnation, is a function that has to be done," Puttman explained after the vote. "The reason I'm for it, is I'm understanding that this will be our property once we get the deeds taken care of. And I think the $300, we will recoup." "The testing is required before the buildings are demolished," Warren said. "So I wanted to go ahead and expedite the process and proceed with the testing. As far as the payment, the fire department may want to go ahead and pay for it. If not, we might want to issue a lien so when property is sold it will be recouped." "One of our duties (as fiscal court) is to provide protection, and work with the fire departments. I thought we would be helping the Smith Mills fire department by expediting the process," Warren said. Wilkerson said his opposition lies with ownership of the property. "We don't have possession of that building yet," he said. "I can't understand why we are spending money on an old dilapidated building and not just auctioning it off. If one of the fire departments came to court and said we need to salvage the good part of the building, I'd be for tearing down the surrounding facilities and keeping the good. But if we're just going to sell it or auction it off, I'm not for spending any money on it. Why not auction it off, take the money and give it to the volunteer fire departments? Until we get the property in our name, we don't need to be spending money on it." Todd also said he doesn't want to spend money on something not owned by the county. "I don't think we should use taxpayer money for testing when we don't own the property," he said. "I don't know why we would be spending money on that. Plus, we shouldn't be in land purchasing, and we have other dilapidated structures that need to come down. We shouldn't be demolishing it since we don't own it. There are other properties that have been condemned for three or four years, but they haven't been torn down yet." County Codes Administrator Randy Tasa confirmed that the county can tear down condemned buildings it doesn't own. "We have a Henderson County unsafe structure/public nuisance ordinance that if a structure has been found unsafe, the county can take it upon itself to correct the violation for the safety of the public." The situation with the former Smith Mills VFD building "is a weird scenario," he said. "Usually condemned property is owned by a private owner, but this isn't owned by the county, but by a county organization. We're working with them to correct the violation because they don't have the funds to do so." In other business Tuesday: Reports: Fiscal court accepted reports from the Henderson County Detention Center, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and the Henderson County Clerk's Office. Agreement: Magistrates approved an interlocal agreement between the sheriff's office and the Pennryile Narcotics Task Force. Payments: The court accepted payments from the Henderson County Attorney's Office and approved the payment of claims. SHARE ATLANTA (AP) Georgia is set to execute a former Navy crewman who killed a fellow sailor. Forty-five-year-old Travis Hittson is scheduled to receive an injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the state prison in Jackson. He was convicted in the April 1992 killing of Conway Utterbeck. Hittson was stationed in Pensacola, Florida. Court documents show that Hittson went with Utterbeck and a third sailor, Edward Vollmer, to Vollmer's parents' home in Warner Robins, Georgia. Hittson and Vollmer went out drinking and killed Utterbeck upon returning home. Hittson's lawyers had argued his life should be spared because he's shown great remorse and because Vollmer manipulated him into killing Utterbeck. Vollmer reached a plea deal with prosecutors and is serving a life sentence for the killing. Caption 1: FILE -In this undated file photo released by the Georgia Department of Corrections shows death row inmate and former Navy sailor Travis Hittson in Georgia. Hittson, 45, is to scheduled be put to death Wednesday evening, Feb. 17, 2016. The 45-year-old inmate was convicted in the April 1992 killing of fellow sailor Conway Utterbeck. The parole board, the only entity authorized to commute a death sentence in Georgia, is planning a clemency hearing Wednesday. (Georgia Department of Corrections via AP, File) SHARE Mike Lawrence / The Gleaner FILE PHOTO: Clouds of vapor created when the exhaust collides with cold winter air from Big Rivers Electric Corp.'s Green power plant and the city of Henderson's Station Two on a chilly January morning in 2015. By Tom Lovett of The Gleaner The city of Henderson and its utility, Henderson Municipal Power & Light, have filed a petition seeking damages in a long-running dispute with Big Rivers Electric involving surplus power generated at the city's Station Two power plant, which Big Rivers operates. Under their 1998 contract, HMP&L is entitled each year to reserve a portion of Station Two's 312 megawatts of generating capacity for its own use. Often, however, HMP&L's customers consume far less than what had been reserved. The dispute centers on who is entitled to use or try to sell that surplus on the wholesale electric market to generate extra revenue. In 2012, an arbitration panel ruled the capacity belonged to the city. Big Rivers appealed that ruling in Henderson Circuit Court, which upheld the arbitration. The case then went to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which also ruled in favor of the city. Big Rivers appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court, but in August the court declined to hear the case, setting the stage for HMP&L to try to recoup the money Big Rivers made from the sale of excess power. The petition, filed Friday in Henderson Circuit Court, contends that starting in 2009 and continuing through today, Big Rivers used the capacity belonging to Henderson to generate power it sold on the open market, paying Henderson $1.50 per megawatt hour. At the same time it charged HMP&L between "an average low of $8.89 per megawatt hour to an average high of $13.49 per megawatt hour" to reserve its generating capacity. The petition seeks to recover "profits and revenue" produced by the sale of that surplus power, reimbursement for HMP&L's cost to maintain its generating capacity as well as interest and attorney's fees. Gary Quick, HMP&L's general manager, told The Gleaner in August the utility is seeking "a material amount of money" from Big Rivers that easily ranges into millions of dollars. A more exact figure is difficult to determine, he said, but HMP&L has the data to figure it out. Stephanie McCombs, a spokeswoman for Big Rivers, said the company couldn't comment on pending litigation. SHARE By The Associated Press Lower gas prices are putting more strain on Kentucky's road fund while bringing relief to consumers. Transportation Cabinet officials said Tuesday that state motor fuels tax revenues are about $33 million below projections for the current fiscal year. And in coming years, the gas tax is expected to take in much lower amounts compared to this year. Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock says the state needs to be prudent in stretching transportation dollars to cover as many projects as possible. Hancock spoke to a House budget subcommittee. He outlined Gov. Matt Bevin's proposal to spend $6 billion on roads and bridges in the next six years. Rep. Dennis Keene says a plan is needed to generate more revenue to meet highway needs. Without it, he says economic development efforts will suffer. NEW CANAAN -- An underwhelming experience in mainstream publishing inspired New Canaan-based novelist Adam Dunn to launch his own book imprint. Since last November, Dunn Books has released three of Dunn's novels in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats. "I'm what you might call one of the 'walking wounded' of the publishing business," Dunn, also a widely-bylined freelance journalist, told The Hour. "There are only so many hundred-hour weeks in a toxic environment for no pay before you flame out." His first novel, "Rivers of Gold", is a near-future crime thriller that draws on Dunn's knowledge of New York City's yellow cab industry, gained while researching a piece for the New York Post. "I had learned that all NYPD precincts have at least one taxi cab" for undercover operations, Dunn said. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be fun to put a cop in a cab?'" In 2008, after the real estate market bottomed out, Dunn realized he had all the makings of a speculative novel set in New York a half-decade after the financial crisis. In New York, where he lived during the crisis and its aftermath, "entire city blocks got shuttered and chained and abandoned," Dunn said. "It was downright eerie. It was like a bomb had gone off and everybody had vanished." "Rivers of Gold" was first published in hardcover by Bloomsbury as part of a two-book contract in 2010 -- but the book and its sequel, "The Big Dogs", languished following what Dunn considered to be a lackadaisical marketing push. "(The publisher) just sat around on it for months and months and did nothing with it," Dunn told The Hour. "I began to get the sense that traditional media might not be the way to go." The last straw came when Dunn logged onto Amazon.com and found unauthorized editions of the book for sale. "I just saw red. And after getting lawyered up and dealing with that situation, I realized that I couldn't go back to traditional publishing," Dunn said. "The model was broken fundamentally." After moving to New Canaan four years ago, Dunn founded Dunn Books on the idea that the company would take a deliberate outsider stance. "With one or two exceptions, none of my team are from the publishing industry," Dunn said. "The only way to succeed in the book industry is to leave it." Independent publishing has given Dunn and company the freedom to experiment with a wide array of targeted strategies for marketing "Rivers of Gold", "The Big Dogs" and a third installment, "Saint Underground". (A professed fan of John Sandford's "Prey" series, Dunn said he can see his own series continuing for an indefinite number of installments.) Last fall, Dunn's team -- most of whom live in Westport -- undertook a worldwide marketing campaign, placing ads promoting the series on billboards, taxis, bus shelters and subway stations, per the theme of mass transit running through each of Dunn's novels. Dunn has visited college radio stations and arranged tie-ins with local indie booksellers. On his website are Spotify playlists by Dunn which readers can use as "scores" for the novels. Most recently, during the election cycle, Dunn's marketing team has targeted political media outlets. "I saw many really, really great books over the years whither and die because the publishers would never really put any promotion behind them," Dunn told The Hour. In self-publishing, "the only limits are your imagination and your budget; (and) if you have the wherewithal, you'll find ways to get over those limits." WILTON Linda Cook spent her childhood in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., where she lived in an old house and visited antique auctions with her mother. "My interest has always been historic houses," said Cook, who is the superintendent of Weir Farm National Historic Site, which straddles the Wilton-Ridgefield border. "My mother used to take me to lots of auctions as a kid. We used to wait til the end of the auction when everything went really cheap." The lifelong interest in the antique engendered in Cook by her childhood experiences led, eventually, to employment at the National Park Service, which maintains the Weir Farm historic site. At Weir Farm -- the sprawling former homestead of legendary Impressionist painter J. Alden Weir -- Cook spearheaded a decade-long project to meticulously restore Weir's home and studio to 19th century condition. For her work on the project, which was completed in 2014, Cook will be awarded the National Park Service's Appleman-Judd-Lewis Award for Excellence in Cultural Resource Stewardship. On Feb. 23, she will travel to Washington, D.C., where National Park Service Director John Jarvis will present Cook and two other recipients with the award. When Cook first came to Weir Farm, she viewed the rundown property as a sort of tabula rasa for her conservationist sensibilities. "What was really interesting about the park here, that really attracted me to it, is that it hadn't really been touched since it was designated a park," Cook said. Much of the original furniture and other antique home goods were still on the premises. "They were left untouched -- which is a gift in my line of work." As superintendent, Cook's role in the Weir Farm project was to undertake the complex task of recruiting and coordinating teams of experts to handle the profusion of highly specialized tasks needed to perform the restoration. "There's a total forensic aspect to it," Cook said. For example, during the restoration, Cook's team analyzed flecks of paint found in Weir's studio to determine where in the room the artist would have positioned his easel and mixed his paints. Often, responsibilities were delegated to specialists foremost in their field: for the wallpaper, Cook commissioned a master paperhanger who had worked in the White House; tapestries were restored by the Textile Conservation Laboratory of Saint John the Divine Cathedral in Manhattan. "Our tapestries are not in any way ecclesiastical, but they received the same type of care and attention that these other types of tapestries would have," Cook told The Hour. A door-topper painted by famed architect Stanford White was too valuable to hang, so a replica was commissioned by Wilton faux painting specialist Gini Fischer. Cook's work in architectural conservation began after she graduated college in France and began working for a nonprofit that restored archaeological sites in and around historic buildings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. "It took me a while to find (my) path, but once I was on it, it has always been a perfect fit," said Cook, whose undergraduate degree is in French linguistics. After graduate school, "I worked on a lot of Roman archaeology, and then worked on buildings, basically cleaning out old stone buildings," Cook said. Following a stint working for a French bank, Cook took a summer trip to Alaska, where she worked in fishing. "I was very impressed with the state, and decided I would go back," Cook said. Cook and her husband left their New York City apartment and moved to Alaska, where Cook began her work with the National Park Service. During her 17 years working at sites all over the state, Cook helped restore old mining buildings, World War II-era military installations and Russian Orthodox churches and chapels. (Alaska was a Russian territory until 1867, Cook said.) During the Weir Farm restoration, one of Cook's proudest achievements was keeping the public involved during what could have been a much more hermetic process. "We didn't just say, 'Oh, it's closed,'" Cook told The Hour. Instead, the park hosted periodic hardhat tours of the restoration site, during which Cook often asked for the guests' opinion. "I think having the public involvement and not just leaving everything behind closed doors ... really allowed for the public to have a vested interest" in the project. "These amazing places belong to the American public, and they are there in perpetuity, and they get special attention, as they should," Cook added. The outcome is a historic site, open to the public, that -- despite having been outfitted with state-of-the-art fire suppression and security systems -- looks exactly how it did over one hundred years ago. "It's kind of like a movie set," Cook told The Hour. "It looks like nothing ever touched it." Dermatologists may be seeing patients who have recently traveled to an area affected by the current Zika outbreaks, who present with a rash and possibly a fever. Dr. Stephen K. Tyring Before serology and possibly virology confirms the diagnosis, there are certain distinguishing characteristics that may help distinguish Zika initially from dengue and Chikungunya, according to Dr. Stephen K. Tyring. Dr. Tyring, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas, Houston, said in an interview that serology is required to confirm the diagnosis, and should be obtained via state and local health departments, which are increasingly being provided with test kits. Virology via polymerase chain reaction also may be needed to diagnose the infection. About 20% of people infected with Zika virus develop symptoms. In Texas, by early February, 10 cases had been diagnosed statewide. The Zika rash is characterized by blanchable macules and papules, which may start on the face or trunk 3-5 days after the febrile phase, and become more diffuse, said Dr. Tyring. The erythematous macules with areas of sparing is similar to the rash seen with Chikungunya and dengue, two other viral infections that have cutaneous manifestations. With a Zika rash, macules are more likely than papules, but papules are certainly possible, he said. Dr. Stephen K. Tyring, Dr. Zeena Nawas, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Blanchable macules and papules, seen here on the feet, tend to start on the face or trunk, 3-5 days after the febrile phase, and become more diffuse. In addition, someone with a Zika infection is more likely to have conjunctivitis than someone with dengue or Chikungunya, and may have red sclera, he noted. But all the other symptoms associated with dengue and Chikungunya, such as the arthralgias, headaches, and myalgias, could certainly be present with Zika as well, as the three diseases have similar clinical features. Dr. Tyring referred to a study published in 2009 describing 31 cases in a 2007 Zika outbreak in Micronesia, which reported that 90% (28 patients) had a macular or papular rash. In addition, 20 (65%) had a mild fever, 20 (65%) had arthralgia of the small joints, and 17 (55%) had nonpurulent conjunctivitis (N Engl J Med. 2009 Jun 11;360[24]:2536-43). In September, when Dr. Tyring was attending the Brazilian Society of Dermatology meeting in Sao Paolo, he visited some clinics and saw some of the first patients diagnosed with Zika virus before the connection with the microcephaly or Guillain-Barre had been made. Serologic testing had confirmed that the cases were Zika infections, not Chikungunya or dengue. At that time, cases were being viewed as a mild versions of Chikungunya or dengue, "in other words, nothing that they were fearing any more than all the other arboviruses that are so common," Dr. Tyring said in an interview. Dr. Stephen K. Tyring, Dr. Zeena Nawas, The University of Similar blanchable macules and papules are seen here on the fingers. With some of the patients, "we saw a bit of desquamation of the extremities, such as the fingertips," he said. (See photos.) "But generally, it's not very distinguishable between dengue and Chikungunya." Health care providers are encourage to report suspected cases to their state health departments. emechcatie@frontlinemedcom.com NORWALK -- There are over one million reasons why every nonprofit organization in Fairfield County should participate in Fairfield County's Giving Day, which is being held on March 10. The deadline for nonprofits to register for this million-dollar opportunity is Thursday, Feb. 18. Registration information can be found at FCGives.org. For the third year in a row, Fairfield County's Community Foundation is spearheading this opportunity for nonprofits to showcase themselves, highlight the work they do and urge residents and businesses "to give where they live." Last year $1,066,091 was raised during a 24-hour period for 386 local nonprofits. For March 10, all nonprofit organizations throughout Fairfield County are invited to join in this chance to secure donations and increase awareness for their mission. Fairfield County's Community Foundation initiated Giving Day to empower the community at large and encourage local philanthropy across the many avenues of need including hunger relief, access to housing, educational opportunities for youth and adults, animal welfare, access to arts and culture and so more. Fairfield County's Giving Day is the impetus for the region to come together as a community and make a difference. "Participants from other Giving Day nonprofits who didn't know about us have now come to see our shows. Prize money earned from the past two Giving Day events helped Curtain Call complete projects that had been on hold for several years," said Curtain Call Executive Lou Ursone. "Fairfield County's Community Foundation works year-round in not only providing grants to nonprofits, but by providing workshops and other tools to help organizations work more efficiently. Giving Day is an incredible way to raise awareness for all nonprofits." To date, nearly 400 nonprofits from throughout Fairfield County have registered. Nonprofits receive training from Fairfield County's Community Foundation team so that they can learn how to maximize their efforts and effectively reach new supporters. "Fairfield County's Community Foundation is thrilled to once again offer this opportunity that helps enable all area nonprofits to prosper and thrive," said Juanita James, CEO and president. "We are proud of the accomplishment of raising over $1 million dollars last year and we look forward to having more nonprofit organizations join us March 10 for Fairfield County's Giving Day." Fairfield County's Community Foundation Giving Day will partner with lead sponsor Bank of America for the third year in a row. Additional champion sponsors include Whole Foods Market and Wiggins and Dana. Nonprofit Organizations can register by Thursday at FCGives.org. Fairfield County's Community Foundation promotes philanthropy as a means to create change in Fairfield County. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD The Philadelphia folk duo of Kim and Reggie Harris will combine music, stories and a video presentation for their performance at this weekend's Black Cultural Fest 2016 at the Palace Theatre in Stamford. "What we love to do is songs and stories about, as we like to say, 'heroes and she-roes,'" Reggie Harris told The Hour. "It's a (largely) interactive show that we invite the audience to sing and participate in, and it's always great fun." The Harris' family-friendly presentation on Feb. 20 is part of the Palace Theatre's annual Black Cultural Fest, which this year takes place on Feb. 19-21. To celebrate Black History Month, the Harris' performance will focus on pivotal African-American culture workers and activists like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as original material drawn from the content of day-to-day life. "(These are) mostly songs that chronicle the history that we all share, that gives us a chance to look at some of the obstacles that have been overcome, but also some of the hope that exists," Harris said. Of particular interest to the Harrises is the Underground Railroad, not least because of the way, in freeing enslaved African-Americans, it involved Americans from a diverse array of backgrounds working together. The Underground Railroad "was one of America's first freedom movements," Harris told The Hour. "It was also a multi-generational, and multi-ethnic, and multi-faith movement." In educating audiences about the history of African-American freedom movements, the Harrises hope to inspire an enlightened and active approach to today's ongoing struggle for justice for African-Americans. In performance, "we look at movements in history, and cases where regular people stepped up," Harris said. "We don't have to be pawns in history. We can be active in our own schools and churches and synagogues to make a difference." During more than 30 years of writing, recording, performing and touring, the Harrises have worked with socially-conscious music legends like Harry Belafonte, Tom Paxton, and Pete Seeger, whom Harris called "a phenomenal friend and mentor." All were "really remarkable folks who really kind of showed us the ropes, but didn't give us a lot of advice," Harris told The Hour. "Just watching the way they lived their lives" inspired him and Kim to embrace music that educates while it entertains. "It's funny. We started out just trying to become big, famous rock stars. And that's hard to do!" Harris said with a laugh. "But along the way, our own interest in history, and our interest in paying attention to what happens in everyday life," led the Harrises down the path of socially aware folk music. For their Palace Theatre performance, he and Kim are looking forward to "having a day where we use music to celebrate the past, the present and the future," Harris said. Kim and Reggie Harris will perform at the Palace Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. as part of this weekend's Black Cultural Fest 2016. Tickets are 10 dollars. Other Black Cultural Fest performances will include music from the Sherry Winston Quartet on Feb. 19, a Step Show sponsored by 100 Black Men of Stamford, Inc. on Feb. 20 and a performance from the Dance Theatre of Harlem on Feb. 21. NEWPORT, N.H. (AP) -- An international animal advocacy group launched a protest against a New Hampshire winter carnival event billed as a "Greased Pig on Ice," but withdrew it after learning there's no pig in the act -- just a man on skates in a pig costume with dollar bills tied to his tail. Steve Smith, an organizer of the 100th Newport Winter Carnival, said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, launched its alert last week despite his reassurances that no pigs would be harmed during the Saturday event. Smith said he received about 100 emails from concerned animal lovers. PETA spokeswoman Daphna Nachminovitch said Smith did not clarify what the event would entail. She said the updated information is excellent news for the pigs. Smith said Thursday that he assured a PETA investigator in a Feb. 5 email that no animals would be harmed during the event. The group never challenged or questioned him about it before writing a detailed email alert, he said. It talked about "subjecting these highly sensitive animals to such a chaotic and violent ordeal rife with screaming participants." It also mentioned capturing the pigs and stuffing them into barrels. "How can they know what we're doing if they never even bothered to ask what we're doing?" Smith said. "If they just asked, 'What are your plans?' I would have told them." Smith, also general manager of WCNL radio in Newport, said the carnival featured greased pig events in the 1930s and continued off and on until the 1980s. The topic of adding a greased pig event to this year's carnival did come up during a planning meeting last fall when organizers were brainstorming about possible past events that could be incorporated into the centennial. However, Chamber of Commerce president and carnival doyen Ella Casey was adamant that no pigs be used. Stephanie Bell, a director at PETA's cruelty investigations department, said the organization receives more complaints about pig wrestling events than it does greased pig competitions. She said PETA has been successful during the past five years in halting pig wrestling competitions scheduled in Indiana and Mississippi. "We've had only one greased pig complaint this year and that turned out to be a hoax," she said, referring to Newport's event. She said organizers had "ample opportunity" to say that a pig was not being used. The 10-day carnival draws to a close this weekend in Newport. The "Greased Pig on Ice" event will feature Newport resident Glen Halleck in a pig costume, being chased by kids on ice skates on the town common. Smith said the plan is for the kids to be surprised that the pig is a costumed character. "And it still will," Smith said. "I think the vast majority of the public doesn't have a clue." In the carnival's brochure of scheduled activities, the full listing of the greased pig event offers one clue, however: "Put on your skates and see if you can catch him. Prizes. PETA Friendly." NORWALK -- The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) outlined to Norwalk Harbor users and other stakeholders Tuesday evening a $2 million project to waterproof the Stroffolino Bridge. The 34-year-old bascule bridge, which carries Route 136 over Norwalk Harbor, took a hit from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Its electrical components, which drive bridge lift, remain subject to inundation. Steven D. Harlacker, principal associate with Hardesty & Hanover, the New Haven-based engineering firm hired by ConnDOT to design the project, showed the susceptibility in a photograph of the bridge. "This front wall is below the flood elevation," Harlacker said. "During a high-tide event and a storm surge, either wind-blown wave action or water coming down the Norwalk River, it would exceed this limit and water would pour into this open pit and fill it up and that's what happened during Superstorm Sandy." As such, the purpose of the project is to "storm armor and waterproof mechanical and electrical components to prevent future storm flooding damage." The work will entail replacing electrical equipment and placing it above the flood elevation, waterproofing the bridge's bascule control house, replacing floor hatches and doors with waterproof hatches, and constructing a sub-wall surrounding the entire generator room. About two-dozen people attended the informational meeting in the Community Room of City Hall, including Michael Griffin, state of Connecticut harbormaster for Norwalk. His concerns revolve around use of the harbor during the construction. "Have they made an application to the Coast Guard, which is the approval agency for any navigation channel closures?" Griffin told The Hour. "And if they have made an application, what did the application include as far as (closure) frequency and duration?" Griffin also asked about the type of water-borne equipment that will be used in the work. Theodore H. Nezames, manager of bridges in ConnDOT's Office of Engineering, said the department hopes to start work early next year and finish by September 2017. "There's going to be some periodic channel closures and street closures here," Nezames told The Hour. "The street closures will be short-term during off-peak hours." The project is being funded with a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The Stroffolino Bridge measures 498 feet and carries on average 19,000 vehicles daily. During peak season, the bridge is opened 50 times a week to accommodate maritime traffic, according to ConnDOT. HARTFORD Expanded workers' compensation benefits for firefighters with cancer, an issue derailed in the Connecticut General Assembly last year by a loud and bitter lobbying battle between municipalities and labor, seems likely to be resolved by a bipartisan-led compromise. With labor willing to accept a benefit other than workers' compensation, municipalities are considering an additional form of disability insurance for firefighters with cancer, said Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, co-chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. "It is an insurance benefit," Tercyak said. "This doesn't threaten workers compensation, and it doesn't replace workers' compensation." Rep. David Rutigliano of Trumbull, a ranking Republican on the labor committee and a participant in negotiations, said the cost of providing a disability policy would be cheaper and more predictable than workers' compensation, which commits employers to lifetime benefits for injured employees and survivors benefits in case of death. Tercyak said he believed the municipalities' willingness to compromise stemmed from a desire for a degree of certainty about costs and a recognition there is significant sympathy for the firefighters in the General Assembly. "I think they are recognizing it is a perennial fight, and I don't think they feel good about just saying no and waiting for science to prove them wrong case by case," he said. The Senate voted 25 to 11 last year for a measure that combined two bills: the cancer benefit for firefighters, and a proposal to require coverage for post-traumatic stress suffered by police responding to certain types of fatalities, a change inspired by the school shooting at Sandy Hook. The compromise under discussion only involves cancer. The cancer legislation proposed last year would have created a rebuttable presumption for paid and volunteer firefighters that many forms of cancer are work-related, making them eligible for workers' compensation benefits. Connecticut is one of 17 states -- and the only one in New England -- without a legal presumption that at least some cancers in firefighters are job-related, meaning the burden is on employers to show the cancer had another cause. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said a study in the U.S. and one in the Nordic nations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden that compared cancer rates among firefighters and the general population found similar results: "certain cancers were modestly increased in our firefighters." The institute is now in the second phase of a study comparing the health effects in firefighters with higher exposures to fires. Fire departments nationally are taking the cancer risk seriously. They see no need to wait for further study before training personnel to keep on air masks even after smoke subsides, and to scrub gear of contaminants. In Boston, the department paid for an eight-minute video that is both an unusual training tool and a memorial to the 160 city firefighters who have died from cancer since 1990. It reminds firefighters of an invisible danger that remains in the air after the smoke has cleared: benzene and other byproducts of combustion. But the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Council of Small Towns, the state's two municipal lobbying groups, said the studies were inconclusive. They challenged the presumption of a link between firefighting and cancer and called last year's bill an unfunded mandate with hard-to-calculate costs. Workers' compensation benefits include wage replacement equal to 75 percent of after-tax earnings, plus survivor benefits in cases of death. Rick H. Hart, the political director for the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, declined to comment on the elements of a possible compromise, but praised the municipalities for engaging in talks with firefighters. "It's refreshing, because of the collaborative effort that's been there," Hart said. "There is give and take. It's a negotiation. But it's been amicable; it's been productive. Hopefully this will mark the beginning of a new relationship we have with CCM." Kevin Maloney, a spokesman for CCM, said the legislation proposed last year was overly broad and too expensive. "Our organization is appreciative of legislators who have been willing to hear our concerns and bring all parties together in a good-faith effort to deeply examine the impacts of these proposals," he said. "Any common ground that is reached will be based upon meeting the concerns of our firefighters in a manner that is fiscally sustainable for Connecticut towns and cities." Rutigliano said Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, a deputy majority leader, approached him at the end of the 2015 session about the possibility of a bipartisan search for a compromise. "I thought she was a good negotiating partner," he said. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who was wary of the bill last year, said he is open to a compromise if it has "appropriate exceptions," such as not presuming that a cigarette smoker's lung cancer is caused by firefighting. "I think everybody in the United States today knows that a lot of cancers are linked to smoking," Malloy said. "To afford a special classification based on employment to smokers probably isn't a good idea." This story originally appeared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, nonprofit news organization covering government, politics and public policy in the state. HARTFORD -- A program to help hundreds of families struggling with substance abuse to remain together and stay drug-free is being expanded in Connecticut as new figures show a growing number of residents are dying from drug overdoses. State officials, joined by representatives of the White House, announced Tuesday the launch of the "Connecticut Family Stability Pay for Success Project." The initiative, developed at the Yale Child Study Center, will last about five years and help up to 500 families involved with the state's Department of Children and Families with children age 6 and younger who are at risk for abuse and neglect. A team of two clinicians and a family support worker will make in-home visits several times each week and provide intensive support that focuses on improving parent-child attachment and helping the parents abstain from drugs. There is currently a similar program at DCF to help families with children up to age 3. "We are tackling a critical issue, like substance abuse, while helping families remain together," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, at an announcement held at the Old State House. Figures compiled by the Chief Medical Examiner's Office show 723 people in Connecticut died in 2015 from heroin, cocaine or other drugs. Of those, 415 were heroin-related, while 107 deaths involved heroin and fentanyl, a synthetic opiate. In 2014, there were 568 deaths from accidental overdoses of drugs and 327 were heroin-related, while 37 involved heroin and fentanyl. The new project announced Tuesday expands an existing effort by DCF to provide similar services to families with children up to age 3 and will reach into new areas, including Waterbury, Danbury, Torrington, Norwich, New Haven and the Middletown region. DCF Commissioner Joette Katz said the original initiative, which has involved about 1,000 families since its inception, has reduced the likelihood of a child being removed from a home due to abuse or neglect by 40 percent. This latest effort is being funded in a unique way. The state is partnering with Social Finance, a private, Boston-based nonprofit organization that provides capital to help finance evidence-based initiatives to tackle social challenges. If Connecticut's new project meets certain specific goals, including a 40 percent drop in the likelihood of a child being removed, only then will the state have to reimburse Social Finance's investors the $12.5 million and a small rate of return. David Wilkinson, director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, said the president strongly supports states using such "pay for success" programs or social impact bonds to help address unmet social service needs in a smart and cost-effective way. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FAIRFIELD A Fairfield man was shot to death by police early Tuesday morning after what officers describe as a violent domestic assault that left a woman and three children injured. At approximately 6 a.m. on Feb. 16, Fairfield Police received a report of a violent assault at 22 Mountain Laurel Road. According to Connecticut State Police, which has assumed the investigation, when the first Fairfield Police officer arrived on scene, he was immediately confronted by a male suspect who was in possession of a weapon. The officer discharged his firearm, striking the suspect, who was later identified as 51-year-old Christopher Andrews. Additional officers arrived on scene and assisted with providing medical care to the wounded suspect and checked the residence for victims. Andrews was transported to Bridgeport Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been notified and will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. While checking the residence, officers located four injured victims Andrews wife, Kathleen Andrews, 50, and children, ages 12, 13, and 15. Kathleen Andrews was transported to Bridgeport Hospital as a result of her injuries. One child was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital and two other children were transported to St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport. Police said the children suffered a variety of blunt trauma injuries and stab wounds. The officer involved in the shooting was also transported to St. Vincents Medical Center for evaluation. The scene was secured and the road was shut down to all traffic to allow the investigation to take place. At the request of the Stamford States Attorneys Office, State Police Detectives from the Western District Major Crime Squad responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. Investigators from the Stamford States Attorneys Office responded to the scene and also assisted with the investigation. "State Police Detectives are assisting in the police-involved shooting for now," said Connecticut State Police Trooper First Class Kelly Grant on Tuesday morning. "The incidents leading up to it are being investigated by Fairfield PD as of right now." The Associated Press contributed to this story. This appeared in Sunday's Washington Post. "One more cookie, one more cigarette." So said David Fry, the last holdout in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon; and with a final "alrighty then," he surrendered on Thursday without incident. That there was a peaceful denouement to the 41-day siege that created so much potential for bloodshed is a credit to federal law enforcement authorities. They showed restraint in sitting out the armed activists, but did not waver on the need to bring to account those who so willfully and flagrantly broke the law. The surrender to FBI agents of the last four anti-government activists who staged a takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to protest federal land management policy came after tense negotiations that played out live on YouTube. The events gave the public an up-close view of law enforcement at its best in deescalating a volatile situation. It was smart to involve those seen as sympathetic to the protest's cause, such as a gun-toting Nevada legislator, in the final negotiations for peaceful surrender. The FBI clearly had learned lessons from the bloody sieges in Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the 1990s; a patient approach in letting the Oregon siege play out and burn out proved far more effective than a SWAT team assault. The four people arrested Thursday had been alone at the remote facility since Jan. 26, when organizers of the occupation and others were arrested on their way to a meeting. Sadly, one occupier was killed in that encounter. But notwithstanding the mythology around the incident quickly fabricated by right-wing extremists, it appears from a video released by the FBI that LaVoy Finicum was shot after running a police blockade, refusing demands to surrender and reaching for a gun. The incident is still under investigation, but, as the FBI agent in charge said, "Actions have consequences." For those involved in the occupation, that now means facing federal charges. Particularly fitting is the fact that Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher whose sons organized the Oregon takeover, was himself arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from his armed 2014 standoff with federal officials over grazing rights. Law enforcement came under criticism for its handling of those events, with critics saying a too-timid response - not taking immediate action against a defiant lawbreaker - emboldened the militants of the Oregon occupation to think they, too, could thumb their nose at the law. So, good for the FBI for enforcing the law and removing a threat to public safety with a minimum loss of life. WESTPORT -- While Westport Police Department (WPD) Chief Dale Call informally informed the Board of Finance on Feb. 8 that he intends to retire this year after 32 years with the department, there is no set date or replacement search at this point. "This is no word on the date of the Chief's retirement," said WPD spokesperson Lt. David Farrell. "Also no word yet on the process for replacement. I believe the Chief will make an announcement when he is ready." Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless. A right delayed is a right denied.Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Martin Luther King Jr. No one is born hating another person People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Nelson Mandela We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist James Baldwin There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech. Free speech encourages debate whereas hate speech incites violence. Newton Lee The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. Albert Einstein You've got to be taughtTo hateAnd fearYou've got to be taughtFrom yearTo yearIts got toBe drummed in your dear little earYou've got toBe carefullyTaughtYou've got to be taughtTo beAfraidOf peopleWho's eyes are oddly madeAnd people who's skin is a different shade South Pacific Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rogers Don Quixote tilting against windmills on the long-suffering Rosinante, trying to save damsels in distress from imaginary ogres; or me jousting with an exclusive environment on my battered wheelchair to try and give people with disabilities a fighting chance. Who is crazier? I am writing, first of all, to thank the Cairo Quick Response Team for sponsoring another wonderful and wholesome community event Feb. 6. The Midwest Dueling Pianos team put on another entertaining show and fun was had by all. In addition, the Cairo QRT collected aluminum cans from the event that were donated to Habitat for Humanity. The second reason for my letter is to bring awareness to the extreme value of QRT teams and firefighters in our towns and cities. Their service is priceless. Last year my mother had an emergency for which she was admitted to the hospital. Prior to the ambulance, the Cairo QRT was there for her in minutes and eased our anxiety. They were very professional and confident in their efforts and we were thankful they took the time and hard work to become Quick Response Team members. Please take a moment of thought to appreciate these fine people of Quick Response teams and firefighters. You may need them sometime and they will be there because they care. JALANDHAR: In a surprising and unexplained trend, there has been a sudden rise in the number of Indian citizens seeking asylum in the US in 2015 compared to the two previous years. The figures were [] Looking for the big games to watch in Week 9? We have them right here. Illinois RiverWatch to Offer Training for Adults, 4-H and Student Groups The Illinois RiverWatch Network is offering Illinois citizens and educators the chance to train to become citizen scientists and join the network of more than 250 volunteers throughout the state who monitor water quality of Illinois streams. A series of RiverWatch volunteer training workshops will be held throughout the state this spring and summer. The workshops will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and combine both lecture and classroom time with field training in a local stream. Registration is $50 per person for most workshops, and must be paid in advance of the workshop. Registration is free for Illinois 4-H groups. Our rivers and streams are some of the most important natural resources we have, providing clean drinking water, pollution reduction and wildlife habitat, while also playing a vital role in many sectors of the economy, RiverWatch Coordinator Matthew Young said. The scientific monitoring of our streams is important to safeguard the future of Illinois rivers and streams. RiverWatch is a statewide partnership of organizations and individuals working to protect Illinois streams and waterways. Established in 1995 as a sub-program of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Eco Watch Network, RiverWatch certified volunteers, called citizen scientists, examine indicators like stream habitats and macroinvertebrate (stream bug) communities to provide reliable water quality data that can be used by scientists to determine how the conditions of streams are changing over time. RiverWatch offers two programs to become involved with: RiverWatch Citizen Science (for adults and 4-H groups) and Stream Discovery (for grades 5-12 educators who wish to involve their students in stream monitoring). Both training workshops are for volunteers who have received no training or partial training through RiverWatch programs and who wish to become a part of the certified network of volunteers throughout the state. While there are government agencies devoted to stream monitoring, resources are limited to monitor all streams regularly, Young said. This is why RiverWatch Citizen Scientists are so important, they provide reliable scientific data on stream health where none previously existed and also can provide broader watershed perspectives on the quality of Illinois streams. RiverWatch and Stream Discovery are programs of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, a partnership between Lewis and Clark Community College, the University of Illinois and the Illinois Natural History Survey. Since its founding in 1995, more than 1,800 individuals have received certification through RiverWatch, and 800 stream sites have been established for annual water quality sampling. RiverWatch data can be accessed at www.ngrrec.org/Riverwatch . To register for a workshop, contact Young at (618) 468-2784 or riverwatch@lc.edu. For more information about RiverWatch Citizen Science, or to register for a workshop online, visit www.ngrrec.org/Riverwatch. For information about the Stream Discovery Program for educators and students, visit www.ngrrec.org/Stream_Discovery. 2016 RiverWatch Volunteer Training Workshops (for adults and 4-H members) April 2 - Alton - National Great Rivers Research and Education Center April 2 - Joliet - University of St. Francis April 9 - Mahomet - Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve April 23 - Joliet - University of St. Francis April 30 - Antioch - Antioch High School April 30 - Carterville - John A. Logan College May 7 - Peoria - Bradley University May 7 - Springfield - University of Illinois Springfield May 21 - Freeport - Highland Community College June 4 - Alton - National Great Rivers Research and Education Center 2016 Stream Discovery Training Workshops (for grades 5-12 educators) May 12 - Alton - National Great Rivers Research and Education Center May 14 - Danville - Kennekuk Environmental Education Center July 30 - Peoria - Specific location to be announced HOW TO DEAL WITH POPULISTS: A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW "Mainstream politicians across Europe face serious challenges from populist and xenophobic parties. How should they respond? One thing is certain: excluding such parties from the political process does not work; it only lends them more support. Bringing them into the fold makes more sense. The contrasting experiences of Finland and Sweden bear this out. The anti-immigration, populist Sweden Democrats are on a roll. In an opinion poll carried out shortly before Christmas, 18.9 per cent of voters said they intended to vote for the insurgent party in the 2018 general election. A crackdown on the numbers of asylum seekers trying to enter Sweden announced by the centre-left government in November reflects the extent to which the Swedish Democrats have shaken up the countrys politics. In Finland, by contrast, the True Finns, one of the first populist parties in Europe to seize on voters anger over eurozone bailouts, are struggling. The difference? While Swedens mainstream parties have refused to co-operate with the Sweden Democrats, the True Finns are part of a centre-right coalition government. The result? The more serious the refugee crisis has become in Sweden, the more support the Sweden Democrats have gained. The reverse is true in Finland.... The central paradox in European politics today is the following: on the one hand, countries are attempting to integrate newcomers from outside Europe who often subscribe to quite alien political values. On the other hand, politicians exclude substantial numbers of their own citizens for the same reason. We welcome refugees, while telling some of our compatriots to shut up. Both groups refugees and supporters of populist parties include extremists and fanatics. We must not let the irresponsible behaviour of the few colour our attitude to the many. I do not claim to know what the supporters of Marine Le Pen in France or Geert Wilders in the Netherlands are like. But I do know that a majority of the supporters of Timo Soinis True Finns are decent people. If we are willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the newcomers, we should be willing to do the same for our own citizens. Demonising your opponent is an age-old strategy. It was applied during the Thirty Years War by both sides. It was used again during the cold war. And it is being used now. The solution to the threat of populism is not to pretend that we agree with the xenophobes. Rather, we should welcome them in the political process. As long as they abide by the rules of an open democratic society, we must engage with them. If they go beyond the pale, then we should beat them in elections. That is what European democracy is all about. Right?" Risto Penttila, "We should engage with xenophobes, not silence them". The Financial Times. 9 February 2016, in "Stupidity is for the vast majority of people, no doubt the only solution to the problem of thinking". T. S. Eliot. While I whole heartily agree with the sage observation of the man who taught me how to think as it relates to the conceptual capacity or lack thereof of the vast majority of my fellow human beings, the fact of the matter is that as long most of mankind is governed by a system of government which mandates that almost everyone, including convicted criminals (in some cases) and registered idiots and lunatics (in others) are able to participate in the political process, then one is forced to engage with respect with the 'vast majority of people'. Given the socioeconomic ramifications of our post-industrial / post-modern society, in conjunction with the slowing of economic growth in the West in the past ten years, it is not in the least surprising that 'populist' parties of various types have emerged in Europe. Or in the case of the United States, populist personalities and candidates. Which is not to gainsay the fact that such developments are more often than not to be deplored and bemoaned. Id. est., no one in their right mind, can view with favor the political success of such a horrible demagogue as Mr. Donald Trump. Or for that matter (albeit an infinitely more intelligent man) Senator Sanders of Vermont. That dislike or detestation which I share with our bien-pensant elites, cannot gainsay the fact that the masses of people who are supporting the Trumps, the Sanders, the Le Pen's and the Wilders cannot be made to disappear. As the very very cogent arguments of Mr. Penttila in the Financial Times clearly delineates, what is needed in dealing with populists is not denunciation but an intelligent and subtle outreach. An endeavor in fact to try to assuage their concerns and political aspirations. As Mr. Penttila rightly notes: these people are our fellow citizens and not beings from outer space or for that matter from abroad. They are entitled to be respected and if they are willing to play the democratic game, some form of political compromise with them is necessary. That is to my way of looking at the matter, a far more intelligent way of dealing with the rise of populist parties, movements and personalities than the traditional bien-pensant's de haute en bas ways of dealing with the same. Ways which have proven to be uniformly unsuccessful. Risto Penttila, "We should engage with xenophobes, not silence them".es. 9 February 2016, in www.ft.com. T. S. Eliot.While I whole heartily agree with the sage observation of the man who taught me how to think as it relates to the conceptual capacity or lack thereof of the vast majority of my fellow human beings, the fact of the matter is that as long most of mankind is governed by a system of government which mandates that almost everyone, including convicted criminals (in some cases) and registered idiots and lunatics (in others) are able to participate in the political process, then one is forced to engage with respect with the 'vast majority of people'. Given the socioeconomic ramifications of our post-industrial / post-modern society, in conjunction with the slowing of economic growth in the West in the past ten years, it is not in the least surprising that 'populist' parties of various types have emerged in Europe. Or in the case of the United States, populist personalities and candidates. Which is not to gainsay the fact that such developments are more often than not to be deplored and bemoaned. Id. est., no one in their right mind, can view with favor the political success of such a horrible demagogue as Mr. Donald Trump. Or for that matter (albeit an infinitely more intelligent man) Senator Sanders of Vermont. That dislike or detestation which I share with ourelites, cannot gainsay the fact that the masses of people who are supporting the Trumps, the Sanders, the Le Pen's and the Wilders cannot be made to disappear. As the very very cogent arguments ofin the Financial Times clearly delineates, what is needed in dealing with populists is not denunciation but an intelligent and subtle outreach. An endeavor in fact to try to assuage their concerns and political aspirations. As Mr. Penttila rightly notes: these people are our fellow citizens and not beings from outer space or for that matter from abroad. They are entitled to be respected and if they are willing to play the democratic game, some form of political compromise with them is necessary. That is to my way of looking at the matter, a far more intelligent way of dealing with the rise of populist parties, movements and personalities than the traditional bien-pensant'sways of dealing with the same. Ways which have proven to be uniformly unsuccessful. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Many of the 3,000 residents who are set to be evicted from Kalijodo, North Jakarta, will likely have nowhere to go as the city administration is yet to provide alternative housing for them. Single mother of three, Jok Ling Tang Ling, 52, said she did not know where to go if the city administration went ahead with the eviction plan. She said she lived in a semi-permanent house in Kalijodo because she could not afford renting a house. 'Where can I go if this place is evicted? A rusunawa [low-cost rental apartment] is definitely not an option because I cannot afford it. I am struggling to buy the daily necessities, let alone to pay rent,' said the woman, who works as a neighborhood tailor. She said the eviction would also affect the education of her children. 'Two of my children attend the free Pondok Domba elementary school here while the other one is at a nearby state junior high school,' she said. Ling said she had a Jakarta identity card. The Jakarta administration has announced that it will only provide rusunawa for families who have Jakarta ID cards but the Housing and Administrative Buildings Agency has yet to determine the locations of the apartments. Agency head Ika Lestari Aji said the administration had provided only 300 rusunawa in two complexes in North and East Jakarta, but she refused to name the exact location. Recently, the Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI) announced that it had completed construction of 360 rusunawa units in Pulogebang in East Jakarta. Besides Pulogebang, other rusunawa in the capital do not have many units available. Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama has been adamant in his demands to demolish the 1.6 hectare area in North and West Jakarta that is notorious for its seedy nightlife and thugs. He wants to turn the area along Jl. Kepanduan II into a park, as stipulated in a 2014 bylaw on detailed spatial planning. The Jakarta Police have agreed to back the plan and are aiming for a March eviction. The Kalijodo local authority's data shows that of 3,052 residents, only 1,405 are involved in red-light district businesses. The 1,405 included about 450 prostitutes, 300 waitresses, 100 security personnel including parking officers and 300 support workers such as cleaners. The rest have jobs or businesses that are not a part of the area's nightlife. The administration has said those that do not have Jakarta ID cards would be returned to their hometowns. Razman Arif Nasution, a lawyer representing some of the residents, said that around 1,000 residents had Jakarta ID cards. 'It would be better if the administration allocated the two rusunawa to previously evicted residents,' he told reporters at a press briefing in Kalijodo on Tuesday. Razman was referring to evictions in other areas where the residents are yet to be relocated. Of the 1,040 families evicted from Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta, around 500 of them are yet to receive an apartment. Dozens of evicted families from Pinangsia, West Jakarta, are yet to receive housing as well. Kalijodo residents have insisted that they are not illegal residents, saying that some even possessed land certificates issued by the National Land Agency (BPN). Architect Bambang Eryudhawan said that, according to Law No. 26/2007 on land development, the administration had the right to take any land that fell under spatial planning bylaws regardless of whether people living there had BPN land certificates. However, he said that residents could file a petition in court to oppose any eviction plans. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The recent arrest of a Supreme Court (MA) official for allegedly accepting bribes has not only exposed possible rampant corruption within the country's highest judicial institution, but has sparked questions on its ongoing bureaucratic reform. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) apprehended court official Andri Tristianto Sutrisna on Saturday accepting Rp 400 million to delay the sentence of a graft convict. The case came more than a decade after the Supreme Court started judicial reform in the early 2000s, which involved civil society groups and aimed to improve the integrity and professionalism of the country's judicial system. Critics said the country's highest court's resistance to external oversight, formally conducted by the Judicial Commission (KY), partly caused the failure. KY deputy head Farid Wadji said his office would keep watch on the Supreme Court while involving wider public participation, including universities and civil society. 'People must know [the importance of their participation in monitoring courts] and must [actively] partake in efforts from the beginning to the end [of trials],' Farid said. In an apparent effort to weaken KY authorities, a number of Supreme Court justices and one clerk won in October a judicial review petition to scrap the commission's role to select judges for district courts, religious courts and state administrative courts. The ruling allowed the Supreme Court to select judges without being accountable to other state bodies and left the KY with only the authority to monitor judges and help maintain their credibility. Farid said the court's resistance to external monitoring by his office was either due to the culture of the organization or personal backgrounds. Muhammad Isnur, legal activist and lawyer at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said the KY's efforts would likely be useless without strong commitment from the court itself. 'I can still see reluctance to external oversight,' Isnur said on Tuesday. 'For example, we once demanded an open trial for a judicial review case. But [the court] rejected it.' Choky Ramadhan from the University of Indonesia's Judicial Watch Society (MAPPI), whose institution has been involved in the reform, said poor implementation had caused a number of internal regulations aimed at improving transparency, such as those on public information and one-day publishing of rulings, to become merely paper tigers. 'They must set clear guidelines and better indicators for the punishments and rewards for each reform measure,' Choky said. Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi, however, stopped short of commenting on the implementation rates of the ongoing judicial reforms, but said the Supreme Court had indeed conducted a number of efforts. 'We have made reform in the judiciary, such as in terms of human resources capacity and the one-day publishing mechanism,' he said. Salary levels are among the elements many believe have triggered corrupt practices in the judicial system. In recent years, many people, including Supreme Court chief justice Hatta Ali and former KY commissioners, have called for increases in justices' salaries to around Rp 200 million per month to avoid the temptation of bribery. Suhadi denied the KY's allegations, saying his office 'always welcomed external monitoring measures by the Judicial Commission in terms of judges' code of ethics'. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama plans to close down North Jakarta's infamous red-light district Kalijodo in 11 days by giving local residents prior warning to leave the area peacefully. The city administration will issue on Thursday the first warning letter reminding Kalijodo residents that they are occupying state land that the city administration plans to clear for transformation into green space, Ahok said on Wednesday. The city will also ask residents to dismantle their houses within seven days. If they do not comply with the request, a second warning letter will be issued three days before the deadline, after which city administration officials will come to clear the buildings. There are around 1,000 residents in Kalijodo, according to data compiled by the city administration. "If they don't want to tear apart their houses by themselves, we will do it," Ahok told journalists in at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Wednesday. Ahok was at the Jakarta Police headquarters to meet with Jakarta Police chief Ins. Gen. Tito Karnavian to discuss the city's plan to clear the Kalijodo area. The historic red-light district came into the public spotlight following a drunk-driving accident that killed four people earlier this month. The accident occurred after the driver and his friends had spent a night drinking in Kalijodo, which is known for its cafes and pubs, prostitution services as well as gambling. Despite the harsh warnings Ahok said that evicted residents who had Jakarta ID cards (KTP) would be relocated to subsidized apartments, given a Jakarta Smart Card for children's education and health insurance through the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS) scheme. Moreover, the city administration will also provide some residents with soft loans of up to Rp 10 million (US$741) with only 1 percent monthly interest for them to start new business after their existing employment ends with the closure of the district. However, the city will conduct a selection process before granting the loans. "We will assess their character and manner. This doesn't mean that if you are relocated, you will directly receive a loan. Do you think this is your father's money?" Ahok said. Ahok has previously said that he aimed to shut down Kalijodo and return to its original purpose as green space in line with the city's plan to add more parks to the capital. The Kalijodo shutdown will also play a key role in Jakarta's flood management, Ahok said, adding that water always flows from South Jakarta to North Jakarta as it is the meeting point of Angke River, Item River and East Flood Canal. However, Jakarta's administration faces resistance from local people and gangs that operate in the area. At least 20 people cancelled their registration for relocation to low-cost apartments after being threatened by local thugs, Ahok claimed. The residents said they would resist the evictions and challenged Ahok, saying that buildings there had official land certificates. The Jakarta Police with the support of Jakarta Military Command will secure the eviction and relocation process, with the Jakarta Police planning to launch operation Cipta Kondisi on Thursday aiming to raid Kalijodo following the announcement of the shutdown.(rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nadia Kusuma Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government issued the tenth economic stimulus package last week, opening up several commercial sectors to foreign investors. One of the sectors is that of raw materials for medicine, where businesses can now be 100 percent owned by foreigners, an increase from the previous 85 percent maximum ownership under Presidential Decree No. 39/2014. The government is hoping that the new ownership policy will attract more investment to the industry of pharmaceutical raw materials, reduce dependence on imports and, in turn, bring down medicine prices. Raw materials account for 60 percent to 80 percent of production costs in the pharmaceutical industry, while 90 percent to 95 percent of the raw material is still imported from China, India, Europe and the US. The strong reliance on imported content makes the industry sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations, while at the same time the industry has a domestic market orientation. Indonesia's pharmaceutical market still holds future potential, given the country's large population and the fact that medicine is a basic need. The local pharmaceutical market value has grown by 11 percent for the past five years and reached an estimated value of Rp 69 trillion this year. Prescription medicines make up 59 percent of the market, while over-the-counter (OTC) drugs account for 41 percent. There are some important drivers for growth in the local pharmaceutical industry. First, Indonesia is currently increasing its residents' access to health services with the implementation of general insurance through BPJS Kesehatan. Second, there is rising health awareness, backed by rising per-capita income and improving economic conditions. Indonesia's large market has driven investment in the pharmaceutical sector. In 2015, the combined chemicals and pharmaceutical investment amounted to Rp 45.2 trillion, or 8.3 percent of Indonesia's total investment. Of the total, 54 percent was foreign investment. Realized domestic investment in the pharmaceutical sector grew by 44.7 percent per year over the 2010-2015 period, much higher than foreign investment, which grew by an average annual rate of 19.8 percent. Recently, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) recorded investment interest from India, Japan, South Korea and China, and several foreign companies proposed joint ventures with Indonesian ones. To promote the development of the pharmaceutical raw material industry, the government has issued Health Ministry Regulation No. 87/2013 on the development of medicinal raw materials. Several pharmaceutical companies are pioneering the development of raw materials in Indonesia. For example, Kimia Farma has built a plant for pharmaceutical salt (the construction started in 2015 and is scheduled to be completed in 2016) and will build another for atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, clopidogrel, and pantoprazol this year. Pharmaceutical salt is a common raw material for intravenous liquids, tablets, vaccines, syrup, oral rehydration salt (ORS), hemodialysis liquids and health drinks, among others. However, the development of the medicinal raw materials industry still faces major problems. First, it lacks supplies from domestic petrochemical industries to produce synthetic medicines, resulting in higher production costs, because those supplies need to be imported. Second, it requires a large amount of investment and is a long-term process that needs an excellent and supportive business environment. Third, the development of the medicine industry and its derivatives is subject to price fluctuations, discouraging investors to enter the business. Fourth, there is a lack of synergy among academia, private businesses and the government. Research on the development of pharmaceutical raw materials by Indonesian experts is still limited to pilot and laboratory-scale projects and rarely commercially exploited at an industrial level. Fifth, the national market for medicinal raw materials is relatively small in comparison to the minimum production capacity in order to achieve low production costs. To date, domestically produced raw materials have not yet reached an optimal production scale, rendering them uncompetitive with materials from foreign suppliers. Will the foreign ownership in the industry have a significant impact on Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry? We assert that the policy is supportive for the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, though its impact can only be materialized in the medium or long term. Furthermore, we believe that the new foreign ownership policy should be synergized with other policies to develop the raw material industry for medicines, for example, tax incentives for companies that are able to produce raw materials at their own production facilities. In addition, any import taxes for supplies that are needed by the medicinal raw material industry should be removed. Moreover, the development of the pharmaceutical raw material industry should prioritize materials that have potential in both the domestic and export markets ' mainly ASEAN ' such as paracetamol, penicillin and pharmaceutical salt. Accordingly, we can expect its production capacity to meet a minimum production scale in order to achieve low-cost production. The ASEAN market has great potential, especially in the context of the ASEAN Economic Community. The Indonesian Pharmaceutical Association estimates that nine to 11 pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia have exported their products to ASEAN countries. In 2013, Indonesia commanded 30 percent of the ASEAN pharmaceutical market share, the biggest among ASEAN countries. In addition to the chemical synthetic approach, we should invest more in the development herbal and biotechnological medicine to exploit Indonesia's biodiversity. Finally, we should also redouble efforts to strengthen synergies among academia, businesses and the government through working groups and national research centers to help develop the pharmaceutical raw material industry. _________________________________ The writer is an industry analyst at PT Bank Mandiri Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government plans to slash the Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) assumption by around 40 percent to approximately US$30-40 per barrel in the revised 2016 state budget, due to persistent low global oil prices. According to Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, the fall in global oil prices has made the current ICP assumption of $50 per barrel obsolete. Oil prices have moved in a range of $30-35 per barrel recently. "We must make a new assumption for the oil price. Our estimation is about $30-$40 per barel," Bambang said at the House of Representatives in Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday. The government, he continued, would submit its draft on the state budget revision to the House in May, after concluding the 2017 state budget discussions with the House. The revised ICP assumption would directly affect budget projections on oil and gas revenues, as well as non-tax revenues (PNBP), Bambang said. As of Feb. 5, state revenue reached Rp 94.9 trillion, comprising of Rp 78.8 trillion in tax revenues and Rp 16.1 trillion in non-tax revenues. Meanwhile, government spending has reached Rp 164.9 trillion, consisting of Rp 100 trillion of village transfer funds, Rp 37 trillion of non-ministries/institutions spending and Rp 27.8 trillion of ministries and institutions spending. "The state budget deficit has reached Rp 70 trillion," Bambang said. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Canberra, Australia Wed, February 17, 2016 The first Chinese ship to search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished almost two years ago is due to depart Australia on Thursday for the southern Indian Ocean equipped with state-of-the-art sonar, a search agency said Wednesday. The Dong Hai Jiu 101 had been testing its Synthetic Aperture Sonar off the west Australian coast in recent days and will drop off personnel at the port of Fremantle before departing for the vast search area 1,800 kilometer (1,100 miles) to the southwest, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement. The Chinese ship will become the fourth ship scouring a 120,000-square-kilometer (46,000-square-mile) expanse where Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is thought to have crashed on March 8, 2014. The search has had several setbacks through crew illness and equipment failures in recent months. More than 85,000 square kilometers (32,800 square miles) of the search area have been scoured since late 2014, with Australia and Malaysia sharing the cost. The Boeing 777 vanished after mysteriously flying far off course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing. A wing flap found in July on the other side of the Indian Ocean when it washed up on Reunion Island is the only debris recovered. Most of the 239 people aboard Flight 370 were Chinese. Australia is conducting the search on behalf of Malaysia, where the plane was registered. (liz)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Wed, February 17, 2016 After many losses in court, the Jakarta administration is now seeking to secure all of its assets as many of the city's planned projects have been hampered by a lack of land. Deputy Governor Djarot has tasked all working units and city-owned firms to list all available land including properties currently involved in a legal process. The Jakarta administration, he said, had often lost legal cases regarding land due to a lack of proper documents. 'All working units and city-owned firms must list their assets and report them to us. We don't want to lose any more land,' Djarot told dozens of civil servants during a meeting at City Hall on Thursday. Many of the city's programs have been hampered due to a lack of available land. For example, the city's program to increase its green space ratio has been hindered as it has experienced difficulties in finding available land. Further, the Jakarta Housing and Government Buildings Agency has also struggled to find strategically located land to develop low-cost apartments. Djarot explained that the city administration owned many plots of land, but lacked proper documents and as such the land was easily claimed by individuals or companies. Some of the city's assets were also certified with old documents which are no longer valid such as 'girik' or customary land certificates. He told all working units and city-owned firms to report their assets and documents with the Jakarta Legal Bureau who would then certify the land with the National Land Agency (BPN). Djarot also ordered all working units to monitor and secure build-operate-transfer (BOT) land and buildings, which the city administration develops in cooperation with private firms. There are several developments in the BOT cooperation program, such as the 40,000-square-meter Pluit Village shopping center in North Jakarta, built by the city administration and developer PT Duta Wisata Loka, which was began in 1995. The BOT program is set to expire in 2025, at which point developers must return the land and buildings to the city administration. City-owned lender Bank DKI also signed a cooperation contract in 1998 with developer Lippo Group to develop a 8,000-square-meter plot in Central Jakarta's Jl. MH Thamrin, the city's main thoroughfare, through a BOT program. However, until today the plot remains undeveloped. 'If we are not careful, our land can be taken away by private developers through BOT programs,' Djarot said. Separately, Jakarta Legal Bureau head Yayan Yuhanah said that the unit had this year received Rp 5 billion (US$369,788), most of which would be spent on asset certification. She further said that the bureau would assist working units and city-owned firms to secure their assets. City councilor Syarif of the Gerindra Party lauded the city administration's step to secure its assets, and said that such an issue must be taken seriously. Syarif, a member of city council's Commission A overseeing governance, assets and legal issues, said that the city administration had so far not effectively monitored its assets or its BOT cooperation with private firms. As a result, many of its assets had been taken by individuals and private companies, he added. 'The Jakarta administration needs to take this matter seriously because we've continued to lose our assets over the years,' Syarif said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim and Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government has again pitted itself against minority groups after a series of faux pas and hostile remarks from high-ranking officials toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. In an unprecedented move after a strong reaction to an LGBT study group at a university campus recently, the government has released restrictions for the LGBT community across the country, without considering the possibility of increased public panic that could lead to the persecution of more members of the minority group. The latest attempt was to stop an awareness program run by the UN Development Program Indonesia, which aims to empower LGBT people in the country. '[Freedom of] sexual orientation is a civil liberty. If it is violated then violations of other rights will follow. [The government's campaign to limit the LGBT movement] will bring much suffering for LGBT people due to increased public paranoia,' human rights watchdog the Setara Institute's chairman Hendardi told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. LGBT activities on campuses came into the spotlight recently when conservative media coverage attacked the Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) at the University of Indonesia (UI), highlighting its LGBT Peer Support Network, a counseling service run in cooperation with melela.org, an online platform for LGBT individuals and their supporters to share their experiences. The group also encourages discussions and studies on topics surrounding gender and sexuality. Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir and Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan were among top politicians who later denounced LGBT people in Indonesia. The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) last week discouraged broadcasters, television and radio stations from running programs promoting the activities of the LGBT community. In addition, the government also forced LINE, a Japanese-Korean communication application, to remove LGBT-themed stickers from its Indonesian version. The restrictions echoed the government's often half-baked solutions for religious minority groups in the country, such as Shiites and Ahmadis. Earlier this month the government failed to prevent the removal from their homes of 20 Ahmadis in Srimenanti, Bangka, by the local administration. Vice President Jusuf Kalla has denied that the government aims to restrict LGBT people, saying it respected citizens' rights to sexual orientation. But he said exercising those rights should not include campaigns as such actions contradicted the country's long-standing religious and cultural norms. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan concurred with the government's stance to block funding for LGBT campaigns, while maintaining that citizens' rights were not violated by doing so. He added that LGBT people deserved to receive the same treatment before the law and equal employment opportunities. '[Workplaces] should not scrutinize [their workers' sexual preferences]. It is not important to identify who is LGBT and who is not. As long as they can perform professionally, why should [their sexuality] be a problem?' Luhut said. In addition to campaigns against LGBT people, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is set to announce on Wednesday an edict to ban Muslims from joining LGBT groups or movements. Bonar said it was unrealistic to expect LGBT people to achieve the level of recognition that they had in the US, which has legalized same-sex marriage. 'But the least the government can do to protect the minority group is to not issue any policies or regulations that discriminate against LGBT people,' he said. ___________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Countries need to combine soft and hard power in the fight against terrorism, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo told US-ASEAN Summit leaders on Tuesday, sharing with them Indonesia's experiences in battling domestic terrorism. During a discussion focusing on counterterrorism, led by Jokowi and attended by US President Barrack Obama and leaders from ASEAN countries, the Indonesian President mentioned the importance of cooperation in three areas, namely promoting tolerance, combating terrorism and extremism and addressing the root causes of the problem. His advice comes in the wake of a terrorist attack that struck Jakarta last month. Four civilians were killed and more than 20 were injured in the attack. Indonesia is considering revising the Terrorism Law to reinforce legal protection and prosecutions in counter-terrorism cases, Jokowi said, adding that this was a part of the hard power approach. "In the reinforcement of the legislation, of course, we must take into account respect for human rights," he said in a press statement sent to thejakartapost.com on Wednesday. The soft power aspect will be implemented through religious and cultural exchanges involving the community and religious organizations, he added. Indonesia shared its experiences battling terrorism under the shadow of the expanding threat from the Islamic State (IS) movement. As many as 329 Indonesian citizens are reported to be living and fighting in Syria as combatants for IS, a small figure compared to Indonesia's population of over 250 million. These small numbers, Jokowi asserted, were the result of Indonesia's relatively stable political condition and its non-repressive government. He concluded, therefore, that political stability and democratic government could attenuate radical impulses, and lower the number of people leaving to fight abroad for terrorist organizations. The utilization of social media will also be key to countering terrorists and radicals given that social media platforms are often used by radical groups to spread extremism, Jokowi said. "We must work together through social media to spread peace and tolerance as a counter narrative," he said to his fellow leaders. Jokowi said he would advocate this approach during his Wednesday visit to Silicon Valley, home to many start-up and technology companies. (rin)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Wed, February 17, 2016 The Indonesian government decided last week to open up more local industries to foreign investment and permit foreign investors to accrue majority or full ownership of local businesses in a bid to attract more investment and sharpen up domestic companies with the predicted influx of competition. These more liberal economic measures, part of the economic reform packages delivered periodically over the past six months, straddle a policy tightrope of trying to balance the interests of foreign investors and the interests of nationalistic business groups averse to the notion of foreigners taking a controlling stake in strategic industries. This policy package will correct the negative perception that Indonesia is a protectionist nation often suffocated by excessive economic nationalist sentiment. In a bold move, the government will allow the effective ownership of businesses by foreigners in the cold storage and rubber processing industries, in restaurants, toll road development, plantations and pharmaceuticals. Majority control by foreign investors is also permitted in film distribution networks, warehousing, construction consulting and support services for air transportation. Judging from the sectors opened up to foreign investors, we can see several objectives of the latest reform package. One of them is to generate more jobs and inject more competition into particular industries where national companies have tended to enjoy an oligopoly, such as the film distribution industry. Another objective is to improve the efficiency of logistics systems. This can be seen in the opening up of cold storage, warehousing and supporting services for air transportation. Substandard logistics capabilities make Indonesia a less attractive place to do business because most investors now demand efficient supply-chain management to enable them to tap into local comparative advantages and economies of scale. The modern production system requires efficient supply-chain management to allow for lower warehousing costs, lean manufacturing and on-time delivery. But again, a good, strong investment policy is only one of the prerequisites needed to woo investment. Investors will not change their negative sentiments toward Indonesia solely on the back of the new reform packages, as they will still make judgments about how the reforms are implemented. It is the interaction between policy and governance that investors assess before making the decision to put their capital in the country. Put another way, foreign investors are willing to stake their capital only when the general business climate meets a minimum degree of physical, legal and institutional infrastructure that allows for a reasonable risk calculation. Hence, the hardest part of the challenge to woo investment remains the same, namely, strengthening law enforcement to minimize government policy-related costs and risks in taxation, customs, labor, local autonomy and basic infrastructure. In fact, the bad regulatory environment is one of the main barriers to new investment in Indonesia and is one of the main reasons why the costs of starting up a business in the country are among the highest in Asia. A new study led by a Binghamton University archaeologist contradicts the belief that the ancient civilization of Rapa Nui, Chile, was destroyed by warfare. An analysis of artifacts found on what was previously called Easter Island revealed that these objects were likely general purpose tools and not spear points, says Carl Lipo, professor of anthropology at Binghamton and lead author on the study, published this month in the journal Antiquity. People have long believed that the island civilization ran out of resources and, as a result, engaged in massive in-fighting, which led to its collapse. Thousands of obsidian, triangular objects found on the surface, known as mataa, seemed to support this theory. Because of their large numbers and because theyre made of sharp glass, many believed the mataa were weapons of war. Lipo and his team analyzed the shape variability of a photo set of 400-plus mataa collected from the island using a technique known as morphometrics, which allowed them to characterize the shapes in a quantitative manner. Based on the wide variability in shape and their difference from other traditional weapons, the team determined that the mataa were not used in warfare after all. We found that when you look at the shape of these things, they just dont look like weapons at all, Lipo says. When you can compare them to European weapons or weapons found anywhere around the world when there are actually objects used for warfare, theyre very systematic in their shape. They have to do their job really well. Not doing well is risking death. He says the mataa wouldnt be lethal. You can always use something as a spear, Lipo says. Anything that you have can be a weapon. But under the conditions of warfare, weapons are going to have performance characteristics. And theyre going to be very carefully fashioned for that purpose because it matters. Lipos study suggests that the ancient civilization never experienced the oft-theorized warfare. Instead, the belief that the mataa were weapons used in the collapse of the civilization is likely a late-European interpretation of the record. What people traditionally think about the island is being this island of catastrophe and collapse just isnt true in a pre-historic sense, Lipo says. Populations were successful and lived sustainably on the island up until European contact. Lipo and his team believe that the mataa are found all over the landscape because they were cultivation tools used in ritual tasks like tattooing or domestic activities such as plant processing. Weve been trying to focus on individual bits of evidence that support the collapse narrative to demonstrate that really theres no support whatsoever for that story, he says. Sort of a pillar of the broader study is the fact that this is an amazing society that really was successful. It just doesnt look like success to us because we see fields that are rock, we think catastrophe, and in fact its actually productivity. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty and Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Singapore/Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia recorded higher profits last year thanks in part to a series of strategic restructuring schemes to compensate declining revenues. The publicly listed company booked a net profit of US$76.48 million last year, a 120.67 percent jump year-on-year (yoy) compared to $370.05 million of loss recorded in the previous year. Its total operational costs dropped 13.05 percent yoy to $3.73 billion, from $4.29 billion in 2014, while its revenues slightly contracted 3.05 percent yoy to $3.81 billion. 'We carried out strategic restructuring measures from our upstream business to the downstream,' said Garuda Indonesia president director Arif Wibowo on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday. He added that the measures included network restructuring, strengthening the performance of the firm's subsidiaries, air crew rotation, cost efficiency and optimization. Garuda Indonesia restructured its network by deploying flights for suitable routes and markets, Arif said. The company was also able to lower its financial costs by reprofiling its loans, which helped cut the cost of funds, he added. According to the company's annual financial report published by the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), all operational cost components were recorded lower than that of in 2014. Flight operational costs decreased 14.45 percent yoy to $2.19 billion from $2.56 billion. Its maintenance and service costs stood 10.26 percent lower yoy at $376.5 million last year. 'We also strengthened our subsidiaries so they could gain profits,' Arif said. Garuda Indonesia owns dozens of subsidiaries, including low-cost carrier Citilink, Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) AeroAsia and several travel agents, ticketing and aircraft rental service companies in Indonesia, France, South Korea, Japan and Australia. Arif said the subsidiaries contributed around $38 million in profits last year, with Citilink chipping in approximately $5 million. Separately, Garuda Indonesia financial director IGN Askhara Danadiputra wrote in a text message from Hong Kong that the weakening value of the rupiah by 12.1 percent against the US dollar affected his firm's revenues last year even though more passengers were carried. As many as 23.5 million passengers were transported by Garuda Indonesia last year, up 9.3 percent from 21.5 million in 2014. Askhara blamed several environmental disasters, such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, which also forced Garuda to cancel its flights. As part of Garuda's fleet revitalization program, the airline is reportedly set to receive 16 new aircraft throughout the year, consisting of the one Boeing 777-300ER, four Airbus A330-300s, four ATR72-600s and eight Airbus A320s to be operated by Citilink. By the end of 2016, Garuda Indonesia expects to operate 188 aircraft; 144 aircraft by Garuda Indonesia and 44 aircraft by Citilink. Meanwhile, Arif said that his company would expand its international market this year, started by strengthening its existing routes in European cities, including to London and Amsterdam. To support the expansion, Garuda Indonesia will add five wide-body planes and eight narrow-body, funds for which would be sourced from its capital expenditure of $160 million and financing of up to $300 million this year. 'We hope this can recover our flights to Europe,' he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Wed, February 17, 2016 Aircraft maintenance company GMF AeroAsia inked a deal on Tuesday with Switzerland-based aircraft services provider SR Technics to develop its aircraft component business and improve services. Under the deal, the subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, which offers maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, will get support from the Swiss company in providing B737NG aircraft components to GMF AeroAsia's customers. The agreement is worth US$45 million. 'The contract duration will be five years. It'll amount to $9 million yearly. We will provide pooling of components for Boeing 737,' GMF AeroAsia president director Richard Budihadianto said on Tuesday after forging the agreement at the Singapore Airshow. In addition, GMF AeroAsia signed a $2.5 million deal with Malaysian airline Eagle Express to extend a contract on aircraft maintenance that was scheduled to expire this year. The two companies have been partners since 2012, with the current contract covering Eagle's Airbus A330 and Boeing 747 aircraft. Richard said the company was looking to sign contracts worth $100 million in total during the event, including a $3.5 contract with Dutch airline KLM and a $48 million contract with Indonesian airline Sriwijaya Air to be signed Wednesday. Meanwhile, at the same event, Lion Air Group on Tuesday inked a deal worth $65 million with Canadian simulator manufacturer CAE for the purchase of five new full flight simulators: Three Boeing 737 MAX simulators, one Airbus A320NEO simulator and one ATR 72-600 simulator. The simulators are priced at an average of $10 million each. 'It's partly a move to anticipate the upcoming release of 737 MAX, which has already developed its cockpit prototype. We also still have 40 ATR on the way to be delivered,' Lion Air Group general director Edward Sirait said on the sidelines of the event on Tuesday. The order will give Lion Air a total of 17 simulators, with the new ones slated to be delivered by February next year to the airline's training centers in Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The deal includes pilot training provided by CAE to Lion Air Group. Commenting on the deal, CAE vice president of global commercial training solutions and business development Dean Fisher said with the number of simulators the Lion Air currently had it had become the biggest Asian customer for the company. 'I do think there will be more deals in the future with the airline's airplanes backlog, with a huge order of A320 and 737MAX, there could be more coming,' he said. Lion Air currently has a fleet of 160 Boeing, 20 Airbus and 50 ATR aircraft, according to Edward. Edward added the airline expected to ink a deal with German MRO provider Lufthansa Technik AG on Wednesday to build a facility for machine maintenance in its bid to develop its existing facility in Batam. The deal would be of a long-term nature. Meanwhile, French-Italian turboprop manufacturer ATR, which also called Lion Air its largest customer thanks to the latest order of 100 aircraft, signed a deal with Singaporean commercial aircraft lessor Avation plc to sell five new ATR 72-600 aircraft, valued at $130 million. That will increase the number of ATR 72s ordered by Avation plc to 35 since its first purchase in 2011. Indonesian aviation consultant CSE Aviation also signed a deal with Alfa Corp. as a consultant for its helipad development in a project valued at $100,000. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Khoirul Amin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government is focusing on developing industry for more sustainable growth amid weakening prices of the country's main commodities. Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said on Tuesday that the national industrial policy had been well set amid a slump in commodity prices, with industrial development aimed at boosting exports and creating jobs. 'In this kind of situation [commodity prices falling], we should not be dragged down or find no way out. The industrial sector has to be revived,' he said at the opening of the annual Industry Ministry's working meeting. He added that it was the time for the country to reduce its reliance on natural commodities and shift to the manufacturing industry as it could provide more jobs, be highly productive and supply goods for other sectors. Meanwhile, Industry Minister Saleh Husin said the country's grand design for industrial development up until 2019 was directed at creating added value for its natural resources. In its five-year road map, the Industry Ministry emphasizes downstreaming to provide added value to products to offset declining commodity prices. The prices of 20 main commodities like coal, palm oil and copper dropped 0.53 percent to 42 percent in January year-on-year (yoy), according to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data. In the industrial development road map, the government is set to prioritize food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, transportation, technology, power plants, components, agro downstream, metals and chemical companies. In the road map, the growth target has been set at 8.4 percent for the non-oil and gas industry in 2019, with the manufacturing sector expected to account for 19.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Samuel Asset Management economist Lana Soelistianingsih said the government needed to speed up the downstreaming process and develop a raw materials industry to boost the country's competitiveness. Lana said Indonesia's trade deficit with Thailand in January this year as announced by the BPS was proof that the country still lagged behind its Southeast Asian peer. 'In the mid-term, we have to materialize our manufacturing-based commodities,' she said. Indonesia had a US$328.6 million trade deficit with Thailand. The Industry Ministry's director general for agro-industry, Panggah Susanto, said the government was boosting the crude palm oil (CPO) processing industry. The government plans to establish palm oil green economic zones to boost the CPO upstream industry, with the Sei Mangkei, Pelintung-Dumai and Bontang industrial zones becoming the main focuses for CPO downstreaming. Indonesia is currently the world's largest CPO producer, with annual CPO production hitting 31.5 million tons. It is expected that the country's CPO production will hit 40 million tons by 2020 and 60 million tons by 2030. Panggah said, meanwhile, that among the challenges in developing the palm oil industry were land acquisition and lack of training for small-time farmers. Total palm oil plantation areas currently account for 5.8 percent of 189 million hectares of total plantation areas in the country, Industry Ministry data shows. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim and Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government urged the House of Representatives on Tuesday to avoid spats and political maneuvering ahead of discussions on the draft revision of the Terrorism Law that aims to address the growing terrorist threat in the country. The government has submitted a revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law in response to fatal attacks near the Sarinah department store, Jakarta, on Jan. 14, that claimed the lives of four assailants and four innocent citizens. House factions, however, are still torn about whether to proceed with the deliberations with some arguing that the existing law is sufficiently strong. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that the authorities had received intelligence that militants were already planning more attacks. After holding a closed-door meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Luhut said that the country was in dire need of the law revision to be carried out 'as soon as possible' in order for law enforcement bodies to be able to thwart any imminent attacks. Luhut lambasted lawmakers who rejected the revision, warning that more people could become victims. 'We have observed that terrorism is still occurring. We need to stay alert and increase our surveillance. We cannot confirm [the time of the possible attacks] but we have to be aware that such threats could come at any time,' said Luhut. Attacks carried out by radical groups have plagued the country since 2002 and taken hundreds of lives. The Sarinah attack, which was conducted by a group with links to the Islamic State (IS) movement, was the country's worst since 2009 when the capital's Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels were bombed, killing nine and injuring more than 50. Luhut added that the government had agreed to allocate Rp 1.9 trillion (US$141 milllion) next year for the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism unit and would ask the House to include the budget proposal in the revised 2016 state budget. House Legislation Body (Baleg) member Hendrawan Supratikno said the House would invite several experts to examine the government draft and give feedback. 'There is an urgency to revise the law but how it will be revised will be discussed later,' Hendrawan said. As it currently stands the revised law would give law enforcement personnel the authority to arrest suspected terrorists and detain them for at least 10 months, even if they had yet to carry out any acts of terrorism. The detention period is an increase from six months at present. The revision would also allow prosecutions based on data from intelligence agencies. The government is also seeking to stipulate clear punishment for people or groups who join or recruit people to join radical groups, or help such groups to prepare terrorist attacks by providing financial aid. It also wants to implement strict and long-term monitoring of ex-terrorism convicts. Al Araf of human rights watchdog Imparsial said that the revision should include clauses to ensure the rights of terrorist suspects arrested by Densus 88. 'When the regulation was originally issued, they did not design it with the rights of the suspects in mind. So the revision should include that balance of rights,' he said. Al Araf said that there should be clauses that stipulated compulsory rehabilitation and compensation for those who were wrongly arrested and their families. A member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Siane Indriani, criticized the additional budget allocation for Densus 88. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Murder suspect Jessica Kumala Wongso, 27, has undergone six days of psychiatric examinations at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta. Jessica's lawyer Andi Yusuf said she had been examined by no fewer than 20 doctors as part of the investigation into the murder of Jessica's friend, Wayan Mirna Salihin, who died after consuming a cyanide-laced coffee. 'It's not over yet, the process takes a long time. At least five days, but 15 days at the longest,' Andi said on Tuesday, as quoted by tribunnews.com. Andi said the 20 doctors were from the hospital's psychiatric team. He said the examinations were conducted because the police had found Jessica to show some 'oddities'. Andi said he did not accompany Jessica while she was being examined. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 A 35-year-old sanitation worker, Suherman, died after falling from a tree while pruning its branches on Jl. Sangihe in Cideng subdistrict, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday afternoon. A colleague of the victim, 32-year-old Norman, said the incident occurred at 11:40 a.m. when Suherman miscalculated the trajectory of a falling branch he had just cut off. 'The branch, which was tied up, swung to the side and hit the victim's head. He then fell onto the road,' he said, as quoted by beritajakarta.com. Norman said the victim had fallen from a height of merely 1.5 meters but his head had hit the asphalt first. 'He was unconscious, and when we arrived at the nearby Tarakan hospital, he was gone,' he said. The hospital is now waiting for the family, who intend to bury him near his home in Tegal, Central Jakarta. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Wed, February 17, 2016 The House of Representatives has been urged to openly supervise the government's assessment of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) to avoid misinformation on the cost and benefit of joining the pact and to assure the decision does not harm the national interest. "The House's supervision of the government allows the negotiation process to be open to the public, so that we know what's on the table," Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ) spokeswoman Hertanti Rachmi told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday. IGJ has teamed up with the Indonesian Peasant Alliance and the ASEAN Solidarity Economic Community (ASEC) Indonesia to monitor and supervise the government's plan to join the US-led trade pact. According to Hertanti, there are three potential consequence of the TPP that should be carefully monitored by the public. First is the possible threat to Indonesia's sovereignty and democracy; second, the risk of violating Jokowi's nine priority programs of development (Nawa Cita); and third, the exposure to vital sectors affecting people's lives. "We urge the House to also express opposition to the TPP," Hertanti said. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo assured US journalists that his ongoing official visit had nothing to do with the TPP, and that nothing to do with the agreement would be included in the ASEAN-US Summit agenda. "Everything is still in the process of calculation. We have nothing to do with the TPP here, it's all about the ASEAN-US Summit," the President said in a press statement on Tuesday. Indonesia, he continued, was prioritizing a free-trade agreement with the EU, namely the EU-Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The trade pact with European countries could take up to three years of preparation, he noted. "It takes time. Not just a month or two, but could be up to two or three years. It's a long process," Jokowi added. Trade Minister Thomas Lembong added that Indonesia still had to go through a long process before formally joining the TPP, including technical and political processes. "Even TPP members have yet to ratify the agreement. They have only sealed the deal, ratification still has to go through their respective legislatures," he said. (ags)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Erika Anindita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The House of Representatives will decide the start of deliberations on a draft revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law in a discussion at the House's Steering Committee (Bamus) next week, a lawmaker has said. 'It [the draft revision deliberation] will be decided at Bamus next week. Bamus will determine which House supporting tools will discuss the Terrorism Law revision,' House Speaker Ade Komarudin said at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. The Golkar Party lawmaker said Bamus would also discuss the completion of the draft. It was reported earlier that the government's team had completed the draft on Jan 29. The House later stated that it would start deliberating the draft in early February. The issuance of a presidential mandate following the completion of the draft gave a green light for tougher counterterrorism measures. House Legislation Body (Baleg) chairman Supratman Andi Agtas said on Wednesday that the House leaders had received the mandate. A revision of the law, which was proposed by the government, is among priority bills in the 2016 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).The House has 40 priority bills in the Prolegnas 2016 that must complete deliberation this year. Human rights watchdog Imparsial director Al Araf has called on the government to give a guarantee on human rights protection in the law revision. The rights activist added that the law should not give excessive counterterrorism authorities to the state. 'A law should protect the rights of the citizens from possible abuse of power,' Al Araf said. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Erika Anindita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The House of Representatives' ethics council is seemingly reluctant to look into an alleged assault case involving lawmaker Masinton Pasaribu, saying it had not determined the next step to take as there was insufficient evidence. The council planned to visit the Aini Eye Hospital in South Jakarta and Camden Bar in Cikini, Central Jakarta on Tuesday to seek information on the case, council chief Surahman Hidayat said. "We will proceed with the case if there's adequate evidence. If there is none, we will not proceed," he told reporters at the House on Tuesday. Dita Aditya Ismawati, Masinton's aide at the time, had a medical checkup after she reported the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker for alleged assault in January. Besides reporting Masinton to the council, Dita also reported the case to the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) and the Legal Aid Foundation of Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK). The council has not summoned either Dita or Masinton for questioning, Surahman said. Masinton allegedly hit Dita when they were in his car, leaving her face bruised and her eyes swollen, according to Dita's report to the police and the LBH APIK. The council's deputy chairman, Junimart Girsang, said last week that the council would start probing the case after it coordinated with Bareskrim. Masinton, an outspoken legislator who often slams state officials and politicians, has denied the allegation, saying Dita was drunk and was accidently hit by his driver. (rin)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Palm Springs, US Wed, February 17, 2016 Indonesia has thrown its support behind Laos' chairmanship of ASEAN, urging the country to maintain the group's unity and centrality as it entered a new chapter in the establishment of the community. President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo conveyed his remarks to new ASEAN chair Laos during a meeting with Lao President Choummaly Sayasone on the sidelines of the US-ASEAN summit in Palm Springs, California, on Monday. In line with the ASEAN Charter, the chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of member states' English names. Assuming the chairmanship from Malaysia, Laos will chair ASEAN summits and related meetings in 2016. 'Indonesia congratulates Laos. I am sure that [under Laos' chairmanship] ASEAN will develop better cooperation and succeed in realizing ASEAN's mission,' Jokowi said. Jokowi added that ASEAN faced a momentous era of forging an economic community and tackling issues related to economic and maritime cooperation as well as security in the South China Sea. Jokowi underlined the importance of ASEAN centrality in managing regional affairs and unity amid global geopolitical developments. ASEAN centrality remains a crucial aspect for the grouping, which has seen its share of rivalry between global powers. During its summits and other meetings, ASEAN typically brings together major regional players ' sitting leaders of the US, China and India at one table ' and it has the mandate to address the most pressing issues. Laos has close political and economic ties with China, prompting US concern that Vientiane might behave like Cambodia did when it held the ASEAN chairmanship in 2012. Cambodia was accused of obstructing consensus in the bloc to stand up to China's assertive pursuit of its South China Sea claims, which have since included the building of artificial islands suitable for military use. China is in an increasingly angry dispute with several of its neighbors, including ASEAN members Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, over claims to parts of the oil and gas-rich South China Sea. US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Laos in January, pushing for ASEAN unity in meetings with Laos' leaders. 'It is particularly important that Laos finds itself playing a critical role within ASEAN, and ASEAN itself is critical to upholding the rules-based system in the Asia-Pacific and ensuring that every country, big and small, has a say in addressing the matters of shared concern,' Kerry said. At the handover ceremony from Malaysia in November last year, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong said Laos would continue to promote effective cooperation with ASEAN's external partners based on the outward-looking policy of ASEAN, while enhancing ASEAN centrality and relevance in an evolving regional and global environment. Setting the theme 'Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community' for its chairmanship, the Lao leadership has vowed to forge better cooperation in a bid to implement the ASEAN vision. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga is searching for middle ground with the Jakarta administration following Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama's statement lashing out over the Pulogebang bus terminal in East Jakarta. Jasa Marga assistant vice president of corporate communications Dwimawan Heru Santoso said the company had received news of Ahok's response to Jasa Marga's recent request. 'Directors at Jasa Marga have been meeting since this morning to find a solution,' Dwimawan told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Tuesday, refusing to elaborate further. Ahok has blamed Jasa Marga for the delayed operation of the Pulogebang Terminal. Despite being completed in 2012, the terminal remains empty of passengers, buses and minivans, due to a lack of access to the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR). Ahok claimed that Jasa Marga had made various demands to the city administration in return for access to the toll road. The Bina Marga roads agency since last year has been developing roads and gates to connect the terminal to the toll road. However, Ahok said Jasa Marga had asked the city for Rp 8 billion (US$597,457) before granting access to the JORR ' Rp 4 billion to develop electronic systems at the gates and Rp 4 billion as a guarantee in case Jasa Marga experiences losses due to a lack of traffic at the gate. Ahok lashed out at Jasa Marga, accusing them of being 'inconsiderate' of the public interest. 'We built the gates last year and now they're asking us for money to operate the gates. How can they have no tolerance at all?' he said. Similarly, Jasa Marga in 2014 asked the Bekasi administration for a Rp 4 billion guarantee to operate the Bekasi Barat III gate, built by PT Metropolitan Land. The Jakarta administration started the construction of the Pulo Gebang Terminal in 2010. The four-story terminal stands on a 9.5-hectare site, complete with a 1.8-hectare two-story parking lot, which can accommodate more than 500 private cars and motorcycles. The Rp 448 billion terminal was designed as a modern and integrated bus terminal, which would replace the crowded and chaotic Pulo Gadung Terminal, also in East Jakarta, to serve inner-city and intercity vehicles. Initially, there were 67 bus operators using the terminal. However, over recent months, operators have begun to abandon the terminal due to a lack of passengers. As of January, only three bus operators were still traveling to and from the facility, with a total of only 15 buses. 'We will meet Jasa Marga's demands, but in return we will revoke their tax discount,' Ahok said. Separately, Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said the city administration's tax discount for Jasa Marga was up to 50 percent each year, equating to hundreds of millions of rupiah. Andri added that the toll road access was crucial in order for the terminal to begin operating. Without the access, no bus operators would be willing to service the terminal. 'We aim to have the terminal operational by this year's Idul Fitri exodus in July,' he said. Jakarta Financial and Asset Management Board (BPKAD) head Heru Budi Hartono said the city administration would include the funds required by Jasa Marga in this year's revised budget, which is expected to be disbursed in June. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Palm Springs, US Wed, February 17, 2016 President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo seems to have softened his stance on Indonesia's intention to join the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as he instead takes a cautionary stance in proceeding with the mega trade deal. When talking to Indonesian journalists in Palm Springs, California, Jokowi said it might take two to three years to complete TPP deliberations and negotiations, after first expressing an intention to join the 12-member trade bloc late last year. 'Caution is of the utmost importance in calculating this. Everything must be calculated for the sake of national interests. It is all still in process,' the President said. The TPP, one of the world's biggest multinational trade deals that covers 40 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), was signed by Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Vietnam earlier this month, but years of negotiations and ratifications by local lawmakers loom. There is widespread opposition to the TPP in many countries, including in Indonesia, with many saying it may do the country more harm than good due to its degree of economic liberalization. The House of Representatives is especially concerned about state firms as the TPP will level the playing field for state-owned enterprises and private companies. Twelve laws would need to be revised to allow for the implementation of the TPP here, raising more concern about the supremacy of the trade deal, lawmakers have said. Jokowi first expressed Indonesia's intention to join the TPP when speaking before representatives of a number of American companies during his first official visit to the US in October. At the time, he said Indonesia had an open economy with its 250 million people and that it intended to join the TPP. As if dismissing speculation over possible new TPP talks during his second US visit, the President insisted that the trade pact was not on the government's agenda at the two-day summit held by US President Barack Obama with leaders of the 10-member ASEAN on Feb. 15 to 16 at Sunnylands Estate. 'Our presence here has nothing to do with the TPP. [The issue] does not exist in the US-ASEAN Summit,' he said. At the same press conference, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong also reiterated the long journey that Indonesia must take to complete TPP membership, citing both political and technical processes. 'The reason we wanted to join is our national interest, to improve our economy and create jobs. The President has been very strict and clear in his instructions to negotiate rightfully, to defend the national interest and ensure that this is beneficial for us,' Thomas said. 'The process will take a long time and the government will surely not be greedy,' he added. Meanwhile, Obama said in his remarks at the opening of the summit that four ASEAN members ' Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam ' had committed to high labor and environmental standards when joining the TPP. At the end of the summit's first day, he announced the establishment of a US-ASEAN trade workshop. US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said it would consist of a series of workshops to help ASEAN members understand the provisions and requirements of the TPP because 'a number of countries have expressed interest in joining the TPP'. 'It's an invitation and recognition that the TPP is meant to be an open architecture. It is meant to be that countries that can live up to the high standards of this agreement should have an opportunity to join the agreement eventually,' she added. Pritzker went on to say that the workshop was 'a wonderful step forward, the commitment by our administration to be able to train countries as to what's in the [TPP] agreement'. On the second day of the summit, Jokowi will speak about counterterrorism efforts before US-ASEAN leaders. After, he is scheduled to visit US technology giants Facebook, Twitter and Google. __________________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Tangerang Wed, February 17, 2016 It was 3 p.m. when Uyus Setiabhakti and Mas'ud Ibnu Syamsuri cruised the Cisadane River in Tangerang in their blue motorboat to do their chosen job ' picking trash out of the murky water ' and enjoy the view of the river. Uyus asked his companion steering the boat on the 'Cisadane Ranger Patrol' to slow down when he spotted two men digging at the back of a factory located less than 5 meters from the riverbank. 'Pull over, I think we might be on to something. Let me check first,' Uyus said. He then alighted from the boat while Mas'ud turned off the engine. 'Good afternoon sir, do you mind telling me what you two are doing?' he asked the two middle-aged men standing next to two pipes and a fresh mound of soil. The two told him they were fixing the factory's waste disposal pipes, emphasizing that the factory had a waste disposal permit. 'Another permit allowing a company to dump hazardous waste into the Cisadane. Why the city is still issuing them is beyond me,' Uyus told The Jakarta Post as he returned to the boat. He said he had obtained the name of the company and may check that it had a permit to dispose of liquid waste into the river. The Cisadane, which winds through several districts in the regency and municipality of Tangerang, has become severely polluted with industrial waste because of poor law enforcement by both the regency and city administrations. In 2013, the Tangerang Environmental Management Board (BLHD) reported that 84 percent of the waste in the Cisadane came from households, restaurants and hotels while factories contributed 14 percent to the water pollution. The Cisadane provides raw water to private water operator PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), which is responsible for supplying clean water to the western part of Jakarta and draws 31.8 percent of its supplies from the river. 'The river gives us so much, but look at what we do to return the favor. We throw garbage and waste in it,' Uyus said. 'I think it's about time people started treating it better.' The majority of houses in Tangerang municipality and regency and in South Tangerang municipality are not connected to any wastewater treatment plant, even the ones developed by property giants. The developer of BSD City, for example, has not built a waste treatment plant. Property developer Lippo Group is among the very few to build wastewater treatment plants. The executive director of the Banten Environment Care Foundation has been practicing the Cisadane waste bank system Banksasuci that he established with Mas'ud and five other people in 2014. Its premises are located just 15 meters from the riverbank. The community sells fish and recycled trash that they catch in the river to fund their river preservation activities, which according to Mas'ud was proof that even a small community could make waste into goods that had economic value. He said the community also held events to increase local people's awareness about the effects of throwing household waste into the river. 'But it is a tough job. They claim it is a practice dating back to their grandfathers' days,' Mas'ud said. Recently, the community held a painting and arts exhibition on the riverbank and a trash collection contest to attract more people and to give them stronger sense of the importance of looking after the river, in which they could appreciate each other and not merely see a connection between people and trash disposal. 'Our dream is to see the Cisadane in a better condition; a clean and well-maintained river,' Uyus said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has called for legislation to ban lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activities in Indonesia. "We want a stern prohibition of LGBT activities and other deviant sexual activities and legislation that categorizes them as crime," MUI chairman Maruf Amin said on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency. The council called for criminal punishment of any people who engaged in sexual activities related to, or encouraged, promoted or financed activities connected with the LGBT community. The MUI, a government-sanctioned body, also urged the government to set up compulsory rehabilitation services for every person with an inclination of deviant sexual tendencies. Maruf said the MUI supported the government in recent statements to restrict foreign funding, including from global organizations such as the UN, that promoted LGBT issues in the country. The council was ready to undertake any necessary action to stop the flow of funds toward the LGBT community, Maruf said, adding that the promotion of LGBT activities was against Islam as stipulated in a 2014 MUI fatwa. "The fatwa states that homosexuality, whether lesbian or gay, and sodomy is legally haram and a form of crime," Maruf said. Separately, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the LGBT phenomenon was a societal problem that threatened religious life, constancy in the institution of family, and the character of the nation. "The [LGBT movement] is a potential threat to the marriage law in Indonesia that does not accept same-sex marriage," Lukman said. The Religious Affairs Ministry has asked religious institutions to identify the root causes that made someone become lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Lukman said he had asked that such research be conducted based on religious and psychological approaches. "We cannot be hostile and hate them, as they are also citizens of the state, but it doesn't mean that we condone and allow for the LGBT movement to shift the religious values and the identity of the nation," he added. The minister added that one of the ways to address LGBT issues, which he believed threatened Indonesia's future generations, was by strengthening the functions of the family in the community and the country. He added that the ministry aimed to strengthen the family institution as the fort in the defense against LGBT problems. Lukman said the ministry was currently in the process of developing optimized pre-marriage courses for couples, consultation and guidance for families as well as mediation in family problems. In doing so, the ministry would collaborate with the Religious Guidance Counseling Agency (BPA) and religious community organizations. (liz/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Members of the House of Representatives have criticized the government's plan to grant amnesty to former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) member Nurdin bin Ismail, popularly known as Din Minimi. Many of the House lawmakers said that Din was ineligible for amnesty due to his role in a separatist movement. 'He should be categorized as a criminal as per the 2005 Presidential Regulation on amnesty,' deputy chairman of the House's Commission I overseeing security and foreign affairs, TB Hasanuddin, said in a hearing between lawmakers and the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan, National Police chief Badrodin Haiti, Attorney General M. Prasetyo, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly. Tubagus said as quoted by Antara that according to the regulation, as a former member of GAM, Din should in fact be charged with treason and illegal possession of fire arms. Fellow lawmaker Nasir Djamil of Commission III overseeing legal affairs said that Din should be prosecuted for his crime. He said that in March 2015, during a meeting between House Commissions I and III, the Commander of the Iskandar Muda Military Command Maj. Gen. Agus Kriswanto and Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Husein Hamidi, both sides had concluded that Din Minimi was a member of a criminal gang. 'At the time, we asked the police and the military to join hands in crushing the movement,' he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The National Police say they are having difficulty tracing international transfers of funds, including the amount sent to finance a deadly bomb and gun attack in Central Jakarta in January, intended for terrorist groups in Indonesia. National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said funds worth Rp 1.3 billion (US$96,225) were suspected to have come from the Middle East to Indonesia to finance terrorist attacks. However, he added that the police could not detect the wire transfers early enough to prevent them. 'This cannot be. It's difficult to detect it [the funds transfer],'the police chief said as quoted by kompas.com. He was speaking during a meeting held by the House of Representatives' Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs and Commission III overseeing legal affairs on Monday. Badrodin said it was impossible for the police to cut off global payment companies, such as Western Union, to prevent money transfers to beneficiaries in Indonesia. 'We don't know whether or not it is for terrorists,' he said. Western Union is registered as an international payment company. It is apparently often used by terrorist leaders in the Middle East to send money to Indonesia to fund terrorism. Police say that most of the time they become aware of a money transfer only after members of terrorist networks are arrested and provide the information. Police also claim it is difficult for them to detect the senders of the money because it often happens that identities posted on the transfer forms are only names. Foreign sources for terrorist attack funding were revealed after the police's counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, arrested 33 people suspected of involvement in terrorism following the fatal attack on Jl. MH Thamrin on Jan. 14, which left eight people dead, including four civilians, and more than 20 injured. One of the suspected terrorists arrested gave the police information that Rp 1.3 billion worth of funds had been sent from Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. In Indonesia, the Rp 1.3 billion was allegedly received by a terrorist group led by Hendro Fernando. The Hendro group was one of three terrorist groups that police say were set to use the money to launch attacks against police offices. The Hendro group later forwarded some of the money, in the form of cash, to the Philippines and Poso, Central Sulawesi. It was suspected that the money was used to buy weapons. The Hendro group was known to have had nine firearms supplied by the group's terrorist cells in the Tangerang prison, but it did not get ammunition. The Hendro group was one of the main terrorist groups revealed following the Thamrin attack. Another terrorist group, led by Helmi, was also reported to have received foreign funds. Badrodin said the Helmi group planned to bomb the Jakarta Police office. 'It was planned that they would attack the police office with a car bomb,' he added. Members of the Helmi group were arrested in Sumedang, West Java. The third group was the Indramayu group, which reportedly aimed to launch attacks against on-duty traffic police, attacking them using sharp metal objects. 'It is their plan,' said Badrodin. The police also arrested the Abu Musyak group in Bekasi, West Java, during New Year's Eve. 'It's a separate group and initially they were set to launch attacks on the New Year's Eve,' said Badrodin. Badrodin said the terrorist groups actually lacked the funds they needed to execute their plans. The Thamrin bomb plan, for example, was estimated to have cost only Rp 900,000. However, the police chief added that terrorism threats were still very real in Indonesia because many terrorist groups remained in contact with Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian fighting with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria who is believed to have orchestrated the Thamrin attack. "He motivates others with the spirit of jihad, trains people in bomb construction and will continue to send funds to those who are ready to carry out terrorism acts," he said. (liz/ebf)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 Jakarta Police are set to conduct an operation in the capital's red-light district of Kalijodo in North Jakarta on Thursday as it will deploy at least 1,000 officers in a move to fight "social diseases", the Jakarta Police chief said on Wednesday. Police are committed to back up the city administration along with the support from the Jakarta Military Command, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said. "We will start the "social disease" operation tomorrow," he told journalists after a joint meeting about the Kalijodo shutdown at the Jakarta Police headquarters. "From the police perspective, Kalijodo is a place where thugs, criminals, illegal alcoholic beverage sellers, pimp, prostitutes and drug dealers gather." Jakarta Police will deploy 500 officers from West and North Jakarta Police and another 1,000 to 2,000 officers from Jakarta Police to assist the city administration in curbing Kalijodo and preventing any unwanted clashes. The operation aims to raid the area for possible illegal alcohol, sharp weapons and firearms as well as to catch drug dealers and thugs. Police said they would not hesitate to arrest anyone blocking officers in the operation following expressions of opposition by residents. "If there are people who resist the eviction, protect the criminals, we will arrest them. I urge everyone not to protect the criminals and thugs," Tito said. With the support from the Jakarta Military Command, Tito is confident about carrying out the operation well. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The Jakarta Police are ready to face the pretrial motion filed by lawyers representing Jessica Kumala Wongso, a suspect in the alleged premeditated murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, according to a Jakarta Police spokesperson. "The police are ready to face the pretrial motion. We're sure that our hard work and case investigation have complied with the existing standard operating procedure," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iqbal said on Wednesday. Earlier, Jessica's lawyer, Andi Jusuf, said that he had filed a pretrial hearing request with the Central Jakarta district court last Friday. The first pretrial hearing is scheduled to be held on Feb.23. Iqbal said the move to name Jessica a suspect in the murder case, to arrest and detain her, to search her residence and to confiscate evidence were all based on Criminal Code procedures (KUHAP). Neither the Jakarta Police nor Jessica's lawyer team have revealed the major reason behind the suspect's decision to file a pretrial motion. Iqbal said that it was the right of everyone involved in a legal case to file a pretrial motion. Police have yet to hand Jessica's case dossier over to prosecutors. In an effort to further strengthen case evidence, investigators say they would like to ensure that all evidence is scientific in nature before handing the dossier over to the court and prosecutors. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jacobo Garcia and Nicole Winfield (The Jakarta Post) Morelia, Mexico Wed, February 17, 2016 Pope Francis urged Mexico's young people to resist the lure of easy money from dealing drugs and instead value themselves during a visit Tuesday to the heartland of the nation's narcotics trade. "Jesus, who gives us hope, would never ask us to be hit men," he said. Francis brought a message of hope to Mexico's next generation during a youth pep rally in Morelia, capital of Michoacan state, a major methamphetamine production hub and drug-trafficking route. It was by far the most colorful event of his visit, featuring butterfly-winged dancers and mariachi bands ' and a crowd so enthusiastic that Francis got pulled over by people grabbing at him. Improvising at times from his text, Francis told the crowd that he understood that for young Mexicans it was difficult to feel their worth "when you are continually exposed to the loss of friends or relatives at the hands of the drug trade, of drugs themselves, of criminal organizations that sow terror." But, he insisted, by following Christ they would find the strength to say "it is a lie to believe that the only way to live, or to be young, is to entrust yourselves to drug dealers or others who do nothing but sow destruction and death." Francis offered a similar appeal to Mexican priests and nuns during a Mass earlier in the day in a Morelia stadium. There, he told the country's clerics that they must fight injustice and not resign themselves to the drug-fueled violence and corruption around them. "What temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability? What temptation might we suffer over and over again when faced with this reality, which seems to have become a permanent system?" Francis asked. "I think we can sum it up in one word: resignation." It was a clear reference to the situation in Michoacan as well as the nation at large, where gangs and drug lords have thrived thanks in part to the complicity of police and other public authorities. That corruption came to light most recently in the case of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who escaped for a second time from a maximum security prison in July, and was recaptured after an October meeting with actor Sean Penn. While Francis gave a message of hope to residents of Morelia, his visit was also a symbolic vote of confidence for the city's archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda. Like Francis, Suarez Inda has called for Mexican bishops to be closer to their people and not act like bureaucrats or princes. Last year Francis made him a cardinal ' an unambiguous sign that Francis wants "peripheral" pastors like Suarez Inda at the helm of the church hierarchy. Since beginning his Mexico trip Friday night, Francis has repeatedly taken to task the Mexican church leadership, many of whom are closely linked to Mexico's political and financial elite and are loath to speak out on behalf of the poor and victims of social injustice. "Sometimes the violence has made us give up, either out of discouragement, habit or fear," said Fausto Mendez, a 23-year-old seminarian who attended Tuesday's Mass. "That's why the pope comes to tell us not to be afraid to do the right thing." "Although he spoke strongly to the bishops, it was also directed at us," said Uriel Perez, 20-year-old seminarian at Tuesday's Mass. "Because the pope is demanding and he wants us to be prepared and on the streets shoulder to shoulder with our flock." Priests have also been victims of the violence. Since 1988, 38 priests have been killed and two more are missing, according to the Catholic Multimedia Center, which tracks violence against religious people in Mexico. Twenty-eight were killed since 2006, half of them in regions plagued by drug violence, including Michoacan , Guerrero and Veracruz, including some who suffered signs of torture. Much of Michoacan is part of a region called Tierra Caliente, or the Hot Lands, known for both its blistering temperatures and brutal tactics by gangsters eager to control lucrative drug-production territory and smuggling routes. By 2013, the pseudo-religious Knights Templar cartel was widely kidnapping and extorting money and dominating the state's economic and political scene, so much so that local farmers took up arms against them. But the uprising by the vigilante-style "self-defense" forces brought little peace to the state, with the groups fighting among themselves even as new criminal gangs sprang up. "I'm excited about the pope's visit, but the reality is that people are afraid. Right now there is a festive atmosphere and a lot of police, but in the day-to-day it's not that calm. Crime has risen," said Yulisa Duran, an 18-year-old nursing student sitting with her boyfriend in Morelia's main square. As Francis entered the final stretch of his five-day trip to Mexico, his motivations for coming became clear. For starters, it's likely the trip might not have taken place at all, at least now, had Francis not needed to be in the region for his historic encounter Friday with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a meeting months' in the making. It's also clear that Francis has some serious issues with the Mexican church hierarchy, which, for its part, also has some issues with him. In coming to Mexico, the pope did it on his own terms: Praying at the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe and visiting the most impoverished and crime-ridden areas, rewarding "his" bishops with his presence and sending a message to others with carefully chosen words and deeds. He scolded church leaders for being too tied to their own privilege and power while staying quiet as their people suffer. He urged seminarians to be pastors of God and not "clerics of the state." He prayed at the tomb of Samuel Ruiz, a bishop who was a thorn in the side of the Mexican hierarchy for his defense of the indigenous. What Francis didn't do is also significant: He did not hold any public event in Mexico City, domain of the conservative Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, and cancelled a scheduled cultural encounter. It seems the frosty sentiment is mutual: When he came to the historic center for his meeting with the Mexican president and bishops, the central Zocalo square was oddly empty. Francis wraps up his five-day visit on Wednesday by traveling to Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for a cross-border Mass expected to focus heavily on the plight of migrants. (+) Jacobo Garcia, Nicole Winfield, Peter Orsi and Mark Stevenson contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 A number of Golkar Party figures hosted an informal gathering on Tuesday to tie up loose ends ahead of the first official party meeting under the resuscitated Riau congress line-up from 2009, which will deliberate the terms of the upcoming leadership race. According to several party members, there still are unresolved issues with regard to congress participants from Golkar's regional branches, which also split as a result of a drawn-out dispute between the party's Aburizal Bakrie and Agung Laksono camps. After Agung and his cohorts banded together to form the Jakarta congress management roster in November 2014, they proceeded to host regional congresses to reflect the leadership changes at the provincial and regency levels, each with its own legal basis. The branches, six at the provincial level and an undisclosed number at the regency level, were thrown into disarray after the Law and Human Rights Ministry invalidated the Jakarta line-up at the end of last year, in accordance with an earlier Supreme Court ruling in October that overturned Agung's stake in favor of Aburizal's Bali congress roster. The chairman of Golkar's central executive board, Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa, said there was still a need to discuss reconciliation efforts at the upcoming forum in order to resolve the disputes that continue to exist in the regions. 'If the regional branches still [have leadership disputes], we need to let them come to a compromise between themselves. If they are still insistent, then we must have them host a new regional congress in all fairness ' we definitely need to resolve it as soon as possible,' Agun told reporters after the gathering. Another chairman of the board, Airlangga Hartarto, said the set date for the congress relied heavily on the consolidation of regional branch committees, so that it was clear who would be able to participate and vote in the leadership race. 'Participation becomes a major factor in determining whether Golkar will reconcile or fall back on exclusivity,' said Airlangga, who recently announced his candidacy for the chairmanship. Party executive Ibnu Munzir suggested a top-down solution, where only disputing committees at the provincial level would host the regional congress, and all other committees under its auspices would be consolidated by the newly elected line-up. The recommendations, Agun said, would be inventoried and proposed for discussion in the daily and plenary forums that would soon be carried out in preparation for the national congress. He said that he and Yorrys Raweyai, acting as go-betweens for Agung and Aburizal, respectively, would relay messages from Tuesday's forum to the current party leadership. The forum, which was attended mostly by former members of Agung's camp and a few others from Aburizal's side, also proposed the hosting of another gathering for all elements of Golkar, from wing groups to the supervisory board. 'We want everyone to know that Golkar belongs to every one of us [members], whether for the current roster or even those from the previous ones. There must not be any division among us,' Agun said. Separately, political analyst Gun Gun Heryanto of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) concurred that leadership disputes in the regions would inevitably impact the hosting of the upcoming congress, but also preparations for the 2017 regional elections. Gun Gun said the party needed to work hard to meet the deadline for the congress, which has been moved to between March and May, so it could prepare for the 101 electorates that will participate in next year's simultaneous elections. 'Why March? Because in June the country will begin preparations for the 2017 elections. If Golkar doesn't consolidate its constituents by then, it will be at a disadvantage,' the political communications expert told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. 'It all hinges on how both camps are able to settle their differences in the regional disputes, as these regions constitute a fair number of voters for the congress.' ______________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar and Anggi Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Palm Springs/Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo praised progress on special economic zone (SEZ) talks with Vietnam, which he expected would conclude soon to give both countries maximum benefits. 'The efforts to determine the SEZ could minimize uncertainty regarding maritime borders,' Jokowi said after a meeting with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the sidelines of the US-ASEAN summit in Sunnylands. Jokowi also told his Vietnamese counterpart that he intended to visit Vietnam this year. The leaders have vowed to boost their bilateral trade value, currently at US$5.03 billion, to $10 billion. Meanwhile, the outgoing Indonesian ambassador to Vietnam, Mayerfas, said Indonesia should invest more in Vietnam to open doors to its population of 90 million as a potential market and to attract investors operating in the country. 'It is not only its huge market but how we have the chance to expand to other countries and to connect with other investors there, with its proximity to East Asian investors and its free-trade treaties with a number of countries,' he said. He cited state-run Semen Indonesia as an example, which acquired local cement maker Thang Long Cement Join Stock Company in 2012 and managed to secure the company's export market to neighboring countries. Mayerfas ' along with Indonesia's ambassadors to Thailand, Lutfi Rauf, and Singapore, Andri Hadi ' was speaking at a forum on the preparedness of other countries in facing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and to give recommendations to Indonesia. The three are concluding their three-year tenures as ambassadors. The AEC ' launched in December last year ' allows a free flow of goods, services, investments and skilled labor and a freer movement of capital across the region. Mayerfas said the fact that some investors recently moved their investment from Indonesia, particularly from Batam, showed there were probably investment potentials where Indonesia fell short. 'Investors are looking to more affordable land and its availability, cheaper labor and stable political conditions in Vietnam. But on top of that, the country manages to use the AEC as part of its strategy to entice investors by convincing them that Vietnam is the door to 900 million people of ASEAN,' he said. Vietnam saw its international trade value increase by 43 percent from 2012 to $328 billion in 2015, during which time bilateral trade with Indonesia went up by only 3 percent to $5.03 billion. There are currently 25 Indonesian companies operating in Vietnam. Indonesia is below Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam in investment to Vietnam. South Korea, Japan and Singapore top the list of Vietnam's investors, with Indonesia ranked 29. Meanwhile, Lutfi said Thailand was using a similar strategy to Vietnam, promoting ' particularly in tourism ' how the country was a hub for other ASEAN countries. Lutfi cited how the country, one of the founding members of ASEAN along with Indonesia, had been aggressive in promoting the AEC ' including to its rural and border areas ' through integrated schemes involving education curriculum, media and private corporations. Infrastructure connectivity, including the presence of integrated hubs, has become very visible in Thailand, according to Lutfi, which showed how prepared the country was in facilitating more liquid logistics movement. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar and Rendi A. Witular (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Palm Springs, US Wed, February 17, 2016 On the first day of the 'no-tie' summit between US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 10 ASEAN member states, Indonesia reaffirmed its existing approach to the protracted territorial disputes in the South China Sea (SCS). Speaking before the leaders during a working dinner held at the Sunnylands Estate in California on Monday, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo emphasized the need for the region to maintain peace and stability. Repeating Indonesia's long-held stance in the dispute, Jokowi urged all countries to comply with international rules, avoid displays of power, effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the SCS and immediately draw up a code of conduct (COC). 'What's important is that we are consistently pushing for peaceful settlement. We are not changing our course, and will remain consistent with what we've proposed before,' said Jokowi after the meeting. The DOC was signed by all ASEAN members and China in November 2002, to establish mechanisms to prevent a crisis and reduce tension amid the differing territorial claims to the SCS that have created disputes in the region. Under the DOC, all parties are required to jointly draw up a COC as a more binding instrument about how to resolve and prevent the conflict from turning into a fully fledged war. However, progress is yet to be seen in the drafting of the COC. Indonesia is not a claimant nation in the dispute but fellow ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam are among those that have challenged China's territorial claims in the SCS. China's assertiveness in the region, particularly in the SCS dispute, has worried the US and its allies Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, that believe it could negatively affect freedom of navigation, given the strategic location of the SCS. While China has already created a military islet in the SCS to underpin its disputed territorial claims, the US has pledged more firepower for the region. Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, was quoted last month by Bloomberg as saying: 'Everything that is new and cool that the United States is developing is going to the Asia Pacific.' In his address, Obama assured ASEAN leaders that the US would maintain its presence in the region to ensure the safety of commercial vessels. 'Here at this summit, we can advance our shared vision of a regional order, where international rules and norms, including freedom of navigation, are upheld and where disputes are resolved through peaceful, legal means,' Obama said at the summit, which was themed 'On Regional Strategic Outlook'. 'Together we can also continue to increase our security cooperation to meet shared challenges. In recent years, the United States has increased our maritime security assistance to our allies and partners in the region, including our mutual capabilities to protect lawful commerce in the response to humanitarian crisis.' The two-day summit, held in the last year of Obama's presidency, is aimed at sharpening the US 2012 Asia pivot policy amid the already profound influence of China in the region. Although Indonesia has remained neutral in the dispute, attempts from the US, Japan and their allies to push the natural leader of ASEAN to play a more active role in the dispute and to counter any support for China have heightened in recent years. While Jokowi insisted that Indonesia, as a non-claimant state, would contribute to ensuring peace and stability in the region, analysts have suggested it might be hard for Southeast Asia's biggest economy to serve as an honest broker in the row. Relations between Jakarta and Beijing are at an all-time high after China pledged to fund around 30 percent of Indonesia's much-needed infrastructure development. Beijing's first tranche of its loan commitment was delivered in September last year when state-run Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) secured loan commitments totaling $3 billion from the China Development Bank (CDB). Aside from the SCS issue, Jokowi also took the time to remind ASEAN leaders about their support for the independence of Palestine. Indonesia is set to host the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on March 6, with Palestine at the top of the agenda. The world's most populous Muslim-majority country has been chosen as the host of the extraordinary summit to rally support from the entire OIC community for resolving the Palestinian issue. 'I would like to encourage ASEAN and the US to continue their contributions for the settlement of the Palestine issue,' said Jokowi. ____________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 17, 2016 The government's effort to bring the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification in line with the globally-acknowledged Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has shown little progress due to numerous differences. The assessment to combine the two certifications was completed in Dec. 2015, two years after a memorandum of understanding on the move was signed by the two certificate organizations on Nov. 3, 2013. "Sustainability is a difficult subject, because it is still evolving. New cases appear, and both of the bodies implement new methodologies," RSPO Indonesia director Tiur Rumondang told thejakartapost.com on Wednesday. The assessment was initially pushed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The Agriculture Ministry has appointed independent consultant Mutuagung Lestari to assess a merger of the two certification standards. "Now the studies on similarities between ISPO and RSPO are finished. Next, we focus on the differences," Mutuagung researcher Hariyadi said. Similarities found in the two certifications, he explained, were on the high conservation values (HCV), free prior and informed consent (FPIC) and new planting procedures (NPP). However, many differences were found, especially on tools and approaches used by ISPO and RSPO, Hariyadi said. He pointed specifically to measures taken to settle land conflicts. RSPO would immediately suspend the certificate until the conflict settled. ISPO, on the other hand, would put the conflicted area into 'enclave status' and allow the remaining land to be developed while discussions go on to find a resolution. Agricultural Ministry spokesman Dwi Praptomo Sujatmiko said the government would not take any new measures on the palm-oil certification while waiting for the study to complete. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Hanoi, Vietnam Wed, February 17, 2016 More than 100 people gathered in Hanoi on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of the start of Vietnam's brief but bloody border war with China. Thirty seven years ago, 600,000 Chinese troops invaded northern Vietnam to "teach Vietnam a lesson" for ousting the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. China withdrew its troops after a month. The residents lit incense Wednesday and laid flowers at the statue of King Ly Thai To, a Vietnamese hero, in a ceremony that lasted an hour. They chanted "down with the aggressors," and "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa," the Vietnamese terms for the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea. The Paracels are claimed by Vietnam, China and Taiwan, while the Spratlys are claimed in all or parts by those three along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The commemoration took place even though large gatherings without government approval are often stopped by the police. There have been no official government commemorations of the war. "The Vietnamese Communist Party and government ... appear to forget about the border war with China and the day when China occupied Hoang Sa and Truong Sa," said one participant, Nguyen Huu Hop. Hop said he volunteered to go to the border fight the Chinese, but that his unit was instead stationed in the capital Hanoi. He said many young men in his neighborhood were killed in the war. After China withdrew its troops, periodical fighting continued along the border for another 10 years before the communist neighbors normalized diplomatic relations in 1991. China is now Vietnam's largest trading partner, but relations have plunged following China' parking of an oil rig near the Paracels in May 2014. The countries have since then tried to mend ties by exchanging high-level visits, but tensions remain over the islands. (+) The European Commission and the International Energy Agency will address the impact of the energy crisis on SMEs in an online event on 21 October. Disclaimer The views expressed on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Economics or the University of Oregon. Climate change is the defining issue of our time, because it affects nearly every aspect of human lives.Floods, droughts, heat waves and other types of extreme weather reduce harvests, threaten the lives and livelihoods of those living on the margins, and have a disproportionate impact on the extreme poor. Because many of the poorest people live off the land, they are more susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather conditions. And climate change is expected to lead to increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as storms, droughts and precipitation. Extreme weather events can have devastating effects on subsistence farmers. While no one event can be attributed to climate change, the East African drought of 2011-2012 contributed to a famine in Somalia, which contributed to the deaths of an estimated quarter of a million people. In Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and some parts of South and East Asia, the combination of flooding caused by unusually heavy rains, poverty and low levels of development regularly brings hunger and death. Two years ago, President Barack Obama set a new goal for United States development policyeradicating extreme poverty within one generation. In the recent past, that would have meant an extra push to deliver humanitarian aid, to produce more energy, and to increase educational opportunity for both children and adults. But now, the effort to eliminate extreme poverty must include programs that will help everyone, especially the extremely poor, prepare for the effects of climate change. Today, with the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, in the lead, the U.S. government is working in partnership with public, private and transnational actors across the globe to anticipate the effects of climate change and build resilience. In Ethiopia, the U.S. is introducing new technologies to improve long-term weather forecasts so farmers can make long-term, informed planting decisions. In Bangladesh, the U.S. is providing farmers with science relevant to their situation, information, useful tools and training to help them adapt to changing conditions. And in Nepal and several other countries, USAID and NASA are using satellite imagery to help the people and government there better prepare for and respond to landslides, floods and deforestation and degradation of forests.. The United States is committed to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies. Preparing for the effects of climate change is an essential part of the process. Moroccos Tangier seeks Phuket sister city status PHUKET: The Moroccan Ambassador to Thailand visited Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday (Feb 16) to present the idea of Phuket becoming a sisiter city with Tangier, on the north Moroccan coast. tourismpolitics By The Phuket News Wednesday 17 February 2016, 10:54AM Ambassador Abdelilah El Housni of Morocco (left) shakes hands with Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada at Provincial Hall yesterday (Feb 16). Photo: PR Dept Phuket and Tangier share many similarities. Tangier is a major coastal city next to the Mediterranean. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy and we have long established relationship with Thailand, said Ambassador Abdelilah El Housni of Morocco. Today Morocco has an Honorary Consul in Hua Hin, in Prachuap Khiri Khan. In Phuket, we have approximately 10,000 Moroccans visiting the island each year. This might seem like a small number, but most are considered VIPs. They all arrived on private jets and stayed at least one month in hotels and resorts across the island, he added. More Moroccans are wanting to travel to Phuket, so I believe in reaffirming our relationship and hope Tangier and Phuket can become twin cities soon. This will benefit both Phuket and Morocco, Amb El Housni said Governor Chamroen welcomed the idea. We are highly interested in becoming a sister city with Tangier. We will draft a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) and other related documents and present them as soon as possible, he said. I am looking forward to developing an even better relationship with Morocco and Phuket becoming sister city with Tangier, he said. Phuket is already twinned with nine other places worldwide. These are Bali, Nice in France, Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, Las Vegas, the Crimea in Ukraine, Nakhodka in Russia, and Hainan, Yantai and Xiuning in China. In December, Governor Chamroen welcomed Xiamen Communist Party Secretary Hong Biling and her team at Provincial Hall, whose delegation sought to established sister city status with the Chinese coastal province Xiamen. At last report, that MoU was also being drafted to affirm the familial ties. (See story here.) Speedboat crew member slashed by engine propeller in Krabi KRABI: A speedboat crew member suffered a serious wound to his back yesterday (Feb 16) when he fell from the back of his boat and was hit by the engine propeller of another vessel. The incident happened at Koh Lao La Ding in Krabi province. transportaccidentsmarine By Eakkapop Thongtub Wednesday 17 February 2016, 11:00AM Kreetha Sarawaree is given treatment before being taken to Krabi Hospital. Maj Suphat Hemjinda from Krabi City Police was called at 11:30am and told that 33-year-old Kreetha Sarawaree had fallen from a speedboat as he attempted to push another boat out of the way so the boat could be moored. He was hit by the propeller after falling into the water. Mr Sarawaree suffered a large slashed wound on his back and was immediately taken to Krabi Hospital, Jampen Phompakdee, Koh Hong Park Chief told police. Maj Suphat explained that Mr Kreetha was a crew member of a speedboat named Ao Nang Photo. The boat had dropped off tourist at Koh Lao La Ding and was waiting at the pier. Another speedboat, Srisawat, was attempting to moor at the pier but it was too crowded. Mr Sarawaree went to the back of his boat and tried to push another boat away so there was room for the Srisawat to moor but he fell into the water and was hit by the engine propeller of the Srisawat . The captain of the Srisawat, 25-year-old Anan Phanya, told police that as soon as he know what had happened he stopped his engine, help pulled the victim up and reported the incident to park officials. Mr Phanya was taken to the police station for questioning, but no charges have been filed against him yet. We have been told that representatives from the Phi Phi Tour who operate the Srisawat have been to visit Mr Kreetha at Krabi Hospital and are taking care of his medical bills, Maj Suphat said. The United States, along with countries around the world, has denounced North Koreas recent launch using proscribed ballistic missile technology in direct violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. The February 7th launch came less than a month after North Korea committed another major violation of its international obligations by conducting a nuclear test January 6th -- the fourth such test since 2006. After holding emergency consultations February 7, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the missile launch by North Korea, also known as the DPRK, and announced that it will develop significant measures in a new Security Council resolution in response. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said, It is clear that the Security Council must take decisive action and to do so with urgency: With each one of these actions, the DPRK moves one step closer to its declared goal of developing nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, and we cannot and will not allow this to happenEach of these provocations, each of these illegal actions, requires a robust response. Because of the DPRKs decisions and actions, we will ensure that the Security Council imposes serious consequences. Secretary of State John Kerry noted the missile launch threatened not only the security of the Korean peninsula, but that of the region and the United States as well. Secretary Kerry reaffirmed the United States ironclad commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan. In response to the evolving threat posed by North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile program, the United States and the Republic of Korea have made an Alliance decision to begin formal consultations regarding the viability of deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in the ROK. According to Defense Department Spokesperson Peter Cook, the THAAD system would be geared solely at the risk that is posed by North KoreaThat is exactly what this technology is intended to address. Questioned about the possible response by North Korea to such a move, Defense Department Spokesperson Cook said, If the North Koreans are concerned by this, they have an easy solution here, and that is to stop their own provocative actionsTheyre in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Abiding by those resolutions would be an excellent place for North Korea to start. The United States welcomes the agreement by Executive and Legislative branches in Haiti on a roadmap for governing the country until a new president is democratically elected. The U.S. acknowledges the constructive role played by the Special Mission of the Organization of American States in fostering a spirit of consensus among Haitian stakeholders as the agreement was negotiated and finalized. The United States also echoes the Core Group statement of February 6, noting our wish that all actors will keep the best interests of Haiti and its people above all other considerations. The immediate job of the interim president will be to quickly hold presidential elections, which under the agreement are scheduled to take place on April 24. A presidential runoff due to be held last month was canceled after the second place finisher threatened to boycott the vote over allegations of fraud in the first round. Protesters took to the streets, and the perceived security environment deteriorated. Electoral intimidation, destruction of property, and violence run counter to Haitis democratic principles and laws. The United States looks forward to continuing to work with Haiti and its international partners to further strengthen democracy in Haiti, reflective of the regions collective commitments under the Inter American Democratic Charter. The April 24 elections will allow voters to participate in an electoral process that is transparent, credible, free of violence, and representative of the will of the Haitian people. Once the electoral cycle is completed, the United States looks forward to working with Haiti to continue the progress it has made in the past few years, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture, health, economic opportunity, and institution building. Fully functioning democratic institutions will make progress in these areas easier and more long-lasting. Watertown students who qualify for reduced meal plans eating for free As of Oct. 11, students within the Watertown School District who qualify for reduced meal plans will eat for free for the 2022-23 school year. OTTAWAThe federal government has asked Iraqi authorities to investigate reports by two Canadian organizations of an alleged massacre of Yazidi girls and Sunni civilians during operations to rout ISIS soldiers from Anbar province in Iraq. The allegations made by the Canadian groups accuse pro-Iraqi government Shia militias of killing 55 Yazidi girls and possibly hundreds of Sunni civilians on the outskirts of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar in early January. As reported in the Saturday Star, One Free World International and Yazidi Human Rights Organization International (both based in Toronto) flagged their concerns in a Feb. 8 letter to Iraqs ambassador to Canada and to Stephane Dion, Canadas global affairs minister, as well as to ambassadors of key western coalition partners: the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Canadian government, which has not yet replied to the organizations, indicated in an emailed response to the Star that it is taking the allegations seriously. We have asked Iraqi authorities to investigate these allegations and to take all necessary steps to ensure that civilians are protected, said Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Rachna Mishra in an emailed statement to the Star. The statement, couched in diplomatic language, expressed concern overall about violence directed particularly by the extremist group ISIS also known as the Islamic State and ISIL at civilians including members of religious and ethnic minorities such as the Yazidis. But it went on to express concern as well about reports of violence by various armed groups. Iraqi authorities must ensure that international humanitarian law is upheld, in particular as it relates to the protection of civilians in times of conflict. This includes investigating allegations of abuse and bringing those responsible to justice, it said. We have engaged extensively with Iraqi authorities in both Baghdad and Erbil to discuss our concerns with allegations of violence perpetrated against civilians by various armed groups. The Star was unable to independently verify the allegations. The Canadian military said Friday it was closely reviewing the details but was not aware of any evidence that would indicate that the incidents described in the report occurred in any area where CAF members are conducting operations. The (Canadian Armed Forces) strongly condemns any unlawful practices that violate the Law of Armed Conflict, said Capt. Kirk Sullivan, a spokesman for the Canadian Joint Operations Command Headquarters. The numbers of deaths reported by sources of Majed El-Shafie and Mirza Ismail are in line with casualty numbers reported by the United Nations assistance mission in Iraq. Citing information from the Health Directorate in Anbar, the UN said that in January the area suffered a total of 304 civilian casualties (56 killed and 248 injured), adding that it was hindered from verifying the deaths and casualties in Anbars conflict zone and so the figures it reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum. Samir Ghattas, a UN spokesman in Baghdad, told the Star last week the UN has no evidence whatsoever to corroborate the Canadians information that Iraqi forces or associated Shia militias committed any such killings in Anbar. The Canadian organizations cited unnamed sources in Iraq who claim Shia militias indiscriminately killed Yazidis and Sunni civilians who remained behind after ISIS forces had fled Ramadi during the military offensive by Iraqi security forces, supported by coalition airstrikes, to liberate Anbar in early January. Canadian CF-18 fighter jets participated in airstrikes in Anbar throughout January and early February. El-Shafie of One Free World International and Ismail, head of Yazidi Human Rights Organization International say their concern is what might happen next in light of an anticipated offensive to liberate Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, where several thousand more Yazidi women and girls are believed to be held by ISIS. Ghattas, the UNAMI spokesman, said the pattern seen elsewhere is that ISIS soldiers have been responsible for killing Yazidis and other moderate Sunnis as they are pushed out of territory they once held. El-Shafie said Tuesday he was not contacted directly by the Canadian government in response to his letter. He questioned how seriously it was taking the allegations. How can you make a real investigation without . . . even talking to us. Come talk to us, he said. The Star has also contacted the Iraqi embassy by phone and email but has had no reply. SHARE: At their regular Saturday morning meeting, a group of heroin addicts runs through an agenda posted on the wall. January 28 was the groups five-year anniversary, and theres a moment of recognition for how people are doing. In recent years, most have transitioned from homelessness to stable housing. Others have found jobs or returned to school. Many have reconnected with family. Asked about their pasts, everybody has a story of getting ripped off, robbed, or beat up for drugs or a few dollars. Kevin McGarragan recounted how he lost his arm. He was the passenger in a car being driven to a drug buy when the driver fell asleep. Car accident in 1993, he said, looking at where his arm used to be. Heroin was behind it. McGarragan said today, he recalls those stories as if they were from another life. Quitting heroin is a goal that still eludes him and most members of the group, which calls itself SNAP, or SALOME/NAOMI Association of Patients, named after two clinical trials that ran from 2005 to 2008 and from 2011 to 2015. What has changed is the way they get their drugs. In November 2014, McGarragan became one of the first people in North America, outside of a clinical trial, to receive heroin via a doctors prescription. The previous federal government tried to prevent doctors from prescribing heroin as an alternative treatment for opioid addiction outside of clinical trials. Its only thanks to a May 2014 order granted by a B.C. Supreme Court judge that staff at the Downtown Eastsides Crosstown Clinic are allowed to administer the drug, also known as diacetylmorphine, to a small group of patients. A legal challenge about whether all doctors should be allowed to prescribe diacetylmorphine as they see fit remains ongoing, with a court date set for October. In the meantime, the court order essentially grandfathers SNAP members into the program at Crosstown. The clinics lead physician, Dr. Scott MacDonald, explained that as participants rotated out of the clinical trials, Crosstown staff noticed them returning to street dealers. Seeking to save patients from harms associated with the illicit drug trade, he said doctors used the federal special access program to continue prescribing them diacetylmorphine at the clinic. That is, until the previous federal government changed regulations to put a stop to that. Advocates say the program allows addicts to take the first step toward a more normal life, by eliminating the need to constantly find money through whatever means for their next fix. However, the previous Tory federal government did not let the program grow beyond Vancouver, reflecting Ottawas position against other harm-reduction programs such as injection sites for drug addicts. But its possible this could change, and that the new Liberal administration might prove more receptive to harm-reduction programs. At the Saturday meeting, the groups moderator, Dave Murray, said lawyers representing the five SNAP members who won the court order are still fighting to legitimize prescription heroin. Theyre travelling from Vancouver to Ottawa for a meeting with justice ministry staff on Feb. 18. The lawyers hope to discuss heroin prescriptions for addicts, and other harm-reduction programs, including the expansion of supervised-injection services across Canada. The Ministry of Justice confirmed the meeting was set to take place, but declined to comment further. Health Canada also refused to grant an interview. An emailed statement expressed support for harm reduction, but continued it would be premature to speculate on the possibility of changes to the existing legal framework. Specifically, the group wants the Liberals to reverse two things passed by the previous government. The first is a 2013 regulatory change approved by then-health minister Rona Ambrose, which removed heroin and other drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy from a list of illicit substances doctors could apply for special access to prescribe. The second is Bill C-2, passed in 2015, which was seen as hindering attempts to open new injection sites in Canada by requiring applicants to talk with police, community members and public health officials before getting an exemption from federal drug laws. Ambroses office declined to grant an interview. Requests sent to Kellie Leitch, Conservative opposition critic for health, were not returned. McGarragan and other opioid addicts credit prescription heroin for the stability thats allowed them to turn their lives around. SNAP member Kevin Thompson first tried heroin in 1995, when he was 22 years old. He described the years since then as an endless cycle. It began by scrounging for money, usually by shoplifting. Then there was a trip to the dealer, finding a place to shoot up, and then waiting for the onset of withdrawal, when the cycle would begin again. Over and over, for two decades. My life was chaos, Thompson said. No other way to put it. There were countless times he tried and failed to get clean, Thompson said. I used to pawn everything I could to support my habits. Today Thompson has a regular job, a steady girlfriend, and has repaired relations with his family. Jenny Kwan is the NDP MP for Vancouver East, where the Crosstown program operates. She called for the Liberal government to reverse the 2013 regulatory change and for parliament to repeal Bill C-2. All of the evidence speaks to the fact that alternative methods need to be tried, Kwan said. I think we should follow through based on the science. Back at Crosstown Clinic, Dr. Scott MacDonald echoed arguments his patients put forward at the Saturday morning meeting. The daily grind of crime, prostitution, and whatever people have to do in order to get their next fix which can be three to four times a day, in a cycle repeating is terribly unhealthy, he said. Clark described heroin maintenance as a difficult treatment, but also as a lifeline for addicts that have repeatedly failed with traditional therapies such as methadone. Weve seen some major turnarounds in peoples lives, he said. Ive been very gratified to see people get in contact with their family again, go to school, work, and do computer training. Its remarkable. The case for prescription heroin Dave Murray is a plaintiff in a legal challenge that seeks to legitimize prescription heroin. In a signed affidavit, he explains the sort of addict for which heroin maintenance could be deemed an appropriate treatment. I have been injecting heroin and other opioids for approximately 42 years, it reads. I estimate that I have attempted methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for my addiction at least 10 times over my life. Each of those times MMT has been ineffective for me and I returned to injecting illicit street heroin. Dianne Tobin, a long-time opioids addict, suggested heroin maintenance can be especially beneficial for female addicts. The women arent working the streets anymore, she said. I bet you 90 per cent of the women who came into the program were working (as prostitutes) or were dealing ... They were mistreated and beaten up and all that by their pimps or whoever. And now they are working in the community instead. Scott Harrison, director of urban health for Providence Health Care, explained how the benefits of heroin maintenance can extend beyond its participants; for example, minimizing the spread of communicable diseases associated with illicit drug use. It doesnt just improve their overall health but it improves the communitys health, he said. People are less involved in crime, and they are not taking street drugs anymore so they are not exposed to a lot of the public health issues that go along with that. Prescription heroin by the numbers 26.6 Average number of years a clinical trials participants spent injecting heroin before they were deemed eligible for enrolment in a heroin-maintenance program. 11.4 Average number of times a heroin-maintenance patient previously failed to end drug use with a traditional treatment for an opioid addiction such as methadone or abstinence-based therapy. 202 Number of people legally eligible for heroin maintenance under the terms of the interlocutory injunction granted by a B.C. Supreme Court judge in May 2014. 110 Number of people receiving diacetylmorphine as part of Crosstown Clinics heroin-maintenance program as of January 2016. 500 Number of City of Vancouver residents it is estimated would be deemed medically eligible for heroin maintenance and receive the treatment if all federal regulatory hurdles restricting access to the program were removed. $27,000 Average cost of heroin maintenance for one patient for one year. $40,000 Estimated lifetime savings in societal costs for one patient enrolled in a program where heroin-maintenance is an available treatment option compared to a similar patient for which only methadone is available. 87.8 Rate of retention in treatment for patients enrolled in heroin-maintenance. Sources: NAOMI study, Providence Health Care, Pivot Legal Society. Read more about: SHARE: The cheese police are on the case. Acting on a tip, agents of the Food and Drug Administration paid a surprise visit to a cheese factory in rural Pennsylvania on a cold November day in 2012. They found what they were looking for: evidence that Castle Cheese Inc. was doctoring its 100 per cent real parmesan with cut-rate substitutes and such fillers as wood pulp and distributing it to some of the countrys biggest grocery chains. One might be tempted to think of this as a ripped-from-the-headlines episode of NYPD Bleu, except that the FDA wasnt playing. Some grated parmesan suppliers have been mislabelling products by filling them with too much cellulose, a common anti-clumping agent made from wood pulp, or using cheaper cheddar, instead of real Romano. Someone had to pay. Castle president Michelle Myrter is scheduled to plead guilty this month to criminal charges. She faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. German brewers protect their reputations with Reinheitsgebot, a series of purity laws first drawn up 500 years ago, and Champagne makers prohibit most vineyards outside their turf from using the name. Now the full force of the U.S. government has been brought to bear defending the authenticity of grated hard Italian cheeses. Which is good news for Neil Schuman. For years, Schuman has been a one-man Reinheitsgebot, insisting that the fragrant granules Americans sprinkle on their pizza and penne ought to be the real thing; if not, the label should say so. The stakes are 100 per cent real for him. Schumans Fairfield, N.J.-based company, Arthur Schuman Inc., is the biggest seller of hard Italian cheeses in the United States, with 33 per cent of the domestic market. He estimates that 20 per cent of U.S. production worth $375 million in sales is mislabelled. The tipping point was grated cheese, where less than 40 per cent of the product was actually a cheese product, Schuman said. Consumers are innocent, and theyre not getting what they bargained for. And thats just wrong. How serious is the problem? Bloomberg had store-bought grated cheese tested for wood-pulp content by an independent laboratory. Cellulose is a safe additive, and an acceptable level is 2 per cent to 4 per cent, according to Dean Sommer, a cheese technologist at the Center for Dairy Research in Madison, Wisconsin. Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 per cent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese registered 7.8 per cent, according to test results. Whole Foods 365 brand didnt list cellulose as an ingredient on the label, but still tested at 0.3 per cent. Kraft had 3.8 per cent. We remain committed to the quality of our products, Michael Mullen, a Kraft Heinz Co. spokesman, said in an email. John Forrest Ales, a Walmart spokesman, said he questioned the reliability of testing a single sample and that Walmarts compliance team is looking into these findings. Jewel-Osco is also investigating, spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco said in an email. We pride ourselves on the quality of products we deliver for our customers, Trucco said. We strongly believe that there is no cellulose present, Blaire Kniffin, a Whole Foods Market Inc. spokeswoman, said in an email, adding that it could have been a false positive. But we are investigating this matter. According to the FDAs report on Castle, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, no parmesan cheese was used to manufacture the Market Pantry Brand 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, sold at Target Corp. stores, and Always Save Grated parmesan Cheese and Best Choice 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, sold by Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., which along with its subsidiaries supplies 3,400 retail stores in 30 states. Instead, there was a mixture of Swiss, mozzarella, white cheddar and cellulose, according to the FDA. Castle has never been an authorized Target vendor, according to Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder. We are investigating the information provided in the report, she said in an email. Jeff Pedersen, an executive vice president of Associated Wholesale Grocers, had no comment. DairiConcepts, a Springfield, Missouri-based cheese maker thats a subsidiary of Dairy Farmers of America, said on its website that in a test of 28 brands, only one-third of label claims about protein levels in grated parmesan were accurate. The company blamed fillers such as cellulose. Until recently, there was little incentive to follow labelling rules. Criminal cases are rare. Thats because the FDA, which enforces the countrys food laws, prioritizes health hazards, said John Spink, director of the Food Fraud Initiative at Michigan State University. But civil lawsuits abound. A Jan. 29 complaint accuses McDonalds Corp. of selling pure mozzarella sticks that contain starch, considered a filler, a claim the company denies. Cheese makers commit adulteration because it saves money. Marty Wilson, chief executive officer of New York-based Sugar Foods, which buys cheese from Schuman and supplies major pizza chains with to-go packets of parmesan, said whenever his contracts come up for renewal, competitors peddling ersatz cheeses surface. And he has lost business to them. Were constantly battling cheap imitators across all of our product lines, Wilson said. Bob Greco of Cheese Merchants of America said competitors hawking bastardized products have underbid him by as much as 30 per cent. The bad guys win and the rule-followers lose, Greco said. The FDA regulates what can legally be called parmesan or Romano according to standards established in the 1950s to ensure that manufacturers wouldnt sell cheeses wildly different in composition. Americans love their hard Italian cheeses. Last year, U.S. parmesan output rose 11 per cent from 2014 to around 336 million pounds, while Romano production grew 20 per cent, to 54 million pounds, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Italian producers, however, arent loving it as much. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, a trade group based in Rome, asked the European Union in December to protect its manufacturers against U.S. companies that were using the names of their cheeses and Italian flags on their packaging. A deceit is how the organizations president, Giuseppe Alai, characterized Americans use of Italian names and symbols. Of all the popular cheeses in the U.S., the hard Italian varieties are the most likely to have fillers because of their expense. Parmesan wheels sit in curing rooms for months, losing moisture, which results in a smaller yield than other cheeses offer. While 100 pounds of milk might produce 10 pounds of cheddar, it makes only eight pounds of parmesan. That two-pound difference means millions of dollars to manufacturers, according to Sommer. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania-based Castle produced mainly imitation cheeses for nearly 30 years. The company, whose factory was adorned with crenellated battlements and curved archways to look like a medieval castle, had $19 million in sales in 2013. The trouble started in 2010 when it began making what it called 100 per cent grated parmesan. A plant manager designed flawed recipes, and after Castle fired him in 2012, he alerted the FDA, the company said in a December 2012 letter to the agency, obtained through the FOIA. The FDA accused Castle Cheese of marketing as real grated parmesan what was in fact a mixture of imitation cheese and trimmings of Swiss, white cheddar, Havarti and mozzarella. After the probe, Castle stopped production of the problematic cheeses and dumped inventories. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2014. A lawyer for Michelle Myrter and Castle Cheese didnt respond to requests for comment. In the 2012 letter to the FDA, Castle said there was inadequate documentation, and the FDA could note only the potential that the products werent 100 per cent pure. Lauren E. Sucher, an FDA spokeswoman, said the agency couldnt comment on pending legal cases. The FDA takes economic fraud very seriously, she said in an email. The FDAs investigation may be the spark that changes things, said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. The industry wants to be known for a wholesome, safe, honest product its whats kept the industry growing for 100 years, he said. The wholesomeness of dairy products is a treasured part of our story. SHARE: WARSAW, POLANDHundreds of letters that the Polish Cardinal who later became Pope John Paul II wrote to a woman philosopher document a difficult and courageous friendship of 32 years and suggest she could have been in love with the Catholic Church leader, the head of Polands National Library said Tuesday. The library bought the letters via Sothebys for a seven-digit amount in 2008 from the woman, Polish-born American thinker Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, and is planning to publish them in coming years. The head of the library, Tomasz Makowski, told The Associated Press that the letters were written by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who later became pope, from 1973 until shortly before his 2005 death. He said they hint that Tymieniecka, who died in 2014 aged 91, might have been in love with him, but he kept their relationship on a purely friendly and intellectual level. Wojtyla, who lost his mother at the age of eight, and then his older brother and father by the age of 21, was open to people and cultivated friendships with dedication and care. Makowski said he has read every page of the purchased file that also includes a priceless working copy of Wojtylas book that Tymieniecka edited for an English-language edition, with his handwritten remarks. They first met in 1973 when Tymieniecka proposed to edit his Person and Act philosophical work, and the long collaboration and exchange of views grew into a friendship. It temporarily grew sour over the editing when she rushed the book, titled by her The Acting Person, to publishers after Wojtyla was elected pope in 1978, but was later rekindled. When I read the letters I thought it was a difficult friendship, for many reasons, and a very courageous one because John Paul II was one of the very first high church officials who were not afraid to co-operate with women, Makowski said, noting they both had very strong characters. In every letter John Paul assured Tymieniecka he was praying for her and was thinking about her family and her problems, and also asked about her husband and her three children. These are letters of a true, concerned friend, Makowski said. But he wrote such letters to many other people, too. The question is: was Tymieniecka in love with Wojtyla? I dont know, but it is very probable, he said. She was a philosopher. Let us not reduce her only to the level of a person in love, he said. She could have also been simply fascinated by John Paul IIs mind. The Associated Press saw two handwritten letters one referring to the time Cardinal Wojtyla and his secretary, Father Stanislaw Dziwisz, spent with her family in the summer of 1976 at the familys vacation cottage in Pomfret, Vermont, the other one about philosophy. Makowski says the library doesnt have Tymienieckas letters to Wojtyla. In 2014, the year when John Paul II was announced a saint, Dziwisz said that letters in his possession had been burned, in line with the late pontiffs last will. SHARE: The German language is full of incomparable nouns, like das Backpfeifengesicht. It means a face that should be slapped. That sums up my thoughts, and probably yours too, on the smirking mug of Martin Shkreli, the American generic drug boss who took an old, cheap medicine and raised the price to a whopping $750 a pill, over the howls of patients and doctors. Canada has homegrown Backpfeifengesichten too, like those at Quebecs Valeant Pharmaceutical, which suddenly raised generic drug prices by up to 2,500 per cent. And while slapping is extreme, the whole generics industry in Canada deserves the stink eye for systematically overcharging us. Earlier this month, the federal governments drug price watchdog, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, released a brilliantly researched report proving that Canadas generic drug prices are too high: depending how one measures, typically 19 per cent to 31 per cent above prices in Europe, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. With generic prescription drug sales totaling $5.4 billion annually, do the arithmetic and Canadians are being gouged between $1 billion and $1.67 billion. In perspective: pull $29 to $48 out of your wallet. Per Canadian, that is how much is wasted by overpaying for generic drugs. Why? Because of the numbskulled way that the provinces control generic drug prices. Instead of bargaining for a low price, the provinces pay an arbitrary percentage of the price charged by the company that, many years before, first marketed the drug that the generic is copying. For example, if the original drug is $1 per pill, Ontarios Ministry of Health and Long Term Care usually aims to pays 25 per cent (so 25 cents) for the generic version. Different provinces use different percentages, but all are locked into this basic system, as are private health insurers or individual Canadians. Naturally, this arbitrary, anti-competitive system creates opportunities for price gouging. Take for example Apotex. Headquartered in Toronto, it calls itself Truly Canadian, and all its medicines come from Canada, having been manufactured or tested here. Yet oddly, Apotexs medicines are priced lower in far-flung New Zealand than here in Ontario. Consider Apotexs version of amoxicillin, a basic antibiotic that just about everyone has taken: New Zealands government pays $0.039 per 500 mg capsule, but Ontarios pays $0.342 eight fold higher. Or Apotexs version of amlodipine, a common blood pressure drug: New Zealand pays $0.027 for a 10 mg tablet, but Ontarios $0.359 13 fold higher. Something is obviously wrong when Truly Canadian drugs are priced in this anti-Canadian way. In principle, prices should be lower in Ontario than New Zealand, because Apotex avoids the export/import costs to the antipodes, and there are more Ontarians than Kiwis, meaning that the volume discount should work in our favor, not theirs. Yet somehow, even at New Zealands bargain basement prices, Apotex carries on happily doing business. The lesson here is simple: instead of using arbitrary percentages to set prices a uniquely Canadian stupidity that leads to us being gouged we should use competition, as other countries do. Even in the United States, land of infamously expensive drugs, when the American government uses competition it pays less for generics than we do. I agree with the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Associations call for generic companies to compete against each other in the marketplace. Theyre right about that. Presently, a golden political opportunity exists to solve this problem, thanks largely to Ontario Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins and federal Health Minister Dr. Jane Philpott. Both worked as doctors in the poorest parts of Africa; they are adept at wringing value out of a tight health budget. They are at the forefront of reviving the national health accord that Stephen Harper allowed to lapse, which includes a new working group of Canadas health ministers addressing equitable, affordable access to appropriate medicines. Thats hard, not just because Apotex and its ilk may battle to keep their corporate welfare, but because the ministers want a solution for the 10 per cent of Canadians who cannot afford their drugs, without disrupting the private insurance market that other Canadians depend on. The ministers vision deserves the support of the premiers and the prime minister. If it ends the price gouging on generic drugs, those savings could pay for getting everyone the medicines they need, so nobody goes without. Now that would be Truly Canadian. Amir Attaran is a scientist, lawyer, and professor in the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Read more about: SHARE: Boutros Boutros Ghali swearing in as SG at the UN headquarter in New York in 1991 And Egypt's Boutros Boutros Ghali has passed away earlier Tuesday after a long life full of accomplishments in Giza.The first Egyptian/African/Arab UN secretary-general passed away in a Giza hospital Tuesday afternoon at the age of 94.The former Egyptian minister of state of foreign affairs was hospitalized from 5 days ago with a broken leg.Ghali's funeral will be held on Thursday at Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral As a recipient of Egypt's Order of the Nile , Boutros Boutros Ghali is given a military funeral.Ghali's true turning point in Egypt was his role in Camp David talks between Egypt and Israel after the resignation of both Ismail Fahmy in 1977 and Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel in 1978 in a very critical time.His memories and books about the peace process in the Middle East are very important.I have just remembered how Hassan el-Tohamy , the late deputy PM and Sadat's eccentric envoy to meet the Israelis secretly in Morocco used to call Boutros Ghali as "Peter" for some reason.Of course , his true turning point internationally was when he was elected in 1991 as the UN secretary-general (UN SG). Now, many people attack him him because what they consider as his failure in Yugoslav wars in his term the Rwandan genocide and Angolan civil war The Question here : Since when the UN SG was able to save the world or able to stop wars or genocides !? Let's admit that on the military and political levels, the UN has been the biggest failure of all times.The UN is good when it comes to culture and social as well economic development in some countries but when we speak about politics, it is a big failure.People also remember how he was not re-elected as US-SG because Washington did not want so after his report on Qana Massacre that convicted Israel in a rare incident.For God's sake now in Egypt we mock Ban Ki-Moon for being concerned all the time when the whole world is on fire.Whether you like Boutros Boutros Ghali or not you have to agree that the man was that last generation that knew the true meaning of diplomacy and politics.Currently, Egypt has got a huge problem when it comes to politics and diplomacy. Personally, Boutros Boutros Ghali descended from a very controversial political family.His grandfather, Egypt's PM Boutros Ghali in early 20th century was assassinated by nationalist Ibrahim Al-Wardany in 1910 for supporting the British occupation in a number of issues like for instance extending the concession of Suze Canal company for 99 years and taking the British's side in Denshawai incident. That assassination was portrayed in Western media then as a sectarian act when it was a radical nationalist act.Till this day, PM Ghali is not respected in Egyptian history and is regarded negatively as occupation supporter.Then we got Youssef Boutros Ghali , Hosni Mubarak's infamous minister of finance who is sentenced 30 years in jail in absentia.Among all Mubarak's officials, Youssef Ghali has not returned Egypt after 3 July 2013.Despite most of Mubarak's officials are off the hook, the former minister of finance refuses to return back for some unknown reason.I think Youssef Ghali won't attend his uncle's funeral on Thursday.To be honest, with all what Boutros Ghali did in his life, he was my favorite politician in this family.Ghali is survived by his wife Leia Maria Ghali Nadler who descends from a very famous Jewish Egyptian family in Alexandria. Her family "Nadler" used to own famous candy factory that was nationalized during the Nasserite era.According to Arabic Wikipedia , Leia Nadler's sister Sheila is married to some Israeli minister. Anyhow, Leia Maria Nadler converted to Catholicism as a young lady.They did not have kids but without doubts, he left one hell of legacy Egypt will forever remember.Including that interview with Ali G ELKO -- With upcoming legislation regarding gun laws, members of local law enforcement agencies and gun owners sat down with the Free Press to discuss their constitutional right. We are here supporting the gun laws and the sale of weapons, said Sheriff Jim Pitts. Police Chief Ben Reed stressed the fact that local law enforcement works with gun owners and sellers to know about the issues. I would say as long as law enforcement works together with licensed firearms dealers to make sure that the laws are enforced and if theres any issues that we know about it, said Reed. That helps the gun stores, the ammunition dealers, everyone, in their commerce, because local law enforcement is going to know about it before state or federal is going to know about it. He explained local departments are usually on a first name basis in their working relationships with the gun shop owners in both the county and the city. That is the case, Reed explained. We know them all and we work together with them and if they have a problem, theyre able to just pick up the phone and call the sheriff or me and say, Heres the deal.' Former County Commissioner Jeff Williams, representing Gun World & Archery at 2515 Noddle Lane, said he is involved by invitation because he represents a particular business. I think its important that especially with the pending legislation that is due to come up right away, out of D.C. if not out of Nevada, concerning firearms that we make sure that everybody on the outside and the inside recognizes that, for the most part, 99 percent of gun owners in Nevada maybe even a higher percentage than that respects and works hand in hand with our police departments and sheriffs offices and FBI and everybody else in being responsible gun owners. Williams said gun sellers want to show, as much as possible, the positive relationship between law enforcement and gun shop owners at this time because right here is all the law enforcement in Nevada thats really important to us, anyway. Store owners hope to show how they are a positive influence for good and we abhor crime and people who misuse firearms, in any degree, just as much as they (law enforcement) do, or the judges do or anybody else, he said. When people begin to realize how important it is that we have firearms, how historically important it was that we did, then I think we can recognize that were not clashing with each other, like a lot of people around the United States think. Actually gun owners are working together, with law enforcement, to make sure that all communities are safe, he said, explaining his participation is to promote that message. Pitts said at the Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Meeting the CEOs of most departments in the state will be in Elko this week. Reed said another caveat in this is the Federal Firearms Licensees, the gun dealers, are required to have local law enforcement sign off on a license from both local law enforcement as well as adhere to numerous other federal regulations. This sign off, he said, occurs in five-year increments, indefinitely, with local law enforcement. Thats one of the requirements is that we know about them, we work with them and that if there are any issues, we can communicate, Reed said. So, theres a natural relationship right up front in that industry, which is highly regulated. Pitts said they are all there to say they support the Second Amendment. As long as the gun shops are very respectful of that and do the background checks, we work really well with them, he said to the Free Press. As long as you can legally have the firearms, we dont oppose that at all. Every time a gun is bought in Nevada from a licensed dealer, unless the buyer has a concealed carry license, he or she must have a background check before the purchase is made final. The county sheriffs in Nevada have the authority to issue concealed carry permits and conduct background checks. At this point in time, said Williams, You can still transfer a gun between two agreeing private individuals as long as everything is legal without a background check. This is as long as the seller doesnt deliberately sell the gun to an individual who shouldnt have a firearm and the gun is not knowingly stolen. Pitts said its important for the public to know, especially in Elko County and maybe statewide, the sheriffs office and all police departments in the county are pro Second Amendment. I think thats really important because it shows that we have a good relationship with the gun owners of Elko County, and the sheriffs office and the FFL-licensed dealers in things like this, he said. I would go further and state that its our duty in law enforcement to uphold the United States Constitution and what it says, said Reed. Bob Roshak, executive director of the Nevada Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Association, said the association in 2013 went on the record stating they support these rights. We are in support of anyone who legally can to do so, he said. Williams said because of President Obamas pending strategy to curb gun violence in America, sales have increased since Thanksgiving. Everything would have to go through federally licensed dealers, he said. Not every gun owner is opposed to this. For those selling firearms, inquiries can be made, at the local departments, on any property, for example guns or vehicles especially after purchase from a private owner to ensure it is not stolen. In the last legislative session a bill was passed enabling an individual to call the Department of Public Safety, at no cost, to ensure the buyer is a viable owner, said Roshak. I think its our job to follow the legislation thats presented. We try to not get involved in the politics of it, because we have to enforce the law ... to everybody, and we do our best to try and stay up on what all those laws are, Reed. Owner of Gun World & Archery Farnes Williams said it is good to work with the local law enforcement and "we support them any way that we can." On the subject of gun laws, he said the government needs to enforce the laws they already have. "They've already got enough laws in effect as it is," he said, calling the pending legislation "unnecessary." ELKO Join the Soroptimists from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Northeastern Nevada Museum for a journey back to the 1920s. Guys and gals can get all decked out in their finest from the era. Its an event that is sure to be the bees knees. Elko Soroptimists work toward bettering our community. This fundraiser will help them carry out their Dream It, Be It program for teen girls and contribute to supplying the Magic School Supply Bus. Most people dont think about teen dating violence, said Soroptimist President Elaine Cassell. One-third to half of girls experience abuse and about 12 percent of this is dating abuse. The Dream It, Be It program instills pride and self-worth in area teen girls. Career counseling and mentoring are provided to send young ladies on the right path into adulthood. Teen girls face certain obstacles when working toward their future and Elko Soroptimists assist them in finding ways to break down the barriers for success, Cassell said. This years wine tasting will be slightly different than in years past. Besides beer and wine the party will also feature liquor of a 1920s theme. Candy girls will be milling around the event selling chocolates and tickets for the drawings during the evening, said wine tasting chairwoman Marianne McKown, the clubs vice president. There will also be a silent auction with prizes donated by businesses. During the evening the group will also be presenting the Live Your Dream Scholarship of $1,000 to the winner, Morgan VanBlarcom. Each year Soroptimists International gives $1.6 million to around 1,200 women. These are women who have faced incredible challenges including poverty, domestic abuse and substance abuse. Scholarship money is provided to help these women achieve a higher education. Besides doing good things for Elko County girls, the local Soroptimists are also great at promoting their cause and gaining new membership. Elkos club is currently fourth in the world for achieving more memberships this year. The increase is tallied by the percentage of new members rather than numbers. Tickets for the wine tasting can be purchased from any Soroptimist member, at Barbara Maple Country Financial, located at 1082 Lamoille Highway, or from their Facebook page. Tickets can also be purchased at the event. Pre-sale tickets cost $25 per person or $40 per couple and tickets purchased at the door cost $30 per person and $50 per couple. Attendees must be 21 or older. Many headlines today site environmentalists want this or dont want that. Somehow that title makes us sit up and take notice. It puts us to mind of our obligation to the earth and our responsibilities to take as good care of her as we know how. Environmentalist tagged to your name often brings a respect with it in many minds, much like Doctor, Officer, Mayor or Captain. My question is: who designated, awarded or appointed these now day environmentalists? Doctors go through years of work, study, money and internship before they are allowed to distinguish their name with the title Doctor. Before one is called Officer, they must be trained in law enforcement just as one to be called Mayor first must be elected to that position. A Captain rose through the ranks to obtain her designation. Why is it, then, anyone can call themselves an environmentalist and we are supposed to take them seriously? There is no criteria, proof of knowledge or background of work in the field necessary. Absolutely no real know-how on the subject is demanded or asked for. It is just a philosophy they dont quite understand or have ever put to test. Apparently all you have to do is adhere to an environmentalist agenda set by other self-proclaimed environmentalists. It is against the law for people to claim to be a Doctor, a law officer or claim a military rank they have not earned or been awarded. Society looks angrily on those who would call themselves Professor, Veteran or Judge without them being that. Why do we allow them to call themselves something they clearly are not? Environmental Scientist, (earned) Yes. Good Environmentalist, (not earned) No. Bad. Oh, and just writing a protest letter, or holding a protest sign is not gaining knowledge, you pseudo intellectual radical environmentalists. Find something you know about, not just told about, to rebel against, you radicals. Simple as that. You dont just get to proclaim yourself something you have not earned or are educated on. Most environmentalists we read and hear from, too often today, have no more knowledge of their cause than what they read in their environmentalist mags written by other environmentalists. Do you see the circle? My reason for this writing is not these environmentalists, but the PRESS that addresses them as such. By doing so, you lend credence and credibility to many of their ridiculous, uneducated views that often contradict each other. (Let us allow the feral horses numbers to ruin the environment while we protect the tortoise and sage hen that need their environment healthy to survive). If I were to proclaim myself King of Nevada you wouldnt take me the least bit seriously. Why, then, do you take these self-appointed wannabes seriously? They sure dont you. We might agree with them on a given solution to a problem, but that doesnt mean they deserve any more than we take into consideration their views, claims and arguments. Some might be valid. Lets get the playing field level. Environmentalist should be a proud designation EARNED with knowledge and work in that field. Todays environmental groups are no more than a passel of environmentalists. My dad left 60-plus years stewardship, management, love, sweat, tears and knowledge in his improvement of the range (environment) as a rancher in his legacy. That, in turn, improved the numbers of game and all other creatures and plants on that range (environment). He and his kind earned and proved worthy of the designation ENVIRONMENTALIST, not those that just say it. All talk, no walk does no good. Rancher, miner, hunter, fisherman, logger, farmer, even patriot are just a few these environmentalists have somehow tagged as enemy. Please reporters, editors, news writers and news readers on radio and television, you can call the wannabes many things Concerned Ignorant Magazine Readers or maybe Loud Lewd Lauders of Ludicrous Lies you can get creative, but lets not be so inclined to bestow that proud title so often and liberally on those who have not earned any, let alone, such high respect as that term infers. Thank you kindly. With its shares down 42% year to date and trading near 52-week lows, car-buying website TrueCar (TRUE) isn't looking as thrilling as investors expected. That weakness is in spite of U.S. auto sales maintaining the industry's highest sales rate in more than decade. TrueCar's fourth-quarter fiscal 2015 earnings results will be released after the closing bell Thursday. But TrueCar has become a false hope for investors. Not only is the company's loss for both the quarter and full year projected to widen from the year-ago quarter, TrueCar's revenue has begun to slow, suggesting things could still get worse, despite the appeal of the stock's cheap price. For the quarter that ended in December, the average analyst earnings-per-share estimate calls for a 4-cent loss per share on revenue of $65.43 million, compared to the year-ago quarter when TrueCar reported breakeven earnings on revenue of $55.47 million. For the full year, the loss is projected to widen to 12 cents, from 5 cents a year ago, while revenue of $260.69 million would mark a year-over-year rise of 26%. TrueCar's mission was to reinvent the way car dealers attract customers and sell their cars. For a while, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company grew quarterly revenue by an average of more than 40% year over year in the five quarters prior to the second quarter. And during that span, TrueCar met or beat its consensus earnings targets. TrueCar has since taken a weaker turn. Not only has revenue in the second and third quarters slowed by an average of 12 percentage points, the company's franchise dealer count fell 6% sequentially in the third quarter, from 9,300 to 8,702. The reason for the dealer decline? TrueCar's relationship with the AutoNation (AN) was severed in July over a reported contract dispute. TrueCar has made some onerous demands in its new contract negotiations with us that are unprecedented in my 45 years in business and are unconscionable and unacceptable, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson told Automotive News. We cannot agree to them. TrueCar's relationship with its dealers is important because the more dealers that sign up for its services, the more money TrueCar is able to make by selling advertising space on its website. AutoNation, the countrys largest new-car retailer at one point had 226 of its dealerships using TrueCar's services. Unless TrueCar can repair its dealer relationships and grow revenue, its stock price -- which is down almost 74% since its February 2015 high of $21 -- will continue to suffer. The 2016 EPS estimates of 5 cents a share would mark a return to earnings growth, but it seems unlikely that TrueCar could hit that mark. This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. It isn't just oil companies like BP plc, Chesapeake Energy, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil that are facing the brunt of plummeting crude oil prices. The going has been particularly tough for smaller players like oil and gas services provider McDermott International (MDR) , which is struggling merely to survive. The Houston-based engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) firm specializes in offshore and deep sea energy infrastructure. As we'll explain, it's among the most dangerous stocks on the market today. This stock is also part of a group of distressed and "Stressed Out" stocks that TheStreet will be monitoring through these choppy markets. MDR data by YCharts Following the appointment of David Dickson as CEO, the company has managed to successfully start a turnaround, as he put an end to loss-making projects and expanded the backlog of projects. However, the company's success, boosted by new contracts, has been in fits and starts, as evident in its stock price movement over the last year. The stock, currently at $2.38, is down 12.2% over that period, after getting close to $6 on two separate occasions. Will McDermott sail through the oil storm backed by new projects or is it just a temporary respite? Let's see the factors that will determine whether the stock can ultimately survive or whether it's a doomed equity poised for total collapse. The Saudi Aramco Effect In August 2015, McDermott was awarded a massive contract, its largest single contract for the Middle East, by Saudi Arabia's petroleum and natural gas major Saudi Aramco. As opposed to the single assets that McDermott works on, this contract would involve work at four brownfield projects off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Further, this project will only be completed in mid-2018, making its total duration longer than that of any other current contract of McDermott. The $1.5 billion contract is part of a larger and longer agreement with Aramco. Apart from Saudi Aramco, McDermott has also won a project from Qatar Petroleum and Al-Khafji joint operations organization with more wins likely to follow. However, with the recent carnage in crude oil prices, there is a possibility of project delays or even cancellations, as oil companies cope with depressed prices. Moody's Downgrade Moody's Investors Service recently downgraded the McDermott's corporate family rating (CFR) to B1 from Ba3 anticipating risk of project cancellations and delays, and reduced capital spending in the upstream oil and gas sector as crude oil prices slip. Saudi Aramco's contract helped MDR raise its backlog of orders to $4.4 billion as of September 2015, the highest in the past 18 months. However, the streak may not be repeated in 2016. Short-cycle work may be difficult to come across as oil and gas players cut back on spends. Moody's thus expects that in the medium term McDermott's operating results, liquidity, and credit metrics will come under pressure, making the stock a dicey investment. "The weaker operating performance combined with up front working capital investments on new projects and final spending on new vessels will weaken its credit profile," the agency stated. The Story with Financials With debt of $851.23 million versus cash of $631.39 million, and a debt equity ratio of 0.6 which is slightly higher than the industry average of 0.5, McDermott is not exactly sitting on a pile of cash. Its PEG ratio of -5.12, versus any industry average of 0.58 also raises serious concerns about its future performance. Analysts, too, are bearish on the company, with earnings growth estimates for next year at -200.00% versus 4.50% for the industry and 9.10% for the S&P 500. While it is true that MDR has implemented cost-cutting measures and lowered its issuance of debt to strengthen its balance sheet, the company's success is ultimately contingent on that of oil majors in a market that is ridden with uncertainty. Investors must remember that in the event that oil majors pull their purse-strings further, MDR's contracts may take a while to see the light of day. For more articles on distressed stocks to avoid, read Real Money's "Stressed Out" stocks coverage. You can find more information on the index here. What a terrible year so far for investors! Stocks have been in a severe slump all year, as a sputtering China and plunging oil prices batter the weakest equities. Do we face a repeat of a 2008-style debacle? You need to prepare now, by weeding out the fundamentally flawed stocks that could ruin your portfolio. We've done the homework for you, by putting together a report on the world's most dangerous stocks. These equities are poised to collapse; don't get left holding the bag. To download your free copy, click here. This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia over the weekend may complicate nearly a dozen significant business pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The absence of the conservative icon from the panel creates a greater likelihood that contentious cases will result in a 4-4 tie among the justices. The lack of a clear majority will leave the previous rulings by lower courts intact. One key case is a challenge to new Environmental Protection Agency rules governing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. On Feb. 9 the Supreme Court blocked their implementation pending the outcome of a legal challenge to the climate change rules by more than two dozen states. If an appeals court upholds the rules, the regulations would remain on hold pending a Supreme Court ruling expected to come no sooner than 2017. Scalia was among the 5-4 majority voting for the stay. In previous opinions addressing climate change Scalia argued that climate change was a distinct issue from air pollution. Other business-related cases likely to be affected by his absence or the potential for a 4-4 split on the court: Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association The legal question in this case, argued before the justices Jan. 11, is whether "agency shop" agreements for public employees violate the First Amendment. Prompted by efforts to limit the political influence of public-sector unions, conservative groups that helped bring the case argued a teacher's free-speech rights were violated by a requirement that she pay union fees. A ruling on behalf of the teacher would overturn a 1977 decision upholding public-sector union agency fees. During oral argument Scalia was "dubious" of the need to charge non-members. If the union's work was valuable to teachers it should be able to get them to sign up willingly, he said. Spokeo v. Robins Argued on Nov. 2, the justices must consider whether plaintiffs may sue even if they have no concrete injuries. A plaintiff argued that people search Web site Spokeo posted inaccurate information about him and is seeking to represent a class of people with similar complaints. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides up to $1,000 in damages for inaccurate reports. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued that allowing standing to be based solely on a technical statutory violation would render traditional class-certification requirements meaningless and would invite class action abuse. Tyson Foods v. Bouaphakeo In another case involving class actions, the court on Nov. 10 heard whether a certified class may include people who suffered no injuries. This case examines the certification by a lower court of a class action against Tyson Foods (TSN) on behalf of 3,000 hourly workers who seek pay for time putting on and removing protective gear. Walmart (WMT) , Dow Chemical (DOW) and other companies urged the court to reject class actions unless specific legal claims predominate among the entire class. Merrill Lynch v. Manning In this case, argued Dec. 1, the court must decide whether the federal government has jurisdiction over state-law claims seeking to establish liability based on violations of the Securities Exchange Act. Puerto Rico v. Franklin California Tax-Free Trust The justices will hear argument on March 22 about Puerto Rico's effort to establish a bankruptcy regime for itself similar to Chapter 9 for municipalities. In addition, the Supreme Court is hearing two potentially important patent cases this term. In re Cuozzo involves the controversial inter paresreview process, in which the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reviews the validity of a previously awarded patent at the request of a third party. Last year, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that its lacks jurisdiction to review a PTAB decision to institute or deny a request for inter pares review and that the PTAB may give claims their "broadest reasonable interpretation." The other patent law matter involves the issue of what constitutes willful infringement of a patent for the purposes of calculating damages. The Court consolidated two cases that raised that very issue, Stryker Corp. (SYK) v. Zimmer (ZBH) and Halo Electronics v. Pulse Electronics (PULS) . Said David Hayes, a patent law partner at Fenwick & West in San Francisco, "The Supreme Court's patent decisions in the last couple of years have generally been unanimous or at least not closely divided, so I don't think Scalia's death would make much of a difference to the outcome of those cases." There are also a number of key cases in which the court has been asked to take up later in 2016 or in 2017: American International Group v. U.S. The justices would have to decide whether an appeals court erred by treating foreign income taxes not as taxes, but as expenses, in determining entitlement to the foreign tax credit. McWane v. FTC The justices would have to decide whether McWane's partial exclusive-dealing arrangement is unlawful under the FTC Act. The Federal Trade Commission previously ruled that a rebate letter was an unlawful exclusive dealing policy, even though a competitor was able to enter the market. Wells Fargo Bank v. Gutierrez, et al. The justices would decide whether a federal court may certify a class and award monetary relief to all class members, even though the class includes individuals who were not harmed by the challenged conduct. ELKO County commissioners will be talking roads during their meeting Wednesday. The dust suppression program is on the agenda, but many county residents will be more concerned with the flooding damage this week on local roads. Assistant County Manager Randy Brown said Tuesday he will update commissioners on the problems caused by recent snowmelt. Brown said all county crews were out all day Tuesday working on roads, but some like Last Chance couldnt be worked on until the water drained away. We havent had this much snow in awhile, he said. We dont think about this much water drainage until it happens. He said most of the roads that were affected by flooding around the county are on the list to be worked on once the quarter-percent sales tax is collected. Most of the roads weve gotten calls on will be helped by the new tax in the first five years, he said. Last Chance still had water covering parts of it late afternoon Tuesday, but it had started to drain. Randy Shelley, who has lived on Last Chance Road since 1995, said the road used to drain well. He said a local company built up a berm that blocked some of the roads natural drainage. Brown confirmed that a company inadvertently blocked the drainage, but as soon as they were made aware of the problem they helped fix the drainage issues. Were trying to get things back in working order, Brown said. Were doing everything we can. Anyone in the county who has a road issue is encouraged to call the County Road Department at 738-5036 or Brown at 738-6816, ext. 212. The commissioners meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Nannini Administration Building. Updated from 8:19 a.m. to include comments from Jim Cramer and Jack Mohr in the seventh paragraph. Despite a court order in California to help the FBI unlock the phone of the San Bernardino gunman, Apple (AAPL) is fighting back with vigor. In a letter posted to the company's website, CEO Timothy D. Cook said the request of the government, which was originally ordered by a magistrate judge in the state of California, would set a "dangerous precedent," threatening the security of Apple's customers, something it has long said it would not do. Cook said the FBI wants Apple to create a new version of its popular iOS operating system and then install it on the iPhone 5c used by gunman Syed Farook, who was one of the shooters in December's tragic shooting in San Bernadino. "Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation," Cook said in the letter to customers. "In the wrong hands, this software -- which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession." In a wide-ranging December interview on 60 Minutes (at the 1:10 mark), Cook said in the case of encrypted information, Apple does not have the information to give because it's not stored on Apple's servers. By refusing the FBI's request, the company said it is not just focusing on the privacy of its customers, which it has long advocated for, but also has concerns about the FBI overreaching. Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple said the FBI "is proposing an unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority." Apple could not be immediately reached outside of normal business hours to comment further on the letter. "We continue to reiterate our positive, long-term view on shares given the myriad of upcoming catalysts, massive cash balance at its disposal and exceptional management team," said TheStreet's Jim Cramer and Jack Mohr in an email. Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Exclusive Look Inside: You see Jim Cramer on TV. Now, see where he invests his money and why Apple is a core holding of his multi-million dollar portfolio. Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells AAPL?Learn more now. This isn't the first time the All Writs Act has been invoked to try to force Apple to help in a criminal case. In Nov. 2014, the Oakland Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office tried to get Apple to unlock an iPhone 5S used in a criminal case, citing the Act. "We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack," Cook said in Tuesday's letter. "For years, cryptologists and national security experts have been warning against weakening encryption. Doing so would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data. Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them." The issue of having tech companies, such as Apple as well as Alphabet's (GOOG) (GOOGL) Google, which owns the Android operating system, try to create a "backdoor" into their operating systems has been a long battle. Privacy experts have long noted that any attempts to weaken the encryption on these devices would be detrimental to areas like financial records, data from both the private and public sectors, as well as harm ordinary users. You can read the full text of Apple's letter below: February 16, 2016 A Message to Our Customers The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake. The Need for Encryption Smartphones, led by iPhone, have become an essential part of our lives. People use them to store an incredible amount of personal information, from our private conversations to our photos, our music, our notes, our calendars and contacts, our financial information and health data, even where we have been and where we are going. All that information needs to be protected from hackers and criminals who want to access it, steal it, and use it without our knowledge or permission. Customers expect Apple and other technology companies to do everything in our power to protect their personal information, and at Apple we are deeply committed to safeguarding their data. Compromising the security of our personal information can ultimately put our personal safety at risk. That is why encryption has become so important to all of us. For many years, we have used encryption to protect our customers' personal data because we believe it's the only way to keep their information safe. We have even put that data out of our own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business. The San Bernardino Case We were shocked and outraged by the deadly act of terrorism in San Bernardino last December. We mourn the loss of life and want justice for all those whose lives were affected. The FBI asked us for help in the days following the attack, and we have worked hard to support the government's efforts to solve this horrible crime. We have no sympathy for terrorists. When the FBI has requested data that's in our possession, we have provided it. Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants, as we have in the San Bernardino case. We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI, and we've offered our best ideas on a number of investigative options at their disposal. We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today - would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. The Threat to Data Security Some would argue that building a backdoor for just one iPhone is a simple, clean-cut solution. But it ignores both the basics of digital security and the significance of what the government is demanding in this case. In today's digital world, the "key" to an encrypted system is a piece of information that unlocks the data, and it is only as secure as the protections around it. Once the information is known, or a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge. The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But that's simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable. The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers - including tens of millions of American citizens - from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe. We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack. For years, cryptologists and national security experts have been warning against weakening encryption. Doing so would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data. Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them. A Dangerous Precedent Rather than asking for legislative action through Congress, the FBI is proposing an unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority. The government would have us remove security features and add new capabilities to the operating system, allowing a passcode to be input electronically. This would make it easier to unlock an iPhone by "brute force," trying thousands or millions of combinations with the speed of a modern computer. The implications of the government's demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone's device to capture their data. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone's microphone or camera without your knowledge. Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government. We are challenging the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country. We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications. While we believe the FBI's intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect. Tim Cook Bulge bracket universities have increasingly become targets of inquiry, and with an election year underway, politicians have gotten in on the act. With college costs and the value of elite school endowments on the rise, Congress has been looking at ways to get academia's super rich to contribute more to the cost of higher ed. Tom Reed, a Republican Congressman from New York has introduced a bill that would mandate colleges with over $1 billion in their endowment to pay 25% annually to reduce the cost of attendance for families with incomes between 100% and 600% of the poverty line. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the federal government's eligibility guidelines for the Food Stamp Program (now called SNAP) puts the poverty line for a family of three at $20,100 annually. 130% of the poverty line, for example, would be $26,100. Low- and middle-income students typically get benefits from rich schools, but Reed's bill would penalize them for non-compliance. A 30% tax would be levied on the undistributed payout in the first year of non-compliance and a 100% tax for the second. Three years of non-compliance would cost offending schools their tax exempt status. We care about ensuring fairness in higher education and allowing every child to succeed without holding them back because of cost, Reed said in a statement. Its only right that we begin looking for solutions to get the cost of higher education under control, and this is a step in the right direction in that process. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chair of the Senate Finance Committee; Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee; and Representative Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight contacted 56 private colleges with endowments over $1 billion, demanding information on how they spend their money. In a February 8 letter, they noted that the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee "have corresponding authority to conduct oversight" into "the numerous tax preferences" these colleges enjoy under the IRS code. The letter asked for details on the category and value of assets in the endowment, how much is paid out each year, how much goes to aid for tuition and what conflicts of interest may exist between a school's trustees, its governing boards and asset managers of the endowments. Endowment tax breaks can define a universities' financial circumstances. For example, Princeton University's endowment tax advantage per student was $105,000 in 2013, compared to the $12,300 in per-student appropriations at Rutgers, a state university with a campus about 20 miles away in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Colleges with endowments large and small got a pass during the Great Recession; in general, their investments got slammed along with everyone else's. Once the capital markets came back, however, the richest colleges enjoyed big profits. Last May, Moody's Investor Services concluded that since the Great Recession, endowments at the nation's 40 wealthiest universities have more than doubled . The Congressional Research Service cites a December 2015 study by the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers that puts almost 75% of the nation's endowment wealth in 11% of colleges. While these institutions don't--and can't--cry poverty, they point to the reduced tuition they charge to students from low- and middle-income families. But critics say wealthy families benefit from reduced tuition and, by extension, the largesse of these endowments. Senator Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee, said at a January 21 press conference that New York Congressman Reeds legislation, which would apply only to colleges with endowments above $1 billion, doesnt affect very many students, adding that were trying to have a broad agenda that really impacts a lot of families. That agenda was on display when the wraps were taken off the #InTheRed campaign at Murray's presser, an initiative to fight student debt that includes the American Federation of Teachers, Generation Progress, Higher Ed, Not Debt, the Young Invincibles and other groups. But what is striking is that while the Democratic party seems to be angling for a broader constituency to address the rising cost of college, the GOP is not ceding this issue and has taken on academia's 1 percenters. For the first time, Boeing's (BA) plant in North Charleston, S.C., turned over a 787 Dreamliner to American Airlines (AAL) , the Carolinas' biggest airline. The two companies' top Carolina executives executed the handoff at a ceremony Tuesday in North Charleston. Terri Pope is vice president of airport customer service at Charlotte; American has 14,000 employees in the Carolinas. Beverly Wyse is vice president and general manager at Boeing South Carolina, which employs 7,500 people. The Carolinas are home to two major transportation resources. One is the 350-year-old Port of Charleston, once a slave port, now the eighth-busiest U.S. container port and one that regularly entices major manufacturers to South Carolina. Boeing came in 2008. American's Charlotte hub is the second-busiest hub for the world's largest airline and has enabled the region's growth. In the early 1980s, US Airways predecessor Piedmont built its first hub in Charlotte. American merged with US Airways in 2013. It operates 654 daily Charlotte departures. American "is proud of Boeing for having this facility in the Carolinas [and] proud to support this effort," Pope said as she took delivery of the plane. "When the aerospace industry continues to grow in the Carolinas, that is good for all of us. "We love our 787s," she said. "They enable us to fly routes that wouldn't have been possible." American uses the 787 on long-haul routes to Asia and deep into South America; last week it inaugurated service between Los Angeles and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. American took possession Tuesday of the 100th Dreamliner built in North Charleston. Pope said she knows of no plans to use a 787 in Charlotte, which is primarily a domestic hub. However, she said, Charlotte passengers can connect to 787 flights in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Charlotte has been primarily an Airbus (EADSY) hub, since US Airways had the world's largest Airbus fleet, but Pope noted, "We see more and more Boeings out of Charlotte" as a result of the merger. After touring the aircraft, Pope said, "It's gorgeous," citing the improved lighting, air quality and larger bins. "It's nice when you can design around customer needs and get efficiency also," she said. The tour also led Pope to reflect on her own career. She started at Air Kentucky, a commuter partner of US Airways predecessor Allegheny Airlines. She would sell tickets in Owensboro, board the 15-passenger Beech 99, fly to Bowling Green, then to Frankfurt, then to Cincinnati, selling tickets in each city. On Tuesday, Pope took possession of a Boeing 787 seating 226 passengers, with a list price around $225 million and an estimated actual cost around $120 million. "Turboprop to Dreamliner -- are you kidding?" Pope said. The airplane is American's 14th Dreamliner; all are 787-8s. American has ordered 42 aircraft and will get its first 787-9 in the fall. In the 8 series, American seats 28 in business with lie-flat seating. It puts 57 in the main cabin extra-room section with 36-inch pitch. In the main cabin, the 141 seats have just 31-inch pitch, a tight squeeze on 15-hour flights to Asia. Still, the aircraft continues to win raves, even as Boeing has now delivered about 370 of them. Mike Forte, the Dallas-based captain who flew the new 787 to Dallas, said, "It's fuel-efficient and it handles turbulence better than any airplane I've flown [and] has the best ergonomics in the cockpit," where flight information is displayed on a screen so captains don't have to constantly look down at readings on the instrument panel. Stephen Whelan, a Tulsa-based American test pilot, flew the aircraft off the Charleston coast last week, the eighth time he has test flown a 787. "The airplane is extremely quiet," he said. "It's so noticeable. It is whisper-quiet." This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Ignacio Gonzalez and Esperanza Aguirre at a PP committee in March of last year. Gorka Lejarcegi A High Court judge investigating the Punica bid-rigging scheme affecting the Popular Party is zeroing in on former Madrid regional leaders Esperanza Aguirre and Ignacio Gonzalez. The ring was broken up in late October 2014 with the arrest of dozens of people in several provinces. Punica leaders are believed to have unlawfully awarded as much as 250 million in public contracts in exchange for bribes from the corrupt bidders. By July 2015, 92 people were under official investigation over Punica The activities under investigation took place while Aguirre and Gonzalez were at the helm of the regional government. The man considered the mastermind behind Punica, Francisco Granados, was once a top aide to Aguirre. While Aguirre is not formally a suspect in the case, on Sunday she announced her surprise decision to resign as head of the Madrid branch of the Popular Party (PP), citing the raft of corruption cases affecting the conservative party. Now, High Court judge Eloy Velasco has ordered new searches at the headquarters of Canal de Isabel II, the public corporation in charge of Madrids water supply, and also at the Madrid transportation department. Both government agencies have been particularly active investors over the last few years. On Monday, Velasco seized 31 contracts signed between 2004 and 2013 by the transportation department and construction giant OHL whose CEO, Javier Lopez Madrid, is under official investigation in the Punica case. Aguirre has declined to make any statements to EL PAIS regarding this latest move by the High Court, while Gonzalez could not be reached for comment. Francisco Granados with Esperanza Aguirre when both were working together. Alvaro Garcia Aguirre was the regional premier between 2003 and September 2012, when she took a step back from the political frontline because of illness. Her successor Gonzalez held the job until June 2015. Francisco Granados, once the regional transportation chief and secretary general of the PPs Madrid branch, has been in prison for 14 months, as he is considered a flight risk. He and his childhood friend David Marjaliza, a builder, were found to hold Swiss bank accounts containing a joint 5.8 million. Exactly one year ago, Judge Velasco ordered the first raid of the water utilitys headquarters. Ignacio Gonzalez was president of Canal de Isabel II for nine years. The investigating judge suspects that some of the contracts under scrutiny may also have served to illegally finance the PPs Madrid branch and to fund some of Aguirres campaign runs. That is why the Civil Guard showed up at the Madrid PPs headquarters last Thursday in search of incriminating evidence of irregular activities. By July 2015, 92 people were under official investigation over Punica, which affects the regions of Madrid, Valencia, Murcia and Castilla-Leon as well as a dozen municipal governments. English version by Susana Urra. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A camera man films the EU flag beside the Union flag at Europa House in London, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, will attend an EU summit in Brussels starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) In this Feb. 13, 2016 file photo, the Supreme Court building in Washington. Is eight enough? The Supreme Court has managed to function effectively at less than its full nine-member strength for two extended periods in the past 50 years. The question now is whether the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in the middle of the court term and a polarizing presidential campaign will make it harder for the justices to get their work done. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File) A police officer clears the area of an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, after assailants exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing several people and injuring scores of others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of city, in an area close to where military headquarters and the parliament are located. (Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency via AP) President Barack Obama walks away from the podium at the end of a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The interior of an ICBC office in Shanghai. REUTERS Spanish authorities on Wednesday raided the Madrid headquarters of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in connection with a money laundering and tax fraud probe. The bank director is one of the individuals who has been arrested in connection with the raid. The joint operation by the Civil Guard and the Anti-Corruption Attorneys Office is seeking incriminating evidence that the bank helped a criminal ring take as much as 300 million out of Spain and transfer it to China. The operation is connected with another raid conducted in May of last year, which saw 30 people taken into custody including several customs officers A judge from the Madrid satellite town of Parla ordered the Wednesday morning raid, which has already yielded several arrests. The operation is connected with another raid conducted in May of last year, which saw 30 people taken into custody including several customs officers in charge of freight control at border stations. Chinese wholesalers who supply bargain stores with their wares are at the origin of some of the money that gets laundered back in China. Spanish authorities have been investigating these rings for nearly three years. The rings buy all types of goods in Europe and distribute them in Spain, but avoid paying taxes as the products sometimes cross Europe before reaching Spanish territory. The organization currently under scrutiny could be involved in money laundering, tax fraud and violations of workers rights. The organization now under scrutiny could be involved in money laundering, tax fraud and violations of workers rights The profits made by the criminal ring in charge of collecting money from the Chinese discount stores and from individuals for laundering purposes are immense, said investigation sources. The case is similar to the one involving Gao Ping, a Chinese businessman and art dealer who was arrested in 2012 only bigger in scope. Besides distributing goods in a fraudulent manner, the ring launders money on behalf of Chinese and Spanish businesspeople and charges a proportional fee. The ring also does not pay duty on its massive imports from China, distorting the market with much lower prices than those charged by conventional Spanish stores. The ICBC is the worlds largest bank by market capitalization. English version by Susana Urra. Hospital acquires new surgical robotics technology Burke Health announced the purchase of new robotics technology for use during spine surgical procedures last week. The Globus ExcelsiusGPS is a revolutionary robotic navigation platform system designed to be intuitive and streamline the surgical workflow. Real-time tracking of instruments and implants, along with audible, visual and tactile feedback, enables... County center wins senior trike Local seniors now have access to an adult tricycle. Director Kimberly Mathis attended the Move Augusta Senior Expo and Bike Rodeo sponsored by Augusta Urban Ministries October 8. The event, held at The Salvation Army Kroc Center, was aimed at people over 50 years old, and included resources and health... 4-H Food Challenge Team takes State For the first time, Burke County 4-H decided to put together a junior food challenge team this summer. Teams are compromised of 2-4 students in the 6th-8th grades. This competition is very competitive and teams must advance to state after the district competition. Our team started practicing weekly in July... County rehashes trash problem I am bringing up the trash again, Commissioner Evans Martin said during the October 11 meeting. We have to do something about the trash. Martin asked that the record show that he wants to do something about the countys dumpster sites. He made a suggestion that eliminating 10 sites would... Members of Saudi royal family arrive in Spain to reclaim a lost inheritance Former hotel manager Ignacio Gonzalez to stand trial for selling off assets of Saudi prince Six members of the Saudi royal family were in Spain on Wednesday for the beginning of a trial against a Spaniard who allegedly appropriated part of their inheritance. They are the heirs of Prince Saad Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Abderraman Al Saud, who died in 1993, leaving behind several valuable properties in Catalonia. His agent in the region, Agustin Gonzalez, is charged with selling off the princes Catalan assets after his death, and keeping the proceeds. A Barcelona judge is presiding the trial against Gonzalez, who is now 91 and suffering from a mental disease, and his wife Maria Antonia R.T., who is 65. They are accused of making the equivalent of more than 7 million through the sale of the deceased princes real estate, and of taking a further 500,000 from his bank accounts. The Saudi royals possessions included the castles of Rocafort and Rocabruna, in the heart of Catalonia. He also owned two mansions on Barcelonas Pearson Avenue. A long love story The story begins in 1976. Prince Saad Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Abderraman Al Saud arrived in Barcelona for eye surgery and stayed at the Princesa Sofia Hotel. At the time, Ignacio Gonzalez was the deputy manager of the establishment. The prince fell in love with Catalonia, and Gonzalez fell in love with the prince. Both men developed a relationship of trust that reached its peak in 1989, when the Saudi royal gave Gonzalez full power of attorney to sell his properties. In 1991, the prince was diagnosed with cancer and traveled to Houston for treatment. He passed away two years later in Riyadh, a fact that prosecutors view as triggering the expiration of the power of attorney. An agent beyond death But Gonzalez did not see it that way, and used his power to sell off the dead princes two Barcelona homes. One was bought by former Espanyol player Ivan de la Pena, who will testify in the case as a witness. Gonzalez also sold both country estates which came complete with castles, traditional rural homes and stables with horses in them to a Russian family. The suspects quickly reinvested the proceeds of the sale into new luxury properties that were registered in the name of Gonzalezs wife and son. Gonzalez, his wife and their son were briefly arrested in April 2005 in connection with the case. English version by Susana Urra. Dont believe in the power that words hold on the edgy Korean Peninsula? Consider, then, how many verbal red lines South Koreas president stomped across Tuesday when she let fly against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She warned, in the bluntest possible way, of the authoritarian Norths worst nightmare regime collapse. She invoked the North Korean leaders extreme reign of terror. Extraordinarily, President Park Geun-hye even used Kims name three times in her speech to parliament, something usually avoided at her level. These words signal a tough new stance from the South in an already anxious standoff that began with North Koreas nuclear test last month. To make the combination of jabs sting even more, Parks comments came on the birthday of Kims late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, a revered national holiday in the North. Happy birthday, Kim family. Parks nationally televised parliamentary address was meant to defend her decision last week to shut down the Koreas last major cooperation project, a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. Park and her deputies maintain that South Korean payments to workers at Kaesong $110 million last year alone have gone in large part straight to the leaders who oversee North Koreas nuclear bomb and missile programs. The brusque tone of Parks comments directly challenge the powerful, ubiquitous North Korean propaganda machines portrayal of the dictators who have run the country since its founding in 1948 as infallible and able to stand up to the vicious enemies that surround the tiny, proud North. Any high-level talk of regime collapse by the conservative president of rival South Korea and by the daughter of one of the Norths most hated enemies, late South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee amounts to fighting words. The harsh rhetoric cuts both ways. North Korea regularly condemns Park in sexist and violent language, including recently saying that she lives upon the groin of her American boss. Parks move to shut down Kaesong, which prompted Pyongyang to freeze South Korean assets there and put the park under military control, came in response to the Norths latest rocket launch, which Seoul and Washington see as a cover to test banned missile technology, and just weeks after the Norths fourth nuclear test. In her speech on Tuesday, Park vowed stronger measures to make Pyongyang realize bitterly that it cannot survive with its nuclear weapons development and that (such development) will only speed up regime collapse. Her comments wont be universally welcomed in South Korea, which was for decades a dictatorship that brutally crushed any dissent. Even now, below the glittering veneer of modern, vibrant, rich Seoul, deep divisions between liberals and conservatives remain. Parks detractors say suspending operations at Kaesong, along with her apparent willingness to introduce a new, advanced missile defense system from the United States, will only worsen the standoff with Pyongyang. Liberal lawmakers also say the Kaesong shutdown wont hurt the North financially because of its deep trade ties with China, its only major ally and its diplomatic protector at the United Nations. The presidents supporters, however, will see her as finally acknowledging the fact that maintaining the park is the same as pumping money into the Norths nuclear and missile programs. As always, the animosity, both between the Koreas and within divided South Korea, also points to a bitter truth at the heart of the divided peninsula. Both authoritarian Pyongyang and democratic Seoul cherish the notion of eventual reunification; each, however, sees that new single Korea with its own government in charge. This may seem obvious, but the idea is rarely mentioned by high-level South Koreans worried about upsetting the peninsulas always delicate state of affairs. Hence the shock some will feel about Parks blunt warning about regime collapse. In this long-running dispute, words are weapons too. (AP) [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] On Monday, 6 Adar I, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert entered Massiyahu Prison to serve his sentence of 19-months. He is in the newly-remodeled bloc 10 of the prison, which contains six rooms with three white collar prisoners in each room. YWN-ISRAEL reported If and when Olmert will wish to work out in the prisons gym, which is reportedly state-of-the-art, the facility will shut to all other prisoners. Similar concerns will be in place regarding the library and other facilities available to prisoners. All involved admit the first days will be awkward and difficult but they are confident the Mr. Olmert is likely to be speaking with the social worker a great deal as he is compelled to adjust to a very different environment, one with many restrictions. Each room (cell) has three beds, a shower, toilet, clothing closet, table, chairs and a TV. The bloc has public phones in the hallway, classrooms, recreational area, visiting area, two areas to meet with an attorney, a room used as a shul, library, sport equipment, dining room, a courtyard, social worker, and the office of the blocs commander. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photos: Media Resource Group) As Congress debates a new bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D Broad Channel) is calling on the federal agency to strengthen airplane noise regulations to improve quality of life for Queens families. Our families deserve relief from the earth-shattering airplane noise that plagues our communities night and day. Not only is airplane noise a nuisance, it also has the potential to harm our health and well-being, said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. Given the bigger planes and better technology of recent years, its time we put in place the noise standards to match. In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Assemblyman Goldfeder called on the federal agency to lower current average airplane noise thresholds from 65 Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) to 55 DNL. This, Goldfeder explained, would provide much-needed relief for families in southern Queens and Rockaway living under the flight path of nearby JFK International Airport. Goldfeder added that, without proper action, noise will only grow louder as commercial airlines rely on larger planes with stronger, louder engines. According to the FAA, DNL measures the 24-hour equivalent sound level measured by FAA noise monitors that is experienced by a household living in the vicinity of an airport. This figure is an algorithmic calculation of noises generated by plane engines throughout the day and reflects the total noise exposure levels for an average day of the year. The current 65 DNL figure is considered to be the point at which airplane noise causes significant impact to surrounding residents. Air traffic noise impacts from JFK Airport have increased to a point that they are having a serious impact on the quality of life for the thousands of residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. To date, the FAA has felt no need to engage these residents to seek solutions and Assemblyman Goldfeder is correct to ask that it be addressed now, at a time when this reauthorization is pending. If enacted, it would bring air traffic noise relief to thousands, said Dan Mundy, Jr., President of the Broad Channel Civic Association. Assemblyman Goldfeder is something of a frequent flyer when it comes to fighting airplane noise. Last year, the Assemblyman and local community leaders secured noise monitors for communities in Broad Channel and Bayswater to improve noise measurement near JFK Airport. Goldfeder followed this up with a visit to the JFK control tower to meet with FAA officials and discuss changes to noise patters with the reopening of an upgraded 4L-22R north-south runway at the international airport. Goldfeder has pledged to continue working with the FAA and the Port Authority, which owns the boroughs two airports, as the latter continues its four-year Part 150 airport noise compatibility study of surrounding communities in Queens and Nassau Counties. JFK may not be going anywhere, but this doesnt mean the state and federal governments cant take steps to improve the quality of life for our families, concluded Goldfeder. (YWN Desk NYC) SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Knesset Law Committee Chairman (Bayit Yehudi) MK Nissim Slomiansky has withdrawn the scheduled discussion in the Knesset plenum of the controversial Suspension Law that would permit 90 MKs to vote out a colleague whom they feel has spoken out or acted against the interests of the State of Israel. That plenum discussion was to have taken place on Tuesday morning, 7 Adar I. The initiative for the bill followed the visit to the families of Arab terrorists killed by Israel by Arab Members of Knesset. Among those outraged over the solidarity visit was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who instructed the Attorney General to probe the legal viability of such a bill. Slomianskys decision follows Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and President Reuven Rivlin announcing their opposition to the bill. In his objection to the bill, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein stated for as long as he continues serving as speaker, the bill will not be permitted to pass. However, in an interview with Israel Radio Reshet Bet on Tuesday, 7 Adar I, Edelstein explained that he does believe there is a need for similar legislation, but the wording of the current bill is unacceptable. He feels the wording must address racism and allegiance against the state only, and therefore he will not permit the current bill to advance. Regarding reports that he is head-to-head with the prime minister, he stated that he does not view it as so for his objection is not personally directed against the prime minister, adding that while Netanyahu supports the bill, he is not signed on to it and therefore, there is no reason to interpret his opposition as having anything to do with Prime Minister Netanyahu on a personal level. Edelstein added that Slomiansky decided to cancel the plenum discussion on his own, not in consultation with him. Slomiansky plans to consult with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus return to Israel. The prime minister is currently in Berlin for talks with Chancellor Merkel. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Many are questioning how Egged permitted Chaim Biton, the driver of the 402 bus that crashed and claimed six lives, was permitted back behind the wheel. Biton was already arraigned in the Jerusalem Traffic Court and his remand has been extended to prevent him from interfering in the police investigation into the fatal crash. Police allege that Biton tried to tamper with the vehicles tachograph following the accident, which represents interfering with the investigation and tampering with evidence. It has also been established that in the past Biton was involved in another serious accident on the same route, and passengers on his bus have often complained, describing him as being a Wild, out of control and dangerous driver, yet it appears all of the complaints fell on deaf ears as Egged placed him back behind the wheel of the very same bus route, the 402 from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The head of the Bayit Yehudi faction in Knesset MK Menachem Eliezer Moses used the plenum to voice his outrage and demand that Egged be held accountable. He cited this horrific accident snuffed out six lives, left many injured, and destroyed many families. Speaking in the plenum on Monday, 6 Adar I, Moses stated We are still in a state of shock due to the terrible accident yesterday on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway that claimed six young lives, including a woman whose husband came to the levaya in a wheelchair. They wanted to celebrate their wedding anniversary in Bnei Brak but due to a light hand on the wheel, which I am about to explain to you, cut down her life instead as well as halted the future of several families like the Mamut family, in which the wife and mother was killed and their ben zekunim, their youngest son, is scheduled to get married on 7 Adar. Hence today we are a month before his scheduled chasenah. Moses sent his condolence wishes to the mourners as well as wishes for a refuah shleima to the injured. The question remains how was this driver permitted to continue when just two years ago, on the very same 402 line, he was involved in a serious accident traveling from Bnei Brak to Jerusalem close to the location of his latest accident? In December 2013 his bus hit a truck and in that case BH there were only 18 people injured lightly. Moses wants to know who will be held accountable in such cases. He wants to know how such horrific accidents occur and time and time again nothing is done and no one is held accountable. He reminded his fellow lawmakers that during the remand hearing for the driver of the bus the court learned he, the driver, tried to tamper with the tachograph. He feels that once and for all the matter must be addressed, those persons and organization that are responsible must be held accountable and the correct actions must be taken as a deterrence against such horrific accidents again in the future chas vsholom. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar has reported that the former Defense and Operations Chief of Hezbollah Imad Mughniyeh, whose 2008 assassination has been attributed on Israel, led a unit that found the parachute and uniform of Ron Arad, the Israeli Air-Force navigator who disappeared after being imprisoned in Lebanon in 1986. During the first year of Arads imprisonment two letters and one photo were sent to Israel. Representatives from the Red Cross were able to see Arad in 1987. Since then there has been no contact with Arad. In a story marking the anniversary of Mughniyehs death on Tuesday, Al Akhbar reported that Mughniyeh formed a special team whose role was to investigate the traces of Arad from 2004 to 2006 and that the team succeeded in finding some of his belongings: like a parachute, his weapon and his uniform. Mughniyeh then allegedly approached the Israeli government to negotiate the return of the items. Hezbollah said in 2008 that Arad had died 20 years prior, a claim that was never confirmed. Mughniyeh was killed in 2008 during prisoner swap negotiations that ultimately led to the release of IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser. The newspaper did not say whether Arads alleged items were ever returned to Israel. (Source: JNS.org) [COMMUNICATED CONTENT] Cross River Bank to administer loan! It started with a desperate need, gathered steam with an energetic fundraising campaign and exploded onto the scene with a historic and innovative initiative. When Orlando Torah Academy (OTA) was given three months to buy the building in which they currently rent space or face eviction from a potential buyer, all of the conventional steps were taken to raise the $1.8 million necessary to purchase the building. Traditional fundraising techniques, however, were producing traditional fundraising results encouraging, but far from enough; a trickle of generous donations, but nothing close to the amount that was needed. Enter Mr. Ira Zlotowitz, founder and President of Eastern Union Funding, with a bold and creative idea crowd lending. Instead of crowd funding, where many people donate to one cause, his bold and creative idea was to implement crowd lending, which would allow tens, hundreds or thousands of people to combine small loan amounts to reach the total amount needed. In OTAs case, each lender can choose to lend from $1,200 to $40,000. They can also choose for their loan to be paid over a range of time, from 3 10 years, on a quarterly basis. Each lender who pledges to lend $40,000 on a 10 year schedule earns the distinction of being an Ambassador in this noble cause. Donations of any amount are of course appreciated. The campaign has been dubbed 40 for 40. The name makes reference to the fact that at the time the idea was formed; $1.6mm was still needed and 40 Ambassadors lending $40,000 each would cover the full amount. To protect all the lenders, the loans will be merged into one loan under a legal LLC formed expressly for this purpose. The legal documents will be prepared pro bono by Jeffrey Zwick, a prominent real estate attorney. The loan will be administered and serviced pro bono by Cross River Bank. When this bold new initiative hit the various media outlets of the Jewish world, the trickle of the preceding few months turned into a flood. Incredibly, in the short span of two weeks, 16 visionaries from across the United States became Ambassadors and smaller loan commitments and donations came pouring in. As the numbers climbed, so did interest and anticipation. News of each additional Ambassador was met with thrilling excitement could it be? Was the dream becoming a reality? Everyone was constantly checking the campaigns website to monitor the progress. This past Friday, right before Shabbos, a magic number was reached; the campaign had reached the heady strata of seven digits; one million dollars was eclipsed!! Additionally, 25% of the $1m+ total are from individuals who preferred to donate money instead of lending. So many pieces are in place. What started as just crowd lending has morphed into a full crowd funding and lending campaign. OTA is now less than $750,000 away from saving their building and providing the students with a quality education in a permanent home. OTA has until March 15th; just about a month away. We can do it! You can do it! With Klal Yisraels help we have gotten farther than any of us could have dreamed and with Klal Yisraels help we can get all the way to the finish line! Join us as a lender, Ambassador or donor today by clicking HERE! All private hashgachos in Israel have recently submitted their reports to the Tax Authority including a list of all businesses under their hashgacha. The Tax Authority is no going to determine if the reports are accurate. This information was released in a session of the Knesset Control Committee addressing taxation of mekubalim and badatzim. Committee Chairman MK (Yesh Atid) Karen Elharrar said The Tax Authority is moving along nicely in this area towards making sure every last agura owed to the society is paid as it should be. A report the authority released a document dealing with taxation of mekubalim and badatz agencies, and we must make certain this does not remain a dead letter, citing the importance of making certain all monies owed to the state coffers are paid. Mr. Chanan Fogel, a representative of the State Comptroller attending the session stated The document from the Tax Authority is a statement of intent but no real innovation. The money given to a mekubal and recorded as a gift is presented to the authority as a tax exemption and it will continue in the future like this. Tax Authority head Moshe Asher responded The admorim, mekubalim, mohels, and mesadrei keddushin are no different from all other professionals who must pay income taxes. Asher explained to committee members that giving a bracha or advice is providing a service and this demands a fee which is taxable. A gift is not taxable, and this is classified as something given without receiving anything in return. Proper gifts to organizations are entitled to tax deductions under paragraph 46 of the relevant law. Asher explained at present, the focus is on money that goes into private bank accounts for giving a bracha or providing a taxable service. Roni Chacham, the deputy director of the Tax Authority added that We have located all of the 44 badatz hechsherim that operated in Israel at one time or another including those that changed names or ceased operations. We have determined with are truly NGOs and which are businesses. 26 of the 44 were instructed to provide lists of their clients. We will use our intelligence and check into their reports. We have information pertaining to some of the salaries of some of the heads of these badatz hashgachos. Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services Moshe Dago told the committee that the responsibility falls on local religious councils and local government and that 40-50 of the private badatz agencies are generally NGOs. He explained his office has all the religious councils on computer and established a uniform standard of activities. MK (Shas) Yoav Bentzur explained that since a price for a bracha has not been set, it is non-taxable income. He feels this income is a gift as is tzedaka. MK (Kulanu) Rachel Azaria, who initiated the committee session explained A mashgiach kashrus of a local religious council who works with a private badatz too is like a Member of Knesset working as a lobbyist. She feels this is a conflict of interests and the Chief Rabbinate of Israels monopoly on kashrus costs the nations NIS 500,000 annually according to treasury findings. The classic behavior of a monopoly that results in an increase in the cost of living does so simply because it can. The Finance Ministry intends to correct this distortion stated Azaria, who promised to correct this phenomenon. According to MK (Yesh Atid) Elazar Stern, the admorim, badatzim and mekubalim generally oppress the lower and middle class with fraud as if they can give they can provide kashrus the Chief Rabbinate is incapable of giving. I make due with local rabbinate kashrus and at times, not even that explained Stern. Businessman Roni Chamama, who own Garinei Afula told the committee the Chief Rabbis of Israel who are civil servants are compelling businesses to take a private badatz hashgacha as a prerequisite to receiving a local rabbinate hashgacha. He added the Ministry of Religious Services is not interested in addressing the problem. Tani Frank, who is Religion & State Projects Coordinator for Neemanei Torah VAvodah told the committee often, stores are compelled to buy Badatz Beit Yosef meat even if they are not interested in doing so. He read from the indictment filed against Holon Chief Rabbi Avraham Yosef Shlita on the matter. Rabbi Yosef was indicted on suspicion of promoting the hashgacha run by the Yosef family in his capacity as the Chief Rabbi of Holon. Frank explained that store owners in Holon who wanted a mehadrin hashgacha from the city were compelled to buy the Beit Yosef product. He stated the indictment and the allegations contained within are the best proof of the blurring of lines between the local rabbinates and the private hashgachos. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The cabinet is planning to increase the number of permits it issues for PA (Palestinian Authority) workers to 70,000 in addition to relaxing inspections at crossing points in the hope of improving their economic conditions while reducing the number of terror attacks. This is likely to occur in the coming weeks. At present, about 55,000 PA workers cross into Green Line Israel to work and there are an estimated 30,000 illegal PA workers inside the Green Line as well. Most of the legal PA workers are employed in construction and agriculture. The plan was announced on Sunday 6 Adar I by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who explained he will present it to the cabinet on Sunday 12 Adar I and he hopes the vote will take place a week later, on 19 Adar I. The plan is premised on police data that most of the terrorists who struck out in recent months were PA residents entering Green Line Israel illegally, without permits. Kahlon and other believe that by providing employment, it will be an incentive to curtail terror attacks. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Ted Cruz is getting hammered by his Republican rivals over what they call a pattern of unethical campaign tactics and inaccurate statements by the Texas senator who has shaped his White House bid around trust. Cruz has had some trouble getting all his facts straight in debates, has used campaign tactics that some find suspicious and had an ad by an outside group temporarily pulled for questions about its accuracy. His opponents are blunter, calling him simply a liar. The Texas senator shrugged off the criticism Tuesday while campaigning for Saturdays South Carolina Republican primary. Both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have this very strange pattern where if you point to their actual record, if you point to the words that have come out of their mouth, they dont respond on substance. They just scream Liar! Liar! Liar!' Cruz said Tuesday. Both Trump and Rubio have accused Cruz of distorting their records with increasing frequency. And while such charges are common in presidential politics, Cruzs team has also faced rebukes for misleading voters in recent weeks from multiple outside groups the Iowa Secretary of State and a prominent anti-abortion group, among them. The fiery conservatives ability to navigate questions about his integrity could well decide his fate in the crowded 2016 contest, where he remains a top-tier contender. Hes lying. And I think its disturbing, Rubio said in Beaufort. Just here in South Carolina this week, hes lied about my record on Planned Parenthood, hes lied about my position on marriage, hes lied about his own record on immigration. So, I think this is very disturbing when you have a candidate that now on a regular basis just makes things up. Trump was even more aggressive, describing Cruz the day before as the single biggest liar Ive ever come across, in politics or otherwise. And I have seen some of the best of them, the billionaire businessman said in a statement. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much. Virtually all of the 2016 candidates have been caught stretching the truth over the course of the campaign, including Trump and Rubio. But only Cruz has embraced trust and the play on his first name, TRUSTED, as the fundamental rationale of his campaign. After a legal review, a South Carolina television station over the weekend pulled down an ad from a pro-Cruz super PAC that targeted Rubios position on immigration. Among other charges, the ad said Rubio worked to allow sanctuary cities as part of the immigration deal he struck in 2013. Although the ad is running again, the station had questioned whether the charge was misleading. The Cruz campaign, which is barred from legally coordinating with the super PAC, claimed no knowledge of the ad. Yet Cruz continues to face fallout from at least two incidents leading up to his victory in Iowas Feb. 1 caucuses. As Iowa voting began, Cruz supporters incorrectly spread word that rival Ben Carson was leaving the race. That was just days after the Iowa Secretary of State condemned Cruz campaign for sending bogus notices warning of election violations to Iowa voters to persuade them to participate in the caucuses. Iowas secretary of state criticized the tactic as not in keeping with the spirit of the Iowa caucuses. Late last week, Cruz was also chastised by the anti-abortion group, National Right to Life, for accusing Rubio of not fighting to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood. The organization called Cruzs attack inaccurate and misleading. And on immigration, Cruz in recent weeks has repeatedly overstated the deportation records of past administrations and misstated his own position on the 2013 so-called Gang of Eight legislation. The senator publicly backed legislation that proposed eventual legal status for millions, while stopping short of offering them a path to citizenship. While polls indicate Cruzs favorability is falling, his loyalists seem unperturbed. I trust Cruz 100 percent, said 67-year-old Dick Winters, a retired Navy veteran from Charleston. Theyre taking things hes done and twisted them around. It was much the same at a Rubio rally 90 miles down the South Carolina coast, where Carol Benz, a 54-year-old Republican from nearby Port Royal, said her confidence in Cruz was based on a series of actions over time, not a single event on the campaign trail. Do I trust him? Yes I do, Benz said of Cruz, citing his fight against the federal health-care overhaul that triggered a government shutdown. He didnt back down. But Trump supporter Tom Kennemore said he appreciates the brash businessmans willingness to tell the truth no matter what. Im leaning away from Cruz, Kennemore said at a Trump rally in Greenville Monday night. Im glad Trump pointed out his dishonesty. (AP) The Obama administration, frustrated by Syrias ongoing violence, told Russia on Tuesday to put up or shut up about implementing a ceasefire in the Arab country, even as the U.S. backpedaled from an agreement for the truce to begin by Friday. Washington and Moscow announced after at a conference in Germany last week that the ceasefire would start by Feb. 19, raising hopes of a major breakthrough in a war that has raged for nearly five years, killed more than 250,000 people, beset Europe with its worst refugee crisis since World War II and helped the Islamic State emerge. But State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday only stressed the need to see some progress on a cessation of hostilities in the coming days. He said he couldnt say categorically that there must be a cessation of hostilities by Friday. Toner blamed Russia for the impasse, condemning it for unacceptable attacks on hospitals and civilians. Russia must exert influence with Syrian President Bashar Assads government to halt its ground offensives, Toner said. Russia says it is targeting terrorists, not civilians. Despite all the talks of ceasefire, the conflict is threatening to escalate. Turkey said Tuesday it is pressing for ground operations in Syria amid fears that U.S.-backed Kurdish militants are making gains at the oppositions expense. Washington sees the Kurds as an effective fighting force against the Islamic State. Little headway appears to have been made on securing humanitarian access to besieged areas throughout the country. Last weeks Munich agreement demanded that access be provided immediately amid Western charges that Assad is starving his opponents and civilians into submission. Toner said some aid has reached certain areas, despite no United Nations confirmation of successful deliveries. In Syria, U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hoped food and other supplies would make it through Wednesday. The ceasefire announced by Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart last week appears most unlikely at this point. Toner said a U.S.-Russian-led task force that is supposed to map out the details of the truce still hasnt even met. He expressed hope of an initial gathering Wednesday. (AP) Hospital officials report a slight improvement in the condition of Sara bas Dina, who was seriously injured in the Egged 402 bus accident on Highway 1 earlier in the week. She is going into surgery again this morning and the family requests that the tzibur continue being mispallel for her and all the victims in need of a refuah. Sara was seriously injured in the accident which occurred just two weeks before her chasenah, which has been put on hold. Doctors worked for ten hours following the accident to save her avulsed hand and Bchasdei Hashem it appears that procedure was successful. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Sen. Ted Cruzs rivals like to say he doesnt have any friends in Washington. Thats not true. Despite a distinct lack of support from Senate colleagues not one single endorsement the Republican presidential candidate and freshman Texas senator has a small but loyal group of supporters in the House who are flying to rallies, meeting with voters and trying to convince the electorate that hes not such a bad guy. Republican Rep. Mark Meadows says hes traveled to Cruz events to really tell the personal side of Ted Cruz that not many people know. His North Carolina district shares a media market and a border with South Carolina, which will hold its closely contested GOP primary on Saturday. On issue after issue, Cruz has told the truth and done what he said he was going to do, Meadows said when he endorsed Cruz last month. It may not make him a lot of friends in Washington, but it is exactly what the American people expect of their leaders. Meadows is one of about 20 House Republicans who are campaigning for Cruz around the country. Iowa Rep. Steve King, a fierce opponent of immigration, stood by Cruzs side when he gave his victory speech after winning the states caucuses two weeks ago. South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan is appearing with Cruz in at least four South Carolina cities this week. Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas endorsed Cruz on Tuesday, saying hes not one of those campaign conservatives who are all talk he is a proven, principled conservative. Many say it doesnt matter that Cruz has a reputation for getting on the wrong side of some of his GOP Senate colleagues, such as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whom Cruz accused of lying last year, or Arizona Sen. John McCain. McCain has sparred with Cruz a number of times and last month said questions about Cruzs eligibility due to his Canadian birth should be explored, keeping the issue alive after Cruzs foe Donald Trump raised concerns. His congressional supporters say Cruz isnt always well loved because hes doing his job. In 2013, the Texas senator and his House allies contributed to the partial 16-day government shutdown as they tried to starve President Barack Obamas health care overhaul of money, a move several of Cruzs GOP colleagues considered ill-conceived and futile. It rubs people the wrong way because ultimately what Ted is trying to do is reduce the influence of outside groups and force members to make tough decisions, said Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, who also endorsed Cruz last month and is serving as his Colorado campaign chairman. I think that people who dont like him now as a colleague will respect him and be willing to work with him as president. The supporters say they arent worried that he wouldnt get along with lawmakers if elected president. They say they arent trying to rally support in the Capitol, but with voters. Senators and congressmen know enough to make their own decisions, says Rep. Mo Brooks, a Cruz supporter from Alabama. Cruz has always had a closer relationship with members of the House, where the tea party-inspired Freedom Caucus has made similar moves to block GOP leadership. Freedom Caucus member Randy Weber of Texas said there has been some discussion in the caucus about making an endorsement, though at this point members are making their own decisions. Some, like Meadows, have introduced House versions of Cruzs Senate bills. Meadows and Duncan attended the Republican debate in South Carolina Saturday and spoke to reporters afterward as surrogates for Cruz. King live-tweeted the debate, criticizing Cruzs opponents and writing that the Texas senator landed final blows at the end. Though he doesnt have any Senate endorsements rival GOP presidential contender Marco Rubio has some half dozen Cruz does have a handful of friends there. When he made a rare appearance to vote on a North Korea sanctions bill last week, a few senators on the floor warmly greeted him. Others pointedly ignored him. Perhaps Cruzs closest friend in the Senate is Utah Sen. Mike Lee, whom he met before he was elected. Lee came to the Senate floor to block several nominees on Cruzs behalf earlier this month. He hasnt endorsed the Texas senator in the presidential race, saying hes also close friends with Rubio, but said he would consider an endorsement, if this became about one of them. Lee says he isnt worried that Cruz couldnt get along with Congress if he wins the presidency in November. He says he would be a breath of fresh air for Republicans compared to Obama. And he doesnt agree that Cruz doesnt have any friends. Whenever I hear someone make that suggestion, I find that troubling because it simply isnt true, Lee said. Hes a great guy. I consider him not only a political ally, I consider him a close personal friend. He does have at least one other fan in the chamber: Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who called Cruz a very effecive campaigner. I like Ted and I think he has a lot of friends in the Senate, Sessions said. Still, the Alabama senator hasnt endorsed him. (AP) Tight US Presidential Race: Good News for Armenian-Americans By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com Now that the two major political parties have begun holding Primaries to select their nominees for this falls Presidential elections, Armenian-Americans are weighing the merits of the eight remaining candidates. I would like to propose that from now on Armenians refrain from asking presidential candidates whether they would recognize the Armenian Genocide once elected. There are two problems in posing such a question: 1) Armenians should know from previous disappointing experiences that they cannot trust promises made by most politicians. 2) There is no need to ask for such a promise since the Armenian Genocide has been repeatedly recognized by the various branches of the US government for many years: a) Document submitted by the US government to the World Court in 1951; b) Resolutions adopted by the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984; c) Pres. Reagans Proclamation referring to the Armenian Genocide on April 22, 1981. Furthermore, the continued pursuit of genocide recognition when it has been already recognized would simply undermine its acknowledgment and cast doubt on it veracity. Instead, Armenian-Americans should ask presidential candidates for their positions on more pressing issues such as: 1) Allocating more foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh); 2) Promoting US trade with Armenia; 3) Pressuring Turkey to lift its blockade of Armenia; 4) Demanding that Turkey return the confiscated Armenian churches to the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul; 5) Condemning Azerbaijan for its repeated threats and attacks on Armenia and Artsakh; 6) Supporting the independence of Artsakh. Once elected, officials would want to satisfy some of these demands in order to maintain the support of the Armenian community during their future campaign for reelection. Here are the records of all six Republican presidential candidates on Armenian issues: Gov. Jeb Bush (Florida) Travelled with his son on a humanitarian mission to Armenia on Dec. 24, 1988, shortly after the earthquake; Issued an Armenian Genocide proclamation on April 7, 2006; Received the Friend of Armenians Award in 2013 from the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church. Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) Received ratings of C, D, and F from ANCA during most of his tenure in the House of Representatives, 1983-2001; Cosigned letters to Pres. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev supporting Artsakhs independence in 1991; Cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2000; As Governor, issued a proclamation in 2012 to celebrate Armenian Independence Day. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) Received a C- rating from ANCA in 2014; In 2015, issued statement on the Armenian Genocide and cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution. Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida) Received a C rating in 2012 and B in 2014 from ANCA; Voted for passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2014; Cosponsored the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2015; Cosigned letter to Pres. Obama urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2015. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson (Michigan): No statements on Armenian issues. Businessman Donald Trump (New York): No statements on Armenian issues. Here are the records of the two Democratic presidential candidates on Armenian issues: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (New York) As Senator, cosigned letters to Pres. Bush urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2005 and 2006; Cosponsored Resolutions on the Armenian Genocide in 2006 and 2007; As Presidential candidate in 2008, made a promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide; Later in 2008, spoke at a Turkish Cultural Center banquet in New York City in the presence of then Prime Minister Erdogan; During an official visit to Yerevan in 2010, placed a wreath at the Genocide Monument, which the US Embassy in Armenia called a private act, even though the ribbon on the wreath carried the inscription: From Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; In 2012, as Secretary of State, referred to the Armenian Genocide as a matter of historical debate, contradicting her earlier clear stand on this important issue. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) Received an A+ rating in 2012 and C in 2014 from ANCA; During his tenure in the House of Representatives (1991-2007), he supported a variety of Armenian issues, including the Genocide Resolution, in 1996, 1997, and 2000; Cosigned letters to Pres. Bush urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2002, 2003, and 2004; As Senator, he cosponsored in 2012 two Resolutions on the Armenian Genocide and Return of Armenian Churches by Turkey. The polls and results of the early Primary elections indicate that no candidate in either party is likely to have an overwhelming majority in the Primaries and the November elections which would encourage the candidates to be more accommodating to all voters, including Armenian-Americans. Under these circumstances, my suggestion to the Armenian-American community is to refrain from making an early commitment to any candidate. The decision as to whom to support can be made later as the presidential race gets tighter and the candidates get more desperate for votes! Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Dorit Feinstein ruled that the State of Israel will compensate a Har Habayis activist with the sum of NIS 32,000. The ruling was given in the framework of a civil suit filed for illegal searches and detentions carried out by policemen and prison guards. The two incidents which occurred several days apart in June 2013 included searches and prolonged detentions, after the activist was detained while davening at one of the gates to Har Habayis. The first incident occurred when the activist davened at noon on a Friday near the Cotton Merchants Gate, the gate located opposite Kodesh Kedoshim. Muslims who were leaving Har Habayis began to curse him and an Arab child kicked him. The activist kicked the child in response and was detained by nearby policemen. After interrogating the activist the policemen requested his release on condition of banning him from entering Har Habayis for 15 days, but he refused to accept the condition. Even though he had been detained five hours before the onset of Shabbos, and there was sufficient time to bring him to a deliberation before Shabbos as the law requires, the police chose to leave him in remand over Shabbos. On motzei Shabbos, the detainee was brought to a deliberation and conditionally released until another deliberation was held two days later. During his remand the detainee was strip-searched by prison guards, despite his objection. Judge Feinstein ruled that there had been no grounds for the strip-search, rather only for a search of his clothes, as the regulations instruct. Judge Feinstein also ruled that there were no grounds for leaving him in remand over Shabbos instead of releasing him on condition of appearing later at a deliberation. Judge Feinstein awarded him NIS 8,000 for the illegal strip-search and NIS 5,500 for the illegal remand. The second incident occurred several days later when the activist walked around the walls of the Old City by himself, on the Circling the Gates route customarily walked by groups on the first day of the Hebrew month, and davened outside of one of the gates to Har Habayis. A group of Arabs who had begun to gather outside of one of the gates started to yell at him and argue with him. After several minutes the activist relented and with a police escort moved to the nearby Tribes Gate. Also at the Tribes Gate a small group of Arabs began to gather. The police then decided to detain the activist and handcuffed him. According to the policemen the activist cursed them, however Judge Feinstein ruled on the basis of security camera footage that There is no evidence that the plaintiff was wild or behaved violently. Judge Feinstein rejected the police claim that the plaintiff was handcuffed because he was jumpy and wrote that the claim does not stand up to the test of legality. The judge added that there was no cause to keep the plaintiff in remand and to bring him to court as a detainee and also that, the judgment of the police was not balanced and reasonable and therefore the remand was not legal. Additionally, an illegal search was carried out on his body and therefore the judge ordered that he be compensated with NIS 5,500 for the illegal remand and NIS 6,000 for the illegal search, which was not a complete strip-search this time. The plaintiff was also awarded NIS 7,000 for legal expenses, including attorney fees. In total the compensation is NIS 32,000. During the trial, serious flaws in the Israel Prison Service were revealed when a senior officer testified that the prison guards carry out strip-searches in an illegal manner, despite the regulations which instruct that a search should be carried out on outer clothing only, other than under unusual circumstances in which there is a substantial reason to suspect the detainee. Judge Feinstein called on the State to either clarify or change the regulations concerning all aspects of searches in Israel Prison Service facilities. In my opinion the prison guards are not capable of exercising proper discretion concerning all aspects of searches, if they do not know what a prisoner is suspected of and under which circumstances a prisoner is being brought before them, wrote the judge. It would be proper for the State to consider amending or clarifying the regulations again, in order to allow genuine and proportional discretion to be exercised in each individual case. Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado, who represented the activist, stated that, This suit was filed by Attorney Itamar Ben-Givir and for technical reasons was transferred to my care. The civil suit did not only yield compensation for the injury to a citizen but also once again revealed serious deficiencies in the actions of the prison service and the police, deficiencies which unfortunately are not taken care of by the internal inspection authorities, but rather backed by senior officers and allowed to continue on a daily basis. It must be noted: According to the Poskei Hador one is absolutely forbidden to visit the Temple Mount, and there is an Issur Kares for one that goes there. Six years ago on Sukkos, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukkah of Maran Hagon Rav Elyashiv ZATZAL, where Rav Elyashiv called on the President to prevent Jews from visiting Har HaBayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. Maran stated everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire. Maran is quoted as explaining to the president that Halacha forbids going onto Har HaBayis but today, it is more than this, it is an act that may lead to a religious war and bloodshed. This is and remains the view of poskei hador. This is also the view of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Among the rabbonim who share this view are HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Halevy Wosner ZATZAL, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZTL, Maran Hagon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ZTl and many others. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The Jerusalem District Court convicted John Kakish, a Christian Arab terrorist from the Old City of Jerusalem, of causing aggravated injury when he assaulted Jews on the eve of last Shavuos. On May 24, 2015, near Shar Shechem, Kakish stabbed two Jewish youths, both minors, who were on their way to Shavuos tefilos at the Kosel. Kakish was convicted in the framework of a plea bargain. In return for his confession the Attorney Generals office expunged the crimes of possessing a knife and disrupting legal proceedings of which he was accused. It is important to note that Kakish was not charged with attempted murder, despite the fact that he stabbed a Jewish youth in the back with a 30-centimeter knife. According to the Attorney Generals office there were difficulties in proving the intent to murder, despite the terrorists Facebook page on which he posted a large number of posts inciting to injure Jews. Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado, who has been representing one of the injured youths as a crime victim, responded to the conviction: We are disappointed that the terrorist was not convicted of attempted murder as he should have been, in our opinion. Nonetheless we hope and expect the Attorney Generals office to demand that justice be carried out to the full extent of the law, and the court to order the maximum penalty for the crime, especially during this period in which murderers fearlessly stab Jews on a daily basis. According to the amended indictment in which Kakish was convicted, on the eve of the attack he decided to attack and injure Jews. Kakish arrived at the area of Shar Shechem, approached one of the merchants and purchased a knife with a 30-centimeter blade from him. Later the same day, close to midnight, Kakish took the knife from his room, hid it in his jacket and went to the Khan Al-Zeit market in the so-called Muslim Quarter where he waited for Jews to pass. At 2:30 AM a group of Jewish youths walking to the Kosel passed through Shar Shechem. Kakish waited until the entire group passed him and was approximately 10 meters away from him. Then he drew his knife, ran towards the group, stabbed one of the youths in his right shoulder, stabbed another youth in the left side of his upper back and kicked another youth. All of the injured were minors. When the group began to chase Kakish, he fled the scene. After fleeing the scene of the attack, Kakish threw his jacket and his knife into a hiding place near his house. He then went to the home of his friend, George Halis, and borrowed a shirt from him. Afterwards Kakish went to his own home, changed his clothes and shaved his beard in order to alter his appearance. The youth who was stabbed in the back suffered a wound two centimeters deep and two centimeters long, approximately one centimeter from his spinal cord and lungs. He was rushed to hospital where a chest tube was inserted. The youth who was stabbed in his right shoulder suffered a deep wound above his right shoulder blade and required stitches in several layers of the wound. Attached are screen shots of the terrorists Facebook page and a photograph showing the placement of the stab wound. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) American Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power took a helicopter tour of Israel with Israels Ambassador Danny Danon. They were briefed by senior IDF officers on the security challenges facing the Jewish State, and were accompanied by US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro. It was an honor to accompany Ambassador Power as we observed the unique security challenges facing Israel, said Ambassador Danon. Israel had no greater friend than America and I know that the Ambassador seeing firsthand the threats that we face on each of our borders provided her with an even deeper insight to our security needs, he said. During their helicopter tour the Ambassadors viewed Israels narrow width in the Sharon region, and then headed south for an in-depth briefing by security officials on the border with Gaza. They then meet with representatives of the border communities to hear about their daily lives under the threat of rocket fire and terrorist attacks from Gaza. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photo: Avi Dodi) Concerted Republican opposition to considering President Barack Obamas pick for the Supreme Court showed early signs of splintering on Wednesday as a handful of influential senators opened the door to a possible confirmation hearing. One Republican even encouraged the president to nominate a candidate from his state. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, did not rule out a committee hearing on Obamas forthcoming nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. And Sen. Dean Heller said chances of Senate approval were slim, but added that his home state of Nevada should have a voice in the debate. Thats why I encourage the president to use this opportunity to put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda on the nations highest court, Heller said. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who sits on the committee, said he opposes a filibuster to prevent a vote, as some Republicans have suggested. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has also said hed wait to see who Obama selects before ruling out a hearing in his committee. Those senators formed a cautious but growing chorus of voices breaking with the absolutist position of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has told the White House not to even bother nominating a candidate. The Kentucky Republican and several Republicans up for re-election have maintained that voters in Novembers presidential election should have a say in the direction of the nations highest court. Cornyn, McConnells deputy, agreed that it should be left to the next president to pick a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Still, Cornyn said it was up to Grassley to decide whether to schedule a hearing, and to McConnell to decide on a full Senate vote if the Judiciary Committee were to vote on the nominee. Its entirely up to the Senate whether to confirm that nomination, and I think we should not, Cornyn said on radio station KSKYs The Mark Davis Show. McConnell has shown no signs of softening his opposition to confirming an Obama nominee, which could put vulnerable Republicans in a precarious position as his party works to keep control of the Senate in the November elections. But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid predicted Republicans would cave in. I think my Republican counterpart McConnell has made a terrible mistake by saying that he is going to ignore the president, Reid said. He added: The American people are going to make them pay if they jerk the president around on this. Obama has summarily dismissed the notion that Republicans have constitutional grounds to refuse to vote on his nominee. Vowing to exercise his responsibility to pick Scalias successor, Obama has sought to turn GOP resistance into a case study in Washington dysfunction and Senate gridlock in particular. The American people expect the Senate is going to show up and do their job even though they have a big election around the corner, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Heller, the Nevada Republican, mused that if Obama moves ahead with a nomination, who knows, maybe itll be a Nevadan. Among the names of potential candidates circulating in Washington corridors is Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval a Republican who supports abortion rights although it would be unusual for Obama to nominate a candidate from the opposite party. The pace of judicial confirmations always slows in presidential election years, thanks to reluctance by the party out of power in the White House to give lifetime tenure to their opponents picks. In the past, lawmakers have sometimes informally agreed to halt hearings on lower court nominations during campaign season. But Obama argued that the Supreme Courts different. Theres no unwritten law that says that it can only be done in off years. Thats not in the constitutional text, Obama said Tuesday as he wrapped up a trip to California. If Republicans seem seriously amenable to holding confirmation hearings, Obama would have greater reason to name a consensus candidate, a moderate nominee that Republicans would be hard-pressed to reject. If theres virtually no chance of Republicans bending, Obama might pick a nominee who galvanizes Democratic support and fires up interest groups in the election year. If no replacement is confirmed, the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices not just for the rest of this court term, but for most of the next one as well. High court terms begin in October, and the 80 or so cases argued in the course of a term typically are decided by early summer. The court would be unable to issue rulings on any issue in which the justices split 4-4. (AP) SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Aspiring buy-to-let investors and second-home buyers trying to beat Aprils stamp duty hike could end up the butt of the joke on Aprils Fool Day as the higher tax will come into effect five days earlier than the beginning of the new tax year. Under new rules announced by the Chancellor George Osborne in his November Autumn Statement, anyone buying a second home or a buy-to-let will pay an extra 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge from 1 April. The timing is unusual, as changes to personal taxes are generally made to align with the beginning of the new financial year, which is on April 6. Stamp duty tax hike: It will happen on 1 April, not 6 April when the new tax year starts Confirmation of how the new rules will apply is expected in the Budget on 16 March potentially just days before the new charges kick in. The timing of this tax hike might appear unusual for individuals used to tax changes which normally take effect from the start of the tax year, 6th April, but the Chancellor has named the 1st April as the date from which the new rates will apply,' said Chris Springett, a director at accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson. Missing the date by a few days could cost thousands of pounds and I fear many people could inadvertently miss out, Up to March 31 this year, no stamp duty on second homes and buy-to-lets is charged on the first 125,000. It is charged at 2 per cent between 125,000 and 250,000, 5 per cent between 250,000 and 925,000, 10 per cent between 925,00 and 1.5million and 12 per cent above that. But from 1 April, each stamp duty band will rise by 3 per cent, adding thousands of pound to the bill for landlords and second-home buyers. The changes are due to apply from April Fools Day, so anyone seeking to buy a second home, buy-to-let or residential investment property should keep this in mind! Springett said. STAMP DUTY FOR BUY-TO-LET AND SECOND-HOME BUYERS Bands Rate until 31 March 2016 Rate from 1 April 2016 Up to 125,000 0% 3% 125,001 - 250,000 2% 5% 250,001 - 925,000 5% 8% 925,001 - 1.5m 10% 13% over 1.5m 12% 15% Currently, the average cost of a property in England & Wales is 188,270, according to figures for January from the Land Registry. Before 31 March 2016, the stamp duty bill on a property of such value would be 1,265.00, but just a day later it would jump to 6,913 if bought as a second home - a rise of 5,648. In London, where average prices are much higher at 514,097, the tax duty bill before the changes take effect would be 15,704. But the new rate, effective from 1 April, would mean a 31,127 tax duty bill. The average cost of a property in the South East is 261,581. On such a property, stamp duty would come in at 3,079 right now, but would rise to 10,926 if bought as a second home after 31 March. Since the Chancellor announced the hike in stamp duty, there has been evidence of many buy-to-let investors rushing to the market to buy properties before April. Over three quarters of respondents to a recent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Residential Market Survey said they expect to see an upturn in sales to buy-to-let investors in the coming months. In January, the Association of Residential Letting Agents warned that buy-to-let landlords were 'storming the UK housing market'. Crouching in a hangar on the outskirts of Derby, on a lime green transporter, is a gigantic Trent XWB engine in a grey protective covering. The huge turbine, whose fan casing is bigger than the fuselage of Concorde, is about to be driven under police escort to East Midlands airport near Castle Donington, around 12 miles away. Once there, it will be loaded on to a Ukrainian-built Antonov transporter jet which has been chartered for around 500,000 to fly it to Winnipeg, Canada. Golden era: Rolls-Royce's Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVIII fighter warbird in Angelholm, Sweden On arrival, it will be driven, slowly and carefully, along icy highways 470 miles to GLACIER the Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research at Thompson, Manitoba, where it will undergo extreme cold weather testing. The XWB, which powers passenger jumbo jets, is a genuine marvel of British manufacturing, made by our flagship industrial company, Rolls-Royce. Unfortunately, the technical prowess that has made the Rolls-Royce name famous throughout the world has not always been matched by managerial skill. The sheer brilliance of the XWB is starkly at odds with the companys nose-diving profits and share price. Despite hopeful results earlier this month, the FTSE 100 firm still faces its biggest financial crisis since the early Seventies. Rolls-Royce went bankrupt 45 years ago due to the burgeoning costs of developing the RB211, the forerunner of the XWB. Shortly after, the company was nationalised by Ted Heaths Tory government. The country reacted as if Britain itself had gone bust, asking how it could happen to the maker of the Merlin engines that powered the Spitfire (pictured above) and saved the nation from the Luftwaffe, not to mention the countrys most coveted make of car. The Britain of today is a very different place and the outlook for Rolls is not as bleak now as it was then but the future is beset with uncertainty. Rolls is not on the brink: it has a 73billion order book and has commandeered more than half of the global market for engines for larger wide-bodied jumbo jets. But long-term investors have taken flight and at least one US hedge fund has bought a stake. The Government has looked at emergency plans including part-nationalisation and a rescue merger. Firing up the engines: An XWB under production by Rolls-Royce workers in Derby Such drastic measures are unlikely, but the fact they have been on the radar shows the seriousness of the situation. The company traces its roots to 1904, when Charles Rolls met Henry Royce at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. The pair set up in business, producing the Silver Ghost car two years later and an aero-engine, the Eagle, at the start of World War One. As well as making the Merlin engine for the Spitfire, Rolls developed the Welland engine for the Gloster Meteor fighter in 1944. The rights to the use of the name and marque on the cars were sold to BMW of Germany in 1998, leaving the British firm to concentrate on aero-engines. It also has a marine division and an energy arm. Shenanigans at the banks, and retailers such as Tesco and Marks & Spencer, have dominated the City pages, while Rolls-Royces woes have attracted relatively little attention. But its fortunes should concern every Briton. It employs more than 21,000 people in the UK and is responsible for 6 of every 1,000 of national income, and 1 in every 50 of UK exports. Equally important is the tug of pride at the mention of the name Rolls-Royce, a byword for British excellence. The extent of its travails has gradually been coming to light over the past two years, with thousands of job losses, and profit forecasts cut five times. And theres the small matter of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into alleged bribery and corruption overseas. The company is pinning its hopes on new boss, Warren East, who took the top job in July. The 54-year-old engineer, comes with a stellar reputation earned at British smartphone chip-maker ARM. The general perception is that he is a serious operator, he eats nails for breakfast and is tough as teak, says City commentator David Buik. Faith: The company is pinning its hopes on new boss, Warren East, who took the top job in July East, however, has admitted he cannot guarantee the flood of bad news will dry up any time soon, because the business is shrouded in what he calls accountancy fog. When he took the helm, he was stunned to find the company is riddled with inefficiency and bureaucracy. Under predecessors Sir John Rose and John Rishton, it appeared to be a tremendous success but behind the scenes, red tape was burgeoning and arrogance was taking hold. Shares rose last week when it unveiled its full-year results despite a stinging dividend cut and profits at the low end of expectations on the basis it could have been worse. In Whitehall the company is being watched like a hawk. The Government cannot be a casual bystander here said one senior industry insider. One of the options under consideration if the situation gets worse is for the state to take control of the companys nuclear submarine business. Another is a rescue merger, with the defence giant BAE Systems taking over all or part of the business. Neither option is likely unless the problems at Rolls become worse. The fact these possibilities have been discussed at all, however, underlines the companys crucial role in ensuring our national security. Rolls is protected from foreign predators by a golden share agreement struck when it was privatised in 1987, under which the Government holds one special share, but it has been targeted by so-called activist shareholders. San Francisco hedge fund ValueAct last year built a 10 per cent holding. Now the single biggest investor, it is clamouring for a seat on the board and there are fears it could encourage Rolls to break itself up. Some of the companys most loyal long-term supporters have been jettisoning their shares, including Neil Woodford, who sold a 230million holding late last year saying his confidence in Rolls business model had been shaken. Back in Derby, however, Simon Burr, director of the Trent XWB programme, insists the profit warnings and talk of a merger have no effect at all, on the engineering. We are sensitive to the fact that investors are key stakeholders and they need a return. Customers are confident in us. Indeed, walking the polished factory floors you feel this is the epitome of 21st-century manufacturing. Head of production for the XWB engine, Tanya Palmer, says: It is the most successful engine we have ever built. There were more than 1,500 orders before aircraft went into service. Up close, the XWB is a thing of beauty and an engineering marvel. It boasts 68 turbine blades, each generating 800 horsepower at take-off, equivalent to a Formula One racing car. Inside the turbine, temperatures can exceed 2,000C, so to prevent them melting each blade has tiny holes drilled in order that cool air at 700C! can be blown through. The blades need the strength to cope with a force at take-off equal to nine London buses hanging off each one. In No 58 test bed, an engine is being pelted with dead birds and hail. But in the control room, just a few metres away, the sound-proofing is so effective there is barely a murmur. The Derby plant has its own railway station to take delivery of more than 20million litres of jet fuel a year, and has its own 20-strong fire brigade. Aerospace analyst Howard Wheeldon says of Rolls: Their profit margins are too low, they have allowed top-level management to get too large, and they need to cut costs. But they are addressing that. Rolls-Royce is not just any old business, but the beating heart of British engineering. Aerospace is one of the few fields where this country still excels, and for all our sakes the company needs leadership and political support to match its superlative engineering. The engines of growth must be fired up again at Rolls, because the alternative is too awful to contemplate. Rolls-Royce is preparing to give an American activist shareholder a seat on its board as it battles to bounce back from a string of profit warnings, writes Rupert Steiner. The troubled British engineering giant has held talks with ValueAct after the San Francisco-based investor built up a 10 per cent stake in the business, which has made it the biggest shareholder. ValueAct, which has pushed for change at companies including Microsoft and Sara Lee, tends to take a less confrontational approach to shaking up businesses than other activist investors. In the past two years Rolls has issued five profit warnings as governments and airlines reined in their spending A Rolls spokesman said: Were engaged in constructive discussions with ValueAct and no decision has yet been taken. Shares in the engineer, which have halved over the past 10 years, rose 4.51 per cent or 28.50p to 660p. Rolls cut its dividend for the first time in 24 years last week as it announced a fall in profits and warned that more job cuts are on the way. In the past two years Rolls has issued five profit warnings as governments and airlines reined in their spending. Sources said ValueAct is not seeking a break-up of the firm and that it is aligned with Rolls on most areas of its strategy. It had been thought it wanted to see non-essential parts of the business sold. Economist offers authorities several steps to develop economy in Armenia (video) 2015 was a difficult year for Armenias economy, says economist Tatul Manaseryan. He does not agree with those specialists who account the countrys lagging economic indicators on the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union. This is a simple approach and was not justified. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) forecast 0% economic growth in Armenia but the GDP was 3.2%. We did not feel a lack of economic development projects, which not all of them proved to be effective, the economist said. Mr Manaseryan even separates Armenia from the other countries of the former USSR. Unlike Armenia, devaluation of the national currency occurred in double-digit rates in the post-Soviet countries. This is more important than you might think, he stressed. Tatul Manaseryan also proposed the authorities clear steps which, he said, would ensure economic development. We need to import raw material from countries which have already experienced devaluation of the national currency, we need to provide subsidies for processed produces, find markets in the US and EU countries, and eventually, develop science to keep our youth in our country. Illiterate young people needed 'help' to vote in local elections (video) The Sunday elections in three enlarged communities of Armenia were held without major violations, the opinion was voiced on February 17 during a discussion on the local elections in the Yerevan-based Media Centre NGO. Nune Hovhannisyan, a member of the Central Election Commission, Vahan Movsisyan, Chairman of the Communities Finance Officers Association (CFOA), and Haykak Arshamyan, Program Coordinator at Yerevan Press Club said residents of Lori, Syunik, and Tavush have for the first time true earnest interest in local elections and chosen mayors after the recent enlargement of their communities. Haykak Arshamyan stressed that great work had been done before the elections. There is no need to defame anyone. For example, voter turnout in Tumanyan community was 56 percent, and no one was forced to go to the polls and cast a ballot for a definite candidate, as is the case during the national elections, he stressed. However, Mr Arshamyan said there is still a major concern connected with the organization of voting process. About 70 voters in Tumanyan town voted with the help of other people. Of course, the law allows it, and you cannot do anything, but the problem is that there were many young people among these 70 voters. They came and said, This young man is illiterate and needs someone to help him, Haykak Arshamyan said. Zurabyan advises HHK to be wary of Dashnaks (video) The Armenian National Congress (HAK) calls on political forces and factions represented in the Armenian National Assembly, NGOs and the media to follow the elaboration of the new Electoral Code. "We need to draw up and present joint platform of demands. There is a real opportunity that this time the government would succumb to the calls of the international community and internal forces and consider oppositions proposals. One thing is clear: results of fraudulent elections are no longer admitted by political forces, NGOs and media, Head of the HAK faction Levon Zurabyan said on February 17. The opposition figure says they have proposals. We have already submitted several proposals concerning the publication of voter lists after the elections, electronic voting system with fingerprint scanning, etc. for the first time, the international community is ready to help us so that we can include these provisions in the new Electoral Code, he said. Speaking about the cooperation between the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun, Mr Zurabyan advised the HHK to be very careful when forming a coalition government with the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun. Dashnaktsutyun first entered into a coalition with the Young Turks, we all know the sad consequences. Finally, the Young Turks were removed from power. Then Dashnaks formed a coalition with Nazi forces who had the same fate and were toppled down. Perhaps, now Dashnaks want to get rid of the HHK, Levon Zurabyan said. MBABANE Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry Tourism and Environmental Affairs Emmanuel Dumisani Dlamini has been taken to court by his wife over maintenance. The wife, Thembeni Gloria Dlamini, alleges that the PS deserted their matrimonial home at Mahlanya and went to stay with his new lover, Ntombifuthi Prudence Mhlongo, who is a lecturer at the William Pitcher Teachers Training College in Manzini. According to Thembeni, the PS was involved in an adulterous relationship with Mhlongo as their marriage still subsists. She wants the court to, inter alia, order the PS to pay a sum of E8 000 per month towards her maintenance and further buy her a new vehicle after the one she was using was involved in an accident. In her application filed by her lawyer Noncedo Ndlangamandla from Mabila Attorneys, the wife submitted that they were married in terms of civil rites and in community of property. She stated that they thereafter established their matrimonial home at Mahlanya and three children were born out of the marriage. She informed the court that around 2012, the PS engaged in an adulterous affair with the lecturer and the said adulterous relationships still persists. The respondent (PS) moved out of our matrimonial home in March 2012 to stay with the said Ntombifuthi Prudence Mhlongo in Manzini until December 2013 when he returned after the death of his father. I must state that he now stays at the residence of Ntombifuthi Prudence Mhlongo at William Pitcher Teachers College in Manzini as of November 2015, alleged the wife. Medicinal cannabis. THOLULWAZI An alleged dagga dealer was killed, while two of his accomplices sustained serious injuries, in a ruthless attack launched by over 40 residents after a transaction that went wrong at Tholulwazi area yesterday morning. The 30-year-old man died as a result of the extent of the injuries he sustained during an over 12-hour torture in the hands of the mob of residents. His bruised body, which also had remnants of dagga leaves, was whisked by police to the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital at around 4am, where doctors declared the man dead on arrival. The body was later taken to the hospital morgue, and the identity of the deceased was withheld by the police. More information relating to the other victims is also yet to be released by the police. Superintendent Khulani Mamba, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, who confirmed the death yesterday, said police were investigating circumstances around the incident. Apparently, the three men from around Dzakasini area, which is about 35km to the east of Hlatikhulu, had arranged to meet with an alleged dagga merchant at a certain homestead at Tholulwazi, where the initial deal was to buy the illegal herb. Tholulwazi is situated under Nkwene Constituency, about 20km to the west of Hlatikhulu town. The trio arrived at the area at around 5pm on Monday, and upon arrival they introduced themselves to another man, who apparently informed them that the person they had all along been communicating with was not around. He told them that there was nothing to worry about, because the actual seller had left a message and further left everything with him, so that the transaction could proceed smoothly. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gabriel Rom Asian-European fusion is the name of the game at Violets Bake Shoppe, a new bakery that opened three weeks ago along bustling Austin St. in Forest Hills. The owner, Chris Tang, 37, is a classically trained pastry chef who studied at the International Culinary Center, formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and is combining traditional Asian flavors with high-end French baking. Violets faces steep competition from neighboring La Boulangerie, La Dolce Italia and Aigner Chocolates which reopened this summer. Nevertheless, Tang is confident that he can provide an array of unusual flavors that will earn him a loyal following in sweets-saturated Forest Hills. Were trying to mix different culinary cultures to provide a unique experience, he said. Tang says he consulted a Chinese pastry chef for advice on the menu and bakery concept. The chef, he said, has developed a strong following in China. The menu offers European classics like German cheesecake, various puddings and a Black Forest chocolate cake that Tang perfected while at culinary school. I have a passion for baking, he said. And while Tang is versed in the European fundamentals, he also has a penchant for experimentation that yields some unlikely combinations. Also on the menu are plenty of Asian-inspired items, including Hong Kong-style egg tarts as well as curry beef buns, curry chicken buns and a fish filet sandwich. Buns cost between $1.50 and $3 each. The fish sandwich, Tang says, has already proven to be a customer-favorite. Its an opportunity to marry two distinct cultures, he said. Our customers range from Russian to Asian to European. Its really diverse. The bakery is Tangs first business since he graduated from culinary school, but the challenge, he said, is part of the fun. Even if Im the only employee in the store on some days, its nothing I cant handle, he said. Theres a learning curve for sure, but it is enjoyable and I love talking to customers. Right now Im thinking in the short term: Get established here in Forest Hills. In the long term who knows? Violets Bake Shoppe, which is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, is located at 72-36 Austin St. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gabriel Rom A bill that would increase paid family leave benefits passed its first hurdle in the state Assembly last week. The bill, co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), now heads to the GOP-controlled state Senate, where the it has died in prior years. Paid family leave provides workers with paid time off to care for family members or a newborn, or to address certain issues arising from a family members military service. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees eligible workers 12 weeks of time off without fear of getting fired, but there is no requirement to pay an employee. Under the Assemblys legislation, she said, private employers would be required to provide a paid family leave benefit, and workers would contribute up to 45 cents per week to the policy. That employee contribution would ensure up to 12 weeks of paid family leave, which would cover two-thirds of the workers salary and guarantee job security during the absence. Families are the foundation of our society, Nolan said. We need to do everything we can to help these hardworking individuals balance family and work without compromising their economic security. This legislation would help maintain the integrity of every working family in New York In this era of extreme inequality, our efforts must be laser-focused on helping hardworking New Yorkers get ahead. Only about 12 percent of workers in the private sector and 5 percent of the lowest-paid workers have paid family leave, added Nolan. The bill has garnered support from much of the citys political class. The City Council passed a resolution in 2014 recommending that the state pass the Paid Family Leave Insurance Act. Public Advocate Letitia James has publicly offered her support numerous times, as has Scott Stringer. Yet the bill has repeatedly died in the state Senate. A key sticking point that has delayed the bills progress is its source of funding. The proposed bill bases its funding on employee contributions rather than state funding. The legislation would use the employee payroll deductions of no more than 45 cents a week in the first year to fund paid family leave through the states existing Temporary Disability Insurance program, raising benefit levels for the first time in 26 years through an increases in premiums that would be shared by employers and employees. Another version of the bill sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx), the Independent Democratic Conference leader, differs from the Addabbo-Nolan bill on its source of funding. The Klein bill, which has certain support from Senate Republicans, calls for the state to pay at least $125 million in the first year of implementation with the following years supplemented by employee payroll fees. I think we all know that it is no longer a question of if New York will enact a paid family leave program, Addabbo said. It is simply a question of when. I am optimistic it will be 2016. 'Joe Biden can have them': Mastriano vows to bus migrants to Delaware SHARE By John Ingle of the Times Record News The news of OPEC and other oil-producing countries agreeing Tuesday to place a cap on production levels has some in the industry cautiously optimistic. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela have each said they will place a cap on oil production that matches that of January's levels in an attempt to halt or reverse the slide of slumping oil prices. Domestic and global oil markets have been in a death spiral since prices started falling in late-2014 because of a severe oversupply and dwindling demand. The agreement between the countries hinge on whether or not Iraq and Iran, the newest player in the global market, will participate in the cap accord. Alex Mills, president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers based in Wichita Falls, said there had been speculation that Russia would be willing to engage in talks to cut back on production, but he was shocked the meeting was put together quickly and resulted in the preliminary agreement. "When this meeting kind of sprung up fairly quickly, that did surprise me that they were able to get it together so quickly," he said. "But, we'll see what's actually in the agreement. You know, we say the devil's in the details." Mills said OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has had a history of not adhering to set production quotas, so it will be a waiting game for others to see if the OPEC nations and others will stay true to the agreement. The United States is different from other oil-producing countries in that individuals own the majority of the mineral rights, and the government owns very little. That makes it almost impossible for there to be one edict to decrease U.S. production like decision-makers in Russia and Saudi Arabia, for example, are able to. But, it's not necessarily a foreign concept. Mills said the Texas Railroad Commission in the 1930s began pro-rationing oil and natural gas, allowing each producers a certain number of days to draw product out of the ground. The reasoning then wasn't because of overproduction, rather it was to decrease or prevent the amount waste the excess crude was producing at that time. The pro-rationing rules are still on the books, he said, but there hasn't been any serious consideration of revisiting those regulations. Karr Ingham, of InghamEcon LLC in Amarillo, said if the intent of the countries listed in the agreement is to maintain existing levels, they will still be overproducing and adding to the global supply, not necessarily helping it. "Where it is right now has already been continuing to add to global supply, so simply freezing where they are, at least in the short term, doesn't really mean a whole lot," he said. "Where it might come to mean a little something is if production in other countries start to fall off, chiefly the U.S. and North America. I believe that's an occurrence that's going to happen in 2016, which is an accelerated pace of production decline in the U.S. and in Texas and North America." Ingham said it's only a matter of time before a day of reckoning arrives in the oil industry and a meaningful production decrease is realized. That could be around the corner, which, when combined with Tuesday's decision by global exporters, could mean the industry has hit the bottom. Both instances a decline in U.S. production and cap on global production have to happen at the same time. "I believe that in and of itself might do the trick in terms of helping us just find the bottom here and stabilize and then start to improve a little bit," he said. "But a deliberate decision by other countries OPEC and nonOPEC alike to sort of maintain production at current levels and not try to snatch up a little more global market share as our production begins to decline, both of those things together could do that, I think, yes. No certainty that that's what's going to happen, but yes, that could be the case." The agreement between oil producing countries depends on cooperation from producers with differing budgetary requirements and the constant jockeying for market shares in a market with declining prices. SHARE Bryce Oil advocate to give MSU Streich lecture Author and journalist Robert Bryce will be the guest speaker for the 34th Annual Streich Family Lecture Series on Free Enterprise on Feb. 18 in Bridwell Auditorium in the Dillard College of Business Administration at Midwestern State University. Bryce will speak twice at 3:30 p.m., primarily for the MSU community, and again at 7 p.m. for the public. His topic will be "More Energy, Please: How Increasing Energy Use Promotes a Richer, Freer World." Bryce's presentation will include information on fuels and policies that could reduce poverty worldwide, Europe's track on energy, and what the Paris climate agreement really means. He will discuss the ongoing surge in global coal use as well as the need for more electricity to help alleviate energy poverty. Bryce has written about the energy business for nearly three decades, including dozens of articles in leading newspapers and magazine. He served as the managing editor of the Houston-based online publication, Energy Tribune, and in 2010, joined the Manhattan Institute as a senior fellow in its Center for Energy Policy and the Environment. Bryce's latest book, "Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong," was published in 2014. The book shows how innovation and the unstoppable human desire to make things smaller, faster, lighter, denser, and cheaper is providing consumers with cheaper and more abundant energy, faster computing, lighter vehicles, and many other goods. Admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Dillard College of Business Administration, the Mamie Raborn Center for Economic Education and Delta Sigma Pi. Information: 397-4379. Clinton, Sanders organizers to visit The Wichita County Democratic Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Luby's Cafeteria, 1801 Ninth St. Speakers will be David Sanchez, Texas deputy state director for the Bernie Sanders campaign, and Linda Rangel Moore, Wichita Falls for Hillary grass-roots area leader, will discuss issues facing their candidates and take questions and comments. Information: Barbara Eckert, 224-8852 or wichitacountydemocrats.org. The dinner line will begin at 6 p.m. for those wishing to eat supper at the meeting. Spotlight will shine on Dancing Stars Tickets are still available for the Feb. 19 gala performance of Dancing for the Stars Wichita Falls, which will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wichita County and America's Small Business Development Center at Midwestern State University. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails at the MPEC Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall. The performance will feature volunteer "celebrities," who will dance with professional instructors who have been guiding them through months of lessons and rehearsals. Tickets for the evening are $120. Contact Kem Hogue with BBBS at 767-2447. YMCA implements new cancer program Wichita Falls YMCA will become a provider of the nationally recognized "LIVESTRONG at the YMCA" program, thanks to an implementation grant from YMCA of the USA in partnership with the Livestrong Foundation. The 12-week physical activity and well-being initiative helps people affected by cancer reach their holistic health goals. Additionally, programs like LIVESTRONG at the YMCA are part of the Y's overall commitment to help cancer survivors recover in a safe and supportive environment. The goals of the program are to empower adult cancer survivors to improve functional capacity and to increase their quality of life through an organized program of fitness and strength offered in a small-group setting. Classes will be from 5:45-7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the Bill Bartley Family YMCA and from 9:45-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Downtown YMCA. "Research shows exercise is the simplest way for cancer survivors to reduce fatigue, improve their mood and bounce back more quickly from the debilitating effects of cancer treatment," said Greg Lee, President of the Livestrong Foundation. "The Y is the perfect collaborator for the program because of its national reach, commitment to meeting the needs of all community members and history of program innovation in support of health and wellness." The Wichita Falls YMCA is one of 21 Y's in the U.S. to receive a 2015 Livestrong grant. What has Gov. Abbott done about the six mass shootings on his watch? As some urge Abbott to finally take action on guns, he says the issue is mental health. Texas lags in that area, too. Will there be accountability? By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News A Wichita Falls man jailed Tuesday for allegedly making a parody Facebook account of a city towing contractor says he "wasn't trying to impersonate nobody." Thomas Cecil Sims, 49, was jailed on one charge of online impersonation a felony offense for reportedly creating an account mocking Jody Wade, who has an exclusive contract with the city of Wichita Falls to conduct its towing and impounding operations. According to an arrest affidavit, Sims created a Facebook page for "Joe Deep Wade," making its profile picture one of Wade's mugshots. The contractor has been arrested several times for alcohol-related offenses. Wade reportedly received a friend request on his actual Facebook account from the parody account and made a report to the Wichita Falls Police Department. He told police that several of his friends had received requests from the fake account also, the affidavit says. "If I was trying to impersonate him, why would I send him a notice?" Sims told the Times Record News. "I wasn't trying to impersonate nobody." The Texas legal statute regarding online impersonation is outlined in Chapter 33 of the state's penal code. It defines the offense as being committed "if the person, without obtaining the other person's consent and with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten any person, uses the name or persona of another person to: (1) create a web page on a commercial social networking site or other Internet website; or (2) post or send one or more messages on or through a commercial social networking site or other Internet website, other than on or through an electronic mail program or message board program." Sims initially was booked into Wichita County Jail but has since been released. The man said he was known Wade for a "long, long" time from being in the towing business. He admitted the two have had their differences, including "little spats on Facebook." Along with using Wade's county jail mugshot as a profile picture, the Joe Deep Wade account also featured a 2013 Times Record News article about one of the man's alcohol-related arrests. Sims said that when a police investigator contacted him late last year about the online impersonation charge, he thought it was a "practical joke." "But after he asked more and more questions, I said, 'I don't think my lawyer wouldn't want me talking to you at all.'" he said. In the affidavit, an investigator characterized Sims' response as a statement that Sims had seen something about the Facebook account and "may have even talked about it." In the newspaper interview, Sims said he didn't know creating a parody social media account is a crime. "I wouldn't think so. Obviously I didn't think it was or I wouldn't have done it in the first place," he said. Wade told the Times Record News he did not want to give a comment for this story because of the ongoing investigation. File photo- Bowie Memorial Hospital laid off eight employees, including three at the management level. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News SHARE By Barbara Green With a second round of bid letting completed, the Bowie Hospital Authority is almost back where it started in early December with the Hashmi family from the Texas General Hospital group the sole bidder for the hospital. The board of trustees met Monday to open the bid submitted by Dr. Hasan Farid Hashmi and his son, Faraz Hashmi. The price for the building and related structures is $1.5 million, to be paid in cash at the time of closing. The bid includes the main hospital, former rehabilitation building, laundry and two-story house next to rehab. It does not include the accounts receivable, which was a separate item in the bid package. The board will meet Friday to consider the bid after it has been reviewed by legal counsel. Back on Nov. 30, the Hashmi family made a bid through Texas General Hospital, its company that operates two hospitals in Grand Prairie and Grand Saline. Both were hospitals that had closed and were resurrected. Hasan Hashmi is a surgeon specializing in colorectal surgery in Lewisville. His son, Faraz, vice president of operations for TGH, met with the board back in December. Both he and his father were present at Monday's meeting. The junior Hashmi told the board back in December they would like to keep what is good at Bowie Hospital and make adjustments to enhance the hospital, making it stronger financially including new services and doctors that would support and expand what is already here. "There is difference because it is a not-for-profit hospital. The goal is to have access to care. We feel this could be a way to do it without stressing the operational side," Hashmi said in December. With two bidders in December, the board voted to negotiate with The Brough Group and not TGH. Those negotiations fell through as Brough could not provide a financial commitment or meet the deadlines for the sale. Trustees expressed some reluctance to go with TGH because the company was in the news for high prices at their hospitals. The board directed Chief Executive Officer Lynn Heller to send the bid to the hospital's legal counsel for review. "I am pretty happy with what we got," Heller said on Tuesday. "I thought they might possibly undercut the price, but they did not." When asked about the previous board concerns on the bidders, Heller said Faraz Hashmi has been persistent in his desire to purchase the hospital. "He sent me a letter outlining what they would like to do, and he also came up and met with three board members last week explaining it all to them. They would like to ramp up surgery and bring in specialty doctors. The board could give them a chance," Heller said. A March 1 target date for a possible closing was touched upon, but Heller said they will need to make sure the intergovernmental transfer arrives and is cleared before the closing. Without a bidder on the accounts receivable the CEO said there are a lot of issues to be addressed. The board has indicated it wants to dissolve the authority as soon as possible if a sale is completed; however, all those items need to be cleared up before that is done. "There is about $4 million AR, but not all of that is collectible. A lot will be written off as bad debt, and there are pending contractual adjustments to Medicare and Medicaid. We are trying to figure it all out," said Heller. SHARE Contributed image Notre Dame Catholic Schools Connor Mitchell competes in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2015. Mitchell will return to the regional bee 9 a.m. Saturday at Midwestern State Universitys Dillard College of Business. He will go up against 21 other spellers vying for a spot in the 89th national bee in May. Times Record News file Helen Li of Fowler Elementary School correctly spells symbiosis in 20th round of the 2015 regional spelling bee at Midwestern State University. Li, who was the first runner up last year, will return for the 2016 regionals Saturday at Midwestern State University. She will go up against 21 other competitors hoping to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Times Record News file Connor Mitchell of Notre Dame Catholic School won the 2015 regional bee at Midwestern State University by correctly spelling Rottweiler. Mitchell and 21 others will break out their word knowledge for the 2016 regional bee Saturday at Midwestern State University. By Lana Sweeten-Shults of the Times Record News Spelling juggernauts Connor Mitchell, Helen Li and Manasvi Reddy found themselves in the spelling battle of their lives, mounting a brain-powered tussle at the dramatic, two-hour, sprint-to-the-end 2015 regional bee. They wielded their swords of knowledge, barreling through word origins, parts of speech, homonyms and the like, over a seemingly insurmountable 38 rounds and 157 words in what ink-slinger and sponsor the Times Record News thought may have been the bee that coughed up the most rounds in its 31-year history. In the end, Notre Dame Catholic School's Mitchell emerged victorious, spelling Rottweiler correctly after first runner-up Li, of Fowler Elementary, misspelled paparazzo. Reddy tumbled a few rounds earlier on the bane of her spelling existence, a French word, minaret. Expect the great American soap opera that is the spelling bee once again as 22 competitors representing various schools return to compete in the 32nd annual regional bee, slated to begin 9 a.m. Saturday in Midwestern State University's Dillard College of Business. Spectators won't be admitted after 8:55 a.m. and will have to wait for a break to enter the bee spectator area. Luckily, the event will be streamed live on the Times Record News' website (www.timesrecordnews.com), bee coordinator Frances Tate of the Times Record News said. Competitors will be vying for a coveted spot at the 89th Scripps National Spelling Bee May 24-26 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Several competitors from past regional bees will be returning, including last year's winner and first runner-up, Mitchell and Li, along with familiar names, such as Luke Yap and Jordan Tolleson. And it seems the bee, as in the past, is a family affair. Three Mitchell brothers have competed in the regionals with two of them, Connor and older brother Matthew, making it to the national competition. And although Kirby's Manasvi Reddy won't be returning to the regionals, her younger brother, Crockett fourth-grader Chaitanya Reddy, will be there. This year's pronouncer will be Roma Prassel with Linda Smith at the alternate. Both are representatives of longtime bee supporters, the American Association of University Women. Grace Zhang, an associate professor at Midwestern State University and returning competitor Helen Li's mom, said it was a tight competition at Fowler and that Li was ecstatic about advancing to the regionals. Zhang said her daughter has pushed herself to practice for the bee: "It's more like a self-motivation," she said. One thing she loves about Wichita Falls is all the support for the bee and the students who prepare for it, from the teachers to all the sponsors. "It's really nice for kids to have this kind of platform," she said. The regional bee winner will receive an expense-paid trip for himself or herself and a guardian to the national bee, donated by the Times Record News; the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a 2015 United States Mint Proof set, given in honor of Sugarman's father; a one-year membership to the Britannica Online Premium, donated by Encyclopaedia Brittanica; Webster's Third New International Dictionary, donated by Webster's; and a $4,000 scholarship to MSU, donated by the university. The first runner-up will receive a Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, donated by Merriam-Webster, and a $50 monetary award donated by the AAUW. And the second runner-up will receive $50 from the AAUW and a Hastings gift card from the Times Record News. Runners-up and winners also will get a copy of Valerie's Spelling Bee Supplement provided by Hexco. In addition to sponsors the Times Record News, the regional bee also is organized in association with MSU and the AAUW. REGIONAL BEE COMPETITORS Hunter Trahan of Bradford Elementary, fourth grade Braxton Crowe of John Tower Elementary, fourth grade Clayton LeBlanc of Burkburnett Middle School, eighth grade Miranda Salazar of West Foundation Elementary, sixth grade Kristen Knauff of Milam Elementary, fifth grade Alex Husen of Graham Junior High, eighth grade Jessica Zardain of Christ Academy Elementary, third grade Luke Yap of Christ Academy Junior High, eighth grade Anastasia Narconis of I.C. Evans Elementary, fifth grade Kiyah Lane of Wichita Christian Elementary, third grade Kylie Nichols of Wichita Christian Junior High, eighth grade Haven Cating of Holliday Elementary, fifth grade Kelsey Kowing of Hardin Elementary, fourth grade Maegan Brooks of Woodland Elementary, fourth grade Jason Tran of McNiel Middle School, seventh grade Connor Mitchell of Notre Dame Junior High, eighth grade Adrian Herico of Notre Dame Elementary, fourth grade Helen Li of Fowler Elementary, fifth grade Chaitanya Reddy of Bradford Elementary, fourth grade Jordan Tolleson of Crockett Elementary, fourth grade Kenyattie Sanders of Washington Jackson Elementary, fourth grade **The name of the representative from Barwise Middle School had not been submitted by press time SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WEEK The bee will unfold in Oxon Hill, Maryland May 22: Arrival day and spellebrity welcome May 23: National Zoo experience and assembly May 24: Preliminaries test and sightseeing tours May 25: Onstage competition, preliminaries May 26: Onstage competition, finals May 27: Sightseeing tours, awards banquet and farewell party May 28: Departure day SHARE Morris By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News Johnny Morris, former Department of Public Safety trooper and Electra police chief, is looking to make his first foray into the judicial system. Morris, 69, is a Republican candidate for Archer County's justice of the peace precinct 2. He joins six other candidates listed on the ballot to fill the vacated seat once held by Joseph Boyle, who last year pleaded guilty to federal embezzlement charges. "I guess I've been serving the public so long that I feel like I've got some good years left," Morris said in an interview Tuesday. "The JP is the first step into the justice system." Shortly after leaving the Army in 1968, Morris started work as a DPS trooper in Wichita and Archer counties, he said. He retired from the state job in 2001, and after enjoying retirement for one month, Morris signed on as chief of police in Electra, where he worked for 12 years. Though Morris said he "really enjoyed" the time he spent at the Electra Police Department, his tenure ended acrimoniously. He was fired by Electra city commissioners in January 2014 but later sued for wrongful termination. The suit was settled a year later, with the city paying Morris $120,000. He maintained a residence in Archer County while working in Electra, making him eligible to run for the justice of the peace position, he said. Morris said that as a law enforcement officer he worked frequently with justices of the peace, and that he understands the job duties of a person in the position. "It's not an eight-to-five job," he said. "Incidents happen on weekends, holidays, nights. Though JPs typically act as arbiters in traffic court matters, they also are required to pronounce death at the scenes of vehicle accidents and homicides, they can order autopsies and also can sign police warrants. "Their duties are quite lengthy," Morris said. Calls to pronounce death or to sign search warrants can come at any time, Morris said, meaning a justice of the peace has to dedicate "24/7" to the job. Also listed on the ballot are Gerri L. Ayres, Ken Wheeler, Kenny Lyons, Bennie Schlegel, Anita Wade and Corky Scarbrough. Ray Gonzalez, Precinct 1 County Commissioner, talks with a group of people at the 60th annual University Kiwanis Pancake Festival Saturday morning at the J.S. Bridwell Ag Center. SHARE Charlene Donaghey-Vomastek, Wichita Falls My name is Charlene Donaghey- Vomastek. I am the branch director of the Southeast Boys & Girls Club. I would like to tell you about our County Commissioner Ray Gonzalez. I took a group of my members to the Kiwanis Pancake Festival, compliments of Raising Cain's. We were walking through the area where booths were set up. Mr. Gonzalez had a booth set up as well. My members, who were full of pancakes, sausage and syrup, came upon his booth. I instructed them to ask him questions about the election and what the position entailed. To my surprise, these super energetic kids stopped wiggling and were actually listening. Mr. Gonzalez answered questions such as: what are those things (medals) and why is the flag in a box on the table? He did not brush the kids off, nor did he give them a simple answer and send them on their way. He told them about each medal and the American flag in the glass box. He also told them why he was willing to serve his country. He spoke to the kids about the roles and responsibilities of county commissioners. The young people were engulfed in the conversation 100 percent. He did not talk down to them. He used adult terminology, which by the way the kids totally understood. It is extremely important to me that today's youth not only learn about their neighborhoods, but their city, county, state and the world. They will be the adults holding the torches which will guide the way for our countries'/world's future. As with everything in our children's lives; if we don't teach them about issues, someone else will and they might not be so positive or encouraging about matters that impart our children's lives. County Commissioner Gonzalez did just that!!! He also encouraged the kids to become active in the community, city, county, state and country. Thank You to Mr. Gonzalez and your entire family for seeing the positive potential in the youth of our community. Hopefully the kids will pay this experience forward. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Health care is where the job opportunities lie in the Capital Region. While the number of jobs overall is projected to grow by 12 percent over the years to 2022, jobs in the health care industry are expected to increase nearly 21 percent, according to the state Department of Labor. And that has colleges and universities, vocational schools, pharmaceutical companies and health insurers all scrambling to keep up. The Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, has boosted demand for services, now that millions of previously uninsured people now have coverage and can seek care before their problems become a crisis. More for you New urgent care and other practices in the region "More people can afford access to health care," said Judith DeLorenzo, who chairs the dental hygiene department at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. The Affordable Care Act is just one of several factors behind the sector's growth, said Kevin Jack, chief of the bureau of labor market information at the state Department of Labor. Other factors include the aging of the baby boom generation and its growing need for care; the development of expensive new drugs and technologies; and rising incomes that have boosted disproportionately spending on health care. The retirement of the baby boomers also requires new candidates to fill thousands of vacant health care jobs. In the Capital Region, health care provided 62,300 jobs in the second quarter of 2015, state labor markets analyst Jim Ross said. That compares with 437,500 jobs overall in the region. Demand for health care also has a spinoff effect, with such companies as Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in East Greenbush and Albany Molecular Research Inc. in Albany, providing more than 1,000 additional local jobs. Medical equipment manufacturers, from GE Healthcare in North Greenbush to AngioDynamics in Colonie, contribute hundreds of additional jobs. Other job producers range from Wadsworth Laboratories at the state Health Department to various locally based health insurers. Albany Medical Center alone will add the equivalent of 200 full-time employees this year, spokeswoman Sue Ford said. About half will be physicians/faculty, residents, nursing and other mid-level clinical providers, while the rest will be in technical and other support services. Hospitals paid some of the highest wages in 2014, averaging $70,000 statewide, according to Jack. Less lucrative were home health care jobs. While they were by far the fastest growing sector, with a nearly 48 percent increase in employment from 2009 to 2014, they also paid the least of any health care sector, averaging $27,500 last year statewide. "Ambulatory care is where a lot of the growth is," said Ross, pointing out the expansion of urgent care centers throughout the Capital Region. At HVCC, DiLorenzo said many students are pursuing careers in fields they may not have even heard of in high school. "Students who didn't get into the nursing program right away" may decide to become cardiovascular technologists instead, she said. Many other health occupations at HVCC can pay anywhere from $50,000 to as much as $70,000 a year. "For a two-year degree or a certificate," DiLorenzo said, "these salaries are impressive." It's not surprising that her applicant pool includes people with bachelor's or master's degrees, she said. Elizebeth Spain of Wynantskill is an older student who has returned to HVCC to become a dental hygienist. Now in her 50s, she previously worked as a certified nurse aide. She has three separate dental board exams to pass when she graduates in May. After that, Spain said she may want to work with an oral surgeon, something less traditional than a dental office. She may also consider work in a hospital or public health setting, she said. Median pay for dental hygienists in the Capital Region is $65,260, according to the state Department of Labor. While such positions pay relatively well, "health care as a whole isn't a high-wage industry," Ross said. "But it's very diverse." He said that home nursing aide jobs can be difficult to fill when the economy is healthy, as workers opt for jobs with better hours and working conditions in such areas as retail. But demand is also strong for physician assistants, a sector projected to grow by more than 35 percent in the years through 2022. Median pay: just under $95,000 in the Capital Region, according to the state Labor Department. The number of nurse practitioners is expected to grow by 31 percent. Median pay: $99,230 in the Capital Region. Both jobs typically require at least a master's degree. eanderson@timesunion.com 518-454-5323 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Beirut Turkey said Tuesday it is pressing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies as a force dominated by Kurdish fighters pushed through rebel lines and captured more territory near the Turkish border. In Damascus, the U.N. envoy to Syria suggested that humanitarian aid would be allowed into several besieged areas Wednesday, calling it the "duty of the government of Syria." "Tomorrow we test this," Staffan de Mistura said after meeting with Syria's foreign minister. The U.N. later announced the government of President Bashar Assad has approved access to seven such areas a and that convoys would head out in the coming days. De Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fighting north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syria's largest city to the border with Turkey. Syrian government troops and allied militias, backed by heavy Russian bombardment, are closing in on the area, hoping to seal off parts of Aleppo held by rebels since 2012 in what would be a major blow to the opposition. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, which had mainly battled the Islamic State group and remained largely neutral in the civil war, are advancing in the same region, fighting rebels and other insurgents opposed to Assad in a bid to expand a nearby enclave. A Turkish official told reporters in Istanbul that his country is pushing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies against IS. "Without ground operations, it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria," the official said, adding that Turkey has pressed the issue in recent discussions with the U.S. and other Western nations. But he ruled out the possibility of Turkey undertaking unilateral action or the prospect of a joint Saudi-Turkish venture without broader consensus in the U.S.-led coalition against IS. In Lebanon, the leader of Hezbollah said Turkey and Saudi Arabia are using the fight against IS as a "pretext" to launch a ground operation in Syria. Both countries are ready to start a regional and international war because of defeats suffered by rebels they support, said Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany During a May 2012 visit to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia showed off his deft use of the English language and conservative viewpoint, neatly packaged in a punch line. Scalia was participating in the school's annual commencement colloquy when he was asked by RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson about his vote in the minority in a 2007 decision that allowed the federal government to regulate greenhouse gases for the first time. "It is not the atmospheric protection agency, it is the Environmental Protection Agency," Scalia said. The remark was one of several memorable quotes Scalia made that day, his last public visit to the Capital Region. And it revealed many of the same qualities that local legal experts and attorneys who knew and studied Scalia said made him both a great and polarizing figure. "He had a brilliant wit," said Thomas Marcelle, a Bethlehem attorney who argued a high-profile religious rights case before Scalia and the court in 2001. "His questions (during arguments) were in the form of jokes. No matter what your views are, people view him as really a brilliant jurist. He was very funny, and he was very famous for his dissents." Marcelle, now chief legal counsel for the Albany County Sheriff's Office, was, like others, saddened by the news of Scalia's sudden death. "It was surprising. It was shocking," Marcelle told the Times Union. "It's a dramatic moment any time there is a change in the Supreme Court." Scalia was known for his conservative views and "textualism" or strict interpretation of the text of the Constitution that often put him at odds with others on the court. Marcelle, who won his 2001 case with Scalia in the majority, says the timing of Scalia's death during the middle of the court's term will complicate things for the time being since there will only be eight justices, evenly split along ideological lines. "That's going to present issues in close cases," Marcelle said. Other local legal experts say that despite his intelligence and humanity Scalia loved opera and hunting and was deeply religious he was a divisive force on the court. Albany Law School Professor Vincent Bonventre said the Supreme Court works best when the justices work together in thought and debate. When the court is so divided along party lines, the court is weak. Bonventre said the decisions made during Scalia's tenure, while cheered by political conservatives, weakened the protections of many Americans, including religious liberties. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. "Many of these (decisions) did a great deal of damage," Bonventre said. Bonventre believes the Supreme Court should be stronger if it was filled with more moderates, and he said if President Barack Obama tries to nominate a new justice while he is still in office, he should pick a "real moderate," although he said any move would be viewed as "very questionable" by Senate Republicans. Stephen Gottlieb, an Albany Law School professor who recently published a book on the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts, said Scalia's votes on the court consistently weakened the ability of average Americans to fight against corporate greed and misdeeds such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Gottlieb says the political stakes are too high during an election year for Obama to nominate a new justice without failure. "I don't think anyone will go through," Gottlieb said. lrulison@timesunion.com 518-454-5504 @larryrulison This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany Angela O'Neal shoveled the sidewalk in front of the African-American Cultural Center of the Capital Region on Tuesday, an indication that the new executive director is willing to roll up her sleeves and do what's necessary to reinvigorate a stalled project. "I'm on a mission," said O'Neal, 54, who was hired to lead the not-for-profit group last September after a national search. She became its first paid full-time employee with the help of an anonymous donor. The organization had relied entirely on volunteers. O'Neal has ambitious plans for the former Key Bank building at the corner of South Pearl Street and Madison Avenue, a busy downtown intersection in the city's South End. More Information A night for celebrations What: Annual African-American History Month celebration featuring the Gospel Gala Choir When: 7 p.m. Feb. 26; doors open at 6 p.m. Where: Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany Info.: Presented by the African-American Cultural Center of the Capital Region. Free and open to the public. 621-7195. www.aaccr.org Contact Paul Grondahl at 518-454-5623 or email pgrondahl@timesunion.com See More Collapse "This is a calling for me. We're building this organization for the next generation," she said. "My focus will be to bring in young people and show them that this is their center. We want to hear their ideas about how to showcase African-American culture. I'm ready to take it to the next level." Some of that culture will be in the spotlight on Feb. 26 at Albany's Palace Theatre for the center's annual African-American History Month celebration featuring the Gospel Gala Choir. A group of founders led by Alice Green, founder of the Center for Law and Justice and a longtime black activist, purchased the center's building and a vacant adjacent lot in 2012 for about $100,000. The four-story, 6,000-square foot, 1890 brick building requires extensive renovation on the upper floors, which had fallen into disrepair. The completed main floor has been used for a program of lectures on black history, as well as rotating art exhibits and a small library for children with books on notable black historical figures. The building acquisition was spurred in part by the 2012 opening of the Irish-American Cultural Museum on Broadway following years of planning. O'Neal worked in development at the University at Albany and the Newark Museum and brings fundraising skills to the position. Her goal is to kick off a capital campaign later this year to raise an estimated $1.5 million to turn the second floor into an office suite, board room and digital media arts space; third floor into a dance studio and fourth floor into a black box theater and lounge "We've been impressed by Angela's great enthusiasm and vitality," said Linda Jackson-Chalmers, vice president of the board. "She brings all the qualities that will help us grow and achieve the vision we all have for the center. We had taken it as far as we could with just volunteers." The position is a return to her roots for O'Neal. Her grandfather, Edmund O'Neal Sr., was an assistant principal at Hackett Middle School and a minister at Wilborn Temple in Albany. Her father, Edmund O'Neal Jr., grew up in the South End and attended Philip Schuyler High School. He became the Albany school district's first black principal when he took over leadership of the former School 6. He was the first principal of Arbor Hill Elementary School when it opened in 1973 and later served as a school district administrator. O'Neal grew up in Loudonville, graduated from the Academy of the Holy Names and William Smith College, where she majored in English and was active in theater. She has acted in local plays and is an accomplished pianist. She previously worked for the state's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission before relocating to New Jersey. She returned to the area to help care for her father, who died in 2009. Her mother, Zenobia O'Neal, lives in Arizona. O'Neal is divorced and her son, Stanley, 17, lives in New Jersey. "I'm thrilled to take this on and it's nice to see so many people in the neighborhood who remember my father," O'Neal said. "I felt a connection the minute I stepped into this building." She was met with large-scale photographic portraits of local senior black leaders who were honored by the center in 2013, including the writer Mars Hill, artist Margaret Cunningham, educator Marian Hughes and social worker Florence Frazier. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. O'Neal has focused on recruiting young members, including Travon Jackson, 22, a recent Morehouse College graduate, who works for the state. He recently joined the board and completed conceptual drawings for planned upper floor renovations. O'Neal also recruited intern Diarra Diouf, a student at The Sage Colleges who previously danced with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. She leads free weekly ballet and modern dance classes for children at the center. O'Neal is encouraging members of the local Black Lives Matter group to use their artistic and cultural expression to discuss the fraught issues of economic injustice, educational inequality, police brutality and racism. "This is a home for a conversation with the entire community," she said. The center at 135 S. Pearl St. is currently open to the public by appointment and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. She plans to expand the hours after she develops upcoming programs and exhibits. It remains a work-in-progress. "I'm a realist," she said. "This is a five-year dream. But it's time to get started on it." pgrondahl@timesunion.com 518-454-5623 @PaulGrondahl This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany The deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was correct in disciplining Linda Weiss for failing to act quickly in response to concerns over patient abuse, but his decision to fire the former Stratton VA Medical Center director went too far, according to an administrative law judge who considered Weiss' appeal. Chief Administrative Judge Arthur S. Joseph of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board in New York City would have lessened Weiss' penalty, he wrote in a decision released Tuesday, but had authority only to uphold or reverse the action of Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, who removed Weiss from her post in January. Joseph ordered that Weiss receive back pay to her Jan. 12 dismissal from her $165,000-a-year job. The document elaborates on a bare-bones decision with neither findings nor analysis made public by the merit systems board earlier this month. After reading the administrative judge's explanation for his reversal, Gibson stood by his previous position that he would not allow Weiss to return to any VA facility in a position overseeing patient care. Gibson claimed the decision failed to meet at 21-day time limit for such reviews and said: "We believe today's untimely decision is unenforceable under the law, and does not entitle Ms. Weiss to return to VA employment." A call to Weiss was not returned Tuesday. The quasi-judicial board's reversal of Gibson's decision has put Weiss' firing in the center of a controversy over its authority to overturn the firings of VA executives. Decisions to fire senior VA officials in Pennsylvania and Minnesota have also recently been reversed. "We need to create a system that allows VA's most senior leaders to swiftly fire and discipline employees for cause, without being second-guessed by biased bureaucrats who favor misbehaving government employees over taxpayers and veterans," House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, said in a statement Tuesday after the decision was released. The Times Union has reported on alleged incidents of improper behavior by nurses and supervisors at the Albany VA in recent years. The MSPB decision shows Weiss was let go over her failure to take timely action in the case of a single nursing assistant accused of abusing patients. Specifically, Weiss took four months from March to July last year to transfer the nursing assistant to a post that did not require direct patient care, according to the MSPB decision. Albany VA Associate Director for Patient and Nursing Services Deborah Spath first suggested firing the nursing assistant for alleged physical and verbal abuse in 2011, the decision states. At that time, Weiss was not convinced that the nursing assistant had roughly shoved food in the mouth of a patient, as alleged, but suspended her for a day for verbal abuse. A 2012-13 performance appraisal ranked her as an excellent employee. In July 2014, a patient accused the nursing assistant of threatening and hitting him, though the assistant said she was defending herself against an aggressive patient, the MSPB decision states. Weiss convened an investigative board to review complaints against the nursing assistant. The investigation found multiple incidents of abuse on the nursing assistant's unit. In late 2014, Spath again proposed firing her. Weiss told the MSPB that she found equal evidence for and against the abuse allegations, the decision states. Instead of firing the nursing assistant, Weiss and Spath moved her to the VA's intensive care unit, under close observation and "extensive re-education" from Lauren Dunn. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. In March 2015, Dunn reported the nursing assistant seemed unable to recognize that harsh actions like speaking loudly or handling patients roughly hurt or upset them. She recommended the nursing assistant not provide direct care to veterans. The nursing assistant became a supply technician in July. Based on what he deemed an inappropriately slow response, Gibson, the VA's deputy secretary, put Weiss on paid administrative leave in November, and fired her in January. Joseph, the administrative law judge, agreed that Weiss who became head of the Albany VA in 2010 failed to take timely action to protect patients. Removing her from her post, however, was unreasonable, he wrote. Joseph's decision cites Weiss' decades-long record with the VA system, with no prior disciplinary actions, and performance that led the Albany facility to a high-quality ranking within the health system. Weiss received contradictory reports on the nursing assistant, the judge noted. Complicating Weiss' response were reports from Dunn and another manager that the nursing assistant had a mental disability, perhaps requiring accommodation under law. Joseph also concluded that keeping the nursing assistant in the ICU did not put patients in immediate danger, in part because many other health providers work in that unit. While finding Weiss' offense serious, the judge wrote, "it is unreasonable to remove an employee who has very positively contributed to the agency for more than 42 years for this one offense." chughes@timesunion.com 518-454-5417 @hughesclaire Nextiva Office Honored with Product of the Year Award By Maurice Nagle , Web Editor As much of the United States is wrapped in the chilly embrace of winter, Scottsdale, Arizona remains a sunny, hot (they say its a dry heat) and not just home to a slew of Major League Baseball teams for spring training. Scottsdale is home for the team at Nextiva, a business communications provider that makes the transition to feature-rich unified communications a first class trip to the future of collaboration. The business VoIP provider announced this week that Nextiva Office received Product of the Year honors from TMC, the publisher of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine. Nextivas Vice President of Marketing Yaniv Masjedi exclaimed, We are honored that Internet Telephony has recognized Nextiva Office as a Product of the Year award winner for eight years in a row. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Nextiva with a 2016 Product of the Year Award for its commitment to excellence and innovation, said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. In the opinion of our distinguished judges, Nextiva Office has proven to be among the best communications and technology solutions available on the market. I look forward to continued innovation from Nextiva. Nextiva Office is easily scalable, cost-friendly, promotes collaboration and promises no downtime. Users have the freedom to manage and make calls from ANYWHERE; leveraging the web portal is made easy by the simple interface. User and feature management is simple to do, and the flexibility offered provides greater control with minimal difficulty. Masjedi exclaimed, Nextiva Office provides businesses with much more than just a dial tone we are constantly developing new features and functionality to improve the user experience and meet the changing needs of todays businesses. It is not an easy task to remain at the forefront of business communications, the landscape of demand and innovation is constantly evolving, but Nextiva seems to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park every time. Who is your business VoIP provider? [February 17, 2016] A&B Groep Targets AOTMP Efficiency First Solution Certification INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AOTMP is pleased to announce participation of A&B Groep in the Efficiency First Vendor Solution Certification Program. As part of the Program, A&B Groep will align its global telecom expense management solution capabilities with the Efficiency First Framework, a standard for driving technical, financial and operational efficiency across enterprise telecommunications environments. A&B Groep's participation in the Efficiency First Vendor Solution Certification Program serves as an outward symbol of commitment to excellence and desire to provide unparalleled solutions to its customers. Certification is awarded upon meeting or exceeding top-tier performance requirements. "A&B Groep supports a large number of companies globally, managing billions in client communications spend," stated Timothy C. Colwell, AOTMP SVP of Efficiency First Adoption. "Its leadership sees value in AOTMP certification; we look forward to supporting A&B Groep as it works toward demonstrating its TEM Solutions meet or exceed telecom industry standards established by the Efficiency First Framework." "Becoing AOTMP Efficiency First certified is a logical step that fits perfectly into our strategic plan in which we have expressed our ambition to become the leading global Telecom Expense Management auditing and benchmarking business," stated Ron Rijkenberg, CEO of A&B Groep. "We are delighted to become a Certified Vendor because this means our practices are not only endorsed by our clients, but also enforced and certified through AOTMP - THE global association of TEM vendors and enterprises - objective and independent." ABOUT AOTMP AOTMP is an information services company that helps organizations take their fixed and mobile environment to a greater level of performance and helps telecom vendors achieve excellence in creating value for their clients. Using information and analytics to drive efficiencies, performance and productivity, business solutions are based on their patented Efficiency First Framework. For more information, visit aotmp.com. ABOUT A&B Groep Based in the Netherlands, A&B Groep helps optimize telecom contracts and manage complex telecommunications challenges. Over 500 companies across the globe have come to safely rely on us. Whether for fixed voice, mobile voice or data, we deal with any telecom challenges, provide insight and help our clients save on telecom expenses. The operational support provided by A&B Groep relieves your ICT department from a considerable burden, providing clear telecom insight to maximize results. For more information, please visit: ab-groep.eu. MEDIA INQUIRIES: Lori Wildman Senior Marketing Manager, AOTMP Tel: +1.317.275.7206 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ab-groep-targets-aotmp-efficiency-first-solution-certification-300220948.html SOURCE AOTMP [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Cellwize SON Simplifies Consolidation and Transformation of Telefonica Germany's O2 and E-Plus Networks BARCELONA, Spain and SINGAPORE, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellwize the leading Self-Organizing Network (SON) solutions provider announced today that Telefonica Germany has implemented Cellwize's SON solution to simplify consolidation and integration of the nationwide Telefonica O 2 and E-Plus networks. This implementation is following Telefonica SA plans for deploying Cellwize SON solutions in Telefonica operating businesses. Cellwize deployed its virtualized SON platform for Telefonica Germany to reduce network complexity and improve end customer experience across the entire end-customer journey. The platform is deployed across all Telefonica network equipment vendors and technologies (2G, 3G, and LTE). Cellwize SON will reduce manual efforts by automating the on-going consolidation process including new site rollouts and decommissioning resulting from physical changes in the network, such as site swaps, new configurations and physical parameter changes. Telefonica is now Germany's leading mobile operator with 43.3 million subscribers following its acquisition of E-Plus in October 2014. The SON consolidation project touches on all aspects of this immense network consolidation project including adding capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and implementing LTE technology enabling new services such as VoLTE and advanced M2M/IOT. "The network consolidation project requires specialized experience and technology in order to achieve the optimized utilization of joint network resources," said Cayetano Carbajo, CTO at Telefonica Germany. "We chose Cellwize in light of their proven technology and holistic approach for optimizing and transforming networks involving RAN consolidation and modernization. With Cellwize SON we are confident in being able to continue offering our customers a reliable and unsurpassed mobile experience alongside the launch of new additional services." "We are proud to partner with Telefonica Germany and be part of their business transformation, building the most advanced and innovative network in Germany," said Ofir Zemer, CEO with Cellwize. "We are committed to provide best in class solutions that improve the customer experience and enable the rollout of new services such as enhanced video services, VoLTE and advanced M2M/IOT. This project further demonstrates the need for innovative automated technologies that can help operators merge network resources, fully utilize RAN sharing architecture, improve efficiency, streamline processes, and achieve more cost effective operations." Cellwize's SON solutions, will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress, February 22-25 in Barcelona, Spain at the Cellwize stand (#2E60) in Hall 2. Additional information Cellwize elastic-SON and Value Driven-SON About Cellwize Cellwize develops and delivers innovative SON solutions across vendors and wireless technologies. elastic-SON transforms rigid, physical networks into adaptive and responsive "organisms" that continuously match capacity, coverage and quality with evolving usage patterns. elastic-SON complimented with SON-as-a-Service realizes its promise with multiple MNOs across Europe, APAC and LATAM. Elastic self-organized networks become responsive and efficient calling for a shift from network productivity gains to user value maximization. We call it Value-Driven SON Founded by industry experts, Cellwize launched its commercial SON platform in 2012. For more information, visit http://cellwize.com/ or contact [email protected], read the latest posts at http://www.cellwize.com/news and follow the company on Twitter: @cellwize ABOUT Telefonica Germany Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG, listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the Prime Standard, and its operationally active subsidiaries Telefonica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG and E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH is part of the Spanish telecommunication group Telefonica S.A. headquartered in Madrid. It is the vision of the company as an important pioneer for both society and the economy to become the leading digital telecommunication company in Germany. Its aim is to offer anyone the opportunity of profiting best as possible from the chances brought about by digitalisation. The company offers its German private and business customers post-paid and prepaid mobile telecom products as well as innovative mobile data services based on the GPRS, UMTS and LTE technologies with its product brands O2 and BASE as well as several second and partner brands. In addition, the integrated communication provider also offers fixed network products, such as DSL telephony for private customers, as well as innovative IP telephony and networking solutions for business customers. Telefonica's product range is rounded off with modern high-speed internet products. With a significant presence in 21 countries and a customer base of 329 million accesses, Telefonica is one of the largest telecommunications companies around the world. Media Contacts: Miki Weiser-Padova Cellwize Mobile: +972.54.7799930 [email protected] Monica Maron Spicetree Communications Mobile: +972.54.5429529 [email protected] SOURCE Cellwize [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Harris Corporation to Enhance Rockwall County, Texas Public Safety Communication System Harris Corporation (News - Alert) (NYSE:HRS) has been awarded a contract by Rockwall County, Texas to enhance its county-wide public safety and public service radio system. The contract was awarded during the second quarter of Harris' fiscal 2016. The system will serve more than 600 users from the cities of Rockwall, Heath, Fate, Royse City and McClendon-Chisholm. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005127/en/ Includes the new full-spectrum, LTE (News - Alert)-capable XL-200P portable radio from Harris. (Photo: Business Wire) The new Harris APCO P25 Phase 2 system will include 900 mobile and portable digital radios, including Harris' recently-introduced XL-200P full-spectrum LTE-capable radio, along with the company's Symphony dispatch console solution and BeOn mobile application for Push-to-Talk (PTT) connectivity. Harris' solution will deliver communications interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions, regardless of the type of system they use. It also provides a customized firehouse alerting system that meets the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) alerting standards through its partnership with Westnet Inc. "After an extensive evaluation process, we believe this solution from Harris Corporation meets all the requirements established during this process. Therefore, we believe this radio system will meet the communication needs for all Rockwall County First Responders," said Harold Eavenson, Sheriff, Rockwall County. "This has been a joint effort which was initiated by the Rockwall County Sheriff's Office, and supported by the Rockwall County Commissioner's Court and all agencies within Rockwall County." About Harris Corporation Harris Corporation is a leading technology innovator, solving our customers' toughest mission-critical challenges by providing solutions that connect, inform and protect. Harris supports customers in more than 125 countries, has approximately $8 billion in annual revenue and 22,000 employees worldwide. The company is organized into four business segments: Communication Systems, Space and Intelligence Systems, Electronic Systems, and Critical Networks. Learn more at harris.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005127/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Santa Clara University Welcomes New Dean of the School of Education and Counseling Psychology Santa Clara University is pleased to announce that Dr. Sabrina Zirkel, Associate Dean of Education at Mills College, will be appointed Dean of Santa Clara's School of Education and Counseling Psychology, effective June 1, 2016. Zirkel will provide overall academic, administrative, and financial leadership for the School. She will report directly to Dr. Dennis Jacobs, University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. A well-established scholar who studies race, ethnicity, gender, and class across all sectors of education, Zirkel is the Abbie Valley Professor of Educational Leadership at Mills College. She has extensive administrative experience at Mills College, serving as Associate Dean in the School of Education as well as Director of the Educational Leadership program and the Ed.D. program. Most recently, in her role as Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, Zirkel worked with the senior leadership at Mills to develop a number of innovative, interdisciplinary programs that engage students while serving the needs of the College and the local community. "Santa Clara faculty showed a passion for ensuring that graduates of the School of Education and Counseling Psychology are well prepared to make a difference in their communities as outstanding counselors, educators, and leaders," said Zirkel. "I am especially looking forward to working with faculty to build on the current efforts of Santa Clara University and the School of Education and Counseling Psychology in the Thriving Neighbors Initiative and the School's campus in East San Jose." As demonstrated through her scholarship and community work, Zirkel possesses a deep commitment to issues of diversity, justice, and inclusion. She serves as an advisor to the African America Regional Educational Alliance (AAREA) and to STEM STEPS, programs that seek to improve the educational experiences of African American students in the East Bay. "Dr. Zirkel comes to Santa Clara with an impressive record in curricular innovation, faculty development, and student engagement," said Santa Clara University President Michael Engh, S.J. "Our School of Education and Counseling Psychology prepares leaders to serve the education and mental health needs of Silicon Valley. Dr. Zirkel's experiences coupled with her passion for promoting educational equity will be a significant benefit to the school and the community." Zirkel will succeed Dr. Carol Ann Gittens, a professor of liberal studies, who is currently serving as interim dean for the 2015-16 academic year. Zirkel earned her bachelor's degree with high honors in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986 and her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1991. She was a psychology professor at College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution similar to Santa Clara University, from 1991-1994 and served as a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Research Institute for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Zirkel is married with three children. Her husband, Christopher Simon, serves as a Director in the Human Resources department at the University of California, Office of the President. About the School of Education and Counseling Psychology Serving more than 700 students, the School of Education and Counseling Psychology offers master's degree and credential programs to prepare professional counselors and K-12 educators and administrators. It educates practitioners whose professional competence, social conscience, and human compassion will transform lives, schools, and communities for the greater health, well-being, and the common good of all. For more information, see www.scu.edu/ecp About Santa Clara University Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest operating higher education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216006784/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 16, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Five Vendors in Global Military Manpack and Vehicular Radios Market 2016-2020 Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global military manpack and vehicular radios market report. This research report also lists numerous prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global military manpack and vehicular radios market is highly competitive and vendors compete on the basis of cost, product quality, reliability, and aftermarket services. In order to survive and succeed in such an intensely competitive environment, it is crucial for vendors to provide cost-effective and high-quality manpacks, and vehicular radio systems with latest technology and materials. Exelis and Harris are the two leading vendors in the market. Their focus is primarily on the implementation of lightweight materials, more electric technologies, and robust systems. Technavio's lead analyst for defense Abhay Singh says, "Mergers and acquisitions and increased collaboration with alliance partners will drive the global market during the forecast period." Request sample report: http://goo.gl/8fXw3k BARRETT Communications BARRETT Communications was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Perth, Australia. It manufactures and markets remote radio communication solutions for the global armed forces, police, and paramilitary forces. Its products are marketed in over 150 countries, globally. The company provides high-frequency communications equipment for tactical and commercial applications. Its high frequency (HF) communication equipment ranges from basic voice communications solutions to data, fax, e-mail, and GPS tracking devices. Its product portfolio includes transceivers, modems, amplifiers, power supplies, antennas, and accessories. The company also provides training and technical support solutions to its customers addressing their radio system operation, planning, and maintenance needs. Finmeccanica Finmeccanica was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy. They engage in defense, aerospae, and security businesses globally. The company through its defense and security electronics business division, Selex ES, provides a comprehensive array of military manpack and vehicular radios globally. It manufactures and markets bespoke antenna solutions that are used in fixed, mobile, and man-portable platform. Harris Harris was incorporated in 1926 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, US. The company, along with its subsidiaries provides technology-based solutions that address the needs of its government and commercial customers. The tactical communications systems business division of the company manufactures secure radio communications, tactical communication networks, and embedded high-grade encryption solutions for the US and allied military forces. Harris has developed a family of software-defined tactical radio systems, namely Falcon that encompasses manpack, handheld, and soldier-worn vehicular capabilities. Harris has also introduced next-generation multiband manpack radio systems, namely Falcon III, which can integrate the wideband networking capabilities in the modern battlefield. Radmor Radmor was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Gdynia, Poland. The company manufactures and supplies radio communications equipment for military and commercial applications. Some of its major customers are the armed forces of Poland, Slovak Republic, Lithuania, Czech Republic, and Latvia. It also supplies products to the police force, fire brigades, railway operators, and security companies. The company provides military manpack systems and associated accessories that are used by armed forces of many countries. They also provide radio system trainers that help in providing classroom training to armed forces personnel by interacting with the actual radio set. Thales (News - Alert) Thales was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Thales provides solutions primarily for global aerospace and defense industries. Thales supplies a comprehensive array of radio communications and associated solutions that are used in land, air, and naval applications by armed forces across the world. They offer a wide spectrum of secure communications solutions, including HF, VHF, UHF, SATCOM, and line-of-sight communication systems, as well as software-defined radios, blue force tracking devices, and electronic warfare and identification products to the combat forces. Browse related reports: Global Commercial Aircraft Next-Gen Avionics Market 2015-2019 Commercial Aircraft Autopilot System Market 2015-2019 Global Commercial Aircraft Aftermarket Parts Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216005345/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Wisconsin's First Career Technical Education Online School Opens MADISON, Wis., Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new school has partnered with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 (Operating Engineers) and Fox Valley Technical College to offer Wisconsin's first ever Career and Technical Education-focused online high school. Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (WIDCA) is a tuition-free online public charter school open to students statewide in grades 9 12. The school will serve full-time students as well as offer individual courses to students in schools that do not have access to CTE programs. The school is now accepting open enrollments. "Wisconsin must focus on increasing education and job opportunities for the next generation. This revolutionary new school helps meet our state's critical workforce development needs," said Terry McGowan, President of the Operating Engineers. "Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin will prepare our young people with the knowledge, skills, and training needed to access the many available technical and high-paying jobs that help our state grow." This exclusive pre-apprenticeship program provides WIDCA students a head start on their career goals by earning technical and specialty trade credentials, college credits, and workplace experiences. Obtaining industry certifications opens the door to increased job opportunities for students in high-demand and high-paying jobs. "We are proud to partner with this school and support this important effort," said Fox Valey Technical College Associate Dean Mike Cattelino. "In growing and competitive industries, we need to do expand our support to students and empower them with employable skills so they can succeed in the workplace." Full and part-time students can access multiple versions of core high school courses and choose to take innovative CTE courses in four Wisconsin Career Clusters: Architecture and Construction; Business, Management, and Administration; Health Science; and Information Technology. One of the school's most innovative offerings, developed through an exclusive partnership with the Operating Engineers and Fox Valley Technical College, is the Operating Engineers program in the Construction Pathway. This one-of-a-kind "pre-apprenticeship" program directed by the Operating Engineers will give students hands-on experience and prepare them to enter apprenticeship training to become successful operating engineers heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and surveyors in the construction industry. The Operating Engineers intends to offer summer camps for WIDCA students working through this career pathway at its state-of-the-art facility based in Coloma. Fox Valley Technical College, based in Appleton, will offer dual-credit, tech-prep opportunities for WIDCA students and is collaborating with the Operating Engineers to develop the curriculum used for the Operating Engineers program. Fox Valley Tech will also help facilitate blended learning opportunities online learning and face-to-face instruction for students from a variety of campus locations, regional centers, and training sites. State licensed teachers will provide students instruction and support, and the school will use the award-winning curriculum and academic services provided by leading digital learning provider, K12 Inc. WIDCA is a nonprofit public charter school, governed by an independent board of directors and authorized by McFarland School District. McFarland also authorizes the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, a K-12 statewide online public charter school. "Our mission is to serve the needs of every student and maximize opportunities for all," said Andrew Briddell, Superintendent of McFarland School District. "This is the goal of our district and Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin. We are excited to make this school option available to families across the state." The school is accepting open enrollments through April 29. Online and in-person information sessions are being held across the state to give interested families the opportunity to meet staff and see the curriculum. To enroll or learn more about WIDCA, visit the school's website: http://widca.k12.com. More information: International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139: www.iuoe139.org Fox Valley Technical College: www.fvtc.edu McFarland School District: www.mcfarland.k12.wi.us K12 Inc.: www.K12.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333898LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wisconsins-first-career-technical-education-online-school-opens-300221104.html SOURCE Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 16, 2016] Technavio Expects the Global Industrial Robotics Market in Heavy Industries to Exceed USD 2 Billion by 2020 According to the latest market research study released by Technavio, the global industrial robotics market in heavy industries is expected to exceed USD 2 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. This research report titled 'Global Industrial Robotics Market in Heavy Industries 2016-2020', provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes an up to date analysis and forecast for various market segments and all geographical regions. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/rc3DIc The report segments the global industrial robotics market by end-user and can be divided into three broad categories: Global industrial robotics market in metalworking machinery segment Global industrial robotics market in construction machinery segment Industrial robotics market in other heavy machinery segment Global industrial robotics market in metalworking machinery segment The global industrial robotics market in the metalworking machinery segment is expected to exceed USD 690 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 6%. The metalworking machinery segment involves machine tools, which constitute conventional machine tools and CNC machine manufacturing. The demand for machine tools has increased from China, Germany, and Japan, especially for CNC machines that have a major presence in the automotive sector. The assembly of all these components requires industrial robots in the production line, especially material handling and assembly robots. "The market is experiencing robot-machine tool collaboration for smooth and efficient functioning of processes. As machine tools are fed materials for machining manually, robots are performing this function with higher precision and improved quality in less time. This factor is likely to fuel the market growth as vendors are offering their robotic solutions based on the requirements of different industries," says Bharath Kanniappan, a lead analyst for robotics at Technavio. Global industrial robotics market in construction machinery segment The global industrial robotics market in the construction machinery segment is predicted to reach USD 600 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 7%. Global economic growth, rapid industrial development, and urbanization have led to the development of infrastructure projects and commercial establishments worldwide, particularly in APAC and the Middle East. Moreover, the rising middle-class segment and growing population worldwide have resulted in an increase in construction of residential buildings, which is creating high demand for construction machinery worldwide. Manufacturers are thus increasing their production to meet demand and reduce operational costs stemming from fluctuating raw material prices and rising labor costs. This has provided opportunities for robotic vendors to raise awareness about the benefits of using robots and promote their use in the manufacturing processes. Industrial robotics market in other heavy machinery segment The global industrial robotics market in other heavy machinery segment is expected to exceed USD 1 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 5%. The other machinery segment includes engineering machinery, textile machinery, F&B machinery, paper machinery, and machinery for consumer durables. Lack of skilled labor, high costs, and need to improve production processes have led companies to opt for robots as a solution to their production problems. "Rapid evolution of technology has also resulted in the invention of advanced robots such as collaborative robots. These robots are much safer to handle and can work along with humans, especially during assembly processes. APAC is likely to be the largest contributor to the industrial robotics market for other industries, as these industries have a firm foothold in this region," says Bharath. Technavio analysts highlight the following four vendors as the top contributors to the global industrial robotics market: ABB KUKA (News - Alert) Fanuc Yaskawa Electric Corporation Browse Related Reports: Global Industrial Robotics Market in Electronic and Electrical Industry 2015-2019 Global Robotics Market 2015-2019 Global Articulated Robots Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216005337/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Neverware Introduces Groundbreaking Feature to Switch Between Windows and Chromebook Experiences on the Same Computer NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Neverware today announced the next step for their operating system, CloudReady. CloudReady has already transformed more than 75,000 PCs and Macs worldwide, allowing them to deliver the same experience as Google's popular Chromebooks. To amplify this impact and reach even more users, Neverware has launched support for dual-booting CloudReady with Microsoft Windows on the same computer. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160215/333149 "Dual-boot CloudReady will let us get better use from even our newest computer labs," said Mike Roberts, Technology Director for Quinlan Independent School District in Texas. "It will give users the faster response and ease of use of a Chrome lab for most daily work, but the ability to reboot into Windows for heavier workloads like graphics or programming." With CloudReady's dual-boot feature, exsting data will be preserved and users will be able to choose between Windows and CloudReady each time they power on their computer. This innovative and flexible approach will remove barriers, costs, and risks for organizations and consumers in a way that no other product ever has. "The cost of embracing new technologies has been too high for too long," said Neverware President Andrew Bauer. "We want to remove the limit of just one operating system, so that the power of two platforms can be available to organizations and consumers without buying multiple devices." In larger organizations, where adoption of Chromebooks has been slower because of reliance on legacy Windows applications, dual-boot removes a major barrier to Google's next-gen ecosystem. About Neverware Neverware is a New York-based developer of operating systems. Its flagship product, CloudReady, transforms an organization's existing hardware to have the user experience and management of a Chromebook. Neverware's investors include Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, Rethink Education, and Collaborative Fund. Product images, case studies, company bios and additional quotes are available at: www.neverware.com/media Media contact: Peter Freudenberger 909-957-8486 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neverware-introduces-groundbreaking-feature-to-switch-between-windows-and-chromebook-experiences-on-the-same-computer-300220049.html SOURCE Neverware, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Toronto Startup Builds a New Breed of Software to Organize Enterprise Knowledge TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2016 /CNW/ - Meemim, a tech startup based in Toronto, is ready to take on the problem of organizing information and knowledge within companies with their new software. "Almost every company has difficulties collating and organizing information in such a way that employee can find it quickly when they need it. There are solutions. However, for the most part, they are ineffective. The biggest issue is the sheer amount of time users have to spend searching for information that may or may not exist," said Alec Pestov, founder and CEO of Meemim. In most cases, information exists only as tacit knowledge because current tools make it very cumbersome and laborious to document it. But even if it is documented, which is rare, most tools make it very difficult to find that single piece of information an employee actually needs, and find it fast. For the most part, the current options for managing information and knowledge are not saving time. Meemim developed a very unique approach to dealing with this problem. It combines proprietary search thatbrings only relevant results with a highly visual user interface to let users sort through results more quickly. Field tests show that this combination makes finding information in Meemim up to 10 times faster than it is in other systems. It is estimated that Meemim can save up to three hours a week per employee on searching alone. The best part, it needs to save only 10 minutes per employee in order to pay for itself. This visual user interface doesn't just cut down time spent searching. Meemim's unique interface is a key component of the second area where Meemim has an advantage. "The industry has a real problem with user uptake and engagement," said Mr. Pestov. "Consumer software has evolved hugely in the past 10-20 years, and enterprise software really hasn't kept up. What we're trying to do with our new user interface is to combine consumer software polish and ease of use with enterprise software functionality. Meemim is a system that employees actually want to use." Meemim comes with an array of integrations with other systems. Mr. Pestov said that these are especially important for Meemim because "right now a lot of businesses keep their information in a series of isolated digital spacesGoogle Docs, SharePoint, DropBox, even FTP Servers. This is hugely inefficient. Meemim needs these integrations in order to link those isolated spaces together into one searchable, well organized hub." No implementation costs and simple subscription pricing makes it very easy to start using Meemim in no time. Meemim was founded in 2015 and is currently in a limited public launch. You can check your their website at www.meemim.com. www.meemim.com www.meemim.com/blog [email protected] SOURCE Meemim [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 17, 2016] Alabama School Wins Grand Prize & IEEE-USA Best Communications System Award at Future City Competition National Finals WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Academy for Science and Foreign Language (ASFL) in Huntsville, Ala., won the IEEE-USA Best Communications System award and the grand prize at the Future City Competition National Finals on Tuesday. It is the first time in the 16-year history of the IEEE-USA award that a school won both simultaneously. ASFL, which captured the Alabama regional championship last month, impressed the judges with their city "Villa Suave," which is set in France in the year 2121. With the overall victory, the team wins a week at U.S. Space Camp also in Huntsville and a $7,500 scholarship for the academy's STEM program. Thirty-seven regional-winning teams, including two from China, participated in the finals at the Capital Hilton, just blocks from the White House. Marc Apter, who served as IEEE-USA president in 2013, presented both awards to ASFL. St. John Lutheran School of Rochester Hills, Mich., which last year became the only school to win the national finals two years in a row, placed third for their 2166 city, "Egabrag." IEEE-USA sponsors the $2,000 prize that will go to the school's STEM program. The Alabama team is made up of tudents Isabel Waring, 12; Hannah White, 14; and Alexa Huerta, 13; teacher Angela Traylor and mentor Raymond Woodson, a retired aeronautical engineer. ASFL finished third in 2015. Before they won the grand prize Tuesday, the squad was honored with the IEEE-USA Best Communications System award. Judges and IEEE members Steve Bonk and Chris McManes thought highly of ASFL's Smart Life bracelet and forehead relay that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the brain's learning centers and allows you to understand and communicate in any language. Texting is also possible just by thinking of the message you want to send. The award recognizes the top "strategic placement of a communications system that is both efficient and accurate." Harbor View Academy, winner of the Texas (North) title, took second place with their 2050 city "Bedford Falls." IEEE member Jean Eason is the competition's regional coordinator. The National Society of Professional Engineers will provide a $5,000 STEM-program scholarship to Harbor View. Future City, which was created in IEEE-USA offices in 1992, is an engineering design competition for middle school students. Under the guidance of an engineer and teacher, children create their own vision of a future city, working first on computer software and then constructing a scale model. The competition also includes an essay about a predetermined challenge the city might face. This year's theme "Waste Not, Want Not" challenged the students to design a future waste management system. IEEE-USA serves the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of nearly 200,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE. Web: www.ieeeusa.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ieeeusa Twitter: www.twitter.com/ieeeusa Benefits of IEEE membership: www.ieee.org/join Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150814/258612LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alabama-school-wins-grand-prize--ieee-usa-best-communications-system-award-at-future-city-competition-national-finals-300221742.html SOURCE IEEE-USA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Virtual reality is starting to gain major mainstream traction, with many companies embracing the new medium in different ways. Conan O'Brien broadcasted several episodes of his show in 360-degree video, and a presidential debate was recently taped in 360 degrees, as well. In the fall, The New York Times gave away over 1 million Google Cardboard viewers to its readership and began providing unique immersive video content for people to enjoy. Today, the Associated Press announced that it is also embracing the new medium, and that it has entered a partnership with AMD to use AMD hardware and the Liquid VR toolset to produce high quality VR news content. AMD will provide substantial value to the Associated Press in the form of VR expertise with best in class development platforms and post production support to enhance the VR news experience, said Sasa Marinkovic, Global Head of VR Marketing, AMD. Paul Cheung, Director of Interactive And Digital New Production, Associated Press, said that the AP has had a rich history working with emerging technologies throughout its 170 year history. In 1889, the Associated Press used a wireless telegraph to broadcast the results of the Americas Cup yacht race. Cheung said this was the first test of broadcast news radio. Cheung said the AP was also the first news organization to publish a digital image (1980s), and the first to embrace digital cameras (partnership with Kodak in 1994). Each new publishing technology reinvents how we experience news, and VR promises the next revolution by immersing us deep in a story, said Cheung. With AMDs collaboration, AP will leverage their expertise in image rendering and graphic technology so that we can enhance and strengthen the VR news experience. The Associated Press isnt the first news organization to embrace VR, but Cheung said the company has been experimenting with different types of VR experiences since August 2015. Cheung said that the company is looking at all sorts of different options, including 360-degree video, stereoscopic 360-degree content, and even 3D rendered environments, for different kinds of storytelling. The AP is launching a VR content channel today where you can find all of the companys future immersive news content. Examples of things you can expect to see include news stories, documentaries and special interest pieces. Cheung said that the AP has already created a number of videos for the channel. You can experience what its like to fly in extreme luxury in the $18,000 First Class Suite (opens in new tab) on Singapore airlines. You can also live out your fantasies of living like a billionaire by taking a tour of one of the most expensive luxury hotel suites in the world, the $50,000 per night Ty Warner Penthouse in New York City. Cheung also noted that there is a video of the UPS World Port packing facility that takes you on a 360-degree ride-along with a box going through the facility, and a virtual reality report giving a first person glimpse of what its like living in the migrant camp in Calais, France. The 360-degree and VR video channel can be found within the Associated Press mobile app. Versions of the app are available for iOS and Android devices. Follow Kevin Carbotte @pumcypuhoy. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube As we wrote about last week, today is the day when pre-orders for Oculus-Ready PCs from Alienware, Asus and Dell start. Those who already pre-ordered a Rift can get a coupon from Oculus to put towards one of the seven models on offer. For people who didnt already get on the Rift bandwagon last month, you can pre-order the bundles from Amazon, Best Buy and the Microsoft Store. The bundled machines range in price all the way from $1,500 for the base Asus offering (all-in, PC and headset), up to $3,150 for an Alienware Area 51 and Rift. More Retail Bundle Details Of course, now that weve hit the date that this promotion launches (opens in new tab), there are more details that we can share. First, it does look like the bundles being offered by the retailers/e-tailers are staying U.S.-only for now. We reached out to see if they might come to Canada, and even though we were told there is a possibility that Best Buy might sell Dells offerings in the Great White North, as of today there is nothing on Best Buys .ca site. It does seem that Amazon will currently ship the bundles to Canada from the U.S., but that might be a glitch, and even if it isnt, the additional duties and fees, along with the exchange rate will make the bundles ridiculously expensive for Canucks. As for other markets, we have no information if there will be any retail or e-tail partners selling bundles there at this time, but one would hope this might change. For U.S residents, all three retail/e-tail partners still look to have the bundles in stock, even though they went on sale this morning, and the expected shipping date of both the PC and Oculus Rift is still April 23, 2016. This means that if you order a bundle today, youll get a Rift much faster than many who have pre-ordered the Rift directly from Oculus. Unfortunately, this is to be expected, because for the OEMs to get on board with Oculus and create these bundle deals, Rifts have to be allocated to them so the bundles can be fulfilled in a timely fashion. Discount Coupon Details As mentioned, along with the bundles being available in stores, those who already pre-ordered a Rift and can go to their Oculus order page (opens in new tab) and claim a discount coupon towards one of these Oculus-ready PCs. Those who pre-ordered in the U.S. will have full access to all the machines on offer, but, unfortunately, those in other markets will not. On Oculuss support page, it details how the bundle coupons will work for each OEM its partnered with. For Asus, it says (opens in new tab): Schedule for ASUS discount availability:February 2016: The United States, Netherlands, Taiwan There is better news for those interested in Dells Oculus-Ready offerings (opens in new tab): Schedule for Alienware and Dell XPS discount codes:February 2016: The United States and CanadaMarch 2016: The United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, SwedenTentative Q2: Australia, Japan, New ZealandTentative Q3-Q4: Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland Looking at the above, its clear which OEM to go with if you are an international Rift pre-order customer, so lets hope Asus announces the availability of its Oculus-Ready machines in more markets soon. The Exchange Rate Shafts Canadians Even though there is good news for Americas politer neighbors to the North, in that Dell will, at least, be offering us the coupon, it appears that the low value of the Canadian dollar is going to hurt. For example, to start, it looks like the value of the coupon is $200 Canadian, whereas south of the border its the same in U.S. funds. Also, the Oculus-Ready PCs are quite a bit more money. The Alienware X51 R3 starts at $1,600 (opens in new tab) before the coupon, not including the price of the Rift; the next model up is $1,800 (opens in new tab); and Dells XPS 8900 SE is $1,500 (opens in new tab), again not including the discount and Rift price. Consequently, all-in you are looking at $2,250, $2,450 and $2,150, respectively, in Canadas cool plastic bills to get a Rift bundle (the Rift is $850 CAD). Thats a big chunk of change to drop, and probably off-putting to most interested in taking advantage of the coupon. What we would have like to have seen is perhaps some generosity on Oculus' and Dells part, with a discount coupon with a higher value to offset some of the exchange rate pricing issues. Build Your Own Is Still The Best Way To Go Despite some advantages to buying a pre-built PC, namely that its pre-tested and has a better warranty than a machine you can build yourself, youre still going to be able to get a significantly better VR-ready machine for a comparable price to the bundles, or something equivalent for a lot less, if you go DIY. This months Toms Hardware Best PC builds has a $1,000 build with an Intel Core i5-6600, 16 GB of RAM, a 120 GB SSD and a Radeon R9 390X 8 GB GPU. This machine will easily outperform the similarly-priced Oculus-Ready PCs in VR for the same price, and there is no need to worry about a coupon. There is also our $750 build that is equivalent to the base Oculus-Ready machines for quite a lot less. Or course, going this route doesnt help you get an Oculus Rift any faster, so if you are in need of a new PC for VR, pre-ordering one of the retail/e-tail bundles is still fastest way to get a Rift onto your head today. As mentioned above, the bundles are scheduled to ship on April 23. If you are pre-ordering a Rift today (opens in new tab) from Oculus.com, it wont ship until July 2016. Alex Davies is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware and Tom's IT Pro, covering Smartphones, Tablets, and Virtual Reality. You can follow him on Twitter. Follow Tom's Hardware on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Synaptics, one of the leading companies in fingerprint sensors, announced the Natural ID FS4304, an ultra-slim capacitive fingerprint sensor. Synaptics sensors have been used in popular smartphones such as Samsungs Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6. Synaptics makes small fingerprint fingerprint readers that fit in tight spaces at the bottom of a smartphones screen or even on its side. The new sensor also seems to be targeted at the same tight areas. Better, Not Bigger The so-called Madrid Report, a university study funded by Next Biometrics (a Synaptics competitor), concluded that the bigger the area of the sensor, the more accurate it will be because the reader can pick up more data points from the fingerprint pattern. This seems to make intuitive sense. However, Synaptics said that the study was oversimplifying how fingerprint readers can obtain high accuracy, noting that there are more factors in determining accuracy than the sensors area alone. Synaptics said that the design of the sensor array and the design of the end-product are also important, as is the software used in combination with the sensor. Also, starting with Android 6.0, Google is requiring OEMs to use only fingerprint sensors that have a false acceptance rate no higher than 1 in 50,000. That means any future fingerprint sensors that will be seen on the market should be at least as good, obviating the size/performance debate to an extent. SentryPoint Security Suite: Isolation From The Host Processor Alongside the FS4304, Synaptics also announced an advanced anti-spoofing security suite called SentryPoint, which the company claimed is the industrys highest level of secure biometric fingerprint authentication. Synaptics said that its software can make the difference between a spoofed fingerprint and a real finger. The company achieves this by checking for the fingerprints liveness. Synaptics SentryPoint also delivers enrollment and match in the sensor itself, which means the sensor is fully isolated from the application processor. It also comes with a cryptographic engine on the chip, a unique key generation module, TLS1.2 encrypted secure communications to the host, and a FIDO UAF authenticator. Even if the host system is compromised by malware or other attacks, SentryPoint provides an added layer of protection for the users biometric data, said Anthony Gioeli, vice president of marketing, Biometrics Product Division, Synaptics. Synaptics Natural ID FS4304 sensor is already sampling, and it should be available in devices in Q3 this year. The company will be available at the Mobile World Congress next week for presentations to interested customers. Lucian Armasu is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware. You can follow him at @lucian_armasu. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube. Another Australian music festival, another joint operation drug blitz from the local coppers. Only this time around, the police cant even front like the whole thing wasnt a tremendous waste of resources, which isnt to say they arent trying. As The Queensland Times reports, a huge police operation targeted drug use at this past weekends Earth Frequency Festival at Ivory Rock, but came up seriously short when they only managed to charge a few dozen people with offences. How big was the operation? According to the Queensland Times, it involved officers from Harrisville Police, the Roadside Drug Testing Unit, Road Policing Task Force, Ipswich Road Policing Command, Ipswich Tactical Crime Squad, Brisbane Dog Squad, and officers from across Ipswich District. This fellowship of police badassery targeted the more than 5,000 punters who attended the four-day event, charging a total of 57 people. Yep, just 57, and thats after the police performed roadside breath tests on 2,500 people, or half the festival. A total of 31 people were charged with drug possession, 12 with possessing drug paraphernalia, and one with supplying drugs. According to the QTs Peter Chapman, no drivers were found to be above the alcohol limit and 27 tested positive for drugs. However, its important to note that these 27 tested positive for having traces of drugs in their systems, which does not necessarily imply any kind of impairment. For example, a driver can test positive after having ingested a substance days before. If they had conducted the same level of testing on the Ipswich Motorway on a Saturday night there is no doubt the numbers would have been higher, Chapman wrote, whilst Earth Frequency organiser Paul Adad said he welcomed the police operation. [include_post id=465318] According to Adad, police informed him that eight of the motorists who were caught drug driving were local residents. We do everything we can to inform our patrons what the festival is about and what is acceptable, he said. Harrisville Police officer in charge Sergeant Matthew Thomson said the results of the roadside tests are of significant concern to our community, adding, The effects of driving whilst under the influence of drugs can severely impact the ability of the driver. Other charges police laid down included driving whilst unlicensed or disqualified, driving unregistered or uninsured vehicles, as well as charged for speeding, using mobile phones whilst driving, and driving defective vehicles. All in all, money well spent. KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTERS TELL US THAT MO HOUSE REP. LAFAVER IS DOUBTFUL TO PURSUE REELECTION AND INSTEAD MIGHT "CONVENIENTLY" DROP OUT SO THAT ANOTHER PARTY POWER BROKER CAN TAKE HIS PLACE!!! Jeff City Insider: "This doesn't give voters a chance to have their say. The way this is happening cuts a lot of people out of the process. If Rep. LaFaver wants to drop out then go ahead and do it BUT give other people a chance to run. Let the voters have their say." Kansas City's Ward Parkway Corridor MO State Rep. Jeremy LaFaver sadly discovered that his career was never the same after he was busted for weed whilst holding office.Still, had he been an average d-bag his legal entanglements would have been more considerable but political connections inspired widespread public forgiveness among Missouri Democrats. Behind the scenes, embarrassing the party made him damaged goods.MO House Rep. LaFaver was on the path toward a leadership position but all of that super-minority party glory went up in smoke.And now . . .Sure, he's filing for reelection but his heart isn't in it . . . Oh yeah, and this move has Team Claire's finger prints all over it . . .Here's what we understand so far . . .Rep. LaFaver will file for reelection and that should scare away any competition. Jeff City Insiders say that he's likely to drop out after the filing date is closed.could be there to catch the ball. We'll show you his campaign materials soon.Greg Razer, was formerly a policy director for PROMO (Personal Rights for Missourians) . . . And obviously now a stanch supporter of Team Claire.Now, here's why this is news . . .And so, in our little corner of the Inter-webs we can only hope to thwart these grand schemes hatched from Jeff City all the way to D.C. given thatof these politicos don't seem enthusiastic about encouraging active participation in Kansas City Democracy.Developing . . . - The JaxCo Legislature doesn't know about the contract. A few of the better ones are trying to get deets. - No word from County Counselor Nixon about the contract the he reportedly approved . . . Now questions are raging about his ability/right to make that alleged deal. - Exec Frank White is angry that this time bomb was dumped in his lap. His staffers are all former Mike Sanders workers and they're doing the best to deflect questions but the continued questions about the reported contract are forcing the newspaper to do more work . . . Behind the scenes, Jackson County Insiders using terms like "no bid" are the folks who are really pushing this story forward as media is dragging its feet. We had time to make another fun graphic as we wait for a Dead Tree Media followup on this raging controversy . . .Here are the highlights we know so far . . .LOL . . . They posted the story right after this update:Developing . . . - Legislator Crystal Williams has sold everybody out to play the part of "reformer" in the paper . . . But just like everybody else in town, she knew about this deal WEEKS ago and did nothing. Also, this is a short sighted move given that she has now put herself at odds with the rest of the Legislature. - Frank White struck out in his first test as Jackson County Executive . . . His answer to this crisis was pitiful and shows him to be out of his league. Bright side: He get another at bat and if he can speak decisively on this contract controversy, he'll avoid a major error. Don't be surprised to see him double down in support of the Sanders contract just to save face. - Blame this all on Mr. Peanut . . . His need to control all things related to the County has given us a hot mess of behind the scenes power players and politicos who don't really know what they're doing. - Finally . . . Remember all of the newsies and pundits heaping praise on Mike Sanders as he abandoned his job??? Where are they now and do they still speak up for his great management skill amid this contract crisis legacy??? Once again Jackson County is struggling with "ethics" (don't laugh) and accountability amid talk of. . .But rather than do anything about it during a legislative session . . . They're sorting out their story in the newspaper . . . Which is probably the best recipe for disaster that any foolhardy group of politicos can devise.Thinking about this post we've decided that Courthouse insiders know more about this one that TKC . . . Also, we don't want to visit with the Feds.So here are the finer points . . .Important questions and topics all expressed by our bloggy community and despite the fact that most people don't know what function County government serves other than collecting property taxes.Developing . . . US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. (Source: VNA) The US leader made the affirmation during his meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the sidelines of the Special ASEAN-US Summit at Sunnylands in California on February 16th. The visit aims to explore the land, people and culture of Vietnam while seeking specific cooperation measures in order to maintain the active pace of the US-Vietnam comprehensive cooperative partnership, he said. PM Nguyen Tan Dung said President Obama will be welcomed by Vietnamese leaders and people and that he will assign the Foreign Ministry to coordinate with US counterparts to make thorough preparations for the visit. He expressed his hope that the trip will open up a new period of cooperation between the two countries, for peace and for the development of the comprehensive cooperative partnership, to elevate bilateral ties to a new height. During their meeting, the leaders compared notes on major cooperative areas between the two countries as well as international and regional issues of shared concern. PM Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam is very concerned about the increasingly complicated development of the East Sea situation which threatens peace, security, and maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the sea. He blamed the situation on the large-scale unilateral land reclamation of illegally-occupied islands and the large-scale construction of artificial islands from submerged features that have changed the status quo in the East Sea, as well as the militarisation reinforcement under various forms. The PM called on the US to raise a strong voice and take more pragmatic and effective actions to ask for an end to such deeds, especially the large-scale construction of man-made islands and militarisation in the East Sea, respect for and the serious realisation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea, and the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct. President Obama said the US is concerned about the East Sea issue and strongly backs diplomatic efforts and legal processes to handle the territorial disputes in the sea on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the DOC. PM Nguyen Tan Dung used the occasion to call on sides engaging in the recently-inked Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement to promptly complete their domestic ratification of the deal. He proposed the US recognise Vietnam as a market economy as soon as possible and extend the transitional period for Vietnamese tra and basa fish exports from 18 months to three to four years, so that Vietnam can revamp its management measures to meet relevant rules stipulated in the USs Farm Bill 2014. The Vietnamese leader also called for the USs technical support in managing food safety and hygiene of Vietnamese tra and basa fish exported to the US. He explained that Vietnams tra and basa fish exports to the US will encounter huge difficulties if there are no suitable solutions put in place, resulting in strongly reduced export revenues which will affect the daily life and employment of tens of millions of poor Vietnamese laborers. PM Nguyen Tan Dung also suggested President Obama continue to assist Vietnam in overcoming war consequences, especially dioxin decontamination and war-era bomb and mine clearance. He called on the US to completely lift its ban on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam, considering this an important measure to consolidate the political trust between the two countries. He suggested the US provide more aid to Vietnam in law enforcement at sea and technical support for the Vietnamese marine police. President Obama agreed with PM Nguyen Tan Dungs proposals and affirmed that he will instruct relevant US agencies to coordinate with Vietnam to seek solutions to the above-mentioned issues, in order to consolidate mutual trust and understanding while deepening the two countries comprehensive cooperative partnership./. Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten, , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei, , holidays in Turkey, , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas, This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Ansari Engineering Services (AES), one of Bahrains leading Grade A multi-disciplined engineering consultancies, has been awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality management system making it one of a handful of companies in the country to achieve this distinction. The certificate was presented at AESs Diplomatic Area head office by Bahrain-based Jafcon consultancy and AJA, provider of third-party management systems certification. Managing director Mohammed Al Ansari said: The certificate recognises that quality standards and procedures for all AES projects are being formally implemented to international standards and at a time when certification to ISO standards is increasingly becoming a requirement from various government bodies and major developers for their projects. The new ISO certification will further add to customer confidence that their project will be designed and managed to the highest possible standards, stated Ansari after receiving it in the presence of Faiza Hassan, the operations supervisor for AJA Europe and Dr Akbar Jaffari, the chief executive of Jafcon. AES prides itself on its ability to provide an integrated range of construction management solutions to its customers, spanning the full project life-cycle from conception through design and following work stages, to final completion of site works, handover and certification. As a result of its flexibility, AES has not only remained on a solid and steady growth path, but also seen to represent a one-stop shop for a growing number of private and public sector developers keen to explore new opportunities within the Bahrain market, remarked Mike Stanley, the business development manager. With the government laying more emphasis upon private-public partnerships (PPP) in the housing sector, AES has been at the forefront to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of social and affordable housing. It is currently acting as the design and supervising consultant on a PPP project being undertaken by Sharaka Development Company, which is building more than 2,800 homes for the Ministry of Housing (MoH). According to AES, this project is being undertaken across two locations Northern Town and Al Luwzi. Phased completion of the project starts in March 2016. With regard to the social housing project at Luwzi, AES is on track to achieve Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Neighbourhood Development (ND) certification. As part of that project, it has introduced a villa designed to be compliant with Estidama requirements, an environmental accreditation that is the first-of-its-kind outside of the UAE. In June 2015, AES was awarded supervision for a housing and associated infrastructure project directly by MoH on Island 14 West in Northern Town. That project is for 577 social housing villas and associated infrastructure, and the targeted completion for those two components is 14 months and 22 months respectively, said Stanley. Another significant project by the company is the five-star hotel development for Marriott at Bahrain Bay where AES is the architect and engineer of record, and working with an international group of French consultants including Group 6 and Setec. We recently completed the concept stage and are aiming for the detailed design to be concluded by mid-2016, added Stanley. Other projects under way include Gulf Hotels residential building in Juffair and an office building for the Electricity and Water Authority. And although AES is more focused on the Bahrain market, it does undertake projects outside the country for specific clients, said the top official. It carried out the detailed design of a 10.6 mgpd (million gallons per day) desalination plant located in Sur, Oman, which is being developed as a turnkey project by Sidem, a global desalination leader headquartered in France. According to Stanley, Sidem has utilised the engineering services of AES on a number of projects throughout the Gulf and is a repeat client of significant importance. In the marine sector, meanwhile, the company is also participating in a prestigious development being undertaken at Darari, southern Bahrain, for Manara Developments. This project encompasses more than 100 high-end villas and mixed-use apartments each featuring a small jetty on a canal development, explained Stanley. We also recently completed the design and supervision of a 66 kV substation being constructed in Dilmunia, which is another resort development, as part of a project spanning 1.26 sq km, he added. AES has developed a robust business model which, since early 2014, has enabled the company to improve its response to an increasingly challenging market environment. It has expanded its workforce from 70 to 100 personnel to cope with the current level of demand, and continues to improve its in-house capabilities, said Ansari. "We are currently expanding our infrastructure capabilities and are actively pursuing design and supervision of government and GCC-funded projects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Siemens, a global technology powerhouse, has announced that the first gas turbines for the Beni Suef power plant project in Egypt have been shipped. The two turbines for the Beni Suef power plant project, part of the largest order in the companys history, will be loaded onto a barge at the Berlin Westhafen port, from where they will be shipped to the Rotterdam seaport. Via the Port of Adabiya on the Red Sea the 890 tonnes cargo will then be transported to Beni Suef. By comparison, an empty Airbus A380 has a weight of 277 metric tonnes, said a statement from Siemens. The gas turbines are scheduled to be installed in the power plant in mid-May, it said. The two SGT5-8000H gas turbines will begin their three-month trip at Berlin Westhafen and will end it at the Beni Suef power plant project situated around 110 km south of Cairo, it added. The machines, which each measure 12.6 m long, 5.5 m high and 5.5 m wide, will be loaded into a barge with the aid of two cranes and first shipped to the Port of Rotterdam. In this seaport, the two gas turbines will be loaded onto the Wiebke heavy load carrier with the ships onboard cranes, further added the statement. The ship will travel from Rotterdam to the Mediterranean Sea across the Strait of Gibraltar. The cargo arrives at the destination port of Adabiya on the Red Sea, passing through the Suez Canal. A 40-axle trailer will transport the turbines the rest of the way, traveling the 250 km route along the Nile to Beni Suef in about five days. Directly after they arrive at the Beni Suef construction site, the gas turbines will be unloaded and installed in the power plants machine room. A total of eight SGT5-8000H gas turbines will be installed in the plant in several phases. The facility will be initially operated as a simple cycle gas-fired power plant. After its expansion into a combined cycle power plant with a total installed capacity of approximately 4.8 gigawatts (GW), Beni Suef will be able to supply around 21.6 million people with electricity. The plant will be the largest combined cycle plant in the world after it is completed. Willi Meixner, CEO of Siemens Power and Gas division, said: We expect the plant in Beni Suef to feed electricity into the Egyptian power grid as early as the winter of 2016/2017. Siemens is helping its Egyptian partner to build a powerful, reliable power supply system with proven power plant technology, he added. The H-class gas turbines from Berlin will play a key role in the planned expansion of Egypts power generation system. In total, 24 highly efficient turbines, 24 heat recovery steam generators, 12 steam turbines and 36 generators will be installed in the countrys three power plant projects. Siemens is not only supplying the key components for all three plants but is also supporting Egypt with logistics and the execution of this mega project. Siemens will build a total of three natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants with H-class technology and a total capacity of 14.4 GW in Egypt. In January 2016, Siemens broke several world records in the Lausward combined cycle power plant in Dusseldorf with its advanced H-class turbine. The plant achieved an efficiency of approximately 61.5 per cent and a record capacity of 603.8 megawatts, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Britain and France criticised Russia's role in Syria's war on Tuesday and said Moscow must stop the conflict rather than fuelling it, after missile strikes killed dozens of civilians on Monday. Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas of Syria on Monday, according to the UN, which called the attacks a blatant violation of international law. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed Russia for at least one of the missile strikes, when civilians and children were killed in a school and hospital in the town of Azaz, calling it an "obvious war crime". "The reported air strikes conducted on hospitals in northern Syria in recent days could amount to war crimes and must be investigated," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement. "I am appalled that the Assad regime and its Russian supporters are still bombing innocent civilians despite the agreement last Thursday to a cessation of hostilities ... Russia needs to explain itself, and show through its actions that it is committed to ending the conflict, rather than fuelling it." Russia, which has said it is targeting terrorist organisations and their allies, does not have a vessel in its Caspian Sea flotilla that is capable of hitting a hospital in Syria's Idlib governorate, a Defence Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. France's new Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who on Monday accused Syria's government and its backers of carrying out war crimes, told lawmakers that the immediate urgency was to protect civilians. "All bombings must stop. It's unacceptable that hospitals and schools are targeted. These acts are flagrant violations of international law," he said. Last week in Munich, international powers agreed to try to bring about a "cessation of hostilities" within a week, and US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of hitting legitimate opposition groups with its bombing campaign. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the accusations were "just not true". Ayrault said the Munich deal must be respected. "Of course, we talk to Russia, but we have demands and our demands today are for the respect of the commitments made in Munich. Russia, like other partners, agreed to end hostilities, end bombings and allow humanitarian aid. "It's not sentamentalism to say that there are millions of people that are under bombs who have no solution but to flee and become refugees."-Reuters US-based technology giant Raytheon Company will be conducting a week of cybersecurity events in the UAE as it partners with government leaders to help build the nations cyber defence expertise. Cybersecurity experts from government, academia and industry will gather for the Raytheon-sponsored UAE Security Forum on February 21 in Abu Dhabi. The forum, hosted by the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, will drive dialogue on building cyber expertise in the UAE. "Our partnership in the United Arab Emirates joins our larger effort to further aid allies of the United States to secure their cyber space by developing the next generation of cybersecurity experts and leaders," said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. Former US ambassador to the UAE Marcelle M. Wahba, president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said one of her organization's key strategies is "to bring together policymakers and experts from the United States and our Gulf partners to foster understanding and solutions to a myriad of complex problems and challenges." Given the increasing, global threats of cyber-crime and cyber-warfare, we understand the high importance placed by UAE leaders on establishing a world-class cyber defence capability," she added. Raytheon will also launch its Cyber Academy, a global initiative to help create the next generation of cybersecurity talent. The four-day workshop, which begins February 22 at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, will provide students with new skills and knowledge to secure cyber domains. Instructors from the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security at the University of Texas - San Antonio will be at Khalifa University to conduct the Raytheon workshop. The University of Texas - San Antonio is home of the top-rated cyber education program in the America. - TradeArabia News Service Kuwait is committed to an agreement between top exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze output provided other producers back it, Kuwait's acting Oil Minister Anas al-Saleh said. "Kuwait welcomes the Doha deal ... and confirms its commitment to what was agreed - to freeze production according to January 2016 levels - ... provided that the main producers from Opec and outside Opec are committed to it," he said in a statement. He said he hoped the agreement would provide a positive atmosphere to support oil prices and balance the oil market. Reuters Opec members travel to Iran today (February 17) to persuade the country to participate in a deal to freeze output levels, possibly by offering Tehran special terms. Dominant Opec power Saudi Arabia and non-Opec Russia, the world's top two producers and exporters, agreed on Tuesday to freeze production levels but said the deal was contingent on others joining in - a major sticking point with Iran absent from the talks and determined to raise production. Opec members Qatar, Venezuela and Kuwait said they were also ready to freeze output and oil sources in Iraq - the world's fastest-growing producer in the past year - said Baghdad would abide by a global deal aimed at tackling a growing oversupply and helping prices recover from their lowest in over a decade. On Wednesday, Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino and Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi will travel to Tehran for talks with their Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh. Opec member Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional arch rival, has pledged to steeply increase output in the coming months as it looks to regain market share lost after years of international sanctions, which were lifted in January following a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme. "Our situation is totally different to those countries that have been producing at high levels for the past few years," a senior source familiar with Iran's thinking told Reuters. Benchmark Brent oil prices fell 2 per cent on Tuesday to below $33 per barrel on concerns that Iran may reject the deal and that even if Tehran agreed it would not help ease the growing global glut. The fact that output from Saudi Arabia and Russia is near record highs complicates any agreement since Iran is producing at least 1 million barrels per day below its capacity and pre-sanctions levels. "It requires discussion and examination to be seen what has been their point," Iranian news agency Shana quoted Zanganeh as saying on Tuesday. "What is important is that, first, the market is oversupplied, and, second, that Iran will not overlook its quota," he added. The comments by Zanganeh revived memories of the last Opec meeting in December which ended without a decision after Zanganeh said he rejected any plan to curtail Iran's production before it rises to pre-sanction levels. However, two non-Iranian sources close to Opec discussions told Reuters that Iran may be offered special terms as part of the output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which technically could be anything from setting limited production increase levels for Iran to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. The last global deal - Opec and non-Opec - dates back to 2001 when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. Reuters Dubai has proposed to add as many as 50,000 seats a week to the current two-way capacity to India in efforts to expand air traffic with the subcontinent, said a report. According to the report in The Economic Times, the proposal is sure to be opposed by local and foreign airlines as they see it disproportionately benefiting the emirate's flag carrier at the cost of others. However, if the move goes through, carriers from both the countries will be able to fly up to 113,000 seats every week. Dubai's Emirates, the world's third largest carrier by number of passengers flown, would be the biggest beneficiary of the move. It already operates 183 weekly India-Dubai flights, compared with the combined number of just over 300 by India's four international airlines - Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet. The proposal comes even as the government is toying with the idea of auctioning traffic rights. Countries within 5,000 km of India, can bid for seats that are not utilised by Indian carriers. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al- Baker Monday criticised the proposal to auction seats, the report said. Local airlines are also opposing the plan, although an increase in seat capacity could help ease the problems faced by lakhs of Indians working in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE, especially during the holiday season in the Gulf when tariffs go sharply higher. The proposal from Dubai has come at a time when India and the UAE are pushing more than ever for closer ties, it said. It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the Registration Now Open For Largest Cemetery Race In The U.S.A. Celebrating Its 15th Year (TRAVPR.COM) USA - February 16th, 2016 - Save Our Cemeteries announced today that registration is now open for the 15th Annual A Run Through History, a 1-mile and 5K run/walk benefiting Save Our Cemeteries, which will be held on Sunday, April 17th, 2016 in Metairie Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70124 Touted as The Largest Cemetery Race in the U.S.A., the 1-mile and 5K courses lace through historic Metairie Cemetery, one of the most famous & historic cemeteries of the South. Established in 1872, the area was previously Metairie horse racetrack and is now a national landmark. The cemetery offers a picturesque tour of Louisianas history that includes the resting places of many past governors, mayors, military leaders and prominent men & women of the business, cultural, political and social life of New Orleans. We are excited to once again work with New Orleans Running Systems and Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemeteries this year to put on what will surely be our largest and most successful race in its 15 year history states Amanda Walker, Executive Director at Save Our Cemeteries. For more information and to register for the event, go to Save Our Cemeteries website at www.SaveOurCemeteries.org. About Save Our Cemeteries Save Our Cemeteries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in New Orleans, LA. Its mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the historic cemeteries of New Orleans through restoration, education, and advocacy. ### New leadership position created to enhance communication and productivity (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - February 16th, 2016 - Brunswick, Ohio KHM Travel Group is proud to announce the promotion of Lisa Morris to Vice President of Agent Operations. In this new role, Lisa will continue her current duties as Supplier Relations Director and also serve as a supervisor to the members of the Senior Leadership Team in various departments including Agent Support, Training, and Marketing. Since Lisa joined the KHM Travel Group team in 2009, she has been an integral part of nearly all the new programs and initiatives the company has launched. This includes the companys ever-growing co-op marketing program, in-house publication The Compass Magazine, and Compass Travel Academy, to name a few. In her role as Supplier Relations Director, she works daily with supplier representatives to find creative and innovative ways to promote their travel products to both travel agents and consumers. In addition to creating beneficial tools for travel agents and suppliers, Lisa has also provided insight and ideas toward the development of several programs to help foster a positive working environment for KHM Travel Groups 50+ team members. As Vice President of Agent Operations, Lisa will continue to utilize her talents in working with others and developing relationships, along with her vast knowledge of the travel industry, to serve as a leader and resource to several of the companys major departments. She will also work closely with Agency Director Burt Kramer to ensure his vision for KHM Travel Group and the companys 3700+ agents is implemented from an operational standpoint. "KHM Travel Group has experienced tremendous growth over the past year and with that we have seen a need to grow our executive team. Lisa Morris' past service with KHM Travel Group has been remarkable and I can't think of anyone more deserving of this promotion," said President and CEO Rick Zimmerman. Lisa began her travel career over 25 years ago after attending Southeastern Travel Academy in Florida. She became a travel agent and then worked as a travel and tourism instructor at a business college before joining the Royal Caribbean International team. Eventually Lisa took to the skies as a flight attendant, travelling to places across the globe including New Zealand, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris. After many years of travelling, Lisa settled back in Ohio to be near her family, where she continues her career with KHM Travel Group. For more information about KHM Travel Group, visit www.khmtravel.com. ABOUT KHM TRAVEL GROUP - KHM Travel Group is an award-winning host agency, currently supporting 3,700+ independent home-based travel agents across the United States. With an innovative training and support program, along with a dedicated staff of over 50 full-time employees, KHM Travel Group specializes in helping individuals sell travel products including cruises, vacation packages, tours, honeymoons, group travel and more. For more information, visit www.khmtravel.com. ### There's a loveliness to pared-down simplicity when we move out to live in nature. Henry David Thoreau praised this return to basics in the seminal Walden, as do many modern environmental thinkers advocating zero waste and living for experiences, not stuff. No wonder people are drawn to things like smaller homes that have a smaller impact, or to creative ways to living life. Wisconsin-based architect William Yudchitz of Revelations Architects/Builders and his son, Daniel, also an architect, designed this lovely modern cabin as an off-grid family getaway, located on the shores of Lake Superior. According to Dwell, father and son were both passionate about tiny living, but had a difficult time finding a place where they could build a smaller home: Finding lakeside land proved surprisingly daunting; many idyllic spots, such as Wisconsins Door County, have zoning ordinances with minimum size requirements larger than what the Yudchitzes planned to build. In September 2009, after seeing dozens of sites, they landed a 2.78-acre lot with water access on a wooded bluff overlooking Lake Superiors Chequamegon Bay for $52,500. Its 2.6 miles outside Bayfield, Wisconsin, population 530, and about a four-hour drive from each of their homes. This parcel of land was were they built E.D.G.E (Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment -- which Lloyd covered in a previous post), a 340-square-foot home, which is used by the family during winter months. It's located a mere 130 feet away from their latest collaboration, NEST, seen in the photos here, which is a simpler cabin that they use during the summer months. This parcel of land was were they built E.D.G.E (Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment -- which Lloyd covered in a previous post), a 340-square-foot home, which is used by the family during winter months. It's located a mere 130 feet away from their latest collaboration, NEST, seen in the photos here, which is a simpler cabin that they use during the summer months. The cabin measures 9 by 10 feet and 12 feet high, and is clad in a modern-looking black metal roofing with a Kynar coating. The side that faces the lake features glass patio doors, and large, operable wood-slatted doors that can swing out to create a protected porch, or swing in to close off the cabin when it's not inhabited. Above this porch is an observation deck to watch the night sky. There is rainwater collection system, filtered with sand, that feeds an outdoor shower. Inside, it's simple but seems comfortable; it can sleep a family of four. There's a simple composting toilet and a fold-up Murphy bed hidden away on one wall, and a folding dining table on another. A gymnasium-style ladder leads up to the 9 by 5-foot loft upstairs, and yet another ladder leads up to the roof observation deck. The awning-style windows open here for some natural ventilation. NEST is really a lovely, modern cabin that goes back to the basics. In all, Yudchitz estimates that NEST cost between $15,000 and $25,000, using materials salvaged from other projects in addition to newly purchased ones. Father and son built the structure on weekends over a period of about a year, and Yudchitz says that anyone can do it with their plans: We managed, and were not finish carpenters. The only tool we used that required any real skill was a miter box. The Murphy bed was the hardest thing in the place to make. More over at Dwell and Revelations Architects/Builders . Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service Hyderabad, February 17 Global technology giant, Apple Computer Inc will set up its technology development centre in Hyderabad. This would be the iPhone makers first innovation and technology development facility outside its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The American company is planning to invest $25 million in a phased manner to set up the centre, which is expected to be operational by June this year. It is likely to provide around 4,500 jobs. A team of top company executives is expected to visit Hyderabad soon to make the formal announcement. Apples entire Maps Division will be set up here to develop its own mapping systems, Telangana Information Technology Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said. The 2,50,000-sq ft centre will come up at Tishman Speyers WaveRock facility, built at a cost of around Rs 150 crore, the official said. Apple had applied for space at the notified SEZ which has been approved. The facility will come up at the citys IT hub Gachibowli which is also home to the offices of multinational and domestic IT and software development companies. A notified IT special economic zone, Waverock is spread over 1.5 million square feet. It was developed in two phases, in 2010 and 2014. Weve been investing to expand our operations in India and are thrilled to have passionate customers and a vibrant developer community across the country. We are looking forward to opening a new development office in Hyderabad that will be home to over 150 Apple employees supporting maps development. The office will also have space for many contractors who will support our ambitious efforts locally, Apple said. The development comes as a major boost to the state governments efforts to develop the city as a major international IT destination. Last year, Google Inc. had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up its own campus on a seven-acre plot handed over by the government. Besides, Amazon, IKEA and Flipkart have already selected the city to build their facilities. Google plans to open South Asias biggest campus and its only facility outside the US in Hyderabad in the next few years. Tribune News Service Rohtak, February 17 Jat protesters seeking reservation in government jobs intensified their stir on the fourth day in Rohtak. While the old blockades continued, they today blocked roads near Jat College, the Chhotu Ram Chowk and other key points in Rohtak. Jat students also protested in front of the MDU gate on the Delhi road. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained closed in the district. Petrol stations ran dry and the supply of milk, vegetables and LPG cylinders was also hit. Rohtak SSP Saurabh Singh said Rapid Action Force as well as BSF personnel arrived in Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat districts and blockades would soon be cleared. However, the blockades were not lifted till last reports came in. Residents of the town decried the inaction on part of the state authorities as well as the local police and the administration. People have been subjected to inconvenience for four days, but the government functionaries have failed to act against the persons responsible for the nightmare, said Dr Sandeep, who works at the local PGIMS. Some protesters owing allegiance to the union of other backward classes also took out a march opposing reservation for Jats. Apology sought from Saini Panipat: Jat protesters on Wednesday blocked roads at Naultha village, two places at Israna village and at Shahpur village on the Panipat-Rohtak route. Some of them criticised Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for opposing Jat reservation and demanded an apology from him. Now, Phogat khap rises against govt Bhiwani: The Phogat khap today blocked all roads leading to Charkhi Dadri, demanding that the Haryana Government issued a notification granting Jats the OBC status. Ramdass Phogat, pardhan of the khap, said reservation was a long battle and the community needed to fight it out strategically. I received an invitation for a meeting with CM Manohar Lal Khattar today. After consulting community members, I decided against attending the meeting, he said. The Satgama khap on Tuesday blocked the Dadri-Delhi road near the districts Imlota village. Sources said buses bound for Delhi and Gurgaon could not ply on the Rohtak-Delhi route for the second consecutive day. Mahesh Chander Sharma Sundernagar, February 17 The three-day Tshechu Fair commenced at Rewalsar yesterday. Lahaul-Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur and chairman of the National Schedule Tribes Commission inaugurated the fair. Tshechu are annual religious festivals held on the 10th day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place. Tshechus are religious festivals of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. Tshechus are large social gatherings. Large markets also congregate at the fair location, leading to a brisk business. The Thimphu Tshechu and Paro Tshechu are the biggest festivals. He said the fair held religious importance. Padmasambhava, the great scholar, visited Tibet and Bhutan in the 8th century and 9th century. He used to convert opponents of Buddhism by performing rites, reciting mantras and finally performing a dance of subjugation to conquer local spirits and gods. He visited Bhutan to aid the dying king Sindhu Raja. Padmasambhava performed a series of such dances in the Bumthang Valley to restore the health of the king. The grateful king helped spread Buddhism in Bhutan. Padmasambhava organised the first Tshechu in Bumthang, where the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava were presented through eight forms of dances. These became the Cham dances depicting the glory of Padmasambhava. Thakur said this year, it was a special occasion on account of Kumbh which was being celebrated after 12 years. Chairman of the mela committe Mandi SDM Madan Kumar said this year, the number of devotees was more, adding that all arrangements were in place to facilitate devotees. Famous Buddhist traditional dance Chamm Naritya was performed at Rewalsar today. Tribune News Service Jammu, February 17 A three-day-long mega international conference on Natural resource management: Ecological perspectives will begin at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Jammu from tomorrow. The conference is being organised by the Indian Ecological Society (IES), which was established in 1974. It will discuss and deliberate on the issues of natural resource management for sustainable development, especially in view of climate change and its impact on agricultural production to feed the ever-increasing population of eight billions. This was informed by the Director, Extension, SKUAST-Jammu, KS Risam, who is also the convenor of the conference, while talking to mediapersons here today. Risam said the delegates from Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Indonesia would participate in the conference. Besides, more than 500 delegates from different parts of the country were expected to take part. The luminaries from outside the country include Dr Birgit Wilhelm from Germany and Dr Vincent Tenebe, Vice Chancellor, Nigeria. Besides agriculture, authorities from medical sciences, Dr Randeep Guleria from AIIMS and Dr Chanda Siddoo-Atwal from Canada, will discuss the effects of climate change on health and pesticide causing cancer, respectively, Risam said. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State in PMO, would inaugurate the conference tomorrow, while Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, will be the chief guest at the valedictory function. Ankara, February 17 Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and other government buildings. The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the city. A government spokesman said 28 people had been killed and 61 wounded in the blast, which took place near a busy intersection less than 500 metres from parliament during the evening rush hour. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag described the attack as an act of terrorism and told parliament, which was in session when the blast occurred, that the car had exploded on a part of the street lined on both sides by military vehicles. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who had been due to leave for meetings in Brussels later on Wednesday, cancelled the trip, an official in his office said. President Tayyip Erdogan postponed a planned visit to Azerbaijan. A senior Turkish security source said initial signs indicated that Kurdish militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were responsible. Separate security sources in the mainly Kurdish southeast, however, said they believed Islamic State militants may have been behind the bombing. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. "I heard a huge explosion. There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away," a Reuters witness said. "We could immediately hear ambulance and police car sirens rushing to the scene." A health ministry official said the authorities were still trying to determine the number of dead and wounded, who had been taken to several hospitals in the area. Images on social media showed the charred wreckage of at least two buses and a car. The explosion, which came shortly after 6:30 pm (1630 GMT), sent a large plume of smoke above central Ankara. Reuters TAIPEI/WASHINGTON, February 17 China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system on one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and US officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as US President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region. Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major General David Lo said the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. A US defence official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles. China's foreign minister said reports by "certain Western media" should focus more on China's building of lighthouses to improve shipping safety in the region. "As for the limited and necessary self-defence facilities that China has built on islands and reefs we have people stationed on, this is consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law so there should be no question about it," Wang Yi said in Beijing. The Chinese defence ministry said defence facilities on "relevant islands and reefs" had been in place for many years, adding that the latest reports about missile deployment were nothing but "hype". China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its title. The US has said it would continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of the US Pacific Command, said the deployment of missiles to the Paracels would not be a surprise but would be a concern, and be contrary to China's pledge not to militarise the region. "We will conduct more complex freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea," Harris said. Reuters What images show Satellite images taken on Feb 14 show two batteries of eight surface- to-air HQ-9 missile launchers and a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea. The HQ-9 air defence system has a range of over 200 km. Rising tension Chinas increasing military presence in the disputed sea may effectively lead to a Beijing-controlled air defence zone, analysts say Significance of Woody Island Woody Island is largest in the Paracel archipelago, inhabited by at least 1,000 people, mostly soldiers, construction workers and fishermen In 1956, China established a permanent presence on the island, which it calls Yongxing In 2012, China established Sansha city local government office on the island to administer the whole South China Sea area The island is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam Making position clear China: This is an attempt by Western media to create news stories. All of those are actions that China has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to people Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister US: We need tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation and militarisation of disputed areas Barack Obama, US President Taiwan: Tensions are now higher in the South China Sea and all parties should work on peaceful solutions and self-control principles to find solutions for various problems Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan Prez-elect Vietnam: The PM wants the US to have a stronger voice and actions requesting termination of activities changing status quo, especially construction of artificial islands and ending militarisation Vietnam govt, on its website Male, February 17 A Maldives court has sentenced the leader of the Islamist opposition to 12 years in jail, convicting him on terrorism charges that stemmed from a speech he had made to protest the imprisonment of the islands first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed. Sheikh Imran Abdulla, the leader of Islamist Adhaalath Party, was sentenced late on Tuesday for an anti-government speech he made during a massive protests against Nasheeds arrest on May Day last year. Imrans lawyer Husnu Suood said it was the first terrorism conviction based on a speech in the history of the Maldives. We believe the judgment is grossly unfair because he has not called for violence in his speech. He clearly asked the participants at the rally to refrain from violence and had taken all steps to prevent violence, Suood told Reuters. The sentence comes days after Maldives President Abdulla Yameen called on the opposition parties to end a standoff with his own party amid rising international pressure. Adhaalath Party Spokesman Ali Zahir said the sentencing demonstrated the absence of good faith from the governments side in the inter party talks. Nasheed, who freed from jail last month to seek medical treatment in London, has called for sanctions against Yameen and his allies for detaining political prisoners, mainly opposition leaders. Political unrest in the archipelago has continued since Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in February 2012. He was then arrested and sentenced in March for ordering the abduction of a judge, following a rapid trial that drew international condemnation. Thousands took to the street for the May Day protest calling for the release of former president, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail after also being convicted on terrorism charges. Hundreds of his supporters were arrested in clashes with the police. Reuters Geneva, February 17 The World Health Organisation today released its initial response plan to the Zika virus outbreak, launching a funding appeal for the $56 million operation. The unprecedented outbreak of the virus, first discovered in Uganda in 1947, has become a global concern, with Zika now strongly suspected of causing two serious neurological disorders, microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. The UNs health agency said it needed $25 million to fund its own response plan, while an additional $31 million would support the work of key partners. The strategy focuses on mobilising and coordinating partners, experts and resources to help countries enhance surveillance of the Zika virus and disorders that could be linked to it, a WHO statement said. Other priorities are to control the populations of the mosquito species that carries Zika, as well as communicate risks, guidance and protection measures, provide medical care to those affected and fast-track research and development of vaccines, testing and treatment, the statement added. AFP Everyone knows that todays technicians need to know how to do much more than turn a wrench. With trucks turning into sophisticated equipment resembling computers on wheels, plus increasing emphasis on uptime, controlling costs, and safety and compliance, its an ever-more-demanding job. But what of the upper-level managers who are responsible for making sure the company has the right technicians in place, that theyre properly trained, that theyre operating at peak efficiency, and that the shop and the trucks are operating at the highest level of efficiency and safety? What does it take to be a successful modern maintenance manager and to be ready for what the future brings? People vs. equipment As a technician, you probably deal mostly with equipment. But as a manager, a big part of your job is dealing with people. In the early days of my career as a technician turned manager at a union shop in Cincinnati, Ohio, I learned quite quickly that I could not lead by force. Doing so just caused more pushback and more headaches, explains Randy Obermeyer. Hes terminal manager for Batesville (the casket manufacturer) in Batesville, Ind., which operates some 1,000 pieces of equipment from light-duty to Class 8. I discovered that managing technicians was like being married, and that it needed a give-and-take relationship. At the end of the day, they want the same things as I do to be heard, be needed, and appreciated. Batesvilles culture, he says, requires us to build an army of problem solvers. Instead of answering a question from an associate when they are facing a dilemma, we ask them what they think should be done. Making them think for themselves is crucial for their development and fulfilling a top item on the Pyramid of Needs, he explains, referring to Maslows hierarchy of needs, a well-known psychological theory of human motivation. Top items on that list include concepts such as esteem and self-actualization. At U.S. Xpress, a major truckload carrier based in Chattanooga, Tenn., Senior Vice President of Maintenance Gerry Mead says the companys entire management team is going through The 4 Disciplines of Execution, a goal-driven management program from the folks at FranklinCovey. The concepts extend into the maintenance shop as well. By allowing them to set goals and provide commitments as a group, they can feel part of a Wildly Important Goal [the term used in the 4 Disciplines program], and they can see the needle movement, Mead says. We have scoreboards posted and everyone can see if were winning or losing. Any time youre playing a game or involved in something and theres a score kept, you always want to know youre winning. People want to help move the needle. Training and education is an important part of the motivational equation. Training is an operating cost you cannot afford not to have, says Terry Clouser, who spent 27 years with UPS and has provided maintenance consulting to companies such as AAA Cooper and NFI. Lack of experience and lack of training will cost you more in hourly labor every day than the cost to properly train and educate a good technician. Clouser is now vice president of fleet services for Fleet Advantage, which offers truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle cost management. Mike McDonald, director of fleet maintenance at Don Hummer Trucking in Oxford, Iowa, says theres a difference between training and education. Too often we fall into the training mentality, where we show them what to do but theyre not taught the why, he says, whether its what data to enter for warranty filing or the proper steps to replace a component. For instance, he says, if you train a tech in 15 steps to do a task such as replace a clutch, they might skip a step if they dont really understand why it is needed. If you teach them the why behind every step in the process, that way they really understand the process and what theyre doing and they can identify with the importance of each step in the process. You want to educate them in the process, not train for the behavior. Technicians can easily find tools and equipment in Batesvilles shop, saving time and frustration. Photo: Batesville Mixing generations All this is particularly important as the modern maintenance manager adjusts to attributes typical of younger generations to better manage the expectations of the young people who it is so important to bring into your shop today. When asked how hard it is to find technicians with the needed skills for todays shop, Bruce Stockton says, There are no technicians to find. Stockton, vice president of fleet services at Kenan Advantage Group in North Canton, Ohio, says fleets today must develop their own technician base, training, educating, and investing in them. Identifying computer-savvy personnel who love equipment, enjoy the diagnostic challenge and know how to follow a process and exhibit patience in diagnostics are key attributes of finding the right techs, he says. Clouser agrees, observing that there are young people out there who get personal satisfaction in troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repairing problems. There are competitive people who like this type of work and cant sit in an office all day. These are the individuals we need to search out and attract to the industry. However, maintenance managers we spoke with commented that while these younger technicians may be whizzes with diagnostics and software, traditional maintenance may not be their thing. One way to address these generational differences is to have techs work in teams. Theres a difference between smart and wise, says Mike Delaney, president and CEO of WheelTime, a network of nearly 200 repair and maintenance shops in the U.S. and Canada. The increased use of technology and electronics to operate and maintain vehicle systems has led to advantages for multi-generational maintenance teams. On average, younger techs have a faster grasp of newer tools and online training systems for the new vehicles and technologies, while more experienced techs make great mentors and partners. In 2014, WheelTime launched Total Tech, a series of online training and certification modules using tools and focus inspired by the SuperTech competition put on annually by the American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council. WheelTime was one of the organizations that worked with TMC to develop the FutureTech national student technician competition. We believe there are advantages to having the different generations represented in our shops, says George Arrants, director of training and recruitment for WheelTime. Many companies, however, are stating they want to hire experienced techs, which could just be a short-term fix. Were finding that hiring a qualified entry-level tech from a quality program and most importantly allowing them to grow within the organization, is more cost-effective. To make all this work, however, its important for the modern maintenance manager to be able to communicate with and manage multiple generations. Kenans Stockton notes that younger technicians know, understand and trust the technology they need to use to diagnose and troubleshoot problems. Those training and managing younger techs have to have the same level of trust, he says, and not force the younger technician to shortcut the diagnostic phase and act as if they know more than the younger tech. Eric Peterson, vice president of maintenance at Burr Ridge, Ill.-based Dillon Transport, emphasizes the importance of communication and of understanding how to work with differing generations. Were getting a lot of kids out of schools that are very computer-literate, very willing to learn, but theyd rather communicate via text. They need that pat on the back more often than the mechanics of 20 years ago. One of the most important tools for a technician today is a computer, like this one in Dillon Transports shop. Photo: Dillon In the shop Part of managing your technicians is making sure they have the information, processes and tools they need to work efficiently, effectively, safely and comfortably. Vehicle lifts or pits can allow technicians to easily get underneath a vehicle instead of lying on their backs. Lighting, climate control, access to the proper tools, and just keeping up with the technology for the shop are also key. At the Erb Groups New Hamburg, Ontario, facility, a new worker-friendly shop was designed for optimum productivity, efficiency and safety. It includes some thoughtful and innovative features, including two extra rows of glass panels in the rollup doors on the east side of the shop that take advantage of the available sunlight. The shop lighting is all LED and the walls are painted white for better illumination. McDonald says the Don Hummer Trucking shop, about eight years old, is relatively new, and is kept extremely clean because its easier to turn trucks and trailers through faster. It has heated floors and over-width doors. All tech has door openers, which allows them to do a better job of keeping the heat inside during the winter and saves time because techs arent waiting for a door to open. After doing time studies and movement analysis, Hummer rearranged the parts room to make it more user-friendly, allowing for a quicker turn time on PMs and other routine maintenance. We always buy the latest equipment we can as far as computers, McDonald says. Our trailer shops got scissor lifts so we dont have anyone on a ladder for safety and for speed. Its much less expensive buying the new technology and tools than it would be dealing with a workers comp claim or hiring more people. Equipments cheap compared to more full-time employees, so we invest to make sure the employees we have are as efficient and effective as they can be. Training and education are vital to help technicians feel fulfilled in their jobs and to keep them up to date on new technology including alternative fuels, as in this Dillon Transport shop. Photo: Dillon Striving for efficiency Shop efficiency starts by knowing and understanding the personnel capabilities and skill levels, accompanied by having the right tools for the job, Stockton says. Secondly, measuring the efficiency and productivity of each individual mechanic and the shop as a whole will determine if the skill set and demand are balanced. Adding mechanics when the workload backs up has been a past practice that should be abandoned until you can accurately measure results and make data-driven decisions as to the level of work you can do in your own shop and which jobs should be outsourced. Companies such as WheelTime, Batesville and Don Hummer Trucking have done time studies to help remove wasted time and motion in technicians everyday work. Weve found that providing the techs with everything they need in their work area and limiting the length and number of times they move throughout the shop to acquire what they need to make a repair is critical, says WheelTimes Arrants. Obermeyer, who practices Lean principles of waste-reduction at Batesville (see sidebar, page 56), notes that one of those principles calls for everything having a place and having everything in its place. So, for instance, the location where the welder is supposed to be parked is indicated by a yellow mark painted on the floor that says welder. Thats where its expected to be when not in use, Obermeyer explains. That way the mechanic doesnt have to walk all over the building to find it. Jack stands, torque wrenches everyone knows where to find them, and theres less likelihood of tripping over tools left out in the aisles. Studies that look at how efficiently technicians are working help dictate where to place tools. Make sure you get your technicians involved in the process of determining what will make their shop a better place to work in and help them to do their jobs better. If you invest in a good person and reward them for their abilities, Clouser says, they will remain loyal to you. Future installments in this series will look at the use of data in the shop, safety and CSA compliance, and using Lean and other efficiency strategies in the shop. American Trucking Associations has hired Mike Joyce, a veteran of Capitol Hill and the trucking industry, as the groups senior vice president of legislative affairs. He is replacing Chris Spear who departed in October for a position with Hyundai. Spear, who joined ATA in 2013, took the SVP position only a year ago, moving up from vice president of legislative affairs. Prior to his new position, Joyce worked as director of government relations for Paccar. He also worked for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and several congressmen including Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), and Mac Collins (R-Ga.). Mike is well-known and respected in the halls of Congress and in our industry, said Bill Graves, ATA president and CEO, We are tremendously pleased that he will be part of the ATA family going forward. Joyce holds a bachelor of arts degree in business management with a political science minor from Gettysburg College. Much of the value of a membership of ATA comes from the advocacy efforts put forth by the staff in Washington, specifically on Capitol Hill, said Dave Osiecki, ATA executive vice president and chief of national advocacy. Mikes depth of knowledge and experience with the issues that impact trucking the most made him an obvious choice for us and will make him a valuable member of the advocacy team. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Feb. 13, prompting praise of his service and fond memories from state and national lawmakers as well as his colleagues, and argument about who will choose his successor. The Associated Press reports Scalia, 79, was found at a ranch in west Texas. He will lie in repose at the Great Hall of the Supreme Court on Feb. 19. Scalia was appointed as a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1982 and former President Ronald Reagan nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1986. On behalf of the Court and retired justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice Antonin Scalia has passed away. He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues, Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Maureen, and his family. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg described working with her colleague in a news release. We disagreed now and then, but when I wrote for the Court and received a Scalia dissent, the opinion ultimately released was notably better than my initial circulation. Justice Scalia nailed all the weak spots-the applesauce and argle bargle-and gave me just what I needed to strengthen the majority opinion, Ginsburg said in a statement. He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) praised Scalia. My heart is broken learning the news of Justice Scalias passing. He was the enduring legacy of the Reagan administration and the conservative standard for not only the Supreme Court, but the American judiciary. History will remember Scalia as a stalwart defender of the constitution and a brilliant legal mind, Inhofe said in a statement. He authored the majority opinion on countless rulings of the court, preserving and protecting our nations founding principles. His intellectual honesty, as well as his humor, will be greatly missed. Kay and I extend our prayers and thoughts to his family. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) also expressed his condolences. The loss of Justice Antonin Scalia is a tremendous loss for the Supreme Court and for America. He was a principled Constitutionalist that provided an excellent model for how a Supreme Court Justice should evaluate a case and interpret the original intent of the law, Lankford said. He lived a full life of many accomplishments, including success as a lawyer and scholar, as well as a devoted husband and father. No other Justice stood stronger for conservative principles and gave a more articulate defense for the Constitution. President Barack Obama remembered Scalia as an influential Justice in an address. Justice Scalia dedicated his life to the cornerstone of our democracy: the rule of law, Obama said in a statement. Tonight, we honor his extraordinary service to our nation and remember one of the towering legal figures of our time. Obama said he plans to nominate a successor in due time. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said in a statement that Scalia almost single-handedly revived an approach to constitutional interpretation that prioritized the text and original meaning of the Constitution. McConnell said the vacancy on the Court shouldnt be filled until the next president is in office. Ive just completed a vision quest trip to Thailand and Vietnam in which myself and a team spent two weeks in De Nang and Bangkok seeking Gods will for future ministries in those countries. God blessed in many ways during this time, but for me part of that blessing was time spent in Gods word and prayer seeking to find the way to live a life in the abundance that he promised. Most of that time was spent in the books of Romans and Galatians. In this article, Im going to share some of what I found. First I saw that far two many of Gods children have fallen into the same satanic trap that the Galatians had been caught up in. You simply cannot be a believer without accepting that salvation comes into our lives by the grace of God through faith which is not our own but the gift of God. But, once having received that grace, we strive to be made complete by works. John 6:63 tells us that there is no profit or benefit in operating in the flesh. Even good fleshly works does not profit us as God says in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteous acts are as vomit filled rags before him, and Im pretty sure thats not a good thing. There are two wonderful gifts given by God to his children. The first is the gift of his son as stated in John 3:16, and the second is the result of accepting the first gift and it is the spirit of his son in our hearts. The word used by and translated as adoption refers to the adoption of a mature son who has the full right to his entire inheritance. Thus, there is no scriptural basis for the concept of receiving the Spirit is some sort of stages. Every believer in Christ has the promise of the spirit in his or her life. According to Acts 2:33, this is the spirit of the exalted, glorified Christ and is the spirit of supernatural power. Gal. 3:3 says that it is foolish to think that after beginning this life with the spirit that we can somehow make it complete by the flesh. To operate in the flesh is to operate in unbelief. The flesh, or works, cant save you and cant help you become the mature believer that Christ desires you to become. We are saved by grace and we are maintained by grace. Grace is always accessed by faith. This faith brought grace is the supernatural force that enables us to enjoy the abundant life which Christ came into this world to make possible. It is an abundant life because it is a stress-free life. It is a life where in we access power that is beyond anything this world knows. It isnt an absence of conflict and trials, but rather it is assurance in the midst of the storms of this world. It is a certainly that God is in control and will bring about wonderful things no matter what obstacles Satan places in our path. Once we realize that the secret to such spirit-filled lives is simply trusting in Christ for everything, and in the midst of anything, is when we walk in abundance. Next time: Well look at the practical side of such faith. Supreme Court Justice Howard Stern. If its possible to have President Donald Trump, why couldnt the self-proclaimed king-of-all-media be among the elite arbiters of law? It makes about as much sense to me. The U.S. Constitution is silent on qualifications to be named to the high court. The president nominates a person, and the Senate then confirms with a simple majority. There is no job description. The outrageous radio host would add diversity to the bench. Hed be the only non-lawyer the ultimate outsider, which apparently is what voters want. The court could use a perspective not rooted in the knowledge of law. The late Justice Antonin Scalia was known for his blistering retorts, scathing statements, brash demeanor and relish of a good argument. Stern does all those things. A bonus would be possibly getting cameras in the courtroom finally. It would be nice for someone to pull the staid institution into the 21st century. Stern has experience as a judge on Americas Got Talent, becoming the level-headed moderate one on the panel. Thats more than law professors immersed in the theory of the legal system. The Supreme Court does what it wants, anyway, so why not Stern? Mixed legacies: Not having a law degree might trip up Stern in the Senate hearings. But its not without precedent to have justices sans juris doctorate. Justices Stanley Forman Reed and Robert H. Jackson were the last to leave the Supreme Court without law degrees. Reed served from 1938 to 1957 and was considered a moderate. Jackson, who was a prosecutor of Nazi leaders at the Nuremberg Trials, held his seat from 1941 to 1954. Both attended law school for a year or two, but never finished. Both left solid, respected legacies. Not all Supreme Court justices turn out to be great, even with the spectacle of Senate hearings and law degrees. A notoriously hate-filled figure was Justice James Clark McReynolds (serving from 1914 to 1941), who was described by Time magazine as a savagely sarcastic, incredibly reactionary Puritan anti-Semite. He forbid Jews, drinkers, blacks, women, smokers, married or engaged individuals to be his law clerks. He refused to speak to Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish person on the court, and would leave the bench when a woman rose to present a case. Its been reported that McReynolds died alone with no friends or family nearby, and no Supreme Court justices attended his funeral. Thank you, karma. Theres Chief Justice Roger Taney, who wrote the pro-slavery opinion for Dred Scott v. Sandford that proclaimed African-Americans were not citizens of the country. He also referred to the abolitionist movement as Northern aggression. Justice Samuel Chase is the only person to be impeached from the court, for acting as prosecutor rather than judge. President Thomas Jefferson led the charge of impeachment with help from Congress. The worst that might happen with Justice Stern is someone occasionally yelling Baba Booey from the room like its 1999. Perfect for today: The idea of a Justice Stern isnt new. Its been mentioned by Stern a few times, especially after Trump called during the Aug. 25 show (on Sirius/XM) after the radio host predicted the billionaire would become the Republican nominee. Stern asked the GOP presidential candidate about being named a Supreme Court justice, noting he is a judge on TV. Trump didnt dismiss it: People dont know the real Howard. Howard is a much different person than people understand. Hes the warmest, nicest guy. When Sterns co-host asked again about a Stern Supreme Court appointment, Trumps response: Well, Ill tell you what, in terms of brainpower, hes right at the top. Not exactly a promise of a trip to the Senate for a confirmation hearing, but enough to give the ever-entertaining Stern a reason to stump for Trump. Before Stern fans and Im one of them get riled, recognize he is a brilliant satirist. Its why he has the most telling and provocative interviews and operates on two Sirius channels. Its a fun thought, but clearly a fantasy out of right field. Perfect for todays politics. While the Okmulgee police chief confirmed just after 10 p.m. Friday that the remains were those of four men, he could not confirm that they were the bodies of the four local men who had been missing since Sunday. SPAVINAW A tiny rural school is going against the grain of other rural school districts across the state by voting to consolidate with larger districts in Delaware and Mayes counties. I am not for consolidation, said Spavinaw Superintendent Christine Midgley, referring to legislation thats making its way through the Oklahoma Legislature. But its in the best interest for our children. A special election will be held June 28 to approve the consolidation resolution that was passed unanimously Feb. 10 by the three-member Spavinaw school board. If the plan is approved, Midgley said, the students will transfer to Jay, Salina and Adair schools. Midgley acknowledges that she is in the minority of small-school administrators on the school-consolidation issue. A bill by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, was defeated by an 8-3 vote in a House committee Monday after hundreds of Oklahomans swarmed the Capitol to speak against the bill. The measure would have required the consolidation of underperforming dependent school districts with the independent districts that receive their students for high school. It would have reduced administrative expenses and brought more resources to classrooms, Denney said. The bill was considered a funding equalization bill and would have affected 27 districts, mostly in rural areas. Several other school-consolidation bills are still alive in the Legislature. At the heart of the Spavinaw school boards decision to consolidate are the 71 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, she said. We have teachers trying to teach multi-grades in one room, she said. It is an impossible task, and it is not good for the students, Midgley said. One teacher has the kindergarten and first grade in one classroom; another teacher has the second, third and fourth grades in one classroom, Midgley said. In my opinion, we are not doing what is best for the students. The school has 5 faculty positions and eight support staff members. Midgley functions as superintendent, principal, librarian and math teacher. We all wear many hats, Midgley said. Our custodian is also the schools technical director. The school does not offer art, music, foreign language or computer classes, she said. Spavinaw had an F on the 2014-15 school report card from the state and is considered an underperforming school. Another reason for consolidation is declining enrollment. The school had 87 students in 2012. By this month, it had fallen to 71, Midgley said. She said the Jay, Salina, and Adair school boards would have to pass resolutions to accept the students. Spavinaw is 70 miles northeast of Tulsa in Mayes County. The town had a population of 410 in the 2010 Census. Everyone is sad about it, Midgley said of the Spavinaw consolidation plan. Everyone understands; we just dont like it. The Tulsa school board unanimously approved three consulting contracts Tuesday evening that could be worth up to $1.2 million. The largest contract not to exceed $920,000 is with Boston Consulting Group, a firm that officials say will help the district take its new five-year strategic plan from a vision into reality. The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is funding the contract. School board President Lana Turner-Addison offered extensive comments in support of the contract before the vote was taken. She said all board members had received feedback from concerned constituents and that she sought to dispel some misconceptions that have been circulated about the contract. She said some community members have the feeling that we are being led by external philanthropic members. Turner-Addison, who has said previously that she doesnt think the district always does a good job vetting donor-funded projects, said that is not true in this instance. This particiular item has been vetted and thoroughly discussed, she said. Turner-Addison said the BCG consultants are needed so that district staff members can continue with their core responsibilities. The desire for us is to see the Destination Excellence strategic plan initiatives adopted and implemented in a short time frame, she said. A few members of the public signed up to talk about the contract, both in support of and in opposition to it. Greg Jennings, a Tulsa Public Schools parent, said he researched the BCG firm and some of the recommendations it made to other school districts. A lot of what I see I dont particularly like, Jennings said. Among the things listed in the firms policy briefs, he said, are recommendations to end last-hired-first-fired practices, remove class-size mandates and limit the length of time students can be identified as English language learners. None of those things are anything that I want to see in our district, he said. TPS Chief of Staff Paula Shannon said: Boston Consulting Group is not conducting an evaluation of TPS, nor are they recreating or rewriting our strategic plan, Destination Excellence. They are helping us implement our plan as effectively and efficiently as possible. BCGs work with the Tulsa district will include developing a sequence of priorities; identifying people and resources to accomplish the strategic plan; creating detailed action plans that are ready for implementation; and developing and implementing a structure, process, and tools and skills that will be needed, as well as a way to annually evaluate priorities. The firm will also help the district design a communication and stakeholder engagement plan to keep board members and the community up to date on priorities and progress. Superintendent Deborah Gist said: A group coming in does not bring their plans to this board. This board is the elected body that Tulsa has chosen to lead education. And the plan that we will be executing is the plan that we developed together. A group of three to five people from BCG will be at the Education Service Center four to five days a week throughout the course of the contract, which is expected to last through early summer, officials said. The district settled on BCG after a multiweek selection process. Four firms that responded to the request for proposals were brought in for interviews before officials chose BCG, Shannon said. The firm, which was founded in the 1960s, has had a dedicated education team for more than a decade, Shannon said. It worked extensively with Atlanta Public Schools during its school turnaround process, as well as with schools in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Shelby County, Tenn. Other contracts: The other contracts approved Tuesday include one with an expert in special education services and one that would help the district improve discipline and student support services. Both contracts will last about 18 months and will come up for extension at the start of the new fiscal year. They will be funded with donor money. The contract with Kimberly Lewis, the special education expert, will not exceed $175,000. The contract with Tisha Edwards of Visionary Solutions for discipline practices will not exceed $113,400. Looks like Media Watch has its next story contender: Catalyst. Tuesdays report entitled WiFried linked brain cancer to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields with US doctor, Devra Davis saying: Every single well-designed study ever conducted finds an increased risk of brain cancer with the heaviest users, and the range of the risk is between 50% to eightfold. Thats a fact. But local experts have strongly disagreed with claims made on the show. Professor Rodney Croft, director of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australias Centre for Research Excellence in Electromagnetic Energy, told News Corp, I was particularly disappointed to see Wi-Fried air yesterday in the guise of science journalism, and felt it important to reassure other viewers that the fringe position provided by Dr Davis and associates is merely that, a fringe position that is not supported by science,. There is very strong scientific consensus that, even after considering such personal views as Dr Davis, there is no substantiated evidence that the low levels of radio-frequency emissions encountered by mobile telecommunications can cause any harm. Of course it is impossible for science to demonstrate that anything is absolutely safe, and so regardless of whether were talking about Wi-Fi or orange juice, science cannot demonstrate absolute safety. However, given that radio-frequency emissions are one of the most heavily researched agents that science has ever assessed, and given that (contrary to Catalysts claims) no substantiated health effects have emerged, we can be very confident that the emissions are indeed safe. Public health professor Simon Chapman also told Guardian Australia there was no evidence of any increase in the rate of brain cancer among Australians per 100,000 in the population between 1982 and today. All cancer in Australia is compulsorily reported, its a notifiable disease, so we have extremely good data about the incidence of cancer in Australia, he said. For brain cancer, the incidence per 100,000 flatlines for men and women throughout the whole time from 1982 to today, in spite of millions of people using cellphones and being exposed to Wi-Fi for a large number of years. This is not the first time Catalyst have aired a questionable episode, and there really needs to be a review of their editorial process, he said. Guests this week on The Graham Norton Show include Tina Fey, Kurt Russell, Josh Widdicombe and Sia. The Graham Norton Show is back for another week of celebrity chat as Graham welcomes a fresh batch of high profile guests to the famous red couch. This week features the multi-talented Tina Fey. An actress, writer and comedian, Tina will be chatting about her starring and producing role in the new comedy film Sisters. Joining Tina will be Hollywood actor Kurt Russell to talk about his new Western movie The Hateful Eight. Plus Australias own musical talent Sia will be in studio to perform. 8:30pm Friday on TEN. 11:13 a.m., Feb. 17, 2016--Ag Day, an annual tradition of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at the University of Delaware, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 30. The theme of Ag Day 2016 is SustainAGbility: Doing What Nature Would Do. Members of the campus community and the surrounding community are encouraged to join the college for a day filled with music, exhibitors, great food and fun on UDs South Campus. Celebrating all that the college has to offer, visitors can experience everything from bird shows to bee demonstrations, livestock exhibits, 4-H arts and crafts, farm tours, plant sales, and much more. At this years Ag Day, the UDairy Creamery will also be celebrating its fifth birthday. The event will be held at CANRs Townsend Hall, located at 531 South College Avenue in Newark. Both admission and parking are free and the event is open to the public. The Food Bank of Delaware will also be on hand accepting donations of non-perishable food items. Ag Day is family friendly, however, for the safety of the live animal demonstrations, organizers ask that all pets be left at home. Registration for exhibitors and vendors is now open and runs until March 21. Registration is available on the Ag Day website. The website also features additional information, announcements, and schedules, and will be updated as the event approaches. 8:20 a.m., Feb. 17, 2016--All University of Delaware students are invited to the Kristol Center for Jewish Life on Friday evening, Feb. 19, for an interfaith Shabbat and service. This interfaith program is in dedication to Avi Schaefer, an undergraduate student at Brown University who dedicated his time overseas and at home advocating for peace in the Middle East. A little over six years ago, Schaefer was tragically struck and killed by a drunk driver while walking near campus. He left an indelible mark on the world and on the lives of those that knew him and were inspired by his legacy, according to Jonathan Falco, Hillel engagement association, who said the Friday event is to carry on his memory as well as the work that he began and that we welcome our interfaith friends on campus to join us in this effort. The Avi Schaefer Fund, which was created promote the ideals and dreams that inspired Schaefer throughout his life, supports this Avi Shabbat program, an annual event in cooperation with Hillels across North America to bring together students on campus for a communal meal and a shared conversation to foster interfaith understanding and cross-cultural encounters. More information about the Avi Schaefer Fund can be found here. Services begin at 6 p.m. and dinner begins at 7 p.m. Friday. Those who plan to attend can come to both the service and dinner, or just the dinner. They are asked to RSVP through the Facebook event page. The Kristol Center for Jewish Life is located at 47 West Delaware Avenue, across the street from the Trabant University Center. Those with questions can contact Jonathan Falco for more information. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Estonian state-owned company Nordic Aviation has announced the opening of flight service on the Tallinn-Odesa route starting from May 28. Avianews site has reported. Flights from Odesa to Tallinn, Estonia, begin service on 28 May. The flights will be operated by the Slovenian airline Adria Airways once a week on Saturdays effective from 28 May to 29 October, and the second flight operated on Wednesdays will be added in the period from 22 June to 24 August. Flight time will last for about two hours. Round trip airfare from Odesa to Tallinn will cost about UAH 7,000 including charges and baggage fee. Nordic Aviation acts currently as sole organizer of flights. In fact, Adria Airways operates flights using its certificate. Finland fully supports territorial integrity of Ukraine and calls on Kyiv to carry out efficient reforms to combat corruption, Foreign Minister of Finland Timo Soini has said. In these difficult times you have our full support regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty of your country, the foreign minister of Finland said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday. Speaking about Ukraine, Soini noted the cooperation in the sphere of regenerative energy and construction of schools in Kherson region with financial support from Finland. "I would like to take this opportunity to call on Ukraine to efficiently implement reforms, in particular, I would like underscore the fight against corruption, where reforms are painful, but necessary for the country, he said. "Democratic, stable and prosperous Ukraine is important not only for you, but also for us in Finland. We are ready to deepen cooperation for mutual benefit, Soini stressed. iy Members of the Trilateral Contact Group to settle the situation in eastern Ukraine have finished their meeting in Minsk. A meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group to settle the situation in eastern Ukraine has been completed in Minsk, the Foreign Ministry of Belarus posted a relevant report on Twitter. According to the report, the talks were held behind closed doors. The talks to settle the situation in eastern Ukraine are held in Minsk behind closed doors. No press conference is planned, the Foreign Ministry of Belarus reported. Coordinators of working groups of the Trilateral Contact Group met in Minsk, then representatives of some districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions joined them. iy Luis Borrero joins UTSA as Assistant VP for Facilities Maintenance and Operations Luis A. Borrero Share this Story (Feb. 16, 2016) -- Luis A. Borrero has joined the UTSA Office of Facilities as assistant vice president for Facilities Maintenance and Operations. In this role, Borrero will assure that UTSA Facilities teams continue to provide timely and cost-effective services to ensure effective delivery of facility renovations, operations and maintenance for campus-based facilities and projects. Borrero was selected for his extensive expertise in leading facilities operations and maintenance support to large organizations in the private and public sectors. He also brings experience in higher education, where he served as the director of Facilities Maintenance at the University of Notre Dame. Most recently, Borrero was the assistant director of Building and Equipment Services (BES) for the City of San Antonio, where he provided direction and oversight for the operation and maintenance of more than 160 city buildings, including repairs and custodial services. The BES is also responsible for the Citys vehicle and equipment fleet, including acquisition, repair and maintenance. With a M.S. degree in Industrial Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, Borrero is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas who brings more than 30 years of experience in Facilities operations to UTSA. ------------------------------- Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and UTSA Today. UW Religion Today: Religions, Evangelism and Government Support By Paul V.M. Flesher Protestantism has long emphasized evangelization, the bringing of new people to Christianity. This has been particularly true for America, where early settlers, such as Roger Williams, launched numerous missions to the natives. The 19th century saw the great American missionary movements in which Americans sent thousands of their compatriots to evangelize the Africans, the Polynesians and the citizens of many other countries. It continues today in evangelical Christianitys encouraging of its followers to witness to those around them and bring them to know Jesus as their personal savior. The model for these activities is the early church, Protestants have often said, which grew through the evangelizing preaching of Paul, Peter and hundreds of early Christians. The Protestant emphasis on the personal evangelistic activities of individuals, whether one-on-one or in larger revival meetings, causes us to overlook the other way Christianity has grown, namely, through government support of the church. This can be seen most readily in the British Empire of the 19th and 20th centuries. The British conquerors were always accompanied by the Church of England (the Anglican Church), which established schools, hospitals and health centers for the natives and, through them, spread the word of Christianity. While conversion was never required, those who did convert found that they gained preferential treatment, including jobs, from the imperial administration. Today, the worldwide Anglican Church has churches in more countries than any other Protestant denomination. While missionary labors are important, the most effective missionary work is to convert a political leader, such as a king. When the King of Tonga converted to Mormonism a couple of decades ago, a large number of his subjects converted as well. Today, perhaps 40 percent of Tongas population is Mormon. A similar thing happened at the dawn of Christianity. The period of the early church is often thought to end when Emperor Constantine began favoring the Christians in A.D. 311. In subsequent years, he sponsored the church; gave enormous funds to help organize it administratively; and encouraged the formation and adoption of its official doctrine. He established bishops as key players in his court and set the stage for the Roman Empires adoption of Christianity as its official religion and its ultimate ban on paganism in later decades. A century later, nearly the entire empire had become Christian, from the southern Mediterranean shores as far north as the empire reached into Europe, including parts of France, Germany and England. It is not only Christianity that has spread through the combination of government and religion, but other religions that encourage conversion, such as Islam and Buddhism. In Islam, the alliance between government and religion began with the Prophet Muhammad (died A.D. 632) who, in the last decade of his life, became the governor of a region around a city in Arabia now known as Medina. After his death, rebellion among some of his followers forced his successors to enforce a combination of political and religious allegiance. This led to the religious and military sweep of Islam across the Middle East and North Africa, ultimately traveling as far west as Spain. Buddhism was a moderately successful religion in India during the centuries following Buddhas death in 483 B.C. But, it was only with the conversion of Emperor Ashoka, who reigned from 273-232 B.C., that Buddhism gained a significant following. Similarly, it was Buddhisms support by the Thai dynasty that made it into the official religion of Thailand. In China, after centuries of low-level acceptance, Buddhism became widespread through the support of the Tang dynasty in the early ninth century. Buddhisms dominance in Tibet, prior to the Chinese invasion of 1959, came from the dual role played by the Dalai Lama, namely, as the religious head of Tibetan Buddhism and the head of the temporal state. So, although personal evangelism is important to religions of conversion, often the most effective conversion strategy is to convert a single person, i.e., a national ruler, to the religion. That ruler then uses the administrative powers of his or her government to promote the religion, resulting in the conversion of many members of the society to that religion. Flesher is a professor in the University of Wyomings Religious Studies Department. Past columns and more information about the program can be found on the Web at www.uwyo.edu/RelStds. To comment on this column, visit http://religion-today.blogspot.com. Uzbek Journeys specialized in small group tours to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, focused on the region's remarkable historical, cultural and architectural legacy. This website is now a repository of articles about Uzbek and Kyrgyz arts, history and society, with occasional nods to other Central Asian and Caucasus countries. From June 2021 this website is no longer updated. Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons Ltd., Ratan Tata's latest investment is a retail-tech start up, Snapbizz, at an undisclosed amount. Snapbizz Cloudtech Pvt. Ltd. is a digital revolution in India's kirana stores. It develops technology for grocery stores and works in collaboration with more than a thousand kirana stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Snapbizz is Tata's eighth investment this year after DogSpot.in, Tracxn, CashKaro, FirstCry, Teabox, Moglix and Invictus Technology. Tata has invested in more than 25 start-ups in the last two years including Snapdeal (Jasper Infotech Pvt. Ltd), Ola (ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd), Paytm (One97 Communications Ltd) and Zivame (Actoserba Active Wholesale Pvt. Ltd). Last month, the Bengaluru based company, Snapbizz, had announced a Series A funding of $7.2 million for expansion of its business into smaller cities. The funding was led by Jungle Ventures, Taurus Value creation, Blume Ventures and Konly Venture, as reported by Times Of India. Prem Kumar, the CEO and founder of Snapbizz is more than happy to have Tata, the most renowned names of corporate India, as the investor. "This reflects in his investment in SnapBizz as we have begun a humble journey of reverse marginalisation of SMB's and driving digital inclusion in the large consumer goods industry" said Kumar, according to First Post. "A visionary of Tata's stature showing confidence in SnapBizz is certainly a big boost for our business idea and will continue to accelerate the digital revolution in India's kirana stores. Brands are also seeing this an opportunity to partner with us in order to be a well wisher of the retailers and get the share of mind of the retailer to appropriate the positioning as the company that cares for the retailers," added Kumar. Snapbizz aspires to modernize the small-scale retail sector of India. It aims to face-lift the grocery stores and gives them a competitive advantage by transforming them into "Virtual Super Markets". The Bengaluru based company provides the local grocery stores an Android-based, cloud connected business platform in the form of a barcode scanner, printer, tablet and a consumer -facing LED display. The technology facilitates the vendors to manage their inventory, billing and customer commitment, according to Live Mint. The Snapbizz solutions are simple and easy to use. They enable retailers to draw extra income by creating virtual shelf space and connect to its customers both in-store and out of store. The company is looking forward to expanding its regime to other 1 tier and 2 tier cities, across India. Sumitomo Metal Mining, a Japan-based mining firm, has decided to acquire Freeport-McMoRan's interest in Morenci joint venture. Freeport-McMoRan has signed a definitive deal with Sumitomo in order to sell its 13% interest in Morenci for $1 billion in an all-cash offer. Currently, the US miner owns 85% interest in Morenci unincorporated, while Sumitomo Metal Mining Arizona (SMMAz) has 15% interest in the joint venture. Upon completion of the deal, Freeport-McMoRan will own 72%, SMMAz will hold 15% and a subsidiary of SMM will own the rest 13% in the joint venture. The company expects the acquisition, which depends on regular closing condition and other regulatory approvals, to end in the middle of 2016. Freeport-McMoRan intends to utilize the transaction proceeds to repay its bank loans as well as a revolving credit facility. In addition, the US-based miner anticipates posting a gain of about $550 million on the acquisition deal. The company expects to operate losses to balance the cash taxes related to the deal. In 2015, revenues from the company's 85% share in Morenci joint venture amounted to $2.2 billion, while the delivery and production expenses totalled $1.5 billion. Freeport's 85% share of total recoverable reserves amounted to 12 billion pounds of copper during the period of December 31, 2015. The company's 2015 production from its 85% share in Morenci joint venture totalled around 900 million pounds of copper. Sumitomo Corp, a member of the Sumitomo group, said that it will be partnering with the subsidiaries of Seibu Holdings to track the "Tokorozawa Station East Side Building Plan" in the location near Seibu's Saitama Prefecture. Nearly 96,000 people use this Tokorozawa station on a daily basis. The Tokorozawa location is expected to have many developments both in the residential and commercial environment. The goal of the plan is to provide commercial amenities to Tokorozawa station's users and to offer the high quality lifestyle to the residents of Tokorozawa location. The plan involves two phases, the Phase 1 is focused on the improvements of business storefronts and Phase 2 is focused on the fixing of fresh ticket gates within the Tokorozawa station as well as on the growth of commercial storefronts. Sumitomo Metal Mining in its 2015 business plan statement said that its long-term goal is to become a global leader in the non-Ferrous metals market. Sumitomo Metal also noted that it aim to achieve its long-term net sales target of yen 1 trillion and net income, recurring profit, of yen 100 billion. The Japan-based firm said that it will work hard to accomplish its goal in the long run. Freeport-McMoRan has partnered with a well-organised firm of Japan, which core business includes mining, construction, transportation, chemicals and energy. The acquisition will enable the US miner to repay its debt and improve its balance sheet. India is continually being pressured by the current weak economic condition as the country suffer yet another decrease in export demand for its 14th consecutive months. According to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India's export fell by 13.6 percent on January compared to the same month last year. The decline marks its 14 consecutive drops putting more pressure on the country's economy. However, the Reserve Bank of India determined not to follow its counterpart like China and devaluing its currency as India is still confident with their economic condition. The Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan told audience during a conference that "I personally feel sustained devaluation is neither feasible nor a good strategy." The decision is supported by an economist from ICRA, Aditi Nayar as quoted by Reuters to be saying that the country's poor economic is "because of the adverse impact of currency movements." According to the data compiled by the Times of India, the export fall is mainly due to the poor performance in textiles and engineering related products. The county is currently facing fierce competition with Bangladesh and Vietnam for the textiles industry. Besides falling export value, the country's policymaker might soon face more challenge since its import also declines by 11.01 percent to $28.71 billion causing a trade deficit for India worth around $7.63 billion. Currently, India's gems and jewelry rose by 4 percent to $3 billion and with 81 percent jump in gold imports as more people is looking into gold investment is also helping the country to not devalue its currency. The chairman of Engineering Export Promotion Council of India, TS Bhasin disagrees with the Reserve Bank of India's plan. He told the Economic Times that one of the main reason behind low export value is due to the overvaluation of Rupee. He also added that if India's economic continues at the current trend, lots of SMEs will not be able to cope and could soon start letting go workers increasing the rate of unemployment. Currently, the engineering exports alone fell by 27 percent in January with most of the products are related to the oil and gas sector. However, a sight of optimism was expressed by India's Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley as he is about to deliver the annual budget by the end of this month. Although the export and import business will slowly decline, India is still expected to be able to grow by 7.6 percent before the end of this financial year. China is planning more budget to infrastructure projects all across the country. The country's central planning agency is preparing $61.4 billion for the purpose in this quarter. National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the central planning agency is preparing 400 billion yuan ($61 billion) budget this quarter for local authorities. The budget will be used to finance the infrastructure project and trigger investment growth. However, Chinese central government have not officially announced the plan yet. Reuters reported that NDRC said on Sunday that China will speed up the launch of large-scale, strategic construction projects this year. The central government also aim to give more accountability for investment to local governments. According to NDRC, China needed to find the best combination of reforms to maintain stable growth. That includes making structural adjustments to the country's economy and boost domestic demand. Earlier NDRC targets the China's economic growth to stay at 6.5% to 7%. As the country's economic growth decelerated to 6.9% last year, the lowest in 25 years. "This year, we are fixing the economic growth target at 6.5 to 7%, and I believe we have the capability to achieve it," said Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the NDRC said at a media briefing as quoted by Market Watch. Xu Shaoshi is also the member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China as a group secretary. Prior to lead NDRC, Xu was a Minister of Land and Resources from 2007 to 2013, and also general supervisor of the land development. In March 2013 he was appointed chief of the NDRC succeeding Zhang Ping. NDRC determined to stabilize China's economy after a year of slowdown by preparing higher budet on infrastructure project. The commission also plan to decentralize the disbursement of budget to local governments. Head of of China economics at Hong Kong-based Macquarie Securities Ltd. Larry Hu told Bloomberg, "Infrastructure spending should be the key growth buffer so I would not be surprised to see more like this also for things like highways, railways, pipelines." He also explained the ratio of spending and growth, "To achieve growth of 6.5 to 7 percent, investment has to grow 15 percent at least." NDRC was founded in 2003 as a macroeconomic management agency for Chinese State Council. The council has fifteen main functions, one of which is directing, promoting and coordinating the restructuring of economic system. It also leads twenty-six functional departments to support the commission achieving its target. The country's central planning commission will prepare a big budget of 400 billion yuan ($61.4 billion) in this quarter to build infrastructure projects. NDRC aims to maintain the economic growth at 7%. Anglo American Plc has reported a pre-tax loss of $5.5 billion (3.8bln) for 2015 year. The slump in commodities market and booking down of write-downs further widened the losses. Anglo American is charting future plans with a focus on copper, platinum and diamonds. The loss in 2015 was more than twice the loss incurred in 2014 for Anglo American. The UK-listed miner took charges of $3.8bln due to drop in commodity prices. Moody's has downgraded Anglo American's debt rating to junk status. BBC reports that Anglo American is planning to sell assets worth $3bln to $4bln to strengthen its financial position. The list of assets to be put on the block includes Kumba Iron Ore (KIO), Africa's biggest miner of the steel making ingredient. Company's Chief Executive Mark Cutifani attributes the present challenges to global economy slowdown. Meanwhile, Moody's Investor Service, a global rating agency, on Monday lowered credit rating on Anglo American to junk status. The latest downgrading of debt credit indicates deterioration in commodities market. Now, the doubts are spreading on when will the company reduce debt levels. Moody's doesn't expect Anglo American to generate operating cash flows, which are needed for it to reduce organic debt in next two years. The negative outlook is confirming uncertainty about the company's financial performance. Anglo American Inc's recover will be dependent upon the how well it'll execute restructuring plan, as reported by The Globe And Mail. Anglo American Plc is reviewing the proposal on selling Kumba Iron Ore and will execute the plan at an appropriate time. A potential spinoff plan is also under active consideration. Cutifani said: "Anglo American will sell its coal mining operations as well at the right time for the right value." The impairments of $5.7 bln reflect the fallout of the sluggish prices on asset values. Anglo American's stock price rose over six percent in London market later eased one percent and was trading at 389p. The shares were moving in wide range of fluctuation in recent times. The stock price fell over two-thirds during the past 12 months. Anglo American Inc has announced several measures to make it a free cash flow positive in 2016. The miner is also targeting asset sales in the range of $3bln-$4bln this year as against the previous plan of $2 billion asset sales in 2016 and next. Anglo American is hoping to achieve $1.9 billion earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for 2016, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Despite better than forecast results, the stock price couldn't rise as the underlying performance was not encouraging. With an object of saving cash reserves, Anglo American didn't announce dividend payout to shareholders. Anglo American has decided to focus on copper, platinum and diamonds. Anglo American's diamond subsidiary De Beers is planning to cut 189 positions in South Africa. De Beers is implementing a cost cutting plan following the easing demand for gems. Columbia Capital announced its latest fund on Tuesday at $500 million. In its sixth fund, the firm will target investment on Internet infrastructure and cloud computing. Columbia Capital announced that its sixth venture capital fund was closed in fourth quarter of 2015, according to PE Hub Network. The fund was initially targeted to reach $425 million hard cap, and with its new $500 million venture capital fund, the firm has comitted nearly $3 billion capital in its 25 years of operation. Founded in 1989 by senator Mark Warner, Columbia Capital focused in internet infrastructure, wireless, broadband, media, and enterprise information technology investing. The firm has invested in more than 100 companies providing early stage venture, later stage venture, and also private equity. With the new fund, Columbia Capital aim to jump in the wireless airwaves which will auctioned by the government soon. "Everyone knows there is going to be a huge demand for spectrum over time and no one knows when the next auction of such good quality and quantity of spectrum will occur." the source who spoke as anonymous, due to confidential nature of the firm's plan told Washington Post. "So on both the buy and sell side, everyone wants to show up and see where it goes." Federal Communications Commission (FCC), federal regulators will auction a 600 MHz TV airwave, which describe as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could bolster an existing wireless network. FCC has set last week as application deadline for companies that will to place its bid. Columbia Capital arose from a group of entrepreneurs that have been familiar with wireless telecommunication. The founder, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) has played an important role in helping the companies break into cellular service emerging market, and help the companies to obtain license from FCC in the 1980's. Since then, senator and his entrepreneur group founded Columbia Capital as their venture capital investment arm. Washington Business Journal reported that Columbia Capital will be one of the many bidders, which mostly are major telecommunications players, on the frequencies that are used to carry mobile voice and data. The auction is expected to begin in spring, and major telecommunication companies like Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. have set up strategy to win the bid. Auction of 600 MHz TV airwaves is expected to increase coverage in U.S. wireless network coverage. However, since FCC announced the auction, it yield a lot less than anticipated. Sprint Corp. have announced that it will not participate in the bidding. Columbia Capital has announced its latest fund which targeted on Internet infrastructure. With its experience in wireless technology, the firm will be one of the bidders in FCC aution on wireless airwaves this spring. McDonald's plans to up their game and introduce the concept of beer with hamburgers. The fast-food giant has picked South Korea as its first Asian location to open the beer outlet this month, the company announced on Monday. The new outlet is scheduled to open in the satellite city of Seoul, located in Seongnam, as mentioned by Quartz. The initial seating capacity would be for 90, but if the concept goes down well with people, McDonald's is ready to set up two more similar premium stores in the adjoining areas of Gangnam and Sinchon. Both the places are quite popular with the young crowd, which is precisely the target group the company wants to draw. According to Mashable, South Korea is a good choice for opening up a hamburger-and-beer outlet as their people drink twice as much liquor per capita than any other country. With a legal drinking age of 19, the South Koreans are known to drink 13.7 shots of liquor per week on an average. Russia is a close second with 6.3 shots a week. While this is a new move by the hamburger joint in Asia, it is not exactly a novel concept altogether. The company has already been serving beer in Germany since 1971 and has alcohol in its French and Spanish outlets as well. However, with Seoul in the picture now, only the US and the UK are the two nations where McDonald's hasn't added this particular beverage to their fountain. Its competition, Burger King, had tried something similar in 2009 when it opened an upscale fast-food outlet with alcohol in Singapore and called it the Whopping Bar. The burger giant had intended to introduce this bar to the other Asian countries provided the Singapore concept worked well. However, it shut the outlet within a year without any explanations and stuck to their original format from thereon. McDonald's, it seems, has an undisclosed location in Sydney, Australia, where this popular brand tests new items and concepts, as per Fortune. This testing lab of sorts goes by the name of "The Corner" which does not give away any fact that can link this outlet with the burger brand. The menu includes healthier options as well, like quinoa, to find out how often people would opt for the healthy snack instead of the "fast-food" items that are often synonymous with the term "junk food". The company has been experimenting with its structure and format lately. After poor revenue generation for years, the fast-food chain came up with "All-Day Breakfast" in the US, which led to a 5.7% increase in same-store sales in the last quarter. It has also announced transitioning to cage-free eggs in Canada and America over the next ten years. This year the company is all set to make a radical change to its branding and packaging. The U.S. Pacific Air Forces believe that China's military is closing its technology gap with the United States, considering recent technology advancements in the military. However, in human resources aspects, U.S. crews still have an unbelievably huge edge. The statement was uttered by the U.S Pacific Air Forces' General Lori Robinson. "The technology gap certainly is closing, there's no denying that. The difference between that technology gap is the training the U.S. air crew get. That training and the way our airmen work every single day, no mater what platform they are on, and all the people that support those airmen, to do that job. The edge is unbelievably huge," she stated. The significant improvement in China's military technology is initiated and supported by President Xi Jinping. The President has been prioritizing the military aspect, especially in the advancement of modern technology in regard to that. President Xi Jinping focuses on the navy and air force, as he seeks to project power outward, including to Western countries. Also, the President also strive to assert China's claims to territory in the west Pacific waters, according to South China Morning Post. China has been devoting resources to invest in military capabilities especially to project power and counter third-party, including the U.S. The government is spending greatly on ships, planes, and submarines that could cover longer range, with higher technology functions. In a report released by The Pentagon last year, it's acknowledged that China's rapid military modernization has the potential to reduce core U.S. military technological advantages, as quoted by TODAY Online. However, the technology modernization in Chinese military is not in itself close the gap between the ability between the two country's pilots. The American and Chinese pilots still differs in terms of experience and training. It's noted that China's military pilots spent a substantial portion of their training time on doctrines. However, General Lori Robinson also stated she believes that Chinese pilots would act professionally in interactions with the U.S., even thought the two countries's pilots and air officers had previously involved in minor incidents in the South China Sea. Bloomberg also reported that People's Liberation Army is also focusing to improve training and standard for its fighter pilots, so the improvement of China's pilots ability could be expected. The U.S. authorities are acknowledging substantial improvements in China's military technology. However, some analysts are still doubting the country's pilots ability, due to training program and lack of experience. On the human resources aspect, the U.S. Air Forces believe that the edge is still unbelievably huge in favor of the U.S. pilots. Business magnate Carl Icahn dumped his share in Apple by $7 million on Tuesday, along with Greenlight Capital, Blue Ridge Capital and Adage Capital Partners. Meanwhile Caleson's Tiger Global Management take $10.6 million of shares in Apple. According to CNBC, Icahn has mentioned since last year that he thought the stock was incredibly cheap and that Wall Street does not fully appreciate Apple. "I think Apple is still ridiculously underpriced," he said in September. Along with Carl Icahn dumped shares in Apple, other big hedge funds also reported to trim their shares in Apple. According to 13F filings reported to SEC, Adage Capital Partners reduced 5% of its shares, and Blue Ridge Capital cut 11%. Greenlight Capital also reported to cut 44% of its share in the Cupertino campus. As per 13F filings in December 2015, Carl Icahn, Greenlight, Adage and Blue Ridge held 45.8 million, 6.3 million, 8.1 million and 2 million of Apple shares respectively. In the previous report, Appaloosa Management also reported a 3% decline of its share in Apple to 1.2 million. While Passport Capital dumped all its 100,642 million shares in Apple as of December 31. Within the last three months, Apple stock has been falling more than 15%. Hedge funds reduced their stock in the company to protect them from loss as Apple's share continue sliding. The company recenly reported a mixed first-quarter report in January, with earnings beat the estimation but revenue fell short. Meanwhile Reuters reported that Tiger Global Management reported a new position in Apple with 10.6 million shares as of December 31. While Bridgewater Associates reported increase 19% of its shares of Apple at year-end. In order to pay for share buyback and dividends, Apple on Tuesday as New York Times reported announced to sell up to $12 billion in bonds. Sales of Apple's debt is recorded as the second-largest bond offering this year. Last month, Anheuser-Busch's issue $45.8 billion bond as the largest bond offering this year. Apple choose to utilize the debt markets to finance its activities due to its large cast abroad. As 93% of its cash is located outside the U.S. territory, it will incur taxes to return the cash back home. Therefore, Apple planned to be more active in the debt market, both international and American to pay its capital return plan. The company has also completed $153 billion of its $200 billion buyback and dividend program. In the bond-offering, Apple included its fixed- and floating-rate bonds of varying maturities to invest in clean technology. As many big hedge funds including Carl Icahn reduced their shares, Apple will use debt market to fund its general corporate purposes, including debt repayment. Meanwhile Tiger Global Management and Bridgewater Associates is reported to increase their shares in Apple. Berkshire Hathaway, a US-based multinational conglomerate, made a significant investment in the energy firm Kinder Morgan during the last three-month period of 2015, thereby increasing its bet on the crude oil market. The market value of the pipeline giant jumped following the news. As of December 31, Berkshire owned 26.5 million shares of Kinder Morgan, Bloomberg said quoting a regulatory filing that revealed stock holdings in the US. The value of Kinder Morgan stake was $395.9 million at 2015 end. In 2015, the shares of Kinder Morgan dropped nearly 65% in a period when there was a crash in energy prices. In December, the Houston-based energy firm trimmed its dividend in order to escape lower credit. Last month, the pipeline operator announced that it might sell some assets to increase its capital. The company also promised to avoid allotting fresh shares through 2018 end. Major rig operators, gold miners and oil drillers globally have shelved their dividends to preserve the existing capital amid collapsing crude prices in the commodity market that has plenty of supplies from energy producers. Investors around the world are closely monitoring Berkshire's activities with an aim to gauge the ideas of "the billionaire chairman" and his supporters. Either Ted Weschler or Todd Combs, deputy portfolio managers of Warren Buffet, could be responsible for Kinder Morgan investment. They are responsible for constructing huge stock portfolios at the company and are also inclined to commit smaller bets than their chief. There seems to be an oceanic bets in the energy sector as more investors enter the arena by boosting their holdings in the oil market during the final quarter of 2015. Major investors in the oil sector include Appaloosa Management, managed by David Tepper, that purchased shares of Energy Transfer partners LP and Kinder Morgan, while Baupost Group, controlled by Seth Klarman, improved its holdings in Cheniere Energy and Antero Resources Corp. Moreover, Berkshire Hathaway sold nearly 12.7 million AT&T shares in the final three-month period of 2015, bringing its total stake in the company to $1.6 billion as of December 31, according to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. In addition, Berkshire increased its holdings in Well Fargo & Co to $26.1 billion after its purchase of 9.41 million shares in the company. Berkshire also kept its holdings in major companies like International Business Machines Corp, Kraft Heinz Co and Coca-Cola. Berkshire's holdings in these firms lift its stock portfolio to over $50 billion. Reuters said that Berkshire invested $1.08 billion on the shares of Phillips 66 in 2016. This move boosted Berkshire's stake by 14.3% that currently valued around $5.91 billion. Kinder Morgan shares were up 6.9% to $16.70 in the after-hours trading session. The shares ended at $15.62, an increase of 66 cents in the regular trading session. The investors around the world look at Berkshire's move as a bet for energy sector. Nonetheless, the shareholders of Kinder Morgan view this investment strategy as a boon to increase the company's balance sheet that suffers amid the fall in energy prices. Philippine Airlines and Airbus Group signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) where the latter won the right to deliver six new aircraft worth $1.8 billion that will replace Philippine Airlines' A340 old models. The agreement comes with an option for six more additional orders that will enable non-stop travel from Manila to the U.S., Canada and Europe. The agreement and announcement was held at the Singapore Airshow Wednesday where Philippine Airlines get the delivery of new A350-900 aircraft within two years. President and CEO of the Philippine carrier Jaime Bautista, said that the delivery will replace old models of A340 aircraft. The deal includes the option of purchasing additional six Airbus' latest jet built with wide body. The order value before discount is $308 million which is the list price of the said aircraft. Based on a Bloomberg report, aircraft giants Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., Boeing Co., ATR and Airbus made an announcement at the Singapore Airshow about the total order of $4.2 billion this week. On the same day, Chicago-based Boeing reveals an order with China's Okay Air valued at $1.3 billion. Philippine Airlines' contract with the European aircraft maker worth $1.85 billion for the order of six A350-900s includes the option of ordering six additional more. According to Jaime Bautista, Philippine Airlines president, the new planes will be utilized for PAL's non-stop, long distance flights from Manila to the Europe, US and Canada, according to Inquirer. During the past six years under the regime of President Benigno Aquino whose term ends in June, the country's economic growth averaged at 6.2%. This makes one of Asia's strongest performances reinforcing the travel demand. The airlines would become the key transportation connection of millions of Filipinos working abroad with a channel network tracking the key destinations of the labor paladin. The aircraft delivery will begin in 2018, as reported by asiaone. "We are happy to announce that today we will commit to acquire six A350-900 series which will allow us... to fly non-stop from Manila to New York, allow us to increase our presence in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and also to Vancouver and Toronto," Bautista told a news conference. Fabrice Bregier Airbus President & CEO, said: "We are pleased to welcome Philippine Airlines as the latest airline to select the all-new A350 XWB. The new aircraft order will allow Philippine Airlines to operate the non-stop service of carrying passengers on the 8,000 nautical mile New York - Manila channel 365 days a year, fully loaded with passengers. The A350 wings are made at Broughton and Rolls-Royce provides the Trent XWB engines worth $600 million to power the new aircraft. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Utility poles in a stretch of Thousand Oaks Boulevard will go underground when the city begins a $15 million project in early March. SHARE By Staff Reports The city of Thousand Oaks will host an informational meeting on Tuesday about an underground utilities project that will affect traffic and businesses along Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Next month, the project to bring overhead utility poles and wires below ground will begin. It will affect Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Duesenberg Drive and Westlake High School. The project is expected to be complete in spring 2017. During the meeting, city representatives will outline the details and timeline of the project. Lane closures are anticipated throughout construction. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak and Park rooms at Civic Arts Plaza, 3100 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard. For more information about the project, visit www.toaks.org/undergroundtob. FILE PHOTO Justice Antonin Scalias death on Saturday could affect a Supreme Court case involving Thomas Aquinas College. SHARE By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star As Michael McLean rehashed for the umpteenth time blurred scenarios created by Justice Antonin Scalia's sudden death Saturday, one thing was clear. Leaders of Thomas Aquinas College near Santa Paula were depending on Scalia's vote in their Supreme Court battle involving birth control and their religious beliefs. "His passing is a huge blow to our legal strategy at least in the short term," said McLean, president of the small Catholic college where Scalia spoke about the Constitution in 1997. The college is one of the religious institutions fighting an Affordable Care Act mandate for employers to offer insurance that covers contraception. Lawyers representing the college and other groups are scheduled to make legal arguments before the Supreme Court on March 23. The school argues the mandate conflicts with its Catholic beliefs. Government officials say the coverage is designed to improve access to birth control and make sure it is affordable. They say employers can opt out through a system in which an insurer or third party would provide birth control coverage without the employer paying. Officials of Thomas Aquinas, which is self-insured, said the accommodation doesn't remove the school from the domino chain that would lead to coverage for contraceptions. Constitutional law experts say it's unclear what will happen next. Some cases that appear destined to a 4-4 vote could be held over until a new justice is appointed and confirmed. Promises by Republicans to block any candidates nominated by President Barack Obama means that process could drag far into 2017. "I think it probably will be pretty ugly," said Mari Rockenstein, who teaches law and ethics at CSU Channel Islands. "That's a long time to block." Some observes predict the justices will go ahead and hear oral arguments in the birth control case in March, possibly coming back with a decision in June. McLean worries Scalia's death could mean that if a clear-cut ruling emerges maybe in a 5-3 vote it would favor the government. McLean said he planned to meet with the school's legal team on Wednesday, noting his initial opinions are based on media reports and speculation. Still, he said the school's best chance at a victory could be triggered by a 4-4 vote. Such a vote would typically mean the justices would choose to affirm the lower court's ruling without establishing a nationwide precedent. Or they could hold the case over. Conflicting rulings by circuit courts in the birth control case lead some experts to predict justices would opt to delay a final ruling until after Scalia's replacement is in place. "I think they put it over for reargument," said Erwin Chemerinsky, constitutional scholar and law school dean at UC Irvine."We're guessing about lots of things. The only thing that's for certain is those are the two choices." If Republicans block installation of a justice until a new president is in office, it could be April 2017 or later before a full court is in place, said Barry McDonald, constitutional law professor from Pepperdine University. The blocking efforts could become more challenging for the Republicans and trigger backlash worries, if Obama nominates a candidate with broad public appeal, McDonald said. "It all depends on who Obama nominates," he said, suggesting the fight over the nomination shows the political realities of a court designed to protect due process. "Whoever wins or loses depends on which president gets their five people on the court," said McDonald, who lives in Westlake Village. "That's just not the way it's supposed to be." As for Thomas Aquinas College, McLean thinks the chances of a legal victory will increase if the next justice is nominated by a Republican president. But he also noted the course of events could depend on Obama's choice, the confirmation process in the Senate and the people who elect the next president in November. "I think things are pretty much up in the air right now," he said. For documents and other filings regarding the birth control case, go to the SCOTUS blog. Thomas Aquinas College is part of the case, Roman Archbishop of Washington v. Burwell. SHARE STAR FILE PHOTO Ventura County supervisors are threatening to sue Moorpark over a truck route the city negotiated with the Broad Beach restoration project in Malibu. By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has authorized the County Counsel's Office to sue Moorpark if the city doesn't rescind an agreement it has with the Broad Beach replenishment project in Malibu. The Moorpark City Council in October ratified the agreement under which hundreds of trucks a day filled with sand from nearby quarries would, in general, avoid Moorpark by traveling to Broad Beach via Highway 126 through Fillmore. County Supervisor Steve Bennett said Monday that the board authorized the possible litigation in closed session last week on grounds that Moorpark should have subjected the agreement to a California Environmental Quality Act analysis. "The county counsel believes we have a strong CEQA lawsuit that we could take against Moorpark if they don't rescind the action that they took," Bennett said. "There will be significant environmental impacts from all those trucks. And CEQA requires that you analyze the environmental impacts of your action before you take it. "Moorpark's action needs to be reversed," he said. Supervisor Kathy Long said the board instructed "the county counsel to let Moorpark know that we were prepared to file litigation should they choose to go forward with the agreement." Moorpark City Manager Steve Kueny on Tuesday said "the city has not heard or received anything from the county about this matter." He declined further comment. Moorpark City Councilman Keith Millhouse said he sees no reason to rescind the agreement. "I believe any CEQA argument to be frivolous and I would be confident of prevailing" in court, said Millhouse, an attorney. County Counsel Leroy Smith declined to comment. But the county expects to contact Moorpark this week. Bennett said the county needs to file any such CEQA lawsuit by April 4. Afterward, it will be too late, he said. Fillmore officials felt blindsided by Moorpark, which didn't include them in the discussions about the truck routes. Fillmore officials don't want the trucks rumbling through their city for the same reasons Moorpark officials don't: environmental impacts including noise and air pollution. The Board of Supervisors sided with Fillmore, accusing Moorpark of not being good municipal neighbors. Stung by the criticism, the Broad Beach Geologic Hazard Abatement District is now looking at buying the sand from other possible sources to enable the trucks to avoid traveling through Fillmore. The district is the group of wealthy Broad Beach landowners, including Hollywood and business elites, who are funding the $31 million restoration project. But Bennett said another sand source won't guarantee that Moorpark will reverse the agreement and thus the board wants to reserve its option to sue. "That's nice that they're looking at other sand sources, but we can't count on that to have Moorpark's action rescinded," he said. Long said the board isn't the only one unhappy with Moorpark's arrangement. "There's great displeasure with this from the other cities," she said. If the county winds up suing Moorpark, it would likely ask the other cities if they wanted to join the litigation, Long said. Ken Ehrlich, the attorney for the project, said he was surprised at the board's litigation authorization. "We remain happy to work with all stakeholders in Ventura County and again, we're looking for a win-win solution" for the county and all the cities, he said. Ehrlich said last week that the agreement with Moorpark would be "moot and irrelevant" if the project goes with another sand source, though the trucks still would not go through Moorpark. Greenlighted by a divided California Coastal Commission in October, the Broad Beach project will create a new 1.1-mile public beach, including a restored dune system. Ehrlich said the project must get other approvals, including from the state Lands Commission, but he hopes the trucks will start to roll by the fall, whatever the source of sand is. Star staff writer Kathleen Wilson contributed to this report. SHARE CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Susan Mikula, childrens services manager for the Ventura County Library System, sits behind a Lulzbot Mini 3D Printer during a MakerBox open house and demonstration Wednesday at the Thousand Oaks Library. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR Demonstrations of 3D printing and LED circuitry were part of Wednesdays MakerBox open house event at the Thousand Oaks Library. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR A Makey Makey demonstration connects food to a keyboard during Wednesdays MakerBox open house at the Thousand Oaks Library. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR This octopus Makebot, made from biodegradable material, was created on a Luzbot Mini 3D Printer as the Thousand Oaks Library hosted a MakerBox open house on Wednesday. By Alicia Doyle Some of the newest technology from 3D printing to LED circuitry is now available in Ventura County's libraries and in six local city libraries thanks to a $20,000 grant from the state. Each month, a "MakerBox" containing the elements needed to create something using new technology will arrive at the libraries in the Ventura County system and at libraries in Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley and Calabasas. The MakerBoxes will rotate among the libraries, so new activities can take place each month. "The maker movement is really big right now with schools and libraries, but sometimes libraries don't have all the resources they need to buy the supplies," said Karilyn Steward, a librarian for the city of Calabasas. "So seven libraries got together and got a grant from the state to pool all our resources together. It's a way for libraries to get the newest 21st century technology and share resources." The $20,000 grant was awarded in July through the Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered in California by the state librarian and supported federally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Each library has a schedule of when each MakerBox will arrive. On Wednesday, the Thousand Oaks Library hosted an open house to showcase all the bins that will rotate throughout the libraries. "I had no idea I was coming to such a fun event," commented Thousand Oaks Mayor Joel Price. "If you're like me, the idea of coming to a library you think you're going to come here and check out a book, but there's so much more to offer nowadays. We here in Thousand Oaks like to be on the leading edge, and this is just one way we can contribute." With the MakerBoxes, patrons can sew LED lights into felt and other fabrics, and they can use 3D printers to create three-dimensional objects. The "Makey Makey" bin features technology that works with any software, using the keyboard or mouse, to create melodies, sounds effects and more. The bin containing "Squishy Circuits" involves making clay creatures with light-up eyes through circuitry in the clay itself. For now, there's no charge to use the materials in the MakerBoxes. "No cost, not during this grant anyway," Steward said. "I don't know if that will change once the grant money is used." Use of the equipment, such as the 3D printer, will have some limitations. "We are putting restrictions on time printing and how much filament is used," Steward said. "Some libraries have workshops where they will work with people on the software, then print for them. The point is to expose people to the process, experience and give them some knowledge." Steward said there is at least one person at each library who knows how to use a 3D printer, and some libraries have three or four people who are knowledgeable in running the machine. Heather Cousins, Thousand Oaks Library director, said the MakerBoxes and 3D printing enable libraries to offer something new and different. "The other thing we do is we bring communities together, and that's what makes this project even that much more special," she said. Lena Pham, library programs consultant at the California State Library, said the effort ties into students learning science, technology, engineering and math STEM. "It's what you learn in school about science, but this is much more fun because it's so hands-on," Pham said. Libraries are still all about literacy, said Jackie Griffin, Ventura County Library director. "What we've done in the last decade is just really expand what literacy means and now what literacy means is STEM, and we've gotta help kids get up to speed on that," Griffin said. "So this is a really brilliant way to put STEM into the hands of our kids in a fun, laid-back way." Emily Appleton, young adult librarian at the Moorpark City Library, said the effort is particularly important for a small library. "It gives us access to resources we might not otherwise have because we're working in a group," Appleton said. "It lets us bring into the library things that are really cool and technologically advanced and cutting-edge." Dawun and Wanwan Chen, a husband and wife who are retired physicists, came to the open house to see the 3D printer. "I saw on television a child with a broken limb, and they used a 3D printer to design a part for the hand, so I wanted to see how it worked," said Wanwan Chen, of Thousand Oaks. The technology is amazing, she added. "They say someday 3D printers will be as common as the microwave." STAR FILE PHOTO Santa Cruz Island SHARE By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star After 80 days of filming and dozens of interviews, a documentary on the Channel Islands is set to premiere in downtown Ventura next month. "West of the West: Tales from California's Channel Islands" explores more than 13,000 years of human history on the islands, officials said. The premiere is one of dozens of events planned by Channel Islands National Park in 2016 to celebrate the National Park Service's centennial year. Click on the image below for a list of events. The park includes five islands off the coast Santa Cruz, Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Barbara. The documentary was co-directed by Brent Sumner, who came up with the idea while recovering from a serious dive accident off Santa Cruz Island. Sumner read several books on the Channel Islands and coaxed Sam Tyler to produce the film and Peter Seaman to direct, park officials said. They interviewed scientists, historians, island dwellers, park rangers, Native American representatives and others. The full documentary is expected to air in three one-hour segments on public television in April, officials said. They also created a 110-minute version for a Ventura premiere on March 6 at the Century 10 Theater. Free screenings will be held at noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:45 p.m. The 5 p.m. showing will include a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers. Tickets will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through March 4 at the park's visitor center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive at Ventura Harbor. Any remaining tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the screenings. Centennial events include the park's Shore to Sea lecture series on the second Thursday of every month. Milton Love, a research biologist at UC Santa Barbara, will talk this week about the mating fish of the Channel Islands. Love's lecture will start at 7 p.m. Thursday at the park's Spinnaker Drive visitor center. Visit http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/calendar.htm for a list of other upcoming events. SHARE In the first minutes after the shocking news spread Saturday that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley tried to be reasonable. It didn't go well for him. The Iowa Republican, informed in a phone call from Des Moines Register reporter Jason Noble that Scalia had died, responded honorably, saying he didn't want to talk about replacing Scalia yet. "I wouldn't make any prognostication on anything about the future because there's so many balls in the air when those things are considered," he said. But in the following two hours, those balls fell on Grassley. The conservative Twitterverse erupted with demands that the Senate refuse to confirm anybody nominated by President Obama to replace Scalia. Conservative firebrand Ted Cruz, the presidential candidate and a member of Grassley's committee, declared that "we owe it" to Scalia "for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement" a sentiment echoed by other Republican presidential candidates. Then, at 6:41 p.m., not two hours after the San Antonio Express-News broke the news of Scalia's death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, declared that "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president." About 40 minutes later, Grassley folded. "The fact of the matter is that it's been standard practice over the last nearly 80 years that Supreme Court nominees are not confirmed during a presidential election year," he declared. He added that "it only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court justice." Grassley climbed down so quickly that he erroneously accepted a conservative claim making its way around the Internet that no nominee had been confirmed in a presidential election year. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was, in 1988. Grassley corrected his statement to say "nominated and confirmed." Observed Noble, the reporter who had spoken to Grassley earlier: "Grassley's forceful statement marks a rapid rhetorical shift from less than two hours before." The swift reversal by the Senate judiciary chairman was part of an unseemly but not unsurprising spectacle that greeted Scalia's death. Democrats and Republicans alike rushed to dig in about whether a successor for Scalia should be considered in the next 11 months without even a respectful pause. Whether one loved or hated him, Scalia was a towering figure, and he deserved at least a moment before the bickering began. McConnell, in his statement, said "the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice." But the people have already had their say. They re-elected President Obama in 2012. And they elected a Republican majority to the Senate in 2014. That majority has every right to reject Obama's nominee. But McConnell and his colleagues appear to be asserting that they won't even consider a nominee no hearings and no vote. This is a grim commentary on the current state of dysfunction in American government. If Republicans refuse to confirm an Obama nominee, they will almost certainly break the record for the longest vacancy on the court since it expanded to nine members in 1869. And that delay 391 days in 1969-70, was because the Senate rejected two of Richard Nixon's nominees, not because it wouldn't take up any. There was a longer vacancy 27 months in the 1840s, as the nation slid toward the Civil War. Are we really at a similar point today? The proverbial before-the-body-was-cold pronouncements began 9 minutes after the San Antonio paper tweeted Scalia's death. Sean Davis of the right-wing publication the Federalist tweeted: "If Scalia has actually passed away, the Senate must refuse to confirm any justices in 2016." Four minutes later, Conn Carroll, a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee member Mike Lee, R-Utah, tweeted that chances were "less than zero" of an Obama nominee succeeding. Another committee Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, tweeted a headline to justify inaction. "Schumer in 2007: Don't confirm any Bush Supreme Court nominee," it said. But that's not what Charles E. Schumer of New York, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, said. "I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court EXCEPT in extraordinary circumstances," Schumer said, and in the next breath explained: "They must prove by actions not words that they are in the mainstream." That's a fine standard. Force Obama's nominee to prove that he, or she, is in the mainstream. But unless the Senate wants to return to antebellum divisions, don't deny that nominee consideration. Dana Milbank writes for The Washington Post. Email him at dana.milbank@washpost.com, and follow him on Twitter, @Milbank. SHARE We strongly support Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin's legislation to ban powdered alcohol for consumption in California. This is the white, odorless powder that can be added to any liquid to create an alcoholic drink. It is scheduled to go on sale in California later this year. Even before it won final approval of its labeling by the federal government, which permitted its sale in this country, states were lining up to ban it. So far, 27 have done just that. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in signing the bill banning it in his state, said, "This dangerous product is a public health disaster waiting to happen. I am proud to sign this legislation that will keep powdered alcohol off the shelves and out of the wrong hands." Assemblywoman Irwin, in her argument supporting the ban, points to the continuing problem of binge drinking among underage teens. Powdered alcohol, she says, will provide them easier access. "A simple water bottle in algebra class or at the senior prom can turn into a bottle of vodka with the same effort of adding sugar to your morning coffee," she wrote in an opinion page column for The Star supporting the legislation. Mark Phillips, the creator of Palcohol, which is the brand name of powdered alcohol, defended his product Sunday in a follow-up piece for The Star's opinion page. He tossed out a mishmash of reasons to support the product. He said it would be more expensive than liquid alcohol and harder to conceal than a bottle of vodka because it would need a liquid mixing agent. He said it's hypocritical to ban powdered alcohol and not all alcohol. Another argument was that banning it would make it a black market item, like marijuana, which is easier for underage teens to buy than a bottle of booze. And lastly he said the ban is fiscally irresponsible because it sacrifices the tax revenue from legal sales while adding costs of enforcement. Most of you, we believe, are able to dismiss each of Mr. Phillips' arguments individually. Collectively the weight of the arguments is simply not persuasive and does not come close to countering the rational understanding that this is simply a bad product. It doesn't take an expert to know this is wrong. It only takes a parent. This will add to alcohol abuse in our country and undoubtedly result in additional alcohol-related deaths. Mr. Phillips has said he created the product because he is an avid hiker and this will allow him to have a drink at the end of a day of backpacking. There are dozens of recipes and videos showing how to make your own homegrown powdered alcohol. Mr. Phillips is encouraged to do that in his kitchen and hike on. We don't want this product. We don't need it. We encourage you to contact Assemblywoman Irwin and lend your voice in support for AB 1554. On Friday, March 4, Alize at the Top of the Palms Casino Resort will host a special, one-night-only dinner in partnership with the Boston-based restaurant group, Himmel Hospitality Group. Titled, A Table in the Sky, the dinner will be a collaboration between Alize chefs and Himmel Hospitality Groups Culinary Director Eric Brennan and will encompass five courses with each one representing a different leg of the chefs journey from Boston to Las Vegas. This is a way for us to collaborate with chefs from across the country, share ideas, tips and techniques, says Mark Purdy, executive chef, Alize. Theyre bringing us some incredible ingredientsfrom chicken from Westwind Farms in Deer Lodge, Tennessee, to chilies from Sichler Farms in Albuquerque. Its a great way for our chefs to step out of the norm for one night and really get creative with the menu. Himmel Hospitality Group owns and operates three restaurants in the Boston area: Grill 23 & Bar, a Boston institution; Post 390, an urban tavern in Back Bay and Harvest Restaurant, a culinary icon that recently celebrated 40 years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our team is taking an amazing culinary journey across the country, visiting people who are not only the best in the country at their respective crafts, but also our friends, says Brennan. We are visiting the best restaurants, farms, fishermen, ranchers and producers and this dinner will pay homage to these people, places, tastes and inspirations collected during our trip. Were very excited to bring all of it to Alize in Las Vegas. The road trip begins this spring with the Himmel Hospitality Group chefs visiting Washington, D.C. where the group will host a pop-up dinner with famed Chef Jose Andres. Next, it is on to fertile Virginia vineyards, Kentucky bourbon country and Tennessee smokehouses. They will then make their way to Charleston, South Carolina, and the Florida Gulf to collaborate with fishermen at the forefront of sustainable fishing before visiting New Orleans for a bayou pig roast. Heading west to Texas, the Himmel Hospitality team will host a young guns chef pop-up and spend time hunting wild game at one of the only licensed wild game ranches in the United States. After Alize, the trip will conclude in Southern California. The menu and wine pairings for the evening will feature: Cocktail Reception Selection of passed hors doeuvres Raw Bar Station featuring Chilled Snappy Lobster from Scituate, Massachusetts Hand Sliced Bentons Smoky Mountain Ham from Madisonville, Tennessee Paired wine for reception: Vin Mousseux, Marquis deLa Tour Dinner Poached Crawfish Tails, Pickled Cucumbers, Strawberries, Fennel Marmalade, Toasted Almonds and White Gazpacho (Paired wine: Riesling, Troken, Emrich Schonleber, Monziger Fruhlingsplatzchen, Nahe 2013) Smoked Greg Abrams Red Snapper, Root Vegetable Vichyssoise Paired with a Roasted Island Creek Oyster (Paired wine: Chablis-Vaudon, Joseph Drouhin 2014) Westwind Farms Spring Chicken Stuffed with Foie Gras and Mushrooms, Fingerling Potato, Ramp Sauerkraut and Apricot-Mustard Jus (Paired wine: Pinot Noir, Patricia Green Cellars, Freedom Hill Vineyard, Willamette Valley 2014) 100-day Aged Brandt Beef Rib Eye, Beef Cheek Salpicon with Sichlers Farm Chilis, Blackberry Farms Cheddar Polenta, Pickled Shallots and Mustard Vinaigrette (Paired wine: Brunello di Montalcino, Castiglion del Bosco 2010) Bourbon and Amaretti Bonet with Warm Sauteed Bananas and Almond Praline (Paired wine: Tokaji-Aszu, Royal Tokaji Co. 2008) The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) will hold its annual scientific meeting in Las Vegas this February and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum in downtown Las Vegas is pleased to partner with the Academy to place the spotlight on forensic sciences at the Museum during two exciting events on Sunday, Feb. 21. Families will get up close and personal with forensic scientists from 11 a.m. 2 p.m. during the CSI Mini-Camp at the Museum. Attendees will experience criminal investigation techniques such as bone identification, fingerprinting and DNA analysis with law enforcement officers, crime scene investigators, evidence analysts, medical examiners, and many more. Event goers can also explore the connections between forensic sciences and the work done by paleontologists when following the clues of the past. The Museums Live Paleo-Lab will be open for visitors to interact with paleontological work being done on dinosaur and pre-historic mammal fossils excavated locally. This family-friendly event is free thanks in part to the generous support of the Galleria Mall. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For adults, a second event, Demystifying the Forensic Sciences, be held at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21. The forensic showcase will be moderated by Dr. Bruce Goldberger, past president of AAFS and director of the UF Health Forensic Medicine. Dr. Goldberger will be joined by AAFS President-Elect John Gerns, Instructor, Criminal Justice/Forensic Science for Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas; Lisa Gavin, MD, MPH, Las Vegas Medical Examiner; Ken Melson, MS, JD, Adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.; and Jose Almirall, PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, who will discuss forensic science disciplines and how each contributes to solving crimes. The showcase will be followed by a reception where guests will have an opportunity to meet the scientists. Admission to the forensic showcase is now FREE. This event is not recommended for children. For ticket and location information, please visit www.lvnhm.org. At our annual scientific meeting each year, the Academy partners with a local institution to further the publics understanding of forensic science. The Academy is honored to partner with the Museum this year to present a unique experience to raise awareness of this vitally important field, said Goldberger. Mandated Nutrients to be Included in Vietnamese Food The Prime Minister has approved a decree effective March 15th mandating certain nutrients in Vietnamese food In order to meet national technical standards and food safety. The regulation states that iodine, iron, zinc and vitamin will be compulsory in certain food products. Salt fortified with iodine, iron and zinc must be added to wheat flour, while vegetable oil that contains soybean oil, coconut oil, canola oil or peanut oil is required to have vitamin A. This process is known as fortification which prevents serious consequences on health due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Authorities have suggested that adding these elements will reduce malnutrition which remains a public health priority. While statistics show that malnutrition has been significantly reduced, it still accounts for 45 percent of total deaths for children under five years of age. Special Sales Tax explained Vietnamese authorities have issued a new decree on Special Sales Tax (SST) which became effective on January 1 of this year. Notable Changes include: Goods that are imported (except for types of petrol (gas)) will be subject to SST at both import and selling stages; the SST paid at importation is creditworthy against SST paid at the selling stage. For manufactured or imported goods (except types of petrol and cars below 24 seats) which are later sold by a trading enterprise, the SST taxable price must not be less than 93% of the average selling price of the trading enterprise. A trading enterprise is the first entity within the distribution network that has no parent subsidiary relationship or same parent as the manufacturing or import company. For cars that are imported with less than 24 seats sold via a trading enterprise, the SST taxable price is the importers selling price, but must not be lower than 105% of the imported car cost, which is equal to import price plus import duty plus SST at import stage. New Decree on Foreign Representative Offices Authorities issued a new decree on Representaive Offices (ROs) and branches of foreign companies this January which comes into effect March 10th. Under new regulations, several changes have been made that leave considerable room for interpretation, and thus should be watched closely. Key examples include: The permitted activities of an RO has been limited. Earlier, ROs were under a broad category of permitted activities which was dictated by Decree 72 monitoring and stimulating of the implementation of contracts of the head office which signed with Vietnamese parties or which relate to the Vietnamese market. This has now been removed. A foreign country is allowed to set-up an RO in accordance with commitment to international treaties to which Vietnam is a party; however, international treaties has not been defined. For a foreign company that is from a country with no international treaty the RO must be approved by an appropriate government ministry. As per the new decree, the head of an RO does not have to reside in Vietnam but must authorize a person responsible if the head is out of the country for more than 30 days, or else appoint a new head of the RO. Foreign companies that have offices in Vietnam or are planning to open new offices must make note of the new law and follow developments as the authorities are likely to clarify and make amendments to the new decree. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email vietnam@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Import and Export: A Guide to Trade in Vietnam In this issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine, we provide you with a clear understanding of the current business trends related to trade in Vietnam, as well as explaining how to set up your trading business in the country. We also attempt to give perspective on what will be Vietnams place in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2015, and look at some of the countrys key import and export regulations. Using Vietnams Free Trade & Double Tax Agreements In this issue of Vietnam Briefing we explore how Vietnams Free Trade Agreements and especially those via its membership in ASEAN will affect foreign investment into Vietnam. We also go a step further and examine the specific, bilateral Double Tax Agreements that Vietnam has enacted, and how these can be further used to minimize profits and withholding taxes that would otherwise be levied upon foreign investors. Developing Your Sourcing Strategy for Vietnam In this issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine, we outline the various sourcing models available for foreign investors representative offices, service companies and trading companies and discuss how to decide which structure best suits the sourcing needs of your business. United States President Barack Obama (right) welcomes Viet Nam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the US-ASEAN summit in California. -VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam The signing of the deals took place in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) signed an agreement with BIDV Metlife Life Insurance Limited Liability Company, a joint venture between the United States-based Metlife and BIDV, on expanding the life insurance business in Viet Nam. Accordingly, the two sides will exchange information and experience as well as introduce opportunities in finance and life insurance to each other. Additionally, BIDV Metlife will help BIDV develop Bancassurance, an insurance product sold at banks, and several all-in personal financial services. The US-ASEAN summit takes place in Sunnylands, Carlifornia. - VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam During the signing ceremony, Viet Nam's Bien Dong Seafood Co Ltd also signed contracts for the supply and development of fishery products with the American H2Origins Seafood Inc firm. Bien Dong Seafood and H2Origins Seafood will work together to increase seafood sales in the American market to more than US$300 million over the next three years. They also aim to boost their market share to more than 40 per cent by sharing market intelligence and developing new high-quality seafood products for the United States market. Another deal was signed between the Thai Group and Hyatt Hotel Corporation about developing the Park Hyatt brand in Viet Nam. The Thai Group and Chicago-based Hyatt agreed to build a $165-million Park Hyatt hotel in Ha Noi. The 300-room luxury hotel is expected to be completed in 2018. Jean-Noel Poirier - French Ambassador to Vietnam Many positive changes have taken place over the past 30 years in Vietnam, including spectacular results in socio-economic development in the process of Doi moi since 1986. One of the most outstanding changes concerns poverty reduction. From 1990 to 2013, GDP has been extensively multiplied. In addition, whereas half of the population used to be classified under the poverty threshold, today the ratio has been reduced to less than 12 per cent. Vietnam has also taken responsibility as a regional actor. In the past, Vietnam committed itself to a process of peaceful political reconciliation in the region. Its two-decade long involvement with neighbouring countries in the ASEAN bloc, reflecting its growing role in global trade, is also a remarkable achievement. Vietnam participated in the G20 Summit in 2010 when it held the Chair of the ASEAN bloc. On December 31, 2015, the launch of the new ASEAN Economic Community marked a new step forward for all ASEAN members, and will be a source of new opportunities for Vietnam. This is a positive asset for peace and stability, which France welcomes. By opening up the country to foreign investment and technology, Vietnam normalised its relations with international organisations and became more and more integrated within the international economy. In 2015, Vietnam made a major breakthrough on the path to this integration by signing a number of free trade agreements, and concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. With regards to Europe, the conclusion of negotiations for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was formally announced during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dungs visit to Brussels on December 2, 2015. Through this FTA, we hope to deepen our economic co-operation. France has accompanied Vietnams opening and modernisation during its earliest stage. In 1993, France was one of the very first partners to facilitate the integration of Vietnam within the international financial community. We have built a unique relationship based on mutual trust and friendship via a large number of co-operation agreements in various fields like education, science, culture and governance. The implementation of the strategic partnership, signed in France in September 2013, is an opportunity to open a new chapter in this relationship and brings our dialogue to new heights. A broader connection with the global economy also means a larger exposure to global challenges today. France is keen on working with Vietnam to tackle our common challenges, such as climate change and sustainable development. We commend Vietnams participation in the recent COP21 conference in Paris and we are looking forward to maintaining our close working relationship on this issue. Sustainable cities and infrastructure are also a major challenge in Vietnams future. France will always stand side-by-side with Vietnam to face these problems. Giles Lever - British Ambassador to Vietnam I worked in Vietnam from 1993-1997, so returning to the country in this role after 17 years gives me a clear perspective on how far Vietnam has progressed during the Doi moi era. The move towards a market-driven economy has yielded important results. Vietnams per capita income has risen more than twenty-fold, and the countrys competitiveness ranking improved to 56/140 in 2015-2016 from 77/104 in 2004-2005. What is also impressive is that Vietnams growth has been inclusive, which is not always the case in emerging economies. Today, Vietnams extreme poverty rate has fallen to 3 per cent, down from over 50 per cent in the early 1990s. Recent efforts to restructure the economy have improved macro-economic stability and restored growth to a level that reflects Vietnams true potential. Vietnam is now an attractive destination for international businesses, including British companies, partly because of its strong performance this year compared to other regional economies. This is partly because of its tremendous progress in integrating into global markets, with trade at 170 per cent of GDP, which is exceptionally high by global standards. However, there are several pressing issues which Vietnam still needs to tackle. The declining trend of productivity growth is a concern. Steady improvements in productivity growth were key to the transformation of countries like South Korea. To strengthen Vietnams medium-to-long-term chances of sustaining the progress of the last 30 years and catching up with others in the region, even more ambitious reforms are needed to promote human resources development. Vietnam needs to develop a stronger research and development (R&D) culture, strengthen market institutions, reduce state ownership in the economy, and attract more international and private sector investment in infrastructure. The push for greater market participation is still the right way to go, and can be supported by more transparent and evidence-based policy making, and better regulation, as well as a stronger court system and competition authorities. Vietnams deeper global integration, as evidenced by its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, should strengthen support for these reforms, and the UK is committed to supporting Vietnam in this process. Bruno Angelet - Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam I first served in Vietnam as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Belgium in Hanoi during 1994-1998, and came back to Vietnam as the Ambassador of Belgium from 2011 until July 2015. I took up my new mission as the Head of the EU Delegation in October 2015. Compared to the Vietnam I knew 20 years ago, socio-economic achievements since the launch of Doi moi have been impressive, and peoples living conditions in general have improved remarkably. When I visited remote areas in localities like Lai Chau or Lao Cai, I understood that the peoples first priorities were roads, clean water, and electricity. These are also areas where a lot of developments have been taking place. Good policies with proper attention for the conditions in poorer localities ensured inclusive development and improved social security. Vietnam has been among the best-performing nations on poverty reduction, while being successful in ensuring macro-economic stability and industrial development. The policies have also contributed to making Vietnam one of the worlds largest exporters of rice, pepper, rubber, cashew, and aquatic products. Currently, Vietnam is reaching a new stage in its development process. In addition to the great impetuses such as political and social stability, large exports, the attraction of large-scale foreign direct investment, and the peoples strong determination to drive the country forward, Vietnam is also facing some stiff challenges which will not be easily tackled overnight. For example, a significant number of young Vietnamese studying abroad do not return home, leading to a loss of Vietnam's most valuable human capital. This urgently needs to be addressed through proper policies and incentives to bring talent back home. Also, Vietnam is one of the ASEAN countries with the highest export-to-GDP ratios. About 70 per cent of the countrys export turnover stems from foreign direct investment. The key question here is how to increase Vietnam's home-based industries contribution to exports and added value within the economy. Vietnam also suffers from weak local supporting industries. This has forced firms to import materials from foreign markets at higher prices. Additionally, Vietnam will have to ensure a more sustainable energy sector in order to preserve its competitiveness, while at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution for the good of its people. Vietnam also achieved great successes in economic integration through the participation in a raft of free trade agreements (FTA), and has recently concluded negotiations on the EU-Vietnam FTA. Upon implementation, this deal will usher in many opportunities for Vietnam and the EU to boost trade and investment co-operation. As a leading trade partner of Vietnam, and the third largest foreign investor in Vietnam since 2015, European member states and institutions are Vietnams increasingly important partners, willing to support the country as it addresses new challenges. Vietnam is also a very attractive partner for us within ASEAN. We are committed to continuing to support Vietnams development via our comprehensive partnership and many co-operation programmes. Together, Vietnam and Europe have a bright future ahead. Ng Teck Hean - Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Vietnam has made significant progress throughout its 30 years of Doi moi. Following its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2007 and the achievement of its middle-income country status in 2008, Vietnam has continued to make progress in many areas. Economically, the country has taken steps to address some of the problems in its economy. It is also becoming more integrated within the global community through the establishment of strategic partnerships with various countries, including Singapore. It is also interested in regional economic integration through free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the EU-Vietnam FTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is a critical juncture in Vietnams developmental path. The 12th National Party Congress will chart the future direction of the country for the next five years. Vietnam will need to enact further economic reforms in order to take full advantage of the opportunities brought about by Vietnams integration into the global economy. These include efforts to restructure the economy, addressing problems in the state-owned enterprise and banking sectors, and increasing labour productivity. These reforms will further increase Vietnams economic competitiveness and its attractiveness as an investment destination for foreign companies, including those from Singapore that are keen to be part of Vietnams growth story. Nagai Katsuro - Economic Minister with the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam According to Moody's, these proposals, if implemented in the coming months, would be credit positive for Vietnamese banks because they would improve their liquidity and limit credit growth in the relatively high-risk real estate sector. The SBV early this month issued a request for comment on its amendments to Circular 36, which would set stricter rules on asset-liability management and on providing credit to the real estate sector. According to Moody's, these proposals, if implemented in the coming months, would be credit positive for Vietnamese banks because they would improve their liquidity and limit credit growth in the relatively high-risk real estate sector. The SBV's proposed asset-liability management rule reduces the share of short-term funding that banks can use for loans longer than 12 months to 40 per cent from 60 per cent. As a result, the rating agency said, banks with sizable shares of longer-dated loans would have to slow their credit growth or shift their focus to shorter-term loans, which would benefit their liquidity. Alternatively, the banks can attract longer-term funding to finance longer-term loans, but success in such an endeavour is unlikely because of higher funding costs and intense competition for deposits, according to Moody's. The system-wide ratio of short-term funding for medium- and long-term loans increased to 29 per cent in November 2015 from 18 per cent in June 2014, leading to higher liquidity and refinancing risks for banks because of growing mismatches between the maturity of loans and deposits. In addition, the SBV proposed an increased risk weighting of real estate loans to 250 per cent from 150 per cent, which limits the credit growth of banks in this sector. According to Moody's, Viet Nam's real estate sector has historically posed significant risks to banks, with the credit boom between 2008 and 2011 driven by rapid lending to this sector culminating in heavy losses for the banks. Saudi Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Ali al-Naimi is meeting his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak in Doha to discuss the global supply glut that has sent prices plunging. (Photo: AFP/Fayez Nureldine) DOHA: The Russian and Saudi oil ministers met on Tuesday (Feb 16) in Doha to discuss the global supply glut that has sent prices plunging, a Qatari official said. The oil ministers of Venezuela and Qatar also attended the talks, the official said. News of the meeting between Saudi Arabia's Ali al-Naimi and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak pushed up oil prices on world markets, with European benchmark Brent crude rising above US$34 a barrel. Oil prices have tumbled about 70 per cent since June 2014, hit by oversupply, sluggish demand and worries about the global economic outlook. They have also been pressured by the return of Iran to world markets after the lifting of international sanctions linked to its nuclear programme. The 13-nation OPEC oil cartel, of which Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar and Iran are members, has refrained from cutting output as it looks to maintain market share in the face of competition from US shale oil producers. At around 0600 GMT on Tuesday, Brent crude for April delivery was trading US$1.30, or 3.89 per cent, higher at US$34.69 a barrel. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery was up US$1.30, or 4.42 per cent, at US$30.74. File photo taken on Nov 17, 2015, shows displaced residents walking around in a temporary evacuation centre in a Buddhist monastery in Shan State, Myanmar. (Photo: AFP/Ye Aung Thu) YANGON: Over 3,000 people have fled their homes in northern Myanmar following clashes between two ethnic rebel groups, the United Nations said on Tuesday (Feb 16), raising fears the government's fragile peace efforts could be fracturing. Heavy fighting in the northern state of Shan broke out last week between the Restoration Council for Shan State (RCSS) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). It is a rare instance of the country's ethnic armed groups turning on each other and comes during a complicated transition from an army-backed government to Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party. "We are receiving reports that more than 3,000 people have been displaced in the past week," said Mark Cutts, country head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. He said most of them were being housed in monasteries in the town of Kyaukme and receiving help from local groups and the Myanmar Red Cross. Kyaukme's lower-house MP Sai Tun Aung told parliament in an emergency debate on the issue that locals have reported teachers and students fleeing on foot to escape arrests, killings and arson attacks being carried out by "an armed group moving around the region". He did not specify which rebel group was responsible. The region is home to the Palaung ethnic group, whose interests the TNLA says it represents. The RCSS has previously had a small presence in the area and is based further south. The government has tried in recent years to end decades-long civil wars between the military and numerous ethnic armed groups battling for greater autonomy. The outgoing government signed a peace deal with a handful of major groups, including the RCSS, late last year. But its efforts to sign a nationwide peace deal foundered after the government baulked at including several groups locked in ongoing conflict with the military, including the TNLA. It is unclear what sparked the recent fighting between the RCSS and TNLA. But the lack of full participation in the peace deal has raised concerns that rebel groups could begin vying with each other to control territory. Major Mai Aik Kyaw, a spokesman for the TNLA, told AFP there has been daily fighting between his group and the RCSS, helped by government forces, since Feb 7. "We were attacked by two government jet fighters just five minutes ago as we tried to destroy poppy fields," he told AFP by phone from the area, saying the RCSS had sent more fighters to the area since signing the ceasefire. "This month is the most serious one. They began looting our territory after they signed. If they stay in the region it will be difficult to control fighting and it could also disturb the peace process," he said. No one from the RCSS or Myanmar military were available for comment. Countrywide peace talks with ethnic armed groups have been steered by the quasi-civilian government that replaced outright military rule in 2011. It was trounced in November elections by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which will form a government in April. Significant hurdles lie ahead, including ongoing fighting and Suu Kyi's strained relationship with the still hugely powerful military. PM Nguyen Tan Dung and US President Barack Obama in Sunnylands, California, the US on February 15, 2016. Photo: VGP PM Dung affirmed that leaders and people of Viet Nam welcome the visit and tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the US side to well prepare for the visit. The Government chief said that the visit will help open a new stage of cooperation for peace and development, elevating the bilateral ties to new height. The two leaders discussed the bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of common concern. PM Dung said Viet Nam is deeply concerned over the increasingly complicated developments in the East Sea as they are the real threat to peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation. He urged the US to have strong voice and more practical actions to put an end to all activities, especially large-scaled construction of artificial islands and militarization, aimed at changing the status quo in the East Sea. President Obama affirmed that the US is concerned over the East Sea situation and voiced strong support for diplomatic efforts and legal process in order to settle disputes in the East Sea on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. Regarding the bilateral ties, PM Dung said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was officially signed and the member countries need to quickly complete ratification procedures. He also asked the US to soon recognize Viet Nams market economy and extend the duration from 18 months to three or four years for Viet Nam to meet the relevant regulations of the US Farm Bill 2014 while providing technical assistance for the Southeast Asian country to strengthen management of food hygiene and safety for tra and basa exports to the US. PM Dung asked President Obama to continue his stronger support for Viet Nam to overcome the war consequences and enhance law enforcement capacity of the Viet Nam Coast Guard. He also urged the US to fully ease the lethal arms ban on Viet Nam as an important measure to consolidate the political trust between the two countries. President Obama said the meeting with PM Dung was successful. People wait to check in their luggage before boarding a flight to Havana from Miami International Airport in 2014. (Photo: AFP/Joe Raedle) WASHINGTON: The United States and Cuba will sign an agreement Tuesday (Feb 16) authorising up to 110 daily US commercial flights to Havana and nine other destinations in the communist island, restoring regular air travel for the first time in more than 50 years. Once the accord is signed, US authorities will immediately invite American airlines to submit applications to operate the flights, with routes to be set up in a matter of months, officials said. Additionally, the Cuban government will give "thorough consideration to future requests from the US government to increase this level of service," US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs Thomas Engle said. "The two governments reaffirm their commitment to strengthen their already close cooperation in aviation safety and security matters." Terms of the agreement allow for regular flights "between any city in the US and any city in Cuba," provided it is equipped with proper infrastructure for international flights, he added. The United States announced plans to resume the flights in December, on the one-year anniversary of the start of reconciliation between Washington and Havana. Under the new arrangement, airlines in the two countries can now strike deals in such areas as code-sharing and aircraft leasing, the Cuban embassy said at the time. However, tourist travel is still barred under the trade embargo that the United States slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a revolution. The US Treasury Department has, however, set 12 categories of authorised travel. MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS "Initially, the US carriers will be allowed to fly 20 scheduled frequencies per day to Havana, the largest market, and remember that the current level is zero," Engle said. "And also allowed to fly 10 scheduled frequencies per day to any other city in Cuba that has an airport open to international service." Besides Havana, flights will be allowed to Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. Although the understanding formally opens the door for Cubana airlines to operate future flights into the United States, none are allowed to arrive at present. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Brandon Belford said Cuban airlines will still have to obtain their own licenses from US authorities such as the Treasury Department and Office of Foreign Assets Control. "So we do not anticipate Cuban-owned aircraft serving the US in the near future," he said. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Later on Tuesday, the Treasury Department will invite US airlines to submit applications for allocation of the new frequencies. Belford said "carriers will have 15 days to submit their applications if they want to serve Havana and the other nine airports." All final decisions will be made in approximately half a year. "Our expectation is that we will be in position to make a decision and make it final sometime in the summer, in terms of which carriers and which US cities will have service into Cuba," Belford said. Commercial flights between Cuba and the United States were cancelled 53 years ago but since the mid-1970s authorised charter flights have been allowed under certain conditions. The United States and Cuba formally restored diplomatic relations in July and re-opened embassies in each other's capitals. EU future not what it once was with 2 big crises at summit Why evangelicals are splintering and what it means for the GOP China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it has claimed in the South China Sea, a move that is likely to increase tensions among China and its neighbors. Officials in Taiwan and the United States say China has deployed surface to air missiles on a disputed island Beijing controls in the South China Sea. The confirmation comes just as President Barack Obama wraps up a landmark summit with Southeast Asian leaders in California, where he urged restraint in the region and a halt to the militarization of disputed maritime areas. News of the deployment was first reported by American broadcaster Fox News, which based its report on images provided by a civilian satellite company ImageSat International. According to the report, the images show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers, as well as a radar system deployed on Woody Island. US and Taiwan confirm A U.S. defense official later confirmed the deployment, as did Taiwans Defense Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions," Lo said on Wednesday. Woody Island (or Yongxing Island as it is known in Chinese and Phu Lam in Vietnamese) is the largest of the Paracel Islands and is located in the northernmost part of the South China Sea, east of the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang. Woody Island has been under Chinas control since 1956, and is a prefecture level city of the southern Chinese province of Hainan. The island is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Chinese reaction Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Wednesday that Western media should pay more attention to the lighthouses and meteorological facilities China is building in the South China Sea. During a press conference following a meeting with his visiting Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, he did not deny reports about the missile deployments, but called them an attempt by certain western media to create news stories. Wang did note what he called Chinas right to limited and necessary self-defense facilities on its islands and reefs. "This is consistent to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law. So there should be no question about that," Wang said. Chinese claims Chinas claim to almost all of the South China Sea and massive reclamation of formations further south has been a growing source of concern among its neighbors in the region, even as Beijing works feverishly to expand trade ties. In recent years, China has beefed up efforts to build runways and artificial islands to bolster its territorial claims. Beijing has repeatedly said that it does not seek to militarize the South China Sea, but it has increasingly voiced concerns about U.S. freedom of navigation missions in the region, at sea and in the air. What the missile deployment may mean Alexander Huang, an assistant professor at Taiwans Tamkang University, said the deployment was sending a telling, albeit contradictory signal about Chinas future intentions in the South China Sea. Huang said the development sends a contradictory signal because China has repeatedly said that it would not militarize the disputed islands. Adding that while the dispute over Woody Island is largely between China and Vietnam and does not necessarily involve the United States, it may serve as a prelude or indicator for the future militarization of the Spratlys. China is under tremendous pressure right now with the conference in Sunnylands and the U.S.-[South] Korean discussion over the THAAD deployment, he added. US-ASEAN summit As President Barack Obama wrapped up a two-day summit with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the first on U.S. soil, he said the two affirmed during their meeting their strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small are upheld. He also said that during the meeting, the US and ASEAN leaders discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas. Still, how the United States and ASEAN countries may respond is unclear. While ASEAN countries may genuinely want closer ties with the United States, they are also heavily and increasingly reliant on booming trade with China. And if the United States wishes to respond, the tougher question is what could Washington do to get China to change its behavior. Freedom of navigation Freedom of navigation actions by the U.S. Navy have not made Beijing to change its behavior, noted Ross Darrell Feingold, a Taipei-based senior advisor at DC International Advisory, a political risk consultancy. Perhaps more important is what the action says about Chinas ability to manage significant issues simultaneously, Feingold added. There is the aftermath of the North Korea missile test and nuclear test, the ASEAN Summit, significant political change in Taiwan, ongoing domestic challenges economy, corruption investigations yet the Chinese leadership remains confident it can, at the same time, manage the international reaction to its missile deployment, he said. U.S. President Barack Obama has called for "tangible steps" to lower tensions over ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. On the concluding day of talks with Southeast Asia leaders at a security and economic summit in California, Obama said the leaders affirmed that disputes should be resolved peacefully and through legal means. "The United States and ASEAN are reaffirming our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld," Obama said. He also called for a halt to further land reclamation, a reference to Beijing's massive effort to assert its claims over disputed territory through new construction and island-building. The Sunnylands meeting was aimed at boosting entrepreneurship and innovation to attract trade and investment. Obama said there is strong support among ASEAN nations for improving the rule of law and the protection of intellectual property, and investing in education. However, he also called for a return to civilian rule in Thailand, and said the United States would continue to stand with people across Southeast Asia who work to uphold the rule of law and improve human rights. WATCH: Related video report Obama is seeking to develop a leadership role with ASEAN, which the White House sees as key to the U.S. rebalance to the Asia Pacific. The strategic shift toward the region is critical to Americas further security and economic prosperity and a vital counterbalance to Chinas influence, the White House has said. The ASEAN nations include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The dynamic and diverse region is experiencing robust growth and rising tensions, potentially affecting the global economy and security. North Korea The U.S. and ASEAN leaders are also addressing what role China can play in pressuring North Korea to end provocative actions, including Pyongyangs recent rocket launch. While China and the U.S. have disagreed on North Korea, the United States sees a common interest with China in ensuring the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Young, rich region The 10 ASEAN members comprise the third-largest economy in Asia, and the seventh-largest in the world, with a combined GDP of $2.4 trillion. More than 65 percent of its 632 million people are younger than the age of 35. Trade between the United States and ASEAN countries has increased by 55 percent in seven years, according to the White House. Southeast Asia is now Americas fourth-largest goods trading partner, said the president, including U.S. exports that sustain more than 500,000 U.S. jobs. And he credited investment by U.S. companies in ASEAN for the regions growing middle class. WATCH: ASEAN meeting opens amid protests A two-day summit between US President Barack Obama and leaders of ASEAN ended Wednesday with 17 points of a joint declaration, aimed at strengthening between Southeast Asia and the US. Prime Minister Hun Sen praised the meetings, held in Southern California this week, as a success. Hun Sen posted on Facebook a message saying the meetings had taken the US-ASEAN partnership to another level. I would like to express my gratitude to President Barack Obama and his colleagues, who received us with amity and with a well-organized summit, which was the element of the successful meeting, Hun Sen wrote. The joint declaration includes the following key principles: mutual respect for sovereignty and the principles of international law and the ASEAN Charter; economic growth; competitive economies; democracy and good governance; ASEAN-led mechanisms in regional politics; rules-based order that upholds and protects the rights and privileges of all states; peaceful dispute resolution; regional stability and maritime security; cooperation on common challenges in the maritime domain; resolve to lead on terrorism, extremism, human and drug trafficking, unregulated fishing and illegal wildlife and timber trade; a commitment to addressing climate change and developing a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable ASEAN; promoting security in cyberspace consistent with norms of responsible state behavior; support for an ASEAN Community that is stable and affords opportunities to the young and vulnerable; global partnership through sustainable, equitable development; enhanced regional and international cooperation; and continued political dialogue at the head-of-state level, via the US-ASEAN and East Asia summits. Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry told reporters Wednesday that Hun Sen is expected to arrive Thursday night, when more information on Cambodia-US talks will be available. The Sunnylands summit reflects an improvement in strategic relations between US and ASEAN, he added. However, Ou Virak, head of the think tank Future Forum, said that improved US-ASEAN relations did not necessarily mean improved US-Cambodia relations. The US is concerned with the South China Sea issue, as well as improved democracy, human rights and good governance in the region. I think this is a message from the US that it does not want any dictatorial leader in the region, he said. The joint declaration mainly focuses on conflicts and tensions in the region and cooperation beyond the expansion of Chinas influence, he said. Better US-Cambodia relations are possible, but not without improved human rights, including the release of jailed opposition supporters, he added. In a speech following the Sunnylands talks, Obama said he had made clear that the United States will continue to stand with those across Southeast Asia who are working to advance rule of law, good governance, accountable institutions and the universal human rights of all people. Austria on Wednesday announced a daily limit of 80 asylum requests at southern border crossing points with Slovenia. Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner also said that effective Friday, up to 3,200 people who are seeking international protection in a neighboring country would be allowed to enter Austria. She said that once the daily limit was reached, crossings would be temporarily closed to migrants, but further requests for asylum would remain possible for those already in the country. Austria has been on the transit route for migrants aiming to reach Germany, the country that has hosted the largest number of asylum seekers, most of them fleeing the Syrian war. On the eve of a European Union summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged a "common stance" in the 28-nation grouping, taking as an example an EU-Turkey agenda that she said "offers a good solution." In an effort to stop refugees crossing to Greece on their quest to reach more prosperous northern European nations, EU countries pledged $3.3 billion last year to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. In an interview published Wednesday in the German daily Bild, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Europe was making progress in addressing the migrant crisis, and he praised Merkel for sticking to "longsighted" policies in the face of criticism. Juncker said history would prove Merkel and her liberal refugee policy right. European Union leaders will hold a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday amid deep differences over migrant policy. Merkel's open-door stance to migrants and refugees has been under increased pressure from abroad and at home, including from within her own conservative bloc. The United Nations confirmed Tuesday that its representative in Iraq's Diyala province, who had been missing since April, was murdered. Amer al-Kaissy's body was discovered in November in the city of Baqubah, where the U.N. said he had been abducted by militias. Local authorities buried the body without identifying it, and it was only Monday that al-Kaissy's friends identified the corpse through photographs. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called a "shocking murder" and called on Iraqi authorities to ensure that the killers are brought to justice. The head of the U.N. mission in Iraq, Jan Kubis, said al-Kaissy's killing is a "brutal and cowardly crime." He also expressed disappointment in the failure of Iraqi authorities to locate al-Kaissy after the abduction. "For more than nine months we have sought the intervention of the government on the local and national levels to ensure his safe return to his family," Kubis said in a statement. "We have expressed serious concern about the lack of progress in identifying his whereabouts and achieving his safe release. I am deeply disappointed that our efforts and appeals went unanswered." Ugandans are preparing to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on Thursday, after candidates concluded their campaigns Tuesday. Some voters say peace and stability are most important for them, while others want change and a new regime. Lining the streets of Kampala, blue and yellow campaign posters compete for space on billboards, walls, and t-shirts. Blue represents the Forum for Democratic Change party of main opposition candidate Kizza Besigye, while yellow is synonymous with the National Resistance Movement party of incumbent Yoweri Museveni. The two men are the top contenders competing for Ugandas presidency, along with six other candidates. The candidate considered to be in third place is Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister to Museveni who is running as an independent. What matters to voters Joanitta Sitenda, a 40 year-old Kampala resident, says she remembers life in the 1980s, when the Ugandan Bush War engulfed her country. For her, peace and stability are most important in how she votes. NRM, I like it, its my party. It has given us peace, we have been able to get skills, it has enlightened us, in a lot of things, she said. "Peace" is a common refrain cited by those supporting the NRM. Older supporters remember war and do not want a return of conflict, while younger ones, like Isaac Dungu, are influenced by the experiences of their elders. My father was in prison, was in prison of the previous president, Obote, so when Museveni came into power, he released him from prison, so all our family is a supporter of President Museveni, Dungu explained. Other voters, especially younger ones, say they are more concerned with how their country is faring in terms of more current issues, like healthcare, education and employment. Young voters Ugandas youth are a difficult-to-ignore demographic. Out of a population of about 38 million people, 50 percent of the population is under the age of 16, and another 25 percent is between the ages of 16 and 30. Loamula Muhindo is a young FDC supporter who is frustrated by what she said are a lack of opportunities in Uganda. We have a job problem, there are no jobs. I am working at a building, as a painter, as a builder, but Im not destined to work there because Ive got some qualifications, I can work somewhere in the office, she said. So maybe when President Besigye comes into power, I can get a chance. FDC supporter Abbey Segujja said it is time for 71-year-old Museveni to step down as president after his 30 years in office, and enjoy his golden years. We are ready to take care of President Museveni, so he can sit back and relax at his home. We will take the juices, we will take the fruit to his house. Let him rest, because hes a grandpa now. Hes very old for the nation, he said. Disturbance at rally On Monday, Besigye was on his way to a rally when police stopped his convoy and detained him, saying he was conducting rallies in the off-limits central business district. Besigye was released that afternoon, but supporters got into altercations with police as they waited near Makerere University for their candidate to continue his campaign. Supporters threw stones and police fired tear gas into the crowd. Both candidates finished their campaigns on Tuesday, as thousands of Ugandans came out to support them at various rallies around Kampala. Besigye has run against Museveni three times before, losing each time amid accusations that the president's supporters rigged the vote and intimidated his opponents. Polls open at 7:00 a.m. local time on Thursday and close at 4:00 p.m. WATCH: Uganda political rallies China hit back at U.N. criticism of its human rights record on Tuesday, saying a group of detained lawyers had committed serious economic crimes and missing Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo was assisting a police enquiry and did not want publicity. "Lee repeatedly clarified that he voluntarily went back to mainland China for assisting in the investigation, and is safe and sound," China's mission in Geneva said in a statement. "Lee hopes that the general public respect his personal choice and privacy and do not hype up attention on the case." Another bookseller, Gui Minhai, had left the country in 2004 after being handed a suspended sentence for killing a student by drunk driving, but gave himself up to police last October, and was also involved in other crimes, the statement said. Foreign diplomats have said Gui and Lee were believed to have been abducted or coerced from Thailand and Hong Kong respectively, and taken to China. Three others also went missing. Lee holds a British passport, while Gui is a naturalized Swedish citizen. Asked about the latest Chinese statement on Lee, the British Embassy in Beijing referred Reuters to comments last week by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who said Lee had probably been "involuntarily removed" to China from Hong Kong. China said Gui's case was complicated and involved all the other booksellers, who were being held for investigation. Earlier on Tuesday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, had voiced concern for the booksellers, and also urged China to release all lawyers detained in a crackdown that began last July. Chinese police have detained about 250 human rights lawyers, legal assistants, and activists across the country, although the U.N. statement said many had subsequently been released. China said all the cases raised by Zeid involved criminal activities and had nothing to do with restricting rights. "The Chinese Mission expresses strong dissatisfaction and disagreement with the High Commissioner's misleading remarks," it said. The case of the "so-called 'lawyers'" had been a crackdown on a major criminal gang for seriously disturbing social order, and the criminal facts were "clear with conclusive evidence", it said. The gang had used the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm to organize crimes such as breaking into public security, procuratorial and judicial organs and courts, and gathering crowds and making disturbances in public venues, severely disrupting social order and judicial process, it said. They had also incited people to make harassing phone calls to government officials and to insult, slander, threaten and intimidate judges and police on duty, the statement said. "They were also involved in serious economic crimes including misappropriating company assets, tax evasion and fraud." Another case, against a group of labor activists in the southern province of Guangdong, involved people using overseas funds to intervene in Chinese labor disputes, and some accusations of fraud, adultery and embezzlement, China said. The World Health Organization is scrambling to address the Zika virus that's spreading rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean. The virus has been linked to birth defects and, in adults, to a type of paralysis. Experts have lots of unanswered questions -- as do ordinary citizens. The most alarming aspect of the Zika virus is a possible link to microcephaly where babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains. The virus is circulating in Latin America and the Caribbean, but people VOA spoke to in Washington are worried. "I just had a baby last year, last June, so Im very concerned about the mothers," said Lisa Ortiz. "I have a lot of family members and sisters and cousins that this could potentially negatively affect so [I am] definitely concerned," said Toney Rogers. Some doctors say they have found the Zika virus in the brains of babies who died shortly after birth. The World Health Organization says it will take a few weeks more to see if there is a link. The agency also says a test for Zika will be available soon, and the race is also on to make a vaccine. People used social media to ask questions on VOA's Straight Talk Africa about the symptoms of the Zika virus. Eighty percent of those who get it don't have any. Josh Michaud of the Kaiser Family Foundation was one of the guests who answered that question. "Among the 20 percent who do show symptoms, they have those mild symptoms that we've talked about: the rash, the red eyes and the fever," said Michaud. Watch related video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke: A question from Zambia concerned the virus coming to Africa. Zika originated in Uganda but did not seem to cause microcephaly there. But, should it return to Africa from Brazil, no one knows what the outcome would be. Lisa Ortiz, who spoke to VOA in Washington, had advice as good as any expert could provide, even though she's not one. "We always need to take precautions just in case. You never know how quickly these things can spread," said Ortiz. That's also what the experts say, like Ron Waldman of George Washington University. "I don't like to say this, but I am afraid it's the truth: we don't have enough information yet to answer many of these very, very good questions that are coming from the viewers and listeners," said Waldman. A university student union leader facing sedition charges in India was attacked outside a New Delhi court Wednesday, days after he was arrested. Last weeks detention of Kanhaiya Kumar, a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, has fueled widening protests by students and teachers demanding his release and counter protests by those who say they will not tolerate anti-national activities. The detention has also led to charges by critics the government is stifling student activism on campuses. Violence outside courtroom A group of lawyers shouting nationalist slogans allegedly kicked and punched Kumar when he was brought to court for a hearing and pelted stones at journalists present. The violence took place despite a Supreme Court order for police to ensure safety on the premises, where similar scuffles erupted Monday. Kumar was detained following a recent police crackdown at the prestigious university, where a group of people chanted anti-government slogans at an event marking the 2013 execution of a Kashmiri convicted for his role in a 2001 attack on India's parliament. A University of Delhi professor has also been detained on sedition charges and police are mounting raids to hunt for others who shouted anti-India slogans. Senior government ministers have defended Kumars arrest and say shouting slogans that speak of splitting India into pieces will not be tolerated. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said forces trying to unite the nation will not spare those who are trying to divide it. At a rally led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, Wednesday in Delhi, he defended the action against Kumar, saying, All students at the university were not enemies of the country, but some students are using the campus for anti-national activities. Political activism The traditionally left-leaning student union at Jawaharlal Nehru University is known for its political activism. Many are questioning the sedition charges against Kumar. They say Indias sedition laws are a relic of British colonial rule that need to be scrapped and brought in line with a free and democratic society. Accusing Kumar of sedition is "ridiculous," said Ajoy Bose, an independent political analyst in Delhi. Sedition has been repeatedly defined as any act which incites violence or leads to violence immediately, so there is no case for the police to have rushed in there, and the kind of search and harassment of students and teachers which has followed. This is quite, quite, quite unprecedented, said Bose. In an appeal Wednesday, student leader Kumar said he does not support anti-national activities and called for calm on campuses and courtrooms. He is being held in custody until March 2. Opposition party and free speech activists are linking the police crackdown on students at Jawaharlal Nehru University to what they say is a rising tide of intolerance within the right-wing BJP and its affiliates. Concerns are also being voiced about the violence witnessed outside the courtrooms in Delhi. In some of its highest courts, if this sort of thing can happen, then this leads to complete anarchy. This is something quite serious, said political commentator Bose. A stay-at-home strike intended to pressure Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila to step down at the end of his term in December was widely observed, opposition and civil society groups said Tuesday. But while the action brought business and civic activity to a standstill in the capital, Kinshasa, opposition leaders said it may have little impact on Kabila's efforts to hold onto power. Traffic on the capital's normally bustling streets was greatly reduced, few of the shared taxis that ferry much of Kinshasa's workforce were running and the central market was largely empty, witnessed said. Most shops in the business district were closed. Congo, Kinshasa, Matadi, Goma, Bukavu, many towns were completely paralyzed. People didnt go to work, and the students stayed at home. That means that the people of Congo have shown Mr. Kabila that they want him to go, said Martin Fayulu, leader of the opposition Commitment for Citizenship and Development party. Kabila assumed power following the assassination of his father, Laurent, in 2001. He won elections in 2006 and 2011 that the opposition says were rigged. He is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. Kabila has not said directly that he wants to seek re-election. But Fayulu said the president has taken steps that indicate he wants to run again when his current mandate ends in December this year. His behavior has shown that he wants to cling on to power. He has appointed the people in the electoral commission, and those people are working for him to delay the election. We all know that elections should take place this year, latest November. But the electoral commission is saying that they cannot have election this year because the timeframe they have, they are not able to do that work. But we all know they are trying to delay the election, Fayulu said. Mass protests erupted last year against proposed changes to the electoral law, widely seen as a ploy to prolong Kabila's rule. More than 40 people were killed when security forces cracked down on the demonstrations. Fayulu said this time Congolese were to stay at home. January last year, we had people killed because the military and the police shot at people. But today, we told our people to stay home and we told the people not to engage in violence, we told people not to go to work and to stay at home, and everything went smoothly, he said. On Tuesday, the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and the International Organization of La Francophonie issued a statement urging all Congolese political actors to spare no effort, within the framework of the country's constitution, to ensure the successful holding of elections, preserve peace and deepen democracy. The organizations said the peaceful, transparent, smooth and timely conduct of the elections would greatly contribute to consolidating the progress made in the DRC for more than a decade. An international human rights group has accused Afghanistans Taliban of recruiting scores of children to its ranks for insurgent activities, including the production and planting of improvised explosive devices. The militant group has denied this. In a detailed report, New York-based Human Rights Watch demanded the Taliban immediately put an end to the illegal use of child soldiers. International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, prohibits the recruitment or use of children under 15 by parties to a conflict, it said. Children thrown into battle HRW senior Afghanistan researcher Patricia Gossman says the Talibans apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful. Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency, she added. The report says Taliban forces have been training and deploying child soldiers since the middle of 2015 due to expanded insurgent operations against Afghan government forces. It asserted that the Islamist insurgency has increasingly used madrasas, or Islamic religious schools, in the northern province of Kunduz to provide military training to children between the ages of 13 and 17, many of whom have been deployed in combat. The Talibans increasing use of children as soldiers only adds to the horrors of Afghanistans long conflict both for the children and their families. The Taliban should immediately stop recruiting children and release all children in their ranks, even those who claim to have joined willingly, Gossman said. The Taliban had briefly overrun the provincial capital of Kunduz during its offensive operations in the north in September. The findings are based on interviews it conducted with relatives of 13 children recruited as Taliban soldiers during the past year, says HRW, adding it verified these claims through interviews with civil society activists, political analysts and the United Nations. Taliban spokesman, Zabihulla Mujahid, in a written statement sent to reporters has denied it is adding children to its ranks. Children are neither recruited nor allowed to participate in Taliban jihadi activities in the battlefield or even in its administrative affairs, Mujahid asserted. Child civilian casualties The United Nations says conflict in Afghanistan continues to have a devastating impact on children and it continues to record high levels of child civilian casualties. U.N. Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui visited Afghanistan this week to review implementation of an Action Plan the Afghan government signed with the United Nations in 2011 and a road map to compliance in 2014 to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in its national security forces. Speaking to reporters in Kabul at the end of her five-day trip on Tuesday, she said Afghan officials recognize there is a problem and they are in the process of addressing it. People recognize that they have shortcoming that they have lack of capacity that they are acting under very difficult and complex circumstances that they are dealing with competing priorities and they do not have always the resources, expertise and the capacity to cover them all. So, this for me is half of the work done, said Zerrougui. Iran rejected appeals Wednesday from other oil-producing states to curb its oil exports to try to end the plunge in world crude oil prices, instead saying it intends to increase production. Iran's envoy to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Mahdi Asali, said Tehran intends to step up exports until they reach the level it had before international economic sanctions were imposed on it in an effort to force Iran to agree to a ban on its suspected development of nuclear weaponry. As the Iran nuclear agreement took effect last month, the sanctions were lifted and Iran says that within the next six to 12 months it intends to send another million barrels of oil a day onto the world market. That would add to the glut that has pushed prices down from $115 a barrel in mid-2014 to the current $30 range. Pre-sanction levels Before the sanctions took effect in 2012, Iran exported 2.5 million barrels a day, a figure that the United Nations and Western sanctions cut to about 1.1 million. Iranian oil officials met Wednesday in Tehran with their counterparts from Iraq, Venezuela and Qatar, discussing a plan adopted the day before by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar to freeze their oil production at January levels on the condition that other large oil states do the same. But Asali rebuffed the notion that Iran should maintain its production levels. "These countries increased their production by 4 million barrels when Iran was under sanctions," Asali told the Shargh daily newspaper. "Now it's primarily their responsibility to help restore balance on the market. There is no reason for Iran to do so." He said the four countries that agreed on the oil production freeze could stabilize oil prices on their own, if they cut their production by 2 million barrels a day. Doha agreement Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi said the January production levels are "adequate," but that the agreement reached in Doha is only good if other large producers sign on as well. "We don't want significant gyrations in prices," Naimi said. "We don't want a reduction in supply. We want to meet demand and we want a stable oil price." The pact to freeze production marked a shift in Saudi oil policy. For months, as oil prices have plunged, Riyadh had refused to curb its production in an attempt to force other oil producers, especially U.S. shale oil producers, out of the market. But with producers across the globe pumping too much oil, coupled with some economies slowing and thus not needing as much oil to fuel their industrial production, prices continued to fall. That in turn has hurt oil-dependent government budgets, particularly in Russia and Venezuela. But even oil-rich Saudi Arabia, with some of the world's biggest untapped oil reserves, says it has a record budget deficit. The Doha meeting could be a signal that oil-producing nations, including OPEC members, might eventually agree to an outright production cut to halt the 19-month slide in prices to their lowest point in more than a decade. Some analysts have predicted that prices will eventually fall to at least $20 a barrel before any recovery begins. A suicide bomber killed at least 10 soldiers Wednesday and wounded several others at a Yemeni army camp in the southern port city of Aden, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. The attacker, who was dressed as a soldier, detonated his explosives at the gates of the Ras Abbas camp, according to military officials at the scene. The targeted camp was being used to train of new recruits. The Yemeni government and its Saudi-led military backers are using Aden as a base for air strikes against Shi'ite rebels, known as Houthis, who control the capital, Sana'a. The blast came one day after al-Qaida claimed responsibility for an attack on a convoy carrying Aden's governor and security chief. Both men survived the attack. Apple computers is resisting a U.S. government order to unlock its encrypted iPhone software to help the FBI examine a phone used by the militants who killed 14 people in a terrorist-style attack in California in December. Apple's chief executive officer, Tim Cook, posted an open letter to the company's millions of customers Wednesday declaring the firm would challenge a court's order to devise new software that can defeat Apple's own security measures. The government's move is unprecedented and an "overreach," Cook said, and it has "chilling" implications for citizens' personal privacy. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers - including tens of millions of American citizens - from sophisticated hackers and cyber criminals," Cook said. "The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone ... would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe." Watch video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke: At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama views the encryption issue as "an important national priority," and fully supports the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice in their request to Apple. Cook said Apple has no sympathy for terrorists and was outraged by the attack carried out in San Bernardino, California, last year by American-born Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, a native of Pakistan. Apple has given the Federal Bureau of Investigation any relevant data it possesses, complied with all legal subpoenas and search warrants, and has offered its engineers' advice to federal investigators, he added. Backdoor The Apple CEO said the software the FBI is seeking is "too dangerous to create," and does not exist today. Known as a "backdoor," this method of accessing data could unlock any iPhone, anywhere, Cook said. "The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone," Cook said in his statement posted online. "But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable." Apple strengthened encryption of its phones in 2014 amid increased public concern about digital privacy. The government has complained in the past that the higher security measures make criminal and national-security investigations more difficult. Crack Farook's phone The court order issued Tuesday gives Apple the option of providing the government with alternative ways to access Farook's phone, as long as the methods bypass the auto-erase feature that automatically erases all data on an iPhone when invalid passwords are entered multiple times. This would allow the FBI to guess passwords until it could penetrate the encrypted data. The government also stipulated that Apple's "backdoor" should ensure that no other software on iPhones would delay repeated password guesses. With a new tool to bypass the auto-erase function, the FBI would be able eventually to unlock Farook's phone, which investigators believe would yield text messages, logs of telephone calls and web browsing data. "While we believe the FBI's intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect," Cook wrote. Rather than asking for legislative action by Congress, Cook said the FBI chose to propose "an unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority." "We are challenging the FBIs demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country," Cook wrote. "We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications." China watching closely China is closely watching the dispute, The New York Times reported Wednesday, adding that analysts say the Chinese government "does take cues" from the United States when it comes to encryption regulations. Beijing backed down on several proposals last year that would have forced foreign firms to provide encryption keys for devices sold in China, after heavy pressure from foreign trade groups. But a Chinese anti-terrorism law passed in December requires foreign firms to hand over technical information and to aid with decryption when the police demand it in terrorism-related cases. "While it is still not clear how the law might be carried out, it is possible a push from American law enforcement agencies to unlock iPhones would embolden Beijing to demand the same," The Times reported. A Malawian prison band whose album was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award in the Best World Music category did not win, but members hope they can make another run at a trophy in the future. Members of the Zomba Prison Project Band spoke with VOA on Tuesday at the maximum-security Zomba Central Prison, hours after the winners were announced, and no one seemed depressed about the failure to win the Grammy. The local and international fame they gained for just being nominated compensated for that, they said. Band leader Thomas Binamo said the nomination showed the world that there is talent in Malawi prisons. And inmate Chikondi Salanje said the talent the band demonstrated should make Malawi's president consider giving the musicians pardons so they can practice outside the prison. Acting Chief Commissioner of Prisons Little Dinizulu Mtengano, who founded the band in 2008, said he supported this idea. At least we [the prison band] have put Malawi on the world map, and the best reward to them [prisoners] is an amnesty to go home and enjoy with the family. But Mtengano noted that only the Malawian president has the power to pardon prisoners. WATCH: Zomba Prison Project Band Nominated for Grammy The prison bands 20-song album, "I Have No Everything Here," was recorded in 2013 by American Grammy-winning producer Ian Brenner, who later gave it international exposure. The album was competing with works from four international music stars for the Grammy: Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Gilberto Gil of Brazil and Anoushka Shankar from India. Kidjo won the award for her album "Sings." Germany's chancellor says it is in her country's national interest for Britain to remain in the European Union. Angela Merkel told German lawmakers Wednesday that many of British Prime Minister David Camerons proposals for EU reforms are "justified and necessary." "Because Cameron's demands are far from being demands that are just for Britain. In some cases we must say, quite the opposite. Many issues are issues that are justified and necessary," she said. Seeking an agreement An EU summit Thursday and Friday in Brussels will discuss British proposals and the blocs counterproposals in order to reach an agreement to keep Britain in the 28-nation union. Merkel spoke with a positive tone for a potential agreement to satisfy both. "It must be our goal to prevent discrimination but encourage distinction at the same time. And that is not in contradiction with the fact that the European Monetary and Economic Union will of course continue to make their own necessary decisions," she said. Other senior European Union leaders expressed their commitment Tuesday to help Britain remain in the bloc. Referendum on membership Cameron's Conservative Party has pledged to hold a national referendum by the end of 2017 on continued membership in the European Union. Cameron's proposals include building competitiveness into EU practices; making sure that non-euro countries, including Britain, are not discriminated against, clarifying that Britain is not formally obligated to work toward closer union with its European partners; and instituting curbs on migration and benefits. Less than a week after banning same-sex emojis, the Indonesian government has banned the popular blogging site Tumblr, saying it distributes pornography. According to the BBC, the Indonesian Information Ministry did not notify the New York-based company before announcing the ban. Tumblr is just one of about 500 sites the Indonesian government is banning for hosting pornographic content, according to reports. According to a 2015 report from Freedom House, Indonesias Internet is considered partly free, with the government having blocked various sites. In addition to the ban on gay emojis, Indonesia has seen blockages of Netflix and video site Vimeo, expressing concern about the appropriateness of the content found on those sites. Reddit and Imgur have also faced pressure from the Indonesian government to remove pornographic content. The government has also asked Twitter to develop filters to block pornographic content. Twitter is extremely popular in Indonesia, and in 2012, Jakarta was named the most actively tweeting city in the world. Companies not complying with the requests could be charged for forced out of the Indonesian market. One popular messaging platform, LINE, announced it had removed gay emojis in compliance with government requests. Tumblr has not commented. Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush got a lot of attention for tweeting a picture of a gun engraved with his name, but it was likely not the kind of attention he wanted. The former Florida governor tweeted a picture of a semi-automatic pistol Tuesday, captioned America. The instant response on social media ranged from outrage to mockery. People outside the U.S. posted pictures of things their countries are known for. Bush has yet to explain exactly why he posted the picture, although in his campaign appearances he has frequently stressed his strong support for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment guarantees Americans' right to own firearms, and it figures in the political debate over whether laws regulating gun ownership should be changed. The Second Amendment is under attack by Washington liberals like President [Barack] Obama and [former Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton, Bush's "jeb2016" website declared. The current administration seems only to care about restricting the rights of law-abiding Americans. Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday rescuers pulled three wounded people from the rubble of a hospital in northern Syria that was destroyed by an airstrike. The international aid group, known by its French initials MSF, posted on Twitter that search efforts at the site in Idlib province were continuing. MSF said Tuesday that 25 of its staff members were in the hospital when the attack happened Monday and that 11 people have been confirmed killed. The dead include five staff, five patients and a caregiver. Who is responsible for the airstrike is still unclear, and has led to competing accusations and denials. Syria's accusations At the United Nations Tuesday, Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari accused MSF of being a "branch of French intelligence operating in Syria," and said the group "assumed the full consequences" because it was operating without government permission. Jaafari accused the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition of carrying out the attack. U.S. Defense officials have stressed that no coalition aircraft were involved. "It's going to require a careful assessment from people on the ground. I know there are questions about the Russian activities in the region, but I can't say with specificity who was directly responsible," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday. The Russian government has also denied accusations that its air force was responsible. Syrian-Turkish Border Meanwhile, Russia called for a private meeting of the U.N. Security council Tuesday to discuss Turkeys shelling of Kurdish militia YPGs (Peoples Protection Units) positions in northern Syria. Ankara has been shelling YPG positions for several days to try to keep it from taking the strategically important border town of Azaz. . I called on our partners to work with Turkey to stop this unacceptable activity, Russian deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told reporters after the session. It looks very much like Russia is trying to change the subject, British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of Russias call for a meeting on the Turkish shelling. Echoing his foreign minister, he said Russia bombing hospitals in Syria is potentially a war crime and needs to be investigated. The Russian envoy dismissed Western skepticism over Moscows reasons for the meeting, saying instead of doing this senseless, useless, displaced propaganda, cooperation would be better. Russia has accused Turkey of buying and re-selling oil stolen from Iraq and Syria by the so-called Islamic State, a charge Ankara strongly denies. VOA United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met with Myanmar's army chief for talks aimed at transitioning to a democratically-elected government, following nearly five decades of military-rule. The meeting Wednesday is the third between Suu Kyi and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing since her National League for Democracy scored a massive victory over the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party in the November 8 election. Military officials confirmed the talks saying the two "discussed the rule of law and the ongoing process to create a lasting peace" during their meeting at army headquarters in Naypyidaw. The NLD has not released a statement about the meeting. Under Myanmar's current constitution, the military retains control of 25 percent of all parliamentary seats, as well as control of several key government posts, including defense, interior and border security. Many in the country fear the military will ignore the results of the recent election and maintain its grip on power, just as it did in 1990, when it cast aside a landslide victory by the NLD and put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for the next 20 years. But the president and the military chief have pledged to accept the election results. Myanmar's constitution prevents the 70-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi from serving as president, since her late husband and two sons are British. But she has suggested that she will rule through a proxy candidate. President Barack Obama says the U.S. Constitution is pretty clear that when there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Senate is to consider whomever the president nominates. Obama told reporters in Rancho Mirage, California, on Tuesday that he challenged anyone to give him a plausible rationale why the Senate would refuse to hold hearings on his choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He said there was no unwritten law saying a president who is about to leave office because his term is expiring cannot nominate a justice. Obama said the Supreme Court was the one part of the federal government where Americans would expect elected officials to rise above politics. He said he would do his job until the end of his term and that senators should also. WATCH: Obama Challenges Senate on High Court Nomination Hearings When asked whether he planned to nominate a moderate who would be more acceptable to Republicans, Obama said no. He said whoever he named would have an outstanding legal mind and would be indisputably qualified to sit on the highest court in the land. Obama again sent his condolences to the family of Scalia, who died Saturday at age 79, leaving a vacancy on the nine-member court at a crucial time. The court is scheduled to hear several major cases involving abortion rights, voting rights, immigration and Obama's signature health care act. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who decides the Senate's agenda, has said he will refuse to hold hearings on a new Supreme Court nominee. He said the next president, who takes office in January 2017, should make that appointment. Authorities in Pakistan have reported no progress in their probe to ascertain motives or locate the whereabouts of a visiting senior Afghan politician, nearly a week after he was kidnapped in Islamabad. Fazlullah Wahidi, former governor of Afghanistans western Herat province, arrived in the capital city with his family to apply for a visa to visit Britain. According to the initial complaint relatives registered with the Islamabad police, unknown men kidnapped him Friday afternoon from the guesthouse in which he was staying. The British embassy in Kabul does not issue visas to Afghans. Police and intelligence agencies have been working hard to resolve the matter but they have not yet made any progress, despite some encouraging initial leads, according to a Pakistani government official with knowledge of the probe, who spoke with VOA on the condition of anonymity. Afghan diplomats said they are in touch with the Pakistani government and hope for quick progress in the case. They feared the incident, if not resolved, could setback efforts the two countries are making to improve their strained ties. "The case if not resolved as hoped could severely impact prominent Afghan's traveling to Pakistan - something that actually needs to be encouraged and promoted for broadening positive interactions between our two countries as I want to push as part of my mission," Kabul's newly appointed ambassador to Islamabad, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal told VOA on Wednesday. Mysterious disappearance The mysterious disappearance of the former governor comes at a time when Pakistan and Afghanistan, together with the United States and China, have stepped up joint efforts to arrange direct peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban to end the Afghan war. Officials from the four nations are scheduled to meet again in the Afghan capital on Monday to further the peace process amid expectations that peace talks between the warring sides could start before the end of this month. For years, Wahidi ruled the eastern Kunar province abutting Pakistan before being assigned to govern Herat. However, President Ashraf Ghani months ago removed him from office in a bid to improve provincial governance. The missing Afghan politician is a vocal critic of Pakistans alleged interference in Afghan internal affairs and its secret support to the Taliban insurgency, charges Islamabad denies. Taliban denies involvement The Taliban has denied involvement in the kidnapping. There are enough problems for us [the Taliban] to deal with inside Afghanistan and our policy also does not allow us to conduct operations on a foreign soil, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA when asked whether the insurgent group was behind the abduction of former Afghan governor. Criminal gangs are blamed for acts like kidnapping for ransom in parts of Pakistan, particularly the largest city and commercial hub, Karachi. But such crimes are not common in the nation's capital. Officials do not rule out the possibility of internal Afghan rivalries. Extremists linked to the Pakistani Taliban who are waging a bloody insurgency against the state could also be behind Wahidis kidnapping. However, some Pakistani officials and critics appear unhappy over the former Afghan governors arrival in the country without giving prior information to local authorities to ensure his personal security. The Kenyan government is planning to build a new prison to confine only terrorist suspects and sympathizers. The facility is intended to deter the spread of terrorist ideology. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced plans to build a separate prison for terrorist suspects during a graduation ceremony for more than 2,000 new prison wardens. We will establish a new prison to hold violent extremist offenders. The truth of the matter is that we cannot allow them to spread their poison to vulnerable Kenyans, he said. The president did not give details about where and when the prison would be built. Some top security officials have raised concerns about terror suspects spreading their ideology to other prisoners and radicalizing them in jail. During the past four years, Kenya has witnessed a series of terror attacks from Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabab. The group is believed to have sympathizers in Kenya, especially in the Eastleigh district of Nairobi, home to many Somali immigrants. But the notion of a jail just for terrorist suspects is expected to raise eyebrows in the community of human rights activists. University of Nairobi Sociology Professor Octavian Gakuru questioned the methods to be used to confine minors and hardcore radicals. If a 14-year old found armed, commits a crime and mass murder or destruction of property, what happens? ... Those who are Kenyans and also those who are non-Kenyans should be given due protection and rights to law and justice, said Gakuru. Gakuru said the proposed institution must be a correctional facility, where people can reform. There is this view that human beings are able to change and also improve along the way at one point, so we never quite give up. I think that is why societies some of them now have abolished capital punishment, said the professor. Analyst Yan St. Pierre, who runs the Berlin-based security firm MOSECON, said Kenya would have to double its efforts to stop the spread of violent extremism and hate messages. The Kenyan government, like many other governments in Africa and around the world, they have to deal with terrorism and radicalization. We need to understand weapons will not do the trick, they will have to focus on discrediting the idea, as well and making sure its no longer appealing, he said. Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October 2011, after Al-Shabab carried out a series of cross-border kidnappings. The group has since killed more than 400 Kenyans. Experts say Japan's nuclear energy problems are worsening, five years after a massive earthquake unleashed a tsunami that melted down the island nation's nuclear reactors. Nine million cubic meters of radioactive waste, much of it soil, are stored unsheltered in black bags throughout Fukushima prefecture, preventing tens of thousands of residents from returning home. And the problem is going to worsen before it improves. An estimated 13 million cubic meters of toxic soil is yet to be collected and technicians have yet to solve the contamination issue inside the Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant. Government and industry officials acknowledge cleaning everything up -- including decommissioning the crippled reactors -- will take at least another 40 years and cost as much as $250 billion. And that timeline and the costs considered overly optimistic by some industry experts are based on nothing major going wrong. If another major earthquake hits and results in a tsunami, there will be major setbacks, admits the nuclear plants manager, Akira Ono. Thousands of workers are dedicated to keeping under control the plants six reactors, four of which either melted down or were severely damaged. Japan has never decommissioned a nuclear reactor, much less reactors as damaged as those at Fukushima. It has resisted offers from foreign companies to help formulate an adequate cleanup plan. Unfortunately the cleanup effort continues to suffer from an inability to face the long-term decisions that have to be made in order to develop and implement an efficient plan, said former U.S. diplomat Kevin Maher, who was running the State Departments Japan desk when the earthquake struck. The cleanup plan, he argues, should be driven by where to ultimately dispose the contaminated debris, fuel and water. Instead, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) continues to delay those decision, so we see the continual buildup of more stored water, because TEPCO can't decide what to do with it. An experienced program management company could make those decisions, said Maher, a senior advisor at NMV Consulting in Washington. Even if Fukushima residents with homes inside the exclusion zone are allowed to return, the thousands of bags of radioactive soil in the prefecture may give them pause. There is still lingering fear about radiation among the younger people who left the city, according to Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of Minamisoma, which had a population of 71,000 when the disaster struck. About 57,000 people have returned to Sakurais city, but few of the children or those of working age have come back. (More than 1,000 of Minamisomas residents perished in the earthquake and tsunami, as well as deaths attributed to the chaos of the mandatory evacuation.) The mayor notes that in adjacent villages encompassing 76,000 people, only about 5,000 residents have returned because of concerns about the radiation levels, which Sakurai said widely vary. The black bags of radioactive soil now scattered at 115,000 locations across in Fukushima are eventually to be moved to yet-to-be built interim facilities, encompassing 16 square kilometers, in two towns close to the crippled nuclear power plant. Authorities say the temporary storage sites are to hold the contaminated material for no more than 30 years before it is processed in a different prefecture, which has yet-to-be-named. But issues with owners who do not want to sell their properties, or with clearing titles for other land needed to build the temporary sites likely mean it will take many years for all those hurdles to be cleared, according to observers. The question of whether Fukushima can ever be adequately decontaminated is also an open one. Japans environment minister has had to walk back remarks she made about the governments decontamination target. Tamayo Marukawa last Friday apologized for saying the government aimed to reduce the radiation level near the Fukushima-1 plant to an annual dose of one millisievert or less, a goal that has no scientific basis. (The average yearly human dose globally from naturally occurring sources is about three times that amount, according to scientists.) The decontamination goal was set by the previous government, led by the Democratic Party of Japan, as requested by the Fukushima prefectural government. Minamisoma Mayor Sakurai, speaking Wednesday in Tokyo at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, chastised the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for getting its priorities wrong since the 2011 disaster. "Economy, economy, economy," the mayor asserted, is the central government's mantra. But for the politicians in the beleaguered Fukushima communities in the midst of an unprecedented nuclear decontamination project and focused on recovery and rebuilding, Sakurai said "we are holding the lives of the citizens in our hands." More than 18,000 are confirmed to have died or still listed as missing from the 2011 quake and subsequent tsunami. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is vowing a firm response to Wednesday's car bomb attack in central Ankara that killed at least 28 and wounded 61. The car bomb exploded as a convoy of military buses stopped at a traffic light in the Turkish capital, just a few hundred meters from parliament and military headquarters. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Turkey has seen similar attacks by both the Islamic State group and Kurdish separatist forces in recent months. Erdogan said the bombing exceeds all "moral and humane boundaries" and that Turkey will retaliate against both the attackers and the "forces" behind them. "Turkey will not shy away from using its right to self-defense at any time, any place or any occasion," Erdogan said. Witnesses said the blast could be heard across the city. Ambulances and police rushed to seal off the grisly scene, treat the wounded and put out the fires. The attack prompted Erdogan to put off a planned visit to Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled his trip to Brussels, where he was to have talked about the refugee crisis with other European leaders. The U.S., a key ally of Turkey, condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," according to a statement by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price. "We stand together with Turkey, a NATO ally, a strong partner, and a valued member of the Counter-ISIL coalition, in the face of this attack and pledge our ongoing cooperation and support in the fight against terrorism," the statement read. Pentagon chief Ash Carter also reaffirmed the U.S. relationship with Turkey. In a statement, Carter condemned the "cowardly" attack, which he said "only strengthens our resolve to deepen our ongoing cooperation in the fight against terrorism." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he hopes the perpetrators of the attack "will be swiftly brought to justice." John Bass, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said he was deeply saddened and shocked and sent his prayers out to the victims. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing, and police did not reveal any clues about who was behind the attack. The Islamic State group was blamed for last October's suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara that killed more than 100 people the bloodiest single terrorist attack in Turkey since it became a modern state in 1923. Turkey has also been battling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been fighting a 30-year guerrilla war for more Kurdish autonomy. The Turkish military has been a frequent target of the militants. An experimental therapy that harnesses the power of the immune system is showing remarkable success in the fight against some of the mostly deadly blood cancers. The work, headed up by Stanley Riddell, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the U.S. state of Washington, involves engineering the patient's immune system T-cells and has shown considerable promise in small clinical trials. In one study of 35 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, 94 percent experienced a complete remission. Fifty to 80 percent of patients with other blood cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, also saw a reduction in symptoms. "So, this is encouraging because these are all patients who have failed all conventional therapies, including many kinds of bone marrow and stem cell transplants, Riddell said. So these patients really do not have any other treatment options that are likely to put them into remission. So, getting these very high rates of remission is obviously very exciting for us." Immune system T-cells, which usually fight invading viruses and bacteria, can also mount a response to cancer, but they are soon overwhelmed by the disease. Tagging T-cells The work by Hutchinson researchers enhances this natural cancer-fighting ability. Riddell and his colleagues tagged patients' T-cells with cancer-specific receptor molecules that recognize and attack malignant cells. In this case, the T-cells were targeted at a series of blood cancers caused by a malfunction of B-cells, another immune system cell. Once the T-cells were modified, Riddell said, they were infused back into the patient, where they multiplied and continued to fight cancer. "So, that's the one interesting thing about this. It doesn't require repeated treatments or repetitive cycles of chemotherapy, Riddell said. That's what I think in the future may be most important for patients that it's a single treatment instead of many months of treatment." Living cancer therapy Manipulating the immune system has already shown promise against melanoma, a lethal form of skin cancer, and some lung cancers. But currently, immunotherapy is considered a treatment of last resort for other cancer patients. Riddell thinks that may change. "You know, we still have a lot of work to do to establish exactly where the place of immunotherapy would be in cancer therapy, he said, but there's no question now that it is becoming a very useful modality and, in some cases, is a replacement for, or just superior to, chemotherapy." Riddell and his colleagues presented details of their "living" cancer therapy, as they call it, at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Cubas foreign trade minister called for an end to the decades-old U.S. embargo Tuesday, saying his country welcomed the return of American business interests. The blockade doesnt allow American companies to come freely to Cuba to make business; thats a problem, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, Cubas minister of foreign trade and investment, said in a news conference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. The visit marked the first time in decades that a senior level Cuban official had spoken at the business federation. The United States and Cuba advanced a number of business deals this week, including signing an agreement that would allow U.S. commercial airlines to significantly increase the number of flights to Cuba and granting permission for a U.S. company to build a tractor factory on the island. Malmierca said American businesses are welcome in Cuba and would be treated as any other company around the world. He called the U.S. Treasury Department authorization of the factory license a very interesting possibility, but said it is only the first step in a series of negotiations between the American company and Cuban enterprises. The factory is expected to employ local Cuban workers. I hope it is not going to be a single decision, Malmierca said, noting that many other American companies have visited Cuba and are waiting on licenses from the Treasury Department. The two governments are doing their best working with a very complicated sanctions regime, said Jodi Bond, vice president for the Americas at the Chamber of Commerce, who joined Malmierca at the news conference. Bond said that until sanctions are ended, the United States will continue to see our foreign competitors access the market, while were not. Progress has been made, but U.S. companies still face significant obstacles to operating in Cuba. The Cuban government is a very bad borrower, said Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a research institution. It has never paid back a debt; it has not paid back its debts to the Paris Club, to Russia, to Japan, to anybody who has loaned it money. Gonzalez said Cubas credit history, combined with the strict sanctions regulations still in place, will likely dissuade American businesses from operating in Cuba, despite this weeks developments. U.S. companies will realize that they have to proceed very cautiously and they will not do anything against the law, said Gonzalez. U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro restored diplomatic ties between the two countries in 2014 and formally re-opened embassies in Havana and Washington last year. The U.S. presidential election in November will likely have a strong bearing on the development of business relations between the two countries. Gonzalez noted the presence of Cuban-Americans Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in the race, but said any one of the Republican candidates would likely strengthen the embargo until the dictatorship allows the people of Cuba to vote. Malmierca said bilateral relations have progressed too far to go backwards. No matter if the president is from one party or the other, theres a need to normalize the relations between Cuba and the United States, he said. Syrian rebel commander Abu Ali Sijjo has for months fought Islamic State, liberating a village along the border from the terror group, while at the same time battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Two months ago IS targeted the rebel commander in a car bombing he has a shattered shoulder and limited use of his right-arm. But as mainly moderate and Islamic nationalist rebel militias -- some backed by the U.S. -- are faced with an unrelenting Assad ground offensive, pulverizing round-the-clock Russian airstrikes and Kurdish attacks in northern Syria, even this rebel commander is questioning where his future allegiances may lie. Most rebel fighters and commanders are debating with themselves and each other about what they should do, how they should re-group and who they should align with in defense of what is left of the dwindling territory they are clinging onto in the Aleppo countryside. Some fighters have left the battlefield not from a lack of valor but in anger at what they see as Western passivity some say betrayal or in disgust with their commanders who still squabble among themselves. Others are pondering whether to join al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra or even Islamic State not out of theological reasons but to be able to continue to fight Assad. The picture is changing by the hour in the northern Aleppo in what one rebel commander told VOA is the make-or-break moment of the Syrian revolution. Heres a look at the "who, what, where and why" of the current situation on the ground in northern Syria and what it might portend for U.S. policy and the fate of the Syrian revolution. Are The Syrian Rebels United? The Syrian revolution has been marked by the fractiousness of its armed groups and political factions. In the face of impeding doom, deep divisions and disagreements remain. The former chief of staff of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), General Salem Idris, recently expressed his frustration to VOA about the bickering that erupted during an emergency meeting between militia commanders in the northern Aleppo countryside. They may lose everything but they still think about personal interests, he fumed. Over the past five years many attempts have been made to achieve some unity of purpose and alliances have come and gone with dizzying speed. As towns and villages have fallen the past week some to the Assad regime, others to fighters with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces disputes have continued to flare, including over decisions about whether to retreat, surrender or withdraw. In the town of Mare midweek some factions wanted to surrender; others refused to do so. On Monday, eight prominent Aleppo rebel groups agreed to unite for operational purposes under the tactical leadership of Hashim al Sheikh, a former member and ally of Ahrar al-Sham, the hard-line Islamist militia which is aligned with al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. Although this is not a full merger with Ahrar al-Sham, it will strengthen the Islamist group, and will likely better position it to absorb later other militias, fear analysts. If more rebels Jjin Ahrar al-Sham or Jabhat al-Nusra, doesnt this prove the rebels all along were extremists at heart? Syrian President Assad has always argued that his opponents are terrorists including political foes not even in armed groups. And that has been the constant refrain of Moscow. Since the Assad offensive started more than a week ago, that line has been echoed by the leaders of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). Its leader Saleh Muslim declined to condemn the Russian airstrikes and Assad offensive in an interview with VOA, insisting that the Russians and regime forces were just attacking terrorists, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra. The commanders of the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PYD, insist the towns they have been overrunning this week are being grabbed from Ahrar al-Sham or al-Qaida fighters. But towns like Tell Rifaat were never in the hands of either Ahrar al-Sham or Jabhat al-Nusra, and fighters from al -Qaidas Syria affiliate long ago vacated much of the northern Aleppo countryside, although in some areas they have returned since the offensive, especially in the city of Aleppo to fight alongside other rebel factions. A rebel realignment that appears to be emerging that strengthens Salafi-Jihadist and hardline Islamist groups will be a self-fulfilling prophecy, argue many Syria watchers. They say Moscow has been pursing a strategy it used in Chechnya: target the moderates and crush them, which in turn leaves only extremists remaining, allowing the regime to force people and foreign governments to choose between either the regime or the extremists with no moderate alternative. It is straight out of the Kremlin playbook: destroy the middle ground, back us or back the extremists, says a senior European Union diplomat. With the noose tightening around the city of Aleppo and militias on the back foot in the countryside to the north of the city, many rebel fighters will have no option but to join the bigger more powerful groups like Ahrar al-Sham or al Nusra or align with them, says Bassam al Kuwaiti, a well known figure in pro-opposition civil society circles. They will follow anyone who can pay them and give them a gun and ammunition, he says. They will also have to do so for self-protection reasons, he adds. Where do the Kurds come into this? The YPG dominates the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces. Some Sunni Arab and Turkmen militias are also members of the SDF but several have checkered histories and have formed opportunistic alliances in the past with rebel militias they are now fighting. Some have even worked with jihadists in the past. Some fighters are from Western-backed militias such as the Hazzm Movement and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, which collapsed last year after being attacked by by Islamist militias and al-Nusra. The SDF, which was unveiled in October, was embraced by U.S. officials as a proxy army to partner with in northern Syria to fight Islamic State and was seen by Washington as an alternative to a ground force the Obama administration had hoped to recruit from scratch and train and equip. Until the Assad offensive, the Kurdish-dominated SDF focused on fighting IS to the east of the Euphrates River and received arms supplies from the U.S. to do so. But in December it seized the Tishrin dam from the terror group and some of its fighters to the anger of Ankara crossed west of the river. There were signs SDF fighters would move into the Aleppo countryside. PYD leaders have made little secret they want to unite Kurdish cantons along the border. Once the Assad offensive started SDF fighters mainly Kurdish launched attacks on FSA and other rebels in the Aleppo countryside not from the East but from their enclave at Afrin to the West, seizing at first a couple of villages. But they have quickly expanded, exploiting the Assad offensive and Russian airstrikes, which noticeably have not been targeting them, to seize more towns and territory, including a major airbase that has been in rebel hands since August 2013. This week they occupied the strategic town of Tell Rifaat, just 15 kilometers form the border with Turkey. YPG commanders and the PYDs social media propaganda machine deny the Kurdish action has been coordinated with the Assad regime or the Russians. They contend they have sheltered Arab Sunni families who have fled heavy fighting in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin and by taking towns are ensuring they are denied to the regime. Syrian rebel commanders, however, insist there has been clear military coordination, and say they will never forgive what they consider treachery by the Kurds. The spectacle has been bewildering of U.S.-backed Kurds who now appear to be Russian-backed, too battling U.S.-backed rebel militias, prompting head-scratching from some analysts and triggering loud accusations from rebels that Washington and Moscow are in league with each other. The Obama administration has urged the Kurds to restrain themselves but the rebels say that if Washington really wanted the YPG to stop it could exert more pressure. Where does this Leave the US ? The realignments and shifts will impact U.S. strategy in Syria, say analysts. The Obama administration has made the defeat of the Islamic State its top priority in Syria and has argued only a political solution and not a military one can resolve the five-year-long civil war that has left upwards of 250,000 people dead. It has been reluctant to get drawn into the civil war, although it has wanted to see Assads ouster. But some analysts warn that even the U.S. objective of defeating IS will be undermined by the events of the past week. The U.S. requires partnerships with Syrian armed opposition groups in order to destroy ISIS and al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al Nusra in the long term, warns analyst Jennifer Cafarella in a paper for the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank. Without local Sunni partners that hold the support of the population, the U.S. faces high costs to destroy ISIS and al-Qaida in Syria and risks failure, she says. Rebel commanders say that the U.S. will find fewer militias trusting it in the future. America by its inaction is pushing fighters to join IS or Jabhat al-Nusra, says Abu Ali Sijjo. They are pushing us towards extremism, he warns. What is Turkey doing? Turkeys leaders have long argued that Western policy has been flawed and that IS cant be vanquished until Assad is ousted. The two are connected, they say, and extremists will thrive in the chaos of the civil war. They lobbied last year for the U.S.-led international coalition to carve out a safe haven for the rebels and civilians in northern Syria. Last autumn, it looked as if Washington would agree to this in return for the use of a NATO airbase in Turkey for coalition warplanes striking at IS. But after weeks of talks Washington decided against establishing a safe haven. Turkish and Gulf allies such as Saudi Arabia have been lobbying for a ground force to intervene in Syria but in recent days they have made it clear that such a force would have to be agreed by the coalition and there are no signs of Western appetite for such an intervention. Now the Turks are calling for a smaller safe haven to be established around the border town of Azaz to protect the tens of thousands of displaced civilians there and to avoid the Turks having to open the border to admit them. The Turks have warned also they will not tolerate the Kurds expanding their territory in the Aleppo countryside and are continuing to shell YPG positions. The shelling though hasnt stopped YPG advances. And, according to the rebels, isnt helping them either as it is it not deterring the Russian airstrikes. Six local government workers died of asphyxiation in the Bolivian city of El Alto after a group of protesters occupied and set fire to the municipal offices Wednesday, El Alto's local government said. Tensions are high in the country ahead of a national referendum Sunday which will ask Bolivians if they wish to alter the constitution to allow President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term. The municipal government of El Alto a fast-growing satellite city of La Paz said in a statement that six of its workers had died after the violent occupation of their offices by protesters with links to Morales' socialist party. El Alto is governed by the opposition. Marcelo Elio, a home office deputy minister, accused El Alto's government of throwing boiling water on the protesters and causing the tragedy. "It is a plan orchestrated inside the local government," he said. Rifts have deepened in recent months between supporters of Morales, who credit him with using a natural gas windfall to tackle poverty in one of South America's most deprived countries, and those who accuse his government of corruption and waste. Critics say his attempt to change the constitution to allow him to stay in power until 2025 is anti-democratic. Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, who was re-elected to a third term in 2014, says a yes vote is crucial to allow him to continue his social programs. As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination heats up between Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the close contest is drawing attention to the nomination process and the people called "superdelegates" who could have enormous influence over its outcome. The two major American political parties begin the process of selecting their presidential nominees by holding elections in each state. These contests, known as primaries or caucuses, determine most of the support that candidates will receive from delegates at the party convention later this year. Winning the state contests means more delegates backing a candidate in the party convention. However, this does not account for all of the delegates who can vote at the convention. Delegates vs. superdelegates The Democratic nomination will be determined by 4,763 total delegates 4,051 chosen by the voters and 712 superdelegates. The superdelegates include all of the party's governors, the president and vice president, all of its members in Congress, and also all members of the Democratic National Committee. That includes elected representatives, like mayors and county executives, as well as presidents of various Democratic organizations. The Republican Party nomination will be determined by 2,472 total delegates, of whom 168 are superdelegates. There are, however, big differences in how much power each party allows its superdelegates. The Democratic superdelegates can vote for whomever they want at the convention, with no obligation to voters preferences. In contrast, the Republican Party requires its superdelegates to support the candidate their state supports, just like regular delegates. The impact Sanders beat Clinton by a 15-to-9 margin in the New Hampshire primary this month. But six of New Hampshires eight superdelegates support Clinton, pushing her total from New Hampshire up to at least 15. The other two superdelegates remain uncommitted. So Clinton could theoretically get more delegates from a state that she lost by a wide margin of the popular vote. In fact, Clinton had a large national lead over Sanders before the race even started, because at least 360 of the 712 Democratic superdelegates had already pledged their support to her. That in itself does not assure the former first lady of a win, because theres nothing binding them to her candidacy. In 2008, many superdelegates shifted their announced support from Clinton to Barack Obama as it became clear that the then-senator from Illinois was winning the popular vote. Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump is lagging behind Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of Republican voters. In the survey which contrasts sharply with other national polls Cruz received 28 percent of the vote, narrowly leading Trump at 26 percent. Trailing behind were Florida Senator Marco Rubio at 17 percent, Ohio Governor John Kasich at 11 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 10 percent and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush at 4 percent. The poll, taken after Trump's New Hampshire primary win, diverged sharply from last month's NBC/WSJ survey in which Trump led Cruz by 33 percent to 20 percent. It also diverged from an earlier Quinnipiac University national poll that showed Trump with 39 percent support, followed by 19 percent for Rubio, 18 percent for Cruz and other Republicans even further back. Despite the signs of weakening support for Trump, he appears to still enjoy a strong lead in South Carolina. Tuesday's CNN/ORC poll showed Trump with 38 percent support ahead of Republican voting in the Southeastern U.S. state, a 16-percentage-point advantage over Cruz and wider leads over the other four remaining candidates. Democratic race In the Democratic presidential race, a CNN poll showed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, locked in a tight race ahead of Saturday's party caucuses in the Western state of Nevada, best known as the U.S. gambling hub. The survey showed Clinton edging Sanders, 48 percent to 47 percent, in a state where the country's onetime top diplomat once held a commanding lead. Quinnipiac said Clinton was also narrowly ahead nationally over Sanders, by a 44-42 margin, as both parties head to a large number of state-by-state party nominating contests in the next month.. Meanwhile, a CNN survey in South Carolina, where Democrats are holding a primary election February 27, showed Clinton with a large lead over Sanders, 56 percent to 38 percent. A Quinnipiac polling official, Tim Malloy, said, "Reports of Donald Trump's imminent demise as a candidate are clearly and greatly exaggerated. Like a freight train barreling through signals with his horn on full blast, Trump heads down the track towards a possible nomination." He cautioned, however, "There is a 'but.' Trump's raw numbers are formidable, but he trails the pack on some 'from the gut' character measurements," such as the finding that Bush leads the Republican field as the top choice among party voters who value government experience as the most important characteristic. "Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton are neck and neck," Malloy said. "But while Bernie has the trust, Hillary has the experience. Two different measurements of two dissimilar candidates." A previous Quinnipiac poll earlier this month had Trump leading with 31 percent. Since then, he easily won last week's New Hampshire primary and three of his opponents dropped out of the race. Kasich finished second in New Hampshire and saw a bump in his support in the latest survey from 3 percent to 6 percent. Bush, the son and brother of two former U.S. presidents, rose slightly to 4 percent. Democrats signaled they believe Clinton has a better shot at taking the November general election, with 83 percent saying she has a good chance to win and 69 percent saying Sanders has a good chance. The Quinnipiac poll showed just over half of Republicans have settled on a candidate and 45 percent may still change their minds. Two-thirds of Democrats have chosen their candidate. Turkish officials want coalition backing to secure a strip of territory 10 kilometers deep on the Syrian side of the border around the town of Azaz to protect tens of thousands of displaced civilians, and avoid having to admit them into Turkey. Officials, however, say they are getting little support for the idea from coalition partners such as the United States. Deputy Prime Minister Yalcn Akdogan said Wednesday such a safe zone would also help prevent attempts to change the demographic structure of the area, a reference to Kurdish forces who have exploited a week-long Assad offensive to grab several villages and towns near the border with Turkey from rebel militias, including some backed by the U.S. Turkish officials accuse the Kurdish militia, the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, of seeking a demographic change in northern Syria by displacing Turkmen and Sunni Arab communities. The YPG denies this, but has made little secret of its wish to unite Kurdish cantons along the border. Turkey is coming under increasing pressure from Western governments and aid agencies to open the border and admit civilians who have fled heavy fighting in Syria's northern Aleppo countryside. Fears are mounting for civilians crowded near the border. Relief workers say there is neither enough food to go around for them nor tents. We keep asking the Turkish government to admit them, but we just get stonewalled, a British official told VOA. "What we want is to create a secure strip, including Azaz, 10 kilometers deep inside Syria and this zone should be free from clashes, Akdogan told AHaber television. 'Safe strip ' The proposal is a slimmed-down version of a much larger haven in northern Syria the Turks lobbied the U.S.-led coalition for last summer. Western diplomats say there is little appetite for a safe strip around Azaz, saying it would require coalition warplanes to patrol and protect it, something Washington has made clear it is not prepared to do for fear of being drawn into direct confrontation with both Russian and Syrian regime jets. Akdogan warned another 600,000 people could flee to the Turkish border. There are conflicting estimates from relief organizations and Western governments about how many displaced civilians are sheltering near the border. They range from around 50,000 to more than 100,000. A senior Russian diplomat Wednesday also dismissed the idea of a haven and no-fly zones proposed earlier this week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said in remarks reported by the Interfax news agency that any no-fly zone would need to be approved by the Syrian government and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. But a Turkish official told VOA that there are indications Russia may support the idea of a safe strip at peace talks next week in Geneva. The official, who asked not to be named, said Moscow may accept the idea because it means Russia can duck the problem of what to do with tens of thousands of displaced civilians. In an interview Wednesday with Reuters, Turkeys foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said there is no consensus within the coalition about sending a ground force in to Syria, another key Ankara demand. Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia and some other western European countries have said that a ground operation is necessary ... but to expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is neither right nor realistic," he told the Reuters news agency. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have said they are ready to send ground forces as part of an international coalition against the Islamic State terror group, but in concert with the United States. U.S. officials fear such a force would be quickly drawn into the civil war raging in Syria. If such an operation is to take place, it has to be carried out jointly, Cavusoglu added. He said such an operation had not been seriously debated. The coalition has not given this ground operation issue serious debate. There were opponents, and there were those who weren't going to take part but expressed a desire for Turkey or another country doing it, he added. Pessimism about peace talks Cavusoglu held out little hope for U.N.-brokered peace talks set to resume Feb. 25 in Geneva, saying, One needs to be realistic. While bombs are falling from the sky and people are being massacred under the pressure of the regime or are being starved, the talks cannot be very fruitful. The Turkish foreign minister said considerable differences remain between the U.S. and Turkey over the role Kurdish fighters are playing. On Sunday the United States called on the YPG to stop using the current circumstances to seize additional territory in the northern Aleppo countryside. The United States has called for Turkey to display reciprocal restraint by ceasing shelling of YPG positions in northern Syria, according to White House officials. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded angrily to calls for his country to halt its cross-border shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria, saying Ankara "has no such plans." Addressing local officials Wednesday, Erdogan also said Turkey would not allow the Syrian Kurdish forces to establish a stronghold at the Syria-Turkey border. Turkey fears the Kurds are determined to unite their canton of Afrin with the town of Kobani and further east to create a contiguous Kurdish state along its long southern border, a move that could encourage Kurdish separatists in Turkey. Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has assured Ugandans that Thursdays presidential and parliamentary elections will be peaceful. He urged all registered Ugandans to turn out in droves. The prime ministers appeal comes as fears mount that Thursdays vote could turn violent. But Rugunda said there is no cause to alarm. I personally encourage and the government encourages all the registered voters to turn out in big numbers to ensure that they vote for party and candidates of their choice and for parties of their own choice, he said. The reassurances come as reports say many Ugandans are fearful the elections could turn violent. Ugandan police Tuesday blocked main opposition candidate Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and his supporters from accessing parts of Kampala to hold their partys final rally before Thursdays vote. Prime Minister Rugunda described the incident as regrettable but says Besigye and his supporters were not supposed to campaign through the central business district of the capital. Besigye was going to the business district which was not part of the program and the [pre-determined] route that he was supposed to take, and the police said no you cannot come in the central business district because this will disturb the active business environment. Continue to take the route that you and the police had agreed on. So that was the incidence. It is regretted but came as the result of insistence on passing through a route that was not in the plan and not agreed upon with the police personnel, Rugunda said. Local media have reported that while insisting that Besigye could not campaign through the Kampala business district, the police have not enforced the same law when incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has done the same. Prime Minister Rugunda said the police have been implementing the law, but there have been some instances where they have allowed some candidates to conclude their rallies beyond required time. The police officers who are in charge may sometime allow some candidates conclude their meetings, but all in all respect for time and the regulation about the election is indeed what has been followed by the candidates, Rugunda said. The elections in Uganda are very competitive. The campaigns have been going at least for the last three months. They have been basically peaceful, and the elections tomorrow will be peaceful. The government and its agencies are ready to ensure that peace is kept and people vote without fear, without intimidation and select candidates of their choice, and therefore there is cause to alarm, he said. Local media report Besigye concluded his campaign Tuesday by urging his supporters to vote early and protect the vote. He said he had garnered enough support to win the election. Get to the polling stations early and ensure that by midday all our votes have been cast, Besigye said, according to the local Daily Monitor newspaper. He reportedly urged his supporters to stay at the polling stations until the results have been declared. Seven candidates, including former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi are vying to unseat President Museveni who has been in power for 30 years. This is Besigyes fourth campaign for president. Ukraine's government faced fresh challenges at home and abroad Wednesday, when a major political party withdrew from the governing coalition and Russia filed suit against the country over a $3 billion Eurobond debt. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced her Fatherland party was leaving Ukraine's governing coalition, which she criticized as an obstacle to reforms. Tymoshenko, who leads the smallest of the coalition's four factions, accused its participants of colluding to protect their seats. President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who survived a no confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday, retain a parliamentary majority despite the exit of Tymoshenko's party. They lead the largest factions in the coalition, with 217 of the parliament's 450 seats. Tymoshenko's Fatherland party holds 19 seats. Russia files lawsuit Also Wednesday, Russia filed a lawsuit against Ukraine in London's High Court over a $3 billion Eurobond debt that Moscow says Kiev has refused to repay. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the lawsuit was filed "after repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage Ukraine in constructive dialogue about restructuring the debt. Moscow loaned Kyiv $3 billion in December 2013, shortly before Ukraine's then president, Russia-backed Viktor Yanukovych, left the country in the wake of mass protests. Kyiv has argued that Moscow's multi-billion-dollar loan was a bribe to Yanukovych for his November 2013 decision to annul a free trade agreement with the EU that Kyiv has since signed. Ukraine has been locked in a bitter tug-of-war with Russia since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and began supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine. Fighting between government forces and the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014 and destroyed Ukraines industrial heartland. Growing disenchantment Just before Tuesday's no confidence vote, Poroshenko urged Yatsenyuk to resign, after opinion polls showed growing public disenchantment with Yatsenyuk's pro-Western government. Recent opinion polls found that 70 percent of Ukrainians supported Yatsenyuk's ouster and only one percent backed his People's Front parliamentary bloc. The 41-year-old former banker vowed to clean up the government by cutting its ties to tycoons. However, voters soon grew suspicious that he was backing the interests of the billionaires he had promised to cut off. The United Nations is preparing to ask international donors for $1.8 billion to pay for humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen this year. U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council the appeal will be launched on Thursday. He laid out the effects of the devastation Yemen has experienced in the past 12 months, and said the money would pay for food, water, sanitation and urgent healthcare for up to 10.6 million people. A conflict between Houthi rebels and the government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi intensified in March 2015 when the Houthis, who already controlled the Yemeni capital, pushed south to the port city of Aden and sent the president fleeing to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis came to Hadi's aid by leading a coalition conducting airstrikes against the Houthis. O'Brien said Tuesday the fighting has killed more than 6,000 people, half of them civilians, while forcing 2.7 million people to flee their homes. Hundreds of health facilities have been closed because of damage or lack of staff, and millions of children are no longer attending school. O'Brien highlighted difficulties in getting aid to areas controlled by the Houthis, the government and militants, reiterating their responsibility to facilitate humanitarian access. "I cannot overstate the importance of donor support for this endeavor, nor the urgency we face in responding to humanitarian needs that only deepened as the conflict intensifies," he said. The U.N.'s Humanitarian Response Plans usually fall far short of their fundraising goals. Last year, the HRP for Yemen came with a request for $1.6 billion dollars, while donors contributed just over half that amount at $893 million. Two other U.N. officials expressed special concern Tuesday about the situation facing civilians in Yemen. Adama Dieng, the U.N.'s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, said all parties in Yemen's conflict continue to target civilians, and that there is extensive evidence of violations that may amount to war crimes. "One year after the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, the world is witnessing the erosion of respect for international humanitarian and human rights law on a daily basis," they said in a joint statement. They called for investigations into alleged violations with the support of the global community, with the possible establishment of an international mechanism for accountability in Yemen. Dieng and Welsh also warned that the violence in Yemen could have dire impacts on the rest of the Middle East. "The international community cannot afford to underestimate the risk of a spillover of a conflict that is fueling religious and sectarian divide. We must, collectively, make the protection of the civilian populations of Yemen our primary consideration if we are to avoid a catastrophe in this region, said the statement. The United States is confident that Haiti will move forward with a presidential runoff vote on April 24, a senior U.S. official said in Washington on Wednesday, days after Haitian lawmakers chose a Senate chief as the island nations interim president. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State and Haiti Special Coordinator Kenneth Merten told reporters the U.S. stands ready to facilitate the electoral process if requested, adding the U.S. has spent $33 million in support of Haitis election process. As one of Haitis many international partners, the role of the U.S. is to support and strengthen democracy in Haiti, Merten said. Merten's remarks came after Haitian lawmakers selected Jocelerme Privert as the interim president over the past weekend. Under an agreement reached by Haitian leaders to install a provisional government, Privert will serve up to 120 days. The winner of the presidential runoff vote on April 24 will take office three weeks later for a five-year term. Haiti was left without a president when embattled former president Michel Martelly resigned on February 7 under the requirement of the constitution. The vote to choose Martellys successor was postponed over fears of violence. The United States supports credible, transparent, and secure elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people, and we believe that only a democratically elected government provides the legal legitimacy to govern Haiti and provides the Haitian people with the transparency we certainly believe that they deserve, Merten said. Haiti's political crisis can be traced to last October, when Martelly's favored candidate won the first round of election. Fifty-four candidates were seeking to succeed Martelly. Opposition presidential candidates criticized the polling, saying there were signs of fraud and the ballots were being manipulated illegally. A second round of voting has since been postponed following mass protests and the opposition's reported refusal to participate in the process. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. For decades it has been unable to build a stable democracy. Analysts say political turmoil has discouraged much-needed foreign investment for the countrys recovery from a catastrophic earthquake in 2010. The United States has praised Bahrain's steps toward political reform, but said the country needs to do more, adding that U.S. officials will continue to press concerns over freedom of expression and other related rights. "Bahrain has made progress in some areas, including by creating institutions that improve oversight of security institutions, but more work remains to be done," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday on the five-year anniversary of an uprising in the U.S.-allied Gulf kingdom. Earlier, an American freelance journalist said she and the three members of her camera crew were safe and in good health after being released from detention in Bahrain, where they had been accused of participating in an illegal gathering. The four U.S. journalists arrested in Bahrain while covering the anniversary of the island nation's 2011 uprising were released and flew out of the country Tuesday, a lawyer said. "My team and I feel very fortunate to have been permitted to leave Bahrain last night," Anna Day, a freelance journalist who has reported for numerous media outlets, said in a statement issued by two journalist colleagues. Despite charging them, Bahraini officials allowed them to head for the airport, apparently after the intervention of the U.S. Embassy in Manama. Bahrain is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and surrounding waterways crucial to the global oil trade. Their arrest and charges highlight the sensitivity the kingdom still feels five years after the uprising, as low-level unrest and protests continue. The World Health Organization is appealing for $56 million to fund a Global Action Plan to combat the Zika virus, which is spreading across Latin America. The virus is suspected of causing microcephaly, or brain damage in babies and Guillain Barre, a neurological disorder. The World Health Organization strategy focuses on mobilizing and coordinating the abilities and expertise of the agencys many partners to help countries tackle the Zika virus. This includes increasing surveillance of the Zika virus and the disorders that could be linked to it, controlling the spread of the mosquito that carries the virus and providing information to communities so they can take measures to protect themselves. The strategy also calls for ensuring medical care to those who are infected and to fast-track research and development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Global strategic response WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier tells VOA the new emergency plan is an important part of the international response to control the spread of the Zika virus. This is a very important tool we have to respond very flexibly and quickly and to bring us all the partners on board and combine expertise as quick as necessary, he said. The Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947 and has spread from Africa to other regions. The infection is mild and is not life threatening. But Lindmeier says the possible association of the virus with microcephaly and Guillain Barre is very worrisome. He says it is the suspected linkage that has prompted the World Health Organization to declare Zika a public health emergency of international concern. This is something we see in larger numbers now and a few more countries, up to eight, have been reporting Guillain Barre. Now one has been reporting microcephaly, that is Brazil. And, here, of course, we need to fully establish what the possible links are between Zika and these diseases and anomalies and how we can break into those links, he said. The WHO says it expects to know within the next few weeks if the Zika virus and microephaly are linked . It says a Zika vaccine will not be available for at least 18 months. Unorthodox tools On Tuesday the organization said countries dealing with Zika outbreaks should consider unorthodox tools, such as genetically modified mosquitos, to halt the spread of the virus. The Zika virus is transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Both the Cayman Islands and Panama have had some success in releasing genetically altered male mosquitos that cannot produce viable offspring. But environmentalists caution against using altered mosquitos, saying the long-term effects of killing off an entire insect population is unknown. Blood donations Also Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended people who have had potential exposure to Zika put off donating blood for at least four weeks. They include people who show any symptoms of Zika, anyone who has traveled to a Zika-stricken area, and those who have had sex with someone who lived in or traveled to one of those countries in the last three months. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says its provincial secretary for security, Elliot Shelton, has been kidnapped by unknown people. PDP secretary general, Gorden Moyo, said Shelton was allegedly kidnapped by men, suspected to be state security agents, who were driving a truck without registration numbers in Gwanda, Matabeleland South province, on Wednesday afternoon. The alleged kidnapping has sent shock waves across the small mining town. Last year journalist and political activist, Itai Dzamara, was kidnapped in Harare by unknown people suspected to be state security agents. He is still missing. His organization is urging President Robert Mugabe to step down claiming that he has failed to properly run Zimbabwe. A PDP official in Gwanda, Petros Mukwena, told Studio 7 that police have indicated that Shelton is not in their custody. "We cannot say this was an arrest," said Mukwena. "No charges were preferred against him and he is nowhere to be seen." The European Union (EU) has extended restrictive measures imposed on President Robert Mugabe, his wife, Grace, and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries(ZDI) for another year. This comes at a time President Mugabe held a meeting with an American delegation in Harare yesterday in which he expressed dismay over the restrictive measures also imposed by the United States. The EU announced in a statement that its council adopted a decision on Monday to extend the restrictive measures until February 20, 2017. It said the decision followed an annual review of EU sanctions imposed on Mr. Mugabe and his inner circle, accused of allegedly rigging elections and human rights violations. The European Union noted that the sanctions will continue to apply on Mr. Mugabe, his wife and ZDI while measures against five high ranking members of the security apparatus will remain suspended. It said 78 persons and 8 entities against whom the sanctions had been suspended will be removed from the list though an arms embargo remains in place. The EUs move comes at a time when President Mugabe met with an American congressional delegation, which is in the country to discuss animal conservation measures. Mr. Mugabe is said to have told the delegation led by Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona that the sanctions should be removed. It is not yet clear who was accompanying the American delegation when it met President Mugabe as US ambassador designate, Mr. Harry Thomas Junior, has not yet presented his credential to the president. Some Harare residents like Andrew Svosve said the renewal of these sanctions shows that the EU is confused about the current situation in Zimbabwe. Svosve added that the restrictive measures have lost meaning. Tonderai Karirangwe, a Zanu PF supporter, blasted the EU for extending the sanctions saying the West is still angry over Zimbabwes land reform programme introduced in 2000. He pointed out that the EU may have extended the sanctions as a way of punishing Zimbabwe for the disappearance of Occupy Africa Unity Square leader, Itai Dzamara. We do not know anything about this Dzamara issue. The police are busy searching for Itai Dzamara. Now, why they are bringing in sanctions we do not know the reason. They are always hiding on the human rights issue. As a country we have a democratically elected government which observes the rule of law. Maybe it is because we took our farms from the British that is why they want to further the embargoes, said Karirangwe. Dzamara was abducted by unknown assailants almost 11 months ago. His organization was calling for Mr. Mugabe to step down, claiming that he has failed to rule Zimbabwe. But Garikai Nhekede, a human rights activist, says sanctions imposed on Mr. Mugabe and his inner circle should remain. The European Union from 2002 when they imposed sanctions it was because of the human rights abuses which the Harare administration was perpetrating on its citizens. These issues are still pending, for example, now Itai Dzamara who was a journalist and human rights activist is missing. He was abducted last year and is yet to be found. We also have a recurrence of land grabs from the remaining few white commercial farmers. These are the issues America and the EU have been highlighting since 2002. It is also my position that until Mr. Mugabe and his administration start to respect human rights as well as to observe the constitution, the EU and America then only will they wholly remove the sanctions. Ostallos Siziba, a student at a local university, concurred saying the EU got it right. Zanu PF has over the years claimed that the sanctions are unjustified. The party's spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the restrictive measures should be removed. But Dewa Mavhinga of Human Rights Watch said Zimbabwe has not yet responded to calls for political and electoral reforms being demanded by the West and its citizens. Western Global Airlines of Estero, Florida, the American corporate owner of a cargo jet impounded in Harare on Sunday after a bloodied body of a man was discovered aboard during a refueling stop, says the person was a stowaway though authorities in Zimbabwe are still investigating the incident that has grabbed world attention. Western Global is privately owned by James K. Neff and Sunny Neff. A statement from the owners said the MD11 aircraft, en-route on Sunday to Durban, South Africa, from Munich, Germany, was carrying a diplomatic shipment for the South African Reserve Bank. It expressed its condolence over the death saying, "We are saddened that a person has lost his life by stowing aboard one of our cargo aircraft. As compared to other forms of transportation, stowaways on airplanes are rare, but almost always result in fatality. In most cases airport security prevents this from happening but it should never be attempted for any reason. The company acknowledged that it was working closely with the Zimbabwean authorities as they fully investigate this situation. We appreciate their professionalism and the care they have shown our crew, our cargo and our aircraft. Along with our customer, Network Airline Management, we express our condolences and support the efforts of the Zimbabwean government. We also appreciate the dedication of our crew, the patience of the South African government while awaiting its shipment and the engagement of the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe. US embassy spokesperson, Karen Kelly told VOA Studio 7 that they are referring all questions to the Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean Republic Police spokesperson, senior assistant commissioner Charity Charamba said investigations are still under way and its a long process. Charamba added that the post mortem is being done in Zimbabwe. The South African Reserve Bank says it is still "working closely" with relevant authorities to have a consignment of its bank notes, which were detained at Harare International Airport, released and transported to South Africa. Charamba said she can only focus on the investigation into the cause of death and not the money, believed to millions of rands. The statement added that Western Global Airlines is in continuous contact with its crew and when cleared to do so; they will complete the last leg of this charter." The Western Global Airlines aircraft in question is leased to Network Airline Management, a logistics provider, which was engaged to deliver a diplomatic shipment of South African currency from Munich, Germany, to Durban on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank. The company says, All necessary documentation for the flight and its cargo was in order and in compliance with international law. The aircraft departed Munich, Germany's airport, on February 13, 2016, with a crew of three pilots and a mechanic as well as two passengers traveling as couriers for the diplomatic shipment. The aircraft made a refueling stop at Zimbabwe's Harare International Airport approximately nine hours later. During the refueling process, ground crew attending the aircraft noticed unusual streaking on the nose gear and upon further investigation; a deceased male was discovered in a compartment adjacent to the wheel well. At present, the identity or nationality of the deceased is not known. It is not clear when or how the deceased accessed the aircraft and Western Global is working with authorities to back trace the aircraft's route of travel. The company has confirmed that its normal service, safety and security inspections which meet or exceed all security, maintenance and operational standards were performed by its maintenance personnel prior to the flight and that cockpit crews conducted exterior walk-arounds prior to departure. But the company says, The area where the body was found is an area not visible to these inspections and there is no indication the stowaway's presence affected the operation of the aircraft. How common are stowaways? Since 1996, there have been 105 stowaways on 94 flights worldwide, according to the Federal Aviation Administration in an e-mail to USA TODAY Network. More than 76% of those attempts resulted in deaths, the FAA says. The FAA's numbers reflect stowaways in the wheel wells, nose wells and other unpressurized areas. The statistics don't include people who sneak into the cargo compartment or passenger area. Stowaways in wheel wells, as in the most recent case, have to contend with freezing temperatures, lack of oxygen and the risk of being crushed by the plane's wheels. Lex McAllister. Photo: Craig Sjodin/ABC The Bachelor contestant Alexa Lex McAllister died from an apparent suicide on Saturday, according to the Columbus Division of Police. ABC reports that a friend found her after she saw a text from McAllister Saturday afternoon saying she wanted to end her life. McAllister woke up and was taken to Grant Medical Center. TMZ reports that her body began to shut down at the hospital, and her family decided to take her off life support on Tuesday. She was 31. McAllister was an Ohio native who worked for a financial-planning company. She appeared on season 14, when Jake Pavelka was the sought-after suitor, and was eliminated in the first week. (Pavelka has tweeted his condolences: Im so sad to hear about Alexa. Such a beautiful girl. My heart breaks for her family. Covering them in prayer during this rough time.) McAllister is not the first death to emerge from that season: Fellow contestant Gia Allemand committed suicide in 2013. Beyonce may lead the formation in her latest world-stopping event, the surprise release of Formation one day before she performed it at the Super Bowl, but she isnt the only southern queen whose voice youll hear on the song. Shes joined by New Orleanss Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia, who arrives midway through the song to reinforce Beys hot-sauce-carrying swag with some slay-spo of her own: I did not come to play with you hos! I came to slay, bitch! I like corn breads and collard greens, bitch. Oh yas, you besta believe it. Its words to live by and, according to Freedia, the code of the Crescent City. Vulture spoke with Freedia after a whirlwind week at Mardis Gras about what it really means to slay, Beyonces southern roots, and why its a waste of time to protest Queen B. Were people shouting your Formation verse at you all through Mardis Gras? Oh my Gooood Formation! I came to slay! they would say all kinds of stuff. It was crazy, like I might need a bodyguard. I was trying to be chilling, relaxing but it wasnt working. But I had fun. Did you know the song and video were dropping the day before the Super Bowl? Not exactly that day, but when we spoke, I knew it was coming out within the next two or three days. I was like oh my God when I saw it. I couldnt believe it. How I found out was my phone blew up; thats how I knew it was out. I had been asleep, and then I woke up to everyone saying, Congratulations, I heard you on that song! So of course I went to immediately find it. I was just shocked. Im still shocked. Any favorite moments from the video? Well, of course the line about having hot sauce in my bag. Red Lobster there are so many things that stuck out. Its such a phenomenal video, which is normal for Beyonce. She puts out phenomenal pieces, and she worked really hard. Thats why shes the Queen B. Theres a piece on Slate as well as others by black women from New Orleans that argues Beyonce appropriates New Orleanss collective trauma post-Katrina in the video. Did her intentions behind the song and video feel genuine to you? Oh yes. You know, being the artist and not knowing when you sometimes create a song, you dont think about whether its gonna start controversy or whatever. Sometimes you just write and youre in the zone. But I think with this song, once they wrote it and got everything together, the director [Melina Matsoukas] decided on some things they were gonna put in it. Because of course they had a concept for it. And I think they just thought: Were gonna do this, and were gonna get our message across. Beyonce has a platform; whats a better way to speak on your platform than through your music? Some issues just need to be dealt with that were still dealing with in the world, with police brutality and racism. Im glad she spoke out on it. You dont feel like she misrepresented or exploited the city? No, not at all. And shes not even that far from here; her family is from New Iberia. So its all down south and a part of Louisiana. What do you think about people protesting now? Theres even an anti-Beyonce rally planned for outside the NFLs New York City headquarters [Ed. note: Only three people actually showed up to protest Beyonce, while the BeyHive swarmed it]. Some people think the video and Super Bowl performance are anti-police. When we see police, we get frightened because we dont know what the situation may turn out to be. We dont know if were gonna get locked up, if theyre gonna beat us, we dont know. These protesters are wasting their time, and its bullshit that theyre gonna do an anti-Beyonce rally over this here. Do something more creative for the world; do something more creative for New York. Shit. How did it feel to hear Messy Mya, another New Orleans bounce queen whom Beyonce samples, on the song with you? That was awesome another person repping New Orleans and bounce-music culture. Its unfortunate that we lost him to violence, but it was an amazing feeling to have him open this Beyonce song. Did you know him before he was killed? Yes, I did. He looked up to me. He was just starting he was more of a comedian and then became a bounce rapper. So he kind of did something that none of us did. He was just what his name said: Messy Mya he would look at you and read anybody, no matter who it was, a grandma or grandpa, whatever. And we lost him to whatever nonsense [led to his murder]; it was nonsense that he got killed over, and very unfortunate for the city of New Orleans. Where did you get the inspiration for your verse? Well, they said, Give us some New Orleans. [Laughs.] What does slaying mean to you personally? Its an attitude that represents that city [New Orleans] in a word. Flavor, fever, and fears. In your memoir, you told so many beautiful stories about New Orleans, including what happened to you and your family during Hurricane Katrina. Do you plan to write more about your life? Yes, but itll be a cookbook. Im a beast in the kitchen. [Laughs.] And then I have a few things that Im considering you know, I wanted to do a kids book. So depending on which one publishers like, thats what Ill be putting out. Most valuable Republican Donald Trump is stumping for votes in South Carolina, but that doesnt mean that he doesnt have time for a little phone chat with Stephen Colbert. In fact, Colbert has an orange phone with a toupee on it designated specifically for the former Apprentice host, sort of like the mythic red phone the U.S. president had to call the Kremlin, or the one Hillary Clinton answered in 2008. Anyway, sure enough, Trump calls, and they have a pretty lovely chat, the way JFK might have had with Khrushchev. Last night, Eagles of Death Metal, who were caught in the midst of the Paris attacks three months ago, returned to the city to perform. The band took the stage at the Olympia concert hall, as Le Bataclan, the theater they were playing when the violence that claimed 89 lives broke out in November, has yet to reopen. According to reports from the scene, front man Jesse Hughes greeted the crowd with a brief, Bonsoir, Paris, were ready for this! before starting the performance. Josh Homme, who rarely performs live with the band, also took the stage to play drums. The set list included renditions of Dont Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!), a cover of the Rolling Stones Brown Sugar, and Speaking in Tongues. Between songs, Hughes later added, Peace, love, and rock n roll! Eagles of Death Metals Paris performance comes after the band restarted their canceled European tour with a stop in Stockholm this weekend. In an interview with French TV station iTele before the Paris performance, Hughes discussed how he still experiences nightmares about the attacks, and went on to call for universal gun ownership. Until nobody has guns, Hughes said. Everybody has to have them. The band will continue their tour through Europe in the following weeks and then continue on to South America. The gang is back doing their own things! Photo: Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank When Friends ended its prime-time reign in 2004, the six actors went on to achieve varied success outside the constraints of the famed sitcom some readily maintained their commercial appeal, while others, though certainly still household names, never quite rose to that level of prominence again. But checking in with the cast today, theyre all quite gainfully employed, and it appears we may be in the midst of a Friendaissance. Matt LeBlanc A longtime enthusiast of motor sports, LeBlanc appeared on the BBCs widely popular Top Gear in 2012 where he set a new record in the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment. The good vibes stuck with the producers: It was announced earlier this month he would be one of the new hosts of the rebranded Top Gear (more on that controversy here), sharing hosting duties with Chris Evans and other gearheads. Aside from the BBC, LeBlanc will be starring in a new, cheekily named comedy pilot for CBS, Im Not Your Friend, about a contractor who learns that raising his kids is more challenging than expected when his wife goes back to work. Additionally, his Golden Globewinning comedy/drama Episodes will begin shooting its last season in the spring. Hes also a member of Taylor Swifts squad. Courteney Cox Fresh off six seasons of cult-favorite Cougar Town (and a poorly received directorial debut at the Tribeca Film Festival), Cox will be starring in and executive-producing a new comedy pilot for Fox called Charity Case. The sitcom follows a widow who inherits her late billionaire husbands charity instead of the wads of cash she wouldve preferred. Shell soon be gracing the big screen in a supporting role in Mothers Day, an independent drama that centers around a rock photographer who is riding a career high when an unlikely and unexpected pregnancy forces her to turn her lens inward and see her relationship with her estranged mother with fresh eyes. Matthew Perry After a slump of failed prime-time shows that never made it past the first season (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, Go On), Perry went on to co-create a revival of The Odd Couple for CBS. He serves as a writer and executive producer for the sitcom, and portrays one half of the odd couple: the sloppy and scruffy Oscar Madison. While reviews have been mixed, it was renewed for a second season that begins airing in April. Perry also made his playwriting debut with the original play, The End of Longing, earlier this month at Londons Playhouse Theatre (which kept him from attending the quasi-Friends reunion in Los Angeles). It follows four almost-40-somethings who, after sharing one raucous night together in a downtown Los Angeles bar, [become] irreversibly entwined in a roller-coaster journey that forces them to confront the darker sides of their relationships. Current reviews are divided. Lisa Kudrow Kudrow has maintained her status as a respected actress and comedian on the big and small screens. She revived her HBO comedy-drama series The Comeback in 2014 to glowing reviews (while simultaneously starring in Web Therapy, the Showtime improv-comedy show she co-created). This year shes slated to appear in two comedy films Neighbors 2 and Table 19 as well as the highly anticipated adaptation of the psychological thriller novel The Girl on the Train, as a character named Monica. She also memorably lent her voice-acting chops to Wanda the owl in BoJack Horsemans second season. David Schwimmer Although hes remained relatively quiet in recent years choosing to do directorial work over acting Schwimmer has nestled his way back into our hearts in recent weeks as O.J. Simpsons defense attorney and loyal friend, Robert Kardashian, on FXs The People v. O.J. Simpson. Hell also be starring in AMCs upcoming crime drama, Feed the Beast, which follows two best friends who take one last shot at their dream of opening a restaurant. There are also rumblings that Madagascar 4 may be happening (Schwimmer voices the beloved cowardly giraffe, Melman). Jennifer Aniston Aniston certainly never left the Hollywood spotlight shes currently one of the highest-paid and valuable women in the industry. Since Friends, shes co-created the production company Echo Films and primarily stuck with film parts (mostly romantic comedies). She nabbed a Golden Globe nomination in 2015 for her role in Cake, and shell be in two films this year: the celebrity-packed omnibus comedy Mothers Day (no relation to Coxs, funnily enough) and an adaptation of the war novel The Yellow Birds. Photo: James Gunn/Instagram Writer-director James Gunn proudly presented official photography from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 today, in which the Guardians return as what appears to be a gang of spooky roadies, and sang the praises of official new cast member Kurt Russell. My favorite movie as a small child was The Strongest Man in the World, so Im glad to announce that, yes, Kurt Russell has joined our cast and, yes, he is more awesome a dude than I ever could have imagined, Gunn gushed on Instagram. He also revealed that Pom Klementieff would play Mantis, and that Elizabeth Debicki and Chris Sullivan would also join the cast. Most important, look at Baby Groots silly little legs! Look at them! Oh Lord, hes like a baby that can fight and is also wise. You just want to put him in a flowerpot and carry him around with you, but dont do it. Hes very busy. They have a lot more movie to shoot. Oh no, and is he holding onto Draxs ear? Oh no. Oh no. Every week, Vulture and friends highlight the best new music. If the song is worthy of your ears and attention, you will find it here. Read our picks below, share yours in the comments, and subscribe to the Vulture Playlist for a comprehensive guide to the years best music. Kanye West feat. Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin, and The-Dream, Ultralight Beam Kanye always knows which songs deserve late-night eyes the last two times he blessed SNL, he gave them the live debuts of Wolves (on SNL 40), as well as Black Skinhead and New Slaves (both back in 2013). Now hes moved on to dropping whole albums on SNL, but not before he could prove to skeptics that freewheeling tweet storms and confusing roll-outs aside his music, the nucleus of this whole spectacle, is still worth their time. If I had to sell The Life of Pablo off one song, Ultralight Beam is a god dream of a single that will never makes sense as one. Its an exorcism in song form (it begins with a clip from a viral video of a little girl commanding, We dont want no devils in the house!), one that will at once have Kelly Price and Kirk Franklin take you to church, and see Chance the Rapper anoint himself Kanyes loyal disciple (I met Kanye West, Im never gonna fail). Kanye West is very much an afterthought on this song its hard to preach the good word when youre the one in need of saving. Believe him when he says this is everything. TLOP is an album about suffering, about a crisis of faith, both personal and spiritual, but above all its about dreams. Those beautifully rare ultralight beams. Dee Lockett (@Dee_Lockett) St. Vincent, Emotional Rescue Some songs just ooze sex; so do some people. Tilda Swinton, St. Vincent, and Mick Jagger are those kind of people, and they each make those kind of songs (obviously for Tilda her songs are her films). Combining the three should be illegal, but here we have St. Vincent covering the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue for Tilda Swintons new movie, A Bigger Splash. Jackpot! The original has so many shades of the Bee Gees (particularly in Micks upper register), but St. Vincents is all Prince, thanks in part to some assistance from Kendrick Lamar faves Terrace Martin and Sounwave. Sweaty, funky, orgasmic Prince. DL Sara Hartman, Stranger in a Room German newcomer Sara Hartman covers Jamie xxs Stranger in a Room to gloriously sentimental results. Her version comes with a thumping heartbeat of a tempo with sharply accented guitar chord transitions. It resembles the emotion of Alessia Caras Here without the overarching message. Hartman will be one to watch in 2016, especially if she can muster more original songs, like last years Monster Lead Me Home. Justin McCraw (@JustinMcCraw) James Blake, Modern Soul For whatever reason, James Blake has been keeping his new album from us for months. Its possible its not done yet; after all, Kanyes not the easiest guy to get to commit to a schedule, and Blake has said hell be on it. At least until he delivers, hes still quenching our thirst with one-offs, the latest being Modern Soul, a fitting title given Blakes whole aesthetic. Its typically gorgeous and feels like it could go on forever, no matter how many times Blakes feathery voice tells you, I want it to be over. DL 1975, Somebody Else The boys of 1975 return with a single that may be a critique of app-driven dating culture. Im looking through you while / Youre looking through your phone / And then leaving with somebody else. Its a broken-heart-type love song that spreads smooth electronica with shades of the 80s. I can imagine these guys being at a bar in sunglasses and shoulder-padded blazers trying to get on with their lives, while still holding on to what could have been. Despite the synthesized voices near the end that detract a bit, I would still swipe right on this song. JM Kendrick Lamar, Untitled 3 Did you really think Kendricks big Grammy-owning night would come and go without new bars from K.Dot? Every time Kendrick has performed on TV in the last year it seems like hes debuted something new, and Monday night was no exception. After a chill-inducing medley of The Blacker the Berry and Best Rap Song Alright, he dived into a brand-new stanza, especially for the Grammys. Ask any black person and theyll tell you we entered a new civil-rights era on February 26, 2012, the day Trayvon Martin was murdered for being black. It changed everything, including, as Kendrick tells it, any progress we were foolish to think wed made. 2012 was taken from the world to see / Set us back another 400 years / This is modern-day slavery. DL Karma and Amy are back together after a summer apart in the new season of Faking It, but things are less than perfect. Karma doesnt want to be friends with Amy, Amy wants to be friends with Karma, and everyone hates Karma except for Shane. Got that? Feel like youre back in high school? Good. Pretty sure thats what the show is going for. Though hes not in the trailer, this season will feature a trans actor, newcomer Elliot Fletcher, following a nationwide casting call for trans actors and actresses. Not bad, MTV. Your move, other networks. For the second time in nine months, the owners of the Westview Village shopping center at Valley Mills and Waco drives have changed the locks on a space that first housed Tonys Chicago Grill and most recently WiseGuys Chicago Eatery. WiseGuys reportedly had fallen behind on lease payments. WiseGuys called it quits after the close of business Saturday, one day after owner and operator Barbara Klyczek told the property owners, Hoppenstein Properties, she would be closing the restaurant. A sign appeared on the front glass of the establishment that read: We are officially closed. Thank you. Beside it was a letter signed by property company president Norman J. Hoppenstein announcing the changing of locks and news that the tenants right of occupancy has been discontinued. Vivian Griffith, a bookkeeper for Hoppenstein Properties, said she could not comment on whether Klyczeks payments are in arrears. That space needs something else, something besides the Chicago food business. Thats just my opinion, Griffith said. She already has shown the 3,350-square-foot space to one prospect and has answered a phone call from another would-be tenant, she said. Klyczek, originally from Chicago, could not be reached for comment. She reprised the WiseGuys name in September of last year, taking over what once was a popular destination for customers craving sandwiches, sausage, Italian dishes and Chicago-style pizza. Gangsters such as Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano leered down on the dining room from photographs, along with newspaper accounts of Prohibition-era killings that served as wall decorations. With her grand opening behind her, Klyczek said, It was a good day. A lot of regulars are beginning to stop by and enjoy the food. But apparently the good times did not last. Im assuming they just didnt have any business, Griffith said. Motorists passing by the shopping center even months after WiseGuys had opened could see someone holding a sign in the parking lot announcing the arrival of the restaurant. Klyczek secured a license to operate a WiseGuys in Waco from company founder Bill Nychay, who had introduced the Central Texas market to his Chicago-style food and mobster memorabilia in 2010. To meet growing demand, he took on new partners and opened two more locations, both in Killeen. Later, he entered Waco, placing a restaurant in Westview Village. It became popular with members of law enforcement and with the gun-rights crowd, as he posted signs that gave a special welcome to those with a concealed handgun license. Local gun clubs even met in a back room. Nychay said the reception he received locally was heartening. And even after ownership stripped him of his involvement and changed the name to Tonys Chicago Grill, customers kept in touch with him on social media and wished him well, he said. Tonys Chicago Grill folded in May 2015, with Griffith saying: They are out of here. They will not be reopening. Griffith at the time and on Tuesday declined to comment on the reason the door was locked or whether the owners had missed lease payments. A sign posted on the front window of the restaurant instructed Ambolds Key Lock & Alarm to perform lockout at above-referenced location. Three months later, Nychay had paved the way for Klyczek, a former employee, to open her own WiseGuys under his auspices. Nychay, according to a WiseGuys location in San Antonio, is vacationing outside the country and could not be reached for comment. The WiseGuys website says the company now has two locations in San Antonio and one in Indian Harbour, Florida. Under pressure Sammy Citrano, owner of the popular Georges Restaurant & Catering on Speight Avenue in South Waco, said the influx of new restaurants is putting pressure on everyone in the business. If youre not better than they are, youre in trouble, Citrano said. People have a lot more choices for eating out. He said even convenience stores are selling more food than they once did, and its not getting any easier to find people to work. In Waco, you get your 90-day look, and if you can survive the onslaught and people like you, you may stand a chance, Citrano said. Its all about being consistent, having something people want to have and creating a niche for yourself in terms of food and service. Three former correctional officers at the Jack Harwell Detention Center were indicted Wednesday on charges that they altered documents following a suicide in the jail to make it appear they conducted scheduled inmate checks in the hours leading up to the suicide. A McLennan County grand jury indicted Michael Wayne Crittenden, 24; Milton Edward Walker, 33; and Christopher David Simpson, 24, each on a charge of tampering with government records, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. All three were employees of LaSalle Corrections, which operates the Harwell private jail on State Highway 6. Waco attorney Phil Frederick, who represents Simpson, and attorney Will Hutson, who represents Walker, both declined comment about their clients case. Court records indicate Crittenden does not have an attorney. Surveillance video showed that Crittenden, Walker and Simpson all lied about conducting head counts in N-Wing in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, according to records filed in the case. A review was conducted after Michael Angelo Martinez, 25, of Waco, was found unresponsive in his single-person cell. Martinezs death was ruled suicide by asphyxia. Martinez had been in jail since Aug. 18 on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine. He also was being held on a federal detainer, according to county records. Sheriff Parnell McNamara said Martinez was in the section of the jail where inmates are to be checked every 30 minutes. Walker was supposed to conduct observation checks from 1:05 a.m. through 3:25 a.m. as well as 4:35 a.m. through 6:17 a.m. He signed off on head-count documents at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 31 and 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. the following morning. Video surveillance confirmed Walker did not actually conduct head counts, an affidavit written by Detective Kimberly King states. Crittenden and Simpson also are alleged to have failed to perform head counts during the early morning hours of Nov. 1 and then filling out paperwork that stated they had done them. McLennan County received a notice of noncompliance Nov. 5 from the state jail commission because inmates known to be mentally ill or suicidal were not checked on every 30 minutes, according to a report. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards report states observations should be performed at least every 30 minutes in areas where inmates are known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior. Brandon Wood, Texas Commission on Jail Standards executive director, told the Tribune-Herald at the time that the commission reviews operations at a facility after an inmate death. McLennan County commissioners in June extended their contract with LaSalle Corrections through June 2018 to allow the company to continue operation of the Jack Harwell Detention Center. All three men remain free on bail. Waco City Council on Tuesday agreed to allow homebuilders to create smaller lots in the heart of the city but remained split on the need for a special permit to allow them. The council voted 5-1 to cut the minimum lot size in half if certain conditions are met. The ordinance also would require the applicant to get a special permit, subject to a public hearing before the Plan Commission and council. The council will hold a second and final vote on the ordinance March 1. Dillon Meek, who represents North Waco, cast the dissenting vote, saying the special permit requirement is an unnecessary hurdle to redeveloping the inner city. Councilman Kyle Deaver agreed but voted with the majority after council members Alice Rodriguez and Wilbert Austin voiced worries about adding small homes to established neighborhoods. The ordinance would apply only to certain zoning categories within the City Center area, which stretches from East Waco to North 25th Street and from Baylor University to Cameron Park. Imagine Waco plan The ordinance was inspired by the Imagine Waco plan for the city center and is intended to repopulate inner-city areas that have lost population. Several property owners have expressed an interest in small-lot developments, including Nancy Grayson, the Lula Janes bakery owner and Rapoport Academy founder, who wants to build cottages just off Elm Avenue. In a public hearing Tuesday, Grayson urged the council to pass the ordinance without the special permit requirement, which she called redundant. She said the proposed ordinance already holds small-lot developments to a high standard, including requirements for architectural review by city staff to ensure the compatibility of the design with the surrounding neighborhood. The ordinance requires front porches and street-facing doors, as well as restrictions on occupancy, parking, driveways and access. Small lots also would be prohibited on streets narrower than 26 feet wide. Last month, by a 10-1 margin, the Plan Commission recommended the council pass the small-lot ordinance without the special permit requirement, as city staff had recommended. Several commission members urged the council Tuesday to allow the small lots by right. The staff has done a fabulous job, so safeguards are in place, commission member LaRaine DuPuy said. If one more roadblock, i.e., a special permit, is put in place, I think thats going to be a deterrent to people who might be interested in doing this. Commission chairman Jose Villanueva said the ordinance allows the owner of a city block to add several more homes, making inner-city development more cost-effective. He said staff review is enough to resolve issues with parking or compatibility. Having it be by special permit, that tells city staff we dont trust them, Villanueva said. Commission member Andrew Lopez disagreed, saying he supports projects such as Graysons but wants Plan Commission and council review to ensure compatibility with existing neighborhoods. In an afternoon work session, Councilwoman Rodriguez, who represents South Waco, said she would approve the ordinance only with the special permit requirement. Rodriguez said she has no problem with a contained development of small-lot homes, but she is uneasy about allowing small lots with small homes to be shoehorned into existing neighborhoods. She said she worries the houses could eventually become an eyesore. I was raised in a house like that, said Rodriguez, who grew up near First Street Cemetery in a house that later was razed by federal slum clearance programs. My neighborhood was all shotgun houses. Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr. said he gave weight to the concerns raised by Rodriguez and Austin, since their districts could be especially affected by the ordinance. He argued that a special permit would not create an intolerable burden on applicants time, since they would normally be going through a two-month re-platting process anyway. Meek suggested that the city waive the $250 special permit fee, but Duncan said he was uneasy with setting a precedent for waiving those fees. Payday lending In other business Tuesday, the council approved on its second and final reading an ordinance regulating payday and auto title lenders. The ordinance, identical to those passed in some 30 Texas cities, limits the size of payday and auto title loans according to the borrowers income and limits the number of times a loan may be renewed. The measure passed 5-1, with Councilman John Kinnaird opposed on grounds that financial institutions should be regulated by the state, not the city. A grass-roots group called Citizens for Responsible Lending has been pushing for the regulation for the past year and found a champion in Meek. Phil York, one of the groups organizers, said he was gratified by the councils vote, but the groups work in curbing lending abuses isnt over. A lot of our energy will be going into education, York said. This is just one piece. PRESS RELEASE Residents of Sarasota and the surrounding community will have an opportunity to get their hands on history March 2 through 6 when the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) flies into Sarasota-Bradenton airport for a 5 day event. Aircraft include the CAFs iconic B-29 Superfortress, a P-51 Mustang, a C-45 Expeditor, a T-6 Texan, a PT-13 Stearman and a T-34 Mentor. Visitors will be able to see the aircraft up close, watch them fly, and also purchase rides. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress, first flown in 1942, began active service in 1944 and is perhaps best known as the aircraft whose missions over Japan helped bring about the end of World War II. It was designed as a replacement for the older B-17s and B-24s, with longer range and greater bomb loads. The B-29 was also used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and was a staple of the U.S. Air Force until the late 1950s. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron, Americas tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, is also bringing its RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit mobile theater to the event. The exciting RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is a fully functional movie theater featuring the original short film Rise Above, designed to take the audience on a journey through time and then through the air. The theaters dynamic 160-degree panoramic screen creates the sensation of being in the cockpit soaring above the clouds in the P-51C Mustang, the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII. It is much more than a history lesson; the Tuskegee Airmens ability to triumph over adversity serves as a means to inspire others to RISE ABOVE obstacles in their own lives and achieve their goals. The admission cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children age 11 through 17. Children age 10 and under are free. The airplanes will be on static display when they are not flying. Entrance to the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is FREE with admission. Ride prices range from $75 to $1895. Advance ride reservations may be made at www.AirPowerTour.org where additional information about the tour stop may also be found. Aircraft will be on display at Sarasota Bradenton Airport, Rectrix Aerodrome Center, 1234 Clyde Jones Road in Sarasota Wednesday, March 2 through Sunday, March 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ B29B24Squadron/ Twitter: @b29b24squadron Promo video: If These Planes Could Talk About the CAF B-29 Superfortress FIFI: FIFI was acquired by the CAF in the early 1970s when a group of CAF members found her at the U.S. Navy Proving Ground at China Lake, California where she was being used as a missile target. The airplane was rescued and restored and flew for over thirty years until 2006 when the chief pilot made the decision to ground her pending a complete power plant re-fit. What followed was an extensive four year restoration that included replacing all four engines with new custom built hybrid engines. FIFI returned to the sky in 2010 and since that time has traveled coast to coast attracting large crowds at every tour stop. Learn more about FIFI and her tour schedule at www.AirPowerTour.org. About the CAF Red Tail Squadron: The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to educating audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Americas first black military pilots and their support personnel. RISE ABOVE Red Tail, their three-fold outreach program, includes a fully restored WWII-era P-51C Mustang, the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen; the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit 53 mobile theater featuring the original panoramic film Rise Above; and resource materials for teachers and youth leaders. Each year, they embark on a nine-month cross-country tour that includes appearances at air shows, schools, museums and community events. The groups Six Guiding Principles Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready To Go, Never Quit and Expect to Win serve as the foundation for their outreach programs and are based on the experiences and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen. The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). Learn more at www.redtail.org. About the Commemorative Air Force: The Commemorative Air Force honors the men and women who built, maintained and flew in these airplanes during World War II. The organization believes that is best accomplished by maintaining the airplanes in flying condition; taking the airplanes to the people allowing them to experience the sight and sound of the aircraft in flight. Collecting, restoring and flying vintage historical aircraft for more than half a century, the Commemorative Air Force ranks as one of the largest private air forces in the world. The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has more than 13,000 members and a fleet of over 165 airplanes distributed throughout the country to 79 units located in 25 states for care and operation. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org. Based upon an article by Joe Kunzler The Flying Heritage Collection has become well known for its uncompromising, down-to-the-last-rivet restorations, and has amassed a formidable collection of world-class warbirds within their museum at Paine Field, near Seattle, Washington. FHC holds regular events at the museum to showcase particular exhibits. Sometimes these are flying demonstrations, but they also offer in-depth reviews of specific aircraft from time-to-time as well. This past Thursday, FHC featured their North American B-25J Mitchell in an all-access tour, which allowed attendees to take a look inside what many consider the most accurately and comprehensively restored example of its kind. Unlike other airworthy Mitchells, which have had to make compromises to allow passengers to fly aboard, this B-25 has all of the original internal military fittings, as well as the rarer external features as well. Contributor, Joe Kunzler, attended the Mitchell presentation at the Flying Heritage Collection on behalf of WarbirdsNews, and we thought our readers would enjoy seeing what he discovered. Before the actual tour of the aircraft, FHC Military Aviation Curator, Cory Graf gave a lecture detailing the B-25s lineage and combat record. He also spoke of the living history aspects of the museums Mitchell. Their aircraft represents a bomber from the 341st Bomb Group, the Burma Bridge Busters which served in the China-Burma-India Theatre during WWII. Graff explained, This airplane didnt have a combat history, so we were sort of free to pick something else that was relevant and important to us. We decided to paint an airplane lost in combat. Graf went on to explain that although the 341st Bomb Group received their bombers with a bare metal finish, they painted them once in theatre. FHCs Mitchell rolled off the North American production line as 44-30254. While it didnt see combat in WWII, it did enter the Royal Canadian Air Force following the war as RCAF 5211, before joining the Canadian civilian registry in 1961 as a fuel tanker and later as a firebomber. FHC acquired the Mitchell in 1999 and tasked world-renowned B-25 experts, AeroTrader, to restore her at their primary facility in Chino, California. She flew again for the first time in 2011. FHC organized the interior tour in three stations, where pairs of attendees had roughly two minutes per station to observe and photograph. Once inside the B-25, it became immediately clear how thorough the restoration was. While other B-25 Mitchell restorations are mostly focused on safe flight for selling rides, this restoration was all about preserving historical accuracy. Therefore, many items which would be deleted as either unnecessary, or unsafe for passengers feature in this aircraft. Some examples of these details include the escape axe mounted in its traditional position; the machine guns fully loaded with (inert) ammunition and complete with gunsights, signal flares launch tubes along with the dummy flares in their stowage position. Aero Trader, the restoration company, even recreated the bomb bay camera position for capturing shots of the bombing run. Furthermore, as Mr. Graff told guests in his talk, was the view when entering the B-25J rear area. Mr. Graff explained, Youll see big, long huge chutes down each side of the passageway along the back of the fuselage. It was important not having all those ammo boxes sitting in the back of the airplane, it screwed up the weight and balance. So theyre near the entrance and theres these long roller coaster chutes go to the back of the airplane. As Mr. Graff expounded, One of the things thats amazing about this B-25 and youll see it as you go in the airplane is its chock full of everything its supposed to have. A lot of people who restore airplanes want to give rides in airplanes. So when you have all the gear in the airplane you cant fit as many people in the airplane and you cant make as much money. Our goal was to make this one of the best restorations that had ever been done of a North American B-25 bomber. So, as a result, Aero Trader had been collecting all these doo-dads all these years and we wanted the whole enchilada. We wanted oxygen bottles and we wanted ammo boxes and armor and bomb sights and flares and drift makers and life rafts It makes for a bit of a sluggish airplane, but more realistic when it goes out and flies. The cockpit is incredibly complete and even includes an astro-compass and armored seats, with the only concession to modern instrumentation being a carefully concealed radio system. The image below should give readers a good idea of how authentic the cockpits restoration is. Ultimately, the Flying Heritage Collections B-25J Mitchell clearly represents the finest effort so far to recreate a totally stock example of this significant World War II combat aircraft. WarbirdsNews wishes to offer special thanks to Joe Kunzler for this article and photos, the staff of Flying Heritage Collection for their time and effort in putting together a marquee event and to Paul G. Allen for his continued investments into Flying Heritage Collection. For More of Joe Kunzlers Aviation photography, please click HERE. There is nothing like watching a relationship wither and die in public view. Which brings us to the soap opera starring the Gordon Ramsay of retail analysts, David Errington, and the top team at Coca-Cola Amatil led by, Alison Watkins. Coca-Cola Amatil boss Alison Watkins in happier days last year with Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. Credit:Coca-Cola Amatil Who can forget the August toasting over the lolly water maker's inventories in Indonesia around Ramadan. Errington was not happy with management's explanation: "Your cash flow blew out by over $100 million, I thought you guys would be ready for this and be able to nail this pretty clearly. But if you want to take this offline, we can," Errington said after a few attempts at an explanation by Team Watkins. Environmental groups and scientists across the country will call for immediate action on plastic bags, bottles and microplastics that make up the 34.9 billion pieces of visible plastic in Australian waters, when they front a senate inquiry into marine plastic pollution on Thursday. The inquiry was called for by Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson last year, when he declared Australia's oceans had turned into a "plastic soup". "I'd like to see a fully co-ordinated national plan where the government shows leadership on investing in research and monitoring the collection of information, this was supposed to happen in 2009," he said. "I'll be looking to how much funding we have committed to research. There's been a big global spike in studies done, but Australia has contributed almost nothing." Maybe, just maybe, the crisis in Flint can be used to galvanise a public health revolution. In 1854, a British doctor named John Snow started such a revolution. Thousands were dying of cholera at the time, but doctors were resigned to the idea that all they could do was treat sick patients. Then Snow figured out that a water pump on Broad Street in London was the source of the cholera. The water company furiously rejected that conclusion, but Snow blocked use of the water pump, and the cholera outbreak pretty much ended. This revelation led to the germ theory of disease and to investments in sanitation and clean water. Millions of lives were saved. Now we need a similar public health revolution focusing on the early roots of many pathologies. For example, it's scandalous that 535,000 U.S. children ages 1 to 5 still suffer lead poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The poisoning is mostly a result of chipped lead paint in old houses or of lead-contaminated soil being tracked into homes, although some areas like Flint also have tainted tap water. While the data sets are weak, many parts of America have even higher rates of child lead poisoning than Flint, where 4.9 per cent of children tested have had elevated lead levels in their blood. In New York state outside New York City, it's 6.7 per cent. In Pennsylvania, 8.5 per cent. In part of Detroit, it's 20 percent. The victims are often poor or black. Infants who absorb lead are more likely to grow up with shrunken brains and diminished IQ. They are more likely as young adults to engage in risky sexual behaviour, to disrupt school and to commit violent crimes. Many researchers believe that the worldwide decline in violent crime beginning in the 1990s is partly a result of lead being taken out of gasoline in the late 1970s. The stakes are enormous, for individual opportunity and for social cohesion. Fortunately, we have some new Snows for the 21st century. A group of scholars, led by David L. Shern of Mental Health America, argue that the world today needs a new public health revolution focused on young children, parallel to the one mounted for sanitation after Snow's revelations about cholera in 1854. Once again, we have information about how to prevent pathologies, not just treat them - if we will act. The reason for a new effort is a vast amount of recent research showing that brain development at the beginning of life affects physical and mental health decades later. That means protecting the developing brain from dangerous substances and also from "toxic stress" - often a byproduct of poverty - to prevent high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which impairs brain development. A starting point of this public health revolution should be to protect infants and fetuses from toxic substances, which means taking on the companies that buy lawmakers to prevent regulation. Just as water companies tried to obstruct the 19th-century efforts, industry has tried to block recent progress. Back in 1786, Benjamin Franklin commented extensively on the perils of lead poisoning, but industry ignored the dangers and marketed lead aggressively. In the 1920s, an advertisement for the National Lead Co. declared, "Lead helps to guard your health," praising the use of lead pipes for plumbing and lead paint for homes. And what the lead companies did for decades, and the tobacco companies did, too, the chemical companies do today. Lead poisoning is just "the tip of the iceberg," says Tracey Woodruff, an environmental health specialist at the University of California at San Francisco. Flame-retardant chemicals have very similar effects, she says, and they're in the couches we sit on. The challenge is that the casualties aren't obvious, as they are with cholera, but stealthy and long term. These are silent epidemics, so they don't generate as much public alarm as they should. "Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain" have been linked to conditions like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, noted The Lancet Neurology, a peer-reviewed medical journal. Yet we still don't have a clear enough sense of what is safe, because many industrial chemicals aren't safety tested before they are put on the market. Meanwhile, Congress has dragged out efforts to strengthen the Toxic Substances Control Act and test more chemicals for safety. Every second of Jacob Rocky Cooling's two months of life so far has been a battle. From the moment he was born five weeks premature by emergency caesarean, to the moment his family was told to come and say goodbye to him because he wasn't expected to continue living. Baby Jacob Cooling cuddles with mum Crystal, surrounded by dad Justin and siblings Ashley and Jasper. Credit:Donnybrook-Bridgetown Mail But, the little Bridgetown battler has survived against all odds and earlier this month his family were able to bring Jacob home with them just in time for his brother and sister to start school. Jacob's parents, Justin and Crystal Cooling, said his incredible journey started when Crystal told doctors she though there was a lack of foetal movement during the pregnancy, two weeks before Christmas. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched the EBRD's Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) programme in Ukraine, EBRD Director for Ukraine Sevki Acuner said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday. "The three-year programme is supported by US$ $7 million grant funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and a 4 million grant from the EUs Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF). FINTECC will help Ukrainian businesses invest in the best available technologies, which will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. These may include energy, materials and water efficiency technologies as well as renewable energy technologies not yet available or rare in Ukraine," he said. Acuner said that EBRD plans to provide financing of up to EUR 40 million under the program. Terry McCallion, Director of the EBRDs Energy Efficiency and Climate Change team, said that under the programme, individual companies may receive grant funding covering up to 25% of the cost of a new technology and capped at $ 1 million. He said that EBRD anticipates that around 15 projects will be realized in Ukraine. $500,000 of grant funds will be provided to each project on average. In turn, Walter Tretton, Head of Energy, Climate, Transport and Environment section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said that several programmes will be organized for Ukraine soon. This concerns the EU for business to support Ukrainian exporters who mainly present innovative products. "I hope that the programme will be approved if not in the next several weeks, but in coming months," he said. Tretton said that the new programme to finance energy efficient projects in the housing sector of Ukraine will be organized via EBRD and local banks. A 35-year-old Perth father has been charged with leaving his three-year-old son in a locked car at a Booragoon shopping centre on Tuesday, a 40-degree day. WA Police spokeswoman Barbara Crane said security officers, who passers-by notified about 4.10pm, could not find the car's owner so smashed a side window to remove the child. "Security Officers comforted the child and took him inside the shopping centre to wait for St John Ambulance officers and police," she said. "The three-year-old boy was checked and cleared by ambulance officers." Beijing: With Julie Bishop standing beside him at a Beijing press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has dismissed satellite images that appear to show China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on disputed islands in the South China Sea as a confection by Western media. The deployment in recent days heightens tensions in the region even as US President Barack Obama urged restraint and Ms Bishop sought guarantees that China would adhere to its President Xi Jinping's public pledge not to militarise the islands. In his joint press conference with Ms Bishop, Mr Wang did not confirm or deny the deployment, but said it was within China's rights of self-defence under international law to install "limited and necessary self-defence facilities" where Chinese personnel were stationed. Salvador, Brazil: The Zika virus, some Brazilians are convinced, is the inadvertent creation of a British biotech company that has been releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat dengue fever in Brazil. Others here and elsewhere see it as a plot by global elites to depopulate the Earth and install a "one-world government." And after a group of Argentine doctors asserted that a larvicide, not the mosquito-borne Zika virus, was to blame for a surge in cases of the birth defect known as microcephaly, Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, went so far over the weekend as to ban the use of the larvicide in its drinking water even though scientists and health officials insist there is no such link. Lara, who is less then three months old and was born with microcephaly, is examined by a neurologist at the Pedro I hospital in Campina Grande, Paraiba state, Brazil, on Friday. Credit:AP (A report by Argentinian group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Townshad suggested that pyriproxyfen, which is used to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, could be associated with the condition. It said the substance had been introduced into drinking water supplies since 2014 in affected areas of Brazil.) This timeline charts the origin and spread of the Zika virus from its discovery in Uganda nearly 70 years ago: 1947 - Scientists researching yellow fever in Uganda's Zika Forest identify the virus in a rhesus monkey Angelica Pereira feeds her daughter Luiza, who was born with microcephaly, in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Brazil. Credit:AP 1948 - Virus recovered from Aedes africanus mosquito in Zika Forest 1952 - First human cases detected in Uganda and Tanzania Ukrainian positions in Donbas have come under 60 militant attacks, including with the use of Grad multiple launch rocket systems, in the past 24 hours, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (AT) headquarters said on Wednesday morning. "The enemy fired BM-21 Grad [rocket launchers] on our strongholds in Pervomaiske and Nevelske, in the direction of Staromykhailivka," the press center wrote on Facebook. Over the past day, the staff observed 60 occurrences of militant attacks on Ukrainian army positions. The report said that Ukrainian positions in Pisky, Krasnohorivka, Shyrokyne, and Lebedynske and near Chermalyk and Vodyane came under mortar attacks. Grenade launcher and small arms fire on Ukrainian strongholds was observed in Opytne, Maryinka, Luhanske, Novhorodske, Zaitseve, Troitske, and Novoselivka. Besides, the militants fired an anti-tank guided missile on Ukrainian fortifications in Opytne, the ATO HQ reported. Ukrainian army strongholds were shelled by mortars near Krymske and Zolote in the Luhansk sector, the report said. Patrick Norman Pat Chapman is a 34-year-old, Caucasian male who was last known to be in Piedmont which is near the area of Greenville, Missouri on May 10, 2020. Pat had stayed the night with a friend and his wife at their home. In the early morning when the friend woke to go to work. Pat was gone in his own Burgundy color 1995 Ford Escort. That is the last anyone was known to have seen him. The vehicle was later recovered on May 29, 2020 in Mill Spring, Missouri. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed an order to dismiss four judges as part of purging the judiciary, the presidential press service has reported. Two of them were dismissed for oath breaking, it said. Among the four dismissed judges is Vladyslava Hudyma, who took unreasonable decisions on Euromaidan and Automaidan activists, it added. "In particular, the ad hoc commission for performance review of judges of courts of general jurisdiction has concluded that Vladyslava Hudyma did not ensure within her authority during events on the Maidan that the principles of autonomy and independence and the constitutional principles of justice were observed along with full and complete investigation into all the circumstances, including immediate forensic examination. The judge's decisions did not comply with the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, the Code of Administrative Offences, and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and European Court of Human Rights practice," the report said. The president had earlier dismissed five judges who, according to the High Council of Justice, had violated judicial oath and whose rulings on Revolution of Dignity activists were unlawful. They include three judges from Kyiv Yulia Shvachach and Vitaliy Lytvynov (Obolonsky district court) and Dmytro Kravetz (Shevchenkivsky district court), as well as two judges from Kharkiv Olena Vasylyeva and Denys Chudovsky (Chervonozavodskoy district court). Poroshenko also fired Kyiv Pechersky district court judge Rodion Kireyev along with 83 judges from certain courts located in Russia-annexed Crimea. The Batkivschyna parliamentary faction has announced its decision to leave the parliamentary coalition and has called all the parliamentarians to follow the example, Batkivschyna faction leader Yulia Tymoshenko said. "The Batkivschyna faction took the only possible decision at its morning meeting to withdraw from the coalition," Tymoshenko said in parliament on Wednesday morning. She also called on other political forces to follow Batkivschyna's steps. Recognition by the Ukrainian parliament of the government's performance as unsatisfactory rather than the failure of a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet of Ministers has aggravated the political crisis in Ukraine, which must be settled within a week, Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Groysman has said. "I think the fact that on the one hand the parliament deemed the government's performance bad, but on the other, it failed to ensure the needed number of votes to dismiss it yesterday has aggravated the crisis rather than solved it," he said while opening a parliament meeting on Wednesday morning. "And I think the solution is simple: it should either be solved by the political forces here, in parliament within a week by offering a model of ending the crisis or the government should be completely rebooted and if needed together with this parliament," Groysman said. As was reported, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday did not accept the Cabinet's report on its performance and acknowledged its results to be unsatisfactory. The Ukrainian State Border Service has reported the closure of the Maryinka checkpoint in Donetsk region due to constant attacks by militants, and has said that the checkpoint will reopen upon stabilization. The headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation "has decided to temporarily suspend the traffic of individuals and vehicles through the Maryinka checkpoint at midnight on February 17," the service reported on Wednesday. The decision is derived from constant attacks on Ukrainian army positions in that area, and the threat to the lives and health of people travelling through the checkpoint, it said. "It [the checkpoint] will resume operation upon stabilization," the service said. Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, Ambassador Jan Tombinski has welcomed the adoption of bills on asset recovery and special confiscation and criticized bills on prosecution and e-declarations, which were passed by Ukraine's parliament in first reading on Tuesday, the Delegation has said in a statement. "I welcome the adoption in the first reading of the legislation on asset recovery and management office (4056) and on assets seizure and special confiscation (4054). Both [draft] laws are in line with the EU standards and I look forward to see these versions confirmed in the second reading," the Delegation quoted Tombinski as saying. At the same time, he says that the draft Law on Prosecution (4055) still contains too many discretional powers of the Prosecutor General to reject candidates for Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, who are nominated by the independent Selection Commission. "Further amendments should address this issue in order to ensure full independence of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor," he said. He also says that the newly adopted draft Law on e-declarations (3755) is disappointing as it is not in line with anti-corruption commitments undertaken by the Ukrainian leadership. "Immediate action should be undertaken in order to install an effective system of verification of assets declarations and to ensure that National Agency for Prevention of Corruption is able to fulfill its mission to prevent and to uncover corruption," he said. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 16, 2016 | 07:04 PM | MURRAY, KY Kentucky State Police have issued an arrest warrant for a missing Murray woman. KSP has charged 31-year-old Jennifer L. Hicks of Murray with theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $10,000, a class C felony. The Calloway County Sheriff's office told the Murray Ledger and Times that they don't believe Hicks was abducted. Hicks was an employee at Lake Chem Community Federal Credit Union in Murray, but it isn't clear if the charges are related to any alleged theft from her employer. Hicks had been the subject of a missing person investigation by the Calloway County Sheriffs Office since February 9. KSP are assisting the Calloway County Sheriffs office with the missing person portion of the investigation. KSP detectives were assisted by the Calloway County Attorneys Office and the Calloway County Sheriffs Office. On her personal Facebook page, Lake Chem Community Federal Credit Union CEO Connie Evans stated: "Lake Chem Community Federal Credit Union has discovered irregularities in some of its records which may affect the accuracy of year end reports of some of our members. We currently are in the process of correcting those records and issuing any necessary amendments to reports. We are not aware of anything that would indicate that Lake Chem or its members will be financially affected or incur any loss by virtue of theses irregularities." The statement did not indicate why the irregularities exist, or whether they have anything to do with Hicks. Numerous phone calls to Evans from West Kentucky Star staff members have gone unanswered. Paducah Police looking for woman accused of allegedly stealing $6,600 in merchandise from Wal-Mart Chief of the Main Investigation Department's special investigation division under Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Serhiy Horbatiuk has said that Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin is on leave now. "As far as I know he has taken a paid leave," Horbatiuk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday, answering a question from journalists. At the same time, he declined to answer a question whether the prosecutor general had submitted his letter of resignation, saying that the question should be put to Shokin personally. As was reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on February 16 that he had advised Shokin to step down. "This morning I had a meeting and a thorough discussion with the prosecutor general. I suggested that Viktor Mykolayovych [Shokin] write a letter of resignation," Poroshenko said. "Viktor Shokin has implemented reforms that had been resisted by the Prosecutor General's Office for decades: deprivation of general supervision from the prosecution, establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the State Bureau of Investigation etc. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, the Prosecutor General's Office has unfortunately failed to gain the trust of society. That is why the resignation of the Prosecutor General is on the agenda," he added. On the same day, MP from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Mustafa Nayyem wrote on Facebook that Shokin had submitted his letter of resignation. Shokin was appointed prosecutor general in February 2015. In keeping with the Constitution of Ukraine, it is the president who shall appoint or dismiss the prosecutor general upon parliament's consent. At the same time, lawmakers can pass a vote of non-confidence in the prosecutor general, after which he should resign. By The Associated Press By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2016 | 11:50 AM | SPRINGFIELD, IL A group of Illinois House Democrats are proposing President Barack Obama's birthday become the next state holiday. The State (Springfield) Journal-Register reports presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson are the only former presidents that have their own state holidays. The proposal says Aug. 4 would be considered a "legal holiday" in which state government offices, schools and businesses can close. Bill sponsor Rep. Andre Thapedi says Obama's distinctions as a Nobel Peace Prize winner and first black president of the United States are reasons to honor him. Obama served eight years as a state senator and four years as a U.S. senator. Illinois recognizes 13 state and federal holidays. If successful, the plan would be the first bill to establish a state holiday since 1977. By The Associated Press By The Associated Press Feb. 16, 2016 | 10:59 PM | FRANKFORT, KY Lower gas prices are putting more strain on Kentucky's road fund while bringing relief to consumers. Transportation Cabinet officials said Tuesday that state motor fuels tax revenues are about $33 million below projections for the current fiscal year. And in coming years, the gas tax is expected to take in much lower amounts compared to this year. Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock says the state needs to be prudent in stretching transportation dollars to cover as many projects as possible. Hancock spoke to a House budget subcommittee. He outlined Gov. Matt Bevin's proposal to spend $6 billion on roads and bridges in the next six years. Rep. Dennis Keene says a plan is needed to generate more revenue to meet highway needs. Without it, he says economic development efforts will suffer. By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 16, 2016 | 02:32 PM | UNION CITY, TN This Saturday, the Education Department at Discovery Park of America celebrates Black History Month by presenting Roots of Rhythm. The University of Tennessee-Martin percussion band will explore the migration of rhythm throughout American history, and the historical and musical impact of the African nations on the world in which we live. The presentation is a fifty-minute, multisensory program. The 22 students in the band provide live demonstrations of world music styles that include Trinidad, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the United States and more. The presentation is conducted with authentic instrumentation, maps of each region discussed, a short history lesson, and participatory engagement for the audience. People attending the class will learn clapping and singing parts as they become real contributors to the show. This style of experiential learning creates long-term memory for the audience members. Roots of Rhythm is free to the public with park admission on Saturday, February 20th at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. For more information, visit the website at www.discoveryparkofamerica.com or call the Education Department at Discovery Park of America at 731-885-5455. Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world CURRENTLY on WFLH St. Lucia Saffron Buns - Lussekatter Popular Posts St. Lucia Saffron Buns - Lussekatter Ho ho ho and getting into that Christmas vibe here! Every weekend I have been taking out a few select favourite decoration pieces, adorning ... My Monthly Mingle I love entertaining and with this virtual mingle I'd like to invite you over to join me and my guest hosts for a bit of fun, story tell... Apricot and Pistachio Frangipane Tart Dreams are magnificent journeys that never cost us anything, but are invaluable in the way they make us thrive, inspire us and push us to as... 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Michael Coveney, WhatsOnStage ""You're so far back in the closet you're in Narnia," is one of the more unexpectedly challenging lines thrown across the stage in this re-cast, Tony-nominated Broadway import. So let's come out, at least, on the show itself, the funniest and filthiest puppet glove punch-up I've ever seen. "Avenue Q meets The Book of Mormon, with elements of The Exorcist, is a fair label, but Jason's puppet Tyrone, at first an alter ego, then a sort of ectoplasmic manifestation, is no less scary than Michael Redgrave's dummy in Dead of Night. But this is not about ventriloquism, it's puppetry as a further expression of oneself, and that dichotomy is brilliantly channelled by [Harry] Melling, not least in the infamous sex scene." Sarah Hemming, Financial Times "It's a sharp, sometimes caustically funny conceit.... But behind all the comic mayhem, there are a lot of dangling threads here. The characters are pretty skimpily drawn, the story jerks forward in brief, sketch-like scenes and the prologue and epilogue feel heavy-handed. There is no time to tackle properly the sizeable themes that Askins tips out on to the stage." "Moritz von Stuelpnagel's fine cast handle it all with great comic timing, however, particularly Dee and Melling. Melling is outstanding, bringing physical brilliance and emotional depth to the challenge of being both boy and puppet, ego and id, character and concept simultaneously." Michael Billington, Guardian "American religious fervour inevitably breeds a reaction. Although Robert Askins's play has made a five-year journey from the theatrical margins to Broadway hit, it strikes me as a coarse, crude satire that not unlike The Book of Mormon greets one form of excess with another." "For all its obviousness, Hand To God is decently directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and performed with a hectic energy... My objection to the play is that using violence and hysteria as a way of combating hard-sell religion and hypocrisy plays into the enemy's hands. If one is seeking comedy about possession by an anarchic puppet, one might find more laughs in Rod Hull and Emu." Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard "Tonally it's all over the place, leaving us feeling a murky combination of unsettled and dispirited. The only hope of salvation for Moritz von Stuelpnagel's production is for the five actors to go at this muddle with terrific energy and manic conviction and this, to their credit, they do. Melling, who's turning into one of the most interesting actors of his generation, is wonderful to watch." "Dee is convincing as a woman buffeted by grief and guilt, while Jemima Rooper provides admirably straight-faced support as the object of Harry/Tyrone's affections. Yet still I fail to see what sort of audience this show hopes to attract." Holly Williams, The Independent No star rating provided "Well, thank God for the extended puppet sex sequence. Not words I ever thought I'd write, perhaps, but a filthy finger-led fornication scene is one moment when this hotly-tipped American play lives up to the expected hilarity." "...you sort of expect the whole show to be full of such madcap mayhem, and it just isn't. A sketchy subplot where Margery (a squawky, unsure Janie Dee) realises she lusts for violent, rough sex with a teenager feels a bit off-colour we don't know how young these kids are meant to be, but reverse the gender and there's no way this would be played purely for laughs." "Still, Hand to God really doesn't hold back, and isn't afraid to get very dark. I have a feeling it might have acquired cult status as a fast and furious fringe show; faffy sets and a big proscenium arch don't really help its energy. Hand on heart, it's hard to recommend." Hand To God runs at the Vaudeville Theatre until 11 June. A musical based on the 1984 film The Toxic Avenger will receive its European premiere at Southwark Playhouse in April. The Toxic Avenger follows Melvin Ferd the Third, an aspiring earth scientist determined to clean up the toxic waste problem, but when he is tossed into a vat of toxic waste, he's transformed into superhero The Toxic Avenger or 'Toxie'. The production, which debuted in New York in 2009 and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, features a book and music by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, the same team behind hit musical Memphis. Commenting on the production, DiPietro said: "The Toxic Avenger is a modern, musical superhero and the world leader in the fight against pollution, corruption and evil politicians. So how brilliant that he's finally going where he's needed most: London." The Toxic Avenger will be directed by Benji Sperring with musical direction by Alex Beetschen, lighting design by Nic Farman and choreography by Lucie Pankhurst. Casting is yet to be announced. The Toxic Avenger will run at Southwark Playhouse from 26 April to 21 May 2016. When Kathryn Hunter told her husband about her latest role, he went a bit green. "Marcello was very jealous," Hunter smiles at me during a break in rehearsals. "He had always wanted to play Cyrano!" It's one of the risks of being married to an actress like Hunter. Marcello Magni is a co-founder of ground-breaking theatre company Complicite and a respected theatremaker in his own right. But his wife, the unique and prodigiously talented Hunter happily hoovers up the lion's share of parts for both men and women. In her career she has acted for the RSC and Shared Experience, played Cleopatra at Shakespeare's Globe, worked with Complicite, won an Olivier Award in 1991 for The Visit, has worked extensively with legendary director Peter Brook and has directed many successful productions including Othello and My Perfect Mind. But she has also made a name playing male roles. She was the first British woman King Lear in 1997. She was a male office worker in The Bee in 2006, she played a male monkey in Kafka's Monkey and now she is about to play Edmond Rostand's big hootered hero Cyrano De Bergerac. At five feet tall, she is not an obvious choice for someone that, by Hunter's own admission is a bit of a bruiser: "Cyrano is a Cadet de Gascogne, they were renowned for being boisterous, extremely vivacious, over the top, fantastically courageous," Hunter explains. "They are alpha males. Napoleon said: if I had 100 Gascogne men I could go to hell and back." Hunter approaches a male role much the same as a female role: "You have to attend to physical things, just as you do with a female characters," she says. "But I do have a reference of a man who might be a Cyrano type figure in my mind and try to see the male figure in each situation." "Of course women are under-represented in theatre, we know that" These days, we've seen more and more women take on male leads, Phyllida Lloyd's Julius Caesar starred Harriet Walter as Brutus, Maxine Peake was Hamlet, Tamsin Greig will play Malvolia in the National Theatre's upcoming Twelfth Night. Hunter recognises the issues with lack of roles for women, but sees the increasing trend for women playing male roles just an extension of theatre itself. "Of course women are under-represented in theatre, we know that, and this Cyrano is riding with a feminist agenda. But men should play women, women should play men. [Cyrano] is very much about imagination and theatre is an act of the imagination." Russell Bolam is directing Hunter and an all-female cast in Glyn Maxwell's adaptation of Rostand's 19th century play which is about a poet, musican and duellist who falls in love with a woman called Roxane. It might have had a happy ending, but for his extremely large nose, which leads Cyrano to doubt anyone would return his affections. You might recognise the story from the 1987 film starring Steve Martin. Maxwell's poetic adaptation, which Hunter, a fluent French speaker, describes with much admiration, has an intriguing framing device that I'm sworn to secrecy about. Kathryn Hunter (Cyrano) Richard Lakos The actress is clearly excited about the production and working with Bolam, whose recent successes includes Crushed Shells and Mud at Southwark Playhouse. Hunter didn't know Bolam prior to this project, but when they first met she liked the way he encouraged collaboration. Working as an ensemble is important to her: "A collective imagination is going to be richer than your own," she explains, "that was reinforced when working with Peter [Brook] who embraces you. With him, you are the palette." A twin, born to Greek parents in New York, Hunter grew up in London and trained at Rada. It was a friend of hers - Michelle Wade who runs Maison Bertaux, the chic French cake shop in Soho - whose audition pieces she was asked to watch and comment on, which first made her interested in acting. Her initial memories of being onstage are of making people laugh: "I remember being in a play and saying something and not realising it was a laugh line. Then everybody burst out laughing and I loved that. I think I was hooked then." Interestingly, it was also the excitement of experiencing her first tech rehearsal that peaked Hunter's attraction to theatre. "I was fascinated by it. Just the excitement and the camaraderie and all these people buzzing around and converging on the same event." Her enthusiasm for that seems to me a perfect example of her love of the process of theatre. "When an actor has invested in the creation of the piece, with ideas, rather than being told to stand there and do that, that's fuel," she says to me at one point. For her, acting is about engaging heart, body, soul and, crucially, brain too. But what of Cyrano's famous protuberance? "The nose is beautiful," Hunter smiles, simply. "There's always something that's not good enough. It can be a nose or a lack of confidence or tragic trauma." Hunter says and then quickly adds: "We all have a nose." Cyrano De Bergerac runs at Southwark Playhouse until 19 March. A lawyer for Mustafa Jemilev, ex-chairman of Crimean Tatar Mejlis, has filed a complaint with the court about the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which he believes has banned his client from entering Crimea. "We have filed a complaint about the Federal Security Service with the Moscow Meshchansky Court, we believe they are preventing Jemilev from entering Crimea," lawyer Mark Feygin told reporters on Wednesday. He said there is an order from the Federal Security Service which talks about an entry ban. "We previously filed a complaint about the Federal Migration Service, which had banned Jemilev from entering, but they refused to provide appropriate documents on the ban to us. We believe the ban came from the Federal Security Service, and we want these documents to be provided to us in court," Feygin said. Jemilev was denied entry into Russia until 2019, when he tried to enter Crimea at a checkpoint in 2014. In February 2015, the Moscow Basmanny Court upheld the Federal Migration Service's ban on Jemilev's entry into Crimea. Feygin, a lawyer for Jemilev, said in court, that his client had not been provided with an official decision made by the Federal Migration Service on the entry ban. Federal Migration Service asked for the claim to be declined. Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Dmitri Tarasov did nothing for international relations between Russia and Turkey by unveiling a very dubious t-shirt to the Istanbul crowd after last nights Europa League game against Fenerbahce. Tensions between the two countries have become increasingly fraught since Turkey shot down a Russian jet back in November. In a bid to presumably rile the home fans, Tarasov removed his Lokomotiv jersey to reveal a t-shirt that proclaimed Putin to be the most polite president. The BBC report that Lokomotiv are now likely to face stern punishment as UEFA have a zero-tolerance policy on political statements being made during matches. However, Tarasov defended his actions before declaring his undying support for Russias ever-loveable scamp of a president: Its my president. I respect him and decided to show that Im always with him and prepared to give my support. What was written on that shirt was everything that I wanted to say. Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak have subsequently described the shirt as a clear Putin provocation. While proclaiming Putin to be the most polite president is hardly the most venomous political taunt Tarasov could have displayed, the barb is obvious and deliberate and really has no place in an already highly charged sporting environment. We can only imagine that a strongly-worded letter from UEFA will be waiting on the doormat by the time he gets home. The venue of the meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council has been changed, ANS television reported on Wednesday. The meeting, which was expected to take place in Gyandzh, will take place in Baku. The reason for the change of venue was bad weather in Gyandzh, which prevented the plane that was carrying Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from landing. The purpose of Erdogan's visit was participation in the meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The Turkish president will hold a number of meetings with Azeri government officials, which will address bilateral cooperation issues, including regional and international. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said that the domestic political crisis has been created artificially for the purpose of early elections, and urged all forces to continue the country's reforms. "...The purpose of this provoked political crisis is to conduct early elections, which effectively is none other than struggle for power(...) We appeal to all responsible political forces, to the president of the country, to the public that we need to move further toward change and reform," the premier told his government on Wednesday. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has announced being in talks with various political forces in Rada, including members of the Radical Party faction which pulled out from the coalition earlier, aimed at reformatting the government and renewing the coalition agreement. "We are waiting for a list of names from our political partners. We are holding consultations, including with Oleh Liashko's Radical Party, to reformat the government, to renew the coalition agreement, to complete the formation of the Cabinet and move further in the right direction, conduct reforms," he told Cabinet on Wednesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A timely reminder that a country is not its regime but its people, this daring cinematic project follows dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi as he drives around Tehran in a taxi. In real life, Panahi faces a state-ordered, 20-year ban on filmmaking, and he seems to be trying out a second career as a cabbie. Hes not very good, as several of his fares point out, being a lousy driver with no sense of direction. Fortunately, Panahi is not really working as a cabbie. Hes making a guerilla-style film (in Persian, with subtitles), and this he does very well. Taxi Tehran, which won the top prize at last years Berlin Film Festival, combines social commentary with wry human comedy for an unexpectedly optimistic examination of contemporary Iran. Associated with the new wave of Iranian filmmakers that includes his onetime mentor, Abbas Kiarostami, Panahi has endured arrest and imprisonment for his art. A recent work, This Is Not a Film (2011), had to be smuggled out of the country. Banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi In Taxi, his third project since the 2010 ban, Panahi and his wandering vehicle pick up friends, relatives and strangers. The characters are played by themselves or by non-professional actors (although information is scarce, with this unofficial movie lacking any kind of credits). Three Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras deftly capture the action without drawing the attention of police. The events come off as shambly and random, but every encounter is scripted and carefully constructed. Theres an art to seeming so casual. Squashed into this taxi, viewers observe lifes rich pageant and then some. Two elderly bickering sisters are rushing to a religious shrine. A genial hustler is selling forbidden, pirated western DVDs everything from Woody Allen to Season 5 of The Walking Dead. No zombies, says his would-be customer. There are an unsinkable human rights lawyer and a precocious child. Theres a couple heading to a charity hospital in the aftermath of a bicycle accident, the wife wailing and the husband reciting his dying testament, all played as broad comedy. Everything is compressed, Marx Brothers style, into the back of the small cab. As passengers argue and interact, we get varied and noisy perspectives on Shariah law and state-sanctioned executions, the status of women under a theocratic regime, and the plight of the poor in a desperate economy. There are also recognizable universals in the peculiarities of human nature and the pull of family dynamics. (Evidently, Panahi doesnt call his mother often enough.) Theres also some chat about filmmaking. Panahis niece Hana, an adorable 11-year-old motor-mouth, is making her own short film. It needs to be distributable, she knowingly tells her hapless uncle. You want things to be real but not real-real, she explains. You need to avoid sordid realism and any discussion of economic or political hardship. Good guys should not wear ties. These, of course, are all rules Panahi himself is breaking. While roaming the backstreets and broad boulevards of Tehran, Panahi also offers a tour of his filmography, with references to The White Balloon, Crimson Gold and Offside. In a very meta move, one character tells him regretfully, I know you cant make movies anymore, while simultaneously becoming an indelible part of this actual movie. Panahi, at the wheel for almost all of the films runtime, remains modest, gentle, rueful. At one point, he briefly recalls the trauma of arrest and interrogation. At another, he refers in the most oblique way possible to repressive religious authorities as those gentlemen. Taxi is not as angry as the previous two films Panahi made during his ban, acting instead as a quiet celebration of resistance and everyday resilience. Panahi doesnt make any big pronouncements, but the film makes a statement through its form. Even within the confines of one cab and the constraints of an authoritarian regime you can find all the humour and hopefulness of life itself. alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A gay-straight alliance has arrived at Providence University College, one of Manitobas most socially conservative post-secondary institutions. Providence students must agree in a covenant to practise sexual intimacy within the marriage of one man and one woman. But students have stepped forward to form a gay-straight alliance. We want to be there for everybody. Were not out to debate or challenge school policy were there to create a safe space, student Isabella Selk said Tuesday. The covenant is something we strive to live by. SUPPLIED Rev. Allison Chubb, a graduate of Providence University College, supports the Christian schools new gay-straight alliance. The goal of the (alliance) is to create a safe atmosphere in which people can talk about this, she said, with fellow organizer Jessica Caul agreeing. Anglican Rev. Allison Chubb a graduate and former employee who is a lesbian will speak at the Otterburne faith-based private school Friday night in support of the fledgling alliance. Theyre trying to make it a very safe place. No assumptions will be made about anyones sexual identity if they choose to attend the 7 p.m. meeting, Chubb said Tuesday. Its very new and exciting for some of us, said Chubb, now chaplain at St. Johns College on the University of Manitoba campus. Sociology Prof. Val Hiebert said because of research she has published, third-year students Selk and Caul went to her in the fall for help in forming the alliance, which draws 10 to 25 students and faculty to each meeting. It was a lunch conversation about the comfort level people may or may not have here at Providence, Selk said. This is a hot topic in evangelism, said Hiebert. It is difficult for students anywhere to be openly non-heterosexual, and especially so in a faith-based, saving society, she said: Its still not an easy journey for students to navigate. How do we work and worship together in the same church, as gay and straight? she asked. No one has to self-identify at the alliance meetings, Hiebert pointed out. The point of the group is not to ask anyone to identify in any direction. Chubb graduated in 2004 and worked from 2008 to 2010 as an admissions counsellor, but said she did not come out when she was at Providence. I had to hide who I was. No, no, I left there to come out, she said. I married my wife, whom I met at Providence. Chubb said some professors are supportive of non-heterosexual students, but have to be careful. One gay professor left during her time, she said. It was just not a comfortable environment. There was this whole secret underground, Chubb said. In an evangelical setting, having allies is huge. Youre considered a confused sinner. Chubb said Providence gave her the courses she needed to teach English overseas, and despite having to hide her identity, Chubb has nothing but good memories about her education in Otterburne and the grounding she received in critical thinking. Providence is among three Bible colleges that have received operating grants since the final days of the Filmon Tory government in the 1990s, but is not subject to Bill 18 anti-bullying legislation with specific sections about sexual orientation. It dictates that high school administrators must provide support to any student who wants to form a gay-straight alliance in school. The most vocal opposition to Bill 18 came from the Steinbach region. An aide to Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum said Bill 18 only amended the Public Schools Act and does not cover post-secondary. Post-secondary students also deserve safe and inclusive learning space, and were happy to see that university and college students and leadership are working together to tackle this issue. We are committed to working with all educational institutions to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for Manitoban students, Allum said through his aide. Hieberts lecture on intersex realities and the church can be viewed at http://wfp.to/intersex. nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/02/2016 (2439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There is no question Elizabeth Lafantaisie was the victim of a horrific crime. But now a Winnipeg jury must decide if police caught the real killer or put an innocent man on trial. Crown and defence lawyers made vastly different arguments Tuesday in the first-degree murder case against Thomas Brine. The 29-year-old claims he is innocent of the February 2011 rape and strangling of 73-year-old Elizabeth Lafantaisie. Jury deliberations are set to begin Wednesday. Prosecutor Brian Bell summed up his case in less than 20 minutes, saying the evidence clearly shows Brine is guilty of the cold-blooded slaying. Elizabeth Lafantaisie The intent to murder can be formed in an instant of rage, sometimes replaced by panic and a lifetime of regret, Bell said. He told jurors well never know why this crime occurred but theres no question who did it. The key piece of evidence was semen found inside the victim, which proved to be a match to Brines DNA. The Crown said this evidence of a sexual assault also proves the first-degree murder charge. But defence lawyer Bruce Bonney suggested his client is the victim of a faulty police investigation. Specifically, Bonney took issue with the sloppy, potentially negligent note-taking and labelling of DNA swabs by a police officer. This included adding notes and exhibit numbers after the fact. Bonney said this created the possibility the swab containing his clients DNA didnt come from the victims vaginal area as was marked, but another part of her body which wouldnt prove a sexual assault occurred. He called this potential error fatal to the prosecution. Brine admits touching Lafantaisie after he found her car running in a parkade, stole it and later popped the trunk to find her already dead body stuffed inside. Bonney suggested his client could have innocently transferred semen that was previously on his hands to the victims body during this process. I suggested there is a reasonable doubt on the part of the accused, said Bonney. Its your duty to ensure an innocent man is not convicted. Bonney also questioned why samples from under the victims fingernails werent analyzed for DNA. The Crown told jurors there should be no confusion about a sexual assault or where the DNA was found. Bell noted the victim was found naked from the waist down, with her pants and underwear torn off. There were also injuries to her vaginal area consistent with a sexual assault. And there were chemicals from cleaning solution found in that area of her body as well, suggesting an attempted clean-up. The Crown also noted how Brine initially lied to police, claiming he had no involvement with Lafantaisie. It was only after he was confronted with the fact he had possession of the victims car that he admitted a link. A lot of what the accused tole the police was true. But there were many lies, Bell said Tuesday. Police were initially focused on another potential suspect, a high-risk sex offender who was living in the area. But they quickly honed in on Brine after surveillance video from an Osborne Street car wash showed him inside one of the bays with Lafantaisies missing vehicle. In a lengthy videotaped interrogation, Brine told homicide detectives he was simply trying to hide the fact he stole a car. He went into a great panic after he discovered the body in the trunk, Bonney told jurors on Tuesday. Brine admitted he routinely prowls parkades in Winnipeg, looking to steal items from unsuspecting victims. And it was a parkade on University Crescent where Lafantaisies personal items were found discarded in a stairwell. But Brine repeatedly denied being a killer despite suggestions from police he turned violent when caught. Even if this lady would have seen me, I would run. I know what I saw. I know what I did that day. I didnt do that. I aint a (expletive) killer, man. Im being straight with you. I never put that old lady in there, Brine told police at one point. Brine didnt take the witness stand in his own defence. This meant the Crown had to make their closing submissions first, followed by Bonney. Jurors will get their closing instructions from Queens Bench Justice Joan McKelvey on Wednesday morning, then remain sequestered until they reach a unanimous verdict. www.mikeoncrime.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/02/2016 (2439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A man and his son are accused of repeatedly beating and raping a 12-year-old girl who passed out from severe intoxication while drinking inside their rural Manitoba home. Details of the July 2014 attack emerged publicly for the first time on Tuesday. It occurred on the Lake Manitoba First Nation, which is about 170 kilometres north of Winnipeg. Adolph Swan, 26, pleaded guilty to sexual interference for his role in what police described as one of the worst abuse cases theyd ever seen. The victim suffered extensive injuries and major blood loss that required emergency surgery and resulted in long-term physical and emotional trauma, court was told. Swan is expected to be sentenced later this spring following completion of a court-ordered report into his background, including his troubled upbringing. Lawyers are not making a joint-recommendation on his penalty. He remains in custody without bail. Swans father, Robert, is still pending on charges including aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon for his alleged actions. He is presumed innocent. No trial dates have been set. Crown and defence lawyer went to great pains Tuesday to ensure Adolph Swan was specifically agreeing to certain acts which occurred on the night in question. He swore an oath confirming responsibility, and his lawyer also signed an agreed statement of facts. This is likely to ensure future criminal proceedings cant be clouded over who did what to the victim. Court was told the teen girl was one of several people who gathered at the Swan residence and began drinking heavily. She also smoked marijuana and later told police she has little memory of what happened because she was going in and out of consciousness after playing a number of drinking games. She described how Adolph Swan was trying to have sex with her that night, even though he was well aware she was only 12. The legal age of consent in Canada is 16. He offered her money and alcohol at one point, but she declined. The victim described how she awoke on a bed, missing her clothes, and on a pool of blood. She managed to return home and told family members she had fallen down some stairs. She was taken to hospital in Lundar, where doctors expressed concern about her story and called police. Adolph Swan later admitted to raping the victim. Police also found the victims underwear in a collection he had in his drawer. Lawyers say the girl was repeatedly beaten with fists and a metal bar and sexually assaulted again later that same night by a different person. Jody Ostapiw, the lawyer for Adolph Swan, told court Tuesday its not clear whether her client specifically caused the injury which required surgery. We cant know which of the assaults caused that specific injury, she said. A detailed victim impact statement will be presented at the sentencing hearing. www.mikeoncrime.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/02/2016 (2440 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Police blocked off McPhillips Street between Kingsbury and Leila avenues after a report of a suspicious package Monday evening. A Winnipeg police officer on scene told a Free Press photographer that they were called to a robbery at the Boston Pizza at McPhillips and Kingsbury. Upon arrival, a suspicious package was found inside the restaurant, police said. John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Police were called to the Boston Pizza on McPhillips for a robbery and a suspected package was found at the scene Monday. The police service bomb squad was on its way Monday night and fire crews were on scene. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. On his visit to Ottawa last week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon set the positive (and no doubt relieved) tone from the very outset. Im back (on Canadian soil) because Canada is back, he said enthusiastically. In return, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to reinvigorate relations with the world body and for Canada to assume its responsibilities in global affairs (including on climate change). He also informed the secretary general that Canada will be prepared to once again participate in UN-sponsored peace support operations in different parts of the globe. More importantly, Trudeau reiterated an election promise that Canada would be seeking a seat, as a non-permanent member, of the UN Security Council in the coming years. (It is worth mentioning that Canadas bid for a seat in 2010 was soundly rejected by member states, partly in response to Stephen Harpers neglect of, and displeasure with, the global forum.) There are no guarantees, of course, about how we will fare the next time around, but at least were back in the diplomatic game. The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon And its about time, I would say. Security Council membership is important because that is where the power lies and where all the action takes place. By sitting as a member, Canada can play a role in the key decisions that impact international peace and security. We should also remember that Canada played a key role in the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and helped to draft many of its core documents and guiding principles. In fact, the United States actually put forward the name of a Canadian former prime minister Lester Pearson to be the first secretary general of this critical international organization. So lets not kid ourselves here: Canada needs the UN more than its needs us. Indeed, it has been at the centre of our foreign policy universe since the mid-1940s and for good reason. It clearly serves our broader national interests and our engagement with the rest of the world. Canadians should, moreover, realize our overarching foreign policy aims have not changed much since the end of the Second World War, nor have the means of achieving those same policy objectives changed all that much in the ensuing years. Politicians and policy-makers in Ottawa are still seized by a desire to ensure world order, peaceful international relations and global stability. Closely linked to these are goals like system maintenance, war-avoidance and conflict resolution. That explains why Canada has, over the years, embraced such roles as mediator and honest broker, peacekeeper and conflict-resolver, bridge-builder and coalition-maker, and general, all-around international good citizen. And each one of these is intimately connected to advancing a host of vital Canadian political, economic, military and diplomatic interests. All of this brings us back to activist membership in the world body; for no other international institution exists besides the UN to promote these wider policy aims. Another central reality is that Canada does not possess the power capabilities on its own to push the world in the direction Ottawa would like it to go. We just dont have the horses as a small to middling power to do it unilaterally. Our diplomats and foreign service officers learned very quickly that the best way to maximize Canadas influence in the world was to work collaboratively with others. As a result, Canada has had to embrace wholeheartedly multilateralism, working in concert with like-minded countries, and forming pragmatic coalitions to grapple with pressing global challenges. Its called seeking strength through numbers, and very few countries have done multilateralism (to say nothing about our penchant for joining international bodies) better than Canada. Once again, that brings us back to the UN the mother of all multilateral institutions. The fact remains that if the UN didnt exist, Canadas ability to affect international politics would be minimal. I certainly hope, then, that Trudeau expends the requisite political will necessary to revitalize our standing in the world body and to fortify our foreign policy posture. After all, the last thing Canada needs at the UN is a repeat of the Harper debacle. Peter McKenna is professor and chair of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/02/2016 (2439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is hedging on what his government thinks should be done about the falling number of Canadians who have enough money to retire on. Mr. Trudeau early last year was sold on the call for hiking contributions and benefits of the Canada Pension Plan. But his resolve has evaporated since then. In December, Canadas finance ministers met and the CPP fix seemed bound to be an easy deal, but negotiations over the equalization program took up the bulk of the chat time. The CPP and the sliding finances of retirees was merely a passing mention. Now another financial analysis sheds more light on the growing numbers of Canadians who dont, or wont, have adequate savings and pension benefits. Further, poverty among the elderly is on the rise again, after falling for years. The problem, the left-leaning Broadbent Institute says, is benefits from federal income supports for the elderly have not kept pace with need. The most a low-income single person can receive from Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement is less than $16,000. The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau An increasing number of retirees, generally, is struggling to keep up, because fewer working Canadians (38 per cent) have a company pension plan to bank on. At most, CPP pays out $12,780 a year to contributors and, with maximum OAS benefits, a retired contributor 65 years or older still has an income of less than $19,000. Average benefits, however, are substantially lower, the Broadbent Institute found. Confirming data compiled by a host of sources, the report notes most working Canadians are not voluntarily stashing cash away in retirement savings, such as RRSPs. And of those who do, its a fraction of what their need will be, especially for those without a workplace pension. At one time, the CPP was supposed to be the add-on for retirees. Those were the days when workplace pensions were common. Increasingly, it has become a mainstay for pensioners. The benefit of the CPP is it has a well-established record, it is healthy, draws mandatory matching contributions from employers and employees and follows an individual throughout their working years. Compared to private options, it has low administrative costs. Mr. Trudeau once recognized all the efficiencies and benefits to improving the national pension plan as the sure-fire way to protect a growing pool of retirees. Thats how he distinguished his party from the Conservatives, who said the economy was too weak to hit employers with a higher payroll tax. But since getting elected, the Liberal government has opted to delay moving on CPP changes, opting to talk some more with the provinces. What, really, is the holdup? Hiking contributions requires the nod of seven provinces comprising two-thirds of the population. With Alberta now agreeing to a phase-in of higher contributions, that test is met. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is staunchly opposed, but he is bucking national opinion polls that overwhelmingly support higher CPP contributions and benefits. Mr. Trudeau has agreed to raise the GIS supports for single people, which will move an estimated 85,000 recipients above the poverty line. Thats a start. It cannot, however, be the answer for a secure retirement 20 or 30 years from now. Younger Canadians are far more likely to be working for multiple employers, with less chance of being backstopped by company pensions than were their parents. The Conservative option of voluntary savings or CPP contributions was a cop-out. The Liberal solution should improve the CPP, and it has the bulk of Canadians behind it. Tornadoes, fires and floods can and have hit areas of Minnesota, and Winona has been no exception. The state now has programs in place to send aid quickly, without waiting for lawmakers from across Minnesota to assemble (and avoid politics) or for other mechanisms to be approved. Thats in part thanks to the work of state Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, who gave a presentation Tuesday on the history of disaster relief, and his work to simplify the process in recent years. Following the flooding in southeast Minnesota in 2007, Pelowski and other state lawmakers called for money to repair roads, bridges, sewer systems and utilities damaged or in some cases wiped out by the storm, particularly in the city of Rushford. But sending that money required a sign-off from the governor allowing a special session, assembling lawmakers in St. Paul, and then waiting for them to approve the aid. Meanwhile, those affected, like Rushford, were forced to wait. Nothing like this had ever happened before, Pelowski said about the extent of the 2007 flood damage, which eventually drew about $157 million in cash and bonds from the state. Rushford was out of everything. The experience helped form the legislation that has made the process today much easier. Originally signed into law in 2008, Chapter 12A provides a playbook for disasters, starting with a presidential emergency decree, and providing providing money for the 25 percent match for federal emergency funds. Its updated version and later addition, Chapter 12B, is now more comprehensive and faster-acting, Pelowski said; it was adopted in 2014. Chapter 12B provides local governments emergency aid by allowing the governor to use a special fund of around $3 million without a special session. That was the result of 13 agencies working together to make as comprehensive as possible of a plan, approved by both parties. Pelowski said its a good example of how government should work with the interests of their communities in mind, and do as much research as possible when crafting bills. This is all about the people, Pelowski said. Were talking about peoples homes; were talking about peoples communities. The process also eliminates the possibility of topics unrelated to the disaster being introduced to special sessions, further delaying the aid process. Pelowski said that despite the success of the legislations use most recently, following flooding in summer 2015, the laws will still require some changes. That could include addressing disasters that arent so-called natural, like infectious diseases. There will likely also be a request to raise the amount allowed to be distributed, to $10 million. (Disasters) come in all shapes and forms, Pelowski said. And you never know where it could be next. This is all about the people. Were talking about peoples homes; were talking about peoples communities. State Rep. Gene Pelowski South Korea To Shut Down Kaesong Industrial Complex To Reprimand North Korea For Recent Nuclear Test And Long-Range Rocket Launch An official of the Unification Ministry said South Korea plans to totally shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex as a mean to reprimand North Korea for its fourth nuclear test in January and its recent long-range rocket launch. "Continuing the current situation does not merely signify a status quo but can lead to a catastrophic disaster as the North's nuclear capabilities get enhanced," Minister Hong Yong Pyo said in a press conference on Thursday, according to Korea Joongang Daily. He continued that South Korea's support for the complex was misused for upgrading nuclear weapons and long-range rockets. Advertisement "At a time when international society is pushing for sanctions against the North's nuclear test and long-range missile launch, which violated UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, we believed there was the necessity for us to take the lead," Hong added. Hong also said the operation of Kaesong Industrial Complex will remain halted if it poses threat to public security and peace on the Korean peninsula, as per South Korean government. Kaesong Industrial Complex is a jointly-run complex located in North Korea. It is considered as one of the last points of collaboration between the two Koreas. The complex is also Pyongyang's main source of profits. On Friday, North Korea reportedly kicked out South Koreans from the complex and allegedly froze South Korean assets. Said act compelled the South to suspend its operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Hong said North Korea's act of freezing South Korean assets was "illegal". He also tipped off the rival country not to destroy assets owned by South Korean firms, as claimed by Reuters. The Unification minister added that North Korea will be held accountable for the outcome after it expelled South Korean employees. "The North's conduct is very regrettable and we make it clear that the North will be responsible for everything that happens," Hong added. Advertisement Advertisement Like us and Follow us Follow @Koreaportal and 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In December 1948, a man was found dead on Somerton Beach in Australia. He was never identified, and nearly 70 years later, his death is still a mystery, complete with secret codes and Cold War-era suspicions. Thats the backstory for the original play My Life is All But Over, coming to Winona this Friday and Saturday thanks to a collaboration between Theatre du Mississippi and Twin Cities theater group Dolan // Heeringa. Peter Heeringa, the shows creator and lead actor, said the play is part lecture, part film-noir detective story, and part a grapple with lifes unanswered questions. The five performers begin the show as researchers detailing the case to the audience, then segue into a detective thriller as a way to tell that story. Meanwhile, audience members get an up-close look at the historical facts of the mysterious deathdocuments, maps, artifacts, photographs. Theres all this fascinating research that we have up, Heeringa said. The two plots weave together throughout the play, giving way to an exploration of what it means to say goodbye. Heeringa originally developed the play as a one-man show while he was attending graduate school in Colorado in 2010. He had lost a friend to suicide, and the play was a way of coming to terms with that inexplicable loss. But after he moved back to the Twin Cities and reconnected with a college friend, Andrew Dolan, Heeringa wanted to bring in more people. Together they turned the show into a multi-layered ensemble piece that debuted at a Minneapolis theater festival in 2014. Dolan directed it, but the whole crew worked on it together, Heeringa said. Im very proud of the work that weve done here, he said. The ensemble process itself was a fabulous way to really bring this piece to life. Heeringa said the play, though it deals in heavy topics of war and loss and grief, rides the line between serious and humorous and has been a hit with previous audiences. If people come, it will be an authentic communal experience that they may not even know they needed, he said. But they will have a good time. Theatre du Mississippi board member Peggy Sannerud said while Theatre du Mississippi generally produces shows by local authors and performers, they also reach out from time to time to spotlight regional talent. Sannerud, who is also the production manager for WSUs theater department, said she thinks the historical focus and high level of audience participation in My Life is All But Over will make it a hit for Theatre du Mississippi patrons. The cast and crew will host a discussion after the show on Friday. Mysterious historical death aside, Sannerud said what really sold her on the play was its deeper message. What its really about is our human need for closure, even though its unattainable, she said. GENOA, Wis. Charles Burch was heading to his favorite ice fishing spot, a Mississippi River backwater south of Genoa, when he ran into a railroad detective. The 74-year-old angler said the cop asked where he was headed. Obviously Im going fishing, Burch said, retelling the story. The railroad cop told him if he went across the tracks hed get a trespassing ticket. There was no other way to reach the water, so Burch turned around and hasnt been back to that spot since. Nevermind that hed been fishing that slough for 40 years. His experience is an increasingly common one, especially along Wisconsins western border, where more than 214 miles of BNSF track separates most of the state from the Mississippi River. Citing safety concerns, BNSF is warning people not to cross its tracks, but the move could cut off access to thousands of acres of public land in Wisconsin. Hunters and anglers say its an affront to a Wisconsin lifestyle; railroad officials consider it a matter of life itself. The reality is theres a lot of areas along the river that, if you cant cross the tracks, you cant get access to, said Marc Schultz, chairman of the La Crosse County Conservation Alliance. Youre impacting low- and moderate-income folks that dont have all the wherewithal to get out there. BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the railroad isnt trying to stop anyone from enjoying the outdoors. Were not saying dont fish, she said. Were saying access that (area) in a safe way. While the railroad recently hired an officer to patrol Wisconsin, McBeth stressed that the campaign so far has been educational. We are not nor have we been citing people. Were trying to make them aware, she said. At this point, its all an education campaign. Unbelievable risks Rick Hauser is a railroad conductor who works along the Mississippi River corridor and the local legislative representative for SMART-TD Local 311, the union that represents BNSF conductors. I honestly cant tell you the number of times weve had to whistle at someone walking down the middle of the track with a fishing pole, Hauser said. Ive seen them crossing, and Ive also seen them walking right down the middle of the track. Hauser said hes even seen people climbing through or under parked trains. Its just unbelievable, he said. Susie Klinger is general manager and also an engineer with Tomahawk Rail in northern Wisconsin. She also serves as the state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit safety advocacy organization funded in part by the federal government and the Association of American Railroads. She says modern trains are quieter thanks to smoother rails and coming far more frequently. They overhang the rails by three feet, and its not uncommon for cargo to shift and stick out even further. Trains cant swerve, and Klinger points out that a fully-loaded freight can take up to a mile to stop. By the time an engineer sees someone on the tracks, she said, Its too late. Hundreds killed, but few anglers Outdoors advocates argue the railroad is going overboard with enforcement. For years it worked, and why did they have to change it? Schultz said. Its as simple as that. Mark Clements owns Clements Fishing Barge in Genoa, where customers have crossed the tracks without incident since 1936. I think its a shame, he said. I remember as a kid I was 12, 13 years old Id take my rod and (go) across the tracks and catch bass. But one thing is certain: Trains can be deadly. Each year, more than 450 people are killed while trespassing on railroad property, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Thats not counting collisions at highways. But statistically they are more likely to be intoxicated, suicidal or simply wandering down the tracks than crossing them. Much of the time they are walking, standing or lying on the track. Researchers believe at least one in four trespassing deaths is a suicide. More than half the time, alcohol or drugs are involved. In Wisconsin, 65 trespassers have been killed by trains during the past decade. A dozen of those deaths occurred in Buffalo, La Crosse, Vernon and Crawford counties. Of those, half were classified as running or walking, a quarter were lying on the track and the other quarter driving. La Crosse County has not had a trespasser fatality since 2011, when two people died while lying on the tracks. Vernon Countys last fatalities occurred in 2010; both were suspected suicides. Not once has it been a hunter or fisherman or someone who had a purpose, Clements said. Whatever the reason for being on the tracks, those fatalities take a toll on the men and women who operate the trains. You are so helpless up there, Klinger said. Youre counting on someone elses good sense. Klinger recounts one close call with a man and some kids fishing from a bridge, but shes never hit anyone. Hauser has. He said two decades of military service taught him to compartmentalize, but hes seen coworkers debilitated by the trauma. There are people it has messed up forever, he said. Walking back to find the person you hit, thats not a lot of fun. 218 miles of rail, 106 public crossings McBeth said people should use designated public crossings such as highways, roads or sidewalks. Its a significant safety issue for people to be crossing railroad tracks at any place other than a railroad crossing, she said. We take that seriously. Outside the city of La Crosse, which lies between the railroad and the river, there are 106 public crossings of about 218 miles of BNSF right of way through western Wisconsin, according to FRA records. There are another 103 private crossings, which McBeth said can be used by the agreement holder and guests. Schultz said there are many hunting and fishing areas on public land not accessible by such crossings. There are long stretches from Fountain City to Trempealeau and Goose Island to Stoddard, for instance with no crossings whatsoever. Changing law Wisconsin law has long prohibited trespassing on railroad property, but enforcement has only lately become an area of concern for outdoors enthusiasts. McBeth said the current campaign, which she characterized as an education process, began after BNSF recently hired an officer to patrol Wisconsin. Steve Dewald, a retired game warden for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said he started hearing from other wardens who were getting complaints. Dewald said he dealt with a similar concern 15 years ago when the DNR and Fish and Wildlife Service were building a Mississippi River island complex north of Stoddard. He researched the law and pointed out the exemption for pedestrians walking directly across the track. But lawmakers removed that exemption in 2006 with a bill supported by railroad lobbyists. It was done very quietly, Dewald said. Nobody knew it was taken out. Half a dozen people fishing from the Onalaska spillway on Wednesday morning were surprised to hear they had broken the law walking down the path to the popular fishing spot. Its been forever. Everybody comes here, said one man who didnt want to give his name. Ive never encountered anything like this. While the spillway is accessible from French Island, its a half-mile walk from Fishermans Road and treacherous to cross when the water is high. Everybody that knows anything about fishing knows this is where you go, said Joe McRaniels, who said hes been coming to the spillway since 1990 and doesnt own a boat. If youre just some poor Joe like me who wants to catch some fish ... McBeth said the railroad has focused efforts on the spillway because trains routinely stop in that area, and there have been multiple reports of people going under or between cars. We just have a zero tolerance for that, she said. Its just so very, very dangerous. Cha Lor, 28, was fishing from the dam with his 3-year-old son, Chance. He said he cant afford a boat and comes at least a couple of times each week. Instead of banning it, he offered, they should build a crosswalk. McBeth said BNSF conducts similar campaigns across its network, but there have not been reports of conflict in neighboring states, whose laws also prohibit trespassing except at designated crossings. The Canadian Pacific railroad hugs the west bank of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, but game wardens in the southeastern part of the state said they have not heard of conflicts between sportsmen and the railroad. CP spokesman Andy Cummings said the railroad conducted enforcement blitzes this week in Milwaukee and Davenport, Iowa, and will continue to raise awareness across its network in the U.S. and Canada. The railroad plans to partner with local police next month to highlight trespassing issues in Wauwatosa, Cummings said. Unfortunately, people do sometimes choose to trespass on railroad property, he said. This issue is of serious concern to CP. Economic threat? Some Wisconsin tourism officials worry that overly strict enforcement could hurt the regions economy. Of course safety is important, said Sherry Quamme, chairwoman of the Wisconsin Mississippi River Parkway Commission. However, so are the economy and tourism. As you think back to the situations that have occurred where theres been injuries of fatalities, generally it isnt from people wanting to access the river for recreational or commercial fishing. At the Clements barge, customers descend a set of stairs from Hwy. 35 to a wooden crossing that spans two tracks where BNSF trains run at up to 60 mph. Clements said he has a 55-year-old lease with the railroad that requires him to maintain liability insurance on the crossing, which also provides access to a popular beach. But he worries the railroad could cancel his agreement. Theres that fear, he said, a small businessman dealing with big business. Onalaska Mayor Joe Chilsen said he met with BNSFs new detective over the winter. He understands the safety concern and said he would like to work with the railroad to come up with a safe way to get to the water. I would love to talk to them about it, he said. We have to find some way to safely coexist. Chilsen said the citys plans for a multi-million dollar redevelopment of the waterfront is going to complicate the issue. Adding a footbridge could cost about $3 million that Chilsen said the city doesnt have. Pursuing repeal, compromise Rep. Lee Nerison, a Republican from Westby whose district includes Vernon and Crawford counties, is concerned enough that he has drafted legislation to restore an exemption for people walking directly across the tracks or right-of-way of any railroad. I just look at it as youre not going to be able to get to a lot of public land, he said. Youre basically going to shut down a big part of the river. Nerison said he understands the concern for safety but wonders if the railroad hasnt gone too far. I think its safer crossing the railroad tracks than crossing the highway, he said. Whether there is a legal remedy, some on both sides of the issue agree that good judgment could solve many problems. Dewald said people who climb through trains or walk down the tracks should be cited, but people should be allowed to hop across on their way to fish. Hauser doesnt speak for the railroad, but as a train operator hed like to see people use better judgment near the tracks. It can get ugly, but it really doesnt need to, Hauser said. A little common sense goes a long way. McBeth said the railroad is open to working with local communities to find alternate access points. Burch, the angler who was warned off his ice fishing hole, was pragmatic about it as he and his brother reeled in northern pike from a beach near Genoa reached by a private crossing. Yeah, thats the way it goes, he said. Theres a lot of other places to go fishing. Cuba Returns Wrongly Sent Dummy Training Version Of Hellfire Missile To The United States The Cuban Government has returned the inactive training version of Hellfire missile to the United States after it went missing in 2014, an official of State Department confirmed Saturday. "We can say, without speaking to specifics, that the inert training missile has been returned with the cooperation of the Cuban government," spokesperson Mark Toner told CNN Saturday. "The department is restricted under federal law and regulations from commenting on specific defense trade licensing cases and compliance matters, so we cannot provide further details." He went on, "The reestablishment of diplomatic relations and the re-opening of our embassy in Havana allow us to engage with the Cuban government on issues of mutual interest." Advertisement According to reports, the U.S. has been trying to recover the missing missile for sometime already. Officials revealed they have been working with its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, for the transportation of the said missile, ABC News reported Saturday. The Cuban Government in a statement said the training version of Hellfire missile was found by customs inspectors in the midst of performing a routine inspection of cargo from Paris. It added that the missile was sent to Cuba due to "error or mishandling." "For Cuban authorities, the arrival in the country of US-made military equipment that hadn't been declared as such on the cargo manifesto was worrying," the statement read. The government assured the missile was "duly conserved and taken care of." It added that the Cuban Government immediately started proceedings to return the missing missile after they were informed by the U.S. regarding the matter. It said that a group of U.S. experts flew to Cuba to examine the missing Hellfire missile and traveled back to the U.S. with it on Saturday. "Cuba acted with seriousness and transparency and cooperated in order to find a satisfactory solution to this situation," the government said in a dispatch. Advertisement Advertisement Like us and Follow us Follow @Koreaportal and 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A former county employee will challenge a Sauk County Board incumbent for his seat in the spring election after Tuesdays primary election narrowed the field to two candidates. Unofficial results posted by the Sauk County Clerks office show District 25 incumbent Supervisor Brian Peper of Loganville was the leading vote-getter with 105 votes. Moving on to appear on the April 5 ballot alongside Peper will be former Sauk County employee Lynn Zick of North Freedom, who received 97 votes. A third candidate, Cardinal Glass employee Charlotte Huelsemann of North Freedom, came in third with 89 votes and will not appear on the spring ballot. Throughout this whole process I have put my whole heart into it, Huelsemann said in a phone interview Tuesday night, adding that she met many remarkable people while going door to door throughout the district. This has been a great experience. It was an honor to be asked. Peper thanked voters in the 25th district which encompasses the village of Loganville, the towns of Honey Creek and Westfield, and Ward 2 of the town of Freedom for turning out Tuesday. The former dairy farmer said he was not surprised by the result, even though he did not actively campaign. They went door to door and everybody in the district got a pamphlet on them, Peper said after learning of the election results. I went on my voting record and didnt do any campaigning. Peper said the most important aspect of the spring election will be that people do their research on the candidates and see that Im not what they say I am. Im actually who I am. Zick, a 22-year-employee of Sauk County government, said she was relieved by Tuesdays outcome. And she said the results helped her realize she needs to mobilize support in the western portion of her district. Peper was the top vote-getter in both the town of Westfield and the village of Loganville. Zick garnered the most votes in the town of Honey Creek and Huelsemann had the most support in the town of Freedoms second ward. Ill be doing more door to door visits, more yard signs, more phone calling, and well see what happens from there, Zick said, adding that she plans to host a meet and greet session some time before the April 5 election. Zick said she plans to focus on issues of civility, ensuring adequate access to mental health care, county placemaking, and Pepers opposition to a proposed county-run assisted living facility. Peper joined the board in 2012 after he defeated Tom Broughton by a vote of 233 to 136 to replace outgoing Supervisor Lester Wiese. Peper ran unopposed in 2014 and was reelected to his second term with 247 votes. Prior to Tuesdays primary election, Huelsemann and Zick criticized Pepers vote against a deal that would have helped a Wisconsin firm expand broadband Internet service throughout Sauk County. Pepers November 2012 vote helped a minority of supervisors block Hilbert Communications ability to access a federal program that allows tax-exempt financing for certain telecommunication projects. Peper said the county should not interfere with the market by propping up individual businesses. Hilbert has since moved forward with the expansion independently. The towers will get built, but the county will not receive revenue sharing that under the 2012 deal would have provided about $150,000 per year in tax relief. Editor's note: This article was updated on Feb. 17, 2016, to attribute a comment to Huelsemann that initially was attributed to Zick. It was further updated on Feb. 18 to correctly state the supervisor who Peper replaced in 2012. We say we want the best for our kids, but in truth we want them to suffer just as much as we did. If riding unrestrained in the back of a station wagon with six other kids while Dad sipped a beer from the drivers seat and filled the entire car with secondhand smoke was good enough for me, the old-timers say, by golly, it should be good enough for todays kids. With a thought process like that, its a miracle our species emerged from the Dark Ages. And survived the 1970s. A similar generational clash is underway in Baraboo, where the high school principal wants the School Board to lift a ban on wearing hats in class. He says enforcement of the dress code has caused problems, as some teachers dont mind hats in class, but others require their removal and are therefore cast as villains. Students wear hats for a variety of reasons to stay warm while fighting a cold or to make a fashion statement or to conceal a case of bed head and are loath to remove them. Bildsten told the School Board, which referred the matter to a subcommittee, that headwear hasnt caused any distractions. Some on the board supported allowing hats as a tip of the cap to a changing culture, but others balked at what they see as a lack of respect. They were raised to doff hats when entering a building, and dadgummit, todays kids should, too. Letters to the newspaper expressed dismay over the proposed change. Each one I read calls to mind Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, growling at the neighbors to get off his lawn. Seeing newspaper readers shake their fists at todays youth is hardly surprising. But what did catch me off guard is that my peers, who are half Eastwoods age, also objected. Many Baraboo High alumni posted on Facebook that they didnt get to wear hats in school, so todays kids shouldnt, either. With logic like that, Im amazed we arent still living in caves. Hats arent the only intergenerational battle being waged in the schools. Critics complain about students using smart phones and tablets in class. After all, the last thing wed want to allow inside an educational institution is a device that provides immediate access to all the worlds knowledge. Some say theyre worried about distractions, but these are the same people who were expected to focus on algebra during the miniskirt craze. (Baby Boomers up in arms over headwear might ask themselves whether they enjoyed being asked to drop to their knees to ensure their skirts were long enough.) Others say theyre worried about cheating. Of course, none of us ever wrote the names of world capitals on our arms before a big test. They arent upset about the cheating: Theyre just envious that its so much easier today. Im not saying I like all the changes underway at school. When academics radically changed the way math was taught, I became unable to help my kids with their homework. Of course, this was hardly a major blow to their educational development. When my kids come to their numbers-challenged, writer father with math problems, what typically results is math problems. What I am saying is that theres a generational disconnect at play. Those decrying the use of smart phones in class ignore that now more than ever, life is an open-book test. You could force kids to use slide rules and protractors, but to me it makes more sense to put modern tools in their hands. Those criticizing students for what they see as a show of disrespect miss the point. Students dont wear hats to stick it to the man. They wear hats because for the modern kid, donning a lid is no different than putting on a shirt or socks. If easing the dress code will make students more comfortable without causing distractions, there should be no flap over caps. To school leaders willing to acknowledge that changing times call for changing standards, I have the following message: Hats off. Er, I mean, on. The New Lisbon Police Department may be looking to establish a K-9 unit in the city and, on Monday night, it sought support from the City Council in a presentation given at the regularly scheduled council meeting. New Lisbon Police Chief Brent Granger and officer Kyle Walker spoke to council members, outlining reasons why a K-9 unit could prove to be an asset to the city. Having approached the Police and Fire Commission with the proposal the previous week, Granger and Walker made it clear that they were simply seeking support for the initiative, not a monetary commitment from the city at this time. Citing concerns such as New Lisbons proximity to the interstate, the growing nation-wide problem of drugs in schools, and even a recent concern of needles found in portable toilets at the citys Wa Du Shuda Days festival last summer, Granger and Walker told the council that a K-9 unit could have many uses. According to Walker, who would be the proposed handler for the dog, approximately 37 percent of police response calls since July of 2011 could have been efficiently attended to by a K-9 unit. Walker, who has been with the department for eight years, based his statistics on data the department had gathered since a similar proposal had been dismissed by the Police and Fire Commission nearly five years ago. Im supportive of a K-9 program at least looking into it, said Alderperson Gary Cowan. The drugs are there and the drugs arent going to go away. It wouldnt be bad if we could maybe push them a little bit more out of New Lisbon. While council members did ultimately support the initiative, Mayor Lloyd Chase had voiced concerns about time and staff investments if a K-9 unit was established. Its easy to go into something like this looking at all the positive things that could happen from it and then get in a squeeze, Chase said, adding that with other K-9 units available for support within the area, he questioned the advantage of having such a unit within New Lisbon. As for the costs associated with equipment, training and the actual animal, Walker told the council that it could be between $17,000 and $18,000. Were hoping that donations can offset the sheer amount of the initial cost if not potentially all of it, Granger said, stating that with the citys support to pursue the proposal, the next step will be to secure such donations from area businesses. The Assembly early Wednesday morning passed a bill allowing online voter registration in Wisconsin but which critics say will halt some voter registration drives. The bill would make Wisconsin the 31st state in which online registration is permitted, a move that has broad support. Civic groups such as League of Women Voters have assailed a controversial provision in the bill that eliminates so-called Special Registration Deputies, or SRDs, from state law. Election clerks deputize SRDs to aid civic groups in conducting registration drives at senior centers, college campuses and public events. Supporters of the bill have dismissed concerns that it will halt registration drives. With online registration, they say special registration deputies no longer will be needed because anyone could help a voter register online using tablets or other mobile devices. Bill co-author Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, said the bill is all about reducing paper. "I am shocked that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are opposed to going paperless as it is saving trees and a progressive use of science and technology over the old way of doing business," Bernier said. Opponents of the bill note that it requires voters registering online to have an ID that meets the state voter ID requirement. Voter groups less likely to have a driver's license or other ID, such as the very poor, elderly, students or minorities, would be excluded and also are the voters most commonly served by the special deputies who lead registration drives, they have said. The bill's Senate sponsor, Sen. Devin LeMahieu, has said voters who lack the proper ID could be given paper registration forms instead. Or they could register at the polls on Election Day, by which time they'll need an ID to vote anyway. Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, a longtime advocate for online voter registration, said she was torn by her vote against the bill. She said the bill wasn't gaining traction among Republicans before the elimination of special registration deputies, a sign the provision was all about politics. "We are supposed to want people to vote," Berceau said. "You put me in a real bind here and thats really fun? The bill passed 56-38 with all Democrats and a few Republicans opposed. Republicans also amended the bill to close a loophole in previously adopted changes to the state's campaign finance law that could allow out-of-state political action committees to give unlimited contributions to state political parties and legislative campaign committees. The amendment limits such contributions to $12,000 a year. The Senate voted 19-13 to approve Assembly Bill 563, which would allow Dane County towns to opt out of shared zoning authority with the county. Under current Wisconsin law, cities and villages control decisions on rezoning farmland for residential or commercial construction, but most towns share the authority with counties. The Dane County Towns Association has pushed for legislation as a way for towns to gain more autonomy over developments in rural areas, and to grow tax bases to pay for services. But critics, including officials from Dane County, its cities and villages and a group of its towns, have argued that towns lack the financial and staff resources to administer their own zoning code, and that it could unleash irresponsible development in rural parts of the county. They have also blasted the proposal for carving out rules that apply only to Dane County. USDA announces $1 billion debt relief for 36,000 farmers The USDA announced a program to provide $1.3B in debt relief for about 36,000 farmers who have fallen behind on loan payments or face foreclosure. Hong Lei, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holds a regular press conference on Feb.16, 2016. (Photo from official website of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Australia should adopt an objective and unbiased attitude and refrain from doing anything that undermines regional peace and stability, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. Deploying necessary national defense facilities on its own territory is China's exercise of self-preservation and defense, a right granted by international law to sovereign states, said Hong Lei at a regular press conference. Hong said that the Philippines' unilateral initiation of international arbitration does not comply with international law and runs counter to the consensus reached between China and the Philippines as well as relevant provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the action will never be accepted by China. "The Australian side should not selectively evade that objective fact," said Hong. For the South China Sea issue, China has expounded on its principled position on many occasions. According to earlier report, before leaving for visits to Japan and China, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters that Australia expects continued freedom of navigation of planes and ships, civilian and military, in the South China Sea, and will seek explanation from China on the latest development of its island building activities. She hoped that China would halt construction activities. Furthermore, Australia supports the right of the Philippines to take its maritime dispute with China to international arbitration. In the meantime, the U.S. continues to stir up the South China Sea issue. Military expert Li Jie told the Global Times that it is reasonable for China to establish defense facilities in the area for the safety of fishing boats, hydrological and meteorological observatories and civilian flights. At the conference Hong said China welcomes Foreign Minister Bishop's visit to China. It is very important to maintain regular exchanges between China and Australia. Business as usual is dead: A new business model is emerging Philippe Joubert, a senior advisor and special envoy for energy and climate for the WBCSD believes we need to find a new way to do business. Philippe Joubert, a senior advisor and special envoy for energy and climate for the WBCSD believes we need to find a new way to do business. Climate change is not only putting huge pressures on governments to adapt to, but it is also impacting on the way big business, globally, will operate in the near future. Big business, and any business for that matter, can no longer ignore the fact that the way they make and evaluate their profits has to change. CEOs cannot ignore this anymore. It is no longer acceptable, says Philippe Joubert, a French-Brazilian business executive, who is focused on building sustainability into the heart of business strategies to enable long-term growth. Joubert, a senior advisor and special envoy for energy and climate for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Chair of the Prince of Waless Corporate Leaders Group, and who is on the Advisory Board of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, presented a lecture at the Wits Professional Development Hub on Tuesday, 16 February. He believes there is an emergence of a new business model after the landmark agreement on climate change, which was reached at Paris COP21, and says companies have no alternative but to change the way they do business. Looking at the four drivers of business regulation, risk, opportunities, and finance and insurance Joubert says there is no way that the status quo can continue. We have been benefitting from a free lunch from nature for far too long, he says. Regulation On the regulation front, many countries are placing stricter sustainability regulations in place for companies to comply with. And where companies 10 years ago were able to ignore these regulations, companies like Exxon Mobil, who are being investigated for allegedly lying to the public and investors about how climate change risks might hurt the oil business and Volkswagen, who got caught in the Dieselgate scandal, found out the hard way that this is not allowed anymore. VWs market value has fallen by 30 billion and I am not sure that this is the end of it. says Joubert. Risk Climate change also poses increased risks to companies as extreme weather events impact their operations. Many companies, like Coca-Cola and Nike, have changed their operations to move towards a zero percent impact on water use not just because they want to conserve water, but because they believe water costs will become too expensive for their business. South Africa is a water-stressed country, so you will have to deal with the consequences of this very soon, says Joubert. In 2050, 70% of the worlds GDP will be produced in water-stressed areas. Opportunities Climate change will, however, also hold great opportunities for business, for example renewable energy has created huge business demand and a number of international corporations, like Coca-Cola Microsoft, Nestle, Nike, and Walmart, who have committed to renewable energy as their shareholders demand it. When you put pressure on the research and development teams of a business, they will find a solution, says Joubert. Finance When the guys with the deep pockets become nervous about where they invest their money, business is bound to change. This is a good thing, because when big money gets nervous, it has a multiplying effect. Banks and insurance companies are already shying away from investing (and insuring) carbon-intensive operations. Rating agencies are also keeping a closer eye on sustainability developments. They dont see mines in a water scarce area as a safe asset anymore. Joubert says that companies need to and will change the way they evaluate and measure their profits. Hundreds of companies have already started placing a shadow price for carbon emissions and water usage, to reflect the possible cost of these factors on their future profits. We have to measure what matters, says Joubert. We have to put a price on carbon emissions immediately, and make that price high enough to change behaviour. If you make a profit sending CO2 into the atmosphere because it is free of charge, misusing water or killing biodiversity, you are not making a true profit, you are just counterfeiting the money. Photos taken on February 16, 2016 show university students are taking anti-terrorism training in Karachi, Pakistan. Pak Army showed the boys and girls how to use guns, and provided them with basic information about the latest weapons. They even deployed tanks to give the students a head start. The Pakistan government has enhanced security for most educational institutions across the country after a deadly assault on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa happened earlier this year. Newly proposed legislation would also make it easier for university staff to carry licensed weapons. High performance computing key to campus research Improving the Visualization of Data On the left is an example of what a traditional method of working with aid data looks like (red to green points represent amount of aid). On the right is an example of a raster generated using HPC and is a more accurate representation of aid data (red to green pixels represent amount of aid). Submitted by Daniel Runfola and Seth Goodman from AidData Simulating Urban Flood Levels This image shows potential inundation depths of a city packed with buildings and roads during a flood. Submitted by Joseph Zhang from VIMS Physical Sciences Quantum Mechanical Phenomena in New States of Matter Hao Shi, Simone Chiesa, and Shiwei Zhang carried out calculations to study atoms trapped in a pancake-shaped well and cooled to ultra-cold temperatures (sub-nK). These systems form a superfluid and can potentially shed light on a variety of exotic quantum mechanical phenomena relevant to new states of matter and our understanding of the microscopic world. The figure above shows how the atoms pair up to create a superfluid. Submitted by Shiwei Zhang in Physics Pressure Calibrations In a prestigious publication in Physical Review Letters, Fengjie Ma, Wirawan Purwanto,Shiwei Zhang, and Henry Krakauer carried out calculations to better predict the properties of materials from microscopic theory. Shown in the figure is the result for BN, which is used as a pressure calibration in high-pressure experiments in laboratories. The new results (in red) are compared with experiments (different symbols) at low pressure. Predictions are given by the calculation for high pressure. Submitted by Shiwei Zhang in Physics Processing Satellite Data NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) from MODIS satellite imagery Submitted by Daniel Runfola and Seth Goodman from AidData The Quantum Mechanics of Electrons In a prestigious publication in Physical Review X, Mingpu Qin, Hao Shi, and Shiwei Zhang carried out calculations to study the Hubbard model, a fundamental model for understanding the quantum mechanical nature of electrons in magnetic and possibly superconducting materials. The calculations (indicated by the X and the red line) used a method called AFQMC, developed at William & Mary, and large-scale high performance computing. Their results served as the benchmark for this comprehensive collection of the most sophisticated computational methods (denoted by various symbols) in the world in an international collaboration funded by the Simons Foundation. Submitted by Shiwei Zhang in Physics Macroeconomic Distribution Comparisons This figure compares the prior distribution (solid line) against the posterior distribution (dashed line) for the parameters estimated with U.S. data on real GDP, GDP price deflator, and 3-month Treasury Bill Secondary Market Rate at a quarterly frequency in a New Keynesian macroeconomic model with sticky prices, consumption habit formation, interest rate smoothing, demand shocks, supply shocks, and interest rate shocks where monetary policy is constrained by the zero lower bound (ZLB) on the interest rate. The parameters shown are (in row-major order) firm price stickiness, household consumption persistence, demand persistence, supply persistence, interest rate persistence, supply shock std., demand shock std., interest rate shock std., monetary policy inflation response, monetary policy output gap response, mean growth rate, mean inflation rate, and measurement errors std. for output, inflation, and the interest rate. Submitted by Nate Throckmorton from Economics Photo - of - Hide Caption At William & Mary, the Department of Information Technology works with students, faculty and staff in finding technology-based solutions to complex problems. Within the academic realm, few problems are more complex than those tackled in research computing. Enter high performance computing Among its ranks, W&M IT includes a team dedicated to providing computing power, technical skill and high levels of intellectual acumen to support the array of computing projects conducted by researchers within the campus community. This team, the High Performance Computing (HPC) team, maintains a network of computers with much more processing power than the typical personal computer. These computers are used by members of the W&M academic community to run robust research computing projects. The HPC facilities at W&M provide a healthy middle ground for calculations that are too demanding for a single desktop machine but are not too overwhelming that a large supercomputing facility is needed, explained Eric Walter, the HPC manager, as well as a senior research scientist in the physics department. The facilities include three main clusters of computers, named SciClone, Storm and Chesapeake, providing over 2600 computing cores. The SciClone cluster is the main staple of HPC computing on campus. It provides about 1200 computing cores and over 120 terabytes of storage. Storm and Chesapeake are recent additions to the fleet (2014) and have paved the way for an exponential increase in HPC utilization hours. To put this in perspective, more than 1,200,000 hours were used in May 2015 whereas about 28,000 were used in May 2014, just a year before. Walter and his team work to maintain the servers used to run various calculations. Research computing projects often require HPC services due to the large memory and storage requirements for the cutting-edge calculations they perform. Moreover, the HPC facilities give university constituents the flexibility and convenience of conducting their research right here on campus. It allows users to develop and test HPC software and algorithms on a local cluster that is supported by W&M staff, added Walter. The role of research computing The HPC facilities serve a wide variety of researchers around the W&M community. Research computing is especially important to departments such as physics, applied science and Virginia Institute of Marine Science physical sciences. However, HPC equipment and services are also employed by researchers in various academic departments, including economics, as well as the Institute for the Theory & Practice of International Relations. [The HPC team] has been extremely important to the success of my research program and the breadth and strength of mathematical/computational science at W&M, noted Professor Gregory Smith, an associate professor of applied science, in an email. Smiths work in the applied sciences exposes him to appreciable collaboration with the HPC team and their facilities. He also noted his excitement over the universitys dedication to his field, adding, I am highly appreciative of the administrations continued support of centralized high performance computing at the College. Dennis Manos, the vice provost for research and graduate/professional studies, expressed a similar sentiment. It is good to know that computational science continues to be of great importance to the university, he said. A look toward the future W&M plans to continue to expand on its research computing capabilities, and Information Technologys HPC will be an integral part of it. This point has been corroborated in the infrastructure of the university, as a new space dedicated to HPC is included in the third Integrated Science Center (ISC3) construction plans. It is our intention to keep a robust, resident modeling simulation, and high-cycle computational capability alive for the foreseeable future. [The HPC team members] are puzzling out the deep infrastructure needs on the final approach to designs of the interior of ISC3 There is no question that our need for computational capability will not go away, Manos said. Tom Crockett, who retired as HPC manager in June 2015 after 15 years with W&M IT, expressed confidence in the future of research computing. I fully expect this new academic data center to serve the College well for decades to come, he said. Crockett holds a unique perspective that sheds light upon research computings gradual development over the years. According to Crockett, steady cultivation has created a full-bodied research computing substructure. It has been gratifying to see the W&M HPC activity grow from a modest and sometimes rocky start to its present robust state, he said. W&M remembers Justice Antonin Scalia May 2014 Law School Diploma Ceremony Justice Scalia addressed graduates, their families and friends. Photo by Gretchen Bedell Photo - of - Hide Caption Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Feb. 13, had many connections to William & Mary, including children and grandchildren who attended the university. The justice spoke on multiple occasions at the university, particularly at the W&M Law School. His most recent visit included remarks at the 2014 main campus Commencement ceremony. Scalia relayed advice he had received from his father, a college professor, who told him that brains are like muscles; you can hire them by the hour. The only thing not for sale is character. Although the graduates parents had been largely responsible for shaping the character of their children, the graduates are now responsible for taking on that job, he said. Its a job worth taking seriously, to cultivate the virtues of honesty and courage, Scalia said. That is, at the end of the day, what youll be tested on. Scalia delivered two addresses at W&M Law School diploma ceremonies, the first in 1991 and, then again on May, 14, 2014. In his 2014 remarks, he addressed proposals to shorten the graduate study of law from three years to two, and also addressed what he saw as the root causes for resurgence of the discussion. "You ... have had what I consider not the luxury but the necessity of soaking in the law for three full years," he told Class of 2014 graduates. "Welcome to the ranks of not tradesmen, but men and women learned in the law." A video of his address is available online (his remarks begin at about 56:00 into the recording). The justice gave the university's main Commencement address in 1996. As reported in the June 1996 Alumni Gazette: Keynote speaker Antonin Scalia, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, repeated some of the most often heard Commencement platitudes and poked holes in them: Graduates face unprecedented challenges: "Humanity has been around for at least 5,000 years," said Scalia, "and I doubt that the basic challenges it has confronted are any worse now, or, alas, even much different from what they once were." Never compromise your principles: "Unless, of course, your principles are flat-out wrong, in which case you would be well advised to compromise them as much as you can." Education is the most important thing: "It is no accident that the most evil regime of the 20th century (Nazi Germany) was brought forth by the society that was the most educated The fact is that the education you have received, the broadening of your mind and intellect, has not made you either happy or good, but has simply increased your capacity for happiness or despair, and for goodness or evil." This is not an end, this is a beginning: Not true, said Scalia, this is the end of a lot of things, including bills for parents, all-nighters to prepare for term-papers, communal living and a life of leisure. Honors In May 1991, the justice received an honorary degree from William & Mary, presented by Paul R. Verkuil '61, then-president of the university. The citation noted that "his impressive career has been marked by a remarkable vigor and extraordinary fidelity to the bedrock constitutional ideal of separated powers," according to the June 1991 Alumni Gazette. Scalia served as chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) from 1972 to 1974. Verkuil served as ACUS chairman from 2010 to 2015, following Congress's revival of the agency after a 15-year hiatus. In September 2012, the W&M Law School faculty recognized Scalia with its highest honor, the Marshall-Wythe Medallion, at the culmination of a daylong visit to the school. During the justices visit, he taught an administrative law class, had lunch with students and faculty and fielded questions during two informal meetings. "When the history of the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts is written, one of the most important chapters will be the one dealing with the jurisprudence of Justice Scalia," said Dean Davison M. Douglas in his remarks at the medallion presentation. Noting the justices renown for his highly influential theory of constitutional interpretation known as textualism, Douglas added that he "writes ... with a spark that makes his opinion in a case frequently the most interesting one to read." Among the most notable Scalia passages the dean cited was the justice's famous likening of the Court's Lemon Test (in Lamb's Chapel, 1993) to a "ghoul ... that repeatedly sits up in its grave and shuffles abroad, after being repeatedly killed and buried." Law faculty on Scalia Ball Professor of Law Alan J. Meese, who clerked for the justice: "The justice was deeply and fiercely committed to the Rule of Law. He knew that departure from the original meaning of the Constitution or ordinary legislation gave judges and others a license to exercise arbitrary and illegitimate authority over their fellow citizens. Through sheer force of intellect, profound learning, wit and powerful expression, he changed the way that lawyers and judges interpret and thus apply legal texts in our constitutional republic." (Read the full text.) Marshall-Wythe Foundation Professor of Law Linda A. Malone: I have never agreed with anything Justice Scalia has said. I have never lacked respect for anything he has said. What many people may not realize or understand, is that our system benefits from having the best minds argue for the most opposite positions, without discrimination, inflammation, or catering to the worst of our national nature. Justice Scalia did exactly that. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Refugees and migrants aboard the passenger ferry Blue Star Patmos arrive at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, Feb. 1, 2016. Almost 6,000 refugees who registered at the islands of Lesbos and Chios arrive at the Port of Piraeus. Hundreds keep making the crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands despite bad weather conditions. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) BERLIN, Feb. 16 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday warned against national closing-border solutions and vowed to fight for the joint European Union plan to limit flows of refugees to Europe. Merkel said the success of the upcoming EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday depended on whether EU nations could cooperate with Turkey in the refugee crisis, referring to a joint EU-Turkey action plan agreed on last November. "I will put all my strength on Thursday and Friday to make the European-Turkish approach turns out to be the right way to go on," said Merkel at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She also warned against the alternative measures suggested by the so-called Visegrad Group of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to close the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border, saying that such national solutions would have serious consequences for Greece, the European Union and thus the Schengen zone. Merkel meanwhile said that the EU summit was not about agreeing on new quotas for a fair distribution of refugees in Europe. Merkel has been under huge pressure at home to reduce refugee inflows. She is also increasingly isolated within the EU because many European partners believe that the refugee crisis has been worsened by Germany's policy to leave its door open for refugees. Paladin Energy reduces loss, confirms CEO appointment 17 February 2016 Share Paladin Energy has reported a net loss after tax of $22.9 million for the six months to 31 December 2015, which is a 66% improvement on its loss of $67.2 million a year earlier. As well as announcing its half-year and quarterly results yesterday, the Perth-based, African-focused uranium miner said it had appointed Alexander Molyneux as CEO following his six-month stint as interim head. Total revenue for the period of $101.6 million was slightly lower year-on-year on a fall in sales, but Paladin said this had been almost entirely offset by an 18% increase in realised uranium prices. The company received $40.5 per pound of uranium oxide (U3O8), compared to the weekly spot price average for the six months of $36.26/lb and the average price received in the first-half of 2015 of $34.3/lb. According to the company's presentation to analysts, a consensus of 15 analyst forecasts expects the uranium price to average $62/lb in 2020, up from $42/lb this year. Paladin's cash flow at the end of December stood at $136.8 million and the company estimates a funding gap to refinance 2017 convertible bonds of between $140 million and $165 million. Paladin has two mines in Africa - Langer Heinrich Mine and Kayelekera. Langer Heinrich Uranium Ltd, a member of the Paladin Energy Ltd group of companies, holds the group's 100% interest in Langer Heinrich. The mine is located at the foot of the Langer Heinrich Mountain in the Namib Desert in western Namibia. Kayelekera, located in northern Malawi, was put on care and maintenance due to sustained low uranium prices, in February 2014. The mine is operated by Paladin subsidiary Paladin Africa Limited, in which the government of Malawi holds a 15% interest. The company's list of highlights for the three months ended 31 December included a 16% increase in production at Langer Heinrich of 1.259Mlb U3O8 compared with the September 2015 quarter. The C1 unit cash cost of production for the December 2015 quarter of $25.38/lb decreased 9% from $27.82/lb in the September 2015 quarter. A record monthly C1 cash cost was achieved during the month of December of $23.73/lb and continuation of a low C1 cash cost running rate last month of $24.36/lb. During the conference call to analysts, Molyneux said: "We are a global uranium leader and we are the largest investable pure-play uranium miner. We have fully built capacity that includes our Kayelekera mine on care and maintenance which when restarted would immediately increase our production by 40%. And our global resource inventory is almost 400 pounds, which gives us a substantial pool of assets on which to draw future growth from in addition to our current operating Langer Heinrich Mine." He added: "Langer Heinrich is undisputedly a world class asset. We have said it many times. And this is in terms of its key features, scale, mine life and production cost. Cost at the moment is where this mine is coming to its own. Its moving well into the first quartile of global cash costs." The company achieved a sales revenue of $64.4 million for the three months ended 31 December, selling 1.699Mlb U3O8. The average realised uranium sales price for the quarter was $37.90/lb compared to the average TradeTech weekly spot price for the quarter of $36.03/lb. The company expects Langer Heinrich C1 cash costs in the range of $24/lb to $26/lb - a reduction of $1/lb versus the previous range of $25/lb to $27/lb). Lower C1 cash costs at LHM combined with non-Langer Heinrich costs "being within guidance" is resulting in reduced 'all in' cash expenditure levels for the company. The running rate for the second half of the 2016 financial year is expected to be in the range of $35/lb to $37/lb, which would result in a full-year range of $38/lb to $40/lb versus a previously presented range of $39/lb to $41/lb. Paladin said it "continues to be on track" to be cash flow neutral on an 'all in' basis at current spot uranium price and foreign exchange rates excluding one-off restructuring costs and capital management or strategic initiatives for the 2016 financial year. For the first quarter of 2016, the company projects uranium sales in a range of 450,000 to 650,000 lb. Molyneux became Paladin's interim chief when the company's founder, John Borshoff, agreed to step down as managing director and CEO. Molyneux to joined Paladin from Azgara Resources Group, a private banking and investment firm focused on the minerals sector. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics A Starbucks store in Saudi Arabia has banned women from entering due to the lack of a wall that separates the sexes. A Starbucks store in Saudi Arabia has banned women from entering due to the lack of a wall that separates the sexes. Bowing to local customs and cultural differences, with require men and women to be separated in restaurants, the coffee giant posted a sign outside the store in Rihaydh that said Please no entry for ladies. Only send your driver to order. The wall, which was a temporary solution to the cultural requirement, had fallen down. The photo, which was posted by Twitter user Manar M, has sparked outrage among human rights activists and feminists throughout the world, and Starbucks has received threats of boycott along with angry complaints. However, Saudi religious police ordered Starbucks management not to allow women into the store because of the absence of a gender wall. Authorities had discovered the lack of such a wall during a routine inspection. Gender walls are required for all public shops and restaurants in Saudi Arabia to separate men and women. Women are required to enter through a separate door, as are families. A Starbucks rep told CNN that they were working with local authorities to get approval to remodel one of the stores in Jarir, which was originally built without a gender wall, meaning only men could enter. The sign on the Rihaydh store made the assumption that women wanting a coffee would be driven by a male, since women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took File photo taken on Dec. 3, 1991, shows Boutros Boutros-Ghali, appointed sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations at the UN headquarters in New York. The former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died at 93, UN spokesperson's office confirmed on Tuesday. Boutros-Ghali, an Egyptian politician and diplomat, served as the sixth UN head from 1992 to 1996. (Xinhua/UN Photo/Milton Grant) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday hailed former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali as "a respected statesman" and expressed sadness at his predecessor's death. "The late Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was a respected statesman in the service of his country, Egypt," Ban said. An Egyptian politician and diplomat, Boutros-Ghali served as the sixth UN head from 1992 to 1996. He died at 93 in Egypt. Boutros-Ghali was a well-known scholar of international law and brought formidable experience and intellectual power to the task of piloting the United Nations through one of the most tumultuous and challenging periods in its history, Ban said. As Secretary-General, Boutros-Ghali presided over a dramatic rise in UN peacekeeping. He also presided over a time when the world increasingly turned to the United Nations for solutions to its problems, in the immediate aftermath of the cold war, Ban said. "Boutros Boutros-Ghali did much to shape the Organization's response to this new era, in particular through his landmark report 'An Agenda for Peace' and the subsequent agendas for development and democratization," he said. While praising Boutros-Ghali's for rightly insisting on "the independence of his office and of the Secretariat as a whole," Ban stressed that "his commitment to the United Nations -- its mission and its staff -- was unmistakable, and the mark he has left on the Organization is indelible." Ban extended his deepest condolences to Mrs. Boutros-Ghali, as well as to the rest of the family, to the Egyptian people, and to the late Secretary-General's many friends and admirers around the world. The United Nations community will mourn a memorable leader who rendered invaluable services to world peace and international order, Ban said. The Security Council observed a minute's silence Tuesday morning after Venezuela's UN permanent representative, Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, current holder of the council's rotating presidency, made the announcement. Tasty Chicken aNa Pizza By: Wayne Morin A restaurant selling chicken and pizza in the United Kingdom, was shut down after inspectors found human feces splattered on the floors. Environmental health officers in London, ordered the immediate closure of the Tasty Chicken aNa Pizza restaurant located on Hoe Street, after the human feces was discovered on the floors on Tuesday. Inspectors found the human feces on the floors of the toilets. The toilets were also broken and leaking, which caused employees to leave a trail of raw sewage throughout the store as the human waste stuck to their shoes. Several mice were also found in the store, and droppings were seen in food including the cheese and pizza dough. Inspectors also observed mice eating French fries. The Stratford Magistrates Court on Friday, affirmed the closure of the restaurant. This photo shows a left-behind children with his grandmother at their home in a village in Queshan County of central China's Henan Province on February 4, 2016. [Photo: china.com.cn] The State Council, China's Cabinet, has released a guideline on the protection of children left-behind by parents earning a living in distant cities. The document delineates the various responsibilities of parents, the government and society at large. The guideline stresses the parents' primary responsibilities of guardianship over left-behind children who are minors. Their kids under the age of 16 should not be left living alone without protection while their parents are working away from home. If the migrant workers can neither take their children with them nor have one parent stay home, they must appoint a responsible guardian. They should also keep in touch with their children regularly and see them often, so as to keep track of their lives, studies and mental health. The guideline also states that local governments and village committees should keep themselves well-informed of the status of left-behind children within their jurisdiction, in a bid to ensure the kids are properly cared for. Governments at the township level must set up a file for each child and help left-behind children contact their parents, and village officials and Party members must visit the children regularly as well. Wang Zhenyao, a professor from Beijing Normal University, comments on the guideline. "In the past, most of these obligations were implemented by local governments at the township level, with very little support from their superior organizations. Thus, almost all the heavy burdens were shouldered by grass-roots departments lacking adequate professional assistance." He added that with this new guideline, this year might even be marked as the year of transition towards better handling the left-behind children issue. "Under the new guideline, a professional system will be available that specifies the obligations and responsibilities of all parties involved, which will help to ensure that the protection of left-behind children can be performed in a solid and thorough manner." The guideline also states that a system of compulsory reporting, intervention, assessment and help will be established. Cases involving injury, abuse or other harm must be reported to the appropriate authorities, and intervention must take place as soon as possible. Governments can also contract charities and voluntary bodies to provide professional services. Xu Weihong, an expert in child psychology, said the protection and caring for left-behind children requires joint efforts from across society. "In my opinion, the issue of left-behind children is a long-term phenomenon. All sides should make great efforts and never ignore any issues connected to the children. The left-behind children need more timely psychological counseling; otherwise an ignorance as to their psychological issues could lead to serious negative effects on their overall mental health." Recent figures show that over 60 million children are considered left-behind in the country. Lack of proper care for many has resulted in a number of heartbreaking incidents, including a suicide of 4 left-behind siblings last year in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Health Document Gives Insight To Wrexham Prison Challenges This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Feb 17th, 2016 A document prepared for the local health board has given an insight to challenges faced for health provision once the new prison opens locally. The document is titled Prospective Initial Health Needs Assessment for North Wales Prison and was prepared to allow Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board support the planning and provision of health care for the new North Wales prison. The PDF states the version is final confidential is publicly hosted on the Wales.NHS.uk site here, and although it is from May 2015 we have yet to see any reference to its contents. Comparison information is provided from HMP Northumberland and HMP Oakwood to predict the added demands to the local health services. Oakwood has a capacity of 1,605 with Northumberland being 1,348. For comparison Wrexhams yet unnamed prison will have a capacity of 2,106 , that is to say 31% bigger than Oakwood and 56% bigger than Northumberland. It is assumed in the document that Wrexhams prison will be a Category C training and resettlement prison, however will provide a category B remand function, with up to 200 such places. It is noted: In the year 2012/13 HMP Oakwood called the GP out-of-hours on 460 occasions. HMP Oakwood reported that there were 196 referrals to hospital services. The HMP Northumberland HNA reported that the total number of escorts from HMP Northumberland ranged from 74 to 107 per month. An estimated 44% of the prison population takes prescribed medication, this would equate to an estimated 926.6 prisoners in the North Wales prison taking prescribed medication In HMP Northumberland, there were 49 unplanned escorts to hospital between March 1st and May 31st 2013, the most common reason for unplanned escort to hospital was injury (HMP Northumberland, 2013). The document explains: If a prisoner attends a hospital they will require an escort. If they are admitted to the hospital they require a bedwatch. The above numbers on bedwatch nights are scaled up in the document, showing a predicted 325 nights a year likely at the Maelor Hospital from the prison, however the escorts do not appear to be calculated. Using HMP Altcourse as an example it is noted that the escorts are often for planned outpatient appointments, however can also be attendance to accident and emergency. With Northumberlands 16 unplanned escorts a month (196 pa) scaled up to Wrexhams level would mean in the region of 300 unplanned visits a year to the Maelor Hospital, again likely via the Accident and Emergency department. Data from HMP Wymott (population 1,176 around 55% the size of Wrexham) is also given showing up to 6 escorts a day to hospital at that prison, with a possible link to an higher proportion of older prisoners explaining the larger numbers. This suggests the impact on the Maelor Hospital and associated ambulance call outs, and A&E visits will depend on the make up of the prison population as well as the size. The Category of Healthcare for the prison being built at the industrial estate is pegged at Level 3, however under the basic description of the prison it is noted 24 hour access to healthcare no inpatient beds. The latter appearing to be the main differentiator between Levels 2 and 3, noting the lack of inpatient beds being a variation to the widely excepted definition of prison healthcare level 3 which is stated as 24 hour nursing cover with in-patient unit. No explanation is given to this apparently conflicting information. The lack of inpatient beds is mentioned when discussing end of life care, appearing to suggest a cell could be used instead: For end of life care in prisons with no in-patient beds, there may need to be dedicated cells where staff can have 24 hour access. The below social characteristics of prisoners in comparison to the general population table is also provided in the document, citing 14 year old data from 2002: One other grim prediction in the document is that there is likely 3.4 deaths a year in the prison from natural causes, and 2.1 deaths due to self inflicted cause, with 457 people expected to self harm every year. 383 assaults, presumably prisoner on prisoner, are predicted with 84 assaults on staff also noted in the projections. A note is added to the statistics, When considering these estimates it must be noted that the extent to which these nationally based rates apply to the North Wales prison population is unknown and that some of the rates used are based upon males and females in custody. Therefore the estimates may not provide an accurate reflection of the need within the North Wales prison. The document lists several recommendations , including the statement The majority of healthcare will be delivered within the prison, which then leads on to other areas of support such as healthy eating and smoke free prison status. It is noted that prisoners with complex needs could be avoided, specifically in the ramp up period as stabilisation of healthcare provision occurs. There is no information to why the document was labelled as confidential. The full PDF is here and is 193 pages long. Six months have now passed since Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) locked out 2,200 workers in six states. Through the entire process, the United Steelworkers union (USW) has worked deliberately to isolate and sabotage the struggle of ATI workers, using their hardship as a warning to blackmail other steelworkers to accept deep concessions. We're the scapegoats of the steel industry, because they wanted to see what would happen to us if we cave into their demands and go crying back to work, said Tom McCulloch, a truck driver with 42 years at ATI. The concessions [ATI demanded] were taking us back to 1930, that's why we didn't accept it. We would have worked under the old contract. Along with many other concession demands, ATI is demanding the ability to schedule workers arbitrarily and irregularly, with little prior notice and no guaranteed overtime after eight hours of work per day. If there's nothing to penalize them on a work schedule, then they'll schedule anything, because there's nothing going to take anything out of their pocket. If you're going to screw someone's whole life schedule up, you should pay them a little bit more. Herb Maurhoff, a worker with eight years at ATI, explained the grueling schedules workers are forced to keep. I was fortunate, and my brother was fortunate. I was in the electrical department, so in the last year we were only forced to work six days a week. Some of the production people, they were working seven days a week for three years. How can they do that to those people? ATI stopped paying healthcare benefits to its locked out employees at the end of November last year, forcing many workers to forego prescriptions, health screenings and medical procedures. We've got insurance from the union, but it's just for emergency purposes, explained Sam Freehling, a truck driver with 21 years at ATI. A couple weeks ago, I cut my finger with a razor knife, and I probably should have had stitches, but I couldn't just go to the doctor. After that, I sat at home for two weeks thinking 'I've really got to start watching what I'm doing,' because this could have really been serious if it got infected. I was afraid to do anything. I was reading [in a WSWS leaflet about the ATI lockout] that someone had an eye infection, and I've got the same thing with my eye. You just don't go to the doctor. Sam no longer has coverage for prescription medications. I have an acid reflux problem, and I take one of those [pills] a day. Tom noted that a fellow ATI worker, nicknamed Buckethead, had died after foregoing medical treatment due to lack of proper insurance. He said he was having chest pains in the evening, and he didn't want to go to the doctor because of his new insurance. That just happened a couple weeks ago. He died. He was probably my age, about 61 or 62. If he had the regular insurance, he probably would have gone that night, but instead he waited until the morning, but he never got to see the morning. ATI aims to convert up to 40 percent of its labor force, including truckers, to non-union contractors. They wanted to get rid of all the non-core employees, and we were non-core, said Tom. ATI already contracted out some trucking positions several years ago during the construction of the $1.3 billion Brackenridge hot rolling mill. They told us it was going to be through attrition, but there were four of the bottom-seniority guys that they took out. It was wrong, because the company said it was going to be through attrition: if somebody retires, if somebody bids out, they're not going to replace us. But they just stole them. The union backed them too, that's how they got rid of our truck jobs. To get the mill worth $1.2 billion, the union said, 'Alright, see ya.' This month ATI workers will stop receiving unemployment insurance, currently about $2,000 a month. Locked out workers will have essentially no income after unemployment benefits end. Strike benefits are $100 every two weeks, they were cut back at Christmastime, explained Sam. Sam, who is single, did not know if this cut also applied to workers with families. This is a 50 percent cut from the already miserly $100 per week the USW had been paying out from its $350 million strike and defense fund, with an extra $100 per month per worker hoarded by local unions and distributed at their discretion. Workers reported in early November that USW international officials were considering cutting ATI strike pay to prepare for a real struggle at US Steel and ArcelorMittal, whose contracts ended September 1 last year. In fact, the opposite is true: The USW aims to isolate and starve ATI workers into submission to make an example of them and push deep concessions onto other steelworkers. After ordering workers at US Steel and ArcelorMittal to remain on the job indefinitely, on February 1, the USW succeeded in pushing through a concessions contract for 18,000 US Steel workers. The USW has since offered to enforce millions of dollars in innovative concessions on 12,000 ArcelorMittal workers. The deal at US Steel and any deal at ArcelorMittal only further isolates the locked out workers at ATI as well as Sherwin Alumina, where 450 workers have been locked out for over a year. Sherwin Alumina recently announced its intention shut down its plant in Gregory, Texas as early as March 31. In response to the prospect of the permanent loss of locked out workers' jobs, the USW states that it would simply accept the shutdown and do everything we can to maximize the benefits that our members and retirees have coming to them. After half a year of isolation and starvation rations, the USW is now asking ATI workers to place their faith in their unfair labor practices lawsuit filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB found that ATI has bargained in bad faith, and has set a hearing with an NLRB administrative judge on May 23, asking that ATI bargain in good faith in the interim. The USW claims that if workers wait for three months on essentially zero income, the NLRB will force ATI to rehire them with back pay. Workers should place no confidence in the NLRB which is fully on board with the Obama administration's drive to lower workers' wages and living standards to make US industry globally competitive. The USW's NLRB lawsuit, like its anti-China trade lawsuits, is another trap aimed at preventing workers from taking up an independent political struggle in their own interests against the assault on their jobs and living standards. Despite the USW's rabid anti-Chinese chauvinism, Tom noted that ATI had actually benefited from the boom in Chinese steel demand in the years following the financial crisis of 2007-2009. ATI was going to go out of the silicon [steel] business, and China started buying silicon here. They're going to close Bagdad down now, but that's what kept them going. They were going to close it before, but then the price for silicon went through the roof. The price of North American silicon steel, over $2,250/ton in February 2011, has fallen nearly 40 percent to below $1,500/ton in January 2016 and the Bagdad, Pennsylvania mill is again slated for shutdown. The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Board of Regents voted on February 5 to sever its agreement with the scandal-ridden Educational Achievement Authority (EAA). The EAA, promoted and partially funded by the pro-charter Broad Foundation, marked a major step in the growing attack on public education in Michigan. Its record of lucrative no-bid contracts, outright bribery and FBI indictmentswhile miserably failing the most vulnerable childrenmade it a notorious symbol of the avarice behind the drive for school privatization. This decision would end the partnership between the state university and the Detroit Public Schools (DPS), under which the EAA has operated, effectively pulling the plug on the district by the end of the 2016-17 school year. The EAAs 15 failing schools had been separated from the Detroit Public Schools in 2012 and were constituted as a state-run turnaround school district. While the EAA will be abolished, the political establishment in Michigan, Democrat and Republican, is pressing forward in its drive to dismantle public education. The future of the EAA schools has been one of the hotly disputed issues in the ongoing negotiations over the restructuring of DPS. Detroit Democrats and union officials associated with the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren and Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) leaders have urged that the EAA schools be returned to the DPS district. The EMU vote, however, is purely symbolic. Pending legislation, based on Michigan Governor Rick Snyders plan to dissolve the DPS and establish the Detroit Community Schools, already made provisions to reabsorb the EAA schools. With Detroit schools facing the possibility of running out of cash by April, legislators are expected to come up with a compromise by the end of the current school year. Mike Morris, chair of the EMU Board of Regents, acknowledged as much, explaining the boards decision: It is increasingly clear that the anticipated legislation in Lansing to formally address this matter, and end the EAA, is now moving forward June 30, 2017 will mark the Universitys official withdrawal. Given the legislative efforts under way, we fully expect the EAA to cease to exist well before that time. The Board of Regents had for several years reauthorized the EAA arrangement despite vocal protests from the universitys Education Department faculty and students, even as the EAAs incompetence, graft and fraud were uncovered. While the EAA itself will not be directly transitioned into charter schools, as pro-privatization state legislators originally hoped, a mechanism is being established for systematic closures of failing public schools, first in Detroit and then across the state. Under the pending legislation, the state mandate for turnaround schools under the State School Reform/Redesign District (SSRRD) will be not only maintained but strengthened. Snyder recently moved the SSRRD as an agency from the state Department of Education to his direct control under the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Additionally, he promised to be more proactive in managing such priority schools. In mid-February it was announced that the SSRRD will place four failing schools in East Detroit under the control of an academic CEO. The measure will include the suburbs only high school. Not unlike an emergency manager, this academic CEO will be appointed for three years and have control over school finances. The new designation, academic CEO, appears to be a rather transparent attempt to give a school districts full financial powers to a state-imposed authority while avoiding the discredited emergency manager title. The imposition of state control on East Detroit Schools appears to be just the beginning. Under the pending reorganization legislation being promoted by the Snyder administration, it would become the prototype statewide. According to the Detroit News, Under the legislation [Senate Bills 710 and 711], schools in the bottom 5% would be assumed by the School Reform Office, which could install a state-appointed CEO that would have authority over low-performing schools that fail to show academic improvement. The low-performing schools would have to submit redesign plans and face possible closure if they dont make improvements. But no schools would be closed within the first two years after being transferred to the new Detroit district. The history of the EAA is a damning exposure of the corrupt relations that have emerged out of the drive to dismantle public education, a campaign spearheaded by the Obama administration that has had the full support of both Democrats and Republicans, along with the backing of the trade unions. The SSRRD was originally created in 2010 by former governor Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, working with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The turnaround district was designed as part of the states application for Race to the Top funding by the Obama administration. The EAA was the first incarnation of a state-run system of priority schools under the SSRRD. In 2009, the EAA was warmly proclaimed as the future by former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on behalf of the Obama administration and named a Race to the Top finalist. The Broad Foundation designed EAAs operations and a Broad Academy graduate, John Covington, ran the system under a $1.5 billion, four-year contract. Various educational businesses, which saw EAA as an entry into the Detroit schools market, provided gifts to grease the wheels for the for-profit vendors. Covington specialized in outsourcing as many education services as possible, including individual learning platforms designed by Agilix, human resources, security, food service, custodial and grounds keeping. In an impoverished district where the special education numbers are disproportionately high, even this critical service was outsourced, with the contract going to Futures Education/Futures Healthcore LLC, which specializes, according to its web site, in cost containment. Former EAA high school principal Kenyetta Wilbourn-Snapp, who recently pled guilty to bribery, described the atmosphere surrounding the ubiquitous outsourced spending in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. When I got there, it was like Brewsters Millions , she said, in a reference to the 1995 Richard Pryor movie whose main character must spend $30 million in 30 days to inherit $300 million. She said officials told her, You have to spend almost a million dollars. There have been numerous other scandals involving EAA contractor Norman Shy, proprietor of educational sales companies World Wide Sales and Allstate Sales; Chancellor John Covington, who himself left EAA under a cloud of suspicion in June 2014 after he and his staff racked up $178,000 in hotel bills and airfare traveling to attend education training conferences, according to the Detroit News. Current EAA Chancellor Victoria Conforme (annual salary $325,000) followed up by hiring a group of her colleagues from New York on a teacher-training contract costing nearly double the lowest bid. Then there is the saga of Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who pled guilty last fall to fraud charges against the Chicago Public Schools and now faces potentially similar charges regarding her work for the DPS between 2009 and 2011. The FBI says there is probable cause to believe that Byrd-Bennett committed fraud, theft and conspiracy while she worked for DPS. She awarded a $40 million textbook contract to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt weeks before the district was taking bids and purportedly received $26,000 into her money market account from the company. Under her tenure, the DPS also awarded contracts worth about $3.4 million to Synesi Associates, one of the companies named in the indictment against her in Chicago. From the beginning, the EAAs financial operation was generously supplemented by private sources seeking to get in on the ground floor of educational business opportunities. Those chipping in included Governor Snyders Michigan Education Excellence Foundation ($60 million), Michael Bloombergs Philanthropies ($10 million), the Skillman Foundation ($2 million), the Kresge Foundation ($2.5 million), DTE Energy ($1 million), General Motors ($500,000) and Kellogg Foundation ($1 million). Other pro-privatization millionaires and billionaires donated to the EAA, including Roger Penske, Mike Ilitch, Steve and Cindy Van Andel and Doug DeVos, along with the Gates Foundation. Many, if not most, of these same big-business players are involved in the design of the pending Detroit Community Schools. While the EAA itself may be on its way out, the drive to shut down schools and privatize public educationthe real source of the corruption and scandals that plagued the EAA itselfwill only continue. SEOUL, Feb. 16 -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on Tuesday expressed opposition to South Korea's plan to deploy a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system after a meeting here with his South Korean counterpart. Zhang met in Seoul with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam to co-chair the seventh China-S. Korea high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries. The senior-level dialogue came after South Korea and the United States agreed to begin talks about deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the South Korean territory in response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear and missile threats. Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket, which some see as a test of banned ballistic missile technology, on Feb. 7 following its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. Zhang told reporters after the meeting in Seoul that he exchanged views with Lim about the THAAD issue, among other issues, and said China expressed oppositions to the THAAD deployment. Zhang said China attaches great importance to ties with South Korea, and is ready to work along with the country to boost the sound development of bilateral relations, noting that China is firmly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which conforms to the common interests of China and South Korea. China opposes the DPRK's nuclear test and rocket launch, and supports a new and effective resolution at the UN Security Council, but sanctions are not an end in themselves, and a fundamental solution to the issue should be sought through dialogue and negotiations, Zhang said. The senior Chinese diplomat urged relevant parties to act prudently, in an apparent reference to Seoul and Washington that have agreed to launch talks about the THAAD deployment. China hopes relevant parties would show respect for China's interests and act with prudence, as the deployment is not conducive to easing the current tension and maintaining peace and stability in the region, but would impair China's strategic security interest, Zhang said. The THAAD, designed to track and destroy ballistic missiles at an altitude of 40 km to 150 km, has been put under suspicion about its operational effectiveness in South Korea as hundreds of shorter-range DPRK missiles can fly at a much lower altitude. There are also safety concerns as the THAAD X-band radar emits super-strong microwaves, allegedly harmful to human bodies within 3.6 km while paralyzing electronic devices and airplanes within 5.5 km. South Korean officials said the two sides had "candid, in-depth, and constructive" discussions on bilateral ties and the security conditions on the peninsula. South Korea attaches great importance to ties with China and is ready to work for their further development, and would maintain consultations and communications with China regarding the THAAD deployment issue, said the S.Korean officials. >>>Related: China backs stronger DPRK sanctions China supports a new and stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a senior diplomat said on Tuesday. Italian student and journalist Giulio Regeni, who was found dead in Egypt, was buried in his hometown of Viumicello on Friday at a funeral attended by a large turnout of mourners. Since then, evidence is mounting that the Egyptian military used bestial methods to torture Regeni to death. Reuters reported on Saturday that Regenis body had seven broken ribs, signs of electrocution on his penis, traumatic injuries all over his body, and a brain hemorrhage. This was according to an employee of the forensics authority who examined Regenis body. According to a senior source, His body also bore signs of cuts from a sharp instrument suspected to be a razor, abrasions, and bruises. He was likely assaulted using a stick as well as being punched and kicked. Spiegel Online had previously reported on autopsy results that had brought to light grisly results. Regeni was apparently systematically tortured before his death. Regenis tormenters cut off ears and tore out finger- and toenails. His body was covered in burns and cuts, upper arm bones and shoulder blades were among those broken, the news site wrote. Italian interior minister Angelino Alfano referred to a second autopsy in Italy and inhumane, animalistic and unacceptable violence to which the victim was subjected. What is known about the background to Regenis horrific torture death? According to reports, Regeni left his apartment in the Cairo district of Dokki on January 25 at around 20:00. His planned destination was a birthday celebration near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. But the 28-year-old Italian never arrived. Instead, a taxi driver found Regenis body at the side of the highway between Cairo and Alexandria on February 3. He allegedly came across the half-naked body because the taxi happened to break down at that particular spot. However, the discovery took place shortly after the Italian government, confronted with significant pressure, had publicly urged the Egyptian military dictatorship led by Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to support the search for Regeni. Eventually, the Egyptian regime, at the urging of its ambassador in Rome, agreed to undertake an autopsy on the body. However, it has since denied having anything to do with Reginis death. On Monday, a media official at the Egyptian Interior Ministry dismissed reports in the Western media that Regeni was arrested by Egyptian security forces before his death. Prior to this, Interior Minister Magdi Abdel Ghaffar disputed the claim that Regeni was ever in the hands of the authorities, asserting, Such crimes have never been associated with the security apparatus. In fact, there is considerable circumstantial evidence to suggest that the juntas security forces attacked and tortured Regeni to death for political reasons. Regeni disappeared on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution against long-standing dictator Hosni Mubarak. On that day, thousands of heavily armed security personnel, in uniform and plainclothes, were posted in the city centre to ensure that the Egyptian masses did not take to the streets once again to protest against the counterrevolutionary junta. This massive security build-up by itself makes it appear highly improbable that Regeni fell victim to criminals. Based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, the New York Times reported on Friday that Regeni was led away by two men believed to be Egyptian security agents and that three security officials said Mr. Regeni had indeed been taken into custody. According to Italian daily Il Corriere Dela Sera, a street trader told Italian investigators that plainclothes security agents had taken [Regeni] with them at the exit of a subway station on the day he disappeared. Regeni had been concerned about his security after he was photographed by an unknown observer on December 11 at a joint meeting with academics. As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cambridge, Regeni was researching the role of the independent trade unions in Egypt, and also wrote articles under a pseudonym for the Italian newspaper Il Manifesto, which is aligned with Rifondazione Comunista (Communist Refoundation). Spiegel Online speculated that the trainee academic due to his work [maintained] contact with people who were being spied upon by the security services. The independent trade unions and pseudo-left organisations supported the July 2013 military coup against President Mohammed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood. The president of the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU), Kamal Abu Aita, even joined the junta government as labour minister and backed the suppression of protests and strikes. Under conditions where rising social inequality and repression by the junta threaten to provoke another revolutionary uprising, there have been criticisms by sections of the independent unions of the terror methods employed by Al-Sisi. The message being sent out by Regenis murder is clear: anyone in Egypt who dares to criticise the regime, even if they are foreign, must expect to be abducted and tortured to death. Regenis fate is only the tip of the iceberg. According to Amnesty International, 41,000 political prisoners had disappeared into the countrys jails in the middle of 2014. Since then, there have been no more reliable figures. In the same way as before, Egyptians are disappearing on a daily basis without charges, or are condemned in show trials by a military tribunal. The numbers have increased in recent weeks. According to human rights activists, 163 people were forcibly abducted between April and June, 340 from August to November, and in January of this year alone, 66. Forty-two of these cases led to torture. Although the counterrevolutionary Al-Sisi regime has far surpassed the Mubarak dictatorship, the same Western governments currently decrying human rights abuses in Syria to justify their intervention against Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin have largely remained silent on Regenis death. There are two main reasons for this. They see the Egyptian junta as a bulwark against another potential uprising by the Egyptian working class and also cooperate closely with Al-Sisi to impose their economic and geostrategic interests in the region. Last year, Berlin, Paris and London rolled out the red carpet for the Egyptian dictator. In addition, Western democracies are increasingly resorting to Al-Sisis methods to suppress growing popular resistance to despised policies of austerity and war. This was clearly visible last June when the German police worked closely with the Egyptian security authorities in the arrest of the Egyptian journalist Ahmed Mansour at Berlin-Tegel airport. Currently, the Hollande government in France is using a state of emergency to establish a police state along the Egyptian model. According to a report by Human Rights Watch researchers, special police conducted at least 3,289 raids in recent weeks. They forced their way into homes and buildings, attacked residents, handcuffed them and beat them. Just a few hours after the attacks of November 13, Al-Sisi and Hollande discussed via telephone how to fight terrorism. Last Wednesday, February 10, the lower house of the French parliament adopted an amendment enshrining the current state of emergency in the constitution, and depriving people convicted of terror-related offences of French nationality. It was adopted by 317 to 199. The amendment is now going for approval to the Senate. Using the November 13 terror attacks in Paris as a pretext, President Francois Hollandes Socialist Party (PS) is giving itself extraordinary powers to rule France as a police state. A week after the attack, Parliament voted a three-month state of emergency until February 26, giving the PS time to design its constitutional reforms. Since the state of emergency was declared, police have conducted more than 3,200 warrantless house searches, imposed 400 assigned residence orders, and closed numerous mosques and businesses. As amended, the constitutions new article 36-1 declares: The state of emergency is decreed in the council of ministers, on all or part of the Republics territory, either in case of imminent peril due to serious attacks on public order; or in the case of events that, by their nature or severity, have the character of a public calamity. The state of emergency can be renewed indefinitely, requiring parliamentary approval every four months. Prime Minister Manuel Valls recently told the BBC that he would extend the state of emergency until we have gotten rid of the Islamic State, which he had previously declared would take a generation. During a state of emergency, the amendment adds, The law decides what police measures the civil authorities may take to protect against danger or deal with events. As amended, however, the constitution would give a blank cheque to the parliament to pass laws giving any powers it wants to the police. This means that police powers under the state of emergency can no longer be challenged before the constitutional council, since the parliaments right to grant the police whatever powers it pleases is inscribed in the constitution itself. After the Paris attacks, Valls felt compelled to ask the Senate not to challenge the state of emergency before the constitutional council, fearing that its measures could be struck down as unconstitutional. These measures have already been denounced by rights groups, as they give draconian powers to the police, and undermine basic democratic rights. Recently, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the state of emergency, noting that police have used their extended powers in abusive and discriminatory ways, particularly against Muslims. Catherine Haguenaud-Moizard, a law professor at the university of Strasbourg, told radio station RFI: If French people want to live in a State which abides by the rule of law, they should be very worried. Because as soon as the state of emergency is provided for in the Constitution, the government and the police will have extensive powers. Hollande has developed a personal friendship with Egyptian military dictator Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who oversaw the killing of thousands of protesters after toppling Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Haguenaud-Moizard said, France is going almost as far as Egypt, which is not a democratic country by all regards. Its very worrying. The amendment also gives the state the right to deprive dual nationals convicted of terrorist crimes of their French citizenship, endorsing a policy that has long been advocated by the far-right National Front (FN). The Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime applied it during the 1940s, depriving French Jews of their citizenship before deporting them to death camps. The fact that the PS is proposing such a despicable measure, which has no deterrent impact whatsoever on potential terrorist attackers, underscores the sharp lurch towards the far right of the entire French political establishment. In the past, when former conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy proposed to adopt a policy of deprivation of nationality in terrorism cases, it was opposed by the PS, including Hollande and Valls. While the press have sought to portray the PSs reactionary law-and-order agenda as enjoying broad popular support, Hollande and top PS officials are again collapsing in the polls. Hollande fell to a record low of 20 percent approval in an Ipsos- Le Point poll this week, four points lower than before the November 13 attacks, and Valls fell to 35 percent support. By moving far to the right, the PS is bidding to shore up its support in the ruling class. Undoubtedly, one consideration is the expectation that FN leader Marine Le Pen will score very well in next years presidential election. The PS and Hollande aim to compete with the FN for support in the ruling class and the security forces by advocating law-and-order measures, and appealing to anti-Muslim racism. However, the PSs lurch far to the right is determined by broader political and historical factors. As the PS commits itself to tearing up basic social and democratic rights won by the working class after World War II, in response to escalating economic and military tensions, it finds itself moved to rehabilitate authoritarian forms of rule. During the debate on the constitutional changes last month, Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said, The president and the government are concerned with obtaining a broad majority on a question that is above all the safety of the French people, and which must therefore go beyond the usual divisions. That is to say, the usual division between the PS, the conservatives, and the neo-fascists are to be overcome, as all of them promoted police-state forms of rule. The PS and its trade unions allies are preparing unprecedented attacks on social rights and billions of euros in social cuts. The vast police-state measures set a precedent for intimidating and attacking social resistance, as the PS speeds up structural reforms, including the reform of the Labour Code, to dramatically boost business competitiveness at the expense of the working class. The Labour Code reform that is to be presented to the parliament next month gives sweeping powers to trade unions and bosses to negotiate working time and wages in firm-level contracts that violate the national Labour Code. In short, the protections of the Labour Code are to be effectively wiped out in the face of escalating social anger at austerity in the working class. In the midst of growing conflicts over the expansion of the German-Russian Nord Stream pipeline, the European Union (EU) Commission has taken steps over the past week to reduce European dependence on Russian gas supplies. The Slovakian deputy President of the EU Commission Maros Sefcovic indicated in an interview that the EU Commission intends to block the construction of the Nord Stream II pipeline. The EU Commission is thereby opposing the position adopted by the German and Austrian governments. With a 40 percent share, Russia controls by far the largest portion of the European energy market. While Germany imports a third of its gas from Russia, some Eastern European countries rely on Russian supplies for between 80 and 90 percent of their gas. EU Commissioner for environment and climate Miguel Arias Canete presented a package of measures in Brussels last Wednesday on energy security, the primary purpose of which is to reduce the significance of Russian gas supplies for the EU. The plan proposes Europe importing more liquefied natural gas as an alternative to Russian gas in the coming years. Potential markets include Australia and Qatar, who are both already selling gas in Europe, Iran and the United States. In addition, the EU is to receive wide-ranging powers to conclude contracts between Russian firm Gazprom and European companies. Contracts with Gazprom and bilateral agreements with the Russian state on energy issues are to be reviewed by the Commission in the future to determine whether they correspond to EU energy policy and are in conformity with European law. In the case of any doubts, Brussels could block future contracts. Canetes plan also proposes to separate the EU into nine different energy sectors, based on the risk they would face in the event of a halt of Russian gas supplies. The EU members were also urged to open up their energy markets to each other and integrate them. If countries like Poland, Slovakia and the Baltic states, all of which are heavily dependent on Russian gas, confronted a stop of Russian gas supplies, countries such as Norway or Germany would be obliged to assist them by supplying energy. Under conditions where the energy policies of individual EU states in particular are drifting apart, this measure is aimed at working towards an energy union and imposing a united policy towards Russia. The expansion of the Nord Stream II pipeline has provoked great concern within the EU over recent months. Together with Gazprom, Austrias OFV, Frances Engie, the British-Netherlands Royal Dutch Shell and two German firms, E.on and BASF subsidiary Wintershall, are participating in the project. The expansion of the pipeline is supported within the EU mainly by Germany and Austria. The Baltic states, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine (which is not an EU member) and Italy have on the contrary strongly protested against the project. The Italian Prime Minister attacked German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an EU conference in December on the issue, and the United States has openly sided with the pipelines opponents. There has also been criticism of the German governments support for Nord Stream II from within the government parties. Norbert Rutgen (Christian Democrats, CDU), chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee in Berlin, declared in December that the pipeline did not correspond with the EUs energy goals. The German weekly Die Zeit described Nord Stream II last week as a resources bomb. Along with the refugee crisis and the euro crisis, it represented a fundamental threat to European unity. The International Business Times warned in a comment that the pipeline would split the EUs stance towards Russia, making it more difficult to apply pressure on Moscow. Deputy Chancellor and economics minister Sigmar Gabriel, who has campaigned strongly in favour of the pipeline in the past, felt compelled, under the pressure of the US and divisions within the EU, to relax his stance somewhat during a visit to Warsaw in early February. He demanded that Russia continue supplying gas to Eastern Europe and ensure that the transit route through Ukraine remained operational. Nonetheless, Gabriel continued to speak out in favour of completing the project. By contrast, Austrian Deputy Chancellor and economy minister Rheinhold Mitterlehner launched a push in favour of the project over recent weeks. During a trip to Moscow, he discussed Nord Stream II with Gazprom chief Alexei Miller and Russian energy minister Alexander Novak. Mitterlehners delegation included the head of OMV, Rainer Seele. OMV was the first European energy company to announce its collaboration with Gazprom in expanding Nord Stream II. Mitterlehner, who in the past has been among the strongest critics of sanctions against Russia, spoke out decisively in favour of the pipeline, because it would ensure continuity for Austria and Russia. In addition, Mitterlehner supported the extension of the bilateral modernising partnership. Mitterlehners visit to Moscow was strongly condemned by Austrian Green Party member and Vice President of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek. She accused Mitterlehner of being in breach of the sanctions. A parliamentary question tabled by the Greens claimed that during Mitterlehners trips, meetings with sanctioned people took place. While the German and Austrian governments are holding fast to their support for the project, members of the EU Commission have initiated steps which could stop the pipelines expansion. The EU Commission has thus begun to review the legal basis for the offshore portion of Nord Stream II. Energy commissioner Canete stated that in the event of its realisation, the project would have huge political consequences because it avoids Ukraine. The EU Commission previously forced a stop to the South Stream pipeline, which would also have bypassed Ukraine and supplied Russian gas to Southeast Europe. A central argument against South Stream, as with Nord Stream II today, was that the pipeline did not correspond with the intentions of the EUs third energy proposal, which demands that gas suppliers and distributors in such projects cannot be identical. The EU Commission deputy president and the man responsible for the energy union within the Commission, Sefcovic said in an interview to the internet newspaper EurActiv that he could only see a political motive behind the building of Nord Stream II. If it was built, Russian gas would still only be flowing to Europe through two pipelines, both of which would bypass Ukraine: Nord Stream and the Yamal-Europe pipeline. The latter runs through Belarus. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Sefcovic said that Nord Stream II would fundamentally change Europes gas supplies: 80 percent of all gas imported from Russia would flow through a single route, we would only have two instead of three transit routes for Russian gas as nowthat cannot be compatible with the EUs energy security. What Sefcovic did not openly state is that the pipeline would make Germany by far the most important distribution centre for Russian gas within the EU. Together with the US, the EU Commission backs several projects aimed at developing alternatives to Russian gas. This includes the southern gas corridor, which beginning in 2019 will supply gas from the Caspian region to Southeast Europe via Turkey and Greece. In the EurActiv interview, Sefcovic expressed the additional hope that newly discovered fields in Cyprus and off the Egyptian coast could supply Europe. Esperanza Aguirre has resigned as head of the Popular Party (PP) in Madrid, after appearing before a regional parliamentary corruption committee on Friday. Aguirre is a former Culture and Education Minister, a former Speaker of the Spanish Senate and a former President of the Madrid region. She was once touted as an alternative to PP Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. On Thursday, officers from the Civil Guard Serious Crimes Squad raided the PPs Madrid headquarters, the offices of Javier Lopez Madrid, a director of the board of Spanish construction company OHL and the home of former Madrid PP party manager Beltran Gutierrez Moliner. The raids were linked to Operation Punica, an ongoing investigation into bribery and corruption surrounding the awarding of public contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. Announcing her resignation, Aguirre declared, We have read news of undeniable transcendence over the past few days, which mustnt be taken as confirmed yet, but they have led me to offer my resignation as chairwoman of the PP in Madrid. I think all those of us here know corruption is destroying us all. I have been in politics for 33 years and I have seen a lot of corruption, in the PSOE [Socialist Party] as well, she added. At the same, the entire PP organisation in the Spanish region of Valencia (PPCV) is under investigation on suspicion of illegal party financing and money laundering. All of the partys deputies have been placed under judicial scrutiny following a series of raids earlier this month, which saw the arrest of 24 people, all with ties to the party. The investigation is based on years of recordings secretly made by Marcos Benavent, former manager of the infrastructure and service company Imelsa. After becoming the target of a PP-related anti-corruption probe in July 2014, it appears that Benavent decided to bring down his former partners and reveal the extent of their criminal activities. Alfonso Rus, long-time mayor of Xativa (1995-2015) and former head of the PP in Valencia province, is considered by investigators to be one of the masterminds of the corruption ring. In one of Benavents recordings, he is heard counting the wads of cash he had just received from a bribe. Former long-time mayor of the Valencian capital, current senator for the region and one of the best-known politicians in Spain, Rita Barbera has not been arrested but authorities believe she may be the figure referred to as la jefa (the boss) in the recordings. The other suspects in the case include Barberas former advisor, Maria Jose Alcon, wife of Alfonso Grau, the ex-deputy mayor of Valencia currently under investigation in another high-profile corruption trial, involving King Felipes sister Cristina. The Princess appeared in court in Palma de Mallorca on February 9, charged with being an accessory to tax fraud relating to a charity, Noos Foundation, run by her husband. Public prosecutors say millions of euros in public funds were embezzled. The current investigations resemble the long-running Gurtel kickbacks-for-contracts case, which erupted in 2008 and involved the bribery of politicians and officials by businessmen in return for profitable public contracts in other PP-controlled regions. Then there is the Barcenas affair involving the former party treasurer and senator, Luis Barcenas, who kept a parallel bookkeeping system for years, recording undeclared cash donations which were used to pay bonuses to senior party members, including Rajoy and secretary general Maria Dolores de Cospedal. Now in jail, and revealing party secrets, Barcenas claims that the PPs illegal financing goes back to the days of its founding in 1989. The arrests are the latest development in a whole swathe of corruption cases that have surfaced over the last six years involving not just the PP but also the PSOE, Communist Party-led United Left (IU) and Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC). They illustrate how corruption is an integral part of political life in Spain, and is by no means limited to its main right-wing party. It is apparent that the illicit methods used by long-governing political parties have been worked out long ago, and their systematic implementation transcends party divisions and regional borders, and penetrates all levels of government. The endemic corruption has revealed the outright criminality that lay at the heart of the countrys economic boom before it crashed in 2008. While Spains ruling elite was rescued by a massive bailout, harsh austerity measures, imposed in the name of collective sacrifice, have led to a precipitous decline in the social position of Spains workers and youth. Wages have dropped by nearly a quarter and the unemployment rate remains at 21 percent, nearly 50 percent amongst young people. What jobs are being created are poorly paid and temporary. Anger at the corruption revelations has been a significant factor in the decline in support for the establishment parties and the rapid rise of the pseudo-left Podemos and right-wing Citizens parties. Spain is still without a government two months after elections on December 20 produced an unprecedented hung parliament and the collapse of the two-party system that has dominated Spanish politics since the end of the fascist Franco dictatorship in 1977. The PP and PSOE lost between them over 5 million votes and 83 seats. In the 350-member parliament, the PP has 123 seats, the PSOE 90, Podemos 69 and Citizens 40 seats. In last years regional elections, the PP lost all its major strongholds including Madrid, which it had governed for 24 years. Aguirres attempt to become mayor was thwarted by Manuela Carmena, from Ahora Madrid (Madrid Now), an election coalition of pseudo-left tendencies headed by Podemos. In Valencia, where the PP had governed with an absolute majority for two decades, the PPCV lost almost half of its seats in the regional parliament. The region is now run by a coalition of the Valencian branch of the Socialist Party (PSPV), Compromis (an alliance of nationalists, Stalinists and Greens) and Podemos. However, Podemos does not offer an alternative to the old corrupt two-party system. The opportunist pursuit of all sorts of deals with the PSOE at the local, regional and national level shows that the denunciations by Podemos leaders of the caste, the catchphrase used to condemn the PP and PSOE following the partys creation two years ago, was a fraud. They defend the real source of corruptionthe capitalist systemby using anti-corruption rhetoric to divert mass disaffection away from a struggle against big business, while offering themselves as a political vehicle through which affluent middle class layers can join the caste they claim to abhor. After speaking at a rally at Eastern Michigan University Monday afternoon, Bernie Sanders, candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, visited United Auto Workers Local 600 in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn. The event drew a crowd of workers, as well as local youth from the largely Arabic and Latino nearby neighborhoods. Sanders selection of the UAW union halland in particular, Local 600for his remarks is of some significance. Only three months before, 140,000 autoworkers, including 52,000 workers at Ford, were locked in a battle not only against the giant automakers but the UAW itself. The UAW was only able to push through pro-company labor agreements at Fiat Chrysler, GM and Ford by resorting to lies, intimidation and outright fraud. With the contract facing defeat by Ford workers nationally, UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles and local president Bernie Ricke called an unprecedented mid-ratification press conference to bully the locals 8,000 workers with threats of mass layoffs and factory closings. UAW Local 600 officials physically barred reporters from the World Socialist Web Site from the November 18 press conference and seized a reporters cell phone. Two days later, the UAW claimed that a majority of Local 600 workers had approved the sellout agreement, giving the UAW the necessary razor-thin majority to declare that it had been ratified nationally. Ford workers replied by denouncing Local 600 officials as gangsters and accusing them of stuffing the ballot and rigging the vote. While in November they barred reporters from the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter which was at the center of rank-and-file opposition to the UAW-corporate conspiracythe UAW welcomed Bernie Sanders with open arms Monday night. Local 600 President Bernie Ricke gave the Vermont senator a warm introduction, saying Sanders was committed to social and economic justice and knows that collective bargaining created the middle class. The Sanders campaign has been viewed with interest by workers and young people due to his focus on issues of economic inequality and the domination of what he calls the billionaire class. However, he is neither a socialist nor a friend of the working class. Like other Democrats, Sanders has a long history of promoting the trade union bureaucracy, which functions as a partner of the capitalist class, grabbing its own share of the profits from the greater exploitation of the working class. During the fall months, Sanders remained completely silent while the UAW ran roughshod over the democratic will of workers and imposed a deal that maintains the hated two-tier wage and benefit system, continues the decade-long decline in real wages for traditional workers and imposes first ever out-of-pocket health care costs on them. In his remarks, Sanders praised the UAW, saying, I think the American people have forgotten all we owe to the trade unions and to the UAW and its struggles. Pointing to the historical photographs on the walls of the union hall, he referred to the lessons of the trade union movement, that workers are not animals but are entitled to human rights. In fact, the UAW long ago abandoned any connection to the militant traditions of the genuine socialists who built the union during the sit-down strikes and mass struggles of the 1930s. Today, it is the UAW that treats workers like animals, ignoring their grievances and enforcing speedup, low wages and managements dictatorial regime in the factories. What brings the UAW and Sanders together? Like the rest of the Democratic Party, Sanders understands that the unions play a critical role in containing and suppressing the class struggle and keeping political opposition bottled up within the Democratic Party. After more than seven years of the Obama administrationduring which time workers have seen only declining real wages, relentless attacks on social programs, endless wars and government spying and other antidemocratic measuresthe Democratic Party has been deeply discredited. The aim of the Sanders campaign and its rhetoric about a rigged economy and corrupt political system is to rebrand the Democrats and prevent workers from breaking with this big-business party and fighting for far more radical, i.e., genuinely anti-capitalist and socialist solutions, to their problems. The UAW and other unions are particularly attracted to Sanders because of his promotion of economic nationalism. During the UAW rally he claimed that the destruction of the jobs and living standards of American workers was due not to the capitalist system, but unfair trade agreements and unpatriotic companies that shifted production to China, Mexico and other low-wage countries. The working class and middle class is disappearing. We dont need unfettered trade. We need fair trade, he told the crowd, adding, Republicans and big business loved NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement]. I was on the picket line in 1992 against NAFTA. He also denounced the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Asserting that bad trade deals had led to the shutdown of 60,000 factories in America since 2001, Sanders declared, We are going to rebuild our manufacturing base, corporate America is going to invest in this country, not just in China. Sanders cited an employer who had decided to stay in the US because American wages are becoming competitive with underdeveloped countries. He added, Today, wages for young workers are sometimes 50 percent lower than that of older workers describing the situation as a race to the bottom. What Sanders did not say was that the UAW has played a central role in facilitating this wage cutting. It has promoted the growth strategy of the Obama administration, which involves efforts to convince manufacturers to in-source operations back to the US by lowering costs, simultaneously increasing the amount of dues money in the UAWs bank accounts. This began in earnest with Obamas 2009 restructuring of the auto industry, which halved the wages of new hires, eliminated the eight-hour day and allowed the auto giants to dump their retiree health care obligations. In exchange, the UAW was given control of a multibillion-dollar retiree health care trust, which has been a lucrative investment vehicle for the executives who run the corporate entity known as the UAW. While Sanders criticized the lead poisoning of Flint residents, he covered up the role of the UAW, which collaborated with GM to reduce hourly employment in the city from 80,000 in 1979 to less than 10,000 today. Obamas bailout of GM also gave GM immunity from lawsuits stemming from the spread of toxic pollutants, including into the Flint River. The promotion of economic nationalism is aimed at cutting across the struggle to unify American workers with their brothers and sisters throughout the world in a common fight against the global auto giants and the world capitalist system. Nationalist poison has long been the stock-in-trade of the US trade unions. While peddling its Buy American and anti-Japanese, anti-Mexican rhetoric, the UAW has collaborated with the auto bosses to shut down hundreds of factories and slash the wages of workers. Both Sanders and the UAW promote nationalism and economic protectionism in order to tie workers to the interests of their own capitalists and their ruthless competition over profits and market share. The logic of this is not only trade war but a shooting war with workers sent to slaughter each other over which nationalist clique of billionaires will dominate the world. While calling himself a democratic socialist, Sanders accepts and defends the capitalist profit system. He is opposed to the development of a political movement of the working class, in the United States and internationally, against the private ownership of banks and major industries by the corporate and financial elite. This, however, is precisely what is needed. Turkey is pressing for the US and its allies to launch a ground invasion as the only means of ending the nearly five-year-old civil war in Syria, an official in Ankara told the media Wednesday. We are asking coalition partners that there should be a ground operation, said the official, who was authorized to speak on the condition of anonymity. We are discussing this with allies. While adding that such an invasion would not take the form of a unilateral military operation from Turkey in Syria, the official insisted, Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria. The potential support for such an escalation of the Syrian war has found expression in a concerted propaganda campaign, particularly in Europe, over the deaths of some 50 civilians in attacks on hospitals and schools in northern Syria on Monday. The Western media and several European governments have blamed the deaths on the Syrian government and the Russian forces supporting it, charges that both Damascus and Moscow have denied. Earlier this month, both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which, like Turkey, are key patrons of the Islamist militias in Syria, announced that they were prepared to send troops into the country. The Saudi royal regime transferred four of its warplanes to Turkeys Incirlik air base. Asked what the goal of such a ground operation would be, the Turkish official replied, to remove all terror groups from Syria, adding that Turkey included in this category not only the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but also Syrian Kurdish forces and the Syrian government itself. While insisting on the need for the international coalition to participate in any invasion, the Turkish official left open the possibility of unilateral action if this failed to materialize. Of course, it is difficult to reckon what could happen in 10 days, he said. If conditions change, there might be some options. These statements came as Turkey continued its bombardment of northern Syria with long-range artillery for a fourth consecutive day. The target of the Turkish fire is the YPG, or Peoples Protection Units, the Syrian Kurdish militia. Backed by Russian air strikes, the YPG has made major military advances near the Turkish border against Al Qaeda-linked Islamist forces supported by Ankara and the West. Meanwhile, troops loyal to the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad have scored similar victories around Aleppo, which was Syrias largest city and commercial center before the US-orchestrated war for regime-change. This war has claimed the lives of over a quarter of a million Syrians and turned 11 million more into homeless refugees. During a visit to Ukraineundoubtedly staged in a deliberate bid to ratchet up tensions with RussiaTurkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday that Turkey would continue its bombardment of Turkish territory until the YPG withdrew from the strategic border town of Azaz. The Turkish shelling and demands for an outright invasion of Syria reflect the growing desperation of the imperialist powers and their regional allies over the reversals suffered in their attempt to overthrow the Assad government by arming and funding Salafist jihadi forces in a sectarian civil war. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared its support for the so-called war against ISIS initiated by the US with bombing campaigns in both Iraq and Syria. Ankara has used this campaign, however, as a cover for launching its own military assault against Kurdish forces in both of those countries, together with a bloody crackdown against the population in Turkeys predominantly Kurdish provinces. It has drawn an equal sign between ISIS, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the YPG, branding them all as terrorist. Ankaras immediate concern is to prevent the YPG advances from linking up two separate Kurdish enclaves in northwestern and northeastern Syria, effectively creating an autonomous Kurdish territory on Turkeys southern border. At the same time, both the Erdogan government and the Saudi monarchy are determined to prevent the advances by the YPG and Syrian government forces from cutting off the last supply routes that have been used to funnel massive quantities of arms and supplies to the Islamist militias in an operation coordinated by the CIA. Any Turkish-Saudi intervention would be directed at crushing the Kurds and supporting the Islamists. Both these aims would quickly pose the direct threat of a military confrontation with the Syrian government and the Russian forces that are supporting it. Given Turkeys premeditated ambush of a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border last November, it is certain that any attempt to send Turkish planes into action over Syria would provoke a swift response. Russia has deployed advanced S-400 antiaircraft weapons systems in Syria for just such a purpose. Less than a week after the US, Russia and the other 15 members of the International Syria Support Group agreed in Munich on a cessation of hostilities by the end of this week, the five-year-old conflict appears to be closer than ever to erupting into a regional and potentially global conflict. Syrian President Assad issued a warning to this effect on Monday, saying that any ground invasion of Syria would have global repercussions and that Turkish and Saudi forces would find that such an adventure would be no picnic. Assads statement follows similar warnings by Russian Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev, who said last week that such an intervention would pose the danger of sparking a new world war. The hysteria being whipped up over the 50 civilian casualties reported on Monday is an indication that the threat of a wider war is steadily growing. The French and British governments followed Turkey in alleging that the Syrian and Russian governments were guilty of war crimes. More substantively, German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced her support for a no-fly zone, a long-time demand of the Turkish government, which wants to carve out a cordon of Syrian territory as a means of better organizing the war for regime-change, quelling the Kurds and containing the flow of refugees. Russia denied responsibility for the attacks on the schools and hospitals, insisting that it had no forces capable of firing the missiles that were said to have hit them. The worst of the attacks took place in Azaz, where Prime Minister Davutoglu vowed Turkey would mount a severe response to the Kurdish offensive. The Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Riad Haddad, charged that one of the hospitals had been the target of a US air strike. The furor over alleged Russian and Syrian government war crimes stands in stark contrast to the utter silence of Western governments and media over the deaths of civilians resulting from air strikes by the US-led coalition, which have killed roughly 1,000 in Iraq and Syria since they began in August 2014. Amid the growing international tensions, it was announced in Syria that Hashem al-Sheikh, also known as Abu Jaber, has been named the new commander of the so-called rebels resisting the Syrian government advance on the city of Aleppo. He was, until last September, the leader of Ahrar al-Sham, a hardline Salafist jihadi militia founded by Al Qaeda veterans from Afghanistan. It has fought in close alliance with Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate, the al-Nusra Front, as well as Chechen Islamist fighters. These are the elements that Washington and its allies routinely refer to as the moderate opposition. To the editors of TamilNet: We are writing to you on behalf of the World Socialist Web Site to demand that you retract the baseless slanders against the WSWS published in your article Tamils and World War III. Your claim that the WSWS is working with imperialism to facilitate genocide by the ethnic-Sinhala-led government in Colombo is a grotesque fabrication, as you are well aware. Your article states, If agencies are hurriedly deployed from all quarters to concentrate on one point, i.e., to detract and contain the national question of Eelam Tamils, [it] is to consolidate the Colombo-centric genocidal system in order to use it and its military in an impending larger war or entry into the region. You attack those who are ironically facilitating a Colombo-centric genocidal state that was serving the interests of the USA. You continue: If both the World Socialist Web Site and the corporate imperialisms of World War III want to see Eelam Tamils dropping their national claim, then there must be something wrong. What is wrong in your analysis is the defamatory amalgam you establish between the WSWS and imperialism in order to cover up the Tamil nationalist parties collaboration with imperialism and the Colombo regime. The record of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), which publishes the WSWS, and of its Sri Lankan section, the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), is well known. Even you felt compelled to acknowledge in your previous articles the SEPs unflagging opposition to imperialism and the Colombo regime and its uncompromising defence of the Tamil minoritys democratic rights. In your February 2009 article summarising a WSWS statement by K. Ratnayake, you declared: The views of the Sri Lankas Socialist Equality Party writer, even though looking at the liberation struggle of the Tamils as representing the interests of the Tamil bourgeoisie, bring to light how war is imposed on Sri Lanka by powers considering only economic and strategic interests. [T]he writer advocates a working class approach and initiative to end the root cause of war, the profit system. What has changed since then is not the position of the SEP and the WSWS. Since the defeat of the Tamil-separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, and their massacre by the Colombo regime, the Tamil nationalist parties you defend have capitulated to imperialism and joined what you call the Colombo-centric genocidal state. In the year since a US-backed regime-change operation installed President Maithripala Sirisena in power, they have emerged as key tools of US foreign policy in Colombo. A class gulf separates the SEP from the Tamil bourgeois interests represented by yourselves and the Tamil nationalist parties. In the January 2015 presidential elections, the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka) opposed both the incumbent, Mahinda Rajapakse, and Washingtons candidate, Sirisena. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), on the other hand, called for a vote for Sirisena, who served as Rajapakses war minister during the final massacre of Tamil civilians and LTTE fighters at Mullaitivu. Echoing Washingtons pro-Sirisena rhetoric, the TNA officially endorsed Sirisena as fighting for the values of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law. Its leader, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, unambiguously declared, We think Maithripala Sirisena will bring the country together as one nation. The lesser Tamil nationalist groupings all aligned themselves with the TNAs support for Washingtons man in Colombo, who, as part of the US pivot to Asia against China, was tasked with cutting off the ties Rajapakse had developed with China. The TNA was rewarded for its subservience with the nomination of Sampanthan as opposition leader in parliament. The TNA backed Sirisenas austerity policies and his refusal to release political prisoners, including Tamils. In their manoeuvres to defend Sirisena, the TNA and the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) even covered up the use of torture against their own supporters, flying victims out of Sri Lanka so that news of their abuse at the governments hands would not emerge. Your attempt to give a left veneer to the pro-imperialist policies of the Colombo regime and the Tamil bourgeoisie is collapsing. Protests by students, farmers and workers of all ethnicities have erupted against Sirisenas austerity agenda. Only days before you published your attack on the WSWS, Sampanthan and other TNA officials were forced to call police to intervene in a meeting in Kilinochchi to protect them against Tamils demanding to know what has happened to their disappeared relatives. You are desperate to contain the rising anger in the working class and oppressed masses against the reactionary policies of Sirisena and his Tamil nationalist allies, and you are aware of the danger of world war posed by the escalating rivalry between the United States and China. The ICFI has consistently warned of the danger of world war and fought to mobilise the working class in a global struggle to prevent world war on the basis of a fight for socialism. It has opposed imperialist wars in the Middle East, Africa, Ukraine and the Balkans, as well as the pivot to Asia. Its statement, Socialism and the Fight Against Imperialist War, cites the danger of nuclear war and declares: Another imperialist bloodbath is not only possible, it is inevitable unless the international working class intervenes on the basis of a revolutionary Marxist programme. Your position, on the other hand, is an incoherent and reactionary defence of the Tamil nationalists strategy of serving as the servants of imperialism in order to get a few crumbs from its table. You complacently rule out the danger of inter-state conflict between the major powers, then assert that World War III is in fact already being waged by the imperialism of corporates, and finally call for a global mobilisation of Tamils. You write: If the first two world wars were fought among powers in competition for territory and resources, the Third World War is different in many ways. There are no governments of peoples, but imperialism of corporates. The corporates, disproportionally oriented to particular parts of the world, control the Establishments called governments. All the articulating Establishments are together in waging the Third World War against peoples all over the world. In waging a war against peoples there is no balance of fear to worry about nuclear weapons. This is empty word-juggling to deny the danger of war. You try to pass off the capitalists global attack on the living standards of the workers and oppressedwhich Tamil nationalist groups are now helping to carry out in Sri Lankaas a world war. However, the Tamil nationalists collaboration with US imperialism is setting the stage for what could be very real world war. Imperialist wars and proxy conflicts over control of territory and resources such as oil and gas not only continue, they have engulfed large portions of the globe, from Mali and Libya to Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. They now threaten to escalate into war between nuclear-armed adversariesbetween the imperialist powers on the one side and Russia and China on the other. High-ranking officials in the United States, Europe, and Russia have all referred to the possibility of nuclear war. The emergence of the danger of world war due to the aggressive policy of the imperialist powers marks a new stage in the bankruptcy of Tamil nationalism. The Tamil bourgeoisieincluding the LTTE, for whom you served as an English mouthpiecealways based its perspective in the final analysis on obtaining support from the imperialist powers. During the Civil War, the LTTEs perspective was to use their military power to establish exclusive control of areas of Sri Lanka that had been ethnically cleansed of their non-Tamil inhabitants. The LTTE hoped to then convince the imperialist powers to support a power-sharing deal between the LTTE and Colombo. The LTTE never criticised the war on terror or the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, but based their entire policy on appealing for support to the imperialist and regional powers, particularly the United States and India. After the defeat of the LTTE, the Tamil nationalists openly oriented to figures in the Colombo regime supported by the imperialist powers. They first embraced General Sarath Fonsekathe US-backed candidate in the 2010 presidential elections, though he had commanded the final slaughter of civilians and LTTE fighters at Mullaitivuand then last years US-backed campaign for regime change around Sirisena. You still seek to devise a common strategy between imperialism and the Tamil bourgeoisie. You address the Tamil Peoples Council (TPC), a group composed of TNA and TNPF members, and advocate cutting deals to modify the imperialist powers policies: Any move from the TPC towards global mobilisation to course-correct powers has to be wholeheartedly supported. But without waiting for the TPC, the world Tamils have to be awakened to the realities. Global Tamils should have an own programme independent of World War III partners. Your proposal for a global mobilisation of Tamils is not an independent strategy, but a cynical trap, designed to cut off Tamil workers from their class brothers and sisters of other nationalities. Its disastrous results are exemplified by the protests held in Europe and North America by the Tamil nationalists in the final months of the war. Their impotent pleas to US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to order Colombo not to massacre the Tamils at Mullaitivu fell on deaf ears. After such appeals to imperialism failed to prevent the Mullaitivu massacre, you are proposing the same bankrupt policy, supposedly to halt the drive towards World War III. Now, as in 2009, the main aim of this manoeuvre is to block the emergence of a movement against war in the international working class and facilitate bargaining with Colombo and the imperialist powers. You seek to divide the working class along ethnic lines and suppress its opposition to imperialism with rank anti-Sinhala chauvinism and historical lies. To justify why you are calling for a global mobilisation only of Tamils, you write: European colonialism first took away system-collapsed South Indian Tamils as indentured labourers. Then came the decades-long genocide, partnered by the US-led West and the successors of British Raj, sophisticatedly enslaving refugee-diaspora of Eelam Tamils. In any part of the world Tamils became stateless. Note that the Sinhala nation never went through these drives. The claim that only Tamils and not the Sinhalese were oppressed is a reactionary falsification. All the workers and toiling people of Sri Lanka were ruthlessly oppressed first by British imperialism, and then, after 1948, by the formally independent Sri Lankan state. The purpose of your denial that the Sinhalese were also oppressed is to divide the working class and blunt its opposition to imperialism. The Sri Lankan civil war, which pitted the Colombo regime against the LTTE, was part of a broad strategy of all the factions of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie aimed in the final analysis at dividing the uprisings of workers and rural youth along ethnic lines, the better to crush them. While it discriminated against the Tamils and then waged a civil war against them, Colombo also ruthlessly suppressed the struggles of Sinhala workers and youth. Tens of thousands of Sinhalese were massacred during the repression of the 1971 uprising of rural youth led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. After the mass sacking of more than 100,000 workers following the 1980 general strike against the free-market policies of President J.R. Jayawardene, Colombo waged another slaughter following the signing of the Indo-Lankan pact in 1989, killing 60,000 largely Sinhalese rural youth. Only the ICFI consistently opposed the political crimes of the Colombo regime against Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people alike, on the perspective of rallying the working class across the Indian subcontinent in struggle against imperialism and the local bourgeoisies. Your slanders against the WSWS, on the other hand, are further confirmation that you stand on the other side of the barricades from the working class. Yours sincerely, K. Nesan V. Gnana After just five months in office, since ousting his predecessor Tony Abbott, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been forced to rearrange his Liberal-National Coalition government. Six ministers were dumped or departed. They included Deputy Prime Minister and National Party leader Warren Truss and Trade Minister Andrew Robb. Both were asked to bring forward their retirements to enable Turnbull to portray last weekends reshuffle, precipitated by the axing of three ministers over scandals, as a renewal of his government. It is a sign of the governments instability that it has now lost 13 ministers since Turnbull deposed Abbott in a Liberal Party backroom coup last September. Only six members of the Abbott ministry that took office two and a half years ago retain their portfolios. Most senior cabinet members held their jobs in the reshuffle, largely because Turnbull had to placate Abbotts resentful supporters and make further concessions to the rural-based National Party. It gained an extra cabinet post, taking its numbers to four in the 22-person inner ministry. One backer of Turnbulls coupSteven Ciobowas elevated into the cabinet, as trade minister. Several others gained junior postings, so most of those centrally involved in Turnbulls plot to oust Abbott have now been rewarded. However, Turnbull also handed promotions to some from Abbotts camp, notably Finance Minister Mathias Corman, who was given the additional jobs of Special Minister of State and deputy Senate leader. Turnbull absurdly claimed his new line up was a dynamic team which combines youth, new talent, experience, continuity and a real sense of innovation and enterprise. The reshuffle was actually triggered by three junior ministers having to resign due to misconduct allegations. The accusations were all evidently fed by leaks from within the government itself, pointing to ongoing factional warfare. These machinations underscore a mounting crisis of the political establishment as a whole. It faces a rapidly worsening economic situation, widespread public hostility to its austerity agenda and intensifying geo-political tensions, driven by Washingtons aggressive pivot to Asia to confront China, Australias biggest export market. Since the landslide defeat of the Howard Coalition government in 2007, no prime minister has lasted a full parliamentary term, and Turnbulls tenure could prove just as short lived. Last September, he became the sixth prime minister in eight years, counting the two terms of Labors Kevin Rudd. In 2010, Rudd was ousted by Julia Gillard, backed by key Labor power-brokers closely aligned with Washington which was hostile to Rudds calls for the US to make concessions to China. He was reinstated in 2013 in a failed bid to save Labor from a crushing electoral defeat. Turnbull is under intensifying criticism by the corporate and media establishment for failing to deliver on his promise, five months ago, to use his supposed political salesmans skills and socially-progressive credentials to drive forward economic reforma euphemism for reducing corporate and high income taxes, slashing social spending and cutting workers wages and conditions. At the same time, after a media-promoted political honeymoon period, Turnbulls government faces falling public support. Despite Turnbulls progressive pitch, he has continued all the reactionary policies of Abbotts government, notably the persecution of refugees, the ramping up of draconian terrorism and citizenship laws and expanding involvement in US-led wars. The ire of big business escalated last week, after Turnbull abandoned one of the financial elites main agenda itemsincreasing the regressive Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 10 to 15 percent. The GST rise, strongly advocated by the Business Council of Australia and promoted by Treasurer Scott Morrison, was supposed to shift the tax burden further onto the working class, clearing the way for lowering the company tax rate. But such is the public opposition to raising the GSTwhich would hit the poorest households the mostthat Turnbull faced a backbench revolt by Coalition members of parliament who feared losing their seats in the federal election, due sometime this year. Some involved in the revolt opposed any tax rises, insisting that the governments sole focus must be to slash social spending, reflecting divisions within the corporate elite itself. A bitter editorial in the Australian Financial Review denounced Turnbull for pulling the pin on a GST reform package. Murdochs Australian accused him of backtracking on meaningful tax and economic reform, while renewing calls for far-reaching cuts to health, education and welfare, including pensions. Australian capitalism confronts the collapse of the China-driven mining boom that temporarily shielded it from the full impact of the 2008 global financial breakdown. The share prices of the countrys major mining companies and banks have plunged over the past year, wiping billions of dollars off their values and sending the stock exchange into bear market territory. Market indexes have dropped more than 20 percent since last April. Falling tax revenues have sent the federal budget deeper into deficit. As well, the government faces demands from Washington to step up its involvement in the US pivot against China. Turnbull, who paid a visit to President Barack Obama last month, has sought to reassure the White House that he is unequivocally committed to the US alliance. But he has been less forthright than Abbott, who has refused to quit parliament and retains the support of a cabal of former ministers dumped by Turnbull. Turnbull has in the past, like Rudd, appealed to Washington to reach an accommodation with China. In particular, Washington is pressing for ramped-up Australian military spending and for the participation of Australian warships and planes in the Pentagons provocative intrusions into Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea. The expenditure being demanded includes up to $270 billion for submarines, the Joint Strike Fighter, the replacement of most of the navys warships, and new armoured vehicles. In the reshuffle, Dan Tehan, an Abbott backer, was promoted to minister for defence materiel and veterans affairs, placing him in charge of military procurement. Tehan made a name for himself over the past two years by being the first government member to call for Australian air strikes to support the US-led regime-change war in Syria. He also spearheaded, as a parliamentary committee chairman, the passage of a barrage of terrorism and citizenship legislation that has eroded fundamental legal and democratic rights. As part of his reset, Turnbull had to sign a new coalition agreement with incoming National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Turnbull had already bowed to a number National Party demands when he became prime minister last September. Joyces rise points to further tensions. Joyce has a history of agitating for agrarian protectionism, which cut across the demands of finance capital, personified by Turnbull, a millionaire ex-merchant banker. The day before Turnbull unveiled his reshuffle, the Australian pointed to the underlying political crisis. It declared: We had reset after reset under Labor as Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard struggled for direction. Under the Coalition we have seen resets at budgets, reshuffles and a leadership trauma. Now it is Mr Turnbulls turn to reshape and redirect his team. He needs to get it right. Until now, Murdoch has backed Turnbulls efforts to impose the requirements of the finance houses and major corporations. But powerful figures in ruling circles are drawing the conclusion that if the present Coalition-Labor two-party system cannot deliver their agenda, then new political mechanisms must be developed. China has urged the U.S. Congress to block the approval of a bill by the Senate, seeking to rename a street in Washington D.C. after Liu Xiaobo, a convicted Chinese criminal. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei says the bill violates basic norms of international relations. "The bill passed by the US Senate violates the basic principles of international relations. China is firmly opposed to it. If the bill becomes law, it will lead to serious consequences. We demand the US Congress stops reviewing the bill, and also hope the US administration can put an end to such a political farce." Liu Xiaobao was sentenced to 11 years in prison at the end of 2009. He was convicted of violating Chinese law and engaging in activities aimed at overthrowing the government. The bill still needs to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and must be signed by the president before it can become law. Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula recently after North Korea launched a satellite with ballistic missile technology and a fourth nuclear test despite the opposition of the international community. The U.N. is now discussing further sanctions on North Korea in order to stabilize the peninsula. In the meantime, with the nuclear issue as an excuse, the U.S. claimed that it will start formal talks with South Korea on placing the anti-missile system THAAD on North Korea's doorstep. Such an act, however, will further complicate regional security. Given the current backdrop, it is necessary to take measures to ensure the peace and stability of the peninsula. However, it would be troublesome if anyone takes advantage of this opportunity to bring unwanted results. What the U.S. has done has exposed its mistakes in dealing with the peninsular issue. First of all, it adopts a cold-war mentality on the issue by always resorting to confrontation. The U.S. has stationed troops in the south of the peninsula for decades. It was also the U.S. that initiated the nuclearization of the peninsula by deploying nuclear weapons in South Korea during the Cold War. It maintained the same logic even into the new century. Its last president refused to hold dialogue with North Korea whereas the current one also dodged contact by holding so-called strategic patience. This is undoubtedly an important reason for the escalated tensions on the peninsula. The U.S. has been portraying North Korea, Iran and Iraq as an axis of evil. But it once brought Iraq great trouble by launching a war against the country without approval of the U.N. The superpower failed to find any evidence to prove that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction as it claimed, but instead triggered horrific terrorist activities in the region. When the nuclear issue came to Iran, the U.S. changed its approach but came up with better results. With cooperation and pressure from the international society, a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue was finally reached last year though dialogue rather than confrontation. However, this time dialogue is not an option. The U.S. still counters North Korea with a cold war mindset. Secondly, the U.S. attaches its self-interests on the issue. The U.S. and South Korea did have a Mutual Defense Treaty, but its sole purpose is for defense. It is understandable that South Korea took some steps to counter its neighbor, but the bottom line should be legitimate self defense, not so-called self defense at the risk of peninsular security with a spillover effect on northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region at large. It is known to all that the THAAD system covers a range that is far beyond the needs of defense of the Korean peninsula. The possible THAAD system in South Korea will directly threaten Chinas strategic and security interests and lead to a security imbalance in northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, which could spark strategic rebalancing across a wider range. This move of the U.S. echoes with an old Chinese saying, "Sima Zhao's trick is obvious to every man in the street the villainous design is apparent." Thirdly, what the U.S. did contradicts itself. The U.S. is a stakeholder of the peninsular issue, yet it applies entirely different policies to the northern and southern parts. On the one hand it put enormous pressure on North Korea, but on the other offered a guarantee of safety to South Korea. Such acts will by no means ease the tension. The U.S. kept saying it will address the nuclear issue, but tensions were escalated due to a lack of contact and trusts between the U.S. and North Korea. The stance that the U.S. holds on the peninsular issue is clearly self-contradictory. Therefore it begs the question: is the superpower incapable of or insincere in its attempts to solve the nuclear issue? Furthermore, does the U.S. really want to resolve the nuclear issue or expect it to turn into a gateway to exert its influence in the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world? What the U.S. should learn is that when you lift a rock, it could land on your own feet. Being stubborn on the peninsular issue will neither promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region nor realize its own wishful thinking. (This article is edited and translated from , Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition. The author is the Deputy Dean and a professor of Fudan Universitys Institute of International Studies) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida Senate panel is rejecting a proposal to raise the salaries of state legislators. Bill sponsor Sen. Arthenia Joyner said she wanted a pay raise for legislators in order to attract more working class people to the Florida Legislature. The bill proposed raising pay for rank-and-file legislators from just under $30,000 to $50,000 a year. The bill called for salaries to be adjusted every time state workers get a pay raise. But the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee voted against Joyner's bill by a 3-1 margin. The only yes vote was Sen. Dwight Bullard, a Miami Democrat. Senators voting no said they either did not see a need for a pay raise or said that members of the public would not approve of it. Legislative salaries have been frozen since 2009 during the height of the Great Recession. ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Police say a 19-year-old Georgia man was robbed, beaten and tied up in an Athens motel room where he met a woman for sex. The Athens Banner-Herald reports the victim was lured to the Travel Inn by a woman he met using the mobile dating app Tinder. Police say he told officers that after having sex with the woman, two men emerged from the bathroom and assaulted him. According to police, the men beat the victim, used zip ties to bind his wrists and took his wallet. Then they put him in the trunk of his own car, which the robbers drove for a short distance before opening the trunk and running away. The victim called police from a nearby home Sunday morning. No arrests have been announced. CHATTAHOOCHEE, FL (WTXL) - A man is under arrest after police said he left a mental hospital, robbed a bank and then returned to the hospital. According to the Chattahoochee Police Department, 27-year-old Jermarvoius Roberts left the Florida State Hospital last Thursday. They say at about 1:20pm, he went to the Focus Credit Union on East Washington Street in Chattahoochee. Roberts then handed the teller a note which demanded money in $50 and $100 bills, officers said. The teller reportedly handed Roberts and undisclosed amount of money and left the bank. Police used a K-9, who they said tracked Roberts back to the mental hospital where they found the clothes he was wearing during the robbery. After reviewing security footage, police said that Roberts, who was allowed to move around the facility, had checked into the fitness center before the robbery. However, he had not checked out when he left, which raised suspicions when he returned to the facility according to officers. Police recovered the cash and arrested Roberts on Monday. Roberts is charged with robbery. He is being held in the Gadsden County Jail on $50,000 bond. According to the Changjiang Daily, China's high-speed rail network has become a new brand of "made in China" with advantages including fastest speed, lowest-cost, longest operating mileage. The website of the economic department of Chinese Embassy in Iran recently quoted Iranian media's report and said that China participated in the construction and electrification project of the Tehran-Mashhad railway. After its completion, 70 China-made locomotives will be traveling on this section of the railway at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour. By 2016, China is expected to enter markets including the United States, Indonesia and Russia. According to the Railway Work Conference held by China Railway in mid-January 2016, China will further promote overseas railway infrastructure projects including Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway in Russia, the West Express in the U.S. and a high-speed rail project linking Malaysia-Singapore. In 2009, China first proposed the "going out" strategy for high-speed rail and set three strategic directions: a Eurasian high-speed rail line passing through Russia, a Central Asian line starting from Urumqi and terminating in Germany, and a Trans-Asian Railway network starting from Kunming to connect Southeast Asian countries, ending in Singapore. After more than ten years' efforts, China's high-speed rail has processed independent intellectual property rights and core technology and mastered high-speed railway bearing technologies including design, construction, equipment, manufacturing, train control, systems integration and operations management. China's export market for railway equipment has been covering all over Asia, Europe and America. The export of railway equipment has changed from the exporting of single products to a full range of output including products, engineering, technology and standards. The success of Chinese high-speed rail has not only increased the country's GDP, but more importantly, greatly improved China's international image. It will also enhance China's international influence and status. TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--City leaders met Monday to discuss the future of the "Promise Zone". The "Promise Zone" is the area with the highest indicators of crime, poverty, poor health, and unemployment. Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and the city are teaming up and looking for ways to improve these areas. The initiative is moving forward now thanks to more than four-hundred and eighty thousand dollars in city and county grant funding. "I believe this new process will be transformative for how we begin to address the most pressing issues facing our community," said Mayor Gillum; who advocated for the new process. "By breaking down silos, increasing collaboration and accountability, and understanding the return on investment we are getting from our social services; we can drive smarter and more effective outcomes for the entire City." The year-long program kicked off Monday with training and those involved say they are eager to get started. ADEL, Ga. (WTXL) - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Douglas Regional Office and the Adel Police Department are looking for those responsible for a shooting that left one dead and one critically injured. On August 12, 2014 at about 10:36 p.m., Cook County 911 got a call that two people had been shot inside the Adel Housing Authority at 500 Holiday Street. Police say 25-year old Edward Ferguson and 18-year old Anthony Hill were each shot several times as they were passing through the complex. Ferguson was pronounced dead that evening at a local hospital and Hill was taken to another hospital for his life-threatening injuries. Hill survived the shooting. More than one year after the shooting, the GBI is still looking for answers and wants to remind the public that there has been no arrest in this case. They are asking anyone with information to come forward and call GBI Special Agent Jason Nipper at (912) 389-4103 or Adel Police Dept. Detective Jonathan Blake at (229) 896-2224 ext. 1308. They are offering a $4,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Fergusons death and Hills assault. MARIANNA, FL (WTXL) - Jackson County Deputies are looking for a suspect in an arson at the county courthouse this afternoon. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. The sheriff's office says there was a small fire inside of one of the courtrooms. Marianna Fire Rescue and the Jackson County Fire Rescue responded to the scene. The fire was extinguished and resulted in no injuries. The courthouse was evacuated. The State Fire Marshal has determined it to be an arson. Deputies have issued an first-degree arson warrant for the arrest of Leonard Benard Wright. The 42-year-old is known to drive a 1995 White Ford Econoline Van, with a ladder rack and a Florida Tag 317PU. According to the sheriff's office, Wright is a Jackson County resident and is still believed to be in the area. He is considered to be armed and dangerous. If you know where he is, call deputies at 850-482-9648. ATLANTA (AP) - The cost of an education at Georgia's 29 public colleges won't be going up this fall. The Board of Regents announced Tuesday that it has decided not to increase tuition for the 2016-2017 school year. Hank Huckaby, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said the decision shows the board is "listening to students, their families and legislators" who have voiced concerns about year-over-year tuition hikes in Georgia. Until this year, the Board of Regents had approved some form of tuition increase every year since at least 2002. Last year, most state-operated colleges in Georgia saw a 2.5-percent tuition increase for the fourth year in a row. Students at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia received even greater increases of 9 percent. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - On Tuesday, a group of Florida State students rallied against presidential hopeful Donald Trump. It was the third 'Dump the Trump' that students for a Democratic Society have held. Organizers asked fellow students to sign a petition for the removal of Joe Gruters, a member of the Florida State University Board of Trustees. Gruters currently serves as the co-chair of Donald Trump's Florida campaign for president. A main theme of the rally was the notion that Donald Trump is a racist, and that anyone who supports him shouldn't represent a diverse university like Florida State. Gruters says he will continue to support Trump, because he believes he wants the best for all Americans, "It's really important that we remember the president's number one job is to keep Americans safe. And that's what I believe Donald Trump will do when he's president. I do think he's going to win. I do appreciate the students trying to highlight this, but I will continue on as a member of the Board of Trustees at Florida State." Whether or not a man hands his bank card over to his lover is a crucial issue for maintaining a loving relationship. (File photo) It is widely said that the sweet love shown on Valentine's Day is admired by many single people. Talking about this topic, the 'starting fare' for maintaining a loving relationship triggered heated discussion. It means the lowest standard required by single ladies from an ideal boyfriend in terms of monthly salary. People of different ages and various regions hold diverse opinions on this issue. According to the report published by a dating website in China on Feb. 14, which showed the values of love and marriage, women thought that their boyfriends' lowest monthly salary should be at least 6,701 yuan. Post-80s women have the highest requirement for their partners-whose monthly salary should be at least 6,993 yuan. Compared with this data, Post-90s women have lower requirements of boyfriends a 6,534 yuan monthly salary. According to the report published by a dating website in China on Feb. 14, women think that their boyfriends' lowest monthly salary should be at least 6,701 yuan. (File photo) Through the data from various regions, men in southern regions of China and women in northern regions of China have high standards for 'starting fares' to keep a loving relationship. Among of different requirements, having a house is a must for many women. In addition to this condition, whether or not a man hands his bank card over to his lover is also a crucial issue. 74 percent of women remain neutral: I do not require you to hand over your bank card, I also do not reject if you want to give it to me. Only 2 percent of women positively require their boyfriends to hand in bank cards. 20 percent of 'good' men are willing to give bank cards to girlfriends. 42 percent of men hand in money only if their girlfriends require it. The men who earn more than 10,000 yuan every month are most the reluctant to hand in bank cards due to their love of economic freedom. This article was edited and translated from :6701. Source: Beijing Daily. The author is Fan Xiao. Two geese from southern China's Guangdong province recently went viral on the web for their goodbye kiss on Valentine's Day. In a picture posted on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, a male goose is standing beside a motorcycle and "kissing" a female one on the backseat, as if saying goodbye to each other. Netizens were moved by their "romance" and the picture was reposted more than 18,000 times after its initial upload. People even made up several versions of love stories about the two geese. The most popular ending was that they finally live together happily ever after and have many goslings. While for food-lovers, their destiny would be a dish of delicious food. Netizens even imaged some romantic plots like the TV series. But the owner of the geese, surnamed Deng, said that they are not kissing goodbye. She explained that the two geese were kept by her parents, and they planned to give one of them as a gift to their relatives. When they tied up the female one, the male one tried to unhitch it by stretching out its neck. So the picture was like they were kissing goodbye. Deng also disclosed the lovebirds have been cooked into meal. Hu Yiqing, professor from the School of Journalism and Communication of Nanjing University, explained that the pictures arose netizens sympathetic tenderness for love, adding it was the netizens imagination that made the story more interesting. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. China saw record-high foreign investment in 2015, up 6.4 percent from 2014. This robust growth continued in January 2016 and the central and western regions of China have shown an outstanding performance in terms of attracting foreign investment. The actual use of foreign capital in the western part of China reached 5.87 billion yuan in January 2016, registering a year-on-year growth of 16.9 percent, according to the data released by China's Ministry of Commerce. The western region of China has become home to quite a few important foreign-funded projects in recent years. Samsung's high-level flash memory chip project with an investment of 7.5 billion dollars has been completed and put into operation in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province. Microsoft signed an cooperation agreement with the local government to co-build the Chongqing Microsoft Internet Research and Development Base in Chongqing in southwest China. The BASF Group headquartered in Germany launched a pilot project of biodegradable agricultural plastic mulch that covers 1,700 mu (about 113 hectares) of land in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Medtronic, the world's largest standalone medical technology development company, chose to start the first production base for a new technology in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province. As for the reason why western China becomes a great attraction for foreign investment, Li Dawei, associate researcher at Institute of Foreign Economics Research, points out western part of China enjoys several advantages in attracting foreign investment. Firstly, western China has advantages in labor and land costs in traditional industries. Secondly, western China has advantages in developing modern service sector. The urbanization development and upgrading consumer demand in Chengdu, Chongqing and other western cities have created large room for investment including foreign investment. Thirdly, China's national policies create good conditions for attracting foreign capital to western China. The strategies such as "Belt and Road" initiatives and the founding of state-level new areas have laid a solid foundation for attracting foreign investment to western China. The gun that killed Hadar Cohen was not carried into the Palestinian territories through tunnels or smuggled past guards at a checkpoint. It was an improvised firearm, probably home made in a basement or kitchen somewhere in the West Bank. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The 19-year old Border Policewoman was killed and a colleague wounded in a combined stabbing and shooting attack at Jerusalems Damascus Gate at the beginning of the month. The three attackers, Palestinians in their early 20s from the northern communities in the West Bank, had been approached and questioned because they were acting suspiciously, prompting their deadly reply. Neither of the guns used in the attack described as Carl Gustav submachine guns were the ubiquitous Kalashnikov assault rifles favored by the likes of Hamas and Hezbollah. Improvised firearm (Photo: Israeli Police Spokesperson) Were not talking about military grade, manufactured weapons. These are weapons that are being produced in homemade factories, Micky Rosenfeld, spokesman for the Israel Police, told The Media Line. Improvised or not, Cohens death demonstrates that such tools lethality cannot be underestimated. These firearms are reaching the level of military made weapons. They fired like an AK47 or M-16, Rosenfeld noted. Photographs of the two firearms seized in the incident appear to show that they were both customized from the original bodies of conventional weapons one a Kalashnikov AK47 and the other the American standard, the M-16. Two weeks later, the scene almost repeated itself, underscoring the growing use of the improvised weapon. Shortly before midnight on a Sunday evening, police patrolling again in the area of the Old City of Jerusalems Damascus Gate ordered a man said to be acting suspiciously to stop. The suspect responded by drawing a weapon and was shot dead by the officers. A nearby attacker then opened fire on the police patrol and was also killed, but only after firing scores of rounds at police with his weapon an improvised M-16 variant on automatic. Occurring late in the evening after traffic had died down, the gunfire was heard across central Jerusalem. Weapons of this nature have a long history of use in conflicts involving non-state actors, Nick De Arrinaga, European editor at IHLS Janes Defence weekly magazine, told The Media Line. Resistance fighters in France and Poland during World War II; the underground organizations Haganah and Etzel during Israels War of Independence; and more recently, Chechens seeking to push out the Russian Army, all used improvised weapons, De Arrinaga said. Theres a huge breadth of quality when it comes to improvised weapons: Some are very basic, not reliable and potentially dangerous to the user, the editor said, noting that at the other end of the spectrum are, essentially underground factories producing standardized weapons. Cohens killers came into Israel illegally from the West Bank and so it is likely that their weapons were produced there and provided to the assailants prior to the attack. The IDF, responsible for security in the West Bank, declined to comment on issues relating to the infrastructure used to manufacture and distribute this sort of weapon. Its fairly complicated and it takes time. But the fact is if its made by a close circle (of people), the time that it takes them is maybe a couple of days or weeks, Rosenfeld said. Ammunition is not hard to come by in the West Bank, he said, suggesting that rounds in the possession of the Palestinian security forces can easily fall into the hands of those seeking to shoot Israelis. Which begs the question, why is anybody making improvised firearms when conventional weapons seem to be in no great shortage in the West Bank? Improvised firearm (Photo: Israeli Police Spokesperson) Availability and cost are the first two reasons that a group might choose to make their own weapons, De Arrinaga said. If its difficult to procure weapons or the cost of doing so is prohibitively high, then an organization might choose to build their own. A third reason, De Arrinaga suggested, is to remain unnoticed by security forces. Homemade guns do not have serial numbers which can be traced. In addition, if they were to be made by a small group of people capable of keeping a secret they could stay beneath the radar and surprise Israels security forces. The fact that improvised weapons are still being made despite the abundance of guns in the West Bank also shows that the individuals using such weapons are not connected to the mainline terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Brig.-Gen. Nitzan Nuriel, former head of counter-terrorism to the Israeli government, told The Media Line. The individuals making these weapons, are not connected to any terror groups and want to keep a low profile, Nuriel said. If a person were to decide they want to conduct an attack against Israelis they might inadvertently tip off security forces if they began by attempting to purchase a weapon. Constructing one at home avoids this problem, according to Nuriel, who warned that this is something that is only going to become easier as technology improves. Instructions for making these weapons is readily available on the internet and most of the items needed to produce them can be easily acquired because they have dual purposes, like agricultural fertilizer used to make explosives, Nuriel explained. Further complicating these factors is the emergence of new technology in the form of the 3-D printer, a system which allows production of solid plastic objects using a computer file and a specialized printer, and is being developed for firearms production in the United States. According to Nuriel, 3-D technology has not yet been seen among Palestinian organizations, but it is something they are interested in. Im from the group that believes it is only a matter of time until we see more and more improvised explosives and weapons attacks, the former counter-terrorism chief concluded. Article written by Robert Swift About half of the 219 terrorists who committed the 228 attacks over the past five months were under 20 years of age, while 11 percent were women, an internal IDF and Shin Bet document obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth shows. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The first part of the document breaks down the data about the attacks, showing that 80 percent (174) of terrorists were from the West Bank, 16 percent (36) came from Jerusalem, and the others came from within the Green Line. An analysis of the data indicates several reasons for the recent outbreak of terrorism, including the lack of a political horizon, the feeling that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' era has come to an end, and a sense of alienation of the Palestinian public from the Palestinian Authority. But the most interesting finding from the report is the rise of the younger generation, the one that did not experience the first intifada and barely remembers the second one. It is a generation that got tired of family hierarchy, the occupation, and its leaders. It is a generation that is defiant toward parents and adheres to human rights. The new Palestinian, officials say, is not worried about the IDF's punitive measures or its nightly arrest raids. When considering the characteristics of lone terrorists in the current terror wave, women appear to play an ever-increasing role in the escalation. Female terrorists like Hadeel al-Hashlamoun, Ashraqat Qatanani and Sarwa al-Sharawi, who became icons on the Palestinian street. All of them are seen as martyrs who decided to carry out attacks against the authorities. While the psychological aspects behind these women's actions are complicated, they are not from the margins of society - most of them come from stable and educated families. A look at the individual incidents shows that these women's distress and personal motives were the catalysts for carrying out the attacks. Their feelings of stress and personal frustration with their parents, combined with the basic hostility they feel toward Israel, have created fertile ground for terrorist attacks. In addition to the emotional and personal processes that the Palestinian women and the rest of the terrorists went through, Hamas' television stations and social media activity also helped inspire them to carry out attacks. The popularity of Hamas Al-Aqsa Brigades and the incitement that permeates the internet encouraged the women to emulate the acts glorified there. After years of experiments and millions of shekels invested, the IDF is abandoning its old-fashioned method of cell phone alerts, launching a mobile app instead. The app became available for Android phone users last week, and was set to become available for iPhone users starting Tuesday night. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The new Home Front Command application will be able to send warnings for every launched rocket, with a persons location taken into account in order to prevent false alarms. The app, which is of course free, is considered much more reliable than the previous cell-phone alert system, and is connected directly to the IDF. The new app. (Screenshot) This means that the app should be faster than public alert systems, potentially notifying users at least one second before public sirens go off. The Home Front Command also notes that it managed to send an alert four seconds faster than the non-IDF app Tseva Adom when a rocket was launched from northern Gaza towards the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council a few weeks ago. The new app also provides guidance on what to do in case of an earthquake, general emergency instructions (also according to where one lives), and even provides immediate instructions in border-adjacent towns in cases of suspected terrorist infiltration. A senior IDF officer admitted that the military decided to halt attempts at developing an early warning system for cell phones based on automatic mobile broadcast technology after a series of problems and failures were discovered during four years of experiments, exercises and efforts which are estimated to have cost millions of shekels. Available for Android and iPhone users. Home Front Command. (Screenshot) In dozens of related drills conducted by the IDF in recent years, some civilians received warning messages dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Some manufacturers and cell phone companies refused to develop the technology, prompting the Ministry of Communications to intervene in a regulatory manner, which ultimately proved to be superfluous. The Home Front Commands efforts to improve its alert system by increasing the accuracy of location-based warnings continue, with the goal of pinpointing specific streets or neighborhoods in mind. This should enable civilians to continue with their daily routine when a rocket is launched towards populated areas. IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's decision to establish a cyber division by to was described as "more important than the merger of the Technology-Logistics Directorate with the ground forces, or the establishment of the 'Commando Brigades'" by a high-ranking IDF officer. According to him, the division is already starting to take shape in the form of eight special cyber units whose responsibilities will be to defend against cyberattacks on vital Israeli infrastructure such as water, electricity, banking, cellular networks, and more. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The officer pointed to large cyberattacks which carried out in the past three months to show a major attack is not all that far-fetched. The first of these attacks was the collapse of the internet in Turkey for 20 hours, which came on top of a three-month attack on Turkish banks. (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit) The second example was the collapse of a third of Ukraine's electrical grid for a period of three weeks last Christmas, and the fact that the main airport in Kiev was shut down for two days due to a massive cyber attack. The officer added that the five most important countries in the field in regards to cyber technology are the US, Iran, Germany, Britain, and Israel. "There are no coincidences in life -- cyber attacks have turned into a legitimate weapon of war," said the officer. He added that "these attacks occurred after a relatively quiet year in cybersecurity, on the heels of the nuclear agreement with Iran. We have established these mixed IDF units, which will multiply and grow over the coming years, so that if we have a 'cybernetic September 11', we won't have to ask questions. We are more bothered by the cyber threats to our national infrastructure than we are on attacks on the army. What happens if Ben Gurion International Airport is shut down, or if we lose internet access?" Regarding these scenarios, the IDF has two principal assessments regarding a cyber attack on Israel -- at least until the middle of this year. The first suggests a low likelihood of offensive actions -- such as malware which is implanted into a system and acts after receiving a certain command -- into IDF systems. (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit) The second touches upon increase global efforts to collect intelligence on Israel through cyber means on, amongst other things, critical war plans such as the "trophy", a device which shoots incoming anti-tank missiles out of the air. The officer also revealed that up to now, there has been no evidence of break-ins to any IDF operational systems. The Telecommunications Directorate of the IDF highlighted that an attack on an IDF website is not a significant cyber attacks, but is still important. For example, after the assassination of Hezbollah operative Samir Kuntar, which was attributed to Israel, Lebanese hackers infiltrated the Israel Air Force website and shut it down for a short period of time. The IDF websites are on regular civilian internet, but the operational websites are on an internal network, which is completely separated from the civilian system. IDF is founding a mixed cyber security unit (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) "Our systems defense also includes defense of the Home Front Command website," said the officer. "In an emergency, the public needs to be able to receive information from us, and to operate according to our guidelines." The officer further revealed that the IDF canceled the project by the Home Front Command to send text messages to Israelis in danger areas. This project has already cost Israel tens of millions of shekels, but stalled because of lack of cooperation by cell phone manufacturers. "We stopped the project because we decided that it is better for civilians to have a warning system such as an air raid siren, which everyone understands and is completely reliable, rather than another type of warning system which is only about 80 percent reliable," he said. (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit) "It enraged usus that Hamas and Islamic Jihad shot over half of their rockets supply (without first being destroyed by the IDF)," said the officer. "In the Third Lebanon War there will be 70,000 rockets, so we developed a system which will enable commanders on the ground to more effectively adjust their fire. Our monitoring capability during Protective Edge were not good enough at identifying sources of fire were from the Strip in real time." On top of this, after a quarter century in which the air force, navy, intelligence, and land forces all independently developed their own telecommunications and internal networks, the Telecommunications Directorate finally plans to merge all of these systems into one unified internet, which will streamline operational processes. For instance, the new fighting command center will have two or three screens, as opposed to the 12 that are being used today. The Telecommunications Directorate is also expected to strengthen the electronic warfare systems intended to disrupt the communications systems of the enemy without them being able to affect the communications systems of the IDF. With senior members of the Israeli communications industry in attendance, cellular provider Partner launched its new eponymous brand, replacing the old Orange moniker. Their main message was the companys transition from cellular service provider to communications group. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter One of those present was Haim Saban, Chairperson of Saban Capital Group, which controls the majority of Partners shares. Saban hinted at the difficulties the company, like its competitors, is experiencing in the Israeli market, "We are here for the very long term. I am full of pride for the company. Haim Saban at the event. (Photo: Ofer Amram) During the event, Saban further said that his group, whose activities are primarily in the US, is open to additional investments in the Israel, and referred to the boycott of the country, saying, "I can say that we have identified the problem about a decade ago and there is no doubt that we need to fight it. The Prime Minister has made an important step by giving instructions to fight BDS and I hope that with the tools we have, we will cooperate with the various ministries. Its true that the boycott movement is more about image and I do not see a way in which it can economically harm Israel, but this is something that should be fought against with determination." Partner Chairperson Adam Chesnoff and its CEO Isaac Benbenisti introduced the brand's new graphic language, with a new turquoise logo replacing the old orange-colored one. Benbenisti also said to the company was considering an entry into the television market, saying, we are at a decisional crossroads on the matter. He further stated that Partner wants to be the first place people go for communications solutions, which include the personal and business markets, services, technology, content and equipment. The new Partner logo. Partner took the opportunity to launch its first new product: Partner-Home, a home WiFi internet router that does not require installation or a physical connection to the telecommunications infrastructures of Bezeq or HOT (two of Israels biggest home-internet providers). It simply needs to be plugged into a power socket, and the Internet connection is then provided by Partners fourth generation cellular network. A suicide bomber killed at least 10 recruits at a Yemeni army camp run by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, medical sources and a security official said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of bombings rattling the city since Saudi-backed forces captured Yemen's second-largest city from the Iran-allied Houthis in July last year. Several people were also wounded in the attack targeting hundreds of new recruits at the Ras Abbas camp in Aden's Buraiqa district. It was recently set up by Hadi's government to absorb new conscripts being trained to fight the Houthis. Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, during a meeting with high school students in Bat Yam Wednesday, stated that he does not "want a soldier to empty a magazine on a girl with scissors." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Eisenkot discussed the various threats to the state, the rules of engagement during the current wave of terrorism and the subject of women in the military service. "We are dealing with four major threats today," he enumerated. "Against conventional armies, which we have not confronted since 1973; the second threat is the Iranians; the threat of non-state terrorist organizations and the fourth threat is cyberspace." Chief of Staff Eisenkot in Bat Yam. (Photo: Moti Kimchi) "Terrorism has accompanied Israeli society all throughout the years and knifings are nothing new. Young men and women in their teens, singles, most of them educated and not from poor families, pick up knives and carry out attacks," Eisenkot explained. Eisenkot refered to Islamic State and its influence on the wave of terrorism in the country."There are mutual influences between ISIS in the Middle East to what is happening here. There are 10,000 to 15,000 young people who have left Europe to fight for the same idea. In the past, we worked against terrorist organizations with explosives manufacturers and terror laboratories. Knives, however, are found in every kitchen and in every home. The aim of terrorism is to spread fear and terror among the public, its success is in preventing citizens from going about their everyday routines." Chief of Staff Eisenkot,"the IDF does not operate according to slogans such as 'if someone comes to kill you, kill him first'" (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The implementation of an agreement reached in Munich to resolve the Syria crisis depends on the position of the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. "Everything depends on the Americans, on whether they will be ready to cooperate on a military level," Lavrov told reporters. Asked about German Chacellor Angela Merkel's statement in a recent interview that a no-fly zone could be introduced over Syria, he said: "This is not Merkel's initiative, this is a Turkish initiative." The terror organization known as Islamic State has killed tens of thousands, and has managed to terrify millions the world over. It has had several dubious titles bestowed upon it, and has been recognized as the "richest terrorist organization in the world." But how much do we really know about them, and how much do we need to worry about them? Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Myth 1: ISIS is a new organization The infamous terror organization, although only making its first appearance in Israeli headlines a few years ago, is not at all a new organization. In fact, we can trace its beginnings to 1999, when the Jordanian terrorist Musab al-Zarqawi founded the group Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad. Since then, the organization has had many incarnations, and eventually became the so-called al-Qaida in Iraq, which started to to operate following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Even the name ISIS has already become obsolete, but we'll get to that later. Under the name al-Qaida in Iraq the organization swore allegiance to the leadership of al-Qaida, and started to carry out attacks in its name. Even then, the group wasn't afraid to use extreme measures, causing the central al-Qaida leadership to be furious. They willfully killed Muslims, a red line for an organization which killed thousands of Americans without mercy in the attack on the World Trade Center towers on September 11 2001. Indeed, several years later, the two groups separated from each other, for, amongst other reasons, the fighting in Syria. ISIS training in the Sinai The period with al-Zarqawi at the helm ended in 2006, when he was assassinated in a US bombing, and Abu-Ayyub al-Masri replaced him, before he too was killed four years later; but not before he changed the name to Islamic State in Iraq." Into al-Masri's shoes stepped the current leader of ISIS, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi- or, as he was originally known- Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri al-Samri, with a doctorate in Islamic studies He was born in 1971, and his relatives described him as someone who "didn't speak a lot". Abu Bakr al-Baghdqadi in Mosul (Photo: AFP) A high ranking US intelligence official described Baghdadi as "the real heir to Osama bin Laden. He is crueler, and more anti-American than Ayman a-Zawahiri, the current head of al-Qaida." Once al-Baghdadi became the head of the organization in 2010, ISIS began to spread to Syria, and changed its name to the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (the Arabic acronym, Daesh, stands for the words "Dawlat al-Eslamiyye fi al-Iraq wal Shams). The appointment of al-Baghdadi signaled a turning point in the policies of the organization, which turned more global, became more accessible, and took on more state functions. The peak came in 2014, when al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of the Caliphate, appointed himself Caliph, and changed the name of the organization to "Islamic State"- with no geographic connection and whose goal is international. With the declaration of the rise of the Caliphate, al-Baghdadi also clarified that the raison d'etre of the organization is "global domination," meaning that all Muslims must obey and join the effort. The terrorist organization has since turned into a functioning state- with an official currency, education system, judiciary system, banks, health services, electricity, and street cleaners. They apply Sharia Islamic law to the areas which they capture, and give non-muslims the option to either convert to Islam, pay Jizya (a tax for non-muslims), or die. Al-Baghdadi has also ushered in a period of economic prosperity, primarily from the oil fields which the organization controls in Iraq and Syria. They have been so prosperous, that the US treasury has classified it as the "world's richest terrorist organization," worth approximately two billion dollars. In September of 2014, the US National Counterterrorism Center declared that ISIS controlled 201 thousand square kilometers in Syria and Iraq- an area equal to the size of the UK - and thus ruled ten million people. Myth number two: the source of the majority of ISIS's revenue is from oil This common assumption was correct until recently, when the organization was in control of several oil fields in Iraq and Syria, which earned, according to different documents, between $500-600 million a year. ISIS sold the gas to anyone who requested, including to its enemies- from different opposition forces to even the government of Bashar al-Assad. They were assisted by smuggling networks which had already been in place since the 1990's, when Saddam Hussein tried to circumvent the international sanctions placed on the export of his gas. ISIS guidelines for attacking the West With the beginning of the coalition strikes led by the US, ISIS has lost a significant amount of territory (according to reports, ISIS now controls between an third and a half of the territory it controlled in 2014), and in the campaign conducted last October, ISIS lost most of the oil infrastructure it controlled. From producing between 30 to 80 thousand barrels of oil a day, it now only produces 25 thousand barrels a day. Even by early 2015, The Pentagon reported that "oil is no longer a primary source of income for ISIS," and the US Treasury estimated that the income from oil went down to only $100 million a year. This is due to the destruction of oil infrastructure, the sharp decline in oil prices, and the shortage of experts who know how to refine the oil (most of them deserted or were killed in coalition airstrikes). In order to cover their economic losses, ISIS has been searching for alternate sources of revenue, such as by increasing taxes on the population in areas they control, through extortion, stealing cash from banks, selling antiquities, selling sex slaves, selling crops, and even ransom and kidnapping. Myth 3: ISIS is sweeping across the Muslim world Although there are approximate 30 terror organizations around the world who pledged their allegiance to ISIS, and have granted them footholds in countries such as Uzbekistan, Nigeria, the Sinai, and the Philippines amongst others, most of these organizations have maintained their groups' autonomy, and continued to concentrate their resources on fighting against their local governments. Additionally, the majority of Muslim nations have come out against ISIS, and have stated that they do not represent "true Islam." Just this last December for example, Saudi Arabia declared the formation of a Muslim coalition against ISIS which includes more than 30 countries (this, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia donated lots of money to ISIS at the beginning, primarily out of spite for the Iranians and the Assad regime). Surprisingly, or perhaps not so, the majority of ISIS's support comes from groups which originated in the areas ISIS occupies. Excluding the ethnic minorities which suffer from persecution and discrimination, most of the inhabitants of Islamic State enjoy the stability and services provided by the organization, especially after five chaotic years living in a war- wracked country. They also benefit from the money that comes in from oil sales, and the strengthening of the Sunnis in the area. Among the largest supporters are different Sunni tribes, former Baath party members, former officers in Saddam Hussein's army, and various jihadist groups. Indeed, ISIS has a military advantage over these groups, but their support for the group is important. The moment these groups no longer support ISIS, it will be much tougher for the organization to operate unimpeded in the areas under its control. So who is afraid of ISIS? Or: does Israel need to worry? The terrorist organization had a meteoric rise over the past decade - from a local group to an Islamic State with goals to conquer the world. The last year saw more and more attacks outside of Syria and Iraq, including the Paris terror attacks, the explosion in Dahieh in Lebanon, and the takedown of the Russian plane in Sinai. It seems that the organization is gaining momentum regarding its global goals. But the US led coalition attacks (and the Russian and Arab coalition strikes as well) are taking their toll: ISIS has lost between a third to half of its territory, its oil and gas exports have been cut significantly, and almost one third of the leaders have already been assassinated. In general, 2015 has seen the deaths of several important people such as Jihadi John, and the head of ISIS in Libya. Just this week, there have been unconfirmed reports that the head of ISIS in Yemen was killed. Members of the organization feel the strategic losses, and only a month ago it was reported that their salaries will be cut in half, causing many people to leave the ranks of the organization. Additionally, the central bank with most of ISIS's cash in Mosul was blown up, and the Iraqi army re-captured ISIS's capital in Iraq - Ramadi. As for the military capabilities of the organization the fighting force stands at between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters, and is in possession of a wide arsenal of light weapons, heavy weapons, and even chemical weapons. With that being said, most of the weapons are older, weapons which ISIS "inherited" from the era of the US occupation and from the Soviet era. Some of the weapons are unusable, and some of the weapons not everyone in the organization knows how to use. Therefore, the few planes in ISIS's possession (six, according to reports) remain unused as there is no one who knows how to fly them. An American security analyst said on CNBS that most of the weapons that fall into the hands of ISIS are used as "trophy pieces" as opposed to actually getting used in battles, and also because the fighters are usually keen on getting back to their light weapons of choice. To put this in perspective, the IDF is almost 30 times larger than the entirety of the organization in Syria and Iraq (and thats without taking into consideration the amount of advanced weapons and its budget), and the number of armed fighters in the US Military is almost 100 times larger. Moving back to Israel- in the last few months the IDF has been preparing for different scenarios should it have to confront the cruel terrorist organization, and with good reason. With that being said, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) has ranked ISIS third in terms of major threats to Israel. Preceding ISIS is the Iranian threat, and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. On the northern front, Hezbollah poses a more direct threat than ISIS, and in the south, ISIS in Sinai is fighting primarily against the Egyptian army. Jordan remains relatively stable, and it seems that the eyes of the organization are gazing towards Libya and Saudi Arabia. While lone wolf attacks threaten every nation in the world, it seems that ISIS itself is too deep in the mud in Syria and Iraq to directly threaten Israel. At least 28 people died and 61 others were injured in a large explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday, which targeted a bus carrying military personnel, according to an official at the armed forces' General Staff. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The explosion occurred during rush hour in an area close to where military headquarters and parliament are located. "According to preliminary assessments, five people died and 10 people were injured," Governor Mehmet Kiliclar told the state-run Anadolu Agency. "It is believed that a bomb-laden car caused the explosion." News reports said some cars caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. Scene of explosion in Ankara, Turkey (Photo: AFP) It was not clear who was behind the bombing Wednesday. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on IS targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkey's deadliest attack in years. Scene of explosion (Photo: EPA) Wednesday's attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. The Turkish security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the southeast since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. The Syrian war, meanwhile, is raging along Turkey's southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkey's border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border. Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has also been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats. Limited defense facilities on Nansha Islands have nothing to do with militarization: FM Light house constructed by China on reef of South China Sea China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said China's limited, necessary defense facilities on Nansha Islands of the South China Sea are in accordance with international law, which endows any sovereign state with the rights of self-protection and self-defense. The facilities are therefore indisputable and have nothing to do with militarization, Wang said. Wang made the remarks at a press conference after meeting with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop in Beijing. He stressed that non-militarization in the South China Sea serves the interest of all parties concerned, but the principle should be used to hold all parties - instead of any single country - accountable, and there should be no double or multiple standards regarding the matter. The minister also expressed hopes that the media can pay more attention to the civilian facilities China has built and is going to build on relevant islands and reefs, which are the public goods provided for the international community by China as the largest state along the South China Sea coast. OMAHA (DTN) -- The list of grain companies not paid by Abengoa Bioenergy corn-ethanol plants continues to grow, as another group of sellers filed an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, this time in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Kansas. There's a mad scramble by Abengoa creditors in the United States to recover millions of dollars for unpaid corn deliveries to plants in Nebraska, before Spain-based Abengoa SA sells off its ethanol assets as part of what is expected to be a massive company restructuring in the face of more than $8 billion in debt. Involuntary Chapter 7 -- or liquidation -- petitions now have been filed in both Kansas and Nebraska as concerns mount that now more than $10 million in grain purchases by Abengoa will not be paid to multiple grain companies before the parent company Abengoa SA sells ethanol plants across the world at some point. In the latest petition filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Kansas -- the state where Abengoa formed a limited liability corporation in the United States -- a group of creditors including two additional Nebraska grain cooperatives said Abengoa's York, Nebraska, plant secured some $33 million in financing in April 2015. The concern is the money will be funneled to Abengoa's parent company before companies owed grain are paid. The new petition was filed by Omaha-based Gavilon Grain LLC -- which filed a similar petition in Nebraska -- along with Farmers Cooperative in Dorchester, Nebraska, and Central Valley Ag Cooperative in York, Nebraska. Those three companies say they are owed about $3.2 million total for grain delivered to the Abengoa plant in York, having not been paid dating back to early August, according to court documents. "Gavilon suspects that some or all of the proceeds of this loan ($33 million) were also then sent upstream to the debtor's ultimate parent in Spain as part of its central treasury function," according to court documents. "As such, petitioning creditors are concerned that the assets will be sold in an expedited manner with the proceeds of any such sale retained by the parent in Spain rather than used to satisfy the debtor's U.S. creditors...Debtor has previously told those creditors that cash retention by the parent in Spain has been part of the cause of the debtor's prior inability to pay them." Also on Thursday, the creditors filing the petition in Kansas also filed a motion to limit Abengoa's power to sell its assets, obtain new secured loans, or to appoint an interim trustee. In bankruptcy cases, interim trustees are appointed to organize how assets are divided among creditors. The same motion was filed as part of the court proceedings in Nebraska. Farmers Cooperative in Dorchester, Nebraska, filed suit against Abengoa in Nebraska District Court on Dec. 1, 2015, for unpaid corn deliveries, according to documents filed as part of the Kansas petition. Earlier this week, Gavilon, along with Ravenna, Nebraska-based Farmers Cooperative Association; and Maumee, Ohio-based The Andersons Inc., reached an agreement with Abengoa that the company would not sell ethanol assets or acquire additional debt financing while the involuntary Chapter 7 petition is pending in Nebraska. According to that petition, Abengoa owes about $4.1 million for grain purchased by its ethanol plants. Abengoa Bioenergy can contest the petition for involuntary Chapter 7. Chapter 7 is filed to liquidate assets to pay off creditors. In addition, CHS Inc. sued Abengoa in December, claiming the company had not paid nearly $5 million for some 2 million bushels of corn delivered to three different Abengoa ethanol plants in Nebraska and Kansas. During a court hearing Wednesday in Nebraska, an attorney for Abengoa said the company would not sell its assets or seek more secured debt to finance its operations at an idled ethanol plant in Ravenna, Nebraska. Abengoa hopes to restart production at that plant at some point. The Abengoa ethanol plant in York also has been idled for some time. So far, the parent company has indicated it plans to sell off a large portion of its business to stave off creditors. Abengoa SA has until the end of March to either file bankruptcy in Spain or announce a restructuring plan to the Spanish government. YORK There will be a contested race for District 2 county commissioner and Henderson Mayor Jim Mestl will not be seeking reelection. The filing deadline for incumbents to be considered in the Primary Election arrived at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16, without a filing from Mestl. Regarding the District 2 commissioner race, Tony Cain (a Democrat from Gresham) has filed his candidacy. He will run against sitting commissioner, Kurt Bulgrin, a Republican, who has also filed. Because they are of different political parties, they will be on separate ballots in the Primary election meaning that ultimately, this particular commissioner race will go to the General Election in the fall. There is also a unique dynamic with Cains candidacy. He has also filed, as an incumbent, to run again for his seat on the Gresham Village Board. York County Clerk Kelly Turner said she contacted the Nebraska Secretary of States office to inquire as to whether or not a person can run for both such offices at the same time. She said Wednesday that she was informed that Cain can indeed run for both offices at the same time because one is considered a lower office, while the other is considered a higher office. So Cains candidacy for both offices is legal and allowable. Local non-incumbents have until March 1 to file their candidacies in the races of county commissioners, York School Board, Heartland School Board, Henderson mayor, Henderson City Council, York Mayor and York City Council. The following additional incumbents have filed to seek reelection in this years Primary: District 5 County Commissioner: Jack Sikes (a Republican) York School Board: Matt Holthe, Phil Towle and Jean Vincent Heartland School Board: Paul Brune, Gary Braun and Glen Ott Henderson City Council: Corbin Tessman York Mayor: Chuck Harris York City Council: Margaret Brink, Ron Mogul, Cy North and Matt Spanjers With the exception of the District 2 County Commissioner race, no other non-incumbents, so far, have filed to run against any incumbents. The races for commissioner will automatically be on the Primary ballot in May, because these are partisan races. The other races may or may not be on the ballot in May. In order for these races to be on the May ballot, the number of candidates must be more than double the number of open seats. If that is not the case, these races automatically go to the General Election in November. Air Force Reserve Command crowns public affairs champ The commander of the Air Reserve Personnel Center, Brig. Gen. Samuel Bo Mahaney, was presented the Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs Champion Award by Maj. Gen. Michael Kim, mobilization assistant to the AFRC commander at the AFRC PA Leadership Symposium in Marietta, Ga., Feb. 9. The AFRC PA Champion award recognizes commanders who provide exceptional leadership and support to their public affairs office and the career field as a whole. The competition was open to all AFRC. Nominations were submitted by their respective PA Office and judged by leadership at the command level. During his acceptance speech Mahaney thanked the audience of more than 140 Reserve PA professionals from around the command. When one gets an award from outside one's career field, it's a big deal. I have always said that my two most trusted advisors, as a commander, are my PA and my judge advocate. As commander of ARPC, Mahaney is responsible for personnel support to nearly 1 million Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and retired members, ensuring they are ready to deliver strategic Total Force war fighting capability for the Air Force. From initial entry to retirement, the center provides world-class support for "Generations of Airmen" throughout their military careers. In addition, Headquarters Individual Reservist Readiness and Integration Organization reports directly to Mahaney. Headquarters RIO is responsible for the readiness, accountability, personnel and administrative servicing of more than 8,500 Individual Reservists worldwide. The center is a major command direct reporting unit of Air Force. I believe that units with a great relationship between PA and CC are the strongest in the Air Force...why? Communication! Communication is the key. And without a strong PA, chances are that effective communication will not take place, Mahaney said. While the general was eager to point out that PA professionals provide critical guidance during strategic and change management planning, the general shared that he finds working with PA on internal messaging the most enjoyable. Ive worked with ARPC PA to present a vision, complete with strategic goals and objectives, and my tenets of leadership. We have had loads of fun creating both serious and humorous videos, emails, voice messages, strategic documents, snapshots, Commanders Calls, Porch calls, road shows, etc., said Mahaney. My favorite part of each week is the time I get to meet with PA. When I see that meeting on my schedule I get excited. My expectations sky rocket! I know that when that meeting is over something will have been created: an idea, a concept, a storyboard, an outreach plan. I love to innovate, create, and envision a future that works. That's my common ground with PA. Mahaney went on to praise individual public affairs people and units reflecting what effect they have had on his work as a commander. Public Affairs professionals think in a way that awakens that part of me. You facilitate mission accomplishment at a different level and in a way that brings human experience and perception into the mix. I have a great deal of respect for the PA career field. Because of PA I have built wonderful relationships with members of the community. I get to introduce amazing celebrities like former Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh and the Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco to the Air Force Reserve, he said, smiling. Because of PA, I have jumped from a perfectly good aircraft with the Canadian Parachute team. Because of PA, I have been on stage with Brad Paisley in concert. Because of PA I have built relationships with organizations like the USO and Sweethearts for Soldiers. And all the while we tell the stories of our amazing Citizen Airmen. The general wrapped up his speech commenting on what the award meant to him personally. I do this as a labor of love, because you all have done so much for me especially those whom I have served as their commander. As I look out on this crowd, I see many that I have served with. I just want to say thanks to those people and to you all. When I was notified I had been selected for this award, I jumped at the opportunity to come before you all. Not to accept the award for myself, but as an opportunity to tell you all what you mean to me and what you mean to the Air Force. May God bless you all as you continue to move our Air Force into the future! Thank you very much. This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company. As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism. We hope you are equally as excited as us. This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers. Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited. In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy. Happy shootin' my friends! Buying Guides: Firearms Firearm Accessories Ammunition Gun Safes Scopes & Optics Hunting Air Rifles Best AR-15 Best AR 15 Scope Best Hunting Rifle Best Gun Safe Best AK 47 Best AR 10 Best Glock Triggers Best Glock Best Home Defense Shotgun Released yesterday, the report shows that the number of residential lot sales fell by 2.7% across Australia during the September 2015 quarter, which coincided with a 4.2% increase in the median price of a residential lot to $225,450. Movements were even more pronounced in capital city markets, with sales of residential lots decreasing by 4.5%, while median prices increased by 5.4% $262,069. In the year to September 2015, the median capital city residential lot price increased 10.7%. HIA senior economist Shane Garrett said the report highlights the seriousness of supply issues currently facing Australia At about 12:50am [Tuesday] morning, Australias population broke the 24 million barrier for the first time. [This] report provides a sobering indictment of how land supply policy is not keeping pace with the housing needs of our growing population, Garrett said The combination of strong land price growth yet declining transaction volumes are hallmarks of a market constrained by supply bottlenecks, he said. Source: HIA/CoreLogic RP Data Residential lot prices are at their highest in Sydney, where the median price rose 22.8% in the year to September and 9.1% over the quarter to $392,500. Perths residential lots are the second most expensive in the nation, up by 5.3% annually and 2.5% over the September quarter to $266,500, followed by Melbourne where the median price increased 6.9% over the quarter to $232,000. The median residential lot price in Brisbane sits at $231,250, with Adelaides at $200,000, while Hobart has the cheapest lots in the nation at $143,500. According to Garrett, the current supply constraints will result in more than just increased property prices if they are not addressed. Ineffective land supply policy will limit Australias long term growth potential and erode competitiveness by forcing costs up, he said. The key supply side issues like planning delays, efficient infrastructure provision and the mammoth taxation burden on new housing need urgent attention. Otherwise, living standards for Australias 24 million residents will never reach their full potential. Source: HIA/CoreLogic RP Data CoreLogic RP Data research head Tim Lawless said buyer demand for residential lots remains elevated, despite falling lower after a peak in mid-2014, and it is likely that lot sizes will have to be reduced. Buyer demand across the vacant land market has remained strong, which is why prices are rising on lower sales, however, as land prices rise it is likely block sizes will have to reduce in order to maintain an affordable price point for buyers, Lawless said. Median lot prices have risen across every capital city over the past twelve months except for Adelaide (-1.0%). The tight supply of land across Sydney has seen median land prices rise by the most of any capital city over the past year, up 22.8% compared with a weighted average across the capitals of 10.7% growth, he said. Despite having the most expensive housing and vacant land, Sydney is currently showing the second largest median lot size amongst the capital cities at 537 square metres. Somewhat counterintuitively, the median land area has historically been the smallest in Adelaide, with the September quarter data showing a median lot size of just 375 square metres. The Global and United States Hydrobike Market Report has been published by QY Research recently. Hydrobike Market Analysis and Insights This report focuses on... Despite being physically terrifying, sharks rank low in the deadliest animals category. Out of 15, sharks rank last charting only 10 deaths per year. In comparison, domesticated dogs kill more around 25,000 people per year while seemingly weak freshwater snails kill around 10,000 every year. However, it seems like the statistics are about to change at least considering the daunting shark related deaths recorded last year. The International Shark Attack File or ISAF recently released the official record of the number of shark attacks for 2015. The team investigated 164 reported shark-human interaction worldwide. Out of the lot, 98 have been confirmed to be incidents of unprovoked shark attacks. 2015's total number of shark recorded incidents have since beat the previous record set in 2000 which clocks in at 88 attacks. The team from the International Attack File have explained the reason for the sudden rise in shark related incidents. According to them, as the world's population continues to be interested in aquatic recreation, the number of attacks is bound to increase as well. Advertisement "A shark attack is fundamentally an odd situation that's built on the number of humans in the water and the number of sharks in the water. We frankly are swamping sharks out of their own environment [because] we're putting so many people in water in nearshore areas where the sharks often are very common" explained George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator of the ISAF. Burgess has also since given advice on how the general public can avoid shark attacks. The most important tip to remember, according to Burgess, is to avoid swimming near fish. He explains that sharks usually feast on tinier fish and a person would most likely be involved in an attack if they insist on staying near the shark's food source. THAT THERE MAY BE A FAIRER SOCIETY IN GHANA - ONE IN WHICH ALL THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST A POWERFUL AND GREEDY FEW, BENEFIT FROM THE NATION'S WEALTH! Boeing 737 Through the Aviation Academy, not only can kids inch closer to their dreams of becoming pilots and cabin crew, they also gain a greater appreciation for the responsibilities and skills required to be part of the airlines operating crew. What's more, I'm over the moon when I learnt that parents are highly encouraged to join in the role playing as on-board passengers while the kids get to role play as Qatar Airways cabin crew, providing their five-star inflight hospitality to us. Designed to suit children aged 4 and above, KidZania Singapore complements school learning experiences through realistic role-play. Kids will have the option to choose among a diverse range of role-playing activities within KidZania Singapore. Video credit: Kidzania Singapore The article/blog entry below from the JTA reminds me of the arguments about Lenin's Jewish ancestry. Now that we can look at the records, we know that Leni... 11 years ago New Delhi: In a brazen defiance of Supreme Court order for maintaining peace and security outside the Patiala House Court, which is due to hear a sedition case involving JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, two group of lawyers clashed with each other and the security officials present there on Wednesday. According to initial reports, a group of lawyers led by Vikram Chauhan started raising pro-India slogans of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" outside the Patiala House Court here. The scuffle began after a group of lawyers, carrying Indian flags, shouted at the supporters of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is due to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. The supporters of the JNUSU president clashed with the protesting lawyers. The agitating lawyers also assaulted journalists present. However, they later denied beating up any journalist or causing disturbance outside the court. ''They are trying to beat us up and we don't even respond,'' lawyer Vikram Chauhan told reporters here. ''People who said 'Pakistan Zindabad' have been made heroes and we are being called 'gundas,'' he further alleged. Tariq Anwar, a Firstpost journalist who was beaten up by lawyers, said, ''There were two groups - pro-Kanhaiya and anti-Kanhaiya group. A person from anti-Kanhaiya group beat me up.'' ''Police was a mute spectator like yesterday. I have photos to prove,'' Anwar further alleged. ''We came here to fight for Kanhaiya. Everything was calm but some lawyers started a scuffle, '' another lawyer who witnessed the scuffle said. Meanwhile, the security in and around the court complex have been beefed up and all gates barring the main entrance have been closed. More security forces have been deployed at Patiala House Court premises. The unfortunate incident occurred hours after the Supreme Court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at Patiala House court complex where JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, is to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. The apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kanhaiya whose extended police custody of two days is expiring today. Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said that the two family members of the accused, if present, will be allowed in the court room, otherwise one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused. The bench also restricted the entry of mediapersons inside the court room during the proceeding by limiting it to five journalists. It said that 25 journalists would be allowed to enter the compound and all the entries would be allowed only after proper identification and verification. The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House Court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to today only. The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court will meet at 2 pm today to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on February 15 at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists who were presnt in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case. New Delhi: Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday refused to give a clean chit to Jawaharlal Nehru student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, accused of participating in anti-India activities. Bassi, who briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over JNU row today, defended the Delhi Police action of arresting and slapping sedition charges on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and claimed that they have irrefutable proof against him. "We have adequate evidence against JNU student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar on basis of which he has been arrested," Bassi said. Taking a jibe at those who slammed the Delhi Police over JNU crackdown, the Delhi Police Commissioner said, "We are the ones carrying out the investigation and people are the ones coming up with conjectures." The Delhi police chief also claimed that the pro-Afzal Guru event at JNU campus had backing of some 'outsiders' and investigations have been launched in this aspect. "As per our investigation some outsiders were also involved apart from JNU students. We are investigating this aspect. We have identified people who raised anti-India slogans at JNU campus. Investigation is being conducted to find out their real intentions behind the event. They will be nabbed soon," he said. Earlier today, Bassi had said that police are probing suspected financial links between terror outfits and students allegedly involved in the raising of anti-India slogans at JNU campus. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested under sedition charges and has been accused of raising anti-India slogans at the Afzal Guru event organised at the JNU campus on February 9. Kanhaiya, who was sent to police custody till February 17, will be produced before the Patiala House court today. 10-year-old Pune writer Ishita Katyal, who debuted as the opening speaker at the TED2016 (Technology, Entertainment,Design), captivated many at the brainiacs' meet. As per a Times of India report, Katyal in her address said 'Put children first; give kids a chance' which earned her applause from the audience. "Instead of asking children what they want to do when they grow up, you should ask them what they want to be right now," she told a packed audience. "We can do a lot in this moment, in the present. The problem is our world has many forces working against the dreams of children. Adults chronically underestimate kids, and in the process they pass on fear to children who are born without fear, TOI quoted her as saying. "My dream for the future is that people think 10 times before raising school fees, ahundred times before going to war with another country, a thousand times before wasting food and water, and ten thousand times before letting their child's childhood go away," she further added. As soon as she finished her address, scientists, scholars, poets, philosophers, musicians and others who were present there lauded her. Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley condemned the attack on journalists in the national capital on Wednesday and said that media has an unhindered right to report. He also said that attack on mediapersons was highly improper and condemnable. Media has an unhindered right to report. Attack on Media persons is highly improper and condemnable Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 17, 2016 Media persons covering JNU sedition case were attacked by men dressed in lawyers' robes on Monday and the violence was repeated today at the Patiala House court complex. The attack took place when JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being produced in the court. Earlier in the day, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that "alternative voice" in the university should also be heard. "JNU is a very premier institution of India, widely respected also. It has produced outstanding civil servants, great academicians and also well known public figures. Its faculty and students also excel well. We all think there is also a very eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice in the JNU. The country is equally eager to hear that voice," Prasad said, as per PTI. Yesterday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists took out a march demanding action against those involved in beating members of media at the court complex. They also sought Supreme Court's intervention in protecting the freedom of speech. The journalists also demanded Police Commissioner BS Bassi's sacking due to alleged inaction by the security personnel at the court complex on Monday when journalists, students and teachers of JNU where attacked by people wearing lawyers' black robes. A separate delegation of journalists had met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding his intervention in ensuring "accountability of the Delhi Police who watched silently as the assault happened". (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: The Delhi Police has identified all students who raised anti-India slogans at a controversial event which took place on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University on February 9. The police is now carrying out raids in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, seeking those involved in the incident, reports NDTV. Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi told reporters that those identified will be arrested soon. He added that there are sufficient evidences against JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been arrested on the charges of sedition. He added that there are reasonable indications that people from outside were also involved in the whole incident. The Delhi Police commissioner, however, refused to speak about terror links of Umar Khalid, the student said to be the main accused behind the February 09 incident. According to a status report filed by police in connection with the incident, the Delhi Police had alerted JNU authorities about the February 9 event and its "possible repercussions" as they had no idea that the programme had nothing to do with cultural activity. The report also mentioned that 18 students, including arrested JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, were "present" at the event which included a march from Sabarmati dhaba to Ganga dhaba around 7.30 pm and, in an hour, the crowd had dispersed "peacefully". The police, in its report, had said they got to know about the event on the morning of February 9 when they came across the posters inside the campus, following which "JNU authorities were alerted about the programme and its possible repercussions," sources said. According to report, some students were alleged to have indulged in "unwanted activity" in the garb of a cultural evening. They shouted anti-India slogans and also those in support of freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. In another report filed on February 12, the police said as many as 16 JNU students, including a former JNUSU president, were under the scanner after they received specific inputs. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on Friday after a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy was registered over holding of the February 9 event on the varsity campus during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Mumbai: Parents of a Mumbai engineer jailed in Pakistan for alleged espionage have requested authorities in the neighbouring country to show compassion and release him on humanitarian grounds. "I appeal to Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics," said Fauzia Ansari, mother of 31-year-old engineering and management graduate, Hamid Nehal Ansari, who has been sentenced to jail for three years by a Pakistani court. Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. Ansari's parents had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in a Pakistani court when they came to know in January that their son was in the custody of the Pakistan Army. He was convicted on Sunday in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and was shifted to Peshawar Central Prison. "On January 13, we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan Army's custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India," said 55-year-old Fauzia. "We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely," said Fauzia, who recently underwent an ankle surgery after she met with an accident. "We are confident that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young guy like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail," she said. "I am not sure what crime my son has committed. As per his chats with his friends from Pakistan on Facebook before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was a victim of a social evil," said Fauzia, who is a Hindi lecturer in a junior college here and has undergone an ankle surgery after she met with an accident while crossing a road. Ansari's father's Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manager and elder brother Khalid Ansari (32) is a dental surgeon. ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose NGO has also been involved in efforts to locate the youth, said, "We thank those in India and Pakistan who worked ceaselessly to trace Hamid." "We are convinced he is innocent. He went there to meet his beloved whom he befriended on Facebook. He had absolutely no intention of getting into spying activities," Kulkarni told PTI. "We are with his parents. The biggest relief is that he is alive. By all accounts he has already spent three years in captivity and should be released on humanitarian grounds," Kulkarni said. Ansari has a right to appeal under the Pakistan Army Act.India had sought consular access of the engineer and asked Pakistan to ensure his safety and security. Over three years after Ansari went missing in Pakistan where he had allegedly gone to meet a girl he had befriended on the Internet, authorities last month admitted that he has been in Army custody and facing a trial in military courts. In light of the information, a two-member bench had on January 13 disposed of a Habeas Corpus petition filed by the convict's mother against his alleged illegal detention. Court had asked the government to respond to the petition by Fauzia on the whereabouts of her son. In response, Military Intelligence Directorate said that Ansari was in military custody and is being tried by a military court. Ansari was taken into custody by police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials in Kohat, about 70 kms from here, in November 2012. New Delhi: Children`s activists in India on Wednesday criticised the Vatican for revoking the suspension of a Catholic priest who was convicted by a US court of sexually abusing a minor. Indian priest Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, 61, was suspended by his local diocese in India five years ago after being accused of sexually abusing two girls during a posting to Minnesota. He was later convicted of assaulting one of them, a 16-year-old, and served time in jail. But the Vatican lifted his suspension in January following a recommendation by an Indian bishop. "The lifting of the suspension amounts to the Church condoning his actions," Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, an NGO working on women`s and girls` rights, told AFP. The decision was "totally unacceptable", coming as the Vatican undertook to root out sexual abuse by the Church, she said. Jeyapaul was accused of sexually abusing two girls while serving as a priest in Crookston Diocese in Minnesota between 2004 and 2005, but one victim dropped the charges against him. The Diocese of Ooty in southern India`s Tamil Nadu state suspended him in 2010 before he was arrested by Interpol in 2012 and extradited to the US to face trial. Following a plea deal, Roseau County district court sentenced him to a year in jail but he was released and deported to India in June 2015 on account of time served while awaiting trial. Sebastian Selvanathan, a spokesman for Ooty diocese, said that while the Vatican had lifted Jeyapaul`s suspension, the priest would not return to service. "We have provided him accommodation but he will not have any active role in the Church," Selvanathan told AFP. The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a US group, has urged the Church to warn the public about Jeyapaul`s past and expressed concern over his presence in India. "We worry now about the safety of girls in India near Fr Jeyapaul," the group said on its website. Local police said they would collect more information on the disgraced priest but said he was not under watch. Delhi: It was a day of high drama. JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Not only Kumar, several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before the JNUSU president was brought there, as per IANS. The court directed Delhi Police and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. The JNUSU president has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event at JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week. He was arrested by Delhi Police on February 12. I do not support anti-national activity, says Kanhaiya Kumar Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country," Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". "The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial," he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings. Kanhaiya moved to Tihar Jail, kept under high security Meanwhile, Kumar was tonight taken to Tihar Jail and kept in a separate cell, following which authorities have sounded a high security alert inside the prison complex, and are keeping a round-the-clock watch for the safety of the student leader. "Kanhaiya who was brought to Tihar at around 8 pm has been lodged in a separate cell of ward number 4 of jail number 3. Two Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel have been deputed to keep a round-the-clock watch over him and ensure his safety," said a senior Tihar official, as per PTI. "In view of the prevailing tension over sedition charges being faced by Kanhaiya, maximum vigil will be maintained and a high security alert has been sounded to ensure all the precautions and measures are taken to prevent any untoward incident," the official said. SC asks Commissioner of Police to ensure safety On the other hand, a team of senior lawyers today told the Supreme Court, which had asked them to get a first hand assessment, that situation at the Patiala House Court was 'unprecedented' and there was an 'atmosphere was of fear and terror'. Senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan, drew the attention of the bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre to the "extra-ordinary" situation in Patiala House Court where security and safety was under threat. They also informed the apex court that JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was "manhandled" while being produced in court. The court stepped in to rush a six-member panel of advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes. The lawyers team gave an oral report mentioning that there was a total breakdown of law and order in which Kumar was 'manhandled'. The bench then made it clear that 'the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused'. The court had earlier in the day given a slew of directions and limited the entry of lawyers, journalists and others in the court premises in the wake of violence on Monday when scribes, teachers and students of JNU were thrashed by the lawyers. Attacks on media highly improper, condemnable: Arun Jaitley Union Minister Arun Jaitley today termed the incidents as "highly improper and condemnable" and asserted that the media has unhindered right to report. "Media has an unhindered right to report; Attack on media persons is highly improper and condemnable," the Information & Broadcasting Minister said in a tweet. (With Agency inputs) Delhi: It was a day of high drama. JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Not only Kumar, several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before the JNUSU president was brought there, as per IANS. The court directed Delhi Police and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. The JNUSU president has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event at JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week. He was arrested by Delhi Police on February 12. I do not support anti-national activity, says Kanhaiya Kumar Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country," Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". "The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial," he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings. Kanhaiya moved to Tihar Jail, kept under high security Meanwhile, Kumar was tonight taken to Tihar Jail and kept in a separate cell, following which authorities have sounded a high security alert inside the prison complex, and are keeping a round-the-clock watch for the safety of the student leader. "Kanhaiya who was brought to Tihar at around 8 pm has been lodged in a separate cell of ward number 4 of jail number 3. Two Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel have been deputed to keep a round-the-clock watch over him and ensure his safety," said a senior Tihar official, as per PTI. "In view of the prevailing tension over sedition charges being faced by Kanhaiya, maximum vigil will be maintained and a high security alert has been sounded to ensure all the precautions and measures are taken to prevent any untoward incident," the official said. SC asks Commissioner of Police to ensure safety On the other hand, a team of senior lawyers today told the Supreme Court, which had asked them to get a first hand assessment, that situation at the Patiala House Court was 'unprecedented' and there was an 'atmosphere was of fear and terror'. Senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan, drew the attention of the bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre to the "extra-ordinary" situation in Patiala House Court where security and safety was under threat. They also informed the apex court that JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was "manhandled" while being produced in court. The court stepped in to rush a six-member panel of advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes. The lawyers team gave an oral report mentioning that there was a total breakdown of law and order in which Kumar was 'manhandled'. The bench then made it clear that 'the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused'. The court had earlier in the day given a slew of directions and limited the entry of lawyers, journalists and others in the court premises in the wake of violence on Monday when scribes, teachers and students of JNU were thrashed by the lawyers. Attacks on media highly improper, condemnable: Arun Jaitley Union Minister Arun Jaitley today termed the incidents as "highly improper and condemnable" and asserted that the media has unhindered right to report. "Media has an unhindered right to report; Attack on media persons is highly improper and condemnable," the Information & Broadcasting Minister said in a tweet. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Wednesday give an urgent hearing to a plea that is seeking action against those involved in beating journalists and JNU students and teachers in the Patiala House court complex on Monday. Several journalists and JNU students and teachers were thrashed by lawyers inside the Patiala House court complex where Kanhaiya Kumar, leader of the JNU students union, was to be produced on Monday after being arrested on sedition charges. The court yesterday accepted the plea filed by ND Jaiprakash, an alumnus of JNU, and posted the matter for today. Jaiprakash, who was also hurt in the violence, has demanded action against those involved in the violence and also over "inaction" on the part of Delhi Police. The petition is also calling on the court to direct such security measures in the court complex that no person becomes a victim of violence in future. Enraged by the violence, hundreds of journalists on Tuesday held a protest march and demanded that the culprits be brought to book. The scribes also hit out at police for inaction on their part during the violence on Monday. Police have been accused of being a "mute spectator" during the incident. The journalists questioned the "silence of police" over the attack on students and scribes and dubbed it an insult to the judiciary as the incident took place inside a court complex. Several journalists also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded a probe into the incident. Police have said two FIRs have been registered against unnamed persons in connection with the attack. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has said that the alleged negligence on the part of police is being probed and the guilty will face legal action. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: JNU students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a sedition case in which anti- India slogans were allegedly raised in the university premises on February 9, was on Wednesday remanded to judicial custody till March 2 by a Delhi court. Kanhaiya was produced before the court, after the expiry of his police custody remand, amidst tight security and sloganeering by lawyers inside the court premises. During the hearing before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen, only six lawyers representing Kanhaiya were allowed to be inside the court room along with a JNU professor and five journalists. Kanhaiya was attacked by a group of persons when he was being escorted by police from the vehicle to the court room during which even the cops with him were beaten up. During the hearing, which commenced at 3 pm, advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj, who appeared for Kanhaiya, told the magistrate that despite the Supreme Court direction, the police has failed to maintain the law and order as their client was assaulted inside court premises and even outside the door of the court room by the person. The lawyers claimed that despite Kanhaiya asking the police officials to apprehend the person, who was trying to assault him near the gate of the court room, the police allowed that person to go scot free. During the hearing, the investigating officers moved the application requesting the court to send Kanhaiya to judicial custody, saying he was not required for any custodial interrogation. The court allowed the plea and remanded Kanhaiya to judicial custody till March 2. During the hearing, Kanhaiya's counsel apprised the Magistrate that the Supreme Court has appointed some senior advocates as court commissioners and they are on their way to Patiala House court. The six member team of lawyers comprised Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, ADN Rao, Ajit Sinha and Harin Raval. At around 3.25 pm, the team of SC-appointed commissioners came in the court and asked Kanhaiya and their counsel as to what has happened with the accused in the court premises today. Initially, advocate Vrinda Grover briefed them about the assault and later on the commissioners asked Kanhaiya about the incident. The commissioners then called DCP Narwal and asked him to explain about the failure of law and order despite the Supreme Court directive. Narwal, however, told them that when the mob attacked Kanhaiya, even police personnel were beaten up and one of the cops was attacked with blade by those persons. After 1.30 pm a group of men dressed as lawyers were shouting slogans and also tried to manhandle 3-4 persons during which the police intervened and escorted them out safely. Openly defying the Supreme Court order, the group of men in lawyers' robes again attacked mediapersons and chanted slogans like "Vande Mataram" and waved the tri-colour. Among the group of men was lawyer Vikram Chauhan and some others who had allegedly attacked journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the court two days back. The team of senior advocates, after taking stock of the situation at Patiala House Court, informed the apex court that there is serious threat to safety of Kanhaiya who was beaten and pushed by unknown persons in the court. After this the apex court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure safety of Kanhaiya and others who attended the proceedings in the court today. Meanwhile, as per a report in The Times of India, senior lawyer Rajiv Dhawan told the court."We were abused and called agents of Pakistan." "We would have been beaten up black and blue by lawyers if security cover would not have been given to us. Flower pot, pebbles and sand were thrown at us by lawyers who abused us and called agents of Pakistan," he was quoted as saying to the bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar by the Daily. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: None of the three lawyers, who were summoned by Delhi Police in connection with the January 15 attack on journalists, students and teachers of JNU in Patiala House court, appeared before the police. While one of the three lawyers has been identified as Vikram Singh Chauhan, names of the other two have not been disclosed by the police. "However, none of them turned up before the police today," a senior police official said. BJP legislator OP Sharma was also issued summons asking him to appear before the police tomorrow, the official said. Earlier in the day, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said "the lawyers have been summoned to appear before police at 3 PM today. If they do not appear, I will move court and obtain warrants." Bassi also said Chauhan was absconding. Chauhan today allegedly led a brazen attack on journalists and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House court. Meanwhile, a person who identified himself as one Surendra Tyagi came outside the court and claimed that he was among the attackers too. Boasting about his action, he confronted the media saying "we have done our job for today." However, the police have so far found no video clip in which Tyagi can be seen assaulting anyone. "Claims by the concerned person are yet to be verified," an official said, adding that Tyagi was not one of the three persons who have been sent summons so far. Despite restrictions by the Supreme Court, the lawyers entered the Patiala House court complex today and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. All the while, journalists alleged, police looked the other way. When contacted, Chauhan claimed he was being targetted. "These JNU people had sent their goons to the court premises today as well. They raised anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans following which a section of lawyers voiced opposition to their acts. We were provoked," he claimed. New Delhi: Umar Khalid, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student, wanted by Delhi Police in connection with 'anti-national' event on death anniversaries (February 09) of Parliament convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat at JNU, had planned similar programs across 18 universities in the country, a report said on Wednesday. According to the report, intelligence officials said that Umar Khalid, a member of 'Democratic Students Union' (DSU) was the main organiser of programs. The JNU student had sent some persons to 18 universities like the Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University and many other in the country to do a recce, so that 'pro-Afzal Guru' events can be simultaneously organised in the reputed institutions on February 9. Khalid's associates had visited numerous premier institutes and tried to meet and persuade students with pro-separatist mindset so that such an event can be organised. Meanwhile, Delhi Police conducted several raids in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in connection with the JNU event. According to a report, 10 people from Kashmir had entered into the JNU campus on February 07, two days ahead of the planned event on the death anniversaries of Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Maqbool Bhat. Notably, just two days after the 10 Kashmiri youths entered into the JNU, the prestigious educational institute witnessed clashes between two student groups over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 09, 2013 in Tihar Jail. The incident happened after a group of students organised a programme and termed the hanging of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt as "judicial killing. Jawaharlal University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested and has been placed under police custody. Kanhiaya Kumar belongs to the CPI-affiliated All India Students Federation (AISF). New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner, BS Bassi ruled out reports that Jawaharlal Nehru University student union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar was roughed up by a section of lawyers while he was being produced at Patiala House court complex on Wednesday. Speaking to media, Bassi said, "Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested over sedition charges, was brought to the court complex under adequate police cover. There was lot of jostling and pushing at the time, However I don't think the JNUSU president was beaten up by anyone." Playing down the attack over Delhi Police acting as mere spectators when the scuffle broke out at the court complex, the Delhi senior cop asserted that the situation actually never got out of control. "I don't think situation went out of hand at the court complex. Our officers were present at the scene and shielded Kanhaiya properly. "Delhi police had no option but to wade through the crowd. Using force over the crowd might have been counterproductive. We will be sending a report to the Home Ministry on the matter," he said. Meanwhile, the Delhi police chief said that three Delhi lawyers have been summoned for carrying out attack on media persons on February 16 at the court complex. "Summons have been issued to three lawyers for previous attack on journalists and students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University. BJP MLA OP Sharma has also been summoned in connection with assault on journalists at Patiala House court," he said. Bassi, who earlier today claimed that the Delhi Police have enough evidence against Kanhaiya, asserted that if he won't oppose his bail plea. "Though, I am not giving any clean chit to Kanhaiya, but in case if he applies for bail, we won't oppose it. Since he is making an appeal, I personally feel a young person can perhaps be considered for being given a chance." he concluded. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was produced before the Delhi court today under heavy security, was sent to judicial custody till March 2. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday advised his Council of Ministers to ensure projects were completed within the timeframe and due publicity given to the achievements of the government. Addressing his Council of Ministers here this evening, Modi said the deadlines, especially of social sector schemes, are "sacrosanct" and should not be missed at any cost. He said when government announces a scheme, it increases the expectations of the people. "People maintain a watch on the end results. To live upto the expectations of the people, we should not miss deadlines," Modi is learnt to have told his ministerial colleagues. When some ministers said schemes of the previous UPA government are still fresh in the minds of the people due to massive publicity, Modi said if ministers give concrete proposals, the government can also highlight its achievements through billboards. The Prime Minister showed keen interest in the progress made in his pet project Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He was informed about several PSUs having made massive contributions for the project which did not receive due publicity. When a minister was highlighting the work done by his Ministry, Modi said when I do not know about your achievements, how would a common man know. He also suggested organising "Urja Divas" in villages and other places electrified after many years. Modi claimed India's global ranking has increased manifold and it is the duty of the government to take it further. For that we will have to constantly monitor people oriented schemes which have been launched in the recent past, Modi is learnt to have said in a nearly three-hour-long meeting. Some ministers were of the view that while the centre should give the due to the state governments for implementing schemes, it should not shy away from claiming credit which is rightfully its own. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur, Health Minister J P Nadda and Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan were among the prominent ministers present in the meeting. Presentations were also made on Swachh Bharat Mission (urban and rural), housing for all by 2022, Atal pension scheme, Prime Minister Jeevan Suraksha and Jan Dhan Yojna, Prime Minister skill development scheme, setting up of six IIMs, three AIIMS and six IITs and the newly enacted Juvenile Justice law. When asked if the controversy surrounding JNU came up for discussion, several ministers said "only items on the agenda were discussed". At the last meeting of the Union Council of Ministers in January, it was decided to hold such interactions on the last Wednesday of every month. Bengaluru: Harish Nanjappa, the 24-year-old man en route to his office in Bengaluru from his native village in Tumakuru, little knew that this would be his last trip. On Tuesday morning, Harish was going back to Bengaluru when a lorry carrying sugar bags hit his bike on the state highway in Nelamangala in a bid to overtake the vehicle. Harish lost his balance and fell under the wheels of the lorry. His body was severed in two in the accident. According to reports, the man not only screamed for help but also urged people to donate his organs. Ambulances reached Harish in about 8 minutes after the accident was reported. He was alive when he was rushed to the nearest government hospital. A few minutes after reaching there, he passed away, Deputy SP Rajendra Kumar was quoted by The Hindu as saying. According to the police, Harish told the people that he wished to donate his organs. Minutes before he passed away, his eyes were donated to the Narayana Netralaya. His other organs could not be harvested since they were badly damaged in the accident. Dr Bhujang Shetty of Narayana Netralaya, who was deeply moved by Harishs gesture, told reporters: Luckily, he was wearing a helmet. His eyes were not damaged. His eyes will be donated to two individuals. Sadly, his other organs could not be harvested. According to a senior police officer, Harish's others organs could not be harvested since they were badly damaged in the accident. Islamabad, Feb 17 (IANS) Pakistan and the US will hold strategic dialogue in Washington later this month on security, anti-terrorism and economic cooperation, officials said on Wednesday. It will be the 6th "Ministerial level Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue" since the dialogue process began in 2010. The fifth session was held in Islamabad in January last year. Pakistan`s top Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and US Secretary of State John Kerry will lead their respective sides on February 29, the Foreign Ministry said. A Foreign Ministry statement said the six segments of the dialogue -- cooperation in Economy and Finance, Energy, Education, Science and Technology, Law Enforcement and Counter Terrorism, Security, Strategic Stability and Non-Proliferation and Defence -- will come up for discussion. "The upcoming meeting will afford an important opportunity to take stock of the entire gamut of Pakistan`s bilateral relations with the US," the statement said. The talks were disrupted in 2011 when the US forces conducted a unilateral raid to kill the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad. The process was restored in 2014. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s visit to the US in October 2015 provided necessary impetus and direction to the dialogue mechanism, the Foreign Ministry said. It would be third meeting since Sharif assumed office in 2013. Both countries will hold the dialogue weeks ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Sharif to Washington. President Barrack Obama has invited the prime minister to attend a nuclear summit, officials said. Karachi: Several students and teachers of a leading Pakistani university were on Wednesday evacuated after authorities received reports of three live bombs on the campus but the scare later turned out to be a hoax, media reported. Police received reports of three bombs on the campus of Karachi University after which the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called in to secure the university, Dawn news reported. Students and faculty panicked during evacuation as the news spread, it said. Superintendent of Police Gulshan Saad Ahmad said they were alerted about a bomb targeting a book fair at the university. After checking the varsity, the BDS cleared the facility. Areas surrounding the building have also being checked for bombs, he said, adding that those spreading misinformation will be caught. Educational institutions across Pakistan have been on high alert after the Taliban attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on January 20 in which at least 20 people, including students, were killed. Pakistani Taliban militants have threatened more assaults on schools and universities since the attack, fueling a sense of insecurity in the country. Currently more than 27,000 students are enrolled with the the Karachi University while the number of teaching and non-teaching staff is over 4,000. Washington: Astronomers, using NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory, have discovered a jet from a very distant supermassive black hole being illuminated by the oldest light in the Universe. They detected a light which was emitted from the jet when the Universe was only 2.7 billion years old, a fifth of its present age. At this point, the intensity of the cosmic microwave background radiation, or CMB, left over from the Big Bang was much greater than it is today. Because were seeing this jet when the Universe was less than three billion years old, the jet is about 150 times brighter in X-rays than it would be in the nearby Universe, said Aurora Simionescu at JAXAs Institute of Space and Astronautical Studies (ISAS) who led the study. The jet, found in the system known as B3 0727+409, is at least 300,000 light years. As the electrons in the jet fly from the black hole at close to the speed of light, they move through the sea of CMB radiation and collide with microwave photons, boosting the energy of the photons up into the X-ray band to be detected by Chandra. This implies that the electrons in the B3 0727+409 jet must keep moving at nearly the speed of light for hundreds of thousands of light years. We essentially stumbled onto this remarkable jet because it happened to be in Chandras field of view while we were observing something else, explains co-author Lukasz Stawarz of Jagiellonian University in Poland. They said the discovery of the jet in B3 0727+409 is special because so far almost no radio signal has been detected from this object, while it is easily seen in the X-ray image. Supermassive black hole activity, including the launching of jets, may be different in the early Universe than what we see later on, said co-author Teddy Cheung of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC. By finding and studying more of these distant jets, we can start to grasp how the properties of supermassive black holes might change over billions of years. The discovery shows that black holes with powerful jets may be more common than previously thought in the first few billion years after the Big Bang. The findings were published in the January issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters and appear online. (Source: NASA) Chennai: In an attempt to score political mileage, an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) minister displayed Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's photo against the coffin of a Siachen martyr. The Tamil Nadu government had announced to give Rs 10 lakh each to the families of four Army jawans from the state killed in the avalanche in Siachen. At the funeral of Sepoy G Ganesan from Madurai on Tuesday morning, Tamil Nadu Cooperatives Minister Sellur K Raju arrived to hand over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased. In order to ensure that the family of the Siachen martyr knows who sent the cheque, Raju produced a picture of the Chief Minister and held it against the coffin, reports NDTV. `He then gestured to the soldier's weeping mother to take a look at the person who had granted the money. The shattered mother folded her hands in gratitude, ` reports the news channel. The state goes to polls later this year. Aden: A suicide bomber killed at least 14 soldiers in Aden on Wednesday, in the latest attack on Yemen`s second city claimed by jihadists of the Islamic State group. The southern port city has been the headquarters of forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his backers in a Saudi-led military coalition but has seen growing violence by IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers," a military source said. The troops were attending a training session run by Sudanese forces of the Saudi-led coalition, another military source said. The bomber, who was disguised as a soldier, attacked the Ras Abbas camp in the west of Aden. After the attack, panicking soldiers grabbed their weapons and fled the camp, witnesses said. The little-known "Aden and Abyan Province" branch of IS said the suicide bombing was carried out by one of its militants and alleged it killed 20 "apostate" soldiers. It came a day after Al-Qaeda claimed an attack on the convoy of Aden`s governor and police chief in which four jihadists were killed. Since March last year, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi, IS has ramped up its operations in Yemen. Its rival Al-Qaeda also has a significant presence in the south and southeast. In October, IS claimed its first attacks in Aden -- a series of bombings that targeted the government`s temporary headquarters and two military camps run by the coalition in which 15 people were killed. Coalition forces have been training pro-government militiamen whom Hadi merged into the army after they drove Iran-backed rebels out of Aden and other southern provinces last year. The United Nations says more than 6,100 people have been killed and 29,000 wounded since the coalition began its intervention, about half of them civilians. Ankara: At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded by a car bomb targeting the military in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, the city`s governor said. The bloodshed came on the heels of a string of attacks in Turkey, blamed on jihadists but also on Kurdish rebels. The bomb aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. Plumes of smoke rose from the scene, close to the headquarters of the Turkish military and the parliament. The powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic, an AFP correspondent said. The army said the attack took place at 1631 GMT and had targeted "service vehicles carrying army personnel". It did not give a toll. "The terror attack was carried out when the vehicles were waiting for traffic lights at a road junction," it added.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu cancelled a planned visit to Brussels on Thursday after being briefed, his office said. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene, which is near the Turkish military headquarters and the parliament. Wounded victims were seen being taken away on stretchers. NTV television said the explosion happened near a residential block for top-level military staff. Images from the scene showed fire-fighters trying to overcome a fierce blaze from wrecked service buses. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said on Twitter he strongly condemned the "act of terror". "But our determination to fight (terror) will become even greater," he added. Turkish police threw a security cordon around the area. A second blast later rocked the area, the AFP correspondent said, but media said this was police detonating a suspicious package.There was no immediate indication about who carried out the attack. The Islamic State group has been blamed for a string of bombings in the country since the middle of last year but the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) has also killed dozens of soldiers in attacks mainly in the southeast of the country. The capital was already on alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the bloodiest attack in the country`s modern history. Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on January 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul. Those attacks were blamed on IS jihadists, as were two other deadly bombings in the country`s Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the year. Turkish authorities have in recent weeks detained several suspected IS members, with officials saying they were planning attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. But Turkey is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed PKK which has repeatedly attacked members of the security forces with roadside bombings on their convoys in the southeast. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country`s largest ethnic minority. The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July. Turkish artillery in southern Turkey shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in the row on Wednesday in an escalating standoff, reports said. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People`s Protection Units (YPG) are merely the Syrian branch of the PKK and themselves terror groups. Meanwhile the banned ultra-left Revolutionary People`s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) has also staged a string of usually small-scale attacks in Istanbul over the last few months. Vienna: Austria announced Wednesday a daily limit for the number of asylum requests as eastern EU members set a mid-March deadline for a German-backed plan on Turkey sealing its borders to migrants to bear fruit. On the eve of an EU summit, Germany`s Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile urged a "common stance" in the 28-nation bloc, saying that the Turkey plan "offers a good solution". The Austrian government announced a daily cap of 80 asylum claims and said it would grant entry to a daily total of 3,200 migrants seeking asylum in a neighbouring country, effective Friday. The move came a day after Austria said it would step up border controls and several weeks after saying it aimed to slash the number of asylum claims this year to 37,500 from 90,000 in 2015. Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner on Wednesday said that Austria had no choice but to act because there was no European solution yet in place. "Austria is among the EU countries most under strain and is reaching breaking point. It stands to reason to want to secure your own borders when there is no European solution," she said. In such a situation, she said it was important that every country through the Balkans -- the main route for migrants bound for northern Europe -- follow Austria`s lead. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said that nevertheless he still supported a deal proposed by Germany under which Turkey would seal its borders and then fly refugees to Europe. Then they would be settled under a quota system. At present the vast majority of migrants enter the EU through Greece and Italy, but most are able to continue their journeys to northern Europe. However, most EU countries have shown little enthusiasm for the plan, with the so-called Visegrad Four (V4) -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary -- openly defying Merkel. They have pledged to help Macedonia and Bulgaria close their borders with Greece, which would leave Athens with rapidly rising numbers of refugees while effectively excluding it from Europe`s passport-free Schengen zone.Tomas Prouza, Czech secretary of state for EU affairs, said that Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, currently the V4 head, would demand at the EU summit that the Turkey deal starts working "in three to four weeks". "If in mid-March the permanent inflow of 1,500-2,000 people a day continues, it will be clear that Turkey has failed to meet its promises and we will need a different kind of protection for the European border," Prouza said in Prague. "If Turkey fails to comply, it doesn`t make sense to wait for months. Either we see a clear drop in the number of incoming migrants or we`ll have to look for other ways," he said. Merkel said in Berlin that "we will speak at the upcoming EU Council about how we can work together to protect our external border, and I want us to work together on the EU-Turkish agenda that 28 members have decided". Ahead of Thursday`s full gathering of the EU`s 28 members in Brussels, Merkel and Faymann had been due to host talks with nine EU leaders and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Davutoglu however cancelled his trip following a bomb attack in Ankara on Wednesday that according to the city`s governor left at least 18 people dead.Following Austria`s announcement, the Slovenian government said Wednesday it had asked parliament to authorise the deployment of soldiers to its frontiers to help control the migrant flow. Last October, lawmakers in the country already approved legislation allowing the army to provide technical and logistic support. The centrist government of Prime Minister Miro Cerar now wants soldiers to be granted the same powers as police officers and help patrol its southern frontier with Croatia as of Monday. "Slovenia will follow (Austria`s) quotas with new measures," Interior Minister Vesna Gyorkos Znidar told a news conference in Ljubljana. Croatia on Tuesday dispatched extra policemen to its eastern frontier to "toughen up border controls" with Serbia. District of Columbia: The United States is coming under increasingly bitter criticism for its perceived lack of leadership over Syria as the country`s brutal civil conflict heads toward new levels of intensity. Washington appears unable or unwilling to prevent its ally Turkey from bombing Kurdish fighters inside Syria, its critics say. And it has done little to rein in Russia`s mounting military involvement on behalf of Bashar al-Assad. President Barack Obama, at a summit in California, said "this is not a contest between me and Putin." "The real question we should be asking is what is it that Russia thinks it gains if it gets a country that`s been completely destroyed as an ally, that it now has to perpetually spend billions of dollars to prop up?" Obama said. In the eyes of his detractors, Obama is guilty of refusing to engage in Syria by doing exactly what he said he would do when he was elected in 2008: pulling America out of Middle Eastern wars, after the Iraq debacle, and "pivot" US foreign policy towards Asia. A pointed attack came Tuesday from France, where few have forgotten Obama`s last-minute refusal to take action against Syria in 2013 after evidence surfaced that the government used chemical weapons against civilians. "Obama had said, `If he uses chemical weapons, it will cross a red line," former Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday on Europe 1 Radio. "And that red line was crossed with no reaction." "When the history books are written, we`ll see that this was a turning point, not only in the Middle East crisis but also for Ukraine, Crimea and the entire world," Fabius said earlier this month, adding that he regretted "ambiguities" and the "lack of very strong engagement" Washington has shown with respect to Syria.After the bombing of hospitals and other civilian targets around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, the State Department only bemoaned the "continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people" and questioned Russia`s "willingness" to put a stop to it. For Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, that simply wasn`t enough. "Historians will one day look back at our archives and wonder what we thought we`d accomplish with such statements," Schanzer tweeted Tuesday. Republican Senator John McCain lashed out at the Obama administration`s Syria choices. "The intensification of Russian airstrikes in Syria over the past two days, including the bombing of schools and hospitals, is tragically unsurprising," McCain said. "As expected, our adversaries in Syria are using that time to accelerate and conclude their siege on Aleppo... This is diplomacy in the service of military aggression, and unfortunately, the Obama administration is enabling it," he stressed. The White House has dismissed the accusations of inaction. Washington says the military coalition of 65 countries it has led for the past 18 months has carried out thousands of air strikes against jihadists of the Islamic State group, who control territory in both Syria and Iraq. At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry -- a skeptic of military interventionism known for his boundless public optimism about the diplomatic process -- has spearheaded an attempt to launch a peace process together with 20 global and regional powers. The United States and Russia agreed in Munich on Friday on a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week with the aim of relaunching the peace process and halting the exodus of civilians. They also agreed to open humanitarian aid corridors. But with Moscow intensifying its air campaign in northern Syria and Turkey stepping up calls for a ground offensive, any hope for a truce seems increasingly illusory.Even Washington`s critics understand it is in a very difficult position. An ally of Ankara within NATO and the anti-terror coalition, it also supports Kurdish militia groups fighting ISIS in Syria. The United States is also formally Russia`s partner in the search for a political solution in Syria. Kerry hashed out Friday`s Munich agreement together with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. However, few believe anything will come of it. "One shouldn`t expect anything from the Americans... They have no more credibility" in the Middle East, said Joseph Bahout, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment who spoke Thursday just before the agreement was announced. Beijing: China has deployed a surface-to-air missile system on one of its contested islands in the South China Sea, a report said on Tuesday just as President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the region. Fox News said that images from civilian firm ImageSat International show two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system arrived within the past week on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain. A US warship last month sailed close to another island in the chain -- which is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam -- in a gesture to assert freedom of navigation in the region which drew a quick protest from Beijing. The report on the missile batteries came as Obama wrapped up a two-day Southeast Asian summit in California where leaders voiced concern over Beijing`s military build-up in the strategic and resource-rich area. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions," Obama said, calling for "a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas." China`s increasingly muscular actions in the vital waterway featured heavily at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks at Sunnylands, a sprawling California desert retreat. In a joint statement, Obama and the 10 ASEAN leaders demanded the "peaceful resolution" of a myriad of competing territorial claims over islands, atolls and reefs. Obama has tried to muster an informal coalition of Pacific allies to demand that Beijing respect the rule of law, hoping that China will want to avoid being painted as a regional bully. United Nations: Former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who led the world body during one of its most difficult periods, with failed missions in Rwanda and Bosnia, died Tuesday in Cairo. He was 93. The Egyptian diplomat became the first secretary-general from Africa in 1992, but his tenure ended abruptly five years later when the United States vetoed his second term. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described Boutros-Ghali as a respected statesman and scholar of international law who brought "formidable experience and intellectual power" to the top UN job. "His commitment to the United Nations -- its mission and its staff -- was unmistakable, and the mark he has left on the organization is indelible," Ban said. A former Egyptian foreign minister, the veteran diplomat headed the world body during one of its most difficult times with crises in Somalia, Rwanda, the Middle East and the former Yugoslavia. After a series of clashes with the US administration, Washington turned against Boutros-Ghali and decided to back Ghanaian Kofi Annan for the top post in late 1996. French President Francois Hollande paid tribute to Boutros-Ghali, saying this "great Egyptian and great servant of the United Nations" had worked tirelessly to preserve peace and to prevent conflicts worldwide. "His message must serve as inspiration to the international community`s action at a time when the Middle East knows new tragedies," Hollande said. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Boutros-Ghali`s "contribution to international affairs will long be remembered." UN Security Council diplomats began a meeting in New York by observing a moment of silence in memory of Boutros-Ghali, who died in a Cairo hospital. Under his tenure, the United Nations expanded its peacekeeping missions but the retreat from Rwanda ahead of the 1994 genocide and from the Bosnian enclave of Srebrenica a year later were seen as dismal failures. Paris: French President Francois Hollande mourned the passing of ex-UN head Botros Botros-Ghali and paid tribute to "the friend of France" who fought for peace and to stop conflicts. "The death of Botros Botros-Ghali is that of a great Egyptian and a great servant of the UN, as Foreign Minister of Egypt, as Secretary General of the UN, as Secretary General of the Francophonie," Xinhua quoted Hollande as saying on Tuesday. The French president paid tribute to Botros-Ghali`s diplomatic efforts to promote peace as he "never stopped fighting to avert conflicts and bring people closer together while respecting their diversity." To Hollande, Botros-Ghali`s message for peace must "inspire the international community action at time the Middle East is experiencing new dramas." The former UN chief died earlier on Tuesday at the age of 93. Born in 1922 in Egypt, the late diplomat served as UN chief from 1992 till 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post. Returning home, Botros-Ghali headed the state`s National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. In 2011, he resigned after Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising. Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Saudi Arabia on Tuesday not to deploy troops in Syria, saying it would violate international law, while also demanding that Riyadh stop bombardments in Yemen. Zarif, whose country supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was questioned about Saudi Arabia`s announcement that it could deploy ground forces as part of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. "Those who are operating in Syria without the authority of the sovereign government in Syria are violating international law," he told a news conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. Speaking later after a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders, Zarif added: "We believe that`s dangerous... I believe everybody should put forces together to find a peaceful solution, not to create more danger and more hostility in the region." Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said after talks in Washington earlier this month that any operation would be US-led but that Saudi Arabia would play a leading role. Iran, which has sent thousands of "military advisers" into Syria, also supports the Damascus regime via the Shiite movement Hezbollah and above all Iraqi Shiite militias. Zarif told the European Parliament that Tehran does not have troops in Syria. "Iran does not have boots on the ground in Syria .. we have military advisors in Syria, as we have them in other places on the invitation" of the government, he said. UN-brokered Syrian peace talks were suspended at the start of February after Syria launched an offensive, backed by intense Russian air bombing, against the northern city of Aleppo. Zarif criticised the role played in those talks by Saudi Arabia, Tehran`s number one regional rival. "People from outside cannot say what should be the outcome of the negotiations," he said. "The outcome of the negotiations will be determined by the Syrians inside the negotiating room, not in the capitals of the region particularly, in Riyadh. They will not and cannot make the decision for the people in Syria." He added, "If we are talking about military forces, we have to stop the bombardment of Yemen, which is taking place on a daily basis against innocent civilians, killing a lot of people. "There are no military targets to hit any more in Yemen. We need to end the atrocities and we need to end it now," he said, referring to a conflict which has killed over 6,100 people, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations. On an official visit to Brussels Zarif met EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday evening. London: Amid the rising condemnation over Kremlin`s aerial campaign in Syria, Russia has rejected accusations that it committed war crimes by targeting hospitals in the warzone nation."We categorically do not accept such statements, the more so as every time those making these statements are unable to prove their unfounded accusations in any way," a spokesman for Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying by the Guardian. France and Turkey have said that the strikes on two locations by forces supporting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad amounted to war crimes. Turkey`s foreign ministry has accused Russia of carrying out an "obvious war crime" and warned that serious consequences would be inevitable if Russia did not end such attacks."If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organisation and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response," Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. The international charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said that 11 people died, including five staff members, a caretaker and five patients including a child, in the airstrikes on a facility it supports. Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday executed two Yemenis convicted of trying to smuggle hashish, bringing to 62 the number of people it has put to death this year. The interior ministry said Ahmed Mubarak and Abdul Salam al-Jamali were executed in the southwestern city of Jazan, near their homeland. Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded by sword. The kingdom executed 47 people in a single day on January 2 for "terrorism". In 2015 Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, mostly for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count. Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades. The kingdom practises a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death. Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom, where the interior ministry says the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. Beirut: Syria`s Kurds, long held in disdain by Damascus, are edging towards autonomy in their heartland along Turkey`s border as they capitalise on the tactical goals of both Washington and Moscow. To the dismay of Ankara, Kurdish forces have seized on the collapse of rebels in the northern province of Aleppo in the face of Russian-backed regime gains to advance to within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the border. From the outset of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the Kurds benefited from the regime`s pullback from their regions to establish a local administration spanning from northwest to northeast Syria. According to Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche, the Kurds who have gained ground mostly from Islamic State jihadists who now control 14 percent of Syrian territory, or 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles), compared with nine percent in 2012. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, says Kurdish forces also hold three quarters of the 800-kilometre border with Turkey. Their long-cherished ambition is to set up an autonomous region like their Kurdish brethren across the border in Iraq by connecting the three Kurdish "cantons" of Afrin and Kobane in Aleppo province with Jazira in Hasakeh province. "The Kurds` main aim is to annex the cantons... They want a decentralised Syria, perhaps their canton system can be a model for the rest of Syria," said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington-based analyst on Syria and the Kurds. Balanche said they want to link up Kobane and Afrin to ensure that their "`Rojava` (Syrian Kurdistan) has territorial continuity".In the battle for Aleppo which has raged since the start of February, the Kurds have broken a more than year-long siege of Afrin by Islamist rebels and Al-Nusra Front jihadists with the key support of Russian air strikes. To join Afrin and Kobane, their next battle will be fought against the Islamic State group, mainly in eastern Aleppo. On the battlefield, the Kurds have linked up neither with the regime nor rebel forces fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad. "From the very beginning, the Kurds have followed what they call `the third path`. They are neither with the regime nor with the opposition because neither of them acknowledge Kurdish rights," said Civiroglu. As a result, "neither the regime nor the rebels are happy with them". Rebel forces have also accused the People`s Protection Units (YPG), the Kurdish fighting force, of merely serving regime interests by expelling them from strategic areas of Aleppo such as the town of Tal Rifaat and Minnigh air base. Istanbul: Turkey`s fight against "pawns" carrying out attacks and the forces behind them will grow more determined, President Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement on Wednesday, after a car bomb killed at least 28 people in the capital Ankara. "We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day," Erdogan said in a statement. A car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces` headquarters on Wednesday. The military condemned the bombing as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights. Kampala: Seven candidates are challenging Uganda`s incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 71, in Thursday`s election, hoping to end his three-decade rule. Here`s who they are: Museveni and Kizza Besigye, 59, were once close. They fought together in the bush war to overthrow Milton Obote, during which Besigye served as Museveni`s trusted personal physician. Later, Besigye married Museveni`s former girlfriend, but the two men eventually became political foes when Besigye broke ranks with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to make a bid for the presidency in 2001. This year is his fourth attempt to unseat Museveni with his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, his best performance so far being the 37 percent he won in 2006. Spurious accusations of treason and rape, frequent arrests and detentions, regular tear-gassings -- both of him and his supporters -- beatings and harassment have not put Besigye off. But opinion polls have him lagging behind Museveni with at most 32 percent of the vote, insufficient to force a run-off. Another ex-NRM stalwart, Amama Mbabazi, 67, only abandoned the party he helped build after being denied anointment as Museveni`s successor. The former prime minister and NRM secretary-general took the slight badly after years of loyal service, including helping to mastermind the removal of term limits in 2005 that paved the way for Museveni`s continuing rule. Mbabazi is the most powerful party loyalist to turn on Museveni and he did so amid grand corruption allegations, which he has denied. Despite his high profile among Uganda`s political elites, his campaign at the head of the Go Forward party has failed to gain momentum countrywide. Like his fellow leading contenders -- Museveni and Besigye -- Mbabazi hails from south-west Uganda. Damascus: UN convoys delivering aid to thousands of besieged Syrians were due to set out today, but hopes for lasting peace dimmed the day after Turkey called for a ground operation in its war-torn neighbour. Syria's government has approved access to seven besieged areas, including the city of Madaya where dozens of people are thought to have died from starvation, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian affairs office said. Speaking in Damascus, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said aid convoys will be sent today in what will be a test of whether the warring parties will allow in humanitarian supplies. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," he said after meeting Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. "Tomorrow we test this," he said yesterday. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under seige, according to the UN, after almost five years of civil war between Syria's government and rebel forces. A Red Crescent source said the first convoys will head for the rebel-besieged Shiite villages of Fuaa and Kafraya in the north, and to Madaya and Zabadani, which are encircled by the army. Allowing in humanitarian aid was an important element in negotiations to clinch a ceasefire across war-torn Syria, but both sides have cast doubt on whether it will be implemented. Seventeen world powers agreed to a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" across Syria within a week under a deal struck in Munich last Thursday to end a war that has killed more than 260,000 people. But the bombings of at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria, which the UN said Monday killed 50 people including children, have dimmed hopes for a ceasefire. Under the deal, a new round of peace talks will be held in Geneva on February 25. "I can't say categorically that a week from last Thursday there must be a cessation of hostilities," deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. "I'm not trying to excuse the delay in any way, shape or form. I think we're going to continue to pursue, aggressively, the cessation of hostilities." Syria's envoy to the UN Bashar Jaafari yesterday also warned that "a ceasefire would take much longer than a week". The school and hospital bombings took place around Syria's second city of Aleppo, where the government has been pressing a major offensive against the rebels backed by Russian air strikes. Washington: Islamic State militants are believed to be responsible for sulphur mustard gas attacks in Syria and Iraq last year, the United States said on Wednesday. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Islamic State insurgents were responsible for a mustard gas attack in the town of Marea on Aug. 21 "largely based on photographic evidence as well as Syrian opposition description of the event." A confidential Oct. 29 report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, concluded that at least two people were exposed to sulphur mustard in Marea, north of Aleppo, in August. Syria is supposed to have completely surrendered the toxic chemicals 18 months ago. Their use violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Toner also said that based on available information, the United States believed that the Islamic State group was responsible for mustard gas attacks in Iraq. It is the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. A source at the OPCW confirmed that laboratory tests were positive for sulphur mustard after 35 Kurdish troopers were sickened on the battlefield in August. Sulphur mustard is a Class 1 chemical agent, which means it has very few uses outside chemical warfare. Used with lethal effectiveness in World War One, it causes severe delayed burns to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Seoul: At least four US F-22 stealth fighters flew over South Korea`s airspace on Wednesday in an apparent show of force toward North Korea`s recent nuclear test and rocket launch. The nuclear-capable US fighter jets flew low over Osan Air Base near Seoul around noon, Xinhua reported. The F-22 stealth fighters, which made a sortie from an airbase in Japan, were escorted by four South Korean F-15K fighters and four US F-16 fighters. Two of them were set to return back to the airbase in Japan while the remaining were reportedly scheduled to stay at the Osan Air Base for the time being. F-22 fighter, which has a stealth function of escaping radar detection, is capable of carrying nuclear missiles and bombs. Its operational range reaches as far as 2,177 km. The F-22s deployed at a US airbase in Japan can fly to the Korean peninsula in about two hours. The fly-over came in the wake of Pyongyang`s launch on February 7 of a long-range rocket, which North Korea claimed was a peaceful space programme but Seoul and Washington denounced it as a prohibited test of ballistic missile technology followed by the fourth nuclear test on January 6. Four days after North Korea`s nuclear detonation last month, the US military sent a long-range B-52 bomber, capable of delivering nuclear bombs, over South Korea`s airspace from the US air base in Guam. The B-52 bomber can infiltrate at the highest altitude of 55,000 feet, or 16.8 km, carrying 35 conventional bombs and 12 cruise missiles. It can deliver air-to-ground nuclear missiles with a range of 200 km and air-launched cruise missiles with a range of 2,500-3,000 km. In addition, the US recently dispatched a nuclear-powered submarine to the Korean peninsula. The USS John C. Stennis, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, will reportedly be mobilised to South Korea during this year`s joint annual war games between Seoul and Washington that will kick off on March 7 and run through April 30. Peter from the National Coalition Against Censorship sez, "A Florida parent thought 'This One Summer' was too graphic for an elementary school library. The district agreed, and then went further; they're restricting access to the graphic novel in the high school libraries as well. The only time I ever had a book censored, it was at a Florida school. My sympathies to Jillian and Mariko Tamaki on having their book banned. Make no mistake: This One Summer is spectacular and has received awards and accolades from all quarters; it's the first and only graphic novel to win Canada's Governor General's Award, the country's most prestigious prize for literature. As was the case with my book banning, the officials who banned One Summer violated their own procedures for evaluating challenged works. A parent of a third grade student at Sabal Point Elementary School in Longwood complained about some of the language in This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki. The district removed the book from the library, but then also had it removed from open shelves at three high schools in the district. Using a complaint from the parent of an elementary school student to restrict access to a book geared towards teen readers is an unorthodox and troubling maneuver. A letter from the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC)signed by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, American Booksellers for Free Expression, Association of American Publishers, National Council of Teachers of English, American Library Association, and the PEN American Center's Children's and Young Adult Book Committeepoints out that the decision undermines the freedom to read: While the book may be above the maturity and reading level of elementary school students, its value for young adults at the high school level has been recognized by leading professionals. The book may not be of interest to every student, but as per Seminole County Public Schools' own policies, "The [school's educational media] center shall provide a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and the representation of different points of view." Florida High School Libraries Restrict Access to Award-Winning Graphic Novel [NCAC] South Korea's Black Eagles aerobatics team perform a maneuver during a preview of the Singapore Airshow at Changi exhibition center in Singapore February 14, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su By Tim Hepher and Siva Govindasamy SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Aerospace leaders gathering for this week's Singapore Airshow face conflicting pressures as they juggle growing concerns over jetliner demand while keeping record production plans on track. Worries about the effects of a faltering global economy and tensions in the South China Sea overshadow the two-yearly event in Singapore, which is both a major commercial travel hub and home to Southeast Asias most potent and best-trained air force. For now, airline traffic continues to grow rapidly, spurred by continued growth in Asian household incomes, while airline profits also benefit from low oil prices. But as aerospace industry shares fall in step with tumbling global markets, analysts increasingly question the durability of an aerospace expansion cycle now in an unprecedented eighth year. After a lackluster show in Dubai in November, the industry's expo bandwagon rolls into the crucial Southeast Asian region without the carnival atmosphere of previous years. "All the thoughts that this is no longer a cyclical industry have disappeared. We are due for a down-cycle," said aerospace consultant Jerrold Lundquist, managing director of The Lundquist Group."(But) I don't think there will be any impact in the next 18-24 months. It is when you get beyond 24 months that you might see some softening." Southeast Asia is one of the industry's major drivers and has placed record orders in recent years, leading to speculation of overcapacity. Some carriers, including Philippine Airlines, are expected to acquire new aircraft this week. But rather than counting up new orders, analysts say investors' main concern this week will be to check for signs of waning travel or jetliner demand and whether an overloaded supply chain is in danger of breaking as manufacturers work to turn a record backlog of orders into a smooth flow of deliveries. "We will be keeping a close eye on traffic this year to see if we can detect emerging signs of weakness," said Rob Morris, head of consultancy at UK-based Flightglobal Ascend. Story continues Doubts over economic conditions have not stopped Airbus (Paris:AIR.PA - News) and Boeing (NYSE:BA - News) pursuing a battle of wits over new designs. Airbus, anxious to close the gap between its new 369-seat A350-1000 and the 406-seat Boeing 777X, is seeking an influential champion such as Singapore Airlines for a potential bigger version of its A350 series, industry sources said. Boeing has said it will decide soon on a potential new "mid-market" jet with about 240 seats to retrieve lost market share for relatively small jets - a project that could lead to a small twin-aisle jet with an unusual, oval-shaped cross-section. Industry experts will scour comments out of Singapore from both manufacturers for clues to what products they intend to launch ahead of July's premier aviation event at Farnborough, southwest of London, coinciding with Boeing's centenary. Defense remains at the forefront of the Singapore show, amid growing tensions over Chinese maritime and territorial claims that compete with those of several Southeast Asian nations. A number of regional states are looking into ways to beef up their fighter fleets and to boost their intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capability. Intense competition to provide maritime surveillance equipment may also characterize the event, along with a significant presence of Western and Asian unmanned aircraft. At a pre-show gathering on Monday, airline executives will debate the economy, threats to airliner safety from drones, and efforts to cut jet emissions after the Paris climate summit. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga, Alwyn Scott; Editing by Eric Meijer) TOKYO (Reuters) - Singapore's Global Logistic Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have set up a 100 billion yen ($880 million) fund to develop modern warehouses in Japan, their second joint venture in the country. Growth in e-commerce has helped make warehouses around the world hot property assets. Helped by debt financing, the fund's assets are expected to reach $2 billion over three years, GLP and CPPIB said. CPPIB, one of the world's leading retirement funds, has been active in logistics investments in Asia. In December, it pledged $1 billion in additional funds for a partnership with Goodman Group Pty Ltd that invests in Chinese warehouses and logistics facilities. In November, it and other partners unveiled an investment of up to $1 billion in a separate venture in South Korea. GLP and CPPIB set up their first joint fund for Japan in 2011 to invest in logistic facilities. GLP has $8.2 billion worth of assets under management in Japan. (Reporting by Junko Fujita in Tokyo and Elzio Barreto in Hong Kong; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) Click to watch the 60-second DRTV commercial for Green Shield Canada by Northern Lights DirectClick here for high-resolution version TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) - Green Shield Canada (GSC), Canada's only national not-for-profit health and dental benefits specialist, has launched a direct response television (DRTV) campaign to promote SureHealth. Northern Lights Direct developed and produced the campaign and is also managing all television media. The :60 and :120 commercials explain how SureHealth plans from GSC protect Canadians from routine and unexpected health costs not covered by government health insurance plans. According to Bob Doyle, Director of Individual Market Strategies at GSC, "DRTV is a proven channel for delivering results and we are extremely proud to undertake this initiative with our trusted partners at Northern Lights Direct. Their ability to deliver winning creative is key to ensuring that viewers understand the affordability, convenience and range of choices available to them with SureHealth plans." Robert Ian French, President of Northern Lights Direct, adds, "We're excited about building the Green Shield Canada brand and business." Founded in 1957, GSC serves over one and a half million plan members across Canada and offers a variety of group and individual service plans, including drug, dental, extended health care, vision, hospital and travel benefits, as well as administration services. The SureHealth DRTV campaign launched February 1st, 2016. To view the 60-second spot, please visit: http://bit.ly/1TlUO5o For more information, please visit: www.surehealth.ca About Northern Lights Direct: Northern Lights Direct provides brand-based direct response television (DRTV) and digital advertising services for corporate and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. With offices in Chicago and Toronto, Northern Lights Direct is the only independent DR agency that seamlessly helps clients advertise in the American and Canadian markets and is fully turnkey, providing direct response (DR) campaign strategy, media, search, analytics, creative and production services. The Art & Science of the Sell. For more information, please visit: www.northernlightsdirect.com Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/16/11G083080/Images/Sure_Health_7-433de82e1210b8c98c687c21f1d4b33a.jpg A mosquito-borne illness called the Zika virus is now spreading rapidly in South and Central America and the Caribbean, and it could arrive in the U.S. soon. It can make anyone sick for up to a week with symptoms like fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. But it's especially dangerous for women of childbearing age who are pregnant or considering pregnancy because it has been linked to microcephaly, a serious birth defect that causes an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. The outbreak has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a warning to take precautions for anyone traveling to 24 destinations in the Americas, but, most important, the CDC is recommending that all pregnant women should consider postponing their trip altogether. Here's what you should know to protect yourself and your family. Why Zika Is So Concerning The Zika virus normally does not cause illness that requires hospitalization or leads to death. Roughly one in five people infected with the virus develop symptoms, which are usually mild. The time from getting bitten to getting sick is likely to be a few days. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports more than 16,000 Zika illnesses since the first cases were confirmed in Brazil in October 2015. Local transmission of the virus has been confirmed through lab testing in several countries in the Americas. "The number of cases being reported is significantly lower than the actual number of cases." says Candice Burns Hoffmann, a CDC spokeswoman. "Many countries do not regularly test for Zika virus. Also, once the outbreak becomes common in an area, most people will not go to the doctor or get tested for the virus." Brazil has reported 4,180 cases of microcephaly, according to The New York Times, and Colombia has reported Zika infections in 1,090 pregnant women, a spokeswoman for PAHO told Consumer Reports. In addition, Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, has been reported in patients with a probable Zika infection in French Polynesia and Brazil. The CDC says it is examining the link between Zika and the disorder. Story continues Because there is neither a vaccine nor medication available to prevent a Zika virus infection, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy follow CDC guidelines and delay travel to those regions where Zika outbreaks are occurring. "There is much that we do not yet know about the Zika virus," Mark S. DeFrancesco, M.D., president of the ACOG, said in a statement. "However, because of the associated risk of microcephaly, avoiding exposure to the virus is best." Women who have traveled to South and Central America and the Caribbean should be evaluated for Zika virus infection. How to Prevent Bites For those who are planning to travel in spite of the warnings, the CDC asks that pregnant women, women who are trying to become pregnant, and everyone else should strictly follow steps to protect themselves. Because the mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters and live indoors and outdoors, it's especially important to follow the CDC's precautions during daylight hours. That includes using insect repellent containing deet, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. All have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use during pregnancy. Also wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, the CDC says. At night, CDC recommends sleeping in a screened-in or air conditioned room or under a mosquito bed net. Consumer Reports' recent tests of insect repellents found that the most effective product, Sawyer Fishermen's Formula with 20 percent picaridin, was also one of the safest, helping to keep away Aedes mosquitoesthe same type that transmit Zikafor at least 8 hours. Off Deepwoods VIII with 25 percent deet also kept Aedes mosquitoes at bay for 8 hours. Our tests showed that repellents containing natural plant oils, such as citronella and lemongrass, did not work against mosquitoes. More Actions to Take All cases of Zika virus in the U.S. so far have been found in returning travelers to the regions mentioned above. No one has gotten sick from being bitten in the U.S. But that may be changing as the two mosquito types known to carry the disease, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, can be found here (see maps above). If a homegrown mosquito bites an infected returning traveler it could pick up the virus and then pass it along to other people in the U.S. For this reason, its wise to use insect repellent, as noted above. You can also make it harder for mosquitoes to set up shop in your backyard. Female mosquitoes lay several hundred eggs on the walls of water-filled containers. The eggs stick like glue and remain attached until they are scrubbed off. If water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week. To prevent them from hatching: Empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers. Do this once a week. Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. Use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito if you don't have lids. If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps, and cover open vents or plumbing pipes. More from Consumer Reports: 8 Ways to Boost Your Home Value Why your cable TV bill is going up Get the Best Cell Phone Plan for Your Familyand Save up to $1,000 a Year Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. Boris Johnson remains "genuinely conflicted" over whether to back the campaign to leave the European Union, a senior source has said. The Mayor of London, who is yet to make clear which side he will back in the upcoming referendum, was among those called to Downing Street for talks with David Cameron. Mr Johnson interrupted a half-term break for a 40-minute discussion with the Prime Minister, with Brexit campaigners hopeful he will provide a high-profile focus for the Leave camp. "I'll be back, no deal," Mr Johnson, who spoke to Mr Cameron by phone on Tuesday, said to journalists as he left. :: Cameron Gears Up For Final EU Reform Talks Mr Johnson is not expected to make his position public until a deal has been agreed by EU leaders. The PM is making final efforts to bolster support for his proposed EU reforms before a crunch summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. In a boost ahead of the summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a number of Mr Cameron's demands are "justified". He is spending the day at Downing Street as he prepares to meet fellow leaders on Thursday for talks on the UK's demands. :: Where EU Leaders Stand On UK Reform Demands Mr Cameron has been warned he has an "extra mile" to go to persuade eastern European leaders to back the reforms, notably over curbs to benefits for EU workers. European Council president Donald Tusk is expected to publish the final draft of the proposed shake-up later. If he gets a deal the PM will call a Cabinet meeting, effectively firing the starting gun for the referendum campaign. Eurosceptic ministers will then be free to campaign for a Leave vote in the poll, which is expected to be held on 23 June. Alongside the EU reforms, the PM is also finalising domestic legislation to assert the sovereignty of the UK Parliament. Taiwan has criticised China for positioning anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island in the China Sea. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said Beijing "had deployed" a number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. China, which calls them the Xisha islands, says they are its "inherited territory" and told Sky News it has "legitimate rights to deploy protection facilities in the territory, to safeguard national sovereignty and safety". It added: "China's admiral and air deployments on relevant islands have been existing for many years." :: Analysis - China Reiterates 'Rights' It follows China's efforts to build new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand on top of reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. The most dramatic work has taken place in the Spratly Island group, where the militaries of four nations have a presence. "The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments," Taiwan's ministry said. US network Fox News also said China had moved surface-to-air missiles to the Paracels, identifying them as two batteries of a system known as HQ-9, along with radar targeting arrays. The missiles have a range of about 125 miles (200km), making them a threat to all forms of civilian and military aircraft. Taiwan and China claim almost the whole of the South China Sea, including the Paracel chain. Vietnam and the Philippines also claim much of it. Home to some of the world's busiest sea lanes, it is rich in fisheries and may hold oil and natural gas reserves under the seabed. China's move is likely to anger Vietnam the most because of its proximity to the Paracels and because of a history of maritime tensions with China. By Arshad Mohammed and J.R. Wu WASHINGTON/TAIPEI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday the United States expects to have "very serious" talks with China about militarization of the South China Sea after reports that Beijing deployed advanced surface-to-air missiles to a disputed island. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island in the Paracels chain, which has been under Chinese control for decades but also is claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. A U.S. defense official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. "There is every evidence, every day that there has been an increase of militarization of one kind or another," Kerry told reporters when asked about the reported deployment. "Its of serious concern. "We have had these conversations with the Chinese and I am confident that over the next days we will have further very serious conversation on this." The United States claims no territory in the South China Sea but has expressed serious concerns about how China's increasingly assertive pursuit of territorial claims there could affect the vital global trade routes that pass though it. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters the "limited and necessary self-defense facilities" China had on islands and reefs where it has personnel stationed was "consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law." The Chinese Defense Ministry told Reuters the latest reports about missile deployment were nothing but "hype." China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. TOPIC AT ASEAN MEETING News of the missile deployment came as U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea. It also followed a patrol by a U.S. Navy destroyer within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels last month, a move China condemned as provocative. The United States also has conducted sea and air patrols near artificial islands that China has built in the Spratly islands chain farther south in the South China Sea, including by two B-52 strategic bombers in November. Obama said the United States planned to continue such patrols in the name of freedom of navigation. Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said at a news briefing in Tokyo that deployment of missiles to the Paracels would not be a surprise but would be a concern and contrary to China's pledge not to militarize the region. Some analysts believe China's increasing military presence in the South China Sea could lead to a Beijing-controlled air defense zone there. "(The missile deployment) reinforces the view that China intends to exert growing control in these international waters, including potentially by declaring an Air Defense Identification Zone," said Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from the Center for a New American Security, said it was not the first time China had sent air-defense missiles to the Paracels, but the latest move appeared to be a response to U.S. patrols. She noted that while China had said it did not seek to militarize islands and reefs in the Spratly Islands, it had made no such commitment for the Paracels, where it has stationed military assets for years. Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said Woody Island belonged to China. "Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights," he said. "We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarize it." Fox News said images from civilian satellite firm ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers on Woody Island, as well as a radar system. The missiles arrived in the past week and, according to a U.S. official, appeared to show the HQ-9 air defense system, which has a range of 125 miles (200 km) and would pose a threat to any airplanes flying close by, the report said. (Additional reporting by Faith Hung in TAIPEI, David Brunnstrom and Arshad Mohammed in WASHINGTON, Jeff Mason and Bruce Wallace in RANCHO MIRAGE, Megha Rajagopalan and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, Tim Kelly in TOKYO, Martin Petty in HANOI, Matt Siegel in SYDNEY; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Bill Trott) Rumble This video shows the incredible behaviour of a caring mother elephant on high alert, quickly stopping her adorable baby which was curiously straying away from her towards a vehicle full of safari tourists. Going on safari in the Kruger National Park is a life changing experience. Driving around multiple tarred roads, slowly scanning a massive area of wilderness is all part of the thrill. You never know what will be around the next corner or what animal will suddenly appear from the bush onto the road. Its an exciting experience and one of the must-see animals for most tourists are elephants. Not only are they the largest land mammals on our planet and fairly intimidating, elephants are also one of the most intelligent and emotionally intelligent animals that roam this planet. Seeing these giants in the wild is always a sight to remember. The video shows an incredible moment filmed in the Kruger National Park when a safari vehicle full of tourists found a large elephant cow and her adorable calf next to the road. The safari vehicle stopped and it looked like the mother elephant and her baby wanted to cross the road. The baby elephant was the cutest thing alive in the wild right at that moment. While the elephant cow remained focussed on crossing the road, her baby took notice of the safari vehicle and curiously started straying away from its mother towards the vehicle. The caring mother elephant immediately went into high alert and quickly took her trunk and stopped her baby from going any closer to the safari vehicle. The mother elephant gently used her trunk to guide her baby back and into the right direction. It was incredible to see how quickly the elephant cow became protective over her baby. The elephant calf listened to its mother and in a well-behaved manner, walking on the opposite side of its mother, continued to focus and follow its mother as it should. This is crucial for the survival of the calf in the wild. The gestation period of an elephant is twenty-two months, so it is very understandable that an elephant calf is seen as a huge investment and there will always be a mother around, ready to protect her calf from any potential danger. Even though the tourists were not a direct threat, the mother elephant knows all to well that there are humans that still pose a danger for them in the wild. The mother of such a small calf is definitely not something to mess with at all and its best never to get too close to a mother and her calf. DAKAR (Reuters) - Malian Islamist militant group Ansar Dine said it carried out a suicide and rocket attack on a U.N. base in Kidal, north Mali on Friday that killed six peacekeepers, the SITE Intelligence Group said. Ansar Dine, led by Tuareg commander Iyad Ag Ghali, briefly seized the desert north alongside al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in 2012 and the two groups are involved in an intensifying insurgency that has spilled over Mali's borders. In its statement, Ansar Dine named the suicide bomber who blew himself up with a truck bomb as Muhammad Abdullah bin Hudhayfa al-Hosni from Mauritania. Heavy weapons fire ensued. It was not immediately clear if Ansar Dine was also responsible for an ambush on Malian soldiers near Timbuktu on Friday that killed three. "The (Kidal) operation is a message to the Crusader invaders and all those who support them and promise to send their soldiers to us, like the German President said in his current visit to Bamako," according to the statement sent late on Friday. Germany has pledged to send 650 soldiers to help support a U.N. peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) and President Joachim Gauck visited Mali's southern capital Bamako on Friday. As well as U.N. peacekeepers, militant strikes have targeted hotels popular with Westerners, killing 30 in Ouagadougou in January, and Malian army checkpoints. MINUSMA has the highest rate of casualties among active U.N. missions and many of the dead are Africans who occupy some of the most dangerous front-line positions in the north. The six dead peacekeepers in the Kidal attack were all from neighbouring Guinea, the U.N. Security Council said in a statement. French troops, which ousted Islamist militants from northern towns in 2013, are still fighting them in north Mali and neighbouring Sahel countries but casualties are rare due to superior training and equipment. Sean Smith, Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said that the threat of attacks would remain extremely high unless France expands its force or MINUSMA changes its mandate to include counter-terror operations. (Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Adrian Croft) Montreal taxi drivers took their protest against the ride-hailing service UberX to the streets of downtown Montreal Wednesday in the first of numerous pressure tactics planned for this week. The union representing Montreal's 4,000 taxi drivers called Wednesday's protest a "blockade" and threatened to slow traffic on Sherbrooke Street West and Rene-Levesque Boulevard while "occupying" other areas around downtown Montreal. Taxis proceeded to take up parking spots around downtown but in the end did little to impede the flow of traffic. Hundreds of cabbies caused traffic headaches last week when they blocked roads and disrupted traffic at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. At one point during Wednesday's demonstration, taxi drivers tried to hail Uber drivers to lure them to their protest. One Uber driver who showed up was pelted with snowballs and eggs, including one that hit him in the face. Protesters challenge Quebec premier Today's pressure tactic comes one day before National Assembly hearings on regulating UberX are set to begin. Benoit Jugand, spokesman for the Regroupement des travailleurs autonomes Metallos (RTAM) the group representing taxi drivers said Wednesday morning that the protest has been sparked by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard's inaction on UberX in advance of the hearings. "The Premier hasn't heard our appeals to request that Uber suspend its activities while the committee does its work," he said. "He's effectively telling us that 22,000 [taxi drivers and owners] in Quebec are second-class citizens, so for us there's no question of abandoning the struggle." "We'll form a blockade, we'll maintain the blockade until the premier understands that we're serious." The union said it won't stop until the ride hailing service ceases operations. "It is unacceptable that a company does not respect our laws and has the audacity to publicly refuse the government's calls to respect them," Jugand said. Story continues Uber denounces 'violence and intimidation' For its part, Uber issued a statement condemning the "violence and intimidation tactics used today by members of the taxi industry." In an email, spokesperson Jean-Christophe de Le Rue said the province "has put in place a commission to hear the views of stakeholders and we believe that the best path forward will be found through dialogue, not violence." "While the taxi industry is once again protesting, Uber is serving Quebecers," he said. "Taxi and ridesharing can complement one another to better serve consumers' needs across the province." Request for injunction, calls for suspension of Uber Earlier this month, RTAM filed a request for a permanent injunction to ban Uber in Quebec. The request asks the court to declare Uber illegal, force the company to cease operations and disable its mobile app across Quebec. Last week, Quebec Transport Minister Jacques Daoust and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre called for the suspension of UberX while a government committee examines how taxis and the popular app-based ride service can co-exist in the province. Taxi drivers said they plan to protest again on Saturday at the Montreal Casino. Russia's energy minister said Tuesday that his country has agreed with OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela to freeze oil production levels if other producers do the same. The ministry quoted Energy Minister Alexander Novak announcing the decision following an unexpected, closed-door meeting involving the four countries in the Qatari capital, Doha. The meeting reflects growing concern among major oil producers about the effects a prolonged slump in crude prices will have on their domestic economies. Novak said the countries are willing to freeze output levels at January levels "if other oil producers join the initiative." Getting other major oil suppliers to go along with that plan could be tricky. Prices have fallen sharply since summer 2014, leaving producers scrambling to win market share from competitors. As Melanie Debono at Capital Economics put it, "this deal would simply maintain the excess supply that is now in place. Oil prices rose following the meeting, with a barrel of benchmark New York crude trading up 77 cents at $30.21 US. A barrel of Brent, the international standard, gained 89 cents to $34.28 US. But within hours, oil was back below where it was before the agreement, as new data out of the U.S. shows storage tanks are getting even more full. With storage at its highest level in more than 80 years, oil prices seem unlikely to move sharply higher regardless of production as long as there's still several billion barrels already made, just waiting to be used. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said producers would continue to assess the state of the market in the months ahead. He described freezing output at January levels as an adequate step for now. All of the countries at the meeting except Russia are part of OPEC, which has refused to cut its official production targets, a move that would bolster faltering prices. Saudi Arabia dominates policy-making within the 13-member bloc of oil producing countries. Story continues The aim of OPEC's keep-pumping strategy has been to attempt to ride out the 12-year lows in prices and force higher-cost producers, such as shale drillers in the U.S., out of the market. Notably absent from Tuesday's meeting was Iran, which shares control of a major underwater natural gas field with Qatar. It is eager to ramp up its exports now that sanctions related to its nuclear program have been lifted, saying recently it aims to put another 500,000 barrels a day on the market. Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at Capital Economics, said Tuesday's agreement should help support prices. But he noted that only some OPEC members have signed on to the deal, and that compliance with the bloc's own quotas has long been a challenge for the group. "Even if output is frozen, this will still be at extremely high levels," he added. "Saudi oil production remains close to record highs" of more than 10 million barrels a day. Correction : A headline on a previous version of this story incorrectly said that Russia is a member of OPEC. It is not a member, but has been negotiating with the cartel to limit oil output.(Feb 16, 2016 12:04 PM) Rumble The idea of making cheese at home can be really intimidating. Cheese feels like something you have to buy at the store or the farmer's market. But not anymore, you can make fresh cheese at home with four simple ingredients: whole milk, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and sea salt. Queso Fresco translates from Spanish is "fresh cheese." It has its roots in Spain but has been popularized by Mexican food culture. It's mild taste is a perfect canvas to bold build flavour profile. This video shows you how to make Queso Fresco three different ways: sweet, savoury and spicy. Bon Appetit! check out my first novel. https://www.amazon.co.uk/KAT-Matthew-... Whole milk 2L - 3.5 pints Lime 1 large Vinegar 120ml - 1/2 cup - 4fl oz Salt 2 tbsp Heat the milk gently to 77c - 170f, squeeze in the lime juice and stir with a slotted spoon. Keep heating to 87c - 190f and add the vinegar. Turn off the heat and stir occasionally for 15 minutes, strain into cheese cloth sitting in a sieve or colander and leave to drain for between 30 minutes and 2 hours. The cheese remaining will be quite firm, turn into a bowl and beat with a fork or your hand with the salt for a few minutes to create a smoother mixture. Muy caliente chopped pickled chilli pepper, garlic, hot sauce and coriander Honey and rosemary Basil and sun-dried tomato (fresh and puree) Turkey is asking its coalition partners, including the United States, to take part in a ground operation in Syria, in a new attempt to end the country's civil war. "If there is a consensus, Turkey will take part. Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop this war," an official said. But Turkey would only act with support. "Turkey is not going to have a unilateral ground operation," the official said. "We are asking coalition partners that there should be a ground operation. We are discussing this with allies." In recent weeks, a Russian-backed offensive has carried the Syrian army to within 15 miles of Turkey's border. Plus Kurdish fighters - whom Turkey regards as hostile insurgents - have exploited weaknesses in other rebel groups to extend their presence along the frontier. On Monday, Turkey warned Kurdish fighters that they would face the "harshest reaction" if they tried to capture the town of Azaz, where 14 people were killed in a missile strike, which Ankara blames on Russia, on Monday. The Turkish military said its artillery had returned fire into Syria again on Tuesday - the fourth day in a row of shelling. Meanwhile, Russia rejected Turkish accusations that it committed a war crime on Monday, when almost 50 people were killed after missiles struck five medical centres and two schools in northern Syria. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters: "We categorically do not accept such statements, the more so as every time those making these statements are unable to prove their unfounded accusations in any way." One of the strikes was against a hospital in Muratt al Numan, run by the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which blamed Russian or Syrian government forces and claimed it had been deliberately targeted. The UNs spokesman on human rights, Rupert Colville, said: "Clearly Syrian and Russian planes are very active in this area. They should know who is responsible ... If it was deliberate, intentional targeting of those facilities, it could amount to a war crime." Story continues UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said the attacks "cast a shadow on commitments" made at a Munich conference last week, which included a pledge to hold a ceasefire within a week and end attacks on civilians. The Syrian President, Bashar al Assad, has also expressed doubts: "Who will speak to the terrorists if a terrorist organisation refused to adhere to the ceasefire? "Who will make them accountable? If they wanted to bomb them where can we find them? From a practical perspective, all this is difficult to implement." By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The top United Nations human rights official urged China on Tuesday to release all lawyers detained since July, including 15 arrested last month, saying it was wrong to prosecute or sanction them for their work. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, also voiced concern for five missing booksellers from Hong Kong and urged Beijing authorities to ensure a "fair and transparent procedure" for their cases and allow family and lawyer visits. "We are seeing a very worrying pattern in China that has serious implications for civil society and the important work they do across the country," Zeid said in a statement, voicing fears that a Chinese draft law on non-governmental organizations would curb freedoms of expression and assembly. "Lawyers should never have to suffer prosecution or any other kind of sanctions or intimidation for discharging their professional duties," Zeid said, adding that lawyers had an essential role to play in protecting human rights and the rule of law. I urge the Government of China to release all of them immediately and without conditions. Chinese police have detained about 250 human rights lawyers, legal assistants, and activists across the country since a nationwide crackdown began last July, although the U.N. statement said many had subsequently been released. It said that, in addition to these, 15 human rights lawyers had been formally arrested last month, 10 of them for the crime of subversion of state power, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Zeid's spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters that Chinese authorities had sent a letter last weekend in response to Zeid's queries: "It suggests basically that all people we raised concerns about were guilty of criminal activities. A kind of reflexive response that doesn't really address the core issue." In a letter sent to Hong Kong's police on Thursday, Chinese police confirmed that three of the five missing Hong Kong booksellers were being investigated for "illegal activities" in China. The booksellers' disappearance has prompted fears that mainland Chinese authorities may be using shadowy tactics that erode the "one country, two systems" formula under which Hong Kong has been governed since its return to China from British rule in 1997. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, a Hong Kong-based rights group, says Chinese authorities have formally arrested 19 lawyers and activists, and that 266 have been temporarily detained and questioned in the crackdown. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; additional reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Ed Tech Trends The Revolution in Higher Ed Is Coming ... But When? Higher ed innovation guru Richard DeMillo talks about how and where to look for the massive transformation of education taking place right before our eyes. When will MOOCs replace the institutions (like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) that started them? At what point does digital learning replace the live classroom? Do intellectual property rights still exist? Is tenure dead? All provocative questions for someone like Richard DeMillo, author of a book with the equally provocative title, Revolution in Higher Education: How a Small Band of Innovators Will Make College Accessible and Affordable. Yet, in many circumstances, his answer to those questions, when asked by consultant and futurist Bryan Alexander in this week's Future Trends Forum video chat, was, "I don't know." However, there are some things DeMillo, director of the Center for 21st Century Universities at Georgia Tech University, does know. He knows that, now that the digital genie is out of the bottle, higher education will never be the same. He said he is unsure of when and how the next generation of college students will experience wholesale changes he's even reluctant to explain what will constitute the next generation of students! but he knows change is coming and it is coming fastest to those communities where it is most needed. That is why he points to great strides being made in some of the most unlikely places. He applauds at least some elite institutions that have, as DeMillo said, "invested substantially in making higher education more accessible, more affordable, more likely to achieve educational results we all hope for." Nevertheless, he went on, "For every MIT or Stanford mentioned in The New York Times, there's a Jackson State contributing to the revolution." DeMillo said Mississippi's Jackson State University, a historically black institution, was steadily losing prospective students to in-state competitors like Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. "They decided to shelve their old approach to addressing students of color and reorganized the institution," he said. Administrators relied on online programs and digital resources to turn the student experience at their small state university into the kind that students at much larger, multi-dimensional higher education institutions have. The jury is still out on Jackson State's initiatives. "There is not yet any long-term data," DeMillo said, "but they have used technology to make the 'accidents of circumstances' more manageable for students coming into the environment." He pointed to efforts at his own Georgia Tech to deal with Physics 101, a course whose physical manifestation was routinely unavailable to students because of its immense popularity. The university, with the help of the Center for 21st Century Universities, naturally, turned it into a MOOC (massive open online course), but not a traditional MOOC either. "We haven't tried to recreate the experience of a physical classroom," DeMillo said a mistake so many others have made, Alexander pointed out, trying to replicate yesterday's technology when tomorrow's becomes available. Alexander said, "That reminds me of what happened with [Second Life] back in the day. People had all this space to work with and they would recreate a classroom, with desks and chairs and all that. Why did they not have people fly or be underwater?" In Georgia Tech's new Physics 101, the instructors replaced the old-school physics lab with process video. "They would send students out in the world to do experiments and take videos of those experiments," DeMillo said. "Those videos get uploaded to a server, processed and sent back to the student in the form a clickable file. The lab report is a video report." The bottom line, he went on, is that "it's not a retrofit, it's a reimagining of what this course is supposed to be." And that, of course, leads to all kinds of interesting questions. Do you need the same number of professors and traditional teaching assistants to teach the new Physics 101 as you needed with the old Physics 101? Or do you reassess the required resources and expertise and instead recruit a team of instructional designers, analysts, advisers and videographers? And what about course materials, and who owns them? DeMillo admitted he spends "an embarrassingly large portion of my time dealing with intellectual property issues." He added, "We want our faculty members to make their materials available, but everyone comes to the table with a viewpoint about who owns what. The people we're educating have grown up in a culture of sharing and remixing. These concerns are quite remote to them." Progress, DeMillo said, toward what he considers a "revolution in higher education" will be unpredictable, uneven and almost imperceptible as it's taking place, but it will take place. As with the case of Jackson State, he said, the transition will be "very local and not easily subjected to homogenization." "There is already a real alignment around the missions," DeMillo concluded. "We will see institutions across the board becoming more focused, institutions like Jackson State all of a sudden poking their heads up and saying, 'We're going to get great.'" BERLIN (Reuters) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany's Bild daily that Europe is making progress in tackling the migrant crisis and praised Chancellor Angela Merkel for sticking to "long-sighted" policies in the face of criticism. In an interview published on Wednesday, a day before leaders hold a closely watched summit on the refugee crisis and on a reform deal to keep Britain in the 28-member bloc, Juncker said history would prove Merkel and her liberal refugee policy right. Merkel is looking increasingly isolated with her demands for a fair distribution of migrants among EU members and for ensuring Turkey cooperates to stem the flow of people arriving in Europe. Some EU members, including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are deeply opposed to any quota system and their leaders said this week that there should be tighter controls on the borders of Balkan countries neighboring Greece if attempts to limit the numbers from Turkey to Greece failed. Juncker told Bild that a number of individual steps would together have an effect on the crisis but that this would take time. "We are at last seeing some first progress," he told Bild, adding the number of migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey was falling. He said it was the job of a head of government to stand by their policies even under pressure and suggested Merkel would outlast all her critics. "The European migration policies she and I are pursuing will prevail. It is political strength to say we can do it. Anything else is capitulation to the populists," he said. Support in Germany for Merkel has dipped over her handling of the crisis, opinion polls show. Merkel aides said that the two-day EU summit starting on Thursday will not focus on a divisive quota system to distribute refugees among member states but on how to secure the bloc's external borders to stem the flow of migrants. Thomas Oppermann, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's junior coalition partner, said that a deal on the quota system must be reached before another EU summit in March. He added that the absence of a deal by then could push member states, including Germany, to reinstate border controls within the free-travel Schengen area. "We have consensus that the external borders must be safer but no consensus on common quotas," Oppermann told the ARD broadcaster. "I believe that a deal must be reached until the summit in March. If we fail, I expect that all the internal borders will be renationalized and tighter border controls will occur all over Europe. Presumably in Germany too." Merkel has resisted demands from some members of her conservatives to shut Germany's border with Austria to migrants. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers and Joseph Nasr; Editing by Toby Chopra and Raissa Kasolowsky) ROME (Reuters) - Former Italian prime minister Mario Monti on Wednesday warned current premier Matteo Renzi that his repeated criticism of Brussels risked alienating Italy from the bloc. The rebuke from the respected economist and ex-European Union commissioner was unusual in Rome, where many blame EU austerity for holding back Italy's recovery from three years of recession and the two largest opposition parties say they would scrap the euro. "You do not miss a chance to disparage the processes that underpin the existence of the EU," Monti said during a hearing in the Senate, where he is a lifetime member. "This is producing an extremely dangerous alienation from the EU among Italians ... a very dangerous scorn for Europe, for the dream of Europe we would like to make reality." Renzi's war of words with the EU in recent months has fed off anger at home over high joblessness, the struggle to manage an influx of migrants, and a bank rescue that wiped out thousands of people's savings. Addressing the Senate before heading to Brussels on Thursday for a summit, Renzi brushed aside Monti's criticism of his relationship with the bloc. "I don't accept any lessons in following the rules," Renzi said, saying the idea that Italy was incapable of progress had been promulgated during 20 years of inept government. Renzi is head of the center-left Democratic Party (PD). Monti formed his own centrist party, Civic Choice, but stepped down and now has no party political role. (Reporting by Isla Binnie; editing by John Stonestreet) BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel vowed to push for implementation of the EU's migration deal with Turkey at a summit this week, saying the alternative of closing borders to limit the flow of refugees to Europe would have dire consequences. EU leaders meet on Thursday to discuss the migration crisis, with the German chancellor looking increasingly isolated with her demands for a fair distribution of migrants among EU members and for Turkey to cooperate to stem the flow of people. At a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Merkel said the summit would not agree on new quotas for refugees across Europe, saying this would be "laughable" given that fewer than 1,000 have been relocated under an existing scheme. Rather, she said it was about whether the EU-Turkey pact could successfully tackle the causes of migration or whether the bloc should "give up and instead close the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border with all the consequences that would have for Greece, the European Union and the Schengen zone." The leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia on Monday proposed drafting back-up plans to halt the flow of migrants to Western Europe through the Balkans, in effect ring-fencing Greece, if attempts to limit the numbers of migrants from Turkey to Greece failed. "I will fight with all my strength on Thursday and Friday for the EU-Turkey agenda as the right way to tackle this," Merkel said. Netanyahu said combating Islamist militants in the Middle East was essential to stopping the flow of refugees. "If Israel didn't exist, the entire Western part of the Middle East would be flooded by the forces of extremist Islam, and with this flood many additional millions would flow into Europe. Israel is the protective wall of Western civilisation in the heart of the Middle East," he said. Germany feels duty bound to support Israel, due largely to the legacy of the Holocaust, but as bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians persists into a fifth month, Merkel struck a relatively downbeat tone on prospects for peace. "As a member of the EU, Germany is trying hard to pursue a realistic approach," said Merkel. "Now is undeniably not the time to make a major step forward but we can achieve improvements here and there and we agreed Germany will help in terms of financial support," she said. She also said that while Israel and Germany have different views on a sanctions-ending nuclear deal between world powers including Germany and Israel's arch foe Iran, there was a limit to how friendly Germany could be with Tehran. "We have made it very clear that there cannot be friendly relations with Iran as long as Iran has not recognised Israel's right to exist," she said. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Writing by Noah Barkin and Madeline Chambers; Editing by Hugh Lawson) CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) - This March, Meals on Wheels is having their annual "March for Meals" to celebrate the collaboration of local community organizations, businesses, all levels of government and compassionate individuals that ensure our seniors are not forgotten. Americaneagle.com is proud to have worked with Meals on Wheels on this very special project in building the new website, which was specifically created for this special month-long event. It can be found at http://www.marchformeals.com. "Collaborating with Meals on Wheels to launch MarchforMeals.com was a project that was especially important for Americaneagle.com. Our nation's seniors are a very special part of our country's fabric and working with Meals on Wheels to help deliver their message is a project that is dear to our hearts", said Shawn Griffin, spokesperson for Americaneagle.com. On March 22, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a new law that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for senior citizens 60 years and older. For nearly five decades, these critical programs -- commonly referred to as Meals on Wheels -- have delivered nutritious meals and joy to homebound seniors in virtually every community across the country. The dedicated staff and volunteers who deliver these meals each week provide a vital lifeline and connection to seniors and their families. "MarchforMeals.com is the home of Meals on Wheels' annual month-long awareness campaign. We rely on the site to educate the general public about Meals on Wheels, recognize participating programs and sponsors, and encourage concerned individuals to take action this March. It's also designed as a valuable resource for participating Meals on Wheels programs, housing all of the important tools, templates, graphics and support that will make their local March for Meals celebrations a success." - Jenny Bertolette, Vice President of Communications for Meals on Wheels. Story continues About Americaneagle.com, Inc. Americaneagle.com, Inc., founded in 1978, is a leading Web design, development, and hosting company based in Des Plaines, Illinois. Currently, Americaneagle.com employs approximately 300 professionals in offices throughout the country including Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Some of their 5,000+ clients include the Chicago Bears, Capstone Publishing, Stuart Weitzman, International Paper, ADA, Komatsu USA, and more. For additional information about Americaneagle.com, visit www.americaneagle.com. About Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America's seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org. We're sorry, you encountered a page that doesn't exist. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ When Ronald Reagan so piously stated, Government isnt the solution. Government is the problem it opened the floodgate for the conservative small government movement. But as your WaPo colleague Fareed Zakaria wrote a few weeks ago, Republicans have been promising to shrink government for the last 30 plus years and have failed to deliver. Why? Well, because its hard to do and in the end, they didnt really want to because it always gave them something to run campaigns on. And this is, in part, the rebellion were seeing today. So I think another way to look at this situation is that we are finally starting to have the discussion on what kind of government we want to have. Conservatives love to rail on government waste and size but they like what government provides. Liberals perhaps love government too much so enter Bernie Sanders. Were finally having a discussion, albeit somewhat cloaked in hyperbole, what kind of government we want to have. Personally I think this is the cleansing we desperately need. Improving the Water Supply in a Drought-Stricken Village This post originally appeared on UConn Today. By Josh Garvey Three UConn engineering students are working in partnership with a village in Ethiopia to help improve the water supply. During winter break, the three students, who are all members of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders, traveled to the village to begin surveying for a project to improve the communitys water infrastructure. The village, called the Woreta Zuria Administrative Kebele, has an extensive dry season, lasting nine months of the year. The residents depend on agricultural production for their livelihood, and this year is particularly difficult for them, because of the drought that Ethiopia is experiencing. The community were working in is entirely relying on agriculture for sustenance, says Kristin Burnham 19 (ENG, CLAS), a double major in environmental engineering and molecular and cell biology. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a student-led organization that designs and constructs sustainable engineering solutions for low income communities in the United States and abroad. The team is at the start of a potential multi-year partnership with the village, with the towns irrigation system being their first target for improvement. There is an irrigation system in place, says Burnham, but it is built partly with concrete and partly with dirt, and there is a lot of leakage. This project is part of a larger partnership between UConn, the Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Addis Ababa University in the nations capital, and Bahir Dar University in Ethiopias Amhara National Regional State. A senior design team will work to implement the solutions that the UConn students help to design. Jon Mellor, professor of civil & environmental engineering, who accompanied the trio on their visit in January, explains that the senior design team is working on the technical aspects of the project, while the students are working on the diverse social, logistical, and fundraising challenges of conducting projects in the developing world. The recent trip was intended to gather as much data as possible to determine how the UConn EWB chapter could help with the towns water issues. The data gathered will aid in designing solutions that are both sound from an engineering standpoint and fit the cultural needs of the local people. The trip was funded by a generous donation from United Technologies Research Center, as well as fundraising efforts by the EWB UConn Chapter. The towns existing irrigation system runs from the Abba Samual River to the north side of town. The original plan was to build a system to service the side of the town south of the river. When the EWB team realized that the current system wasnt fully functioning, they looked into rehabilitating that structure as well. Were trying to decide if that system is worth rehabilitating and making it fully functioning, Mellor says. To determine the most effective way to address the communitys needs, the team tested the water and soil, surveyed the land, and marked the current irrigation system using a GPS. The Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources also supplied the team with data. Ryan Cordier 18 (ENG), a double major in biomedical engineering and environmental engineering, says soil tests were necessary because the plan is to build a structure on top of the soil. We want to get a look at how the soil is going to move when we put a load on it, he says. Adds Burnham, We also need to know how fast the water is going to infiltrate or absorb into the soil, so we can have an idea of whether it would be feasible to have a liner for the system built with the soil thats already there or if we need concrete. This year, the strong drought affecting Ethiopia has exacerbated the villages water problems. The precipitation is so variable, says Mellor. They typically get irrigation starting in May, but sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesnt. When it doesnt come, it is pretty bad news for the community. The EWB students aim to address the complex issues in a holistic manner, says Kelsey Reeves 16 (ENG), an environmental engineering major. She says the work shes done with the chapter has helped develop her critical thinking skills. We basically run the program like a small engineering firm, she says. We make sure that what were designing is economical, and that it works. Whats really cool about Engineers Without Borders is that we go a step beyond [just an engineering solution]. You have to understand all these cultural and societal factors. You may come up with a really great solution to a problem, but if it doesnt work on the ground, in that society, then it doesnt matter, she adds. Reeves has been working on this project from the beginning, and also traveled to the village for an initial assessment with Mellor and a doctoral student last summer. When she graduates this spring, the work will be taken over by Burnham and Cordier, who were voted team officers after their part in this trip. Mellor says the student group hopes to organize a trip this summer to begin implementing repairs and improvements to the irrigation system. That work will depend on findings from the data that was gathered over winter break. To support the UConn Engineers Without Borders chapter, contact Jon Mellor at mellorj@engr.uconn.edu. United States and Cuba Agree to Restore Air Service DOT has launched a process to award new flights, and the airlines are lining up to apply. The U.S. and Cuba have signed an agreement that provides the re-establishment of scheduled air service between the two countries. After signing the agreement, the DOT invited air carriers to apply for an allocation of new opportunities to schedule passenger and cargo flights, according to a DOT report. And the line of waiting airlines is already long. American Airlines, Delta, and United all announced Feb. 16 that they will apply for approval to provide commercial service to and from Cuba, and Southwest posted a statement saying it will consider applying. "We are excited to announce the availability of new scheduled air service opportunities to Cuba for U.S. carriers, shippers, and the traveling public, and we will conduct this proceeding in a manner designed to maximize public benefits," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The arrangement will provide each country with the opportunity to have up to 20 daily round-trip flights to Havana, as well as the opportunity to have up to 10 daily round-trip flights between the United States and Cuba's nine other international airports. American Airlines, which operated about 1,200 charter flights to Cuba last year, said its Latin America gateway hub at Miami International Airport will be included in the company's application for scheduled service to Cuba and that it may apply to serve Cuba from other hubs. Delta Air Lines also announced it will file with the U.S. government to operate non-stop service to Cuba. "American Airlines commends the U.S. government for its commitment to re-establishing cultural and economic ties between the U.S. and Cuba, and for laying the groundwork to restore scheduled air service between the two countries for the first time in more than 50 years," said American Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. "We applaud the administration for making commercial air service a priority and we thank Secretary Foxx, Secretary Kerry, and their teams for their leadership in finalizing this arrangement. American looks forward to submitting a Cuba service proposal to the Department of Transportation in the coming weeks." "Filing for service to Havana is an important moment in aviation history for Delta and between the U.S. and Cuba, said Nicolas Ferri, Delta's vice president - Latin America and the Caribbean. "We look forward to providing access to the island from the U.S. and around the world; this market will increase the strength of our network in the Caribbean." World Health Organization Launches Zika Global Response Plan WHO said $56 million is required to implement the framework and plan, which cover January-June 2016. The World Health Organization has launched a global Strategic Response Framework and Joint Operations Plan to guide the world's response to the spread of Zika virus infection, which WHO's director-general, Dr. Margaret Chan, on Feb. 1 declared is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This decision was based on advice from the first meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations. WHO said $56 million is required to implement the framework and plan, which cover January-June 2016. According to its news release, the strategy focuses on mobilizing and coordinating partners, experts, and resources to help countries enhance surveillance of the Zika virus and disorders that could be linked to it; improve vector control; effectively communicate risks, guidance, and protection measures; provide medical care to those affected; and fast-track research and the development of vaccines. The money breaks down into $25 million to fund the WHO/AMRO/PAHO response and $31 million for the work of key partners. In the interim, WHO has tapped a recently established emergency contingency fund to finance its initial operations, and its headquarters activated an Incident Management System to oversee the global response and leverage expertise from across the organization. With its partners, WHO is mapping efforts to develop vaccines, therapies, diagnostic tests, and new vector control tactics; they are accelerating data sharing, product development, and clinical trials. Vietnamese activists chanted anti-China slogans in Hanoi Wednesday as they marked the 37th anniversary of a border war with their giant neighbour, in a memorial that followed reports that Beijing has installed missile systems in contested seas. The two communist countries are locked in a long-standing territorial dispute over the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea. Vietnam's premier is due to return home Wednesday after attending a summit hosted by the United States aimed at bolstering regional resolve in the face of China's military muscle-flexing. On Wednesday images relayed by Fox news appeared to show two surface-to-air missile systems installed by Beijing on Woody Island in the Paracels chain, which is also claimed by Taiwan. In a pre-planned event, more than 100 people gathered in Hanoi to mark an older territorial conflict: China's 1979 invasion of Vietnam's northernmost provinces. Security officials stood by as veterans chanted "down with China, down with China's invasion." The short but bloody war came after Vietnam toppled the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge regime in neighbouring Cambodia. It claimed tens of thousands of lives and ended with Chinese forces withdrawing but both powers claiming victory. Although Vietnam fetes its military victories over the French and American armies, it has not arranged any official events to mark the China border war -- much to the chagrin of veterans and activists. "We are very sad that there has never been any official organisation (memorial) for the day," 64-year-old Vietnamese war veteran Pham Thanh told AFP at Wednesday's commemoration in central Hanoi, where demonstrators carried banners that read "we will never forget". Beijing's increasingly assertive stance in contested waters has triggered public anger and rounds of protests in authoritarian Vietnam where the demonstrations are sometimes forcefully broken up. China is also Vietnam's largest trading partner, complicating Hanoi's position towards its neighbour. On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama announced plans to make his first state visit to Vietnam in May, which Vietnam's foreign ministry hailed as "carrying Vietnam-US relations to new heights". Lawmakers in Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature approved an amnesty for jailed foes of President Nicolas Maduro, who has pledged to veto the bill. The elected socialist president maintains that there are no political prisoners in Venezuela; The opposition disagrees. "This law is aimed at ending the era of prison and persecution for those who simply think differently. We cannot talk about justice when there are political prisoners, and political exiles," lawmaker Delsa Solorzano said on presenting the bill. Elias Jaua, a pro-government lawmaker, slammed the bill as "criminal amnesia." "From this moment forward, we are disregarding this legislation. We urge all government, civilian and military authorities to do the same," he said. The amnesty bill seeks the release of 75 jailed dissidents. "There is not going to be a coup here, or social unrest. Just a transition from authoritarianism to democracy," said opposition MUD coalition leader Jesus Torrealba. Maduro has introduced emergency economic measures that give him heightened powers to intervene in the stricken, state-led economy. Venezuela has the world's biggest known oil reserves but has suffered as crude prices have fallen sharply. Citizens are suffering shortages of basics such as toilet paper and cooking oil. China rapped Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop yesterday ahead of her visit to Beijing after she said Australia recognized the Philippines right to seek arbitration in its dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea. China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. The Philippines has challenged Beijing at an arbitration court in The Hague over Chinese claims. Beijing has repeatedly and angrily said it will not recognize the case. Speaking in Tokyo, Bishop said Australia did not take sides on the competing claims in the waters but was awaiting the outcome of the arbitration. We recognize the Philippines right to seek to resolve the matter through arbitration, but we urge all claimants to settle their disputes peacefully without coercion, without intimidation, she said. Asked about the remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said he believed Australia understands Chinas position on the South China Sea. Hong repeated that China thought the Philippines arbitration case was a contravention of international law and went against the consensus Beijing and Manila have had on the issue. China certainly will not accept this. Australia ought not to selectively avoid this reality, he told a daily news briefing. Bishop also said she will seek clarification from China about how it intends to use its reclaimed islands in the South China Sea, including whether Beijing intends to grant access to other countries. In the past (Chinese) Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said they will be public goods, so I am seeking more detail as to how other nations could access these public goods, Bishop said of the islands. Depending upon the answer he gives, we will look at the situation, she told reporters in Tokyo, where she met Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. Story continues Bishop, who will fly to Beijing later on Tuesday for talks with Wang and other Chinese officials, would not say whether Australia would seek access to the islands. Hong said Chinas building on the islands was for its own defense, as well as providing facilities for the international community to carry out search and rescue operations. It will not affect freedom of navigation or overflight, he added. We hope Australia can adopt an objective, fair and impartial position and not do anything to harm regional peace and stability, Hong said. Beijing has asserted its claim in the region with island building projects that have reclaimed more than 2,900 acres (1,170 hectares) of land since 2013, according to the Pentagon. It tested for the first time last month a 3,000-meter runway built on a reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef by landing several civilian airliners from Hainan island. China has accused Washington of seeking maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation after a US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the Paracel chain of the South China Sea in late January. Reuters BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors have charged three of 10 people detained earlier on Tuesday on suspicion of operating a recruitment ring for militant group Islamic State. Belgium has been at the heart of investigations into the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris in which 130 people were killed as four of the suicide bombers had either been living in Belgium or were Belgian-Moroccans. The country has one of the highest per capita rates of participation in militant groups such as Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Prosecutors said one woman in her thirties, named as Marianna A., and two men in their twenties, Azzeddine K. and Mohamed O., - have been placed under arrest. Seven others detained in raids on homes where prosecutors seized computers and mobile phones as part of an investigation into people having left to join the Islamic State in Syria, have been released. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Alissa de Carbonnel) By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - David Cameron fended off changes on Tuesday to a draft deal he has cut to help keep Britain in the EU, as other states demanded adjustments and the European Parliament said it could not guarantee to pass the reforms. After talks on Monday with President Francois Hollande, who argued the draft text may give British banks unfair advantages, the British prime minister visited Brussels to meet EU executive chief Jean-Claude Juncker and leaders of the EU legislature. Two days before a summit where all sides hope for agreement, wrangling continued behind the scenes over the wording of the deal. Cameron made no public comment during his stay in Brussels and one person who met him said he appeared "very stressed". But Manfred Weber, the parliamentary centre-right leader and an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he seemed "strongly convinced that he can convince the people" to maintain EU membership in a referendum EU officials expect Cameron to call soon after the summit, probably scheduled for June. Summit chairman Donald Tusk, who presented a plan two weeks ago to help Cameron campaign on the basis the EU was adapting to British tastes, said after he met the Czech prime minister in Prague that leaders would have to go "an extra mile". Bohuslav Sobotka said poorer states feared that not just Britain might use new rights to cut benefits for migrant workers from the east of the bloc. Unhelpfully for Cameron as he faces scorn from eurosceptic opponents who say his deal is unlikely to survive a necessary passage through the European Parliament, the assembly's president said he could not guarantee to deliver new laws on benefits and migration after Britons have voted. "This is not possible in a democracy," Martin Schulz said -- though he also said parliament had "no veto" over the accord and he, Weber and other leaders of major parties said they would legislate within the "framework" of the deal. Cameron insists any agreement will be legally binding, even if it does not change EU treaties but takes the form of a treaty among the 28 EU states on how to interpret existing rules. His office issued a statement saying party leaders he met supported the proposals and assured the prime minister they were ready to pass the necessary legislation after the referendum. "MONKEYS WITH GUNS" But parliamentary leaders are concerned that cutting deals for London will encourage others to seek favours, raising the prospect of cross-party, transnational haggling in the assembly. "It's Pandora's box," one parliamentary official said. "The parliament is unpredictable. It can be monkeys with guns." Before reaching that stage, however, diplomats and officials still have to hammer out a final draft for leaders to discuss on Thursday and Friday. France still wants guarantees that wording intended to ensure the City of London does not suffer from deals cut within the euro zone does not then allow British banks a chance to benefit from lighter local regulatory constraints. Diplomats said British officials have been defending Tusk's draft against efforts to chip away at Britain's gains but that, given the lukewarm reception in Britain for his reforms, Cameron may also try to secure new concessions in the final days. Easterners are focusing on limiting how many years Britain can apply the new "emergency brake" on benefits. More generally, many governments which favour a more federal Europe want clarity that language to reassure Britons they need not integrate deeper with the EU does not also apply to others. All the 27 other leaders say they want to help keep the EU's second biggest economy inside, however, and are keen to move quickly on to the summit's other main issue, Europe's migration crisis. (Additional reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Paul Taylor in Paris, Jan Lopatka in Prague and Kylie MacLellan in London; editing by John Stonestreet) By Andrew R.C. Marshall BANGKOK (Reuters) - One night last month, Liu Xuehong stood weeping outside the gates of the United Nations headquarters in Bangkok, begging the guards to let her in. The Chinese dissident had received a threatening call from an anonymous Chinese official, and feared that she, like other asylum seekers in Thailand, would be snatched away by agents of China or deported by a Thai junta increasingly allied to it. The U.N. guards refused her entry. "I felt so frustrated," she said, tears streaming down her face. "We still live in fear here." Liu is one of hundreds of Chinese who have fled for Thailand, say human rights groups. It was long considered a refuge, but not anymore. Two Chinese dissidents recently disappeared from Thai soil, only to reappear a few weeks later in China in police custody. Thailand deported two others late last year despite a U.N. plan to resettle them in Canada. "Thailand is no longer a safe haven for Chinese dissidents," said a senior Western diplomatic source based in Beijing. Western governments have expressed concern over China's apparent extra-territorial reach, as President Xi Jinping intensifies a nationwide crackdown on human rights lawyers, journalists and labour activists. China considers many dissidents to be criminals, including those who flee abroad. HONG KONG BOOKSELLER Panitan Wattanayagorn, a top Thai government advisor, said police were "still checking" how the two Chinese dissidents had vanished from the country, and said it was possible one of them had "disappeared (by) himself." As for the two deportations of Chinese refugees in November, Panitan said the Thai government would work more closely with the UNHCR "to prevent this kind of problem". He said China had not applied any pressure. "Thailand decides on its own," he said. Among those who disappeared in Thailand was Gui Minhai, one of five Hong Kong booksellers who have gone missing since late last year. China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the disappearances, but has said its law enforcement officials would never do anything illegal, especially overseas. It said the November deportations were handled "in accordance with the law". The Thai junta's seizure of power in 2014 strained ties with the West. As the United States and other countries downgraded political and military ties, the generals forged closer ties with Beijing. China and Thailand held their first joint air force exercise in November. The following month, the two countries agreed to build a $13 billion railway line from the Thai-Lao border to Bangkok. A record 7.9 million Chinese visited Thailand last year, or more than a quarter of the total number of tourists. Last July, Thailand's deported 109 Uighur Muslims to an uncertain fate in China in what the U.N. called "a flagrant violation of international law." FLUSHING OUT DISSIDENTS Dissidents like Liu say the disappearances and deportations are part of a diplomatic and security squeeze by China to flush them out. Aiding them in Thailand, she believes, are Chinese agents posing as asylum-seekers. Liu, 55, was jailed for a month in Beijing in 2014 for "disturbing social order," a catch-all charge often used to suppress human rights activists. But she continued her work until last June, just weeks before the Chinese authorities began arresting hundreds of lawyers, legal assistants and activists in a nationwide crackdown. "Almost all the people around me in China have been arrested," she said. Liu flew to Thailand, where she is now a U.N.-registered refugee awaiting resettlement. She can still be arrested and deported for illegally entering Thailand, which officially doesn't recognise refugee status. Men in cars often follow her through Bangkok, she says. "We have no protection here," said Liu. Liu arrived in Thailand by plane. But other Chinese, too fearful to use their passports, travel overland through ill-policed borders from neighbouring countries with the help of human smugglers. FALUN GONG Song Zhiyu, 43, from Hebei Province, is a member of Falun Gong, a religious group banned as a cult in China. He left China on a smuggler's motorbike until reaching the Myanmar town of Mongla. In Mongla, Song telephoned a Thai man known only as "the tour leader" who, in return for 20,000 yuan ($3,000), drove him towards the Thai border. Then Song was spirited across a river into Thailand and hidden in the luggage hold of a Bangkok-bound bus. He spent the next 10 hours bent double. "I thought I would die," he said. About 160 Falun Gong refugees and asylum-seekers are in Thailand, Song said, and in the past, authorities had rarely bothered them. But more than 29 practitioners have been arrested on immigration charges under the military junta, he said. "The Thai and Chinese governments now have a very close relationship," he said. "We are all afraid. Every day is dangerous for us." (Additional reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong. Editing by Aubrey Belford and William Tarrant) By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Kanupriya Kapoor JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has drawn up plans for tougher anti-terrorism laws following last month's militant attack on the capital, including detention without trial for up to three months compared with a week now, government sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The proposals are likely to draw fire from human rights activists, who have warned against jeopardising hard-won freedoms over nearly two decades since the end of authoritarian president Suharto's rule. However, officials anticipate little opposition in parliament to the legislation, which would not be as strict as counter-terrorism laws passed in recent years by neighbours Australia and Malaysia. President Joko Widodo's government moved quickly to reform the country's 2003 anti-terrorism law after Jan. 14, when four men attacked Jakarta's business district with guns and explosives. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault, in which the militants and four others died. Details of the overhaul have been kept confidential, but two government sources with direct knowledge of the draft law said it would broaden the definition of terrorism and make it easier to both arrest and detain suspects. The sources declined to be named because the legislation, which could be passed within the next few months, is still under consideration by parliament, where Widodo enjoys strong cross-party support. "The new definition of terrorism includes the possession, distribution and trade of any weapons ... or potential material that can be used as weapons for terrorism acts," said one. EVIDENCE IN COURT The maximum period allowed for detention without trial will be lifted to 90 days and for preventive detention to 120 days, both from a current limit of one week. The law will also allow authorities to target anyone who recruits members for, or cooperates with a militant group, and to use electronic communications, intelligence reports and financial transactions as evidence in court against suspects. Indonesians who have joined militant training or participated in terrorist acts in a foreign country will be stripped of their citizenship. Security officials say about 500 Indonesians have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the radical group Islamic State and they estimate that about one in five of these has returned, although most did not see frontline combat. Over the past two months, Indonesian counter-terrorism forces have arrested dozens of men suspected of plotting attacks on government targets and major landmarks, and last week seven men were jailed for being sympathisers of Islamic State. But police have long complained that even when they are aware of radical activities, they are unable to detain known militants unless they threaten or actually carry out an attack. The new law will allow the arrest of people merely "if they assemble to discuss terrorist and radical acts". The International Commission of Jurists last month urged the government not to undermine the process of justice by making it easier for authorities to arrest people irrespective of whether there is sufficient evidence of criminal activity. OTHERS ARE MORE STRICT Elsewhere in the region, counter-terrorism measures have been more far-reaching. Malaysia last April reintroduced a law under which individuals can be detained without trial for up to two years with two-year extensions thereafter. [nL3N0X408N] Australia has in recent years passed measures banning its citizens from returning from conflict zones in Syria and the Middle East, while making it easier to monitor domestic communications. Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims and the vast majority of its 250 million people practise a moderate form of Islam. However, the Southeast Asian country saw a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people. Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but officials have grown increasingly concerned about a resurgence inspired by Islamic State and officials say homegrown radicals are regrouping. [nL3N15P1EO] Security experts say one problem is that high-security prisons have become breeding grounds for militants, with radical clerics being able to preach and communicate with followers from behind bars. [nL3N15106E] The government sources said one of the legislative changes proposed involves segregating prisoners convicted of terrorism from other inmates to minimise radicalisation in prisons. Terrorism convicts will also be separated into three categories: masterminds or those involved in planning attacks, those involved in executing plans, and followers. (Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by John Chalmers and Mike Collett-White) By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar NAIROBI (Reuters) - Islamist militant group al Shabaab killed Somalia's former defence minister with a car bomb in capital Mogadishu on Monday, officials said. Al Shabaab, which is aligned to al Qaeda, told Reuters it planted the car bomb that killed Muhayadin Mohamed, who was also an adviser to the speaker of Somalia's parliament. Pictures taken by a Reuters photographer from the scene showed the passenger seat took the brunt of the damage, with passenger-side doors blown out. "We are behind his killing," Sheikh Anbdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaabs military operations spokesman, told Reuters. A police official confirmed Mohamed was killed and added a second person in the car survived the blast without any serious injuries. Mohamed was briefly defence minister in 2008 during Somalia's transitional federal government, which was backed by United Nations and had fought alongside African Union peacekeepers to push al Shabaab out of Mogadishu and other major cities. Al Shabaab fighters left the capital in 2011 and a permanent Somali government was established in 2012, but the government has struggled to end chronic insecurity. Al Shabaab, which wants to impose a strict version of sharia law across Somalia, has frequently targeted government officials and lawmakers and vowed to attack Western targets at home and abroad. (Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Andrew Heavens) By Reuters Staff BOSTON (Reuters) - Maine's combative Republican Governor, Paul LePage, drew jeers at a town hall meeting this week when he blamed asylum seekers for bringing the "ziki fly," an apparent reference to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, local media reported on Wednesday. A Tea Party favourite now in his second term in office, LePage has drawn attention for an off-the-cuff speaking style. In the past, he has blamed out-of-state drug dealers for impregnating "white girls," calling climate change a "scam" and labelling legislators "corrupt." "Asylum seekers, I think the biggest problem in our state, and I'll explain that to you," LePage told a town hall meeting in Freeport late Tuesday, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network reported. "What happens is you get hepatitis C, tuberculosis, AIDS, HIV, the 'ziki fly,' all these other foreign type of diseases that find a way to our land." The crowd jeered LePage's remarks, MPBN reported. The mosquitoes that are capable of carrying the Zika virus, which can also transmit diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, are not currently found in Maine, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services. Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus, has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil and has spread to 39 countries. The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean and is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization has said. Scientists have investigated two cases of suspected sexual transmission of the disease in the United States. Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,400 suspected cases of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have confirmed more than 500 of these cases as microcephaly and identified evidence of Zika infection in 41 of these cases, but have not proven that Zika can cause microcephaly. Thousands flocked to Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis focusing on immigration -- a heated topic on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff landed in Ciudad Juarez, the world's former murder capital, after a flight from Mexico City to wrap up an intense, five-day tour of the country. He will visit a prison to pray with hundreds of hardened criminals, just days after a riot left 49 inmates dead at another penitentiary, and he will meet later with workers from the city's key manufacturing industry. But after admonishing Mexican leaders to combat drug violence during his trip, Francis came to the border to focus on an issue dear to him: The plight of migrants fleeing misery and violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful. A sea of pilgrims had already arrived early Wednesday, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis is expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The service also will be broadcast on a giant screen at a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants in an event staged on the United States border coincides with the US presidential election primaries -- a fact that irked at least one candidate. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. - 'We don't harm anybody' - Armed troops stood guard as thousands streamed to the esplanade hours before the mass. Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." While the pope has defended migrants fleeing wars, poverty and religious persecution across the world, he has also called on governments to remedy the root causes of the exodus and for migrants to respect the laws of host countries. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. Many have also died under the scorching sun while crossing the US-Mexico desert. "We don't go there to harm anybody. We leave our countries to seek a better future. We only ask for respect," said Isaias Franco, a 47-year-old Salvadoran having lunch Tuesday near the site of the mass. Franco lived in the US state of Oklahoma for seven years until he was deported in 2011. The Mexican government, meanwhile, has cracked down on illegal migration at its southern border following a surge of unaccompanied child migrants who arrived in 2014. - Prayer for victims - During the mass, Francis will also pray for crime victims in Mexico, where more than 100,000 people have died or gone missing in a decade of drug violence. Relatives of 43 students who disappeared in the southern state of Guerrero in 2014 are expected to attend the mass, as well as some of the mothers of the hundreds of women killed in Juarez in the past two decades. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, falling to 300 last year. Security sources attribute the drop to the Sinaloa cartel's turf war victory, but the government gives credit to tough policing and a crime prevention program. Billboards were put up across the city to welcome the pope with the words "Juarez is love." But those signs contrast with the black crosses with pink backgrounds installed in protest at the murders of women. MARFA, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's cause of death will not be officially determined for several days, the top official in the Texas county where Scalia died during a hunting trip said on Sunday. Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara said in an interview that she had misspoken when she told local television station WFAA-TV that Scalia's death certificate would list the cause of death as a heart attack. (Reporting by Sara Vasquez; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia filed a lawsuit against Ukraine on Wednesday at London's High Court in connection with a $3 billion Eurobond debt, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said. "The lawsuit was filed after repeated unsuccessful attempts to encourage Ukraine to (engage in) a constructive dialogue on debt restructuring," Siluanov said. He added that Ukraine was not ready to negotiate in a "spirit of goodwill". Relations between the two neighbours have been fraught over a conflict between pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine and Ukrainian government forces. Moscow and Kiev have also been at loggerheads over the $3 billion Eurobond issued in late 2013 and which had a maturity date of December 20 of last year. Ukraine included it in the external debt it earmarked for restructuring as part of an IMF-led bailout programme. Russia has repeatedly declined to participate in the restructuring process, while Ukraine has insisted it could not repay the bond in full. Siluanov said he believed that the court proceedings in London would be open and transparent. "I think ... the protection of rights of the Russian Federation as a creditor will be carried out by an independent, authoritative court, which will impartially consider the dispute between the two sovereigns," he said. The two-year Eurobond was taken out by the government of Moscow-backed ex-president Viktor Yanukovich just two months before he fled to Russia in February 2014 in the face of street protests that brought a pro-European government to power. In a surprise move late last year, President Vladimir Putin offered Ukraine new terms on the bond, saying Moscow would accept an annual debt repayment of $1 billion over three years if the West provided guarantees. Ukraine did not agree to those terms. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Alexander Winning) A new species of freshwater turtle has been discovered in Papua New Guinea, one of a group that would have been present for the full geological formation of its main Pacific island, researchers said. Mountainous and tropical Papua New Guinea is known for its rich biological diversity, but much of its remote areas are relatively unexplored. The new turtle is one of three distantly-related species -- Elseya novaeguineae, Elseya schultzei and the new Elseya rhodini -- found across New Guinea island, according to a recent study published in international journal Zootaxa. The eastern part of New Guinea island is PNG while the western side is Indonesia. "The three species evolved from a common ancestor between 17 and 19 million years ago," lead author Arthur Georges from the University of Canberra said Tuesday. "These ages are quite remarkable and came as a surprise, because it means these turtles have together seen the full geological development of the island of New Guinea. "The other species of freshwater turtle appear to have arrived after New Guinea had formed much as we see it today," he added. The newly-discovered turtle species is part of the Chelidae family of side-neck turtles which are restricted to South America and Australia, along with PNG, Timor and Rote in Indonesia. It was identified as a new species distinct from its distant relatives from genetic and other data and found to be distributed across much of the island, south of the central ranges. Georges said it was "a very pretty turtle" and that one of its distinguishing features was its reddish colouration. BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government has hit back at U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura's comment that its commitment to allow aid deliveries would be "tested", saying his own credibilty needed testing, state media said on Tuesday. It quoted a Syrian foreign ministry source as saying that Damascus would not allow de Mistura to talk about testing its seriousness. De Mistura said earlier on Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad's government had a duty to allow the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid to all Syrians and that this would be tested on Wednesday. Lightstone Singapore will look to build and fund startups in the biomedical and medtech segments in the island nation EDBI, the corporate investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board, and Temasek have participated in a US$50 million funding round at Lightstone Singapore LP, a VC firm that aims to fund and build life sciences technology companies in the island nation. Lightstone Singapore is a unit of US-based Lightstone Ventures (LSV). EDBI looks forward to the partnership with Lightstone Ventures to continue growing the biomedical sciences industry. As an active investor in this sector since 2001, Lightstones focus on technology commercialisation will complement our investment strategy, and will help strengthen the local biomedical sciences ecosystem, said CHU Swee Yeok, CEO & President, EDBI. The Singapore government has invested a tremendous amount of resources into the local life sciences ecosystem over the past decade, said LSV General Partner Mike Carusi. The investment from Temasek and EDBI into the fund is clear affirmation of the opportunity to create and fund stand-alone companies in this space. We believe LSVs contribution in the form of new funding and its early-stage investment experience will further develop the vibrant life sciences industry in Singapore, Carusi added. LSV has also announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary Lightstone Singapore Pte. Ltd. a fund management company which will be heded by former Lightstone Venture Partner Dr. Kenneth D. Noonan, and joined by Investment Associate Dr. Wen Qi Ho. It will look to fund existing later-stage Singapore-based companies or funding projects where the focus is to target the Asia Pacific markets. The life sciences industry is now truly global in nature. It is no longer sufficient to be solely focused on a single geographic market. Lightstones expansion into Asia complements our efforts in both the US and Europe, where the firm has established a legacy of creating and building successful enterprises including Ardian, Twelve, Zeltiq, and FIRE1, added Carusi. LSV was founded in 2012 by the General Partners of the life science teams at Advanced Technology Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures to invest in early-stage breakthrough medical device and biopharmaceutical companies that have the potential to change medicine. Members of the Lightstone team have been involved in several of the largest, venture-backed life science exits over the last decade. The post Temasek, EDBI invest in Lightstone Ventures Singapore appeared first on e27. Turkey on Tuesday denounced Russia's bombing campaign in Syria as "barbaric", saying the assault had killed civilians including children and the elderly. "Those vile, cruel and barbaric planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since September 30 without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in parliament. Tensions between Turkey and Russia have soared over Moscow's backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia's air campaign against what it claims are "terrorist" targets in the country. Turkey has long backed Assad's ouster and like other Western nations accuses Russia of predominantly bombing Syrian rebel groups backed by Washington and its allies instead of the Islamic State group. Assad's forces have most recently used Russian air support to move ever closer to the rebel stronghold of Aleppo in northern Syria, which alarmed Ankara that Syrian Kurdish militia could take control of the region near the Turkish border. Ankara considers the PYD and its YPG militia to be branches of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkish artillery has struck Syrian Kurdish targets since the weekend. Russia has described Turkey's shelling of Kurdish and Syrian regime positions in the north of the country as a "provocative" action. Davutoglu on Tuesday accused Kurdish fighters of being "Russia's legion working as mercenaries" with a priority aim of harming Turkey's interests. "The YPG and PYD are not representatives of the Kurds, not of Syria, they are Russian legionaries and mercenaries," he said. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey wants a secure strip of territory 10 km (6.2 miles) deep on the Syrian side of its border, including the town of Azaz, to prevent attempts to "change the demographic structure" of the area, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said on Wednesday. Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes have advanced towards the Turkish border in a major offensive in recent weeks. Kurdish militia fighters, regarded by Ankara as hostile insurgents, have taken advantage of the violence to seize territory from Syrian rebels. Turkey has accused the Kurdish militia of pursuing "demographic change" in northern Syria by forcibly displacing Turkmen and Arab communities. Ankara ultimately fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state occupying contiguous territories currently belonging to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. "There is a game being played with the aim of changing the demographic structure. Turkey should not be part of this game," Akdogan said in an interview on the AHaber television station. REBEL STRONGHOLD "What we want is to create a secure strip, including Azaz, 10 km deep inside Syria and this zone should be free from clashes," he said. Azaz is the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, part of what was, before the Syrian government offensive, a supply route from Turkey to the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad. It has come under heavy assault in recent days, but Turkey has said it will not let the town fall into the hands of the Kurdish YPG militia. Turkey, home to more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has long pushed for the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians, avoiding the need to bring them into Turkey. But the proposal has so far gained little traction with Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone which could put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies. Akdogan said another 600,000 people could flee to the Turkish border if Aleppo falls to the Syrian army. (Reporting by Ercan Gurses; Writing by Nick Tattersall and Melih Aslan; Editing by Orhan Coskun) By Tulay Karadeniz and Ece Toksabay ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some European allies want ground troops deployed in Syria but there is no consensus in the coalition and a strategy for such an operation has not been seriously debated, Turkey's foreign minister told Reuters. Russian air strikes have helped to bring the Syrian army to within 25 km (15 miles) of Turkey's borders, while Kurdish militia fighters, regarded by Ankara as hostile insurgents, have also gained ground, heightening the sense of urgency. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said any operation could not be left to regional powers alone. "Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia and some other Western European countries have said that a ground operation is necessary ... But to expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is neither right nor realistic," he said in an interview. "If such an operation is to take place, it has to be carried out jointly, like the (coalition) air strikes," he said. Washington has so far ruled out sending its own ground troops into Syria, apart from small numbers of special forces. But Sunni Arab Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have said they are ready to send ground forces as part of an international coalition against Islamic State, providing Washington takes the lead. Cavusoglu said Turkey had repeatedly made the case for a more comprehensive strategy in Syria beyond air strikes but it had not been discussed seriously by the U.S.-led coalition. "Of course, there would be air strikes but a cleansing on the ground is also needed. I stated in every meeting ... that Daesh could not be destroyed or stopped by air strikes," he said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "The coalition has not given this ground operation issue serious debate. There were opponents, and there were those who weren't going to take part but expressed a desire for Turkey or another country doing it." Cavusoglu said Turkey supported the resumption of negotiations for a political solution in Syria but that they would go nowhere if Syrian government forces did not first halt their bombardments. U.N.-backed peace talks, which were suspended earlier this month, are scheduled to resume in Geneva on Feb. 25. "One needs to be realistic. While bombs are falling from the sky and people are being massacred under the pressure of the regime or are being starved, the talks cannot be very fruitful," Cavusoglu said. He also said Ankara and Washington needed to work harder to overcome differences over the role of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Turkey sees the group as hostile insurgents backed by the Syrian government and Moscow and has shelled YPG positions over the past four days. Washington sees the PYD, the YPG's political wing, as an effective ally on the ground in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. "We may be thinking differently but both sides need to put in more effort to iron out these differences," Cavusoglu said. "Our American friends have openly told us that they understand our sensitivities." (Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and David Stamp) By Do-gyun Kim OSAN, South Korea (Reuters) - The United States flew four F-22 stealth fighter jets over South Korea on Wednesday in a show of force following North Korea's recent rocket launch and ahead of the allies' joint military drills next month aimed at deterring Pyongyang's threat. The flight of the radar-evading F-22s, based in Okinawa, Japan, is the latest deployment of key U.S. strategic military assets to the South after the North defied warnings from world powers and conducted a fourth nuclear test last month. South Korea and the United States said the North's rocket launch on Feb. 7 was a long-range missile test and violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the use of ballistic missile technology by the isolated state. North Korea said it was a satellite launch. The U.S. military said at the weekend that it had deployed an additional Patriot high-velocity missile interceptor unit to South Korea in response to recent North Korean provocations. The allies were also expected to begin discussions on the deployment of the advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system. Last month, the United States flew a B-52 bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons on a low-level flight over the South following the North's Jan. 6 nuclear test. The joint military drills scheduled to start in March, which in most years last eight weeks and involve hundreds of thousands of South Korean and U.S. troops, will be the largest ever, according to South Korean officials. There are 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South as part of combined defence with the South's military of more than 600,000. The North has an army of 1.2 million. North Korea claims the annual drills are war preparations. South Korea and the United States say the exercises, which have been conducted for years without major incident, are defensive. (Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Michael Perry) HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's prime minister has urged a greater U.S. role in preventing militarisation and island-building in the South China Sea, the government said on Tuesday, in a rare call for Washington's support to curb Beijing's maritime expansionism. During a summit of Southeast Asian countries in California on Monday, premier Nguyen Tan Dung suggested to U.S. President Barack Obama that Washington uses a stronger voice and "more practical and more efficient actions", in comments likely to rile China. Tension has spiked since Beijing's construction of seven islands in the Spratly archipelago. "Prime Minister Dung suggested the United States has a stronger voice and more practical and more efficient actions requesting termination of all activities changing the status quo," the government said on its news website. The statement did not specifically name China, but it said Dung was referring especially to "large-scale construction of artificial islands" and "militarisation". With a large U-shaped line on its official maps, China claims most of the South China Sea. Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam have rival claims. Obama and allies from Southeast Asia will turn their attention to China on Tuesday on the second day of a summit intended to improve trade and provide a united front on maritime disputes with Beijing. Whereas China accuses the United States of seeking maritime hegemony in Asia, Washington says its interest in the South China Sea is preserving freedom of navigation. In recent months, the United States raised the stakes by sending guided-missile destroyers USS Lassen and USS Curtis Wilbur close to disputed areas occupied by Beijing. Though communist Vietnam routinely opposes China's activities in disputed waters, its leaders are usually wary of provoking a giant neighbour with which it shares over $60 billion of annual trade and maintains close ideological ties. Dung has earned popularity in Vietnam for pursuing stronger U.S. trade and defence links and for taking a tougher line against China, compared to measured responses by other Vietnamese leaders to Beijing's assertiveness. Dung was controversially overlooked by the politburo last month in its nomination for party chief, meaning the end of his political career when his term ends this year, posing a possible blow for Washington. Dung also asked Obama to fully lift a lethal arms embargo on Vietnam, which would be an "important way to strengthen political trust", the government website quoted him saying. Obama will visit Vietnam in May, the White House said. (Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Distance Learning Coalition Brings Online Career and Technical Ed to Wisconsin Fox Valley Technical College, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139, the McFarland School District and K12 have partnered to launch Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (WIDCA), an online high school focused on career and technical education (CTE), the state's first such school. WIDCA "is a tuition-free online public charter school open to students statewide in grades 9-12," according to a news release. "The school will serve full-time students as well as offer individual courses to students in schools that do not have access to CTE programs. The school is now accepting open enrollments." The pre-apprenticeship program aims to offer students a head start on their career goals by providing opportunities for college credit, workplace experience, industry certifications and technical and specialty trade credentials. Students, whether enrolled full or part time, can enroll in multiple versions of core high school classes or CTE courses in any of four Wisconsin career clusters, which include architecture and construction; business, management and administration; health science; and information technology. "One of the school's most innovative offerings, developed through an exclusive partnership with the Operating Engineers and Fox Valley Technical College, is the Operating Engineers program in the Construction Pathway," according to a news release. "This one-of-a-kind 'pre-apprenticeship' program directed by the Operating Engineers will give students hands-on experience and prepare them to enter apprenticeship training to become successful operating engineers heavy equipment operators, mechanics and surveyors in the construction industry. The Operating Engineers intends to offer summer camps for WIDCA students working through this career pathway at its state-of-the-art facility based in Coloma." Fox Valley Technical College is working with the Operating Engineers to develop the curriculum for the program. The college will also work to facilitate blended learning opportunities for students at schools, regional centers and training sites from around Wisconsin. The nonprofit public charter school will use curriculum and academic services provided by K12 and will be governed by an independent board of directors authorized by the McFarland School District. "Our mission is to serve the needs of every student and maximize opportunities for all," said Andrew Briddell, superintendent of McFarland School District, in a prepared statement. "This is the goal of our district and Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin. We are excited to make this school option available to families across the state." The remaining White House hopefuls have fanned out across New Hampshire in a last-ditch bid to grab votes ahead of the state's primary contest. Voters in the Granite state go to the polls on Tuesday morning in the nation's second presidential nominating contest. Eleven candidates remain in the hunt following the exodus that took place after last week's Iowa caucuses. On the Republican side, Donald Trump , who holds a commanding 17 point lead in the latest average of New Hampshire polls, is hoping to rebound from his second place finish in the Hawkeye state. The billionaire businessman traded his usual large-scale rallies for a more intimate town hall with some 230 people on Monday morning. He will cap the night with a rally at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. Meanwhile, Ted Cruz - fresh off his win in Iowa - faces a steeper climb in New Hampshire, where he sits third in the polls behind Marco Rubio. The Florida senator , who received the largest bump after his third place finish in Iowa, is spending his last day in New Hampshire fending off attacks from Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich. The trio of governors contend the 44-year-old senator lacks the experience to run the Oval Office. All three likely need strong finishes in New Hampshire to withstand pressure from party leaders who will want to narrow the GOP field as Super Tuesday approaches. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has closed the gap on Bernie Sanders' once-commanding lead in the Granite state, but the Vermont Senator still holds a nearly 13 point lead. By Jan Strupczewski, Alastair Macdonald and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British and EU negotiators agreed much of a reform package on Thursday to help keep Britain in the European Union, leaving Prime Minister David Cameron to settle tricky final issues, notably on migration, at a summit next week, diplomats said. After talks in Brussels among officials from all 28 member states to review mostly minor amendments to proposals made by European Council President Donald Tusk last week, an EU source reported "good progress" in clarifying technical, legal issues. "But main political issues are still outstanding and they will have to be dealt with by leaders next week," the source added, referring to a summit on Feb. 18-19 where Cameron hopes to clinch a final deal with his European peers on which he can campaign at home to keep Britain in the bloc at a referendum. Diplomats said the main outstanding issues were over how long Britain would be able to stretch EU rules by denying equal social benefits to workers from other EU states - an "emergency brake" intended to help Cameron cut immigration - and the wording of pledges to enshrine reforms on euro zone rules and national sovereignty in future treaty amendments. A British spokeswoman said "we are in a good place" with an amended draft, seen by Reuters. It made concessions to French concerns about British banks gaining advantage in the euro zone and to broader grumbles that doing favours for London will water down other nations' commitments to deeper European integration. East Europeans felt less satisfied after the talks, saying their demands for tighter limits on plans to curb benefits paid to their citizens working on low wages in Britain were not met, lining up a showdown with Cameron next week on EU migration. However, there was a consensus among diplomats and officials who spoke to Reuters that, while there was much detailed wrangling still to come, no one seemed willing to derail a deal to help keep the EU's second biggest economy from quitting - or to drag out negotiations to delay the referendum. Many believe Cameron wants the vote in June, requiring a deal by early March. One diplomat said east European states were pressing their demands on benefits hard: "But we are not ready to die for it." EASTERN CONCERNS Cameron, who faces tight opinion polls and a deep split in his own party, made securing reforms a condition for campaigning to keep Britain in the EU. Eurosceptics mock the changes as trivial - a view shared privately by many EU diplomats who are however anxious to help the prime minister win his case at home for fear Britain's departure could start unravelling the bloc. The most contentious element gives Britain the "emergency brake" to protect its welfare system from a threat by denying non-British workers equal benefits for up to four years after they arrive from other parts of Europe to take up jobs. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, known as the Visegrad Group, have pushed to limit the total duration of that emergency period to four years. The current EU text leaves the limit blank for the leaders to determine at their summit. British officials suggest the brake should be able to be applied for at least seven years. Britain allowed Poles and others to come to work in Britain as soon as their ex-communist countries joined the EU in 2004 - unlike most other states which used an EU rule to bar them from jobs for seven years. Tusk, who on Wednesday warned that the negotiating process was "very fragile", travels to Prague and Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday to try and shore up political support for the deal ahead of the summit. He will also be in Paris and Berlin. The revised text incorporates language on Britain's rights in respect of the euro zone and euro zone banking rules to assuage French concerns that the original proposal might give a competitive advantage to London's financial institutions. Also amended was language to appeal to European federalists, underlining that many Europeans support further political integration despite British concerns to shield themselves from that. It highlighted, too, that unlike Britain most non-euro states are obliged at some point to adopt the currency. (Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Andrew Heavens) By Renee Maltezou and Karolina Tagaris ATHENS (Reuters) - Excluding Greece from the open-border Schengen area will not solve the migrant crisis that is testing Europe's cohesion to its limits, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. Europe needed to improve the protection of its external borders, he told reporters after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens. That required more effort by Greece, but also more support from its European Union partners. Central European nations on Monday proposed drafting emergency back-up plans to halt the flow of migrants to Western Europe through the Balkans, effectively ring-fencing Greece. "The migration crisis is testing our union to its limits," Tusk said. "For all those talking of excluding Greece from Schengen, thinking this is a solution to the migration crisis, I say no, it is not." Greece -- the main entry point into Europe for more than a million refugees and migrants since last year, many crossing the sea from Turkey -- is under intense pressure from its EU partners to tighten border checks. EU ministers last week gave Greece three months to fulfil 50 recommendations to fix its borders. If it does not, the EU members of the free-travel Schengen zone can impose checks on internal frontiers for up to two years. Tusk, who was in Greece to rustle up support for an ambitious EU reform programme designed to keep Britain in the EU, was echoing sentiments expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said Greece needed help in meeting its border protection duties, and not shunned. "Let me be clear," Tusk said. "Excluding Greece from Schengen solves none of our problems." Greece says the burden it is assuming in the migrants crisis is disproportionate, adding strain on a nation reeling from six years of deep recession induced by austerity under the terms of three international financial bailouts. Athens says numbers are too big to handle, that it cannot turn back boatloads of refugees and migrants into the sea, and that Turkey do more to stop the migrants at its shores. Greece said on Tuesday it had set up four out of five proposed registration centres for refugees, drafting in the army to help. The leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia said on Monday there should be tighter controls on the borders of Balkan countries neighbouring Greece if attempts to limit the numbers from Turkey to Greece failed.. Tsipras repeated his call for a common European approach. EU leaders are due to meet this week to discuss EU reforms and the migration crisis. At the Feb. 18-19 summit, British Prime Minister David Cameron wants to reach a deal on reforms which he will put to Britons on a referendum on EU membership expected to be held in late June. (Additional reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Tom Heneghan) ROME (Reuters) - Italy's mafia has infiltrated huge swathes of the country's agriculture and food business, earning more than 16 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in 2015 from the industry, according to a study released on Wednesday. The report by Italy's agricultural association, Coldiretti, the Eurispes think-tank and Agro-Food Criminal Observatory said organised criminals were taking advantage of the prolonged economic downturn to seize control of farmland and firms. "They are creating a crisis for the image of Italian food in the world, they are putting the health of consumers at risk and putting our environment at risk," said the head of Coldiretti, Roberto Moncalvo. "Above all they are suffocating the business and economic fabric of many honest companies that are being jeopardised by this criminal activity," he told reporters. The study showed the influence of crime gangs reached right across the country, but they remained especially powerful in their traditional southern bastions, such as Sicily. In one area, Ragusa, famed for its year-round production of tomatoes, it said mobsters had a total stranglehold on agriculture. Contacted by Reuters, the town council of Ragusa declined to comment on the report. Only four of Italy's 102 provinces showed no sign of illegal activity in the agriculture sector, said the study, which was unveiled at a conference attended by the justice minister and a number of the nation's top anti-mafia prosecutors. Coldiretti said the gangsters made money in numerous ways, including by counterfeiting prized products like virgin olive oil and buffalo mozzarella to stealing entire herds of animals and whole crops. They had also muscled in on distribution and sales networks, leading to price hikes for consumers. The report said turbulence in the banking sector and the fall in bond yields meant that some investors were offering funds to illegal agricultural operators, making unorthodox investments that it termed "money dirtying". The World Bank estimates that agriculture accounts for some 2.2 percent of Italy's gross domestic product and employs roughly four percent of the work force. Coldiretti is urging the government to strengthen the legal framework to defend the nation's farmers from mafia gangs, saying the sector could generate much more wealth if it was freed from organised crime. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Dominic Evans) SWNS

Americans are still waiting for their Goldilocks moment four in five say theyve never found their perfect fit for certain items.

According to a new poll of 1,000 people 250 lbs and over and 1,000 people under 250 lbs, 52% struggle to find clothing, mattresses (40%) and bathtubs or shower enclosures (38%) that fit their body types.

In fact, about two-thirds (67%) find themselves struggling frequently with finding items that fit their body size needs.

This was especially true for those 350 lbs and over, as 41% admit they always struggle, compared to only 23% of those under 250 lbs.

Despite frequency, almost three-quarters (74%) of all respondents find themselves feeling frustrated when they are searching for an item that accommodates their needs.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Big Fig Mattress, the survey asked respondents how they go about their everyday lives despite challenges they may face because of their body type.

Results found that seven in 10 respondents feel less confident when they struggle with finding items that fit their size needs.

When asked about other emotions respondents experience, those 250 lbs and over are more likely to feel set apart from others, citing embarrassed (59%) and isolated (53%).

While those who are under 250 lbs tend to lean towards disappointed (51%).

Even so, those 250 lbs and up were more optimistic than those under (35% vs 23%).

The average respondent has crossed off about five brands or retailers because they dont carry products that meet their physical needs.

However, for those who are 250 lbs and over, 72% have eliminated between three and eight stores.

Almost one in five (18%) of those under 250 lbs cited that all stores carry their size, compared to only 2% of those who are 250 lbs and up.

"This survey makes it clear that the 'all' part of 'one size fits all' couldn't be further from the truth," said Jeff Brown, president, Big Fig Mattress. "Almost two in five respondents haven't found something that they felt was made for them. Everybody and every body deserves a long-lasting and comfortable mattress to support a good night's sleep, regardless of your size."

Products made for all body types are an issue no matter what the product, with respondents needing to stand on furniture to reach something (46%) or finding that clothing is either way too long or too short (46%).

And ill-fitting items arent just an inconvenience, 61% of respondents say that clothing, vehicles (59%) and mattresses (50%) that arent made for their body type have a big impact on their quality of life.

More than half of those 250 lbs and over (53%) believe their life is more difficult than for someone who is considered normal sized.

But that doesnt mean respondents are only dwelling on the negative almost half (44%) frequently make light of their struggles.

When asked how they do so, respondents outlined things like, I speak to myself. I'm beautiful and special. I'm impeccable," and Remind myself that if this is the biggest problem I have, then I am doing just fine in life."

The survey also asked about relationship status and how respondents are navigating integrating their lifestyles with another uniquely sized person.

Seventy-four percent of all respondents are in a relationship and living with their significant other.

Almost half (45%) are mixed-size couples, meaning they have a noticeable difference in body size or type.

Because of this, couples face challenges like finding a place to live that accommodates both people (40%), struggling to share a mattress comfortably (40%) and having items that one person uses but the other never would such as step stools (34%).

In the end, more than two-thirds (68%) of all respondents agree that its difficult to navigate a one size fits all world when people have varying body types.

We believe and support being body positive, in body acceptance, and in making positive life choices, noted Brown. Bigger figured people deserve the same level of quality products and choices as everyone else. Its important to accept that all bodies are different and require more from product manufacturers, and I think the data makes that clear.

MOST DIFFICULT ITEMS TO FIND FOR A SPECIFIC BODY TYPE

  • Clothing - 52%
  • Mattress - 40%
  • Bathtub/shower enclosure - 38%
  • Chairs/couch - 35%
  • Bike/scooter - 34%
  • Vehicle - 31%

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 1,000 Americans under 250 lbs and 1,000 Americans 250 lbs and up was commissioned by Big Big Mattress between September 8 and September 21. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

By Tim Hepher and Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Qatar Airways threatened to cancel an order for Pratt & Whitney engines for a fleet of Airbus narrow-body jets on Tuesday, saying the newly developed powerplants had "a lot of problems". The Gulf airline has ordered 50 A320neo-family aircraft and was originally due to take the first delivery in December, but rejected the jet due to what it called an engine problem and the first jet went last month to Lufthansa instead. Asked at the Singapore Airshow to describe his concerns, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: "There are a lot of things wrong with A320neo, with the engines. So we have refused to accept those airplanes. "Let me be very clear: it is not the fault of Airbus. Airbus has delivered all their part, and as you know, no airplane can fly without an engine. And they have huge issues with the engine," he said in a group interview. "I don't want to get into the detail but Qatar Airways will not accept an aircraft with those engines unless they are very much corrected. Otherwise we have no alternative but to look at an alternate engine supply." Pratt & Whitney competes with CFM International, co-owned by General Electric and France's Safran , to supply engines for the narrowbody Airbus jet family. Pratt & Whitney has acknowledged teething problems on the engine but says they do not affect its 15-percent fuel savings. "We will not cancel the A320neo order. Our relations with Airbus are very strong. We have full confidence in the neo programme but yes, we could cancel the entire Pratt & Whitney order," Al Baker told reporters. Al Baker, who has a record of criticising manufacturers at air shows over the airline's exacting quality standards, said engines had been delivered without the desired performance. "According to them, they're on the way to correct these issues, but I have no confidence unless I see it really happen." Asked whether Qatar Airways had set a deadline for the problems to be resolved, he said, "Yes we have given them a deadline... Months". Pratt & Whitney officials could not immediately be reached for comment. In an interview with Reuters earlier, Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc gave further details of two problems which have affected engine startup times and faulty engine software messages, but said these were being resolved. Pratt & Whitney is delivering according to the latest schedule, he said. Airbus and Pratt & Whitney officials said the schedule had been slowed in the first half of the year to ensure a smooth production ramp-up. Leduc said some 60-65 percent of the 200 Geared Turbofan engines that Pratt intends to build in 2016 would be delivered in the second half of the year. (Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Anshuman Daga) BEIRUT (Reuters) - Trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered five besieged areas of Syria scheduled for deliveries on Wednesday in a U.N.-backed deal to deliver help to thousands of trapped residents, the United Nations said. The Syrian government approved access to seven besieged areas after crisis talks in Damascus on Tuesday, a week ahead of a planned resumption of peace negotiations between Syria's warring parties. The U.N. estimates there are 486,700 people in around 15 besieged areas of Syria, and 4.6 million people in hard-to-reach areas. In some, starvation deaths and severe malnutrition have been reported. One hundred truckloads of aid were given to about 100,000 people, the U.N. said, as convoys entered Madaya, Zabadani and Mouadamiya al-Sham near Damascus which have been under siege by government forces, and the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province, which are surrounded by rebel fighters. There have been several aid deliveries to Madaya and Zabadani and to al-Foua and Kefraya this year, but each has to be carefully synchronized between the warring sides so that convoys enter simultaneously. The Syrian Red Crescent coordinated with the U.N. on the deliveries, which include wheat and high-energy foods, with medical teams being sent to some areas. The world body has demanded unhindered access to all besieged areas of the country, where it says hundreds of thousands of people are trapped by fighting and deliberate blockades by various warring sides. In Madaya, near the border with Lebanon, dozens have starved to death after months of siege by government forces and their allies. In the city of Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, parts of which are under siege by Islamic State militants, unverified reports have said up to 20 people have died of starvation. Deir al-Zor was one of the seven areas to which the aid convoys were expected to head within the next few days, the U.N. said. Yacoub el-Hillo, U.N. humanitarian and resident coordinator in Syria, said aid operations must continue beyond recent efforts to restart peace talks, but a solution to the root of the problem must also be found. A humanitarian task force will meet in Geneva on Thursday to take stock of access to besieged areas, a statement from the office of the special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said. That was in line with an agreement on humanitarian assistance reached in Munich last week by major and regional powers. UNRELENTING FIGHTING Syria's opposition says it will not negotiate with Damascus until sieges imposed by government forces and their allies have been lifted - one of many issues that led to a suspension of the peace talks in Geneva earlier this month. Talks are scheduled to resume on Feb. 25, but fighting and air strikes continue unabated throughout the country, where 250,000 people have been killed in five years of war. In the town immediately next to Mouadamiya, Daraya, the Syrian army and allied forces continue a major offensive to take back the rural suburbs of Damascus still in rebel hands. In Deraa city, south of Damascus, jets believed to be Russian pounded insurgent positions on Wednesday near a now-closed rebel-held border crossing with Jordan. The attacks appeared aimed at cutting rebel supply lines. A fighter from al-Tawhid al-Janub Brigade, part of the Southern Front rebel alliance, said the bombing of the old quarter of Deraa city, which has been in rebel hands for nearly three years and whose residents have fled since the start of the conflict, was the heaviest in over two years. The army controls the rest of the city. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Kinda Makiyeh and Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by John Davison; Editing by Peter Cooney and Tom Brown) By Nick Tattersall and Asli Kandemir ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will not let Kurdish militia fighters backed by the United States establish a foothold on its border in northern Syria and will not stop shelling if its security is threatened, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. The Kurdish YPG militia, regarded by Ankara as a hostile insurgent group, has taken advantage in recent weeks of a major Syrian army offensive around the city of Aleppo, backed by Russian air strikes, to seize ground from Syrian rebels near the Turkish border. Their gains have infuriated Turkey, which has shelled YPG positions in Syria in response to what it says is fire coming across the border. They have also complicated wider efforts to end the Syrian conflict, deepening divisions between NATO member Turkey and the United States, which views the YPG as a useful ally in the fight against Islamic State. "Today our rules of engagement may be just about responding to an armed attack against our country, but tomorrow if necessary those rules can be expanded to cover every threat," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast live on television. "Nobody should doubt that. We will not allow the formation of a new 'Qandil' on our southern border," he said, referring to the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq, where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has established bases during a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkey argues that the YPG is an extension of the PKK, deemed a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. It accuses the YPG of pursuing "demographic change" in northern Syria by forcibly displacing Turkmen and Arab communities, as well as Kurds who do not share its ideology. Ankara ultimately fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state occupying contiguous territories currently belonging to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Erdogan said he could not understand why Washington refused to call the YPG and its political wing, the PYD, a terrorist organisation. Ignoring their links to the PKK was, he said, a hostile attitude to Turkey and reiterated comments of recent days asking the United States to choose its allies: "We want to know: are your friends the YPG, PYD, or us," he said. Washington has told the YPG to avoid doing anything to increase tensions with Turkey, saying they undermine the struggle against Islamic State, but has also urged Turkey to cease artillery fire across its border, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday. RENEWED CALLS FOR "SAFE ZONE" Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said Turkey wants a secure strip of territory 10 km (6 miles) deep on the Syrian side of its border, including the town of Azaz, to prevent attempts to "change the demographic structure" of the area. Azaz is the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, part of what was, before the Syrian government offensive, a supply route from Turkey to the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad. It has come under heavy assault in recent days, but Turkey has said it will not let the town fall into YPG hands. "There is a game being played with the aim of changing the demographic structure. Turkey should not be part of this game," Akdogan said in an interview on the AHaber television station. "What we want is to create a secure strip, including Azaz, 10 km deep inside Syria and this zone should be free from clashes," he said. Turkey, home to more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has long pushed for the creation of a safe zone in Syria to protect displaced civilians without bringing them into Turkey. The proposal has so far gained little traction with Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone which could put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies. But Erdogan said some countries were warming to the idea. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, under pressure at home over her open-door policy for refugees, said on Wednesday that it would be good for the people in Aleppo and the area around it to create "a kind of no fly zone" up to the Turkish border, reiterating comments she made on Monday. Akdogan said another 600,000 people could flee to the Turkish border if Aleppo falls to the Syrian army. (Additional reporting by Ercan Gurses in Ankara and Melih Aslan in Istanbul, Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Editing by Giles Elgood) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian government has approved access to seven besieged areas and U.N. convoys are expected to set off in days, the United Nations said on Tuesday after crisis talks in Damascus. U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, who won the green light at talks with Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, said the world body would test the government commitment to allow access on Wednesday but gave no details. Their meeting in Damascus came at a time when government forces have been advancing rapidly with the aid of Russian air strikes, and just days before an internationally agreed pause in fighting is due to take effect. De Mistura said they had discussed the issue of humanitarian access to areas besieged by all sides in the five-year war. "It is clear it is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the U.N. to bring humanitarian aid," de Mistura said in a statement. "Tomorrow we test this." The Syrian government hit back at de Mistura's comment, saying his own credibility needed testing, Syrian state media said. It quoted a Syrian foreign ministry source as saying that Damascus would not allow de Mistura to talk about testing its seriousness. "The truth is Syria needs to test the credibility of De Mistura who has been contradicting what happened during the meeting with the Syrian government," the foreign ministry source was quoted as saying. "Delivering aid to areas besieged by terrorists has been the government's commitment towards its people for years." The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Syria had approved access to Deir al-Zor; Foua and Kafraya in Idlib; and Madaya, Zabadani, Kafr Batna and Mouadamiya al-Sham in rural Damascus. "Humanitarian agencies and partners are preparing convoys for these areas, to depart as soon as possible in the coming days," the OCHA said. It was not immediately clear whether the convoys would begin on Wednesday, as de Mistura had indicated. Nor was there any indication of a breakthrough on access to areas besieged by armed opposition groups. U.N.-backed peace talks are scheduled to resume in Geneva on Feb. 25, after de Mistura suspended a first round earlier this month. Last Friday global powers meeting in Munich agreed to the pause in fighting in the hope that this could allow the talks to resume, but the deal does not take effect until the end of this week and was not signed by the Syrian warring parties. "We are witnessing a degradation on the ground that cannot wait," U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told a news briefing. "The reason (de Mistura) suspended (the talks) was, as you know, that cities were still being bombed, people were still being starved on the ground." SUPPLY ROUTES The Syrian government is meanwhile advancing in the north of the country with Russian air support. Damascus says its main objectives are to recapture Aleppo - Syria's biggest city before the war - and seal the Turkish border, lifeline of rebel-held territory for years. Those would be the biggest victories for Damascus of the war so far, and would all but end rebel hopes of overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad, the goal they have pursued since 2011 with the support of the West, Arab states and Turkey. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Hussam Aala, said in an interview in the daily Tribune de Geneve: "We have done all we could to facilitate the passage of aid convoys in January and February." "The advance of the Syrian army in this region has allowed us to break the siege imposed against two towns, Nubul and al-Zahra. It opened the way for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver aid to 70,000 residents. Our objective was to cut all the supply routes for arms and for men to the terrorist groups armed by Turkey." The United Nations has reported that hospitals have been struck in northern Syria in areas where Russian and Syrian warplanes are launching air strikes as part of their advance. U.N. rights spokesman Rupert Colville condemned the air strikes on hospitals and schools in Idlib and Aleppo provinces. "If it's deliberate, intentional targeting, then it may amount a war crime. But at this point, we're not in a position to make that judgement. Ultimately that's only a court that can make that judgement, and you need sufficient evidence," he said. "Clearly those two, both Russian and Syrian planes, are very active in this area. So obviously they should know who is responsible." Russian news agencies quoted a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman as saying on Tuesday that Russia's Caspian Sea flotilla did not have a boat capable of firing a ballistic missile on the hospital in Idlib province. International humanitarian law says hospitals and health care personnel must be protected, Colville said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Angus MacSwan) By Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Western-backed government survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, staving off the immediate prospect of a snap election in a country fighting a deep recession and a pro-Russian separatist insurgency. The vote took place just hours after President Petro Poroshenko publicly urged the prime minister to resign, a move that underscored the level of political infighting that has derailed efforts to implement lasting reforms. Ukraine's international backers have invested much money and political capital backing the government in its stand-off with Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 following the overthrow of Kiev's pro-Russian president by protesters. But the former Soviet republic's failure to tackle corruption and implement reforms has already derailed a Western aid programme that keeps its economy afloat, and a ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists in the east has been fraying. The fact that the no-confidence vote happened at all underlined the public's growing disillusion with the leaders it elected after the 2013-14 Maidan uprising that raised hopes of transforming the country. It means the government will probably be safe at least until the next parliament session starts in September. But Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk still faces an uphill battle to push through reforms required to secure more money from a $40 billion international aid package. His economy minister resigned at the start of February, complaining that corrupt vested interests were meddling in his ministry's work. "I am sure that what we did was the only right path. We inherited a ransacked country with the Russian army and Russian boots on Ukrainian territory," Yatseniuk said in a speech before the vote. "We rescued this country, I ask you to respect this. We leave the country with a full treasury, an armed military and restructured debt." A year-old ceasefire agreement has failed to stop the separatist conflict in Ukraine's eastern industrial belt. Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military said, the highest death toll since November. The vote to topple Yatseniuk mustered 194 votes, dozens of votes short the 226 required, with many opposition lawmakers walking out before the vote took place. In a sign of possible further trouble down the line, the majority of the ruling coalition voted against the government, Poroshenko had said Yatseniuk's government had lost public support and committed "more mistakes than achievements". Poroshenko heads Ukraine's largest party, and Yatseniuk the next largest. Both are in the governing coalition. Yatseniuk took office in 2014. His approval ratings have plunged to below 1 percent but he had no obvious successor, although the parliamentary speaker and the technocrat finance minister were considered contenders. Hundreds of protesters rallied outside parliament, demanding he step down. He foretold this fall in popularity when he assumed office in the wake of the Maidan protests, calling himself the leader of a "kamikaze" government that was determined to take unpopular austerity measures no matter the political cost. With his fluent English and economics background he was seen as a favourite of Ukraine's Western backers. In a leaked recording of a telephone call between senior U.S. diplomat Victoria Nuland and the U.S. ambassador to Kiev, she described him by the affectionate nickname "Yats." "EARLY ELECTIONS AND CHAOS" Also under fire for his performance in office, Poroshenko made a concession to his critics by asking General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin to resign. Shokin, who had been nominated by Poroshenko for the post, has been widely criticised by lawmakers and activists for not implementing judicial reforms. Maksym Burbak, the parliamentary leader of Yatseniuk's party, had said the consequences of voting against the government would be felt "literally the next day - since this could trigger early elections and chaos". Last year, the International Monetary Fund gave Ukraine a $17.5 billion package to be spread over four years, but so far only $6.7 billion has been disbursed. Kiev has been waiting since October for the next tranche of aid, worth $1.7 billion, which has been held up by concerns over the slow pace of reform. Ukraine's hryvnia currency weakened to a new 11-month low of more than 27 to the dollar on Tuesday, central bank data showed, and has fallen by more than a tenth since the start of 2016. (Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Alessandra Prentice) Three Hills Capital Partners has soared past 1bn for the final close of its fourth flagship fund, almost doubling the total it collected for its predecessor vehicle. Alain is responsible for CPPIBs international investment activities and the overall management of our global advisory relationships. Alain is based in London and is... Modified On Feb 17, 2016 07:08 PM By Sumit BAE systems, an international corporation in the field of defence, aerospace and security, has agreed to a landmark deal with Mahindra Group. The British firm has selected the Indian company for in-country Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) facility for the M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer. M777 Howitzer is an artillery gun used mostly by ground forces of various countries, currently deployed by the US and Canada. The selection follows a detailed assessment of Mahindras ability to fulfil the requirements and provide the best value to the M777 India programme, and in the future, grow its capability as a strategic partner for BAE Systems in India, said BAE on an occasion. Expressing his pleasure over the deal, Dr. Joe Senftle, Vice President of Weapon Systems in BAE Systems, added, "As a founding partner of defence manufacturing in India, BAE Systems is pleased to partner with Mahindra on our offer to develop an Assembly, Integration and Test facility in India. The facility is a fundamental part of the M777 production line. A domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility will enable the Indian Army to access maintenance, spares and support for the M777 locally. We will continue to support the two Governments to progress to contract agreement so that we may begin the process of 'Make in India' for M777." The tie-up is a major boost for Make in India campaign, which primarily aims at bringing investments to the country. India has always struggled when it came to manufacturing of weapons and depends heavily on exports from Israel and Russia. The agreement will also help Indian forces in logistics while using made-in-India weapons. Reasserting its commitment to the Make in India campaign, SP Shukla, Group President, Mahindra Defence & Aerospace was quoted as, "Mahindra and BAE Systems share the same values and common vision towards 'Make in India'. BAE Systems is one of the largest defence companies globally and we could not have a better partner. Also Read: Renault shares KWID perspective with PM Narendra Modi Modified On Feb 17, 2016 01:47 PM By Sumit for Maruti Baleno 2015-2022 Maruti is not yet convinced with the success of its recently launched car, Baleno. The hatchback has dominated its segment in the Indian market and now the carmaker has started exporting it to Japan. But , Maruti is not satisfied. As per Zauba, the Indo-Japanese company has now started exporting the four-wheeler to European nations as well. The left-hand drive units have been exported to Poland, Germany, Belgium, Slovenia and Italy. There have been slight variations made to the automobile. While in India, it has a 1,197cc petrol heart, the exported units run on 1,242cc petrol mill. Maruti Baleno comes with two engine options in India. While the 1.3-litre diesel powerhouse delivers a power of 74 bhp with a peak torque of 190 Nm, the 1.2-litre petrol engine churns out 83 bhp of power with 115 Nm of torque. While a 5-speed manual transmission is standard, petrol trims offer automatic CVT transmission also. Balenos top-end variants have been particularly a hit. Credit for this goes to the carmaker as it was able to control the pricing of its latest offering. This resulted in customers going more for the top-end variants as they now got more luxurious features in the same amount of money which they would have spent on any other car. Maruti is now about to bring Vitara Brezza to the Indian market. Though likely to be offered only in diesel trim initially, the to be launched vehicle has created a lot of buzz in the domestic space. It was completely unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016. The automaker recently opened bookings for the model. Watch First Drive of Maruti Baleno Also Read: Competition Check: Baleno RS vs Abarth Punto EVO vs Volkswagen Polo GT TSI Read More on : Maruti Baleno Credit unions are encouraged to contact their members of Congress and ask them to sign a letter today that urges NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz for a return to an extended, 18-month exam cycle for well-run credit unions. The letter, initiated by House Financial Services Committee members Frank Guinta, R-N.H., and Ruben Hinojosa, D- Texas, started circulating through the House last week for signatures. NAFCU Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler encouraged more signatures in a message to the House Financial Services Committee yesterday. Lengthening the cycle will provide well-run credit unions with immediate regulatory burden relief, Thaler wrote. It will also ensure NCUA resources are used for credit unions that are facing challenges and need more oversight. The new 'RSPO Next' certification standards for palm oil finally bans the use of Paraquat! There are stockpiles though, of Paraquat left in outbuildings and in warehouses throughout the palm oil industry landscape. It's application and illegal use would endanger worker safety and the environment. There is specific language addressing Paraquat in the progressive tax under consideration in France right now for monitoring and cleanup. French lawmakers Aline Archimbaud and Jean Dessesard (both members of the Greens) recently tabled two amendments to a French Health Law, and perhaps in doing so, are attempting to pass a more Precautionary Principle. France Considers Palm Oil Paraquat TaxFrance has challenged the Best Management Practices (BMP) of the palm oil industry with a progressive tax that appears in synch with the new Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil 'Next' certification criteria. There are several key considerations concerning ending the use of the herbicide Paraquat in the early stages of palm oil plantation development; specifically the immature seedling stage of the oil palm. 'The new RSPO Next' certification standards for palm oil finally bans the use of Paraquat! (02092016)There are stockpiles though, of Paraquat left in outbuildings and in warehouses throughout the palm oil industry landscape. It's application and illegal use would endanger worker safety and the environment. There is specific language addressing Paraquat in the progressive tax under consideration in France right now for monitoring and cleanup.See film for Oil Palm Best Management Practices and Paraquat at end of post.It is within the French parliament's authority - the government of the French Republic - to adopt Amendment 367.But the palm industry has decried that the Palm oil tax regulated in Amendment Number 367 as adopted by the French Senate on January 21, 2016, is deemed to have breached the principles of World Trade Organization (WTO) and General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) 1994. It would create price discrimination and could be harmful to Indonesia.Indonesia's first deputy for maritime sovereignty, Arif Havas Oegroseno has said: "This is a violation of the WTO obligations as well as of GATT 1994 agreement and the European Union market rules. Indonesia has already adopted Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard to encourage sustainable and environmental-friendly palm oil production.The tax is also aimed at eradicating dangerous pesticides (paraquuat), claimed to have been used in oil palm plantations across the world. This tax is illogical because the Indonesian government has already carried out efforts to prevent deforestation. Regarding the use of paraquuat pesticide, Havas considered the reason as invalid because the use of the pesticide has long been stopped. (02022016)(02092016) The European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA) is concerned about the proposed taxation on palm oil because:1) The amendment would have a negative impact on cross-industry efforts to ensure a 100 % sustainable palm oil supply chain by 2020, embodied in the December 2015 Amsterdam Declaration under the Dutch presidency of the EU - an initiative supported by the French Government2) The EU is the second largest importer of Palm Oil in the world, importing 7,300,000 metric tonnes annually (2014)3) This taxation could cause a potential distortion of the European internal market for oils and fats4) The risk that once this bill is accepted by France, more EU governments will introduce similar counterproductive trade restrictive measures, that may prove worse for both health and sustainability5) A massive growth in global demand for fats and oils is anticipated, the projected 35% increase adding up to 250 million tonnes per year by 2050. Many global NGOs, including WWF and Greenpeace, are convinced that Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) is the only vegetable oil in the world from a production capacity, cost and sustainability perspective - that can meet this need.Current Participants of the EPOA: Wilmar, Cargill, Sime Darby, more...If implemented, the policy could also disrupt the economic stability, considering that palm oil is a strategic sector. The sector has approximately absorbed 16 million workforces in Indonesia. In addition, it has also contributed 1.6 percent to Indonesias GDP. Indonesias export income of the commodity reaches approximately US$ 19 billion per year.Trade Minister Thomas Limbong has stated: "The ratification process of the drafted amendment still has several stages, from the Environment Commission level to the National Assembly level," Thomas said in a statement, noting that the draft bill is scheduled to be decided by France's National Assembly in March."During that time frame, I will continue to communicate and lobby to stakeholders, especially the Ecology fraction, as well as possible. Clearly, the proposed tax would breach the two most important WTO principles: national treatment and non-discrimination.Article III:2 of the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provides that imported products shall not be subject, directly or indirectly, to internal taxes or other internal taxes in excess of those applied, directly or indirectly, to like domestic products. It may be debatable whether the definition of like domestic products includes like products from other EU member states, or shall be confined to products obtained wholly from non-EU member states.However, the main issues remain: The proposed tax will discriminate against palm oil originating in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria. Members of the WTO may capitalize on Article XX of GATT on general exceptions to adopt measures such as internal taxes deemed necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health. But such measures should not be more trade-restrictive than necessary, and not applied in a manner that would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or disguised restriction on international trade.It is not really clear what is the main rationale for the French Senate to agree to amend the law on biodiversity last month. If the environment is the issue at hand, it is worth mentioning that palm oil requires far less land than other vegetable oil crops (corn, rapeseed, soya and sunflower) to produce the same output of oil, absorbs far more carbon and requires significantly less chemicals and pesticides to grow. The government of Indonesia, in cooperation with industry players, local communities and regional governments, has also embarked on initiatives to educate farmers on healthy and responsible farming.Concern Was Expressed From the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council 02112016There is the domestic protectionist European industry, which fears palm oil as a better, cheaper, more efficient alternative: often such companies and organizations will also conduct attacks on palm oil, or work with NGOs and others to spread misinformation through the media.There are the politicians, who are often in league with either the NGOs or the local industry: these are the individuals who promote laws, amendments, discriminatory criteria, that is targeted at palm oil. Often the politicians know very little about the issue, and are simply doing the bidding of others (and hoping for some easy publicity as well).An excellent example of this was seen in France recently where the first amendment called for all products in France containing palm oil to be labeled as palm oil (instead of the more generic term vegetable oil). The justification given was transparency.That might seem sensible and reasonable, except for the fact that this law already exists in France. In fact, it exists throughout the European Union, and has done since December 2014. It was a law knows as the European Food Information to Consumers Regulation.But I do say, in this author's opinion, the original EU labeling law also states:32) Mandatory origin provisions have been developed on the basis of vertical approaches for instance for honey, fruit and vegetables, fish, beef and beef products and olive oil. There is a need to explore the possibility to extend mandatory origin labeling for other foods. It is therefore appropriate to request the Commission to prepare reports covering the following foods: types of meat other than beef, swine, sheep, goat and poultry meat; milk; milk used as an ingredient in dairy products; meat used as an ingredient; unprocessed foods; single-ingredient products; and ingredients that represent more than 50 percent of a food.57) Since the objectives of this Regulation cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.Under Article 51 Exercise of the Delegation it is stated basically that the EU ruling on labeling shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of 5 years after 12 December 2011The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission for a period of 5 years after 12 December 2011.And with consultation etc. may be changed. View the lengthyEuropean Food Information to Consumers Regulation labeling law here:So perhaps French lawmakers Aline Archimbaud and Jean Dessesard (both members of the Greens) who recently tabled two amendments to a French Health Law, by doing so, are attempting to pass a more Precautionary Principle.Only in France and in EcuadorFrance took the decision, in 2005, to append the Precautionary Principle to its Constitution, heading a list of applicable standards. This very decision was and remains controversial. Elsewhere in the World, only Ecuador went this far.This principle is written into Article 5 of the Environment Charter placed as a preamble to the main Constitutional text, worded as follows: when there is a risk of damage, however uncertain given the latest state of scientific knowledge, of serious and irreversible impact on the environment, public authorities, applying the precautionary principle, will assure, in their respective areas of competence, that the procedures to assess risk and adopt provisional and proportionate measures to counter possible damage are duly applied and enforced.In reverse, the World Trade Organization has manifested a degree of defiance to the precautionary principle. Caution expressed by WTO points to the potential serious economic consequences of increased application of the precautionary principle.Again citing WTO, GATT, and past legislative attempts; lawyers with a Perspective on Trade have published a challenging tirade.In part it states: The French Senate adopted the amendment on 21 January 2016. The regular procedure provides that the text will now go back to the lower house of the French Parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, which will examine and debate the amendments made by the French Senate and vote on the amendments. Only when the same text, without further amendments, is adopted by both chambers, would the law be put into effect by the President and published in the Official Journal. This amendment revives the controversial and often misinformed debate about palm oil and its impact on the environment and human health.Due to the controversial nature and the misinformed justification of the adopted amendment, a reconsideration of this amendment by the National Assembly is in order.It is interesting that the actual January 21, 2016 Amendment 367 can only be challenged under the WTO and GATT. No mention is made of concern for Paraquat.Meanwhile, Back At The PlantationDegraded lands (secondary forest, alang alang covered landscapes) what does it take to convert these landscapes to oil palm plantations under BMP?Plantation Development 101 discusses soil fertility, planting density, slope gradient factors, indigenous soil nutrients, roads, oil palm planting grids, database mapping of soil structures and nutrients.BMP - Oil Palm BMP - Immature Plant Management; International Plant Nutrition InstituteOil Palm BMP Immature Stage (15 minute video)Once the Alang Alang is cleared, 3 rounds of glyphosate are applied. Soil preparation with rock phosphate, and legume planting follows. Lots of NPK. Palm planting circles are then weeded and dug. Oil palm seedlings are transported. Hand weeding of palm circles after seedlings are planted, more NPK and Magnesium, along with 20 months of herbicide application are required. 25 tons of empty FFB per hectare are also used for fertilizer annually thereafter!Published on Jul 12, 2012 - The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) is a not-for-profit, science-based organization dedicated to responsible management of plant nutrition for the benefit of the human family. As a global organization, IPNI has initiatives addressing the world's growing need for food, fuel, fiber, and feed.A really well done video of guidelines and Best Management Practices in the field and at all locations. Solidly narrated from the perspective of increasing palm oil production under Best Management Practices or BMP.Support France and the Palm Oil Paraquat Tax! Talk it up!The tax is being maligned in the press and Paraquat is never mentioned.The Roundtable On Sustainable Palm 'Next' (additional voluntary certification) which bans Paraquat, has taken more than 10 years to achieve. It's been a prolonged battle.According to industry sources, during the period from 1995 to 2001, palm oil, banana, and tea crops were an important market for Paraquat, with palm oil plantations contributing to 3.9% of total Paraquat sales, banana plantations to 3.1%, and tea estates to 2.5%, all together totaling 9.5% of sales.The RSPO failed to meet the expectations of its members by not identifying safe and cost-effective alternatives to specific hazardous chemicals, such as Paraquat used on Palm plantations, by the scheduled date of November 2007. Instead, they only started working toward this goal one year after that deadline, in January 2008.Goodbye To Paraquat: Palm Oil, Banana and Tea Producers Saying No to Hazardous PesticideA survey by the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) and the Berne DeclarationFebruary 2009 Edited by Alejandra GochezA survey cited in Why Paraquat Should Be Banned suggests that 4.9% of those exposed to pesticides (200,865 of the survey sample) suffered a symptomatic episode of pesticide poisoning requiring medical treatment during the period 20002001. Paraquat was one of 12 pesticides responsible for the majority of cases. Almost twenty percent of the poisonings reported to the surveillance system of the Costa Rican Ministry of health were caused by paraquat. (Twenty of 26 deaths from pesticides were due to paraquat. With almost no protective equipment, smallholders use paraquat very widely in the country on banana, cocoa, coffee, pineapple, cotton and oil palm plantations. For millions who spray paraquat, often on a daily basis, it is important to recognise that the acute effects can be constant, painful and debilitating. Why Paraquat Should Be Banned 4 pages:On a healthier, happier note:Solarzyme - algae butter! Palm Oil Replacement truly deforestation free!Algae Butter is a hard fat from a completely new source that we think will be a game changer for industry in terms of sustainability and nutrition in the world of structured fats.The algae butter has a very sharp consistent melting curve that gives the consumer a really enhanced sensory experience, but also delivers from a technical and functional perspective, so confectionery melts in your mouth, not on your hand, and spreads are solid at room temperature but melt after you spread them on toast.Saying No To Palm OilBy invoking the 'Copyright Disclaimer' Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." 107. Limitations on exclusive rights- Fair use: Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.If you or anyone wish to use copyrighted material from this article for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.Tomas DiFioreFrance, Palm Oil Tax, Paraquat, Paraquat Tax, Amendment 367, Indonesia, Malaysia, EU labeling law, Palm Oil Paraquat Tax, Roseanne Barr Headlines Israeli Government-Linked Gala in Bay Area Synagogue by Repost Roseanne Barr Headlines Israeli Government-Linked Gala in Bay Area Synagogue Barr Headlines Israeli Government-Linked Gala in Bay Area Synagogue The Israel-advocacy group, StandWithUs (SWU), plans to host a fundraising gala with Roseanne Barr on February 27 at Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland, Calif. The comedian, who has undergone a conversion from being anti-Zionist as recently as 2012, when she ran for president, is now a staunch supporter of the Likudist Israeli government. StandWithUs is one of the pro-Israel lobbys most aggressive promoters of Israels agenda in this country, and is directly funded by the Israeli government. Willie Jackson has written: The Chairman of the Maori Radio Network Te Whakaruruhau, Willie Jackson, called for an inquiry into the embarrassing level of Maori content on Radio NZ. Radio Waatea, the National Maori language current affairs and news provider conducted a 12 week audit of National Radio which revealed that out of 1440 hours of content Monday to Friday, RNZ played a mere 99 minutes of Maori content (0.1%) between November 2015 and January 2016. The audit came about after Jackson challenged the Head of Content for Radio NZ Carol Hirschfeld over the cancellation of their Maori dedicated news Manu Korihi in October of 2015. Ms Hirschfield said there would be even more Maori news after the cancellation of the news show, but the 12 week audit of daily news posted on their very own website reveals something that is substantially different to what she promised. Willie Jackson says that Carol Hirschfelds response was to predictably rubbish the audit. She said Maori are also mentioned on their national, political and regional web pages. He says sadly, Carol has fallen into the trap that others have in the past, who think that just because Maori are mentioned that this constitutes a Maori story, a little bit like the time when it was said that when Maori were on Police Ten 7 that constituted a Maori story. Maori being mentioned as part of other stories cannot be used in RNZs calculations of Maori stories. We looked at Maori-specific news over the 12 weeks and used the facts that they provided on their website Monday to Friday, but even if we were to include the stories that Carols talking about, the percentage would still be less than 2%. The Herald reports: Act Party leader David Seymour says a pattern is emerging in which judges are choosing not to give the harshest penalty for murderers under the three strikes legislation. On Thursday, Hamilton man Turei Rawiri Kingi, 26, was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years jail for bludgeoning an elderly man to death with a single strike of a bottle in August. The murder was Kingis second strike, or serious violence offence. Under a provision in the three strikes legislation, Kingi faced a life sentence without parole unless the judge considered this punishment manifestly unjust. Justice Edwin Wylie ruled that the sentence would be manifestly unjust because of Kingis mental health problems and a number of other factors. It is the third time in three cases that judges have used this clause to avoid the harshest penalty. He killed within months of getting his first strike. Im not optimistic that when he is released from prison, he wont carry on offending. Mr Seymour said he respected the judges decisions. But he said that the drafters of the three strikes law would probably be surprised that the manifestly unjust clause had been used in 100 per cent of the relevant cases. He said the safety valve clause was designed to prevent injustices in the most extraordinary, out-of-the-box homicide cases in which a life sentence without parole would clearly be wrong. It is interesting just from a policy point of view to note that so far this scenario has played out three times, once in Auckland, once in Wellington and once in Hamilton, and each time the judge has said that this is one of these extraordinary cases, Mr Seymour said. What will be interesting is when someone is up for a third strike for a non-murder case, so it is not life without parole but the maximum sentence (say 20 years for rape) without parole. Will the judge then impose the penalty specified under the three strikes law, or will judges continue to find reasons for a stronger penalty to be manifestly unjust? Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Suddenbreakingnews Explodes onto Kentucky Derby Trail: The Road to the Kentucky Derby traveled through Arkansas once again, this time, the Southwest Stakes was the popular stop for promising three-year-old colts and geldings hoping to collect the final set of 10-4-2-1 points before the stakes were raised and the races would get more difficult. The Southwest Stakes is run around two turns, going 1 1/16 miles over the dirt. This year, a gelding bred to be long striding and classic won the race and has not jumped to the forefront of everyones minds with his move in the stretch. Suddenbreakingnews is new to the Triple Crown trail. He has races exclusively at Remington Park before the Southwest Stakes. The well-bred gelding made a last to first move in his first start at Oaklawn, winning over two promising horses in Whitmore and American Dubai. While the pace in the Southwest was honest for these horses, it was not insanely fast that most closers need to make a move like Suddenbreakingnews did. This Mineshaft gelding has a lot to look forward to. The colt is by top stallion, Mineshaft, a son of A.P. Indy who stands at Lanes End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Mineshaft currently stands for $25,000 at the Kentucky farm. The stallion has 40 stakes winners to his credit, including Discreetly Mine, Dialed In, Its Tricky, and Effinex. In 2015, his top selling yearling went for $485,000 at Keeneland in their September sale. Mineshaft was Champion Older Male and Horse of the Year in 2003, where he strung together victories in the Suburban, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also has the Pimlico Special, Ben Ali, and New Orleans Handicap on his resume for the year. He also boasted second place finished in the Whirlaway Handicap and the Stephen Foster. He never finished worse than second while in the United States Suddenbreakingnews is out of the mare Uchitel, who started three times in her career, but managed only to finish as well as 6th. Her other two starts, she managed a 7th and an 8th . She clearly was not cut out for racing and was sent to the farm to become a broodmare. In 2013, she produced a Mineshaft colt, later gelded and named Suddenbreakingnews. Uchitel also has a 2012 Sky Mesa filly, named Virginia Hill, who has raced exclusively at Woodbine. She is a winner of a maiden and also placed third in an allowance. Uchitel is sired by top racehorse, Afleet Alex. Afleet Alex was one of the most memorable racehorses in recent history. After a top showing in the Arkansas Derby, he finished a trapped third in the Kentucky Derby behind 50-1 shot, Giacomo and Closing Argument at odds of 72-1. Afleet Alex has been 5-1. The favorite that year was Bellamy Road, after he demolished a field of good horses in the Wood Memorial. Afleet Alex came back to win the Preakness in brave fashion, stopping the hearts of millions when he went to his knees at the top of the stretch when Scrappy T blew the turn, causing Afleet Alex to clip heels. He picked himself up and gave the crowd a show. He came back again to win the Belmont Stakes, where he put on another impressive showing. Following that, Afleet Alex experienced a career ending injury when he resumed training. He stands stud at Gainesway Farm for a light price of $12,500. Suddenbreakingnews is proven on both turf and dirt, but seems to have found a home on the dirt. If he comes out of the Southwest well enough, he will likely aim for the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby before heading to Louisville. The gelding looks to have a promising future. Southwest Stakes 2016 Suddenbreakingnews Replay: Royal Obsession a Possible New Star in Rachel Alexandra: Stonestreet Farms, with their plethora of quality horses, holds a special place in racing fans hearts. On Saturday, they hope to unveil another star in Royal Obsession, who starts her path on the Oaks trail in the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra (GII) at Fair Grounds. The winner takes home 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks (GI). Steve Asmussen conditions the 3-year-old daughter of Tapit, and she did not come cheap. Royal Obsession sold for over $1 million last November, meaning expectations are high. Asmussen and Stonestreet Farms also campaigned the legendary Rachel Alexandra, who lives a quiet life retired from the racing and broodmare world. Stonestreets bloodstock agent gave some interesting comments about Royal Obsession before she ever raced. Shes been training absolutely lights-out super and Steves high on her, said agent John Moynihan in a Keeneland press release, before her career debut at Churchill Downs. Her maiden win at Churchill Downs involved a five-wide rally, and her return at Fair Grounds two months later included another wide trip and she prevailed by only a head. Royal Obsession can be forgiven for any slow figure earned in the Fair Grounds win, if only because of the pace. She ran fifth in the early going, or second to last, off a 24 and change opening quarter. Lemon Drop Belle, who competes in this field as well, finished second by a head probably because she ran closer to the pace. To give more credit to Royal Obsession, no one can take speed figures too seriously right now for horses this young, especially if the horse has competent people and the breeding indicates further improvement. Royal Obsessions damsire Tiznow gives evidence of this because Tiznow relatives tend to excel at longer distances. Also, note how Stonestreet nominated this filly for the Triple Crown series. While several horses with no chance to win races such as the Kentucky Derby (GI), Preakness (GI) and Belmont (GI) are on the list each year, they must think highly of her for putting up the money. No other filly in the Rachel Alexandra was nominated to the series. Royal Obsession starts from the outside post position nine, in a two-turn route, which is one negative factor to consider. Not convinced in her ability? Well, stablemate and expected favorite Stageplay breaks just to the inside. Not many handicappers require explanation of Stageplays positive qualities. She owns plenty of tactical speed, a trait that helps runners in dirt racing. Plus, she won two stakes races and placed in a Grade II already. Specifically, she finished second to Carina Mia, a daughter of Malibu Moon, in the Golden Rod Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs on a sloppy dirt track. Perhaps Carina Mia ran a great race, but Malibu Moon progeny love the slop and she coasted on an uncontested lead. In a different scenario, maybe Stageplay wins. Who knows? The other fillies must work out a good trip to defeat the top two. From the rail, Shaken can jump up in her second career start for trainer Michael Stidham. Horses making their second overall start are liable to make a big jump because the first race acts as a learning experience. Three spots right, Javier Castellano hops on board Forever Darling, who won the Santa Ynez (GII) at Santa Anita Park. Castellano-ridden horses always deserve a bit more consideration because of his excellent jockey skills. Rounding out the major contenders, Midnight On Oconee attempts to avenge her loss to Stageplay and appears likely to gun from the sixth slot. She seems more probable to fade than hang on, but early speed is dangerous. Narrowing down the field to Royal Obsession and Stageplay is the boring route to take, unfortunately. More clever handicappers will find a longshot choice and take their chances. Otherwise, pair the two Asmussen fillies with longshots in horizontal wagers and enjoy a couple of rising stars in the filly division! TwinSpires.com Rachel Alexandra Stakes 2016 Post Positions & Odds Race 9 4:23 PM CT 1 Shaken 12-1 Hernandez, Jr./Stidham 2 Finleysluckycharm 12-1 Albarado/Calhoun 3 Venus Valentine 20-1 Lanerie/Amoss 4 Forever Darling 7-2 Castellano/Baltas 5 Lemon Drop Belle 12-1 Alvarado/Stewart 6 Midnight On Oconee 5-1 Graham/Jones 7 Lovable Lyss 8-1 Torres/Robertson 8 Stageplay 7-5 Geroux/Asmussen 9 Royal Obsession 8-1 Velazquez/Asmussen Washington, DC The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred two brokers from the securities industry after finding the brokers guilty of The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred two brokers from the securities industry after finding the brokers guilty of fraud related to their sale of the Prestige Wealth Management Fund, LP. The brokers reportedly consented to the entry of FINRAs findings but neither admitted nor denied the claims of stockbroker fraud. FINRA announced the decision in a news release (2/11/16; finra.org), and said it conducted an investigation into Timothy S. Dembski and Walter F. Grenda, for activities they engaged in while employed with Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation. FINRA alleged Dembski and Grenda made material misrepresentations and omissions to lead investors to believe that the hedge fund was a growth fund that would be based on a computer algorithm that automatically included risk protections and stop-losses to limit losses in the fund. Instead, the fund was speculative, was not chained to a computer algorithm and, in its last traded month, lost more than 80 percent of its value.In addition to making misstatements about the fund, Dembski and Grenda also allegedly knowingly distributed information that contained misrepresentations about the Chief Investment Officers experience. For example, the materials reportedly stated that the CIO worked in financial services for more than 14 years and co-managed a portfolio of more than $500 million, both of which were reportedly false.FINRA is the regulatory body that oversees brokers and securities firms in the United States. Investors are normally required to agree to FINRA arbitration to settle disputes with their brokers. FINRA can also conduct investigations on its own, and can fine or bar brokers based on its investigations.In 2015, FINRA barred nearly 500 brokers from the securities industry and we will continue to root out those brokers who seek to take advantage of their customers, Brad Bennett, FINRAs Executive Vice President and Chief of Enforcement, said in the news release.In late 2015, FINRA ordered a securities firm , its founder and a broker to pay $1.9 million to investors, after the investors claimed they were victims of fraud and churning (unnecessarily high account transactions). The complainants were awarded $1.7 million in damages, plus interest and punitive damages. The securities firm was also accused of not adequately preventing brokers from churning accounts or violating other securities rules. FINRA alleged the firms founder fostered a culture of non-compliance.Among complaints against the firm were unauthorized trading of seven accounts, churning on five accounts and two counts of recommending unsuitable investments.The arbitration iscase number 12-02861, before FINRA. Washington, DC Back in May 2014, we suggested that a lot hadnt changed with regard to Zithromax side effects and, specifically, informing consumers as to rare but potentially serious Back in May 2014, we suggested that a lot hadnt changed with regard to Zithromax side effects and, specifically, informing consumers as to rare but potentially serious Zithromax reactions of which the medical community is well apprised, but the general public not so much. To recap, in June 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to Zithromax manufacturer Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer) over a brochure Pfizer had distributed espousing the virtues of Zmax, an extended-release version of Zithromax (azithromycin). The FDA, in its view, found the manufacturer lacking when it came to communicating side effects to consumers and, specifically, Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome.Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS for short, is a horrific allergic reaction to Zithromax that begins with Zithromax rash, and can quickly expand to blisters and massive loss of upper dermis (the outer layer of the skin) similar in character to serious burns.SJS and its more devious cousin, Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), can and has been proven to be fatal. Those who survive the horrors of SJS and TEN can be scarred for life - both emotionally and physically.No one knows what causes Stevens Johnson Syndrome, beyond an allergic reaction to medication that differs from one person to the next. Zithromax could trigger SJS in one individual, but not another. Similarly, an individual can use azithromycin successfully in the past, and yet develop an allergic reaction to it later on. There appears to be no pattern - and Zithromax is not the only suspected culprit: other medications can trigger similar adverse reactions.What plaintiffs in many a Zithromax lawsuit object to is not knowing about the possibility. Plaintiffs in a Zithromax Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit filed in 2012 made just that point, in court documents.[Zithromax] lacked sufficient warnings of the hazards and dangers to users of said product and failed to provide safeguards to prevent the injuries sustained by the plaintiff, the Alexander Zithromax lawsuit said (Case No. 155812/2012, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York).In May of 2014, it appeared as if Pfizer was making detailed information available for doctors and the medical community, but was satisfied with glossing over the details for consumers, leaving them with information about possible Zithromax side effects in the most general of terms.Some 20 months later, little appears to have changed. On the official Zithromax page on Pfizer.com, a single link for consumers references the potential for rare, but serious side effects that include severe allergic reactions and severe skin rash or blisters, among others. Caregivers are advised to take their children immediately to a hospital should this happen. Parents and caregivers are also invited to ask their doctor or medical health professional for a detailed Zithromax Professional package insert, which - presumably - is not packaged directly with the medication.Stevens Johnson Syndrome is not identified or referenced within the information page intended for consumers. A web page, Zithromax.com, is also referenced but does not work. The consumer page for Zithromax on the Pfizer site is shown as having last been updated in June 2011.The link for medical professionals, on the other hand, is much more detailed and has been updated more recently. In May of last year, the warnings and precautions section for hypersensitivity was updated thus: Serious allergic reactions, including angioedema, anaphylaxis, and dermatologic reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) have been reported in patients on azithromycin therapy.Fatalities have been reported. Despite initially successful symptomatic treatment of the allergic symptoms, when symptomatic therapy was discontinued, the allergic symptoms recurred soon thereafter in some patients without further azithromycin exposure. These patients required prolonged periods of observation and symptomatic treatment. The relationship of these episodes to the long tissue half-life of azithromycin and subsequent prolonged exposure to antigen is presently unknown.If an allergic reaction occurs, the drug should be discontinued and appropriate therapy should be instituted. Physicians should be aware that allergic symptoms may reappear when symptomatic therapy has been discontinued.With more consumers mining the online portals for research and subject material, Pfizer has not provided new or updated information for almost five years for the exclusive use of consumers. Unless they are told by their prescribing doctor or other medical professional, consumers have no idea as to what Stevens Johnson Syndrome is, or that Zithromax - and many other medications for that matter - can trigger a horrific reaction that can cause dire health issues, and even death. February 16th, 2016. By LucyC Well heres one for the books. A poetic response (literally) to a rather frivolous lawsuit. A judge in Franklin County, Ohio handed down his judgment by writing a 5 stanza poem. Suffice to say, the suit didnt get the green light. What was it all about? Darek Lathan, a 47-year old inmate at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient (Ohio) attempted to sue the state after a guard at the center refused to let him use an open restroom during recreation time. Lathan said he soiled himself and was ridiculed as a result. Not pretty. Not very nice, either. Butworthy of a $2 million lawsuit? Apparently not. At least not according to Franklin County Judge David Cain, who concluded Lathan didnt have a case. You know, if he is going to file something that frivolous, he cant expect me to be too judicious in how I respond, Judge Cain told The Columbus Dispatch. He cant expect me to take it seriously. Judge Cain, who had a former career as a journalist, summed it up quite nicely when he penned: Claiming loss and shame to boot the plaintiff filed the present suit, but the law provideth no relief from such unmitigated grief. We have to have some fun every once in a while in this job, Cain told the Dispatch. Apparently the judge dashed off the entire 5 stanzas in an hour. Well done. As for the plaintiff? He is now incarcerated elsewhere. He didnt have a lawyer apparently, and made no comment. Lathan filed his lawsuit in October last year, claiming that while he warned the officer he was struggling with a cold and diarrhea from taking cold showers in the prison, he was refused permission to get out of line. He suffered harassment, embarrassment, ridiculing (sic) and emotional distress when other inmates began laughing at him after the bathroom accident, he wrote. Heres the poem: Cold showers caused his bowels to malfunction Or so the plaintiff claims A strict uncaring prison guard Is whom the plaintiff blames. While in line for recreation And little time for hesitation His anal sphincter just exploded The plaintiffs britches quickly loaded. It made the inmates laugh and play To see the plaintiffs pants this way The foul, unsightly, putrid mess Caused the plaintiff major stress. Claiming loss and shame to boot The plaintiff filed the present suit But the law provideth no relief From such unmitigated grief. Neither runs nor constipation Can justify this litigation Whether bowels constrict or flex De minimus non curat lex. Whoa! Thats throwing some serious shade when you start slinging the Latin around! That last line there translated from Latin means: the law does not concern itself with trifles. Clearly not. In the article from the Columbus Dispatch, Cain, a judge for nearly 30 years, is quoted as follows: I read the complaint and quickly concluded that it was totally frivolous, Cain said after the ruling was posted on the court Website. You know, if he is going to file something that frivolous, he cant expect me to be too judicious in how I respond. He cant expect me to take it seriously. This is the first time hes issued a judgment in rhymewonder if it will be the last? Apparently, he only has three years left before an age restriction prevents him from seeking re-election. If theres anything I want to do, I better get about doing it. I just wanted to have some fun. Apparently Cain received his journalism degree from Ohio University in 1965 and went on to work at the Dispatch as a reporter for a decade before getting his law degree. In the 1970s, he was among those who wrote song parodies poking fun at local personalities for the Press Clubs Gridiron Shows. Well, alrighty then. Cant wait to see whats next! This was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 at 6:33 pm and is filed under Crazy Sh*t Lawyers See . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy. The current location of major Cuban ballplayers Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel is still unknown after their recent defection, but they tell MLB.coms Jesse Sanchez that they are training in secret in preparation for a move to a big league organization. As Sanchez notes, such an underground approach is not uncommon for players seeking to complete their journey away from Cuba. There are many obstacles still left for the brothers to navigate, of course, but their intentions are not in doubt. I know there are a lot of people who worried about us, said Yulieski, but we are working hard and training every day to accomplish our dreams to play in the Major Leagues. Notably, the pair does have hopes of signing as a package, which is certainly an intriguing possibility. We would like to play together on the same team, have my brother near me, Yulieski tells Sanchez. But if the circumstances dont permit it and we have to go different paths, thats what we will do. As that quote hints, there very well could be a variety of practicalities that make a common team unlikely. For one thing, the elder Yulieski would likely do well to sign shortly after reaching eligibility, both to increase his value as a near-term contributor and to speed his ascent to the majors. But his younger sibling would need to wait until he turns 23 and thereby sheds bonus pool limitations to maximize his earnings. Needless to say, it also isnt clear whether the same teams that will be most interested in adding a veteran third baseman will also be best-positioned to make a more future-looking investment in Lourdes. Of course, as Dave Cameron of Fangraphs has recently suggested, the package concept could also provide some wiggle room for navigating MLBs rules. One important question is whether Yulieski has, as reported, achieved Panamanian residency. He declined to address that matter with Sanchez, but did say that he hopes to join a major league organization this year and has intentions to play as soon as possible. Notably, Panamas top immigration officer has denied that Yulieski has current residency, per this Spanish-language link to La Prensa. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. Vinamilk products, served on Vietnam Airlines flights departing from Vietnam, will have specially designed packing to promote the quality of the countrys single four-star airline. This is part of a five-year strategic deal inked between the national flag carrier and the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) on August 6. Total value of Vinamilks products on board is expected to increase 10 percent every year. Under the cooperation programme, which is valid until 2023, both sides also cooperate in other sectors such as co-branding in some events, marketing campaigns, sharing experience in management and operation of supply chain, warehouse system, and relevant information on consumption market, and branding reports. Vietnam Airlines General Director Duong Tri Thanh said that the strategic agreement between the two leading firms in Vietnam will inspire the development of value chain, which connects Vietnamese brands during the global integration. Vinamilk has been a partner of Vietnam Airlines for years. We understand each others strengths in the development of Vietnamese values. Clean agricultural ecosystem, nutritious products, and food safety are what we need to popularise worldwide, he noticed. Meanwhile, Vinamilk General Director Mai Kieu Lien underlined that the co-branding will not only help the two corporations develop trade but also promote the two brands in the international arena.-VNA - Tomopolo is trying to make himself untouchable - His lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has been visiting the court frequently but to no avail - Justice Ibrahim Buba promises to give him the ruling Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tomopolo, a former militant leader who has refused to appear before a Federal High court to answer his charges is trying to play a fast one on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). READ ALSO: EFCC chairman under fire over statement against judiciary Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo has appealed his case before the federal high court. The embattled ex-warlord on February 16 appealed to a federal high court, sitting in Lagos state, to give him a copy of the ruling of February 8, 2016 in the charge filed against him by the EFCC, to allow him appeal against same, Vanguard reports. One of the counsels to the ex-militant leader, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has reportedly been visiting the court to get the ruling, but to no avail. Adegboruwa, yesterday made an oral appeal to Justice Ibrahim Buba, conveying his frustrations in respect of the ruling. The defence counsel told the court that it was pertinent to appeal to the judge to intervene because of the limited time Tompolo has to exercise his right of appeal. Responding to the defence counsel request, Justice Bubu said the courts ruling was only delivered on February 8, 2016, adding that he had accumulated judgments and rulings to deliver. Justice Buba told Adegboruwa, that a lawyer from his firm had been frequent in the court since February 8, 2016 over same request. The judge said the ruling was being typed, but assured Adegboruwa that it would be ready today (Tuesday) for him to pick up. The EFCC on February 11 declared Tompolo wanted after he failed to show up in court to answer his charges. The anti-graft agency recently revealed that the former militant leader was declared wanted for illegal diversion of N11.9 billion ($60 million) belonging to NIMASA. READ ALSO: How we got N905.8m from NIMASA for no contracts Witness The Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, on Friday February 12 during a tour of the Ekiti state police command disclosed that detectives are on the trail of the former Niger Delta militant leader following an arrest warrant issued by the court against him. Arase said: We are looking for Tompolo and my men are on his trail. We will arrest him anywhere we sight him. Tompolo and the immediate past director-general of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, as well as others are slammed with a 40 count charge of fraudulent activities. Source: Legit.ng Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: OSCE is expected to monitor the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops Feb. 18, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend Feb. 17. The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative on the contact line in the Terter district, the ministry said. On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be carried out by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and the field assistant of OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Jiri Aberle. On the opposite side, the monitoring will be conducted by the field assistants of OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Yevgeny Sharov, Hristo Hristov and Peter Svedberg. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of Mir Jalal Pashayev secondary school No. 39 in Ganja Feb. 17. The president cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the school. President Aliyev was informed about major repair of the school, and construction of the new education block. The facility was commissioned in 1962. In 1978, the school was named after Mir Jalal Pashayev following the death of the prominent writer. As one of the prestigious schools in Azerbaijan, it won "Best secondary school" contest in 2009-2010 academic year which was held in accordance with President Aliyev's decree. The school currently has 2,138 pupils. The 930-seat building of the school was reconstructed on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The facility covers a total area of 12,000 square meters. The green areas were laid out around the school. Photo stands reflecting life and activities of national leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev were installed in the foyer of the four-storey building. The 1,200-seat new block was built through the budget funding. There are classrooms, three workshops, indoor gyms, a library, labs, a medical point, a canteen, a teachers` room and a 150-seat auditorium here. - Kuku's allegations against EFCC to arrest him normal - Oduah also alleges EFCC's clampdown - EFCC kicks, says there is no evidence of any intending arrest Kingsley Kuku has had his suit against the EFCC struck out by a federal high court today. Kingsley Kuku, the former adviser to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan may soon be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after having his case struck out by a court today, Wednesday February 17. The co-coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme had filed a suit to stop his investigation or arrest by the EFCC, but in his judgment, the trial judge, Okon Abang noted that the anti graft agency is statutorily empowered investigate him over alleged fraud during his leadership. READ ALSO: Stella Oduah Organises Talent Hunt In Anambra State He also added that if Kuku refuses to honour EFCC's invitation, the agency has the right to arrest him, noting further that the present troubles of the ex-special adviser in the administration led by Jonathan has nothing to do with his political affiliation. Kuku is presently outside of the country on medical treatment and had alleged that there was purported plan to arrest him at the airport in Lagos when he returns to the country, hence the application. Similarly, Stella Oduah, a former aviation minister has had her suit against the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) dismissed by a federal high court in Lagos today. Abang, same justice who handled the Kuku case struck out the suit, holding that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, thereby ordering Oduah to pay a cost of N15, 000 to the AGF. Stella Oduah has had her case struck out by a federal high court. Oduah, now a senator reresenting Anambra north in the senate had prayed the court to stop an alleged plan to prosecute her over the two armored BMW cars allegedly purchased for N255 million by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) under her watch. Her fear stemmed from the fact that the present administration, in its war against corruption, may have concluded plans to humiliate her over the allegations, and sought an order restraining the respondents from probing her over the case of 2013. The EFCC challenged the jurisdiction of the Lagos court to entertain the suit, adding that Oduahs claims were baseless and speculative. Meanwhile, the election of two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators in Anambra state, Oduah and Andy Uba, was recently nullified by the Supreme Court. They were sacked by the court in a ruling delivered on January 29 following their initial declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as winners after the senatorial election held last year. Conflicting reports however emerged later suggesting that the decision of the court was being misconstrued by Nigerians as it was gathered that the pair was not sacked. Source: Legit.ng - The Nigerian army is not relenting on its oars regarding its bid to oust Boko Haram in the northeast - Troops took the jihadists by surprise in their latest attack launched at two areas close to the Sambisa forest - Many terrorists were killed in the ambush and the army recovered ammunition and food items from the insurgents - The Military has vouched to continued an intensified attack of Boko Haram strongholds in the northeast Reports suggest that the Nigerian army has won yet another victory over the insurgents within the northeast, following a surprise attack launched by troops close to the Sambisa forest. The army reports that in continuation of their exploits against the Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion, intensified offensive actions against the terrorists. Nigeria troops destroy Boko Haram camps in Sambisa Spokesman for the army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said last night, the troops laid ambush against some elements of the Boko Haram at two of their crossing points at Komala and Musafanari general area coming from Sambisa forest. According to Col Usman, the ambush party decisively dealt with some terrorists on motorcycles in which a number of terrorists were killed and a few others flee with gunshot wounds. Items recovered from the insurgents ambushed by the Nigerian troops The Boko Haram fighters reported came on motorbikes when the troops accosted them READ ALSO: JUST IN: Troops kill many Boko Haram terrorists, rescue 195 persons An Ak-47 recovered from the ambushed jihadists The troops recovered one AK45 rifle with registration number 56-2614519, in addition to a magazine containing 9 rounds of 7.62mm (Special), 6 motorcycles, 2 bags of salt and other assorted food items as well as various Improvised Explosive Making Devices (IEDs). READ ALSO: Nigerian women freed from Boko Haram rejected at home New York Times The army public relations officer said the recovered items clearly shows that that the terrorists were out for a nefarious mission which was aborted by the timely ambushes. Consequent upon this, he informed that the army wish to implore members of the public to kindly oblige with timely information on the Boko Haram terrorists to enable the military and indeed the security operatives to deal with them decisively. Col Usman stressed that the troops in various axis of the theatre are poised for the clearance of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists in our country. Source: Legit.ng Sahara Reporters obtained the information that the husband of the controversial former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke Mr. Amaechina Madueke was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Madueke reportedly was arraigned this morning by the operatives of the anti-graft commission in Abuja for laundering more than $600,000 via his personal accounts. An EFCC source said: Mr. Madueke was arrested this morning in Abuja and released on administrative bail. READ ALSO: EFFC arrests one of Jonathan's friends The agency also confiscated Mr. Maduekes passport and placed him under caution. Alison-Madueke was arrested last year in London for financial crimes. However, the former minister was later granted the bail. Diezani headed the petroleum industry in Nigeria during the government of Goodluck Jonathan. Source: Legit.ng - IPOB coordinator says Radio Biafra was superior by all standards - Adds that all federal government-owned media could only put up dismal performances to outwit Radio Biafra Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra. Fresh revelations have it that President Muhammadu Buhari fired the director generals of the federal government-owned media for being unable to match the superiority of Radio Biafra. Vanguard reports that the directorate of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) made this disclosure on Tuesday, noting that they Nigerian media could not rival the technological superiority of the radio station. READ ALSO: MASSOB urges south south people and governors to embrace Biafra News had made the rounds on Monday of how Buhari sacked the media chiefs, as Sola Omole of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Ladan Salihu of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); Sam Worlu of the Voice of Nigeria (VON); Mike Omeri of the National Orientation Agency (NOA); Emeka Mba of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Ima Niboro of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) all got the boot. And in his address, IPOBs coordinator of coordinators, Clifford Iroanya informed that inspite of the huge amounts of money pumped into the development of the media firms, they could only come up with dismal performances in their responsibility of outshining Radio Biafra. He noted that the federal government-owned stations had boasted of effectively neutralizing Radio Biafra and went to town partying for their phantom success but "To their chagrin, Radio Biafra continued to broadcast to the entire humanity with more devastating and damaging evidences of structural deficiencies inherent in the British concoction called Nigeria. "Radio Biafra has been able to raise the consciousness of Biafrans as well as the International Community on the plight of Biafrans and provided incontrovertible evidence that Biafra consists of the present-day South-East, South-South (except Edo state), Igala in Kogi state, and Idoma in Benue state." READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanus father speaks on sons struggle The statement also read that "the 'divide-and-rule' strategy fashioned against Biafrans by the British and their Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba accomplices were effectively deconstructed and destroyed by the superior evidence, logic, and research undertaken by the Editorial Board of Radio Biafra. "Furthermore, Radio Biafra was used and is still being used as a rallying point for Biafrans all over the world including those residing in various parts of Nigeria. Through the efforts and instrumentality of Radio Biafra, every Biafran has truly identified himself or herself as a Biafran and recognizes the supremacy of Chukwu Okike Abiama (God the Creator) in all things. "Radio Biafra was able to remove the scales of deceit planted by Yoruba-based Pentecostal Churches and their criminal tithing obsessions with which they cart away billions of Naira every week from Biafrans in Biafranland and elsewhere in the world. "Finally, Radio Biafra imparted into Biafrans, the unquenchable, unstoppable, irreversible, and irresistible quest for the restoration of the Nation of Biafra." While mocking the Nigerian president over the recent sack of the DGs, the IPOB coordinator said he could not stomach the achievements of the group and had no option than to terminate their engagement with the federal government. "Considering these and many more monumental achievements of Radio Biafra and how hopelessly and helplessly these Nigerias major Media Outfits were, Buhari was left with no other option than to sack the Media Chiefs. Therefore, their sack is an empirical evidence that Radio Biafra has won the media war," it added. Earlier this week, news emerged that members of IPOB are planning to start wielding weapons from today, Wednesday, in self defense, following recent clampdown on their members by the Nigerian security agencies. Source: Legit.ng Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of a 240-seat orphanage-kindergarten in Ganja after major overhaul. All conditions have been created here for children. Azerbaijani president cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the building of the orphanage-kindergarten. The president was informed that the orphanage-kindergarten was built in 1989. The major repair started in August, 2014. The building occupies an area of 13,000 square meters. The green areas were laid out, and amusement facilities installed in the area of the orphanage-kindergarten. The kindergarten has a gym, a swimming pool, a chess room and a medical center. There are 164 children in 9 groups. The facility employs 19 people. - The Nigerian army in a bid to stop the increasing protests by the pro-Biafra groups set to relocate troops to Aba - The army official seeks dialogue with the protesters advising them to shun the violence The Nigerian army plans to relocate one of its brigades to Aba, Abia state, to stop the increasing protest the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB). Brigadier General Lawrence Fejokwu, commanding officer of 14 Brigade Ohafia, noted this adding that Aba had become a hot spot because of the activities of the Biafrans campaigning for the actualization of a sovereign state of Biafra, as well as the revival of kidnapping and sundry crimes. READ ALSO: Gunfire and casualtes reported at IPOB protest in Aba Fejokwu appealed to the activists to halt their protest, overturn their decision to bear arms and channel their grievances to the appropriate authorities. He said: I have gone around to familiarize myself with my location and men. My decision is that Aba have continued to be a hot spot especially on the activities of IPOB and MASSOB and the issue of kidnapping. To this effect, I have decided to, after due clearance with my boss, the GOC, to relocate our tactical headquarters from Ohafia to Aba to see how far we can go in arresting the situation. In doing so, I urge the IPOB and MASSOB to rescind their decision to bear arms and stop acts of violence and channel their grievances to the appropriate authorities. Brigadier rejected reports that soldiers killed protesters in Aba, but accepted some of them were detained and later handed over to the police. He vowed to dialogue with the leadership of the protesting pro Biafra group to persuade them to shun violence and tow the path of peace. READ ALSO: Kanu's wife reveals why her husband supports Biafra I dont mind to dialogue with the pro Biafra groups if that will bring peace. If they want to pray; at the end of it, they should quietly go back to their houses. But in a situation where prayers lead to procession which will disturb the peace of the state, no security agency will sit and watch that happen. We will continue to appeal to them to tow the path of peace. As at today, there is no pro Biafra protester in our custody, Fejokwu stated. The protest in Aba turned bloody last month when protesters clashed with security men. Unconfirmed reports said about 30 protesters sustained gunshot wounds and seven died. Pro-Biafra groups, seeking self-determination for the people of South East and their neighbours. Source: Legit.ng Telling someone to go fuck themselves via song is an artform as old as time itself, and Tim Minchin is just about as good at it as anybody on this blue Earth. However, when the target of your ire is literally chucking a sickie to get out of testifying on child abuse allegations in person, a piano and barely-contained rage just aint enough. For Cardinal George Pell, you gotta have the whole band. The result is basically what wouldve happened if The Whitlams traded in their aphrodisiacs for even more snarky, seething lols. Typically jaunty piano melodies underscore a rabid offensive on the Vatican-based Pell, who was excused from giving evidence in Australia relating to the Catholic Churchs historic sexual abuse claims. Even better? Buying the track thereby giving you unlimited access to one musos endless ire will put funds into a GoFundMe dedicated to sending Australian survivors of abuse to The Vatican. If thats not possible, theyll be distributed to a Healing Centre in Ballarat, where the hearings are being held. Cause shacking up in an Italian citadel under the mysterious pretense of illness doesnt cut it any more, no sirree. In the few hours the singles been out, Australia has basically cheered the song on as hard as they can, cause aiming their voices at Rome hasnt really done too much in this instance. Scores of notable citizens / people who are just not too keen on skipping out on justice for abuse victims have been sharing the tune around like its well, a regular track that doesnt hone in a truly worrying issue: This is a great song where @timminchin is too kind to George Pell.https://t.co/vagplZOX4W Josh Thomas (@JoshThomas87) February 16, 2016 @timminchin have had your song on a loop in my head since finishing the show @theprojecttv Just brilliant Carrie Bickmore (@BickmoreCarrie) February 16, 2016 Thank you for this @timminchin Tim Minchin releases charity single Come Home, Cardinal Pell https://t.co/R7xKG0Sq1B via @YouTube David Campbell (@DavidCampbell73) February 16, 2016 Tim Minchin releases Come Home, Cardinal Pell all proceed will send survivors to Rome. Something in my eye https://t.co/C3VPumMa9R Catherine Deveny (@CatherineDeveny) February 16, 2016 Thanks to some prodigious sharing, the fund has already pipped its $50K goal. Next stop: Finding how much postage would be on a piano to Italy. Source: Tim Minchin / Youtube. Photo: Youtube. Javascript Error Javascript is deactivated in your browser. To use all functions on this portal, for example the login, Javascript must be activated. Please activate Javascript in your browser settings. Europa Capital has completed over 21,000 sq metres of lease transactions in 2015 in Warsaw, Prague and Budapest. This comprised of 15,615 sq metres of new lettings, generating around 2.8 million per year of rent, and included names like Philip Morris, Manpower and Kelly Services. In addition, 6,330 sq [] Gecina has signed a preliminary agreement with the developer PRD Office for its speculative offplan acquisition of the Be Issy office building. This asset, located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the Southern Loop of Paris Western Crescent, will offer a gross leasable area of around 25,000 sq.m and 258 parking spaces. The [] Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: The year 2016 will be a success in Azerbaijan in terms of socio-economic development, said President Ilham Aliyev at a meeting with the public in Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. "The world economy is covered by the ongoing crisis," he said. "The conclusion I came to participating in the world economic and security forums this year, is that the end of this crisis is not visible yet. Our region is experiencing an economic and, in some cases - the military and political crisis." "Azerbaijan is also a space of stability, the country of development," noted the president. He further expressed confidence in the success of the ongoing year. "Although our revenues declined significantly, however, we need to work even more effectively," said President Aliyev. "I am confident that through the development of, in particular, agriculture, processing or industrial sectors we will achieve economic progress. I am confident that 2016 will be a successful one for our country." "The budget will be amended and we will implement all the necessary social and investment projects with a minimum level of oil prices - $25," he added. "All of the financial and economic mechanisms in Azerbaijan must rely on the experience of the leading countries of the world," he noted. "The development of the financial and economic sector will allow us to be independent of oil prices. That is our main task. The main role here is, of course, played by the development of the regions." The president also recalled that back in 2004 he said the development of Azerbaijan should depend on the non-oil sector. "So I am convinced that we will achieve this goal," he added. Peach Property Group announced the sale of its Erkrath Retail commercial property near Dusseldorf to a private German investor. The contract for the acquisition of all shares of Peach Property Group (Deutschland) AG's subsidiary, Portfolio Erkrath Retail GmbH, which exclusively owns the Erkrath Retail property, was notarised yesterday. The sale [] Relationship between Ashok Leyland and its joint venture partner Nissan Motor Company has turned bitter as the business entities have been failing consistently in achieving the goals. The situation appears to have taken a turn for worse as the Indian automaker registered a case against Renault-Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. (RNAIPL) and Nissan Motor Company, accusing them of criminal breach of turst and arm-twisting. The case has been registered at a district court in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. Hinduja Groups flagship company said that its Japanese partner has taken actions that violate the terms and conditions of the partnership in addition to illegally diverting and using plant machinery against the rules of Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme. In 2008, Ashok Leyland and Nissan entered into three joint ventures and the legal dispute in question involves Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles (ALNVL) which was created to manufacture Ashok Leyland Stile and Nissan Evalia. Both Nissan Evalia and its badge engineered twin Ashok Leyland Stile failed to create an impact in the market. The JV imported INR 334 cr worth machinery under EPCG scheme of which equipment worth INR 117 crore were installed at RNAIPLs plant at Oragadam for manufacturing the MPV twins in question. However, production of both models had been called off due to poor demand in the market. Ashok Leyland claims that, after the production came to a halt, Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) raised a due on the JV for payment of duties that were waived off as a part of the EPCG scheme. In its petition, the India CV major said that RNAIPL had been using JVs machinery to produce Nissan vehicles without taking permission from the JV. The company also accuses its partner Nissan of not cooperating in regularizing the breach. Also read Ashok Leyland Nissan JV faces tax notice for INR 200 crore In response, Nissan told Times of India: We are not in violation of any of the terms of our agreements with Ashok Leyland and dispute their claim. Import duty on the machines is due because exports by the JV did not reach the expected level. We are cooperating with the authorities to resolve this matter. Ashok Leyland at 2016 Auto Expo Photos Via TimesofIndia.Indiatimes.com To go on display at 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Jaguar F-Type SVR has been detailed in official release and photos. To be placed above the existing flagship Jaguar F-Type, new SVR will be offered both in coupe and convertible variants. Featuring a similar exterior and interior design, there are subtle changes which make the new jaguar F-Type SVR more menacing. This includes front bumper with aerodynamics package, flat underfloor, active rear wing made of carbon fiber, uprated chassis, anti-roll bars, wider tyres wrapped around 10 inch forged alloys, stiffer rear knuckles, carbon fibre roof panel, new Titanium and Inconel exhaust system which not only delivers harder sound, but also saves 16 kg, rear venturi reduces lift and drag. On the inside, it gets new SVR seats with Lozenge Quilt design, sporty SVR steering wheel with paddle shifters made from anodised aluminium, instrument binnacle and centre console wrapped in suede cloth. It also gets Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brake system, Electric Power-Assisted Steering, Adaptive Dynamics, Torque Vectoring, Dynamic Stability Control and All-Wheel Drive systems. Jaguar F-Type SVR is powered by a supercharged 5.0 liter V8 engine as seen on the F-Type V8S and R variants. This engine will be capable of 575 PS peak power and 700 Nm peak torque due to tweaks on engine calibrations. Being made of a lighter material in a combination of titanium and Inconel makes the new F-Type lighter by 25 kgs as compared to the all wheel drive F-Type R while with carbon ceramic brakes and carbon fiber roof, weight is reduced by 50 kgs. Infotainment features include 14-way adjustable sports seats, suede-wrapped steering wheel and In-Control Touch and In-Control Touch Plus infotainment system along with options of 380 watts or 770 watt Meridian surround sound system. Prices of Jaguar F-Type SVR coupe will start at $126,945 (INR 87,16,678) while the convertible will be priced at $129,795 (INR 89,11,075). Order books are now open. Photos Video News Release While domestic sales continued to dip sharply through December 2019, exports brought in more positive results for the Indian car industry. When talking of passenger car sales in the country, the picture is grim. The entire 2019 has seen failing sales with no immediate recover in sight at least for the first 6 months of the New Year. However, automakers ended the past year on a positive note where exports were concerned. In fact, not only were PV exports high in December but exports from India increased by 5.89 percent in the first 9 months of the April to December 2019 period. Total PV exports stood at 5,40,384 units in the April-December 2019 period as compared with 5,10,305 units in the same period in the past year. Exports of passenger vehicles in December 2019 increased by 10.35 percent or 6,199 units to 66,073 units as against 59,874 units exported in the same month of the previous year. It was the Ford EcoSport that was the most exported, positioned at the top of the charts with 12,607 units exported, up 26.36 percent as against 9,977 units exported in December 2018. Next was the Nissan Sunny with a 118.27 percent increase in export numbers to 9,237 units in December 2019, as compared to 4,232 units exported in December 2018. The Kia Seltos, launched in August 2019, saw its lowest sales in December 2019 with just 4,645 units sold in domestic markets, down 67 percent as against 14,005 units sold in November 2019. However, the company gained numbers in terms of exports with 6,341 units exported in the past month to 40 countries across the globe. Hyundai Verna also saw increased exports in December 2019 at 5,117 units, up 63.33 percent as compared to 3,133 units exported in December 2018. Not such positive exports were noted for the Chevrolet Beat, VW Vento and Hyundai Creta as also with the Figo Aspire, all of which posted negative export numbers. The Renault Kwid at No. 10 saw 1,871 units exported in the past month, up 96.53 percent as against 952 units exported in the same month of the previous year. Maruti Suzuki DZire and the Hyundai Elite i20 also saw increased sales up 23.78 percent and 117.22 percent respectively to 1,119 units and 1,047 units. However, on the same note, the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and Alto and Hyundai Grand i10 did not do as well and reported negative sales along with the Datsun GO. The recently launched Maruti S-Presso, entered in the exports list as well. Hyundai Venue and Renault Triber also scored high on the list of top passenger vehicles exported in December 2019. Hyundai Xcent was at No. 22 with diminished exports of just 660 units, down 62.90 percent de-growth as against 1,779 units exported in December 2018. Ford Figo exports also fell 92.07 percent to 522 units along with that of the Jeep Compass of which only 357 units were exported in the past month. The Hyundai Santro has seen good increase in exports in December 2019, up a massive 980 percent from 30 units exported in December 2018 to 324 units exported in the past month. It was also the Maruti Suzuki Eeco that noted a 376 percent increase in exports to 119 units while 97 units of the WagonR were also exported. Mahindra and Mahindra did not see much success where exports of the KUV100, XUV500, Scorpio and were TUV300 were concerned with each of these posting lower exports. However, it was the XUV300 that noted exports of 50 units while Bolero exports totaled 44 units in the past month. Tata Motors also reported lower exports of the Tiago and Nexon, both of which were down 31.03 percent and 68.75 percent to 20 units and 15 units respectively and at the bottom of the list, there was only 1 unit of the Tata Harrier exported last month. Following their release of a state-commissioned study on the potential public health impacts of fracking in Western Maryland, University of Maryland researchers are helping to inform the conversation about the potential risks associated with unconventional natural gas development and production. While other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have already begun drilling along the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation, the Maryland government awaits direction from the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission before deciding whether and how to tap the state's natural resource. Recent growth of and political demand for unconventional natural gas development and production (UNGDP) has outpaced research into the risks those efforts pose for population health, according to the team of health researchers who worked on the Maryland Marcellus Shale Public Health Study. Two recently published papers from the study team provide important insights for researchers and communities that can be applied when assessing potential health risks from fracking in other settings. Ranking Potential Health Hazards from Natural Gas Fracking Devon Payne-Sturges, assistant professor in the UMD School of Public Health's Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health (MIAEH) and Meleah Boyle, project manager for MIAEH, were lead authors of a study published in the journal PLOS One, describes the "hazard ranking" methodology they developed to assess the potential public health impacts of fracking on a variety of areas, including air quality, social determinants of health, water quality, occupational health and healthcare infrastructure. "We felt it was important to publish this assessment methodology so other researchers and communities could benefit from a systematic public health evaluation process, which they could easily adapt for any other proposed UNGPD or resource extractive development projects," said Dr. Payne-Sturges. "So often decisions made in sectors outside of the traditional health care sector rarely consider linkages to health, and this leaves open the potential for unintended consequences. Our methodology brings public health to the table." Of particular importance to the research team was developing a system that would be simple to communicate. advertisement "We wanted a way to explain our findings to the community and policymakers that was clear and easy to understand," Ms. Boyle said. The study looked at two Maryland counties, Allegany and Garrett -- the only anticipated areas of Marcellus gas production in the state -- though its authors say their methodology can be expanded to examine other areas. Researchers conducted an extensive scoping process, including site visits and a literature review, to identify specific hazards that should be addressed in a Health Impact Assessment (HIA). Hazards were organized into eight categories that would specifically impact the unique populations of Allegany and Garrett counties: 1) air quality, 2) water quality (including water quality, soil quality, and naturally occurring radiological materials), 3) noise, 4) earthquakes, 5) social determinants of health (e.g. crime, injuries, mental health, sexually transmitted infections, and substance abuse), 6) occupational health, 7) healthcare infrastructure, and 8) cumulative exposures and risk. The final impact assessment methodology, modified from an existing HIA, consisted of a qualitative ranking and scoring system across those eight categories. Researchers also added a color-coded system to rank evaluations in terms of the potential risk of impact to public health. Each of the hazards was assessed according to established criteria, and assigned a score, which was then summed to produce a qualitative ranking: High, Moderately High, or Low levels of negative public health impact. The manuscript uses three examples -- air quality, water quality and healthcare infrastructure -- to illustrate in detail how researchers applied the ranking method to each hazard. "Should Maryland decide to move forward with fracking, our hazard ranking and overall report provided a set of recommendations that will minimize public health impacts," wrote the study's authors. "Our approach can be easily adapted by other communities facing similar situations as well as in other settings that entails making decisions with limited information." The Impacts of Fracking on Perceptions of Place and Identity advertisement Thurka Sangaramoorthy, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology of UMD's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, was the lead author of the study examining community perspectives and experiences with fracking published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. It examined community perspectives and experiences with ongoing fracking operations in Doddridge County, West Virginia. The findings from these interviews and site visit helped inform the baseline assessment of current regional population health, the assessment of potential public health impacts, and possible adaptive and mitigation strategies. "Fracking does a lot more than just disrupt the environment. It disrupts people's sense of place and identity, which is very important to this region of Appalachia," explained Dr. Sangaramoorthy. "The residents we spoke to expressed deep distress over the transformation of their land, their homes, and their relationships with each other as a result of fracking, which also influenced their perceptions of environmental and health impacts." The study published in Social Science and Medicine examined how community residents perceive and experience fracking in Doddridge County, West Virginia, which has a similar demographic and health profile to Maryland's Allegheny and Garrett counties. All three are rural, with high rates of poverty, and have populations that are older, more racially homogenous and more likely to lack health insurance and suffer from chronic diseases than both Maryland and West Virginia state averages. The research team conducted focus groups and a multi-day site visit with Doddridge County residents to gain insight into how individuals living in communities where fracking is underway are being impacted. One of the key issues that fragments communities where fracking occurs relates to who owns the rights to the land. "Split estates," which separate surface (above-ground portion of land) and mineral (sub-surface) rights, are common in the Appalachian region. These were created because of historical federal acts passed to allow the federal government to retain access to future mineral discoveries. Many homeowners own only the surface rights to their property, and by law are required to allow the use of surface property for mineral access by fracking operations. Long-time neighboring residents of the same community may have different rights -- and a different sense of control and power -- because those who own mineral rights can choose to keep or sell their land for a good profit, while those who only own surface rights are unable to stop drilling companies from taking over their land. Surface owners face the potential destruction and contamination of their land and the devaluation of their property if they try to sell. The study authors suggest that the rapid environmental change brought about by fracking in areas like Doddridge County is affecting the physical, mental and emotional health of residents of the area. If fracking is allowed in Maryland after the moratorium expires in October 2017, these impacts should be considered in the state's plans for further research. "The complex links between environmental impacts and social disruption can have long-term impacts on health outcomes. Ongoing research should examine the full spectrum of stress placed on communities that experience fracking," Sangaramoorthy explained. "This can aid healthcare providers, community leaders and policymakers in designing programs and services for local communities who are impacted or could potentially be impacted by fracking." New research demonstrates how climate change and the immune reaction of the infected individual can affect the long-term and seasonal dynamics of parasite infections. The study, led by Penn State University scientists, assessed the infection dynamics of two species of soil-transmitted parasites in a population of rabbits in Scotland every month for 23 years. The study's results could lead to new strategies for the treatment and prevention of infections from similar parasites in humans, livestock, and wildlife. A paper describing the research will be published in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week ending February 19, 2016. "Our research shows that how we target treatment for parasite infections -- not only in wildlife like the rabbits we studied, but also in humans and livestock -- will depend on how the climate changes and whether or not the host can mount an effective immune response," said Isabella Cattadori, associate professor of biology at Penn State and a research scientist affiliated with Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Previous work in Cattadori's laboratory had shown that infections from one of the parasite species monitored in the study are controlled by an immune response in the rabbits, but infections from the other parasite species are not controlled, even though the rabbit does have an immune response to the parasite. "Over the course of 23 years, we saw clear evidence of climate warming at our study site in Scotland. The warmer climate leads to increases in the number of soil-transmitted parasites in the pastures where the rabbits live because the parasites can survive longer in the soil," said Cattadori. "With more parasites, there is an increased risk of infection, but how this increased risk affects the severity of the infection in the long term depends on the ability of the host to mount an immune response." For the parasite that is not controlled by the rabbit's immune response, the researchers observed an increase in the intensity of infections in adult rabbits with climate warming. "Because they can't clear the infection with an immune response, the rabbits accumulate more and more parasites as they age so that older individuals carry most of the infection in the population," said Cattadori. For the parasite that is controlled by the rabbit's immune response, the researchers saw no long-term increase with climate warming in the intensity of infections in the rabbit population overall. However, the severity of infection did increase in young rabbits that had not yet developed a very strong immune response. "Our research shows that as climates continue to change, we will need to tailor our treatment of parasite infections based on whether or not the host can mount an effective immune response," said Cattadori. "When a host's immune response cannot control the infection, treatment should be targeted at older individuals because they carry the most severe infections. When a host's immune response can control the infection, treatment should be targeted at younger individuals because they are at the greatest risk." In addition to Cattadori, the research team also included Andrea Mignatti from the Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Brian Boag from the James Hutton Institute in Scotland. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant numbers DEB-1145697 and DEB-0716885). The video also is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/BVuUAyxOHPg . "Hey, man, what gives?" That's the question a bobcat in Canada seemed to have when an angry pup and his family recently refused to let him into their home. In a video recorded near Ontario's Tyson Lake, the inquisitive wildcat can be seen repeatedly sniffing and pawing at a glass door while his (understandably) nervous new acquaintance barks on. This might be the loneliest chimp in the world - and all he wants is a friend. Ponso, a roughly 40-year-old chimp, was dumped on an abandoned island off the Ivory Coast more than 30 years ago after being used for medical testing. All of his companions have long since died, including his mate and their two children. The social animal currently lives all alone on the tiny island, which has no source of food or water. As The Dodo previously reported, he relies on the kindness of a nearby villager, Germain, who's dropped off bananas and bread for him ever since he was left to die. Dodo Shows Comeback Kids Family Stops At Nothing To Help Their Great Dane Run But despite the unkindness he's experienced at human hands, the gentle chimp welcomes visitors with open arms. He was recently visited by Estelle Raballand, director of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center, and couldn't have been happier to see a friendly face. He wrapped her in a huge hug - even appearing to laugh when she reached out to touch him. He also enjoyed being tended to and fussed over by his human visitors. Sadly, Ponso's happy welcome throws into sharp relief the loneliness of the elderly chimp's plight - as he spends his life trapped on the empty island, relying on strangers to supply his next meal. While Ponso is alone on his little island, there are others like him. Ponso is one of dozens of chimps who were stranded on a string of abandoned islands after the New York Blood Center (NYBC) finished years of painful testing on them. As the islands had no natural sources of food or water, NYBC kept them alive for a few years by dropping off supplies and vaccinating them. But while Ponso appears to have been forgotten years ago, and would have died if Germain hadn't found him, the center announced last spring that it was cutting off funding to the other stranded chimps as well, effectively leaving them to starve to death. The decision was met with widespread condemnation. At the time, Jane Goodall called the announcement "completely shocking and unacceptable." Duke University primatologist Brian Hare told the New York Times, "Never, ever have I seen anything even remotely as disgusting as this." No one understands tragedy quite as well as Mbegu - or the strength that can come from it. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu was just a baby when she lost everything. In May 2014, violence ignited between people and wildlife. An elephant killed a woman from a local village in Kenya and was, in turn, shot and killed. Left behind in the chaos, Mbegu was targeted by the grieving and angry community. Even children began throwing stones at her. Mbegu just after being rescued from a village where people were attacking her.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu just after being rescued from a village where people were attacking her. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust In the chaos, it was deemed impossible to try to reunite Mbegu with her herd. Finally, the Naibunga Conservancy stepped in and kept her safe while the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) dispatched rescuers to bring the wounded calf to safety. Mbegu (right) after her rescue, already bonding with a keeper.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Animals Melt Into This Woman's Arms When She Sings To Them Mbegu (right) after her rescue, already bonding with a keeper. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Since becoming a resident of the elephant orphanage at DSWT, Mbegu has shown how resilient and loving she still is. Not only has she bonded with her keepers, who are raising her to be an independent elephant in the wild, she's also taken on the role of "mini-matriarch" of the motley crew of orphans - each with their own painful past. Mbegu (right) comforts a younger elephant, Lasayen.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu (right) comforts a younger elephant, Lasayen. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust "As one of the most loving and caring baby girls in our care, Mbegu is a mini-matriarch in the making and dotes on the younger babies," Amie Alden, of the DSWT, told The Dodo. Mbegu also gives away her own treats to the younger orphans. Mbegu (right) helps Ngilai play in the dust.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu (right) helps Ngilai play in the dust. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust She even steps in when there's conflict between the little ones. "When Rapa tried to push Naseku and Ndotto during the public visiting hour, Mbegu drove him out of the group for some time out!" Alden said. But Mbegu knows the importance of play for the babies, who have been through more in their little lives than many beings have in a whole lifetime. "She loves playing with the babies, playing mock hide-and-seek and then running away as though she's scared - comical when it's tiny Ndotto she's running from," Alden said. Mbegu (left) with good friend Kamok.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu (left) with good friend Kamok. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust When the orphans are let out of their stockades for play, Mbegu often escorts the seemingly defeated or sad orphans with encouragement, showing them how to go on with their lives. "She welcomes them warmly and strokes them with her trunk," Alden said. Mbegu is also always the first to wallow in the mud bath, according to Alden. MbeguThe David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Thanks to the love she knows now, life is certainly looking up for Mbegu. Mbegu (foreground) playing with younger Ngilai.The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mbegu (foreground) playing with younger Ngilai. | The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust In the next few years, Mbegu will be old enough to graduate to one of the DSWT's reintegration centers. This is the next step in her journey toward becoming a free and independent elephant. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Her mother would have been proud. To help support The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust you can make a donation here: Fundraising Websites - Crowdrise

YouTube/Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center According to Michelle Smith, a staffer at the wildlife center, despite Kekoa's name meaning "brave one" in Hawaiian, he's actually quite the shy guy ... YouTube/Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center Dodo Shows Dodo Heroes Woman Devotes Her Life To The Stray Dogs Of Bali This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center "He came to Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center as a puppy along with his sister, Sakara," Smith told The Dodo. "They were both adopted from a facility in Florida called Seacrest Wolf Preserve," Smith said. "We had hoped they would be ambassadors (animals we can take off site) but sadly, like most wolves and high-content wolf dogs, once they reached maturity they became very shy and 'retired' at the ripe old age of two." (As ambassadors, the wolves would have been allowed to travel for educational purposes - to places such as schools or other institutions of learning.) Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center Despite how friendly Kekoa is, it's important to also remember that he is an exception and not the rule when it comes to wolves and their interactions with humans. "Since he was raised by people and bottle fed from the time he was born, he is very well socialized, meaning he enjoys the company of people," Smith said. "This is not the same as domesticated or tame. He is still a 'wild' animal, and he does tend to show it when he is around is sister. A wolf in the wild would not act this way." Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of 35/6kV "Nizami" electrical substation as part of his visit to Ganja. The head of state was informed that the construction of the substation started in April, 2015. The new substation will supply electrical power to more than 6,000 consumers. It covers an area of 1,700 square meters. It consists of two 35/6kV 10MW transformers and a 35/6kV German-made facility. The administrative building of the Ganja City Electrical Network is located here. Nearly 80 people will work at the substation and the administrative building. President Ilham Aliyev launched the substation.

New Zealand Police

A police dog who survived for a week on his own in the mountains couldn't contain his excitement at seeing his handler again. Thames, a three-year-old German shepherd, went missing during a search and rescue exercise in New Zealand's Tararua Ranges. He spent seven days and nights alone in the mountains as the New Zealand Police fervently searched for their missing companion. Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Guy And Wild Shark Have Been Best Friends For Decades New Zealand Police On Sunday, Thames was finally reunited with his handler, Constable Mike Wakefield, after the six-person rescue team sent out to look for him found a fresh pawprint in the mud and tracked him down. Though police dogs are trained to be calm, Thames couldn't contain his happiness, jumping on his handler and licking him, as shown in a video released by the New Zealand Police. Wakefield was equally relieved. "He's pretty happy to see me," he says in the video, holding Thames back from knocking him over. "I'm pretty happy to see him." Fortunately, Thames came out of his ordeal a bit skinnier but none the worse for wear, and made the four-hour hike with his rescuers back to the main road. New Zealand Police A woman who rescues birds for a living has finally been accepted as part of the flock - she's even been given the privilege of babysitting for a pigeon family who lives in her barn. Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary When two pigeons were going to be euthanized because they were too injured to be released into the wild, Kail Marie, founder of Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary in Kansas, opened up her barn to serve as the birds' new living quarters. Salome, making her nest from chicken feathers.Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary Dodo Shows Soulmates Pig Loves To Launch Himself Onto His Dad's Lap Salome, making her nest from chicken feathers. | Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary "A friend of mine intervened and brought them to me," Marie told The Dodo. Salome, the female pigeon, had become too bonded to human beings to be wholly independent in the wild. But then Solomon, the male, came along. "He had a broken wing and it was thought that he would never be able to fly," Marie said. "Both now live in our barn." Solomon.Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary Solomon. | Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary "When I took in Solomon, it was love at first sight," Marie said. The two little lovebirds even became parents. The two newly hatched pigeons, Thing 1 and Thing 2 - named after Dr. Seuss characters - were born from the happily rescued couple. When temperatures drop to dangerous levels of cold in Kansas, Marie lends a helping hand - she brings the vulnerable babies inside her home to keep them warm. Thing 1 and Thing 2Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary Thing 1 and Thing 2 | Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary "The parents trust me," Marie said. "They allow me to handle their babies." Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary Snakes might not be considered the most attractive sorts of animals - but even the beauty of a less-appreciated being is undeniable when viewed through the eyes someone who knows they too are worth saving. Chanda Lowe was out for a hike near her home in Southern California when she ran across a creature who'd fallen victim to a passive act of human cruelty. There, trapped by an improperly disposed of beer can, was a whip snake struggling to stay alive. Though she could have walked away, leaving the "scary" animal to die - Lowe refused. Chanda Lowe Chanda Lowe "I helped the snake because I like pretty much all living creatures (including snakes) and hate to see one suffering," Lowe told The Dodo. "If there's something I can do, I really can't just walk by and do nothing, whether it's a cute, fluffy kitten or something a little less socially appreciated, such as a snake or a tarantula." With her permission, we've shared Lowe's account of that lifesaving rescue. "The hole in the side of the can was too small for the snake to get its entire body through, leaving it stuck in the can." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "The snake was able to get its head out through the pop-top, but its body remained trapped in the can." Chandra Lowe Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Animals Melt Into This Woman's Arms When She Sings To Them Chandra Lowe "As the snake thrashed around in an attempt to free itself, it was cutting itself on the sharp edges of the aluminum. I brought the snake back with me so I could cut the can off of it. "The snake was injured from its ordeal, so I kept it for a while and treated the wounds with antibiotic ointment." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "I let my son's science teacher keep it in her classroom during its recovery, so she could share it with her students. Every morning I dropped in before school to check on it and reapply the antibiotics. "Although that must have hurt, the snake was very cooperative and never tried to bite." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "This is the offending beer can, after it was removed. We used the can (and snake) as an object lesson for the students about the importance of picking up their trash." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "During its recovery, the snake served as a classroom ambassador to help students learn more about snakes and (for some) to help them overcome their fear of snakes." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "The little guy was quite docile and amenable to handling, making him the perfect ambassador. "However, from what we read online, this species does not do well in captivity, so after about a week and a half, we decided to release him." Chanda Lowe Chanda Lowe "I took him back out to the same place where I'd found him..." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe "...and let him go." Chandra Lowe Chandra Lowe A woman refuels her car in Tehran. Iran has vowed to increase oil production this year by about half a million barrels a day, after international sanctions on its petroleum sector have been eased as part of the accord limiting its nuclear program. (Raheb Homavandi/Reuters) Iranian and Iraqi officials on Wednesday welcomed moves by other major oil exporters to limit output, but Iran said it would reject any effort to limit its ability to revive production now that international sanctions on its petroleum industry have been lifted. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that the production ceiling at current levels proposed Tuesday by Russia and Saudi Arabia should be a first step toward stabilizing the market. But in remarks quoted by Tehrans Shana news agency, he did not say that Iran would keep its own output at Januarys levels. Meanwhile, an Iraqi Oil Ministry official said in an interview that his country would be willing to accept limits to bolster prices. Iraq is ready to agree with any decision that serves the drop in oil prices, because Iraq is suffering from this sharp drop in oil prices and has lost lots of money, Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told The Washington Post. Iraq can sacrifice in freezing its production because its going to lead to an increase in oil prices. . . . Whats the benefit of selling oil with low prices? On Tuesday, oil ministers from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar announced that they had agreed at a meeting in Doha, Qatars capital, to maintain oil production at January levels if other exporters would join them. Oil markets at first greeted the accord with skepticism, in part because of uncertainty about Iran and Iraq and in part because current production levels are already high. But oil ministers continued consultations Wednesday in Tehran, and crude oil prices jumped about 6 percent by early afternoon. Over the past year and a half, oversupply in the market has driven down crude oil prices and rocked global commodity and stock markets. Iran has vowed to gradually increase its oil production this year by about half a million barrels a day, taking advantage of export opportunities now that international sanctions on its petroleum sector have been eased as part of the accord limiting its nuclear program. In comments published in the Shargh daily newspaper on Wednesday, Mehdi Asali, Irans envoy to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said that Iran was sticking to its targets and should not be expected to rebalance an oil market thrown out of whack by the policies of other exporting nations while Iran was restricted by the sanctions. Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical. . . . When Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices, Asali said. How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price? he added. We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level. In Moscow, however, Russias representative to OPEC, Vladimir Voronkov, told the news agency Interfax that Moscow still hopes Iran will comply. We would positively assess such a decision of Tehran, he said. Irans production in January reached just under 3 million barrels a day, about 600,000 barrels a day less than its capacity, according to the International Energy Agency. Iraq had also been expected to resist limits on its oil production, which Iraq needs to revive its economy and fund its war against the Islamic State. Some analysts noted that freezing its production at current levels was not a large concession because Iraqi production reached a record of 4.35 million barrels a day in January, according to the IEA. This freezing is going to be a temporary procedure aimed at saving countries that produce oil, the Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesman said. We were hoping that OPEC would have decided this a long time ago because the countries in OPEC, including Iraq, have lost billions of dollars. LABOR United technicians pursue strike action Maintenance workers at United Airlines overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer, their union said Tuesday, adding that it will seek approval from U.S. regulators to strike. More than 93 percent of mechanics who voted decided against the companys offer, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a statement. The union said it will petition the National Mediation Board to release it from mediated talks. The vote marks a setback in Uniteds years-long effort to reach a joint deal with the technicians. The airline has yet to conclude a contract covering maintenance workers from United and Continental Airlines since the carriers merged in 2010. At a time when United Airlines is incredibly profitable, it is clear that mechanics deserve a better offer from the company, Jim Hoffa, Teamsters general president, said in the statement. United more than doubled its adjusted fourth-quarter profit from a year ago to $934 million. Its contract offer provided for an immediate 25 percent raise and bonus checks averaging $9,000. Although we are disappointed by this outcome, we are eager to get right back to the table, Oscar Munoz, chief executive of parent United Continental Holdings, said in a post on a company website. Reuters TREASURY Foreign debt hit record in December Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities rose in December to a record high despite cutbacks by China and Japan, the biggest foreign owners of Treasury debt. Foreign ownership of Treasury securities increased 0.7 percent in December to a record $6.17 trillion, up from $6.13 trillion in November, the Treasury Department said Tuesday. China, the biggest foreign holder of Treasury debt, reduced its holdings 1.5 percent to $1.25 trillion. Japan, the No. 2 foreign holder, trimmed its holdings by 2 percent to $1.12 trillion. The declines were offset by Caribbean banking centers such as the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, which boosted their holdings by 4.5 percent to $351.6 billion. Ireland and Switzerland also expanded their holdings. The national debt stands at a record $19 trillion. Of that amount, $13.7 trillion is publicly traded on financial markets and $5.3 trillion is debt that the government owes itself in the form of holdings in trust funds such as the Social Security trust fund. Foreigners own about two-fifths of the publicly traded debt. Associated Press Also in Business From news services Coming Today From news services Public-relations expert Howard Bragman, comedian Jen D'Angelo and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel discuss historic political blunders on Historys new show Join or Die With Craig Ferguson. (Adam Taylor/History) (All times Eastern) The gang celebrates Bernadette and Wolowitzs big news with karaoke (and in Wolowitzs case, a mild freakout) on The Big Bang Theory (CBS at 8). As Meredith recovers from her trauma on Greys Anatomy (ABC at 8), the hospital tends to its usual mix of patients and chaos. Callie and Maggie perform a high-risk experimental surgery on a teenage patient against Alexs recommendation, and a routine hospital arrival morphs into a dangerous situation. Beloved American Idol (Fox at 8) alums return to mentor the contestants (and perform songs of their own), as the judges vote on the second showcase and narrow the competition down to the top 14. On You, Me and the Apocalypse (NBC at 8), Rhonda takes desperate measures to protect her freedom, and Ariel discovers a major government secret. Mellie asks for Olivia Popes help with her book, and thats exactly what shes going to get, on Scandal (ABC at 9). Meanwhile, Liz works to persuade Susan Ross to make a presidential bid, and Abby faces off with Cyrus over a profile piece about Fitz. On How to Get Away With Murder (ABC at 10), Annalises students attempt to return to work and normalcy, and flashbacks reveal important details about the past. Over on Shades of Blue (NBC at 10), Wozniaks attempts to shut down the informant threatening his career has devastating consequences that could tear the unit apart, and Stahl turns his focus to Harlees relationship with Miguel. RETURNING SHOW: Vikings (History at 10) is back for Season 4. In the opener, a seriously ill Ragnar lies near death in Kattegat as his relatives make various power plays. In Hedeby, Kalf and Lagertha reluctantly join forces. SERIES PREMIERE: In Join or Die With Craig Ferguson (History at 11), the comedian and former Late Late Show host debates historical hot topics with celebrities and experts. The premiere episode covers historys worst medical advice and epic political gaffes. Actresses Tea Leoni and Amanda Peet are on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS at 11:35). Jimmy Kimmel Live hosts actors Kerry Washington and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Jason Derulo is the musical guest. Actor Vince Vaughn and producer and television host Ryan Seacrest stop by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC at 11:35), along with musical guest Dead & Company. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of a military town for servicemen in Ganja. Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov reported to the head of state, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. The president was informed that the complex consists of 14 multi-storey apartment buildings that have a total of 696 flats. There are 48 one-room, 224 two-room, 312 three-room, and 112 four-room flats. President Aliyev reviewed several flats. The head of state then met with family members of servicemen. The servicemen praised the conditions created for them. About a year after Heather Rowes youngest son was born with Down syndrome, her father died. Two years after that, her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Lifes challenges began to stack up as Rowe, 45, cared for her two young sons and also her mother. I was emotionally exhausted, said Rowe, who lives in Takoma Park with her wife and boys, ages 6 and 9. Rowe is on the cusp of a fast-growing population a mashup of Generation X and millennials that is starting to care for a revolving door of young and older loved ones. The term sandwich generation was coined in the 1980s to describe people who are squeezed between taking care of their children and their parents. Now, as members of the baby boom generation are entering their 70s, that sandwich is poised to become a footlong. (Bee Johnson/for The Washington Post) There are about 75 million baby boomers in the United States, and many are beginning to experience the changes nobody wants and nobody likes to talk about: disease and chronic conditions. They are starting to look to their children for assistance, just as Rowes mother did. The boomers children, meanwhile, tended to have babies in their 30s and 40s instead of their 20s, meaning that if they have a sick parent, its not uncommon for them to juggle young children and a mom or dad in need of care. [Tell your kid Nobodys mother is normal and other advice for parents, from parents] Their challenge is that their children and parents often need them at the same time, in much the same way for time, love, patience and even money. I was sad I was spending so much time away from my kids, Rowe said. When my mom was very sick, it was hard to be really present with them. Feeling the squeeze Carol Abaya, a writer and expert on aging issues, created a magazine called the Sandwich Generation in the 1990s. It happened after she suddenly felt the pressure to take care of her sick parents at the same time she was running her public relations and advertising firm in the New York area. Although Abayas children were grown by then, she realized that a growing number of people were torn between the needs of their parents and their children. The publication offered advice and support to mid-life adults who felt stretched thin in their caregiver roles. When I looked around for help in dealing with my parents, there wasnt anything, Abaya said. But theres been a big change. Today, theres more awareness of aging, chronic illness and the toll that it takes on society. The U.S. population is graying. Between 2012 and 2050, the number of people over age 65 is expected to almost double, from about 43 million to about 84 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The baby boomers are largely responsible for this increase, states An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States, a Census Bureau publication. Older people are also living longer. For example, a person who is 85 years old can expect to live to an average of 91, according to the publication. All of this can add up. Baby boomers are sometimes caregivers to their aging parents at the same time theyre dealing with their own health issues. That leaves the boomers children stretched between caring for parents, sometimes grandparents and young kids. The problem is time, Abaya said. Women are generally working, so they dont have the time to take care of their parents. [Its not just a behavioral issue when a child acts out after the arrival of a new sibling] If caregivers change their lives to make more time, then the problem often becomes money. Lets say the woman who was working quit work to take care of her elderly parent, Abaya said. Later in life, she has less money. You have a snowball effect. Everything snowballs to the next generation. Everyone needs a break So whats a sandwicher to do? Experts say they should find and accept as much help as possible. Rowes mother died in December 2014 at age 76. Rowe said she could not have managed the dual caregiver role without the support of her wife, her friends and her mother-in-law, who watched her kids on the long, draining days when she took her mother to chemotherapy treatments. It helped to come home and everyone there understood what I was going through, Rowe said. I couldnt have done it without my support network. Rowe started accompanying her mother to chemotherapy each week in Columbia, a 40-minute drive from her home. Her brother coordinated her mothers finances. Her sister moved into her mothers home. Rowe, who quit her job after her first son was born, said she was able to handle the stress because she didnt try to do everything herself. And no matter how tempting, she did not spend the night at her mothers house. After those long, exhausting days, I wanted to be home with my family, Rowe said. I needed to take myself out of that space and transport myself someplace else. Experts in the field say people who are sandwiched need to take breaks. Otherwise, they become burned out and even sick themselves. Caregivers are notorious for not doing self-care. They feel guilty for not being there, said Anjana Chacko, a social worker who runs a pre-hospice program with Gilchrist Services in Maryland. Having breaks and getting out and doing something fun for themselves is not frivolous. Its self-care. Its vital. Chacko said one client of hers was recently stressed out from the intensity of caring for a loved one. She says to me, I do get a break I go to the dry cleaner and the grocery. . . . I said, Okay, we need to have a talk about what we consider a break. Chacko also said some caregivers are concerned they will lose their job, and income, if they take too much time off. Her advice is for everyone to be more flexible in the kind of help they are willing to accept. Some families are capable of hiring help but want to try to save their money for a future catastrophe, Chacko said. They can try taking some of that money out now to keep their sanity. [10 lazy ways to intellectually stimulate your kids] She defined the range of help as anything from hiring someone to come in and cook and clean to hiring a nurse to give a family member a break a few hours a week. If people do have funds but are loath to part with them, I try to get them to see the broader picture here, Chacko said. Consider using $50 for a couple of hours of relief. Put that in context of what its costing you emotionally because you never have a break. She also encourages people to rely on community. Is there somebody who can provide child care? she said. What support do you have from church? Community? Friends and neighbors? Plan ahead Robert S. Bullock, 69, a lawyer who specializes in estate and life planning, said he is starting to see friends his age show the beginning signs of cognitive and physical issues. He says people need to have a plan in place if they become sick. Ive become my own client, Bullock joked. He said nobody wants to talk about declining health, but if you plan for it, it takes a large part of the burden from your family. He said that includes small things, such as aging parents organizing their home so caregivers can easily access documents and sort through belongings. And larger things, such as having a living will. This way, people can stipulate when they are not in a crisis situation how theyd like things done if they happen to find themselves in one. Potential sandwichers need to encourage their parents to make a long-term plan if they havent already, he said. People will be on a journey to chaos unless they do financial and care planning, Bullock said. Planning will allow your family to survive and absorb what can be the overwhelming costs of long-term care. You want to preserve your assets consistent with your estate plan. Some things Bullock suggests are estate and disability planning, understanding Medicare and Medicaid, setting up disability trusts and life insurance trusts, naming guardianship and conservatorship, getting long-term care insurance, and becoming familiar with nursing homes. Nobody wants to face it. Its painful, Bullock said. But you have to address the elephant in the room. He also said that taking care of a sick or disabled loved one can be a full-time job. Someone has to be the advocate and caregiver and financial manager, Bullock said. He suggests hiring professionals to help through this tough phase. [The two things that could keep Barbies evolution from being the success it should be] Theres a service for everything, he said, including a company to help you maximize your health insurance coverage when you file claims. There is also a range of lower-cost and free senior resources available through state-run departments of aging, which can be found online. Many also have family caregiver support programs. Make the time meaningful For Rowe, while it was heartbreaking to sit with her mother for hours during her treatments, she said it was a nice way to bond, listening to her mother reflect on her life. Chacko said the key to making end-of-life time meaningful is to listen to the person who is ill and respect her wishes. Ask yourself, is she more social or more private? Some people may want to go on safari in Africa, but some may not have that energy or inclination. I tell patients: You only have this much energy. Use your energy like gold. You get to pick how you spend your gold, Chacko said. All family members need to do is to just be there and show them you love them. Dont expect things they may not be able to provide. She said illness often amplifies a persons personality. Some people who are dying never want to have any conversation about dying, she said. They dont feel the need to have to talk about it and wrap up things. It depends on the person. Rowe and her mother had long stretches of time side by side, when they could each talk and listen and show how much they cared for each other. The reason parents look to their children when they are sick is because they love them and trust them. They want to pull their children close when they feel vulnerable. And they want to spend the time they have left surrounded by them, remembering days when they were vigorous and healthy, when their bodies and minds worked as they should. Im grateful I got to be there for my mom, Rowe said. And Im grateful for the time I got to spend with her. We were close. More from Lifestyle: Stuff it: Millennials nix their parents treasures Schools are now teaching kids and their parents how to deal with stress Parenting in the digital age: Real tips to help kids (and parents) today Conservative commentator Bill Kristol likes to make predictions but hes often wrong. Here are a few of his major mistakes over the years. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Conservative commentator Bill Kristol likes to make predictions but hes often wrong. Here are a few of his major mistakes over the years. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Back in late 2014, Bill Kristol foresaw that Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky wouldnt get very far in the forthcoming Republican primary season. He also forecast that Jeb Bush, then the presumed Republican front-runner, would struggle to secure the nomination. He was correct in both instances. This is newsworthy in the same sense that a man biting a dog is newsworthy. Its an unusual, even aberrant event, a violation of the usual order of things. Kristol, 63, the eminent conservative commentator, has made so many wrong predictions that hes become a kind of cult figure of wrong, at least among some media watchers. Kristols Twitter feed has an active following of hecklers and harassers, ready to pounce when his Kristol ball fails him. They usually dont have to wait long. Kristol, for example, has been consistently wrong in predicting the trajectory of Donald Trumps presidential bid. Although hes certainly not alone in this, he has been wronger longer than just about anyone. According to New York magazines tally, he has predicted peak Trump Trumps crest as a candidate 11 times since July, including most recently on Jan. 29. That was three days before Trump finished second in the Iowa caucuses and 11 days before his crushing victory in New Hampshire. Bill Kristol, center, with Margaret Hoover and Bill Maher on Mahers HBO talk show. Hey, heres an idea for a drinking game: Every time Kristol makes a wrong prediction . . . (Janet Van Ham/Associated Press) In an interview, Kristol suggests his Twitter predictions carry an implied caveat for amusement and/or discussion purposes only. My predictions are lighthearted, he says. I try to predict long shots. I dont take it very seriously. He continues: People get too attached to the conventional wisdom. Provoking people to think things might turn out differently, Ive found, is generally a useful thing. . . . Its sort of educational. I do try to be provocative. If thats the case, Kristol has done a lot of provoking, and not just on Twitter. Over a long career as a writer, editor and prominent figure in the conservative establishment, Kristol has made many calls that clanked. Like the time in 2006 when he predicted on Fox News that Barack Obama wouldnt win a single primary against Hillary Clinton. Or when he predicted that Obama would appoint then-Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the Supreme Court. Or when he said repeatedly in October that Vice President Biden was about to jump into the 2016 presidential race. Or when he predicted a victory by Marco Rubio in New Hampshire earlier this month. Or that time he said in the Weekly Standard that Rudy Giuliani would run in 2012. Or that time on Fox when he said convicted Sen. Ted Stevens would be re-elected. Or when he said in 1993 that a march on Washington that year would be the high-water mark for the gay and lesbian rights movement . Or the time he championed Sarah Palins vice presidential candidacy, writing in the New York Times, A Wasilla Wal-Mart Mom a heartbeat away [from the presidency]? I suspect most voters will say, No problem. And some perhaps a decisive number will say, Its about time. The son of the late conservative intellectual Irving Kristol , Kristol was an academic star before turning to punditry. He served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government before joining the Reagan administration as chief of staff to Education Secretary William Bennett. He later held the same position under Vice President Dan Quayle, wherein he became known as Quayles brain. He gained wider renown in later years as a television talking head and as the founding editor of the Weekly Standard, the lively journal of conservative opinion that was owned for years by Rupert Murdoch. Perhaps Kristols wrongest and most consequential predictions were those involving the war in Iraq. As an advocate of the Bush administrations decision to invade Iraq, he said, among other things, that the war could have terrifically good effects throughout the Middle East; that Saddam Hussein was past that finish line in developing nuclear weapons; that if we free the people of Iraq we will be respected in the Arab world. He also said, Very few wars in American history were prepared better or more thoroughly than this one by this president. He predicted on C-SPAN that it would be a two-month war, not an eight-year war. When Bill Maher mentioned to Kristol on his HBO program in 2014 that Kristol had made some bad predictions about the war, Kristol neither explained nor apologized. I certainly did, he said. With Kristol what I love are not so much the big, grand predictions that are always wrong, but the smaller ones that really demonstrate how poor his actual grasp of politics is, says Alex Pareene, the editor of Gawker, one of Kristols regular tormentors. He is sort of ideologically motivated to make certain ridiculous claims Iraq will be a huge success, Romney will win and even his peak Trump predictions are based on the fact that he cant abide the ongoing rejection of his entire ethos by Republican voters. But its when he makes claims that are just wrong but not motivated by the advancement of his worldview . . . that we see just how bad he is at his ostensible job. Kristol says he sometimes sees the pushback his predictions draw on Twitter or on the Internet. But usually he doesnt. I dont look at the [Twitter] notifications, he says. I dont get Google alerts on it, so Im a little oblivious. The larger question about Kristol is how much it matters that hes been wrong as often as he has been. Stock-market columnists, weather forecasters and horse-racing touts might never survive so many blown calls. But Kristol hasnt just survived his errant predictions, hes thrived. In addition to editing his magazine over the past two decades, Kristol has been at various times a columnist for the New York Times and The Washington Post, and a longtime commentator on Fox News Channel. He was a 2009 recipient of the $250,000 Bradley Prize, awarded to conservative thinkers. He is currently a regular panelist for ABC Newss This Week. (ABC News did not respond to requests for comment.) As for Trump, Kristol is sticking to his guns, despite all the earlier misfires. If I had to bet, Id still bet against him getting the nomination, he said. Yes, Bill Kristol is predicting again. Treat it accordingly. Anne Arundel County The following were among incidents reported by Anne Arundel County police. For information, call 410-222-8050. GLEN BURNIE AREA ROBBERIES S. Hampton and Faywood drives, 5 a.m. Feb. 10. Two males armed with a box cutter stole cash from a male and fled on foot. SEX OFFENSE Hancock Lane, 7700 block, 6:15 a.m. Feb. 5. A male reached into a window at a home, touched a female youth and fled. PASADENA AREA ROBBERIES Mansion House Crossing and Notley Rd., 1:59 a.m. Feb 6. An armed male robbed a male and fled. An Annapolis man, 19, and a Crofton man, 19, were arrested for robbery of a citizen. Ritchie Hwy., 7900 block, 6:23 p.m. Feb. 5. A group of males approached a vehicle in the parking lot of a mall. One of the males opened the door of the vehicle and demanded cash, a wallet and a cellphone, but the male driver fled. When he attempted to call 911, he realized the cellphone had been stolen. Annapolis These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department. For information, call 410-268-9000. ASSAULTS Bens Dr., 3:35 p.m. Feb. 4. During an argument, a male was stabbed in the chest with a knife. Forest Hills Ave., 900 block, 2:40 p.m. Feb. 4. A male picked a female youth up by the arms and slammed her to the ground. The female called police and the male fled. Investigation revealed the male had visited the females home on three occasions, where he knocked on the door and asked for her by name, tapped on her window and entered the home through an unlocked door. An Annapolis man, 21, was charged with first- and fourth-degree burglary, stalking, harassment, two counts of trespassing and assault. Main St., 100 block, 2:17 a.m. Feb. 7. During a fight, a male bit off the tip of a females finger. A Lothian man, 26, was charged with assaulted and disorderly conduct. ROBBERIES W. Washington St., 12:11 a.m. Feb. 10. An armed male attempted to rob a male, but he was unable to retrieve a handgun from his waistband and the male fled and called police. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Bay Ridge Ave., 900 block, 4:20 a.m. Feb. 4. A window at a business was forced open, but nothing was reported stolen. Bay Ridge Ave., 1200 block, 4 p.m. Feb. 3 to 2 p.m. Feb. 4. A bicycle and ice skates were stolen from a vehicle. Chester Ave., 100 block, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 to 7 a.m. Feb. 9. A book bag, three small bottles of cologne and an iPod were stolen from a vehicle. Francis St., 8 p.m. Feb. 1 to 3:20 p.m. Feb. 4. A mountain bicycle was stolen from a stairwell of a building. Silverwood Cir., 12:15 to 12:20 p.m. Feb. 8. A male was found inside a home with a bag of property in his hand when the resident returned home after walking her dog. The male dropped the bag and fled. Stonecreek Rd., 1400 block, 5 to 9:45 p.m. Feb. 6. Jewelry and a mountain bicycle were stolen from a home. Timber Creek Dr., 1000 block, 1:20 p.m. Feb. 5 to 12:20 a.m. Feb. 6. Headphones, laptop computers, a gaming system, a watch, jewelry and a purse were stolen from a home. WEAPONS Bens Dr., 12:11 p.m. Feb. 5. Multiple reports of shots being fired were made, but nothing appeared to be damaged and no one was injured. Howard County These were among incidents reported by the Howard County Police Department. For information, call 410-313-2236. COLUMBIA AREA ROBBERIES Enquiry Ct., 9300 block, 5:15 p.m. Feb. 6.Two armed males robbed a man of his cellphone and watch. Freetown Rd., 6400 block, 5:40 p.m. Feb. 11. A male stole a cellphone from a 13-year-old and fled. Johns Hopkins Rd., 10900 block, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 5. A masked male with first-aid bandages on his face, mittens, a neck brace and an arm sling robbed a bank and fled. Old Tucker Row, 5400 block, 7:23 p.m. Feb. 10. During a meeting to purchase a cellphone from a male, three males assaulted the male and stole two cellphones. Two Columbia males, 16 and 17, were charged with robbery. Snowden River Pkwy., 8200 block, 1:23 a.m. Feb. 5. Two armed males robbed a gas station and fled. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Blue Pool, 8900 block, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5. Several items were moved around inside a home, but nothing was reported stolen. Clocktower Lane, 9700 block, 3:30 a.m. Jan. 1. Items were stolen from a home. Two Columbia men, both 19, were charged with first-degree burglary. One of the 19-year-olds was additionally charged with two counts of fourth-degree burglary and third-degree burglary and theft. The other male was additionally charged with two counts of theft and fourth-degree burglary. Murray Hill Rd., 7600 block, 10:27 p.m. Jan. 31. Coins, lottery tickets and cigarettes were stolen from a business. Two Columbia males, both 17, were charged with second- and fourth-degree burglary, theft and destruction of property. Pamplona Rd., 9500 block, 7:10 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. Feb. 8. A TV was stolen from a home. Stevens Forest Rd., 6100 block, noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 4. A homeowner reported items in her home had been misplaced, and it was unknown if anything was stolen. Weekend Way, 6000 block, 10 p.m. Feb. 9 to 6 a.m. Feb. 10. Two bags were stolen from a home. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Quiet Times, 6100 block, 7:51 a.m. Feb. 10. A 2001 Mercury Sable was stolen. Swan Point Way, 7200 block, 7 p.m. Feb. 5 to 10:11 a.m. Feb. 6. A 2003 Honda Accord was stolen. ELKRIDGE AREA MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Dorsey Run Rd., 7100 block, 1:46 p.m. Feb. 11. A 2015 Ford Expedition was stolen from an auto exchange. ELLICOTT CITY AREA ROBBERIES Dorsey Hall Dr., 4700 block, 4:03 p.m. Feb. 5. Two armed males demanded property from a male, but he grabbed the gun and threw it, and the assailants fled. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Centre Park Dr., 8800 block, 3:25 a.m. Feb. 10. Cash and liquor were stolen from a business. Chateau Ridge Dr., 3700 block, Jan. 6 to Feb. 6. A home was entered and ransacked. Courthouse Dr., 3500 block, 2:32 p.m. Jan. 26. A door at an apartment building was pried open, but nothing appeared to be stolen. An Elkridge man, 26, and a Marriottsville man, 29, were charged with several thefts in the area, to include counts of fourth-degree burglary and one count of malicious destruction of property. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Baltimore National Pike, 10100 block, 11:08 a.m. Feb. 5. A truck was stolen. LAUREL AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Washington Blvd., 9900 block, Feb. 8 to 10:20 a.m. Feb. 10. Cash, a computer and two printers were stolen from a business. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Bryant Ave., 9100 block, 7:49 p.m. Feb. 5. A Toyota RAV4 was stolen. A Columbia man, 19, and a Columbia male youth, 16, were charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. The man was additionally charged with four counts of theft and a weapons violation. INDECENT EXPOSURE Foundry St., 8600 block, Feb. 8. A male exposed himself. WEST FRIENDSHIP AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Henryton Rd., 1500 block, Nov. 12 to Dec. 17. Several feet of copper pipe was stolen from a vacant home. Nathan Barksdale, the former Baltimore gangster who inspired characters in The Wire, died in a federal medical prison in North Carolina on Saturday. He was 54. Barksdale, who went by the nickname Bodie, was a notorious Baltimore criminal in the 1980s, running a violent heroin-dealing operation in the Murphy Homes public housing complex. He was shot more than 20 times and had to have his right leg amputated below the knee. He later worked with the anti-violence Safe Streets program. But he was arrested in 2014 and pleaded guilty to taking part in a heroin conspiracy with members of the Black Guerrilla Family gang. Key characters on The Wire, the gritty HBO drama set in Baltimore, included the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale and a dealer named Bodie Broadus. [Wire creator david Simon: Baltimore violence needs to cease] Nathan Barksdale embraced the connection. He released a DVD that chronicled his life, in which he was interviewed by the actor Wood Harris, who played the Avon Barksdale character. In real life he was one of the most notorious and resilient gangster drug kingpins Baltimore has ever seen, the narrator says. He was a magnet for violence. A spokesman for the city Health Department, for which Barksdale worked in the Safe Streets program, and an official at the Butner, N.C., medical prison where he died confirmed his death from an undisclosed illness. Attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful. Barksdale said he left a life of crime. But he was ensnared in a Drug Enforcement Administration wiretap investigation in 2014, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison. I got busted, Barksdale said at his plea hearing. Still, he said, he thought he had more work to do in the community. Akio Evans, a local video director, this week recalled watching Barksdale counsel young people on how to avoid his mistakes. I did some good, Barksdale said at sentencing. Id like to think I saved some lives. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III responded: You paid back, but you took a lot. So you still owe. Barksdale said he had lapsed back into heroin addiction and had been running a scam to feed his habit. He said he would try to get samples of heroin, promising to pass them on to big-time dealers, but would use the drugs himself. Barksdale presided over a lucrative heroin ring in the mid-1980s that authorities said controlled much of the drug traffic in now-demolished public housing such as the Lexington Terrace apartments and the George B. Murphy Homes. Barksdale was acquitted in August 1982 in the killing of Frank Harper, a drug trafficker who had been Barksdales mentor in the trade. He was convicted in early 1985 of torturing three people in an 11th-floor apartment in Murphy Homes. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. David Simon, who created The Wire, said in 2014 that Barksdale did inspire aspects of certain characters, but was not specifically the basis for the Avon Barksdale character. There are some anecdotal connections between his story and a multitude of characters, Simon said. We mangled street and given names throughout The Wire so that it was a general shout-out to the Westside players. But there is nothing that corresponds to a specific character. We noticed youre blocking ads! Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Authorities have issued a cease-and-desist order against an unregistered charity in Southern Maryland that they say raised thousands of dollars under the false guise of housing veterans. Dan Brashear, the leader of the Southern Maryland Veterans Association, says his group is the victim of embezzlement by a former employee and insists that he helped relocate several homeless veterans. But the Maryland Secretary of State and Attorney Generals offices say his group has failed to account for its donations and ordered it to stop raising money. The state investigation was already underway when Norman Randolph McDonald, a former manager at the charity, was arrested in January on suspicion of stealing donations meant for veterans. The group solicited at grocery stores in Calvert County. Brashear said he thought McDonald had filed the necessary paperwork for the charity to operate. A message left with McDonalds attorney was not immediately returned. Brashear said he wanted to help veterans when he got out of prison in 2012 after serving 22 years for killing his then-girlfriend. His first charity venture in Western Maryland ran into financial problems, and an assistant accused him of misusing funds, Brashear said. Now he plans to operate shelters for veterans in Texas and Indiana, and he said hell appeal the cease-and-desist order to clear his name. [The story of the disabled veterans who went weeks in winter without heat and then were evicted] Parents from Miramonte Elementary School turn out to meet with the Los Angeles School Superintendent John Deasy in a private meeting at South Region High School in Los Angeles in 2013. (Francine Orr/AP) When leaders at Prince Georges County Public Schools announced last week that a volunteer at Judge Sylvania W. Woods Elementary School had allegedly made videos of more than a dozen children performing sex acts, the systems chief executive put the schools principal on paid leave. When Los Angeles school officials found out four years ago that a third-grade teacher had abused dozens of children, including feeding them semen in what he called a tasting game, the systems superintendent removed all 128 of the schools staffers every one of the 88 teachers and 40 janitors, administrators and others. Sexual-abuse scandals often lead school leaders to promise tighter screening of job applicants, but effective screening against potential abuse is difficult bordering on impossible, many experts on abuse say. So the search for other ways to protect children has focused on how to create a watchful, but not overbearing, atmosphere inside schools. Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy who ran the Prince Georges system from 2006 to 2008 got plenty of criticism for his clean sweep at Miramonte Elementary. The teachers union accused him of casting suspicion on innocent, good employees, and some parents worried that the loss of beloved teachers would compound the damage that the scandal had caused to their childrens sense of security. [From the archives: L.A. sex abuse probe leads to removal of schools entire staff] Deasy announces that the entire teaching staff of Miramonte Elementary School will be relocated in the wake of the arrests of two teachers in a child sexual abuse scandal in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Reuters) Deasy said his housecleaning was designed not to put teachers under suspicion for abusing children, but to root out a culture of silence that had allowed an adult to commit such appalling acts for years. Deasy said the reluctance of other adults to question a colleagues odd behavior put children at risk. Many experts on educator sex abuse, eager to find a reliable way to persuade a schools adults to come forward when something is amiss, have latched onto Deasys decision to swap out the staff as an example of how to sniff out predators on a schools staff. Pedophiles wont stay where they have no way to get at the kids, said Charol Shakeshaft, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who conducted the largest federal study to date of sex abuse by educators. A vigilant school says, We wont let that happen and makes it clear that if adults in the school dont report what they see, they may lose their jobs. [Child-porn investigation widens at Prince Georges school] When abuse scandals emerge, parents and politicians inevitably call on schools to tighten screening of people applying to be teachers or volunteers. But even the best screening filters out only abusers who already have been caught, said Nancy Oglesby, deputy commonwealths attorney in Henrico County, Va., who specializes in sexual-abuse cases. If they havent been convicted already, running a criminal check isnt going to help, she said. In fact, people who sexually assault kids are usually very approachable, very trustworthy they often have many of the traits we value in an excellent teacher. Our efforts need to be put more toward having plenty of watchful eyes in the school. Screenings are not a complete waste of time. They just have to be done in a more labor-intensive and expensive way not just by running a standard $49 computer background check, but by rigorously interviewing past employers and colleagues, according to several child-abuse experts. Deonte Carraway is charged with several counts of felony child pornography, sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree sexual offense. Police have identified 17 children so far they say were victimized. (Prince George's County Police Department) Youd be shocked how much you can find out if you do it properly and ask the previous employer very specifically, Why did he leave? Was he ever suspected of sexual abuse behavior? said Deasy, who had 74,000 employees in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Now youve created liability and the previous employer must answer. Too often, school leaders who have heard about suspicious behavior by a teacher taking children into one-on-one lunchtime or after-school meetings in rooms with closed doors, or driving children home with no one else in the car get rid of the problem by moving the teacher to another school, said Deasy, who left the Los Angeles system in 2014 and now consults for the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, a nonprofit agency in Los Angeles. Too many schools still use the geographic fix we saw in the Catholic Churchs scandals, rather than outright firing the person, Deasy said. Asking the pointed question is very hard, he said: Its a topic people dont talk about. No one wants to have to ask a teacher, Did you touch a childs genitals? [From the archives: Teachers career shows a pattern of abuse that goes back decades] When Shakeshaft studied available data on abuse by teachers, she concluded that about 7 percent of U.S. students have experienced abuse without physical contact and about 9 percent have suffered abuse with contact. A much smaller percentage of teachers are abusers because most predators are chronic offenders. A large-scale scandal at New Yorks Horace Mann School, an elite private school where more than 20 teachers were accused four years ago of abusing more than 60 students over more than two decades, led to a wave of revelations at private schools. Many of those schools, unlike Horace Mann, commissioned independent investigations to learn what had happened and why. Public schools have generally used abuse scandals as a moment to beef up screening and educate teachers and children about prevention, as Montgomery County did last year after former music teacher Lawrence Joynes, who taught for 27 years at 11 Montgomery schools, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 15 minors at elementary and middle schools in Silver Spring. Some chronic abusers can go decades without getting caught, as former Manassas English teacher Kevin Ricks did, moving from one teaching job to the next over nearly three decades before being convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison five years ago. [Music teacher who sexually abused more than a dozen girls pleads guilty] In the Prince Georges case, police said Deonte Carraway, 22, of Glenarden, has admitted making videos in which he directs children to perform sex acts; police have identified 17 victims and expect to find more. County schools chief executive Kevin Maxwell said he removed Woods Elementarys principal, Michelle Williams, out of an abundance of caution. The Los Angeles system ended up paying more than $169 million in the Miramonte case, settling lawsuits filed by 69 parents and 81 students who accused teacher Mark Berndt of lewd acts. Berndt, who was caught when a CVS drugstore photo technician saw his pictures of blindfolded children and alerted police, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. It turned out that several students had tried to alert adults about him, including two girls who had told a guidance counselor many years earlier that they saw Berndt masturbating behind his desk; the counselor told them to stop making up stories. Deasy didnt limit his sweep to the one school; he suspended or removed more than 300 teachers in the two years following Berndts arrest most not for committing abuse themselves but for failing to report suspicious behavior by colleagues. Without the slightest reservation, you tear the place apart, looking at records, at people, at training, Deasy said. We have no problem sitting down with a parent and saying your child is misbehaving. Yet we have an enormous problem sitting down with faculty and saying, These are the rules and you must be watching for this behavior in your school. Deasy concedes that there is a danger of overcorrecting for a scandal. He offers the zero-tolerance craze of the past decade as an example of schools overcriminalizing childrens misbehavior. But he says sexual abuse is different because its victims are affected for the rest of their lives. Union leaders told Deasy that by instantly removing teachers from classrooms after unsubstantiated reports of suspicious behavior, he was endangering the careers of innocent teachers. And some abuse experts argue that sexual-offender registries, which tag people forever, have had a chilling effect, making people extremely reluctant to report suspicious behavior for fear of doing unjustified and permanent damage to a co-workers reputation. Some of the steps schools have taken are extreme telling teachers never to be alone with a student or never to hug a student, said Janet Rosenzweig, vice president of Prevent Child Abuse America and an adviser to schools and parents on dealing with sexual abuse. An air of paranoia permeates a lot of our institutions. The answer is to teach kids how to be alone with a teacher and allow these perfectly wonderful, normal relationships, with clear boundaries. Shakeshaft, concerned about the danger of overreactions, conducted a study tracing what happened to teachers who were falsely accused of abuse. All of them had jobs, and it wasnt a big universe, she said. Schools have to know how to handle suspicions quietly. You dont alert the whole school. If youre smart about it, you can clear someone of suspicion in a matter of hours. The other side of that coin, though, is that teachers have to be willing to report what theyre hearing. Too often when kids say this teachers weird or theyre seeing this teacher at the mall with girls with long blond hair, the other teachers ignore it or think its just kid talk, Shakeshaft said. Many teachers are reluctant to call out behaviors that are often associated with effective teaching paying extra attention to needy kids, for example. Thats why schools should set rules that, for example, encourage individual attention but ask that it take place in a corner of the library or cafeteria rather than alone behind a closed door, abuse experts said. At Miramonte, Deasy got that something was rotten in the atmosphere of the school, Rosenzweig said. The adults in the building have to be taught that its not enough to have good or bad people; you have to maintain a healthy sexual environment. That means every teacher has to define the norms set a dress code, talk about what kind of language is acceptable, talk about how teachers talk to kids. Sexual arousal is natural and inevitable when young adults are teaching adolescents, Rosenzweig said. The schools job is to build an atmosphere in which acting on such impulses is both unacceptable and practically difficult. All of a sudden, Mr. or Ms. Mediocre in high school is now getting up in front of kids with hormones raging and theyre the queen bee for the first time, she said. Weve got our heads in the sand about this. We have to talk about it and then set boundaries for teacher behavior. In the Los Angeles case, the removed staffers were relocated for the rest of the year and returned to Miramonte the next fall with extensive retraining on their responsibilities to report unusual student-teacher contact. Deasy said some people still complain that he overreacted, but he said he wouldnt do anything differently. When he first met with parents at Miramonte, I couldnt tell them I am absolutely sure theres nobody here whos a danger, he recalled. And the teachers felt guilt too: How could I not have known? The only answer was to change the culture of the place. Its the most difficult thing to talk about, but you have to speak to every employee in very explicit, uncomfortable language. Its the hardest thing Ive ever dealt with. Howard University professor and education expert Alvin Thornton withdrew from Marylands 4th Congressional District primary race earlier this month, leaving five candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination in the spring to fill the seat of Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards, who is running for the U.S. Senate. Thornton, who is known statewide for his role in helping to change funding formulas for Maryland school systems, said he realized that being a candidate for Congress was not the best way to address the concerns he sees in the district. Thornton withdrew officially Feb. 5, about seven months after he entered the race. He was one of the original activists who lobbied for redistricting that created the majority-minority makeup of the 4th district when U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) won in 1992. The professor was in a distant fifth place in fundraising behind leading candidates Glenn F. Ivey, a former Prince Georges states attorney, state Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk and former Maryland lieutenant governor Anthony G. Brown. Political newcomer Terence Strait and military veteran, Christopher Warren, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Edwards (D-Md.) in 2014, are also competing for votes in the April 26 primary. An unmanned U.S. Predator drone flies over Kandahar Air Field, in southern Afghanistan, on a moonlit night on Jan. 31, 2010. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP) A federal appeals court Wednesday considered whether the U.S. government must disclose more details about its lethal-drone operations. The American Civil Liberties Union pressed for a fuller picture of the targeted-killing program, which the Obama administration has fought in court to keep secret. Jameel Jaffer, the ACLUs deputy legal director, told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that government officials routinely disclose information about the strikes in places such as Yemen and Pakistan. The drone strikes themselves are not secret. There are people overseas who witness them every day. If its a secret at all, he said, its a secret to us. In the long-running Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the civil liberties group has asked for statistics about the strikes, including the dates, locations and number of people killed, in addition to a dozen legal memos related to the operations. Justice Department lawyer Sharon Swingle, representing the CIA, drew a distinction between broad, general statements by officials and the type of granular data the ACLU has requested, which she said would reveal very sensitive information. U.S. officials have already provided some details about the use of armed drones in order to provide greater transparency on a topic of significant public interest, according to the governments filing. That effort should not be penalized by compelling the disclosure of additional classified and privileged information. The judicial panel Judges David S. Tatel, Thomas B. Griffith and David B. Sentelle must decide what information about the program the government can legitimately withhold from the public. When the ACLU initially filed its lawsuit in 2010, the CIA declined to confirm the existence of any relevant records. But because President Obama and the former CIA director, among others, had described the program in interviews and news briefings, the appeals court initially found that the agency was required to tell the ACLU what records exist. It is neither logical nor plausible for the CIA to maintain that it would reveal anything not already in the public domain, Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland said of such a disclosure in his 2013 opinion. More recently, in a separate case filed by the ACLU and the New York Times, an appellate court judge in New York in 2014 released a government memo outlining the justification for the 2011 drone strike in Yemen that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and accused al-Qaeda operative. [Legal memo backing drone strike that killed American is released ] In the D.C. case, the ACLU wants the court to review at least some of the underlying documents and to consider disclosing the legal analysis behind the program while redacting any classified facts that would compromise national security. Tatel appeared inclined to try to find a way to do that, saying that he is pretty curious to review the records. How can a court know that there isnt information in those documents that could be disclosed without looking? How does the court exercise its responsibility without looking? Tatel asked. But Tatel also noted that the court is restricted by past cases that set high standards for undertaking such an in-depth review. The judges are supposed to rely first on a classified affidavit from a CIA official summarizing the legal memos and drone statistics. Previous cases suggest that it is neither necessary nor appropriate for judges to review the specific records at issue if they are satisfied that the government is justified in withholding the documents. Were still not supposed to look at it if its properly classified, Sentelle said Wednesday. Justice Department lawyers said in court filings that the CIA cannot release redacted portions of the memos that the ACLU is seeking without compromising classified information and intelligence capabilities. Even if the documents analyze whether drone operations are legal, the government said the memos are not equivalent to secret law. The documents do not compel any particular action by the CIA or any other government agency, nor do they determine what government policy will be. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 18 Trend: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a phone call to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on February 17. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he would not be able to visit Baku on February 18 to take part in the session of Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council because of a terror attack in Ankara. The head of state resolutely condemned the terror attack, extended condolences - on his own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan - to bereaved families, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of Turkey, and also wished Allah's mercy to victims of the tragedy. The presidents agreed to determine the date of the session of Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council some time later. A man takes a photograph in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington on Tuesday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg) Tahir Duckett, a student at Georgetown University Law Center, was 2 years old when Antonin Scalia was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1986. Naji Mujahid, who attends the University of the District of Columbias law school, was 4. Dominique Moore, a student at Temple Universitys law school, and Stephanie Llanes, a law student at the University of California at Berkeley, had not yet been born. Now, Scalia is gone, dying unexpectedly during a vacation last week. And for the first time in the students lives three of whom are African American and one a Latina there is a possibility of having a Supreme Court that is no longer dominated by right-wing ideologues who are astoundingly naive about racism in America. [Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79] We mourn the death of Justice Scalia, as a fellow attorney, said Moore, 29, the Mid-Atlantic regional chair of the National Black Law Students Association. But we are looking for someone to fill that seat who is not a foe of civil rights and wants to see the country make progress, not take it backward. 1 of 20 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The life of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia View Photos Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Caption Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Oct. 8, 2010 Justice Antonin Scalia at the Supreme Court. Larry Downing/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. Next month, the 3,600-member national organization convenes in Baltimore for its annual convention. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. We support Loretta Lynchs appointment as the next Supreme Court justice, Moore said. For his part, Georgetowns Duckett, 32, has been chronicling the harms done by the Supreme Courts 2001 ruling in Sandoval v. Alexander. The court held that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits only intentional discrimination and does not prohibit activities that have a disparate impact on certain races, colors, or nationalities. Scalia wrote the opinion for the conservative majority, which included Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. That ruling made it impossible to mount a legal challenge to structural racism and sent a message that it was okay to discriminate against blacks and Hispanics as long as you did it with a wink and a nod, said Duckett, a member of the D.C. chapter of the legal and policy collective known as Law for Black Lives. For more than a decade and a half, weve watched racial disparities widen in incarceration, in the use of the death penalty, in racial profiling, in the enforcement of drug laws, and it was legally okay just because nobody had come right out and said they were doing it intentionally. UDCs Mujahid, 34, said he began studying Scalias thinking in 2009, while following the case of Troy Davis, a black man who had been convicted of murder in Georgia and sentenced to death. When seven of the nine witnesses recanted their testimony against him, Davis appealed to the Supreme Court for a new hearing and got it. But Scalia objected, writing in his dissent that this court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is actually innocent. Scalias statement was said to be legally correct but widely regarded as morally weak. Davis was executed two years later. [Troy Davis executed] When you go into Scalias thinking as an originalist, meaning someone who interprets the Constitution by divining the intent of the Framers at the time they wrote it, you can see Scalia virtually channeling 18th-century social and political sentiment on race, said Mujahid, president of the UDC chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. If you want to go back 200 years and commune with the spirit of slave owners and ask them, What do you think of black people? Or, How do you feel about affirmative action? what the hell do you think theyre going to say? In the wake of Scalias death, SCOTUSblog legal expert Lyle Denniston described the 79-year-old Reagan appointee as path-breaking as Earl Warren and as controversial as Roger Taney, among other things. But his mentioning Chief Justices Warren and Taney cries out for comparison. The Warren Court expanded civil rights, most famously in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case that banned racial segregation in public schools. The Taney Court, on the other hand, ruled infamously in the 1857 Dred Scott case that no black person, whether slave or free, would ever become a citizen. And given Scalias originalist approach to the law, some legal scholars have suggested that he would probably have reached conclusions more like Taneys than Warrens. Scalias legal career shows how easily hard-won civil rights gains can be shifted back when we buy into the fiction that colorblindness makes a person brilliant, said Llanes, 28, co-chairperson of the La Raza Law Students Association at Berkeley. We have seen that it is possible to be deemed legally brilliant and still not put a premium on racial justice. Llanes, like the other budding barristers, wants to continue using the law to make America live up to its ideals: liberty, democracy and justice. Having grown up with a Supreme Court heavily influenced by Scalia and other right-wing conservatives, they could expect to spend the rest of their lives trying to undo the damage. To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy. OREGON Rancher held in jail, said to be flight risk Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy was determined Tuesday to be a danger to the community and a flight risk, and ordered held in jail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart in Portland agreed with the governments position. Its clear Mr. Bundy does not comply with federal court orders, she said. Attorneys for the government, citing an April 2014 standoff on Bundys Nevada ranch with representatives of the Bureau of Land Management, argued that Bundy, by his actions and his deeds, showed he is a lawless and violent man. The attorneys added that bureau officers, almost to a person . . . thought that were going to die that day. Everyday hes loose . . . hes in violation of a federal court order, the government attorneys said. Bundy, 69, was arrested in Portland last week on charges stemming from the 2014 armed standoff when he came to Oregon to support an occupation at a national wildlife refuge launched by his sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy. They were arrested Jan. 26 and remain in jail. The elder Bundy was not charged in connection with the occupation. Leah Sottile OKLAHOMA Directive on wells tied to earthquake rise Oklahoma oil-and-gas regulators on Tuesday issued their most far-reaching directive yet in response to a surge in earthquakes by asking the operators of nearly 250 injection wells to reduce by 40 percent the amount of wastewater they inject underground. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission wants operators over the next two months to reduce injections by more than 500,000 barrels of wastewater daily in an area that covers more than 5,200 square miles of northwest Oklahoma. The commissions plan has been in the works since late October and was not influenced by a 5.1-magnitude quake that hit the area Saturday, said commission spokesman Matt Skinner. People reported feeling Saturdays quake, the third-strongest in state history, in as many as 13 other states, including in Georgia, 900 miles away. As the commission was preparing to announce its move, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit asking that three major Oklahoma energy producers reduce wastewater volume. The number of earthquakes with a magnitude 3.0 or greater has risen in Oklahoma from a few dozen in 2012 to more than 900 last year. Recent peer-reviewed studies suggest injecting high volumes of wastewater could aggravate natural faults. In the states six most earthquake-prone counties, wastewater disposal volume increased more than threefold from 2012 to 2014. Associated Press ILLINOIS Police candidates to be paid after bias suit Chicago agreed on Tuesday to pay $2 million in back pay and other benefits to 47 police candidates who were rejected under a residency requirement that the U.S. Justice Department alleges led to discrimination against foreign-born people. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the city after investigating the claims of two men who passed the citys police hiring exam in 2006 and said they were discriminated against because they had not lived in the United States for 10 continuous years. Under the settlement, the Chicago Police Department will also offer jobs to eight of the rejected applicants, the Justice Department said in a statement. Reuters Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: Potential regulatory changes pose a greater risk to the ratings on Russian oil companies than low oil prices, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services says Feb. 17. "In our view, rating pressure could increase, depending on the extent to which the Russian government may make changes to current oil industry regulation, discussions about which are ongoing," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Alexander Griaznov. Proposals under discussion include the possibility of lowering mineral extraction tax exemptions that oil firms currently enjoy, or increasing excise duties on oil products. "Our ratings on Russian oil majors Lukoil, Gazprom, Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, and Novatek, remain unchanged following our recent downward revision of oil price assumptions," says the report titled "Inside Credit: Regulatory Changes Pose A Bigger Risk To Russian Oil Companies Than Low Oil Prices." Currently, regulation in Russia's oil industry is based on the principle that oil companies pay meaningfully lower taxes as prices go down, so it is the federal budget that suffers the most in a low oil price environment. Russian oil companies are also benefiting greatly from the devaluation of the Russian ruble since about 90% of their operating costs and about 80% of capex is in rubles. They continue to hold solid credit metrics and have not materially cut capex volumes, as opposed to the 15%-25% capex cuts we are seeing by European and U.S. oil majors, the agency said. "Our base-case scenario is that the Russian government will try to find a reasonable balance between its fiscal interests and the long-term success of the oil sector, which will remain key to the economy in the foreseeable future," said Griaznov. "We do not exclude that the government might impose temporary measures to support the budget in the near term, but we think the overall framework will remain unchanged in terms of its key principles," the report says. "Besides, we expect prices will recover toward the second half of 2016, somewhat relieving the pressure on sovereign finances and the need to take a more aggressive and prolonged stance on taxation of the oil sector." That said, we think the government might still take some more permanent decisions. For example, we think that it might reconsider the extent of mineral extraction tax benefits, which have been generously granted to many fields and projects in the past, the agency said. "More material changes are currently not part of our base-case scenario," said Griaznov. "However, if more material increases in taxation were to be implemented, we think it very likely that they would have a negative near-term and long-term credit impact on the whole oil sector in the country." "We have determined, based solely on the developments described herein, that no rating actions are currently warranted. Only a rating committee may determine a rating action and, as these developments were not viewed as material to the ratings, neither they nor this report were reviewed by a rating committee," the agency said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: AGBank OJSC shareholders will take a decision to increase the authorized capital by 100 million manats, the bank said Feb. 16. This issue is included in the agenda of a general meeting of AGBank shareholders to be held on April 5, 2016. According to Fitch Ratings agency, the bank's capital adequacy rate reduced from 9.7 percent (as of late November) to 0.9 percent as a result of the devaluation of the manats in late 2015. A report of the board of the bank, as well as the audit committee's report will be delivered during the shareholders' meeting as of 2015. The bank's financial indices, the staffs of the Supervisory Board and the Audit Committee are planned to be approved. It has been recently announced that AGBank intends to merge with Bank Standard. AGBank has been operating in Azerbaijan since 1992. Among the shareholders are the International Finance Corporation, Kazimir Partners company, as well as physical entities Chingiz Asadullayev and Farzulla Yusifov. CHAD Food delivery may signal better security The successful delivery of food to thousands of people uprooted by Boko Haram violence in Chad and cut off from help since November may reflect improving security in the West African nation, the United Nations said Tuesday. The U.N. World Food Program recently delivered food to 5,000 people who had been forced to flee their homes by conflict at five sites north of the Lake Chad border town Baga Sola. But the threat of Boko Haram attacks and the difficulty in reaching some areas, partly due to a lack of roads, are hindering efforts to reach tens of thousands more people. More than 100,000 people are uprooted in Chad because of Boko Haram violence in the region, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. A regional offensive by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon last year drove Boko Haram from much of the territory it held in northern Nigeria, undermining its six-year campaign to carve out an Islamist caliphate. But the militants have struck back with a renewed wave of raids and suicide bombings in the lawless Lake Chad area, where the borders of the four West African countries meet. Reuters MALI Armored truck used against peacekeepers Islamist militants used an armored vehicle in the attack on the U.N. mission in northern Mali that killed at least seven peacekeepers last week, a spokeswoman for the mission said Tuesday. Experts say the extremists used homemade shields to reinforce the truck that drove into the base in the town of Kidal on Friday, Radhia Achouri said. She said investigations show that shells fired outside the camp diverted the soldiers as the truck, filled with explosives, entered the camp. The explosion killed seven Guinean peacekeepers and wounded more than 30 others. The Mali-based Islamist extremist group Ansar Dine, which has ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, asserted responsibility for the attack. Associated Press Dominican Republic At least 40 injured in fuel depot blasts Early morning explosions rocked a fuel distribution station in a densely populated neighborhood of the Dominican Republics capital of Santo Domingo on Tuesday, destroying several homes and injuring at least 40 people, officials said. Soldiers and civil defense workers used dogs to find survivors in the ruins of the buildings but determined that everyone was accounted for as crews started clearing debris in the Los Rios community in the northern part of the city. Fire Chief Oscar Garcia said that the 40 victims were hospitalized and that officials were investigating what caused the blasts at the Solgas station that distributes liquefied petroleum gas. Associated Press Former Argentine cabinet chief charged with fraud: A federal judge in Argentina has charged former cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez with committing fraud against the state. The ally of former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is accused of reaping benefit from a government program that handed out baby cribs, clothes and medicines to poor families. Others from her administration were also charged. The former cabinet chief denied the charges. France extends state of emergency: Frances Parliament overwhelmingly approved a three-month extension of a state of emergency imposed after the deadly attacks in Paris in November, even as rights groups said it undermines fundamental freedoms. The declaration expands police powers to carry out arrests and searches. From news services An air traffic controller works in the tower at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. (Julio Cortez/Associated Press) The Feb. 12 editorial Time to divert air traffic control argued that Congress should follow the lead of countries such as Britain and Canada and privatize our air traffic control system. This is a dangerous path for our aviation system, and the examples cited were not as rosy as the editorial implied. In both international cases, privatization has proved to be bad for workers, bad for passengers and bad for safety disrupting already safe systems by cutting jobs indiscriminately and consolidating rural facilities, while passing costs to travelers and leaving taxpayers with the bill for bailouts and budget gaps. In Canada, 14 percent of jobs were eliminated while new fees and existing taxes jumped by 53 percent. Since Britain privatized its system, jobs have been cut by 12 percent and new fees and existing taxes on tickets increased by 140 percent. Congress should reject this proposal and instead ensure that the nations airspace continues to operate in the public interest. The United States air traffic control system is too important to risk, and the stakes are too high for American passengers and workers. Brad Bauman, Washington The writer is president of Americans Against Air Traffic Privatization. If there ever were an example of allowing the fox to watch the henhouse, privatizing the Federal Aviation Administrations air traffic control service would be it. While the concerns regarding the absence of sufficient and reliable multiyear systems funding are real and troubling, this solution is blind to reality. Imagine a meeting concerning air traffic control procedures at a specific location dominated by a large air carrier. These meetings take place routinely at major facilities (airport traffic-control towers and en-route centers). If a procedural change is thought to be too expensive to its route structure, the dominant player would be inclined to veto the change, regardless of its validity as an enhancement to system safety or efficiency. When that happens now, objective decisions are the norm and safety reigns supreme. In a privatized system, the biggest customer gets to make the call. The system would be stacked in favor of the large air carriers. The FAA is the police department and fire department of aviation. It serves and responds to all equally. There can be no favoritism or undue influence as would exist in privatized air traffic control. Edmund Spring, Fredericksburg The writer is retired from the Federal Aviation Administration. Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. As Republican presidential candidates invoke Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias legacy, all insisting that his suddenly vacant seat shouldnt be filled until a new president is in place, it is helpful to ask: What would Scalia do? First, Scalia would read the law and, without much chin-stroking, recommend the obvious intent of Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which reads: [The president] shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint . . . judges of the Supreme Court. See? That wasnt complicated. And the Senate can always reject a nominee. Yet Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made it clear that no Supreme Court nominations would get to the floor. Somewhat less rigid, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has said hell wait to see who the nominee is before deciding whether to convene a hearing. All Republican candidates have expressed agreement with McConnell, with Donald Trump being the most vocal and least nuanced: Delay, delay, delay, he said inimitably at Saturdays debate in South Carolina, just hours after the nation learned of Scalias death. As unseemly as such political proclamations are so soon after the justices death, Scalia likely would have found the shenanigans childishly amusing. Unerringly faithful to the rule of law and deferential to the executive and legislative branches he would have understood the politics but not the point. The law is clear. But politics are something else, and Republicans have decided that, at least on this matter, the people should have a voice. Inarguably, with three justices likely to retire during the next presidency and Scalias seat now empty, the stakes couldnt be higher. But, if youll pardon this intrusion of logic, havent the people already had a voice? Didnt a majority of the people reelect President Obama, and doesnt he have nearly a year left to serve out his term? Lame duck doesnt mean dead duck and this presidents still quacking. Now, if you dont really like democracy, we can talk. Originalists well know that the Founding Fathers had no interest in everybody having a voice. But these same originalists would have to concede that its the presidents job to nominate a replacement for an empty Supreme Court seat and the Senates job to advise and consent or dissent, as the case may be. Yet to Republicans, the idea of Obama fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities falls somewhere between apocalyptic and absurd. Sort of like when people used to walk up to Scalia and ask, When did you first become an originalist? prompting the justice subsequently to remark: As though its some weird affliction, you know, When did you start eating human flesh? Love or hate Scalia, the Supreme Court just became a far, far duller place. So why would the GOP, professed stewards of original intent, seek to thwart the Constitutions clear purpose? Again, not complicated. First, because several cases that Republicans hoped would result in their favor hang in the balance. With a 4-to-4 vote, the lower courts rulings stand. Second, payback. All will gladly remind us that Democrats have behaved similarly. In 2007 18 months before President George W. Bushs term was up Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recommended that the Senate not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary circumstances. And Republicans will never forgive Democrats for the circuslike confirmation hearings of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Theyve been keen to return the favor when the balance of powers shifted their way. Even understanding these reasons, Republicans are playing with fire. Is this really a precedent they wish to set? Which of these candidates in the fourth or eighth year of his presidency would surrender his own nominating powers to a successor? And, finally, what if the next president is Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders? The GOPs calculation, apparently, is that the greater risk lies in Obamas nominating a reasonably moderate liberal who passes all the usual tests that Republicans cant rationally block. If Obama were feeling frisky, he might select a Hispanic or Asian judge, thus helping ensure that the Republican Big Tent collapsed from the weight of emptiness. All things considered, it may seem wiser to avoid the advise-and-consent process, but hypocrisy takes no prisoners. You cant attach yourself to Scalias originalist virtues and also ignore the rule of law he so passionately defended. Scalias advice might be his own reflections on being a good and faithful judge: You have to resign yourself to the fact that youre not always going to like the conclusions you reach. Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook. Seen on a TV screen in the Senate Press Gallery in 2013, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) give a 21-hour speech against Obamacare on the Senate floor. (Charles Dharapak/AP) In 2013, freshman Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he had a plan to do something that seemed impossible. He could force President Obama to strip the funding from the landmark health-care law that had come to bear his name Obamacare by threatening to shut down the government. To some other conservatives, there was a problem with Cruzs plan. It still seemed impossible. To succeed, Cruz needed a novel way to outmaneuver the Democrat-led Senate and then pressure Obama to undercut his signature domestic policy achievement. But Cruz didnt have one. Instead, his critics said, he offered only a fanciful theory that if the GOP flirted hard enough with a shutdown, Democratic lawmakers and the White House might lose heart and surrender. Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-Texas), said on the Senate floor Tuesday he would stand against the presidents health care law until Im no longer able to stand. (The Washington Post) Grover Norquist, the influential anti-tax activist, likened Cruzs strategy to a plotline in the satirical animated show South Park, in which a group of gnomes comes up with a brilliant plan to become rich. Step 1 is: Steal all the underwear in South Park. Step 2 is: Mumumumbumbumbum, Norquist said, making a nonsense sound. And Step 3 is: Make a million dollars. And this [plan] reminded me of that episode. Josh Holmes, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), said it was like a toddlers version of legislating. Cruzs gambit didnt work. Neither Senate Democrats nor Obama gave an inch on their cherished law. Instead, the government shut down for 16 days, and Republicans in Congress were blamed for it including by other Republicans, who said they had distracted attention from the disastrous rollout of the HealthCare.gov website. Today, the drama that surrounded the shutdown including Cruzs 21-hour Senate speech, in which he read Green Eggs and Ham to his daughters via the C-SPAN feed is the defining moment of a Senate tenure that has helped make Cruz the favorite Republican presidential candidate for many conservatives. To those supporters, the shutdown signaled the depth of Cruzs commitment to rein in government. But for many Republicans in Congress, this was the episode that soured them on Cruz. Many suspect that he always knew his plan would fail but went ahead with it anyway expecting that he would personally benefit from the exposure, even if his party lost a damaging fight. He knew that. He knew it. He knew it, former senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said. It wasnt about the shutdown. It wasnt about the Affordable Care Act. It was about launching Ted Cruz. On the campaign trail this year, none of Cruzs fellow senators have endorsed him for president. And some GOP rivals have used the shutdown to criticize him. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio, a senator from Florida who was a vocal supporter of Cruz during the shutdown, now uses it to call Cruz ineffective: Im the only one running thats actually ever scored a victory against Obamacare, Rubio says. He is referring to a bill that undercut a government program to bail out failing insurers. Rubio didnt actually play a very substantial role in its passage. But it passed. Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), a former presidential candidate and a longtime Cruz nemesis who is now backing former Florida governor Jeb Bush, cites the shutdown saga as proof that Cruz is shameless. What he did was stood up for Ted and threw the Republican Party under the bus, Graham has said. On the campaign trail, Cruz often talks about Obamacare, telling audiences that he will repeal every word of the health-care law if he is elected president. But he refers to the 2013 battle infrequently. And he rarely utters the word shutdown. Rick Tyler, a spokesman for Cruzs campaign, said the senator doesnt often say the word because shutting down the government was never his goal. He didnt pursue a government shutdown strategy. Thats not even sane, Tyler said. That would be a good thing to go out and campaign on? That wasnt what he did. He led the fight to defund Obamacare. But even in Cruzs telling of the story, his plan to defund Obamacare was based on a misreading of how other key players would react when he threatened a shutdown. He says he thought Obama and top Democrats would be cowed. He says he thought Senate Republican leaders would be willing at least in public to take the risk. In both cases, he was wrong. The reason it didnt work is because Ted Cruz was the only candidate, the only senator, who campaigned on defunding Obamacare and followed through on his campaign promise. Nobody else did, Tyler said, arguing that others said: Oh, we dont have the votes. Well just give up. Thats not leadership; thats capitulation and appeasement and surrender. If there was a blunder in Cruzs plans, Tyler said, the miscalculation was that when his colleagues campaigned on defeating Obamacare, he thought they meant it. The fullest explanation of that time, written from Cruzs perspective, came in his 2015 book, A Time for Truth. In it, Cruz begins the chapter about his own fight with a story from 160 years ago. Just before the Civil War, he writes, a Wisconsin abolitionist was punished for breaking the law to help a former slave escape to Canada. But later, Cruz says, the man was pardoned and vindicated. He was an American hero, Cruz writes. In the next paragraph, Cruz jumps from slavery to Obamacare, and from that American hero to himself. In Washington, pundits repeatedly intone that we had no plan, no strategy, and no hope of success, Cruz writes. Ive got many personal faults, but, as a former Supreme Court litigator, failing to plan is not one of them. It was the last gasp to stop it It was not Cruzs idea, originally. In 2013, conservative activists were looking for a new tactic to defeat the health-care law, which had survived a Supreme Court challenge, before its first insurance exchanges opened Oct. 1. Republicans had tried passing standalone bills to repeal it, but the Senate killed them. The new plan was to use a bill that the Senate was obligated to pass a spending bill to keep the government funded. They would pass a bill that paid for everything, except Obamacare. It was the last chance. It was the last gasp to stop it, said Brent Bozell, chairman of the conservative group ForAmerica. Did I think it was going to work? We knew it was going to be tough. Anything is possible. But we knew it was going to be tough. Cruz joined the defund effort early on and became its leading spokesman and an important legislative leader. The president is never going to sign a bill that defunds Obamacare, CNNs Candy Crowley told him on Aug. 25, 2013, with a shutdown a little more than a month away. You know, you may be convinced to that, Cruz replied. Youre not convinced to that? Crowley asked. I am not at all, Cruz said. In theory, his plan worked like this: First, the House would pass a bill to defund the health-care law. Then came the Senate. Republicans had 46 seats there not enough to pass a bill but enough to block one. So theyd block a vote on any Democratic version of the spending bill. In the meantime, Cruz would use lobbying and public pressure to swing wobbly Democrats over to his side. Eventually, Obamacare opponents would have the 60 Senate votes they needed to pass Cruzs bill and send it to the president. At that point, according to Cruzs plan, Obama might start to respond as he did during the debt-ceiling showdown two years earlier. In those negotiations, the threat of a government default was so scary that the White House and legislative leaders agreed to a series of drastic cuts known as the sequester. Chip Roy, Cruzs chief of staff at the time, described the debt talks as a model for Cruzs strategy. We could get some pound of flesh out of the president and [then-Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid, Roy said. That was always the endgame. But other Republicans believed that Cruzs plan was too farfetched to work. For one thing, Cruz would need to flip more than a dozen Democratic votes to get his idea passed by the Senate. And hed need seven more Democrats to override a presidential veto. If Cruz couldnt get them, ever, then Republican leaders were reluctant to gridlock the Senate and wait for the impossible to happen. Virtually everybody understood the absurdity of the tactic, said Holmes, the former McConnell aide. Look, we all support the idea of defunding Obamacare. But saying we were going to defund Obamacare with 46 votes in the Senate or shut the government down is absurd. But in the summer and fall of 2013, Cruz and conservative activist groups pressed on, pressuring other Republicans to go along with the plan. They tended to reduce the complex calculations of the fight 60-vote thresholds, worries about presidential vetoes into a test of Republican fortitude. How do we win the fight to defund Obamacare? Cruz shouted at a rally in Dallas in the summer of 2013, part of a 10-city tour. Dont blink. Where the plan went awry Step 1 worked, as Cruz wanted. The GOP-led House pushed by conservatives who were coordinating with Cruz passed a bill to cut off the health-care laws money. Now it was time for the Senate. Kind of like Evel Knievel crossing the Grand Canyon, said former congressman Steve Southerland II (R-Fla.), who voted for Cruzs plan in the House. That was a joke: Knievel, the 1970s motorcycle daredevil, always boasted that he could jump the Grand Canyon. But he never actually did. Indeed, here is where the plan went awry, Cruz says in his book. What we did not anticipate was that . . . the GOP leadership team would decide to publicly, directly and aggressively lead the fight against the House Republicans and in favor of Obamacare, he writes. Senate Republicans did not gridlock their chamber, and several criticized Cruz for making them the villains. The Democrats who ran the Senate were able to reject the House bill easily. Cruz never seems to have made a concerted effort to lobby red-state Senate Democrats, whom he described as the last key element of his plan to win over the Senate. I dont ever remember hearing from Senator Cruz or his people, said former senator Mark Pryor (Ark.), who was perhaps the Senates most vulnerable Democrat at the time. He would lose his reelection bid to a Republican by 17 points. But he says he never felt pressure. There was zero temptation for Democrats to shut down the government or defund Obamacare. No one on the Democratic side was interested in that at all. As the days ticked down to the shutdown, Cruz was criticized even by House conservatives, who thought he needed to do more to make his plan work. He gathered with top aides in a small office near the Capitol dome. He read to them from Psalm 40, recalled Roy, his former chief of staff. The reading is a plea for deliverance from someone overcome by problems: For troubles without number surround me. My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. Cruz then went to the Senate floor. I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I am no longer able to stand, he said. Cruzs speech was, at its heart, a meditation on impossibility. He cited cases in which things that seemed impossible the Continental Armys fight against the British, the British fight against the Nazis, the mountain climbed by the Little Engine That Could were difficult but possible. His battle, Cruz said, was similar. I think I can. I think I can. No, you cant. No, you cant. We cant win, he said. You cant stop Obamacare. It cannot be done. It is impossible. But, it turned out, he couldnt. In his book, he blamed Obamas refusal to compromise on the presidents confidence in how the friendly media would tell the story. He knew his media lap dogs would report that it was Republicans who were refusing to compromise, Cruz wrote. Finally, on the 16th day of the shutdown, the Senate and the House voted to fund the health-care law, ending the standoff without any of the victories Cruz wanted. Cruz and his allies blamed Senate Republicans, saying they had splintered without ever testing Obamas resolve. With respect to Obama, its the road not taken. We dont know. I cant accept the premise that we miscalculated on Obama in the slightest, Roy said. The Republican leadership literally cowered in the corner, afraid of the word shutdown. Today, the sting from the standoff lingers among Cruzs congressional colleagues. How can I say this nicely? He was still critical of those of us who pointed out the obvious shortcomings of his tactic, and he called us capitulators, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said. Thats not real leadership. Thats lemming leadership. Its lemming leadership, is what it is. Even so, while the shutdown earned Cruz enemies in Washington, his success thus far in the presidential race shows that it gave him credibility with the conservative base. When he was campaigning in Des Moines in the closing days before his victory in the Iowa caucuses this month, one of the men who introduced him uttered the S-word that Cruz avoids. When Ted Cruz shut down the government, said Michael Berry, a conservative talk-radio host and Cruz ally. The crowd roared. Sean Sullivan contributed to this report. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. May 3, 2016 Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. Darron Cummings/AP The Texas Republican was the first major presidential candidate to formally declare a bid. The Texas Republican was the first major presidential candidate to formally declare a bid. The conservative movement finally had a presidential candidate it believed could go the distance: Ted Cruz, an adept communicator with deep pockets and a sophisticated national organization. But here in South Carolina, a state tailor-made for a hard-liner who appeals to evangelicals, the Texas senators ideologically pure candidacy is struggling to overtake the celebrity-infused populism of Donald Trump and contend with the religious overtures of Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who on Wednesday picked up the coveted endorsement of Gov. Nikki Haley. A stumble by Cruz in Saturdays primary would raise doubts ahead of the delegate-rich March contests about the electoral power and influence of the hard rights galaxy of grass-roots groups, media organs and faith leaders that have coalesced around him. It would also signal a fundamental shift in the Republican base: away from traditional right-wing alliances and litmus tests toward a new conservatism shaped by style, emotion and nationalism. I think everybody is an underdog compared to Trump right now, said Gary Bauer, a prominent social conservative leader who has endorsed Cruz. But I dont think theres any risk here for social conservatives. Any possible nominee, including Trump, will have to make their peace with the various segments of the Republican coalition. The stakes for all the candidates but especially Cruz were evident on the campaign trail Wednesday. Trumps campaign lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cruz, protesting a negative television ad arguing that Trump was an inconsistent conservative. Cruz then made a lawyerly presentation to reporters, gesticulating as one would toward a judge as he dared Trump to sue him and threatened to depose the billionaire mogul himself. [For Ted Cruz, the 2013 shutdown was a defining moment] At the same time, Cruz sought to fend off a possible surge by Rubio, whose campaign is showing signs of new life after a difficult week in New Hampshire. Haley, a popular second-term governor and rising national star, endorsed Rubio, dealing a blow to former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Cruz responded with a blistering new ad, called Sales Pitch, that spliced together footage of Rubio and President Obama using similar language to promote the 2013 immigration reform bill. In the past two presidential campaign cycles, conservative-movement leaders watched as their chosen candidates former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in 2008 and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum in 2012 stormed out of Iowa caucus wins only to fizzle because they lacked the money and organization to sustain a national campaign. This time seemed different. Cruz pitched himself as a conservative who could actually win. His campaign and super PACs easily raised tens of millions of dollars. He has deployed organizers on the ground throughout the country and has vowed to carry his campaign to the Republican National Convention in July. Its durability, said pollster Kellyanne Conway, who runs one of the pro-Cruz super PACs. Cruzs team is playing long ball for the long haul. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a Cruz supporter, said, Theres never been this much coalescing around a conservative candidate who actually has the ability to go the distance. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally Tuesday in North Augusta, S.C. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Cruz has ably wooed the professional class of the conservative movement. He has shared chips and salsa and grievances with back-bench House members in a Capitol Hill Tex-Mex restaurant. He has joined Heritage Foundation scholars for winding policy lunches over Chick-fil-A sandwiches. He has rallied church leaders at Pizza Ranches and in prayer sessions across Iowa. Cruz cemented his anti-establishment credibility by leading a crusade against President Obamas health-care law in 2013 that resulted in a partial shutdown of the federal government. His network of allies has grown ever since and includes such vocal backers on conservative talk radio as Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh. Hes on the right side of every single issue, and hes led on every single issue, said Brent Bozell, a national conservative activist who supports Cruz. Hes not a conservative during campaign season who panders to Washington in the interim. . . . Hes shown he will walk the talk, so to speak. But the power of these bonds is being tested. In the Iowa caucuses, which Cruz won, he carried only 34 percent of evangelical or born-again Christians, compared with 22 percent for Trump and 21 percent for Rubio, according to network entrance polls. [Ted Cruz is a night owl, and mornings are not his friend] In New Hampshire, the spread was worse for Cruz. Trump won 27 percent of evangelicals there, compared with 23 percent for Cruz and 13 percent for Rubio, according to network exit polls. In both states, Trump beat Cruz by double-digit margins among non-evangelical voters. In the latest CNN poll of likely GOP voters in South Carolina, Trump holds the support of 42 percent of the states white evangelical voters. Cruz is in second at 23 percent. It doesnt matter if these people are for him, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who won the South Carolina primary in 2012, said regarding Cruzs endorsers. There is a country out there that doesnt care at all. There is Washington, and there is the country and that includes whats happening on parts of the right. In South Carolina, nearly two-thirds of Republican primary voters in 2002 identified as born-again Christians, a slightly higher share than in Iowa. Evangelicals make up even bigger majorities of the GOP electorate in a string of Southern states holding primaries in early March: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee. As in South Carolina, the heavily religious electorates in these states should give Cruz an advantage. But Trumps dominance in the polls is challenging the senators ability to unite social conservatives. And Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson are bolstering their own ties to the Christian right and chipping into Cruzs natural base. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said evangelicals are weighing a range of issues as opposed to simply rallying to the candidate with the most traditionally faith-infused message. The misconception about evangelicals is that theyre single-issue voters, Lewandowski said. Theyre pro-life as well as pro-Second Amendment, pro-national security the list goes on. Lewandowski pointed to Gingrichs South Carolina victory, which was fueled by media buzz and fiery debate performances, as a model for Trump. Newt wouldnt have won the last time if it was all about just one type of voter, he said. [Why so many evangelicals have faith in Donald Trump] Cruzs associates define the senators supporters as a specific kind of conservative those whose politics are rooted in constitutional principles. Theyre engaged in a different way, said New Jersey Republican activist Steve Lonegan, a Cruz supporter. They understand the Constitution and the meaning of the Constitution. Trump and Carson supporters are much more emotion-based, and they react to simple sound bites. This past week in South Carolina, the feud between Cruz and Trump has taken a dark turn. With television advertisements and in his stump speeches, Cruz is trying to expose Trump as an untrustworthy champion of Christian values. He is using Trumps past liberal positions to discredit him on abortion rights, same-sex marriage and other issues. The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has given Cruz another weapon as the senator argues that Trump would appoint insufficiently conservative jurists. The conservative movement is alive and well, and when they have the right information, they make wise decisions, Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said. Were trying to get them the right information that Donald Trump is not a conservative. Trump has bristled at Cruzs critique, repeatedly calling him a liar and insisting he would be the stronger guardian of Christian values. Youre willing to lie about anything, but then youre holding up a Bible? Trump said of Cruz on Monday. To me, its no good. Perkins said many evangelicals in South Carolina have been flirting with Trump but predicted that some would shift their allegiance to Cruz by Saturday. People are fed up with politics as usual, and the things that Donald Trump is saying resonate with them, Perkins said. However, what we saw in Iowa is that as people got closer to pulling the lever, they started looking a little closer at Donald Trump, and they realized that while they agree with him at the surface, theres not that common bond. Leaders on the right remain confident that Cruz eventually can secure the nomination because he represents the best chance for the long-simmering conservative movement to fundamentally reshape the Republican Party in their image. The question in their minds is whether Trump upends their carefully calibrated strategy. If you study history, the establishment is always knocked over by outsiders, who then become the new establishment. So on and so forth, said Craig Shirley, a conservative public affairs consultant and Ronald Reagan biographer. I do think 2016 is the tipping point. Scott Clement and Breanne Deppisch in Washington contributed to this report. From left to right, Austin Jackson, Lawrence Nathaniel and Jennifer King smile as they check results on Jackson's phone from Bernie Sanders' Feb. 9 win in the New Hampshire primary. (Alex Holt/For The Washington Post) The call-bank headquarters of Hillary Clintons campaign in this suddenly must-have state is in a small house on a tree-lined street not far from the Capitol. And, in a straight-from-central-casting display of Clintons core demographic of support, the first two volunteers inside the door are Eva Miller and Gloria Major, African American women who remember well the civil rights struggle. I am calling from the Hillary Clinton campaign. How are you today? Miller, a retired worker from a nuclear plant, said pleasantly into the phone. Were talking with supporters like you who She pauses. Well, thank you so much Pause. From left to right, Jason Perkey, Jamie Harrison and Trav Robertson watch the results of the Feb. 9 New Hampshire primary on a TV in the back room of Delaney's Music Pub and Eatery in Columbia, S.C. (Alex Holt/For The Washington Post) Well, you do that! Hillary will appreciate it, and so will I. She hangs up, smiling another vote for Hillary in the Democratic primary on Feb. 27. Across town, shouting from the rooftops for the Bernie Sanders campaign, is Wayne Borders, a 33-year-old African American and child of the 80s who left his restaurant job in November to become a full-time canvasser. Dismayed by his memory of Bill Clintons years in office and inspired by Sanderss progressive agenda, hes committed to the Vermont senator. Im knocking on doors all over town, informing people about a man whos been an advocate for working people, for the disenfranchised, who helped Jesse Jackson win the state of Vermont in the 80s, he said. Hes not just spouting words. Hell do the work that needs to be done. As has been the case elsewhere, the contest in South Carolina is breaking down by age, with many of those over 45 supporting Clinton and those under more open to Sanders. What makes it different here and in numerous states to follow is that the fight is largely among African Americans, who are expected to make up at least half of the South Carolina electorate and who maintain a large degree of fondness for the Clintons. Sanders is trying to cut into Clintons sizable lead by appealing to younger African Americans such as Borders, who are drawn to his message of economic justice and feel that many of the crime policies that began under President Bill Clinton have done long-term harm to their communities. Demographics favor Clinton The challenge for Sanders is steep: Many people here have come to know him only recently, if at all, and those he is counting on to rally to his side have not turned out to the same degree as their older counterparts. In the 2008 South Carolina primary, with Barack Obama facing Clinton, about 60 percent of black voters were over 45. In the 2012 election, black turnout among those ages 18 to 29 was 53 percent. It was 66 percent among blacks 30 to 44 and more than 70 percent among blacks 45 and older. Its according to age groups, said Mattie Thomas, 66, a retired fast-food worker who lives in Lake City, about 25 miles south of Florence. Shes a Sanders supporter but concedes that most of her peers love the Clintons from Bills two terms in the Oval Office. They have a perception of the Clintons, and youre not going to change their minds, she said. Another problem for Sanders: There are roughly 100,000 more African American women than men of voting age, and that demographic, particularly the older set, tends to skew heavily toward Clinton. The key demographic is African American women, said Jaime Harrison, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party. Clinton has to maintain her support. Sanders has to do the Carolina two-step increasing his name recognition and then convincing voters he can deliver. Both candidates sought to appeal to younger African Americans on Tuesday. In New York, after meeting with the Rev. Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders, Clinton proposed new federal regulations that would end what she said were overly punitive school discipline policies that disproportionately affect minority students. Speaking in Harlem, Clinton, without naming him, also accused Sanders of being a Johnny-come-lately to racial justice issues. You cant just show up at election time and say the right things and think thats enough, she said to rousing applause. You cant start building relationships a few weeks before a vote and think thats enough. Stepped-up outreach Here in Columbia, Sanders stepped up his emphasis on criminal justice issues, saying, We have got to achieve the day when young black males and women can walk the streets without being worried about being harassed by a police officer. Sanders was joined by Erica Garner, the oldest daughter of Eric Garner, whose death in New York after being in a police chokehold in 2014 helped inspire the Black Lives Matter movement. The senator also was accompanied by South Carolina Rep. Justin T. Bamberg, an African American who serves as the attorney for the family of Walter Scott, an unarmed black motorist who was shot to death last April by a North Charleston, S.C., police officer. The Sanders campaign is relying on state legislators such as Bamberg who have endorsed him to help spread the word, along with an eclectic group of black surrogates who are expected to be increasingly visible as the primary approaches. They include Benjamin Jealous, 43, who was the youngest leader of the NAACP; Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike; actor Danny Glover; entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte; and academic Cornel West. The campaign is paying dozens of canvassers $15 an hour to go door to door, primarily in the African American community, to pitch Sanderss candidacy, according to campaign manager Jeff Weaver. Our outreach program in South Carolina is sort of a neighbor-to-neighbor outreach program, Weaver said. Sanders has also been airing ads on black-oriented radio stations and is on television with spots that highlight his commitment to civil rights. In one, a narrator reminds viewers that Sanders participated in the 1963 March on Washington as a college student and says he wants to end racial profiling, combat police misconduct and dismantle private prisons. A lot of these people are undecided, or they want to know why they shouldnt vote for the household name of Clinton, said Bree Maxwell, a 31-year-old Sanders volunteer in Richland County who frequently goes to colleges for speaking events to pursue young voters. But theyre very receptive. The older voters are the ones who give me the hardest time. Chris Covert, South Carolina director for Sanders, said the campaign has just opened its 11th field office in the state and has had more than 1,000 volunteers sign up since Sanderss stronger-than-expected performances in Iowa and New Hampshire. Time is always a challenge for us, but were in good position to make a run, he said. One advantage Sanders may have is that voters are allowed to register on primary day, meaning he could, at least theoretically, take advantage of late-coming support. In the past week, Clinton has locked up endorsements from the political arm of the Congressional Black Caucus and influential state politicians such as Todd Rutherford, the House minority leader. Celebrity endorsers Vivica Fox and Angela Bassett have been barnstorming the state. Clinton is slated to be at South Carolina State, a historically black university, later in the month. Relationships that last Her campaign workers here said they have been working the state since the spring. Weve had offices on the ground in South Carolina since last April, said Stephanie Formas, Clintons in-state communications director, and weve been forming long-term relationships that last. For Major, a retiree and one of the volunteers at the Clinton phone bank, making calls two nights a week is an opportunity to make a difference and to set an example of political involvement for her grandchildren. Bernie has a passionate, motivational speech that draws young people, she said, taking a respite from her call sheet. What I love about Hillary is her facts. Her reality. Shes not selling you a white picket fence. Shes selling you things that she can deliver. Bamberg, who is 28, said he decided to support Sanders after having a chance to talk with him during a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Columbia. Things are picking up, and Bernies name is coming up in every conversation, he said. Its going to be a lot closer than people ever believed it could be. Vanessa Williams, Anne Gearan, Janell Ross and Alice Crites in Washington contributed to this report. President Obama on Tuesday vowed to nominate an indisputably qualified candidate to the Supreme Court, forcefully rejecting Republican calls that he cede the pick to his successor because the Court vacancy comes late in his presidency and in the middle of an election year. Theres no unwritten law that says it can only be done on off years, Obama said at news conference marking the end of a summit with Southeast Asian leaders. The news conference focused exclusively on domestic political concerns and Mideast strife, and was dominated by questions about picking a successor for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last weekend while on a hunting trip in Texas. Thats not in the constitutional text. Im amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. The president cast the standoff as more evidence of Washington dysfunction, saying the process will test whether Congress can rise above its recent history of partisan rancor to complete a fundamental constitutional task. Obama, who himself participated in an unsuccessful filibuster aimed at blocking the 2006 nomination of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., said venom and rancor have become commonplace in the Senates consideration of presidential appointees. He acknowledged that both parties were to blame. Its not something that I have spent a huge amount of time talking about, because frankly the American people, on average, theyre more interested in gas prices and wages and issues that touch on their day-to-day lives in a more direct way, so it doesnt get a lot of political attention, he said. But this is the Supreme Court, and its going to get some attention. [This stalled Obama nominee knows exactly what purgatory looks like] Washington Post reporter Juliet Eilperin explains the difficulties ahead facing both Republicans and Democrats as they battle to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat left by the sudden passing of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post) Obamas remarks came as a handful of key Republicans were expressing a willingness to hold hearings on a potential nominee, creating some confusion on the partys position. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-Ky.) office said the chambers Republicans were united in opposing any new Obama appointee to the Supreme Court, but comments from other key lawmakers suggested the possibility of a compromise. In a conference call with reporters from his home state Tuesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said he would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decision on whether to hold hearings on the presidents candidate. In other words, take it a step at a time. Grassley, who is up for reelection this fall, added that election-year politics would not figure in his decision. I think I have a responsibility to perform, and I cant worry about the election, he said. Ive got to do my job as a senator, whatever it is. And there will be a lot of tough votes between now and the next election. Another member of the Judiciary Committee, freshman Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), noted that Republicans could not expect Obama choose a nominee in the mold of Scalia, who for almost 30 years has been the ideological leader of the courts conservative bloc. Speaking on The Tyler Cralle Show on WAAV in Wilmington, N.C., Tillis said that Republicans should worry about coming across as blocking the president out of partisan spite. I think we fall into the trap if we just simply say Sight unseen the Senate wont consider the nominee, Tillis said, we fall into the trap of being obstructionist. With Republicans struggling to stake out a unified position, Senate Democrats predicted that the GOP would cave and allow full committee hearings and a confirmation vote on an eventual nominee. This is a huge overreach by Leader McConnell, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), the number-three Democratic leader, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. But Republicans inclined to hold a vote on the nomination are sure to face a political backlash on the right. FreedomWorks Foundation executive director Curt Levey said in a call with reporters Tuesday that certain Republican senators in the past have been too eager to seem bipartisan right after a nominee is announced. . . . We are encouraging these senators to keep their powder dry and not say anything. [Battle over Scalias replacement spills into Senate races] As the political debate swirled, White House officials continued to deliberate on possible nominees. The president conferred with his aides while in California for the two-day meeting with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Several individuals familiar with the process said Obama, a former constitutional law professor, tends to give more consideration to how a jurist might operate over decades rather than to the immediate politics of the moment. While the White House counsels office has a long-standing list of possible candidates, the list is updated once a seat opens up, and the president receives dossiers on potential nominees. When the list is narrowed to half a dozen or fewer, the president conducts personal interviews. When he makes the final, final decision, hes in a room by himself, said Ron Klain, who helped spearhead the confirmation campaigns for Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan during the presidents first term. I dont think its possible to overstate how deeply and personally the president takes this decision. This is something he really does himself. The president sought to use the summit at the lush Sunnylands retreat this week to build deeper U.S. ties to Southeast Asia and make an impression on people in the region though media opportunities, including an interview Tuesday with Channel NewsAsia, an English-language television network based in Singapore. But as the extended exchange with reporters demonstrated, the future of the nations highest court remained paramount in many Americans minds. Obama did not offer a timeline for a nomination and did not hint at whom he might select, other than to say the person would be someone any fair-minded person, even somebody who disagreed with my politics, would say would serve with honor and integrity on the court. He ruled out making an appointment during a congressional recess, which would not require a confirmation vote, saying he expected the process to go through the usual order. And as the president flew back to Washington on Tuesday, preparations were underway for a public viewing ceremony for Scalia. He will lie in repose at the Supreme Courts Great Hall on Friday, before a funeral service on Saturday, court officials said. A private ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m., and a public viewing will be allowed from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. The following day, family and friends will gather for his funeral Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, court officials also announced Tuesday. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday and will be followed by a private burial. The last time a similar ritual played out in Washington was a little more than a decade ago, after the death of the late chief justice William H. Rehnquist. Rehnquists casket was carried in by a group of pallbearers that included his former clerk John G. Roberts Jr., who at the time had been nominated but not yet confirmed to succeed him as chief justice. Mark Berman, Paul Kane and Steven Mufson contributed to this report. A satellite image acquired by a private company on Feb. 14 shows what Western officials believe are Chinese HQ-9 surface-to-air defense missiles on the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea. (ImageSat International) The United States is very concerned about Chinas growing militarization of the South China Sea and intends to have a very serious conversation with Beijing after reports emerged that it had deployed suspected surface-to-air missile batteries on a disputed island, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Wednesday. There is every evidence, every day that there has been an increase of militarization of one kind or another, Kerry told reporters when asked about the reported deployment, agencies reported. Its of serious concern. We have had these conversations with the Chinese, and I am confident that over the next days we will have further very serious conversation on this, Kerry said. Satellite images apparently showing the missile sites were released as President Obama wrapped up a summit with leaders from nations making rival maritime claims in the region. The report has heightened concern not just in the United States but also in Asia about Beijings expanding ambitions in the region. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said in a statement it grasped that Communist China had deployed missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel chain and urged relevant parties to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions. Taiwans statement followed a report on Fox News on Tuesday that was based on satellite images acquired by a private company. Navy Cmdr. Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday evening that the photos supported reports of a deployment. Commercial imagery indicates that China has deployed a surface-to-air missile system on a disputed outpost in the South China Sea, Urban said. We are concerned that these actions are increasing tensions in the region and are counterproductive. The Paracel Islands have been under Chinese control for more than 40 years but are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The reported Chinese move followed a U.S. naval operation in which a missile destroyer sailed close to another island in the Paracels last month. [U.S. missile destroyer sailed close to island claimed by China] The South China Sea, bordered by China and a number of Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, has been the center of rising tensions since Beijing began expanding its foothold in the region last year. China has built seven artificial islands in the Spratly chain in the South China Sea and constructed airstrips on three of them, prompting worry in the West about possible military intent. But China argues that other nations in the region have also built airstrips and reclaimed land. At a news conference Wednesday, Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, said he had only just been told of the reports but suggested they were an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories. He also drew attention to lighthouses, meteorological stations, and shelter and rescue facilities that China has built on some islands. As for the limited and necessary self-defense facilities China has built on islands and reefs stationed by Chinese personnel, that is consistent with the self defense and self-preservation China is entitled to under international law, he said. Wang added that nonmilitarization is certainly in the interest of all parties, but nonmilitarization should not be just about one single country. During a state visit to the United States in September, Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged not to militarize the contested Spratly Islands, which lie to the south of the Paracels. On Wednesday, Kerry reiterated that the nonmilitarization standard in the South China Sea should be applied to all countries. Fox News, showing civilian satellite images from ImageSat International, said two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers, as well as a radar system, were deployed on Woody Island at some point between Feb. 3 and Sunday. Urban, the Pentagon spokesman, said the images appeared to show an HQ-9 air defense system; HQ-9s have a range of about 125 miles. Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the deployment of missiles to the Paracels would not be a surprise but would be a concern and would contradict Chinas pledge not to militarize the region, Reuters reported. We will conduct more, and more complex, freedom-of-navigation operations as time goes on in the South China Sea, Harris said at a briefing in Tokyo. We have no intention of stopping. Woody Island, called Yongxingdao by China, boasts an artificial harbor, an airport, roads, army posts and other buildings. Recent satellite imagery appears to show that China is conducting dredging and landfilling operations at two other islands in the Paracels, while adding a helicopter base on Duncan Island that could be used for anti-submarine warfare missions, the Diplomat magazine reported last week. [By 2030, South China Sea will be virtually a Chinese lake, study warns] The news broke just as Obama was completing two days of talks with 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, at the Sunnylands retreat in California. Among those present were the leaders of Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines, which all have overlapping claims with China for various islands, reefs and atolls in parts of the South China Sea. We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas, Obama said at a Tuesday news conference. At Sunnylands, Obama also pledged that the United States would continue to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea. He said maritime disputes must be resolved by legal means, including through a case brought by the Philippines challenging Chinas claims over vast swaths of that sea. The White House also announced that Obama has accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam in May, reflecting a growing rapport between Washington and Hanoi that irks Beijing. China has accused the United States of undermining peace and stability in the region and infringing on its sovereignty by sailing naval vessels near some of the disputed islands in the South China Sea. Last month, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer passed close to Triton Island in the Paracels in what the U.S. military said was a response to excessive maritime claims that impinge on the rights and freedoms of the United States and other nations. China said the action severely violated the law. Beijing has also refused to take part in an arbitration case brought by the Philippines in The Hague, arguing that the two countries should settle their dispute bilaterally. But Obama said all parties to the U.N. law of the sea are obligated to respect the ruling. [Chinas assertiveness pushes Vietnam toward an old foe, the United States] Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said China has been building up its military facilities on the Paracels for some years. He said that it was unclear whether this latest reported move was a direct reaction to the recent U.S. naval operation in Paracels but that Beijing would probably try to justify it as a reaction to U.S. military moves in the South China Sea. It could, he said, be a precursor to China eventually declaring some kind of air defense identification zone in the northern South China Sea, which could ultimately be extended farther south as military facilities are built up on the Spratly Islands. Such a move would be seen very negatively by the United States and regional claimants. But for the time being, deploying missiles on Woody Island is less provocative than making a similar move on the Spratlys, he said, because the Paracels are basically a bilateral issue with Vietnam rather than a multilateral one. It is not as provocative as it could have been, he said. If they had deployed missiles on the Spratlys, that would have elicited a much stronger response from other countries in Southeast Asia. Well see a strong reaction from Vietnam, but I don't anticipate the other claimants will react strongly, if at all. Taiwans president-elect, Tsai Ing-wen, told reporters following news of the report that tensions were higher in the region, according to Taiwans state-owned Central News Agency. We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control, Tsai said. Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the deployment of missiles on Woody Island increases tensions in the South China Sea, the Associated Press reported. In Vietnam, about 100 people, gathering to commemorate the start of a 1979 invasion by Chinese forces, chanted Down with the aggressors and Hoang Sa, Truong Sa, the Vietnamese terms for the Paracel and Spratly island chains. Karen DeYoung and Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: China rails at hegemony as U.S. vows to continue sea patrols U.S. Navy alarmed at Beijings Great Wall of sand in South China Sea China says U.S. destroyer sailing close to Chinese-built island a threat to peace Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: The Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) has paid the compensations worth over 20.6 million manats to clients of the bankrupt Bank of Azerbaijan, a statement posted on ADIF's website said. As of Feb. 17, the official exchange rate is 1.5679 AZN/USD. The process of receiving applications from Bank of Azerbaijan's insured depositors started since January 29, 2016. The amount of the insured deposits in Bank of Azerbaijan is 24.2 million manats. The payments are made in the branches of Muganbank and Rabitabank, assigned as agent banks. At the same time, more than 558,000 manats have been paid to Ganja Bank's clients since Feb. 4. In general, the amount of insured deposits in Ganjja Bank is 1.5 million manats. The payments to Ganja Bank's depositors are made in the branches of Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank. ADIF has started paying compensations to Texnikabank's depositors since February 12. More than 3.9 million manats have been paid to the bank's clients recently. The payments to Texnikabank's depositors are made in the branches of Muganbank, Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank. The fund returns up to 30,000 manats for each insured deposit. The European Union stars and the Union Jack flag hang next to each other this week at the European Parliament in Brussels. (Virginia Mayo/AP) As Britain has danced on the edge of a European Union exit, continental leaders have repeatedly insisted they want their island neighbor to remain a part of the club. Now those leaders will have to decide how far they are willing to go to persuade the United Kingdom to stay. Months of negotiations over British demands to reconfigure its relationship with the E.U. are expected to culminate in a deal at an E.U. summit here this week. British Prime Minister David Cameron has said the outcome of the talks will be critical to persuading his citizens to opt for in when the U.K. holds its referendum on membership in the 28-member bloc. But as late as Wednesday night, Cameron was struggling to win concessions from European counterparts who have been reluctant to grant him the sort of wide-ranging changes he craves. The tough bargaining by continental leaders reflects the limits of their tolerance toward British demands that have struck some as petty, divisive and distracting at a time when Europe is facing a panoply of existential threats. European leaders want to prevent Britain from bolting. But not at any cost. Europe has basically said: Were trying to help you because we want to keep you in. But at some point, theres a limit to what you can ask for, said Karel Lannoo, chief executive of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies. Ultimately, the British need to make a decision: Are they part of Europe or not? [A British exit could be just the start of Europes unraveling in 2016] The question could be settled as soon as June, assuming Cameron and the other 27 E.U. leaders are able to strike a deal this week. The British prime minister has promised the referendum by the end of 2017, following years of demands from Euroskeptics in his own Conservative Party. But experts say the vote will come far sooner because delay only increases the chances of a vote for out. Polling indicates a contest that could go either way. A British departure would mark the first time an E.U. member has chosen to leave the club, which has defined European politics and economics for decades and is credited by backers with helping to keep the peace on a continent scarred by a long history of especially destructive wars. Experts fear that the countrys exit popularly known as Brexit could trigger a broader unraveling of the E.U. at a time when the continent is already grappling with a refugee crisis, renewed Russian aggression, terrorist attacks and a surging far-right. Along with Germany and France, Britain is regarded as one of the three essential members of the union. But it has long been an ambivalent participant, signing up for the benefits of the single market while opting out of the common currency and Europes borderless travel zone. Camerons negotiation is aimed at even further loosening the ties between the U.K. and a Brussels-based bureaucracy that Brexit proponents regard as a stifling infringement on national sovereignty. His four demands consist of: an opt-out from the E.U.s founding ambition to forge ever closer union; greater power for national parliaments to block E.U. legislation; formal recognition that the euro isnt the unions only currency; and permission to restrict benefits for immigrants from within the E.U. But draft proposals for a deal have proved underwhelming and have been widely mocked by advocates for out. Without a more robust package of overhauls, the prime minister risks losing the support of key Conservative allies, including London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has played coy on his E.U. stance. Cameron on Wednesday night was reported to be pushing for last-minute concessions that would allow him to declare victory before he officially launches the referendum campaign, a move expected when he returns home Friday. The prime minister may have an ally in that cause in German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She told her Parliament Wednesday that British demands for E.U. restructuring were justified and necessary. Keeping the U.K. in the E.U., she said, was not just in Britains but also in Germanys interest, and that of Europe as a whole. [Europe offers Britain a deal to stay in the E.U.] But several Eastern European countries have signaled they will fight plans to allow London to restrict social-welfare benefits for European immigrants working in Britain. Record immigration to the U.K. much of it fueled by Eastern Europeans seeking better job opportunities has been one of the main drivers of anti-E.U. sentiment in Britain. That makes the benefit restriction especially critical to Camerons plans and leaves him politically exposed if Eastern European countries succeed in watering down the provision. Even as they seek protections for their workers who have immigrated to Britain, Eastern European governments are blocking attempts to forge a united response to the continents refugee crisis. The issue will be on the agenda when European leaders meet Thursday, but few tangible results are expected. The impasse could ultimately aid the pro-Brexit campaign, which has argued that Britain needs to further distance itself from the chaotic migrant flows on the continent. The refugee crisis has made it much harder for the in crowd to make their case because it makes the E.U. look even worse, said Jan Techau, director of Carnegie Europe. Britain is largely insulated from the refugee crisis; it has a special exemption from the E.U.-wide quota for refugees, and the 19 miles of water between the British and French coasts make it difficult for migrants to reach British shores. It is that kind of special status that often prompts head-shaking on the continent over why Britain would threaten to leave. Theyre half-in, half-out, said Pierre Vimont, who is also with Carnegie Europe. Its the best they could ever get. Karla Adam in London contributed to this report. Read more Spring could bring a fresh surge of refugees. But Europe isnt ready for them. NATO ships to combat migrant-smuggling networks in Aegean In supposed no-go zone, British Muslims, Christians say no to fanatics Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world A Red Crescent convoy prepares to leave Damascus for the besieged areas of Madaya and Zabadani during a Feb. 17, 2016, operation to deliver aid to thousands of besieged Syrians. (Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images) An initial meeting between U.S. and Russian representatives tasked with organizing a cessation of hostilities in Syria will not be held until Friday, making it unlikely that an actual cease-fire will take place on that day, as originally scheduled. The cease-fire delay came as convoys of at least 100 trucks left Damascus on Wednesday carrying U.N.-organized aid to five besieged areas of the country that have been without food or medicine. Outside stakeholders in Syrias civil war including Russia and Iran in support of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States, its partners in the region and Europe, who back the opposition agreed early Friday in Munich on a cease-fire to commence in one week and humanitarian access to start immediately. The failure to begin either initiative on time boded ill for the success of the agreement, which is supposed to lead to government-opposition peace talks. Obama administration officials have called it a last-ditch attempt to peacefully resolve the civil conflict that it maintains is undermining its separate war against the Islamic State in Syria. [Airstrikes hit hospitals and schools in northern Syria] Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, right, meets with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, in Damascus on Feb. 16, 2016. (SANA/Reuters) Trucks carrying humanitarian aid were reported en route to or entering Madaya, Zabadani, and Moadamiya near Damascus, and Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province in the countrys north. The suburbs near Damascus are under siege by pro-government forces, while Syrian rebels have surrounded the two villages in Idlib. Madaya gained worldwide attention in January after dozens of people died of starvation. Russia is reportedly considering airdrops of aid to the city of Deir al-Zour in the east, currently encircled by Islamic State militants. A global advocacy group, the Syria Campaign, said Wednesday that the aid was insufficient and accused the United Nations of complicity in government sieges of civilian areas. The reality is the U.N. is deeply complicit in the Syrian regimes tactic of besieging civilians, Anna Nolan, director of the Britain-based group, said of the aid deliveries Wednesday. The little aid that goes in [on Wednesday] is a result of public pressure, not because of U.N. action, she said in a statement. [Battered Aleppo latest stage for Syrias proxy war] Russia intervened in the civil war in the fall to prevent its ally, Assad, from being toppled by rebels. Russian airstrikes have since turned the tide against the insurgents and helped pro-regime forces close in on rebel strongholds in places such as Aleppo, Syrias largest city. The intervention has also raised tensions between NATO-member Turkey and both Russia and the United States. Turkey, which has waged a decades-long fight against ethnic Kurdish guerrillas, has opposed U.S. support for Syrian Kurds fighting against the Islamic State. It charges that the Kurds are in league with Russia and Assad in attempting to take over territory north of Aleppo along the northwest Syria-Turkey border. Since Saturday, Turkey and the Syrian Kurds have exchanged cross-border fire. The Obama administration has called for both sides to stop, leading the Turkish government to accuse Washington of a hostile attitude and support for a group that it considers terrorist. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that he has no plans to stop the shelling, despite U.S. entreaties. The fighting around Aleppo has sent tens of thousands of Syrian civilians fleeing toward the closed Turkish border, where the government repeated its call for establishment of a secure zone inside Syria, protected by U.S. and allied forces. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is hosting about 800,000 refugees from Syria and other countries in the region and fears an influx of even more, made a similar call Wednesday. In an address to the German Parliament, Merkel described the situation for besieged civilians in and around Aleppo as intolerable and said that nothing should be left undone in trying to establish a no-fly zone, the international German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that the administration had not changed its long-standing opposition to establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria. Toner said the administration was pushing as fast as possible on beginning a cease-fire, recognizing that on both sides, there have to be consultations on the ground before the U.S.- and Russia-led task force can come together and meet and seriously talk about a cessation of hostilities. He said the U.S. team for the talks, to be held in Geneva, would be headed by Robert Malley, President Obamas chief adviser on the Syria situation. The administration has repeatedly rebuffed Russian entreaties to coordinate air operations in Syria, saying that Russian insistence that it is targeting the Islamic State is belied by the fact that most of its strikes have hit rebel groups fighting Assad. But some level of coordination is necessary, Toner said, if the United States and Russia are to persuade those they are supporting on the ground to stop fighting. Among its other responsibilities, the task force is to delineate geographic areas where air attacks will cease and develop an adjudication mechanism for possible violations. Cunningham reported from Cairo. A Palestinian woman makes her way Tuesday toward Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) For centuries, the Damascus Gate has stood as the portal to the Old City of Jerusalem, opening onto a packed bazaar of souvenir shops, teahouses and falafel joints and the holiest places for Jews, Christians and Muslims. On Tuesday, a watchful Israeli sniper was perched in one of the gates stone turrets, swiveling his scoped rifle, as Israeli border police milled about the entrance, warily eyeing the passersby, a mix of Palestinian hipsters in the latest jeans, doing some shopping for their moms, and elderly Jewish rabbis with long gray side curls who were escorted through the gate by private security guards in flak jackets. The tourists and pilgrims still come, but for locals, the Damascus Gate is now a hot zone to be avoided, with squads of Israeli soldiers waiting in nearby buses and Palestinian teens frequently stopped, searched and sometimes led away. View Graphic A new kind of terrorism in Israel For the past five months, a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis has marked a deadly escalation in the two sides long-running conflict. According to a count by The Washington Post, more than 27 Israelis have been killed in knife, gun and vehicular attacks; more than 160 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces, 110 while carrying out attacks and 50 during clashes. The Damascus Gate has served as the backdrop and the beacon for at least 15 of those attacks. Built in 1537 by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Damascus Gate is one of seven access points leading into Jerusalems Old City. The entrance is often busy with passersby: Jews, Palestinians, tourists, pilgrims and soldiers. It has also been a scene of violence. (Jason Aldag,William Booth/Ruth Eglash/The Washington Post) In the last week alone, Palestinians have twice attacked Israeli police at the Damascus Gate, which sits in the heart of Palestinian East Jerusalem, just a block from bus stations and tram stops and close to Palestinian high schools. On Sunday, a pair of Palestinian 20-year-olds wielding automatic weapons were shot dead in a brief gun battle at the gate. One of the assailants was a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces. On Friday, a 20-year-old wielding a knife rushed at Border Police officers, stabbing one in the head. That assailant, too, was shot dead at the scene. In addition, police foiled two possible knife attacks on Monday and Tuesday. The gate seen today was built by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1537 on top of an earlier entry into the walled city that the Romans erected in the emperor Hadrians time. The Jews call it Shaar Schechem, or Nablus Gate. Arabs call it Bab al-Amud, Gate of the Column, for the obelisk left by the Romans. Its English name reflects the fact that it faces north, toward Damascus. It may seem hard to believe amid todays wars and divisions, but it was once possible to hop into a taxi in Jerusalem and get driven to the Syrian capital. It is the most beautiful gate of all, said Ahmed Dandes, 48, who owns a small shop selling gentlemens trousers inside the gate. It is the path of three religions, a reference to the Jews Western Wall, the Christians Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Muslims al-Aqsa Mosque. It goes by many names, Dandes said. Today we could call it Gate of the Martyrs. Ten Palestinians have died. He pointed. Just out there. Palestinian men pass through Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem, on Tuesday. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) A Palestinian woman passes through the gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) An ultra-Orthodox man and a Palestinian man pass through. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) A Palestinian vendor. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) Rabbi Menachem Ben Yaakov, who works at the Ateret Cohanim Yeshiva, in the Muslim quarter of the Old City not far from the Damascus Gate, passes through daily. Over the past few months, he has been accompanied by private guards hired to protect the rabbis and students at the yeshiva. He said that he thinks the violence will eventually dissipate and that with the large contingent of police and soldiers, the area felt perfectly safe to him. I dont feel threatened, he said. Jews should not be scared of going any place in Jerusalem. They have the security of the Great One and Israeli security. The Palestinians at the gate eye the Jews, and the Jews eye the Palestinians, who say they are careful not to make any sudden moves. These days, Palestinian youths are ordered not to congregate on the stone steps leading to the gate. Every day, we come here after school. It refreshes our souls, said Mutasem Afaneh, 15, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. Asked why Palestinians chose the Damascus Gate as a site for attacks, the teen said, Because this is where the police harass and humiliate the girls and the boys. That is reason to grab a knife? For some, Afaneh said. Israeli border policemen search Palestinians at Damascus Gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) An Israeli border police officer searches a Palestinian man. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) The first incident in the immediate area happened on Oct. 4, when Palestinian teen Fadi Alloun was accused by nearby Israelis of attempting to attack them. The crowd chased Alloun into the central square, where he was shot by Israeli police officers who had responded to a call. Palestinians say Alloun was lynched. Israeli police said he had a knife. Since then, at least 11 Palestinians have been killed at the gate or at the nearby tram stop. As the violence continues, the Damascus Gate has become a popular backdrop for journalists to film a visual seam in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the gate is the most tense spot in the city. The high level of security extended even to journalists. On Tuesday, while conducting interviews at the Damascus Gate, Washington Post bureau chief William Booth and correspondent Sufian Taha were briefly detained by police on suspicion of causing incitement. The police later issued an apology, saying the suspicions were without foundation. Shai Glick, nephew of the Jewish activist Yehuda Glick, who was shot and wounded last year after advocating that Jews be allowed to pray at a contested religious site in the Old City, blamed the recent wave of violence on one incident, a stabbing that took place near the gate on Oct. 2. The Muslims and Jews that come to this place are against the violence, and until four months ago it was all calm here, the market was full and the people were doing real business, he said. Then four months ago, a Palestinian teenager, not even from here, came and stabbed two people, killing them. After that, business has gone down by 90 percent and everyone is suffering. Palestinians pass through Damascus Gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) Palestinian vendor Ahmed Dandes and his father, Abu Ziad Dandes, near Damascus Gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) Muslim tourists pose for a selfie in front of Damascus Gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) A Palestinian woman passes in front of the bullet-riddled door of Damascus Gate. (David Vaaknin/For The Washington Post) Anna Mazur and Yvgeny Fesenko, tourists from Kiev, Ukraine, said they had arrived in Jerusalem two days earlier and were planning to spend 10 more days touring the country. The situation here does not bother us at all. We have a similar situation in Ukraine, Mazur said. We dont have Jews or Palestinians, but we have people fighting each other. William Ek-Uvelius, a human rights advocate from Sweden, said, When I was here in March there was no sniper up there. His colleague Elin Jansson Holmberg, a human rights lawyer, said the two were in the country as observers for a peace program. We are trying to feel what the people here feel, she said. We understand that both sides are scared of each other. Myong Su, a religious tourist from South Korea, said she was not afraid to come to the Damascus Gate. There is nothing to be scared of here, she said. It is all in Gods hands. It is all written down when we will die. Hatem Ganam, 57, sells duffel bags and backpacks at a shop just inside the Damascus Gate. All the tension, all the pressure, is concentrated right here. All the insults, humiliations, searches. All here. It is a terrifying atmosphere, I promise you. Damascus Gate is our gate, the Palestinian merchant said. The more the Israelis pull, the tighter we hold on. Sufian Taha contributed to this report. Read more: Israels new security minister and his 4 ideas for stopping violence Israeli military confronts violent protests with increasingly lethal force Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Mohamed Heikal, a confidant of Egypts nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser who later wrote insider accounts of his countrys wars and peacemaking deals with Israel, died Feb. 17 in Cairo. He was 92. State television announced the news. He recently suffered kidney problems that required regular dialysis. Better known among Egyptians by his full name, Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the popular author rose to prominence as an adviser and later a Cabinet minister under Nasser, Egypts socialist and Arab nationalist president who ruled from 1954 until his sudden death in 1970. His friendship with Nasser cast Mr. Heikal in the role of a top authority on Egyptian and regional politics at a time when much of the Arab world was shaking off colonial European rule and embroiled in armed conflict with Israel. The leftist Nasserist ideology, which centered on what Nasser called Arab-socialism, commands little influence in present-day Egyptian politics, but Mr. Heikal remained relevant long after Nasser died, respected for his wide network of international contacts and extraordinary analytical skills. Mohamed Heikal in 2014 at his office, in Cairo. (Magdy Ebrahim/AP) Career diplomat Mustafa el-Fiqi described Mr. Heikal as the nations authentic memory. Mr. Heikal was born Sept. 23, 1923, to a wheat merchant in the Nile Delta province of Qalyubia. After attending college in Egypt, he began his journalism career in the early 1940s, working for the English-language Egyptian Gazette. He covered the North African campaign during World War II and later distinguished himself as a correspondent chronicling the civil war in Greece, the U.S. presidential election in 1952, the Korean War, and hostilities between Arabs and Jews. He met Nasser, a rising officer, on the battlefield during the first Arab-Israeli war, and their relationship deepened over the years. Mr. Heikals influence reached its apex as editor in chief of Cairos Al-Ahram daily from 1957 to 1974. In that role, he built a failing publication into a thriving powerhouse. He gingerly straddled support for the regimes policies with pointed criticism directed at individual governmental organizations. He added magazine offshoots that appealed to followers of diverse political stripes, including Marxists and avowed capitalists. Edward R.F. Sheehan, a former press officer at the American Embassy in Cairo, once praised Mr. Heikals judgment for creating a safety valve where harmless manifestoes could be printed in an effort to forestall massive anti-government street protests. Mr. Heikal tampered Egyptians distrust of the countrys tightly controlled state media under Nasser with his insiders take on the country and the region in his eagerly awaited Friday column titled Frankly. The column, closely followed across the Arab world, became known for Mr. Heikals literary journalism, a writing style emulated to this day by some of his proteges. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi eulogized Mr. Heikal in a statement, saying the late author established a distinctive journalistic school that combined political analysis with a magnificent writing style. Mr. Heikals critics often accused him of being an apologist for Nassers authoritarian style and restrictions on individual freedoms, as well as for Egypts humiliating defeat in the 1967 war with Israel. Nassers successor, Anwar Sadat, sidelined Mr. Heikal shortly after he took office in 1970, removing him from Al-Ahram in 1974, though he offered him the post of presidential adviser, which Mr. Heikal declined. Of his unwilling departure, Mr. Heikal told Time magazine, I knew it was inevitable. But I felt that if I didnt speak out, I would be betraying my profession. Now I have expressed my viewpoint, and I have taken the consequences. A decade later, in 1981, Sadat jailed him along with hundreds of government critics just a month before the U.S.-backed president was assassinated by Islamic militants. His successor, Hosni Mubarak, released Mr. Heikal and the others but kept the author at arms length throughout his 29 years in office. Mr. Heikal, who wrote about 40 books, passed a damning judgment on Sadats 11 years in power in his 1983 volume Autumn of Fury, The Assassination of Sadat. His sharply critical views of Mubarak were evident in Mubarak and His Age, his Arabic-language book published in 2012, a year after Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising. Despite his poor health, Mr. Heikal was frequently on TV in the past few years, sharing his political views in lengthy interviews, first on Qatars Al-Jazeera network and more recently on the privately owned Egyptian network CBC. Survivors include his wife, Hedayet Olwi, and three sons. Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and The Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan and Unibank, one of the leading retail banks in Azerbaijan are pleased to announce the launch of the new co-branded exclusive prepaid nameless plastic debit card ALBUKART. The new card aims at to give customers unique opportunities and bonus programs no matter which operator they are subscribed to. At the same time this is the first truly anonymous card that is instantly available for purchase at a wide number of points of sale. The ALBUKART must be connected only to a Bakcell number in order for you to enjoy the bonuses from Bakcell. "We are proud to launch such unique offer for the first time in Azerbaijan. Albukart will create numerous opportunities for our valuable subscribers and help them saving money and time. We believe that our subscribers will fully benefit from results of our cooperation with Unibank and Ulduzum partners. Because together with our partners, we have one main goal - make our subscribers life much easier and more advantageous", says Mr. Richard Shearer, Bakcell CEO. The card is designed for everyday spending and will enable customers to top-up their balance, pay in stores, get bonuses on their MSISDN for using it everywhere, transact online, use it as a regular plastic card, top it up in any of Unibank branches and cash-in ATMs as well as at Unibank partners' payment terminals throughout the country. "Unibank is always looking for new technological ways to make customer experience better by satisfying their expectations. Excellence in service and broad range of products that meet rising demand of our customers is of the highest importance to our bank. I am very pleased to say that Albukart is a new chapter in card business in our country. And I am very happy that we open this new chapter in a partnership with Bakcell. Albukart combines the best expertise existed in our banking and telecommunication industry and will help our customers to succeed financially" says Mr. Khalid Ahadov, Unibank CEO. Customers can get ALBUKART from any Bakcell Customer Care Center or Unibank branch instantly without providing ID. As a Bakcell customer when you use ALBUKART card for the first time, you can get 10-minute bonuses for calls within the network. Customers will earn 5 free minutes each time they spend AZN 10 off their card. In order to get the reward, customers are required to text back sending the code of earned minutes. New product is an easy-to-get cashless nameless card for micro/any payments in daily use. Customers shall gain from numerous values and offers presented by Bakcell and Unibank: get Ulduzum discounts automatically while paying through ALBUKART without presenting Ulduzum code to Ulduzum partners, as well as beneficial discounts on standard credit and debit cards offered by Unibank, participation in various bank campaigns and up to 6% annual deposit on loaded amounts on card. To activate card, customers are required to dial PIN at any ATM and load money from payment terminals. Every cardholder of the ALBUKART can enjoy several benefits that Unibank provides. They can buy Unibank's VISA Gold and MasterCard Gold debit cards with the 70% discount, Unibank's VISA Platinum and MasterCard Platinum debit cards with the 50% discount as well as will have a chance to take part in the lotteries with valuable gifts and prizes. Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers. Bakcell provides class leading 3G and 4G mobile internet experience in the country under the Su[email protected] brand name. As one of the largest national non-oil investors, Bakcell today continues making large investments in the economy of Azerbaijan through its investments in state-of-the-art telecommunication technology and its people who service our customers. With more than 5300 base stations Bakcell's network covers more than 99% of the population and 93% of the land area of the country (excluding occupied territories). Bakcell is a leader in innovation and it focuses on bringing the best of the mobile internet to Azerbaijanis through new partnerships and its Su[email protected] services. Bakcell 3G service is available in all regions and covers 93% of population. Around 250 retail outlets and 26 Customer Service Centers operating in the capital and regions are providing the best customer experience to Bakcell customers. Following the success of 3G Su[email protected], the best mobile internet experience during last 4 years, Bakcell has announced the commercial launch of its 4G LTE service, on May 5, 2015, under the 4-cu Su[email protected] brand name. 4-cu Su[email protected] provides an essential increase in mobile data speeds and is designed especially for the users, who want to be mobile and have broadband internet everywhere. With more than 1,7 million customers today Bakcell's Ulduzum is the best consumer service in the Telecommunications in the Middle East, Central and South Asia and North Africa, reaching subscribers through a range of privileges and services and delivering benefits for its own customers and those of Ulduzum partners driving loyalty. Recently Ulduzum discounts became available for Bakcell's subscribers through its mobile application, for both iOS and Android users in addition to the existing SMS and USSD based interactions. For more information about Bakcell products and services, please visit www.bakcell.com or call 555.For press releases please see www.bakcell.com/az/news (or www.bakcell.com/en/news for press releases in English). If you are not a Bakcell subscriber, but wish to find out about Bakcell and its services, please call 055 000 05 55. Unibank CB OJSC was established through the merger of the then two advanced commercial banks of Azerbaijan - MBANK (est. 1992) and PROMTEKHBANK (est. 1994) on 15 October 2002. Unibank is now one of the biggest banks in the country. The bank has hundreds of thousands of corporate as well as retail customers right now. Unibank was the first bank in Azerbaijan to have EBRD among its shareholders. Among the shareholders is also the German investment company called DEG. The international rating agencies have invariably passed commending assessments of Unibank's performance. Both Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings have the 'stable' outlook on the ratings of the bank. Unibank has a large branch network serving the citizens of the country in the capital city as well as up country right now. The branches of the bank work from 09:00 to 17:00 without lunch-breaks five days a week. On Saturdays, Unibank is open from 10:00 to 14:00. Unibank is one of the leading banks in the country. Its role in the market has repeatedly been praised by various international finance institutions and mass media. For instance, the special expert panel of The Banker, one of the highest-reputed international finance magazines, declared Unibank the Best Retail Bank of Azerbaijan in 2014 on consideration of the financial performance, innovative activities and development strategy of the bank. It should be mentioned also that Unibank was given the UGUR Award for supporting the growth of the real economic sector of Azerbaijan in 2015. For more details, please call (012) 117 or visit either the Bank's website (www.unibank.az ) or its Facebook and twitter page (www.facebook.com/unibank.az , https://twitter.com/unibank ) Unibank -bank for everyone! Tanks stationed at a Turkish army position near the Oncupinar crossing gate close to the town of Kilis fire toward the Syria border on Feb. 16. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images) Turkey continued its bombardment of Kurdish forces inside northwestern Syria Tuesday, and expressed disappointment in a U.S. response that called on both sides to end hostilities. U.S. support for the Syrian Kurds, Turkeys ambassador to Washington Serdar Kilic said in an interview, is a big strategic mistake . . . it will be regretted, but it will be too late. The Obama administration, Kilic said in an interview, had put NATO member Turkey and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD, on an equal footing an ally and a terrorist organization. Tensions grew between the United States and Turkey as new challenges arose to a ceasefire agreement reached late last week with Russia and other outside stakeholders in Syrias civil war. A meeting chaired by the United States and Russia to arrange for a cessation of hostilities by Friday failed to take place as scheduled Tuesday. At the same time, international condemnation rose in response to charges that Russian bombers struck hospitals and other civilian facilities Monday, killing at least 50 people in and around the city of Aleppo. Russia denied that its jets were responsible; the Syrian government it backs suggested the strikes were conducted by U.S. warplanes. A separate part of the agreement, calling on combatants to allow immediate humanitarian access to besieged civilian towns and cities in Syria, was also delayed. In an emergency visit to Damascus, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura obtained agreement from the government of President Bashar al-Assad to allow aid convoys to enter six besieged areas, a U.N. spokesperson said, and de Mistura suggested that assistance could begin to arrive on Wednesday. Cross-border Turkish shelling of the PYDs military forces has added a new dimension to the multi-party fighting in the strategic area between Aleppo and the Turkish border. Turkey considers the PYD to be one and the same as the Kurdistan Workers Party, a Turkish separatist group that it and the United States have designated as a terrorist organization. But the administration has formed an alliance of convenience with the PYD, whose military forces have been useful in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria. With the help of U.S. airstrikes and air-dropped weaponry, the Syrian Kurds, called the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG by its Kurdish acronym, last year cleared the Syria-Turkey border east of the Euphrates River of Islamic State militants. It was the first significant ground victory in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, and the administration has looked forward to continuing advances by the group. In response to Turkish sensitivities, however, administration officials pledged to hold the group back from continuing a march westward, across the Euphrates, which would allow it to control the entire 500-mile border. Turkey now says that pledge has been violated, with YPG forces attempting to take the town of Azaz, along a key opposition supply route four miles from the border, north of Aleppo. The Turks began shelling Kurdish positions Saturday, in response to what they said were artillery strikes on Turkish territory. Over the weekend, State Department spokesman John Kirby urged both Turkey and the Syrian Kurds to focus on the common threat of the Islamic State instead of attacking each other. While urging the Syrian Kurds not to take advantage of a confused situation, Kirby imploredTurkey to cease firing across the border. There is a tremendous disappointment on the part of the Turkish authorities, as well as Turkish public opinion, Kilic said. Statements by the U.S. authorities have been misleading the PYD and other elements, who think they have a strong ally in the United States and can do what they want in terms of achieving their objectives. In Istanbul, an unnamed Turkish official who briefed reporters Tuesday said that Turkey wants a ground operation in Syria, without which, the official said, it is impossible to stop this war. It was unclear whether the official was referring to the insertion of outside ground forces into the civil war, or the fight against the Islamic State. The two conflicts, long separate, have begun to converge in the area between Aleppo and the border. Last week, Turkey and Saudi Arabia said they were willing to send ground forces to participate in anti-Islamic State operations, but only as part of a larger plan by the U.S.-led coalition against the militants. A unilateral action by the two Sunni Muslim countries would likely exacerbate the increasingly sectarian nature of the civil war. A small contingent of about 50 U.S. Special Operations forces is already operating inside Syria coordinating with the Syrian Kurds and Sunni opposition forces and the administration has called on other nations to contribute. But Kilic said Turkey has begun to despair that the United States is willing to show more leadership, more muscle in Syria, especially in the face of Russian bombing. The administration, he said, didnt respond decisively when Russia annexed the Crimea from Ukraine, or when government forces used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. We are losing, he said of the situation in Syria. Apple CEO Tim Cook released a statement arguing against the FBI's recent order to hack into the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c. See why he and Apple are refusing to do so. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post) Apple CEO Tim Cook released a statement arguing against the FBI's recent order to hack into the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c. See why he and Apple are refusing to do so. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post) Tech giant Apple and the FBI appeared headed for a deepening confrontation Wednesday after the companys chief pledged to fight federal demands to help mine data from an iPhone used by one of the shooters in Decembers terrorist attacks in San Bernardino. The clash reflects wider debates in the United States and elsewhere over security measures used by companies to protect users of devices such as smartphones and how much leverage authorities should have to gain special access. We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a strongly worded open letter posted late Tuesday on the companys website. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them, it continued. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. [Full statement by Apple CEO] The Justice Department sought the order in the hopes of gaining crucial evidence about the Dec. 2 shooting rampage, which killed 14 people and injured 22. The order, signed Tuesday by a magistrate judge in Riverside, Calif., does not ask Apple to break the phones encryption but rather to disable the feature that wipes the data on the phone after 10 incorrect tries at entering a password. That way, the government can try to crack the password using brute force attempting tens of millions of combinations without risking the deletion of the data. The order comes a week after FBI Director James B. Comey told Congress that the bureau has not been able to open the phone belonging to one of the killers. It has been two months now, and we are still working on it, he said. The Silicon Valley giant has steadfastly maintained that it is unable to unlock its newer iPhones for law enforcement, even when officers obtain a warrant, because they are engineered in such a way that Apple does not hold the decryption key. Only the phones user or someone who knew the password would be able to unlock the phone. [As encryption spreads, U.S. grapples with clash between privacy, security] The FBIs efforts may show how impervious the new technology is to efforts to circumvent it. According to industry officials, Apple cannot unilaterally dismantle or override the 10-tries-and-wipe feature. Only the user or person who controls the phones settings can do so. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym said in her order, Apple can write software that can bypass the feature. Federal prosecutors stated in a memo accompanying the order that the software would affect only the seized phone. After the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2, that left 14 people dead, the FBI is unearthing more information about who was involved in the attack. Here's what we know about Syed Rizwan Farook, his wife Tashfeen Malik and his neighbor Enrique Marquez. (The Washington Post) In the statement , Cook said such a step would dangerously weaken iPhone security. Once created, he wrote, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable. The Apple CEO said that opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government. The phone, an iPhone5C, was used by Syed Rizwan Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire at a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center, a county facility. The couple, who pledged loyalty to the Islamic State terrorist group, died a few hours later in a shootout with police. FBI investigators recovered a number of electronic devices, including thumb drives, computer hard drives and Farooks cellphone. His phone belonged to the county public-health department, where he was an inspector. Prosecutors noted that the county consented to allow the phone to be searched and to have Apples assistance in the matter. Data that would be encrypted on the device includes contacts, photos and iMessages. Having access to that material could shed light on why the couple picked the target they did, whether they were planning other attacks and whether they received any direction or support from overseas. [FBI tries to figure out what San Bernardino shooters did in 18-miute window] FBI Supervisory Special Agent Christopher Pluhar stated in a declaration that he was able to obtain from Apple all the data backed up to its iCloud servers from the phone. That data showed that Farook was in communication with individuals who were later killed. Significantly, Pluhar said, the most recent backup took place on Oct. 19, 2015, indicating that Farook may have intentionally disabled the backup feature. Pluhar, who is director of the Orange County Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, said he believes there may be relevant, critical communications and data on the phone from around the time of the shooting. Former National Counterterrorism Center director Matt Olsen, who recently co-authored a paper that asserted that the government had other ways to obtain data without creating a backdoor into devices, said the public interest in this case supports the government getting access to the data. This is the kind of case where companies like Apple need to demonstrate that theyre good corporate citizens and comply with lawful court orders, said Olsen, who was also a general counsel at the National Security Agency. New York Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton issued a statement Wednesday saying, No device, no car, and no apartment should be beyond the reach of a court ordered search warrant. But Kevin Bankston, director of New Americas Open Technology Institute, said what the court is ordering Apple to do is custom-build malware to undermine its own products security features. He said it is not clear whether Apple can do that technically. But if a court can compel Apple to do it, then it can compel other software providers to do so as well. This isnt just about one iPhone, its about all of our software and all of our digital devices, he said. If this precedent gets set, it will spell digital disaster for the trustworthiness of everyones computers and mobile phones. The phone ran on Apples iOS 9 operating system, which was built with default device encryption. When a user creates a password, that phrase generates a key that is used in combination with a hardware key on a chip inside the phone. Together, the keys encrypt the devices data. If the autowipe function is suspended, the FBI can run a massive number of combinations of letters, symbols and numbers until the right combination is found. But theres a complication. If the combinations are run on the phone itself, the process can be painfully slow, taking, according to Apple, 5 years for a six-digit lower-case password mixing numbers and letters. If run on a supercomputer, it can be done many thousands of times faster. But to do it that way, the FBI would need the hardware key, which is built into the phone. Apple says it does not keep a copy of that key. To get that key, one could use a number of techniques, including melting the plastic off the chip and hitting it with bursts of lasers or radio frequencies to recover bits of the key. Matthew D. Green, a cryptography expert at Johns Hopkins University, said the FBI could crack a six-digit numeric code in about 22 hours. But once theres numbers and letters, thats when things get interesting, he said. It might take 10 years to crack a strong password on the phone, which means they might be stuck till 2026. The government requested the order under the All Writs Act, a law dating to the colonial era that has been used as a source of authority to issue orders that are not otherwise covered by a statute. Though Apple has previously complied with court orders under that statute to retrieve data from iPhones running earlier versions of its operating system, it is now resisting such an order in a separate iPhone case in Brooklyn. That case, unlike the one in California, involves a phone with software that allows the firm to extract data. The government contends that courts over the years have issued orders based on that law for the unencrypted contents of computers, for credit card records and for security camera videotapes. It noted that the Supreme Court in 1977 held that the law gave courts the authority to direct a phone company to execute a search warrant for numbers dialed by a particular customer. Some legal scholars, however, said the use of the All Writs Act in the California Apple case presents a slippery slope issue. If the writ can compel Apple to write customized software to unlock a phone, where does it end? said Ahmed Ghappour, a professor at the University of Californias Hastings College of the Law. Can the government use it to compel Facebook to customize an algorithm that predicts crime? Its not clear where the line will be drawn, if at all. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the governments request would create a dangerous precedent. Companies should comply with warrants to the extent they are able to do so, but no company should be forced to deliberately weaken its products, said Wyden. In the long-run, the real losers will be Americans online safety and security. J. Freedom du Lac in Washington contributed to this report. Pope Francis blesses a boy after his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip Wednesday with a visit to a Mexican prison and a stop at the Texas border. Feb. 17, 2016 Pope Francis blesses a boy after his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip Wednesday with a visit to a Mexican prison and a stop at the Texas border. Ivan Pierre Aguirre/AP Pope Francis made his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, during a week-long visit. Pope Francis is making his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, for a week-long visit. Pope Francis is making his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, for a week-long visit. Pope Francis urged Mexicos priests and nuns Tuesday to fight injustice and not resign themselves to the drug-fueled violence and corruption around them, issuing a set of marching orders to shake up a Mexican church known for its cozy ties to the rich and powerful. Francis traveled to a hotbed of Mexicos drug trade for a Mass with the countrys priests and nuns. It was the first event of a day-long visit to Morelia, the capital of Michoacan state, that included a meeting with young people, a fixture of papal trips that often produces some of the most memorable and spontaneous moments. Franciss visit was also a symbolic vote of confidence for the citys archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda. Like Francis, Suarez Inda has called for Mexican bishops to be closer to their people and not to act like bureaucrats or princes. Last year, Francis made him a cardinal an unambiguous sign that the pope wants peripheral pastors such as Suarez Inda at the helm of the church hierarchy. In his homily, Francis admonished the priests and nuns not to become resigned to the problems around them or to give in to paralysis, which he called the Devils favorite weapon. What temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability? What temptation might we suffer over and over again when faced with this reality, which seems to have become a permanent system? Francis asked. I think we can sum it up in one word: resignation, he said. This was a clear reference to the situation in Michoacan, a major hub of methamphetamine production, as well as the nation at large, where gangs and drug lords have thrived thanks in part to the complicity of police and other public authorities. That corruption came to light most recently in the case of drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who escaped for a second time from a maximum-security prison in July and was recaptured after an October meeting with actor Sean Penn. Rather than give up in the face of such corruption, Francis urged clerics to look to the model of Vasco de Quiroga, a 16th-century bishop who came to New Spain and founded communities among the indigenous populations where agriculture and handicrafts were taught. A Franciscan, he was affectionately known as Tata Vasco, or Father Vasco in the Purepecha language. Francis said that when de Quiroga saw Indians being sold, humiliated and homeless in marketplaces due to colonial exploitation, he did not resign himself to inaction but rather was inspired to fight injustice. Since beginning his Mexico trip Friday night, Francis has repeatedly taken to task the Mexican church leadership, much of which is closely linked to the countrys political and financial elite and is loath to speak out on behalf of the poor and victims of social injustice. Sometimes the violence has made us give up, either out of discouragement, habit or fear, said Fausto Mendez, a 23-year-old seminarian who attended Tuesdays Mass. Thats why the pope comes to tell us not to be afraid to do the right thing. On Saturday in Mexico City, Francis scolded what he called gossiping, career-minded and aloof clerics, and admonished them to stand by their flock and offer prophetic courage in facing down the drug trade. In an inscription in a seminary guest book, he urged future priests to be pastors of God and not clerics of the state. Although on Saturday he spoke strongly to the bishops, it was also directed at us, said Uriel Perez, a 20-year-old seminarian at Tuesdays Mass. Because the pope is demanding . . . he wants us to be prepared and on the streets shoulder to shoulder with our flock. Suarez Inda clearly backs Franciss program, echoing the popes admonition that pastors should not be bureaucrats, and we bishops should not have the mentality or attitude of princes. In 2013, at what was perhaps the height of the violence in Michoacan, Suarez Inda led eight other bishops in signing an unusually outspoken letter accusing government authorities of complicity, forced or willing, with criminal gangs. It urged priests to do whatever is in your power to help people in an atmosphere of kidnappings, killings and extortion and to carry out concrete actions in favor of peace and reconciliation. He has called for Mexicos religious leaders to put aside their comfortable lives and become pastors with the smell of their sheep a famous phrase of the popes about the need for bishops to accompany their flock closely through lifes ups and downs. Francis shakes up the conscience of priests in order that we not be mediocre, installed priests who simply seek social promotion, but rather that we truly live our calling to serve the people with great generosity, Suarez Inda told the Mexican newspaper El Universal last month. The pope wraps up his visit to Mexico on Wednesday by traveling to Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, for a cross-border Mass expected to focus heavily on the plight of migrants. A bomb blast in the heart of the Turkish capital, Ankara, killed 28 people Wednesday, deepening a sense of crisis enveloping Turkey as it grapples with wars on three fronts. The explosion appeared to have been caused by a car bomb that detonated as a military bus paused at a traffic light in a central neighborhood that houses the nations parliament and government headquarters, according to Turkeys official Anadolu news agency. In addition to the deaths, at least 61 people were injured in the fireball that engulfed the bus and ignited trees in a nearby park at the height of the evening rush hour. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came amid increasing challenges from the civil war in neighboring Syria, Turkeys intensifying feud with Kurds and the rising threat posed by the Islamic State. A suicide bombing that killed 10 German tourists near the landmark Blue Mosque in Istanbul in January, a double suicide attack that claimed more than 100 lives at a peace rally in Ankara in October and another that killed more than 30 Kurds in southern Turkey last summer were all widely blamed on the Islamic State, although no group asserted responsibility. The attacks followed Turkeys agreement to join a U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and allow U.S. warplanes to launch attacks on the militants from Turkish bases. [Istanbul bloodshed also seeks to wound key tourism industry] In this instance, however, Turkish authorities were swift to blame the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the Kurdish nationalist movement that has been waging war against the Turkish state for most of the past 30 years. Turkey and the United States both designate the PKK as a terrorist organization. The Turkish military in recent months has been pursuing a fierce campaign against PKK fighters and sympathizers, turning many of the Kurdish-majority cities in southeastern Turkey into war zones. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately canceled a state visit to Azerbaijan and vowed retaliation, although he did not specify against whom. Our determination to respond in kind to attacks taking place inside and outside our borders is getting stronger with such acts, he said in a statement. It must be known that Turkey will not shy away from using its right to self-defense at any time, any place or any occasion. Wednesdays attack also coincided with Turkeys recent intervention to halt advances in northern Syria by Syrian Kurdish fighters who have taken advantage of Russian airstrikes in the area to expand territory they control along the Turkish border. Over the weekend, Turkish troops began firing artillery at positions of the Syrian Kurdish YPG, or Peoples Protection Units, after Kurdish fighters routed rebels backed by Turkey and the West from several key positions near the border. The battles in northern Syria have created friction between Turkey and the United States, which has supported the YPG because of the role it plays in battling the extremist Islamic State. Turkey, however, regards the YPG as a terrorist organization because of its close ties to the PKK. With Turkey blaming the PKK for the latest attack, there is a risk that the government in Ankara will wade deeper into the Syrian conflict, said Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who thinks the Kurdish militants are the most likely suspects. The PKK has a history of targeting barracks and buses carrying off-duty military personnel, although it rarely strikes so brazenly at the heart of the Turkish establishment. If the PKK was responsible, this is a big escalation, he said. I expect a pretty severe reaction from Ankara. Turkey also may escalate its crackdown against the domestic Kurdish opposition, a campaign that has killed hundreds and displaced nearly 200,000 people, said Henri J. Barkey of the Woodrow Wilson International Center. He thinks the Islamic State is the most likely perpetrator, because the attack exacerbates tensions between Kurds and the Turkish government, and that is what they want. A third possible suspect is the Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party/Front, a far-left group known as the DHKP-C, which has carried out suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against Turkish government targets in recent years. Turkish news media reported Tuesday that a suspected DHKP-C suicide attacker had been detained in southern Turkey. Murphy reported from Washington. Read more: Turkish opposition to Syrian Kurds complicates Western strategies Biden decries Turkish political crackdowns Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Overlooking the flood lights and barbed wire that line the U.S. border, Pope Francis on Wednesday quietly prayed for the migrants who have died during their journeys to America and later said a humanitarian crisis was prompting people worldwide to leave for other lands. In what amounted to a symbolic rebuke of Americas presidential campaign rhetoric on immigration which has included calls for mass deportations of illegal workers and a huge border wall the pope prayed atop a platform that overlooked the Rio Grande. The pontiff waved and made the sign of the cross to a crowd cheering across the river in El Paso, Tex. The pope laid flowers at the foot of a giant cross that had been erected at the top of the ramp for the brief afternoon ceremony. Nearby, thousands who had come to the nearby Juarez fairgrounds for a Mass on the last day of the popes trip to Mexico observed a moment of silence. [Seven key questions on immigration, and how GOP candidates answer] During the Mass, the pope spoke of the thousands of immigrants who seek to cross this border and others to escape violence or find a better life. 1 of 82 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See the people and places the pope is visiting in Mexico View Photos Pope Francis is making his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, for a week-long visit. Caption Pope Francis made his first trip to Mexico, the largest Catholic population in the Spanish-speaking world, during a week-long visit. Feb. 17, 2016 Pope Francis blesses a boy after his arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip Wednesday with a visit to a Mexican prison and a stop at the Texas border. Ivan Pierre Aguirre/AP Wait 1 second to continue. Each step, a journey laden with terrible injustices: the enslaved, kidnapped, extorted, many of our brothers caught in the business of human trafficking, he said. We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people, whether by train or highway or on foot, crossing hundreds of kilometers through mountains, deserts and inhospitable zones. And while the crisis could be measured in statistics, he added, we want instead to measure with names, stories, families. Maria Mijares, a 38-year-old housewife, was a member of one family divided by a border. She had stood for hours behind a metal barrier under a scorching sun, waiting for the pope to speak. More than a decade ago, the Mexican woman said, she was caught illegally crossing the Rio Grande twice and sent back. But her husband is an American citizen, now hospitalized in Texas. Theyre denying my children the right to see their father, she said, gesturing toward El Paso. There shouldnt be so many separated families or children without their parents. The visit to Juarez, a city that represents both migration and the drug-war violence that has tormented Mexico in recent years, marked the conclusion of the popes six-day trip to this country. From the time he stepped onto the red carpet at the Mexico City airport, Francis offered pointed critiques of the failings in Mexicos government and society, pressing his papal finger on the countrys most sensitive wounds. In front of President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose popularity has plummeted amid conflict-of-interest scandals and atrocities linked to security forces, the pope chastised Mexicos leaders for a culture of corruption. Before the nations Catholic bishops, the pope warned against putting faith in the chariots and horses of todays pharaohs. In a vast slum outside the capital, he spoke of the dangers of wealth and greed. In his last stop, he broadened his focus, describing the problems of human trafficking and forced migration as global emergencies. No more death. No more exploitation, the pope told the crowd in his homily. Many church observers say that the pope, the Argentine-born son of an Italian father, finds special importance in the immigration issue, particularly at a time when large numbers of refugees are leaving countries such as Syria and Afghanistan for Europe and destinations in the Middle East. The pope last fall called on every parish or religious community in Europe to take in a refugee family. [Pope calls on Europes Catholics to take in refugees.] On Wednesday, the popes visit created a festive atmosphere in this city, his face smiling from pins, T-shirts, posters and billboards that said Juarez welcomed him with open arms. In El Paso, thousands of people packed a football stadium to watch streaming video of the Mass. This is good for the border, Amit Ghosh, a 55-year-old owner of a computer business, said as he walked through the crowds before the Mass. Hes bringing people together. What is a two-hour Mass going to do to change millions of lives? Nothing. But he can give people hope. In the Republican primary race, Donald Trump and other candidates have vowed to increase border security and sharply limit the entry of Syrian refugees. Trump has threatened to ban most Muslims from visiting the United States, revoke birthright citizenship for children of unauthorized migrants, and build a multibillion-dollar wall to seal off the stream of Mexicans and Central Americans fleeing violence and poverty. The popes visit here was a not-so-subtle repudiation of all that. The pope wanted to come to Juarez to make public the suffering of the migrants, said the Rev. Roberto Luna, a priest in Ciudad Juarez. The pope says that this world is a house for everyone. Hes convinced that we should treat migrants as brothers. [Immigration continues to be Donald Trumps rallying issue] Even before he arrived, Francis was blasted by Trump, who called the pontiff a very political person. Speaking in a Fox Business Network interview last week, Trump added that he did not think the pope understands the danger of the open border we have with Mexico. And I think Mexico got him to do it because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is, because theyre making a fortune and were losing, Trump added. The Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, rejected the charge. To suggest that the pope is an instrument of the Mexican government, no. That is very strange indeed, he said shortly before the pontiff arrived in Ciudad Juarez, according to news agencies. Martinez reported from Mexico City. President Barack Obama concluded the first-ever summit with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders to be held in the United States with a press conference yesterday that elaborated no major initiatives. While the two-day gathering at Sunnylands, California took place against mounting US tensions with China over the South China Sea, the final declaration made no specific reference to the maritime disputes, despite Washingtons wishes. Over the past year, the Obama administration has ramped up pressure on Beijing, demanding a halt to land reclamation activities and alleged militarisation in the South China Sea. The US Navy has twice mounted so-called freedom of navigation operations, deliberately intruding within the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit around Chinese-administered islets, most recently at Triton Island on January 30. The meeting also came in the wake of last Novembers ASEAN summit in Malaysia, at which Obama reached a strategic partnership with ASEAN members. During the trip, he announced in Manila that the US would provide $250 million in military aid to ASEAN members to boost maritime security. The US was clearly pushing for a tough joint statement from this weeks summit, aimed against China over the South China Sea. However, the final declaration of Sunnylands principles made only general references to a shared commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes and to ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. Unnamed American officials complained to the media that China put pressure on countries such as Cambodia and Laos not to sign up to a stronger statement. Cambodia, which has strong economic ties to Beijing, has previously blocked US efforts to align ASEAN against China in the territorial disputes. In 2012, the ASEAN summit for the first time in its history broke up without issuing a final communique, amid bitter arguments between Cambodia and the Philippines over the South China Sea. US accusations of Chinese pressure and bullying are utterly hypocritical, however. The Obama administration has deliberately exploited the maritime disputes to drive a wedge between China and its ASEAN neighbours, encouraging the Philippines and Vietnam in particular to take a more confrontational approach. The US has backed and assisted the Philippines in mounting a legal challenge to Chinese claims at the arbitral tribunal in The Hague under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Obama administration is preparing to exploit the tribunal ruling, due next month, to step up the pressure on China. A comment in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs, entitled Confronting China in the South China Sea, advised the White House to use the unprecedented opportunity for a US public diplomacy campaign to rally regional support for the rule of law. The State Department should start preparing for such a campaign in advance. The Department of Defense, meanwhile, should conduct FONOPS [freedom of navigation operations] that reinforce the decision once it occurs. The author was Mira Rapp-Hooper, an analyst with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which last month published a report commissioned by the US Defense Department setting out an accelerated military build-up throughout the Asia Pacific against China. In reality, the US has nothing but contempt for the rule of law. While demanding that China accepts the ruling in The Hague, the US itself has not ratified UNCLOS. Moreover, the provocative US military intrusions into Chinese-claimed territory are taking place before the arbitral tribunal has even handed down a decision on the Philippines case. The Obama administrations interventions in the South China Sea are part of its broader pivot or rebalance to Asia, which is aimed against China and at ensuring American dominance within the region. Obama also used this weeks summit to press ahead with the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) sealed last October. The TPP is the economic arm of the pivot. It seeks to ensure, as Obama has declared, that the US, not China, sets the economic rules of the 21st century. At the talks, Obama urged those already involved in the TPPVietnam, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysiato implement its agenda, and pushed for other ASEAN members to sign up. The US is currently ASEANs fourth largest trading partnerbehind China, the European Union and Japan. As well as boosting trade, the TPP aims to increase US investment in South East Asia, where it is currently leading China. Between 2012 and 2014, American corporations invested $32.3 billion in ASEAN countries, as compared to $21.3 billion from China. The CEOs of American corporate giants, including IBM, Cisco and Microsoft, were in attendance at Sunnylands. The Sunnylands principles included a commitment to strengthening democracy and promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. The US, however, is notorious for exploiting human rights selectively to justify diplomatic provocations, interventions and war. At the summit, human rights received short shrift as Washington sought to ensure close ties with the Stalinist police-state regimes in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, the Thai military junta, the autocratic governments of Malaysia and Singapore, the so-called developing democracies of Indonesia, the Philippines and Burma, and the absolute monarchy in Brunei. Only Cambodia was singled out for special mention. US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes last week expressed concern over the intimidation of opposition lawmakers in Cambodia in recent weeks. The Obama administration has no interest in democratic rights in Cambodia, other than as a means for pressuring the regime to distance itself from China. While his official chided Cambodia over human rights, Obama announced on Monday that he will visit Vietnam in May to strengthen economic and strategic ties. The lack of any joint declaration on the South China Sea from the Sunnylands summit will not halt Washingtons determination to confront Beijing. Obama is under pressure within US military and foreign policy circles to escalate the freedom of navigation operations to challenge Chinese claims and will undoubtedly do so, heightening the danger of a conflict between two nuclear-armed powers. Gustavo Julian Garcia, 43, was executed Tuesday night at the Walls Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was the third death row inmate executed in the state this year, and the sixth in the United States as a whole. Garcia yawned, gurgled, exhaled and began quietly snoring as the lethal dose of pentobarbital injected into his veins began taking effect, according to the Associated Press. Within 30 seconds, there was no movement. He was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. local time, 16 minutes after the lethal injection began. Garcia was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1990 shooting death of Craig Turski, a liquor store clerk, during a robbery in Plano, Texas. Garcia spent more than half of his life on death row. On February 10, the US Supreme Court denied a petition on Garcias behalf for a stay of execution and a rehearing of his case before the high court. It is fitting that this was the last legal act of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a fervent death penalty proponent, before his death on Saturday. As with many death penalty cases coming before the Supreme Court, the ruling sealing Garcias fate came without comment. The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice Scalia and by him referred to the Court is denied. The petition for rehearing is denied, the decision read. Garcias latest appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal appeals was denied February 9. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also rejected a clemency petition, and no further appeals were planned by Garcias defense during the last days of his life, the Associated Press reported. According to the Texas Attorney Generals office, in December 1990, Garcia, then 18, and his friend Christopher Vargas, then 15, entered a liquor store in the Dallas suburb of Plano. Armed with a sawed-off shotgun, Garcia ordered Turski to give him money, while Vargas stole beer. Garcia shot Turski in the abdomen, and then, when Turski was able to escape from the store, Garcia pursued him and shot him in the head, killing him, according to Texas officials. Garcia was arrested several weeks later when prosecutors say he killed another clerk, Gregory Martin, in a gas station robbery in Plano with the same shotgun used in the previous robbery. Garcia confessed to the two murders. He was never prosecuted for Martins murder. Garcias attorneys argued in the federal court appeal that his legal counsel at trial and in earlier appeals failed to uncover and present details of their clients alcohol- and drug-influenced youth and his violent home environment, the Daily Mail reports. These factors, they argued, might have convinced jurors to spare him the death penalty. The Texas Tribune reports that eight years into Garcias death row sentence, it was brought to light by then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn that psychologist Walter Quijano, who testified at Garcias original trial, claimed that Hispanics were more likely to pose a future danger to society. According to court documents, Quijano said he believed this because Hispanics were overrepresented in the prison system. Garcia, along with several other inmates whose death sentences had been influenced by Quijanos testimony, were granted new sentencing trials, but Garcia was sentenced to death again in 2001, according to the Tribune . On Thanksgiving Day 1998, Garcia and five other inmates attempted an escape from the Huntsville prison. They surrendered when corrections officers opened fire on them as they attempted to scale two 10-foot-high prison fences. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), as of October 1, 2015, there were 2,959 prisoners on death rows across the US. Since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, 1,428 individuals have been put to death. Texas has been responsible for 534 of these executions, more than a third of the total. Individuals put to death in the state have included those convicted of crimes committed as juveniles, the mentally impaired, and foreign nationals denied their consular rights. The state has execution dates set for at least nine other death row inmates in 2016, including three in March. In Georgia on Wednesday, barring a last-minute reprieve, former sailor Travis Hittson will be executed for the murder of a fellow shipmate. According to DPIC, Hittson assisted his superior officer, Edward Vollmer, in the killing and dismemberment of Conway Utterbeck in 1992. Prosecutors permitted Vollmer to plead guilty and received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, despite evidence that he was the more culpable of the two. Hittson was sentenced to death. In their petition for clemency to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Hittsons attorneys wrote: Mr. Hittsons lower rank, gullibility, alcoholism and desperation for approval made him peculiarly vulnerable to Edward Vollmer who, by all accounts, exercised an unnatural dominance and control over Mr. Hittson. DPIC reports that Hittsons application for clemency has the support of other sailors who served with both Hittson and Vollmer, several jurors in the case, and an unnamed state prosecutor. This weekend's Munich Security Conference, which brought together European and international officials, exposed deep and bitter divisions wracking European capitalism. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls public attack on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy in the European refugee crisis, in which Valls demanded even more vicious attacks on refugees, was among the sharpest of a whole host of conflicts that erupted. Having dismissed Merkel's policy as unviable in the long run the day before the summit, Valls said Paris was not in favor of her proposal to distribute throughout Europe hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing imperialist wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, on the basis of a quota system. We need a very clear message that Now, we don't take any more refugees, he declared. Valls bluntly predicted that if refugees kept fleeing to Europe, the European Union (EU) would disintegrate politically and economically. Borders would keep going up in Europe to halt them, he said, and international trade within Europe and the Schengen accords on free movement between European countries would collapse, with economic consequences we can only imagine. Not content to state his opposition to Merkel, Valls sought support among right-wing nationalist European politicians hostile to her policy. He first met with Horst Seehofer, the minister-president of Bavaria, whose Christian Social Union (CSU) is an outspoken critic of Merkel's refugee policy. Valls then lunched on Saturday with Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, who the previous day had called Berlin's refugee policy stupid. After the summit ended, as British Prime Minister David Cameron traveled to Paris to discuss with President Francois Hollande the terms on which Britain would remain inside the EU, Valls warned that a British exit from the EU would mean an irreversible dislocation of Europe. In less than 25 years, the entire European project announced in 1992 with the passage of the Maastricht Treaty establishing the EU has begun to collapse. At that time, shortly after the Stalinist bureaucracy had dissolved the USSR as part of the restoration of capitalism across Eastern Europe, apologists for capitalism claimed that the end of the communist danger would create unity in Europe. Far from being the cradle of peace, prosperity and unity, however, the EU is proving to be the midwife of a new eruption of chauvinism, austerity and war. The deep and fast-growing fissures splitting the EU apart confirm Leon Trotsky's warning that it is impossible to unite Europe on a capitalist basis. One of the basic reasons for the crisis in bourgeois society is the fact that the productive forces can no longer be reconciled with the framework of the national state, Trotsky wrote in The Permanent Revolution. From this follows, on the one hand, imperialist wars, on the other, the utopia of a bourgeois United States of Europe. The fate of millions of desperate refugees fleeing societies ravaged by decades of imperialist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria has become the focus of intensifying geo-strategic and economic conflicts between the European powers. It is triggering clashes over borders, economic policy and conflicting interests in various parts of the world, particularly Eastern Europe, that are deeply rooted politically and historically in the bloody contradictions of European capitalism. Anonymous German officials pointedly reminded Le Monde that they could retaliate to criticisms of German policy by objecting to the size of France's budget deficit, which violates EU rules. With European banks facing 1 trillion in bad loans and layoffs spreading throughout the EU, Berlin could press for bone-crunching austerity from Greece to Italy to France should the sell-off on financial markets trigger an economic collapse in Europe. The unnamed German officials added that Valls' statement on refugees was all the more unfriendly in that it encouraged opposition to Berlin from Macedonia, Bulgaria and the Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) as they met Monday in Prague. There, the six Eastern European countries, traditional allies of Berlin that are economically closely integrated with Germany, opposed Merkel's quota proposal on refugees. Instead, they agreed to help Macedonia close its border with Greece to block the passage of refugees into the rest of Europe. Even as NATO militarizes much of Eastern Europe in a reckless confrontation with Russia over Ukraine, the power struggle between Berlin and Paris over refugee policy and influence in Eastern Europe is another ominous sign of a political breakdown. Since Berlin launched the re-militarization of its foreign policy in 2014, the European powers have announced plans to spend hundreds of billions more on their armed forces. Now, as before World War I, when France cemented an anti-German alliance with Russia, and World War II, when its eastern ally against Germany was Poland, France is trying to counterbalance the rising economic and military weight of Germany by making political appeals to the East to oppose Berlin. One of the greatest dangers facing working people is that the intensification of international conflict is accompanied by the deliberate stoking up of militarism and chauvinism to divide the working class, as starkly seen in the attacks on immigrants. As conflicts between the major European powers set Europe back onto a path of disintegration and war, the road to the unification of Europe passes through the struggle to unite the working class for the overthrow of capitalism and establishment of socialism in all of the countries of Europe. In this fraught political context, anti-immigrant sentiment incited across Eastern Europe, in France, by parties ranging from Valls' Socialist Party to the neo-fascist National Front (FN), and in Germany, by the CSU and politicians like Thilo Sarrazin, is setting Europe on a course to disaster. Under the impact of anti-German forces in France such as FN leader Marine Le Pen and Left Front leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, or anti-Greek sentiment stoked up by the entire German ruling elite, the anti-immigrant hysteria and militarism being promoted across Europe can explode once again into the hatred between European nations that repeatedly plunged the continent into war in the last century. CHARLESTON, S.C. South Carolinas notoriously nasty Republican presidential primary took a decidedly ugly turn Wednesday as Ted Cruz tore into rival Donald Trump for threatening to sue him over a political ad that features the GOP frontrunner saying he supports abortion rights. In a highly dramatic news conference in Seneca, S.C., Cruz said his campaign had received a cease and desist letter from Trumps attorneys ordering it to take down a television ad featuring a 1999 interview with the real estate mogul from NBCs Meet the Press. The spot features Trump, who was then considering a run for president as a Reform Party candidate, describing himself as very pro-choice. Visibly irritated, Cruz defended the ad to reporters on Wednesday, insisting he was merely using Trumps own words to present the facts to voters. And Cruz, a Harvard-trained attorney who argued before the Supreme Court as Texas solicitor general, called out Trump on what he clearly thinks is a political bluff just days before Saturdays pivotal primary here. Sen. Ted Cruz arrives at his press conference in Seneca, S.C. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters) I have to say to Mr. Trump, you have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life, Cruz declared. If you want to file a lawsuit challenging this ad, claiming defamation, file the lawsuit. Cruz, who peppered his remarks with dramatic pauses as if he were already in the courtroom, suggested Trumps lawsuit was a joke that would have no legal standing because Cruz was merely using footage of the candidates own words. With disdain in his voice, Cruz repeatedly called on Trump to deliver on his legal threat, telling reporters that he might even skip hiring a lawyer and depose the GOP frontrunner himself. Whether in a deposition or in a court of law, getting Donald Trump under oath, under penalty of perjury, answering these questions It didnt work very well for Bill Clinton, Cruz said. Donald Trump does not want to be under oath answering questions about his own record. Story continues Donald Trump speaks to voters in Bluffton, S.C. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) Trump has repeatedly bashed the Cruz ad in recent days, saying he has evolved on the issues and is now against abortion rights. Hes used the spot as well as the Cruz campaigns involvement in spreading rumors before the Iowa caucuses that rival Ben Carson was dropping out of the race to trash the Texas senator as the most dishonest man Ive ever met in politics. He is a liar and these ads and statements made by Cruz are clearly desperate moves by a guy who is tanking in the polls watching his campaign go up in flames finally explains Cruzs logo, Trump said in a statement responding to Cruzs news conference. Slideshow: Republican candidates duke it out in South Carolina >>> Trump wasnt the only candidate to receive Cruzs venom at the news conference. The Texas senator also trashed Marco Rubio for accusing him of employing dirty campaign tricks to undermine his campaign here including a fake Facebook page that surfaced Tuesday suggesting Rep. Trey Gowdy had switched his support from Rubio to Cruz. The Texas senators campaign has denied any involvement in the page. Earlier Wednesday, Rubio trashed Cruz for disturbing behavior on the campaign trail, including a new Cruz ad that links Rubios views on immigration reform to President Obama. Ive been saying for a while now that Ted unfortunately has proved that he is willing to say or (do) anything to get elected, Rubio told reporters. What weve seen in the last couple weeks is disturbing. Its been apparent especially in the last month. In response, Cruz defended the ad saying that Rubio, like Trump, was trying to distract from his record by personally attacking him. Marco Rubio is behaving like Donald Trump with a smile, the Texas senator declared. Ted Cruz speaks to voters at Seneca Family Restaurant in Seneca, S.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) The back and forth between Trump, Rubio and Cruz comes as a new CNN poll of likely GOP voters finds the businessman and former reality television star with a massive lead heading into Saturdays primary. According to the poll, Trump is at 38 percent support, followed by Cruz at 22 percent, Rubio at 14 percent and Jeb Bush at 10 percent. But the danger for Cruz lies beyond South Carolina if the attacks on his character stick. Though Cruz has publicly apologized to Carson for his campaigns role in suggesting to Iowa caucus-goers that the retired neurosurgeon was out of the race, many of Carsons supporters, especially evangelicals in key voting states, remain publicly irked at what they view as a dishonest move by the Texas senators campaign. In repeatedly reminding voters here in South Carolina of the episode, Trump and Rubio are hoping to make the narrative stick that Cruz will lie and do anything to win heading into Super Tuesday states and beyond. On Wednesday, Cruz sought to craft a narrative of his own: that he was the embattled conservative under attack from all sides for his willingness to stand up to the establishment. But he stepped on his message a few times, getting into the minutia of push polls and other technical politicking. At the same time, he seemed to back off his apology to Carson, arguing that what his staff had done to his GOP rival in Iowa was not remotely unethical and that Rubios staff had spread rumors too. When a reporter asked if Cruz was violating his own pledge not to attack his rival candidates, the Texas senator demurred. I am responding with simple facts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: Azerbaijan is a leading country in the region in holding major reforms for capital market development, said Angela Prigozhina, who leads the World Bank's financial and private sector work in the South Caucasus. Prigozhina made this statement at the launching ceremony of the integrated trade, post-trade and surveillance system on the Azerbaijani securities market in Baku Feb. 17. She said that launching of an information system prepared in a rather short period once again testifies to it. "Azerbaijan managed to hold major reforms for the capital market development in a very short period," she said. "Much has been done, beginning from the preparation of the legal framework up to this system launch. This will give impetus to the further development of the country's capital market, its transparency and openness." Prigozhina said that the capital market development will open the Azerbaijani financial sector for new investments, including the foreign ones. Moreover, she said that Azerbaijani companies will also be able to enter the international capital markets. Prigozhina said that the WB will continue supporting Azerbaijan in reforming the financial sector. "We will continue assisting the Azerbaijani government in reforming the financial sector to make it more stable, transparent and open to foreign investors," she said. "It is important for the Azerbaijani financial sector to be integrated into the international financial system to support economic reforms in the country aimed at supporting the non-oil sector." Hillary Clinton meets with young immigrants, or so-called Dreamers, and their families Sunday at a campaign office in Las Vegas. (Photo: John Locher/AP) LAS VEGAS To some of her supporters in Sin City, Hillary Clinton is La Hillary. The wall of her presidential campaign headquarters in the heart of the Latino community in East Las Vegas is decorated with a bright mural featuring a dramatic profile of Clintons face over the slogan La Hillary Estoy Contigo! Spanish for Im with you. According to organizers there, the mural was painted by a supporter affiliated with a local painters union and displays a name for Clinton commonly used by people in the community. A nickname isnt the only thing Clinton has gotten from this campaign office in a low-slung strip mall. The outpost about 9 miles from the Vegas Strip has served as the laboratory for a female-focused Latino outreach program that the Clinton campaign has taken national. There were already indications the Latino vote could prove decisive heading into the Democratic primary. However, the bloc became even more crucial for Clinton after her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., came from behind to nearly tie her in Iowa on Feb. 1. Sanders also defeated Clinton by a large margin in New Hampshire on Feb. 9. SLIDESHOW: Clinton and Sanders go head-to-head in Nevada >>> Those first two states have overwhelmingly white populations, and the conventional wisdom has long been that Clinton could stop any Sanders surge thanks to her advantage with minorities in the next places to vote, Nevada, where Democrats caucus on Feb. 20, and South Carolina, which has a Democratic primary on Feb. 27. But there are some indications that Clintons minority firewall seems to be eroding. In a conversation on the evening of Sanders New Hampshire victory, his senior adviser Tad Devine told Yahoo their internal polls showed signs the race was tightening substantially. Devine attributed Sanders gains in Nevada to movement with Latino voters, who make up about 17 percent of the electorate in the states Democratic caucus. Story continues Nevadas newfound status as a primary battleground means Clintons female-focused Latino outreach efforts will be extremely important. In an interview with Yahoo last month, Lorella Praeli, the campaigns Latino outreach director, explained the role her team expects women to play as Clinton attempts to win the Latino vote. Lorella Praeli, policy director of immigrant youth organization United We Dream, speaks to the media after meeting with Domestic Policy Director Cecilia Munoz at the White House in December 2014. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP) We feel that Latinas are the CEOs of the household and also in the community and they are faithful and, you know, you have to speak about their issues and you have to work with them, but once theyre there, they are your mobilizers and your multipliers, Praeli said. When theyre so excited, theyre going to talk to their comadres and theyre going to bring to the fold their kids and one or two friends. And so thats why were so focused on making sure that we reach them. Praeli, 27, joined the Clinton campaign in June. Previously the policy director at the immigrant youth organization United We Dream, she came to the United States from Peru when she was 10 and only received her green card in 2012. Some members of her family remain undocumented. Praeli told Yahoo the Clinton campaign is running a number of different Latino outreach programs, but it is employing the female-focused approach across the board in those efforts. When we look at our national strategy and then our state strategy, I almost always start with women, Praeli said. Like the first few meetings that I did were with women, with Latinas. One initiative thats set to expand around the country after starting in Vegas is Mujeres in Politics, or Women in Politics. By hosting regular meetings of small groups of Latinas to discuss politics and share concerns, the campaign hopes to build a community of women who will stick around to get on the phone and call other Spanish-speaking women in key states that have been identified by the campaign. Women who participate in these meetings at campaign offices are also being encouraged to host similar gatherings in their own homes. Mujeres in Politics was the brainchild of two field organizers, Natalie Montelongo and Vanessa Valdivia, working for the campaign in Las Vegas. They hosted the first meeting in August. According to Montelongo, the program was an instant success. Conducting outreach to the Latino network is very difficult. Its very difficult to engage them, its very difficult to get them to do something that theyre not used to or is not in their community already, Montelongo told Yahoo in an interview last month. So, the light bulb for me was how much this really resonated to women, because our first kickoff Mujeres in Politics gathered about 30 women, and that is a huge turnout. Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign rally at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas on Sunday. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Montelongo, 29, is from Texas and has been working for the Clinton campaign in Nevada since July. Her parents, Mexican immigrants who became U.S. citizens, helped inspire the Mujeres in Politics program. I am the first American in the family. Thats why this work for me is so important, because its something very personal, Montelongo explained. Whenever I build programs or I think of outreach I always think of what would resonate with my parents, you know, as people who are not very civically engaged and now finally are because of me. I try to think of ways or things that would interest them, and thats how weve thought about doing outreach to our community here. Praeli saw the program during a visit to Nevada this summer and she decided to spread the initiative beyond Las Vegas. According to Praeli, in addition to Nevada, the Clinton campaign is currently holding Mujeres in Politics meetings in Texas, Florida, Colorado, and New York. It has also created similar programs led by Latinas in other states tailored to the needs of local communities. There are different things that work in different states, and so this is something that Nevada is really going after. Colorado might be a little different, and so theres a phone bank aspect, but its, you know, a Latina voting circle, which is a little different, Praeli said. Each state is true to sort of their own identity, and culture, and practices. So these things might vary. So it could work with Puerto Ricans in Florida, but maybe Cubans in Florida want something else. We work very closely with the leaders on the ground to do that. Nevertheless, Praeli said the campaign plans to bring Mujeres in Politics to several new areas, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and crucial swing states. She outlined how the program is designed to grow exponentially. Were planning a national llamadaton, which is our national Mujeres for Hillary phone bank challenge where there are women in each in sort of our key battleground states signing up to co-lead this effort, Praeli said of a planned campaign call-a-thon. Theyre all responsible for having 10 people each, and those people will recruit 10 people, and theyre going to get their login, and theyre going to begin to have phone banks, and theyre going to be calling other Latinas throughout the country to make sure that we commit to caucus for Hillary and we commit to turn out for Hillary. Clinton has faced questions about her positions on immigration, and the campaign has stumbled in some of its social media outreach to Latinos. Still, she maintains a wide advantage with minority voters that is a key asset as she seeks to fend off the primary challenge from Sanders. Clintons team clearly believes that female supporters can be its best ambassadors as it seeks to preserve that edge. Weve always known from the beginning of the campaign that when Latinas talk to other Latinas, there is a camaraderia, a camaraderie. We trust each other and were always communicating, and that happens at the very local level, Praeli said. The best validators for Clinton and the best people who can talk about her policies and the impact that her policies will have and why shes the best candidate for Latinos are Latinos themselves. Valdivia, one of the organizers who planned the first Mujeres in Politics meeting, also pointed out how important it is for the campaign to cultivate Spanish speakers for these outreach efforts. It does make a huge difference to have another woman reaching out to you in your language to say, We need you to come out and vote, we need your support, and this is how important it is, Valdivia explained. According to the campaign, there are now about 20 women participating in biweekly Mujeres in Politics meetings at the East Las Vegas office. Yahoo visited a meeting one afternoon in December. Over 10 women participated and two brought their husbands along. Amalia Renteria, who said she works as a manager at Burger King, had her young daughter with her. Renteria said it was her third time at the Clinton campaign office that week. Signs in Spanish that read, Im with you, hang on a wall behind Clinton as she speaks at an event with young immigrants and their families in Las Vegas on Sunday. (Photo: John Locher/AP) Shes a female fighter and she is the most supportive to the Latino community, Renteria, who spoke in Spanish, said of Clinton. Montelongo, the Clinton campaign field organizer, said she encourages supporters to bring children and let them play at the office. A lot of women thought that they were held back because they have children, said Montelongo. I always tell them, Bring your kids, bring your kids. It doesnt matter. We have plenty of space here for them to run around and not a lot for them to break. Montelongo also said many participants regularly come to meetings on their lunch breaks. Pati Castro, a hair salon owner, told Yahoo she was volunteering for two hours between appointments. And some of the participants in East Las Vegas are spreading the word beyond the Clinton campaign office. Along with making calls, Castro said she tells the women who come to her salon about the importance of us supporting Hillary Clinton. Its important that we as women empower ourselves, that we develop ourselves, Castro explained in Spanish. A woman can work, can run the family, can have a profession, and we can do big things. Maria Gray, a retired grandmother who brought her husband, Steve, to the meeting, told Yahoo she regularly hosts Mujeres in Politics gatherings in her home. I have like 11 women that are making calls for Hillary in my house, Gray said in Spanish. Its like another campaign office in my house now. Shortly after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died last weekend, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz turned to U.S. history to explain why the Senate should block any nominee President Obama puts forward, regardless of his or her resume. We have 80 years of precedent of not confirming Supreme Court justices in an election year, Cruz said on stage at Saturdays Republican debate in Greenville, S.C. There is a long tradition that you dont do this, he added the next day on NBCs Meet the Press. Cruzs argument which Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has also been making is bunk. First of all, the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court justice in an election year less than three decades ago: Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Ronald Reagan nominee, who was approved by the Senate on Feb. 3, 1988, nine months before Election Day. And even if you rule out Kennedy because Reagan originally nominated him the previous November, Cruzs 80-year time frame still doesnt hold up: Justice Frank Murphy was selected by Franklin D. Roosevelt on Jan. 4, 1940, and confirmed 12 days later. That said, Cruz is correct that its rare for a president to nominate and to see the Senate confirm a Supreme Court justice in an election year. But hes wrong about the reason why this is rare. Its not because of some sort of long tradition of presidential passivity or Congressional obstruction. Instead, its because Supreme Court justices almost never vacate their seats the same year as an election, either willingly or unwillingly, like Scalia. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks at a rally Tuesday in Anderson, S.C. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP) Over the last eight decades, in fact, its only happened twice: in 1940, as noted above, and several elections later, in 1968. Only in 1968 did the presidents picks fail. Every other time a Supreme Court seat has opened up in an election year since the start of the 20th century once in 1932, twice in 1916, once in 1912 the president has nominated a replacement and the Senate has voted to confirm. Story continues As PolitiFact puts it, vacancies in an election year are rare, especially in Cruzs time frame. As such, its hard to argue that there is any tradition in filling seats. In short, Cruzs history lesson is misleading. But that doesnt mean history is useless here. The past can actually tell us quite a lot about Obamas chances of getting his replacement for Scalia through the Senate if you know where to look. In 1993, P.S. Ruckman Jr., a political scientist then at Northern Illinois University, published a paper in the Journal of Politics titled The Supreme Court, Critical Nominations and the Senate Confirmation Process. All of a sudden, 23 years later, its very interesting reading. In his paper, Ruckman reviews the record on Supreme Court nominations and explores several factors that have influenced their outcomes. All in all, more than 150 people have been nominated to the court since 1789 and more than 19 percent have not been confirmed by the Senate. Most of these failed nominations never even made it to the Senate floor for a vote; instead they involved indefinite postponements, total Senate inaction or withdrawals by the president. No other national office has such a high rejection rate. In historical terms, its relatively common for a Supreme Court nominee to fail. The more pressing question is why. According to Ruckman, timing is important: Almost half of the unsuccessful Supreme Court candidates in U.S. history have been nominated in the last year of a presidents term. Thats one mark against whomever Obama selects. The makeup of Congress plays an even bigger role: Nearly 60 percent of failed nominations have occurred when one party controlled the presidency and the other controlled the Senate (which, of course, is the case right now). Thats another problem for Obama. Yet the presidents biggest challenge may be the overall partisan composition of the court or, more specifically, how his nominee would likely alter it. All of the factors mentioned above had been studied before. What no one had bothered to look at until Ruckman came along was a factor that he called the critical nomination that is, a nomination that would, if successful, have a substantial impact on the partisan balance of the court, either by creating a partisan tie, by reducing an existing 6-3 partisan majority to a slim, swing vote-susceptible 5-4, or by transforming an existing 5-4 split into a new 5-4 majority for the other party (which is what Cruz & Co. are worried that Obama will do now that Scalia is gone). Critical nominations are pretty uncommon; there were 11 in the 1800s and eight in the 1900s. But because of their political importance, the rejection rate for this kind of nomination is really, really high: 42 percent. In contrast, the rejection rate for all other nominations is just 15 percent. To test the predictive power of each of these factors, Ruckman created a statistical model and used it to analyze multiple variables. His findings should worry the White House. When the opposite party controls the Senate, a presidents Supreme Court nominee is 6.5 times more likely to fail. When its the fourth year of a presidents term, his or her nominee is 10 times more likely to fail. And when the nomination is critical, the odds of failure go up by a factor of 12. Historically, any one of these roadblocks would be enough to derail a Supreme Court nominee. But whomever Obama nominates in the weeks ahead wont face just one. He or she will face all three. Thats never happened before in U.S. history. As Ruckman told Yahoo News by email, Obamas forthcoming pick would be one of the most phenomenal nominations in history, if successful. As the battle to replace Scalia gets underway, pundits will continue to complain about the unprecedented partisanship that has paralyzed Washington and rightly so. Cruzs argument that Obama doesnt have the right to nominate anyone because its an election year an argument that has been echoed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is plainly wrong. But if, in the end, Obamas nominee fails, then Ted Cruz and the ongoing pandemic of polarization that he embodies wont really be to blame. According to our history, the president probably never had a chance to begin with. National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers warns that encryption is making it much more difficult for the agency to intercept the communications of terrorist groups like the Islamic State, citing Novembers Paris attacks as a case where his agency was left in the dark because the perpetrators used new technologies to disguise their communications. In an exclusive interview with Yahoo News, Rogers confirmed speculation that began right after the attack: that some of the communications of the Paris terrorists were encrypted, and, as a result, we did not generate the insights ahead of time. Clearly, had we known, Paris would not have happened. Rogers comments were made on Friday, just days before the FBI obtained a court order requiring Apple to provide a backdoor into the data on the iPhone of one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, Calif., terror attack in December an order the company is resisting. But his remarks are likely to fuel the debate over encryption that has sorely divided the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement community, on one side, and privacy advocates and U.S. technology companies. (A spokesman for the NSA had no comment today on the court order or on Apples response.) Rogers has at times sought to steer a middle ground in this debate, acknowledging that encryption is foundational to our future and even saying recently that arguing about it is a waste of time. In the Yahoo News interview, he frankly acknowledged, I dont know the answer to unencrypting devices and applications without addressing the concerns over privacy and competitiveness, calling for a national collaboration among industry and government officials to solve the problem. But he left little doubt about the impact encryption is having on his agencys mission. Is it harder for us to generate the kind of knowledge that I would like against some of these targets? Yes, Rogers said. Is that directly tied in part to changes they are making in their communications? Yes. Does encryption make it much more difficult for us to execute our mission. Yes. Story continues Rogers also provided new details about his agencys efforts to implement the USA Freedom Act, a law passed in the wake of the Edward Snowden disclosures, which he said has made it more expensive for his agency to access the phone records of terror suspects inside the United States and has resulted in a slightly slower retrieval of data from U.S. phone companies. But Rogers said the delay in retrieving phone records is measured in hours, not days or weeks, and he has not yet seen any significant problems that have led to concerns this is not going to work. When I say more difficult to do the job, its certainly a little slower, he said. There is no doubt about that. It is not as fast. The new law which has become a contentious issue in the presidential campaign requires the NSA to get a secret court order to retrieve individual domestic phone records rather than collecting them in bulk and storing them in agency computers, as it had been doing before the Snowden disclosures. Critics, such as Sen. Marco Rubio, charge that the act has weakened the countrys defenses in the face of the mounting threats from the Islamic State and other terror groups. But Rogers confirmed for the first time that the law was used successfully by the NSA after the San Bernardino terror attack to retrieve the phone records of the two perpetrators, and the agency didnt find any direct overseas connections. Those records provided metadata the time and duration of phone calls but not the content of emails and text messages that the FBI is seeking by requiring Apple to unlock one of the iPhones. The FBI is continuing its efforts to track down who the two shooters may have communicated with to plan and carry out the attack, according to a court filing Tuesday. Rogers comments came during a rare and wide-ranging interview inside the Battle Bridge, a special NSA situation room at its headquarters in Fort Meade, Md., equipped with teleconference screens to the White House and secure facilities around the world. It was built after the Osama bin Laden raid for use during international crises. The former Navy cryptographer described a far-reaching reorganization of the electronic spying agency dubbed NSA21 that he is implementing this month to cope with evolving new national security threats. Chief among them: persistent cyberattacks from nation state actors, who he said are repeatedly hacking into and Rogers believes laying the groundwork for manipulation of the nations critical infrastructure systems, such as the electrical grid, the banking system and the energy sector. Those foreign powers widely acknowledged to be Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, although he wouldnt name them are penetrating systems, what we think is for the purpose of reconnaissance. To get a sense of how they are structured. Where are their vulnerabilities? What are the control points that someone would want to access? While Rogers said he was not going to get into specifics, U.S. officials have confirmed that those attacks included an Iranian hack into the computer system of a New York dam that alarmed White House officials in 2013 and a highly sophisticated Russian infiltration of an unclassified Pentagon Joint Staff computer network that prompted the NSA director to shut down the entire network for two weeks last summer. This is not episodic or short-term focused, said Rogers, who also serves as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. My sense is you are watching these actors make a long-term commitment. How do we ensure we have the capability to potentially impair [their] ability to actually operate? Yahoo News asked Rogers what motivated the attacks. I believe they want to have the capability, should they come to a political decision, that they in some way want to interfere with the United States or send a message to us, he said. One question Rogers pointedly declined to address is whether any overseas intelligence services had penetrated Hillary Clintons unsecured private email server a scenario that former Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said was highly likely. Its something Im not going to get into right now, he said when pressed by Yahoo News as to whether such a penetration had taken place. Rogers answer to the threat of foreign cyberattacks, incorporated into NSA21, is to create a new Directorate of Operations by merging the agencys Signals Intelligence directorate its electronic spying arm, which intercepts hundreds of millions of telephone calls, emails and text messages around the globe with its smaller Information Assurance arm, which works with private industry to defend U.S. computer networks. The proposal has prompted criticism that it will heighten suspicions of the NSA, making private companies even less willing to cooperate with the agency for fear of being seen as part of its massive global surveillance mission. I have to admit, it was something I spent a lot of time, as did the team, thinking about, Rogers said when asked about the criticism. He added later, I certainly acknowledge that there are some who would argue, Hey, but you have this perception battle. My statement to that would be, We have that perception battle every single day of the year, given the fact that the NSA, we acknowledge, works in both the offensive [signals interception] and defensive [cybersecurity] structures. Dealing with the perception of the NSA as an unchecked surveillance colossus has been Rogers principal challenge since he took over the agency nearly two years ago during the biggest crisis in its history the aftermath of the Snowden leaks, described by his predecessor, Gen. Keith Alexander, at the time as the greatest damage to our combined nations intelligence systems that we have ever suffered. A congenial career Navy cryptologist who previously was commander of the Navys Fleet Cyber Command, Rogers has sought to repair the agencys image and mend fences with Capitol Hill, striking a noticeably more measured and less combative tone in his public statements than Alexander did. But when pressed about the lingering impact of the Snowden disclosures and persistent questions among privacy advocates and members of Congress about the NSAs continued incidental collection of U.S. citizens communications, Rogers was unyielding and unapologetic. He twice refused, for example, to shed any light on how many Americans emails and phone calls are incidentally collected by the NSA in the course of intercepting the communications of foreign targets. We dont talk about the specifics of the classified mission we do, he said. He declined to explain why such information would be classified but insisted that access to those communications by the FBI is governed by legal processes. Rogers warned that terrorist groups such as the Islamic State are moving to encrypted apps and networks, the so-called dark Web a trend he asserted was accelerated by the Snowden disclosures. The trend has happened much faster than we thought, he said. And the part that is particularly discouraging to me is when we get groups, actors, specifically discussing the [Snowden] disclosures saying, Hey, you need to make sure you dont do X, Y or Z, or you dont use this, because remember we know the Americans are into this. Youve seen al-Qaida expressly, for example, reference the [Snowden] disclosures. Youve seen groups ISIL does the same talk about how they need to change their discipline, need to change their security as a result of their increased knowledge of what we do and how we do it. But while many experts have argued that the movement toward encryption is the inevitable result of evolving new technologies, Rogers pointed to Snowden. No one should doubt for one minute there has been an impact here, Rogers said. I will leave it to others to decide right, wrong, good or bad. But there shouldnt be any doubt in anybodys mind that there has been an impact as a result of these disclosures. Rogers has strong feelings about what should happen to Snowden, who remains in Moscow, hailed around the world by many civil liberties groups, receiving accolades and awards (and financial compensation for speeches he delivers via Skype) all while remaining a fugitive from U.S. justice. Rogers has not seen Citizenfour, the Oscar-winning documentary by Laura Poitras that presents the former NSA contractor as a courageous whistleblower, and he says he will probably not see the upcoming film Snowden, due in theaters this May, by Oliver Stone. Asked about proposals that Snowden should receive some sort of leniency as part of a deal that would bring him home, Rogers talked about the concept of accountability. He recalled a conversation he had with his father about the My Lai Massacre when he joined the Naval ROTC in the post-Vietnam era in 1981. Dad, what do you do when you get an order that you think is immoral, unethical or illegal? he said. And my father, something Ill always remember, said to me, Michael, you must be willing to stand up and say, This I will not do. But Michael, you must also be willing to be held accountable for the decision you have made. And dont ever forget, son, responsibility and accountability are intertwined. And it aint one or the other. Its about both. And that seems to have been forgotten in all of this. Just days before the Nevada caucuses, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are locked in a tight race while Donald Trump remains poised to run away with an easy win, recent polls show. On the Democratic side, Planned Parenthood is launching an advertising campaign in hopes of boosting Hillary Clinton, who has fallen into a virtual tie with Bernie Sanders in the latest poll of Democratic caucusgoers there. Beginning Wednesday, the group which formally endorsed Clinton last month is expected to air three 15-second television spots featuring women talking about why they support the former secretary of states presidential bid. Clinton speaks during a womens health meeting at the University of Nevada on Monday. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Remember, theres a lot at stake in this election, Reyna, a Mexican-American single mother, says in one of the ads. Hillary Clinton is a champion for womens health care. Thats why Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed her. The ads do not mention Sanders by name. According to the results of a new CNN/ORC survey released Wednesday, the Vermont senator has pulled to within one percentage point of Clinton in Nevada, with the Democratic frontrunner leading the self-described democratic socialist 48 percent to 47 percent. (The same poll conducted in October showed Clinton with a comfortable 16-point lead on Sanders 50 percent to 34 percent in Nevada.) Slideshow: Clinton and Sanders go head-to-head in Nevada >>> Factoring in the polls sampling error (plus or minus 6 percentage points), the candidates sit in a statistical tie just three days before the caucuses. A different poll conducted earlier this month found Clinton and Sanders in a flat-footed tie (45 percent each) among likely Democratic caucusgoers. The poll results, though, come with a large caveat: Nevada is a notoriously difficult state to poll. Sex workers at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch have endorsed Clintons candidacy. (Photo: Hookers4Hillary.com) Story continues Not surprisingly, Team Clinton appears to be taking no chances. According to Jon Ralstons Ralston Reports, the former secretary of states campaign is now outspending Sanders on TV ads in Nevada, including $1.5 million for ads this week compared with $1 million for Sanders. (Each campaign has spent a total of roughly $4 million on TV ads there this cycle.) That doesnt include the free advertising Clinton has been getting from an unlikely ally: the sex workers at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, who have been campaigning as Hookers for Hillary even drafting a four-point platform to explain their endorsement. On the Republican side, Donald Trump (45 percent) has a commanding 26-point lead over Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (19 percent) among likely GOP caucusgoers, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (17 percent) in third place, and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (7 percent) a distant fourth. That hasnt stopped the brash billionaire from spending $400,000 on TV ads in Nevada ahead of Tuesdays Republican caucuses. The anti-Trump PAC Make America Awesome has countered with several TV ads, including this one, titled, Not For Us. Trump also maintains a double-digit lead in South Carolina, which will hold its Republican primary on Saturday. The real estate mogul who will participate in an MSNBC town hall moderated by Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski in Charleston later Wednesday holds a 16-point advantage (38 percent to 22 percent) over Cruz in the Palmetto State, the CNN/ORC survey found. And the results of new Quinnipiac national poll, released Wednesday, show Trump with 39 percent support among GOP voters a high-water mark for the poll-obsessed businessman followed by Rubio at 19 percent, Cruz at 18 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 6 percent. Reports of Donald Trumps imminent demise as a candidate are clearly and greatly exaggerated, Quinnipiac pollster Tim Malloy said in a statement accompanying the surveys release. Like a freight train barreling through signals with his horn on full blast, Trump heads down the track towards a possible nomination. President Obama, though, doesnt buy the Trump hype. I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president, Obama said on Tuesday. And the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognize that being president is a serious job. By Dustin Volz and Joseph Menn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered Apple Inc to help the FBI break into a phone recovered from one of the San Bernardino shooters, an order that heightens a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said in a ruling. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts and assisting investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has five business days to contest the order if it believes compliance would be "unreasonably burdensome," Pym said. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Tuesday requested the court order to compel Apple to assist the investigation into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by Farook and his wife that killed 14 people and injured 22 others. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has been investigating the couple's potential communications with the Islamic State and other militant groups and treating the case as an incident of domestic terrorism. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. U.S. government officials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations. Technology experts and privacy advocates counter that forcing U.S. companies to weaken their encryption would make private data vulnerable to hackers, undermine the security of the Internet and give a competitive advantage to companies in other countries. In a similar case last year, Apple told a federal judge in New York that it was impossible for the company to unlock its devices that run an operating system of iOS 8 or higher. The phone belonging to the Farook ran on iOS 9, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said Apple could still help investigators by disabling "non-encrypted barriers that Apple has coded into its operating system." Apple and Google both adopted strong default encryption in late 2014, amid growing digital privacy concerns spurred in part by the leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said Tuesday Apple might have to write custom code to comply with the order, presenting a novel question to the court about whether the government could order a private company to hack its own device. Zdziarski said that because the San Bernardino shooting was being investigated as a terrorism case, investigators would be able to work with the NSA and CIA on cracking the phone. Those U.S. intelligence agencies likely could break the iPhones encryption without Apple's involvement, he said. (Reporting by Dustin Volz; Additional reporting by Joseph Menn and Dan Levine; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker) It used to be that Johannesburg was thought of as a stopover, a necessary evil to be avoided unless you were en route to a safari. When my flight was delayed two years ago on the way home from Namibia, I got an unexpected 24-hour stay in South Africas largest city. I knew about Joburgs crime-ridden reputation and was surprised to see the makings of a cool urban scene. So when Porsche invited me to test out the new 2017 911 models in Joburg and the surrounding countryside, I leapt at the chance. A long weekend in South Africa? Why not! And what better place to drive a rainbow of cars than in the Rainbow Nation. We werent supposed to go off-roading, but the Porsche 911 Targa handled the South African terrain well. (Photo by Doug Demuro. Design by Lauren DeLuca for Yahoo Travel) The stylish Four Seasons Hotel the Westcliff, Johannesburg, was the perfect place to start the adventure. Opened just last year, the hotel is dramatically perched over the city in the posh Westcliff neighborhood. With its gray-on-gray design scheme and zebra accents, my room was the definition of African chic. About 15 minutes from the hotel is Kyalami, a Grand Prix racetrack built in the 1960s that has been given new life by fittingly a former race-car driver and local Porsche importer. The glamorous poolside setting at the Four Seasons. (Photo: Four Seasons Johannesburg) The 911 comes with quite a legacy: It has always been about improving on perfection. And Porsche has done it again with the 2017 models. These cars are made for travelers. They come equipped with high-tech features, like Wi-Fi and Google Earth. And the Porsche Communications Management System is something to behold: It has a state-of-the-art touchscreen that recognizes your handwriting and serves up travel advice on the go. The Porsche 911 Turbo on the Kyalami racetrack. (Photo: Porsche) The Kyalami racetrack has corners and turns with fierce names like the Cheetah, the Ingwe (Zulu for leopard), and the Crocodiles. Its the ideal place to push the 911 and its powerful sisters the 911 Turbo and the Turbo S to the limit. Well, I cant say I did just that. But I did get to take a hot lap with a Porsche pro driver who showed me how fast the Turbo S can really go. It was amazing to see how the car handles sharp turns at such a high speed. Story continues The cars also performed well on the gritty streets of Johannesburg, and the Miami Blue Targa was a real attention-getter. Related: Off-the-Grid Road Trip: Discovering the Real Hawaii I loved exploring Joburg, a city that is as cool and innovative as Porsche itself. There are tons of young people moving the needle in art and design, fashion, and food. Downtown, the Maboneng Precinct is lined with galleries, boutiques, and cafes. My favorite discovery was Cocobel, a dessert shop in a converted vintage Chevrolet pickup truck. Arts on Main is another must-see, with its artist studios and a restaurant in a leafy courtyard. Main Street Life is a multi-use space in an old warehouse with a hotel, cinema, gallery, and loft apartments. Across town, 44 Stanley has a dazzling collection of fashion and antique shops, restaurants, and bars. Sitting outside Cocobel, a sweetshop in an old Chevy. (Photo: Laura Begley Bloom) The entrance to Main Street Life, a sleek arts space in the Maboneng Precinct. (Photo: Laura Begley Bloom) Other neighborhoods worth checking out include Braamfontein which is home to Neighbourgoods, a farm-fresh market open on Saturdays and the residential enclave of Melville. There youll find 27Boxes, a fashion-forward shopping complex made from repurposed shipping containers. Everywhere you look in Joburg, the legend of Nelson Mandela lives on. You cant come here without visiting Tatas former home in Soweto, which has displays of the shoes he actually wore and letters sent to Winnie after he passed away. It is a moving but humble tribute to a man who changed the lives of so many. Nelson Mandelas home. (Photo: Laura Begley Bloom) I also took the Targa into the countryside beyond Johannesburg. Theres so much to see, like Die Ou Pastorie, a historic guesthouse where you can have a lovely lunch under lush trees. And dont miss the Cradle of Humankind, which is home to around 40 percent of the worlds human-ancestor fossils. Some are up to 2.3 million years old. Related: Watch: Trip of a Lifetime Racing Porsches in Spain My biggest advice, though dont drive anywhere without some rand in your pocket. My driving companion and I veered off the route, then found ourselves having to bribe our way through two tollbooths. The first one cost us $20 for a toll that should have been about 40 cents. For the second toll, we bribed the attendant with a pen and a Porsche safety vest that was stored in the glove compartment. Our guide at Mabula. (Photo: Laura Begley Bloom) Just one of the many creatures we spotted in the bush. (Photo: Laura Begley Bloom) And what is a visit to South Africa without going on a game drive? Mabula Game Lodge is not far from Johannesburg, two and a half hours by car or a 30-minute flight in a small safari plane. The game viewing is spectacular: In just a few short hours there, I saw three of the big five. Thats the great thing about exploring the world in a Porsche you never know where youll wind up next. Let Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Follow Laura Begley Bloom on Twitter and Instagram, and hang out with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. To learn more about Yahoo Travels travel policy, please click here. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend: Azerbaijan maximally increased daily gas supply to Georgia from Shah Deniz field, Mahir Mammadov, the head of SOCAR Energy Georgia, told Trend Feb. 17. The increase in supply covers winter season, according to him. "Before, seasonal deliveries varied from 1.5 million to 2.8 million cubic meters of gas per day, but now the upper limit increased up to 3.2 million cubic meters of gas per day," said Mammadov. "Thus, the supply ratio will be 70 to 30 percent in winter and summer, compared to 60 to 40 percent supplied before." The annual gas consumption is 2.4 billion cubic meters in Georgia, he noted. "Some 750-800 million cubic meters of gas is being supplied annually to Georgia from Shah Deniz field, 1.4 billion cubic meters - by Azerbaijan's State Oil Company SOCAR, other 200 million cubic meters - by Russia," added Mammadov. "The volume of supply for 2016 is being specified and depends on the consumption level," explained Mammadov. Georgia imported 1.51 million tons of oil equivalent from Azerbaijan in 2015 in the amount of $314.3 million. Azerbaijan is the main gas supplier to Georgia with a share of 74.9 percent of the total volume of gas imports of the country. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 Trend: Russia is interested in maintaining a dialogue with oil producing countries to exchange views on the situation on energy markets, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian president, told RIA Novosti. Earlier, following the talks in Doha, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela expressed readiness to freeze the oil production at January levels as long as others follow the suit. Oil ministers of Venezuela, Iran and Iraq plan to discuss the proposal about freezing the oil output agreed in Doha. The proposal will be put forward during the trilateral meeting to be held in Tehran Feb.17. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend: With the agreement in Doha on freezing the oil output, OPEC and non-OPEC members may soon see relief in their operations and a more positive price in the medium term that helps their state budgets, Theodore Karasik, Senior Advisor, Gulf State Analytics told Trend. Following the talks in Doha on Feb.16, energy ministers of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar agreed to freeze the oil output at Jan.11 levels, as long as the others follow the suit. Today, the proposals on output freeze will be discussed by oil ministers of Venezuela, Iran and Iraq in Tehran. Some may interpret the move as related to the war for Syria, as Saudi Arabia and Russia looked to be on the verge of confrontation through their allies and proxies, according to the expert. Russian economy needs relief and now, it may find some breathing space, Karasik added. "But we need to be careful and not pop any champagne bottles yet. There is still geopolitics at play across a number of dimensions," the expert said. A moderate growth was observed in world oil prices on Feb.17. The price of April futures for North Sea Brent crude oil mix rose by 1.07 percent and reached $32.52 per barrel on Feb.17. This is while the price of March futures for WTI oil increased by 0.64 percent and stood at $29.23 per barrel. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Georgia can import Iranian gas through Azerbaijan, says Kakha Kaladze, Georgian deputy prime minister and minister of energy. Iran's Shana news agency quoted Kaladze as saying Feb. 17 that there are two ways to import Iranian gas, "either through Azerbaijan or through Armenia". He also said that Iran and Georgia can start electricity swap. "We can deliver electricity to Iran during warm seasons and take the same amount [as delivered] in winter," he said. Alireza Kameli, the head of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), said after meeting Kaladze in Tehran on Feb. 16 that Iran is considering a plan to export 200 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia in a course of seven months. Saying that serious talks on the gas issue were held with Georgians, Kameli expressed hope that a deal for delivering Iran's gas to Georgia would be finalized soon. He also forecasted that Iran would kick off gas supply to Georgia by late March. He further said that Tehran and Tbilisi would consider signing a long-term deal, if they find a short-term gas deal economically justified. A major part of Iran's gas output is consumed domestically, while most of liquid fuels, which used to be consumed at industrial units and power plants, are now available for export. Iran plans to increase gas production to 1.1 billion cubic meters per day by 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: A day after hosting Russia and Saudi Arabia in Doha, Qatar's Oil Minister Mohammed Saleh Abdulla Al Sada traveled to Tehran to join his Iraqi, Venezuelan and Iranian counterparts' meeting. Qatari oil minister arrived in Tehran to joint the meeting of oil ministers, Shana news agency reported. Four ministers started the meeting on Feb.17. As Russia and OPEC's major producer Saudi Arabia agreed to freeze oil production at the January levels during the Doha meeting, Iran has announced that it wouldn't abandon its oil output growth strategy. "Iran will never ignore its share in global oil markets," Shana news agency quoted Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh as saying Feb. 16. "The first important thing is that the glut in markets should be removed and the second is that Iran will never refuse to get its share in the market," he said. Iran was exporting 2.2 million barrels per day of crude oil in 2011, but the volume plunged to around 1 million barrels per day after sanctions. The country increased the figure to about 1.4 million barrels per day in January this year and has planed to boost the volume to 2 million barrels per day after March. Iran says it will increase the oil output by 0.5 million barrels per day in H1 2016, and add the same volume to production level by the end of the current year. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: The agreement between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar to freeze oil production seems more like a symbolic announcement, which will have moderate impact on oil prices, Gal Luft, co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS), a Washington based think tank focused on energy security, and a senior adviser to the United States Energy Security Council believes. "The agreement is to freeze the increase in production quotas, not to reduce production. In other words the ministers agreed not to flood the market with additional oil but will continue to produce at current levels," Luft told Trend. "This is more of a symbolic announcement since it made no sense for those countries to increase production and drive prices to the ground to begin this," he added. Energy ministers of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar agreed on Feb. 16 to freeze the production of oil after the negotiations in Doha. Oil output will be stabilized at the level of Jan. 11, if other major exporters follow the suit. The impact of the agreement on oil prices is likely to be moderate, Luft believes. "After all no one is going to withdraw oil from the market so inventories will remain high in the near future," he said. As of Feb. 17 morning, April futures price for Brent Blend oil extracted in the North Sea rose by 1.07 percent - to $32.52 per barrel. March futures price for WTI crude oil increased by 0.64 percent - to $29.23 per barrel as of Feb. 17 morning. Overall, Luft believes that the move to freeze output aims to reach a coordinated approach vis a vis Iran, which more than any other OPEC member is tempted to increase production. "Iran's production is far lower than its reserves allow. The concern of Russia and the OPEC producers is that Iran may be able to attract investment to boost it's production and hence increase supply," Luft said. Such coordinated approach by all the major producers, he said, will allow them to pressure Iran to coordinate it's production increase with the rest of the cartel members. "Saudi Arabia needed Russia in this effort as Russia is the only major producer that has a degree of leverage over Iran," Luft added. Free of sanctions, Iran plans to increase its oil export by 500,000 barrels per day, and then raise the figure by another 500,000 to two million barrels per day within a six month period at the next step. Iran's proved oil reserves stood at 157.8 billion barrels at the end of 2014, according to BP. The country produced 2.925 million barrels per day in January compared to 2.887 million barrels per day in December, 2015. Iran said it will defend its right to raise oil production to pre-sanctions levels, ahead of a meeting with other OPEC members, hoping to convince the country to join a co-ordinated production freeze, Financial Times reported. "It is illogical to ask Iran to further decrease its output," Iran's OPEC envoy Mehdi Asali told local newspaper Shargh. "Under the current circumstances that Iran's production is much below its quota, it cannot expect us to further decrease our production," he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 Trend: Oil prices rose by more than 5 percent to climb above $34 a barrel on Wednesday after Iran voiced its support for an initiative led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze production to boost prices, Reuters reported. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh met counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran for over two hours, after which he welcomed the initiative to set a "ceiling" as a first step toward stabilizing the market. Zangeneh, quoted by the Shana news agency, did not explicitly say that Iran would keep its own output at January's levels. An Iranian official earlier said that the country would continue increasing crude output until it reached levels achieved before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from January's near-record levels would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend: The intrigue, which has been unfolding around the issue of Iranian gas, the supplies of which to Georgia should start, has acquired a new light today, on Feb. 17. Iran may supply its gas to Georgia through Azerbaijan, Georgian deputy prime minister, energy minister Kakha Kaladze said while in Iran Feb. 17. At the same time, Kaladze went on to add that the supplies may be also carried out on the territory of Armenia. Interestingly, the day before that, on Feb. 16, head of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) Alireza Kamali after the meeting with Kaladze said that Iran was considering the possibility of exporting 200 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia during in a course of seven months through Armenia. Kamali made the remarks not even mentioning Azerbaijan as if the route issue was resolved. Here the question arises, if the day before, Kaladze had already decided on the route, why today, on Feb. 17, while in Tehran, he mentioned Azerbaijan as a possible transit country? Perhaps, because the Georgian side understands that Iran's desire to involve its longtime ally Armenia at least in one regional project is not beneficial for Georgia itself. First, Georgia shouldn't forget the fact that from the technical point of view, the transit of Iranian gas through Armenia's territory is problematic to put it mildly. The issue is that Armenia has no relevant infrastructure to transport Iranian gas to Georgia through its territory. The diameter of the pipe via which the gas from Iran will be delivered to Armenia, is 700 millimeters and its capacity is around two billion cubic meters of gas per year. At present, the pipe is not completely filled. However, considering the scheme of the Iranian-Armenian exchange "gas in exchange for electricity", the gas pipeline will be filled completely later, after commissioning the third power transmission line and Armenia will start to supply around 5-7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to Iran per year. It is obvious that the gas pipeline which links the two countries is not scalable and the plans regarding the volume of transportation via this pipeline do not include the gas for Georgia. If the matter rested in the gas supply project in a few years, perhaps, it would be possible to hope for improvement of the infrastructure however, it is early to talk about it. But gas from Iran must be supplied to Georgia in March. A significant fact is that Gazprom's Armenian subsidiary built the Armenian section of the gas pipeline. Earlier, it made huge investments in the construction. At present, it is the operator there. There are some doubts whether Gazprom will want to deliver its pipe for the needs of Georgia. As for Azerbaijan's technical possibilities, it has been repeatedly stated about them. SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said in November 2015 that SOCAR will fully upgrade the Hajigabul-Gardabani gas pipeline to increase its capacity for supplying gas to Georgia. Moreover, the work on expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline within the Shah Deniz-2 project has already begun. This work includes the construction of a new pipeline in Azerbaijan's territory and two new gas-compressor stations in Georgia. The expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline will triple its capacity up to over 20 billion cubic meters per year. In turn, it will supply more gas to Georgia, including the swap method. It is obvious that a country, which is pierced with veins of gas pipelines and has the financial capacity to improve the infrastructure issues, will not have problems with the transit of additional gas volumes. Then it will be obvious that whether common sense or another political calculation wins. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Elena Kosolapova - Trend: Kazakhstan reduced the production of motor cars by 84.8 percent - 237 units in January 2016 compared to January 2015, the Statistics Committee of the Kazakh National Economy Ministry said. Production of trucks decreased by 25.3 percent - 59 units during the reporting period in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has three major automobile plants - Asia Auto JSC, Saryarka Automotive Industry and Agromash Holding JSC, which produce the cars of such brands as Kia, Chevrolet, Skoda, Hyundai, SsangYong, Peugeot and others. Kazakhstan produced 12,450 motor cars, 1,660 trucks in 2015. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: The European Commission (EC) will provide new development funding of 251 million euros to Tajikistan by 2020, Council of the European Union said in a message on its website. The funds will focus on vital sectors for growth and social stability, such as rural development, health, and education, which are particularly important in the present economic climate prevailing in Central Asia. The EU and Tajikistan held their fifth Cooperation Council meeting on 16 February 2016. The EU was represented at the Cooperation Council by Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acting as head of the EU delegation. The delegation of Tajikistan was led by Mr Sirodjidin Aslov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. During the meeting, the Cooperation Council reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to strengthen relations in a number of cooperation areas, noting the progress made since the fourth Cooperation Council meeting between the EU and the Republic of Tajikistan in November 2013. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 17 By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov observed the progress of construction of a new international sea port in the city of Turkmenbashi, the Turkmen government said in a message Feb. 17. Ahmet Calk, the head of Gap Insaat Turkish company, which is the contractor of the project, representatives of the Inros Lackner AG consulting company (Germany) took part in the meeting with the Turkmen president. The project envisages construction of ferry, passenger and container terminals. The complex will include a general loading terminal, bulk cargo terminal, as well as ship-building and ship-repair factories. The total area of the multifunctional port will be more than 1.4 million square meters. It is expected that the new port will give an additional impetus to development of local industrial and transport infrastructure, contribute to the creation of new jobs, attraction of large investments. The ferry and the passenger terminals will be located on an area of 230,000 square meters, and several ships at once will be able to moor to the piers. The area will be designed for 300,000 passengers and 75,000 trailers a year. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb. 17 By Demir Azizov- Trend: The Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan (FTUU) and the International Labour Organization's (ILO) country office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia discussed the cooperation issues, FTUU said Feb. 16. A FTUU delegation visited the ILO's country office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a statement said. The results of implementing the joint action plan on cooperation of the FTUU Council with the ILO on behalf of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) and the Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in accordance with the Decent Work Country Program of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2014-2016 were discussed during the visit. The views on the areas of cooperation between FTUU and ILO's Bureau in 2016 were also exchanged during the meetings with the ILO specialists. In particular, the specific joint activities were outlined for 2016. Among them are strengthening of the social partnership to implement the fundamental principles and labour rights, promoting of the expansion of decent employment opportunities and improving of working conditions and social protection. Uzbekistan joined ILO in 1992. To date, Azerbaijan has joined 13 conventions of this international organization. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb.17 By Demir Azizov- Trend: The EU and Uzbekistan plan to create a Council on foreign investments and trade in the first half of 2016, said Yuri Sterk, ambassador, head of the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan. "Uzbekistan and the EU have huge untapped potential. The sides are negotiating to create a council on investments and trade for the use of this potential," said Sterk adding that it was discussed at the level of ministers for several times. He noted that the creation of the Council will expand mutual beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EU in trade-economic, investment and financial-technical cooperation. "The council could help to solve concrete projects, proposals to improve business climate in Uzbekistan," he added. The envoy said that it is necessary to establish a mechanism of interaction of private businesses and state bodies of the EU and Uzbekistan to efficiently solve problems of businesses and eliminate barriers. Uzbekistan and the EU signed an Agreement on partnership and Cooperation in 1996. In July 2015, the EU approved the amount of aid to Uzbekistan for 2014-2020 in the amount of 168 million euros. Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced Tehran's willingness to cooperate with Japan in building small nuclear power plants. Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Katsuyuki Kawai in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, Fars News Agency reported on Feb.17. During the talks, Salehi called for the development of cooperation in scientific and technological fields, adding that Tehran is also interested in cooperation with Tokyo in areas related to nuclear safety, building 100-MW nuclear power plants, and other peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Kawai, for his part, underlined the need for the expansion of bilateral ties, and said, "Good proposals were raised during the meeting which will be precisely studied by the Japanese government." This is while Iranian and Japanese Foreign Ministers Mohammad Javad Zarif and Fumio Kishida in a meeting in Tehran in October had similarly underlined the two countries' resolve to boost cooperation in different arenas, specially in nuclear technology. Salehi visited Tokyo in November 2015 to hold talks with the Japanese officials about expansion of nuclear cooperation, specially safety standards. "Iran and Japan have exchanged delegations over the recent months and discussed ways to boost nuclear safety cooperation and Salehi's visit takes place for the same purpose," AEOI Deputy Chief and Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said at the time. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has once again accused the US of plotting against Iran and its upcoming elections for parliament, as well as the Assembly of Experts to be held in late February. "The enemies want to infiltrate into the elections," Khamenei claimed addressing a group of residents of East Azerbaijan Province, who meet him in Tehran on Feb. 17 morning, according to supreme leader's official website. Saying that "the enemy" is planning to organize plots against the elections, the Iranian leader urged people to remain vigilant against them. He further condemned those who criticize Iran's constitution watchdog body - the Guardian Council - for disqualifying a large number of candidates, wishing to run for both elections. A group of high-ranking officials, including President Hassan Rouhani earlier have expressed their dissatisfaction over the widespread disapproval of reformist candidates for the elections. Khamenei further went on to accuse the US of meddling in Iran's domestic affairs, saying that from the outset of the Islamic Republic, the Americans were against the Guardian Council and "today they are making efforts aimed at questioning the legitimacy of the vetting body and the elections." The Assembly of Experts is very important and elects a leader when necessary, he said, adding that "the enemy" is sensitive about that body. The Assembly of Experts is comprised of 86 Islamic scholars (mujtahids), who are elected by the public to an eight-year term. The assembly is an influential body in charge of supervising the supreme leader and organizations under his direct control, as well as electing a successor for him. Earlier the frontrunner in the elections, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, who is a grandson of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was barred from the election to the Assembly of Experts by the Guardian Council. Cuba and the United States signed an agreement Tuesday to resume daily commercial flights between the two countries for the first time in more than 50 years, Xinhua reported. "Today is a historic day in relations between Cuba and the United States," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony R. Foxx said after signing the accord with his Cuban counterpart Adel Yzquierdo in Havana. Under the deal, the two countries could be linked by as many as 110 flights a day, more than five times the number of the current charter flights between the two countries. The resumption of commercial flights attests to the commitment to "further strengthen" ties between the two countries, Foxx said. Yzquierdo said the signing of the agreement marks the beginning of a new stage in bilateral ties. The memorandum of understanding was signed at a ceremony at Havana's landmark Hotel Nacional, by Yzquierdo and Foxx, along with President of Cuba's Institute of Civil Aeronautics Alfredo Cordero and Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin, assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. Upon the deal taking effect, airlines from the two countries may enter into cooperative marketing arrangements, such as code sharing and aircraft leasing between them or with third-country carriers. A number of U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue, have expressed an interest in bidding on routes to Havana. The application deadline is set on March 2, meaning the Transportation Department could announce as early as summer which carriers have been given the green light. The agreement is the latest step in normalizing bilateral ties between Cuba and the United States, since the two nations announced in December, 2014, their decision to resume diplomatic relations. Four U.S. F-22 stealth fighters are flying over South Korea amid growing tensions following North Korea's rocket launch, AP reported. The high-tech planes capable of sneaking past radar undetected were seen flying near a U.S. air base near Seoul on Wednesday. Pyongyang will likely view the arrivals of the planes as a threat as they are a clear show of force against the country. The United States often sends powerful and sophisticated warplanes to South Korea in times of tension with North Korea. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 Trend: The contract to supply multirole SU-30SM fighter jets will be signed during 2016, RIA Novosti agency Feb. 17 quoted a senior official of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) as saying. It was reported earlier that Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and other officials in Moscow. SU-30 SM is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed by Russia. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Anakhanum Hidayatova - Trend: The next session of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the OSCE will be held Feb. 25-26 in Vienna, the organization said Feb. 17. About 300 parliamentary members of the OSCE member-countries will participate in the session, according to the OSCE. The crisis of migrants and refugees within the OSCE area, situation in Ukraine, as well as the preparation process for the annual session of the OSCE PA, which will be held July 1-5 in Tbilisi, are planned to be discussed during the session, according to the organization. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is the world's largest regional structure, dealing with security issues. It brings together 57 countries. The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE is an interparliamentary organization, connecting parliaments of the OSCE member-countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: One of the underground passages has exploded in the Turkish city of Mardin on the Syrian border, Anadolu agency reported Feb. 17. Four people were injured as a result of the explosion. Their condition is critical. The cause of the explosion has not been determined yet. All the injured are Turkish citizens. The work is underway to ascertain the cause of the explosion. --- follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Azerbaijan to attend the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council became one of the most discussed topics in the world media. It is a remarkable event, since today, Azerbaijan and Turkey are among the important countries in the region from the political and economic point of view. Azerbaijan and Turkey succeeded not only to use their potential for ensuring their own development, but also to create close cooperation for the region's benefit. The two countries are bound not only by common culture, but also by important joint energy projects. Today, there are a number of trilateral formats such as Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Iran and Turkey-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and Turkey plays a key role in all of these formats. It is expected that mainly issues of energy, transport, economy, as well as regional problems will be discussed during the meeting of the presidents to be held Feb. 18. Regarding energy projects between Azerbaijan and Turkey, there is no doubt that one of the most important projects is the TANAP, which, unlike other energy projects, is the most real at the moment. One can say that Europe's energy security is in the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey. All this further increases importance of the two brotherly countries for Europe. The TANAP's importance lies not only in the fact that it is an alternative energy supply route to Europe, but also in the fact that in case if other gas suppliers to European countries emerge, they won't be able to bypass the Azerbaijani project. The importance of Azerbaijan and Turkey is not limited only to this project. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which will be an important transport corridor between Asia and Europe, will be constructed in 2016. The Trans-Caspian transport corridor is becoming a priority in transit after the problems between Moscow and Ankara and Tehran and Ankara with the transportation of goods from Turkey to the Central Asian markets. Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yildirim's statement testifies to this. In an interview with Trend, he said that the Trans-Caspian transport corridor stretching through Azerbaijan, must be a priority in cargo transportation to the Central Asian countries, rather than an alternative in case of problems with the transportation of goods. With the commissioning of the BTK railway Azerbaijan and Turkey will give a unique opportunity for freight traffic to the world. With regard to regional issues, the discussion of which is expected during meetings of heads of states, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is undoubtedly the most important of them, during the settlement process of which, unfortunately, double standards are being applied. Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and included this issue on the agenda at all international events. There is no doubt that this issue is among Turkey's national priorities today. --- Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.17 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The project for construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway will revitalize the economy of the entire region, TRT Haber news channel quoted Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkish foreign minister, as saying. Turkey attaches special attention to the BTK project, he said during a visit to Georgia Feb. 17. Cavusoglu also noted that the construction of the BTK railway will be completed this year. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being constructed on the basis of a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. Azerbaijan allocated a loan of $775 million for the construction of the railway's Georgian section. The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) finances the project in accordance with the Azerbaijani president's decree 'On the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project activities', dated February 21, 2007. The peak capacity of the corridor will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At the initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has warned the country of the possibility of new terrorist attacks, the Haber7 newspaper reported Feb. 17 citing a source in the intelligence agency. Some members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant groups are preparing terrorist attacks in Turkey's international airports, according to MIT. Reportedly, 14 PYD and PKK militants have infiltrated into Turkish territory to stage terrorist attacks in retaliation for Turkey's shelling militant positions in Syria. In response to the shelling of Turkey's territory from Syria, Ankara launched artillery strikes on PYD and PKK positions on Feb. 13. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier on Feb. 17 that Turkey will continue shelling the militant positions in Syria, since they pose a serious threat to the country's security. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Details added (first version posted 21:37) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17 A large explosion has occured close to the Parliament building, General Staff and dormitories for the military in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Hurriyet newspaper reported. The Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told that, 28 people were killed, 61 wounded as a result of the explosion. It is reported that the cause of the explosion was a car bomb. Turkish General Staff called the explosion in Ankara a terrorist attack. Earlier, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has warned the country of the possibility of new terrorist attacks, according to the Haber 7 newspaper's reports citing a source in the intelligence agency. Some members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant groups are preparing terrorist attacks in Turkey's international airports, according to MIT. Reportedly, 14 PYD and PKK militants have infiltrated into Turkish territory to stage terrorist attacks in retaliation for Turkey's shelling militant positions in Syria. Monks pray near a list of the patients near a collapsed building in Tainan, Taiwan, on Feb. 7, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images) Rescue personnel in Taiwan have recovered the remains of the final victims of the earthquake on Feb. 6, and with a minutes silence, ended search efforts with a death toll of 116, Shanghai Daily reported on Monday. Advertisement All but two of the dead lived in the 16-story Wei-Guan Golden Dragon apartment complex in Tainan, which collapsed when a 6.4 magnitude quake rocked Taiwan's south two weeks ago. Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-te on Saturday bowed deeply and thanked rescuers for their efforts, and called for a minute's silence for the victims. A total of 270 people in the building survived. Of those, 95 were able to escape on their own, while the remaining 175 were rescued from the rubble, according to official data released by the city government. One person remains unaccounted for, although authorities believe the person to be homeless and was not actually present at the compound at the time of the quake. Local police have reclassified the person's status as missing. The building's developer Lin Ming-hui and two architects have been arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide following reports that Lin's company cut corners in the building materials. At the scene of the collapsed building, tin cans could be seen inside the walls while polystyerene was found to be mixed along with the concrete, said Shanghai Daily. Local authorities said they have begun to evaluate buildings reported by residents to have been damaged by the quake in Tainan. As of 4 p.m.on Saturday, 120 more buildings had been inspected and were classified as unsuitable for occupation. In response to the disaster, the mainland China-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits has established a 5 million yuan ($765,000) fund to aid those affected by the earthquake. The funding was donated to Taiwan's Red Cross Society on Sunday via Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation. A screencap of the latest Opera Next browser. (Photo : YouTube) A group of Chinese investors announced on Wednesday that it had offered $1.2 billion to acquire the Norwegian company behind the Opera Web browser. The consortium is led by Golden Brick Silk Road Fund Management of China and includes Yonglian Investment, an affiliate of Golden Brick Silk Road Fund Management, mobile game maker Beijing Kunlun Tech, and antivirus and search provider Qihoo 360, according to a report from The New York Times. Advertisement The group has offered Opera Software, the browser's parent company, 71 Norwegian kroner ($8.31) a share, a premium of about 56 percent, based on the average share price over the past 30 days, the report said. Opera said the agreement would give the browser access to Kunlun and Qihoo's Internet users in China, as well as funding. In turn, Kunlun and Qihoo will be able to sell their products to Opera users and use its mobile advertising platform. Qihoo, which runs its own mobile browser, could combine with Opera's and benefit from the company's advertising network, while Kunlun could use Opera's apps to expand the distribution of its games, said The New York Times. Opera's board has unanimously decided to recommend that shareholders accept the offer, although the deal remains conditional on Kunlun's getting approval at its general meeting in March to participate in the consortium, the report added. The offer is among the latest attempts by Chinese tech firms to expand overseas. One of the partners of the Opera bid, Kunlun Tech, recently acquired a 60-percent stake in Grindr, valuing the social networking app for gay men at $155 million. Chinese Web giants Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings have also made purchases outside the mainland to expand their reach. If successful, the deal would give the Chinese group a brand struggling to compete with Google's Chrome and other browsers but remains a favored pick in developing countries. Developed in the 1990s, the Opera browser set itself apart from competitors as a browser designed for use with mobile phones that used compression technology to boost download times. But the competition has caught up, with Opera relegated as the sixth most-used browser--with a 5.5-percent market share--behind Chrome, Apple's Safari, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Alibaba's UCWeb, according to the Internet metrics service provider StatCounter. In August last year, Opera said it was undergoing a strategic review following annual losses over the previous two years. Many Internet users in China complained of intermittent accessibility and service interruption during the Spring Festival holiday. (Photo : REUTERS) Virtual private network (VPN) company Astrill faulted its users in China, calling them "stupid" for spreading news of its new software on the Internet and for its service interruption during the Spring Festival, as dissatisfied Chinese users continue to vent their frustrations, the Global Times reported. Advertisement On Feb. 5, three days ahead of the Lunar New Year, Astrill users in China started to receive notices about service interruptions, according to the report. The users, however, said that during the seven-day holiday that began on Feb. 7, the VPN service has been irregularly inaccessible. The report cited an Astrill notice posted online by one of its users which quoted the company as saying that some users were "not that smart and helping Chinese censors by spreading news about new Astrill software all over the Web," while Astrill engineers tried to fix the problems with its iOS app. "We can invent new technologies . . . but we don't have a solution for stupidity. Dear 'journalists,' please spread this message as usual, all over the Web and join DUMB CLUB," the notice said. But in another notice posted later, the company argued that it was not targeting Chinese customers, and the comments drew criticism among Astrill users in China. The report said that some netizens posted their complaints on Facebook against the U.S.-based company for its impolite attitude. The netizens also asked for a refund. Others commented that instead of blaming customers, the company should exercise greater responsibility. On Chinese online community Baidu Tieba, some netizens said that because of the "insulting" notice, they would turn against the company and become anti-Astrill. The company later said that it would provide free service to every customer affected during "Chinese holidays," including two weeks of free service and 30 days of Stealth VPN add-on use. The Global Times, however, said that it could not reach the company for comment. VPN services in China often experience access problems during holidays and at the year's end. Last August, Astrill notified its users of possible limited access due to a military parade on Sept. 3 in Beijing. Nana Ouyang performs Popper's Concert Polonaise. (Photo : YouTube/Harker Aquila) Most young people should make decisions like choosing a college and living on or off campus. Such decisions can be critical in their lives, but very few teenagers have their choices exposed to public criticism--as it was the case for 15-year-old Ouyang Nana. Ouyang is the envy of people her age. She is the daughter of a renowned Taiwanese acting couple. In addition to coming from a wealthy family, Ouyang has studied cello since she was 6. Advertisement At the age of 12, Ouyang held her first solo concert, and she was admitted in one of the world's top music academies, the Curtis Institute of Music. When she was 13, Ouyang featured in movies like "Beijing Love Stories" and in many different shows like "Up Idols." However, the celeb announced in the summer of 2015 that she was leaving the Curtis Institute of Music, a move that found her in the middle of controversy. She was widely criticized online for what many saw as wasting a golden chance that many music students dream of, and her mother was compelled to post emails from the institute to dispel speculations that Ouyang had been expelled from the institute for attending too many business-related events. Speaking about her two years at Curtis, Ouyang told the Global Times: "It was the first time I studied abroad. When I lived there it was very real and nothing like a dream. Everyone was so in love with music, they didn't just teach me music but how to live life." The cellist explained that she was still pursuing her education through an online school. Ouyang said, "People think I've stopped studying, but that's not the case. I'm still taking classes and earning credits online." According to Ouyang, she is trying to find a lifestyle that fits her, and therefore, she has the right to study whenever and wherever she wants, at any time. Ouyang emphasized that she was not abandoning music behind. In her view, 2015 could be taken as the true start of her music career. Besides solo concerts at the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing, the cellist signed with the Universal Music Group's Mercury Classics and released her first album in December, a unique achievement for her age. Of the cases reported last year, almost 90 percent involved abuse by husbands of their wives. (Photo : Reuters) The government of Chengdu, the capital city of Southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, is set to open a new shelter for victims of domestic violence whereby both women and men will be accepted. The new center welcomes all those affected, not only women, but also children and the elderly. Talking to Chengdu Business Daily, an official with Chengdu relief center said, "Adult male victims can also seek help from us." Advertisement The center also pointed out that female victims can take their juvenile to the shelter, which will arrange for help from social workers and other professionals in addition to even assisting to find foster families if need be. According to Chengdu Business Daily on Sunday, Feb. 14, via the Global Times, the Chengdu support center will commence operations next month and it will provide legal, employment, health, and mediation assistance to victims, who stay in the center for up to 10 days. The information came at a time when China is getting ready to implement its first anti-domestic violence law on March 1. According to the law, domestic violence is both physical and psychological harm inflicted upon one family member by another, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Speaking to the Global Times, Cai Yiping, a Beijing-based domestic violence expert, said that male victims of domestic violence usually suffer psychological violence. Approximately 2 percent of the 1845 domestic violence complaints received by the Women's Federation in Sichuan in 2015 came from men, according to a report from Chengdu-based West China City Daily in January. Cai pointed out that domestic violence shelters should give help for gay men and women who may be victims of violence by their partners. She suggested that the law should protect victims in any love relationship, including but not confined to marital relations. Many other cities in the country including Guangzhou and Shanghai have also launched support centers for domestic violence victims. Disneyland has already adopted a new strategy to attract more guests from different countries, particularly from Indonesia, India, Singapore and Thailand. (Photo : Getty Images) Hong Kong Disneyland Resort just recorded its first annual loss since 2011, according to an article by China Daily. The theme park's latest financial report states that it feel HK$148 million or about $19 million by the end of the fiscal year ending October 2015. Advertisement Hong Kong Disneyland also reported 6.4 percent loss in total revenues, only earning HK$5.11 billion last year, a drastic year-on-year decline since 2009. Andrew Kam, the theme park's managing director, said that increasing competition and costs are to blame for the loss. Instead of going to the theme park, tourists are now flying to other countries due to imposed relaxations on requirements. "Tourists now have more choices," Kam said in an interview with China Daily, "because many countries have relaxed their visa requirements." "Currency rates in some countries have depreciated remarkably over the past two years and airlines are offering more international routes at competitive prices," Kam added. In line with the recorded annual loss, attendance in the theme park also fell to 6.8 million, a 9.3-percent decrease, last year. The Disneyland Resort in the mainland is not faring any better as it also recorded a 23-percent drop in attendance last year. It's been a challenging year for the company, according to Kam, but Disneyland has already adopted a new strategy to attract more guests from different countries, particularly from Indonesia, India, Singapore and Thailand. Company officials were also in attendance in 16 major expos held in Asian markets to promote the theme parks. Hong Kong Disneyland will also open more new features and launch a three-day discount ticket to remain competitive against Shanghai Disneyland. As for the mainland, officials have shifted the marketing focus on big cities and areas that are connected by high-speed rail in conjunction with the opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express line. With the opening of the new Shanghai Disney Resort this summer, Kam remains optimistic that the Hong Kong park will continue to attract a steady stream of visitors with new attractions. Lawyers in selected areas in China can now avail of the services of an online platform in filing and initiating lawsuits, communicating with judges and making online payment. (Photo : REUTERS) Lawyers in Shanghai have embraced a pioneering Internet platform that allows them to file cases and pay legal fees online, China Daily reported. According to the report, the website, passport.lawyers.org.cn, has been used by more than 1,300 of the city's 1,413 law firms since its launch in January last year, for filing appeals, submitting and receiving legal material, communicating with judges and accessing more than 13,000 cases. Advertisement Cao Hongxing, director of the information management division of the Shanghai High People's Court, said that the real advantage of Shanghai's system is the online payment function, which distinguishes it from the websites adopted by other courts in China. "Among all such platforms developed by courts all over China, this is the only one allowing lawyers to fully complete the procedure of initiating lawsuits, and the first to have functions extending to the whole process--from litigation to case tracking and implementation," Cao said. Cao added that the biggest problem with initiating an online payment system was establishing the "string of links that need to be dealt with" between banks, lawyers, litigants and the courts. "But the Shanghai court solved this problem," the director said. "Now a notification of payment will be generated by the system automatically and the lawyer can make the payment online after litigation materials have been submitted and put on file by a judge. In this way, lawyers can file a lawsuit at home, from the office, or even while on a business trip." The court said that every registered lawyer in the city can log on to the website using his professional ID card, which also allows the system to trace their activities. The report said that lawyers from Shenzhen and Guangzhou were given access to the platform using their local professional ID cards, while legal professionals from other areas were only granted access after verification of their identity. Huang Jiayong, a lawyer from Shanghai Yingtai Law Firm, welcomed the development. "We used to shuttle back and forth from court and wait in line again and again to hand over material, apply for litigation, make payments and exchange evidence. But with this platform, all that takes just 10 minutes or so," Huang said. According to Huang Yi, vice president of the Shanghai Bar Association, the platform was just one of the ways that shows that the working environment of lawyers in the city has improved. The whole world will celebrate the golden jubilee of Abu Simbel temple salvage operation at its footsteps next week On Monday 22 February, tourists and top officials from the Aswan governorate, the antiquities and tourism ministries, as well as Egyptian and foreign journalists, photographers and TV presenters, will flock to Abu Simbel temple that overlooks Lake Nasser. Before sunrise they will admire the equinox when a stream of light gradually sneaks through the temple's sanctuary and illuminates the faces of King Ramses II and the gods Re and Amuns statues. However, the statue of the god of darkness Ptah will remain in the shade because of its connection to the underworld. This phenomenon is repeated twice every year and coincides with the king's birthday and coronation, but as there is not quite enough evidence to support this, some believe that they represent the days of cultivation and harvest. However, this time the equinox coincides with the golden jubilee of the Abu Simbel temples salvage operation. Hamdi El-Sotouhi, the founder of Abu Simbel salvage campaign, describes this years celebration as unique and a message to the whole world that Egypt is a country of peace, science and great civilisation. He told Ahram Online that the celebration is completely different than usual and includes several events. Entitled Abu Simbel in the Eyes of Painters," a plastic art exhibition is to be organised at the footsteps of the temple where a group of Egyptian artists are to draw a collection of paintings expressing their thoughts on the temples salvage operation. An imitation of the Abu Simbel salvage operation is to be shown revealing how the architects dismantled the face of King Ramses II, the head of the statue. The jubilee celebration is to last for two days initially, said El-Sotouhi, though will continue until 2018 due to several events that will highlight the goals of the 1960s salvage operation for Abu Simbel and Nubian temples. Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty told reporters during a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon that the launching of the Abu Simbel jubilee celebration is only connected to Abu Simbel temple and not to any other ancient Egyptian temples. "If any equinox occurs in any other ancient Egyptian temple it is just a coincidence," Eldamaty said. He explained that the equinox used to happen on 21 February and 21 October but after the relocation it shifted one day. He also told reporters that the Nubian temples salvage operation is proof that Egypt is able to face all changes and cannot stand cross-armed with all of the difficulties that it has to deal with. "This celebration is a great event that will help to promote tourism to Egypt," he said. Eldamaty also called on journalists and the media not to believe rumours and they should be sure of any information before publishing it on Facebook, Twitter, television or in print. "Publishing these rumours without being sure of their credibility would create confusion and wrongly stir public opinion," Eldamaty told Ahram Online. He added: "Publishing incorrect rumours is not only an insult to the antiquities ministry but it harms Egypt's reputation abroad." He also told all reporters in the conference to shed more light on the positive parts and the achievement that the ministry has recently achieved in an attempt to regain its role of protecting and preserving Egypt's archaeological heritage. He said that in 2014 and 2015 the ministry succeeded in recovering 723 artefacts that have been stolen and illegally smuggled out of the country during the security vacuum in the aftermath of January 2011 revolution when several antiquities storehouses were subjected to theft and when illicit excavation was wide spread at several sites. In collaboration with the Tourism and Antiquities Police, the ministry, Eldamaty pointed out, also succeeded in seizing a collection of 511 stolen authentic objects in 2014 and 2015. Abu Simbel consists of two temples: one dedicated to the New Kingdom king Ramses II and the second belongs to his beloved wife Queen Nefertari. The one dedicated to King Ramses II is described by Bruce Williams of the Oriental Institute of Chicago as one of, if not the largest, rock-cut temple in Egypt. Both temples are not sitting in their original location after being relocated in 1968 to a neighbouring location on an artificial 65-metre tall hill made from a domed structure above the High Dam. They were relocated in order to prevent them from being submerged during the construction of the High Dam and the creation of the massive artificial Lake Nasser. Members of the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) orchestrated a massive construction project that moved the temple back 200 metres to its present site. Search Keywords: Short link: A United Nations employee abducted north of Baghdad last year was murdered, the UN's Iraq mission said on Tuesday, condemning the killing and calling on authorities to investigate. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq "condemns in the strongest terms the killing of one of its staff members, who was abducted in April 2015 and whose death was verified only on Monday", it said in a statement. "The Mission calls on the Iraqi authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice." Amer al-Kaissy, the UN's representative in Diyala province, was seized in the city of Baquba on April 26, 2015, and "is suspected to have been abducted by militias active in the area", it said. Iraq turned to paramilitary forces dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias to help counter an offensive by the Islamic State jihadist group that overran swathes of territory in 2014. While militia forces have played a major role in combatting the jihadists, they have also carried out abuses including killings, kidnappings and destruction of property. UN Iraq representative Jan Kubis said the mission had made repeated unsuccessful appeals to the authorities following Kaissy's abduction. "For more than nine months we have sought the intervention of the government on the local and national levels to ensure his safe return to his family," Kubis said in the statement. "We have expressed serious concern about the lack of progress in identifying his whereabouts and achieving his safe release. I am deeply disappointed that our efforts and appeals went unanswered," he said. The UN suffered one of the worst attacks in its history in Iraq in 2003 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged truck at the Canal Hotel in the Iraqi capital. The blast smashed a corner of the building, killing Brazilian UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others. Search Keywords: Short link: Ghali, Egypt's state minister of foreign affair from 1977 to 1991, was the first African and Arab secretary-general of the United Nations Related Boutros Ghali to be given military funeral in Egypt Former United Nations secretary-general and Egyptian diplomat Boutrous Boutrous Ghaly died in a Giza hospital on Tuesday at the age of 94. Ghali served in the UNs top office from 1992 to 1996 as the first African and Arab secretary-general. Ghali came from a family with a long diplomatic history. His grandfather, the late Boutrous Ghaly, occupied the positions of Egyptian finance minister, foreign affairs minister and finally prime minister in 1908 until his assassination in 1910. Ghali followed in his grandfathers footsteps in his diplomatic career, serving as minister of state for foreign affairs from 1977 until 1991. He was also a member of parliament in 1987 and part of the secretariat of the National Democratic Party from 1980. From 2003 to 2012, Ghali was the director of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights. Aside from his political and diplomatic career, Ghali is known as a prominent writer with over six books, mostly on international politics and the peace process in the Middle East. His book Egypt's Book to Jerusalem is considered one of the most important books detailing the Camp David talks between Egypt and Israel, with details previously unknown to the public. In 1966, Ghali founded and headed the Al-Ahram Institution Arabic quarterly magazine 'The International Politics,' which is specialised in political analysis. A few days before his death, Ghali was hospitalised with a broken leg. Sisi mourns Ghali Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi mourned Ghali in an official statement shortly after the announcement of his death. "Egypt and the world have lost today a fine political and legal figure that gave a lot through a long international political career, whether as a diplomat, an international legal expert or an author," the Egyptian presidency said in its statement. "The late Ghali made several contributions in international law, human rights and social as well as economic developments, in addition to his role in the Camp David negotiations that contributed to returning beloved Sinai to Egypt," the president said, referring to Ghali's role in the Camp David talks between Egypt and Israel in the late 1970s. Ghali was Egypt's acting minister of foreign affairs in 1977 and the head of the negotiating team during the Camp David talks. President El-Sisi added that Africa would not forget Ghali's role in developing its countries. Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail also issued a statement mourning Ghali. The Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs also mourned his death in a statement issued Tuesday evening, describing him as "the dean of Egyptian diplomacy." Ghali is survived by his wife Leia Maria Ghali Nadler. Search Keywords: Short link: World leaders say former Egyptian UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali led the organisation during one of the most challenging periods World leaders paid tribute to former UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali, praising his leadership of the international body during what they say was one of the most difficult periods. Washington said it is "saddened" by the passing of the senior Egyptian diplomat who died Tuesday in Cairo aged 93. "Egypt and indeed, the world lost a distinguished statesman," Samantha Power, US permanent representative to the UN said in a statement early on Wednesday. Boutros Ghali was the United Nations' first secretary-general from Africa and the only Arab to ever hold the post. Boutros Ghali served as the United Nation's sixth secretary-general, holding the post from 1992 until 1996. Power said Ghali oversaw the world body "during a tumultuous time" that included the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. She hailed his role in forging a groundbreaking peace agreement between Egypt and Israel during a landmark trip to Jerusalem with president Anwar Al-Sadat as foreign minister. The 15-member UN Security Council held a moment of silence after his death was announced at the beginning of a meeting in New York on Tuesday. French President Francois Hollande paid tribute to Ghali, saying this "great Egyptian and great servant of the United Nations" never stopped fighting to preserve peace and to avert conflicts worldwide. Hollande said Ghali's message of peace must "inspire the international community's action at a time when the Middle East is experiencing new tragedies." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Ghali led the organisation through "one of the most tumultuous and challenging periods in its history." "He showed courage in posing difficult questions to the member states and rightly insisted on the independence of his office and of the secretariat as a whole," Ban said. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Boutros Ghalis "contribution to international affairs will long be remembered." Search Keywords: Short link: Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Egypts most prominent journalist and commentator, died today at the age of 92 in Cairo after a brief illness that ended an accomplished life and remarkable career. Heikal will be buried today in a family service. Born in 1923, Heikal started his career as a journalist in the fall of 1942 at the Egyptian Gazette. His breakthrough came with his coverage of the WWII Battle of Al-Alemin for the Gazette. He later moved on to join the most established editor of the time, Mohamed El-Tabei, in the then most widely-circulated paper Akhr Saa. Heikal joined Akhbar Al-Youm and worked closely with the Amin brothers before moving on to chair Al-Ahram in 1957 for 14 years, transforming the paper into the Arab worlds most reputable press establishment. Following his remarkable years at the helm of Al-Ahram, Heikal produced the largest volume of his books that offer incredible insight into the politics of Egypt and the Middle East post Sykes-Picot up until the eve of the Arab Spring. Beyond his capacity as the top notch political journalist of the Arab world for seven consecutive years, Heikal assumed a political status that was prompted by his close association with Gamal Abdel Nasser during the tumultuous years of Egypts independence and wars with Israel. His political posturing was adjusted after a fall-out with Nassers successor Anwar Sadat over the latter's decisions on the Egyptian-Israeli negotiations following the end of the October War. Towards the end of Sadats rule, he imprisoned Heikal and other top figures from across the political spectrum. Following the dramatic assassination of Sadat, his successor Hosni Mubarak released Heikal and other political prisoners, but the rapport between the newcomer to the seat of power in Cairo and the established journalist was doomed. During the last years of Mubaraks rule, Heikal foresaw the outbreak of anger. With the start of the January revolution, he saw a new day of hope for the country. He insisted, however, that the January revolution was for the youth and declined to assume any central public role despite his deep political consultations. Heikal did not lend public support to any of the leading presidential runners in the spring of 2012 and called on the Muslim Brotherhood, upon the election of their candidate Mohamed Morsi, to avoid political exclusionism. However, a few months later, Heikal expressed concern over the fate of Morsis rule and made no small support for his ouster during the 30 June demonstrations. Heikal later offered generous support to the candidacy of Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and he dubbed him the president of need. During the last year, Heikal expressed much skepticism over state management both publicly and privately. In his last TV appearance in December 2015, Heikal was unequivocal in his warnings that Egypt is on a fast path towards political and economic troubles due to its lack of drive for reform. Search Keywords: Short link: The fishermen are charged with possessing and attempting to smuggle narcotics into Saudi Arabia Four Egyptian fishermen were arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of possessing narcotics and attempted smuggling, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said. The fishermen were arrested in Saudi territorial waters near the coastal Al-Wajh town in the north-western part of the country. The Egyptian consulate in Jeddah received information concerning the arrest of the four fishermen on Tuesday, though the ministry statement did not specify the exact date of their arrest. "A group of officials from the Egyptian consulate was tasked to meet the fishermen and understand the whereabouts of the incident," the statement read. In the past few months, numerous cases of Egyptian fishermen being detained in Tunisia, Libya and Sudan were recorded, though mostly for trespassing and illegal fishing. Egypts foreign ministry has repeatedly intervened in these cases to ensure the release of the fishermen and warned against trespassing in foreign waters. Search Keywords: Short link: The announcement comes after the doctors syndicate demanded the prosecution of policemen who assaulted two doctors last month at Matariya Hospital Egypt's health minister has said security posts and surveillance cameras will be installed at major hospitals, in response to mounting calls by doctors for improved security following recent assaults on physicians in Cairo. In an interview with Al-Ahram Daily newspaper published Wednesday, minister Ahmed Emad El-Din Rady acknowledged that assaults on Egyptian doctors have repeatedly occurred since the 2011 popular uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. Rady said close circuit cameras will be installed to "boost security at hospitals" and "improve service by recording doctors' attendance," following numerous complaints by patients that doctors are not always available at the emergency centres. He added that his ministry has been working closely with police to set up security checkpoints of armed personnel at major public hospitals. The move comes days after a general assembly by Egypt's doctors syndicate demanded that policemen who assaulted doctors at a hospital in January be put on trial. The gathering, which was attended by thousands of physicians, also called for better security at hospitals. The assembly promised escalatory measures until demands are met, including protests and plans to start providing totally free service to citizens at public hospitals. Rady slammed doctors' plans to offer service free-of-charge, saying the decision to waive the meager fees patients pay constitutes an "interference in the responsibilities of the ministers of health, finance, and the state budget." The minister also vowed to refer to interrogations doctors who do not show up to work. A public outcry was triggered following the 28 January attack by a group of policemen on two doctors at the Matariya Hospital in east Cairo. The incident allegedly occurred after one of the doctors refused to include fake injuries in a medical report for one of the policemen. Doctors went on a partial strike before nine policemen were referred to prosecution for interrogation last week. When, asked about a recent shortfall in some types of drugs, the minister said around 190 medications are lacking in the Egyptian market due to a halt in production by pharmaceutical firms that was sparked by low sale prices. He explained, however, that national firms produce equivalents of drugs in shortage. The minister said a controversial draft health insurance bill would soon be referred to parliament for approval after finalising means of funding. Critics say the draft bill portents control by the private sector on the country's ailing healthcare system. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi mourned the death of prominent journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, who passed away earlier on Wednesday at the age of 92. "Egypt has lost today a valuable journalist who enriched Egyptian and Arabic press with his political writings and analysis that tackled a long period of Egyptian and Arab history," the president said in a statement on Wednesday. "Mr. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal established a unique form of journalism that combined political analysis with a magnificent style of writing, which added more to his articles, whether journalistic or intellectual," he added. The president said that Heikal played a vital role in developing Al-Ahram newspaper until it became one of the biggest press institutions in the world. Heikal started his career as a journalist in the fall of 1942 at the Egyptian Gazette. His breakthrough came with his coverage of the WWII Battle of Al-Alemin for the Gazette. He later moved on to join the most established editor of the time, Mohamed El-Tabei, in the then most widely-circulated paper Akhr Saa. Heikal joined Akhbar Al-Youm and worked closely with the Amin brothers before moving on to chair Al-Ahram in 1957 for 14 years, transforming the paper into the Arab worlds most reputable press establishment. Following his remarkable years at the helm of Al-Ahram, Heikal produced the largest volume of his books that offer incredible insight into the politics of Egypt and the Middle East post Sykes-Picot up until the eve of the Arab Spring. Search Keywords: Short link: A previous verdict in December 2015 fined Diab EGP10,000 (around $1280), but Mansour appealed the sentence The Economic Appeals Court sentenced businessman Salah Diab to six months in prison on Wednesday for insulting parliamentarian and chairman of the Zamalek Club Mortada Mansour in a phone call. Diab, who was referred to court in April 2015, was also convicted of harassing Mansour by repeated phone calls, was fined EGP20,000 (around $2,550). A previous verdict in December 2015 fined Diab EGP10,000 (around $1280) but Mansour appealed the sentence. In the trials leading up to the verdict, Diabs defence argued that the phone call, where Diab insults Mansour, was recorded without the prosecution's permission. The defence also argued that the recording of the phone call was edited and that 10 minutes prior to that call Mansour called Diab and threatened him. The verdict can be further appealed in front of the Court of Cassation. However, Diab was sentenced in absentia and can get arrested before filingng an appeal. Diab is the co-founder of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, one of Egypt's most widely read daily newspapers. Search Keywords: Short link: High school student Mahmoud Hussein, who some claim was arrested for wearing a shirt with a revolutionary slogan on it, has been in pre-trial detention for more than 700 days Cairo prosecutors referred to high state security prosecution high school student Mahmoud Mohamed Hussein, who many claim was arrested for wearing a shirt with the words nation without torture, his lawyer announced on Wednesday. Human rights lawyer Mokhtar Mounir stated on Wednesday on his Facebook account that the general prosecution decided that Husseins case falls within the jurisdiction of high state security. On 10 February, the court renewed the pre-trial detention for another 45 days for Hussein, who has been detained without trial or official charge for over 700 days. Hussein, who was 17 at the time, was arrested in 2014 on the anniversary of the 25 January revolution of 2011 while passing through a northern Cairo security checkpoint. He was on his way home from a protest against "military rule" and the Muslim Brotherhood group. Activists claim that Hussein, who is accused of possessing ammunition and protesting without police authorisation, was targeted by police for wearing the shirt with the words nation without torture and a scarf with a 2011 uprising logo. On Tuesday, prominent TV host Youssef El-Hossainy wore on his night talk show on ONTV channel a shirt with the same words written on it in solidarity with Hussein, calling for his release. Several local and international human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International, have called for the student's release in accordance with the Egyptian criminal procedures law. Egyptian law allows pre-trial detention to last up to two years. Search Keywords: Short link: The El-Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence says Egyptian authorities attempted to shut down the non-governmental organisation on Wednesday in accordance with an order issued by a body affiliated with the health ministry. According to El-Nadeem, a policeman and an engineer paid a visit to the NGO with a copy of the order, which cited infringements that the Facebook statement did not specify. Lawyer Taher Abul-Naser eventually managed to postpone the execution of the order until El-Nadeem can contact the health ministry to know the reasons behind the decision. The health ministry is yet to issue a statement on the order. Founded in 1993, El-Nadeem provides support for victims of violence and torture and condemns such acts. Search Keywords: Short link: The flow of migrants through the Balkans and towards Germany will be slowed progressively as part of a coordinated "domino effect" of restrictions by countries along the route, Austria's interior minister said in comments published on Tuesday. Austria has largely served as a corridor into neighbouring Germany for the hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Syrian refugees, who have streamed onto its territory since the two countries threw open their borders to them in September. It has, however, taken in a similar number of asylum seekers to Germany in proportion to its far smaller population, and the coalition government has said it will not be able to cope if the influx continues unabated. With European measures to address the continent's migration crisis facing mounting delays and public support for the far right having risen, Vienna is turning to a "Plan B" aimed at stemming the flow of people without going through Brussels. It has already said it will limit asylum applications to less than half last year's total, and last week Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told Macedonia to be ready to "completely stop" the flow of migrants across its southern border, adding that Austria would soon do the same. "The domino effect along the Balkan route is developing according to plan," Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who is expected to announce new border measures later on Tuesday, was quoted as saying by Austrian newspaper Kurier. "It is important that each country progressively restrict the flow on its border, and that we do that in agreement with each other," she said, adding: "The brakes are being applied step by step." Macedonia, lying near the bottom of the Balkans next to Greece, has erected two lines of metal fencing topped with razor wire along its border at the main crossing point for migrants. Austria has erected barriers and a roughly 4-km (2.5-mile) fence as crowd-control measures at its main crossing for migrants, at Spielfeld on its southern border with Slovenia. Kurier said the country was preparing to introduce a similar crowd-control system further west at the Karawankentunnel crossing, also on the border with Slovenia. The introduction of such barriers was also possible at the Brenner crossing with Italy, a vital transport link, the paper said, adding that border supervision might be stepped up at nine other crossings on the Italian, Slovenian and Hungarian borders. Search Keywords: Short link: With the restoration of control in Nehem, Saudi-backed pro-legitimacy forces in Yemens civil war are quickly approaching the capital Sanaa, the most difficult and decisive battle of all The military campaign to restore legitimacy in Yemen appears to have scored its most crucial strategic shift since Saudi-led coalition forces recaptured the countrys southern capital, Aden, in July 2015. Last week, the National Army and Popular Resistance forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, took control of the strategic northeast axis of Nehem, adjacent to the borders of Sanaa governorate, bringing them to within 50 kilometres of the capital. This is a major setback for the Houthi-Abdullah Saleh alliance. It is also the second-to-last step in the drive to recapture Sanaa city, which has been under Houthi control since 21 September 2014. Nevertheless, that next step the march to liberate Sanaa will require special military preparations to ensure a decisive victory in that important battle. In addition to the tactical edge on the battle terrain, which was won by gaining control of a crucial juncture at the northeast gateway to Sanaa governorate and the capital city itself, securing Nehem was also a strategic success in terms of morale. After five months of fighting, defeating the rebel alliance at this critical point boosted the morale of pro-government forces to sustain their efforts on this and other fronts. At the same time, this victory marks a high point in the coalition forces strategy of attrition, which aims to sap the energies of rebel forces and sever their supply lines. The fight to liberate Nehem was waged in tandem with an expansion in the strategy of attacking on several fronts simultaneously, by means of aerial strikes, severing lines of reinforcement and destroying major military facilities and sites. In addition to forcing the rebels to spread their energies over several fronts, the multi-front approach in the advance toward Sanaa has succeeded in destroying a considerable amount of the insurgents military infrastructure. Pro-legitimacy forces have taken out three Katyusha multiple rocket launchers in Jabal Mahjar, a rebel training camp at Al-Jarr farms, which are owned by former president Saleh, along with weapons depots and military machinery and personnel in Khiran in the governorate of Hajja and in Razeh, Baqem, Hidan, Majzar, and Sahar in the governorate of Saada; and military supply lines along the Harad-Midi line. They have also destroyed an army reserves camp in Haziz area, south of Sanaa. In conjunction with this progress, there has been clear success in investment into the role of tribes in the war. In October 2015, tribal leaders in the governorate of Jawf and Sanaa announced the creation of an armed popular resistance tribal coalition to contribute to the liberation of the capital. This contribution was instrumental in the recent battle in Jawf and increases the prospects that this model will be repeated in the battle of Sanaa. However, for this strategy to succeed, the legitimate authorities must open channels of direct communication with influential tribal leaders who have leverage to convince tribal militias to join forces with the popular resistance. Such a tribal coalition will also create a powerful wedge with which to cleave tribal alliances in the Houthi-Saleh camp. Despite the recent strategic gains, there are potential difficulties that could arise with regard to the decisive step the anticipated battle of Sanaa. It should be stressed that military action has become the primary option in the drive to restore stability in Yemen, now that the Geneva track has run aground on the policies of the rebel forces who have refused to fulfill their political, military, and humanitarian obligations. This course will not be easy, however. The battle will ultimately usher in the end of the war and victory for the forces of legitimacy, the rebel forces will put all their energies into it and use all available techniques of war to wreak the greatest possible amount of destruction and loss to prevent the retaking of Sanaa. Above all, rebel forces will take advantage of the topography around the capital, the chains of mountains that form a massive natural barrier that is difficult if not impossible to traverse. The mountainous terrain conceals numerous camps belonging to the Republican Guard and their abundant weapons depots. Conventional aerial bombardments of this area will not produce quick results. There are also many major supply routes, especially those leading to the vicinity of the capital from Hodeida. Undoubtedly, the nature of the battle for Sanaa will be totally different from the other battles. The rebel forces and the Houthis in particular are well trained and have extensive experience in the art of mountain warfare. Under the cover of the Houthi-Saleh military camps, the conflict could easily turn into a widespread guerrilla war. The nature of Houthi warfare, and especially that of the religious extremists among them, is a factor that will increase losses among civilians who they will use as human shields. It is important to factor in the possibility of political manoeuvring used by Saleh since the beginning of the civil war. In tandem with fighting, Saleh has sought recourse to the negotiating track on the basis of the claim that he and the Houthi rebel forces are part of the Yemeni people and therefore cannot be eliminated, regardless of the results on the battlefield. This is among the last cards they can play in the hope of maintaining some military balance. Another card, when all else fails, will be to use various military tactics to threaten the stability of the state after legitimacy is restored. It is only a matter of time before the outskirts of the capital and surrounding areas are recaptured. Militarily, this process requires a different perspective, one that sees the need for contingency planning and that sees the ruggedness of the terrain and the snares lurking within, one that considers innumerable details to ensure victory in the decisive battle. It means that pro-legitimacy forces must hold onto and consolidate their gains from previous battles, and they must sustain the tactic of multi-front attrition against the insurgents, whether in Saada, Taiz, Al-Dalie, Abyan or elsewhere. Above all, they should not be too hasty to launch a ground invasion of Sanaa before the most advantageous conditions possible are in place. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: UN convoys delivering aid to thousands of besieged Syrians were due to set out on Wednesday, but hopes for lasting peace dimmed the day after Turkey called for a ground operation in its war-torn neighbour. Syria's government has approved access to seven besieged areas, including the city of Madaya where dozens of people are thought to have died from starvation, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian affairs office said. Speaking in Damascus, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said aid convoys will be sent on Wednesday in what will be a test of whether the warring parties will allow in humanitarian supplies. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," he said after meeting Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. "Tomorrow we test this," he said on Tuesday. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under seige, according to the UN, after almost five years of civil war between Syria's government and rebel forces. A Red Crescent source said the first convoys will head for the rebel-besieged Shiite villages of Fuaa and Kafraya in the north, and to Madaya and Zabadani, which are encircled by the army. Allowing in humanitarian aid was an important element in negotiations to clinch a ceasefire across war-torn Syria, but both sides have cast doubt on whether it will be implemented. Seventeen world powers agreed to a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" across Syria within a week under a deal struck in Munich last Thursday to end a war that has killed more than 260,000 people. But the bombings of at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria, which the UN said Monday killed 50 people including children, have dimmed hopes for a ceasefire. Under the deal, a new round of peace talks will be held in Geneva on February 25. I can't say categorically that a week from last Thursday there must be a cessation of hostilities," deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. "I'm not trying to excuse the delay in any way, shape or form. I think we're going to continue to pursue, aggressively, the cessation of hostilities." Syria's envoy to the UN Bashar Jaafari on Tuesday also warned that "a ceasefire would take much longer than a week". The school and hospital bombings took place around Syria's second city of Aleppo, where the government has been pressing a major offensive against the rebels backed by Russian air strikes. Neither the UN nor the US have directly accused Moscow of carrying out those air strikes, but the State Department said Monday the attacks cast doubt on Russia's willingness or ability to stop the fighting. US President Barack Obama said the ceasefire would be difficult to achieve while Russia's bombing campaign continues. "If Russia continues indiscriminate bombing of the sort that we've been seeing, I think it's fair to say that you're not gonna see any take-up by the opposition," he said Tuesday. Russia denied it had bombed any hospital, calling such reports "unsubstantiated accusations". Turkey, however, has branded Russia's air war in support of Assad as "barbaric" and is now pushing to send in troops to Syria with the help of the United States and Gulf states. "We want a ground operation with our international allies," a senior Turkish official told reporters in Istanbul. "There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria," the official emphasised, but added: "Without a ground operation it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria." On Tuesday, the Pentagon said Saudi Arabia has resumed air strikes by the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria. Turkey has also been locked in its own war with Kurdish rebels in the north of Syria, which it believes are allied to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged an insurgency on its soil for decades. It fears the Kurds will be able to create a their own territory just across the border in northern Syria. On Tuesday, Turkey shelled Kurdish positions in northern Syria for a fourth straight day, monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Kurdish fighters in Syria of being "Russia's legion working as mercenaries" and harming Turkey's interests. "Those vile, cruel and barbaric planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since September 30 without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly," he said. The UN on Tuesday criticised the strikes after talks requested by Russia, in a decision hailed by Syria's envoy. Venezuelan Ambassador Rafael Ramirez told reporters the 15 council members "expressed concern about the Turkish attacks in northern Syria" and will "ask Turkey to comply with international law". Search Keywords: Short link: Related Turkish police fire tear gas on Istanbul protest against southeast operations Police in northeastern Turkey have clashed with hundreds of activists and local residents trying to prevent the construction of a copper mine in the region. Residents fear that the mine will ruin the environment and damage forests in the mountainous Cerattepe area, in the Black Sea coastal province of Artvin, which borders Georgia. The protesters have used dozens of vehicles and barricades on a road in Cerattepe to block the construction vehicles' access to the mine site. Police on Wednesday began towing the vehicles away and, for a second day running, used tear gas to disperse the group. Some protesters were seen hurling rocks at police. The private Dogan news agency says at least four activists have been detained. Search Keywords: Short link: A suicide bomber killed at least 14 soldiers in Aden on Wednesday, in the latest attack on Yemen's second city claimed by militants of the Islamic State group. The southern port city has been the headquarters of forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his backers in a Saudi-led military coalition but has seen growing violence by IS group and its militants rival Al-Qaeda. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers," a military source said. The troops were attending a training session run by Sudanese forces of the Saudi-led coalition, another military source said. The bomber, who was disguised as a soldier, attacked the Ras Abbas camp in the west of Aden. The blast came a day after Al-Qaeda claimed an attack on the convoy of Aden's governor and police chief in which four militants were killed. Since March last year, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi, IS group has ramped up its operations in Yemen. Its rival Al-Qaeda also has a significant presence, expanding its presence in the south and southeast. Search Keywords: Short link: An Istanbul policeman went on trial on Wednesday charged with shooting dead a 25-year-old Turkish woman suspected of links to far-left activists during an "anti-terror" raid in the city. Prosecutors have asked for 26.5 years jail for the officer, named only as Y.M., over the killing of Dilek Dogan in the raid on her family home in the Sariyer district on October 18. She died of her wounds in hospital on October 25. Turkish media later published harrowing footage of the moment her family realised she had been shot. The case has won huge resonance with the police under scrutiny over allegedly heavy-handed tactics employed in a massive crackdown against Islamist, Kurdish and Marxist militant groups. The trial got underway amid a heavy security presence at the Istanbul courthouse with Dilek Dogan's mother, father and brother all present, the DHA news agency said. At least 22 people were detained when police used water cannon to break up a group of supporters of the family who sought to enter the courthouse without authorisation, reports added. Dogan's parents have claimed their daughter is an innocent victim and so far no concrete evidence has been put forward linking her to attacks. They say she was killed after the policeman drew his weapon when she yelled at the anti-terror squad to put on overshoes so as to not dirty the floor. The police have said the gun was fired in a scuffle after the family tried to snatch it away. Media reports have said the authorities suspected her of membership in the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), links to a gun attack on the US consulate in Istanbul and possible involvement in plans for a suicide bombing in the city. The authorities have been cracking down on the DHKP-C, which has staged a sporadic series of attacks in Turkey in the last years, as part of a broad anti-terror operation also aimed at Islamic State (IS) and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members. Turkish media reports Tuesday also said a separate investigation had been launched against her father Metin, her mother Aysel and her brother Mehmet on accusations of impeding the police officers in their work during the raid. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday executed one of its citizens and two Yemenis convicted of drug trafficking, bringing to 63 the number of people it has put to death this year. Saudi national Daifallah al-Omrani was executed in the northern region of Tabuk after his conviction for smuggling amphetamines, the interior ministry said. In a separate case, Yemeni citizens Ahmed Mubarak and Abdul Salam al-Jamali were executed in the southwestern city of Jazan near their homeland, the ministry said. They were convicted of trying to smuggle hashish. Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded by a sword.The kingdom executed 47 people in a single day on January 2 for "terrorism". In 2015 Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, mostly for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count. The kingdom practises a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death. Search Keywords: Short link: A suicide bomber killed at least 14 soldiers in Aden on Wednesday, in the latest attack on Yemen's second city claimed by jihadists of the Islamic State group. The southern port city has been the headquarters of forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his backers in a Saudi-led military coalition but has seen growing violence by IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers," a military source said. The troops were attending a training session run by Sudanese forces of the Saudi-led coalition, another military source said. The bomber, who was disguised as a soldier, attacked the Ras Abbas camp in the west of Aden. After the attack, panicking soldiers grabbed their weapons and fled the camp, witnesses said. The little-known "Aden and Abyan Province" branch of IS said the suicide bombing was carried out by one of its militants and alleged it killed 20 "apostate" soldiers. It came a day after Al-Qaeda claimed an attack on the convoy of Aden's governor and police chief in which four jihadists were killed. Since March last year, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi, IS has ramped up its operations in Yemen. Its rival Al-Qaeda also has a significant presence in the south and southeast. In October, IS claimed its first attacks in Aden -- a series of bombings that targeted the government's temporary headquarters and two military camps run by the coalition in which 15 people were killed. Coalition forces have been training pro-government militiamen whom Hadi merged into the army after they drove Iran-backed rebels out of Aden and other southern provinces last year. The United Nations says more than 6,100 people have been killed and 29,000 wounded since the coalition began its intervention, about half of them civilians. Search Keywords: Short link: At least 28 people were killed and 61 people were wounded in a car bombing targeting military service vehicles in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters. Kurtulmus condemned the attack and vowed to "shed all light" on the bombing, but said there was no indication yet who may have carried it out. The toll substantially raised the previous toll of 18 dead. The bloodshed came on the heels of a string of attacks in Turkey, blamed on militants but also on Kurdish rebels. The bomb aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. Plumes of smoke rose from the scene, close to the headquarters of the Turkish military and the parliament. The powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic, an AFP correspondent said. The army said the attack took place at 1631 GMT and had targeted "service vehicles carrying army personnel". It did not give a toll. "The terror attack was carried out when the vehicles were waiting for traffic lights at a road junction," it added. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu cancelled a planned visit to Brussels on Thursday after being briefed, his office said. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene, which is near the Turkish military headquarters and the parliament. Wounded victims were seen being taken away on stretchers. NTV television said the explosion happened near a residential block for top-level military staff. Images from the scene showed fire-fighters trying to overcome a fierce blaze from wrecked service buses. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said on Twitter he strongly condemned the "act of terror". "But our determination to fight (terror) will become even greater," he added. Turkish police threw a security cordon around the area. A second blast later rocked the area, the AFP correspondent said, but media said this was police detonating a suspicious package. There was no immediate indication about who carried out the attack. The Islamic State group has been blamed for a string of bombings in the country since the middle of last year but the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has also killed dozens of soldiers in attacks mainly in the southeast of the country. The capital was already on alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the bloodiest attack in the country's modern history. Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on January 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul. Those attacks were blamed on IS militants, as were two other deadly bombings in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the year. Turkish authorities have in recent weeks detained several suspected IS members, with officials saying they were planning attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. But Turkey is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed PKK which has repeatedly attacked members of the security forces with roadside bombings on their convoys in the southeast. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority. The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July. Turkish artillery in southern Turkey shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in the row on Wednesday in an escalating standoff, reports said. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) are merely the Syrian branch of the PKK and themselves terror groups. Meanwhile the banned ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) has also staged a string of usually small-scale attacks in Istanbul over the last few months. Search Keywords: Short link: A four-year-old boy died on a boat crossing the Aegean Sea, the Greek coastguard said Wednesday, as the flow of refugees and migrants increased again after a brief drop in numbers. The body of the boy, identified as Afghan by aid groups, was found in a boat that landed on the island of Chios, the coastguard said. His family were among 600 migrants who arrived on the island on Wednesday, the day after the government inaugurated a registration facility to regulate the influx to Greece's eastern Aegean islands after over 800,000 people fleeing war and poverty landed there last year. Similar facilities, known as hotspots, will operate on the islands of Lesbos, Leros, Samos and Kos at the insistence of the European Union, which wants to keep additional economic migrants out of the continent, and prevent possible extremists from sneaking in under the guise of refugees. Lesbos gas seen another 1,076 people arrive since Tuesday, after Greek authorities said the flow had dropped from around 2,500 arrivals per day to 200. "There has been a slight pick-up in arrivals," a coastguard source said. Turkey is hosting 2.5 million refugees from Syria's civil war and hundreds of thousands from Iraq, and is increasingly bitter that it has been left to shoulder the burden. A summit will be held in Brussels on Thursday between Turkey and eleven EU members to debate a German idea of flying refugees directly to Europe, and thereby reducing the number of deaths in the Aegean. Over 300 people have already died in the crossing this year according to the International Organisation for Migration. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt stocks continued rising on Wednesday with the benchmark index EGX30 up 0.9 percent, closing at 5,947 points, buoyed by Arab investors. On Tuesday, the main index saw a gain of 1.63 percent, which was in line with regional bourses as four of the worlds largest oil producers agreed to limit output in Doha. Arab investors were net-buyers for EGP 44.8 million, followed by Egyptians for around EGP 793,000, according to bourse data, while foreigners were net-sellers. Market bellwether Commercial International Bank (CIB) was up 1.46 percent to close at EGP 32.68 per share. The bank, Egypts largest private lender, has agreed to sell its investment banking arm CI Capital to Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding (OTMT) for EGP 924 million. OTMTs stock was the most traded in the index, closing at EGP 0.57 per share. Global Telecom Holding, of which OTMT is a spin-off, saw its share price rise 1.06 percent to EGP 1.90 on Wednesday. In the real estate sector, Palm Hills Development (PHD) rose 2.22 percent to EGP 2.30 per share. Search Keywords: Short link: Oil prices rose on Wednesday as efforts led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to broker a deal to freeze production levels and ease a global glut turned to Iran, which signalled a tough line. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was due to meet his counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar at 10:30 GMT in Tehran. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from the near-record levels in January would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," said PVM analyst David Hufton. Brent crude was up 92 cents at $33.10 a barrel by 11:05 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude rose 68 cents to $29.72 a barrel. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week Search Keywords: Short link: The second edition of the "Season of the University Theatre's Stars" wraps up today, 17 February, in the presence of Egypts Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam, head of the Cultural Development Fund Nivine El-Kelany, and the festival's founder, director Khaled Galal, who is also head of the Creativity Centre and responsible for the cultural production sector within the Ministry of Culture. Jury president actor Ezzat El-Alayli will announce this editions winners. The 10-day festival opened on 7 February with daily performances by students of different theatre faculties held at the premises of El-Ibdaa (The Creativity Centre). Ten troupes are competing for this year's main awards. This years edition honoured famous actors who commenced their career in university theatres, including actor Yehia El-Fakharani, Farouk El-Fishawy, Salah Abdalla, and late actors Fouad El-Mohandes, Mohamed Awwad and Khaled Saleh. "The university theatre has played an important role in the history of theatre in Egypt, Khaled Galal told Al Ahram Hebdo in a recent interview. Several big names who performed in university plays have made it to the limelight, among them well-known actors such as Adel Imam, Salah El-Saadani and Maged El-Kedwany." "It is at the university that I first fell in love with theatre. This is also where I had the opportunity to meet several great directors who worked with students. Unfortunately, over the years, the university theatre has lost its lustre," he added. The festival's jury comprises actor Mohamed Riyadh, stylist Marwa Ouda, scenographer Amr Abdallah and theatre critic Abla El-Roweini. The first edition of the festival took place in July 2014 as an initiative of director Khaled Galal. It is organised by the Cultural Development Fund. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: The former secretary general of the United Nations and Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs for 14 years passed away on Wednesday Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 93, died on Tuesday in a Cairo hospital after being admitted with a broken pelvis. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a statement offering condolences to both the Ghali family and the nation following the death of the prominent legal and political figure. The loss of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who made admirable legal and political contributions to international life, will be felt in diplomatic quarters across the world, said the statement issued by the office of the president on Tuesday afternoon. The statement said Ghali will always be remembered in Egypt for helping negotiate the Egyptian-Israeli peace initiative that allowed the full return of Sinai, and for his diligence in consolidating Egypts diplomatic relations across Africa. El-Sisi called Ghali when he was admitted into hospital last weekend to wish him well. Amr Moussa, former Arab League secretary-general, also offered condolences for the loss of a true patriotic diplomat who spared no effort to serve the interests of his country and who managed to do so remarkably. Ghalis international reputation derived on decades of academic and diplomatic work. He was born on 14 November 1922 to a leading Coptic family. His grandfather, Boutros Ghali, assassinated in 1920, was the only Copt to serve as Egypts prime minister. In his three volumes of memoirs, based on the detailed journals he habitually kept, Boutros Boutros Ghali reflected on the political path his family had followed and often referred to his grandfather. Typical of the sons of leading wealthy families, Ghali studied law at Cairo University and at the University of Paris. He embarked on an academic career and, in cooperation with Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the late legendary editor and chairman of Al-Ahram, helped establish Al-Ahrams Alsiyassa Aldawliya (International Politics) magazine in 1965. In his memoirs, Ghali wrote that he had always refused to fulfill his fathers hope that he join the diplomatic corps, only to be summoned by President Anwar Sadat in 1978 and offered a job as a minister of state for foreign affairs. Ghali said that his instincts were to decline the post, but Sadat would not hear of it. As a consequence, Sadat was able to complete the Camp David negotiations that eventually led to the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in March 1979, with Ghali at his side, despite facing the consecutive resignations of two foreign ministers. Ghali always defended the choices Sadat made as the only possible path at the time. In private talks and in interviews, he consistently argued Egypt had no option but to move forward with the peace process so as to free up political and diplomatic energy to focus on relations with Africa, core to Egypts existence and for too long ignored. In two volumes, Egypts Road to Jerusalem and Between Jerusalem and the Nile, Ghali offered detailed and revealing accounts of his efforts to encourage Sadat and his successor, Hosni Mubarak, to give greater priority to relations with Africa. He conceded he was not always successful, his efforts hampered by Cairos focus on political developments in the Arab World and by African scepticism, with many of the continents statesmen accusing Egypt of chauvinism. Fayza Aboul-Naga, national security advisor to the president and a former minister of state for foreign affairs, insists that despite the obstacles, What Ghali did for Egypt in Africa is remarkable. Ghali was particularly successful in capitalising on Egypts support for liberation movements in Africa under President Gamal Abdel-Nasser in the 1950s and 1960s, says Aboul-Naga. In 1980 Ghali set up a special unit for African cooperation within the Foreign Ministry. It was this unit, say Egyptian veterans of the Foreign Ministrys Africa Desk, which managed, despite chronic underfunding, to keep bridges between Cairo and African capitals open, particularly through the medical, scientific and education missions it sent across the continent. In 1991 Egypt nominated Ghali for the post of UN secretary-general. He became the first African to take the top job. He wrote about his five years at the UN headquarters in New York in his memoirs, reflecting on the shifting topography of international relations that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. During his time at the UN he fell afoul of Madeleine Albright, then the US permanent representative to the UN, who told him his chances of securing a second term were close to zero. Washington, she said, would block his reappointment. Arab and Western diplomats attributed Washingtons hostility to Ghali to the international inquiry he commissioned into the 1996 Israeli massacre in the Lebanese village of Qana, where civilians attempting to escape Israels Grapes of Wrath operation were shelled inside a UN compound. Ghali argued that US antagonism to him was more complicated, and was a direct result of his attempts to ensure that the UN could operate apart from the direct wishes of the US. Aboul-Naga, who was a member of Ghalis team during the UN years, argues that what matters is not the number of terms he served but what he tried to do while he was in the job. Following his departure from the UN, Ghali served as secretary-general of La Francophonie from 1998 to 2002. He was later appointed honorary president of the National Human Rights Council by Hosni Mubarak, a position he resigned from following Mubaraks ouster. Ghali was married to Leia Maria Ghali. The couple had no children. His closest family member was his nephew, Youssef Boutros Ghali, who was a minister of finance under Mubarak and now lives in exile in London. In recent years, Ghali said he had two wishes left that he would like to see fulfilled: to establish an organisation bringing together all the states of the Nile Basin, something he worked hard to achieve and that he hoped would have spared Egypt from its current stand-off with Ethiopia, and for an end to the dispute between his nephew and the state. Youssef Boutros Ghali was tried, in absentia, following Mubaraks 2011 removal, and after a five-minute hearing sentenced to 30 years. Ghali, say younger and mid-career Egyptian diplomats, will always be remembered for having been someone who found it very easy to connect with the West but who never lost sight of, or faith in, Egypts relations with Third World countries, especially with Africa. Ghalis funeral service will be held Thursday at Al-Abbasiya Coptic Cathedral. A presidential source told Al-Ahram Weekly that the president is planning to join the Ghali family, friends and students in paying respects to the former UN secretary-general. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, diplomat, b. 14 November 1922, d. 16 February 2016. *This article was originally published in Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The campaign for the U.S. presidential election in November that is well underway is creating uncertainty for Sino-U.S. relations because no key figures in the incumbent administration are running. U.S. President Barack Obama's eight years as the 44th president of the United States have been rife with geopolitical challenges and ups and downs in relations with China. The 2008 financial crisis not only exposed flaws in the global economy, but also exacerbated Sino-U.S. tensions, largely the result of a lingering trade deficit in favor of China as perceived by the Americans. As China rises in prominence in the global economy, it has sought a bigger say in governance via multilateral mechanisms such as the G-20 and the International Monetary Fund. Beijing has also launched new international institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank, which involves the BRICS countries. In Washington's eyes, these moves could be seen as challenges to its long-term dominance of global affairs. China's rising military clout has also triggered fear among its neighbors, many of whom are allies of the United States. Against this backdrop, the Obama administration came up with the "pivot to Asia" policy in a bid to consolidate its leadership in the Pacific. However, its resources have been overstretched by the crisis in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and the rising threat of the Islamic State. As such, Obama's administration has been under fire for a failure to put in place more proactive foreign policies. For these reasons, we expect Washington to overhaul its policies regarding China regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican wins the election. In the meantime, the American perception of China has soured. A report that the Washington-based Pew Research Center published in September said that more than half of the U.S. public held a negative view of China in 2013; this contrasts with the generally positive view of Beijing in the previous few years. All of this will be reflected in the election campaign. Candidates will focus on domestic affairs, but they will also touch upon issues involving China, such as their country's trade deficit and job losses. Bernie Sanders, a crusader for labor rights and social justice, and Donald Trump, who has fanned xenophobia, have both taken China to task over issues such the South China Sea, cybersecurity and climate change. The Republican Party, which is known for its hard-line mindset, has stressed the need to contain China militarily. Republican candidates Marco Rubio, from Florida, and Texas' Ted Cruz have both taken a hawkish stance on China. However, this does not mean they are bent on antagonizing China, and in fact many politicians have all but admitted that they need to cooperate with us. While the Democrats stress the need to work with China on climate change and trade, the Republicans have also acknowledged that China is indispensable in addressing security issues, including efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. In an increasingly globalized world, where countries are more interconnected than ever before, most Americans want win-win situations and disapprove of conflicts. Political diversity and the U.S. system of checks and balances will mean that those who subscribe to some extreme school of thought will find it difficult to gain the upper hand. No matter how radical their views might be, the candidate who eventually takes office will have to find middle ground so sensible dialogue can take place. It is understandable that politicians try to sensationalize certain issues to attract votes, but once they form an administration to set and implement policies, they will become more moderate to accommodate different interest groups. As geopolitics continue to be transformed, particularly as China becomes more proactive in shaping the world order, the Sino-U.S. relationship will become more complex. Economically, both countries are more interdependent than in decades past and continue to compete with each other. But on the political front, their differences could become so acute that communication will be more difficult at times, even though they are willing to talk often. This demands that both nations work hard to cultivate peace. Chinese leaders apparently understood this challenge when they proposed "a new type of major-country relations," a win-win relationship built on mutual trust and responsibility in global affairs. However, to avoid the "Thucydides trap" a war between emerging and established powers both countries must go beyond good will. They should face up to their fundamental differences and work out effective solutions. They should be particularly wary of the mistrust and hatred that lie beneath nationalistic sentiment in both countries. Nationalism has no doubt made a comeback worldwide as a result of rising economic and social tensions. Even in the United States, which benefits greatly from globalization, complaints can be heard about unemployment and the widening wealth gap. That has contributed to the phenomenal rise of the likes of Trump who call for trade protectionism and limits on immigration. In China, nationalism, mixed with a heightened Cold War mentality, painful memories of humiliation linked to past foreign aggression and newfound pride, sometimes becomes too contagious to control. We need to develop a way to ease such negative sentiments sensibly before it is too late. During his visit to the United States 37 years ago, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping helped create the international conditions necessary for China to undertake reform and opening up. China is once again at a critical juncture because it still needs peace abroad so that it can continue with reforms and explore new modes of development. The Sino-U.S. relationship is the most important in the world. China can certainly use the election to understand how the American people view its influence. Sensible solutions to thorny problems can only be devised by knowing yourself and your competitors. Hu Shuli is the editor-in-chief of Caixin Media American Airlines' passengers will soon be able to enjoy instant cup noodles by Korean food manufacturer Nongshim, as the world's largest airline said Wednesday it will serve Shin Ramyeon on the Dallas-Incheon route that was launched in May. It will be the only noodle dish on the carrier's in-flight menus. The carrier will serve over 5,000 cups a month to passengers in all classes. Nongshim started to supply its instant cup noodles to Korean Air in 1998. Now Asiana Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and Cebu Pacific Airlines also serve them to their passengers. Nongshim is also in talks with Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, to forge a similar deal. Moreover, the cup noodle recently became available inside the Sphinx observatory at Jungfraujoch, a tourist spot in the Swiss Alps, and around 1,000 cups are sold there each day on average. The vice foreign ministers of South Korea and China meet in Seoul on Tuesday to defuse tensions over the possible deployment of U.S. missile defense batteries here. The meeting between South Korea's Lim Sung-nam sits and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Yesui marks the first talks between the two sides since North Korea conducted its latest nuclear test and launched a space rocket. Such meetings, dubbed Strategic Dialogue, were a regular fixture from 2008 until June 2013, when increasingly friendly ties between the two countries made them seem unnecessary. China's decision to revive them shows the extent of the tensions the North's recent antics have created. The United States and Cuba signed a deal Tuesday that allows U.S. commercial airlines to make up to 110 daily flights to the communist island, the most significant new business link between the two countries since the end of their five-decade Cold War-era hostilities. U.S. transportation chief Anthony Foxx and his Cuban counterpart, Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez, agreed to the pact at a ceremony in Havana. It calls for 20 flights a day to the Cuban capital, in addition to the current 10 to 15 charter flights. The remainder of the new flights, which could start later this year, would carry travelers to nine other Cuban cities, where there is far less demand than for flights to Havana. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the U.S.," Foxx said. "It represents a critically important milestone in the U.S. effort to engage with Cuba." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un missed an event at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Tuesday to celebrate his late father's birthday. The official [North] Korean Central News Agency listed the names of party, government and military leaders who paid their respects at the elder Kim's embalmed corpse, but his son's was not among them. Kim has previously visited the palace at the stroke of midnight on his father's birthday every year. "This is very unusual," a Unification Ministry official here said. Also absent was Workers Party secretary Choe Ryong-hae, who only recently reappeared after months off the radar. Choe was also the only top official not to attend a banquet hosted by Kim Jong-un on Sunday for the scientists behind the recent rocket launch and a major mass rally on Monday. But Choe appears to be in poor health, so it is uncertain whether he has yet again fallen from favor or was absent for health reasons. Nongshim on Tuesday said sales totaled W685 billion last year alone, bringing cumulative sales to W10.6 trillion. In terms of volume, cumulative sales amounted to 28 billion packets. This is the first time that cumulative sales of any single Korean food product surpassed that amount, and is especially remarkable since instant noodles cost practically nothing. The Shin Ramyeon brand hit stores in October 1986. Cumulative sales of Nongshim's popular brand of instant noodles surpassed W10 trillion over the last 30 years (US$1=W1,217). Shin Ramyeon became Korea's best-selling instant noodle brand in 1991 and has remained at the top ever since. In promotional materials, Nongshim claims to have tested 200 different types of noodles before finalizing the product and to have sampled red peppers from all over the country for the best possible taste, a fantasy that has perhaps contributed to the success as much as the plentiful salt and MSG content. Domestic sales total W450 billion annually, accounting for 22.5 percent of all instant noodle sales here. That means 17 out of 76 bowls of instant noodles Koreans slur down every year are Shin Ramyeon. The product is exported to 100 countries around the world and can be found in stores from the Himalayas to the Swiss Alps. The government is urging South Koreans traveling or living abroad to avoid North Korean restaurants. "We cautioned citizens residing abroad about the present political situation and advised them not to frequent North Korean restaurants," a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday. The official added that the same recommendation was made to South Korean travel agents abroad. North Korean restaurants worldwide are often run by the secretive state and must remit most of their earnings home to the regime. The recommendation to avoid them is part of wider sanctions against the North following its nuclear test and rocket launch. The government worries that the hard currency the restaurants earn could be used to fuel the North's nuclear weapons and missile development programs. According to intelligence sources, North Korea operates around 130 restaurants abroad, around 100 of them in China. They generate some US$100 million a year in revenues. A UN official on Monday asked the world body to officially notify North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he may be investigated for crimes against humanity. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, special rapporteur for North Korean human rights Marzuki Darusman wrote the council should "advise [Kim] and other senior leaders that they may be investigated and, if found to be responsible, held accountable for crimes against humanity committed under their leadership." Darusman said that there has been no improvement in the North Korea's leadership's involvement in widespread human rights abuses, including murder, torture and forced labor. Darusman also recommended the appointment of three experts to find "creative and practical" ways to hold the North Korean regime accountable. The 13-page report will be considered by the Human Rights Council next month. Preeminent historian of China dies at 83 From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-02-17 19:32 Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 is the most notable book by Philip Kuhn. [Photo/ Sanlian Life Weekly magazine] Philip Kuhn, a preeminent British-born American historian on Chinese history, died on Monday. He was 83. His death was confirmed by Sinologist and Chinese history professor Hilde De Weerdt and Cambridge history professor Hans van de Ven. "RIP Philip Kuhn, author of excellent books on Chinese history: Rebellion & Its Enemies; Soulstealers; Origins of the Modern Chinese State," writes Weerdt on his Twitter account at 5:40 pm Beijing time on Monday. Kuhn was born in 1933 in London. He went to the US, attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C.. After getting his A.B. at Harvard University, he went to Georgetown University for graduate school in 1957. Kuhn returned to Harvard for his doctorate in History and East Asian Languages under the guidance of John King Fairbank, a prominent historian of China. Diverging from the "shock-response" pattern put forward by Fairbank, which argues that Western society's impact on China changes Chinese society fundamentally, Kuhn suggests one probe the history of China to explain its transformation. This was a new and unconventional view in the study of Chinese history. Many of Kuhn's readers mourned his death on social networking sites Sina Weibo, spurring the interest of netizens to take a look at Chinese society from a historical perspective. Among Kuhn's published books, Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 is most notable. Some university professors claim that the book is required reading material for their students. Originally published in 1990 by Harvard University Press, Soulstealers won the recognition of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize in 1992 for its "subtle, powerful, and still relevant inquiry into the dynamics of autocratic rule". It probed into the mass hysteria which broke out over sorcerers among the common people during the most prosperous period of China's last imperial dynasty. Liu Chang, co-translator of Soulstealers said that the book is "attractive as a detective novel". "The book is also about contemporary China," Liu said Kuhn used to tell him. In the book, Kuhn wrote that in a society where population is growing excessively, per capita resources are going the wrong way and social morale is decaying, people will doubt that they can improve their social condition through work or study. And when they lose faith in the judicial system, they may turn to sorcery for an illusion of power. The four books published by Kuhn are Rebellion and Its Enemies in Late Imperial China; Militarization and Social Structure, 1796-1864; Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768, and Origins of the Modern Chinese State and Chinese among Others: Emigration in Modern Times. Related: Pop-up books in China Book of letters celebrates Van Gogh Manichan was released from Nettukaltheri open jail after the Supreme Court ordered the Kerala government to release him without collecting Rs 30.45 lakh fine. Raphael Dias/WireImageMetallica drummer Lars Ulrich will discuss his love for the Bay Area during a talk at the University of California Berkeley. The event, officially called Front Row with Lars Ulrich and Friends, will be held March 2. "Lars will bring together some of his most inspiring friends and colleagues from the worlds of music, design, film and tech to explore why many of the world's creative leaders and thinkers choose the Bay Area as their home," writes Metallica on their website. Some of those friends who will join Ulrich on stage include his Metallica band mate James Hetfield, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, and Primus' Les Claypool. Ulrich's 87-year-old father, Torben Ulrich, will also speak during the event. Metallica is currently working on their first album since 2008's Death Magnetic. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. #Navy plans Navy eyes creation of unmanned command in 2040s South Korea's Navy is seeking to create a new command running unmanned ships, submarines and aircraft in the 2040s, the armed service said Friday, in an effort to address a potenti... #SK data center fire SK C&C's data center raided over massive server outage Police on Friday raided regional offices of SK C&C, the host of the data center for Kakao Corp., in an investigation into a data center fire last week that caused massive servi... When you think about Forrest Gump it's almost always Tom Hanks' face that comes to mind. It's very easy to forget that another actor played the role for a small section of the film. In fact it's arguably Michael Conner Humphreys, who played the young Forrest Gump, that first makes us fall in love with the character. After all, it is him on screen when we first hear the words "Run, Forrest. Run!" Humphreys was eight years old during the filming of Forrest Gump and here's what he looks like now. Hasn't changed at all right? That photo was taken in 2014 when Humphreys took part in a 10km charity run. Before you ask, yes, apparently onlookers did cheer him on with chants of "Run, Forrest. Run." During the filming of the 1994 Oscar winning classic, Humphreys got to meet members of the Marine Corp who provided the helicopters for the Vietnam scenes. The experience made a huge impression on the young Humphreys and he went on to join the US Army in 2004, doing an 18 month tour of duty in Iraq. Unsurprisingly, his nickname while in the Army was 'Gump'. He left the army in 2008 to study 'International Relations' at the University of North Alabama. In 2011 he returned to acting with a role in the little seen film Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers. Via Metro As we mentioned over the weekend, there is a serious trend of movies getting a TV remake this year. Networks have had varying degrees of success with this so far. For every Fargo, there's been a Minority Report. However this hasn't stopped and network executives from being willing to take a risk. There are still plenty of dormant movie properties they own the rights to that could be reignited. We already focused on the Lethal Weapon remake in detail but here's five more titles that have had a pilot ordered and could potentially go to series later in the year. 1. Cruel Intentions You remember Cruel Intentions right? No? Well it was a bit of a cultural phenomenon around the late nineties and early noughties. A contemporary remake of Dangerous Liaisons, it starred a then fresh faced Ryan Phillipe and Sarah Michelle Gellar as step siblings at a wealthy prep school in New York. The pair wreaked havoc wherever they went and it all culminated in tragedy when they made a bet about the good natured Annette (Reece Witherspoon). This one will actually be more of a spinoff than a remake. It will follow Bash, the son of the late Sebastian Valmont (Phillipe) and Annette Hargrove (Witherspoon) as he navigates the dangers of upper East Side society. There are rumours abound that Sarah Michelle Gellar is considering reprising her role for the first few episodes. Though its very much a rumour for now. 2. The Exorcist Fox are behind the TV remake of William Friedkin's horror classic. The details on this one are very thin on the ground except for the basic plot line which will see two very different men taking on one family's case of extreme demonic possession. If you can get passed the whole 'leave the classic alone' thing for a second, there's actually so much potential here. It could work as a demonic possession of the week format with the two men investigating various cases as they go (a la The X Files). However we really hope they go the Fargo anthology route. Have a new set of characters and a new evil to face each season. For us that would be the best way for it to set itself apart from the film franchise and give itself a chance to be something special. Time will tell what Fox decide to do but we'll be keeping a close eye on this one. 3. Training Day The 2001 film saw Denzel Washington get his second Oscar (his first for Best Actor) and announced Antoine Fuqua as a directorial talent to watch. The plot centred around Ethan Hawke's idealistic young cop who is partnered with the cynical (and corrupt) experienced detective (Washington). The remake will see the races reversed with a young African American cop being partnered up with a morally ambiguous older caucasian detective. Fuqua is back as an executive producer and will direct the pilot episode. Rumour has it he's made a bid to get Hawke to make a cameo though we'd bet our house against him having anything to do with the show. 4. Taken Talk about flogging a dead horse? As if the Taken 2 and Taken 3 weren't enough, the people at NBC think there's still an audience for more Bryan Mills. The TV adaptation will be a prequel series which will see a young Mills acquire the particular set of skills he bragged about in the original movie. We're not sure if the series will be call Taken or if anybody will actually get taken in the show but expect a lot punching, car chases and interrogating. This one got a straight to series order so there's a greater chance we'll see it on Irish screens than the others on this list. No word yet on whether Neeson might have a cameo to bookend the series but we'd seriously doubt he'll have any involvement. At least we hope not anyways. 5. Frequency This is probably the least familiar title on the list which is a pity because the film was a solid thriller with good performances from Denis Quaid and Jim Caviezel. The plot centred on Caviezel's character who, when working on his radio one night somehow stumbles upon a frequency that allows him to communicate with his dad thirty years in the past (it sounds very silly we know but it totally worked). He then has to advise his father on how to avoid his impending death but also navigate the butterfly effect consequences that appear as a result. Plot details for the remake are as usual thin on the ground but it is thought that it will focus on a female police detective in 2016 who is able to communicate with her dead father via a ham radio. A police officer himself, he then helps her investigate unsolved cases. So far a pilot has been ordered. It remains to be seen whether or not it will go to series. EUs Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday (16 February) said that following Irans nuclear deal with world powers, there is now room to develop and improve EU-Iran relations. Yet, the Committee emphasized that this cannot be done at the expense of human rights. Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs yesterday met with Irans Foreign Affairs Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and discussed the turmoil in the Middle East, including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, as well as Irans relations with Saudi Arabia. At this occasion, Mr Zarif also thanked the EU for its constructive approach to finding a deal on Irans nuclear program, which he re-assured, had always been peaceful. We managed to define the problem and objective [] a peaceful nuclear program, he added. MEPs embraced the deal as an opportunity to boost EU-Iran trade and economic and cultural relations. Yet, MEPs said that Irans human right records was worrying and the death penalty, public executions and the prosecution of bloggers and journalists are still deemed as unacceptable and will be major obstacles in progressing mutual relations in the future. Mr Zarif admitted that his country might need to improve certain areas of human rights and he vowed to pursue a dialogue on these issues with the EU in a spirit of mutual respect and without preaching. When asked about the situation in Syria and Yemen, he said that the biggest challenges are extremism, sectarianism and violence. He also proposed a plan to tackle these issues: ceasefire, national unity government, humanitarian assistance and elections based on new constitution. Regarding Irans relations with Saudi Arabia, Mr Zarif said that Tehran was following a policy of self-restraint. According to Amnestys International 2014/2015 report, the Iranian authorities restrict freedoms of expression, association and assembly, arresting, detaining and prosecuting in unfair trials minority and womens rights activists, journalists, human rights defenders and others who voice dissent. The human rights advocacy also added that torture and ill-treatment remain prevalent and women and ethnic and religious minorities face pervasive discrimination in law and practice. Executions are also a common practice, occurring at a high rate. 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Unfortunately, this is a common scenario for many people. Thats why its important to know what hormones or steroids are available that can help you reach your goal sooner and more efficiently. If you are interested in buying weight loss steroids, then a Great place to buy weight loss steroids at LAWeekly . Five essential hormones can help increase your metabolism and burn calories at a faster rate. They are all easy to use, just like any other hormone supplement would be.Testosterone is a natural hormone that is mainly produced in males. It is the best testosterone booster you can get when burning fat even if you have a low testosterone level. You need some testosterone to make your muscles hard and your body feel healthier. The best thing about this hormone supplement is that its use does not require a prescription for any condition. More importantly, this drug has no side effects and should be used only by adults.This hormone regulates fertility. However, this is not the only reason why it is so popular. Oxytocin helps you increase your connection and trust with other people, which makes some people addicted. Sometimes, oxytocin is used instead of morphine because of its analgesic effect. Nowadays, oxytocin fat burners are very popular among women and men who want to get rid of extra calories. Oxytocin is beneficial to lose weight faster without any side effects.Cortisol reduces stress and increases blood pressure levels in the body. It also increases blood sugar levels, contributing to more energy during a workout session or sports activities. The best thing about cortisol is that it can increase your metabolism, making it the perfect hormone for people who dont have the time and energy to go to the gym to lose fat.This is a direct response to the leptin level in your body. If it becomes too low, your hunger will increase, and you will feel inclined to eat more food than needed. Leptin can help suppress that feeling and regulate your eating habits and diet plans for losing weight fast.T3 and T4 are the hormones that promote healthy metabolism, essential for burning more calories. The only drawback to these two hormones is that they require prescriptions like any other hormone supplement and from a specialist. So whenever you want to take thyroid hormone pills, you should always check with your doctor first if it is right for you or not. There is no point in risking your health just because you dont have enough money for prescription drugs.Eating less and working out more is not the only way to lose weight. You need to do it faster and easier if you want to see results in a short time. The five hormones listed above can help you burn calories faster than ever without any effort at all. Join these explorers from the New England Aquarium as they travel around the blue planet. Subscribe Photo Use An image watermark specifies a copyright directly in the image, but a copyright can also be clearly indicated in text near the image. Request image use permission, with this form. Israel - A spokeswoman for Israels prison service says a celebrity rabbi with a following in the United States has reported to prison to begin a one-year sentence for bribery. Spokeswoman Sivan Weizman says Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto arrived to a prison in central Israel on Tuesday. Pinto was sentenced last year after he pled guilty in a plea bargain. He admitted to offering bribes in 2012 to receive classified information on a police investigation into one of his charitable organizations. Pinto is considered one of Israels wealthiest rabbis. The great-grandson of a famous Moroccan-born mystic known as the Baba Sali, he amassed his fortune while serving as a spiritual guru to the rich and powerful in Israel, New York and elsewhere. FULL NEWS A princess from the Islamic country of Bahrain chose to receive life-saving treatment in Israel and as a result, years later, Deputy Minister for Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara has now been invited to pay a diplomatic visit to the kingdom. Kara, a Likud MK of the Druze community, told Arutz Sheva Tuesday that he cannot name the princess, nor when she came to Israel. However, other sources stated it occurred in Haifa's Rambam Hospital in 2010. He said that no other Bahraini princess had ever been treated in Israel. Original Post Knesset members from the Likud and Jewish Home lambasted the Civil Administration over its refusal to upgrade Israels cellular infrastructure in Judea and Samaria during a boisterous committee hearing on Monday. Citing the serious security threats facing Israelis in the area, the MKs demanded the Civil Administration implement planned expansions of the cellular network in the area. Just half a year ago there was a terrible car accident in Wadi Harmeya and [peoples] ability to call for help was held up because of the lack of reception, noted MK Motti Yogev (Jewish Home), who chaired the committee meeting. Likud MK Mickey Zohar blasted the Civil Administrations behavior as a form of discrimination. Theres no difference between Jews in Judea-Samaria and those in the rest of the country. Thats the governments policy." Zohar threatened to use his position on the Knessets Finance Committee to hold funding for the Civil Administrations other projects, should it continue in its refusal to upgrade the cellular infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. Fellow Likud MK Oren Hazan noted the difficulties and dangers the frequent lack of cellular network access created for residents of Judea and Samaria like himself. When the MKs car broke down on Sunday, for instance, on the way to his home in the town of Ariel in Samaria, he was unable to call for assistance and was forced to take the risk of using an Arab tow truck. You could have woken up this morning with a Knesset Member held hostage in Ramallah. It should be noted that Arab residents of Judea and Samaria and Israelis in the region primarily use different service providers, leaving Jews reliant on Israeli providers like Cellcom and Orange. Jews are thus disproportionately impacted by the lack of Israeli infrastructure in the area. neneos/iStock Editorial/ThinkStock(NEW YORK) -- Italian airline Alitalia has confirmed that Pope Francis' plane was struck by a laser light as the airplane began its descent into Mexico City. The crew onboard the flight "noticed a laser light from the ground, as did other aircraft flying towards Mexico City," Alitalia said in a statement. The captain, Massimiliano Marselli, said he "promptly reported to the control tower what the cockpit crew had witnessed, which is standard procedure with these type of matters, and similarly it is usual practice for the control tower to aler the competent, local authorities." No one was injured from the laser strike. The aircraft was en route from Havana, Cuba after Pope Francis met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in an historic visit. ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. iStock/Thinkstock(MONTERREY, Mexico) -- A union representing workers at an Indianapolis facility that recently announced it would be moving to Mexico -- taking 1,400 U.S. jobs along with it -- met with company representatives Tuesday but said there was "no hope" of stopping the move. Carrier, which makes heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, announced on Feb. 10 that it planned to relocate its Indianapolis, Indiana, manufacturing facility to Monterrey, Mexico, "over the course of an estimated three-year period." "It's pretty damn bad when you've got people that figured they'd be able to retire there with some dignity and due to no fault of their own, now they're finding out they're not going to have a job," Chuck Jones, the president of United Steelworkers Local 1999, told RTV6 Tuesday. Jones said the move would affect 1,400 workers. "They're devastated," he said. "I'm just trying to support my family, you know," said Carrier employee Amber Needy, who was present on Feb. 10 when the announcement was made at the facility. "I'm just trying to survive." Jones told RTV6 that the union's no. 1 objective was keeping the jobs located in Indianapolis but that Carrier did not think that was feasible. "Their answer was basically that because of the wage discrepancies, they didn't see it being possible that was going to happen," he said. According to Jones, Indianapolis workers make about $20 an hour on average compared to the $3 an hour Carrier would pay Mexican workers. In a statement posted on the company's website, Carrier said it was moving the site to existing Carrier manufacturing facilities in Monterrey. "The plan anticipates no immediate impact on jobs as the relocation would occur in phases, with work movement expected to begin in 2017 and estimated project completion in 2019. ... The Indianapolis manufacturing facility will continue to meet customers' needs without disruption throughout the transition," the statement said. "This move is intended to address the challenges we continue to face in a rapidly changing HVAC industry, with the continued migration of the HVAC industry to Mexico, including our suppliers and competitors, and ongoing cost and pricing pressures driven, in part, by new regulatory requirements," Chris Nelson, president of HVAC Systems and Services North America, said in the statement. Jones and other union representatives met with Carrier earlier Tuesday. Talks had ended by midday but he said further meetings would be scheduled as the union negotiated extra benefits such as additional vacation and wages for the affected workers. He said while some workers would likely retire, others would seek training and schooling. Michelle Caldwell, Carrier's communications manager for the U.S./Canada, said the company did not discuss union negotiations. "Impacted salaried employees will receive separation benefits, subject to eligibility requirements and other conditions. Specific information regarding severance and other benefits will be provided to all impacted salaried employees individually. We will discuss the potential separation package for the represented hourly workforce with our local union representatives and we will inform impacted employees of the results of those discussions," she said. When asked about the wages Mexican workers would be paid, Caldwell said: "The wages of our represented hourly employees are determined through negotiations with our local union representatives, and that information is public. We pay our employees competitive wages wherever we operate, but we do not discuss the specific salary information of our employees." Caldwell said Carrier understood that this is an "emotional time" for workers. "We recognize the impact on our employees and their families," Caldwell said. "We respect their wishes to express their own personal opinions." Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. I avoided this book for some time because I thought it would be fanfic that the protagonist of another of her books wrote, and that had so much possibility for going horribly wrong. However! It was not, it was just her OWN story set in that YA fantasy world, and it was fabulous. I was deeply engrossed. Managed to critique / parody the genre without being as harsh as the Magician Trilogy, kept its balance very well throughout, and I am very fond of the characters. Plus Rainbow Rowell novels are incredibly dialogue-heavy and I love love love all the voices she uses. So basically I was in heaven almost the entire time.(63)So I THOUGHT I was done with gulping down picture books, once I got past the "best of 2015" and associateds, and then I read this book! A historical / visual feast for anyone who enjoys picture books and/or book history, fairly academic in tone, but personal enough to keep it interesting. I liked it even more than I expected to because it's quite British / European in its orientation, whereas most of what I see along these lines is quite American. So this book presented lots of books that either I'd never heard of, or that I had loved as a child and then forgotten all about. So much fun to read! And resulted in me library-borrowing about 60 more picture books.(64)Practicing for when I go to Paris in March! I have no idea what good they'd be as a proper study of the language, but as a way of getting the rust out of a language one used to be fluent in, they were pretty decent. Lots of things to read and listen to, and while I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the grammar, the explanations seemed solid enough. I think the Living Language one was better, but they both had their upsides.(65, 70)Purest gleeful fun in a comic book. If The Wicked and the Divine wasn't my favoritest newish series, this would be. (And my inner 11 year old thinks the Wicked and the Divine is confusing, and has no idea why this isn't my favorite! BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME. My inner 13 year old, who really loves the sweet, matter-of-fact hints of romance between some of the female characters, agrees.)(66)Most of these stories are quite old, and only a few of them were remarkably good, despite all of them having been written by Newbery Medalists. The remarkable ones were delicious, and the rest were unremarkably good and created, as an assemblage, a very cosy, Christmasy feeling that was quite welcome.(67)OK, first of all I really really liked this series, even the last few irritating volumes, and I understood the ending even if it was very frustrating. Second of all, I need to start remembering that Brian K. Vaughan writes endings that I find supremely obnoxious, and adjust my expectations accordingly - the middle of his series will always be best for me, it seems. Third of all, I really don't like it when I get the feeling that comic book people are trying to parody the whole woman-as-object thing, but ACTUALLY enacting it (book 8, I'm mostly looking at you, you better look embarrassed!). Volume by volume, 7 was great, 8 was vexingly full of jarringly-not-fitting-with-the-series-so-far drawings of a pin-up girl distraction (she never really rose to the status of an antagonist), 9 was fine though the self-insertion was pretty silly, and 10 was awesome until stuff started moving into the place for the VERY ANNOYING ENDING. Sigh. But you know what? Vaughan's so dang good that I will keep setting myself up for this again and again, guaranteed. Because the stories are worth it.(68)Cute illos, very plainspoken retelling. I loved it because it was exactly like the one I read and loved as a child - finally found out who the author/illustrator was!(69)I still love how daffy Eloise is. Fun to read about her in Paris when I am getting ready to go to Paris. Interesting (not offensive, not appealing, just interesting) how her rich-girl-ness shows up in all the minute details of the story, not just the big picture stuff.(71)A gentle, melancholy story that is told in a very very Japanese way. It also has a very very Japanese way of feeling like a happy story even though much of what it contains is sad. Some lovely imagery. Good understanding of cats. Sympathetic characters (especially the titular cat).(72)The content of this book was super interesting, about male elephants in Namibia and their ever-shifting social connections. The writing was quite good - particularly good at making one feel like one was actually there observing with the author - but badly needed more copy-editing. I copy-edit as a hobby (or more of a compulsion that finally has an outlet, really), so I *often* think books need more copy-editing, but I almost never mention it because I know how complicated such things are. This book? REALLY needed more copy-editing. Wish U of Chicago had been able to accomplish that; I would've enjoyed the book more for not being pulled out of it by a glaring mistake every few pages (sometimes more than once per page!).(74) reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach... Screen Shot 2016 02 17 at 4.39.23 PM You may have heard that physicists recently made an announcement that could prove to be the most important discovery of the century: the first detection of gravitational waves generated from two colliding black holes. There's little doubt as to whether the Norwegian Nobel Committee who is responsible for nominating some of the most prestigious prizes in science will recognize the achievement with a Nobel Prize in Physics. The bigger questions are when will the committee award the prize and to whom? After all, the team who made the discovery is a giant international collaboration of more than 1,000 people, but the Nobel Prize in Physics is only awarded to a maximum of three individuals each year. After talking with a few experts, Business Insider learned of three front-runners for the prize. There could also be an impending deadline that the Nobel committee should not overlook regarding the health of one of the likely candidates. On Feb. 11, physicists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) broadcasted live to the world that they had detected gravitational waves for the first time, which opens a new way to study the universe. "I think that most of the community would agree that the three pioneers of what became LIGO would be Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne, and Ronald Drever," the head of one of LIGO's observatories in Hanford, Washington, Fred Raab, told Business Insider. Weiss who is a professor at MIT's Department of Physics and Drever now retired are both experimentalists who made significant contributions to the concept, design, funding, and eventual construction of LIGO. On the other hand, Thorne is a theorist, and the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at CalTech. Together with his students, Thorne conducted much of the work on what the detection of a gravitational wave would actually look like and how to identify that signal within the data. In the end, a detection was only possible with the seamless collaboration between experimentalists, who conduct the experiments, and theorists, who envision what should come out of those experiments. Story continues A big problem ligo nsf The director of the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Mario Diaz, agrees with Raab that these three brilliant minds are the clear favorites for a Nobel Prize. There's just one problem: "The big problem with Ronald Drever is that he's very ill," Diaz said. "Unfortunately his current illness prevents him from being able to enjoy these results. Drever, age 85, suffers from dementia and is currently living in a care home in Scotland, his home country. If he is to be awarded for his pivotal contributions, the Nobel committee needs to act sooner and not later because after these three front runners, it could be difficult to choose who is more deserving of the prize compared to others. "Once you go past those three, it gets very very hard," Raab said. "There were a lot of people who made seminal contributions. This is the whole problem with picking individuals, at least in this case." All for one and one for all RTX1PXM8 Also, Raab asks another important question that others have echoed in recent years: Why does the Nobel Prize Committee continue to only recognize individuals for achievements that cost the efforts of hundreds, or even thousands, of people? The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, for example, was awarded to two individuals who pioneered the research into what led to the 2012 discovery of a Higgs boson. But the collaborative team actually responsible for the discovery consisted of over 5,000 researchers. In this case, the LIGO collaboration is no different, according to astrophysicist David Tsang, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland who focuses on gravitational waves and was not part of the LIGO collaboration. Tsang is also a regular member on the popular podcast "The Titanium Physicists Podcast." "It's easily worth the Nobel Prize. The only question really, I think, is whether or not the Nobel Committee will change their long standing tradition of only granting to three individuals and see if they will open it to a collaboration," Tsang told Business Insider. "I doubt they will, but I think it would be very appropriate." Tsang actually wagered, and lost, a bottle of wine by betting that LIGO's detection was merely one of the regular fake injections to test the machinery, and not the real deal. "While Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne, and Ronald Drever certainly started and led the collaboration in the early days, it quickly got out of their hands, alone, and the amount of people that worked on LIGO is staggering." A secondary award Nobel Prize Meda Whether or not this trio will win a Nobel Prize in Physics this year, next year, or ten years from now is unclear. The deadline for this year's submissions was Feb. 1. And since the LIGO collaboration did not publish the results of their discovery until Feb. 11, they might have missed their chance for the 2016 award, Raab said. In the end, however, it's not about receiving a Nobel, Raab said. "The award of the Nobel Prize is kind of a secondary thing," he said. "Their [he means whomever is awarded] satisfaction that they get is not from the prize. The satisfaction they get is from having done something that history will show is a momentous discovery. They really have opened something that people will remember 100 years from now as one of the major accomplishments in science." NOW WATCH: Scientists just discovered 883 galaxies that have been hiding in plain sight More From Business Insider HQ-9 China Missile Signaling a possible further militarization of the region, China has placed advanced surface-to-air missiles on one of its claimed islands in the South China Sea. Beijing placed two batteries of eight surface-to-air Hongqi-9 (HQ-9) missiles on Woody Island, which is part of the disputed Paracel Island chain in the disputed waters. Although this is not the first time that China has placed weapons on the island chain, the technical abilities of the missiles combined with Beijing's overall more aggressive policy in the region is a potential game changer. Our analysis of the imagery released indicates China has deployed a fourth-generation SAM system to the South China Sea. This represents a significant military escalation. This leapfrogs steps such as deploying shorter-range systems and increasing the tempo of visits by military aircraft to the islands," writes Neil Ashdown, the Deputy Editor of IHS Janes Intelligence Review. "However, the deployment is still less significant from a military perspective for the US and others than the deployment of systems such as the YJ-type anti-ship cruise missiles. Still, the deployment is meant as a signal to the US and likely to other nations throughout the region that China is serious about backing up its claims to the region and intends of fully taking control of the islands that it has claimed. Woody Island is being turned into a forward-operating base, Richard Bitzinger, a defense expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies told GlobalPost. Theyre trying to turn it into a proper garrison. And the use of HQ-9s for this mission is telling. The weapons are one of the most advanced weapons in China's arsenal. according to Bitzinger. The missiles are largely constructed from a mix of Chinese domestic systems and reverse engineered Russian S-300 and US Patriot missile system technologies. This allows the HQ-9 to track, target, and intercept both aircraft and incoming missiles, Missile Threat, a project of the George C. Marshall and Claremont Institutes, notes. Story continues Chinese_HQ 9_launcher The HQ-9, Missile Threat reports, includes modified versions of the propulsion and guidance systems from US Patriot Missiles. Peter Goon, of the think tank Air Power Australia, has a direct assessment of what the HQ-9 missiles are for. Theyre principally for killing aircraft," he told GlobalPost. In total, the missiles have a range upwards of 125 nautical miles, which would grant a large defensive radius to China's activities in the Paracel Islands as well as to the Chinese island of Hainan. Hainan, which is just over 200 miles away from Woody Island, is quickly taking on new importance for the Chinese military. south china sea Beijing is expanding its naval presence at the city of Sanya on Hainan, and the HQ-9s are likely there to help protect the island's flank, The New York Times reports. The decision to place the missiles on the island comes after China told the US it agreed to not militarize the South China Sea. However, Beijing sees the Paracels as its own domestic territory, and has defended the placement as in accordance with international law, the Times notes. Were starting to see rapidly changes in the balance of power between China and the West so, really, it was not unexpected that the Chinese would move these [missile] capabilities down there, Goon told GlobalPost. Historically, theyve always seen the South China Sea as their front yard. Goon's assessment is echoed by a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The think tank notes that by 2030 the South China Sea will essentially exist as a "Chinese lake" due to Beijing's focus on acquiring submarines and aircraft carriers, alongside its continued development and militarization of islands in the region. Currently, the various islands and atolls in the South China Sea are claimed and disputed in a various mix principally by Taiwan, Vietnam, China, the Philippines. South China Sea Map_05 NOW WATCH: China has been upgrading its military and is now stronger than ever More From Business Insider People are silhouetted past a logo of the Airbus Group during the Airbus annual news conference in Colomiers, near Toulouse January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau By Jens Hack and Tim Hepher FRANKFURT/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Airbus Group (AIR.PA) has excluded its border security business from the planned sale of its defense electronics unit, whose sale may now go ahead within weeks, defense and space workers at the European company were told on Wednesday. The company had planned to sell defense electronics and border security activities in one package, but missed its goal of reaching a deal by early 2016 because of delays with a border project in Saudi Arabia, according to a letter to staff. "For this reason, Airbus Defence and Space has decided to remove the Border Security business from the joint package and to retain it within Airbus Defence and Space," Bernhard Gerwert, the unit's chief executive, said in the letter, seen by Reuters. "This means that the sales process for Defence Electronics shall continue as planned and can be finalised shortly," he said. The defense electronics arm has been valued at up to 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) and taking out border security will not lead to a lower price, a person familiar with the matter said. "The border security ops are losing a high double-digit million euro amount each year and their enterprise value is zero at best," the person said. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, which first reported the letter's contents, said Airbus Group hoped to be able to take advantage of new opportunities for border security presented by Europe's refugee crisis, citing an unnamed manager. "The move is not linked to a new boom in border security but has only been done to facilitate the sales process", an Airbus Group spokesman said. "The clear focus of the border security entity staying within Airbus is on executing existing projects not on exploring new opportunities." Europe's largest aerospace group is currently selling several businesses to focus its defense division on warplanes, missiles, launchers and satellites. The group had originally planned to pick a buyer for the defense electronics unit by the end of last year as part of its plan to dispose of assets with combined annual revenues of around 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). Story continues Airbus Group short-listed Carlyle (CG.O) and KKR (KKR.N) for the defense electronics unit, after they put up significantly higher offers than rivals, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters in December. ($1 = 0.8957 euros) (Writing by Caroline Copley; Additional reporting by Jens Hack in Frankfurt and Alister Doyle in Paris; Editing by Georgina Prodhan and Mark Potter) (Adds comment from Apple CEO Tim Cook) By Dustin Volz and Joseph Menn WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Apple Inc opposed a court ruling on Tuesday that ordered it to help the FBI break into an iPhone recovered from a San Bernardino shooter, heightening a dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. Chief Executive Tim Cook said the court's demand threatened the security of Apple's customers and had "implications far beyond the legal case at hand." (http://apple.co/1Lt7ReW) Earlier on Tuesday, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said that Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. Federal prosecutors requested the court order to compel Apple to assist the investigation into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by Farook and his wife, killing 14 and injuring 22 others. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has been investigating the couple's potential communications with Islamic State and other militant groups. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. U.S. government officials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations. Technology experts and privacy advocates counter that forcing U.S. companies to weaken their encryption would make private data vulnerable to hackers, undermine the security of the Internet and give a competitive advantage to companies in other countries. In a letter to customers posted on Apple's website, Cook said the FBI wanted the company "to build a backdoor to the iPhone" by making a new version of the iPhone operating system that would circumvent several security features. Story continues "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers - including tens of millions of American citizens - from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals," Cook said. He said Apple was "challenging the FBI's demands" and that it would be "in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications." In a similar case last year, Apple told a federal judge in New York that it was "impossible" for the company to unlock its devices that run an operating system of iOS 8 or higher. According to prosecutors, the phone belonging to Farook ran on iOS 9. Prosecutors said Apple could still help investigators by disabling "non-encrypted barriers that Apple has coded into its operating system." Apple and Google both adopted strong default encryption in late 2014, amid growing digital privacy concerns spurred in part by the leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said on Tuesday that Apple might have to write custom code to comply with the order, presenting a novel question to the court about whether the government could order a private company to hack its own device. Zdziarski said that, because the San Bernardino shooting was being investigated as a terrorism case, investigators would be able to work with the NSA and the CIA on cracking the phone. Those U.S. intelligence agencies could likely break the iPhone's encryption without Apple's involvement, he said. (Reporting by Dustin Volz; Additional reporting by Joseph Menn, Dan Levine and Shivam Srivastava; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Lisa Shumaker and Robin Paxton) A U.S. magistrate judge in California on Tuesday ordered Apple (AAPL) to help the FBI break into the iPhone of deceased San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook. But the order prompted a strong rebuke from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who argued that meeting the FBI's request in the case would weaken the security of all iPhones everywhere. So what's really going on? Farook and his wife were killed by police shortly after their Dec. 2 attack. The couple threw away several mobile phones used during the attack in a dumpster, but authorities also found an iPhone 5C issued to Farook by his employer in the back of Farook's mother's Lexus. The contents of the phone are encrypted and can't be read without entering the correct passcode, which has so far prevented the FBI from seeing any data stored on the device. FBI Director James Comey told Congress on Feb. 9 that criminals are increasingly "going dark" through the use of encrypted communications. "We still have one of those killer's phones that we have not been able to open," Comey said about Farook's iPhone. Apple doesn't keep copies of its customers' passcodes and can't read the encrypted contents of an iPhone without the codes. So Magistrate Sheri Pym ordered Apple to assist the FBI by making it easier in essence to guess Farook's passcode. An ordinary iPhone can be set to erase its contents after 10 incorrect passcode guesses. The FBI wants Apple to write a special version of its iOS software that will allow unlimited guesses without the erasure feature and then load it onto the Farook's phone. The FBI also asked that the special version eliminate a delay imposed by the usual iOS software after each wrong guess, and allow each guess to be input electronically instead of having to be tapped onto the keypad by a person. (The FBI wants to be able to circumvent the keypad by connecting a computer to the iPhone directly via a cable and electronically sending in the passcode as fast as it can.) Together, the three changes would greatly speed up the FBI's ability to guess the passcode and eliminate the risk of erasing the data on the phone. But the changes still wouldn't guarantee that the FBI could unlock the phone. If Farook used a simple 4-number PIN, the FBI would be able to input every possible combination in 15 minutes or less with the special version of iOS. However, if Farook chose to use a longer code including numbers and letters, inputing all the possible combinations could take so long as to be virtually unbreakable. Story continues Tim Cook argued in a public letter to Apple customers that creating a special, weakened version of iOS would be tantamount to creating a backdoor to break into all iPhones. "Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor," Cook wrote. "And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." The request in the magistrate's order for Apple to create a weaker version of iOS software isn't the same as the "backdoor" that law enforcement agencies have typically called for in the past. Last year, Comey sought a more direct backdoor, calling on Congress to require Apple and other phone makers to include a way for law enforcement to access encrypted information. That would likely entail creating a special master code that could unlock any iPhone instantaneously. But Cook argued that the weakened version of iOS made specially for Farook's iPhone could not be contained and could be used against millions of other iPhones, thus making it the equivalent to a backdoor, if a slightly less useful one than a master code. "The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone," Cook wrote. "But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable." Another aspect of the debate revolves around the government's legal authority to compel Apple to write the new, weaker version of iOS. In a typical investigation, law enforcement agencies seek to compel companies to turn over information they possess, such as phone records or email. But in this case, the FBI wants Apple to write a new software program to help it obtain information which Apple does not possess itself. Government lawyers have cited a law dating to 1789, the All Writs Act, that was used as the justification decades ago to compel telephone companies to install devices to track phone numbers. But Cook says the 18th century law should not apply and Congress needs to consider whether to add such a requirement. The dispute drew the attention of a wide range of commenters, ranging from Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, who blasted Apple for resisting the FBI's request, to whistle blower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who repeatedly tweeted supporting Apple's position. Relatives of the dead publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan who was hacked to death react after seeing his body in Dhaka on November 1, 2015 (AFP Photo/Munir Uz Zaman) Bangladesh police have arrested and charged a publisher after Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation of violent protests over one of his books which they deemed offensive, an officer said Tuesday. Police also shut down Shamsuzzoha Manik's stall at the country's book fair in Dhaka where he was selling copies of "Islam Bitorko" (Islam Debate), which includes a controversial chapter on sex and Muslims. "There was a chapter entitled 'Muslim Manosher Jouna Bikriti' (sexual perversion of the Muslim mind). The contents were offensive," said senior police officer Abu Baker Siddique. "We got complaints from many people and we were worried that it could trigger a serious deterioration of law and order," he told AFP. Manik was the translator and publisher of the book. The 73-year-old's arrest on Sunday comes amid mounting fears over freedom of speech in conservative Bangladesh, which has seen a series of killings of secular bloggers and publishers blamed on Islamist militants. A small hardline Islamist group called Khelafat Andolon (Caliphate Movement) warned on Sunday that it would storm the month-long book fair unless Manik was arrested within 24 hours. Police have charged Malik under the country's tough Internet law with publishing material that hurts religious beliefs. He faces up to 14 years in jail if convicted. Police arrested Malik, the owner of publishing firm Ba-dwip Prokashoni, at his home in the capital and raided his offices, seizing copies of the book. "We've confiscated the book after we've found it can hurt religious sentiment of Muslims," Siddique said. There was no comment from Ba-dwip, but the head of state-run Bangla Academy which holds the book fair every year supported the arrest. "We've asked publishers not to showcase such controversial books in the fair stalls which would hurt people's religious sentiments. It was an unforgivable crime," academy director general Shamsuzzaman Khan told AFP. Some publishers and secular authors last year fled the country in fear of attack over their work. Others are too scared to speak out against what critics say is an erosion of freedom of speech and the rise of religious extremism. Last year police shut a stall at the fair of another publisher, Rodela, following similar complaints on a book about the life of the Prophet Mohammed. Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith Tesla Qualtrics, the billion-dollar online survey startup in Provo, Utah, is having its third annual customer conference this week. Naturally, it surveys its attendees before they come all the way to Utah to find out what they want out of the show. Some of them make some pretty unusual requests, mostly in jest. But Qualtrics' spiky-haired CEO Ryan Smith loves to make customers happy. So he tries to get them what they want. Last year, when one of his customers said he wanted Qualtrics to help him buy a wedding band for his fiance, the company bought the ring. This year, they had some even more unusual requests, including one from Dan Rose, a market research analyst at Apple, who asked for a Tesla Model X. It turns out Smith actually looked into it and discovered that there was only one Tesla Model X in all of the state of Utah and "it was just delivered last week" to Qualtrics cofounder, Stuart Orgill, Smith told the crowd onstage. Qualtrics Ryan Smith "Sorry, dude," Smith told Rose on stage. "We didn't get it for you, man." But he did arrange to loan Orgill's car to Rose as his personal "courtesy car" for the week, with Smith even admitting on stage, "Sorry, Stuart. This isn't the first time I've given away your car." The other giveaways to customers who asked for unusal things included ... Giving a wannabe bobsled athlete a day at Utah's Olympic bobsled track, guided by a member of the Olympic bobsled team (complete with skinny lycra suit). Flying someone's mother in to the show so she could meet Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, the rock star who is giving a private performance at the show. Giving a coffee-lover a personal coffee concierge for the week, so she could drink all the coffee she wanted. Smith wanted to give an NCAA college athlete "everything he asked for" which was "benefits, gifts, and services," but Smith joked, "ee cant give it to you as that would be a NCAA violation." Instead, the college athlete is getting a personal meet-and-greet with Steven Tyler, too. Story continues By the way, the guy who got the wedding ring last year? He came to the conference again this year, and brought his fiance. NOW WATCH: Tim Cook: Apple wont hack iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter More From Business Insider By Alwyn Scott and Andrea Shalal Feb 17 (Reuters) - Boeing Co's celebration of its centenary year is off to a rocky start, with new Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg under pressure to address concerns about potential earnings and the strategy for its defense business when he meets with investors today. Boeing shares dived last week after a report that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating how the company accounts for the costs of developing its airliners. Neither Boeing nor the SEC have confirmed the probe. Its stock is down about 22 percent for the year to date, even after regaining some ground Tuesday. Boeing has said that it has racked up more than $30 billion in deferred costs for the 787 that it has not yet charged against its income statement. Some analysts have predicted Boeing ultimately will have to take a charge for the 787. Muilenburg is scheduled to address investors at a conference in Florida at 9:55 a.m. Eastern Time Wednesday. On one hand, Boeing executives have told investors the civilian airline industry's boom will persist and on Tuesday the company said it expects to ramp 787 production up by 20 percent to 12 planes a month by mid-summer. However, uncertainty about global economic growth and cheap oil - which encourages airlines to keep older, less efficient planes flying - have persuaded some analysts that the cycle is turning. Adding to Boeing's troubles, a key U.S. agency on Tuesday rejected the company's effort to overturn an award to rival Northrop Grumman Corp of a $21.4 billion contract to engineer a new bomber, plus options for the first 21 planes. It was the latest setback for Boeing's military business, which was counting on winning the bomber contract to stay in the combat aircraft business as its F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets near the end of production in coming years. Muilenburg ran the defense business before becoming CEO last year. Boeing has struggled to find foreign buyers for its fighter jets after losing the F-35 fighter jet competition to Lockheed in 2001. U.S. approvals for two such deals - to sell F-15s to Qatar and F/A-18s to Kuwait - have stalled, forcing Boeing to front its own money to keep the F/A-18 line running. Story continues Boeing also had to take a total of $1.3 billion in pre-tax charges on its KC-46A refueling plane program for the Air Force. Loren Thompson, a Washington-based defense consultant, said Boeing needed a larger defense acquisition to help offset a slowdown in commercial sales. "It's not clear how revenues would grow in the near term absent an acquisition," he said. Boeing had previously looked at buying the U.S. unit of Britain's BAE Systems and even parts of Northrop Grumman Corp but those efforts never led to any formal bids, according to sources familiar with the matter. In civil aviation, Boeing says it expects passenger traffic to rise 6 percent this year, and the outlook for jetliner sales remains strong. But it surprised investors last month by disclosing that it expects deliveries of its best-selling 737 planes to fall this year as it starts production of the successor 737 MAX. The drop will be made up in 2017, Boeing said. Boeing also said last week it will make further job cuts in the airliner business. The company has in the past cut plane production when output as a percentage of the worldwide fleet topped 7 percent. Current output is about 6 percent and is due to hit 7.2 percent in 2017, according to data compiled by Edmund Greenslet, an independent aviation analyst. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott and Andrea Shalal. Editing by Joseph White and Edwina Gibbs) By Paul Kilby NEW YORK, Feb 17 (IFR) - Brazil bonds were quickly taking back their gains from earlier Wednesday after S&P downgraded the sovereign to BB from BB+ with a negative outlook. The surprise move took the wind out of a strong day for the region's credit markets, with Brazilian assets trading 3/4 of point off recent highs in the wake of S&P's announcement. The sovereign's 2025s were being quoted at around 82.25-82.75 after hitting 83.25 earlier in the day. Bonds issued by state-controlled oil firm Petrobras were also sliding back after jumping around 2.5 points. "We are now up about one point on the day (for Petrobras), but I think it will come off more," said a New York-based trader. "This is likely to accelerate the likelihood of something happening with Moody's." S&P's negative outlook raises the prospect of a drop to BB-, just a notch above single B. Moody's rates Brazil Baa3 with a negative outlook, while Fitch already has the country at BB+ with a negative outlook. S&P now thinks there is a one-in-three probability of a further downgrade, given the higher risks of policy reversals. "Execution risks to corrective fiscal policy remain high in the near term following the government's inability to pass some budgetary measures in late 2015, which are now complicated by the impeachment proceedings of President Dilma Rousseff underway in Congress," it said. (Reporting by Paul Kilby; Editing by Marc Carnegie) * Samarco could reopen this year if accord signed next week * Environment agency says awaits tougher Samarco action plan * Samarco says presenting new recovery plan on Wednesday (Adds that Samarco comment and its plan to submit new remedial plan on Wednesday) By Anthony Boadle and Marta Nogueira BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government expects to reach an agreement by Friday with Samarco Mineracao SA to settle a 20 billion-real ($4.9 billion) lawsuit for damages in a deadly dam disaster, Brazil's attorney general Luis Inacio Adams said on Wednesday. If that deal is signed by next week, Samarco, shut since the Nov. 5 accident, could resume mining operations later this year, Adams said. Samarco is a 50-50 iron ore joint venture between Brazil's Vale SA and Australia's BHP Billiton Ltd "The companies and state governments tell me that the environmental issues can be resolved quickly if the agreement is signed this month, in which case it is quite possible that the company can resume operations this year," Adams said. Brazil sued Samarco after a dam at its mine in Brazil's Minas Gerais state burst, creating a tsunami of mud and waste that killed at least 17 people. The wave flooded hundreds of kilometers of river valleys in two states and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean. The government considers the tragedy Brazil's biggest environmental disaster. If an accord is reached by Friday, the agreement should be signed in the presence of President Dilma Rousseff and the state governors next week or by the end of the month, the attorney general's press office said on Wednesday. Marilene Ramos, head of Brazil's environmental protection agency IBAMA, confirmed that the formal signing of the accord would happen before the end of the month. Ramos sees a Samarco accord as the first step in ensuring the public that damage will be repaired or compensated and that the company will make sufficient changes to allow it to resume mining and put laid-off employees back to work. Story continues The proposed deal with Samarco, which will have the financial guarantee of Vale and BHP, will create a foundation to manage recovery, restoration and compensation funds and manage the long-term repair of environmental damage, Ramos said. Ramos added, though, that Samarco's initial efforts to write a long-term environmental recovery plan, which were rejected by IBAMA on Jan. 28, will have to improve. "We're still waiting for immediate measures, with a bigger and more effective scope, to fight the sediments that are in the rivers and reduce the intense cloudiness of the rivers," she said. Samarco plans to file a revised recovery plan later on Wednesday, the company said in an e-mailed response to questions. "It is a robust plan to re-establish environmental quality in the affected area," the statement said, citing Mary de Souza Junior, a Samarco director of projects. ($1 = 4.0411 Brazilian reais) (Writing and additional reporting by Jeb Blount; Editing by Grant McCool, Alistair Bell and Marguerita Choy) KIGALI (Reuters) - Burundis tea export revenues jumped 52 percent in 2015 from a year earlier, thanks to a fall in output of regional rival Kenya, a tea board official said on Wednesday. Tea output in Kenya, the world's leading exporter of black tea, fell by 10 percent last year, mainly because of dry weather conditions in East Africa's biggest economy. "The decline of Kenyas tea production largely contributed to drive up prices and earnings for Burundis tea," Joseph Marc Ndahigeze, the head of exports for the Burundi tea board (OTB), told Reuters. The average export price per kilogram climbed to $3.09, against $2.17 in 2014, state-run OTB said in a report. Tea is Burundi's second-largest earner of hard currency behind coffee and supports 300,000 farmers in a nation of 10 million people. OTB, which exports 80 percent of its tea through a regional weekly auction held in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, said tea export revenue totalled $32.4 million last year, up from $21.3 million in 2014, with export volumes rising by 6.6 percent to 10,495 tonnes. The rise in Burundi tea exports has come despite nine months of political chaos that has resulted in 400-plus deaths, pushed 240,000 people into exile and hampered many elements of the nation's fragile economy.[nL8N15U1KE] (Reporting by Patrick Nduwimana; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and David Goodman) (Updates prices) * TSX up 188.58 points, or 1.5 percent, at 12,743.56 * Nine of the TSX's 10 main groups rise TORONTO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Wednesday, helped by higher prices for oil and other commodities and by a surge in shares of Bombardier after the planemaker said Air Canada planned to buy 75 of its CSeries jets. Bombardier advanced 15.6 percent to C$1.04. The company also said it would slash its workforce by about 7,000 over the next two years, with new hiring focused on the CSeries commercial jet program. Air Canada declined 9.9 percent to C$7.58. It reported a widening net loss and said its costs would fall this year if the Canadian dollar remains unchanged for 2015 levels. The financials group gained 1.1 percent, extending a rally after falling sharply earlier in the month. Brookfield Asset Management Inc advanced 2.7 percent to C$42.35. The infrastructure investor is planning a fresh $6.4 billion bid for Australian port and rail firm Asciano with Qatar's sovereign fund, two sources told Reuters. At 10:41 a.m. EST (1541 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 188.58 points, or 1.5 percent, at 12,743.56. Nine of the index's 10 main groups were in positive territory, with telecoms down 0.3 percent. Advancers outnumbered decliners by more than 6-to-1. The most influential movers on the index included Royal Bank of Canada, which rose 1.2 percent to C$70.25, and Canadian Natural Resources, which advanced 5.9 percent to C$29.50. The energy group climbed 4 percent, as oil prices rose on hopes that major producing countries would seal an agreement on freezing production following a key ministerial meeting in Iran, even though Tehran signaled a tough line. U.S. crude prices were up 2.8 percent to $29.84 a barrel, while Brent crude added 3.5 percent to $33.29. Industrials rose 1.6 percent while the materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 1.4 percent. Story continues Gold futures rose 0.3 percent to $1,211 an ounce and copper prices advanced 0.4 percent to $4,573.5 a tonne. Shares in e-commerce company Shopify gained 7.3 percent to C$30.55 after posting strong quarterly results and 2016 forecasts. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp Editing by W Simon) Centene Played Big in Medicaid in 2015, But Can It Keep It Up? (Continued from Prior Part) Centenes existing markets To boost its profit margins, Centene Corporation (CNC) has been exploring new growth opportunities in its existing markets of Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Additionally, Centene also considers Medicaid expansion in existing markets as a key growth opportunity. The company believes that if all its markets adopt Medicaid expansion, it would result in 4 million additional members becoming eligible for Medicaid. (For more about Centenes efforts to grow in its existing markets, please refer to Centene Is Capitalizing on State-Based Opportunities.) Medicaid expansion The above graph shows that 31 states in the US have already adopted the Medicaid expansion program. Centene, combined with Health Net (HNT), would offer services to about 1 million members under the expanded Medicaid program. In 2015, Centene offered services to about 450,000 members under the Medicaid expansion program, which is almost twice what the company served in 2014. On January 12, 2016, Governor Edwards of Louisiana signed Medicaid expansion legislation for the state, which is expected to be implemented by July 1, 2016. Centene and its peers UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Anthem (ANTM), and Aetna are expected to benefit from this legislation. Centene has also witnessed slightly lower medical costs for Medicaid expansion members than the usual Medicaid population, as the former general suffers from less severe ailments. Hence, Louisiana Medicaid expansion may also result in improved operating margins for Centene and other health insurers. Other growth opportunities Centene is one of the health insurers offering Medicaid services in Arkansas under the states private option program. Arkansas has received the section 1115 waiver from CMS (Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services) for implementing the US federal governments Medicaid expansion plan. The Health Reform Legislative Task Force in the state has recommended the need for managed care services for the special needs population. Centene expects to capitalize this opportunity for earning revenues in future years. Story continues Centene has also targeted the markets of Arizona, Missouri, and Massachusetts for further geographic penetration in these states. If Centene becomes successful in expanding its presence in these markets, it would mean higher profit margins and a subsequent rise in share price for the company. It would also prove beneficial for share prices in the iShares US Healthcare Providers ETF (IHF), as Centene accounts for about 2.5% of IHFs total holdings. In the next part, well explore Centenes rationale in acquiring Health Net and discuss synergies. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: LIMA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Families in Peru that were relocated to make way for MMG Ltd's huge Las Bambas copper project occupied their former lands inside the mine on Tuesday to press the company for compensation, the country's ombudsman and a local leader said. The protest in a remote highland region has not affected operations at the mine, said the community's vice president, Obispo Huamani, and Artemio Solano, the regional representative of Peru's ombudsman. The mine's vice president of corporate affairs, Domingo Drago, denied anyone had invaded company property. Las Bambas, which recently started production and cost $7.4 billion to build, is expected to become one of the world's biggest mines with annual output of about 400,000 tonnes. It is also expected to propel an economic recovery in Peru this year and help the Andean country become the world's second biggest copper supplier after Chile. Huamani said former residents of Fuerabamba would remain inside the mine until MMG fulfilled a series of commitments, including paying each family the remaining half of a 400,000 soles ($113,955) compensation pledge and providing teachers for new schools. Solano said the Melbourne, Australia-based company had agreed to fully compensate community members only once all families had relocated. But 15 families have refused to move to the new town of Nueva Fuerabamba that MMG built. Authorities who talked with protesters on Tuesday reported that 40 former residents were inside the mine and building shelters, Solano said. Three people were killed in protests against Las Bambas in September in a dispute with other communities that stemmed from a revision to the mine's environmental plan. The current conflict overlapped with a visit from President Ollanta Humala, who praised Las Bambas as a key motor of growth. Huamani said the Fuerabamba community was not opposed to the mine but would insist the company deliver more benefits. Peru is rife with disputes over mining, especially related to water. Two major projects have been derailed because of local rallies in recent years. But no project in Peru at this stage of development has ever been stopped by protests. (Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Peter Cooney) Feb 16 (Reuters) - Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd said it would seek an order from the U.S. federal rail regulator confirming the viability of a complex deal structure that it intends to use in its proposed takeover of Norfolk Southern Corp. The rarely used deal structure, known as a voting trust, would allow Canadian Pacific and Norfolk Southern to remain independent until their merger gets regulatory approval, but allows the U.S. railroad's shareholders to get paid before the deal closes. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) would need to approve the voting trust before beginning the deal review process. Norfolk Southern, which has repeatedly rebuffed Canadian Pacific, has said it does not believe the voting trust will be approved. "We are skeptical that the STB will give a definitive ruling, especially when NS will not even sit down with us, but we are willing to go the extra mile if that is what it takes to get NS to the table," Canadian Pacific Chief Executive Hunter Harrison said in a statement. The Canadian company's $28 billion offer to buy Norfolk Southern, first disclosed in mid-November, is facing opposition from a number of industry groups, rail customers and a couple of the unions representing workers at Norfolk Southern. Democrats from Pennsylvania's congressional delegation sent a letter to the STB earlier this month, raising concerns about impact of the proposed merger and the voting trust structure. (Reporting by Swetha Gopinath in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) By Paul Kilby NEW YORK, Feb 17 (IFR) - Markets were largely shrugging off S&P's decision to revise Colombia's outlook to negative on Wednesday, as higher crude prices helped support the oil exporter's bonds. While S&P's move was seen as the first step to a downgrade, the affirmation of Colombia's BBB rating brought some comfort to investors expecting a more rapid decline in its credit standing - perhaps to junk. "They can still get downgraded a notch and still keep the investment grade," said a New York-based trader, noting Moody's and Fitch have the sovereign at Baa2/BBB with a stable outlook. "We are seeing decent demand from locals, as they have more comfort that the government has more time to get its house in order." The sovereign's 2026s were up about an 1/8 of a point early Wednesday at 93.625-94.125, bolstered by a rise in oil prices. Markets fret that government has been too slow to address fiscal imbalances caused by the oil plunge as it focuses on ending Latin America's longest-running civil war. State-controlled oil company Ecopetrol was cut to Baa3 - a notch above junk - by Moody's in January, and many saw a similar fate for the sovereign. "With oil above US$30 and no two-notch downgrade imminent, it takes away some of the overhang people feared after the Ecopetrol downgrade," said the trader. But Nomura analysts said S&P's move was a "first alert" for the government, which has delayed presenting fiscal reforms to Congress. "The government wants to avoid negative spillover for the peace process initiatives," wrote Nomura analyst Mario Castro. S&P said it still expects Colombia to make fiscal adjustment measures this year after a peace deal is reached. General government deficit of 3% of GDP this year is nearly double the 1.6% average seen from 2013-2015, it said. But S&P expects that to drop to 2.3% between 2017 and 2018 as Colombia implements spending cuts. "We could lower the ratings if the peace negotiations flounder or political developments weaken the government's ability to adjust fiscal policy via a combination of spending and revenue measures," it said. Story continues Nomura warned Colombia is likely to see downgrades sooner rather than later, with concern over how a peace deal impacts discussions over fiscal adjustments. "Although the market has been pricing in scenarios of rating downgrades, we believe the early S&P decisions ... will continue to weigh on Colombian assets," it said. (Reporting by Paul Kilby; Editing by Marc Carnegie) stethoscope doctor healthcare In the US, it's illegal to ask employees to share their personal health information when it's unrelated to the job, with one important exception: employee wellness programs. Some companies are now taking advantage of this loophole in a major way, and it may clue them in to more of your personal life than you thought possible. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers can conduct voluntary medical examinations and ask for medical histories as part of an employee health program. A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds half of the country's large employers offering health benefits have been doing this, offering wellness programs that ask workers to submit to medical tests and fill out health risk assessments. As a recent report from The Wall Street Journal details, these programs are increasing in popularity as companies like Walmart seek ways to minimize their healthcare spending. They're even taking the data mining up a notch. The Journal reports employee wellness firms like Castlight Healthcare and insurers are mining various employee data like past pharmaceutical and medical insurance claims, shopping and voting habits, credit scores, and search history within the health apps. All this data, the firms say, helps them predict each employee's individual health risks and recommend treatments. "I bet I could better predict your risk of a heart attack by where you shop and where you eat than by your genome," Harry Greenspun, director of Deloitte LLPs Center for Health Solutions, a research arm of the consulting firms health-care practice, tells The Journal. pregnant Castlight can even predict which employees might soon get pregnant, the publication reports. To do this, the firm scans the insurance claims of women who've made fertility-related searches in its health app to find women who have also stopped filling birth-control prescriptions. It then matches this data with the woman's age and ages of any children she might have to compute the likelihood of her getting pregnant soon. Story continues "She would then start receiving emails or in-app messages with tips for choosing an obstetrician or other prenatal care. If the algorithm guessed wrong, she could opt out of receiving similar messages," The Journal reports. To avoid appearing too intrusive, Jonathan Rende, Castlight's chief research and development officer, tells The Journal the company test-markets its messages. "Every word matters," he says. While employers are said not to have access to specific employee's health data, some privacy experts worry about the potential, even if accidental, for invasion of employee privacy, which could be used to make workplace decisions. "There are enormous potential risks in these efforts, such as the exposure of personal health data to employers or others," Frank Pasquale, a law professor at the University of Maryland, tells The Journal. "As more employers grasp wellness as the latest promised solution to soaring health costs, they're pressuring workers to give unfamiliar companies detailed data about the most sensitive parts of their lives," Kaiser Health News reports. "But whether or not that information stays private is anything but clear." fuelband fitbit Robert Gellman, a privacy consultant and former congressional staffer, tells Kaiser Health News that, while people assume all their health information obtained by wellness programs are private, not all of it is. "A lot of information can escape into the great American marketing machine, which is desperate to get information on a person's health." When the city of Houston asked employees to provide an online wellness company with their personal health information, city employees were concerned about the fine print, which said the company could pass the data on to third party vendors acting on their behalf and might make the data reviewable to the public. What's more, experts also worry about the possibly coercive nature of so-called voluntary wellness programs. While the Houston employees could refuse to give permission or opt not to take the wellness company's health risk assessment, they would have to pay an extra $300 a year for medical coverage. Other companies tie financial rewards, sometimes worth thousands of dollars, to employees self-reporting health gains like losing weight or lowering blood-sugar levels, an incentive not offered to those who opt out, as Kaiser Health News reports. As the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) outlines, "A wellness program is voluntary as long as an employer neither requires participation nor penalizes employees who do not participate." When "employers can charge you a couple thousand dollars more for refusing to give private medical information, that doesnt sound very voluntary to me," Samuel Bagenstos, a University of Michigan Law School professor, wrote to the EEOC. NOW WATCH: Here's when it's smart to procrastinate More From Business Insider SEATTLE, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A former Alaska Airlines pilot has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of flying passenger jets between California and Oregon in 2014 while under the influence of alcohol, according to authorities. David Arntson, 60, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for prosecutors. An attorney for Arntson declined further comment. Arntson was arrested on Jan. 20 and arraigned in Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. The charges stem from two flights on Alaska Airlines, a unit of Alaska Air Group Inc, on June 20, 2014, according to prosecutors. Arntson flew from San Diego International Airport to Portland International Airport in Oregon, and then flew from there to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. It is not known how many passengers were on the flights. Alaska Airlines exclusively flies Boeing Co 737s. After landing on his last flight, Arntson was selected for a random drug test, according to prosecutors. Separate tests found the California resident had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.134 percent and 0.142 percent. Under federal law, a person operating a commercial airliner is deemed "under the influence" if his or her blood-to-alcohol level is at or above .10 percent. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Arntson was released from custody on a $25,000 bond, prosecutors said. When Arntson saw the drug tester after he landed in Orange County, his co-pilot recalled him saying, "I bet it's for me," according to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors last month. Following the drug test results, Alaska Airlines removed Arntson from duty. The Seattle-based carrier said he refused to submit to an investigatory interview. "Mr. Arntson left the company before we were able to complete an investigation that would have led to his termination," the airline said in a statement last month. Story continues It is unclear exactly when Arntson left the company. Alaska Airlines declined comment on Wednesday. A trial is set for April 5, and a pre-trial conference is set for March 28. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Bill Rigby) By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - Canada's Brookfield Asset Management is planning a fresh $6.4 billion bid for Australian port and rail firm Asciano with Qatar's sovereign fund, two sources told Reuters, widening the global battle for the haulage heavyweight. The willingness of Brookfield to raise its offer and Qatar Investment Authority's (QIA) entry as a potential co-investor underscore the immense appetite for Australian infrastructure, especially mining-exposed companies whose share prices have been battered by the commodities downturn. Asciano, which had a market capitalisation of $4.3 billion a year ago, said on Tuesday it was dumping Brookfield's initial offer of A$8.9 billion ($6.3 billion) in favour of a A$9 billion bid from Australian freight rival Qube Holdings Ltd in concert with China Investment Corp [CIC.UL]. But the sources, who are close to the deal, said the Canadian infrastructure investor would join the Qataris and Canadian pension fund PSP Investments and raise its offer to A$9.05 billion as early as Thursday. The sources asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Brookfield always intended to allow its original binding offer to lapse by a Feb. 17 deadline, they added, so that it could launch a higher cash offer with new partners. It stood by a Feb. 7 letter it wrote to Asciano saying it planned to raise its offer from A$9.10 per share to A$9.28, the sources said. Asciano and Qube declined comment and Brookfield had no official comment. QIA was not immediately available for comment. The deal would be QIA's first in Australia. The fund has been busy buying assets around the world, including a 44 percent stake in a $4.5 billion Brookfield property development in Manhattan last year. Its emergence as a potential co-investor could add a new dimension of scrutiny from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). Qube also could face political headwinds due to the Chinese government interests backing its takeover offer. A FIRB spokesman said its assessments of whether deals were in the national interest were applied consistently "regardless of the country of origin of the investor". Qube is being advised by UBS and Credit Suisse, while Citi and Barclays is advising Brookfield. Brookfield has lined up a A$1.9 billion loan underwritten by ANZ, Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank and HSBC. (Reporting by Byron Kaye, Swati Pandey and Sharon Klyne; Editing by G Crosse and Stephen Coates) (Adds ExxonMobil's statement, background) BAKU, Feb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. energy company ExxonMobil has closed one of its offices in Azerbaijan, the country's tax ministry said on Wednesday, the result of a delayed oil project. The office was linked to an oil production project on the Araz-Alov-Sharg oilfields in the Caspian Sea. The project is frozen until a decision is taken about the status of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Iran. Exxon's other office in the oil-rich country will stay open, the company said in a statement. "No change has occurred to the permanent representation of ExxonMobil in Azerbaijan or to the office of Exxon Azerbaijan Limited in Baku," the company said. Exxon Azerbaijan Ltd has a nine percent interest in the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) which produces hydrocarbons from the major Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) fields, a project operated by BP. "ExxonMobil has had a continuous business presence in Azerbaijan since 1995 and remains committed to bringing to AIOC its extensive global expertise, for example, in geoscience, reservoir engineering, drilling and production technology," the company said. (Reporting by Nailia Bagirova; Writing by Margarita; Antidze; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived at a Paris court in connection with a long-running scandal over his 2012 campaign finances (AFP Photo/Lionel Bonaventure) (AFP) Paris (AFP) - Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a Paris court on Tuesday in connection with a long-running scandal over his 2012 campaign finances, an AFP journalist reported. It was not clear if Sarkozy would be charged during the hearing, which is investigating false accounting during his failed election campaign that allowed him to greatly exceed spending limits. The case hinges on the activity of a PR firm, Bygmalion, which organised some of Sarkozy's campaign appearances and is accused of a vast system of false accounting. Campaign spending limits were fixed at 22.5 million euros ($25 million), and Bygmalion is accused of charging some 18.5 million euros to Sarkozy's party -- then called the UMP, but since renamed The Republicans -- instead of charging the money to the campaign. Several employees at Bygmalion, including the company's accountant, as well as a leading member of Sarkozy's campaign team have admitted to the existence of the fraud, though none have accused the former president of knowing about it. Sarkozy, who led the country from 2007 before losing to Francois Hollande in 2012, has always denied any knowledge of the false accounting. He said he was retiring from politics after the election but made a comeback just two years later, returning to lead The Republicans and attempting to position himself for another run at the presidency in 2017. Despite his adamant denials, the investigation has found that Sarkozy had asked for more campaign events in mid-March 2012, around two months before the vote. His campaign director, Guillaume Lambert, has told police he warned Sarkozy at the time of the risk of breaching financing limits. Questioned by police in September 2015, Sarkozy said he did not remember the warning, and described the controversy as a "farce", putting the responsibility squarely on Bygmalion and the UMP. Since then, however, the investigation has widened beyond Bygmalion and is looking into a further 13.5 million euros in campaign spending by the UMP, of which only 3.0 million was declared at the time. A total of 13 people have been charged from Bygmalion and the UMP with fraud, abuse of confidence or illegal campaign financing. By Anshuman Daga SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Garuda Indonesia (GIAA.JK) is facing pressure on yields because of over-capacity in markets and weak economic growth, forcing it to restructure its fleet and defer some aircraft deliveries, the airline's president said on Wednesday. Garuda and its budget carrier, Citilink, face intense competition from privately held Lion Group, which has become a dominant local player, helped by aggressive expansion and record aircraft orders. "The markets seem to be in over-capacity, not only domestic but also regional," Garuda's Arif Wibowo told Reuters in an interview at the Singapore Airshow. He said air traffic at Indonesia's flag carrier had been hurt by weaker demand from the natural resources sector due to the collapse in prices for oil, gas and other commodities. He said Garuda had been deferring deliveries of some wide body airplanes and turboprop aircraft, adding that the airline is also restructuring its planes to fit in more economy seats at the expense of first class seats in most of its aircraft. On Tuesday, executives from both Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA) said they were seeing no delays on deliveries or cancellation requests from their customers. "We are facing strong tailwind from jet fuel prices and strong headwind from the economic growth in the region. The domestic growth is also below our expectations," said Wibowo, who became the full service airline's president in December 2014. He said Garuda was still in discussions with Airbus and Boeing to buy 30 wide-body jets worth potentially $9 billion from one of them but the process was taking longer than expected. Indonesia is set to emerge as one of the world's top 10 aviation markets by around 2020, and could be in the top five with 270 million passengers by 2034, according to projections by the International Air Transport Association. But patchy safety record of airlines and creaking infrastructure have raised doubts over the potential of the market. (Reporting by Anshuman Daga, Editing by Tim Hepher and Siva Govindasamy) barack obama President Barack Obama chided Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) on Tuesday for supposedly "running away" from a 2013 immigration bill he previously co-sponsored. Obama said that although Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric on issues like immigration was particularly concerning, candidates like Rubio were guilty of pandering to voters by shifting their stances on key pieces of legislation. "He may express strong anti-immigration sentiment, but you've heard that from the other candidates as well," Obama said of Trump. He continued by dinging Rubio. "You've got a candidate who sponsored a bill, that I supported, to finally solve the immigration problem, and he's running away from it as fast as he can," Obama said. Rubio was one of four Republican senators who crossed party lines to sponsor a 2013 immigration bill that included a path to citizenship for some of the approximately 11 million immigrants living in the US without permission. Rubio now maintains that the US needs stronger border-security measures before allowing some immigrants to begin a decades-long pathway to citizenship. Obama spent much of the press conference attempting to strike parallels between Trump and the Republican presidential field, and said that foreign leaders were "struck" by Trump's front-running status. "Intrigued is an interesting way of saying it," Obama said, when asked about world leaders' reactions to Trump's rise. "Struck?" "I think foreign observers are troubled by some of the rhetoric that's been taking place in these Republican primaries and Republican debates," Obama said. "I don't think it's restricted, by the way, to Mr. Trump. I find it interesting that everyone is focused on Trump, primarily because he says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying as well." NOW WATCH: Watch Trump go head-to-head with a reporter and attack Megyn Kelly for being a lightweight reporter More From Business Insider A sign adorns the building where mining company Rio Tinto has their office in Perth, Western Australia, November 19, 2015. REUTERS/David Gray REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Workers at Rio Tinto's (RIO.L) unit in Iceland voted to block exports of aluminium from the Hafnarfjordur plant in the southwest of the North Atlantic island due to a long-running dispute over wage contracts. The workers, members of the Hilf trade union, said late on Tuesday that they would stop loading aluminium on vessels from Feb. 24. Rio Tinto's Hafnarfjordur plant has an annual capacity of 185,000 tonnes and accounts for a quarter of Iceland's exports, according to the company's website. The strike comes as the country is only just recovering from its 2008 financial meltdown and has yet to fully lift capital controls. A bigger strike on the same issue, which would have closed operations at the smelter, was narrowly avoided in December over fears that Rio Tinto would use the shutdown as a means of getting out of Iceland altogether. Rio, the world's No. 2 miner, is slashing costs worldwide after being hard hit by the global slump in commodities and reported a net loss for last year. It employs 450 full-time workers at the Iceland plant and the dispute hinges on cheaper contractors that Rio uses at the plant and whom employees fear will eventually take their jobs. A collective agreement with workers ran out at the end of 2014 and since last year several trade unions have used a state conciliation officer to try to resolve the dispute. "We have continuously been trying to press for a wage contract and that has not been successful. We have offered them a one-year, two-year, three and even a four-year contract but they refuse," Kolbeinn Gunnarsson, chairman of the Hilf trade union told Reuters. A spokesman at the London office of Rio Tinto did not have an immediate comment on the dispute or the impact the workers' action might have on its operations. Gunnarsson said the union wanted to ensure that contract workers were not paid less than Rio employees. "They say we don't want contractors to come and work but that is not true," he said. "Every day there are 50-100 contractors working here but our demand is that it will be part of the contract that these contractors will not have a lower salary than the workers of Rio Tinto." Story continues Due to Iceland's geography -- lying atop the mid-Atlantic Ridge that separates the European and North American tectonic plates -- the island has huge geothermal and hydro energy resources, much more than its 330,000 people need. As a means of earning revenue from that energy, Iceland invited power-hungry aluminium smelters to the country several decades ago. (Reporting by Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir in Reykjavik and Sabina Zawadzki in Copenhagen; editing by Susan Thomas and Susan Fenton) By Dave McKinney CHICAGO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Never in Illinois' modern history has a governor proposed a budget for an upcoming fiscal year without a current spending plan in place, but that odd political reality confronts Republican Governor Bruce Rauner as he delivers his second budget address on Wednesday. Rauner, a former private equity investor, will lay out his spending priorities for fiscal 2017, which begins on July 1. Yet there is little sense that the 7-1/2-month-long impasse between the governor and Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly shows any signs of abating. "I don't look for a breakthrough to come from (the governor's) speech," said State Representative Dan Brady, a Republican. "I look for the breakthrough to come because the pressure has been turned on all of us from those affected from this budget impasse." About 90 percent of state government is being funded through court orders, an enacted spending bill for K-12 schools, and continuing appropriations for pensions and bonds. Spending is largely at fiscal 2015 levels when revenue was higher before temporarily raised income tax rates rolled back on Jan. 1, 2015, making Illinois' shaky finances even shakier. Rauner has blocked any budget deal unless Democrats make concessions on his so-called Turnaround Agenda. His plan would weaken collective-bargaining rights, limit workers injured on the job from obtaining compensation from employers, freeze property taxes and change how legislative district boundaries are drawn. "I'm expecting to hear more of the same from the governor: 'Give me the Turnaround Agenda, give me redistricting reform, and we can talk,'" said State Representative Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat. Not since Illinois enacted its current constitution in 1970 has the state gone this deep into a fiscal year without having a budget in place, according to a legislative analysis seen by Reuters. The ongoing stalemate is deepening the fiscal woes of the fifth-largest U.S. state. Story continues The state's backlog of unpaid bills, currently at $7.2 billion, could reach $12 billion by June 30, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger warned recently. Illinois' structural budget deficit is projected to balloon to $6.6 billion from $4.2 billion in fiscal 2015, according to a report released by the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. The study said "it is hard to imagine any new sources of sustainable revenue that could be adopted and cover a gap of this magnitude." That leaves unsustainable borrowing or huge and unpopular spending cuts. (Additional reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis) (Recasts with governor's school funding plan) By Dave McKinney CHICAGO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - With most of Illinois' fiscal 2016 budget mired in a political impasse, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner on Wednesday will announce a plan to ensure state money continues to flow to public schools in fiscal 2017, according to his office. In his second budget address, Rauner will announce that Illinois will fully fund K-12 schools for the first time in seven years under a bill to be introduced by Republican leaders of the Democrat-controlled legislature. The governor plans to immediately sign the bill into law as long as it arrives on his desk "clean" with "no games," his office said. A fiscal 2016 school funding bill passed by Democrats last year marked the only major budget measure Rauner initially signed, leaving the fifth-largest U.S. state to operate on court-ordered spending and ongoing appropriations for bonds and pensions for the fiscal year that began July 1. Spending is largely at fiscal 2015 levels when revenue was higher before temporarily raised income tax rates rolled back on Jan. 1, 2015, making Illinois' finances even shakier. Rauner has blocked any budget deal unless Democrats make concessions on his so-called Turnaround Agenda. His plan would weaken collective-bargaining rights, limit workers injured on the job from obtaining compensation from employers, freeze property taxes and change how legislative district boundaries are drawn. Not since Illinois enacted its current constitution in 1970 has the state gone this deep into a fiscal year without having a budget in place, according to a legislative analysis seen by Reuters. There is no sign the 7-1/2-month-long impasse between Rauner, a former private equity investor, and Democratic lawmakers is abating. "I'm expecting to hear more of the same from the governor: 'Give me the Turnaround Agenda, give me redistricting reform, and we can talk,'" said State Representative Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat. Story continues Still, pressure is building on lawmakers as public universities and an array of social-service providers remain unfunded, resulting in layoffs and program cuts. Low-income college students also have not received state-funded scholarships because of the impasse. "I don't look for a breakthrough to come from (the governor's) speech," said State Representative Dan Brady, a Republican. "I look for the breakthrough to come because the pressure has been turned on all of us from those affected from this budget impasse." The ongoing stalemate is deepening the fiscal woes of the fifth-largest U.S. state. The state's backlog of unpaid bills, currently at $7.2 billion, could reach $12 billion by June 30, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger warned recently. Illinois' structural budget deficit is projected to balloon to $6.6 billion from $4.2 billion in fiscal 2015, according to a report released by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. (Additional reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis) As the US continues to push ahead with the development of its fifth-generation fighter the F-35, Russia has been hammering away at its own next-generation aircraft. The PAK FA, also known as the T-50, is Russia's answer to America's F-35 and China's J-20. Moscow envisions their fighter to carry out long-range strikes, intelligently target ground targets, and destroy enemy aircraft all the while stealth. To accomplish those goals, the PAK FA will come armed with an extensive set of armaments. Below is an infographic by Russia-based designer Anton Egorov depicting the PAK FA's weapons: PAK FA armament graphic Any specifications for the PAK FA are currently open to a number of disclaimers. Firstly, there is no guarantee that what Moscow is announcing for the aircraft are accurate as the plane will likely not be ready for combat until somewhere between 2018 and 2020. Secondly, like the F-35, the PAK FA is undergoing its own range of developmental problems that could influence the viability of the aircraft and the weapons that it could carry. For example, some of the problems the aircraft is currently facing are engine performance problems in addition to the airframe having a larger radar cross-section than planned. Currently, Russia is planning on purchasing 12 PAK FA down from an initial order of 52 due to problems with the plane, rising cost, and problems facing Russia's economy. NOW WATCH: The US Navy's last line of defense is this ultimate gun More From Business Insider (Adds quotes from Monsanto JV) By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - India's antitrust regulator has ordered an investigation into a Monsanto joint venture, saying it suspected the company had abused its dominant position as a supplier of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds. The case arose as Indian authorities consider whether to allow commercial growing of the country's first genetically modified food crop, a technology that promises to improve yields but sharply divides public opinion in India. Local farmers and some of their associations, including one affiliated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, have complained that Monsanto overprices its products using its position as supplier of GM seeds used in more than 90 percent of the country's cotton cultivation. U.S.-based Monsanto launched a GM cotton variety in India in 2002 despite opposition from critics who questioned its safety, helping transform the country into the world's top producer and second-largest exporter of the fibre. Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India)(MMB), a joint venture with India's Mahyco, licenses a gene that produces its own pesticide to a number of local seed companies in lieu of royalties and an upfront payment. MMB also markets the seeds directly, though the local licensees together command 90 percent of the market. Acting on a complaint by India's farm ministry that the JV was charging "unreasonably high" royalties, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said there were indications that MMB had abused its dominant position and asked its director general (DG) to complete an investigation within two months. In its order, the commission also asked the director general to investigate the role of executives in charge of the business if any wrongdoing is found. MMB said it was evaluating the order and its options, but that it was confident it would be found blameless. "MMB conducts its business in an honest, transparent and respectful manner and it remains confident that this will be evident after all relevant information has been considered by the CCI," a spokesman said in an email. Story continues "MMB has assured the CCI (of) its full cooperation with the investigation and we remain confident that all allegations which the CCI proposes to investigate will be ultimately dismissed in their entirety." Its counsel told the CCI that the royalty charged from Indian seed companies was the lowest in the world, that prices had come down over time and innovation had to be rewarded. A minister involved in the issue said the government was determined to lower GM cotton prices before it potentially allows the cultivation of GM mustard, final trial reports for which are being examined by experts. (Additional eporting by Rupam Jain and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Dale Hudson and Adrian Croft) By Devidutta Tripathy and Rajesh Kumar Singh MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is preparing to pump in a higher-than-anticipated capital sum into poorly performing state banks, government sources said, a move that could see New Delhi infuse as much as $34 billion additionally and make it harder to hit planned deficit targets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in August pledged to put in 700 billion rupees ($10.2 billion) into state-run banks through four years to March 2019 as part of a broader banking reforms programme. It had then said the lenders would raise another 1.1 trillion rupees from the financial markets. But a surge in provisions for bad loans in a central bank-directed balance sheet clean-up exercise has sent several lenders into losses, hammering their stock prices and limiting their ability to secure external funding as the economy wobbles. It also means Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will have to squeeze the national budget to foot the bill. "Indian public sector banks may find it difficult to raise capital, given their currently weak operating performance," Standard & Poor's credit analyst Deepali Seth said in a report, highlighting a risk of further rating downgrades. "These banks will therefore have to rely more on government support for capital infusions." Two senior government officials with direct knowledge of the matter said a new capital-infusion plan was being formulated that Jaitley might propose as early as the end of this month when he presents the federal budget. They did not say how much more the government was targeting injecting into the banks. A finance ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, reckons the government will have to cough up at least 1.26 trillion rupees, nearly double of what it originally planned, to keep its current ownership of state banks. But the figure might swell to as much as 3 trillion rupees if the lenders fail to raise funds from markets, it said. Story continues "Right now it's a tightrope walk," said Abhishek Bhattacharya, co-head of financial institutions at India Ratings. A sharp slowdown in India's nominal economic growth, which drives tax revenues, has already made it tougher for Jaitley to meet a target of trimming the fiscal deficit to 3.5 percent of GDP in the year that begins in April from the 3.9 percent budgeted for this year. Bhattacharya said the extra burden of capital infusion could add 35-40 basis points every year to the deficit over the next three years. In a Twitter post on Friday, the finance ministry quoted Jaitley as saying that the government is "committed to protect the banks and give them the capital requirements". "Bad loans are there but banks are equipped to deal with these issues," Jaitley said. GROWTH CAPITAL Banks are the main source of funding for infrastructure and other investment projects, and capital constraints at the banks could throttle a nascent recovery. Big quarterly losses at lenders including Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank mean some of them will need more capital sooner than expected to grow lending. Bank credit growth last fiscal year fell to its slowest in nearly two decades. With all state-run banks, including top lender State Bank of India, trading at a steep discount to their book values, selling shares at dirt-cheap valuations is not an option. Ashwani Kumar, chairman at Dena Bank that is in talks with the government for capital support, said the original capital infusion plan was based on parameters including profitability of lenders, pace of bad loan additions and banks' ability to raise funds from the market. "If those parameters don't hold good, they have to put in more money," he said. ($1 = 68.6500 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Today, Iran announced that it will resist OPECs attempt at convincing the country to limit its oil production. Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela have agreed to cap off oil productionat current levels if other countries are willing to contribute towards their efforts in limiting the supply of oil in the market. The oil producers are doing this in an attempt to raise the price of oiland increase profit margins. For years now, Iran has had lower production levels because it was restrained by international trading sanctions. Since January, sanctions on Iran have been lifted, allowing the country to sell its oil abroad. The country has been freed from these limits for about a month, so it doesnt really make sense for Iran to yield to the pleas of the four oil producing countries. Five years ago, before the sanctions were placed, Iran was supplying over 4 million barrels of oil to the world every day. Since mid-2012, Iran has been producing over 3 million barrels per day. It has still been among the largest oil producers, despite being restricted by sanctions. However, Irans oil production was significantly impacted, dropping by over 15%. Mehdi Asali, Irans OPEC envoy, thinks that it is illogical for OPECto ask Iran to freeze production levels. Prior to the meeting with OPEC, he said that when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices. Iran plans on increasing its production until it reaches pre-sanction levels. Bottom Line Iran is not a good candidate to pursue for reducing production. In fact, it looks like the country is taking a path which will add more oil to the already saturated market. If Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Venezuela cant find other candidates to agree to a production freeze, the price of oil could stand to go even lower. Production levels are at all-time highs for many of the worlds largest oil suppliers. These record production levels could end up being surpassed if a global oil pact isnt established. The Zacks Rank is a truly marvelous trading tool. Our ranking system has beaten the S&P 500, yielding an average return of 26% per year for the last 28 years! Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research SEOUL, Feb 17 (Reuters) - South Korea's SK Innovation said on Wednesday it has secured orders to supply battery cells for Mercedes-Benz electric cars, which will come out starting 2017. The battery maker said the "large-scale project" involved multiple models in diverse segments, without disclosing details. "Battery cells to be supplied by SK Innovation will be formed into battery packs and equipped in future Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles," SK Innovation said in a statement. Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG is developing plans to produce a family of new battery-powered luxury vehicles, the automaker's research chief Thomas Weber told Reuters in January. Weber indicated Mercedes planned to sell electric vehicles in high volume, saying "we need more than only one battery factory". Daimler does not currently have dedicated electric vehicles unlike rival Tesla Motors Inc, although the German carmaker offers the electric version of Mercedes Benz B-class cars and Smart cars. SK Innovation currently counts South Korea's Kia Motors and China's BAIC Motor Corp as its customers. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Stephen Coates) By Brad Haynes and Nathan Layne CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil/BENTONVILLE, Arkansas, Feb 17 (Reuters) - W hen Wal-Mart Stores Inc. first expanded into Brazil's midwestern farm-belt city of Campo Grande seven years ago, the economy was booming and executives were eager to open stores even in sub-prime locations on one-way streets heading out of town. It didn't last. At the end of December, the U.S. retailer closed both of its Maxxi brand cash-and-carry stores in Campo Grande as part of a restructuring that shuttered 60 locations across Brazil, including some Supercenters. Shoppers said the stores could not compete on assortment, price or location. "It was never clear who Maxxi was for. It wasn't cheap enough for the poor. But there was no appeal for the middle class," said Ordecy Gossler, 40, a public accountant filling his cart with cleaning supplies and toilet paper at Atacadao, a rival chain run by France's Carrefour. "When they announced in December that both Maxxis were closing, no one in my office knew where they were." Today, Wal-Mart has just one Supercenter left in this city of 850,000 people, whose demographic of thrifty shoppers had once seemed suited to the world's largest retailer. It shuttered the city's other one at the end of the year, as traffic dwindled in the shopping mall it was meant to anchor. The retreat from Campo Grande is emblematic of Wal-Mart's broader issues in Brazil, a once-red-hot destination for foreign retailers and other companies that has turned stone cold. And the lackluster performance in Latin America's largest economy shows how tactics that helped Wal-Mart build success in the U.S. sometimes get badly lost in translation overseas. International results have been anemic, despite $22 billion in capital investment over the past five years. Wal-Mart last year generated a 4.5 percent operating profit margin from international markets, well below the 7.4 percent return posted from the U.S. Seeking higher returns, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon in October announced a strategic review of the company's global assets. Some securities analysts have speculated Wal-Mart could exit Brazil, as well as other markets in Latin America where it is already closing an additional 55 stores. Story continues The pullback in Brazil also has some worrying echoes of previous Wal-Mart debacles overseas, including South Korea and Germany, two markets it abandoned in 2006. LABOR PROBLEMS Brazil in particular has been dogged by poor locations, inefficient operations, labor troubles and uncompetitive prices -- with some of the problems baked in during an aggressive, decade-long growth surge, according to interviews with a dozen former and current Wal-Mart executives, as well as analysts, shoppers and store employees. For a graphic showing some of Wal-Mart's Brazil problems, see http://tmsnrt.rs/1oH9pNu Wal-Mart would not comment on financial results from Brazil ahead of the company's quarterly earnings on Feb. 18. People familiar with the numbers told Reuters that Wal-Mart has posted operating losses in Brazil for each of the past seven years. Jo Newbould, a spokeswoman for the retailer, said the store closures were part of its efforts to "actively manage" its global assets and that it has been working to lower costs in Brazil. David Cheesewright, head of Wal-Mart's international operations, said in an interview that it has no plans to quit Brazil. He pointed to the company's decision to invest in completing an integration of legacy computer systems into the wider Wal-Mart platform as evidence of a commitment to the market. "That's not the act of someone who is packing up the firm for other purposes," he said. Cheesewright expressed optimism about a turnaround. "It's a market that has always been high on potential, but has been a roller-coaster ride in terms of its performance," he said. "It happens to be on a downturn at the moment, and I'm sure it will do what it always has done, which is improve." RUNAWAY GROWTH Wal-Mart first entered Brazil in 1995 and grew in measured steps for nearly a decade. That changed in 2004-2005, when it spent about $1 billion to buy two retailers, Bompreco S.A. Supermercados do Nordeste and Sonae Distribuicao Brasil S.A. The deals expanded Wal-Mart's operations into the northeast and south of Brazil, and marked the beginning of a spending spree aimed at building a national footprint. With the takeovers came an array of brands: Wal-Mart currently operates under nine different store banners in Brazil. At the height of the expansion, former Wal-Mart executives said, a land rush mentality took hold. Brazil's thriving economy in those years convinced executives the biggest risk lay in moving too slowly. In response, they approved new store sites based on increasingly rosy forecasts of future sales. "Most executives didn't have the voice to say, 'Don't open this store; let's not approve more stores,'" a former finance executive recalled. "Why not? Because Brazil was the new country. We needed to put investment in before others do." In a six-year stretch through the fiscal year ending January 2013, Wal-Mart doubled its locations, reaching nearly 560 at its peak. The rapid expansion strained Wal-Mart's logistics -- traditionally one of its strong points in the U.S. but a drag on performance in Brazil. In some cases, delivery trucks drove days to reach distant stores from centrally located warehouses. Executives from headquarters bickered with those running some kinds of stores about who should bear the distribution costs, the former finance executive said. Amid the focus on growth, executives never fully integrated the legacy information systems from Bompreco and Sonae. Disruptions in communication between headquarters and the many different store types allowed inefficiencies to take root. Buyers, for instance, found themselves using three laptops, one each for the two legacy systems and another for the Wal-Mart platform, people familiar with the matter said. TAX ISSUES Cheesewright said he had put a priority on systems and would complete the integration by the middle of 2016. He said that would allow Brazil to benefit fully from system and process advancements made in the U.S., helping it to lower costs. He also said Wal-Mart was getting a grip on Brazil's complex tax system and litigious labor market, problems that have dogged it for years. In January 2014 Wal-Mart disclosed that unforeseen Brazil tax assessments and employment claims tied to a cost-cutting drive would slice 2 percent off its annual earnings globally. Labor claims in Brazil also hurt its results in the third quarter of the financial year that has just ended. Cheesewright said it was implementing a plan, including putting advanced time-keeping equipment in stores and getting workers to formally clock in, which should lower the risk of worker lawsuits. "A lot of the stuff in Brazil is just the basic stuff: do people properly clock out for their lunch breaks, do you manage overtime correctly, do they have the right breaks between shifts?" he said. "It's a lot of basic blocking and tackling." Wal-Mart, whose sales at existing stores in the country edged down 0.6 percent in the August-October quarter, isn't the only retailer hurting in Brazil. With the economy in a deepening recession, market leader GPA , controlled by France's Casino, suffered a 2.3 percent sales drop at existing stores in the October-December quarter and has said it would slash investments in 2016. Carrefour bucked the trend, posting 8.5 percent growth in sales at existing stores, thanks to investments in hypermarkets and growth at Atacadao, the country's biggest cash-and-carry chain. BEATEN ON ACQUISITION The cash-and-carry format, which features bulk sales of food and other items paid for in cash and carried out by the customers themselves, has emerged as a rare bright spot in Brazilian retail. Cheesewright said Maxxi was now one of Wal-Mart's best performing formats after it had narrowed its focus to small business owners, giving up on competing head-to-head with the larger warehouses of Atacadao, which caters to both business shoppers and an increasing number of thrifty families. But after paring back to 44 locations, Maxxi gives Wal-Mart far less exposure to the cash-and-carry business than Atacadao and GPA's Assai, which have 123 and 95 stores, respectively. Some analysts and former executives say one of Wal-Mart's biggest missteps was losing a bidding match for Atacadao to Carrefour, which paid $1.1 billion for it in 2007. Cheesewright said Wal-Mart was piloting a larger version of its Todo Dia discount format in part as a way to attract some of the family shoppers now using rival cash-and-carry stores. Other plans include renovating supermarkets with a slightly smaller assortment and a focus on fresh food. The task of making all that happen falls to Flavio Cotini, who was promoted this month from chief financial officer to head the Brazilian operations. The reshuffle marked the fourth leadership change in Brazil since 2008 -- a lack of continuity at the top that has exacerbated problems, including hindering efforts to integrate operations, former executives said. "When you build a castle you build the foundation first. Wal-Mart did it in reverse in Brazil," a former senior executive in the international business said. "It is so hard to build a national chain when your system backbone is not in place." (reporting by Brad Haynes in Campo Grande and Nathan Layne in Bentonville; additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Editing by Martin Howell) On Tuesday, expanding its footprint in the New Jersey-New York City-Connecticut area, Buffalo-based M&T Bank Corporation MTB completed the conversion of Hudson City Savings Bank branches, which it acquired in November 2015. Moreover, 121 Hudson City ATMs were reopened as M&T Bank ATMs. Notably, M&T Bank now has 177 branches in total with deposits worth more than $24 billion and 1,965 employees in the tri-state area. "Converting these offices into M&T Bank branches gives us a platform to expand our community banking model and significantly increase our lending in New Jersey and Connecticut. We look forward to deepening our relationships with our existing clients, and building strong relationships with our new customers, who will find many of the same friendly faces serving them at these branches," said M&T Area Executive Paula Mandell. "At M&T, we are deeply committed to the success of the customers and communities we serve, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring that strong commitment into our new markets," said Robert G. Wilmers, M&T Chairman and CEO. "M&T will create a full-service, community-focused banking franchise providing a full range of services for consumers and business of all sizes, as well as our renowned wealth management and corporate trust solutions through Wilmington Trust." Merger Detail Reportedly, the cash-and-stock deal was valued at $5.3 billion, considerably higher than the estimated value of $3.7 billion when the deal was initially inked in August 2012. On acquisition, 60% of Hudson City shares were being converted to the right to receive 0.08403 share of M&T Bank common stock for each Hudson City share, while the remaining shareholders got the right to receive $10.06 per share in cash. Notably, 67.44% of Hudson City shareholders were elected to receive M&T common stock, while the remaining took the option to receive cash or made no election. Further, as part of the merger, Denis J. Salamone, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Hudson, has joined M&T Banks board of directors. Conclusion Given M&T Banks willingness to complete this challenging merger, we remained optimistic about this deal, which has expanded the companys retail branch network in eastern U.S. Notably, the company has gained access to 135 Hudson branches, situated primarily in New Jersey. Further, product and balance-sheet diversification, stemming from the acquisition, will likely support the companys top line. While long-term outcome of the merger is difficult to predict, we anticipate integration-related expenses to pose a major headwind in the next few quarters. Notably, escalating expenses, which limit operational efficiency, are already a major hindrance for M&T Banks earnings. Currently, M&T Bank carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the finance space include Independent Bank Corporation IBCP, Chemical Financial Corporation CHFC and PrivateBancorp, Inc. PVTB. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report M&T BANK CORP (MTB): Free Stock Analysis Report PRIVATEBANCORP (PVTB): Free Stock Analysis Report CHEMICAL FINL (CHFC): Free Stock Analysis Report INDEP BK MICH (IBCP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A group of six Malaysian Islamic banks on Wednesday launched a sharia-compliant investment platform that could shift the role of Islamic lenders to investment intermediaries from credit providers currently. The Investment Account Platform (IAP) will serve as a central marketplace to finance small and medium-sized businesses, with the Malaysian government backing the scheme with an initial 150 million ringgit in funds. "We're looking at raising between 200 million and 300 million ringgit ($47.53 million to $71.29 million) through the IAP over the next two to three years," chief executive Mohamed Izam Mohamed Yusof told reporters at the IAP's launch ceremony. Its maiden project could be listed as early as next month, with future plans including listings in other currencies, he added. Under the scheme, Islamic banks vet businesses seeking funds, provide a secondary market for investors and in some cases underwrite the equity transactions. Under the government's Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, Islamic banks had to segregate Islamic deposits from investment accounts by July of last year, prompting them to diversify the financial products offered to customers. The proportion of investment accounts to total funding for Islamic banks has risen to 10 percent as of December, from 7 percent in August, central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said at the launch ceremony. "For Islamic banks, the IAP creates a differentiated product that presents a new source of income and funding profile," Zeti said. The IAP is also open to international investors, with the government placing no restrictions on inflows of foreign capital into the IAP, profits from which are exempt from income tax for the first three years. The six shareholding banks are Affin Holdings, Bank Islam Malaysia, Bank Muamalat Malaysia, Maybank Islamic, Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia and Bank Simpanan Nasional. ($1 = 4.2080 ringgit) (Writing by Bernardo Vizcaino; Editing by Sam Holmes) (Adds China Foreign Ministry comment) By Jeff Mason and Bruce Wallace RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., Feb 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he and leaders of Southeast Asian countries discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea, and agreed that any territorial disputes there should be resolved peacefully and through legal means. But a joint statement agreed on after a two-day summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the Sunnylands retreat in California did not include the specific mentions Washington had been seeking regarding China and its assertive pursuit of territory in the South China Sea. Obama told a news conference that leaders at the meeting reaffirmed "our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld." "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas," Obama said. "When ASEAN speaks with a clear and unified voice, it can help advance security, opportunity and human dignity." After a first day discussing trade and economic issues with the 10 ASEAN states, U.S. officials had been hoping to arrive at a common position on the South China Sea, where China and several ASEAN states have conflicting claims. Not all ASEAN members agree, however, on how to handle the disputes, and some, such as current ASEAN chair Laos and its neighbor Cambodia, have close economic ties to China. Rather than turning a spotlight on China, the joint statement reiterated broad key principles of U.S.-ASEAN cooperation, including "mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and political independence of all nations ... and a shared commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes." It also reaffirmed "a shared commitment to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight." Story continues RIVAL CLAIMS China claims most of the South China Sea, but ASEAN members Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam have rival claims. Fox News, citing civilian satellite imagery, reported on Tuesday that the Chinese military had deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of its contested islands in the South China Sea. The United States has criticized China's building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to disputed territory to assert the right to freedom of navigation. Beijing accused Washington of seeking maritime hegemony through such patrols. On Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China welcomed the U.S.-ASEAN consensus, but reiterated its opposition to Washington's involvement in the disputed waters. "Relevant countries from outside the region should not flex their military muscles in the South China Sea and should not entice regional countries to carry out joint military exercises or patrol activities targeting a third party," Hong told reporters. Obama said freedom of navigation "must be upheld, and lawful commerce should not be impeded," and added the United States would "continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and ... support the right of all countries to do the same." He also said that Washington would continue to help allies and partner countries strengthen their maritime capabilities. Obama said the two sides made progress on trade and investment and had agreed to launch a new effort to help all ASEAN nations meet the criteria of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, of which four are so far members along with the United States. At the news conference, Obama announced an initiative, dubbed U.S.-ASEAN Connect, which he said would involve a network of hubs across the region to better coordinate economic engagement. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Peter Cooney and Clarence Fernandez) Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Ali al Naimi For the second time in four months ratings agency S&P has downgraded Saudi Arabia's debt rating. On Wednesday S&P cut its rating on Saudi Arabia's debt to 'A-/A-2' from 'A+/A-1.' On October 30, S&P cut Saudi Arabia's rating to 'A+/A-1' from 'AA-/A-1+.' A debt downgrade makes it more expensive for sovereign issuers to borrow money. In a release on Wednesday, S&P said Tuesday's announcement that Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, and Qatar would freeze production won't impact the firm's assumptions that oil prices will average $40 a barrel in 2016, and thus do little to improve Saudi Arabia's fiscal standing. S&P notes that Saudi Arabia is currently prepared for a deficit of 13% in 2016, but the firm believes the kingdom's budget assumptions are based on oil trading at $45 a barrel. But as other analysts noted Tuesday, the first move out of Saudi Arabia to combat the decline in oil prices has fallen on deaf ears both in the market and the analyst community. "The first market reaction to this news was a further decline in oil prices," S&P wrote Wednesday. The firm added: "On the supply side, we note that the freeze would take place at already record high levels of output for Russia and Saudi Arabia. In addition, we understand the agreement is conditional on other producers also freezing production. We view such a change in policy direction as unlikely in Iran and Iraq. On the demand side, we see China's economic slowdown and debt load as a continuing top global risk." In a note Tuesday, Helima Croft at RBC Capital Markets said that this announcement from Saudi Arabia, while perhaps doing little to change market dynamics right now, puts the ball back in Iran's court. Croft called this taking a page from the "Frank Underwood playbook," referencing the main character from Netflix's hit series "House of Cards." Story continues As Croft wrote: If the Iranians and Iraqis refuse to get on board with this production freeze, they will likely bear the brunt of cartel criticism for failing to protect the fiscal position of all the members. Today's announced production freeze really carries few political or economic costs for Saudi Arabia, but for Iran, the political and economic calculations are much more complicated. S&P is set to publish another opinion on Saudi Arabia on April 8. NOW WATCH: 5 hidden iPhone features only power users know about More From Business Insider Paul McCartney Even Sir Paul McCartney struggles to get into Grammy afterparties. The Beatles cofounder showed up to a party outside of the Argyle in Hollywood with Beck, who won a Grammy for album of the year last year, and the Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, but video footage captured by TMZ shows the group being denied entry. In the video, McCartney jokes, "How VIP do we gotta get?" and tells Beck and Hawkins that they "need another hit." TMZ cited it as Tyga's party and Twitter users rallied against the rapper for blocking entrance to the group. Tyga took to Twitter to clarify that he didn't block the musicians, explaining that he didn't control the door. Why would I deny @PaulMcCartney stop it. He's a legend T-Raww (@Tyga) February 16, 2016 I don't control the door. I had no knowledge SIR PAUL was there. I just performed and left. T-Raww (@Tyga) February 16, 2016 He also appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to explain what happened. I had no knowledge. I was inside performing, Tyga said, later adding that he was paid to perform. I wish I knew he was outside, I wouldve went out there with a mic and brought him in to perform with me. According to Kimmel, apparently it was the fire marshal who denied entry to the musicians. "Yeah, tweet the fire marshal; don't tweet me," Tyga joked. Youd think fire codes wouldnt apply to Beatles theres only two of them left, Kimmel said. Worst case, they both show up. Tyga then asked McCartney to perform with him at his February 26 show at the Nokia Theatre. "I will personally walk you in," Tyga said. Watch Tyga explain below: NOW WATCH: Heres what people thought of the best and worst Grammy looks More From Business Insider WARSAW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Converting Swiss-franc denominated loans into Polish zlotys should be voluntary in order to avoid potential law suits that foreign bank owners may launch, Poland's deputy prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. He added that the Finance Ministry will propose an amended version of the president's proposal, presented earlier this year, which according to the central bank would cost local lenders 44 billion zlotys ($11.2 billion). "I'm a very strong proponent of voluntary solution to Swiss franc loans issue," Morawiecki told reporters. "We have bilateral agreements with other countries and if we have a mandatory solution foreign investors will have the right to go to foreign tribunals to be heard. I don't want to have to face some litigation few years down the line," he added. The president's office presented a draft law in January to saddle lenders with the costs of converting Swiss franc mortgages into zlotys, a move critics said could undermine the health of what was until recently one of Europe's healthiest banking sectors. "President has done the proposal because he promised it but he won't push it," Morawiecki said. "I hope some common sense solution will prevail on Swiss francs," he added. Moody's Investors Service rating agency said that the president's proposal would impose one-off losses on the sector, listing GE's Bank BPH, BCP's Bank Millennium, Commerzbank's mBank, and Getin Noble Bank among the most exposed. ($1 = 3.9477 zlotys) (Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Writing by Agnieszka Barteczko; Editing by Adrian Krajewski) (Adds more detail, Finance Ministry's comment) WARSAW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Converting Swiss-franc denominated loans into Polish zlotys should be voluntary in order to avoid potential law suits that foreign bank-owners may launch, Poland's deputy prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. He added that the Finance Ministry might suggest some amendments to the president's Swiss-franc proposal, presented earlier this year. However the ministry said that it is not currently working on any changes. "I'm a very strong proponent of voluntary solution to the Swiss franc loans issue," Morawiecki told reporters. "We have bilateral agreements with other countries and if we have a mandatory solution, foreign investors will have the right to go to foreign tribunals to be heard. I don't want to have to face some litigation a few years down the line," he added. The president's office presented a draft law in January to saddle lenders with the costs of converting Swiss franc mortgages into zlotys, a move critics said could undermine the health of what was until recently one of Europe's healthiest banking sectors. According to the central bank, the proposal would cost local lenders 44 billion zlotys ($11.2 billion), roughly four times the amount Polish banking sector earned in net profits last year as a whole. "President has made the proposal because he promised it but he won't push it," Morawiecki said. "I hope some common sense solution will prevail on Swiss francs." Moody's Investors Service rating agency said that the president's proposal would impose one-off losses on the sector, listing GE's Bank BPH, BCP's Bank Millennium, Commerzbank's mBank, and Getin Noble Bank among the most exposed. ($1 = 3.9477 zlotys) (Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Writing by Agnieszka Barteczko; Editing by Adrian Krajewski and Mark John) Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) (AFP) - Thousands flocked to Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis focusing on immigration -- a heated topic on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff landed in Ciudad Juarez, the world's former murder capital, after a flight from Mexico City to wrap up an intense, five-day tour of the country. He will visit a prison to pray with hundreds of hardened criminals, just days after a riot left 49 inmates dead at another penitentiary, and he will meet later with workers from the city's key manufacturing industry. But after admonishing Mexican leaders to combat drug violence during his trip, Francis came to the border to focus on an issue dear to him: The plight of migrants fleeing misery and violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful. A sea of pilgrims had already arrived early Wednesday, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis is expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The service also will be broadcast on a giant screen at a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants in an event staged on the United States border coincides with the US presidential election primaries -- a fact that irked at least one candidate. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. - 'We don't harm anybody' - Armed troops stood guard as thousands streamed to the esplanade hours before the mass. Story continues Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." While the pope has defended migrants fleeing wars, poverty and religious persecution across the world, he has also called on governments to remedy the root causes of the exodus and for migrants to respect the laws of host countries. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. Many have also died under the scorching sun while crossing the US-Mexico desert. "We don't go there to harm anybody. We leave our countries to seek a better future. We only ask for respect," said Isaias Franco, a 47-year-old Salvadoran having lunch Tuesday near the site of the mass. Franco lived in the US state of Oklahoma for seven years until he was deported in 2011. The Mexican government, meanwhile, has cracked down on illegal migration at its southern border following a surge of unaccompanied child migrants who arrived in 2014. - Prayer for victims - During the mass, Francis will also pray for crime victims in Mexico, where more than 100,000 people have died or gone missing in a decade of drug violence. Relatives of 43 students who disappeared in the southern state of Guerrero in 2014 are expected to attend the mass, as well as some of the mothers of the hundreds of women killed in Juarez in the past two decades. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, falling to 300 last year. Security sources attribute the drop to the Sinaloa cartel's turf war victory, but the government gives credit to tough policing and a crime prevention program. Billboards were put up across the city to welcome the pope with the words "Juarez is love." But those signs contrast with the black crosses with pink backgrounds installed in protest at the murders of women. Pope Francis receives a cross made by an inmate during his visit a penitentiary in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on February 17, 2016 (AFP Photo/Gabriel Bouys ) Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) (AFP) - Throngs gathered at Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis highlighting the plight of migrants -- a hot-button issue on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff chose Ciudad Juarez as the last stop of a five-day trip to Mexico to address immigration and to visit a notorious prison, where he urged inmates to help break the country's cycle of violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful waiting for the pope's arrival. A sea of pilgrims flocked there early in the morning, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis was expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. Catholics streamed into a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city, where the crowd performed a wave while waiting for the mass to be broadcast on a giant screen. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants at a mass on the US border coincides with the US presidential election primaries where the fate of 11 million undocumented immigrants is the source of vivid debate. One candidate wasn't pleased. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. Responding to Trump's comments, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that the pope was a man of faith and "one should not be surprised that his pastoral and spiritual message has political repercussions." - 'More compassion' - Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family at the mass in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. Story continues She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." In El Paso, Sandra Ovalle, 32, shared a similar feeling as she headed with her family to the Sun Bowl stadium. "We hope that the pope will make our leaders change, so that we get support and that things change for the better," said Ovalle, a native of Mexico's northern Chihuahua state who now lives in the US state of New Mexico. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them, to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. - Inmates as 'prophets' - While pilgrims waited for the mass to start, Francis visited a prison, nearly a week after a riot killed 49 inmates at another Mexican penitentiary. He visited its chapel and addressed hundreds of inmates in the prison yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help "put an end to this cycle of violence and exclusion." "The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say 'has experienced hell,' can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims," he said. The pope argued that a country's security problem "is not resolved only by incarcerating," arguing that the structural and cultural causes of crime must be addressed. The Juarez prison was the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with dozens of prisoners killed in recent years, but it has been held up as an example of efforts to improve Mexico's notoriously overcrowded prisons. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, with the toll falling to 300 last year. The mass will also be attended by families of victims of Mexico's drug violence, which has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years. The parents of 43 missing students whose case has caused international outrage were offered three seats at the mass, but lacked the means to go. * Irish PM's Fine Gael party falls in pre-election poll * It and Fianna Fail would be able to form stable coalition * But both parties rule out an alliance By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ireland is facing the prospect of a post-election stalemate after the country's two dominant parties on Wednesday ruled out going into an unprecedented coalition that polls suggest would offer the only hope of a stable government. With nine days to go before voters cast their ballots, the political landscape is looking increasingly fragmented. A steady but unexpected dip in support for Prime Minister Enda Kenny's centre-right Fine Gael party accelerated in a poll published on Tuesday, dropping to 26 percent. That was down from 31 percent in just 10 days as his message to "keep the recovery going" falls flat among many voters yet to feel the benefits of Europe's best performing economy. Rival Fianna Fail, also from the centre right, is hovering just below 20 percent, putting the two parties together on course for a parliamentary majority. They have led Ireland's 31 governments since a bitter split over the 1922-23 Irish Civil War but never governed together, and they have so far given no signals that they would consider ending their rivalry to team up this time. "For the fifth time now, my proposition is for Fine Gael and (current coalition partner) Labour," Kenny said in an interview with national broadcaster RTE on Tuesday, when repeatedly asked about the prospect. "I've already ruled out Fianna Fail." Fianna Fail's spokesman for enterprise, Dara Calleary, told a news conference on Wednesday: "We have made it very clear and our leader has made it very clear, going into government with Fine Gael is not an option. STALEMATE, BUT NO DISASTER A period of political stalemate would echo events in Spain, which is still without a government following inconclusive national elections in December but where a strong economic recovery remains on track. Story continues While investors are wary of increased political instability in Europe, a second election would, similarly, be unlikely to do much damage to Ireland's economy, which grew around 7 percent last year. However, it could impede Ireland's response to any "no" vote in an EU membership referendum in neighbour and major trade partner Britain expected to happen by June. With few policy differences, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail could yet join forces. But that would also be a major gamble for whichever party, most likely Fianna Fail, ended up being the minority partner, according to Theresa Reidy, a politics lecturer at University College Cork (UCC). "The way it looks right now, the only two parties that could form a government together are Fine Gael and Fianna Fail but there are reasons why that might not happen," she said. "The lessons of history in Ireland are that smaller parties tend to suffer very severely in coalition government. You might get a government but there wouldn't be much incentive for Fianna Fail to stay the course." Such a coalition would also push Irish politics towards a left/right split for the first time and open up the opposition to left-wing protest party Sinn Fein - vying with Fianna Fail for second place and whose leader told Reuters on Tuesday it would "inevitably" enter government in coming years. (editing by John Stonestreet) * Russia planned $1 bln in OFZ bonds in yuan * Russia wants to borrow $3 bln abroad in 2016 (Adds detail, quote) By Darya Korsunskaya MOSCOW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Russia's Finance Ministry said on Wednesday it may be easier for it to borrow this year on Western markets than to raise debt in the Chinese yuan, indicating that forming financial alliances with Beijing have proven more difficult than anticipated. Moscow said last year it was hoping to issue no less than $1 billion worth of the so-called OFZ bonds, which are the main treasury bonds used to finance government borrowing on the domestic market, in yuan in 2016. Negotiations, however, have been difficult and on Wednesday Storchak said that there are still unresolved issues that need to be agreed with Chinese regulators. "It's a long story," Storchak said, answering a question from journalists on how probable it is for Russia to issue its OFZ bonds in yuan this year. "The chances that we will enter traditional markets are higher ... than the Chinese." HIGH QUALITY RETURN, COMPLICATED CHINA Russia has not tapped foreign markets with a sovereign issuance since 2013, with Western sanctions imposed in 2014 limiting access to financial markets for some of the country's largest companies and also making borrowing prohibitively expensive and difficult for the state. Sanctions and a slump in oil prices, Russia's main export, have slashed state revenues, threatening to leave a gaping hole in the federal budget and forcing the government to seek financing. Storchak downplayed the need to raise foreign debt, saying that Russia still has "safety cushions" to ensure the budget deficit does not spiral out of control. "We are not in a hurry anywhere," Storchak said. "We want a high quality entrance onto the market, and not an entrance at any price." Russia is sitting on nearly $50 billion saved in a sovereign fund, but some analysts have warned the fund may be depleted already this year or in 2017. Story continues Russia's budget for this year calls for borrowing of up to $3 billion abroad. Russia has also tried to woo Chinese investors onto its domestic OFZ market. Talks on establishing a common depository and clearing center that would made it logistically possible have been going on for months. On Wednesday, Sergei Moiseev, head of financial stability at the central bank, said that "much depends on the will of the Chinese leadership." Eddie Astanin, chairman of Russia's National Settlement Depository said that in April Russia and China will discuss a "despoitory bridge" that would help both sides with investing into each others' treasury bond. (Additional reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Christian Lowe and Toby Chopra) What Saudi-Iranian Tensions Mean for Oil Prices in 2016 A prisoners dilemma game of sorts between Saudi Arabia and Iran has big implications for oil prices in 2016. Russ and an investment strategist on his team, Terry Simpson, explain. The recent break in diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran adds another complication to the already chaotic environment of Middle East geopolitics. While the sectarian differences between the two nations are capturing the publics attention, theres an equally important economic struggle taking place: a prisoners dilemma game of sorts that has big implications for oil prices in 2016. Market Realist A story of crude oil and geopolitics For years, Saudi Arabia has been the dominant force in oil production. Its output has been far higher than Irans. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran strive for dominance in the Middle East, and oil is their game. Over the years, Saudi Arabia amassed huge wealth, buoyed by higher oil prices and an upsurge in production. It could have been the perfect time for Saudi Arabia to buy peace with most of its influential neighbors. To make things even easier for Saudi Arabia, the United States, a powerful ally that always needs oil, supported Saudis regional ambitions. However, events took a dramatic turn as oil (GSG) prices plummeted to decade lows at around $30 per barrel. The United States, now more self-sufficient in oil (USO) than ever before, needs oil from the Middle East less than ever. This shift allowed other countries to try to assert their dominance. As a sandstorm of change washed over the entire region, the main actors on the larger Middle East canvas are still Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabias newfound assertiveness has been on full display recentlyespecially as the county deals with a resurgent Iran. The oil glut and ensuing crash, along with a slowdown in China (FXI) (MCHI), have been causing havoc in the global stock market (SCZ). The current prisoners dilemma between Saudi Arabia and Iran has huge implications for oil prices in 2016. In game theory, a prisoners dilemma shows why two individuals might not cooperate with each other even if the outcome serves their best interests. Story continues In the rest of this series, well discuss Saudi Arabias oil politics, Irans role in the geopolitical game, and implications for oil prices in 2016. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: As Turmoil in the Middle East Continues, What of Oil Oversupply? (Continued from Prior Part) Russia and Saudi Arabia If Saudi Arabia interferes in Syria on a ground level, it could prove to be costly for other top oil exporters. Saudi Arabias invasion of Syria is a direct threat to Russia (RSX) and its economy. The Russian economy highly correlates with crude oil prices. When crude oil falls, the economy starts contracting. From January 29, 2016, onward, Russian officials were talking about meeting to discuss oversupply conditions in the crude oil market. Iran also voiced its interest in a production cut meeting. Saudi Arabia has since agreed to limit its production to January 2016 levels, but experts still have doubts about its future course of action as the war unfolds. Saudi Arabias involvement will directly affect Russian revenues, as the country has the capacity to oversupply the market to its peak. Saudi Arabia has already lowered its crude oil price to pressurize Moscow to withdraw its support from the Assad government. However, afterward, Russian (ERUS) forces became involved in Syria. Russian involvement in Syria has forced Saudi Arabia to extend its arm for a possible invasion of Syria. Syria is a small crude-exporting country, but it has become a place of proxy war between different oil exporters. The graph above shows the performance of ERUS compared to the United State Oil ETF (USO). Gazprom Pao (OGZPY), Lukoil (LUKOY), and Tatneft (OAOFY) represent large-cap Russian American depositary receipts in the oil and gas sector. In the next part, well discuss why Saudi Arabia is adamant on its stance about Syria. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: (Adds details, background) By Paul Day and Jesus Aguado MADRID, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Spain's Bankia will fully compensate thousands of small investors who bought into its ill-fated listing, the state-owned bank said. Wednesday's surprise move represents a bid to close a painful chapter for the bank which will allow it to move ahead with its restructuring and return to private ownership. Bankia became a symbol of Spain's banking crisis when it was nationalised in 2012 through a 22.5 billion euro ($25 billion) bailout just a year after it was listed, wiping out its shareholders and triggering protracted legal action. The lender bounced back quickly from huge losses on dud property assets after these were transferred to an external "bad bank" which was backed by the state. It also cut costs, shifted more of its lending to small businesses and away from mortgages and has steadily improved profits over the last three years. But legal action by thousands of ordinary Spaniards who argue they were misled when they bought shares in the 2011 listing had cast a shadow over the bank's recovery. The bank said on Wednesday it received some 1.855 billion euros ($2 billion) in funds from minority investors, of which 255 million euros were sold before its nationalisation in 2012. Those 255 million euros may not have to be compensated because shareholders incurred smaller losses and sometimes even made a profit on their investment. A 1.84 billion euro provision made last year against the potential cost will be enough to cover all compensation, it said in a statement. It added that in addition to the value of their original investment, shareholders would also receive 1 percent annual interest on the money as compensation and would be paid back within 15 days of filing claims. A question mark remains however about potential compensations for institutional shareholders who also bought into the listing for more than 1.2 billion euros and which the group has not provisioned yet. Several institutional shareholders have taken legal action against Bankia, but most analysts believe they are less likely to obtain any compensation. The Spanish state, which owns 64 percent of the bank, has vowed to sell off Bankia by the end of 2017. ($1 = 0.8953 euros) (Editing by Julien Toyer and Alexander Smith) OSLO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Norwegian telecoms firm Telenor said on Wednesday it is taking very seriously that Vimpelcom, in which it is a shareholder, has acknowledged it broke U.S. and Dutch laws. "Corruption is unacceptable, and Telenor takes it very seriously that Vimpelcom now seems to acknowledge certain violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and relevant Dutch Laws," Telenor said in a statement. "Telenor is unable to give any further comments to Vimpelcom's prospective settlements until they are finally approved and publicly available." Earlier on Wednesday Vimpelcom announced it had reached a settlement with Dutch and U.S. authorities over the probe these countries conducted regarding its business activities in Uzbekistan.  (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Ole Petter Skonnord) U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to members of the Sun City Republicans at their gated retirement community in Bluffton, South Carolina February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The captains of corporate America want congressional approval for a new Pacific trade deal this year, but the head of their main lobbying group said on Wednesday they could find a way to be comfortable with tariff-promoter Donald Trump if the Republican front-runner became president. The Business Roundtable, a lobby group that represents major corporate chief executive officers, has made the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a top priority for this year and believes the trade deal could have enough bipartisan support in Congress to win approval, according to Caterpillar Inc Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman, the group's new chairman. "There's a core group, and some in leadership, that if we can get the components right would like to see this done, and certainly the administration will be behind it," Oberhelman told reporters at a briefing. "We're very hopeful," he added. The Roundtable, a lobbying group for corporate CEOs, is also pushing for comprehensive tax reform this year as an antidote to inversion deals that have allowed U.S. companies to establish headquarters overseas. Winning approval for the trade pact known as TPP is a top priority for President Barack Obama. The 12-nation deal would liberalise trade from Chile to Japan, representing 40 percent of the world economy. But it faces stiff opposition from Democrats, and Republicans have indicated that they are in no hurry to bring the deal to a vote because of concern over specific provisions. Meanwhile, Trump has promised tariffs on some imported goods. "We're 5 percent of the world population. Ninety-five percent of our potential customers are elsewhere. We've got to learn and figure out how to deal with that. I think putting a wall up is very dangerous," Oberhelman said of tariffs. Asked how the group would respond if Trump's White House bid succeeds, he answered: "We will find a way to be comfortable with whoever's the president." On tax reform, Oberhelman rejected the piecemeal approach undertaken by Republicans in the House of Representatives. Story continues "I don't think you can take them piecemeal and just check them off one at a time. It's too big and too comprehensive of an issue," he said. The group instead wants "a global all-encompassing multi-year tax reform bill" that would lower rates, simplify rules and address off-shore earnings including inversions. "The inversion situation ought to be a catalyst right now," he said. "We've got a tax system that's really in need of reform." (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by David Gregorio) A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture. One of the largest ever cyber attacks is slowing global internet services after an organisation blocking "spam" content became a target, with some experts saying the disruption could get worse. To match INTERNET-ATTACK/ REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files (POLAND - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States had a plan for an extensive cyber attack on Iran in case diplomatic attempts to curtail its nuclear programme failed, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a forthcoming documentary and military and intelligence officials. Code-named Nitro Zeus, the plan was aimed at crippling Iran's air defences, communications systems and key parts of its electrical power grid, but was put on hold after a nuclear deal was reached last year, the Times said. The plan developed by the Pentagon was intended to assure President Barack Obama that he had alternatives to war if Iran moved against the United States or its regional allies, and at one point involved thousands of U.S. military and intelligence personnel, the report said. It also called for spending tens of millions of dollars and putting electronic devices in Iran's computer networks, the Times said. U.S. intelligence agencies at the same time developed a separate plan for a covert cyber attack to disable Iran's Fordo nuclear enrichment site inside a mountain near the city of Qom, the report said. The existence of Nitro Zeus was revealed during reporting on a documentary film called "Zero Days" to be shown on Wednesday at the Berlin Film Festival, the Times said. The film describes rising tensions between Iran and the West in the years before the nuclear agreement, the discovery of the Stuxnet cyber attack on the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, and debates in the Pentagon over the use of such tactics, the paper reported. The Times said it conducted separate interviews to confirm the outlines of the programme, but that the White House, the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined to comment, saying that they do not discuss planning for military contingencies. There was no immediate response to a request by Reuters for comment from the Pentagon. (Reporting by Eric Walsh; Editing by Chris Reese) BURLINGTON, VT--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) - Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) has named Justin Zellem as its new systems administrator. In this position, Zellem is responsible for providing technical, operational, security and customer support for VITL systems and networks. Zellem joined VITL after working in the information technology field for 15 years, including technical roles in systems engineering, database and applications administration and web development. Prior to VITL he worked at Keurig Green Mountain for four years as a disaster recovery engineer, and as a systems infrastructure manager. Zellem recently graduated from Champlain College with a Master of Science in Managing Inovation in Information Technology. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Services with a minor in Computer Science. Zellem currently resides in Burlington, VT with his wife Rachael and their dog Mason. In his free time he likes to travel and enjoy the Vermont outdoors. About VITL: Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) is a nonprofit organization that assists Vermont health care providers with adopting and using health information technology, to improve the quality of care delivery, to enhance patient safety and to reduce the cost of care. VITL is legislatively designated to operate the health information exchange (HIE) for Vermont, and is governed by a collaborative group of stakeholders including health plans, hospitals, physicians, other health care providers, state government, employers, and consumers. For more information, please visit www.vitl.net. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/16/11G083093/Images/Zellem-website-034535e27901957092e5e517a64e2f54.jpg (Recasts, adds detail on Uzbekistan case) MOSCOW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Amsterdam-based telecoms operator Vimpelcom will acknowledge certain violations of anti-corruption laws under a proposed settlement of a long-running investigation into its business in Uzbekistan, the company said on Wednesday. Vimpelcom has been under scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as Dutch authorities, as part of a wider investigation into telecom operations in the Central Asian republic. The company said in November that it would take a provision of $900 million in relation to the investigation and media reports suggested that it was in talks with authorities about settling the allegations and paying fines. A statement from Vimpelcom on Wednesday said that, based on the terms of the prospective settlements, the company and certain subsidiaries would acknowledge violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and relevant Dutch laws. Vimpelcom, whose biggest shareholders are Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's LetterOne and Norway's Telenor , also said in its 2015 financial statement that it would pay fines within previously disclosed provisions. Telenor, which had earlier put its 33 percent Vimpelcom stake up for sale, said it is taking the matter very seriously but is unable to provide further comment on prospective Vimpelcom settlements until they are approved. Vimpelcom's net losses widened in 2015 to $691 million from $647 million in 2014 and its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 49 percent to $2.9 billion because of the Uzbek provisions and currency depreciation in many of its markets. Total revenue last year was down 29 percent at $9.6 billion and its EBITDA margin fell to 29.7 percent from 41.1 percent. Excluding foreign currency movements and one-off items, the company's service revenue dipped by 0.2 percent to $9.3 billion and the EBITDA margin was down by half a percentage point at 40.8 percent. Vimpelcom, which has assets in Russia, Italy and several emerging countries, said it is targeting flat to low single-digit organic growth in 2016 service revenue, underlying margins and operating cash flow. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Susan Thomas and David Goodman) Why Freeport-McMoRans Nice Little Rally is Losing Steam (Continued from Prior Part) January lows As discussed previously, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) has recovered almost 50% from its January lows. Though market sentiments have deteriorated over the last couple of days, Freeport might not retest its January lows in a hurry. Lets see why. Debt reduction One of the biggest investor concerns with Freeport-McMoRan has been its huge debt burden that now exceeds $20 billionor nearly three times its current market capitalization. You can see the rising trend in Freeports net debt in the graph above. However, in its 4Q15 earnings conference call, Freeport-McMoRan announced plans to cut its debt by $5 billion$10 billion. Markets might like to give Freeport some time to work on its debt reduction plans. The courtship period between the announcement of debt reduction measures and the actual implementation of these measures could lend some support to Freeport. Is it realistic? However, this goal of cutting debt by up to $10 billion looks easier said than done. Raising equity would mean long-term value destruction looking at Freeport-McMoRans (FCX) depressed stock price. As for copper asset sales, there might not be many takers for high-cost mines. Selling low-cost operations would be easier, but it would hamper Freeports earning capacity. Selling energy assets is a possibility. However, according to a Reuters report, Freeports energy assets might not yield more than $3 billion. With each passing day, the market environment only seems to deteriorate. In such a scenario, Freeports debt reduction target looks quite aggressive. Freeport-McMoRan needs to come up with a plan that reduces its debt burden without disposing of its prized low-cost copper mines. Streaming transactions, like the ones done by Barrick Gold (ABX) and Glencore (GLNCY), could be another alternative Freeport could consider. Nonetheless, Freeport-McMoRan needs to act soon on its debt reduction plans. Investors might lose patience if they dont see real action happening. Although Freeport might not breach its January lows in a hurry, it could continue to trade weakly amid the global turmoil. You can also read An Investors Guide to Freeport-McMoRans 2016 Outlook to explore what factors could drive the company in this challenging year. Story continues You can also consider the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) to get a diversified exposure to the materials sector. Together, Newmont Mining (NEM) and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) form ~4.4% of XLBs portfolio. Browse this series on Market Realist: As Turmoil in the Middle East Continues, What of Oil Oversupply? (Continued from Prior Part) Saudi Arabia struggles to retain its regional leadership The opposition leader, or so-called rebel group, represents Saudi Arabian interests in Syria. If Saudi Arabia withdraws its support from the Syrian rebel group, then there will be a challenge for leadership in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has anticipated that engaging troops in Syria will lower the price of crude oil. However, as most experts are pointing to the growth of renewable energy use, there may be less demand for crude oil in the future. If the demand for crude oil dries in the future, it raises the question of keeping high reserves of crude oil. If Russia strengthens in the Middle East, it may affect Saudi Arabian oil transportation through the narrow strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. Note that Russia is desperate to reduce the crude output of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) to spur crude oils prices through official dialogue or other routes. Hence, the leadership at Riyadh is already aware of growing Russian influence and wants it to stop in Syria. The graph above shows the performance of United States Oil ETF (USO) since October 2015, when Russia (ERUS) became involved in Syria. Since then, upstream companies Apache (APA), ConocoPhillips (COP), and Denbury Resources (DNR) have fallen 8%, 31%, and 55.2%, respectively. In the next part, well discuss moving averages and analysts estimates for upstream companies. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: When the Supreme Courts conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly over the weekend, setting up a major showdown between a Democratic president and a Republican Congress, a whole generation of political junkies raised on Aaron Sorkins The West Wing immediately saw a way to resolve the problem. In the shows fifth season, a conservative judge dies unexpectedly, and Senate Republicans push back hard against the possible appointment of a liberal to fill his position, leading to a complicated scheme in which clever White House staffers persuade a superannuated liberal justice to resign. That left the president free to appease conservatives with a pick that suits them, while installing a very liberal justice on the court as well. Related: Senate Republicans Grow Uneasy Over Supreme Court Delay Strategy In the modern version of the deal, the natural choice for a justice to step down voluntarily would be 82-year-old two-time cancer survivor Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But just as nobody really talks like an Aaron Sorkin character, Washington doesnt actually work like The West Wing. Irin Carmon, co-author of Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg dismissed the possibility of Ginsburg agreeing to such a deal with one pithy tweet: While its unlikely that the current standoff will be resolved through Sorkinesque legerdemain, its certainly not far-fetched to imagine a scenario in which a second vacancy suddenly materializes on the high court sometime over the coming year, as President Obama and Senate Republicans bicker over whether to act on a replacement for Scalia. Related: Supreme Court Battle Tests these Vulnerable GOP Senators Election Chances With the death of the 79-year-old Scalia, the average age of the remaining eight justices is 69. The justices range in age from Ginsburg, 82, and Stephen G. Breyer, 77, on the liberal side, to Clarence Thomas, 67, Samuel A. Alito Jr., 66, and Chief Justice John Roberts, 61, on the conservative end of the bench. Story continues Anthony M. Kennedy, the vital swing vote on the court who frequently casts decisive votes in cases that split the courts liberals and conservatives, is 79 years old. The two youngest members of the court and the most recent arrivals -- are liberals Sonia Sotomayor, 61, and Elena Kagan, just 55. While it is impossible to anticipate who might be the next to step down because of age or illness, Ginsburg has speculated publicly about how much longer she would remain on the bench because of her advanced age and health issues. Nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1992, Ginsburg has survived two cancer diagnoses colon cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. She was back in the hospital in 2014 to have a stent placed in her right coronary artery. Related: Republicans Gear Up for a Bitter Fight Over Scalias Supreme Court Seat She suggested two years ago that she might retire in 2015, after matching the court tenure of the legendary Justice Louis Brandeis, but then chose to remain on the bench to uphold the liberal side of the court. Breyer underwent shoulder replacement surgery in April 2013, after a freak bicycle spill, but is otherwise healthy. Chief Justice John Roberts was hospitalized in July 2007 after suffering a seizure at his summer home in Maine. The episode was described by a court spokesperson as a benign idiopathic seizure and was similar to one he had suffered 14 years earlier. He suffered no lasting damage. Kennedy was hospitalized in 2006 complaining of chest pains and had a stent inserted in a coronary artery. Others likely have experienced health problems that received little if any attention. Should anything happen to make one of the current justices unable to serve, it wouldnt be unprecedented. But the precedent isnt a good one. Related: With Scalias Death, What Happens to the Supreme Court Now? The only time there were two simultaneous vacancies on the court was in 1844, under President John Tyler. This came about for a number of reasons with parallels to the current situation. The Senates Whig majority hoped that Henry Clay, the Whig candidate for president, would be able to fill the seats. Clay lost the 1844 election, however, and Tyler, who would eventually serve in the Confederate States House of Representatives during the Civil War, filled one of the vacancies shortly before leaving office in 1845. The other seat was filled by his successor, James Polk, in 1846. The prospect of another empty seat on the court would raise the stakes dramatically for a court that is widely regarded as roughly balanced, sharply changing the calculus for Republicans in Congress. Right now, the GOP is pushing a delay in confirming a new justice on the hope that a Republican president is elected in November, which would allow the appointment of another strong conservative, assuming the party also retains control of the Senate. But thats a gamble. If a Democratic president is elected, regardless of whether the Senate changes hands, there will be widespread public perception that the new president has been given a mandate that includes the appointment of a Supreme Court justice of his or her choice. And if there were to be a second vacancy between now and then, depending on which of the justices left the bench, one of two things could happen. It would either solidify the liberal wings control of the court if an older liberal were replaced by a younger one, or it would virtually ensure domination of the court by liberals for the foreseeable future if a conservative were replaced by a liberal. Related: Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79 The situation cuts both ways, of course. The same argument could be made from the conservative side. Holding off on replacing Scalia until a Republican takes office could ensure that the balance on the court remains as it is. An unexpected vacancy would either shore up or increase the conservative majority, depending on which current justice departed. The speculation, morbid though it may be at times, is no doubt the subject of serious discussion among the leaders of both parties in an election year. An election year that has seen insurgent candidates in both parties overturn conventional wisdom just makes the future murkier. Republicans have to consider whether its a better idea to confirm a moderate appointed by Obama, or face a Democrat-controlled Senate approving Bernie Sanders Supreme Court nominees. Democrats have to decide whether consenting to a nominee who is less than perfect ideologically now is preferable to potentially watching a GOP-controlled Senate approve multiple justices nominated by ultra-conservative President Ted Cruz. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Xi Jiping in Venezuela All signs point to Chinese President Xi Jinping completely dominating China in a way no leader has done since the inception of the Chinese Communist Party. In short, Xi is about to become the Chinese Communist Party. There were signs of Xi's desire for dominance early in his presidency. He initiated an anticorruption campaign that ensnared politicians and business people at the highest echelon of society. Analysts bristled that he was just simply eliminating his enemies. Now Xi's agenda is perfectly clear. Over the weekend, South China Morning Post reporter Cary Wang delved into the laundry list of government posts and agencies that now answer exclusively to Xi. Here's what that looks like: Xi's allies have taken over communications with the US Treasury and Russia, whether it's exactly in their job description or not. Provincial government heads have had to swear to "voluntarily safeguard the core position of General Secretary Xi." In recent weeks, state media have started referring to Xi as "the core of the party's leadership" and have called for all leaders to pledge allegiance to him. A bunch of seats in the central governing committees of the CCP are about to open up as leaders retire in 2017, and Xi has already made not-so-subtle statements about loyalty to the current track the party is on (i.e. him). china military parade This follows Xi's steady consolidation of the world's largest military. China's roughly $356 billion budget dominates the region's military spending. That spending has aided China in continuing to dredge islands and equip them with runways and radar towers. As of last week, China deployed surface-to-air missiles on one of the most central swathes of land in the disputed waters. Story continues According to author and the chief geopolitical analyst for Stratfor, Robert D. Kaplan, "the South China Sea functions as the throat of the Western Pacific and Indian oceans the mass of connective economic tissue where global sea routes coalesce." "More than half of the worlds annual merchant fleet tonnage passes through these choke points, and a third of all maritime traffic worldwide," Kaplan wrote in "Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific." Territorial claims from Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, and China make the South China Sea one of the most disputed territories on the planet. However, China claims the majority of the contested region, which is home to $5 trillion in annual global trade. To that end, the tit for tat over crumbs of land in the South China Sea isn't for nothing. south china seas In the South China Sea, aggressive actions on China's side serve Xi in satisfying both China's ambitions as a regional power and his own desire to stoke nationalism in the face of domestic difficulty. As such, these power moves are something people are starting to talk about in US academic circles too. In a recent research paper from the Brookings Institute, Senior Fellow Jeffery Bader explained Xi's dominance as a way to deal with "the massive disruptions that the economic reform program will bring." The country has just begun trying to manage the transition from an investment-based economy to one based on domestic consumption while growth is slowing dramatically in the country. Corporations are unproductive and indebted. Restructure is necessary, but Xi's task is to pull off painful reforms without: Crashing the economy. Creating too much social unrest. But of course, as Xigen Li, a professor at Hong Kong University warned the SCMP: "[Xi Jinping] consolidating his own power might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of policy implementation, but it will not necessarily produce positive results," he told the paper. The best-laid plans often go off the rails. In the meantime, expect more nationalism in Chinese tabloids like The Global Times, which has told readers to "prepare for the worst" (militarily speaking) over North Korea. This stuff isn't just noise, it's Xi speaking. NOW WATCH: China has been upgrading its military and is now stronger than ever More From Business Insider Million dollar babies. Over the last year, Zimbabwe has exported young elephants to China as it looks to reduce its own elephant population. The country has about 80,000 elephants, but says it can only cope with around half of that number. According to wildlife authorities elephant sales to China have raised $1 million so far. Zimbabwes elephant sales have been criticized by animal rights groups who, last year, described the export of 24 elephants to China as cruel. Despite the criticism, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) certified the sale legal, subject to conditions. Edson Chidziya, director general of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority, has tried to allay fears over elephants chances of survival there. We exported 24 elephants last year to China and we know that only one died. The rest are still alive. On its part, China has promised to step up measures to stamp out illegal sale of ivory the driving force behind elephant poaching. Zimbabwe is hoping to expand its elephant sale beyond China, with the Middle East considered a potential market. It also says revenues earned from its elephant trade will go towards conservation efforts. Zimbabwe continues to deal with a major poaching problem as the global trade in ivory makes its elephants a target. Last year, it reported over 8,000 poaching incidents. The threat of poaching in Africa is not limited to Zimbabwe. Tanzania has lost 60% of its elephant population in the last five years and Kenya has deployed snipers to protect its diminishing rhino population. Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Thank you for your support! 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way--before one began. Friedrich Nietzsche We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, Feb. 17 (CNA) A statement by former President Lee Teng-hui () that the Diaoyutai Islands do not belong to Taiwan has drawn the ire of fishermen in the northeastern county of Yilan, with some threatening to protest Japan's attempts to restrict Taiwanese fishing vessels' access to fishing areas near the islands in the East China Sea. Come and enjoy Read more [...] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau salutes Louis Riel on holiday MondayLouis Riel was hanged for treason against the Canadian government more than 130 years ago but today, Canada's prime minister paid tribute to the Manitoba Metis leader.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a statement issued Monday, lauded Riel as not only a founder of Manitoba but a champion of the values Canada's identity is now based upon.Riel was hanged for treason at age 41 in 1885 and remains a controversial figure in Canadian history.Seen by many as a folk hero and protector of minority rights and culture, there have been demands made over the years for his retroactive pardon.Others view him as a traitor who instigated war when he led two resistance movements against the Canadian government.After he was executed in a public gallows in Regina on Nov. 16, 1885, Riel's body was transported to Manitoba. On Dec. 12, 1885, he was buried in the St. Boniface Cathedral cemetery, now part of Winnipeg.On Feb. 18, 2008, Manitoba officially recognized the third Monday of every February as Louis Riel Day, a general provincial holiday. Northern Gateway: BC Supreme Court Rules That British Columbia Must Issue Its Own EA Decision And Consult First NationsIn Coastal First Nations v British Columbia (Environment), 2016 BCSC 34, the court decided British Columbia must issue its own environmental decision and consult First Nations on the Northern Gateway Project (NGP), instead of deferring to the federal review and consultation. This decision has profound implications for reconciling provincial and federal jurisdiction over the environmental review of interprovincial projects, and the related Crown duty to consult affected First Nations. While the decision casts more uncertainty over the NGP, it also affects any resource development project that involves a harmonized federal/provincial review.BackgroundAt the centre of the case was the 2010 Equivalency Agreement (Agreement) that the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) entered into with the National Energy Board (NEB). The EAO agreed that the NEB (federal) review "constitutes an equivalent assessment" to a provincial assessment under the BC Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). The Agreement stated that the NGP did not require assessment under the EAA and could proceed without an EAA certificate (EAC). The Agreement also allowed the EAO to terminate the agreement upon 30 days' notice but any approval given by the NEB before termination would remain in effect.The NEB and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency formed a Joint Review Panel (JRP) in 2010. The JRP undertook the federal review and issued its report in December 2013. The federal cabinet issued its decision and order on June 17, 2014, accepting the project and directing the NEB to issue a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN). The NEB issued the CPCN with its 209 conditions on June, 18 2014.The EAO relied on the Agreement and did not assess the NGP under the EAA. The Province participated in the federal JRP review and took the position that the NGP must meet five conditions before the Province would support the NGP. The Coastal First Nations also participated in the JRP review and opposed the NGP. Trudeau reacts to anti-Syrian graffiti on southeast Calgary schoolThe Calgary Board of Education rushed to clean off hateful graffiti on Monday morning, but for far too long this weekend the words "Syrians Go Home and Die" and other slogans stained the brick walls of Wilma Hansen Junior High in southeast Calgary.The graffiti also targeted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who took to Twitter to condemn the vandalism."Canadians have shown the best of our country in welcoming refugees. That spirit won't be diminished by fear and hate," he tweeted on Monday.The messages on the Queensland-area school shocked and saddened Najwa Habood, who volunteers with the Syrian Refugees Support Group and who came to Canada as an immigrant from Syria in 1990. The 'old guard' seems extremely upset and is scrambling to promote lies as facts, something they got into the habit of doing under the reigns of the former government whose loyalties was to foreign interests rather than that of the Canadian citizens. Since all the ones who are upset (and the only ones) are rabid Israeli supporters it might be high time they migrated to their beloved homeland where they can live in the 'land of honey' as that is what their addled brains think the place is. I think that about sums it up. You upset bear because you wouldn't be invited because you are an injun?? A small insignificant one who has over-inflated ideas of his own self worth and high standing in the community. Why 175 Oil And Gas Companies Could Go Bankrupt This YearAbout a third of U.S. oil and gas production and exploration companies are at high risk of going bankrupt in 2016, according to a new report.The report, published Tuesday by consulting and business services firm Deloitte, looked at more than 500 oil and natural gas exploration and production companies worldwide. It found that 175 of the companies or nearly 35 percent were at high risk of going bankrupt, due largely to low oil prices. Together, these companies have more than $150 billion in debt.2016 will be the year of hard decisions. We could see [energy and production] bankruptcies surpass Great Recession levels as companies struggle to remain solvent, John England, vice chairman and U.S. oil and gas sector leader for Deloitte, said in a statement. Access to capital markets, bankers support and derivatives protection, which helped smooth an otherwise rocky road for the industry in 2015, are fast waning.Oil prices have dropped over the last few years, and are now down to about $29 a barrel for crude oil. The drop in oil prices has caused a slowdown in some oil-producing states. North Dakota, for instance, has been riding a boom in oil production for the past eight or so years now, new drilling is getting scarcer, and the man camps that popped up to house oil field workers are starting to empty.Those communities out there were drinking out of a fire hose, Nancy Hodur, a research assistant professor at North Dakota State University, told the New York Times of North Dakota towns that had been built up around drilling in recent years. A lot of those communities would come right out and say that pace of growth isnt good, isnt sustainable. Theyre still playing catch-up. After a public hearing, Plattsmouth City Council approved the new One-and-Six-Year Road plan Monday night. According to Public Works Administrator Gary Hellwig, the city hopes to complete all projects on the One-Year Plan during the year. We try to narrow the one-year projects so they could reasonably all be done. None of them are huge. We concentrated on CIS projects so we can take advantage of CDBG (Community Development Block Grant funding), Hellwig told council members. City Administrator Erv Portis added that projects on the six-year plan depend on whether funds are available. Many projects on the plan involve concrete replacement, patching and asphalt overlays. Councilman Steve Riese asked Hellwig if concrete paving is more expensive than asphalt. Hellwig said concrete is still more expensive, but some roads can be patched. If the road is cracked and there is moisture underneath, you have to tear it out, Hellwig said. Riese also asked if the projects on the one-year list are similar from year to year. In other words, are we gaining any ground? No, were not, because of the lids placed by state and federal governments, and its going to get worse, Portis replied. Portis added that very community in the nation is dealing with aging infrastructure, and that Plattsmouth has done many road projects over the years. We are no unlike any other community. It will take a lot of money to address that aging infrastructure. Even the 5-cent increase in the gas tax doesnt provide enough money to address the problems. The tax equals $11,000 for Plattsmouth and that doesnt even pay for the patching, Portis said. Streets are expensive. We may have to look at a bond issue to do a big project. The top priority on the one-year plan involves milling, asphalt patching and an Asphalt Cement Concrete (ACC) overlay on Livingston Road from Third Street to A Street and from A Street to the Missouri River Bridge. Concrete patching and an ACC overlay is also a top priority for Sixth Avenue from Seventh Street to Ninth Street, Sixth Street to Seventh Street and Seventh Street from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue. A Portland Concrete Cement (PCC) repair and ACC overlay is planned for Queens Way from Whitman Avenue to Elizabeth Drive on the one-year plan. In addition, a concrete reconstruction is on the list for Avenue B from Sixth to Seventh Street. Projects on the Six-Year Road Plan include: PCC paving construction and reconstruction with storm sewer improvements are proposed on the six-year plan for Smith Avenue from Race Street to 16th Avenue. A two-inch ACC overlay is on the list for North Fifth Street from Avenue A to Avenue D. A two-inch ACC overlay on First Street from Fourth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. Asphalt milling and resurfacing with a base repair and curb inlet reconstruction for Avenue A from Seventh Street to Sixth Street and Washington Avenue from Seventh Street to 10th Street. PCC paving construction and reconstruction with storm sewer improvements on 14th/15th Street from Avenue C to Webster Boulevard. Asphalt milling, concrete patching and overlay on Second Avenue from Chicago Avenue to 11th Street. Milling and ACC overlay on Oakmont Drive from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue. Concrete patch and ACC overlay on Elizabeth Drive from Queens Way to Earls Court. Concrete patch and ACC overlay on Sandy Lane from Queens Way to Sunrise Court. Nebraska Department of Roads project NO. NH-Bh-75-2, which is an asphalt overlay on U.S. Highway 34/75 from Murray to Plattsmouth. PLATTSMOUTH A Plattsmouth man will spend time in state prison for making threatening statements to a female victim while holding a knife to her throat. Justin L. Swanson, 46, appeared in Cass County District Court Tuesday afternoon for plea and sentencing hearings. Swanson pled no contest to one Class IIIA felony charge of terroristic threats. He also requested to proceed directly to immediate sentencing. The state dismissed three additional felony-level charges in exchange for the no contest plea. Prosecutors also agreed not to attach a habitual criminal designation to the first charge. Deputy County Attorney Colin Palm told the court two Plattsmouth police officers were dispatched to a local residence Jan. 12 for a report of a physical disturbance. A female victim told the officers Swanson became verbally abusive after he and the victim began drinking beer and tequila. She said she telephoned her brother to tell him about the argument. Palm said the victim told authorities Swanson began to hold her to a point where she could not easily breathe. He then placed a knife to her throat and made threatening statements. Swanson then grabbed her cell phone and smashed it on the ground. Palm said both officers saw red marks on the victims neck and wrist. They also saw the destroyed cell phone on the ground. Palm told the court he had reviewed video footage taken from body cameras that the officers were wearing when they arrived on scene. He also listened to a 911 call and read a written statement that the victim prepared shortly after the incident. There is certainly a basis for all of the charges, Palm said. Palm said Swanson had a lengthy criminal record that included four convictions for driving under the influence. Swanson had spent time in prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, attempted felony possession of a firearm and theft by receiving. Palm said Swanson was in a federal post-release program when the January incident happened. The U.S. District Court of the District of Nebraska sentenced Swanson to prison in 2009 for conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. Palm said the female victim later disavowed her statements to authorities. The female victim was in the courtroom and told Judge Jeffrey Funke she wished to recant the allegations in person to him as well. Funke said the facts showed there had been an incident between Swanson and the female victim. He said he would follow the recommendations of the plea agreement and sentence Swanson to prison. This isnt something that was fabricated, Funke said. There is enough evidence that something happened on this date. Funke sentenced Swanson to serve a three-year term in the Nebraska Department of Corrections. He will be eligible to be released after 17 months. Swanson must then serve 12 months on post-release supervision. The program is similar to probation. Funke ordered Swanson to attend moral recognition training, complete a batterers treatment program and abstain from all alcohol and drugs during the supervisory period. Two Cass County high school students have joined the ranks of the Beatles, Tchaikovsky, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and more by performing at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City. Grace Althouse, a junior at Elmwood-Murdock High School, and Samantha Weideman, a senior at Louisville High School, were finalists in the Honors Womens Choir of the Honors Performance Series Feb. 4-8. The series is presented by World Strides, a leading educational travel organization. Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing, said Morgan Smith, program director. We processed more than 18,000 nominations this year and selected nearly 750 of the most talented student performers from around the world. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians never forget. The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall, the series website states. According to a press release from Honors Performance Series, finalists learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other finalists and visit some of the most interesting places in New York City. Emails sent to Grace and Samantha encouraged them to apply for the series. There are numerous messages that come from colleges or other musical organizations that give us information about them or invite us to special events. One of those emails was from Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. This really intrigued me, so I went ahead and looked at the application process and I figured it didnt hurt to try! Grace said. Grace said she never expected to be selected but auditioned anyway. Both girls were chosen for the womens choir. In my ensemble, the womens choir, there were about 150 people, but overall, including vocal and instrumental ensembles, there were around 750 participants, Samantha explained. Although they attend schools just seven miles away from each other, neither Samantha nor Grace knew about each other. They didnt meet until they were in the JFK International Airport in New York City. Grace was actually on both of my flights going in, and I had a fleeting thought on my way to NYC at Eppley to ask if she was going to Carnegie Hall, too, but I was too shy. It wasnt until we were at JFK airport that her dad noticed that my backpack said Louisville and asked if I was from Louisville that I actually met her and her family. Before Carnegie Hall, I did not know Grace, Samantha said. Grace said they had not even heard each others names before meeting in New York City. We actually spent the first evening together, because my group had already gone to eat, so I hung out with Samanthas group. Samantha, myself and one other girl all arrived later, so we just went out to eat ourselves with the chaperone, Grace said. That night, they ate at the Rockefeller Center restaurant. Both would be busy throughout the five-day program, but they managed to see each other here and there. Samantha and I talked a few times during our breaks in rehearsal and began to get more acquainted, Grace said. In addition to the rehearsals, participants enjoyed eating lunch at Grand Central Station, seeing the Broadway Musical Wicked, visiting St. Patricks Cathedral and going to the Top of the Rock observation deck. After their Sunday performance, they went on a cruise on a private yacht to see the New York City skyline and Statue of Liberty. They also got a DJ, so it was basically a huge party. There was a lot of dancing and socializing. It was a great time, Grace said. On the cruise, I met up with Samantha and some of her group members and we danced together. The cruise was really fun with those people. Of course, the high point of the trip for both Grace and Samantha was performing at Carnegie Hall. It wasnt until I was onstage and the entire place was filled with applause that reality really hit me. I got chills and teared up a bit. Carnegie Hall was huge and a little overwhelming, but overall, absolutely breathtaking, Samantha said. For Grace, the experience was simply unforgettable. It was the experience of a lifetime and thats something Ill always be proud of myself for, she said. Both performers have always enjoyed being in various musical groups. I have always shown an interest in singing, and was in the Prestissimo as a fourth and fifth grader, show choir and University of Nebraska-Omaha honor choir as a middle schooler, and show choir, UNO and Concordia honor choirs in high school, Samantha said. Grace has been singing as long as she can remember. Its just always been a hobby of mine, she said. Ive been involved with various honor choirs that started back in junior high. University of Nebraska Honor Choir and ECNC (East Central Nebraska Conference) Honor Choir were the two honor choirs I was involved in junior high. I also participated in a few small groups at our district music contest. In high school, Ive been involved with ECNC twice and I have made All-State both my sophomore and junior years. Since the trip, Grace and Samantha keep in touch through social media. Weve talked a little bit since the trip and shared some pictures from the trip as well, Grace said. Nye Health Services has announced the appointment of Jason Harnisch CPA as the vice president of finance for Nye Health Services. Harnisch has been with Nye Health Services since 2008 and most recently served as the organizations controller. Harnisch assumed his new role in February and is directly responsible for the strategic financial planning and development of the organization. He is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA) and serves on the Reimbursement Committee for the Nebraska Healthcare Association. Harnisch brings over 15 years of experience in the financial industry and long-term care to his new role within the organization. He has a passion for helping people and currently serves as treasurer on the Board of Directors for The Bridge in Fremont. Nye Health Services provides a complete continuum of healthcare options for people seeking independent and assisted living, state-of-the-art rehabilitation or long term care. A 26-year-old nurses aide from Scribner is accused of stealing a narcotic used to treat chronic pain from at least three elderly patients. The narcotic, Fentanyl, is also tied to 19 fatal overdoses between January 2013 and November 2015 in Nebraska, according to an alert from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Racheal Newlon took the Fentanyl patches off of patients at Hooper Care Center on six occasions between Dec. 11 and Dec. 29, according to a complaint filed in Dodge County Court Jan. 26. Hooper Police Chief Matt Schott said police believe she chewed on the patches to get the drug out of them. She has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, abuse of an elderly person and theft by unlawful taking. He said Newlon had worked at the nursing home for about two weeks when supervisors noticed patches were missing. We called in all the employees and each one submitted to a drug, urine test, Schott said. Then they came in and each one talked to me. The nursing home has put extra precautions in place, he said. Now, two people must be present when a patch is placed on a patient, and a nurse checks periodically to see if the patches are still on. Schott said Newlon cooperated in the investigation and that the incident is the only one he knows about. Weve not had any other problems in my 21 years of law enforcement in Dodge County, he said. This incident was discovered so quickly and everyone did a really great job in reporting it, and investigating. Abuse of Fentanyl seems to be getting more widespread, in part because users have found a way to synthesize it, state epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Safranek said Friday in issuing the health alert. The narcotic typically is given to people in chronic pain, including end-stage cancer patients. Its also an anesthetic that is 80 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And there have been cases in the U.S. of heroin being laced with Fentanyl, which can be deadly because most users wont know the Fentanyl is there, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In one Nebraska case, a 33-year-old man was found in a bathroom snorting a white, powdery substance. Soon after, he went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated but had multiple seizures two days later and became paralyzed, according to a Department of Health and Human Services report. On the fourth day, he died. Cause of death: Fentanyl toxicity. In an effort to protect the identity of the 19 Nebraskans who died, HHS is not releasing more details on where the overdoses happened. When used correctly and prescribed by a physician, Fentanyl is a great drug with good benefits, Safranek said. The problem is people have figured out a way to make it on their own, he said. That (synthetic drug) is circulating. Its such a powerful drug that its driving opioid deaths and overdoses now. The drug is so potent, officers are warned not to get any on their exposed skin. Safranek said Nebraska has a low incidence of opioid overdose deaths compared to other states, but the number is growing. From 2007 to 2009, seven people died from overdoses in Nebraska, and from 2010 to 2012, 15 died. We dont like that, Safranek said. Public health needs to respond, the state needs to respond. Many parties need to consider how they can address this and help reduce and control it. There is a life-saving antidote called Naloxone, he said. Its an opioid reversal drug, Safranek said. Some law enforcement agencies have given Naloxone to their officers, and Safranek said state laws have made it easy for paramedics and other first responders to administer the antidote. Lincoln police officers arent authorized to dispense drugs, Officer Katie Flood said, but Lincoln Fire & Rescue carry Naloxone and can give it. The public can also get the antidote. Its available by prescription, Safranek said. The law makes provisions for family members if they are concerned about household members. Naloxone is used either as a nasal spray or an injection that can be given to the thigh. One day you wash up on the beach, wet and naked. Another day you wash back out. In between, the scenery changes constantly. Given the current challenging economic environment, organizations now understand how critical it is to get the best from their people and so try to use innovative ways to engage and motivate them. Leaders are now focused on the use of motivational tools like incentives trips and events to increase employee knowledge and performance and give them the edge over the competition. The emphasis at leading corporate organizations on utilizing these platforms to drive better employee performance has never been higher. Chris Roebuck, Visiting Professor at Cass Business School, London will address the topic of leadership at the 4thAnnual MICE Arabia Congress 2016. Chris Roebuck explains, With over 30 years of experience being a leader, selecting and developing leaders, as well as with studying the evidence of what works and doesnt across the world, I have learned that the most important aspect of leadership is motivating and inspiring people. For instance, an activity for the team to celebrate at the end of a successful week or a venue for 1000 leaders to assemble annually is critical. Having been involved in delivering some of the biggest corporate events in the past 10 years, the main challenge for leaders to deliver something that adds value to the individuals, the organization and which people genuinely enjoy and appreciate. If it can also help them go back to the organization and make a difference to deliver success, then even better. Getting the best from your team: Leadership lessons to consider. is the session title at the Annual MICE Arabia Congress 2016. The presentation by Professor Chris, will highlight how to leverage individuals own experience and motivation as a powerful tool to get the most from your team while focusing on the effect of motivational rewards like incentive trips and the significance of events. Chris maintains that organizations and teams are increasingly recognizing that even in cost conscious time, incentive trips, corporate events and professional conferences add value to the company as the benefits multiply what is being delivered inside the organization. The 4thedition of the MICE Arabia Congress, taking place on the 1st& 2ndof March at the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Dubai, will bring together thought leaders and professionals who have expertise on the Business travel, Incentives and Events industry. The agenda for the conference will provide insightful presentations and discussions on the Business travel & MICE segment while still retaining a core focus on one to one business meetings between the MICE planners and the travel & hospitality suppliers. Blog accompanying the Gold Coast DataBase with historical, biographical, and genealogical information on the relationship between Ghana and the Netherlands, from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century. My other blog is Rejoice, and be exceeding glad... , which is written with an emphasis on issues important to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Your guide to what's new in the genealogy universe ELECTRONIC-BOOK: ************************************************** ANSWER YOUR LOVE LETTERS: FOOTNOTES TO A ZEN PRACTICE Also hardcover from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Answer-Your-Love-Letters-Footnotes/dp/1425974422 ************************************************** Are you interested in getting your company, event, or institution noticed? Advertise with the GRC on Global Geothermal News - Contact at dgroves@geothermal.org We do not know if we will ever again see the equivalent of the siberian traps. We can see a super volcano at work, but that is likely to be... Kenneth Wayne Lambert AUSTIN, Minn. Kenneth Wayne Lambert, 76, of Austin, MN, died Feb. 14, 2016, at his home. Kenneth Wayne Lambert was born Aug. 12, 1939, in a farm house south of Charles City, Iowa, in Floyd County, the son of Hiram and Bernice (Church) Lambert. He spent his early childhood in the Charles City, Nashua, and Chickasaw areas of Iowa, attending various schools as he was able. At the age of 14 he transferred to the Woodward School in Independence, Iowa, before returning to his mothers home in Austin at the age of 21. After her death in January 1975, Kenneth lived with his brother Melvin and his family for a short time before preparing to live more independently in an assisted living home. This gave him the opportunity in 1976 to move to Austin, MN, where he lived with Dick and Vicky Johnson, as well as other clients and staff in Austin. Kenneth worked at the Cedar Valley Rehabilitation Center. He loved his work at Cedar Valley, and his friends and staff there were very special to him. Kenneth retired from the CVRC in 2006 and then moved to the Breckenridge homes under the care of Sharon DeClue and her staff. In April 2013 he moved to Adams Heath Care Center in Adams, MN, until Aug. 13, 2014, when he moved back to the Cottonwood Home in Austin, under the care of the REM associates and staff. Kenneth was an outgoing person who loved to walk, talk and be around people. He enjoyed life and loved taking vacations, especially to Iowa to spend time with family there. He liked bowling, working puzzles, watching movies and television with friends, spending time with his cat Rascal, and listening to music, especially polka tapes. Kenneth will be sadly missed by his brother Melvin (Beverly) Lambert of Rockford, IA, 19 nieces and nephews, countless grandnieces and nephews, and many other relatives and friends. Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents Hiram and Bernice Lambert, his sisters Josephine (Don) Hunt, Beatrice (Ray) Towarnicki, Florence (Oliver) Ort, Thelma Lambert, Rachel (Duane) Amsden, his brothers Alvin (Darlene) Lambert, John (Irene) Lambert, an infant sibling at birth; his nephew John Lambert Jr. and his niece Linda (Lambert) Virchow. Kenneths family acknowledges your kind expression of sympathy at this time of loss. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Worlein Funeral Home Chapel in Austin with the Rev. Dale Christiansen officiating. Interment will be in Riverton Cemetery, Charles City, Iowa. Memorials can be directed to The Cottonwood Home at 2311 Ninth Ave. S.W. in Austin, Mayo Clinic Health System Hospice Program, or recipient of donors choice. Services prearranged and performed by Worlein Funeral Home of Austin. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com. DGAP-News: Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Heliocentris and Japanese trading company expand strategic cooperation 17.02.2016 / 10:21 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heliocentris and Japanese trading company expand strategic cooperation - Japanese trading company increases revolving credit facility from USD 5 million to EUR 10 million to support further growth following successful cooperation - Intensification of joint sales activities on American continent and procurement services on Japanese market agreed Berlin, 17 February 2016 - Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, which is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A1MMHE3), has expanded the strategic partnership with its Japanese trading partner. Following the successful cooperation, which started 2015, the current credit facility of USD 5 million is being increased to EUR 10 million with immediate effect. The Japanese partner will take on the procurement of key components such as batteries, diesel generators and solar modules for a larger number of customer projects and will continue to invoice Heliocentris for this with longer payment terms. In effect, this creates a permanent revolving credit facility with a now increased cap of EUR 10 million. Furthermore, the Japanese trading partner will intensify its marketing of Heliocentris energy management system and fuel cell solutions especially in North America. The cooperation on supplier management and technology monitoring in Japan and Korea will also be expanded. Ayad Abul-Ella, CEO of Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, commented: "The pre-financing of our customer projects is still a vital key to ensuring our sales growth in the coming year. We are delighted that our partner in Japan has increased its revolving credit facility to EUR 10 million and thereby enables us to finance a larger number of forthcoming customer projects at attractive terms." About Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG is a leading technology provider of energy management systems and hybrid power solutions for distributed stationary industrial applications, as well as of products and solutions for education, training and applied research purposes in the field of fuel cells, solar, wind and hydrogen energy technologies. Heliocentris' energy management systems creates intelligent, remote controlled, reliable and highly efficient hybrid energy solutions from diverse components such as batteries, photovoltaic modules, conventional diesel generators and fuel cells. The solutions reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 50% and operating costs by up to 60% compared to conventional energy solutions for mobile telecommunications base stations. Heliocentris' fuel cell systems ensure uninterrupted power supply with long runtimes to critical infrastructure such as TETRA base stations, back-bone sites in mobile networks and server stations. The Company employs at present around 222 people and is headquartered in Berlin with offices in Munich, Stuttgart, Crespina, Dubai, Yangon, Vancouver and Johannesburg. Heliocentris AG's shares are traded in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the security identification number A1MMHE. Further information is available at www.heliocentris.com. Contact Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG D-12489 Berlin Rudower Chaussee 29 Tel. +49 (0)30 340 601 500 Fax +49 (0)30 340 601 599 IR@Heliocentris.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17.02.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG Rudower Chaussee 29 12489 Berlin Germany Phone: +49 (0)30 340 601 500 Fax: +49 (0)30 340 601 599 E-mail: ir@heliocentris.com Internet: www.heliocentris.com ISIN: DE000A1MMHE3 WKN: A1MMHE Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 437981 17.02.2016 Read this story, watch videos and see photos at www.uab.edu/news BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 17, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dovie Luckado struggles to find the words to explain her unbridled joy and her undeniable pain. The joy comes from watching her 14-year-old daughter, Angelynn, no longer lying in a hospital bed, no longer struggling to breathe, no longer clinging to life. Angelynn is walking. She is breathing, with a newly transplanted heart and lungs in a rare "heart-lung block" transplant performed at UAB Hospital in November 2015. But Dovie's elation comes with the sorrow of knowing the lungs and heart that give Angelynn a new chance at life came at the expense of the grief endured by Allen Harris and Susan and Donald Haynes. The lungs and heart came from Allen's wife and the Haynes' daughter 26-year-old Courtney Harris. Courtney died unexpectedly Nov. 8, 2015, and Angelynn is alive today because Courtney made the decision to be an organ donor when she got her driver's license more than nine years ago and because Allen and her parents honored that wish. "It's hard because what do you say to them," Dovie said, her voice cracking as she blinked back tears. "We're so grateful, and yet that doesn't seem like enough. A young husband lost his wife of three years. Her parents lost a child, and I got to keep mine because of it. It doesn't seem right. All we can do is hope that seeing Angelynn do so well gives them some measure of peace." Angelynn's transplant came 113 days after she was first admitted to UAB Hospital because her family had a connection to Courtney's. While Angelynn and Courtney never met, Courtney's extended family knew of Angelynn's plight. The transplant also happened because of ECMO, a life support technology that kept Angelynn alive while she waited, as well as the daring work and decision-making of UAB School of Medicine physicians who performed a type of transplant on Angelynn that is known to have happened only one other time in the world. The long walk outside On Dec. 6, Angelynn Luckado walked out of UAB Hospital, and a video shot by Dovie captured her joy. "I'm going home," Angelynn said. "I'm finally going home." The journey from hospital to home totaled 149 days. Within that time frame, Angelynn, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 2, spent 127 days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at UAB; she was on extracorporeal life support known as ECMO for 102 days. She spent 21 days under the care of Children's of Alabama and spent one day in UAB's Heart and Lung Transplant ICU after she received her rare double-lung and heart transplant. Now, Angelynn is visiting her physicians in The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital one or two days a week instead of being awakened by them every morning. The determined 14-year-old is indeed finally home. "We were with the CICU family at UAB beginning the night of July 31 until Dec. 6, and this group of doctors, nurses, perfusionists and respiratory therapists took the best care of Angelynn," Dovie said. "They saved her so many times and in so many ways. They will always be part of our family." "It's been a hard journey," Angelynn said. "Two months out of the last four, I couldn't breathe. I missed the first day of school, the first semester. I didn't get to experience homecoming. I missed my friends, my home, my sister Rebecca. But when I walked out of the hospital when I knew I was going home I knew I was going to be OK. I had been given a second chance, and I was finally free to live that second chance." There were many instances during that 149 days when it looked as though that second chance would never occur for Angelynn. Physicians, hospital nurses and staff worked to give Angelynn the best chance at surviving, including employing ECMO, a last-resort technology first developed for use in heart bypass surgery. Physicians have successfully utilized the device as a bridge to heart or lung transplantation. It had to serve as a bridge to both in this instance. "Angelynn came to the hospital with a cystic fibrosis complication with no thought of a heart-lung transplant," said Enrique Diaz, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and one of Angelynn's physicians. "She wound up in bad shape pretty quickly after a planned lung removal, and she was in shock. The family was in shock. The reality is that when she was on ECMO, we talked to her about how a transplant could not be done. They were not expecting the words 'You're not going to make it,' but that was the reality all of us thought she faced." UAB physicians have deployed the ECMO technology in a variety ways in the past two years. Doctors have used it to save lives during a flu epidemic, to save the life of a carbon monoxide victim, and even used its Critical Care Transport Service to fly a patient in need of a lung transplant to Birmingham while she was connected to a portable ECMO machine. Angelynn is the first UAB patient to use ECMO as a bridge to a heart and double-lung transplant. While a heart and double-lung transplant procedure remains a viable therapeutic alternative for patients in specific disease states, the frequency of application has substantially diminished in recent years for several reasons, including a lack of available organs and the tremendous risks involved. Causes of end-stage cardiopulmonary failure that necessitate heart and lung transplantation range from congenital cardiac disease to idiopathic causes. In Angelynn's case, it was her cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and progressively limits the ability to breathe. The CF precipitated Angelynn's need, albeit much sooner than normal for most CF patients. Most can make it into their 20s before needing a lung transplant. The road to transplant Angelynn had the lower lobe of her right lung removed when she was 6 years old due to cystic fibrosis complications. The lobectomy quickly improved her quality of life, but the family knew then that Angelynn would one day need a lung transplant. When Angelynn was first admitted to Children's of Alabama in summer 2015, she had a planned pneumonectomy, or complete removal of the lung. At that point, her left lung was doing the work of both lungs, and the thought was it would be strong enough to carry her into her early 20s when she would then have a lung transplant. Dovie says Angelynn came through the pneumonectomy wonderfully and did great immediately following the procedure before her remaining left lung suddenly could not clear the carbon dioxide breathed into her body. "She was placed in intensive care and was intubated, and it pretty quickly got to the point where the doctors asked if we wanted her to pass peacefully," Dovie said. "That just wasn't an option we wanted to consider. We were evaluated and put on a transplant list in an emergency situation not what would normally have been a typical CF child's transplant journey." Angelynn was placed on ECMO in UAB Hospital, and for the next 102 days, the machine did all of the breathing for her. "I literally never saw her chest compress, never saw it move up and down, for the last month prior to her transplant," Dovie said. But Angelynn was alive. She was even mobile many days, walking the halls of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit while hooked to the ECMO machine. On her best days, she would fire Nerf bullets or silly string at her caregivers when they walked into her room many of whom would return the favor when they had an opportunity. Dovie says those moments kept Angelynn's spirits up. There were also days of complete fear for Angelynn and her numerous family and friends who supported her throughout her stay. She coded twice in the hospital, and had to endure chest compressions in an effort to keep her alive. One night in late October, Angelynn asked her father, Brandon a firefighter at the Anniston Army Depot a question that showed how far her morale had fallen. "What if I'm not worthy?" Brandon shared Angelynn's question with one of her perfusionists, Carl Gagliano, who was taken aback that she would ask such a question. Gagliano was quick to respond, and the impact it made on Angelynn, she says, was significant. "I remember what Carl told me: 'If God wanted to take you, He already would have," Angelynn said. "That kind of rebuilt my hope." As a perfusionist, Gagliano is one person on a UAB Hospital team whose sole responsibility is to maintain the ECMO machine and make sure it works properly and provides what the patient needs to stay alive. But as a caregiver, Gagliano and his fellow perfusionists often grow much closer to their patients than just maintaining numbers on a machine. Angelynn was no exception. When Gagliano heard Angelynn say those words "What if I'm not worthy? What if I don't have a purpose?" it hit him hard. "Our job is really not motivation, it's to take care of patients on an ECMO circuit; but I have children, and to see Angelynn lying there ... to see her acting like that, it really hit home," Gagliano said. "I just thought, 'She's 14. We've got to get her going.' A lot of times you pray about things, and you just hope for the right words to come out. I guess this time it did." Angelynn's wealth of support The support Angelynn has received both inside and outside UAB Hospital reaches far and wide. More than 3,100 people have been following her journey on her Prayers for Angelynn Facebook page. The friends and family who visited her while in the hospital were many. Angelynn's little sister, 13-year-old Rebecca, has been one of her most fervent supporters as well. When Rebecca was not shuffling from family friends' homes to try to maintain her school obligations, she was by Angelynn's side. Rebecca missed school only when Angelynn needed her, and she slept in a chair on the weekends so she could spend time with her ailing sister. A stuffed turtle Rebecca gave Angelynn served as her eyes and ears when she could not be there. "My sister is my best friend," Angelynn said. "She's always there when I need her. She's the exact opposite of me, so we're the perfect pair. I don't think I would have made it through this without her. She was at home, and I knew as soon as I got out of here that I was going back to her. It was a great feeling." "Rebecca is a big part of why Angelynn made it through this," Dovie said. "They have a very special bond. All Rebecca wanted was for Angelynn to get better. Rebecca has never complained about the things she missed out on. I am the most blessed of mothers, and I thank God for my two wonderful daughters." Angelynn says her mom, her dad, Brandon, and stepmom, Tara, also have been instrumental in the emotional support they have provided every step of the way. "I wouldn't have made it without them either," Angelynn said. "My mom, Becka, dad and stepmom are the four main people I fought for in all of this. They are who I fought for. I need them, and they need me." Dovie says the care provided by the physicians, nurses and staff in the UAB Hospital CICU and other areas was in her mind above and beyond what was expected. "Angelynn's situation was technically difficult, and her surgery was something that does not happen routinely," Dovie said. "I know they would say they were just doing their jobs. That might be the case when they performed CPR when her heart stopped. Or when they stood all night and squeezed units of blood into her because the bleeding would not stop. I have lost count of the number of procedures in the OR and at the bedside. But they did more than their jobs. They played with her, laughing while trying to dodge Nerf bullets and silly string. They cheered her up and cheered her on. They made her feel safe. They shed tears for her, both sorrow and joy. They prayed with her and for her. They all did so much more than their jobs. "And when your doctors text a scared 14-year-old back at 4 a.m., or when they come back in from home because she called their cell, you know you're in the right place." The decision to transplant Candidates for any type of heart-lung transplantation are generally younger persons with a fatal disease, but the shortage of donor organs combined with a lack of available infrastructure and resources at many medical centers makes this lifesaving procedure unavailable to many individuals. Fortunately, UAB has the infrastructure to make rare transplants like these possible. Only 19 people received heart-lung transplants from Jan. 1-Sept. 30, 2014, according to the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and only three of those occurred in children between the ages of 11 and 17. The numbers are staggering when it comes to transplant needs and available organs in Alabama. Findings from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients show that only 65 of every 100 Alabamians who die as eligible organ donors are registered through the state. That is below the registry's recorded national average of 73.6 percent. Demand for organs across the United States also far exceeds the number of people signing up to give, according to data maintained by the United Network for Organ Sharing. There are more than 121,600 people waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average, 22 people die each day while waiting for a transplant. There were only 12,520 donors from January to October 2015, according to the most recent UNOS data available. Those were numbers Diaz, Keith Wille, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine, and Charles Hoopes, M.D., chief of the Section of Thoracic Transplantation, have to weigh very critically when determining whether or not a patient should be transplanted. Hoopes, who joined UAB in 2015, ultimately determined that for Angelynn to survive, she would need what is known as a "block" transplant, or a heart and two lungs from a single donor a feat that would not be easy given Angelynn's small size and waning condition. To receive a new heart-lung block, the patient is placed in cardiopulmonary bypass, and the old organs are removed, using caution to ensure that the phrenic nerves are not damaged and that the blood supply to the bronchial arteries is not damaged, to reduce the risk of post-operative bleeding. The donor heart and lungs are then inserted, and the trachea is sewn into place first. The right atrium is attached next, followed by the aorta. Once the organs are in place, heart-lung bypass stops and blood flow is restored to the heart and lungs. The physician may have to shock the heart to initiate a rhythm, or the heart may start on its own. Angelynn's block transplant was necessary for two reasons. First, Angelynn had the pneumonectomy in the summer, which left her without a bronchial stump for Hoopes to sew a single lung into; national survival rates for those who receive single-lung transplants are around 30 percent, so a single-lung donation was not feasible. Second, Angelynn developed severe pulmonary hypertension while awaiting transplant, dropping her heart function to 45 percent. Her heart function fell so much that she was converted from peripheral ECMO cannulation that occurs in the neck to a central cannulation that occurs through the heart. The combination of those events meant she would have to have a new heart in addition to two new lungs. Hoopes, a surgeon with a particular interest in pediatric pulmonary salvage transplant, says Angelynn's heart/lung transplant from an ECMO bridge is rare and has been reported in only one other patient after pneumonectomy. It was clear to everyone involved that saving Angelynn would be extremely challenging. "The only other case I know of was reported from Switzerland five years ago. The general teaching has been if you have a pneumonectomy space, you can't do much about it; it's not a transplantable space," Hoopes said. "In Angelynn's case, I just thought we could do it technically. I thought it was worth trying given her age; but there's no doubt it could have gone badly, and no one would have been surprised." "The bottom line is that Angelynn was well-cared-for by UAB Hospital nursing, perfusionists and other hospital staff. Dr. Diaz, Dr. Wille, Dr. Jose Tallaj, the medical director of the UAB Heart Transplant Program, and the transplant coordinators have followed Angelynn carefully since her transplant, and the pediatric cardiologists at Children's of Alabama have gone out of their way to collaborate in the care of her heart. All I had to do was sew in the organs. The rest of it is an act of God." Giving the gift of life Courtney Harris came home from Millington, Tennessee, to Birmingham on Nov. 1. Her husband and high-school sweetheart, Allen, a nine-year Navy veteran stationed in Millington, drove her down that weekend. Courtney came home to spend two weeks with her parents and finalize in-depth plans to open a new business with her mom, Susan Haynes. Courtney was born as a twin with her brother, Brian, in 1989. They were delivered three months early, and doctors discovered quickly that Courtney had hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluids in the cavities deep within the brain. Her parents were told Courtney would likely never make it home from the hospital, but Courtney entered the world a fighter. She had a shunt placed in her head to relieve the fluid shortly after she was born, and she responded well. Courtney eventually got to go home and had only one other shunt revision in her 26 years; it occurred when she was 18 months old. "When she was born, we were told she could have numerous medical issues and numerous shunt revisions over the course of her life, if she survived," said Donald, Courtney's father. "But she lived a great, healthy life. She had only one shunt revision in 26 years, which is a miracle in and of itself." On Nov. 6, Courtney began complaining of a headache. Headaches were not uncommon for her, but the intensity she felt this time was more than usual. Donald and Susan took her to a Birmingham hospital the morning of Nov. 7 where she underwent a CT scan. The results looked normal, and Courtney went back home with her parents. But later that evening, Courtney passed out. She was rushed back to the emergency room and eventually transferred on to UAB. Allen quickly came back to Birmingham from Millington. The family sat in the hospital waiting to hear news of Courtney's condition, and as the night went on, the family talked with one another about Courtney's life and how she packed a lot of good times into her 26 years, and how God had blessed her over those 26 years. As they talked about Courtney, they also talked about how other families weren't as fortunate with the health of their children as they had been. That's when Donald's sister, Rhonda Haynes, mentioned a particular 14-year-old girl who was also in UAB Hospital at that very moment, a young girl who had lived her whole life with cystic fibrosis, was on the transplant list, and was now like Courtney fighting for her life. "We didn't yet know Angelynn's name at the time, but we immediately added this young girl my sister mentioned to our prayer list, and we began to pray for both her and Courtney," Donald Haynes said. Finally, in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, physicians told Allen and the Hayneses the news they feared. Courtney's shunt had indeed failed, and her brain showed no activity. "We were crushed," Donald Haynes said. "It was a complete shock how quickly it all happened." "It was," said Allen Harris, Courtney's husband, "the worst news you could ever imagine." As the family tried to process the news and the grief, they began thinking about next steps. Courtney had made the decision to be an organ donor when she got her driver's license, and Allen and her parents discussed what that meant with the Alabama Organ Center. "One of the big fears I had when I first thought about it was, 'Is Courtney going to be presentable when we do a funeral,'" Allen said. "I have to give a lot of credit to the Alabama Organ Center team. They were remarkable. They took us through step by step and made sure we understood everything that would happen and stayed in constant contact with us. It gave us a lot of peace to know that, even though Courtney was donating, it wasn't going to interfere with actually being able to see her and do an open casket. That's a fear I think a lot of people have." Courtney had an O blood type, which made her a universal donor meaning she could donate blood to any recipients of any ABO blood group. An AOC donor team member met with Allen later that Sunday afternoon, and while the AOC is bound by law to not give specifics, they told Allen they thought there was someone who might be a match for her organs. "They said there was this one particular person that they were hoping things would work out for and that she had been on the list for a long time," Donald Haynes recalled. "Then Allen said, 'Well, she wouldn't happen to be 14 years old, would she?' The person with the Alabama Organ Center almost dropped everything she had. She said, 'There's no way you can know that.' Obviously, she couldn't tell us, but we knew. We knew." Allen, Donald and Susan then asked that this 14-year old girl they later learned her name, Angelynn be given any of Courtney's gifts that she needed, requesting a direct donation. "It made a huge difference for Angelynn, and it did for us, too," Donald Haynes said. "We started praying in earnest that Angelynn and the others receiving Courtney's gifts do well." All told, Courtney saved or enriched the lives of six people upon her death, and the number will climb to more than 100 people helped by her soft tissue gifts. As for the six people immediately given a new chance at life upon Courtney's passing, Allen knows the list by heart. "Her corneas went to two separate people, one kidney went to an adolescent male, her other kidney and pancreas went to a man in his 40s, her liver went to a man in his 60s, and Angelynn got her heart and lungs," Allen said. "That's a list I don't forget." Four days after Courtney passed away and two days after Angelynn's transplant, Allen came back to UAB Hospital. He had reached out to Dovie through the Prayers for Angelynn Facebook page and introduced himself as Courtney's husband. Allen said he would love an opportunity to meet Angelynn whenever she and her family felt ready. Dovie told Allen he was welcomed any time he wanted to come by. "It was Thursday, it was the same day Angelynn walked for the first time after her transplant," Allen recalled. "It was tough for me to see her, but I knew it was right. And I knew she deserved Courtney's gifts before I met her. The very first Facebook post I read from Ms. Dovie was a message where she said, 'I don't know how to ask someone to give up their loved one or their child so my child can live. As I sit in the hospital right now, I hear helicopters and ambulances coming in, I pray for their families that their loved ones are OK.' At that point, I knew it was right. I knew Courtney's heart and lungs went to the right place. And I was proud. And that was really the first big emotion I felt when I saw Angelynn. I felt proud." As for Angelynn, she felt grateful. Grateful to Allen, Donald and Susan that they would honor Courtney's organ donation decision. Grateful that Courtney thought enough of others 10 years ago to decide to be an organ donor. "Courtney wanted to help someone else and give them a second chance," Angelynn said. "I appreciate her so much for that. She's my new guardian angel. I have her heart and her lungs. She lives inside of me, and I need to live my life to the fullest and do the best I can for her and me." A way to heal Just as Dovie Luckado has competing emotions, Allen and the Haynes family do as well. They could not be more thrilled for Angelynn, that she is alive to be with her mom and dad, her sister, her family and friends. But yet Allen misses his wife, and Donald and Susan miss their daughter. "Courtney was just a beautiful person," Donald said. "She loved Allen, she loved her family, she loved life. We all couldn't be more proud of her and the life she lived. And we couldn't be more proud that she was thinking of someone else when she made the decision to be an organ donor years ago. God knew then what was going to happen, and He was with her, whispering in her ear." Donald Haynes posts messages to his Facebook page every day. It might be a story about Courtney or a remembrance. He is often thanking others for their prayers for his family and for Angelynn and her family. He encourages others who have also lost loved ones too soon. Allen is heartbroken. He has two pictures on his cellphone. One is a CT image of Courtney's heart a photo Allen took when UAB doctors were determining whether her organ would be a fit for Angelynn. The other photo is of two hands he took at Courtney's bedside in her final moments, his hand interlocked with hers. But Allen is also thankful and hopeful. He is thankful for the tremendous support he and his in-laws have received from family, friends and the Navy in their time of grief. "Words can't express how much it means to me, means to us," he said. And he is hopeful for Angelynn. He is hopeful that Courtney's lungs and heart will serve her well for what doctors hope will be at least 15-20 years, until she likely will need another transplant. Allen makes it a point to keep up with Angelynn's progress from his Tennessee home. He checks Dovie's posts on Facebook each day, happy to see Angelynn reach each new milestone in her recovery, and proud that Courtney gave a 14-year-old a chance to experience life healthier than she has ever known. "It's been emotional," he said. "We are so happy for Angelynn, and at the same time, sad for our loss. But if it wasn't for Angelynn, I don't know how we would have gotten through it. Angelynn has been the light in our day every morning. In the middle of the night, sometimes I will roll over and look at my phone and see what Ms. Dovie has posted about Angelynn and how she's doing. "It's been a way to heal. Angelynn has offered a way for us to heal." To be an organ donor upon death and help save the lives of those in need, visit the Alabama Organ Center website and register today. To sign up nationally, visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website. Learn more about the Division of Cardiovascular Disease's Heart-Lung Transplant Program here. Information on UAB Medicine's Transplant Services is available here. About UAB Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the state of Alabama's largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation's top 50. UAB's Center for Clinical and Translational Science is advancing innovative discoveries for better health as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org. About UAB Medicine UAB Medicine comprises the School of Medicine and the $3 billion UAB Health System that includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient-care activities and 2,300 licensed beds in six hospitals, one of which is UAB Hospital the third-largest public hospital in the United States, winner of the Women's Choice award, and one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals. UAB is the state of Alabama's largest single employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation's top 50. UAB is the largest academic medical center in Alabama and one of the top four largest academic medical centers in the United States. UAB's Center for Clinical and Translational Science is advancing innovative discoveries for better health as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org. Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39000 http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39001 The Gorilla Radio archive can be found at: www.Gorilla-Radio.com. G-Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in State and Corporate media. Gorilla Radio airs live Thursdays between 11-12 noon Pacific Time. Airing in Victoria at 101.9FM, and featured on the internet at: http://cfuv.ca and www.pacificfreepress.com. And check out Pacific Free Press on Twitter @Paciffreepress We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today A 59-year-old man was fatally struck by a driver while biking through a Staten Island intersection on Tuesday evening. The motorist, who according to the police was high on marijuana, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. Marshall (via Facebook). Stanley Marshall was biking on Richmond Road just before 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday when he was struck by 52-year-old Lisa Martini as she turned out of a strip mall at the intersection of Andrews Avenue, according to a preliminary investigation. Responding officers found Marshall, a Staten Island resident, unconscious and unresponsive in the road. He was pronounced dead at Staten Island University hospital. Martini was arrested on the scene and charged initially with driving under the influencea violation punishable with a temporary license suspension, up to $1,000 in fines, and a maximum one year prison sentence. The top manslaughter charge was added during Martini's arraignment on Wednesday. An NYPD spokesperson would not elaborate on how Martini was tested for marijuana intoxication. But testing for stoned driving has long proven difficult, as THC tests are not as reliable an indicator of motor-skill impairment as a breathalyzer. THC levels are usually measured in blood or urine samples taken within a few hours of an arrest. According to the NY Times, these tests can pick up trace amounts of THC days, or even weeks, after a person has smoked marijuana. In New York State, any trace amount of marijuana in the blood stream or urine is grounds for a driving under the influence charge. The Advance reports that Marshall suffered a broken pelvis and internal injuries in the crash. A family member told the news outlet that his body was in terrible shapeso mangled, that only his eyes were suitable for donation. According to the outlet, Marshall lived in a nearby apartment on Richmond Road, and had spent most of Tuesday at work, cleaning oil tanks. Marshall had borrowed the bicycle from a roommate, and was en route to a nearby deli when he was fatally struck by Martini's 2013 Honda CRV. A Transportation Alternatives report released in December that evaluated the traffic safety records of the city's five District Attorneys ranked Staten Island the worst, pointing out that the number of pedestrians killed in the borough "has remained unchanged for 30 years." In a lengthy response to the reports allegation's that Richmond County "has demonstrated zero effort to participate in Vision Zero," the Staten Island DA's office insisted that it is "quite aggressive in regards to vehicular crime prosecutions." UPDATE: Family and friends of the late Marshall have set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes of covering his expenses. The group is seeking $8,000 by next Wednesday to go towards a burial plot, and an additional $12,000 for hospital bills, the funeral and other expenses. "[Marshall] had no material wealth but behaved as though he had through the generosity of his character," the page reads. "He was always ready and willing to help whenever he was asked, and lived a very simple and solitary life." Cops are looking for a woman who they say stole two watches worth more than $100,000 total from unsuspecting men in separate incidents. The NYPD says the swindler met her first victim, a 35-year-old, at 4 a.m. on August 21st, 2015 in the Meatpacking District, and accompanied him back to the Ace Hotel on West 29th Street in Midtown. When he dozed off, she slipped an Audemars Piguet watch worth $55,000 off his wrist and scrammed. Four days later, cops say the grifter glommed onto a 28-year-old in front of Catch Roof, a restaurant on Ninth Avenue in the Meatpacking District, and he took her to the Z NYC Hotel in Long Island City. When he fell asleep, police say she slipped off his timepiece, also an Audemars Piguet (Royal Oak Offshore collection), and skedaddled. Police describe the woman as standing 5-foot-8, with long black hair, and a hand tattoo. Other instances of women seducing men seen flashing bling, then taking off with the jewels, have made headlines recently. Two women who met Knicks forward Derrick Williams at a Meatpacking District club in December grabbed $750,000 worth of jewelry from his apartment, including four Rolexes, an Audemars, and a gold Versace Jesus medallion. A watch dealer relieved of his $600,000 timepiece by sex workers he met at a Midtown strip club was another of the 31 men the New York Post reported were robbed in this way in 2015. Police ask people with information about the watch thefts to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-8477, visit the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637, then enter "TIP577". Time to take a collective deep breath and relax. At least that's what the weather forecast is doing. After a few days of extreme temperature variations more typical of Nebraska weather (yesterday was 55 degrees warmer than Sunday morning's record low) we have returned to drab, run-of-the-mill, February conditions for New York. For today typical weather means a mix of sun and clouds and a high temperature right near the normal of 42 degrees as a weak high pressure system makes a short appearance in the area. A cold front tonight will bring cooler weather for the next couple of days with tomorrow only warming to the mid 30s and Friday maybe reaching the upper 30s. Thursday will be kind of windy, so dress for a wind chill in the lower 20s. A storm is expected to pass well north of the city on Friday night. At worst that will give us a bit of rain or snow. More importantly, that storm will drag warmer air up here for the weekend. Highs could reach the mid 50s on Saturday and close to 50 on Sunday. The next chance for a significant storm is in the middle of next week but early indications are that it will be a rain event. When Governor Cuomo dumped a bucket of lofty, coffer-draining, logistics-be-damned infrastructure announcements last montha Penn Station-Apple Store hybrid, a wifi-equipped subway system coupled with lengthy station shutdowns, a Javits Center "for the next generation"some New Yorkers were still wrapping their heads around the possibility of an overhauled LaGuardia airport, equipped with a ferry terminal and ill-fated AirTrain, for a cool $4 billion. Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the estimate has been bumped to $4.2 billion, thanks to previously unforeseen costs in overhauling 1960s-era Terminal B into a central terminal unifying the entire airport. One insider told the paper that financing could push the estimate closer to $5 billion. To help cover these ballooning costs, LaGuardia is reportedly considering lifting the "perimeter rule"a 1984 restriction that prohibits the airport from hosting direct flights to cities more than 1,500 miles away from New York (why your Seattle/Hong Kong/Hawaii flights don't drop you at LGA). There's currently an exemption on Saturdays (Delta apparently takes advantage with a weekly round-trip between LGA and Aruba), and direct flights to Denver are allowed, even though they technically exceed the mandated maximum trip length. Lifting the ban would likely increase customer traffic and bring more expensive flights through the airportcrowds that the currently-outdated airport would have a hard time handling. Still, the idea has long been backed by Delta, which is partnering with the Port Authority to carry out Cuomo's LGA renovation plans. But WSJ reports that other airlines are pushing back, including JetBlue, which has a hub at JFK, and United, which has a Newark hub. (United Airlines executive Kate Gebo warned of significant impacts on air traffic, congestion and competition.") Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who's on the Governors' advisory panel for the LGA overhaul, has called for a review of the possible environmental impacts from noise pollution and air traffic. Ultimately, the decision to lift the perimeter rule is up to the Port Authority. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but an insider told WSJ that a decision likely won't be made until fall 2016. Work is supposed to begin on the airport early next year, pending final Port Authority approval, with new sections accessible by summer 2019, and construction complete another year and a half later. Who's to say how much renovation costs will jump by then? The inspiration for the authoritative book on power in New York City came from the authors realization that he understood nothing of it. I spent a lot of time thinking, if youre really interested in political power, everything you do is bullshit, Robert Caro told us recently. Caro, who was a reporter covering Robert Moses at Newsday in the late 1960s, took seven years to write The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, a good chunk of it spent researching in the Frederick Lewis Allen Room of the main branch of the New York Public Library. Until April 7, the NYPL has a kiosk in the McGraw Rotunda one floor above the Allen Room featuring some of Caros primary source material. Last week, Caro took a break from writing the fifth and final installment of The Years of Lyndon Johnsona series he began researching 42 years agoto talk about how his time at the library helped him during a dark period of his life, why the decisions Robert Moses made are still gridlocking New York, and what he misses most about being a newspaper reporter. Caro's New York accent (his wife and research partner, Ina, who is also an author, is sometimes "Eye-ner") and humility cure an interviewer's jitters. He prefaces anecdotes about the exhaustive research he did on the greatest biographical series of our time with phrases like, "I don't want to bore you with this." And he largely shies away from commenting on New York City in 2016, except when we gaze out the window of his office near Columbus Circle. "You know, these buildings are disgusting," Caro says, motioning to the luxury high-rises. "No one seems to speak out against them. You wonder what New York is going to become." But first, Caro had some questions for us: If youre publishing on the Internet, do you call them readers or viewers? Either, I think. How do you know they're reading it? There's something called Chartbeatit shows you how many people are reading a specific article in any given moment, and how long they spend on that article. That's called "engagement time." We have a giant flatscreen on the wall that displays it, a lot of publications do. What you just said is the worst thing I ever heard. [Laughs] How long do people spend reading the articles? Most of the time its around 30 seconds. How long is the average blog? Around 500 words. So theyre not even reading it! What if you spent time on a story, and did like, when I was a reporter, what was called a long feature? You know, a couple thousand words. Would people read that? Sometimes. You can put a lot of time and energy into something, and it can get buried by something much smaller, or something thats not even original. A 50-word item announcing where Robert Caro is speaking on some night could bury a 5,000 word feature. Its somewhat of a race to the bottom What do you mean by that? Headlines and other tools that are used to get people to click on an article. It reduces what might be a piece of nuanced writing to the most salacious tidbit. So The Power Broker might be headlined, Robert Moses Is A Racist Whatever. Orand someone did this recentlyyou might try something like, The 11 Most Shocking Things In The Power Broker." It just crushes all nuance. What you just told me, Im thinking about when I was a reporter and they were reading something of mine, and if the engagement time or whatever was two seconds, Id shoot myself! [Laughs] Youve said that you were able to uncover some of your best material in The Power Broker and in your LBJ series by being incredibly thorough"time equals truth," and "turn the page." For someone who writes on the Internet, how do you uncover truth on a weekly basis? Or an hourly basis? Thats what I hated about being a reporter. I liked a lot ofin fact, I was just talking to my wife and I said Id give anything to take a year off and go back to being a general assignment reporter. Why dont you? Yeah but Im worried Im not gonna finish the books now. I dont wanna waste time doing articles. I love being a reporter. But the thing I didnt like was you were always having to write when you still had more questions in your mind. I remember that feeling. And even when I started being an investigative reporterone of the first stories I did, I went out to Arizona to look into something and I thought, this is a big fraud. I said I need two weeks out here. I remember they couldnt believe that someone was asking them for two whole weeks, it was such a different world then. As in two weeks was a long time? Yeah! It was a daily newspaper, and you wrote for the next day. When you started you did two or three articles. Then youd do bigger stories, then youd do one a day, but you wrote every day. I got to be an investigative reporter totally by accident. Lets say I was 23 and I didnt know what I was doing. We had this managing editor who was really out of The Front Page, and he didnt like guys from the Ivy League. They hired me when he was on vacation [Laughs]. For awhile I was the only guy in the newsroom whod gone to the Ivy League and he didnt talk to me for awhile. Then I did something almost by accident on an investigation that they were interested in, and he said I didnt know someone from Princeton could go through files like this, from now on you do investigative work. So with my usual savoir faire, I say, But I dont know anything about investigative work. He said, "Well put you next to Bob Greene." We had these little tin desks, and Bob Greene weighed about 300 pounds. So when hed sit down, Bob Greene was half in my desk. The fact is that I learned a lot from him. I started to realize, I was doing political reporting, and I came to realize almost by accident that this guy Robert Moses had so much power. He wanted to build this bridge across Long Island Sound, and Newsday had me look into it. Around then, I was a Nieman fellow. Inas mother was dying that year, so she couldnt come up to Cambridge with me, so I dont like to go to social things myself, and there were a lot of social things. But everybody had an office of their own, and I spent a lot of time thinking, if youre really interested in political power, everything you do is bullshit. Youre not saying in every story, power comes from being elected, but your whole work as a political reporter is based on the premise that power in a democracy comes from being elected. And heres a guy who has never been elected to anything and he has more power than anyone who was elected, and he has more power than the mayor and any governor or any mayor or governor put togetherlook, hes built the whole landscape of your life. So I thought I was going to do that in a newspaper series. I was gonna need months to do this, how am I gonna get them to do months? It was just too big, I was gonna have to do a book, but I thought Id be done with the book in nine months. In the NYPL exhibit on The Power Broker, youre quoted as saying, I had been living for seven years with people saying no one would pay attention to a book on Robert Moses. Is this because no one knew who he was? Or is it because his legacy had already been cemented? No, there was this vague knowledge. I went to Horace Mann, and the other night a bunch of us who were in the same class together had dinner. I thought I was exaggerating this, but no: when we were juniors, everybody had to write a paper on the same topic, and the topic was, Robert Moses was the perfect example of the white knight in literature. He was the hero, you know? But when I started bumping into him as a reporter, youd say, who is this guy? Nobody knows who he is. And nobody knows how he got his power. I remember there was not only not a book, but not a single magazine article that had explored the public authority as a source of political power. They just saw public authorities as things that sold bonds to build a bridge, collected tolls until the bonds were paid off, then went out of business. No one knew he was interesting. I only knew one editor, and they gave me the worlds smallest advance. For years I was working up in the Bronx, it was before I came to the library. You work on a book for years, and if you dont have writers around to tell you that books take yearsit was sort of a terrible time, because we were broke, really broke for years. It was terrible because Moses had stopped everyone from talking to me for a long time. But it was also terrible because you felt, what am I doing? No ones interested in this! Youre keeping your family impoverished, you know? All of a sudden youre in a room with 10 other people who are all sort of doing the same things. I was very moved by this [NYPL] kiosk. It reminded me of how much that library meant to me. For the first time you were in a room full of writers. This guy, James Flexner, who was an idol of mine, he came over one day and said, How long have you been working on this? Which was the question that I just dreaded, you know? And whatever my answer was at the time, five years, or whatever. He said, Oh thats not so long, my Washington book took 14 years! There was another guy in the room named Ferdinand Lundberg, nobody knows this guys name. Ferdinand Lundberg wrote a book in the 30s that was one of the greatest examples of political reporting. Its called Americas 60 Families. This would be our one-tenth of 1 percentits about how 60 families controlled 95 percent of the wealth in the United States. I came across that book as I was researching the robber barons and I thought it was the greatest book. One day I was doodling titles, and I decided I was going to call it The Power Broker, and my first editor didnt like that title. But I knew this was going to be the title. And I wrote it, and all of a sudden Lundberg was standing behind me. He said, Is that the title? And I said yes. Dont let them change that, he said. So there were things that happened in that room, right at the beginning, that made everything change all of a sudden. There were other famous writers, like Barbara Tuchman had been there, she had just left when I got there. And then there were a bunch of writers like me, who no one knew. Like, Susan Brownmiller, she wrote a book called Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, and it was groundbreaking. Susan had the next desk from me, and no one had ever heard of her either, and her editor wasnt returning her calls. We used to make a bet, whose editor would return our call first! [Laughs] Sometimes the bet would go on for a long time, but I still remember Susans feet. She wore these socks with bright horizontal stripes, and shed stick them under this partial carrel, so theyd be sticking under my desk, and when I was writing Id see them. So when you were writing you werent lonely. Why write about individual people and not systems of power? I would be lying to you if I said I know now why. As I was writing this book, I realizedrealized is probably an exaggerated wordI realized that if I did his life right, I would be explaining not just him, but how urban political power worked. Not just in New York but in all the cities of America. Moses had done something no one else had ever done. Everyone thought power comes from being elected. He wasnt elected, he realizes hes never going to get elected to anything, so hes got to figure out a way to get all this power without getting elected, and he does it. I didnt understand it, no one else understood it, even La Guardia says to him, Dont tell me what to do, or whatever the quote is, Im the boss, you just work for me. And Moses writes, and I saw this letter in La Guardias papers, he sends back the letter and he writes across it, Youd better read the contracts, mayor. I gradually came to understand that because he had done this thing, that no one else had ever done, gotten all this power without being elected, if I could find out how he did it and explain how he did it, I would be explaining something that no one else understood and I thought they really should understand, which is, how does power really work in cities? Not what were taught in textbooks, but whats the raw, bottom, naked essence of real power? Im writing this book, and I suddenly say, God, this isnt really a biography, this is a book about political power. I said Id love to do the same thing with national power. Whos the one guy who did something that no one else did? The thing that got me about Lyndon Johnson wasnt him being president. It was about him being Senate Majority Leader. In your lifetime or in my lifetime, the Senate has never worked. Around the Civil War you have Webster, Clay, and Calhoun, but after the Civil War, until Johnson becomes majority leader, which is like, 90 years, the Senate is the same mess it is today. Exactly. People think its different, but its the same. Johnson becomes Majority Leader, for five years, 55 through 60, the Senate really works. The Senate writes the bills. Its his civil rights bill, not Eisenhowers. He leaves, and its so dramatic! He did something like Moses, that no one else did, so if I could just find out how power in the Senate works, I could just explain it to people. In a democracy you want to explain to people how power works. I really wanted to do [The Power Broker], but I never thought Id get to do another book, all I wanted to do was get back to a paycheck. I just wanted to go back to Newsday, and it seems like every few months an editor who liked me went to the New York Times, or died, or whatever. (Scott Heins / Gothamist) You write that in 1955, the Triborough Authority and the Port Authority had enough money to build a whole new LIRR, build new tunnels underneath the Hudson River, build the Second Avenue Subway, build another tunnel across the East River for the Second Avenue Subway, and extend the subway down Nostrand Avenue. Instead Moses used it all on roads. Were sitting here in 2016 and still talking about building tunnels underneath the Hudson, about the Second Avenue Subway, about problems and delays on the subway and the LIRR. What have we learned or what have we not learned from The Power Broker? You just said it [Laughs] better than Ive heardthats exactly right. He had enough money, because the Port Authority really did what he wanted even though he wasnt the head of it. Whenever you drive out on Long Island, you just sit in these traffic jams on the LIE or wherever, you really say, It didnt have to be like this. It would have been so easy to fix it. All these things that were trying to get done todaywe go to Paris almost every year, and it seems almost every couple of years theres a new Metro line to a new neighborhood. How do they do that? No one even talks about it here! When they talk about congestion pricing, you say, but youre not giving people a good alternative. You gotta give them a good alternative. An alternative to congestion pricingwhat would that look like? I dont know. I would listen to Moses, and think, boy is he smart. He thinks in terms of things you never even knew existed, thats really what I mean. Why is New York still such a car-centric city? Why havent we learned those lessons that you spent years accruing and putting into print? This will take a minute to explain. In a way, its very hard to change it now. You take Long Islandwhen hes building the LIE, Long Island isnt developed. Suffolk County is nothing but potato farms. The eastern half of Nassau is pretty much a farming area. And portions of the Queens, the northeastern portion is just farms. Everybody is saying to himits not hindsightpeople were saying to him at the time, so if you build this road, the minute you build it out to make an exit, youre gonna have development there. They said the thing to do was build it with a light rail line, down the center. If you do that, itll be like the old towns of Long Island, like Great Neck and Port Washington. Theyll be little apartment houses near each exit, and the people who want to go into New York by train will have that option. People who want to use cars can still use cars, but a lot of people will take the train. If you dont do that everybodys gonna have to take cars. In addition to that, land was really cheap. If I remember this, the right-of-way he was buying for this was 200 feet. And they said, but all you need for two light rail lines happens to be an extra 40 feet. So whatever the amount was, if you just add 4 percent more, you can add a light rail line. He was determined not to allow mass transit. He wouldnt put the light rail in. They said, if you wont put the light rail in, at least buy the right-of-way, because now if you do that well have the land to have the light rail line and every 10 miles or so we can add huge parking fields. If you dont do that, they said, no one will ever be able to buy it because itll get too expensive. Moses was a real genius, he didnt want that to happen in the future. He engineered the footings of the LIE to be too light for anything but cars, so you cant ever put a light rail there. He condemned Long Island to be this car-centered place. So when I say that one man not only shaped New York but shaped it for centuries to come, because now how can you overcome that? All the people who live in northeastern Queens, or Co-op City in the Bronx, and all of Suffolk and a lot of Nassau County, theyre condemned to use cars. Its not easy to use mass transit. Moses came along with his incredible vision, and vision not in a good sense. Its like how he built the bridges too low. I remember his aide, Sid Shapiro, who I spent a lot of time getting to talk to me, he finally talked to me. And he had this quote that Ive never forgotten. He said Moses didnt want poor people, particularly poor people of color, to use Jones Beach, so they had legislation passed forbidding the use of buses on parkways. Then he had this quote, and I can still hear him saying it to me. Legislation can always be changed. Its very hard to tear down a bridge once its up. So he built 180 or 170 bridges too low for buses. We used Jones Beach a lot, because I used to work the night shift for the first couple of years, so Id sleep til 12 and then wed go down and spend a lot of afternoons at the beach. It never occurred to me that there werent any black people at the beach. So Ina and I went to the main parking lot, that huge 10,000-car lot. We stood there with steno pads, and we had three columns: Whites, Blacks, Others. And I still remember that first columnthere were a few Others, and almost no Blacks. The Whites would go on to the next page. I said, God, this is what Robert Moses did. This is how you can shape a metropolis for generations. See, I was learning all this stuff. Now it sounds like I know it. But Im learning this stuff one thing at a time. How did you get the detail that Moses built wrought-iron monkeys on the Harlem Comfort Station, and how do you go about reporting that as evidence of Moses racism? When Ric Burns was doing his New York documentary, he didnt believe me! He had me in a van with him and he took me to a lot of places and interviewed me. And I said to him, dont you want to go to that comfort station? And he said something, I dont remember what it was, that he indicated that it wasnt true. So I said, lets just drive over there! I understand its been taken down. But you know I dont remember the answer to who told me that. Someone told me about it, and I went and looked. [Ed. There is no individual note for this passage, but confidential sources are cited for this section] His racismhe was the most racist human being I had ever really encountered. I still remember him, he had this gesture. When I interviewed him he was already 78 or 79, but he had immense physical power, and this gesture, which I cant even really do. [Caro loudly slams his open palm down on his desk.] He took some call, and he hung up the call, and he just[Caro slams his palm down again.] The quote is somewhere in there, but he says, They expect me to build playgrounds for that scum floating up from Puerto Rico. I couldnt believe it. He had no apology at all. How did interviewing Moses in person shape how you wrote about him, versus writing about LBJ, whom you never spoke to? Well, I really wish I had met Lyndon Johnson. Youre constantly sorry that you didnt. With Moses it helped me understand him, because he was so unapologetic. Also, you understood the other part of him, which is this genius he has. Ive been interviewed so many times Ive probably said everything Im saying to you at one point or another over the last 40 years. [Laughs] He had this huge map, and when he would get excited and talk to you, he would jump up, he used these yellow pencils with erasers, and hed have one in his hand. Hed say, the Mosholu Parkway, which he wanted to build, which would have destroyed the character of another swath of the Bronx. But to listen to him, hed say, Cant you see? The highway goes here, we can have the parks here, and then well have housing here, and you saw that this guy thought in terms of an entireand so many of the early things he did were masterpieces, like Jones Beach. Hed say something like, Well it was 8 to 7 against us in Ways and Means but the swing vote was Stevens of Cattaraugus County and Stevens had in house in a mortgage and the mortgage was the First Citizens Bank of Rochester. The way you got to the First Citizens Bank of Rochester he remembered everything! They werent really interviews. Youd ask him a question and hed answer for like, three hours or something. I remember thinking to myself, youve got to find a way to be fair to him, to show this genius, to show that he can think in a way that maybe no one else thought, where he sees Connecticut, Westchester, Long Island, New York, as one canvas, and hes drawing on it! Will it take a Robert Moses type person to undo what Robert Moses did? Its this idea of collectivist power versus the power of a single person. Political scientists are always saying Im too believing in the Great Man Theory. If you take the particular great man, he shaped New York. New York is to this amazing extent what he envisioned, and what he built. Would we have a Civil Rights Act today if Lyndon Johnson hadnt been there in 1964? See, you need both things, you need the heroism of the blacks to create this movement, to create national attention, to sacrifice themselves and all. But you also need someone who can turn that into laws. When Kennedys assassinated, Lyndon Johnson says the first thing we oughta do is pass the civil rights program, weve talked about it for a hundred years, its time to write it in the books of law. To write it in the books of law. The more I would talk to senatorsI tried to talk to all the senators that I could who were alive, and all their top staffersthe more you talk to them, the more you say, this was never gonna get passed. The southern senators controlled the committees. So you really do think, if theres someone really almost uniqueI mean theres only one comparison that I know of to Moses and thats Baron Haussmann. As for Lyndon Johnson, I dont think we have someone with the legislative genius like that. What about someone like Dick Cheney? He created an awful lot of power for himself. Well, I havent examined his past. Governor Cuomo fancies himself a bit like Robert Moseshes going to rebuild the Tappan Zee Bridge, expand the Javits Center, and build a train for La Guardia, but wheres Moses' soaring ambition there? I remember I was once on the dais with Donald Trump. This was a long time ago, this is before he became really famous. He said something to me like, Why would you write a book about someone you didnt like? Then there was some quote, it was like, Trump is going to be the next Robert Moses. And someone asked me about that, and I said hed have to build at the rate hes building now for the next 200 years to equal Robert Moses! [Laughs] (Scott Heins / Gothamist) What is your Internet consumption like? Well, I dont have email, I have a computer now. I had to take notes in the Johnson Library on a computer, but I write in longhand. But if you wanted to read an article in The New York Times or The New Yorker or whatever, you dont go online, you get a physical copy? Sorry, I do. [Laughs] You never used a recording device for any your interviews Never isnt true, almost never. Why? That sounds incredibly difficult to accurately transcribe someones words while also thinking of good questions to ask. You have to say, when I was a reporter, there werent recording devices. A lot of old reporters had a shorthand. I can get every word of an interview. Lady Bird Johnson, she wanted to record me, I guess she thought I would misquote her. But I said she could do it if I got a copy of her transcript. I took my notes and did what I usually do, in my steno notebooks, and my rule is I type them up that night. There was something she was talking about where I wanted every word, and I checked it against the transcript and I had every word. When I was your age, that was how you did it. You know, I went to see Spotlight, I miss being a reporter so much, I went right back and saw it again! [Laughs] And I really want to see it again. Did you ever see All The Presidents Men? Yeah. I love all of thoseyou know theres another movie, called The Paper. Jason Robards plays the owner, Robert Duvall is this editor very much like the editor who I said didnt want to hire anyone from the Ivy League, and Glenn Close is the managing editor and Michael Keaton is the young reporter who wants to get off this tabloid and go over to the New York Times. Its a great newspaper movie. In fact I just talked myself into getting it on Netflix. If you read profiles of Robert Caro, theres always a tinge of sadness that by devoting yourself to writing about someone elses life, youre almost missing out on your own. Its this vision of Robert Caro alone with his typewriter and his steno pads. Is there a sense that youre writing this last LBJ book in a vacuum? [Pauses] No. No, because however boastful it is to say, youre aware that these Johnson books have sold an awful lot of copies; that people are reading them. Years ago, they did some survey and it showed that something like 231 colleges were teaching The Power Broker. With The Power Broker, its like, people just sort of know now, why the bridges are so low. People are always saying to me, oh we drove out, how many bridges did he do like that? Or the Tavern on the Greenpeople are constantly saying to me, is that the playground that Moses wanted to pave over? I hear that a lot, actually. You see people for 40 years, and you see people still reading the book. It just makes you feel good. OK so what has that sort of authorial power revealed about you? Well, Id better get it right! [Laughs] You do feel, you know, youd better get it right. I do feel that. This interview has been condensed and edited. The transformation of a divey live music venue into a fancy cocktail bar with a pedigreed mixologist seems a fitting one for East Houston Street, as the condos move in and the mess of grubbier food shops move out. Giuseppe Gonzalez, who crafted cocktails behind the pine at PKNY, Pegu Club, Dutch Kills and others, debuts Suffolk Arms inside the former Local 269 space this Thursday. There, Gonzalezalong with friend and business partner Ruben Rodriguez of the Bronx's Michelin-nodded Havana Cafelooks to dispel vodka-hatred, celebrate historic cocktails and offer some new-wave creations of his own. Redeeming vodka in the eyes of mixology purists may be Gonzalez's toughest challenge. The oft-dismissed spirit has an entire section devoted to shooing away the notion that it doesn't belong in the shakers of respectable cocktail joints. Industry luminaries including Julie Reiner (Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club) and Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club) were tapped for their expertise, which yielded drinks like Saunders's Grapefruit Cooler. Gonzalez describes another part of his philosophy as omakase-style cocktails, where imbibers select the spirit of their choice and enter a pact of trust with the bartender to craft something to their liking. But the bar also offers its own cocktail list for the risk-averse, like the B & B & B ($14) made with bourbon, banana and butter, and several classic reinterpretations from other cocktail nobility including Jerry Thomas, also known as the "father of American mixology." Like its roundtable approach to the drinking, which celebrates Gonzalez's inspirations, the food and decor follow suit with a who's who and what's what of New York City and Lower East Side lore. Sixty hand-drawn portraits of Keith Haring, Jam Master Jay and other notable New Yorkers like the New York Public Library lions line the wood-paneled walls and windows. The food menu includes a Russ & Daughters Smoked Fish Platter ($22) a matzo ball soup ($8) made with Streit's Matzo, which occupied a nearby site until, ironically, it was purchased by developers. 269 East Houston Street; website A tourist who refused to buy some Statue of Liberty tickets suffered a fractured skull after being assaulted by an alleged ticket agent. Police say that tourist William White, 33, an Arkansas resident who was visiting the city with his wife Shelly, was near the Staten Island Ferry terminal around 3:30 p.m. on Monday when the incident happened. After White reportedly declined to purchase the Statue of Liberty tickets from a female vendor, suspect Robert Anderson, 25, allegedly walked over and punched White in the face. White hit his head on the pavement, and the two vendors fled the scene. White was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a fractured skull; he is currently in stable condition. Cops confirmed that Anderson has been taken into custody today, and say charges are pending. They described him as a career criminal with 10 prior arrests including robbery, drugs and petit larceny; he is currently on probation for burglary. The Post adds that investigators also know the identity of the female suspect, and their sources say she was arrested in December for a similar incident "in which she assaulted a person to whom she tried to sell tickets." De Blasio addressed the incident at a press conference yesterday afternoon, telling reporters, "Were going to crack down on anyone who commits a crime in this city and particularly if theres any kind of organized effort, we want to get at its root and cut it off. If theres something aimed at tourists or aimed at the Staten Island Ferry we will get at it very very aggressively...We obviously deeply appreciate that people come to visit us. We had the highest number of tourists weve ever had last year 58 million plus and we want to keep it that way." Last year, a con man was arrested after he allegedly charged a pair of tourists $200 each for tickets on the Staten Island Ferry. Parks advocates added that scammers had brazenly active in Battery Park ripping off tourists. Opinion Clear message The Darwin awards are for the best approaches, normally successful, to removing yourself from the gene pool. The latest attempt by American Rebecca Clark shows how to do it in so many ways, a solo walk in a park, poor phone reception and then getting within a few feet of a 2000-pound bison. Living amidst violence rapidly constricting hope for a safer, sustainable, more equitable, and happier community and nation, what is to be done?There's more to be done than I can envision or perhaps even imagine. People who suffer -- whether for being different, for trying to control their bodies, for randomly encountering some gun fetishist, from climate disruption, or simply for lacking cash -- need to be cared for. In some places and moments, some people have to raise a ruckus in the streets.But also, what experience with actual, existing U.S. political power has taught me: in the mid-term elections in the fall of 2022, there are some contests that are vital. Here is a useful list of articles to help you figure out which elections are most important.Or hit me up about volunteer and paid opportunities to join campaigns in Nevada, Arizona and Pennsylvania: jan.uhreno@gmail BILLINGS -- For an animal that lives in such rocky and steep country, bighorn sheep are pretty frail and defenseless when put in contact with smaller domestic sheep and goats. The sheep and goats carry a pneumonia virus that the bighorns have little resistance to, often proving fatal. This is an ongoing controversy, said Kevin Hurley, conservation director for the Wild Sheep Foundation. Thirteen of 15 western states that have bighorn sheep have had pneumonia die-offs. Its a pretty ubiquitous situation. A recent analysis by the National Wildlife Federation, titled Bighorns Risks: Identifying Risks Posed by Domestic Sheep, is an attempt by a group of wildlife organizations to shine a spotlight on Montanas iconic bighorn sheep herds and propose ways to protect and grow their populations. We have to address this issue, Hurley said. We believe theres room on the land for both, just not together. By the numbers The report released last week identifies the areas where bighorns and domestic goat and sheep herds overlap. From that information the author and contributors to the study hope that eventually greater separation can be built between the domestic and wild animals to ensure the health of bighorn sheep. How to do that is simple and yet extremely difficult keep the animals separated on the landscape at least 20 miles by the National Wildlife Federations calculation. But thats become increasingly more challenging as hobby herds of sheep and goats become more popular. The hobby herds are nearly impossible to track, may not stay around long and the owners often dont realize the risk the domestic animals pose to wild sheep. Thats why Hurley said the No. 1 goal of the report is to get information out to people. There are a lot of folks who dont even know this is an issue, he said. On FWPs radar Certainly Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel have long known about the problem. As far back as 1950 a report identified bighorn herds that failed to grow or suffered die-offs. This fluctuation has been reported as occurring for the last fifty years, probably since white men came in the report stated. Yet addressing the issue continually bumps into the states long agricultural heritage as well as private property rights. Hurley said when the Wild Sheep Foundation was based in Cody, Wyoming, (it has since moved its headquarters to Bozeman) it took part in a working group that included livestock producers. Were trying to do this collaboratively; thats what we did in Wyoming for 16 years on public land, he said. On the state wildlife management side, FWP needs to be more proactive, said Tom Carlsen, a retired FWP biologist who helped write the states bighorn management plan. Part of the issue with sheep management in Montana is theres nobody to ramrod it, he said. Carlsen said FWP tends to be reactive to bighorn infections rather than proactive. He also suggested the agency direct more money into protecting existing bighorn populations. The report proposes a number of ways to invest in bighorn sheep, such as incentive payments to livestock owners to switch from sheep to cattle; a cost-share program to provide fencing, guard dogs or to pay a herder; retiring high-risk federal and state sheep grazing allotments; and eliminating the use of goats and sheep to remove weeds on land close to bighorn herds. Constant conflict FWP has seemed unable to move the needle on protecting bighorn herds. Last year two native herds that utilize the Gardiner Basin north of Yellowstone National Park lost at least 35 sheep, including some trophy rams. On one of the herds winter range only six lambs were counted this year; normally it's closer to 20 or 30, said Karen Loveless, an FWP biologist. Two domestic sheep herds are located nearby, and although Loveless has talked to the landowners about the disease risk to bighorn sheep they dont subscribe to the science. In situations like that, Carlsen said bighorn advocates need to find a way to enact legislation to protect existing bighorn herds from introductions of domestic sheep on adjacent land. The inability to boost the Tendoy Mountain herd despite repeated transplants prompted FWP to enact hunting regulations allowing the complete eradication of the 50-animal herd in hopes that would provide a better chance for transplanted sheep to survive. Many believe that once the disease establishes itself in a herd it becomes endemic and proves lethal to the young, which have little or no resistance. FWPs attempts to establish new herds have been halted because of the presence of nearby domestic sheep, despite a call in the agencys own 2010 bighorn sheep management plan to establish five more viable herds across the state by 2020. A frustrated Fish and Wildlife Commission, sending a message to the department, turned down a proposed transfer of Montana sheep to South Dakota in 2014 the message being if we cant find room for them here, no one else can have them either. Is that all there is? Despite the struggles, Montanas bighorn sheep numbers have steadily climbed between 1950 and 2010, from just more than 1,000 to about 6,500, thanks in part to aggressive transplanting and establishment of new herds by FWP. Those population figures include sheep from Glacier and Waterton Lakes national parks. The question now seems to be: Has all of the prime bighorn habitat in Montana been filled? Or is it possible to work with domestic producers and federal and state landowners to provide enough space for bighorn sheep to thrive in areas where they can avoid disease transmission? The next discussion is how we sit down with the local shareholders and find the right answers, said Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation. We need to work collaboratively with domestic sheep producers and local communities and get out of this cycle. This is a real conservation opportunity. A subcommittee tasked with looking at how Montana would meet rules laid out in the Clean Power Plan has canceled its March meeting after a U.S. Supreme Court decision delayed implementation of the plan. The joint Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee and Environmental Quality Council Clean Power Plan Subcommittee will not meet March 10. On Feb. 9, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules on the CPP's legality. The stay means that for now the requirement for states to submit a compliance plan or a plan with a request for an extension by September is on hold until a final decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, or the U.S. Supreme Court is made. Gov. Steve Bullock in November issued an executive order creating a Clean Power Plan Advisory Council to assist the Montana Department of Environmental Quality as it developed information to submit to the EPA for compliance with the federal rule. The council included 27 members and was expected to meet in February. However, with the stay issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, Governor Bullock also announced that the work of the advisory council would be on hold. Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Jim Keane, D-Butte, and Vice Chairman Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kaslispell, agreed that the subcommittee's work would also be on hold. Montana is one of 27 states suing to halt implementation of Obama's Clean Power Plan. Under the plan, Montana would have to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 47 percent, one of the most strigent requirements in the nation. Older units at Montana's coal-fired power plants at Colstrip were seen at risk of closing to meet the EPA's requirements. In Wyoming, Gov. Matt Mead Mead told the Casper Star-Tribune that Wyoming would continue its planning to comply with the Clean Power Plan, but at a slower pace. That state's Department of Environmental Quality had asked the state Legislature for $350,000 to hire a consultant and look at ways to meet the reductions laid out by the EPA, but Mead told the Star-Tribune that amount could be lowered now. The Senates Republican majority should find the will to confirm a replacement for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said Tuesday, arguing that waiting for a new president as proposed by the GOP is too long to keep the seat vacant. President (Barack) Obama is going to be in office until the middle of January; its the middle of February now. Thats 11 months out. I mean, come on, said Tester, a Montana Democrat. We should not let the election process stop us from doing our job. I think its a mistake. Tester said he was amazed by how quickly after Scalias death Feb. 13 that Republican leaders announced they would not let the confirmation process move forward until there was a new president. The Senate has never taken more than 125 days, or about four months, to vote on a successor from the time of nomination, according to a recent New York Times report. On average, a nominee has been confirmed, rejected or withdrawn in 25 days. But few presidents have successfully filled vacancies announced in their final full year, the Times said. But since Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day OConner on July 7, 1981, the average has been just over 66 days. Obama has a Constitutional obligation to recommend an appointee to the Senate, Tester told The Billings Gazette. The Senate should hold a hearing on that appointee and make a decision, even if the decision is to reject the nominee. The list of Obama nominees currently awaiting Senate confirmation is more than 140 names long, according to White House data. Nearly all of those nominees were put forward by Obama before the current election season. "There's a ton of people who are sitting in the wings by the way, people who want to serve in government," Tester said. "The guy who is overseeing the Iran financial sanctions. They won't confirm him. There's all sorts of positions like that where we don't have anyone in the position and you wonder why government isn't working. It's because quite frankly Congress isn't working." The longest delayed nomination is for a seat on the United States Court of International Trade. That nomination was made Jan. 7, 2015. There are more than two dozen vacant federal judgeships for which Obama made nominations in 2015 that the Senate hasn't filled. All three members of Montanas Congressional delegation issued statements over the weekend about Scalias death. Tester is the first to give his opinion on whether the Senate should consider Obamas nominees for a new Supreme Court justice. Daines, who is in Alaska for a field hearing on energy policy, contends the Senate should wait until a new president is sworn in. "Steve will thoughtfully consider any nominees experience and merits," said Alee Lockman, Daines' communications director. "However, he believes that the long-standing practice of not confirming a nominee during a presidential election year should be maintained. The Senate has a constitutional role to advise and consent, and an appropriate consideration is that the American people have already begun voting on the next president. "Steve believes the nation would be best served if filling this vacancy occurs in a new Congress and outside the political climate of an election year." The last time a Supreme Court appointment was made during an election year was Feb. 3, 1988, when Democrats controlled the Senate and confirmed Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Americans were already voting in presidential primaries when Kennedy was confirmed, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Michigan voters cast their ballots Jan 14, 1988. Hawaii voters cast their votes the day after Kennedy's appointment. Four states had held primaries or caucuses by Feb. 8 that year. Comment Policy Advance Indiana allows you to post comments via this blog subject to the guidelines set forth herein. You understand that any comments you post are your own and are not those of Advance Indiana. You further understand that Advance Indiana is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced in your comments. Unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, racially offensive, or otherwise objectionable comments are not acceptable. If you think any content posted or otherwise included in Advance Indiana violates the guidelines set forth herein, then please alert Advance Indiana. Advance Indiana reserves the right to pre-screen, edit, and remove any post as it deems appropriate. You specifically acknowledge that Advance Indiana has no obligation to display any post submitted or otherwise provided via Advance Indiana. As farmers bid adieu to El Nino and grimly acknowledge La Ninas arrival, they know the Latin-named climate drivers have opposite personalities and the feminine one can be a real witch as she taunts the Corn Belt. La Nina is set to roll into town in mid-summer, and if anything is like her prior visits, many farmers will be calling their crop insurance agents in the next few days, just to make sure their policy is current. Their response is akin to bolting doors, turning off the lights and telling the kids to go to the basement and keep quiet for six months. El Ninos visit for the past five or so months has been marked by warmer than usual temperatures and less precipitation than usual. Subsequently it has been a mild Corn Belt winter for the most part. After a transitional period of neutral weather conditions during the spring and early summer, La Ninas expectations are warm and dry weather for the end of the crop growing season. Drought, if you want to call it that, interrupting ear development for corn and podfill for soybeans. Fortunately, adequate moisture should be available for the start of the growing season. But the end of the summer could be a roll of the dice, with the odds generally stacked against production agriculture. Since 1960, the three worst soybean crops have occurred in summers when El Nino departed and La Nina arrived. Those were 1983, 1988 and 2003, with increasingly large departures from the trend yield for soybeans. Likewise for corn. Of the 10 times since 1960 that El Nino decayed similarly to 2016 projections, three of the six worst U.S. corn crops followed. While 2012 had other climatic building blocks, 1985 and 1988 were years that paralleled what we are expecting for 2016. 1985 and 1988 saw national corn yields drop 20-30 bushels under the trend yield. So, how will farm management decisions respond to the potential for a yield challenge? Are farmers gobbling up November soybean and December corn futures at their current low levels hoping to sell at high prices next fall? No, farmers are already naturally long against the market with their 2016 crop, and lenders certainly wouldn't financially back such speculation. But you can bet your bottom dollar those lenders who are being asked for lines of credit to obtain crop inputs are requiring the purchase of crop insurance as a means of covering some of the financial risk, should crop yields falter from La Nina. Currently, the process is at the midpoint for setting a guaranteed price for 2016 corn and soybeans, with the use of futures price closes during February for the November soybean and December corn contracts. And it is really not very pretty. The spring guarantee prices for 2015 were $4.15 for corn and $9.73 for soybeans. Halfway through the process, the spring crop insurance guarantee for corn is about $3.87 and for soybeans about $8.85. Neither of those crop insurance guarantees would cover input costs and cash rents. Only once in the last decade did the spring guarantee cover both for corn, and it never has for soybeans. As of Tuesday a corn crop insurance policy for 85 percent coverage on a 200 bushel (APH) average yield would only cover $658 in production costs. And for soybeans with an 85 percent coverage policy on a 55 bushel (APH) average yield would only cover $414 in production costs per acre. Needless to say, a farmer and the farms lender will have more risk than will be covered by a crop insurance policy. But the good thing is that in 1988, only 15 percent of farms used such risk management tools. In recent years, 85 percent of them are using a revenue-based crop insurance policy. There is no romance in a La Nina tango. MAROA Like typical high school students, members of the Maroa 4-H Marketing Club constantly are looking at their phones and sending text messages. Unlike most other teenagers, members of the group have had their eyes on what's happening with the grain market. They spent the fall collecting grain donations to benefit the Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation and then learning how to sell the grain and maximize profit. I didn't realize how much goes into the selling process, sophomore Peyton Ruwe said. Now I realize how much it takes to do that. Members of the club shared some of their experiences earlier this month during the Foundation annual meeting. Donations were collected using the 4-H grain cart from farmers throughout Macon County. Allowing students to market the grain that is collected has been a goal for several years that was achieved for the first time, said Amy Leman, 4-H youth development educator for Macon County. Junior Andrew Blair called it a great learning experience. Not having a farm background, I just thought it went from seed to harvest, senior Kirsten Kapraun said. I missed the whole marketing side. By learning about the markets, Kapraun can better understand the reasons for prices of products. The students used information from speakers over seven weeks and learned to watch the market closely, senior Abbey Turner said. It felt like a guessing game, Turner said. We used our experience to make the best prediction possible. Those responsible for watching the market each day needed to have an idea of the direction the market was headed, junior Jaret Duff said. It could be high one day, Duff said. We could wait it out, but then it would drop 20 cents and we should have sold it. Everyone's guess is different and paying close attention to market trends was critical, senior Cole Fredrickson said. We couldn't miss one day, Fredrickson said. You can't go back and redo it. They didn't want to sell all the grain at once and needed to know a reasonable price to offer at the elevator, Fredrickson said. Sometimes being able to store grain can provide farmers with the ability to later sell it for a better price, he said. One thing the students would like to improve upon is extending the length of the learning opportunity. Turner said they could spot more changes in the market over a longer period of time and be in a better position to react to what it does. The group sold the grain to either the Topflight Grain Co-Operative elevator in Emery or Clarkson Grain in Oakley and had to have all sold by Dec. 31. Turner said they were able to record a $7,281.08 profit. The money raised helps support scholarships, 4-H activities and offset fees for members. HAVANA (AP) The United States and Cuba signed a deal Tuesday restoring commercial air traffic for the first time in five decades, allowing dozens of new daily flights to bring hundreds of thousands more American travelers a year to the island as early as this fall. Immediately after the signing, the U.S. Department of Transportation opened bidding by American air carriers on as many as 110 U.S.-Cuba flights a day more than five times the current number. All flights operating between the two countries today are charters. Barring other major announcements, the restart of commercial flights will be the most significant development in U.S.-Cuba trade since Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced in late 2014 that they would begin normalizing ties after a half-century of Cold War opposition. The Obama administration is eager to make rapid progress on building trade and diplomatic ties with Cuba before the president leaves office. The coming weeks are seen as particularly crucial to building momentum ahead of a trip he hopes to make to Havana by the end of March. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the U.S.," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said after he and Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in a ceremony at Havana's Hotel Nacional. "It represents a critically important milestone in the U.S. effort to engage with Cuba." The U.S. Department of Transportation expects to award the new routes by the summer. The winning airlines then must negotiate their own deals with Cuba. The agreement allows 20 regular daily U.S. flights to Havana, in addition to the current 10-15 charter flights a day. The rest would be to other Cuban cities. Foxx said Cuban officials know they have to improve Havana's transportation infrastructure, which is already badly strained by the surge in visitors since the 2014 declaration of U.S.-Cuba detente. Nearly 160,000 U.S. leisure travelers flew to Cuba last year, along with hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans visiting family, mostly on expensive, frequently chaotic charter flights out of Florida. "The adoption of this memorandum is an important step that will soon permit the establishment of regular flights between the United States and Cuba," Yzquierdo Rodriguez at the signing ceremony. U.S. visitors to Cuba will still have to qualify under one of the travel categories legally authorized by the U.S. government. Tourism is still barred by law, but the number of legal reasons to go to Cuba from organizing professional meetings to distributing information to Cubans has grown so large and loosely enforced that the distinction from tourism has blurred significantly. Commercial travel will give travelers the ability to simply check an online box on a long list of authorized categories. The deal does not contemplate flights by Cuba's national airline to the United States, where lawyers for families and businesses that have sued Havana over decades-old property confiscations are eager to freeze any of its assets that they can get their hands on. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. The Israeli government recently allotted nearly $26 million in this year's budget to combat what it sees as worldwide efforts to "delegitimize" the Jewish state's right to exist. Some of the funds are earmarked for Israeli tech companies, many of them headed by former military intelligence officers, for digital initiatives aimed at gathering intelligence on activist groups and countering their efforts. "I want to create a community of fighters," said Sima Vaknin-Gil, the director general of Israel's Ministry for Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, to Israeli tech developers at a forum last month dedicated to the topic. Initiatives are largely being kept covert. Participants at the invite-only forum, held on the sidelines of a cyber technology conference, repeatedly stood up to remind people that journalists were in the room. Among the government officials involved in the efforts are some of Israel's top secret-keepers, including Sima Shine, a former top official in the Mossad spy agency, and Vaknin-Gil, who recently retired as the chief military censor responsible for gag orders on state secrets. Israel has established itself as a world leader in cyber technology innovation, fueled by graduates of prestigious and secretive military and security intelligence units. These units are widely thought to be behind some of the world's most advanced cyber-attacks, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked Iran's nuclear energy equipment last decade. Each year, these units churn out a talent pool of Israelis who translate their skills to the corporate world. Now Israel is looking to harness their technological prowess for the fight to protect Israel's international image. Vaknin-Gil said her ministry is encouraging initiatives to expose the funding and curb the activities of anti-Israel activists, as well as campaigns to "flood the Internet" with content that puts a positive face on Israel. She said some of these actions will not be publicly identified with the government, but that the ministry will not fund unethical or illegal digital initiatives. Established about 10 years ago, the pro-Palestinian "BDS" campaign is a coalition of organizations that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organizers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups to liberal Jews disillusioned by Israeli policies. They lobby corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel. The movement has made inroads. U.S. and British academic unions have endorsed boycotts, student governments at universities have made divestment proposals, and some famous musicians have refused to perform in Israel. The BDS movement also claims responsibility for pressuring some large companies to stop or modify operations in Israel. In its latest push, it has urged top Hollywood actors to reject a government-paid trip to Israel being offered to leading Oscar nominees. Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, said "quite a few web pages" that BDS websites linked to have mysteriously disappeared from the Internet. "We assume Israel's cyber sabotage is ongoing, but we are quite pleased that its detrimental impact on the global BDS movement has been dismal so far," he said. Israel says the movement is rooted in anti-Semitism and seeks not to change Israeli policies, but ultimately to put an end to the Jewish state. In this corner, Dr. Leslie Parrott. In that corner, Dr. Les Parrott. Come out swinging ... and may the best same-named Parrott win. But first: some back story. Thirty-three years ago, two doctors, each called Leslie, found true love and, soon after, enduring wedlock. They also found that, among a host of other long-term relationship challenges, conflict is handled best by those who know how to fight well. Their mantra: "Conflict is natural in most marriages ... the price you pay for deepening intimacy." Hence, Parrot vs. Parrot, a grudge-free match coming Feb. 21 to Peoria's Northwoods Community Church, fast on the heels of the most romantic day of the year. Besides being a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Parrott (Les) is also an ordained Nazarene minister, thus the aptness of the event's church forum (though, he insists, no specific faith agendas are being promoted). The other Dr. Parrott (Leslie) is not a minister, but she is a marriage and family therapist. Together the Seattle-based couple have pooled their formidable resources to internationally noted status as, among other things, New York Times best-selling authors, regular TV guests ("Oprah," "CBS This Morning," CNN, "The View," etc.) and globe-trotting guest speakers/relationship mentors in countries far and wide. "Fight Night," as the currently touring live event is officially dubbed, features the Parrrotts squaring off in a two-round match "to help couples learn how to fight well." And not just legal couples, but inquiring singles, too, said Dr. Les (the Parrott interviewed for this story), noting singles typically make up a sizable chunk of each show's audience. "This is intended as a date night, and it's fun, first and foremost," said the Kankakee native with roots deep enough in Midwestern turf to know what makes us tick hereabouts. "Secondly, you get to learn while you laugh in 2 hours," he adds, noting that the evening is structured in true WWE fashion: It starts with Round One, in which the Parrotts address the subject of "why we fight with the person we love most." Following a break, the bell sounds for Round Two, in which the topic is "how to fight with the person you love most." All told, the two rounds culminate in the overarching theme of the Parrotts' basic premise of that aforementioned mantra about conflict being the price we pay for intimacy. Who should know better than an "old married couple" of 33 years? "We're not here to say, 'look how great our marriage is, so do it like us' ... we're here to show you what we've learned from our own fights," he adds. Like, say, the time early on in their union, when they had a little, but loud, meltdown on the streets of San Francisco, involving a trolley. Les jumped on, extended his arm for Leslie to grab and jump up, too. But she pulled back, leading to an exchange witnessed by the crowded trolley's occupants as well as the couple they were visiting with, who retreated across the street to avoid the spat. Leslie's retort to pulling back: "I trust God for my safety, but I can't trust you!" Ouch. Then there was time that the marriage counselors were en route to a marriage retreat, where they were the star speakers. And they were on the verge of being late. Les was in the car fuming; Leslie, in the office gathering papers, eventually showed up as rain began to fall. Then she dropped all her papers, with hundreds of handouts and notes pages landing in or near a curb-side puddle. Physicians, heal thyself ... especially before you get thee to the marriage retreat? "We were young enough when these fights happened that we've learned a lot since," Les admits. "We have fewer of them now, and when they do happen, we've learned how to turn the tables on them and make them work to our advantage." Bottom line: "Every marriage has conflict; it doesn't matter how loving you are," he adds. "I used to be suspicious of marriages where the people told me they never fight. But, truth be told, there are a few out there where the couples have similar personality types, which includes conflict avoidance." Les calls that's a coping mechanism that suppresses the conflict, but doesn't necessarily resolve it. In general, he says, "the absence of fights doesn't auger well for most marriages," while, at the same time, "clean and constructive fighting is better than down-and-dirty fighting." Despite having the same names and professions, the two Parrots come into their roles as individuals in the realm of offering enlightened views "coming from different perspectives as a man and a woman." By squaring off with those perspectives be it in their books, their TV appearances or their live stage shows "we try to bridge that gap by making people realize that part of understanding how to have a good fight has a lot to do with understanding the differences between genders." DECATUR Former Decatur Police Chief Brad Sweeney filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that his firing by City Manager Tim Gleason was retaliation for disagreements between them, including Sweeney confronting him for illegally using a police car for personal use. Sweeney, 43, who is represented by attorney Jon D. Robinson, is asking for a judgment that will reinstate his seniority status, as well as back pay, compensation for litigation costs and other relief the court deems just, including more than $50,000 in punitive damages. Sweeney has asked for his case to be tried by a jury. The lawsuit names the city of Decatur and Gleason as defendants. The suit, filed in Macon County Circuit Court, alleges that his termination was a violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act, because he disclosed violations of state laws, rules and regulations to his employer. In this case, the employer was represented by the city manager. On May 7, 2015, on Gleason's orders, an on-duty, uniformed Decatur police officer drove Gleason to the St. Louis airport in a City of Decatur squad car, the complaint says. The uniformed officer was taken out of service for at least five hours that day. The complaint alleges that Gleason's actions violated one or more laws and regulations, including the Illinois Official Misconduct statute, a Class 3 felony. About a week later, Sweeney met with Gleason in his office. During that meeting, Sweeney again advised Gleason that his use of a police car and driver for personal purposes was improper and insisted it could never happen again, the complaint alleges. Sweeney's relationship with Gleason was difficult thereafter, the complaint said, adding that Gleason apparently resented being warned about his improper personal use of Police Department resources. The complaint alleges that Sweeney's termination was a violation of the Whistleblower Act, because Gleason, acting as city manager, retaliated against Sweeney by terminating his employment because Sweeney disclosed information to Gleason, when Sweeney had reasonable cause to believe that the information disclosed a violation of state law. The lawsuit also alleges that about six days before the Feb. 1 city council meeting Gleason told Sweeney he expected him to speak in support of a local motor fuel tax. Sweeney immediately refused to make the public statement. Gleason responded with hostility, and he told Sweeney to leave his office. On Feb. 2, following the city council meeting, Sweeney attended a staff meeting with the city's other department heads. When it was Sweeney's turn to speak, he again stated his opposition to a further tax increase and said there were other potential revenue sources. Gleason immediately became furious and ordered Sweeney to leave the staff meeting. Later that day, and again the following day, Gleason threatened Sweeney by asking him, Do you know who you work for? and Do you want to keep your job as police chief? Sweeney was terminated on Feb. 4, after declining Gleason's offer to resign. Sweeney obtained his personnel file on Feb. 11, and there is no documentation of any kind to support Sweeney's termination, the complaint said. Regarding the issue of Gleason using a police vehicle for personal transportation, the complaint said that Gleason has recently stated publicly that then-Mayor Mike McElroy, now deceased, gave him permission to use the vehicle to catch a plane for his vacation." Whether of not this claim is true, Gleason is a former Pekin police lieutenant, and as such, he knew or should have known that this is personal use of public police property and an on-duty, uniformed officer was improper and a violation of Illinois law. The complaint alleges that McElroy never contacted Sweeney regarding this incident and that Gleason never previously claimed to Sweeney that Mayor McElroy approved Gleason's personal use of public resources. Sweeney, a 20-year veteran of the Decatur Police Department, was appointed as police chief, effective Jan. 3, 2015, by then-city manager Ryan McCrady. Gleason, former city administrator of the small town of Washington, Ill., began his stint as city manager March 23. Gleason did not return a phone call in reference to this article. DECATUR Richland Community College President Gayle Saunders is starting to feel the end of her 15-year tenure is quickly becoming a reality. The college's board of trustees gave Saunders a fond farewell Tuesday with a reception in the Shilling Center followed by her last regularly scheduled board meeting. She is set to retire at the end of the month. It puts things in perspective, said Saunders, who earlier in the day was recognized for her service by the Illinois House and Senate. It's been an emotional day for us. Saunders replaced Richland President Chuck Novak in 2001 after he had been there more than 12 years. Novak, who was announced last week as the board's choice as interim president when Saunders retires, was among those attending the reception, along with dozens of community members, including Millikin University President Patrick White, Richland staff and faculty and leaders from other community colleges in Illinois. Novak's appointment will be formalized during a special board meeting, which has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23. The Rev. Wayne Dunning, a current board member who was chairman of the presidential search committee in 2001, said he thought replacing Novak would be difficult, but Saunders has proven she was the right choice. Trustee Larry Osborne said Novak set the bar high. I thought we could never replace this guy we had such high esteem for, Dunning said. Some people quickly go on, but some stay awhile and leave footprints. Richland has never been the same in the past 15 years. Richland has become a better place with Saunders guiding the way, board Chairman Bruce Campbell said. Campbell also credited the staff at Richland who helped to implement Saunders' vision for the institution. We've come a long ways, Campbell said. A lot of it has been due to her leadership. Richland is facing a precarious financial situation as Saunders retires. She said it's in a better position than other community colleges throughout Illinois but navigating without funding from the state will become more of a challenge. The board is set to approve $3 million in working cash bonds that will be used mainly to pay its expenses from the fall that it was expecting the state to fund, Saunders said. She said the sale of the bonds is a temporary fix, and the college will need to look at other measures the longer the state goes without approving a budget. As each day passes, the states budget crisis reaches deeper and deeper into the lives of Illinois residents. Although some of the signs are evident, such as social service agencies struggling to make ends meet, colleges and universities laying off personnel to make up for a lack of state funding, school districts contemplating cuts and companies refusing to do business with the state, there are less obvious impacts, too. In fact, its fair to say the states budget problems are adversely affecting almost every business in the state. The uncertainty the impasse has caused, along with concerns about higher tax rates, have forced many businesses into a conservative mode. When businesses dont spend money on products, new employees and investments, the entire economy suffers. Meanwhile, the General Assembly is doing what it usually does during January and February a lot of nothing. In the midst of the largest financial crisis in the states history, the House and Senate have been in session six times each since the beginning of the year. The two chambers are scheduled to be in session three days this week, including the governors budget address today. They plan to take the last week of February off, meet two or three times a week for the first three weeks in March and then take a two week spring break. Out of more than 60 possible meeting dates in the first three months of the year, the chambers will have each met fewer than 20 times. That doesnt include House perfunctory sessions, which are technicalities that allow bills to be filed and items read into the record without requiring attendance by the representatives. Legislators are acting like everything is operating smoothly. The lack of urgency is a product of the way the General Assembly is structured. House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton hold a good deal of the power and no budget deal will happen without them reaching an agreement with Gov. Bruce Rauner. Its a fact of life in Illinois that our elected legislators dont create much legislation. Instead, they react to what the leaders put together. Thats especially true on huge issues such as the state budget. Still, there is value in having legislative bodies work harder. Both the General Assembly and Congress have developed schedules that allow the folks we elect to spend a lot of time doing things other than legislating. The budget impasse and the states financial problems need to be treated like a crisis. That means legislators need to be involved in meetings and the governor and the leaders should be meeting more often and get serious about solving this problem. Although legislators and political leaders can pretend otherwise, the lack of a budget is adversely affecting the state. Not only does the states deficit grow by the day, but the states reputation as a reliable place to work, live and do business also suffers. Our elected officials need to get to work and stay at it until a solution is reached. SPRINGFIELD On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a statewide agriculture group that his standoff with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly over this years budget, now in its eighth month, is not really about the budget. Its about the future direction of Illinois, Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield. Thats what this is about: Are we going to stay on the track weve been on or are we going to go in a new direction? Rauner will press his case for that new direction today in his address to lawmakers. Based on his public statements in recent weeks, it appears Rauner will continue to promote aspects of his policy agenda. In speeches to business groups last week, the governor continued his call for reforms such as changes to the way legislative districts are drawn and consolidation of units of local government. Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending. According to excerpts of the prepared text of his speech, the governor will announce that his party will be introducing a standalone funding bill for early childhood, elementary and secondary education. No matter how this session unfolds, send that education bill to my desk CLEAN NO GAMES and Ill sign it immediately, the excerpt reads. The governors office said he will call for record funding levels for elementary and secondary education. Meanwhile, two organizations held news conferences Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge Rauner to change the tack hes taken in budget negotiations. The Grassroots Collaborative, a group of community organizations, labor unions and others, unveiled what it calls the peoples agenda, its alternative to Rauners pro-business, union-weakening turnaround agenda. Arguing that compared with other states, Illinois spends too little on key areas such as education, health care, public safety and human services, the group is pushing for revenue increases, including a graduated income tax and a tax on millionaires. Families are hurting all across Illinois, said Amisha Patel, executive director, of the Grassroots Collaborative. For over a decade, the state has been divesting from vital public services. The Responsible Budget Coalition also called on Rauner to choose revenue in his budget proposal. Roy Harley, director of coalition member Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said the current impasse has resulted in home visits and other services around the state scaling back or shutting down. Without a budget, we are failing the most vulnerable and needy among us, Harley said, calling the situation unconscionable and irresponsible. One of the major crisis points in the budget impasse has been funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students. Those areas havent received any state funding since the fiscal year began July 1 because Rauner vetoed all but the elementary and secondary education portion of this years budget. The spending plan Democrats passed was at least $4 billion out of balance. Democrats in the General Assembly passed a bill last month without any Republican votes that would devote $721.5 million to funding community colleges and grants through the Monetary Award Program. Rauner vowed to veto the bill because he said theres no money to pay for it, so Democrats waited two weeks to send it to him, offering what they called a cooling-off period. Flanked by students, Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, on Tuesday delivered the bill to the governors office. He has heard from the students. He has heard from the administrations how this is hurting the universities, Trotter said before delivering the bill. Hopefully he has given thought to that and will sign this bill. Rauners office said he still plans to veto the bill. On May 21, 2015, an agreement was signed in Moscow between the governments of Armenia and Russia that laid the groundwork for Russian technical and financial assistance to Armenia in the context of Armenias entry in the Eurasian Economic Union. So, what assistance has actually reached Armenia in the past eight months? To get some answers, Hetq contacted Armenias Ministry of Finance, asking what grants have been allocated to Armenia as part of programs already implemented or in the pipeline. According to the ministry, the abovementioned agreement stipulates that Russia will finance, in the form of direct grants, various projects (providing equipment, services, etc.) in Armenia to the tune of US$42 million and 130 million rubles ($1.7 million). The grants will target the following sectors: Customs system Sanitary, veterinary, and botanical sanitary activities Data collection on mutual and foreign trade Activities related to the manufacturing sector Creation of an integrated information system $14.1 million of the $42 million was immediately allocated to Armenias state budget. The remaining $27.9 million and the 130 million rubles will be allocated to obtain goods, services, equipment and machines. In addition, it appears that as part of Armenias entry in the Eurasia Economic Union, activities will be organized by Russian state agencies to raise the educational and quality levels of representatives in corresponding Armenian state agencies. Hetq also asked the ministry to specify what Armenian organizations/structures are included in the programs to be funded and the levels of that finding. Recipients of this Russian largesse are various Armenian ministries (finance, health, agriculture, economy), the National Statistical Service, and the countrys E-Governance Infrastructure Implementation Office. Armenia Deputy Finance Minister Vakhtang Miroumyan told Hetq that competitive tender bids have been announced in Armenia and Russia to implement activities financed by Russian grants. Those funds will be spent by June 2018. Thus, it is too early to provide specific information regarding the funds spent, Miroumyan said. On February 18, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission will conduct a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the northern direction of Martakert. From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring will be conducted by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine) and Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria), as well as by staff member of the Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden). From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring will be conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his Field Assistant Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic). The NKR authorities have expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE Mission members. The Council of the European Union has called on Moldovan authorities to investigate the massive Moldovan banking fraud, according to a Feb. 15 news release. An estimated US$ 1 billion went missing in November 2014 after several banks in Moldova gave out loans to unidentified parties. The borrowers apparently took the money and ran, with a majority of the money moving into foreign entities. Protesters took to the streets after the theft was confirmed in April 2015, denouncing the government, politicians, banks and organized crime. The theft was a serious setback for one of Europes poorest nations with a gross domestic product of around US$ 8 billion and an average wage of approximately US$ 200 per month. The council urged the Moldovan authorities to ensure that the cases of fraud that affected its banking system in 2014 are made subject to a thorough, impartial investigation, also with a view to recovering the diverted funds and to bringing those responsible to justice. It also said that authorities should undertake audits of the three banks under special supervision in collaboration with the IMF. occrp.org I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. Alvin McEwen [image: 649151 origin 1]Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) Donald Trumps family company is set to face a criminal t... On November 12, 2017, at 6:49 pm, I received a text that read: Antron has transitioned. The official cause of death was cancer, but HIV was the cause. I... Bob Brigham @ Salon: Marjorie Taylor Greene thought she was honoring Confederate soldiers at Union army monument. Justin Baragona @ The Daily Beast: La... Harry Lawtey made quite an impression on HBO's 'Industry,' so we're eager to see what he does next. [image: AZ Alkmaar v Feyenoord - Dutch Eredivisie] Orkan Kokcu is the captain of his club in the Netherlands. | Photo by Raymond Smit/NESImages/DeFodi Ima... The evidence that Donald Trump is leading a crusade to subvert democracy and impose himself as Americas first fascist dictator keeps being revealed in cou... Variety reports: Elon Musk could be set to slash Twitters headcount drastically once his $44 billion deal for the social network goes through. The mega-... "And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite." - Stephen Chbosky The Wisconsin Assembly voted Tuesday to advance legislation that would allow Dane County towns to opt out of county zoning. The unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 12 creates a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court that the Republicans running for president say should not be filled this year. But the U.S. Constitution says that the president "shall" appoint justices to fill vacancies it's his constitutional duty. FILE PHOTO BY MANUEL BALCE CENETA/ASSOCIATED PRESS Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. State Debate: Only we the people can get anger out of politics, argues Beloit Daily News; more debate over Scalia vacancy The parents of 2008 Madison murder victim Brittany Zimmermann released a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal on Tuesday confirming a DNA match in the case that they said points to their daughters killer. But they said local officials are still not ready to make an arrest and they renewed their plea for any information in the case that helps lead to an arrest, citing a $40,000 reward fund that remains available to tipsters. We are confirming that there was a DNA match in our daughter Brittanys homicide investigation, the statement from Kevin and Jean Zimmermann said. We are choosing not to release his name as we understand that the DAs office is not prepared to file charges. Madison Police Chief Mike Koval told the Wisconsin State Journal that the Zimmermanns had visited with police on Friday and that he understood their desire to have the case solved. But he said the police department could not confirm any new details to protect the case. The statement from the Zimmermanns said they have known of a DNA match for some time, and had hoped that the case would have developed enough that an arrest could have been made by now. But they said help from the public was still needed for that to happen. We are hopeful that someone will come forward with information that would bring the investigation to the point that an arrest could be made and charges be filed, the Zimmermanns said in their statement. Brittany Zimmermann, a UW-Madison junior at the time of her death, was killed by strangulation and stabbing in the middle of the day in her Downtown apartment on April 2, 2008. She had just returned from morning classes and was followed into her apartment by someone who forced entry through an outside door. Few other details have been released about the death of the 21-year-old from Marshfield. Complications in the case included a mishandled 911 call from Brittany Zimmermanns cell phone and a mistake by dispatch center personnel who misread their recording system, sending police on a false lead for the first two weeks. MPD cannot comment on an open investigation, Koval said in a follow-up statement Tuesday. To do so would potentially compromise the integrity of our investigation. We are heavily invested and want to arrest whomever is responsible for Brittanys murder. But ... we are duty-bound to arrest and refer (charges) only at such time as probable cause can be established, Koval added. The case is not ripe for arrest and referral. In April 2013, Jean Zimmermann told the Wisconsin State Journal that Madison police had confirmed that DNA associated with a July 2008 break-in at the Blue Moon and Grill, 2535 University Ave., matched DNA from the Brittany Zimmermann homicide scene. But the DNA profile reportedly found at both scenes could not be matched to anyone in a national database, setting up a waiting game for the family and investigators. Jean Zimmermann has said she believes the three people convicted of the Blue Moon break-in had a fourth partner without a record that would show up in a database whose identity they wont reveal but whom they know had killed Brittany Zimmermann three months earlier. Police will only say they still need someone to come forward with key information to close the case. And that cant come soon enough for the Zimmermanns. The person we believe responsible for Brittanys murder has been walking around free for almost all of the past eight years, her parents statement said. That is unacceptable to her family and all the people who loved her. ... There will never be closure for us. We are not looking for any type of closure, just justice for Brittany. A majority of Madison School Board members say they want to add more discretion to the front end of the districts expulsion process, calling the current approach too rigid. The discussion follows the highly publicized case of sixth-grader Dereian Brown, who was expelled last month for allegedly bringing a BB gun to school. However, board members said the issue has been bubbling up for some time and is broader than any one case. At a work session this week and in later interviews, several board members said the current approach, while more flexible than the zero-tolerance policies of years past, still too often ignores individual circumstances and lands too many students in lengthy, stressful expulsion hearings. Discretion currently resides largely at the end of the process with the board, board member TJ Mertz said. By that point, families have been put through hell, he said. The district is in the second school year of a new conduct code called the Behavior Education Plan. The approach seeks to keep more students in the classroom by reducing suspensions and expulsions, though finding the right balance between consequences and compassion has been a struggle for the district. The board hires independent examiners to hear expulsion cases and recommend punishment. The board can accept, reject or modify any expulsion recommendation after reviewing transcripts from the hearing. Comments by board members this week suggest they are seeing too many expulsion cases that they deem unnecessary. It shouldnt come to us, these really borderline things, board member Dean Loumos said at Mondays work session. Some of these things are really head-shaking. Board member Michael Flores said in an interview hed like to see a little bit of common sense in certain situations so that fewer families get caught up in these situations. In the Dereian Brown case, administrators acknowledged that the boy did not threaten anyone with the BB gun and that no one on staff saw him in possession of it. He allegedly confessed after the fact to having had it at school. Under district policy, a student who brings any type of gun to school, whether a firearm or a toy gun, is automatically recommended for expulsion. Dereians case led some community members to criticize the district for seemingly going overboard in its punishment. Administrators initially sought to expel the boy for two semesters. While the board upheld a hearing examiners recommendation to expel the boy, it allowed Dereian to be eligible for immediate reinstatement and he returned within days. Currently, the districts coordinator for progressive discipline reviews each expulsion recommendation before it goes to a hearing. If procedures were not followed or if there is not sufficient evidence, the coordinator can dismiss the case, said district spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson. During the 2014-15 school year, 52 students were recommended for expulsion, of which eight cases were dismissed. Twenty-two students ended up being expelled. While signaling that they want to expand discretion somewhere along the process, board members acknowledged that peoples biases could unconsciously bleed into a process that is too flexible. One goal of the Behavior Education Plan was to strip out personal biases so that all students are treated consistently for similar behaviors regardless of race, gender or cultural background. We want to have something objective in place, but on the flip side, we have to find that balance, because we cant completely disregard extenuating factors, including the students age, said board member Anna Moffit. Board President James Howard said he would need some convincing to give school principals too much discretion, as that could lead to a patchwork of approaches. Board member Ed Hughes acknowledged that concern but said maybe that risk is outweighed by the genuine costs we see of still having kind of a policy that ties our hands from doing what people think is the right thing to do in individual circumstances. Mertz floated the idea of a three-person panel that would need to sign off on an expulsion recommendation before it proceeded to a hearing. Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham called the idea worth thinking about, saying a small group of trained personnel such as psychologists and social workers could vet each case. Cheatham said her administrative team will consider the board feedback and return this spring with formal recommendations on how the expulsion process could be revised. A controversial bill to make it easier for for-profit corporations to buy municipal water and sewer utilities appears dead. A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said Wednesday that Republicans who control the Senate werent satisfied with the proposal. Senator Fitzgerald has said that while he believes the proposal has merit, AB 554 is likely dead this session after efforts to craft an amendment which addressed our members concerns were not successful, spokeswoman Myranda Tanck said. The GOP-controlled Assembly passed the bill Jan. 12 and a Senate committee approved it on a 3-2 party-line vote Jan. 28. Late Monday, the proposal was added to the Tuesday agenda for the full Senate, but during the floor session it was removed without public discussion or announcement. Under current law, only Wisconsin corporations may buy water or sewer utilities. Sales cant occur without voter approval after the state Public Service Commission sets a sale price. AB 554 would allow out-of-state corporations to buy the utilities, and a public referendum would be held before sale terms were known. No referendum would occur unless opponents gathered signatures of 10 percent of voters. The bill was written at the request of Aqua America, Inc., a Pennsylvania company that owns water utilities in eight states. Critics said the bill risked higher water bills for customers because private owners would extract profits. They said removing decision-making from the public could put water quality at risk. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, called withdrawal of the bill a huge victory. Access to safe, clean drinking water is a basic human right, Shilling said. Rather than allowing private, out-of-state corporations to profit off our water, Democrats believe we should be investing in our public infrastructure and protecting access to these important services. Assembly lead sponsor Rep. Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, didnt respond to a request for comment Wednesday. August has said concerns were overblown because state regulators would still oversee water quality and rates. But the state Public Service Commission factors profit expectations and higher private-sector debt costs into rates for Wisconsins only large privately-owned water system. Customers of Allete Inc. in Superior pay the highest base charge of the states roughly 80 major water utilities. The company bills customers 9 percent over operating expenses, the highest rate of return. The base charge for water in Superior $51 per quarter is more than double the average $21, according to PSC data. Average quarterly bills for 15,000 gallons were $152, compared to an average of $73. Lars Fiorio, a spokesman for the only Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, wasnt available Wednesday. He has said Lasee heard from opponents around the state. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities withdrew its support on Friday, joining nearly 20 other groups in opposition, including conservationists and unions. This appalling power grab by corporate interests was stopped by the voice of the people, said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. Union members sent thousands of messages to lawmakers around the state to express dismay and disappointment with privatizing our water utilities without citizen say. A package of bills seeking to make college more affordable passed the Assembly early Wednesday morning with Democrats objecting the bills didn't go far enough. The package, championed by Gov. Scott Walker, would give a tax break to some student loan borrowers, increase funding for need-based grants to technical college students, create a program of "emergency grants" to cover unexpected expenses and hire coordinators to match Wisconsin college students with internships. They would also mandate that institutions provide students with "financial literacy" information about the loans they are taking out. But the Senate's top Republican warned this week the scope of the legislation will likely be reduced to keep its price tag down from about $10 million to $2 million. Democratic critics have said the bills would only help a small percentage of current students and graduates with debt, and won't do nearly enough to make college affordable. Rep. Dave Murphy has been in talks with Walker, Republican leadership and senators about the legislation, he said, but has not yet discussed removing or cutting back on provisions. Murphy said "some compromises" on the package could be made, but declined to say what those were. The Assembly passed the student loan interest tax break, which is expected to cost $5.7 million this biennium, on a 61-37 vote with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against. The technical college grants bill, which would cost $1 million this biennium and assist about 1,000 students, was approved 61-36. Another bill providing $130,000 for emergency grants passed by the same vote. A bill directing the Department of Workforce Development to coordinate internships between colleges and employers passed 60-37. A bill spending $500,000 for internship coordinators at the University of Wisconsin System passed 57-40. A bill requiring universities and colleges to provide financial information to students passed 61-36. Some voters had to run home to retrieve their IDs, and some poll workers struggled to comply with the new regulations, but the first statewide test of Wisconsins voter ID law on Tuesday resulted in few major problems thanks in part to the fact that hardly anyone actually voted. So far so good, said Elaine Staley, the chief poll inspector for Madisons 73rd ward. Weve had a few people register and theyve come with the proper credentials. It has been fairly easy for us. I just wish we had more voters. By mid-afternoon, she said just 55 people had voted at the polling place on South Park Street, in one of the citys poorer neighborhoods, and no one had been turned away because they lacked proper identification. The sleepy state primary consisted of one statewide election and a smattering of county and municipal elections and had state election officials predicting that just one in nine eligible voters would show up at the polls. Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney said there were some minor issues with the new law involving a few election workers who went beyond the laws requirements. Those included questioning people whose address on their ID did not match the poll book or trying to match the IDs signature with the voters signature on the poll book, neither of which is a requirement, he said. Magney called it a good learning experience for the presidential primary and nonpartisan election April 5, the partisan primary on Aug. 9 and the partisan general election Nov. 8. We will incorporate lessons learned from this election into our regular clerk webinars, as well as the training sessions for municipal clerks and chief election inspectors before the next election, he said. The voter ID law was enacted in 2011 and briefly took effect for the 2012 spring primary election, when there were no statewide contests on the ballot, until court challenges halted its implementation. Last March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the new voting requirement was constitutional, clearing the way for the Republican-authored legislation to take effect. Wisconsins voter ID requirement is among the most restrictive of any state. Voters must come to the polls with one of a list of approved photo IDs that include their signature, such as a Wisconsin drivers license, U.S. passport or U.S. military ID. Some student and tribal IDs qualify if theyre not expired. Student IDs also must be accompanied by a separate document that proves enrollment, such as a tuition statement. On the UW-Madison campus, few students were taking the time to cast ballots. At the Red Gym, 15 people had voted by 12:30 p.m. while across the street at Memorial Library just five people had voted by midday. Poll workers at both sites said directing students to the correct polling place was more time-consuming than checking IDs. Everythings worked out fine. Everybodys prepared and has their ID and we havent had any issue at all, said Jim Fortner, who has been the chief inspector at Ward 48 since 2000. The polling place is normally at Memorial Union but was moved to the Red Gym because of construction. Those that are coming are prepared, Fortner said. Students are informed and theyre ready to do their business. There was a heavy voter turnout in Jefferson because of a school referendum, but there were no problems with voter ID other than a couple of people who had to return home to retrieve their identification, said Mary Kuehl, the deputy city clerk. Turnout also was strong in the villages of Marshall and New Glarus because of school referendums, and neither village reported any problems. Near Camp Randall, at First Congregational Church, 1609 University Ave., 147 people had voted by 1:05 p.m. One person was turned away because of a lack of an ID but returned a short time later with the proper identification, said Jordan ONeil, chief inspector of ward 61. He also said that voter ID is helping poll workers more quickly find the names of voters on the voting list during the check-in process. Instead of having to ask their name and address we can just look it up with the drivers license, ONeil said. Even if the address doesnt match, we can still look up the persons name. A 13-minute lockdown at Madisons Aldo Leopold Elementary School, 2602 Post Road, Tuesday afternoon led to a one-hour extension of polling hours there for residents of wards 74 and 75. The lockdown occurred at 1:07 after Madison police called the school and said a suspect was in the area, according to Aldo Leopold principal Karine Sloan. We wanted to take precautions and it was over very quickly, she said. No voters were turned away because of the lockdown, according to Michelle Flores-Herrero, the chief inspector for the polling place. She said a court order to extend the polling hours can be granted in that situation because of the potential voting deterrence that a police presence in the area can create. Flores-Herrero said she explained what happened to Dane County Circuit Judge Peter C. Anderson and he then granted an order to keep the schools polling location open until 9 p.m. The state will seek bids this summer from companies looking to run a self-insurance program for state workers, on a regional or statewide basis, starting in 2018. The Group Insurance Board, which oversees benefits for state workers, on Wednesday authorized the state Department of Employee Trust Funds to request proposals for self-insurance to better determine the cost and impact of such a program. We will never be able to make a decision unless we have the information, insurance board chairman Jon Litscher said. We will never be able to have the information unless we (get bids). A consultant has said Wisconsin could save $42 million a year through self-insurance, in which the state would pay medical benefits for nearly 250,000 state workers and family members directly instead of buying insurance from 17 HMOs. Gov. Scott Walker has said he would spend any savings on public education. But another consultant said the move might cost $100 million a year. Some legislators and the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans, which represents 12 of the 17 HMOs, said the change could threaten the stability of the states regional health care system. Many of the HMOs are owned by providers around the state. Herschel Day, an insurance board member, said getting bids from companies could clarify whether the move would save or cost money before the board makes a decision. We owe that to the members of the state to do that, Day said. ETF plans to issue its request for self-insurance proposals in July, with bids due by September. Results are scheduled to be shared with the insurance board in November, when the board is expected to decide whether to start self-insurance in 2018. Mike Bare, research and program coordinator at the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute in Milwaukee, said the state is moving toward a government takeover of state worker health coverage. He said the state should use the Affordable Care Act marketplace instead. Self-insuring the state worker plan will remove choices and disrupt competition in the private insurance market, Bare said in a statement. It puts taxpayers at risk of paying higher health costs. Companies making bids will have to demonstrate adequate provider access in the regions they propose to serve, be willing to sign three- and five-year contracts and provide information on finances and program structure that will help officials decide if self-insurance makes sense. For example, information will allow the (insurance board) to weigh the pros and cons of a self-insured program under a regional structure using multiple insurers versus a single, statewide administrator approach, Lisa Ellinger, an ETF administrator, said in a memo to the board. Twenty states self-insure all state employees, and an additional 26 states self-insure some of their workers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Wisconsin self-insures less than 5 percent of state workers, through a plan outside of the 17 HMOs administered by Monona-based WPS Health Insurance. Of nearly 250,000 state and local government workers and their family members in the $1.4 billion health benefits program, almost 100,000 are in Dane County. Dean Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Physicians Plus, Unity Health Insurance and WEA Trust compete for their business. Segal Consulting said in November that the state could save $42 million a year through self-insurance, largely by avoiding $18 million in Affordable Care Act fees, cutting $11 million in administrative costs and eliminating $11 million in insurance company profits. The move would also give the state more control over benefits, which would help it avoid the health laws planned Cadillac tax on rich benefit programs, Segal said. But the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans in January questioned Segals findings, noting that Congress in December suspended the Affordable Care Act fees for 2017 and delayed the Cadillac tax from 2018 to 2020. ETFs previous consultant, Deloitte, said in 2012 that self-insurance could save $20 million a year but might cost $100 million a year more. Deloitte assumed many of the discounts currently negotiated with the state would go away under self-insurance, while Segal assumed all current discounts would continue, Ellinger said in the memo. Ellinger said that Segal collected more in-depth data for the most recent analysis. The insurance board is separately considering another proposal to offer no more than two health plans in each of three regions, plus a statewide plan. That could save $45 million to $70 million a year, according to Segal. The insurance board on Wednesday also approved other requests for proposals for a wellness program, a pharmacy benefit manager and data warehousing. Last year, the board doubled most out-of-pocket costs for medical services this year, though premiums are down slightly. The sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia has given Chief Justice John Roberts a unique opportunity to affirm the Supreme Courts rightful place in American politics: keeping the law above politics. He should seize it, even though and especially because the high court has a tenuous hold on that place. Within hours of Scalias death, Republican leaders in the Senate announced they would not consider confirming his replacement until after the 2016 election. Never before has the Senate attempted to put off an appointment for so long, nor has the courts balance of power been thrust so forcefully into the middle of a presidential campaign. Perhaps the Republicans gambit will have the effect of galvanizing voters in both parties. It could also further damage the integrity of an institution that has become as polarized as the electoral system it is shielded from. A presidential campaign that doubles as an election to replace Scalia would position the court as an extension of the parties more directly than ever before. That may well be unavoidable. But Roberts can mitigate some of the damage to the court by taking a modest step: Reminding the Senate that an election year does not absolve it from its constitutional duties. Senators may ultimately reject the presidents nominee, but he or she should get a fair and public hearing. It would not be the first time Roberts decried politics intruding on the appointment process. A persistent problem has developed in the process of filling judicial vacancies, Roberts wrote in 2010. Each political party has found it easy to turn on a dime from decrying to defending the blocking of judicial nominations, depending on their changing political fortunes. This has created acute difficulties for some judicial districts. Now that same problem has created difficulties for the Supreme Court itself. In his own 2005 confirmation hearing, Roberts likened his role as a judge to an umpire who calls balls and strikes. Umpires can also (contrary to popular belief) call a delay of game violation, and occasionally even break up on-field conferences aimed at buying warm-up time for relief pitchers. Roberts has no authority to force the Senate into action, of course. But he is free to tell them to get on with it to basically trot out to the pitchers mound and tell the players to stop dawdling and do what the people expect them to do. They dont have to listen to him, but they certainly should respect his commitment to fair play. Should Roberts fail to speak up or, worse, condone the Senates stonewalling public perceptions of the courts partisanship may harden. Roberts may prefer to stay out of a political fight, and the head of the judicial branch of government is right not to want to get too involved in the debates of the legislative branch. But he can also demonstrate his neutrality by stating that long delays are neither contemplated by the Constitution nor in the countrys best interest. Republicans may well ignore him. But such a step would be a credit to his tenure as chief justice and to the reputation of the court. Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] Farmers escalate protests; long qeues on both sides of the borders [02] Defence Minister briefs parliament committee on latest developments [03] Alpha Bank launches procedure to sell Hilton Athens hotel [01] Farmers escalate protests; long qeues on both sides of the borders The farmers of the Peloponnese return to their blockades on Wednesday and will close again the Corinth-Tripolis motorway at Nestani toll station from 18:00-23:00. Meanwhile, the Athens-Corinth motorway as well as the Athens-Corinth old national road at Corinth Canal is blocked indefinitely by protesting farmers. Long queues of vehicles were reported on Wednesday on both sides of the Greek-Bulgarian borders at Promachonas as a result of the farmers' blockade. According to police estimates, over 800 trucks and 160 cars remain trapped on the Greek territory while on the other side of the border at Kulata, Bulgaria, 1,000 trucks and 500 cars are waiting to cross the border and enter Greece. Meanwhile, Bulgaria asked again the European Union to assist to the suspension of farmers blocking at Promachonas. Since yesterday, the farmers at the roadblock of Mikrothives, near the city of Volos in central Greece, announced they will close the main Athens-Thessaloniki motorway for several hours each day as of Wednesday, as they continue to escalate their protests against the government's proposed social security and pension reforms. They said the blockade will include the side roads which were used by drivers to bypass the main road, as well as the old motorway connecting the capital with Thessaloniki. [02] Defence Minister briefs parliament committee on latest developments Defence Minister Panos Kammenos is briefing on Wednesday the Greek parliament's National Defence and Foreign Affairs committee in an in-camera session. Kammenos will brief the members of the committee on the latest developments in the migrants issue as well as NATO's participation-intervention in the migrants-refugees problem in the Aegean Sea. [03] Alpha Bank launches procedure to sell Hilton Athens hotel Alpha Bank on Wednesday announced the launch of a procedure to sell a majority stake (around 97.3 pct) in the equity capital of Ionian Hotel Enterprises SA, owner and manager of Hilton Athens hotel. In an announcement, Alpha Bank said the procedure aimed at attracting high-level investors to establish the hotel as a benchmark in hotel services internationally. Citigroup Global Markets Ltd acts as exclusive financial adviser to the procedure. Investors will be able to express their interest by Friday, 11 March 2016. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Nonstop Chemical Geoengineering Has Pushed the Planet into Climate Chaos In December of 2014 the whole world was warned by a military pilot member of Operation Indigo Skyfold. Blue Jay 1, as he is known, revealed that starting in January of 2015 the skies of the planet would see a considerable increase in the amount and intensity of chemical geoengineering by way of chemtrail-spraying operations. All pilots on leave are required to report to their CO by Dec 15th for special training operations, to qualify for Indigo Phase 2 flights, expected to be initiated by January 21, 2015. (Source: OPERATION INDIGO SKYFOLD: The Most Secret Covert Black Operation In World History) As indicated from the volumes of anecdotal evidence posted on the Internet, there is no question that the pilot whistleblower (Blue Jay 1) was absolutely right in his prediction. The fact that 2015 has now gone on record as the hottest year in recorded history is also a testament to the overriding influence that chemical geoengineering has on planet Earths climate. Particularly when chemical geoengineering is used in tandem with highly advanced HAARP technologies, out-of-season weather events and unseasonal climate calamities can be fabricated quite quickly and impressively. The current global regime of chemical engineering has been intensified considerably over the past 3 years since 2012. Since January of 2015, chemtrail operations have been conducted with extraordinary zeal. Geoengineering the skies across the USA 24/7 has profoundly altered the local weather patterns and normal climate trends nationwide. 2015 has seen a substantial uptick in chemtrailing operations everywhere, as the sun rays are blocked and mold counts have increased dramatically. The most significant consequence of this constant chemcloud cover and acceleration of the hydrological cycle is the exacerbation of climate change. The deliberate implementation of this worldwide climate engineering agenda via coal ash-containing chemtrail aerosols* has greatly contributed to every facet of Global Climate Change. Certainly the folks in New York City are surprised to be gallivanting around in shorts and tees during the holiday season, as are those who live in the nations capital. What is particularly curious is that no one (with societal standing) throughout these bastions of intelligentsia and political power, respectively, has made the obvious correlation between the exceedingly high temps and the practically permanent state of chemclouded skies. How is that so? Dont politicians and lobbyists, research scientists and academics ever look up at the sky? If they did, they might see something like the preceding photo. New World Order = One World Government = CO2 Management Regime There is actually a very good reason why no one ever from the establishment political or scientific ever talks about chemtrails or chemclouds in public. They are strictly forbidden from even mentioning such a super-secret program that undergirds the New World Order (NWO) agenda to create a One World Government. Hence, there is never any official word issued from government or weather reporting agencies despite their high level of awareness regarding the chemtrail aerosols sprayed overhead (as in directly over their heads). Until now! Now that the geoengineers have sufficiently ramped up their spraying programs to create continuous cloud cover over vast swaths of the United States, Canada and beyond, they have conditioned the populace to believe that this is the new normal. You know, its also called climate change. Or Global Climate Change (GCC) when they want you to believe that this is an overarching planetary climate pattern directly caused by human activity, specifically anthropogenic CO2 generation. Well, GGC certainly is caused by humanity, except most of any climate change is being purposefully geoengineered by the geoengineers. They (NWO globalist cabal) have conveniently forgotten to mention that because of their fixation on CO2 production, and its calculated control. Only by fastidiously controlling carbon inputs and outputs can a Global Carbon Control Matrix be put into place. Because it is CO2 which must be strictly controlled in their New World Order, they already have designed a full-blown Global CO2 Management Regime. There are many reasons why they intend to bring this misguided scheme to full fruition. It has nothing to doing with being good stewards of Mother Earth and everything to do with maintaining absolute dominion over every cubic inch of the biosphere.[1] Some are even convinced that they are intent on destroying the biosphere. Kind of like they have waged endless wars as a means of promoting disaster capitalism. In this way they will use the profound and pervasive environmental destruction as an explanation for creating a whole new global economy based on carbon trades. Carbon emission trading has already become the new biz with its carbon credits and carbon taxes and everything in between. Carbon cap-and-trade schemes also run the gamut as do other corporate approaches to offset GHG reductions. Of course, all of these carbon tricks of the trade are merely a pretext to super-regulate every aspect of the biosphere staring with CO2. What follows is a quote from the historic REPORT FROM IRON MOUNTAIN which spells out their intentions with Agenda 21 and the Agenda 2030. GROSS POLLUTION of the environment can eventually replace the possibility of mass extinction by nuclear weapons as the principle threat to the survival of the species. The REPORT FROM IRON MOUNTAIN (RFIM) is distinguished for many reasons; however, the key takeaway is that the NWO cabal that commissioned it has since implemented its recommendations. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development falls under the purview of the U.N. and is a perfect manifestation of the plan to foist a One World Government (OWG) onto the world community of nations. This has been happening incrementally over several decades just as the same ruling cabal foisted the European Union on much of that continent. Such an overarching worldwide plan can only be executed by a new global superstructure or One World Government. In this fashion the administration of geoengineering programs will take place at a supranational level so that citizens and nation-states no longer have a say about any facet of their weather or general environment. In fact the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and TPIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) are two integral initiatives which have significantly advanced the outright globalization of all land, water bodies and courses, and other natural resources. Although neither agreement appears to provide such powers, they are only the first step at stripping sovereign nations like the USA of their constitutional rights and liberties. Slowly but surely the goals of the RFIM are being fulfilled in ways that are both startling and totalitarian. Chemical Geoengineering and Climate Change What they have also forgotten to share with the human race is a crucial little factoid. That fact concerns water vapor, which is by far the most plentiful of all the greenhouse gases (GHG). The greenhouse gases, of course, are those which have been identified as the main contributors to climate change. They chose CO2 for obvious reasons but then curiously ignore water vapor altogether. Here is the list of the top 4 greenhouse gases from Wikipedia in descending order of amount and contribution: Now consider the following excerpt about water vapor. Water Vapor Water vapor tops the list of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The earth continuously produces water vapor, which evaporates and then goes up to the atmosphere. Clouds, fog, and haze are all part of water vapor, with steam being the main fossil fuel combustion byproduct. Steam from water comprises up to 70 percent of the total greenhouse effect. (Source: Top 5 List of Greenhouse Gases) What is truly critical to understand is that water vapor is the number 1 greenhouse gas. In terms of total volume and total effect which directly impact the current global climate trends, water vapor far exceeds CO2. More importantly, the actual percentage of manmade CO2, also known as anthropogenic carbon, is a fraction of what is produced by the biosphere exclusive of the human race. This discussion ought to seriously alarm any person who is involved in the raging global warming debate. The reason: because if there really is a scientifically established trend of rising of temperatures globally, it is due to the massive increase in water vapor which is being generated from chemical geoengineering programs via chemtrail aerosols. This particular source of the GHG water vapor is by far the greatest. It is also the easiest to control. All they need to do is shut down all geoengineering programs until a new baseline can be determined across the whole range of GCC contributions factors. Nonstop Chemical Geoengineering Has Become The New Normal The globalists who are behind this unrivaled ruse have spent billions trying to convince humanity that their (each individuals) carbon footprint is to blame for the climate chaos. No one denies that much more CO2 is generated by an industrial civilization. However, compared to the ongoing and incessant chemtrail operations conducted around the globe, the real anthropogenic culprit would be geoengineering, not industrial operations and/or energy consumption. Although, it should be pointed out that both industry (coal-fired power plants in particular) and geoengineering are responsible for spewing enormous amounts of coal fly ash into the atmosphere. Simply put, the rain events worldwide and global cloud cover have entered a whole new league ever since chemtrailing and chembombing have become such a common sky-polluting practices. The geoengineers have pushed the edge of the envelope with their atmospheric manipulation in ways that are now having a tremendous influence on worldwide weather patterns. The longer term climatological impacts are likewise being seen and felt as never before. Because chemical geoengineering has become the new normal there can only be one disastrous result. The world community of nations has been experiencing those weather calamities for many years now. Each country has a tale of weather woe to report no matter where they are located. Drought now routinely alternates with deluge, as do catastrophic wind storms whip up with greater frequency. Each season in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres now brings freak weather events and unpredictable climate chaos so often that they are also the new normal. Because the geoengineers are so determined to control the worlds climate, they have essentially been conducting a massive experiment with the entire biosphere. Now that the delicate balance within Earths atmosphere has been upset for so many years, it is impossible to know what the climate would be like without all the artificial weather modification. The pervasive programs of ongoing chemtrail spraying are now so intense and unrelenting that 2016 promises to bring much more of the same climate chaos. 2015: One of the Hottest Year on Record Proves the Geoengineers Can Produce Global Climate Change At the end of the day one firm conclusion will be drawn from the current geoengineering paradigm. That any and all dramatic changes, which have been observed regarding global weather patterns, are directly attributed to the out-of-control chemical geoengineering regime that now overlays much of the planet. That 2015 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record stands as a testament to this. Although many refuse to admit that relentless geoengineering can in fact increase temperatures both regional and globally, this past fall and the current winter have proven the now obvious. This deliberate manipulation of public opinion around global warming has only served to allow the geoengineers to maintain their fundamentally flawed paradigm. In so doing they have been empowered to conduct an extremely dangerous experiment in which all of humanity now sits as does the now famous frog in his/her pot of soon-to-be-boiling hot water. Many go so far as to deny that the glaciers have been melting at record rates all over the world. Just because they have disappeared because of geoengineering techniques doesnt mean that its not happening. Soon the ambient ocean temps will be so out of whack that coastlines everywhere will be forever altered. Since many residents of the world live near the shorelines, this development alone will continue to proceed with overwhelming effect. Just like New York City was buffeted by Superstorm Sandy and Manila is blasted by one typhoon after another, other major megalopolises are likewise exposed to the ravages of geoengineered climate change. Planet Earth is being systematically geoengineered into a slow-motion extinction level event. Everyone has heard by now that if you tell a BIG enough lie enough times it will eventually become accepted as the gospel truth. If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State. Joseph Goebbels: On the Big Lie The two biggest lies that humankind is now facing on a daily basis are as follows: [1] That CO2 generation from human activity is the primary cause of global climate change [2] That organized chemical geoengineering programs do not exist and that all chemtrails are really contrails Both of these highly consequential notions are being repeatedly misrepresented by governments and the mainstream media (MSM) alike. Likewise the entire Military-Industrial Complex and related Fortune 1000 companies completely support this covert global endeavor of weather modification and climate engineering. In fact the U.S. military has taken the lead role first in the execution of Operation Cloverleaf[2], and later on in the implementation of Operation Indigo Skyfold. Both highly vetted Air Force and Navy pilots are primary personnel who fly the specially retrofitted airliner which emit the coal-ash based chemtrail aerosols. Each of them is supported by every organ of government and provided with a prodigious amount of resources to maintain these outright lies. The entire corporate sector has been likewise enlisted to maintain the unending coverup of both the blue skies and the conspiratorial plotchemical geoengineering. They have both been indefatigably assisted by the MSM at every turn in this ongoing Con of the Millennium! The real problem with the ever-worsening planetary predicament is that eventually the biosphere will exceed critical points of no return. Crucial breakpoints have already been observed which have caused ecosystems to collapse. Isnt that what continuous drought and regular deluge will do? The once great state of California is a perfect example of what the other 49 states can expect. Because the true effects of geoengineering are so insidious and under-the-radar, the entire planet is literally being set up for a slow-motion ELE (extinction level event). Only because an apocalyptic event has not yet occurred on the scale of the Great Flood or the Sinking of Atlantis do many blow off such speculation as the stuff of a fertile imagination overly influenced by Apocalypse consciousness. However, the signs and omens now abound everywhere. Harbingers of an environmental Armageddon show up uninvited everywhere and anywhere, especially by way of meteorological devastation. All anyone has to do is look at their local weather, or tune into the national weather events. An even better barometer reading will come from a quick scan of the regional or global news reports concerning major weather events. They now occur with such frequency that they cannot be ignored. As a matter of fact, if the historical weather records were carefully reviewed, the following conclusion would become clear. That the number of deaths and amount of damage from weather-related events has seen a steady and often precipitous rise, especially since the implementation of the perpetual and purposeful geoengineering programs. Conclusion There is only one reason why the planetary civilization finds itself at the edge of the climatological precipice. That reason: Most of the people of the world are clueless about what is occurring right above their heads. Many are willfully ignorant of the chemtrails; others are simply unaware and uninformed. The continual government disinformation campaign has been so effective that many dont even know what to think. Then there is the small but vocal minority of truth-seekers who know exactly what is going on. Hence, the only way forward is through a deliberate campaign of education and edification. The education piece clearly delineates the facts about geoengineering; the edification part explains the necessity of mobilizing around the urgent need to terminate the chemtrails post-haste. When most people come to understand that the hazardous waste product from coal-fired power plants coal fly ash is the main ingredient in chemtrails, they will join this movement yesterday! Truly, if ever there was a plot to commit genocide against the whole human race, the present system of ever-intensifying chemical geoengineering programs is it. Therefore, the people must be made aware and motivated to respond accordingly. After all, no one likes toxic chemicals being sprayed on them all day long for years on end. Nor does anyone like the blue skies being unceasingly polluted, particularly when the pollution becomes so dense the sun rays are forever blocked. Who, pray tell, wants their sunny days stolen from them week after week only to be replaced with days of toxic chemtrail drizzle? Authors Note The REPORT FROM IRON MOUNTAIN (RFIM) should not be underestimated for it clearly outlines the future of the New World Order. Both U.N. Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 are manifestations of the basic game plan recommended by the RFIM. Therefore, this is a very good place for many to start. The following link provides an important essay which breaks down the whole NWO strategy to corral the human race into a pen of fear and apprehension about the future viability of the biosphere. Editors Note Many people are now aware of the major scams being run daily by the global elites on the inhabitants of this planet. Who, for instance, is not aware of the international crime syndicate known as the Federal Reserve and the global Central Banking System? However, of all the cons and shams there is none greater in scope and complexity than manufactured Global Climate Change via chemical geoengineering and HAARP. That they even attempted, much less continue to perpetrate, such a preposterous scheme only betrays their level of sheer desperation. They do know that, when a critical mass of residents get wind of their ploy for total planetary control, they will be frogmarched out of their plush offices and posh estates and into the same pot of hot water they have been ever so slowly heating up. There they will be left in a stewpot of their own making, never to take over the kitchen again. Special Note Hey people, it really is time to LOOK UP. Link up. Stand up. Speak up. Get up. Talk it up. And a lot LOT more. We all possess a fundamental right to not be chemically assaulted by anyone, or any entity under the sun. Likewise, we all have the right not to have our home and property chemically trespassed by anyone, or any entity under the sun. Therefore, we all have a fundamental right not to be sprayed by the chemical geoengineering programs currently in operation throughout the USA. Does anyone have the right to walk onto your property and indiscriminately spray toxic chemicals wherever they wish? We think not. Should they do so, repeatedly, they might end up in an institution for the criminally insane! Is there any business, organization or governmental entity that possesses the inherent power to conduct itself in this same manner? We dont think so, lest they be responsible for chemical assault or trespass. Furthermore, we would challenge anyone in in the U.S. Federal Government, to cite a single instance where anyone, or any entity, possesses the legitimate (does not transgress inviolable rights), statutory power to engage in such intrusive and outright harmful behavior. After all, chemical assault is chemical assault no matter who is spraying the toxic chemicals or how secretly they conduct the chemical trespass. (Source: Taking A Stand Against The Unrelenting Chemtrail Assault) It is truly inconceivable that such a destructive and harmful government program is running 24/7 right over our heads and hardly anyone notices. Because so few have taken notice, We the People are now forced into a geoengineered corner. And theres only one way out of that corner. Think of our collective predicament as the American colonists did. They knew that there was only one way out of the nascent British Empire. With each year came a different type of oppression in the form of so many dictatorial Acts issued by the Crown. As follows: 1733 Molasses Act 1764 Sugar Act 1764 Currency Act 1765 Stamp Act 1765 Quartering Act 1766 Declaratory Act 1767 Townshend Revenue Act 1773 Tea Act 1774 Intolerable or Coercive Acts Whats the point? The American people are now dictated to by another despotic tyranny. Now we have the patently unlawful and covertly executed Geoengineering Act administered by the U.S. Federal Government. This is just one of many other unwanted national initiatives that have been imposed on the citizenry such as GMO foods, fluoridated water, mandatory childhood vaccinations, circumcision without consent, as well as a whole slew of taxes and fees which have kept many in the state of perpetual poverty. None of these, however, compare to the fouling of our air. What could possibly come close to the poisoning of the ambient air that we breathe with so many highly toxic contaminants?! By Stateofthenation | References: [1] NWO Cabal Pursues Total Dominion Over The Earths Weather And Natural Resources [2] OPERATION CLOVERLEAF: The Most Dangerous Weapons Testing Program In World History Biosphere Approaching Critical Points Of No Return Was the California drought geoengineered to pass future climate change legislation? The bill was introduced by Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and requires that each NSF grant award be accompanied by a non-technical explanation of how the project serves the national interest. This written justification is intended to affirm NSFs determination that a project is worthy of taxpayer support. The bill passed the House by a vote of 236 178. It now goes to the Senate. As the NSF is a poster child for the sometimes frivolous nature of government-funded science in the U.S., shining a light on NSFs grant-making is a valuable and necessary thing to do. On February 10, 2016, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Scientific Research in the National Interest Act ( H.R. 3293 ). Its purpose: to ensure that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is open and accountable to the taxpayers about how their hard-earned dollars are spent. Following are the original cosponsors of the bipartian members of the Science Committee: Reps. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.); Frank Lucas (R-Okla.); Alan Grayson (D-Fla.); Barbara Comstock (R-Va.); John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) Randy Weber (R-Texas); Stephen Knight (R-Calif.); Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla); Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.); Brian Babin (R-Texas); Mo Brooks (R-Ala.); Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.); Bill Johnson (R-Utah); Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.); Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas); Bill Posey (R-Fla.); Gary Palmer (R-Ala.); and Ralph Abraham (R-La.) "Rethinking Science Funding" in 2013 Three plus years ago, September 30, 2013, Lamar Smith and Eric Cantor began to rethink science funding through their collaborative op-ed article published in USA Today titled "Rethinking Science Funding." At the time Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas was chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, a position he holds today, while Rep. Eric Cantor, before his re-election defeat in June of 2004 to newcomer David Brat, was the majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Although the U.S. government was spending more on research and development than any other country, the Chinese were nevertheless perceived to have the fastest supercomputer, high-energy physicists were looking to research conducted in Europe more than in America, and NASA astronauts were hitching rides to the Space Station on board Russian spacecraft. As such Smith and Cantor had cause to wonder whether China and India would soon surpass the U.S. Smith and Cantor rightly concluded that for this nation to remain globally competitive, we needed to make sure that priorities are funded and money is being used wisely. In 2013 the National Science Foundation (NSF) was spending $7 billion of taxpayers' money every year. While Smith and Cantor did find that the NSF spent most of its funds well, they were seeing far too many questionable grants, especially in the social, behavioral and economic sciences. One questionable grant involved $220,000 to the National Geographic for the research of animal photos in the magazine. Other questionable grants cited in Smith and Cantor's USA Today op-ed are listed below: Rangeland management in Mongolia $1,499,718; History of Chiapas, Mexico (350 BC-1350 AD) $280,558; Mayan architecture and the salt industry $233,141; Bronze Age in Cyprus $197,127. Additional Smith and Cantor op-ed reflections: 1) government employees and their agency heads must remember it's not the government's money; its the people's money, and 2) asking questions about grants to obtain more information is reasonable to provide meaningful justification for why some grants are chosen over thousands of others. Likewise expressed was a desire to work with the NSF to address concerns so a better process could be established for evaluating research proposals. Question about science funding elicits strong criticism As might be expected, the September 30 op-ed of Smith and Cantor was subject to criticism. One target of questionable funding was "Bronze Age in Cyprus, which elicited a marked response from Sturt Manning because of his research interest on the topic as Classics Department Chair at Cornell University. Manning's anger was expressed in this article written in response to the Smith and Cantor opinion piece. Manning further cites other article that express similar reactions and argument from his colleagues. One such reaction and argument came from Rosemary Joyce, professor of anthropology at Berkley, with her article entitled, "Why fund studies of Maya architecture instead of saving lives? What ensued was tension between the NSF and the House of Representatives Science Committee over congressional oversight of its grant award process. This on-going feud was settled when in December of 2014, NSF director France Cordova formally adopted new rules for increased transparency and accountability that required non-technical explanations and justifications for new grants. At the time Chairman Lamar Smith remarked: It appears the new NSF policy parallels a significant provision of the FIRST Act approved by this Committee last fall, with its requirement that NSF publish a justification for each funded grant that sets forth the projects scientific merit and national interest. With France Cordova's commitment to work for the same legislative effort, Rep. Lamar Smith succeeded in sponsoring and then introducing H.R. 3293 to the U.S. House on July 29, 2015. Recognition of how the federal government awards many grants that few Americans would consider to be in the national interest, led up to the formulation and introduction of H.R. 3293 on the floor of House. The bill requires that each NSF public announcement of a grant award be accompanied by a non-technical explanation of the projects scientific merits and how it serves the national interest. This written justification affirms NSFs determination that a project is worthy of taxpayer support, based on scientific merit and national interest. National interests a qualifier for science grants How is national interests to be defined in the legislation as having the potential to achieve? Increased economic competitiveness in the United States; Increased economic competitiveness in the United States; Advancement of the health and welfare of the American public; Development of an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive; Increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology in the United States Increased partnerships between academia and industry in the United States; Support for the national defense of the United States; or Promotion of the progress of science in the United States. before H.R. 3293 was passed in the House on February 10, 2016, Rep. Lamar Smith was a featured writer in the Winter, 2016 ISSUES in Science and Technology. Click HERE to read Smith's piece, "Fact Check: Scientific Research in the National Interest Act." In his article Lamar speaks of a number of falsehoods that have been spread to scare scientific community into opposing the legislation by opponents of bringing accountability and transparency to taxpayer-funded scientific research that have been spread by opponents Lamar sets the record straight by negating charges leveled against H.B. 3293. Bill does not change or interfere with the merit review process for approving Bill does not mean that research projects will be judged by the title as to whether or not they are worthy federal funding Bill does not mean that research projects will be judged by the title as to whether or not they are worthy of federal funding As to the bill attempting to solve a problem that doesn't exist, why then did NSF director France Cordova testify before the Science Committee earlier this year (Feb.16) saying that the Research in the National Interest Act is compatible and consistent with the NSF policy set forth in December of 2014? Rep. Lamar Smith also questions the spending of $700,000 on a climate change musical encouraging transformative research? Aditionally, "What is high-risk, high-reward about spending $340,000 to study early human-set fires in New Zealand? What is groundbreaking about spending $487,000 to study the Icelandic textile industry during the Viking era? " Lamar does concede that there may be good answers to the questions, but his committee was not able to come up with one. When NSF funds projects that dont meet such standards, there is less money to support scientific research that keeps our country at the forefront of innovation. As Rep. Smith lamented, NSF is able to fund only one out of every five proposals submitted by scientists and research institutions. When NSF funds projects are funded don't meet set standards, there is less money to support scientific research that keeps our country at the forefront of innovation. Taxpayers deserve science projects of merit, not frivolous ones With a national debt that exceeds $18 trillion and continues to climb by hundreds of billions of dollars each year, taxpayers cannot afford to fund every research proposal, much less frivolous ones. We owe it to American taxpayers and the scientific community to ensure that every grant funded is worthy and in the national interest. HR 3293 has been sent to the U.S. Senate, in particular to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Contact your senators and insist they pass H.R. 3293. and that Senator Republican leader Mitch McConnell permit the bill to come to the floor for a vote. Whilst old imperialisms die hard and some dream about the glory days of bygone eras, like the Austrians in the Balkans or the Germans in Greece 16 February 2016 Share it: Ashok Leyland dragged Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd to the court over alleged violations of contract agreement and flouting of Export Promotion Capital Goods scheme regulations. The partners have invested about Rs 1,000 crore as equity between then. By Press Trust of India: The 8-year-old partnership between Ashok Leyland and Nissan is heading for a break-up with the Japanese firm serving termination notice for one of the three joint ventures they have formed together in the latest flare-up between the partners. The development comes after the Indian partner dragged Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) to the court over alleged violations of contract agreement and flouting of Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme regulations. advertisement ALSO READ: Auto Expo 2016: Nissan ropes in John Abraham as brand ambassador In May 2008, Ashok Leyland and Nissan had formed three JVs -- Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Ltd (ALNVL) for vehicles manufacturing; Nissan Ashok Leyland Power Train Ltd (NALPT) for making power trains; and Nissan Ashok Leyland Technologies Ltd (NALT), which is a technology joint venture. The partners have invested about Rs 1,000 crore as equity between then. "The future of the partnership looks bleak. Already Nissan has served a termination notice for the technology joint venture. There are lots of differences between the partners," a source said. ALSO READ; Nissan to roll out X-Trail hybrid, racing car GT-R in 2017 When contacted, spokespersons of both Ashok Leyland and Nissan India declined to comment on queries regarding the future of their partnership. It is understood that the annual licensing fee to be paid to Nissan by the NALT for using Nissan technology is over Rs 20 crore and over Rs 2 crore is currently due. Highlighting the implications of Nissan's termination notice for the technology JV, a source said, "Ashok Leyland won't be able to use Nissan technology in any of the JV products." Another person in the know of development said such has been the breakdown in their relationship that Nissan nominee directors have not been coming to board meetings called by Ashok Leyland. ALSO READ: Ten things to know about the new Renault Duster A source said while the Indian partner is peeved at Nissan for refusing to infuse capital, the Japanese partner has been asking for a sustainable business plan to be discussed at the Board level for all the three JVs as they have been making losses in the last five years. Ashok Leyland is also not happy with Nissan's demand for more royalty by way of adopting cost plus structure for the successful light commercial vehicle, Dost, but the Japanese firm feels that it is only the Indian firm that is benefiting from the JV as Nissan's sole product Evalia from the JV hasn't worked, sources said. advertisement Last year, Ashok Leyland had announced that it has made an impairment provision of Rs 214 crore out of total investment of Rs 509 crore in the three Nissan JV entities. Allegations have also been made that the engine JV, NALPT, in which Nissan holds 51 per cent has held back supply of engines "citing trade dues". ALSO READ: Ashok Leyland begins regular operations at Ennore plant "It is difficult when partners in a JV start acting in such a manner that they hurt the interest of the very company they are a part of it," a source said. In the petition filed earlier this month in the district court of Kancheepuram, Ashok Leyland alleged RNAIPL of wrongfully using capital goods imported under EPCG scheme meant for vehicle manufacturing by ALNVL. The vehicle JV had signed an agreement with RNAIPL to utilise the latter's facility at Oragadam to produce multi-purpose van Evalia (sold by Nissan) and Stile (by Ashok Leyland) using the imported capital goods. Due to poor market response production of these two vehicles have stopped. Ashok Leyland claims that under a contract RNAIPL is not allowed to use its assets for manufacture of any other vehicle. advertisement The spokesperson of Ashok Leyland confirmed filing a petition against RNAIPL but declined to share details. A Nissan India spokesperson said, "We have received the notice from Ashok Leyland and we are contesting it. We are not in violation of any of the terms of our agreements with Ashok Leyland and dispute their claim." ALSO READ: Ashok Leyland bags order worth $200 million from Ivory Coast The spokesperson further said, "Import duty on the machines is due because exports by the JV did not reach the expected level. We are cooperating with the authorities to resolve this matter." --- ENDS --- Daimler India Commercial Vehicle has set up its first regional centre for commercial vehicles in Dubai that would be responsible for Middle East and North Africa business. The second regional centre has been established in Nairobi, Kenya while the third in Pretoria, South Africa. By Press Trust of India: As part of global expansion plans, German commercial vehicle maker Daimler has set up two regional centres in Kenya and South Africa for retailing its products that would cater to 41 markets. Daimler India Commercial Vehicle, subsidiary of Stuttgart based Daimler AG, has set up its first regional centre for commercial vehicles in Dubai that would be responsible for Middle East and North Africa business. advertisement ALSO READ: Daimler recalls 840,000 vehicles in US for airbag concerns The second regional centre has been established in Nairobi, Kenya while the third in Pretoria, South Africa, a company statement said. "These (two) regional centres will be responsible for the sales and service of all Daimler brands in 41 markets in East, Central and West Africa and will cover nine markets of Southern Africa," the statement said. Daimler Trucks Asia, a unit of Daimler Trucks, jointly operates Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. ALSO READ: Daimler launches new range of medium duty trucks The appointment of regional centres is in the backdrop of expanding the sales and service network under the FUSO brand. Daimler Trucks Asia would benefit from the regional set up with the FUSO brand. "With the opening of these two Regional Centres, we will get close to our FUSO customers in Africa, being able to sell and service better", Daimler Trucks Asia, President and CEO, MFTBC Marc Llistosella said. "We believe that Africa has a big growth potential for robust and efficient trucks and we intend to increase our sales and market share with this step", Llistosella who also heads Daimler Trucks Asia, said. Currently, Daimler Trucks Asia sells FUSO range of products in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa. ALSO READ: Apple, Google making progress on car, says Daimler CEO The vehicles are manufactured at the 400 acre facility at Oragadam near Chennai and shipped to the African markets. The company also plans to begin sales of high-powered heavy-duty truck in 2016 under the FUSO brand in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2015 Daimler Trucks Asia sold 5,900 commercial vehicles in African region of which 4,000 units were under the FUSO brand, it added. --- ENDS --- Since 2009, when the company first started operations in India, Harley Davidson has come a long way in the Indian two-wheeler market. Festival-goers at IBW 2016 will be able to experience Harley Davidson like never before. The two-wheeler manufacturer has approximately ten different activities and events planned out to keep you entertained. By India Today Web Desk: Since its inception in 2013, every edition of the India Bike Week has featured the India H.O.G. Rally, and now for the fourth time at IBW, we will get to see Harley Davidson owners from around the country participate in the 4th Indian H.O.G. rally. India Bike Week is all about the passion for motorcycling, motorcycles, customization, or simply living it up. Here are the different things Harley Davidson will be doing at IBW to keep you entertained. Customized Harley at IBW 2016. advertisement Harley Davidson will be launching a one-of-a-kind dealership called the Legend on Tour. It is a never done before experimental idea and the Legend on Tour dealership will feature authentic Harley-Davidson motorcycle accessories and parts and state-of-the-art sound systems and screens. The Legend on Tour dealership will also be going to Mumbai, followed by Pune, Goa and Coimbatore in the month of March. Festival-goers will also be treated to the entire 2016 Harley Davidson India line-up. This will include the recently launched Sportster 1200 Custom and the iconic Road King. There will also be a dedicated Sporting and Touring section where you can try out the 2016 line-up of Harley Davidson. Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. Customised Harley's will also be on display and you can also vie for the 'Best Customized Bike'. Harley Davidson will also be giving out the 'Big 5 patch' to 125 H.O.G. members. The 'Big 5 Patch' is awarded to riders who complete all four zonal rallies and the national H.O.G. rally in Goa within a year. Lot more activities will be going on at the Harley Davidson zone at IBW 2016 so if you are going to the festival, do check them out. --- ENDS --- The new variant, to be called, 'Edition E' will be fifth engine option for the Mercedes Benz E-Class and will come with a minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. Mercedes Benz E-Class 'Edition E' will come with both petrol and a diesel engine. (In Pic: Merccedes Benz E-Class) By India Today Web Desk: With a promise to launch twelve new products this year, Mercedes Benz is looking all set to deliver yet another promise like the previous year. To commemorate twenty years of Mercedes Benz in India, the company will be launching a new variant of the E-Class sedan on February 24. The new variant, to be called, 'Edition E' will be fifth engine option for the Mercedes Benz E-Class and will come with a minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. advertisement ALSO READ: Mercedes Benz teases C-Class Cabriolet ahead of Geneva Motor Show Assembled locally in collaboration with Tata Motors, the Mercedes Benz E-Class is the highest selling luxury car in India. Moreover, the E-Class competes against the likes of Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series in the market. The Mercedes E-Class is available in four variants- a 2.0-litre petrol engine, a 2.1L turbo-diesel, a turbocharged V6 engine and a 5.5L twin-turbo V8 petrol engine. Moreover, the 'Edition E' by Mercedes-Benz India will come with both petrol and a diesel engine. ALSO READ: Mercedes Benz unveils GLC, S-Class Cabriolet at Auto Expo 2016 The new generation of the E-Class has been unveiled last week in Detroit and is expected to replace the current E-Class by the end of this year. --- ENDS --- The JNU (Jawaharlal National University) central library website has been hacked, after students and teachers have been protesting and demanding strict action to be taken against students involved in raising anti-nationalist comments. By India Today Web Desk: Among students, teachers and the common rank and file of the country protesting and demanding strict action to be taken against students involved in raising anti-nationalist comments, the JNU (Jawaharlal National University) central library website has been hacked. According to newspaper reports, the hackers calling themselves Black Dragon, Haxor Todu, Spider64, Yamraaj, Moni HBH, Code13, All0c and Root Zero and have been associated with many 'pro-India' cyber attacks. advertisement When a user tried to log in to lib.jnu.ac.in, what they saw was the Indian flag with the song "Aye mere watan ke logon" playing in the background. The group called the "Bl@Ck Dr@GoN" has also left a message on the page, "So, As You Said 'Kashmir ki Aazadi Tak Jang Rahegi-Jang Rahegi' You are thinking that you will get Kashmir just by barking in the campus of JNU." As per the sources, the group took such a step so as to avenge the event held in the campus to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. An anonymous hacker said that they are against the anti-national slogans, which were raised inside the JNU campus, and not against the university. And though illegal, their motive is to destroy the cyber space of anti-national supporters. SAR Geelani, former Delhi University (DU) teacher has also been taken into custody on charges of sedition made against him as well. Police had claimed that Geelani was booked as he is presumed to be the "main organiser" of the event and also that the request for booking a hall at the Press Club was done through his e-mail. If now someone tries to open the website, a message appears saying that the server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later. On February 9, few students from the university organised an event on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was hanged in 2013. The event organisers had pasted posters across the campus inviting students to gather for a protest march against the "judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat" and in solidarity with the "struggle" of Kashmiri migrants at the Sabarmati dhaba in the campus. Read: JNU controversy: Sedition charges against former DU Professor SAR Geelani, arrest made Read: Would shutting down JNU put a pause to such blatant anti-national activities? For information on more latest news and updates, click here --- ENDS --- After being labelled as 'witch' and abandoned by his own family, a two-year-old boy in Nigeria was rescued from the streets by Danish social worker Anja Ringgren Loven. By India Today Web Desk: In a normal world, the biggest battles for a two-year-old would be choking hazzards, toilet-training and the monsters under their beds. But for this little boy from Nigeria, it was being abandoned by his family after he was accused of 'witchcraft'. The two-year-old child was living in the streets by himself, emaciated and infested with worms, when Danish social worker Anja Ringgren Loven found him. advertisement Founder of the African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation (ACAEDF), Loven provided the child with proper medical attention and named him 'Hope'. Sharing his story with Huffington Post UK, Loven said how she came to learn about Hope: After receiving a call about a little boy of around two or three years of age who had been abandoned by his family, Loven rushed to make arrangements to rescue him. "When we heard that the child was only two to three years old we did not hesitate," she said. "A child that young cannot survive a long time alone on the streets. We immediately prepared a rescue mission." Once rescued, the gravely undernourished boy had to undergo blood transfusion and treatment for his stomach full of worms. But Hope made it through his rocky journey and is now said to be in a stable condition. He even looks healthier than before in the latest pictures Loven posted on Facebook. Hvis der er nogen der kan f lille Hope til at smile s er det David Jr. ! A?A?A? Vi er lige kommet tilbage fra sygehuset...Posted by Anja Ringgren Lovn on Saturday, February 6, 2016 However, Hope is just one of the many children in Nigeria who are subjected to this tragic experience of being accused of 'witchcraft'. Originally from Denmark, Loven moved to Nigeria after her experience of meeting children here "who had been tortured and beaten almost to death because they were accused of being witches and therefore left alone on the street". "What I saw were so barbaric and terrible and it left a deep impression on me," Loven told Huffington Post UK. Along with her partner David Emmanuel Umem, Loven now runs a home for children accused of being 'witches' and currently have 34 of them living in their care. "Being rejected by your own family must be the loneliest feeling a child can experience, and I don't believe that anyone can imagine how that must feel like." Loven also shared Hope's rescue story on her Facebook page. Take a look at it yourself (You have an option of translating the story to English). advertisement Jeg har set meget her i Nigeria igennem de sidste 3 r. Jeg har forsknet jer for mange oplevelser nr vi har vret p...Posted by Anja Ringgren Lovn on Sunday, January 31, 2016 --- ENDS --- Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and other government buildings. The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the NATO member's capital. (Reuters) By Reuters: Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and other government buildings. The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the NATO member's capital. advertisement The attack, the latest in a series of bombings in the past year mostly blamed on Islamic State, comes as Turkey gets dragged ever deeper into the war in neighbouring Syria and tries to contain some of the fiercest violence in decades in its predominantly Kurdish southeast. President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's determination to fight those behind such acts would only get stronger and that it would not hesitate to exercise its right to self defence. "We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day," he said in a written statement. Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus said 28 people including soldiers and civilians were killed and 61 wounded in the blast, which occurred near a busy intersection less than 500 metres from parliament during the evening rush hour. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag described the attack as an act of terrorism and told parliament, which was in session at the time, that the car had exploded on a part of the street lined on both sides by military vehicles. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who had been due to attend meetings in Brussels on the migration crisis on Thursday, cancelled the trip, an official in his office said. Erdogan postponed a planned visit to Azerbaijan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. A senior security source said initial signs indicated that Kurdish militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were responsible. Separate security sources in the southeast, however, said they believed Islamic State militants may have been behind it. "I heard a huge explosion. There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away," a Reuters witness said. "We could immediately hear ambulance and police car sirens rushing to the scene." Rush Hour A health ministry official said the authorities were still trying to determine the number of dead and wounded, who had been taken to several hospitals in the area. Ankara police said they were examining CCTV footage of the car used in the attack. advertisement Images on social media showed the charred wreckage of at least two buses and a car. The explosion, which came shortly after 6:30 pm (1630 GMT), sent a large plume of smoke above central Ankara. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the attack. "NATO allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement. Turkey faces multiple security threats. It is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and has been shelling Kurdish militia fighters in northern Syria in recent days. It has also been battling PKK militants in its own southeast where a 2-1/2 year ceasefire collapsed last July, plunging the region into its worst violence since the 1990s. The PKK, which has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy, has frequently attacked military targets in the past, although it has largely focused its campaign on the mainly Kurdish southeast. More than 100 people died in Ankara last October in an attack blamed on Islamic State, when two suicide bombers struck a rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists outside the capital's main train station. A suicide bombing in the historic heart of Istanbul in January, also blamed on Islamic State, killed 10 German tourists, while a bomber killed more than 30 people in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border last July. --- ENDS --- advertisement Three members of ABVP's JNU unit - Pradeep Narwal, Rahul Yadav and Ankit Hans - have resigned as a mark of protest against Delhi Police crackdown on Jawaharlal Nehru University. By India Today Web Desk: Three office-bearers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit of ABVP on Wednesday resigned from the student wing of the BJP strongly protesting against the Centres handling of the raging row at the premier university and "legitimising" actions of right wing fascist forces. Pradeep Narwal, Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP, said he has quit the party. Rahul Yadav, President of ABVP unit of JNUs School of Social Sciences (SSS) and its Secretary Ankit Hans have also said they have quit. advertisement In a joint statement, the three leaders said have decided to quit ABVP as they have serious differences over the way the NDA government was handling the issue, adding there is a difference between "interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti-national." They also expressed anguish over assault on mediapersons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House Court complex on Monday as well as attack on JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in the same court complex today, alleging that the government was "legitimising" the action of right wing fascist forces. The students also said, "We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti-national. We cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community. When contacted, a senior ABVP leader said the organisation has not received their resignation. The incident comes as a shocker when the students organisation plans to hold Nation First March on February 18, 2016, against anti-national forces. The JNU students are on strike demanding release of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. JNUSU president Kanhaiya, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya was brought there. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen sent Kanhaiya to judicial custody after Delhi Police said it did not need the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president any more for interrogation. The court directed Delhi Police, who will escort him to the jail from the court, and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. advertisement Kanhaiya Kumar appealed to students to maintain calm and said he does not support anti-national activity. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". Members of the Democratic Student's Union (DSU) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of the JNU clashed on February 9 as the former organised an event against the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and separatist leader Maqbool Bhat. While the organisers (DSU) originally got permission to hold the event, it was withdrawn after the ABVP complained to the administration. The ABVP had called for a protest outside the 24?7 dhaba opposite the venue, against the "anti-national" activity. ABVP's protest call saw other groups including the All India Students' Association (AISA), All India Students' Federation (AISF) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) coming to the spot in support of the DSU. When the groups began their march to Ganga Dhaba, ABVP members blocked their way even as security personnel tried to maintain order. The incident led to the arrest of students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges.ALSO READ advertisement : Delhi Police report on JNU students: Students wanted beef to be served in hostel, worshipped demons JNU controversy: How it started and all that happened at the campus --- ENDS --- It seems that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actor Aamir Khan have finally patched up. The BJP government in Maharashtra has decided to appoint Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador of Jalyukta Shivar scheme of the state government. By India Today Web Desk: It seems that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actor Aamir Khan have finally patched up. The BJP government in Maharashtra has decided to appoint Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador of Jalyukta Shivar scheme of the state government. The scheme is a flagship scheme of the state government to tap and create water resources. advertisement Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Khan would be addressing a joint press conference today at 5 pm after launching the scheme at a state guest house. Recently, Aamir Khan's contract for Incredible India wasn't renewed after his comments on 'intolerance' grabbed national headlines and created massive outrage. The national tourism campaign was not renewed after a huge controversy in November when he commented on 'intolerance' in the country. The actor had said that his wife Kiran Rao was so concerned that she had wondered out loud about relocating from India. Amid reports that the actor was being punished for those comments, Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said that he featured in the Incredible India campaign through an ad agency, McCann Erickson, whose contract with the government had ended. The government has now recruited megastar Amitabh Bachchan as its spokesperson. ALSO READ | Never said India intolerant, I was born here and will die here: Aamir Khan --- ENDS --- Will the hugely popular Santa-Banta jokes on the Internet and social media become history? Could such banter on the community in social gatherings be taken as an offence? The Supreme Court has asked the Sikh community to come up with suggestions on how to impose a limited ban on 'sardar' jokes. By Harish V Nair: Will the hugely popular Santa-Banta jokes on the Internet and social media become history? Could such banter on the community in social gatherings be taken as an offence? Pointing out that it did not want Sikhs to be ridiculed, the Supreme Court on Tuesday for the first time asked the community to come out with suggestions as to what could be done within the permitted jurisdiction of the judiciary to impose limited ban on 'sardar' jokes. Enforcing the order advertisement "We may say do not crack such jokes. But then how do we enforce the order? Of course we do not want you to be ridiculed, but please tell us in what way we can do something. You come out with suggestions within six weeks," a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur told senior lawyer RS Suri, who represented the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and main petitioner and advocate Harvinder Chowdhury. Suri said he was not for any penal provision, but primarily wanted sensitisation of the public, especially the school students on the issue. While Chowdhury demanded a ban on websites spreading jokes portraying the 'sardar' community as "persons of low intellect, stupid and foolish" and equated them to "racial abuse", the DSGMC sought "framing the guidelines to curb the menace of the social, racial, religious, ethnic remarks abuses or jokes and direction to the state to implement some guidelines through their law-enforcing agencies at all the public places". "Certain type of jokes becoming viral after the advent of the social media, WhatsApp, some of which are in very bad taste are hurting us. It is not only against the Sikhs. There is a wider canvas like Biharis, people from the North-east also are the butt of many jokes. We may be enjoying jokes and also cracking jokes ourselves. But we do not want to become jokes ourselves," Suri argued. Narrating her personal embarrassment on account of such jokes, Chowdhury had said during the last hearing: "I know the petition is strange. But I am on something else... the kids in the community are thoroughly demoralised. I am married to a Hindu family. My daughter and son do not want the 'Kaur' and 'Singh' tag with their names. Their friends make fun of them." She said she found it strange that when certain communities and castes are targeted, there's always much 'hue and cry', but when sardars are made the butt of jokes, there is not a single word of protest. On the first day of hearing on October 31 last year, initially the court was in a mood to dismiss the petition till Chowdhury prima-facie convinced the court that it was a matter worth serious hearing and the issue was related to the prestige of the community. She argued that such jokes amounted to humiliating and insulting the Sikh community. advertisement "Why should we ban such a thing? The community is known for its great sense of humour? they enjoy the jokes ? Did author Khushwant Singh not write jokes on Sikhs? And, he was a sardar. Perhaps the Sikh community will object to the banning of these jokes on the Internet," Justice Thakur told Chowdhury. Seeking opinion Justice Thakur had then even consulted senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was present in the courtroom in connection with another case, if he felt the court should at all proceed with the PIL. Singhvi replied: "In my opinion, the community takes such jokes very sportingly." The court agreed to hear the petition after Chowdhury vehemently pleaded for a hearing. Also Read Supreme Court may script Santa-Banta epitaph on the internet --- ENDS --- According to the police, a trivial issue led in Tadasa village on Monday night led to a communal clash on Tuesday morning. By Mail Today: The police arrested 23 people after communal clash erupted in Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district in Karnataka leading to damage of public property and injury to several people. However, there were no fatalities, as the police intervened in time. According to the police, a trivial issue led in Tadasa village on Monday night led to a communal clash on Tuesday morning. A resident of the village tried to cheat a trader leading to a quarrel between two communities. Later, it turned into a full-fledged fight as the mob targeted each other's homes and properties. advertisement They also attacked the local police, who arrived at the spot to control the situation. A few miscreants also targeted the local police outpost. The police had to deploy additional forces to restore normalcy to the village. --- ENDS --- Lady Gaga wowed the Grammy audience with her touching song and dance tribute to David Bowie, but the late British singer's son seems less-than impressed. Lady Gaga performs a medley of David Bowie songs as a tribute to the late singer during the 58th Grammy Awards. Picture courtesy: Reuters By Reuters: Film director Duncan Jones--son of Bowie and his first wife Angie--made a cryptic post on Twitter after Monday's Grammy Awards, in which he shared the dictionary definition of the word 'gaga'. "'Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.' Damn it! What IS that word!?(sic)" Jones wrote. Gaga's medley of Bowie's biggest hits was punctuated by a torrent of flashing multi-colored lights and images projected on a large screen behind her, including a closeup of her face adorned in "Aladdin Sane: makeup - a nod to one of Bowie's personas - with a spider crawling over her nose." advertisement Also read: #GRAMMYs: Lady Gaga's psychedelic tribute to David Bowie The tribute to Bowie--who died in January 2016 due to cancer--was widely seen as one of the highlights of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday night, and was one of the most-discussed moments of the show on social media. Jones' comments triggered both outrage and sympathy. Twitter user Lady Teapots said it was "cruel and mean spirited to attack Lady Gaga who gave her all to honor and entertain" while Darcy Bennett tweeted, "Surely the man is entitled to his opinion. especially considering it's about his father." Also watch: How the industry paid tributes to David Bowie, Michael Jackson & BB King at #Grammys2016 Gaga on Tuesday limited herself to giving Instagram thanks to those who made the tribute possible, including fashion designer Marc Jacobs, who recreated some of Bowie's signature looks during his glam rock phase of the 1970s. During the weekend, Gaga had showed off pictures of a new tattoo on her ribcage of Bowie with a lightning bolt across his face. --- ENDS --- Two Indian hacking groups on Tuesday claimed to have defaced the library page of Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) website and accessed the varsity's data. The message posted on the site said Pakistan will never get Kashmir By Shashank Shekhar: Two Indian hacking groups on Tuesday claimed to have defaced the library page of Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) website and accessed the varsity's data. The groups claim that the move was to avenge the event held in the campus to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. Indian Hackers Online Squad claimed responsibility of defacing the university website and said Indian hackers will not stay silent against anti-national activities. "We hackers are against the anti-national slogans, which were raised inside the JNU campus, and not against the university. Though illegal, our motive is to destroy the cyber space of anti-national supporters," an anonymous hacker, who uses Bl@Ck Dr@GoN as an alias told Mail Today via email. advertisement The group, after hacking the varsity website, posted an image of the Tricolour and said they saluted the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to eliminate terrorists like Afzal Guru. The group also warned anti-national elements at JNU to accept that Pakistan will never get Kashmir. "Protesters should be thankful to god that they are alive. If the same incident would have happened in Pakistan, people would have burnt them alive," the post read. The issue soon was noticed by the JNU administration and the page has been taken off the website. A senior official of the university confirmed the website had been hacked and the computer department is looking into the matter. In the second hack, another hacking group accessed website data and made it public. The data included email ids and passwords of faculty members. A message posted on the site read, "We are Indian underground hackers. We are against the JNU sh*#. India is not built by traitors but made of blood of thousand patriotic souls. Don't ever play with your freedom." Also Read JNU's central library website hacked JNU row: Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, demands action against OP Sharma Shut down JNU for 4 months, filter the hostel of anti-nationals: Subramanian Swamy --- ENDS --- A lower court in Bihar today issued summons to Lord Hanuman for appearance in court in connection with a roadside temple dedicated to him in Rohtas district, a government lawyer said. By India Today Web Desk: A lower court in Bihar today issued summons to Lord Hanuman for appearance in court in connection with a roadside temple dedicated to him in Rohtas district, a government lawyer said. But the baffling direction has now been rectified by the court which termed it as a clerical mistake'. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Rohtas asked the monkey god to appear in his court after hearing a complaint of encroachment filed by the Public Works Department. advertisement The court's order was pasted on the idol of Lord Hanuman at the temple in Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas district by district officials. The department, in its complaint, sought the court's intervention to remove the 'Panchmukhi' Hanuman temple as it caused obstruction to movement of traffic. A group of Bajrang Dal activists and local Bharatiya Janata Party workers have opposed the court notice to Lord Hanuman and demanded its withdrawal. Early this month, a district official issued an encroachment notice against 'Bajrang Bali' regarding a roadside temple constructed in his honour in Lohia Nagar area in Begusarai district. However, protesting Bajrang Dal workers forced the authorities to dump the notice. On February 1, a lawyer in the Bihar's Sitamarhi district complained against Lord Ram and his brother Laxman. Chief Judicial Magistrate Rash Bihari rejected the case as 'not maintainable' and 'beyond logic and facts' the petition that sought registration of a case against Lord Ram and his brother Laxman for banishing Sita into exile 'without proper justification". --- ENDS --- India is preparing to pump in a higher-than-anticipated capital sum into poorly performing state banks, government sources said, a move that could see New Delhi infuse as much as $34 billion additionally and make it harder to hit planned deficit targets. By Reuters: India is preparing to pump in a higher-than-anticipated capital sum into poorly performing state banks, government sources said, a move that could see New Delhi infuse as much as $34 billion additionally and make it harder to hit planned deficit targets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in August pledged to put in 700 billion rupees ($10.2 billion) into state-run banks through four years to March 2019 as part of a broader banking reforms programme. It had then said the lenders would raise another 1.1 trillion rupees from the financial markets. advertisement But a surge in provisions for bad loans in a central bank-directed balance sheet clean-up exercise has sent several lenders into losses, hammering their stock prices and limiting their ability to secure external funding as the economy wobbles. It also means Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will have to squeeze the national budget to foot the bill. "Indian public sector banks may find it difficult to raise capital, given their currently weak operating performance," Standard & Poor's credit analyst Deepali Seth said in a report, highlighting a risk of further rating downgrades. "These banks will therefore have to rely more on government support for capital infusions." Two senior government officials with direct knowledge of the matter said a new capital-infusion plan was being formulated that Jaitley might propose as early as the end of this month when he presents the federal budget. They did not say how much more the government was targeting injecting into the banks. A finance ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, reckons the government will have to cough up at least 1.26 trillion rupees, nearly double of what it originally planned, to keep its current ownership of state banks. But the figure might swell to as much as 3 trillion rupees if the lenders fail to raise funds from markets, it said. "Right now it's a tightrope walk," said Abhishek Bhattacharya, co-head of financial institutions at India Ratings. A sharp slowdown in India's nominal economic growth, which drives tax revenues, has already made it tougher for Jaitley to meet a target of trimming the fiscal deficit to 3.5 percent of GDP in the year that begins in April from the 3.9 percent budgeted for this year. Bhattacharya said the extra burden of capital infusion could add 35-40 basis points every year to the deficit over the next three years. In a Twitter post on Friday, the finance ministry quoted Jaitley as saying that the government is "committed to protect the banks and give them the capital requirements". "Bad loans are there but banks are equipped to deal with these issues," Jaitley said. advertisement GROWTH CAPITAL Banks are the main source of funding for infrastructure and other investment projects, and capital constraints at the banks could throttle a nascent recovery. Big quarterly losses at lenders including Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank mean some of them will need more capital sooner than expected to grow lending. Bank credit growth last fiscal year fell to its slowest in nearly two decades. With all state-run banks, including top lender State Bank of India, trading at a steep discount to their book values, selling shares at dirt-cheap valuations is not an option. Ashwani Kumar, chairman at Dena Bank that is in talks with the government for capital support, said the original capital infusion plan was based on parameters including profitability of lenders, pace of bad loan additions and banks' ability to raise funds from the market. "If those parameters don't hold good, they have to put in more money," he said. ($1 = 68.6500 Indian rupees) --- ENDS --- There was chaos in the Supreme Court today during a hearing on the JNU issue. A lawyer shouted slogans of Vande Mataram during the hearing of the petition of a former JNU student who had sought security cover for JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. By India Today Web Desk: There was chaos in the Supreme Court today during a hearing on the JNU issue. A lawyer shouted slogans of Vande Mataram during the hearing of the petition of a former JNU student who had sought security cover for JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Kanhaiya Kumar in under arrest and has been charged with sedition. The lawyer Rajeev Yadav, who shouted slogans inside the courtroom, was taken out of the court room by the security officials. Later, he even submitted an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court bench for his actions. advertisement The court said that such things should not be done as people have faith in the institution. "Don't do such things. People have faith in this institution. Protect this institution. Don't do such things in the interest of future generations", the bench said. The Supreme Court has even directed the Delhi Police and concerned authorities to ensure safety and security of journalists in Patiala House court where Kanhaiya Kumar is going to be produced today. The apex court said that lesser number of people will be allowed inside the Patiala House court considering the small size of courtroom. The bench said only 25 journalists will be allowed inside the court premises and five will be allowed inside the courtroom. Meanwhile, senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan today alleged that arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been "falsely implicated" and that he is ready to represent him in court. "I am ready to represent Kanhaiya Kumar. I am usually busy with Supreme Court and High Court but if the need arises I will represent him because he is a fine student leader who has been falsely implicated," Bhushan said. Kumar was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. ALSO READ | JNU row: BJP goes on offensive, party to demand Parliament debate JNU row: PhD student Mudassar mobilised crowd at Press Club, says SAR Geelani --- ENDS --- By Rahul Kanwal: Facing criticism over the Delhi Police 's decision to impose sedition charges against JNU students, the BJP has decided to go on the offensive. Preempting any attempt by the opposition to corner the government in Parliament, the BJP top leadership has directed party MPs to demand a discussion on the floor of the house on the JNU affair. India Today has learnt that BJP MPs will soon formally ask the Speaker to allow a discussion on the pro-Afzal, anti-India event in Parliament. advertisement The BJP believes it has nothing to be defensive about. The BJP's strategy is to corner Rahul Gandhi for not having condemned the anti-India slogans raised by JNU students. Highly placed sources in the BJP have told India Today that the party will aggressively defend the action that has been taken against the JNU students. Instead of getting tied up in the legal aspects of the application of sedition charges, the party hopes to veer the narrative in the direction of the need to stop anti-India sloganeering at university campuses. The party hopes to send a strong message to students and their parents that 'anti-national' activities on campus will not be tolerated. BJP President Amit Shah himself has led the charge against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. In his blog, Amit Shah sought to make the sedition versus free-speech debate, a Rahul versus BJP issue. For the record, the Congress party has condemned the anti-India slogans that were raised at the JNU event. But the BJP is questioning Rahul Gandhi's silence on this issue. Rahul Gandhi had made an impassioned speech in favour of free speech and attacked the Modi government when he visited the JNU campus. But the BJP is trying to project him as someone who is supporting anti-national elements. The BJP's internal calculation is that a majority of students on campuses across the country are still supportive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that it is only a handful of students who are engaging in what the party calls 'anti-national' activities. --- ENDS --- The situation at Jawaharlal Nehru University, which followed earlier developments at Hyderabad Central University, raises critical questions on BJP's nationalism, what the party considers acceptable what it deems to be anti-national. By India Today Web Desk: The situation at Jawaharlal Nehru University, which followed earlier developments at Hyderabad Central University, raises critical questions on BJP's nationalism, what the party considers acceptable what it deems to be anti-national. In a real sense, this is the sentiment that underlies developments both at JNU and Hyderabad. Panelists on Karan Thapar's show To The Point tackled five big question. advertisement 5 Big Questions Parties playing politics over nationalism Sedition debate dividing the Indian society? What is seditious and what is not? Who is an anti-nationalist in India? What is the real concept of Indian nationalism? Is the BJP mistaken or are the critics wrong? The Guests former Congress minister Manish Tewari, BJD lawyer and MP Pinaki Mishra, CPI National Secretary D Raja, Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Ashish Khetan, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Mittal and well-known sociologist Ashish Nandy. A minister in the BJP government General VK Singh, on Tuesday, said: "You consume the nation's foodgrains, reside in the nation and get education here. If after that you abuse the nation, then you are traitor." So, is it treason or anti-national to be critical of your own country? "I think Mr VK Singh should go to a psychiatrist, preferably a child psychiatrist. I don't think that the present ruling class in India knows anything about governance. It is a very sad comment. I have been brought up in Calcutta and I've seen this rhetoric of revolution rising against the regime, talking about India's freedom as false. We've been hearing these slogans for years. Nobody took them seriously," said Nandy on the television show. On whether criticism of the country is anti-national, BJP spokesperson Mittal said - "I had thought that we would place all these comments under perspective of what happened at JNU. There is no criticism of India. It is the destruction of India that has been demanded there. They said - 'Bharat ke tukde karne hain' [Let's break India into parts], 'Bharat ko barbaad karna hai' [Let's destroy India]. This is not criticising India or the government of India." Watch the full episode here: --- ENDS --- The National Human Rights Commission also issued separate notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary, and city Police Commissioner on allegations that journalists and students were beaten up at Patiala House Courts by a BJP MLA and party supporters. By Press Trust of India: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government, Delhi Police and authorities of the Jawaharlal Nehru University over police action on the varsity campus following a row over an event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The NHRC also issued separate notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary, and city Police Commissioner on allegations that journalists and students were beaten up at Patiala House Courts by a BJP MLA and party supporters. advertisement Notices in the first instance were issued after the Commission took cognizance of media reports about the event where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, leading to the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges. "However, the President of the JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, has denied the allegations. It is also alleged that police is mindlessly patrolling the campus and students are being witch-hunted and demonized for doing nothing. "It is widely alleged that the action of the police was illegal and high-handed and was an attempt to suppress freedom of speech and expression in academic institutions. It is also alleged that the charge of sedition was falsely added to intimidate those who dissent," said the panel while issuing notices to Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Delhi government, Delhi Police Commissioner and Registrar at JNU. The NHRC has sought their response within two weeks. The second set of notices have been issued following receipt of a complaint that journalists and students were assaulted in police presence by a Delhi BJP MLA and party supporters disguised as lawyers within and outside the Patiala House Courts where a sedition case against Kanhaiya Kumar was to be heard. "The complainant has requested for an independent probe and registration of FIR against the alleged perpetrators," the Commission said in a statement. "The teachers and the students of JNU and the journalists had a right to be present in the court and its premises. This right was denied to them by use of criminal force and physical attack unleashed on them by one MLA and some persons in lawyer's robes. "Such violation of human rights took place in the presence of a large number of policemen. Though the police had a duty to prevent such violation of human rights and commission of criminal offences, they allegedly remained mute spectators and facilitated violation of human rights. The alleged inaction of the police on the occasion amounted to dereliction of duty and negligence," it said. BJP MLA Op Sharma was caught on camera beating up a CPI activist outside Patiala House Court complex on Monday during the fracas. Several people wearing black robes of lawyers were also seen attacking journalists, and students and teachers of JNU. advertisement The incident involves "serious violation" of human rights. Hence, the Home Secretary, Commissioner of Police, Delhi and Chief Secretary in Delhi government are directed to submit urgent report within a week, the Commission said. Also Read: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar taken to Tihar jail from Patiala House court Patiala House court attacker Vikram Singh Chauhan threatens more violence --- ENDS --- BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha has fired another salvo at the BJP government by saying that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has done nothing anti-national or against constitution. By India Today Web Desk: BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha has fired another salvo at the BJP government by saying that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has done nothing anti-national or against constitution. "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti-national or against the constitution", the senior BJP leader tweeted. In a series of tweets, Shatrughan even wished for JNU Students Union president's early release. "Hope wish and pray that he's release soon, sooner the better...", he said. advertisement "JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record & history," he added. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will today hear a plea complaining of inaction of police against those involved in thrashing journalists, students and teachers in a city court and seeking a fair trial "free from fear of violence and prejudice" for JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 12 on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy. He is currently in judicial remand and is being questioned by officials. ALSO READ | SC to hear plea for fair proceedings in Kanhaiya's case Here's what JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar said in his speech. Is this anti-national? --- ENDS --- Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex in Delhi but was only jostled around. By India Today Web Desk: Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House Court complex in Delhi but was only jostled around. "I don't think you can say that the situation went out of hand; I don't think he (Kanhaiya Kumar) was beaten up. My information is that there was jostling when he was brought to the court in which he lost one of his slippers," Bassi told the media here. advertisement He said Kanhaiya was escorted by police officers and was well taken care of. "During the jostling, our police officers were covering him (Kanhaiya) from behind and front with the intention of protecting him from assault. Our tactic was not to use force because if we had used force, that could have been counter-productive," he said. "I am told by the DCP South that before leaving for court, he (Kanhaiya) gave his statement in the form of an appeal and expressed his confidence in the constitution," the Delhi Police chief added. Bassi said police have, meanwhile, issued summons to three people, including Vikram Singh Chauhan, one of the lawyers captured on video regarding the Patiala House court violence on Monday. "Three lawyers, including Chauhan, have been summoned. I hope they will appear before the investigation officer and give their version," he said. Asked if summons were issued to BJP legislator OP Sharma as well since he also was filmed attacking a CPI activist outside the Patiala House court, he replied: "Yes, I have summoned that gentleman (Sharma) also for tomorrow. I can understand the anguish of the people as well as yours but I have to go by the law." He said he will forward a report on the entire matter to the home ministry. ALSO READ: Police probing JNU case from all angles: BS Bassi --- ENDS --- Arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings that some outsiders had entered JNU and along with students they were raising slogans. By India Today Web Desk: Arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings that he condemns what happened on February 9, 2016, in JNU and appealed to everyone not to disturb the peace of the country, society and institution. Kanhaiya Kumar's letter. "I believe in the Constitution of India. I condemn what happened on February 9, 2016. After seeing the video, I got to know that some outsiders had entered JNU and along with students they were raising slogans. I don't support such sloganeering. I appeal to everyone not to disturb the peace of the country, society and institution," Kanhaiya said. BS Bassi, Delhi Police Commissioner, said Kanhaiya Kumar was only jostled around during his appearance in Patiala House court complex. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex in Delhi but was only jostled around: BS Bassi, Delhi Police Commissioner. Kanhaiya, who was charged with sedition and arrested on February 13, 2016, has been taken to Tihar jail from Patiala House court amid tight security and sloganeering by lawyers. Lawyers forced journalists to leave court premises. Kapil Sibal to present report to SC on Thursday. Kanhaiya Kumar is still in Patiala House court as over 100 lawyers blocking path. Kanhaiya has been kept inside the Patiala House Court for security reasons. Police are waiting for suitable conditions to take him away. Kolkata: Jadavpur University students vandalise posters inside campus condemning anti-national activities, protest inside campus. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the council of Ministers boycott the 'at home' function of Delhi Police. Supporters of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists pelt stones at CPI-M office in Sector 30 B, Chandigarh. I am an Indian who has full faith in judiciary and the Constitution: Kanhaiya The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor then send me to jail: Kanhaiya If there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial: Kanhaiya I was attacked by a person who was sitting right in front of me. The police saved me: Kanhaiya Kanhaiya Kumar identifies two lawyers who attacked him, say sources Delhi Police said it will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail Since he is making an appeal, I personally feel a young person can perhaps be considered for being given a chance: BS Bassi NSUI supporters in JNU will hold a protest march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament at 12.15 pm on Thursday The accused man left the courtroom without being stopped by the police. The court asked Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi to personally guarantee Kumar's safety. Kumar was punched, kicked and dragged by the lawyers, who later boasted to the police that "their job was done". Kumar was medically examined inside the courtroom. A doctor said Kumar had suffered abrasions on his nose, legs and face. A team of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court spoke to Kumar and reported that he was "terrorised". Mob screamed at and abused the Panel that SC appointed, called them "agents of Pakistan". Rajeev Dhavan told SC that the "situation in PH Court is horrifying, mob tried to manhandle the Panel that SC appointed". Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured us that he will direct the police commissioner to take appropriate action against this and identify the culprits: NK Singh, General Secretary, BEA We expressed our concern over attack on journalists to HM Rajnath Singh: NK Singh, General Secretary, BEA Use of force in the court would have been counter-productive.We followed norms of prudent policing: BS Bassi, Delhi Police Commissioner advertisement The Supreme Court on Wednesday formed a 5-member advocate panel as Court Commissioners to go to Patiala House Court and assess the situation there when it was unable to get information on developments in Kanhaiya's case. The 5-member advocate team on Wednesday submitted their findings in SC. Their report said Kanhaiya was beaten up while he was brought inside the court. "We are shocked. There is atmosphere of terror. Small stones were thrown on us," The delegation said. Meanwhile, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been sent to judicial custody till March 2, 2016. According to sourses, he will be kept in cell number 3 of Tihar jail in Delhi. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today briefed the Prime Minister's office on the JNU case. Bassi said that no clean chit has been given to JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar. There are reports of scuffle outside the Patiala House court in Delhi. Lawyers raised slogans outside the court premises. The same lawyers who were seen assaulting journalists and JNU students on the Monday were again leading the protests today. According to sources, the clash took place between pro and anti Kanhaiya supporters. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said both RSS and BJP have failed in all fronts and Kanhaiya's views should be heard SC asks the Delhi Police counsel to talk to Delhi police commissioner and ask him to ensure #KanhaiyaKumar's security. Supreme Court asks for hearing to end immediately. Law and order situation at Patiala House court grim, says SC panel SC asks magistrate to adjourn hearing, vacate courtroom Patiala House court attacker Vikram Singh Chauhan threatens more violence Centre to ask Delhi Police to explain clashes, asks why its orders were not followed Union Home Secretary to speaak to Delhi top cop More security forces have been deployed at Patiala House Court premises. Police was a mute spectator like yesterday. I have photos to prove: Tariq Anwar, Firstpost on scuffle in Patiala House Court premises today Team of judges headed by District Judge Patiala House court reviewed the security inside court room and court premises. Lawyers protest outside Patiala House court, Delhi. Lawyers including Vikram Chauhan raise slogans of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" outside Patiala House Court, Delhi. advertisement Dramatic scenes were witnessed in the Supreme Court during the hearing of a plea on the Patiala House Court violence in which lawyers thrashed journalists and Jawaharlal Nehru University students. A lawyer present in the courtroom shouted slogans of 'Vande Mataram' disrupting the proceedings. Delhi Police teams are conducting raids in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir. They are on the lookout for Umar Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya, Riazul Haq and Rubina Saifee-all of whom are DSU members who allegedly organised the event on the eve of February 9, where anti-India slogans were raised. Here are the latest updates in the story Union Telecom Minister and senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad regreted the actions of BJP MLA OP Sharma. Speaking to India today Prasad said the BJP leader should not have taken law in his own hands and not resorted to violence. He, however, justified the strict action taken by Delhi Police against JNU students and said Modi government will not tolerate anti-national activities of any kind on campus. A group of hackers on Tuesday hacked the website of Jawaharlal Nehru University's central library. When a user tried to log in to lib.jnu.ac.in, what they saw was the Indian flag with the song "Aye mere watan ke logon" playing in the background. The website claimed to be hacked by a group called "Bl@Ck Dr@GoN" who left a message on the page, "As You Said Kashmir ki Aazadi Tak Jang Rahegi-Jang Rahegi." (You are thinking that you will get Kashmir just by barking in the campus of JNU.)"The hacking of the website was noticed after office hours. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today briefed the Prime Minister's office on the Jawaharlal Nehru? (JNU)case. He gave a status update on the JNU incident to the PMO. Bassi said that no clean chit has been given to JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar. During an interrogation, SAR Geelani admitted he held meeting like the one happened in Press Club twice earlier. He also revealed it was a person called Mudassar, a PhD student who had mobilised people at the Press Club meeting. He said Mudassar was an aquaintance and he belongs to another university. Demanding beef in the hostel mess and worshipping 'Mahisasur' (a demon) are among the anti-national activities of the students listed by Delhi Police in a report on the controversial event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) states that extreme Left group - the Democratic Student's Union (DSU) - was behind the protest on February 9. Along with DSU the report also mentions Democratic Student's Front that has been involved in "anti-national activities" in JNU in the past. India Today has accessed interrogation report of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. During his interrogation Kanhaiya Kumar has denied raising anti-India slogans at the pro-Afzal event that was organised on the JNU campus on February 9. However, Kumar admitted criticising RSS and PM Modi. MHA sources have told India Today that they have suggested that slapping of the serious charges against kanhaiya Kumar could be an act of "over enthusiasm" on the part of some Delhi Police officers. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that filtering the JNU hostel of anti-nationals is important."JNU must shut down for 4 months and reopen after getting the students to sign the affidavit stating to uphold constitution of India, only those would be allowed to come back," he said. He aslo attacked the Left, saying that their mentality is anti-national. BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha today came out in support of Kanhaiya Kumar. He said JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has done nothing anti-national or against constitution. "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti national or against constitution", the senior BJP leader tweeted. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a leteer to PM Modi raising concerns on the JNU developments. He wrote, "whatever happened at Patiala House Court is failure of the system. The way students, professors and media personnel were assaulted inside the court room is just unbelievable. If people are not safe inside court rooms, then where are can we expect safety?" Kumar was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 12 on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy. Kumar is currently in judidical custody and is being questioned by officials from the Delhi Police. advertisement Also Read advertisement 'Anti-national' JNU students demanded beef and worshipped demons: Delhi Police Exclusive: JNUSU chief Kanhaiya Kumar's interrogation report accessed JNU row: Shatrughan fires salvo at BJP, says JNUSU president Kanhaiya has done nothing anti-national Hackers breach JNU website to avenge Afzal event --- ENDS --- Sonam Kapoor's upcoming film Neerja helped her conquer her own fears, feels the actor. Playing Neerja Bhanot, India's youngest recipient of the Ashok Chakra in the Ram Madhvani-directed biopic, has been a journey of self-discovery for Sonam. In an exclusive interview to IndiaToday.in, Sonam Kapoor opens up on her fear of not living up to her parents' expectations, her experience of working on Neerja and more. By Ananya Bhattacharya: For 22-year-old flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, stepping into the Pan Am Flight 73 on September 5, 1986 was a decision that changed her life. 30 years after that fateful day which resulted in the loss of a life and the creation of a hero who saved the lives of 359 passengers from near-certain death, director Ram Madhvani is bringing to 70mm the story of Neerja Bhanot. advertisement For 30-year-old Sonam Kapoor, stepping into the shoes of the youngest recipient of the Ashok Chakra, India's highest civilian honour, was a daunting task. The biopic of Neerja will see Kapoor essaying the eponymous role. In the process, says Sonam, she has been able to conquer her own fears. So how did Sonam get the fear right in front of the camera, given that no one quite knows what Neerja Bhanot went through when faced with death? "Fear is... there are different manifestations of fear, but the emotion is the same. You're afraid, you're scared, and that fear is just of different degrees. So you just need to capture that emotion. I knew the underlying emotion that she would've felt because the emotion a normal girl would feel is fear. That's the essence I wanted to capture. Her conquering her fear and becoming a leader, becoming the girl that she was meant to be on the Pan Am Flight 73," says Sonam. What is she scared of? "Both in my professional and personal life, my biggest fear had always been not living up to my father's name," says the Raanjhanaa actor. Neerja is based on a real incident that lasted all of 16/17 hours - the duration of the hijack. It is a challenge to condense something that lasted for this period of time into a two-hour movie. Did that have any effect on Sonam whatsoever? "We shot it in real-time. Ram then decided to choose what he chose from what we shot and put it into a two-hour film. So we went through everything that they went through... the only thing is we came out alive," shares Kapoor. While India is waiting for the release of Neerja, the film has ruffled a few feathers in Pakistan for supposedly having portrayed the country in not-so-good a light. With debates over Neerja possibly seeing a ban in Pakistan, Sonam says she hopes the film is released in the country. "I know the kind of love I get in Pakistan; I know the kind of following I have there. My films have done very well there and I hope this film releases as well. We have shown Pakistan in a very very good light in this movie. And I hope when people do watch it, they understand," says Sonam. advertisement WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: For all updates and stories on Neerja, CLICK HERE. --- ENDS --- The revolutionary cancer treatment, T-cell immunotherapy, has had remarkable results with terminal patients suffering with blood cancer and is being argued to be the "cure" for the disease. By Shreya Biswas: The ugly disease of cancer might finally have a cure with this ground-breaking treatment that teaches the body how to kill the disease. The treatment of T-cell immunotherapy not only has the potential to reduce a patient's dependence on chemotherapy, but also could stop the cancer from recurring. The therapy consists of removing white blood cells from the patient's body known as T-cells and genetically modifying them to attack the cancer. Then, the modified cells are injected back into the patient's body. advertisement It has had extraordinary results in patients suffering with 'liquid cancers' such as leukaemia, but scientists are also working on using T-cell technology on solid cancerous tumours. T-cell immunotherapy made headlines last year when the highly experimental procedure was carried out on Britain's one-year-old Layla Richards. The treatment led to the brilliant results of Layla's cancer being practically wiped out of her little body. Layla Richards. Source: Reuters Layla Richards. Source: Reuters Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, carried out trials of a similar treatment involving T-cells on terminal leukaemia patients and had remarkable results. The treatment had stunning outcome for 94 per cent of the patients suffering acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, who were given just months to live. Meanwhile, more than 20 patients suffering other types of blood cancers is said to have been left completely cancer-free. Trial chief Professor Stanley Riddell, who is a part of FHCRC, said, this treatment of immunotherapy has "finally made it to a pillar of cancer therapy". "This is extraordinary. It is unprecedented in medicine to be honest to get response rates in this range in these very advanced patients." Check out how the "killer T-cells" work: San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, provided with another major breakthrough which suggested that modified T-cells can stay in the body for at least 14 years, with the memory of fighting cancer. Hence, if cancer recurs in the patient's body, the genetically modified T-cells will remember to identify the disease and beat it again. Professor Chiara Bonini from University of Milan said the treatment could be used to develop a vaccine-style drug, like for flu. "Imagine when you are given a vaccine as a kid and you are protected against flu or whatever for all of your life," she said, "When a T-cell encounters the antigen and gets activated, it kills the pathogen but also persist as a memory cell." "Imagine translating this to cancer immunotherapy, to have memory T cells that remember the cancer and are ready for when it comes back." advertisement Both the studies, which were announced at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington DC, were praised by British experts. "Immunotherapy has great potential to revolutionise cancer treatments," said Manchester University immunologist Professor Daniel Davis. " This research area is hot, no doubt about it." However, Dr Kat Arney from Cancer Research United Kingdom said though the results were "exciting", there could be possible side-effects of T-cell immunotherapy. "The treatment comes with a risk of potentially severe side effects, and doesn't yet work for all patients," she said. "We still need more trials to know for sure how well they work and whether they can be used in other cancers too." Dr Arney, nonetheless, did agree "there's hope" that the revolutionary cancer treatment of T-cell immunotherapy "could save lives." --- ENDS --- Onas told the police and he and Shakira were in a live-in relationship for the last one year. By Mail Today: The Bengaluru police arrested Nigerian national Onas for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend Shakira, who hails from Uganda. Shakira (30) was seriously injured in the attack and she is undergoing treatment. She is said to out of danger. Onas told the police and he and Shakira were in a live-in relationship for the last one year. Recently, they broke up and Onas was upset when he saw Shakira in the company of another African. He hatched a plan to teach Shakira a lesson and attacked her with a knife. advertisement Both Onas and Shakira are studying in different private colleges in Bengaluru. The police registered a case and an investigation is on. --- ENDS --- Robert John Blackman, MP from Harrow East in the UK, said that India should counter the lies being spread about Kashmir by providing facts to British lawmakers. By India Today Web Desk: A visiting MP from the UK has revealed that some Pakistani groups in Britain are "successfully" running a vicious campaign against India with regard to Kashmir. Robert John Blackman, MP from Harrow East in the UK, said that the "lies" should be countered by providing facts to British lawmakers. "Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved," he said, echoing India's position. advertisement He said the Pakistani groups present a "propagandist" picture on Kashmir and the British lawmakers feel "helpless" in contesting that as India does not provide the facts to present the real picture. "Some Pakistani groups in Britain have successfully launched a vicious campaign against India as far as Kashmir is concerned. The Pakistani diaspora has been reflecting a propagandist picture on Kashmir in UK," he said during an interaction with Kashmiri Pandits last night. "The government of India should take a call on this. They should provide the MPs in UK with facts and figures to contest the false claims and lies spread by Pakistan on Kashmir," he said. The MP, better known as Bob Blackman who is on a three-day visit to the state, asked the displaced Kashmiri Pandit diaspora to come out and fight the vicious campaign of Pakistan on Kashmir in UK and the West. "We try to get facts and figures on Kashmir from India, but it does not usually come to us. We feel helpless to uncover the Pakistan propaganda," he added. Asserting that "Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved", Blackman said, "the accession of Kashmir with India was final because the 'Instrument of Accession' was signed by none less than the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir." Blackman, who along with some NGOs of Jammu and Kashmir is trying to present the Kashmir issue in proper perspective before the British Parliament, said the UK MPs have started the process of using diplomatic means to present the real picture of the issue. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in building better relations with Britain and said his country stands shoulder to shoulder with India in facing the challenge of terrorism. Talking about the "problem of radicalization", he said it is not confined to Britain or India but was a global issue. "Radicalization among younger people is a worldwide trend and it is high-time for the world community to come together and solve this problem," he said. --- ENDS --- advertisement It's been 28 years since Shah Rukh Khan graduated from Hansraj College in Delhi University and the 50-year-old actor recently returned to his alma mater to promote his upcoming film Fan. SRK, who studied Economics, had never collected his degree from the college and it was on his recent visit that he finally received his degree after all these years. By India Today Web Desk: It's been 28 years since Shah Rukh Khan graduated from Hansraj College in Delhi University and the 50-year-old actor recently returned to his alma mater to promote his upcoming film Fan. SRK, who studied Economics, had never collected his degree from the college. When King Khan visited Hansraj again, he finally received his degree after all these years. advertisement ALSO READ: Watch Shah Rukh's Jabra Fan Gaurav spreading craziness all around Delhi in Fan anthem ALSO READ: Shah Rukh Khan spills the beans on what it was like playing his own fan in Fan The actor was presented the degree by Hansraj College principal Rama Sharma. He even signed the register after taking the degree. The 50-year-old, who was a undergraduate student of economics at the college from 1985 to 1988, was humbled by the love showered by thousands of his fans who were waiting to catch a glimpse of him as he launched a promotional anthem for his upcoming film Fan. Following the event, where he regaled his fans with an impromptu jig and some fun, the Dilwale actor tweeted: What a beautiful day thank you university mates & faculty. Love to all for such a memorable emotional moment. pic.twitter.com/bNaQQLJmCn Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 16, 2016 It was like a walk down the memory lane for Shah Rukh as he recalled his days when he was a student in the city. Fan took me to Delhi my younger days and today to my college. Thank you yrf and Maneesh. JABRA mazaa aayaa. pic.twitter.com/o4yzsWIwNI Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 16, 2016 Shah Rukh was accompanied by his Fan director Maneesh Sharma, who too is an alumnus of the same college. Fan is set to release on April 15. (Photos: Yogen Shah) --- ENDS --- The Punjab police today arrested four people and claimed to have busted a gang which was allegedly involved in sale and purchase of newborn babies. By India Today Web Desk: The Punjab police today arrested four people and claimed to have busted a gang which was allegedly involved in sale and purchase of newborn babies. The gang members comprising three women and a man were arrested yesterday evening and a five-day-old infant was recovered from them at Vardhman Chowk, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Narinder Bhargav told reporters. advertisement Police had contacted them through a decoy buyer to purchase a newborn. The accused had assured the buyer that they will bring a newborn to him in the near future, the DCP said. During preliminary investigation, the accused claimed that the male baby had been purchased at a price of Rs 2.30 lakh from a poor woman belonging to Arnia village in Fazilka district, Bhargav said. The gang used to be in touch with community health workers and registered medical practitioners (RMP) in villages and colonies of migrants from other states to locate needy and poor pregnant women who could not afford a child. They used to approach these women and strike a deal with them to purchase babies at Rs 2-3 lakh each, he said, noting the babies were later sold to rich couples at exorbitant prices. They also told the police that they have already sold four newborns to different couples in the recent past, Bhargava said. They had been arrested by the Faridkot police in 2015 in connection with a similar case, he said. The accused were identified as Tejvir Singh and his wife Rachpal Kaur (Moga), Baljinder Kaur alias Binder (Ludhiana) and Gurmeet Kaur (Faridkot), according to the DCP. Also read: 'Chaddi Baniyan' gang members held in Mumbai --- ENDS --- The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday directed Delhi Police Chief B S Bassi to personally ensure safety and security of arrested JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charge, after a fresh round of violence broke out in Patiala House courts complex in New Delhi. By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped the Delhi Police for their failure to prevent attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar who is facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans. The apex court directed Delhi Police Chief B S Bassi to personally ensure safety and security of persons, including arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, after a fresh round of violence broke out in Patiala House courts complex in New Delhi. advertisement The court also called the DCP (Security) of the Supreme Court complex Mahesh Bhardwaj and asked him to provide protection to the six-member panel for taking them to the apex court. Lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan on Wednesday once again led a group of his colleagues in unleashing a brazen attack on journalists and Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House courts complex, days after they were caught on camera thrashing scribes and JNU students and teachers branding them as "anti-nationals". The group led by Chauhan, attacked journalists and Kumar, in open defiance of an order of the Supreme Court. The order was given on a day of fast paced developments when the court had to step in and rush a six-member panel of senior advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes. The team of six senior lawyers comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit K Sinha and Harin Raval, was rushed by the bench in police protection to the lower court to assess the ground situation. On their return, the six-member panel orally gave the ground report saying that the situation at the Patiala House court was "unprecedented" and the "atmosphere was of fear and terrorising" as even they have bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who gave them the choicest of the abuses. The panel claimed they bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who hurled abuses and expletives at them. The panel said they were able to reach the court room in the police cordon, which was broken by the errant crowd and after meeting Kanhaiya they came to know that he was beaten outside the court room and even inside a person in dark specs, who had made an unauthorised entry, had given him a thump. The court asked the members of the Committee, who visited the Patiala House courts complex, to submit the report in writing on Thursday. The bench also asked senior advocate Sidhharth Luthra, who was representing the Delhi High Court Registry, to submit a report in writing about the observations made by the Registrar General of the High court who was present in the proceedings in the noon in the Patiala House court Complex by 2 pm on Thursday. advertisement The court also asked Delhi Police to submit its report till Friday morning and directed the next hearing of the matter on Monday. The top court had earlier in the day issued directions to Police and the Delhi High Court Registry in the morning to ensure safe and smooth proceedings in the lower court but again had to step in in the afternoon after it was told that violence had erupted. The bench also directed the police to take appropriate measures to maintain the law and order situation in accordance with the law and clarified that the said directions were for the proceedings of the day only. It also sought the decision taken by the Delhi High Court Administrative Committee within a week after the decision is recorded. Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. advertisement The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader, who was arrested on February 12 on charges of sedition, was tonight taken to Tihar Jail and kept in a separate cell, following which authorities have sounded a high security alert inside the prison complex, and are keeping a round-the-clock watch for the safety of the student leader facing sedition charges. ALSO READ: BJP need not give certificates on nationalism: Raj Thackeray Patiala House court attacker Vikram Singh Chauhan threatens more violence --- ENDS --- Walt Disney's The Jungle Book will release in India almost a week before the US and UK. The producers are hoping to increase box office numbers of the film starring Indian-origin boy Neel Sethi with an early release in the country. By India Today Web Desk: Hollywood has finally woken up to the revenue possibilities in the 1.2 billion strong Indian market. Perhaps that is the reason why these days big budget Hollywood movies prefer to premiere in India before in the US. ALSO READ: The Jungle Book new trailer out - Mowgli takes you down memory lane After Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn, Avengers Age Of Ultron and Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol One, The Jungle Book is all set to join the brigade by premiering in India before the US. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film is slated to release in India on April 8, almost seven days before the US. In the US and UK, The Jungle Book will release on April 15 this year. advertisement Walt Disney's live-action reboot of the 1967 animated film The Jungle Book will be released in India amid much hype. To bring more desi connection to the film, Mowgli is being played by Indian-origin actor Neel Sethi. Favreau has created a real-life jungle using CGI technique, bringing alive Rudyard Kipling's fantasy world. The story revolves around an Indian boy who is raised by wolves, Baloo (Bill Murray) the bear and Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) the black panther. He has to fight the tyrant Shere Khan (Idris Elba) to stay in the jungle. --- ENDS --- A micro-hydro plant, bio-gas plants and solar panels, this alternative school uses these to run on renewable energy. And the functioning will make you want to do your bit! By India Today Web Desk: Located in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, this school describes itself as "a centre for holistic education", and focuses on balancing education and environmental concerns. Founded in 1980, Sholai School is an alternative school that even makes the students learn important things about wildlife, farming, carpentry and sustainable energy. Brian Jenkin, the founder of the school, opened this school after getting inspired by the teachings of renowned Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. advertisement But the most unique thing about the school is that it runs on sustainable energy. 1. A micro-hydro plant helps produce electricity for the school. There is a brook running through the campus so it makes the functioning of a micro-hydro plant possible. The plant was build and designed by a professor from the India Institute of Science. 2. They use bio-gas plants to produce gas for cooking. And having 5 bio-gas plants has its own benefits, the school can even run an engine on bio-gas. 3. And solar panels! Government has given them solar panels and the school has its own running micro-hydro so they are able to produce electricity. The maintenance bit is the tricky part but even that is sorted out in this school. They use the kitchen equipment( mixer, wet grinders), TV, satellite devices in the dining room area and have the auditorium, the students hostel, computer room under different systems. Brian even told IPF why it is more beneficial to produce your own electricity in a place like Palani Hills? He says, "if you're using government electricity, the grid (the Tamil Nadu grid or the British grid) will have to keep the electricity at 250 volts all the time and they're pumping it in and they have transformers. At the power station it'll be 100 % electricity but by the time it comes to your house, there's so much loss on the way it'll only bear 5% of the regional production. You lose energy on the way." Shouldn't we be worried about our environment as much as well? --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: Booking the right accommodation has always been a spot of bother for an Indian traveller looking to go on an international holiday. At times, it is just so difficult to know whether you are booking a room that's worth its price. Thomas Cook India has tied up with Airbnb to bring an end to these worries. The travel company, in partnership with Airbnb, is looking to offer a wide range of unique accommodation options to its outbound travellers from India. advertisement Also read: Planning an international holiday? February is the cheapest month to fly out of India! This is good news for Indian travellers as they will soon have easy access to authentic stay options at a budget, and that too under the valued guidance of a renowned travel company. Thomas Cook India said that this tie-up will allow them to offer Indian travellers with an interesting mix of accommodation types, including "apartments, private rooms, castles, boats, manors, tree-houses and private islands". According to several media reports, Thomas Cook has found in an internal research that 25 per cent of its individual travellers prefer "authentic local stays" and desire for a "deeper engagement and an immersion into the destination." Madhavan Menon, Chairman and Managing Director of Thomas Cook India, said that the Indian travellers are no longer fond of the standard stay options, and the travel company intends to respond to this change with Airbnb's assistance. Varsha Rao, head of Airbnb's global operations, commented; "We are excited to work with a leader in India's travel market to give Indian travellers the opportunity to have unique and truly authentic local experiences by staying in one of our more than two million properties around the world." --- ENDS --- Pauline Ross, 62, in a complaint to the Manali Police said that she had kept the cash at her rented house a few months ago and it was stolen on February 14. In a first of its kind theft in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, a US artist was robbed of Rs 95 lakh, police sources told India Today. Pauline Ross, 62, in a complaint to the Manali Police said that she had kept the cash at her rented house a few months ago and it was stolen on February 14. The police registered a case on Monday and launched a manhunt against the unidentified burglars. advertisement The police officials said that Pauline was staying in a rented house at Nasogi village near Manali from last six months and had withdrawn the money from her State Bank of India's Manali branch two times i.e. in September and November 2015. The theft took place during Pauline's hospitalisation. She had undergone two surgeries and has been discharged now. "She has a valid passport and visa and was staying with a Chile national, Cristian Rodrigo Miranda. The investigations are on and the people involved in the theft will be arrested soon," SP Manali, Padam Chand said. Pauline has accused her former roommate Cristian Rodrigo Miranda of stealing the money. Investigations revealed that both were sharing the same accommodation but the Chile national had left her after a dispute. He was arrested on January 9 as he was found violating Foreigner's Act. He is currently in judicial custody. --- ENDS --- As the #PatriotWar rages on, Delhi Police failed to maintain 'Rule of Law' inside the Patiala Court house premises today when lawyers attacked JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumarwhen he was produced in court. By India Today Web Desk: As the #PatriotWar rages on, Delhi Police failed to maintain 'Rule of Law' inside the Patiala Court house premises today when lawyers attacked JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumarwhen he was produced in court. Members of a special committee appointed by the Supreme Court to handle the sedition charge against Kanhaiya Kumar were also heckled inside the court premises. advertisement The main issues discussed in today's Newsroom show hosted by Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal were: 1 The controversy on sedition 2 Supreme Court indicts 'lax' Delhi cops 3 Rift in JNU unit of ABVP 4 Congress against Bassi 'rehab' 5 Mob justice for thieves in Mumbai Rajeev Yadav, a lawyer who raised slogans of 'Vande Mataram' when the court was in session, said that Kanhaiya's defense council should be ashamed of themselves for defending anti-nationals like the JNUSU leader. "Waving a flag and chanting Vande Mataram doesn't make people nationalist or give them license to beat up people who are saying otherwise," senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said. "If you look at prior judgements, what Kanhaiya Kumar said was not anti-national or seditious in nature. Just because it doesn't fall in line with someone's thinking doesn't mean it is seditious and doesn't make anyone defending them anti-national. This is pure Fascism," Bhushan added. Speaking about the conduct of Delhi Police, Bhushan said that allowing lawyers to beat up people and arresting wrong people is absolutely shocking. BJP member Sudhanshu Mittal joined the debate, saying that beating up journalists and JNU professors is not anti-national but criminal. "There is no government jurisdiction inside the court premises," Mittal said. Bhushan responded: "The law is clear. If someone is beaten up inside the courtroom, then it is the duty of the police to stop that, because it is a crime under the Indian Penal code." "The police should've arrested people like BJP MLA OP Sharma," Bhushan added. Watch the full clip here: --- ENDS --- A 15-year-old girl claims a Nephilim impregnated her with the son of Jesus Christ. Yes! By India Today Web Desk: In July 2015, an "angel of God" visited Latifah Smith-Nabengana and told her she had been chosen to bear Christ's son. No, this is not a 'fake news' section on our site. Latifah, a 15-year-old girl, claims Jesus Christ impregnated her through a Nephilim. "He told me that he was a Nephilim, like those described in the Bible,"said the girl. advertisement Now, who is a Nephilim? Nephilim were a race that came to dominate the 'pre-flood' world and are referred to in the Bible as the heroes of old, men of renown. They're mentioned in the Genesis 6:4 as the children born to the "Sons of God" by the "daughters of men", and are believed to have been giants. This is how an artist imagined them to look like: A Nephilim imagined by an artist. Photo:www.ancient-origins.net She also said, "He told that he had a message from Jesus, He said that I was going to be pregnant, and that I would give birth to a son, Jesus' son." Her family being devout followers, did not contest her claim and showed flawless support, reports Zimbabwe News Day. The doctor who has been following Latifah's pregnency said he cannot testify or invalidate her claims. "For all I know, her pregnancy seems normal," claims the gynecologist. "Her claims of "Virgin pregnancy" are technically true, but that doesn't mean there was a divine intervention. I can tell you that it's a boy, but there is no way for me to determine if it is Jesus' son until he is born. If she asks for a DNA test at that time, then we can tell you who the father is". Latifah's claim, however, has stirred a controversy on social media, with many accusing her of fabricating stories and some for having sex with a demonic creature known as an Incubus. Now an Incubus looks like this: Incubus as imagined by an artist. Photo: powerlisting.wikia.com And all we've got to say is that an Incubus looks better than a Nephilim. --- ENDS --- By Priya Pathak: Confirming the ongoing reports, Apple on Tuesday announced to open its first offshore development centre in Hyderabad. The centre aims to create around 4,500 job opportunities. Initiating with an innovation centre in June, the company will start its full fledged operations by end of this year. The company also plans to develop Apple maps and make them available in iPhones and Mac books. The new centre will stand on a 250,000 square feet of land at a cost of around Rs 150 crore. advertisement "We've been investing to expand our operations in India and are thrilled to have passionate customers and a vibrant developer community across the country," a company's spokesperson told to Economic Times . "We are looking forward to opening a new development office in Hyderabad that will be home to over 150 Apple employees supporting maps development. The office will also have space for many contractors who will support our ambitious efforts locally," the company added. Apple is also trying to open its stores in India. The company has been seeking government approval to open its exclusive stores in the country and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion also confirmed receiving an application. The application was rejected by the government stating that it missed few points. However, the fresh reports suggest that government will soon give clearance to Apple to set up its outlets. Presently, Apple sells all its products through authorised dealers called Apple premium resellers and E-retailers like Flipkart and Amazon. Apple's drive to expand its business offshore in markets as India comes after the company recorded positive growth in the India market while facing the first ever revenue drop in last 13 years globally. --- ENDS --- We picked up 9 popular smartphones selling in the market right now and decided to put them to test with regards to after-sales. The issue in hand: a phone with a cracked screen. By Saurabh Singh: Buying a smartphone is more than just about picking up a phone you liked and making a purchase. There are a number of interesting devices in the market. Some of them are even too good to be true. While it's good to listen to your heart, logic dictates you listen to your brain and make an informed choice while buying a new smartphone. A phone may look good on paper, but there's more to a phone than just the paper specs. After-sales is something equally important, if not more. advertisement We write about good and bad phones all the time in our buying guides. But what about the phones with good and bad aftersales service? What if something goes wrong in the phone? How is your experience then? We tried to figure it out so that you don't have to. Not every company deals with after-sales in the same way. Each one has its own merits and demerits. Heck, some even have none. It is therefore imperative that you tread carefully. We picked up 9 popular smartphones selling in the market right now and decided to put them to test with regards to after-sales. The issue in hand: a phone with a cracked screen. Searching for authorised service centres online (Google Search) is perhaps the first thing that every phone user would do when his/her device is damaged. Take note that randomly putting in LG phone service centre gives you a number of choices, however most of them cater not to phones, but household appliances like fridge and TVs. Sifting through each and every number to reach out to someone who actually looks after the phone category can be time consuming. The best way to go about -- in case of the Nexus 5X -- however is to reach out to Google Store, even if you haven't purchased the phone from there. The representatives there will guide you to a hotline number (toll-free) 1800-180-9999 which will then direct you to your area specific authorised service centre. Unlike most customer care numbers, Google's service was prompt and easy to get through in our experience. We were instantly connected to a customer care executive who knew his job. Also, he was quick to pass on the list of service centres (that we asked for) through email. Service centres are fairly ample for LG and are well-scattered across Delhi-NCR. Take note that the Google Play Store is only meant for technical assistance, and does not cater to repair and replacement even though you have bought your phone from there. Once you have the contact details of the service centre that is nearest to you, replacement time and charges incurred depend on part availability and extent of damage. This may take anywhere between one/one and a half hours to two days. Display assembly wasn't available at the time we made the query. Repair charge may go up to Rs 7,000 depending on the extent of damage. Pickup and drop facility isn't available in case of most service centers. advertisement Motorola India's official Moto Care webpage says that the company "offers coverage throughout India for service and repairs" and it does, only that authorised service centres aren't exactly as well scattered as what you get with companies like Samsung. There are 5 Motorola service centres in Delhi, most of which are scattered in and around South Delhi. Motorola also has some presence in East and West Delhi. Once you have the contact details of the service centre that is nearest to your location, reaching out to them isn't all that difficult. For your reference, we reached out to a service cenre in Lajpat Nagar during peak hours and got through quite instantly. As per the concerned person, repair and/or replacement takes anywhere between one/one and a half hours to three/four days depending on whether you opt for pick up and drop. Pick up and drop facility was available and takes longer than actually taking your damaged phone to the service centre by yourself. Display assembly was available at the time we made the query. Repair charge was said to be Rs 5,000. advertisement Apple's official webpage for India can be used to look for authorised service centres near you. And, there are quite a few of them available across major cities and towns of India. There are as many as 7 authorised Apple service centres in New Delhi. Good thing is the website also tells you which of the products are addressed at the given centre along with its coordinates. This makes things simpler, and the fact that pickup and delivery is offered free, you don't exactly have to worry where the centre actually is. Apple tends to replace your damaged iPhone with a fresh unit on almost all occasions. The whole process takes up to 4 days. Pickup and delivery is offered free. A new iPhone unit in exchange of the damaged unit will cost you around Rs 18,000. The unit will be brand new. Warranty terms and duration remain unchanged. The concerned person who addressed our query was patient and knew his job. He made it a point to explain each and every technicality of the whole repair (rather replacement) process. Everything right from how the phone's picked up, taken back, verified and then replaced by a new one was explained in detail. He even went on to explain why the process takes as long as 4 days. It is because replacing a damaged iPhone is not simply about giving you a new one in return off the shelf. advertisement You can call either of the two numbers: 1800-3000-8282 or 1800-266-8282 and the representative will help you locate the service centre that is nearest to your location. Just like majority of customer care numbers, this one kept us waiting for longer than we would have liked as all the representatives were busy when we called. This could be frustrating when you just broke your precious phone and need a solution, like, right now. The concerned person when he/she picks up will help you locate the nearest service centre. You can opt to either drop your damaged phone by yourself at the service centre, or you can also avail free pickup and drop. The concerned person will be there at your doorstep within 4 hours and the whole process of repair and drop takes anywhere between 2-3 days depending on availability of parts. Parts weren't available at the time of our query. Repair will cost you Rs 11,000. Lenovo has as many as eight service centres in Delhi and has a pretty well-placed after-sales support across the rest of the country as well. You can locate your nearest service provider by heading over to official support webpage of Lenovo India. Reaching out to most of them however isn't easy as every number that we called in was either busy or no one would pick up. Finally, when someone did pick our call, the person had no idea about the exact time frame and cost to repair our damaged phone. He did say it would take them at least 2 days to repair the phone. You have to personally visit the service centre and the engineers will take a look at your device for the extent of damage. They will then make an online estimate of the charges incurred to tell you the final price as well as the time that it would take them to fix it. The fact that the issue was pretty straight forward -- a broken screen that required a display assembly replacement - and even then the person had no clue how much it would cost us or how much time it would take them was appalling. OnePlus has a 24x7 toll-free hotline number - 1800-102-8411 - that will direct you to the said service centre in and around your location. We were instantly connected to a representative who got to the business straight away. He told us that there were three service centres in total in Delhi and gave us contact details of each and every one of them. We picked up the nearest one and reached out to them with our query. Pickup and drop facility is available at all the three existing service centres of OnePlus in Delhi. The whole repair process will take a minimum of one week and costs Rs 7,462. The one-week time frame was a bone of contention. Why would it take so long to repair our phone, we asked? And he simply said, "These things take time sir". Just like the Nexus 5X, the best way to go about here is to reach out to Google Store, even if you haven't purchased the phone from there. The representatives there will guide you to a hotline number (toll-free) 1800-209-6555 which will then direct you to your area specific authorised service centre. Personal pickup and drop facility is unavailable. Repair takes 15 days and costs Rs 18,000. Again, the 15 days' time frame made us hit rock bottom. Makes folks back at OnePlus look like angels, doesn't it? But then, people at the Huawei service centre clarified that accumulating the parts takes some time and that 15 days was just a rough estimate. It could take them less. Seriously, where are you getting your parts from, Huawei? From Mars? Micromax's YU sub-brand has a toll free hotline number (1860-212-2122) that you can connect to get the contact details of your nearest service centre. And there is a sizeable number, 14 to be precise in Delhi alone. That's nothing short of impressive. Then again, being a home-grown brand that was quite expected of it. Personal pickup and drop facility is unavailable. Upon reaching out to the concerned service centre, we were told that our phone will be repaired within 2 hours, but the cost incurred will be told then and there. Update:LeEco has officially put forward the following statement with regards to its aftersales services in India. "In case of any physical damage to the device, we offer users a replacement within 3-5 days. Instead of repairing the damaged device, all our 555 service centres are equipped to exchange damaged devices with another device only at a bare minimum cost of Rs 6,000 plus applicable taxes," a LeEco spokesperson told IndiaToday.in. LeEco - formerly LeTV - is a recent entrant into the Indian smartphone scene. It is very ambitious; you have to give that to it. The company entered India with two phones. Of the two, the Le 1S is particularly raising quite a many eyebrows courtesy its low price (Rs 10,999) and impressive hardware set. But, it's still pretty early days for the company in India. As such, technical support (post sales support) for consumers is something that will be watched very carefully. "LeEco currently has 555 service centres which are all operational and are located at prominent locations across 300 towns in the country. Further, we have a 24x7 toll free call center helpline support for consumers to ensure their queries are addressed effectively and efficiently," says Atul Jain, COO, smart electronics business at LeEco India. Even though that 555 service centres across 300 towns figure sounds pretty impressive on paper, there's a catch. None of these outlets seem to be ready to repair LeEco phones right now. New Delhi for instance has two of these multi-channel service centres where LeEco phones are also serviced. None of them will take your repair order for now as none of them have the parts and resources to make that possible. LeEco's 1800-3010-1838 is a 24x7 toll free helpline that will direct you to a specific service centre near your location. Upon reaching out to the concerned service centre we were told that it cannot repair our damaged phone. The concerned person told us that the service centre would start offering its services sometime in Q2 2016. When exactly? He wasn't sure. Verdict As mentioned earlier, each smartphone company has its own share of merits and demerits with regards to after-sales. Yet, there are some that have none. We had an experience of all the three during our survey. While companies like Samsung, LG and Huawei have a well-placed mechanism to go about it, companies like OnePlus and Lenovo (and Motorola) are still trying to adapt in the Indian market. And yet there are companies like Apple that would rather replace the entire phone for even the slightest bit of damage (for a sizeable amount of course). But then, if someone has the kind of money to buy the iPhone 6S, he/she wouldn't mind spending that kind of money should their phone be damaged. Then there's LeEco which is new and still pretty non-existent in terms of after-sales. Hopefully, things would be better post March. Do share your personal after-sales experience of your phone with us in the comments section below. --- ENDS --- Investigative reporting from the inner city to Wall Street to the United Nations This is the blogspot version InnerCityPress.com Those concerns were further reinforced on Monday when Iran made the latest in a series of provocations regarding its stockpile of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The Islamic Republic tested two such missiles in October and November, thereby confirming its commitment to defying UN Security Council resolution 1929 and other measures constraining Irans development and use of weapons that have the potential to deliver a nuclear warhead to foreign territories. The US eventually responded to those tests with new economic sanctions, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani retaliated by ordering the dramatic expansion of the countrys stockpiles. Subordinate officials have taken that order very seriously. Most recently, Iranian armed forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi announced plans for massive missile drills to be held over the next several days. In a hearing before Congress last week, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper described the October and November tests as acts of deliberate defiance by the Iranian regime. The newly announced drills will certainly be regarded as an even more aggressive form of defiance, and will also raise new questions about Irans trustworthiness in the wake of implementation of the JCPOA. While last weeks stories emphasized the ongoing skepticism on this point within the US Congress, that skepticism remains strong among other groups as well, including the leadership of several Arab nations that are traditional rivals of Iran in the Middle East. In fact, this rivalry has also been a factor in the talking points of Western critics who worry that Irans exploitation of existence of evidence that the Gulf Arab states are already taking steps in this direction. If the recent Western scrutiny of the nuclear deal reaches the ears of the leadership of these countries, it could exacerbate the region-wide instability that some critics already perceive on the nuclear issue. And that could in turn contribute to more general instability in the midst of proxy conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia.weaknesses in the JCPOA could kick off a regional arms race, with Saudi Arabia and some of its allies pursuing their own nuclear capabilities. With this in mind, Intelligence sources reported on Monday about the existence of evidence that the Gulf Arab states are already taking steps in this direction. If the recent Western scrutiny of the nuclear deal reaches the ears of the leadership of these countries, it could exacerbate the region-wide instability that some critics already perceive on the nuclear issue. And that could in turn contribute to more general instability in the midst of proxy conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Conversely, the apparent Arab desire to match Irans power in the nuclear sphere may be partially a reaction to the perceived growth in Irans traditional power and its military and political reach beyond its own borders. This power stands to grow in the wake of the JCPOA, which has resulted not only in the acquisition of new wealth by the Islamic Republic but also in the opening of trade in conventional weapons and military equipment with such partners as Russia. A Fiscal Times report on this situation on Monday described it as a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran been anticipating the delivery of a Russian S-300 missile defense system since before the JCPOA was finalized. And despite some delays and false starts over the past months, the Indo-Asian News Service reports that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hossein Jaber Ansari recently declared that the weapons are currently being shipped. The Fiscal Times adds that Tehran has expressed interest in even more powerful S-400 missiles. And although Russia has not yet given any indication that it plans to sell the more advanced alterative, it seems likely that it will do so in light of the ongoing growth in cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. Case in point, the National Interest reports that the two countries are on the verge of signing an agreement that would start Iran on the way to modernizing its currently antiquated air force. The deal involves Russias Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker jet fighters. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Dehqan will be in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the acquisition as well as the S-300 delivery. The National Interest describes this as the Middle Easts nightmare and adds that as with the missile systems, Iran may pursue and receive more advanced aircraft as well. Dehqans visit is only the latest of many official exchanges between the two countries. Past visits reportedly secured such acts of cooperation as the deployment of Russian aircraft to the Syrian Civil War, to further aid in the defense of the government of Bashar al-Assad. Trend reported on Monday that Tehran had issued a standing invitation to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first half of the forthcoming Iranian year, which begins on March 21. It appears likely that Lavrov will accept the invitation, although explicit plans have not yet been made. If such a meeting does take place, it is all but certain that collaboration in Syria will be on the agenda, and Moscow is presumably aware of the fact that its emerging contributions to the Iranian armed forces will be dedicated to that war effort. This was made clear on Monday when reports of the Su-30 agreement coincided closely with a statement by Iranian Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili declaring that Iran was prepared to commit its air force to Assads defense. Esmailis comments were detailed by the Kashmir Observer on Monday, and they seemed to presuppose increased capabilities for that air force in the near future. But regardless of whether the modernization of Irans military capabilities take place on the regimes optimistic timeline, the offer of assistance to Syria serves as a salvo in the propaganda war between the Iranians and the regional rivals that are backing the moderate rebels fighting to unseat Assad. It comes on the heels of reports that Saudi Arabia and Turkey were preparing to jointly enter the conflict in an effort to counterbalance the growth of Iranian power. That growth and the resulting proxy wars are also taking place in other areas of the Middle East, especially in Yemen where Iran is still backing the Houthi rebels. Although Iran routinely denies reports of its intrusions, Emirates 24/7 reported on Monday that the Arab Coalition, which is fighting to prevent an Iranian foothold on the Arabian Peninsula, had intercepted a new shipment of military equipment that was heading from Iran to Yemen disguised as medical supplies. Such reports certainly help to justify Arab efforts to act unilaterally against the perceived Iranian threat, given the fact that even members of the US Congress tend to believe that there is insufficient Western leadership in the region at the present moment. But the overlap between the traditional military threat and the nuclear issue has been highlighted by that same Congress as it strives to curtail Iranian power and thereby remove the justification for a possible nuclear arms race in the Middle East. I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM. [February 16, 2016] FxPro Enhances its Infrastructure with Solace Messaging and Web Streaming Technology LONDON, February 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Online broker FxPro has partnered with Solace Systems to boost the capacity and performance of its messaging infrastructure, in what is the latest strategic step for meeting the demands of its growing client base. More specifically, FxPro has invested in the Solace Message Router Appliances and Solace Virtual Message Routers to power internal and customer-facing interfaces over wide area networks and via web and mobile devices. With its robust features and unified API and administration framework, Solace is in position to offer FxPro the tools required for supporting its daily operations and strengthening customer satisfaction. FxPro CIO, Panayiotis Annivas, commented: "Our business is growing rapidly and it is necessary that we continue to offer a world-class trading experience and customer service a we expand our offering to cover more asset classes and geographies. Solace gives us a rock-solid foundation on which we know we can build and grow our business to meet customer demand." Solace Systems CEO, Craig Betts, commented: "It takes an innovative approach and world-class infrastructure to satisfy the trading needs of forex customers in over 150 countries, and FxPro has both. We're proud that they've selected our technology as the framework that ties together their many applications, locations and customer interfaces." Notes to Media About FxPro FxPro is an award-winning online broker, serving retail and institutional clients in more than 150 countries. FxPro provides access to competitive pricing and deep liquidity with no-dealing-desk intervention via its advanced trading platforms, superior execution technologies and algorithmic tools. FxPro Group Limited is the holding company of FxPro UK Limited and FxPro Financial Services Limited. FxPro UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration no. 509956). FxPro Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (licence no. 078/07) and by the Financial Services Board (authorisation no. 45052). http://www.fxpro.co.uk/ Risk Warning Trading CFDs involves a high risk of loss. SOURCE FxPro [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 16, 2016] KuppingerCole Recognizes Gurucul for User Behavior Analytics Approach to Threat Detection Gurucul, the user behavior analytics and identity access intelligence company, today announced that information security analyst firm KuppingerCole has published a report on the benefits of the Gurucul Risk Analytics platform. The report cites the advantages of user behavior analytics (UBA) for detecting a range of threats including the use of compromised credentials, insider abuse, data exfiltration, access misuse and zero day attacks -- which evade traditional perimeter security tools. The full report is available here: http://gurucul.com/kuppingercole-report-gurucul-predictive-risk-analytics Gurucul will demonstrate the Gurucul Risk Analytics platform at RSA (News - Alert) Conference 2016 Booth #S2415. "Gurucul Predictive Risk Analytics provides an interesting approach that combines access governance, risk management and the detection of cyber threats," said Mike Small, Fellow Analyst at KuppingerCole. "Unlike other solutions that focus on network traffic or technical vulnerabilities this solution focuses on identity, access and user activity to detect and prioritize risk." According to the report, "External attacks now involve a complex process, often including an element of social engineering, which exploits compromised or illicit user credentials to gain access to data. This is partly because of the strength of conventional network defenses against direct frontal attack, and also because theuse of apparently legitimate credentials bypasses other security controls like encryption. Furthermore, insider threats continue to be a real problem and these invariably involve the misuse of access rights. For these reasons identity and access controls have become the new perimeter." Gurucul is changing the way enterprises protect themselves against fraud, insider threats and external intruders, both on premise and in the cloud by analyzing identity as a threat plane and perimeter. First, the company's identity access intelligence (IAI) technology uses machine learning algorithms and big data infrastructure to reduce the attack surface for accounts, unnecessary access rights and privileges. Second, UBA machine learning models and predictive anomaly detection are used to identify, predict and prevent breaches, insider threats, data exfiltration and access abuse. Gurucul's identity-based hybrid user behavior analytics technology is being used globally by organizations to detect insider fraud, IP theft, external attacks and more. "This report by KuppingerCole clearly spells out the importance of monitoring identities, access rights and user activity to detect insider threats, user account hijacking and advanced external attacks," said Saryu Nayyar, CEO of Gurucul. "The Gurucul platform accomplishes this by analyzing massive amounts of data from a variety of sources using machine learning to expose risks that appear 'normal' to traditional security products." Gurucul is the only vendor to meet all five use cases and the compliance and fraud qualifications in the Market Guide for User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) recently published by Gartner (News - Alert), Inc.: http://gurucul.com/gartner-ueba-market-guide. About Gurucul Gurucul is changing the way enterprises protect themselves against cyber fraud, insider threats and external intruders on-premises and in the cloud. The company's user behavior analytics and identity access intelligence technology uses machine learning and predictive anomaly detection algorithms to reduce the attack surface for accounts, unnecessary access rights and privileges, and to identify, predict and prevent breaches. Gurucul technology is used globally by organizations to detect insider threats, cyber fraud, IP theft, external attacks and more. The company is based in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit http://www.gurucul.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216006161/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Itongadol.- The Italian government has released thousands of previous classified documents related to fascist and Nazi war crimes committed in Italy during World War II. The documents were declassified from a parliamentary commission that had investigated the concealment of files related to these crimes. Specifically, the commission had dealt with what was dubbed the cabinet of shame a wooden cabinet discovered in 1994 in a storeroom of the military prosecutors headquarters in which 695 files on war crimes had been hidden for decades. The documents concerned specifics of crimes ranging from anti-Jewish persecution to massacres of civilians that in total had resulted in 15,000 deaths. On Tuesday, the historical archives of the Chamber of Deputies put an index of some 13,000 pages of material on its website. The documents include declassified material from the investigating commission as well original documents that had been hidden in the cabinet of shame. Users can consult the online index and request digital copies of specific documents. Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities called the move a historic breakthrough. Opening the cabinet of shame to the public, he said, fills a serious gap and announces the start of a new season of awareness about the crimes and responsibilities of fascism and Nazism in Italy. anterior Segun un informe de las FDI, el 11% de los terroristas palestinos son mujeres anterior Alemania: Banco de Munich cerraria la cuenta de un sitio de Internet que promueve el movimiento BDS After the excitement of last weekends round of fixtures, which of course included the Al Classico won by Qadsia 2-0, the next round of games are perhaps slightly more mundane with the title challengers facing more humble opposition and a hodgepotch of mid table meets.Leaders Qadsia travel south to Abu Halifa to take on Al Fahaheel and shouldnt face too many problems. With 50 goals from their 16 games the Hawally based team boast the most lethal attack in the league and their scrooge like defence have just shipped nine goals. Al Fahaheel sit ninth in the league and can at least look back on their last game with some pride, defeating Al Shabab 2-0 but that was their first win since the middle of January when they overcame Yarmouk 2-1. They did defeat Al Shabab in the Emir Cup but that was on penalties. For all their woes they do boast a tight defence when compared to their cellar dweller rivals but wont need reminding they lost 4-0 against Qadsia when they met earlier in the campaign.Al Salmiya came from behind to beat Al Yarmouk last weekend and on Saturday they play Al Shabab away. The Students are 11th but do at least have three wins from their last eight having failed to secure three points in their first seven games to give a sheen of respectability and the illusion of pulling away from the relegation places. However they were soundly beaten 3-0 when they first met and it is difficult to see them getting anything from this game, especially if Al Salmiya play like they did in the second half against Al Yarmouk.Champions Kuwait SC sit three points behind Qadsia and Al Salmiya but do have a game in hand. They are also a side in form with eight wins on the spin and while Al Sahel may cause them a few problems for an hour or so it is difficult to see Kuwait SC dropping points. All Al Sahel have to show for their last seven games is a couple of 0-0 draws against fellow strugglers Al Fahaheel and Al Shabab.18/02 Al Yarmouk v Khaitan, Al Suliabikat v Kazma19/02 Al Fahaheel v Qadsia, Kuwait SC v Al Sahel20/02 Al Shabab v Al Salmiya, Al Nasr v Al Jahra Just a space reserved to family, work, hobbies (especially birdwatching) and any other stuff that can show up Not long ago many of us had spring fever, with warmer than normal days and a groundhog forecast of an early spring, I was thinking SPRING. Those thoughts were chased away by 20 something degree days and below zero wind chills this past week. Spring will arrive probably about the same time as usual, and I will begin receiving questions about conflicts with wildlife. One of the first early spring nuisance wildlife questions I receive is about woodpecker drumming. Drumming is a spring territorial activity that is done by woodpeckers to establish breeding territory. Drumming, or pecking, on a hollow tree may not be a problem on a tree in your landscape, but it can be annoying and potentially destructive behavior on your home. Although you may not have yet noticed this type of activity in your neighborhood, you may want to begin monitoring for this activity now. If you want to disrupt or move the woodpecker to another area you must intervene soon after the activity begins. Remember that woodpeckers are protected by state and federal laws, so they cannot be killed; the objective is to scare them away. Strips of Mylar or plastic can be hung from eaves or near affected areas to scare away the bird, but this can move it to another part of your home, so be prepared to be persistent. Loud noises or just your presence can also move the birds away from your home, again be prepared to be persistent. The University of Illinois Extensions Living with Wildlife website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/wildlife/, offers some additional help in deterring spring drumming. If you would like discuss your situation with a biologist, the contact information for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist in your region of Illinois can be found on this website as well. The activity of other animals in your backyard may also increase as warm weather arrives. Cavity nesting animals such as squirrels and raccoons can cause problems for homeowners when they establish their den in attics and chimneys. If the animal has taken up residence inside your house, it will have to be trapped and removed, because your home is now its den site. A nuisance wildlife depredation permit is required to trap and remove the animal from your home. These permits are free and are available through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist. The best way to reduce conflicts with wildlife is preventative maintenance and home repair. Chimneys should have a metal chimney cap installed to prevent access. Loose siding and boards on the eaves of your house can also invite wildlife to take up residency. Make necessary home repairs to eliminate these invitations to cavity nesting animals. You should also remove branches that overhang your roof and prune back branches closer than 8 feet to reduce access by squirrels The best approach to reducing wildlife nuisance conflicts is anticipation and preparation, so watch the wildlife in your neighborhood. You may even find it entertaining. If you have questions about wildlife nuisance management, call me at the University of Illinois Extension office in Arthur at 217-543-3755, or visit our Living with Wildlife website. McKendree University announces dean's list LEBANON -- The following area students have achieved dean's list honors at McKendree University for earning a grade point average of 3.60 or higher for the fall 2015 semester. They are Mollie Bowman, a sophomore Spanish major from Sullivan; Victoria Day, a junior Spanish major from Martinsville; Ashtan Marucco, a junior occupational therapy major from Charleston; Macci Rueter, a junior organizational communication major from Effingham; Brock Wilkinson, a junior music education-instrumental emphasis major from Effingham; Treye Williams, a senior psychology major from Mattoon; and Monte Wolke, a first-year management major from Sigel. Lakeview College of Nursing students join honor society DANVILLE -- Four area Lakeview College of Nursing students were inducted into the Pinnacle Honor Society during the end of the Fall 2015 semester. They are Maye Keener of Charleston; Megan Leech of Tuscola; Alissa (Yoder) MacDonald of Mattoon; and Megan Leech of Tuscola. Area students named to dean's list at Olivet BOURBONNAIS -- Four area students achieved dean's list honors for the fall 2015 semester at Olivet Nazarene University. They are Kennedy Gladding of Paris; Rachel Hensley of Greenup; Damaris Perez of Arcola; and Micah Plank of Sullivan. To qualify for inclusion on the dean's list, a student must have been enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have attained a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 grading scale. CHARLESTON -- Community leaders Tuesday stressed the importance of Eastern Illinois University as it stands and the devastating impacts that have come from over eight months without state appropriations. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, community leaders including Mayor Brandon Combs, EIU President David Glassman and Hadley Phillips, representing state Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, spoke out about the need for Illinois leaders to come together and release state funding. This is not about whos right or wrong, or who is going to win. This is about our state leaders finding a way to get these schools the financial support they need to keep going, Combs said. Combs stressed that the state's unwillingness to get funding passed that has resulted in more than 200 EIU employees receiving layoff notices is baseless. Most of those laid off have relied on their income to provide for their families. Some of those laid off have dedicated their careers to EIU, Combs said. There is no was to justify what is happening, leaving so many people that we love and care about hanging in the balance. Glassman said he appreciates the abundance of support the city and the community have given Eastern, especially during this time. What we are looking for is the preservation of our great institution, Glassman said. Higher education benefits everyone. The discussions and the rallies and everything else that are taking place just have demonstrated to me how much this community appreciates this institution and how important our region is to EIU. Glassman said all of the support of Eastern and its future is helping. I think all of it helps. It provides the reality of information to our lawmakers, he said. I am optimistic because the higher education, the education of Illinois citizens is our gateway to the future. These are our future leaders. Phillips, in a letter, explained he would not support a bill that cut 20 percent to higher education. We need a clean bill allowing the governor to use money from other funds to pay for this crisis at hand, Phillips stated. In action at the meeting, council members approved the purchase of land at 910 Madison Ave., land adjacent to Charleston Fire Station 1, for $12,000. The building there is expected to be demolished. City Manager Scott Smith said the property could potentially be used for additions to the fire station and expanded storage. The timeline is uncertain at this point because of how early in the process the city is, Smith said. The move allows to the city to protect its ability to expand should they have to. (The fire station) is landlocked on all four sides. This provided that window of opportunity, Smith said. The city also approved some changes to the city code regarding drive-throughs to not be so stringent. Smith said concern had been raised regarding how stringent the code was on the distance and radius. The changes fall more in line with other neighboring community requirements. Also on the agenda: A two-year lease agreement between the city and Special Olympics of Coles County was renewed. Repairs to the Water Treatment Plant Ozone Generator, damaged by a fire, by a single-source vendor was authorized. A janitorial contract agreement with Excel EcoClean was renewed. SPRINGFIELD -- On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a statewide agriculture group that his standoff with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly over this years budget -- now in its eighth month -- is not really about the budget. Its about the future direction of Illinois, Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield. Thats what this is about: Are we going to stay on the track weve been on or are we going to go in a new direction? Rauner will press his case for that new direction today in his address to lawmakers. Based on his public statements in recent weeks, it appears Rauner will continue to promote aspects of his policy agenda. In speeches to business groups last week, the governor continued his call for reforms such as changes to the way legislative districts are drawn and consolidation of units of local government. Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending. According to excerpts of the prepared text of his speech, the governor will announce that his party will be introducing a stand-alone funding bill for early childhood, elementary and secondary education. No matter how this session unfolds send that education bill to my desk -- CLEAN -- NO GAMES -- and Ill sign it immediately, the excerpts read. The governors office says he will call for record funding levels for elementary and secondary education. Meanwhile, two organizations held news conferences Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge Rauner to change the tack hes taken in budget negotiations. The Grassroots Collaborative, a group of community organizations, labor unions and others, unveiled what it calls the peoples agenda, its alternative to Rauners pro-business, union-weakening turnaround agenda. Arguing that compared with other states, Illinois spends too little on key areas such as education, health care, public safety and human services, the group is pushing for revenue increases, including a graduated income tax and a tax on millionaires. Families are hurting all across Illinois, said Amisha Patel, executive director, of the Grassroots Collaborative. For over a decade, the state has been divesting from vital public services. The Responsible Budget Coalition also called on Rauner to choose revenue in his budget proposal. Roy Harley, director of coalition member Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said the current impasse has resulted in home visits and other services around the state scaling back or shutting down. Without a budget, we are failing the most vulnerable and needy among us, Harley said, calling the situation unconscionable and irresponsible. One of the major crisis points in the budget impasse has been funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students. Those areas havent received any state funding since the fiscal year began July 1 because Rauner vetoed all but the elementary and secondary education portion of this years budget. The spending plan Democrats passed was at least $4 billion out of balance. Democrats in the General Assembly passed a bill last month without any Republican votes that would devote $721.5 million to funding community colleges and grants through the Monetary Award Program. Rauner vowed to veto the bill because he said theres no money to pay for it, so Democrats waited two weeks to send it to him, offering what they called a cooling-off period. Flanked by students, Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, on Tuesday delivered the bill to the governors office. He has heard from the students. He has heard from the administrations how this is hurting the universities, Trotter said before delivering the bill. Hopefully he has given thought to that and will sign this bill. Rauners office said he still plans to veto the bill. Job Description For over 70 years, Plan International unites and inspires people around the globe to transform the world and make positive lasting changes in childrens lives through the active involvement of children, and working at the grassroots with no religious, political or governmental affiliation. Plan International is looking for Procurement Officer to play a vital role in our mission to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries. Working with the team, the post holder mainly ensures the implementation of the Procurement Guidelines and Procedures and fulfils this responsibility through the processing and follow-up of requisitions into purchases and tenders. The Procurement Officer is also expected to pro-actively perform supplier management and will be the Secretary of the Tendering Committee. Our vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies that respect peoples rights and dignity. Working with us, you will be entitled to a wide range of employee benefits, such as Monthly Transportation Allowance, Monthly Pension & PF Contribution of 15% of basic salary, Annual Medical Allowance, 24 hours GPA Insurance and others. Plan also provides a number of capacity development opportunities to its employees including Talent Management Programme. Job Requirements To be successful, you need to have Bachelor degree in Business Administration/ logistics Management or related field and a minimum of three to five years experience working in INGO environment, involving in the procurement of both emergency and development programs. Closing date: Feb 24, 2016 Your rating: none Rating: 0 0 votes How to Apply The closing date for the application is February 24, 2016. Qualified candidates should submit the application form found with this link http://docs.ethiojobs.net/Plan_Int_Application_Form.docx through www.Ethiojobs.net We only short list those applicants who send the complete application form. We do not accept CVs and other supporting documents at this stage. Please note: in order to apply for this role you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in Ethiopia. Thank you in advance for your interest in this position. Please note that only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted by Plan for follow-up. Please also note that the recruitment of all the above positions are subjected to donor approval. More information about Plan can be found on http:// plan-international.org Child Protection Policy: References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out for the successful candidate in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. 66 total views, 66 today The Strengthening Ethiopias Urban Health Program (SEUHP) is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve the health status of the urban population in Ethiopia by reducing HIV/Tuberculosis (TB)-related and maternal, neonatal and child mortality and morbidity, plus the impact of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The goal of SEUHPs PPP initiative is to demonstrate and nurture public and private sectors to improve the health status of citizens. In line with this, SEUHP has been working with two sub cities in Addis Ababa (Yeka and Akaki) and META ABO BREWERY S.C (owned by Diageo a world renowned beer and spirit makers brewer), to implement an initiative that is targeting to improve the health status of Ethiopias urban youth by promoting healthy lifestyles and raising awareness about the harmful impacts of underage drinking. The project will be implemented in partnership with UHE-ps, teachers, schools and youth organizations at Yeka and Akaki sub-cities in Addis Ababa. SEUHPs engagement will include adapting a training of trainers manual to training champion teachers, youth center leads, and health officers, who will in turn train peer promoters from high schools, youth centers and UHE-ps, and execute different BCC activities. SEUHP plans to develop a document that gives clear guideline about the above mentioned assignment, its objectives and scope which serves as a basis in developing applicants evaluation tool and also managing the contract once awarded to a person(s)/firm. Cousins Rayanna Connor, 5, left, and Damoni Cheeks, 2, both of Flint, Mich., hold up signs asking for presidential help and calling for the arrest of Gov. Rick Snyder at a water crisis rally with filmmaker Michael Moore on Jan. 16. (Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via Associated Press) Depending on whom you ask, Michael Moores latest documentary either or shows that he is Headlines have alternately described , released in theaters nationwide last week, as , , Moores and his It is, in other words, Moore at his best. But the film is a departure from Moores previous work for one major reason: Instead of pointing his camera at problems in the United States, in Where to Invade Next, Moore embarks on an international search for policies that might help Americans live better. Throughout the film, Moore personally invades foreign countries to learn about their ideas, many of which actually originated in the United States, and reclaim them for the American people. The result is both an entertaining romp and a powerful demonstration of what can be achieved by thinking outside the box or, in this case, our borders. Many American viewers will be startled by the policies that Moore encounters on his journey, including free college tuition in Slovenia, generous paid vacation time in Italy, and state-sponsored reproductive health services in Tunisia. Editor and publisher of the Nation magazine, vanden Heuvel writes a weekly column for The Post. View Archive And thats precisely the point. Even though the entire film was shot abroad, Where to Invade Next is ultimately a commentary on inequality in the United States, where basic economic rights that are taken for granted elsewhere are increasingly out of reach for much of the country. Accordingly, the film is perfectly timed for the moment, in which the devastating impact of deeply entrenched inequality is on full display in Flint, Mich., and elsewhere. And its especially relevant to the 2016 election as millions of Americans, largely due to the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are coming around to the idea that the kind of progressive policies Moore highlights can and should be part of their lives. Indeed, it is an unhappy coincidence that Where to Invade Next was released amid the ongoing crisis in Flint, Moores home town, where a corrupt and captured governments futile cost-cutting efforts tragically poisoned the citys water supply with toxic lead. Of course, Moore put Flints widening inequality problem in stark relief with his breakthrough 1989 film Roger & Me , so it should come as no surprise that he has been among the most vocal critics of Republican Gov. Rick Snyders disastrous handling of the water crisis. In a Time magazine column, for example, Moore described the poisoning of Flints mostly black residents as a racial crime, and he has publicly called for Snyders arrest In cities and towns across the country, rising inequality is taking a heavy toll and fueling the decline of the middle class. As the Pew Research Center reported in December, the middle class is shrinking both as a percentage of the population and in terms of the nations overall wealth, more and more of which is being accumulated by those at the top of the economic ladder. As a result, a growing number of Americans believe that the economy is rigged against their interests, and that belief is shaping the 2016 presidential campaign. Exit polling from the New Hampshire primary found that But while Flint may have been forgotten, as Moore recently said , the citys residents are far from alone.As a result, a growing number of Americans believe that the economy is rigged against their interests, and that belief is shaping the 2016 presidential campaign. Exit polling from the New Hampshire primary found that Democratic voters ranked income inequality as their top concern , making it plain to see why Sanders won in a rout. Meanwhile, the disturbing rise of Republican demagogue Donald Trump is largely a consequence of white, middle-class angst and anger. Nebraska's road infrastructure has fallen into a rut, the chairman of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee told senators Tuesday who recommend state spending. And a proposal to create a "transportation infrastructure bank" to provide up-front money for major highway projects that might otherwise take years longer to complete is the way to pull out of that rut, Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion told the Appropriations Committee. Smith introduced the bill (LB960) on behalf of Gov. Pete Ricketts, who is urging its passage. Supporters filled the hearing room: Mayors, county commissioners, state highway commission members, contractors, engineers, economic developers and representatives from both rural and urban areas of the state and those pushing for completion of the long promised expressway system. They gave a list of reasons as to why the Appropriations Committee should make added funding for roads and bridges a priority of the state budget. "It will accelerate completion of the Heartland Expressway. It will encourage state and county partnerships to bring dilapidated bridges up to standard. It will stimulate economic growth ... and it will modernize contracting methods to stretch our dollars further," Smith said. It's not an alternative to the Build Nebraska Act -- which sets aside a quarter-cent of the state's sales tax for road projects -- but builds on what has been done to date, Smith said. Here's the catch. Smith would like to take $150 million from the state's rainy day fund, the cash reserve, over seven years to fund the bank. Appropriations Committee members had questions. * Would this $150 million, combined with other funding methods, even come close to meeting a $1.4 billion unfunded need for expressways and bridges? * If the federal funds the state is counting on disappeared, could this proposal be carried out as it is presented today? * Can the committee be assured that some of this work on roads and bridges would go to the private community and not be kept in-house by the Roads Department? * Why is the department asking for money from the cash reserve and not from the state's general fund, which would give the Legislature a chance to evaluate the process every two years as it renews the budget? * What kind of economic return will the state get for its $150 million investment from the cash reserve? "It is disconcerting to me that (you're) asking for a significant piece of that cash reserve without a really clear picture of what the payoff is in terms of a quantitative number," said Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell. Lancaster County Commissioner Bill Avery emphasized to the committee the county has 20 of 308 bridges that are in need of major repairs, five that are structurally obsolete, and two that had to be closed because they presented a danger to the public. The average cost of replacing a single bridge is $1 million, he said. "More funding is critically needed to address the overwhelming backlog of bridge projects across the state of Nebraska," Avery said. "LB960 is a move in the right direction. It will not, of course, provide all that is needed, but it will help us make a huge dent in our current needs." No one testified in opposition to the bill, but several provided neutral testimony, including Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingwell. While she supports additional infrastructure funding, she said, she had concerns about a section of the bill that would authorize use of alternative methods of contracting projects, including the "design build" contracting method. On certain large-scale projects, it is believed to be a faster, more cost efficient manner to deliver projects. "I believe it is important for this bill to limit the use of design build," she said. There is significant research that shows the design build method can be more expensive, she said. But in cases of extreme emergencies, it can be a solution. Representatives of the gas and oil industry told a legislative committee Wednesday that there is no demonstrated need for additional regulation of their operations and no evidence that drilling has led to groundwater contamination in Nebraska. Industry spokesmen lined up at a hearing before the Natural Resources Committee to oppose bills that would impose additional regulation designed, in part, to address fracking practices associated with commercial underground injection wells. On the other side, representatives from the Sierra Club and Bold Nebraska, and citizens expressing environmental concerns, urged the committee to support the bills (LB1070 and LB1082) that would provide for more regulation by the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The Legislature has a responsibility to assure protection of the Ogallala Aquifer, "one of our most valuable resources," James Cavanaugh said on behalf of the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club. Jane Kleeb, speaking for Bold Nebraska, said more regulation, accounting and disclosure is needed to address "the fracking danger (associated with) what is being injected into the wells." Chris Peterson, speaking for the Nebraska Petroleum Producers Association, said current operating practices provide the needed protection. The industry is "well-regulated now," Peterson said, and the industry provides major economic benefits for Nebraska, including tax support, particularly in western counties. Dana Wreath of Wichita, Kansas, an executive with Berexco, said his company is the largest oil producer in Nebraska and is regulated by "a robust rule-making process" in this state. "There is no evidence of need" for additional regulation, he said. "Things are not out of control here," Wreath said, and there has been no evidence of environmental damage in Nebraska. Nancy Hicks Reporter Nancy Hicks reports on Lincoln city government, but shes been following the leaders of local and state government for more than 40 years. Follow Nancy Hicks Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Lancaster County commissioners, frustrated by a recent negative report on the juvenile detention center and their inability to quickly get their response in news stories, are considering hiring a public relations firm. A public relations firm owned by a former television news anchor offered its services after seeing county officials attempt to respond to an ACLU report released last month on solitary confinement at the county juvenile detention center and other centers in the state. The Lancaster County Board's response to the report didn't appear in stories until several days after the report was issued. Melanie Dawkins, a former morning anchor for KOLN/KGIN-TV and owner of Bloom Boost Media, told county commissioners last week her firm could provide valuable advice to the board on how to deal with media during crises. She said its important for public officials to respond immediately when faced with criticism and to know who in the media to contact in order to get their views included in news reports. Commissioner Larry Hudkins said he liked the idea of having public relations expertise available when the county is faced with such public criticism. Weve tried to do this in-house for a number of years, he said. I think this is something that we need to do. The board plans to seek an official proposal from Bloom Boost Media and consider it when it votes on its 2016-17 budget in August. Many with contracts gave to Beutler Some call it paying to play. Some call it an entry fee. Some call it a thank-you note. By whatever name, its clear that many of the engineering, architectural and construction companies that do business with the city also donated to Mayor Chris Beutlers campaign committee. Take the six engineering and architectural firms that made the most money on city professional service contracts in 2015. All of them -- either the company itself, its parent company or top leaders in the company -- have donated at least $1,000 in the past few years to Beutlers campaign. This is not a quid pro quo arrangement, and certainly not a Crystal City, Texas, where federal prosecutors allege most city leaders took bribes. These companies are major companies, with specialists and experience, the firms who could compete for city contracts under any circumstance. And competitors dont seem to be complaining. Theres nothing to indicate the city is not getting its moneys worth from the contracts. But these donations to a successful mayors campaign are not likely based on simple altruism either. Contract policy controversial before On Coleen Seng's last day as mayor in mid-May 2007, she changed the policy that guided negotiating professional service contracts. In an effort to try to divert more contracts to smaller companies, such as those owned by women or minorities, Seng ordered more contracts be advertised and go through the city bid process, rather than be handed out by department heads with little or no competition. The city charter requires that all purchase of goods go through the purchasing office, but the city is allowed more discretion for consulting and professional service contracts. Seng set a lower threshold, requiring many of the professional service contracts to go through the purchasing office, where there is advertising of the project and open competition. Engineering and architectural firms recoiled at the new system, according to an October 2007 Journal Star story about the issue. The companies contended Seng's system added paperwork and bureaucracy. They convinced Beutler, the new mayor, to raise the threshhold back to $250,000 for a formal purchasing office process. In his new policy, Beutler allowed directors to negotiate with one firm for contracts below $100,000. He required directors to get written proposals from several firms for contracts between $100,000 to $250,000 and go through the purchasing office bid process for the largest contracts, above $250,000. That system continues today. Beutler said at the time he didn't think Seng's policy would make it easier for small companies to land city contracts. They would have to spend time and resources to put together proposals for fairly small projects, he said. And the Seng thresholds were also more onerous for city departments, he said. 200 rape kits a year The city orders and uses about 200 rape kits a year, according to Police Chief Jim Peschong. Some of the kits are used with victims and some with people suspected of sexual assault. The kits contain evidence collectors: pubic hair combing, blood vials, DNA swabbings, fingernail scrapings. Last year the city had 196 rapes reported, but not all required a rape kit, said Peschong. Some women refused to go to the hospital, some reported the rape after the 72-hour window for gathering evidence had elapsed; some were reported anonymously, Peschong said. The kits cost about $15 to $20 each, and it costs another $300 to $350 for hospital staff to gather the evidence. The new owner of Robbers Cave invited the retired biologist to look at its bat population last month, so Blue Blood Brewing would know what to expect when it started giving tours of the tunnels. We wanted to know, what bats do we have and what do we do with them? owner Brian Podwinski said. We wanted to know exactly what we are dealing with. They found tri-colored bats. They found big brown bats. And then they found two northern long-eared bats. But just one would have been enough for what happened after that. We had to take immediate actions to protect the bats in that cave, said Bob Harms, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The northern long-eared bat was named a federally threatened species last year, which means the quarter-ounce mammal now has a sizable say in what happens in the manmade caves near 10th and High streets. And it will alter some of the plans Podwinski had for Robbers Cave, around which he is building Blue Bloods 12,000-square-foot brewery, restaurant and taproom. But not too much, he said: The business still intends to offer tours and hold special events deep inside the Lincoln landmark, although a section will now be off-limits. With the brewery approaching its April opening, Podwinski sought an expert to visit the 500 feet of sandstone tunnels, originally excavated for storage but used for decades as a tourist attraction. The cave had been closed for years, although apparently not tight enough to keep out bats seeking places to hibernate, said Cliff Lemen, the retired bat biologist who visited the cave in January. Bats are pretty good at getting in small places, he said. And in general, the northern long-eared bat is fairly secretive. They like to get in cracks and crevasses. Still, Lemen identified at least two of the bats, whose long ears help them stand out. The species is common, with a range covering 38 states. But its also under attack by a fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome. The bats numbers have dropped dramatically since 2006, when the diseases symptoms were first noticed in New York. White-nose syndrome has since spread to 26 states, and the fungus that causes it was documented in Nebraska last year. By some estimates, the syndrome has killed more than 5.5 million northern long-eared bats, prompting its listing as a threatened species in April 2015. After finding the long-eared bats in Robbers Cave, Lemen told Podwinski they needed to contact the Fish and Wildlife Service. Harms, the federal biologist, knew he would eventually take a call about long-eared bats and federal protection, but he expected to be summoned to eastern Nebraska, where limestone mines near Weeping Water and Louisville have traditionally housed hibernating bats. I never dreamed it would be a mine that was associated with a microbrewery in Lincoln, he said. Its hard to say how many bats are in that cave, but for us, one is enough to have concerns. Harms visited Robbers Cave late last month and came up with a plan for Podwinski. First, Blue Blood had created another cave entrance, and that was lowering the temperature too much for the bats. You dont want the bats to get cold because they wake up. They only have a certain amount of energy, and if they use that energy, they cant make it through the wintertime and they die, Harms said. He asked that the new entrance be sealed, and when that didnt raise the temperature, he asked Podwinski to try warming it with space heaters. That didnt work either, so they plan to use fans to blow this weeks higher temps through the cave. He also told Podwinski to stay out of the cave until March 11, the general end of hibernation. Human interaction doesnt threaten the bats as much once theyre awake and roosting and coming and going. Thats fine with Podwinski. He had planned some work in the cave before then, but it can wait, he said. And Harms will work with Blue Blood on its plans to designate a corner of the cave as bat habitat, closed to the public. Podwinski identified a dead-end tunnel that has a manhole-covered opening at the surface, allowing the bats to get in and out. He hopes to incorporate that into the tours, maybe by adding a screen or piece of Plexiglas so visitors can see the bats. It just so happened its going to work out well, he said. It adds to the whole experience. So there you are in the U.S. Senate, a bright, energetic senator at the start of a six-year term, hoping to work on the great generational problems facing the country. But the Senate is broken. Little gets done. What to do? In a meeting with the Journal Star editorial board Sen. Ben Sasse mentioned a couple options, such as improving Americas cybersecurity and entitlement reform. Both are worthy tasks. The editorial board gives a hearty endorsement to Sasses plan to work on cyber security. Thats an urgent task, and in a body and a nation riven by partisan rivalry, it nonetheless seems like an area in which conservatives and liberals could find common ground. Sasse might actually be able to get something done. To many Americans cybersecurity means protecting credit card information so no one can steal your identity and run up charges in your name. The stakes are much higher. A hint at the possibilities of cyber warfare are shown by incidents late last year in Ukraine in which hackers, believed to be Russian, turned off the electricity. In November about 80,000 customers were hit. In December about 230,000 were affected. Every bit of this is doable in the US grid, Robert M. Lee, a former Cyber Warfare Operations Officer for the US Air Force and co-founder of Dragos Security, an infrastructure security company, told Wired magazine. Consider what that means. Its not just television screens going dark. Public utilities like city water systems and power generation plants would be affected. Gasoline pumps would not function. Grocery stores would be unable to scan purchases. Business would be shut down. John Hultquist, head of cyber espionage intelligence at iSight partners, a US-based threat intelligence company, told the Financial Times that hackers already have penetrated power supply systems in Europe and the United States. So the fact they have just demonstrated they have the wherewithal to turn the lights off is a pretty big deal, said Hultquist. Sasse pointed out that Chinese hackers have successfully stolen personal information on millions of Americans that could be used for blackmail. China may now have the largest spy-recruiting database in history, Sasse wrote in a column published in Wired. In regard to Sasses plans to work on entitlement reform, the editorial board will reserve judgment until we see the proposed solution. We wont hesitate, however, to applaud his plan to strengthen Americas cyber security. As Sasse said in his first speech, The Senate was built to focus on the big stuff. In the 21st century cybersecurity definitely meets that standard. If Sasse can divert his colleagues from partisan political battles long enough to defend America from cyber attack, he will have served his state and the country with distinction. Gov. Pete Ricketts and Nebraska's three House members pledged Tuesday to continue to partner together in a joint effort to secure retention of the 55th Wing and its 5,500 military and civilian employees at Offutt Air Force Base. There is a commitment by the Defense Department to proceed with repair or replacement of the deteriorating runway at the base, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry said. But the Lincoln congressman, whose 1st District now contains Offutt, was hesitant to suggest that the battle to retain the 55th Wing has been won yet. "The reality is that there is a lot of excess inventory" in the Defense Department, he said, and DOD is operating on "a very tight budget." While runway reconstruction seems assured, Fortenberry said, "the process is ongoing (to) determine the extent of runway replacement." A $7.5 million appropriation is contained in the 2016 spending package approved by Congress to fund design of a repaired or replaced runway. Fortenberry formed a task force composed of Ricketts, Rep. Brad Ashford of Omaha, Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering and himself to push for Offutt repairs that would secure retention of the 55th Wing. All four officeholders gathered at the governor's office late Tuesday afternoon to voice their joint commitment. Ricketts noted that Offutt is "an economic driver" for Nebraska to the tune of $1.3 billion a year. "Strong relations are critical," the governor said, and that's why he went to Washington last fall with members of the business community to meet with DOD officials and press the case for retention of the 55th Wing, which performs a global reconnaissance and intelligence mission. "We're pulling together," Ricketts said. The elected officials form a bipartisan foursome who can press their case on both sides of the political aisle in Congress as well as within the Obama administration. Ashford is a Democrat; Ricketts, Fortenberry and Smith are Republicans. Fortenberry is ideally positioned as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on military construction. "It's a neat alliance," Ashford said. "We're a small state, but mighty." Ashford praised Ricketts for his active engagement. "The governor has shown leadership here," he said. Smith noted that Offutt has had a long and "very strong relationship" with Nebraska. Ricketts pointed to "the issue with the levees" that could play a role in DOD's ultimate decision. The Nebraska Natural Resources Commission has been asked to provide a $13.7 million construction grant to strengthen levees that would protect Offutt from the threat of future flooding. Fortenberry said there will be runway "construction in some aspect" in 2017 or 2018. Lincoln may be called upon to play a major role in the endeavor, hosting Offutt aircraft at the Lincoln Airport during runway construction or repair. MILWAUKEE Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joe Donald has conceded in the primary race for the state Supreme Court, according to a press release from his campaign. I congratulate Justice Rebecca Bradley and Judge Joanne Kloppenburg for advancing through the primary election this evening, and encourage them to address these important issues on the campaign trail this spring, Donald said in his concession statement. I am proud of the campaign we ran and the issues we brought to the forefront. The influence of partisan politics and special interest money has a terrible impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and our entire judicial system, and I will continue to fight every day as a Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee and a community leader to reduce the influence of politics and deliver justice fairly," Donald said. It is also time for the citizens of Wisconsin and our elected leaders to seriously address the issue of mass incarceration. Our criminal justice system is not working for all citizens especially people of color and it is tearing too many families apart at great expense to taxpayers all across Wisconsin. I hope voters in April and in future elections continue to demand action on criminal justice reform," Donald said. Bradley, the incumbent in the election, will face Kloppenburg in the April 5 general election. RACINE In November 2014, aldermen asked planners at the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to help the city identify ways to improve access from the Interstate to Downtown Racine. On Wednesday, representatives from SEWRPC met with the City Councils Committee of the Whole to present the routes they believe have the most potential for providing that improved access. Basing their decision on a number of factors including the average posted speed limits; actual distance; the number of traffic lights and/or stop signs; the number of closely spaced local streets and driveways; and the average travel time and speed the planners selected three routes: Highway 38 (State Street/Northwestern Avenue) to Highway K Highway 32 via Sixth or Seventh streets to Highway 20 (Washington Avenue) Highway 32 via Sixth or Seventh streets to Highway KR (County Line Road). While it currently takes anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes to get from Downtown to I-94, on most of the corridors going in and out of the city, the three highways were selected as the routes which should receive top billing when it comes to developing enhancements or development guidelines aimed at making them better routes to I-94. While the commission did look into developing a higher-speed, limited-access route from I-94 into the city, such a bypass or spur, they quickly discovered that the cost would be substantial, SEWRPCs Executive Director Ken Yunker said. Many of these routes decline in how they operate once you get to (Highway 31), Yunker told the committee. To develop a limited-access route that would go farther than (Highway 31) would require substantial property acquisition, and very substantial costs, so we did not look at that any further. Other routes The SEWRPC planners, working with the Advisory Committee on Racine County Jurisdictional Highway System Planning, selected their favored routes from a total six possible corridors. The other routes the planners looked at were: Highway 32 (via Main Street) to 4 Mile Road, Highway 38 (State Street/Northwestern) to Highway C (Spring Street); and Highway 32 via Main Street to Highway 11 (Durand Avenue). Although Highway 11 provides a shorter route in actual miles to I-94, it was found to be lacking in the average posted speed limit department. The spacing of its traffic lights was also undesirable, planners found. Four Mile Road lost points for its length, as well as its average posted speed limit. And Spring Street and Highway 11 both got demerits for the number of side streets and driveways along the routes. What it means Now that SEWRPC has presented what it sees as the routes the city should focus on to preserve and improve Interstate access, its next step will be to develop recommendations for how to achieve that for each of the three routes, Yunker said. That process should take about three months, he said, with the commission then meeting with planners in Racine and surrounding communities to gather their input and eventually present the recommendations to their governing boards. We would that hope over a month or two we would develop a consensus on those recommendations, Yunker said. If communities can agree, the commission will pass the final recommendations on to state Department of Transportation for consideration. RACINE COUNTY Tuesday marked the first day of Voter ID in 2016 in Wisconsin and for the most part, everything went according to plan in Racine County. We havent gotten any complaints or calls with questions specifically related to Voter ID, Racine County Clerk Wendy Christensen said Tuesday afternoon. Election officials at the Cesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave., a Racine polling place, said Tuesday night that they recalled only one or two voters who took issue with being asked for identification. Chief Inspector Nat Cycenas said she received mostly positive reactions and the vast majority of voters had no problem showing their IDs to poll workers. The Village of Mount Pleasant saw some minor issues: One person didnt bring an acceptable form of identification and one forgot an ID, officials said. Other than that, no real problems, Village Clerk Stephanie Kohlhagen said Tuesday night. As voters statewide hit the polls to vote in primary elections, they had to bring along a photo ID for the first time since 2012. That didnt prevent anyone from casting their ballots, Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney said as of about 3 p.m. Tuesday. Were not aware of anyone who has been unable to vote, given the restrictions, Magney said. Magney mentioned a few minor problems that caused confusion, but nothing that prevented a citizen from voting. Weve heard a few isolated issues and theyve been taken care of, he said. Donald Dahnke of Mount Pleasant was one voter who had an issue with the new law. He initially tried voting at Mount Pleasant Village Hall Tuesday afternoon, identifying himself with his Veterans Affairs ID card, an unapproved form of identification for voting. Dahnke returned to his car, retrieved his drivers license and voted. Still, he wondered why his VA ID, which had his name and picture on it, didnt suffice for voting, especially since active-duty military ID cards were acceptable. As a veteran that has fought for this country, I want to know why veterans are being ignored, he said. According to Magney, VA IDs may be an acceptable form for voting sooner rather than later. The Legislature made a choice in 2011 not to include veterans IDs in the list of the acceptable IDs, he said. They are currently considering a bill that would add veterans IDs to the list. However, that still leaves lingering questions for Dahnke. I want to know why Madison doesnt honor that ID, he said. David DeGroots letter to the editor is the most disturbing things I have read in a long time. Flush the Highway V-gang and their crappy attitudes down the shiny new sewer heading their way is simply an appalling thing for a village trustee to say about the people he represents, regardless of the situation. School districts with students attending private voucher schools would lose less funding than initially proposed under a compromise reached among Republican lawmakers making changes to the voucher funding formula. The 2015-17 state budget allowed school districts to increase revenues a combination of state aid and property taxes based on the states school funding formula for students attending private voucher schools, typically about $10,000 per pupil. The districts also lose state aid based on the amount claimed for a voucher, which is capped at about $7,300 for K-8 and $8,000 for high school. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, took issue with districts being able to pocket the difference, potentially through higher property taxes. His proposed change to the formula would have cost school districts with voucher students collectively about $14.2 million in revenue authority in the first year. Vos said Tuesday night the Assembly would take up a version of the bill Thursday that would allow school districts to retain as much funding in state aid and property tax levy authority per pupil as the amount of each students private school voucher. That would mean the collective reduction to the 142 districts with voucher students would be closer to $5.3 million. Vos said he reached a deal with Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, that the Senate would take up the amended bill in March. Olsen did not respond to a request for comment. JURIST Guest Columnist Katharine Suominen of St. Johns University School of Law, Class of 2016, is the eleventh author in a twelve-part series from the staffers of the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development. Suominen discusses the dangers of the courts decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Imagine Occupy Wall Street protests break out again, but this time, the mayor directs the NYPD to let the protesters stay in various private public spaces, like the lobby of a corporate office building. Barclays decides that it does not want to risk bloody confrontations between its own security guards and the occupiers. Instead, it releases a specially programmed fleet of drones to direct air or sound at the occupiers until they leave the premises. New Yorks city council then proposes legislation to ban the corporate use of drones. Barclays decides to challenge the ordinance as an unconstitutional restriction on its corporate right of self-defense. The Supreme Court agrees with the corporation and extends Second Amendment rights to all corporations. This hypothetical may seem dramatic and highly unlikely, but it is actually not that farfetched. In recent years, the Supreme Court has vastly expanded the constitutional rights of corporations. In a mere four years (2010-2014), the Supreme Court has given corporations unrestricted political speech rights and then, in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, First Amendment religious freedom rights. And there is no indication that the court intends to stop, or even slow, the expansion of corporate personhood. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby , a 5-member family, deeply wedded to their Christian beliefs and values, owned and operated an arts and crafts chain throughout the US. Hobby Lobby argued that President Obamas Affordable Care Act contraceptive mandate violated its Free Exercise rights under the First Amendment and sought protection under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which prevents the passage of laws that substantially burden a persons right to free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court concluded that person under the RFRA included corporations. The US Department of Health and Human Services conceded that person includes non-profit corporations, so the court reasoned that there was no conceivable definition of person that includes natural persons and nonprofit companies, but not for profit corporations, [like Hobby Lobby]. Thus, Hobby Lobby and other closely-held corporations were permitted to seek the protections of the RFRA. In other words, closely-held corporations, a vaguely defined term, have free exercise rights under the First Amendment. Since the majority opinion did not distinguish corporations from other business forms, such as sole proprietorships, the reach of the courts opinion becomes much greater. Thus, the extension of the RFRA to for profit corporations is bound to have, as Justice Ginsburg argued, untoward effects. In issuing its decision, the court in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby clearly missed a few key unintended consequences for corporate law. The first unintended consequence is that this expansion of corporate personhood enhances the ability of creditors to pierce the corporate veil. The second unintended consequence is that the courts reasoning could be extended to grant corporations other constitutional rights, thereby allowing corporations to morph into super corporations. Veil piercing is a legal decision in which the court treats the rights and duties of a corporation as the rights and duties of the shareholders or owners. This usually happens when the court determines that the corporation is no longer separate and distinct from its owners and forfeits the limited liability protection. If a corporation goes bankrupt and the veil is pierced, creditors can go after the homes, bank accounts, investments and other personal assets of the corporations owners, shareholders or members in order to satisfy the corporate debt. Thus, there is, arguably, no other business tool more powerful than incorporation because it protects shareholders from personal financial ruin. Burwell v. Hobby Lobby has potentially diminished the importance of this once essential and powerful business tool. These closely held corporations, which seek to invoke the RFRA protections, might be opening themselves up to veil piercing as they are extending their own personal religious beliefs to the corporate entity. While the Supreme Court may not pierce the corporate veil under these circumstances, lower courts might use the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision as precedent to do so. As for the second unintended consequence, religious rights and the free exercise thereof were once considered purely personal, meaning the Free Exercise clause was reserved for individuals and could not be extended to corporations. However, in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby the Supreme Court did not address this distinction between purely personal constitutional rights and those rights that may be granted to corporations. This departure sets the stage for future courts to disregard this distinction and continue the expansion of corporate personhood. Prior to Burwell v. Hobby Lobby , most people would have scoffed, if not laughed, at the thought of corporations having religious rights; and yet, now they do. Thus, it may not be as improbable as people think for corporations to have Second Amendment rights. The court ascribes similar purposes to both the First and Second Amendmentsself-actualization and government deterrence. Therefore, the logic used to extend First Amendment rights to corporations could be used to extend Second Amendment rights to corporations as well. With both First and Second Amendment rights, corporations become super corporations with all the essential constitutional rights of the natural person, but with even greater protections than natural persons. Under this hypothetical the US would shift from We the People to We the Corporations. It is therefore essential for the court to return to the artificial entity theory of corporate personhood and limit its expansion of this legal concept. Unfortunately, given Burwell v. Hobby Lobby it seems unlikely that this is the path the Supreme Court is on. Katharine Suominen is a third-year law student at St. Johns University School of Law. After serving as an Executive Notes and Comments Editor for the St. Johns Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, Katharine will be a litigation associate at a global firm in New York. She currently serves as a legal writing Teaching Assistant at St. Johns University School of Law. Suggested Citation: Katharine Suominen, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby: The Dangers of Protecting First Amendment Rights of Corporations and the Rapid Expansion of Corporate Personhood, JURIST Student Commentary, February 17, 2016, http://jurist.org/dateline/2016/02/katharine-suominen-religious-freedom.php. JURIST Guest Columnist William G. Ross of the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University discusses President Obamas refusal to make a recess appointment to fill the present vacancy on the US Supreme Court In refusing to make a recess appointment to fill the present vacancy on the US Supreme Court, President Obama is taking a calculated risk that Americans who want a Democratic president to make the appointment may come to regret. Article II, section 2, clause 3 of the Constitution provides that The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Since Congress was in recess last Saturday when Justice Scalia died and will remain in recess until noon on February 22, Obama could, until 12:00 pm on Monday, appoint a Supreme Court Justice who could take office immediately. Such a justice could remain in office until the end of the first session of the next Congress, presumably late in 2017, or until the Senate confirmed the appointment of a different person nominated by the next president. At least one dozen Supreme Court justices have been among the hundreds of federal judges and thousands of federal officials who have taken office through recess appointments, which began during the earliest years of the Republic. President Washington appointed one Justice, Chief Justice John Rutledge and several lower federal judges in this manner. The most recent president to make recess appointments to the court was Eisenhower, who used this method for Chief Justice Earl Warren in 1953, William J. Brennan in 1956 and Potter Stewart in 1957. The US Supreme Court recently affirmed the constitutionality of recess appointments during both inter-session recesses (like the present recess) and intra-session recesses in National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning. The US Court of Appeals in two decisions has sustained the constitutionality of recess appointments of federal judges, rejecting arguments that such appointments conflict with the provisions of Article III of the Constitution that guarantee life tenure and undiminished compensation for federal judges. (US v. Woodley, 726 F.2d 1238 (9th Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1048 (1986) and Evans v. Stephens, 387 F.3d 1220 (11th Cir. 2004), cert. denied, 544 U.S. 942 (2005)) Obamas reasons for refusing to use this constitutional means of doing a temporary end-run around the Senate confirmation process are not entirely clear. Some reports suggest that he fears that such a method would seem sneaky and thereby alienate public opinion and antagonize senators. Obama may wish to avoid making himself and the nominee vulnerable to allegations that he is not presenting the nomination in a direct and open manner or taking unfair advantage of the Senates recess. Even many Americans who disagree with those Republicans who contend that a president should not make a court appointment during his final year in office may believe that a president who is nearing the end of his term should not shuffle anyone onto the court without the advice and consent of the Senate, particularly since Obamas replacement of Scalia could critically alter the courts political balance. Such a move also would provide grist for opponents of Obama who assail him so harshly for lacking proper respect for Congress. It could further poison Obamas relations with Congress and cost the Democrats votes in the upcoming elections. Obama and his advisors also might fear that a recess appointment could generate legal challenges that would have the practical effect of preventing the Senate from considering his nominee. In particular, there might be an effort to re-open the Article III questions that the courts addressed in Woodley and Evans , which the Supreme Court has not resolved. There also is a possibility that Obamas antagonists would deny that the Senate actually is in recess. Although the courts detailed consideration in Canning of what constitutes a recess provides strong support for an assumption that Congress presently is recessed, there is perhaps just enough ambiguity to spark a lawsuit about that issue. Such an appointment also would require him to make a quick selection decision, although one would assume that his choice would not be hasty or ill-informed since we would hope that his Administration gave careful consideration to possible nominees long before Scalia died. If the justice appointed through the recess procedure failed to receive confirmation by the Senate and had to leave the court, the justices departure could damage the courts prestige by casting a pall over the legitimacy of decisions in which that justice had participated, especially if the justice cast the deciding vote and even more so if these were high profile cases. Justice Stewart cast the deciding vote in six cases when he sat as a recess appointee during most of the courts 1957-58 term, although none of those had great constitutional significance. While Warren did not determine the outcome of any decision when he sat as a recess appointee during five months of the 1953-54 term, he may during that time have influenced other justices to vote against the racial segregation of schools in Brown v. Board of Education. Although the ejection of a recess appointee would not affect the legal validity of any action he had taken while a member of the court, his departure might diminish public support for controversial decisions in which a justice had cast a deciding vote, generate challenges to set aside the murky precedent, and call attention yet again to the indeterminacy of judicial decision-making. And, of course, the unsuccessful litigant might feel that she had been the victim of an unfair adjudication. Perhaps the best argument against a recess appointment is that it might diminish the independence and integrity of the judiciary since there is at least a possibility that the probationary justice would alter his or her arguments, votes and written decisions to help curry favor, or at least diminish opposition, among the senators who will vote on his or her nomination if the next president nominates that person. The likelihood that the nomination process will be contentious exacerbates such a danger. Even if the nominee did not allow such considerations to affect his or her performance on the court, there could be a public perception that they influenced the justice, whose reputation could unfairly suffer as the result of unfounded suspicions, which also could unfairly erode respect for the court. Although there were no significant aspersions cast upon the motives of Warren, Brennan and Stewart during their service as recess appointees, the Supreme Court process during the 1950s was far less rambunctious and all three justices were practically assured of confirmation. The Senate considered these problems in 1960 when Democrats who were troubled by Eisenhowers three recess appointments to the court persuaded the Senate to approve a resolution declaring that such appointments were not in the interests of the court, the recess nominees, litigants or the American people and should be avoided except in unusual circumstances in which there had been a demonstrable breakdown in the appointments process. Obama could plausibly argue that there has indeed been a demonstrable breakdown in the process since many Republican senators, including Majority Leader McConnell, have vowed to block any nomination that Obama might make. Since Republicans appear to have the ability and will to make good on their threat, the vacancy on the court is likely to last at least a year if Obama does not make a recess appointment. Although the court could properly adjudicate cases and conduct other business with only eight Justices, the vacancy would mean that some important cases might be decided by a four to four vote, which would leave the lower court decision standing and deprive the nation of clear guidance on issues that are so important that the court has regarded them worthy of its consideration. Although some of the cases on this terms docket are so far along that the new Justice presumably would not participate in their adjudication, there are other cases in which the recess appointee could take part in oral argument and vote. If a Democrat is elected president in November, the vacancy could last much longer than a year if Republicans in the next session of the Senate have the numbers and will to obstruct a nomination, leaving the court with only eight members for considerably longer than a year, perhaps throughout the courts 2016-2017 term. If Republicans are as adamant about blocking Obamas nominee as they say, a recess appointment would provide Obama with his only realistic hope of filling the seat. In response to allegations that he has circumvented the confirmation process and denigrated the Senate, Obama could point out that he had no practical alternative since Republicans have vowed to prevent the confirmation of anyone he nominated. Although Obama seems to hope that a more cooperative approach will help to overcome Republican obstruction, his efforts to placate his congressional opponents during the past seven years nearly always have come to naught. A recess appointment also should be an enormously attractive option for Obama because a sitting justice probably could obtain confirmation more easily than a mere nominee. If the next president is a Democrat, he or she presumably would nominate the justice appointed by Obama. Even if Republicans in the next session of the Senate have enough votes to defeat the nominee, at least some otherwise antagonistic senators might be loath to oust an incumbent justice. In addition to diminishing the prestige of the court, disrupting its operations and unsettling the law, such an ejection might appear too overtly political. Moreover, some senators might be unwilling to send the justice packing insofar as a justice who has served for a year presumably would be better known to senators, both professionally and perhaps personally. Such considerations probably would more than neutralize any lingering antagonism about the manner in which the justice was appointed, especially since Obama would have left office by then. If the next president is a Republican, the new president presumably would nominate someone else early in his term, and that person presumably would be quickly confirmed if the Senate remained Republican. In that event, a recess appointment would at least have provided Obama and progressives with a justice who might have had the opportunity to cast the deciding vote in a few cases in a manner that would have pleased them. Obama therefore appears to have almost nothing to lose and potentially much to gain by making a recess appointment. His reluctance to do is puzzling, perhaps a reflection of the caution, detachment and desire to avoid confrontation that has characterized his presidency and frustrated so many progressives. Although a recess appointment might not serve the long-term institutional interests of the Supreme Court, it is almost certain to serve the political interests of progressives. It is difficult to imagine that other presidents, such as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, who did not hesitate to provoke controversies over Supreme Court appointments, would have shrunk from a confrontation that would have provided them and their political supporters with such a rich opportunity to change history by altering the complexion of the court. William G. Ross is the Lucille Stewart Beeson Professor of Law at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He has published several books about American constitutional history and numerous articles about constitutional issues, including the federal judicial appointments process. Suggested Citation: William G. Ross, Why Obama Should Want to Make a Recess Appointment to The Supreme Court, JURIST Academic Commentary, February 17, 2016, http://jurist.org/forum/2016/02/william-ross-supreme-court-appointment.php The city of Chicago on Tuesday agreed to settle [press release] a case alleging job discrimination against police department applicants. Under the settlement, Chicago will pay $2 million [Reuters report] in back pay and other benefits to 47 job candidates rejected under a residency requirement during the 2006 hiring cycle. The requirement stated that an applicant must have lived in the US continuously for 10 years. The suit, which was filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] earlier this month, alleged that their exclusion constituted nationality-based discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act [text]. The DOJ argued that the residency requirement disproportionately removed applicants who were born outside of the US from the hiring pool. The police department will also be offering jobs to eight of the 47 rejected applicants as part of the settlement. The city and the DOJ filed a joint motion in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois requesting that the settlement be approved. The DOJ has also opened a separate inquiry into the Chicago Police Department. In December the DOJ announced [JURIST report] that it would be opening a full investigation into the department following the 2014 police shooting death of a black teenager. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at the news briefing that the DOJ will specifically look into the CPDs use of force, including deadly force. They will also look into whether there are systematic violations of the Constitution or federal law by the CPD, as well as racial, ethnic and other disparities in use of force, and its systems of accountability. In November protests occurred [Reuters report] in Chicago following the release of a 2014 squad car dashboard video showing officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year old Laquan McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke was charged [JURIST report] with first-degree murder for the death of McDonald in October 2014. The French National Assembly [official website, in French] voted [materials, in French] Tuesday to extend the state of emergency for three months to ensure the country is able to respond to impending terrorist threats, despite concerns the bill infringes on civil liberties. Law No 1238 [text, in French] extends Law No. 55-385 of 3 April 1955 [text, in French], which limits the state of emergency to 15 days, gives expansive police power to government officials, and prohibits the movement of residents and vehicles by decree. The concerns over infringement of civil liberties prompted [executive summary, in French] a promise to reduce limits on freedoms and ensure any decrees are subject to jurisprudence. While it is now necessary to have more time to consolidate the work of targeting and destabilization conducted on the basis of measures permitted by the law of 3 April 1955, the Government intends to limit the extension of the state of emergency to the time strictly necessary for this purpose. This is why it is again proposed to Parliament for a period of 3 months. The effectiveness of the protection of our citizens can not rest in the medium term on the use of these measures that exceptional circumstances warrant. The Government intends to strengthen the means of struggle with the judicial and administrative authorities at all times have to fight against terrorism and organized crime. This is the purpose of the bill strengthening the fight against organized crime, terrorism and their financing, and improving efficiency and guarantees of the criminal proceedings. The French government declared a state of emergency following the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13. Last week the National Assembly approved a bill [text, PDF, in French] that would strip [JURIST report] convicted terrorists of their citizenship rights. The amendment to the constitution would also grant the president greater power to act in an emergency or terrorist situation. In November French police authorities conducted more than 2,700 raids and enforced 360 house arrests [JURIST report]. In this period, at least 20 complaints were filed against the French government, a majority by the French Muslim population who allege abuse and unfair [STAR report] of Muslims. On November 19 the French National Assembly voted to extend the state of emergency until February 2016. In December more than 100 organizations issued a statement [JURIST report] asking the French government to lift the state of emergency. [JURIST] The Pakistani province of Sindh on Monday became the first province to legalize Hindu marriage under the marriage registry in the nation. Under the new law [BBC report], Hindus over the age of 18 can register their marriages and the law will apply retroactively. Proponents of the new law argue [RFE/RL report] that it will help increase the safeguards for Hindu women in Pakistan as they are typically targets of forced conversions, kidnappings and forced underage marriages, and they believe this law will work as a deterrence. Some, however, believe the law was passed in haste and will have no real effect on the problem of forced conversions plaguing so many Hindu women. This development comes at a time when the issue of same-sex marriage continues to be a controversial international issue. Last month Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore instructed [JURIST report] state judges not to issue same-sex marriage licenses [order] because the Alabama Supreme Court [official website] had previously ruled that the states ban on same-sex marriage is legal. A same-sex couple in Northern Ireland filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] in November to challenge the same-sex marriage ban, arguing that reducing their marriage to a civil partnership is unlawful discrimination. The same month, the Constitutional Court of Colombia [official website, in Spanish] ruled that same-sex couples can legally adopt children because allowing [JURIST report] same-sex couples to form a family upholds equality and is in the best interest of children and teens. South Dakotas state senate [official website] on Tuesday passed a bill which, if approved by the governor, will make South Dakota the first state to enact bans on opposite-sex bathroom and shower use in public schools. The Student Physical Privacy Act, which was approved [AP report] in a 20-7 vote, requires students to choose the bathroom they use based on their sex at birth. It would also require [Washington Times report] schools to provide a reasonable accommodation for transgender students such as a one-person bathroom. While supporters of the bill argue that it protects the privacy of students, opponents, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, have called the legislation extreme and dangerous, saying it would create a separate but equal situation for transgender students. While Governor Dennis Dauggaard previously expressed support for the bill, has now said he will need to consider it further. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has been a controversial issue in the US. In December a judge for the US District Court for the Central District of California ruled [JURIST report] that sexual discrimination is prohibited under a law that protects gender-based discrimination. In November President Barack Obamas expressed support [JURIST report] for legislation that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity through an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In July 2014 Obama signed an executive order [text] barring federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity [JURIST report] but, despite pressure, did not include any exemptions for religious organizations. In November 2013 the US Senate approved [JURIST report] the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill outlawing workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, by a vote of 64 to 32, but it has made no progress in the House of Representatives. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict released her annual report [document, PDF] on Monday on the situation of children in conflict zones from December 2014 to 2015. She reports that children worldwide continually faced human rights violations and the effect of conflict was unyielding in places like the Central African Republic, Israel and the State of Palestine, Libya, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. Furthermore, children were often direct targets of violence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria. A grave example of what children have faced was between May and August 2015 in South Sudan in which witnesses and survivors gave accounts of children being thrown into burning houses, run over by military vehicles and hanged from trees, and of girls being killed if they resisted rape. Displacement of civilians seeking refuge from conflict has led to the highest number of displaced persons since World War II, including millions of children. Indiscriminate airstrikes have severely maimed and killed children and state-allied militias have mobilized and recruited children for conflicts. Education has been severely disrupted for millions of children and the Special Representative expressed [UN News Centre] deep concern for the increasing number of attacks on schools and military use of schools. Children have been at-risk groups in various conflicts worldwide. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said [JURIST report] that hostiles in eastern Ukraine had damaged or destroyed hundreds of school, many of which were being used for military purposes. Also this month, UN human rights experts in Nigeria urged [JURIST report] the government to guarantee the safety of areas liberated from Boko Haram. A recent raid resulted in more than 90 individuals, primarily women and children. Also earlier this month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, expressed [JURIST report] utmost alarm at the worsening situation in Syria and said that parties were constantly sinking to new depths attacking women, children, the sick and the elderly. In Flint, Michigan, children were poisoned [JURIST commentary] by drinking lead-laden tap water causing brain damage. In August, the UN reported [JURIST report] that the number of women and children being hurt or killed in Afghanistans war against the Taliban have risen by 23 and 13 percent, respectively. A group of UN human rights experts on Monday urged [press release] Western Australias Parliament to reject anti-protest legislation being debated Tuesday. Parliament members indicated that the goal of the bill was to prevent people from locking themselves onto objects that will prevent development sites. The UN Special Rapporteurs stated: The Bill would criminalise a wide range of legitimate conduct by creating criminal offenses for the acts of physically preventing a lawful activity and possessing an object for the purpose of preventing a lawful activityFor example, peaceful civil disobedience and any non-violent direct action could be characterized as physically preventing a lawful activity. Experts believe that due to the heavy penalties for violations under the proposed legislation, the bill would actually have a discouraging effect on peaceful protests, and they believe the ones most at risk of the negative impact are environmentalists and land rights defenders. The experts argue that the bill and its effects will amount to violations against international human rights law. This is not the first time that Australias laws and policies governing the treatment of protesters have raised human rights concerns. In March UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai, one of the experts involved in the current situation, welcomed [UN News Centre report] a bill in the lower house of the Victorian Parliament that sought to repeal strict laws regarding protests [JURIST report]. In September 2014 three UN human rights experts urged [JURIST report] the Australian state of Tasmania not to adopt legislation [Bill 15, PDF] against protests that disrupt businesses. The experts expressed concern that the new law would silence legitimate and lawful protests. Last March Australia co-sponsored UN Human Rights Council [official website] resolution on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests. The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights worldwide, including the freedom of opinion and expression. Also in March 2014 the UN called for stronger protection of activists [JURIST report]. 3rd Saturday of the month: This is our normal monthly KaCSFFS meeting date. Setup begins at 6:00 p.m. If there's a business meeting, it'll run 6:30-7:00 p.m. Programming starts at 7:00 p.m., followed by socializing, eating, and tabletop games as available. Meetings usually last till 9:30 or so. 4th Monday of the month: Our friends the SF&F Literati meet to discuss a book selection ten months out of the year (not in December or May), at the Oak Park Barnes & Nobles Booksellers, 11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214, at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd floor. Every Memorial Day Weekend (May): Don't miss ConQuesT, our annual SF Convention! Please watch the blog for notices of changes to any of these!Our friends thenormally present a program on one of these two weekends (usually the 2nd Saturday), starting about 4:15 p.m. Watch the blog for program announcements, exact dates, and how to learn about the location! Authorities expand inspections in Valley After a relative success in control of supply and sale of fruits and vegetables laced with pesticides in Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market, the Plant Protection Directorate (PPD) has widened monitoring to four major entry points in Kathmandu Valley. B'deshi tourism entrepreneurs stress on 'neighbourhood first' policy Tourism entrepreneurs from Bangladesh have stressed on making the neighbouring countries within the Saarc region as the major source countries for promoting Nepal's tourism. Bardiya National Park to train visitors on wildlife safety After a Dutch national and his Nepali guide were attacked by a tiger inside the Bardiya National Park (BNP) on Saturday, the park authority has decided to train the tourists the ways to keep themselves safe if they happen to come face to face with a wild animal. Canada's missing or killed indigenous women 'higher than thought' The Canadian government has confirmed that the number of missing or murdered indigenous women in the country may be higher than the previously cited 1,200. Drying of the west This years drought in Karnali is more a policy disaster than a natural one Glibc: Mega bug may hit thousands of devices A major computer security vulnerability has been discovered - with experts cautiously warning it could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of devices, apps and services. Hetauda-based factories reopen after six months With the Madhes-based political parties halting their protests at the borders and India lifting the blockade, several factories which remained shut for the past six months have resumed operations. Kuwait govt bans Nepali programmes citing security concerns The Kuwait government has banned all Nepali programmes being organised in the state saying that it affected the peace and security of Kuwait. Shifting donor priorities International commitment to community forestry in Nepal has sadly fizzled out 1. Yes. Its important to cast my votes early and avoid the lines on Election Day. 2. Yes. With nearly two weeks of early voting, its a more convenient way to take part. 3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, in case any last-minute information surfaces. 4. No. Im not planning to vote early or on Election Day. It isnt worth my time. 5. Unsure. It depends on how the campaigns are shaping up. Ill play it by ear. Vote View Results About books, reading, the power of fiction, some music, some movies. These are my opinions, my thoughts, my views. There is much wisdom afloat in the world and I like finding it in books. Communicating about wisdom found keeps it from getting lost. A blog on Singapore defence and the SAF that goes Above & Beyond The Obvious -The views expressed on this blog are my personal views and/or opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD). Copyright 2009-2020. David Boey. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @SenangDiri About Me Kendall Kessler In my artwork, I seek to celebrate life the simple and spectacular images all around us. Art patrons admire my intense use of color and texture to enhance daily life and communicate my emotional reaction to beauty. My style is unique to me but has strong impressionistic and expressionistic components. I primarily create large low-level impasto oil paintings but I also work in pastels. I am fascinated by the interaction of light and color in this beautiful mountain region. My paintings, prints, and drawings have been seen in over seventy national, international, and local shows. I have won numerous awards, including awards from Dorothy Gillespie, May Stevens, Frank Webb and Daniel Greene. I have been in two group shows on Broadway and I am listed in the original Marquiss Whos Who of America, Whos Who of American Women, and Whos Who in the World. I have artwork in private collections in nineteen states, Washingon D.C.,Canada,Germany, and Australia. I taught in the Art Department at Radford University for twenty years. I am now a full-time professional artist. My work can be viewed at kendall-kessler.artistwebsites.com, towheehillstudio.etsy.com and on ebay classifieds. View my complete profile Blog Archive Mike Dunleavy the governor of the US state of Alaska is intending to introduce legislation that will repeal the two state boards which regu... The Democratic Party has urged Ugandans to get to their respective polling stations early enough and cast their ballots. The party spokesperson Kenneth Paul Kakande says Ugandans have the power to choose the leaders they want through ballot. Kakande has added voice to those asking voters to stick around after casting their ballots to monitor the entire process and minimize chances of rigging. Although the electoral commission says this is not against the law if the recommended distance is maintained, the police Chief General Kale Kayihura says no one will be allowed around the polling area after casting their votes. Story By Diana Wanyana The Electoral Commission has made clarification on the reported ban on use of mobile phones and cameras at polling centers. This follows a word of caution from the Inspector General of Police that voters would not be allowed to carry mobile phones and that no supporter of any presidential or parliamentary candidate should stick around polling stations on polling day. Addressing observers in Kampala on Monday, the IGP Gen. Kale Kayihura said having such crowds could cause problems in election management asking that monitoring be left to the candidates agents. This drew outrage from various stakeholders with the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda(CCEDU) saying voters should not be denied their right to stay at polling stations after voting if they wish. Now the Electoral Commission spokesperson Mr.Jotham Taremwa has clarified on the matter saying voters are allowed to stay around the polling stations as long as they maintain a reasonable distance from the voting area. Taremwa further explains that voters can carry their mobile phones and cameras but these will only be used once they are outside the ring (the actual voting area). Story By Benjamin Jumbe Trollfest '09 Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, How I sold out to da Man. Robbie Bell again performs: Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells and Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to Dancing with the Stars, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango. Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and Big Cat Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything). Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge. Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson". In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word jackass was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up. In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates. Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one. Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!! This is definitely a Beaver production. Note: Security provided by INS. Weekly updates of my experiences in preparing to go and actually living and working in Haiti. The primary purpose is to keep those who are interested up to date. Otto Loewi, a German-born pharmacology professor at the University of Graz in Austria, long puzzled over how to prove chemical synaptic transmission. On Easter Sunday eve in 1920, the idea for a conclusive experiment came to him during a deep sleep. He scribbled a few notes and resumed sleeping. Upon awakening, he was unable to decipher these notes. At 3:00 a.m. the following morning, while sleeping, the idea reemerged. He rushed to his laboratory, and before the days end, performed the critical, yet very simple, experiment. He placed two frog hearts in separate tissue baths, and after stimulating the vagus nerve of one, the heartbeat slowed. He then added this bathing fluid to the second bath, and the heartbeat slowed. Thus, he established the release of a chemical, which he called Vagusstoff (later identified to be acetylcholine), as the first neurotransmitter. He was a co-recipient of the 1936 Nobel Prize and, two years later, fled Austria after the Nazi invasion. No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results ALBION Its a town headed in the right direction. And Stefan Wynn wants to help make it better. Wynn, 30, of Plymouth has accepted an offer from the Albion Town Council to be its next town manager. Wynn was expected to be in town Thursday, but his first day of work will be Feb. 22. A graduate of Culver Military Academy in 2003, Wynn did his undergraduate studies at Florida Gulf Coast. he received his masters in public affairs/administration from Indiana University at South Bend in 2013. When he saw Albion was looking for a new town manager, he was immediately intrigued. I saw a town centered around lakes, like where I grew up, said Wynn, who grew up in Osceola and Culver. I think it will make a good fit for us. Wynn and his wife, Autumn, have two daughters, ages 8 and 4 months. He said Albion is already a great place. Its on the cusp of being even better, he said. As for his role as town manager, he described the town council as being the architect with the vision for the town. He said he is like an engineer, the person who turns the councils vision into a reality. I am definitely a people person, he said. Im outgoing. He said one of his first goals is to get more participation from residents in civic events, such as town council meetings. Prior to taking the job of town manager, Wynn has been serving as the executive assistant to the chief executive officer who operates a chain of convenience stores. He said that job is similar to what his new duties will be since his job was to put into action the vision of the CEO. Wynns family lives on a centennial farm in Plymouth. He plans on selling the home and moving to Albion. His hobbies include hunting and fishing and music, particularly the trumpet. He has worked with disadvantaged youth and is a part vice chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party. ALBION It may be a couple of years away, but the Albion Town Council laid some groundwork for a potential Busche plant consolidation at its Feb. 9 meeting. The Council unanimously approved the creation of a new Tax Increment Financing district for the location of the proposed new Busche plan on ground adjoining the North Ridge Village subdivision. The move freezes tax revenues generated by the land in question at current, unimproved levels for the next 25 years. Entities affected by the move include the Noble County Public Library and Central Noble Schools. Any property tax revenues generated by improvements to the land would be captured by the TIF district, which is controlled by the Albion Redevelopment Commission. By law, the TIF monies must be used for improvements in the new district, which is dominated by property set aside for the Busche consolidation. TIF district 3 encompasses approximately 178 acres. There are additional parcels in the new TIF, but the vast majority of land has been theoretically set aside for the Busche consolidation. In another Busche-related action, the Town Council unanimously approved an ordinance to vacate a platted public way in the area of North Ridge Road. Town attorney Mike Yoder stressed the vacation does not involve any road, streets or alleys, but instead refers to utility easements that will need to be moved to set up infrastructure for the Busche consolidation. Also at the meeting of Feb. 9, the council heard that plans for a proposed Telepharm are progressing. Greg Winn, the owner of the Warsaw-based Pill Box Pharmacy, will be making his case before the state pharmacy board on March 14. Its a new concept, Town Council president John Morr said. It would be the first telepharm in Indiana. These remote pharmacies are supervised by a pharmacist who is not on-site. All supervision and consultations with customers would be handled via a video system. In an effort to help sway the pharmacy board, the council voted to provide travel and lodging expenses for Morr to attend the March 14 meeting, at the request of Winn. He feels that having someone from the community that will help a lot, Morr said. The Pill Box is considering leasing part of the town-owned building on South Orange Street that is not being utilized by the Noble County Economic Development Corp. The council also approved a request made by Steve Hook on behalf of the Noble County All-In Block Party to leave the portable stage in place for two weeks following the Chain O Lakes Festival. The stage will be up until June 25. Hook had appeared before the council in late January, but a decision was postponed until opinions were gathered from businesses in the area. With parking at a premium, Morr wanted to be sure businesses would not have an issue with taking up five parking spots for an additional two weeks. On Feb. 9, Hook said he was able to contact six of the eight businesses most affected, and that five of the six businesses had no issue. The sixth business, owned by John and Melba Moorhouse, was split on the issue. Morr announced that he had appointed Zane Gray to finish out the Albion Park Board term of Terry Askren, who resigned in protest of the decision not to extend the contract of former Town Manager Beth Shellman. Duane Simpson has resigned from the Albion Redevelopment Commission. According to Morr, Simpson said he resigned because he thought it was time for someone younger to take on the job. Morr is still looking for a replacement. The council also approved a request made by the Park Board to spend $6,000 to create a five-year master plan. The master plan is a requirement to apply for certain state and federal grants. According to Park Department director Casey Myers, the initial $3,000 pre-payment will come from the departments donations fund. Albion Chief Deputy Marshal Scott Cole told the council there are four potential reserve officers set to begin the mandatory 40-hour pre-basic course on Feb. 16. Cole also announced the command structure for the reserve program. Rank holders are Nathan Myers, captain; Jason Brook, lieutenant and Adam Storms and Randy Rose, sergeants. There are currently 12 active reserves. During the month of January, Albion officers responded to 214 calls for service, including two calls for theft, one report of meth trash and three illegal parking complaints. Ruths Chris Steak House will be a first floor anchor tenant in Fort Waynes new Skyline Tower. The restaurant is projected to be open in the fall of 2017. Feb. 29 Second monthly meeting of the Northwest Allen County School Board. Meeting begins at 7 p.m. and takes place at Perry Hill Elementary School. Enter Door 3. 2nd and 4th Mondays of month Huntertown Lions meeting at 6:45 p.m., held at Huntertown United Methodist Church, 16021 Old Lima Road, Huntertown. Meetings are held between the months of September and May. Wednesdays The Friends of Huntertown Parks Inc. meets each Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. at the Huntertown Woodworkers Club, 16471 Lima Road. 1st Tuesday of the month Three Rivers Woodworking Club meets at the Huntertown Woodworkers Club House at 16471 Lima Road at 7 p.m. All are welcome. For information, call 637-6415. 2nd Tuesday and last Saturday of month Huntertown area food distribution at Third Place, 1601 W. Cedar Canyon Road, 9-11 a.m. A clothing ministry is also available. For emergencies, contact the Huntertown United Methodist Church at 637-3798. 2nd Tuesday of the month Huntertown Heritage Days committee meeting. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Huntertown Town Hall, 15617 Lima Road. Everyone is welcome. Any questions, contact Jenny McComb at 637-6232 or kmc6101@comcast.net. Flax & Fleecers Spinning Guild. 7-9 p.m. at Salomon Farm Learning Center, 817 W. Dupont Road. All spinners and fiber arts enthusiasts are welcome. Call 637-8622 for information. 2nd Monday of the month LaOtto Community Association meeting held at the Park Building in LaOtto. Open to the public. 2nd Thursday of the month LaOtto Park Association meeting at 7 p.m. in the community building. For more information, call 637-6011. 1st Monday of the month Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Lutheran Rehabilitation Hospital, 7970 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne. Literature and video presentations are provided along with refreshments. For more information, call 637-3820. 4th Tuesday of month Epilepsy Support Group meeting from 12:30-2 p.m. in the East Parlor Room of the First Wayne Street United Methodist Church at 300 E. Wayne St., Fort Wayne. Call 432-7170 or 877-456-2971, ext. 3090, if planning to attend. 2nd Saturday of month Korean War Veterans monthly meeting. Meetings begin at 10 a.m. and take place at the Eagles #248, 4940 Bluffton Road in Fort Wayne. Breakfast is served immediately after the meeting. Imagine the horror of being wrongly imprisoned for a heinous crime you didnt commit. In Wisconsin that has happened to an estimated 40 people in the past 25 years. In addition to setting the person free, how much financial compensation will the state provide for that crushing error? The maximum is $25,000 an embarrassingly low amount. A bill that has passed the Assembly and will be considered in the Senate would increase the payout to $50,000 a year, to a maximum of $1 million, plus provide additional assistance to the wrongly convicted. While the state could never truly return those years behind bars, the additional compensation is long overdue. Sadly, theres a component of the legislation that we cant agree with and its troubling on more than one level. The legislation would require the court to seal all records of the criminal case involved in the wrongful verdict and remove records from the states online court records database if the wrongfully convicted person requests it. While that may seem like the fair thing to do, it is not. It isnt fair to the victim. It isnt fair to the rest of us. Our judicial system isnt perfect, but its the best system we have. Mistakes happen. Juries and judges can get it wrong. And, with the increasing use of sophisticated technology, new evidence can change the result of a case. We should all have the right to know about and examine the cases in which errors occur. Democracy can be a messy business. Having the ability to openly scrutinize that public business regardless of the branch of government is a crucial tenet of democracy. Lets also consider the person who was wrongly imprisoned. On the surface, sealing all records of the criminal case may seem like a humane approach. The legislation allows records sealed under this section shall be accessible to the person but may not be available for public inspection or through the consolidated court automation program case management system. But after all the publicity involving a criminal conviction, what happens if the person cant refer a friend or a prospective employer to the court record either in the court file or the digital record through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, known as CCAP, to prove that the conviction was in error? You cant expunge all of the information about the conviction from Internet searches, so why would you seal the record that proves innocence? Why doesnt the state in bold words listed on court records and on the online court files let everyone know that the person was wrongfully convicted of the crime and has been released from custody because of the error? That truly is the most humane way to treat the person who was wrongly convicted. And its the most transparent way to admit that justice isnt always accurately served. La Crosse Tribune The Alzheimers Association will hold the 30th annual Wisconsin Network Conference on Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias May 1-3 at the Kalahari Resort Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. The 2016 conference features distinguished keynote speakers from across the United States. Martin J. Schreiber, former governor of Wisconsin, will talk about his caregiving journey with his wife, Elaine, who is living with Alzheimers disease. He will speak to the conference audience Sunday evening, May 1. Elizabeth Edgerly, PhD, chief program officer of the Alzheimers Association, Northern California and Northern Nevada chapter, will open the conference Monday morning, May 2, with "Help and Hope in Alzheimers Science and Care: The Pathway to Disease Altering Treatments by 2025." Cynthia M. Carlsson, MD, MS, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, will speak Tuesday morning about progress and partnerships in the prevention of Alzheimers disease. Two optional pre-conference intensive workshops are planned for noon to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, May 1. "Ethics and Boundaries in Specialized Care," by Gail Trimberger, MSSW, assistant professor with UW-Green Bay, will explore Wisconsin law and the NASW code of ethics. "Coping with Challenging Behaviors and How to Communicate with Someone Living with Dementia," is an interactive workshop designed to help care partners and caregivers better understand why the person they are trying to help frequently exhibits difficult or challenging behaviors that make care assistance problematic or even impossible to deliver. Dementia and Alzheimers care expert Teepa L. Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA will teach effective verbal and non-verbal skills to reduce or minimize unproductive conversations and resistive behaviors. Registration materials, scholarship information and conference details are available on the conference website at www.alzwi.org. For more information, contact Peggy Rynearson, conference planner, at prynearson@alz.org or call 608-446-4206. Information is also available by contacting the Alzheimers Association at 800-272-3900. Groups of Wisconsin farmers can apply for the first round of Producer Led Watershed Protection grants in a new program that aims to address soil and water issues with homegrown answers. Applications will be accepted Feb. 29-April 1. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will award grants to producer led groups that focus on ways to prevent and reduce runoff from farm fields, and work to increase farmer participation in these voluntary efforts. Each group is eligible for up to $20,000 a year, with a total of $250,000 available in each of the next two years. The governor included this initiative in the 2015-17 budget to support farmers in their conservation efforts, said Ben Brancel, Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. This program is designed to give financial support to farmers who are willing to take leadership roles in their watershed and to work collaboratively to address water quality issues. Applicants must be groups of at least five farmers whose farms are in the same watershed and each produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenue last year, or $18,000 in the past three years. They must work with DATCP, the Department of Natural Resources, a county land conservation committee, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, or a nonprofit conservation organization. The group must help other producers in the watershed voluntarily work to reduce runoff pollution from farm fields, and contribute matching funds at least equal to the grant request. A few examples of projects include: Startup work such as watershed planning and bringing in experts to speak about soil and water quality issues; Incentive payments to farmers to do soil testing and nutrient management planning, plant cover crops, install grassed waterways, and other conservation activities; Developing new approaches to manure storage; Hosting conferences, workshops or field days. Grant funds cannot pay for more than 25 percent of staff time, or for real estate, loans, equipment purchases, or lobbying. Application materials are available at http://tinyurl.com/jdgyqk6, or by going to datcp.wi.gov and searching for producer led. They must be submitted by email. Farmers with questions should contact Rachel Rushmann at 608-224-4622 or rachel.rushmann@wi.gov. Larry Hafner, a member of the Houston County Planning Commission and zoning administrator for La Crescent Township, was appointed to the countys board of adjustment during the county boards meeting Feb. 9. Human resources director Tess Arrick-Kruger came before the board, along with environmental services director Rick Frank, seeking the boards approval of Hafners appointment. With an impending Feb. 18 board of adjustment meeting, at present, there are only two members sitting, with an ordinance requirement of a minimum of three. The commissioners action was needed so that body can transact business, Arrick-Kruger said. The new appointee will need to be brought up-to-speed, she added, so the appointment shouldnt be last-minute. Commissioner Justin Zmyewski said they would need to choose an alternate, too. Frank said the board might seriously consider expanding the board of adjustments number up to five from three, with Zmyewski agreeing, saying they might go as high as seven. He also noted that theres a potential board of adjustment member who would be over the term limit. If thats worth looking into, Zmyewski said. Frank replied that there was such a turn over, with two board of adjustment members going off, that he was under the impression it was the county boards consensus to reappoint just for one more term, saving other matters for future discussion and decision. Commissioner Teresa Walter said Hafner volunteered for the spot, and shed be willing to nominate him for the active member. Zmyewski said hed heard from Richard Schild, who also wanted to be considered. I think there are probably other people who maybe do, too, Zmyewski said. Walter offered that maybe they should put Hafner as primary, with Schild as his alternate. Zmyewski said hed be more apt to go the other way, as Schild has more experience than Hafner. Chairman Judy Storlie said she thought the opposite of Zmyewski. For her, she said, Hafner brings previous planning and zoning experience and, He seems the most neutral. Zmyewski countered that if it was a big deal in the past to appoint those with more experience, now that doesnt seem to be the case. It kind of seems like were throwing the experience out the window, he said. Zmyewski asked if the appointments were needed that day or if it could be held until the following week. Frank told him it would be nice to have the appointment that day, and Arrick-Kruger concurred. Zmyewski motioned to appoint Schild, with Hafner as his alternate. Commissioner Dana Kjome seconded. The vote failed 3-2, with Zmyewski and Kjome dissenting. Walter then motioned to appoint Hafner, with Schild as his alternate. Commissioner Steve Schuldt seconded. The motion passed 4-1, with Zmyewski the lone dissenter. Frank further suggested looking at a process for appointments; he recommended staggering the board members terms to every two years since theres a lot of documentation with legal work required, and it would consistently ensure having members with experience on the board. Zmyewski disagreed strongly. The term limits work; the problem is weve never done it, Zmyewski said. He continued. It kind of behooves me, every time somebody brings up how much experience and documentation and all that, that there is, Zmyewski said. Its a 97-page document. Lets not forget you can go to school to be a nurse in four years and work on the human body, but it takes you nine years to read a 97-page document? I cant buy that. We have a lot of very intelligent individuals that read, speak and comprehend the English language, which is basically the only requirement to be on the planning commission. Zmyewski said he doesnt want to repeat the problem theyve just tried to get rid of, what he labeled repeat history, specifically stagnant members with no fresh viewpoints going forward. Arrick-Kruger said shed sent commissioners a draft (created in partnership with planning and zoning administrator Aaron Lacher) of a search check list for planning commissioners vacancies, which she called a good and fair process. It was submitted to the commissioners late, it passed unanimously, and its now on file with the county. Arrick-Kruger also asked for, and received, the boards approval for a temporary change of FTE, the hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis, for one of the countys public health nurses. Implementation of the change goes into effect immediately and will run through May 28. Its for appropriate reasons, its not for lack of work, Arrick-Kruger said. Staff, she said, can pick up any extra work due to the reduction. Sheriff reviews year-end report The board also heard from Sheriff Mark Inglett at the meeting. For a change, commissioners, Im not here to ask you for anything, Inglett said. He presented his year-end report, which included a message to citizens, which will be put on the countys website. Its the end of Ingeltts first year of service, which he called a time of considerable change, adjustment and learning. Having had what he called essentially a complete change-up in administration, Inglett said the department continues to constantly strive to improve programs and service to everyone in the county. Highlights of his year-end report included the implementation of a new records management system, RMS, as well as a computer-aided dispatch. He detailed new programs, such as ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate) in the school systems, as well as the reorganization of the sheriffs posse and a secure collection point for prescription drug disposal. Statistics were also included in Ingletts report, most notably, 218 new applications for permits to carry, as well as 24 renewals. Also, 172 permits to purchase were processed. In 2015, according to his report, four fatal crashes occurred in Houston County, with five lives lost. The average daily population at the county jail totaled 25.3 for the year, with the jail generating $172,769 in revenue to offset its operational costs. Ingletts report also detailed overall revenue and grant highlights, with the final result coming in at $1,621,925 in actual expenditures and actual revenues totaling $169,165. The net amount spent on police services totaled $1,452,760. The final result was an overage of $3,745, with its primary reason due to the implementation of RMS, he noted. Were still in the learning curve, Inglett said, but things are coming well from my perspective. Gypsy moths The board also heard a presentation from pest mitigation and biocontrol unit supervisor Kimberly Thielen Cremers about proposed treatments for gypsy moth infestations in Houston County. According to press notes, the MDA and partner organizations are planning to tackle three gypsy moth infestations in Houston County this spring. In anticipation of the treatments, the department is inviting people to learn about the effort at an open house to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, in the criminal justice center basement in Caledonia. Ranked among Americas most destructive tree pests, the gypsy moth has caused millions of dollars in damage to forests as it has spread from New England to Wisconsin in recent decades. Gypsy moth caterpillars can defoliate large sections of forest. The pests are common in Wisconsin and are now establishing themselves in Minnesota. The MDA maintains a monitoring program to watch for start-up infestations, and when an infestation is found, the department conducts aerial treatments of the infestation before it can spread. In 2015, the MDA found three infestations in Houston County. Stress. Worry. Anxiety. Depression. Hopelessness. Chances are, all of us have experienced at least one of the above. And for some people, lifes stressors can lead to a mental health or emotional crisisa situation they cant resolve without help. But thanks to a new resource in southeastern Minnesota, Crisis Response, individuals and families dealing with mental health crises dont have to go it alone. Crisis Response offers 24-hour phone support, linkage to local resources, and mobile crisis teams that can be dispatched during evening hours, along with weekends and holidays. The service rolled out in August 2015 for adults, and as of January, support is available for children and adolescents as well. Crisis Response is offered across 10 counties in southeast Minnesota, through a partnership between Zumbro Valley Health Center in Rochester, South Central Human Relations Center in Owatonna, and Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center in Winona. And its a no-cost service, thanks to a state grant. Thats kind of the purpose behind the grantis that people that need the help get the help, said Tim Hunter, program coordinator with Zumbro Valley Health Center. Prior to the implementation of crisis response systems, people experiencing mental health situations had few options besides calling 911. But thats not always necessaryor the best thing for someone whos already under considerable stress, said Christy Ferrington, who is managing the Crisis Response team at Hiawatha Valley. And a shortage of hospital beds and psychiatry services statewide means quick personal support, within an individuals own environment, is a huge need. Were really trying to filter out some of those calls that go to law enforcement or emergency departments that are mental-health based, Hunter said. Hunter said low or moderate-risk mental health crises dont get appropriate attention because the medical system is strained with more severe cases. But the earlier a person gets appropriate help after their first crisis, the better for their long-term health. When someone calls the crisis line, their call is answered by a mental health practitioner at Canvas Health, an organization in the Twin Cities. Canvas Health staff can talk with callers, assess their risk level, and if need be, connect them to local resources or dispatch the mobile crisis team nearest their zip code. Hunter said 90 percent of cases can be handled over the phone, with another 10 percent going to mobile crisis teams. Each mobile team has two trained mental health practitioners, who are also in touch with a mental health professional at Zumbro Valley Health Center. They can help individuals and families cope with immediate stressors, develop action plans, and ultimately avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and loss of independent living. Mobile teams also follow up with people after their visit. Since the service rolled out this summer, its seen a growing number of callers. Since August, 415 callers have come through the line regionally, and 37 mobile teams have been dispatched. For the Hiawatha Valley area, which serves communities within a 45-mile radius of Winona, 10 mobile teams have been dispatched through December, and the call center took 60 calls from Winona County, 20 calls from Houston County, and 20 calls from Wabasha County. Ferrington said Hiawatha Valley had a crisis line prior to this summer, but the new system takes some of the burden off local mental health practitioners to staff that line and enables them to focus on mobile crisis teams. The central call is awesome, and just the extra support that we get, she said. Hunter said thats the strength of Crisis Responses regional partnershipit provides mental health centers with more resources and training, and saves on costs. Even when she was a little girl, Sadie Gearing Ulman liked ducks. That attraction has led the Black River Falls native to learn about wildfowl in the furthest reaches of the North American continent. Ulman gave a program about her work as a research associate with the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, at the Feb. 10 meeting of the Friends of the Black River. Ulmans research focuses on the ecology and habitat of sea ducks and other sea and shore birds. The daughter of Tom and Denise Gearing, Ulman started her Arctic research adventure as an AmeriCorps volunteer, studying shore birds in Barrow, Alaska. Much of her research has focused on Stellers eiders, but she also has helped band song birds and studied sandpipers and Sandhill cranes. Birds are indicators of the health of the environment and how the ecosystem is doing, said Ulman. We are seeing a lot of changes as far as the climate is doing. Ulmans main project is studying and monitoring Stellers eider and trying to reintroduce the Arctic ducks back to their traditional breeding grounds. There are a couple locations on the western side of Alaska where the bird used to raise young, but the birds havent been returning to the sites to nest in recent years. A lot is unknown about this species, although they have been studied for a number of years, said Ulman. Their decline could be due to predation, over-harvesting, contaminants in the environment, warmer water temperatures or higher salination. The Stellers eider was listed as a threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1997. There are fewer than 200 breeding pairs nesting in Alaska. To assist with the Stellers eider research, ASLC has a captive breeding flock. The researchers have tried to hatch the birds eggs in an incubator but the process hasnt been successful. This reintroduction effort could be 15 to 20 years in the making, said Ulman. Other ASLC projects include breeding productivity of common murre, seabird presence and habitat study in Resurrection Bay. The ASLC is Alaskas only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center. The center was opened with money from the Exxon Valdez incident settlement to serve as a wildlife rescue center. It continues to provide rehabilitation for sick and injured marine animals, but it has expanded its mission to include educational opportunities for students and adults, offering wildlife enthusiasts and researchers close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions and other sea life. Her work has allowed Ulman the chance to experience the native culture of the Arctic. Among those experiences has been sampling whale meat, a delicacy that seems to need an acquired taste to enjoy. It tastes like a rubber band thats been on the bottom of the ocean for a number of years, said Ulman. Much of the food in Alaska has to be shipped in and the cost of living is fairly high. Everything is pricey, said Ulman. A gallon of milk is $10. Ulman and her husband are expecting their first child and since there isnt baby delivery service where Ulman is stationed, the couple decided to return to Black River Falls to give birth to their child. The Friends of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge will host a reading and book signing by Doreen Pfost, author of This River Beneath the Sky: A Year on the Platte Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. This River Beneath the Sky is a series of essays about Nebraskas Platte River, where a half-million migrating sandhill cranes converge each spring and attract birdwatchers and nature-lovers from around the world. The book has recently been published by University of Nebraska Press. The reading will be preceded by a discussion and art show featuring the work of photographer James Backus beginning at 9 a.m. Backus has spent over a decade photographing the wildlife and habitats at Necedah and throughout North America. Pfost, who lives in Elroy, is a writer and communications consultant. More information about Pfost and her book is at doreenpfost.com. Backus, who lives in Eau Claire, has documented his travels in a number of coffee table books. His photographs are displayed in hospitals, clinics, and offices around Wisconsin. His work can be viewed on his website, magoophoto.com. The Friends of NNWR is a nonprofit volunteer organization that promotes public use and enjoyment of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The group contributes time and money to the refuges work and conservation efforts and advocates for the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuges visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located off Highway 21 four miles west of the village of Necedah and 18 miles east of Tomah. Refuge lands are open sunrise to sunset year-round. For more information call 608-565-2551 or visit the Necedah NWR Facebook page at facebook.com/NecedahNWR. Whether you call it V Day, Love Day or the old favorite, I hope you all had a nice Valentines Day. Mine was a nice mix of cards, special wishes, brunch out, phone calls and catching up with old friends. I have never lied about the fact that I am a mush about this day. Its my favorite holiday after Christmas, and when I hear of all the nice things that people do for each other to show the love it really brings a smile and makes a person wish that every day was Valentines Day. How about this for celebrating Valentines Day. Paulette Fox-Beardsley was visiting her 91-year-old mother, Doris Fox, and Doris re-taught her how to two-step. What a way to spend the day and make a Valentine memory. Kandi Shramek survived the Valentines Day Heart Throb 5K run in Onalaska and got first place for her age category. Congratulations, Kandi. Having a nice day with phone calls for a change sure was different from the one we had the other day. Do any of you get calls like these? I picked up the ringing phone and got a canned message. Oh, I am sorry, you have received this call in error. Please hang up. Or one where there is an actual person there, you tell them you are busy and cant talk, hang up and the phone rings again. The same person says, Oh, you said you were busy so I thought I would call again and leave a message. The first one I laughed at, the second and third not so much. Sometimes modern technology bites. Makes you wonder what will be coming up when political campaigns begin. When Lori makes a goof, she really makes it a big one. I got a call from Jeannette Bohac who said that while she has appreciated the February birthday wishes that she was on my list for, she wanted to let me know that her birthday is actually on Dec. 30. I had reported on a birthday gathering she had, but it was held a couple months after the fact and that was what confused me. We had a nice chuckle about the whole thing and Jeannette with her great sense of humor said, No wonder I was feeling older this year with two birthdays. So now that she was nice enough to let me know about my goof, I better make darn sure I wish her a happy birthday on the right date from now on. So for now, here we are happy un-February birthday, Jeannette. As long as we are on February happenings, hope I am correct in wishing a happy anniversary to Lance and Melissa Bergerson on Feb. 10, and a very happy birthday to Maddy Shramek on Feb. 11. You know spring must be coming when the Hixton Youth Organization meets to start planning their annual Easter egg hunt. I was actually out and about and able to join them at Timber Valley this past week to hear about the upcoming event. More details closer to the day but we are having a late March Easter this year, so it was definitely time to start planning. And I have not been out much this winter, so it was great to see these dear friends. Congratulations to Amber Gilberg and Justin Wesely who were married Saturday, Feb. 13 at an intimate beach side wedding on Sanibel Island, Fla., surrounded by close family members. They are enjoying a Caribbean cruise, which the groom surprised the bride with. Much happiness to them. You hear of lots of people who have taken off on vacations in warmer climates. For Skip and Grace Nordahl that getaway was Hawaii where they enjoyed accommodations at Waikoloa Beach Resort. Some of the fun things they did was a volcano excursion to Mauna Loa and Kilauea (the two more prominent volcanoes of the island) and around the southern portion of the Big Island to Hilo, stopping for wine and a pork rib barbeque at The Volcano Winery, a tour of Kona Joe Coffee Farm, a stop to watch the sea turtles at the Black Sand Beach, an evening whale watching cruise and, of course, shopping and relaxing by the beach or pool. Two great lawn luaus complete with great music and wonderful food was a fun part. I told Gracie that I was properly envious but what I didnt add was that I felt bad for them after being in paradise for a time, coming back to the deep freeze that is Wisconsin. I have it on good authority that the music event sponsored by the Black River Falls FCCLA to aid the Friends Sharing Food program was a great success. Held this past weekend, music was provided by Travace and the Generators at the Lunda Theatre and admission was donations of non-perishable food items. Good times for a good cause. Its time for the winter four-week trap/rifle shoot at the Hixton Rod and Gun Club on Saturdays starting Feb. 20 and running until March 12. Sign up is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and official rules and scoring information is available Saturday, Feb. 20. There will be two weeks trap shooting and two weeks rifle shooting. For more info, call Greta Gearing at (715) 299-8866. A wonderful February tradition is the fundraiser for the BRF High School Music Boosters. On Feb. 25, the annual taco supper will be held at the high school commons from 4:30-7 p.m. Not only will there be good food but great music from the middle school and high school choirs, the high school jazz band, handbell choir and the Tiger pep band. Its Girl Scout cookie time. Im not sure of the troop names in the area, but there are young ladies out there with a lot of good cookies for you. I know there are some boxes of peanut butter patties with my name on them. Congratulations to Kevin Dolesy of Kals Korner who was recently awarded a photo of the year for sponsorship of the Wisconsin Wildlife Fund. Sympathies are extended to the friends and family of Edward Johnson. Ed passed away on Jan. 31 at the age of 81. Funeral services were held at Jensen-Modeski Funeral Home with burial with military honors to be at Upper Pigeon Creek Cemetery in Northfield. That aging thing: The older and more decrepit I get, I even start thinking with a limp. Ive Learned Life is a bowl of cherries just dont drop the bowl. Word of the Week: deprecate to express earnest disapproval of, to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.). Words of Wisdom and Advice: Its OK to let your children see you cry. Natural High: Gearing up for another major project. Tip of the Week: Take these dreary winter days when you dont want to go outside any more than you have to and take the opportunity to sort through closets and drawers. Donate items you havent used in awhile, pitch things you have no idea why you kept and bring out items that you put away and thought you had lost. Fun Fact of the Week: A skunks smell can be detected by a human a mile away. Just ask my hubby while he is on his nocturnal walks. Its been fun hearing the response from the Man in the Kitchen part of my column last week. I will be sharing a few recipes in future columns. In the meantime, I let out a sigh of resignation when I heard that two of my cousins are making sausage and one is even learning the fine art of cheese making. Those guys are making it hard for me to get enthusiastic about cooking the simple things I prepare compared to that. Low Carb Cream Cheese Fudge 1 stick butter 2 oz. Bakers unsweetened chocolate 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup Stevia or any sweetener or your choice to taste Place butter and chocolate in a small pan and melt oven low heat. When chocolate and butter is just melted, add vanilla and sweetener and blend together. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and pour chocolate mixture over it. With a hand mixer, mix about two minutes. Pour into a greased pan. I use a 6-by-8-inch pan and I freeze it and cut into squares. Oreo Delight 1 pkg of regular Oreos 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 large pkg chocolate instant pudding 6 tablespoons melted butter 16 oz Cool Whip 1 cup powdered sugar 2 3/4 cups milk Crush cookies. Save about one cup to sprinkle on top. In small bowl, mix remaining crumbs with butter. Press crumbs/butter mixture into bottom of a 9-by-13-inch cake pan to form crust. Make chocolate pudding according to package directions and let it set up in the fridge. Using electric mixer, mix half Cool Whip, softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl Spread the cool whip/cc/sugar mixture on top of the Oreo crust. Spread the pudding over the Cool Whip layer, then the remaining layer of the Cool Whip mixture on top of that. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Quote of the week: Dreaming after all, is a form of planning. Gloria Steinem The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering a request to fill more than 105 acres of wetlands and to clear about 117 acres of vegetation for the construction of a high-voltage power line between Holmen and the Madison area. Most of the proposed wetland impacts would be temporary as contractors install matting to accommodate heavy machinery during the construction of the Badger-Coulee transmission line, according to a permit application published Friday. At least 273 poles erected to carry the 181-mile line will permanently fill about one acre of wetlands, according to the application. The project will require clearing vegetation from about 117 acres of forested wetland, although more than 91 percent of the route approved by Wisconsin utility regulators follows existing interstate highway and transmission line right-of-way. The proposed route, which runs through Jackson County, includes two crossings of the Black River and one of the Wisconsin River, in addition to 105 other waterways. It could affect a handful of threatened or endangered species, including the Northern long-eared bat, the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake and the Karner blue butterfly, as well as the Higgins eye and sheepnose mussels. The Corps of Engineers is accepting comments on the application through March 13 from the public as well as federal, state, local and tribal agencies. There is no public hearing scheduled, though people can request one by writing to the Corps. A joint venture of American Transmission Co., Xcel Energy, La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative and two other utilities, the 345-kilovolt line will originate at a new substation on Briggs Road in Holmen that was completed this fall as part of CapX2020, another high-voltage transmission project running across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. According to ATC, the 180-mile line will improve system reliability and provide a pipeline to bring wind energy from western states to eastern population centers. The $580 million estimated price tag will be passed on to ratepayers throughout the Midwest. It will connect to CapX2020, a project connecting western Minnesota and the Dakotas to Rochester and La Crosse. The Wisconsin portion of CapX was completed in September with an approved price tag of $211 million. Construction on Badger-Coulee began Jan. 20 in Dane County and is expected to continue through the end of 2019. A proposed frac sand operation in the towns of Alma and Adams has received two final key approvals from Jackson County to move ahead. Conditional use permits in Adams for the Terracor Resources project were approved Monday by the zoning committee, although the proposed processing operation still requires state and federal approvals and is facing a circuit court challenge. Most of the frac sand mines operations would be based Alma, which is not regulated by county zoning. However, a portion, including a rail load-out, extends into Adams, which falls under county zoning regulations the reason for the permit requests. Some committee members expressed reservations about issuing the permit because the companys plan to restore the land to its original state after its used for mining didnt call for removing the railroad tracks and ties from the ground. It is a pristine area next to one of the best looking streams, said committee member and county board member John Chrest. It just doesnt sit well with me to hear the ties and all that stay there. I see no reason to leave that This is right by a beautiful, beautiful stream. Chrest said he felt more comfortable issuing the permit if the company would foot the bill to remove the railroad equipment if it isnt used by another company or individual within a particular time frame, like five years. Committee member and county board member Hoyt Strandberg agreed, questioning Terracor legal counsel John Behlings comments that the steel pieces that would be left would more than cover the cost of reclamation. I would question that, Strandberg said. Its hard for me to believe that. Behling eventually told the committee the company would agree to cover the cost of removing the railroad pieces if they arent used by another party within 10 years, leading the committee to vote 4-1 to OK both permits, including the other that regulates operations within 300 feet of Halls Creek. Ray Ransom cast the dissenting votes on each permit and said his decision was based on negative public feedback he received on the permits and project not his own personal opinion of the proposed operation. I do not believe theres any potential harm to Halls Creek, Ransom told the well-attended zoning committee meeting while explaining his vote. The zoning committee last month had voted 3-2 to hold off on a decision on the permits for the Adams portion of the project to allow for the company to return more environmental impact information to the zoning department. The previous zoning public hearing, which fielded opposition from nearly 40 people, came around the same time a group of landowners sued Terracor and another proposed operation in Jackson County, arguing both are private nuisances that should be halted. The company since has filed a motion in Jackson County Circuit Court to have the civil suit dismissed because it believes the landowners havent provided sufficient evidence to support their claims that the operation would constitute a private nuisance. It is painfully apparent that the plaintiffs have merely plastered this complaint with legal conclusions and the elements for a private nuisance claim. Regrettably, form their standpoint, they have set forth absolutely no facts supporting their conclusory assertions and legal conclusions, it says in Terracors motion filed Feb. 5. Plaintiffs have failed to assert one single fact regarding the operational aspects of this mining business, which they find objectionable. How much noise or light will be emanating from this operation so as to constitute the claimed noise pollution or light pollution? What facts to support the asserted depletion of ground water? What facts underlie the contention as to traffic congestion or road damage? There is not only an insufficient assertion here there is no factual assertion. The permits approved Monday are contingent on Terracor also receiving approval for the operation from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The committee also will make a referral to the countys land conservation department to inform it of the condition on removing the railroad tracks and ties because it contradicts the already approved reclamation plan in place. No future court dates in the Terracor or ALLEnergy Hixton private nuisance cases have been set. Language teachers Dana DeBoer and Gordon Thunder find joy in hearing their high school-age students speak Ho-Chunk. The language of the Native American tribe has seen a steady decline in fluent speakers in recent years, but new and revived efforts to pass it on to future generations have begun and will be ongoing in the future. (Hearing students speak Ho-Chunk) is great. Every day (Gordon) says to them that hearing them talk makes him so happy, said DeBoer, a teacher of Ho-Chunk with Gordon at Black River Falls High School. Its so exciting. Its like, Oh my gosh, we taught them this and now they can say it on their own. Its also like theyre your children and speaking their first words. Its just the best feeling. The Nation has been working to make its efforts on preserving and fostering the Ho-Chunk language more visible in recent years, including this months launch of new classes that are meant to take the knowledge of those whove recently learned the language and bring them to willing learners in the community. The Ho-Chunk Academy now is offering weekly classes in Black River Falls, Tomah and Wisconsin Dells at the same time the tribe is growing its partnership with UW-Marshfield/Wood County to provide college-level education and training to apprentices who will teach the language to a variety of age groups. The tribe is believed to currently have 100 or fewer eminent or first-language speakers of its native language. Thats a number thats down from an about 300 a half decade ago. I would say the Ho-Chunk language we just need to continue to push it through. Its a team effort, said Samson Falcon, the Nations language apprentice program manager. Now the language division is starting to show (the community) this is what the language division is were here for the people, for the communities. Were here to share the language, share the culture. Its a team effort, and its not our language its not the language divisions language. We are all in the efforts to get the language out to the people. Were coming together to talk about these issues and come up with solutions. The Nation has a group of people who have graduated from the language apprenticeship program and now are able to start to assist with teaching the community classes, which are set during both work hours and evening times to give the most opportunities to those interested in taking them. The work is crucial for preserving culture and the Ho-Chunk identity, said Angelica Greendeer, the Ho-Chunk Academys program manager. Its scary when youre Ho-Chunk to know that your language is almost gone. Thats the last thing you want to happen (because) thats your identity, said Greendeer, 32. Its not just speaking the language. Its living the language. It really defines who we are and defines our identity as the Ho-Chunk people. The Nation for several years has collaborated with school districts to offer language courses in high schools for teenage youth interested in learning. There currently are classes in BRF, Tomah and Wisconsin Dells, with the highest participation in Black River Falls the area in which the tribes headquarters is located. Black River Falls has three class levels that DeBoer and Thunder share duties teaching work that involves educating students who are passionate about learning and speaking Ho-Chunk. Classes range from word learning to composition and speaking the language and expand on the sometimes basic words spoken in Ho-Chunk homes, like the word dad that is spelled jaaji. A life goal for most people and I can say for me personally was to learn the Ho-Chunk language, DeBoer said. The majority of (students) are taking their responsibility to learn the language very seriously. They want to learn it, they want to speak it, they want to use it outside of the classroom. They want to use it at home with their families and their friends and because they know where we are with the state of our language. The Nation also soon will receive results from its tribe-wide census launched last fall, and the data gathering will include information from respondents about their knowledge of the tribes language another avenue for determining future education efforts, Falcon said. In compiling that information, well probably get a better view of what the situation looks like with how many fluent speakers and first-language speakers we have, he said. Were looking for community support because thats who were trying to reach out to. Ice races are set to return to Lake Arbutus this weekend. The Sunday, Feb. 21 event will bring men, women and children of all ages to compete in adrenaline-charged competitions on the icy track as part of the Central Wisconsin Ice Racing Association 2016 circuit. Its a huge adrenaline rush it really is, said Mark Muth, an event organizer and past racing participant. If you get somebody new coming to watch, they cant believe how fast everybody goes. Once theyve seen it, most of the time, theyll come to another one especially if the weather is nice. There were 200 racers entered in last years event and about the same amount are expected this year. The 2015 event had good weather and solid ice, which helps pave the way for good spectator attendance and conditions for participants. Ice depth was at a foot or more as of this week. The event draws competitors in a variety of ATV and motorcycle classes in junior, men and womens categories that also vary by whether machines have studded or un-studded tires as they compete on the oval track thats groomed to remove snow and smooth the ice to make it ideal for the events. Its being outside on a nice, winter day and watching racing, Muth said. The racing is always very close and it is very quick. Its ran quickly its race after race, versus waiting for the track to be groomed. Competitors typically range in age from 6 to 60 years old and they are drawn to the sport for different reasons, but all enjoy the fast-paced action and opportunity to enjoy a winter sport. Its just a fast-paced, good sport. Its fun in the winter, good people, said Dave Jelinek of Black River Falls, who got started in ice racing in the late 1990s. A lot of us are friends and race against each other, so its just fun to do. Its just fun, and bikes are more controllable on ice than they are on dirt. Proceeds from the race go to the CWIRA to help pay for the costs of the season circuit events. Admission to the event at Hatfield is $5 for adults and children, with those 12 years and under free. Food is available for purchase. Racing is scheduled to begin around 11 a.m. and is expected to run until 4 p.m. or a little after. For more information, contact Muth at (715) 284-4725 or Ken Marcou at (715) 284-4093. Consumers would get two days of sales tax-free spending on school supplies each August if a bill by state Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah, is approved. The sales tax holiday is timed to coincide with the Back to School shopping season and save consumers five percent or more on their shopping bills. The proposal establishes that on the first Saturday and Sunday in August, beginning this year, sales tax would be exempt on: Clothing priced not more than $75. Personal computers priced $2,000 or less. Personal computer supplies priced not more than $250. Instructional materials priced $250 or less. School supplies if the sale price of any single item does not exceed $75. At that time of year, when kids go back to school, there are fees and expenses involved and we wanted to make it a little easier on them the expense they have when the school year starts, VanderMeer said. Previous efforts to set a tax holiday have not succeeded, and this time VanderMeer wanted a simpler bill that focuses on school supplies and provides some relief for families who buy them. Walmart Stores, Inc. and the Alliance for Wisconsin Retailers have registered in support of the proposal. AWRs Scott Senger said tax holidays will help Western Wisconsin retailers competing against retailers in Minnesota where clothing is not taxed. Also, it can attract Illinois customers during August. This bill can make Wisconsin a destination for surrounding states like Illinois which has an 8 percent tax (in communities) near the Wisconsin border, Senger said. The state Department of Revenue may cancel the sales tax holiday if it determines by May 1 that the states financial situation makes the tax exemption imprudent, according to the bill. The holiday would cost the state an estimated $13.2 million annually in sales tax revenue and cut local sales tax revenue by $952,000, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin Council on Families and Children have registered in opposition. A call to Kyle Christianson, WCAs director of Government Affairs, was not immediately returned. The WCFC criticized the bill stating that sales tax holidays are an inefficient use of scarce state revenue. It referenced information produced by Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C. tax research group, which called such measures, poor tax policy. Despite their political popularity, sales tax holidays distract policymakers and taxpayers from real, permanent, and economically beneficial tax reform. Sales tax holidays introduce unjustifiable government distortions into the economy without providing any significant boost to the economy, according to an article on the foundations website. Iowa is the nearest of the 18 states which have sales tax holidays. Its sale tax holiday was observed last year Aug 7-8. The bill was introduced two weeks ago and was approved this week by the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions. On Wednesday, it had a public hearing before the Assemblys Ways and Means committee, and VanderMeer anticipates the committee will vote on it within a week. The bill has seven Republican and one Democrat sponsors in the Assembly. The companion bill in the Senate has one Democrat and three Republican sponsors. A nurse practitioner who was among the top prescribers of opioid medications in the Department of Veterans Affairs Great Lakes region is no longer with the Tomah VA, which has not disclosed the terms of her separation. VA spokesman Matthew Gowan said Deborah Frasher no longer works at the Tomah VA as of Feb. 9 but would not comment on the circumstances of her departure. Multiple sources familiar with the case say she was allowed to resign. Along with former Chief of Staff David Houlihan, who was fired from the VA in November, Frasher is under investigation by state regulators for allegations of unsafe practice and substandard care. Frasher and Houlihan were put on administrative leave last year after the publication of a report by the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting detailing high levels of opioid prescription at the facility, which patients dubbed Candy Land because physicians there dispensed prescription painkillers so freely, and a pervasive culture of intimidation and retaliation against employees who spoke out. Houlihan was fired Nov. 9. and had his clinical privileges revoked. Spokespersons for Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, as well as Rep. Ron Kind, said their offices were not notified. The VA alerted the congressional delegation when it fired Houlihan. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is investigating a complaint filed last year against Frasher claiming she collaborated with a physician in gross overprescribing at VA hospital. An attorney representing Frasher in the DSPS investigation did not immediately respond to a phone message. The DSPS is also is investigating two complaints of overmedication filed against Houlihan, who is advertising a private practice in La Crosse. According to DSPS records, complaints were filed against Houlihan in 2003 and 2008, though he was not disciplined. It has to get dark before you can see the beauty of the stars and the universe. Many evenings I look at the star-studded sky all around us here in the country and think how beautiful and magnificent it all is. All that beauty is up there during the day, too, but we cant see it. It has to get dark first. These thoughts went through my mind as I thought of the health problems several of my friends and I are going through. Im always listening for a word, a phrase or a thought that becomes the genesis for a story. As Ben Logan once told me, A writer is someone upon whom nothing is wasted. Even if someone is beating the hell out of you, a writer will take mental notes that may end up in a story one day. I know what he means. These can be dark times for many people in our community and country. About 1,400 people and their families were affected recently when their jobs suddenly disappeared and were moved to Mexico. This is devastating to those families. I think all of us could add names of people we know to the growing list of unemployed or underemployed. Things look mighty dark when you are struggling to pay your bills. The bitterly cold winter we find ourselves in adds more stress to budgets that are already stretched to the breaking point. There isnt enough money for food, mortgages and the necessities of life. Foreclosures are at a staggering number and growing. The winter days are short and nights are long. Add the absence of sunlight to the burdens people are already carrying. When you put all that together, its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. On a positive note, we know the dark days of winter will eventually give way to the sunshine of summer. I know many readers of Across the Fence are among those who find themselves facing a very dark future at the moment. All I can do offer you some positive thoughts. Dont despair. The light will overtake the darkness. Ive found myself in dark valleys, too, and wondered how I would survive. Things looked very bleak and I couldnt see any light at the end of the tunnel. Have faith that the stars will eventually shine out of that darkness. To those who find themselves in better circumstances than your neighbor, reach out your hand, into the darkness, and pull another hand into the light. I wish I could take credit for that saying but its attributed to Norman B. Rice. My father said that twice during his life, when things looked dark and desperate and he couldnt see any way out, and help arrived at the darkest hour. In both cases he was asked to get off a farm he was renting because the heirs wanted someone else on it. It would be the same as the people who now find themselves suddenly out of a job because a business closed. Where do you turn when you have a family to feed? The first time an older woman walked down from Westby and wanted him to rent her farm. Several years later she died, and he was asked to leave. A man came and gave him a chance to buy his farm, with a $1 down payment and a handshake to seal the deal. Neither of them offered him a free handout. He was too proud to have accepted that. But they were extending a hand into the darkness and helping someone find their way out of the darkness and into the light again. In later years he referred to those two people as guardian angels. Ive studied much of Joseph Campbells writings and thoughts. I think he said it best: The black moment is the moment when the real transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light. Its my hope that every one of you who now find yourself facing what appears to be a dark future will have a hand reach in and help show you a way to see the light again. Call it guardian angels if you want, or just plain luck. I dont look at angels as some heavenly hosts with wings and halos. I see them as extraordinary people, living among us, who are there when we need help. How they are sent to us is up to each of you to interpret depending on your beliefs. They show up with just the right encouraging words when we need it. They are there to lend a helping hand when our load gets too heavy to carry by ourselves. They can be friends, neighbors, acquaintances or even strangers. We all know people who would give you the shirt off their back if you needed one. Ive told people that we come into this world naked, and the majority of us will leave this world dressed in some of our finest clothes. So we all leave with more than we came with. Most of us will also experience some dark days while were here. During those dark times, look for the stars. It takes darkness before you can see and appreciate the light. When Lebena Varghese arrived at Northern Illinois University as a doctoral candidate in 2013, she received a message from her program director asking what she was looking for in an academic mentor. Male or female? Someone a year ahead of her in the psychology program? Or perhaps someone with more experience? Did she prefer a mentor in social psychology or one who shared her own specialty of industrial-organizational psychology? Now, Varghese herself is mentoring a student who recently transferred from clinical to the industrial-organizational side, and she finds her role is mainly providing reassurance that her mentee isnt behind as a result of switching from one focus area to another. Such emotional support is a key to good mentoring and helps employees or even graduate students with heavy research workloads reduce stress and burnout, Varghese said. She and three colleagues at NIU conducted a study that found mentoring is especially effective for individuals vulnerable to severe stress because they dont feel capable of handling some job tasks or feel overwhelmed in the job environment. For those people, whose personalities may include trait neuroticism characteristics such as powerlessness, anxiety and sadness, theres a greater chance of job burnout, Varghese said. When a mentor is present, that positive relationship gave those individuals a boost, she said in a phone interview from the NIU campus. The study, conducted in spring 2014, included responses from 325 individuals who participated on MTurk, a crowdsourcing tool on Amazon.com. About 62 percent of those surveyed were male, 74 percent were white, and their ages ranged from 18 to 73. Stress and burnout in the workplace have been well documented so Varghese and her colleagues wanted to determine how mentoring might help alleviate those conditions. Mentorship, she said, is basically having people there that guide you in the right path and are constantly there in your realm. Formal mentoring programs can help employees at-risk of stress and burnout obtain more confidence and feel more engaged in the organization, Varghese said. Such mentoring is common among Fortune 500 companies and usually involves matching employees based on career aspirations or interests. Among the businesses that have made a big push for formal mentoring, she said, are financial institutions, including investment banker Goldman Sachs which has a special mentoring program for women re-entering the workforce. While much informal mentoring occurs spontaneously between employees or colleagues, that version is not as effective in lowering job burnout, the study found. Thats because informal interactions focus on social support and arent structured, scheduled meetings that focus on career development. One of the major benefits of mentoring programs is that they dont cost much to implement, Varghese said. Its a very lean intervention. Sometimes a business may need a consultant to help put a program together, but they dont need a lot of investment. MADISON Wisconsin Republicans passed a pair of bills Tuesday that would outlaw so-called sanctuary cities and prohibit local governments from issuing identification cards despite Democrats complaints that both measures target immigrants. The first bill would block local governments from prohibiting police from inquiring about immigration status of anyone charged with a crime and from working with federal immigration authorities. The Assembly passed the bill 62-35, sending the measure on to the Senate. It was unclear when that chamber might vote on the bill. The measures author, Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, introduced the legislation following a San Francisco incident in which a woman was fatally shot by a Mexican immigrant in the country illegally. The San Francisco County sheriffs office had released the suspect earlier that year, despite a request by federal immigration authorities to detain him. Spiros has said there havent been similar issues in Wisconsin, but he wants to be proactive. Spiros points to Racine, Madison and Milwaukee County as sanctuary cities in Wisconsin, but officials from those cities dispute that characterization. They say they are welcoming to immigrants but comply completely with federal law. Madison passed a resolution in 2010 calling on the Dane County sheriff to stop reporting immigration status to federal authorities, though it had no legal effect. A 2012 Milwaukee County Board resolution similarly called on the sheriff not to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immigration detention requests unless a person has been convicted of serious crimes, is a gang member or is a suspected terrorist. Neither of those resolutions was legally binding. Rep. JoCasta Zamarippa, D-Milwaukee, warned Republicans that the bill would alienate the states growing Hispanic population and could cost them votes. It is striking fear in immigrant families across this great state, Zamarippa said. We are the future of this great state. You and your colleagues are making a huge mistake. The Senate, meanwhile, passed the local ID bill 19-13 Tuesday. The legislation would bar towns and counties from issuing IDs or spending money on them. It would also specify that IDs issued by cities or villages couldnt be used to vote or obtain public benefits, like food stamps. The bill comes as Milwaukee city and county officials are working to issue local photo IDs to those who have difficulty obtaining other government-issued IDs. The IDs would be used for everyday tasks, like opening a bank account or obtaining a prescription. Bill sponsor Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, has said the measures not about punishing immigrants; its about insuring that there isnt confusion or fraud. We issue a free, Wisconsin state identification card that has specific parameters to identify who that person is, where they live, what their address is, Wanggaard said. This is about identification and credibility for identification. Democrats have pointed to what they call heart-wrenching testimony from immigrants about how important the ID is for everyday life, noting that the ID couldnt be used for voting anyway. Its one of the mean-spirited bills that has no business being before us, said Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee. The Assembly was expected to vote on the ID bill later Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. Approval in that chamber would send the bill to Gov. Scott Walker for his signature. The La Crosse Police Emergency Response Team searched 113 S. Fourth St., No. 1, about 7:30 p.m. during a drug investigation. The team recovered 2.5 grams of heroin, four handguns, including one that was stolen, $2,332 and stolen items, according to police. Arrested and facing charges are: Albert Williams III, 34, of Onalaska for heroin delivery, possession with the intent to deliver heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm, maintaining a drug trafficking dwelling and possession of THC; Michael Jones, 20, of La Crosse for a Texas warrant for armed robbery, being felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, criminal damage to property, burglary and disorderly conduct; and Whitney Dunagan, 21, of La Crosse, for possession of heroin with the intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bradley Graff, 48, also was ordered Tuesday to pay $410 in restitution. The Sioux City Journal reports that Graff pleaded guilty to child endangerment. He pleaded guilty in a separate case to failing to register as a sex offender. He was given a suspended five-year sentence and two years' probation. Court documents say the head-butting occurred while Graff was practicing wrestling with his 11- and 13-year-old sons at his business, Wall of Fame. The documents say the older boy asked to stop practicing, but Graff threw him onto a mat several times and head-butted him. The documents also say Graff stomped his son's head onto the mat, giving the boy a bloody nose. More people are seeking victuals at Coulee Region food pantries, a trend resulting in part because of the time of year following the holidays and, in Wisconsin, because of Gov. Scott Walkers tightening of food stamp regulations. We have heard from the food pantries, said Shelly Fortner, executive director of the Hunger Task Force of La Crosse. Its hard to determine whether its from the winter months or the changes in FoodShare, the Badger States equivalent of food stamps. Known as the food pantries food pantry, the Hunger Task Force serves 81 pantries, meal sites and youth programs in a four-county area, Fortner said. One of those is The Salvation Army in La Crosse, which has seen a steady upswing in demand since the fall, said the corps food pantry coordinator, Vicky Caya. The pantry served 150 households in January, compared with 99 in January 2015 and 135 in December, according to Cayas figures. The breakdown of the 150 in January is that those households included 65 families consisting of 299 adults and children. The male/female split was 54 men and 31 women, including seven veterans; 17 were first-time households, and 17 were older than 60. A lot tell us they are losing benefits, Caya said. Walkers FoodShare basically booted thousands from the program, with its requirement that certain adults from 18 through 49 with no minor children in their homes may need to meet a work requirement or meet an exemption to continue getting FoodShare benefits. The work requirement includes stipulations that recipients must: Work at least 80 hours a month. Or participate in an allowable work program at least 80 hours a month. Or a combination of both to total 80. The numbers rise at the point when people re-apply for FoodShare and suddenly discover that they no longer are eligible. Those who dont meet the requirements may get three months of benefits, then be ineligible for three years, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health services. Its terrible, isnt it? Caya said. I dont think they made that very clear. The Salvation Army pantry, which is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, previously had topped out at serving 18 households during one of those two-hour periods, until it served 27 on the second Monday in January, she said. The pantry receives pallets of canned goods and canned from The Emergency Food Assistance Program of the federal government, as well as staples from the Hunger Task Force and food donations from the public, Caya said. Although the pantry is open just two hours on the four days, people can drop off food donations at the corps shelter at 223 N. Eighth St. anytime during business hours. We need more boxed dinners, she said, adding that The Hunger Task Force has been great for us. At the Task Force warehouse at 1240 Clinton St., Fortner said, Coordination among the programs is the key to figuring out the needs. The good thing about being the hub is that agencies come in for what they need, and they dont all need the same things at the same times. Pressing needs include peanut butter, pasta and ingredients for full meals, she said. If somebody gives us pasta, we would love to have them give us the pasta sauce, she said. It would be wonderful if we could have a perishable food drive, Fortner said. Everybody has nonperishable food drives, but a perishable food drive could collect meat. That would really help families. It would be hard to do, but Im willing to try, she said, adding that a non-food drive could gather toiletry items such as deodorant, toothpaste and shampoo. I do think this is not going to get better soon, Fortner said. We as a community must keep providing until we figure out how to fix it. The vote on a bill written to help corporations buy municipal water systems was scrapped in the state Senate on Tuesday in the face of opposition from nearly 20 groups, including the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, which withdrew its support late last week. The only organizations registered in favor of the proposal were a state contractors association and the Pennsylvania water utility corporation that requested the legislation be introduced. We all drink water and senators should think twice before taking away our rights to protect our community-owned drinking water supply facilities just because an out-of-state corporation asked them to, said Kimberlee Wright, executive director of the public interest law firm Midwest Environmental Advocates. The legislation would legalize purchases of water utilities by out-of-state corporations and change existing law to make public referendums on such purchases optional instead of mandatory. Under Assembly Bill 554, members of a community would need to collect signatures of 10 percent of voters in a service area to force a referendum. The vote would take place before the state Public Service Commission set the terms of the sale. Under current law the mandatory, binding referendum takes place after the price and other terms are known. Organizations representing electrical utilities, municipal water and sewer system operators, environmentalists and union members registered in opposition to the bill, which already passed in the Assembly. Assembly Bill 554 was introduced at the request of Aqua America Inc., a Pennsylvania company that owns water utilities in eight states. Backers said the state Department of Natural Resources would continue to regulate water quality and the Public Service Commission would control water rates. However, the PSC has granted the highest base rate and rate of return in the state to the only large water system owned by a private corporation. Allete Inc. of Duluth, Minn., has owned Superiors water utility since 1923. The PSC factors in the private companys higher debt costs and the profit expectations of investors when setting rates for Superior customers. Aqua America said in September that it had increased shareholder dividends 25 times in the past 24 years. The lead Assembly sponsor, Rep. Tyler August, R-Geneva, has said the referendum provision was meant to avoid the expense of elections in cases when there is little opposition to a sale. A spokesman for the lone Senate sponsor, Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, said the legislation would add an option for local communities. Backers of the bill said they dont know of any communities that want to sell, but there may be some facing high repair and maintenance expenses that would consider it. Staff members for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities registered the organization in favor of the bill after Aqua America sought support because the league typically favors laws that place policymaking in the control of elected officials as opposed to public referendums. But on Friday, the leagues board held its quarterly meeting and voted 13-0 to withdraw support. The board believes that a mandatory referendum is preferable and better recognizes the extraordinary public investment municipal taxpayers have made in municipal water utility assets, league assistant director Curt Witynski said. The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would bar county executives from serving concurrently in the state Legislature. Democrats and other critics of the bill say its a blatant attempt to target Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris a Democratic candidate for an open Senate seat in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac thats expected to be hotly contested in the November election. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, called the bill the height of hypocrisy, noting Republicans didnt raise the issue when Republican Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow served concurrently in the Senate for three months last year. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, the lead sponsor, has acknowledged Harris is the impetus for the bill. He said Harris candidacy raises questions about whether someone making six figures also should be allowed to collect an additional legislative salary of about $50,000 from taxpayers every year. Im not sure how its not a conflict, Fitzgerald said. The Senate passed the bill 19-13 with one Democrat absent. Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, who is running for Milwaukee County executive, was the lone Democrat who voted for the bill, and Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, was the lone Republican opposed. If the bill becomes law and Harris wins the Senate seat, Harris would have to quit his $102,834-per-year job as county executive. He would make $50,950 plus an $88 per diem for each day spent in Madison as a senator. The Senate amended the bill to allow for a 60-day transition period. The bill has yet to receive a vote in the Assembly. Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, speaking to reporters Tuesday, said he expects the bill will get a vote in his chamber as well. We dont want people double-dipping, Vos said. Gov. Scott Walker, a former Milwaukee County executive, was noncommittal about the bill when asked about it last week, but he brought up points raised by supporters. Citing her strong support for community libraries, the Wisconsin Library Association presented Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) with a 2016 Wisconsin Library Champion award during their Library Legislative Day in Madison. The Wisconsin Library Association is pleased to recognize the support of community members and the exceptional efforts of individuals who contribute to the success of our local libraries, said Plumer Lovelace, WLA executive director. We appreciate Sen. Shillings strong advocacy for libraries and local communities at the State Capitol as well as her efforts to provide efficient and equitable access to opportunity for all Wisconsin residents. Today, our network of school and municipal libraries serve as 21st century community and information centers, Shilling said. Ive been proud to work with the Wisconsin Library Association, local library staff and their broad network of community partners .to expand economic and educational opportunities across our state. Investments in our local schools and libraries are crucial to ensuring the continued success of local families, businesses and communities. Vernon County Sheriffs Department officers dealt with a drug overdose last weekend that may be connected to the potent new form of heroin that has led to multiple overdoses in La Crosse County. Vernon County Sheriff John Spears said rural residents, who may not have to deal with issues of drug abuse on a daily basis, would be shocked to learn of the number of heroin investigations that are ongoing in Vernon County. We have overdoses and we have investigations that are tied to some of the main players in the heroin investigations in La Crosse County, Spears said, Tuesday. While we cant say for certain that we are dealing with the effects of the new batch of heroin that has caused the problems in La Crosse County, its just a matter of time before we see it. Spears said laws regarding medical privacy often hinder police investigations into overdoses that involve street drugs. Such is the case with the overdose last weekend local authorities are still waiting on information to determine the exact cause of the overdose. Viroqua police Chief Daron Jefson echoed Spears concerns. As with a lot of things that pop up in La Crosse first, its just a a matter of time before we see it, Jefson said Monday. La Crosse County concerns La Crosse county health officials and police are addressing drug problems arising from drug overdoses attributed to a new batch of heroin on the streets. La Crosse area police investigators reported an uptick in heroin use during the past 12 to 18 months. Our health partners see trends before we do because of patients seeking treatment, investigative Capt. Shawn Kudron said. Dr. Chris Eberlein of Gundersen Health System said heroin may be cut with the synthetic opiate Fentanyl, which dealers use to increase the quantity of drugs they are dealing. The Fentanyl increases the illegal drugs potency by 50 times. Eberlein, an emergency room doctor at Gundersen, blames the super-potent heroin for several recent non-fatal overdose cases and said it may have killed 29-year-old Mellisa Dobrunz, whose body was found Sunday on the South Side of La Crosse. Police said she likely died of an illegal drug overdose. Police did not comment on Dobrunzs death or that of 27-year-old Shannon Richardson, whose body was found last week on the north side of La Crosse, because of the pending investigations. We had been doing fairly well with overdoses until the recent spate of cases, said Eberlein, who also serves as medical director for Tri-State Ambulance. One of the overdose cases, in which the patient nearly died, told medical personnel that it was among the strongest heroin he used, Eberlein said. The extra-strong heroin makes a very dangerous habit even more dangerous, said Eberlein, adding that the best method of avoiding the problem is not to use illicit drugs. The ages of overdose patients range from young teens to people in their 60s, Eberlein said. He underscored the importance of the antidote Narcan in saving lives, saying, often we see them when they are soaking wet after someone tried to wake up a victim in the shower. That doesnt work, Eberlein said. Spears said that Narcan has been effective at helping prevent drug overdose deaths so much so that drug users often carry it with them. Dangerous path Law enforcement often focuses on the drug dealer, not the end user. Thats where the numbers start to get higher than people would think, Spears said. There are people out there who may use heroin only recreationally and with certain people. A lot of these users never get on our radar. They also are the users who may be more susceptible to overdosing on a bad batch of heroin. Spears said families may be dealing with drug abuse, which is expensive in many ways. There are peripheral crimes involved with drug abuse. Drug treatment is costly and not always effective. Many of the people who could benefit the most from drug education do not participate in free informational sessions provided by schools regarding protecting adults and children from drug abuse. We deal with all aspects of this and it is scary, Spears said. It can tear a whole family apart. We know people who are involved. It puts a tremendous strain on everyone around them. Heroin is used intravenously and is smoked. Heroin use is increasing regularly at a rate of 45 percent according to the American Public Health Association. The drug were concerned about the most when it comes to its growth in use is heroin, Spears said. Heroin use and abuse is on the increase in all counties in Wisconsin. Safe sleep program expanded as another baby dies -- MILWAUKEE The Milwaukee Health Department has announced it's expanding its safe sleep program just as another baby death was reported. City health officials said Tuesday they are teaming up with Milwaukee police to expand the Cribs for Kids program. Just hours before the announcement, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office said it was investigating the death of a 1-year-old girl. Initial reports indicate the child was sleeping with two adults on a partially inflated air mattress. Health officials say about 10 to 15 infant deaths each year in Milwaukee are attributable to unsafe sleep environments. The Journal Sentinel reports under the new program, Milwaukee police officers in Districts 7, 2, and 3 responding to routine calls will be able to refer families to a safe-sleep trained community liaison officer. Missing woman apparently died of hypothermia -- PORTAGE Authorities say a missing rural Portage woman whose body was found earlier this month apparently died of hypothermia. Sixty-two-year-old Dawn Kluever was reported missing to the Columba County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 3. Kluever had not been heard or seen from since Jan. 28. Deputies went to her home, but she and her vehicle were not there. Authorities later found her vehicle abandoned on a road in the Town of Caledonia. A search found her body near a frozen stream on Feb. 4. Detectives continue to investigate but say the death is not suspicious. Great Lakes cities group opposes Waukesha water withdrawal -- CHICAGO An organization representing more than 100 local governments is fighting an effort by Waukesha, Wisconsin, to use Lake Michigan as its drinking water source. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative sent letters of opposition Tuesday to the eight states and two Canadian provinces adjoining the lakes. Waukesha is outside the Great Lakes' geographical boundary but is part of a county that straddles the line. Under a regional compact, such communities can apply to withdraw water from the lakes. But permission is needed from all eight states. Waukesha says it needs to tap Lake Michigan because its groundwater is contaminated. It promises to return as much water as it takes. But the cities initiative says Waukesha has better alternatives and the proposed withdrawal could set a bad precedent. Man killed in logging accident -- MEDFORD A Gilman man has died in a logging accident in Taylor County. Sheriff's officials say 49-year-old Brian Knusta was using a farm tractor to pull down a cut tree which fell on top of him. The accident happened in the Town of Roosevelt Monday afternoon. Knusta was pronounced dead at the scene. Estranged husband held in fatal shooting -- PORTAGE Investigators are holding the estranged husband of a woman who was fatally shot at a hotel in Portage. The 41-year-old mother from Friesland (FREES'-land) was killed Monday in the parking lot at Ridge Motor Inn. Police say a witness at the hotel said the suspect drove off in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and also provided a license number. A Columbia County sheriff's deputy stopped the husband's vehicle a short time later and held him at gunpoint until other officers arrived to assist with his arrest. The State Journal reports authorities say a gun was found in the man's SUV and is believed to be the firearm that killed the victim. Court documents show the victim had filed for divorce in October and a hearing in the case was set for Thursday. 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like to throw a line in from time to time. Curly, Robby,... Tuesday, February 16, 2016 A lawsuit recently filed in federal district court in the Northern District of Iowa aims to bring more agricultural pollution under Clean Water Act control. Board of Water Works Trustees of the City of Des Moines, Iowa v. Sac County Board of Supervisors, No. 5:15-CV-04020 (N.D. Ia., filed March 16, 2015). The suit claims that discharges from subsurface tile drainage lines are point sources of pollution, which require CWA permits. No one denies that Iowa, like most agricultural states, faces significant water quality issues. The states 2014 impaired waters list contains 574 waterbodies not meeting water quality standards, a 260% increase from the 159 waters on the 1998 list. In addition, phosphorus and nitrogren from upper Mississippi river states like Iowa contribute significantly to the hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of this water quality problem can be traced to agriculture, the 90,000 farms that comprise over 86% of Iowas land base. Iowa regularly ranks first or second in the nation in the production of hogs, corn, and eggs. Hogs produce nutrient-rich manure, which is then used to fertilize nitrogen-hungry corn, which in turn is used to feed the pigs. A beautiful symbiotic relationship, except that the increasing concentration of farm animals and the conversion of marginal lands into corn production means that a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus ends up in Iowa lakes and rivers. Increased nitrogen use has exacerbated the nutrient problem. In 1970, American farmers used 7.5 million tons of nitrogen per year. By 2011, nitrogen use had increased 70%, to 12.8 million tons. Yet, almost all of this pollution is currently beyond the reach of the Clean Water Act, classified as nonpoint runoff. For example, recent studies indicate that 90% of the nitrogen and 66% of the phosphorus that Iowa contributes to the Gulf hypoxia problem comes from nonpoint sources. The Des Moines Water Works (DMWW), which provides drinking water for half a million people in central Iowa, has taken action to bring more of this runoff under CWA control. DMWW draws its water primarily from the Raccoon River, which regularly exceeds the nitrate standard of 10 mg/liter. As a result, DMWW has installed what it calls the worlds largest nitrate removal system, which costs $7000/day to operate. In addition, the equipment will need to be replaced soon, at an estimated cost of $76 to $183 million. The TMDL study for the Raccoon River concluded that 90% of the nitrates were coming from what it classified as nonpoint sources, largely agriculture. While some of that is surface runoff, a large percentage of the land in that area is drained by subsurface tile lines large PVC pipes that channel water from under cropland. In some areas upstream of the DMWW, over 75% of the land mass is drained by tile lines. The DMWW lawsuit, filed last March, alleges that these tile lines are point sources of water pollution, which therefore need permits under the CWA. There is little question that the tile lines are pipes, which meet the statutory definition, and that they convey pollution to nearby navigable waters. The sticking point is the CWAs exemption for agricultural stormwater discharge. The DMWW lawsuit alleges that the tile lines transport polluted groundwater, rather than surface water, and therefore do not discharge stormwater at all. Experts can testify that the purpose of the tile lines is to lower the water table, thereby extending the root zone of crops. DMWW did not sue individual farmers; instead the suit is against three upstream counties, which constitute drainage districts under Iowa state law and therefore have control over the tile lines. If DMWW is successful, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources would be required to issue permits, with some form of effluent limitations, to the drainage districts. Effluent limitations might be based on buffer strips or wetlands or even wood-chip bioreactors, all of which reduce nitrate loads. The lawsuit also includes state law claims seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief, based on nuisance or negligence, in addition to several constitutional law claims. In January, U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett certified four questions of state law to the Iowa Supreme Court, mainly concerning whether the drainage districts, as creatures of state law, enjoy immunity from the state law claims. Trial is now set for August, although the certification of state law questions may eventually require a continuance. In a state dominated by agriculture, the lawsuit has been extremely controversial. One rural state senator urged farmers to boycott the capital city, and Governor Terry Branstad opined that Des Moines has declared war on rural Iowa. The Governor and some farm groups believe that the states 2013 Nutrient Reduction Strategy should be given more time to work. Critics maintain that the Strategy, which relies on voluntary efforts, is woefully underfunded and will therefore never achieve significant progress. The state legislature is considering schemes to increase funding for water quality, but the chances of forestalling the lawsuit are slim. In a larger sense, the DMWW lawsuit is the latest in a series of attempts to bring agricultural pollution sources under greater regulatory control. In 1994, the C.A.R.E. v. Southview Farm, 34 F.3d 114 (2d Cir. 1994) began this series, by holding that the runoff of manure spread by a dairy farm could constitute a CWA point source. More recently, in Alt v. E.P.A., 758 F.3d 588 (4th Cir. 2014), the Fourth Circuit rejected EPAs attempt to bring polluted discharges from a poultry operation within CWA point source control. In January 2015, the Eastern District of Washington found that a large dairy operations manure, stored in lagoons and applied on fields, could be solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Comm. Assn for Rest. of the Envt, Inc. v. Cow Palace, LLC, 80 F. Supp. 3d 1180 (E.D. Wash. 2015). All of these lawsuits, however, attempt to apply 1970s laws, written when the family farm dominated agriculture, to pollution associated with modern industrialized agriculture. Until Congress or state legislatures deal with agricultural pollution head on, we can anticipate further attempts to make the old statutes respond as well as they can to our modern water pollution problems. - Jerry Anderson Guest blogger Jerry Anderson is the Richard M. and Anita Calkins Distinguished Professor of Law at Drake University Law School. He also published a longer piece on this case in the Environmental Litigation and Toxic Torts Committee Newsletter, Vol. 17, No. 2, February 2016, by the American Bar Association. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/environmental_law/2016/02/the-des-moines-tile-line-discharge-case.html My life has been full of many ministry opportunities since I came to know the Lord personally in 1974. I have worked in many aspects of the local church. I have also had the privilege of serving as a Children/Youth Pastor for over 13 years at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The relationships I have developed over those years with workers, parents and youth have enriched my life greatly. I count them as precious friends. I have been blessed to travel to Eastern Europe, Hungary, Mexico and Brazil as well as throughout the US. My heart is to use this blog site to keep you informed as well as to share how you can participate with us in this ministry. " " A marine uses a signal mirror during training exercises. United States Marine Corps Back in the late 1980s, an oral surgeon was in the middle of a two-week raft trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in Arizona, when disaster struck. He and two other men were on the bank, getting their 18-foot (5.4-meter) raft ready for a trip down the Crystal Rapids when it got caught in a wave, filled with water and ripped the line from their hands. In the confusion, the rope wrapped around the doctor's leg and dragged him across the rocks toward the raging water. Fortunately, his 24-year-old son rushed to him and, at the last moment, cut the rope. But the victim, left with a fractured knee and pelvis and a dislocated hip, was in bad shape. He needed to get out of the wilderness in a hurry. But there wasn't any way to call someone for help. Advertisement Fortunately, another member of the expedition knew exactly what to do. He took a signal mirror and held it to reflect the sunlight. Using Morse code, the venerable system of long and short flashes once used by telegraph operators, he spelled out an "SOS" message. Within a few minutes, the pilots of a jet airliner flying 35,000 feet (10,700 meters) overhead saw the glint of the rafter's mirror, and realized someone was in trouble below. They radioed for help, and soon a rescue helicopter arrived to lift the injured rafter to safety [source: Associated Press]. That rafter isn't alone in owing his life to a signal mirror. Over the decades, there have been many other people stranded in dire situations in the wilderness or at sea whose lives have been saved by this simple device. After all, it fits easily into a backpack or pants pocket; is capable of transmitting messages to rescuers as far as 100 miles (160 kilometers) away or thousands of feet overhead and works in places where there aren't any cell phone towers or electrical outlets to charge batteries. No wonder that the U.S. Air Force's official survival handbook describes the signal mirror as "probably the most underrated signaling device found in the survival kit." But you need some expertise in using a signal mirror to make it work for you in an emergency. This week, 15 million registered voters in Uganda will go to the polls to elect a president, parliament and local officials. Incumbent president Yoweri Museveni faces two opposition candidates: Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi. Museveni took over Uganda in 1986 by force after a civil war. Before that, the country was controlled by a series of dictators, including Idi Amin. Amin ruled the country in the 1970s. Museveni won his first election in 1996. Observers who follow elections around the world say Uganda does not have a free election process. They say the countrys elections are manipulated and opposition candidates are not free to campaign. For example, just three days before the election, Bessigye was detained for a short time. The BBC reports that police said he was disrupting traffic on his way to campaign event. Freedom House is a pro-Democracy organization that monitors elections around the world. The organization releases a report called Freedom in the World each year. In 2015 Uganda was rated not free and was given a score of 6 for political rights. Seven is the worst score. But a team of recent computer science graduates from Makerere University is hoping their new app, called E-Poll will be able to change that. The developers say the app is supposed to make elections more fair. It compares the number of voters at polling places with official numbers announced by Ugandas Electoral Commission. Observers are looking for a difference between the number of votes and the number of voters reported by the polls. If there is a difference, the election results could be challenged. Shafiq Kauma is one of the developers. He says an election-tracking app seemed like a good way to help his country. The developers say the time it takes to certify the election in Uganda allows those in power to rig the election. They believe their app can help make election results more clear. Kauma says election results from each polling place pass through a number of stages before they reach the Electoral Commission. E-Poll sends election data straight from the polling place to the tally center, Kauma says. There is another way officials in Uganda hope to make this years election more transparent. A system that uses biometrics, or a persons physical characteristics, is in place to confirm voters identities. Those characteristics include fingerprints, faces and the retina of the eye. A scanner can read those characteristics and confirm identities. Im Jonathan Evans. Serginho Roosblad wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think the election in Uganda will be more free this year? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story manipulate v. to control something in an unfair way incumbent adj. holding an office or position rig v. to control or affect something in a dishonest way biometric n. a physical characteristic that is different from person to person fingerprints, for example transparent adj. easy to understand app n. a computer or mobile phone program [Editor's Note: This is a breaking news report. Audio will follow. Thank you for your patience.] At least 28 people have been killed and 61 others wounded in a large explosion in Turkey's capital, Ankara. The blast occurred where military buses drove by, a few hundred meters from a military base. A car bomb is suspected to have caused the blast, said Ankaras governor. The attack was well-planned but police did not have information who exploded the bomb. No one has claimed responsibility. Police are investigating. The government imposed a media blackout on images of the explosion. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu cancelled his trips to Brussels and Azerbaijan. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara extended its sorrow for the attack on Twitter. Omer Celik, the spokesman for the ruling AK Party, tweeted terror has attacked treacherously in Ankara. We curse this attack. Last year, Ankara was the target of the countrys worst terror attack in which more than 100 people died. A pro-Kurdish rally was hit by two suicide bombers. That attack was blamed on the Islamic State militant group. VOA News and Dorian Jones reported this story. Kathleen Struck adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story explosion -- n. a great force and noise, or a device that is created to cause such force that things are destroyed by it governor -- n. a person who leads a group or region extended -- v. reached forward sorrow -- n. sadness about a loss Officials in Taiwan and the United States say China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. The news comes as President Barack Obama completes a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in California. During the meeting, the president urged restraint and a halt to the militarization of disputed maritime areas. Fox News reported on images released by civilian satellite company ImageSat International. The report says the images show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers. It says a radar system has been deployed to the area called Woody Island. US and Taiwan confirm reports Reports of the missiles brought criticism from the U.S. State Department. A U.S. defense official confirmed the deployment. Taiwans Defense Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo agreed. Wednesday, Lo said, "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions." Woody Island is called Yongxing Island in Chinese and Phu Lam in Vietnamese. The island is the largest of the Paracel Islands. It is in the northern part of the South China Sea, east of the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang. Woody Island has been under Chinas control since 1956. Vietnam and Taiwan also claim the island. Chinas foreign ministry and U.S. State Department react Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to reporters Wednesday. He said Western media should pay more attention to lighthouses and meteorological facilities China is building in the South China Sea. Wang did not deny reports about the missile deployments after a meeting with visiting Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop. However, he called them an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories. Wang said China had a right to limited and necessary self-defense facilities on its islands and reefs. "This is consistent (with) self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law. So there should be no question about that," Wang said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry disagreed. In reaction to the recent reports, the secretary noted: We have said repeatedly with respect to China that the standard that should be applied to all countries with respect to the South China Sea is no militarization. Chinas claims in the South China Sea Chinas claims in the South China Sea have concerned its neighbors. In recent years, China has built runways and artificial islands to increase its territorial claims. Alexander Huang is an assistant professor at Taiwans Tamkang University. He said the deployment was sending contradictory signals about Chinas future activities in the South China Sea. Huang said this is because China has repeatedly said that it would not militarize the disputed islands. President Obama speaks at the ASEAN summit At a two-day summit with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, President Barack Obama spoke about the need to avoid tension. It was the first time the group met in the U.S. Obama said the group supported a strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small are upheld. He said U.S. and ASEAN leaders discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas. Freedom of navigation actions Experts say actions by the U.S. Navy to ensure free navigation have not changed Chinese building in the South China Sea. Ross Darrell Feingold is a top advisor at DC International Advisory, a group that studies political risk. He said the action could show Chinas ability to deal with more than one major issue at a time. There is the aftermath of the North Korea missile test and nuclear test, the ASEAN Summit, significant political change in Taiwan, ongoing domestic challenges economy, corruption investigations yet the Chinese leadership remains confident it can, at the same time, manage the international reaction to its missile deployment, he said. I'm Mario Ritter. Bill Ide reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story batteries n. a group of two or more weapons such as large guns or missiles refrain v. to stop oneself from doing something reefs n. rocks or corral formations just below or just above the surface of the ocean meteorological adj. related to meteorology: the science that deals with the atmosphere and weather artificial adj. not happening or existing naturally; man-made norms n. standards of proper or acceptable behavior South Korean leader Park Geun-hye urged national unity and tougher sanctions against North Korea's further provocations. In her speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday, the Kim Jong-Un regime is on a reckless charge and that North Korea has the potential to deploy a nuclear weapon if there is no change in the current approach. She also said that the South Korea should be more proactive in working toward the goal of reining in the North and stopping operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex is just the beginning of the sanctions the South will impose on the North in conjunction with the global community. Source: Arirang News Kent Leon Robison, age 67, of Auburn, and formerly of Cozad, died Feb. 11, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Society Care Center in Auburn. Funeral services were Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Cozad with Pastor Kathy Gundell officiating. Kent Leon Robison was born in Lexington on Dec. 7, 1948, the third son of Earl and Ferne (Smidt) Robison. He graduated from Cozad High School in 1967 and attended college in North Platte and Kearney, earning a bachelors of science degree before becoming a mechanical engineer. Kent went on to specialize in tool design, drafting the working mechanisms for agricultural, forestry, and landscaping machines in Nebraska and Michigan. Later, he went to the oil fields of Wyoming, Colorado, and North Dakota to drive water trucks, which he said was more fun than retirement and paid better, too. His friends and family in western Nebraska called him Butch, and his friends in eastern Nebraska knew him as Old Paint, but whatever they called him, people could usually find him outside, fishing, hunting, or playing softball Kent pitched in the Softball World Series in Orlando, Fla., where, with his son Dane, the Three-State Stockyards played in 2003. Kent played catcher in the 1980 Fast Pitch World Series against the fastest pitcher in the world, who threw the ball 127 miles per hour. By the time he quit playing softball, it was quicker for Kent to count the bones that werent broken and joints that werent wrecked than the ones that still worked. His circle of friends extends across the country, and hell be missed for his laugh, his ability to solve your complicated math problems on a cocktail napkin, and his trove of good stories, some of which were even true. Kent is preceded in death by his parents and survived by his brothers, Rex and wife Norma of Cozad, Jack and wife Carol of North Platte; daughter Kasey (Tyler) McNitt of Kearney, son Dane and his fiancee Chandra Cooney of Auburn, daughter Jennifer Robison and her husband Rick Blessen of Crete; and his grandchildren, two of whom will be born this year, Sophie McNitt, Jaysa Ott, and Johnathan, Gustaf, and Alana Blessen, who are still amazed that Grandpa could make coins disappear in his hands and then reappear behind their ears and that he always let them keep the coins. About Me Name: David Yonki Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition". View my complete profile Disney's The Jungle Book, starring 12-year-old Indian-American Neel Sethi as Mowgli, has a special treat in store for Indian fans of the timeless tale. The film will come out in the Indian theatres on April 8, a week before it releases in the US. "We are thrilled to confirm that Disney's all-new live-action epic, , will be out in Indian theatres a week prior to the US release. We have a few more surprises in store for 'The Jungle Book' fans in India," Amrita Pandey -- vice president, Studios, Disney India, said in a statement. Directed by Iron Man fame Jon Favreau, and featuring voices by iconic actors like Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Christopher Walken, The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli, a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves. Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when he is forced to abandon the only home he has ever known. It is based on the adventure stories penned by Rudyard Kipling and inspired by Disney's animated adaptation. The movie blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using high-end technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences. "Tales of The Jungle Book have been an intrinsic part of most of our growing up years. Adventurous stories of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa and Shere Khan are so beloved by the Indian audience," Pandey added. New Delhi: The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) is expected to get about 30 per cent higher budgetary allocation at over Rs 20,000 crore for the next fiscal for implementation of key schemes including newly launched crop insurance programme. Under the Union Agriculture Ministry, there are three departments -- Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and Department of Agricultural Research and Education. DAC has received an allocation of Rs 15,500 crore for the current fiscal against budget estimate of Rs 16,646 crore. Sources said the DAC has sought over Rs 27,000 crore budget for 2016-17 fiscal keeping in view the implementation of major schemes, especially Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMSKY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojan (PMFBY) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Krishi Unnati Yojana. "The agriculture ministry is pursuing with Finance Ministry to allocate more funds in order to achieve the desired growth. It is indicated that the plan budgetary allocation for DAC may cross Rs 20,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal," the sources added. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the 2016-17 Budget on February 29. More funds are expected to be allocated for new crop insurance scheme, PMSKY and RKVY. However, the budget allocation for the Krishi Unnati Yojana (KUY) is expected to be lower at around Rs 7,000 crore in the 2016-17 fiscal, as against Rs 7,500 crore this year, they said. The KUY, which was launched in 2015-16 by consolidating various on-going schemes for better implementation, has sub-schemes like soil health management, horticulture, agriculture mechanisation, seeds and extension among others. The agriculture ministry has informed the finance ministry that any reduction in KUY would impact implementation of sub-schemes including soil health card programme, the sources said. Quick and efficient implementation of crop insurance and irrigation schemes are crucial as the country is reeling under back-to-back drought and facing challenges of climate change. Although agriculture contributes only about 13-14 per cent to the country's GDP, about 50 per cent of the population is dependent on the farm sector. PTI New Delhi: To boost funding for start-ups, the government should consider extending tax benefits available to foreign portfolio investors to other investors such as Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), venture capital and PE funds, say tax experts. The tax benefits enjoyed by FPIs with regard to transfer of securities should be extended to "fund entities such as AIFs, venture capital, and private equity investors, given that the investment made by these entities is long term in nature and is in similar nature compared to FPIs", said KPMG (India) Head, PE Tax, Saumil Shah. The government should consider changes in the tax laws in the forthcoming Budget as these would encourage the PE sector and give momentum to the Start up India action plan, he suggested. In order to resolve the problem being faced by foreign investors, the government in 2014 Budget decided to treat income arising from transfer of securities by FPIs as capital gains. Earlier, it was not clear whether income from sale of securities would be business income or capital income. "The government had announced a series of initiatives focusing on ease of doing business in India. The proposed Start up India Action Plan just adds to the momentum," Shah said. Experts suggested that provisions relating to 10 per cent withholding tax on income distributed by AIFs should be rationalised as it's creating unnecessary hardships for foreign investors. Currently, the provision of the withholding tax applies on payments made to tax-exempt entities. "The 10 per cent withholding tax on all incomes distributed by AIF to all kinds of investors is quite unfair and unreasonable, considering the fact that such distributions may be tax-exempt receipts such as dividends from portfolio companies," Shah said. He said the withholding tax obligation on AIF should be much rationalised on the basis of self-certification by investors. This will shift the burden of proof from AIF to investors. Ashok Maheshwary & Associates Managing Partner Amit Maheshwari told PTI: "In several cases, the payment may not be subject to tax in accordance with the treaty and the non-resident may suffer due to the unnecessary withholding. The non-residents may not be able to take credit of such withholding in their home countries since these deductions are not in accordance with the treaties." PTI It is fully within the rights of general taxpayers to ask questions on how the tax-money government collects from them is deployed. Given that banks are going broke with ballooning bad loans and that majority of them (to be specific 70 per cent of the industry by assets) are government banks, which are capitalized every year by the government using taxpayers money, there is no surprise why the Supreme Court asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday to hand over the names of large defaulters to the apex court. The court has asked the question, which millions of taxpayers would want to ask. Clearly the bank recapitalization has become a major burden on the public exchequer. Consider this: In the last eight years, the government has infused Rs 90,000 crore in Indias 27 public sector banks. This fiscal year alone, the government has so far infused Rs 20,000 crore out of the promised Rs25,000 crore. This is part of the Rs 70,000 crore package the government has promised to the government banks over the next few years to fill their funding gap for credit expansion, mandatory reserve requirements under Basel-III requirements and the bad loan provisioning. Now, is this money is used efficiently by banks? The answer lies in the balance sheets of these lenders. As visible in the form of bad loan mountains being disclosed by the banks nudged by the RBI, state-run banks have failed to efficiently use this capital. Most of this money has gone bad (means loan money hasnt returned to lenders) on account of poor judgment on the creditworthiness of the corporate borrowers, pressure to fund social sector (remember the 2008 mammoth debt waiver scheme) and innumerable government schemes. By virtue of their public sector character, bank managements have hardly been taken to task on inefficiency in operations. Thus, most chairmen and EDs of state-run banks contributed to the mess and happily passed on the buck to their successors for years. Bad loans were covered up in the form of restructured loans and technical adjustments as every outgoing chairman wanted to show a good book and ensure a post-retirement berth. Even now, the only reason why banks are reporting massive amount of bad loans in the October-December quarter is the March, 2017 deadline given by RBI to disclose all bad assets on their book or clean-up their balance sheets. Else, state-run banks would have happily continued to bundle up their bad assets unto a point the system blows up at some point. But, the point here is at least from now on, as Firstpost argued in this article, the government must count every penny it gives to state-run banks and how the money is used, instead of keep gambling with taxpayers money every year. It should take strong punitive action against large corporate defaulters (which constitute 65 percent -70 percent of the total Rs 4.4 lakh crore bad loans in the banking system). The government and the RBI should also make sure credit appraisal mechanism is foolproof and NPAs emerge only in cases of genuine stress (where the only hope is better economic conditions) not by lending to politically-connected crony promoters through middlemen. Given that reasons for the corporate loan defaults, as appears now, are not mainly the general economic slowdown but the mismanagement and inefficiency of banks, willful defaults and reckless lending, bank managements are answerable for the current mess in the banking system. In this context, the Supreme Court has asked the right question when it demanded the list of defaulters (above Rs 500 crore in value) from RBI. Already, RBI has the details of defaulters with various banks, which is circulated among banks and credit bureaus. This, however, is not shared with the public since this information is sensitive to commercial confidentiality. But, given that things have gone to a real mess now and the banking industry is nearly facing a bad-loan crisis, it is highly critical the wrongdoers are taken to task by judiciary, regulators and the government to recover the money. Once it gets hold of the list of large defaulters, the apex court can ask the government and the banking sector to initiate legal actions against wilful defaulters, who wouldnt pay back to banks, despite having the wherewithal to do so and even make a mockery of the system by publicly flaunting their wealth. After all, crony promoters have used the same judicial platforms to their advantage for long for not repaying the money they owe to the lenders. Data support from Kishor Kadam The Income Tax department has issued a reminder notice to Vodafone over its Rs 14,200 crore tax dues, at a time when the government is on an overdrive to attract foreign capital into the country. according to the UK firm which has been in a long and protracted battle with India over the issue, the move by the tax department shows the disconnect between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of a tax-friendly environment and the reality. Here's is an all you need to knwo about the case: What is the case all about? The tax pertains to a transaction Vodafone did in 2007, in which it bought out Hutchison's 67 percent stake in its telecom JV in India for about $11 billion. The deal was executed through companies that are not based in India. However, the income tax department slapped a basic capital tax demand of Rs 7,990 crore on the transaction. Though the company won a court battle in the case, the government later changed the law to retrospectively apply the tax on such transactions. The company has disputed the tax demand arguing that no tax was due as the transaction was conducted offshore. But the tax department's contention is that capital gains were made on assets in India. The matter is under international arbitration. However, the I-T department on February 4 sent a reminder notice to Vodafone International Holdings BV seeking Rs 14,200 crore in taxes, which it says are due from its $11 billion acquisition. What is the company's reaction? "We can confirm that we have received a tax reminder from the Tax Department that also references asset seizures in the event of non-payment," a companny spokesperson has been quoted as saying in a PTI report. "The Indian government stated in 2014 that existing tax disputes, including ours, would be resolved through the existing judicial process," Vodafone said in the statement. The company also made a reference to the promise made by Modi at Make in India event in Mumbai on Saturday. "In a week when Prime Minister Modi is promoting a tax-friendly environment for foreign investors - this seems a complete disconnect between the government and the tax department," Vodafone said. What is the government saying? In a delayed response to the news reports, the government played down the development as a routine one. 1/3 The notice in Vodafone case is a routine exercise of sending collection notice to all those whose dues are not stayed by any court. Dr Hasmukh Adhia (@adhia03) February 16, 2016 2/3 The party can always approach assessing office with a request to stay the demand as per law. Dr Hasmukh Adhia (@adhia03) February 16, 2016 3/3 In case assessing officer does not agree, party can go to next higher authority and get a stay. Dr Hasmukh Adhia (@adhia03) February 16, 2016 Then where is the disconnect? The income tax department's "routine exercise" couldn't have come at a more opportune time. The Modi government is busy devising schemes to attract foreign investment. The government has only last week launched the Make in India week in Mumbai - a jamboree touted as the largest business expo hosted by the country. According to ANI, as many as 2,500 foreign delegates and 8,000 representatives of Indian companies are participating in the event. Moreover, at the inauguration of the event, Modi said: We have carried out a number of corrections on the taxation front. We have said we will not resort to retrospective taxation. And I repeat this commitment once again. We are also swiftly working towards making our tax regime transparent, stable and predictable. This is the disconnect Vodafone is complaining about. Precisely, PM Modi is not walking his talk. Making promises is one thing, but implementing is another. Industrialist Ratan Tata had recently spoken about precisely this disconnect at a recent function when he said people would come to India if it makes business sense for them, either in terms of cost or closeness to the market and raw material and fair prices. "...The real test comes when they are making their due diligence to decide whether India is the place to invest, not just on the basis of Mr Modi's promise," he had said. Journalists including top editors on Tuesday marched in the streets of Delhi protesting against the attack on them by lawyers in the Patiala House court complex on Monday The role of the Delhi Police, which was accused of inaction in the face of violence, and its chief BS Bassi came under intense attack from political parties and journalists who demanded his sacking. As the political divide on the issue escalated sharply, some of the most eminent professors and intellectuals from around the world expressed their solidarity with JNU students. The group of professors, including Noam Chomsky and Orhan Pamuk, condemned the "nature of authoritarian menace" prevailing because of the government in a written statement. The statement, signed by 89 academicians, read: "We have learnt of the shameful act of the Indian government which, invoking sedition laws formulated by Indias colonial rulers, ordered the police to enter the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus and unlawfully arrest a student leader, Mr Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of inciting violence without any proof whatever of such wrongdoing on his part." The statement flayed the Modi government policies and questioned the ground of arrest for Kumar. It also stated that such incidents "will bring great dishonour to the most prominent university in the country in the eyes of the academy all over the world," and urged all those "genuinely concerned about the future of India and Indian universities" to protest in wide mobilisation against it. The row over JNU started on 9 February when the students' Kumar addressed a gathering in the college campus and protested against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Read the full statement here. Tarique Anwar, our reporter, was beaten up by goons yes, we refuse to call them lawyers on the court premises a few hours ago. The police stood and watched, the same way they had been mute spectators to a similar attack on Monday. It was a mob that could have killed. Tarique survived. He was lucky. For all those concerned about him, heres the message: thanks for all the love. Theres nothing to worry now. He is a plucky young man. He does not get scared by cowards. He will be at the Patiala House court tomorrow doing his job. What they should be worried about is what if it is someone else tomorrow? It is immaterial here that a journalist was attacked; the victim of the goons could be just anyone, including you. They would attack in packs like animals in a jungle, and with the police watching, get away with it all. A few minutes before Tarique was attacked, Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of JNU students union, was roughed up by the same bunch of goons on the court premises. The person who led the attack was involved in the assault on a CPM activist on Monday. Given the circumstance of Kanhaiyas case, he was supposed to be under protection. None of it was visible. The question now: if you are not safe in the court premises with the police around, where are you safe? Theres a hint that the government is also supportive of these people. If this is not anarchy then what is it? After the attacks the bunch went around the premises carrying the National Flag and shouting they wont spare anyone who supports Pakistan or is anti-national in general. If its not an insult to the National Flag then we need to either redefine the word insult or presume that the National Flag is some kind of a joke. Tomorrow a bunch of people can gang rape and then walk around proudly carrying the flag. Since when did Mother India need the support of hooligans? Of course, it all comes from a nasty ideology that is in wide circulation these days. Its a hateful ideology that militates against basic rules of democracy and concern for humanism. It does not believe in tolerance and its intrinsically coercive. Its inherent nastiness has attracted a good number of converts over the last few years. And over the last two years they have got the wings to fly and sting. Left unchecked, the current trend would lead to anarchy. This has been debated enough. But the country refuses to wake up to the danger. No action has followed, thanks to political opportunism. The problem is nobody can predict now where its going to end and in what ways it is going to damage the democracy. Its beast that has proved to be dangerous all over the world. Since no one seems keen on intervening on your behalf, its better to be careful. If its Kanhaiya and Tarique today, it could be you tomorrow. By Shivangi Narayan While travelling from RK Puram to JNU, the auto driver asked me why so much police was present on the campus; if there were actual bombs that were caught. I told him it was just a few sloganeering students that caught the states fancy. He made a face and said: kamaal hai (its brilliant). It is indeed brilliant. The debates and discussions in the past week on JNU have now taken a surreal turn for the average student. We dont know what to make sense of. We dont know how we professors and students at JNU who are involved in the most nationalistic of all causes, imparting and taking in knowledge have suddenly become anti-nationals. Being anti-national According to Professor Vivek Kumar, Centre for Study of Social Systems at JNU who echoes sentiments across boards, the institution has been producing the finest bureaucrats, policy makers, media personalities and even politicians for the last 47 years. These people practically run the country (Nirmala Sitharaman, Amitabh Kant, just to name a few). Abroad, their work puts India in the league of most developed nations. After 47 years of all this work, Kumar asks, how can JNU suddenly become anti-national? Kumar, came to JNU 25 years ago, calls it his social mother. According to him, calling JNU anti-national is questioning the very process of education that enables one to think critically. One of the standing practices in social sciences is to constantly verify the sources of knowledge rather than taking anything at face value. We are asked to check the context, and even the time period of a particular work. Nothing is wrong or right but a subject of further analysis. Without such critical thinking, students might as well be mass-produced on an assembly line. JNU is the only university in India where actual diversity exists. In Professor Kumars words, it is an aspirational university. People from Daltonganj to Azamgarh, from dalits and tribals to Muslims and Christians come here to fulfill their dreams because it is actually possible. Events in history, extreme exploitation, subjugation have given birth to Naxalism in this country. It is a real, existent phenomenon. It involves engaging with the realities of India. Anti-national? If tribal students from central India want to discuss mining in their hometown, should we brand them as anti-nationals? To do that would be to deny them the space in history that is claimed only by a certain section of a society. As Kanhaiya Kumar rightly said in one of his speeches, JNU is fighting for the marginaliseds right to history in India. Taxpayers heartache Contrary to everyones heartache about taxpayers money, there is severe resource crunch in JNU. Good research needs good money. Data needs to be collected. Field visits need to be done. Books need to be bought. Sometimes research associates (RAs) need to be hired. A friends friend from Harvard came to India for some research and paid two RAs Rs 1 lakh each for two months of data collection/sorting/tabulation. Can any Indian research scholar dream of doing that? After paying the mess bill, JNU non-JRF scholars are left with Rs 2,000 for an entire month. People in Delhi spend that amount in one evening on a dinner. An average research student in the liberal arts, social sciences and humanities, one who has not qualified for the UGC,NET, JRF, lives on Rs 5,000-a-month and Rs 4,000-a-year contingency grant. Postgraduate students do not get any money. One who has qualified UGC, NET, JRF gets a grant of Rs 25,000 per month and Rs 10,000 per year as contingency grant (for books, photocopies and stationery) in liberal arts, social sciences and humanities. This UGC grant is for all central universities in India and not exclusively for JNU. And these scholarships come intermittently. During the Occupy UGC protests nationwide against scholarship cuts, students did not receive their scholarship for six months. Yes, the hostels are subsidised food is Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month and the security deposit for the rooms, refundable, is Rs 3,000 only. The annual fee for any course is under Rs 200. But lets put that in perspective. Young adults enter JNU when they are around 21 years of age, for their post graduation (only one school offers undergraduate courses in JNU, the school of languages, all other schools are post graduation and above). This is a time when young people want to stop asking for money from their parents. They enter the world of research when many of their peers are getting into the workforce as engineers, advertising professionals, and media persons. At this stage, when they can get any other job paying them upwards to Rs 15,000 a month, is merely subsidising hostel and food enough? At the research level, students are typically 24 -25 years old. At this stage, when they cant even ask their parents for money, is mere Rs 5,000 per month enough? A research scholars dissertation is a knowledge product for our country. Policies are made on this research shouldnt they be compensated for their work? If knowledge production is such a wasted job, why do people in India make loud noises when they are told about Indias near absence in patents? Why do we then laud people who excel in research abroad? Some students in JNU are so poor they have to share their stipend money with their siblings and their parents. Rohith Vemula sent his JRF money home to his mother. This cannot be seen as an abuse of the fellowship but the only way some bright young minds of this country can enter the education and research system. There are students in JNU who are brilliant enough to get fellowships in the UK and the US but are so poor that they do not have means to buy the air ticket to avail those fellowships. There is no budget to redress this issue. Most of the times, it is the JNU community including the professors, who come to their aid. JNUs annual budget, according to some news reports, is around Rs 150 crore. The total planned expenditure for India for 2014-15 was Rs 4,67,934 crore. The Education budget for the same year was 69,074 crore. One can realize what a miniscule decimal point it is of the higher education expenditure and not something taxpayers need to bleed their heart out. If we have to compare our education and research with developed countries, we have to also see how much they spend on each student. According to a report in Quartz (http://qz.com/616684/for-stingy-indian-taxpayers-subsidised-jnu-students-are-parasites-but-iit-ones-are-idols/), China spends $2,700 on each student yearly, while India, $400. The latest event The whole university has condemned the India ki barbadi tak slogans raised in JNU on 9 February. That the universitys premises were used for such an act has also been condemned in the strongest of voices. It is not even certain whether students raising those objectionable slogans were from the University. JNU premises are open spaces because the University ethos claim that one needs open mental and physical space for proper thinking. JNU has strongly rejected being a surveillance campus and contrary to what some news anchors said, not everyones ID cards are checked when they enter. Students on foot, in autos, bikes and buses enter and leave as they please. Yes the slogans were raised. However, were these slogans seditious? Did they incite violence so much so that it would lead to the breaking up of the country? No, no and no. In a country where Salman Khan is let off for lack of evidence and Sanjay Dutt, in a TADA case, makes a mockery of his sentence by being more on parole than being in jail, can you blame a JNU student for questioning the legitimacy of the Afzhal Guru trial? A trial where the judgement itself stated that Guru was being sent to the gallows more to satiate the collective conscience of the people than for satisfactory evidence. Before people start frothing at their mouths for the slogans that followed, the entire JNU community condemns them and stands for a university-level enquiry into the incident. The student organisers deserve at least a fair enquiry, if nothing else. But before anyone could look into the incident, find out who said what and sieve fact from fiction the government had begun its trial and the media had given its verdict. The minimum the government could have done was to get the tapes checked in a forensic lab before arresting the Universitys student union (JNUSU) president for sedition. They could have set up a university-level enquiry first. It is difficult to say who fed on whom but news channels had a field day maligning the one University of repute in this country. Was it nationalistic to insult JNU, its 47 year old reputation, its students, its culture, its research and its education nationally as well as internationally? What prospects do now remain for students who are applying for Fulbright and Ford Foundation fellowships; for those who are going to present their papers across India and the world and for those applying for postdoctoral studies abroad? How has such a swift condemnation of every student of JNU and the institution brought any honour to Indias name? How can any nationalist be proud of this? (The author is research scholar, Centre for Study of Social Systems, JNU. She is currently working on 'State Simplification, digital identification and governance in India. Ex. senior correspondent, technology, Governance Now). New Delhi: Delhi Police has conducted a numbers of raids in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in search for 10 persons in connection with the case of alleged sedition for which JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested. "Teams have raided several places in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the past two days. They are looking for 10 specific persons, of whom some are JNU students and the others are believed to be outsiders," a police source said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said, "people in huge numbers participated in it (the event), and we have already identified the ring leader. Now we are looking for all those who have been identified. Very soon, we will get hold of them." The names of the ten persons, excluding Kumar, had emerged on the day the police had registered a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy in connection with an event held in JNU campus, the source said. The police have also received input about the presence of some of them in West Bengal and Kerala, following which two separate teams have been sent there. Earlier, the police raided some locations in Delhi-NCR and Haryana but failed to track down the suspects, the source added. Kumar was arrested following the event held on February 9 to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru where anti-Indian slogans were allegedly raised. After his arrest, Kumar was taken into police custody for interrogation. He was produced in a court today which remanded him to judicial custody till 2 March. PTI New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at Patiala House court complex where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, is to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. The apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kanhaiya whose extended police custody of two days is expiring on Monday. Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said that the two family members of the accused, if present, will be allowed in the court room, otherwise one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused. The bench also restricted the entry of mediapersons inside the court room during the proceeding by limiting it to five journalists. It said that 25 journalists would be allowed to enter the compound and all the entries would be allowed only after proper identification and verification. The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to only on Wednesday. The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court will meet at 2 pm on Wednesday to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on 15 February at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists who were presnt in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case. PTI New Delhi: Two groups of lawyers on Wednesday scuffled within the Patiala House court complex here while supporting or opposing students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who have been booked on the charge of raising anti-India slogans. The showdown took place in the court premises before JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar was to be presented in a court for hearing of the sedition case registered against him. Kumar's police custody ends on Wednesday. A section of lawyers carrying Indian flags shouted slogans like 'Bharat mata ki jai' and 'JNU murdabad'. They also shouted slogans against the JNU and demanded shutting down of the premier educational institution, terming it "anti-national". The Supreme Court had, earlier in the day, restricted the number of people inside the courtroom, allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing. This comes as open defiance of Supreme Court order, a group of men dressed in lawyers' robes today again barged into the Patiala House court complex and allegedly beat up a journalist and a student ahead of the hearing in the sedition case of JNU students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar. The group, which could be seen raising slogans "Vande Mataram" and waving India's flag in the court premises, was led by Vikram Chauhan, one of the lawyers who had attacked JNU students and faculty on February 15. The lawyers also manhandled and beat up Tarique Anwar, of the Firstpost , who was covering the protests. Tarique Anwar said that despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the cops' presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. On the other hand, a group of lawyers protesting against Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest demanded his immediate release. Kumar was arrested after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held on the JNU campus to commemorate parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's execution on 9 February. The apex court had acted on a petition that alleged that the police were a "mute spectator to the brazen display of brute force" on 15 February. On Monday, groups of lawyers had beaten up journalists and JNU students and teachers ahead of the hearing of the sedition case registered against Kumar. On Tuesday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists had hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in police presence. The journalists had also sought Supreme Court's intervention in protecting freedom of speech. with inputs from agencies New Delhi: The remarks made by city police chief BS Bassi on the attack on JNU students, teachers and journalists in and outside Patiala House Court premises appear to be coming from a muscle man of the ruling party, not from a police officer who is holding such a high rank, feel former top cops. They describe the attack as unfortunate and shameful. On Tuesday, the Delhi Police commissioner termed the attack as a minor incident, saying it was the fallout of an emotive issue. On Monday, around 40 lawyers led by BJP leader OP Sharma had beaten up journalists, JNU students and teachers and a CPI(M) activist ahead of the hearing of the sedition case registered against Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with an event at the university last week. The top cop did not stop here. He went on record to say that those who are criticising the police and terming it intolerant because of its stern handling of the JNU students issue are enemies of the country. Under mounting criticism, he later said the alleged negligence of police was being investigated and the guilty will face legal action. He also said two FIRs were registered on Monday night in connection with the attack. But when Firstpost visited Tilak Marg police station seeking copies of the FIRs, he was refused access to the FIR copies. A police officer said, You cannot get it because you (the journalists) are not the complainant in the case. SR Darapuri, retired inspector general of police from Uttar Pradesh, said Bassis attitude appears to be partisan and that he is toeing the line of his political bosses. It was extremely shameful and unbecoming that an officer of the rank of commissioner of police tried to defend what had happened in the court complex and giving a political statement. He is wholly siding with the ruling political party at the Centre; rather he is acting as a muscle man of the BJP. All his actions and statements in the past few months show his partisan attitude, said the former top cop while talking to Firstpost. He added that the Delhi Police gave the goons a free hand which is highly condemnable. Once they (the police) knew there was the possibility of confrontation in court, they should have made more elaborate arrangement. It should be investigated whether they failed to do it or avoided doing it on purpose. It was the duty of the policemen present there to intervene and stop the scuffle that took place. It appears to be a part of a conspiracy in which the city police is a party, he alleged. As per the law, he added, even a common citizen is expected to intervene if there is a threat to life and property of anyone. But here, the men in uniform who were present in the court premises acted like mute spectators and allowed all this to take place. It is shameful and highly unbecoming of a police force, he said. The arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya, according to Darapuri, on sedition charges without an enquiry and verifying evidence was mindless and malicious in nature. There is a clear directive of the Supreme Court that the arrest should be made in a case that prescribes an imprisonment of seven years or more after due investigation and collecting sufficient and substantial evidence against the accused. The police is just toeing the line of the political bosses, he added. Former director-general of police, UP, Shri Ram Arun also felt that the approach of the police was unfortunate. It does not matter whether the attack on journalists, students and teachers was light or major. It should be acted upon and the culprits should be brought to book. The law should take its own course. It is the responsibility of the police to enforce the law. Bassis statement is purely political and unfortunate for the entire police force in the country, he said. Former Delhi Police assistant commissioner of police BM Chopra also described the statements made by the commissioner as political. Instead of assuring that action would be taken against those who are found guilty, he made a political statement and justified the act to please his bosses and secure a plum post after retirement, he added. His relation with the Delhi government has also not been cordial. The government has time and again termed him as the unofficial spokesperson of the BJP. The IPS officer, who is retiring on 29 February, may also join politics and has given an indication in this regard. If I got a chance to serve the nation after retirement, I will definitely do it. If I do not get it then I will enjoy myself, he had said during the annual press conference of the Delhi Police on 4 January, when asked about his plans after retirement. When asked which party he was going to join, Bassi smiled and said it will be known after 29 February. Auto refresh feeds According to reports, the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been sent to judicial custody till 2 March. The Delhi Police Commissioner also said that he will be sending a report on the incident to MHA. A defensive Bassi then said that he had to follow law and order while dealing with such a situation. "I have to go as per the law and procedure," he said. "I can understand the pain and anguish on the part of an ordinary citizen. But I have to do things are per law and order." On being asked whether any action had been taken against the lawyer who attacked journalists and activists, Bassi said, "I have already summoned three persons in this case. Three lawyers, including Mr Chauhan, have been summoned." He also said that BJP MLA OP Sharma had also been summoned. Bassi also clarified that he has not received any summons from the Supreme Court. "Our tactic was that we should not use force because use of force in a court complex can be counter-productive," he further said. "I'm told Kanhaiya lost one of his slippers," Bassi said. When questioned about the police action taken during the violence, he said, "Some of our police officers were covering him from behind and front. One of our officers put his hand on his head so nothing hit him." "One had no option but to go through the crowd. There was a lot of jostling. My officers have informed that despite a very excited crowd, my officers were able to go through the crowd," he further said. "He (Kanhaiya Kumar) was escorted by the required number of police officers. He was taken care of. In the process, our police officers were also subjected to a lot of heckling and jostling," Bassi told reporters. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, in defence of the Delhi Police, said that the Delhi Police was actually trying to protect Kanhaiya Kumar as he entered the court premises and that all the people responsible for the assault had been summoned by the police. "I believe in India's Constitution...I don't support the 9 February incident inside the JNU campus. I condemn it," the statement further said. "I am an Indian and I don't support anti-national activities," CNN-IBN quoted Kumar as saying in his statement. "I appeal to police and students who are there in the university to not disturb the peace in the country." JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar issued a statement while in police custody and clarified that he did not support the 9 February incident inside the JNU campus. An advocate from Delhi has written a letter to the Bar Council through Firstpost . "I therefore, most humbly, call upon the Bar Council of Delhi to initiate a suo-moto enquiry and especially to look in to whether these persons were in fact enrolled as advocates with the Bar. We are all, as advocates, comrades in arms. We cannot allow such a disservice to our profession go unnoticed, much less un-enquired," he said in his letter. "Can such a man continue in the post of police commissioner?" she further said. "He (Bassi) has to be removed. He is acting on the directions of the Home Minister. The Police Commisioner, who has allowed this not once but twice, should not be allowed to continue in office," Karat said. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat lashed out at Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and said that he has no right to continue as the police commissioner now. "These people have to be prosecuted and put in jail...It is the Delhi Police which is directing all this," she told reporters. SC has also asked the senior lawyers' panel and Delhi High Court Registrar General to file their report on Thursday over the incidents in Patiala House court. According to PTI, the apex court has decided to take up the Patiala court violence issue on Thursday. Lawyers' panel also told the Supreme Court that there is a serious threat to the safety and security of the accused who was beaten outside and was even pushed by unknown persons in courtroom. A medical report has said that Kanhaiya Kumar was injured on his back and legs due to the violence at the Patiala House court complex. Rajeev Dhavan told SC that the "situation in PH Court is horrifying, mob tried to manhandle the Panel that SC appointed" #KanhaiyaKumar tells court that he was saved by . @DelhiPolice police officers from being attacked by lawyers #JNUrow According to ABP News, Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was saved by the Delhi Police. "Some anti-national forces are affecting students," NDTV quoted Javadekar as saying. "What happened in JNU and Jadavpur is unacceptable," he further said. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar reportedly said that the trigger for the Patiala House violence is the JNU incident. Del Pol openly flouting SC orders. Bassi acting so brazenly. What is source of his confidence? What instructions does he hv from his bosses? The crisis surrounding Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is not going to recede any time soon. Apart from an urgent Supreme Court hearing on the scuffle between lawyers, students, mediapersons and one BJP MLA, which happened at the Patiala House Courts complex on Monday, Jadavpur University students and students from Aligarh Muslim University have joined the JNU students in raising slogans criticising the government. The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to give an urgent hearing on Wednesday to a plea seeking action against those involved when lawyers attacked journalists and students while a Delhi BJP MLA assaulted a CPI(M) member at the Patiala House Courts complex in the heart of the National Capital. Union minister Kiren Rijiju set off another storm hours before the hearing, asking what the fuss was all about: "Was there a murder?" he asked. The petition filed by ND Jaiprakash, an alumnus of JNU, who was hurt in the violence on Monday, sought action against the people involved in the violence and over the "inaction" on the part of the Delhi Police. The petition, which was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur by senior advocate Indira Jaising, also demanded that the security measures in the court complex should be such that no person becomes a victim of violence. The petition said the violence witnessed in the court not only endangered the life of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar arrested in a case of sedition but also prevented journalists from carrying out their work of reporting court proceedings. It said the Kanhaiya will be produced in court again on expiry of his police remand. Meanwhile, slogans eulogising parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru and demands for "azadi" echoed in Jadavpur University in Kolkata on Tuesday. Slogans like "Afzal bole azadi, jab tum na doge azadi, toh chheen lenge azadi, arey chheen ke lenge azadi" were heard during a torchlight procession brought out at Jadavpur University in protest against the "atrocities" perpetrated on JNU students by the Narendra Modi government. The row over JNU started on 9 February when the students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar addressed a gathering in the college campus and protested against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. "What we mean to say is that we dont need a patriotism certificate from the RSS. We dont need a nationalist certificate from the RSS. We belong to this country and we love the soil. We fight for the 80 percent of the poor population in the country. This is patriotism for us. We have full faith in Babasaheb, we have full faith in our countrys constitution and we want to strongly say that if anyone points fingers on the constitution of this country, be it Sanghi or anyone else, we will not tolerate that finger." Kanhaiya Kumar is the first All-India Students Federation member to become JNUSU president. The student was charged with sedition and was immediately taken into custody. Vice-Chancellor Jadesh Kumar appealed to the students to not resort to strikes and protests so that academic functioning of the university is not hampered. We also stand for free expression of ideas but I believe there is no need for strikes as the problem can be solved amicably. We are reaching out to the entire JNU community to see how the problem can be addressed but academic functioning of the university is of prime importance and should not be hampered, he told reporters. While the teachers association of the university have raised questions over the VC allowing a police crackdown on campus, Kumar said he was bound with the law of land. I never invited the police to enter the campus and pick our students. We only provided whatever cooperation was needed as per the law of land. We were bound to do so, he added. An united Opposition vehemently protested against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's diktat against the agitating students of JNU. Former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Monday took potshots at Rajnath Singh for saying that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed backed the Afzal Guru event at the JNU campus in New Delhi. "The home minister relies on a fake Twitter handle for information," Karat, who visited the campus on Monday, told the media. That set the ball rolling. Soon, former Delhi University professor SAR Geelani was charged with sedition and and questioned for several hours. Geelani was arrested as early as 3 am on Tuesday. At an event in Press Club on 10 February, in which Geelani was present on the dais along with three other speakers, a group allegedly had shouted slogans hailing Afzal Guru. Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the police registered a case against Geelani and other unnamed persons on 12 February. Police had claimed that Geelani was booked as he is presumed to be the "main organiser" of the event. The growing political tension over these alleged anti-India protests at the JNU campus which spilled over to a Delhi court where a mob of lawyers thrashed reporters and mediapersons before the hearing of Kanhaiya's sedition case. This happened even as the police present at the spot remained mute spectators, according to an NDTV report. The escalating stand-off over the arrest of Kanhaiya saw the students going on strike until he is released. Reports on Monday afternoon said that teachers of the university have decided to join the agitating students over the ongoing row as well. "A group of people in the garb of lawyers, but were sympathisers of the BJP, thrashed JNU students who were produced in court today The lawyers indulged in rowdyism. Outside the court, BJP MLA OP Sharma and a group of hooligans attacked students and journalists. The phones of journalists were snatched away. These people were aware that they were journalists This hooliganism unleashed by the BJP they may be shouting patriotic slogans but that is totally to misguide the people. The hooligans were led by a BJP MLA," Congress spokesperson PC Chacko is quoted in The Indian Express. The BJP's Delhi legislator OP Sharma allegedly attacked a CPI(M) activist and JNU students at the Patiala House Court on Monday. The party backed Sharma, saying he was opposing anti-India slogans and was hit on the head first, to which he reacted. "Main goli bhi maar deta agar bandook hoti. Koi hamari Ma ko gaali dega to kya usey maaroge nahin (I would have opened fire if I had a gun. If someone abuses our mother, wont I beat him up)." This is what Sharma said when he was asked by reporters why did he thrash a CPM activist in the court premise on Monday. Sharma, who boasts of a close association with union finance minister Arun Jaitley, is ill-reputed for his foul language and violent behaviour. Activists and senior politicians termed the scuffle at the court as a black day in India's democracy. As a result of Monday's attacks on students and media, eminent mediapersons on Tuesday decided to protest against Monday's assault. Senior TV journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai, NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Sonal Mehrotra and Nidhi Razdan were among the few who led the march on Tuesday. New Delhi: As American space agency Nasa looks forward to sending astronauts to Mars, it has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for a possible international collaboration. Several space agencies of different countries are also expected to attend the meeting in Washington in March. "We are looking to send astronauts to Mars. In order to do that, you need certain robotic missions to begin with. Early next month, there will be a meeting in Washington. The ISRO has also been invited for the meeting to discuss the future collaborations for the mission to Mars. We think it will be more of an international consortium. "There are potential opportunities to collaborate in future," said Jakob van Zyl, Associate Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Nasa scientist was delivering a lecture on its Mars mission and its findings on the red planet at American Centre in New Delhi. There is also a Isro-Nasa Mars Working Group in place, which has been looking into opportunities for enhanced cooperation in Mars exploration including potential coordinated observations and analysis between Isro's Mars Orbiter Mission and Nasa's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN). The UAE has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Isro for its Mars Mission, the first to be undertaken by any Gulf nation. PTI New Delhi: Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday alleged that arrested JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been "falsely implicated" and that he is ready to represent him in court. "I am ready to represent Kanhaiya Kumar. I am usually busy with Supreme Court and High Court but if the need arises I will represent him because he is a fine student leader who has been falsely implicated," Bhushan said. Swaraj Abhiyan, the outfit floated by Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, has been supporting the students and teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University who have been agitating in the wake of Kumar's arrest over charges of sedition. Professor Anand Kumar, another leader of the group who also taught in JNU, has slammed the police action as "shameless abuse" of state power to settle political score which is making a "mockery of democracy". Kumar was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. PTI By Shishir Tripathi There is a new slogan at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in New Delhi. It goes like this: Jo Hitler ki chaal chalega, woh Hitler ki maut marega. (Who operates like Hitler, will die like Hitler.) Its a heated campus but student union officials are trying to maintain a semblance of calm while urging everyone to speak up against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges. Doing this balancing act mainly is Shehla Rashid, the vice president of JNUs student union. A person is innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent, said Rashid. I am reminded of the quotation: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out/ Because I was not a Socialist./ Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out/ Because I was not a Trade Unionist./ Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out/ Because I was not a Jew./ Then they came for me/ and there was no one left to speak for me. Let this not happen here." She also persuaded students not to strike back with violence. The way they are treating us is to provoke violence so that they crush us. But we have to at no cost react, she said. She got the students to applaud thunderously when she said, They said that if Kanhaiya did not raise the slogan, his culpability is that he did not stop it either. I ask Mr (Narendra) Modi did not organise Godhra riot but did not stop it either... does it make him guilty? Rashid is also one of the students who was invited but refused to be a part of the enquiry committee constituted by the vice chancellor, as a mark of protest against the fact that the step is being taken too late. Sandeep Singh, former JNUSU president, said he was embarrassed that Kumar, the JNUSU president, was left at the mercy of a mob to lynch him in front of police and judiciary. In this scenario we will reject all your narratives," he said. According to Viswanathan, a student at the School of Social Sciences, the controversy has two aspects to it. One is the overall strategic concern of the RSS of converting spaces of higher learning into places that provide legitimacy to the various components of its nefarious agenda to convert India into a fascist and intolerant Hindu rashtra, he said. The second is the more immediate tactical concern of the RSS and BJP-led NDA at the Center to divert attention away from its abject failure on the fronts of economic growth, employment generation, and even national security exemplified by the glaring procedural lapses in dealing with the terrorist attack in Pathankot. Viswanathan also stated that the educational institution, its students and teachers are pawns in a high stakes political game by the BJP. But as it happens in a game of chess, the pawns may be low in agency at the beginning of the battle, but they are the only pieces on the chessboard that can transform themselves into a queen depending on the circumstances. JNU has fought back tooth and nail against the repression unleashed by the Sangh and stands firmly united against the recent right wing onslaught on the campus. Viswanathan also pointed out that the politicians who are now reacting so strongly to a few slogans were the same ones who remained deaf when the students went on hunger strike five times just so that they can solve issues such as lack of adequate hostels and scholarship. He said that the prevalent view in JNU is that the entire incident about raising pro-Afzal Guru slogans is just an excuse to attack our democratic space and terrorise students here. If their nationalism has problems with people who think hanging Afzal Guru was a travesty of justice, I wonder where these feelings were when they shook hands with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kashmir. PDP is a force which still holds Afzal was wrongly convicted and its chief thanked Pakistan and other secessionist forces for the peaceful conduct of elections in Kashmir. Rakesh Batabyal, faculty member at Centre for Media Studies, said the issue of sedition charges must be seen from the broader societal and historical perspective. Knowledge brings responsibility but so does power. In this case if slogans were shouted it must be seen in the context of knowledge getting mixed with anger. It invites the attention of the scholarly committee to correct it. Batabyal, who is also the author of JNU: The Making of a University, continued, On the other hand, when the State is expressing disproportionate anger it smacks of arrogance of power instead of responsibility of power. In this situation, the head of the state should take the responsibility, go to the teachers and request them to give the students proper perspective. As YS Alone, a professor and an alum of JNU puts it, We don't support anti national activities but how do you define nationalism? For me, the person who defies all logic of hierarchy is a true nationalist. My father was charged with sedition in 1942. He was a college student then. At the time, it was sedition against king and country against the British Empire. While he was in jail, a missionary turned up and tried to tell him a Christian should not behave like this. My father did not listen. Then, a British officer came to say he was such a good student, he would be sent to Oxford if he mended his ways. My father refused. He made sacrifices because he was inspired by Gandhi, Nehru and Bose. He had been moved to tears when he heard Netaji at a public meeting. He stood fast to his convictions in jail. He wore that as a badge of honour till the end of his days. In those days, there were others who signed pleas for mercy. They had their priorities. It is a lot to ask anyone to put up with the horrors of Indian prisons. I have no grudge against them. I do have a problem with some of their followers and successors, for they are dividing my country and they are doing it at a time when India faces terrible challenges, internationally and at home. Many of them think the countrys main enemies are within, and these are all the Muslims, Christians and Communists of the country, all, by definition. The RSS has held to this belief for decades as a matter of faith. At this point, this belief is causing grave injury to my country. It is making many patriots feel insecure and unjustly treated. It is causing riots. Each riot divides and weakens the nation which my father and grandfather built through sacrifices under the foreign yoke. Over the past week, our rulers have turned their ire on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the finest university in the land. An objectionable set of slogans, which were shouted there on 9 February, has been used to target the whole place, which has been built and nurtured with great dedication and rigour by generations of the countrys finest academics and students over the past half-century. Some of those academics have rescued Indias history from the discourses of colonialists and neo-colonialists, with vigour and rigour. But those extraordinary academics, who have justly earned repute across the world, have been abused and reviled as 'anti-national. That word is now being used interchangeably with 'Leftist and 'pseudo-secular. The ideological mentors of the ruling party, and so most of the ruling party too, hate Communists. Over the years, they have gnashed their teeth with disgust against a wide variety of liberal, democratic, open-minded, intellectually curious minds thinking of that whole spectrum as generally 'Leftist. That is a term of abuse to them. Generally, they spit it out with contempt. So they used those objectionable slogans on 9 February to try and fix this broad-spectrum `Left. In the process, they hoped to get control over JNU, that hub of the liberalism and intellectual curiosity they find unsettling and irritating. That is why they have used those objectionable slogans to try and smear the University community in general. Over the past week, they have kept repeating the most objectionable of those slogans to shout down all opponents on television debates. What they have achieved is to give life to the flagging Left parties. In the bargain, they have further divided my country, the country for which my father faced the sedition charge in 1942. The Left and the Right and a range of political opinions between have a right to express themselves in this democracy. Not just a right, they must actively try and win over public support. But those who spit out terms like `Leftist and `pseudo-secularist do not want to concede that right. They tend to have raging anger, and a deep sense of self-righteousness. This anger runs so deep that they feel pride at assaulting those whom they see as politically unacceptable. They defend their anger as natural and righteous. For, they tend to view that wide spectrum of liberal and intellectually alive minds who do not agree with their Hindutva ideology as broadly anti-national. To them, the equation is quite simple. Their ideology is the only one that is truly nationalistic. Ergo, all other thinking is deviant and anti-national. Their ideology is political, but their righteousness is quite close to religious zealotry. It has been in full flow over the past week. They were less than one per cent of the throng at a campus public meeting on Saturday. But they kept up a raucous chant of slogans to try and shout down political and activist leaders. They then attacked a Congress leader, cutting his ear. Then, at New Delhis civil courts on Monday, they physically attacked students, activists and media women and men, bludgeoning some of these with kicks and blows. My distress is not so much about their violence or double standards, for I understand that they feel self-righteous. I am upset that all this divides and weakens India. In the heat of the political battle for the Bihar assembly elections last October, the BJP president had declared that fireworks would be burst by the countrys enemies beyond its borders if the BJPs opponents won those elections. Those opponents did win. His prediction turned out to be wrong. At this point, though, many of Indias enemies, within and beyond its borders, might be feeling pleased not over electoral verdicts, but over the way India is being divided against itself by those who rule it. This is tragic. It is an insult to those who braved the charge of sedition to fight the British for our freedom. Let us stop, now. Let us reach out to unite. Guwahati: Congress in Assam on Wednesday lodged a police complaint against BJP for allegedly making "insulting remarks to malign the image of party Vice-president Rahul Gandhi". APCC Vice-president Ripun Bora filed the complaint with the Pan Bazar police station here alleging that BJP had put up "objectionable" banners and posters in different parts of the city with a view to malign Gandhi's image. Banners warning Gandhi for his alleged "anti-national stand" taken in the case of the JNU incident" was particularly offensive, he alleged. "This is a deep-rooted political conspiracy to malign Rahul Gandhi's image and create hatred against him," Bora said. The complaint also said that it suspects BJP state unit President Sarbananda Sonowal to be behind the "provocative" posters as the state committee cannot put up such banners without the permission of the state president. "The BJP has violated the Constitution and has gone against the basic norms of democracy by doing the act," it said and demanded an inquiry into the "conspiracy" and action against the guilty. PTI Patna: Days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came out in support of arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, a senior party leader on Wednesday visited his home in Begusarai district and said "conspiratorial arrest" of Kanhaiya will prove to be the "undoing" of the BJP government at the Centre. JD(U) spokesman and member of Legislative Council Neeraj Kumar paid a visit to Kanhaiya's home at Madhusudanpur (Bihat) and expressed solidarity with his family. Later addressing a public meeting in the village, Kumar spoke in favour of the JNUSU president and demanded his immediate release. "The unfolding of events indicate that Kanhaiya Kumar's intention was to establish peace in the prestigious university and not any anti-national activity," Neeraj Kumar said. "About 120 hours have passed since the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, but no evidence against him has been made public," he said. "The Centre should either present evidence against the JNUSU president or withdraw allegation of sedition against him," the Bihar JD(U) spokesman said. He said Kanhaiya Kumar hails from a family of freedom fighters including famous CPI leader Chandrasekhar Singh and Ramcharitra Singh. In a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the JD(U) leader said " the conspiratorial arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar will prove to be the undoing of the BJP government." The JD(U) leader's comments came after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had defended Kanhaiya, saying he had met him and that he couldn't be an "anti-national." The chief minister had on Monday said it was "a design" to impose the ideology of ABVP on the nation and had claimed it was "like imposing Emergency" in the country. Senior RJD leader and state minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui also came out in support of the JNUSU president. "Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest is part of a conspiracy hatched by RSS, BJP and ABVP," Siddiqui alleged. Meanwhile, Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey on Wednesday said party youth workers would hold agitation across the state from 18-21 February against Kanhaiya's "anti-national" assertions and rivals rushing to his defence. PTI New Delhi: Amid mounting criticism over attacks on scribes at a court complex in New Delhi, Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday termed the incidents as "highly improper and condemnable" and asserted that the media has unhindered right to report. "Media has an unhindered right to report; Attack on media persons is highly improper and condemnable," the Information & Broadcasting Minister said in a tweet. Media has an unhindered right to report. Attack on Media persons is highly improper and condemnable Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 17, 2016 Media persons covering JNU sedition case were attacked by men dressed in lawyers' robes on Monday and the violence was repeated Wednesday at the Patiala House court complex. The attack took place when JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being produced in the court. Earlier in the day, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that "alternative voice" in the university should also be heard. "JNU is a very premier institution of India, widely respected also. It has produced outstanding civil servants, great academicians and also well known public figures. Its faculty and students also excel well. "We all think there is also a very eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice in the JNU. The country is equally eager to hear that voice," Prasad said. On Tuesday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists took out a march demanding action against those involved in beating members of media at the court complex. They also sought Supreme Court's intervention in protecting the freedom of speech. The journalists also demanded Police Commissioner BS Bassi be sacked due to alleged inaction by the security personnel at the court complex on Monday when journalists, students and teachers of JNU where attacked by people wearing lawyers' black robes. A separate delegation of journalists had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding his intervention in ensuring "accountability of the Delhi Police who watched silently as the assault happened". There is criticism from the right wing that the university has become a hotbed of extreme Left elements articulating "anti-national" sentiments. PTI Srinagar: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday evening to meet PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to break the stalemate over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary arrived on a special flight at the Srinagar international airport. "He drove straight to the Fair View residence of Mehbooba Mufti on Gupkar Road in Srinagar and right now they are holding a one-on-one meeting there," BJP sources told IANS. Madhav was authorised two days back by BJP president Amit Shah to meet Mehbooba Mufti to discuss formation of the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir. His arrival was expected ever since a stalemate over government formation occurred that resulted in imposition of Governor's Rule after then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed died on 7 January at AIIMS in New Delhi. After her father's death, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said the Central government must take confidence building measures so that she can head a stable ruling coalition in the state. The BJP's stand has been that the agenda of alliance signed by the two parties last year that brought the coalition headed by Sayeed to power should be the only binding arrangement between the two parties. Wednesday's visit by Ram Madhav assumes significance since the outcome of his meeting may determine whether the two parties agree on government formation. Ram Madhav is scheduled to fly back to New Delhi on Wednesday night to apprise the BJP high command about the outcome of his discussions. IANS New Delhi: JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya Kumar was brought there. With another day of scuffles at the Patiala House court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the law and order situation in the national capital was "fast deteriorating" and the Communist Party of India-Marxist demanded Bassi's removal following the "assault" on Kanhaiya Kumar. Bassi, however, maintained that the JNU student was not beaten up. As the controversy over JNU protests escalated, Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country was eager to hear "eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice" from the university. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen sent Kanhaiya Kumar to judicial custody after Delhi Police said it did not need the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president any more for interrogation. The court directed Delhi Police, who will escort him to the jail from the court, and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Kanhaiya Kumar, in a statement leaked to the media, appealed to students to maintain calm and said he does not support anti-national activity. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". Ten student organisations owing allegiance to different political parties on Wednesday pledged support to him while Amnesty International sought his immediate release. Meanwhile, with the scuffle at the court and the assault on him reached the apex court where a bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said it will be the Delhi Police chief's personal responsibility to ensure his safety as well as those attending the court proceedings. The court adjourned the hearing till 2 p.m. so that a team of lawyers, comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Ajit Sinha, A.G.N. Rao and Harin Rawal, and could and assess the situation in the Patiala House court complex. The team said they witnessed an "unprecedented" situation with an atmosphere of "fear and terrorising people" and Dhawan told the court that the "collective view of the team is that police did not do their job". He told the court they were not only abused in the filthiest language but were described as Pakistani agents. The court gave Delhi Police till Friday morning to submit its report and directed the next hearing of the matter on Monday. Earlier, several journalists were beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court. Among the journalists who were assaulted were a Firstpost photographer and reporter each as well as a journalist from Network 18. Two groups of lawyers -- one opposed to Kanhaiya Kumar and another supporting his legal rights -- earlier got into a scuffle in the court in the heart of the capital. The lawyers who attacked the journalists were noisily protesting against JNU students who allegedly raised anti-India slogans a week ago. The journalists alleged that police personnel present in the court refused to come to their help. On Monday, many journalists including an IANS reporter, were beaten up by the same group of lawyers in the court. Bassi however told reporters that Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex here but was only jostled around. He said police have issued summons to three people, including Vikram Singh Chauhan, one of the lawyers captured on video in the court violence on Monday. BJP legislator O.P. Sharma, who had been filmed attacking a CPI activist, had also been summoned. IANS New Delhi: Lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan on Wednesday once again led a group of his colleagues in unleashing a brazen attack on journalists and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House courts complex, days after they were caught on camera thrashing scribes and JNU students and teachers branding them as "anti-nationals". The group led by Chauhan, the face of both the assaults, attacked journalists and Kumar, in open defiance of an order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the Delhi Police commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at the court complex. Despite restrictions by the Supreme Court, the lawyers managed to enter the court complex and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. All the while, journalists alleged, police looked the other way. When contacted, Chauhan wondered why he was being "targeted" while those chanting anti-India slogans have been made "heroes". "Why are you not questioning them?" he asked. "These JNU people had sent their goons to the court premises today as well. They raised anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. Following that a section of the lawyers voiced opposition to their acts. We were provoked," he said. Another lawyer identified as Surendra Tyagi boasted about their action, saying "we have done our job for today". Chauhan alleged that a rival group of lawyers was trying to attack him. "They are trying to beat us up and we don't even respond?" Police has limited its action against Chauhan to merely summoning him despite the presence of visual evidence of his involvement in assaults on Monday and Wednesday which triggered outrage and attracted widespread condemnation. When asked about police inaction, Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi only said summons have been issued to three lawyers, including Chauhan. BJP MLA O P Sharma was also caught on camera beating a CPI activist on Monday but police is yet to take any action against him. PTI Bhopal: Has former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee helped the BJP regain part of its lost ground in Madhya Pradesh? Party candidate Narayan Tripathi victory by 28,281 votes in the by-election for Maihar constituency on Tuesday came as a big relief to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after electoral reversals in the Lok Sabha by-election in Ratlam-Jhabuain in November and in the urban bodies elections in December. Although Chouhan has attributed the Maihar victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modis development policy, his posters were missing throughout the campaign. The Vajpayee posters, plastered all over, apparently did the trick in the constituency that has returned a Brahmin each of the past five terms. The BJP, which gambled on Tripathi despite resentment from within the party, used the caste card to the hilt during the campaign. The no-Modi strategy created initial resentment in anti-Chouhan camp. But, all seems to be well now. The party was staring at a full-blown rebellion during organisational elections some weeks ago. With the drought looming over the state, government facing a major financial crunch and with its liquor policy coming under fire from within the ruling party, Chouhan approached the Maihar by-election with considerable trepidation. The by-election should not have been warranted in the first place. Shortly after Narayan Tripathi won the seat in 2013 in the state assembly elections as the Congress candidate Chouhan engineered his defection to embarrass the beleaguered opposition party. Tripathi has won the Maihar seat thrice so far under the banner of three parties -- Samajwadi Party, Congress and now BJP. His nearest rival, Manish Patel, another turncoat who had contested the previous election on BSP ticket, managed to secure 54,377 votes against Tripathis 82,658. The BJP had decided to brazen out Tripathis defection. His resignation as MLA came long after his defection as the Speaker Sitasharan Sharma ignored Congress protests. The Congress which has been consistently facing charges of disunity was expecting a sympathetic response from the voters. The party is kicking itself over the choice of candidate. The Maihar loss only underlines that the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha by-elections victory was largely due to former Union minister Kantilal Bhurias personal appeal in the constituency. If there was a reminder needed, Maihar just handed it. While the Congress sought to make a case against Tripathi for disobeying the peoples mandate the BJP candidate said he crossed the floor to ensure the constituency doesnt miss out on development. The Congress did not help itself by fielding another party-hopper. Chouhan is savouring the moment of success. The onset of spring has marked better tidings for the Chief Ministers camp in Madhya Pradesh. Three tests were lined up for Chouhan and his government over the week. The first was cleared with ease with the peaceful conduct of puja and namaz at the controversial Bhojshala in the Dhar district where trouble keeps cropping up during the Basant Panchami festival every time as both falls on a Friday. More than the Muslims and the opposition Congress party, the BJP fears the intra-party discontent Chouhans rivals keep fomenting. They also find support from some senior party leaders in Delhi. With victory in Maihar, Chouhan has cleared the second test. But will his rivals keep quiet for long? The third test would be in hosting the Prime Minister who is visiting Sehore near the state capital on Thursday. There have been protests by farmers and party leaders in Sehore due to which the party lost the elections to the urban bodies. Discontent persists over the coterie comprising Union minister and former state BJP chief Narendra Singh Tomar, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and RSS point person Arvind Menon, who marginalised many regional leaders to manipulate the organisational elections. Chouhan government compounded the problem by administrative lapses that pushed the state into a financial abyss. Poor handling of the looming drought turned the rural folks against the ruling party. With the UPA at the Centre the state government could feign victimhood and extract funds at will. Now with the NDA at the helm Chouhan government finds the going tough given the intra-party equations. Fatigue over Chouhans decade-long incumbency and his refusal to share the spoils of power by cabinet expansion or other political appointments has been clearly visible. Dissidence is finding expression through various means. The Chouhan camp hopes no trouble is created during the Prime Ministers visit. Chouhan is still paying for siding with the party patriarch LK Advani before Modi was nominated to be prime ministerial candidate. He has to keep proving his loyalty to the Delhi durbar at regular intervals. Political leaders and citizens on Twitter are belting out their views on #JNURow and #PatialaHouse attack on JNU students and journalists. We bring you a slice of the action even as JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar was bundled off to Tihar jail. Kumar, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya Kumar was brought there. With another day of scuffles at the Patiala House court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the law and order situation in the national capital was "fast deteriorating" and the Communist Party of India-Marxist demanded Bassi's removal following the "assault" on Kanhaiya Kumar. Bassi, however, maintained that the JNU student was not beaten up. Where is this LG hidden these days who claims to be the real govt and holds control on Police? Ashutosh Mishra (@ashu3page) February 17, 2016 Delhi Cabinet will meet Hon'ble President at 2 pm tomo to discuss Delhi law and order situation Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 17, 2016 . .. Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) February 13, 2016 Operation Sanitize JNU has just begun Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 16, 2016 Kiren Rijiju: Some have more faith in Hafiz Saeed than our Home Minister| #JNURow pic.twitter.com/Pcks73PVJ8 Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) February 17, 2016 What ever is happening in Patiala house premises is direct attack on judiciary. This is not possible without support of the Modi govt. ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) February 17, 2016 Damascus: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is renewing her proposal for a no-fly zone in Syria, saying that it could be done by agreement between President Bashar Assad, his backers and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Merkel said that such an agreement would be "a sign of goodwill" and would put many people at ease. She first aired her idea in an interview published Monday, without giving details. At a news conference Wednesday, Merkel said it would be a good sign if "an agreement between Assad and his supporters and the anti-IS coalition" could produce a commitment to "set up a kind of no-fly zone in which there is no bombing, in which civilians are not pressured and killed" in the area between Aleppo and the Turkish border. Earlier on Wednesday, a senior Russian diplomat had shrugged off Merkel's proposal to consider a no-fly zone over Syria, saying it can only be done with Damascus' consent. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency Wednesday that any no-fly zone would need to be approved by the Syrian government and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. AP Mumbai: Parents of a Mumbai engineer jailed in Pakistan for alleged espionage have requested authorities in the neighbouring country to show compassion and release him on humanitarian grounds. "I appeal to Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics," said Fauzia Ansari, mother of 31-year-old engineering and management graduate, Hamid Ansari, who has been sentenced to jail for three years by a Pakistani court. Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. Ansari's parents had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in a Pakistani court when they came to know in January that their son was in the custody of the Pakistan Army. He was convicted on Sunday in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and was shifted to Peshawar Central Prison. "On 13 January, we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan Army's custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India," said 55-year-old Fauzia. "We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely," said Fauzia, who recently underwent an ankle surgery after she met with an accident. "We are confident that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young guy like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail," she said. "I am not sure what crime my son has committed. As per his chats with his friends from Pakistan on Facebook before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was a victim of a social evil," said Fauzia, who is a Hindi lecturer in a junior college here and has undergone an ankle surgery after she met with an accident while crossing a road. Ansari's father's Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manager and elder brother Khalid Ansari (32) is a dental surgeon. ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose NGO has also been involved in efforts to locate the youth, said, "We thank those in India and Pakistan who worked ceaselessly to trace Hamid." "We are convinced he is innocent. He went there to meet his beloved whom he befriended on Facebook. He had absolutely no intention of getting into spying activities," Kulkarni told PTI. "We are with his parents. The biggest relief is that he is alive. By all accounts he has already spent three years in captivity and should be released on humanitarian grounds," Kulkarni said. Ansari has a right to appeal under the Pakistan Army Act.India had sought consular access of the engineer and asked Pakistan to ensure his safety and security. Over three years after Ansari went missing in Pakistan where he had allegedly gone to meet a girl he had befriended on the Internet, authorities last month admitted that he has been in army custody and facing a trial in military courts. In light of the information, a two-member bench had on 13 January disposed of a Habeas Corpus petition filed by the convict's mother against his alleged illegal detention. Court had asked the government to respond to the petition by Fauzia on the whereabouts of her son. In response, Military Intelligence Directorate said that Ansari was in military custody and is being tried by a military court. Ansari was taken into custody by police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials in Kohat, about 70 kms from here, in November 2012. PTI Brussels: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Saudi Arabia on Tuesday not to deploy troops in Syria, saying it would violate international law, while also demanding that Riyadh stop bombardments in Yemen. Zarif, whose country supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was questioned about Saudi Arabia's announcement that it could deploy ground forces as part of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. "Those who are operating in Syria without the authority of the sovereign government in Syria are violating international law," he told a news conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. Speaking later after a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders, Zarif added: "We believe that's dangerous... I believe everybody should put forces together to find a peaceful solution, not to create more danger and more hostility in the region." Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said after talks in Washington earlier this month that any operation would be US-led but that Saudi Arabia would play a leading role. Iran, which has sent thousands of "military advisers" into Syria, also supports the Damascus regime via the Shiite movement Hezbollah and above all Iraqi Shiite militias. Zarif told the European Parliament that Tehran does not have troops in Syria. "Iran does not have boots on the ground in Syria .. we have military advisors in Syria, as we have them in other places on the invitation" of the government, he said. UN-brokered Syrian peace talks were suspended at the start of February after Syria launched an offensive, backed by intense Russian air bombing, against the northern city of Aleppo. Zarif criticised the role played in those talks by Saudi Arabia, Tehran's number one regional rival. "People from outside cannot say what should be the outcome of the negotiations," he said. "The outcome of the negotiations will be determined by the Syrians inside the negotiating room, not in the capitals of the region particularly, in Riyadh. They will not and cannot make the decision for the people in Syria." He added: "If we are talking about military forces, we have to stop the bombardment of Yemen, which is taking place on a daily basis against innocent civilians, killing a lot of people. "There are no military targets to hit any more in Yemen. We need to end the atrocities and we need to end it now," he said, referring to a conflict which has killed over 6,100 people, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations. On an official visit to Brussels Zarif met EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday evening. AFP Geneva: The World Health Organisation today released its initial response plan to the Zika virus outbreak, launching a funding appeal for the $56 million operation. The unprecedented outbreak of the virus, first discovered in Uganda in 1947, has become a global concern, with Zika now strongly suspected of causing two serious neurological disorders, microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. The UN's health agency said it needed $25 million to fund its own response plan, while an additional $31 million would support the work of key partners. "The strategy focuses on mobilising and coordinating partners, experts and resources to help countries enhance surveillance of the Zika virus and disorders that could be linked to it," a WHO statement said. Other priorities are to control the populations of the mosquito species that carries Zika, as well as "communicate risks, guidance and protection measures, provide medical care to those affected and fast-track research and development of vaccines," testing and treatment, the statement added. The outbreak has predominantly affected the Americas, with Brazil the hardest-hit country by far. While Zika itself typically involves mild, flu-like symptoms, global anxiety has been driven by the likely link to likely link to microcephaly which can cause severe birth malformations and defects and Guillan-Barre, which can cause brain damage and even death. WHO said it was it was financing its initial operations from an "emergency contingency fund". The UN agency on February 1 declared the surge in cases of microcephaly and Guillain-Barre and their possible link to Zika an international public health emergency. AFP Salim Mehajer and his family lost potentially more than $10 million in half an hour on Wednesday night, as planning changes benefiting their property holdings were overturned. Viv May, a former Mosman council bureaucrat, was placed in charge of Auburn Council's affairs earlier this month after all councillors were suspended by the state government following concern about its planning decisions. On Wednesday during his first meeting as the council's administrator, Mr May overturned two of the council's most controversial planning decisions, depriving Cr Mehajer of up to $10 million in profits. It is the last recorded moment of Jamie Gao's life just a second of partially obscured CCTV footage as the young man slips into a south-west Sydney storage shed accompanied by a heavy-set man wearing a dark hoodie. Minutes later the grainy footage reveals two men dragging a heavy, body-shaped object wrapped in a silver surfboard bag out of the shed and into the back of a station wagon. On Wednesday a packed gallery watched in total silence as the footage was played in the NSW Supreme Court murder trial of Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara. An Australian woman was one of two tourists swept 400 metres out to sea at a New Zealand beach, spending close to seven hours clinging to rocks in "atrocious conditions" before being rescued. The 30-year-old Australian woman and 28-year-old Croatian man were treated for mild hypothermia following the daring helicopter rescue in stormy weather shortly before dark on Wednesday. The pair had gone swimming at Wharariki Beach, near the western base of Farewell Spit, about 1pm on Wednesday. Senior Constable Jonathan Davies, of Takaka Police, said they were wading in chest-deep water when they were knocked over by a rogue wave and swept 400 metres out to sea. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has criticized China and said there should be "no militarization" of the South China Sea, following news that Beijing has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island it controls in the strategic waterway. "We have said repeatedly with respect to China that the standard that should be applied to all countries with respect to the South China Sea is no militarization," Kerry said Wednesday. He specifically noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed not to militarize the sea when he visited Washington last year and met with President Barack Obama. "But there is every evidence, every day that there has been an increase of militarization of one kind or another. It is of serious concern," Kerry said. "We have had these conversations with the Chinese and I am confident that over the next days we will have a further very serious conversation on this." WATCH: US Secretary of State John Kerry on China's latest move At the Pentagon, U.S. officials told VOA the Chinese missile deployment is a "complicating aspect" of the territorial disputes involving several countries that border the South China Sea. The U.S. is watching the situation closely, the source added. Another American official told VOA the Chinese missiles are part of an HQ-9 air defense system, which has an operating range of 200 kilometers (125 miles). The Chinese missiles' arrival on Woody Island, one of the tiny islands in the area that China has greatly enlarged through dredging and construction work, was first reported by American broadcaster Fox News, based on satellite images provided by a civilian company. The images appear to show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers and a radar system. VOA's Pentagon correspondent was told "there is no reason to doubt the imagery." The missile issue erupted as Obama wrapped up a landmark summit with Southeast Asian leaders in California. Obama urged all parties to exercise restraint in the region and halt the militarization of disputed maritime areas. US and Taiwan confirm A U.S. defense official later confirmed the deployment, as did Taiwans Defense Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions," Lo said on Wednesday. Woody Island (or Yongxing Island as it is known in Chinese and Phu Lam in Vietnamese) is the largest of the Paracel Islands and is located in the northernmost part of the South China Sea, east of the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang. Woody Island has been under Chinas control since 1956, and is a prefecture level city of the southern Chinese province of Hainan. The island is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Chinese reaction Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Wednesday that Western media should pay more attention to the lighthouses and meteorological facilities China is building in the South China Sea. During a press conference following a meeting with his visiting Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, he did not deny reports about the missile deployments, but called them an attempt by certain western media to create news stories. Wang did note what he called Chinas right to limited and necessary self-defense facilities on its islands and reefs. "This is consistent to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law. So there should be no question about that," Wang said. Chinese claims Chinas claim to almost all of the South China Sea and massive reclamation of formations further south has been a growing source of concern among its neighbors in the region, even as Beijing works feverishly to expand trade ties. In recent years, China has beefed up efforts to build runways and artificial islands to bolster its territorial claims. Beijing has repeatedly said that it does not seek to militarize the South China Sea, but it has increasingly voiced concerns about U.S. freedom of navigation missions in the region, at sea and in the air. What the missile deployment may mean Alexander Huang, an assistant professor at Taiwans Tamkang University, said the deployment was sending a telling, albeit contradictory signal about Chinas future intentions in the South China Sea. Huang said the development sends a contradictory signal because China has repeatedly said that it would not militarize the disputed islands. Adding that while the dispute over Woody Island is largely between China and Vietnam and does not necessarily involve the United States, it may serve as a prelude or indicator for the future militarization of the Spratlys. China is under tremendous pressure right now with the conference in Sunnylands and the U.S.-[South] Korean discussion over the THAAD deployment, he added. US-ASEAN summit As President Barack Obama wrapped up a two-day summit with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the first on U.S. soil, he said the two affirmed during their meeting their strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small are upheld. He also said that during the meeting, the US and ASEAN leaders discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas. Still, how the United States and ASEAN countries may respond is unclear. While ASEAN countries may genuinely want closer ties with the United States, they are also heavily and increasingly reliant on booming trade with China. And if the United States wishes to respond, the tougher question is what could Washington do to get China to change its behavior. Freedom of navigation Freedom of navigation actions by the U.S. Navy have not made Beijing to change its behavior, noted Ross Darrell Feingold, a Taipei-based senior advisor at DC International Advisory, a political risk consultancy. Perhaps more important is what the action says about Chinas ability to manage significant issues simultaneously, Feingold added. Thousands of Kosovo opposition supporters protested peacefully on the eighth anniversary of the countrys independence Wednesday, shouting anti-government slogans and demanding its resignation and early elections. The opposition parties reject an agreement that Kosovo and Serbia reached last year, giving more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. The Constitutional Court ruled in December that part of the deal was not in line with the constitution. The opposition parties also reject a border demarcation deal with Montenegro. Since last September, they have attempted to disrupt the work of parliament with tear gas, pepper spray and whistles. The government accuses the opposition of attempts to come to power through acts of violence. The opposition said that more than 100,000 people participated in Wednesdays rally, while police said the numbered about 15,000. "Kosovo will not allow itself to be led by people who have violated the constitution, its sovereignty, said Visar Ymeri, leader of the main opposition Self-Determination Movement Party. Ymeri set a February 27 deadline for the government to resign, opening the way for new elections, or our protests will not stop, he added. Kosovo's Western supporters, including the United States, have denounced the opposition-led violence and have called for the resolution of political differences in parliament. Earlier Wednesday, the government held a ceremony to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the 2008 unilateral independence declaration with a military parade. Ever since, Kosovo's independence has been recognized by 111 countries, including the U.S. and major European Union nations. Kosovo's independence is rejected by Serbia, with support from Russia, which has blocked Kosovo from becoming a U.N. member. Kosovo and Serbia are holding EU-mediated talks to try to overcome their differences. VOA's Albanian Service contributed to this report. As Ugandans get ready for Thursday's presidential and parliamentary elections, people of faith have been praying for both the elections and their leaders. Some voters let their religious beliefs guide them in deciding and choosing their candidate. Singing, praying, and preachingas the campaign season wraps up in Kampala, many Ugandans fulfilled spiritual obligations on the last Sunday before the elections, when they will vote for their president and parliamentarians. Ugandans are very religious and when I talk about being religious, for example, today you find churches are full in the Christian faith, explained Rev. Diana Nkesiga, Vicar, All Saints Cathedral. In cultsthe mosques are full. Influenced by religion or not But even though many are religious, Ugandans have different opinions on how their faith will impact their choices in the voting booth. Alex Butugi, a social worker, said he will vote for the candidate who best represents their religious beliefs. I think its my duty now, me as a Christian, to actually vote [for] the person who I think is godly and who is going to value our Christian values, he added. Others, like Michael Manzi, an IT company executive, care more about the candidates stance on issues rather than religious zeal. Of course its helpful to know that someone that is godly will probably live out his promises, but its very difficult to know that because we dont have a chance to know the people intimately, he said. To know them personally, so we look at who has a better manifesto, you know. Whos going to address the issues that you know, touch me the most? Speaking from the Old Kampala National Mosque, Haji Nsereko Mutumba said that if Muslims are electing Muslim leaders, they care about religion. If they are electing politicians, they want to know how they plan to help the people. For us, we elect presidents and members of parliament, to cater for our social welfare, he said. We dont mind about their religion." Ugandans go to the polls Thursday. Philippines Four people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed in a roadside bombing in the southern Philippines by suspected Muslim insurgents who wanted to attack military reinforcements, police said yesterday. The victims were in a van in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province Tuesday night when the improvised bomb went off. AUSTRALIA A Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Los Angeles was diverted after the airline received a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax, the airline said. The plane was forced to land in the eastern city of Brisbane yesterday after the threat was called in. Police searched the plane and determined there was no danger. The plane resumed its flight to LA. AUSTRALIA The prime minister warned that resettling asylum seekers in New Zealand instead of deporting them to the Pacific atoll of Nauru could encourage more asylum seekers to try to reach Australian shores by boat. The plight of 267 asylum seekers facing deportation from Australia to Nauru will be discussed when Malcolm Turnbull meets his New Zealand counterpart John Key for annual talks in Sydney tomorrow. CUBA-USA The United States and Cuba sign a deal restoring commercial air traffic for the first time in five decades, allowing dozens of new daily flights to bring hundreds of thousands more American travelers a year to the island as early as this fall. More on p15 USA Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Marco Rubio are locked in a high-stakes political chess match in South Carolina, strategically moving money and other campaign resources around in a bid to pull ahead in the Republican primary race or at least keep their campaigns afloat if they dont. MEXICO Pope Francis wraps up his trip to Mexico today with some of his most anticipated events: a visit in a Juarez prison just days after a deadly riot in another lockup and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. ZIKA The World Health Organization says it may be necessary to use controversial methods like genetically modified mosquitoes to wipe out the insects that are spreading the Zika virus across the Americas. GREECE Hundreds of trucks and cars were stranded at two Greek-Bulgarian border crossings yesterday, after a blockade by Greek farmers was met with a retaliatory blockade by angry truck drivers on the Bulgarian side. Spains National Court ruled that a businessman accused of being part of a group that commissioned and sold USD33 million in high- priced fake art passed off as famed expressionist works can be extradited to the United States to face charges in New York City. The court issued the ruling for Jesus Angel Bergantinos Diaz, who is indicted in New York on federal charges of being part of the ring that created, and sold to Manhattan art galleries, fake art attributed to artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell. It could take months for him to be sent to the United States because he can appeal and Spains government must also approve the extradition, said a court official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a rule preventing the official from being named. Also charged in the U.S. is his brother, Jose Bergantinos Diaz, and Pei Shen Qian, the Chinese artist who allegedly painted the works from a home studio in the New York borough of Queens. Qian collected only hundreds or thousands of dollars each for the fakes. He has fled to China. His paintings were promoted as never- before-exhibited and previously unknown works of art, eventually attracting more than $80 million from unsuspecting customers. The Bergantinos Diaz brothers are accused in the indictment of taking part in the 15-year scam with New York art dealer Glafira Rosales, who pleaded guilty in 2013 and said she arranged for sales proceeds to be transferred to Spanish banks. Tuesdays ruling did not affect Jose Bergantinos Diaz, who is being sought by U.S. authorities for extradition but has asked to be tried in Spain, the court official said. A civil trial brought forward by clients who bought some of the paintings ended last week in New York with an undisclosed settlement just before the once highly respected president of a gallery was about to testify. The Knoedler & Company gallery closed in 2011 and had defended itself against claims resulting from $69.8 million in sales from the collection of bogus paintings, saying it was duped by the fakes. The trial focused on claims from Domenico De Sole, chairman of the board at Sothebys auction house and a former Gucci CEO, who said the gallery refused to return $8.3 million he spent on a fake painting. Alan Clendenning, Madrid, AP The number of non-resident workers in Macau has risen unabatedly over the last five years, largely due to the growth of the gaming industry over the past decade. Over the same period, the number of skilled imported workers in Macau has grown only marginally, which has been attributed to difficulties in renewing work permits for foreign workers. According to data from the Statistics and Census (DSEC), there were around 70,000 foreign workers in mid-2010. The Public Security Police (PSP) reported up to 181,415 as of January 31, 2016, an increase of almost 160 percent in just over half a decade. Foreign workers in Macau effectively account for just over a quarter of the territorys total population. This growth is mostly driven by the arrival of mainland Chinese workers, who are largely involved in non-skilled labor. By late January 2016, PRC nationals accounted for approximately 63.7 percent of the imported labor workforce (115,688), while those from the Philippines (24,934), Vietnam (14,989) and Hong Kong (8,821) accounted for roughly 13.7 percent, 8.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. However, while non-skilled labor is on the rise, the proportion of imported labor that falls under the category of professional (skilled, qualified employees) has steadily declined proportionally from 7 percent in January 2011 to 3.68 percent in November 2015, according to DSEC. Most foreign workers from the Americas (683), Europe (985) and Oceania (355) are involved in skilled employment. Kam Man Ho, the PR and Communications Manager at the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, told the Times that many French nationals in the MSAR are involved in trade and retail activities (wholesale, retail, import/export, logistics). Kam added that there has been a rise in skilled foreign workers from France, due to the countrys growing status as a key supplier of cosmetics, luxury goods, wine and spirits. Howard Stribbell is the Head of School at The International School (TIS) of Macau and President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Macau; both positions keep him informed about the recruitment of workers from abroad. We continue to see expats coming into Macau, Stribbell told the Times. However, we are also hearing of some expats [applications] being declined when their work visas are due for renewal. The exact reasons for the decline remain unclear in some instances. A representative of the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) told the Times that under the law, the importation of non-resident workers is only allowed on a temporary basis under the conditions of equal cost and efficiency when [the] local labor force is insufficient or non-existent. According to the bureau, this policy is in place to protect employment opportunities for locals. With the unemployment rate hovering around a healthy 2 percent (the rate stood at 1.9 percent throughout the second half of 2015), local Macau residents reportedly have few difficulties securing employment. Furthermore, the growing population of wealthier and better-educated local residents (the average wage reached MOP15,000 in November) is looking at occupations in the service sector, crowding out skilled imported workers from the market. On the governments grants of work visas to skilled foreigners, Stribbell said: The government acknowledges that the demand for service sector workers exceeds the number of Macau workers who are currently available. As such, it facilitates the employment of foreigners while also protecting local citizens jobs. Anecdotally, it seems like the number [of expat workers] is remaining the same or slightly decreasing, he added. In contrast, Kam Man Ho estimated that the size of Macaus French population might have doubled over the last five years, despite government figures revealing little change in the number of aggregate foreign workers from Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. This may be a deliberate policy on the part of government agencies. A DSAL representative told the Times that the Human Resources Office adopts a pragmatic attitude to appropriately adjusting the number of non- resident workers in response to social economic development trends. Imported skilled workers may find it difficult to obtain long-term employment in the MSAR if the Human Resources Office someday deems the local labor market sufficiently qualified for job postings. However, with a growing number of qualified local residents, Macaus population of imported non-skilled workers is set to continue its upward trajectory. Staff reporter Lei Heong Iok and Grant Bowie have both stressed Macaus role in contributing to the Greater China region. MGM, along with the other big-name [casino operators], have changed Macau [] and if we try hard, Macau may change China, said Lei, before adding that the territorys future is in the hands of the gaming concessionaires. He clarified that the industrys contribution could extend beyond Macau to include the whole of China. However, such change would likely be driven by local operators hospitality and tourism elements, rather than gaming. [Mainland Chinese tourists] come here to learn new things, to see new things like world-class hotels. As I said, there are around 30 million mainland tourists coming every year, he explained, implying that Macau can give these tourists something to take back which could contribute to the mainlands development. His sentiments were echoed by MGM Chinas CEO and executive director Grant Bowie, who said, our mission is to make a positive difference to Macau and to China. Thats a very big challenge. So how do we make a difference? Bowie questioned. Well, we start with ourselves [] we can turn Macau into a significant tourism destination [and contribute to China by] building a service sector here in Macau with skills [that are] transferable to China. A round 60 students of the Foundation of Casino Management Program (FCMP), a course co-organized by MGM and the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) Gaming Teaching and Research Center, graduated yesterday at a ceremony attended by MGM Chinas CEO and executive director Grant Bowie, as well as the President of IPM, Professor Lei Heong Iok. The course is designed to support casino pit managers through a range of training and career advancement programs. Over 260 MGM managers have completed the program since its inception in June 2015. Yesterdays event celebrated the first graduating class successful completion of the course. A similar event has been planned in the near future for 60 more graduating pit managers. MGM is proud to offer our team members the best available training and resources so that they may reach their career aspirations and achieve greatness, Grant Bowie said. Addressing the graduates, Lei Heong Iok commented: [The] Macau gaming industry has to enhance its adaptability and increase investment in diversification, as well as acquire and retain high-quality talent. Together [IPM and MGM] we will strive so that when the next growth phase of the gaming industry comes you can be prepared to fly even higher with your career, Lei added. The graduation ceremony featured a video collage of course participants and some individual classes. Student representatives Danny Mui and Echo Chan took to the stage to share their experience of the program and what they had learned. Students taking the course are required to complete a compulsory three-day Skills Enhancement and Development Program during normal working hours. Participants are instructed in Theory and Common Knowledge of Table Games Management; Introduction to Management & Leadership and Roles; Responsibilities of Frontline Management; and Handling Conflicts & Stress Management. Participants must also complete a two-week theory course and a four-week shadowing program in specific roles, in order to improve customer service and skills in building rapport with management and subordinate staff. Staff reporter Four prison guards in northern Vietnam have been suspended for alleged negligence after a female inmate, on death row for drug trafficking, became pregnant, which means her death sentence will be commuted to life in prison once her child is born, state media reported yesterday. The Thanh Nien newspaper said Nguyen Thi Hue, 42, was arrested in 2012 for drug trafficking and sentenced to death in 2014. A court rejected her appeal the same year. The paper reported that while in prison Hue paid USD2,300 to a male inmate to help her get pregnant. It said the 27 year-old male inmate twice put his sperm in a plastic bag with a syringe in a mutually agreed place and Hue inseminated herself. She became pregnant and is expected to give birth in about two months. Under Vietnamese law, Hue will have her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment for having a child under 3 years of age. Police in Quang Ninh province were not available for comment yesterday. In 2007, two prison guards in northern province of Hoa Binh were sentenced for up to five years in prison for abuse of power for allowing a female inmate to get pregnant with a male inmate. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the largest of Chinas 39 ocean theme parks and situated just across the border from Macau, attracted 80,000 visitors in a single day last year, according to a report published by the Washington Post. However, the U.S. newspaper pointed out that Chinas ocean parks have drawn criticism from animal protection groups. The Post paints a dim portrait of the conditions found in the neighboring regions water park: Beluga whales nod in time to loud music, kiss children or spit plumes of water toward the gasping crowd. A walrus blows a trumpet, seals catch Frisbees and dolphins propel their trainers through the water on their beaks. Polar bears pace back and forth in their enclosure, heads lolling as they turn, their distress apparent. Chinese tourists crowd around display windows to snap quick close-ups on their phones, the report reads. Whale sharks swim in a giant aquarium beside the parks fanciest restaurant, while outside, roller-coaster rides, carousels and parades of ocean-themed floats follow the formula popularized by SeaWorld in Florida, rendered with a dash of Disney and a Chinese twist, it continues. The largest of Chinas 39 ocean theme parks has 18 belugas and 41 bottlenose dolphins, according to a new report by the China Cetacean Alliance (CCA), a coalition of international animal protection groups. According to the report many animals in captivity are often kept in conditions that are inadequate to meet the complex physical and behavioral needs of cetaceans. However, the article is not wholly critical of the park, which is allegedly the only ocean theme park in China that provides public information about financial support for the conservation of cetaceans in their natural habitat. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is one of the worlds largest aquariums. It opened in Hengqin in 2014 as part of a huge tourism complex that includes three hotels. PB The Mediterranean has become one of the most popular tourist destinations. Its name, from the latin, means sea in the middle of the land, and why the natural spectacle that offers is unique. Its coast, bathed by the beautiful sea, left to the tourist enjoy the best days. So travel in cruise into this zone have been multiplying since some years ago. The Mediterranean Sea is a large sea that includes southern Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. Its major industrial ports are: Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa and Venice. Its most important islands include a: Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Crete, the Ionian, Dodecanese, Cyprus, Cyclades and Sporades; and between their gulfs a: Valencia, Leon, Genoa, Taranto, Venice, Corinth, Antalya and Gran Sirte. Its coasts, formed by cliffs cut by bays, have a great influx of tourists. As already stated, cruises the Mediterranean have been transformed in the last time in one of the most popular products (has increased by 90% the sale of tickets to this amazing destination), and places that are crossed among the emerging destinations such as Malta (island State of Mediterranean Europe, located to the South of Sicily), Antalya and Bodrum (in Turkey) and Croatia. That Yes, destinations are usually runs in a day, since scales in them are usually one day. You can start the tour of the Mediterranean in Barcelona, to then follow by Rome and Naples. Malta is a stop essential in most of the cruises, as well as they are the coasts of Tunisia, Ibiza and Saint-Tropez; the peculiarity of the latter place is the cruise should be anchored some distance from the coast, so passengers are transferred to Earth by boat. In this scale the tourist can stroll through its beautiful streets or or go to its incredible beaches - as Le Club-, to be able to enjoy the stunning crystal waters. Another of the exotic to know sites is Tunisia, and one of the cities more expected to traverse is the Balearic Island, especially by young people. Ibiza also arouses expectations, is the city of night by excellence, although day has a wide variety of activities for all tastes. Something must be clear, not you can tour each full city, since travel on one of these cruises serves to enjoy a little bit of every place; travel on cruise, in short, makes the boat a destination in itself. Ideally, you know take advantage of each place first thing that offers, and there the landscape is more valued. Here is appreciated, and much, the possibility of being able to change destination every morning, which for a large number of tourists is a sublime experience. One day, you for example, will dawn with the landscape of the Greek Islands, another with the romanticism of Venice or the historical Rome. Choose your best destination, and let yourself be carried away by the wonders offered by each of these places. Article written by VayCruceros. com: book Cruises online. TWIN FALLS The City Council gave support Tuesday for a plan to spend an additional $2.3 million to relocate City Hall and upgrade current buildings for a new law enforcement center. In 2014, the city estimated the projects would cost about $7.1 million. But after officials looked more closely at how to use the space inside the new facilities, updated projections put the figure closer to $9.5 million. City staff identified nearly $1 million in additional funding to help compensate. Council members admitted the cost was higher than anticipated but were willing to pay more to give the city something it could be proud of. The councils support provided City Manager Travis Rothweiler and partnering companies the direction needed to proceed with construction documents. I dont think we can scrimp and save at the risk of not doing the project well, Mayor Shawn Barigar said. He added that he was supportive as long as we can keep it affordable without being cheap. Vice Mayor Suzanne Hawkins agreed, saying the city was on the right track. The city plans to move City Hall to the former Banner furniture building and move some law enforcement staff into the former city headquarters. The projects cost expanded when city leaders decided to sink the Council chambers into the basement level of the rehabbed building to allow it to develop upper floors for more office space. City staff also recommended expanding the second floor instead of having a mezzanine, in preparation of anticipated future expansion. Those two decisions really have driven the increase were seeing in the project, Rothweiler said, but in the end were going to have a far superior project. Plans to add additional interview rooms in the new law enforcement center, and construction of a new roof on the police department, also drove costs higher. Hummel Associate Chris Sievers explained that the original, less expensive, plan didnt reflect the full needs of the project. Rothweiler said the short-term additional costs will be worth it in the long-term. The 42,000 square-foot City Hall would accommodate space needs for the next 40 to 50 years, he said, because of built-in opportunities for growth. The new design includes shelled space for future offices. The design of the sunken Council chambers reflected the wishes of a citizen committee that wanted the room more accessible to the public; previous designs had it on the third floor. City spokesman Joshua Palmer said it was critical to have the placement of Council chambers open and accessible from the main entrance reflect the citys belief in transparency. Its the best location and design for the room, he said. It will cost an additional $470,000 for the updated Council chambers design and $800,000 to fully finish the upper floors. Staff also estimated close to $200,000 for displacement costs of both City Hall and police employees, since the new plan would have both construction projects begin almost simultaneously to reduce impact to the police department. City employees would move into a temporary facility to allow for the department to occupy City Hall and begin phasing construction. Rothweiler said it would be important for the city to remain in the area, and the city is considering leasing the Key Bank location. Councilman Chris Talkington asked police representatives at the meeting for a vote of confidence. Are we on track for your needs? he asked. Department leadership gave the council a thumbs-up. Councilman Don Hall said the estimated cost was still far less than remodeling the former Twin Falls clinic, another option the city considered. And we wouldnt have known what we would have gotten into with the clinic, Hall said. Furthermore, he added, the clinics 50,000 square feet may have been too much for the city to know what to do with. Rothweiler agreed the Banner building was the most economical option. Although project estimates are $9.5 million, Rothweiler said $926,000 in current and forecasted impact fees on building permits could be used toward the project. This would require a resolution from Council to borrow $300,000 from the general fund in the short-term. It would leave remaining project costs of about $8.5 million. We have about $15 million in (unrestricted) cash reserves available that could be allocated to one-time projects, Rothweiler said. Starr Corporation is the construction manager and general contractor that provided the cost estimates. From here, the city intends to move forward with construction documents. The process is expected to take about four months and lead to bidding. Construction could start this fall. The new City Hall and public safety complex would likely be under construction at the same time as a major renovation project in the heart of downtown, along Main Avenue. That $17 million redesign, funded through the Urban Renewal Agency, is slated to begin later this year and wrap up at the end of 2017. SHOSHONE Maritzabell Murillo told police she was kidnapped and threatened by two men the same day they shot her boyfriend execution-style and left him for dead in the desert southwest of Shoshone. Now, police say she may have ordered the hit. One of the accused shooters, arrested by Twin Falls police in a McDonalds parking lot last week, told police Murillo asked him and two other men to murder her boyfriend because of relationship problems. Prosecutors have charged Murillo with ordering the attempted murder of her boyfriend, 29-year-old Francisco Javier Bravo-Martinez, and say she was there when he was shot in the stomach, leg and head at close range with a .22-caliber pistol. Murillo, 30, of Filer was arraigned in Lincoln County Magistrate Court last Wednesday on felony counts of solicitation and conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. She was the third person to be arrested in connection to the Jan. 23 shooting. A fourth suspect is still at-large. Antonio Jacob Gallegos, 21, of Twin Falls is wanted on a $1-million warrant out of Lincoln County for his part in the shooting. Hes described as 5-feet 10-inches and 210 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and tattoos on his face, hands, arms, back and chest. He is considered armed and dangerous. Gallegos identity was unknown to Lincoln County Sheriffs deputies until last week when Twin Falls Police arrested David Gonzales Ceballos, one of the other men accused of shooting Bravo-Martinez. Ceballos, 24, of Jerome was also wanted on a $1-million warrant before his arrest last week in Twin Falls. After his arrest, Ceballos provided police with Gallegos identity and revealed Murillos part in the plot to kill her boyfriend. Ceballos told police Murillo was a friend and asked him about taking care of Bravo-Martinez because she was done with him and his abusive nature, court documents said. Ceballos said the message was clear they needed to do more than just rough him up. Ceballos said that it meant that she was done, finished with him and that she wanted him taken care of, a sheriffs sergeant testified in a sworn affidavit. Ceballos said that they were to kill him. Prosecutors say Ceballos, Gallegos and Erik Lopez kidnapped Bravo-Martinez early on the morning Jan. 23 over a $3,000 debt before shooting him and leaving him to die. Bravo-Martinez survived the shooting and called police hours later. After being flown to a Boise hospital to recover from his wounds, he told investigators a more complete story of what happened. The assailants showed up at Bravo-Martinezs house about 4 a.m. and wanted to party, he told investigators. The men drove separate vehicles into the desert north of Jerome where Bravo-Martinez got out of his vehicle to check on a problem with one of his headlights. While outside his vehicle, Bravo-Martinez heard someone yell hey. When he turned around, Gallegos, who Bravo-Martinez couldnt identify, shot him in the stomach, he told investigators. When he tried to run away, he was shot in the leg and fell. After he fell down on to the ground Bravo-Martinez said that Ceballos walked to where he lay, pointed a pistol at his head, said bye, bye ass and then fired approximately three times before he was struck in the head, court documents said. After his arrest last week, Ceballos told police a similar story but filled in some missing details. He said they went to the desert to smoke methamphetamine and Murillo was there when her boyfriend was shot, court documents said. Ceballos said that he heard Bravo-Martinez screaming and then saw him on the ground bleeding, the sheriffs sergeant wrote in the affidavit. Ceballos said that Murillo ran toward Bravo-Martinez and he grabbed her and pushed her away. Ceballos told me that Gallegos came to him and said that he was out of ammunition. Then, while Bravo-Martinez was on the ground, Ceballos (said) he walked to where Bravo-Martinez was laying and shot him in the head, court documents said. Ceballos said the three men then grabbed everything from Bravo-Martinezs car, put Murillo in Lopezs truck and drove to Wendell to get gas. The only reason they didnt steal Bravo-Martinezs car was because it wouldnt start, court documents said. Ceballos, whos also wanted in Sequoyah County, Okla., on a no-bond warrant for drug trafficking, is still being held in Twin Falls County Jail on a felony drug charge. He has yet to be arraigned on the Lincoln County charges. Lopez is being held in Jerome County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26. Murillo is being held in Blaine County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy TWIN FALLS Four Idaho colleges were blindsided when their consortiums physical therapist assistant program in November failed to gain accreditation. But after a review of the program last week, a national accreditation team gave a thumbs-up to the program. Ten CSI students had finished their physical therapist assistant classes but couldnt graduate or take a licensing exam without the accreditation. Two dozen students at the three other campuses were in the same boat. The students will now graduate, and a new cohort of students will enroll in the fall. Led by North Idaho College in Coeur dAlene, the Idaho Consortium for Physical Therapist Assistant Education teaches the program at NIC, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College. An accreditation team from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education reviewed the program Friday on the NIC campus. Jayson Lloyd, an instructional dean who oversees health science programs at CSI, represented the college at the review. The original decision to withhold accreditation was based on some 30 citations for technical issues, not the programs quality, Lloyd said. The NIC website, for example, had failed to update information about a staff change. If quality was the issue, we wouldnt have gotten accreditation, he said. The consortium worked hard to address the concerns of the accreditation team. It mostly required us to do a better job communicating what we were doing. A catch-22 exists in the accreditation system: New professional-technical programs cant apply for accreditation until theyre up and running. Thats the difficult nature with these types of programs, Lloyd said. The news will be a relief to students who have invested thousands of dollars and two years of their time to become physical therapist assistants. Students enrolled knowing the program wasnt accredited. In November 2013, the consortium received candidacy for accreditation. CSIs first cohort of students wrapped up the two-year program in the fall, after starting in spring 2014. This is the only consortium in the nation that operates with four lab locations, as opposed to other consortia who offer the lab instruction from only one partner institution, Doug Maughan, CSI spokeman, said Tuesday. The college consortium is the first of its kind in the U.S. for physical therapy assistants, Lloyd said. It was a model, he said, and as pioneers we tend to hit the potholes others havent gone over. If quality was the issue, we wouldnt have gotten accreditation. Jayson Lloyd, an instructional dean who oversees health science programs at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls BOISE Abortion providers in Idaho would be required to provide women seeking one with a list of free places to get an ultrasound at least 24 hours before the procedure, if a bill introduced Wednesday becomes law. The House State Affairs Committee introduced Rep. Ron Nates bill on a party-line vote, with the committees four Democrats all opposed. Truly informed consent requires complete and accurate information, said Nate, R-Rexburg. His bill would require the state Department of Health and Welfare to compile the list of free places to get an ultrasound that abortion providers would be required to give out. The Idaho Senate passed a law in 2012 requiring an ultrasound before an abortion, but it never got a hearing in the House. Hannah Brass Greer, lobbyist for Planned Parenthood in Idaho, said that, while she hadnt yet seen the bill Wednesday morning, she suspects some of the ultrasound providers on the list would be crisis pregnancy centers that attempt to dissuade women from getting an abortion. She said Planned Parenthood already offers ultrasounds before providing an abortion when there is a medical reason for it. Brass Greer said women can be trusted to make their own medical decisions and she suspects the bill puts the Legislature between women and the health care shes seeking. BOISE (AP) | The Idaho Land Board on Tuesday approved selling most of the commercial properties owned by the Idaho Department of Lands as part of a plan to get rid of holdings that had become a political liability for some of its members. The board voted 5-0 to sell 11 properties in Boise, three in Idaho Falls and one in Heyburn worth about $25 million. A financial consultant, CenturyPacific, said selling the properties at a time when real estate prices are high benefits the state more than holding onto them. The consultant said the current market value is 15 percent more than if the Land Board retained the properties. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said that means, in approving the sale, the board was meeting its constitutional requirement to maximize profit over the long term. "It's the numbers that should be driving the decision making here," Wasden said. Money generated by endowment lands mostly goes to public schools. Wasden, State Controller Brandon Woolf and Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter faced criticism in the last election from challengers who contended state-owned commercial property unfairly competes with private businesses. Lt. Gov. Brad Little chaired the meeting Tuesday and said Otter was out of town, but didn't provide details. Otter's spokesman didn't return a call to The Associated Press on Tuesday. "When you're competing in the real estate market with private industry, I just don't think it's a very good asset type," Little said after the meeting. Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, who replaced the retiring Ben Ysursa on the board, has been a critic of the Land Board managing commercial real estate and was happy the properties would now be auctioned, likely within the next two years. "Hopefully we can procure at least two bidders in each of those auctions," he said, noting the properties wouldn't be allowed to go for less than the appraised value. On the advice of the financial consultant, the board agreed to retain Capitol Park Plaza, which contains offices for the Idaho Department of Lands, and two downtown Boise parking lots. CenturyPacific said those three properties would meet long-term office needs. On a different decision that also involved real estate, the board voted 5-0 to move ahead with a plan intended to wrap up by 2019 the state's efforts to sell hundreds of state-owned residential cottage sites on Priest Lake and Payette Lake in northern Idaho. The plan involves 253 cottage site lots at Priest Lake and 84 at Payette Lake. The plan gives lease holders the opportunity to take part in voluntary auctions for ownership of their leased lot by the end of 2019. More than 180 cottage sites have been auctioned already, most of those in the last two years. In other business Tuesday, the Land Board voted 5-0 to update an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management involving a land swap involving about 50 square miles of state land in southwest Idaho. The board in the same vote approved deferring leasing of mineral development of those state lands until Dec. 31, 2017, to avoid activity in areas considered key sage grouse habitat. Most of the state land is within a federally designated wilderness and state officials would like to trade for more accessible land now under federal management. Deferring mineral development will give the state a chance to swap state land that contains sage grouse habitat. Mineral development on those lands could weaken the state's plan to protect sage grouse habitat. "We want to make sure we don't do anything to jeopardize the sage grouse plan," Little said. BOISE The chairman of the House Transportation Committee has introduced a bill to repeal Idahos ban on complying with the federal REAL ID Act. The bill strikes out the paragraph from the 2005 bill banning compliance that condemns the requirements, and changes shall not participate to shall. The House State Affairs Committee voted with no discussion to print the bill. Transportation Chairman Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, said he expects the bill to be referred to his committee, where itll have a lively hearing, no doubt. There was a backlash in numerous states when Congress passed the stricter drivers license security requirements, citing concerns in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Idaho prohibited state agencies from complying, citing the added expense and federalism concerns. Since then, Idaho has been getting extensions so Idahoans can still use their state licenses to board airplanes and enter federal facilities. When the session started, lawmakers had thought REAL ID could be a more urgent issue, since the last extension was scheduled to run out in October. However, in January the feds granted another extension through Jan. 22, 2018. BOISE A new version of a bill to zone community college trustee districts has been introduced, and boards for both the College of Southern Idaho and College of Western Idaho have voted to support it. Under the new proposal, college trustees would still be required to lived in districts based on population and would be elected at-large by everyone who lives in the district. However, this version changes the transition period from the old to the new systems to ensure trustees who were already elected dont lose their seats until the end of their terms, said sponsor Rep. Greg Chaney, a Republican from Caldwell. The new bill says the zones must be set up by July 1, and candidates running in the November election would have to run based on the zones. Trustees who arent up for re-election this November would remain on the board, appointed to represent one of the zones. If two or more trustees live in the same zone, the trustees with the most time left in their terms get first preference to stay on the board. Trustees would be able to represent a zone they dont live in during the transition but couldnt continue to after their terms expire. Chaney told the House State Affairs Committee he and Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, one of the Senate sponsors of the first bill, met with representatives of all three of Idahos community colleges to hammer out the new bill. The CSI and CWI boards voted Friday to approve the modified bill. Sen. Jim Rice, another Caldwell Republican, came up with the idea for the new transition plan, Chaney said in a statement. I appreciate the efforts and collaboration by the three community colleges in arriving at the present legislation, Chaney said. I feel as though old relationships were strengthened and new friendships were made through this process. The old bill had already passed in the House, but Chaneys bill was opposed by some lawmakers and college officials who said the colleges were not consulted when the bill was being developed. The CSI board voted a week-and-a-half ago to support the idea of zoned representation but to oppose Chaneys original bill. The committee voted unanimously to print the new bill, clearing the way for a full hearing. I want to commend Rep. Chaney for working collaboratively to create a better bill than the last one was, said Rep. John McCrostie, R-Garden City, who opposed the original bill. The CSI board used to have longtime members from Buhl and Jerome, but since 2010, four of the five trustees have lived in Twin Falls. Zoning proposals were introduced in 2011 and 2013 but didnt pass. BOISE Sen. Jim Patricks bill to get rid of the requirement for a front license plate for all vehicles died in a tied vote in the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday. Patrick, a Twin Falls Republican, said 19 states already dont require front plates, and that he has gotten constituent feedback in support of the proposal. Classic cars are already exempt from needing front plates, and Patrick said many newer vehicles, such as some luxury cars and Chevrolet Volts, are being designed without a space for a front plate. This is a national movement, Patrick said. Its not just us. The cars are being manufactured so much differently than they (were) 20 years ago. Tractor trucks and wreckers would have still been required to have front plates. The committee split 4-4, which means the bill doesnt move on. Chairman Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, the only Magic Valley lawmaker on the committee, voted for the measure. Several law enforcement representatives testified against the bill. Idaho State Police Maj. Steve Richardson said it would make it harder for police to do their jobs, and also make it tougher for citizens who are trying to identify hit-and-run drivers, drunken drivers or cars involved in road rage incidents. On a two-lane highway, he said, the camera in the front of a troopers vehicle would capture the plate of an oncoming car but not the back plate. A front plate provides an excellent tool for both citizens and law enforcement personnel, he said. Boise Police Officer Kyle Wills said front plates are useful when police are investigating a theft at a convenience store the stores cameras will generally capture the front of cars parked in front, but not the back. Also, he said, police sometimes run the plates of nearby vehicles when stopped in traffic at an intersection, and find stolen vehicles or people with warrants that way. Most of those plates that were running against are the front license plate, he said. Victor McCraw, who is the division administrator for Police Officer Standards and Training in Idaho but spent his career as an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper, said his job got tougher when Arizona dropped the front plate requirement in 1989, telling a story about a stolen car that he could have identified more easily had it had a front plate. Having two plates at least gives the officer one more chance to take a look at that plate, McCraw said. Fred Birnbaum, vice president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, police would be able to deal with the change because many states already have. Also, he said, it would save Idahoans money when buying their licenses and probably save people a bit on citations as well. Thats $1.4 million in peoples pockets that wouldnt otherwise be there, he said. Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, who supported Patricks bill, said he owns vehicles that have front license plates and classic cars that fall under the exemption and only have one. They all seem to run the same way and the police seem to stop me at the same times for the same reasons, he said. Patrick introduced a second bill last week to drop the front plate requirement only for vehicles that are not manufactured with a spot for one. That bill is still pending in Senate Transportation. We are entering uncharted waters in the history of the U.S. system of checks and balances, with potentially momentous consequences. Having gridlocked the Senate for years, Republicans now want to gridlock the Supreme Court with a campaign of partisan sabotage aimed at denying the presidents constitutional duty to pick nominees. Republicans should not insult the American peoples intelligence by pretending there is historical precedent for what they are about to do. There is not. The Senate has confirmed Supreme Court nominees both in election years and in the last year of a presidencyas recently as 1988, a presidential election year when a Democratic Senate confirmed President Ronald Reagans nomination of Justice Anthony Kennedy in the final year of his administration. My colleague and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was a member of the Judiciary Committee then and voted to confirm Kennedy. More recently, Grassley stated, The reality is that the Senate has never stopped confirming judicial nominees during the last few months of a presidents term. That is true. For his part, my counterpart, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Saturday called for the American people to have a voice in this process. Their voice was heard loud and clear when they elected and reelected President Obama, twice handing him the constitutional power to nominate Supreme Court justices. That is how our system works and has worked for more than 200 years. Until now, even through all the partisan battles of recent decades, the Senates constitutional duty to give a fair and timely hearing and a floor vote to the presidents Supreme Court nominees has remained inviolable. This Republican Senate would be the first in history to abdicate that vital duty. This constitutional duty has transcended partisan battles because it is essential to the basic functioning of our co-equal branches of government. By ignoring its constitutional mandate, the Senate would sabotage the highest court in the United States and aim a procedural missile at the foundation of our system of checks and balances. The good news is that there is still time for heated rhetoric to yield to reasoned action. The Senate can get there if Republicans take a deep breath, put partisan politics aside and think this through, as Americans first and foremost. It is easy to get caught up in the partisan swirl of an election year, but I would urge my Republican colleagues to remember that the consequences of blocking any nominee, regardless of merits, would hang over their heads for the rest of their careers. The rash statement that McConnell issued a few hours after Justice Antonin Scalias death was announced framed the precedent at stake in the broadest possible terms, arguing that, starting now, any president should be denied the right to fill a vacancy in a presidential election year. Not only is that principle absurd on its face, but if we set that precedent now, there is nothing to stop future Senates from sliding further down that slippery slope. It is a small and easily envisioned step to go from no Supreme Court confirmations in this specific election year to no confirmations in any election year. Our founders who envisioned a fair, bipartisan process must be rolling in their graves. If we enshrine these precedents and declare a functioning Supreme Court optional, subordinate to the whim of the Senate majority, it is easy to envision a future where the Supreme Court is routinely crippled. If my Republican colleagues proceed down this reckless path, they should know that this act alone will define their time in the majority. Thinking otherwise is fantasy. If Republicans proceed, they will ensure that this Republican majority is remembered as the most nakedly partisan, obstructionist and irresponsible majority in history. All other impressions will be instantly and irretrievably swept away. My Republican Senate colleagues should know, too, that they will be unconditionally surrendering their party to hard-line presidential candidates Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Donald Trump. Behind closed doors, many of my colleagues complain about the direction their party has taken in recent years. But if they cross this Rubicon, they will be as culpable as Cruz or Trump themselves, having resigned any claim to leadership and enlisting as foot soldiers in a radical effort to obstruct and delegitimize President Obama at all costs. I understand that this is a strategy born of necessity, not strength. My Republican colleagues fear the right wing of their party. But I would ask my colleagues: Are the cheering of Trumps crowds or the adulation of Cruzs acolytes worth sacrificing your basic constitutional duty? Are these the forces you went into public service to serve? If there were ever a time to take a stand for moderation and common sense, this is it. I have participated in my fair share of fights over the judiciary. But throughout them all, we always guaranteed Supreme Court nominees a fair hearing and a floor vote. Even nominees such as Robert Bork, whom Democrats vehemently opposed, were given that basic courtesy. Indeed, in the most recent debates over the judiciary, Democrats actions have been aimed at guaranteeing fair votes for as many qualified nominees as possible. In response to unprecedented Republican obstruction, Democrats changed the Senate rules in 2013 to allow qualified nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority vote, instead of 60 votes. This change alleviated judicial emergencies across the country by allowing a flood of qualified nominees to be confirmed. (We stopped short of changing the threshold for Supreme Court nominees maybe that was a mistake.) If Republicans proceed down this path, one side effect will be settling that debate once and for all and proving that Republican obstruction is so extraordinary so historically unprecedented that this nuclear option was indeed necessary. That said, I would much rather be vindicated in some other way. I urge my Republican colleagues, for the good of the country and the sanctity of the American system of government, to recall what Grassley said only a few short years ago: A Supreme Court nomination isnt the forum to fight any election. It is the time to perform one of our most important Constitutional duties and decide whether a nominee is qualified to serve on the nations highest court. Those words are as true today as when they were first spoken. Pursuing their radical strategy in a quixotic quest to deny the basic fact that the American people elected President Obama twice would rank among the most great rash and reckless actions in the history of the Senate. And the consequences will reverberate for decades. Since Lavoy Finicum was killed most people seem to believe he brought the fatal shooting on himself. Can federal and state officials now utilize snipers and SWAT teams to take the lives of troublemakers, U.S. citizens, without any accountability and oversight? Federal officials, including snipers, targeted an elderly rancher, Cliven Bundy, who had been involved in grazing dispute with the federal government. But who in their right mind could not see how grossly disproportionate and dangerous that action was in comparison to any possible threat? However, as Sen. Harry Reid said after the Bundy confrontation, the dispute between the federal government and ranchers clearly wasnt over yet. Well, Reid, federal officials, the FBI and the Oregon State Police made good on Reids threat when they brutally executed Lavoy Finicum in a traffic stop." By all accounts, and what little footage has been released, Mr. Finicum never pointed a gun at federal officials, the FBI agents, Oregon State Police or anyone else that day. He never even had a gun in his hand and he was certainly no terrorist. Unfortunately for ranchers, the Obama administration ignores the actual terrorists in this country as much as possible, and instead treats elderly Mormon ranchers as neoterrorists. It is a sad commentary that many real terrorists have actually received full due process in the federal courts while Mr. Finicum, a United States citizen, was executed without a single day in court to answer any charges against him. This unnecessary killing of a U.S. citizen without any public inquiry would set a very dangerous precedent. It must be investigated by an independent, special prosecutor to the fullest extent possible. Call or write your congressmen if you agree. Mark J. Guerry Castleford Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui (left) meets journalists with his ROK counterpart Lim Sung-nam during their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Tuesday.[Photo/AFP] China supports a new and stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a senior diplomat was quoted by the Xinhua News Agency as saying on Tuesday. Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui made the remark after talks with ROK First Vice-Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam in Seoul, Xinhua reported. But Zhang stressed that a fundamental solution should be sought through dialogue and negotiations. Zhang was in Seoul to attend the seventh China-Republic of Korea High-Level Strategic Dialogue between Foreign Ministries. The gathering took place amid heightened reactions by the United States and the ROK against the DPRK's recent nuclear test and rocket launch. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated on Tuesday that China supports the Security Council in passing new sanctions resolutions against the DPRK. He said the aim of the sanctions should be to deter the DPRK from advancing its nuclear and missile program, and any new Security Council actions should take this "definite direction". ROK President Park Geun-hye said her country would take strong measures against the DPRK, and should use all possible means to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Yonhap reported. Park's comment came after the US and the ROK announced on Feb 7 the start of formal consultations on the viability of the US deploying a powerful missile system to the US military base in the ROK. On Tuesday, Zhang reiterated opposition to the deployment, a move that Foreign Minister Wang Yi said earlier would directly damage China's strategic security interests. Wang said in Munich on Friday that China would not accept war and turbulence on the Korean Peninsula and that China's legitimate national security interests must be guarded and guaranteed effectively. The ROK has engaged in a series of diplomatic activities aimed at securing the international community's support for strong measures against the DPRK's nuclear test and rocket launch. During his visit to the US from Wednesday to Saturday, Cho Taeyong, a senior ROK national security official, will meet with US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken for talks about strong sanctions being imposed on the DPRK, Yonhap reported. According to the ROK Foreign Ministry, during the past week ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byungse met with counterparts from China, the European Union, Germany and Russia to discuss ways to respond to the DPRK's actions. Hezbollahs Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia and Turkey of trying to undertake actions contrary to peace in Syria as President Assad and his allies have put the warn-torn country on a new track. In a speech marking the organizations Martyr Leaders Day Tuesday, Nasrallah alleged that Riyadh and Ankara are acting out of hatred and are trying to end Assads rule. Instead of focusing on fighting the Islamic State, they want to gain a foothold in Syria, he said. Nasrallah was speaking from an undisclosed location and his message was relayed to supporters through a video link. He claimed that the armed groups backed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey did not deliver and the recent actions of the two governments are due to the disappointments they experienced in Syria. Ankara has been shelling Kurdish forces for the past four days while Riyadh has sent warplanes to a Turkish airbase after stating that it was ready to deploy ground forces in Syria. Nasrallah said through their plans to send ground troops into Syria, Saudis and Turks seek to be present at the negotiations table or continue the war before adding that Turkey has suffered the fall of its new Ottoman empire scheme. Fighting is taking place less than 25 km away from the Turkish border. Syria and Russia have already warned against ground intervention of foreign troops in Syria because it would prolong the war and Nasrallah expressed a similar opinion. Hezbollah supports Assad and has fighters in Syria. Joining the bloc of those opposed to sending ground troops to Syria, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Tuesday slammed Saudi Arabias plans to send boots to war-torn Syria to combat the Islamic State fighters. Those who are operating in Syria without the authority of the sovereign government in Syria are violating international law, he told a news conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. Zarif admitted Iran has military advisers in Syria supporting the Assad Regime but added that they were there at the request of the Syrian president. Zarif also rapped Saudi Arabia for its role in the UN-brokered Syrian talks which hit deadlock, saying that people from outside cannot say what should be the outcome of the negotiations. The outcome of the negotiations will be determined by the Syrians inside the negotiating room, not in the capitals of the region, particularly, in Riyadh. They will not and cannot make the decision for the people in Syria. The Iranian top diplomat also lambasted Riyadh for its air offensive in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels UN aid chief, Stephen OBrien, told the Security Council that delivering humanitarian aid in Yemen is a major challenge as warring parties continue to limit access to areas under their control. He lamented the inconsistency of the Houthis and their allies in granting access to aid workers and the warning issued by the Saudi-led coalition for workers to leave areas under the control of the Houthis. Last week, the coalition also diverted a humanitarian ship chartered by the World Food Program that left Djibouti for the Yemeni port of Hodeidah to the port of Jizan in Saudi Arabia. OBrien reminded the parties that they have to respect international humanitarian law in order to facilitate humanitarian access to all areas of Yemen as he stressed that in their military operations, they need to protect all civilian persons and entities from attacks. While he acknowledged that aid deliveries are continuing in the areas controlled by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) he described the organization as extremely challenging and dangerous. The Houthis approve aid missions in some areas and reject others while the coalition had in the beginning of the month requested that the UN and other international organizations move away from areas where the Houthi militia and their supporters are active and in areas where there are military operations. The call was rejected by the UN aid chief who said their work is founded on impartiality and on the basis of need although the Saudi-led coalition replied that it was not meant to block any humanitarian action but only for safety reasons. OBrien said a coalition airstrike landed 200 meters away from the Diplomatic Transit Facility on Sunday. The facility houses UN and diplomatic personnel. King Mohammed VI and French president Francois Hollande have called on the Libyan House of Representatives to quickly approve the new line-up for unity government to restore peace to Libya where the prevailing violence is threatening the stability of the whole region. During their meeting held Wednesday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the two Heads of State reviewed latest developments of the Libyan conflict, which poses great challenges to security in the Maghreb and Eastern Mediterranean regions, says a press release issued by the Kings Office. On this occasion, president Hollande commended the key role played by Morocco in the peace process held under the UN auspices. This laborious process was crowned by the peace deal sealed in the Moroccan city of Skhirat, spelling out a new national unity government in Libya backed by the United Nations. The first 32-member cabinet list was rejected by the MPs of the internationally recognized Parliament, based in Tobruk, saying it includes too many ministers. The Tobruk lawmakers also snubbed the first government unity list because the UN refused to exclude amendments added by the Islamist authorities. The amendments that irked the Tobruk lawmakers would give the unity government the power to fire all senior Libyan officials not unanimously approved by its members. A new revised list for a unity government has been worked out in a bid to end violence and bloodshed between armed rival warring factions. The new proposed cabinet list, which includes 13 ministers and five ministers of state, has been sent to Libyas eastern parliament for approval. Besides the Libyan conflict, the Paris talks between King Mohammed VI and President Francois Hollande also covered bilateral relations. The French President thanked the Moroccan Sovereign for his personal commitment and sustained efforts that contributed to the success of the UN conference on climate change (COP21) held lately in Paris. The two Heads of State also agreed to work out a joint road map to enhance coordination, ensure ratification by all member States of the Paris agreement and guarantee the success of the 22nd UN conference on climate change (COP22) to be held in Marrakech 7-18 Nov.2016 The two leaders also praised the Moroccan-French close cooperation in economic and cultural fields as well as in the war against terrorism, transnational crime and extremism. Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab killed Somalias former defense minister on Monday. Muhidin Mohamed, ex-defense minister and Parliamentary Counsellor, died in the capital Mogadishu after the terrorist group planted an explosive device to his car, officials said. The deceased man served as minister of defense at the time of Prime Minister Nur Hassan. We are behind his killing, al Shabaabs military operations spokesman said. A second person in the car is said to have survived the blast with minor injuries. The Al-Shabaab, who are fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, carry out regular attacks in the capital. It controlled Mogadishu and briefly aligned on Al Qaeda in 2012 in a bid to impose Shariah law on Somalias urban centers, but infighting over tactics doomed the deadly union. Now based in Kenya and Somalias rural areas, Al Shabaab are on the run, but still deadly. The group has publicly vowed to carry out terror attacks in Kenya in response to that countrys military actions in Somalia, and appears to be making another move into the Somali capital. Somalias nearly decade-long battle with al-Shabaab has claimed thousands of lives. At least one person has been killed and several others wounded following clashes in Ugandas capital, Kampala, between police and supporters of main opposition presidential candidate Kizza Besigye. According to Al-Jazeera, Kizza Besigye, a three-time failed presidential candidate who heads the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, was arrested after street clashes as he campaigned in the capital Kampala ahead of Thursdays election. Several people were wounded in the clashes as police fired bullets and tear gas while Besigyes supporters threw rocks and erected street blockades in the capital. Police said Besigye was detained because he did not stick to an authorized route, and his diversion would disrupt businesses. There has been a substantial rise in the number of police deployed around Kampala, which is seen as an opposition stronghold. Museveni says he will deploy the military to protect the peace during the elections and has threatened to smash those who threaten national security. Uganda has not had a peaceful transfer of power since the countrys independence from Britain in 1962. Museveni himself took power by force in 1986. The U.S. is urging the government and electoral authorities to ensure a level playing field and transparent process, including through fair application of the law, so that all candidates have an equal opportunity to express their views and voters have the opportunity to hear them. The 71-year-old Museveni, who in theory cannot serve more than one more five-year term, has promised to crush any demonstrations against the election result. The smartphone was between manufacturers is pretty strong these days but the PC market despite the decline in market share is still a thriving industry. In fact, companies like Huawei is getting ready to extend their reach to serve the declining PC market with Microsoft's big push at Windows 10 . With that in mind, Australian-based Harvey Norman which has stores throughout Malaysia is entering the PC market with the Malaysia-exclusive Charge Plus 2-in-1 computer.Made in collaboration with Intel Malaysia and Microsoft Malaysia, the Charge Plus 2-in-1 will be exclusively available at Harvey Norman outlets throughout the country. While the device does not explicitly have any sort of Harvey Norman branding whatsoever, the device is very much a proprietary product.At the core of Harvey Norman's Charge Plus 2-in-1 laptop convertible is Intel's Cherry Trail T8300 SoC paired with 2GB of RAM and the device does run Windows 10 too. The 11.6-inch display is detachable and this compact tablet convertible PC has 64GB of internal memory that can be expanded with a microSD card. Harvey Norman is pricing this one of a kind device atand if you are the first 500 customer to purchase the device, you will also walk away with freebies that is worth over RM 1,000.Learn more about Harvey Norman's Charge Plus 2-in-1 computer here ORIGINAL SOURCE: LOWYAT.NET Georgia to Reintroduce Visa-Free Rules with Iran from Feb.15 Georgia will reintroduce 45-day visa-free travel rules for Iranian citizens starting from February 15, 2016, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.Georgias Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Jalagania notified Irans ambassador, Abbas Talebifar, of the change at a meeting on February 8.Also on February 8, Georgias PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Irans President held a phone conversation and discussed cooperation, including the lifting of visa rules for Iranian citizens.Georgia and Iran signed an agreement on 45-day visa-free travel rules in November 2010, when the then-Foreign Minister of Iran visited Georgia.The agreement went into force in late January 2011, which contributed to an increase in the number of visits from Iran to Georgia from about 21,300 in 2010 to 60,000 and over 89,000 in 2011 and 2012, respectively.Georgia unilaterally suspended the visa-free rules with Iran in July 2013, which was followed by a decline of visits from Iran to Georgia from 85,700 in 2013 to 47,900 and 25,200 in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Georgia, Euro-Atlantic structures and Russian propaganda By Messenger Staff Increasingly effective Russian propaganda has raised the possibility that Tbilisi might slow or suspend its efforts towards greater Euro-Atlantic integration, reads a report written by James Clapper, the head of the United States National Intelligence Service.Even as Georgia progresses with reforms, Georgian politics will almost certainly be volatile as political competition increases. Economic challenges are also likely to become a key political vulnerability for the government before the 2016 elections.Rising frustration among Georgias elites and the public with the slow pace of Western integration and increasingly effective Russian propaganda raise the prospect that Tbilisi might slow or suspend efforts toward greater Euro-Atlantic integration. Tensions with Russia will remain high, and we assess that Moscow will raise the pressure on Tbilisi to abandon closer EU and NATO ties, reads the report.Several days ago, NATO representative James Appathurai said that it unlikely for Georgia to gain a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the Warsaw Summit.Commenting on the statement, Georgias Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli said that MAP has never been demanded by the current Georgian Government, and that her Governments main priority was full NATO membership.After putting the issue to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he said it was practically impossible for a state to become a NATO member without obtaining MAP.At the same time, Georgia is consistently praised by Euro-Atlantic bodies for fulfilling its tasks and contributing towards international military missions.If NATO still refuses to give Georgia MAP, and if the European Union also refrains from making a political decision on visa-free travel, Georgians might well be trapped by Russian propaganda; Georgia has progressed too far and sacrificed too much (especially a score of dead and wounded soldiers) to still denied true political entry into the West. The News in Brief Iran ready to provide Georgia with enough gas volumes Ambassador As the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Georgia, Abbas Talebifar, has declared, Iran is ready to provide Georgia with gas for domestic usage as well as for transit purposes. According to the Ambassador, Georgia should act according to its national interests and it is logical to search for alternative energetic sources, an action common to every other state. Iran is ready to cooperate with Georgia in the energy field and provide it with enough gas volumes for domestic usage as well as for transit that will bring additional incomes for your country, said the Ambassador. According to him, preparatory works are currently underway at present, and several routes are being considered. The Azerbaijani route is also being discussed. This country expresses readiness for providing Georgia with gas via its territory. Armenia also says it is prepared to offer assistance. The issue of electricity exchange is also being discussed Iran will receive energy from Georgia when needed, and vice versa. This issue will be comprehensively discussed during Minister Kaladzes visit to Iran, the Ambassador said. (IPN) Should unmarked police cars be equipped with video cameras? A proposal to put cameras in unmarked police cars and use video recordings to fine drivers for traffic violations has been met with suspicion in Georgia. According to the bill, police will be entitled to install secret video cameras in unmarked patrol cars and secretly record traffic violations, which later will be used to fine drivers without the police ever being in contact with the driver. Non-government organizations do not approve of the proposal, which was put forth by the Interior Ministry, and several political parties have said they will not support it, including the Republican Party, which is a member of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition. Spokespeople for the Georgian Dream government say there are mistakes in the draft bill, but it is not clear whether they will support it or not. Gia Volsky, the head of the Georgian Dream faction in Parliament, says he believes that there will be hard discussions about this part of the bill. He said that his party plans to gather next week and decide on a course of action. The government has requested that the bill go through a fast-track procedure during Parliaments fall session, but it is still hard to say whether Parliament will pass it or not, as the assembly has barely started discussing it. Transparency International Georgia claims that the draft violates human rights guaranteed by the Constitution, offends rules for processing personal data and might lead to an abuse of power by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. TI Georgia explains that unmarked patrol cars will be able to collect information about the personal contacts of people, their movement, social attitudes etc, which is a violation of privacy. Eka Gigauri, executive director of TI Georgia, explains that under todays rules, it is necessary to get permission from a court before installing secret cameras, wiretapping and surveillance, otherwise you cannot collect information without informing the person under surveillance. We believe that [the bill] violates the Constitution, our legislation and a number of international laws, she said. Drivers might result in thinking that each car approaching them might be recording a video that could later be used to fine them. Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said the bill contains risks and he wants it to be discussed broadly and thoroughly. Today, legislation requires photo and video equipment to be installed in a visible location. (DF watch) 292 cases of H1N1 medically confirmed in Georgia According to the latest data, 292 cases of the so-called swine flu (H1N1 virus) have been medically confirmed in Georgia. As the National Disease Control Center reports, 302 flu cases have been revealed and 292 of them belong to the H1N1 type of virus. Of these, 10 of them are the H3N2 strain of the virus. A total of 12 cases have ended in fatalities; 11 were caused by H1N1 and 1 by H3N2. (IPN) A bill to bar cities and counties from installing cameras at intersections to catch red light runners, narrowly passed its final committee stop in the Florida House and is now heading to the full House. State Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, said the cameras have become a "backdoor tax" where cities and counties are more interested in collecting traffic fines than promoting public safety. "It's about money," Artiles said, moments before his bill passed 14-12 in the House Appropriations Committee. The close vote came just after Melissa Wandall, the widow of a Bradenton man who helped inspire passage of the state's red light camera law in 2010, made an emotional plea for lawmakers to oppose Artiles' bill. She said people like her late husband Mark had to die for the state to agree to allow red light cameras. She said cameras are a key part of an overall effort to make Florida's roads safer. Wandall said after the vote it was disappointing to see the legislation pass and with the help of State Rep.Greg Steube, R-Sarasota. Wandall lives in Steube's district and his predecessor in the House is former State Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, who sponsored the red light camera law in 2010. A similar bill in the Florida Senate sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, still has two committees to clear before it can get to a Senate floor vote. In order for the red light camera ban to become law, identical bills must pass both the House and Senate and be allowed by Gov. Rick Scott. A Democratic group has filed an election complaint against Jeb Bush and the Right to Rise PAC which supports the former Florida governor. The American Democracy Legal Fund, a Democratic group led by operative Brad Woodhouse, filed the complaint Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The complaint alleges that Bush decided to run for president in January 2015 but didn't formally announce until June and therefore failed to register with the FEC within 15 days of deciding to run for president. The complaint also alleges that Bush raised funds for the super PAC. The complaint expands upon earlier complaints filed by the same group. Ted Cruz says Marco Rubio is so soft on illegal immigration that he even supports President Barack Obamas program to allow some young people to remain in the United States. The two senators battling in the Republican presidential primary have fought over immigration policy since Rubio co-authored an immigration bill in 2013 and Cruz voted against it. Cruzs criticism includes what Rubio has said about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals -- the program started under Obama in 2012 to give temporary legal status to people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. "He went on Univision, and in Spanish he promised that he would not on the first day in office rescind President Obama's illegal executive action," Cruz told Fox News Sean Hannity on Feb. 15. Rubios campaign pushed back by retweeting several tweets that accused Cruz of mischaracterizing Rubios position. Cruz made a similar attack during the Feb. 13 debate in South Carolina to which Rubio replied: "Well, first of all, I don't know how he knows what I said on Univision because he doesn't speak Spanish." (Cruz told Fox News in 2012 that his Spanish was "lousy.") So was something lost in translation here, or has Rubio sided with Obama on the policy? We decided to check the record on what Rubio said on Univision and elsewhere. See what PolitiFact Florida found. @ByKristenMClark The Florida League of Women Voters and advocates for traditional public schools lambasted Republican state lawmakers today for proposing and considering a constitutional amendment that would set up a state-appointed board with the power to "authorize, operate, control, and supervise" charter schools across Florida. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately managed. School districts currently have the ability to authorize new charter schools based on criteria set forth in state law. But some school districts have tried to push back on the proliferation of charter schools in a way that Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, has said violates those rules and injects subjectivity into what is supposed to be a black-and-white approval process. He and Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, are proposing the change to Florida's Constitution to give charter school applicants an alternate authority from which to get the needed approval. (More here). They have said it wouldn't reduce local power, but critics -- including the league -- disagree. "It would be a major change to the Florida Constitution, disregarding school districts' authority," league President Pamela Goodman said, during a league rally on the steps of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee. "It's another example of the continued push to privatize public schools and establish a parallel system that diverts money to for-profit corporations," Goodman said, calling it an "egregious attack on public schools." Diaz, a proponent of charter schools, told the Herald/Times in a text message that "it's unfortunate they (the league) spend time and energy trying to limit educational choices for parents and students across the state." "Charter schools are public schools and they should be one of the many choices students in our state have," he said. Diaz's version (HJR 759) is ready for consideration on the House floor, while Stargel's measure in the Senate (SJR 976) has stalled in committee. Her bill was supposed to be heard in late January by the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Committee, but it was postponed and hasn't been scheduled for consideration again since. The committee has not met for two weeks and it's unclear whether it will have another meeting this session. Committee Chairman John Legg, a Republican senator from Trinity, did not return a message seeking comment. The Legislature 10 years ago tried to create a state-authorizing body for charter schools but it was struck down in the courts. Diaz's and Stargel's bills would send to voters a constitutional amendment to codify the charter school authorizer in the Florida Constitution. Constitutional amendments must be approved by three-fifths of both the House and Senate: 72 members in the House and 24 in the Senate. Then, the proposal must get 60-percent approval from voters in order to change the Constitution. The league was joined at their rally by Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, but he left the steps prior to the league's discussion of the proposed charter school amendment. (More here on his appearance in Tallahassee.) @MichaelAuslen A Florida House health care panel on Wednesday approved an expansion of medical marijuana, clearing the proposal for floor votes in both chambers of the Legislature. The panel also changed the language in HB 307, eliminating an expansion of the number of nurseries licensed to grow and sell medical marijuana. The bill, by Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, and Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, would allow people with terminal illnesses to use medical marijuana. It gained support from Republicans and Democrats on the House Health and Human Services Committee. But some groups continue to voice concerns about the number of licensed growers. Just five nurseries, which were already chosen by the Department of Health to grow low-THC cannabis under a 2014 law, will be allowed to establish dispensaries. Three of those licenses are bogged down in a lawsuit. Under the new language passed Wednesday, three additional nurseries could be licensed to if the total number of medical marijuana patients surpassed 250,000 in Florida. An earlier version of the bill increased the number of licensed nurseries outright. Some say the threshold is unrealistically high. They want to see it dropped, saying it will open the market to more competition. There are about 150,000 terminally ill patients in Florida, said Jeff Kottkamp, the former lieutenant governor and a lobbyist for marijuana company AltMed. If every single one of them registered with the state, wed never reach the point where additional licenses are made available That number is way too high. Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, the sponsor of a medical marijuana bill in the Senate, said he likes the changes made in the House but pointed out that specific numbers are negotiable. The changes, he said, will help get drugs to people who need them, especially those eligible for low-THC cannabis who have been waiting almost two years since the Legislature legalized it. Among those patients are children suffering from cancer or severe epilepsy. The thing the House language does and something that I would like to see done is put an end to these challenges to those five licenses and get this product to the people who were promised the product in 2014, Bradley said. Im very pleased to see what the House did today. Bradley said its too early to tell what will happen on the Senate side, where his bill has different provisions from the House, but hes hopeful a compromise between the two chambers could pass. @ByKristenMClark Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Miguel Diaz de la Portilla said Tuesday evening a proposal allowing 1.5 million people with concealed weapons permits in Florida to openly carry handguns is officially dead for the 2016 session. "Open carry is not going to happen; it's done," the Miami Republican senator told reporters. Diaz de la Portilla had expressed growing reluctance for weeks about holding a hearing on SB 300, saying last week it was "on life support." It's among three gun bills he's killing this session by not granting them hearings in his committee, a powerful prerogative that committee chairman have. Last month, Diaz de la Portilla said he wouldn't hear a similarly controversial bill that would allow concealed-weapons permit-holders to carry concealed on public college and university campuses. Also Tuesday, he said he won't hear a bill that would allow concealed weapons to be carried in Florida airport terminals. (It passed its first committee earlier in the day but it won't be heard in the House, so it was essentially dead anyway.) On all of these gun bills, I dont believe any of them are necessary, Diaz de la Portilla said. They could result in unintended consequences. I think we need to prioritize in our committee, as far as what we hear. We cant hear every bill thats referred to us. Both the campus-carry and open-carry bills passed the Republican-heavy House earlier this month. Diaz de la Portilla's decision to halt both of them has made him the target of praise from gun-control supporters and of anger from gun-rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association. (More here.) UPDATE: (8:45 p.m.) The Florida League of Women Voters -- one of the vocal opponents to open carry -- issued a statement this evening applauding Diaz de la Portilla's decision. "This bill was an assault on public safety and yet another case of the gun lobby trying to force their way into the legislative agenda," league President Pamela Goodman said. "The League of Women Voters of Florida cannot praise Senator Diaz de la Portilla enough for listening to his constituents, listening to law enforcement, and listening to the vast majority of Floridians in opposing open carry." @ByKristenMClark After more debate, a contentious plan to reform how traditional public schools and charter schools get money for capital costs -- and how they can use those dollars -- is on its way to the Florida House floor for consideration. The House Education Committee advanced the proposal by Miami Republican Rep. Erik Fresen on Wednesday morning by a 13-4 vote. Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, joined Republicans in support, while the rest of the panel's Democrats opposed it. It was the second and final hearing for Fresen's proposal since it was amended onto a related education bill last week by the House Appropriations Committee. Fresen's proposal (in HB 873) is two-fold. Primarily, it calls for reining in school districts' spending on capital costs, by holding all available revenues -- including locally raised dollars -- to a state cap on what it costs to build the space for each student. Fresen has presented data showing what he calls excessive cost-overruns by districts in the past 10 years, findings that superintendents argue are too simplistic. "If, at whatever point, the locals are not dealing with that, we need to create a system where that doesnt happen anymore," Fresen said. The more controversial part of the proposal would force districts to share some of their local tax revenue with charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed. Fresen said his goal is equitable funding for charter schools and he's offering "a formula thats blind to politics." And, while we're on the subject, here's Lee Smith: Even die-hard supporters of President Barack Obamas realist approach to foreign affairs are nauseated by the White Houses Syria policy. New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, a vocal supporter of the nuclear weapons agreement with Iran, is fed up with nearly five years of the fecklessness and purposelessness of a Syria policy that has become hard to distinguish from Russian President Vladimir Putins. Syria is now the Obama administrations shame, Cohen wrote last week, a debacle of such dimensions that it may overshadow the presidents domestic achievements. Ambassador Dennis Ross and New York Times military correspondent David Sangeralso published articles excoriating Obamas policies in Syria. There is a military solution, its just not our military solution, a senior U.S. security official admitted to Sanger. Its Putins. Perhaps most damning of the stink-bouquets was a Washington Post op-ed from former New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier and Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff. It is time for those who care about the moral standing of the United States to say that this policy is shameful, they wrote. If the United States and its NATO allies allow [Putin and his allies] to encircle and starve the people of Aleppo, they will be complicit in crimes of war. What made the Post op-ed particularly striking is that Wieseltier and Ignatieff are both friends and former colleagues of Obamas U.N. ambassador, Samantha Power. Ignatieff taught with her at Harvard, and Wieseltier published early parts of her book on genocide, A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, which described in searing detail the strategies by which American officials typically deflect responsibility for the massacre of innocents. Powers 600-page book consists largely of case studies of how the United States responded to 20th-century genocides, like the Turkish genocide of the Armenians, the Nazi Holocaust, Cambodia, Saddam Husseins genocidal campaigns against the Kurds, Bosnia, Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Kosovo. As Power notes in the books conclusion, What is most shocking about Americas reaction is not that the United States refused to deploy U.S. ground forces to combat the atrocities. For much of the century, even the most ardent interventionists did not lobby for U.S. ground invasions. What is most shocking is that U.S. policymakers did almost nothing to deter the crime. There can be no doubt that the murderous campaign of sectarian cleansing that Assad and his allies Russia and Iran have been waging against the Sunni Arab population of Syria is a crime of historic proportionsthe first genocide of the still-young 21st century, or, if you prefer the language of a recent U.N. report, state-sponsored mass extermination.... It is hard to imagine any future edition of A Problem From Hell being complete without a chapter on Syria. Instead of helping to topple Assad, the mass-murdering goon who drops barrel bombs on civilian areas, the White House launched a phony train-and-equip program that required rebel fighters to sign a document that they wouldnt use their weapons against the dictator who was murdering their families. The administrations anti-ISIS campaign has allowed Assad to ignore ISIS nearly altogether and focus his attention instead on destroying other opposition groups, and indiscriminately targeting Sunni towns and villages. The White Houses Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action has now put additional tens of billions of dollars in Irans coffers, which it is now free to use in supporting Assads genocide. Indeed, it is partly because Obama was so eager to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran that he disdained any efforts to stop Tehrans ally from slaughtering Sunnis when Assad first started nearly five years ago. How have the president and his aides managed to avoid being held accountable for their complicity in a five-year-long orgy of mass murder that has now taken an estimated 470,000 Syrian lives? But read it all. Got some ideas about economics, policy, science, art or whatever, and you can write? Let us know here , we're looking for contributors! Missoula's city attorney says the leg-hold trap found on a hill behind a Northside apartment violated an ordinance against trapping in city limits. Jim Nugent said the ordinance specifically states that "exposing any animal to leg-hold traps or snares" is a violation of the city's animal cruelty law. "Just having a trap out is an exposure," Nugent said. However, the trap lacked an identification tag, which is required for anyone other than landowners trapping on their own property, and Nugent said without more information it is unlikely a prosecution will take place. On Friday, two of Marilyn Morrison's daughters found the rusty trap, which was attached to cables and a stake that appeared to be new, on the hill behind their apartment on Pullman Street. Concerned about the safety of children and animals in the area, Morrison removed the trap. According to city records, the land the trap was found on is within Missoula city limits. H&M Rentals LLC and the Missoula Housing Authority own adjoining parcels on the hillside, although no physical markers indicate the property line. The Housing Authority also owns the apartment building where Morrison lives. Morrison said she contacted wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Tuesday about the trap. According to maps they showed her, she believes the trap was on the H&M side of the property line. Lori Davidson, executive director of Missoula Housing Authority, said the organization has no knowledge of traps on the hillside, and doesn't allow traps to be used on their properties. Representatives of H&M Rentals could not be reached for comment. FWP Region 2 spokeswoman Vivica Crowser said Morrison will not be cited for removing the trap in part because it was placed there in violation of the Missoula ordinance. Game Warden Sgt. Aaron Berg said Tuesday that the trap was smaller than those used for furbearers and was more the size for trapping squirrels or mice. "A trap that small wouldn't be a trap to hunt a regulated furbearer," Berg said. "That trap you could stick your finger in and pull it out." Crowser said wardens retrieved the trap from Morrison, but decided they wouldn't be investigating further. They asked the Missoula Police Department take the trap and determine any further action was warranted. Crowser didn't know if the trap had been turned over to police by the end of the day Tuesday. In a recent letter to the editor, the writer expressed astonishment at the county commissioners endorsing a citizen effort to bring a refugee resettlement office to Missoula. However, the letter makes several astonishingly wrong assertions: The office would facilitate the settlement of up to 100 refugees per year from all over the world, not per month. FBI Director James Comey did not say the U.S. government can't properly screen refugees. The assertion that he did has been effectively debunked by Pulitzer-prize-winning Politifact as "mostly false." Read it at www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/15/ted-cruz/ted-cruzs-claim-head-fbi-told-congress-they-cannot. In fact, refugees who land in the U.S. (less than half of 1 percent of those seeking third-country resettlement, and virtually no single, military-age men) will have successfully passed through a very fine screen consisting of multiple interviews and background checks. There are much easier ways for would-be terrorists to enter the U.S., such as with tourist visas. See www.rescue.org/us-program/us-san-diego-ca/vetting-process-refugees. Those seeking asylum in Europe from war in Syria and elsewhere are not vetted until they get to the country where they apply for that status. That is vastly different from the very strict U.S. process. Refugees resettled in the U.S. are not "economic opportunists" in any pejorative sense, but they will take advantage of economic opportunities to get jobs, start businesses, raise their families and become useful and productive residents. They pose far fewer dangers than those who oppose them. They challenge us to be better citizens. Like most of our ancestors, many of whom were also demonized, abused and discriminated against, they hope for a better life, and they will work their butts off to achieve it. Clem Work, Missoula HELENA A subcommittee tasked with looking at how Montana would meet rules laid out in the Clean Power Plan has canceled its March meeting after a U.S. Supreme Court decision delayed implementation of the plan. The joint Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee and Environmental Quality Council Clean Power Plan Subcommittee will not meet March 10. On Feb. 9, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules on the plan's legality. The stay means that for now the requirement for states to submit a compliance plan or a plan with a request for an extension by September is on hold until a final decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, or the U.S. Supreme Court, is made. Gov. Steve Bullock in November issued an executive order creating a Clean Power Plan Advisory Council to assist the state Department of Environmental Quality as it developed information to submit to the EPA for compliance with the federal rule. The council included 27 members and was expected to meet in February. However, with the stay issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, Bullock also announced that the work of the advisory council would be on hold. Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Jim Keane and Vice Chairman Rep. Keith Regier agreed that the subcommittee's work would also be on hold. Montana is one of 27 states suing to halt implementation of Obama's Clean Power Plan. Under the plan, Montana would have to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 47 percent, one of the most stringent requirements in the nation. Older units at Montana's coal-fired power plants at Colstrip were seen at risk of closing to meet the EPA's requirements. In Wyoming, Gov. Matt Mead Mead told the Casper Star-Tribune that Wyoming would continue its planning to comply with the Clean Power Plan, but at a slower pace. That state's Department of Environmental Quality had asked the Legislature for $350,000 to hire a consultant and look at ways to meet the reductions laid out by the EPA, but Mead told the Star-Tribune that amount could be lowered now. BILLINGS When Billings Public Schools decided to upgrade Internet connections, the district was able to fold costs into a larger $122 million bond passed in 2013 for a pair of new middle schools and renovations to existing schools. Levies are often the only public funding for districts to upgrade technology, and costs fall back on local tax bases as schools try to keep pace with their peers across the state. Its those taxpayers, said Pam Meier, the principal of Arrowhead Elementary in Billings. We give a lot of credit to them. Arrowhead was the first school in Billings to test out fiber Internet, a faster, more reliable system for delivering information. It seems like we are able to get lots of kids on technology at one time without having issues, Meier said. The school has mobile iPad labs, and students had problems with overloading connections in the past. The iPads are paid for through a district technology levy, one of a few categories of levies that schools can put up for a vote for extra local funding. Billings passed a K-8 technology levy in May 2013 separate from the $122 million bond. The technology levy brings in about $1.2 million each year. Trout Creek is about as far away from Billings as you can get in Montana, both geographically and by school characteristics. The K-8 district has about 75 students and is surrounded by national forest land near the border with northern Idaho. But the district has an ambitious technology plan. Trout Creek wants to provide each student and teacher with their own wireless device and aims to have 90 percent of eighth-graders and teachers proficient in technology-based skills by 2017. Could the district implement the plan without a levy? Not at all, said Principal Daisy Carlsmith. Technology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of district budgets, said Dianne Burke, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition. We dont have a good mechanic for that. Thats not part of the funding formula. With large-scale infrastructure projects facing similar funding problems, its hard to justify spending money that could go to other projects on technology. If you have a boiler thats going to blow up or you want to do broadband upgrades, youre going to replace the boiler, said Dave Lewis, a former Republican state senator from Helena who sits on an interim school funding commission. Most Montana Internet connections use copper wiring. The state was blasted for having glacial Internet speeds a few years ago, but has made strides in improving high-speed access. However, copper limits possible improvements. Fiber connections offer higher speeds and more reliable access, plus upgrade options. Its less expensive, along with being a higher-performing project it seems like a no-brainer to do it, said Billings schools director of technology Kyle Brucker. "It's time to upgrade our schools." But many areas in Montana lack the infrastructure in place to accommodate fiber. It costs a lot of money for Internet providers to come in and run high-speed Internet to a rural community, Brucker said. If you dont have the infrastructure in a school, it doesnt matter how much speed you throw at it. Gov. Steve Bullock signed on to an initiative by Education Superhighway to improve Montanas access to high-speed Internet and cut costs. By the advocacy groups measure, 65 percent of Montana schools have fiber connections, and about a quarter of schools have wireless Internet. Montanas neighbors have slightly better figures. Montana ranks better for Internet affordability on a regional and national scale. Reliable networks have become even more important with the advent of computer-based standardized testing, like Montanas Smarter Balanced exams taken by students in grades 3-8. Technical glitches were chalked up to a problem with the test, not schools, which officials said performed well during a pilot run in 2014. If you dont have to think about (Internet), it means its doing its job, Brucker said. HAMILTON The Ravalli County Commission on Thursday will offer people a chance to voice their opinions on whether Syrian refugees should be allowed to settle in the Bitterroot Valley. Commissioner Jeff Burrows said he expects the meeting to be pretty heated and pretty polarized. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. The commission has released a proposed letter to the U.S. State Department that expresses opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Ravalli County or its neighboring counties. The letter expresses safety concerns due to the federal governments inability to fully investigate potential Syrian refugees to ensure they dont belong to a terrorist organization. The Board of Ravalli County Commissioners opposes the resettling of refugees without an analysis of the impacts and a vetting process that can adequately identify threats to our local communities, state and nation, according to the letter. The decision to move forward with the letter follows a decision in January by Missoula County commissioners to send its own letter to the State Department that supported the idea of accepting 100 refuges per year for resettlement. While attending a recent Montana Association of Counties meeting, Commissioner Greg Chilcott said commissioners from several of Missoula Countys neighbors voiced concerns about Syrian refugees making their homes outside Missoula in neighboring counties. There was some sense that Missoula County had made a decision for neighboring counties without ever consulting those who would be impacted, Chilcott said. Given the fact that directors of the FBI and Homeland Security told Congress that they could not properly vet the Syrian refuges, Chilcott said the commission had its own concerns about security for Ravalli County residents. If they have concerns at their level of understanding and level of vetting, we have concerns, too, he said. We have fewer resources both on intelligence and management, let alone the fiscal resources to be good hosts. Chilcott said the commission recognizes that aside from Native Americans, everyone who lives in this country can trace their lineage back to immigrants. We are very sympathetic to that, he said. How do we balance the two? In a very public meeting, we will have a discussion on that issue. Commissioners have already heard an earful since the meeting was announced. My email blew up, Chilcott said. Facebook blew up yesterday. There are a lot of people concerned. The vast majority of my emails and phone calls are opposed to allowing refugees to settle here. The bulk of the emails the commissioners had received Tuesday were opposed to allowing refugees to settle in Ravalli County. In an email, Rick Paris of Florence called the idea sickening, saying he learned all he needed to know about Muslims on 9/11. They dont want to be here, they are terrorists, and they support terrorism and honor killing and what about there (sic) treatment of woman? the New York City native wrote. Wake the hell up, no Moslems (sic)! Brenda Olmsted is a licensed clinical social worker from Corvallis. She said she watched the community of Fargo, North Dakota, struggle greatly after allowing refugees to settle there. The already taxed health care system, schools, mental health system and criminal justice system was taxed and stretched even more, Olmsted wrote. Crime increased as did domestic violence due to the lack of cultural understanding. I love Ravalli County. I would hate to see us make the same mistake. Another email that didnt include a name argued the vetting process can be done in a correct manner. I have faith in our technology and our people to be able to (do) it right, the writer said. Let us not condemn an entire country because they look, speak or act different than us. Let us open our hearts, use the screening system and be the bet (sic) country we can be. While times may feel difficult in the valley, we are so incredibly rich if we close our hearts, we will be so poor. Chilcott said he expects to learn a good deal at Thursdays meeting. How much of it will be fact-based versus emotion-based, and how much will be fear-based will be the question, Chilcott said. The last thing we want to do to is create an atmosphere of fear mongering. SINCE Donald J. Trump shot to the top of Republican polls last fall, pundits have tried to make sense of his popularity. He has been described as a modern-day product of reality-TV narcissism, or the second coming of European fascism. But as he cruises into the South Carolina primary after beating his rivals by double digits in New Hampshire, its clear that neither idea quite explains his strength. Mr. Trumps rhetoric resonates with a particular American political tradition. Voters may not know the details of that tradition, but they feel it viscerally when a politician taps into it. Mr. Trump has done just that by emulating a classic model of American democratic leadership. A clue as to just which leadership model can be found on a map. While Trump fans are spread across the country, they are heavily concentrated in and near the Appalachian states from Mississippi and Alabama all the way to western Pennsylvania and New York. The northwest corner of South Carolina is one of the most pro-Trump parts of the country. Greater Appalachia has remained culturally distinct for centuries. Migrants from the northern British Isles Scots, Scots-Irish and others pushed into these mountains in large numbers from the 1700s onward and did much to create the nation as we know it. Their descendants weathered generations of hardship and calamity: washed-out hillside farms, coal-mining disasters and extreme poverty. UNITED NATIONS Five days after world powers announced that aid would soon reach starving Syrians trapped behind front lines, the United Nations was still negotiating with the government in Damascus on Tuesday over lifting blockades to humanitarian convoys, announcing by days end that it hoped to start sending 80 trucks to deliver food and lifesaving medicines on Wednesday. The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said in an email that the government had agreed to lift its sieges on five towns, so as to allow aid convoys that have not been permitted to enter for months. It is clear it is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the U.N. to bring humanitarian aid, Mr. de Mistura said earlier in a statement sent from Damascus, after his meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem. Tomorrow we test this. Manlai Baatar Damdinsuren with two of his adjutants. Damdinsuren was Mongolian patriot and nationalist who took part in revival of Mongolian... , . , 12 2000 . , - . , . , . , . Where does water come from? That's a question 25 Anaconda High School students were learning to answer at Warm Springs Creek in Washoe Park Tuesday. The budding freshmen earth scientists braved a blustery cold wind whipping around the creek early Tuesday morning as they stuck different colored sticks into the snow, measured the depth, checked their clipboards and took samples with beakers. One group of students working together found a crusty top layer of snow and a soft lower level of snow just above the ground. Josh Ralph, 15, said he and his fellow students, Ariane Rivers, 15, and Katie Skocilich, 15, were taking samples to measure how much water was in the snow. Skocilich took samples of the bottom and the top layer of snow. Rivers checked the temperature of each layer by shining a laser gun on it. Rivers said the laser gun showed the top layer of snow to be 30.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Lily Haines, Clark Fork Coalition education coordinator, said the students would gain "flow literacy" from the learning experience. "This will help them think about the science of water," Haines said. The Missoula-based Clark Fork Coalition, a nonprofit that works to restore and sustain the Clark Fork River, teamed up with science teacher Carlton Nelson to give the kids the hands-on earth science lesson. A total of 130 freshmen and sophomore science students at Anaconda High School will travel to Washoe Park to measure and study the snow by Wednesday. Nelson said the experience would help the 14- and-15-year-olds see the connection between the rivers headwaters and the lower Clark Fork. We havent studied snow science before, Nelson said standing next to the creek with a group of his students. After the students collected data sets, they headed to the Washoe Park pavilion. Haines told the students, You be the scientists. You call the shots. The kids then wrapped their hands around their beakers to hasten the melting of the snow. Jordan Black, 15, said his class was learning what watershed means. He called it, an area of water. Once the snow melted in the beakers, the students measured the depth and temperature and made a graph. Will Lindsey, 14, said he found the experience interesting because he had learned how to gather data. And about snow and how important it is, Lindsey said. Lindsey, who said he hopes to study engineering some day because he likes to build stuff and wants to build something useful said he found the earth science class interesting. A resident of Anaconda for only two months, Lindsey said hed had a similar learning experience in the eighth grade in Great Falls. Arieona Mattson, 15, said Mr. Nelson had been given the class a prior homework exercise to prepare them for the snow collection at Washoe. For the homework, she said she looked at the snow outside her home. She said it looked crystallized. Nelson said this type of hands-on learning is great for freshmen who have just transitioned from middle-school science into high school. Definitely, this type of hands-on science learning is a better learning experience, Nelson said. The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department will host a Chalk About Love event for teenagers from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29, on the sidewalk in front of the Health Department, 25 W. Front St. The after-school event caps National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, held annually in February. Teens are encouraged to stop by to chalk on the sidewalk on the Front street side of the Health Department building about their definition of love. Parking will be available near the sidewalk on the south side of the building. Buckets of chalk will be located near the sidewalk. The 2015 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey relayed that 8.7 percent of Montana high school students have been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to. In the survey, 5.6 percent of students said that sometime during the past year, someone theyd been dating or going out with forced them to do sexual things they didnt want to do, including kissing, touching or being forced to have sexual intercourse. Teens chalking on the Health Department sidewalk are encouraged to tag their chalking at @breakthecycleDV on Twitter and @breakthecycle on Instagram. Details: Butte-Silver Bow Health Officer Karen Sullivan at ksullivan@bsb.mt.gov or 406-397-5003. 17 | Wednesday CAR SEAT CLINIC The monthly childrens car seat clinic is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Uptown Fire Station, Montana and Galena streets. Car seats will be checked for correct installation, making sure the seat matches your childs weight and age, recall information and more. For details call: Mary Jo Stosich at the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department, 406-497-5087. TECH TALK Landscape design for aligning cultural and ecological assets in brownfield reclamation by Rebekah VanWieren with Montana State University will be from 4 to 4:50 p.m. Wednesday at Montana Tech in the Chemistry/Biology Building, Room 102. Details: Robert Pal at rpal@mtech.edu. BUSINESS SOCIAL A Business Card Social runs 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Butte Chamber of Commerce, 1000 George St., hosted by Butte Cares. ELK WINTERING Big Hole Watershed Committee will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. at the Divide Grange, Highway 43 in Divide. The topic will be elk wintering and private lands. The speakers include Craig Fager and Vanna Boccadori of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Details: 406-960-4855. Wii WEDNESDAY Wii Wednesday begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Butte Public Library, 226 W. Broadway. You will have an opportunity to show off your moves and challenge your friends. The library also has iPads loaded with games and board games while you wait your turn on the Wii. CLUBS AND MEETINGS BUTTE Xi Iota Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi will meet at 7 p.m. in the home of Rosemary Reagan. Butte High and Butte Central Classes of 1952 will have a luncheon at noon at the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, 3030 Elm St. Call Georgia at 406-782-5772 or June at 406-723-6780. American Legion Post 1 and Auxiliary, 1750 Motor Vue Road, will hold its monthly social tonight. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m., and consist of spaghetti and meatballs with salads and desserts provided by the auxiliary. A short meeting starts at 8 p.m. All veterans are welcome. Butte Sunrise Kiwanis meets at 7 a.m. at Perkins. Guest speaker will be Mike Lawson, Marine Corps League Commandant and Toys for Tots coordinator. NAMI, a support group for those with or those who know someone with a mental illness, meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Butte Plaza Mall (room 2). Big Butte Kiwanis will meet at noon at Perkins. Guest speaker will be Dave Curry. His topic is Full-Life Journeys. Butte High and Butte Central classes of 1952 will have a luncheon at noon at the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant, 3030 Elm St. Reservations: Georgia at 406-782-5772 or June at 406-723-6780. Butte Elks Lodge bingo Monday and Wednesday each week at 7 p.m. All bingo players are welcome to attend. Payout is determined on the number of players. The more players the larger the payout. Details: Frank Snyder, 406-494-6614. Overeaters Anonymous meets at 6:15 p.m. at the Gold Hill Lutheran Church, 934 Placer St. Details: 406-533-5454. Al-Anon meetings: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Congregational Church; 7 p.m. first Tuesday, business meeting, Comfort Inn; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Gold Hill Lutheran Church; 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sharing and Caring, 1500 Cobban. ANACONDA Anaconda Sportsmen will meet at 7 p.m. at the AOH Hall. Topic will be Forest Service trails. DILLON Dillon Kiwanis meets at noon at the Beaverhead Brewery, 218 S. Montana St. Visitors are welcome. Guest speaker is Dr. Hillary Q. Carter, an audiologist, who will talk about age-related hearing loss and how it affects different people in different ways. Protecting People and the Environment A Montana History Lesson Republican/Tea Party political mantra includes phrases like government is the problem, any business regulation is bad, and we just need to trust the marketplace and the companies that inhabit it. The most recent permutation of that concept was GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianfortes pronouncement that he would appoint someone from industry to head Montanas Department of Environmental Quality. Now, I have gotten to know candidate Gianforte and I like him personally, but his fox in the henhouse prescription for environmental regulation in Montana is far short of what Montanans deserve. As usual, we can benefit from a Montana history lesson. Seventy-two days in late 1980 tell us all we need to know about whether the environmental cleanup and natural resource restoration along the nations largest Superfund site from Butte to Milltown Dam is being done out of the goodness of British Petroleums marketplace heart or whether they are being forced to do it by federal laws protecting human health and environment. Those 72 days, from September 30 to December 11, marked the end of Anaconda Company (ACM) dominance of our economy, politics and government and the beginning of companies being held responsible for the environmental messes they created. At that time, because oil prices had increased ten-fold following the Arab oil embargo and the formation of OPEC, ARCO (now British Petroleum) and all major oil companies, were so awash with money that Congress enacted a windfall profits tax. Big oil spent some of their excess cash purchasing mining companies, like ARCO/British Petroleum buying ACM. So when they dispatched corporate airplanes to Washington, D.C. and Montana on September 30, 1980, in the middle of an election campaign, to announce the future of their widespread and critically important Montana operations, those waiting on the ground were hoping the cash-rich company might finally reinvest capital into its properties here. After a half-century of Anaconda channeling huge sums into its operations in Chile while neglecting Montana investments, perhaps the new owners were going to modernize the smelter in Anaconda and the refinery in Great Falls to meet emerging environmental standards. Shockingly, ARCO/British Petroleum representatives hit the ground and announced immediate closure of the Anaconda and Great Falls plants, completely abandoning those anchors to the Montana economy. And they also closed the Berkeley Pit in Butte. What did they voluntarily offer the communities they were economically decimating? A pittance of $5 million total into three community funds as they prepared to take a walk on Montana. Within a few years they also closed the Butte mines and concentrator and sold their Columbia Falls aluminum plant, as they planned to walk away from the largest environmental damage area in the United States. The second important date in that period of 1980 was November 4, election day, when Montana elected Governor Ted Schwinden, who had previously helped establish Montana environmental laws and standards. But nationally, industry and the GOP were chortling over Ronald Reagans election and replacing 12 democratic U.S. Senators, giving the GOP full control of the Senate. But then, in an historical twist of fate, before the new Congress was sworn in, a lame duck session was held, passing an important piece of legislation that would not have seen the light of day in the new GOP Senate. On December 11, the last of those important 72 days in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Superfund and ARCO/British Petroleum discovered that it could not cut and run from Montana it was retroactively liable to clean up the mess of the company it had purchased. A billion dollars or more later they are still not done remediating and restoring the damage they had inherited. The 99.5 percent difference between the $5 million they voluntarily offered Montana on September 30 and $1 billion required by the Superfund law is the difference between trusting the corporation to do right on its own volition and forcing them do it under penalty of law. Having worked in and around this for 35 years, I firmly believe that ARCO/British Petroleum would not have spent one red penny cleaning up the environmental mess had they not been forced to by law. This interesting Montana history lesson in corporate irresponsibility is worth noting when we hear that in 2016 a candidate for governor would put Montana environmental regulation in the hands of industry. Evan Barrett of Butte, has spent the last 46 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He is the Director of Business and Community Outreach and an instructor at Highlands College of Montana Tech. These are his personal views. BILLINGS Across Montana, small-town skylines are dominated by, or in many cases solely consist of, decades-old grain elevators in various states of disrepair. Some of the elevators still operate, helping farmers send crops to market. Others held their last grain decades ago, and as they deteriorate they become financial and legal burdens. Elevators in Laurel, Columbus and Wilsall recently were toppled. Preparation began this week for the demolition of the iconic Teslow Inc. grain elevator in Livingston, but the building has new hope after a grassroots preservation group called a last-minute meeting Monday night. The group, Save the Teslow, reached a tentative agreement with current owner and local real estate developer Chris Salacinski, who took possession of the building in January. Barclay Rogers, a local lawyer and member of the community-based effort, said the short-notice meeting was well attended and a success by any measure. There was a strong show of public support," Rogers said. "The grain elevators owner has agreed to sell, the funding is in place to acquire the building, and demolition is halted. There are logistical issues that need to be solved, but the grain elevator is going to be saved." Salacinski took possession of the building in January after the previous owner struggled to maintain and insure the elevator. Rogers said a private group will initially put forth the money to account for expenses accrued so far, but the ownership will eventually transition to a nonprofit organization. I dont want the building, and theres so much damn liability because its been compromised, Salacinski said. Theres a big old hole on top. The railroad wants it gone or repaired. Montana Rail Link owns the land the elevator sits on, and new owners will need to secure a new lease. Salacinski said strong winds ripped large chunks of the roof off, and the top tier is structurally deficient. Repairing the building will be costly, but demolition was also complicated by nearby structures and power lines. He estimated the tear-down would have cost $75,000 to $100,000. ONE IN A TREND The Teslow was the latest in a string of elevators to be threatened across the state. The G.D. Eastlick elevator toppled in Laurel at the beginning of February, a simpler project because of its open surroundings. Dick Jonason, a Billings grain purchaser with 46 years of experience, said the crib-style elevators have been out of date for decades and have been torn down or built around since that time. They used to ship (grain) in trucks and single (train) cars way back when. Then, oh back in the early 80s, they went to 26-car trains, Jonason said. During the next decade the trains doubled in size, and big trains today pull about 110 cars. The old crib-style elevators just couldnt keep up with that workload. The facilities were either closed or remodeled with more modern equipment. Before the multicar trains were put in use, the crib elevators loaded at a rate of about 1,000 bushels an hour. Todays elevators load 20 to 30 times faster. They also require less maintenance and generally offer a much greater capacity. Every little town had an elevator back in the day, but theyre kind of getting away from that because they cant build these big high-speed elevators, Jonason said. So, theyve kind of stretched out a bit. The modern elevators were built in centralized locations to serve more farms. Small towns lost the business but the old elevators remained. Theyre really some of the most iconic and community defining architectural specimens out there and really a delight for all, said Kate Hampton, Montana Historical Society community preservation coordinator. Hampton said the buildings are often landmarks for small towns, welcoming residents as they approach home from miles away. Sometimes people contact MHS looking for help preserving their local elevators or finding a new purpose for the structures. Elevators across the country have been turned into climbing gyms and breweries. One in Anthony is now a residence. The MHS office identified about a dozen crib-style elevators possibly eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and elevators in Beaverhead, Gallatin and Sheridan counties already are listed on the registry. A listing on the National Register doesnt limit property owners rights to manage the structures as they see fit, but Hampton said it educates people on the historical significance of the elevators and the importance of preserving Montanas agricultural heritage. Sealed bids will be accepted by the County Auditor of MUSCATINE County at their office in Muscatine, Iowa, until 9:00 AM, on Monday, March 7, 2016 for the various items of construction work listed below. A Certified check, made payable to the County, or a Cashier's check, made payable to either the County or to the contractor, drawn upon a solvent bank or a bid bond, shall be filed with each proposal in an amount as set forth in the proposal form. Cashier's check, made payable to the contractor, shall contain an unqualified endorsement to the County signed by the contractor or his authorized agent. Failure to execute a contract and file an acceptable bond and Certificate of Insurance within 30 days of the date of the approval for awarding of the contract, as herein provided, will be just and sufficient cause for the denial of the award and the forfeiture of the proposal guaranty. Plans, specifications, and proposal forms for the work may be seen and may be secured at the office of the County Engineer's Office at 3610 Park Avenue West, Muscatine, Iowa. All proposals must be filed on the forms furnished by the County, sealed and plainly marked. Proposals containing any reservations not provided for in the forms furnished may be rejected, and the County Board reserves the right to waive technicalities and to reject any or all bids. Attention of bidders is directed to the Special Provisions covering the qualifications of bidders and subletting or assigning of the contract. As a condition precedent to being furnished a proposal form, a prospective bidder must be on the current Iowa Department of Transportation or local county list of qualified bidders; except that this requirement will not apply when bids are received solely for materials, supplies, or equipment. MUSCATINE County shall issue sales tax exemption certificates through the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance to the successful bidder and all subcontractors to enable them to purchase qualifying materials for the project free of sales tax. This project shall be tied with L-(FEMA2013A)--73-70; L-(FEMA2014)--73-70 One proposal guaranty in the amount of $20,500 may be submitted to cover all tied projects. The late start date for all tied projects is April 18, 2016. Tied projects shall share a total of 70 working days. Failure to submit a fully completed Bidder Status Form with the bid may result in the bid being deemed nonresponsive and rejected. The County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. Description of the Proposed Work: L-(FEMA2013B)--73-70 Pipe culvert replacements on Vine Avenue (Sec 28 T78N R1E). ITEM UNIT QUANTITY CLEARING AND GRUBBING UNIT 16 EMBANKMENT-IN-PLACE, CONTRACTOR FURNISHED CY 804.0 EXCAVATION, CLASS 10, ROADWAY AND BORROW CY 314.0 LOCATING TILE LINES STA 0.50 TOPSOIL, STRIP, SALVAGE AND SPREAD CY 170.0 GRANULAR SURFACING ON ROAD, CLASS A CRUSHED STONE TON 152.0 REMOVAL OF EXISTING STRUCTURES LS 1.00 EXCAVATION, CLASS 20, FOR ROADWAY PIPE CULVERT CY 446.0 APRONS, CONCRETE, 60 IN. DIA. EACH 2 CULVERT, CONCRETE ROADWAY PIPE, 60 IN. DIA. LF 92 CULVERT, CORRUGATED METAL ENTRANCE PIPE, 18 IN. DIA. LF 40 SUBDRAIN, TILE, 12 IN. DIA. LF 120.0 SUBDRAIN OUTLET, DR-305 EACH 1 FLOWABLE MORTAR CY 11.0 ENGINEERING FABRIC SY 33.0 REVETMENT, CLASS E TON 19.00 SAFETY CLOSURE EACH 2 CONSTRUCTION SURVEY LS 1.00 TRAFFIC CONTROL LS 1.00 MOBILIZATION LS 1.00 COMPACTED GRANULAR MATERIAL TON 58.00 MULCHING ACRE 0.3 SEEDING AND FERTILIZING (RURAL) ACRE 0.3 SILT FENCE FOR DITCH CHECKS LF 20.0 MAINTENANCE OF SILT FENCE OR SILT FENCE FOR DITCH CHECK LF 20.0 PERIMETER AND SLOPE SEDIMENT CONTROL DEVICE, 12 IN. DIA. LF 178.0 MOBILIZATIONS, EROSION CONTROL EACH 1 MOBILIZATIONS, EMERGENCY EROSION CONTROL EACH 1 Total Proposal Guaranty is $4,000.00; 70 Working Days; Late start date: Apr-18-2016; $800.00/Day Liquidated Damages. STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS OF THE IDOT, SERIES 2015, AND CURRENT SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS SHALL APPLY. Approved by: Keith L. White, P.E. Muscatine County Engineer The Muscatine County Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Friday, March 11, 2016, starting at 10:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Office, Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. 3rd St., Muscatine, Iowa to discuss the following: Zoning Agenda Item #01. Discussion and possible recommendation to amend the Muscatine County Zoning Ordinance; Subdivision Ordinance; and the Mobile Home Park and Travel Trailer Park Ordinance by adding new enforcement provisions. This ordinance would affect all unincorporated parts of Muscatine County. Zoning Agenda Item #02. Discussion and possible recommendation to amend the Muscatine County Code of Ordinances by adding Wind Energy Conversion Systems as a Special Permitted Use in certain Zoning Districts. This ordinance would affect all unincorporated parts of Muscatine County. Zoning Agenda Item #03. Discussion and possible recommendation to amend the Muscatine County Code of Ordinances by adding Outdoor Shooting Ranges as a Special Permitted Use in certain Zoning Districts. This ordinance would affect all unincorporated parts of Muscatine County. Any interested party may attend said hearing to express their views or correspond with us in time for the hearing. MUSCATINE COUNTY ZONING COMMISSION By Eric S. Furnas, Planning & Zoning Administrator Muscatine County Building ~ Zoning ~ Environmental Office 3610 Park Avenue West Muscatine IA 52761 Telephone 5632630482 FAX 5632884338 The Muscatine County Board of Adjustment will conduct a public hearing on Friday, March 11, 2016, starting at 10 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Office, Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. 3rd St., Muscatine, Iowa, to discuss the following: Case #16-03-01. An application has been filed by Gary L. or Sheri A. Skipton, Record Owners and Ashton F. E. Steinke and Michael J. Phillips, Proposed Buyers. This property is located in Seventy-Six Township, in parts of Section 22 & 27-T76N-R3W, West of Burlington Road, containing approximately 30 acres and is zoned A-1 Agricultural District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Special Use Permit in order for the Proposed Buyers to build a rural residence on this property. Case #16-03-02. An application has been filed by Paladin Resolutions LLC by Kelly D. Dennis, Record Owner and Martin Event Center LLC by Mike and Shawna Martin, Proposed Buyer and Applicant. This property is located in Sweetland Township, in the NW of Sec. 29-T77N-R1W, 2921 Hwy. 22, North of Hwy. 22, containing approximately 1.16 acres, and is zoned C-1 Commercial District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Special Use Permit for Martin Event Center to sell and serve alcohol at 2921 Hwy. 22. Any interested party may correspond with us in time for the hearing, request additional information, or attend said hearing to express their views. MUSCATINE COUNTY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Eric S. Furnas, Planning & Zoning Administrator Muscatine County Building ~ Zoning ~ Environmental Office 3610 Park Avenue West Muscatine IA 52761 Telephone 5632630482 FAX 5632884338 LETTS, Iowa The Louisa-Muscatine Community School Board approved three course changes and tabled a fourth for next school year. During its meeting Monday evening, the school board heard proposals for adding a teacher aide course, a health class requirement, curriculum changes to science courses offered and junior high language arts/reading. Teacher Aide Some school board members took issue with the written description of the course credit proposed for being a teacher aide. The teacher aide class would be worth a half credit and require a student to be a junior or senior, on track to graduate in time, have a GPA of at least 3.0 and be approved by the teacher overseeing the student. According the description of the pass-fail course, the benefits to the student would be "a way to be in enrolled in a class without taking a 'throw-away' credit" and be a "meaningful use of school time" by having a hands-on classroom experience and real-life insight into the teacher's perspective of the classroom. The description of the benefit to the teacher is having a new class elective without adding prep work for the teacher and "assistance with filing copying, tasks that are easy and do not require certification, etc." That's where the board got hung up. "I'm sure there's a lot of good here, I'm just not able to see," board member Pam Lee said. Lee, a former teacher, asked what she was missing as she saw that clerical duties were "tedious" tasks that she finds "troubling" administrators would think help "ignite a passion" for a career in teaching. "If you look at the other side of it, it lets them see what it is," Chris Parkhurst, junior high/high school principal, said in response. Superintendent Mike Van Sickle some students are already doing this in their free time, this course would just be a board's endorsement of the course credit. Without listing names, Van Sickle listed a couple specific examples of students helping teachers or staff because they want to. Board President Scott Wilson agreed with Lee, but liked what Van Sickle had to say about the program. "After hearing Mike, this is completely different than what's on this piece of paper," Wilson said. Board member Barbara Thompson also spoke in favor of the concept of the teacher aide credit. "That was the turner for me," Thompson said, recalling a similar course she took there in the 1980s, "I got a real feel for what it was like to be an elementary school teacher. ...It really gave me a taste of, 'This is what grading papers looks like, this is what managing a classroom looks like.'" Thompson graduated from L-M in 1982 then earned a degree in teaching. She's worked in HR and training programs in addition to preschool work. She said in an interview later that the teacher aide course made her realize "an educator is who I am, rather than I want to do." Stacy Peterson, high school English teacher, interjected. "Sometimes I think kids are the best teachers," Peterson said, noting she's seen students relate to a lesson better sometimes when a peer explains. Peterson was at the meeting to speak on behalf of another course change, but voiced her support for this one. "I feel very differently about what your saying than what's written on this paper," Lee said, noting her support for the concept. The board tabled the teacher aide course proposal, asking staff to bring a better written description to the next meeting. Health class The school board approved a new health class requirement for all freshmen. Amy Lantigua, curriculum director, explained there wasn't a good set up for the current requirements. CPR certification, required by the state, is taught in physical education classes. However, P.E. classes aren't grade specific often students have to find alternate activities during class when others are learning CPR for the first time. Sex education is taught during the physical science course by the county health department, Lantigua said that doesn't fit the scope of the rest of the course. The Health I and Health II courses are exist, but are electives. She pitched a semester-long Health I course required for all freshmen students to cover CPR and sex education taught along with other material currently offered in Health I. Health II would remain an elective. This will begin in the 2016-17 school year. Science realignment The board OK'd an overhaul of the structure of science offerings. Lantigua said part of the realignment is to fit into the next generation science standards, part of the Iowa core requirements. "We're making a transition to more in-depth standards," Lantigua said. Currently, seventh grade students must take Earth Science and eighth grade students must take Life Sciences. Those classes will be changed to general science geared toward those grade levels. Currently, freshmen are required to take Physical Sciences and sophomores are required to take Life Sciences (Biology) those will remain. A yearlong General Science class is currently offered as an elective for the third science class requirement, that will be eliminated and replaced with two elective courses: a semester-long Earth Science and a semester-long Space Science, both are not currently offered. A yearlong Chemistry elective will remain as an option for the third science requirement. The science class changes will take affect for the 2017-18 school year. Reading English teachers asked to remove the Enriched Reading class to combine a class with mixed reading abilities. Peterson, Annie Gordon-Perkins, eighth-grade English teacher; and Kim Paustian, seventh-grade English teacher; advocated for the change and answered questions from the board. Lee was concerned about the teachers managing a wide swath reading levels at one time. "Challenge accepted," Gordon-Perkins answered. Paustian said she was already handling it in her reading class. She said the higher level learners will have more opportunity to read independently. Peterson said the Enriched Reading class separates it from the Language Arts lesson, "which is an unnatural split." Removing the Enriched Reading class will ensure that all reading class lists match exactly the Language Arts class lists "in order to allow for an integrated teaching of all the English Language Arts curriculum," the proposal stated. The change will start in the 2016-27 school year. It's quaint. It's cute. It's inefficient. It's time for the Democratic Party's caucus process to die. Much was made following the Feb. 1 caucuses, particularly because Hillary Clinton bested Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders by a fraction of a percentage point. Some editorial boards demanded an audit. "Fiasco" and "chaos" were tossed around with abandon. A national press confused by the caucus system wrongly asserted that coin flips might have cost Sanders the victory. You'd think Clinton and her establishment supporters stole the race, like some developing world despot. Then, days before the New Hampshire primary, Sanders thankfully provided some clarity. "We think, by the way, based on talking to our precinct captains, we may have at least two more delegates," Sanders said last week during a debate. "At the end of the day, no matter how it's recounted, it will break roughly even." Exactly. Iowa's Democratic Caucus was, for all practical purposes, a tie. Clinton survived. Sanders legitimized his campaign, proving he could mobilize his young followers. On to the next one. Minor individual hiccups won't cost Iowa its pole position. If that were the case, the GOP's train wreck in 2012, where bad counts robbed eventual winner Rick Santorum of any post-Iowa bump, would have done it. That said, the Democratic Party's system is mired in the 19th century. And that's where it should have stayed. Iowa Republicans use paper ballots. Democrats stand in a corner with the like-minded, like some weird elementary school team-building exercise. Maybe trust falls should be included next time. Paper record? Yeah, good luck. And that's the problem. Long after Democrats have wiped their dry-erase boards clean, the GOP's ballots will live on. Republicans can recount questionable results. An actual, legitimate audit can be undertaken. Not so with the Democratic system. Let's be honest here, those crying the loudest about the problems on caucus night aren't concerned about this specific race. They're invested in the long-term viability of Iowa's first-in-the-nation status, pumping massive dollars and political clout into the Hawkeye State every four years. Every four years, much of the country looks at rural, white Iowa and wonders why it plays such a key role in culling the field of would-be presidents. Illinois with its diverse population and urban, suburban, rural mix makes more sense, reasoned one pundit on National Public Radio. Officials in population-rich Texas and California grouse about a state of 3.1 million leading the way. And observers throughout the country complain that the personal investment required to show up for three hours on a February night disenfranchises second-shift laborers and the politically ambivalent. Every four years, the same scrutiny awakes. And then, after the candidates jet elsewhere, it goes back into hibernation. Everyone forgets about it. Caucuses are, by their very nature, a clunky, inexact way of picking party delegates. But the spectacle is part of the draw, which, for a time every four years, makes Iowa the center of U.S. politics. The threat of this cycle's hyped-up "chaos" is drastically overblown. But the GOP improved its system after the 2012 debacle. Paper ballots permit needed transparency and accuracy. Democrats deserve the same from their party. The Quad-City Times (Weapons and Warfare) The Iran-Iraq War was one of the longest and deadliest in recent histories. Iran full of zeal after its revolution... Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] Expect load shedding 20 hours every day if South Africa doesnt build 20GW of new power stations within a decade, a nuclear energy proponent warned on Tuesday. If we dont come up with a strategy to build 20GW of coal or 20GW of nuclear we will have little electricity by 2025, said Des Muller, Group Five nuclear construction services director. One of four panellists at the Africa Energy Indabas nuclear forum in Sandton, Muller said if South Africa fails to create new baseload generators to replace Eskoms ageing coal power stations, the country can expect four hours of electricity a day. South Africa has committed to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions due to its impact on global warming, so building 20GW of new coal power stations is unlikely. The panellists of nuclear experts said solar, wind, hydro and gas do not adequately create baseload power, which they believe is essential for economic growth and industrialisation. Many environmentalists, who are strong proponents of solar and wind energy, believe a total rethink of how we use electricity is needed going forward, which would eliminate the need for baseload power. Environmentalists see nuclear energy as backward technology that can only harm the planet. They believe future development in renewable energy storage solutions and the reduction in generation costs making all other forms of generation outdated, dangerous and costly. Nuclear energy is extremely expensive, David le Page of Fossil Free South Africa told Fin24 in 2015. We have incredible wind and solar energy resources in South Africa, he said. The very ambitious renewable energy programme that we have is already saving us an enormous amount of money that we would otherwise have spent on gas. He said baseload power is not a function of a particular type of energy. It is a function of how you manage your overall electricity grid and particular resources within that grid, he said. Nuclear proponents, however, are convinced that for an economy to truly grow under the conditions of low carbon emissions, nuclear has to be an important component of the mix. They also believe nuclear is the safest, cleanest and cheapest energy producer. Nuclear proponents say gas generators are great for peaking power, but not for baseload power. South Africa is polarised on the need for a 9 600 MW nuclear build programme, with critics saying it will sink the states economy and tie the country politically to Russia, which some suspect has struck a secret deal with President Jacob Zuma. Firing his nuclear-wary finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December 2015 didnt help. Proponents of nuclear energy laugh and cry at these assumptions, explaining that too much time has been wasted on debating the need to push ahead with nuclear energy. Clearly not convinced Russia has signed a secret deal, Areva South Africa MD Dr Yves Guenon said the procurement process is taking too long. The nuclear process does not go quickly, he said. Even if you select the vendor by the end of 2016, it will take a long time to get licences it takes years. He predicted that if South Africa selected vendors to create 20GW of nuclear power now, it would only see these up and running by 2035. Does that mean South Africa will have load shedding for a decade? The environmentalists will tell you that these are scare tactics and that the renewable energy private sector will build quick, affordable and safe solutions during a time of great innovation and advancements in the renewable sector. If nuclear is delayed or halted and renewables dont come to the party, we know what happened the last time we were late with a new build programme. Eskoms Medupi and Kusile power stations were supposed to go live by 2015, which would have dramatically changed Eskoms current position financially and operationally. Instead of being cash flush and delivering adequate power, it resorted to load shedding for several months. This caused a decrease in consumption and a massive debt, which it wants to pass on to consumers via higher tariffs. Delays in implementing key policies like the 1998 white paper on energy resulted in the sector operating in the blind, which caused the issues relating to Medupi and Kusile, according to Guenon. Everyone was blind in 2000, he said. We cannot be blind a second time. We have to go through the process. Muller concurred. I was around when Medupi and Kusile (was given the green light), he said. The lights were shutting down and so Eskom signed these amazing contracts very quickly with little localisation. The nuclear build programme must go through a different approach, he said. Give it time, dont make the same mistakes. Fin24 More energy news in South Africa No nuclear plan answers until after State of the Nation debate: Minister What South Africa needs before fracking the Karoo Tesla Powerwall prices for South Africa revealed Nuclear plan will roll out at pace South Africa can afford: Zuma Fight against Eskom price increases Russias state-owned nuclear energy company, Rosatom, on Tuesday slammed all allegations that Russia had signed a secret and corrupt deal with President Jacob Zuma to secure a long-term nuclear deal in South Africa. Viktor Polikarpov, Rosatoms head of sub-Saharan Africa operations, told Fin24 at the Africa Energy Indaba in Sandton, that there have been no secrets as South Africa plans its nuclear build programme and stressed that Russia did not sign a secret deal with Zuma. Polikarpov said there is no truth in the rumours that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zuma struck a secret nuclear deal to seal a century-long nuclear programme in South Africa. We cannot hook up with a politician and make a deal (that will span) generations, he told Fin24 on Tuesday. If we are chosen as the preferred bidder, we will have to stay here as strategic partners and work together for 100 years at least, he said. It is not a short-term political solution. Its a long-term cooperative country-to-country solution. Earlier, Polikarpov told a nuclear forum discussion at the indaba that there was and is no secrecy regarding Rosatoms bid to win the 9 600 MW nuclear new build programme. I really dont feel we are secret, he said in a response to a question. You can come to our office and see for yourself. He was sitting next to Dr Yves Guenon, Arevas South Africa director. The French company has put its full effort into competing for the bid in 2016, something Polikarpov said would not be happening if a deal had been signed. Polikarpov said suspicion that Rosatom had signed a deal occurred because it was the first country to sign the intergovernmental agreement on nuclear energy. The US, China, South Korea and France subsequently also signed the agreement, which is needed by international law before any further agreements can progress. It was a framework agreement, said Polikarpov. No deal was struck. It has been much exaggerated by the press, who says it is a done deal. Its not a done deal. I dont see really any secret. He added that there was a mishap with Rosatoms press statement in 2014, in which it stated that it had won the overall deal. Frankly, that was a mistake, he said. In his State of the Nation address in 2016, Zuma said South Africa would proceed with its nuclear programme with caution. We will test the market to ascertain the true cost of building modern nuclear plants, he said. Let me emphasise that we will only procure nuclear on a scale and pace that our country can afford. The caution follows a gazette signed by the Energy Department over Christmas, which allows it to call for nuclear construction and financing proposals from Rosatom and its competitors. The Russians are prepared. Rosatom set up an office in Johannesburg in 2015 and employed a public relations firm to boost its image. Polikarpov said his aim is to change the perception around nuclear and to build trust and relationships. We have a good PR team in South Africa, said Polikarpov. We are working hard to change the perception and eradicate the myths, which are circulating around nuclear and around Rosatom. The South African public is frankly very emotional, he said. We cannot deal with nuclear on emotions only. We all have to be very knowledgeable and very pragmatic (about nuclear energy). Fin24 More on Rosatom and nuclear power in SA Build nuclear power stations or face massive blackouts: Group Five Nuclear plan will roll out at pace South Africa can afford: Zuma Why South Africa should not build 8 new nuclear power stations South Africas nuclear plans are national suicide Did South Africa sell nuclear secrets to Russia? South Africa will continue to build on the success of Koeberg nuclear power station, as the power plant boasts some of the best nuclear scientists and physicists in the world. We simply have to go the nuclear route, said Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, because we dont have enough freshwater. Koeberg recycles 22bn litres of seawater, while Medupi (coal-fired) power station uses 17bn litres of freshwater. Joemat-Pettersson was one of the speakers debating President Jacob Zumas State of the Nation address in the National Assembly of parliament on Wednesday afternoon. She kept mum on the timeframe and cost of procuring nuclear energy, but instead focused on the successes of South Africas Independent Power Producers (IPP) and renewable energy programmes. The IPP programme, Mr President, is your legacy; it was started by you, Joemat-Pettersson said. According to her South Africa has been offering an attractive market for investment in renewable energy. Were ranked consistently as one of the global leaders in the renewable energy sector and South Africa is a sought-after investment destination in this field. Significant investment will also take place in the gas to power programme. Well see R64bn of investment in this sector over the next four to five years, Joemat-Pettersson said. Fin24 More energy news South African nuclear contract not a done deal: Russian Atomic Energy company Build nuclear power stations or face massive blackouts: Group Five What South Africa needs before fracking the Karoo Tesla Powerwall prices for South Africa revealed A severe vulnerability recently uncovered in the widely-used GNU C Library (glibc) can cause severe security problems for websites if they dont patch soon. Ars Technica recently reported that the bug was introduced in 2008 in a function known as getaddrinfo() , and affects all kinds of devices not just web servers. All versions of glibc after 2.9 are vulnerable to a buffer overflow bug that lets attackers remotely execute malicious code. It can be exploited in a number of ways, such as when vulnerable devices or applications perform domain name lookups on attacker-controlled domains, or domain name servers. Researchers have warned that tools such as SSH, sudo, wget, and curl are all known to be vulnerable. Ars reported that one Linux-based platform that is not vulnerable is Android, with Google explaining that it uses a substitute for glibc called Bionic. Hetzner servers patched Hetzner has sent an alert to its custom hosting customers informing them about the vulnerability, and recommending that they reboot their servers. All affected services on Hetzners managed server platform will be restarted without the servers themselves being rebooted. This is in order to minimise the impact on customers, and is in line with Debians security advisory, Hetzner said. More security and hosting news Anonymous hacks and leaks South African government data The South African government passwords cracked in Anonymous database hack Hetzner partners with DFA to offer greater ISP choice Inside Hetzners new data centre As owner of this blog, I bear no responsibility to what other contributors/bloggers may post. I encourage all to speak freely without indulging in libel or defamatory content. Anyone who feels offended by any posting can email me and I will remove the offending article if appropriate. Contact me at redbeansg@yahoo.com redbean Former Cabinet Secretary for devolution Anne Waiguru has come out to deny allegations that she was heavily involved in the Sh791 NYS scandal. In an affidavit filed in court on Monday, Ms Josephine Kabura Irungu, one of the people charged in connection with the corruption scandal, revealed that Ms Waiguru was at the centre of it all. Ms Kabura said that Waiguru, under the guidance of political analyst and NYS consultant Mutahi Ngunyi, devised devious schemes to divert public attention and mislead investigative agencies, including writing a backdated letter. You can catch all the details about the affidavit HERE. Waiguru, in an interview with Nation FMs State of the Nation morning show, termed the allegations as ridiculous and blamed cartels for engaging in a smear campaign. She further stated that she had never met the suspect Josephine Kabura. I have never met the woman ever in my life, I have never even seen her other than in the papers, stated Ms Waiguru. The former CS went on to discredit statements that Ms Kabura made in an affidavit that was filed in court on Monday. She says we met in Runda at a certain point, now at that time when she says we met in Runda I had already moved to Kitisuru. Two, she says we met with Harakhe and her in 2014 and some people also from the ministry. Harakhe joined the ministry in February of 2015 it was the first time I ever set my eyes on him, said Ms Waiguru. Heres that audio. The Star Newspaper yesterday released a strongly worded statement in defense of its writer Kamore Maina. In the affidavit signed by Ms Josephine Maina, CS Waiguru is recorded as having named Kamore as one of two media gurus she used for propaganda, the other being Standards Munuhe Mwaniki. Ms Kabura stated that she met the two journalists and Waiguru told her to give Sh10 million to Munuhe. Munuhe has already promised to sue Kabura if she does not retract her statement by today evening. The Star newspaper however decided to take another approach. They released a press statement defending their writer. Here it is in full. ****************************************** PRESS STATEMENT ALLEGATIONS BY JOSEPHINE KABURA Yesterday, Josephine Kabura, one of the suspects in a court case regarding the alleged theft of Sh791 million from the National Youth Service, filed an affidavit in court. In her affidavit, among other allegations, Kabura claimed to have met Star journalist Kamore Maina and another journalist at the Runda home of former Cabinet Secretary for Devolution Anne Waiguru. Waiguru allegedly referred to them as her media gurus. Kabura claimed that Waiguru directed her at the meeting to give Sh10 million to the other journalist (not Kamore) for consultancy services. We cannot take these accusations lightly as they question the integrity of The Star newspaper and our reporter. We respond as follows: It was the Star that first broke the story of the fraudulent dealings at NYS. Under the headline Central Bank Questions Huge NYS Payments on June 18, 2015, the Star launched a series of investigative articles that would eventually lead to the resignationof Waiguru and multiple prosecutions of those involved in the NYS transactions. Over the last eight months, Kamore wrote many of the Stars investigative stories on the NYS scandal. At no time did he seek to protect Waiguru or Kabura from investigations. Kamore even went to Kaburas rural home in Muranga to seek an interview with her parents. Kabura accused him of harassment and in November sent Kamore a lawyers letter warning him to desist from writing about her and the NYS transactions. Kamore insists he has never met the former CS let alone attended a meeting with her. I have never been to Anne Waigurus home and we have never met face to face. If I stood before her today, she would not even be able to say who I am. I have also not received any money from Waiguru, Kabura or anyone else to kill or water down the NYS or any other story, he said. Star Editor Charles Kerich commented: Kamore kept the news desk appraised every time he was gathering material for the NYS stories that he wrote and which were published. We always knew whom he was meeting, when and where. That is the hallmark of a trustworthy reporter. It is unbelievable that he could have been so two-faced as to continuously unearth exclusive information on the NYS scandal while simultaneously receiving payments to protect Waiguru and Kabura. The Star stands by all the stories it published regarding the NYS payments. Charles Kerich Editor The Star ****************************************** The newspaper was probably right to put out the statement for credibilitys sake, but it is impossible that they can account for all his movements, and probably thats why the wording does not explicitly declare him innocent. Is this a case of defending a thief because he is our thief? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Kamores stories will be put under the microscope. Here are some of them. NYS consultant Mutahi Ngunyi yesterday released a press statement denying claims contained in an affidavit by Josephine Kabura. Ms Kabura has alleged that the political analyst was one of the beneficiaries of the NYS loot, and was involved in the resulting cover-up. Mutahi said he has never met Josephine but is interested in meeting her. In a subsequent TV interview, the analyst best known for Tyranny of Numbers hypothesis promised to sue the last coin out of Josephine, and send the dreaded auctioneers lorry to her doorstep. Whether by design or accident, Mutahis statement was signed 16th February 2015, instead of 2016. While an error like this is common, in this case it can be interpreted as an attempt to be funny, or not taking the allegations with the seriousness they deserve, considering the affidavit accuses him of advising Waiguru to do the exact same thing backdate a letter. SAN FRANCISCO A San Francisco man who was the target of a nationwide FBI hunt two years ago after deadly toxins and bomb-making material were allegedly found in his apartment agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. Ryan Chamberlain pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of possession of an unregistered biological agent and one count of possessing a gun with the serial number removed. The 44-year-old former political consultant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Chamberlain led the FBI on a three-day manhunt in 2014 after investigators allegedly found ingredients to make a bomb. Authorities also found a .22 caliber handgun without a serial number and abrin, a highly toxic substance found in rosary pea seeds. Prosecutors dropped four other charges in exchange for Chamberlains guilty plea. With the help of his three daughters, Ronald Correa has finally realized his lifelong dream: owning his own car repair shop. After more than 30 years in the industry, he purchased B&B Foreign Car Repair from longtime owner Jim Cole in November, and added R&C Automotive LLC to the name. Though B&B used to cater specifically to vintage Volkswagen vehicles, the current shop on Tanen St. works on all makes and models (even hybrids), specializing in factory-scheduled maintenance, brakes and fluid services including coolant, oil changes, transmission, power steering and brake fluid. Correa is familiar with business being a family affair. He has four siblings and from age 6 was practically raised in a Puerto Rican restaurant owned by his parents. He and his wife of 25 years owned their own restaurant back in New York. Yet despite his immersion in the restaurant world, cars were always Correas greatest passion. Working on them was his greatest talent. When he was in New York he had a Camaro that had a very special engine he had (built and installed), and one day it got stolen, said Correas youngest daughter, Sophia, recounting a family-favorite story. Then one day he was in another town and he heard his engine literally heard his engine and sure enough it was. Thats how much this guy knows cars. And yes, he did get the Camaro back. The family moved to Napa in 2000 to join a cousin when the auto shop he was working for in New York was sold. He spent 15 years working as a top technician at Napa Tire, but always maintained his dream. All he needed was a location, and one fateful day, his cousin came across the Craigslist ad for B&B and the plan went into motion. He actually sat us down in a little family meeting. He told us he was interested in buying the business and I actually cried tears, said Sophia. Its not what one would traditionally picture for the staff of an auto shop three women; four, if you count their little rescue dog Mia but each of Correas daughters brings different skills to the business. Christina Weygant, 33, is finishing up school at Napa Valley College to be an accountant and handles the front office and business side. Sophia, 25, heads up the marketing initiatives when shes not managing the OshKosh bGosh store in Vacaville. Then theres Cindy Correa, 29, the tomboy of the trio. Shes always been into boy stuff and cars, always been my dads little son that he never had. He taught her everything and continues to teach her everything, said Sophia. When Dad said he was interested in owning this business, he made it clear that my sister would be one of the main technicians. Outside of a few new touches to the waiting room, the Correas havent really changed anything about B&B since the transition. So far customers have yet to turn away. Theyve been very satisfied with the service. Nothing has changed with pricing, its all very similar, said Sophia. We wanted to keep it that way seeing as (Jim Cole) was in business for over 30 years. Future plans are all purely aesthetic as the family simply wants to do some remodeling. The fact that hes still following his dream at 51 says a lot about him as a person and tells a lot about us as a family. We know that its eventually going to become successful because of his passion and his honesty, said Sophia. Hes not going to beat around the bush. Hes going to explain to you out of his 30 years of experience what he thinks the problem is. Repair shops always have a bad rap, but we want to give the customer any possible way to save. The Napa County Library is ditching its old catalog system in exchange for one with more features and capabilities, according to Library Director Danis Kreimeier. Kreimeier and the library staff have been shopping around for the past year, looking for a catalog system that would fit with the communitys needs as well as benefit the staff. They chose the Polaris Integrated Library System. The new catalog will allow card holders to have added access to library resources, streamlined searching capabilities and more control over their information. Its a big improvement, Kreimeier said. Beginning March 9, cardholders will be able to do things like link family library cards, keep reading lists, and find materials across platforms. Such features will be helpful and convenient for users and staff. In some families, every child has his or her own card, which may be difficult for a parent to manage, in addition to their own fees and return dates, Kreimeier explained. Keeping a reading list will be optional for patrons, said Assistant Director of Library Services Anthony Halstead. If you opt in, youll receive a notification when youre checking out a book youve previously checked out, he said. Its amazing to see people who read dozens of books a week or watch tons of films theyll say I was 60 pages into it before I had realized I had already read that book in the series. Users will also be able to search through library materials and online library resources all in one place, Kreimeier said. Now, to search for a magazine article, cardholders must login to a separate database and do a search separate from the library catalog. Those extra steps will soon be obsolete. Looking toward the future, the new catalog will allow the library to provide even more resources to consumers. Lets say youre searching for books about Cuba. If we have a program next month on Cuba, it will come up as a result, Halstead said. Were trying to integrate all of our services so people can find it. Its called discovery learn more about all the things we offer and be able to find them in one place. The library will also be able to have community directories listed in their catalog, like information on nonprofit organizations. Theres so many groups doing so much for so many people but how does anyone know about them? We could theoretically input that and it would be the same as searching for a book, Halstead explained. Cardholders should be aware that even the changes that begin on March 9 will require some work. To input all the current library information hundreds of thousands of things into Polaris, the catalog will be down for several days from 9 p.m. March 3 until March 8. The library will remain open normal hours and other online databases will be available. If patrons need help locating a book, staff can help. No new holds will be placed during this week, no fines may be paid and no fines will accrue. During this time, the librarys partnership with Solano Napa & Partners Libraries Consortium, known as SNAP, will end meaning that you can no longer checkout SNAP materials through the Napa Library. If you already have a Napa County Library card, you can continue using it throughout and after the transition period. If you have a library card from elsewhere, like Solano County or St. Helena, you will need a new library card beginning March 4. (Psst ... its the 100th anniversary edition!) Library cards are free and available to everyone, even if you dont live in Napa. With the Napa County Library card, youll also have access to materials from more than 50 libraries in California, Nevada and Arizona, including the Berkeley Public Library, San Francisco Public Library and San Jose State University libraries. Napa Valley College and Solano Community College will also be joining the library network July 1. The expanded network will give cardholders access to more specialized subjects that may only be available at larger or university libraries. We could never justify the expense of these specialized items, but we want to be able to offer it to the public, Halstead said. We want to help our residents find the things theyre looking for, he said, whether its part of the library collection or not. For more information or to sign up for a library card, visit countyofnapa.org/library. A veteran elementary school teachers record tinged by what the teachers union calls repercussion for speaking publicly about a principal will again be spotless as a result of an employee relations board ruling in her favor. I went to the podium at the (school district) board meeting and talked about our 92 percent vote of no confidence (in the schools principal) after that things changed. I started to be targeted, said Marina Torres, a Calistoga Elementary School third-grade teacher and 35-year veteran. Its my First Amendment right to speak out. Two verbal warnings issued against Torres in September by Vicka Llamas, then-principal of the school, will be removed from Torres personnel file, something the district refused to do before a 5-hour mediation hearing with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in Oakland last week. At press time no response was received from Esmeralda Mondragon, superintendent of Calistoga Joint Unified School District (CJUSD), or board of trustees members Indira Lopez, Marty Hunt, Julie Elkeshen, Jeff Maxfield and Marco DiGiulio, when contacted by The Weekly Calistogan for comment about the ruling. John Mauro, CJUSD's director of human resources and payroll, issued a written statement Wednesday morning, "The district has an obligation to protect the privacy of all of its employees as it relates to personnel matters. The Calistoga Associated Teachers (CAT) may have chosen to release information contained in a settlement agreement, if so, the reader will see that both parties found it to be in their respective best interests to resolve the matter. The stipulation to remove a document from the record does not constitute wrongdoing, contract or statutory violation, or liability on the part of either party. The district considers this matter resolved." At the beginning of the Feb. 11 mediation the district refused to remove the warnings from Torres file, said Ivan Miller, president of the Calistoga Association of Teachers, the union that represents CJUSD teachers. We got what we wanted at the end of the day, he said, when after reviewing documents and Torres exemplary record, the mediator ruled that the disparaging documents be immediately removed from her personnel files. Torres has the right to inspect her files to ensure the documents have been removed. The district did this only after the union threatened to take the unfair practice charge to a hearing in front of an administrative law judge, wrote Jacob F. Rukeyser, acting legal director for the California Teachers Association, in an email. Clearly, the district recognized that if the union took the charge to hearing, it would prevail on its claim that the district unlawfully retaliated against Marina by issuing her a discriminatory letter of discipline on trumped-up allegations. The settlement completely vindicates Marina by expunging the letter of discipline. For Miller, the ruling by the PERB is a win in the column of giving back a voice to teachers. We want teachers to feel like they can speak up and the union will support them, he said. Torres said it was an important victory, especially for new teachers who might be more fearful of retaliation. Miller and Torres contend that the confrontation between her and Llamas started, in part, when Torres spoke to CJUSDs board of trustees at its August meeting about her disappointment in the districts response to elementary school teachers vote of no confidence in Llamas, delivered in June. Nothing has changed, Torres said at that meeting, and schools about to start. Its disheartening, she said then. The atmosphere at the school is toxic. Looking back, she said, I was disciplined for correcting the principal on department of education regulations and code it was pretty bad. I was retaliated against, and other teachers as well. Miller said he and Torres agreed that as long-term teaching veterans they could assert their voice because they could endure any ramifications for speaking out against Llamas, whose management skills they, and others, considered inadequate. Weve been there forever. We figured they wouldnt go after us. If they did it would only be a year, Miller said, before they retired. And the district did go after Torres, he said, as well as other teachers at the elementary school. Elementary school teachers delivered a vote of no confidence in Llamas in June 2015, saying that they have been trying to work with her and the district to improve what they contend was a lack of professional leadership, a lack of advocacy for teachers and the inability to create or follow effective school policies. A handful of Latina parents have countered that the school and students have never been better since Llamas took over in 2013. But Miller, Torres and other teachers, including retired teacher Jackie Lang, said that hard work accomplished by the school and former principal Michele Truescorff is being credited by the parents to Llamas, who only collected the awards but did none of the heavy lifting to improve the school. Llamas took the helm at the school in the summer of 2013, and teachers said her immaturity and weak leadership skills were almost immediately apparent. Veteran teachers tried to help Llamas, and when that failed they reached out to the district. The district, teachers said, provided additional training and counseling, but Llamas conduct was still unprofessional. In the spring of 2015 the teachers union took a vote resulting in 92 percent of teachers saying they had no confidence in their principal. The vote of no confidence was presented to the trustees in June and Mondragon said then that it would continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that our students needs always come first. When teachers asked at later trustee meetings why no action was taken on Llamas, Mondragon said no action was needed. Friction remained high and morale low when school started in late August this year, and in early October Llamas unexplained absence caused a stir. After four days of absence, the district said Llamas was on leave, offering no details or a potential return date. Miller said he is still asking if she is on paid leave, but has gotten no answer. Kara Mannix, the schools vice principal, resigned at about the same time to take another position in a different school district. Jane Bunting, director of educational resources for the Calistoga Joint Unified School District since July 2014 and former vice principal at the elementary school, took over as principal the next week, and in December the district hired Nicole Lamare as vice principal. Bunting has always been well-liked and respected, teachers said, and Lamare is a fresh breath of air, Torres said. Lamare is professional, knowledgeable about how to run a school, and bilingual, Torres said. Faculty meetings are so much more productive. And it feels like a team again. We can start to focus on the kids again. All along Torres and other teachers have said that the toxic atmosphere, low morale and lack of professionalism that existed under Llamas reign was ultimately harming the students. Its all about the kids. The kids are not receiving what they deserve. This whole process has been a distraction, Torres said. Jeff Denson is a musician on a mission. With three jazz ensembles, a full professorship at the California Jazz Conservatory and leadership of a nonprofit organization devoted to the enhancement of jazz in the Bay Area, the double bass master, vocalist and composer is among the busiest musical artists in Northern California. The Jeff Denson Quartet will perform Sunday at Silos in Napa. Following a rich academic and artistic journey that took him around the country and the world, Denson accepted his appointment at the conservatory (then the Berkeley Jazzschool) in 2011 and moved to the Bay Area. On the phone from his East Bay home last week, he talked about the local jazz scene. I think theres a fantastic scene in Northern California, Denson said. In many ways, its kind of an unsung jazz scene on the national and international scale. You have great musicians performing all throughout the Bay Area in large and small venues. If not many people know that its going on, though, its like if a tree falls in the woods and no ones there. Does it happen? Does it make a sound? Thats one thing I would personally like to help with in whatever small way I can, trumpet and boost peoples awareness of the wealth of music we have here. As a bass player, Denson is regarded as a master in both jazz and Western classical traditions. He has recorded 10 albums as leader or co-leader of an ensemble, and a dozen more as a sideman. He has a cherished relationship in performance and in the recording studio with Lee Konitz, the veteran alto saxophone icon. Denson spoke enthusiastically about the work of the California Jazz Conservatory, where he serves as director of its outreach program. Its a major center for jazz education and the only conservatory solely based on the study of jazz in the U.S., he said. Any time you have a city that has a major jazz program, theres benefits to that. Musicians have a place they can go and a community develops around it. You have young musicians going to study with their peers. They go in and out. They leave the school and they have a peer group that they can communicate with artistically and focus on developing a career together. Were nurturing these young artists who are trained and passionate, and theyre going to keep pumping out new blood and new inspiration in the music scene. We have that here in the Bay Area now. Thats a really important component to be aware of. Theyre always going to be generating this new vibrant energy. And not only do you have students that are going to be young blood injected into the scene, Denson added, you also have people that want to see whats going on. Theyre going to want to go out and check out what the professionals are doing in the city. This helps bolster the audience base. Its a great cycle. Densons pride was on full display when he talked about the members of his Quartet. I have a really great band, he said, and weve worked a lot together developing a connection, a musical connection. I think that really shows in the recording that we just made, and youll hear it in the live show. Its a great group. The Jeff Denson Quartet is Denson on bass and vocals, Dan Zemelman on keyboards, drummer Alan Hall and Grammy-nominated Paul Hanson, whom Denson regards as the worlds premier improvising bassoonist. Their upcoming CD is Concentric Circles. I really do hope theres a lot of people out for the show, Denson said. This is very unique music were performing. Its challenging, but I think its very special. Of course Im biased, but its special music that brings together influences of many things. The true thing about it is the heart behind it, the integrity and the strength of the melodies. Sunday, Feb. 21, 4 p.m. Presented by the Napa Valley Jazz Society (NVJS). $45, $25 for NVJS members. Silos, 530 Main St., Napa. 707-251-5833. nvjs.org/tickets. Napa officials weighing the future of an affordable housing project on Coombsville Road faced a chicken-and-egg dilemma. Should the apartments await fixes to chronic traffic congestion, or does relieving the citys acute housing shortage outweigh all other problems? The City Council made its call on Tuesday night much to the displeasure of some of the projects future neighbors. After hearing more than a dozen residents concerns about speeding drivers, dangers to schoolchildren and drug use at a nearby park, council members nonetheless gave the Idaho-based developer The Pacific Companies the go-ahead for 20 rental apartments at 535 Coombsville Road the same site where an earlier, larger housing plan foundered eight years ago amid stiff community resistance. The apartments, a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom dwellings inside two buildings, will give households another option in a city where housing supplies have tightened and rents soared through the decade. But several residents of the neighborhood east of downtown predicted the price in congestion and danger to children walking to local schools would become too high. Youre going to add 20 units, probably with families and kids, and put that on a huge racetrack, which is Coombsville, which is extraordinarily dangerous? Andy Jensen told council members. If you havent driven it, you probably should before you stamp this project, because its a big problem. We sound like NIMBYs because we live there, but we have to deal with it every single day twice a day. Though council members expressed their sympathy for the homeowners, they also declared that denser housing is Napas inevitable future as the supply of open space dwindles. Its such a pressing need, and the solution to the problem will be in-fill projects, Scott Sedgley told a City Hall audience of about 40 people before voting in support with Mary Luros and Juliana Inman (Mayor Jill Techel and Peter Mott were absent). We will need to go to higher densities; well need to go to smaller setbacks. Napa will continue to grow, and that big front yard with a 20-foot setback will be a thing of the past. Napa Courtyards is the smaller successor to Fairview Heights, a three-story design that would have held 30 apartments. On its release in 2008, opponents packed City Hall to attack that project as too large for their neighborhood and a threat to safe traffic. After two rejections by the Planning Commission, Napa Valley Community Housing gave up on the proposal. In reviving the project, The Pacific Companies removed the third floor and cut the number of units by a third. Sixteen units would fill one building with four in a second building on the property, which is south of Tulocay Cemetery. A small commercial building that houses the Napa Recovery Resource Center would be razed to open up space for the apartments and 43 parking spaces, including a covered carport on the west. All of the Napa Courtyards apartments will be offered at rents affordable to families making 30 to 60 percent of the citys median income, according to Ryan Gregory, a local civil engineer working with the developer. Average rents are expected to be $600 a month for one bedroom, $900 for two bedrooms and $1,100 for three. But a development meant to open doors to future residents even downsized got a cold welcome from present-day residents near Coombsville Road, who shared stories of long waits at the nearby five-way crossing, or speeders endangering preteens heading to Silverado Middle School. Several urged holding off on any home construction until Napa can redesign the intersection, where long signal waits slow down motorists on Coombsville, Silverado Trail, Third Street and East Avenue. I dont understand why we would try to put more (vehicles) into it; its adding more to a problem that already exists, said Holly Moore, a nearby resident who held her young daughter while describing drivers rushing past her home to bypass the packed five-way intersection. Its concerning as parent; I have a small child, I have animals, and Im going to have more kids, she said. Our whole neighborhood is filled with children and theyre playing in the street, and they should be able to play in their yard and not have to worry about someone going 65 miles an hour and screeching to a halt. Even when traffic thins out, several residents added, another neighborhood problem would menace the new apartments substance abusers using Fairview Park to the south, which opponents called isolated and poorly policed. It sounds like this is going to happen no matter what, which Im not happy with, said Jensen. But if it is going to happen, we need to step it up and provide service to the neighborhood. (Police) need to put the effort into (watching) Fairview Park so the criminal element can either go away or doesnt expand into our neighborhoods, which its doing now. Even in the face of such protests, Inman replied that other projects have shown that lower-income housing can coexist with their Napa neighborhoods. Id like to invite everyone to come see an affordable project that was built a block from my house, in the middle of a single-family neighborhood, she said of Pecan Court, a 22-unit development on Clay Street. It has been a very good neighbor. Its a good-looking project, quiet, and Ive had absolutely no problems, said Inman. My children were raised on a street that has 15,000 vehicles a day that go by my house. So its possible to live in proximity to a corridor with a lot of traffic, and to live there safely. Luros called the housing development a necessity, even given the issues facing nearby families and her own. This is my neighborhood, too, Luros said amid audible grumbling from spectators. Ive been stuck on Coombsville at 3 oclock; I get it, I understand. But we have an overwhelming need for housing, and that needs to trump some of these issues. The Napa County District Attorney will not be filing charges against Napa Valley Colleges police academy director regarding an incident reported on campus last month. The DAs office investigated allegations against Damien Sandoval, director of the Napa Valley Criminal Justice Training Center, following an incident reported by a student on the campus. Sandovals attorney, Thomas L. Gill of Vallejo, said the allegations against Sandoval included that he had struck the complaining student in front of approximately 40 other students. Napa Valley College had previously refused to elaborate as to why Sandoval was put on administrative leave. The Napa County District Attorneys Office conducted a thorough investigation, including interviewing 43 witnesses, and concluded that no crime occurred, Paul Gero, assistant district attorney, said Tuesday. There is insufficient evidence of a criminal act, and we will not be filing charges. Rocket science wasnt necessary to figure out the complaint had zero merit, Gill added. Gill said that he and his client hope that the colleges internal investigation will be completed just as expediently as the DAs investigation. Sandoval continues to be on paid administrative leave until the issue is completely resolved, he said. Doug Ernst, Napa Valley College spokesman, continued to decline comment Tuesday on the Sandoval case. Its a personnel issue and we cant discuss it. The Napa Valley Register has requested a copy of the incident report filed with college police. A woman reported having been raped, according to Officer Stephen Coultrup of the St. Helena Police Department. Coultrup said he couldnt disclose the location or the circumstances of the incident that led to the charges because the case is still under investigation. BEIRUT Syrian troops, Kurdish forces make gains in countrys north Syrian government forces and a predominantly Kurdish coalition of fighters have advanced and captured more areas from an array of insurgent groups in the countrys north. Syrias state news agency SANA and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that government forces took the villages of Ahras and Misqan in the northern province of Aleppo. Separately, members of the Syria Democratic Forces, a coalition of Arab and Kurdish groups, captured the major town of Tel Rifaat, one of the largest strongholds of militants in Aleppo province. After Tel Rifaat, SDF fighters also took the nearby village of Kfar Naseh just south of the town. Syrian government forces backed by Russian warplanes have pressed a major offensive north of Aleppo since the start of February. HAVANA U.S., Cuba sign deal on commercial flights The United States and Cuba signed an agreement to resume commercial air traffic for the first time in five decades, starting the clock on dozens of new flights operating daily by next fall. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Cuban Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in a ceremony at Havanas Hotel Nacional on Tuesday morning. The U.S. airlines can now start bidding on routes for as many as 110 U.S.-Cuba flights a day more than five times the current number. All flights operating between the two countries today are charters. The agreement allows 20 regular daily U.S. flights to Havana, in addition to the current 10-15 charter flights a day. The rest would be to other Cuban cities. PARIS France extends post-Nov. 13 shooting state of emergency for 3 months Frances Parliament overwhelmingly approved a three-month extension of a state of emergency imposed after deadly attacks around Paris in November, even as rights groups say it undermines fundamental freedoms. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve argued in Tuesdays debate in the National Assembly that the threat of new terrorist violence remains very high after the Islamic extremist attacks, which killed 130 people. The state of emergency expands police powers to carry out arrests and searches and allows authorities to restrict movement of persons and vehicles at specific times and places. The lower house of Parliament approved the extension Tuesday by a vote of 212-31. It had already been approved by the Senate, and now will remain in effect until May 26. BAMAKO, Mali Jihadis used armored vehicles in Mali U.N. base attack A spokeswoman for the United Nations mission in Mali says jihadis used armored vehicles in the attack on the missions base in Kidal that killed at least seven peacekeepers last week. Radhia Achouri told The Associated Press Tuesday that this was the first time an armored car was used in such an attack, allowing a shield from gunfire. She said investigations show that shells fired outside the camp diverted the soldiers as the truck, filled with explosives, entered the camp last Friday. The explosion did the majority of the damage, killing seven Guinean peacekeepers, and wounding more than 30 others. Achouri said the attackers appeared to have reinforced the cars with armory themselves. The Mali-based Islamic extremist group Ansar Dine claimed responsibility for the attack. ROME Italy aims to keep art, artifacts safe from extremists Italy is teaming with the United Nations culture protection agency to keep ancient artworks, monuments, artifacts and archaeological sites in conflict areas out of the hands of extremists. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova signed an accord in Rome Tuesday creating an Italian task force of Peacekeepers of Culture as well as establishing a center in Turin to train cultural-heritage protection experts. Officials say no country has been chosen yet for the first mission. The task force draws on Italys Carabinieri paramilitary police force, which has long been in the vanguard in fighting trafficking in looted artworks and artifacts. Gentiloni noted that extremists such as the Islamic State group sell looted art and artifacts to finance terrorism and destroy monuments as cultural cleansing. For almost 10 years Marnie Cunningham shared with tour groups her passion for the colorful history of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Now shes adjusting to a new chapter in the CIAs history one that no longer involves her. Cunningham, whose charisma and infectious enthusiasm for her work got her named Employee of the Year by the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce in 2014, lost her job on Jan. 8 when the CIA eliminated its hospitality department, which consisted of Cunningham and Dennis Jordan. The two were told to clean out their desks immediately, and were escorted out of the building. Visitors to the CIA are now greeted by security personnel, Cunningham said. Cunningham is striking a positive note, saying she was always thrilled to share her passion for the Greystone buildings history with international audiences. What an honor, what a privilege, what a gift to honor that buildings history, said Cunningham, who also served as concierge, helped run cooking demonstrations, trained students in hospitality, answered phones, booked reservations, supported each department in the building, and occasionally took homesick students under her wing. Cunningham, who turned 65 a week after losing her job, added that she has received a severance check and is now taking stock of her life, volunteering at Rianda House, and helping out friends before deciding on her next career step. Her former colleagues have already had her over for lunch at the CIAs teaching kitchen, and she still has warm relationships with many of the schools faculty and students. Despite her upbeat attitude, the Star has received a wave of letters blasting the CIAs decision. Susan French wrote a letter praising Cunninghams friendliness, graciousness and welcoming spirit and criticizing the CIAs very corporate response that it is restructuring following the new addition of Copia, and plans to offer self-guided tours. Warm, welcoming people, it seems, will be unnecessary, French wrote. CIA administrators didnt respond to a request for comment on this story. However, Anne Girvin, manager for marketing and communications for the CIA at Greystone, provided this statement in response to a letter to the Star from Carol Troy: With the new addition of Copia to the CIAs family, we are currently restructuring and reorganizing our departments to be more reflective of our needs for both locations. We look forward to creating an interactive guest experience for visitors to Greystone, including news, events, shopping, dining and self-guided tours of the historic campus property. Suzanne Carreiro used to teach classes and do cooking demonstrations at the CIA. She said the CIAs really insensitive treatment of Cunningham is typical of how it treats its employees. Carreiro said she was underpaid, undervalued and overworked at the CIA. I just think its not a kind place, Carreiro said. Theres a core of really nice people there, but there are other people who just become really mean, I think because they have zero power. Carreiro added that as one of St. Helenas major employers, the CIA should set an example to the community and to other employers that they want to be evenhanded and fair to their employees. Carol Troy said shes known Cunningham since approximately 2008, when Cunningham helped her run a photo booth at the St. Helena Farmers Market. It was good to know that you could send people to the CIA to go on a tour and that Marnie really knew what she was doing, Troy said. She said its sad that someone with Cunninghams abilities would be replaced with what sounds like a slideshow or video. When Cunningham was named Employee of the Year in 2014, Chamber CEO Pam Simpson called her the quintessential example of excellent hospitality always smiling and welcoming. She goes out of her way to make everyone feel comfortable and important. She is the definition of authentic and a true St. Helena treasure. Simpson also praised Cunningham for volunteering at countless charitable events. Katie Somple, the Chambers board chair at the time, called Cunningham St. Helenas No. 1 volunteer. CIA chef Lars Kronmark nominated Cunningham for the award. At the time, he said, Marnie has always shown top professionalism from her vantage point in the lobby at the CIA. She has welcomed thousands of visitors from all over the world and she directs them, not only around the CIA facilities, but also to the hidden treasures of St. Helena, making her the best ambassador for our town. In an interview last week, Cunningham kept returning to the topic of the Greystone buildings history, beginning with the 400 Chinese workers who built it in 1889, under the supervision of engineer Hamden MacIntyre, while living in a camp where Gotts is today. During her tours, Cunningham would point out the feng shui-related devil chaser swirls the workers added to Greystones peaks to ward off negative energy, and note the role the workers played in building levees throughout the delta, laying railroad tracks, and developing historic wineries like Inglenook, Trefethen, Far Niente, Chateau Montelena and the Schramsberg caves. Cunninghams enthusiasm extended to the rest of the buildings history: its vacancy during Prohibition and outbreaks of phylloxera, its days as the Christian Brothers winery, its purchase by the Heublein Company after being damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and the CIAs acquisition and seismic retrofitting of the building in the early 1990s. As a condition of buying the building, the Hyde Park, New York-based company agreed to honor its history and be a good neighbor to St. Helena. In recent years CIA management seemed to be putting less of an emphasis on that history, Cunningham said. Wherever a business is in the world, it needs to honor that location, Cunningham said. Another great way to donate to NASGA is by doing your online shopping with Goodshop! They will donate up to 20% of your purchases back to us and offer great savings at places like Neiman Marcus Adidas , and Sundance Catalog . So, you can save money and help us stop guardian abuse too! Disclaimer Victim stories are written and submitted by individual victims. NASGA has no knowledge or responsibility as to the accuracy or validity of their statements. Use of any such story or information contained therein in any manner is not authorized without prior written consent from NASGA or the individual author. Comments on this site are moderated. NASGA reserves the right to accept, reject or delete any comments posted. Comments are the sole responsibility of the sender. This site contains links to web sites controlled or offered by third parties (non-affiliates of NASGA). NASGA hereby disclaims liability for any information, material, products, services, or any other, posted or offered at any of the third-party sites. By creating a link to a third-party site, NASGA does not endorse or recommend any products or services offered. NASGA further disclaims liability for the content, security, validity or accuracy contained in said third-party sites. Micro and macro economics are the two sides of the same coin.There is close interdependence between the two.We cannot analyse the in... Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Through promotion of free debate on our website, New Age Islam encourages people to rethink Islam. There has been so much happening lately! I am sorry I have gotten behind, but I am giving myself a pass. Let me get you all caught up. Two... EUSR Toivo Klaars exclusive interview with NEWS.am on EU Monitoring mission,Nagorno Karabakh future and violence videos President meets with newly formed Artsakh Public Council members PM: Armenia trade with other EEU countries increased by 74% France region to provide 300,000 to Armenias Syunik Province affected by Azerbaijan military aggression Eurasian Intergovernmental Council extended meeting underway in Yerevan MOD: Armenia did not fire at Azerbaijan positions, vehicle MPs in Strasbourg, present threatening dangers: Armenia has powerful support in European Parliament Years first snow falls in Armenias Shirak Province World oil prices on the rise Newspaper: Russia dismisses Armenia PM's news on Karabakh Russia PM in Yerevan, to discuss with EEU colleagues single oil, natural gas markets formation Newspaper: Why is Iran in hurry to open consulate in Armenias Syunik Province? France, Spain, Portugal agree to build Barcelona-Marseille natural gas pipeline Admiral: U.S. should now prepare for Chinese 'invasion' of Taiwan Harutyunyan: I cannot imagine Artsakh's future without presence of Russia Harutyunyan: Without questioning path of our independence, we must meet with Baku Prime Minister of Finland does not think that Hungary and Turkey will block country's application for NATO membership Iranian FM: U.S. made hasty statements in connection with protests Former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim involved in car accident in Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan: Artsakh people's right to self-determination is non-negotiable Iranian MFA calls it important to form platform with Armenia and India on North-South corridor Details of EU monitoring mission in Armenia are known Foreign Ministry: It seems Ankara is more interested in opening corridor through Armenia than Azerbaijan Mirzoyan: Unexpected third countries support Azerbaijani interpretation of road to Nakhchivan Foreign Ministry: Armenia, Iran and Bulgaria initial agreement on creation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor Israeli Defense Minister to visit Ankara Armenian Foreign Minister names main obstacle to solving problems with Azerbaijan Erdogan once again raises issue of so-called 'Zangezur corridor' Armenian and Iranian FMs to open Iranian Consulate General in Syunik province tomorrow Abdollahian: Aliyev assured that he does not want border changes, Iran will prevent implementation of such idea Iranian Foreign Minister in Yerevan supports '3+3' platform Iranian Foreign Minister recalls Tehran's 'red lines' in regional issues Mirzoyan: We highly appreciate Iran's principled position regarding territorial integrity of Armenia UK imposes sanctions against Iran for alleged delivery of drones to Russia Yerevan hosts meeting of Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in narrow composition Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers meet in Yerevan in extended format Charles Michel: EU energy deal possible, but difficult Erdogan says Baku should demand 'compensation' from Yerevan Pashinyan: EEU mechanisms are of great help, trade turnover between Armenia and Belarus has doubled Yair Lapid: Russia-Iran relations are serious problem for Ukraine, Europe, and whole world Amir-Abdollahian: Iran is against presence of foreigners in this region, both in Azerbaijan and Armenia Pashinyan at EAEU meeting: Fundamental principles of world economic system in question Iranian Foreign Minister's official visit to Yerevan begins Macron says Germany should not isolate itself in Europe EU begins deployment of mission on Armenia-Azerbaijan border Trump's son made fun of Zelenskyy's ability to ask West for money EU to provide emergency aid for Armenia residents affected by recent Azerbaijan military aggression Azerbaijan army units fire at Armenia positions Mikhail Mishustin arrives in Yerevan EU approves new sanctions against Iran over alleged drone deliveries to Russia Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting begins in Yerevan Baku calls OSCE mission to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border 'private visit' On fourth day of IRGC military exercises on border with Azerbaijan, artillery destroys planned targets Liz Truss quits as UK Prime Minister Turkey parliament to consider extending Turkish militarys mandate in Azerbaijan Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia Russias Putin ratifies agreement on simplification of payments for goods transit within EEU territory Stoltenberg: Almost all NATO countries have agreed to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance Ombudswoman of Armenia: Azerbaijan prevents removal of remains of fallen soldiers Zakharova: Matter of holding CSTO Collective Security Council meeting being worked out Ombudswoman of Armenia: I received video materials from EU special representative about Azerbaijanis Armenia Security Council chief, UK army general discuss cooperation in security Armenia and Kazakhstan discuss bilateral military cooperation Iran says U.S. and Israel won't be able to split the republic 201 bodies are identified of Armenia soldiers who died as result of September military aggression by Azerbaijan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia today Turkey, Azerbaijan presidents officially open international airport in occupied Artsakh territory Armenia President visits several leading Bulgaria IT companies Ruben Vardanyan: I will assume Artsakh State Minister position at beginning of November Armenia PM on making EU observation mission permanent: I'm not sure about that US State Dept.: Our ultimate goal is peaceful resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan Armenia, Qatar to collaborate in tourism sector Turkey president travels to Azerbaijan Bandits in Russia cut off Armenian man's hands, shoot him in legs President of Armenia, mayor of Bulgarias Plovdiv discuss avenues for deepening of cooperation Armenia has new customs attache at Upper Lars checkpoint on Russia-Georgia border Karabakh official: Baku goes for gradual escalation, provocation of situation Armenia to get 33mn grant from EU for police, migration service, business development in Syunik Province Lacote: OSCE observation mission deployment will contribute to respect of Armenia territorial integrity World oil prices going up Russia extends flight restrictions at 11 airports Newspaper: Karabakh delegation to head for Moscow, meeting with Putin considered probable Newspaper: Azerbaijan aggression on September 13 paralyzes Armenia public administration for some time Azerbaijan army opens fire towards Armenia positions at midnight Retired US Air Force general is offered consulting job in Azerbaijan at rate of $5,000 a day White House is puzzling over how to avoid meeting between Putin and Biden at G-20 summit Eduard Aghajanyan: Once again I remind that Armenia was deprived of opportunity to protect rights of people of Artsakh U.S. says that limiting Russian oil prices is not aimed at OPEC OSCE sends mission to Armenia to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Jeff Bezos warns that U.S. economy may face recession Kiev says nearly 40% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been damaged Raisi: Iran will use all its capabilities and potential to end war in Ukraine Qatar gets first pandas in Middle East Armenian president delivers lecture at St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia More than half of Britons think Liz Truss should resign Bloomberg: Putin and Erdogan's cordial relationship arouses Western anger Dutch government invests up to 3.5 billion in military procurement Erdogan discusses latest developments in Ukraine with Zelenskyy School in Paris expels student from class for denying Armenian Genocide Germany would like to participate in EU observer mission to Armenia YEREVAN. - The report on Finance Ministrys activities, priority issues and Action Plan for 2015 were discussed at the Armenian Government today. The discussion was chaired by PM Hovik Abrahamyan. Finance Minister Gagik Khachatryan noted that in 2015 the tax and budgetary policy was aimed at maintaining the macroeconomic stability, special attention being attached to the policy of promoting economic growth. According to the Minister, in contrast to other countries of the region, last year it was possible to ensure necessary financial flows without any deviations from the plan. In 2015, Armenias tax revenues constituted 1 trillion 65 billion AMD, which is 0.3 percent more as compared to 2014, Gagk Khachatryan reported. The budgetary expenses constituted 1 trillion 253 billion AMD, which is 10.6 percent more than in 2014. In the framework of the cooperation between EEU states, a program insurance module was introduced last year for the purpose of information exchange and customs duty accounting. Besides, work aimed at the improvement of tax and customs legislations continued, and the draft Tax Code was drawn out. According to Khachatryan, the legislative changes aimed at attracting investments and improving business climate. The PM positively assessed the Ministrys work, noting that due to joint efforts it was possible to overcome the difficulties resulted in geopolitical circumstances in 2015. He also attached importance to raising the productivity of further expenses. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has refused to consider on a priority basis the appeal of the Azerbaijani citizens Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who are in captivity in Armenia. The Azerbaijani representative at ECHR, head of the sector for the protection of the human rights department on work with the law-enforcement agencies under the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Chingiz Askerov, announced the aforementioned, Trend reports. However, the court refused to consider the appeal in the order of precedent. According to Askerov, this is indicative of its non-objectivity. He also added that the Azerbaijani government addressed the ECHR over this issue, but hasnt received an answer yet. Azerbaijani sabotage and intelligence-gathering team member Dilham Askerov was charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred; and attempt of murder of two persons, committed by an organized group, motivated by ethnic hatred. The other team member, Shahbaz Guliyev, on the other hand, was charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; and murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred. On December 29, 2014, the First Instance General Jurisdiction Court of the NKR sentenced Askerov and Guliyev to life and 22 years, respectively, in prison. The saboteurs attorneys, however, had appealed these sentences. But on March 10, the NKR Court of Appeal upheld the earlier court verdict. So, the attorneys of Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev had appealed, at the NKR Supreme Court, the rulings handed down by the two previous tribunals. Before joining Cal State Fullerton in the fall, Doina Bein, assistant professor of computer science, taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned a masters degree and doctorate in computer science. Bein also was a visiting scholar at Osaka University in Japan and conducted research at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas, Dallas. She also holds bachelors and masters degrees in computer science from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi, Romania. Why did you pursue the opportunity to join the Titan community? I love teaching, plus I wanted to live in California. At the University of Nevada, I taught courses in advance analysis of algorithms, computer science, programming for engineers and introduction to computers. What do you most look forward to now that youre here? I look forward to becoming tenured in my department and working on collaborative projects with my colleagues and students. I also enjoy teaching, which has been a driving force within my professional and scholarly activities. At Penn State, I worked hard on mentoring students and getting them involved in my research. I am very grateful to CSUF for giving me the opportunity to teach, while supporting me in continuing to do research. What areas of continued scholarship and research are of particular interest to you? I have authored five book chapters, 19 journals and 51 research and survey papers. Im also the associate editor for two journals and an academic editor for the British Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science. My research interests, broadly speaking, include the complexities that derive from advanced interaction of devices with limited power, but capable of solving increasingly complex algorithms through cooperation. Thus, I have concentrated on various data fusion technologies, energy-efficient wireless networks and self-organizing ad hoc networks. What are some of your outside activities, hobbies or interests? I love to travel and see new places, and enjoy visiting national parks in North America. China will adjust deposit rates for its housing provident fund to ensure reasonable gains for depositors, the central bank said on Wednesday. With effect from February 21, the central bank will use the one-year deposit rate of 1.5 percent to replace the lower rates for deposits of less than one year, the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its website. The housing provident fund is a government-designed saving plan that allows Chinese workers and their employers pay a part of their monthly wages into the fund to finance future home purchases. REUTERS PY SB1511 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-594791.Xml Singapore's Global Logistic Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have set up a 100 billion yen ($880 million) fund to develop modern warehouses in Japan, their second joint venture in the country. Growth in e-commerce has helped make warehouses around the world hot property assets. Helped by debt financing, the fund's assets are expected to reach $2 billion over three years, GLP and CPPIB said. CPPIB, one of the world's leading retirement funds, has been active in logistics investments in Asia. In December, it pledged $1 billion in additional funds for a partnership with Goodman Group Pty Ltd that invests in Chinese warehouses and logistics facilities. In November, it and other partners unveiled an investment of up to $1 billion in a separate venture in South Korea. GLP and CPPIB set up their first joint fund for Japan in 2011 to invest in logistic facilities. GLP has $8.2 billion worth of assets under management in Japan.REUTERS PY PR1538 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-594849.Xml Known for his innovative method of filming, editing and sharing one-minute videos every 24 hours, American video diplomacy expert Christoph Alexander Geiseler feels the focus in India should be on contents that stand the test of time instead of messages for social media that are consumed swiftly. "I think it should be about what videos will stand the test of time instead of focusing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and Snapchats... contents that are consumed very quickly. What videos you will be watching 5 or 10 years from now? What are the voices, the stories that our great-great-great grandchildren will hold on to? The valuable stories stand the test of time," Geiseler told IANS here. Geiseler and his teaching partner, Anouschka Dap, were here for a two-day video course at the US Consulate. Selected trainees participated in a hands-on workshop to learn how to produce one-minute videos within 24 hours using the method invented by Geiseler. "Video diplomacy is an amplifier for a way to transmit a message. An institution can speak to the public and public can speak back. Twitter is to blogs as one-minute videos are to movies," he explained. Geiseler, the founder of the One Minute Academy, also consults for the US Department of State as a cultural envoy. He admitted people doubt the potential of one-minute videos at the moment. And this is exactly why, he said, there is a "great opportunity to enter the field and establish ourselves as innovators and pioneers". Asked on the recent cultural appropriation controversy over British rock band Coldplay's "Hymn For the Weekend", Geiseler said showcasing a vibrant image of the country is a positive step. "If they are showing a side of India that is beautiful and colourful and makes people come to India, sounds like a great occasion to me. They are not harming anybody and not saying negative." "Think about the millions of dollars which will be poured into the economy because a foreign band came here and made a video. They probably paid for rights to get clearance, paid taxes for filming certain landmarks etc." --Indo-Asian News Service sgh/pm/ ( 366 Words) 2016-02-17-20:17:35 (IANS) "We categorically do not accept such statements, the more so as every time those making these statements are unable to prove their unfounded accusations in any way," a spokesman for Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying by the Guardian. France and Turkey have said that the strikes on two locations by forces supporting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad amounted to war crimes. Turkey's foreign ministry has accused Russia of carrying out an "obvious war crime" and warned that serious consequences would be inevitable if Russia did not end such attacks. "If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organisation and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response," Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. The international charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said that 11 people died, including five staff members, a caretaker and five patients including a child, in the airstrikes on a facility it supports. (ANI) US soybeans were little changed on Wednesday, trading near last session's highest since February 4 with prices underpinned by delays in shipments fromBrazil, but gains were capped by forecasts of crop-friendly weather in South America. Wheat was steady after rallying in the last session ,with market focus on the rejection of cargoes by Egypt, the world's top importer, which has weighed on Black Sea prices. The Chicago Board of Trade most-active soybean contract was flat at $8.79-3/4 a bushel by 0216 GMT, not far from Tuesday's peak of $8.82-3/4 a bushel, the highest since Feb. 4. Wheat was unchanged at $4.64-1/4 a bushel and corn lost 0.1 percent to $3.62-3/4 a bushel. "South American soybean crops continue to experience supportive weather," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. "Port weather is indeed likely to be more influential as bursts of wet weather slow the flow of beans from Brazilian ports." The lineup of Brazil export loadings of soybeans and corn was double that of a year ago as rains delayed shipments, particularly for Paranagua, and a weak real currency boosted demand. The National Oilseed Processors Association said U.S. crushings in January totalled 150.453 million bushels, below trade estimates averaging about 154.557 million bushels. Some traders expected China, the world's biggest soybean importer, to step up purchases following last week's Lunar New Year and a pre-holiday decline in imports during January. For wheat, traders continue to monitor the situation in Egypt. The country's agricultural quarantine authority has rejected a shipment of Canadian wheat, saying it contained traces of the fungus ergot, a trade source said and official documents obtained by Reuters showed. The move by the quarantine authority is the latest in a series of rejections, which have caused serious concerns over Egypt's tough new quality rules and disrupted the country's massive wheat imports. Russian wheat export prices fell last week, hit by concerns about future supply contracts to Egypt. Black Sea prices for Russian wheat with 12.5 percent protein content were at $179 a tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis at the end of last week, down $2 from a week earlier, Russian agricultural consultancy IKAR said in a note. Commodity funds bought an estimated net 7,000 CBOT corn contracts on Tuesday, trade sources said. The funds also bought a net 6,000 soybean contracts and 3,500 in wheat, they said.REUTERS SV PR0916 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594216.Xml Cheil, in a regulatory filing, did not name the shareholder and said the talks had so far not led to any concrete results. A spokeswoman for Samsung C&T Corp, which holds a 12.64 percent stake in the ad agency, confirmed that talks were taking place but said nothing had been decided. South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper reported late Tuesday that Samsung Group wanted to divest from Cheil, citing unnamed sources. The group's founding Lee family has been restructuring the conglomerate, divesting non-core affiliates. Cheil shares opened sharply lower and were down 10.8 percent as of 0253 GMT, compared with a 0.2 percent rise for the broader market. A Cheil spokeswoman told Reuters the firm was not aware of any sales talks by top shareholders, while Samsung Group and Samsung C&T declined to comment on the possibility of divestment. Various Samsung firms including Samsung C&T and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd collectively control about 28.6 percent of Cheil, worth about 582 billion won ($475.67 million) based on current market prices. The stake is not considered a key piece of Samsung's ownership structure. REUTERS SV PR0915 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594218.Xml China's Okay Airways has signed a commitment for 12 Boeing 737 jets worth 1.3 billion dollars at list prices, as the privately owned carrier looks to expand its fleet to tap the mainland's growing air travel market. The order includes 11 737 Max jets, the upgraded version of Boeing's narrowbody aircraft line. The deal was signed at the Singapore Airshow. The agreement also includes options for another eight 737 Max planes, Boeing said in a statement. The order is not part of the deal that Boeing signed with China last year to supply 300 aircraft worth 38 billion dollars at list prices, Wang Shusheng, the company's chairman, told reporters on Wednesday. Okay Airways, China's first privately owned airline, currently has a fleet of 18 aircraft, and expects to grow the fleet to 80 by 2020. Wang also said the airline was looking into purchasing wide-body aircraft, which would account for about 30 percent of the total capacity by 2020, to accommodate longer routes in future. The company said it would make a decision on the wide-body aircraft later this year. "Next we would like to use wide-body aircraft to fly to destinations that exempt visa requirement for the Chinese," said Wang. Wang said his airline would soon start flying to Osaka, and is in discussion with authorities on opening new routes to popular tourist destinations in Japan.REUTERS SV PR1021 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594270.Xml Struggling to fill the hole in revenues left by the plunge in the oil price, investors from the world's major oil producing countries were among the biggest sellers of South Korean stocks over the past year.Crude oil prices have slumped more than 70 percent since mid-2014, in line with a decline in broader commodity markets, taking oil to a 12-year low of $27.10 last month.According to an official from South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), investors from oil exporting nations cut their holdings in South Korean stocks last year, with intense selling of shares picking up in June and continuing into January.Analysts say sovereign wealth funds are likely to be among the bigger sellers of Korean stocks and suspect the same investors are behind outflows seen in Japan in January."Oil money is flowing out as oil producing countries' deteriorating trade balances due to the low oil prices worsen their fiscal balances. They cannot quickly cut fiscal spending," said Kim Jae Eun, Standard Chartered Bank's economist for investment advisory and strategy, in Seoul.The data from South Korea's regulator aligns with a wider retreat by oil-rich investors that is believed to be partly behind the recent selloff in global stocks.The official from the FSS, who did not want to be named, said investors from Saudi Arabia, Norway and the United Arab Emirates dumped a combined net 5.6 trillion won ($4.6 billion) worth of Seoul stocks from June through the end of 2015. That compared with the country's total stock outflows in 2015 of 3.5 trillion won.Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude producer, was the largest seller during those months, unloading a combined net 4.4 trillion won in equities during the period, while Norway sold 1 trillion won.In January, Saudi Arabia sold a net 117.5 billion won worth of South Korean equities.Those from Norway offloaded a net 62 billion won in stocks last month. The European oil exporter has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, worth more than $810 billion.JAPAN TOOWhile a directly comparable breakdown of investments in other Asian markets is not available, investors of oil-producing countries have also been seen pulling out of Japanese stocks.Portfolio inflows data from Japan's finance ministry shows Norwegian investors sold a net 40.6 billion yen ($356.4 million) of Japanese stocks in 2015.Possibly not reflected in official numbers are investor flows routed through financial centres such as London.Norihiro Fujito, a senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo, said active selling of Japanese cash equities by foreigners in January points to liquidation by overseas real money investors, possibly sovereign wealth funds.Japanese stock exchange data showed selling of cash equities by foreigners in January made up a larger-than-usual proportion of total foreign stock selling, at 48 percent.Fujito says this suggests overseas investors were increasingly offloading real-money investments rather than more speculative stock instruments, such as futures. Such a phenomenon was also observed in August and September of last year."I think there is a very strong possibility that oil-producing countries are linked to such moves," Fujito said.REUTERS PS RK0440 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0109-594186.Xml Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrbabau Naidu today laid the foundation stone for construction of temporary Secretariat and other government office buildings at Velagapudi village, about 25 km from here in Guntur district. Mr Naidu, amid priests chanting mantras, laid the foundation stone at around 0830 hrs this morning in the presence of his entire Cabinet colleagues present on the occasion. Speaking after laying the foundation stone, he made it clear that the structures, to be constructed to house Secretariat and other offices, would be "permanent structures". They "would be used for other purposes" as soon as the permanent Capital was constructed, he said. The construction of the new Secretariat would be completed by four months and the administration of Andhra Pradesh state would be taken up from here itself from June 15 onwards, he explained and said that according to the CAG report, the state would have deficit budget even in 2019. The government was trying to avail all opportunities to bring investments, the Chief Minister said and highlighted that Rs.4.70 lakh crore investment was mobilized at ICC conference few days ago. Mr.Naidu thanked the 25 thousand odd farmers, who had parted with their 33,000 acres of rich fertile land voluntarily for the construction of Amaravathi. Taking a dig at the Opposition parties, he alleged that the leaders with an envious of the construction of world class capital city, misleading the people by stating that the government is wasting Rs.200 crores for the construction of temporary Secretariat. It may be mentioned here that the construction of Secretariat buildings are the first construction in the Capital region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of capital city Amaravathi on October 22, 2015. The Singapore government had developed a master plan for Amaravathi.UNI DP cs 1210 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-594443.Xml The operation was launched in Achin district of the province and a number of villages to clear all insurgents, reports TOLO News. However, further details about the operation was not provided. Daesh is active in five districts of the province, mostly in Achin. Recently, General John Campbell, the outgoing commander of Resolute Support Mission and U.S forces in Afghanistan warned of the growing threat by Daesh. At a meeting in Kabul, he said that the Taliban was more dangerous than Daesh, but said that attacks against Daesh have increased as the group poses direct threats against the U.S and the West. Recently, General John Campbell, the outgoing commander of Resolute Support Mission and U.S forces in Afghanistan warned of the growing threat by Daesh. At a meeting in Kabul, he said that the Taliban was more dangerous than Daesh, but said that attacks against Daesh have increased as the group poses direct threats against the U.S and the West. Campbell added that the intention of Daesh is to takeover Jalalabad and move on Kunar.(ANI) Asserting that attempts are being made to attack the nation's integrity in wake of the JNU campus row, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday asked universities to be apolitical and advised students to focus on their education. "If Kanhaiya, the president of JNU, is not found to be involved in this.no problem at all. But I expect the student leader to denounce such activities in his campus.distance himself from the union and such activities, that will make things clear. We want the universities to be apolitical and the students to focus on education instead of getting involved in beef festival or Afzal Guru festival," Naidu told ANI. "The basic issue is the act of anti-national meeting, slogans, eulogizing Afzal Guru, questioning the integrity, unity and sovereignty of India. The slogans that were raised are very provocative, objectionable and anti-national. Why not the students' unions condemn the act and distance themselves from the activities?" he added. Naidu also called for strong action against those attacking the nation's sovereignty. "How can any nation which is independent, tolerate this assault on the sovereignty of the country? We cannot afford this. The government is very firm. Strong action should be taken against the people," he said. "If a student is involved, segregate him, condemn him and let him face the action. Nobody is saying JNU is anti-national. What people are criticising is there are some anti-national activities taking place in JNU. The police and the university are investigating. Let them investigate and come out with the real culprits and take action. Others, who are innocent, should not be touched at all," he added. Stating that the government should not be 'unnecessary' dragged in the JNU row, Naidu advised the students to think before protesting and making unwarranted statements. "The focus should be on the people, who are raising these objectionable anti-national slogans. They should be segregated and condemned and action should be taken," he stated. According to a Delhi Police Special Branch report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Kanhaiya Kumar was not responsible for organising the programme in support of hanged Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The report mentions that Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid raised anti-national slogans after they were denied to broadcast a pro-Afzal Guru documentary on February 9 in the JNU. Umar Khalid has been absconding after the incident. Describing the sequence of events, the report states that at 5 p.m. on February 9 there was a protest by 80-90 students including those from DSU and students of some Left organisations. The report mentions Umar Khalid was leading the entire event. DSU and other Left supported organisations were trying to do some unwanted activities in JNU in the garb of cultural evening. JNU authorities were timely alerted by the Delhi Police and permission to organise the event was denied to the student group. The decision of cancellation of programme was passed on to the student group through JNU security authorities. According to the report, ABVP students had also some idea about the cancellation and they also started to mobilise around the proposed programme venue. Anti-India slogans were raised during the event. Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over the event. The same day, he was remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court after the police said his and five other absconding accused's alleged links with terrorist groups were being probed. (ANI) Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who joined the BJP protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday against the 'anti-national' slogans raised at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, said that there was a struggle underway between the forces of 'make India and break India' in which the former was bound to prevail. "Throughout the nation, there is a struggle between 'make India and break India' going on right now. The forces that are trying to unite the nation will not spare those who are trying to divide the nation. There are some, who through the use of divisive forces are trying to hamper the nation's development and sovereignty. The nation needs to unite against such people," Naqvi told ANI before joining the protest at the Jantar Mantar. In a veiled attack on the Opposition, he added that there were political parties, who were trying to unite with divisive forces for personal gains and added that they were harming themselves as well as the nation. Talking about the similar state of protest brewing at the Jadavpur University in West Bengal, Naqvi said that it was only a handful of students responsible for the unrest and appealed to the student body to identify those 'anti-national' elements and fight against them. "Be it Jadavpur or JNU or any other university, we can't brand the entire campus as anti-national. All the students can't be anti-national. Yes, there are a handful, who indulge in such activities and are trying to disgrace the entire student body. The students must raise their voices against the anti-national elements brewing among them and take the matter in their own hands," he added. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal over the protest by Jadavpur University students. The ongoing protests in Delhi against the crackdown on the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) reached Jadavpur University yesterday. The students of Jadavpur University took out a torch rally yesterday and raised slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The students, affiliated to various Left Parties, took to the streets in Kolkata to protest the alleged police atrocities inside the JNU campus. (ANI) BJP MP from Patna Saheb Shatrughan Sinha today demanded immediate release of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar saying he had will attend nothing "anti-national or against the constitution". Mr Sinha posted a series of comments in his personal Twitter account, coming in strong defence of the JNUSU president and the existing situation in the Central University. The BJP MP said, "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy, president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti-national or against constitution. "Hope, wish and pray that he is released soon, sooner the better," he commented. In another tweet to defend the student leader, facing sedition charges, Sinha commented, "If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by. "JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record and history," he tweeted. The BJP leader said, "It is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds and also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment. "We need to be very cautious while making sweeping statements maligning an institution. They are our own children and our own students," he remarked. UNI DH PL SB PR1231 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-594407.Xml The steel ministry has urged the Union finance ministry to abolish the 2.5 per cent import duty on coking coal, a vital scarce raw material in India for making fine steel, India Coal Market Watch (ICMW) reported. With the increase in steel production to cater to the ever growing demands in domestic markets, the import of coking coal in India is also on an upswing.The imports of coking coal in India was reported at 41.47 million tonnes in 2014-15, registering a growth of over 41 per cent in three years from 29.37 mt of coking coal imported in fiscal 2010-11. The country depends significantly on imported coking coal (about 80%) due to the poor quality of domestic coal and lack of adequate local production/supply constraints. Globally, no major steel producing nation retains an import duty on coking coal. Hence, it is being proposed that the import duty on coking coal may be waived completely, the steel ministry's letterto the finance ministry said.Technically some 0.9 ton of coking coal is required to make one ton of steel. India imports coking coal from various countries, including Australia, South Africa and others.In view of the rising imports of coking coal, we have requested the finance ministry to abolish the duty. The industry has been demanding the withdrawal of the duty since it was imposed in 2014, a steel ministry official said. Though there had been no duty on coking coal imports for several years in the past, the government had in 2014 imposed a 2.5% duty, mainly to rationalise the duty structure on all varieties of non-agglomerated coal. Thermal coal also attracts 2.5% import duty.Analysts feel that since the steel industry has been grappling with a lot of issues, including rising imports and subdued prices, the waiver of the duty would provide the industry the much-needed competitiveness. There is also a demand from the industry to remove the Rs 200 per ton clean energy cess on coking coal on the grounds that cooking coal is used to produce metallurgical coke and during the process no carbon is burnt. The steel ministry, however, is yet to recommend anything to its finance counterpart. UNI PC PL1337 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-594548.Xml The West Bengal government is all set to receive a financial grant worth Rs 3,000 crore from the World Bank for executing the Panchayati Raj development schemes. This aid would cover a thousand more panchayats across the state, an official here today said. Earlier, the World Bank had given $200 million for the same purpose. According to the World Bank, the state has completed 98 per cent of the projected work, in lieu of the earlier tranche, on certain parameters, against a target of 80 per cent , by the end of last year. With the new grant the state would execute projects in the districts of Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur.The earlier projects have helped the gram panchayats in generating more revenue, in increasing the revenue of panchayats by around 24 per cent. UNI PC PL SB AS1409 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-594579.Xml This was announced by Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Sukhdev Singh Kokari president and General Secretary respectively of BKU EKTA Ugrahan. Both the leaders were here to apprise the situation to farmers and farm labourers. According to Mr Kokari earlier the Chief Minister called such meeting with the farmers on January 27, but due to his illness, the meeting was postponed. The Chief Minister has called upon the meeting tomorrow at Punjab Bhawan Chandigarh. The farmers would press upon Mr Badal for the allotment of 10 marlas plots to the farm labourers and would plead for the compensation of Rs 40, 000 per acre to farmers whose cotton crop was damaged last year an also Rs 20, 000 to farm labourers. They would also pressed the Chief Minister to bring in a legislation proposed money laundering act to save them from the clutches of the commission agents waiving of crop loans. When the Modi government at Centre could give relief of Rs 1.14 lakh crore to corporate and why not to waive farmers crop loans.UNI XC SW AS1427 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-594608.Xml The incident took place when Kanhaiya was being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover. The court will today hear the plea on the basis of which Kanhaiya was remanded to police custody. High drama was witnessed at the Patiala House Court earlier in the day where two groups of lawyers were seen raising slogans inside the court premises and beating up each other including journalists. Earlier, hearing the matter the apex court condemned Monday's attack on journalists in the Patiala House Court complex in connection with the JNU row. The Supreme Court earlier ordered Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi to ensure security to the accused and limit the number of journalists to be present inside the court room to five. "No other advocates other than that of accused and the prosecution will be present during the proceedings in court room. Only 25 reporters can stand outside," the apex court said. Kumar was arrested last week for holding an event in the varsity campus during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. (ANI) Two Chhattisgarh police constables were injured when Naxals opened fire on them near Gatapar police station in insurgency-affected Rajnandgaon district today. Shanker Mandavi and Suman Yadav were on patrol duty about 200 mtrs away from the Gatapar police station when they were fired upon by a small action group of armed Naxals this morning, Superintendent of Police P Sunderaj said. After being provided first aid at Khairagarh public health centre, both the injured personnel were rushed to Bhilai where their condition is stated to be stable. A massive search operation began after additional force reached the spot.UNI SS BDG SW PR1530 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-594733.Xml The Chief Minister also announced a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to the family of the deceased labourer Toman Singh (22) and Rs.20,000 each to the injured, who are admitted to Apollo and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences Hospitals at Bilaspur, official sources said today. According to sources, a portion of the proposed Rs 20 crore multi-storey building caved in yesterday when about 100 workers and labourers were engaged in centring and other construction works at the site. Of the dozen labourers trapped under the debris, one Toman Singh succumbed to injuries late last night. Condition of at least four others is stated to be critical. When contacted Chakarbhata police station house officer Rajesh Srivastava said, a case had been registered in this connection and investigation was on, but no one had been arrested so far. Rescue teams still continue to remove the debris, he added.UNI SS PY AS1532 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-594745.Xml Preceding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Madhya Pradesh, Congress legislator Jitu Patwari has written to the premier demanding compensation for peasants whose land was acquired for setting up an auto-testing centre in Dhars Pithampur Industrial Area. In the letter, Mr Patwari has also sought time from the Prime Minister during his visit for meeting a delegation of five farmers in this regard. He distributed copies of the missive to media here today. The state government acquired 4,500 acre land from about 1,000 agriculturists for setting up an auto-testing centre in Pithampur Industrial Area in 2007. However, no compensation has been provided to displaced peasants despite the Supreme Court's directives in this regard. I have also written to district collectors of Bhopal and Sehore requesting a meeting, Mr Patwari told reporters. He warned that the displaced peasants would launch an agitation in the event that a meeting with the Prime Minister is not allowed and no compensation is paid in the next five days. He said affected agriculturists would obstruct work at the auto testing centre and would also stage an agitation in the Vidhan Sabha during coming Budget Session. The Congress legislator also sought to know whether the programme to felicitate the Prime Minister at Sherpur in Sehore district was being organised by the state government or the Bharatiya Janata Party. If it is a government programme, why all the legislators have not been invited to the Prime Ministers programme? If it is a programme organised by the BJP, why government money is being spent on it? he asked.UNI PS SW AS1533 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-594761.Xml The Patiala House Court on Wednesday remanded Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on sedition charges, to judicial custody till March 2. Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover as his two-day police custody ended on Wednesday. Kanhaiya, however, told the Metropolitan Magistrate that he was "assaulted" by a mob on the court premises, following which the court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned to ensure his safety. The Jail Superintendent has also been directed to take necessary steps to ensure that Kanhaiya is not harmed. Earlier, the Supreme Court condemned the Monday's attack on journalists in the Patiala House Court Complex, adding that the issue of security in the court premises has to be looked into. The apex court also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure adequate security to Kanhaiya. In an interim order on a petition relating to the JNU row, the court said, there will be restricted entry of people in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of The court said, only five journalists, five lawyers, two students and two faculty members of the university, along with one investigating officer besides two family members of the accused would be allowed in the court. The court also directed the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. Kanhaiya has been charged with sedition in connection with the February 9 event in the JNU campus during which anti-India slogans were raised. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the present bail hearing of JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar should be adjourned under the present circumstances and formed a panel of five senior lawyers to find out the present situation in the Patiala House Court. "In the afternoon when we started getting reports that despite the Supreme Court's order that today's bail hearing of Kanhaiya Kumar at Patiala House law and order must be maintained and detailed directions were given about who can go inside the court room etc. Despite that order, we received information at around 2'o clock that some lawyers, some of whom were the same lawyers who had indulged in beating up journalists as well as other teachers day before yesterday that the same lawyers along with some other lawyers had indulged in beating up some lawyers, some journalists," senior advocate Prashant Bhushan told the media here. "And then there was also an attack on Kanhaiya Kumar as he was being taken to the court and as he was sitting in the court room neighboring the court where he was to be produced," he added. Bhushan further said the apex court called the lawyer of the Delhi Police when informed about the latest developments in the Patiala House Court complex. "The Delhi Police lawyer Mr. (Ajit) Sinha said that he was unable to get any instructions from the Delhi Police as to what had happened, on which the court has directed a team of five court commissioners, who are senior lawyers of this court, to immediately go to Patiala House Court under security escort of the Supreme Court and find out what has happened there, find out the situation in the Patiala House and then report back to the court after which the court will issue further directions," said Bhushan. "Meanwhile, the court has said that under these circumstances, the present bail hearing of Kanhaiya Kumar should be adjourned because it would not be possible for the hearing to proceed in this kind of atmosphere or in this kind of situation. Now, the court will give further directions only after receiving the report of these five court commissioners, who have been sent to Patiala House," he added. The JNU students' union president was earlier roughed up allegedly by a group of lawyers in the Patiala House Court. The incident took place when Kanhaiya was being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover. High drama was witnessed at the Patiala House Court earlier in the day where two groups of lawyers were seen raising slogans inside the court premises and beating up each other including journalists. (ANI) With the Assembly elections due in the next three monthsand considering that Ms Tamizhisai had personally invited leaders cutting across party lines, including AIADMK Supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK PresidentM Karunanidhi, his son M K Stalin, DMDK leader and actorVijayakanth and TNCC President EVKS Elangovan among others,the air was filled with rumours that the wedding would probably serve as a meeting point between the present andpast NDA partners leading to a possible 'marriage of alliance'. Ms Tamizhisai's son Dr S Suganathan, an MD in Preventive Medicine, entered into a wedlock with Dr Divya in which senior BJP leaders participated and blessed the couple. Ms Tamizhisai, who has recently re-elected President of the state BJP unit for a second term, also personally invited former NDA allies MDMK General Secretary Vaikoand Dr Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK. Though expectations were high that BJP National PresidentAmit Shah and some Union Ministers might attend the weddingreception in the evening, an official confirmation was yetto come. The city was awash with posters and banners welcomingAmit Shah to the wedding of the son of 'Akka' (elder sister)as Ms Tamizhisai was hailed by her party workers. MORE UNI GV VV AK1546 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-594755.Xml SHE Teams in the city today nabbed an advocate for harassing a lady who came from Delhi to Hyderabad. According to police, an advocate by name M. Abhishek (38) of Barkatpura went to IIFA Utsav, which was organised at Gachibowli, during the month of January along with his friend. A lady who came from Delhi on work to the IIFA Utsav was present there on some work. Abhishek and his friend introduced themselves as members of the media and tried to talk to her. When she was not respond. They took her business card from persons present there. From then onwards, Abhishek, started sending her text messages from his phone, asking her to respond to him and make friends with him. As the victim was not responding to his messages, he continuously sending number of abusive and vulgar messages asking her to respond to him. She informed the matter to her friends, they called him and warned him not to harass her. She also requested him to stop send messages as she was not at all interested . He did not stop and further started threatening her that, he will come to her place personally if she does not accept his friendship. Later she lodged a complaint with the SHE Teams, basing on which he was arrested and produced before the Court.UNI VV VV AK1652 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-595026.Xml Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the manner in which the visit of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to the state evoked spontaneity and enthusiasm among the people, clearly indicates that the wind is blowing in favour of the party. In a statement here, he said the large turnout of people in the public meetings and padayatra of Gandhi at Gohpur, Bihpuria, Titabor and Sivasagar is a clear sign that the wind is blowing in favour of the Congress in the run-up to the Assembly elections. Fed up with the false pre-poll promises of the Modi Government to usher in acche din and u-turns on major issues concerning the state, the people have rallied behind the Congress knowing that it is the most secular, pro-poor and development oriented party, he said. He alleged that the Modi Government had squeezed the flow of funds by withdrawing the special category status, changing the funding pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and flood management programme, suspending North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, reducing MNREGA, IAY and other pro-poor schemes funds. Mr Gogoi further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken u-turns on all important issues like pushing back foreigners, on Subansiri dam and land swap deal with Bangladesh, thus bringing its policy of double standards to the fore. The Chief Minister said the BJP, knowing it is on a sticky wicket, has entered into alliance with the BPF, tacit understanding with AIUDF and inching towards political parties like the AGP to cobble up an alliance to defeat the Congress. The BJP is nervous and shaky and is trying to cobble up an alliance to defeat the Congress. But the people will rally behind the Congress as it had ushered in development during the past 15 years and give them a fitting reply, he said. The three-time CM said the people of the state would vote for his party because of the development work carried out by his government in the past 15 years. Mr Gogoi reiterated that the Congress will fight the polls alone and would not enter into pre-poll alliance with any party. We will contest the polls alone. The Congress will get a majority and form the government on its own," he said.UNI SG PL PY SW AS1553 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-594799.Xml A delegation of 19-member Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC), led by Nagaland Assembly speaker Chotisuh Sazo and Chief Minister T R Zeliang has met BJP president Amit Shah and JDU national president Sharad Yadav in New Delhi seeking their support to the resolution of the Naga political issue. According to a press statements from the CMO today, said the Naga political issue, which is expected to be arrived very soon since both parties, the central government and the NSCN IM having regular talks to arrive at a lasting, solution without any further delay. It said the centre's Interlocutor R N Ravi has also been meeting various sections of the Naga society to make it an all-inclusive, all on board solution which will be acceptable to all sections of the Naga society. In another statement, the PWC, originally comprising of 21 legislators from erstwhile political parties having representation in the Nagaland legislative assembly, and including the two MPs of the state (prior to the demise of Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho last year) were scheduled to meet leaders of all national political parties. Nagaland Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio could not make it this time owing to prior engagements, but a 19-member delegation met BJP president Amit Shah yesterday and the delegation was given a positive reassurance. Later, the delegation met national president of the JDU Sharad Yadav who went on to assure his partys support for even a constitutional amendment that may be required for a peaceful solution to the vexed Naga political issue. The CMO statement also said the PWC delegation is expected to meet other national leaders apart from the NDA leaders in the next few days since it is felt imperative to have wide-spectrum political support in case the Naga Peace Accord required majority support in both Houses of the Parliament. UNI AS PY GC1634 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-594870.Xml News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. The Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) has appealed to all the Naga Political Groups (NPG or underground) to restrain movement of armed cadres within its jurisdiction. In a statement, ENPO vice-president Sashi Nagi and secretary M C Ongbou said the organisation at its consultative meeting deliberated about bringing peace and congenial atmosphere within ENPO jurisdiction and resolved to uphold the December 18, 2007 resolution. Also, reaffirming the declaration of ENPO area as peace zone, the organisation has appealed to all NPGs not to involve in the unfortunate tribal conflicts in any manner, but confine to their own designated camps as a precautionary measure in order not to aggravate the conflicts. Meanwhile, the ENPO said while it was striving to bring normalcy and peace within its jurisdiction through its peace mission team has appealed to both the present conflicting tribes (Sangtams and Yimchungers) to avoid any forms of violence. It urged them to amicably solve the issue by sitting across the table in the true spirit of brotherhood to restore peace and normalcy in the greater interest of ENPO public. UNI AS AKM SW AS1632 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-594919.Xml Five suspected terrorists, including a woman belonging to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) involved in train and temple explosion, bank robbery and other crimes across the country were arrested from Nala road under Plant Site police station in this steel city late last night after hour-long exchange of fire with security forces. Special Director Intelligence Arun Sarangi told newspersons here that the Rourkela police, Special Operations Group (SOG), Telengana police, state Special Tactical Unit and Intelligence Bureau, arrested all the five from a rented house in highly populated Qureshi Mohalla in Nala road under the Plant site police station in the steel city. The operation began at 2300 hrs and ended at 0330 hrs, he said. Mr Sarangi identified the SIMI activists as Najma Bibi (60), her son SK Mehboob alias Guddu alias Mallik, Amzad Khan alias Dad, Zakir Hussain Alias Sadik and Md Salik. The security personnel, he said, had recovered three pistols, 11 rounds of ammunitions, four swords, seven mobiles, one car and a lot of incriminating documents from them. He said, case was registered against all the accused five belonged to Khandawa of Madhya Pradesh under the Arms act. They also carried cash reward on their head by the Madhya Pradesh and the Andhra Pradesh government. The Special Intelligence Director said the SIMI activists were planning to commit dacoity in Champa region of Chhattisgarh and has no relations with the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Odisha. They were wanted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their involvement in several terror activities, bank robbery, communal violence and murder of a police sub inspector Sitaram Yadav. Odisha Director General of Police K B Singh said the state special tactical unit was keeping a close watch on the movement of these five SIMI activists and finally managed to nab them after hours long of exchange of fire. The SIMI activists were staying in the rented house for the last four months by furnishing false identity and planning to commit crimes in Chhattisgarh and Rourkela after their funds exhausted, Mr Singh said. The five suspects have been taken to a undisclosed location for further interrogation by the police.MORE UNI BD-DP AKM SW AS1641 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-594949.Xml The Bhima Nadi Neeru HoraataSamiti President Panchappa Kalburgi today appealed to KarnatakaChief Minister Siddramaiah and Minister for Water Resources M BPatil to take a delegation to Maharashtra and ensure the release of15 tmc of water to Bhima river. Addressing a press conference here, he said that there aresufficient storage of water in Maharashtra reservoirs and Karnatakashould prevail upon the neighbouring State through discussion or byapproaching the Supreme Court as getting water is the legal right of Karnataka. Mr Panchappa said that as per the Bachawat Commission award oninter-State water sharing, the Maharashtra government must release15 tmc of water from its reservoirs to Karnataka, which is alower-riparian State. ''With North Karnataka facing acute shortageof water in the prevailing drought, the government must work to getour share of water released from Maharashtra which is storing waterin 14 dams without releasing water to us.'' He alleged that Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Patil are not beingserious on the issue in getting the States share of water from Maharashtra. Mr Panchappa said that the district was facing drought due tofailure of rain. There was severe shortage of potable water. Asimilar situation was reported in the district two decades ago.While Bhima was almost dry only 2 tmc ft of water was left in theAlmatti dam, the drinking water problems would only get worse fromnext month. Mr Kalburgi urged the government to take similar steps forgetting the water released at least on a proportionate base, ifMaharashtra cannot release the entire 15 tmcft of water owing toshortage. ''The government has two options; either it should get thewater by means of discussion or it should adopt a legal course byknocking the door of the Supreme Court, as getting water is thelegal right of Karnataka,'' he added.UNI SD MSP VV AK1637 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-594875.Xml As a continuation of Ad campaign for voter awareness, the Chennai Corporation has launched bus shelter campaign in the city. In Chennai, in the corporation area, voter awareness advertisements are being displayed on bus shelters in more than 60 prominent locations (98 bus shelters) like, opposite to Queen Marys college, Quaide milath college, Daily Thanthi Office road ,Cooptex show room Egmore road, Mount road Anna Salai, Presidency college and Woodlands drive in hotel road etc.. According to Chief Electoral Officer here today, the voter awareness messages on these bus shelters are displayed in such a way that it easily reaches the persons in the locality and are able to connect themselves with the advertisement that is near the college the Ad is related to college, in residential area it is related to residential matters etc,.UNI CS VV AK1722 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-595173.Xml Led by vice chairman Advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, hundreds of JKLF leaders and activists assembled at Mushtaq Press Enclave near here this afternoon. Raising slogans against the arrest of Prof SAR Gilani and other students and teachers of JNU, the JKLF started their march towards historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city to stage a sit-in there. However, security forces and state police personnel deployed in strength since this morning and stopped the marchers before they could hit the main road, leading to clashes. Later Butt and dozens of other JKLF leaders and activists were taken into custody and lodged in police station Kothibagh. Earlier, funeral prayers in absentia were held for founder of JKLF Mohammad Maqbool Bhats wife who breathed her last yesterday at Karachi in Pakistan. However, before his arrest Butt said killing of Kashmiris would not be tolerated silently. While condemning the arrest of Prof Geelani in Delhi, JNU students and others who raised their voices against Indian oppression, Butt said arresting teachers and students on concocted charges will yield Indian rulers nothing .UNI BAS PY GC1752 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-595073.Xml Launching a scathing attack on the BJP for trying to divide the society on religion and caste lines, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today asked the Panchayati raj functionaries to work with honesty without taking into consideration the party lines for the well being and welfare of the masses. He said it was a matter of pride that women had performed excellent in the elections and now it was their turn to show the same to the people who had voted them to power right from the post of a 'panch' to that of the Chairperson of the Zila parishad. Mr Singh claimed that the Congress party had won more than 70 per cent seats in the PRI elections in the state and it was wrong to say that the BJP had won more seats than that of Congress party. The Chief Minister said barring Kinnaur, Hamirpur and Kangra districts the post of Chairman/Chairperson of Zila Parishad had gone to Congress candidates. "It shows that the people have faith in us and our policies", he added. He cautioned people against the evil designs of the BJP and its leaders and said the BJP had lost the faith of the people and would be routed badly in all coming elections in India in general and Himachal Pradesh in particular. The Chief Minister said Congress party was the only party that had its glorious past and history. He appealed to the people not to be misled by the false propaganda of the BJP that was once again trying to divide the nation and the state on caste and religious lines. However, people were well educated and would not fall prey to the evil designs of the BJP, he added. He said, "when we talk about the ticket distribution during elections, which so ever was given ticket by the party, was a party candidate and everyone should support and vote for him." He cautioned those who try to create a rift in the party and asked them to mend their attitude. "United and together we can make it", he said, adding that the party cadre should support those wholeheartedly, who is a party candidate and those who try to work against the party cadre should be shameful of themselves and be ready for the action. MORE UNI XC DB PY GC1718 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-594998.Xml Carrying placards and raising slogans, the journalists, under the banner of the Chandigarh Press Club, demanded the resignation of Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi over the inaction of the policemen who remained silent spectators during the attack on the journalists by a group of attackers dressed as lawyers inside the court complex. The governing council of Chandigarh Press Club, led by president Balwinder Jammu and secretary general Nalin Acharya, later submitted a memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee through the Punjab and Haryana administration. The prominent journalists who participated in the protest, included Times of India Resident Editor Robin David, The Tribune Associate Editor Nirmal Sandhu, former Indian Express resident editor Vipin Pubby, Indian Express Deputy Resident Editor Varinder Bhatia, Media Advisor to Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Jangveer Singh, former club presidents Jagtar Sidhu, Sarabjit Pandher, Gobind Thukral, A S Prashar, Akhil Gautam and Varinder Kumar. Various journalists, both print and electronic, lawyers and civil rights activists of the region joined the protest and expressed solidarity with the media. Addressing the journalists at the Club, Mr Balwinder Jammu demanded action against the accused who manhandled the journalists in the court complex. He said this was an attack on the freedom of expression. "The central government should act against the perpetrators of violence who tried to muzzle the voice of journalists, especially those on duty," he said. UNI DB SW AS1730 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595041.Xml Haryana Agriculture Minister, OP Dhankar today recommended Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar that vigilance inquiry may be conducted in the matter of purchase and supply of organic manure to the farmers during the past two years. The probe would be conducted by the Agriculture Department and Haryana State Land Reclamation Development Corporation, he requested through a written communication. In a statement issued here, Mr Dhankar said the State Government was committed to providing corruption free and transparent governance to the people. He said that investigations at appropriate levels were being conducted into matters pertaining to irregularities made during the tenure of previous state government. Now, the matter of irregularity in purchase of organic manure has come to light and the Department would not only investigate the matter at its level, but it has also been decided to get the matter investigated by State Vigilance Bureau to ascertain the actual facts.UNI NC SW AS1726 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595083.Xml A meeting was held by the Minister with the senior officers of Food and Supplies Department, Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal wherein the Public Distribution System in Madhya Pradesh was discussed. Mr Kamboj said efforts would be made to adopt safe storage of grain and Public Distribution System in Haryana on the pattern of Madhya Pradesh on a priority basis. This would ensure that beneficiaries are provided ration on time and also that foodgrains are stored safely. The Public Distribution System and modern godowns of Madhya Pradesh are being studied for this purpose, he said. During the meeting, senior officers of Madhya Pradesh apprised Mr Kamboj about the Public Distribution System and silos. The entire distribution system has been made online in Madhya Pradesh and all consumers would be provided ration by the 10th day of every month. After the meeting, Mr Kamboj inspected a Public Distribution System depot and studied the point of sale device which links the entire record of beneficiaries to the server.UNI NC SW AS1735 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595141.Xml Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took stock of the comprehensive redevelopment projects of railway stations and suggested to all Chief Secretaries to work towards at least one such redevelopment project in each state. ''Such redeveloped railway stations would become iconic structures and centres of economic activity,'' said the Prime Minister, who was chairing his tenth interaction through PRAGATI -- the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. He reviewed the scheme for upgrade of campuses of National Institutes of Fashion Technology (NIFTs), and for setting up of grid connected solar power projects in government organisations, CPSUs and ordnance factories and asked all Chief Secretaries to work towards speedy implementation of solar power projects in their respective states. Reviewing the complaints and grievances from people relating to the Road Transport and Highways ministry, Mr Modi directed all concerned officials to expedite their redressal. In the course of his review, the Prime Minister monitored the progress of vital infrastructure projects in the road, railway, coal, power and renewable energy sectors, spread over several states, including Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi as well as the union territory of Chandigarh. Assessing the work completed on the Char-Dham road connectivity improvement project in Uttarakhand, the Prime Miniser called for expediting the work at the earliest. On the programme for elimination of Kala Azar, he called for all efforts to eradicate the disease at the earliest. He also reviewed ''Mission Indradhanush'' and emphasised the need for an organised and aggressive action plan to cover all children for immunisation in a specific time-frame, an official release here said.UNI SD SW 1818 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-595286.Xml Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today took a serious note of Amritsar being legging behind in the list of clean cities of India. In a statement here, AAP leader and noted comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi said that Amritsar being the religious and historic city is a respected place for the Punjabis and people all across the world. But because of the irresponsible behavior, personal enmities of city politicians and mismanagement, the city has listed on the 49th spot in the list of Swatch Sarvekshan-2016. He said that by not doing enough for cleanliness in the city the politicians have disgraced the Guru Sahibs and the hundred of martyrs who have given their lives saving the great city. He further said that Punjab government has failed to resolve the issue of dumping ground in the city and is responsible for the disgrace to the city. Mr Ghuggi said cabinet minister Anil Joshi is an MLA from the city while so called Jarnail of Majha cabinet minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia is also associated with the city. He said that both of them have run away from their responsibilities and have failed to keep the holy city clean despite being on such important portfolios. Lashing on Amritsar MP and Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, the AAP leader said that despite of his tall claims, the representative of the city have not even attended a single session of Lok Sabha and failed to raise the demands of the city residents. Mr Ghuggi said that Amarinder should have respected the people of city who had voted for him and sent him to the Lok Sabha by raising their voice at the national level and get the special grants under Swatch Bharat Abhayan started by the Union Government. He asked Amarinder to clarify his stand on the issue of city being at 49th spot in the list of Swatch Sarvekshan-2016. The AAP leader also accused Union Finance Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitly for turning a blind eye to the demands of city after the elections, saying Jaitleys love for city was till the elections only and all the claims were made to grab the votes. He said that during elections, Jaitley used to call Amritsar his Home City but he did not even visit the city after his defeat in the elections.UNI DB CJ AS1852 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595275.Xml Kiran Choudhry, Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP), has flayed the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, for its failure to provide compensation to the farmers for the loss of cotton, guar and bajra crops due to the white-fly attack, other crop diseases and drought-like conditions. In a statement issued here today, the former Excise and Taxation Minister said that farmers across the state were still awaiting compensation. More than four months have passed since special girdawari was initiated and still no compensation has been paid to the farmers. "Till date, neither the report is out nor the farmers have been paid a single penny," Choudhry said. "Farmers from Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani and Jind have been sitting on dharna against the BJP Government since February 11 but their demands have not been fulfilled till now. I shall visit Hisar on February 23 to address the farmers and listen to their demands. I shall raise the issue in the Vidhan Sabha also," she added. Ms Choudhry asked the state government to take immediate measures to save mustard and wheat crops from white-rust along with leaf curl and yellow-rust disease, respectively. More that 30 per cent damage has been reported to mustard crop in Bhiwani due to fungal and bacterial diseases which are spreading across the district. "The BJP Government should take necessary steps to compensate the farmers and check spread of such crop diseases," she demanded.UNI NC SW VN1829 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595306.Xml Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed to release the pending backlog scholarship amount of the students for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 by February 29 and for 2015-16 by April 15, 2016 under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Mr Khattar was presiding over a review meeting of Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department here today. It was decided in the meeting that from the next financial year, the financial assistance under the scheme would be disbursed to the students in advance so as to enable the students of these categories to complete their education without any inconvenience. The Chief Minister also directed that all the welfare schemes being implemented by Department should be made online so as to ensure transparency in the disbursement of financial assistance to the eligible candidates. Mr Khattar was informed that the department is in the process of making all the important schemes meant for the welfare of SC and BC online. Under this, while two schemes namely Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojna and Dr BR Ambedkar Aavas Yojna would be made online from February 20, 2016, four more welfare schemes would be made online next month. MORE UNI NC SW VN1852 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595400.Xml Leader of Congress Legislative party in Tripura assembly Sudip Roy Barman today expressed desire to quit the party for untimely move of AICC to forge alliance with leftists in West Bengal. Mr Barman blamed the central Congress leaderships for the partys worst ever performance in a by-election in 42Birganj Assembly segment in Amarpur of South Tripura. The Congress candidate could not secure his deposit in the by-poll and reached at fourth position in vote share. According to him, the CPI-M is the main political enemy of the Congress in Tripura and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee repeatedly tried to convince AICC not to go for any electoral alliance with them in West Bengal that will certainly affect the party in lone left-ruled state. It is unfortunate, AICC consulted West Bengal and Kerala Pradesh Congress leaders but not even take the view of Tripura Congress on the most discussed alliance with leftists. We have suo-moto requested AICC chief not to go with the CPI-M considering the future of the party in Tripura but it appears to be ignored, Mr Barman stated. He, however, pointed out that common supporters of the Congress have voted against the move of the CPI-M in the by-election and last urban bodies election in December, at the beginning of the move to tie up with CPI-M. We have been fighting relentlessly against the misrule of CPI-M in Tripura past two decades. Left front won all successive elections by manipulation at every level. In some cases, they got undue appreciations from the then government at the centre, which paved their way to get success, he maintained. Despite multi-level odds, till last Lok Sabha poll, the Congress could able to retain its vote shares between 35 and 42 per cent and Left front won the elections by small margins. But AICCs bonhomie with CPI-M has boost the growth of the BJP in Tripura and now it emerged as main opposition in the state. At this stage, I lost all morale to stand for the Congress anymore where central leaders want to re-build friendship with main enemy CPI-M. I have not yet decided the next of move. But Congress lost its stand for electoral gain, which I cant endorse, Mr Barman added. Mr Barman said after result of by-poll where Congress candidate Chanchal Dey got only 1,231 votes against 15.053 votes in 2013 election. On the other, BJP secured 9,758 votes against 410 in 2013 and vote margin of CPI-M has also increased. However, Tripura Congress president Birajit Sinha refused to comment on the development and said it is the collective failure of the Congress party. He said, "If the Congress allied with the CPI-M, the BJP will get the electoral benefit both in West Bengal and Tripura." Mr Sinha said,"Tripura Congress leadership have communicated their united decision and opinion to the party high command about their strong opposition to the alliance between the Congress and Left parties in Bengal assembly polls." UNI BB AKM DJK AS1913 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-595268.Xml JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was on Wednesday assaulted by a mob of 20-25 people when he was taken amid tight security to a Delhi court, which sent him in judicial custody till March 2. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen sent Kanhaiya, arrested on February 12 on the charge of sedition, to Tihar jail after the Delhi Police said the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president was no more required for questioning in the case. Meanwhile, Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that a mob attacked him while he was being escorted from a police vehicle to the court room. The mob even attacked police escorting him, he said. A person wearing sunglasses and a black coat succeeded in entering the corridor outside the court room where Kanhaiya was to be presented, Kanhaiya's counsel Vrinda Grover told the court. Kanhiaya told the court that he told Delhi Police officials present in the corridor about the man who attacked him outside the court room. A JNU staffer Himanshu, who was allowed by the Supreme Court to remain present during the court hearing, told the court he asked the Delhi Police to arrest the man who however argued with policemen and escaped. Kanhiaya's counsel told the lower court that despite Supreme Court directions, police failed to save the student leader and allowed the attackers to run away. The defence urged the court for action against the Delhi Police for its failure in maintaining law and order in the court complex. Grover apprised the court that Kanhaiya was brutally assaulted and he also lost his footwear in this incident. However, police later managed to find his missing footwear and restored it to him. The court said it was taking the matter on record and asked Kanhaiya to give a written statement on the incident. Observing a serious threat to Kanhaiya, the court also directed for his medical examination in the court room itself. A doctor from the Patiala House courts dispensary was summoned for the JNU student leader's medical. Kanhaiya was brought to the court around 2:45 p.m., panting and apparently frightened. He told the court he had not said anything against the nation and he had full faith in the constitution and judicial system. "If there is evidence against me, then send me to jail; if not, there should be no media trial against me," Kanhaiya told the court. After the lower court hearing in the case, a team of senior advocates - Kapil Sibal, Ajit Kumar Sinha, Dushyant Dave, Harin Rawal, Rajeev Dhawan and A.G.N. Rao - appointed by the Supreme Court as court commissioners to inspect the court hearing also visited the court room. Kanhiaya and his counsel apprised them of the assault. The legal team then called the Delhi Police officials and asked how they failed to maintain law and order in the court complex. A senior police official told the court that the mob attacked policemen too. The team reminded the senior police officer that he was bound to act as per the Supreme Court directions and not the orders of Commissioner of Police. The team said it will apprise the apex court of the situation. Meanwhile, defence counsel Vrinda Grover urged the court for adequate safety for Kanhaiya Kumar inside the jail, expressing apprehension about a threat to his life. The court then directed the Delhi Police and the Tihar jail superintendent to ensure his safety. The court also asked senior police officials and the jail superintendent to submit a report on Kanhaiya's security in the jail by Thursday. Kanhaiya Kumar of the leftist All India Students Federation was arrested on February 12 on charge of sedition after anti-India slogans were raised during a meeting on the campus on February 9. --Indo-Asian News Service akk/tsb/bg ( 640 Words) 2016-02-17-20:19:36 (IANS) AAP today accused Delhi Police of not providing adequate security to journalists who were covering the court hearing in the case of JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court Complex. ''It is difficult to imagine on what basis Mr BS Bassi (Delhi Police Commissioner) gathered the courage to ignore the directions of the top court of the country to provide adequate security to journalists who were covering the court hearing in the case of the JNU Students Union president at the Patiala House Court Complex,'' the party said in a statement. ''Open defiance of the Supreme Court directions by the Delhi Police today is an extremely serious issue, which clearly shows that this force is ready to defy even the rule of law to please its political masters,'' the AAP said. The AAP said not only were the journalists beaten up for the second time in three days in full public view by the ''BJP goons, but they also targeted senior Supreme Court lawyers, who were asked by the apex court to assess the situation at the Patiala House Court Complex.'' The party alleged that Delhi Police continued to remain a mute spectator when all this was going on. ''These goons again entered the court rooms and attacked innocent people again,'' the party said. ''The sequence of incidents today clearly indicate that the Delhi Police, in order to please the BJPs central government has defied the top judiciary of the country and allowed goons to target the journalists almoston a routine basis now,'' the party said. ''If two pillars of the democracy Judiciary and Media are targeted in the national capital by the police without any fear of law, then future of democracy is clearly under threat,'' the AAP added. Earlier, Kanhaiya Kumar was remanded to judicial custody till March 2 by a Delhi court in the case of sedition whereas a group of lawyers who allegedly assaulted journalists on Monday, again attacked the student leader and and others in the court premises while the accused was being produced for hearing. Trouble erupted as two groups of lawyers clashed in the court premises here. While one group supported Kumar, the other headed by lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan, shouted slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and opposed him as 'anti national'. Lawyers attacked a journalist and Kumar but police somehow managed to escort him to court room for the hearing. The JNU campus has been on the boil since the controversial event at the campus on February 9 during which 'anti-national slogans' were raised in a pro-Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru event. The ongoing row over commemoration of Afzal Guru's death anniversary in Jawaharlal NehruUniversity escalated, with the Centre taking a tough posture against it and Delhi Police making itsfirst arrest under sedition charges for holding the event. The JNUSU president was arrested from his hostel in the JNU campus by police personnel in plain clothes on February 12.UNI NY RSA 2012 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-595646.Xml The hearing on the two PILs in the High court on the strike by the employees of the subordinate court today remained 'inconclusive'.The court will resume the hearing at 1030 hrs tomorrow. The employees of the subordinate courts in the state are on an en masse leave for the past three days demanding the implementation of the Shetty commission recommendations on their pay and perks. The strike has badly hit the judicial work in the lower courts in the state. While one PIL, by former president of the Jaipur district bar association Sanjay Vyas, who has made the High Court registrar general and the district and session judge as party to the petition, said the authorities had taken no steps to restore the functioning of the court due to the strike by the employees which had derailed the legal system in the subordinate courts hurting the litigants. The other PIL, by lawyer SK Singh, questioned the delay in implementing the Shetty commission recommendation on the pay and perks of the employees in the state despite a high court committee had given recommendation to the state government and fix responsibility for failure of the function of the courts. The court also asked the president of the employees union to inform the court of their decision to embark on an undeclared strike. The government informed the court that it had implemented some recommendations while others are under consideration by the government. UNI PJJ DJK RSA 2030 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0109-595633.Xml Rajasthan High court today issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the RPSC over allegedly irregularities awarding marks in the RAS exam 2012. The single judge bench of Justice M Rafiq order followed a petition by Yogita Sharma and others. The High court and asked Rajasthan State Public Service Commission(RPSC) to file its response to the writ petition within six weeks. Counsel for petitioner Pradeep Lata Mathur said that, "the assessment of answers in short, very short and descriptive type was wrongly done in a highly arbitrary manner thus vitiating entire result of RAS 2012.The answer sheets of 17 subjects of various candidates obtained under RTI that common correct answer given by candidates assessed as right in case of one candidate was treated as wrong for other candidate.It was also given out in the petition that while a candidate was awarded full marks for one word answer the other candidates were arbitrarily given half or quarter of the full marks thus deliberately making wrong and improper assessment for benefiting certain candidates who were later arrested by Anti Corruption Bureau of the state.It was also given out by the petitioners that those candidates who were arrested for leaking papers in year 2013 RAS exam and have been blacklisted, also are being given appointment for year 2012.UNI PJJ CJ RSA 2034 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-595688.Xml Posters calling for freedom of Kashmir, Nagaland and Manipur and praising Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were put up inside Jadavpur University campus here today even though the student unions distanced themselves from the controversial act. A poster, written in English alphabets, said Hum Kya Chahe--Kashmir Ka Azadi, Nagaland Ka Azadi, Manipur Ka Azadi (What do we want? Freedom for Kashmir, Freedom for Nagaland, Freedom for Manipur). Another poster, written in Bengali, said If Gujarats mass killer who hanged Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon is a patriot and students who support freedom for Kashmir are anti- national. Then we are all anti-nationals. The posters were undersigned as RADICAL, an ultra-left student group. Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das condemned anti-national slogans but said he was not in favour of lodging a police complaint. "These are some fringe elements. I met the students union leaders in the morning and they told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans," he said. The posters at Jadavpur came amid the countrywide agitation over the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, a student leader at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans at a rally called to protest against Afzal Gurus execution in connection with the Parliament attack. On Tuesday, organisers of a rally on Jadavpur University campus shouted slogans in support of Afzal Guru and ''Azad Kashmir''. The VC said he saw some student union leaders also walking in the rally yesterday in which pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised. "As the vice-chancellor, it is my responsibility to see that the students get their right to protest and their freedom of speech and expression is protected," he said. UNI KDG KK RSA 1959 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-595502.Xml Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the Congress had always believed in true spirit of democracy and not suppressing its political opponents.Addressing a gathering at Lambloo in Hamirpur district after laying down the foundation stone of water treatment plant which will benefit population of around 17,500 of 43 villages of the area, the Chief Minister said that BJP tenure in the state under the leadership of Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal changed the political decency of the state.Mr Singh said Lambloo had always been an epicentre of political upheavals and his book, which when will come out, would certainly contain its reference. He said the Congress workers had to strive hard for existence in Lambloo and were threatened of dire consequences. Whenever efforts were made by the BJP to suppress the Congress, the party emerged strong as ever. He said the Ccongress never adopted this path of suppression of its opponents as it believes in true spirit of democracy. He also laid the foundation stones of lift drinking water supply scheme at Jhaniara to cost Rs 82 lakh and a shelter home for the urban house less to cost Rs 82 lakh at Hamirpur.UNI ML RSA BD2103 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595645.Xml The conference will be inaugurated by Dr Jitender Singh, MOS for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region(IC), Prime Minister Office while on valedictory function Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change will be the special guest. The SKUAST-J is hosting a mega international conference from February 18 to 20, Dr K S Risam, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu here today said. He said that the conference is being organized by the Indian Ecological Society (IES) on "Natural Resource Management: Ecological Perspectives" to discuss and deliberate on the issues of natural resource management for sustainable development especially in view of climate change and its impact on agricultural production to feed the ever increasing population of 8 billion. The delegates from Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Indonesia have arrived to participate in the conference besides more than 500 delegates from different parts of the country, he asserted. UNI VBH CJ RSA 2130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-595778.Xml Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a serious note of the attack on CPI (M) State headquarters in Chandigarh allegedly by Bajrang Dal activists today.In a statement here, AAP Incharge Punjab affairs Sanjay Singh, State Convener Suchha Singh Chottepur and MP Bhagwant Mann alleged that the recent incidents happening in India were ''part of Narendra Modis communal Gujrat Model that he wants to implement forcefully throughout the country''.Mr Sanjay Singh said the attack on the mediapersons and JNU students by BJP MLA and his goons shows the alleged communal mentality of the saffron party. He alleged that there was a state of lawlessness throughout India and the police and administration has failed to protect the people of the country.The AAP leader said that the Constitution of India allows the people of country to adopt any political ideology and Mr Modi was nobody to prevent them to do so.Mr Chottepur and Mr Mann said that a befitting reply will be given to the every move of BJP, which, he alleged, was trying to convert India into saffron country. The AAP leaders said that "BJP formed the government in J&K with the help of PDP, the party which supports the separatists, is asking for the Certificate of Patriotism to others". They said that on one hand, Mr Modi is visiting Pakistan just to wish birthday to Pak Prime Minister that too without invitation and on other hand, he is calling others anti-India for just talking about Pakistan. The party also condemned Delhi Polices move to slap sedition charges against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. UNI DB RSA BD2109 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595661.Xml A CPI (M) statenebt alleged that about 75 RSS and BJP hoodlums threw stones at the office building here this evening. It said that five policemen who were present at site were silent spectators when they were throwing stones. Most of the party leaders were in Delhi and Punjab at the time of the attack. However, the families of the state leaders who were staying at the top floor of the party office were terrorised by BJP goons, the statement said. The BJP activists were raising slogans Sitaram Yechury , Pakistan Agent Murdabad, CPI(M) Murdabad it added. Later police came to the party office and had discussions about the incident with the party leaders. The leaders of other political parties also reached the CPI(M) office to express their solidarity with the party leaders. Raghunath Singh, State Secretariat Member, CPI(M) condemned the cowardly act of the RSS and BJP goons and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Devi Dayal Sharma, Secretary, CPI reached the party office expressed anguish over the incident and condemned the nefarious designs of the RSS and BJP. Rajiv Godara, leader of Swaraj Abhiyan who reached the party office while interacting with mediapersons termed "the incident as attack on democracy and apprehended that the situation was just like emergency."UNI NC/DB RSA VN2152 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-595706.Xml A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard in the prestigious Jadavpur University, its campus was on the boil on Wednesday as posters "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding 'freedom' for Manipur and Nagaland were put up, and subsequently torn by a rival group of students shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai". Vice chancellor Suranjan Das dismissed Tuesday's slogans eulogising parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru as the handiwork of "fringe elements" and ruled out any action including calling in police. However, a police officer said the matter was being "throughly investigated". The posters appearing on Wednesday morning were purportedly put up by a group which called itself "Radical". "Hum kya chahe, Azadi/Kashmir ki Azadi/Manipur ki Azadi/Nagaland ki Azadi" (We demand independence/Kashmir's independence/Manipur's independence/Nagaland's independence), said one poster. Another empathised with Afzal Guru and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon, both of whom have been hanged. "If the Gujarat mass murderers, those who hanged Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon are patriots, and if the students of Kashmir seeking independence are anti-nationals, then we are all anti-nationals." A third poster refered to a quotation of Mao Tse Tung and declared: "We are in favour of freedom fo all oppressed people." Some of the students took out a rally denouncing the "fascist" Narendra Modi government and decrying the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and the atrocities "brought down" on JNU students by the BJP and other arms of the "Sangh parivar". "I don't think this is a secessionist slogan. If I am an Indian citizen, I have freedom of expression. People of Kashmir are being tortured every day. If they want freedom, I support it. I don't think this is an anti-national step or slogan," said Zubi Saha, a member of Radical. A little later, another group of students carrying the tricolour and shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai" went round the campus and even staged a sit-in outside the university's administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan. They shouted slogans demanding exemplary punishment for those indulging in aceanti-national" activities and raising secessionist slogans in the campus. The group -- though small in number -- then tore up the pro-Guru, pro-Memon and other posters supporting independence of Manipur and Nagaland and condemned the pro-Guru slogans heard on Tuesday. Instead, they put up posters condemning the Radicals. "We are from Jadavpur University. We don't support anti-nationalists," a poster said. Some of them also cried "Pakistan murdabad, Hindustan Zindabad". Angry over the tearing of posters, the first group then took out a big rally that went around the campus, alleging that the posters were torn by those with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad connections. The vice chancellor claimed certain "fringe elements" had indulged in the pro-Guru sloganeering on Tuesday and called it "insignificant". "Some individuals had convened the rally. That rally was not officially convened by the students' union. They have told me," Das told the media here. "I have seen in the media that a large section of students who were present in the rally, including some of the office bearers of the students union, have unequivocally said they have completely disassociated from these anti-national slogans. They are not supporting it," added Das. "If in a rally, some fringe elements gave certain slogans, then that is inconsequential. If some fringe elements have given such slogans, then condemning the entire student body and maligning the image of the university is also unexpected and inconsequential." The context in which they had rallied was to show solidarity with students nation-wide for the right to express themselves, clarified Das. He ruled out lodging any police complaint, saying the university was a place for rational thinking and free speech. Police said they were looking into the matter. "Though no case has been lodged, we are thoroughly investigating the matter. If we find legal action is needed we will act," a senior Kolkata police officer told the media. The BJP said those who raised "anti-India slogans" at Jadavpur University deserved a "good thrashing". "What has happened is highly condemnable. It's a shame that some students raised anti-India slogans. Very soon, come people will give them (Jadavpur students) a good thrashing, which they deserve. It is only then that they will understand the true value of nationalism," said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. --Indo-Asian News Service ssp/pm/ ( 729 Words) 2016-02-17-22:53:34 (IANS) International policy advocates today praised Keralas alcohol policy as a model for the world and said they would like to collaborate with the government in the global fight against alcohol at the inaugural function of Subodham I-CON 2016, an international conference on Effective Strategies for the Prevention of Alcohol & Substance Abuse at Tagore Theatre in the capital city.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated Subodham I-CON 2016, a three-day conference that will showcase to delegates from around the world the state governments 2014-15 liquor policy aimed at an addiction free Kerala by 2030. The conference will also consider global trends in demand reduction, harm reduction and research from around the globe.There have been measurable results in supply reduction thanks to the government policy; crime rates have come down and there has been an improvement in the quality of life of families, said Mr Chandy. I hope the world will consider this as a new Kerala model in this area. Around 150 national and international delegates including representatives from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance and NGOs will participate in the conference hosted by the Subodham initiative set up last April to tackle addiction through awareness, research and rehabilitation programmes. The government has earmarked Rs 78 crore for Subodham this year, and Rs 148 crore over the next two years, said Excise Minister K Babu. It is our endeavour to take the governments bold and determined liquor policy to its logical conclusion in the face of brutal victimisation and baseless allegations. Global policy expert Derek Rutherford and WHO Expert Committee Chairperson Prof Sally Casswell congratulated the government for seizing the opportunity to take action. It is noteworthy that the government has recognised that its first priority is the peoples health and social well being, said Mr Rutherford in his keynote address. A partnership between civil society and the government is essential for taking forward this government policy. Also present at the function were Principal Secretary of Taxes W R Reddy, Excise Commissioner Anil Xavier, Subodham Advisor Johnson J Edayaranmula and Subodham Director Dr K Ampady. The day-long sessions on February 18 and 19 will take place at the Mascot Hotel Convention Centre. UNI DS CJ RSA 2322 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-595868.Xml The activists of Youth Congress today staged Lolipop Aandolan to protest against Prime Minister Nardendra Modi-led NDA government for his failure to fulfil the electoral promises given during the Lok Sabha election campaign.The activist, led by the district secretary of Congress Shaikh Shabar Patel, protested against the false promises of Mr Modi to get votes from people and having failed to fulfil them.Mr Patel said that the price of crude oil in international market has sharply fallen to 26 US dollars per barrel today from USD 106 per barrel in 2014 but the same is not reflected in fuel prices in the country.To protest against the central government, the Youth Congress activists distributed lolipops to the people at various petrol pumps in the city, he added.UNI VKB SS RSA BD2332 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-595829.Xml Britain and France criticised Russia's role in Syria's war on Tuesday and said Moscow must stop the conflict rather than fuelling it, after missile strikes killed dozens of civilians on Monday.Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas of Syria on Monday, according to the United Nations, which called the attacks a blatant violation of international law.Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed Russia for at least one of the missile strikes, when civilians and children were killed in a school and hospital in the town of Azaz, calling it an "obvious war crime"."The reported air strikes conducted on hospitals in northern Syria in recent days could amount to war crimes and must be investigated," British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement."I am appalled that the Assad regime and its Russian supporters are still bombing innocent civilians despite the agreement last Thursday to a cessation of hostilities ... Russia needs to explain itself, and show through its actions that it is committed to ending the conflict, rather than fuelling it."Russia, which has said it is targeting terrorist organisations and their allies, does not have a vessel in its Caspian Sea flotilla that is capable of hitting a hospital in Syria's Idlib governorate, a Defence Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.France's new Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who on Monday accused Syria's government and its backers of carrying out war crimes, told lawmakers that the immediate urgency was to protect civilians."All bombings must stop. It's unacceptable that hospitals and schools are targeted. These acts are flagrant violations of international law," he said.Last week in Munich, international powers agreed to try to bring about a "cessation of hostilities" within a week, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of hitting legitimate opposition groups with its bombing campaign.Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the accusations were "just not true".Ayrault said the Munich deal must be respected."Of course, we talk to Russia, but we have demands and our demands today are for the respect of the commitments made in Munich. Russia, like other partners, agreed to end hostilities, end bombings and allow humanitarian aid."It's not sentamentalism to say that there are millions of people that are under bombs who have no solution but to flee and become refugeesREUTERS CJ BD2305 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-594107.Xml Tusk is in Czech Republic to participate in a Prague summit of the Visegrad Four (V4) group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) on Tuesday. Apart from the V4 prime ministers, the meeting was attended by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The participants of the summit agreed that migrant crisis has no other solution but a joint European Union effort. The leaders of the six countries agreed on the need to implement agreements between the EU and Turkey and support the efforts of Greece to fulfill the conditions of its Schengen membership. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Europe needs to regain control of the migrant streams, Europe is faced with serious challenges and problems, the solution of which must be based on common sense and a joint position. Sobotka asked Tusk to speed up the creation of a common European border guard and expressed unambiguous support for the implementation of the agreement with Turkey to limit the number of migrants coming to Europe. --Indo-Asian News Service py/ ( 213 Words) 2016-02-17-09:43:33 (IANS) The handgun used in last week's apparent murder-suicide of two 15-year-old girls found shot dead at their suburban Phoenix high school was furnished by a fellow student at the request of one of the girls, police said. Sergeant David Vidaure, a spokesman for the police department in Glendale, Arizona, said the girl had obtained the weapon from her classmate, a 15-year-old boy, on the eve of last Friday's fatal shooting after telling him "she needed it for protection". The classmate obliged by providing the girl with "a family-owned handgun, from his home, without the permission or knowledge of his parents," Vidaure said in a statement. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among American youths aged 10 to 24, resulting in 4,600 lives lost each year, and firearms are the most common method for taking one's own life, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The male student has been cooperating with detectives, though his involvement will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for possible charges, Vidaure said. Neither the two girls nor their classmate - all students at Independence High School in Glendale - have been publicly identified because all three are minors. Although the precise circumstances remain under investigation, evidence from the scene has led homicide detectives to determine one of the girls killed the other before taking her own life, and that no other students witnessed the shooting. The two girls were believed to have been very close friends and romantically involved. Their bodies, a suicide note and the pistol were found in a canopied patio area near the school cafeteria after gunfire erupted shortly after classes started, triggering a security lockdown of the campus as police initially searched the school grounds for suspects. No surveillance video of the incident was captured, police said. Yesterday, counselors and social workers were brought to the 2,000-student high school to help those returning to class for the first time since the incident. In a Facebook message to parents and guardians, school principal Rob Ambrose offered condolences to the families of the two girls and acknowledged the outpouring of community support. REUTERS SV PR0918 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594228.Xml The deployment of missiles on the Paracel islands in the South China Sea would be contrary to China's pledge not to militarise the region, Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, said on today. Harris said such a move would represent "a militarisation of the South China Sea in ways that President Xi said he not do." "It would be a clear indication of militarisation," Harris told a briefing in Tokyo, where he is meeting with Japanese defence officials. China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, according to Taiwan and U.S. officials, a move that has raised tensions in the region.REUTERS SV PR1159 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594422.Xml China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and US officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as US President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region.Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters today the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.A US defence official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News.China's foreign minister said the reports were created by "certain Western media" that should focus more on China's building of lighthouses to improve shipping safety in the region."As for the limited and necessary self-defence facilities that China has built on islands and reefs we have people stationed on, this is consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law so there should be no question about it," Wang Yi told reporters in Beijing.China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than 5 trillion dollars in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its title.The United States has said it will continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of the US Pacific Command, said the deployment of missiles to the Paracels would not be a surprise but would be a concern, and be contrary to China's pledge not to militarize the region."We will conduct more, and more complex, freedom of navigation operations as time goes on in the South China Sea," Harris told a briefing in Tokyo. "We have no intention of stopping."RISING TENSIONSNews of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims there.China's increasing military presence in the disputed sea could effectively lead to a Beijing-controlled air defence zone, analysts"(The missile deployment) reinforces the view that China intends to exert growing control in these international waters, including potentially by declaring an Air Defence Identification Zone," said Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University.Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from the Center for a New American Security, said it was not the first time that China has sent such weapons to the Paracels."I do think surface to air missiles are a considerable development," she said. "If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment."A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels last month, a move China condemned as provocative.China last month said it would not seek militarization of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defences."Woody Island belongs to China," said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law."Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarize it."Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region."We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai told reporters.Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But in a rare move, the country's prime minister on Monday pressed Obama for a greater U.S. role in preventing militarization and island-building in the South China Sea.Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers on Woody Island, as well as a radar system, Fox News said.The missiles arrived over the past week and, according to a US official, appeared to show the HQ-9 air defence system, which has a range of 200 km and would pose a threat to any airplanes flying close by, the report said.In November, two US B52 strategic bombers flew near artificial Chinese-built islands in the Spratly Islands.Asked about the report, Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely."REUTERS SV SB1330 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-594560.Xml At least 100 trucks of humanitarian aid were preparing to set off for besieged areas of Syria from Damascus today, the Syrian Red Crescent said, in the latest delivery of supplies to trapped residents. The Syrian government has approved access to seven besieged areas, the United Nations said after crisis talks in Damascus yesterday, a week ahead of a planned resumption of peace talks between Syria's warring parties. The aid convoys would today head for Madaya, Zabadani and Mouadamiya al-Sham near Damascus, and to the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province in the northwest, five of the locations named by the United Nations, a spokesman for the Red Crescent said. REUTERS PY PR1434 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-594667.Xml Turkey does not intend to stop shelling Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in response to cross-border fire, President Tayyip Erdogan said today, adding the United State should decide whether it wants to back Turkey or the Kurdish insurgents.The rapid of advance of US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are taking advantage of Russian air strikes in the region to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara, which sees the insurgents as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been shelling YPG positions for days.Erdogan also said that ignoring the link between Syrian Kurds and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was a "hostile act".REUTERS PY PM1747 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-595259.Xml The rapid advance of US-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies.Washington has long seen the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its YPG military wing as its best chance in the battle against Islamic State in Syria - to the chagrin of fellow NATO member Turkey, which sees the group as terrorists and fears it will stir up greater unrest among its own Kurdish minority.Russian bombing has transformed the five-year-old Syrian civil war in recent weeks, turning the momentum decisively in favour of Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad.The Syrian army has come within 25 km of the Turkish border and says it aims to seal it off altogether, closing the main lifeline into rebel territory for years and recapturing Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war.Meanwhile, the YPG has exploited the situation, seizing ground from other Syrian opposition groups in the area.Washington says it does not believe the Kurds are coordinating directly with Moscow. But the YPG's advance may represent a masterstroke by Russia, which could benefit from any discord between NATO allies Turkey and the United States."Now this is the YPG's dilemma: Will it continue with America or Russia? The consequences of this strategic choice will influence Syria's future, as well as the ongoing clashes in Turkey," said Metin Gurcan, an independent security analyst and retired Turkish military officer.Turkey has shelled YPG positions inside Syria for four straight days. Ankara sees the militia as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency for autonomy in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.Turkey also portrays the Kurds as a pawn of Russia. Relations between the former Cold War rivals hit a low last year after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane over Syria.Turkey now accuses Russia of deliberately targeting civilians in Syria, including hospitals struck this week, in what it calls a "war crime" to depopulate territory ahead of a government advance. Moscow denies this and accuses Turkey of covertly supporting Syrian jihadist militant groups.The United States, which has supported the Kurdish fighters elsewhere in battle against Islamic State, has called for the YPG to stop actions that would heighten friction in northern Syria. It has also urged Ankara to stop shelling YPG positions.Washington has seen no evidence that the YPG are cooperating with the Russians, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing this week.DECADES OF REPRESSIONSome 30 million Kurds are estimated to live in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and in Syria. Syria's Kurds are the largest ethnic minority and suffered decades of repression under President Bashar al-Assad and his father before him.Under the Damascus regime, Kurds were forbidden from learning their own language, frequently evicted from their land and even denied full citizenship. Their region is home to a chunk of Syria's estimated 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, but Kurds enjoyed little benefit.Now, Kurds have started to carve out a fiefdom in the north of fragmenting Syria, similar to the autonomy enjoyed by their kin in northern Iraq."Russia is using this instrument to put Turkey in a difficult position," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said this week, vowing to prevent the YPG from expanding its territory.In the early stages of Syria's civil war, there were signs Turkey was willing to work with the PYD and other Kurdish groups if they met three demands: remain resolutely opposed to Assad, vow not to seek autonomy through violence or before the wider conflict was resolved, and pose no threat to Turkey."We have no problem with their aspirations ... What we do not want from any group is that they use this situation opportunistically to impose their will by force," a senior Turkish government official told Reuters in August 2013, days after PYD co-chair Saleh Muslim was invited to Istanbul for talks.RELATIONS SOURBut relations soon deteriorated, reaching a nadir in late 2014, when Islamic State fighters besieged the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani on the Turkish border for four months as Turkish tanks looked on from surrounding hills.Turkey allowed Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces through its territory to help defend the town, but its failure to intervene directly in support of the YPG, even as a US-led coalition carried out air strikes against Islamic State, infuriated Kurds in both Syria and Turkey.That added to pressure on the Turkish government's relationship with its own Kurds. PKK attacks on Turkish security forces last year helped put an end to a more than two-year ceasefire between the government and the insurgents, and the once-dormant conflict within Turkey has since stayed hot.Wary of an escalation, Washington has urged all parties to focus on the "common threat" of Islamic State, calling on Turkey to cease cross-border artillery fire and on the YPG not to seize new territory from groups that Turkey supports.Turkey has repeatedly criticised the United States for its position, saying that Washington should deem the Syrian Kurds terrorists, as it does with the PKK, and halt support.The Syrian Kurdish militia has not explained the aim of its latest advance but a source told Reuters on Jan. 28 it planned to seize the stretch of border held by Islamic State east of Azaz - the only part of the frontier still in the hands of the jihadist group.But the YPG's advance into territory held by other rebel groups looks likely to continue for now, causing headaches for Washington as it tries to manage its strategic relationship with Turkey and check Russia's influence in the region."The YPG is pushing as far as it can. (Its) focus right now is making the most of its momentum," said Gurcan, the analyst. "This has put the US in a very bad position."REUTERS PY AS1815 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-595309.Xml A laser beam was pointed at Pope Francis plane as he landed in Mexico City last week but there was no harm to those aboard, Italian airline Alitalia said in a statement on Wednesday.The airline said the plane's crew noticed the laser coming the ground on Friday as the pope was coming in from Cuba and that other arriving planes were involved."The captain immediately informed the control tower of what he had seen, as per normal procedure," Alitalia said. "It is up to the control tower to inform the competent authorities."It marks the latest in a series of such laser-pointing incidents around the world.In November, dangerous beams from handheld lasers struck 20 aircraft flying over the United States and its territories overnight, among the nearly 5,400 laser hits up until that point last year, the Federal Aviation Administration has said.Laser beams can lead to temporary blindness in pilots and, in some cases, pilots have reported eye injuries that required medical treatment.The pope wraps up his visit to Mexico on Wednesday.REUTERS CJ VN2053 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-595749.Xml An American journalist said on Wednesday she and the three members of her camera crew were safe and in good health after being released from detention in Bahrain, where they had been accused of participating in an illegal gathering in the U.S.-allied Gulf kingdom."My team and I feel very fortunate to have been permitted to leave Bahrain last night," Anna Day, a freelance journalist who has reported for numerous media outlets, said in a statement issued by two journalist colleagues.Day and her camera crew, all U.S. citizens, were arrested on Sunday and left the country on Tuesday after being charged. According to the statement, they were covering the fifth anniversary of Arab Spring protests in Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is based."We are safe and in good health, but we are exhausted and keen to get home to see our loved ones," Day said. "We are overwhelmed by the events of the past few days and by the support shown to us from around the world."Day has reported in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Latin America for numerous media outlets, mostly American.One of the two journalists who released Day's statement said the group would return to the United State although the timing was unclear.Separately, the U.S. State Department said in a statement the United States would "continue to raise our concerns with Bahrain about limitations on peaceful assembly and political activism, and the criminalization of free expression." The statement did not specifically mention Day's arrest.Authorities in Bahrain said the four journalists were found with cameras and computers in Sitra, a Shi'ite village east of the capital Manama, among "a group of saboteurs who were carrying out riot acts." Demonstrators in Sitra have clashed with security forces in recent days.Day and her crew were the latest among a wave of journalists who have been held overseas, in Iran, Turkey and elsewhere. According to Reporters without Borders, a press advocacy group, 154 journalists are imprisoned around the world and eight have been killed so far in 2016.REUTERS CJ VN2337 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-595874.Xml Aden (AFP) - A suicide bomber killed at least 14 soldiers in Aden on Wednesday, in the latest attack on Yemen's second city claimed by jihadists of the Islamic State group. The southern port city has been the headquarters of forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his backers in a Saudi-led military coalition but has seen growing violence by IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers," a military source said. The troops were attending a training session run by Sudanese forces of the Saudi-led coalition, another military source said. The bomber, who was disguised as a soldier, attacked the Ras Abbas camp in the west of Aden. After the attack, panicking soldiers grabbed their weapons and fled the camp, witnesses said. The little-known "Aden and Abyan Province" branch of IS said the suicide bombing was carried out by one of its militants and alleged it killed 20 "apostate" soldiers. It came a day after Al-Qaeda claimed an attack on the convoy of Aden's governor and police chief in which four jihadists were killed. Since March last year, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi, IS has ramped up its operations in Yemen. Its rival Al-Qaeda also has a significant presence in the south and southeast. In October, IS claimed its first attacks in Aden -- a series of bombings that targeted the government's temporary headquarters and two military camps run by the coalition in which 15 people were killed. Coalition forces have been training pro-government militiamen whom Hadi merged into the army after they drove Iran-backed rebels out of Aden and other southern provinces last year. The United Nations says more than 6,100 people have been killed and 29,000 wounded since the coalition began its intervention, about half of them civilians. Last m was the warmest January scientists have ever directly observed, according to top international climate experts. January 2016 "was the warmest January on record by a large margin while also claiming the title of most anomalously warm month in 135 years of record keeping," reports Climate Central. That means January beat out all previous 1,600-plus months since researchers began measuring global temperature records in the 1880s. (See the data here.) All told, January was approximately 2 degrees Fahrenheit above what would normally be expected, beating out the record-setting month of December 2015 by a small margin, according to the site. According to the Weather Channel, in the far northern polar latitudes, NASA-calculated temperatures were a staggering 12.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average for the month. Each of the last four months has also seen one of the "four largest monthly global warm anomalies in NASA's database." While the extreme temperatures are likely the result of an unusually intense El Nino, an irregularly occurring weather phenomenon that warms the tropical Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador, NASA has argued the high temperatures are striking despite El Nino. After short period of growth, Arctic sea ice area (yellow line) falls back to lowest on record for this date again. pic.twitter.com/ijotCc4AVF https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbNFfa5XIAAONAC.png:large If the trend keeps up, Earth may be well on its way toward having the hottest year in recorded history beating the record set in 2015, and before that, 2014. "Yes, this is indeed a big deal," Pennsylvania State University climatologist Michael E. Mann told Mic in January, after the 2015 findings came out. "As I've noted elsewhere, the likelihood that two consecutive record-breakers would have happened by chance in the absence of global warming is less than 1 in ." "The bad news is that it's worse than a new normal," he added. "If we continue to burn fossil fuels at current rates, then there is no normal. Temperatures that were once unprecedented will become commonplace. And the new temperature records will have no counterpart, no analog, in human existence." Point taken. Jennifer Keehl Davenport and her family moved to Zurich three years ago for her husband's job. Despite the international address, they decided to continue investing in 529 plan college savings accounts, which they had opened for their two girls, now ages 4 and 8, before leaving the States. The Davenports will still be able to reap one of the biggest advantages of using a 529, which is that earnings grow tax-deferred and withdrawals are tax free as long as they're used for qualified education expenses. That's because U.S. citizens remain taxable under federal tax laws, no matter where in the world they live. "The biggest factor in our decision to invest at least in part in a 529 was for tax purposes," Davenport says, adding that another factor was that their stay abroad is limited. They are returning to the U.S. in April. The U.S. Department of State estimates that about 6.8 million American citizens live abroad. There are some special considerations for those individuals when deciding whether 529s are the right vehicle for college savings. [Learn how to use federal financial aid to pay for a degree overseas.] -- Your child may go to an international university instead of a U.S. school. For financial planning purposes, this can be an important question, says David Kuenzi, founder of Wisconsin-based Thun Financial Advisors LLC. The firm specializes in working with Americans abroad and operates on a fee-only basis, meaning commissions aren't received for recommended products. "If your kids are going to go to university in Europe, then guess what? You don't have to save nearly as much for them to go to college as you would if they were going to go to college in the U.S.," Kuenzi says. That's because many of the national university systems in Europe are free, or almost free, for those who can get in. Still, many Americans prefer the U.S. system, Kuenzi says. Even if the student does go to college abroad and tuition is free or significantly discounted, 529s can be used for fees, room and board, books, supplies and computers, Kuenzi says. Story continues There are about 400 international institutions eligible for the tax advantages of 529s. Check the list kept by the Department of Education. [See rankings of the Best Global universities.] -- There may be no incentive to choose your home state's plan. State tax credits or deductions on 529 contributions offered by many states may not be a factor for an American living abroad. While still subject to federal taxation, expats are generally not subject to state income taxes. "If you're not paying taxes to any U.S. state, then you should just shop for the best plan," Kuenzi says. That was the case for Jenny Perry and her husband, who currently live in Lausanne, Switzerland, but expect to eventually settle in the U.S. They opened a 529 for their now 4-year-old daughter through the Virginia529 plan, even though he is from Maryland and she is from Missouri. [Check out other reasons to choose another state's 529 plan.] "My husband and I are from different parts of the country, and where we settle in the U.S. will largely depend on professional opportunities," she says. "Our key concern was that we needed a plan that didn't require our daughter to go to a particular state school or only be used for educational expenses in a particular state." The decision on whether to use a "home" state plan could hinge on whether an expat plans to return to a specific state. "If you live in a state, and you're intending to go overseas and you know you're going to return to that state, then sticking with that 529 plan may make a lot of sense," says Jonathan Lachowitz, founder of White Lighthouse Investment Management, which specializes in cross-border financial planning and is based in Massachusetts and Switzerland. "If you probably won't go back to the state you're living in, the state tax consideration is much less significant." -- 529s may be subject to taxes in other countries. Earnings in a 529 plan, as well as distributions, could be subject to local income or wealth taxes outside the U.S. "The 529 is only recognized under U.S. tax law," says Lachowitz. "There's no tax treaty or other international convention that enables other countries to recognize a 529 like the U.S. does." That could lead to a hefty tax bill, especially if the account or accounts are large, or big distributions are taken during the college years. But because it's legal to transfer ownership of 529 plans, there may be a way around the issue, says Lachowitz. "If someone's moving overseas, they could consider transferring the ownership to a trusted friend or relative in U.S., and then that kind of skirts the problem," he says. For long-term moves, especially in countries with high tax rates, 529s may not make sense, Kuenzi says. "Whatever U.S. tax benefit you get is going to be negated by taxation in the country in which you live," says Kuenzi. Trying to save for college? Get tips and more in the U.S. News College Savings 101 center. Deborah Ziff is a Chicago area-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering college savings and 529 plans. You can follow her on Twitter. Every year around this time, the president of the U.S. submits a budget proposal to Congress for consideration for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This request, first required under the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 , lays out the spending and revenue plans for all federal agencies and departments, including the Department of State, Department of Agriculture and, of course, the Department of Education . The proposals are analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office and submitted to the House and Senate Budget Committee for consideration. How receptive these committees are to the president's proposals depends on several factors, not limited to -- but certainly including -- party politics. [Check out what presidential candidates want to do on the student debt issue.] The Department of Education's higher education portion of its proposed budget attempts to continue the administration's focus on enrollment, affordability and completion. The proposal puts an extra emphasis on completion, stating, " the Administration has doubled down on its efforts toward a new higher education focus on degree completion, in addition to college access and affordability, seeking to help shift incentives at every level to focus on student success, not just on access." While that likely sounds good, students and graduates are probably more interested in what the proposed budget really means for them. Here's a look at some of the Education Department's proposals, as well as their implications. Summer Pell Grants The proposed budget reinstates the ability for full-time students who have exhausted their Pell Grant eligibility for the year to receive additional Pell funds for the summer semester. The idea here is to offer low-income students an incentive to complete their credentials and do so more quickly, which would hypothetically reduce student loan debt. The proposal also wants to speed things up by allowing an additional $300 "Pell bonus" for those students taking at least 15 hours per semester, which is more than a full-time course load -- defined as 12 hours by federal aid policies. Story continues [Get the answers to frequently asked questions about Pell Grants.] Perkins Wind Down The budget proposal alters the Perkins loan program , which is winding down, to an unsubsidized loan program. That means the interest on the loan would be the responsibility of the borrower and would start accruing upon disbursement; currently, the federal government pays the interest on Perkins loans while the borrower is in school, in a grace period or during certain periods of payment postponement. The new program would still be at an institution's discretion, but would be administered at the federal level as a direct loan program. Easier FAFSA The Department of Education is looking to reduce the questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It proposes doing this by relying primarily on tax return information and removing questions related to assets and additional types of income, including savings and investments. [Get to know how the FAFSA will change and what that means for college students.] One Income-Driven Repayment Plan The proposed budget creates a single income-driven repayment plan for borrowers who take their first loan on or after July 1, 2017. The plan would be similar to the new Revised Pay As You Earn plan. Existing borrowers would still have access to whichever repayment plans they are eligible for today. Greater Teacher Loan Forgiveness The Education Department is seeking to simplify and increase the existing teacher incentive programs by combining the current TEACH Grant with the Teacher Loan Forgiveness benefit for a maximum forgiveness amount of $25,000. Borrowers who graduate from "an effective preparation program" and who begin teaching in a low-income school starting in 2021 would potentially be eligible for this maximum amount, while others with lesser credentials could potentially qualify for up to $10,000. The proposal also bases forgiveness amounts on time spent teaching in these high-need areas Capped Public Service Loan Forgiveness The proposed budget would cap the forgiveness benefit under Public Service Loan Forgiveness to $57,500. The reasoning for this proposal is to protect students and taxpayers against institutional practices that may encourage over-borrowing. The Student Loan Ranger wants to emphasize that this is only a proposal, and if it should pass, it would not apply to existing borrowers. While the goal for the budget process is a budget resolution that passes both the House and Senate, doing so is not a requirement. With an upcoming presidential election and therefore a fairly short number of voting days in Congress this year, the Student Loan Ranger isn't sure that completing a budget will be a priority. Even if it completes a budget, it's unlikely that this Congress would prioritize any of these proposals, unless they meet certain agendas -- which most do not. In short, the Student Loan Ranger advises readers to look at this proposed budget as more of a suggestion for future Democratic policy proposals when Congress initiates the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, likely in 2017 or later. Betsy Mayotte, director of regulatory compliance for American Student Assistance, regularly advises consumers on planning and paying for college. Mayotte, who received a B.S. in business communications from Bentley College, is a frequent contributor to ASA's SALT Blog; responds to public inquiries via the advice resource "Just Ask;" and is frequently quoted in traditional and social media on the topics of student loans and financial aid. KAMPALA, UgandaLying in a bed at a run-down hostel, an emaciated woman ravaged by advanced cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS was awaiting her dose of morphine. Dr. Steven Luboyera delivered a 16-ounce bottle to the patients full-time nurse, administered to control pain and stabilize the patient. With doses every four hours, the amount will last her a week. When I take this, the pain improves, the woman, who wished to remain unidentified but agreed to be photographed, told TakePart. One in 500 Ugandans have cancer, but the country is severely lacking in specialists and resources to help them, with 80 percent dying because of late diagnosis, according to Ugandas Cancer Institute. Thats made tough work for doctors like Luboyera and Hospice Africa Uganda, considered the most successful palliative-care program in Africa and the developing world. Also known as end-of-life care, palliative care focuses on providing comfort and relief from pain for those with advanced serious illnesses. As Luboyera put it in an interview with TakePart, his patient was very weak, and what we have to do is make sure that her last days are as comfortable as possible. Getting this form of morphine, which is cheap to manufacture and easy to deliver, is only possible because Dr. Anne has really done tremendous work toward the palliative-care movement in Africa, Luboyera said, referring to Dr. Anne Merriman. For almost 25 years, Merriman and her hospice home-care teams have been bringing green, pink, and blue bottles of pain-relieving morphine to dying people in Uganda. They have also been bringing hope, reassurance, and friendship to seriously ill patients and their families. The reality is that oncology and other services wont be available in Africa for generations, Merriman, a 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee who founded Hospice Africa Uganda, told TakePart. This is why the former missionary nun from Liverpool, England, continues to do this work at age 80. Story continues When you see a patient whos been bedridden for months, and within a couple of days youve relieved their pain and you see the joy, its remarkable, Merriman said. Uganda ranked No. 1 among low-income countries for overall quality of death, according to a recent study published by The Economist, which credits the availability of pain-killers. Other developing countries are watching. Last week, Ugandas top palliative-care official, Rose Kiwanuka, was invited to speak at a United Nations special session on drugs around the world. An estimated 43 percent of the time, deaths in Africa are painful because of a lack of access to opioids, Kiwanuka said in an interview with New Vision, a leading Ugandan newspaper. It was that dire need that inspired Merrimans work. Many people, in every country Ive been to, thought I was introducing euthanasia, said Merriman, adding that people were concerned about morphine addiction, but she stressed that this only occurs when injected strongly and intravenously. With only one doctor for thousands of people, in 2004 Uganda became the worlds first to allow nurses to prescribe the drug. Today the morphine is made at Hospice Africa Ugandas headquarters in the capital, Kampala, with a bottle costing just $2 to manufacture and funded by the government. Merrimans organization has a unique referral system, using trained volunteers as the eyes and ears of the community to trace ill, impoverished patients. They have treated 27,000 patients successfully, 25,000 of them with morphine. It also has two centers outside Kampala. Merriman came to this work after being affected by seeing elderly people die in pain in her home city in the late 1970s. Inspired by British Dame Cicely Saunders, the modern hospice movement founder who believed that hospice is not a building but a philosophy of care, Merriman worked in the U.K. and then Nigeria. In Singapore in 1986, working with a pharmacist, she developed an affordable oral liquid morphinea feat easier than making a cake in the kitchen sinkfor more effective pain control. It contained morphine, water, a dye, and a preservative. Merriman didnt foresee going back to Africa but was invited to work at a Nairobi hospice in 1990. When I went for the interview, I saw patients in agony, and I said, I cant come unless you get morphine, said Merriman. Six months later she was back, introducing the oral morphine and making a huge difference to peoples lives. Hospice Africa Uganda was set up in 1993the same year morphine was brought inwith a vision to provide palliative care to all in need. While the center was founded for cancer care, it took on AIDS patients because, Merriman said, vast numbers were HIV-positive at the time. It was terrible. People were dying all over the place. The hospice she set up would come to be a model for other countries and an education center for a palliative-care degree and diploma. So rather than cure, we must concentrate on care and ensuring a pain-free and dignified end of life, Merriman said. Related stories on TakePart: Schools in Uganda Are Getting Bulldozed So Foreign Developers Can Build Stores Law and Order in Uganda: How Volunteer Lawyers Are Ending Mob Justice 9 Photos That Prove Motorbikes in Uganda Are Crazy Cool Original article from TakePart By Lacey Johnson FORT MEADE, Md. (Reuters) - A Yemeni Sept. 11 suspect must keep his court-appointed lawyers until a motion is filed to show why the attorneys should be replaced, a Guantanamo Bay military judge ruled on Wednesday. Judge Army Colonel James Pohl issued the ruling after reading a letter from Walid bin Attash, one of five defendants charged with plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Bin Attash, a suspected al Qaeda training camp leader, had said on Tuesday during the pretrial hearing that two of his three lawyers had become the enemy. Pohl said the letter failed to show good cause for removing the defense team. He told bin Attash he would reconsider the request if it were submitted as a motion drafted with the help of an independent attorney. In October, Pohl denied a motion from bin Attash to fire his lead attorney, Cheryl Bormann. After the ruling, bin Attash said he would cut communication with his defense team. "This problem could take forever, he said. He also said he would not attend court proceedings in his death penalty case. Pohl denied an offer by Bormann, a Chicago lawyer, to remove herself from bin Attash's team. Bormann told Pohl that years of isolated detention and torture had turned bin Attash into a damaged human being who no longer trusts her for reasons beyond her control. She blamed the breakdown in attorney-client trust largely on the government, which she accused of secretly recording their meetings and seizing legal documents from bin Attash's cell. She also cited an 18-month delay caused by an FBI investigation of defense attorneys. Almost 3,000 people were killed when hijackers slammed airliners into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11, 2001. The hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was carried over closed-circuit television to a media center at Fort Meade, outside Washington, D.C. (Editing by Ian Simpson and Alan Crosby) BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man charged with orchestrating a hacking attack into a Boston hospital's network two years ago was arrested on Wednesday after he was rescued from a small boat adrift near Cuba, federal prosecutors said. Federal agents had searched 31-year-old Martin Gottesfeld's Somerville home in November 2014 in connection with the cyber attack, after identifying him as the author of a video posted online calling for the attack to be carried out on behalf of the Anonymous online collective. Agents began searching for Gottesfeld last week after his employer and relatives called local police to report that he had not been seen in several days. The search led to a Disney cruise ship that picked up the man and his wife after they made a distress call. Gottesfeld, who was arrested in Miami, faces one charge of conspiracy that carries a possible sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It was not immediately known if he had retained an attorney. Prosecutors said in court papers that Gottesfeld admitted in a 2014 interview to having posted the video calling for the attack but denied having taken part directly in it. They said the alleged attack was carried out in protest over a custody battle between the state and the parents of a teenager and that it targeted the hospital's website for at least a week, briefly taking it down. Prosecutors declined to identify the case or name the people involved, but the details match a 2013 incident in which a teenager was brought by her parents to Boston Children's Hospital for treatment of intestinal distress. Hospital officials suspected the teen's problems were psychological and filed medical child abuse charges against the parents that led to a 16-month custody battle. In the summer of 2014 a state court judge ruled that the teen be returned her parents' care. (Reporting by Scott Malone) By Jens Hack and Tim Hepher FRANKFURT/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Airbus Group has excluded its border security business from the planned sale of its defense electronics unit, whose sale may now go ahead within weeks, defense and space workers at the European company were told on Wednesday. The company had planned to sell defense electronics and border security activities in one package, but missed its goal of reaching a deal by early 2016 because of delays with a border project in Saudi Arabia, according to a letter to staff. "For this reason, Airbus Defence and Space has decided to remove the Border Security business from the joint package and to retain it within Airbus Defence and Space," Bernhard Gerwert, the unit's chief executive, said in the letter, seen by Reuters. "This means that the sales process for Defence Electronics shall continue as planned and can be finalised shortly," he said. The defense electronics arm has been valued at up to 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) and taking out border security will not lead to a lower price, a person familiar with the matter said. "The border security ops are losing a high double-digit million euro amount each year and their enterprise value is zero at best," the person said. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, which first reported the letter's contents, said Airbus Group hoped to be able to take advantage of new opportunities for border security presented by Europe's refugee crisis, citing an unnamed manager. "The move is not linked to a new boom in border security but has only been done to facilitate the sales process", an Airbus Group spokesman said. "The clear focus of the border security entity staying within Airbus is on executing existing projects not on exploring new opportunities." Europe's largest aerospace group is currently selling several businesses to focus its defense division on warplanes, missiles, launchers and satellites. The group had originally planned to pick a buyer for the defense electronics unit by the end of last year as part of its plan to dispose of assets with combined annual revenues of around 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). Airbus Group short-listed Carlyle and KKR for the defense electronics unit, after they put up significantly higher offers than rivals, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters in December. ($1 = 0.8957 euros) (Writing by Caroline Copley; Additional reporting by Jens Hack in Frankfurt and Alister Doyle in Paris; Editing by Georgina Prodhan and Mark Potter) The Denver area, part of the Territory of Kansas, was sparsely settled until the late 1850s. In July 1858, Green Russell and Sam Bates found a small placer deposit near the mouth of Little Dry Creek (in the present-day suburb of Englewood) that yielded about 20 troy ounces (620 g) of gold, the first significant gold discovery in the Rocky Mountain region. News spread rapidly and by autumn, hundreds of men were working along the South Platte River. By spring 1859, tens of thousands of gold seekers arrived and the Pikes Peak Gold Rush was under way. In the following two years, about 100,000 gold seekers flocked to the region. On Wednesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a big ruling that will make it easier for film and television studios to create stories ripped from the headlines. The case concerns The Hurt Locker, the 2010 Oscar winner directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, about an army bomb squad during the Iraq War. The film triggered a lawsuit by Master Sgt. Jeffrey S. Sarver, an Iraqi war veteran who claimed that Boal's research on Sarver for an issue of Playboy ultimately became a film that infringed his publicity rights and defamed him. Sarver alleged that the main character of Will James was based on his life. In Oct. 2011, a federal judge rejected Sarver's lawsuit, and the dismissal was appealed. The case spent several years in purgatory as the 9th Circuit waited to see whether the U.S. Supreme Court would take up review of a publicity rights case involving athletes suing over video games. Last autumn, when that didn't happen, the 9th Circuit indicated that it would move forward. Today, the federal appeals court upholds the district court ruling with a strongest possible endorsement of the filmmakers' free speech rights. "In sum, The Hurt Locker is speech that is fully protected by the First Amendment, which safeguards the storytellers and artists who take the raw materials of life including the stories of real individuals, ordinary or extraordinary and transform them into art, be it articles, books, movies, or plays," writes 9th Circuit judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain. "If Californias right of publicity law applies in this case, it is simply a content-based speech restriction. As such, it is presumptively unconstitutional, and cannot stand unless Sarver can show a compelling state interest in preventing the defendants speech. Because Sarver cannot do so, applying Californias right of publicity in this case would violate the First Amendment." There's no federal statute that protects one's name and likeness, and while there are trademark andendorsement claims in the Lanham Act, many states have decided to enact statutes that guard against likeness misappropriation. California, home to many celebrities, has one of the strongest publicity rights laws, but it also has another law the anti-SLAPP statute that is meant to deter impingements of First Amendment rights on matters of public concern. Story continues As such, figuring out whether to focus on the law of California or New Jersey where Sarver lived became the first procedural step in this case. After the 9th Circuit decides that California law applies, and satisfies itself that filings came in a timely fashion, the analysis next turns to whether the lawsuit arises from acts in furtherance of free speech in connection with a public issue. "We conclude that this focus on the conduct of the Iraq War satisfies Californias standards for determining whether an issue is one of public concern," states the opinion. "That war, its dangers, and soldiers experiences were subjects of longstanding public attention. Indeed, The Hurt Locker, with its unique focus on IED disposal teams, contributed to that attention. That the film won several Oscars and reached widespread audiences only buttresses our conclusion." As such, Sarver has to demonstrate a likelihood of prevailing before his lawsuit moves further. The district court concluded he hadn't, and the 9th Circuit agrees. In coming to this conclusion, O'Scannlain re-visits a topic publicity rights that has only been addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court once, in 1977 in Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co, where the high court blessed Zacchini's theory that if an Ohio TV station showed his human cannonball act in its entirety without his consent, he'd have no incentive to perform. The decision was seen as largely giving a nod towards publicity rights laws enacted by state legislatures around the nation. But O'Scannlain stresses that Zacchini only upholds "the right of publicity in a variety of contexts where the defendant appropriates the economic value that the plaintiff has built in an identity or performance," and as an example, points to previous cases involving celebrities challenging the use of their images in advertising. The most famous example is when Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White sued over an ad for VCRs. The 9th Circuit is now drawing the line on speech like The Hurt Locker that it says is not proposing a commercial transaction, and plaintiffs like Sarver who have not built up any economic value in a marketable performance or identity. "The state has no interest in giving Sarver an economic incentive to live his life as he otherwise would," writes O'Scannlain. As for Sarver's other claims, the 9th Circuit spends less time on these, but rejects his defamation claim because a film about a heroic figure could have hardly have exposed him to ridicule, damaged his reputation or injured him in his occupation. The appeals court adds that the film's portrayal "certainly would not 'highly offend' a reasonable person," thus putting down hislight invasion of privacy claim. Finally, as to intentional infliction of emotional distress, Sarver hasn't alleged enough facts to support this. Here's the full opinion. The filmmakers were represented by attorneys including Timothy Gorry, Irene Flores, David Halberstadter, Dale Kinsella and Jeremiah Reynolds. The MPAA, represented by Kelli Sager, filed an amicus brief in the case. The decision is being hailed by Boal, who also worked with Bigelow on Zero Dark Thirty as well as an upcoming film about riots in Detroit in the late 1960s. He says, "I am pleased that the court found that artistic expression in films such as The Hurt Locker is fully protected by the First Amendment. This is an important victory for all filmmakers." By Paul Carsten BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc launched its mobile payment system in China on Thursday in a bid to convince the hundreds of millions of users of the country's entrenched, dominant services to switch. "We think China could be our largest Apple Pay market," Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay, told Reuters in an interview in Beijing. In an early boost, China's biggest lender, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), was among the banks that said earlier this week that customers would be able to use Apple Pay from Thursday. However, Apple Pay has not had an easy ride so far in China, the fifth country to get the service. Even in its U.S. home market, Apple has faced skeptical retailers in its effort to develop a new revenue stream. China is not likely to prove any easier to crack. "People switch applications for significantly better experiences, it (Apple) has to deliver not just a little bit more secure, or a little bit easier to use," said Mark Natkin, founder of Marbridge Consulting. Greater China is Apple's second-largest market by revenue, and the world's biggest smartphone market. By the end of 2015, 358 million people, more than the U.S. population, had already taken to buying goods and services by mobile phone, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The vast majority are using payment services from China's two biggest Internet companies that have existed for years. Social networking and gaming firm Tencent Holdings Ltd operates WeChat Payment, and e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, through its Internet finance affiliate Ant Financial Services Group, runs Alipay. "With 100 percent saturation of local payment systems, no one in China is clamoring for Apple Pay," said one retailer who declined to be named for fear of harming business prospects. "Today, everyone has a local payment option on their phone, so Apple Pay is a solution in need of a problem." BANKS ON BOARD Deeply ingrained in China's Internet, domestic payment services cover much more than ride hailing, food delivery and online shopping. Users can invest in wealth management funds, pay utility bills, send gifts to friends and give to charity. An Ant Financial spokeswoman said Alipay has over 400 million active users, with 80 percent on mobile. "Alipay is an app for both (Google software) Android and (Apple's) iOS system and has little requirements for the make and model of the mobile phone," she said. The U.S. firm has 19 of China's biggest lenders as partners. That means 80 percent of China's credit and debit cards are eligible for Apple Pay, usable at about one-third of all locations that accept those cards, Apple's Bailey said. Apple's approach is to not compete with banks and UnionPay, said Bailey. "China UnionPay and our Apple Pay solution has a huge advantage, given the footprint of China UnionPay," she said. "Its merchant acceptance network far exceeds what any of the other mobile platforms have today." Though banks have been rivals elsewhere, industry watchers say this tactic may offer Apple its best prospect. Zhao Longkai, associate professor of finance at the Peking University Guanghua School of Management, said China's banks, and state-backed payment card monopoly China UnionPay, have rankled at the popularity of alternative mobile systems associated with Alibaba and Tencent. "The entry of Apple Pay has the potential to change the strategic landscape," said Zhao. "UnionPay now has an opportunity to bring a new alliance to defend the market that it is losing to Tencent or Alibaba - Apple Pay first needs to figure out a way to win over Chinese customers." (Additional reporting by Kalum Chen in HONG KONG and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Alexander Smith) GETTY IMAGE In the months since Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people and injured 21 others, investigators have tried to piece together why the two attacked the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, last December. The authorities have since determined that, despite Maliks supposed profession of allegiance to ISIS, the pair wasnt officially affiliated with any known terrorist organizations. Despite these revelations, the FBI wants access to Farooks encrypted iPhone 5c and any information it may contain. Apple, however, doesnt want to turn over its encryption schematics for fear of what the government might do with the information in future investigations and surveillance. Being that Farooks phone was the property of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, his former employer, the Justice Department, had no trouble in securing a warrant for it. Yet the security the San Bernardino shooter set up on the phone has prevented them from accessing its data. So, a federal judge in California ruled in favor of the FBI and ordered Apple to deliver them keys to its rigorous data encryption on Tuesday. In an unusually detailed directive, Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of the Federal District Court for the District of Central California ordered Apple to provide reasonable technical assistance to the F.B.I. in unlocking the phone. That assistance should allow investigators to bypass or erase the auto-erase function on the phone, among other steps, she wrote. Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to the ruling in a statement issued on the companys website, saying that he would appeal Judge Pyms ruling on ethical grounds. The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake. Story continues Cook noted that he and everyone at Apple were shocked and outraged by the deadly act of terrorism in San Bernardino, and that their organization has done everything they can to provide the FBI with the data and access to data they have required. However, the new ruling suggests something far more intrusive and dangerous a backdoor to the iPhone that would grant San Bernardino investigators and authorities in future endeavors unprecedented access to Apple customers personal data. The FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. Even so, the FBI maintains that the kind of case-by-case access they need to get at Farooks encrypted data wouldnt lead to the apocalyptic scenario Cook and other Silicon Valley companies have suggested. Bureau director James B. Comey has long maintained that, without de-encryption technology from Apple, Google and others, their investigations into matters of national security are at risk of going dark. (Via New York Times and Apple) Share This Facebook Twitter EMAIL Caracas (AFP) - Lawmakers in Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature approved an amnesty for jailed foes of President Nicolas Maduro, who has pledged to veto the bill. The elected socialist president maintains that there are no political prisoners in Venezuela; The opposition disagrees. "This law is aimed at ending the era of prison and persecution for those who simply think differently. We cannot talk about justice when there are political prisoners, and political exiles," lawmaker Delsa Solorzano said on presenting the bill. Elias Jaua, a pro-government lawmaker, slammed the bill as "criminal amnesia." "From this moment forward, we are disregarding this legislation. We urge all government, civilian and military authorities to do the same," he said. The amnesty bill seeks the release of 75 jailed dissidents. "There is not going to be a coup here, or social unrest. Just a transition from authoritarianism to democracy," said opposition MUD coalition leader Jesus Torrealba. Maduro has introduced emergency economic measures that give him heightened powers to intervene in the stricken, state-led economy. Venezuela has the world's biggest known oil reserves but has suffered as crude prices have fallen sharply. Citizens are suffering shortages of basics such as toilet paper and cooking oil. By Edward Taylor FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Aston Martin set up a venture with Chinese consumer electronics group LeEco to jointly develop the British luxury car brand's first electric vehicle, an example of the deepening ties between the technology and automotive industries. Companies like Alphabet and LeEco are developing automotive expertise because they want to broaden their reach beyond computers and cellphones into cars, while automakers want Internet connectivity to give drivers live traffic updates and infotainment. Aston Martin and LeEco said they plan to develop an electric car based on the British automaker's Rapide S model, before developing other potential electric vehicles, including for LeEco. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "It brings Aston Martin's electric car project forward," Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer said at a news conference in Frankfurt, adding it would come to market in 2018, and be built in Gaydon, England. LeEco, a consumer electronics company which offers branded content via the Internet, television set top boxes and smartphones, hopes to use its captive audience and celebrity endorsements to promote cars in future. "In China we have around 300 million people who visit our website. We could advertise the Aston Martin for free. And we can use celebrities to promote our vehicle. This is the way we do business," said Lei Ding, co-founder of LeEco's auto division. He previously held senior positions at joint ventures of Volkswagen and General Motors in China, said. The electric car development platform by Aston and LeEco could also be used by Faraday Future, a start-up electric car firm backed by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, the companies said. "Aston can offer expertise in ride, handling refinement and those sorts of things," Palmer said. China's government is promoting electric vehicles to cut the smog that frequently envelops its cities, which officials say helped sales quadruple last year and has turned China into the world's biggest market. An electric car joint venture of Taiwan's Hon Hai, China's Tencent and China Harmony Auto Holding said this month it was hiring former BMW executive Carsten Breitfeld to lead it. Harmony Futeng, launched last March, is one of several Chinese tech companies trying to develop "smart" and electric vehicles. These include Alibaba, Baidu and Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp Beijing, recently rebranded as LeEco. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Writing by Ludwig Burger, Georgina Prodhan and Edward Taylor; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Susan Fenton) SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian victims of child sex abuse have raised over $85,000 through crowd funding to travel to Rome to watch the Vatican's Australian-born finance controller give videolink evidence to a local inquiry. Catholic Cardinal George Pell, a man once seen as a contender to become pope, had been scheduled to testify at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in the Australian city of Ballarat. But earlier this month he was excused from attending in person after his lawyers cited health concerns, angering victims. An online crowd funding campaign to send 15 church abuse survivors, representatives and their supporters to Rome to watch Pell give his videolink evidence raised over A$120,000 ($85,000) since Monday. The fund raising efforts were helped along by Australian comedic musician Tim Minchin who released a satirical song attacking the Cardinal's decision not to return for the inquiry. The inquiry heard testimony last year that priests suspected of abuse in Pell's former diocese were moved between parishes and put in church-appointed rehabilitation instead of being reported to police. "The survivors of Ballarat and District child abuse feel that a face-to-face hearing is important for healing and understanding" said the group's crowd funding page. "With the news that Cardinal Pell could not come here, it seems appropriate to get the survivors to Rome to sit in front of Pell as he gives evidence." A royal commission spokesman said in an email that the commission was making inquiries about a possible venue for the victims in Rome. (Reporting by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Richard Pullin) VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria will cap the number of migrants it lets in at 3,200 a day from Friday, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said, calling on other countries to tighten restrictions. Numbers coming into Austria along the main route from Slovenia have fluctuated widely over the past year, from as many as 14,000 a day to the latest figures that suggest around 1,000 are currently braving the winter cold every 24 hours. "It's important that every country on the Balkan route acts more restrictively," Mikl-Leitner said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. "A backlog on the Slovenian side... cannot be ruled out," she added. Austria said last month it would only consider 37,500 asylum requests this year, compared with the 90,000 it received last year. Around 90 percent of the migrants, many of them fleeing conflict in the Middle East, keep heading north after entering Austria, trying to reach Germany and other destinations, authorities say. (Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich; Writing by Shadia Nasralla, Francois Murphy; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Montreal (AFP) - Canadian aviation giant Bombardier announced Wednesday it was cutting 10 percent of its global workforce as the company undergoes major restructuring through next year. The 7,000-job reduction "will be partially offset by hiring in certain growth areas," such as in its nascent commercial aircraft division, Bombardier said as it released financial results. Bombardier also announced it has signed a US$3.8 billion deal with Air Canada to buy 45 of its new CS300 jets, with options to purchase another 30 planes. Deliveries of the all-new aircraft to Air Canada will begin in 2019, marking the first sale of the C Series -- which has been billed as the first completely new aircraft design in the 100- to 150-seat category in more than 25 years -- to a major North American airline. It is also the largest single purchase of the C Series. "Air Canada's commitment is a strong endorsement of this outstanding aircraft," Bombardier president and chief executive Alain Bellemare said in a statement. The order, he said, "will become a catalyst for future orders in North America and around the world." The C Series was launched to challenge the dominance of Airbus and Boeing in medium-range, single-aisle jetliners, and go head to head with their workhorses, the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. The Bombardier jetliner was supposed to offer significant fuel savings over its rivals but a two-year delay in its development allowed competitors to freshen up their lineups. The plunge in oil prices has also made the C Series a harder sell. Indeed, Bombardier had received no new orders for its C Series since September 2014, prior to the Air Canada purchase. The Canadian airline's order brings the total to 288 firm orders. Bombardier started off building snowmobiles in 1942 and grew into a multinational with rail and aircraft divisions. After this third round of job cuts in about a year, it will be left with 64,000 employees worldwide. Most of the cuts will be in Canada and Europe. Story continues "Throughout 2016 and 2017, we will adapt our global manpower to current market conditions, while hiring to support growing segments, such as the C Series," said Bellemare, referring to the job cuts. "We're taking this difficult decision to make Bombardier stronger," he said. It will help the company become "more competitive and deliver improved financial performance going forward," he added. Bombardier said it posted revenues of $18.2 billion in 2015, a 9.6 percent drop from the year before. Profits fell to $326 million. It received last year $2.5 billion from the government of Quebec, where it is based, to get the C Series off the ground, giving up a 49.5 percent stake in the program and 30 percent of its rail unit in exchange. Ottawa, meanwhile, continues to consider the business case for providing financial assistance to the company, Transportation Minister Marc Garneau said. Since receiving the cash injection from Quebec, Bombardier's stock had fallen 40 percent to a record low of 72 Canadian cents (US$0.52) on Friday. It has since bounced back, jumping nearly 25 percent in morning trading following the company's announcement to Can$1.11 in Toronto. Misconceptions and blatant ignorance about Muslim Americans abound, and Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson doubled down on his own rhetoric Tuesday. He went so far as to call Muslim Americans "schizophrenic." Breitbart News Daily host Stephen Bannon asked Carson on Tuesday if American Muslims' religious values were at odds with their nation's political values, Politico reported. "Only if they're schizophrenic," Carson said. "I don't see how they can do it otherwise, because you have two different philosophies," he added, later referring to Islam as a religion Muslim Americans "bought into" and arguing that the Prophet Muhammad was "in no way comparable to Jesus Christ." "As a Muslim it is offensive to be accused of schizophrenia," Saba Ahmed, president and founder of the Republican Muslim Coalition told ThinkProgress of Carson's remarks. "There are tens of thousands of Muslims in this country who love American values and their religion at the same time. I am one of them." The damage of generally using a term for a medical illness, like "schizophrenia," in a derogatory way is well documented. As Arun Chopra, a British consultant psychiatrist and researcher, told the BBC in 2011, using medical terms this way is "tremendously damaging" and "part of the process of creating a stigma around mental illness. You would never hear it used in relation to a physical condition. You wouldn't hear someone being described as a bit diabetic." It's not the first time Carson has made an ignorant comment about Muslim Americans. In October, he stated his opposition to the possibility of a Muslim American presidential candidate due to their "different loyalties," according to MSNBC a comment that built on his assertion a month prior that Islam is inconsistent with the Constitution, as the Guardian reported in September. Story continues His stance is unfortunately not an anomaly in the United States at large. In 2015, a number of mosques were attacked in the United States and Islamophobic attitudes were evident on college campuses, city streets and beyond. A 2015 YouGov poll found that this stance is one held by the majority of Americans: 55% of those surveyed had a somewhat or very "unfavorable" opinion of Islam. As a potential leader of the United States, Carson would seemingly do well to pledge his support for all Americans rather than bolster factually unfounded attitudes toward an already marginalized group. h/t ThinkProgress eOne has boarded one of the European Film Market's hot new titles, agreeing with BBC Films to co-finance Laurel and Hardy biopic Stan & Laurie, starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. The Canadian banner which also landed U.K. rights to arguably the EFM's hottest project, George Clooney's Suburbicon will distribute Stan & Laurie in its territories. Announced last month, the film is being produced by Fable Pictures and Sonesta Films and is described as an "emotional tribute to two of the funniest men in movie history," focuses on their real-life tour of the variety halls of the U.K. as aging stars in 1953. The now-famous tour saw the twosome set out "with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them." Despite initially disappointing attendance, the shows would soon become hits, with Laurel and Hardy reconnecting with fans, old and new, while rediscovering how much they meant to each other as they came to terms with the end of their careers. Read More: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly Board Laurel and Hardy Biopic Written by Jeff Pope, who reunites with his Philomena co-writer Coogan, Stan & Ollie will be directed by Jon S. Baird, who helmed the 2013 Scottish comedy-crime drama Filth, starring James McAvoy. The film also marks the first feature from new U.K. upstart Fable Pictures, set up by Suffragette producer Faye Ward, who is also a producer on Netflix's major upcoming British royal drama series The Crown, We are thrilled to be teaming up with Faye Ward and BBC Films on this endearing film. We were immediately drawn to Jeffs engaging script and we are excited to have director Jon S. Baird, Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly all on board to bring it to life," said Xavier Marchand, president of eOne Features. Coogan appears to be on a roll at the moment, with Shepherds & Butchers in the Berlinale's Panorama section and new projects including the dramedy An Ideal Home alongside Paul Rudd, the Richard Gere-starring Dinner and R-rated animation Adventures of Drunky. Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders made history by becoming the first Jewish candidate to win a presidential nominating contest with his success in New Hampshire. The Vermont senator's wave of success has made his presidential race against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a hotly contested one. With the financial support of thousands of supporters, Sen. Sanders raised $5.2 million after the polls closed in New Hampshire. But just how well do Sanders' supporters know the 2016 presidential candidate? The quiz below is a fun way to find out just how much you know about the Brooklyn-born Senator. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee debate last week, Sanders had one of his strongest performances yet, going after Clinton's connections to Wall Street and corporations, foreign policy and trade agreements. After his performance in New Hampshire and his sharper remarks , the Senator has become a real threat to the Clinton . " what we are going to do is invest in education and jobs, not jails and incarceration," Sanders said at a Monday rally at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, according to Fox 17. "Together, we are going to stand up for democracy, we are going to vote and have the courage to take on powerful special interests and, yes, we will transform America." IBM has high hopes for blockchain technology. The IT giant announced on Tuesday a laundry list of plans to use blockchain tech and to help developers do the same. IBM (IBM) will offer tools through its cloud service for building blockchain apps, and it will open up IBM "Garages" in London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo for experts to collaborate with developers on blockchain tech. Taken in tandem with the recent flurry of banks and financial institutions expressing public interest in blockchain, the technology is having a moment. In September, a slew of banks including BBVA, Citi, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, Royal Bank of Scotland, and UBS all joined a coalition, led by a firm called R3, to implement blockchain technology in banking. In December, five more big names hopped on board, including BNP Paribas, ING, and Wells Fargo. But the great irony of the banks' interest in blockchain is that the idea of a blockchain for traditional banking defeats the purpose of the blockchainat least as it has been used thus far, with the digital currency bitcoin. And top executives from some of the very same institutions that have signed on to R3 have separately disparaged bitcoin. To understand what it is that banks claim to want to do with blockchain, you first need to understand the bitcoin blockchain, which is a public, decentralized ledger that records every single bitcoin transaction. Think of it like a library card in the cloud (not the card you use to take out a book, but the slip inside a book that lists all the borrowers). If you send a friend $5 worth of bitcoin, the transaction goes on the blockchain. If one bitcoin startup acquires another bitcoin startup for $500,000 in bitcoin, that, too, goes on the blockchain. And you can view the blockchain in real time, as transactions are uploaded, at blockchain.info. Transactions are added in bundles, called "blocks," by "miners," who receive a tiny fee in bitcoin as an incentive to mine. Miners use large, expensive computers to find and mine the blocks. The excitement of the bitcoin blockchain, to people in the digital currency world, is the potential for decentralized applications to be built on top of it that cut out the middle man. And the blockchain can be used to store and send anything of value, so there are companies using it to store documents like property deeds and even marriage licenses. And now: Enter the banks. They've long stayed away from bitcoin, which has a toxic public image thanks to headlines about bitcoin being used in embezzlement and Ponzi schemes. (Think of Mt. Gox and Silk Road.) MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga said he believes bitcoin "starts bumping up against societal rules, which I worry about," and that, "it doesnt give me the safety and security of knowing that I am who I am, and Im paying who I know, which is what traditional currency does." And yet, MasterCard (MA) invested in Digital Currency Group, a venture firm that has itself invested in 65 different bitcoin and blockchain-enabled businesses. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said bitcoin "is going nowhere... There is nothing behind a bitcoin, and I think if it was big, the governments would stop it." And yet, JPMorgan (JPM) has signed on with R3. Forget bitcoin, embrace blockchain Bitcoin is doomed, if you ask Dimon. But the blockchainnow that's exciting. As Dimon said on CNBC last month, "The blockchain is a technology, which weve been studying... and yes, its real. If it proves to be cheap and secure it will be adopted for a whole bunch of stuff." Translation: Blockchain is hot, bitcoin is not. We are seeing this sentiment again and again. IBM, in its extensive press release this week about its blockchain efforts, does not use the word "bitcoin" once. Bitreserve, a cloud banking vault launched by CNET founder Halsey Minor and led by former Barclays CIO Anthony Watson, was so eager to shed the stink of bitcoin that it changed its name to Uphold. Blockchain "is so hot right now," writes Erik Voorhees, the CEO of bitcoin startup Shapeshift, while bitcoin "has been left by the wayside, ignored like an embarrassing relative at a family gathering. (And yet the price of bitcoin is up 24% in the last six months, 85% in the last six.) What will using blockchain tech even look like for banks? R3's web site says its mission is "building and empowering the next generation of global financial services technology." That's pretty vague. David Rutter, CEO of R3 and a former executive at London-based electronic brokerage ICAP, has said R3 will help banks and financial firms use the "fabric" of blockchain technology. You might think that people in the bitcoin world are pleased to see big, incumbent financial institutions embracing the underlying technology behind the leading cryptocurrency. They are not. Most of them see the banks' stated interest as empty lip service so far. What most people believe the banks want to do is employ something like the blockchain in their record-keeping processes: record customer deposits and withdrawals on a blockchain as opposed to whatever (likely outdated) software they currently use. Sounds simple enough. But it would have to be a closed ledger, accessible only to customers of the banks. And therein lies the contradiction: the bitcoin blockchain is public and open-sourced; nothing about it is closed. "I can see why banks are interested in using permissioned ledgers, and maybe it will make their back office more efficient," says Jerry Brito, executive director of digital currency nonprofit Coin Center. "But at the end of the day, it's not a very exciting innovation. The real innovation is a completely open and global ledger that is permission-less. Having a closed, permissioned ledger run by banks, that might allow for better auditing, but theres no innovation there, you still have to go through a consortium to use the ledger." That is, what banks seem to want to do is incongruous to the purpose of the blockchain. Digital Currency Group's Barry Silbert, who founded SecondMarket, which allowed for the trading of stocks in non-public companies, is similarly dubious of the "blockchain for banking" theme. "Ive spoken quite publicly about my skepticism around the private blockchain approach," he tells Yahoo Finance. If R3 doesn't yield innovative fruit, then why are banks rushing to join up? For starters, as a PR effort: once a few were involved, the others looked stodgy by delaying. But Brito also believes the interest will subside once banks actually learn more about blockchain technology. "I think right now investors are kind of waiting for Wall Street to get through this blockchain phase," he says. "They have blockchain fever and they need to just get over it. Because if they develop their own closed blockchains, soon theyll all realize they want to talk to each other, and theyll be back to square one, doing banking." The bitcoin blockchain is open, global and permissionless. It has potential to serve as the backbone for additional exciting applications. If traditional banks want to employ it in their way, by acting as gatekeepers, it defeats the purpose. But don't expect that to dampen their public expressions of interest just yet. This is the first in a three-part Yahoo Finance series about blockchain technology. The second part is about how you can invest in the blockchain; the third part is about the biggest names in the industry. -- Daniel Roberts is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering sports business and technology. Read more: Bitcoin advocacy group scores funding from biggest names in industry Bitcoin industry consolidates: Why Kraken bought Coinsetter Bitcoin's biggest investor bought its biggest news site Here's a sign that PayPal is embracing Bitcoin Ankara (AFP) - At least 28 people were killed and 61 wounded by a car bomb targeting the Turkish military in the heart of the capital Ankara, the latest in a string of attacks to shake the country. The blast struck a convoy of military vehicles, said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, confirming the latest toll. It was unclear who had carried out the bombing. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed retaliation against the perpetrators of the attack, which came on the heels of a spate of deadly strikes in Turkey blamed on jihadists and also Kurdish rebels. The military said the air force had launched new strikes on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq hours after the bombing. The air strikes late Wednesday on the Haftanin area of northern Iraq close to the Turkish border, a known PKK stronghold, targeted a group of 60-70 fighters including top leaders of the outlawed group, it added. Reports Thursday said Turkish authorities suspect the deadly car bombing was carried out by a Syrian national who entered Turkey with refugees and had links to Kurdish fighters. Police have identified the bomber as a Syrian named Salih Necar from fingerprints taken from refugees who crossed the border to escape the five-year war in Syria, the strongly pro-government Yeni Safak and anti-government Sozcu daily said. The reports said he was killed in the explosion, without specifying if he had acted as a suicide bomber. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Wednesday it was not clear who had carried out the attack but promised the culprits would be found quickly. The car bomb detonated when a convoy of military buses carrying dozens of soldiers stopped at traffic lights in central Ankara, sparking panic and chaos. "This attack has very clearly targeted our esteemed nation as a whole and was carried out in a vile, dishonourable, treacherous and insidious way," said Kurtulmus. Plumes of smoke could be seen from all over the city rising from the scene, close to the headquarters of the Turkish military and the parliament. Story continues The powerful blast was heard throughout Ankara, sending alarmed residents rushing to their balconies. "I saw a huge fireball growing," 25-year-old witness Gurkan, who said he was standing 500 metres (yards) from the scene, told AFP. "People started to run in all directions in panic as soon as we heard a strong explosion." The army said the attack took place at 1631 GMT and had targeted "service vehicles carrying army personnel". - 'Rightful struggle against terrorists' - Without specifying what the retaliation could entail, Erdogan warned that "Turkey will not shy away from using its right to self-defence at any time, any place or any occasion". "We will never take a step back in our rightful struggle against all terrorist organisations," said a statement from his office. The bombing prompted Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to scrap a planned trip to Brussels on Thursday to discuss Europe's migrant crisis. Erdogan also shelved a trip to Azerbaijan. In Ankara, ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene and wounded victims were seen being taken away on stretchers. Images showed firefighters trying to overcome a fierce blaze engulfing the gutted service buses. Turkish police threw a security cordon around the area. A second blast later rocked the area, an AFP correspondent said, but officials said this was police detonating a suspicious package. Washington in a statement strongly condemned "the terrorist attack on Turkish military personnel and civilians" and reaffirmed US solidarity with the key NATO partner. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance strongly condemned the bombing. "NATO Allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism," he said. The EU pledged to stand "with Turkey and its people in these difficult times". - IS, Kurdish threats - Also on Wednesday an explosion damaged a Turkish cultural centre in a Stockholm suburb, police there said, highlighting growing tensions with the local Kurdish community. Police said no one had been injured in the blast, which took place around 09:30 pm (2030 GMT) in the southwestern Fittja neighbourhood, where a man was shot four days ago at a pro-Kurdish rally. Ankara was already on alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists, the bloodiest attack in the country's modern history. Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on January 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Turkey's biggest city, Istanbul. Those attacks were blamed on Islamic State jihadists, as were two other deadly bombings in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the year. Some 500 rebels crossed the Turkish border into Syria on Wednesday under the supervision of Turkish authorities to help insurgent groups battling Kurdish forces around the town of Azaz, monitoring group the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority. Turkish artillery shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in a row on Wednesday in an escalating standoff, reports said. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) are merely the Syrian branch of the PKK and themselves terror groups. The banned ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation PartyFront (DHKP-C) has also staged a string of usually small-scale attacks in Istanbul over the last few months. Buenos Aires (AFP) - Protesters blocked major roads in Argentina on Wednesday in demonstrations calling for the release of a detained civil rights group leader. Traffic chaos broke out when the main roads into the capital Buenos Aires were blocked by vehicles in support of the leftist campaigner Milagro Salas. Police diverted traffic around the roadblocks. They did not intervene to disperse the protesters. Demonstrators mounted similar blockades on other roads around the country. Salas, the 51-year-old leader of the Tupac Amaru indigenous rights movement, was jailed in January on public disorder charges over a street demonstration in her northern province of Jujuy. Her political opponents allied to Argentina's new conservative government later brought further charges of drug-trafficking and of fraud related to her campaign's social welfare projects. Salas is a member of the parliamentary assembly of the regional political bloc Mercosur which unites several South American countries. Her supporters say that makes her exempt from prosecution. Deputies from that assembly on Wednesday filed a complaint against the prosecutor and judge handling Salas's case, branding her detention "illegitimate and unconstitutional." Her supporters have also referred the case to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission. Pope Francis, currently on a visit to Mexico, sent Salas a rosary as a gesture of support, a church official said on Monday. Demonstrators have been camped out for several weeks near the presidential palace in Buenos Aires calling for Salas's release. Its morning again in America - or is it? A new television ad released by Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubios campaign staff claims Its morning again in America but appears to open with a shot of Vancouver, British Columbia. Its fast and subtle, but clear to anyone familliar with the waterfront citys distinctive skyline and Harbour Centre Lookout Tower. While some Republicans, specifically Donald Trump, wage a war of words on fellow White House candidate Ted Cruz for having been born in Canada, Rubios campaign told Buzzfeed the opening shot was not meant as a subtle jab. We hadnt noticed that, a Rubio spokesman told Buzzfeed. We are not going to make Canada an issue in this election. The opening three seconds of the spot contain footage from Vancouver-based videographer Guy Chavasse. He told the CBC he works as a freelancer and posts stock photos and videos online for others to use. Its pretty funny, isnt it? he said. Its a good-looking video, no doubt, but its pretty recognizable as Vancouver. Chavasse said hes not a Rubio supporter, or any Republican contender, but, Its always cool to see your stuff being used. SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's Okay Airways has signed a commitment for 12 Boeing 737 jets worth $1.3 billion at list prices, as the privately owned carrier looks to expand its fleet to tap the mainland's growing air travel market. The order includes 11 737 Max jets, the upgraded version of Boeing's narrowbody aircraft line. The deal was signed at the Singapore Airshow. The agreement also includes options for another eight 737 Max planes, Boeing said in a statement. The order is not part of the deal that Boeing signed with China last year to supply 300 aircraft worth $38 billion at list prices, Wang Shusheng, the company's chairman, told reporters on Wednesday. Okay Airways, China's first privately owned airline, currently has a fleet of 18 aircraft, and expects to grow the fleet to 80 by 2020. Wang also said the airline was looking into purchasing wide-body aircraft, which would account for about 30 percent of the total capacity by 2020, to accommodate longer routes in future. The company said it would make a decision on the wide-body aircraft later this year. "Next we would like to use wide-body aircraft to fly to destinations that exempt visa requirement for the Chinese," said Wang. Wang said his airline would soon start flying to Osaka, and is in discussion with authorities on opening new routes to popular tourist destinations in Japan. (Reporting by Fathin Ungku and Rujun Shen; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co is evaluating all legal options after losing a challenge to the U.S. Air Force's decision to award a new $80 billion-plus bomber contract to Northrop Grumman Corp , people familiar with the company's thinking said on Tuesday. The company is likely to decide within days or weeks at the latest on its next steps, one of those people said. The U.S. Government Accountability Office said on Tuesday that it rejected a protest from Boeing, which had challenged the initial $21.4 billion contract awarded to Northrop on the basis that the Air Force's evaluation of the bid was flawed. Boeing has until Feb. 22 to file what would amount to a second protest of the contract related to the failure of a senior Air Force acquisition official to report that his wife had a retirement account with Northrop, people with knowledge of the process said. Air Force officials say Richard Lombardi, the official, has been removed from acquisition duties but say there was no conflict of interest since he was not part of the team that picked Northrop to build the new bomber. Boeing's lawyers contacted the GAO about Lombardi's failure to disclose his wife's retirement account on Friday, a day after it was reported but stopped short of filing a protest, the sources said. Boeing could file such a protest or ask the GAO to reconsider its overall decision, the sources familiar with the matter said. It could also file a lawsuit. A protest could result in a stop-work order preventing Northrop from proceeding with the program. Northrop has said it looks forward to resuming work on the new warplanes, which will replace the aging fleet of B-1 and B-52 bombers. The contract win reestablished Northrop as one of the Pentagon's big prime contractors for U.S. warplanes. The GAO has said the details of its decision and Boeing's challenge were classified and covered by the terms of a protective order. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) beau biden AP In 2007, shortly after vice-president Joe Biden learned that his eldest son would be deployed to Iraq, the then-presidential hopeful turned to a modest crowd at the Iowa state fair and admitted that he didnt want Beau to go. But I tell you what, he said, his family lined up behind him. I dont want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years and so how we leave makes a big difference. Beau arrived in Iraq the following year. He spent the next several months serving as a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer at Camp Victory, just outside of the Baghdad airport, and Joint Base Balad, nearly 40 miles north of Baghdad. Though he returned home safely in September 2009, he woke up one day a few months later with an inexplicable headache, numbness in his limbs and paralysis on one side of his body. Beau had suffered a mild stroke. His health deteriorated, and he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Less than two years later, he died at the age of 46. Though the underlying cause of Beaus cancer cannot be confirmed, evidence gathered in a new book out Tuesday suggests a possible link between his illness and service. obama biden AP Based on clusters of similar cases, scientific studies and expert opinions, author Joseph Hickman proposes in The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of Americas Soldiers that US service members in Iraq and Afghanistan confronted more than one unexpected enemy that followed them home. Many soldiers complain of respiratory issues relating to their burn pit exposure. But others likely developed more life-threatening conditions such as cancers, Hickman contends, because of what the burn pits were built on top of: the remnants of Saddam Husseins chemical weapons program. RAW Embed From the moment the US launched its campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon ordered the use of open-air burn pits to dispose of the wars massive volume of waste. The military relied heavily upon these sprawling ditches, which burned around the clock to consume the tens or even hundreds of tons of junk generated daily. Story continues By May 2003, according to Hickman, there were more than 250 burn pits at US bases peppered across the two nations. The Department of Defense has long recognized that burn pits pose a substantial danger, especially to the environment. Waste management guidance in 1978, for instance, said that solid waste should not be burned in an open pit if an alternative is available, like incinerators. But the department charged ahead anyway and hired contractors like Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR) to manage the pits. And up until 2009, the military didnt have comprehensive standards in place governing what could or could not be burned. Centcom and the Department of Defense did not respond to a request for comment regarding the standards or lack thereof. burn pit AP Ill never forget the smell of burning s***, said Marcus Hill, a retired US army sergeant who served in Balad between 2004 and 2007. But that was the least of his concerns. Among the other hazardous items service members recall being burned are: petroleum, oil, rubber, tires, plastic, styrofoam, batteries, appliances, electrical equipment, pesticides, aerosol cans, oil, explosives, casings, medical waste and animal and human carcasses. They also used jet fuel to stoke the fire. These materials converged in a toxic plume that hovered over the base, and seeped into soldiers sleeping and working quarters, which were often a mile or less away. Sometimes the smoke was so dense that you could breath it in and back out again, kind of like smoking a cigar, said Hill. But for Hill and many others, the hazy cocktail didnt initially register as a threat. After being blown up a couple of times, you didnt complain about stuff like that. It wasnt a big deal, he said. It was part of our mission and we were told not to worry about it. burn pit iraq us marine troops AP Hickman conducted a statistical study on a select sample of the thousands of military members who said they were experiencing health effects from their exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the help of Seton Hall Law Center, he found that five of the six bases that saw the worst health cases, such as cancers and untreatable bronchial illnesses, were located on or near documented chemical warfare sites, where chemical weapons were left over from Saddam Husseins rule. Those locations include Mosul, Taji, Tikrit, Tallil and Balad, where Beau spent some time serving. And of the 112 service members and contractors Hickman found who served at both Camp Victory and Joint Base Balad like Beau, 31 suffered from different forms of cancers and brain tumors. Between 2004 and 2011, the New York Times CJ Chivers first reported in 2014, American and American-trained Iraqi troops encountered and were wounded by some of the thousands of chemical weapons sprinkled across the country. Retired army Lt Col Rick Lamberth oversaw the building of US military bases in Iraq, many of which were placed on top of destroyed Iraqi bases. I witnessed burn pit violations on a weekly basis, he testified before Congress in 2009. At the limited number of bases where KBR operated burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, KBR personnel did so safely and effectively at the direction and under the control of the US military, KBR said in a statement. Government studies and reports show that military personnel deployed to south-west Asia were exposed to many hazardous conditions, including the harsh ambient air. The governments best scientific and expert opinions have repeatedly concluded there is no link between any long term health issues and burn pit emissions. us army burn pit AP Ralph Allen, a retired professor of chemistry at the University of Virginia, disagrees. It is a real concern about what they were burning, he said. But what was even more concerning is the fact it is possible that a heavy bombardment of a chemical weapons facility could have contaminated the ground, and those contaminants could have become airborne while the burn pits were operational. Detonation, either inadvertent or purposeful, might not even be necessary to release the toxin. In my experience, anything that is stored for a long time eventually gets into the environment, said Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, an independent toxicologist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Once toxins are released into the environment, she argues, they eventually find their way into peoples bodies whether they are carcinogens relentlessly spewed from burn pits or chemical agents released from weapons. In 2004, Dr Anthony Szema returned from summer vacation to find a surprising scene in his waiting room. Instead of it being full of 80-year-old white men in wheelchairs with oxygen, it was full of young women and men of all ethnicities, all wearing uniforms and all saying that they [were] short of breath, he said. They had recently come from Iraq and each wanted to be treated quickly to return to the fight. Szema prescribed the young soldiers asthma medication. When most of the patients conditions did not improve, he conducted a series of tests and concluded that they had sustained lung injuries stemming from their service. anesthesia army medicine AP He recalls taking a lung biopsy of a patient who, like Beau, had served in Balad and discovered that the specimen was covered with titanium and iron in a non-naturally occurring ratio, meaning it came from a man-made source. Now the director of a center focused on deployment health at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Szema is analyzing more service members lung tissue to determine the metal particles oxidation state if it has been burnt or not. That, he says, will settle whether burn pits are directly contributing to soldiers illness or whether it was the product of other explosions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that burned waste, even in a small pit in ones own backyard, releases harmful toxins that contribute to a slew of illnesses. Dioxins, which the EPA says can come from metal smelting, are capable of altering the development of cells and causing cancer. When Rosie Torress husband Le Roy went to the VA complaining of respiratory issues, it was dismissed as anxiety. He eventually sought the care of Dr Robert Miller of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who determined Le Roy had constrictive bronchiolitis, a rare, non-reversible and life-threatening lung disorder. The VA does not acknowledge a link between burn pits and long-term health problems, nor does it provide specialized care, says Torres. And of the 500 people included in Hickmans burn pit study, the VA denied disability benefits to over 90% of them. Torres started an organization to promote awareness of burn pit-related illnesses, BurnPits 360. Veterans Affairs AP I think that there is a general concern that this is a costly problem, Miller says of the governments investigation and handling of sick veterans. I think that has limited how aggressive the Department of Defense wants to be in pursuing this issue. The VA and Department of Defense are working together to provide veterans with the best possible care, a VA spokesman said. The VA provides healthcare for deployment-related issues at no cost for at least five years after deployment. This allows the VA to provide care for Veterans while we work to determine individual service connection for their health condition. Following years of fighting for recognition and care, Congress passed legislation in 2012 setting up an Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry so the VA could track people like Le Roy. The registry currently has 59,000 entries, according the VA. So much more research needs to be done, Hickman says of the USs toxic legacy and hidden casualties. Hopefully the registry will shed some light on how many service members got sick in the years to come. RAW Embed NOW WATCH: Americas $241 million flying gas station just got one step closer to the skies See Also: By Anthony Boadle and Marta Nogueira BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Brazilian government expects to reach an agreement by Friday with Samarco Mineracao SA to settle a 20 billion-real ($4.9 billion) lawsuit for damages in a deadly dam disaster, Brazil's attorney general Luis Inacio Adams said on Wednesday. If that deal is signed by next week, Samarco, shut since the Nov. 5 accident, could resume mining operations later this year, Adams said. Samarco [SAMNE.UL] is a 50-50 iron ore joint venture between Brazil's Vale SA and Australia's BHP Billiton Ltd "The companies and state governments tell me that the environmental issues can be resolved quickly if the agreement is signed this month, in which case it is quite possible that the company can resume operations this year," Adams said. Brazil sued Samarco after a dam at its mine in Brazil's Minas Gerais state burst, creating a tsunami of mud and waste that killed at least 17 people. The wave flooded hundreds of kilometers of river valleys in two states and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean. The government considers the tragedy Brazil's biggest environmental disaster. If an accord is reached by Friday, the agreement should be signed in the presence of President Dilma Rousseff and the state governors next week or by the end of the month, the attorney general's press office said on Wednesday. Marilene Ramos, head of Brazil's environmental protection agency IBAMA, confirmed that the formal signing of the accord would happen before the end of the month. Ramos sees a Samarco accord as the first step in ensuring the public that damage will be repaired or compensated and that the company will make sufficient changes to allow it to resume mining and put laid-off employees back to work. The proposed deal with Samarco, which will have the financial guarantee of Vale and BHP, will create a foundation to manage recovery, restoration and compensation funds and manage the long-term repair of environmental damage, Ramos said. Ramos added, though, that Samarco's initial efforts to write a long-term environmental recovery plan, which were rejected by IBAMA on Jan. 28, will have to improve. "We're still waiting for immediate measures, with a bigger and more effective scope, to fight the sediments that are in the rivers and reduce the intense cloudiness of the rivers," she said. Samarco plans to file a revised recovery plan later on Wednesday, the company said in an e-mailed response to questions. "It is a robust plan to re-establish environmental quality in the affected area," the statement said, citing Mary de Souza Junior, a Samarco director of projects. (Writing and additional reporting by Jeb Blount; Editing by Grant McCool, Alistair Bell and Marguerita Choy) By Paulo Prada RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's Health Ministry said on Wednesday that most of the 508 confirmed cases of microcephaly reported in the country are likely related to the ongoing outbreak of Zika virus, and called its previous count too conservative. Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry reported a total of 4,443 suspected and confirmed cases of the rare defect, up from 4,314 a week earlier. It did not, however, update its total of 41 cases in which it said that microcephaly had been linked by laboratory tests to Zika infections. Microcephaly is marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Brazil is investigating a surge in the number of cases across the country in conjunction with the outbreak of Zika, but it has not yet been proven that the virus can cause microcephaly. To clarify, the ministry said in an e-mailed statement that the government would cease to update the confirmed number of linked cases because "the Health Ministry considers that there were Zika virus infections in most of the mothers whose babies have been diagnosed" with the condition. The previous counts, the ministry said, "did not adequately represent the number of cases observed." Of the total reported on Wednesday, Brazil said 508 cases of microcephaly have been confirmed, while 3,935 were still being investigated. Very few of the microcephaly cases can be attributed to causes other than Zika, after extensive analyses and testing, the health ministry said. Zika has proven to be extremely difficult to diagnosis. The virus still confounds blood tests and scientists have been tracking Zika with genetic tests and clinical symptoms. Zika has now spread to more than 30 countries and has led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. (Reporting by Paulo Prada; Additional reporting by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Toni Reinhold) Sao Paulo (AFP) - Protestors clashed in Sao Paulo on Wednesday after authorities suspended a hearing where Brazilian ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had been due to testify over fraud allegations. About 1,000 demonstrators, divided between supporters and opponents of the leftwing leader, scuffled outside the court in Brazil's biggest city before police intervened with swinging truncheons and tear gas. Brazilian television footage showed several demonstrators falling to the ground and being repeatedly clubbed by officers. Lula, 70, is a divisive figure in Brazil, where he was president from 2003 through 2010. Supporters hail him as a historic politician who used Brazil's commodities-driven boom to lift millions out of severe poverty. However, his popularity has fallen since the country's slide into recession under his hand-picked successor Dilma Rousseff and the emergence of a huge corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras. Prosecutors had been set to question him over allegations that he and his wife hid ownership of a luxury seaside flat. Shortly before, the National Prosecutors Council ordered the hearing suspended. Lula has faced questioning in the matter before and has not been charged. But this would have been the first time he appeared as a suspect for what is classified as money laundering through hiding of assets. The Council said the suspension was ordered after a member of Lula's Workers' Party questioned the impartiality of the prosecutor in the case, Cassio Conserino. The prosecutor has drawn fire for saying in the Brazilian media that there were grounds for criminal charges, even though the evidence gathering stage was incomplete. At the heart of the case Wednesday is a luxury triplex apartment in the resort city of Guaruja in Sao Paulo state. The property is registered to OAS, a firm linked to the Petrobras scandal, but allegedly belongs really to Lula. The apartment also allegedly underwent a $200,000 remodeling paid for by OAS. Authorities have said that apartments in the development had been used by OAS as bribes. Supporters hope Lula will come back in 2018 after Rousseff steps down at the end of her second term. But with the Workers' Party discredited by the Petrobras scandal and Rousseff herself facing impeachment on unrelated allegations, the apartment allegations are a major risk for Brazil's left. Once-bloodied implements abound, from body-chopping cleavers and bone-fragment casts to eye-piercing binoculars. Evidence left behind at the crime scenes of horrific murders and assaults against women line the aisles. This isnt for the faint of heart (under-16s are advised to steer clear), but for those who can stomach it, the displays are a lesson in British history through the countrys most notorious criminals and the ones who brought them down. The art of solving crime is one civilians often take for granted, but the Museum of Londons new Crime Museum Uncovered exhibit brings to light all that goes into keeping the streets safe. Police tape and a cop car adorn the entrance, while decades worth of real-life criminal files and the evidence that goes with them are curated for display. The exhibit runs through April, but the cases, which have served as training materials for Scotland Yard investigators, date back to 1875. Entry is $15. Caricatures of Jack the Ripper suspects and victims set an early tone. Policing in London was once the realm of private citizens, some salaried officials and thief takers. But all that changed with the 1829 Metropolitan Police Act and its establishment of a 3,000-strong force behind Home Secretary Robert Peel. The men, known as bobbies or peelers, helped professionalize law enforcement in the British capital. The original Crime Museum was set up at Scotland Yard four decades later as an organized home for the growing piles of prisoners property left uncollected as they headed to jail or the gallows. Caricatures of Jack the Ripper suspects and victims set an early tone, followed by a gallery of six execution ropes the eerily well-preserved twine harks back to capital punishments heyday. Visitors can glimpse the weapons wielded by the East Ends Kray twins, as well as the Monopoly money and ketchup bottle that were left, along with fingerprints, at Leatherslade Farm by the Great Train Robbers. Another notable display is the gun used in an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria in June 1840. The crime gallery, meanwhile, features 24 cases, all dating before 1975, a cutoff date chosen to ensure families arent hurt by seeing loved ones victimization. Story continues An entire video section is dedicated to a debate on whether its appropriate to put such items on display. Erin Mitchell of St. Petersburg, Florida, who visited in November, says she didnt find it overly graphic. Rather, descriptions of the crimes were factual. The museum aims to boost appreciation for the forgotten victims of such infamous crimes, along with the increasing professionalization of police work over the last century and a half. From comparing ear prints one case was tried based on a burglars ear print on a windowpane to dredging canals and sifting through mounds of rubbish, the displays reflect what British coppers face in their ongoing fight to uncover the truth. Related Articles Paris (AFP) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Wednesday that Britain's exit from the European Union would be "a shock" for Europe but that members could not pick and choose rules that suit them. "We believe and we hope" that a deal is possible to keep Britain in the EU, Valls told France's parliament. "Because the departure of Britain would signify ... a shock for Europe, but more importantly a shock to the way the world sees Europe, which is already in crisis." A summit of all 28 EU leaders will take place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, at which British Prime Minister David Cameron hopes to win backing for a package of reforms to his country's relationship with the bloc. Cameron says the reforms are necessary to convince Britons to vote to stay in the EU in a referendum that could take place as soon as June. Valls said France would be "particularly vigilant" on the issues of free movement of EU citizens, and relations between countries in the eurozone and others. "Europe should be a place of solidarity between states and we cannot choose 'a la carte' based on what suits us," Valls said. "Europe is a whole that we can adapt, but we can't rework it only according to our particular interests, otherwise a line is crossed." By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - China will hold its first-ever exercise with Cambodia's navy next week, in swift succession to a visit by the military vessels of Beijing's old enemy Japan, the latest sign of China's growing presence in a region where maritime tension is rising. Three warships carrying 737 Chinese sailors will dock on Monday at a port in Preah Sihanouk province, just over a day after the scheduled departure of three vessels of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force now holding cultural exchanges with Cambodian navy personnel. While attention focuses on China's activities in the East and South China Seas, Beijing has been busy strengthening defense and economic ties with Cambodia, from which it is increasing receiving political support, particularly within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping. The visit by the warships come amid regional jitters over China's deployment of surface-to-air missiles to a disputed South China Sea island it controls, which Beijing said on Wednesday were "necessary self-defense facilities". The Chinese navy will conduct a rescue exercise for just a few hours, close to where the Japanese are now docked. "This will be a big cooperation and joint exercise training in rescue operations," Cambodia's deputy navy chief, Vice Admiral Vann Bunneang, told Reuters. "This is to boost readiness for when boats sink and natural disasters occur." China jointly runs a military academy in Cambodia and has been supplying its armed forces with helicopters, shoulder-fired rockets and vehicles, while sending cadets to China for training. Analysts say the United States is concerned about Cambodia becoming a vassal state that could do Beijing's regional bidding in the consensus-led ASEAN, a notion Phnom Penh rejects. Washington has sought to keep Cambodia onside with its own military exercises, despite friction over the country's poor human rights record. In November it held a sixth search and rescue drill involving 200 U.S. and 300 Cambodian sailors. Asked about China's exercises, the Japanese embassy in Cambodia said in a statement it would not comment on the activities of a third country. Visits by Japanese and Chinese ships showed competition for influence and Cambodia should be cautious in managing its future ties, said Ou Virak of the Future Forum think tank. "The question is actually how to deal with this when Japan wants a piece of influence, while China tries to do as much as they can, both financially and militarily," he said. "We need to be very careful, we need to balance relationships with all of them and eventually, we need to be self-reliant." (Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez) Christine Bray, 36, of Northern Virginia, is happy to call herself a cancer survivor. Six years ago, at 30, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since then, she's been through myriad treatments including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She's seen her cancer apparently resolve only to spread beyond her ovaries to her liver and lymph nodes. At one point, her survival goal was just living to spend another day with her husband and their two little girls. Bray's search eventually took her to the Eastern Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia, part of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, or CTCA, where she underwent more treatment including a new chemotherapy regimen. During treatment, she worked with a host of care providers, from a nutrition specialist to a massage therapist, to help manage side effects. Bray also had advanced genomic testing done, which identified a targeted therapy for the tumor's gene mutation. She was given a drug called everolimus, which she continues to take. Since then, the cancer has not recurred. Now Bray returns for checkups alone. Longer Survival When patients learn they have cancer, they should consider two important statistics, says Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The first one, actually, is that over two-thirds of people who are diagnosed with cancer today will live at least five years," Richardson says. "And as of January 2014, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute estimate there are about 14 million people who've been diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. It's not the death sentence that people used to think -- and some people still think that. But it isn't what it used to be." Change in Approach In his 30-plus years as a physician, Dr. Maurie Markman, president of medicine and science for CTCA, has seen vast and positive changes in cancer survivorship. Early in his career, he says, there wasn't the luxury of looking down the road at long-term health issues that could arise from the cancer itself or the therapies to quash it. "One didn't think about that as much, when we're just focusing on getting patients through the treatment: 'Let's make sure the tumor's getting smaller. Let's push as hard as we can with as high a dose as we can.'" Story continues That philosophy has changed, Markman says: "But wait a minute. This patient has an increasingly high chance of living. And if five years from now that person's going to develop heart failure from the therapy, we've got to think differently. The focus [is now] on not only the next six months or the next three months, and getting the patient through the treatment -- but also, what is the impact on their life?" Rehabilitation after surgery, for example, and limb-sparing procedures for removing malignant bone tumors in the leg, say, are becoming increasingly relevant as more and more patients are going back to work and resuming their lives after cancer, Markman says. Fertility preservation is a big issue for younger patients, he adds, as they go on and want to build families. Meaning of Survival Survival has more than one meaning. A traditional definition, called disease-specific survival, refers to people being alive five years after their diagnosis. But cancer advocates now consider survivorship as part of a continuum -- from the moment people learn they have cancer, throughout treatment and beyond. The notion of a lifelong identity as a cancer survivor is not for everyone. You don't hear about "broken-leg survivors," after all. "There are those who strongly reject the words 'survivorship' and 'survivor,'" Markman says. "'I don't want to be considered a survivor. I just want to get on with my life.'" Yet for others, the term "survivor" is a good thing," says Catherine Alfano, vice president of survivorship of the American Cancer Society. "It gives them hope. It makes them feel like they're part of something bigger." Today, survivorship is not just a matter of identity but a growing realm of health care. It involves extra surveillance for secondary cancers, Alfano says. It's also a matter of monitoring for side effects of cancer treatments that unfortunately are toxic to body systems as well as tumors. Follow-up now means looking after peoples' mental and physical health, whether they're continuing to live with a manageable cancer or in absence of any signs of recurrence. "The wonderful thing about people surviving longer and longer after cancer is that many, many people now are not going to die of their cancer," Alfano says. Unfortunately, however, that also means among women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, more will eventually die of heart disease, related to their treatment or other risk factors. Certain types of chemotherapy and chest-wall radiation can affect the cardiovascular system and increase heart-disease risk, Alfano says. In addition, cancer and heart disease share some risk factors, she says, making it even more important for patients to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise and weight-loss programs may be part of comprehensive survivor care. More Work to Be Done For all the strides that have been made to treat survivors in a comprehensive fashion, ongoing medical care needs to increasingly focus on lingering side effects of cancer survival and treatment, including persistent fatigue, chemo brain and mental health problems like depression, Alfano says. Physical concerns include bone changes that place people at risk for osteoporosis; or changes in the endocrine system that put people at risk for diabetes or worsen diabetes they already had. It's important to create a better system of coordinated care for people who carry a cancer history, Alfano says, to link them to all the specialties they might need, including mental health services and physical, occupational and speech-language therapy. To address that, the American Cancer Society has worked with national clinical experts to develop survivorship care guidelines for specific types of cancer. Follow-up in Adulthood "Children with cancer have always had the more standardized follow-up," Richardson says. Adults need that too, she says, to keep from falling through the cracks once treatment is done. "One of the things we've been working on here at the CDC is survivorship plans that would be sent to the primary care doctor and given to the person with cancer so they can know what happened and what to do moving forward." Richardson points to adult cancer survivorship programs, like that at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, as a sign of progress in the movement to support patients and keep them as well as possible in their post-treatment lives. Speaking of Cancer Some cancer survivors prefer to keep health issues private, and that's their choice. But speaking out, at least to family members, can provide a real health benefit, Markman says, because of the hereditary and genetic component to cancer. "We actually can do something about it," he says. "Breast cancer and ovarian cancers are wonderful examples of that." Genetic testing, for instance, to identify whether someone carries the BRCA gene, which is tied to breast and ovarian cancer, can inform decisions on both treatment and preventive care for patients, their siblings and the family's next generation. More Than a Statistic Upon learning she had cancer, Bray says, "My first thought, obviously, was 'I'm going to die.'" Six years later, she's able to say, "I'm feeling wonderful. I've not felt this good since before I was diagnosed." The only difference, she says, is that her mind is not quite as sharp as it was -- although her speech sounds crisp and confident. "But hey, that's a very small price to pay," she says. "I can do everything I did before." Foremost, she says, is being with her daughters. "They are just growing up so fast," she says. "I'm so privileged to be with them and play with them." Bray's advice to others diagnosed with cancer is a lesson she says she learned the hard way, as she sought opinions from across the country. "You're not a statistic," she says. "And I think, looking back, that I hoped not to be a statistic. I'm not a statistic; I am a person. Every person is different; every person's journey is different." Lisa Esposito is a Patient Advice reporter at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at lesposito@usnews.com. Cartel Land has been honored with a George Polk Award for documentary film. The prize is meant to honor reporters who advanced vital national conversations with their masterful investigative reporting. The Oscar-nominated doc, directed by Matthew Heineman and executive produced by Kathyn Bigelow, focuses on the Mexican drug war, specifically two vigilante groups, one on either side of the border. Heineman recently received a DGA Award for documentary filmmaking, and he also nabbed a directing honor for U.S. documentary and a special jury award for cinematography for U.S. documentary at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where Cartel Land had its world premiere. See More: 'Cartel Land' Trailer Paris (AFP) - A bronze cast of Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture "The Kiss" sold for 2.2 million euros ($2.4 million) to an American collector at an auction in Paris on Tuesday. Auction house Binoche et Giquello said the 85-centimetre model, produced in 1927, had beaten pre-sale estimates and set a record for a model made after the French sculptor's death. Four other works also went under the hammer from the collection of Jean de Ruaz, all of which were featured in a 1946 exhibition of Rodin's most admired bronzes. The American collector, who bid by phone, also bought another cast of a Rodin statue called "Eternal Spring" for almost 700,000 euros ($780,000). The three other bronzes were also sold for more than double their estimates. All were made by Eugene Rudier, son of Alexis Rudier, who was Rodin's favourite caster. "The Kiss" is Rodin's most famous sculpture, which has been cast 27 times since he first created it in 1885. The 1.8 metre (six foot) high white marble version is in the Musee Rodin in Paris. BEIJING (Reuters) - China will adjust deposit rates for its housing provident fund to ensure reasonable gains for depositors, the central bank said on Wednesday. With effect from Feb. 21, the central bank will use the one-year deposit rate of 1.5 percent to replace the lower rates for deposits of less than one year, the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its website. The housing provident fund is a government-designed saving plan that allows Chinese workers and their employers pay a part of their monthly wages into the fund to finance future home purchases. (Reporting by China monitoring team, Xiaoyi Shao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged Australia on Wednesday to take into account the feelings of Asian countries as Sydney contemplates buying a fleet of submarines from Japan in a deal worth as much as A$40 billion ($29 billion). In some of his strongest remarks on the possible deal, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Australia should consider the context of Japan's role in the Second World War in developing its military relationship with Tokyo. Wang made the remarks to journalists during a joint briefing with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. "We hope that in military cooperation with Japan, Australia will take into full account this historical context and take into consideration also the feelings of Asian countries because of that history," Wang said. "We hope that Australia will take concrete actions to support the peaceful development of Japan and Japan's efforts to uphold its pacifist constitution and not the opposite." Australia will pick the design for a new fleet of submarines this year. Japan, which is offering a variant of its 4,000 ton Soryu submarine, is up against rival bids from Germany and France. Washington is encouraging closer security cooperation between Japan and Australia as it looks to its Pacific allies to shoulder a bigger security role, with China's rise altering the balance of power in the region. Tension between Asia's two largest economies has risen over what China sees as Japan's failure to properly atone for its wartime past, as well as a long-standing territorial dispute in the East China Sea. Bishop arrived in Beijing on Tuesday after visiting Tokyo. Australia is seeking to deepen economic ties with China, its largest trading partner. Bishop said Japan was only one of the possible partners and a "comprehensive evaluation process" of a submarine deal would assess if it met Australia's capability and technological requirements. "That is what will drive the competitive evaluation process that is currently underway," she added. Asked about Wang's comments on taking into consideration the feelings of the people of Asia before embarking upon military cooperation with Japan, Bishop said Australia had "moved on". She added, "In terms of the historical context, Australia has moved on. We moved on many years ago, in relation to both Germany and Japan, and the submarine competitive evaluation process will be focused on capability." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Writing by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Clarence Fernandez) BEIJING (Reuters) - Reports that China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea have been created by certain Western media, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi also told reporters he hoped Western media would pay more attention to the lighthouses China is building in the region. Taiwan and U.S. officials told Reuters and other media outlets on Wednesday that China had deployed the missile system. At the same news conference, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who is visiting China, urged restraint in the region and called on all sides to settle disputes peacefully, adding that Australia does not take sides on South China Sea claims. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its claims. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Writing by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Chinese military has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of its contested islands in the South China Sea, Fox News reported on Tuesday, citing civilian satellite imagery. The images, from ImageSat International, show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, according to Fox News. Woody Island is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely." The report comes as U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California. At a news conference following the summit, Obama said he and the Southeast Asian leaders discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea, and they agreed that any territorial disputes there should be resolved peacefully and through legal means. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracel chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at countering efforts by China, Vietnam and Taiwan to limit freedom of navigation. China condemned the U.S. action as provocative. The missiles arrived at Woody Island over the past week, Fox News said. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on Feb. 3, but the missiles were visible by Feb. 14, it reported. A U.S. official confirmed the accuracy of the photos, Fox News said. The official said the imagery viewed appears to show the HQ-9 air defense system, which has a range of 125 miles (200 km) and would pose a threat to any airplanes, civilian or military, flying close by, according to Fox News. Over the weekend, The Diplomat magazine reported that China was building a helicopter base at Duncan Island in the Paracel chain. A State Department spokeswoman responded to the Diplomat report by calling on all claimants to the islands to halt construction and militarization of outposts. (Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air-missile system to one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea, a move sure to ratchet up tensions in the region and have an impact on Washingtons relationship with Beijing. On Tuesday, Fox News reported that Imagesat International satellite imagery showed that China had deployed HQ-9 SAMs to Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island archipelago, possibly on or around Feb. 14. Related: The $800 Million Weapon the US Wants to Send to South Korea Analysts say the HQ-9 is similar to the U.S. Patriot missile and Russias S-300 system, which Moscow soon plans to deliver to Iran. China controls the Paracel chain, but Taiwan and Vietnam also claim it. A number of countries in the region, including Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are likewise embroiled in disputes over islands and their surrounding waters. The deployment occurred at the same time President Obama was hosting leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a summit in Sunnylands, Calif. One of the biggest topics on the agenda, besides the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, was disputes in the South China Sea. Related: Russias Weapons Sale to Iran Shifts the Balance of Mideast Power Obama pressed for a "halt to reclamation, new construction and militarization" of Asia's oceans during a press conference marking the end of the summit on Tuesday. The remark was an indirect reference to China's construction of airstrips and ports in the Spratly Islands that could have military uses. Satellite images suggest that Beijing has sent at least four HQ-9 systems to Woody Island. Each is capable of carrying eight missiles, which U.S. officials estimate have a range of up to 125 miles, making them a serious threat to any airplanes flying nearby. News of the deployment somewhat mirrors a move China made in 2011 when Beijing conducted the first test flight of its stealth fighter just hours before then-U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sat down with the countrys president. The test upstaged Gatess visit and threatened to derail relations between the worlds two largest economies. Story continues Related: Stealth Wars: China Rolls Out a New J-20, Another Knockoff Fighter However, the latest incident appears much more deliberate: The HQ-9 deployment was to the same island chain where a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. Chinese officials vowed consequences for the action. This might be it. White House and Defense Department officials no doubt will huddle in the days ahead to sort out how best to respond to the missile defense systems deployment. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain (R-AZ) said the U.S. should consider additional options to raise the costs on Beijing's behavior. Declarations that we remain committed to what amounts to an ever-changing status quo and conducting occasional freedom of navigation operations are inadequate, he said in a statement. The day-to-day system management that is required to actually shape Beijing's actions will mean adopting policies with a level of risk that we have been unwilling to consider up to this point. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia, seen as a key test case for the impacts of a Zika outbreak, is reconsidering its own forecast of babies likely to be born with a rare birth defect linked to the mosquito-borne virus, indicating that it may be too high. In an interview, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria suggested the Andean nation may revise downward its projection of 500 to 600 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, as the condition, marked by an abnormally small head, has not yet shown up in fetal ultrasounds. That forecast would represent a fivefold spike in the number of Colombian microcephaly cases seen on average each year. "We're doubting that figure. We're analyzing what's happening in Brazil, but between when we released the estimate and now we haven't found a single case of microcephaly," Gaviria said. "The extrapolation of Brazil's figures to Colombia, which is how we got the projection, now doesn't seem reasonable." Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. An outbreak of the virus was first detected in Brazil early last year and is now spreading rapidly through the Americas. Brazil has so far been the only country to report a spike in cases of the birth defect, with more than 4,400 reported cases, of which more than 500 have been confirmed as microcephaly. Most of the cases have been seen in two states in Brazil's northeast, raising the question of whether Zikas spread will lead to more microcephaly elsewhere. Zika arrived in Colombia in October, and the country has reported 31,555 cases, over 5,000 of them in pregnant women. If the virus does cause microcephaly, women who were infected then and were early in their pregnancies could begin to see signs of the deformity via ultrasound. But it may take several more weeks, or months, as signs of microcephaly may only be detected very late in pregnancy, experts say. "Colombia is going to tell us a lot if this link between Zika and microcephaly is really associated. At the moment it is only in Brazil," Dr. Marcos Espinal, director of the department of communicable disease at the Pan American Health Organization, the regional arm of the World Health Organization, said at an event on Wednesday. "If Zika is really the cause of microcephaly, we should expect to see microcephaly cases in Colombia in June," Espinal said. Colombia in the past has reported a relatively higher incidence of microcephaly, relative to its population, than Brazil, suggesting there may have been under-reporting in the larger country, Gaviria said. The Zika virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis. The ministry expects around 60 cases of the syndrome monthly, an increase of 50 percent, Gaviria said. Three deaths from Guillain-Barre have been linked to Zika in Colombia. One patient tested positive for the virus, while the other two were diagnosed by doctors but did not have their cases confirmed by a lab, he said. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta; Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Helen Murphy, G Crosse and Leslie Adler) Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's national police chief resigned on Wednesday, caught up in a male prostitution scandal that has also seen the country's deputy interior minister quit his post. The latest resignation came a day after prosecutors launched a probe into allegations that police officials ran a male prostitution network from 2004 to 2008. Police chief Rodolfo Palomino, 58, who is accused of creating the ring, made a public appearance with his wife and children in which he said he was resigning "in the absolute and full certainty that I am not guilty of any of the charges against me." "Faced with the known facts... I have made the decision with my family and with the police generals to ask the president to remove me from my post," he said, drawing applause from supporters. Prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday they were investigating Palomino over the "creation and running of an alleged male prostitution network known in the media as 'The Fellowship of the Ring.'" A video broadcast by Colombian media supposedly shows deputy interior minister Carlos Ferro in 2008, when he was a senator, discussing male prostitutes. Ferro, 53, resigned on Tuesday over that video, sources close to the case told AFP. The state prosecution service is headed by Alejandro Ordonez, a conservative political opponent of President Juan Manuel Santos. Businessman Donald Trump has lost his national lead over the Republican presidential field, slipping behind Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday. In the poll, Cruz claims % support, edging out Trump's 26%. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida sits in third place with 17% support. He's followed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 11%, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 10% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 4%. Last month, Trump led Cruz 33% to 20% in the poll. That survey was conducted before Cruz narrowly defeated Trump in the Iowa caucuses and Trump bounced back to a resounding victory in the New Hampshire primary. The new survey is the first indication that Trump may have sustained serious damage as a result of his performance in last weekend's Republican debate in South Carolina, where he aggressively attacked former President George W. Bush over 9/11 and the Iraq War. The poll was conducted between Sunday and Tuesday, entirely after the debate. Read more: Winners and Losers at the GOP Debate in South Carolina Some analysts predicted that Trump's anti-Bush broadsides would undercut his support in South Carolina, whose Republican primary is Saturday and where many GOP voters are military veterans. But the four latest polls of Palmetto State Republicans all conducted after the debate show Trump with an average lead of 17.5 percentage points over Cruz, who barely beats Rubio for second place. Your grain of salt: That's worth keeping in mind when weighing the new national numbers. Indeed, there's ample reason to view the NBC/WSJ survey with a healthy dose of skepticism. In two other national surveys released Wednesday conducted partially after the debate Trump led the GOP field by 15 and 20 percentage points. If the NBC/WSJ poll is the leading edge of a new trend, not an outlier, then Trump has seen a drastic plunge in national support since the weekend, despite surveys showing him unscathed in the state where pundits speculated he would be most harmed. What's more, the poll includes a higher sampling of "very conservative" voters, a Cruz stronghold, than the previous NBC/WSJ survey did. Re-weighting the poll to reflect last month's sample would give Trump a 26% to 25% edge over Cruz, according to an NBC News release. Even if Cruz is indeed barreling ahead, his national surge may prove short-lived. Not only is Trump the odds-on favorite to win South Carolina on Tuesday, but Cruz is at real risk of falling into third place behind Rubio. In the RealClearPolitics average, the Texan garners 16.8% support to Rubio's 16.5% and those numbers don't reflect any bounce Rubio may get from the endorsement on Wednesday of Gov. Nikki Haley, whose support was much coveted. Should Cruz come out of the first Southern primary with only a silver medal despite a heavily conservative, evangelical electorate that should prove fertile for him his campaign could be in real trouble. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating a cyber attack that has crippled the electronic database at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center for days, forcing doctors at the Los Angeles hospital to rely on telephones and fax machines to relay patient information. The origin of the computer network intrusion was unknown but since it began late last week has bogged down communications between physicians and medical staff newly dependent on paper records and doctors' notoriously messy handwriting, doctors and a Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman said on Tuesday. "It's right there on paper, but it may not be legible," Dr. Rangasamy Ramanathan, a neonatal-perinatal specialist affiliated with the 434-bed facility, said. "The only problem is doctors' writing." Although the cyber attack has snarled the hospital's patient database, doctors have managed to relay necessary medical records the old-fashioned way through phone lines and fax machines, Ramanathan said. The FBI is seeking to pinpoint hackers responsible for the intrusion, FBI spokeswoman Ari Dekofsky said. She declined to release further details. Allen Stefanek, the hospital's president and CEO, told Los Angeles television station KNBC-TV the hospital declared an internal emergency on Friday, after encountering significant information technology problems due to the hack. A spokeswoman for the hospital could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Beirut (AFP) - A senior aide to President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday accused the UN's Syria envoy of deviating from his mission by focusing on aid deliveries. Envoy Staffan de Mistura angered officials in Damascus on Tuesday when he said it was the government's "duty" to ensure aid access and that deliveries on Wednesday would be a test for the government. "His mission now is to establish a list of terrorist groups, and a list of opposition groups who should dialogue with the Syrian government," Buthaina Shaaban told AFP by telephone. "Instead of that he was working on humanitarian aid, which is not really his mission because he is a facilitator. He should take care of what he is apt to do." Shaaban also criticised De Mistura for not making it clear that the Syrian regime has cooperated in previous UN aid deliveries. "We have a schedule, we are cooperating with the UN all the way along," she said. "We will not hesitate to ensure that aid reaches every Syrian citizen." Miami (AFP) - The captain of the doomed El Faro asked his bosses if he could change his route the day before the US cargo ship sank near the Bahamas, it has emerged. The ship's owners TOTE Maritime shed responsibility, telling US Coast Guard investigators Tuesday that Michael Davidson did not need to ask permission before taking a slower route. El Faro sank when it was caught by Hurricane Joaquin on October 1, killing its entire crew of 33 people, mostly Americans and five Poles. The ship, in operation for four decades and measuring 790 feet (240 meters) long, was transporting several hundred shipping containers and automobiles from Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The families of 10 sailors who died in the tragedy accepted a settlement of $500,000 each, while families of the remaining victims have filed complaints with TOTE Maritime. But the captain's message to change route was no more than a courtesy, as management does not make such decisions, TOTE vice president of marine operations Phil Morrell told the coast guard investigators. "He does not need permission to ask, he only has to advise us if he's making a change of course. It's more or less a one-way conversation," Morrell said. Morrell insisted the ship's route was the captain's "total responsibility," adding that such changes in trajectory, which cause a delay in deliveries, were common for cargo ships. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board found the ship's wreckage some 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) below the ocean surface, but it was missing the black box that could have provided more information about the accident. What Were Following: The Aftermath of Hospital Bombings Russia has denied allegations by Turkey that its airstrikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad struck three hospitals and a school in northern Syria yesterday, killing at least 50 people. The Syrian government placed the blame on U.S. airstrikes, a claim the Pentagon rejected. The area where the strikes occurred is held by anti-Assad rebel groups, and has been the target of a Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian military in recent months. A Constitutional Confrontation: The Obama administration is preparing to name a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia in the next few weeks, but that candidate may not even get a voteSenate leadership has declared that the task of filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court should fall to the next president. So, whats it going to be? A centrist choice who has previously won Republican support and thus would be difficult for GOP senators to oppose, or a more liberal pick that would add diversity to the high court and energize the Democratic base? Recommended: Why America Is Moving Left A Diplomats Death: Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Egyptian diplomat and former United Nations secretary-general, died at the age of 93. Boutros-Ghali took over the UNs top position in the days following the end of the Cold War, and his tenure was marred by the failed international efforts to stop the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides and the fighting in Somalia. He was the first African and Arab to hold the job. Snapshot The statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., gets its annual spring cleaning on April 12, 1995. See more historic photos of the memorial here. (Denis Paquin / AP) Quoted They have to beg and plead and buy coffee for colleagues a million times before anyone associates their expertise with their name. Kate Clancy, an anthropology professor, on her female scientist peers Theres whole books now on visualizing your life by writing your obituary. I just think thats weird. Heather Lende, an obituarist in rural Alaska Story continues Absolutely not. We wont let our guys vote. a conservative consultant on whether the Senate would confirm President Obamas Supreme Court nominee Evening Read Ann Neumann on what dying looks like in Americas prisons: Compassion is a complicated thing. Its an emotion, both abstract and concrete, shown both in our broad support for groups or issues and in the care that we give those around us. Its easier to care for people when you trust them, but also when you know you have power over them. When you know they need you. Trust or safety, then, can alter our levels of compassion. I felt guilty for not having more compassion for Moore, a prisoner I met at Mohawk, who later wrote to me, and I didnt know if it was because of him or because of where I met him. I didnt want him to be in pain. I didnt want him to be treated unfairly. But I didnt want anything to do with him, either. That, I realized, was the line that prison medical staff people had to draw. News Quiz 1. The United States has allowed American commercial flights to __________ for the first time in almost 60 years. Recommended: 'Broad City' and the Triumph of the Platonic Rom-Com (See answer or scroll to the bottom.) 2. Turns out __________ noise can help people achieve deeper sleep than white noise. (See answer or scroll to the bottom.) 3. Roger Goodell, the NFLs commissioner, made __________ in 2014, a scandal-plagued year. (See answer or scroll to the bottom.) Reader Response When did you become an adult? This reader was 17 when she was left alone and tasked with caring for her sister: The situation was terrible to begin with because she was in a psychiatric ward and you had to be 18+ to come during visiting hours, so they needed to schedule time separately during the day for me to see her. Im in a room with the doctor and a man Ive never seen before. He introduced himself as Mike and that he was assigned as my social worker. Perplexed, I asked why Ive been assigned a social worker. He tells me that the Division of Youth and Family Services is investigating my father for child abandonment. Everything that happened that week changed me forever. Life was no longer was about me; it was about my younger sister; it was about my sick mother; it was about my surroundings. I sat through meetings with councilors and doctors, with people telling me that the way I was raised was not normal, that the abuse was not acceptable. I knew I was an adult at that moment because I remember being sad for a little bitbut I remember trying to keep everything together so my sister could come home. I remember sneaking in Sour Patch Kids and a cell phone so we could communicate. I remember trying to make a plan. I remember bouncing back and moving onand I think that makes someone an adult. Read her story here. Verbs Russian vodka exports plummeted, real Bernie bro interviewed, Vancouver mistaken, history of hams told. Answers: cuba, pink, $34 million Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Ankara (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there was no question of Turkish forces stopping their bombardment of Syrian Kurdish fighters, vowing not allow the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria. Turkish Firtina howitzers stationed in Turkey's southern region of Kilis shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in the row, in response to incoming fire, reports said. "They (the West) tell us to stop shelling" the Kurdish fighters in Syria, Erdogan said in a televised speech. "Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing. Whoever fires shells on Turkey will get not just a tit-for-tat response but an even greater one," he added. "We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border" with Syria, Erdogan added, referring to the mountain in northern Iraq which for years has been stronghold of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. Western countries including the United States and France have urged Turkey to stop the firing, fearing it will endanger an already beleaguered deal, agreed in Munich last week, for a cessation of hostilities. After calm in the morning, the Turkish howitzers renewed firing on positions of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from 1445 GMT, the Dogan news agency reported. Erdogan meanwhile stepped up a war of words with the United States, which supports the PYD and YPG as the best fighting force on the ground against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. "The fact that the United States is continuing to support the YPG is something I find hard to understand," said Erdogan. "Aren't we NATO allies?" he said, addressing Washington. "Are you our friend or the friend of the PYD?" "We know that we need friends. But if you don't see us as friends then please say it loud and clear." Washington recognises the PKK as a terror group but not the PYD and YPG. Story continues State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States urged Turkey to cease artillery fire across the border. "We just think it escalates tensions in the region." - 'Patience limit reached' - Turkey fears the Syrian Kurds want to carve out a continuous autonomous region in northern Syria stretching from the Iraqi border almost to the Mediterranean. Ankara is concerned the Kurds will now take a so-called "corridor" east of the town of Azaz on the Turkish border still in control of rebels to link up two Kurdish-held areas. "We will not hesitate to take the necessary steps against all terror organisations in Syria," said Erdogan. "If someone is trying to test the limits of Turkey's patience then they should know this limit has been reached." Turkey has long pressed for a safe area backed by a no fly zone in this region extending several kilometres into the border to ensure its security and house Syrian refugees. "We want to form a 10-kilometre (six-mile) safe line inside Syria, including Azaz," Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber television in an interview. But the idea has never found much enthusiasm from the United States, a failure which Erdogan said had allowed Russia to seize the military initiative. "Hey America! You did not want the no-fly zone and now the Russian planes are bombing the area and thousands of people are dying," he added. A senior Turkish official said Tuesday that Turkey was in favour of a ground operation in Syria to end the fighting, but only in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. But Erdogan said: "We are not in search of an adventure and we are not seeking to throw someone else into an adventure." By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Better driving, improved roads and measures such as more rational loading of freight can lower the environmental impact of trucks, European industry leaders said on Tuesday, as they pushed back against EU regulation to curb emissions. Erik Jonnaert, secretary general of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), said he accepted the need for emissions targets. But he said the industry supported market forces and "an integrated approach". As only around 10 percent of the European vehicle fleet is new, it is crucial to focus on the older 90 percent, he told reporters in Brussels. He also said there was a danger of a "proliferation of targets" and Europe had gone from being one of the most profitable vehicle-manufacturing regions in 2007 to the least profitable by 2012, partly because of tougher environmental standards. The EU has agreed to a limit on how much carbon dioxide cars can emit of 95 grams per kilometer by 2021. It was only agreed after lengthy argument and extra concessions to satisfy Germany, home to luxury car manufacturers such as BMW and Daimler. Environmentalists are now pushing for tougher standards by 2025 and at least four EU governments - Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden - also called last year for the European Commission to publish challenging new targets for 2025. The industry is suggesting alternative approaches and ACEA commissioning research by Belgian consultancy Transport & Mobility Leuven on reducing CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles in Europe. Compared with a "new vehicle only" approach, the integrated approach, including measures such as driver training, has the potential to double the annual CO2 reduction rate from trucks, to up to 3.5 percent, ACEA said. It commissioned a separate study by FTI Consulting that found EU environmental standards would add 16 percent to average car manufacturing costs in Europe by 2020 and that they could not be passed on to consumers. ACEA's proposals on Tuesday drew criticism from environmental campaigners, who favor specific emissions targets for all kinds of vehicles and said ACEA was shifting the emphasis from the need to invest in fuel-efficient engines. The campaign group Transport and Environment quoted research published this week by another consultancy, Ricardo, which showed an integrated approach was inadequate and a new 2025 target for cars and fuel efficiency technology for trucks would have far more impact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Volkswagen emissions scandal is primarily about nitrogen oxide, but the company has also admitted it understated carbon dioxide levels, prompting the European Commission to demand details from VW and from all 28 member states. (This story corrects paragraph seven to show consultancy is Belgian, not Dutch) (Editing by Adrian Croft) By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Kanupriya Kapoor JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has drawn up plans for tougher anti-terrorism laws following last month's militant attack on the capital, including detention without trial for up to three months compared with a week now, government sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The proposals are likely to draw fire from human rights activists, who have warned against jeopardizing hard-won freedoms over nearly two decades since the end of authoritarian president Suharto's rule. However, officials anticipate little opposition in parliament to the legislation, which would not be as strict as counter-terrorism laws passed in recent years by neighbors Australia and Malaysia. President Joko Widodo's government moved quickly to reform the country's 2003 anti-terrorism law after Jan. 14, when four men attacked Jakarta's business district with guns and explosives. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault, in which the militants and four others died. Details of the overhaul have been kept confidential, but two government sources with direct knowledge of the draft law said it would broaden the definition of terrorism and make it easier to both arrest and detain suspects. The sources declined to be named because the legislation, which could be passed within the next few months, is still under consideration by parliament, where Widodo enjoys strong cross-party support. "The new definition of terrorism includes the possession, distribution and trade of any weapons ... or potential material that can be used as weapons for terrorism acts," said one. EVIDENCE IN COURT The maximum period allowed for detention without trial will be lifted to 90 days and for preventive detention to 120 days, both from a current limit of one week. The law will also allow authorities to target anyone who recruits members for, or cooperates with a militant group, and to use electronic communications, intelligence reports and financial transactions as evidence in court against suspects. Indonesians who have joined militant training or participated in terrorist acts in a foreign country will be stripped of their citizenship. Security officials say about 500 Indonesians have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the radical group Islamic State and they estimate that about one in five of these has returned, although most did not see frontline combat. Over the past two months, Indonesian counter-terrorism forces have arrested dozens of men suspected of plotting attacks on government targets and major landmarks, and last week seven men were jailed for being sympathizers of Islamic State. But police have long complained that even when they are aware of radical activities, they are unable to detain known militants unless they threaten or actually carry out an attack. The new law will allow the arrest of people merely "if they assemble to discuss terrorist and radical acts". The International Commission of Jurists last month urged the government not to undermine the process of justice by making it easier for authorities to arrest people irrespective of whether there is sufficient evidence of criminal activity. OTHERS ARE MORE STRICT Elsewhere in the region, counter-terrorism measures have been more far-reaching. Malaysia last April reintroduced a law under which individuals can be detained without trial for up to two years with two-year extensions thereafter. Australia has in recent years passed measures banning its citizens from returning from conflict zones in Syria and the Middle East, while making it easier to monitor domestic communications. Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims and the vast majority of its 250 million people practise a moderate form of Islam. However, the Southeast Asian country saw a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people. Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but officials have grown increasingly concerned about a resurgence inspired by Islamic State and officials say homegrown radicals are regrouping. Security experts say one problem is that high-security prisons have become breeding grounds for militants, with radical clerics being able to preach and communicate with followers from behind bars. The government sources said one of the legislative changes proposed involves segregating prisoners convicted of terrorism from other inmates to minimize radicalization in prisons. Terrorism convicts will also be separated into three categories: masterminds or those involved in planning attacks, those involved in executing plans, and followers. (Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by John Chalmers and Mike Collett-White) By Jonathan Allen (Reuters) - The wife and mother of two men whose imprisonment in January precipitated a 41-day standoff at an Oregon wildlife refuge told Reuters on Thursday she hopes the peaceful outcome will spur further activism to curb the reach of the federal government. Speaking exclusively to Reuters, Susan Hammond, who did not participate in the standoff, said that she hoped the attention brought by the occupation would galvanize Americans to pursue legal avenues for weakening federal government control of millions of acres of land. "I don't think it's over. I think it's just beginning," she said in a telephone interview. "We have hopes that possibly this will be the beginning of a change in the overreach of federal government, but it's only the beginning." The takeover at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2 was sparked by the return to prison of Hammond's husband and son, two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge. Dwight Hammond Jr., 74, and his son, Steve Hammond, 47, are serving the remainder of their sentences in federal prison. The occupation of the Oregon wildlife refuge was led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy as a protest against federal control over public land in the West. The men are the sons of Cliven Bundy, who staged an armed protest over a federal land dispute in Nevada in 2014. Both Bundy sons were arrested in late January and Cliven Bundy, who counseled his sons by phone, was arrested at the Portland airport on Wednesday. Members of the Hammond family hold differing views on the Bundys methods, Susan Hammond said. Hammond said she did not know the Bundy family well, but had met Ammon Bundy on more than one occasion. She suggested that the Bundys were being targeted by the government and expressed her support in the wake of Cliven Bundys arrest. "I cannot imagine why they would pick up an old man at the airport and charge him with something like that, Hammond said. "It's just piling on of government bureaucracy onto the Bundy family. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Shelby Sebens in Portland, Oregon; Editing by Sara Catania, Dan Whitcomb and Lisa Shumaker) Damascus (AFP) - Trucks carrying aid entered four besieged towns in Syria, in what the United Nations described as a test for the country's warring sides ahead of a hoped-for ceasefire. The Red Crescent said trucks laden with supplies entered Moadimayet al-Sham, near Damascus, the first delivery of aid since world powers agreed on an ambitious plan to cease hostilities by Friday and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access. The agency's Muhannad al-Asadi told AFP that 35 trucks entered the town, "carrying 8,800 sacks of flour, 4,400 food parcels, high-energy foods and medical equipment". An AFP journalist said three trucks also entered Madaya, a town besieged by Syrian forces in Damascus province. And the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said aid trucks had reached the Shiite towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, in northwestern Idlib province, which are surrounded by rebels. "Dozens of trucks will follow" for Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya, he said. "We are about the finish the process." He said that aid dispatched Wednesday to towns, including Zabadani, under government-imposed siege in Damascus province, was enough for 93,000 people. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under siege, according to the UN. Prospects for the ceasefire -- announced by top diplomats in Munich last week -- have been fading as violence continues to shake Syria, including air strikes on hospitals and repeated Turkish shelling of Kurdish militia. - 'Duty' to allow aid - UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said aid deliveries would provide a "test" for Syria's warring sides ahead of Friday's planned truce. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person, wherever they are, and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," he said in Damascus. A senior aide to President Bashar al-Assad accused the envoy of deviating from his role as a mediator. Story continues "His mission now is to establish a list of terrorist groups, and a list of opposition groups who should dialogue with the Syrian government," Buthaina Shaaban told AFP. "Instead of that he was working on humanitarian aid, which is not really his mission because he is a facilitator." Diplomats have been pressing the ceasefire deal as a step forward in efforts to end Syria's nearly five-year conflict, which has left more than 260,000 people dead, devastated the country and forced millions from their homes. A major international push to resolve the conflict, including Western and Arab nations that have largely backed Syria's opposition and Assad's key supporters Russia and Iran, was launched last year. But peace talks between the regime and opposition in Geneva quickly collapsed this month and a major regime offensive, backed by Russian air strikes, has continued in northern Aleppo province. A US military spokesman said on Wednesday that Russian and Syrian regime raids may be intensifying. Air strikes on five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria earlier this week killed at least 50 people, the UN said. One hit a hospital supported by charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), prompting widespread condemnation. - Ankara bomb kills 28 - Further complicating peace efforts, Turkey has been shelling a Kurdish-led militia in northern Syria, which it says is allied with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged an insurgency on its soil for decades. A car bomb Wednesday in Ankara killed at least 28 people and wounded 61 more, but no group claimed responsibility for the blast. Turkey has blamed the PKK and the Islamic State group for previous bomb attacks. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Turkey would never accept the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria, saying there was "no question" of Ankara ending its shelling. Hundreds of rebels Wednesday crossed the Turkish border heading for the flashpoint Syrian town of Azaz, where opposition groups have suffered setbacks against Kurdish forces, said monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "At least 500 rebels have crossed the Bab al-Salama border crossing on their way to Azaz, from which they want to help the insurgents in the face of gains made by Kurdish forces in the north of the province," head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Israel also targeted regime forces with three air strikes south of Damascus on Wednesday evening, the Observatory said. Turkey has called for foreign ground forces to deploy in Syria, part of a longstanding push by the NATO member for a more robust response to the conflict in its neighbour. By Sebastien Malo NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Humanitarian aid has reached the embattled city center of Taiz in Yemen for the first time in months, the United Nations said on Tuesday, following negotiations to allow supplies into the area described as being on the brink of famine. A convoy of trucks carried blankets, mattresses and emergency supplies for 1,000 families living in an isolated enclave in Yemen's third largest city who have been cut off amid months of fighting, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees said. Taiz, a city of more than 200,000 people that is considered Yemen's cultural capital, has been hard-hit in the fighting in which local militias and forces loyal to a Saudi-backed government ousted by Houthi rebels last March are seeking to fight their way back to the capital Sanaa. The U.N.'s World Food Programme said on Monday that Taiz governorate, where Taiz city is located, was on the brink of famine. Three weeks of negotiating with warring parties allowed for UNHCR's convoy to enter Taiz, said Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR's representative in Yemen, who led the distribution mission. "I saw with my own eyes when we distributed the blankets and the mattresses and the buckets that the people had been waiting for months and were extremely happy, but also I saw in their faces how much this was needed," Van Der Klaauw told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview from Yemen. He said the aid deliveries to Taiz must continue. "The conditions here are deteriorating," he said. In recent days, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization and the WFP also have scrambled to deliver supplies ranging from oil and sugar to trauma kits to the newly accessible city. Four in five residents of Yemen, or 21.2 million people, currently require some form of humanitarian protection or assistance as a result of the nearly one-year old civil war, according to the United Nations. Since mid-March, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Iran-allied Houthi group in the Arabian Peninsula nation, with hundreds of air strikes. Around 6,000 people have been killed in the conflict, about half of them civilians. (Reporting by Sebastien Malo, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The successful delivery of food aid to thousands of people uprooted by Boko Haram violence in Chad and cut off from help since November may reflect improving security in the West African nation, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) recently delivered food to 5,000 people who had been forced to flee their homes by conflict at five sites north of Lake Chad border town Baga Sola. But the threat of Boko Haram militants and the difficulty in reaching some areas, partly because of the lack of roads, are hindering efforts to reach tens of thousands more people. "It has been a challenge to push the government to let us get to where we need to go, even with the necessary military escorts," said Stephen Tull, Chad coordinator for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Yet I believe access was granted here as the military grew in confidence that it was gaining control of the area". More than 100,000 people are uprooted in Chad because of the violence in the Lake Chad region of militant group Boko Haram, OCHA said. A regional offensive by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon last year drove Boko Haram from much of the territory it held in northern Nigeria, undermining its six-year campaign to carve out an Islamist caliphate. But the militants have since struck back with a renewed wave of deadly raids and suicide bombings in the lawless Lake Chad area where the borders of the four West African countries meet. The violence has disrupted livelihoods including fishing and farming, hit cross-border trade and markets and left one in seven people in the country without enough to eat. "People have been really scraping the barrel to survive... some said that they have been surviving only on maize for weeks," said WFP Chad country director Mary-Ellen McGroarty. The WFP is working to reach 17 more sites in the area north of Baga Sola which have not received any aid, and provide food for some 35,000 displaced people by the end of the month. "There are no roads so reaching these sites means a 300 kilometer (190 mile) round trip in the sand. We would like to move quicker but the challenges are enormous," McGroarty added. Because it is focusing on providing aid to the newly displaced, the WFP cannot get enough aid to those who have been uprooted for longer, regional director Denise Brown said. "A lack of funding is forcing us to make tough choices... it is a balancing act," said Brown. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) BERLIN (Reuters) - Four in ten German economists believe the record number of migrants coming to the country are a drag on the economy, while only 23 percent view them as beneficial, a poll to be published on Thursday showed. The other 37 percent were undecided, according to the poll of 220 professors of economics by the Munich-based Ifo institute for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. Some 1.1 million migrants entered Germany last year, straining Chancellor Angela Merkel's right-left coalition government and overwhelming many local authorities. A majority of the new arrivals are from war-torn countries including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and most lack the German language skills and qualifications needed to find work. Each unemployed refugee costs Germany 12,000 euros ($13,370) a year, government figures show, and only about 8 percent find work in the year after their arrival. Studies published in late 2015 by Deutsche Bank and the German Institute for Economic Research predicted that, if they were integrated into the job market, the refugees would benefit the economy About 45 percent of the economists polled by Ifo said the government should take new debt to pay for the integration of refugees, while 36 percent advocated raising taxes. The government will spend last year's entire budget surplus of 12 billion euros on accommodating and integrating the refugees and has ruled out raising taxes to cover the costs. ($1 = 0.8977 euros) (Writing by Joseph Nasr; editing by John Stonestreet) PARIS (Reuters) - French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said on Wednesday she would take over the presidency of U.N. climate talks, seeking to implement a global deal reached last year to shift away from fossil fuels, after former foreign minister Laurent Fabius quit. Royal said she had accepted a request from French President Francois Hollande to serve out the U.N. presidency, lasting until the next annual meeting of 195 nations on global warming in Marrakech in Morocco in November. Fabius, who won praise for chairing a Paris summit in December where all nations agreed to curb their greenhouse gas emissions to limit rising temperatures, left the foreign ministry last week to head France's constitutional court. Royal told iTele television that she would work to ensure that all countries "ratify the agreement, sign this agreement, implement the decisions in their domestic policies to permit a fight against global warming". U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host a meeting in New York on April 22 opening the Paris Agreement for signatures, a step toward formal ratification. On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama's climate envoy, Todd Stern, said Washington would sign the Paris pact regardless of a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week to put a chunk of Obama's environmental action on hold. In Geneva, Hoesung Lee, the head of the U.N.'s panel of climate scientists, said the Paris Agreement was an important landmark but said there was no time to lose in implementing it. "The longer we delay action, the cost of climate stabilization will rise dramatically," he said. The panel says rising temperatures are already causing more downpours, heat waves and rising sea levels. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier in Paris and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Alister Doyle; Editing by Mark Heinrich) PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed hopes on Wednesday of striking a deal to keep Britain in the European Union at a summit of the bloc's leaders on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. But, speaking to French lawmakers, he repeated that Paris would insist that any deal does not affect the functioning of the euro zone and of Europe's single market. "Is a deal possible? We think so and we hope so, because a British exit would be a shock whose consequences for Europe are hard to imagine," Valls said. "It is in Europe's interest, in France's interest, in Britain's interest, for it to stay in the EU." Proposals drafted by summit chairman Donald Tusk should pave the way for a solution that works for everyone, Valls said, while adding that there was still work to be done. He said that "the euro zone cannot be deprived of the possibility to integrate more closely, because it needs to do so." Another key point for France in the talks is to ensure the unity of Europe's single market, and in particular for financial services, as well as freedom of movement within the bloc, Valls said. British Prime Minister David Cameron will discuss a final draft, expected from Tusk late on Wednesday, when he meets the other 27 EU leaders on Thursday evening. Key issues unresolved include: concerns in eastern Europe that a deal to help Cameron cut immigration by barring low-paid EU migrant workers from British benefits will hurt their citizens; French insistence the City of London match euro zone regulation; efforts to ensure British exemptions from closer EU integration do not become more widespread. (Reporting by Simon Carraud; Writing by Ingrid Melander, editing by Alister Doyle) By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia on Wednesday plans to execute a former sailor convicted of killing a crewmate and, with the help of another sailor, dismembering the body and burying it. Travis Hittson, 45, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. EST at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson in what would be the nation's second execution this week and the seventh of the year. He received the death penalty for the April 1992 murder of 20-year-old Conway Utterbeck during a weekend leave from the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier. Hittson shot Utterbeck following a night of drinking while on a trip to central Georgia to visit the parents of a third sailor on the ship, Edward Vollmer, according to court records. I had no emotion or nothing on my face, I know I didnt," Hittson later told police in his confession to the killing, according to court records. He shot Utterbeck point blank in the forehead, then went out to eat at a nearby Waffle House. Afterwards, Hittson and Vollmer dismembered his body, using a kitchen steak knife and a hacksaw, according to court records. They buried Utterbeck's torso in a shallow grave in the woods. The men put his severed hands, head, and feet in the trunk of Vollmers car and returned to the ship based in Pensacola, Florida on Monday morning. After getting off work that day, they discarded his remaining body parts in the Florida Panhandle, records said. The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Hittson's request to stay the execution. His lawyers also unsuccessfully appealed to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute his sentence to life without parole, a sentence not available during his 1993 trial. The state board denied his request late Tuesday. After reviewing Hittson's case, the parole board decided on Wednesday to take the stiffest action possible against Vollmer. Vollmer told Hittson that Utterbeck was plotting to kill the two of them, according to court records. But there was no evidence that Utterbeck intended to harm them. Hittson later described Vollmer as "very paranoid." Story continues Vollmer made a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to life in prison, with eligibility for parole. He had been denied parole last year, and his next review was set for 2020. However, the state panel on Wednesday reconsidered his case and pushed his next review to 2024, the longest period possible. (Editing by Letitia Stein, Jeffrey Benkoe and Chris Reese) A version of this story first appeared in the Feb. 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. With the 2016 presidential race heating up, HBO Documentary Films is backing a feature that will tackle one of the most most important issues for voters: campaign finance reform. Alexandra Pelosi, a four-time Emmy nominee, is directing, producing and doing the cinematography for the untitled film, which HBO will debut in the fall. Theres no exact air date yet, but the network is eyeing a September slot for the film, which would coincide with the final stretch of the presidential election in November. HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins is executive producing, while Lisa Heller will serve as the film's senior producer. Read More: Berlin: HBO Europe to Produce Original Drama Series for Scandinavia Nevins told The Hollywood Reporter that she doesn't think the film will influence the outcome of the election, despite its prime timing. "By then everybodys made up their minds," she says. "I think it will simply be a revelation to what it costs to be president. And it really is astounding." Pelosi hails from political royalty as the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful Democrats on the national political scene. But the documentarian, who began shooting footage for the film in November 2014, is no stranger to crossing party lines. She previously chronicled the 2000 presidential race for the documentary Journeys With George, which chronicled George W. Bushs bid for the White House. Pelosi teamed with HBO on that film, which was released in 2002, as well. Read More: HBO's Sheila Nevins on a 'Jinx' Follow-Up, Netflix and Plans for a Black Lives Matter Film Campaign finance reform is considered a bipartisan issue, with presidential candidates from both parties, notably Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump accusing their opponents of raising money from Wall Street. More money is pouring into campaigns than at any time in American history.As a result, there has been an increasing call for the elimination of corporate influence in politics and super-PACs. Story continues The role of money in politics is an increasingly paramount issue to Americans. According to a January Pew Research Center poll, 42 percent of adults rate it as a top priority for the president and Congress, up from 28 percent in 2012. Nevins says the film is bipartisan as well. "It doesnt take shots at either party. Its an exploration of the issue," she added. "I think its more a reality check on the American politics. Its so interesting because you look back in history, Teddy Roosevelt had to be in the back of a chug-a-lug to solicit votes. Now you have these $10,000 a plate dinners." By Sarah Young, James Davey and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Declaring "I'm a eurosceptic" may not be an obvious way to persuade Britons to stay in the European Union but as the leader of the 'In' campaign businessman Stuart Rose believes it is this pragmatism that will help him win the day. Tasked with combating the sound and fury of the 'out' campaign, Rose is putting his faith in the quiet common sense of the British people - statistics over sentiment, economics over emotion. He says his ability to connect with ordinary people, developed during his more than 40 years at the top of British retail, should go some way towards keeping Britain in the bloc in a referendum expected in June. Much is at stake for Britain, the world's fifth largest economy, and the European project itself. But Rose's approach comes with risks and has drawn parallels with the 2014 campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom, which initially struggled to counter the passion of those wanting independence before clinching a last minute victory. It is also a rather staid message for someone as exuberant as the 66-year-old Rose, who speaks so quickly he appears to be in a perpetual rush. "At the end of the day I think heads will rule over hearts," he told Reuters. "There is more chance of me being hit by a meteorite than there is of us getting a better deal than the one we've already got," he said, rejecting the vision of those who believe a British exit, or Brexit, would set Britain free. Prime Minister David Cameron has called on big business to support his bid to keep Britain in a reformed EU, and Rose is one of many to throw their weight behind the prime minister. But where the voice of business helped keep Britain in the bloc last time it held an EU referendum in 1975, Rose could be held partly responsible if it votes to leave this time. That would leave a scar on the reputation of one of Britain's leading retailers who has run some of the biggest names on the high street - most famously the much-loved institution Marks & Spencer between 2004 and 2010. Rose, who is not being paid for the campaign role, was credited with successfully defending M&S from a takeover bid in 2004 by tycoon Philip Green, a battle so heated that the two men wrestled on a London street. MOOD OF THE NATION An immaculately dressed showman who used to wheel out racks of clothes during shareholder meetings and wow an adoring mostly mature female audience with his salesman patter, Rose puts his success down to an ability to read the mood of the nation. He says the Britons he sold underwear to are more savvy than the press or politicians realise, boosting his confidence that they will stick with what they know and not vote for some promised-land depicted by the 'out' campaign. Rose, now chairman of online grocer Ocado, says as a natural eurosceptic he is best placed to argue that, on balance, it is better to stay in. Sugar-coating the message, he says, would not wash with a public conditioned by a largely eurosceptic media. "I've traded with Europe all my life," he said. "If I was to say 'it's all bloody wonderful, they're all lovely, they all love us, there's no bureaucracy, there's no gerrymandering ... that would be complete rubbish. It has a strange DNA and it works." But the strategy is not without risk. Andrew Hawkins, founder of polling firm Comres, said while the EU was a "really hard positive sell", the argument that Britain could not cut it alone was too negative. Rose, Hawkins said, needs to strike a positive note against a motivated, if split, 'leave' campaign that says Britain needs to break free from the shackles of a German-run superstate. "Voters respond to a sunny optimistic future," he said. A London-based multi-millionaire known for sometimes speaking before he thinks may not be the ideal figure to take on an opposition casting the EU as the voice of a global elite. Rose's failure to remember the name of his own campaign on television in January did not help. Former colleagues and fellow CEOs praise Rose's enthusiasm and ability to mobilise crowds. They also say he is a man who enjoys the spotlight. "There'll be a bit of Stuart Rose who needs to be in the limelight in this," said one, asking not to be named. TOUGH QUESTIONS One of the hardest challenges Rose will face is in finding an answer to the charge that EU membership leads to unlimited immigration, driving down wages for workers and straining the fabric of British life. While Rose, whose mother and father were both immigrants, acknowledges that high levels of immigration put a strain on public services, he says migrant labour is needed to work in the country's factories, fields and restaurants. For every difficult question, Rose and the In campaign have an inbuilt advantage over their rivals. If Cameron agrees new terms of membership, he will lead the case for Britain to stay. And if Rose, who prefers to spend weekends at a cottage in Suffolk, eastern England than at a showy second home on the continent, needs further backup, he can call on his friends from boardrooms across the country. While the deep recession damaged the standing of many executives in the eyes of ordinary Britons, the experience from Scotland showed that warnings from CEOs can make an impact. Firms from GlaxoSmithKline to BP and Standard Life have warned Britons of the consequences should they vote to leave the EU. And if Scotland is to be repeated, the corporate banging of the drum is likely to grow louder as polling day approaches. "Who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe (eurosceptic) Nigel Farage or are you going to believe a phalanx of FTSE 100 chief executives and foreign investors saying we're going to pull out?," Hawkins said. One boss Rose is unlikely to call on however is his old friend Green. When asked what lessons he can bring from business Rose lights up as he recalls the heady days of 2004 when he graced the front pages of national newspapers detailing every twist and turn of the multi-billion pound M&S bid saga. "Be passionate. Tell people the truth, don't bullshit them. Make them understand what really matters," he said. "(With M&S) it was close all the way through and common sense prevailed. "I think we'll win (again), I couldn't get up in the morning otherwise." (Writing by Kate Holton, Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Janet McBride) Share This Video Facebook Twitter EMAIL After Ronda Rouseys loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, there was quite a bit of will she or wont she rumors in regards to a commitment she made prior to the fight to attend the Marine Corps Ball. To Rouseys credit, she ultimately went to the ball with the Marine, who courted her with a Facebook video, despite the devastating KO she suffered at the hands of Holm just a few weeks prior. Rousey talked about the experience on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, telling Fallon that it was the first time she smiled since the infamous fight. She also revealed that the balls afterparty was held at Hooters, where Rousey got into an argument with a waitress about herself. Not realizing that Rousey was sitting right in front of her, the waitress argued with Rousey about the awesomeness of the fighter. Rousey tried to talk herself down, but the waitress was having none of it, citing all the tips she makes on nights when Rousey steps into the Octagon. If thats the primary reason why the waitress is a Rousey fan, it helps explain why she didnt realize the woman she was arguing with was Rousey herself. Eventually, Rousey revealed her true identity, which proved to be a very good call because it led to free wings. Free wings are awesome. Share This Facebook Twitter EMAIL BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that Iraq informed it of the theft of an industrial radiography device in the southern city of al-Zubair in November 2015. The U.N. nuclear watchdog described the device as an Ir-192 radioactive source in a shielding container, which is classified as a Category 2 radioactive substance, meaning that if not managed properly it could be fatal to someone exposed for a period of hours to days. The IAEA told Reuters in a statement it had offered assistance to Iraqi authorities but none had been requested so far. (Reporting By Stephen Kalin; editing by John Stonestreet) The messy budget situation in Illinois, one of the countrys largest economies, became even worse Wednesday afternoon when first-term Governor Bruce Rauner (R) delivered his second budget speech. Rauners first budget never passed, and this one has even less of a chance of a being blessed by the Democrat-controlled state legislature. Without a budget, Illinois is running on fumes. The bitter impasse began after Rauners inaugural budget address a year ago, when his proposed spending plan included deep cuts to Medicaid and higher education. The budget slashed by half the amount of income tax funds about $634 million the state would share with its 1,400 local governments and saved $2 billion by reducing state worker benefits -- all to fill a projected $7 billion hole in the Land of Lincolns budget without raising taxes. Related: Illinois governor fails to budge as fiscal deadlock drags on The legislature rejected the roadmap outright and proposed a budget of their own, one with modest spending cuts that still left Illinois billions in arrears. Rauner, the former chair of a private equity firm, vetoed much of that plan, though he approved a section that increased spending for primary and secondary education. A series of court rulings have helped keep 90 percent of the state government running, but the prolonged gridlock has begun to threaten social programs and operations at state universities. Related: Illinois sells $480 million in bonds after 20 month hiatus Then theres the looming $10 billion shortfall in the budget year that starts July 1. "With my hand outstretched with a genuine desire to compromise with respect I humbly ask you to join me in transforming our state for the better," Rauner told lawmakers. But if observers were hoping for some kind of departure from whats come to be known as the governors turnaround agenda, they didnt get it in his 27-minute address. "The true solution to fixing our budget is to raise revenue by expanding our tax base and growing our economy not by raising taxes and driving more jobs and families out of our state," he said, keeping his heels firmly dug in. "My point is this: we need to change the way we think about the budget. This isn't a binary choice between program cuts and revenue increases." Story continues Rauner said lawmakers must pass his legislative agenda before hell even negotiate on the states budget. Rauner reversed a temporary tax rate hike last year from 5 to 3.75 percent. As the standoff continues, the collateral damage throughout Illinois builds. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and Catholic Charities, owed $6 million and $25 million by the state respectively, warn theyll have to cut hundreds of jobs and programs to make ends meet. Related: Illinois Is Not Alone: States Facing $1 Trillion Pension Shortfall Chicago State University recently declared a financial emergency to make it easier to fire employees after it discovered it might not be able to meet its payroll next month and Eastern Illinois University is laying off 200 non-classroom employees. Rauners speech made clear that the budget impasse will continue for the foreseeable future. The gridlock could force the governor and the legislature to hammer out a two-year budget that would retroactively address last years proposals in some way, perhaps lay out a plan to phase in spending cuts over time. Or both sides could continue to keep their arms crossed and send Illinois careening toward another year without a budget. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: (Reuters) - An Indiana man suspected of killing his niece and her young son on Wednesday shot himself to death in an Indianapolis hotel room after a manhunt, according to police and the Indianapolis Star. Lucius Oliver Hamilton, III, was found dead in a Hilton hotel room in downtown Indianapolis, said Indiana State Police Captain David Bursten. Hamilton had been a senior major gifts officer at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, about 50 miles northwest of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reported. He was suspected in the shooting deaths earlier on Wednesday of Katherine Giehll, 31, and Raymond Giehll, 4, in a home in Zionsville, an Indianapolis suburb, Bursten said. Wabash College was on a lockdown on Wednesday while police searched for a gunman, according to the college's Twitter feed. Representatives for the all-male liberal arts college were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by David Gregorio) couple bed sex unhappy Vasiliy Koval / Shutterstock Indonesia has banned Tumblr. According to the BBC and local reports, the country's Information Ministry took the decision to block the blogging platform over "pornographic content." Tumblr, unlike Facebook and some other social networks, allows adult content on its site. According to an Indonesian-language news report, the ban is part of a larger internet crackdown 477 other sites have also apparently been blocked in the country. The Muslim-majority country only has a "partly free" internet according to a 2015 report from Freedom House. Bloggers have been arrested before, and content on social media has been blocked. In May 2015, Vimeo (a video-hosting site similar to YouTube) was blocked over "pornographic content," but Freedom House says the block was of mixed efficacy. Earlier this month, the Indonesian government announced a crackdown of "gay" emojis including same-sex couples and the emoji flag. The government is threatening to ban messaging apps that do not remove the emojis from the country. At least one messaging app, LINE, has already done so and issued an apology, telling AFP: "LINE regrets the incidents of some stickers which are considered sensitive by many people ... We ask for your understanding because at the moment we are working on this issue to remove the stickers." Business Insider has reached out to Tumblr for comment and will update this story when it responds. NOW WATCH: Elon Musk just revealed how you can reserve the new $35,000 Tesla See Also: SEE ALSO: The UK Government is trying to make people prove their age before they look at porn By Brad Haynes and Nathan Layne CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil/BENTONVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - When Wal-Mart Stores Inc. first expanded into Brazil's midwestern farm-belt city of Campo Grande seven years ago, the economy was booming and executives were eager to open stores even in sub-prime locations on one-way streets heading out of town. It didnt last. At the end of December, the U.S. retailer closed both of its Maxxi brand cash-and-carry stores in Campo Grande as part of a restructuring that shuttered 60 locations across Brazil, including some Supercenters. Shoppers said the stores could not compete on assortment, price or location. "It was never clear who Maxxi was for. It wasn't cheap enough for the poor. But there was no appeal for the middle class," said Ordecy Gossler, 40, a public accountant filling his cart with cleaning supplies and toilet paper at Atacadao, a rival chain run by France's Carrefour . "When they announced in December that both Maxxis were closing, no one in my office knew where they were." Today, Wal-Mart has just one Supercenter left in this city of 850,000 people, whose demographic of thrifty shoppers had once seemed suited to the world's largest retailer. It shuttered the citys other one at the end of the year, as traffic dwindled in the shopping mall it was meant to anchor. The retreat from Campo Grande is emblematic of Wal-Marts broader issues in Brazil, a once-red-hot destination for foreign retailers and other companies that has turned stone cold. And the lackluster performance in Latin America's largest economy shows how tactics that helped Wal-Mart build success in the U.S. sometimes get badly lost in translation overseas. International results have been anemic, despite $22 billion in capital investment over the past five years. Wal-Mart last year generated a 4.5 percent operating profit margin from international markets, well below the 7.4 percent return posted from the U.S. Seeking higher returns, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon in October announced a strategic review of the companys global assets. Some securities analysts have speculated Wal-Mart could exit Brazil, as well as other markets in Latin America where it is already closing an additional 55 stores. The pullback in Brazil also has some worrying echoes of previous Wal-Mart debacles overseas, including South Korea and Germany, two markets it abandoned in 2006. LABOR PROBLEMS Brazil in particular has been dogged by poor locations, inefficient operations, labor troubles and uncompetitive prices -- with some of the problems baked in during an aggressive, decade-long growth surge, according to interviews with a dozen former and current Wal-Mart executives, as well as analysts, shoppers and store employees. For a graphic showing some of Wal-Mart's Brazil problems, see http://tmsnrt.rs/1oH9pNu Wal-Mart would not comment on financial results from Brazil ahead of the company's quarterly earnings on Feb. 18. People familiar with the numbers told Reuters that Wal-Mart has posted operating losses in Brazil for each of the past seven years. Jo Newbould, a spokeswoman for the retailer, said the store closures were part of its efforts to actively manage its global assets and that it has been working to lower costs in Brazil. David Cheesewright, head of Wal-Marts international operations, said in an interview that it has no plans to quit Brazil. He pointed to the companys decision to invest in completing an integration of legacy computer systems into the wider Wal-Mart platform as evidence of a commitment to the market. "That's not the act of someone who is packing up the firm for other purposes," he said. Cheesewright expressed optimism about a turnaround. "It's a market that has always been high on potential, but has been a roller-coaster ride in terms of its performance," he said. "It happens to be on a downturn at the moment, and I'm sure it will do what it always has done, which is improve." RUNAWAY GROWTH Wal-Mart first entered Brazil in 1995 and grew in measured steps for nearly a decade. That changed in 2004-2005, when it spent about $1 billion to buy two retailers, Bompreco S.A. Supermercados do Nordeste and Sonae Distribuicao Brasil S.A. The deals expanded Wal-Marts operations into the northeast and south of Brazil, and marked the beginning of a spending spree aimed at building a national footprint. With the takeovers came an array of brands: Wal-Mart currently operates under nine different store banners in Brazil. At the height of the expansion, former Wal-Mart executives said, a land rush mentality took hold. Brazils thriving economy in those years convinced executives the biggest risk lay in moving too slowly. In response, they approved new store sites based on increasingly rosy forecasts of future sales. "Most executives didn't have the voice to say, 'Don't open this store; let's not approve more stores, a former finance executive recalled. Why not? Because Brazil was the new country. We needed to put investment in before others do." In a six-year stretch through the fiscal year ending January 2013, Wal-Mart doubled its locations, reaching nearly 560 at its peak. The rapid expansion strained Wal-Mart's logistics -- traditionally one of its strong points in the U.S. but a drag on performance in Brazil. In some cases, delivery trucks drove days to reach distant stores from centrally located warehouses. Executives from headquarters bickered with those running some kinds of stores about who should bear the distribution costs, the former finance executive said. Amid the focus on growth, executives never fully integrated the legacy information systems from Bompreco and Sonae. Disruptions in communication between headquarters and the many different store types allowed inefficiencies to take root. Buyers, for instance, found themselves using three laptops, one each for the two legacy systems and another for the Wal-Mart platform, people familiar with the matter said. TAX ISSUES Cheesewright said he had put a priority on systems and would complete the integration by the middle of 2016. He said that would allow Brazil to benefit fully from system and process advancements made in the U.S., helping it to lower costs. He also said Wal-Mart was getting a grip on Brazil's complex tax system and litigious labor market, problems that have dogged it for years. In January 2014 Wal-Mart disclosed that unforeseen Brazil tax assessments and employment claims tied to a cost-cutting drive would slice 2 percent off its annual earnings globally. Labor claims in Brazil also hurt its results in the third quarter of the financial year that has just ended. Cheesewright said it was implementing a plan, including putting advanced time-keeping equipment in stores and getting workers to formally clock in, which should lower the risk of worker lawsuits. "A lot of the stuff in Brazil is just the basic stuff: do people properly clock out for their lunch breaks, do you manage overtime correctly, do they have the right breaks between shifts?" he said. "It's a lot of basic blocking and tackling."Wal-Mart, whose sales at existing stores in the country edged down 0.6 percent in the August-October quarter, isn't the only retailer hurting in Brazil. With the economy in a deepening recession, market leader GPA , controlled by France's Casino , suffered a 2.3 percent sales drop at existing stores in the October-December quarter and has said it would slash investments in 2016. Carrefour bucked the trend, posting 8.5 percent growth in sales at existing stores, thanks to investments in hypermarkets and growth at Atacadao, the countrys biggest cash-and-carry chain. BEATEN ON ACQUISITION The cash-and-carry format, which features bulk sales of food and other items paid for in cash and carried out by the customers themselves, has emerged as a rare bright spot in Brazilian retail. Cheesewright said Maxxi was now one of Wal-Mart's best performing formats after it had narrowed its focus to small business owners, giving up on competing head-to-head with the larger warehouses of Atacadao, which caters to both business shoppers and an increasing number of thrifty families. But after paring back to 44 locations, Maxxi gives Wal-Mart far less exposure to the cash-and-carry business than Atacadao and GPA's Assai, which have 123 and 95 stores, respectively. Some analysts and former executives say one of Wal-Marts biggest missteps was losing a bidding match for Atacadao to Carrefour, which paid $1.1 billion for it in 2007. Cheesewright said Wal-Mart was piloting a larger version of its Todo Dia discount format in part as a way to attract some of the family shoppers now using rival cash-and-carry stores. Other plans include renovating supermarkets with a slightly smaller assortment and a focus on fresh food. The task of making all that happen falls to Flavio Cotini, who was promoted this month from chief financial officer to head the Brazilian operations. The reshuffle marked the fourth leadership change in Brazil since 2008 -- a lack of continuity at the top that has exacerbated problems, including hindering efforts to integrate operations, former executives said." When you build a castle you build the foundation first. Wal-Mart did it in reverse in Brazil," a former senior executive in the international business said. "It is so hard to build a national chain when your system backbone is not in place." (reporting by Brad Haynes in Campo Grande and Nathan Layne in Bentonville; additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Editing by Martin Howell) Tehran (AFP) - Iran said Wednesday it supported moves by Saudi Arabia and Russia to stabilise the oil market and raise prices but stopped short of committing itself to any production curbs. Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh's comments came after he met his Iraqi, Venezuelan and Qatari counterparts in Tehran, a day after major producers led by Riyadh agreed to freeze output to tackle a global supply glut. Qatar currently holds the revolving chairmanship of the OPEC oil cartel. Iran has long said it must pump more oil -- despite plunging prices -- as it seeks to regain market share lost during the era of sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme. A US- and European-imposed embargo flattened Iran's foreign sales but Tehran, which has the world's second-largest crude reserves, has ramped up production since sanctions were lifted last month upon implementation of a deal with world powers to limit its nuclear activities. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Russia, which is not a cartel member, said their agreement on Tuesday to freeze output at January levels was conditional on other major producers, such as Iran, doing the same. Zanganeh welcomed their move but signalled it alone was not enough to resolve the problem of low prices for producers. "This is a first step but we need others. We look forward to the start of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries," he was quoted as saying by the oil ministry's news service, Shana. "We support any measure that can stabilise the market and increase prices." At around 1630 GMT Brent North Sea crude for April delivery was up $2.08 at $34.26 and West Texas Intermediate for March delivery was up $1.56 at $30.60. European stock market also made strong gains on the emerging agreement to shore up prices. Before Wednesday's talks Mehdi Asali, Iran's director general of OPEC affairs at the oil ministry, blamed other producers for creating a glut and signalled Tehran would not change course on production. Story continues "As these countries produced more than their quota and more than the OPEC official ceiling of 30 million barrels, which they had agreed on, the price collapsed and so now the responsibility to bring back balance to the oil market is mainly on these countries," he told Iran's Shargh newspaper. - 'Play on words' - "Iran's output compared to then (before sanctions) is 1.5 million barrels per day less and it's illogical to ask Iran to further reduce its production." Experts reacted warily to Zanganeh's latest remarks. "There is no clear message from Iran on how they intend to support this freeze," said Abhishek Deshpande, lead oil market analyst at Natixis in London. "It seems it's a play on words. They are keeping the markets calm by saying 'we support oil price stability as discussed in Doha' but in reality they have said nothing when it comes to freezing their future production." Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said the agreement with Russia was designed to stabilise the market following the dramatic price fall since mid-2014. Venezuela, Qatar and Kuwait also signed on to the planned freeze following Tuesday's closed-door meeting in Doha. The announcement marked the first move between OPEC and non-cartel producers to stem the price fall since the slide began. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers have been refusing to reduce output in an attempt to drive less competitive players, in particular US shale oil producers, out of the market. Russia has seen its recession-hit economy damaged by the slump and Saudi Arabia has announced a record budget deficit. But Iran has suffered even heavier losses because the sanctions closed its access to much of the world market. Iran had been producing around 2.8 million barrels per day, around one million of which were exported, but after the nuclear deal it announced an immediate hike of 500,000 bpd. A further 500,000 bpd are planned to be added by the end of 2016. Despite its push to ramp up production, Iran has been moving away from an oil-dependent economy. The coming year's budget, starting on March 20, will be only 25 percent reliant on oil revenues following moves to increase general taxation. Tehran (AFP) - Iranian banks have started to be reconnected to the international payments system SWIFT, allowing the resumption of foreign transfers after Tehran's nuclear agreement with world powers, officials said Wednesday. The move follows the lifting of sanctions under the deal last month, and comes after the Central Bank of Iran and SWIFT took the necessary steps to restore access. "The on-boarding process including administrative and technical measures for all non-sanctioned Iranian banks including the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran is now completed," said a statement from the bank. "These institutions were all activated in the SWIFT network as of February 13," it added. Hamid Baidinejad, a member of Iran's nuclear negotiations team, wrote on his Instagram page that the Central Bank and 15 other banks now had access to SWIFT. Some international subsidiaries and branches of the previously sanctioned banks were reconnected but others are still undertaking the process. Onur Ozan, a country manager at SWIFT, was quoted in the Central Bank statement as confirming that the non-sanctioned banks "have now been reconnected to SWIFT". "We will continue to work with the remainder of the entities that have applied to re-join SWIFT to ensure their smooth reconnection," Ozan added. The names of the banks reconnected to SWIFT were not officially named, but Iranian media reports said they included Bank Melli, the Islamic republic's largest bank. Several Iranian banks accused of links to the country's Revolutionary Guards, an elite military unit, remain under US sanctions. Rome (AFP) - Two members of the Marzotto family, owners of the Italian textile company of the same name, and a group executive were convicted Wednesday of tax fraud, local media reported. Matteo Marzotto, his sister Diamante and businessman Massimo Caputi were given nominal ten-month prison sentences by a court in Milan for evading a 70-million euro ($70-million) tax bill on the family's 2007 sale of the Valentino fashion house to investment fund Permira. The sale was organised through a company based in Luxembourg but should have been liable for Italian taxes, the judge in the case ruled. None of those convicted will go to jail immediately, pending up to two appeals against the sentences. Marzotto specialises in producing high-quality wool, cotton, linen and silk-based textiles for Italy's luxury and fashion sectors. Valentino now belongs to a Qatari investment fund which took over Permira. Paramount has staked out a release date for God's Particle Feb. 24, 2017. The movie, to be produced by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions, tells the story of a team of American astronauts on a space station who make a terrifying discovery that challenges all they know about the fabric of reality, even as they desperately fight for their survival. Nigerian-born filmmaker Julian Onah is set to direct the sci-fii thriller from a script by Oren Uziel. Little else is known about the project, which has yet to be cast. So far, God's Particle has the Feb. 24-26 weekend to itself. It opens a week after Maze Runner: The Death Cure and Bad Boys 3, and two weeks after Fifty Shades Darker, the LEGO Batman Movie and The Mountain Between Us. Read More: Ryan Reynolds in Talks to Star in Mars Mission Movie From 'Deadpool' Writers Where on Earth are the whalers? That question is vexing activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, who have failed to locate the Japanese whaling fleet during this seasons hunt for minke whales in the Southern Ocean. Every year over the past decade, Sea Shepherd vessels out of Australia have shadowed the Japanese fleet to monitor the annual hunt and interfere with the killing of whales. But not this year. The whalers have managed to evade Sea Shepherd by expanding their hunting grounds. They have dramatically expanded their hunting area threefold, moving eastward towards Chile and westwards towards South Africa, said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson. They could be anywhere. Watson said the Japanese deliberately expanded the hunt to elude Sea Shepherd. It's like trying to find a handful of trucks in an area twice the size of the United States, Jeff Hansen, managing director of Sea Shepherd Australia, wrote in an email. Japanese ships are complicating matters by taking far fewer whales this season, with a reduced quota of 333, down from the 1,035 the government authorized in the past. They can take the quota in far less time, which gives us much less time to search for them, Watson said. Even worse for Sea Shepherd, only one of its vessels, the Steve Irwin, is in the Southern Ocean. The groups two other ships that can navigate the Southern Ocean are in the Faroe Islands trying to stop the pilot whale hunt in the North Atlantic archipelago. The international community has excoriated Japan for authorizing the whaling, which the country claims is conducted for scientific research. In March 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that the whaling program was not scientific and violated a 1986 commercial whaling moratorium. RELATED: Four Nations Tell Japan and Sea Shepherd to Chill Out on the High Seas as Whale Hunt Begins Japan agreed to conduct only nonlethal research in the 201415 season. But last November, it submitted a new proposal to the International Whaling Commission to harpoon 333 minke whales annually for 12 years. Story continues Much of the opposition has been spearheaded by New Zealand and Australia. Sea Shepherd has asked the two countries for assistance in locating the Japanese fleet this year but has received no response. The Australian military knows where these whaling vessels are, Watson said. Everyone is saying that Australia needs to send a ship [to monitor the hunt]. We said we can do it. Just give us the coordinates. Sea Shepherd representatives contend that government officials in the Australian capital, Canberra, failed to deliver on a 2013 campaign promise to dispatch a customs vessel to the Southern Ocean to provide a clear signal that the Australian people dont support whaling. Its very frustrating, Hansen said. Weve got blood in the water and a blind eye in Canberra. Its completely unacceptable. A spokesperson for the Australian embassy in Washington said she could not immediately obtain comment from Canberra but provided a link to a new interview with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop conducted by the Japanese broadcaster NHK. We support the global ban on commercial whaling, Bishop said. This is an area of disagreement, but we have a much broader relationship and partnership [with Japan] that we focus upon while disagreeing on the issue of scientific whaling. Whatever Australia does, Sea Shepherds anti-whaling campaign will continue, Hansen said. Sea Shepherd will always do the best we can with the limited recourses we have, he said. In our 10 Antarctic whale-defense campaigns, we have saved the lives of over 5,000 whales, and due to our actions and pressure, we saw the International Court of Justice action and a reduced quota, thereby saving over 700 whales every year. Watson said the group will have more success next season. Sea Shepherd is building a vessel that will be launched in September, Watson noted. We needed a fast, long-range patrol boat. This one will have four engines, can go 30 knots, and can travel anywhere in the world, he said. For the first time, well have a vessel that can go faster than any Japanese harpoon vessel. For this season, however, Watson conceded that the anti-whaling campaign has come up short. I think weve run out of time to find them, Watson said. Based on their past record, they would have gotten about 333 whales by around now. We always knew we were at a disadvantage until we get our new vessel. Related stories on TakePart: One of the Worlds Most Notorious Illegal Fishing Crews Is Fined $17 Million Japan to Resume Controversial Whaling Program Sea Shepherd Seizes Fishing Nets Killing a Critically Endangered Porpoise Original article from TakePart By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Victims of Bernard Madoff's fraud cannot pursue a Florida lawsuit to recover $11 billion from the estate of Jeffry Picower, who they say helped perpetuate the swindler's Ponzi scheme, a Manhattan bankruptcy judge ruled on Wednesday. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stuart Bernstein said the lawsuit by A&G Goldman Partnership and Pamela Goldman, their third effort to sue in Florida, violated an injunction barring Madoff victims from pursuing claims belonging to Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Bernstein oversees the Madoff firm's liquidation. Picard had in December 2010 won a $7.2 billion settlement with the estate of Picower, who died in October 2009. But a slew of litigation ensued from Madoff customers, including many who say the trustee undervalued their claims, against Picower and other alleged enablers of Madoff. Picard has estimated that Madoff's victims lost $17.5 billion in the fraud, which was uncovered in December 2008. In the latest Florida case, the Goldman parties added claims that Picower "propped up" Madoff's fraud with $200 million of loans to fund investor redemptions, and agreed to serve in trading records as a counterparty for many fake options trades. The Goldman parties sought to hold Picower responsible for "all $18 billion" of Madoff customers' losses, less the $7.2 billion from the 2010 settlement. Bernstein nevertheless found it "wholly conclusory" to allege that Picower helped Madoff distribute fake statements to customers, and had enough "control" over the swindler to justify separate litigation. He also said allowing the Florida lawsuit "would carry real risks" to the Madoff firm's bankruptcy estate, encouraging more lawsuits and perhaps undermining the $7.2 billion accord. Bernstein nonetheless rejected efforts by Picower's widow Barbara, who oversees his estate, and other parties associated with Picower to stop further lawsuits by the Goldman parties, while saying "the question is close." Story continues The judge said the Goldman parties have not pursued frivolous or vexatious litigation, and that the Picower parties or Picard could seek sanctions if they crossed the line. A spokeswoman for Picard declined to comment. Lawyers for the Picower entities and the Goldman parties were not immediately available for comment. The case is Securities Investor Protection Corp v. Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 08-01789. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr) NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya, which has suffered attacks by Somalia's al Shabaab militants, will build a special prison to house "violent and extremist" offenders to keep them from influencing other prisoners, President Uhuru Kenyatta said. Kenyatta did not say which groups he was referring to, but Kenya has been hit by gun and grenade attacks by al Shabaab, whose fighters were behind a massacre at the Garissa University, about 200 km (120 miles) from the Somali border, in April. "We will establish a new prison to hold violent, extremist offenders the truth of the matter is that we cannot allow them to spread their poison to vulnerable Kenyans," he said in a speech seen by Reuters on Wednesday. His speech, read at a graduation ceremony for guards on Tuesday, gave no timelines for the prison's establishment. Kenya already has several maximum security jails, such as Kamiti Maximum in Nairobi. Last June, Kenyatta promised a new campaign to stop people joining violent radical groups and to fight the influence of al Shabaab, saying conventional policing methods would not be enough to tackle the threat from radicalised men and women. Some of the gunmen involved in the biggest attacks on Kenyan soil in recent years, including the attack on Garissa University, were Kenyan citizens who had joined al Shabaab. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has staged a string of attacks in Somalia and surrounding countries aimed at imposing its harsh brand of Islam and overthrowing the Somali government, which is backed by Western donors and African peacekeepers. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Toby Chopra) It was the hashtag that turned the spotlight on the crisis of Nigerian girls and women being abducted by Boko Haram: #BringBackOurGirls. But now that government and humanitarian efforts are resulting in some women being rescued from the Islamic militant group and returned to their homes, it seems not all Nigerians are welcoming them with open arms. According to a joint report released Tuesday by UNICEF and human rights group International Alert, many women and teen girls who were once held by Boko Haram are being rejected by their families and communities. People treat the former captives with mistrust over fears the women have become radicalized supporters of the extremists. But the suspicious behavior of family members tends to become explicit persecution if the former captives bore children after being sexually assaulted by members of Boko Haram. RELATED: Despite Boko Haram, Activists Are Bringing Education Back to Girls in Nigeria The babies may be innocent, but they are seen by locals as being infected with bad blood from their rapist Boko Haram fathers, according to the report. There is a belief that, like their fathers, the children will inevitably do what hyenas do and eat the innocent dogs around them, wrote the reports authors. Rejected by their families and neighbors, many of the women and their children are being pushed into poverty. To avoid homelessness and to provide for their babies, some are turning to prostitution to earn money. As a result, the children themselves are at risk of rejection, abandonment, discrimination, and potential violence, wrote the reports authors. These findings show a pressing need to do more to reintegrate those returning from captivity by Boko Haram, Kimairis Toogood, International Alerts peace-building adviser in Nigeria, said in a statement. Many of these girls already face lasting trauma of sexual violence and being separated from their families, so we must ensure they get all the support they need when they finally return. Story continues Approximately 2,000 women and girls have been abducted since 2012, but international awareness was only raised in late April 2014 after Boko Haram snatched nearly 300 girls from a school in the town of Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria. The hashtag stems from the Bring Back Our Girls movement, which was created that spring at a rally by Obiageli Ezekwesili, the former Federal Minister of Education of Nigeria. Nigerians subsequently shared the hashtag on social media, and it was picked up around the worldincluding by celebs such as Rihanna, first lady Michelle Obama, and girls education activist Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai went to Nigeria in July 2014 and demanded that the nations president Goodluck Jonathan mobilize the government and take action. Despite the success of the hashtag campaign in raising awareness, those nearly 300 abducted schoolgirls still havent been returned home. As for those girls and women who have been rescued, only to face a hostile homecoming, International Alert and UNICEF said more humanitarian assistance for them is needed. There is a fear that if the needs of these survivors and returning populations are not met, these factors could add another dimension to an already complex conflict situation in northeast Nigeria, said Toogood. Related stories on TakePart: Its Not Just Boko HaramWomen in Nigeria Have It Rough Respect the Pen, Not the Gun: A Young Woman From Malalas Hometown Calls for Education Over Violence How Your Used Clothes Can Help Malala Change Girls Lives Original article from TakePart (Reuters) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday there is no link between Syria and oil production in Russia's dialogue with Saudi Arabia. "They are two different matters," Peskov told reporters. "It is natural they have a dialogue about their own interests, both sides are naturally interested in such a dialogue. These are things that are not interdependent and not interlinked." He also said Russia is interested in continued dialogue with other oil producing nations to exchange views on the situation on the global oil market. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk, writing by Maria Tsvetkova, editing by Christian Lowe) By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The rapid advance of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies. Washington has long seen the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its YPG military wing as its best chance in the battle against Islamic State in Syria - to the chagrin of fellow NATO member Turkey, which sees the group as terrorists and fears it will stir up greater unrest among its own Kurdish minority. Russian bombing has transformed the five-year-old Syrian civil war in recent weeks, turning the momentum decisively in favor of Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian army has come within 25 km (15 miles) of the Turkish border and says it aims to seal it off altogether, closing the main lifeline into rebel territory for years and recapturing Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war. Meanwhile, the YPG has exploited the situation, seizing ground from other Syrian opposition groups in the area. Washington says it does not believe the Kurds are coordinating directly with Moscow. But the YPG's advance may represent a masterstroke by Russia, which could benefit from any discord between NATO allies Turkey and the United States. "Now this is the YPG's dilemma: Will it continue with America or Russia? The consequences of this strategic choice will influence Syria's future, as well as the ongoing clashes in Turkey," said Metin Gurcan, an independent security analyst and retired Turkish military officer. Turkey has shelled YPG positions inside Syria for four straight days. Ankara sees the militia as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency for autonomy in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. Turkey also portrays the Kurds as a pawn of Russia. Relations between the former Cold War rivals hit a low last year after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane over Syria. Turkey now accuses Russia of deliberately targeting civilians in Syria, including hospitals struck this week, in what it calls a "war crime" to depopulate territory ahead of a government advance. Moscow denies this and accuses Turkey of covertly supporting Syrian jihadist militant groups. The United States, which has supported the Kurdish fighters elsewhere in battle against Islamic State, has called for the YPG to stop actions that would heighten friction in northern Syria. It has also urged Ankara to stop shelling YPG positions. Washington has seen no evidence that the YPG are cooperating with the Russians, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing this week. DECADES OF REPRESSION Some 30 million Kurds are estimated to live in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and in Syria. Syria's Kurds are the largest ethnic minority and suffered decades of repression under President Bashar al-Assad and his father before him. Under the Damascus regime, Kurds were forbidden from learning their own language, frequently evicted from their land and even denied full citizenship. Their region is home to a chunk of Syria's estimated 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, but Kurds enjoyed little benefit. Now, Kurds have started to carve out a fiefdom in the north of fragmenting Syria, similar to the autonomy enjoyed by their kin in northern Iraq. "Russia is using this instrument to put Turkey in a difficult position," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said this week, vowing to prevent the YPG from expanding its territory. In the early stages of Syria's civil war, there were signs Turkey was willing to work with the PYD and other Kurdish groups if they met three demands: remain resolutely opposed to Assad, vow not to seek autonomy through violence or before the wider conflict was resolved, and pose no threat to Turkey. "We have no problem with their aspirations ... What we do not want from any group is that they use this situation opportunistically to impose their will by force," a senior Turkish government official told Reuters in August 2013, days after PYD co-chair Saleh Muslim was invited to Istanbul for talks. RELATIONS SOUR But relations soon deteriorated, reaching a nadir in late 2014, when Islamic State fighters besieged the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani on the Turkish border for four months as Turkish tanks looked on from surrounding hills. Turkey allowed Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces through its territory to help defend the town, but its failure to intervene directly in support of the YPG, even as a U.S.-led coalition carried out air strikes against Islamic State, infuriated Kurds in both Syria and Turkey. That added to pressure on the Turkish government's relationship with its own Kurds. PKK attacks on Turkish security forces last year helped put an end to a more than two-year ceasefire between the government and the insurgents, and the once-dormant conflict within Turkey has since stayed hot. Wary of an escalation, Washington has urged all parties to focus on the "common threat" of Islamic State, calling on Turkey to cease cross-border artillery fire and on the YPG not to seize new territory from groups that Turkey supports. Turkey has repeatedly criticized the United States for its position, saying that Washington should deem the Syrian Kurds terrorists, as it does with the PKK, and halt support. The Syrian Kurdish militia has not explained the aim of its latest advance but a source told Reuters on Jan. 28 it planned to seize the stretch of border held by Islamic State east of Azaz - the only part of the frontier still in the hands of the jihadist group. But the YPG's advance into territory held by other rebel groups looks likely to continue for now, causing headaches for Washington as it tries to manage its strategic relationship with Turkey and check Russia's influence in the region. "The YPG is pushing as far as it can. (Its) focus right now is making the most of its momentum," said Gurcan, the analyst. "This has put the U.S. in a very bad position." (Additional reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley and Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul; Warren Strobel in Washington; Tom Perry in Beirut and Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman; writing by Daren Butler; editing by David Dolan, Nick Tattersall and Peter Graff) By Lisa Maria Garza EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - As many as 200,000 Catholics are expected to cross four bridges from El Paso, Texas into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday to see Pope Francis in a massive pilgrimage likely to choke roads and immigration offices, U.S. officials said. The visit to the northern Mexican city has been a huge draw in neighboring El Paso, where school districts, city government offices and businesses plan to shut ahead of what many in the city with a large Hispanic and Catholic population view as a once in a lifetime chance to see the leader of the Catholic Church. Local estimates put the number due to cross the border at 150,000 to 200,000. On an average weekday, 30,000 vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians cross through the El Paso ports of entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The federal law enforcement agency said those numbers should at least triple as crowds gather to greet the pope during his motorcade along the streets or attend the Mass at "El Punto," a large field near Benito Juarez Stadium. Extra border patrol agents and security measures are in place to keep up checks in El Paso and other parts of the border, he added. A day ahead of the visit, the patrons at Lucy's Cafe near the border were buzzing about "El Papa." "We'll wave 'hola Papa' while we work," said cook Elva Ortiz. Businessman Stan Okes wants to avoid the papal frenzy sweeping El Paso. "I may get out of town," Okes said. "I can watch him on TV anywhere." The pope is traveling to crime-plagued Ciudad Juarez on the last stop of his six-day tour of Mexico. He will pray for migrants and victims of violence at a Mass a few hundred feet from the border. A platform built next to the border fence will allow Pope Francis to address El Pasoans watching from the United States. The Catholic Diocese in El Paso said it gave an estimated 10,000 tickets for free to parishioners for the Papal Mass. On some Internet sites, those tickets were selling at more than $150. For those who could not score a ticket for the Mass, the El Paso Diocese created a Two Nations, One Faith viewing party at the Sun Bowl Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000 people. Through a two-way live stream broadcast, the Argentine pontiff can view the thousands of attendees and issue a formal blessing. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Editing Jon Herskovitz and Cynthia Osterman) MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A laser beam was pointed at Pope Francis plane as he landed in Mexico City last week but there was no harm to those aboard, Italian airline Alitalia said in a statement on Wednesday. The airline said the plane's crew noticed the laser coming from the ground on Friday as the pope was coming in from Cuba and that other arriving planes were involved. "The captain immediately informed the control tower of what he had seen, as per normal procedure," Alitalia said. "It is up to the control tower to inform the competent authorities." It marks the latest in a series of such laser-pointing incidents around the world. In November, dangerous beams from handheld lasers struck 20 aircraft flying over the United States and its territories overnight, among the nearly 5,400 laser hits up until that point last year, the Federal Aviation Administration has said. Laser beams can lead to temporary blindness in pilots and, in some cases, pilots have reported eye injuries that required medical treatment. The pope wraps up his visit to Mexico on Wednesday. (This story adds dropped word "from" in second paragraph) (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Writing by Simon Gardner; Editing by Bill Trott) Johannesburg (AFP) - A worker in a game reserve in South Africa was mauled to death by a lioness while on a routine round to pump water, a wildlife spokesman said Wednesday. The 45-year-old man was killed Monday morning in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi wildlife park, in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, where he had worked for 16 years. "He suffered injuries to his neck and thigh and died instantly," said Musa Mntambo, spokesman for the regional conservation agency, Ezemvelo Wildlife. A colleague escaped the attack and called for help. The lioness, who was found to be sick, was later put down, the spokesman said. Attacks on humans are often attributed to old or ill lions too weak to hunt their normal, more agile, prey. In June 2015, an American tourist was killed by a lion when it attacked her through an open car window while driving through a park outside Johannesburg. By Daniel Bosley MALE (Reuters) - A Maldives court has sentenced an Islamist opposition leader to 12 years in jail, convicting him on terrorism charges related to a speech that protested the imprisonment of the islands' first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed. Best known as an exotic tourist destination, the Indian Ocean archipelago has been roiled by political unrest since Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012. In March 2015, he was arrested, charged under the country's terrorism laws and sentenced to 13 years for ordering the abduction of a judge, following a rapid trial that drew widespread international condemnation. Under pressure from foreign governments, President Abdulla Yameen's government released Nasheed last month to let him seek medical treatment in London. Late on Tuesday, however, a court sentenced Sheikh Imran Abdulla, the leader of Islamist Adhaalath Party, to 12 years for comments he made in an anti-government speech during a mass protest against Nasheed's arrest on May Day last year. The government said Imran was charged for urging protesters "to confront police", something the politician's lawyer denied. "We believe the judgment is grossly unfair because he has not called for violence in his speech", Imrans lawyer Husnu Suood told Reuters. "He clearly asked the participants at the rally to refrain from violence and had taken all steps to prevent violence". Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, called the judicial process that led to the sentencing "deeply flawed". "We renew our call for the Maldivian government to end politically motivated trials and to take steps to restore confidence and a commitment to democracy and human rights including freedom of expression and the rule of law and judicial independence", Toner told a regular news briefing in Washington. Clashes between protesters and police broke out at the 2015 May Day demonstration in the capital, Male, and hundreds of protesters were arrested. "No country in the world would condone such a call for violence", Abbas Adil Riza, the deputy high commissioner for Maldives in Colombo told Reuters. The sentencing of the Islamist politician comes days after President Yameen called on the opposition parties to end a standoff with his own party amid rising international pressure. Adhaalath Party Spokesman Ali Zahir said the sentencing demonstrated the absence of good faith from the government's side in the inter party talks. Since his release, Nasheed has called for sanctions against Yameen and his allies for detaining political prisoners, mainly opposition leaders. (Reporting by Daniel Bosley in Male; additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, G Crosse) Bekunda Sunday still remembers the pride in his moms voice when he told her hed landed a job in Kenya. He was 24 and studying tourism in Kampala, the capital of next-door Uganda. Struggling for money, he couldnt believe his luck when a stranger named Charles offered him a job in his brothers factory in Nairobi. He hung up on his mom and jumped into his new friends car with another Ugandan boy his age named Sam. Two days later, Sunday says, he watched, trembling and wearing nothing but underpants, as a man tied Sam to a chair and asphyxiated him with a plastic bag. Sam had tried to escape, his executioner explained. No one would try after that. They were sex slaves now. Sundays story, though rare, isnt unique. While most people assume that only women are victims of sex trafficking, it turns out that a small yet silent group of men are often victims of this inhumane trade, according to human rights officials. And in East Africa, where the porn and sex-work industries are booming today, demand for young men is on the rise meaning cases like Sundays are multiplying. According to Kenyas National Crime Research Centre, the number of people forced into human trafficking, of both genders, has grown; 23 percent of foreigners trafficked into Kenya are male. Many are forced to work on coffee or tea plantations, but, as the report notes, the second most common use of forced labor is sex exploitation. After being stripped down and beaten up, Sunday recalls, he was locked into an individual room for three months and forced to sleep with men and women. To be sure, women and young girls are still the most common target they make up about 98 percent of sex-trafficked people, according to the International Labor Organization. Getting specific data on men worldwide is extremely difficult. Male sex trafficking is highly underreported because victims are too afraid of being shamed if they speak up, says Radoslaw Malinowski, CEO of the nonprofit group Awareness Against Human Trafficking. Thats especially true if they have been raped or forced to have sex with other men, which is a strong social taboo in countries like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Story continues But the lack of social awareness of this topic is what made Sunday so trusting in the first place. He didnt doubt Charles when the trafficker picked up six other young boys and girls, nor did he second-guess the man when he said they would cross into Kenya through an illegal border pass. Fear struck only when the wide-eyed students walked into a large two-floor house in Nairobi and saw three large bouncer-looking men in the living room. One of them said, Take your clothes off. And Sunday knew he was in trouble. After being stripped down and beaten up, Sunday recalls, he was locked into an individual room for three months and forced to sleep with men and women. He would often be told to follow a script while his captors filmed. He managed to escape after being told he had been sold to a man in the U.K. and driven back to Uganda to get his paperwork for the trip abroad. He jumped out of the car as they were stopping for food in Kampala and went straight to the police station. Officers promised to help; two years later, Sunday has lost all hope of seeing Charles behind bars. For its part, the Ugandan National Counter Human Trafficking Taskforce says Sundays case is still open, and the units coordinator, Moses Binoga, denies the accusations, explaining that human traffic is a very complex crime which involves the participation of very many players. Meanwhile, regional governments are trying to curb trafficking with new policies and further police training. Rwanda, for one, enacted tougher penalties for traffickers and, according to police reports, has rescued more than 150 victims since 2011. Kenya has set up a Counter-Trafficking in Persons Advisory Committee to raise money and fund law enforcement training, educational campaigns and protection for survivors who decide to stand up and testify against their enslavers. Yet, for 150 reported cases of trafficking in 2013 in Uganda, 146 suspects were arrested but only four of them were convicted. And right now, there arent any programs to help men specifically, experts say. Malinowski argues that putting sex traffickers out of business will also require decriminalizing the industries they profit from, arguing that East Africas laws against prostitution and porn are doing more harm than good. The first step to stopping this cycle of exploitation, though, experts say, is to help male victims tell their stories and warn others of similar risks. When Sunday eventually returned home, he found out his mother had passed away; meanwhile, he was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and several sexually transmitted infections. His extended family, he says, begged him not to go public for fear he would shame them. But he says hes had no choice: I owed it to the ones I left behind. Related Articles Despite his penchant for dressing up as Michael Jackson or Hunter S. Thompson for class, Janek Sowa is absolutely not kidding when he says, as he does to anyone wholl listen, that Poland will cease to exist. Odds-on favorite? By the year 2020. We have an economy that constantly produces good macroeconomic indicators, the slight, bespectacled, 39-year-old professor and sociologist at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, says from his hotel room in Berlin, where hes attending a conference. Sowa cites things like public debt, which, according to him, is not very elevated; gross domestic product growth, which has stayed at 5 to 6 percent per year since the mid-90s, he says, and never dropped below 2 percent even after the 2008 financial crisis; and a steady wave of foreign investments. Nonetheless, Sowa says, the average Polish citizen saw very limited benefits from this economic miracle. It has been an economic miracle hailed by all and sundry, despite the jeremiads launched into the discussion by Sowa as often as sanity will allow. His warnings are predicated on Polands wage share being very low 37 percent as compared with 50 to 60 percent in many developed countries, according to Sowa which has created a state of affairs that sees a quarter of Polish workers earning only minimum wage, with two-thirds sitting well below the average monthly salary. We are not a middle-class-based society, Sowa says, and it doesnt look like we are going in that direction at all. If this is not a social disaster, then what is? Janek Sowa The warnings are not falling on deaf ears, as Sowa is a lot more than a Chicken Little-esque street-corner crazy. [He] is without a doubt one of the most brilliant researchers of the younger generation, says Monika Powalisz, editor-in-chief of Smak magazine, adding that Sowa does not shy away from confrontation and criticism of the ruling elite. The direction that Poland is going toward? A crippling brain drain, Sowa says, with one-third of a population, including two-thirds of university graduates, emigrating, leaving an aging society where the vast majority work in precarious job positions, earning barely enough to make ends meet, and pensions are 200 euros. If this is not a social disaster, then what is? Sowa asks rhetorically. The son of noted academic Kazimierz Sowa, he delivers these broadsides from the vantage point not of one of the unlucky who are leaving but of the lucky who can stay. And watch the masses leave. Story continues Look at me, Sowa says. He cites his publications: four books and more than 100 articles. He cites his full-time university position. And I make 800 euros net, he says. I once told that to a German colleague and he thought I got the English numbers wrong and meant 1,800, not 800. A figure soundly mocked by Polish politician Elzbieta Bienkowska when she said, Only a thief or an idiot is working for 6,000 PLN [Polish zloty]. Understandable from her vantage point. Polands recently departed President Bronisaw Komorowski reportedly makes 20,138 PLN a month, while former Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz makes 20,000. And Bienkowska herself had been secretly recorded, in the widely reported afera tasmowa (tape scandal), deriding people who make less than 6,000 PLN a month while dining on halibut and shrimp in coconut milk at the very tony Sowa i Przyjaciele restaurant. However, when serious political personalities like the European Council President Donald Tusk, who was prime minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014, say, as he recently did, that the Polish situation is very stable and that Poland is an example of an obvious success in Europe, its understandable that no such thing as a unified opinion is forming about Sowas claims that the sky is falling. But this is why we have numbers, and the numbers are telling. We are a lower-class society, Sowa says. He claims that Poles work more hours per year than people in most European Union countries and that labor productivity is at two-thirds of the EU average but wages are only at one-third, which means we are twice as exploited as Western workers. Its an investors paradise and workers hell. The consequences of which are pretty telling: Labor flees. In 2004, when Poland joined the EU, between 2.5 million and 3 million Poles emigrated to Western countries, first to Ireland and the U.K. (current estimates indicate there are 300,000 Poles in Dublin and half a million in London). Young, well educated and entrepreneurial, they often choose to do work that pays well below what theyre qualified to earn rather than staying in Poland. Andrew A. Michta, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and longtime Eastern Europe analyst, says The Economists Edward Lucas is not lying when he talks about the Polish economical miracle. But on the street and among those voting with their feet (i.e., people under the age of 40), the perspective is much more global, and their expectations of Poland are that it should be much more European in terms of what the state does. Younger people are immune to this carnival of promises we saw in the last election and in the face of sometimes abuses of state power, a soft rental market, [low wages] and a glass ceiling to real advancement, Michta says. So, no matter what the wider economic indicators are, people are leaving. Which raises the question: If things are so dire for the well-educated professional class, how and why is Sowa himself staying? I can only live in a relative material safety because my parents were able to give me a small flat when I was 20-something, Sowa says with a sigh. Its only because of it that Im still in Poland and I have not emigrated. If I had had to buy this small apartment with credit, it would have meant paying almost half of my salary for 30 years. Why would I do that? Related Articles This story was reported by Sarah Barr for the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. RICHMOND, Virginia On a Tuesday afternoon in December, Richard Walker stood on the corner outside the citys social services building and hollered. Hey! Im helping people whove got a felony conviction like me get their rights back. You know anybody like that? Walker, 57, called out to office workers in suits, the women in line for cheap cell phones and the young man pushing a baby stroller down East Marshall Street. He jogged alongside people hurrying toward a line of purple city buses who wanted to know more but risked missing their ride if they paused. He pressed fliers into the hands of people who said their cousin, son or friend could use some help. Every few minutes he brought someone back to a card table where he patiently explained the forms they would need to fill out to have their right to vote restored after a felony conviction. He showed them the form for nonviolent offenses and the one for more serious crimes. Walker soothed their worries: Its OK if you have outstanding fines, its OK if it was a long time ago, its all OK. For three hours, he moved nonstop. Then he tallied up the forms he had stuffed into a manila envelope and walked them across the street to the government office where they would be processed. Twenty-five people more were on the way to regaining their right to vote, a tiny share of the hundreds of thousands in Virginia who cannot vote because they have been convicted of a felony. But its a start, says Walker, who had his own rights restored in 2012 after a conviction for cocaine possession. This story is part of Juvenile Justice. Scrutinizing controversial policies affecting young people at risk. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Juvenile Justice investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Across the country, an estimated 5.85 million U.S. citizens cannot vote because they have a felony conviction on their record, according to The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy organization. Most of those affected are out of prison and on probation, parole or have completed their sentence. The number includes some people who lost that right because of crimes they committed before turning 18. Story continues Reformers say the concept known as felony voter disenfranchisement runs counter to basic ideas about democracy and leaves entire communities without a voice in close elections. And, in an era when presidential contests have been decided by thin margins a few hundred votes in Florida in 2000; fewer than 120,000 in Ohio in 2004 the votes of former felons could help make a difference for candidates. Those reformers want to make it easier for people to get their rights back after a conviction. But others say the bar to re-entry should remain high to ensure people with felony convictions have turned over a new leaf. A cluster of recent state activity around felony voter rights, mostly on the side of easing the process, and a longer-term trend toward making it easier for those with records to vote has some reformers optimistic. Maryland lawmakers voted last week to allow former felons to vote once they are out of prison, rather than waiting to complete probation or parole. And in Kentucky and Iowa, where some face a lifelong ban on voting, changes also are possible, whether through legislative or judicial action. The long-term prospects around the country are to move away from these lifetime bans and allowing more and more people to vote, said Tomas Lopez, counsel in the Brennan Center for Justices democracy program, which tracks and supports efforts to roll back felon voter disenfranchisement. As important as changing laws are, its also critical to make sure those with felony records who can vote know they are able to do so, supporters say. The biggest obstacle in most states is that people just do not know that they ever could get their rights restored, said Edward A. Hailes Jr., managing director and general counsel at the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization. Who gets to vote A patchwork of state laws and policies controls who has the right to vote after a felony conviction. People convicted of felonies in Maine and Vermont never lose their right to vote. They can even cast absentee ballots while serving prison time. But in other states like Florida, Kentucky and Iowa, people with felony records cannot vote again unless they successfully petition the governor, a process that can take years and end in a denial. Most states fall somewhere between, allowing people with felonies to vote after their sentence, or once theyve completed parole or probation. In some cases, the process is automatic; in others, it requires an individual to apply to the state, especially in the case of serious or violent crimes. People under 18 can be affected by felony disenfranchisement either because they live in a state that treats some minors as adults in the criminal justice system, like New York or North Carolina, or because they are charged as adults. Precise numbers about the juveniles affected by felony disenfranchisement are hard to come by, because not every state tracks how many minors end up in the adult system. In 2010, about 137,000 16- or 17-year-olds likely faced criminal prosecution because their state set the boundary for being treated as an adult at younger than 18 years old, according to a federal analysis released by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. However, theres no way to know if those teenagers faced felony or misdemeanor charges, or were convicted. In addition, several thousand more young offenders are transferred from the juvenile system into the adult system each year, where they could face felony charges that would bar them from voting if convicted. Advocates and opponents Supporters of changing the laws say that voting is a building block that can help people lead full, successful lives once they leave prison. You have to get people engaged in the community. This is the most fundamental way you can do that, said Lopez. For young people in particular, losing their right to vote as an adolescent could mean theyll never pick it up because theyre not civically engaged at a young age, he said. But rights restoration should not be too easy, said Roger Clegg, president and general counsel at the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative think tank that studies race and ethnicity. If youre not willing to follow the law, then you cant claim that you have the right to make the law for anyone else, he said. People with felony records should have to demonstrate they have changed before they are allowed to vote again and that process shouldnt start until theyve served their entire term, including parole or probation, Clegg said. While there are many groups working to loosen felony voter restrictions, there are no prominent organizations strictly opposed to any changes for every felon. Instead, when the issue does reach lawmakers, the debate typically isnt whether to ever permit someone with a felony record to vote, but when and how to allow it. Last year, when the Maryland General Assembly initially approved legislation easing the rights restoration process, Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, vetoed the bill, saying those on probation or parole were still serving their debt to society. The current law achieves the proper balance between the repayment of obligations to society for a felony conviction and the restoration of the various restricted rights, he said. The Maryland Senate voted to override the veto earlier this month, after the Maryland House of Delegates did so in January. Clegg said he thinks that the organizations motivated to make voting easier for former felons are motivated by a sense of fairness, as well as a desire for more Democratic voters. The theory goes that the racial minority voters who make up a disproportionately large share of the disenfranchised are likely to vote for Democrats. Lopez said it does not make sense to look at the issue as one likely to benefit only Democrats or Republicans. Each voter is an individual and should be treated as such, he said. I think there are some people who may view this through a partisan lens but I dont think thats the right way to look at this, he said. Bridging the gap In Virginia, an estimated 400,000 people cannot vote because of their criminal history. Virginia long has had one of the more stringent rights restoration policies in the country, but a series of executive actions by Govs. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, and Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, have made the process easier by simplifying forms, shortening waiting periods and lifting other barriers, such as a requirement that all court fees be paid before restoration. Walker is trying to make the most of the changes. Hes already helped several thousand people fill out forms for rights restoration which includes the right to vote, serve on a jury or as a notary public and run for public office and wants to reach 100,000 through his nonprofit, Bridging the Gap. He runs the organization, with small donations and money from his own pocket, on top of his day job as a mental health counselor. Walker said his first vote after having his rights restored, for President Obama in the 2012 election, was the most important hes cast post-conviction. For all his adult life, Walker had been a regular voter, and he felt something precious had been taken from him when he lost his civil rights. When he could vote again, he felt complete. That made a big difference to me to be able to go back and have a voice, he said. But not enough people know they have the option to get their rights restored, Walker said. In Virginia, the process for those with nonviolent offenses has been streamlined so that there is no waiting period for rights restoration after the end of supervision. Unlike some states though, an applicant does need to submit a paper form or go online to request restoration. Those with records of more serious offenses must wait three years after the end of supervision and submit an application that includes a letter from their probation or parole supervisor. The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth conducts a criminal background check, and the application is then approved or denied by the governor. Walker said hes pleased with the changes that have been made so far in Virginia. He wants the state to go even further, putting in place automatic restoration or eliminating the loss of voting rights entirely. In Virginia, extending automatic rights restoration will require an amendment to the state Constitution, a push advocates say they wont take on until 2017. An effort to amend the constitution likely will encounter more opposition than the governors changes. For example, Virginia Del. Mark L. Cole, a Republican who chairs the Privileges and Elections Committee, said in an email he supports rights restoration and has helped guide several constituents through the process. He thinks Virginia's system works as is. "I believe the current process, which requires a review is probably the best approach," he wrote. "I do not support an automatic restoration with no review." Bridging the Gap also helps people navigate jobs, housing and health care when they re-enter the community after prison. Walker knows that for many people leaving the criminal justice system voting does not rank high if at all on their list of priorities, especially those who never voted before. He hopes he can help make civic responsibility an important part of their lives. Clarence Woodson Bey, 64, who left prison in 2000 (he wouldnt say what his offense was ), was denied his bid for rights restoration twice before Bridging the Gap helped him navigate the process several years ago. When he finally received the paperwork restoring his rights, it was a moment that lit him up like a Christmas tree. I feel like I have learned and I wanted to have that opportunity to vote before I leave this Earth, he said. Hes since gone to the polls twice, with Walker by his side to help navigate the process. More than the candidates he voted for, or the issues that most engaged him, Bey remembers most clearly how excited he was to feel wholly a citizen, an emotion he intends to recapture with every election. My voice counts, thats for sure, he said. Walker and other reformers want people who are returning from prison to see how policy affects their lives. Its one thing to hope a legislator pushes a policy that helps with re-entry. Its another to decide who that legislator will be. People may think first of the ability to cast a ballot in a presidential election, but local and state politics matter, too, said Hailes of the Advancement Project. People with felony convictions want what other people want to vote, he said. They want to stand up and vote for better streets and trash pick-up, and the president of the school board. Don't miss another Juvenile Justice investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Having a say Reformers say prohibitions on voting because of a felony conviction run counter to American ideals of equality. Even if only one person was affected by this policy, it raises fundamental questions by what we mean by democracy, said Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project. Supporters of ending felony voter disenfranchisement add that the policy can have real and troubling effects on elections on how politicians approach entire communities and likely even who is elected in some cases. The numbers of people who lose their right to vote because of a felony conviction is high enough that academics have studied whether the policies can tip elections. In one oft-cited 2002 study, sociologists looked at voting patterns in Florida during the 2000 election and concluded that Al Gore would have carried the state, and the Electoral College, over George W. Bush had voting rights been extended to people with felony records. The same study looked at 400 Senate elections from 1978 and 2000 and found that seven may have been reversed in favor of Democrats if not for felony disenfranchisement. In swing states like Virginia, where elections can be won by tiny margins, those findings suggest felony disenfranchisement matters both philosophically and practically. And the policies affect some communities in disproportionate ways. Of the citizens affected by felony disenfranchisement, about 2.2 million are black, according to the Sentencing Project. Its a finding that means about 1 in 13 black adults cannot vote, the group says. Lewis Webb, a program coordinator at the American Friends Service Committee who works on prisoner re-entry issues, said the issue of felony disenfranchisement isnt sufficiently recognized for the way it diminishes the gains of the civil rights movement. Its really for me the ultimate slap in the face to those who struggled so hard to get the Voting Rights Act passed, he said. The costs are both legal and social, said Webb, who also is a facilitator with Campaign to End the New Jim Crow, a group based in New York that wants to end mass incarceration and the collateral consequences that accompany prison sentences. If your dad didnt vote, you dont vote. Not because you cant but because its not something you talked about, he said. State reforms Lopez of the Brennan Center said states interest in loosening the rules could partly be an outgrowth of the growing consensus that says criminal justice reform is necessary. Allowing people to participate in their communities may help discourage recidivism, making it a smart-on-crime policy that appeals to policymakers across the political spectrum. Between 1996 and 2008, 28 states passed laws on felon voting rights. Many of them lifted restrictions, including seven that repealed lifetime disenfranchisement for some people with felony records, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states have moved in the other direction though, such as a 2011 executive order by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad that rolled back a policy that allowed people with felonies to vote after completing their full sentence. In the order, Branstad said it was important for offenders to be evaluated individually for rights restoration. The Supreme Court of Iowa said in early February that it would consider a challenge to the states ban on voting for convicted felons. In 2015, three states considered major reforms, including Maryland. And, Wyoming passed a bill that would allow more ex-felons to vote. By early February of this year, 46 bills had been introduced in 16 states that deal with felony voter rights, nearly all of which eased the process for offenders or offered support to navigate the rights restoration process. This year, reformers will be watching particularly closely to see if Kentucky lawmakers will push the legislature to consider simplifying the rights restoration process. Last fall, outgoing Gov. Kentucky Steve Beshear, a Democrat, issued an executive order that would have made rights restoration easier for many people, but incoming Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, rolled it back because he said the issue was a legislative matter. Webb said state reforms alone will not be enough though. Better education about who can vote and grassroots action to get people to the voting booth also are needed. I do believe for this to have any real traction, its going to have to return to the street, he said. This story is part of Juvenile Justice. Scrutinizing controversial policies affecting young people at risk. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. BOSTON (Reuters) - Federal agents on Wednesday raided the private office of a Massachusetts state senator who is the subject of an ethics inquiry after reports that he received free dry cleaning, an FBI spokeswoman said, but it was not known if the two were related. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service agents conducted a court-authorized raid of the law office of state Senator Brian Joyce, a Democrat, FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera said in an e-mail. She declined to say why the office had been raided or if it was related to the ethics investigation. Joyce came under fire after the Boston Globe newspaper reported that he and his family had received free dry cleaning services from a business in his district for more than a decade and had used campaign funds to pay for his son's high school graduation party. His district includes commuter suburbs south of Boston. Joyce has denied any wrongdoing and has said the arrangement with the dry cleaner was in exchange for legal services he provided that far outweighed the value of the cleaning. "It is unfortunate that recent stories in the media appear to have sparked an investigation," said Howard Cooper, an attorney for Joyce. "Senator Joyce has been cooperating with each inquiry that has taken place to date resulting from those stories and believes that he has done absolutely nothing wrong." Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, called a state ethics board to look into the matter. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Alan Crosby) A leading US advisory panel concluded Tuesday there is no need to screen all children aged 18 to 30 months for autism, a disorder that has become more common in recent years. The US Preventive Services Task Force -- an independent group of experts -- said more research is needed to determine if the benefits of universal screening might outweigh any harms. "The current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children 18 to 30 months of age for whom no concerns of ASD have been raised by their parents or a clinician," said the USPSTF in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Autism spectrum disorder affects as many as one in 68 children in the United States, according to 2010 data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some studies show the rate of autism has risen significantly since 2000, when one in 150 children were diagnosed with the disorder which can involve difficulty in social settings, increased sensitivity to certain stimuli, and either learning disabilities or above-average intelligence. Some autism advocates said they were disappointed that universal screening had not been recommended. "These recommendations may harm children whose symptoms are not immediately obvious to parents or clinicians," said Alycia Halladay, chief science officer of the Autism Science Foundation. "Scientific studies prove that earlier identification and intervention leads to better outcomes," she added. The American Academy of Pediatrics is among the professional organizations that support universal screening for ASD at 18 and 30 months. But the USPSTF said "there are no studies that focus on the clinical outcomes of children identified with ASD through screening," so it was impossible to tell if screening all children would help improve their lives down the line. "Although there are studies suggesting treatment benefit in older children identified through family, clinician or teacher concerns, the USPSTF found inadequate evidence on the efficacy of treatment of cases of ASD detected through screening or among very young children." According to an accompanying editorial in JAMA by Michael Silverstein of the Boston University School of Medicine and Jenny Radesky of the University of Michigan School of Medicine, the task force "embraced this issue in all its complexity. Physicians, other health professionals, policy makers, insurers and other stakeholders should do the same." The findings "should spur more research and enhance the knowledge base around universal ASD screening," they wrote. RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he and leaders of Southeast Asian countries meeting in a California summit discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea, and agreed that any territorial disputes there should be resolved peacefully and through legal means. "The United States and ASEAN are reaffirming our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld," Obama said at the end of the summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas," he said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Eric Beech) By Jeff Mason RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday vowed to pick an indisputably qualified nominee for the Supreme Court and chided Republicans who control the U.S. Senate for threatening to block him from filling the pivotal vacancy. Obama told senators he has a constitutional duty to nominate a new justice after Saturday's death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and reminded them of their constitutional obligation to "do their job" and vote to approve or reject his nominee. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the seat on the nation's highest court should remain vacant until Obama's successor takes office in January so voters can have a say on the selection when they cast ballots in the Nov. 8 presidential election. "I'm amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there," Obama said. "The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now," Obama, a former constitutional law professor, told a news conference at the close of a two-day meeting with leaders from Southeast Asia. In Washington, Scalia's chair in the court's ornate chamber was draped with black wool crepe in accordance with court tradition following a justice's death. The court said Scalia's body will lie in repose at the Supreme Court building on Friday before his funeral Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on Saturday. Obama's nominee could shift the balance of power on the court, which had five conservatives and four liberals before Scalia's death. The president said he understood the high stakes for Republican senators under pressure to vote against his pick for the lifetime appointment, who conceivably would be the deciding vote in cases where the court is split. 'VENOM AND RANCOR' Obama said the "venom and rancor in Washington" has led to the Senate routinely blocking his nominations for lower courts and other posts but said the Supreme Court is too important to get trapped in political gridlock. "It's the one court where we would expect elected officials to rise above day-to-day politics," he said. But Republicans have pointed out that Obama and members of his cabinet, who were then in the Senate, were not above trying to block the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Samuel Alito by then-President George W. Bush in 2006. "While he complained about filibusters today, he joined filibusters while in the Senate," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Asked about his record, Obama acknowledged Democrats have played politics with nominations, too, through what he described as "strategic decisions" that ultimately did not block the president's nominee. "But what is also true is Justice Alito is on the bench right now," Obama said. OBAMA'S STRATEGY Obama shed little light on whom he would choose or how the White House will try to finesse his choice through Congress. "We're going to find somebody who is an outstanding legal mind, somebody who cares deeply about our democracy and cares about rule of law," Obama said. "I'm going to present somebody who indisputably is qualified for the seat, and any fair-minded person, even somebody who disagrees with my politics, would say would serve with honor and integrity on the court," he added. Asked directly if that meant he would choose a moderate candidate, Obama said, "No." He said there was "more than enough time" for the Senate to hold hearings and vote on his nominee without the White House needing to resort to a procedure known as a recess appointment to get around the Senate when it is not in session. But he did not explicitly rule out a recess appointment. Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, whose panel weighs Supreme Court nominations, said on Tuesday he will wait until Obama names his pick to fill the vacancy before deciding whether to hold confirmation hearings. Grassley has offered mixed messages since Scalia's death on how the Senate should proceed on the vacancy, alternating hardline views on blocking any nominee with comments not ruling out hearings. "I would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decisions" about confirmation hearings, Grassley said, according to Radio Iowa. "In other words, take it a step at a time." (Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley, Richard Cowan, Ayesha Rascoe, Julia Edwards and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Will Dunham and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Washington (AFP) - The United States is coming under increasingly bitter criticism for its perceived lack of leadership over Syria as the country's brutal civil conflict heads toward new levels of intensity. Washington appears unable or unwilling to prevent its ally Turkey from bombing Kurdish fighters inside Syria, its critics say. And it has done little to rein in Russia's mounting military involvement on behalf of Bashar al-Assad. In the eyes of his detractors, President Barack Obama is guilty of refusing to engage in Syria by doing exactly what he said he would do when he was elected in 2008: pulling America out of Middle Eastern wars, after the Iraq debacle, and "pivot" US foreign policy towards Asia. A pointed attack came Tuesday from France, where few have forgotten Obama's last-minute refusal to take action against Syria in 2013 after evidence surfaced that the government used chemical weapons against civilians. "Obama had said, 'If he uses chemical weapons, it will cross a red line," former Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday on Europe 1 Radio. "And that red line was crossed with no reaction." "When the history books are written, we'll see that this was a turning point, not only in the Middle East crisis but also for Ukraine, Crimea and the entire world," Fabius had said earlier this month, adding that he regretted the "ambiguities" and "lack of very strong engagement" Washington has demonstrated with respect to Syria. - 'Historians will look back' - After the bombing of hospitals and other civilian targets around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, the State Department only bemoaned the "continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people" and questioned Russia's "willingness" to put a stop to it. For Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, that simply wasn't enough. Story continues "Historians will one day look back at our archives and wonder what we thought we'd accomplish with such statements," Schanzer tweeted Tuesday. The White House has dismissed the accusations of inaction. Washington says the military coalition of 65 countries it has led for the past 18 months has carried out thousands of air strikes against jihadists of the Islamic State group, who control territory in both Syria and Iraq. At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry -- a skeptic of military interventionism known for his boundless public optimism about the diplomatic process -- has spearheaded an attempt to launch a peace process together with 20 global and regional powers. The United States and Russia agreed in Munich on Friday on a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week with the aim of relaunching the peace process and halting the exodus of civilians. They also agreed to open humanitarian aid corridors. But with Moscow intensifying its air campaign in northern Syria and Turkey stepping up calls for a ground offensive, any hope for a truce seems increasingly illusory. US National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned Monday's bombing -- most likely Russian -- of hospitals in Aleppo that left 50 dead, according to the United Nations. "We think it runs counter, frankly, to the commitment made in Munich on Friday," she said, "and to our shared interest in seeing the violence reduced, civilians allowed to receive humanitarian assistance." She also criticized Turkish air strikes against Syrian Kurds that are both poisoning relations between Moscow and Ankara and undermining the Turkish-American alliance. - 'Moral bankruptcy' - Even Washington's critics understand it is in a very difficult position. An ally of Ankara within NATO and the anti-terror coalition, it also supports Kurdish militia groups fighting ISIS in Syria. The United States is also formally Russia's partner in the search for a political solution in Syria. Kerry hashed out Friday's Munich agreement together with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. However, few believe anything will come of it. "One shouldn't expect anything from the Americans... They have no more credibility" in the Middle East, said Joseph Bahout, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment who spoke Thursday just before the agreement was announced. And in a recent article from the Brookings Institution, experts Michael Ignatieff and Leon Wieseltier argue it is "past time to proclaim the moral bankruptcy of American and Western policy in Syria." "Western inaction," they write, is the result of "five years of empty declarations that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go, of half-hearted arming of rebel groups, of allowing the red line on chemical weapons to be crossed and of failing adequately to share Europe's refugee burden as it buckles under the strain." Taipei (AFP) - Olympic medallist Denis Ten will face tough competition as the headline act at the Four Continents figure skating championships in Taipei this week, as he seeks to defend his crown. Ten is looking to scoop his second Four Continents title after winning in Seoul last year. The skater from Kazakhstan, who took an Olympic bronze at Sochi in 2014, will face three-time World Champion Patrick Chan of Canada and 2015 Skate America champion Max Aaron of the United States. Current ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medallist Shoma Uno of Japan and defending Four Continents bronze medallist Yan Han of China will also line up for the men's title. The women's event is also wide open after defending champion Polina Edmunds of the US withdrew due to injury. Last year's runner-up Satoko Miyahara of Japan -- a reigning world silver medallist -- will headline the field. "It's my third time competing at the Four Continents. I have two silver medals so I want the first place. I practise very hard so I want to do my best at this competition," she told AFP. Miyahara will face fellow Japanese skater Rika Hongo and 2014 Four Continents champion Kanako Murakami, as well as ISU Grand Prix finalist Gracie Gold of the US. In the pairs, reigning World and Four Continents champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada are defending their title. Among the medal contenders are World silver medallists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China -- their compatriots Yu Xiaoyu and Jin Yang will also vie for the title, with American champions Tarah Kayne and Daniel O'Shea also hopeful. In the ice dance event, defending champions Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada are eyeing their third title and come in confident after taking the ISU Grand Prix final earlier this season. Other top competitors include newly crowned US champions Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, and 2015 World and Four Continents silver medallists Madison Chock and Evan Bates, also from the United States. Story continues More than 90 skaters representing 15 ISU members from around the world are competing at the event, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at Taiwan's Taipei Arena. "We hope to promote skating in Taiwan by hosting the competition. With the world's top skaters coming (to Taiwan), local audiences can enjoy top quality performances without having to fly abroad while local skaters can have the opportunities to learn from them," said Eddy Wu, secretary-general of Chinese Taipei Skating Union. Tsao Chih-i and Amy Lin will represent Taiwan in the men's and women's events, respectively. The race to host the 2024 Olympic Games gets underway in earnest on Wednesday with the four bid cities -- Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome -- presenting their initial candidature files to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first step in an 18-month campaign to host one of the world's top sporting events will be a lowkey affair with IOC president Thomas Bach and leading officials currently attending the Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer. Bids will be transmitted by USB key to IOC headquarters in Lausanne with Los Angeles and Budapest deciding not to mark the occasion, unlike Paris and Rome. The Californian city, the 1984 Olympic hosts, will publish their bid on their website once the IOC have confirmed receipt. The celebration on the US west coast will take place on Tuesday with the unveiling of the city's official logo, a week after Paris unveiled theirs at a special ceremony in front of the Arc De Triomphe. The Los Angeles bid is in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 which targets cost reduction. Existing installations such as the Staples Center, the LA Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, and university stadiums will be used with athletes to be housed on the UCLA campus. No ceremony will take place in Budapest where opponents, fearing spiralling costs and risks of corruption, tried to force a citizens referendum to block the bid, like in Hamburg. The Hungarian capital have announced a modest budget of 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to build infrastructure. By contrast, Rome and Paris will mark the handover -- The Eternal City getting things rolling early at the Palazzo dei Congressi, the fencing venue at the 1960 Games. Rome bid president Luca Di Montezemolo will preside over a ceremony to be broadcast on state-owned television RAI. With the Colosseum as their emblem and the city's major tourist attractions as venues, the Italian capital will build on its strengths and existing infrastructure to avoid, like its rivals, unnecessary and unpopular costs. Paris -- who suffered a traumatic loss to London for the 2012 Games -- will unveil their bid in the afternoon at the city's new Philharmonie. Bid committee president Bernard Lapasset will confirm a budget of 3.2 billion euros for infrastructure, with existing stadiums and arenas being used along with landmark Paris monuments like the Grand Palais and the Trocadero. A week after unveiling its logo representing the Eiffel Tower, Paris should also confirm that its Olympic project will be turned towards their youth and suburbs. More detailed dossiers will be submitted in October before visits to the candidates by the IOC evaluation commission in early 2017. The vote for the host city will take place on September 13, 2017 in Lima. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is leading his fellow senators against confirming President Obamas choice for the Supreme Court before the November election. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Republicans and Democrats are already using the Supreme Court vacancy created by Antonin Scalias death Saturday as a political fundraising tool, entrenching partisan narratives that have defined both parties since President Obama took office and revealing dueling priorities for the 2016 elections. Democrats are arguing that the immediate, outright GOP commitment to refuse even to consider an Obama nomination not just block it on the floor of the Senate is another example of the obstructionism that has characterized the Republican majority in the Senate. Feeling more confident about its chances of retaining the White House, the Democratic Partys response has been largely driven by the goal of winning back the Senate majority it lost in 2014. For Republicans, the hardline stance against any potential nominee reflects the interests of leading presidential candidates in energizing the partys base by turning the election into a referendum on Obama. But there are risks at the Senate level that such a tactic could backfire in moderate or Democratic-leaning states where those same frontrunners are not especially popular, dragging down the rest of the Republican ticket. In 2016, Republicans will be defending 24 seats in the Senate, including seven in states Obama won twice, and congressional GOP leaders have seen internal polling suggesting the Senate majority could be at risk if frontrunners Donald Trump or Ted Cruz become the partys nominee. After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would not cooperate in filling the Supreme Court vacancy, the Senate Majority PAC the super-PAC created in 2011 by allies of top Senate Democrat Harry Reid to raise unlimited money for Democratic candidates claimed that the Republican leader had made his entire caucus more vulnerable. Story continues Mitch McConnells partisan obstructionism isnt just unprecedented, but its indefensible. His refusal to do his job undermines our countrys judicial system, and today he just made his entire caucus that much more vulnerable this November, especially considering voters are already fed up with dysfunction in Washington, a spokesman for the group said. So much for all that rhetoric about how the majority is working under Republican control. Nearly all of the vulnerable Republican senators up in 2016 have lined up behind McConnells strategy: Rob Portman of Ohio, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. The one notable exception is Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who assumed Obamas Senate seat in 2010 and is widely considered the most endangered Republican senator of the cycle. The GOP senators who are backing McConnells stance are counting on a couple of as yet unproven premises: first, that the number of conservative voters in their states who will be energized by the confrontation will outweigh the moderates or independents who may be alienated by it, and second, that they will all win their races and a Republican Senate will get to confirm a nominee in 2017. The most significant downside to blocking Obama now is the possibility that Democrats would win both the White House and the Senate and ultimately confirm a more liberal nominee than Obama is likely to choose in the present circumstances. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., needs to pivot quickly from his failed presidential campaign to his Senate reelection bid and is using the Supreme Court battle to do it. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) Meanwhile, conservatives and anti-establishment Republicans see an opening for themselves too. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who suspended his presidential campaign to focus on Senate reelection in November, has been the quickest in using the Supreme Court issue to campaign. He has leveraged the vacancy as a way to turn his presidential donor list into a source of funds for his Senate campaign. Hes sent out two fundraising emails since Scalia died, with subject lines of I plan to lead and One heck of a fight, respectively, to focus on his role in the Senate in blocking the nomination of a justice of Obamas choosing. I plan to lead the fight to stop them in the Senate. Patriot, will you stand with me as I do everything I can to block President Obamas attempt to silence the opinion of the American public? his first fundraising email read. The passing of Justice Scalia has made it more clear than ever that the role of the Senate is vital to maintaining liberty. In the second email asking for money, Paul said: Im not going to take it lying down and let the president have his way. Im not going to let him change the entire process of law in this country without one heck of a fight. The question remains what that fight might look like in the Senate, whether Republicans will hold hearings and allow floor votes or forgo scheduling those basic processes altogether. On Tuesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who initially came out in support of McConnells position that no justice should be confirmed until 2017, told a local radio station he would wait until a nominee is made before I make any decisions on whether to convene a confirmation hearing. The Senate is in recess this week and the White House is expected to send them a name for confirmation when they return. What happens next in the so-called worlds greatest deliberative body might not even include a formal debate, but it is sure to be partisan. The gamble, especially for Republicans, is whether their base voters are happier when senators are not doing their jobs. By Jim Urquhart BURNS, Ore. (Reuters) - The cost of the six-week standoff in rural Oregon that ended peacefully on Thursday will likely cost millions of dollars, with local and state agencies looking to the federal government - and the arrested occupiers - to shoulder the bulk of the bills. The total outlay may not be known for weeks or months, but the remote location of the occupation, at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern part of the state, combined with the complexity of the law enforcement response, suggest a costly operation, said Brian Levin, a criminal justice expert at California State University San Bernardino. "When you have an unpredictable occupation like this you have to free up a lot of personnel assets and resources," Levin said. "The cost of maintaining a multi-agency task force can get very expensive." The protest over federal control of Western lands began in early January and ended Thursday when the final four holdouts surrendered. Oregon Governor Kate Brown is seeking up to $1 million from the state legislature to offset expenditures by counties and towns, and said the state in turn would seek reimbursement from the federal government. Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBIs criminal investigative division, said while the FBI will pay for its own personnel, the state of Oregon and the affected counties will likely be expected to cover their own costs. Its going to be every agency for themselves, he said. The governors $1 million figure, equal to half of the law enforcement budget of Harney County where the refuge is located, is based on the estimated cost of personnel, transportation and lodging incurred by the state's 36 counties, which all sent reinforcements to help Harney County deal with the occupation, said Kristen Grainger, a spokeswoman for Brown. Harney County alone spent nearly $240,000 through the end of January, the latest figures available, said Laura Cleland, who was contracted to act as the countys temporary spokeswoman during the standoff. Clelands $6,400 monthly fee is included in the countys tabulation of the standoff cost. Story continues Harney County Judge Steven Grasty, who also serves on the county commission, said the total cost to the county could reach $500,000. Grasty said the county plans to seek reimbursement directly from the occupiers, and is prepared to take legal action. "If youre going to come in and undo a little a community, come prepared to pay the cost of it, he said. Other agencies and municipalities are also beginning to weigh in. The week-long closure of public schools in the area in early January over safety concerns adds $160,000 in teacher salaries and other expenses to the bill. The city of Burns, closest to the refuge, incurred $30,000, neighboring Hines spent about $25,000. Figures are not yet available for the costs of repairing the damage to the refuge itself, a popular bird sanctuary operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On Friday, the FBI said it had deployed its Art Crime Team, trained in cultural property investigations, to work with the Burns Paiute Tribe to identify and document damage to the tribe's artifacts and sacred burial grounds located at the sanctuary, a process they estimated would likely take weeks. The FBI declined to provide budget information on the standoff but a law enforcement official estimated that a minimum of 90 federal agents would have been required to staff the three checkpoints set up outside the standoff compound 24 hours a day. The U.S. Attorneys office will be looking into whether the federal government will join the county in seeking reimbursement from the occupiers, the source said. The FBI could go to Congress and request supplemental funding, but the agency would likely simply dip into its cash reserves, Hosko said. You respond first, and people back in headquarters are saying, Hey, do what you got to do, Hosko said. And that may mean other good ideas are cut out because we spend on this." The standoff did bring some benefit to the local economy in the normally sluggish winter season. Business was triple the norm at the Silver Spur Motel in Burns, where rooms run from $40 to $60 a night, said owner Robert Carlson. The Bella Java coffee shop hired two workers after receiving an order from law enforcement for a weeks worth of meals, including biscuits with gravy and chicken wraps, said Tammy DeLange, store manager. "It was a huge financial boost, she said. (Additional Reporting by Julia Edwards in Washington, Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California and Eric M. Johnson and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Sara Catania and Lisa Shumaker) By Jimmy Urquhart BURNS, Ore. (Reuters) - The four holdouts in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered on Thursday, with the last protester repeatedly threatening suicide in a dramatic final phone call with mediators before he gave up, ending the 41-day standoff. David Fry, 27, stayed behind for more than an hour and told supporters by phone he had not agreed with the other three to leave the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. The call was broadcast live on an audio feed posted on the Internet. "I'm actually pointing a gun at my head. I'm tired of living," Fry said during the phone call. He later added: "Until you address my grievances, you're probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself." Fry sounded alternately defiant and tormented during the rambling final call, veering from rants about the federal government to his thoughts on UFOs. He surrendered after taking a final cigarette and cookie and asking his mediators to shout "Hallelujah." Authorities could be heard over the phone line telling him to put his hands up before the call disconnected. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward called him a "very troubled young man" at a news conference several hours later. Federal authorities said the refuge would remain closed for several weeks as agents secured what was now considered a crime scene and scoured it for fugitives or explosives. The protesters told authorities they left behind booby traps but did not say whether the trip wires and other devices would trigger explosions, a law enforcement official told Reuters. Materials to create explosives could be found on the property, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The final four occupiers will face charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers, along with 12 others previously arrested, officials said. "The occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge has been a long and traumatic episode for the citizens of Harney County and the members of the Burns Paiute tribe," U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said in the statement. "It is a time for healing, reconciliation amongst neighbors and friends, and allowing for life to get back to normal." Story continues CLIVEN BUNDY ARRESTED The takeover, which began on Jan. 2, was sparked by the return to prison of two Oregon ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge. The standoff, which was originally led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, came to a head after the arrest on Wednesday in Portland of their father, Cliven Bundy. On Thursday, he was charged with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer and obstruction of justice in connection with a separate 2014 standoff on federal land near his Nevada ranch. Cliven Bundy was subdued during a brief court appearance in Portland, appearing pale and tired in a jail uniform and eyeglasses. He spoke only to acknowledge his rights to the judge. The Malheur occupation had also been a protest against federal control over millions of acres (hectares) of public land in the West. Ammon and Ryan Bundy were arrested in January along with nine other protesters on a snow-covered roadside where a spokesman for the group, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot dead. A 12th member of the group surrendered to police in Arizona. After Cliven Bundy's arrest, three of four remaining occupiers surrendered to the FBI at the urging of Nevada state Assemblywoman Michele Fiore and the Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada, and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho, surrendered peacefully, according to the FBI. Fiore told Reuters in an interview that she and Graham hugged each of the holdouts as they emerged and that they seemed relieved. No one got scratched, no one got thrown on the ground and nothing happened, Fiore said. Fry arrived at the occupation within the first week, and told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he was inspired by Finicum. He became one the most outspoken protesters, posting frequent, often angry rants on social media. The skinny, bespectacled Ohio native from a military family has also expressed outrage when dealing with what appear to be minor criminal offenses in his past. In a YouTube video from September, Fry can be heard saying he refused to pay fines for smoking marijuana on a river and not wearing a life jacket, and then sets fire to a debt collection notice. Frys father told Oregon Public Broadcasting his son had also screamed at a police officer who had pulled him over for broken taillights. The elder Fry said his son was bullied in high school because of his Japanese heritage. (Additional reporting by Shelby Sebens in Portland, Oregon; Barbara Goldberg and Joseph Ax in New York, Julia Edwards in Washington, Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sara Catania, Jeffrey Benkoe, Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney) The Prince George ballroom was Marie Antoinette blue from wall paint to seating to carpet floors the first nod to the direction Oscar de la Rentas creative director Peter Copping was headed for FW16. Specifically, 1973s epic evening the Battle of Versailles a Zoolander-esque walk-off of sorts with fashions most in-demand players, but rather the designers (not models) of the time. Oscar went over with a group of other American designers and took on the French and they had a huge fashion show at Versailles, says Copping of the event that saw de la Renta, Halston, Stephen Burrows, Bill Blass and Anne Klein battling it out with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro and Hubert de Givenchy (all in an effort to raise funds to restore the palace). Oscars clothes at the time were much more minimal compared to what they developed into, so that got me thinking about minimalism in contrast to the more decorative French styles and over-the-top place at Versailles. Read More: Brandon Maxwell, Lady Gaga Discuss the Designer's Fall Collection, Fashion's Pressure Cooker Coppings 18th century-inspired looks werent quite as compelling as his exceptionally beautiful spring show (a moment, that if there were still doubts, firmly sealed the return of carnation flowers amongst society's set), but there were some pretty options still for red carpet stylists such as Kate Young (Natalie Portman, Sienna Miller are clients) and Jeanann Williams (Naomi Watts), who were both sitting front-row along with The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn. A sparkly emerald tinsel-flecked cocktail dress, a dusty rose floral jacquard draped gown or Coppings favorite an ice blue radzimir draped bodice gown with a tasteful Jolie-esque 'Jo-Leg' slit that he says would look appropriate but kind of fresh." Speaking of fresh, the designer notes that not all of the billowy numbers were in fact ball gowns: Sometimes it was a bustier worn with a skirt the final look for example was two pieces. You can wear the bustier as shown or with a pant and a pair of pumps. I like its versatility and thinking of different ways of dressing for evening. Story continues PRETTY IN PINK: A model on Oscar de la Renta's fall 2016 runway. (Photo: Getty Images) Mexico City (AFP) - Parents of 43 missing Mexican students, whose case has caused international outrage, decided to skip Pope Francis's mass at the Mexico-US border Wednesday because they lacked the means to go. Relatives of the teacher trainees had sought for months to get a private audience with Francis during his five-day visit to Mexico, which ends Wednesday with a huge mass in Ciudad Juarez. While they were not granted a private meeting, the parents were offered three seats at the service in Ciudad Juarez. "They couldn't go. We don't have the material or logistical resources" to travel there, Vidulfo Rosales, an attorney representing the parents, told AFP. But the families were able to send the Argentine-born pontiff a letter through Mexican Jesuits. Representatives of local human rights organizations are due to attend the mass, during which the pope is expected to address the drug violence that has left 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years. Authorities say the 43 students were abducted in September 2014 by corrupt police in Iguala, southern Guerrero state, and handed over to a drug gang, which killed them and incinerated their bodies at a garbage dump. But two foreign independent teams of investigators and forensic experts have rejected the official conclusion, saying there was no evidence of a massive fire at the dump. The case has been the biggest challenge of President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration. Paris (AFP) - In a world first, a patient in France undergoing brain surgery while conscious wore virtual reality glasses as doctors removed a cancerous tumour, the chief surgeon told AFP Tuesday. "In creating a completely artificial world for the patient, we could map certain zones and connections of his brain related to functions that we could not, up to now, easily test on the operating table," Philippe Menei, a neurosurgeon at Angers hospital in western France, told AFP. The operation was performed on January 27, and the patient was recovering well, he said. Taking a scalpel to the brain while a patient is conscious has been a common practice for more than a decade. Doing so allows doctors to determine, during an operation, whether and how vital functions such as speech, vision and movement are affected. Patients cannot feel the probing of their brain tissue, and do not experience pain. But using three-dimensional, virtual reality opens up a whole new range of possibilities, Menei said. "By totally controlling what the patient sees and hears, we can put him in situations that allow us to do tests on certain (neural) connections that were not possible before," he said. In this case, it was crucial to protect the patient's vision because he had already lost sight in one eye due to an illness. During the operation, the medical team created a neutral virtual environment with no single point of focus. "In this empty void, we could control the space and make luminous objects appear in the patient's peripheral vision," Menei said. Three weeks after the operation, the patient's vision was intact despite the removal of an aggressive tumour in a region controlling sight. Menei said the patient was now preparing to undergo chemotherapy. Virtual reality glasses "open the way to greater precision, and allow us to envision procedures that were not possible up to now, such as the removal of otherwise inaccessible brain tumours," he said. Story continues His team plans to use the technique again in the coming months on patients with brain tumours situated near areas that control vision. Virtual reality glasses could also be adapted for children, and may be tested on young patients before the end of the year. Brain cancer is the second most common form of cancer among children in France. Paul Aker told a Houston news station he was arrested by U.S. Marshals for unpaid student loan debt. Were scratching our heads over a story out of Houston, where a man named Paul Aker claims half a dozen U.S. Marshals showed up at his home last week and hauled him off in handcuffs all because of a 29-year-old student loan debt. The amount he owed: just $1,500. Aker, who was joined by local Rep. Gene Green, told his story to a local Fox news affiliate, claiming he never knew he owed student loan debt in the first place. Several news outlets picked up the story, painting a dramatic scene in which U.S. Marshals armed with automatic weapons arrested Aker for not paying a $1,500 student loan from three decades ago. Another outlet even tried to tie Akers case to ongoing student loan protests led by disgruntled students who attended shady for-profit institutions. This all makes for a compelling headline, but Yahoo Finance has learned the true story is much different. Back in November 2006, Aker was sued by the federal government for nonpayment of more than $2,600 in unpaid federal student loan debt, according to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (embedded below). The court record shows that Aker, listed as Winford P. Aker in the complaint, did not appear in court to answer the lawsuit and, as is common when student loan borrowers fail to appear, the presiding judge ruled against him and ordered Aker to pay the full balance on April 17, 2007. According to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Service, Aker repeatedly refused to show up in court after being contacted several times. The agency said Aker told them by phone he would not appear in court to answer the summons. Disobeying a court order is a criminal offense. Within a few months, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest, which the U.S. Marshals carried out. So, yes, Aker was arrested, but not just because he owed a little student loan debt. He was arrested for disobeying a court order. The Marshals statement goes on to describe the arrest, saying Aker "resisted arrest and retreated back into his home" when agents arrived: Story continues "The situation escalated when Aker verbally said to the deputies that he had a gun. After Aker made the statement that he was armed, in order to protect everyone involved, the deputies requested additional law enforcement assistance. Additional deputy marshals and local law enforcement officers responded to the scene. After approximately two hours, the law enforcement officers convinced Aker to peacefully exit his home, and he was arrested." In the end, Aker went to court and was released. As far as we know, he did not spend any time in jail. Aker claims he was never notified about the order and that could very well be true. His address listed on the complaint is different than the only listing for a "Winford P. Aker" Yahoo Finance found in the Houston area. His court summons may have been sent to an old address (efforts to reach Aker were unsuccessful). However, the U.S. Marshals Service maintains they made every effort to track him down, "including searching at numerous known addresses." Its not clear why it took the Marshals more than three years to track him down, but the fact is he was arrested for failure to appear in court not for his unpaid debt alone. Jan Kruse, spokeswoman for the National Consumer Law Center, says cases like Aker's are not uncommon. If you ignore your student loan bills long enough, your loan servicer can sue you in civil court, which is what happened to Aker. "If you receive a court summons, you should take it seriously," Kruse says. U.S. Marshals commonly serve civil processes to include summonses to appear in court over outstanding federal debt. In Houston, there are approximately 1,500 people who have been identified for not appearing in court to address their outstanding federal student loans, which has resulted in a judge issuing warrants for their arrest, according to the Marshals Service. Unforunately, it looks like it was a lapse in communication that landed Aker in handcuffs (to be clear, he did not spend time in jail he was escorted by Marshals to court). And, to add insult to injury, he was ordered to pay more than $1,200 in fees back to the U.S. Marshals service for the cost of arresting him. We were unable reach Aker for comment. We also reached out to Rep. Greens office, but havent heard back. Know your options Aker's case is an extreme one but it might have been avoidable. I cant say it more emphatically enough theres no need to allow it to get to that point with all the [repayment] options available, says Betsy Mayotte, a consumer outreach director for advocacy group American Student Assistance. Federal student loan borrowers struggling to repay their debt may qualify for special repayment programs based on their income or have their loans consolidated. Despite these flexible options, the government has struggled to get the word out to borrowers. Theres another reason Akers story probably struck a chord some shady debt collectors have illegally posed as federal agents to scare borrowers into paying back their debts. Just a couple of years ago, the FBI and U.S. Attorney General took down a company that made $4.1 million off such a scheme, duping 6,000 victims into believing they were associated with the U.S. Marshals Service as well as other bogus federal agencies like the Federal Government Task Force and the DOJ Task Force. This tactic is used in all areas of debt collection, not just student loans, says Mayotte. If youre contacted by someone threatening legal action over federal student loans, you should know there are consumer-friendly ways to resolve federal student loan debt, she says. But if you do receive notification that youre being sued and theres a court date, show up. If you don't show up, she says, you don't have the opportunity to defend yourself. See the original complaint against Aker below: *Due to a reporting error, we stated Aker was sued in November 2007. It was November 2006. WINFORD P. AKER, COMPLAINT And his notice of failure to appear in court: Aker Failure To Appear Since her teens, Muriel Vega, now 29, of Atlanta, has bought men's razors and shaving cream. It's partly a cost-saving strategy passed down from her mother, but she's also found that men's razors work better for her. "Over time, I started seeing more lady-focused razors, but I started trying them and they'll dull out halfway through one leg," she says. "I started going back to the male razors." Razors and shaving cream aren't the only products subject to a gender price gap. According to a study of gendered pricing released by New York City Department of Consumer Affairs last year, shampoo and conditioner marketed to women cost an average of 48 percent more than those marketed to men, while women's jeans cost 10 percent more than men's, and girls' bikes and scooters cost 6 percent more than boys'. Overall, the study found that products marketed to women cost more 42 percent of the time. Women, who statistically already make less money than men on average, may pay a premium for items marketed to them simply because they aren't aware of this so-called "pink" tax. "Manufacturers can find some consumers who are not aware of price differences or are willing to pay for something that's really the same as the male version," says Ian Parkman, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Portland. "[With razors], the blue version [might be] $1.99, and the pink razor [might be] $2.50, but pink plastic versus blue plastic can't explain the price difference." Total Number of Times Incidence Women pay more 168 42% Equal 157 40% Men pay more 72 18% Total 397 100% Source: New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Some items marketed to women not only cost more but actually contain less of the product because manufacturers make the product smaller and more feminine-looking, an approach called "shrink it and pink it." "Yes, sometimes women do need smaller versions of things, and for jeans and other clothing, we want different cuts and different fashions," says Christine Whelan, director of MORE: Money, Relationships and Equality at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. "But the idea that that equates to somewhere between a 30 to 50 percent price hike is simply playing on the socialized culture that says women need to look a certain way." For gendered toys, the blue version is often sturdier and more intellectually stimulating than the pink one (although companies like GoldieBlox are working to change this). "If you look at the pink Duplos [which are like Legos for younger kids], you can do only a fraction of what you can do with the regular Duplos," Whelan says. So what are cost-conscious women to do? Buying the men's version of an item is one option that could both save you money and send the message to stores and brands that you're not supporting higher prices on items marketed to women. If you'd rather not use a shower gel or deodorant with a musky, masculine fragrance, choose the unscented version, suggests Jenn Steele, director of product marketing at Indix, a firm that gathers data on consumer products. For kids who want the pink bicycle or other item, Whelan suggests framing it as a values decision, not a purely financial one. "Do you really want to support the idea that girls are getting charged more just because they're girls?" she asks. However, don't assume that the male version is always cheaper. Bring a calculator or use one on your phone to compare unit costs. "If we don't shop on a per-ounce basis because of the different sizes and shapes, it's easy to hide the pink tax," Steele says. "Without the math, it's really hard to know." Gendered products are sometimes shelved separately to further obscure the price difference. For gender-specific over-the-counter medication, also look at the dosage. "With the pink laxative versus the blue laxative, I would caution women to make sure that the dosing is the same in both," Whelan says. "Men's products may have extra ingredients or a higher dose, so look at the ingredient list." Of course, some items -- like tampons and other feminine hygiene products -- don't have a male version. Not only do those who menstruate need to buy these items, but in the vast of majority of states, they also pay sales tax on those items as if they were luxuries and not necessities. Outrage over the so-called "tampon tax" has spread in part due to a recent YouTube interview in which President Obama first learned about the tax. Women around the world are posting on social media under hashtags like #genderpricing, #pinktax and #gendertax, calling for an end to luxury taxes on these products and gendered pricing in general. That step is needed, according to Steele. "Women need to call out companies and put the pressure on brands and retailers to fix the pricing," she says. Susan Johnston Taylor contributes to the money section of USNews.com. Her articles on business and personal finance have also appeared in or on The Boston Globe, Learnvest.com, Entrepreneur.com and FastCompany.com. You can find her on Twitter @UrbanMuseWriter. By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The handgun used in last week's apparent murder-suicide of two 15-year-old girls found shot dead at their suburban Phoenix high school was furnished by a fellow student at the request of one of the girls, police said on Tuesday. Sergeant David Vidaure, a spokesman for the police department in Glendale, Arizona, said the girl had obtained the weapon from her classmate, a 15-year-old boy, on the eve of last Friday's fatal shooting after telling him "she needed it for protection". The classmate obliged by providing the girl with "a family-owned handgun, from his home, without the permission or knowledge of his parents," Vidaure said in a statement. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among American youths aged 10 to 24, resulting in 4,600 lives lost each year, and firearms are the most common method for taking one's own life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The male student has been cooperating with detectives, though his involvement will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for possible charges, Vidaure said. Neither the two girls nor their classmate - all students at Independence High School in Glendale - have been publicly identified because all three are minors. Although the precise circumstances remain under investigation, evidence from the scene has led homicide detectives to determine one of the girls killed the other before taking her own life, and that no other students witnessed the shooting. The two girls were believed to have been very close friends and romantically involved. Their bodies, a suicide note and the pistol were found in a canopied patio area near the school cafeteria after gunfire erupted shortly after classes started, triggering a security lockdown of the campus as police initially searched the school grounds for suspects. No surveillance video of the incident was captured, police said. Story continues On Tuesday, counselors and social workers were brought to the 2,000-student high school to help those returning to class for the first time since the incident. In a Facebook message to parents and guardians, school principal Rob Ambrose offered condolences to the families of the two girls and acknowledged the outpouring of community support. (Editing by Steve Gorman and Miral Fahmy) LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen shot and wounded a Pakistani polio worker in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday, the latest in a string of attacks against eradication teams in a country that accounts for more than 70 percent of the world's cases of the virus. More than 100,000 health workers fanned out across Pakistan this week, stepping up a drive to eliminate the polio virus this year from one of its last bastions, despite threats from militants against the vaccination teams. "Initial reports say that two men on a motorcycle opened fire on the vaccinators and ran away," police spokesman Hammad Haider told Reuters. A health worker was hit by the bullet in his leg and was rushed to hospital, where he was in stable condition on Wednesday afternoon, he said. He said it was unclear who was behind the shooting. More than 4,000 vaccinators are working in Lahore alone and each team is assigned two police officers for security, Haider said, adding that the team that was attacked had set out without a police escort. Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, is now endemic in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan's polio cases are declining, with just 54 cases of polio virus reported last year, down more than 80 percent from 2014, when the country suffered a large spike in cases. The latest immunization push aims to finish vaccinating every child in the country by the end of May. Efforts to eliminate polio in Pakistan have been complicated in recent years, as polio workers have faced attacks by militants who say the health teams are Western spies, or that the vaccines they administer are intended to sterilize children. In January, a suicide bomber killed at least 15 people outside a polio eradication center in the restive western city of Quetta, with two militant groups claiming responsibility. (Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Polish director Andrzej Zulawski, who spent much of his career working in France after falling afoul with Communist authorities at home, has died. He was 75. The director died after a long struggle with cancer, according to the Polish Filmmakers Association. Known for his highly artistic, controversial and often very violent films, Zulawski was noted for "rediscovering" actresses including Romy Schneider, Isabelle Adjani and Sophie Marceau, who gave some of their best performances in his films. The Polish Film Institute told The Hollywood Reporter that "unfortunately" it could confirm the news of the helmer's death. Zulawski's son Xawery, also a film director, noted how seriously ill his father was in a Facebook post late Tuesday, writing he was "terminally ill with cancer and undergoing intensive therapy in hospital in Poland," news agency AFP reported. Read More: 'Cosmos': Locarno Review Talking to Polish broadcaster Polsat, PFA head Jacek Bromski said Zulawski was "a very original artist, sometimes controversial, but always true to himself." The filmmaker won many awards during his long career, most recently best director honors at Locarno last year for Cosmos. Zulawski made his first two films in his native Poland his 1971 debut The Third Part of the Night and The Devil the following year but left for France after authorities banned the latter pic. His later films include Possession (1981) and Fidelity (2000). Incidentally, before Zulawski's death, Kino Lorber said Tuesday that it had acquired all North American rights to Cosmos, with its U.S. premiere set as part of the Film Comment Selects series, organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which opened Wednesday in New York. The event also includes a feature sidebar, "Spotlight on Andrzej Zulawski," with screenings of The Devil, On the Silver Globe and The Third Part of the Night. Zulawski is survived by three children, including a son with Marceau, from whom he separated in 2001. See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016 Polish art-house film director Andrzej Zulawski died on Wednesday aged 75 after a long battle with cancer, according to the Polish Filmmakers Association. "I can confirm his death," a source at the association told AFP of the actor, writer and director of several French films. He was "a very original artist, sometimes controversial but always true to himself," association president Jacek Bromski told Polish broadcaster Polsat. Zulawski's son Xawery, also a director, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that Zulawski was "terminally ill with cancer and undergoing intensive therapy in hospital" in Poland. "It's really hard for me to write these words, but it's especially important now that his last film ("Cosmos", 2015) is starting its own life." Born in occupied Poland in 1940, Zulawski left for Paris at the age of five with his parents and later studied at the Sorbonne. He is survived by three children, including a son with French actress and ex-partner Sophie Marceau. They separated in 2001. "It's a huge loss for Polish and world cinema," film critic Janusz Wroblewski told AFP. "His films are considered cinema classics, but at the time they were avant-garde," he said of the director of "The Third Part of the Night" (1971) and "The Devil" (1972). "He was provocative, breaking many Polish stereotypes and introducing eroticism in his films." Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) (AFP) - Throngs gathered at Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis highlighting the plight of migrants -- a hot-button issue on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff chose Ciudad Juarez as the last stop of a five-day trip to Mexico to address immigration and to visit a notorious prison, where he urged inmates to help break the country's cycle of violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful waiting for the pope's arrival. A sea of pilgrims flocked there early in the morning, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis was expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. Catholics streamed into a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city, where the crowd performed a wave while waiting for the mass to be broadcast on a giant screen. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants at a mass on the US border coincides with the US presidential election primaries where the fate of 11 million undocumented immigrants is the source of vivid debate. One candidate wasn't pleased. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. Responding to Trump's comments, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that the pope was a man of faith and "one should not be surprised that his pastoral and spiritual message has political repercussions." - 'More compassion' - Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family at the mass in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. Story continues She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." In El Paso, Sandra Ovalle, 32, shared a similar feeling as she headed with her family to the Sun Bowl stadium. "We hope that the pope will make our leaders change, so that we get support and that things change for the better," said Ovalle, a native of Mexico's northern Chihuahua state who now lives in the US state of New Mexico. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them, to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. - Inmates as 'prophets' - While pilgrims waited for the mass to start, Francis visited a prison, nearly a week after a riot killed 49 inmates at another Mexican penitentiary. He visited its chapel and addressed hundreds of inmates in the prison yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help "put an end to this cycle of violence and exclusion." "The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say 'has experienced hell,' can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims," he said. The pope argued that a country's security problem "is not resolved only by incarcerating," arguing that the structural and cultural causes of crime must be addressed. The Juarez prison was the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with dozens of prisoners killed in recent years, but it has been held up as an example of efforts to improve Mexico's notoriously overcrowded prisons. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, with the toll falling to 300 last year. The mass will also be attended by families of victims of Mexico's drug violence, which has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years. The parents of 43 missing students whose case has caused international outrage were offered three seats at the mass, but lacked the means to go. The federal appellate judges mentioned as possible replacements for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia have generally kept financially conservative profiles, according to a Center for Public Integrity database, but several made hefty salaries at prominent law firms before joining the bench. As speculation rages about who President Obama might nominate to replace Scalia, the names of federal appellate judges Merrick Garland, Jane Kelly, Patricia Millett, Jacqueline Nguyen, Srikanth Srinivasan and Paul Watford keep popping up. For the disclosures required of federal judges, five of the six reported relatively modest and uncomplicated financial holdings for 2012 the most recent year readily available compared with many of their colleagues sitting on appellate courts, the nations second highest level of courts. All but one of the possible nominees, Garland, steered clear of investments in corporate stock ownership, which have been called a mousetrap for judges due to the potential for conflicts of interest with their caseloads. In a broader 2014 investigation, the Center for Public Integrity found 24 examples in which other federal appellate judges owned stock in companies with a case before them, a violation of federal law. Related story: Supreme Court justices bolstered by free travel, royalties, rental income Related story: Federal judges plead guilty This story is part of Justice Obscured. Lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding the financial holdings and activities of the nations most powerful judges. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. On the Supreme Court, where many cases are decided by a 5-4 split, such stock ownership can have an especially profound impact. Justices Samuel Alito, John Roberts and Stephen Breyer have had to recuse themselves from cases when their ownership overlapped with matters before the high court. Story continues To be sure, the possible nominees finances could have changed since those 2012 reports. Their next disclosures, covering 2015, are due in mid-April. But the 2012 financial disclosures do shed light on the heady salaries some received at top tier law firms and the relative financial sacrifice that these lawyers took to become federal appellate judges who will earn $215,400 in 2016 instead of close to $1 million in private practice. All but Kelly have flitted between private firms and public service in their careers. Five of the six have only recently joined the bench as Obama appointees, and have not had as much time to accrue one of the biggest perks of being a federal judge, free global travel for speaking engagements and teaching. Still, two of the judges in the elite group would already fit in nicely with the current Supreme Court judges in one unusual way: two of them were landlords, just like five of the current members of the high court. See who below: Merrick Garland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Garland, the sole appointee of the group not chosen by Obama, reported the most complicated financial portfolio of this group. In addition to other investments, the Clinton appointee is the only one to report owning stock in 2012, with holdings in big name companies such as Pfizer Inc., General Electric Co. and Citigroup Inc. He also was a landlord, earning as much as $100,000 in 2012 for a property in New York City. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Jane Kelly, 8th Circuit U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals The Obama nominee reported one of the simplest sets of investments among this group: only three investment accounts and no direct stock holdings in 2012. The former federal public defender is the only one of the group who has not been employed by private law firms in her professional career. Another detail that sets her apart: she reported partial ownership of a family farm. Patricia Millett, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Millett, an Obama appointee, reported earning sizable salaries of about $1 million annually as a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in the two years before becoming a judge in 2013. The international firm, based in Washington, D.C., is one of the largest in the country and is known for its lobbying. Millett reported no direct stock holdings in 2012, choosing instead a portfolio of mutual funds, U.S. Treasury bonds and other vehicles. She was the only one of the judges on the possible short-list to report a spouses salary: her husband works as the office manager of the Florida Sugar Cane League, a trade association representing sugar companies. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Jacqueline Nguyen, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Nguyen, another Obama appointee, is also a landlord who reported collecting rent from one California property. She reported no direct stock holdings but did list almost two dozen other investments, including college savings accounts. After stints in private practice and in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Central District of California, she joined the judiciary in 2002, initially as a California Superior Court judge. Srikanth Srinivasan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Another lawyer who recently joined the judiciary, Srinivasan reported earning $1.3 million for a single year as a partner at the OMelveny & Myers law firm in 2011, one of the biggest firms in the world. He also served on and off in the Justice Departments Office of the Solicitor General. The Obama appointee reported no individual stock ownership in 2012 but did have well-diversified investments in dozens of mutual funds. He also appeared to be saving for future college bills for his teenaged twins using 529 accounts, tax-free education savings plans. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Paul Watford, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Watford appears to have the fewest assets of the bunch, based on his disclosure covering 2012. He reported no individual stock holdings and just three accounts: one with a credit union, one a retirement account and the third with his former law firm, the latter two accounts closed that year. The Obama appointee did report earning $328,000 from his former law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, a Los Angeles-based litigation powerhouse, in what was apparently his salary for just the first five months of 2012 before he resigned to take a seat on the Ninth Circuit. He now earns less than that in a whole year as a judge based out of Pasadena, Calif. This story was co-published with Newsweek. Read the 2012 reports: Related: Short list This story is part of Justice Obscured. Lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding the financial holdings and activities of the nations most powerful judges. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland is facing the prospect of a post-election stalemate after the country's two dominant parties on Wednesday ruled out going into an unprecedented coalition that polls suggest would offer the only hope of a stable government. With nine days to go before voters cast their ballots, the political landscape is looking increasingly fragmented. A steady but unexpected dip in support for Prime Minister Enda Kenny's center-right Fine Gael party accelerated in a poll published on Tuesday, dropping to 26 percent. That was down from 31 percent in just 10 days as his message to "keep the recovery going" falls flat among many voters yet to feel the benefits of Europe's best performing economy. Rival Fianna Fail, also from the center right, is hovering just below 20 percent, putting the two parties together on course for a parliamentary majority. They have led Ireland's 31 governments since a bitter split over the 1922-23 Irish Civil War but never governed together, and they have so far given no signals that they would consider ending their rivalry to team up this time. "For the fifth time now, my proposition is for Fine Gael and (current coalition partner) Labour," Kenny said in an interview with national broadcaster RTE on Tuesday, when repeatedly asked about the prospect. "I've already ruled out Fianna Fail." Fianna Fail's spokesman for enterprise, Dara Calleary, told a news conference on Wednesday: "We have made it very clear and our leader has made it very clear, going into government with Fine Gael is not an option. STALEMATE, BUT NO DISASTER A period of political stalemate would echo events in Spain, which is still without a government following inconclusive national elections in December but where a strong economic recovery remains on track. While investors are wary of increased political instability in Europe, a second election would, similarly, be unlikely to do much damage to Ireland's economy, which grew around 7 percent last year. However, it could impede Ireland's response to any "no" vote in an EU membership referendum in neighbor and major trade partner Britain expected to happen by June. With few policy differences, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail could yet join forces. But that would also be a major gamble for whichever party, most likely Fianna Fail, ended up being the minority partner, according to Theresa Reidy, a politics lecturer at University College Cork (UCC). "The way it looks right now, the only two parties that could form a government together are Fine Gael and Fianna Fail but there are reasons why that might not happen," she said. "The lessons of history in Ireland are that smaller parties tend to suffer very severely in coalition government. You might get a government but there wouldn't be much incentive for Fianna Fail to stay the course." Such a coalition would also push Irish politics toward a left/right split for the first time and open up the opposition to left-wing protest party Sinn Fein - vying with Fianna Fail for second place and whose leader told Reuters on Tuesday it would "inevitably" enter government in coming years. (editing by John Stonestreet) (Reuters) - Top oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to freeze output levels in what could be the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal in 15 years aimed at tackling a growing glut and helping prices recover. A major sticking point in sealing a deal may be Iran, which was absent from the talks and has been determined to raise production. Below are reactions from banks and market analysts on the impact of the deal on the crude market: * GOLDMAN SACHS: Deal to have little impact on oil markets "The details of this agreement suggest that such a freeze will have little impact on the oil market as proposed, while there remains high uncertainty that it even materializes. "While an agreement could create the perception that more could be achieved, such as production cuts, we believe this would not be sufficient to set a floor on prices as they will only stabilize once inventories stop building, which at current proposed output levels only occurs in 2H16." * CITI FUTURES: A freeze is not a cut "This is far more of a political statement than a support for oil prices in our view, an offer that Iran has little choice but to refuse. "We expect Iran to reject limits on its exports, which lets other producers with a technical out for ignoring the freeze, while Saudi Arabia gets to claim that low prices are Iran's fault for refusing the unacceptable offer. "The freeze is a gesture, not a reason to reduce our forecast for OPEC total production to rise to 33 million bpd as Iran continues to ramp up production and others either maintain output as planned or go ahead with planned increases." * DEUTSCHE BANK: Negotiations yield little "Not only has talk moved from cuts to a freeze, but such a freeze comes from producers who weren't expected to raise production materially in any case (Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Qatar). "A credible agreement to hold production flat by all OPEC members at the January level would be quite meaningful in tightening forward expectations of market balance as it would remove the threat of incremental Iranian volumes into 2017." Story continues * MACQUARIE: Not a game-changer but step in right direction "Arguably, a positive outcome is Iraq giving up the right to further growth; eliminating the tail risk of Iraqi production ramping up significantly in 2016. "The meaningfulness of this agreement lies in the fact that it may mark one of the first coordinated steps by OPEC in a process to assess whether the members of the organization have sustained enough pain emanating from the low price and will re-install its previously foregone policy of market stability. "Our analysis suggests that rebalancing is occurring and that we are on track for a rebalance to seasonal norms by 3Q16. A positive outcome on these talks could accelerate the rebalance." * BARCLAYS: Market still between a rock and a hard place "Even if the agreement is successful, the upside for oil prices that would result looks limited, and OPEC still faces the dilemma of aiming for either higher prices or market share, but is unable to achieve both. "Any positive oil price impact from this move, beyond a knee-jerk covering of short positions, is highly contingent on other key oil producers joining in, and although the announced plan is the first concrete attempt at limiting output that Saudi Arabia has publicly supported, a lot of hard negotiations lie ahead if it is to prove successful. "Even then the key beneficiaries could turn out to be U.S. (shale) oil producers." * CAPITAL ECONOMICS: Important deal, but plenty of room for disappointment "We are wary ..., as it was unlikely that either country would have increased production further anyway. For the deal to have any teeth, Saudi Arabia in particular needs to be willing to cut output, not least to offset the increased supply still to come from Iran." The research note listed three reasons for caution: (1) Iran has indicated it is unwilling to freeze output, (2) the success of the deal will depend on Russia to play its full part, and (3) total OPEC output would still be exceptionally high and maintain the excess supply already in place even if the deal does go through. "This might be better than a further increase, but it is not the output cuts that some in the markets have been hoping for." * COMMERZBANK: Agreement is on a knife edge "It remains to be seen whether this will result in the oversupply being reduced, as this would require Iran and Iraq to cooperate on the agreement. "Now that sanctions have been lifted, Iran is hardly likely to be willing to leave its oil production at the low sanction-era level of 2.9 million barrels per day given that Teherans uppermost priority is to recoup the market share it has lost." * Energy Management Institute analyst Dominick Chirichella: Market digesting deal's contingencies "It is too early to decide if this will be a deal that does not collapse very quickly. For now, the announcement of this deal could increase the likelihood of further short-covering in the short term. Whether this is a good opportunity to reset shorts at higher levels remains a question mark. "I think the deal is suggesting a weakness in Saudi Arabia with an opportunity for them to enter into a face-saving arrangement to move away from their failed market share strategy as this deal is not a cut (yet) but could eventually lead to a cut in production down the road." (Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman and Vijaykumar Vedala in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Steve Orlofsky) CLICK IMAGE for slieshow: Ku Klux Klan members take part in a Klan demonstration at the state house building on July 18, 2015 in Columbia, South Carolina. The KKK protested the removal of the Confederate flag from the state house grounds and hurled racial slurs at minorities as law enforcement tried to prevent violence between the opposing groups. (John Moore/Getty Images) According to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, 2015 may have been the most volatile year the United States has seen since 1968. "Last year was an incredibly dramatic year, marked by very high levels of political violence, genuine growth of hate groups and a level of hate speech in mainstream politics that we have not seen in decades," Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told Yahoo News Wednesday ahead of the release of the SPLC's latest report on hate and extremism in the U.S. SLIDESHOW Confederate flag protest in South Carolina >>> According to the new report, the number of hate groups in the U.S. jumped 14 percent last year, from 784 in 2014 to 892 in 2015. (PDF) The Alabama-based civ il rights nonprofit tracks hate groups and extremists in the U.S., updating its tally of these organizations annually. Potok, who authored the latest report, told Yahoo News that the SPLC defines hate groups as organizations that demonize and malign entire groups of human beings based on their class characteristics. All white people are blue-eyed devils, all black people are criminals, that kind of thing, he said. Potok explained that the SPLCs classification of hate groups is not based on criminality or violence, but on platform statements, usually displayed on a groups website, or articulated in speeches or writings by a groups leaders. Map of active hate groups in the U.S. in 2015 by the Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC staffers spend the year checking up on existing groups and investigating new ones. Beyond meeting the qualifications of a hate group, an organization must also be deemed active in order to be included on the list. "It has to have some activity beyond merely existing as a Web page," Potok said. "That can be criminal activity, holding a rally, selling materials." While neo-Nazis, white nationalists, skinheads and other factions of the white supremacy movement actually saw a slight decline last year, the SPLC found that anti-government "patriot" groups, black separatist organizations and Ku Klux Klan chapters all multiplied in conjunction with some of the years biggest news stories. Story continues Between 2014 and 2015, the number of active Klan chapters in the U.S. grew from 72 to 190, a movement that, Potok writes in the report, was invigorated by the 364 pro-Confederate battle flag rallies that took place after South Carolina took down the battle flag from its Capitol grounds following the June massacre of nine black churchgoers by a white supremacist flag enthusiast in Charleston, S.C. Anti-government patriot groups also grew over the last year, from 874 to 998. Potok credits the 2014 armed standoff at Cliven Bundys Nevada ranch, in which federal agents were sent to seize Bundys cattle over his failure to pay grazing fees, and were met by an armed militia of Bundy supporters before retreating at gunpoint. So emboldened were activists by the failure of the federal government to arrest anyone following their victory at the Bundy ranch that armed men, led by Bundys son, began occupying a wildlife refuge in Oregon in January 2016 as a protest against federal land ownership in the West. Nearly a month into the occupation in eastern Oregon, Bundy's two sons, Ryan and Ammon, were arrested along with three other senior members of their self-described militia after a confrontation with federal officers that left one dead. SLIDESHOW Armed militia standoff in Oregon >>> CLICK IMAGE for slideshow: Ammon Bundy departs after addressing the media at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, January 4, 2016. (REUTERS/Jim Urquhart) These numbers likely underestimate the actual number of people in the U.S. who identify with the radical right, as participation in these movements largely takes place online. The major hate forum Stormfront now has more than 300,000 members, and the site has been adding about 25,000 registered users annually for several years the size of a small city. Potok points to Dylann Roof the 21-year-old charged with the fatal shooting of nine people at a church in South Carolina last June as the perfect example of how the Internet has become a breeding ground for lone wolves. Roofs radicalization, Potok writes, began with absorbing propaganda about black-on-white crime from the website of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a hate group that enjoyed the attention of Republican lawmakers in the 1990s, and ended with the June massacre in Charleston. Like increasing numbers in white supremacist circles, Roof was convinced after drinking radical-right Kool-Aid on the Internet claiming that white people worldwide were the targets of genocide. Last year was also marked by a significant rise in the number of black separatist hate groups, from 113 in 2014 to 180 in 2015. Potok is careful to clarify that these groups such as the Black Hebrew Israelites, the New Black Panther Party and the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ are very definitely not Black Lives Matter or the old Black Panther Party. While the growth of these groups was fueled largely by the explosion of anger fostered by highly publicized incidents of police shootings of black men, Potok elaborates in the report, unlike activists for racial justice such as those in the Black Lives Matter movement, the black separatist groups did not stop at demands for police reforms and an end to structural racism. Instead, they typically demonized all whites, gays, and, in particular, Jews. SLIDESHOW 9 killed at church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina >>> CLICK IMAGE for slideshow: Mourners Cynthia Wright-Murphy, right, hugs her sister Carolyn Wright-Porcher, right, outside the Emanuel AME Church, Saturday, June 20, 2015 in Charleston, S.C. A steady stream of people brought flowers and notes and shared somber thoughts at a growing memorial in front of the church. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) Not only was 2015 a banner year for "patriots" and hate groups, according to the SPLC report, the U.S. also experienced a significant amount of domestic political violence from both the American radical right and American jihadists." According to a year-end report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), domestic extremist killers slew more people in 2015 than in any year since 1995, when the Oklahoma City bombing left 168 men, women and children dead, reads the SPLC report. Counting both political and other violence from extremists, the ADL said a minimum of 52 people in the United States were killed by adherents of domestic extremist movement[s] in the past 12 months. Another statistic, from the New American Foundation which does not include nonpolitical violence found that by years end, 45 people in America had been killed in violent jihadist attacks since the Al Qaeda massacre of Sept. 11, 2001, just short of the 48 people killed in the same 14-year period in far right wing attacks." The report concludes that hate, violence and fear are clearly on the rise and tries to explain why, exactly, Americans are so angry. The bulk of that anger is coming from beleaguered working-class and, to a lesser extent, middle-class white people, especially the less educated the very same groups that most vociferously support Trump, Potok writes. They are angry over the coming loss of a white majority (predicted for 2043 by the Census Bureau), the falling fortunes of the white working class, worsening income inequality, the rise of left-wing movements like Black Lives Matter, major advances for LGBT people, growing numbers of refugees and undocumented workers, terrorism, and more. Their anger, above all, is directed at the government, he adds, referencing a November poll by the Pew Research Center, which found that public trust in the federal government has plummeted since the late 1950s, when 77 percent of Americans said they almost always trusted the government. By contrast, 17 percent of Americans reported that level of trust in the November poll. Hashim Nzinga, front left, a marcher who identified himself as national chairman of the New Black Panther party, marches with others down Calhoun Street in Charleston, S.C., to the front of Emanuel AME Church, Tuesday, June 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) A number of the Republican presidential candidates have further fanned the flames of this frustration. Trump, of course, has attacked Muslims, Mexicans and black people (he retweeted a neo-Nazis statistics falsely claiming that blacks are overwhelmingly responsible for the murder of whites) but hes not the only one. Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and others have made inflammatory comments about Muslims, Carly Fiorina has told false stories that demonize abortion providers, and Ben Carson and others have attacked LGBT activists and the Supreme Court over legalizing same-sex marriage, Potok writes. The U.S. House of Representatives took up a bill to end the resettlement of refugees, riding a wave of fear after the San Bernardino attacks. Potok warned that such boiling frustrations and distrust are not to be taken lightly, especially as the next 30 years marks the period in which Americans are poised to lose their majority for the first time in U.S. history. Were going through a transition that is really unparalleled in world history, Potok said. We face a very real and serious problem of increasing social distrust that accompanies increasing diversity. Still, there is hope. In the report, Potok references Harvard scholar Robert Putnam, who argues that while a rise in diversity is accompanied by a decrease in trust between ethnic groups, that does not mean that multiculturalism is a failure but rather that inter-communal bridge building is important as diversity increases. In other words, Potok explains, the road ahead will not be an easy one, and Americans of all races and creeds will need to work to rebuild a true national community. A tattoo on the knuckles of a Klansman reads Love as he participates with members of the Nordic Order Knights and the Rebel Brigade Knights, groups that both claim affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, in a cross lighting ceremony on a fellow member's property in Henry County, Virginia, August 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Johnny Milano) Related: Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan are recruiting children as young as six years old to eventually be deployed into combat, adding scores to their ranks since mid-2015, Human Rights Watch reported on Wednesday. The insurgents claim they only enlist fighters who have achieved "mental and physical maturity" and do not use "boys with no beards". But HRW said in a statement the Taliban have been actively recruiting young boys and training them in military operations including the use of improvised explosive device (IEDs). "The Taliban's apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful," said Patricia Gossman, senior HRW Afghanistan researcher. "Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency." HRW focused on northern Afghanistan, particularly Kunduz province, where it said the militants were also increasingly using Islamic religious schools known as madrassas for the military training of children. Indoctrination of boys under Taliban teachers can start as young as the age of six, the report said, with seven years of military training before they are deployed to militant groups by the age of 13. Local residents and analysts told HRW they believe the increase in child soldiers over the last 12 months was largely due to the insurgents' major offensive in northern Afghanistan, which began in April 2015. In September the Taliban briefly took control of Kunduz city, the first major provincial capital seized by the insurgents since they were ousted from power in 2001. HRW interviewed relatives of 13 children recruited as Taliban soldiers over the past year, and verified their claims through interviews with civil society activists, political analysts, and the United Nations. Among them were the families of Qasem, and Ahmad, recruited by Taliban when they were 15 and 14 respectively. Story continues Their families begged for the militants to release them, but were refused. "When the government forces counter-attacked, both Qasem and Ahmad ... were killed. The boys' families recovered their bodies," a source told HRW. In Chahardara, a volatile district in Kunduz province, more than 100 children were recruited and deployed by the Taliban in 2015, the report said, citing residents. A Taliban statement Wednesday said the militants "categorically reject this report". "The recruitment of children in the ranks of Islamic Emirate is strictly prohibited," it continued. Rights groups have been warning for years that child recruitment remains rife by the Taliban insurgents but also by pro-government militia forces. On Wednesday the UN's representative for children in armed conflict Leila Zerrougui told reporters in Kabul that militias such as the Afghan Local Police are using large numbers of child recruits. This month the Taliban shot dead in southern Uruzgan province Wasil Ahmad, a 12 year-old boy who rose to fame last summer after he joined a pro-government militia force to fight the insurgents. The Afghan government denied Wasil was part of the government forces. By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Two U.S. activists groups filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against a rural Oklahoma gun range, arguing that it violated U.S. civil rights laws by posting a sign that said the business was "Muslim free" and barring a Muslim from shooting there. The lawsuit by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma Chapter and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma seeks to have the Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gear store in Oktaha end what the plaintiffs said is blatant discrimination. The gun store and range about 120 miles (190 km) east of Oklahoma City, posted a store window sign that reads: "This privately owned business is a Muslim Free establishment." It has a posting on its Facebook page saying it will not allow media access or interviews. The groups filed the lawsuit on behalf of Raja'ee Fatihah, a U.S. Army reservist and investigator for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, after he said he was kicked out of the range for being a Muslim. Fatihah told a news conference on Wednesday he visited the gun range to talk with the owners about their fear of the Muslim faith. The owners asked him to leave, he said. "Shooting is something I do as a hobby, and I also practice to keep up my skills as a reservist. When I went to the range, it went normally until I told them I was Muslim, said Fatihah. "The longer we talked, the less willing they were to allow me to use their facilities. Ultimately, they asked me to leave," he said. Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gear store did not respond to requests to comment. It has 20 days to make a formal response to the lawsuit. A lawyer representing the store said the case is not about religious discrimination, but instead about public safety. "The law does not require a gun shop or gun range owner - owners of an inherently dangerous business - to equip or train the next jihadist," said Robert Muise with the American Freedom Law Center. Story continues Brady Henderson, legal director for the ACLU of Oklahoma, said he hoped the lawsuit would set a nationwide precedent against businesses discriminating against any citizens based on faith. "The Oklahoma case isnt just about whats going on in our state, but the nation, Henderson said at the news conference. (Reporting by Heide Brandes; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bernard Orr) Moscow (AFP) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow and Tehran were ready to step up their military cooperation after meeting with his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday. "I am convinced that our meeting is going to contribute toward reinforcing friendly relations between Russian and Iranian armed forces," said Shoigu in a statement. Iran's Hossein Dehghan and Shoigu spoke about "the necessary measures for the progressive development" of their military cooperation, based on the accord signed in January between Tehran and Moscow, the statement said. The two countries are also "ready to coordinate their approaches on a large number of global and regional issues", Shoigu added, speaking in the "context of the growing crisis in the Middle East. The Russian defence chief did not speak specifically about Syria, where Russia on September 30 sent in its warplanes to lauch air strikes at the request of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, who is also supported by Iran. "Our countries face the same challenges and threats in the Middle East region and it is only together that we will be able to fight them," Shoigu said. Iran and Russia, long-time allies of Syria, have also reinforced their military and nuclear cooperation since the signing in July of an historic accord between Tehran and the world powers on the Iranian nuclear programme. Russia has authorised the delivery of S-300 anti-aircraft batteries to iran, despite the strong oppostion of the Western powers. And November 23, Moscow lifted a ban on the sale and delivery of technological materiel tied to the nuclear industry after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's leader Hassan Rouhani. Iran's defence chief who arrived on Monday in Moscow also met with Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin. Moscow (AFP) - The organisers of Russia's top state art prize on Tuesday rejected the nomination of artist Pyotr Pavlensky for his performance setting fire to the headquarters of the Russian security service. Pavlensky has been held behind bars since November when he set fire to the wooden door of Moscow's notorious Lubyanka headquarters of the FSB security service in a performance protesting against the powers of the secret police. The state-owned National Centre for Contemporary Arts which organises the annual Innovation prize said Tuesday it had rejected the nomination of Pavlensky's "Threat" performance in the visual art category. The general director of the arts centre, Mikhail Mindlin said in a statement that Pavlensky's performance was dropped because its creation involved "breaches of the law and caused material damage." He said that nominating a work whose making involved breaking the law "to a competition which is held by a state organisation and under the aegis and with the support of the culture ministry seems impermissible to us." Art critic Anna Tolstova, who is a member of the prize's advisory board, told The Art Newspaper Russia that she nominated the performance with Pavlensky's consent and it had got the most votes from the experts. The decision sparked a walk-out by three members of the advisory board, including Tolstova and Dmitry Ozerkov the head of the contemporary art section of the world-renowned Hermitage museum, the state art centre said. Ultimately the organisers decided to drop the visual art category altogether. Pavlensky's partner Oksana Shalygina wrote on Facebook: "Pavlensky has triumphed and forced the state machine to creak and collapse. The only way is ahead!" Pavlensky is currently incarcerated in a Moscow psychiatric hospital, ostensibly to assess his mental capacity. He has been detained in custody until March 6. The 31-year-old artist whose previous radical performances have included nailing his scrotum to Red Square has been charged with vandalism over the performance and faces up to three years in prison. Story continues The Innovation art prize has previously been known for its support for risky protest art. In 2011, it awarded the 400,000-ruble (then $14,000) prize went to street art group Voina, or War, for painting a phallus on a drawbridge opposite the headquarters of the FSB security service in Saint Petersburg. The culture ministry at the time condemned the work titled "A cock captured by the FSB" as "disgusting" but said it would not interfere with the jury's decision. Moscow (AFP) - Russia has filed a lawsuit against Ukraine at the High Court in London over a disputed $3 billion loan that Moscow says Kiev has refused to pay back, the finance minister said Wednesday. "Today the Russian finance ministry filed the lawsuit against Ukraine with the goal of recovering debt on Ukraine's bond with the nominal value of $3 billion," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying. "This lawsuit was filed after repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage Ukraine in constructive dialogue about restructuring the debt and to admit the fact that Russia-owned eurobonds are an official loan," Siluanov said. Siluanov predicted that the court case will be "open and transparent" at the "independent, authoritative court which will examine the dispute impartially. Moscow and Kiev have been locked in a protracted standoff over the $3 billion that the Kremlin gave to Ukraine in 2013 shortly before former Russia-backed president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in the wake of mass protests. Kiev argues that Moscow lent its ally the money on preferential terms essentially as a bribe for Yanukovych's shock November 2013 decision to scuttle a free trade agreement with the EU that Kiev has since signed. The new government wants Russia to accept a 20-percent debt writedown -- the same terms accepted last year by Ukraine's private creditors. Ukrainian authorities insist that the funds do not represent a sovereign loan granted by one state to another, but rather a transaction made via the financial markets and subject to financial terms agreed with other creditors. The debt dispute between Moscow and Kiev has previously threatened to hamper the International Monetary Fund's $17.5-billion rescue plan for cash-strapped Ukraine. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian air strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have intensified, a U.S. military spokesman said on Wednesday, despite Western calls for Russia to stop the air campaign. Major powers agreed last week to a limited cessation of hostilities in Syria, in a deal that takes effect at the end of this week but was not signed by any warring parties - the Damascus government and numerous rebel factions fighting it. Several Western countries said there was no hope for a pause in combat without a halt to Russian bombing. Russia says the "cessation" does not apply to its air strikes, which have shifted the balance of power towards Assad. "There has been no lessening of the intensity of the Russian and the (Syrian) regime air campaign," said Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. "If anything it's increased." Warren said the Russians fired three short-range ballistic missiles in the suburbs of Aleppo in the last few days, though he said the United States was unsure what sites the missiles hit. The Syrian government has also continued using "barrel bombs," he said. The use of barrel bombs - oil drums or cylinders packed with explosives and shrapnel - has drawn international condemnation. "We don't see any notable preparation for the temporary cessation of hostilities," Warren said. Russia says its air strikes are targeting Islamic State militants, while the United States has said it is strengthening Assad and targeting moderate rebel groups. Missile attacks in rebel-held areas of northern Syria on Monday killed scores of civilians and struck medical facilities and schools. Turkish officials blamed Russia for the strikes and accused it of carrying out war crimes. A Russian official said its air strikes were targeting Islamic State infrastructure and not civilian sites. Warren said on Wednesday that Russian and Syrian planes were conducting strikes in the areas where hospitals were hit, although he said the United States was not sure which country had carried out the strikes. "Russian and (Syrian) regime aircraft conducted strikes in those areas, and those hospitals were hit," Warren said. On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the United States could not "definitively" say who was responsible for strikes on hospitals in northern Syria. U.S.-led coalition planes were not responsible for the hospital strikes, Cook said. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Andrew Hay) NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin, after talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said he is sure that relations between Russia and the European Union will get back to normal sooner or later. "It will happen sooner or later. Relations between Russia and the European Union will be normalised," Putin said. Orban said he believes European Union economic sanctions against Russia won't be extended this year: "I think that in the middle of this year there will be no opportunity to extend sanctions." "More and more countries... are starting to realise that we need to cooperate," he added. Putin said that Russia will fulfill all its obligations under an agreement to help Hungary to build Paks nuclear power plant. (Reporting by Denis Dyomkin, writing by Maria Tsvetkova, editing by Christian Lowe) By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - San Bernardino County authorities owned the Apple iPhone seized from a vehicle used by the San Bernardino shooters and gave federal investigators permission to search the phone's contents, a government court filing showed. The iPhone 5C is the subject of a federal court order on Tuesday demanding that Apple Inc help the U.S. government to unlock it, reopening a debate on the legal, political and technological repercussions. Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and wounded 22 others in a shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California last December, was assigned the phone by the county health department he worked for, prosecutors said in the document filed on Tuesday. The health department has "given its consent" to authorities to search the device and to Apple to assist investigators in that search, the document said. The Los Angeles-based prosecutors said, however, that despite the phone's owner giving both Apple and federal authorities permission to search the phone, the FBI has been "unable to search" its contents because it is "locked" by a "user determined, numeric password." The court filing said the FBI has not even tried to guess or try out various possible passwords because the phone's operating system code contains a "user enabled 'auto-erase function' that would, if enabled," result in the permanent disabling of access to information stored on the device. While investigators apparently are unsure whether the auto-erase function on the county phone used by Farook is actually enabled, "trying repeated passcodes risks permanently denying all access to the contents," the government filing said. Consequently, "the government has not been able to attempt to determine the passcode and decrypt the files....and the FBI cannot do so without Apple's assistance." Story continues On Tuesday, federal magistrate judge Sheri Pym agreed with prosecutors and ordered Apple to "assist in enabling the search" of the county phone used by Farook. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a statement that the company would fight the order. Cook said that even while the FBI's intentions were good, "it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products." (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; editing by Grant McCool) iceslide1 Reuters Rather than signalling the end of low prices, the agreement among Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar, and Venezuela to freeze oil production at January levels has ushered in a new era of sub-$30 oil. Production from Russia, Qatar, and Venezuela wasn't expected to rise, so the agreement didn't change much. It would have been a more effective agreement if Iran and Iraq agreed to the freeze. On top of that, Saudi Arabia produces so much oil that keeping the taps on near full blast, as they were in January, was unlikely to move prices up. While a production cut would help prices rise, the production freeze is serving only to hold the price down it's confirmation of prolonged pain for the industry. Crude oil is treading lower than it had been for weeks, at $28.79 a barrel as of 7:06 a.m. GMT (2:06 a.m. ET) on Wednesday. This is the day after the agreement, which came out of a secret meeting Tuesday morning. Oil prices initially rose overnight as observers hoped the Russians had secured a deal to cut production. The plunge in the price of oil over the past year has been ruinous for the Russian economy. But then prices fell again when analysts looked at the hard numbers and realised the deal wasn't what it was cracked up to be. crudeoil2 Reuters The Russians need oil-producing countries to cut output and drive up prices. But the Saudis have resisted cuts, partly because they can produce oil cheaply (and thus feel less pain when the price goes down), and partly because they believe that cutting production will let other countries such as the US and Russia steal market share from them in places like China. Saudi Arabia is arguably to blame for the supply glut because, as a swing producer, it produces so much oil that it can shift market prices on its own. Basically, there's too much oil on the market, and the Saudis refused for months to curb the amount they produce. Low prices have hurt the Saudi economy, but the country seems more interested in trying to kill off US competition. Story continues It is for this reason that Jonathan Aronson and his team at Credit Suisse told clients in a research note Wednesday morning that Saudi Arabia's supposed reengagement "in a supply management endeavor" was a bit suspect: This seems a U-turn. We doubted that Saudi Arabia was at all interested in trying to rebalance the supply and demand of oil. Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi has spent a year and a half explaining that Saudi Arabia or Opec should not cut back supply and prop up prices so as to let other producers gain share. Instead, he and other Saudi officials said that the Kingdom's longer term interest would be better served by producing at will to meet demand. Markets would eventually rebalance and upside price risk reemerge. The intervening low-price episode would be tough, but more manageable for Saudi than for most other producers. NOW WATCH: This 27-year-old quit her corporate finance job to travel the world See Also: SEE ALSO: Secret Saudi Arabia-Russia oil meeting ends: production freeze, but no cut SEE ALSO: IRAN'S SANCTIONS REVENGE It will not join the 'illogical' oil production freeze By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Wednesday for $56 million to combat the Zika virus, a disease that has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil and has spread to 39 countries. The funds sought would be used until June to fast-track vaccines, carry out diagnostics and research into how the mosquito-borne virus spreads, as well as virus control, the WHO said. A public health expert, Lawrence Gostin, said the United Nations health agency had "grossly underestimated" the need as the virus, which has spread rapidly across the Americas, will likely spread to many other regions. The WHO declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Feb. 1, noting the association of the virus with two neurological disorders: microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis. "Possible links with neurological complications and birth malformations have rapidly changed the risk profile for Zika from a mild threat to one of very serious proportions," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a WHO strategy paper on Wednesday. The funds sought to include $25 million for the agency and its regional office and the rest for aid partners such as UNICEF. The WHO expects the money to come from states and other donors. In the meantime it has tapped a new emergency contingency fund for $2 million for initial operations. Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, said the WHO should have a much larger emergency contingency fund. He compared the funding plan to the WHO's initial slow response to the outbreak of Ebola, a virus that killed more than 11,300 people in two years, mostly in West Africa. BRAZIL MICROCEPHALY CASES RISE Brazil, worst hit by the Zika outbreak, said on Wednesday that most of the 508 confirmed cases of microcephaly reported in the country are likely related to the virus, and called its previous count too conservative. Microcephaly is marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Brazil is investigating a surge in the number of cases, but it has not yet been proven that the virus can cause the rare defect. The Health Ministry reported on Wednesday a total of 4,443 suspected and confirmed cases of microcephaly, up from 4,314 a week earlier. It did not, however, update its total of 41 cases in which it said that microcephaly had been linked by laboratory tests to Zika infections. The ministry said later that the government would cease to update the confirmed number of linked cases because "the Health Ministry considers that there were Zika virus infections in most of the mothers whose babies have been diagnosed" with the condition. The previous counts, the ministry said, "did not adequately represent the number of cases observed." There is no treatment for Zika, which had been viewed as a relatively mild illness until the concerns over microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome emerged. At least 15 companies and academic groups are rushing to develop a vaccine. Hopes of a breakthrough took a small step forward on Wednesday when U.S. biotech firm Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental shot had induced a robust and durable response in mice. Shares in the U.S. biotech firm, which expects to test its product in humans before the end of the year, rose by as much as 7 percent on Wednesday. COLOMBIA MAY HOLD CLUES Colombia is another Latin American country hard hit by Zika and that country's health minister said the effects of the virus there could have global relevance as scientists research the suspected link with microcephaly. In contrast to Brazil, Colombia has yet to register any cases of the birth defect connected to Zika, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria told Reuters. Zika is primarily transmitted by a type of mosquito, meaning current efforts to control the outbreak are focused on protecting people, especially pregnant women, from bites and eradicating mosquito populations in affected areas. However, research is under way on potential transmission by sexual contact. The WHO noted on Wednesday that "existing scarce evidence indicates that there may be a risk of sexual transmission." But research studies are needed to assess the presence of the Zika virus in semen and other body fluids and potential sexual transmission as well as mother-to-child transmission, the WHO said. (Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler in London, Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru, Paulo Prada in Sao Paulo, Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota; Writing by Frances Kerry; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, G Crosse and Lisa Shumaker) Google has made several solid ads for Android in the past but I dont think any of them have done as good a job of explaining the virtues of the mobile platform as the new one it released this week. Titled Monotone, the ad shows a pianist playing the third movement of Beethovens Moonlight Sonata on two different pianos: One that features the usual 88 pitches you find on a keyboard and one that is tuned so that every key plays a middle C. RELATED: Secret settings that make any Android phone feel twice as fast Obviously, Beethovens classic sonata sounds a lot richer and fuller if you are able to have the full C-Sharp Minor scale at your disposal than if you have just one note, although composer Terry Riley has shown you can get a surprising amount of mileage from pounding out the same C over and over again. Nonetheless, Googles point is clear: Because Android is all about customization, theres a ton of variety in the different versions of Android youll find on different devices. This stands in stark contrast to iOS where the only version of the software you get is the one that Apple wants you to have. There are downsides to this diversity, of course, since Android is badly fragmented and the quality of different Android overlays varies wildly depending on the manufacturer. In fact, a sizable chunk of Android fans at this point prefer the stock version of Android that Google uses in its Nexus devices since that is the version thats least burdened by bloatware and unwanted software skins that make the platform less responsive. This is still a terrific ad, however check it out for yourself below. Related stories One seemingly innocuous text message can wreck your Android phone's security Secret settings that make any Android phone feel twice as fast A simple free Android app that will make your phone much faster More from BGR: Humiliation: JebBush.com redirects to Trumps official website This article was originally published on BGR.com LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - The Slovenian government asked parliament on Wednesday to allow the armed forces to help police control the country's borders as the migrant crisis prompts tougher measures along the route to western and northern Europe. "It is one of the government's measures in gradually stepping up control of the flow of migrants," Slovenian news agency STA quoted the Defense Minister Andreja Katic as saying. STA said parliament could vote on the measure at the beginning of next week. Slovenia's move follows Austria's announcement that it will cap the number of migrants entering the country at 3,200 per day. If approved by parliament, for which support of at least two-thirds of the deputies present is required, the army would be granted police powers to help secure the national borders for three months, which can be renewed. Countries on the so-called Balkan route for refugees fleeing war and instability in the Middle East and Africa have indicated they will follow suit in case of any tougher measures imposed on migrant arrivals by Austria or Germany. (Reporting by Igor Ilic in Zagreb; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By Lawrence Delevingne NEW YORK (Reuters) - Soros Fund Management, the team investing billionaire George Soros' fortune, is betting big on consumer finance by taking a large position in Synchrony Financial , according to a U.S. securities filing on Tuesday. Soros now owns more than 7.1 million shares, its second-largest public stock position after Luxembourg-based agricultural company Adecoagro SA . The estimated value of the stake in Synchrony is $216.7 million, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which details public stock holdings on Dec. 31, 2015. Synchrony, based in Stamford, Connecticut, was previously known as GE Capital Retail Finance before it was spun-off by General Electric Co and renamed. It offers credit cards, loans and savings products, according to its website. A spokesman for Soros declined to comment. Another large new investment by Soros was in Houston-based energy company Columbia Pipeline Group Inc , according to the filing. The fund also added to its stakes in stocks including Delta Air Lines Inc , energy company EQT Corp , internet retailer Amazon.com Inc and fast-food chain McDonalds Corp . Soros also exited positions in Chinese retailer Vipshop Holdings Ltd , energy technology company Schlumberger NV and semiconductor and software business PMC-Sierra, according to the filing. The fund managers also reduced their positions is pharmaceutical company Allergan Plc , Facebook Inc and Time Warner Cable Inc . Soros Fund Management was once one of the largest hedge funds in the world but is now closed to external investors. Its market moves are still closely watched; Forbes estimates that its 85-year-old namesake is worth $24.9 billion. (Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Jennifer Ablan and Lisa Shumaker) Stockholm (AFP) - Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba set a new world indoor mile record at the IAAF meeting in Stockholm on Wednesday. The 1,500m outdoor world champion and record-holder added another leading mark to her growing collection by clocking 4min 13.31sec, taking nearly 4sec off the previous best set by Romanian Doina Melinte 26 years ago. Dibaba, 25, is also the world record holder for 3,000m outdoors, 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m indoors, while she has the 2-mile indoor world best time as well. She is also a two-time indoor world champion. Her performance was the second fastest mile run by a woman indoors or outdoors. Her training partners, Djibouti's Ayanleh Souleiman and Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar, also broke world records. Souleiman, 23, clocked a new mark of 2min 14.20sec in the 1,000m to beat the previous best set by Denmark's Wilson Kipketer of 2:14.96 in 2000. Haroun ran the 500m in 59.83sec to post a new world best in that little-run event. CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa expects to connect two privately-built coal-fired power plants to the grid by around 2021, the energy minister said on Wednesday as government pushes to overcome a chronic power shortage. "In the next quarter we will announce the preferred bidders for the first tranche of the allocated 2,500 megawatts of the coal component of the independent power producer programme," energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson told parliament. She added that a new gas-to-power programme was expected to lead to investment of around 64 billion rand ($4 billion) over the next four to five years. ($1 = 15.6465 rand) (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia) CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa has asked the BRICS New Development Bank for $250 million of funding to connect new power plants to the national grid, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Wednesday. If approved, the money would be used to build transmission lines connecting solar and wind power plants to a national grid, Patel said, as Africa's most industrialised economy turns to green energy to diversify away from coal. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia) By Steve Holland and Emily Stephenson SUMMERVILLE, S.C./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, viewed in Republican circles as a possible U.S. vice presidential candidate, will endorse U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for their party's 2016 White House nomination on Wednesday, three days before her state's presidential primary, said a source familiar with the situation. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley, 44, seized the spotlight in January when in the Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech she set herself apart from the party's presidential candidates by calling for tolerance on immigration and civility in politics. Last year she gained national attention by leading an effort to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state Capitol grounds after the killing of nine black churchgoers in Charleston. The Civil War-era emblem of the Confederate South is long associated with slavery. Rubio, 44, from Florida, hopes to get a boost from South Carolina voters, where Republicans on Saturday hold their third contest after Iowa and New Hampshire to pick a party nominee for the Nov. 8 presidential election. Haley was to endorse Rubio at an event later in the day. A campaign aide to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said Haley called Bush, also vying for the party nomination, to inform him of her plan to endorse Rubio. Disappointed was Bush's response to the endorsement. Shes a very good governor and should I win the nomination, therell be a role for her in the campaign, Bush, 63, told reporters after a campaign event in Summerville, South Carolina. "Trust me, she's a great person." Haley's endorsement of Rubio was a blow to Bush, coming two days after Bush's brother, former President George W. Bush, met with Haley privately in the state capital Columbia. At a town hall meeting in Summerville, Bush took advice from the audience on how he might better conduct his campaign. Some of the advice was conflicting. Edward Scott, who works in South Carolina but lives in Frederick, Maryland, told Bush he should consider not responding to attacks from front-runner Donald Trump, while another man asked Bush whether he should be tougher, a "sumbitch" as he called it. A third, David Villinger of Summerville, said Bush should focus less on his record as Florida's governor and more on his presidential vision. "I would encourage you to go not just on your record but on your plan," he said. Bush said he would not stop responding to Trump and vowed to have a toughness of spirit. CRUZ, TRUMP CLASH ANEW Ahead of Saturday's Republican vote, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and the billionaire Trump battled for votes with an exchange of harsh words. Cruz, 45, won the first Republican nominating contest in Iowa on Feb. 1 and Trump, 69, won the second one in New Hampshire on Feb. 9. Cruz dared Trump to sue him over a campaign ad featuring a 1999 video clip of the former reality TV star saying he was "very pro-choice" on abortion. In the clip, Trump said he would not ban late-term abortions. Cruz said Trump sent his campaign a "cease and desist letter" demanding it drop the ad. "File the lawsuit," Cruz, a lawyer, told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he would depose the billionaire himself. The U.S. Supreme Court rocketed into campaign headlines last Saturday after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Cruz hopes to use the court opening to paint Trump, the Republican front-runner for the nomination, as insufficiently conservative ahead of Saturday's South Carolina vote. Presidents appoint justices to the court, and the U.S. Senate confirms the appointments. "You have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life," Cruz said of Trump. "Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." Trump responded that he opposes abortion, which most U.S. conservatives also do not support. "These ads and statements made by Cruz are clearly desperate moves by a guy who is tanking in the polls - watching his campaign go up in flames finally explains Cruz's logo," Trump said in a statement, referring to the flame icon that appears on Cruz's website and elsewhere. The real estate developer again hinted he might sue Cruz, who was born in Canada to a U.S. citizen mother, over his eligibility to run for president. "Time will tell, Teddy," Trump said. (Editing by Howard Goller) A woman in Brazil who had cosmetic surgery ended up with not only a flatter stomach and larger breasts, she also developed kleptomania for a few weeks, a new case report reveals. A few days after being released from the hospital following her cosmetic surgery, the 40-year-old woman began to have "recurring, intrusive thoughts and an irresistible compulsion towards stealing," according to the case report, published online Jan. 29 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. The most likely explanation for her symptoms is that the woman suffered from inadequate blood flow to the brain at some point during or right after the surgical procedure, said case report co-author Dr. Fabio Nascimento, who is currently a neurologist at Toronto Western Hospital in Canada, but who was part of the medical team during the woman's hospitalization in Brazil at the time of the case. Such a restricted blood flow could have deprived the woman's brain of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in disrupted brain function and leading to brain damage, Nascimento said. This damage likely interfered with certain circuits within her brain, causing the neurological symptoms observed after the surgery, he said. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Brain] Indeed, there were clues that the woman had mental deficits immediately following her cosmetic procedures, which included liposuction, a tummy tuck, breast augmentation and an arm lift, done in the fall of 2013. The woman felt extremely drowsy, disoriented and apathetic after the surgery, and she also suffered memory lapses. When her doctors ordered an MRI to understand why the woman was feeling this way, it showed that she had decreased blood flow in certain parts of her brain as well as brain injury resulting from a lack of oxygen to cells in a region called the caudate nucleus which is involved in memory and learning. The woman had no prior history of mental health problems or substance abuse, according to the case report. Story continues Caught stealing After the Brazilian woman was sent home from the hospital, she began to show what Nascimento described as "fairly typical symptoms of kleptomania," such as an "urge to steal followed by a sense of relief after doing so." The kleptomania episodes lasted for only a couple of weeks, but that was long enough to get the woman into trouble with the law. One day while shopping for a gift for a friend of her daughter, she felt an irresistible impulse to steal a particular item from a store despite having more than enough money to buy it, Nascimento told Live Science. The woman snatched it from the shelf, stashed it in her purse and left the store. But a store security guard observed the theft and caught up with her before she reached her car. The woman was taken to the police station, and she was released only after her temporary psychiatric condition was explained to the police commissioner, Nascimento said. The woman did not need treatment for this temporary episode of kleptomania, and her brain injury resolved on its own, Nascimento told Live Science. The brain was able to heal itself and recover because it undergoes "rewiring," a reorganization of brain connections following injury, he said. The medical literature has reported on a few other cases of kleptomania after traumatic brain injury or neurosurgery, or after brain cells receive a lack of oxygen like this woman's did. But it is a very unusual occurrence, Nascimento said. Neurological or psychiatric symptoms can occur as a result of surgical procedures, Nascimento said. These can be as typical as temporary memory problems or as atypical as kleptomania, he said. They usually resolve without any treatment, he added. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The upcoming nomination battle over a vacant Supreme Court seat could expose some Americans to an institution they know little about the Supreme Court itself. Judge Judy. Source: CBS Judge Judy (who is not on the Supreme Court). Source: CBS In the past few years, polling firms have included questions about the Court and its nine Justices among its surveys of popular political and civic knowledge. And not surprisingly, many of those surveyed in the general population couldnt name key players and policies in all three branches of the federal government and especially the Supreme Court. For example, a poll released in January 2016 fielded by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni showed that about 10 percent of college graduates believed TVs Judith Sheindlin (aka Judge Judy) is on the United States Supreme Court. As of today, Sheindlin is not on the Supreme Court. Among the college graduates, about 62 percent correctly answered that Elena Kagan is on the current Court, and not Sheindlin, John Kerry or retired federal judge Lawrence Pierce. Overall, just 44 percent of all those polled identified Kagan as a Supreme Court Justice. (Another 35 percent of those polled thought impeachment trials took place in the Supreme Court.) A similar survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, released in September 2015, showed that many people struggled to answer basic questions about the Court. For example, 32 percent of Americans couldnt identify the Supreme Court as one of the three branches of the federal government, and 28 percent thought Supreme Court case decisions were returned to Congress for reconsideration. And another 25 percent were in favor of eliminating the Supreme Court entirely if it made too many unpopular decisions. The struggles many Americans face with civics knowledge is well-documented. Back in 2011, Newsweek had a group of 1,000 people take a standard citizenship test; only 62 percent passed. In addition, only 37 percent knew that are nine Justices on the Supreme Court. Story continues In a 2015 Pew Research survey, only 33 percent of Americans could answer correctly that three women are on the current Supreme Court bench. Another Pew survey in 2013 showed pictures of four Justices and asked respondents to name the Justice who was frequently the Courts swing vote; only 28 percent could name Anthony Kennedy as the correct answer. In a similar photo lineup in 2012, just before the Courts decision on Obamacare, just 34 percent of those surveyed could identify an image of Chief Justice John G. Roberts. Just after the Affordable Care Act ruling, 45 percent of those polled didnt know the ruling upheld the ACA. On Tuesday, Gallup looked back on its past polling data about the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, which showed many Americans were unfamiliar with him. Last July, 29 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of Scalia, with 27 percent had an unfavorable opinion. But a bigger number, 32 percent, had no idea who Scalia was. A total of 44 percent of people in 2015 had no opinion or no idea who Scalia was the same number received by Chief Justice Roberts. Almost half of Americans had no knowledge or opinion of Justice Anthony Kennedy. Americans do have opinions about the Supreme Court as an institution. Since 2000, Gallup has fielded a specific public approval poll about the Court. Last September, Gallup said 95 percent of people polled had some opinion about the Supreme Court: 50 percent disapproved of the Court, while 45 percent approved of the job it was doing. In 2000, 62 percent of Americans approved of the Court. But the Gallup numbers show that while current Court approval numbers are lower, as of 2015, the Court has an institution far outranks Congess, which had an approval rating of 14 percent last September. President Obamas approval rating last September was 47 percent. Gallups research on overall trust in the three branches of the federal government goes back to 1973, when 45 percent of people had a high level of trust in the Supreme Court, compared with 42 percent for Congress. Today, those numbers are 32 percent for the Court and just 8 percent for Congress. Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily How will the Supreme Court deal with a vacancy this term and beyond? Why the current Supreme Court nomination situation isnt that unique A look at the Justice Antonin Scalias most unusual word choices Beirut (AFP) - Syria's Kurds, long held in disdain by Damascus, are edging towards autonomy in their heartland along Turkey's border as they capitalise on the tactical goals of both Washington and Moscow. To the dismay of Ankara, Kurdish forces have seized on the collapse of rebels in the northern province of Aleppo in the face of Russian-backed regime gains to advance to within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the border. From the outset of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the Kurds benefited from the regime's pullback from their regions to establish a local administration spanning from northwest to northeast Syria. According to Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche, the Kurds who have gained ground mostly from Islamic State jihadists who now control 14 percent of Syrian territory, or 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles), compared with nine percent in 2012. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, says Kurdish forces also hold three quarters of the 800-kilometre border with Turkey. Their long-cherished ambition is to set up an autonomous region like their Kurdish brethren across the border in Iraq by connecting the three Kurdish "cantons" of Afrin and Kobane in Aleppo province with Jazira in Hasakeh province. "The Kurds' main aim is to annex the cantons... They want a decentralised Syria, perhaps their canton system can be a model for the rest of Syria," said Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington-based analyst on Syria and the Kurds. Balanche said they want to link up Kobane and Afrin to ensure that their "'Rojava' (Syrian Kurdistan) has territorial continuity". - 'Third Path' - In the battle for Aleppo which has raged since the start of February, the Kurds have broken a more than year-long siege of Afrin by Islamist rebels and Al-Nusra Front jihadists with the key support of Russian air strikes. To join Afrin and Kobane, their next battle will be fought against the Islamic State group, mainly in eastern Aleppo. Story continues On the battlefield, the Kurds have linked up neither with the regime nor rebel forces fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad. "From the very beginning, the Kurds have followed what they call 'the third path'. They are neither with the regime nor with the opposition because neither of them acknowledge Kurdish rights," said Civiroglu. As a result, "neither the regime nor the rebels are happy with them". Rebel forces have also accused the People's Protection Units (YPG), the Kurdish fighting force, of merely serving regime interests by expelling them from strategic areas of Aleppo such as the town of Tal Rifaat and Minnigh air base. "We have nothing to do with the regime's battle," insisted Salah Jamil, an official of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), of which the YPG is considered the armed wing. "We've fought against Al-Nusra and other factions which carry out Turkey's strategy because they have besieged our regions and bombarded our villages," he told AFP. - 'Player in future Syria' - Maria Fantappie, an International Crisis Group expert on the Kurds of Syria and Iraq, said: "The PYD's priority is now one of capitalising on their territorial gains and intricate set of regional and international alliances to establish themselves as an uncontested political player in a future Syria." The PYD may not have been invited to the Geneva peace talks between the opposition and the regime, but in January it hosted Washington's pointman in the battle against IS, Brett McGurk, and opened a representation in Moscow this month. Turkey, alarmed by the Kurdish gains, has since Saturday bombarded Kurdish positions across the border in Syria. The United States, which counts on its Turkish ally in the multinational fight against IS, has also relied on the Kurds in both Syria and Iraq to battle the jihadists on the ground. For its part, Russia has since September pummelled jihadist and rebel positions with air strikes which have allowed the Kurds to expand their territory, notably with the seizure of Minnigh air base. "Moscow cannot ignore the Kurds. They are the main power who are fighting the jihadists. It is in Russia's interest too" as well as that of Washington, said Civiroglu. While supporting the Assad regime, which Ankara has fiercely opposed for the past five years, Moscow stands to gain on the Kurdish question, a source of friction between Washington and Ankara. Balanche said Assad may not be enchanted by Moscow's support for the Kurds, but he has no choice as his very "future depends on the backing of Russia". Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly made his support for Assad conditional on the creation of a Kurdish autonomous entity in northern Syria, according to Balanche, who is currently working with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank. "So in effect the Kurds will serve as Syria's border guards." TAIPEI (Reuters) - China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island in the South China Sea, Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters on Wednesday. No other details of the deployment can be disclosed, Lo said. Taiwan's defense ministry "will closely watch subsequent developments," he said. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions." (Reporting by J.R. Wu; Editing by Michael Perry) By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas on Tuesday executed a man who was convicted of fatally shooting a liquor store clerk in a robbery outside of Dallas in 1990. Gustavo Garcia, 43, who has spent more than half of his life on death row, was put to death by lethal injection at the state's execution chamber in Huntsville. He was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. local time, a prisons official said. The execution was the 534th in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the most of any state. "To my family, to my mom, I love you. God bless you. Stay strong. I'm done," Garcia said in his final statement, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition on behalf of Garcia seeking to halt the execution. Garcia's lawyers argued there were problems with his prosecution such as minority members being excluded from the jury at his trial. When Garcia was 18, he and accomplice Christopher Vargas, then 15, entered a liquor store in the Dallas suburb of Plano in December 1990. Armed with a sawed-off shotgun, Garcia ordered the clerk, Craig Turski, to give him money from the cash register while his accomplice stole beer, according to the Texas Attorney General's office. Garcia then shot Turski in the abdomen. Turski was able to leave the store, where he was pursued by Garcia, who shot him in the head, killing him, officials said. Garcia was arrested a few weeks later when he killed another clerk, Gregory Martin, in a gas station robbery in Plano with the same shotgun used in the previous murder, the office said. Martin had been on the phone with his girlfriend when Garcia and the same accomplice entered the store. He told his girlfriend to call the police for help, according to officials. Police arrived on the scene and found Garcia hiding in a beer cooler. He was arrested and confessed to the two murders, officials said. He was never tried in Martin's death. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Matthew Lewis) burkina faso AP Terrorists are in it as much for the loot as for the ideology. The Islamic State, or ISIS, could hardly exist, whatever its Islamist fervor, without hard cash from sales of pilfered petroleum, taxes on its subject population and kidnappings for ransom. Likewise ISIS- and al-Qaida-linked groups in Africa prosper by trafficking drugs across the Sahara and by offering protection to smugglers who have long been trading illicit goods throughout the continent. Although Westerners tend to think of these groups as driven by ideology, new recruits may be more attracted by opportunities to make money. Terror is big business, especially in the weak and fragile parts of the world. A growing market The market for narcotic substances is growing substantially within Africa itself. Until recently, the majority of powerful drugs in Africa passed through only on their way to Europe and North America. West Africa, for example, provides a convenient shortcut and stopover point for cocaine destined for markets in Europe. East Africa sends Asian heroin to both to Europe and North America. Hashish may be locally grown in Africa, but large quantities end up in Europe along with khat, a favorite of the Somali community. Too few social scientists have studied narcotics trafficking, particularly how drug profiteering influences and fuels terror and radical insurgent movements. My work on failed states, governance and civil conflict leads naturally to a consideration of such associations and relationships. In my view, understanding how plunder makes terror possible is fundamental to understanding how some nonstate actors are more mercenaries than servants of a cause. Defeating ISIS, al-Qaida and their offshoots will, in other words, depend more on cutting off their riches than countering their appeal to wide-eyed would-be fundamentalists. Drugs and militancy Various big-power intelligence services are looking into how the drug trade works in Africa, and the interconnections of drug routes and militancy. The most comprehensive work is being done by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which has agents in Africa and issues pointed reports about the trade. Story continues Nevertheless, given the clandestine nature of narcotics and trafficking, conjecture and speculation abound. With big money at stake, operatives have every reason to cover their tracks. Thanks to research done by the Strategic Studies Institute at the Army War College, we do know that cocaine arrives in Africa from South America on an almost daily basis. boko haram APStemming from growers in Peru and Colombia, some cocaine leaves Venezuela and Brazil by private jet aircraft bound for secret airfields in Guinea-Bissau. This small West African nation is widely regarded as Africas primary narco-state. In recent years, military coups and other forced changes in Guinea-Bissaus weak government have directly reflected competition for control of drug-fueled profits. Other loads of cocaine from Colombia arrive at proper international airports in Nigeria, Benin and Ghana, hidden in shipments of plantains or coffee. Corrupt airport officials and customs and police officers make sure that the valuable shipments are soon on their way by air or road to Europe. The fact is that today about 40 percent of the cocaine that reaches Europe annually comes via Africa. That is where al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), or several of the Islamist groups that have been active in raiding and destabilizing Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, muscle into the picture. They want their cut of the profits, either from being the major transporters of cocaine across the Sahara to Europe or from facilitating that traffic for a sizable slice of the returns. The competing groups battle, as they have for the past two years in Mali, for primacy and control. That competition also leads to the macho assertion of prowess, as in the raids on Timbuktu and, in January, in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkino Faso. Innocent bystanders lose their lives when the drug runners randomly invade hotels to boost their power and standing. Additionally, development suffers when drug traffickers threaten fragile governments. colombia cocaine APNigeria and its neighbors Most analysts are unsure of the extent to which Boko Haram, the homegrown, now ISIS-tied, Islamist rebel movement in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, traffics in narcotics as well as uses them. What is clear is that Boko Haram guards one of the traditional long-distance trading routes northward to the Mediterranean. It also requires cash to purchase what guns and ammunition it cant obtained by overpowering the Nigerian military or raiding its barracks. The suspicion, therefore, is that Boko Haram, having killed thousands, kidnapped hundreds and destroyed 70 or so villages, fuels its growth and pays its new recruits from proceeds derived from the drug trade. On the other side of the continent, Asian-refined heroin derived from Afghan or Burmese poppy seeds flows by dhow sailing vessel and by air into Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. There it is redirected to Europe, and sometimes, via Nigeria, to Mexico and North America. Al-Shabaab, the Islamist, al-Qaida-affiliated terror movement of Somalia, derives much of its predatory income from the movement of Asian heroin and locally produced qat. Seleka, the Muslim insurgent group that captured and fractured the Central African Republic before being ousted by French and other militias, made money from transshipping drugs from south to north. Lebanons Hezbollah, which has always had side operations in West Africa among the Lebanese diaspora, also profits from narcotics dealings on the periphery of the Sahara. Whether al-Shabaab, or any of the other al-Qaida- and ISIS-associated movements in Africa, would continue to constitute serious threats to local and world order absent abundant incomes derived from smuggling drugs and other goods like charcoal and hashish is not known with any certainty. But, certainly, drug profiteering is an opportunistic pursuit that drives terror activities. Making trafficking more costly Interventions by French and local forces, backed by the United States and Britain, have made drug trafficking more costly in Africa. They have also threatened the rent-seeking from which the various Islamist insurgent groups derive steady incomes by controlling drug movements through ports and cities such as Kismayu and Merca in Somalia and Timbuktu and Gao in Mali. The U.S. and its allies also provide security for local administrations in beleaguered places like Somalia, Mali and Niger, thus countering the insurgents. kofi annan APBut another, longer-term, way of depriving the terror groups of their cash and their influence is by legalizing the cocaine and heroin market in Europe. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annans Global Commission on Drug Policy is battling to have that obvious decriminalization proposal taken seriously, but so far with little result. His proposal, if adopted, would reduce consumer prices, make the product taxable and eliminate much of the incentive to ship narcotics clandestinely. In short, it would undercut terror movements. But, so far, there is no U.N. or national support for his sensible, albeit controversial, proposal. Combating terror in Africa, at least, now depends as much on cutting off insurgents from their sources of income as it does on defeating them on the battlefield a much longer, tougher and more costly pursuit. Robert Rotberg, Founding Director of Program on Intrastate Conflict, Kennedy School, Harvard University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. NOW WATCH: A hair surgeon reveals why men go bald See Also: Miami (AFP) - The Oriental fruit fly, which all but shut down south Florida's $1.6 billion agricultural industry when it was discovered in the state last year, has been "successfully eradicated," authorities said Wednesday. Officials quarantined 97 square miles (250 square kilometers) of farmland after the invasive pest was found in the region. Authorities not only managed to contain the fly, formally known as Bactrocera dorsalis, but successfully eliminated it within the course of less than six months, before it could do further damage. "In September, I declared a state of agricultural emergency to combat the Oriental fruit fly infestation in Miami-Dade County," Florida Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a statement. "This tiny fly is one of the planet's most destructive agricultural pests; but together, we have successfully eradicated this invasive pest." Oriental fruit flies are common from southern China to northern India, and US officials say they do not know how the fly got here this time. The insect, which measures less than a centimeter (.4 inches) in length, can travel long distances and feeds on 432 different kinds of plants, including mangoes, bananas, tomatoes, figs, watermelon, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans, lemons and lychees. Authorities will continue to monitor more than 56,000 traps placed throughout the state for any new outbreaks. The Oriental fruit fly is only one of a long list of invasive species to reach Florida, including giant African snails, Burmese pythons and Argentine tegu lizards. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidates criticized Apple Inc on Wednesday for opposing a government request for help hacking into an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino attackers, calling the issue tough but important to boosting national security. The company late on Tuesday said it was opposing a court order to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation break into an iPhone that belonged to the male shooter, Rizwan Farook, before the deadly Dec. 2 attacks in San Bernardino, California. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said the demand threatened the security of Apple's customers. Donald Trump, a billionaire developer and a leading candidate for his party's nomination to run for president on Nov. 8, said on Wednesday that unlocking the iPhone is "common sense." "I agree 100 percent with the courts in that case we should open it up. I think ... we have to open up, and we have to use our heads," he said in an interview on Fox News. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, another candidate seeking the Republican party's nomination ahead of the Nov. 8 election, called it a "tough issue" that would require government to work closely with the tech industry to find a solution. At a campaign stop in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Rubio said he hoped Apple would voluntarily comply with the court order. "Ultimately, I think being a good corporate citizen is important," he said. (This version of the story corrects quote in paragraphs 3-4 and recasts first paragraph to reflect correct quote.) (Reporting by Megan Cassella and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia's economic growth slowed to 0.8 percent in 2015 from 2.3 percent the previous year, figures showed on Wednesday, a day before a visit by an International Monetary Fund delegation. "The Tunisian economy grew by 0.8 percent in 2015, mainly due to the notable increase of contributions from the agriculture and fisheries sectors," a National Statistics Institute statement said. But production dropped in the industry and service sectors in the last quarter, it said. While Tunisia is hailed as a success story of the Arab Spring uprisings, authorities have failed to redress the economy since the 2011 revolution. An IMF delegation is to visit Tunisia on Thursday, after the government said in September it would ask the fund for a new aid package at least equal to a $1.7 billion credit line granted in 2013. Olive oil and date exports gave Tunisia's economy a boost last year, the finance minister said in October, after its vital tourism sector was badly affected by two deadly jihadist attacks. The country lost more than a third of its tourism revenues in 2015, the central bank said last month, after the attacks that killed 59 foreign tourists. The Islamic State jihadist group claimed both attacks on the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March and a coastal resort near Sousse in June -- as well as a deadly bus bombing in the capital in November. By Nick Tattersall and Asli Kandemir ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will not let Kurdish militia fighters backed by the United States establish a foothold on its border in northern Syria and will not stop shelling if its security is threatened, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. The Kurdish YPG militia, regarded by Ankara as a hostile insurgent group, has taken advantage in recent weeks of a major Syrian army offensive around the city of Aleppo, backed by Russian air strikes, to seize ground from Syrian rebels near the Turkish border. Their gains have infuriated Turkey, which has shelled YPG positions in Syria in response to what it says is fire coming across the border. They have also complicated wider efforts to end the Syrian conflict, deepening divisions between NATO member Turkey and the United States, which views the YPG as a useful ally in the fight against Islamic State. "Today our rules of engagement may be just about responding to an armed attack against our country, but tomorrow if necessary those rules can be expanded to cover every threat," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast live on television. "Nobody should doubt that. We will not allow the formation of a new 'Qandil' on our southern border," he said, referring to the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq, where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has established bases during a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkey argues that the YPG is an extension of the PKK, deemed a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. It accuses the YPG of pursuing "demographic change" in northern Syria by forcibly displacing Turkmen and Arab communities, as well as Kurds who do not share its ideology. Ankara ultimately fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state occupying contiguous territories currently belonging to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Erdogan said he could not understand why Washington refused to call the YPG and its political wing, the PYD, a terrorist organization. Ignoring their links to the PKK was, he said, a hostile attitude to Turkey and reiterated comments of recent days asking the United States to choose its allies: "We want to know: are your friends the YPG, PYD, or us," he said. Washington has told the YPG to avoid doing anything to increase tensions with Turkey, saying they undermine the struggle against Islamic State, but has also urged Turkey to cease artillery fire across its border, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday. RENEWED CALLS FOR "SAFE ZONE" Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said Turkey wants a secure strip of territory 10 km (6 miles) deep on the Syrian side of its border, including the town of Azaz, to prevent attempts to "change the demographic structure" of the area. Azaz is the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, part of what was, before the Syrian government offensive, a supply route from Turkey to the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad. It has come under heavy assault in recent days, but Turkey has said it will not let the town fall into YPG hands. "There is a game being played with the aim of changing the demographic structure. Turkey should not be part of this game," Akdogan said in an interview on the AHaber television station. "What we want is to create a secure strip, including Azaz, 10 km deep inside Syria and this zone should be free from clashes," he said. Turkey, home to more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has long pushed for the creation of a safe zone in Syria to protect displaced civilians without bringing them into Turkey. The proposal has so far gained little traction with Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone which could put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies. But Erdogan said some countries were warming to the idea. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, under pressure at home over her open-door policy for refugees, said on Wednesday that it would be good for the people in Aleppo and the area around it to create "a kind of no fly zone" up to the Turkish border, reiterating comments she made on Monday. Akdogan said another 600,000 people could flee to the Turkish border if Aleppo falls to the Syrian army. (Additional reporting by Ercan Gurses in Ankara and Melih Aslan in Istanbul, Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Editing by Giles Elgood) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey does not intend to stop shelling Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in response to cross-border fire, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding the United State should decide whether it wants to back Turkey or the Kurdish insurgents. The rapid of advance of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are taking advantage of Russian air strikes in the region to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara, which sees the insurgents as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been shelling YPG positions for days. Erdogan also said that ignoring the link between Syrian Kurds and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was a "hostile act". (Reporting by Asli Kandemir and Nick Tattersall; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Toby Chopra) By Barbara Liston (Reuters) - The captain of the U.S. cargo ship that sank off the Bahamas in a hurricane last fall, killing all 33 people on board, was responsible for decisions that put the vessel in the path of the storm, the company that operated the vessel said on Tuesday. But members of a U.S. Coast Guard panel examining the sinking questioned that assessment and why the company had produced only a handful of email exchanges with the captain during the ill-fated voyage. The 790-foot (241-meter) El Faro went down off the Bahamas on Oct. 1 while on a cargo run between Florida and Puerto Rico. It was the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S.-flagged vessel in more than three decades. Captain Michael Davidson, a veteran mariner from Maine, reported losing propulsion and taking on water before it sank. Philip Morrell, an executive with ship operator Tote Services said the captain had "total responsibility," including final determinations about safety, when to sail and the route. The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation is looking for evidence of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or willful violation of the law by licensed or certified individuals. Panelists noted a company email sent to Davidson, which said he was authorized to change his route to avoid the storm. But Morrell responded that the captain did not need company permission to change course. The board's marine casualty expert Keith Fawcett questioned why the company produced relatively few emails exchanged between the captain and company during the voyage, compared to thousands exchanged during previous hurricanes. Morrell said he did not know. The investigation board last met to investigate the 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion that killed 11 workers and triggered the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Tuesday marked the start of 10 days of hearings on El Faro. The Coast Guard said it found the crew had proper credentials and the ship carried required safety and communications equipment. Relatives of the dead El Faro crew members have sued Tote, saying the ship was not seaworthy and should have avoided the hurricane. Tote has blamed the accident on a loss of power due to unknown causes and has invoked a 19th-century maritime law that would limit its financial liability. The National Transportation Safety Board will try again in April to recover the ships voyage data recorder from the wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. (Reporting by Barbara Liston in Orlando, Fla.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Tom Brown) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American journalist said on Wednesday she and the three members of her camera crew were safe and in good health after being released from detention in Bahrain, where they had been accused of participating in an illegal gathering in the U.S.-allied Gulf kingdom. "My team and I feel very fortunate to have been permitted to leave Bahrain last night," Anna Day, a freelance journalist who has reported for numerous media outlets, said in a statement issued by two journalist colleagues. Day and her camera crew, all U.S. citizens, were arrested on Sunday and left the country on Tuesday after being charged. According to the statement, they were covering the fifth anniversary of Arab Spring protests in Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is based. "We are safe and in good health, but we are exhausted and keen to get home to see our loved ones," Day said. "We are overwhelmed by the events of the past few days and by the support shown to us from around the world." Day has reported in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Latin America for numerous media outlets, mostly American. One of the two journalists who released Day's statement said the group would return to the United State although the timing was unclear. Separately, the U.S. State Department said in a statement the United States would "continue to raise our concerns with Bahrain about limitations on peaceful assembly and political activism, and the criminalization of free expression." The statement did not specifically mention Day's arrest. Authorities in Bahrain said the four journalists were found with cameras and computers in Sitra, a Shi'ite village east of the capital Manama, among "a group of saboteurs who were carrying out riot acts." Demonstrators in Sitra have clashed with security forces in recent days. Day and her crew were the latest among a wave of journalists who have been held overseas, in Iran, Turkey and elsewhere. According to Reporters without Borders, a press advocacy group, 154 journalists are imprisoned around the world and eight have been killed so far in 2016. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham) London (AFP) - Michael Fallon said he was seeking to improve relations with Argentina as he became the first British defence secretary in more than a decade to visit the Falkland Islands. He said he wanted "to build a better relationship with the new Argentinian government, as neighbours in the South Atlantic and fellow G20 members," according to a defence ministry statement on Wednesday. Fallon on Tuesday bowed before a memorial obelisk in the capital Port Stanley in remembrance of the 255 British servicemen killed in the 1982 conflict with Argentina over the South Atlantic archipelago. He left a wreath and handwritten note reading: "In grateful memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of these islands." The remote islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, were the source of tension between British Prime Minister David Cameron and Argentina's former president Cristina Kirchner. The spat came to a head at a G20 summit in 2012 when Kirchner tried to hand Cameron a package of papers relating to the disputed islands, which he refused. Argentina's new President Mauricio Macri said he wanted to start "a new era" in relations with Britain, shortly after succeeding Kirchner in January, but stressed he would maintain Argentina's claim over the islands. Argentina claims it inherited the windswept islands from Spain when it gained independence while Britain says it has historically ruled them and that the islanders should have the right to self-determination. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8 percent voted to remain a British overseas territory. The 1982 war claimed the lives of 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and three islanders. There are currently around 1,200 military and civilian personnel based in the islands. Fallon also criticised comments by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that the sovereignty of the islands should be up for negotiation. "The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it's Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party who want to override the wishes of the islanders," he told the Daily Telegraph. "The issue is how we improve relationships with rest of South America and we have the election of a new government in Argentina that may open the door to that." Britain on Wednesday urged the release of "all political prisoners" in the Maldives following the jailing of Islamist leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla. Junior foreign minister Hugo Swire said Imran's conviction on terrorism charges "raises worrying questions about freedom of speech, the rule of law and the government's commitment to democracy." Maldives on Tuesday sentenced Imran, the leader of the country's main Islamist party, to 12 years in jail. The opposition Adhaalath Party (AP) leader was charged under a 1990 anti-terrorism law for allegedly inciting unrest during an anti-government rally last May on the capital island Male. His imprisonment comes 11 months after the highly controversial jailing of the country's main opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, who last month obtained prison leave to undergo urgent surgery in London. Swire said that Tuesday's conviction was a "backward step" after the granting of Nasheed's medical leave and called for further action. "I urge the government to work towards greater judicial independence and to restore confidence in democracy," he said in a statement on the government's website. "The government should release all political prisoners, end politically motivated trials and ensure all-party dialogue is genuine and inclusive," he added. President Abdulla Yameen is under intense international pressure to free Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected president. The tiny nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims has been gripped by political turmoil, damaging to its reputation as a luxury holiday destination, since Nasheed was toppled four years ago in what he claimed was a coup led by mutinous police and troops. By Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk looked for new allies on Wednesday to shore up his crisis-hit government, after a junior party quit the ruling alliance and another faction signaled it could walk out. In his first public remarks since surviving a no-confidence vote, Yatseniuk called for a reshuffle in the coalition and said he was in talks with various political groups, including the populist Radical party, about a possible tie-up. Getting new allies could help Yatseniuk stave off the prospect of a snap election, but he still may struggle to win support for enacting reforms demanded by Ukraine's Western backers in exchange for a $40 billion aid package. Months of squabbling in the coalition came to a head on Tuesday when President Petro Poroshenko, who leads the largest party in the alliance, called for Yatseniuk to resign. Yatseniuk survived the no-confidence motion that followed but the majority of Poroshenko's lawmakers voted against him. A self-described "kamikaze" prime minister who came to office in 2014 determined to pass unpopular austerity measures, Yatseniuk now risks becoming the lame duck leader of a country battling a deep recession and a pro-Russian separatist conflict. "It has become absolutely clear that it is essential to reshuffle the coalition and (make) changes to the coalition agreement," he said in a televised government meeting. The Fatherland faction, led by former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, quit the coalition earlier on Wednesday. "The prospects for an effective reform program being implemented by the current political elite are close to nil," said Daragh McDowell of risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. The Radical party opposes many of Yatseniuk's reforms, such as cuts to energy subsidies and pensions. It was part of the ruling alliance until September but quit in protest over laws to grant a special status to eastern territories claimed by pro-Russian rebels. Radical party leader Oleh Lyashko said he preferred a new coalition to snap elections, especially in light of Ukraine's standoff with President Vladimir Putin's Russia over the annexation of Crimea in 2014. "A war amongst ourselves in Ukraine plays into Putin's hands," he told reporters. Tymoshenko's party has 19 seats in parliament. Even after its departure, Yatseniuk still has a majority. His coalition now contains his own party, President Poroshenko's party and the Samopomich (Self-help) party, created after the 2013-2014 protests that toppled the previous pro-Russian president. The Radical party has 21 seats in parliament. One lawmaker from Samopomich said his party was debating a "dissolution of the coalition of Ukraine's kleptocrats", suggesting they might walk out too. LAME DUCK Two years after the "Maidan" protests, Ukraine's economy is still shrinking, the hryvnia currency is hovering around 11-month lows and the separatist conflict, which has claimed more than 9,000 lives so far, shows no sign of ending. Kiev's failure to tackle corruption and implement reforms has prompted the International Monetary Fund to withhold the next tranche of aid, worth $1.7 billion, part of the $40 billion Western aid program. Yatseniuk's government has struggled to tackle bribe-taking in the judiciary, to sell off loss-making state companies and to pass a law giving more autonomy to the eastern Donbass region. The latter is a key part of a ceasefire deal agreed with Russia in Minsk last year. "Snap elections are now becoming a reality ... It was incredibly hard work for the government to get laws through parliament even before all of this, but now even more so," Olha Chervakova, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's bloc, told Reuters. A source from the bloc said: "There's a big risk we won't get the money from the IMF. After what happened yesterday who wants to do business with a lame duck?" (Additional reporting by Matthias Williams and Alessandra Prentice; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Tom Heneghan) Damascus (AFP) - Convoys were to deliver aid to thousands of besieged Syrians Wednesday in what the United Nations has described as a test for the country's warring sides ahead of a hoped-for ceasefire. The UN announced the planned deliveries late on Tuesday, as its envoy Staffan de Mistura held talks in Damascus aimed at restoring hope for a "cessation of hostilities" world powers want in place by Friday. Prospects for the ceasefire -- announced by top diplomats in Munich last week -- have been fading as violence continues to shake Syria, including strikes on hospitals on Monday and repeated Turkish shelling of Kurdish militia. The Syrian Red Crescent said about 100 trucks carrying flour, other food supplies and medicines were to leave for five besieged areas on Wednesday. About 35 vehicles had arrived at the entrance to Moadimayet al-Sham, a rebel-held town near Damascus encircled by President Bashar al-Assad's forces, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Another 18 trucks had departed for Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite towns in northwestern Idlib province besieged by rebels, the Red Crescent said. About 50 were to travel to Madaya and Zabadani, two other regime-besieged towns near Damascus. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under siege, according to the UN. Aid workers say several dozen people have died of starvation just in Madaya, which became a symbol of the plight of besieged Syrians after shocking images of starving residents spread last month. - 'Duty' to allow aid - "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," De Mistura said on Tuesday in Damascus. "Tomorrow we test this," he said. A Syrian foreign ministry source rejected talk of a test. "We don't need anyone to remind us of our duties to our people," the source told the official SANA news agency. Diplomats have been pressing the ceasefire deal as a step forward in efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict that has left more than 260,000 dead, devastated the country and forced millions from their homes. Story continues A major international push to resolve the conflict, including Western and Arab nations that have largely backed Syria's opposition and Assad's key supporters Russia and Iran, was launched last year. But peace talks between the regime and opposition in Geneva quickly collapsed earlier this month and a major regime offensive, backed by Russian air strikes, has continued in northern Aleppo province. Air strikes on five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria earlier this week killed at least 50 people, the UN said. One of the strikes hit a hospital supported by charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), killing 25 people and prompting widespread condemnation. MSF did not assign blame for the attack though a Britain-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a suspected Russian strike had hit the hospital. Moscow rejected any responsibility and Syria's UN envoy Bashar al-Jaafari on Tuesday said MSF was responsible because it was not coordinating with the government. - Turkey warns Kurds - The situation in Syria has also been complicated by Turkey's launching this week of an assault on Kurdish forces who have been advancing in northern Syria. Ankara has shelled a Kurdish-led militia which it says is allied with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged an insurgency on its soil for decades. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday vowed Turkey would never accept the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria, saying there was "no question" of Turkey ending its shelling. "We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border", Erdogan said in a televised speech, referring to the mountain range in northern Iraq which for years has been stronghold of PKK militants. Turkey on Tuesday called for foreign ground forces to deploy in Syria, part of a longstanding push by the NATO member for a more robust response to the conflict. On Wednesday Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber television Ankara wanted to create a 10-kilometre (six-mile) "safe line" inside Syria that would include the flashpoint town of Azaz near the border. Turkey has long pressed for a safe zone, backed up by a no-fly zone, inside Syria and has warned Kurdish forces it will not allow them to seize Azaz, which is held by rebel forces. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday also reiterated her call for a no-fly zone to protect civilians, saying the humanitarian situation in Syria was "intolerable". "If we were able to reach an agreement between anti- and pro-Assad forces on a kind of no-fly zone... then this would save many lives and aid the political process about Syria's future," she told the German parliament. Washington (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday forcefully condemned a deadly car bomb targeting the Turkish military in Ankara, reaffirming US solidarity with its NATO partner and key regional ally. "The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Turkish military personnel and civilians today in Ankara, Turkey," deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement. "We reaffirm our strong partnership with our NATO ally Turkey in combatting the shared threat of terrorism attacks." At least 28 people were killed and 61 wounded by the car bombing in the heart of the capital Wednesday, the latest in a string of attacks to shake the country. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast which struck a convoy of military service vehicles. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price called Turkey a "valued member" of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group and pledged Washington's "ongoing cooperation and support in the fight against terrorism." * Palm rises nearly 1 pct on expected stockpile draw * Lower production expected for the month of Feb - trader (Updates latest prices) By Emily Chow KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures recovered previous losses to gain on Wednesday as it rose nearly 1 percent on traders' forecasts that end-of-month stockpiles will draw down further during February. The palm oil contract for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose 0.97 percent to close at 2,613 ringgit ($620.30) per tonne in the evening, the first increase after two sessions of losses. Traded volume stood at 49,612 lots of 25 tonnes each. "The market will hold," said a trader with a Kuala Lumpur-based brokerage. "People are willing to buy at 2,500 with the belief that end-stocks will draw down on low production for the month of February," the trader explained. Inventories of the tropical oil have declined since November because of a seasonal decline in production and because of dry weather from the El Nino weather phenomenon that typically brings scorching heat to Southeast Asia, lowering palm yields. Malaysia's January end-stocks, or end-of-month inventories, (MYPOMS-TPO) fell 12.4 percent month-on-month to 2.31 million tonnes, its lowest in six months, as output took a hit from the dry weather impact. Palm oil may retrace to 2,549 ringgit per tonne as it approached a support at 2,576 ringgit again, said Wang Tao, Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals. In competing vegetable oil markets, the May soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange fell 1 percent, while the Chicago soyoil contract gained 0.1 percent. Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1015 GMT Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume MY PALM OIL MAR6 2546 +20.00 2512 2546 1350 MY PALM OIL APR6 2594 +20.00 2557 2598 5461 MY PALM OIL MAY6 2613 +25.00 2572 2615 24143 CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY6 4970 -26.00 4938 4986 701982 CHINA SOYOIL MAY6 5754 -56.00 5748 5788 360270 CBOT SOY OIL MAR6 31.63 +3.70 31.46 31.65 4846 Story continues INDIA PALM OIL FEB6 485.60 +3.70 481.50 488.00 673 INDIA SOYOIL FEB6 617.75 +0.60 617.30 618.50 390 NYMEX CRUDE MAR6 29.65 +0.61 28.73 29.70 40499 Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne India soy oil in Indian rupee per 10 kg Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel ($1 = 4.2125 ringgit) ($1 = 68.4600 Indian rupees) ($1 = 6.5259 Chinese yuan) * For a table on Malaysian physical palm oil prices, including refined oil, Reuters Terminal users can double click on or type. * To view freight rates from Peninsula Malaysia/Sumatra to China, India, Pakistan and Rotterdam, please key in and press enter, or double click between the brackets. * Reuters Terminal users can see cash and futures edible oil prices by double clicking on the codes in the brackets: To go to the next page in the same chain, hit F12. To go back, hit F11. Vegetable oils -- Malaysian palm oil exports -- CBOT soyoil futures -- CBOT soybean futures -- Indian solvent -- Weekly Indian vegetable oils -- Dalian Commodity Exchange -- Dalian soyoil futures -- Dalian refined palm oil futures -- Zhengzhou rapeseed oil -- European edible oil prices/trades -- (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Sherry Jacob-Phillips) The global managing director of film at VFX giant MPC discussed work on Disneys upcoming The Jungle Book as part of a panel that examined "virtual production." The panel, held Tuesday at the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Technology Retreat at the Hyatt Indian Wells in Palm Springs, looked at how virtual production is being used for features and TV, as well as projecting how it might begin to converge with virtual-reality technology. (Editor's note: THR's Carolyn Giardina moderated the panel.) Opening April 15, The Jungle Book is already generating plenty of interest for its innovative use of virtual production techniques. MPCs Christian Roberton emphasized that a decision to use such tools should start with the story. The question should be: Can you do it for real?, he said. [In the case of The Jungle Book], a jungle like that doesnt exist anymore in real life, in the quantities you would want to shoot. A team from MPC, which is Jungle Book's lead VFX house, was on-set for the actors' live-action greenscreen shoot in Los Angeles. And MPC has a VFX facility in India, so we had a photographic team that went out to remote [jungle] sites and photographed what was there. Then we brought the photographic references back to MPC in London [to create the CG environments and combine it with the live action in VFX and postproduction], said Roberton. Also speaking during the session were Chris Edwards, founder and CEO of previs firm The Third Floor (Gravity, The Walk) and David Morin, who chairs a virtual production study committee whose participants include the American Society of Cinematographers, Art Directors Guild, Producers Guild of America and Visual Effects Society. All three speakers projected that virtual production capabilities are heading toward the mainstream. Morin related that since Avatar, virtual production capabilities have been expanding he counted 17 such features currently in production and he envisions a time when the virtual camera and the actual camera on a production merge into a single tool. Story continues Morin also cited Robert Zemeckis' The Walk a virtual production led by VFX house Atomic Fiction that involved the CG creation of the World Trade Center and lower Manhattan, for a total production budget of roughly $35 million saying that the use of developing technology including cloud computing is making virtual production possible not just for high-end features, but for projects with a wider range of budgets. Edwards added that he has seeing growing interest from the TV production community. His company has already worked on series such as Game of Thrones and Black Sails, but he said other productions might be looking to tap into virtual capabilities even for a single shot. Turning to virtual reality, Edwards said: Virtual production and virtual reality are converging around the use of a game engine technology that the gaming industry has been nurturing for many years. And now with head-mounted VR displays, its becoming an interesting way to do a kind of preproduction [location] scout and virtual production, so that you can feel the scale of the environments. Currently, producers of movies that are planning a VR component are starting to ask about this during preproduction. Edwards whose Third Floor sister company, The Virtual Reality Company (VRC), co-produced Fox's The Martian VR Experience - urged filmmakers to start planning early if they expect to also create a VR experience, as some of the same assets can be used. MPC the lead VFX house on the VFX Oscar-nominated The Martian in fact provided plates for the VR project. Roberton noted that early planning also enables the VFX team to create additional plates during production, if they know that they will be later needed for VR. Summing up, Morin predicted, At some point, &lsquovirtual will be dropped, and this will just be considered production. var el = document.getElementById('targetParams');if (el !== null && typeof(el) != 'undefined') {var srcParams = $('.advert iframe').attr('src');var addParams = srcParams.split(";");for (i=1;i<=addParams.length - 1;i++) {if (addParams[i] != '=null' && addParams[i] != 'dcopt=ist' && addParams[i] != '!c=iframe' && addParams[i] != 'pos=t' && addParams[i] != 'sz=728x90') {el.value += addParams[i]+";";}}}brightcove.createExperiences();>>>>>>> (Reuters) - A man charged in the deaths of a wealthy Washington businessman, his wife, 10-year-old son and housekeeper was indicted on Wednesday by a grand jury on 20 felony charges including first-degree murder, burglary, kidnapping and arson, federal prosecutors said. Darron Wint, 35, of Lanham, Maryland, is accused of holding construction business owner Savvas Savopoulos and the others captive until he got $40,000 in cash, killing them and setting fire to their mansion, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington D.C. said in a statement. The indictment includes 12 counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, as well as four counts of kidnapping, and one count each of burglary, extortion, arson and theft, the statement said. The grand jury in the D.C. Superior Court found the murders were "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel," the statement said. Attorneys for Wint could not be immediately reached for comment, but his attorney, Natalie Lawson, said during his arraignment that the government's case was "based on speculation and guesswork." Savopoulos, who owned a construction materials company; his wife, Amy, 47; son Phillip, 10; and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57, were held captive on the evening of May 13. Savopoulos had an aide deliver $40,000 in cash to the house the next day, the court document said. The bodies were found on May 14 inside the Savopoulos mansion in an upscale neighborhood near the official residence of Vice President Joseph Biden. The house had been set on fire. Police said Wint had worked for Savopoulos' company, American Iron Works. Wint was a passenger in a car that was traveling alongside a truck when he was arrested later that month. Police also arrested three men and two women in the vehicles, though Police Chief Cathy Lanier later told CNN the others were released. Each of the 12 murder charges carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release, the statement said. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sandra Maler) BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford said on Wednesday it was not responsible or liable for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year from a storage facility in southern Iraq. "Weatherford has no responsibility or liability in relation to this matter because we do not own, operate or control sources or the bunker where the sources are stored," the company said in a statement to Reuters. "SGS is the owner and operator of the bunker and sources and solely responsible for addressing this matter," it added, referring to SGS Turkey, an Istanbul-based inspection and verification company which Iraqi officials have said owns the material. (Reporting By Stephen Kalin; editing by John Stonestreet) Its auf Wiedersehen, America with your cost-prohibitive college tuition and suffocating student loan debt and hello, Germany, and your FREE college education! Viewed from a purely financial perspective, its really no surprise that a growing number of American students are packing up their bags and heading off to Germany to earn a college degree. Germany has a tuition-free university system for all students, including international students. More than 10,000 American students are currently enrolled in its higher education programs, NBC reports. Thats a 9 percent increase from last academic year and a whopping 25 percent jump from the 2008-2009 academic year. Last summer the BBC introduced readers to Hunter Bliss, a South Carolinian working on his physics degree at the Technical University of Munich, one of the most highly regarded universities in Europe. Bliss pays the university a $120 fee each semester, which also includes a public transportation ticket for Munich. His health insurance costs $87 a month in Germany, which his mother Amy Hall says is much cheaper than she would pay if she added Bliss to her health plan in the United States. Altogether, Hall pays roughly $6,000 to $7,000 annually including rent, mandatory health insurance, the $120 per semester university fee, and other expenses for her son to live and attend college in Germany, according to the BBC. At [Bliss] nearest school back home, the University of South Carolina, that amount would not have covered the tuition fees. Even with scholarships, that would have totaled about $10,000 a year. Housing, books and living expenses would make that number much higher. Like Bliss, all college students in Germany pay their university a semester fee. NBC says the fee, which rarely exceeds $250, covers some of the schools administrative costs and also goes to support student unions. Watch the video of Why American Students Are Flocking to German Universities on MoneyTalksNews.com. Story continues Dorothea Rueland, secretary general of the German Academic Exchange Service, told NBC that free tuition isnt all that entices American students to study at German universities. Germany and its universities have quite a good reputation in the United States, Rueland explains. And we have a huge increase in courses taught in English and this obviously makes it easier for American students to channel into the German system. Rueland said funding international students college education is a win-win situation for Germany because about half of them stay there after they earn a degree, working and paying taxes. It seems like a win-win for American students as well. If I were a young college student today, I would jump on the opportunity to travel abroad and earn a free college education! What do you think of the number of American students packing their bags and heading to Germany for college? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page. This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Why American Students Are Flocking to German Universities'. More from Money Talks News (Reuters) - Global health officials have said that the Zika virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is rapidly spreading in the Americas and could infect up to 4 million people. The race is on to develop a Zika vaccine. The following are some questions and answers about the virus and the current outbreak. How do people become infected? The virus is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes, the same type of mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found. How do you treat Zika infection? There is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for Zika, but the World Health Organization said it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots. How dangerous is it? The PAHO said there is no evidence that Zika can cause death, but some cases have been reported with more serious complications in patients with pre-existing medical conditions. The virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in newborns marked by abnormally small heads and brains that have not developed properly. It also has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. The suspected link between the Zika virus and the two birth defects could be confirmed within weeks, the WHO said. How is Zika related to microcephaly? Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,400 suspected cases of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have confirmed more than 500 of these cases as microcephaly and identified evidence of Zika infection in 41 of these cases, but have not proven that Zika can cause microcephaly. It is unclear whether in pregnant women the virus crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly. Research in Brazil indicates the greatest microcephaly risk appears to be associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy. What are the symptoms of Zika infection? People who get Zika virus disease typically have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for two to seven days. But as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito. How can Zika be contained? Efforts to control the spread of the virus focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. U.S. and international health officials have advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries where they may be exposed to Zika. How widespread is the outbreak in the Americas? Health officials said Zika outbreaks have been reported in at least 33 countries in the Americas. Brazil has been the nation most affected. Other nations and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Curacao, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Maldives, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Vanuatu, U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela, according to the WHO. What is the history of the Zika virus? The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization. Can Zika be transmitted through sexual contact? Two cases of possible person-to-person sexual transmission has been described, but the PAHO said more evidence is needed to confirm whether sexual contact is a means of Zika transmission. British health officials reported Zika was found in a man's semen two months after being infected, suggesting the virus may linger in semen long after infection symptoms fade. The WHO has advised women, particularly pregnant women, to use condoms. The PAHO also said Zika can be transmitted through blood, but this is an infrequent transmission mechanism. There is no evidence the virus can be transmitted to babies through breast milk. What other complications are associated with Zika? The WHO says because no big Zika outbreaks were recorded before 2007, little is known about complications caused by infection. During an outbreak of Zika from 2013-2014 in French Polynesia, national health authorities reported an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Health authorities in Brazil have also reported an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Long-term health consequences of Zika infection remain unclear. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue. Related material from the World Health Organization: (http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/) (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/) (Compiled by Will Dunham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Bernard Orr and Frances Kerry) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A program that has allowed U.S. coal companies to forego cleanup insurance on massive western mines is flawed and needs to be fixed, Wyoming officials have told federal regulators. Coal companies must restore the land around spent mines, but roughly $3.6 billion in liabilities could fall to taxpayers under a subsidy called 'self bonding' that allows large coal companies to go without some cleanup insurance, federal officials have warned. Coal operator Alpha Natural Resources Inc left behind more than $670 million in self-bond liabilities in Wyoming and West Virginia when it filed for bankruptcy in August, and federal officials have asked states to explain how they will brace for such a hit. The self-bonding program has "certain systemic problems ... to be addressed individually and in a timely manner," Wyoming's Department of Environmental Quality notified federal regulators in a letter sent last week and made public on Tuesday. Wyoming officials broadly defended their handling of coal bankruptcies in the letter to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) which this week began to formally scrutinize how Peabody Energy Corp, the nation's largest coal producer, has made use of self bonding. OSMRE on Tuesday asked regulators in three western states to examine whether Peabody qualifies for the self-bond subsidy in those states. Officials in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico must respond to OSMRE within two weeks. Under an agreement with Alpha in the bankruptcy court, Wyoming has priority for only $61 million in cleanup funds - far short of what officials expect is required. In December, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told Congress that self bonding was "a big issue." The coal industry has been rocked by several high-profile bankruptcies as debt-laden companies struggle to stay afloat at a time of weak global demand for the black rock and tougher environmental controls. (Reporting by Patrick Rucker; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio) There was a distinct whiff of Americana on the catwalks of New York at the start of the week, as the Autumn / Winter 2016 ready-to-wear collections offered throwbacks to a simpler time. Tommy Hilfiger led the way with an ocean liner-themed collection that riffed on the traditional glamour of transatlantic travel. Retro briefs, sailor dresses and navy-style embellishments featured heavily throughout the ritzy show, which saw models strutting along a makeshift deck. There were bell-bottomed trousers, captain's jackets, plenty of piping and even the odd tiara, conjuring up the allure of the 1920s with some of the pizzazz of the 1970s. Also channelling a very American, although albeit more East coast, vibe was Tory Burch. The designer's clean, crisp, equestrian-themed line starred a preppy and sporty mix of white jodhpurs, riding boots, wool coats and loafers. The effect was light and breezy, with a series of cotton paisley summer dresses and suede mules also referencing the funky energy of the 1970s. Vera Wang also harnessed the power of simplicity with a deceptively minimalistic collection that focused on slender, towering silhouettes. Billowing skirts that swept the runway were teamed with contrasting kilt-like buckle straps for an intriguing subversive detail, while full-length silk pajama jackets were layered over sheer tops for an ephemeral effect. There were narrow trousers and boyish suit jackets aplenty, while towering platform shoes added height and confirmed the understated drama of the show. Meanwhile New York brand Rag & Bone referenced trans-Atlantic relations with a collection heavy on English tailoring via military touches, single breast blazers and 1990s-style tracksuits and bomber jackets. The outsized parkas, ribbed knitwear and biker-style leathers also captured a candid snapshot of fashion history and updated it for 2016. Zero Days, Alex Gibney's eye-opening and potentially debate-fueling documentary about state-sponsored cyber warfare, had its first worldwide screening on Wednesday at the Berlin International Film Festival. Here are five major claims from the politically charged documentary that could follow in the steps of CitizenFour and lead the charge into next year's awards race. 1. The U.S. spent millions developing advanced malware to attack Iran The NSA developed an extremely advanced cyber weapon at a cost of hundreds of millions and perhaps even billions of dollars, under the code name Nitro Zeus. It was authorized by president Barack Obama as a contingency tool to be used should the U.S. be dragged into conflict with Iran to avoid full-scale war. Nitro Zeus, or NZ, was designed to infect Iranian networks and civilian infrastructure, shutting down the country's power grid, phone lines and defenses while also preventing the Iranian military from communicating. 2. The original Stuxnet virus that hit Iran was made more aggressive by Israel The precursor to Nitro Zeus was the notorious and highly advanced Stuxnet Virus, which attacked Iran's Natanz nuclear facility in 2010, destroying 1,000 centrifuges, and was created by the NSA in collaboration with Israel. The design of the malware was to keep it from spreading outside of the facility, but Israel made its code more aggressive and launched the attack without U.S. knowledge. Stuxnet later spread around the world. Read more: Alex Gibney Talks Cyber-Espionage of 'Zero Days' and "Thuggish Intimidation" After Scientology Doc (Q&A) 3. Stuxnet has been copied and used in other major cyber attacks Blueprints of the Stuxnet code have since been found in that of other major cyber attacks believed to be state-sponsored, some even against the U.S. "It's like leaving ammunition on the battlefield and then finding it's being used to shoot you," said David Sanger, the New York Times correspondent and cyber warfare expert who contributed to Zero Days while speaking at the press conference for the film. Story continues 4. NSA workers want people to know about Nitro Zeus Workers at the NSA who contributed anonymously to the making of Zero Days want Nitro Zeus to be public knowledge because of the potentially devastating nature of its attack, which could lead to massive loss of life if essential public services, such as health care and water filtration, cannot function. They also want it known because, like Stuxnet, the cyber weapon could be copied and used against the U.S. by countries or even non-state actors. 5. Nitro Zeus was a bargaining tool in the Iranian nuclear deal The development of Nitro Zeus probably played a major role in the historic nuclear deal signed with Iran last summer. "If you ask officially what made Iranians come to the negotiating table, they'll says sanctions," Sanger said. "If you ask them in private, they'll say sanctions and the things in this film." Wife charged for husbands murder The charge, laid by WPC George of the Homicide Investigations Bureau, San Fernando, was indictable and therefore the accused woman was not called upon to enter a plea. She is a mother of one. Court prosecutor Sgt Roger Richardson informed the magistrate that a State attorney was yet to be appointed to prosecute the case. Attorney Martin Jadoonanan represented Maharaj and noted that attorney Subhas Panday was also presenting the accused woman. Jadoonanan requested disclosure of all statements relating to the case. During the hearing, Maharaj stood with her hands behind her back. As she waited in the courtroom for her case to be called, she discreetly made hand gestures to relatives and friends in the public gallery some of who included her colleagues. The case was adjourned to March 15. Youths on armed robbery charges Appearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington, were Hakeem Ifill, 18, and the 17-year-old who is from Pleasantville. The magistrate read charges to the two that on Sunday, at Gulf View, they both robbed Ryan Ramnath of $65,000 while armed with a firearm. They also allegedly robbed Sterling Dean and Amrita Dean, of gold rings and cash. Magistrate Wellington told the two accused that they were not entitled to bail for the next 120 days under Section 7 of the amendment to the Bail Act. This is due to they being charged with an offence in which a firearm was used. The charges were laid by Woman Police Constable Roxanne De Bourg of the San Fernando CID. Ifill was remanded to jail and the youth was sent by the magistrate to the Youth Training Centre to return to court on March 14. Senior cop in shoot out with bandit According to reports, Snr Supt Baldeo Nanan, who is currently on vacation leave and who was previously in charge of the e-mailgate investigation, was exiting a car parts place, when he was confronted by a bandit who demanded his gold bracelet. The officer pretended he was trying to remove the bracelet from his hand, but instead reached for his TT Police Service firearm. The bandit, realising that his victim was armed, fired at Nanan who returned fire almost simultaneously. The bandit was shot in one of his legs and fled. He remains at large. Snr Supt Nanan was not injured in the exchange, but a window in the vehicle was shattered in the process. Investigations are continuing INSPECTOR ARRESTS SHERIFF Alleyne, who at one time worked with Insp Alexander at TV6 before joining CNC, has been charged with resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and using obscene language. Charges were laid by Insp Alexander and Alleyne is expected to appear in court today. According to Alleynes attorney Gerald Ramdeen, Alleyne was at the home of businessman Sheron Sukdeo at Xavier Street in Chaguanas, to cover a story that is in the public domain for the past week. Ramdeen said Alleyne was arrested by Insp Alexander and taken to the Chaguanas Police Station to be processed and charged. But in a turn of events, while being processed Alleyne complained of feeling unwell and was taken in a marked police vehicle to the Chaguanas Health Centre. At 1.40 pm yesterday, as he exited the Chaguanas Health Centre yesterday, Alleyne told reporters that he was feeling weak and suffering pain in his shoulder and other parts of his body. Alleyne was escorted to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope for further medical tests. Up to press time last night, Alleyne was back at the Chaguanas Police Station. Earlier in the day at the police station, Alleyne was visited by his personal doctor Dr Rai Ragbir. Alleynes father Pastor Dave Alleyne said his son is hypertensive and under stressful situations becomes anxious and could just trip off and freak out. Sukdeo was also arrested yesterday and is expected to be charged in connection with reports made against him. Once charged he too will appear in court today. Ramdeen who spoke to reporters outside the Chaguanas Police Station yesterday described the situation as, a flagrant abuse of police power in the worst possible way. My client was carrying out his civilian duties and what transpired was a flagrant abuse of power. He assaulted my client, body slammed him, wring his arm. My client is alleged to have committed the simplest offences - he is being placed in a police cell, in a cell in the Chaguanas Police Station in company of persons who he assisted police in arresting, the attorney said. Ramdeen said Alleyne was treated as a common criminal and called Insp Alexanders actions an abuse of power. Up and down the corridor Sgt (sic) Alexander is the complainant as though he is in control of the entire process. It is very unfortunate that Mr Alleyne has to be put through this because clearly what is taking place is you read between the lines, one person is using police powers to abuse another citizen for private gains. My client is being victimized, my client is being treated in a particular way by an officer who has a competing show on a competing channel, attorney Ramdeen told Newsday. Ramdeen called on the Police Complaints Authority among other agencies to investigate the matter. Video footage released by TV6s Beyond the Tape show yesterday, showed Alleyne being handcuffed by Insp Alexander. As the handcuffs were being snapped on his wrists, Alleyne is heard telling Insp Alexander: Alexander you putting handcuff on my hand...Alexander but is ranks thing on you! The Inspector while placing the handcuffs on Alleyne is also heard saying, I not taking no cussing from you. Doh cuss meh...doh cuss meh...ah never cuss you. I told you that we have a police operation here. Mayor Tim Kee resigns His comments were in response to a question from the media seeking his reaction to the discovery of Nagakiyas body at the Queens Park Savannah. The young woman was clad in a bikini-type outfit when her body was found. She was manually strangled according to an autopsy the following day. Tim Kee announced his resignation yesterday afternoon during a radio interview on Sky 99.5 FM and tendered it to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the City Corporation, Annette Seaforth. He was expected to resign on Monday but in the radio interview, he said he did not do so because he wanted the opportunity to say goodbye to colleagues and friends at the Corporation. In his resignation statement Tim Kee said public officials must be held to a high standard of transparency, good governance and accountability and accepted full responsibility for making the reference that cast a shadow on Nagakiyas death. I once again extend my condolences to her family friends and country men and wish that they be comforted by the outpouring of love which has been demonstrated by so many. Her loss is keenly felt as if she were one of our own, over the years she has shown a deep love for the culture of this country and the national instrument in particular, he said. He added, I did my best and I accept full responsibility for my actions and utterances, to the people of this country who feel they have been let down, I unreservedly apologise, he said. The former mayor met with members of Council and administration at City Hall, Knox Street yesterday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Valentine said the meeting was a solemn yet fruitful one. He said today the CEO will summon the Council to a meeting where she will read out Tim Kees resignation letter and also read out what the Municipal Act states. He said in the meeting, he told Council that it was an uncomfortable feeling taking over the mayorship under such circumstances. In politics these things do happen, we are all saddened by it, he said. Valentine said he assured Tim Kee that the business off the city will go on and they will stick to his visionary projects which include parking meters, vending and dealing with the homeless. There are a lot of projects in the pipeline I gave him my commitment that I will see THAT those projects are implemented. I will definitely be pressing on, with the support of the Port-of-Spain corporation, he said. On Monday, one councillor, Farai Masaisai told members of the media that Council met with Tim Kee however, it was disclosed by the leader of the Council, Jennel Young, that there was no such meeting. Valentine said it was his intention to address that at the first caucus meeting, under his chairmanship of the Council. My personal take on it is that, when you work with people, relationships develop and loyalties develops I think it was a bit emotional and I do understand the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, he said. Asked what was his opinion on Carnival, he said, I love Carnival... that is our culture. Garcia deeply hurt by accurate media reports I was not the project manager, I was not the senior project manager, I was not the technical adviser, I was the managing director responsible. For me to recall the minute detail eight or nine years later I think is being unfair. The line of questioning seems to be slowly shifting responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Las Alturas project on my shoulders which I think is wrong, Garcia said. Pamela Elder SC, asked, Would you agree Mr Garcia though you were responsible for hundreds of projects, you should exercise due diligence for each? And I did, Garcia replied. Success teachers stay away There are men from the area who lime near the walls and have made threats to the students and staff. That cant be accepted, this is a school, we need to feel safe so until that is done, we will stay away and hope the ministry will move speedily to address this, the teacher said. Another teacher said a few men threw bottles into the school yard which could have injured students. It really is an unsafe environment and we are trying to deal with the recent deaths of two students but it is difficult when you feel this uncomfortable in a space that is meant for learning, we dont want to do this but we feel as if we do not have another choice. If this can get the ministrys attention to fix the wall then so be it, we just hope it does because we do not want to have to take this action again, the teacher said. The students were dismissed at about 10 am yesterday and it is expected that there will be another early dismissal as teachers intend to continue their action today. Salvatori vendors ready to move When Newsday spoke to vendors at the site, one vendor, Ermine Joseph, 46, said God is in control of all things. Everything is in the hands of the Lord our Saviour Jesus Christ. I do not want to go to the Central Market to sell my fruits, but I am an obedient person, and I will have to eventually, Joseph said. Vendors who have been plying their trade at the site, on a temporary basis in the recent years, have been given until February 14 to vacate the premises. The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) which has jurisdiction over the site, has indicated that if the vendors do not move by the given date, they will take legal action against the vendors. Joseph said she has been selling her fruits at the site for more than four years and totally disagrees with Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) decision to remove all the vendors to the Port-of- Spain Central Market. I dont think I can do anything about the situation at the moment, and I will have to move eventually. I have been selling here almost five years and I am not pleased with relocating to the Central Market. I know my sales will drop, and I believe at the market there will be a lot of competition in respect to the drop in my sales, she said. Late last month, Portof- Spain City Mayor Raymond Tim Kee noted at Port-of-Spain City Councils Statutory meeting that, the capital city, does not have the luxury of space, and the spaces allocated for vending will have to be utilised. After several attempts to contact Udecott Chairman Noel Garcia, on Monday proved futile as Newsday was told by his secretary that he was in a meeting. Cop still awaiting gratuity Deodath Dhanlal said that he has made the trek to the Police Administration Building several times, and has been told the same information repeatedly that the Finance Branch was awaiting approval. President of the Police Social Welfare Association Insp Anand Ramesar, contacted for comment, said that the Association will be visiting Dhanlal shortly and will try to assist him the best way possible. Call made to help the homeless Wilson said the donation was especially timely and welcomed because the home is yet to receive its subvention from the Government for the first quarter of the fiscal year. She said the home is entering the second quarter with no word from the Government on when it will get the money. According to Wilson, Rainbow Rescue gets 80 percent of its funding from public donations and the remaining 20 percent from the Government. However, she said that 20 percent is very important in meeting the costs of running the home. Rainbow Rescue accommodates 14 boys and Wilson said they are all attending good schools and doing very well at their studies. She said that in addition to sending the boys to school along with meeting their schooling needs, the home has bills and staff to pay. She said they may get donations of clothing and shoes, but the financial assistance is what we need. She said the home will have to go out on a serious drive to raise money. According to Wilson, Rainbow Rescue has a couple of fund-raising drives throughout the year but people have not been responding as they used to. Its very important that homes like ours get help because you dont want fourteen boys out there because you know what is going to happen. We already have a major problem with the youths. She said the home is keeping the boys out of the gangs and the Government should be trying to help keep the children off the streets. Wilson said there already is a shortage of safe homes for such young men and the gang members are being killed off so the gangs are looking for recruits. She said the country needs more homes like Rainbow Rescue and also needs emergency shelters for the children. She said a lot of children are removed from their homes by the Police because of abuse or neglect and sometimes they are removed in the middle of the night and there is nowhere to put them so they are kept in the Police Station which is not an ideal atmosphere for such impressionable youngsters. If there is a building you can take the children to in the middle of the night, she said, adding that this should not be a major problem because the Government has houses. Referring to houses owned by the National Housing Authority (NHA), Wilson said all they have to do is assign a few for shelters. Rainbow Rescue was started by Wilson at her own home. She said she used to live opposite a cemetery and a number of young boys would sleep in the cemetery and on mornings she found some of them asleep in her yard. Moved at their plight, she started to bring them into her home and began to take care of them. Seventeen years later she can boast of a lot of success stories. She told Newsday that many of the boys come back to visit the home. They are all grown up and some are settled and married with children of their own. Some are in the army, working in the library and some are attending university. They fit back into society, she said. The donation on Monday was made by Althea St. Bernard-Marshall, president of TATUCA. She said the association was started about fifty-three years ago by a group of Trinidad and Tobago nationals who worked at the United Nations (UN) in New York. Its a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote Trinidad and Tobagos culture and aid and provide for charitable causes both in North America and in Trinidad and Tobago. Rowley calls for Zika protocols The Prime Minister made this call to his fellow Caricom leaders during the First Plenary Session of the 27th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government Conference in Belize. Rowley made the point that this country fully supports the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and is aggressively treating with the issue of Zika, with a view to eliminating the mosquito which carries the virus. The urgent public health issue of the Zika virus and the eradication of the aedes aegepti mosquito, which carries the virus, also made its way onto the conferences agendas with CARPHA Executive Director Dr James Hospedales also addressing the conference. During yesterdays session, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne presented on the issue of corresponding banking and the implications of the de-risking or de-linking of foreign banks to smaller banks operating in the Caricom region. Up to press time, Caricom leaders were in a caucus meeting. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's aspiration to change Turkey's parliamentary system of government to an executive presidency is being blamed for the collapse of talks to create a new constitution. Erdogan is already touring the country promoting an executive presidency; but, lack of parliamentary support could make a general election more likely. The collapse of the cross-party parliamentary constitutional commission after only its third meeting, amid mutual recriminations, means Erdogans ruling AK Party remains short of the three-fifths parliamentary majority needed to introduce a new constitution, which would then be ratified by a referendum. Political columnist Kadri Gursel of the al-Monitor Website says the president could already be looking toward an early election. "If he can't succeed to find some minimum 20 opposition members in the parliament to support his draft constitution for presidential system - he will take the country into snap elections, by accusing the opposition to block Turkeys way, to prevent Turkey addressing its urgent needs," he said. Erdogan has already launched a nationwide campaign, backed by non-governmental organizations, calling for a strong presidency to replace the current parliamentary system under the 1982 constitution written by Turkeys then-military rulers. Erdogan argues that for Turkey to achieve rapid economic development, the new presidency should not be hindered by many checks and balances. Critics say such a system would be a dictatorship; but, with Turkey facing renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels, along with a raging Syrian civil war on its border, Gursel says the president and his supporters are in a strong position. "We see, for example, [a] staunchly pro-Erdogan newspaper putting a headline, 'presidency or chaos,'" he said. "Now with all of his media power, his power of cult of personality, leadership qualities etc., he will try to create a perception, without his own custom made presidential system, Turkey will go to hell." With Erdogan insisting that the country is in urgent need of constitutional reform, speculation is growing that a general election could be held as early as this year; but, political consultant Atilla Yesilada, of Global Source Partners, says while the president remains a political giant, he will be taking a big gamble if he goes to the polls for the third time in two years. "Times of trouble, the people want a strong leadership, but there comes a point when the trouble lasts too long and people start doubting that strong leadership," he said. "So if Erdogan chooses an early election this time he may be punished, for the poor economy, as well as this never-ending strife and tensions in the country. And from polls I consider independent, a majority remains unconvinced about the wisdom of a presidential system." There is reportedly even dissent within Erdogans party over a powerful executive presidency; but, with Erdogan having an iron grip over the party and control over most of the mainstream media, observers say he remains well placed to achieve his goal. Russias seizure of Ukrainian territories, and its continuing military operations in Ukraines east, receded from center stage at the Munich Security Conference on February 1214. Instead, the calamities visited upon Europe by wars in Syria and the wider Middle East (uncontrolled mass migrations into Europe, cross-border terrorism, breakdown of the consensus over fundamental values in the European Union, potential denial of free access by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization into the Levant)all this concentrated the attention of NATOs top annual event this year. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko did bring Ukraine back to center stage for only as long as he held the podium. A diminishing sense of urgency, however, can also become a blessing in disguise. It can, at least temporarily, relieve pressure from Western partners on Ukraine to fulfill the political obligations to Russias proxies under the Minsk armistice. Ukraine had held the front and center stage at the Munich Security Conferences in February 2014 and February 2015. Within days of the former, Russia intervened militarily in Ukraines Crimea; and within days of the latter, Russia massively breached the Minsk Two armistice by seizing Ukraines Debaltseve. Both moves stunned the Western powers, and incidentally exposed the practical irrelevance of the debates just held. This years conference was held not only in Syrias but also in Russias shadow. The reflexive notion took hold again that the West needs Russias cooperation to deal with those predicaments. The Barack Obama administration and the German hosts of the conference seemed to share that conception, although Russia itself exploits or inflicts those Western predicaments. Along with that mental reflex, Russias bold military intervention in Syria simply left the collective West no choice but to seek accommodation with Moscow in that theater. As the Munich conference proceeded, Russian forces were bombing local forces in Syria backed by the United States; and, to Turkeys discomfiture, Russia opened a representative office of Syrian Kurds in Moscow (with Donetsk-Luhansk and Abkhaz representatives attending the ceremony). All this further complicates Ukraines situation vis-a-vis Russia and the international position more generally. Moscows Syria operation has to be seen as an indirect envelopment of Ukraine. It is Ukraine that remains the prime target of Russias great-power ambitions. By intervening in Syriaa secondary theater for Russia, but of primary importance to the Westthe Kremlin is acquiring leverage over Ukraines Western partners. If Russia comes to be seen as the Wests necessary helper, the Kremlin could then leverage its help in trade-offs at third parties expense. All this holds potential implications for Ukraine and other areas of priority interest to Russia (see EDM , December 10, 2015). How to re-engage Russia became a central theme for the West at the Munich conference. The German hosts twice invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to honor the event with his presence (The Moscow Times, January 21; RIA Novosti, January 27)a throwback to past NATO summits at which former Secretaries-General of the Alliance sought Putins participation so eagerly as to undermine their own negotiating leverage. In the run-up to this conference, the chairman of NATOs Military Committee, General Petr Pavel (a Czech officer), requested a direct telephone conversation with General Valery Gerasimov to check hotline-type communication channels between NATO Headquarters and Russias Ministry of Defense. The latter, however, publicly dismissed NATOs request as superfluous, a chat for the sake of chatting (Interfax, February 5). And Putin tasked Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to stand in for him at the Munich conference. In his speech at the conference, Medvedev employed the usual technique of presenting the West with a bill of Russian historical grievances, followed by warnings that a new cold war is imminent. This only serves to package Russian demands for concessions at the expense of countries such as Ukraine; or more generally for Western understanding of Russias conduct. Lithuanias President Dalia Grybauskaite and Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevicius responded that no cold war is imminent, but two actual Russian wars are ongoing, in Ukraine and in Syria (Ukrinform, UNIAN, February 13, 15). According to Medvedev in Munich, there is a civil war in Ukraine. To resolve that conflict Ukraine must amend its constitution, enact a special status for Donetsk and Luhansk [Russian-controlled areas] by agreement with their leaders, authorize the holding of local elections in Donetsk-Luhansk, again by agreement with them, and recognize the validity of those elections outcome. Acknowledging that such unilateral concessions to Russia could destabilize Ukraines government and politics, Medvedev nevertheless insisted that it is the Ukrainian presidents, parliaments and governments responsibility to achieve a constitutional majority to enact those measures. Failing that, it would mean that Ukraine has neither the will nor the wish to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk agreements (Interfax, Euronews, February 14). President Poroshenko, speaking after Medvedev as scheduled, adjusted parts of his prepared speech to respond: There is no civil war, there is Putins aggression in Ukraine, necessitating that Ukraine spend 5 percent of its annual gross domestic product on defense [this compares with 1 to 2 percent for most NATO member countries]. Poroshenko recalled that the Wests blind eye to the 2008 war against Georgia had encouraged Russia to move against Ukraine in Crimea and Donbas. Economic sanctions are not a punishment on Russia, but an instrument to keep Russia at the negotiating table, because there is no other instrument. Poroshenko disagreed with the argument that relaxing the sanctions would facilitate a dialogue between the West and Russia. He appealed for the sanctions to be maintained until Russia withdraws its troops and Ukraine regains access to its own border with Russia (Ukrinform, February 13). Medvedev adhered to the standard Kremlin line on the economic sanctions: They [the West] introduced the sanctions, it is up to them to start lifting the sanctions; Russia shall not seek the sanctions removal, but would lift its counter-sanctions on the basis of reciprocity. The European UnionRussia trade turnover dropped from 450 billion ($501 billion at the current exchange rate) in 2014 to 217 billion ($242 billion) in 2015, thus the sanctions hurt both sides, Medvedev noted, implying that Russias pain threshold is higher (Euronews, February 14). Are Americans too insouciant to survive? When one looks at the deplorable state of the world, one cannot help but wonder at the insouciance of the American people. Where are they? Do they exist or are they a myth? Have they been put to sleep by an evil demon? Are they so lost in The Matrix that they cannot get out? Ever since Clintons second term the US has been consistently acting internationally and domestically as a criminal, disregarding its own laws, international laws, the sovereignty of other countries, and the US Constitution. A worse criminal government has never existed. Yet, Americans remain subservient to the criminals that they have placed in power over themselves. According to polls, Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders are splitting the Democratic vote 50-50 as preferred Democratic presidential candidate. This is extraordinary. Hillary Clinton represents the interests of Wall Street and the mega-banks, the Israel Lobby, and the interests of the military/security complex. These interests are totally opposed to the interests of the American people. In his book, Whats the Matter with Kansas, Thomas Frank raised the question of why Americans vote against their own interests? Why do Americans go to the voting both and do themselves in? Whether you agree with Thomas Franks answer or not, Americans do, on a regular basis, harm themselves by voting for people who are agents of vested interests diametrically opposed to the interests of American citizens. How is it possible, if Democrats are informed people, that half of them prefer Hillary Clinton? Between February 2001 and May 2015 Bill and Hillary collected $153 million in speaking fees. The fees averaged $210,795 per speech. I can remember when Bill and Hillary were in public office when their speeches were free. No one wanted to listen to them when the speeches were free. Clearly, Bill is being paid off for his past services to the powerful interest groups that control the United States, and Hillary is being paid off for her future service to the same groups. How then is it possible that half of Democrats would prefer Hillary? Is it because she is a woman and women want a woman president more than they want their civil liberties, peace, and employment for themselves, their spouses and their children? Or is it because, given the presstitute character of the American media, the people havent a clue? If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for someone who has been paid off to the tune of $153 million by powerful vested interests who have no concern whatsoever for your interests. In addition, Hillary has the necessary campaign funds from the powerful interest groups for her presidential nomination campaign. As if this isnt damning enough, Hugh Wharton writes that the National Democratic Committee is in league with Hillary to steal, if necessary, the nomination from Sanders and the voters. In contrast, the interest groups who rule America are not contributing to Sanders. Therefore, the choice of Sanders is obvious, but 50% of Democrats are too braindead to see it. Although Hillary is a substantial threat to America, the threat of nuclear war is much greater, and the Democratic Obama regime in the hands of neoconservatives has just greatly amplified the threat of nuclear war. The United States government, or perhaps we should say the exploiter and deceiver of the American people, has announced a three-fold increase in its military presence on Russias borders. The excuse for this great boost in the profits and power of the US military-security complex is Russian aggression. But there is no sign of this aggression. So Washington and its servile presstitutes in the Western media make it up. They proclaim a lie. Russia invaded Ukraine proclaims the propaganda. No mention is made of Washingtons coup in Ukraine that overthrew a democratically elected government and began a war against the Russian populations of eastern and southern Ukraine, former provinces of Russia added to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic by Soviet leaders. In the presstitute media, no mention is made of Washingtons intention of seizing Russias only warm water port in Crimea on the Black Sea. Having created a nonexistant Russian invasion in place of the real US coup in Ukraine in the minds of the indoctrinated Americans, Washington now claims that Russia is going to invade the Baltics and Poland. Nothing could be further from the truth, but this lie from the Obama regime now determines that the US military presence on Russias borders will increase three-fold. The escalation of the US/NATO threat on Russias borders forces a Russian response. Considering that the Russophobic governments in Poland and the Baltic States have unstable judgement, military buildups bring risks of miscalculations. There is a limit to the level of threat that the Russian government can tolerate. The impotent Obama is in the firm grip of the neoconservatives and the military-security complex. The neoconservatives are motivated by their ideology of American world hegemony. The military-security complex is motivated by power and profit. These motives bring the United States and its vassals into conflict with Russias (and Chinas) sovereign existence. Within the councils of American foreign policy there is not sufficient weight to counter the neoconservative drive to war with Russia and China. In conventional war, the US is not a military match for the Russian/Chinese strategic alliance. Therefore, the war would be nuclear. The power of hydrogen bombs is immensely more powerful that the atomic bombs that the US dropped on Japan. Nuclear war means the end of life on earth. Americans can know that democracy has failed them, because there is no check on the neoconservatives ability to foment war with Russia and China. The neocons control the press, and the press portrays Russia as an existential threat to the United States. Once this fiction is drilled into the brains of Americans, it is childs play for propagandists to create endless fears that deplete taxpayers of income in order to create profits for the military-security complex by relaunching the Cold War and an armaments race. That is what is currently going on. The inability of Americans to realize that they are being taken into a conflict that benefits only the profits and power of the military-security complex and the ideology of a small group of crazies demonstrates the impotence of American democracy. Universities and think tanks are replete with ambitious people who, chasing grants and influence, fuel the Russophobic hysteria. For example, on February 9, the Washington Post published an article by Michael Ignatieff, the Edward R. Murrow professor at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School, and Leon Wieseltier, the Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. The article is a complete misrepresentation of the facts in Syria and called for US measures that would result in military conflict with Russia. It was irresponsible for the Washington Post to publish the article, but the decision is consistent with the Posts presstitute nature. The propaganda line maintained by the US government, the neoconservatives, the military/security complex, the presstitutes, and fiction-writers such as Ignatieff and Wieseltier is that Russia is not bombing the Islamic State jihadists who are attempting to overthrow the Syrian government in order to establish a jihadish state that would threaten the Middle East, Iran, and Russia herself. The official line is that the Russians are bombing the democratic rebels who are trying to overthrow an alleged brutal Syrian dictator. The conflict that the US government started by sending ISIS to Syria to overthrow the Syrian government is blamed on the Russian and Syrian governments. Ignatieff and Wieseltier say that the US has put its moral standing at risk by permitting the Russians to bomb and to starve innocent women and children, as if the US had any moral standing after destroying seven countries so far in the 21st century, producing millions of dead and displaced persons, many of whom are now overrunning Europe as refugees from Washingtons wars. The recently retired head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael Flynn, has said that the Obama regime made a willful decision to support ISIS and use ISIS against the Assad government in Syria. That the violence in Syria originated in a US/ISIS conspiracy against Syria is ignored by Ignatieff and Wieseltier. Instead, they blame Russia despite the fact that it is Russias air support for the Syrian Army that has rolled back ISIS. Where were Ignatieff and Wieseltier when Washington and its vassals destroyed Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, much of Pakistan, overthrew the first democratically elected government in Egypt, overthrew the government in Ukraine and started a war against the Russian population, and supplied Israel with the weapons and money to steal Palestine from the Palestinians? Where were they when Clinton destroyed Yugoslavia and Serbia? Where are they when ISIS murders Syrians and eats the livers of its executed victims? It would be interesting to know who financed the professorship in Edward R. Murrows name and the fellowship in Isiah Berlins name and how these positions came to be staffed with their current occupants. Reagan and Gorbachev brought the Cold War to an end. The George H.W. Bush administration supported the end of the Cold War and gave further guarantees to Russia. But Clinton attacked Serbia, a Russian ally and broke the agreement that NATO would not expand into Eastern Europe to Russias border. When the neoconservatives plans to invade Syria and to attack Iran were frustrated by Russian diplomacy, the neocons turned on Russia with fury. In 1961 President Eisenhower warned the American people of the threat posed by the military-security complex. That was 55 years ago. This complex is so strong today that it is able to divert massive taxpayer resources to its coffers while the living standard and economic prospects of the American people decline. The military/security complex requires an enemy. When the Cold War ended, the Muslim Threat was created. This threat has now been superceded by the Russian Threat, which is much more useful in keeping Europe in line and in scaring people with prospective invasions and nuclear attacks that are far beyond the power and reach of jihadists. Superpower America required a more dangerous enemy than a few lightly armed jihadists, so the Russian threat was created. To drive home the threat, Russia and her president are constantly demonized. The conclusion is unavoidable that the insouciant American people are being prepared for war. Intelligence Bureau Director General Aftab Sultan has confirmed the existence of the fearsome militant organization, Daesh or IS, in Pakistan and warned the group is an emerging threat to the country because sectarian outfits and the Pakistani Taliban are sympathetic to its ideology.The statement of the chief of the biggest civilian spy agency, who is also an experienced retired police officer, is contrary to claims of Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan that there is no presence of Daesh or Islamic State in the country. The Foreign Office has also denied its existence in Pakistan, several times in the past. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently claimed that the backbone of the terrorists has been broken and his government would not rest till the war against terrorism was taken to its logical conclusion. The military leadership also boasts of its successes in operations against the militants. However, despite its achievements, the IB chiefs assertions indicate a tough situation in Pakistan to exist for decades.The spymaster told a Senate committee that hundreds of fighters from Pakistan were joining Daesh in Syria. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior about his agencys counterterrorism operations, he said, Daesh exists in Pakistan and all other militant groups operating here have a soft corner for it. Even the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) coordinates with Daesh though both are archrivals in Afghanistan while Daesh is also exploiting cyber space. The IB unearthed a big network of Daesh in Pakistan as after the Safoora Goth incident in Karachi some of its terrorists entered the Punjab. Admitting that law and order had improved in the country after the launch of the Zarb-e-Azb operation, he warned that terror incidents could not be averted in the country in the next eight to ten years.Last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a warning over the reach of the Daesh group in South Asia and called for international action against it. In a report on Daeshs threat to international peace and security, presented to the Security Council, Ban said groups such as the Tehreek-e-Khilafat in Pakistan are sufficiently attracted by its underlying ideology to pledge allegiance to its so-called caliphate and self-proclaimed caliph. Ban called the terrorist organisation an unprecedented threat to international peace and security. He said: This is a matter of considerable concern, since these groups appear to be emulating IS (Daesh) tactics and carrying out attacks on its behalf. In 2016 and beyond, member states should prepare for a further increase in the number of foreign terrorist fighters travelling to other states on the instructions of Daesh. The recent expansion of the Daesh sphere of influence across West and North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia demonstrates the speed and scale at which the gravity of the threat has evolved in just 18 months.The report said 34 militant groups from around the world had pledged allegiance to the extremist group as of mid-December 2015, and that the number will grow in 2016. It said it could also woo militants from several countries including Pakistan. It urged UN member states to prepare for increased attacks by Daesh associated groups from countries such as the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Libya and Nigeria, travelling to other nations. According to estimates, Daesh is the worlds wealthiest terrorist organisation which generated $400-$500 million from oil and oil products in 2015, despite an embargo. According to the UN mission in Iraq, cash taken from bank branches located in provinces under IS control totaled $1 billion. The mission also estimates that a tax on trucks entering IS controlled-territory generates nearly $1 billion a year.In his last State of the Union address on January 12, US President Barack Obama had warned that both Afghanistan and Pakistan were among the countries that would continue to face instability and turmoil for decades. The IS militants although concentrated in Iraq and Syria are also establishing bases in the Pak-Afghan region, he said and also identified a link between militancy and instability and warned that some unstable regions might become safe havens for terrorists. However, Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz rejected the statement. Whatever the US President said about instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan are his predictions and have nothing to do with ground realities, he told reporters.It appears the Pakistani leadership is in a state of denial about the presence of the international terrorist group. The country had adopted the same approach about the existence of al Qaeda on its soil for almost two decades until 9/11. The government can deny Daeshs existence in Pakistan, but it cannot rule out the presence of the same ideology in all parts of the country. After the killing of at least 141 people in the Army Public School, Peshawar, in 2014, a cleric of Pakistans infamous Red Mosque had refused to condemn the killings and said the military offensive against the Taliban militants in North Waziristan was un-Islamic. Maulana Abdul Aziz, who survived a 2007 military operation against militants hiding in the mosque when he was caught trying to escape wearing a burqa, openly told the media he respected Islamic State (IS) because of similarity in their missions and he had no repentance over supporting it. He said though they had no direct link with the leadership of IS, yet they deliberated on the issue and decided to promote the mission and message of IS. Commenting on a video released by Jamia Hafsa students declaring their support for IS and its chief Abu Bakar al Baghdadi, the cleric said the students had made the video with his consent. The girl students of the seminary wanted to take out a rally in support of IS but I stopped them, he claimed. Hundreds of madrassas across the country teach the same ideology to their students.In the situation, the government should take the warning of the IB chief and world leaders seriously and start implementing the National Action Plan in true spirit. The Punjab is the breeding ground for almost all sectarian organizations operating in the country. Military operations should be launched in the province to neutralize the threat of IS. A new window of opportunity seems to have opened for Afghan peace. A meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on the "Afghan Peace and Reconciliation" process in its meeting last week agreed on a roadmap that will be "stipulating the stages and steps in the process". Specifically, the four-nation group, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, US and China, has decided to hold talks with insurgent groups by the end of the month to push for reconciliation and end the conflict in Afghanistan.The main advantage and strength of the QCG is that all the major stakeholders Afghanistan, US and Pakistan are part of it. The presence of China in the quadrilateral arrangement is of special significance as Beijing has a direct stake in peace in the region with no backlog of negative legacy. Beijings interest principally lies in warding off the danger of militancy spreading in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.Since the launch of the Group in December, last weeks meeting has been described as the most fruitful. According to an insider report, the roadmap emphasizes an equal role for all the members who will now work on the basis of "shared responsibility. This is a welcome change in approach as previously the onus was mainly on Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table. But this strategy did not succeed because of the deep gulf of mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul.All sides will now use their influence and communication channels to contact the Taliban office in Qatar to convince them to join the peace process. Involvement of the Qatar office is considered a must as the Taliban leaders have always insisted that Qatar is the only authorized channel to pursue political consultations, although some time back the office had distanced itself from the dialogue between the Taliban representatives and the Afghanistan government.The major challenge is how to bring the Taliban round to start intra-Afghan talks. Some observers of the Afghan scene are of the opinion that it would be very difficult to convince the Taliban as they have not yet given any indication they wish to sit face-to-face with the Afghan government. However, the Taliban political negotiators last month suggested some confidence building measures which could pave the way for the start of peace negotiations. These include activation of their political office in Qatar, removal of travel restrictions and release of prisoners. The Taliban also want to talk to the US first to discuss the withdrawal of foreign forces.It should not be difficult to meet some of these demands. For any real progress towards a sustainable solution, there has to be some visible, concrete action on Taliban demands like the scrapping of the black lists and releasing some prisoners. To build trust between the Taliban and the Afghan government, Kabul also needs to consider additional steps like amending the Afghan Constitution, formation of an interim government comprising Taliban representatives, establishing a consensus on the future governance system, initiating long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction in the country and providing tangible guarantees for non-interference by outside powers.One of the main causes of the 14-year-long war in Afghanistan is the military presence of Nato and the US forces in the country. Clearly, the exit of all foreign forces is predicated on the creation of an environment that guarantees peace and stability. That, in turn, would depend on the various Afghan factions, including the Taliban, coming to a consensus on peacemaking, governance systems and mainstreaming of all those who have fought against the government or foreign forces all these long years.On their part, the Taliban will have to pledge not to launch their spring offensive as it will throw a spanner in the works of the proposed talks. At the moment, the Afghan government is in desperate need of some sort of a formal contact with the Taliban in order to block the coming spring offensive. At the moment, the governments position is shaky and the people are uncertain about peace returning to their land any time soon. The emergence of the Islamic State and the Turkestan Islamic Movement has further dampened expectations of peace.If the fighting escalates in the coming months and the desertion rate from the Afghan National Army jumps substantially, the situation could become more precarious. The authorities in Kabul do not seem to have any workable plan that can be presented to the Taliban leaders. There are clear signs that the authorities have no cogent plans for a meaningful engagement with the Taliban that takes into account the fundamental factors leading to insurgency and conflict. The same applies to the Taliban who are continuing their fight without any clear-cut goal.The Pakistan government has repeatedly made it clear that it stands for a sovereign, united, prosperous, peaceful Afghanistan which is in the interest of the entire region. For Pakistan, it is vital that the latest peace initiative succeeds, as an end to the civil war will bring stability not only in Afghanistan, but the region itself. More significantly, a political settlement in Afghanistan would contribute greatly to Pakistans own fight against terrorism. Environment Minister launches envis portal New Delhi, Wed, 17 Feb 2016 NI Wire National interaction-cum-evaluation workshop for Environment Information System inaugurated The Government has reiterated the need to reach out to the people on environmental issues and creating more awareness among them. Speaking after launching the Environment Information System (ENVIS) portal at the inauguration of the national interaction-cum-evaluation workshop for ENVIS system here today, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, said that the government's endeavour has been to take care of nature and ensure development. The Minister said that the challenge before ENVIS is to find out new ways to reach out to people and how to popularise science and sustainable practices. Shri Javadekar emphasised the need to continuously upgrade each ENVIS centre. The Minister also distributed the award of the best State ENVIS centre to Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Sikkim and the award for the best Thematic ENVIS Centre to Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Shri Javadekar also released knowledge products of ENVIS Centres including an ENVIS Bulletin on Ecology and Management of Grassland Habitats in India by WII ENVIS Centre, a book on State at a Glance: Jammu & Kashmir Vol(1) 3, 2015 by GB Pant ENVIS Centre, a book on Ecological Traditions of India - Gujarat - Vol. XI by CPREEC ENVIS Centre and a Compendium on "Environment in the Indian Parliament: 2011-2015" (CD format) by WWF ENVIS Centre. The Minister also released mobile applications, including an ENVIS App (2.2 Version) on medicinal plants by neighbourhood App (0.4.0 version) on common medicinal plants of Bengaluru City by FRLHT ENVIS Centre, economic algal material, important fungi and their applications, important bacteria and their applications - Android App by ENVIS Centre, Kalyani University. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashok Lavasa, said that people in India have always had a spiritual belief in nature. The Secretary underlined the need to make ENVIS more relevant by providing an analytical database to enable and assist well-informed decision making. Shri Lavasa added that the Ministry wants to create a vibrant network and associate all research organisations, institutions and NGOs working in the field of environment. He also underlined the need to involve more people in environment, particularly in the field of waste management. Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Portal - http://envis.nic.in, a new initiative, runs parallel with the Digital India Objective, which works on improving the digital literacy in the environment sector and deliver services digitally all over the country. The digitization of valuable data covering the broad spectrum of subjects on environment will serve as an asset in generating feature rich repository of information. Bringing all ENVIS Centres under one roof will also facilitate convergence in data dissemination. Environmental Information System (ENVIS), a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry has been implemented since 1982. The purpose of the scheme is to integrate country-wide efforts in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination through ENVIS websites, which are dedicated to different interesting themes. The network presently consists of 69 Centres, of which 29 are hosted by the environment/forest department of State governments/UT Administrations and deal with State of the environment and related issues, while 40 Centres are being hosted by environment-related governmental and non-governmental organisations/institutes of professional excellence and have a thematic mandate. Major users of ENVIS include Central and State Governments, institutes and individual scientists, researchers, students and agencies carrying out environmental impact assessment of projects, as well as public. The workshop will evaluate and assess the functioning of the 69 ENVIS Centres. It will consider their continuance based on their performance and also provide them the necessary guidance and training in performing their activities to meet the objectives of the ENVIS scheme. This is the first time that the national workshop has been organised in the capital. Senior Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ms. Anandi Subramanian and Shri Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, World Wildlife Fund India also addressed the gathering. Shri Abhay Kumar, Deputy Economic Adviser in the Ministry, delivered the vote of thanks. Source: PIB Share Tweet Nokia Networks is working to deliver broadcast TV via LTE (News - Alert) over more widespread geographies than have been supported in deployments to date. The aim is to demonstrate LTE Broadcasts ability to supplement, and eventually even replace, regional digital TV distribution methods. That effort includes the companys Munich field trial with public broadcasting entities in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In this trial, which launched in 2014, the partners are applying LTE Broadcast technology to the UHF spectrum. Theyre leveraging part of the 700MHz band to broadcast to an area of 400 km2. For peak efficiency, the entities involved in the trial have optimized the Single Frequency Networks used by LTE Broadcast (aka eMBMS) for close synchronization of neighboring cells to reduce interference. The trial results indicated LTE Broadcast can indeed deliver linear TV services at a high quality. Measurements illustrating that were garnered using tools from Rohde & Schwarz (News - Alert). Applied to real operator networks the models can provide guidelines to help network planning achieve the highest performance at lowest operator cost, according to a Nokia (News - Alert) white paper, LTE for Wide Area Broadcast. For example, it could be shown that on the existing site grid of an established European operator only a subset of one third of the sites are needed for deployment with LTE Broadcast to deliver a TV service comparable to todays DVB-T service across the same nationwide area. Nokia added that a cost analysis it conducted indicated that the incremental cost of an LTE Broadcast network is similar to the cost of provisioning DVB-T service. Whats more is it can transform the way subscribers watch TV on their cellular devices without eating into mobile data plans. The company says the use of spectrum in the 470-694MHz range also holds potential for enabling mobile broadband and converged TV services at large. Edited by Peter Bernstein Irans Defense Minister, General Hossein Dehqhan, announced that Iran will sign a contract with Russia for the co-production of an undisclosed number of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft. Should the deal go through, Iran will be the second country in the world after India to produce a variation of the Su-30 fighter jet locally. However, as of now, it still remains unclear in what capacity Tehran will be involved in the aircraft production process. According to a source within Irans Defense Ministry interviewed by Sputnik News, a contract could be signed as early as February 16, when the Iranian defense minister will arrive in Moscow to discuss the deliveries of S-300 air defense systems and the Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft. Researchers have switched an intrinsic property of electrons from an excited state to a relaxed state on demand using a device that served as a microwave tuning fork. The teams findings could also lead to enhancements in magnetic resonance techniques, which are widely used to explore the structure of materials and biomolecules, and for medical imaging. The international research team, which included scientists at the Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), demonstrated how to dramatically increase the coupling of microwaves in a specially designed superconducting cavity to a fundamental electron property called spinwhich, like a coin, can be flipped. By zapping an exotic silicon material developed at Berkeley Lab with the microwaves, they found that they could rapidly change the electron spins from an excited state to a relaxed, ground state by causing the electrons to emit some of their energy in the form of microwave particles known as photons. A silicon sampled doped with bismuth atoms (left image) that is just 150 nanometers thick is fitted with a superconducting resonator that includes a capacitor (black, in left image; light gray in center image) and an inductive wire (red line in the left image) that is 5 microns in diameter. The silicon-bismuth sample and resonator were placed in a copper box (right) and subjected to microwaves that were precisely tuned to switch an electron property, carried by the samples bismuth atoms, on demand. (Credit: Patrice Bertet/French Atomic Energy Commission) Nature Controlling spin relaxation with a cavity Left on their own, the electron spins would be extremely unlikely to flip back to a relaxed state and to also emit a photonthe natural rate for this light-emitting effect, known as the Purcell effect, is about once every 10,000 years. The experiment demonstrated an accelerated, controllable relaxation of electron spins and the release of a microwave photon in about 1 second, said Thomas Schenkel, a physicist in Berkeley Labs Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division who led the design and development of the silicon-bismuth sample used in the experiment. Our results are highly significant for quantum information processing, said Patrice Bertet, a quantum electronics scientist at the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) who led the experiment. Indeed, they are a first step toward the strong coupling of individual electron spins to microwave photons, which could form the basis of a new spin-based quantum computer architecture. John Morton, a professor at the London Center for Nanotechnology and co-author of the study, said, Our ultimate aim is to find a link between quantum information that is fixed and quantum information that can be transported by photons. In todays computers, information is stored as individual bits, and each bit can either be a one or a zero. Quantum computers, though, could conceivably be exponentially more powerful than modern computers because they would use a different kind of bit, called a qubit, that because of the weird ways of quantum mechanics can simultaneously behave as both a one and a zero. A coupled array of qubits would allow a quantum computer to perform many, many calculations at the same time, and electron spins are candidates for qubits in a quantum computer. The latest study shows how the microwave photons could work in concert with the spins of electrons to move information in a new type of computer. What we need now is ways to wire up these systemsto couple these spins together, Morton said. We need to make coupled qubits that can perform computations. In the experiment, conducted at CEA in France, a small sample of a highly purified form of silicon was implanted with a matrix of bismuth atoms, and a superconducting aluminum circuit was deposited on top to create a high-quality resonant cavity that allowed precise tuning of the microwaves. The electron spins of the bismuth atoms were then flipped into the excited, spin-up state. The microwave cavity was then tuned, like a musical tuning fork, to a particular resonance that coaxed the spins into emitting a photon as they flipped back to a relaxed state. The cavity boosted the number of states into which a photon can be emitted, which greatly increased the decay rate for the electron spins in a controllable way. The technique is much like buying more lottery tickets to increase your chances of winning, Morton said. The large bismuth atoms embedded in the silicon sample provided the electrons with unique spin properties that enabled the experiment. Schenkel said that implanting the bismuth atoms into the delicate silicon framework, a process known as doping, was like squeezing bowling balls into a lattice of ping-pong balls. We did a new trick with silicon. People wouldnt expect you could squeeze anything new out of silicon, Schenkel said. Now were looking into further improving bismuth-doped silicon and into tailoring the spin properties of other materials, and using this experimental technique for these materials. To enhance the performance of materials used in future experiments, Schenkel said it will be necessary to improve the doping process so it is less damaging to the silicon lattice. Also, the implantation process could be designed to produce regularly spaced arrays of individual electron spins that would be more useful for quantum computing than a concentrated ensemble of electron spins. We are now doing experiments on processing this and other materials at higher temperature and pressure with nanosecond ion pulses at NDCX-II, one of the accelerators here at Berkeley Lab, Schenkel said. There are indications that it will improve the overall spin quality. Researchers said the latest research could potentially prove useful in boosting the sensitivity of scientific techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and dynamic nuclear polarization, useful for a range of experiments, and could also shorten experimental times by manipulating spin properties. You need a way to reset spinsthe ability to cause them to relax on demand to improve the rate at which you can repeat an experiment, Morton said. Bertet said it may be possible to further accelerate the electron-flipping behavior to below 1 millisecond, compared to the 1-second rate in the latest results. This will then open the way to many new applications, he said. Abstract Spontaneous emission of radiation is one of the fundamental mechanisms by which an excited quantum system returns to equilibrium. For spins, however, spontaneous emission is generally negligible compared to other non-radiative relaxation processes because of the weak coupling between the magnetic dipole and the electromagnetic field. In 1946, Purcell realized1 that the rate of spontaneous emission can be greatly enhanced by placing the quantum system in a resonant cavity. This effect has since been used extensively to control the lifetime of atoms and semiconducting heterostructures coupled to microwave or optical cavities, and is essential for the realization of high-efficiency single-photon sources. Here we report the application of this idea to spins in solids. By coupling donor spins in silicon to a superconducting microwave cavity with a high quality factor and a small mode volume, we reach the regime in which spontaneous emission constitutes the dominant mechanism of spin relaxation. The relaxation rate is increased by three orders of magnitude as the spins are tuned to the cavity resonance, demonstrating that energy relaxation can be controlled on demand. Our results provide a general way to initialize spin systems into their ground state and therefore have applications in magnetic resonance and quantum information processing. They also demonstrate that the coupling between the magnetic dipole of a spin and the electromagnetic field can be enhanced up to the point at which quantum fluctuations have a marked effect on the spin dynamics; as such, they represent an important step towards the coherent magnetic coupling of individual spins to microwave photons SOURCES Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nature The Pentagons next five-year budget proposal seeks over $13 billion in funding for a new submarine to carry nuclear ballistic missiles, plus orders for more Boeing Co (BA.N) and Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) fighter jets. The Pentagons plan will also underscore the need to fund all three legs of the U.S. strategic deterrent triad a new Air Force bomber, a replacement for the Ohio-class submarines that carry nuclear weapons, and new nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles The Navys proposed fiscal 2017 budget will fund procurement of materials for the new submarines that take a long time to acquire, with funding for construction of the first full new submarine to follow in fiscal 2021. Over the next five years, the Navy would spend over $4 billion on research and development of the new submarines, plus over $9 billion in procurement funding. The Navy will request funding for two Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 14 unfunded Boeing Super Hornets as part of the fiscal 2017 war budget, and 14 in the fiscal 2018 budget. The five-year budget plan calls for Lockheed to sell a total of 161 F-35 fighter jets to the Navy and Marine Corps 64 C-model jets that take off and land on aircraft carriers and 97 B-model jets, which can take off from shorter runways and land like a helicopter. The Navy plans to rename the new drone program the Carrier-Based Air Refueling System, or CBARS, instead of the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program and narrow the mission of the drones. The fiscal 2017 summary, President Obama proposes spending increases for countering Russian aggression, including the quadrupling, to more than $3 billion, of funds for deploying a persistent Army brigade in central and eastern Europe, with training and prepositioning of combat gear. The shift is late, and the funding only a down payment. But the recognition that Russia has evolved from hoped-for partner to serious threat is welcome. The Department of Defense (DoD) provides military forces and capabilities to project power in order to protect the security of the United States and its interests around the world and win decisively against any adversary, should deterrence fail. The Presidents Fiscal Year 2017 (FY 2017) Budget provides $524 billion in discretionary base budget and $59 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funding, for a total of $583 billion to sustain the Presidents national security and defense strategies. Counterterrorism The Budget provides for DoD efforts to support local, capable, motivated partner forces and battle terrorism around the globe in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere in order to deliver ISIL and other terrorist groups a lasting defeat. The Budget includes: $7.5 billion to support counter-ISIL operations, a 50 percent increase over FY 2016 enacted levels, for activities including targeted airstrikes; the train, advise, and assist missions in Iraq and Syria; and the Special Operations Forces-led expeditionary targeting force. $1.2 billion in FY 2017 and $4.5 billion over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) to expand ISR support for counterterrorism by continuing to build to 90 total combat air patrols available for use by combatant commands. The ISR fleet will include a joint-force mix of Predators, Reapers, Extended Range Reapers, and Advanced Gray Eagles. A larger fighter fleet for our counter-ISIL air campaign by postponing final retirement of the Air Force A-10 aircraft to 2022, in coordination with the introduction of F-35 aircraft into the fleet. Rebalance to Asia-Pacific. U.S. long-term economic and security interests are inextricably linked to developments in the Asia-Pacific, and DoD remains fully committed to the Administrations whole-of-government rebalance. We will continue to demonstrate our freedom to navigate in international waters and airspace as we build cooperation in the region. The Budget: Responds to Chinese military modernization by taking prudent steps to preserve and enhance deterrence for the long term, including through targeted investments in emerging capabilities to sustain our military edge in the Asia-Pacific. Builds maritime capacity of allies and partners by providing $425 million for the Maritime Security Initiative over five years. This initiative supports our allies in Southeast Asia by developing their maritime capabilities and building a shared maritime domain awareness architecture to identify potential threats and collaboratively address common challenges. Enhances our presence, including through inaugurating P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft rotations in Singapore, implementing rotational initiatives in Northern Australia, moving forward with projects to support the movement of Marine forces to Guam, preparing for augmented rotational presence in the Philippines, and positioning F-35 fighters and additional Ballistic Missile Defense-capable ships in Japan. Upholds freedom of navigation in the South China Sea by continuing to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows, consistent with the Law of the Sea Convention. Confronts provocation by North Korea by maintaining, along with our allies, a robust combined defense posture and strong military readiness on the Korean peninsula. The Budget continues to defend the homeland against the North Korean nuclear and missile threat through the ground-based midcourse defense system. The Budget invests in Navy lethality through improvements in surface capability, additional tactical aircraft, and investments in advanced undersea capabilities by: Continuing implementation of the Navys Optimum Fleet Response Plan, which began phased implementation in FY 2015, and balances the preservation of critical maintenance and training while maximizing employability of Navy forces. Ensuring a balanced force structure, making significant progress on the Navys shipbuilding plan to achieve a level of 308 ships by FY 2024. The Budget invests in tactical aircraft across the FYDP, through increased depot maintenance for existing aircraft and procurement of F-35s and additional F-18s. It increases the lethality of the surface fleet by investing $1.2 billion over the FYDP for additional combat system upgrades for destroyers, a maritime strike Tomahawk missile capability, a new lightweight torpedo, electronic warfare upgrades, and more SM-6 missiles. It upgrades the undersea fleet by investing $2.5 billion over the FYDP for an additional Virginia Payload Module, 10 submarine combat systems upgrades, quieting and sensing upgrades, an improved MK-48 torpedo, and unmanned underwater vehicles. Investing in nuclear modernization, funding the first hull for the Ohio class replacement in FY 2021, a signature milestone for Navys next-generation nuclear submarine The kingdom announced the exercises through the official Saudi Press Agency, calling them "the largest and most important" military maneuvers in the region's history. SPA announced that up to 20 countries will be involved in the military, these are the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other countries such as Chad, Jordan, Senegal, Pakistan, Tunisia, Malaysia, Morocco, and Egypt. Altogether, the exercises are created to be "a clear message to ... friends of the participating countries that Arab countries stand together as brothers to maintain peace and stability in the region", the statement continued. Saudi Arabia has caused more than 2,800 civilian deaths since it launched a military offensive in Yemen against Houthi rebels last March. USA defence secretary Ash Carter said on Friday he expected both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to send special operations forces to Syria to help local opposition fighters in their campaign to retake the city of Raqqa, ISIS' de facto capital in Syria. Republican Presidential Candidates Focus on SC Bush's candidacy gained renewed life by Tuesday winning 11.1 percent of the vote and finishing in fourth place in New Hampshire. They've been campaigning in the state for months, have organizations in the state, and have prominent supporters: U.S. The NATO member is a key ally in the fight against IS and has opened up its air bases to the US and other members of the coalition. Saudi Arabia and Turkey both see the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as essential for ending Syria's five-year civil war and are bitterly critical of Iran and Russia's support of the Syrian regime. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has confirmed deployment of warplanes to the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, claiming that the move was in line with the so-called fight against Daesh. The exercises will be comprised of air, sea, and land forces, taking place in the north of the country. An array of rebel groups backed by the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been losing ground. Turkey asks Allies for Ground Troop Support in Syria The Observatory also reported 10 civilians, including three children, killed in suspected Russian strikes in and nearby Azaz. At least 12 people were killed in Azaz and the surrounding area, with two hospitals and two schools reportedly hit. He stressed that Saudi had made its decision in coordination with the coalition and said that a ground operation was being planned. "He should not have said that for a simple reason: If all he wants is a protracted war, he can carry out ground operations and anything else". "Military experts will meet in the coming days to finalize the details, the task force and the role to be played by each country", he added. The report follows another report by Al Jazeera that Turkish forces have already started shelling Kurdish-held areas in Syria, including an airbase, in the northern province of Aleppo, where Saudi is also opening a front against the Iran-backed Syrian regime. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. One of the highlights of my poking into New Zealand's participation in the Open Government Partnership has been having to go to the Ombudsman to gain access to documents SSC should have released publicly to build trust in the process. But it could be worse: in Spain, they're having to go to court to see the results: The Spanish government has launched a court case against Spains Transparency Council to challenge a decision that it should release documents relating to the implementation of Spains two Open Government Partnership action plans. In November 2015, Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, secured a ruling from the Transparency Council that the Ministry of the Presidency should make public reports from Ministries about progress being made on Open Government Partnership commitments. In its ruling, the Transparency Council argued that documents about Spains open government activities cannot be exempted as being internal because they are being used as the basis for taking decisions and hence are central to ensuring accountability. The Ministry of Presidency launched the court case to challenge this and to keep the OGP-related documents secret in January 2016. The Transparency Council will defend the case and Access Info will participate as an interested party. Spain is on the same OGP calendar as us , so getting those reports would have been part of checking their Mid-Term Self-Assessment. And going to court to cover them up speaks volumes about Spain's attitude to open government and its commitment to transparency.Meanwhile, the OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism's review of New Zealand's OGP progress so far should be going online sometime within the next two days. I'll be looking forward to reading it. " ... How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public... " [From George Washington's farewell address.] Other Quotes: "Don't worry about genius and don't worry about not being clever. Trust rather to hard work, perseverance and determination. The best motto for a long march is ' Don't grumble. Plug on.'....Be honest. Be loyal. Be kind. Remember that the hardest thing to acquire is the faculty of being unselfish. As a quality it is one of the finest attributes of manliness." Sir Frederick Treves "...To be clear, the Constitution of the United States of America is the United States of America. They are one and the same. Any individual or agency which seeks to subvert the Constitution and wage political and/or rhetorical war on it, are self-declared enemies of the United States of America, as they are subverting and waging war on the United States of America." - Pat Dollard The truth to the matter is that Obama lies but he does it with such finess that the easily fooled are easily fooled. ~ Norman E. Hooben "Going for the grandest illusion of all, [Obama] ... told the New York Times: 'We've actually been operating in a way that has been entirely consistent with free-market principles.' Excuse me while I pick my jaw off the ground. Everyone knows -- or should know -- that putting more and more of the government in charge of more and more of the economy is entirely inconsistent with free-market principles. This means that the president's statement to the contrary is what is known as a big lie." --columnist Diana West When you trust a stranger more so than your friend, you become stranger than the stranger; Barrack Husein Obama is a stranger. - Norman E. Hooben We the peopleWe the people now have a New World Order that we the people did not order. Norman E. Hooben "We are now in a great civil war of words and you have the honor of participating as a true patriot. The battle has not been won but you will be there when we are victorious. The pen is mightier than the sword and you will inscribe your name in the book of freedomand that, my friend is an honor "If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves ." - Winston Churchill It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first. - Ronald Reagan Thomas Sowell For those who promote a race they are called, "racists". For those that promote American they are called "American". For 'American' is a 'concept' and no racial tones are tolerated either in shades or sounds. -Norman E. Hooben (In reference to Lourdes Galvan of San Antonio, Texas racial bigotry regarding American military heroes.) Note to NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA ( Hola! I know you are watching): Will Rogers never met Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid. - N. E. Hooben, July 2008 Harvard University was once an all boys school...today they have no balls at all. - N. E. Hooben I will stand with the Constitution For The United States of America should the political winds shift in an ugly direction Politicians are like vampires... Whether its blood or money they want to suck it out of you till you die. ~ N. E. Hooben (Norman E. Hooben in response to a writer who complained of not having the honor of serving in the U.S. Military)Back in the days of "The Lone Ranger" program, someone would ask, "Who is that masked man?" People need to start asking that question about Barack Obama. -N.E. HoobenThe Police State of Massachusetts is now imposing laws against nature. Massachusetts is by far the most un-Constitutional government of the State, by the State, and for the State than any among the the fifty that hold a star on the banner of freedom. It is run by Socialists and hypocritical so-called Christiansthe worst among them are the Catholics who go to Church on Sunday and forget what they Prayed for on Monday. - Norman E. Hooben - "A proud Catholic proud of my Faith. A proud Catholic NOT so proud of my Church!" - July 16th 2008 N. E. Hooben When a people are satisfied with receiving gifts paid with their own taxes as a way of life Anarchy is sure to follow. - Fred Boutin 2008 From the first time I heard about the boogey-man as a child to the first time I got shot at in Vietnam, nothing in my entire lifetime, THAT'S NOTHING! has put more fear into me than this man Obama. - Norman E. Hooben - July 2008 We are here for only a mini-second in the sands of time. Then we become the dust that makes the sand; and the Hand of God molds us anew. Take care my friend and may God Bless... - Norman E. Hooben on the death of our dearly beloved pet dog, Stirling The evidence is overwhelming! In order to save America we must destroy the Socialst Marxist Party... - N. E. Hooben "America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." -- Josef Stalin -- When it comes to lying, prudent people are guided by a Higher Authority driven by thou shall not written in stone. Whereas Bill Clinton has no Higher Authority to guide him, thou shall not has no conscious objections; for without a conscience there is no guilt. - Norman Hooben The victor will never be asked if he told the truth. - Adolph Hitler The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. - James Madison, the Federalists Papers There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some Exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Prof noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back And stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government. In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked,'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly, the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity. The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms- just a little at a time. One should always remember 'There is no such thing as a free Lunch!' Also, 'You can never hire someone to provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. You apparently don't share a sense of patriotism, Americanism, freedomism, or whatever kind of 'ism' that true Americans believe in... You do however, display a bit of socialism, communism, marxism or whatever kind of 'ism' that you make excuses for... ~ Norman E. Hooben (in response to an Obama supporter's views about the ACS census) A nation that knows not from where it came, knows not where it is going! Today, Americans know too little about the foundations of our nation. The result is a nation now in chaos, its people unable to discern what is wrong with the transformation (paradigm shift) of our society and form of government that, if left unchecked, will destroy every facet of freedom, liberty and justice. The price of freedom is vigilance; the price of vigilance is knowledge. Many of America's founding documents are now available on the web. ~ Learn USA The summit talks held on Wednesday at the Elysee Palace between the French President Francois Hollande and his guest King Mohammed VI, who just started a working and friendship visit to France, were topped by the crucial issue of climate change as the North African country braces to take over from France the chairmanship of the UN conference on climate change. In this vein and in a bid to spur a united and strong action on climate, the two heads of state decided to set up a joint roadmap likely to sustain mobilization, strengthen coordination for the ratification by all member states of the Paris agreement and ensure the success of the COP22 to be held in Marrakech next November 7 to 18. President Hollande seized the meeting opportunity to express thanks to the King for his personal contribution to the success of the COP21 held in Paris last November. Morocco had actually actively participated in COP21 and had submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to address climate change to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) wherein it pledges to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 32 by 2030 and to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generating to 42 pc in 2020. And as a matter of fact, the Moroccan-French high-level talks are held just a couple of weeks after the North African country launched the first phase of the worlds largest concentrated solar plant in Ouarzazate, dubbed Noor. When this landmark project is completed in 2018, it will reduce Moroccos reliance on fossil fuel by two and a half million tons of oil and generate enough energy to be partly exported to Europe. This means that Morocco, with its already low per capita emissions (around 3 t/cap in 2010,) is doing its fair share of global efforts to hold warming below 2C. The two leaders also debated a number of regional issues, with focus on the Libyan crisis, which is challenging security in the Maghreb and Western Mediterranean. In this regard, President Hollande praised the crucial role played by Morocco in the process initiated under the aegis of the United Nations that led to the Skhirat Agreement for the formation of a Government of National Unity. The two leaders called the Tobruk-based House of Representatives to quickly endorse the new government to start addressing the many challenges facing Libya and the entire region. King Mohammed VI and the French President also discussed the scourge of terrorism, hailing their close cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime. The two leaders also explored new means to strengthen and expand their cooperation in matters of security, de-radicalization, cultural exchanges, and the living-together. The Sovereign and the French President on the other hand noted with satisfaction the progress made by the two countries permanent and excellent relationship and reaffirmed their shared determination to bolster their partnership, in particular through strengthening regular cooperation mechanisms. . "If we remain silent, we kill freedom, justice and the possibility that a society armed with information may have power to change the situation that has brought us to this point." - Anabel Hernandez ------------------------------------------- The Secret to Happiness is the Joy of the Lord; and the joy of the Lord is His manifest presence in your life. It is our Privilege and Responsibility to Glorify God; and we glorify God by manifesting His character every moment and in every situation. Humility and Pride You can tell a humble man that he has a problem with pride and he will agree with you; but if you tell a proud man that he has a problem with pride, he becomes your enemy. This one thing I know for sure, that whenever there is a problem with my relationship with the Lord, it is not His fault. Some people are just plain lazy; some people are just overly sensitive to gravity; others are simply economical with their energy. It's not enough to preach the Gospel; you must be the Gospel. If you can describe your life in a nutshell, there's a good probability that you're a nut. As a good Canadian, I'd like to apologize in advance for anything I might say that offends you; sometimes my mouth hits high gear while my brain is still in low. Never allow the thought, "I am of no use where I am"; because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Oswald Chambers We cannot even begin to approach the Truth until we are willing to go wherever the Truth leads us. The newest object of idol worship is 'my opinion'! Suffering is the only experience we have in common with every other human who ever lived. By Amy Tennery By Amy Tennery NEW YORK (Reuters) - In politics, it is said that all press is good press. But that does not necessarily apply to tweets, according to a study released this week. In fact, it is difficult to predict the outcome of an election based on the amount of Twitter buzz a candidate gets, according to the study from the Social Science Computer Review. The study, whose relevance to this year's U.S. election was sharply disputed by Twitter, focused on the 2013 German federal election and found that Twitter data was a more accurate measure of the level of interest in candidates rather than the level of support they will receive. "Negative events, such as political scandals, as well as positively evaluated events, such as accomplishments, can (both)underlie attention for a party or candidate," said the study, published on Monday. Yet scandals and accomplishments affect the level of support for a candidate in completely different ways. "The analysis does not support the simple 'more tweets, more votes' formula," the study found. For example, a video clip of a candidate's campaign gaffe broadcast on the nightly news might lead to a spike in Twitter attention, but likely not result in more overall political support, according to the study. "The daily volume of Twitter messages referring to candidates or parties fluctuates heavily depending on the events of the day - such as televised leaders debates, high-profile interviews with candidates - or the coverage of political controversies and scandals," the study said. The data also showed that Twitter users did not necessarily reflect the demographics of the population as a whole. In the United States, social media platforms like Twitter and Yik Yak are often more popular among millennial voters. A Twitter spokesman argued the study was not relevant to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. "I'd advise passing the next time someone sends along German Twitter data from three years ago in the context of the 2016 U.S. election," said Nick Pacilio, a spokesman for the social media site's government and news department. Pacilio cited a Time magazine website report that showed Twitter chatter favored the winning candidates, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, in the Iowa caucuses this month. Republican and Democratic contenders are vying for their parties' nominations for the Nov. 8 election to succeed President Barack Obama. (Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Peter Cooney) SAP is the sponsor of this content. It was independently created by Reuters' editorial staff and funded in part by SAP, which otherwise has no role in this coverage. 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Rage against the machine. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Before he revealed himself to be a panicky cyborg, Marco Rubios principle liability in the Republican race was his support for immigration reform in 2013. And so many Trump supporters were taken aback when CBS presented the following graphic at last Saturdays debate. The graphic highlights three of Rubios hardline positions on immigration enforcement, while leaving his past support for a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented unmentioned. Odder still, the graphic was the only one of its kind broadcast during the debate, according to Breitbart and immigration blogger Mickey Kaus. While search and social-media graphics proliferated throughout the coverage, the Trumpen proletariat claims that no other candidate received a special box summarizing their policy positions, let alone one that highlighted only their most popular stances on a controversial issue. Me and my brother both noticed this...no other candidate received graphic support...the media SUCKS!!!! https://t.co/0Yr6IfjJru JimmyNeutronTX (@reformed4life) February 15, 2016 OK, looks like you can sort of fast forward thru the whole debate here https://t.co/rYUW2Y0z7h I didn't see any graphics other than Rubio's Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) February 15, 2016 Although the media mercilessly skewered the senator for his malfunction in New Hampshire, pundits have treated Rubio with kid gloves for much of the campaign, hailing his third-place showing in Iowa as a triumph. The top headline on Politico Tuesday afternoon read, Rubio surges back to electrify South Carolina. But the Florida senator is only electrifying 18 percent of the states voters, according to the most recent PPP poll, which puts him 17 points behind the GOP front-runner, Donald Trump. People for the American Way activists rally outside of the Supreme Court on Monday. Photo: Larry French/2016 Getty Images About an hour after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was announced on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made an unprecedented declaration. Everyone knew hed do everything in his power to prevent President Obama from placing a new justice on the Court, but he didnt even try to play coy. The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice, he said. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. While many Republicans, including those running for president, were quick to agree with that sentiment, now some are openly disagreeing with McConnells plan or a least his decision to make their obstructionist intentions known to the world. The most significant defection came from Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, whose panel would hold confirmation hearings and vote on whether to let the full Senate consider Obamas nomination. On Saturday, the Iowa senator stood firm with McConnell, saying, Given the huge divide in the country, and the fact that this president, above all others, has made no bones about his goal to use the courts to circumvent Congress and push through his own agenda, it only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court Justice. However, Grassley softened his stance in an interview with Iowa radio reporters on Tuesday, possibly because hes up for reelection this year and the Des Moines Register just published an editorial criticizing his position. Grassley said he would still prefer to see Obamas successor make the pick, but he wont rule out holding confirmation hearings for an Obama nominee. I would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decision, he said. In other words, take it a step at a time. He denied the shift has anything to do with his reelection prospects, saying he has a responsibility to perform and must do my job as a senator. Senator Thom Tillis, another Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, had a more bizarre justification for opposing McConnell: What if Obama nominates someone just as conservative as Scalia? Thats unlikely to happen, but I think we fall into the trap if we just simply say Sight unseen, we fall into the trap of being obstructionist, Tillis explained on a North Carolina radio show. He added that if Obama happens to go with a judge who doesnt oppose everything he stands for politically, then well use every device available to block that nomination, wait till the American people voice their vote in November and then move forward with the nomination after the election. Several other GOP senators seemed eager to avoid being labeled obstructionists in an election year. They argued theres no harm in letting the process move forward, particularly because theres almost no chance that 14 Senate Republicans will side with Democrats to overcome the inevitable filibuster of Obamas nominee. However it plays out I will fulfill my constitutional role in voting on the nomination, Senator Ron Johnson, who faces a tough election in the fall, told Politico. I dont think anybody said we are not going to do anything. They are going to wait to see what the next step is. When asked to give his position, Republican Senator Bob Corker merely stated the facts of the situation, which some of his colleagues are choosing to ignore: The president has the right to nominate a Supreme Court justice, and the Constitution gives the Senate the power to decide whether to confirm the nominee. Democrats are already attacking Republicans for refusing to do their Constitutional duty (in a Washington Post op-ed Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned that if Republicans follow McConnells plan, they will ensure that this Republican majority is remembered as the most nakedly partisan, obstructionist and irresponsible majority in history). Some are also urging Obama to select a moderate, so Republicans will look even more ridiculous when they refuse to confirm them. Addressing the situation during an unrelated press conference on Tuesday afternoon, President Obama offered few clues about who he might nominate, or his timeline. He said hes looking for someone whos indisputably qualified for the seat, and who any fair-minded person, even someone who might disagree with my politics, would say would serve with honor and integrity on the court. He went on to rib Republicans for suggesting that theres some historical precedent for leaving Supreme Court seats vacant in election years, saying, Im amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it provisions that are not there. But he also acknowledged thats now part of the political game, citing his participation in the filibuster of the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito in 2006. I think whats fair to say is that how judicial nominations have evolved over time is not historically the fault of any single party, he said, adding, What is also true is Justice Alito is on the bench right now. Hillary Clinton met with civil-rights leaders at the National Urban League yesterday. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images I thought wed get that talk from Bernie, but it was Hillary, the woman said as she took her seat in the restaurant. The man with her nodded his head in agreement, and then they sat in silence, attending to the world in their cell phones. Hey, soror, a woman half-shouted a few minutes later, as she scooped food into her Styrofoam takeout box. The seated woman looked up, smiled, and responded, Oh, hey, soror, you see Hillary? She was real good, right, the woman making her plate said, now at a different food station. All three nodded their heads, almost causing me to join in even though I was not a part of the conversation. All of this took place at Mannas, the self-anointed Best Soul Food Restaurant in the Village of Harlem. I religiously get a four-vegetable plate there whenever I go to an event at the Schomburg Center, the New York Public Librarys hub for black culture, which sits on the corner of 135th and Malcolm X. The venue is having a big week. On Monday it was revealed as the inspiration of this weeks New Yorker cover art by painter Kadir Nelson (work titled Schomburg Center, Harlem, New York). On Tuesday it was the site of a Hillary Clinton speech, advertised a day earlier as an Address on Breaking Down Barriers for African-Americans. On paper, this all felt very political. Hillary in Harlem talking to black people about black people and the timing only added to that sentiment, a week after getting beat by 20 points in New Hampshire, a week before heading into the much blacker state of South Carolina. Arriving at the Schomburg, the lobby was stuffed with people waiting to get in most drenched from the monsoon taking place outside many confused by the delay that comes with any Hillary event, by way of the near-hour Secret Service sweep that is required before she takes any stage. At one point during the wait, the crowds attention focuses toward one corner. Oh, apparently, thats Bill, one man says. A few seconds later, he says, Wrong Bill its de Blasio. After another 20 minutes of sitting, the Director of the Schomburg Center, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, takes the podium and begins talking about the cultural significance of the Center and Harlem. He mentions the moment Obama came through the neighborhood to speak at the Apollo Theater, the night he broke out into some Al Green. Following this, Muhammad pondered whether Secretary Clinton would give us some Maya Angelou poetry, a comment met with some laughs, since we all knew that was just never going to happen. Finally, he introduced one of the neighborhoods most famous (and in recent years, infamous) sons, Representative Charlie Rangel. The 85-year-old Rangel walked out on the stage, but not without a crew. Following him, Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray, Governor Cuomo and his partner, Sandra Lee, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and Hillary Clinton. Prior to the posse entrance, Id just finished a conversation about what I saw as the myth of successfully convincing black people to think one way and vote one way purely based off the endorsement of prominent black people. That myth of the black vote being a monolith that thinks the same way and wants the same thing. And how getting the endorsement of a collection of black preachers, or even the Congressional Black Caucus, doesnt mean as much as it did in election cycles past. There was one moment in Rangels introduction, however, when his presence and his actions were undeniably infectious to everyone in the room, especially the Black Harlemites: Its been brought to my attention that some people have been following the secretary of State around to disrupt rather than to instruct. Please be informed, you are in the village of Harlem. This was met with wild applause from the room, a big smile from Hillary, and a Holder whisper to Cuomo, followed by laughs from both men. It was one of the more street-cred-pumping moments this campaign has seen. You fuck with Hill, you fuck with Harlem. And it capped off a perfect warm-up act for Hillary New York State, New York City, and Harlem supporting not only Hillary being the next president, but her as someone who could do a lot of good for black people. Soon after, he finished up and passed it off to Hillary. The handoff. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images Then it hit you that Hillary was going to talk at length about black people, almost exclusively. She began with the normal rhetoric of just listing black people she knew, whom she spoke with, whom she associated herself with but then it took a turn. When she began discussing Flint, the white woman Establishment presidential candidate said, Its a horrifying story, but what makes it even worse is that its not a coincidence that this was allowed to happen in a largely black, largely poor community. Just ask yourself: Would this have ever occurred in a wealthy white suburb of Detroit? Absolutely not. It was that moment of, Oh shit, did Hillary come to play today? I looked down my row, and multiple people had that same goddamn face etched on their faces. She was making points about privilege that minorities always make, but it packed such a different punch even if President Obama had said it because she was chastising her own privilege, putting the privilege of whiteness front and center. The moment was a brief callback to the controversial opinion of scholar Michael Eric Dyson in his November 2015 New Republic piece, which said that Hillary Clinton will do more for black people than Barack Obama. And like Dyson further argues in his book, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America, Obama uniquely had to comply with the expectations of whites. Thats not something Clinton will ever have to deal with to the same degree. Hillary then followed up the Flint statement with the following series of points, all delivered in about two minutes: We still need to face the painful reality that African-Americans are nearly three times as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage. mortgage. Somethings wrong when the median wealth for black families is just a tiny fraction of the median wealth of white families. families. Something is wrong when African-American men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men convicted of the same offenses. offenses. Black kids get arrested for petty crimes, but white CEOs get away with fleecing our entire country there is something wrong. wrong. Just imagine with me for a minute if white kids were 500 percent more likely to die from asthma than black kids 500 percent. percent. Imagine if a white baby in South Carolina were twice as likely to die before her first birthday than an African-American baby. baby. Imagine the outcry. Imagine the resources that would flood in. in. Now, these inequities are wrong, but theyre also immoral. And itll be the mission of my presidency to bring them to an end. We have to begin by facing up to the reality of systemic racism. I genuinely couldnt believe what I was hearing. The tiptoeing had vanished. She wasnt trying to win everyones vote by flying as close to the middle as possible. And even though the room was markedly black, these thoughts were now on her permanent electoral record for all to see. The use of imagine was powerful, because it comes with an almost implied, You cant imagine it, because that shit wouldnt fly. She was finally just saying it, bluntly. Hearing this, in February, was so much more powerful than any policy plan. Because before many people want to know your plan or before people will ever truly consider believing in your plan they want to know that you understand their world. Hillary at the podium at the Schomburg Center. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images And then, out of nowhere, as she was really peaking, and the increasingly loud cheers in the room suggested that these points were not only felt but appreciated, she had one of those Hillary coughing fits. Its like watching someone with the hiccups; you dont really know when theyre going to end. But herein lies the beauty of the goodwill Hillary had built up in the room the beauty of black people being an expressive bunch: The room started clapping loudly, almost to mask her coughs until she was done, to get her through this stretch. People were acting like it was church, when some member of the congregation gets up to speak but suddenly gets emotional or nervous. Shouts of Take your time, Hill and Youre okay rang from all corners of the room. After a few coughs, Hillary squeaked out, Ive got too much to say, which was met with laughter. When some of the coughing halted, Hillary softly said a few sentences with her voice at about 10 percent strength, and after every few sentences, people cheered her on. There were even some HILLARY, HILLARY chants. I couldnt believe it. This was followed by a second wave of coughs, more cheers and supportive messages from the crowd, which ended with Hillary saying, Thank you, youre a great amen chorus. And a few minutes later, her voice was at full strength again. She was back. This was Hillarys Flu Game. Shed just won Harlem. Watching a white woman who could be the president of the United States say things like, For many white Americans, its tempting to believe that bigotry is largely behind us. That would leave us with a lot less work, wouldnt it? and Race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. Now, anyone anyone asking for your vote has a responsibility to grapple with this reality is uncharted waters. Its a speech that, if President Obama had given it, would have gotten him reamed out for showing favoritism for not being the American president but just the black president. If a different version of Hillary Clinton had shown up, it would have come off as pandering to black people. But that afternoon in the Schomburg, things clicked in a way they really hadnt before. She wasnt any less of an Establishment white politician than she was before, but you could tell that shes coming to terms with the reality that if she wants to actually connect in a way that many people believe she cant, shes got to understand and own up to everything and, through both humility and intelligence, prove that shes ready to push forward. Nevadas Wild West caucuses are typically hard to figure out. Photo: Corbis If this is your first presidential nominating cycle, you may well wonder why one of the first four contests third for Democrats, who hold their caucuses on February 20, and fourth for Republicans, who assemble on February 23 is getting relatively little attention compared to its companions in the group of early states with a calendar priority thats protected by the national parties. Nevada is an unusual state with unusual caucuses and thus is an odd duck to hunt down. On Wednesday CNN/ORC released one of the few published polls of likely Republican and Democratic caucusgoers. It was a small-sample, high-margin-of-error survey of a notoriously difficult-to-poll state with a highly transient population and low landline usage. The Democratic poll showed Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders virtually tied, but with insufficient data to measure most subcategories of voters, including the Latino and African-American voters that are of great interest after nearly all-white Iowa and New Hampshire. Among Republicans, Donald Trump has a lead so large 45 percent, with 19 percent for Rubio and 17 percent for Cruz that the polls limitations dont prevent the conclusion that Nevada is definitely Trump Country. One problem with figuring out whats happening in this state is that theres little history to use in determining any individuals likelihood to caucus. Nevada caucuses (and sometimes primaries) were low-profile affairs until Harry Reid and other influential boosters of the state convinced first Democrats and then Republicans they needed a western and more diverse site in the early contests. And so, in 2008, Nevada joined South Carolina in slipping past the velvet rope that had long separated Iowa and New Hampshire from other caucuses and primaries. Since then, theres been one competitive Democratic caucus and two competitive Republican caucuses. The former was a close race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama that was generally thought to illustrate Clintons popularity among Latinos and Obamas organizational strength. But it provides only a rough idea of who might show up this year particularly since Nevada Democrats (unlike Republicans, who have an earlier registration cutoff) allow voters to register or reregister as Democrats at caucus sites. Another Democratic wrinkle is that at-large caucus sites will be set up in major Las Vegas casinos so that night-shift workers can participate. This is a concession to the powerful Culinary Workers Union that represents casino employees. In 2008 this union endorsed Obama; this time around its neutral. Its unclear what, if any, impact that might have on turnout. Finally, as in Iowa, Nevada Democrats do not technically vote for a candidate they divide into preference groups and must overcome viability thresholds. With only two major candidates remaining, the dance of first and second alignments wont be a factor, but there will be separate reporting of raw votes cast and county delegates elected, which means you can have two separate winners, as happened in 2008. (By contrast, Nevada Republicans, like Iowa Republicans, have a candidate-preference straw poll.) Polling aside, we do know that Clinton and Sanders are heading into Nevada with some strengths. Aside from the Culinary Workers, Clinton has most of the heavy labor support (SEIU, AFSCME, AFT), and also benefits from her 2008 experience, when current national campaign manager Robby Mook was credited with a better-than-expected Nevada performance. Sanders has his momentum from New Hampshire, some local and regional Latino backing (one of his two congressional backers, Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona, has been campaigning for him in Nevada), his entire Iowa organization, and some heavy late advertising. Also working in his favor is the undisguised media interest in the story line that his white-hot youth support and growing strength among white working-class voters will, beginning in Nevada, start to melt away Clintons sizable advantage with minority voters, perhaps leading to further upsets down the line. Among Republicans the peculiar variable is that in both 2008 and 2012 Mitt Romneys candidacy drove an outsize turnout from Romneys fellow Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members, who compose only 4 percent of Nevadas population but represented about a quarter of GOP caucus participants in those years. Nobody expects LDS turnout to be that high this year, but Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush have devoted a lot of time and attention to recruiting Mormon opinion-leaders in the state. Bush managed to hire the people who ran Romneys 2012 campaign there, but if the new CNN survey is any indication (Jebs at one percent), hes going nowhere fast. Rubio has the unique advantage of having been a Nevada Mormon during his childhood years in Las Vegas before his family moved to South Florida and resumed its ancestral Catholic affiliation. Beyond the LDS factor, Donald Trump has long been a familiar figure in Las Vegas with a hotel on the Strip and a Vegas-style personality. Aside from the new CNN survey, hes led the smattering of polls that have been taken in the state since he entered the race. Ted Cruz here as elsewhere is the favorite of movement conservatives, and he won the richly symbolic backing of Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who is at the same time an anti-Establishment figure in the state and the grandson of former Nevada governor and senator Paul Laxalt, a local potentate and also one of Ronald Reagans best friends. There are so many variables interacting that its not surprising predictions are rare outside the campaigns. But you get the sense that once Nevadans have caucused on Saturday (Democrats) and next Tuesday (Republicans), the body of knowledge we have about this states political behavior in the nomination process will have doubled. Hmmm, maybe originalism doesnt apply to certain clauses of Article II. Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. This week: the GOPs attempt to block Obamas Supreme Court nominee, W. stumps for Jeb!, and Grammy highlights. Mitch McConnells pledge to block any Supreme Court nominee to succeed Antonin Scalia is finding what appears to be near-unanimous support from Senate Republicans, but others speculate that President Obama may use the fight to increase Democratic turnout at the polls this fall. What are the risks of McConnells strategy? Excuse me, but if we are talking about the politics of this brawl, its a no-brainer. Obama, a lame duck who will not be on the ballot in November, has nothing to lose by standing on principle and carrying out a presidents duty to submit a nominee to the Senate. The GOP, by contrast, has a lot to lose come Election Day including control of the Senate. Though a Times front-page headline this morning reads Court Path Is Littered With Pitfalls, for Obama and the G.O.P., the only potential pitfalls it actually identifies are all for the GOP. Still, before we get to the politics of the Scalia vacancy, please lets talk about the bigger picture. The constitutional picture, if we must be grand about it. As the president pointed out Tuesday, its laughable that conservatives who claim to be strict constitutionalists in the Scalia vein want to defy the Constitution by declaring that a president has no right to fill a Supreme Court vacancy during his final year in office. As the Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell has pointed out, the GOP has taken the position that the first year of a presidents term also does not officially count thats the logic by which its presidential field (Donald Trump excepted) keeps insisting that President Bush kept us safe despite the fact that 9/11 occurred eight months into his presidency. Then again, the radical right that now rules the GOP, for all its protestations of strict fidelity to the Founding Fathers, has been as hostile to the federal government during the Obama years as the secessionists who embraced the ideology of John C. Calhoun to foment the Civil War. Republicans in Congress have held up countless judicial appointments and Executive-branch appointments, denying American governance the essential tools of personnel in top-tier jobs; they have balked at the routine fiscal task of raising the debt ceiling; they have shut down the government altogether when they couldnt get their way. Todays secessionist insurgency has reached such an extreme that both Republican senators from the Dixie stronghold of Alabama, Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, have blocked the elevation of Abdul Kallon to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (where he would be the first African-American from Alabama to serve) even though they both backed him for his current post as a U.S. District judge. Which brings us to the politics. Rob Portman of Ohio is one of seven incumbent Republican senators up for reelection this year in states that Obama won in the 2012 election. After Scalias death, he tweeted that it was the best thing for the country to trust the American people to weigh in on who should make a lifetime appointment. He refuses to acknowledge that the American people did weigh in on who should make that appointment when they voted in the last presidential election and the one before that. But like a true nullifier of the Calhoun persuasion, he simply denies the legitimacy of elections, laws, and a president he doesnt like. Does he not think this will not be noticed by his own constituents when they return to the polls this fall? Whats more, Obama could inflict more damage on Portman and other vulnerable Senate incumbents and on the GOPs national ticket by nominating a qualified justice who by definition will further highlight the partys knee-jerk hostility toward immigrants, women, black people, gay individuals, and Hispanics. James Hohmann of the Post cites the potential nominee Monica Marquez, the first Latina and first openly gay justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast proposes Tino Cuellar, an associate justice in the California Supreme Court who was born in Mexico and became a naturalized citizen before earning degrees at Harvard, Yale Law, and Stanford. Cuellars wife, Lucy Koh, is another contender: Americas first female Korean-American district judge, confirmed by a 90-to-0 vote in the Senate when Obama nominated her for the post in 2010 but sure to be rejected now by the same Republican senators who voted for her then. How exactly does this end well for the GOP in an election year? By refusing to act on the Scalia vacancy, the party will once again brand itself as the party of obstructionism, government dysfunction, and animosity toward the growing majority of Americans who do not fit its predominantly white male demographic. After Donald Trumps attacks about his presidency were met with boos from the South Carolina audience at last weekends debate, George W. Bush has started campaigning with Jeb in the state. Can W. help his brothers ailing campaign? It is not exactly a promising sign that no sooner did W. exit the rally stage in South Carolina than Jeb! let loose with the most bizarre tweet of the political season: a photo of a gun with his name engraved on it, carrying the one-word caption America. It was read and ridiculed widely in the Twitter realm as a subliminal suicide note. (Youre so low energy you couldnt even pull the trigger lol was one characteristic response.) I dont think anything can save Jeb!s campaign. But Trumps attacks on W., for both ignoring intelligence that warned of an imminent Al Qaeda attack in the summer of 2001 and for sending America to war on the pretext of nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, is a major turning point in this centurys national-security debate. It has been a given not just in conservative circles, but in the political culture at large that no one calling himself a Republican could survive politically if he or she derided Bushs competence at keeping us safe or blasted him for waging a reckless (and failed) war premised on jingoistic propaganda and hyped intelligence. As recently as just a few weeks ago, GOP candidates like Chris Christie and Marco Rubio were trying to outdo each other in boasting of their fealty to Bush-Cheneyism in foreign policy. But now we have the front-runner for the Republican nomination not only violating this sacred bit of conservative political correctness but bellowing it at the top of his lungs, repeatedly. If he pays no price for this breach of party etiquette indeed, if he wins the primary this Saturday in South Carolina, a conservative state distinguished by its large component of military and retired military voters the neocon scripture that has defined GOP orthodoxy for 15 years will have finally reached its expiration date. No wonder Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer express apoplexy daily about Trump. By the way, lets note that George W. Bush said this in arguing for his brother and against Trump in South Carolina: Strength is not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Far from helping Jeb!s chances, this posturing probably hurt him. All it does is remind you that W. was the one who patented empty rhetoric (the axis of evil), bluster (he declared hed get bin Laden dead or alive and succeeded at neither), and theatrics (Mission Accomplished) in pursuit of one of the greatest foreign-policy calamities in the history of the Republic. The Grammys now announce more than 90 percent of their awards at the preshow webcast, ceding the televised ceremony mostly to performances. Is this a better way to do an awards show? The bar is pretty low, heaven knows. Im in favor of anything that cuts down on the undying rituals of show-business awards shows, starting with the cutesy-poo special material read by hosts and presenters off teleprompters and the increasingly canned and generic thank-you filibusters from the winners. An awards show that leaves out the awards themselves is an innovative effort to be cherished. But what made this years Grammys notable had nothing to do with that. In a month that soon will bring us the notorious all-white Oscars, the Grammys thrust its audience into the actual culture of the America we are living in now. While hardly ignoring the achievements of white artists (Taylor Swift, after all, was the big winner), the show was in essence defined by two rap performances that could be honestly described as hair-raising, a nearly unheard-of phenomenon these days on any awards show. One was a live performance, beamed in from the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, of the opening number of Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical Hamilton. So much has been written about this show that Ill stick to a single point: Part of what makes this work so moving, that has won it fans as politically antithetical as the Obamas and the Cheneys, is that in form and content it pumps hope into the American dream that an orphaned immigrant with everything stacked against him (a Founding Father without a father) could come to these shores and have a shot at accomplishing great things for both himself and his adopted country. The other Grammy highlight, Kendrick Lamars riveting performance of his songs The Blacker the Berry and Alright, was an alternately anguished and angry vision of what happens when the American dream is betrayed: a cri de coeur stretching from Africa to Compton and encompassing both the murder of innocent black men like Trayvon Martin (set us back another 400 years) and the mass incarceration of so many others. Lamars last line implicitly calls for conversation for the entire nation that is bigger than us. How one might wish. Both his art and Mirandas make the conversation in our politics during this fraught presidential year seem tragically small. The decision lies with Governor Dennis Daugaard. Photo: ChinaFotoPress/2012 ChinaFotoPress A controversial bill landed on the South Dakota governors desk yesterday that would make it illegal for transgender students to use gender-segregated facilities that match the gender they identify with. If passed, the bill would be the first of its type in the country. While Republican activists and politicians have couched the debate in terms of personal privacy and security, the bills wording makes its meaning abundantly clear: Every restroom, locker room, and shower room located in a public elementary or secondary school that is designated for student use and is accessible by multiple students at the same time shall be designated for and used only by students of the same biological sex. Lest you think there is room for interpretation, the bill goes on to define biological sex as the physical condition of being a male or female as identified at birth. The passage of the so-called bathroom bill was celebrated as a success by the states conservatives, but LGBT activists and other sympathetic human beings are less thrilled. The Human Rights Campaign has called the bill a shameful attack against transgender kids. The measure does promise to provide reasonable accommodations, such as a single-occupancy restroom, to any students who dont want to use the provided facilities. Knowing better than to appeal to politicians basic human decency, activists are instead trying to sway opinion against the bill by pointing out that it could potentially cost the state millions in federal funding and litigation fees. There is still some hope that the law could be defeated though because that hope lies entirely with Dennis Daugaard, the states Republican governor, no one is exactly holding their breath. To Daugaards credit, he has said he will consider the bill seriously before deciding whether to sign it or not. He intends to research the issue and listen to recorded testimony. Perhaps less to his credit, Daugaard who has already said the bill sounds like a good idea plans to conduct this rigorous research without actually speaking to a member of the transgender community. Daugaard is worried that talking to someone the law affects might make him less objective (he actually said this). The governor also reassured his constituents that hes never met a transgender person, as far as he knows. Angry actor Pope Francis. Nobody is immune to the dark side of fame not even His Holiness the pope. After becoming an unofficial member of Leonardo DiCaprios Pussy Posse and signing on to star in his first movie role, Pope Francis is now embroiled in his first scandal caught on tape, a celebrity rite of passage. While meeting with devotees in Mexico, one admirer yanked so hard on the popes arm that he fell onto a child in a wheelchair. Pope Francis grew visibly angry, scolding the admirer in Italian infinitely better than Leo DiCaprios. Later, the pope slid on a pair of shades, muttered insincerely, No pictures, and jetted off in his black SUV to the Nice Guy for lunch with his agent. QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: QUESTION: ANSWER: Today Craig Ferguson did an AMA to discuss his new History Channel show,, as well as reminice about The Late Late Show. He even answered one burning question every single viewer had about the show!I HAVE TO KNOW: In the early days before Secretariat got his own stable, did he just wait next to the stage in case you rang the bell and summoned him?YesMy question is if you could travel to any place in any time in history, where and when would you be?I think I'd like to go to the Reign of Akhenaten in Ancient Egypt. I think it was a mysterious and controversial moment in history, arguably the first monotheist. And I'd like to see if he looked that weird.How's Geoff?ANSWER: Geoff is dead and well.Do you have any good life advice?Have a good time. Don't be a dick.Have you ever considered a musical reunion with Peter Capaldi?Anyone who wants that never heard us play the first time. Let it go.You've been an author, a screenwriter, an actor, a talk show host, a game show host, a stand up comedian, and a musician. Is there one you find to have been most satisfying, and if so, why? Likewise, has one been least satisfying?I think they're all aspects of the same thing. How do you choose to express yourself? Do you text, email, write a song, do you deliver the message in person. It's all just expression and communication.Who or what would you like to see featured on US currency?Scrooge McDuck, he's Scottish-American.Promos have mentioned Plato, Marx, Cicero, Luther, etc. Do I have to know all that stuff in order to fully appreciate Join or Die? I stopped reading those guys when I discovered pulp fiction.No, and in fact if you do know all that stuff, you might appreciate it less. You'll know more than me.Is today a great day for America?Depends on who you are and what you're doing. Yesssssssssss drag ha! Reply Thread Link This needs more views. Reply Thread Link This sounds so much like The Whitlams lol. But yer, fuck Pell- if there were a God you would never be fit meet him you absolute scum >:/ Reply Thread Link I honestly didn't think it was possible to hate Pell more than I already did. So congrats to him I guess for lowering the bar so far it's not even visible anymore. Even thinking about his bullshit in the context of this song makes me feel nauseous. Reply Thread Link FUCK YOU PELL christ i have so much hatred for everything the Vatican represents (and before anyone comes for me I was raised Roman Catholic) Reply Thread Link lol i went to a catholic school for nine years and i dont know ANYONE who attended and is still religious Reply Parent Thread Link lmao YEP! my Dad had to go to Sunday school when he was a kid and it made him an atheist for life, lmfao (my mum was the catholic in our family) Reply Parent Thread Link Same, went K-12 and now I'm pretty much a heathen Reply Parent Thread Link My brother and I went to Catholic school and we're both 100% secular--we joke our parents must have really wanted to raise atheists. Reply Parent Thread Link i went to a jesuit college and there are *way* too many people who are still religious Reply Parent Thread Link Catholic school is a great breeding ground for athiests Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Same and same! Reply Parent Thread Link It is an evil institution based on power and erecting false idols. My dad went to Catholic school, and I have a feeling that is the reason why none of us kids were raised with any religion. We all dabbled with going to church with friends as kids, but there was none of that in the house. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link also holy shit the song is fucking amazing, DRAG HIM TIM Reply Thread Link i've been listening to tim minchin songs for the past 5 hours because of this, i love him Reply Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link It's so disgusting how the children and their families trust these priests because they're a moral figure and then they do those gross acts against the kids Reply Thread Link You're wrong. This is his best Reply Parent Thread Link ty for reminding me this exists, bless Reply Parent Thread Link I love everything about this! The timing of this is topical for me as well, my brother was just confirmed into the Catholic Church on Saturday. It's been really controversial, mum and her family are thrilled, Dad was really against it, my sister and I are both atheists and are just like 'ehhhh he can do what he likes...but the Catholic Church is evil tho' Reply Thread Link Been away from the church for about 10 years now after going to cathokic school K-12. I STILL get "catholic guilt" or shame about stupid stuff, the indoctrination is too real Reply Thread Link my ex-boyfriends mother was raised mormon and left the church when she was about 18. she still freaks out about the tiniest stuff sometimes and is convinced she'll go to hell. it's really sad. Reply Parent Thread Link Non-Catholics laugh at me when I (as an athiest) talk about residual Catholic guilt. It's no joke! Reply Parent Thread Link i love tim sf much Reply Thread Link Mmm I love calling out religious institutions on their bullshit. The scandals in the Catholic church are so disgusting and horrific. When I saw Spotlight, the scene where they find the priest who molested the kids was so creepy and horrifying, how he was adamant that he didn't rape the kids because "there's a difference." Aaaahh burn them all! Reply Thread Link The unexpected death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will likely prove to be a turning point in U.S. history, and no one will be immunenot oil, not coal, not natural gas, and not renewable energy. The future of the entire energy industry, which was already upended by the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Clean Power Plan, is now murkier than ever. Just last week, the Supreme Courtat the time divided five to fourissued a temporary stay on the implementation of the EPAs Clean Power Plan - a monstrosity of a plan at 1,560 pagesthat would reduce carbon emissions from power plants in an effort, according to the EPA, to combat climate change. The ruling was bad news for renewable energy and the EPA, and great news for coalthe industry that stood to lose the most from the Plan. Although the Supreme Court issued a temporary halt, the case is actually being heard by a lower appeals court after 29 states filed suit against the EPA. Scalias death left the U.S. Supreme Court split down the middle with four justices appointed by Democratic presidents, and four justices appointed by Republican presidents. With the court now split 4-4, the EPAs plan will likely revert to the lower courts decisionwhich is probably bad news for coal. Related: Would A Chesapeake Bankruptcy Boost Natural Gas Prices Beyond the Clean Power Plan A Reagan appointment, Justice Scalia was known for his constitutionalist views, his unfettered comments, and his passion for interpreting the constitution as the founders would havehe is also heralded by many on both sides of the aisle as the most consequential judge the U.S. Supreme Court has ever seen. Scalias death has the potential to vastly change the dynamic of the court for a variety of hot-button issues, and the void has implications far beyond the Clean Power Plan, and generally speaking, could be a positive turn of events for the EPA. Scalia served as the very ammunition for the states that are questioning the constitutionality of the Clean Power Plan. In a 2014 ruling with regards to the Clean Power Plans predecessor, the Clean Air Act, Scalia said EPA's interpretation is also unreasonable because it would bring about an enormous and transformative expansion in EPA's regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization, implying that the EPA cannot regulate without congressional approval. The idea that the EPA might have to operate within the confines of stricter congressional oversight is now but a remote possibilityat least in the short term. And without Scalia, the 4-4 split could very well reopen the door for further broad-stroke EPA actions. Related: Oil Price Volatility Off The Charts A Sigh of Relief Conservatives, the oil industry, and especially coal producers are all holding their breath, fearing that Obamas nominee, whoever that may be, may for now, swing the Supreme Court in favor of natural gas and eventually, renewable energy. But a sigh of relief may be in order. Although Obama will most certainly put forth a new nominee to take the place of Justice Scaliaa nominee that would, if approved, tip the blind scales of justice towards a more liberal and environmentally friendly agendain no realistic scenario would the current Senate approve such a nominee. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has already announced that the Senate will reject any candidate that Obama puts forward. If Obama were to successfully choose the next Supreme Court Justice, it would be the most noteworthy of Obamas legaciesa third Obama-chosen life-term Justice, making a definitive mark on the Supreme Court with one-third of the Justices being his appointees. So Youre Saying Theres a Chance? That scenario is unlikely, but thats not Obamas only path to appointing a new Justice. Obama may very well submit a nominee when the Senate is not in session, bypassing the need for Senate approval with a recess appointment. The Senate is currently in recess right now, leaving the door open for Obama to do just that. To prevent any recess appointments, the Senate is planning on holding as many pro forma sessions as necessary. Another probable scenario is that the vacancy will remain until a new President is elected. While some are claiming that an extended vacancy is unprecedented, the U.S. has a history of long Supreme Court vacancies, especially when a vacancy occurs during the last year of a Presidents term. The longest vacancy was during President Tylers term, when the Supreme Court was one justice short for a whopping 835 days after the Senate rejected nine separate nominees. Just days before Scalias death, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said that the suggestion that she should nominate President Obama as a Supreme Court Justice was a great idea. If one of the many Republican candidates are elected, a conservative nominee for Justice would be put forth, but the chances are that any other Justice would be less conservative than Scalia. Related: UAE Offers India Free Oil To Ease Storage Woes The Winners and Losers Whatever the final outcome, the current situation has, at least for the time being, winners and losers. Coal producers Loser. The death of Scalia is bad news for coal. The EPA regulations that the Supreme Court placed on hold may be reinstated short-term. Shale/Natural Gas Winner. At least temporarily. If the halt on the Clean Power Plan is lifted, and with the EPA left to champion the efforts to move away from coal in favor of cleaner natural gas without the restriction of the Supreme Court or Congress, natural gas will get a share of the market currently held by coal. Longer term, any loosening of the EPA reins will be bad for natural gas as the shift to renewables is its ultimate goal. Renewables Winner. Although it may not be seen for quite some time, Justice Scalias death is good for clean and renewable energy efforts. American Petroleum Institute With the Supreme Court currently split down the middle, a recent lawsuit filed by the American Petroleum Institute against the EPA may never make it to the Supreme Court, or if it does, the court would be unable to read a decision, leaving its fate in the hands of the lower U.S. Court of Appeals. If unsuccessful, the lawsuit would favor biofuels over petroleum. The energy industry must now hold its collective breath until such matters are resolved, and brace itself for the possibility that we will not see a ninth justice for quite some time. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Several top OPEC producers made headlines with Russia on Tuesday, revealing that a secret meeting between their respective energy ministers led to a deal to freeze production in an effort to boost oil prices. The agreement is monumental in the sense that OPEC and Russia are poised to agree to cooperate, the first OPEC and non-OPEC deal in 15 years. At the same time, the deal is a half-measure and will likely be inadequate to substantially rescue oil prices from their rock bottom lows. Leaving aside the incentives for each individual country to cheat on the commitment, the proposal still faces hurdles. First, Iraq is a bit of a question mark, given its need to increase production. But Iraq produced at a record level in January and boosting production beyond current levels appears to be difficult. Therefore, agreeing to a freeze does not have too much of a downside. Reuters reported that a source from the Iraqi oil ministry said that they were ready to participate if all others did as well. "Iraq is with any decision that contributes to propping up oil prices," the source told Reuters. Russia is probably the most pleased with the emerging deal. Russia is producing at historic highs and didnt anticipate any more production gains this year. As such, freezing production may not be too much of a sacrifice at all. And of course countries like Venezuela and Qatar would sign on they have little chance of ramping up production from current levels. Venezuela, in particular, is not only suffering through an economic crisis, but has seen its oil production steadily erode over the past decade. Related: Oil Markets Disappointed By Production Freeze But for others, there is some sacrifice involved. Saudi Arabias January production levels of 10.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) were actually a bit down from their high point in 2015 at 10.5 mb/d. Also, Saudi Arabia usually increases production in the summer months to meet higher domestic demand, so freezing output would cause Saudi Arabia to take a hit. The real problem for this deal, though, is with Iran, who is unlikely to sign on to a production freeze when its output is still close to sanctions-era levels. With substantial gains in production expected for this year, the deal would be harder to swallow than it would for other OPEC members. Saudi Arabia would be willing to freeze its output if it meant burdening its rival Iran. As a result, Irans acquiescence is an open question. "We have not yet reached our level of pre-sanctions production. So when we get there, we will be on an equal level, then we can talk," a senior source told Reuters, pouring cold water on the deal. Venezuelan officials believe they can bring Iran on board, but that remains to be seen. In short, despite Tuesdays announcement, implementing the deal will be trickier than it sounds. Related: Oil Thefts Surge In Mexico As Cartels Become Specialized But more important is the fact the deal is rather unambitious. Assuming everyone can be brought on board, freezing at current levels would simply lock in some of the gains that Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and even Iran achieved since the oil downturn began more than a year ago. Keeping production flat at historically high levels would do very little to ease the glut in supply. The tangible impact would likely come down to blocking new output from Iran. The result would theoretically lead to 500,000 barrels per day of capacity that ends up staying offline relative to business-as-usual, or perhaps up to 1 mb/d over the course of the next one to two years. This is an amount that is not trivial, but not a game changer. But that point may be moot. Reuters reported that Iran might be given special treatment under a deal. If that means Iran is allowed to continue to increase production, which Iran insists upon, well, then, a production freeze doesnt really amount to much. Related: UAE Offers India Free Oil To Ease Storage Woes On the other hand, heading into the deal the impact in terms of the market perception, one might think, should have been dramatic. Any deal whatsoever should move prices. After all, the rumors themselves contributed to huge swings in prices in recent weeks, with double-digit moves in percentage terms not uncommon. Oil volatility has been the one constant over the past year or so, and especially more recently, rumors of a production cut have periodically sent prices soaring. For example, prices surged more than 12 percent last Friday as the rumors of an OPEC/non-OPEC deal heated up. The disparate parties may have been thinking that if they could cobble together a deal, however weak, it could go a long way towards rebounding oil prices, even if the fundamentals dont change significantly. However, heightened expectations of a production cut, not simply a freeze, have left the markets disappointed. After rallying 6 percent on Tuesday after news broke of a secret meeting, oil prices fell back into negative territory by midday once oil traders realized that the impact of a production freeze on the fundamentals would likely be muted. OPEC and Russia can always build on the deal, perhaps laying a foundation for a real production cut at the June meeting. Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi said as much after Tuesdays meeting. For now, though, the deal may not amount to much. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After Russia and several top OPEC nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, announced a general agreement to freeze oil production, sights shifted to Tehran to see if the proposal had any chance of survival. Oil ministers from Iraq, Qatar, and Venezuela traveled to Tehran on Wednesday to see if they could bring their Iranian counterpart on board. Iran was always going to be the heaviest lift for any agreement since it only recently emerged from several years of sanctions and international isolation. Now, with sanctions lifted, Iran argues it has every right to regain lost ground. Related: Historic OPEC-Russia Agreement Will Have Minimal Impact Things did not look good heading into Wednesdays meeting. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices." Iran's representative to OPEC was reported to have said prior to the meeting. "How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price?" he added. "We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level." The talks lasted around three hours and the visiting oil ministers left without comment. But Irans oil minister Bijan Zanganeh emerged from the meeting surprisingly upbeat. At a news conference at 1500 GMT, he welcomed the deal, and issued support for the OPEC and non-OPEC production freeze, arguing that it should be the first step. Related: OPEC Ups Pressure On Iraq, Iran To Freeze Production Notably absent, however, was any comment on whether or not Iran would freeze its own production. Without explicitly saying that Iran would sign on to a production freeze, the likely implication is that it will not, at least for now. For their part, oil traders reacted positively WTI and Brent were up more than 4 percent and 5 percent, respectively, following his comments. It remains to be seen if the rally can be sustained, especially if Iran moves forward with ramping up production. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Government of Turkey has now put itself in a position whereby it must act rapidly and precipitously to avoid moving to an ultimately losing strategic position in the war against Syria, which could result in being forced back to fight a full-scale civil war to prevent the break-up of the State into at least two compo-nents, one being a new Kurdish state. Turkeys leadership, in insisting in 2011-12 on sponsoring a proxy war to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has already led to a refugee crisis of irreversible strategic damage to Europe, but Turkish Presisdent Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Saudi Arabian military-political leadership, the U.S. Barack Obama administration, and the Qatari Emir now find themselves with nowhere to go except to escalate further in the hope that the Syrian revival, backed by Russia and Iran, will collapse. Clear indications are emerging in Washington, DC, that the Pentagon is preparing to support a direct mili-tary invasion of Syria by Turkish Armed Forces, despite the Munich accord in the week ending February 13, 2016, which was meant to bring about a ceasefire in Syrian fighting. US officials have been actively en-gaged with those of Turkey and possibly Saudi Arabia in the preparations for ground force attacks on Kurd-ish military formations inside northern Syria, and U.S. Air Force Fairchild A-10 strike aircraft have deployed over northern Syrian territory in early February. The planned intervention by Turkey (and possibly other powers, such as Saudi Arabia) is specifically not aimed at countering the activities of ISIS (asad-Dawlah al-Islamiyah f? al-Iraq wash-Sham/Islamic State), but solely about countering the growing capability of Syrian- and Iraqi-based Kurdish fighters, and to offset the gains which Syrian Government forces, supported by Russian and Iranian/HizbAllah forces, made in and around Aleppo. The prospect of yet another abandonment of the Kurds is causing considerable division within some U.S. military and intelligence circles, but the fiction is that the Turkish battle is with ISIS. It is understood that the Turkish Government wishes to establish a cordon sanitaire inside Syria, along the Turkish border, to prevent the flow of Kurdish fighters from Syria into Turkey, where they are reportedly supporting the civil war which is now underway in the Kurdish areas of Turkey. General Adem Huduti, commander of the Second Turkish Army, based in Malatya, has primary ground force responsibility for the areas contiguous with Syria and Iraq, and was believed to be key to the operation, which could engage, initially, some 20,000 or so of the Second Armys 100,000-man strength, supported by Turkish Army Avia-tion AH-64W helicopter gunships, and other airborne systems, and possibly Turkish Air Force fixed-wing ground attack support and fighter cover, to protect against Syrian and Russian Air Force fighters. At least two armored brigades, with modern main battle tanks, and two mechanized infantry brigades, would be deployed, based on current observations of forward deployments by the Second Army. They would be sup-ported by self-propelled 15mm artillery. The Obama Administration and the Government of Turkish President Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appear to have calculated probably correctly that the Russian Government would not di-rectly interfere with the assault on Kurdish forces, the YPG [People's Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekineyen Parastina Gel)] in a move designed to split those forces, driving to a depth of some 25 miles inside Syria. Related: Oil Markets Disappointed By Production Freeze Meanwhile, it should be expected that a number of false-flag attacks would be mounted by U.S. and Turk-ish operators to give the impression that the Turkish incursion would be responding to humanitarian con-cerns. Questions, then, should be raised by reports of attacks on February 14-15, 2016, by aircraft against civilian hospital targets in Aleppo. False-flag attacks (ie: purporting to be from one side, but in reality by another) have been used consistently by Islamist forces since the Sarajevo attacks (blamed on the Serbs) in the 1990s, and through later conflicts. The proposed major military assault into Syria holds considerable risk for Turkey, not the least of that being a possible accidental escalation of hostilities with Russia, but it now seems unavoidable if Ankara is not to see a major disaster, not only wasting more than five years of intense effort to overthrow the Syrian Gov-ernment of President Bashar al-Assad, but also to avert the unfettered escalation of the Kurdish war to wrench a large part of Turkey away from Ankara to create a new Kurdish state which would link with Iraqi and Syrian Kurds. Already, Turkey has paid an enormous price in unanticipated consequences from its ef-fort to lead a coalition (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the U.S.) into overthrowing Assad. The war has taken far longer than anticipated, and has cost Turkey all of its regional allies; it has also unit-ed the Kurds of Turkey, Iraq, and Syria into a desire to finally create their Kurdish state; it has generated a refugee flow from Syria and Iraq which is now beyond Ankaras capacity to manage; and it has created a major rift between Turkey and the European Union, while costing Turkey most of its political support in Washington (except from the Obama White House and the State Dept.). Moreover, the escalation has led to the Russo-Turkish rift, in which Russian sanctions against Turkey are now starting to bite into an already fragile Turkish economy. At the same time, the Iranian Government feels that Iranian vital strategic interests have been directly challenged by Ankara, and that while Iran had few options but to trade through Turkey during the period of international sanctions, it now with sanctions being lifted no longer has to hold back so much in de-fending its interests against Turkish depredation. Senior levels of the U.S. Defense Dept., albeit impacted by consistent browbeating from the White House, have said repeatedly that there were no vital U.S. interests at stake which would warrant a major U.S. mili-tary intervention inside Syria, but no Defense official would countermand a direct order from the White House to undertake covert or support operations assisting the Turkish position. The White House and An-kara have been seeking triggers which would force the U.S. into a position where it would have to inter-vene directly. Russia is unlikely to provide that casus belli, largely because of the 1936 Montreux Convention could give Turkey the right to close the Bosphorous transit link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean to Rus-sian naval shipping in the event of a formal state of war between Turkey and Russia. Moscow has consist-ently refused to rise directly to Turkish military provocations. Rather, it has preferred to respond politically and economically. Related: Oil Markets Unimpressed By Crude Output Freeze See: The Russia-Turkey Stand-Off: Russia and Turkey: Not War in the Offing, But Some-thing Far More Important, in Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis, December 11, 2015; Russia Weighs in to Support Kurds (and Alawites), But Kurds Remain Wary, in De-fense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis, October 9, 2015; and Break-up: The Medium-Term Prospect for Turkey, Saudi Arabia, in Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis, Oc-tober 8, 2015. It has been obvious for some time to Russian, Kurdish, Iranian, and Syrian officials that Turkey would have to lash out to defend its position. As a result, all of those states in confrontation with Turkey have had time to begin bolstering their defens-es in the area which Turkey intends to invade in Syria. Moreover, the reality is that Turkey now places itself in the position, de facto, of declaring war on Syria. This has a significant new element and catalyst: Turkey and its allies have been operating through a range of proxies, including ISIS, the al-Nusra Front, and so on to wage war on Syria. Thus, at least, Syrian forces would, in facing a conventional Turkish military invasion, legitimately be able to respond militarily, if they could gain the territorial foothold to do so. Thus the determination by Damascus and Moscow to regain as much territory in and around Aleppo as quickly as possible. This raises the question, however, of whether Turkey would use this as a pretext to attempt to engage NATO forces, or at least the forces of the US. NATO as a whole has been resisting Turkish overtures to join the conflict, or to allow Turkey to cite Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty, stating that an attack on a NATO member is an attack on all of the alli-ance. But the Obama Administration, with less than a year to run on its term, is also throwing caution to the winds, and is empowered in this by the diversion of U.S. political attention on the November 2016 Presi-dential elections. President Obama hopes to move the U.S. into an irrevocable military action in Syria be-fore the Washington political establishment can warn him off it. And he might succeed. But to what end? This has become an ideological commitment for the White House. The engagement by U.S. President Wil-liam Clinton in fabricating a casus belli for intervention in Serbia in the 1990s provides a precedent, and there has for some time been a strong psychological campaign underway to sway Western public/political opinion on the necessity for armed intervention in Syria. What, then, are the options open to the governments and forces seeking to oppose the Turkish military intervention, knowing that, at the very least, Turkish forces would be able with their strong combined arms operations and advanced systems, supported by U.S. and Turkish command and control operations to make swift and significant gains inside Syrian territory? There are several factors. Firstly, Turkish forces should be expected to attempt more than one cross-border operation, in an attempt to divide Kurdish forces. Secondly, Kurdish forces themselves should be expected to respond with their own diversionary attacks behind Turkish lines, well inside Turkey, alt-hough Turkey has ample forces to deal with that in the initial stages. Related: UAE Offers India Free Oil To Ease Storage Woes It must be assumed that the Kurdish forces would have already been reinforced with significant anti-tank capabilities. As the Turkish Army discovered when it moved into Iraqi Kurdistan on several occasions, it cannot expect to emerge unscathed from the operation. Moreover, Russian and Syrian forces will have utilized the available time to determine how best, for example, to cut or minimize Turkish abilities to re-supply its forces inside and around Aleppo, and Ankara may have to accept that to gain its cordon sanitaire it may also lose Aleppo back to the Syrian Government. Moreover, while the cordon sanitaire may push Kurdish forces back from the Turkish border, this does not necessarily guarantee that Turkey can maintain its logistical lines with ISIS. The Russian destruction of the ISIS oil trade routes to Turkey may continue to erode the economic viability of the Islamic Caliphate, and cut into the revenues being earned from that trade by the Erdo?an family. Whatever happens, the Russian economic sanctions against Turkey, coupled with the prospective loss of Iranian trade, the ongoing decline in energy transit revenues, and the now-determined and organized Kurd-ish bid for a new state to be carved out of Turkey mean that Ankara is grasping at straws to reverse its for-tunes. Little wonder that Washington has been increasing its pressures on Israel to restore relations with Turkey to supply gas from Israeli Mediterranean fields in the future, to compensate for the losses from Russian-controlled sources. It is even possible that the U.S. may even seek a viable solution to the Turkish military occupation of the northern 37 percent of Cyprus since 1974 (unlike the Turkish-biased 2004 Annan Plan), in order to get Cy-prus a strategic partner with Israel, Greece, and Egypt on the gas fields to go along with the U.S. plan to get Mediterranean gas to Turkey to save it from the Russian sanctions. By Gregory Copley via Defense and Foreign Affairs Special Analysis More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Chinas oil major Sinopec has responded to the disappointing results of yesterdays Doha meeting by announcing the temporary closure of four oil fields that have been in production for over 50 years. Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical), the second-largest producer in China and the largest refiner in Asia, will temporarily shut down four oil production projects after Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia and Qatar said they would pursue an anti-climactic freeze on output to January levels. From the Chinese oil majors perspective, the freeze to January levelswhich still requires agreement from other producersis not enough to sustain some operations. Related: OPEC Ups Pressure On Iraq, Iran To Freeze Production The four sites slated for closure are in the Shengli oilfield in Shandong province, which Sinopec says are among the poorest performers. With average production costs in China running between $40-$60 per barrel, state-backed producers are suffering major losses, including PetroChina (the largest) and CNOOC. At current oil prices, the shutdown could save 130 million yuan (HK$155 million) of costs and reduce losses by 200 million yuan, the company said on its website. Related: Oil Production Rumor Mill Continues To Turn As Iran Hints At Freeze In 2015, Sinopecs profits declined more than 50 percent, and oil production is expected to further decline this year, by around 2 percent. Analysts expect an even greater decline. Sinopec has been maintaining output in its aging oil fields by over-investing and this is no longer possible in the current oil price environment, Bloomberg cited Neil Beveridge, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, as saying. Beveridge estimates that Sinopec needs oil to stay above $50 a barrel to break even, and that its domestic production will drop 5-10 percent this year. For Chinas major oil companies, the price slump could lead to sweeping reforms that see them lose exploration licenses to private companies. By James Burgess of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Under domestic financial pressure, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has accepted a deal from Baghdad that would have the Kurds halt unilateral oil exports and in return the Iraqi central government would pay its public employee salaries. The deal was extended earlier this week by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, and the KRG is struggling to come up with the $747 million it needs each month to pay its 400,000 public employees on its payroll. Significantly, this payroll includes the Peshmerga fighting forces that make up the key bulwark against the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Iraq. Related: Historic OPEC-Russia Agreement Will Have Minimal Impact The KRG controls some 12 billion barrels of oil on its territory, with an upside potential of 60 billion barrels, and estimated reserves of some 45 billion barrels, along with 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Kurdish authorities expect that they will export 1.65 million barrels of oil and 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas this year, but theyve been bypassing Baghdad by exporting crude to global markets via Turkeyever since a deal with Baghdad on oil and revenue-sharing collapsed last year. The KRG made over $3.94 billion last year from direct oil export sales, compared with $1.98 billion it received from the federal government over the first half of the year. Related: Downturn Now Hitting The Refining Sector A relative safe-haven by comparison to the rest of Iraq, the KRG territory is now facing instability and unpaid wages are adding the uncertainty. Some public employees have gone up to five months without wages. Earlier this month, KRG officials said they would cut government employee salaries by 15 to 75 percent. Like previous agreements between Baghdad and Erbil, though, this deal may not be realized in the end. Baghdad has failed to follow through on a number of earlier budget deals that would have ended the standoff over Kurdish oil. On Tuesday, the international community pledged more support at the Munich Security Conference for the Kurdistan Region and its Peshmerga forces. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: State energy officials in Kazakhstan have announced the production will resume at the giant Kashagan oilfield by the end of this year, putting the largest oil discovery in four decades back on track. Media have cited the deputy chairman of state-run energy firm Kazmunaygas as confirming that the resumption in production after a halt in 2013. Kashagan, in the Caspian Sea, started producing in September 2013 and made it only one month before a gas leak in a main pipeline forced it to halt. Kashagan has an estimated 16 billion barrels of oil reserves, with estimated recoverable reserves of 9-13 billion barrels. Related: How Far Will The U.S. Go If Turkey Invades Syria? Low oil prices and slumping production together have hit Kazakhstan hard, but an announcement that production at the giant Kashagan field will resume by the end of this year will further complicate the supply glut. Kazakh officials have made it clear that they have no intention of waiting for the market to stabilize, and that the taps will be turned on at Kashagan as soon as they are ready. The field could produce as much oil as Libyain its better days. Related: Historic OPEC-Russia Agreement Will Have Minimal Impact Not only would the field, set to produce as much oil as Libya, attract that much more foreign largesse, but it would allow the government in Astana to further lubricate its hydrocarbon-heavy economy, forgoing necessary reforms for the foreseeable future. The partners have reportedly invested some $50 billion in Kashagan over the past 20 years and are keen to see a return on their investment. The final price tag is said to have gone $30 billion over initial budget projections, and the pipeline leak that forced a halt in production added to budgetary woes. Kazakhstan produced 1.6 million barrels per day in 2014. It is the largest landlocked country in the world and it sits right between Russia and China, representing a gateway both to the Caspian Sea and to Europe. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As privatization talk heats up in Russia, the countrys Federal Antimonopoly Service indicated today that it may approve the purchase of a stake in state-owned Bashneft by Russias second-largest producer, private Lukoil. Russia is in dire need of a cash injection, and is considering partial privatization of key strategic assets, including Rosneft and Bashneftthe latter for which Lukoil has signaled an interest in acquiring shares. Lukoil has not made a formal proposal to the government yet, Russian Tass news agency reported. Related: OPEC Ups Pressure On Iraq, Iran To Freeze Production "We have not yet made an official proposal to the government, there are privatization conditions yet. We are ready to consider this issue and to participate. We are interested in the controlling stake," Tass quoted Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov as saying today. Bashneft was nationalized only two years ago, and the government now owns a 75-percent stake. It may move to sell either a 50 percent-plus stake or go for a stock market offering of 25 percent. The remaining 25-percent stake is currently owned by Russias Bashkortostan republic, which is not planning on selling. Related: Oil Production Rumor Mill Continues To Turn As Iran Hints At Freeze Bashneft is Russias sixth-largest crude oil producer, with total proved reserves of 2.15 billion barrels and probable reserves of 653 million barrels. Before the oil slump started in the summer of 2014, Bashneft was valued at up to $13 billion. An acquisition of a stake in Bashneft would make sense for Lukoil, which already partners with the state-owned company in the Trebs and Titov oil fields, which hold some 1.1 billion barrels of estimated reserves. Lukoil is also the largest supplier of oil to the Bashneft refinery. Russia could suffer a deficit this year of over $21 billion, even with an oil price baseline of $40 a barrel. LukOil expects Russian oil output to drop this yearfor the first time in years. In fact, its predicting a 2-3 percent decline, and maybe even more if the Kremlin moves to raise taxes. By James Burgess of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Militants from the National Liberation Army (ELN) blew up a section of Colombias Transandino pipeline overnight Monday, killing two policemen right before the incident. The Transandino pipeline, owned and operated by Colombias state-run Ecopetrol, transports around 85,000 barrels of oil daily to the Pacific Tumaco port. The explosion took place in Colombias western Narino Department, according to local and international media reports. Just hours before the explosion, ELN militants killed two policemen in Narino. Related: Would A Chesapeake Bankruptcy Boost Natural Gas Prices The ELN is the second-largest rebel group in Colombia after FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) both groups are on U.S. and E.U. terrorist organization lists, and in some cases they have been known to cooperate. The pipeline bombing comes as sentiments were high that government talks with both groups would lead to a truce of some sort in the first half of this year. Last week, ELN implemented a 72-hour lockdown in the area, targeting a halt to transportation and commerce in an apparent bid to pressure the government over the slow pace of informal peace talks, Reuters reported. Related: Utilities Just Declared War On Solar The infrastructure sabotage comes at a particularly bad time for Ecopetrol, which has begun closing oil wells as production costs overtake crude prices, according to a Bloomberg report. The news agency cited a Colombian oil executive as saying that Ecopetrol would be closing down heavy oil wells in the central Meta province and elsewhere in an effort of triage as oil prices continue to be suppressed. Ecopetrol has lost more than $120 billion in market value since its peak in 2012. The companys market cap is down 90 percent to about $14.5 billion today, according to Bloomberg. Back in 2012, there was a brief moment when Ecopetrol was valued higher than oil giant BP, and Ecopetrol was actually the fifth most valuable oil company in the world. Now it has fallen to 38th. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A Nigerian parliamentary committee has announced major anti-corruption findings in relation to a multi-billion-dollar crude oil swaps program with foreign companies. The ad-hoc committee revealed that there were no formal contracts between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and trading companies that received $24 billion worth of Nigerian crude oil between 2011 and 2014. According to the results of the investigation, the former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, illegally allowed for a swap of Nigerian crude oil for refined products to trading firms Duke Oil and Trafigura. Related: The Biggest Natural Gas Discovery Of 2016 Just Got Bigger In 2010, the NNPC began taking 445,000 barrels of crude daily for refining in a bid to meet the countrys local demand of petroleum products. When the refineries failed to meet this commitment, the NNPC moved to swap the crude for refined products with trading firms. The official contracts with the two trading firms expired in 2011, according to Nigerian media reports citing the investigation results; however, Alison-Madueke reportedly granted an extension of the contract without the NNPCs formal signing. Earlier this month, the government suspended swaps with foreign suppliers. The new policy, Direct-SaleDirect-Purchase (DSDP), is scheduled to be launched in March. Related: OPEC Ups Pressure On Iraq, Iran To Freeze Production President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected last March, promised the reconstruction of oil industry and investigation into previous government officials suspected of oil embezzlement. Buhari has previously said treasury coffers were virtually empty when he took office in May and that huge sums of money had been stolen. Africas biggest economy faces its worst economic crisis in years, since it relies on oil exports for about 58 percent of government revenue. In the oil sector alone, Buhari said $150 billion was believed to have been looted by crooked politicians and that 250,000 barrels of crude oil were stolen in Nigeria each day. Related: Oil Production Rumor Mill Continues To Turn As Iran Hints At Freeze Buhari has already split the state-owned NNPC oil company into two entities in a bid to tackle corruption. Alison-Madueke was arrested in October in London on the request of Nigerian authorities who alleged that $20 billion in oil money had gone missing under her watch. Several other officials under former president Goodluck Jonathan are also being investigated by the authorities. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iran has categorically rejected the Doha proposal by four of the worlds largest producers to freeze output at January levels, ensuring that the gains oil made this morning will be lost at the close of trading today. Oil prices were up at the opening of trading on Wednesday morning on the false hope that OPEC would succeed in getting Iran to agree to a cap on oil production. Benchmark U.S. WTI light sweet crude traded 0.77 percent higher just below $30 per barrel before trading opened today. At the same time, global benchmark Brent crude rose 1 percent to $33.13 a barrel. Related: Historic OPEC-Russia Agreement Will Have Minimal Impact At the opening of trading yesterday, Brent crude prices had passed $35 per barrel ahead of expectations for a solution at Doha, but dropped by 3 percent to $32.38 per barrel after the announcement that four producers agreed to freeze output at January levels. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar had agreed to cap oil output at January levels in order to stabilize the market, but the deal was contingent upon other major producers following suit. This morning, the energy ministers of Venezuela, Iran, Iraq and OPEC president Qatar met in Tehran to convince both Iran and Iraq to agree to the freeze. Related: Downturn Now Hitting The Refining Sector Iranian officials have now said that they have no intention of freezing output at a time when they have plans to ramp up production by 500,000 barrels per day. Iranian OPEC envoy Mahdi Asali said Iran would continue to pump more with the goal of achieving pre-sanctions crude output levels. Freezing production at January levels would have little to no effect as those levels were already too high. In January, both Saudi Arabia and Russia were pumping at record levels. By James Burgess of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: American liquefied natural gas is poised for a monumental breakthrough into international markets. For an economy struggling with the realities of low crude prices, U.S. LNG is a bright spot with an even brighter future. By the end of next month, the first ever LNG tanker from the southern United States will depart for Europe. This is all made possible with the completion of Cheniere Energys Sabine Pass LNG terminal on the Gulf Coast. Related: UAE Offers India Free Oil To Ease Storage Woes Just ten years ago LNGs future did not look so promising. Industry analysts were predicting that the United States would be a natural gas importer; bringing in up to 25 percent of the countrys daily gas use from abroad by 2015. Now, with Sabine Pass coming online, the United States is expected to be a net gas exporter by 2017. Thats a remarkable change in a relatively short period of time. The shale gas boom saw the United States rapidly increasing production and domestic supply of LNG, which brought about a massive price drop. Good for consumers; not as good for producers who are working just above a razor-thin profit margin. Related: Oil Price Volatility Off The Charts Meanwhile, in Europe and Asia, countries are trying to reduce their dependence on Russian natural gas. For those countries looking for a new source of LNG, and American producers seeking a new market, the Sabine Pass terminal could not have come at a better time. With increased demand for U.S. LNG, it is expected that prices will increase as well. This should come as welcome news to producers who have been scaling back existing operations and putting new projects on hold in the face of low prices. This first shipment out of the Sabine Pass terminal is a sign of things to come. When the facility is fully complete, the company expects to be exporting 27 million mt/year to markets abroad including the UK, Brazil, Korea, France, Spain, and India. The demand for LNG shows no sign of slowing down. Emerging economies such as China and India are bringing on new power plants every year. Coal is still king in Asiabut with air pollution worsening, LNG becomes a more attractive fossil fuel. In the developed world, air pollution standards have forced governments to look at cleaner forms of energy like LNG. Related: Would A Chesapeake Bankruptcy Boost Natural Gas Prices The Sabine Pass LNG terminal has turned the United States into an international natural gas super power. As exporters of LNG look to distance themselves from the usual suspects like Russia, the opportunity for American gas only grows. Low prices and geopolitical factors have created the perfect time for Sabine Pass to start shipping LNG abroad. Importers need to find a new supply and the United States has a glut of supply to draw from. In the sometimes bleak world of energy news as of late, U.S. LNG is having a positive momentand this moment is just a sign of things to come. By Dex Dunford for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Enjoy best 1 for 1 dining deals in Singapore with the Entertainer Singapore App! Have you bought yours yet? Exclusively to all my readers and followers, you can use my promo code "2016william" and enjoy SGD10 off your app! What is the Entertainer Singapore 2016? It is basically an App featuring over 1,275 Buy One Get One Free offers for fine dining, modern & contemporary restaurants, cafes, nightspots, informal dining, attractions, leisure activities, spas, hotel accommodation and much more. The App offers customers a host of advanced features including location-based search, advanced search capabilities that allow you to filter against certain attributes, social sharing, a savings calculator that shows how much youve saved throughout the year and integration with Trip Advisor and Uber. You also have your phone with you all the time, so you will save even more with the Entertainer. 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As we close out 2020, we wanted to share some of our favorite stories from the last decade. We hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as we enjoyed telling them. Click here to see the rest of our picks of must-reads and happy new year, Milwaukee! Last week, we introduced you to the great photographic work of the late Ray Szopieray, thanks to Adam Levin, who purchased many of the photographer's slides at an antiques store. Now, thanks to Karl Bandow, who also scored some of that Kodachrome treasure, we can add these great photos of the city as it appeared in the 1960s. Many of the images first appeared on Levin's Old Milwaukee group on Facebook. Enjoy, and watch OnMilwaukee for some 1980s pics, too... 1. North Shore Line depot Back when rail was a daily mode of transport for many, if not most, Milwaukeeans, there were a number of stations and depots Downtown, including this one on 6th and Clybourn that was the northern terminus for the Interurban North Shore Line, which ran between here and Chicago until January 1963. 2. Union Station/Milwaukee Road depot This is a view of the train shed behind the old Union Station on Everett Street (now site of the WE Energies offices). Also called the Everett Street Depot, the station was built in 1886 and closed in 1965 when it was replaced with the current station on St. Paul Avenue (that's the street you can see running alongside the shed). It was home to the Milwaukee Road. You can see that by this time, the beautiful Gothic tower of the station had been lopped off just above the arched belfry. It was razed in '66. 3. Wisconsin Avenue parade I'm not sure what the parade is, though the lights strung across "the Avenue" suggest a holiday parade. Most interesting, anyway, are the amazing signs: Flagg Brothers, Richman Brothers, the Warner Theater, Brouwer's. In the 1960s, Wisconsin Avenue was still the city's main retail draw, before the malls really kicked into gear. 4. East Wisconsin Avenue Wisconsin and Water seen sometime after 1961, when the Marine Plaza (now Chase Tower) was completed), offers two especially interesting views. First, The Pabst Building, Milwaukee's first skyscraper (at left), which was demolished at the dawn of the 1980s, and second, the original face of the building on the northeast corner, which was designed by Eschweiler & Sons. That building survives, but with all of its ornament removed. 5. First Methodist Church demolition The First Methodist Church, located at 1010 W. Wisconsin Ave., was razed in 1966 to make room for I-43, changing the character of a stretch of Wisconsin Avenue that boasted numerous houses of worship. 6. 6th Street, looking north Architect Robert Lee Hall designed the building under construction in this photo, which was completed in 1966, and the following year it was purchased by Emory Clark, founder of the then-Milwaukee-owned-and-based Clark Oil. In '67, Clark installed a rotating sign on top. At the back end of the attached parking garage was a space that for many years served as the Milwaukee Greyhound Bus station. What I like most about this shot is the house on the left, which serves as a reminder that this part of Downtown was once a place folks lived in detached homes. 7. Marine Bank building construction Harrison and Abramovitz designed the sleek, modern 22-story Marine Bank Plaza, built in 1961. For years there was a restaurant on the top floor called Stouffer's Top of the Marine. Now it's Chase Tower and there's no more restaurant up there. 8. Looking northwest from Plankinton Avenue bridge In the distance you can see the Clark Oil building rising (meaning this was likely taken circa 1965-66). In the foreground is the land that is currently home to the post office ... for now. 9. Northwestern Depot Don't get some people started about the demolition of the Northwestern Depot at the lakefront, where O'Donnell Park now sits. This Romanesque gem, erected in 1889 as as grand station for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, was a Milwaukee landmark and many are still smarting from its loss in 1968. 10. Mitchell Street Milwaukee other main street, seen here looking east (and slightly south) from the corner of 10th Street. That's St. Anthony on the right, of course, but it's the Goldmann's sign at left that makes Milwaukee history buffs' hearts flutter. The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff. As if election politics werent bizarre enough on the national level with Trump and Bernie upsetting the apple carts belonging to the Republican and Democratic parties, we now have two races in Milwaukee that have the potential to be equally strange. Against all conventional wisdom, two insurgents Chris Larson and Bob Donovan turned in stronger than expected performances in the primary races Tuesday and have set up real challenges in both the county executive and mayoral races. Lets start with the race for county executive where Larson, the youngest senator in the state at 39, actually beat incumbent Chris Abele by 708 votes. Abele spent hundreds of thousands of his own dollars in his campaign, and the strong showing by Larson was a surprise. It was a pretty clear example that voters have changed this year and that television ads are not a guaranteed ride to victory. (PHOTO: Flickr/A. Michael Simms) Abele spent $1.59 million on advertising before the election, and on Feb. 1, he reported his campaign had $904,193 on hand. Larson spent about $3,000 on radio and reported he had $28,227 on hand. The two candidates have profound differences in their election strategies. Abele uses his vast wealth to buy whatever his campaign needs, including the very best in television creative talent and as much time on stations as he wants. On the other hand, Larson is a boots on the ground guy. Three years ago, he started a group called Dem Team, designed to teach individuals how to be effective campaigners. By all reports, his team has worked doors every day of the campaign. Its unlikely that either one will change strategies between now and the general election in April, so brace yourself for a tsunami of Abele ads on television and brief glimpses of Larson in ads and in rare news coverage. And now to the mayoral race, where Donovan, who has been a bomb-throwing alderman since 2000, will face Tom Barrett, who has been mayor for 12 years. It may seem like Barretts never really been all that happy being mayor since he's run for governor three times, losing all three times. (PHOTO: Flick/City of Milwaukee Public Information Division) Barrett won the primary with 46 percent of the vote. As unexpected as it may be, Donovan got over 20,000 people to vote for him, 33 percent of the votes cast. Meanwhile, Ald. Joe Davis again proved that there just isnt much black voter activity in the city, drew 18 percent of the vote. Some experts think Barrett is vulnerable because he is a low-key mayor. When asked about his achievements, he talks about the Downtown renaissance, expansion of library services and progress fighting the foreclosure crisis. His big vulnerability is the fact that last year Milwaukee set a homicide record, and there is rampant fear of crime in the city. Donovan, who never met a television camera he didnt like, seems to pop up after every murder, screaming about Barrett and what he calls a lack of support for the police. Donovan himself has a moderately checkered history (good taste requires that I dont go into it again) but it has never seemed to hurt him at the polls. He doesnt live in the same house as Sheriff David Clarke, but hes at least in the neighborhood. Hes kind of a one-trick pony, but for voters for whom safety is the top issue, Donovan will pander to all of them. The Milwaukee Police Association is one of his biggest backers. Heres an endorsement message from the association: "The Milwaukee Police Association has announced our support for Bob Donovan. Without doubt we have witnessed unwavering advocacy from Alderman Donovan focused toward making Milwaukee a better, safer place to live. He has demonstrated unwavering leadership consistently has stood tall in the face of adversity. He [Donovan] has never put his political career before an issue; quite the opposite, while others may run from controversy Bob Donovan charges full speed ahead. He calls it as he sees it. While common sense (CS) is not as common as we might wish you can count on Fighting Bob to thoroughly display the 'CS' gene." There are elements of this race that are similar to the county executive race. Barrett had almost $1 million on hand on Feb. 1 while Donovan had just over $27,000. Donovan has limited his message to one theme: How can you spend money on a trolley while cutting cops and letting us set a new record for homicides? Its the kind of simplistic message Donovan has used often in his career. Its hard to actually think of Donovan being mayor, but sometimes simplicity can truly catch on. After all, the plain-spoken message, "Its the economy stupid," carried a little known governor from Arkansas into the White House. In just five weeks, we are all going to be able to vote for whichever Republicans are still in the presidential race, either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, and at least two very interesting races in Milwaukee that could end in upsets. Fasten your seat belts. No smoking. Just moments ago, the James Beard Foundation announced the semi-finalists for its 2016 awards. And Milwaukee has three nominees among its ranks. Milwaukee chefs who made the list for Best Chef Midwest include Chef Justin Carlisle of Ardent, Thomas Hauck of c.1880 and Dave Swanson of Braise. Madison candidates include Dan Fox of Heritage Tavern, Jonathan Hunter of Forequarter and Francesco Mangano of Osteria Papavero. Tory Miller of LEtoile in Madison was also nominated as a semi-finalist for the Outstanding Chef category. The complete list of semifinalists can be found online. The semifinals process began in October with an open call, during which anyone could nominate up to two individuals online. The JBF Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee, composed of critics, writers and editors, culled the semi-finalists from over 20,000 entries. Semi-finalists will now move on to a voting body comprised of former Beard Award winners, Restaurant and Chef Award Committee members, and other regional panelists who will choose five finalists in each category. Save the date Finalists in more than 50 categories including Restaurant and Chef, Restaurant Design, Book, Broadcast and Journalism will be announced during a live press conference at the Presidio Officers Club in San Francisco on Tuesday, March 15. On Tuesday, April 26, James Beard Award winner, chef and television personality Ming Tsai will host the annual James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards. This "Golden Globe-like" celebration will take place at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The James Beard Awards ceremony and gala reception will follow on Monday, May 2, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This years event will be hosted by Carla Hall, co-host of ABCs "The Chew" and restaurateur of the soon to open Carla Halls Southern Kitchen in Brooklyn, New York. Bernie Wriggles On The Obama Hook (Image by The Polemicist) Details DMCA In previous posts ( here , here , and here ) I've expressed skepticism about whether Bernie Sanders will really go through to the end with the knockdown fight against the Democratic Party machine that will be required to win the nomination. My skepticism is based on the contradiction between, on the one hand, Bernie's call for a political revolution against the "rigged" social economy of the 1%, and, on the other, his explicit commitment to running in the Democratic Party, keeping it united, and supporting whatever candidate the party chooses, including Hillary Clinton. The Democratic Party as an institution, and Hillary as a political persona, are primary obstacles to any such political and social revolution. It is the programmatic ideology promoted and practiced by Bill and Hillary Clinton, and honed by the Obama administration, that has defined the Party as a strategic partner of the ruling class for at least twenty-five years. It's hard to make a revolution from within a principal political institution of the counter-revolution. And I think it's beyond Bernie's ability (and perhaps his intent) to transform that institution into its political opposite. This contradiction within the Sanders campaign, and within Bernie's political persona, is, of course, a reflection of the contradiction within the Democratic Party between its popular class base and its elite institutional interests. For leftist Sanders supporters who accept this analysis of the Democratic Party, the implicit argument must be that he's indeed mounting a coup to revolutionize the Party. But there's a flip side to that argument: If he's not mounting a coup, he's not really running a campaign. For skeptical leftists, it is obvious that Bernie systematically avoids and elides this contradiction in order to protect the fictional and precarious unity of the Democratic Party against what he sees as the greatest evil of the Republicans. That strategy of protecting, via avoidance and elision, the precarious and pernicious unity of the party makes Bernie Sanders at one with Hillary Clinton, as a Democrat. If FDR's grand historical project was to save capitalism from itself, I fear that Bernie's more modest mission is to save the Democratic Party from itself. But the more unexpectedly successful Bernie's campaign is, the longer the primary contest goes and the more contentious it gets, and the more his supporters get fired up for the political revolution he calls them to, the more likely it is that this contradiction will become evident, forcing Bernie to make choices he had hoped to avoid. Winning the Democratic nomination will require defeating not just Hillary, but the entrenched Clintonism of the party tout court, and will inevitably split the party radically. Will Bernie fight to the finish, or will he pull his punches, allowing Hillary or some other Clintonian surrogate to defeat him, if that's what it takes to avoid dividing the party? In those previous posts, I've explored my wariness about how Bernie might react to such pressures. In a twist on the "leading from behind" strategy sometimes ascribed to Obama, we may find that, as Bernie's campaign gathers momentum, he will be less charging ahead for the win than following from in front We can see this contradiction simmering beneath the surface of what Bernie has been saying, and not saying, as his campaign has garnered wide popular support, new media attention, and unexpected success. It struck me, for example, that, early in his speech celebrating the blowout victory in New Hampshire, which established him as a serious contender and sent the Clinton campaign reeling, he took pains to say the following: But, I also hope that we all remember -- and this is a message not just to our opponents, but to those who support me as well. That we will need to come together in a few months and unite this party, and this nation because the right-wing Republicans we oppose must not be allowed to gain the presidency. I heard: "Yeah, it's great that we won. But remember, guys and gals, our real goal is to unite the Democratic Party--behind Hillary if necessary--and defeat the Republicans." Nice and principled (in Democratic terms) of him. A caution about where this will end up? I also heard Hillary's concession speech, and it was more in the vein of: "I'm the one for the job. We're going to win!" To quote her exactly: "We're going to fight for every vote in every state." Hillary is charging ahead. She thinks the important thing is to elect her. Telling her supporters: "Be prepared to unite behind Bernie"? Not so much. In the subsequent debate in Wisconsin, Hillary was again very much on the offensive. She also took up the tactic of constantly marrying herself to Obama. It's a cynical and despicable attempt to curry favor with black voters, from a woman who at the time applauded, and today "continues to invoke the economy and country that Bill Clinton left behind as a legacy she would continue"--that legacy being, as Michelle Alexander painstakingly chronicles, a mass-incarceration regime that "legalized discrimination in employment, housing, access to education, and basic public benefits," and "relegated [millions of African-Americans] to a permanent second-class status eerily reminiscent of Jim Crow." No matter how transparently phony Hillary's posture is to leftists familiar with such critiques, it has purchase with many Democratic voters who have convinced themselves that the Clintonian Democratic legacy, which the Obama administration has continued and refurbished, is some kind of progressive thing--because, well, Republicans. In saying: "I'm carrying on the Obama program," Hillary also means "I'm carrying on the Clintonian Democratic program." And every moment of hesitation in identifying, fighting, and defeating that introduces an incoherence, a weakness, in Bernie's position. The Obama hook is the Democratic hook. Will Bernie stay bait, or wriggle off to swim free? Here's how it's been going so far: Bernie says something like: "We need a single-payer Medicare-for-all health insurance system. It's a disgrace that we're the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee healthcare to its citizens as a right." Hillary responds with something like: "I want to build President Obama's wonderful accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Before it was Obamacare, it was Hillarycare. That's already got us 90% coverage. We'll figure out a way to get the last 10% without dismantling the ACA, Medicaid, and CHIP, raising taxes on the middle class, or eliminating the private health insurance industry. This has been the way the Clintionian Democratic Party our progressive President Obama has chosen. I don't want to start all over with a new contentious debate." Bernie does not say: "Whatever good it does, the ACA has serious shortcomings. It will never achieve full coverage. The fact that it preserves the private health insurance system will always make some if its products unaffordable. We see the insurance companies raising premiums and deductibles, and narrowing networks, as they must to make their profits. Furthermore, the subsidy structure has inherent flaws. We will see more people paying extra taxes and still not getting health insurance. That is absurd. Subsidizing private profits with public monies is absurd and unjust. Medicare is a known and well-liked system that is a better replacement." Instead of pushing forward with something like this, in however reasonable a tone, Bernie will repeat what he said before. He has avoided making any specific points--paying taxes for not getting insurance!--that might lead to a critique of the policy as a whole, because the policy as a whole is entirely the product of the Democratic Party (and of his collaboration with it), and cannot be blamed on the Republicans. He avoids these points even if they are points that everyone understands, and is pissed off about, and would strengthen his position. By the way, I hope Hillary's ongoing use of the ACA as a club against single-payer makes clear to everyone, for once and for all, that Obamacare is not, and was never meant to be, a "step towards" a single-payer system, but is an obstacle to one--exactly as Hillary is using it. As David Sirota showed, it was designed by the Obama administration "specifically to prevent it from evolving into a single-payer plan." Yes, as I've pointed out, the Democrats are entirely responsible for the fraud and con that is the ACA, and liberals who think Obamacare is some kind of some kind of step in the right direction, rather than a deliberately-planted obstacle to moving forward, are no less deluded than Tea Partiers who think it's some kind of socialism. We can see a similar reticence on Bernie's part with another of his mainstay progressive topics: growing inequality. Bernie says it's a disgrace that "almost all new income and all new wealth going to the top 1 percent," that no banksters have been jailed but kids carrying a joint are thrown in prison. And Hillary then throws the bone of how wonderful the Obama administration's economic policy has been. Can Bernie, while Hillary taunts him with Obama, pretend to continue a serious critique of inequality without mentioning that, as Andre Damon put it "the so-called economic 'recovery' is nothing but the transfer of wealth upwards, from the great majority of the working population to a handful of financial oligarchs," and that it was the Obama administration that shepherded the greatest transfer of wealth in history to--forget the top 1%--the top one-hundredth of 1%? Note "recovery" trend since 2008 Can we criticize Hillary's embrace of Henry Kissinger, and ignore Obama's embrace of Larry Summers and Ben Bernanke? Would it not strengthen Bernie's position, make him more "electable," to point out problems that everybody knows are real? Ah, but that would open up a critique that cannot be limited to Republicans, but would have also to encompass the Clinton-Obama administrations. The $4.5 trillion shoveled from the American public to Wall Street banks through Quantitative Easings over the last 8 years can't just be blamed on George Bush and the Koch brothers. Mentioning that would not be good for preserving the unity of the party, or persuading his supporters to vote for someone who will exacerbate those very problems. And there is, of course, Bernie's other crucial issue, the "corrupt campaign finance system," which he rightly insists is a foundation of the "rigged economy" that funnels all wealth to "Wall Street" and the top 1%. In that regard, he has not been shy about mentioning Hillary's $600,000 in speaking fees from Wall Street financial institutions. To which Hillary responds that of course she is not at all influenced by that money, any more than was Barack Obama, who, she correctly notes, "was the recipient of the largest number of Wall Street donations of anybody running on the Democratic side ever." In fact, precisely because he was getting so much Wall Street money in 2008, Obama reneged on his promise, which John McCain kept, to use the public financing system. That decision was arguably every bit as consequential as Citizens United. A different decision by Obama would have created a bipartisan precedent that would have put severe pressure on subsequent candidates. The decision Obama made, as an ostensibly progressive Democrat, guaranteed that the presidential race would be an unlimited private fundraising contest ad infinitum. As McCain later lamented: "No Republican in his or her right mind is going to agree to public financing. I mean, that's dead. That is over." Can Bernie Sanders pretend to be serious about campaign finance while being unwilling to critique Obama's egregious betrayal of public financing? As Hillary taunts him to address Obama's record, doesn't Bernie become weaker by ignoring it? You can bet he, and Hillary, would be all over it, if it had been McCain who reneged on that promise. But, again, because it implicates Democrats at least as much as Republicans, because it might undermine the support he might want them to give to Hillary and her Wall Street money in a few weeks, Bernie does not want his supporters thinking about that too much. Of course, I'm not touching here on any of Bernie's terrible avoidances and pronouncements on all the issues surrounding American imperialism. (Call the Saudis to take care of ISIS! Stop Russian aggression!) I'm just talking about issues where Bernie promotes substantively positive progressive positions. Now some will say that Bernie is just being shrewd here. It's not that he's holding back and weakening himself in order to preserve the unity of the Democratic Party at the expense of his own chances for nomination. It's not that he's, in principle, unwilling to fight the Democrats for his political revolution. It's a tactical decision, to avoid antagonizing any sector of the party so he has a better chance at the nomination. There's certainly no reason, by criticizing Obama's policies, to alienate the black voters he must persuade to defect from Hillary. Once he gets the nomination, all the gloves will come off in the general. Let's, for our purposes here, dismiss as electorally naive (even if it's supported by considerable anecdotal evidence at this point) my nagging feeling that there's something patronizing and inaccurate going on here. I know my point has been that Bernie doesn't want to criticize either Hillary or Barack too much, even though criticizing both is necessary for his political revolution. At the same time, I think it's fair to say that Bernie has been more willing to criticize Clinton than Obama, and fair to ask whether that implies less respect for black voters' ability to distinguish between criticizing a policy and insulting an identity. Let's acknowledge that Bernie has been getting more assertive. He admirably pushed back on Hillary's implication that it was a sin to have any disagreements at all with Obama. He hasn't let up on Hillary's Wall Street money connection. He's unabashedly put the concept of "socialism" in the public discourse in a positive way. He's talking about the U.S. not being the world's policeman, and he even--finally!--mentioned Libya, which starts to go beyond the 12-year-old critique of Hillary's 2003 judgement. I hope he now takes on her nefarious rhetorical tactic of implying that promoting progressive social policies, like single-payer and free public college tuition, implies some kind of surreptitious capitulation to racism and sexism. That line of attack can be easily and mightily turned against her--if it's met head-on and forcefully demolished, without concern for the inevitable cost to her credibility as an eventual Democratic nominee. For all the reasons mentioned above and in my previous posts, I still doubt Bernie will go much further into questioning the whole Obama-Democratic administration policy. I may be wrong, and I do hope Bernie crushes Hillary in the debates and at the polls, fights to a victory over the Democratic establishment, and becomes the nominee. It would make for a hell of an election in November. Then again, I don't care what damage that does to the Democratic Party. Even accepting the tactical, don't-ruffle-too-many-Democratic-feathers-right-now argument, that leaves one more issue that seriously affects the nomination process: the superdelegates. With Bernie's unexpectedly strong showing, his supporters are now all over this issue. Given the electoral results so far, the fact that Hillary Clinton has about 350 more delegates than Bernie is inarguably a travesty in a party that calls itself democratic. There are at least three petitions I've seen, calling either for the Party to do away with the superdelegate system or to require those delegates to support the candidate who wins the most votes (not the same as trying to persuade them one-by-one). This is purely and simply a demand for democracy. Advocating it does not require a deep, complex critique of any politician or any administration. It doesn't require being moderate, or progressive, or socialist. Just democratic. The only possible reason to resist it is an impulse to thwart the electorally-expressed will of the people. And the only target of that impulse in the present instance is Bernie Sanders. If Bernie unequivocally wants the nomination, he should immediately--and certainly if the results in Nevada and South Carolina confirm that he's a serious contender--join his supporters in demanding that the superdelegates be eliminated or required to follow the popular vote. Call Hillary and the party out on their commitment to democracy, straight up. It's a demand that nobody can begrudge, and it would jump start the possibility of real change in the party--the kind of change that is indispensable for his proposed political revolution. I can see no reason Bernie wouldn't make this demand. I can see no reason why he wouldn't join his supporters who are already agitating for this, and no reason why they would not ask him to join them in this simple demand not to let their efforts go to waste or let him be cheated out of the nomination. Is there some reason, besides not wanting to discomfit the Party too much, for him to demur on this demand? Does he not have to be willing, if not eager, to incite infinitely more disruption in the party to win the nomination, run as a Democrat in the general election, and create anything like the political revolution he proposes? If Bernie does forcefully make this demand regarding the superdelegates, when it looks like he has a real chance of winning the majority of elected delegates (if he's already out of the race, it doesn't count), it will allay much of my skepticism about his ultimate intentions in this election. If he doesn't, I have to ask him and his supporters: Why not? Mossville protest at Sasol Houston Head Quarters (Image by Robert D. Bullard) Details DMCA In 2014, the nation commemorated some important milestones in our historic march toward justice and equality for all Americans. We marked the 60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision (May 17, 1954), 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, and 20th anniversary of Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898 signed by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1994. In commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the EJ Executive Order, a call was made in 2014 to lift up the accomplishments and milestones of the Environmental Justice Movement over the past five decades 1964-2014. A lot has happened since February 2014. That's why we are now collecting environmental justice accomplishments, victories, news, celebrations and important events for the period 2014-2016 for an update of the EJ Milestones. For example, in March 2015, the nation commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Selma March or "Bloody Sunday." The same year, Dumping in Dixie, the nation's first environmental justice book published in 1990, tuned 25 amid rising income and racial inequality. Race is the "elephant in the room" when it comes to the growing inequality gap. Clearly, in 2016 we still need to focus on environmental justice and shine a spotlight on environmental racism now more than ever. The Flint water crisis unfolding before our eyes today provides a textbook case for why we must build justice and equal protection into environmental decision making. The Flint disaster was caused by government officials placing profit over people. It's time for justice in Flint. The NAACP has offered a 20-point plan to address the disaster. Flint is not an isolated case as much of America still has the "wrong complexion for protection." In 2016, we have an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate some important environmental justice milestones and work on finishing other struggles. An important struggle is underway to save Mossville, Louisiana, a 225 year old black community founded by former slaves, that's now threatened to be wiped off the map by a giant South African chemical plant. More than a dozen chemical plants encircle this tiny black community and have stolen the residents' health. And now an unfair industry buyout is threatening to steal their wealth, their homestead and their history. This year also marks the 150th Anniversary of the Turkey Creek, MS community, a community founded in 1866 by former slave. Turkey Creek and North Gulfport residents face a range of environmental, health and economic challenges, including flooding, industrial encroachment, discriminatory land use planning and zoning, and unsustainable infill development of the Turkey Creek watershed. The "battle for Turkey Creek" is an American community's quest for justice. It is ironic that Mossville and Turkey Creek founders survived slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow segregation but their descendants today may not survive the assaults of toxic racism. It's time to stand with Mossville, Turkey Creek and other endangered communities. Black health, Black communities and Black lives matter. It was 35 years ago Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management, Inc., a 1979 lawsuit filed on behalf of African American homeowners in Northeast Houston, became the nation's first legal case to use civil rights laws to challenge the siting of a solid waste facility; the 1979 Houston Solid Waste and Black Community Study (published in 1983 Sociological Inquiry) was also completed in support of the Bean case. It has now been 25 years since the 1991 First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit brought more than a thousand environmental leaders to Washington, DC to challenge environmental injustice. In addition to providing the framework for the Environmental Justice Movement, the Summit produced 17 Principles of Environmental Justice--guiding principles that shaped the domestic and global environmental and climate justice movement. There are many unsung environmental justice stories that need to be told, victories that need to be celebrated, and milestones that need to be commemorated. Please send your (2014-2016) victory celebrations, milestones and commemorations with hyperlinks to Dr. Denae King, Mickey Leland Center for Environment, Justice & Sustainability | Texas Southern University | 3100 Cleburne Avenue Houston, Texas. Reprinted from www.huffingtonpost.com For an example of how Big Money in politics is causing real harm to average Americans, look at the practice of dentistry in this country. The United States is facing a dental care crisis for a number of reasons. First, dental care has become so expensive many of us can't afford to go the dentist. More than 130 million of us lack dental benefits--far more than the number of people without medical coverage. And even people who have dental benefits usually find they're on the hook for 50 percent of the cost of expensive procedures like root canals and crowns. Other reasons for the crisis include the fact that Medicare doesn't cover dental work. And the fact that only 20 percent of dentists are willing to treat Medicaid patients. In addition, few dentists practice in rural areas or poor neighborhoods of big cities. One of every six Americans lives in a "dental desert," which is a community where few if any dentists practice. Despite all of this, access to affordable dental care can be improved, and in ways that wouldn't cost taxpayers a dime. Community-led efforts to improve oral health in this country--including the use of mid-level dental providers to deliver care in underserved areas--have attracted strong support from both ends of the political spectrum. All too often, though, those efforts have been stymied by organized dentistry. Among the champions of mid-levels in dentistry is none other than Grover Norquist, the founder of Americans for Tax Reform, which advocates for limited government and lower taxes. When I asked Norquist recently why he has gotten involved in the fight to expand the dental workforce to include mid-levels--often called dental therapists--he told me it's because, in his view, opponents are engaging in tactics to preserve a profitable status quo at the expense of millions of Americans. To him, this smacks of "crony capitalism" in which businesses and professionals exert influence on government officials, usually through campaign contributions and lobbyists, to get favorable treatment. Norquist's organization has joined a coalition of what some might view as strange bedfellows--conservatives, liberals, patient advocates, community-based organizations and even Native American tribal leaders--in urging state officials to support what organized dentistry continues to oppose: allowing dental therapists, whose scope of practice would range from education and prevention to uncomplicated extractions and fillings, to treat patients where dentists are in short supply. Norquist has written letters to officials in a number of states encouraging them to "tear down an unnecessary government barrier" that prevents mid-levels from providing dental services "at no cost to taxpayers." In one of his letters, to Texas officials, Norquist wrote that: Dentists who want to expand their practices to include educated and qualified mid-level practitioners should be free to do so. Innovative ideas like this have faced intense opposition but are very similar to the fights that took place decades ago with the emergence of nurse practitioners. Physicians began working and collaborating with nurses who had clinical experience to fill a void left by specialization in the medical field. Today, nurse practitioners provide equivalent or superior care to that provided by physicians. He said mid-levels could fill a similar void in dentistry. "It is undeniable that there is a dentist shortage, particularly in underserved and rural areas," he wrote, adding that Americans for Tax Reform supports measures that would "alleviate this issue by permitting, but not requiring, small businesses" operated by dentists to hire mid-levels. In a recent blog post, Paul Blair, state government affairs manager for Americans for Tax Reform, wrote that, "dental therapists may hold the key for providing dental services in underserved and rural populations." He noted that like hygienists, dental therapists work under the supervision of dentists "with collaborative agreements that allow them to provide an expanded list of services to patients." "Americans for Tax Reform supports this bold type of dental care reform," he wrote, "because it, at no cost to taxpayers, stands to expand health care to underserved populations in the United States." 1499 was a year full of surprises. The 28-year-old King of France, Charles VIII, after drinking wine with his peers in the Amboise castle, hit the lintel of a door. The royal surgeon proved powerless to stop an internal haemorrhage and on 7 April he died. On 28 April the crown of France rested on the head of Louis XII. That was bad news for some of the small kingdoms on the Italian peninsula and for their shaky alliances, because he had claims on some of them. His grandmother was a Visconti, the former masters of Genoa and Milan, who were deprived of their dynastic rights by the Sforzas. Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, knew that his days were numbered unless he acted ruthlessly, trying to form a defensive alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian who had married his nephew, Bona Sforza. Ludovico used his gold to enlist thousand of Swiss mercenaries and scrapped the commission he had given to Leonardo da Vinci for a giant equestrian monument to honour his father, Francesco Sforza, and sent all the bronze to Ferrara to cast cannons. When the Venetians, sworn enemies of Milan, sided with King Louis XII, in a desperate move, Ludovico threw his lot with the enemies of the Venetians: the Turks. They did not waste that golden chance and entered into Italy's northern region of Friuli, crossing the Isonzo River. They raided some villages, taking away hundreds of children and women as slaves. On the 26 April, Leonardo da Vinci had received a vineyard in the centre of the city, close to the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, by Ludovico Sforza, as payment of his past services and, perhaps, because of this reason he wanted to stay. He watched Ludovico leave the city with his troops and then waited for the French King's entry on 6 October 1499. The King went to see the newly completed Last Supper and while watching it, spellbound, he asked his engineers to detach that large wall and move it to France with the painting on it. He had no time to implement his plan because the rumours of Ludovico coming back with an army of Swiss and Germans forced him out, then the city did fall into a sort of anarchy: Gascon soldiers used the clay model of the great horse of Leonardo for their target practice, thus shattering it into pieces. Leonardo collected his money from a bank and with his friend Luca Pacioli, a great mathematician, in December 1499 abandoned the city in which he had been living since 1482. They moved first to Mantua, were they rested for a couple of weeks, then to Venice, where Leonardo and Luca Pacioli spent two months. In February 1500, Ludovico Sforza took Milan with his troops but then he had to move out against the French and Venetians. While staying in the fortified city of Novara, on 13 April 1500, he was betrayed by some Swiss soldiers and, once taken by the French, he was locked into an iron cage like a bear, and moved to the Castle of Lockes, where he would die in 1508. We don't know what Leonardo did in Venice, as he seems to disappear for a few weeks from the city. We know that Luca Pacioli was well known there and had certainly introduced him to some powerful merchants and politicians. We can find hints of what he could have been up to on page 638 v. of Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus kept at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan, in a particular paper known as 'Memorandum Ligny'. It is a page that shows marks indicating that it had been folded several times, perhaps to be hidden inside a vest, with a small fragment ripped off. On it we see two drafts of a letter directed to the Venetian Senate. He was giving advice on how to protect Friuli from new attacks. Leonardo mentions some studies about defences to be built on the Isonzo River, to slow down the enemy's advance - incidentally a similar strategy will be used by the Italian army in 1917 to stop the advance of German-Austrian army. The points raised by Leonardo are so precise that he must have surveyed the place, mentioning poles to be planted on the river's bank. There is another hint to this effect on another page of the Codex Atlanticus the 822 v. dating to 1508 where again he was musing on some studies done previously in Gradisca, Friuli, about river damming. We have a record, dated 13 March 1500, about a debate at the Venetian Senate on sending a man called Giampaolo Manfron to study the situation in Friuli. During that debate Pietro Moro (master of the Arsenal) stood up and said that he knew some capable military engineers. This man is connected somehow with Luca Pacioli. The delegation departed and then demanded founding and soldiers on the 22 of March. By 3 April they were back in Venice were the technical recommendations were presented to the Senate. It is likely that Moro took Leonardo with him on a secret mission (secret because Ludovico Sforza was still at large with a powerful army). The danger of a full-scale Turkish invasion passed only when the French caged Ludovico and the alliance with the 'infidels' fell apart. By the end of April 1500 Leonardo and Luca Pacioli were in Florence and in 1502 Leonardo was employed as military engineer by Cesare Borgia. Even if we find close to nothing about his military operations in Leonardo's notebooks we do have a note made by his admirer and fellow traveller, Luca Pacioli. He says that during a river crossing of Borgia's army, Leonardo built a temporary bridge in no time, a work that was seen as a miracle. (Article changed on February 17, 2016 at 23:56) (Article changed on February 18, 2016 at 00:11) When I read about "Black Lives Matter," the question that came to mind was: shouldn't they matter! And it wasn't a rhetorical response. The next question that came to mind was: do other lives, whether white or not-so-white, Jew or Arab, ought to matter as much as black lives! Yes, they do! Black lives do matter. Black lives should matter, but, more importantly, black lives also matter, as do other lives. I am trying hard not to make a rhetorical statement out of a fact of life. Some more not-meant-to-be rhetorical questions: which "black" life are we speaking of! The blacks in Africa! But, a black person in a predominantly black continent does not have to compare him or herself to anybody else. Therefore blackness ought not to be an issue in an environment where everyone is more or less black. The Boko Haram militants are as black as their victims. Should we be saying: both the "lives" -- those of the Boko Haram militants and their victims, ought to matter equally! Shouldn't we thinking of the victims before the perpetrators! The blacks of the Caribbean region! How do their lives matter! What about the blacks of Latin America! I won't go into the Caribbean or Latin American racism, which goes by a hierarchy of shades of color as it is with South Asians. Strictly going by the color of the skin, there are "really" dark-skinned people in my country as well. Should they be included in the list of the "blacks" whose lives ought to matter! They too get terribly discriminated against thanks to the color of their skin. We have a cream popularly used in India called "Fair and Lovely." It says on its website: "NOT JUST A CREAM, IT'S A FAIRNESS TREATMENT." For the guys we have: "Fair and Handsome." There is a billion-dollar industry surrounding the aesthetics of whiteness across the globe and since whites don't have to make an effort to look white, the consumers of the industry are the non-whites of the world. The same questions I posed earlier can be asked about the whites. South Asians with light skins: should they pass off as whites! In fact we call them "white" in and around India however strange that might seem to a European or an American white. What about Arabs and Iranians! Believe me: they think they are white or at any rate whiter than the South Asians. The Soviets and Eastern Europeans are white by all standards. That however did not help prevent the Cold War. My question is: if whiteness was the central issue dominating the world, why was the Cold War such a divisive force in the 20th century! Third-world racism is the self-hate of the colonized. Dark-skinned boys are looking for light-skinned women to compensate for a perceived inadequacy. Dark-complexioned girls are already second-class citizens adding to the degradation of being women in a patriarchal society. A Tanzanian girl recently was beaten, stripped and paraded naked by a mob in the IT capital of South India, Bangalore, which takes pride in being a "modern" city. The humiliation and degradation of the girl can only be imagined. If the mob dared to do something like that, there is good reason to believe that it is because the girl was black. There should be a Black Lives Matter in this country to begin with because the perception of blackness as negative is ingrained in the DNA of the Indian psyche and the day that comes to an end would be the beginning of a postcolonial society. I am not only unimpressed but disappointed with the Black Lives Matter (BLM), which views itself as an "international activist movement." Identity-based movements are exclusionary by their very nature and I won't repeat myself because I published an entire article on the subject. Its results are going to be ephemeral and as a movement it is bound to lose its vitality except in the social media, where it might have its die-hard supporters. The Black is Beautiful movement is a much more successful one because it looked inward at the person and celebrates that which is deliberately ignored. It also has an international character because it addresses those who are victims of prejudice in terms of how the color black is perceived aesthetically. The early Gandhi in South Africa was consumed with a feeling of racial inferiority before he embarked on the course of fighting for India's freedom. He speaks eloquently of the beauty of the Zulus in Satyagraha in South Africa: "Among the Negroes, the tallest and the most handsome are the Zulus. I have deliberately used the epithet 'handsome' in connection with Negroes. A fair complexion, and a pointed nose represent our ideal of beauty. If we discard this superstition for a moment, we feel that the Creator did not spare Himself in fashioning the Zulu to perfection. Men and women are both tall and broad-chested in proportion to their height. Their muscles are strong and well set. The calves of the legs and the arms are muscular and always well rounded. You will rarely find a man or woman walking with a stoop or with a hump back. The lips are certainly large and thick, but as they are in perfect symmetry with the entire physique, I for one would not say that they are unshapely. The eyes are round and bright. The nose is flat and large, such as becomes a large face, and the curled hair on the head sets off to advantage the Zulu's skin which is black and shining like ebony. If we ask a Zulu to which of the various races inhabiting South Africa he will award the palm for beauty, he will unhesitatingly decide in favour of his own people, and in this I would not see any want of judgement on his part. The physique of the Zulu is powerfully built and finely shaped by nature without any such effort as is made by Sandow and others in Europe in order to develop the muscles. It is a law of nature that the skin of races living near the equator should be black. And if we believe that there must be beauty in everything fashioned by nature, we would not only steer clear of all narrow and one-sided conceptions of beauty, but we in India would be free from the improper sense of shame and dislike which we feel for our own complexion if it is anything but fair." Being a relatively dark man who could place himself in a colonial context, Gandhi understood what the racism was all about and how the colonized internalized the feelings of inferiority at the expense of their own dignity as human beings. His celebration of the beauty of the Zulus comes from his awareness that no group has a monopoly on that which is beautiful because it comes from nature. Everyone is equally entitled to it. So much of beauty is actually about how much we like people as individuals. The ability to inspire affection automatically endows one with a sense of beauty. That's the beauty which needs to be cultivated more than anything else. The media-manufactured beauty such as with film stars is purely of an external nature. Once you know people at the personal level it is not the same thing as admiring them from a distance. Your perception will alter significantly. The BLM movement should concentrate on making an argument for inner qualities instead of notions of identity that rely on blackness to make a point. That's precisely what a resistance movement intelligently committed to the goal of social equality and human freedom will do: it will turn the tables against the expectations of power. Power thrives on its ability to predict. By defying the predictable, resistance shows what is alternative to power. By doing the unexpected, the Carthaginian general Hannibal almost brought the powerful Roman Empire to its knees. It is a time-honored strategy used by visionary leaders at the helm of political movements. If I were to think of a title for the movement it would be: "Lives Matter: Black or White." This should also include the cops and the law-enforcement officers. This is something that a racist establishment will not expect from a resistance movement. Therefore it must be done and strategically it does more to create a culture of inclusion than BLM, which is a response that I could predict without too much difficulty from as far away as India. Needless to say, the results of a resistance movement that refuses to fall into the trap of black or white is bound to be of a much more serious and transformative nature than what is being accomplished currently through "Black Lives Matter." Reprinted from Consortium News If the tentative agreement on a Syrian ceasefire negotiated by the United States and Russia falls apart before it can be implemented, the reason will be the Obama administration's insistence that Russian airstrikes are targeting "legitimate opposition groups." That is how Secretary of State John Kerry defined the issue on Saturday, repeating a propaganda theme that began, in a different form, as soon as the Russian air offensive in Syria began in late September of 2015. The Obama administration portrayed the Russian campaign in support of Syrian operations as hitting "moderate" opposition forces, suggesting that only strikes against ISIS would be legitimate. Now Kerry insists that the "legitimate" armed organizations being hit by Russian airstrikes are separate from ISIS and Al Qaeda's Syrian franchise, the Nusra Front, both organizationally and physically. But the reality on the ground in Idlib and Aleppo provinces is that there is no such separation. Information from a wide range of sources, including some of the groups that the United States has been explicitly supporting, makes it clear that every armed anti-Assad organization unit in those provinces is engaged in a military system controlled by Nusra. All of them fight alongside the Nusra Front and coordinate their military activities with it. This reality even slips into mainstream U.S. news accounts on occasion, such as Anne Barnard's New York Times article last Saturday about the proposed Syrian cease-fire in which she reported, "With the proviso that the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's branch in Syria, can still be bombed, Russia puts the United States in a difficult position; the insurgent groups it supports cooperate in some places with the well-armed, well-financed Nusra in what they say is a tactical alliance of necessity against government forces." At least since 2014 the Obama administration has armed a number of Syrian armed groups even though it knew the groups were coordinating closely with the Nusra Front, which was simultaneously getting arms from Turkey and Qatar. The strategy called for supplying TOW anti-tank missiles to the "Syrian Revolutionaries Front" (SRF) as the core of a client Syrian army that would be independent of the Nusra Front. However, when a combined force of Nusra and non-jihadist brigades including the SRF captured the Syrian army base at Wadi al-Deif in December 2014, the truth began to emerge. The SRF and other groups to which the United States had supplied TOW missiles had fought under Nusra's command to capture the base. And as one of the SRF fighters who participated in the operation, Abu Kumayt, recalled to The New York Times, after the victory only Nusra and its very close ally Ahrar al-Sham were allowed to enter the base. Nusra had allowed the groups supported by the United States to maintain the appearance of independence from Nusra, according to Abu Kumyt, in order to induce the United States to continue the supply of U.S. weapons. Playing Washington In other words, Nusra was playing Washington, exploiting the Obama administration's desire to have its own Syrian Army as an instrument for influencing the course of the war. The administration was evidently a willing dupe. Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who had been supporting an aggressive program of arming opposition brigades that had been approved by the CIA, told a January 2015 seminar in Washington, "For a long time we have looked the other way while the Nusra Front and armed groups on the ground, some of which are getting help from us, have coordinated in military operations against the regime." Reflecting the views of some well-placed administration officials, he added, "I think the days of us looking the other way are finished." But instead of breaking with the deception that the CIA's hand-picked clients were independent of Nusra, the Obama administration continued to cling to it. Nusra and its allies were poised to strike the biggest blow against the Assad regime up to the time -- the capture of Idlib province. Although some U.S.-supported groups participated in the campaign in March and April 2015, the "operations room" planning the campaign was run by Al Qaeda and its close ally Ahrar al Sham. And before the campaign was launched, Nusra had forced another U.S.-supported group, Harakat Hazm, to disband and took all of its TOW anti-tank missiles. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were financing the "Army of Conquest," commanded by Nusra, and were lobbying the administration to support it. U.S. strategy on Syria was then shifting toward a tacit reliance on the jihadists to achieve the U.S. objective of putting sufficient pressure on the Assad regime to force some concessions on Damascus. But the idea that an independent "moderate" armed opposition still existed -- and that the United States was basing its policy on those "moderates" -- was necessary to provide a political fig leaf for the covert and indirect U.S. reliance on Al Qaeda's Syrian franchise's military success. The untimely death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has predictably created a political firestorm over who gets to appoint the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, when, how, and where any judicial nominee will stand on the hot-button political issues of our day (same-sex marriage, Obamacare, immigration, the environment, and abortion). This is yet another spectacle, not unlike the carnival-like antics of the presidential candidates, to create division, dissension and discord and distract the populace from the nation's steady march towards totalitarianism. Not to worry. This is a done deal. There are no surprises awaiting us. The powers-that-be have already rigged the system. They--the corporations, the military industrial complex, the surveillance state, the monied elite, etc.--will not allow anyone to be appointed to the Supreme Court who will dial back the police state. They will not tolerate anyone who will undermine their policies, threaten their profit margins, or overturn their apple cart. Scalia's replacement will be safe (i.e., palatable enough to withstand Congress' partisan wrangling), reliable and most important of all, an extension of the American police state. With the old order dying off or advancing into old age rapidly, we've arrived at a pivotal point in the makeup of the Supreme Court. With every vacant seat on the Court and in key judgeships around the country, we are witnessing a transformation of the courts into pallid, legalistic bureaucracies governed by a new breed of judges who have been careful to refrain from saying, doing or writing anything that might compromise their future ambitions. Today, the judges most likely to get appointed today are well-heeled, well-educated (all of them attended either Yale or Harvard law schools) blank slates who have traveled a well-worn path from an elite law school to a prestigious judicial clerkship and then a pivotal federal judgeship. In other words, it really doesn't matter whether a Republican or Democratic president appoints the next Supreme Court justice, because they will all look alike (in terms of their educational and professional background) and sound alike (they are primarily advocates for the government). Given the turbulence of our age, with its police overreach, military training drills on American soil, domestic surveillance, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, wrongful convictions, and corporate corruption, the need for a guardian of the people's rights has never been greater. Unfortunately, as I document in Battlefield America: The War on the American People, what we have been saddled with instead are government courts dominated by technicians and statists who march in lockstep with the American police state. This is true at all levels of the judiciary. Thus, while what the nation needs is a constitutionalist, what we will get is a technician. It's an important distinction. A legal constitutionalist believes that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law (the Constitution) and strives to hold the government accountable to abiding by the Constitution. A judge of this order will uphold the rights of the citizenry in the face of government abuses. A legal technician, on the other hand, is an arbitrator of the government's plethora of laws whose priority is maintaining order and preserving government power. As such, these judicial technicians are deferential to authority, whether government or business, and focused on reconciling the massive number of laws handed down by the government. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. To say that we live on a 1% planet isn't just a turn of phrase. In fact, it would undoubtedly be more accurate to speak of a .1% or a .01% planet. In recent years, wealth and income inequalities have grown in a notorious fashion in the United States -- and, as it turns out, globally as well. In January, Oxfam released a report on the widening gap between global wealth and poverty. It found that, between 2010 and today, the wealth of the poorest half of the planet's population fell by a trillion dollars, a drop of 41%, while that of the richest 62 people (53 men and nine women) increased by half a trillion dollars. Put another way, those 62 billionaires were wealthier than the bottom 50% of the world's people, while the richest 1% owned more than the other 99% combined. The direction in which we're heading is obvious. Just consider that, in 2010, it took 388 of the super-rich to equal the holdings of the bottom 50%; now, that number is 326 people smaller. Keep that trend line in mind as you read about TomDispatch regular Peter Van Buren's latest adventures in the minimum-wage economy. Back in 2014, he described for this site how, having lost his State Department job for being a whistleblower on the Iraq War, he fell for a time into the low-wage world. As he wrote, "And soon enough, I did indeed find myself working in exactly that economy and, worse yet, trying to live on the money I made. But it wasn't just the money. There's this American thing in which jobs define us, and those definitions tell us what our individual futures and the future of our society is likely to be. And believe me, rock bottom is a miserable base for any future." His experiences in a big-box retail store inspired him to write his novel, Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the #99Percent. As last year ended, he returned to the minimum-wage world, now -- thanks in particular to Bernie Sanders -- part of the national conversation. And here's what he found. Tom Nickel and Dimed in 2016 You Can't Earn a Living on the Minimum Wage By Peter Van Buren When presidential candidate Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality, and when other candidates speak about the minimum wage and food stamps, what are they really talking about? Whether they know it or not, it's something like this. My Working Life Then A few years ago, I wrote about my experience enmeshed in the minimum-wage economy, chronicling the collapse of good people who could not earn enough money, often working 60-plus hours a week at multiple jobs, to feed their families. I saw that, in this country, people trying to make ends meet in such a fashion still had to resort to food benefit programs and charity. I saw an employee fired for stealing lunches from the break room refrigerator to feed himself. I watched as a co-worker secretly brought her two kids into the store and left them to wander alone for hours because she couldn't afford childcare. (As it happens, 29% of low-wage employees are single parents.) At that point, having worked at the State Department for 24 years, I had been booted out for being a whistleblower. I wasn't sure what would happen to me next and so took a series of minimum wage jobs. Finding myself plunged into the low-wage economy was a sobering, even frightening, experience that made me realize just how ignorant I had been about the lives of the people who rang me up at stores or served me food in restaurants. Though millions of adults work for minimum wage, until I did it myself I knew nothing about what that involved, which meant I knew next to nothing about twenty-first-century America. I was lucky. I didn't become one of those millions of people trapped as the "working poor." I made it out. But with all the election talk about the economy, I decided it was time to go back and take another look at where I had been, and where too many others still are. My Working Life Now I found things were pretty much the same in 2016 as they were in 2012, which meant -- because there was no real improvement -- that things were actually worse. This time around, I worked for a month and a half at a national retail chain in New York City. While mine was hardly a scientific experiment, I'd be willing to bet an hour of my minimum-wage salary ($9 before taxes) that what follows is pretty typical of the New Economy. Just getting hired wasn't easy for this 56-year-old guy. To become a sales clerk, peddling items that were generally well under $50 a pop, I needed two previous employment references and I had to pass a credit check. Unlike some low-wage jobs, a mandatory drug test wasn't part of the process, but there was a criminal background check and I was told drug offenses would disqualify me. I was given an exam twice, by two different managers, designed to see how I'd respond to various customer situations. In other words, anyone without some education, good English, a decent work history, and a clean record wouldn't even qualify for minimum-wage money at this chain. And believe me, I earned that money. Any shift under six hours involved only a 15-minute break (which cost the company just $2.25). Trust me, at my age, after hours standing, I needed that break and I wasn't even the oldest or least fit employee. After six hours, you did get a 45-minute break, but were only paid for 15 minutes of it. The hardest part of the job remained dealing with... well, some of you. Customers felt entitled to raise their voices, use profanity, and commit Trumpian acts of rudeness toward my fellow employees and me. Most of our "valued guests" would never act that way in other public situations or with their own coworkers, no less friends. But inside that store, shoppers seemed to interpret "the customer is always right" to mean that they could do any damn thing they wished. It often felt as if we were penned animals who could be poked with a stick for sport, and without penalty. No matter what was said or done, store management tolerated no response from us other than a smile and a "Yes, sir" (or ma'am). Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). In this election year, what is the biggest foreign policy challenge in our dangerous world? Many voters would say the deadly threat from ISIS, al Qaeda and other terrorists. Others would point to a resurgent Iran, an unstable Syria and Iraq, or an aggressive Vladimir Putin. Certainly, these all pose serious risks to our national security. But few are talking at this point about the greatest challenge of all: establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. No diplomatic achievement would benefit America more than negotiating a two-state solution so Israel and Palestine can exist side by side in peace and security. Such an agreement would improve our relationships with the Muslim world and dispel much of the hatred directed our way. It would bolster our national security, bring peace to a volatile region, protect Israel, and keep faith with democratic principles for all peoples. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the critical step needed to strengthen our standing around the world. Violence and discord are growing in Israel and the West Bank. Palestinian extremists are committing despicable acts of terror against innocent Israeli citizens. The Israeli government is building illegal settlements in the West Bank and the Israeli army is demolishing Palestinian homes. The situation is growing gravely worse. But no American presidential candidate is highlighting a plan to bring Israel and the Palestinian Authority back to the bargaining table. While the Democratic candidates favor our long-standing and bi-partisan commitment to a two-state solution, it is not part of the campaign debate. None of the Republicans even mention it on their campaign websites. All the candidates for president should be calling for renewed negotiations - Camp David III - while committing themselves to personally lead the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in 2017. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Faryal Talpur reiterated allegations levelled by her party against federal ministers MUZAFFARABAD: MNA Faryal Talpur of the PPP reiterated the allegations levelled by her party against federal ministers, the PML-N decided at a meeting in Islamabad that its AJK chapter would deal with the matter, instead of federal ministers. Ms Talpur, who has been calling the shots in AJK since the formation of the PPP government in July 2011, made the allegations during a visit to Naara village in Nakial on Tuesday to offer condolences to the family of Chaudhry Munshi who had died during a clash between workers of the two parties on Saturday. She accused PML-N workers of killing a committed PPP worker and injuring scores of others and warned federal ministers against converting AJK into a political battlefield. She said that the federal ministers who had used foul language against Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed must apologise. When contacted, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, PML-Ns legislator and the partys senior vice-president, said the PPP was trying to exploit the Kashmir card the way it had been using the Sindh card. In doing so they are least bothered about its damage to national interests. He said it was ironical that while the PPP was criticising the Rangers operation in Sindh to escape accountability, it was calling for armys intervention in AJK for the same purpose. 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It gives the same rights and obbligations to same-sex couples as those who are registered in a civil marriage (mutatis mutandis). The Bill was signed by the President of the Republic of Malta on the 17th April 2014 and became Law [Act IX/2014]. I think it's fair to say that Chinese director Jia Zhangke is one of my favorite contemporary directors, because of his formalist style and his fascinating visual portrayal of China in flux. These elements again are at the fore front of his latest film, Mountains May Depart (2015). Zhangke establishes a love triangle between Tao (Zhao Tao), the village beauty, who has feelings for both Liangzi (Liang Jin Dong), a worker in a coal mine, and Zhang (Zhang Yi), a wealthy investor. She ends up marrying Zhang and Liangzi flees their hometown and refuses to attend the wedding. The story is starts in 1999 and revisits the characters in 2014 and later in the future 2025. At the center of the story are the changes quickly sweeping China-physically and psychically. Liangzi represents the rank and file of China that is sacrificed to the gods of progress and consumerism-he becomes ill from his work as coal miner and must undergo expensive treatment and will eventually become a causality to progress. While his rival Zhang prospers when he buys the local mine that formerly employed Liangzi and he becomes one of China's biggest winners-gaining fantastic wealth and a desire leave China and its traditions behind as he seeks freedom outside of China and eventually settles in Melbourne, Australia with the son he had with Tao, symbolically named "Dollar." The battle over the old China and new China are played out in the couple's battle over their son Dollar-Tao wants to impress traditional values of filial piety. Later he clashes with his father about freedom and how each of them interprets it. This film seems more overt in its themes than previous Zhangke films-these themes seems more obvious and heavy handed. The film opens and closes with the Pet Shop Boys' version of "Go West," which may be the unfulfilled promise of success for Zahangke's generation. That aside, Zhanghke and his cinematographer Nelson Lik-wai Yu always make beautiful films that draw your attention to some other feature in the shot besides the actors: fireworks recur in the film, as do traditional buildings in the background, as well as long shots that capture the changing face of China in remote districts and in this film the expanses of Australia. The contents of this blog are my personal views and opinions and are not in any way representative of my employers, publishers, or any associations or organizations with which I'm affiliated. All pictures not drawn or taken by me are copied here under fair use principles. Please contact me to remove any such pictures. Throughout this blog, I've written about a number of subjects, including Bible-based reflections, spirituality and religion, interfaith concerns, my hometown, favorite roads and places, current events, the funny and weird moments of life, favorite music and art, and so on. But I've always had three interrelated themes in mind. One is the joy of making everyday connections as we move through our lives. Another is "the journey," including the spiritual quest, in which we struggle for understanding and assurances and look to God in hope. The third is "home": the places and circumstances that anchor us, the goals of our journeys, and the heavenly home that the Lord prepares for us (John 14:2) My hometown area, Fayette Co., IL, is always an anchor and "conceptual continuity" for me. The header photograph is from that area, near Brownstown, the vicinity where my maternal ancestors settled before the Civil War. All original material copyright 2009-2022 by Paul E. Stroble. All Bible quotations in this blog are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated. The New Revised Standard Version Bible is copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Welcome to this blog, which I've been keeping since 2009. Please feel free to browse the contents, or follow it for updates. Check back as often you'd like!Lately, this blog has included a variety of odd things that interest me as I go along--including music and art. Several previous posts were year-long series on subjects in religion and spirituality, each undertaken as an enjoyable discipline to keep my own spiritual life on a positive path. In 2014, I listened to and wrote about Bach's sacred cantatas on or near the Sundays and special days for which they were written. In 2015, I wrote about special days celebrated by different world religions. In 2016, I studied the lives of saints and faithful persons honored on different Christian liturgical calendars. In 2017-18, I studied the entire Bible (including the Apocrypha) and posted my notes. House Education Committee outlines funding priorities By Clark Corbin|Idaho Education News BOISE The House Education Committee Monday, Feb. 15, threw its support behind budget proposals to raise teacher pay, reverse cuts to discretionary funding, launch literacy proposals and boost classroom technology. Committee Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, brought in Legislative Services Office Deputy Manager Paul Headlee to walk lawmakers through the budget proposals. Committee members identified their funding priorities based on the budget proposals submitted by Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and Gov. Butch Otter. The committee generally did not get into specific funding levels, but instead offered a list of general priorities. Heres what some lawmakers said they valued. Rep. Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth: Raising teacher salaries through the second year of the career ladder. Restoring discretionary spending to $25,696 per classroom unit. Increasing funding for academic and career counseling. Funding literacy proposals to provide supplemental instruction for young readers. Increasing funding classroom technology. Establishing the rural schools center Ybarra proposed. Increasing funding for raises for classified employees (Kerby said this would be a top priority of his if he thought employees would get significant raises.) Rep. Patrick McDonald, R-Boise: Funding literary proposals. Increasing salaries through the career ladder. Increased classroom technology. Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise: Increasing teacher salaries through the career ladder. Restoring discretionary funding. Backing Otters full $10.7 million literacy recommendation. Rubel said she hopes the committee will fight for top education funding levels across the board, adding that nothing in Otters and Ybarras budget requests appeared frivolous. The career ladder is absolutely indispensible, Rubel said. We, as a body, would lose a tremendous amount of credibility if we dont appropriate every dime in the career ladder. On Tuesday, DeMordaunt will go before the budget-setting Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee to outline committee priorities. One interesting tidbit that emerged from Mondays meeting is that state budget analysts think Ybarras proposal represents a 7.6 percent funding increase from 2014-15. In January, Ybarra told JFAC that she advocated a 7.5 percent funding increase. But the 7.5 percent figure doesnt factor in her proposed funding levels for the Idaho School For the Deaf and Blind. When that funding is calculated into her overall request, Ybarras request becomes 7.6 percent. After Mondays meeting, Headlee said it is more accurate to describe Ybarras request as a 7.6 percent increase, especially when comparing it to Otters proposed 7.9 percent increase, which incorporates funding for the deaf and blind. However, calculating Ybarras proposed increase, it is important to note that she has not changed her budget recommendation. In other Statehouse action Monday: ISBA lobbies senators. As the Idaho School Boards Association meets in Boise this week, trustees lobbied the Senate Education Committee on some hot-button issues. Todd Wells, a Castleford trustee, restated the ISBAs opposition to House Joint Resolution 1, a proposed amendment to ease the constitutional ban on the use of public dollars to support religious education. Wells said the amendment would undercut public school funding, just as the Legislature is poised to provide schools with another robust budget increase. We cant afford as a state to jeopardize going backwards, Wells said. This dilution of education dollars could take us there. Supporters say HJR 1 would provide legal protection for parents and students who use state-funded scholarships to attend church-owned colleges. Critics say the amendment would pave the way to a state-funded voucher system to support private schools. Gov. Butch Otter has called the amendment unnecessary. HJR 1 remains on hold in the House State Affairs Committee. Pocatello school trustee Janie Gebhardt restated the ISBAs concern with the parental rights law passed in 2015. Calling the new law an overreach, Gebhardt said some parents are using the law to insist on educational offerings in their neighborhood school, even if their children can attend identical programs elsewhere in the district. The Senate has a follow up parental rights bill that says districts must make a reasonable academic accommodation to meet parents requests. The language is designed to lessen the burden on schools, said Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur dAlene, a sponsor. Gebhardt wasnt convinced. Im not certain thats how some parents hear that, she said. Senate moves a series of bills. The ISBA presentations came after Senate Education quickly introduced eight bills, with little discussion. Two of the bills addressed the aftermath of the Idaho Education Network broadband contract collapse. One bill would set up a Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant fund, or BIIG, to help schools purchase high-speed Internet. Another would create a committee that would help schools and libraries purchase broadband and apply for federal matching funds. Both bills stem from a legislative interim committee, which met from July through December to study the broadband issue. All eight bills are likely to come back to Senate committees for full hearings. They were introduced en masse, and quickly, since Monday was the final day Senate Education could introduce bills. Broadband legal costs. The House comfortably passed a supplemental funding bill to cover court costs for the Idaho Education Network appeal. Senate Bill 1217 would set aside $229,300 to cover the appeal. Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday in Idaho Supreme Court. The bill would also transfer $176,000 in grant funds away from the network and into a public instruction fund maintained by Ybarras office. Finally, the bill would return $461,800 in unused grant funds to the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, which originally supplied a $6 million grant to fund the Idaho Education Network. The IEN no longer exists, but the bills for cleaning up that situation do still exist, said sponsoring Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls. Senate Bill 1217 passed 66-3 and next heads to Otters desk for final consideration. The bill previously cleared the Senate 34-0. Career-technical education. The House overwhelmingly passed a bill to rename professional-technical education programs in Idaho. Under Senate Bill 1210, the name would be changed to career-technical education, in line with changes other states have made, lawmakers said. The bill passed 66-2. Having already cleared the Senate 32-1, the bill heads to Otters desk for final consideration. Disclosure: Idaho Education News is funded by a grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Idaho Education News staff writer Kevin Richert contributed to this report. Colin Lodewick of Fortune reports Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio says the stock market has further to fall before a recession hits: For much of this year, the Fed has held steadfast to its goal of a soft landing for inflation, the idea of vanquishing inflation without a dramatic economic downturn. But despite several interest rate hikes, inflation is still running hot , and business leaders are saying that its not a matter of if a recession will happen, but when. On Wednesday, after another rate hike, and a promise from Fed chairman Jerome Powell to stay the course until inflation comes down, Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio said that the Federal Reserve will probably keep tightening its monetary policy until high prices come down, no matter the consequences . As a result, a recession is likely within the next year. Youre starting to see all the classic early signs, he said during an interview with MarketWatch editor-in-chief Mark DeCambre during the outlets inaugural Best PEREGRINATIONS - Canadian Catholic Perspectives and Reflections by members of the PERSONAL ORDINARIATE OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER Jillian Kestler-D'Amours More than 70 percent of the guests had their visa applications denied [Marc Braibant/AFP] T... Partners Centers of Expertise (COEs) are innovative cross-specialty educational opportunities that allows trainees to explore areas of medicine and health care delivery relevant to all specialties such as medical education, quality & safety, global & community health, and health care policy & management. This blog is authored by trainees who have received a travel grant and their experiences. This post originally appeared on the Early Warning Projects blog. In the last few months of 2015, Christine Mehta traveled to Ukraine several times as part of a delegation tasked with assessing Ukraines forensic capacity and political willingness to investigate human rights violations related to the conflict, such as torture, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances. Forensic capacity means the technical expertise and equipment to collect, preserve, and analyze medical or scientific evidence in a criminal case. Also part of the mission was to explore damage to medical facilities and disruption of health care delivery to citizens affected by the conflict, including internally displaced persons. Nearly two years ago, Ukraines winter of revolution was melting into an unsteady spring. As the Ukraine crisis moved into 2015, the Early Warning Project put the formerly stable country in the top 20 on its at-risk countries list. The Project identifies countries at risk of new mass atrocities, in particular government violence against its own people. The Projects hypothesis is that mass atrocities namely mass killing of civilians can be detected early, and policy makers can act to save lives. An outbreak of armed conflict in 2014 catapulted Ukraine into the Projects ranks of countries most at risk of perpetrating a mass killing against its own citizens. The Ukrainian conflict has killed an estimated 9,098 individuals and injured 20,732 more. It is unknown how many civilians or servicemen are included in the overall estimate, as bodies are still waiting on the battlefields in Donetsk and Luhansk to be recovered and identified. The question going forward into 2016 for Ukraine is: how many more will die? Since the latest ceasefire was reaffirmed on September 1, 2015, deaths and injuries decreased as both the government and the separatists began removing heavy weaponry from the frontlines. However, despite the ceasefire, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OHCHR) recorded 47 civilian deaths and 131 injuries from August 16 to November 15, 2015. The breakdown of the rule of law in eastern Ukrainea consequence of the conflictalso has resulted in human rights and humanitarian law violations being perpetrated by both sides, particularly arbitrary detentions or reports of extrajudicial killings of civilians accused of being opposition or state sympathizers or informants. Risks to Ukrainian citizens are primarily an indirect consequence of war: collateral damage, damaged infrastructureincluding to housing and medical facilitiesand lack of medicines, especially for those suffering from terminal illnesses such as tuberculosis and cancer. Counterterrorism operations by Ukrainian security forces pose another threat to civilians still residing in Ukraines east, as the government attempts to root out pro-Russian sympathizers. With the current government continuing to tumble in popularity, political destabilization in Kyiv is a high risk, and there remains a danger that the ceasefire will dissolve altogether, resulting in more fighting in the east. This will only result in increased civilian deaths as the countrys infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk, and the surrounding provinces, struggles to recover from two years of destructive conflict. The threats affecting populations in the east differ from those affecting the west. In the east, most active combat occurred in government-designated Anti-Terror Operations Zones, or contiguous areas surrounding the Line of Contact on the western side of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (provinces). The population in ATO zones suffers from continued counterterrorism operations that reports from groups like Amnesty International and the Brussels-based International Partnership for Human Rights say have resulted in arbitrary detention, torture, and other ill-treatment. Threats from armed groups in Donetsk and Luhansk include torture, extrajudicial and summary killings, and arbitrary detention. Devastated infrastructure, including of medical facilities, and lack of medical supplies, militarization, and restricted freedom of movement are also major concerns for those still residing in ATO zones. The de facto authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk continue to block western humanitarian aid organizations from delivering medical supplies and drugs, according to several international humanitarian organizations based in Kyiv. According to several doctors with access to Donetsk, and the director of one international humanitarian organization, medical supplies were blocked specifically because of the separatist authorities need to create revenue for their financially-strapped Republics by selling Russian-manufactured drugs at inflated prices, rather than distributing aid free of cost. I have not been able to independently verify this claim, but it is worth noting that the separatist authorities have struggled to identify and tap possible income streams. As winter wears on, international and domestic groups involved in resettling internally displaced persons in Kyiv are concerned that more of the displaced, and those residing in the east, will suffer illness, injury, and death due to lack of basic necessities, including adequate housing, food, medicines, and heat. The UNHCR estimates that 800,000 people are living in eastern Ukraine in difficult and dangerous conditions, without reliable access to safe housing, supplies, and heat. While these poor conditions already make survival for the young, elderly, and ill difficult, another outbreak of fighting will result in a further deterioration of conditions for Ukrainians living in the east and in displacement camps along the line of contact. In the west, there are fewer visible signs of the conflict. In fact, Kyivs cobblestone streets host markets and street musicians on a daily basis, and young people populate the citys nightclubs on the weekends, with few external indicators that they fear further upheaval. As in many countries where conflict is entrenched, the instability becomes normal, and life goes on. Despite the relative normalcy of daily life in western Ukraine, however, conflict has inflamed jingoistic rhetoric. Deepening schisms between the growing Ukrainian nationalist movement and Ukrainian institutions and communities culturally akin to Russia, such as the Orthodox Church, are polarizing Ukraine and contributing to public tolerance for inflammatory speech by Ukrainian nationalists against Russian-speaking, or Russian-sympathizing, Ukrainians. While the Ukrainian nationalist party, the Right Sector, only held two seats in Parliament after the 2014 election, its influence over public opinion is strong due to its reputation as the revolutionary party that liberated Ukraine from Russian influence. Ukrainian nationalism is rising in popularity as Ukrainians become increasingly disillusioned with the current government, led by Petro Poroshenko, which they feel has failed to deliver, or even commit to, the demands made by protesters in 2013. A legacy of deep distrust towards government that dates back to the days of Soviet rule is still pervasive in both eastern and western Ukraine. That legacy is fueling the popularity of the Right Sector, which was originally a paramilitary confederation in Maidan Square, where its self-defense groups fought against riot police in 2013. On December 4, 2015, my colleague and I arrived in Ukraine for the second time. On the way into Kyiv from the airport, we chatted with the cab driver. There will most definitely be another Maidan, the driver said. According to the driver, the current government is still controlled by the same set of oligarchs that controlled the government ousted in 2014. He had little faith in Ukrainian and European Union leaders commitment to implement the reforms needed to root out corruption in the countrys creaky, bureaucratic institutions. The drivers skepticism is common, but passionately contradicted by a growing group of reformers comprised of civil society activists, lawyers, and some government officials driving the seemingly Sisyphean task of replacing the old guard with the new. Roman Romanov, the director of the human rights and justice program at the International Renaissance Foundation, a Ukrainian civil society group based in Kyiv, told us that while he fears more conflict and the power of corruption, he has never seen the kind of fervor for reform that is currently galvanizing Ukraine. Everything is about creating new. Everything is on the table for change, he said. However, the reformists may become a beleaguered minority with little power to maintain the current fragile stability in order to keep the government institutions reforming, and root out corruption. For the time being, the odds are in their favor, but they all know their luck could change. As the government has known since the Right Sectors formation in 2013, the volunteer battalions and their right-wing ideology are one of the greatest threats to Ukraines current administration, as well as its greatest defense against military aggression in the east. The volunteer battalions are key in supporting counterterrorism operations in ATO zones, as well as the State Security Service of Ukraine (the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs). Allegations of arbitrary detention and torture while in detention have been rampant in connection with the volunteer battalions, presenting the government with a dilemma: how to reign in the battalions. Despite the allegations of abuse, Ukrainians in Kyiv still widely support the volunteers as the harbingers and defenders of democracy and Ukrainian nationalism. Homes and offices are decorated with the flags of the battalions, and businesses set up donation bins for the public to finance the volunteer fighters. Although hostilities have de-escalated dramatically since September 2015, the battalions have not been disbanded, nor have they been effectively brought under the command and control of the Ukrainian government. If the volunteer battalions and right-wing political parties prompt a coup, the violence that will ensue can only spell disaster for those struggling to survive in the countrys damaged battle zones. Unfortunately for Ukraine, it is likely that 2016 will witness more fighting, either through an uprising from the Ukrainian far right, another outbreak in the east, or both. Ukraines defense budget has ballooned since 2014, with the 2016 budget slated to total nearly four billion USD. In keeping with the analysis of local observers, Ukraine appears to be gearing up for continued military engagement, presumably with Russia. The fear of instability and more war is ever-present in Ukraine, and the long-term consequences, especially for the displaced and chronically ill in the ATO zones, could be severe. When Ukraine once again thaws from its long winter, an outbreak of hostilities will significantly threaten civilian safety, as further fighting strains ruined and compromised infrastructure, the authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk continue to block humanitarian aid from international organizations, and the use of heavy weapons puts civilians at risk of indiscriminate shelling and firing. The worst outcome for 2016 would be an uprising provoked by the Right Sector, an event that would unravel even the current semblance of political structure, and thus accountability, with little hope of recovery or a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east. The best safeguard for preserving stability, and safety for vulnerable populations, is for the Ukrainian government to implement reforms and deliver on its promises to Maidan protesterseffectively deflating the ire, and power, of Ukraines nationalists. HEBRON | Laura Elizabeth McCoy, 95, of Hebron, New York, went to be with her Lord Jesus on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, at the home of Jim and Kathy Nelson. She died peacefully with the love of friends and the presence of the Lord surrounding her. She was born May 24, 1920, at Granville Hospital, the daughter of William and Alice Sheldon Potter. She grew up an only child in Rupert, Vermont, with her best and lifelong friend, Lenora Clark. Laura married Nelson McCoy in 1942 and they bought a farm on Route 22 in Hebron, where she lived the rest of her life until the recent months. She was a very hard-working farm wife. Laura had one daughter, Bonnie May McCoy who was killed in an automobile accident in 1979 at the age of 21. Laura was a ray of sunshine. She was an Avon lady for more than 20 years. She loved people and so enjoyed traveling from home to home and visiting with her customers. Laura had a childlike joy. She deeply appreciated the smallest blessing that came her way. She gave her heart to the Lord as a girl in the Stone church in West Rupert, Vermont, and was baptized there. Laura was later a member of the Disciples Church, then the United Church of West Pawlet, Vermont, and most recently the South Granville Congregational Church. Laura epitomized selflessness. She cared for her invalid mother, her mother-in-law, and then her husband at the end of his life. She never complained, and her smile lit up our hearts. She faced each and every challenge that came her way with thankfulness and perseverance. Our hearts are broken by her departure, but we know that heaven is blessed by her presence and we will meet again. A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at Robert M. King Funeral Home, 23 Church St., Granville with the Rev. Robert Flower presiding. Friends may call from 1 to 3 p.m. Burial will be in the spring in Mountainview Cemetery in West Pawlet, Vermont. Memorial contributions may be made to the Haynes House of Hope. WELLS, Vt. | A Granville woman was sent to a Vermont jail Tuesday night on charges that accuse her of assaulting a man and accosting numerous people at a home in western Vermont, police said. Michelle Wolf, 37, of Middle Granville, was charged with counts of domestic assault, unlawful mischief and aggravated disorderly conduct for a series of incidents in and around a home in Wells, Vermont, according to Vermont State Police. Police said she was accused of assaulting a man and damaging his property in his home, confronting a witness in the driveway and hitting her vehicle and accosting a neighbor. She had numerous injuries to her hands, police said. Wolf was arraigned and sent to Marble Valley Regional Correctional Center in Rutland, Vermont, for lack of bail. QUEENSBURY The Warrensburg man who was convicted last month of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl was sentenced Wednesday to 29 years to life in state prison as authorities revealed he also was accused of earlier abuse of two other children. Lorne S. Warrington, 54, was convicted of five felonies for repeatedly sexually assaulting the 10-year-old girl in 2013. The jury deliberated less than an hour Jan. 22 before finding him guilty of all charges. Among those counts was the states weightiest sexual offense, predatory sexual assault against a child, which has a mandatory minimum sentence of up to life in state prison. The charge was enacted in 2008, and is filed in cases where there are repeated sexual assaults of a child under the age of 13. Warrington rape, sodomized and fondled the girl. Warrington was acquainted with the child, who came forward last spring alleging he had molested her. In court on Wednesday, Warringtons lawyer, Robert E. Kelly, asked Warren County Judge John Hall to remove from a probation report on Warringtons case accusations that he had molested two other children years earlier. He was not prosecuted in those cases, as the alleged victims did not wish to have criminal charges filed. Hall acknowledged that the information was hearsay and no charges had been filed, but he said the information should be left in the report. Warrington confessed to Warren County sheriffs officers and State Police as he was taking a polygraph test. But he has since claimed he didnt make any admissions, and that he didnt read the written confession he signed. Warren County Assistant District Attorney Emilee Davenport, who prosecuted the case, scoffed at that contention, pointed out that Warrington has tried to recant the confession that he gave to police and has had no remorse. The defendant has refused to take any responsibility whatsoever, she said. The assaults have had a major impact on the childs life, Davenport said. Warrington had no comment in court, and Kelly asked for the minimum sentence, arguing that Warrington had an innocuous criminal past. He does contest the allegations here and will file an appeal, Kelly said. Hall questioned that effort to recant as well, saying that Warrington wrote on the confession that he understood the statement and even corrected a misspelling of the victims name. Hall called the crimes horrific and agreed that Warrington had shown no remorse before imposing consecutive prison terms that add up to 29 years to life. Kelly filed a notice of appeal after the sentencing. Warrington, the father of convicted child killer Brandon Warrington of Glens Falls, will have to serve 29 years before becoming eligible for parole. If released, he will be on parole for the rest of his life. The family of a Ticonderoga man who was hit and killed by a driver more than six years ago will receive a $650,000 settlement in a lawsuit that blamed a Chester man for the fatal hit-and-run crash. The lawsuit stemmed from the Dec. 2, 2009, death of Anthony A.T. Morette as he jogged at the intersection of Route 22 and Shore Airport Road in Ticonderoga. No one reported witnessing the early-morning accident, but before he lapsed into unconsciousness, Morette told police a blue tractor-trailer hit him. Ticonderoga Police and State Police investigated the crash and were able to locate a blue logging truck that became the focus of the investigation. But no traffic or criminal charges were filed, despite Morettes family offering a $10,000 reward. Morettes family hired lawyer Brian Breedlove to look into the case, and Breedlove filed a lawsuit against the truck driver, Christopher Steady of Byrd Pond Road in Chester, and the company for which he drove at the time, Cleveland Logging of Fulton County. Steady acknowledged to police that he was driving a blue logging truck on Route 22 in Ticonderoga that morning but has denied hitting Morette. The case went to trial Jan. 25 in state Supreme Court in Essex County, and after 17 witnesses testified, the logging companys insurance company, National Casualty Insurance Co., decided to settle, Breedlove said. No wrongdoing was admitted. Breedlove said then-Ticonderoga Police Investigator Dan LaFrance did a bang-up job investigating the case, and police department records were a major part of the lawsuit. He said Steady made 11 phone calls in 10 minutes after the accident, one to his wife reporting that he had witnessed a small car hit a pedestrian. He said he stopped, and that the woman was on a phone but he did not check on the victim and could tell the woman was not on the phone with dispatchers. Steady told police he didnt call 911 either, and left when he saw five other people arriving on the scene, presuming they were calling for help. Morettes body was found by a passerby who called 911 and said no one else was at the accident scene at that point, which Breedlove said cast doubt on Steadys version of events. He never contacted anybody about it, Breedlove said. Steadys wife told a co-worker that her husband had witnessed the accident, and that co-worker mentioned it to a police officer they knew, which led to officers questioning Steady. A law enforcement source said Ticonderoga Police believed there was enough evidence to file charges against Steady for leaving the scene of an accident, but that the Essex County District Attorneys Office decided there was not enough evidence to prosecute them. Ticonderoga Police Chief Mark Johns said the investigation is not closed, and he has to be cautious when discussing it. There was a person of interest who we explored quite extensively because of inconsistencies he gave in interviews, Johns said. A decision was made not to charge because of a lack of physical evidence linking him to the crash, but police could have charged him with a misdemeanor for making a false statement, Johns explained. Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague was not district attorney when the crash happened, but took office weeks later, in January 2010. She said the case against the suspected driver was "circumstantial," and that filing a false statement charge could have precluded more serious charges if additional evidence was developed later in the investigation. "The (evidence) standard is much higher for a criminal case than a civil case," she said. Phone messages left for the law firm that represented the insurance company, Carter Conboy, and for Steady at his home, were not returned Tuesday. Morette, 60, was beloved in Ticonderoga and very active in community organizations, garnering the nickname keeper of Mount Defiance for his efforts to preserve the historic site there. HUDSON FALLS Work continues on the annex at the former Washington County courthouse, and an announcement regarding the villages plans for the building is expected at an open community meeting at 2 p.m. Friday at the courthouse. The annex is all cleaned up, and the electrical wiring is all re-done and modernized, said village Trustee Robert Cook, who is helping coordinate the villages plans. Six Flags (Great Escape) is continuing to help us. Their head electrician brought some students down to do the work. The village has until June 1 to act on an option to buy the courthouse, annex and two parking lots for $300,000. Fridays meeting will include presentations about the plans for the building. A reception on the first floor of the courthouse, location of a former restaurant, is scheduled to follow the meeting and a tour of the building. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, will be at the meeting, and Cook said he expects she will make an announcement regarding the building. Cook said the meeting will include a review of the project and a discussion of a potential youth center and potential grants and funding sources for the purchase and renovation of the building. Architect Fred Keil, of Fred Keil and Associates in Plattsburgh, who is working with the village on the project, will discuss the status and current condition of the buildings, as well as what improvements may be needed. Village Board members have said the purpose of acquiring the properties is to prevent potential deterioration of important structures that occupy a highly visible part of downtown. Then, the general plan is to create a community facility centered on the courtroom space and to develop a youth center in the annex building. If it is unable to raise the full $300,000, the village could bond for the remainder of the sale price. The purchase would not require a permissive referendum unless the village borrows money for five or more years. The property had been advertised for $499,000. ANOTHER BLOG FROM NEVILLE STEPHENS ON BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY. However, the finance minister is said to be part of the President's entourage to Tehran to boost bilateral relations between the two countries hence his inability to appear before parliament. President Mahama described the economic cooperation between Ghana and Tehran as the "beginning of a new epoch in bilateral ties" after the two countries signed new documents on cooperation. READ MORE Addressing the House after the finance minister failed to appear before the law makers, the Leader of the House, Alban Bagbin said "because of the nature of the issue and its importance, I will like the Minister himself to come and brief the House and not a deputy minister." The Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, told MPs he received a letter from Terkper's Office telling the leadership of the minister's inability to appear before them. The Chief Executive Officer of DKM Microfinance LTD, Martin K. Delle was arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Aboagye Tandoh for dishonestly appropriating GH40,000 last month. Three other microfinance operators in the Brong Ahafo Region are also in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) over their alleged roles in swindling peoples of their monies. The arrested people were Noel Nortey, Nkoranza Branch Manager of God Is Love Fun Club; Charles Asum, Managing Director of Jastar Group of Companies and Monica Afriyie popularly called Maame Korkor, Managing Director of God Is Love. The Bank of Ghana in October 2015 froze accounts of DKM Microfinance after the central bank placed a 120 day moratorium on the company for flouting the Banking Act. An audit report by the Bank of Ghana released to the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) established that DKM has no investment in the country and beyond after it collected huge amounts of money from numerous customers. DKM, contrary to Bank of Ghana (BoG) regulation, set up subsidiary companies and lent peoples money to themselves, the report said. Amin Abdullah, 41, was fired at Charing Cross Hospital for signing a petition in support of an another colleague who was laid off. He was dismissed for gross misconduct on 21 December, and was treated for depression and suicidal thoughts at St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove while awaiting his appeal. He was under close observation, but was nevertheless allowed to leave the hospital two days before his hearing. Less than four hours later, at 3am, his charred body was discovered outside Kensington Palace. After he was sacked, Mr Abdullah was depressed and he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight outside the palace in west London last week. The way they [the NHS trust] treated him was disgraceful, Mr Abdullahs partner, Terry Skitmore told Metro UK. Amin was raised in an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He moved to the UK in 2003 and became a British citizen. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Menstrual pain is something half the world can suffer. Those women who don't get it are lucky. CNN has reported that just this Sunday Anhui province introduced new regulations allowing female workers who suffer severe menstrual pain to take one to two days off every month, after presenting a doctor's certificate. This is something already afforded to women in Shanxi and Hubei provinces, while Guandong has been looking into creating regulations as well. Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan also have laws guaranteeing women days off during their periods. While Asian countries are understanding of what women go through on a monthly basis, it's not only Asian women who suffer debilitating period pain. Research suggests that globally, one in 10 women suffer from menstrual cramps so bad they can interfere with their daily activities. But as Quartz reports, there's little research on period pain. John Guillebaud, professor of reproductive health at University College London, told Quartz the cramping can be as bad as having a heart attack. The specifics of why some people suffer more than others is not well understood, experts say, and despite the number of women who suffer from severe cramps, existing treatments are limited, including dulling the symptoms by taking painkillers or using the pill as contraception, which tends to reduce the flow of the period. So, while those women in Asia are given time off to suffer through the pain, actually finding a cure for it is still a way away. Staff of the Hospital on Monday laid down their tools in protest against the appointment of one Dr. Gandaa, a lecturer at the UDS Medical School, as the Medical Director of the facility. According to the striking health workers, one Dr. Chris Fofie who they believe worked tirelessly for the facility should have been given the appointment to lead the hospital as the Medical Director. They further alleged that Dr. Fofie was denied the position because of his ethnicity. Health delivery at the facility has currently come to a halt following the strike by the health workers. This is not the first time a regional hospital is complaining about the appointment of hospital managers in public health institutions. RELATED: Ridge Hospital staff want enquiry into appointment of new Medical DirectorStaff of Ridge Hospital in Accra last month protested against the appointment of their medical director. This is due to their inability to streamline solutions to the challenges of their target customers. So often, you find techprenuers( tech entrepreneurs) building fanciful apps that appear to do so many mind- boggling enhancements, but do not bring the exact convenience that the average Ghanaian needs. This is attributable to a failure on the part of these techpreneurs to localize their technological solutions to the needs of the average Ghanaian. This is what Asoriba has been able to do perfectly, which is why they earn a slot in this Edition of Meet The Boss. The Story of Asoriba Asoriba is a management tool for church administration. A combination of a mobile and Web App, Asoriba seeks to solve all the administration needs of an average church on one platform. Ranging from collection, storage and analysis of the data of church members, keeping track of church revenue as well as facilitating members' tithing, offertory and pledge payments. They can do all that through embedded electronic payment platforms on Asoriba. The days when your church administrator is unable to tell whether you attended Sunday church service or not is over. Asoriba gives him an easy, real- time analysis of church attendance patterns. He or she is also able to tell the margins of decrease or increase in church population just by the click of a button. Solution meets problem Again what makes Asoriba standout, is how well they have specifically tailored their tech innovation to the basic problems and needs of churches. The team attributes such valuable achievement to their strong religious background. It so happens that three of the five co- founders of Asoriba were born to parents who are pastors and church leaders. Nana Opoku W. O. Agyeman-Prempeh, Chief Executive Officer of Asoriba reveals what they did to achieve such value: " For the four of us who started the company, church has been a part of the life. Myself, Saviour and Patrick have been in church leadership almost all our lives, and our fathers are pastors. And when we started off, we built around pastors. For example, from conception to the time we went we had wonderful pastors like Pastor Eddy Addy who is the pastor of Light House, Airport Branch. With that you are able to build solutions that meet real problems". For Chief Product Officer for Asoriba Web, Saviour Kwaku Dzage other web solutions on the market do not present the holistic solution that Asoriba provides. And this, he says is testament to Asoriba's commitment to a tight feedback system. " We practically built the app for our customers. And they were in the process every step of the way." Has Asoriba been Successful? Asoriba's quick meteoric rise to fame is strongly tied to the reception they have received from customers. " We have been out selling a lot, and I tell you this... the reaction we get most of the time after demonstrating the product to churches and church members is WOW!!!" , Obed Asamoah Boateng (VP - Sales & Marketing) says. " it has really made my job as a sales and marketing much easier, because the product really sells itself" he adds Asoriba wins 3 awards out of 3 competitions For many, Asoriba was, by far, Ghana's startup of the year 2015. Their real test would come when they entered the Seedstars Ghana competition in October 2015 in Accra. This was barely a few months after the product had hit the market in June. " Seedstars is actually a competition that goes round African countries selecting the best Startups. So it was a privilege for us to win in 2015. But it says a lot about the amount of hardwork that was put in, but of course it was by the Grace of God. This was at a time when we had just finished building a product, an MVP, and then gone to the market only to be adjudged best startup in Ghana." Asoriba would go on to be adjudged Best Startup in Africa 2015, when they competed in Seedstars Africa. This was before they had won the Innovate Africa Challenge, a business pitching competition for startups in Africa, from which they won a cool GHC10,000. Police and security personnel have been deployed to Agogo in the Ashansti region to deal with the ongoing conflict between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and locals. They are working to drive the Fulani out. The Fulani herdsmen over the years have clashed with Agogo residents for damaging their crops and farms. The Fulani herdsmen have been accused of engaging in robbery, rape and the murder of residents in the process. The security action comes after residents of the area vowed to take on the nomadic herdsmen after a farmer was alleged to be gunned down by the Fulanis. Speaking with Pulse News, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Tanko said the Fulani situation had calmed down but police and the military were still working to move Fulani from the region. He said about six Fulani herdsmen had been arrested and the security forces were working with the locals to find out the routes they used. He said a number of Fulani cattle had been killed by the locals about three weeks ago and police were unable to find those responsible. He said police urged locals not to take the law into their own hands and kill the Fulani's cattle. They needed to let security forces deal with the situation. Animal welfare activist Ujakpa Martin Mabeifam, who is a Ghana Technology University College lecturer and chief executive officer for the Society for the Welfare of Animals Ghana said animals should only be destroyed if they were directly posing harm to human life. In this particular incident [locals killing Fulani cattle], personally I don't see the human life that has been put in danger. Mabeifam quoted an African proverb to explain the situation, 'when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.' I think that is what has happened to the cows. Between the Fulani and the indigenous people I think of them as the two elephants fighting and the cows have become the grass that has suffered as the consequence. Mabeifam referred to the Ghana Criminal Code which outlined it was illegal to cruelly cause harm or hurt animals. This was the first time a large number of animals had been killed in Ghana that wasn't related to preserving human life or health, like when poultry was destroyed because of bird flu, Mabeifam said. In a development this week, ASP Tanko indicated that the Fulani men were using the cattle to charge at the security forces. The Fulani are able to command the cattle. It's as if the cattle understand the Fulani man. He can say one thing and all of them will stop, he can say another thing and all of them will charge. So the men on the ground sometimes face a situation where a Fulani man will command the cattle to charge and in that situation they have to resort to the power of their arms to be able to protect themselves. Because of this, the security personnel have been directed to shoot at animals that attack them. Mabeifam also said Fulani could control the cattle and communicate with them. He said news that police were given permission to shoot and kill animals that charged at them was understandable as they needed to defend themselves. The Ghana Education Service and the Controller and Accountant General is also expected to be at the said meeting. Teachers across the country have served notice of a strike on February 29, 2016 if government fails to pay them their outstanding arrears by the end of February. Government had earlier agreed with NAGRAT to pay the outstanding salary arrears, car maintenance allowances and transfer grants by June 13, 2015. But, speaking to Pulse.com.gh, the President of the Coalition for Concerned Teachers, Ernest Opoku said government has failed to meet the deadline of payment, hence their decision to lay down their tools. "Some of the teachers have been teaching for two three years; I mean it is quite heartening. You are employed by the government of Ghana for three years; you are being paid for only three months and the rest of the arrears is still lingering on," he said. According to the Minority MPs, the president failed to get parliamentary ratification for an agreement between the government of Ghana and the United States of America, in relation to the transfer of the two terror suspects, Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby. In diplomatic relations, youd have verbal communication, but, at least, when the United States approached us, they did not come to us verbally, they must have issued a note verbal to our Mission there and thats how the process started. So, there is a written agreement and we are demanding to see it, the Minority spokesperson in charge of foreign affairs, Mr Isaac Osei, said at a press conference on Tuesday February 16, 2016. The Minority MPs added that the president breached some sections of the constitution in the process of transferring the two former terror suspects. "In 75 (1) It says the president may execute or cause to be executed treaties agreements or conventions in the name of Ghana. "75 (2) A treaty, agreement or convention executed by or under the authority of the President shall be subject to ratification by- (a) Act of Parliament; or (b) a resolution of Parliament supported by the votes of more than on behalf of all the members of Parliament," Subin MP, Isaac Osei quoted the law as saying. "I think that in spite of what we have said it is not too late, the president can eat humble pie, bring the agreement to Parliament. "As we speak today the president can be impeached because of this," the Minority MPs said. The two ex-detainees: Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, arrived in Ghana on Thursday January 7, 2016 for a two-year stay as part of a deal reached between the United States of America and the Government of Ghana. Dadzie alleges that the MP openly hurled insults and threatened "to deal with him" yesterday morning in front of Joy FM. According to Dadzie Agyepong accused him of writing unpleasant things about him. On the 6th of February 2016, Dadzie wrote on his Facebook wall "I believe that since his party left power and he was no longer able to waltz through the airport with his merchandise, that drug dealing MP from the Central Region has been sniffing his own stuff and getting disproportionately high." It is unclear if this post was meant for the Assin North MP who has been widely accused by some members of the NDC of dealing in drugs but no official complaint has ever been made against him. Days after the post from Dadzie, he wrote again on his Facebook page on the 16th of February 2016 that he has "filed a police complaint against the MP for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong.." He said Agyepong "menacingly accosted me in front of Joy FM and threatened to slap, beat and "deal" with me if I don't watch the things I write about him. He violently shouted all manner of threats and expletives at me as he was restrained and led away by onlookers." The Accra Regional Police Command Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Afia Tenge told Pulse.com.gh one of the men involved in the incident was released from the Police Hospital on Friday, while the other is still in the hospital under guard. The two suspects, Stanley Obaliko, alias Sully Mohammed, 35, a Nigerian resident in Ghana, and Okoe Quarcoe, 30, unemployed were injured when they attempted to rob Koala marketing administrator Lydia Horsu on January 9, 2016 in the Cantonments region of Accra. The two men were stopped by a taxi driver, Fred Ade, who witnessed the attempted robbery. He used his taxi to chase the two men who were on a motorbike and knock them into a gutter. Three other men accused of being involved in the incident have denied their involvement. Michael Edoe Ahiataku, an ex-soldier; Gilbert Osabutey, a shop supervisor at Koala Shopping Centre, and Frederick Sedro Kwame, a private security guard were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, possession of firearm and ammunition without authority, robbery and causing harm. They plead not guilty to the charges and have since been remanded in police custody, the Daily Graphic reported. ASP Tenge could not immediately comment to Pulse.com.gh on a further two people media had reported were suspected to be involved in the incident but were at large. However, she confirmed all five named suspects involved in the case will be put before the court on February 24. Police have alleged that on January 8, at about 8 p.m., all the accused met at the Koala Shopping Centre at Cantonments where Osabutey briefed them on the movements of Horsu, who goes round daily to collect money from sales and later sends it to the companys head office at the Airport residential area. They hatched a plan to rob her the following day.The following morning at about 8 a.m. Horsu went to the Cantonments branch to do her work, then left to go back to the head office, while the accused communicated her movements to each other, leading Obaliko and Quarcoe to trial her on a motorbike, Obaliko is then alleged to have pointed a pistol at her, ordering her to surrender her handbag, the Graphic reported. It was reported the woman refused to comply, and Obaliko pushed her to the ground and snatched the handbag, then shot her twice in her left thigh and calf, after which he and Quarcoe sped off on their motorbike. They were then chased down by Ade and arrested by police. Last week, the case was meant to be heard in court but was adjourned as the accused were absent. This observation comes at a time of a severe water shortage in Accra and other surrounding communities which the Ghana Water Company blames on illegal alluvial mining along major river bodies. Ghana appears not to get a hang of the fight against galamsey despite several efforts to stop this illegal activity. In 2013 an inter-ministerial taskforce was set up by President John Mahama to crackdown on these illegal miners. This was at a time many foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese, had taken over illegal mining in Ghana. Isaac Abraham is Public Relations Officer for the Minerals Commission Ghana. In an interview with Pulse.com.gh he indicates that the taskforce clamping down on the illegality has proven not to be the way to go. We need to talk more for the people to change their attitudes rather than always using security on them, Abraham says, the national inter-ministerial taskforce it was just an adhoc taskforce that was set up because of the magnitude of illegal mining at that time, after that its no more in existence. He says financially sustaining this solution is impossible and therefore a long lasting approach needs to be adopted. During the height of the clamp down in 2013 the taskforce was accused of extorting money from illegal miners in order to overlook their activities, an accusation the minister of Lands and Natural Resources then Alhaji Inusah Fuseini denied. He at the time called on people with evidence of extortion to come forward. Even though the taskforce managed to arrest and deport dozens of Chinese engaged in the act, the Minerals Commission thinks the move is not a permanent solution to the galamsey problem. Parliaments Works and Housing Committee made this known after visiting the GWCL treatment plant at Nsawam. The Committee on their visit to the site discovered that poor planning has been the reason for the severe water crisis being experienced in some communities in the country. Shortage of water has hit areas including Winneba, Tamale, Sekondi, Ningo and Nsawam for over two weeks now due to the drying up of the main sources of water supply for the GWCL. The Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee, Justice Joe Appiah, expressed worry about the extent of work at the Nsawam treatment plant after he and other members of the Committee were conducted round the site by the GWCL. They have to answer questions, heads must roll. The 11 million euros must be accounted for. You do such a thing and you say you have dredged the place for 11 million euros and Ghanaians will be sitting there waiting for water to come? God has blessed us with over 800000 water bodies in this country .and look at what is happening," he added. In line with this, prices are likely to change today( Wednesday), with many experts predicting a marginal reduction mainly in the price of petrol. This has been attributed to a marginal increase in the prices of crude on the international market in the past two weeks. Prices are therefore expected to go up between 3% and 2% for both Petrol and Diesel today. Already, Pulse Business can confirm that Shell Ghana has decreased the price of petrol by a little over 1%. Before, a gallon of Petrol at an average Shell Filling Station cost 15 Ghana Cedis 28 pesewas. At the time Pulse Business checked at 8am Wednesday morning, the commodity is now going for 15 Ghana Cedis 6 pesewas at the East Legon Shell. For diesel, Shell has increased the price by over 1.2%. Again when Pulse Business checked at the East Legon Shell this morning, a gallon of diesel that used to sell for 14 Ghana Cedis 30 pesewas is now going for GHC14. 35. Goil, Allied Oil, and other major OMCs are also set to review their prices by the end of the day today. Proceeds of the 30 lifting on (December 8, 2015) will be received & distributed in the first half of 2016. Meanwhile Ghana has received a total of 100,200,392.21dollars from the 28(June 30 2015) and 29 (September 9) lifts.This was contained in the Ghana Petroleum Funds Report for the Second Half-Year Ended December 31, 2015. READ MORE Allocation to the Ghana Petroleum Funds The report further reveals government has withdrawn 71,265,218.54 dollars from the Ghana Stabilization Fund. This might possibly be due to the shocks the economy has received due to the consistent fall in the price of crude on the world market. Allocations to the Ghana Heritage and Ghana Stabilization funds totalled 21,672,945.67 dollars.6,5018,83.71 dollars out of the total amount was allocated to the Ghana Heritage fund from the 28 and 29 lifts. THE DECISIONIn the light of the acute poverty and dire hardships in Ghana, the decision to invest taxpayers monies into putting President Mahama's picture and pictures of his fourth republic predecessors, on hundreds of public buses is a clear case of misplaced priority and insensitive decision making that is out of touch with the real needs of the Ghanaian people. The space on those buses could have been readily taken out by advertising companies who would have paid monies in to the national treasury.The decision to rather put President Mahama's photos on the buses has not only deprived the poor taxpayer of good money, but also actually caused the taxpayer to pay out millions of Ghana cedis.THE EXCUSEThe excuse for this decision to put the photos of President Mahama and the other fourth republic presidents on the buses is ludicrous. We have been told the decision was to recognize their contributions to Ghana's progress.If this is indeed a pressing need of Ghanaians, then it should be the images of the past presidents which should be on the buses since they have done their bit as presidents and gone. President Mahama is still president. Indeed he has told us he is now going to fulfill his great promise to put monies into our pockets, so he obviously has not finished his contribution, i.e. his best contribution is yet to come. He has not finished his contribution to Ghana's progress. So his image should not be in a display of those who are being recognised for their contribution. But rather strangely, his picture is even more prominent than those who have finished their contribution and left. In fact the others are in black and white (and not very visible) and his in full colour! It is therefore clear that this venture is nothing more than a poor venture to project President Mahama ahead of the 2016 elections, and have the poor taxpayer pay for it!!CORRUPTIONLadies and gentlemen, as indicated, the decision of the NDC government shows awful bad judgment. The decision causes the poor taxpayer to forfeit revenue. It also causes the poor taxpayer to lose money in payment, all in a bit to project President Mahama.As if all of this is not enough, the execution of this very bad decision is also mired in wanton corruption, and brazen illegality.According to the Attorney General, even as the poor Ghanaian taxpayer was made to pay for this horribly misplaced decision, the taxpayer should not have paid more than GHC 1.7 million. Instead, the poor taxpayer was made to pay an extra ghc 1.9 million (19 billion old cedis) for no work done whatsoever.This wanton dissipation and clear looting of public funds take place at a time when Korle Bu is closing major units for lack of ghc 700, 000 to buy medical consumables.There is absolutely no mercy for the poor taxpayer in this President Mahamas NDC government. The taxpayer is made to forfeit revenue, he is also made to pay for a misplaced project which doesn't benefit him in any way, and he is also made to pay more than twice for this ordeal!ILLEGALITYTo be able to inflict this big corruption on the taxpayer, many of the provisions of Ghana's financial laws were brazenly broken.According to the Attorney General, Smarttys sprayed and rebranded the buses EVEN BEFORE the procurement process (as required by law) was started;Payment processes to Smarttys were started EVEN BEFORE Smarttys had submitted a quotation! The request to the Public Procurement Authority for clearance to award the contract on sole sourcing basis,(as required by the law) WAS DONE AFTER the contract had been awarded and executed!So proper and legal procurement processes were not observed, and no value for money audit was conducted.Indeed, the work was awarded and executed EVEN BEFORE A CONTRACT was signed! Whew!!This is better Ghana at work. This is transformational governance indeed! The real l care for you government!Before one may take comfort that this may be one terrible event, one should remember that this pattern is repeated in other NDC government contracts, which we will bring to your attention. The Telco interconnect saga or the so called Afriwave contract, is another case in point.WEAK GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO CORRUPTIONAs indicated, this bus branding saga also illustrates President Mahamas NDC government weak response to corruption.The Attorney General recommended the retrieval of ONLY the amount of ghc1.9 million it determined to be the overcharge.The NPP believes the interest of the poor taxpayer would be better served if the entire sum of ghc 3.6 million is surcharged against all those who took this non beneficial decision to put President Mahama's photos and others on these hundreds of public buses.Be that as it may, the NDC government has subsequently directed Smarttys ltd to refund the excess payments of ghc 1.9 million. Also the then sector minister who superintendent this deal has resigned from her position.NO PROSECUTIONBut ladies and gentlemen, the Attorney General also recommended the further investigation and prosecution of all the public officials involved in the procurement and payment process in this bus branding saga.President Mahamas government has not taken any action at all on this most crucial recommendation.This failure of President Mahama's government reinforces the great disappointment among Ghanaians on the governments commitment to fight against corruption.The government itself told Ghanaians that the Attorney General determined that the procurement law and processes had not been followed. This straight away calls for prosecution as there are penalties for breaching the anti corruption laws of the country.Indeed in this country, in this NDC government, we have seen the government rightly embark on vigorous prosecution of former cabinet ministers, on suspicion that they had infringed the procurement laws.So how come that now, the NDC government of president Mahama will not prosecute officials who have been deemed to have infringed the same procurement laws?Especially when that determination of infringement has been made by the Attorney General herself and the government? Is it one law for some and another law for others? Is it Animal Farm again?NEW PLOTWhat Ghanaians are being presented with as the fight against corruption, as exemplified in this bus branding saga, is this new found plot called REFUND OF CORRUPTLY PAID OUT MONIES.In this plot, NDC government officials go into collusion with individuals (who invariably have NDC affiliations), to misappropriate poor taxpayers monies, (create, loot and share).When these corrupt collusion become exposed, plot two is activated. The NDC government, in plot two, goes into negotiations with these partners in the plot, that they should refund the monies.In plot three, the NDC government comes to tell the taxpayer that oh some of the monies have been refunded.And the poor taxpayer is expected to be grateful and clap for the government.At worse, the NDC connected individual co-plotters, knowing the joke; do not bother at all to follow through with any payments.At worst, after the exposure, the NDC government itself doesn't bother at all with the exposures, and just move on.Mind you, ladies and gentlemen, in these entire spectacle, there is no talk whatsoever of interest payments.So the new most profitable game in town is-- collude to misappropriate taxpayers monies, deposit the monies into high yielding instruments or investments, if alarm blows, you will be required to pay back the principal, at your convenience, and if out of the goodness of your heart, you do some refund, you get to keep the huge interest, even if invested in treasury bills!Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Ghanaians, this is the state of the fight against corruption in Ghana today: the application of Animal Farm rules, and the plot of refunds.To see through this sham, all one has to do is look across to neighbouring Nigeria, where corrupt people are in a queue, to report themselves and begging to be allowed to refund the monies they stole! No wonder an arch critic like Wole Soyinka, recently remarked that he had never seen such vigour in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.That is the lesson for all Ghanaians. That is the example for my good friend President Mahama. Ladies and gentlemen, we demand, on behalf of taxpayers that in this bus branding saga:1) The practice of using taxpayers monies to put pictures of President Mahama and NDC slogans on public buses should be stopped. The NDC should pay the full cost of ghc3.6 million for this political advertising.2) Negotiated refunds of corruptly paid out and received monies should be stopped in favour of court orders granted out of prosecution, as required by our laws.3) The chief of staff should publish the full report of the Attorney General into this bus branding saga, in the interest of full disclosure, transparent government, probity and accountability. Thank you ladies and gentlemenSignedNana Akomea(COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR) In an exclusive interview with Pulse.com.gh, he said the new bill is a clear attempt by government to infringe on the privacy of people. He said the bill is akin to the US National Security Agency (NSA) scandal in which it collected the telephone records of tens of millions of Americans. The NSA, according to the Guardian and the Washington Post, tapped into the servers of google, Yahoo, Facebook and Microsoft to monitor online communication in a surveillance programme known as Prism. Verizon communications, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order, release its telephone data to the NSA on an "ongoing daily basis." American citizens data were collected indiscriminately regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing. "You can't vouch for the integrity of the government" when it comes peoples data, Ametorgor said. Explaining further, he intimated that government could use peoples data negatively, including victimising and snooping on political opponents. Reacting to suggestion that the bill is targeted at people deemed as security threat, Ametorgor said "it is the government who defines who is an ordinary person," adding that once the government decides to spy on you, "you are no longer an ordinary person." "If you want to monitor Maximus' call, it means I am no longer an ordinary citizen," he said. He accused parliament and the executive of being sluggish on the Right to Information Bill, yet, are quick to pass the Postal Packets and Telecommunication Messages Bill. He suggested the bill has a bad motive. Ametogor called for the the document to be made public. In addition, he also called for extended deliberations on the matter. The Postal Packets and Telecommunication Messages Bill was referred to the Defense and Interior of Parliament last week by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho. According to a member of the Defense and Interior Committee of parliament, Major Derrick Oduro (Rtd), the bill was brought by the sector minister. The event continues as a collaboration of BlackNBold Fashion House, a leading fashion promoting company, Africa Fashion Week London, the producers of the biggest African Fashion Week in Europe & Nigeria and Mahogany International, world renowned producers of fashion weeks across the world. The team behind NSFDW has over 20 years of local and international fashion show production experience. The Winasbet Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week aims to discover new talent and give opportunities to those that would not normally be able to afford to participate at the major Nigerian Fashion Weeks. WinasbetNigerian Student Fashion and Design Week is aimed at brand new or emerging designers that want to use these shows as a platform to either launch themselves or a brand new collection that they have to the student market. The Most Creative Designer will receive sponsorship to showcase at the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, a year mentorship with a renowned fashion designer, a top pr company and financial support. More benefits available in the designers pack. The fashion week is scheduled to hold this July at the Indoors hall of the University of Lagos and it will attract press, buyers and fashionistas from around Nigeria who want to see the new trends that are being developed by the designers that NSFDW will feature. To request press accreditation email: press@nsfdw.com Rabi of Chika village, Airport Road, Abuja, had approached the court for dissolution of the marriage because Salihu refused to make love to her for years. She said that she and Salihu had planned to unite to make a better living by buying a car for commercial purpose to show their love. "I got a job for him through my boss, my husband suddenly changed and started following his female co-workers. "Though he feeds me, but when it comes to sex matters it will turn to fight. I am a woman and I have feelings for him. "Whenever I try to touch him, he will push me out and if I call him so that we can sit down and discuss the issue, he will beat me. Rabi said that she had reported the matter to both parents but nothing changed. "He has failed in his matrimonial obligations, I am totally fed up, please my lord, separate us. I am no more interested in the marriage. "I really want him to divorce me, despite the fact that I have suffered for him. I paid his school fees all through and many more, she said. She begged the court to dissolve the marriage because she wanted to move on with her life. Salihu, however, denied all the allegations, and urged the court to give him more time to settle with his wife amicably. "I take good care of her and provide all she wants. Please my Lord, give me more time to resolve this issue with her, Salihu said. He also denied having female friends or another wife elsewhere, adding that he did not concede to the dissolution of the marriage because he was not fed up with the union. The presiding officer, Mr Garba Ogbede, ordered the couple to provide more evidence to substantiate their claims. Ogbede, however, stressed that the court frowned at issue of violence, and urged the couple to maintain peace "Both parties are to maintain peace at all times; any violation of the order of this court will amount to contempt with grave consequences, he warned. The public prosecutor issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Taymour el-Sobky, accusing him of slandering Egyptian women and damaging their honour, according to a statement from his office. Sobky caused a furore after making his conclusions on the evening talk show Mumkin, which means "It is Possible". His remarks were aired in December on privately-owned CBC channel but did not generate controversy until a clip was posted on social media this week. The show was suspended for 15 days as a result. "These days, it is very normal for women to cheat on their husbands and seek it out ... Many women are involved in extramarital affairs while their husbands are abroad." Egypt is a conservative, predominantly Muslim country where sex outside of marriage is frowned upon. Sobky's comments included the suggestion that arranged marriages in traditional southern Egypt exacerbated the problem of infidelity because women ended up with men they don't know. One masked man from the region appeared in a video carried on YouTube with an assault rifle and issued a death threat against Sobky. Legal expert Tarek Ismail said that according to Egyptian law, Sobky could be jailed for up to three years if convicted. "Women cheat on their husbands, and their husbands know about it. They keep forgiving them until they give up and leave," Sobky said. The image of the rare creature has divided opinion on social media with some suggesting it could be a large hairtail and others saying that the image was designed. Australian Museum fish collector Mark McGrouther has a different idea arguing instead that it could be a deceptively large pike eel which is native to east Australia. He said, I suspect it was caught and discarded by fisherman who got more than they bargained for when they tried to reel it in. According to SaharaReporters, which cited EFCC sources, the former minister's husband was picked up by EFCC operatives this morning, February 17, in Abuja. He was said to have been released on administrative bail. But the anti-graft agency seized his passport and placed him under caution, it was learnt. [Mr. Madueke] was arrested this morning [in Abuja] and released on administrative bail, the online new portal quoted an EFCC insider to have said. Former minister, Alison-Madueke was reportedly arrested in London last year for financial crimes. She was said to have laundered billions of naira while she headed the Petroleum ministry under former president Goodluck Jonathan. IPOB made the comment via a statement issued by its Coordinator of Coordinators, Dr Clifford Iroanya on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. It reads: In several occasions, these organizations boasted that they have effectively neutralized Radio Biafra and went to town partying for their phantom success. To their chagrin, Radio Biafra continued to broadcast to the entire humanity with more devastating and damaging evidences of structural deficiencies inherent in the British concoction called Nigeria. Radio Biafra has been able to raise the consciousness of Biafrans as well as the International Community on the plight of Biafrans and provided incontrovertible evidence that Biafra consists of the present-day South-East, South-South (except Edo state), Igala in Kogi state, and Idoma in Benue state. The divide-and-rule strategy fashioned against Biafrans by the British and their Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba accomplices were effectively deconstructed and destroyed by the superior evidence, logic, and research undertaken by the Editorial Board of Radio Biafra. Furthermore, Radio Biafra was used and is still being used as a rallying point for Biafrans all over the world including those residing in various parts of Nigeria. Through the efforts and instrumentality of Radio Biafra, every Biafran has truly identified himself or herself as a Biafran and recognizes the supremacy of Chukwu Okike Abiama (God the Creator) in all things. Radio Biafra was able to remove the scales of deceit planted by Yoruba-based Pentecostal Churches and their criminal tithing obsessions with which they cart away billions of Naira every week from Biafrans in Biafranland and elsewhere in the world. Finally, Radio Biafra imparted into Biafrans, the unquenchable, unstoppable, irreversible, and irresistible quest for the restoration of the Nation of Biafra. Considering these and many more monumental achievements of Radio Biafra and how hopelessly and helplessly these Nigerias major Media Outfits were, Buhari was left with no other option than to sack the Media Chiefs. Therefore, their sack is an empirical evidence that Radio Biafra has won the media war. Tam-George said the 1969 Petroleum Act, which gives the Federal Government the power to own revenues from petroleum resources, should be reversed. Tam-George said this in Lagos on Tuesday, February 16, while addressing newsmen. He said the Federal Government is at variance with the spirit of true federalism. The Commissioner, who lauded Buhari's anti-corruption war, urged the government to also battle structural corruption in the country. Hhe said, We align with the Federal Governments anti-corruption war but we are worried that structural corruption, which manifests in the inability of the Niger Delta states to control their oil resources, should be addressed. Seventy-four per cent of the national revenue disbursed to states comes from the Niger Delta, 20 per cent comes from the South-West, the remaining eight per cent is contributed by the South-East. The 1969 Petroleum Act has to be repealed. The control of oil resources by the Federal Government is a case of the state stealing from itself. This is structural corruption that must be checked. We are advocating that states should control their resources. Daudu said The conduct of the federal government in this matter has made Dasuki not to enjoy his constitutional rights and this must be resisted by the judiciary in the interest of justice and the rule of law. The worse is that for about seven weeks now; specifically since December 29 last year when Dasuki perfected his bail conditionsbut was rearrested by the DSS, neither his lawyers nor his family know exactly where he is being detained but only aware that he is in the custody." This would tantamount to a mockery of judicial process if the accused person is not allowed to adequately prepare for his trial." You will recall Dasuki was detained at the prison on December 21, 2015, pending the fulfilment of bail conditions given to him by High Court Justice Peter Affem. After fulfilling his bail requirements, he was subsequently released, and the Department of State Services (DSS) re-arrested him outside the Kuje Prison in Abuja. Daudu also asked the court to discharge his client of the criminal charges he has been accused of. Sambo Dasuki was also indicted by a panel setup by President Buhari to look into various arms purchase deals since 2007. It is alleged also, that the former National Security Adviser, laundered $2.1b meant for the purchase of arms for the military in their war against Boko Haram. Ibrahim said the outcome of forensic analysis on financial transactions in the Sterling Bank account used indicated that the money was not payment for contract executed. She said that the office of the National Security Adviser headed by retired Col. Sambo Dasuki authorised the payment. "The bank account that was used belonged to Abbah Bello, son of the third defendant (Haliru Bello), Ibrahim said. She added: "between October and November 2014, a special Task Force was created to investigate Defence and arms contract. "Allegation of financial misappropriation in the office of the NSA has been reported at the commission. "After the Task Force was constituted, we studied intelligent reports and commenced investigation. "During the course of the investigation, we invited relevant government agencies and banks to discuss with them. "Specifically, we spoke with senior staff from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Central Bank of Nigeria. "One of the discoveries was a letter from the Ministry of Finance to the CBN requesting the release of N100 billion on March 2, 2015. "The money was actually meant for disbursement to agencies of government with the office of the NSA getting N30 billion out of the fund tagged to be used for security issues. "On March 3, 2015, the Accountant-General of the Federation sent a memo to the Ministry of Finance in respect of the N30 billion. "And on March 5, the Accountant-General of the Federation sent another memo to the CBN requesting urgent release of the N30 billion which was eventually paid into the NSA office account on March 11. "On March 17, the N300 million was transferred from the N30 billion into the Sterling Bank account operated by BAM Project and Properties Ltd owned by Abba Bello. "When Abba was arrested and interrogated, he denied knowledge of the transaction that ran through his bank account. "Then his father, Haliru Bello was away in abroad, but the story changed when we spoke with him on telephone. "During the course of the investigation, we got to know that Bashir Yuguda, former minister of State for Finance was used to actualise the transaction. "During forensic analysis, we discovered that on March 18, disbursement of about N137 million was made to Kumugumu Ltd, on the same day, another N178 million was sent to North pole Ltd from the N300 million." "On March 28, Abba transferred the sum of N163 million to Hijra Textiles Ltd on the instruction of his father, Haliru Bello. "Abba who is the sole owner of BAM Project and Properties Ltd whose bank account is been used withdrew the sum of N20 million in two tranches of N10 million each. "Then on May 28, Abba made another transfer of N50 million into another of his personal savings account. Ibrahim said Abba had specifically confessed to the commission that BAM Project and Properties Ltd did not execute any contract for the office of the National Security Adviser. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the duo are standing trial for alleged unlawful collection of part of the funds meant for arms purchase for the military. Tarfa was arraigned before Justice Aishat Opesanwo on a 2-count charge of obstruction of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Mr. Tarfa pleaded not guilty to both counts. Based on his plea, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo prayed the court for a trial date and to remand the defendant in custody. However, Adeniyi Akintola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who led a team of over 90 Senior Advocates and other lawyers to represent Mr. Tarfa, said they had filed an application for bail which he said was served on the prosecution on the 10th of February, 2016. In his application for bail, the defence counsel told the court that the defendant went to court voluntarily and that he was granted administrative bail by EFCC on self-recognition. He said the defendant was a very senior member of the bar with no criminal record. He said there was nothing to show that the defendant would jump bail. However, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application as the offence was grave. He urged the court to dismiss the application and order for an accelerated hearing. Justice Opesanwo, in her ruling, granted bail to Mr. Tarfa on self-recognition but ordered that he must not travel out of the country without the permission of the court. The trial judge bemoaned the number of counsel who were in court for the defendant. She noted that there was no need for such magnitude of support as it amounts to harassment and intimidation of the court. Soon after the ruling, Mr. Akintola told the court that he had filed an application to quash the charge. Mr. Rotimi responded that he had not been served. He was subsequently served by the defence counsel in open court. Justice Opesanwo adjourned the matter to March 14, for hearing of the application to quash the charge while the substantive case was fixed for April 20, 2016 for trial. Tarfa is accused of willfully obstructing two officers of the EFCC, Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Mohammed from arresting Gnanhooue Sourou and Nazaire Odeste, who were suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes in contravention of Section 38(2) (a) of the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004. Also, he is alleged to have engaged in improper communication with Justice M. Yunusa of the Federal High Court Lagos between May 11 and June 25, 2015 while the case between the EFCC and two others was pending before the judge. Count 1: That You Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on or about the 5th day of February, 2016 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, wilfully obstructed Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Mohammed, authorized officer of Economic and Financial Crime Commission from arresting GNANHOUE SOUROU and NAZAIRE ODESTE who were reasonably suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes by keeping the said suspects in your car between 11.00 hours to 16: 30 hours Count 2: The four states under the control of Kaduna Electric, it was gathered, were getting 410 megawatts of electricity but has now dropped drastically. Residents of Kaduna at the weekend complained epileptic power supply which resulted to frequent power outage. But the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company management has attributed the current interruption of power supply to low power allocation from the national grid. The company said vandalism of gas pipelines and other oil facilities in the south-south and south west regions of the country has led to low generation and distribution of electricity. The Chief Engineering and Technical Services Officer of the company, Engineer Bello A. Musa said in Kaduna that the company will supply what it gets from the national grid. It added that once the budget was passed, the settlement of debts owed contractors for road projects across the country would commence in earnest. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, announced the intention of the government when he visited Kwara Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, in Ilorin on Monday evening. Fashola, who had earlier passed through the Jebba-Ilorin road, decried the deplorable state of the road which resulted to unending traffic hold up that left many motorists stranded for days. He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had identified the Jebba - Ilorin road as one of the strategic roads that would be given urgent attention by his administration. "It is a very strategic road which Mr President himself has identified as one of his strategic economic roads; and the identification is with a lot of merit. "Even on our short journey here we saw cattle, we saw fuel, we saw yams, we saw grains, and we saw containers going to and fro. "So, it tells anybody who cares to observe that this is a strategic economic artery for the movement of goods between the north and south of Nigeria. He commended the contractor for continuing work on some failed portions of the road, despite non-payment by the immediate past administration. "When I assumed office, the entire budget for road works was N18 billion for the whole of Nigeria. And all of us are now seeing where the money went. "So, it is understandable, that people like this contractor who were working to build roads were not paid. "But all of that will change under this administration as soon as the new budget is passed. "So, I am hopeful that the challenges and the discrepancies in the budget will be overcome by meeting of minds between parliament and the executive. "There are no sides in this matter. We are different shades of the same government. "So, it is imperative that we quickly get these issues behind us and get a budget in place," he added. Fashola said that the federal government has also set up a committee to verify federal roads rehabilitated by state governments to ensure that the standard set were followed. On housing, he said that the government was looking at formulating policies that would promote the use of locally produced materials for sustainable buildings to enhance job creation. "We would use more locally made materials so that our people can get back to increased productivity, create jobs and then our job would have been done as a government of change," Fashola declared. Responding, Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed described Fasholas appointment as an opportunity for him to bring his experience and achievements in Lagos to move the country forward. "No doubt, what you did in Lagos have shown that we require people like you to move some of the most critical areas to drive Nigerias economy forward. "We are all very clear that the issue of road and the issue of energy are very germane to our growth and development. "So, somehow we have a lot of pressure on us but we are happy that you are coming at a very critical time to see how you can at least support some of the roads in the state," Ahmed said. Fashola made the appeal while unveiling an overhauled generating unit of the Jebba Hydro Power Station on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rehabilitation work was the first carried out in the power station since it was inaugurated in 1985. The rehabilitation of the generating unit made possible through a N3.5 billon grant by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, concessionaires of the power station, provided the N1.7 billion counterpart fund to bring the project cost to N5.2 billion. Fashola noted that stability must be restored to guarantee investments in the power sector; otherwise it would be difficult to reposition the sector. "Unless we have stability and liquidity in that sector, it would be extremely difficult to grow the interest and investment that would ramp up the power supply from where it is. "This is the gap that we must fill and this is the challenge that we must overcome. "So, I once again appeal to all of the stakeholders to join hands with us, the government, the private owners, and everybody who is interested to add value to the sector. "There are no sides in this challenge. For us, there is only one purpose: providing reliable power to the Nigerian people.'' The minister commended the investors and development partners involved in the work for choosing to invest their resources in Nigerias economy. He assured that the Federal Government would continue to support committed indigenous business owners who deployed their financial resources for the diversification and expansion of Nigerias economy. "This plant has gone for over thirty years without prerequisite overhaul when at the time of commissioning in 1985, it would have been overhauled once every six years. "All I wish to say is that for investors, like Mainstream and other concessionaires, as long as they play by the rules, they deserve our support. "They have chosen to invest in a place we call home. There are others who have taken their money out. "If the likes of Mainstream did not invest, the workers in this place would have no work. "So, I once again use this opportunity to commend the investors, the workers and our development partners, the nation of Japan, represented by their ambassador, the JICA, Fashola said. Representative of JICA Nigeria Office, Mr Hirotaka Nakamura explained that the grant was a demonstration of the agencys preparedness to contribute to the development of Nigeria. "JICA stays committed to improving sustainable and stable power supply and strengthening of power transmission lines for better quality, as well as better economy of Nigeria. "JICA is ready to take another step forward into cooperation with the Government of Nigeria through a concessional loan to refurbish the other four generating units of the station, he promised. Earlier, the Managing Director, Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, Mr Lamu Audu said the plant comprises six identical generating units which were supposed to be overhauled every five to six years. According to Audu, "unfortunately, none of the generating units was overhauled before being handed over to MESL in 2013, after about 30 years of service. He appealed to the minister to direct the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company to facilitate full settlement of his company's monthly energy invoices to enable it keep the power plants afloat. This is expected to put a stop to road recklessness especially by commercial vehicle drivers. On this note, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Sunday Oghenekaro, has urged commercial motorists to install the device in their vehicles before April 1 when the agency would begin to arrest and prosecute defaulters. The corps last year held a nationwide rally ahead of the implementation of the speed limit device on vehicles whose implementation was initially fixed for June 1, 2015, according to Punch. Due to the imminence of the 2015 General Elections and pressures from stakeholders, the implementation was postponed. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that workers under the state branch of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), barred staff of the agency and other health organisations that share the same compound with the agency from entering their offices. Speaking to newsmen on the development, the state Chairman of the union, Mr Jeremiah Ngyakwar, said that the union took the action to press home its demandfor the immediate payment of the three months outstanding salaries of workers. "We have not been paid three months salaries; no leave grants and for 12 years there is no promotion." He said that the union would take further action such as rallies and refusal to participate in immunization, if nothing was done to address their plight. Reacting to the development, the Executive Chairman of the agency, Dr Abdullahi Belel, blamed the development on shortfall in funding due to dwindling allocation to local governments, who are responsible for funding the agency. Belel said the agency required over N300 million monthly to pay workers but was now getting less than N200 million monthly. Punch reports that the fraudster sold forms to 9000 IDPs at the rate of N300 each, promising to provide them with government relief materials. The commandant of the NSDC in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim said The suspects have sold a total of 9,000 forms to the IDPs in some camps across Maiduguri at the cost of N300 each, promising them that they will be provided with special relief materials from Abuja. Adding that the fraudster engaged the services of some agents in the camps, to deceive the IDPs that special relief materials will be brought to them from Abuja after filling the forms with their passport photographs attached. Ibrahim also warned those in the IDP camps to be careful of dupes and asked them to report suspicious activities to the command. While the army acknowledged killing seven of the Shiites Muslim sect, the group alleged that over 800 of its followers were killed in Zaria.The women in their numbers marched through Kaduna metropolitan streets holding placards with inscription, "Free Zakzaky".Spokesperson for the women, Lubabatu Alhassan, said the protest seeking for the release of their leader became necessary having spent some months in security facilities. Lubabatu pleaded with the State Government to hand over corpses of their members killed during the clash for burial.The women also condemned what they described as brutality meted on them by the Government and the Nigerian Army, saying that the judicial commission of inquiry setup by the Kaduna State government was a ploy to indict them. The Police in Kaduna has intercepted 33 bags of Indian hemp and 34 baskets of hard drugs in Kaduna town. Umar Shehu, Police Commissioner while displaying the items said over 150 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure adding that they would soon be prosecuted.Umar said 10 bags of Indian hemp in Bacco Bags, 10 cartoons of hard drugs and 17 jerry cans of liquid toxicant acid were also seized from criminals. As you can see we recorded this achievement in Kaduna town where we intercepted these drugs. We will continue to do our best in containing this menace in view of the negative consequences of drugs in the society, The Commissioner said. Hard drugs are a strong motivation to crime, rape and other vices and we will continue to do our best without a break. As you know, the government of Kaduna state has been supportive and we are grateful, Umar added.He said the Police is handing over the intercepted drugs to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The unions Chairman, Mr Segun Raheem, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos that 1,300 teachers amounted to one teacher per school. He was reacting to NANs findings in the Alimosho Local Government primary schools where most of the classes have no teachers. "1, 300 (teachers) that is ongoing is for primary schools, not secondary schools. "Even the 1,300, like we have said, we have over 1000 schools in Lagos. "That is, we are (recruiting) 1300, the statistic is like one (teacher) to a school and of course, this is grossly inadequate "We have over 1,000 schools in Lagos State, if you are now recruiting 1300 (teachers), the statistics is like one (teacher) to a school and this is grossly inadequate. "In fact, between last year and this year, more than 2,000 teachers would be retiring in that sector. "Even the 1,300 they are planning to recruit will not even be enough to replace those that are retiring between last year and this year. The threat is contained in a statement issued in Lafia, signed by Mr Joseph Ancho, the State's Head of Civil Service. "Government will soon implement the policy of no-work- no- pay on the striking workers in the state in accordance with the law, if they remain at home,'' it said. Government said workers needed to be reminded of the provision of the law that stipulated that workers on strike were not expected to be paid during the period of industrial action. It quoted section 42 (1A) of the Trade Dispute Act 2004, which stated that, where any worker takes part in a strike, he or she shall not be entitled to any wages or other remunerations in the period of the strike''. Government also directed Permanent Secretaries, Directors and casual workers to report to their respective offices as they were not members of any union. Meanwhile, the organised labour has directed its members to embark on a one-day fasting and prayer for God's intervention in the on-going strike action. The kidnapping of Abubakar S Yaros son along the airport road in Kaduna is coming few weeks after two children were reported missing in Kaduna Metropolis. One was found in Zamfara State with eyes plucked. Coca Cola is the pioneer chairman of the defunct Buharis Party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Kaduna. A resident of the area Nura Usman said the kidnappers have made contact with the family. According to him, the kidnappers are demanding the sum of 5million Naira as ransom. While defending the President's foreign trips, Mohammed said Mohammed said the two things that have been discouraging foreign investors from coming to the country are terrorism and corruption, which, he said, the current government is waging war against intensely. He said this while addressing newsmen on Wednesday, February 17, after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. You do not run a country by being isolated and the personal presence of the president in many of these fora is very important because before now we were almost a pariah state and the two things that have been driving investments away from this country are terrorism and corruption, Mohammed said. He continued, one thing that nobody can fault this president on is his determination to fight these two ills. Mr Presidents presence in these fora is very crucial even to the economy back at home. Before now the level of corruption was very high that nobody was ready to risk his investment in Nigeria. The cost of doing business was so high that most international businessmen didnt want to come here. Who is coming to invest in a country where there is insecurity?" Many Nigerians, mostly those loyal to the opposition, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), including Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, have heavily criticised Buhari over his frequent foreign trips, noting that he is wasting the country's resources in the face of economic crises. The President has embarked on at least 19 trips to 14 countries since assuming office in May 2015. Also defending Buhari's foreign trips, the environment minister, Ms. Amina Mohammed, said that the trips are justified given the results and windows of opportunities that have opened for the nation. We hope to see the president going out and advocating for this country to get more investment so that we can take everyone out of poverty. That is really what is important. We see it as an investment with a return worthwhile, she said. According to report, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had earlier written a letter to the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking a fresh hearing date on the case that started in 2007. The court responded by listing the case for mention on Wednesday. At the reopening today, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) represented the prosecution in court, while the defence had no representation. Kalu was first arraigned by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 27, 2007. The appeal court had dismissed his application, seeking it to set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court that he had a case to answer Oshiomhole gave the directive when he paid a surprise visit to the operational office of the agency. The officials were caught in possession of fake and illegal receipts and other incriminating documents. He said that the agency was riddled with fraud and fraudulent activities, adding that it would remain disbanded. "The government had received lots of complaints from both government officials and members of the public concerning the illegal activities and extortion by members of the disbanded agency. "Our visit to this office has confirmed all the allegations against EDSTMA, as we have seen some fake receipts that had been issued as well as a fake list of traffic offences. "We have also discovered from the responses of some of the so called officials of the agency interrogated that they neither have employment letters nor even identification cards. "I want to say it here again that we have since disbanded EDSTMA; hence anybody they stop should take them to the nearest police station. "We will, immediately, set up a committee that will commence the prosecution of any person claiming to be an EDSTMA staff, he said. Oshiomhole who also appealed to the public not to part with money to any person under the guise of traffic manager, said that government was poised to manage traffic and not dehumanise the people. "Government will not accept thuggery in this state, just as government did not mandate the agency to collect any money on its behalf, cash collected are illegal, he said. Dokpesi's re-arraignment followed the transfer of his case file from Justice Gabriel Kolawoles court by the Chief Judge due to congestion of cases in the court. The EFCC had in Dec. 2015 arraigned Dokpesi on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and fraud. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the resumed hearing of the case, Counsel to EFCC Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the case was originally slated for trial before it was transferred. Jacobs argued that the new development now necessitated that the charge be read to Dopkesi who must now take his plea. He urged the court to fix March 2 and March 3 as trial dates to enable him assemble his witnesses. But Dokpesis Counsel, Mr Wole Olanipekun, SAN, urged the court to allow the bail conditions earlier granted his client by Justice Gabriel Kolawole to subsist. He argued that his client had not breached any of the bail conditions. Jacobs, however, did not opposed the oral application for the continuation of Dokpesi`s bail. He said that, "our interest is to see that the trial is conducted as speedily as possible. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Akpandem James, Media Adviser to the minister and issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. The statement said that the minister gave the assurance when a delegation of Cerberus/DynCorp from the United States paid him a courtesy visit. The delegation was led by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah. The minister said that the government was focusing on providing critical infrastructure that would make the countrys business environment attractive to investors. He added that attention was also being paid to areas capable of encouraging inflow of investments from the private sector. Udoma said that the decision of the group to invest in the revival of moribund or ailing industries in the country was in line with the governments industrial development vision. Earlier, the spokesman of the delegation, Mr Youssef Boutros-Ghali, told the minister that the group was interested in providing technical services and financing to revive the countrys moribund industries. Boutros-Ghali, former Minister of Economy and Finance in Egypt, said that Cerebus/DynCorp had expertise in funding and rehabilitation of moribund infrastructure. He stated that the group could facilitate inflow of foreign direct investments into the country to the tune of at least 1 billion dollars by the end of 2016. According to him, the current economic reform in the country requires active private sector support and participation. He said that the operations of the group cut across several other fields such as logistics, technology, agriculture, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals among others. A She also spoke on choosing between being a producer, director and casting director. Read excerpts; On how she decides if a movie is great. Taste differs, so what I may regard as a great film may not be what you would regard as a great film, she said. So for me, a great film is one that resonates my beliefs, my ideas. It's one that leaves me thinking, that changes my state from when I got in the cinema or when I press the play button ,to the end of the movie. If Something has changed within me, if there's a thought that I leave the cinema with, if there's a shift within my conscienceness, then for me that's a great film. My first love, my core, my passion is directing, and that is because first and foremost, I'm a storyteller. I'm an artist and I want to create. This is where I find my passion - creating and telling stories. I find that I'm not just a storyteller, but most of the time I have things that I'm passionate about. I'm passionate about women. As you might find amongst my most popular works, most of them are about women. I'm very passionate about women and that's because I'm one. Secondly is because within the African society, there are a lot of things that happen to women that we are not allowed to talk about. Sheriff, a former governor of Borno state, gave the assurance today, February 17, while addressing PDP members at the Abia state Governor Okezie Ikpeazu's thanksgiving service in Umuahia, the state capital. "We are here today, we are starting from here, and we are going to Aso Rock, Insha Allah by 2019. We will head from here and we will do it together," he said. He added, "This my long cap is prepared to lead my colleagues and brothers to Aso Rock, Insha Allah. By the grace of Allah nothing will deter this party from going to Aso Rock in 2019. By the time we put down our master-plan I am sure they (APC) will go back to where they came from. And Insha Allah, nothing will stop us. Dogara made the call in a statement signed by Mr Turaki Hassan, his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs and issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. The statement said Dogara made the statement when he received unemployed Aeronautic Engineers and Pilots from Bauchi State who paid him a courtesy visit. He said that instead of the blaming the APC-led government, the people who brought Nigeria to its current state should be blamed. "You know that we are facing challenges in the country at the moment. "Even though people do not want to talk about on the ground that we campaigned that we are going to fix the country,he said. "We have sowed in the wind and we are now reaping whirlwind and as long as the earth abides, there will be seed time and harvest time. "We do not want to dwell in the past, we are facing the future, he said. The speaker urged unemployed youths in the country not to despair and assured them that government was doing everything possible to create job opportunities. "Investment in education, skills and knowledge is never a wasted investment, he said and expressed optimism in the ability of the government to reduce unemployment in the country. "Don't despair because no training is wasted; but it is our responsibility to open the private sector for job opportunities, he said. He urged Nigerians to join hands with the government to sanitise the system to enable it create job opportunities, especially for the youth. "If youths are not employed, it will be a disservice to the society as well as discouragement to the graduates, he said. I called former President, Jonathan and told him, why not wait till the result is declared before conceding? Ita-Giwa told Daily Post in Lagos on Tuesday, February 17, 2016. This was two minutes after he made the announcement. Responding, he said, Aunty, I already know what the outcome would be. I have done the right thing. I am keeping to my word that no blood is worth my ambition. I said to him, You are great indeed. He thanked me for my call. I dont regret supporting him, but we thank God for the peace and unity of the country," he added. Ita-Giwa also said that she has no plans of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite the recent spate of defections from the opposition party. ------------------------------------ A Statement issued by Malam Isa Gusau, spokesman to Governor of Borno State and Chairman of the 19 Northern States Governors Forum, Kashim Shettima said they believe that the task of rebuilding the north is one that would require the support of all well meaning Nigerians, including the distinguished Senator Shehu Sani whose strategic committee has a vital role to play. The Vice Chairman, Senate committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, Senator Shehu Sani has described plans by the Northern States Governors' Forum to obtain loans from IDB in Jedda as illegal and urged authorities not to grant it. But the governors through their Chairman, Kashim Shettima said the loan will help them to actualize part of its firm determination to deploy lawful strategies aimed at accelerating the recovery, growth and development of the northern Nigeria. The statement made by the Senator was purely based on lack of the slightest knowledge about the issue because unlike what the very respectable Senator thinks, the IDB trip itself was not just done with the consent and approval of the Federal Ministry of Finance but rather, it was even the Federal Ministry of Finance that facilitated the trip, the statement said. Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Humphrey Ogoni asked the students to embark on mid-semester break when he discovered that some hoodlums hijacked the protest. The regulation said to be in line with the minimum standard set by the National University Commission (NUC) required students in the faculty to pass the compulsory courses of Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. The 20 students who were affected by this directive and some of their colleagues barricaded the school as they embarked on the protest. The VC asked persons in hostels to vacate the campus till further notice. But he said the school authority issued a directive to review the regulation to ensure uniform implementation. Ogoni further added that the the university reached an agreement with the affected students to resolve the matter and enable them graduate. He said: The management has reached an understanding with the affected students to enable them to graduate. The current protest was hijacked by other students who had been advised to withdraw because of their failure to measure up. The LASU team comprising Michael Babalola, Taiwo Okuneye, Mabawonku Olanrewaju, who are all graduating students of the university, and Rufus Olaoluwa, head of the department jurisprudence and international law, defeated the host at the second round of the competition, TheCable reports. Michael Babalola said, 'It was a great feeling of success because neighbouring universities had talked about the expertise of the school, bearing in mind the specialization of the college in law, which is evident in their laurels arcade situated at the schools administrative building. GIMC is Indias only moot court competition based on international trade law and LASU was the only university from Nigeria and Africa to have graced the contest. The LASU team did not make it to the finals of the competition but conceded the competition in the spirit of sportsmanship. In an open letter posted on the company's website, Cook details Apple's involvement in the case in which a locked iPhone was recovered following a terrorist attack that killed 14 people and injured 22 more on December 2nd, and goes on to explain why it's "too dangerous" for the company to concede to government demands. In the days following the attack, the FBI asked Apple to assist in its investigation and provide data. The Cupertino-based giant handed over some of that information, as it does with any "valid subpoenas and search warrants," and Apple engineers were also made available to advise on the case: "We have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them," says Cook. "We have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them." Those demands then focused on gaining physical access to the iPhone. "The U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create," adds Cook. "They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone." According to the Cook, the FBI asked the company to create a special version of iOS that would allow agents to bypass security features on the recovered iPhone. Apple refused, stating that such a piece of software would be able to unlock any iPhone if placed in the wrong hands: "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." Cook also criticised the FBI's "unprecedented use" of the All Writs Act of 1789 rather than legislative action through Congress. The All Writs Act, as described by the EFF, is "an all-purpose law that allows courts to require third parties' assistance to execute a prior order of the court." When Apple introduced encryption in iOS 8, it could no longer access locked iPhones, so the FBI tried to use the act to force it to re-engineer iOS and give it a way to brute force the passcode. The Apple Chief argues that those powers could be extended to intercept messages, access health and financial information, track a person's movements or stealthily access their microphone or camera. "The implications of the government's demands are chilling," he says. "Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government. We are challenging the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country. We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications." The Police had reportedly issued a directive, warning retailers against the promotion of 'decadent Western culture through Valentine's Day rituals.' The police had taken it a step further, warning Tehran's coffee and ice cream shops' trade union to prevent any gatherings allowing men and women to exchange Valentine's Day gifts or they could be found guilty of committing a crime. Valentine's day celebrations have quickly become popular in Iran as well as other western countries although there have been series of attempts to stifle the spread of what is referred to as the western culture in the Islamic Republic. Saudi Arabia has also gone to several lengths in a bid to stamp out Valentine's Day even though it is widely celebrated in nearby Dubai. The Indonesian Council of Clerics has on several occasions, declared the February 14 celebration to stem from another faith, arguing that marking the celebrations is tantamount to promoting other faiths apart Islam. Indonesian officials and clerics are also reported to have banned young Indonesian Muslims from celebrating Valentine's Day, their argument being that the celebrations run against Islamic teachings. Police also arrested three Colombian nationals and found 7 kilos of cocaine paste and 20 litres of a coke-based liquid that would have been worth 3 million euros ($3.35 million) on the street once processed, finance police said. While Italy's mafia groups are known to be major European importers of cocaine, the drug usually arrives from South America already refined. The bust shows an increased sophistication in camouflaging the drug, a police official said. The lab, set up in the kitchen of an apartment, was used to extract the drug from a plastic-looking material, police said. "It was easier to hide the coke in this raw state," finance police Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Furciniti told Reuters. "Probably the Colombians had come to Italy to explain the extraction process, because obviously only those who prepared it know how to refine it." A statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Will Henley, Commonwealth Communications Officer, said Obasanjo made the call when he joined the team in Kampala ahead of the scheduled presidential and parliamentary polls. As observers, we hope to see a transparent and credible election process. Our eyes are open and we will report what we see without fear or favour. All stakeholders, including party candidates and supporters, election officials, police and security forces, should play their part in ensuring that voters are free to express their preference at the ballot box. "They should also ensure that the election is conducted peacefully, without resort to intimidation or violence. We will be utterly impartial and objective in conducting our duties as observers and acting in our individual capacities as independent Commonwealth citizens. "Our assessment will be our own, and we will aim to be as constructive as possible, the statement quoted Obasanjo saying. He wished the people of Uganda well and pledged the unwavering solidarity of the Commonwealth family to the strengthening of the countrys democracy. The statement added that the Commonwealth election observer teams travelled to Arua, Gulu, Kabale, Kampala, Jinja, Masindi, Mbale and Mbarara earlier on Feb. 16. It said the teams would observe voting, counting and results processes at polling stations and counting centres. According to it, an interim assessment of their observations will be issued shortly after the Election Day. Obasanjo and heads of other international observer missions in Uganda have urged stakeholders to refrain from any act, statement or dissemination of information that might cause tension. They also advised the people to eschew acts that could attract ill-will, disturbance, and intimidation and adversely affect the peaceful and orderly conduct of elections. Democratic Caucus Saturday, Feb. 20 Registration 11 a.m. to noon Caucus call to order 11:30 a.m. Purpose 1. Elect delegates to the county convention 2. Propose resolutions for state platform. Participants must be registered members of the Democratic party. New members may register at the caucus. Any Democrat who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day (Nov. 8, 2016) may participate. The state party website is http://nvdems.com PRECINCT CAUCUS LOCATIONS Pahrump 9, 23, 26, 32: Rosemary Clarke Middle School, 4201 N. Blagg Road 10, 16, 21, 27: Manse Elementary School, 4881 N. Lola Lane 17, 20, 22, 24: Hafen Elementary School, 7120 N. Hafen Ranch Road 19, 28, 29, 30: Floyd Elementary School, 6181 Jane Ave. 11, 25, 31: J.G. Johnson Elementary School, 900 Jackrabbit St. Amargosa Valley 6, 18: Amargosa Valley Community Center, 821 Amargosa Farm Road Beatty 1, 8: Beatty Community Center, 100 A. Avenue South Tonopah 14, 15: Tonopah Convention Center, 301 Brouger Avenue Duckwater 2, 3, 13: Duckwater Elementary School, 2 Duckwater Road Austin 5: Yomba Tribal Gym Gabbs 4: Gabbs Elementary School, 511 E Avenue Round Mountain 7, 12, 35: Round Mountain Public Library, 73 Hadley Circle REPUBLICAN CAUCUS Tuesday, Feb. 23 Registration 5:30 p.m. Caucus call to order 6 p.m. Presidential poll: 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Must be a registered voter with the Republican Party at least 10 days prior to the caucus, which was Feb. 13. Any Republican who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day (Nov. 8, 2016) may participate. Detailed caucus information available at www.nevadagopcaucus.org Nye County caucus coordinator is Carla Perkins, glassribbons@yahoo.com, 775-513-0411. PRECINCT CAUCUS LOCATIONS Pahrump 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32: Rosemary Clarke Middle School, 4201 N. Blagg Road Amargosa Valley 6: Amargosa Valley Community Center, 821 E. Farm Road Beatty 1: Beatty Community Center, 100 A. Avenue South Tonopah 14, 15: Tonopah High School, 1 Tennant Drive Currant 2, 3: Currant Community Center Gabbs 4, 5: Gabbs Elementary School, 511 E Avenue Manhattan 7: Manhattan Library Sunnyside 13: Sunnyside Ranch Tina Trenner, the only Pahrump candidate who plans to challenge incumbent James Oscarson in an Assembly District 36 election, is ramping up her outreach efforts ahead of the June primary. Trenner will challenge will join two other candidates in challenging Oscarson on June 14 with the winner moving on to the General Election on Nov. 8. Trenner has been going to neighborhoods in several areas in her district and talking to residents. Recently, she visited Tonopah and Belmont. I want to meet everybody in this county. Im going to drive to every single house that I can go to and introduce myself to them, she said. Assembly District 36 includes parts of Nye County, Lincoln County and Clark County. Trenner, who recently got endorsement from the Nye County Republican Central Committee, touted her expertise of local issues and involvement in the community. I have years of being involved in this stuff, said Trenner, who has been a Pahrump resident for 14 years. Trenner is a political novice in the race. Among her chief issues she named taxes, water, land and wild horses. She had previously criticized the Basin 162 Groundwater Management Plan that sought to regulate new domestic well owners in Pahrump. I never wanted to be a politician, Im not a politician. I will be representative of the citizens, not a politician, Trenner said. Trenner also said she wants to stop local, state and federal government overreach. I want the BLM out of this state, she said. Additionally, Trenner said she plans to open up a store to raise money for veterans. Trenner is a Palm Springs, California native. She previously worked as a TV and radio host in Las Vegas and has been a longtime advocate for animal rights. Oscarson, who entered his second term last year, had faced a wave of criticism after he voted in support of Gov. Brian Sandovals $1.1 billion budget package of extended and new taxes that represented one of the largest tax packages in state history. The bill was meant to support Gov. Brian Sandovals statewide education plans. Trenner said many residents of Pahrump had told her they were unhappy about the tax increase. They are really mad about this tax being increased like this. They are really mad about it, she said. Oscarson announced his bid for re-election to a third term in the state Assembly last November. He was first elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 2012. Two other candidates, Rusty Stanberry of Las Vegas and Scott Mattox of Amargosa Valley, have announced their intention to run. Official filing to run is March 7 through March 18. Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. on Twitter: dariasokolova77 In 1972, during one of those periodic alarums about drugs politicians stage that have left us with major drug problems, U.S. Sen. George McGovern said in a Senate speech, Narcotics addiction and crime are inseparable companions. In 98 percent of the cases [the addict] steals to pay the pusherThat translates into about $4.4 billion in crime. Sen. Charles Percy thought McGovern was a piker. The total cost of drug-related crime in the U.S. today is around $10 billion to $15 billion, he said in a congressional hearing. Reporter Dan Baum later pointed out that, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, the total value of ALL stolen property that year drug related and otherwise was $1.28 billion. I was reminded of that episode when I read that Donald Trump said on Jan. 25 that by having Medicare negotiate with the pharmaceutical corporations, Medicare could save $300 billion on prescription drugs. Theres nothing wrong with the idea. As the Associated Press noted, Democrats have wanted to give Medicare that power at least since 2003, when the Medicare drug benefit law was passed but the Republicans have always blocked it. (Trump gets his ideas from interesting sources.) What bothered me was that $300 billion figure. It sounded awfully high. And so it was. It turns Medicare doesnt SPEND $300 billion on prescription drugs, so its unlikely to be able to SAVE that much on them. Annie Lowrey later reported in New York magazine, He makes a populist hit on an unpopular industry, smashes his opponents, and makes himself look like a financial genius. But step back a minute. Nobody actually believes that allowing Medicare to negotiate for drugs would save $300 billion a year, nor do I understand how Trump could possibly arrive at that number with even the roughest of napkin math. The government does not spend $300 billion on prescription medications in a given year. It is a ludicrous position that a politician like Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders would tear apart in a debate. Thats the way journalism is supposed to work, which brings me to the Nevada caucuses. As Bernie Sanders has staked more of a claim to the Great Basin, reporters from around the country have seemed befuddled by how to cover a state without opinion surveys. Huffington Post: Nevadas Democratic caucuses are only a week away, but its really unclear who has an advantage given how little polling has been done in the state. Business Insider: But with about a week to go before the crucial Nevada caucuses seen by some Clinton allies as the first of her firewall states that could stop Sanders surge theres almost no recent public information gauging how the last four months of the race have affected Nevada voters. POLLS tell us how the presidential race is affecting Nevada voters? No. Good reporting on issues and candidate positions tells us that. How did anyone ever report on political campaigns before polling? And how could reporters possibly report on Nevada without polls? Let me see. Reporters could have spent time checking the claims of the candidates, the way Lowrey checked on Trumps claim. Or how about reporting on climate change and the western drought? THERES a good way to tell us how the candidates programs might affect Nevadans. How about telling us where the candidates stand on the tax loophole given to mining companies in the Mining Law of 1872? In other words, in the absence of polls, why not, you know, report? But no. In the absence of reliable polling, we journalists turned to reporting other so-what matters, like the war chests of the candidates, or whether Clinton is panicking, or get this stories on why there are no polls in Nevada. That was informative for caucus-goers. One poll did finally appear, but it was commissioned by Washington Free Beacon and conducted by TargetPoint. The Beacon is a far right site and Slate reported that TargetPoint is a conservative firm stocked with Republican operatives, making some media entities reluctant to trust the survey, and it got limited news coverage. The lack of polling was GOOD news. It gave serious reporters an opportunity to go back to good old fashioned shoe leather reporting. Unfortunately few serious reporters showed up. Dennis Myers is an award-winning journalist who has reported on Nevadas capital, government and politics for several decades. He has also served as Nevadas chief deputy secretary of state. A Scott County judge on Tuesday denied a motion to acquit a former Bettendorf High School student accused of stabbing a classmate in April. Judge Joel Barrows' decision now paves the way for prosecutors to try Drew W. Romkey, 18, for a second time on May 9 on one count of willful injury causing serious injury. Prosecutors say Romkey stabbed Jacob Woodard, also 18, four times on April 11 in a cul-de-sac in the 6100 block of Lakeshore Circle, Davenport. Romkey has said he acted in self-defense. Barrows declared a mistrial Jan. 25 after a jury deciding the case said they were hopelessly deadlocked after 20 hours of deliberations. Robert Rosentiel, one of Romkey's attorneys, wrote in a motion filed Feb. 3 that jurors in the first trial said they agreed that he was not guilty of willful injury, but they could not agree that he was guilty of any lesser included offense. Rosentiel argued in the motion that Romkey should be acquitted of the charge because prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted willfully or with the intent to cause serious injury to Woodard. He also wrote that Romkeys testimony concerning details of the incident with Woodard were entirely uncontested. That, coupled with a lack of forensic and video evidence, would not lead a reasonable jury to unanimously find him guilty, Rosentiel wrote. Assistant Scott County Attorney Steven Berger filed a motion Feb. 4 and wrote that because Barrows denied Romkeys motion for an acquittal before the case was given to the jury, the court lacks any authority to grant a renewed motion for that relief. Berger further wrote that the fact that the jury was unable to come to a unanimous verdict is not grounds for rendering any decision other than scheduling a new trial date. Willful injury causing serious injury is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Romkey remains out on bond. DES MOINES The Iowa House Agriculture Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to keep alive Gov. Terry Branstads plan to fund water-quality improvements by extending a school infrastructure tax. Democrats united in opposition, saying House Study Bill 601 pits education interests against water-quality goals. I think it is unfortunate that the quality of our water depends on taking down education, said Rep. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge, the ranking Democrat on the committee. Members of Branstads party said, however, they want to keep the bill and the conversation alive. Its been very difficult, Chairman Lee Hein, R-Monticello, said. And it will continue to be a difficult decision as we move forward. He said the bill will be improved as it moves through the Ways and Means Committee. If someone has a better way to fund this Id be very open to that, Hein said. Committee members sentiments mirrored those of farmers and interest groups following the proposal to scoop revenue from the statewide one-cent sales tax earmarked for school infrastructure to fund water-quality improvements. We all know there needs to be a long-term source for funding for water quality, Woodbury County farmer Eric Nelson said while visiting the Capitol. But we dont want to get cross-wise with education. If the school infrastructure sales tax raises more than schools need, however, then whats the harm? Nelson said. Darrick Hall of rural Anamosa was at the Capitol to tell lawmakers what he and other farmers have been spending their money on to address water-quality issues. As a farmer, Id like a sustainable source of money, but Im not sure if this is the right way, he said while waiting for the Ag Committee to take up HSB 601. The Iowa Environmental Council is undecided on the bill but is encouraged that for the first time Branstad has recognized the size of the challenge facing the state by laying out a plan that would make more than $4 billion available for water quality. But the councils director, Ralph Rosenberg, said he thinks water quality needs its own funding source. The council is pushing for the Legislature to fund water-quality initiatives, as well as other outdoor recreation projects parks, trails, wildlife and hunting habitat by approving an increase in the state sales tax. In 2010, Iowa voters approved a plan to dedicate three-eighths of one cent of sales tax revenue to conservation the next time the Legislature raised the sales tax. Funding water quality through the Iowa Water and Land Legacy would provide a sustainable stream of revenue, as much as $150 million a year, that was supported by 63 percent of Iowa voters. If you're going to invest long-term, you need this funding, Rosenberg said. If farmers invest, they want to know their partners money is going to be there, too. Branstad was encouraged the bill moved forward, according to his spokesman, Ben Hammes, but was concerned about the party-line vote. Water quality should not be a partisan issue, Hammes said. It wasnt for Secretary (Tom) Vilsack when he stood beside Gov. Branstad announcing this framework, and we hope the Senate Democrats can follow the lead of the United States Secretary of Agriculture in supporting a plan that helps schools, farmers and our environment. Vilsack was a two-term Democratic governor before becoming USDA secretary. The bill now goes to Ways and Means where a variety of funding schemes may be considered. Along with that, Rosenberg hopes lawmakers add some monitoring and accountability requirements to the bill so taxpayers can see how their money is being spent and whether this is working. Former Davenport School Board member Ken Krumwiede has announced he will seek run against state Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, in this fall's general election. Krumwiede, a Democrat who retired from the School Board last year, was a longtime educator in the district, and he focused on education funding in his announcement, which was made Monday. "I'm deeply concerned that some politicians in Des Moines are refusing to invest in adequate and equal funding for Iowa public schools," Krumwiede said. "In more than 40 years working in the Davenport School District, I saw first-hand what works in the classroom and that we need to provide all our students with the opportunity for a first-class education." Republicans and Democrats in the state Legislature have clashed for years over the appropriate level of basic state aid for education. In addition, Davenport school officials have more recently complained about an inequity that does not allow the district to spend as much per student as some other districts in the state. Krumwiede is seeking the District 92 seat, which includes parts of northwest Davenport, Eldridge, Blue Grass, Long Grove, New Liberty, Maysville and Buffalo Township. Paustian, a farmer, won the seat in 2014. He recently announced he will seek re-election. The district is one of the relative few in the state that are regularly competitive. Over the past 10 years, the area has changed hands between Republicans and Democrats. Paustian defeated Eldridge educator Frank Wood in 2014, the second time the two of them had faced. Paustian had first won the seat in 2010 but lost it to Wood in 2012. Wood said recently that he would not seek the seat again. The district is roughly evenly divided between registered Republicans and Democrats. Krumwiede was a principal in both elementary and special education schools during his more than 40 years with the district. In a decade on the School Board, he served as vice president for three years. He also has been a consultant with the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency. Krumwiede also said the Legislature can do more to improve access to preschool for 4-year-olds, along with mental health services for kids. Krumwiede is a veteran. He is married and has two grown children. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, left open the possibility Tuesday of a hearing on the Senate Judiciary Committee if President Barack Obama nominates a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. But he made clear that he still believes the choice of a new justice should be delayed until a new president is chosen. Grassley is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and he and other Republicans have argued that a presidential election year isn't the time for a new justice to be confirmed. However, when asked about the possibility of a hearing or committee vote on a call Tuesday with Iowa reporters, Grassley didn't explicitly shut down the idea. "I would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decision. In other words, take it a step at a time," Grassley said, according to an audio recording posted on Radio Iowa's web site. Scalia, the court's leading conservative, died unexpectedly Saturday, prompting a political skirmish over his replacement, both in the Senate and on the presidential campaign trail. Iowa Democrats have been critical of Grassley, saying he voted to confirm Anthony Kennedy to the high court in 1988, the last full year of Ronald Reagan's presidency. And the Democrats posted a 2008 video of Grassley saying then, "the reality is that the Senate has never stopped confirming judicial nominees during the last few months of a president's term." Grassley declined to comment Tuesday on the Democrats' claims he was being inconsistent, saying he would need to look into the context of his remarks. But he said his views today are consistent with remarks that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, made in 2007. In July 2007, Schumer said that except for "extraordinary circumstances," the Senate should not approve any other Bush administration nominee to the Supreme Court. At the time, liberal groups were complaining about the decisions of the court, and Schumer said then that the court was out of balance. Bush still had about a year and a half left in his term. Schumer objected Tuesday to Republicans trying to use his remarks for political cover. He said he wasn't trying to block hearings or votes, as Republicans are now. But Grassley said Tuesday that since Schumer "thought that the balance on the Supreme Court was so important that particular year, we're very consistent with the philosophy he expressed." Conservatives have argued confirming a justice nominated by Obama would tilt the court to the left. The Rock Island County Board will vote during a special session next week on whether to move forward with the construction of a courthouse annex attached to the Justice Center. If it passes, the county will enter into a lease agreement with the Rock Island County Public Building Commission, which will build the facility. Board members set the special session vote Tuesday after listening to Sheriff Gerry Bustos talk about the current condition of the 120-year-old courthouse, and architects with DLR Group of Chicago describe their conceptual ideas. We have 150,000 people visit the courthouse every year, Bustos said. We have too few courtrooms and they are too crowded. In the hallways, we have victims, defendants and witnesses within arms-reach of one another. Too often the judges chambers are being used for court purposes, which creates a problem of transparency, he added. Its supposed to be open court, but theres room for only a couple of people in the chambers. Bustos described the leaking roof, deteriorating basement walls and the buildings foundation, as well as the discovery of lead pipes around the drinking fountains. I had those fountains shut off, he said. Once they were fixed, he added, we had the water tested and so far it has tested safe. My concern is, I cant guarantee theres not more lead piping to be found. Architects with DLR Group, Jake Davis, an expert in the design of public safety buildings, and his colleague, Todd Orr, an expert courts planner, showed the board two designs, focusing on the one they thought best for the property and attachment to the Justice Center. The design they preferred is a three-story building in a north-south orientation, with public parking situated directly across 3rd Avenue from the Justice Center. The building will have 53,450 square feet. It will have six courtrooms, two for traffic, three for civil hearings and one for domestic violence cases. There also will be offices for judicial support, court administration, Clerk of the Court, States Attorney and inmate holding areas. County Administrator Dave Ross said the cost of the project would mean a $9 to $10 annual increase in the property tax of a home valued at $100,000. It may end up being less, Ross said, adding that he is still crunching numbers. But if we dont get this done, and the judges sue, then statutorily well have only 10 years to pay off the bonds instead of 30, he said. That will mean an even bigger property tax increase. Board members Don Johnston, of Moline, and Drue Mielke, of Coal Valley, said they would like the $28 million issue to go before the voters on a referendum. We must not circumvent the voters, Mielke said. But board member Scott Terry, of Rock Island, said that while he likes direct input from his constituents, We live in a democracy where were elected to represent the voters. We cannot take every decision of the board to a referendum, he said. We serve our constituents and there are certain decisions we have to make, tough decisions. States Attorney John McGehee said that a ruling last month by Henry County Circuit Associate Judge Dana McReynolds affirmed the power of the building commission to build the annex. We do not have to put this to a referendum to go forward, McGehee said. The board merely has to vote. Building commission member Richard Fisher, who retired as a captain and chief deputy of the County Sheriffs Department, said he dealt with issues of the old courthouse for 44 years. I started in 1969 and it was in bad shape then, Fisher said. Back in 1996, 20 years ago, we had contractors come in to see about fixing some of the issues and they told us then wed have to tear the building down to the bare bones and start over again. SPRINGFIELD On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a statewide agriculture group that his standoff with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly over this year's budget now in its eighth month is "not really about the budget." "It's about the future direction of Illinois," Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield. "That's what this is about: Are we going to stay on the track we've been on . or are we going to go in a new direction?" Rauner will press his case for that new direction Wednesday in his address to lawmakers. Based on his public statements in recent weeks, it appears Rauner will continue to promote aspects of his policy agenda. In speeches to business groups last week, the governor continued his call for reforms, such as changes to the way legislative districts are drawn and consolidation of units of local government. Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending. According to excerpts of the prepared text of his speech, the governor will announce that his party will be introducing a stand-alone funding bill for early childhood, elementary and secondary education. "No matter how this session unfolds send that education bill to my desk CLEAN - NO GAMES and I'll sign it immediately," the excerpts read. The governor's office says he will call for record funding levels for elementary and secondary education. Meanwhile, two organizations held news conferences Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge Rauner to change the tack he's taken in budget negotiations. The Grassroots Collaborative, a group of community organizations, labor unions and others, unveiled what it calls the "people's agenda," its alternative to Rauner's pro-business, union-weakening "turnaround agenda." Arguing that compared with other states, Illinois spends too little on key areas such as education, health care, public safety and human services, the group is pushing for revenue increases, including a graduated income tax and a tax on millionaires. "Families are hurting all across Illinois," said Amisha Patel, executive director, of the Grassroots Collaborative. "For over a decade, the state has been divesting from vital public services." The Responsible Budget Coalition also called on Rauner to "choose revenue" in his budget proposal. Roy Harley, director of coalition member Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said the current impasse has resulted in home visits and other services around the state scaling back or shutting down. "Without a budget, we are failing the most vulnerable and needy among us," Harley said, calling the situation "unconscionable and irresponsible." One of the major crisis points in the budget impasse has been funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students. Those areas haven't received any state funding since the fiscal year began July 1 because Rauner vetoed all but the elementary and secondary education portion of this year's budget. The spending plan Democrats passed was at least $4 billion out of balance. Democrats in the General Assembly passed a bill last month without any Republican votes that would devote $721.5 million to funding community colleges and grants through the Monetary Award Program. Rauner vowed to veto the bill because he said there's no money to pay for it, so Democrats waited two weeks to send it to him, offering what they called a "cooling-off period." Flanked by students, Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, on Tuesday delivered the bill to the governor's office. "He has heard from the students. He has heard from the administrations how this is hurting the universities," Trotter said before delivering the bill. "Hopefully he has given thought to that and will sign this bill." Rauner's office said he still plans to veto the bill. A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Tuesday: LOTTERY RECORDS: The Iowa Lottery broke several records in January thanks in large part to players in the world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, state lottery officials said. The state lottery in January set new records with $54.1 million in total sales, $17.3 million in monthly proceeds to state causes, and $30.2 million in monthly prizes to players. The state lottery also set records for highest single-day Powerball sales with $6.3 million on Jan. 13, its biggest sales week with $19.5 million for the week ending Jan. 9, and its highest monthly sales for instant scratch tickets with $20.8 million. The Iowa Lottery sold $34.2 million in Powerball tickets while the jackpot built from Nov. 5, 2015, to Jan. 13. The state lottery sold $52.2 million in Powerball tickets during all of fiscal year 2015. BISHOPS VISIT: Bishops from the four Roman Catholic dioceses in Iowa visited with state legislators and policymakers Tuesday to ask that they be attentive to the rights of all, especially the most vulnerable, who are the marginalized, according to the Most Rev. Martin Amos, bishop of Davenport, who offered the morning prayer in the Senate and House. The bishops focused on four issues: assisted suicide; educational savings accounts; refugee resettlement; and privatizing Medicaid management, Amos said. We try to figure out what are some of the major issues going on, he said, and basically, were saying these are the things we think are important for the people of Iowa. The bishops dont take a position ion ever piece of legislation but some we have a stance on. Assisted suicide, were not in favor of that one, he said. That bill has not come out of a Senate subcommittee. On other issues, such as Medicaid, the bishops havent taken a position other than we want to say that the people have to be the main thing, Amos said. For the most part, he said, in discussions with lawmakers, the bishops are speaking for the church and what we believe to be the common good of all people. Its not particularly a Catholic thing, but what we feel is good for all peoples. DONT FEEL THE BURN: About 100 volunteers from the American Cancer Society lobbied lawmakers for a prohibition on teens using tanning facilities and for more funding for anti-smoking programs. They asked legislators to support HF 420 to limit tanning-bed use to those 17 and older, which is similar to SF 232 approved by the Senate last year. Its important, Angela Ard of Cedar Rapids said, not to include a parental consent provision. She began tanning at 16 with her parents consent and had melanoma within five years. Gary Streit, also of Cedar Rapids, asked legislators to boost anti-tobacco program funding from $5.3 million to $8 million, which is well below the $12 million appropriated in 2008. The adult smoking rate in Iowa fell to 17 percent then, but it has increased to more than 20 percent as prevention funding has fallen, he said. The state spends about $1.2 billion a year on tobacco-related illness, Streit said. CONSERVATION FARMER: Nominations for the 2016 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year are being accepted by Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. The award is given to a farmer who is making outstanding contributions toward soil conservation and water quality. The statewide winner again this year will have free use of a John Deere tractor for up to 12 months courtesy of the Van Wall Group and Deere & Co. To nominate a farmer, submit a brief letter (100 words or less) to the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office by June 5. LITTER-ALLY DUMPING: People dumping items weighing more than 10 pounds or larger than 15 cubic feet could be charged with a serious misdemeanor punishable by a fine ranging from $315 to $1,875 and jail time under legislation approved unanimously by the House Environmental Protection Committee. HF 2154 distinguishes between littering candy wrappers, beverage cans, food packaging, for example and larger items, such as tires and household appliances and furniture. Littering could result in a simple misdemeanor charge with a fine of $65 to $625. Citing costs, Democrats on the committee questioned jailing people for dumping. They also suggested looking for ways to make it easier for people to properly dispose of large items to cut down in the incidences of dumping. BALLOT MERGER: School board elections would be moved from September to November and share the ballot with municipal elections under HSB 541, which was approved by the House State Government Committee. Chairman Guy Vander Linden, R-Oskaloosa, said the change will help improve the abysmally low voter turnout in school board elections. Average statewide turnout in municipal elections is three times that of school board elections, he said. Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, agreed the change would increase turnout, but said he was looking for something greater not only more voters, but more informed voters. Im not at all worried about the quality of the electorate in school board elections, Vander Linden said, because its the same as in municipal elections, state legislative elections and presidential elections. The 12-10 vote was not along party lines. FREER SPIRITS: HSB 574, a bill to give micro-distilleries more latitude in production and sales, cleared the House State Government Committee 22-0. The bill would equalize state laws as they apply to wineries, breweries and micro-distilleries, Rep. Mike Sexton, R-Rockwell City, said. Among the changes the bill includes is raising the production cap for micro-distilleries from 50,000 gallons a year to 100,000, increases the amount that can be sold for off-site consumption, allows sales to consumers outside of Iowa and by-the-drink retails sales on the premises. QUOTE OF THE DAY: If you drive down the road in your pickup and throw your refrigerator in the ditch by my farm and you go to jail for 30 days, I dont care, Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, responding to arguments against jail time for dumping trash. Compiled by the Des Moines Bureau Iowas Medicaid director on Tuesday said shes confident the state is ready for the March 1 transition that would move 560,000 Medicaid enrollees and almost 30 providers from a fee-for-service plan to a trio of out-of-state managed-care companies. But a handful of state legislators expressed concerns. Iowa Medicaid Director Mikki Stier and Department of Human Services Director Charles Palmer went before the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee in Des Moines to give an update on Iowas readiness for the managed-care transition. Gov. Terry Branstad announced in early 2015 that the state would move its $5 billion Medicaid program over to managed care, originally targeting a Jan. 1 start date. But in mid-December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services the federal agency that still must approve the transition delayed the switch until March 1. CMS cited 16 readiness concerns, from an inadequate provider network to poor communications between the state and the providers and beneficiaries, as reasons for the delay. On Tuesday, Stier ran through a list of actions the state has taken in the months since, including beefing up Iowa Medicaid call centers, reaching out to the states 70 case management agencies and better training of the ombudsmen offices. Stier also told the committee that the number of providers to sign contracts has more than doubled since Dec. 31, and maintained the state had been ready for the move back in Jan. 1. But several senators including Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan voiced concerns over the adequacy of the provider network. Last week, Johnson sided with Democrats to vote in favor of a bill that would terminate contracts with the managed-care companies. The provider network has doubled since Dec. 31, but you feel you were ready then, said Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City. I think that says so much. DHS said that about 60 percent of current Medicaid providers have signed contracts with all three managed-care organizations, 70 percent have signed contracts with at least two and 90 percent have signed contracts with at least one. Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Robins, asked Stier if CMS has given her or other DHS officials any indication that Iowa is meeting the metrics set before it. Mathis along with other senators spoke with CMS officials about two and a half weeks ago about where Iowa stood with the readiness criteria. I asked them, If you had to make a decision today, would you? she said. They said the networks are not adequate, and they are seriously concerned. I get that you have to say we were ready Jan. 1 thats your job. But CMS is saying something very different to us. Stier said all requirements have been completed, and CMS is continuing to monitor the development of the provider network. Also on Tuesday, WellCare of Iowa said it will not pursue any additional appeals but instead will look for future growth opportunities outside Iowa. That came after a Polk County District Judge upheld the states decision to throw out the companys Medicaid managed-care contract. WellCare was awarded a contract along with Amerigroup Iowa, AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa and UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley in August. A state arbiter tossed out its contract in December, saying the company had improper communications with state officials and failed to disclose information regarding $137.5 million in fines it paid to resolve false claims settlements. While we disagree with the decision and are disappointed with this ruling, the time has come to move forward, said Blair Todt, WellCares senior vice president, chief legal and administrative officer. WellCare maintains the ruling does not accurately reflect the facts or the integrity of Iowas procurement process. While some procedural mistakes were made, the state acknowledged these mistakes did not impact its award decision and has never once questioned WellCares ability to provide quality care for Iowans. Wednesday is the deadline for Medicaid recipients to choose a managed-care organization for coverage to begin March 1. The Black Hills Chapter of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society is hosting its 14th annual authentic German dinner on March 6 at Blessed Sacrament Parish Center. Most of the 110 members of the local group can trace their ancestry back to Germans who lived in the Black Sea Region of Ukraine, Crimea or Moldova before migrating to the United States. The groups goal is to sell 750 tickets, with the proceeds benefiting the international organization of Germans from Russia Heritage Society. Milton Kramer, president of the Black Hills chapter, explained said this popular event has grown so large that they now have to divide the dinner into two different seating times to accommodate everyone. They love going to it," Kramer said. "Its fun and the food is good. Ken Vogele, secretary for the local chapter, said that although German-Russians have lost their dialects and traditions, German-Russian food like kuchen, knopfla, sausage and sauerkraut remain a staple in many family meals. The dinner will include German sausage from Kauks Meat Market in Eureka, sauerkraut, homemade German potato salad, knopfla and kuchen. With German-Russian cuisine, "so many recipes use dough as a base, Kramer said. In Germany, Ukraine, or Russia- bread or dough was a basic staple food. Even today (wheat) is such a staple in a wide variety of meals because its so inexpensive. Kuchen considered the official dessert of South Dakota translates to the word cake, but German Russian kuchen is not cake, but rather it is sweet dough, said Vogele. The basic ingredients for kuchen are the dough, the custard filling, plus a fruit flavor or cottage cheese on top, Kramer said. Traditionally, at my aunts house we had prune, apricot, apple, or cottage cheese kuchen, Vogele added. Remember for cottage cheese kuchen to place the cottage cheese in a cheesecloth and squeeze the liquid out so its almost dry. Classic recipes of kuchen started out using dried fruit, such as prunes, apricots, and apples that were available during wintertime. Modern recipes of kuchen include using fresh fruit as its more readily available. Another popular food item is knoephla, which is similar to a dumpling. It is often used in soups or mixed with other ingredients like cream, hamburger, or bread cubes. The ingredients for these little noodles are flour, milk/water, eggs and salt. Vogele said. Once you mixed the dough, let it rest for a while otherwise it will be too stretchy and hard to work with. From there its easy to make by rolling the dough into a thin, long string, about the thickness of your little finger. Cut with scissors into bite sizes and boil in salt water. Knepflasuppe (Button Soup) (Also referred to as Knoephla Soup) 3 quarts water 3 potatoes diced 4 eggs 1 cup milk 2-1/3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 large onions diced fine 1 tablespoon shortening 1/4 cup cream Bring water to boil and cook potatoes till soft. A bay leaf may be added (optional). In separate small pan, fry onions in shortening over low heat until tender. In a bowl beat eggs and add milk and salt. Add flour and mix. Dip teaspoon into hot water and drop by half teaspoon into boiling potato water. Add about 1 tablespoon salt and pepper. Stir in fried onions and cream. Serve hot. Some prefer making a stiffer dough and pulling it and then snipping it into the boiling water with kitchen scissors. Kuchen (Kuchen or Buns) 2 packages yeast 3/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups hot milk 2 eggs beaten 1 cup sugar Flour for soft dough Topping: 4 cups sweet cream 3 tablespoons flour 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs Pinch of salt Dissolve yeast in warm water. Scald milk. Cool to lukewarm. Mix sugar, salt, and eggs. Add milk, butter, and yeast. Add flour until it is like a cake batter. Mix well. Add more flour until you have a soft dough. Grease bowl and let rise. Punch down once and then roll into kuchen. Cook topping and cool while you are waiting for dough to rise. Put topping on kuchen along with dried or fresh fruit or just sprinkle with sugar and ground star anise or cinnamon after youve added the custard topping. Bake about 20 minutes. A major rebuild of Sturgis Main Street, one of the key venues for the annual motorcycle rally, is planned for 2016 and will cost the city and state at least $3.2 million. The State Department of Transportation has set March 2 for the bid letting on the project. Downtown business owners were notified of the status of the project in January, Sturgis Public Works Director Rick Bush said. I wanted to visit with them (business owners) and let them know how the project was going, he said. We want to make sure there are no surprises. It may at times seem like an obstacle course, but customers still should be able to get to businesses on Sturgis Main Street during a major reconstruction project beginning this spring. Bryan Hencke, branch president of First National Bank of Sturgis, said they have begun to share information with customers about how to access the bank and the drive-thru once construction begins. First National is situated so that customers can take an alley-way off Junction Ave., manuver between the bank and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum to get to the bank parking lot. "When we get closer to the April and May timeframe, we will visit with folks coming into the bank about the construction," he said. Although construction on the second phase of Main Street won't begin until September, Just For Looks Boutique co-owner Kami Grubl says they already are contemplating adding additional signage. "We really feel like it's going to affect our business while it's happening. We have some parking in the back and hope to make it very clear to people that customers can park in the alley," she said. "I guess we will do some things that will make us visible so that people keep coming." Both Grubl and Hencke say the city and state have been fortcoming with details about the project. "I attended a meeting or two and have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen," Hencke said. "I think they've had good communication with everyone on Main Street." Grubl said from what she has seen of the project, the outcome is going to be well worth the temporary inconvenience. "I think it will be a nice addition to downtown," she said. "Anything that makes it feel more inviting is a positive." As proposed, the Sturgis project is scheduled to begin this spring, be interrupted for part of the summer, then continue in the fall and be finished in early summer of 2017. The project will consist of total reconstruction of Main Street, including drainage improvements, pavement removal and replacement, sidewalk removal and replacement, street lighting, water main replacement and street landscaping. Any new projects we do, regardless of whether the are minor or major reconstruction, they would have to meet ADA compliance, Bush said. As simple as that sounds, that was one of the bigger catching points on this project. On the utility side of things, having the road open will allow the city to install new water main. That is really the only utility we have in Main Street, he said. And those water mains are well-overdue for being replaced. That will be a significant upgrade. With that water main upgrade, the city will put in new service lines to all of the buildings downtown. Hopefully the business owners will take advantage of this opportunity. Its a great time to get the necessary water-supression lines now required. A lot of that is currently undersized, he said. Also, the city will take the opportunity to add stormwater drainage to Main Street. Bush said that currently is a problem with the Main Street setup now. What little sun we do get on Main Street during the winter melts the snow, but the water has no place to go. It refreezes at night and is difficult to get rid of, he said. The item that most everyone will see from the Main Street construction will be the new landscaping. This project was modeled after the Harley-Davidson plaza, Bush said. What we see when we are done with Main Street will look very similar to that. We are using the same color combinations, stone, decorative railings and so forth will be carried throughout Main Street. It should really tie in nicely. New lights will be added to Main Street during the construction. The new lighting downtown should make it look fantastic, Bush said. It will really brighten it up down there, along with cost savings to the city. The new light poles will be rewired and have outlets on them. Thats one of the things we struggle with now is having outlets, whether its for Christmas decorations or whatnot. The lighting downtown is kinda iffy, Bush said. We just have a lot of outdated wiring and we are going to take care of that. New fiber-optic cable also will be run along the areas of new construction, Bush said. Should we look at doing some sort of traffic signalization at Junction and Main we would have those conduits and wires in place for that, he said. The project is overseen by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, which has scheduled a bid letting for March 2. The date had been set for earlier, but Bush said the DOT did not want to have the Sturgis project bumping up against the bidding for the Mount Rushmore Road project in Rapid City. In 2013, the Sturgis City Council requested the DOT place the Sturgis Main Street project on its 5-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, and the DOT concurred. The estimated total cost of the project is $3.2 million. Phase I of the project is scheduled to begin as weather permits this spring. It will span the area of Middle Street to Junction Avenue on east Main Street. Bush said the DOT has decided to allow the contractor to make the decision as to how far to go in Phase I as long as the July 1 completion deadline is met. This means the project may go from Middle to Junction or may also include the first block west of Junction, he told the Sturgis City Council in January Phase II would begin after Labor Day and would finish prior to June 30, 2017. Because of the construction schedule, several popular summer events could be impacted including: * Wild West Days Parade (third week of June) * Sturgis Camaro Rally (last weekend of June) * Sturgis Supermoto (third week of September) * Sturgis Brown High School homecoming parade (September) * Sturgis Oktoberfest (last week of September) * Sturgis Parade of Lights & Winter Frostival (first week in December) Although the Sturgis motorcycle rally isnt until August, preparations begin weeks earlier. So although the work on Main Street would begin in the spring of 2016, the first phase would have to be done by our drop-dead date July 1, Bush said. The AMA organization already has announced that the popular AMA Supermoto race held on the streets of downtown Sturgis (which had been held in September in Sturgis) will be moved up to July 1 and 2. Bush said at times there will be a need to completely close Main Street, but they would maintain pedestrian traffic throughout the duration. State and federal funds would pay for much of the construction, but the city will need to pay for landscaping, new water lines along the route and Main Street lighting. Bush estimates the city will have to kick in a little more than $2 million. In January 2013, the City Council passed a resolution requesting the addition of the Main Street reconstruction to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program list. In the spring of 2014, the South Dakota Department of Transportation began negotiations with Fourfront Design Inc. for the engineering and design of the project. In August of 2014, Sturgis entered into an agreement with the SDDOT to allow Fourfront Design, Inc. to complete the plans. Meade School District will join school districts throughout the state in saluting its school board members during School Board Recognition Week Feb. 15-19. This is a time for all citizens to thank their school board members for their leadership in setting direction for public schools. In the Meade School District, school board members develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues that affect all communities within the districts 3,100 square miles. The nine school board members also bear responsibility for 2,687 students, 350 employees, 24 buildings and an annual budget of $26.5 million. The board members contribute hundreds of hours each year leading the district. Whether it is crafting policies or hiring administrators, board members always focus on what is best for the students. Time spent in board meetings represents just a small fraction of the time school board members devote to leading the district. They also work hard at seminars and training sessions to keep abreast of the latest trends in educational leadership, are involved in community activities and spend many hours in the schools at extracurricular events. Those serving Meade School District as school board members, their years of service, occupation and residence are: Bob Burns: 6 years, small business owner, Black Hawk Dennis Chowen: 9 years, retired educator and retired military, Sturgis Corey Johnson: year, rancher and chiropractor, Sturgis Michael Isaacson: year, dean of students at BHSU, Sturgis Courtney Mack: 4 years, volunteer and stay-at-home mom, Sturgis Curt Nupen: 12 years, retired military, Piedmont Bryce Richter: 2 years, banker, Sturgis Joe Urbaniak: 1 years, rancher and small business owner, Union Center Charlie Wheeler: year, small business owner, Piedmont Meade School board members were recognized during the regular school board meeting Feb. 8. After being shot down early in the legislative session, a bill that would require drug testing for welfare recipients has sprung back to life, albeit with different characteristics. State Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, describes his Senate Bill 153, as a kinder and gentler version of House Bill 1076, which failed in the House Human Services Committee in a 9-4 vote at the end of January. HB 1076, sponsored by state Rep. Lynne DiSanto, R-Rapid City, bill would have required all welfare applicants to submit to, and pay for, a test for illicit drugs. If the applicant failed the test on the first attempt, benefits from two public-assistance programs would be withdrawn for a period of one year. DiSanto's proposal drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and from Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who described the legislation as "somewhat insulting." Jensens version proposes randomly drug-testing 2 percent of the adults who apply to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, known as TANF, and uses what Jensen calls a three strikes, youre out approach. DiSanto's bill also would have required recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, or SNAP, to take the drug tests; Jensen's version does not include SNAP recipients. Under SB 153, if a TANF applicant fails a drug test, he or she can take another test within 45 days. If the applicant fails the test a second time, the Department of Social Services will provide him or her information on drug-treatment programs, and another test will be administered within 45 days. If the applicant fails the third attempt, he or she then becomes ineligible to receive benefits for up to a year. According to SB 153, if an applicant passes the first test, he or she pays nothing. But applicants would have to pay for any failed test, including the first. The payment, which was estimated at $25 to $30 per test when DiSanto's bill was submitted, would be deducted from the applicant's next benefit check. This bill protects children from drug usage in the home and makes sure that benefits actually reach them, Jensen said in a letter to the Journal. State Rep. Karen Soli, D-Sioux Falls, opposes Jensens drug-testing bill as much as she opposed DiSantos original, calling both pieces of legislation examples of poor-shaming. TANF, Soli said, is a program designed to put food on the table for the poorest of the poor who dont have other resources. She added that it is unreasonable to expect the poorest residents of South Dakota to be able to afford drug tests. "I think the governor's word still applies," Doli said. "He called it 'insulting.'" SB 153 is scheduled for a hearing at 10 a.m. today in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Using a legislative tactic called hog-housing, state Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, plans to breathe new life into an bill that would block refugees from settling in South Dakota. Jensen fears that radicalized Muslim terrorists will exploit the refugee process to infiltrate the state. Im not satisfied with the vetting process now in use before refugees are allowed in, Jensen said. Speaking over the phone on the way to Pierre on Tuesday, Jensen recalled when one of his constituents told him he witnessed dozens of South Americans fleeing a white bus parked near downtown Rapid City. He knew they were South Americans, Jensen said, because they had different skull structures and skin tones from Mexicans. Sponsored by state Rep. Scott Craig, R-Rapid City, and state Sen. Bruce Rampelberg, R-Rapid City, House Bill 1158 this session's spiritual predecessor of Jensens proposal would have allowed the governor to close the borders of South Dakota to all incoming refugees for up to a year. Craig withdrew House Bill 1158 this month after learning that empowering the governor to refuse refugees is unconstitutional, and that the refugee-resettlement infrastructure called for in his proposal already was in place in South Dakota. Jensens bill has yet to receive a number, and he isnt sure exactly when he will introduce it, although he expects it to be a very similar to the Craig-Rampelberg measure. Thats how hog-housing works, Jensen said in way of explaining the phrase, which appears in a glossary of terms on the state Legislatures website. (Craig) tabled it and in effect killed it, Jensen said. Once its killed, you can take possession of it with the permission of the owner and insert new language. Craig could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Jensen isnt yet sure what new language he will insert. His plan for now is to build a coalition of lawmakers around the resurrected bill and fine tune its contents with the help of the Family Heritage Alliance, a conservative advocacy group based in Rapid City. Before they can enter the U.S., refugees are vetted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBIs Terrorist Screening Center, and the Departments of State, Defense, and Homeland Security. The process can last as long as two years. In South Dakota, Lutheran Social Services for five years maintains a consistent presence in the lives of the refugees it resettles, picking them up from the airport and helping them find housing and jobs in their new communities. Of the 784,000 refugees resettled in the U.S. since Sept. 11, 2001, only three have been arrested for planning acts of terrorism, none of which were actually carried out, according to a report released last October by the Migration Policy Institute, an independent, nonpartisan Washington-based think tank. PIERRE | Statewide restrictions on transgender students using bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms at South Dakota schools are headed to Gov. Dennis Daugaard for his decision. State senators voted 20-15 Tuesday to give final legislative approval to the package brought by Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, and Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark. Students would be limited to using bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms assigned for their sex at their K-12 schools. The determining factor, the bill says, will be "a person's chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth." Students who consider themselves transgender could request special accommodations. Those would be separate from other students. The bill does not require that schools renovate to provide such accommodations. Opponents of the bill said South Dakota would be the only state with such restrictions in law and wondered if the problem of transgender students' using inappropriate bathrooms had ever arisen. I recognize the sensitive nature of this," Greenfield said. "I ask for peoples comments to be appropriate and guarded, because this issue hits close to home. He asked senators to judge whether its appropriate for a 13-year-old to be exposed to the anatomy of a student of the opposite sex. Sen. Troy Heinert, D-Mission, sought to give schools leeway by replacing the word shall throughout the legislation with the word may. This is truly unneeded regulation, Heinert said. Greenfield said Heinerts amendment would open school districts to multiple lawsuits rather than a single legal challenge to a firm state law. I think I made it clear, the respect I have for the issue, Greenfield said. Lt. Gov. Matt Michels, presiding over the Senate, ruled the amendment lost on a voice vote. Sen. Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton, next offered legal-defense fund amendments. He called the bill misguided and said no other state has passed something like it. Hunhoff said he doesnt know why South Dakota was chosen to be a test state, and he resents it. Greenfield said the state attorney general will defend the state law but wont defend individual school districts. He said two groups have volunteered to defend school districts. Senate Democratic leader Billie Sutton of Burke asked Greenfield whether the two groups pledges to defend school districts are legally binding. I think we can take it to the bank, Greenfield said. Sen. Scott Parsley, D-Madison, asked Greenfield if the groups would pay for any legal settlement. I dont want to get off on some rabbit trails, Greenfield replied. He added that the groups would be responsible for legal costs. Parsley said a school could be responsible for several thousands or millions of dollars in costs. Hunhoff quoted a state law that said the attorney general shall represent a school board, school district or board member. Sen. Angie Buhl ODonnell, D-Sioux Falls, asked who pays for the chromosome analysis and whether students would need to be checked when they enroll. This fight was not brought to us by the transgender community. They just want to live their lives in peace, Buhl ODonnell said. Sen. David Omdahl, R-Sioux Falls, said the bill protects transgender individuals by providing separate facilities. He said it would preserve the innocence of young people. Hunhoff said he hasnt heard from anyone with a single case of a problem. Were fixing nothing, but were creating problems, Hunhoff said. Many young people dont want to live in communities that arent open-minded, Hunhoff said. Were breaking new ground here. We could be facing a tourism boycott, he said. Businesses might decide against locating in South Dakota, he continued. Young people think were crazy out here with this stuff, Hunhoff said. Sen. Craig Tieszen, R-Rapid City, said the bill is causing pain to a significant minority in our community. Tieszen asked whether transgender students are causing problems for other students in their schools. I dont see evidence thats happening, he said. Late in the debate Lt. Gov. Michels, who presides over the Senate, urged all of the senators to take a deep cleansing breath. Think about it, Michels said. Sen. Jeff Monroe, R-Pierre, said there wouldnt be a bill if there werent a problem. Greenfield said biological sex could be determined through a visual accounting of how a baby is made up. Were complicating very simple issues because of whats been thrust upon us, Greenfield said. People decide whether they are transgender, Greenfield said. That can be a dangerous road to go down, he said. Greenfield asked senators to understand the restrictions arent brought out of contempt and hate but out of love and respect. The proposed law calls for public schools to provide reasonable accommodation for a student who is transgender. Non-public schools would be specifically exempt. The legislation states: A reasonable accommodation may not include the use of student restrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms designated for use by students of the opposite biological sex if students of the opposite biological sex are present or could be present. It continues: A reasonable accommodation may include a single-occupancy restroom, a unisex restroom, or the controlled use of a restroom, locker room, or shower room that is designated for use by faculty. The Rapid City Public Library Downtown has completed its new special collections room with colorful images of Black Hills and Rapid City history set in stained glass. Late Tuesday afternoon installers from Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, Wis., were still putting the final touches on three stained-glass panels depicting landmarks, people, events and cultural images significant to the area. The windows, about 76 inches tall and 22 inches wide, are set in a facade duplicating the architectural design of the original city library building. The stained-glass panels feature depictions of Sioux leader Crazy Horse, traditional Native American dancers, Mount Rushmore, Badlands, pioneers in a covered wagon, a scene of rushing water and a dedication to lives lost in the 1972 flood and images of city founders and officials Valentine McGillycuddy, John Brennan and Samuel Scott. Brennan, Rapid Citys first mayor, donated land that eventually became the site of the citys first library building. The local history center is divided into two rooms, a climate-controlled space for storage of archival photos and documents and another room with books on the Black Hills and Rapid City history. The room also featured computer listening stations at which patrons can hear recorded oral histories of events. The stained-glass panels were designed by artists from Conrad Schmitt, which also completed a $3 million restoration of stained-glass inserts in the State Capitol building in Pierre in time for South Dakotas 125th anniversary of statehood in 2014. The company also restored murals depicting the gold-mining heritage and western history of Deadwood and the Black Hills set in the rotunda of the Lawrence County Courthouse in Deadwood. Any doubts about the dangers North Dakota law enforcement officers face should have vanished in the last few weeks. In Bismarck an officer shot a suspect who allegedly tried to back a stolen car into him. The suspect was later arrested in Emmons County. A week later, another suspect was wounded when he refused to obey police orders to stop and instead got into a vehicle and appeared to reach for a weapon. This past week a Fargo officer was killed during a Wednesday night standoff. Fargo officer Jason Moszer, 33, leaves a wife and two children. Moszer and officer Matthew Sliders were honored in 2012 with the departments Silver Star Medal after they rescued two children from a November 2011 fire. The last Fargo officer killed in the line of duty was in 1882. Sgt. Steve Kenner was the first Bismarck police officer killed on duty when he was shot while responding to a domestic call in July 2011. Anytime an officer is wounded or killed its unacceptable and it reminds us theres no routine day on the beat. Officers responding to a call dont know if they will find someone angry, on drugs, ill or a combination. They dont know if they will be confronted by someone with a weapon. At the same time they are responding to help, not harm. so they have to be careful for those on the scene and themselves. They have to be cautious, but they cant overreact. Its a tough situation for anyone, even those with training. Bismarck Police Chief Dan Donlin called the two shootings very concerning" to his staff, his officers and their families and to the community. Bismarck officers follow a department policy on the use of deadly force that gets reviewed annually as part of the departments national accreditation process. Since 2013 there have been four officer-involved shootings, one in 2014, one in February 2015 and the two this year, according to Donlin. The two recent Bismarck shootings may have some wondering if the officers fired too quickly. Theres no indications they did and the Tribune believes the reviews by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation will find they acted properly. The shootings also may lead some to believe that crime is getting out of control. Its not. Bismarck and the state remain safe places to live. However, we can no longer leave our homes and vehicles unlocked. Our population has grown so the odds of bad apples in our midst has increased. We all need to follow practical safety steps in our lives. The Fargo shooting reflects the life-and-death decisions officers must make. It comes with the job and the public tends to forget how dangerous it can become. Theres no way to eliminate the risk, but we can provide support and urge officers to be careful. The public reaction to Moszers death and the many donations to the Moszer family reflect a caring state and support for law enforcement. Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune Every election season, politicians seeking office talk about the need to help small businesses. For more than two decades, many of these same elected officials have turned their back on the shopkeepers and entrepreneurs who have been fighting to stay alive with one arm tied behind their back. Since the birth of online commerce, local retailers serving as the backbone of South Dakota's main streets have been unfairly punished with a tax code that gives online competitors a federal government-sponsored advantage. Every day stores in our community are required to collect the states sales tax, while out-of-state competitors get a free pass. This puts local job creators at a competitive disadvantage. While every retailer deserves a level playing field, more is at stake than the fate of an individual storefront. When retailers in our downtowns close, foot traffic drops for others; payroll, sales and property tax receipts drop; and jobs diminish. Our communities also take a hit, including public services funded by the local tax base. The result is a downward spiral that results in fewer services and a weaker local economy. Its time for government to restore basic free-market competition, giving everyone a fair shot to compete. For the sake of Main Street businesses and the communities they support with jobs, civic involvement and a tax base, its time for our elected officials to fix this inequity. State lawmakers have an opportunity this year to restore free-market competition and give local merchants a fighting chance. Senate Bill 106 enhances current law by making it clear that South Dakota expects all sellers to comply with the states sales tax law. We understand this legislation may take considerable time to implement as we know many online retailers may not be compliant. It doesnt raise taxes, however. it simply ensures that all who do business in South Dakota play by the same rules. A handful of online sellers have opposed South Dakotas legislative efforts to restore free-market competition for retailers. In an effort to preserve their special tax treatment theyve made outlandish claims, including that its extremely burdensome for out-of-state online sellers to collect sales tax. The same computing power allowing consumers and merchants to buy and sell goods from a smart phone has the wherewithal to calculate sales tax. Software to collect and remit these taxes has existed for more than a decade. Lawmakers should listen to our Main Street businesses that simply want a system that gives everyone a fair shot to compete. Modern commerce has given unprecedented power to consumers to search for the best products, compare prices, and do business with companies that have earned their trust and loyalty. This is a good thing as it will require retailers of all sizes to compete for customers. Competition shouldnt involve government tax policy subsidizing a select few. South Dakotas local merchants are ready to compete; they need government to take its thumb off the scale. ECHR accepts 551 applications over alleged violations during war conflict in Ukraine MOSCOW, February 17 (RAPSI) The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted 551 complaints lodged by residents of southeastern Ukraine over violation of their rights during the war conflict, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday. According to the UNs latest data, over 9,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Ukrainian officials and some Western states have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in Ukraines domestic issues. Moscow has repeatedly claimed that it has had absolutely no part in the events in southeastern Ukraine and does not supply the self-defense forces with military equipment and ammunition; that it is not a party to the domestic Ukrainian conflict and is interested in Ukraine overcoming the political and economic crisis. The question of settlement of the situation is being widely discussed especially during the meetings in Minsk of the Contact Group for Ukraine consisting of senior representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Since September 2014 the group has adopted three documents regulating steps on conflict de-escalation. The Ravalli County Commission will offer people a chance to voice their opinions on whether Syrian refugees should be allowed to settle in the Bitterroot Valley Thursday. Commissioner Jeff Burrows said he expects the meeting set to begin at 1:30 p.m. to be pretty heated and pretty polarized. The commission has released a proposed letter to the U.S. State Department that expresses opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Ravalli County or its neighboring counties. The letter expresses safety concerns due to the federal governments inability to fully investigate potential Syrian refugees to ensure they dont belong to a terrorist organization. The Board of Ravalli County Commissioners oppose the resettling of refugees without an analysis of the impacts and a vetting process that can adequately identify threats to our local communities, state and nation, the letter reads. The decision to move forward with the letter follows a decision in January by the Missoula County Commission to send its own letter to the State Department that supported the idea of accepting 100 refuges per year for resettlement. While attending a recent Montana Association of Counties meeting, Commissioner Greg Chilcott said commissioners from several of Missoula Countys neighbors voiced concerns that could lead to Syrian refugees making their homes outside of Missoula in neighboring counties. There was some sense that Missoula County had made a decision for neighboring counties without ever consulting those who would be impacted, Chilcott said. Given the fact that directors of the FBI and Homeland Security told Congress that they could not properly vet the Syrian refuges, Chilcott said the commission had its own concerns about security for Ravalli County residents. If they have concerns at their level of understanding and level of vetting, we have concerns too, he said. We have fewer resources both on intelligence and management, let along the fiscal resources to be good hosts. Chilcott said the commission recognizes that beyond Native Americans, everyone who lives in this country can trace their lineage back to immigrants. We are very sympathetic to that, he said. How do we balance the two? In a very public meeting, we will have a discussion on that issue. Commissioners have already heard an earful since the meeting on Thursday was announced. My email blew up, Chilcott said. Facebook blew up yesterday. There are a lot of people concerned. The vast majority of my emails and phone calls are opposed to allowing refugees to settle here. The bulk of the emails the commission had received Tuesday were opposed to allowing refugees to settle in Ravalli County. In an email, Rick Paris of Florence called the idea sickening saying he learned all he needed to know about Moslems on 9/11. They dont want to be here, they are terrorists, and they support terrorism and honor killing and what about there (sic) treatment of woman? said the NYC native. Wake the hell up, no Moslems! Brenda Olmsted is a licensed clinical social worker from Corvallis. She said she watched the community of Fargo, North Dakota struggle greatly after allowing in refugees. The already taxed health care system, schools, mental health system and criminal justice system was taxed and stretched even more, Olmsted said. Crime increased as did domestic violence due to the lack of cultural understanding. I love Ravalli County. I would hate to see us make the same mistake. Another email that didnt include a name argued that the vetting process can be in a correct manner. I have faith in our technology and our people to be able to do it right, the writer said. Let us not condemn an entire country because they look, speak or act different than us. Let us open our hearts, use the screening system and be the best country we can be. While times may feel difficult in the valley, we are so incredibly rich if we close our hearts, we will be so poor. Chilcott said he expects to learn a good deal at Thursdays meeting. How much of it will be fact-based versus emotion-based and how much will be fear-based will be the question, Chilcott said. The last thing we want to do to is create an atmosphere of fear mongering. In the next week of so, 3,000 Ravalli County anglers will get an opportunity to voice their opinion on the state of fishing on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are close to mailing out a survey asking local anglers why they dont spend more time on the popular fishery. An earlier survey on the river completed in 2013 and 2014 found that between 75 and 85 percent of the anglers contacted were from out-of-state and often on a guided fishing trip, said Christine Oschell, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Fishing access Site program coordinator. We are hoping the survey will provide with some additional information on why local anglers dont make up a larger percentage, she said. For several years, both FWP and Bitterroot National Forest officials have heard fishermen talk about crowding issues on the upper section of the Bitterroot River. All of the fishing access sites above Hannon are managed by the Bitterroot Forest, while the fishery itself is monitored by FWP biologists. Several years ago, officials from FWP and the Bitterroot Forest convened a working group to take a look at fishing pressure and other issues on the West Fork, which included the creel survey. From a biology standpoint, Oschell said angling pressure doesnt appear to be impacting the fishery. Right now, we dont really understand whats going in regards to public participation on the West Fork, she said. We dont want to assume that its outfitting and guiding thats keeping people away. It could be that its too long a drive for most local fishermen or there might be some other social conflict thats getting in the way. Oschell said FWP selected 3,000 of the nearly 13,000 Ravalli County residents who are legally allowed to fish to be included in the survey. Im not expecting all 3,000 to come back, she said. Usually in a mail survey, you get about 10 percent response, but the more the better. After the responses come back, the state will create a report that Oschell said should be done sometime in April. There are no discussions of any kind of changes in regulations yet, she said. Everyone wants to do something similar to the Big Hole/Beaverhead model, but they need to understand that the West Fork is unique and something like that might not fit. Over the last eight or nine months, the Bitterroot Forest and FWP has received about 25 letter from citizens voicing their concerns about different issues on the West Fork. Its obvious that people are concerned, Oschell said. This is the first step for us to begin to understand whats going on. We hope people will do their part and participate. " " How many people could be sustained by the yield of a farm like this? Thats actually pretty complicated. iStock/Thinkstock In the 1930s one American farmer produced enough agricultural product to feed a total of four people; a family farm was literally meant to feed a family [source: Kirschenmann]. Fast forward 40 years, and that number rises from four people to 73. Fast forward through 80 years of agricultural and bioscience innovation, and in the 2010s, one farmer produces enough food to feed 155 people [sources: USDA, Sullivan]. To better understand what that number means and how it was calculated, let's first look at the current state of farming. Advertisement To be considered a farm, at least in the eyes of the U.S. Census, a modern farmer must produce and sell at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products annually. Under this presumption, there are 3.2 million farmers farming 2.2 million farms on roughly 915 million acres of land in the United States [sources: EPA - Ag Center, USDA]. Together these farms produce crops for the more than 313 million people living in the U.S. but they aren't just feeding America; U.S. farmers ship their commodities worldwide, exporting more than 50 types of agricultural products. But it's not as simple as it may sound. The number of people one farmer feeds is calculated by economists at the American Farm Bureau Federation, and it's not actually based on the production of an individual farmer; rather, it's a ratio that's based on the production of each farm. The math goes like this: First, the farm bureau begins the calculation with a bit of accounting. They calculate the total sum of American farm agricultural product cash receipts (the amount of money a farm takes in on its sales and services) for a specific year we'll call this number X. Then they subtract the trade balance (that's the difference between the value of the total exported goods and the value of the total imported goods, also known as net exports) for that same time period, which we'll call Y. The result of X minus Y is then divided back into X. The calculation is also designed to take into account the population of the U.S. during that time period, divided by the number of farms in the U.S. in the same year [source: Sullivan]. About Me The Regulator Bookshop The Regulator Bookshop has been selling books at 720 Ninth St. in Durham NC since 1976. Our phone number is 919-286-2700, email is mail@regbook.com, and the web site is www.regulatorbookshop.com View my complete profile Blog Archive Blog Archive October 2022 (38) September 2022 (60) August 2022 (63) July 2022 (65) June 2022 (68) May 2022 (67) April 2022 (62) March 2022 (68) February 2022 (54) January 2022 (61) December 2021 (70) November 2021 (72) October 2021 (67) September 2021 (59) August 2021 (56) July 2021 (57) June 2021 (66) May 2021 (63) April 2021 (75) March 2021 (73) February 2021 (61) January 2021 (69) December 2020 (62) November 2020 (62) October 2020 (70) September 2020 (51) August 2020 (52) July 2020 (60) June 2020 (57) May 2020 (79) April 2020 (56) March 2020 (52) February 2020 (50) January 2020 (69) December 2019 (58) November 2019 (64) October 2019 (44) September 2019 (49) August 2019 (71) July 2019 (71) June 2019 (71) May 2019 (67) April 2019 (74) March 2019 (85) February 2019 (64) January 2019 (73) December 2018 (66) November 2018 (81) October 2018 (87) September 2018 (66) August 2018 (76) July 2018 (84) June 2018 (86) May 2018 (64) April 2018 (83) March 2018 (78) February 2018 (69) January 2018 (69) December 2017 (82) November 2017 (87) October 2017 (89) September 2017 (77) August 2017 (75) July 2017 (76) June 2017 (90) May 2017 (86) April 2017 (59) March 2017 (61) February 2017 (82) January 2017 (91) December 2016 (90) November 2016 (80) October 2016 (75) September 2016 (95) August 2016 (104) July 2016 (93) June 2016 (96) May 2016 (98) April 2016 (99) March 2016 (113) February 2016 (82) January 2016 (98) December 2015 (113) November 2015 (94) October 2015 (93) September 2015 (98) August 2015 (97) July 2015 (105) June 2015 (103) May 2015 (95) April 2015 (100) March 2015 (102) February 2015 (93) January 2015 (114) December 2014 (110) November 2014 (103) October 2014 (105) September 2014 (96) August 2014 (96) July 2014 (112) June 2014 (119) May 2014 (109) April 2014 (116) March 2014 (117) February 2014 (109) January 2014 (116) December 2013 (117) November 2013 (121) October 2013 (125) September 2013 (93) August 2013 (115) July 2013 (110) June 2013 (102) May 2013 (115) April 2013 (113) March 2013 (119) February 2013 (108) January 2013 (119) December 2012 (132) November 2012 (115) October 2012 (121) September 2012 (115) August 2012 (124) July 2012 (102) June 2012 (121) May 2012 (121) April 2012 (127) March 2012 (130) February 2012 (112) January 2012 (131) December 2011 (129) November 2011 (118) October 2011 (118) September 2011 (110) August 2011 (138) July 2011 (146) June 2011 (139) May 2011 (144) April 2011 (127) March 2011 (140) February 2011 (116) January 2011 (134) December 2010 (133) November 2010 (136) October 2010 (148) September 2010 (128) August 2010 (155) July 2010 (129) June 2010 (138) May 2010 (152) April 2010 (161) March 2010 (119) February 2010 (149) January 2010 (155) December 2009 (177) November 2009 (171) October 2009 (176) September 2009 (159) August 2009 (156) July 2009 (170) June 2009 (157) May 2009 (185) April 2009 (179) March 2009 (183) February 2009 (170) January 2009 (181) December 2008 (189) November 2008 (183) October 2008 (164) September 2008 (164) August 2008 (177) July 2008 (179) June 2008 (170) May 2008 (191) April 2008 (175) March 2008 (195) February 2008 (162) January 2008 (188) December 2007 (187) November 2007 (189) October 2007 (194) September 2007 (156) August 2007 (194) July 2007 (163) June 2007 (176) May 2007 (190) April 2007 (177) March 2007 (192) February 2007 (165) January 2007 (170) December 2006 (182) November 2006 (177) October 2006 (185) September 2006 (180) August 2006 (156) July 2006 (160) June 2006 (177) May 2006 (173) April 2006 (157) March 2006 (158) February 2006 (146) January 2006 (144) December 2005 (135) November 2005 (138) October 2005 (128) September 2005 (141) August 2005 (136) July 2005 (133) June 2005 (119) May 2005 (143) April 2005 (52) About me Karel Steenbrink This is the website of Karel Steenbrink born in Breda 16 Jan. 1942. Professor Emeritus Intercultural theology, Utrecht University. Relindonesia wants to give reports, messages and opinions about the development of religion in Indonesia. Steenbrink wrote his doctoral dissertation 1974 about Islamic Education in Modern Indonesia. He taught in Jakarta and Yogyakarta between 1981-1988. From 1989 Steenbrink worked at Utrecht University, where he taught Islam, but also Christianity in Asia. He wrote three volumes on Catholics in Indonesia (Leiden: KITLV, 2003 and 2007, 2015) and edited together with Jan Aritonang the 1004 pages classical History of Christianity in Indonesia (Leiden: Brill). He wrote in Dutch a commentary on the short suras 79-114 (De Korte Hoofdstukken van de Koran), on the Jesus Verses of the Qur'an, and a commentary of Surat al-Baqarah. A Dutch language weblog is placed as http://karelsteenbrink.blogspot.com Mijn volledige profiel tonen News A very well futsal coach from Portuguese was Rui Guimaraes Death. Considering that he passed at the age of 37, it is no longer... Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. S.S Sripad Dasanudas Literally the term YAJNA denotes sacrifice. In Physical terms, Yajna is a process aimed at the refinement of the subtle energy existing in matter with the help of sound and thermal energy of Mantras(Vedic hymes). Generally Yajna are of two types as explained in revealed Scriptures, namely AGNIHOTRA or HAVAN and Next NAMA SANKIRTANAM yajna (also called a Yuga Dharma for this age). In this Article we will be revealing the hidden science of Agnihotra or Havana generally understood as Yajnam. The knowledge of philosophy and science of yajna is essential for understanding and experimenting the science of spirituality as a knowlwdge of elementry physics as for material science. Basically performing yajna the two energies, heat from yajna fire and sound from mantras like gayatri, suktas, stotatras etc (Basic energy systems in physical world: Heat energy and Sound energy) are combined to achive the desired physical, psychological and Spiritual benifits. The fumigation of specific substances in the yajna: Fire is scientific method of subtulisation of matter into energy and expanding its potential and positive effects in the sorrounding atmosphere. The electromagnitic waves generated thereby help in trinsmiting, at the cosmic level, the desired sonic signals of mantras, which are chanted during the process of sacrificing the special materials called Charu in the fire. There are inumerable enviromental, physical, mental and spiritual benifits are there in yajna, which cannot be discussed all in this small article where as some scientific facts present in the yajna are beyond our describing and conceiving capacity. Here we have tried to explain and explore some generall aspects of yajna: Yajna for agriculture, physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual and enviromental well being Bhagavad Gita 3.14 says annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavau yajiad bhavati parjanyoyajiau karma-samudbhavau All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajia [sacrifice], and yajia is born of prescribed duties. Similarlly, The hymns (Mantra) nos. 1 to 29 in chapter 18 of the Yajur Veda describe Yajna as the basis of good agriculture, physical, mental and spiritual and intellectual progress, prosperity in the botanical kingdom of the earth, prosperity in food and cereals produce, good health and pure environment through removal of pollution. The industrial wastes, rapid urbanization, deforestation, air and water pollution, disturbances in the ozone layer, radioactive waves etc have destabilized the human, animal and plant cycle (eco cycle). The ecological imbalance caused by these acts of so-called civilized beings has resulted into distrous threat not only to living being but to whole on our planet. Till today its being accepted of makeing compelled to accept that research into mordern physical science can furnish answer to all humans problem, but instead we are finding increasing number of dieseases including malfunctioning of body organs due to increasing severity of pollution in the atmosphere. Aliments like sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts and weakening of immune system are common due to Ozone depletion. Experimental studies shows that the incidence of physical aliments, sickness and disease are reduced in the houses where the yajna is regularly performed because it creates a pure, nutritional and medicinal atmosphere. It renews brain cell, revitalizes the skin, purifies blood and prevents growth of pathogenic organisms. Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003. A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay leftist leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma from California to Minas Gerais, Brasil. OUR SPONSORS Our sponsors offer the best services available and make The View From Fez possible. Please visit them by clicking on images below To search both this blog AND Religious Liberty Monitoring together, use the search field at the bottom of the page. WARNING for European visitors European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent. As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies. Arrrrrrg! This be the place of Cthulu, squid-like scourge of the sea. Washington concerns over hash-tag US_kills_Yemeni_people: SRC president Sada al-Masira website SANA'A, Feb. 16 (Saba) - After more than ten months of the Saudi-American aggression on Yemen, the Yemeni people has absolutely realized that the USA is the main enemy which leads this aggression on Yemen and that the rest of the members of this satanic coalition are only tools. So, was the hashtag #USA_kills_Yemeni_people a tangible evidence of the popular awareness that raises the US's concerns? During his recent visit to Riyadh, US Secretary of State John Kerry explicitly announced his country's participation in the aggression against Yemen, where he said: "We support the coalition led by Saudi Arabia to confront the Houthi rebels in Yemen." Yemeni response to Kerry's statement came in a form of a popular electronic campaign covered most Yemeni provinces with the hashtag "#USA_kills_Yemeni_people" launched by Mr. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the President of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC), on Tuesday, January 25, 2016. It was a message not only to the USA but also to the whole world, that the Yemeni people are fully aware of who the real killer is and who the spearhead of this brutal aggression on their country is. The campaign became more and more widespread in all social websites, and achieved great successes. The great response the campaign has got by Arab and foreign activists who joined in was an indicator to the remarkable echoes of the campaign, which has been placed the third in the top three global hashtags. Yemeni awareness worries the USA The USA has closely watched the campaign's progress. The more it succeeded, the more the USA's concern raised, until it became anxiety and even panic of the extent the Yemeni public's awareness has reached of the fact that the USA is behind the aggression, which the USA thought its cover was perfect by making the Saudi Arabia leads the aggression's coalition. SRC President Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has revealed that messages reached via Omani brothers, which indicated to the great concern shown by the Americans of the Yemeni people's campaign. "In their messages to the Omanis, the Americans have asked to neutralize the Yemeni people, as they mentioned in a message. They also said that unless their participation in the coalition, the crimes against Yemen and its people would be much more than what is happening," said the SRC President. Reading these messages and their explicit and implicit contents, it is quite clear that the people's campaign was an appropriate response to the degree that has raised the Americans' rage and made them implicitly threatening to raise the level of criminality in the airstrikes, in other words, committing more massacres against civilians, if the people's fingers continue to point at them, and accuse and distort the human face, America claims, in the eyes of other peoples. The real reasons for US concern Anyone observes the US approach over the past years and its financial aid to many civil society organizations and community awareness projects adopted by those organizations, he realizes that this support and generous funds were not for the people's benefit, but in order to ensure that such awareness would not reach a level that unveil its real satanic face and its basic objectives to control the nations and peoples. People who fully aware of the reality of its enemies and its colonial goals is more dangerous than people who possesses sophisticated weapons; because when the weapons destroyed, peoples are conquered, but the will stemming from the full awareness is hard to be broken and subjected, Based on that premise, the USA has adopted a systematic method to target the community awareness in order to guarantee the public will remains subject to it. For further clarification of the real causes that have made America worries of the campaign, some observers and political analysts say the full popular awareness in Yemen of the fact "the USA kills the Yemeni people" is a long-term strategic threat to the existence of the USA and its interests in the region. In the case that the aggression continues on Yemen, and Yemen becomes a failed state, then it will become an issue of personal vendetta between the Yemeni people and the USA; as it is the real criminal who shed their blood and destroyed their homes and their state. Consequently, America should confront 25 million Yemenis will be deployed and targeted its interests across the region, and later in whole world. AF Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [16/February/2016] Hello beauties, welcome to Asoebi fashion Friday!! We refuse to let you go into this weekend without looking glamorous and fabulous in your... 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If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Well note our experiences of living and flying in southern Africa. Well share questions and our replies. We invite your comments. Follow our travels and maybe one day you, too, will come fly in Africa! This site became active in October 2007 and most of the 2008 posts at the link above are duplicated here. We sometimes transfer earlier posts from the previous sites to this one, but we do not revalidate the links therein. Posts on this site dated before October 2007 are transferred posts. This site has gone through a few iterations. Archived posts from March 2002 - Aug. 22, 2008 may be found at two URLs on the the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 2002 and 2003-2008 "Fifty Shades of Gray: Sentencing Trends in Major White-Collar Cases" | Main | New SCOTUS short-list name to excite sentencing fans: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable This Week commentary by Ryan Cooper, headlined "President Bernie Sanders couldn't stop mass incarceration by himself. But this one reform would be a very good start." Here are excerpts (with a few links from the original): [Many have] badly understated the extent to which federal policy affects incarceration outside of federal prisons particularly jails. It's a great opportunity for Sanders to clarify his message [about reducing incarceration] and seize on bail reform a vastly overlooked part of the mass incarceration problem. While it probably wouldn't move the U.S. from the top spot by itself, bail reform could make an enormous difference.... First, federal crime policy exerts a strong gravitational pull on state behavior. Federal sentencing guidelines heavily influenced the state versions; state-level lawyers, judges, and policymakers tend to look to the higher-status federal system for cues and ideas, and there is much back-and-forth staff movement. Hence, if the federal criminal justice system were to make a sharp turn against harsh punishments, it's virtually certain that would percolate through some if not most of the state systems and thus reduce the prison population over time. Federal leadership matters here. This effect also holds for bail policy, which is the primary determinant of the size of the jail population. As I covered extensively last year, about 62 percent of the people in jail are legally innocent. A major reason why is the Bail Reform Act of 1984, which made it dramatically easier to keep people locked up before federal trials; most of the states followed suit. Today, roughly two-thirds of the people in jail are there either because they are too poor to make bail, or because they've just been arrested and will make bail in the next few days. Over the last 15 years, fully 99 percent of the growth in the jail population is due to increased incarceration of the legally innocent. This is a human rights atrocity for many reasons, but perhaps the biggest one is that the first 48 hours or so in jail is extremely traumatic for people with no experience in the prison system. It's why the suicide rate in jails is 2.5 times greater than in actual prisons witness Sandra Bland, an ordinary middle-class person who apparently committed suicide very soon after being thrown in jail. Now, it would be unconstitutional for Congress to simply force states to change the way they do bail. But there are four less direct avenues to pursue: First, pursue reform for federal prisoners, to take advantage of the percolation effect mentioned above. Second, put conditions on the many grants the feds dole out for the states' criminal justice systems, requiring bail reform as a condition of getting the money. Third, pass a law declaring current use of money bail a violation of the 14th Amendment's due process protection, which Congress has power to protect. Fourth, there is a very strong case that current bail policy is a violation of the 8th Amendment, so the Department of Justice could pursue a lawsuit and attempt to get a Supreme Court ruling allowing the feds to step in. The last two of these are a bit of a long shot, but taken together this would be a powerful package. But what would bail reform look like? There are two basic principles: First, work to make sure arrestees are processed as fast as possible ideally within 24 hours, as many jurisdictions are moving towards. Second, very sharply reduce the use of money bail. If used, it should never be beyond a person's ability to pay. No person should ever rot in jail waiting for a trial because he can't scrounge up the cash to make bail poverty should not be a crime. Besides, research from the Vera Institute of Justice shows that bail is largely worthless for making sure that accused criminals show up to trial. In most cases, it simply isn't needed basic pretrial supervision works much better. There is tremendous churn in and out of the jail system 11.4 million people were admitted in 2014. Bail reform would thus be more about diverting the flow of prisoners rather than releasing lots of long-term ones. A new federal law mandating speedy processing of arrestees, and sharply restricting the use of money-bail, would erode the jail population from two directions at once. It could be combined with incentives to use alternatives to arrest, like citation-and-release or pre-booking diversion, to further slow the rate of jail entry. At a very rough guess, such a reform done well could knock about a third perhaps 200,000 people off the jail population. At any rate, even very aggressive bail reform wouldn't get us to the Chinese figure of 1.66 million prisoners quoted above, and it would require congressional action. But bail reform would be a gigantic step in the right direction. When it comes to fighting mass incarceration, it's the easiest and most obvious first step. Is federal bail reform key to making a serious dent in mass incarceration? | Main | "Of Systems and Persons: The Ability and Responsibility of Corporate Law to Improve Criminal Punishment" February 17, 2016 New SCOTUS short-list name to excite sentencing fans: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson I was pleased and excited to see this new post by Tom Goldstein at SCOTUSblog titled "Continued thoughts on the next nominee (and impressions of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson)." I recommend the full lengthy post for anyone following closely the politics and prcticalities of replacing Justice Scalia, and here is an excerpt from the tail end: [T]he president will be inclined to appoint a highly qualified black woman to the Court who has been recently confirmed. In a previous post, I said that the most likely candidate is Attorney General Loretta Lynch. I continue to think her credentials are strong. But it is worth noting that her confirmation vote in the Senate was close (because of Republican votes), so the administration could not make the point that she had been uniformly supported in the past.... There is another potential sticking point one on which people directly involved in Democratic Supreme Court nominations are torn. The confirmation process would give Republicans the excuse to demand a wide array of documents that are related maybe tangentially to Lynchs service as attorney general. These could include documents relating to decisions to initiate investigations and prosecutions. Benghazi is one example among many. In the view of some, that is a deal-breaker for the nomination. The administration wont want to expose itself to those demands. Others think it could be worked out, as it was with respect to documents from Elena Kagans time as Solicitor General.... If not Lynch, who? There does not seem to be any obvious candidate in the federal courts of appeals. But there is a district judge. Ketanji Brown Jackson is a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was confirmed by without any Republican opposition in the Senate not once, but twice. She was confirmed to her current position in 2013 by unanimous consent that is, without any stated opposition. She was also previously confirmed unanimously to a seat on the U.S. Sentencing Commission (where she became vice chair). She is a young but not too young (forty-five) black woman. Her credentials are impeccable. She was a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. She clerked on the Supreme Court (for Justice Stephen Breyer) and had two other clerkships as well. As a lawyer before joining the Sentencing Commission, she had various jobs, including as a public defender. Her family is impressive. She is married to a surgeon and has two young daughters. Her father is a retired lawyer and her mother a retired school principal. Her brother was a police officer (in the unit that was the basis for the television show The Wire) and is now a law student, and she is related by marriage to Congressman (and Speaker of the House) Paul Ryan. Judge Brown Jacksons credentials would be even stronger if she were on the court of appeals rather than the district court and if she had been a judge for longer than three years. One person whom I know who has been deeply and directly involved in prior confirmations is confident the president would not nominate someone from the district court. I disagree because these are special circumstances. It is easy to see a political dynamic in which candidate Hillary Clinton talks eagerly and often about Judge Brown Jackson in the run-up to the 2016 election, to great effect. Even if I was not familiar with Judge Brown Jackson, the fact she had been a federal public defender would appeal greatly to me. But I am familiar with Judge Brown Jackson because I had a few lovely opportunities to interact with her professionally when she was a member of the US Sentencing Commission and I had dinner with her and a few others once during a US Sentencing Commission conference. On the merits, I think Judge Brown Jacksons status as a district judge should actually be a plus on a Supreme Court that has often (and rightly) been accused of not being attentive to or even seemingly aware of the practical impact of its rulings for trial courts. I was not previously aware of Judge Brown Jackson's connection to House Speaker Paul Ryan, but A bit of research revealed these notable comments from Speaker Ryan at her confirmation hearing to become a US District Judge: I appreciate the opportunity to share my favorable recommendation for Ketanji Brown Jackson. I know she is clearly qualified. But it bears repeating just how qualified she is.... Now, our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanji's intellect, for her character, for her integrity, it is unequivocal. She is an amazing person, and I favorably recommend your consideration. At the same hearing, notably, Senator Charles Grassley (who is now the all-important Chair of the Judiciary Committee) followed up by saying "Ms. Jackson, I thought after Ryan got done speaking about you we could just vote you out right away." These comments by leading Republicans would seem to go a very long way to enabling Prez Obama to make much of the fact that leading Republicans have already testified strongly about to her "intellect, ... her character, ... her integrity." Prior related posts on new SCOTUS nominee possibilities: February 17, 2016 at 09:30 AM | Permalink Comments I want a Justice who has experience in jury trials. And one who has defended humans in criminal jury trials. Jury trials make the man. And the woman. Eight of those dorks on the Supreme Court are all Harvard and Yale and none of them except one have ever tried a jury trial. None have ever tried a jury case and represented a criminal defendant in that trial. They do not know nuthin bout birthin babies. Posted by: JackMehoff | Feb 17, 2016 9:37:44 AM "but not too young (forty-five)" Really? I'm not thinking Tom Goldstein is the first source I'd go on these issues. Loretta Lynch continues to be to me a silly idea (she isn't really "qualified" in the sense of being a good pick unless you want to put out someone you know has no chance to be confirmed ... and even that, interfering with the work of your A.G. seems a weird thing to do). Here he wants a DISTRICT court judge to be elevated? Sure, that's a plus -- Sotomayor's service there is helpful. But, seems more realistic to have someone who was elevated there (not that she's a possibility, but like Trump's sister). It's nice Republicans said nice things about a district nominee, but a 45 year old for the Supreme Court is another matter. But, hey, interesting woman & what do I know? Posted by: Joe | Feb 17, 2016 9:47:53 AM Joe, do you realize Justice Thomas was 43 when nominated? Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2016 11:00:29 AM Harvard, Harvard, go team go! (with deep, biting sarcasm.) Posted by: Daniel | Feb 17, 2016 12:05:49 PM There is a very big difference between not opposing somebody for a district judgeship and not opposing the same person for a seat on SCOTUS. Posted by: Difference | Feb 17, 2016 12:46:17 PM I agree 100%, Difference, but there still seems to me something especially notable about having a SCOTUS nominee for whom the current Speaker of the House is already on record saying she is "an amazing person" whose intellect, character, and integrity merits unequivocal praise. Put another way, there is a very big different between not opposing somebody for a district judgeship and favorably recommending that person with glowing descriptions about her qualifications and integrity. Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2016 1:24:27 PM If you want someone who drank the cool aide of the Sentencing Guidelines and actually believes they are empirically based despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary she is otherwise objectively qualified along with about a thousand others. Posted by: ProsecotorSteve | Feb 17, 2016 4:59:40 PM "Joe, do you realize Justice Thomas was 43 when nominated?" Uh huh. And, Scalia was unanimously confirmed. What does this have to do with today specifically? These days 45 is pretty young. And, it doesn't hurt much for either party to praise a district court judge. Be different if she could be on the Supreme Court for another forty years. Posted by: Joe | Feb 17, 2016 5:18:48 PM Lets face it, at the level of the Supreme Court, its all based on theory. Purely theory. They listen to arguments then runoff and at a later date vote with 25 page writeup with their reasons. So they maybe wont have the kind if experience with a Jury. Most federal cases dont go to trial except for white collar. But I agree be nice to have that experience, as well as a non Harvard and maybe a bit older, 55. Important thing is also this as was just mentioned. Sentenceing guidelines are empiircally based. They are far from that and that is highly important. As far as Harvard goes, the graduating class may as well parade past panel to groom them for the SC. Maybe Tom Cruise might get nominated, from his "A few good men" efforts with his Harvard mouth and white suit. But he was a practical atty and Demi Moore - Joanne was a research as well as his sidekick. Just for grins. Posted by: MidWestGuy | Feb 18, 2016 5:06:30 AM I am an attorney who is blessed to have known the Honorable Judge as a friend and teammate of mine from my Miami-Palmetto High School debate team days. As a mutual friend, Julie Diehl, an incredible individual herself recently wrote, we all thought and recognized "that she was such a brilliant and thoughtful person" even then. We are all so proud of her achievements! Our former coach, Fran Berger, is surely beaming from heaven. Posted by: Pamela Higer Polani | Feb 18, 2016 7:16:32 AM Thanks for the personal touch,Pamela. Judge Brown does indeed sound like an amazing person. Posted by: jiffypop | Feb 18, 2016 9:53:13 AM "its all based on theory" Applied by humans whose life experiences affect their judgments. Posted by: Joe | Feb 18, 2016 10:40:43 AM Few cases may go to trial, but there are a lot of 2255 motions about pleas, a lot of motions for summary judgment, a lot of motions to enforce arbitration agreements, etc. What the Supreme Court says about the ground rules governing all of these things (including rules about what it takes to present a meritorious claim) has a lot of impact on the work of trial judges and trial court practitioners. Having some concept about what impact a ruling might have on trial work would be a good thing to have in the Supreme Court (as opposed to the typical throwaway line that few claims will actually succeed so giving non-meritorious claims an opening to proceed will have no impact on the justice system). Posted by: tmm | Feb 18, 2016 1:47:22 PM Bottom line is that there will be no justice confirmed this year, and maybe not next year if Sanders is elected, or anytime when the GOP is in office. So this discussion is moot. Posted by: Eric Knight | Feb 19, 2016 12:51:44 PM I'm not partial to people going directly from the District Court to the Supreme Court. I also think a 45 year old would certainly open the President up for criticism since Clarence Thomas was accused of being unqualified at the same age (President Obama even said, had he been in Congress back then, he would have questioned his qualifications). Sri Srinivasan is also in his 40s, but 48. I think 50 is the magic number, but I could see appointing him to the Supreme Court and moving Judge Brown Jackson to the Circuit Court. Posted by: Erik M | Feb 19, 2016 4:10:25 PM She may sound great but is her 3 years on the bench enough for a SCOTUS position? I have looked at her court cases. It seems very thin as compared to the other Judges in her court. I am sorry but I don't believe her education (Harvard or anywhere else) makes up for her basic lack of experience. There was a TV show about a young lawyer being made a Judge. They had the good sense to make it a comedy. Let's leave 'Night Court' a TV comedy and not make it a reality. Lets find someone with practical experience dealing with the Law and the effects these Laws have n real people. Someone from a non Ivy towered think tank University but where Law is taught and practiced. Someone 55-65, served as a Judge (various courts both Federal and State) for 15 to 20 years. Posted by: Alexander | Feb 28, 2016 7:00:24 AM It will certainly mounted immediately within few secs. Currently open Bluestacks player. You can find the TuTuapp normal version Right click Apk data and open it with the Bluestacks player. Posted by: Tutu Helper VIP App | Aug 1, 2017 6:19:19 AM Post a comment Speculation about the potential sale price of the Ellen Kenna House (a restored Victorian at 1218 East 21st Street in Oakland) is over. The San Francisco Business Times reports that the 8,000-square-foot manse has been sold to E.J. Blumberg, a co-fouder of Cloudstead, a cloud computing company. When the home went on the market back in January, the former owner Steve Kopff told us he financed the renovations by allowing retailers such as Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware use it as a backdrop for catalogue shoots. According to the SFBT, there's still more work to be done. Kopff told reporters: "It's a very special house. It deserves to continue to be restored. E.J. Blumberg is the right person to continue that process." They also speculated that the price reflected the need for more improvements. Tech executive buys 8,000-square-foot, historic Oakland mansion [San Francisco Business Times] Massive Landmark Oakland Mansion Up for Sale for $1.8M [Curbed SF] Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various San Francisco neighborhoods. Is one person's studio another person's townhouse? Let's find out! Today's price: $3,500. We start with a one-bedroom apartment in Lower Pacific Heights asking for $3,200/month. The unit was remodeled two years ago, and all looks fresh. The living room has nice vintage details, with a marble fireplace surround (although a sealed firebox), a bay window, and original molding. The kitchen is small, but it's nicely laid out. It has a good amount of cabinet space and a dishwasher. There's also an in-unit laundry. The listing notes the windows are double paned, which is a bonus because it sits at Divisadero and Sutter, a busy intersection. There's no parking, but a garage is within a block of the building. No pets are permitted. Next, we have a one-bedroom apartment at 825 Post Street that's leasing for $3,195/month. The listing calls it Lower Nob Hill, but it's right on the border of the Tenderloin. This apartment promises to be freshly remodeled with new kitchen appliances. For a one-bedroom in this neighborhood, the kitchen is a good size and it has a decent amount of counter space, a dishwasher, and a gas stove. The bathroom isn't as modernized, and we had to chuckle when we read that "the bathtub is included." (Perhaps nothing can be taken for granted?) Pets are accepted here, and there's a dog run on the premises. There's a laundry in the building, but no parking. This two-bedroom unit in NoPa is looking for $3,495/month. We like the beefy molding in this apartment and the corner fireplace with a peaked firebox (no word if it works, so probably not). The hardwood floor is also attractive. The kitchen is more modern, and it appears newer. It has a dishwasher. There's an in-unit laundry, but no garage. No pets are allowed. Here's another Lower Nob Hill apartment; this one is a one-bedroom, two-bath unit that's looking for our target price of $3,500. The selling point for this one is size: It measures 1,000 square feet (the listing claims it could be used as a two-bedroom, we aren't sure how). However, we like the space and its elegant molding. The kitchen is modern and newer, and it has a dishwasher. The bathroom is vintage. This is one of those neat old buildings you find in the area (and in the nearby Tenderloin) with a grand lobby. There's a laundry onsite, but no parking (garages are in the area). Pets are negotiable. Quickly putting to rest any notion that she would be President Obama's nominee to replace deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, California's Attorney General and current candidate for Senate Kamala Harris publicly stated that she does not want the job. Im not going to be on the Supreme Court," CBS5 reports Harris as saying at San Jose campaign event. "Take my name off the list. Harris was one of the names being floated in the press as a potential nominee a group that includes at least two other Californians: Jacqueline Nguyen and Paul Watford, both of the Ninth Circuit Court. "Both of them have stellar records," ABC7 Political Analyst Carla Marinucci noted, "and both of them would be interesting additions to the court, not only because of the ethnic mix, but because of their background and their history." Harris is seeking to fill the soon-to-be empty seat of Senator Barbara Boxer, who is retiring, and would likely have been a long-shot candidate for the Court as she has no judicial experience. Whoever is eventually nominated by the President will face strong opposition from Republicans in the Senate, who are gearing up to oppose the President's nominee regardless of whether or not that person is from California. Previously: San Francisco, Donald Trump, And Twitter React To The Death Of Justice Antonin Scalia At this point it's a tale as old as Glassholes. Tech guy who's lived here three years (!) has several awkward moments involving mentally ill and/or intoxicated homeless people while his family is in town and, most notably, has a movie interrupted at the Sundance Kabuki by a homeless guy who somehow invaded the cinema and he's not going to take this sitting down, insisting that something something! be done about this at long last and for god's sake. In an open letter to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Police Chief Greg Suhr, self-appointed San Francisco expert Justin Keller has shared some Big Opinions and Important Thoughts about San Francisco's homelessness crisis. As the founder of server management startup command.io observes, homelessness in San Francisco has never been worse (in those three years the author has been here). Further, because wealth is fairly distributed in our perfect meritocracy, Keller feels entitled to better: which is to say he "shouldn't have to see the pain, struggle, and despair of homeless people to and from [his] way to work every day." Yes, reader. Things are bad like, ruin your night leaving Tadich Grill with your parents bad. The recently published letter, already kindling a small trash fire on Twitter, is online here until Keller inevitably sees fit to remove it. He's also (reportedly) edited this version slightly, so if you feel the need, here is a cached version. But, before diving into those comments or jumping to judgment, let it be noted that Keller is probably best ignored. I agree, it is hypocritical to say so in a blog post about him, but at least let's temper this all if only slightly. Keller is perhaps struggling now, and as he writes in another essay, he's a solo founder with a lot on the line in terms of his personal investment in his company. Further, he's got difficulties such as a speech impediment to contend with a stutter he mentions in that essay as an obstacle he's fought to overcome. And, before you ask, Keller appears blissfully unaware of those who precede him in the pantheon of SF infamy. That would be, namely, Peter Shih who in a similar tirade was called out for statements like "just because San Francisco has the worst Female to Male ratio in the known universe doesnt give you the right to be a bitch all the time," and Greg Gopman, who described SF's homeless people as "degenerates" and "Hyenas" before repositioning himself as their savior. (Gopman was last seen on an "Eat, Pray, Love" style vacation from which he may or may not plan to return.) Finally, let's not pretend homelessness in San Francisco is not a real, potentially growing problem. It's even possible that the number of homeless San Franciscans is higher now than before, though it remains relatively stagnant at around 7,000. However, this sounds like an open letter from someone who does not read SFist, is not aware that everyone is aware of the problem, and is not aware of the $241 million that the city already spends annually on it. Here's the letter. Open letter to SF Mayor Ed Lee and Greg Suhr (police chief) I am writing today, to voice my concern and outrage over the increasing homeless and drug problem that the city is faced with. Ive been living in SF for over three years, and without a doubt it is the worst it has ever been. Every day, on my way to, and from work, I see people sprawled across the sidewalk, tent cities, human feces, and the faces of addiction. The city is becoming a shanty town Worst of all, it is unsafe. This holiday weekend, I had my parents in town from Santa Barbara and relatives from Denver and Rochester New York. Unfortunately, there was three separate incidents and countless times that we were approached for money and harassed. The first incident involved a homeless drunken man in the morning coming up to their car and leaning up against it. Another bystander got frustrated with the drunken man, and they got into a heated pushing and shoving altercation. The second incident occurred as we were leaving Tadich Grill in the financial district. A distraught, and high person was right in front of the restaurant, yelling, screaming, yelling about cocaine, and even, attempted to pull his pants down and show his genitals. Finally, last night Valentine's, I was at Kabuki Theater inside watching a movie. About two hours into the film, a man stumbled in the front door. He proceeded to walk into the theater, down the aisle to the front, wobbled toward the emergency door, opened it, and then took his shirt off and laid down. He then came back into the theater shielding his eyes from the running projector. My girlfriend was terrified and myself and many people ran out of the theater. What are you going to do to address this problem? The residents of this amazing city no longer feel safe. I know people are frustrated about gentrification happening in the city, but the reality is, we live in a free market society. The wealthy working people have earned their right to live in the city. They went out, got an education, work hard, and earned it. I shouldnt have to worry about being accosted. I shouldnt have to see the pain, struggle, and despair of homeless people to and from my way to work every day. I want my parents when they come visit to have a great experience, and enjoy this special place. I am telling you, there is going to be a revolution. People on both sides are frustrated, and you can sense the anger. The city needs to tackle this problem head on, it can no longer ignore it and let people do whatever they want in the city. I dont have a magic solution It is a very difficult and complex situation, but somehow during Super Bowl, almost all of the homeless and riff raff[1] seem to up and vanish. Im willing to bet that was not a coincidence. Money and political pressure can make change. So it is time to start making progress, or we as citizens will make a change in leadership and elect new officials who can. Democracy is not the last stop in politics. In-fact, the order of progression according to Socrates via Plato in the Republic goes: timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and finally tyranny. Socrates argues that a society will decay and pass through each government in succession, eventually becoming a tyranny. The greater my city, the greater the individual. [1] I want to apologize for using the term riff raff. It was insensitive and counterproductive. Apology accepted? Related: VC Guy Incites Twitter Ire By Saying There Is Nothing To Do Or See In San Francisco An African-American student was attacked while walking near her UC Davis West Village home early Monday morning, and three men have been arrested in connection with the assault. Two of the three are accused of battery, public intoxication, and committing a hate crime. None of the men are UC Davis students, and a statement from campus administrators clarifies that the victim was able to call the police resulting in the arrests. "Acts of bigotry and discrimination have no place in a civilized society and they have no place on our campus," reads the statement singed by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity Adela de la Torre. "A hateful incident directed at any one of us is an unacceptable affront to all of us." A further statement from the school provides additional information, and notes that the woman was walking near her home at around 3:00 a.m. Monday morning when the attack occurred. Campus Police Chief Matt Carmichael states the attack was not sexual in nature, and that the student did not require medical attention. This is not the first suspected hate crime to strike the campus of UC Davis. In February of last year, a Jewish fraternity was vandalized with swastikas. All three suspects in Monday's attack are in their early to mid-twenties, and have been booked in Yolo County jail. Related: UC Davis' Jewish Frat Vandalized With Swastikas My musings, reflections on life here in Shiloh, Israel. Original, personal, spiritual and political. Peace, security and Israeli sovereignty. While not a "group blog," Shiloh Musings includes the voices of other Jews in The Land of Israel. **Copyright(C)BatyaMedad ** For permission to use these in publications of any sort, please contact me directly. Private accredited distribution encouraged. Thank you. which I am very lucky I was able to see and capture DAVENPORT, Iowa | Against a "changing media landscape," Lee Enterprises is optimistic about its future as digital revenues continue to rise and it draws strong audiences to multiple platforms, company executives told shareholders Wednesday. Were upbeat about our accomplishments, and were on a positive, transformational path, said Mary Junck, the company's chairman, president and CEO, during the annual shareholders meeting at the publisher's downtown Davenport headquarters. Lee, headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, is the parent company of the Sioux City Journal. Before a standing-room-only crowd, most of whom were Lee employees, she said, "Digital revenue is on a strong trajectory. Subscription revenue continues to grow, and the audiences in our markets are huge across all age groups and platforms." Junck, 68, who also was elected to her new position as Lee executive chairman, said the company is seeing a shift in its audiences. "Our audience is migrating from using print exclusively to using a combination of print and digital or digital only." During a board of directors meeting following the shareholders meeting, Kevin Mowbray was elected president and chief executive officer in a leadership transition first announced in December. Mowbray, 54, had served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. The company reported a 28 percent growth in 2015 in its total digital revenue. "These gains can be attributed to our ever-expanding suite of digital products and the talent and expertise of our sales force," Junck said, adding that "digital subscription revenue has also been a key contributor to our growth." Junck and Ron Mayo, Lee vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, both told shareholders that the company continues to focus on paying down its debt. Junck said the strong free cash flow "has fueled aggressive deleveraging and kept us ahead of schedule in retiring debt, which we strongly believe drives long-term shareholder value." Mayo said the company has reduced debt by $80.5 million in the past 12 months, including $21.9 million in the first quarter of 2016. Lee also is reviewing its real estate portfolio "with plans to monetize those assets where beneficial," he said. The undepreciated book value of its portfolio is worth about $200 million. ''We expect to reduce debt even further in the March quarter of 2016 as we continue to use all of our available free cash flow to reduce debt," he said. Carol Alexander, of Taylorville, Ill., a Lee retiree and shareholder, raised questions about the company's ability to meet the 2022 deadline to pay off its debt, as well as declining numbers in circulation, audience reach and print advertising. "We have reduced our debt each and every year, and our forecast shows we will continue to pay down our debt and meet our obligations," Mayo said. To the questions about circulation, Junck said, "There is no doubt we are in a changing industry. The mix of our audience is changing. Print-only is going down, but digital is going up." SIOUX CITY | It will take a March 15 public hearing and then vote to make it official, but Woodbury County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeremy Taylor on Tuesday guaranteed that the property tax levy in the upcoming 2016-17 fiscal year will be reduced for a second consecutive year. Taylor praised the work of the supervisors in making cuts to proposed spending and other moves since the budget discussions began in December. On Tuesday, the supervisors approved a few higher expenses, some additional revenues and shifts in funds to reduce property taxes. The budget is looking to be less than $52 million. Taylor said the work will mean the property tax levy rates for both rural and city property owners for the county budget will go down for the year that begins July 1. However, because of higher property assessments, the property taxes that some people pay will go up, if the higher valuation outstrips the levy drop. The full tax bill is computed by multiplying the tax levy rate by assessed property valuation. "It is a very responsible budget," Taylor said. After the changes made Tuesday, a summary of fiscal year 2016-17 shows the county's property tax levy for town residents now stands at $7.37 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, compared to $7.52 in the existing 2015-16 fiscal year budget. For rural residents, the estimated levy rate is at $10.42 per $1,000 for FY 2016-17, compared to $10.64 in the current year. The budget will be adopted on March 15. The main two decisions remaining before that will come at one more meeting on Feb. 23, when the supervisors will discuss larger projects in the multi-year Capital Improvement Program and when a decision is made on whether to exceed the state-set cap on the General Basic Fund. The county puts property taxes into five separate accounts, including the General Basic Fund, which has a state-recommended cap of $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. Counties can exceed that so-called cap if they hold a public hearing to let people know the change is coming, Woodbury County Finance Director Dennis Butler said. In a non-agenda item, Taylor raised a proposal that since the county is doing so well in reducing the tax levy that the supervisors should increase the county's reserves level. Supervisors Jackie Smith and Larry Clausen quickly spoke against that, saying it isn't necessary, if that means lifting the $3.50 per $1,000 General Basic Fund cap. Butler said the existing reserves level in the FY 2016 $51.5 million budget is 19.6 percent, and Taylor said he wanted to raise that by 1 percent, to 20.6 percent. That would involve raising taxes by $290,000, which Taylor said is defensible, since even if pursued, the tax rate still will be below this year. Taylor said he wanted to get closer to recommended threshold of having 25 percent reserves. Smith, in her eighth year as a supervisor, said Woodbury County has a long history of not exceeding the $3.50 cap. She said exceeding the cap would be highly unpopular with residents. Clausen spoke similarly, citing his opposition to taking that step. Supervisor Mark Monson joined Taylor in his view: "I don't get concerned about that $3.50 cap." Taylor said even raising the cap beyond $3.50 to increase reserves would put the tax levy rate at $7.48 per $1,000 of value for city owners and $10.52 for rural owners, both still below this year's rates. "The levy rate will go down significantly, that is the whole point," Taylor said, adding that people only judge a budget based on the tax rate they pay. Butler said 23 of 99 Iowa counties exceed the $3.50 cap, adding, "A lot of counties haven't done it." In other budget discussions, the supervisors received a report from a meeting of the Woodbury County Compensation Board. That board meets once annually to recommend salaries for the nine elected county officials -- the five supervisors, and county attorney, sheriff, auditor and treasurer. The compensation board recommended 5 percent raises for all nine officials. During the March 15 final budget hearing, the supervisors will either approve the recommended increases, give no raises or make reductions of the same percentage amount to all nine. The 2016 South Dakota Legislature has a chance to make history. If undecided lawmakers have the courage to join their colleagues and vote for Gov. Dennis Daugaard's education reform package, they can help give our children a brighter future while bringing property-tax relief to homeowners, businesses, farmers and ranchers. It's a win-win scenario that would ripple through the states economy for years to come. Now, South Dakotas teachers are by a wide margin the lowest paid in the nation, making it difficult for school districts to find and keep good teachers. The problem extends to the business community, whose leaders will tell you that being ranked 51st in teacher pay hampers their efforts to recruit and retain top talent. The centerpiece of the governor's proposal raises the sales tax by one-half percent and generates an estimated $67 million mostly earmarked for teacher pay and $40 million for property-tax relief. The beauty of using sales tax to pay for the plan is that about 35 percent of the money would come from tourists, rallygoers and other visitors. Meanwhile, 100 percent of the benefits would be enjoyed by South Dakotans. But, more importantly, a reliable source of funding will enable school districts to compete with other states for the teachers who will prepare our children for the future, a fundamental duty of government. South Dakota teachers earn an average of $8,000 to $12,000 less a year than their colleagues in neighboring states. Instead of receiving 20 applications for a teaching position, schools now only get two or three, if any. Once an opening is filled, those same teachers often leave after a year or two for better-paying jobs. This is happening as many veteran teachers are about to retire, raising concerns about where the next generation of educators will come from. At the same time, the governors proposal will reduce a property owners payment to the local school district by 12 percent, a savings of $14 million for homeowners alone. An increase in teacher pay also makes South Dakota a more attractive place for doctors, nurses and others in the health-care industry to work. Regional Health officials say job candidates want to be assured their children receive a quality education, but wonder how that is possible with the way we now fund education. Companies and small businesses have the same recruitment and retention concerns and wonder why they should continue investing in a state that isn't willing to invest in public education at the level other states do. The goal of the legislation is to raise the average teacher pay from $40,023 to $48,500, which some claim is too much. But the legislation does not boost all teachers' pay to that level. In Rapid City, starting pay for new teachers with a bachelor's degree is around $33,000 a year, but those newcomers will not see an immediate $15,500 pay raise. They will have to earn it by putting in their time and continuing their education. And we need them to stay here and improve their skills. In 2014, a total of 501 out of 2,793 high school graduates had to take remedial classes in their first year of college at the states public universities, imposing an additional financial burden on them or their parents. Gov. Daugaard and his Blue Ribbon Task Force have worked for months to address a problem that impacts every aspect of our lives. While the Legislature will consider other proposals to pay for education reform, none are as reliable as sales tax nor do they guarantee property-tax relief. Yet, the bar is high to raise taxes as two-thirds of lawmakers need to support it. Some are opposed to any tax regardless of the benefits to others. It is time for those lawmakers to open their minds and do what is best for the entire state, which is to vote for education reform, and for the governor's sales-tax proposal to fund it, both of which the Rapid City Journal editorial board wholeheartedly endorses. Rapid City (S.D.) Journal When a company or progam can get kids to learn, most would consider that to be a win. But when a company or program can get kids to learn while also having fun, thats even more impressive. And thats exactly the type of learning that Snapology aims to offer. Read more about the company and its unconventional learning tools in this weeks Small Business Spotlight. What the Business Does Provides educational programs using interactive toys and tools. Co-founder Laura Coe told Small Business Trends, Snapology educates and entertains children using LEGO bricks, KNex, and other technologies and interactive tools. Snapology provides interactive classes, camps, parties, scouting events, and other activities in the community, Snapology Discover Centers, and in private homes. Business Niche Making learning fun. Coe says, Children know Snapology for its fun and interactive activities. Parents and teachers know Snapology as a place where education can be sneaked in to these activities! How the Business Got Started With two sisters on a mission. Coe explains, Snapology began in 2010 when I was looking for programs for my five- and six-year-old sons. I found limited options in Pittsburgh for my boys, who were not very interested in joining sports. Recognizing my sons love of LEGO bricks and their inherent educational value, I approached my sister Lisa Coe, with the general idea of educating children using interactive learning. As sisters and best friends, we started to develop the concept offering robotics classes, birthday parties and scouting workshops in the Pittsburgh area then the concept began to rapidly expand. Biggest Win Building a great team. Coe says, As a small business, the tendency in the beginning is to do everything yourself until you need to hire staff because of business growth. We realized early on that in order to grow, we needed to invest in hiring key resources to complement our skill sets, and to allow us to have the bandwidth to grow. It took a few attempts to locate the right individuals to really learn what skills and traits we were looking for, and for us to clearly define the positions. We now have an amazing leadership team in place that make Snapology better with everything we do! Biggest Risk Building a custom IT platform. Coe explains, In the beginning, we operated Snapology through several off-the-shelf technology solutions. As we grew, we recognized that this approach presented several challenges as the systems were a bit cumbersome and not well integrated. The decision to hire a company to develop our Snapology Manager Platform was one that we knew would consume significant amounts of our limited resources and capital in the short term, and we had no guarantee that the investment would pay off. Fortunately, this has proven to be a risk worth taking. Several months after beginning this project, we began to consider moving to a franchise model. The custom IT platform allows us to scale easily while enhancing our ability to support our new and existing Snapology owners. How Theyd Spend an Extra $100,000 Expanding the franchise program. Coe says, It is critical to us that we grow in a way that allows us to deliver value to our franchisees and continually look to enhance our curriculum and our operational management tools. As part of that, we would also benefit from using additional capital to expand brand awareness of the Snapology Franchise across the United States and Canada. Company Mascot An alligator. Coe says, One of our first employees designed a small LEGO set and called it Sebastian Gator after my oldest son. My son, Sebastian, was certainly a big inspiration in developing Snapology and, of course, loves the set. When he was a bit younger, Sebastian would often offer to sign autographed Sebastian Gator sets at our events. If the Business Were a Movie Field of Dreams. Coe explains, I love the tag line, If you build it, they will come. The pun with building fits us and it describes Snapologys growth philosophy. I always told my sales manager that if she could sell a program, well find a way to staff it and offer it. And, weve always found a way. Favorite Quote It is never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot * * * * * Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program. There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. More than one-third of all school pupils in Sweden are unable to complete the most basic of academic standards or pass any exams, a new report has revealedthe direct result of the mass nonwhite invasion of that country and the subsequent flooding of its school system by hordes of low IQ Third Worlders. According to a report in the educationists Lararnas Tidning newspaper , more than one in three 15-year-olds cannot pass the basic requirements in one or more of any schools main topics, according to data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD reportwhich covers 34 countries, including most European nations, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Canada, the US, Mexico, Chile, Japan, and South Koreafound that Swedens rating was below even the international average of one in four. The OECD report, titled Low-Performing Students: Why They Fall Behind and How to Help Them Succeed , is based on the most-up-to-date Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA studya survey of 15-year-old school pupils scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading. According to the report, the failure rate among Swedish 15-year-olds is now 34 percent, higher than the international average of 28 percent. Compared to the number of students in Sweden, this works out at around 30,000 15-year-olds. The Lararnas Tidning added that the numbers did not come as a surprise to educational authorities in Sweden. According to that paper, educational attainment levels in Swedish schools have been in free fall for a decade and a half. As the OECD report said, Sweden has seen dramatic increases in the percentage of low achievers in all subjects since 2000. Eva Lundgren, director of education at the National Agency, and head of PISA in Sweden, told the Lararnas Tidning that this meant that her nation was the OECD country in which the proportion of low-performing students increased most. The dramatic drop in scholastic ability is, of course, directly linked to the mass nonwhite Third World immigration which has swamped Sweden for the last twenty years. There are no exact numbers on the racial background of migrants and their descendants in Sweden as the Swedish state refuses to record race. It does however record national backgrounds which provides at the very least an indication of the foreign-born nonwhite population, although it does not give any information on second or third generation nonwhites born in that country, recording them as Swedish-born. In 2011, a Statistics Sweden study showed that around 27 percent, or 2,500,000 inhabitants of Sweden, had full or partial foreign background. This number includes some from other European nations, and so the nonwhite element is likely to be slightly lowerbut still well above 20 percent. It is these groupswhich dominate the younger age demographicwhich have caused the catastrophic collapse in Swedens OECD score. Despite the cause being obvious, the OECD and the liberal Swedish authorities have ignored race as the origin of the problemas if a person from a 73-IQ average Third World nation will suddenly be transformed into a 102-IQ European just by living in Europe. As a result, the OECD has recommended to Sweden that they can magically fix this biologically-determined problem by higher teacher salaries, higher expectations for students, parental involvement, and the provision of targeted support for schools, families, and students who are disadvantaged. Only one prominent intelligence researcher in Scandinavia has dared to tell the truth on the topic. Danish intelligence researcher Helmuth Nyborg, famous for his studies on how immigration affects IQ levels and social development in Western countries, wrote in a 2012 article in the Dispatch International journal that the influx of Third World immigrants had been the direct cause of the lowering of IQ in his nation and in other European countries. In the 14 largest German cities, every second child is already from an immigrant family, he wrote. Ethnic Europeans will soon be extinct in their own countries as a result of the enormous demographic upheaval, while the average IQ falls. And when the average IQ of a country has fallen to 90, then the viability of a democratic welfare state collapses. The same thing will happen in the United States, he wrote. TIMOR SEA (July 6, 2015) - The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), left, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) transit in formation. A new virtual cyber ship called USS Secure - not pictured - is also emerging on the horizon. The USS Secure testbed is designed to turn Navy ships such as the Mustin, Washington, and Antietam into cybersafe warships. Cybersecurity experts from the Navy and Joint Staff will examine USS Secure's ability to transition its cyberdefense technologies to the Fleet by replicating a naval combatant in a system of systems environment during a March 2016 test event. (U.S. Navy photo/Released) DAHLGREN, Va. DAHLGREN, Va. - The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) is leading the creation of a ship like no other - a virtual cyber testbed called USS Secure - in conjunction with three Navy system commands, cyber defense leaders, and experts from coast to coast. The test bed is designed to make the Navy Warfare Centers' cyber warfare vision - turning ships into cybersafe warships - a reality. On the left, the cyber adversaries are being portrayed by certified and accredited Navy and Army Red Teams. The middle portrays a portion of the virtual test environment provided by Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, and the National Cyber Range. This virtual test environment includes hardware in the loop in addition to the live, virtual, and constructive components of the maritime testing environment in the form of laboratories and associated infrastructure. On the right, the cyber defenders are portrayed by the Network Operations Centers and the Cyber Protection Teams. (U.S. Navy interactive graphic/Released) (Feb. 16, 2016)We don't build ships, we turn them into warships.As a new cybersafe ship looms on the horizon, this maxim describing the Navy Warfare Center mission may need rebranding.The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) is leading the creation of a ship like no othera virtual cyber testbed called USS Securein conjunction with three Navy system commands, cyber defense leaders, and experts from coast to coast.Moreover, the test bed is designed to make the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) Warfare Centers' visionturning ships into cybersafe warshipsa reality."The Navy really needs USS Secure and this is the right way to go," NSWCDD Commanding Officer Capt. Brian Durant told USS Secure builders at a final planning conference here in January. "What you're doing today and what will be fleshed out and executed in the next few months will be briefed to senior Navy leadership."In all, 28 cybersafe shipbuildersfrom NAVSEA Warfare Centers at Dahlgren, Philadelphia, Corona, and Crane; Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Warfare Centers Lakehurst and Patuxent River; National Cyber Range, the Defense Department's Test Resource Management Center, Joint Staff, and the Navy Red Teamare collaborating on an inaugural test exercise slated for March 2016.The event will test USS Secure's ability to replicate a naval combatant in a system of systems environment. It will also determine the effectiveness of USS Secure's real and virtual systems to simulate live systems so the combatant's cyber defense capabilities can be evaluated without impacting real-time performance requirements."This test will give us a snapshot view of the existing interface configuration from the adversary point of view, specifically the Navy Information Operations Command Navy Red Team and the National Cyber Range Penetration Team," said Dennis Schaeffer, NSWC Philadelphia cybersecurity systems engineer for hull, mechanical and electrical systems aboard Navy nuclear aircraft carriers. "The results of the exercise will provide input into our current plans for improving the defense of the system over time."Throughout the test, NAVSEA's Integrated Warfare Systems Engineering Directorate will assess the adequacy of USS Secure to deliver an operationally realistic test bed for cyber certifications and future cybersafe test activities."We can use the USS Secure distributed test environment to test multiple systems located in different geographic areas without trucking racks of equipment to different labs and warfare centers," he added.In effect, Schaeffer and his USS Secure collaborators are creating a multi-enclave test environment to enable the Navy's development, evaluation, and testing of cybersecurity concepts and technologies to defend mission critical systems at sea and ashore."USS Secure is the first collaboration among major systems commands to simultaneously join forces to address cyber problems for the Navy," said Chuck Campbell, USS Secure project manager. "Follow on activities will add fidelity and representative systems into the varying enclaves to ultimately instantiate an entire strike groupsurface, subsurface, and airborne."For years, the Navy has been challenged with its warships failing cyber vulnerability assessments. Navy commanders are very limited in the types of malicious cyber testing they are allowed to support on their ships, operational platforms, or systems because of the platform's accreditation or certified configuration.Campbell believes the USS Secure test bed resolves a myriad of challenges from a platform's initial design and development to testing, evaluation and deployment."The long term goal of USS Secure is to provide the Navy with the ability to conduct system of system cyber-focused research, development, test and evaluation," said Campbell. "We cannot afford to wait until operational testing or after a capability is fielded to expose cyber issues in our Naval systems as it's too costly and time consuming to address them that late in the acquisition lifecycle."Once deployed to protect the Fleet with its cyber defense systems, USS Secure and its crew of cyber experts from the military, government, and private sectors will work to immunize Navy surface, undersea, and air warfare systems against the effects of a cyberattack and can rapidly recover when systems are impacted."Cyber has added a whole new domain to war fightingthe adversary is attacking us differently, so we need to defend ourselves differently," explained Keith Jordan, NAVAIR Cyber Warfare Detachment AIR-4.8 cyber lead. "USS Secure gives us an environment to do that. It's a collaborative effort to enable both vulnerability and adversarial assessments in very complex system of system architectures."NAVAIR and NAVSEA officials anticipate that USS Secure will enable engineers to address cybersecurity holistically across the entire platform so that cybersecurity in the combat system extends to the hull, mechanical, electrical, and other enclaves."This distributed environment facilitates labs from multiple DOD organizations to test concurrently and enable us to assess risk at both the platform and mission level," said Jordan. "By utilizing the distributed environment, USS Secure permits us to leverage unique capabilities only found in certain locations. The collaboration between the Navy system commands (NAVSEA, NAVAIR, and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command), as well as other Navy and DoD organizations has been like nothing I've seen before. Cyber is an enormous challengewith tentacles in all disciplinesand it's going to take us all working together to address it."NSWCDD cybersecurity engineer Adam Simonoffupon receiving the Navy's Information Management/Information Technology Excellence Award in February 2014 for his impact in developing the initial concept behind USS Securesaid he anticipates USS Secure's availability throughout DoD and the Department of Homeland Security to protect and defend the nation's critical infrastructure in addition to the transition of its cyberdefense technologies to the Fleet."Our men and women in uniform will be able to execute their mission trusting their automated systems to communicate reliable information and return home to their families and loved ones," Simonoff added. "For the Navy, it means increasing maneuverability in cyberspace to execute the assigned mission undeterred by a cyberattack. For DoD, the nation is well served because America's Navy stands available 24/7, even in the face of a cyberattack."The USS Secure research was conceptualized utilizing Naval Innovation for Science and Engineering (NISE) funds. The NISE program provides the DoD science and engineering organizations the capability to develop and transition technology as well as develop the workforce and enhance laboratory facilities and equipment."NSWCDD and its partner warfare centers will prepare the U.S. Navy to successfully operate in the challenging cyber combat domain by providing technical leadership in the design, development, integration and certification of combat and weapons systems that integrate required cyber warfare (defensive, offensive and situational awareness) capabilities across the full range of military operations," said NSWCDD Cyber Lead Chris Nerney. "We will partner with cyber professionals, facilities and external partnerships to support the investigation of promising new cyber technologies, the development and integration of those technologies into existing programs of record, and the testing and certification of weapon, combat and warfare systems that support missions across all warfighting domains."NSWCDD, a NAVSEA warfare center division, is a premier research and development center that serves as a specialty site for weapon system integration. The command's unique ability to rapidly introduce new technology into complex warfighting systems is based on its longstanding competencies in science and technology, research and development, and test and evaluation. Channan Leea Nichols, 27, of Silver Spring. LA PLATA, Md. (Feb. 16, 2016)Police in Charles County arrested a Silver Spring woman early Sunday morning after she allegedly stabbed several people at a large party in Waldorf. Channan Leea Nichols, 27, was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.On Feb. 14 at 2:52 a.m., officers responded to the La Quinta Inn, 11770 Business Park Drive in Waldorf for the report of a stabbing. Investigation showed the suspect, Nichols, was attending a large party at the hotel when she began arguing with several partygoers. She entered a room that was not registered to her at which time she produced a knife and stabbed a female in the hand. Two private security guards, who were hired for the party, were stabbed as they attempted to escort Nichols out of the room.The victims were transported to area hospitals with injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening.Officers located Nichols on the scene and arrested her.Nichols has one criminal record in Maryland's judicial database. She was charged with disorderly conduct on Aug. 30, 2014. The charge was ultimately dropped. She was represented by a public defender in that case.Det. Wimberly is investigating. WASHINGTON (Feb. 17, 2016)Washington area travelers soon could be flying on regularly scheduled airline flights to Cuba for the first time in half a century. U.S. airline companies will have the opportunity to apply by March 2 for routes to Cuba from U.S. cities. At the moment, passengers in the national capital area are only allowed to take limited and expensive private flights out of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Previously, charter flights were allowed to operate between the two nations. With the developments [Tuesday] this will all change, BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean said. These changes come after a landmark agreement signed in Cuba Tuesday by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Cuban officials. Last August, the United States reopened its Havana embassy, which had been closed since 1961. The dramatic move was part of President Barack Obamas on-going diplomatic initiatives aimed at normalizing relations with Communist Cuba, a nation of 11.2 million people. Restored air service is another key step. (Obama) is breaking down barriers and building bridges, said Tomas Bilbao, a Cuba expert who for more than a decade has advocated better U.S.-Cuban relations. The agreement will allow up to 110 daily flights from the U.S. to Cuba, including 20 daily flights to Havana, according to the Department of Transportation. U.S. citizens still are barred from going to Cuba as tourists, but may qualify for travel to the country under a dozen potential categories. American air carriers last provided regular service to Cuba during John F. Kennedy's administration, when many airlines still used propeller-driven planes for the short hop from the mainland. DOT invited U.S. air carriers to apply for an allocation of the new opportunities to provide scheduled passenger and cargo flights to Cuba, the agency said in a statement. The department will consider which proposals will offer and maintain the best service to the traveling and shipping public. Because applications to provide flights to Cuba are not due at the department until March 2, BWIs Dean said it is too soon to tell which airlines will be offering commercial flights. American Airlines, which has a hub at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, will be submitting a Cuba service proposal, according to chairman and CEO Doug Parker. Service from the airlines Latin American hub at Miami International Airport will be included in the proposal, and the airline is considering applying for flights to Cuba from other hubs, according to a statement. Beyond Miami, we aren't going to be specific until (the) application is submitted, spokeswoman Martha Pantin said. JetBlue Airlines Senior Vice President Rob Land said in a statement that the company is enthusiastic about starting service to Cuba. As a leading airline to the Caribbean and as an experienced carrier serving Cuba with charter flights since 2011, JetBlue eagerly awaits the opportunity to grow our service with regularly scheduled routes between various U.S. and Cuban cities, Land said. JetBlue's secondary hubs include Washington Dulles International Airport. Not only will this new deal allow for more travel options to Cuba, but also it is likely to be cheaper to get there. Its an opportunity to lower the cost for people traveling to Cuba in this area, Bilbao said, referring to the Washington region. A government decision on the new routes should be made by this summer, according to the Miami Herald. Transportation Department officials were reached by phone but had no further comment about potential Washington area service to Cuba. Senate President Mike Miller testifying. (Photo: MarylandReporter.com) ANNAPOLIS (Feb. 17, 2016)Senate President Mike Miller is proposing legislation to boost the mandatory retirement age of Maryland judges from 70 to 73.He told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Tuesday: When we look around us, Delaware and West Virginia have no retirement age. Pennsylvania is now up to 75, the District of Columbia is 74, and Virginia is 73, so were completely surrounded by states that have raised the retirement age.When this [law] was first put in place back in 1940, the average life expectancy was 63 years of age, now were some seventy years later and the average life expectancy is 78 years of age, said Miller, now 73 himself.The bill, SB 502, has 27 co-sponsors, including 7 Republicans. As a constitutional amendment it would ultimately go to voters in a referendum.A similar billoriginally proposing 75 as the retirement ageunanimously passed the Senate last year and was subsequently sent to the House Judiciary Committee where it ultimately passed after amendments. It never received a final vote before the legislative session ended. However, due to those additional amendments, it would have to have been sent back to the Senate for a vote..Democrat Miller also said the proposed measure is advantageous to Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, because the bill calls for judges who turn 70 before their turn expires to petition the governor to either remain on the bench until age 73 or when their term expires, whichever comes first.Governor Hogan has an option, if somebody is reaching the age of 70, he has the option of retaining that person or not retaining that person, it seems like a fair compromise in terms of making certain that he has the option to appoint the judges as governor that he should have the opportunity to appoint, Miller said.Millers legislation attracted only one opponent, the same person who opposed the measure last yearDaniel M. Clements, a retired attorney who previously headed the political action committee for the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association.Clements rejected Millers argument that Hogan would stand to benefit from the bills adoption.This bill is the old white guys relief act of 2016, and I am shocked that any Republican has signed on to this bill because it actually screws Gov. Hogan and messes with his ability to make appointments, Clements said.Clements said that he believes the bill previously failed because it indirectly promotes gender and racial discrimination since it would slow down retirements and therefore new appointments of judges that could be more racially or gender diverse.It discriminates and persists in maintaining both gender and racial discrimination in this state, said Clements.Since 1975, 50% of the people who are in law schools have been women and 50% have been men, that was forty years ago, Clements pointed out. If the appointing authorities had been totally fair, you would expect to have 50% of the people on the bench who are women and 50% on the bench who are men, that is not the case.In the Court of Special Appeals, there are ten males and three females, he said, and in the Circuit Courts there are 90 males and 65 females. Clements said District Court demographics mirror those of the Circuit Courts.It [the bill] was defeated on the House side because of the 24 Circuit Court judges who this applies to in the last two years of Gov. Hogans term in office; 20 are white and only 4 are black.Clements also complained that Circuit Court judges can only be removed by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate or by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities.Chairman Bobby Zirkin, a Baltimore County Democrat, objected to the partisan tone of Clements arguments.This is a piece of legislation about ages of judges to deal with this as a partisan matter is inappropriate, Zirkin said.I want to keep this as to a substantive debate, as we do with every issue.If approved, judicial pension contributions for sitting judges could decrease $1.4 million in fiscal 2019 if those individuals chose to remain on the bench until age 73, according to the states consulting actuary. And those savings to pension liabilities and employer contributions could potentially increase over time as future judges work past the age of 70, since they would be working longer at a more advanced age, reducing the length of time a pension would be paid. ANNAPOLIS (Feb. 17, 2016)Complaining that decisions about Marylands congested transportation system are made with no accountability or public input, Maryland Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday announced legislation that would create an Oversight and Planning Board for the Maryland Transit Authority. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Brooke Lierman, D-Baltimore, would create a board composed of both government officials and private citizens. MTA is an extremely complicated multi-modal transit system, and yet does not engage in any long-term planning, does not produce regular performance or reliability reports, and does not accept public or local government feedback in any organized way, Lierman said. The board would evaluate the Maryland Transit Authoritys budget and policies as well as voice the concerns of residents who have problems with the agency. Hogan calls it a "power grab" UPDATED 2/17, 8:30 a.m. by MarylandReporter.com: Tuesday night on his Facebook page, Gov. Larry Hogan posted: "Unfortunately, today's reckless power grab over transportation funding shows that certain members of the legislature are still more interested in playing politics and advancing their own agenda than working together for the good of the entire state." Earlier Tuesday, Matt Clark, communications director for Hogan, had called the announcement a thinly veiled power grab by the Democratically controlled legislature to weaken local authority. If the leadership in the General Assembly were sincerely interested in oversight of Marylands transportation network, they would have intervened to stop the previous administration from stealing $1 billion from the Transportation Trust Fund at a time when the states roads and bridges were crumbling, Clark wrote in a statement. "Instead, the legislature took no action. In a 2014 referendum, Maryland voters approved a lock box on the Transportation Trust Fund, meaning funds could only be used for other purposes in an emergency. Of the 14 voting members on the transportation planning panel, five would be appointed by the governor. Some seats are reserved for representatives from Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Harford counties, which the transportation agency serves most. Scoring system for projects proposed Legislators said Marylanders need more insight into how and why some projects are funded over others. One bill announced Tuesday would create a scoring system for transportation projects to determine which get funding. Sen. James DeGrange, who is sponsoring the legislation with Delegate Pam Beidle, both Democrats from Anne Arundel, said getting people to employment is paramount to economic development. We need to have the right projects, the right process and the right decision-makingto get people around in an efficient way, DeGrange said. Projects would be ranked and prioritized based on a set of goals, like relieving congestion and getting people to work. The system is modeled on a similar process passed in Virginia last year. Despite being backed by three Democratic legislators from Anne Arundel County, including House Speaker Michael Busch, Republican County Executive Steve Schuh opposes the measures. "This legislation will bog down our transportation projects with unneeded inefficiency and bureaucracy," Schuh said in a statement. "Legislative micromanagement and reducing the voice of local governments will hurt, not help, counties in our state. I ask the legislators from across Anne Arundel County and my fellow county executives to oppose this bill." The package also included a bill requiring the Maryland Transit Administration to fund a replacement project for the Harry W. Nice Memorial Potomac River Bridge, which is nearing the end of its 75-year lifespan. Lastly, a bill sponsored by Delegate Cory McCray, D-Baltimore, would raise the commuter tax credit from $50 per month to $100 per month, and lower the minimum number of passengers from eight to six people for carpooling. LA PLATA, Md. (Feb. 17, 2016)Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) graduation rate hit 92.36 percent in 2015, setting another record high and posting its fifth increase in five years, according to data released by the Maryland State Department of Education this week. As student graduation rates increase, the CCPS dropout rate continues to decline.The CCPS four-year cohort graduation rate jumped nearly one percentage point from 91.4 percent in 2014 and has improved more than five points since 2010. The CCPS average exceeds the state graduation rate of 87 percent."I can't tell you how proud we are of the accomplishments of our students," Superintendent Kimberly Hill said. She credited principals, teachers and staff for helping students stay in school and graduate with their class. "None of this would have been possible without the hard work of students and staff and a strong commitment to the academic success of all students," Hill said.Five of six high schools posted graduation rates greater than 90 percent. Henry E. Lackey High School's graduation rate jumped from 90.57 in 2014 to 91.75 in 2015. La Plata High School posted a 2015 rate of 95.93, up from 92.82, and North Point High School's graduation rate was 95.82, a slight decline from its 95.94 rate in 2014. Westlake High School improved its graduation rate to 93.13, up from 91 percent in 2014. Maurice J. McDonough High School increased its graduation rate from 89.07 to 92.24 in 2015, and Thomas Stone High School rate remained stable at 87.1, down slightly from its 2014 rate of 87.36.Four-year cohort graduation rates by race/ethnicity are: Asian: 95.31 percent; African American: 91.93 percent; Hispanic/Latino: 87.74 percent; White: 93.63 percent; Two or more races: greater than 92.31 percent; and American Indian or Alaska Native: 81.25.Graduation rates for other subgroups include: The graduation rate for students receiving free or reduced-price meals (FARMS) increased, from 82.2 percent to 84 percent. The graduation rate for special education students was 74.03 percent. The four-year cohort graduation rate for females dropped slightly from 94.37 in 2014 to 94.27 in 2015. A higher percentage of males graduated in 2015, up nearly 2 points from 88.56 in 2014 to 90.50 in 2014.Hill said, "We still have work to do to close the achievement gaps for these subgroups."The percentage of students dropping out of school also continues to steadily decline. The CCPS four-year cohort dropout rate reduced from 4.97 percent in 2014 to 4.30 percent in 2015. The State's dropout rate was 8.08 percent in 2015. Dropout rates provide a cumulative rate across the four years since the cohort first entered grade 9. This rate includes dropouts as those students who did not graduate after four years but did not return for a fifth year.Six years ago, Maryland moved to the cohort graduation rate, which follows a set group of students from freshman year through their senior year. The State includes both the four-year cohort and five-year cohort rate in its accountability program. Data released this week is for the four-year cohort graduation rate for the class of 2015 and includes summer graduates. The calculation follows students from the time they first enter grade 9 and includes those who graduate after four years.More information about graduation and dropout rates, along with other Maryland accountability measures, can be found on the 2015 Maryland Report Card at http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/. BALTIMORE (Feb. 17, 2016)Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and Secretary of State John C. Wobensmith announced today that the Office of the Secretary of State has shut down a purported charity for veterans which allegedly falsified marketing materials and other documents and has not accounted for donations.The Secretary of State issued a cease-and-desist order against the Southern Maryland Veterans Association (SMVA), along with principal Dan Brashear, and alleged former associate Norman Randolph McDonald, 48, of La Plata.In response to multiple complaints, an investigation by the Secretary of State's Charities and Legal Services Division, aided by the Office of the Attorney General, showed that the organization was allegedly not assisting the housing needs of veterans as claimed in marketing materials. The charity was also not registered with the Secretary of State."I commend the investigators who took these complaints seriously and took steps to make sure that any potential fraud was stopped," said Attorney General Frosh. "This case shows again that we all must be vigilant, because there are unscrupulous people who care more about their own pockets than the welfare of the community.""Manipulating the good intentions of Marylanders who think they are helping our veterans is unconscionable and unacceptable," said Secretary of State Wobensmith.Solicitors for SMVA had been a visible presence at retail and grocery stores in Calvert County and elsewhere in Southern Maryland. Fund-raisers for the charity would distribute documents that claimed to show that the organization was registered with the state, when in fact it was not.The charity appeared to collect thousands of dollars in 2014 and 2015 in cash and donated goods, but exact totals of contributions and their use could not immediately be determined by investigators.On January 6, Charles County police served a warrant on McDonald, pictured on left, charging him with theft scheme $10,000 to under $100,000 and theft $10,000 to under $100,000 for stealing donation money (approximately $4000.00) intended for SMVA. Between the dates of June 1December 24, 2015, McDonald was employed by SMVA and responsible for collecting donation containers from various locations in Calvert County.The cease-and-desist order alleges multiple violations of the Maryland Solicitations Act, including misleading potential donors to a charitable organization, using false and misleading advertising in connection with a solicitation and failing to register with the Secretary of State before soliciting.Attorney General Frosh thanked Assistant Attorney General Josaphine Yuzuik for her work on the case.The Office of the Secretary of State registers and regulates charitable organizations that solicit charitable contributions in Maryland. The Office works to ensure that charitable contributions made by Marylanders go to qualified charitable organizations and are used for the intended purpose.Anyone who may have been solicited by this organization is encouraged to contact Michael Schlein, Investigator, Charities and Legal Services Division at 410-260-3879. To check if a charity is registered or to report other suspected violations of charitable giving law, please call 410-260-3879 or 1-800-825-4510. More information on charities can be found on the Secretary of State's charity home page: http://www.sos.state.md.us/Charity/SearchCharity.aspx. Wayne Jerome Biscoe, 47, of Valley Lee, Md. LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Feb. 17, 2016)Wayne Jerome Biscoe, 47, of Valley Lee, was arrested today and charged with several firearms violations. Biscoe is a convicted felon and is prohibited by law from possessing any firearm.Police say an undercover Vice/Narcotics detective began conversing with Biscoe regarding the sale of an AK 47 semi-automatic rifle (which is a regulated firearm) and two handguns. When a price was agreed upon, the undercover detective met Biscoe and the transaction was completed. Biscoe was stopped and arrested without incident by Vice/Narcotics Support Team and patrol deputies.Detectives subsequently executed a search and seizure warrant on Biscoe's residence and additional firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a quantity of marijuana were recovered, according to police.Biscoe was charged with several firearms violations to include Unlawful Sale/Transfer of a Regulated Firearm, Illegal Possession of Ammunition, and Transporting a Handgun in a Vehicle. Additional charges are pending a review with the State's Attorney.Biscoe has a criminal record in Maryland dating back to 1992. He was most recently sentenced to 5 years, with 3.5 years suspended, and 5 years of probation for second degree assault on Feb. 8, 2013. U.S. Congressmen David Cicilline and Patrick Murphy made a stop in Fort Lauderdale Friday evening, Feb. 12, speaking to a small group of donors at a local coffee shop. Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, helped to author and introduce the Equality Act, a sweeping piece of civil rights legislation that is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. An openly gay man, Cicilline said if the Equality Act is to move forward more Democrats must be elected to office. This election is very important, Cicilline said. The party in charge sets the agenda. Everything we have hangs in the balance. It is clear the Democratic Party respects our community and respects us as human beings. Murphy agreed and said if the wrong people are elected in November, all of the gains achieved by the LGBT community during the Obama administration could be repealed. If we are really going to make a difference you gotta work, Murphy said. Because I can assure you our friends on the other side of the aisle are going to outspend us. We cannot let them outwork us. Murphy represents House District 18, a large swath of land covering parts of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. The 32-year-old accountant grew up in the Florida Keys and rose out of the construction industry to defeat Tea Party Congressman Allen West in the 2012 general election. Patrick is a very supportive ally of the LGBT community, said Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Dean J. Trantalis, who attended Fridays reception. He has been unwavering in supporting our issues. Both Patrick and David are important examples of strong leadership and balanced ideas, something Congress is sorely lacking. Murphy is campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio, but faces a battle for the Democratic nomination from fellow congressman Alan Grayson and diplomat Pam Keith. Grayson, a liberal firebrand from Orlando, is currently entangled in scandal as the New York Times published a front page story Feb. 12 of the congressmans management of an off shore hedge fund. Emails obtained by the Times show Grayson boasting of capitalizing on economic and political turmoil in global markets, going as far as to urge investors to take advantage of blood in the streets. On the same day the Times story hit the streets, Murphy was in Fort Lauderdale. When asked by SFGN for reaction, Murphy said This sort of behavior by members of Congress that say one thing and do another is exactly what voters dont like and it gives members of Congress or any elected official a bad name. Its very disappointing. Voters obviously have a big decision to make here and they are going to have a very clear decision. This sort of behavior to me speaks to integrity, speaks to character. Joe is an older gay man from Delray Beach who met a much younger male off Craigslist a few years ago. The first time they had a sexual encounter, it was mutual. I went to his house in Fort Lauderdale. It was a really nice. His backyard was the Intracoastal, Joe recalled. He told me that he has a husband that travels a lot. The husband was a lot older. I was 20 years older than him, and he happened to like older guys. Small talk led to pillow talk. We went to the bedroom, and he tried to fuck me. I had not done that in years, Joe said. It was very painful. I said he had to stop because I couldnt take it. Instead, they did other things. The next day, Joe went back. It was a Sunday. We were just talking on the couch, and I was drinking something not liquor because I don't drink. I think it was water. Then all of a sudden I got super horny, and I don't know anything after that. Joe said when he regained consciousness; he was naked in his hosts bed. He asked what happened. He put on the TV a video of him fucking me, he said. I was just passed out. I was really shocked. Embarrassed and in a foggy, drugged state, Joe said he returned home. I took it like well that's what happens when you meet people off Craigslist, he said. Joe had not been given the chance to say No. He was incapacitated and raped. Gay men meet other men off hookup websites or apps. There's also bars and parties. Regardless of where first contact is made, the chance of being drugged and raped very much exists here and elsewhere. Gay men-on-men druggings and rapes are not easily navigable for victims, medical providers, law enforcement agencies or advocacy organizations. In South Florida, like many gay-populated areas in the U.S., cases like this aren't uncommon nor is there a playbook on how to address this. There is no local, statewide or federal data on this type of crime, according to area law enforcement agencies. "Our special victims detectives do not classify sexual assault/battery cases as described. We have no information, stats or documents," explained Veda Coleman-Wright, spokeswoman for the Broward County Sheriff's Office. The reason being, she said, is that it is not a reportable category as part of the UCR (Uniform Crime Reports) system, which is official data on crime in the U.S. published by the FBI. Because of this, Det. Tracy Figone, spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Dept., said to locate information related to this type of crime, a lot of specifics are needed. "You need to provide records with a specific time frame and specific location, club, cross roads, or an actual address," she said. The Miami Police Department confirmed a few recent instances of robberies involving gay victims, but nothing related to gay rapes and druggings. Aside from lack of data on this type of crime, the larger problem is that a majority of gay men do not report their sexual assaults to authorities, experts say. Gay men have been victims of sexual crime for a long time Its under-reported because of shame, said Dr. Steven Santiago, chief medical officer of Care Resource, a nonprofit and health center for uninsured and under-insured patients primarily in the LGBT community. Care Resource has three locations in Miami-Dade County Miami, Little Havana and Miami Beach and one in Fort Lauderdale. Joe, the victim who was drugged, raped and videotaped, said, I wouldn't have gone to the police. I would have felt ridiculous. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, approximately 63 percent of sexual assaults, regardless of gender or orientation, are not reported to police. The center estimates that one in 71 men sexual orientation is not cited will be raped at some point in their lives. "Dean, who is a recent gay drug-and-rape victim, asked to be given an alias due to shame and fear of retaliation from his rapist. He is in his 20s. He is a handsome man with average height, crystal blue eyes, sandy blonde hair and a deep southern drawl. He recently moved from West Virginia to Miami for warmer temperatures. Dean used Adam4Adam.com, a gay dating website, to make new connections sexually and otherwise. "Just don't get drugged," he said. "Someone drugged, raped and tried to overdose me... He used a liquid then later a needle with something." Dean, who said he was raped in January, called the incident "embarrassing." He said the guy did use a condom, which he left behind with semen inside. Dean was treated at Miamis North Shore Medical Center, he said. Spokeswoman Shelly Weiss was unable to confirm any recent gay drug-and-rape cases, but said that rape patients are transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital, also in Miami, for rape kits. Santiago said he treated a gay male patient just a few weeks ago who was drugged and raped. The patient was not Dean. He was referred to us by Jackson. That patient stated he was at a bar and drugged. He remembered waking up in his car without his pants, Santiago said. He assumed he had penetrated someone else, because his penis was soiled. Santiago said, unlike Deans encounter, most rapists do not usually use condoms. He recommends all rape victims get tested for STDs. He said Care Resource offers the full gamut of STD testing. I would venture to guess if someone is committing a sexual crime that protection isnt used, but I don't have knowledge of statistics, Santiago said. Joe said he doesnt know if a condom was used in his rape, but said he didnt see one. Physical health is just one of the concerns after a sexual attack. The others being psychological and emotional impacts. About 35 percent of men report significant short-term or long-term impacts, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Dean said he is still raffled over his rape. I thought the feeling would be gone, but I still have anxiety over it Is it normal to feel weird and a lot of anxiety? Both police agencies and Santiago suggest taking extra precaution when meeting someone off of the Internet. Santiago said meeting in a public place is key. He also mentioned giving contact information of the person, such as screen name, phone number and even photo, to a friend. Regarding prevention, the tips would be the same as for any individual dating or meeting someone online or at a bar, etc. Be aware of your surroundings, make smart choices and watch for red flags, Det. Tracy Figone said. After several high-profile incidents where people met off Craigslist and were either raped or murdered, the website now has a personal safety section posted. There are also stricter guidelines when posting personal ads, including creating a user account on the site and phone number verification. Adam4Adam.com, which advertises as the worlds largest gay hookup site, also has a safety tips section on its website. Grindr the worlds largest gay social network is an app but does have a website. There is not a safety section posted. Media inquiries were sent to both Adam4Adam.com and Grindr. Neither responded to requests for comment. Need help? Contact the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline by calling 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. For more information, visit www.rainn.org. Are you a victim of rape? SFGN would like to hear your story. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . A man suspected of murdering a transgender woman from Tennessee was arrested Sunday, CBS-affiliated station in Memphis, Tenn., WREG reports. Marshall Pegues, 21, was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree murder for killing Alejandra Leos, 41, on Friday night just steps away from their home in Memphis. Police told the station that Leos had an argument with the suspect at their home before Pegues allegedly shot her in the back. It is unclear of the relationship between Pegues and Leos. Authorities and initial reports identified Leos as a man, but family members of the victim clarified that Leos identified as a woman. "Alejandro [sic] would say, 'if you don't know Alejandra then you don't know Memphis,'" a friend of Leos told reporters, according to the Huffington Post. Friends, family and supporters have left candles and flowers to mark the spot where Leos was killed. Friends and family have also set up a fundraising page to help with the funeral costs and urge people to make donations to the Gun Violence Survivors Foundation's Funeral Fund: #RememberAlejandra. Irma Caballerro, Leos' mother, told WREG that she was shocked. A family friend translated from Spanish and told the station Caballerro "doesn't have any words right now." She went on to say that her daughter was an extremely generous person. "It was to the point where if you didn't have no place to sleep [Alejandra] would help you," Smith said for Caballero. Police have yet to state whether or not the case is being investigated as a hate crime. The Advocate notes that Pegues' arrest "appears to indicate that Leos was killed in an act of domestic violence." From our media partner EDGE SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) _ More than half of the marriage licenses issued by Santa Fe County in the past year have gone to same-sex couples. The number of licenses issued has doubled, and 55 percent went to same-sex couples, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported (http://bit.ly/ZcNfWU) Friday, citing data compiled by the county clerk's office. More than 2,500 licenses were handed out since becoming available to same-sex couples on Aug. 23, 2013, the figures show. Of those, nearly 1,400 were requested by gay couples, with at least 600 of those couples coming from Texas and Oklahoma, officials said. The rise in licenses has also led to an increase in revenue for Santa Fe area caterers, photographers and other wedding-related businesses. Babak Dowlatshahi, owner of Insight Foto, said he's gone from doing four weddings a year to about 30 in the past year. ``Obviously, there is a bottleneck of people that have been waiting,'' he said. ``I think it will last for a couple of years and then settle down to find a rhythm.'' Taos County has seen a similar increase in marriage licenses. County data shows 498 licenses have been issued since Aug. 28, 2013, with 48 percent going to same-sex couples. More than 180 of the couples came from Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. New Mexico became the 17th state to legalize same-sex marriage on Dec. 19, through a unanimous ruling by the state Supreme Court. Some opponents discussed trying to overturn the ruling with a ballot measure, but that effort gained no traction. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Antonin Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court justice most hostile to equal rights for LGBT people, has died, and a threat by Republicans in Congress to block President Obama from naming his replacement promises to escalate the nations already bitter political civil war. Justice Scalia was a gleeful and influential political culture-warrior as well as a towering figure who cast a dark shadow on the law and on the lives of many Americans, said Evan Wolfson, who headed up the national Freedom to Marry group. More than just a dependable 'No' vote on the constitutional and civil rights of gay people and others, he reveled in disparagement and incendiary attacks that influenced many judges, politicians, and lawyers, and epitomized the prejudices and exclusion we were working, fortunately with some success, to overcome. Such was the spirit of reaction by most LGBT legal activists to the news Saturday evening that Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead earlier that day in his hotel suite at a private resort in west Texas. The news sent shockwaves through the legal community and the current field of presidential candidates. Within hours of news of Scalias death, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement saying the Senate should not consider a nominee until we have a new President, and during Saturday nights GOP debate, most of the remaining six candidates agreed. But President Obama made clear that he intends to fulfill his duty to name a replacement, and LGBT legal activists have good reason to feel confident that President Obama will nominate someone who will recognize the right of LGBT citizens to enjoy the protections of the U.S. constitution. Many political observers say they believe it is unlikely that Congress will allow the seat to remain open for the 12 months or more it would take for a new president to assume office. And its a big gamble for Republicans to presume that the GOPs eventual presidential nominee will win in November. If Congress does stall the nomination process, the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices. That scenario could potentially improve chances of positive outcomes on LGBT-related cases, given that Justice Anthony Kennedy often votes with the courts more liberal wing on LGBT cases. It is already apparent that one result of Justice Scalias passing will be to focus public attention on how important the Supreme Court is to the lives of all Americans, which I think is a good thing, said Jon Davidson, national legal director for Lambda Legal. Davidson said he expects history will judge Scalia quite harshly when it comes to the rights of LGBT people, women, and people of color. Davidsons colleague, Jenny Pizer, Lambda senior counsel, said Scalias contempt for gay people will look increasingly anachronistic -- and disturbed -- over time. I believe his strongest influence has been as a trumpeter, calling to rally the Religious Right, said Pizer. His intemperate tone has seemed intended to inspire anger and alarm among those working for reactionary causes....[G]iven how frequently his dissents have been cited as authority by the lower courts, he certainly has had influence in slowing LGBT legal progress that way, as well as by motivating political outrage against, and defiance against, liberal court decisions. Justice Scalia was the current Supreme Courts most staunch conservative, and one who often wrote dissenting opinions to the courts most historic rulings on LGBT-related cases. Appointed to the court by President Reagan in 1986, Scalia always voted against the interests of gay people in cases before the court beginning with the 1987 decision, 5 to 4, allowing the U.S. Olympic Committee to ban Gay Games from calling itself the Gay Olympics. He also joined the unanimous decision in 1995 to allow St. Patricks Day parade organizers in Boston to exclude a gay contingent, and was with the majority 5 to 4 decision in 2000 to allow the Boy Scouts of America to revoke the membership of an Eagle Scout because he was gay. What really marked Scalia as anti-gay were his dissents to pro-LGBT decisions. They began in 1996 with his vigorous complaint in dissent to a 6 to 3 majority opinion in Romer v. Evans a majority opinion that struck down a Colorado law that had barred any political subdivision in the state from prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Scalia derided the majority for saying the state law was driven by animus. Of course it is our moral heritage that one should not hate any human being or class of human beings, wrote Scalia. But, he said, one could consider certain conduct reprehensible--murder, for example, or polygamy, or cruelty to animals--and could exhibit even animus toward such conduct. Surely that is the only sort of animus at issue here: moral disapproval of homosexual conduct. In 2003, Scalia led the dissent against a 6 to 3 majority in Lawrence v. Texas, which had struck down state laws banning consensual intimate relations between adult persons of the same gender. Scalia said the Texas law, which made it a felony for two adults of the same sex to engage in sexual relations in the privacy of their bedroom, simply sought to further the belief of its citizens that certain forms of sexual behavior are immoral and unacceptable. Other such behaviors, he said, included fornication, bigamy, adultery, adult incest, bestiality, and obscenity. Almost 10 years later, in response to a question at an appearance before an audience at Princeton, Scalia suggested he made such extreme comparisons because they were effective. I don't apologize for the things I raised. I'm not comparing homosexuality to murder. I'm comparing the principle that a society may not adopt moral sanctions, moral views, against certain conduct -- I'm comparing that with respect to murder and that with respect to homosexuality." And Scalia led the dissent in other major LGBT-related cases before the Supreme Court: U.S. v. Windsor, which in 2013 struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (even setting aside traditional moral disapproval of same-sex marriage (or indeed same-sex sex), there are many perfectly validindeed, downright boringjustifying rationales for this legislation.) In the most recent LGBT case, Obergefell v. Hodges last year, Scalia led the dissent once again, saying he thought the national public debate over marriage for same-sex couples was American democracy at its best. Because Scalia was in dissent on landmark LGBT decisions in recent years, his hostility to LGBT people was held in check to some extent. But he was still seen by LGBT legal activists as an unapologetic rabble rouser for lower court judges and right-wing political figures who shared his disdain for LGBT people. His opinions about LGBT people were particularly harsh, and he wrote about them in openly disparaging terms that perpetuated the most damaging and vicious stereotypes, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. One that particularly stands out is his dissent in Lawrence, when he wrote that Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children's schools, or as boarders in their home. They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a lifestyle that they believe to be immoral and destructive." By voicing such extreme views, said Minter, Scalia gave a stamp of legitimacy to anti-LGBT bias and other deeply reactionary positions and, in that way, pulled the Courts jurisprudence to the right. This wide fisheye lens night view of the Earth was taken aboard the International Space Station on Feb 11, 2016 by the crew of Expedition 46. Some of the stations solar array juts down into the image on the left side. Credit: NASA. NASA The crew aboard the International Space Station is getting ready for a busy traffic month set to begin March 1. Meanwhile, advanced microgravity research and spacesuit work continues inside the orbital lab. One-Year crew members Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are preparing to come home March 1 after 340 days in space. Flight Engineer Sergey Volkov will return with them inside the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft. Then on March 19, NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft and join Expedition 47. Kelly harvested Zinnia plants Monday grown for the Veggie experiment as scientists validate the botany gear to determine the effectiveness of growing plants in space. The Expedition 46 commander also scrubbed spacesuit cooling loops today after inspecting another spacesuit for leaks Monday. Astronauts Tim Kopra and Tim Peake joined Kelly at the end of the work day for eye checks. Earlier in the day Kopra studied the flammability of different textiles in space while Peake participated in educational science activities. On-Orbit Status Report Burning and Suppression of Solids Milliken (BASS-M): Today Kopra completed the final session of BASS-M operations, preparing and testing different samples with ground assistance from the Principal Investigator. The BASS-M investigation tests flame-retardant cotton fabrics to determine how well they resist burning in microgravity. Results benefit research on flame-retardant textiles that can be used on Earth and in space. Microbiome: For his Return Minus 14 day Microbiome session, Kelly collected a fecal sample and completed a questionnaire. Microbiome investigates the impact of space travel on both the human immune system and an individuals microbiome (the collection of microbes that live in and on the human body at any given time) Ocular Health: In support of their ongoing Flight Day 60 Ocular Health investigation, Kopra and Peake completed Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) testing and Kelly, acting as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), performed a fundoscopy activity of Kopra and Peake. OCT is used to measure retinal thickness, volume, and retinal nerve fiber layer, and the fundoscope is used to obtain images of the retinal surface. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risk of microgravity-induced visual impairment/intracranial pressure in ISS crewmembers. Researchers believe that the measurement of visual, vascular and central nervous system changes over the course of this experiment and during the subsequent post-flight recovery will assist in the development of countermeasures, clinical monitoring strategies, and clinical practice guidelines. Education Payloads Operations (EPO) AstroPi: Peake set up the European Space Agency (ESA) AstroPi IR hardware in the Node 2 nadir hatch window. The payload then autonomously run a pre-defined sequence of program files. AstroPi is composed of RaspberryPi B+, Sense HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) and a camera module, contained within a protective aluminum case. Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that enables students to explore computing and learn how to program. Two AstroPi are on board: AstroPi Vis, with visible light camera, and AstroPi IR, with an infrared camera. Both AstroPi will run programs written by the winners of a student competition and collect data from sensors (i.e., inertial movement, barometric pressure, relative humidity and temperature). The data will be shared with schools. Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) 3003 and EMU 3010 Loop Scrubs: Following yesterdays successful EMU 3003 Return To Service (RTS) activities, Kelly performed cooling loop maintenance on the suit, as well as on EMU 3010. This included ionic and particulate filtration (scrubbing) and biocidal maintenance (iodination) of EMU and Airlock cooling water loops. These activities were followed by a dry out of the EMU fan module and vent loop. Correction for Daily Summary Report on Monday, 02/15/16: Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Stowage Frame: The JEM Stowage Frame Installation was not performed yesterday as stated in the Daily Summary Report. The activity will be rescheduled for another day in the near future. Once fully installed, the frame will increase JEM stowage capability by 12 Cargo Transfer Bag Equivalents (CTBE). Todays Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Ocular Health (OH) OCT Setup Monitoring Anti-Virus Scanning Results on Auxiliary Computer System ([???]) Laptops and Report ARED Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation Conference of Search and Rescue Team (????) Specialists with Crew To Return on Soyuz 718 Ocular Health (OH) OCT Exam Operator MORZE. Psychophysiological Evaluation: Cattell Test BIOME Questionnaire Condensate ([???]) Sampling from [???-?2?] Upstream Gas-Liquid Mixture Filter (???) into Drink Bags Replace the insert-trap. Install #20 item 1 (00068077R, ??1??_2_231?_1, bag 359-16 (00043849R)). Removed insert-trap is for disposal ISS Crew Departure Preparation BASSM Preparation Part 1 MRF Purge DAN. Experiment Ops Ocular Health (OH) OCT Exam METERON Laptop Power On Health Maintenance System (HMS) On-Orbit Hearing Assessment (O-OHA) with EarQ Software Setup and Test ??? Maintenance EDV-SV #1192 Fill in (00065120R, ???1???_1_107) and EDV-KOV #1106 EDV-SV #1192 Separation into #1199 (00065916R, ???1???_1_109) Soyuz 718 Landing Site Observation and Photography MORZE. Psychophysiological Evaluation: Strelau Test BASSM Experiment Start Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Monitoring Progress 431 (DC1) ???-?? Exchange with Laptop during the Test DAN. Experiment Ops MORZE. Closeout Ops Monitoring TV Signal during Test with Progress 431 Klyost-M TV System Activation in PCE (????) Mode during the Joint Flight Stage EPO Hardware Setup in Node 2 BASSM BASS Hardware Setup and Tests Synchronization of RS Still Cameras with Station Time Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance CSA PAO Placeholder BASSM Experiment End Condensate ([???]) Sampling Upstream [???-?2?] ??? Setup, Sampler Assembly 24-hour ECG Monitoring HABIT Conference Soyuz 718 Pre-Pack Ops 24-hour ECG Monitoring Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth Transfer of water to the water storage tank via the MRF (end) WRS. Waste Water Tank Drain (Start) URAGAN. Photo Spectral System Science Equipment ([??] ???) Recovery Condensate ([???]) Sampling Upstream [???-?2?] ??? Sampler Changeout Soyuz 718 Pre-Pack Ops HRF Disposal of Non-Operational Hardware BIOME Sampling Setup WRS Waste Water Tank Drain (End) Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance EMU Reconfig MAMS Screen Cleaning Ocular Health (OH) Fundoscope Setup EVA Extravehicluar Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Dryout ECCO Small Cartridge Insertion into MELFI Ocular Health (OH) Fundoscope Prep IMS Delta File Prep Ocular Health (OH) Fundoscope Exam Ocular Heath (OH) CMO Fundoscope EVA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration Ocular Health (OH) Fundoscope Stow Condensate ([???]) Sampling Upstream [???-?2?] ??? Sampler Removal, Teardown Completed Task List Items None Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Nominal System Commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Wednesday, 02/17: ISS Reboost, Biological Rhythms 48, Ocular Health, Cygnus Departure CBT, CARDOX, Cygnus Cargo Ops Thursday, 02/18: Node 1 CPA Install, Cygnus Hatch Closure, Microbiome, Cognition Test, RWS DCP Checkout, ELF Cartridge Install Friday, 02/19: OA-4 unberth, EMU water conductivity test, Neuromapping setup QUICK ISS Status Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [???] 1 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1) On [???] 2 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Override Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up INTERIOR Minister Robert Kalinak will not complete the competition to purchase new helicopters for police and rescuers before the elections. Font size: A - | A + The tender worth 80 million excluding VAT is being checked by the Public Procurement Office. The reason is the competition conditions which the ministry introduced last year, the Sme daily reported. The ministry originally planned to close the competition on December 21, 2015. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement UVOs spokesperson Jan Mazgut confirmed they will decide on the complaints in compliance with the law, yet he failed to specify who submitted them, Sme wrote. The Interior Ministry meanwhile rejected to comment on the complaints, saying that the scrutiny is confidential and non-public. The ministry announced the competition to purchase eight new helicopters for police officers, firefighters and mountain rescuers last October. It planned to use EU funds to finance it. The ministry says that the complaints should not endanger drawing of the funds, Sme wrote. Read also: Read also: Interior Ministry to buy new helicopters, shortly before election Read more Part of the purchase was also special rescue equipment and five-year service. One of the conditions was that the bidder had to deliver the same or similar products worth at least 50 million excluding VAT in the past three years. Kalinak mentioned the potential winner, naming the US company Bell Helicopter which had already delivered two helicopters to the ministry in the past, as reported by Sme. It is certainly not ruled out and it belongs among top favourites, Kalinak said back in August, as reported by Sme. Bell confirmed to Sme that it participated in the competition, but rejected to comment on the conditions. It was originally expected that several world producers would attend the competition, like Italian Agusta Westland, European consortium Airbus Helicopters or US company Sikorsky Aircraft, Sme wrote. TWO trams crossed Bratislavas Old Bridge on February 16 for the first time since the bridges reconstruction as part of technical-safety tests. Font size: A - | A + The tests were carried out by public city transport company Dopravny Podnik Bratislava (DPB) on the route between Safarikovo Namestie square and the borough of Petrzalka. The tests proved that the line is in order. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement They confirmed the ability of the line to operate trams and its accordance with the projected parameters, Bratislavas spokesperson Ivana Skokanova said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The tests are a part of the final inspection process and so the city is still unable to specify when trams will begin travelling over the bridge on a regular basis, she added. Tram service across the Danube dates back to 1914 and, with some interruptions, last ran in 1961. The final inspection of the Old Bridge and premises in the Old Town and Petrzalka started in the second half of January. It should apply to over 100 elements, including the bridges lighting. The city council warned that the bridge will be viewed as a construction site until the final inspection is completed, meaning that free movement is prohibited, TASR wrote. The Slovak capital took over the structure from the contractor on December 16, 2015. Bratislava Mayor Ivo Nesrovnal claimed at that time that if the public sees workers on the Old Bridge or in its vicinity, this does not concern the completion of construction work but the removal of defects. He stressed that the contractor is removing them at its own cost. A consortium of three firms led by Eurovia SK carried out the project for 58.8 million excluding VAT. As much as 85 percent of the projects costs was financed from European Union funds, while the state contributed 10 percent and the city 5 percent. The EU will only cover expenditures arising before December 31, 2015. The project must be put in operation by March 31, 2017 at the latest, Katarina Kohutikova of the citys communications and marketing department told TASR. POLISH airline LOT will launch a regular flight connection between Warsaw and Kosice six days a week as of March 29. Font size: A - | A + Outbound flights from Kosice are scheduled regularly for 5:35, with inbound flights from Warsaw at 22:35, according to the timetable. The regular connection to Warsaw will provide vast travel opportunities for passengers coming from Kosice, with the Chopin Airport in Warsaw offering further connections to other destinations in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, North America and Asia, the TASR newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The morning LOT flights will allow passengers to transfer in Warsaw to other morning flights within Europe, for example to Stockholm, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels, Duesseldorf and many other cities, said LOT communications director Adrian Kubicki. We believe that LOT has a high potential to become the first choice for passengers beginning their journeys in Kosice, said Kubicki, as quoted by TASR. LOT uses the Bombardier turbo propeller aircraft on the Warsaw-Kosice route, with three travel classes available. The flight should take around one hour, with layovers for flights to some destinations being as short as 30 minutes. The Polish airline provides connections to more than 60 destinations worldwide. Kosice is one of the first new destinations opened by LOT after completing its restructuring process. They further include Luxembourg, Ljubljana, Athens, Beirut and Nice. LOTs arrival should significantly improve the accessibility of not only Kosice, but all of eastern Slovakia. No other Slovak airport is being served by as many as three standard carriers providing further networks of international connections from their hubs, noted Kosice airport marketing manager Juraj Toth, as reported by TASR. The other two standard carriers serving Kosice are Czech Airlines and Austrian Airlines, apart from Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air. THE TERRORISM threat that the ruling Smer party uses in its election campaign when it comes to refugees does not bother people that much in association with the migration crisis. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Concerns regarding work in regions with higher unemployment are much greater, according to qualitative research on 93 people in 14 groups carried out by the Department of Political Science at Comenius University in Bratislava for the Sme daily. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Moreover, the respondents claimed that also Slovaks who work, for example, in Germany which enabled entry of refugees, are endangered. Also their different mentality that was called a different culture by several of those polled raises uncertainty in them. When somebody keeps telling you for six months that refugees are bad, but you have never even met any, you intuitively start accepting this opinion, but you have to rationalise it somehow, said political scientist Pavol Babos, as quoted by Sme. Economic threats are less distant problems for people in some regions than terrorism since they struggle with unemployment on a daily basis. They do not see refugees as terrorists but rather as people who are willing to work for less money or abuse the social policy of the state, he added. People are very angry that the state has not helped them for years, it cannot take care of its own people and now it plans to help the others, Babos explained to Sme. People who will vote for the first time, unlike the older respondents, did not see any threat in refugees. The migration crisis does not impact their decision reagarding whom to vote for, their responses showed. Babos specified that these people were mostly university students for whom the threat of losing their job is more distant and who rather focus on successful graduation. THE GOVERNMENT approved signing of the agreement on the Bratislava ring road project at its February 17 session. Font size: A - | A + The Transport Ministry has to sign the agreement with a consortium led by Spanish firm Cintra Infraestructuras International by the end of February. The government also approved the schedule for implementing and financing the measures to reduce the impacts on a nature conservation area, the SITA newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The consortium Obchvat Nula led by Spanish Cintra Infraestructuras International has offered to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the highway project within a public-private partnership project for an annual instalment of 56.72 million. The project concerns the 59-km Bratislava ring road consisting of D4 highway Jarovce Ivanka, north Raca and R7 dual carriageway Prievoz Ketelec Dunajska Luzna Holice. Read also: Read also: Bratislava ring road is closer Read more The state will pay the company a total of 1.891 billion during a 30-year operation. The instalments will be paid after the road is put into operation, as reported by SITA. The consortium, which features also Austrian Porr and Australian Macquarie Capital Group, plans to hire local sub-contractors for construction works, but it has not specified whom and for what works yet. It is expected that about 1,000 new jobs will be created, while about 50 people will be needed when operating the road, according to SITA. The construction of the ring road should last four years and three months, and should be completed by 2020. IRISH low-cost airline Ryanair launched a new route from Bratislava to Eilat Ovda in Israel on February 17. Font size: A - | A + The new route is part of its winter 2016 schedule. Apart from this, the airline also added three new winter services to Brussels, Edinburgh and Manchester, which should deliver 1.2 million customers per year and support 900 on-site jobs at Bratislava airport. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement We are pleased to welcome the new Bratislava Israel route for our passengers, said Bratislava airports CEO Ivan Trhlik, as quoted in the press release. Thanks to cooperation with Ryanair we expect an increase in passenger numbers in 2016 as well as in 2017 and we expect a total of 1.8 million handled passengers. We forecast to reach 2 million passengers in 2017. Passengers can now choose from 13 routes from Bratislava in winter 2016. Ryanair also plans to continue its Always Getting Better programme, which includes more new routes, a new app, new cabin interiors and new crew uniforms, said Ryanairs Chief Commercial Officer David OBrien. Ryanair also announced it will base a second aircraft in Bratislava from March 2017, as it invests another $100 million, further underlining its commitment to expanding Slovak tourism, traffic and jobs. GUIDES will provide free tours to residents of 10 Slovak towns and cities on February 19-21. Font size: A - | A + The event is taking place to mark the 13th International Tourist Guide Day, which is set for February 21. In this way guides attempt to pay off their debts towards the locals at least once a year, the TASR newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement This year, the list of towns and cities features Banska Bystrica, Bardejov (Presov Region), Bratislava, Kosice, Liptovsky Mikulas (Zilina Region), Martin (Zilina Region), Nitra, Skalica (Trnava Region), Poprad (Presov Region), and Spisska Nova Ves (Kosice Region). The main group of weekend tours will start on February 20, while Liptovsky Mikulas residents can go on a new tour of the town centre on February 19. In Bratislava, the guided tour in English starts on February 20 at 14:00 from plague column on Rybne namestie square. Kosice offers two guided tours in English on February 20, at 10:00 and 13:00. The tour starts from the Kosice Visitor Centre on Hlavna 59. Guides spend most of their working time with foreign visitors or tourists, as if they were forgetting about the residents of towns and the people working in them, said Marian Bilacic, chairman of the Slovak Association of Tourist Guides, as quoted by TASR. Theyll provide their services free of charge to anyone who arrives at a set place at a set time. We also want to present the work of qualified tourist guides in this way. The associations role is to present the cultural heritage of Slovakia and its natural beauties. It also brings together individuals involved in the tourism industry, as reported by TASR. Last year, the event took place in 50 countries. In Slovakia, it started in 2004 with guided tours in four cities: Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Martin and Presov. The event was attended by 423 people at that time, but the number grew to 2,658 last year. A total of 631 guides and 19,608 locals have taken part in the free tours over a period of 12 years. More information: www.ssscr.sk (Slovak only) Recently, I braved a Melbourne summers pouring rain to attend an event that had me the envy of my entire social circle: a croissant degustation (tasting menu) at Lune Croissanterie. Back in early 2014, when the croissanterie was in its original home in the south-of-the-river suburb of Elwood, Eileen Kenny wrote about Lune and its seemingly permanent line around the block for Sprudge. But sibling owners Kate and Cameron Reid, who had been a wholesale supplier to the citys rapidly growing specialty coffee scene, soon required a larger prep space and dining area. Thus, the move north to Fitzroy, one of Melbournes culinary hotspots. The new space is in every way an improvement. An enormous slab of graniteThe biggest we could get, says Cameronallows them to prep four times more croissants and other viennoiseries at once. With a loose intergalactic/outer-space decor theme, the new Lune is a cozy warehouse that churns out croissants and coffee Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to the enthralled masses. The queue is 10-to-50-customers deep during all opening hoursCameron says they typically make a total of 2,500 pastries per week, 600 to 700 of which are traditional croissantsbut trust that this is a vast improvement on the previous situation. The jewel in Lunes new crown is the Lune Lab: part cellar door, part pastry tasting menu, and the hottest ticket in town. When tickets were made available for this tasting, the site crashed within minutes. For $50 a pop, eight lucky punters sit at a bar where they are fed three courses: a traditional croissant, a savory one, and last, a sweet. They also have some conversational access to the Reid siblings, and are given a development story and information to complement each course. The idea was born of a desire to have Lunes customers experience the croissants in the best possible way, where the Reids can completely control the conditions in which they are served. There may not be anyone else in the world doing thisa croissant tasting menu with an intimate look at one of the worlds most progressive makers of viennoiseries is new. For each course, the Reids brought out a silver tray of fresh-baked croissants and hand-picked one for each of us (This one is really vibing you this morning, I was told). Between courses, we chatted among ourselves as the morning at Lune went by, the Reids busying themselves with their craft. Watching them is like watching twin lab technicians; their matching top knots bob in unison as they furiously roll croissants in their matching chef whites. One cant help but feel like a voyeur as they assemble their goods in the nearly soundproof cube. They press dough in the laminator (laminoir in French), meticulously cut, and roll like a well-oiled machine; its meditative to watch. Kate told us that the traditional croissantthe first coursemay seem like the most basic, but its actually the most experimental. They are constantly refining and developing their methods and recipe. Kate is the trained chef of the two, but her formal training was minimal. After a stint at the famous Du Pain et Des Idees in Paris, she came back to Australia and set out to replicate what shed learned. She spent hours on research and development, tweaking and reworking to fit the needs of her new audience. Cameron says that French chefs have come to Lune and, now, upon seeing what his sister does, they are baffled. Her recipe and technique are truly one of a kind. The savory course was a short-rib croissant. They start with a custom-size braised short rib from local butcher Meatsmith. Its served wrapped in croissant pastry, accompanied by American black-wax cheddar, reduced braising liquid, and cole slaw. Cameron demonstrated how to eat this course: First, we pulled the bone from the meat. Actually, pulled is an overstatementthe bone slid off effortlessly. We then poured the thick sauce into the space the bone had left. Lastly, to ensure the temperature and textures were perfect upon consumption, we were instructed to packwith our fingersthe slaw into the croissant. Then the eight of us silently stuffed our faces while those in the queue to purchase croissants watched enviously. The sweet course was a peach-cobbler croissant. The heaviest of the three, this creation incorporated peach done many ways, including slices roasted in sugar and butter in the middle of the pastry; peach puree with butter folded throughout; and dehydrated slices cut with powdered sugar over the top with a crumble. It was served with a vanilla creme anglaise. It should come as no surprise that its important to the Reids to serve high-quality specialty coffee alongside their viennoiseries. After all, what is more perfector more Frenchthan a coffee and a croissant? Espresso-based coffees are expertly extracted on a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB. The coffee is by Sprudgie-award winners Small Batch Roasting Company, based in North Melbourne. I spoke to Small Batch owner Andrew Kelly, who had a lot to say about their synergistic match. Weve been working with Kate and Cam for going on two years now, and find them most excellent people and great evangelists for quality, Kelly says. Regarding the pairing of Small Batch beans and Lune Croissanterie, he says: We each strive for a classical perfection of execution, not gimmickry and flashiness. And the productsbuttery croissants [among other kinds] and great coffee are already a match made in heaven. But theres something further unique about Small Batch and Lune. Our crafts share Maillard and sugar-browning reactions. We seem to be a perfect pair in terms of degree of cooking. We are engaged in a sensual embrace of sugar-browning levels. Seriouslyits an epic pairing. To make sure Kelly wasnt being hyperbolic, I had Small Batchs Candyman espresso twice: first in a magic (Melbournes name for a short, strong flat white) and then in a long black. Three courses of creative, boundary-crushing croissants paired with delicious specialty coffee in an intergalactic warehouse in Australia: what a time to be alive! Phylisa Wisdom (@wordsofpwisdom) is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne. Read more Phylisa Wisdom on Sprudge. And getting any cooperation from key OPEC players Iran and Iraq will be tricky, he added. Another expert, Oil Price Information Service chief oil analyst Denton Cinquegrana, argued the agreement resembles a "wait and see" approach. Production freeze slows down the building glut, but most still see production outstripping demand for the time being. Oil prices are not likely to recover until the global inventory builds stop, Cinquegrana told Sputnik. Moreover, Iran is determined to raise oil production after nuclear-related sanctions have been lifted and parties to the Doha deal would like Tehran see joining in, but experts agree such a development is unlikely. "Iran has made it clear that they want market share back. They are probably not going to be willing to participate in a production freeze unless they are guaranteed to be allowed at least some production increase. Obviously higher prices would help them, but in this low price environment they will be looking for selling as many barrels as possible at the lowest price," Cinquegrana argued. "[The plan] includes by-passing existing international institutions, the United Nations in particular, for unilateral reliance on military power, backed by ad hoc alliances," Grosscup pointed out. The plan also included a Full Spectrum Doctrine that said the United States should be able to fight and win numerous wars, including nuclear ones, for regime change purposes in rogue nations, and that it should prevent the rise of competing powers such as Russia, China and Europe, Grosscup added. "Most notable is the right wing Neo-Nazi-inspired Ukrainian regime-change coup backed by the United States. Along with the Georgia political crisis in 2008, [they] are the final building blocks to move NATO to Russia's immediate borders," Grosscup claimed. The purpose of these moves was to prevent Russia rise as a competing power and to control Central Asian oil and gas reserves, he observed. "President Putin's concerns expressed at Munich are understandable. Putin points out correctly that the United States and its ad hoc coalition allies have used non-UN sanctioned unilateral military force in the Middle East to de-stabilize Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Libya, Palestinian Occupied Areas and Syria," Grosscup observed. On the nuclear front, the United States continues its effort to "out-invent" its strategic weapons rivals with a technological breakthrough that would allow it to win a strategic nuclear war with Russia," he stated. Also, "Current US President Barack Obama had given battlefield commanders the authority to breach the conventional-nuclear threshold on their own, Grosscup warned. However, recent Russian policies in the Middle East and Eastern Europe had blunted the drive to expand US influence, University of Louvain Professor and author of "Humanitarian Imperialism" Jean Bricmont told Sputnik. "The resistance of Russia in Syria and Ukraine has strengthened the hand of the anti-interventionists in the US," he stated. The current US presidential election campaign had already demonstrated that the American public did not share their rulers appetite for endless interventions and wars around the world, Bricmont emphasized. "The tide is changing, slowly but surely. The American public does not go along any more with the neo-cons-liberal interventionists," he maintained. The pattern of voting in the early US primary and caucuses indicated that the US public had no enthusiasm for new wars, Bricmont concluded. During the early and mid-1990s, Russian women, fleeing from domestic violence, had fewer opportunities to seek help than they do now. There were very few social service agencies that specialized in helping victims of domestic violence. Things slowly began to change in the new millennium. In 1999, there were 2,240 social service agencies specialized in family issues, but within 10 years that number increased to 3,363, according to a report compiled by Marina Pisklakova-Parker, founder of Russias National Center for Prevention of Violence (ANNA Center). However, out of more than 3,000 social service agencies across Russia, only 23 were geared specifically toward helping women. Part of the reason why I think there arent enough womens shelters is because Russia doesnt have a specific law on domestic violence, which would criminalize the actions of offenders. Often, its hard to prove domestic violence to police. The cases of domestic violence become criminal cases only when a woman suffers severe physical injuries or is killed. And even when offenders are taken to court, most cases are treated like a private family matter. In other words, if a man beat up his wife or girlfriend, Russian criminal law wouldnt treat him any differently than if he were involved in a street fight. The lack of a specific law on domestic violence in Russia is a major obstacle to combating this violence, according to a UN special report on domestic violence in Russia. To effectively persecute men who beat their wives and girlfriends, and decrease the rates of domestic violence, Russia needs a specific law that would define women as a collective group and specifically protect them from their partners. If the Russian government really wants to combat the issue of domestic violence on a deeper level, then it should pass a new law criminalizing domestic violence. By passing the law, the government would acknowledge that the problem exists and recognize the rights of battered women. When this happens, not only would more offenders get charged for their crimes, but more social agencies, designed to help women, would eventually spring up. Their decision will depend on what level of output will be used as a basis because there are different assessments by the International Energy Agency (IEA), OPEC as well as by independent sources like Bloomberg or Argus, Wiktor Bielski, Global Head of Commodities Research at VTB Capital, told RIA Novosti. Iran and Iraq may be the main opponents to the agreement. "Earlier Iran said it will not freeze or cut output. Moreover, it wants to raise oil production after sanctions against Tehran have been lifted. Iran could be considered a special case. But Iraq may oppose the deal too," Bielski said, adding that other OPEC members may join the initiative. Furthermore, if all OPEC members join the deal a special scenario may be proposed for Tehran, the analyst assumed. "Of course, this will have positive consequences for the market, and price for Brent crude may stabilize at $30-35 a barrel," he added. Iran and Iraq will be the key players in the upcoming negotiations. "They have little stimulus to cut oil production. After sanctions have been lifted Iran plans to raise oil production to one million barrels a day," Marco Guili, an analyst at the European Political Center (EPC), said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The economic cooperation between Moscow and Rome will augment within the next few years as the Italian business still believes in the Russian market, Italian Ambassador to Russia Cesare Maria Ragaglini said. "I am absolutely convinced that in the near future, in the coming years, cooperation will grow. Our economies are naturally complementing each other. Difficulties still exist, but Italian companies continue to believe in the Russian market," Ragaglini told RIA Novosti in an interview. In recent months, deals on direct investments, joint ventures and a relatively large number of contracts on supply of goods and materials were clinched, the ambassador explained. The total sale of $48.11 bln worth of US governmental securities in December followed rather insignificant net purchases of $892 mln worth of such securities the previous month. In longer-term US assets, December also saw a sell-off by foreigners of $29.4 bln in worth, with the total volume of yearly purchases for 2015 down to $320.2 bln. In November, overseas entities bought $31.4 bln of longer-term assets. In December, foreign governments sold $35.91 bln worth of Treasury notes only, after having bought some $38.36 in November. Mainland China's stake in the US debt burden fell to $1.246 trln in December from $1.265 the previous month, while Japan's holdings decreased to $1.123 trln from $1.145 trln. Private overseas buyers, however, acquired some $12.2 bln worth of US debt, yet, December's massive sale of US debt held by foreigners is first since 2001. Meanwhile, according to data by Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority (SAMA), the oil-exporter's foreign exchange reserves, including its holdings of US debt, decreased by $108 bln in 2015, and the Saudi regulator owned some $423 bln in foreign securities (including US Treasuries) in November, just before the sell-off. SAMA does not disclose figures on its US Treasury holdings though. "You need dollars if you're an oil producer, you want to make sure you have dollars on your balance sheet," said Sebastien Galy of Deutsche Bank. WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko On Tuesday, the energy ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela held talks with Russia in the Qatari capital of Doha, and agreed to freeze their oil output in 2016 at the January 11 level. However, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak noted the decision is contingent on other oil producers joining the agreement. "If the freeze in production rates reduces global oil supplies on the market, this will support higher prices and could help to mitigate the pressure currently facing Canadian producers," Khoury said. The ministrys spokeswoman added that the global downturn in commodity prices had affected all major producing countries. Any hopes UK Prime Minister David Cameron held for agreement over a new deal for the UK's membership of the European Union (EU) ahead of the European Council summit of EU leaders on February 18/19 have been dealt a blow after the Visegrad group railed against his proposals over benefits for EU workers in the UK. Cameron has won general support for some of his demands notably an opt-out from "ever closer union", cutting red tape and non-discrimination of non-Eurozone nations. However, his sticking point is on the matter of EU migrant workers in the UK receiving the same in-work benefits as UK taxpayers from the moment they enter the country. The issue has caused deep resentment within Britain, with many believing it is wrong for EU citizens to arrive in Britain and enjoy the same benefits as people who have been paying taxes for years. Cameron is trying to negotiate an "emergency brake" that will allow the UK Government to withhold benefits payments to non-UK workers for up to four years. Eric Semb, a social worker at Helmstad, said that last fall the service found itself hard put accommodating eight young men. They eventually decided to send the eight newcomers to a newly-opened asylum center, which had not yet been issued a working license. The young men were formally accommodated with the asylums owner a 33-year-old car dealer from Goteborg who happened to act as a front for his 39-year-old brother who is suspected of forging the license to run the asylum. Moreover, it later transpired that the man was prominent member of the local underworld. During the 1990s he was jailed for a string of burglaries, assaults and forgeries. In 2004 he helped the Bandidos MC gang settle down in Goteborg. The businessman was finally arrested on December 23, 2015, but the eight youngsters stayed at the center until mid-January 2016 while the authorities were looking for a new place to accommodate them. An investigation conducted by Dagens Nyheter revealed that several other municipalities has also used the firms services. In Halmstad the local municipality paid the conmen a daily allowance for 2,500 crowns (around 250 euros) for each teenager. In Helsingborg the authorities shelled out equal sums, with millions of taxpayers crowns ending up in the hands of the shady businessmen. "Bygmalion is a cluster bomb" ran the headline in the French online news portal, when it was announced that Sarkozy was under investigation over the allegation that the Bygmalion organization had issued US$20.1 million in false invoices during Sarkozy's 2012 presidential campaign. The effect of the PR agency's over-invoicing of Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party now called The Republicans was, it is alleged, that Sarkozy benefited from funding that was in excess of legal allowances for political campaigning. "In his life," the piece continued, "Nicholas Sarkozy has refused a mea culpa" over the affair which has dogged him ever since details emerged of the alleged affair. He has now been officially notified that he is "suspected illegal financing of an election campaign for a candidate, who went beyond the legal limit for electoral spending." Irene and Anders are not the first to face problems of that kind. According to official statistics, about 53,000 people have been waiting months for their applications to be processed, including those adopting children from other countries and those who want to bring their relatives to Sweden. However, some 26,000 of them are the so called "migrants by love", who are awaiting permission to move to the country to be with their partners. The average waiting time for them is now 378 days compared to 153 days in 2013. Sometimes the waiting period can even last for up to two years. According to the press center of the Swedish Migration Service, the problem is related to a high number of asylum seekers entering the country. Employees, who had previously held interviews with couples, are spending more time on refugees who are considered a matter of high priority. European countries, including Sweden, have been trying to cope with a large-scale refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty. The crisis overwhelmed European governments and raised concerns about their ability to cope with the growing refugee influx. In 2012 government agents arrested 47-year-old Curtis Green also known as Chronicpain the administrator of Silk Road hired by Dread Pirate Roberts (or DPR, as Green called him). Joshua Bearman from Wired Magazine wrote that Chronicpain was unpacking a shipment of cocaine when feds knocked on the door of his Utah home: Green considered the package and then took it into his kitchen, where he tore it open with scissors, sending up a plume of white powder that covered his face and numbed his tongue. Just then the front door burst open, knocked off its hinges by a SWAT team wielding a battering ram. Quickly the house was flooded by cops in riot gear and black masks, weapons at the ready. There was Green, covered in cocaine and flanked by two Chihuahuas. But even with Chronicpain in custody, it was no easy undertaking to catch Silk Roads mastermind. The feds set up a 40-man task force to track him down. They even posed as drug lords online to lure DPR out. But eventually it wasnt chat transcripts that led to Ross Ulbricht's arrest. His personal email account was linked to the project by the FBI and it was a just matter of time before his real IP address led the agents to Ulbrichts physical location. In May of 2015 a federal court sentenced Ross Ulbricht to life in prison. His supporters maintain that Ulbricht was a young idealist who ran his project out of his libertarian beliefs and that hes not a cold-blooded criminal. The mans family claims his sentencing is a dangerous precedent, since it makes a website owner solely responsible for the actions of its users. Ulbrichts mother Lyn, when interviewed by radio host Alex Jones, said that the family will continue their legal battle: There are so many people in prison who are either innocent or non-violent. And it just seems like its draconian The prisons are just overflowing. Yes, I agree that we need to get back to the rule of law, and have fair trials. Even with Dread Pirate Roberts behind bars, his ideas have spread across the Dark Web. In 2014 alone police in 17 countries took down more than 400 websites similar to Silk Road. Operation Onymous led to 17 arrests, making it obvious that besides blocking the content, the authorities are increasingly going after the webmasters those who just like Ross Ulbricht challenged the system and set up their own utopian markets free trade zones unburdened by national currencies and government control. We are now going to battle with Daesh because after seizing Tel Rifaat we have come almost flush against the Daesh-controlled village of Ahras. We are going to take on all the terrorists groups active in the region, he vowed. Ebu Omer also spoke about the continued Turkish bombardment of SDF-controlled territories. Today [the Turkish military] fired at the village of Endekyi, which we liberated yesterday, killing two of our soldiers and wounding several civilians, Ebu Omer told Sputnik. Assisted by the Syrian army and Russian air support, the Kurdish forces fighting against the terrorists in northeastern Aleppo province have been making striking advances against the Al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and Daesh terrorists. This along with popular forces and Hezbollah units liberating almost all militant-held regions in eastern, southern, western and northwestern Aleppo province, the city will soon be recaptured. In early December 2015, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi stressed that his country had no intention of joining a US-led coalitions air campaign in Syria. Syria has been in a state of a civil war since political protests in 2011 escalated into an armed conflict. Government forces have been fighting on multiple fronts, against moderate opposition factions and numerous extremist insurgent groups, including Daesh and the Nusra Front, both banned in Russia. Italy Counting on Russia to Put Intra-Syrian Talks on Constructive Track You know, everyone is criticized on the Syrian issue, sometimes more, sometimes less, and I wouldnt say the talks have failed. Its clear that the postponement of the talks to February 25 wasnt good, Ragaglini said. He said that this should serve as a stimulus so the international community puts in maximum effort in cooperating with all of the sides so that these negotiations take place and so that the position of the parties taking part in them has a maximally constructive character and were counting on Russia for this. Italy Trains 2,000 Iraqi Soldiers to Fight Daesh Italian military specialists have provided training to 2,000 soldiers of the Iraqi army to fight Daesh, the Italian ambassador to Russia said. "Italy actively participates in solving the Iraqi problem. Instability in Iraq has a direct impact on the situation in Syria. Italy is engaged in training of the military specialists, we provide training to the Iraqi servicemen and the [Kurdish] Peshmerga fighters, because they are the backbone of the [army] units that are actively fighting Daesh," Ragaglini told RIA Novosti. The total number of the Iraqi soldiers trained by the Italian specialists amounts to 2,000, he noted. "In addition to that, in the near future Italy is going to send a limited contingent of its military to guard the Mosul Dam. Mosul is of strategic importance," Ragaglini outlined. "We are exerting restraint. The entire international community has now condemned Turkey's shelling of our positions and has demanded that Turkey should stop the strikes. We will not give in to provocations, our aim is to defeat Daesh," Salu added. According to the spokesman, the Turkish strikes left nine people dead. In recent days, Turkey has intensified its artillery shelling of Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria, which has been in a state of civil war since 2011. Ankara claims that Syrian Kurds have links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which fights for Kurdish independence from Turkey. Syrian Kurds have been fighting against Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries including Russia, for years and have already liberated vast Syrian territories from under its control. Recently, several loud statements have been made, including about Turkish troops allegedly crossing the Syrian border, but all of them were later denied. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the US and Russia have insisted they have no plans for a ground operation in Syria. Saudi general Ahmed al-Assiri said Riyadh was going to launch an operation against Daesh militants in Syria, as part of the US-led coalition, following the similar statement by the UAE. In addition, Saudi Arabia said it would send its special forces to Syria. Recently, the kingdom deployed its fighter jets to the Incirlik air base in Turkey. Moreover, in January US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the Pentagon would soon send ground forces to Syria and Iraq to fight Daesh. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Moscow is seriously concerned by recent reports that 15 civilians were killed in the Syrian town of Shaddadi in a US-led coalition airstrike, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. "Amid the ongoing anti-Russian propaganda campaign, allegations of international humanitarian law violations, reports of alleged civilian casualties caused by Russian airstrikes, we noticed media reports on the killing of 15 civilians in an attack carried out in Shaddadi by the so-called anti-Daesh coalition led by the United States," the ministry said in a statement. "This causes serious concern for us," the ministry added, urging all members of the US-led coalition to make "all necessary efforts" to avoid civilian casualties. The Syrian army with Russian air support is making some serious gains; there is a strong chance that the city of Aleppo will be retaken by government forces its essentially surrounded now. The so-called Azaz corridor from Northern Syria into Turkey, which is an essential supply line for the jihadists, is effectively cut and there are indications now that the Syrian army may be moving toward Raqqa, the capital of Daesh. So this means that basically Saudi Arabia and Turkeys policy of overthrowing Assad is backed by the United States and the western powers are nearing complete collapse and they are desperate to mix things up. Jatras further said, Lets take this notion of moderate rebels. There is no such thing as a moderate terrorist. All these opposition groups are to one extent or another Jihadists sharing the same radical Sunni ideology to install a Sunni sectarian state or Shariah against the wishes of the majority of Syrian people. Now lets remember that the Syrian army is mostly Sunni, the generals are mostly Sunni, the first lady is Sunni. Most people even in the Sunni community do not support the sectarian agenda much less the Alawites and the Christians. The analyst noted, Nonetheless the Turks and the Saudis and the Gulf states will accept no other outcome than their preferred plan which is to overthrow the government and create something like an ISIS or al-Qaeda-led state. Talking about actual boots on the ground in Syria, Jatras said that what mostly Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other gulf states are doing is trying to pressure the US to lead some kind of ground effort into Syria, ostensibly against Daesh but really directed against the Assad government. I dont know that President Obama wants to start something like this in his last year in office that potentially could kick off World War III if it becomes a direct confrontation with the Russians in Syria. If the Americans block, I think the likelihood of Saudis being crazy enough to do this on their own is quite small, although I could be wrong. But after all, they cant even handle the Houthis in Yemen and then going to take on Russians and the Syrian Army, I dont think so, Jatras said. Talking about Turkey, the analyst said that it is hard to tell because their president is very irrational. Erdogan is so irrational and so afraid of any kind of Kurdish presence on the Assyrian border; there is no telling what he might do. North Korea has formed a new "military unit" subordinate to Strategic Rocket Forces to deploy the weapon, Yonhap reported Sunday, citing US and South Korean officials. On February 9 US director of national intelligence James R. Clapper said in a report to the senate armed services committee that North Korea had begun fielding the KN08 system, despite the fact that it "has not been flight-tested." "North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs will continue to pose a serious threat to US interests and to the security environment in East Asia in 2016," he stated. "Pyongyang is committed to developing a nuclear-armed missile capable of posing a direct threat to the United States." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Obamas comment came in response to a question whether military intervention in Libya is necessary to combat Daesh. "With respect to Libya, I have been clear from the outset that we will go after ISIS [Daesh] wherever it appears the same way that we went after al-Qaeda wherever they appeared," Obama stated at Rancho Mirage in California on Tuesday. Obama further noted a testament that the United States is already pursuing such a strategy is illustrated by the fact it "took out one of ISIS [Daeshs] most prominent leaders in Libya." The agreement has paved the way for new perspectives of the Russia-Iran military-technical cooperation. According to experts, Iran needs modern weapons worth $13 billion, and all of them could be supplied by Russia. It was reported that on the sidelines of the recent talks Iranian military officials said they were willing to buy Russian weapons worth $8 billion. First of all, Iran is interested in Russias assistance in creating an integrated echelon air-defense system comprising short-, medium- and long-range components. Such a system could be built with Russian technologies. One of its main parts is Su-30SM Flanker multirole jet fighters. A contract for the delivery of Flankers to Iran will be signed in 2016, a high-ranking official in the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said Wednesday. "Iran has actually expressed its interest in the purchase of an order of Su-30SM fighters, but so far the parties are only discussing the issue in negotiations. The contract will be signed this year," the official told RIA Novosti. Russia and Iran are also in talks on the deliveries of a wide range of weapons and military hardware, including Bastion coastal missile launchers with Yakhont anti-ship missiles, Yak-130 jet fighters, Mi-8/17 helicopters as well as diesel-electric submarines, frigates and T-90 tanks. There is not the slightest evidence that the Vatican or the Patriarchate allowed itself to be used. The meetings and subsequent communique were very much in the interest of all concerned. The meeting in Havana was the fruit of decades of Vatican diplomacy going back to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and was also a key objective of Pope Benedict XVI, Salvia observed. He also recalled the saying of Pope John Paul II that Christian Europe was an organism that breathes with two lungs: the Latin West and the Byzantine East. Salvia praised the joint communique of the Pope and Patriarch as a strong and moving expression of concern for the plight of Christians in the Middle East. [The communique] is highly inconvenient for the perpetrators of Western policy in the region: If Syrian Christians uniformly support Bashar al-Assad, why is the West supporting radical Islamist forces that seek to overthrow him? Salvia also praised the communiques call for peace, compromise and reconciliation, not increased confrontation and conflict, over the Ukraine crisis. Regarding Ukraine, the communique calls for reconciliation This is not a message proponents of Western global hegemony, who fear reconciliation will put an end to anti-Russian sanctions, want to hear. The Pope and the Russian Patriarch also called for the overcoming of the schism among Orthodox Ukrainian Christians through existing canonical norms, and for Catholic communities to contribute to peace and harmony, Salvia added. It is one of the ironies of the post-Cold War era that Russia has emerged as the defender of the faith, protector of Christians and exponent of authentic Christian values. The West does not do these things; often it does quite the opposite. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The European Union should use its influence to ensure the full and timely implementation of all provisions of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine reconciliation , Italian Ambassador to Russia Cesare Maria Ragaglini said. "Last year, the Minsk agreements, a document that outlines a clear enough way for a political settlement of the issue, were signed. In this context, from our point of view, notable success has nevertheless been achieved. It primarily concerns the ceasefire. Yes, it is violated by both sides from time to time, but in general, it is possible to affirm it is holding. This means that the number of casualties is significantly lower than last year," the ambassador told RIA Novosti. Rome insists that the Minsk accords should be implemented as soon as possible and in full, he noted. Turkish pro-government media outlets have begun to bang the drum for the AKP-led program of Urban Change in Diyarbakir, claiming that the affected structures should be "urgently" nationalized and rebuilt. There is something very fishy about the Turkish Ministry for Environment and Urban Planning's report 'Urban Change and Diyarbakir,' issued in February 2015, when nothing hinted at any trouble, the scholar stresses. "The report deals specifically with the area of Sur within the prefecture of Diyarbakir and proposes the realization of 'a comprehensive change' in favor of earlier 'localized interventions' or 'narrow-scope implementations' in order to accomplish feats of 'conservation,' 'regeneration,' and 'renewal' in the area," Erimtan explains. The lucrative project envisioned the construction of 8,000 new buildings and the conservation of 1,000 historical monuments. What lies beneath Ankara's punitive operation in southeastern Turkey? Apparently it is Erdogan's "disaster capitalism." Erimtan refers to Canadian author Naomi Klein's book "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" (2007) that describes the controversial strategy invented by US economist Milton Friedman and then implemented by his followers all over the world. "Only a crisis actual or perceived produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable," Friedman wrote in the 1960s. . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. ASUNCION (Sputnik) A response to the challenge of terrorism in Syria, Iraq, other Middle Eastern countries and the rest of the world should be frank and coordinated, Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill, said Wednesday. "We have discussed with Pope Francis vexed questions of the current international life the tragedy that takes place before our eyes in the Middle East and, first of all, in Syria and Iraq. It is no longer possible to stay silent, we need to talk together," Patriarch Kirill said at a meeting with Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes in Asuncion. The terrorists do not limit their activities to the theater of military operations in Syria and Iraq, they blew up a Russian plane killing 240 people and staged a massacre in Paris, the patriarch noted. Trainer Bjorn Bernie Noren has let it be known that he is leaving the United States. Noren is headed back to Europe to return to his Scandinavian roots. Noren, who is a native of Sweden, had worked for trainer Jimmy Takter for several years before he made the decision to open up his own U.S. stable, which he ran from 2009 to 2013. Noren then became the assistant trainer to Ake Svanstedt, who had moved his base of operations from Sweden to the United States. Noren has worked in the Svanstedt Stable for more than two years. He made his recent announcement via social media. Noren's family joined him in the United States last year. In his social media posting which has been translated from Swedish to English Noren wrote, "I have decided that it is time for me to move on. My wife, Laura, and our children are not so happy with the way of life here in the United States, so we have jointly decided to move us closer to our families in Sweden and Finland. We want to give our children a safe environment to grow up in and the Scandinavian lifestyle. "Right now I do not have any specific job waiting for me there, but I hope that something interesting will pop up. It may be in Sweden or Finland, whichever will best suit our family. My time with Svanstedt has been very enjoyable, and I have learned a lot. "The world record at Pocono Downs with Sebastian K is a memory I never will forget. Ake is one of the best horse trainers in the world and will have many good years ahead of them here in the U.S. I wish the entire team the best of luck." (With files from harnessracing.com) The Harness Horse Youth Foundation has named John Reames as its summer programs assistant and Travis Ceppaluni as its summer programs intern. The pair will travel with executive director Ellen Taylor and the HHYF stable of Trottingbreds throughout the summer, running the organizations summer camps and events. Reames, 59, of Dayton, Ohio has been an active horse owner, breeder and caretaker for over 30 years. He has also attended the USTA adult driving school. A retired aerospace quality engineer, he also has extensive experience as a manger working with teens, running his familys Holiday Acres Christmas Tree Farm. Reames two sons are HHYF alumni. If we make learning fun for these kids, although we wont convert all of them to become involved in the industry, we may convert some to enjoy it as we have, he explained. I look forward to the opportunity to convey the enjoyment, accomplishment and every day pleasure we receive by being part of harness racing. Seventeen-year-old Ceppaluni, of Jackson, New Jersey, already has experience with HHYF. In addition to participating in multiple camps, including HHYF Leadership Program in Goshen, New York, he assisted with the activities for several weeks last summer and also represented HHYF at the Open Space Pace in Freehold, New Jersey last September. Travis is also an accomplished barrel racer who hopes to eventually become a trainer/driver. I cant wait to take everything Ive learned from HHYF and use it on the backstretch. I learned a ton from doing hands-on work, but the guest speakers taught me a lot about the business. I try to take a little advice from everybody and I hope I can pass some of that knowledge on to this years campers, Ceppaluni commented. The combined eagerness of both John and Travis is going to make this summer dynamic Taylor believes. Young people are much more likely to respond positively when their instructors are actively supportive and enthusiastic . Undoubtedly, these two gentlemen definitely have a passion for HHYF and the industry. (HHYF) Contact: Jennifer Mason, Personhood USA , 303-803-0598MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 17, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- A new video from Senator Ted Cruz affirms South Carolina's Personhood resolution, in which 79% of Republicans called for a Personhood amendment to the state constitution.Cruz states that he would support legislation like South Carolina's Personhood resolution, which he mentioned specifically. In a crowded Republican race, it's noteworthy that Personhood USA's resolution passed with a higher percentage than any presidential GOP candidate has ever won with in South Carolina.The question read: "Should Article I, Section 3 of the South Carolina Constitution be amended to include the following language? The privileges and immunities of citizens of South Carolina and the United States shall not be abridged, so that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws. These rights shall extend to both born and pre-born persons beginning at conception."Personhood USA's resolution in South Carolina passed by a landslide majority, gathering nearly a quarter of a million affirmative votes, and was the largest show of support by percentage in any public vote held on personhood."Candidates in the presidential race cannot forget that 79% of the base in South Carolina believes that preborn children deserve full legal protection," stated Jennifer Mason, Personhood USA Communications Director. "Truly pro-life candidates must not lose sight of the fact that the majority of South Carolina voters in the primary have already voted in support of full personhood rights for unborn children."Ted Cruz Video Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlmvEQFgV4 Phil Dayvault Presents Major New Evidence from Early Christianity Contact: Nickcole Watkins, Morgan James Publishing, 516-900-5674, Nickcole@morganjamespublishing.com NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Morgan James's new release, The Keramion, Lost and Found: A Journey to the Face of God by Philip E. Dayvault chronicles an epic exploration and reveals a revolutionary discovery.For millennia the world has debated over the story of Jesus Christ. His deity, resurrection, and even existence have been brought into question, and believers and nonbelievers alike have endlessly searched for definitive proof that Christ walked the earth. After years of investigation and research, former FBI Special Agent and longtime Shroud investigator Phil Dayvault has compiled his studies and findings into his revealing narrative, The Keramion, Lost and Found: A Journey to the Face of God.Having been long accepted among Christians as the greatest physical evidence for Christ's life, passion and death, many still question the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the traditional burial cloth of Jesus. But now, after a quest to find ancient oil lamps in Turkey, Phil Dayvault has discovered what he believes to be the truth about the Shroud of Turin. With a compilation of vivid historical writing, photographs of ancient sites and sacred arts, and the discovery of a small mosaic which actually depicts an image of Jesus Christ, The Keramion, Lost and Found: A Journey to the Face of God ties together a fascinating and factual defense for the authenticity of the famous Shroud.In this new nonfiction, readers are ushered in to join Dayvault and his guide and translator Hafize on his exciting adventure and to experience illuminating new discoveries right along with him. The Keramion, Lost and Found brings history to life and leaves readers feeling enlightened and satisfied. This real life journey leaves no stone unturned, and no questions hanging in the balance. The truth is out there, and The Keramion, Lost and Found: A Journey to the Face of God has found it!If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Phil Dayvault, please call Nickcole Watkins at 516.900.5674 or contact Dayvault directly via his website.About the Author:Phil Dayvault currently lives in North Carolina. He is a UNC-CH graduate and has held professional positions with the US government and numerous international companies. Since 1973, he has studied the Shroud of Turin, the traditional burial cloth of Jesus Christ. In 2000, he began independently investigating various aspects of the Shroud, related relics, and sacred art. Phil continues his Shroud studies and writing about other "new, unique, historical, and never-before-seen" discoveries...stay tuned! For additional information, please see: www.keramion502.com More About This Title:The Keramion, Lost and Found: A Journey to the Face of God by Phil Dayvault will be released by Morgan James Publishing on February 16, 2016. The Keramion, Lost and FoundISBN 978-1630476427has 322 pages and is being sold as a trade paperback for $34.99. It is available from finer booksellers everywhere.About Morgan James Publishing: Morgan James Publishing ( www.MorganJamesPublishing.com ) provides entrepreneurs with the vital information, inspiration, and guidance they need to be successful. Morgan James Publishing, The Entrepreneurial Publisher, has been recognized by Publishers Weekly for four years on their fast growing press list and is reported as being the future of publishing. Come to worship in person, or watch online. There are two ways to watch live online at 9am! You can watch on Facebook or YouTube (the streaming begins at 8:57am). And if you can't watch it at 9am, it is recorded and can be watched later on either platform. The service can be found on Facebook live here It can be viewed at 9am on our YouTube channel here. Subscribe to the channel! You can find the entire Book of Common Prayerhere. February 14, 2016 Former al-Shabaab operatives confirmed that the Somaliland Intelligence was represented on the al-Shabaab leadership council, known as the Shura, and the Security Council. Indeed, the agency appears to have circumscribed the al-Shabaab's strategic autonomy. Written By Swedish Investigative Journalists Peter Wolfson & Greta Backstrom Many accounts misapprehend the nature of the relationship between Somaliland and al-Shabaab. The relationship, in fact, goes far beyond contact and coexistence, with significant financial assistance by Somalilands Ministry of Interior and Intelligence Agency providing the bulk of al-Shabaabs financing and weapons, according to sources and al-Shabaab captured leaders. Somaliland intelligence is directly funded by foreign intelligence agencies, according to reports. Somaliland Minister of Interior Ali Waran-Ade and other senior political, military, and business leaders including former ministers Mohamed Bihi Yonis, Hirsi Ali Hassan, and Suleiman Esa Ahmed as well as Colonel Muse Bihi Abdi and Abdirashid Duale, the CEO of Dahabshiil have actively financed and supported al-Shabaab as part of a strategy to undermine political and security progress in Somalia and boost support for Somaliland recognition. Somaliland uses western economic development and security funds to finance al-Shabaab operations in Somalia. Waran-Ade, a former senior intelligence officer for the Siyad Barres National Security Services (NSS) directed financing and provided material support to al-Shabaab operations. Al-Shabaab has a strong support in Somaliland, according to captured senior al-Shabaab commander and the government orchestrates, sustains as well as strongly influences the movement operations in Somalia. Somaliland also gives sanctuary to the families of senior al-Shabaab and al-Qaida leaders, and provides support in terms of training, funding, munitions, and supplies for al-Shabaab. In their words, this is as clear as the sun in the sky. Directly or indirectly Somaliland appears to exert significant influence on the strategic decision-making and field operations of al-Shabaab; and has greater away over operatives. According to recently defected al-Shabaab commander, Somaliland intelligence controls al-Shabaabs counterintelligence units "Amniyat, who are recruited from radical mosques in Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera Gabiley and Borama. Former al-Shabaab operatives confirmed that the Somaliland Intelligence was represented on the al-Shabaab leadership council, known as the Shura, and the Security Council. Indeed, the agency appears to have circumscribed the al-Shabaabs strategic autonomy. Waran-Ade himself has apparently assured senior al-Shabaab leaders that they are our people and have his backing. He has also apparently authorized al-Shabaab and al-Qaida fighters and supporters release from Somaliland prisons, including senior al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operative who was captured in Berbera on his way to Lower Shebelle to meet with al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Umar. In 2012, Somaliland police detained and released al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Godane, al-Shabaab external operation leader Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima) and operative Ismail Muse, reportedly now head of al-Shabaab Mogadishu operations, who is one of the highest ranking in the movement below al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Umar. The group was in Burco to meet with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula emissaries and Dahabshiil and other al-Shabaab financiers. Somalilands involvement with al-Shabaab and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is having a major implication for the international community. The governments of Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti have all been alarmed by the Somaliland, al-Shabaab and al-Qaida nexus. Ethiopia and Djibouti have restricted borders with Somaliland. Diplomatic outposts and international organizations have been instructed to relocate from Hargeisa to Mogadishu and limit contacts with senior Somaliland government officials. Somaliland Strategy Through providing sanctuary and support to al-Shabaab, Somaliland appears to be able to exert significant influence on al-Shabaab strategy. As a Somaliland political figure summarized: Somaliland has some control "over the al-Shabaab. They have influence in al-Shabaabs decision-making. Sure, they have dominated the movement, but al-Shabaab has some independence. Likewise, a security analyst said: al-Shabaab is obliged to accept Somaliland demands it needs their support. The Somaliland-al-Shabaab relationship is founded on mutual benefits. Al-Shabaab and al-Qaida need external sanctuary, as well as military and logistical support to sustain their insurgency in Somalia and Yemen. As a former al-Shabaab operative put it: Somaliland are helping al-Shabaab a lot, but they only give for their own gain. According to the conflict analyst: there is not an equal relationship between Somaliland and al-Shabaab Somaliland is far more powerful. Al-Shabaab doesnt have any choice except to live in Somaliland; where else can they go? Somaliland Leadership Collusion with Foreign Terrorist Organizations Security experts are divided on the extent to which Somaliland policy towards al-Shabaab insurgents is determined independently of civilian officials. Somaliland officials were aware of Waran-Ades and Somaliland intelligence role in supporting al-Shabaab and were actively encouraging it. The Daallo Airlines terrorist incident in early February and the bombing of seafood restaurant in Mogadishu suggest that the policy is approved at the highest level of Somaliland government. Al-Shabaab senior operative Ismail Muse, who planned, coordinated and financed both Daallo Airline and Mogadishu seafood restaurant attacks made several trips to Hargeisa, Burco and Borama to meet with Dahabshiil and senior Somaliland intelligence officer code name "Dagaxbuur. According to western intelligence source Dahabshiil deposited $50,000.00 monthly to secret account at the banks main office in Mogadishu to support Ismail Muse. Dahabshiil also deposited $18,000.00 to the bank account of senior Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) who was recently implicated and arrested for the Daallo Airline attack. Somaliland Intelligence Operations in Somalia Al-Shabaab commanders believe Somaliland shapes their operations in Somalia in a powerful, surreptitious and coercive way. Somaliland intelligence is part of Amniyat operational command. Certainly, insurgent skills and capabilities at the operational and tactical level suggest the involvement of trained professional military personnel. As a former security official said: they give them the plans, the strategy and new techniques. The chain goes back to Somaliland. Al-Shabaab Sanctuary, Funding, Munitions and Supplies Al-Shabaab has a number of sources of external support, and there is little doubt that Somaliland is increasing the arms, funding and training they provide to the insurgents. Somaliland involvement in the early stages of the insurgency has been widely acknowledged. Somaliland were operating training camps for al-Shabaab recruits, and facilitating the supply of funds, equipment and arms. Dahabshiil the Terror Bank of Choice for al-Shabaab and al-Qaida Dahabshiil financial support for al-Shabaab is diverse as confirmed by western intelligence officials. Dahabshiil collects al-Shabaab funds from charitable donations, applied to businessmen or farmers, especially traffickers; ransom from kidnappings; protection money from contractors or officials. Al-Shabaab funds are deposited to Dahabshiil in Hargeisa. A selected al-Shabaab financiers and facilitators have access to the funds and they manage the groups funding, munitions and supplies. As al-Shabaab military commander put it: we receive salary, training, weapons, ammunition and expenses from Somaliland. Everyone knows Somaliland gives money; it goes centrally, and then flows down. Another al-Shabaab commander said: Of course, its a huge project, the insurgency needs huge funding, IEDs [improvised explosive devices], ammunition, training, needs everything, all of this has been given by Somaliland. We do not have facilities to produce any of this. Outlook Somaliland will continue its terrorist-related activities, including support for al-Shabaab and al-Qaida. Somaliland views al-Shabaab terrorism and insurgency as a crucial in its recognition strategy. The more Somalia suffers, the better chances for Somaliland becoming independent state. Somaliland has continued to generate significant concern regarding the role it plays in terrorist financing. Dahabshiil continues to operate in vast black market and unregulated economy of Somalia. The hawala networks remained intertwined with terrorism financing, smuggling and transaction-based money laundering. This raises significant concerns that some members of the Somaliland government and the business elite were complicit in terrorist finance schemes. The international community is working with the Somali Federal Government on sanctions to stop Somaliland support of foreign terrorist organization. The international community and the Somali government are also working on financial, military, and economic sanctions as well travel restriction and terrorist designation for Waran-Ade, Dagaxbuur, Dahabshiil and several other senior Somaliland officials, according to credible source. Peter Wolfson & Greta Backstrom Investigative Journalists Nairobi, Kenya & Stockholm, Sweden Source: Kenyamedia.net http://www.kenyamedia.net/?p=323 The situation at the prison is linked to the recent demonstrations, as hundreds of the protesters have been sent to Evin. Report revealed ... The state Senate Tuesday approved Sen. John Brauns bill that would make sure federal timbers sales money gets directed to local schools. Senate Bill 6292 would eliminate the reduction of state school funding to districts based on what they receive in federal forest revenues. The measure cleared the Senate by a vote of 35-14 and moves to the House of Representatives for consideration, This bill makes a small but needed change to restore resources for many of our school districts, especially in rural areas, Braun, a Centralia Republican who represents parts of Cowlitz County, said in a press release. The state has been reducing its basic education funding to districts that received federal timber revenues, and that places extra burdens on the districts that are least able to handle them. About 21 percent of property in Washington is designated as national forest, which is exempt from property tax. Federal timber sales money are designated to go to the school districts in those areas, including some in Cowlitz and Lewis counties, to make up for lost property tax revenue. However, the state has been deducting that same amount from their basic education funding, effectively negating the goal of the program. Brauns bill would eliminate the reduction in state basic-education funding to school districts that receive federal forest revenue. Ive worked over the past several years to keep these funds available through the budget to the 215 school districts that receive federal forest revenues and this legislation provides a permanent solution, Braun said. Longview police are investigating a fire that occurred Monday morning near an apartment building at 30th Avenue and Dover Street in Longview. The Longview Fire Department determined the incident which occurred at about 4:20 a.m. was arson and likely was sparked by a plastic container filled with accelerant, Det. Mike Bokma said Tuesday. Bokma said Longview police have some leads, though the fire is still under investigation. Witnesses saw the suspect who started the fire in the area at the time of the incident, though police weren't able to locate him. A resident of the apartment building is assisting with the investigation. The suspect is described as being about 6 feet tall, wearing a dark-blue hoodie and dark pants, Bokma said. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the tip line at 360-442-5929 or to call LPD at 360-442-5800. Officials Tuesday proposed long and short-term solutions to fix the Rainiers failing Fox Creek culvert, including digging up the aging pipe and daylighting the creek to its natural condition. Kari Olsen-Hollander, district manager for Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District, told city officials that unearthing the creek would reduce future flooding and help beautify the downtown area. She told the Rainier City Council, however, that such a project would take four to six years. The city would need to find a way to finance and permit the project, which would require new bridges where the creek now crosses under C Street and Highway 30. Cost estimates for such a project are not worked out. The creek, which starts in the hills south of town, runs underground through the culvert for several hundred feet before emptying into the Columbia River near the west end of downtown. Water blew out of the conduit during the December floods and opened up a sinkhole near the Earth N Sun. And Olsen-Hollander Tuesday reported that two other sinkholes are forming along the route of the culvert. Olsen-Hollander added that theres no reason to believe any portion of the culvert is in good condition because it was all put in at around the same time. The portion of the culvert that used to flow through the old Rainier Elementary School was removed in the mid 1990s precisely because it was failing. The sinkhole also is threatening a sewer line. To stabilize the sinkhole areas, Olsen-Hollander said two shoring boxes were placed along the culvert over the weekend. They cost about $3,000 per month to rent, which he property owners are paying for. Eventually, the sinkhole will need four boxes, which will cost the city about $40,000 to purchase. Olsen-Hollander said the Conservation District is exploring cheaper options. Those boxes as well as a fence surrounding the sinkhole would remain in place until a long-term solution is in place. The estimated cost of a temporary fix not including the cost of the boxes is about $52,000, Olsen-Hollander said. The Washington state Senate rejected a bill (SJR 8211) to enact a two-thirds supermajority vote for future tax increases. What were wondering is this: If politicians represent the people, why dont they do as we ask? Washingtonians have voted five separate times to enact a two-thirds supermajority vote for tax increases and its passed every time. So why isnt the supermajority system in place? Each time an initiative to make increasing taxes harder has been passed, its either been challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional, or it has effectively ignored by the Legislature. The state of Washington has been mostly controlled by Democrats for the past 30 years. A Democrat has occupied the governors mansion for the past 30 years and Republicans have only managed to wrest a slim majority in the Legislature for parts of the last 30 years. Clearly Democrats have basically had carte blanche to do whatever they want. And we in southwest Washington typically end up paying for it. The TDN editorial board has supported state Sen. Dean Takko, endorsing him for re-election as a state representative and for his recent appointment to state senator. But this time were disappointed that Takko chose to vote the party line, instead of what his constituents want. In 2015, Cowlitz County voters approved Initiative 1366 to enact a supermajority for raising taxes, with the initiative getting more than 67 percent of the vote. This is not some hotly contested issue, fully two-thirds (a supermajority of Cowlitz County voters) want a legislative supermajority for tax increases. In Wahkiakum County, I-1366 get 65 percent of the vote, 69 percent of the vote in Lewis County, 63 percent in Pacific County, and 62 percent of the vote in Gray Harbor County. These, along with Cowlitz County, all said Yes. They also represent the 19th District which is Takkos constituency. Some argue enacting a supermajority vote for tax increases hands all the power to a few select politicians. In fact, when we asked Takko why he recently voted to reject the will of the people he said, I am not willing to let 17 members of the Senate (one-third) hold the 147 members of the House and Senate hostage. As I said on the floor, if you dont think this would happen you are in denial. Well, maybe we are in denial, but recent history says Takko is wrong. Just last year gas taxes were increased to fund a transportation package, which required a supermajority vote to pass yet it was passed. Just a year ago, the Legislature increased the gas tax by some 11.9 cents a gallon and a supermajority of the legislature voted for it. Seventeen other states have similar supermajority restrictions and there are over 20 supermajority vote restrictions currently in Washingtons constitution. Takkos argument just doesnt hold water. This talk about not wanting a small group to hold up tax increases really means the legislators and in our state its the Democrats want to be able to raise taxes as they see fit, whenever they see fit. We believe they want a state income tax. With the current school funding problems, the state treasurer is already floating the idea of adding a 5 percent state income tax. Why would we want to make it easier for Takko and his fellow legislators to pass it? King County Dems have wanted a state income tax for years and theyre setting the table to pass it next year. If Takko is willing to disregard the will of his constituents on the two-thirds supermajority issue, how are we to trust he wont do so again by voting for a 5 percent income tax? Cowlitz County and statewide voters resoundingly voted no on a state income tax initiative (Initiative 1098) back in 2010 with 68 percent of Cowlitz County voting against it and 64 percent of statewide voters voting no. Again, that two-thirds voting hurdle seems doable. The question is: Do our politicians represent the voters, the party line or something else? We think its time for our legislators to do what we elected them to do, represent us, we the people. Doris Disbrow and Patrick Kubin both live in Longviews Old West Side in houses that were built in 1923, the same year the city was founded. And both are passionate about historic preservation, having kept their own homes as close as possible to how they originally looked. But Disbrow and Kubin differ over how much the city should be involved in preserving this neighborhood. The Old West Side is a fan-shaped area bordered by the Monticello Hotel, Olympia Way, Washington Way and Kessler Boulevard, filled with charming homes within walking distance to Lake Sacajawea. Disbrow favors a form of preservation that would encourage, and perhaps require, people to keep their homes original look. For instance, if someone wanted to remove an original exterior door arch, we would discourage that, she said. We would want to tell them it was important to keep. But Kubin said a historic district designation could go too far, requiring residents to get permission to paint their homes or even build a fence. The city has held two meetings about the issue, with another scheduled for March 7. If enough residents sign a petition requesting the formation of a historic district, the City Council (which has the final say) could vote in favor. Disbrow said shed always been interested in old houses but didnt get one until she moved here 15 years ago with her late husband. Shes returned the kitchen of her house on 21st Avenue to its original look, complete with an ironing board that folds up into the wall. She had vinyl windows replaced with nicer-looking ones that look more like the originals. The lot across the street from her house has an older duplex and Disbrow was distressed to learn that someone could replace it with condos if they wanted to. The idea for a historical district has been kicking around since the early 1990s. A first step was to create an inventory of 591 buildings, which Disbrow helped compile. Architectural styles include American Foursquare, Arts and Crafts and Colonial Revival. That inventory indicates that the Old West Side has enough old buildings to qualify as some sort of historic designation, according to Adam Trimble, a planner/grant coordinator for the city. The current series of workshops are educational, he said. We dont have any agenda beyond that. We need to hear from the residents what they want. If 60 percent of the residents in the neighborhood petitioned to designate the area as an historic district, the city would move ahead. But the citys Historic Preservation Committee would need to first set the rules and procedures for such a district. For instance, it could decide what kind of remodeling would trigger a review by a commission of some sort. Disbrow said a commission could easily be convinced that a house was beyond repair and the owners should be allowed to demolish it. She said that kind of district might limit what people could do with the front facades of their homes, but not the other sides or the interior. Kubin said the city should decide what rules for an historic district would be before homeowners could petition to form one, not the other way around. I want to know precisely what rules there are going to be on such common issues as what kind of windows and siding, and restrictions of colors and roofing materials, Kubin said. Kubin had his home, like Disbrows on 21st Avenue, restored to its original look based on photos in the inventory. I am an historic preservationist, said Kubin, who helped raise donations in 2007 to purchase 70 signs that say Old West Side Historic Neighborhood. But, Kubin said, I dont want the city telling me what I have to do, or creating another layer of bureaucracy in addition to getting a building permit. At the March 7 meeting, state architectural historian Michael Houser will discuss the different kinds of historic designations available. Houser said in an email that a local historic register usually has a review process for changes/alterations to buildings. They can also include financial incentives for listed properties, such as tax credits, loans or grants. The review processes and incentives vary among municipalities across the state, he said. Rather than enacting a local register, the city could apply for a national historic listing, which House said is strictly honorary with no strings attached, no protection against demolition and no review of alterations. According to Houser, there are currently 240 historic districts of all sizes scattered across the state, including the Longview Civic Historic District, listed in 1985. Disbrow said it would be up to the neighborhood to decide what kind of district to form. I cant say what the neighborhood is going to say is important to preserve, she said. Trimble said that those for and against a formal historical designation have a lot of common ground. We hear over and over that people love this neighborhood and people love living there, he said. Were talking about about preserving something that people love. Thats a common feeling that can be built upon. "We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844 hidden A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered Apple Inc to help the FBI break into a phone recovered from one of the San Bernardino shooters, an order that heightens a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said in a ruling. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts and assisting investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has five business days to contest the order if it believes compliance would be "unreasonably burdensome," Pym said. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Tuesday requested the court order to compel Apple to assist the investigation into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by Farook and his wife that killed 14 people and injured 22 others. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has been investigating the couple's potential communications with the Islamic State and other militant groups and treating the case as an incident of domestic terrorism. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. U.S. government officials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations. Technology experts and privacy advocates counter that forcing U.S. companies to weaken their encryption would make private data vulnerable to hackers, undermine the security of the Internet and give a competitive advantage to companies in other countries. In a similar case last year, Apple told a federal judge in New York that it was impossible for the company to unlock its devices that run an operating system of iOS 8 or higher. The phone belonging to the Farook ran on iOS 9, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said Apple could still help investigators by disabling "non-encrypted barriers that Apple has coded into its operating system." Apple and Google both adopted strong default encryption in late 2014, amid growing digital privacy concerns spurred in part by the leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said Apple might have to write custom code to comply with the order, presenting a novel question to the court about whether the government could order a private company to hack its own device. Zdziarski said that because the San Bernardino shooting was being investigated as a terrorism case, investigators would be able to work with the NSA and CIA on cracking the phone. Those U.S. intelligence agencies likely could break the iPhones encryption without Apple's involvement, he said. Reuters tech2 News Staff Following on footsteps of tech biggies Google and Microsoft, another giant -- Apple is set to open its technology development centre in India, in Hyderabad, says this report. The new centre, reports ZDNet, will be built on 2,50,000 square feet of land in real estate firm Tishman Speyer's WaveRock facility at Hyderabad's IT corridor. The amount of money to be pumped in is pegged at $25 million or Rs 150 crore. The report also reveals that this centre will create 4,500 jobs. The tech giant is expected to open its innovation centre in June launch full fledged operations by end of the year. "It's a very positive development as Apple has not looked at cities only in India, but across many places in Europe and other parts of the world. Their decision to have the facility in Hyderabad is a strong endorsement of the city as a major IT hub in the country," Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary to IT department in the state of Telangana, told ZDNet. Confirming the development, a statement from Apple says," Weve been investing to expand our operations in India and are thrilled to have passionate customers and a vibrant developer community across the country. We are looking forward to opening a new development office in Hyderabad that will be home to over 150 Apple employees supporting maps development. The office will also have space for many contractors who will support our ambitious efforts locally. " Earlier this month, there were reports of Apple getting clearance to open retail stores in India too. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) secretary Amitabh Kant had confirmed about receiving Apples application. A report said that the Indian government is planning to push through Apples application to set up outlets. Apple should qualify as a provider of cutting-edge technology. That would exempt the maker of iPhones and iPads from a rule forcing foreign businesses that retail a single brand in India to procure 30 percent of a products inputs locally, the report adds. Needless to say, Apple makes most of its products in China. This doesnt come as a surprise as Apple is looking to expand markets in a bid to prove the most recent predictions wrong. Unlike others, Apple hasnt tapped the potential of emerging markets like India and is heavily reliant on third-party resellers in India. Soon after Katy Hubertys predicted six percent drop in profits, a first of sorts, Apples forecast revealed its first ever projected revenue drop in 13 years. This was driven, in part, by the slowest-ever increase in iPhone shipments as the Chinese market, critical to Apples growth, showed signs of weakening. hidden Egypt's top prosecutor has ordered the arrest of a Facebook page administrator whose assertion on a popular television talk show that a third of married women in the conservative country are unfaithful caused a social media uproar. The public prosecutor issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Taymour el-Sobky, accusing him of slandering Egyptian women and damaging their honor, according to a statement from his office. Sobky caused a furor after making his conclusions on the evening talk show Mumkin, which means "It is Possible". His remarks were aired in December on privately-owned CBC channel but did not generate controversy until a clip was posted on social media this week. The show was suspended for 15 days as a result. "Thirty percent of Egyptian women are ready for immorality, they just can't find someone to encourage them," said Sobky, whose Facebook page, "Diaries of a Suffering Husband", has more than one million followers. "These days, it is very normal for women to cheat on their husbands and seek it out ... Many women are involved in extramarital affairs while their husbands are abroad." Egypt is a conservative, predominantly Muslim country where sex outside of marriage is frowned upon. Sobky's comments included the suggestion that arranged marriages in traditional southern Egypt exacerbated the problem of infidelity because women ended up with men they don't know. One masked man from the region appeared in a video carried on YouTube with an assault rifle and issued a death threat against Sobky. Legal expert Tarek Ismail said that according to Egyptian law, Sobky could be jailed for up to three years if convicted. "Women cheat on their husbands, and their husbands know about it. They keep forgiving them until they give up and leave," Sobky said. CBC said in a statement that Sobky's remarks were part of a long discussion and that the host of Mumkin refuted them. Reuters tech2 News Staff The recently announced Lumia 650 that is aimed at small businesses as a smart tool, indeed misses out on the very feature that would make it really worthwhile, Continuum. The ability to turn a Windows smartphone into a (partial) desktop seems like a feature that would attract the attention of any small business indeed, but Microsoft seems to think otherwise. So when Microsoft announced the Lumia 650 without the much sought after feature, it indeed disappointed many who would have been prospective buyers of the same. After a short period of silence, the company has finally given out the details as to why Continuum did not make it to the Lumia 650. According to SlashGear who managed to get some answers from a spokesperson, it now seems clear that Microsoft simply wanted to deliver a quality smartphone that works well with its Office services. "We are aiming to deliver the most productive Windows 10 Mobile devices at all price points. With the Microsoft Lumia 650, our goal was to create a beautiful device that's affordable for businesses to buy and deploy." Talking about why Continuum was missing, "In this price range we are giving customers smart business tools, including seamless Office and OneDrive integration and Cortana, so users can stay productive and synced across all Windows 10 devices. We encourage users looking for Continuum productivity features to explore the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL." Indeed, hardware is the biggest problem with Contiuum as can be seen from the fact that the smartphones that run it so far, do utilize premium chipsets with liquid cooling systems to keep them cool. Microsoft's webpage on Continuum also explains the same by citing the minimum requirements for phones to include Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 (MS8952), Snapdragon 808 (MSM8992), and Snapdragon 810 (MS8994) processors with 2GB RAM for phones with minimum display resolution support for HD (720x1280 pixels) and 16GB of non-removable storage. The minimum requirements for connectivity include Bluetooth 4.0, supports for Wi-Fi 802.11n dual band and support for Windows 10 Miracast extensions along with USB 2.0. Simply put, Continuum heavily depends on premium hardware meaning that we will never see it on a budget to mid-range device. tech2 News Staff The creative team at Google has come up with yet another doodle that celebrates the birthday of the inventor of the stethoscope, Rene Laennec. The doodle shows off the first version of the original stethoscope which was made out of wood and brass and simply looked like a wooden tube. The doodle features Laennec standing on left while a modern day doctor using the now common binaural stethoscope on the right. Born on 17 February, 1781 in France, the Laennec was a religious man and the inventor and founder of many other medical contributions apart from the stethoscope. Laennec was said to have come up with the idea when a female client visited him showing general symptoms of a diseased heart. During the time, the only way to hear a patient's heartbeat was to place one's ear on the patient's chest. Considering that Rene Laennec was a gentleman (and a good Christian) he was a bit shy to go through the standard procedure, even more so because his journal mentions that she was overweight, and placing his ear would make little sense. What he did to overcome that difficulty was to roll up a sheet of paper and place it on the area near the patient's heart. Laennec was said to have been inspired by children who playing with long, hollow sticks that transmitted and amplified the scratch sound that was pulled off by scratching a pin on the other end. One also needs to consider that Rene Laennec was a flautist, which could have also been the core idea behind his discovery. The wood and brass invention was named the stethoscope with stethos coming from the word chest, and skopos referring to examination. Still the final binaural stethoscope that doctors use everywhere today came only in 1851 after Arthur Leared perfected the design. Nimish Sawant Yu Televentures had went all out with the launch of its flagship device - the Yu Yutopia. The company didnt just have its founder and CEO Rahul Sharma on stage to announce the product, but also the heads of companies Yu had partnered with for the Yutopia. Among the prominent names were Sunil Lalvani of Qualcomm, Kirt McMaster of Cyanogen and Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa of Sharp. Post the event we sat down with Cyanogen CEO and co-founder Kirt McMaster to talk about the evolution of Cyanogen and the future plans of the company. Official Cyanogen OS sporting phones have been in the Indian market since the launch of OnePlus One. With Yu Televentures having an exclusive tie up with Cyanogen, we have seen three of its four devices launch with Cyanogen OS with the Yu Yunique giving users the choice to add on Cyanogen over the default Android 5.1 OS. More than apps While McMaster didnt give an exact date of the Cyanogen 13 OS launch, he said that it was currently under testing and would be released to the public soon. McMaster touched upon the prospect of going beyond mere apps. We released the Cyanogen 12.1 OS in mid-December with new features. We are concentrating on very deeply integrated services from third parties. And whats most exciting about that is that it is not just about the integration of these services into Cyanogen, its about how we create APIs and SDKs for these services and extend them to other application developers. He talked about Microsoft Cortanas integration with Cyanogen OS and how it was different from Android and iOS. On Android and iOS, Cortana is just an application. You go to the app and make a query and so on. But in Cyanogen it is integrated directly into the framework of the operating system. So that at some point you will be seeing Cortana and Cyanogen powering other services. So say if you are using a streaming service such as Hungama or Saavn, you can just talk to your phone. Just like Siri powers up music on your iPhone, you can do a similar thing with the Cortana integration on Cyanogen handsets. This is one of the improvements that users will be seeing in Cyanogen 13 said McMaster. Different strategy Yu Televentures announced the AroundYU service, which basically aggregates app data in a single window. When asked if that would conflict with what Cyanogen was planning to do around experiences, McMaster said that there would be no clashes. Our strategy is completely different from AroundYU. It does mostly service aggregation. We view ourselves as a machine intelligence company. So there is a platform that we are building and the APIs and SDKs that will be extensible to even AroundYU. So what we are building will make AroundYU even more powerful and intelligent. It is actually complementing what we are planning to do, he said. On the Bangalore R&D centre As has been the case with a lot of Chinese handset makers and global companies, Cyanogen too sees India as a very important market. In fact, one of its research and development centres is located in Bangalore. McMaster says that the engineers working at the Bangalore office work on global projects in addition to India specific ones. These are systems and service developers working on evolving the services and intelligence framework, that we are building for these new kinds of services. They are are working on global projects not just India specific ones, said McMaster. Cyanogen has hired the former head of Qualcomms Android engineering team who looks after around 600 people across the globe. Similarly, the company has pulled in staff from Google, Flipkart and Amazon to work in its Bangalore team, to work on products that will be used globally. New class of experience Earlier in 2015, McMaster had created quite a stir when he spoke about breaking away from Google, and about Cyanogen building its own app store. But McMaster said that the company had plans beyond just making replacement apps. See, people like Google services. We ship with Google Mobile services and the Google Play Store and I dont think there is any reason for us not to give people that option. Why should we replicate Google Play services and app store? That is not something we are interested in, he said. We are interested in something that comes after apps. We think these things, some of which will be announced at the Mobile World Congress, will become more obvious. There is definitely something new coming beyond apps, a new class of experience, that can actually live side by side with an application. In fact it can super power apps, he added. McMaster said that Cyanogen was more interested in embracing and extending Android rather than going against it. He said he did not want to piss off Android users who already like Google services, but instead wanted to work on creating new kind of experiences that will not only help consumers but also give developers new choices. A lot of this stuff will be coming in 2016, after the Mobile World Congress, said McMaster. tech2 News Staff If you have a song stuck in your head and can't remember the name or lyrics, Xiaomi will allow you to hum the tune in their smartphones and will hopefully, be able to identify it! The company has reportedly began beta testing the function amongst a number of thousand customers and depending on this trial, the company is said to add the performance to all of its handsets in March, in partnership with a Beijing-based firm ACRCloud. However, one will need Xiaomi's MIUI interface to run this function and will not be obtainable if the system has been flashed. In conversation with Mashable, Tony Li, a representative with ACRCloud stated that the company hopes it can beat SoundHound with its technology, that allows ACRCloud to extract the melodies of songs from tracks automatically. SoundHound, in comparison, relies on users contributing their humming samples to its database to recognize music, Li said. This move is similar to Apple's decision to integrate Shazam in iOS 8, which allows users to ask Siri what they are listening to. This feature is also a bit similar to Shazam, but it does not allow one to hum a tune but, hear an actual song playing and identify the details. SoundHound on the other hand, relies of users humming tunes to the app and recognising the song. Li also added that, "To add one song into (SoundHound's) database, it must look for at least one user to sing or hum the melody without instrumental accompaniment. ACRCloud can extract the vocalist's melody track and isolate it from the background accompaniment." tech2 News Staff Just a few days after introducing the Xolo Era 4K smartphone, the company unveiled a new Era model dubbed Xolo Era 4G priced at Rs 4,777. The device will be available on Snapdeal from February 26 via a flash sale. Registrations for the device open today. In terms of specifications, the Xolo Era 4G features a 5-inch display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution with a pixel density of approximately 294ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass for protection. It is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB RAM. Running Android 5.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box, the device includes an internal storage of 8GB which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The company also promises that the device will receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow as well. The device comes equipped with a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP front-facing camera. In terms of connectivity, the Xolo Era 4G includes GPRS/EDGE, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, FM radio, Micro-USB 2.0, USB-OTG and GPS/ A-GPS. The dual-SIM device is backed by a 2500mAh battery. The also comes with multilingual support for regional languages such as Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. The company stated that the Xolo Era 4G is the successor to the Xolo Era model which sold more than 150,000 units on Snapdeal. About The Classical Reviewer The Classical Reviewer has been involved in music for many years, as a classical record distributor, as a newspaper concert reviewer and writer of articles relating to music as well as reviewing for Harpsichord and Fortepiano magazine. He assisted in the cataloguing of the scores of the late British composer George Lloyd and has co-authored a memoir of his friendship with the composer. Having a particular interest in British music, he regularly undertakes talks on Elgar. Wayne Rooney is set to miss the next two months after picking up a knee ligament injury in training this week. The news was broken when United landed in Denmark ahead of their Europa League match against FC Midtjylland on Thursday. The team had previously announced that Rooney was not in the traveling 18 man squad but did not provide a reason for his absence. The news comes as a massive blow to United, who are left with just one senior first team striker in 20 year old Anthony Martial, as they head in to a crucial point of there season. United have been currently stuttering in the Premier League, where theyve won just three of their last 13 matches, but they are still alive in both the FA Cup and the Europa League. With fourth place seemingly out of reach, many feel that winning the Europa League is Uniteds only path to returning to the Champions League next season. The injury also serves as a blow to Roy Hodgson as Rooney will now miss Englands March friendlies against Germany and Holland. There are also fears that Rooney could be entering yet another major tournament not at 100 percent fitness. When the news broke, it seemed that the initial reaction from everyone was overreaction, with some even going as far as to suggest Rooney had played his last game in a Manchester United shirt. Bad news for United and England Wayne Rooney out for at 8 weeks with a knee ligament injury in traning. Could this be the end for Rooney Tommy Smyth (@TommySmythESPN) February 17, 2016 Our info is at least 2 months which is the end of season. D issue he had this year you think united have him back.. https://t.co/eUNaiCPjGV Tommy Smyth (@TommySmythESPN) February 17, 2016 Tommy Smyth is a pretty respectable commentator for ESPN, but ts time to calm down here Tommy. This isnt the end of the world for Manchester United, Rooneys United career, or England. In times like this its important to look at the calendar. Its currently mid February. If Rooney misses the maximum two months for this injury he will still return in mid to late February. He could be back in time for Uniteds home match against Aston Villa on April 16th. That would give him five matches and a full six weeks to get himself ready for Euro 2016 in France this summer. England fans shouldnt be too worried about that. He will miss a large chunk of time for Manchester United which could be a big issue for the club. On the other hand, despite Rooneys terrific form over the past two months, his absence could force Louis van Gaal to turn to some youth, which could inject some new life into the team. After all, they cant be much worse then theyve been this season. Unfortunately for Rooney, hes no stranger to injuries, but if history has taught us anything its that Rooney always seems to come back from injury of his timeline. The idea that Wayne Rooney has played his last game for Manchester United is foolish. Even if Rooney took the full two months to recover from his injury he would still have five more games with United this season. Thanks to this injury its highly likely that Rooney will return to United next year as well. Rooney currently has 244 career goals for Manchester United, just five behind Sir Bobby Charltons mark for the most in the clubs history. Thats a record thats important for Rooney and if he cant get on the field fast enough to capture that mark this season, its a safe bet that hell be back next year to go after it. Rooneys latest injury is certainly a big blow to Manchester United, but its not as bad as everyone initially made it out to be. Volleyball results from Thursday Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, 8:34 a.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- The Almont varsity volleyball team beat Madison Heights Lamphere and New Lothrop in a triple header at Almont Thursday. Dryden beat Bay City All Saints... Golf and tennis regional results Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, 5:41 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Boys' high school tennis regionals and girls' golf regionals took place yesterday. Lapeer girls' golf placed 11th at the Div. 1 regional hosted by Oxford... Friday night football scores Friday, September 30, 2022 10:15 p.m. LAPEER COUNTY Lapeer beat Grand Blanc 39-17 at Lapeer to remain undefeated at 6-0. Almont upset Croswell-Lexington 37-26 North Branch routed Richmond 62-10 Imlay City/Dryden fell to Yale... Summer sports camps/clinics Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 4:40 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Below is a list of the summer sports camps and clinics that will take place through early Aug. The regular sports update posting of high... 15-day ultimatum to arrest MP Latif Former city mayor and President of Chittagong City Awami League (AL) Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury on Monday set a 15-day ultimatum to arrest the ruling party lawmaker M A Latif for, what he said, distorting the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He also threatened to launch next course of action from a meeting if he (Latif) is not brought to the book within the stipulated time. "His parliamentary membership must be stripped off and he must be imprisoned in jail for his misdeed" Mohiuddin came up with the warning while speaking as the chief guest at a meeting at Laldighi Maidan this afternoon. Nagarik Moncho arranged the meeting with its convener Belayet Hossain in the chair, in protest against the distortion of the portrait of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mohiuddin said the rank and file of the party worked for Latif in the previous election as the Prime Minister nominated him as an AL candidate."But through his disgraceful activities, now it is proved that he is an agent of Pakistan and he can no longer remain as a lawmaker of AL", Mohiuddin added. City AL Vice-president Khorshed Alam Sujon, among other AL, Jubo League, Chhatra League and Shramik League leaders, also spoke on the occasion. US restores regular flights to Cuba after 50 years AFP, Havana : The United States and Cuba signed an agreement Tuesday authorizing daily US commercial flights to the communist-ruled island for the first time in more than 50 years. The deal allows up to 110 daily flights to 10 destinations in Cuba, with about 20 of them to the capital Havana, where authorities have ordered renovations to double the capacity of Jose Marti airport. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the United States," said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in Havana, where he signed the accord with his Cuban counterpart Adel Rodriguez. "For the first time in more than five decades, the United States and Cuba will allow (airlines) to establish a service between our two nations." Rodriguez said the accord marked "the start of a new era in air transport links between Cuba and the United States, which will contribute to the deepening of ties between our two countries." Currently, all flights between the two countries are charter flights. US authorities said they would immediately invite American airlines to submit applications to operate the flights, with routes to be set up within months. The Cuban government will also give "thorough consideration to future requests from the US government to increase this level of service," said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs Thomas Engle. The agreement allows for regular flights "between any city in the US and any city in Cuba," provided it is equipped with infrastructure for international air travel, he added. Airlines in the two countries can now strike deals on code-sharing and aircraft leasing, the Cuban embassy said in December when the plan was announced. However, travel by US tourists is still barred under the trade embargo that the United States slapped on Cuba in the 1960s after Fidel Castro came to power in a revolution. The US Treasury Department has set 12 categories of authorized travel including for artists and journalists. "Initially, the US carriers will be allowed to fly 20 scheduled frequencies per day to Havana, the largest market, and remember that the current level is zero," Engle said. They may also "fly 10 scheduled frequencies per day to any other city in Cuba that has an airport open to international service." Besides Havana, flights will be allowed to Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. The agreement formally opens the door for Cuban airlines to start operating future flights into the United States. But Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Brandon Belford said Cuban airlines will still have to obtain their own licenses from US authorities. "So we do not anticipate Cuban-owned aircraft serving the US in the near future," he said. China deploys missiles on disputed South China Sea island: Report China has been asserting its presence in the disputed waters by building artificial islands. Reuters, Taipei : China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and U.S. officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as U.S. President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region. Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters on Wednesday the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. A U.S. defense official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. China's foreign minister said reports by "certain Western media" should focus more on China's building of lighthouses to improve shipping safety in the region. "As for the limited and necessary self-defense facilities that China has built on islands and reefs we have people stationed on, this is consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law so there should be no question about it," Wang Yi told reporters in Beijing. The Chinese defense ministry told Reuters in a statement that defense facilities on "relevant islands and reefs" had been in place for many years, adding that the latest reports about missile deployment were nothing but "hype". China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its title. The United States has said it will continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the deployment of missiles to the Paracels would not be a surprise but would be a concern, and be contrary to China's pledge not to militarize the region. "We will conduct more, and more complex, freedom of navigation operations as time goes on in the South China Sea," Harris told a briefing in Tokyo. "We have no intention of stopping." News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the South China Sea but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims there. China's increasing military presence in the disputed sea could effectively lead to a Beijing-controlled air defense zone, analysts said. "(The missile deployment) reinforces the view that China intends to exert growing control in these international waters, including potentially by declaring an Air Defense Identification Zone," said Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from the Center for a New American Security, said it was not the first time that China had sent such weapons to the Paracels. "I do think surface-to-air missiles are a considerable development," she said. "If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment." A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels last month, a move China condemned as provocative. China last month said it would not seek militarization of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defenses. "Woody Island belongs to China," said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. "Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarize it." Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region. "We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai told reporters. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But in a rare move, the country's prime minister on Monday pressed Obama for a greater U.S. role in preventing militarization and island-building in the South China Sea. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers on Woody Island, as well as a radar system, Fox News said. The missiles arrived over the past week and, according to a U.S. official, appeared to show the HQ-9 air defense system, which has a range of 125 miles (200 km) and would pose a threat to any airplanes flying close by, the report said. In November, two U.S. B52 strategic bombers flew near artificial Chinese-built islands in the Spratly Islands. Asked about the report, Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely. China has deployed a surface-to-air missile system on one of its contested islands in the South China Sea, a report said Tuesday just as President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the region. Fox News said that images from civilian firm ImageSat International show two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system arrived within the past week on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain. Minister does not know the payment THE Food Ministry last year purchased rotten wheat from Brazil and France, among four countries, and rice from India despite our bumper rice production. And now the Ministry is seeking approval of the government's policy makers to clear out bumpy warehouse stocks by selling food grains at low cost in the market, as per a report in The New Nation on Wednesday. In the process the nation has already lost Tk 800 crore paying the importer bill of rotten wheat and what more wait in the store is yet out of the sight. The Food Ministry has slashed both the government exchequer and farmers' fate by the two-edge sword -corruption by name. The apex court, Jatiya Sangsad Standing Committee, ruling-party MPs, citizens' groups decried the import of rotten wheat but they did not stop. Meanwhile, Police and Ansar had eaten much of the rotten stock while concerns about public health were totally ignored. Many wonder how the Food Directorate was able to pay Tk 800 crore to the dishonest importer when such payment was held on check. It is more surprising that the Food Minister does not know about this payment as he claims. Who then runs the Ministry if he had not imported the rotten wheat and now he is equally unaware of the payment of the huge bills; how come it while he is blaming some scapegoats in the Food Directorate for the gross irregularities. Nobody will agree to such claim except to be reassured that the Minister is sitting in the center of all such scandals misusing the government fund collected from taxpayers' money. It is no more secret that many socio-political bodies and citizens' groups had earlier demanded the resignation of the Minister and they are again feeling bitter. In our view the Minister must resign to save the government from being equally blamed for high corruption in his Ministry. What appears quite unacceptable to the nation is that when the Food Minister bought rice and wheat, it was justified for distribution under social safety net programme. But to utter disbelief MPs are now demanding cash instead of food grains for distribution to the poor to support local development work. People are not fool as they believe them to be fool but things are moving unchanged. Earlier, Food Department bought wheat at Tk 28 per kg while the market price was Tk 20 per kg and now they plan to sell it at Tk 13 per kg; no matter what the nation stands to lose from it. What appears highly disturbing is that the government's local food procurement and import policies are not anyway properly demand based but to fulfil the demand of the corrupt people in and around the Ministry to make overnight fortune. UK to develop extensive coop with BD Ms Alison Blake, the first woman British High Commissioner to Bangladesh concluded her two-day visit to Sylhet yesterday (Wednesday). During her visit, she held meetings with senior government officials, business leaders and hosted a reception for a cross section of the local community and expressed her hope to strengthen bilateral ties with local people due to their contribution to the British economy, politics and other sectors. "I was delighted my first tour outside Dhaka was to visit Sylhet. Many British people with Bangladeshi heritage can trace their origin to this great region," concluding her visit Ms Alison said. " I am proud that this Diaspora in the UK has been contributing to our economy, politics, culture and culinary industry over the years," she said. "Many of the community people in Sylhet have close business and family ties with the UK. These people-to-people links play an important role in the strong relationship shared by the UK and Bangladesh. I am committed to strengthening the bilateral relationship and look forward to further developing our extensive cooperation," the British High Commissioner said. Ms Alison Blake has been posted in Dhaka recently. She served a number of Diplomatic posting at home and overseas. Her immediate past posting was in Islamabad as the Deputy British High Commissioner. No controversial remarks on judiciary: CJ banglanews24.com :Chief Justice (CJ) of the Supreme Court SK Sinha on Wednesday (February 17) urged the politicians, lawyers and media not to come up with controversial remarks about the Judiciary of the country. He came up with the requests while speaking at a commemorative program, organized to observe the 90th birthday of Barrister Shawkat Ali.Bangladesh Bar Council organized the commemorative program at Supreme Court Lawyers Association auditorium. Bangladesh Bar Council vice-chairman Abdul Baset Majumder presided over the program here. 850 schools to lose MPO status Governing bodies face dissolution for collecting extra fees M M Jasim :The Education Ministry is going to take stern action against 850 private schools for not returning extra money taken from the students at the time of form fill-up of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination. The ministry will ask the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) to cancel Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facilities and to dismantle the governing bodies of the default schools. The Education Ministry and DSHE sources said that the DHES received reports from the accused private schools all over the country and submitted it to the Education Ministry. After analysing the reports, stern action would be taken against the guilty schools. The officials of the Education Ministry said, the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is adamant to catch the guilty and asked them not to deal with any document partially. He just wants to ensure punishment so that no school dares do such job in future, they said. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the reporters recently that the Education Ministry was showing zero tolerance regarding the issue of taking extra fees. The Ministry will not tolerate it. "The Education Ministry will take action against the default schools. No recommendation will be acceptable. We will do it in the interest of the education sector," he said. Director General of DSHE Professor Fahima Khatun told The New Nation on Wednesday that almost all the private schools across the country sent their reports and the DSHE got it. "We found many irregularities in the reports. Most of the private schools all over the country charged extra fees at the time of form fill-up. The DSHE will take the further initiative as per the direction of the Education Ministry," She said. An official of the DSHE wishing anonymity told The New Nation on Wednesday that many schools authorities were lobbying with the high-ups of the government to get relieved from the punishment. They also are lobbying with the top officials of the Education Ministry and DSHE. A number of renowned private schools in Dhaka and Chittagong suddenly hiked the monthly tuition and admission fees in January, citing teachers' demand for a pay increase after the government approved the new pay scale for civil servants. The sudden rise in monthly tuition fees triggered outrage among guardians. Following this, the Education Ministry asked the school authorities to stop collecting the increased fees until further notice.Earlier on February 3, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid asked all the private schools to return extra fees and form fill-up fees within seven working days. Otherwise, he warned that stern actions, including cancellation of registration, would be taken against them. But the Education Minister's warning as well as other efforts to compel the private school authorities to return extra fees went in vain as the deadline ended on Sunday without any positive progress. Only two private schools in the city responded to the Education Ministry's call for returning the extra tuition fees within seven working days. Most of the private schools have charged extra tuition fees this year in Dhaka City, but only two schools informed the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) their decision of returning the extra money till last Thursday. 5 including 3 foreigners held for FB fraud Staff Reporter : The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five persons, including three foreigners in money embezzlement cases using Facebook. They were detained from the city's Niketon and Bashundhara Residential Areas on Tuesday night. The identities of the detained persons could not be known immediately, said Major Rumman Mahmud, Legal & Media Wing Deputy Director of the elite force. He said that, the arrested three foreigners are Nigerian citizens. This gang cheated a good number of people through Facebook and embezzled huge amount of money already. Two separate cases have been filed in this connection. Hunt for ATM foreign frauds Sagar Biswas : Police have claimed that they got sufficient important evidences about the involvement of some East European citizens in forgery at different ATM [automated teller machine] booths across the capital city Dhaka. The frauds had installed 'skimming devices' [clone cards] at the booths for dodging the electronic surveillance, the police said. Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam, who has been appointed head of newly formed Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime [CTTC] unit, on Wednesday said, "We have identified four to five foreigners, probably all are East European citizens, with similar appearances by analyzing the CCTV footage. The face of one suspect is very clear in the footage. We are convinced that the foreigners have link with ATM forgery." He was briefing newsmen marking the launching of CTTC unit, a specialized unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police [DMP], which started functioning on Tuesday aiming to combat cyber crimes, terror financing and mobile bank related crimes. Monirul Islam was promoted Additional Commissioner with the rank of Deputy Inspector General before he was made chief of CTTC. "The suspected foreigners are now under our surveillance. In fact, the investigation is going on centering the suspected foreigners. We are trying to confirm their identities using new technology. We will bring all the suspects under law after our investigation is completed," he said. According to the first information report of the case UCB [United Commercial Bank] filed with Banani Police Station, the fraudsters installed the skimming devices at 10:42am on February 7 and withdrew money from people's accounts on February 11. The frauds took away money of about 21 customers only from UCB. In fact, the ATM card forgery came in to light after some incidents of fraudulences in the booths of three private commercial banks-Eastern, City and UCB - from February 6 to 12. The news broke out on February 12. Pointing the issue, the CTTC Chief said, "At present, the DB and Counter Terrorism Unit are jointly investigating the ATM card forgery. They are analyzing CCTV footage and other evidences. If we are able to arrest the fraud, we will investigate whether any bank official is involved with the forgery." As per primary estimation, about 1000 customers have suffered good amount of financial loss following ATM booth forgery. In the backdrop, all the private commercial banks stopped providing inter-bank ATM service to the customers. Usually, the banks give inter-banking ATM service to the customers under National Payment System of Bangladesh Bank. That means, the customers can carry out monetary transaction through inter banks. Official sources said, the number of ATM card users is around 85 lakh and there are 7500 ATM booths across the country. Meanwhile, elaborating the range and area of CTTC, Monirul Islam said, "Some specialised units of the Detective Branch like bomb disposal unit, newly formed K-9 unit [Dog Squad], Crime Scene Unit, Cyber Crime Unit and SWAT [special weapons and tactics] have been merged with the CTTC." "The CTTC unit has been formed initially with 600 members, including one Joint Commissioner, four Deputy Commissioners [DCs], 10 ADCs and 20 ACs, and the rest are from the ranks of inspectors and constables. The Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division, however, will function as usual. The DB will get soon one more division which will deal with serious Crime," he said. Under the unit, Monirul Islam said, there are four divisions: Counter Terrorism, Crisis Management, Mobile Financing Crime and Transnational Crime-each under one DC. The CTTC unit will also conduct research after collecting terrorism-related information and also deal with terror financing, including mobile financial services, alongside transnational crimes, human trafficking, smuggling of drugs and illegal firearms and fake currency, Monirul Islam said. An official of Eastern Bank told the media that they will start paying money back to the customer from Thursday as compensation of their loss. Aid lorries set off for besieged areas BBC Online : Aid convoys are preparing to deliver desperately-needed food and medicine to five besieged towns in Syria. A spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) told the BBC lorries had begun leaving Damascus. They will head to rebel-held Madaya, Zabadani and Muadhamiya, near the capital, and to the pro-government northern villages of Foah and Kefraya. The deliveries are part of an agreement that world powers hope will lead to a "cessation of hostilities" by Friday. However, offensives by Syrian government forces and Kurdish militia fighters on rebel-held areas of the northern province of Aleppo have dimmed hopes for a truce. Almost half a million people live in besieged areas in Syria, according to the UN. On Tuesday, the Syrian government approved humanitarian access to seven areas deemed by the 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to be most in need of relief. Five will receive aid on Wednesday, with Kafr Batna and Deir al-Zour expected to be relieved later this week. Stephen Ryan, a spokesman for the IFRC, told the BBC that the joint UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoys that left Damascus on Wednesday morning were carrying food, non-food items, medical equipment and medicines. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday evening after meeting Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. The partial cessation of hostilities - which does not apply to the jihadist groups al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of a prominent rebel alliance, and the rival Islamic State (IS) - is also due to come into force across the country as part of the plan agreed by the ISSG in Munich last Thursday. US state department spokesman stressed on Tuesday that Washington wanted to "see some progress" in the coming days, but he added: "I can't say categorically that a week from last Thursday there must be a cessation of hostilities." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has cast doubts on both the deadline and the concept of a cessation of hostilities "between a state and terrorists", a term he uses to describe all armed opponents to his rule. Government forces, backed by heavy Russian air strikes, have meanwhile been gaining territory to the north-west of the city of Aleppo and are threatening to encircle rebel-held districts. Earlier this week, a series of air and missile strikes on at least five health facilities and schools in two rebel-held towns - Azaz, near the Turkish border in Aleppo province, and Maarat al-Numan, in neighbouring Idlib province - killed up to 50 people. . NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT "There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs. An attorney for the United Daughters of the Confederacy warned council members they could face contempt charges and be personally financially responsible if they vote to relocate Downtowns monument to Jim Crow. A few dozen Lafayette residents opposed to relocating the Downtown monument to Confederate Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton attended the City-Parish Council Tuesday evening with several expressing their opposition to calls for moving the marble statue. It was a preemptive strike: formal public discussion is scheduled for next weeks meeting. An attorney for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which in 1922 erected the monument on behalf of our great and truly noble Southern race, went so far as to warn council members that they could face contempt charges and be personally financially responsible if they vote to relocate the monument. Attorney Lane Roys justification for the threat: a 1980 permanent stipulated injunction agreed to by the City of Lafayette after the United Daughters sought a restraining order to prevent the city from moving the monument from its current location in front of the old City Hall to the new City Hall a half mile away. Following the meeting, Council Co-Chairman Kenneth Boudreaux, who is black, told The Daily Advertisers Claire Taylor he was taken aback by Roys threat: Its a tactic other lawyers have used before the council to scare us from action, Boudreaux said. One resident in favor of leaving the monument in place referred to the monument, in part, as patriotic recognition of an American veteran who was a respected leader. Whats wrong with that characterization? Nothing, aside from the fact that Gen. Alfred Mouton wasnt an American veteran he was fighting for the Confederate States of America, which had seceded from the United States of America. In fact, there was heated debate following the Civil War about whether to round up Confederates and charge them with treason, a notion that was at the very least impractical if not a match on a powder keg, and the federal government needed to apply a salve to ease the sting of Reconstruction for Southerners. Hanging Johnny Reb for treason was anything but. Southern apologists claim Confederate veterans were made U.S. veterans by an act of Congress in the late 1950s, but thats not true: the Veterans Benefits Act of 1957 was amended by Louisiana Sen. Russell Long to make the widows of Confederate veterans, then numbering about 1,000, eligible for pensions. Thats all. Confederates have never been declared U.S. veterans. Gen. Alfred Mouton fought for a break-away republic, one of the 13 states that nearly universally cited the preservation of slavery as their casus belli in taking up arms against the United States. How did we as Southerners get to a place where this is a point of pride? Regardless, as this newspaper argued in our February cover story, A Monumental Question, who Alfred Mouton was is less important than why theres a monument to him in Downtown Lafayette in the first place. Our argument is that the Mouton monument cannot be separated from the Lost Cause myth-making that swept the Deep South in the decades after the Civil War, typically through the fundraising efforts of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and that the context for his presence in a once-prominent public place at the height of the Jim Crow era is a tacit expression of white supremacy. Can we infer anything else when we consider the words of the UDC representative In honoring General Mouton we are honoring ourselves, for we are today perpetuating the very best that has been achieved by our great and truly noble Southern race. at the ceremony dedicating the statue in April 1922? To whom was she speaking? Can anyone honestly imagine there were black folks at that ceremony, much less that they would have thought the United Daughter was speaking to them? Lynchings and Confederate monument building were, arguably, the two dominant expressions of Deep South pride and prejudice in the decades after the Civil War, and when the one began to peter out so did the other. There was a spike in lynchings in the 1890s, but there were 1,844 lynchings in the United States between 1900 and 1930, after which the numbers significantly taper off. The vast majority of those lynched were black, and the average per year was 59. There were 57 lynchings in the U.S. in 1922, the year the General Mouton monument was erected; 51 of those 57 victims in 1922 were black. By the time the Great Depression struck, both lynchings and monument building were on the decline. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Attorney Lane Roy represents the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The charge to relocate the General Mouton monument from the old City Hall to another location the Lafayette Museum, which was the home of Moutons father, former Louisiana Gov. Alexandre Mouton, has been identified as a favorable spot is being spearheaded by community activist and Cajundome Director Greg Davis, along with a group calling itself Why Alfred. Its worth noting that a Why NOT Alfred group has also been formed in response and has many, many more likes for its Facebook group. The council will not make a decision about the General Mouton monument at next weeks meeting. It might never make a decision. Consolidated governments legal staff has been asked to research the 1980 injunction. Next weeks meeting 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23 could nonetheless be an opening salvo in Lafayettes own civil war. Read author Todd Moutons thoughtful comments on the topic, Moutons Come in All Shapes, Sizes and Colors, by clicking here. To view the public comments from last nights meeting online, click here; they begin at 28:45. Monet rahapelien ystavat ovat viime vuosina loytaneet netticasinot ja olleet ihmeissaan. Verrattuna kotimaisen Veikkauksen kivijalkarahapeleihin puhutaan aivan eri tason palautusprosenteista ja lisaksi pelaaminen on aarimmaisen helppoa ja turvallista. Netticasinoiden maara on tana paivana todella suuri ja niita loytyy jokaiseen lahtoon, suurin ongelma aloittelevalla pelaajalla onkin tehda valinta siita, minka netticasinon valitsee. Kaikkien netticasinoiden mainospuheet naet lupaavat kauniita asioita ja niiden lapinakeminen on tietysti tarkeaa. Nyrkkisaantona voidaan kuitenkin jo kattelyssa todeta, etta jos valitsemasi netticasino on lisensoitu ETA-alueella, sen kanssa ei tule olemaan ongelmia, ellei niita itse jarjesta. Kay tutustumassa parhaisiin netticasinoihin osoitteessa www.ilmaiskierroksia.info! Ensimmainen nyrkkisaanto on siis varmistaa, etta valitsemallasi netticasinolla on ETA-alueen lisenssi. Suurimmassa osassa tapauksista se on Maltan eli MGA:n lisenssi. Myos Viron, Englannin ja Gibraltarin lisensseja nakyy ja naissa valvonta on jopa Maltaa tiukempaa. Lopputulema on kuitenkin se, etta ETA-alueen lisenssi takaa suomalaisille verovapaat voitot seka sen, etta niita valvotaan kontrolloidusti. Maailmalla on iso nippu Curacaon lisenssilla toimivia netticasinoita ja niistakin suurin osa on laadukkaita. Ne eivat kuitenkaan ole suomalaisille asiakkaille verovapaita, joten emme suosittele niita. Tana paivana markkinoille on ilmaantunut paljon ETA-alueella toimiva netticasinoita ilman rekisteroitymista. Jos tarkoitus on vain pelata yksittaisia pelikertoja, on varsin helppo suositella naita. Netticasinot ilman rekisteroitymista tarjoavat palvelun tunnistautumisen verkkopankin avainlukulistan avulla ja saman palvelun kautta tapahtuvat talletukset ja mahdolliset voittojen nostot silmanrapayksessa. Normaaleihin netticasinoihin pitaa asiakkaan rekisteroitya, tehda talletukset ja tunnistautua dokumenttien avulla. Tama on lisenssiehtojen mukainen kaytanto, eika kovinkaan monimutkainen, mutta silti monet asiakkaat haluavat yksinkertaista ja nopeaa palvelua. Toki normaalit netticasinot tarjoavat usein asiakkailleen laadukkaita talletusbonuksia ja erilaisia kampanjoita, joten kannattaa tarkkaan punnita, kumman ratkaisun valitsee. Kannattaa myos muistaa, etta tunnistautuminen tehdaan vain kerran, joten mikaan jatkuva riippakivi se ei ole. Suomalaiset asiakkaat ovat netticasinoille tarkeita, joten kaikilla vahankin laadukkailla netticasinoilla on suomenkieliset sivut seka suomenkielinen asiakaspalvelu suomenkielisyys kannattaakin ottaa netticasinoa valittaessa nyrkkisaannoksi. Vaikka tana paivana englanninkielisyys on harvoille ongelma, on suomenkielisten netticasinoiden maara niin valtava, etta suosittelemme niiden kayttoa. Rahansiirrot ovat tana paivana niin hyvassa mallissa, etta niiden kanssa tuskin tulee mitaan ongelmia. Kolme tarkeinta segmenttia: Suomalaiset verkkopankit, luottokortit (Visa, Mastercard) seka nettilompakot (Skrill, Neteller) loytyvat jokaisesta laadukkaasta netticasinosta. Viime vuosien trendiksi noussut verkkokauppa on kehittanyt rahansiirrot niin laadukkaiksi ja nopeiksi, etta niiden suhteen ei ole enaa vuosiin ollut ongelmia. Luonnollisesti netticasinot kayttavat naita samoja palveluita ja hyotyvat kehityksesta. Naiden isojen linjojen jalkeen netticasinon valintaan vaikuttavat luonnollisesti tarjottavat tervetuliaisbonukset uudet asiakkaat saavat tana paivana kovan kilpailun myota merkittavia etuja netticasinoilta ja niita kannattaa luonnollisesti vertailla. Erilaiset talletusbonukset, ilmaiskierrokset seka ilmaiset pelirahat tuovat suuriakin rahanarvoisia etuja ja niiden vertailu on ehdottomasti kannattavaa. Myoskaan useampien tilien avaaminen ja tervetuliaistarjousten kayttaminen ei missaan nimessa ole huono idea. Kun edella mainitut asiat ovat mieleisia ja vaihtoehtoja on vielakin jaljella, mennaan jo nyansseihin. Toki pelivalikoima on yksi kriteeri, mutta taman paivan netticasinoissa tamakin asia on paasaantoisesti varsin samanlainen. Toki useamman samantasoisen netticasinon vertailussa kannattaa yleensa valita se, jossa on eniten peleja tarjolla. Vaikka omat suosikit loytyisivatkin useammasta, voi tulevaisuudessa mielenkiinto nousta joihinkin muihin peleihin ja silloin on tietysti mukavampaa, etta ne loytyvat valikoimista. Viimeisena voidaan nostaa esiin kaytettavyys joidenkin netticasinoiden sivut ovat vilkkuvia, valkkyvia ja epakaytannollisia. Omaan silmaan ja kaytettavyyteen sopiva sivusto on luonnollisesti aina se paras valinta. Tarjonta netticasinoissa on tana paivana valtava ja jokaiselle loytyy varmasti se oma netticasino onnea matkaan! Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes. What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection? Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were. Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly. Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection: You get to see exactly what will happen to your money When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor. Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on. A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with. You find out about potential major repairs Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing. If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately. You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home. Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly. You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best. This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit. Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home. You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home. You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price. You can sell your home faster and for more money If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are. In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price. Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for. Your home will hold its value longer As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property. When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home. You can make smart decisions about property investments Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property. If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal. There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about. If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing. They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit. You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for. For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money. You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building. You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure. Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so. As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. -Jesus -John 14:6 KSN&C is intended to be a place for well-reasoned civil discourse...not to suggest that we dont appreciate the witty retort or pithy observation. Have at it. But we do not invite the anonymous flaming too often found in social media these days. This is a destination for folks to state your name and speak your piece. It is important to note that, while the Moderator serves as Faculty Regent for Eastern Kentucky University, all comments offered by the Moderator on KSN&C are his own opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Regents, the university administration, faculty, or any members of the university community. On KSN&C, all authors are responsible for their own comments. See full disclaimer at the bottom of the page. The S.P.D. Murder of John T. Williams On a sunny, warm Seattle August day in 2010, Native American wood carver John T. Williams was murdered by the Seattle Police Department as he walked down the crowded downtown streets while on his normal daily routine of carving small totem poles with a small pen knife, then selling them to the tourists that flock by the Seattle Public Market. Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk noticed Mr. Williams walking down the city streets and deemed him a threat, do in major part I believe - simply because he was Native American. Williams was one of many homeless Native Americans who roam downtown Seattle. These people are usually dismissed and overlooked by Seattles daily bustle of businessmen, the working class, and tourists. When the officer approached Williams from behind, and then ordered him to freeze and drop his small carving knife and a stick of carving wood he was carrying, Williams was hard of hearing in one ear, and failed to hear the police officer over the traffic and pedestrians, thus did not immediately comply; officer Birk then instantly felt that this gave him the right to use lethal force against John T. Williams. No threat was ever given by the homeless woodcarver. Officer Ian Birk coldly gunned down John T. Williams from behind, murdering him in the streets of Seattle, Wash, right in front of many horrified citizens who later professed that they felt no threat from the homeless Native American man whatsoever. The officer was fired thats it, and was allowed to live his life somewhere else, work a steady job, live in a nice house, somewhere out of media sight, and out of the publics mind; smug in the fact that he got away with legal murder with just a slap on the wrist. We must all remember that this type of legal homicide happens every day all over this nation of ours, by those sworn to Serve and Protect us. And that this violent tragedy can happen to anyone, or anybodys family members, especially if they are citizens of color. This makes it everybodys problem who believes in justice, personal safety from unwarranted persecution, and true American freedom in the society they live in. Let us still remember John T Williams, and never forget the fact that he was ruthlessly murdered by the S.P.D. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. SPRINGFIELD Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner offered lawmakers two distinct options Wednesday to end Illinois' historic budget stalemate: Implement his cost-saving proposals in exchange for a $36 billion budget, or give him authority to make $4 billion in cuts. Rauner's second budget address, delivered eight months after the current fiscal year's budget should have taken effect, reinforces what he's said in the past about his openness to raising taxes but only if lawmakers are willing to give him some of the reforms he wants. "You choose," he told lawmakers. "But please, choose now." Without some reforms, he added, "We cannot in good conscience raise taxes on the hard-working families of Illinois." Rauner: Budget battle 'about the future direction of Illinois' SPRINGFIELD On the eve of his second budget address, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner told a s Democrats who control the Legislature already have balked at the idea of giving Rauner unilateral power to make cuts, repeatedly dismissed his suggested reforms, such as curbing the power of unions, and say the solution is a combination of spending cuts and raising taxes on the wealthy. The speech only made them dig in harder. "We're all better served ... if we follow the traditional approach, people become reasonable with each other, move away from extreme agendas, recognize that the No. 1 problem facing the state of Illinois is the budget deficit," said House Speaker Michael Madigan, who's been Rauner's chief political rival during the stalemate. Rauner's budget with cuts would be $32.8 billion, because the state doesn't have enough revenue to match a $36 billion spending plan that would cover all expected state agency operations. Even members of his own party said nearly $4 billion in cuts is an unappealing option. "My belief is those reductions would be so steep as to be harmful to the state overall, if we only dealt with reductions," said Rep. David Harris, the Revenue and Finance Committee's ranking Republican. He said the state must find additional revenue, whether through taxes or cost-saving reforms. Sen. Christine Radogno, the Republican leader in the Senate, praised Rauner's speech. Without budget in place, Rauner to propose next year's plan SPRINGFIELD One week after President Barack Obama called for bipartisan compromise in a sp "I thought it was a fair assessment of what our choices are right now given the extremely serious financial condition that we're in," she said. "It was delivered without rancor and with a sincere invitation once again to the Democrats to come to the table and negotiate a good path forward for the state." Illinois faces a roughly $5 billion budget deficit this year, and its unpaid bill backlog could reach almost $26 billion by 2020 if current revenue and spending policies continue. Since the beginning of this fiscal year in July, several social service programs have closed or seen massive cuts, and officials at the state's public colleges and universities are worried their institutions will be permanently harmed if a budget doesn't come soon. A roar of chants calling Rauner to fund higher education filled the third-floor rotunda during the budget address, with hundreds of Illinois college students yelling, "Save our schools!" Demonstrators booed him following his speech. The predicament of giving a budget address for the future while still having no spending plan for the current year mystified Democrats. "We're more than halfway through a budget year with no budget, and now we are debating what could best be described as sketches for a budget for next year, so it almost wasn't a budget address," Senate President John Cullerton said. Many of the sticking points in the ongoing battle haven't changed, including negotiating a new labor contract with the state employees' union that would save $3 billion over three years. Rauner wants state labor regulators to determine whether the negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are at an "impasse," a declaration that would open the door for him to impose his on terms on state workers. Democratic leaders have remained steadfast in their support for AFSCME, which has been one of the party's biggest political allies over the years. Rauner, a wealthy former venture capitalist, also remained steadfast in the pro-business political philosophy that helped him defeat Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014, emphasizing that the key to the budget crisis includes reducing worker compensation costs, passing tort reform legislation and lowering property taxes. "To create jobs and raise incomes, we've got to change our state's reputation as being hostile to business," Rauner said. SPRINGFIELD The challenges that come with revamping Illinois school funding formula were on display Tuesday at a hearing of a House education task force. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, convened the task force last year to look at education funding issues and called for another series of hearings this spring. Senate Democrats have been pushing for a change to the funding formula that would send more money to poorer districts. The task force heard from a group of school administrators from the Chicago suburbs whose districts would stand to lose state funding if money were shifted to districts with lower property values. Superintendent Andrew DuRoss of Schaumburg School District 54 told lawmakers that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed. But he said those opportunities should be created through directing new resources to districts in need rather than redistributing the existing pool of state education funding. Likewise, Superintendent Daniel Cates of Palatine-based Township High School District 211 told the panel that his district, the largest high school district in the state, would stand to lose $8 million a year under the formula thats been proposed in a bill sponsored by Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill. That would have a devastating impact, he said, adding that $1 million annually is what it costs to offer 50 classes or pay for 40 teacher assistants. Another group of school administrators who attended the hearing but didnt speak described the current system is broken and inequitable and unfair. At my school, we dont have the resources that my counterparts in wealthier districts have for their students. But we get treated the same way that their districts do when it comes to a majority of state funding handed out year after year, East Aurora High School Principal Anthony Crespo said in a prepared statement. Its flawed, its wrong, and its hurting children who need resources the most. Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, said she asked to be on the task force because she sees the effect inadequate funding has on rural schools in her district. The school funding formula has disproportionately hurt the schools in downstate Illinois, and we need to make sure that every student, regardless of where theyre born, regardless of their ZIP code, has the same opportunities, Bourne said. House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, who chairs the task force, said Tuesdays testimony showed the difficulty of crafting a formula that makes school funding both adequate and equitable statewide. Members of the Shawnee Community Unit School District 84 are planning a thank-you for those who volunteered to help the community during recent flooding at the beginning of the year. That will come during the "Flood Fighters Feast," from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Shawnee High School multipurpose room. A ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The event will be styled on a come-and-go meal schedule, but guests can stay the entire time. Shawnee's class of 2007 graduate Evan Webb will perform "Dry Up or Drown," a song he wrote to commemorate flooding and economic concerns in the area. He said he'd started work on the songs a few months before the recent flooding. "Were just very grateful that we have a school to come back to and our kids still have their houses and our people are back in their community," said Shelly Clover-Hill, superintendent of the district. "We are grateful because that was a lot of work by a lot of people that made that happen. The feast is to thank those who helped sandbag, move items and otherwise helped the communities impacted by the flooding. Those planning to attend are asked to confirm with the district by Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. They can email sclover-hill@shawneedistrict84.com or call 618-833-5709. To the Editor: Legislative districts in Illinois are drawn badly. Currently, there is an effort to change this process. The Independent Map Amendment group has a website, www.mapamendment.org, which features the actual amendment and lots of other relevant information. The website includes the various groups and individuals who support this amendment. I encourage voters to take a look at this website. I also recommend that voters go to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, www.elections.il.gov, and find the Independent Map Amendment committee. If you look at their Quarterly reports you will see listed all of their receipts and expenditures. I had been under the impression that this was a grass roots effort funded by lots of small contributions. Looking at the report, I was stunned to see the number of large contributions. As a matter of fact, the large itemized donations in the last quarter which ended December 31, 2015 totaled $638,200 while the small non-itemized donations only totaled $5689. There were some really large ($100,000) contributions by CEOs and Chairmen of investment, banking, and real estate corporations from Chicago and the suburbs. As a matter of fact, I found only one contribution ($200) from Illinois south of Interstate 80. There were, however, a couple of donations from outside the state of Illinois. Why would an investment company from Naples, Florida, which provides services to high net individuals, donate $100,000 to our grass roots effort for better government? Perhaps, they see a good investment opportunity. Dennis Johnson Murphysboro Jan. 1, 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of freedom from slavery for blacks living in the United States of America. The descendants of todays blacks rendered free services before the birth, during the birth and after the birth of America for more than 200 years. The U.S. Congress ban on the importation of slaves started Jan. 1, 1808. Although this ban was law, the importation did not stop until 1859, when the last recorded ship docked in Mobile, Ala. When this great nation was formed through a struggle for independence from the British Empire, blacks were not a part of the revolution. At the signing of the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776, whites did not share the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with blacks. Southern blacks in particular continued their role as servants. As whites enjoyed their new freedom, the colonies that had been formed became known as the 13 United States of America. The blacks had to wait eighty-eight years later when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This order came about due to the War Between the States, which came to be known as the Civil War. The war lasted from 1861 to 1865. The first order for black freedom was signed by Lincoln on April 16, 1862, for blacks living in Washington, D.C. Known as the Compensation Emancipation Act, it released certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia. Next came the Emancipation Proclamation, which was signed on Sept. 22, 1862, which was to go into effect on Jan. 1, 1863. It must be noted that the actual emancipation of slaves took place at various times in the different states. This delay resulted because of late notification and the simple fact that the war was ongoing and the blacks did not attempt to celebrate. On the night of Dec. 31, 1862, the slaves living on the coastal islands of Beaufort County on the Smith Plantation stayed awake with high anticipation of their freedom to be by singing, praying, dancing and thanking God. This area of South Carolina was occupied by the Union forces, thereby blacks had no fear of retaliation from the whites as they celebrated. On that grand day of Jan. 1, 1863, nearly 3,000 black men, women and children gathered for the reading of the order that would allow them to live free from bondage. The program included speeches, a band performing and a barbecue feast. The meal included barbecued ox, baked bread, molasses and lemonade. At the end of the festivities, they marched off in jubilation chanting, We are free, we are free! Slaves who lived inland did not celebrate Emancipation Day the way coastal blacks did because they did not have the protection of the Union forces. Therefore, most slaves in the state continued their duties on the different plantations but at a much slower pace, realizing they did not have to take orders from the whites anymore. Generally, the older slaves did not embrace freedom the way the younger generation did and preferred to remain loyal to the whites. Complete freedom was not felt until General Shermans Army marched through South Carolina in 1865. After the war ended in April, the South Carolina Leader newspaper in Charleston reported on Dec. 23, 1865: Grand Celebration in Honor of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln The Committee of Arrangements having been duly appointed respectfully inform the public that Emancipation Day will be celebrated with the old-fashioned barbecue and that they respectfully beg the aid of the public in contributing their mites to the cause of Freedom that they may make the day a glorious one, it being the first celebrated in Charleston. Here in Orangeburg, the earliest evidence of an Emancipation Day celebration came on Jan. 1, 1870. The Orangeburg News reported on Jan. 1, 1870: Emancipation Day Today, January 1st, is celebrated as emancipation day by the colored people. We learn that there will be a procession (down Russell St. to the old Court House) jollification and speech making among the colored people at this place. There is not the least objection to this. It is natural that our colored people would note and observe this day. Let them in doing so realize the important change it has wrought in their condition. Let them discard all demagoguism and incentives to discontent; but, resolving upon a course of industry, honesty, and economy, let them prepare themselves, each year for the better discharge of the duties and the better enjoyment of the privileges, acerning to them in their new conditions. In Columbia, The Daily Phoenix reported on Jan. 4, 1870: Emancipation Day this day was duly celebrated by the colored people. Sen. William Beverly Nash (black) of Richland County addressed the group: Seven years ago today, the proclamation which announced that freedom had come to our race on this continent was given to the world. As we stand here celebrating this the birth day of freedom, to us all the past with its privations, griefs, separations and horrors seems to us like a hideous dream. I want to revive in the memories of those who stand before me a recollection of the longings and cries for freedom that went up from their hearts to God in times past. On Jan. 7, 1871, the Orangeburg News reported: Emancipation Day Monday last was celebrated by the colored people as Emancipation Day. A stand was erected in the Court House Square for the purpose. In this article, state Rep. Benjamin Byas (black) told the mostly black audience, This is a day peculiar to our race and to our history as a people. We must congratulate ourselves upon the recurrence of its anniversary. The anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation will always remain a day that none but ourselves can cherish and love. We are free now. Let our cry be onward. Today, the celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation takes place at different times around the nation. For instance, April 3, 1865, is recognized in Virginia; May 8, 1865, in Mississippi; May 20, 1865, in Florida; June 19, 1865, in Texas known as Juneteenth, and Aug. 8, 1865, in Kentucky. Therefore, black America has never been totally unified in giving recognition and honoring the day and the year of the birth of freedom from slavery. Blacks living in some of the central states and all of the western states have a much different view of the trail of life carved out by their ancestors. Consequently, blacks have been divided in understanding and continuing recognition of the celebrated day of their freedom from slavery starting Jan. 1, 1863. The celebration of Freedom Eve and Emancipation Day has given way to what is today known as Watch Night in most of the black communities. Watch Night was derived from the Eve of Emancipation but somewhere in black history, recognition of the birth of black freedom was discontinued in most states. Emphasis was placed on praising God for his mercies throughout the year became the main focus of this celebration. In places today like Charleston and Beaufort, Watch Night services include the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation while other area celebrate praising God with no mentioning of its relationship to the birth of freedom from slavery. From The Southern Indicator, May 2, 1914: At this season of the year when the fields, hills and valleys are covered with living green, we can think of no place in South Carolina that is more beautiful in natural appearance than Orangeburg, The City on the Edisto. However, at this writing we shall avoid description but will proceed briefly along other lines. The Commencement exercises at Claflin this year from present indications will be among the best of the schools history and be witnessed by hundreds of people who are deeply interested in the educational uplift of the race. The great Methodist church which is the foundation pillar of grand old Claflin University deserves no small praise for what she has done and is doing. May the name of Claflin University ever remain the same unchanged. Dr. (Lewis M.) Dunton the venerable president of this school is a grand and glorious man and deserves the praise and hearty co-operation of all concerned. Dr. R.S. Wilkinson, the quiet unassuming ideal president of the Colored State College with his efficient corps of teachers, deserves the well done thou good and faithful servant. The State College is the educational paradise of South Carolina for the Negro and all concerned should therefor feel happy and grateful. The Commencement Exercises of this school will be held on the same dates as Claflin and will be as usual largely attended. Both of the schools have had a very prosperous year. (Note: Dr. Dunton was the last white to serve as president of Claflin. He resigned in 1921. In 1922, James Benjamin Randolph was selected president, making him the first black to lead Claflin.) A Blackville man has been charged with murdering a Denmark man in a 2014 drug transaction, according to the State Law Enforcement Division. Brandon Ranell Priester, 31, is also facing charges of attempted murder and robbery while armed with a deadly weapon. Priester is accused of killing William Pearson in Denmark. On the afternoon of March 29, 2014, a truck with Florida plates pulled up at the intersection of West Voorhees Road near Turn-Ray Road, where a car from Blackville was located. Warrants claim that Priester and a co-defendant met with Pearson and his associates for the purpose of a drug transaction. Early reports indicated a pound of marijuana was involved. During the encounter, Priester fired multiple shots into Pearsons vehicle, while one of Pearsons associates fired shots from the vehicle, the warrant claims. SLED claims Priester stole money from the victims. When officers arrived, Several cash bills were being blown about by the wind, which was high. Some of the money was covered with blood, according to a Bamberg County Sheriffs Office incident report. Authorities recovered at least seven handguns from or near the scene. Four people were shot in the encounter, including Pearson. Two were taken to the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg. Another was airlifted to Columbia. Asked if anyone else has been charged, SLED spokesman Thom Berry said, Our investigation is still very active on this case. A Georgia man is going to prison for distributing methamphetamine in the Bamberg area, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles. Alfredo De Jusus Ramirez, 21, has been sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Ramirez is from Henry County, Georgia. Ramirez was arrested after the DEA began an investigation targeting methamphetamine dealers in the Bamberg area. The investigation revealed that Douglas Harry and Charles Wallace were the local dealers and that Harry would travel to Atlanta to obtain the methamphetamine. Agents were able to identify Harrys suppliers as Richard Proctor, who is deceased, and Tiffany Walden. Through the use of various investigative techniques, including wire intercepts, pole cameras and toll analysis, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified Proctor and Waldens supplier as Ramirez. Testimony established that Ramirez transported pound quantities of high-quality methamphetamine, known as ice, from Texas to Atlanta hidden in sealed cans of beans. Ramirez then distributed the ice to dealers in the Atlanta area, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Drug Enforcement Administration tested the methamphetamine at 96 to 100 percent pure, which reflects that the meth was made in a super lab south of the Texas border. Ramirez is the final defendant of the conspiracy to be sentenced, with Wallace having been sentenced to 17 years and seven months, Harry to nine years and seven months, and Walden to five years. The case was investigated by agents of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Drake and Jim May of the Columbia U.S. Attorneys Office prosecuted the case. There will be blood in South Carolina, reads the headline of Camden resident Kathleen Parkers syndicated Washington Post column about the presidential primaries in our state. Shes probably right. The national political question is whose blood will it be and will the wound be fatal? For South Carolina, the more important question is will this be just another tawdry chapter in our states nasty political history, or will it somehow be different this time? Parker begins her column appropriately with James L. Petigrus famous 1860 quote about our state on the eve of secession: Poor South Carolina, too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum. No one has ever said it better. She then goes into a brief history of our states politics, culture and regional differences and how they play out today in politics. For Parker and just about everyone else who has looked at S.C. politics, and especially Republican presidential primaries, the big take-away is that politics here are mean, nasty, racially charged battles. It seems that with each passing presidential primary we usually set a new low for dirty tricks and political civility. Unfortunately, this assessment is probably right and the recent Republican debate in Greenville shows that were probably heading for another new low this election. In a state that prides itself on its politeness and manners, the frequent charge and counter charge of thats a lie, youre a liar and hes lying were a little jolting. It reminded me of a sandbox fight among 5-year-olds and I fully expected someone to chime in with Liar, liar pants on fire. But it didnt happen at least not yet. In the past and recently, these nasty campaigns usually explode when someone throws the gas can of race into the overheated campaign debate. Who could forget the 2000 Republican presidential primary with the distribution of color pictures and anonymous phone calls (allegedly from the George W. Bush campaign) proving that John McCain had fathered a black child? The dark-skinned child in question was from Bangladesh and had been adopted by McCain and his wife. And the Democrats have not been immune from racially tinged politics either. Many people remember a recent Democratic Party chairman who unapologetically proclaimed that he did not buy the black vote but just rented it for election day. It was Bill Clinton who in 2008 allegedly tried to dismiss the significance of Obamas support in South Carolina by comparing his campaigns to that of Jesse Jackson. Now we all understand that politics is a contact sport. Some say its a blood sport, but that doesnt mean that anything goes and there are no limits to how mean and nasty things should get. If for no other reason than at some point negative attacks can backfire, the campaigns Democratic and Republican would do well to consider two things. First, traditional race-based political tactics are fraught with peril; the Emanuel Nine tragedy has changed South Carolina. Our response to the nine killings by Dylann Roof in his attempt to set off a race war was a state coming together in expressions of forgiveness, compassion and love. Led by a Republican governor and with the needed Republican votes in the state House and Senate, we took down the Confederate flag. Everything in our states 346-year racially-scared history did not change overnight but, we as a state turned a page and we will never be the same again. Second, we want candidates that show us they understand what we care about. Everyone understands that these folks are running for president of the Unites States but they are asking us in South Carolina for our votes. They should show us that they know something about, and care about, what is important to us. In Iowa, voters expected candidates to be knowledgeable and talk about agriculture issues. In New Hampshire, candidates were expected to understand the pain of the terrible heroin epidemic that is ravaging the state. Voters wanted to hear real solutions and not just cheap rhetoric. The single most important issue facing our state is education and none of the Republicans in the Greenville debate even used the word, much less talked about any ideas or solutions. While both Clinton and Sanders have talked some about education, neither have said much specifically about our states problems or shown that they have much local knowledge. But in the end its up to us, the voters. Each of us has the one thing all these candidates desperately want more than anything else our vote. If we dont like what we hear, vote for another candidate. Its up to us, at least partially, to determine what is written as the next chapter of our states political history. We are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free, roared self-proclaimed socialist and, at least for the time being, Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders after his New Hampshire victory. Sanders, doubling down on the youth vote he continues to lure by playing the part of a Jewish Santa with an endless array of stocking stuffers, added, For the millions of Americans struggling with horrendous levels of student debt, we are going to substantially ease that burden. Thus Sanders, the 76-year-old revolutionary who is more akin to Leon Trotsky than Ethan Allan, continued his unlikely rout of Hillary Clinton by earning a second look by Democrats and Independents. But if these second lookers were hoping to find substance in Sanders New Hampshire victory lap, they were disappointed. Instead, Sanders created a greater cause for concern. Of all the ideas that should raise eyebrows, Sanders promise of free college education tops the list. Make no mistake; Sanders desire for the public to pay for an additional four years of education is rooted in good intentions, but also paves the way to financial hell. In America people should not be financially distressed for decades for the crime of trying to get a higher education, Sanders proclaimed as many a Bolshevik blushed. Sanders, however, has a point. It is ridiculous that college graduates depart with a piece of paper that likely costs more than $100,000 but holds a lesser value than a six-pack of Charmin. According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, The class of 2015 still faces real economic challenges, as evidenced by elevated levels of unemployment and underemployment. It was added that many grads are idled by the economy. The study highlighted that the unemployment rate for 2015 college graduates was 7.2 percent and the underemployment rate is 14.9 percent. Adding insult to injury, the real wage remains stagnate despite the rising costs of a higher education. As a result, young folks are placed in a Catch-22. Get a college education that costs more than its worth or forgo college to face an economic reality that is free from debt but burdened by unemployment and low wages. While Sanders is doing a public service by bringing attention to this problem, his helpfulness stops there. His solution taking the cost ineffectiveness of a college education off the backs of the student and placing it on the public at large is more problematic than the problem. Sanders desire to make public colleges and universities free misses one crucial point not every American kid should go to college. Unlike k-12 public education, which prepares students by teaching them universal skills, a college education is more specialized and meant for select students. And, frankly, this is where this debate ventures off the reservation. Sanders belief that everyone deserves a college education is not just bad business, causing the public to invest in students unable to produce dividends, it is a disservice to Americas youth. It continues the myth that a college education is cure all while shifting the costs of this myth to the public. It gives these kids four more years on the public dole and permits institutions to inflate college costs with the firm promise Uncle Sam will pay. People feel good but the problem remains, albeit well hidden. In years past, before LBJ opened the flood gates of federal funds that made obtaining a college education easier (and aided in inflating the costs), not every student went to college. Instead, some graduated high school, and went on to make cars, clothes, appliances, etc. The problem? Those jobs are nowhere to be found because they are in China, India, and Mexico. If the crisis engulfing higher education is to be fixed, some harsh realities must be accepted. The ability to receive federal loans must be tightened and more merit based. The reason many face overwhelming student debt is because we told every student they were a fit for college even when they werent. And we must bring back manufacturing. Give kids a real alternative to college; one that doesnt involve fries. Bernie is in the right church, he is just sitting at the wrong pew. As promised, here are a few of my favorites from Morgan & Ryan's wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last week. One of my favorite things about weddings in Mexico is the laid back vibe they all seem to have. I think it helps that most couples arrive at their destination a few days or more before the wedding. They're able to relax, unwind and kick it with their friends, so by the time the actual wedding day arrives, they're in vacation mode, and able to enjoy the day even more!Another very cute part about this wedding, Morgan's parents met each other on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, just next to the spot where the photo above was taken!If you're looking for more ideas and advice on destination weddings, check out this post I wrote a few years back. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Pursuing the flourishing life and human liberty through literature. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." - Frederick Douglass Blog Archive Dec (1) Nov (4) Oct (4) Sep (4) Aug (2) Jul (5) Jun (4) May (4) Apr (4) Mar (4) Feb (3) Jan (5) Dec (2) Nov (3) Oct (5) Sep (3) Aug (2) Jul (4) Jun (3) May (5) Apr (3) Mar (4) Feb (3) Jan (2) Dec (4) Nov (3) Oct (5) Sep (4) Aug (5) Jul (3) Jun (2) May (5) Apr (3) Mar (1) Feb (3) Jan (5) Dec (2) Nov (5) Oct (4) Sep (4) Aug (2) Jul (3) Jun (3) May (5) Apr (4) Mar (4) Feb (3) Jan (1) Dec (4) Nov (4) Oct (4) Sep (5) Aug (1) Jul (3) Jun (4) May (3) Apr (5) Mar (4) Feb (2) Jan (2) Dec (4) Nov (3) Oct (4) Sep (4) Aug (1) Jul (2) Jun (4) May (3) Apr (4) Mar (2) Feb (3) Jan (4) Dec (3) Nov (3) Oct (3) Sep (3) Aug (3) Jul (2) Jun (4) May (3) Apr (4) Mar (4) Feb (4) Jan (4) Dec (2) Nov (4) Oct (4) Sep (4) Aug (6) Jun (1) May (2) Apr (1) Mar (3) Feb (3) Jan (5) Dec (3) Nov (5) Oct (1) Sep (4) Aug (2) Jul (2) Jun (5) May (6) Apr (1) Mar (5) Feb (1) Jan (4) Dec (4) Nov (4) Oct (3) Sep (4) Aug (1) Jul (4) Jun (4) May (1) Apr (3) Mar (6) Feb (2) Jan (4) Dec (3) Nov (4) Oct (2) Sep (5) Aug (3) Jul (2) Jun (2) May (4) Apr (3) Mar (2) Feb (3) Jan (36) Fellow Blog Readers, I am proud to be a friend and fan of our resident photographer: Tambako the Jaguar. Unless you have seen the full body of his work, you cannot know the excellence of his talent. Therefore, I encourage you to click on the following links, "like" his Facebook page, and get to know him better. He's not only one of the most talented animal photographers out there, but he is also one heck of a nice person. Enjoy! Tambako's bio: http://www.flickr.com/people/tambako/ More info and images: http://greenbuzzz.net/environment/40-exceptional-and-breathtaking-big-cat-photographs-by-emmanuel-keller/ And... tambako.ch Friend him here: https://www.facebook.com/tambakophotography >^..^< /By Azernews/ By Nazrin Gadimova President Ilham Aliyev has signed a number of documents aimed at strengthening non-oil sectors of the local economy. On the background of the worldwide economic fluctuations, the government is keen on diversifying the economy by encouraging local entrepreneurs. Thus, the amendments to the Tax Code, approved by the head of state on February 16, provide for tax benefits to legal and physical entities engaged in investment activities. Following the amendments, the entrepreneurs will get the relevant document, granting them with tax and customs privileges. After receiving this document, physical and legal entities will be exempt from paying taxes in the amount of 50 percent of their revenues and incomes, respectively, for seven years. Moreover, local entrepreneurs will also be exempt from paying property and land taxes for a period of seven years after receiving the document. From January 1, 2016, wheat importers and sellers, as well as flour and bread manufacturers and sellers are exempt from paying taxes for a year under a relevant presidential decree. President Aliyev further approved amendments to the law On public purchases. Following these amendments, while implementing public purchases preference will be given to the high-quality goods produced by local manufacturers, even if the value of the tender offer exceeds by 20 percent. Encouraging local manufacturers will be mandatory after amendments enter into force. Moreover, the head of the state approved amendments to the law On customs tariff. Following the changes, legal and physical entities are exempt from customs duties and value-added tax (VAT) on import of technical equipment for seven years. After receiving an appropriate document, entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of these customs privileges. Any managing organization or industrial or technology parks operator should have a document confirming the import of technological equipment in order to build an infrastructure or construct any production facilities, as well as to conduct research, test and development works. Furthermore, Azerbaijan joined United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. President Aliyev signed an appropriate law on February 16. Being a treaty that is a uniform international sales law, it has been ratified by 84 states that account for a significant proportion of world trade, making it one of the most successful international uniform laws. The Azerbaijani President believes that 2016 will be successful for the country. At this stage the priority issues are business development, the deepening of radical reforms, Ilham Aliyev noted as part of his visit to Azerbaijans Tovuz region, adding that he is confident that the new reforms will soon play an important role in the development of the local economy. /By Azernews/ By Gulgiz Dadashova As a reaction to reports that Russia and some OPEC members agreed to freeze oil output at January levels aiming to tackle a global supply glut, the prices for oil slightly jumped on the Wednesday morning. Brent crude LCOc1 was up 28 cents at $32.46 a barrel by 0904 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude CLc1 rose 16 cents to $29.20 a barrel. The deal comes after a closed door meeting in Doha between Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar and Russia. Major producers announced that they would freeze, but not cut their output, in case other big producers join them. "The reason we agreed to a potential freeze of production is simple: it is the beginning of a process which we will assess in the next few months and decide if we need other steps to stabilize and improve the market," Bloomberg cited Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi as saying. Following the deal, all eyes turned to Iran, which signaled a tough stance. Tehrans Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh announced that Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. The Islamic republic earlier announced readiness to use its entire fleet of tankers for global transportation of oil, and Goldman Sachs forecasted an increase in oil production in Iran in 2016 to 3.13 million barrels per day (compared to 2.85 million barrels in 2015), which seems to further pressure the market. Meanwhile, OPEC members UAE and Kuwait said they were also ready to freeze output and oil sources in Iraq said Baghdad would abide by a global deal aimed at recovering the crude prices from their lowest level in over a decade. Later, the Venezuelan oil minister announced that ministers of Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria and Oman supported the decision to freeze oil. However, experts say moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the glut in the market. They believe that the current agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia are not enough for a stable growth of prices for physical oil supplies. Major banks and market analysts are also skeptic over the deal. "The details of this agreement suggest that such a freeze will have little impact on the oil market as proposed, while there remains high uncertainty that it even materializes, Reuters reported citing GOLDMAN SACHS. DEUTSCHE BANK, in turn, said not only has talks moved from cuts to a freeze, but such a freeze comes from producers who weren't expected to raise production materially in any case (Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Qatar). "A credible agreement to hold production flat by all OPEC members at the January level would be quite meaningful in tightening forward expectations of market balance as it would remove the threat of incremental Iranian volumes into 2017, the Bank said, Reuters reported. Other analysts voice more positive expectations, but note that tangible increase in oil prices cannot be recorded until the second half of the year, although much will still depend on how the countries will abide by quotas. One of the key factors in this bid to prevent oil prices to see the mark of $20 a barrel is to follow the agreed steps. As from time to time exporters agreed to keep balance in production, but failed to observe the deal as soon as the prices increased. The last global deal - OPEC and non-OPEC - dates back to 2001 when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. At least in short term, OPEC and non-OPEC members may see relief in their economies and more revenues, as the deal would ease pressure on their economies. This will also allow the oil economies to realize their crisis-management plans to revive their economies. /By Azernews/ By Nazrin Gadimova Successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, as well as Azerbaijans contribution to the international security within the peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan was high on the agenda of talks held between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and visiting James Appathurai, NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia on February 16, 2016. President Aliyev highlighted with pleasure his meeting with Stoltenberg during the Davos forum, held in late January this year. During the talks, the parties hailed successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, as well as praised Azerbaijans contribution to the international security within the peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. The sides further exchanged views over the current state of negotiations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expressed satisfaction with the fact that the documents adopted by NATO constantly support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Furthermore, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met a delegation led by James Appathurai. The sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of relations between Azerbaijan and NATO. Appathurai hailed relations and successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, and especially mentioned the continuous support of Azerbaijan to the operations in Afghanistan for the sake of international peace and security. Pointing out the reliable and steady relations between Azerbaijan and NATO, Mammadyarov stressed the development of cooperation within the frames of Individual Partnership Action Plan, Planning and Review Process and Operational Capabilities Concept. He stressed that Azerbaijan would continue to contribute to the Resolute Support Mission of NATO in Afghanistan. Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Mammadyarov emphasized that Armenia must withdraw its armed forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. The sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest. Azerbaijan is a reliable, consistent contributor to joint activities, Appathurai told reporters as a part of his visit to Baku. Appathurai noted that NATO supports the OSCE Minsk Groups efforts in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We are not directly involved in the process of resolving. But our position is that we support Minsk Group efforts and the peaceful resolution to this conflict, he added. Appathurai said NATO representatives would arrive in Azerbaijan to discuss further cooperation in the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) in the near future. "We are coming to the end of the second year of the program. In the near future my colleagues will arrive in Azerbaijan to discuss the next biennium cooperation within the framework of the program, he added. Appathurai also said NATO would continue to work with Azerbaijan in Afghanistan. NATO and Azerbaijan are actively cooperating on democratic, institutional, and military reforms, as well as conducting practical cooperation in various areas. Azerbaijan aspires to achieve Euro-Atlantic standards and get closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions. In this regard, supporting the security sector reform and establishing democratic institutions are the key elements of the NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation. The Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation is carried out within the "Partnership for Peace" program. Earlier, NATO adopted a document of the fourth stage of the Individual Partnership Action Plan for 2015-2016. 17:46 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has reviewed the progress of construction at Ganja State Philharmonic. The head of state laid the foundation of Ganja State Philharmonic during his visit to Ganja on January 21, 2012. The President was informed that a 1200-seat concert hall, an open-air summer cinema theatre, a drawing gallery, an urban center and an observation tower will be built here. There will be catering facilities, an underground parking lot and auxiliary offices. Statutes of Azerbaijani music icons will be installed on the facade of the building. ****** 17:00 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today reviewed Ganja European Youth Capital 2016 Park. The construction of the park was started in 2015 and completed by the end of the year. The park occupies a total area of 1.8 hectares. There is Wings of Youth monument in the center of the park. ****** 16:34 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of a 240-seat orphanage-kindergarten in Ganja after major overhaul. All conditions have been created here for children. The Azerbaijani President cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the building of the orphanage-kindergarten. The head of state was informed that the orphanage-kindergarten was built in 1989. The major repair started in August, 2014. The building occupies an area of 13,000 square meters. The green areas were laid out, and amusement facilities installed in the area of the orphanage-kindergarten. The kindergarten has a gym, a swimming pool, a chess room and a medical point. There are 164 children in 9 groups. The facility employs 19 people. ****** 15:36 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has reviewed the conditions created at Imamzade religious complex in Ganja after major repair and reconstruction. Dating back to the 8th century, the historical monument Imamzade also known as the Blue dome, the Blue Mosque or the Blue Imam Turbeh, is one of the architectural landmarks of the city of Ganja. Ibrahim, the son of the fifth Imam Mohamed Baghir is buried here. The construction of Imamzade Turbeh dates back to the late 14th century early 15th century. The complex is located on the ancient trade roads of the East. Throughout the centuries, Imamzade has been a holy place for Muslims of Azerbaijan and other countries. Imamzade complex was restored in the 19th century. President Ilham Aliyev first met with representatives of the country`s general public and religious figures. The ceremony kicked off with the recitation of verses from the Quran. The head of state addressed the event. Then Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade delivered a speech. Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade presented a Holy Quran to the head of state. Other speakers at the event included Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan eparchy Alexander Ishein, chairman of the Religious Community of Mountain Jews Milikh Yevdayev, head of Azerbaijan Catholic Church Vladimir Fekete and dean of Ganja State University Mubariz Yusifov. Mubariz Yusifov handed Ganja Imamzade Temple book to the Azerbaijani President. After the ceremony, the head of state reviewed the conditions created at Imamzade complex. President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the repair and restoration of Imamzade religious complex, as well as the landscaping work carried out around the complex. The reconstruction and landscaping work started in May, 2010. The complex occupies a total area of 10 hectares. The three-storey main building of the complex covers an area of 2,000 square meters. The building has ablution spaces for women and men, a storehouse, administrative and technical rooms and a hotel. There are two prayer halls for women and men, a religious library, a conference hall and a museum in the complex. The head of state visited the grave of Ibrahim, the son of the fifth Imam Mohamed Baghir. On behalf of residents and believers, representative of the Caucasian Muslims Office for the western region Haji Tahir Abbasov thanked the head of state for his attention to the religion and for the reconstruction of the complex. The temple was also reconstructed. It has two minarets, standing 45 meters in height, two prayer halls and a pilgrimage hall. Imamzade religious complex has an altar, which occupies an area of 220 square meters, a 1000-seat hall, Huseyniyye and Zeynebiyye prayer halls, and two parking lots for 1,000 cars. ****** 14:57 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited Ganja Automobile Plant. The plant, a foundation stone of which was laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev, was commissioned in 2004. In the first three years the plant manufactured OKA, UAZ, CHAN-QAN vehicles. In 2007, the plant opened new assembly lines and embarked on the production of tractors and MAZ trucks under a bilateral agreement with Minsk automobile and tractor plants. As of 1 January 2016, Ganja plant manufactured 6,294 tractors and 134 special tractors. Of this, 5,737 tractors were sold to Agrolizing and 497 to farmers and businessmen. The plant also produced 2,578 MAZ trucks. ****** 13:13 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has reviewed the city hospital No. 1 named after Abbas Sahhat in Ganja after major overhaul. The head of state was informed that reconstruction work at the hospital, which occupies an area of 3.2 hectares, was launched in 2012. The 245-bed five-storey hospital has departments of surgery, traumatology, urology, therapy, haemodialysis, neurology, gynecology and skin and venereal diseases. There are also X-ray diagnostics, physiotherapy, ultrasound diagnostics and ECO departments. The hospital is supplied with modern equipment and devices provided by the world`s leading medical equipment manufacturers. The hospital employs a 370-man medical staff, including 56 doctors. ****** 12:25 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in the city of Ganja on a visit. The head of state started his visit by laying flowers at a statue of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the city center. Head of Ganja City Executive Authority Elmar Valiyev informed President Ilham Aliyev about the reconstruction work in the area. /By Azernews/ By Amina Nazarli The Romanian embassy in Baku, in its capacity of NATO Contact Point Embassy to Azerbaijan, hosted a meeting with James Appathurai, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia on February 16. Ambassadors, Defense Attaches and senior diplomats from embassies of NATO countries in Baku also attended the event. The meeting was organized within the mandate Romanian diplomatic mission is fulfilling as NATO Contact Point Embassy in Azerbaijan (for the fourth time in a row). Addressing the event, Romanian envoy Daniel Cristian Ciobanu underlined the strategic importance of development of NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. Ciobanu informed that the Romanian embassy and Institute of Human Rights and Conflictology of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan will organize an international conference on the topic of NATO 2016 Warsaw summit: opportunities and expectations in Baku on March 7, 2016. Appathurai held an in-depth presentation about NATO-Azerbaijan relations, highlighting the successful cooperation between North Atlantic Alliance and Azerbaijan. During the meeting an exchange of views took place on different aspects of joint interest regarding NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit to Azerbaijan to attend the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council became one of the most discussed topics in the world media. It is a remarkable event, since today, Azerbaijan and Turkey are among the important countries in the region from the political and economic point of view. Azerbaijan and Turkey succeeded not only to use their potential for ensuring their own development, but also to create close cooperation for the regions benefit. The two countries are bound not only by common culture, but also by important joint energy projects. Today, there are a number of trilateral formats such as Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Iran and Turkey-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and Turkey plays a key role in all of these formats. It is expected that mainly issues of energy, transport, economy, as well as regional problems will be discussed during the meeting of the presidents to be held Feb. 18. Regarding energy projects between Azerbaijan and Turkey, there is no doubt that one of the most important projects is the TANAP, which, unlike other energy projects, is the most real at the moment. One can say that Europes energy security is in the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey. All this further increases importance of the two brotherly countries for Europe. The TANAPs importance lies not only in the fact that it is an alternative energy supply route to Europe, but also in the fact that in case if other gas suppliers to European countries emerge, they wont be able to bypass the Azerbaijani project. The importance of Azerbaijan and Turkey is not limited only to this project. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which will be an important transport corridor between Asia and Europe, will be constructed in 2016. The Trans-Caspian transport corridor is becoming a priority in transit after the problems between Moscow and Ankara and Tehran and Ankara with the transportation of goods from Turkey to the Central Asian markets. Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yildirims statement testifies to this. In an interview with Trend, he said that the Trans-Caspian transport corridor stretching through Azerbaijan, must be a priority in cargo transportation to the Central Asian countries, rather than an alternative in case of problems with the transportation of goods. With the commissioning of the BTK railway Azerbaijan and Turkey will give a unique opportunity for freight traffic to the world. With regard to regional issues, the discussion of which is expected during meetings of heads of states, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is undoubtedly the most important of them, during the settlement process of which, unfortunately, double standards are being applied. Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and included this issue on the agenda at all international events. There is no doubt that this issue is among Turkey's national priorities today. /By Trend/ Amazon I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. /By Azernews/ By Laman Ismayilova The NATO military alliance has sent four naval war ships to Georgias Black Sea port of Batumi as part of a scheduled month-long training mission. The ships of the Alliance participate in joint exercises and training missions with Georgian naval and marine forces, Georgia Today reported. The ships will stay at the port until February 15. We are here today to demonstrate NATOs support as well as stress our strong and mutually beneficial cooperation with Georgia, NATOs United Naval Forces commander Giorgio Lazio said at a press conference held in Batumi with Georgias Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili. Lazio emphasized that NATO-Georgian naval cooperation strengthens peace and stability in the Black Sea. Turkish Naval Forces Staff Colonel Ramazan Kesgin stressed the importance of the visit, saying that deepening cooperation with Georgias fledgling navy is a vital part of NATOs security plans for 2016. NATO launched a joint training center in Georgia in August 2015, part of the so-called substantial package of cooperation with Georgias armed forces. The center will start the tactical training of Georgian soldiers in May. Georgia actively cooperates with NATO since the late 1990s. In November 2002, President Eduard Shevardnadze has officially declared at the NATO summit in Prague that Georgia wants to become a member of the Alliance. Today, Tbilisi continues the course of integration into NATO. Former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose term was marked by war in the former Yugoslavia, famine and genocide in Africa and confrontation with the United States, died on Tuesday, according to The Huffington Post. He was 93. The 15-member U.N. Security Council observed a minute's silence after the death was announced on Tuesday by Venezuelan U.N. Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, head of the Security Council for February. An Egyptian, Boutros-Ghali served as U.N. chief from 1992 to 1996. He died at Al Salam Hospital in Cairo on Tuesday, an official at the hospital said. As the United Nations' first secretary-general from Africa, Boutros-Ghali associated himself with the famine in Somalia and organized the first massive U.N. relief operation in the Horn of Africa nation. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) organised a workshop for contractors and consultants to update them on its new Al Namoos service which has been tailor-made to provide them with electricity connections of up to 150 kilowatts (kW) within 10 days. More than 250 professionals took part in the event held in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dewa. The workshop supports Dewas strategy to build closer ties and strengthen co-operation, update them on the utilitys initiatives for improvements, find recommendations to streamline and accelerate the process to get electricity and water services according to world-class practices, enhance its operations for all partners and stakeholders, thus improving quality and excellence to the highest possible standards, said a statement from Dewa. This is with the aim of achieving the satisfaction of all stakeholders, and ensuring the UAE is ranked number one for providing electricity, it added. The workshop was attended by Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, the secretary general of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and executive vice presidents and vice presidents from Dewa. Dewa said through this new system it has upgraded its procedures for getting electricity. These procedures have been simplified from three to two steps, reducing the time to complete them from 32 to 10 days. The first step now only takes eight days, and includes the application for electricity connections through low-voltage cables, with the first monthly bill due after the electricity is connected. Khalifa Meftah, the senior manager (Inspection and Connection) services at Dewa, gave a presentation at the workshop with an introduction about the World Bank and the assessment criteria, improving Dewas procedures, its communication strategy with contractors, and the benefits of feedback from annual creativity labs. Amin Aslam, the senior manager of corporate brand at Dewa, moderated the innovation sessions, which were attended by contractors and consultants. These came up with recommendations and creative ideas to improve Al Namoos.-TradeArabia News Service The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of Dubais maritime sector, has committed its full support for the Dubai Maritime Club. Dubai Maritime Club is a not-for-profit initiative aimed at nurturing a dynamic network of maritime professionals. Launched in collaboration with DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), the authority on trade, enterprise and commodities in Dubai, the club will facilitate regular meetings for members irrespective of the location of their activity, with the main purpose of sharing knowledge and expertise and providing a platform for productive dialogue geared towards improving the industry, said a statement from DMCA. The Dubai Maritime Club will primarily focus on the core values of innovation, communication and collaboration, it said. The clubs sub-groups and targeted events will address specific topics and issues impacting the maritime industry including technical, economic, and other maritime sector related aspects. A candidate must be directly involved in the maritime sector to qualify for club membership. DMCA and DMCC recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to reinforce their collaboration on promoting Dubai as a global maritime hub and as a gateway to GCC and MENA business and investment. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC, said: We are excited to support DMCA in the creation of the new Dubai Maritime Club which will ensure that Dubai's maritime industry evolves at pace and scale, securing new prosperity for the region. Dubai has a strong heritage in the maritime sector and sea trade is a critical part of the city's history and future. With Dubai clearly positioned as a gateway for global trade, the next natural step for the maritime industry to transform our city into one of the best international maritime clusters by 2020, he said. Amer Ali, executive director, Dubai Maritime City Authority, said: We commend DMCC for creating a promising entity that can help in DMCAs efforts to bring about a radical change in the local maritime sector through cooperation and transparency. The club can expect our full support and assistance as it pursues its set objectives, he added. TradeArabia News Service Hawker Pacific, a leading aircraft sales and product support company in Asia, Pacific and the Middle East, is celebrating the fourth anniversary of its new Seletar facility in Singapore and announced some record results at the ongoing Singapore Airshow 2016. The Singapore Airshow is Asia's largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions globally. The event which kicked off on February 16 will run until February 21, at the Changi Exhibition Centre. Hawker Pacific's state-of-the-art facility at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore has exceeded expectations since its launch in 2012 with an average yearly increase in revenue of 33 per cent, said a statement from the company. This year the facility has already reached a 30 per cent increase in revenue and is forecasting record results for the full financial year, two months out, it said. The Seletar facility has completed a number of milestone projects in the past 12 months including upgrades to the Embraer Legacy and Dassault Falcon ranges of aircraft, it added. The state-of-the-art paint shop at Seletar, also in high demand, has completed a number of high quality refinishing projects this year including Gulfstream, Global Express, Falcon and Beechcraft King Air aircraft. The paint shop facility, dedicated to business aircraft, is the first of its type in the region and provides a valuable service that enhances preventative maintenance for aircraft operators around the region. The Singapore Airshow is an opportunity for the company to demonstrate its commitment to meeting growing demand in the region and to showcase its full range of capabilities from aircraft sales, support, avionics, fixed-base operator (FBO), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), charter and management, to government business. Alan Smith, chief executive officer, Hawker Pacific, said: We have seen unprecedented growth in our Singapore facility since its launch in 2012. As the hub for South East Asia we have seen increasing customer demand from China and Indonesia and even increasing customers from Europe and the US. We look forward to continuing to lead the growth in business aviation in the region through exceptional service and integrated aviation solutions ensuring we remain aviations trusted choice, he added. TradeArabia News Service Tetra Pak, a leading packaging and processing solutions company, will once again be present at the latest edition of Gulfood, the worlds biggest annual food and hospitality show, to be held next week, in Dubai, UAE. The event will take place from February 21 to 25, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Tetra Pak will be participating under the theme The Difference bringing innovation, value and leadership, and is set to welcome its customers to the Connect Lounge, the companys platform for connecting and knowledge exchange at the show, said the statement from the company. Additionally, the companys Knowledge Series seminars will take place at the Connect Lounge this year, and will include a number of key topics related to Tetra Pak customers businesses. With prior registration required, sessions include innovations in combating obesity, insights into food protection, package design and marketing best practice, the use of social media to drive business, operational cost reduction, and new products and innovations. Having operated in one of its biggest regions for over 50 years, Tetra Pak has developed long-standing partnerships with over 400 leading food manufacturers. With a presence in 49 countries, 21 sales offices and five packaging material plants, the company has delivered 28 billion packages, primarily in juice and dairy product categories, to the region last year. Amar Zahid, president, Greater Middle East and Africa for Tetra Pak, said: Gulfood is an excellent opportunity for Tetra Pak to connect with the customers attending the show. Our Connect Lounge provides an environment that allows us to highlight the latest market trends, innovations and technology. We are continuously working with our customers to understand their challenges and to provide real solutions as well as insights to drive growth for their businesses, he added. TradeArabia News Service Iran signalled on Wednesday it would take a tough line in talks among oil producers on restraining production, saying it would continue increasing its output until it reached levels seen before international sanctions were imposed. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices." Iran's Opec envoy Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh daily newspaper. "How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price?" Meanwhile, oil prices rose on Wednesday following efforts led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to broker a deal to freeze production levels and ease a global glut. Brent crude was up 28 cents at $32.46 a barrel by 0904 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude rose 16 cents to $29.20 a barrel. Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino, Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Qatari Energy Minister Mohammad bin Saleh Al-Sada were to travel to Tehran for talks with their Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh on Wednesday in a bid to reach a deal to restrain output and prop up sagging prices. A spokesman for the Iranian ministry said the talks would begin at 2 pm (1030 GMT). Under a proposal which could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. "We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level," Asali was quoted as saying. Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude before 2012. Sanctions cut that to around 1.1 million bpd. A Reuters survey released on January 5 showed Iranian production at 2.9 million bpd in December. The sanctions, imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear programme, were lifted last month after an agreement with world powers, allowing Tehran to resume selling its oil freely in world markets. SPECIAL TERMS Two non-Iranian sources close to the Opec discussions told Reuters Iran might be offered special terms as part of an output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance, but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which could be anything from setting limited production increase levels for Iran to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. The last global deal, involving Opec and non-Opec producers, dates back to 2001, when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. The fact that output from Saudi Arabia and Russia is near record highs complicates chances for any new agreement. The price of benchmark Brent crude rose as high as $35.55 a barrel on Tuesday on hopes for a production deal, but it has since dropped back to $32.15, showing many investors doubt an agreement can be reached, that it would be respected, and would boost oil prices much. - Reuters The celebrated and acclaimed award-winning production The Sound of Music will come to Madinat Theatre in Dubai next month. Organised by Popular Productions from March 31 to April 16, it is considered to be the best-loved and most successful movie musical in history, having won five Oscars, including the award for Best Picture. Its soundtrack stands in history as the best-selling musical of all time going Platinum more than 12 times. Its landmark score by Rodgers and Hammerstein includes some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook including My Favourite Things", "Edelweiss", "Climb Evry Mountain", "Do Re Mi", "The Lonely Goatherd", "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and the wonderful title song. Based on a true and moving story, The Sound Of Music recalls the touching and dramatic memories of novice nun Maria and the Von Trapp family, united through a love of music and their struggle to freedom as their beautiful homeland of Austria faces occupation, just prior to the Second World War. A smash hit in multiple countries and winner of the Timeout Dubai Nightlife Award for Best Theatrical Production, this lavish production features a stellar cast and orchestra from Londons West End alongside talented UAE performers. This critically acclaimed production is the ultimate feel-good musical and its spirited, romantic and enduring story will once again enchant audiences throughout the UAE. Returning to the stage in the leading role of Maria is Lucy Hunter-James who previously played the role to great acclaim in Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar. Lucy has performed in a host of musicals in Dubai and London, including Oliver!, Blood Brothers, Sweet Charity, Annie and The Wizard of Oz. Alongside her, Olivier Award Nominated Paul Robinson will play Captain von Trapp. His West End credits include appearances as Don Lockwood in Singin In The Rain at Londons National Theatre and appearances Strictly Gershwin (Royal Albert Hall) and High Society (Shaftesbury Theatre). Co-starring in the production will be the renowned soprano and actress Margaret Preece in the role of Mother Abbess. Margaret has performed the role over a thousand times in Londons West End at the London Palladium and on tour in the UK and internationally. Her multitude of credits includes Operas and West End musicals. Christopher Blades will play Max Detweiler. He has appeared in the West End productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Street Scene and has a host of operatic credits to his name all around the world. Further cast includes: Katherine Glover as Liesl (Avenue Q/ Seussical), Kara Lane as Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Evita/Anything Goes/Oklahoma) and Matt Parsons as Rolf. Playing the all-important von Trapp children are a fantastic team of talented Dubai performers, selected from hundreds of auditionees from all over the UAE. The Producers of The Sound of Music said: The Sound of Music is one of our most requested productions internationally and we are delighted to be bringing the production back to Dubai where it began its remarkable journey in 2011. Once more, we have a fantastic cast and it promises to be a real treat for audiences. The Sound of Music is a brilliant story of an extraordinary family, and this show, in particular, is the perfect musical for families to experience." Tickets will be priced at Dh200 ($54.4) for Balcony seats, Dh225 ($61.2) for stalls and Dh250 ($68) for VIP stalls. We are offering very competitive prices for tickets. There will also be an early bird discount offer and family ticket pricing exclusively for the first weekend of performances. We look forward to welcoming our audiences to this wonderful show in March and April. TradeArabia News Service InterContinental Hotels Group, Africa has announced the promotion of Amr El Backly to the position of area director of finance and business support. Backly joined InterContinental Hotels Group in 2012 as the director of finance and business support, Egypt. Amassing more than 28 years of experience, he has combined his deep strategic business acumen and financial background to produce significant bottom line results. He has worked with some of the worlds largest hotels in Africa and the Middle East, leading finance transformation initiatives and specialising in finance strategy and operations within financial services and hospitality industry. Amrs aptitude and contributions have been invaluable and he embodies so many of the wonderful traits of our company. His innovative thinking and vision will continue to enhance the strategic direction, growth, and profitability of InterContinental Hotels Group said Simon W Stamper, director of operations, Africa & area general manager InterContinental Hotels Group Cairo Citystars. In his new capacity, Backly will be working closely with the InterContinental Hotels Group in Africa to increase the focus on all key financial aspects and compliance activities. TradeArabia News Service Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State. The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, went missing in November from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra belonging to US oilfield services company Weatherford, the document obtained by Reuters showed and officials confirmed. A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry said he could not discuss the issue, citing national security concerns. A Weatherford spokesman in Iraq declined to comment, and the company's Houston headquarters did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The material, which uses gamma rays to test flaws in materials used for oil and gas pipelines in a process called industrial gamma radiography, is owned by Istanbul-based SGS Turkey, according to the document and officials. An SGS official in Iraq declined to comment and referred Reuters to its Turkish headquarters, which did not respond to phone calls. The document, dated November 30 and addressed to the ministry's Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity belonging to SGS from a depot belonging to Weatherford in the Rafidhia area of Basra province". A senior environment ministry official based in Basra, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak publicly, told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of Ir-192 "capsules", a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source by the International Atomic Energy Agency, meaning if not managed properly it could cause permanent injury to a person in close proximity to it for minutes or hours, and could be fatal to someone exposed for a period of hours to days. How harmful exposure can be is determined by a number of factors such as the material's strength and age, which Reuters could not immediately determine. The ministry document said it posed a risk of bodily and environmental harm as well as a national security threat. DIRTY BOMB FEAR Large quantities of Ir-192 have gone missing before in the United States, Britain and other countries, stoking fears among security officials that it could be used to make a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb combines nuclear material with conventional explosives to contaminate an area with radiation, in contrast to a nuclear weapon, which uses nuclear fission to trigger a vastly more powerful blast. "We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh," said a senior security official with knowledge of the theft, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb," said the official, who works at the interior ministry and spoke on condition of anonymity as he is also not authorised to speak publicly. There was no indication the material had come into the possession of Islamic State, which seized territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 but does not control areas near Basra. The security official, based in Baghdad, told Reuters there were no immediate suspects for the theft. But the official said the initial investigation suggested the perpetrators had specific knowledge of the material and the facility: "No broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry," he said. An operations manager for Iraqi security firm Taiz, which was contracted to protect the facility, declined to comment, citing instructions from Iraqi security authorities. A spokesman for Basra operations command, responsible for security in Basra province, said army, police and intelligence forces were working "day and night" to locate the material. The army and police have responsibility for security in the country's south, where Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias and criminal gangs also operate. POLLUTION RISK Iraqi forces are battling Islamic State in the country's north and west, backed by a U.S.-led coalition. The militant group has been accused of using chemical weapons on more than one occasion over the past few years. The closest area fully controlled by Islamic State is more than 500 km (300 miles) north of Basra in the western province of Anbar. The Sunni militants control no territory in the predominantly Shi'ite southern provinces but have claimed bomb attacks there, including one that killed 10 people in October in the district where the Weatherford facility is located. Besides the risk of a dirty bomb, the radioactive material could cause harm simply by being left exposed in a public place for several days, said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. "If they left it in some crowded place, that would be more of the risk. If they kept it together but without shielding," he said. "Certainly it's not insignificant. You could cause some panic with this. They would want to get this back." The senior environmental official said authorities were worried that whoever stole the material would mishandle it, leading to radioactive pollution of "catastrophic proportions". A second senior environment ministry official, also based in Basra, said counter-radiation teams had begun inspecting oil sites, scrapyards and border crossings to locate the device after an emergency task force raised the alarm on Nov. 13. Two Basra provincial government officials said they were directed on Nov. 25 to coordinate with local hospitals. "We instructed hospitals in Basra to be alert to any burn cases caused by radioactivity and inform security forces immediately," said one. - Reuters News of my occasional trips to various parts of the globe and the narrow gauge railways I encounter there. Alex a ndr Solzhenitsy n's co ncludin g thoug hts fr om his f am ous 197 8 Harvard add re ss, " " : It would be retrogression to attach oneself today to the ossified formulas of the Enlightenment. Social dogmatism leaves us completely helpless in front of the trials of our times. Even if we are spared destruction by war, our lives will have to change if we want to save life from self-destruction. We cannot avoid revising the fundamental definitions of human life and human society. Is it true that man is above everything? Is there no Superior Spirit above him? Is it right that man's life and society's activities have to be determined by material expansion in the first place? Is it permissible to promote such expansion to the detriment of our spiritual integrity? If the world has not come to its end, it has approached a major turn in history, equal in importance to the turn from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. It will exact from us a spiritual upsurge, we shall have to rise to a new height of vision, to a new level of life where our physical nature will not be cursed as in the Middle Ages, but, even more importantly, our spiritual being will not be trampled upon as in the Modern era. This ascension will be similar to climbing onto the next anthropologic stage. No one on earth has any other way left but - upward. Transudationism: A philosophy whose Kairos has come ! Here is Solzhenitsyn on ethno-nationalism, from his Nobel Lecture in Literature (1970) : Thursday support meetings Al-Anon: 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200, Just for Today, nonsmoking; 7:30 p.m., 328 1/2 E. A (upstairs), 12 Step Study Group, Step Study Meeting, nonsmoking Migraine Support Group: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Highland Park Community Church. Info: Cherie, 265-4692 or 258-5557 Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Noon Miracle, open meeting, topic and discussion. Nonsmoking, wheelchair accessible; 8 p.m., 4700 S. Poplar (church basement). Hope Not Dope, closed meeting, topic and discussion. Nonsmoking. Court slips are not signed at this meeting; website: http://www.urmrna.org. Stroke support group: Noon-1 p.m., new location, this month only, Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital. Presentation will be on shoulder injuries. Info: Trenille, 577-5204 Suicide Survivors Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m., 1032 E. First St. A support group for people who have had someone in their life die by suicide. Info: 233-4277 Spinal Cord Injury Support Group: 6-7 p.m., Mills Community Hall. Info: 262-0117 AA Meeting: 7 p.m., AA Meeting held at the Shepherd of the Valley. The public is welcome to attend Alzheimers Caregiver Support Group: 10 a.m., Wyoming Dementia Care Alzheimers Caregiver Support Group meeting at Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 E. Fourth St. Place for caregivers to meet as friends. Info: 265-2494 Afternoon Book Club An afternoon book discussion will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at Metro Coffee Co. Participants will read Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. The group is open to teens in grades 7-8. Participants receive a free drink, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. To participate, pick up a copy of Walk Two Moons in the librarys Teen Zone. Call 577-READ ext. 101 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. UW-Casper hosts open house The University of Wyoming at Casper (UW-Casper) will host an Open House from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday on the fourth floor of the Casper College Student Union/University of Wyoming at Casper Building. This informational event will offer individuals the opportunity to meet UW-Casper faculty and staff, including financial aid and scholarship experts; discover degree options; learn about Transfer Advance; and enter to win a door prize. UW-Casper, the University of Wyomings branch campus and a division of the Outreach School, offers 18 bachelors degrees, and is the only location in the state where students can major in technical education or medical laboratory sciences. Through onsite, online, and state-of-the-art audio/video conference technologies, UW-Casper also delivers 13 masters degrees, six doctorate degrees, endorsements, and certificates. With 20 full-time, onsite faculty and a full-service office to handle admissions, financial aid, registration, and advising questions, students benefit from a smaller learning environment where they get to know their instructors and staff. Operating in Casper since 1976, it has more than 3,200 alumni, many of whom still reside and work in Natrona County. Admission representatives and academic advisers will be available to discuss the degrees offered. For more information, contact UW-Casper at 268-2713. Faith-based groups begin Lifeline/Teen Challenge will be offering the following faith-based groups in the community this Winter/Spring: Single and Parenting (Sundays), Understanding Depression (Tuesdays), Committed Couples (grow together spiritually, TBA), Save One (post-abortion healing, Thursdays), Insight (developing the path to Christian character, TBA), and Professionals in Recovery (Thursdays). All groups meet in the evening and begin in February. For more information, call Pat at 265-7755. Completing the FAFSA If youre planning to attend college next year and need financial aid, then its time to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. A representative from the University of Wyoming at Casper Educational Opportunity Center will provide FAFSA assistance at the Natrona County Library from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Tech Center. Please bring all 2015 W2s and tax information for both student and parents. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. Free tax help offered The Wyoming Free Tax Service (VITA) runs through April 13. Our hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. We will be closed on Sunday and Monday as well as the Friday and Saturday of Easter weekend. Our location is the Aspen Creek Building, 800 Werner Court, Suite 180. This service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so no appointments will be scheduled. Please bring your Social Security card, photo identification and appropriate paperwork. If you have any questions, please feel free to call 307-315-1830 during our hours of operation or visit www.wyomingfreetaxservice.org. Genealogists meet Thursday The Natrona County Genealogical Society will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Casper Senior Citizens Center at 1831 E. Fourth St. This month, Marcia Stroh will present a program on the Homesteaders Act of 1862. You will hear a brief history of the Homesteaders Act, find out how to find your ancestor and how to read the information that you find. Please join us for this presentation and feel free to bring along some names that you might like to check out. As always, guests are welcome. Our help desk will also be open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please call Stroh, 265-5568. Boy Scout, Cub Scout meetings The River Bend District Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs in Casper are always eager to accept new members. Boys may join at any time of the year. Following is a list of Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops that meet Thursday in Casper, along with leader names, phone numbers, meeting places and meeting times. Cub Scout Packs: Thursday, 7 p.m., Our Saviours Lutheran Church, Pack 1030, Brian Bridges, 262-5226 Thursday, 7 p.m., Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Pack 1002, Tom McCarthy, 277-1420 UU sets programs The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at our new location, 1040 W. 15th Street. Services are held Sundays at 10 a.m. The UU Casper meditation group meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. For more information about these events or Unitarian Universalism, visit uucasper.org, email info@uucasper.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Laura Gossman at 307-259-4469. CHEYENNE A provision before the state Legislature would allow the state to study and develop a database for insurers and employers to compare the costs of health procedures throughout Wyoming. The ultimate goal of the databases, known in the health care world as multi-payer claims databases, is to lower costs for insurers, employers and patients, said Anne Ladd, the CEO of the Wyoming Business Coalition on Health, which has started its own database. Health care in Wyoming is among the most expensive in the country. Lawmakers in Cheyenne are discussing a number of ways to decrease costs from Medicaid expansion for 20,000 low-income uninsured Wyoming adults to a bill allowing hospitals to obtain more money from Medicaid. The footnote in the budget bill to study and possibly develop a multi-payer claims database is another possibility. Colorado and other states have multi-payer claims databases and have saved money on health care, Ladd said. You have this database, and youre able to know that costs in Town A are more expensive than costs in Town B, Ladd said. You could go to the providers in Town A and say, Could you explain whats going on here so we can begin to peel back the onion and address health care costs? Some community hospitals or clinics have practices that are not based on the latest research. The business community could ask the hospital why it charges to perform tests or procedures that the medical literature shows are not effective. The database provides transparency of costs. The business community can have a conversation with the health care community at a time when health care costs are rising, she said. If we dont do that, we are on a path of mutual destruction, Ladd said. We have to find a way to work together, and wed like to find a way to work together based on data rather than anecdotes. Patient privacy is protected in the databases, she said. Studies have shown infection rates, medication errors and other measures of quality health care are actually lower at lower-cost hospitals and clinics, and Ladd doesnt think quality would suffer if people based more of their decisions on costs, Ladd said. If the Legislature adopts the footnote, the Wyoming Health Department would study a potential database. If officials thought it could be beneficial, they would develop it. The department is not allowed to spend any state money on the database. The department would invite other insurance companies and employers to participate. The databases were reviewed in the House on Monday as part of an overall discussion on the budget bill. Rep. Elaine Harvey, chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, said she was happy it was in the budget bill, as the databases are one of the most effective ways for states to get a handle on medical costs. She asked Rep. Tim Stubson, who explained the budget to colleagues in the House, why the footnote would allow participation in the database to be voluntary and not required, as is in other states to ensure richer data. We think its best if people voluntarily do it, instead of forcing them, said Stubson, a Casper Republican who is running for U.S. House. The state effort would be separate from the database developed by Ladds organization, which is made up of employers who self-insure. Employers choose whether they want to participate in the database. We are working with a group in Montana that has been doing this for 12 years, she said. Its called the Montana Association of Health Care Purchasers. Stubson said there is a chance that the budget footnote could be amended to unite the state effort with the Wyoming Business Coalition on Health. It was the compromise position that came out of the committee, Stubson said, referring to the Joint Appropriations Committee. Im sure there will be more discussion on it. As written, it will be to do our own claims database. Rediscover the some of your favorite but shuttered eateries at the Tucson Festival of Books. The history and forgotten stories of some of the restaurants that helped shape Tucsons culinary presence reemerge in Rita Connellys book Lost Restaurants of Tucson. Local author and restaurant reviewer Connelly will share the culinary stage on the opening day of the book festival with Donna Nordin, the retired owner/chef of Cafe Terra Cotta. Appropriately, Nordin plans to prepare Terra Cottas signature shrimp stuffed with goat cheese. Terra Cotta, revered by many as the jewel that put Tucson on the culinary map, closed in 2009. The dish is a favorite of Connelly, who spent more than a decade writing about Tucsons culinary scene after returning to Tucson in 1987. She continues to cover the scene on her blog wellfedfoodieblog.wordpress.com The book, released on Dec. 7, is available locally for $21.99 plus tax at Antigone Books, Mostly Books, and Barnes and Noble. Also, online at ArcadiaPublishing.com and historypress.net as well as amazon.com The history of Tucsons lost restaurants has as much to do with the people as it does the places, says Connelly. The Gekas and Scordato families ran restaurants for decades. Chefs Janos Wilder, Nordin and Alan Zeman were at the forefront of the New Southwest cuisine. Larry Colligan of Hidden Valley Inn and Diego A. Valenzuela of Gordos Mexicateria & Mexicatessan became local celebrities due to their television commercials and snappy catchphrases. And over time, a strong bond grew among the owners, chefs and diners. Every restaurant in this book has a story, says Connelly. Papagayo Employees used to tell Alice Mazon that on certain evenings they would hear the sound of someone jingling a set of keys, a habit for which her father, Rene Perez Sr. was famous. The Gekas Family Beginning in the late 1940s and continuing through the mid-90s. Mary, John, their children and an assortment of cousins, siblings and family friends served elegant meals in elegant settings, such as the venerated Palomino at northwest corner of Swan and Fort Lowell roads. Janos People were drawn to this new style of cooking. They had never seen or tasted their familiar southwestern ingredients prepared in such a way. DaVincis It smells like Italy, said a longtime fan who had spent a year in Italy while in the Air Force. He was talking about DaVincis. Grill Either people got Grill or they didnt. Jerrys Ming House One gentleman remembered the really inexpensive egg rolls, which made the place very popular with him and his friends, who were students at the nearby University of Arizona. The Solarium When people recall the Solarium, the talk is about the structure as much as the food. It opened in 1974 and added a whole new vibe to the culinary and architectural scene. The Tack Room The Tack Room is probably the one restaurant that everyone I talked with said should be included in this book. Even if they had never eaten at the iconic restaurant, people knew what it meant in Tucson culinary history. Jacks Original BBQ The original Jack was Jack Banks, who opened the business in 1950 and ran it until 1980. LIQUOR TRAFFIC AND GAMBLING GENERAL IN CITY; POLICE INACTIVE Following Impassioned Arraignment for Vice and Lawlessness by Gus Hoff, Mayor and Councilmen Admit the Charge and Threaten to Fire Whole Force and Stop the Chiefs Salary; Police Arrest Only Autoists and Mexicans, Hoff Charges; Special Mysterious Sleuth to Be Employed by the City The city council last night authorized Mayor Corbett to employ a special officer or detective to secure evidence with regard to liquor selling and gambling in the city, the identity of the officer to be known only to the mayor. The action was taken following a general discussion of law enforcement which was precipitated by an address to the council by Gus Hoff. During the discussion it was stated positively by members of the council that the prohibition law and laws against gambling were being violated and the mayor said that he knew personally that bling tigers and gambling rooms were being operated, but that it was difficult to secure convicting evidence. Mr. Hoff addressed the council after the regular business of the meeting had been concluded, and in an impassioned speech urged the enforcement of all laws, but particularly those applying to liquor selling and gambling. He started by telling of being in an automobile a few days ago which was halted by Officer Huss and the driver charged with speeding. He stated that neither the driver nor he realized that they were violating an ordinance, but that they appeared before Judge Cowan and a fine of $10 was assessed against them and paid; that while the fine was not paid cheerfully, still it was refreshing to know that the city had one officer who dared to do his duty. He then said he wished to call the councils attention to other laws that were being violated with no effort to stop the violations being made. There is not one of you present but who knows positively that the laws are being violated, and some of you from personal knowledge, Mr. Hoff said, and then he attacked the police force and its methods very severely. He belittled the excuse that the city officers could not enforce the state laws, and said there were city ordinances against gambling and providing for the arrest of drunken persons. He said the existence of gambling was common street talk and that it was a common sight to see drunken men on the main streets. He accused the police of arresting only Mexicans or poor unfortunates and ignoring people of better position when intoxicated. He urged that all laws should be enforced and enforced impartially, and that if there were any ordinances which the council felt should not be enforced they should be repealed. He said that moral progress had come slowly here, but that there had never been a step backward, and that Arizona was dry and dry to stay, and in closing made a strong talk on the evils of liquor and an eloquent appeal for officers who would do their duty and enforce the law. In the discussion following, the councilmen all agreed that something should be done to bring about a better enforcement of the prohibition and gambling laws. Councilman Wakefield suggested that the police force be notified that if conditions were not improved by July 1 the entire force would be let go, and the salary of the chief, whom the council could not fire, would be cut to $5 over month. Mayor Corbett, however, called attention to the fact that the regular officers could do little in securing evidence, and that it would require a special officer who was not known to accomplish anything against the bootleggers. He also said he thought it advisable to wait until the law which gives the city recorder jurisdiction in cases of arrest for violation of the state laws became effective. This law will be in force June 24. The matter was finally left with the mayor, who was given power to employ a special officer to work on bootlegging and gambling cases. An Arizona man who is a convicted felon and running as an independent candidate for a congressional seat has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. Brian Malnes, 50, insists the lawsuit seeking restoration of his voting rights as well as those of other felons in the state prohibited from casting a ballot is not linked to his political aspirations. Malnes said Wednesday he is suing for felony disenfranchisement. Under the U.S. Constitution, losing his voting rights for a 25-year-old conviction for robbing a bank in Utah is a violation of his civil rights, he said. "I was a slave, and I am still a slave," said Malnes, who is among six Republicans and three Democrats who have said they hope to replace Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in the massive district that covers portions of 11 counties, including Pima. Kirkpatrick left the post to run against Republican Sen. John McCain. Attorneys representing Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan filed paperwork on Tuesday to dismiss the Malnes lawsuit. A spokesperson for Reagan declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation. The office does not verify whether a candidate is qualified to run for an office unless someone files a formal complaint. Malnes, who lives in Flagstaff, rejects the argument that he is not a "qualified elector" due to his conviction. He notes that a federal judge has already ruled that you do not need to be a registered voter to run for elected office. Malnes will need to turn in an estimated 3,900 valid signatures from registered independents to qualify for the November ballot. Currently there is no other independent candidate in Congressional District 1, which means Malnes would not have any competition until the general election in November. Boost your business profile in the Star 200 the annual special section listing the major employers in Southern Arizona. To create this comprehensive list, the Arizona Daily Star needs the input of area businesses and large employers. We use the Star 200 as a resource for our business-development clients when they want to learn about major businesses operating here in Southern Arizona, said Laura Shaw, senior vice president of marketing at Sun Corridor Inc. The same clients, once established here, will look for vendors and partners, and having these kind of listings is a win-win for everyone, she said. For more than three decades, the Star 200 has given companies looking to locate here information on the size and types of businesses in the area. Market your business among the biggest and best in Southern Arizona. The Star 200 is also used year-round by job-seekers, your customers and business associates. All employers in the region with 100 or more full-time workers are urged to submit survey responses. Expand your organizations visibility and make sure your workforce is counted by filling out the survey at speedway.tucson.com/star200/index.php?entry Deadline to fill out the survey is March 1. The special section, ranking the 200 largest employers in Southern Arizona and highlighting current trends, will be published later this spring. See last years edition at tucson.com/Star200. For questions, or if you prefer to participate by phone, call Shannon Conner at 573-4123 or email Star200@tucson.com PHOENIX Calling it a matter of personal freedom, the head of the House Health Committee wants to allow contact-lens wearers go up to two years between required eye exams. Rep. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, said theres no medical reason for current laws that limit contact lens prescriptions to one year. Carter said HB 2523 would allow a patient, in consultation with an optometrist or ophthalmologist, to decide whether to go up to two years. But the measure is drawing strong opposition from medical groups. Contact lenses are medical devices regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said Annette Hanian, who is a full-time optometrist and heads the legislative committee of the Arizona Optometric Association. They have inherent to them things that can affect the corneal integrity, the surface of the eye, the ocular surface that patients arent necessarily aware of, she said. We need to be able to diagnose and intervene at an appropriate time so they dont become more serious complications. Carter countered that there are other states that have two-year limits. There is no medical evidence that contact lens wearers there are having troubles that dont exist in other states, she said. Hanian conceded the point but said its meaningless. She said optometrists and ophthalmologists in those states still only write yearlong prescriptions even though they can now do more. In some ways the legislation is a fight about money. Unlike medical doctors, who write a prescription that patients fill elsewhere, optometrists and ophthalmologists are allowed to not only prescribe contact lenses but also sell them directly to patients. But since 2003, patients can purchase lenses online from discounters, often at lower prices. And some of those firms want to be able to sell amounts larger than needed for just a year. At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission is looking into practices by manufacturers to require contact-lens discounters to charge a certain minimum price or face cutting off their supply. Carters legislation would mean that patients would have to go in for an eye exam only half as often meaning half as many opportunities for optometrists and ophthalmologists to make a sale. This is a commerce issue and not a health issue, she said. Several lobbyists for the discount supplier 1-800-CONTACTS already have signed up in support of the measure ahead of a scheduled hearing Wednesday, Feb. 17. PHOENIX After a heated debate Wednesday, a House panel voted to refuse to use state and local resources to cooperate with efforts to place refugees here unless the federal government meets certain conditions. Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, cited the terrorist attacks in Paris, where refugees from the Middle East were involved, as proof of the danger of letting certain people into the country. His legislation says if federal agencies want the state's help they have to show the person has gone through a "thorough criminal history, terrorism and health background check.'' It also would require the federal government to fully reimburse the state for any costs. Rep. Bruce Wheeler, D-Tucson, said HB 2370 seeks to "scapegoat'' refugees for various problems. Thorpe said that's not true. "I'm certainly not trying to scapegoat anyone,'' he responded. "If I were, it would be the federal government.'' Rep. Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, agreed with Thorpe on one point: The legislation likely will do nothing to block the federal government from settling refugees here. But what it will do, she said, is add to the state's reputation and not a good one at that. "This is yet another message that we are motivated by fear, that we want to keep people out that don't look like us,'' she said, adding to the "stereotype'' that some people have of Arizona. Rep. Noel Campbell,R-Prescott, lashed out not only at refugees but more broadly at immigration. "We have been so overrun by immigrants and illegals and people coming to this country,'' he said. Campbell said it was one thing to welcome immigrants and refugees when the nation's population was much less. "We're not in the 1890s any more,'' he said, saying the nation needs a "time out.'' And he disputed Wheeler's arguments that the federal government does extensive screening of refugees. "It never happens,'' Campbell said. "And then people come into this country and cause great damage.'' Wheeler, however, accused his colleagues of selective vision. "I don't see the same attention being paid to another form of terrorism: the terrorists who kill abortion clinic employees, the terrorist Timothy McVey who killed 168 people in Oklahoma City,'' he said. "I don't see the same demand for finding those loopholes that allow these people who want to overthrow our government in the name of that misguided attempt and through terrorism kill women, children and innocent people in Oklahoma City.'' But Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, said the legislation reflects a belief that the federal government cannot be trusted to screen out those who do not belong here. The 5-2 vote of the Committee on Federalism and States' Rights came over the objections of Ron Johnson who lobbies on behalf of the state's three Catholic bishops. Johnson said the church runs one of the larger refugee resettlement programs in Arizona. By the same margin, the panel also approved HB 2691 that requires a state-conducted audit to determine the number of refugees resettled in the state in the last 36 months, the amount of money the state has spent and what reimbursements have come from the federal government. Rios said much of that already is known. The Department of State reports that in 2014 and 2015 it resettled 183 Syrians in Arizona, including 72 in Glendale, 63 in Tucson and the balance in Phoenix. Overall, 2,960 refugees from all places were resettled in Arizona last year, with the largest group was from Somalia, with 522, followed by 442 from Iraq. And Rios cited figures from legislative budget staffers who said the state's Refugee Resettlement Program is entirely funded by the federal government, having received more than $12.6 million last budget year and more than $4.4 million so far this fiscal year. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono Oodham Nation have received about $4.5 million each in noncompetitive grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The annual grant awards, announced Tuesday, are part of $132 million in Indian Housing Block Grants awarded to 19 tribes in Arizona. The allocation is based on a formula considering local need and benefits low-income families on reservations or other indigenous communities, according to HUD. Since 1996, the block-grant program has allowed tribes to build or acquire nearly 37,000 affordable homes and rehabilitate more than 77,000 housing units, according to a HUD news release. The grant comes on the heels of a $2.75 million, competitive grant awarded last week to the Tohono Oodham Ki:Ki Association. The group is the nations tribally designated housing entity created by tribal ordinance, but separate from the tribes executive branch of government which receives public housing funding for the tribe. On the Tohono Oodham reservation west of Tucson, where multiple generations often share a single-family home or trailer, overcrowding is a bigger problem than homelessness, said Pete Delgado, executive director of the Tohono Oodham Ki:Ki (Oodham for housing) Association, also known as TOKA. Instead of having the homelessness, youre going to have five people living in a 10-by-10 room, he said. Last year, HUD estimated the Tohono Oodham Nation had over 1,500 overcrowded homes, he said. A 1,200-square-foot home built for three or four people could house as many as 16 people, he said. You have multiple generations living in a home because there is no other housing on the reservation, Delgado said. We dont have apartments, we dont have condominiums. It affects the health, the safety of the individual, but it also affects the home. The homes deteriorate a lot faster if you put enough burden on them. The $2.75 million award requires a matching commitment of $850,000 from TOKA. That money will be drawn from the annual HUD funding, Delgado said. The combined $3.6 million will be used to construct 15 single-family homes, at a cost of $240,000 each. That price tag is high especially for a modestly sized home for a number of reasons: New-home construction is complicated by the reservations remoteness and its lack of existing infrastructure, like electricity and plumbing, Delgado said. Construction crews from Tucson sometimes have to drive two hours one way to reach the worksite, adding to their costs. Plus, the association is also obligated by federal guidelines to pay construction teams higher wages. The new homes will be reserved for those earning less than 80 percent of area median income, which equates to about $52,000 for a family of four, Delgado said. Residents will pay no more than 30 percent of their household income on a lease basis for the first five years, during a trial period. If the family makes all those payments, those funds and all future payments go toward paying down the mortgage. Delgado said the associations grant application was strengthened by its record of successfully implementing prior grant proposals. In 2013, HUD awarded the group another $2.75 million to overhaul 24 vacant and abandoned homes. The project was completed, and 24 families moved in, within the required two-year timeframe, he said. The association also won the $2.75 million grant it applied for in 2014, but only after the application was initially denied because of computer problems during the application process. The group appealed the denial and a few months ago was retroactively awarded the grant, which funds another 15 homes. Construction of those homes will happen concurrently with this years grant-funded construction. At about 1,800 square feet, the new homes will have between three and five bedrooms. Native American families often pass their homes on for generations, so the homes will be built with durable materials, Delgado said. Its a smaller home, he said, but its meant to last. A representative for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. OPINION: "Its time to look beyond the party affiliation and the big-name endorsements. We want Southern Arizona voters to be engaged and educated as they tick names on their ballot so they can select candidates who will advocate for the health needs of our community," writes Judy Rich, CEO and president of TMC Health. PHOENIX State lawmakers are moving to keep people from using their welfare benefits to purchase medical marijuana, at least directly. But theyve given up in their bid to keep the drug away from pregnant women. The first measure, HB 2261, is an attempt by Rep. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, to plug what she said is a loophole in laws governing the use of Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. Arizona uses them to provide cash benefits for eligible recipients. Under current law, they cannot be used at liquor stores, racing facilities, tribal casinos and strip clubs. Her measure adds medical marijuana dispensaries to the list. Not everyone thinks thats a good idea. Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson, pointed out Tuesday that welfare recipients can legally use their EBT cards to purchase prescription medications. I have a little trouble just saying you can get your prescription medications but not your medical marijuana, said Friese, who is a physician. Medical marijuana is used for a variety of things that help people chronic pain, glaucoma, anorexia, intractable nausea, he explained, all conditions for which voters decided in 2010 that doctors can recommend the drug to their patients. Brophy McGee, however, said shes not buying the comparison. At this point, marijuana is still not legal on the federal level, Brophy McGee said, pointing out that the welfare dollars are federal funds. And she questioned whether the voter-approved law is working as advertised or is really just a thinly disguised way of people getting the drug for recreational purposes. We know that the preponderance of subscribers are young men with chronic pain issues, Brophy McGee said, citing figures from the Arizona Department of Health Services, which oversees the program. And she pointed out that more marijuana is sold on New Years Eve than any other day of the year. Brophy McGee said its not like her legislation, which is awaiting a vote of the full House, will keep welfare recipients from getting the drug if they need it. She said if they use the benefits to pay for rent, utilities and other needs, If they really felt they needed medical marijuana they could free up other resources. Even if HB 2261 becomes law, one other loophole remains. The EBT cards are essentially preloaded debit cards. And that permits holders to make withdrawals at any ATM and then use the cash for whatever they want. Pregnancy bill Separately, Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, said she is scrapping her legislation that would have made it a crime for a woman who is pregnant to possess the drug. HB 2061 would have overruled any finding by her doctor that the use of marijuana is appropriate. Townsend said the measure ran into a host of legal problems, including having the state interfere with physician-patient privacy. Instead, she is proposing language that would be posted at all dispensaries and on each medical marijuana users ID card warning not only of the medical risks to the fetus but the possibility of arrest or at least getting questioned by child-welfare workers. The company that sells materials used to make Arizona license plates wants to put the state in a position where it could be forced to pay it more. Tom Dorn, lobbyist for the 3M Corp., is pushing legislation to allow the Department of Transportation to force motorists to replace their license plates every seven years. Now, motorists keep their current plates as long as they want. Dorn told members of the Senate Transportation Committee that it's a matter of safety, given that the desert heat can make plates unreadable. But it is 3M that provides the coatings that protect the plates and make them reflective. ADOT lobbyist Kevin Biesty warned lawmakers that any change in the law is likely to provoke an angry reaction from motorists. "They'll say, 'I've got this perfectly good license plate and now the government wants me to pay $5 for a new one,' '' he said. Biesty acknowledged the plates on some vehicles do become unreadable after a period of time. But he said this can be handled on a case-by-case basis with police notifying ADOT, which can send letters to vehicle owners telling them they have to get a new one. PHOENIX The latest executive action on guns taken by President Obama is not enforceable in Arizona, a Senate panel declared Tuesday. The Senate Committee on Federalism, Mandates and Fiscal Responsibility vote also bars public employees from enforcing, administering or cooperating with such presidential actions. And individuals who believe a government worker is ignoring that state prohibition would have the right to file a lawsuit. The vote on SB 1452 was unanimous, with the two Democrats on the panel absent. The measure now needs Senate approval where it might actually provoke some debate. The legislation is a direct outgrowth of what the most recent action by Obama dealing with background checks at gun shows, said Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake. Allen said that Obamas effort is contrary to federal law. President Obama needs to quit disrespecting our system of government, Allen said. Allen is targeting actions by the president last month where he said one of the goals was to expand background checks in a bid to restrict who can get weapons. But Obama did not issue an executive order, which is a specific written directive to agencies under his control. Instead, the White House termed the measure an executive action, designed to clarify existing laws. In this case, the administration pointed out that licensed gun dealers must conduct background checks on buyers. The White House said all this does is spell out that simply because a transaction occurs at a gun show does not mean it fits within existing exemptions from background checks for the person-to-person sale of firearms. The action was a bit vague, with even the White House saying that there is no specific threshold number of firearms purchased or sold that triggers the licensure requirement. Allen said Tuesday the latest action is just part of a pattern by the president of abusing executive orders. Allen said her belief does not change even if all the president says he is doing is providing guidance to federal agencies about the applicability of existing laws. President Obamas made it very clear that he can use the pen to bring about (changes) if Congress does not act as quickly as he wants them to, she said. Allen compared it to the presidents efforts to expand deferred action programs to prevent the deportation of some individuals not here legally, an action a federal judge blocked. Allen said that, in the case of her bill, it wouldnt take a court action to block presidential actions in Arizona. She said that would be left to the Legislature, expressing the will of the people. We have more than once turned down background checks at gun shows, Allen said. And she contends that the president cannot decide that people who sell more than a set number of weapons at gun shows are, by definition, dealers. Tweakers maakt gebruik van cookies Tweakers plaatst functionele en analytische cookies voor het functioneren van de website en het verbeteren van de website-ervaring. Deze cookies zijn noodzakelijk. Om op Tweakers relevantere advertenties te tonen en om ingesloten content van derden te tonen (bijvoorbeeld video's), vragen we je toestemming. Via ingesloten content kunnen derde partijen diensten leveren en verbeteren, bezoekersstatistieken bijhouden, gepersonaliseerde content tonen, gerichte advertenties tonen en gebruikersprofielen opbouwen. Hiervoor worden apparaatgegevens, IP-adres, geolocatie en surfgedrag vastgelegd. Meer informatie vind je in ons cookiebeleid. Help India! By Kashif-ul-Huda Indian Civil Services Exam is one of the most difficult exams to crack. It requires years of committed preparation. Candidates who are successful in the written exam are then called for interviews; the intriguing questions asked can even make the best prepared minds scratch their heads. Support TwoCircles The Muslim share has been 3-4% for last few years, much below their population share of 13%. Every Muslim success is celebrated and the successful candidate considered role models for young students. A Muslim family in Kerala has given Indian Muslims an opportunity to celebrate three times. Its very rare that a family will see three of their children qualify for civil services exams. Father S. Abu and mother P. K. Sulekha are proud parent today, their youngest daughter Shainamol A was ranked 16th in the recently released civil services exam results. Shainamol A, post graduate in Economics, followed her sister Shaila and brother Akbar A in the path to civil services. Shaila, also a post graduate in Economics, is a 2002 batch of Indian Civil Services and is now posted in Maharashtra. Akbar A, a law graduated, found his name in the list of 2004 and joined Indian Police Service (IPS) and is now posted in Kerala. Shainamol while talking to TwoCircles.net called it a grace of God and attributed the success to her hard work. Having her siblings in civil services motivated her to try for civil services exam. A graduate of Union Christian College in Aluva in Kerala, Shainamol wants to join civil services so that she can help the community that she will be serving. After retirement she wants to look back to her years of service with satisfaction. Father Abu is all praise for his three children, crediting their determination, hard work and constant prayers. He thanked Allah for letting his children reap the benefit of their hard work. Talking about the Muslim community of India he said that slowly this realization is setting in that advancement in social and economic fields can come through education. Mr. Abu, advising parents, said that children should be given ample opportunity for studies, a congenial atmosphere at home, time and basic amenities. The future belongs to young people and therefore TwoCircles.net asked Shainamol to suggest steps that the Indian Muslim community can take to get rid of its backwardness. She suggested that attitude of the community needs to change. More emphasis should be given on education and employment generation programmes. Help India! By Shamshad Ali New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir needs a coalition of regional parties to keep out the BJP, the CPI-Ms lone legislator in the state says, however adding that he doesnt expect this to happen anytime soon. Support TwoCircles Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami said his party always knew that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition was an alliance of opportunists. Their so-called Agenda of Alliance or common minimum programme was merely a faAade to gain power, Tarigami told IANS over the telephone amid continuing political impasse in the state. Now, after (Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed) Sayeeds demise, they are finding it difficult to re-enforce the alliance as the PDP-BJP combine has no common ground to rule, their agenda is ambiguous, said the long-time legislator from Kulgam in south Kashmir. Ever since her father Mufti Sayeed died in early January, Jammu and Kashmir has been under Governors Rule because PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has refused to form a government with the BJP. Speculation has it that the PDP and the BJP marriage has run into rough weather although no one says it in so many words. Opposition parties in the state, however, feel the two are indulging in a political drama. The National Conference, the PDPs main foe in the Kashmir Valley, wants fresh elections. Tarigama disagrees. There is no need for fresh elections and waste taxpayers money. The state leaders should set aside their minor differences and come together to form a strong government, he said. They should look at the larger picture of the defeating divisive BJP-RSS policy in Kashmir. The PDP and the BJP are the largest and second largest parties in splintered Jammu and Kashmir assembly. The National Conference and the Congress are in the third and fourth spots. If you look at it, they claimed to have come together to bridge the gap between the three regions of the state. They clearly failed to do that. Or else there wouldnt be a problem today to re-enforce the alliance. Would the CPI-M, with just one member in the 87-seat assembly, support an alliance minus the BJP? Yes, but as of now no such thing seems likely to happen, he said. However, if the PDP decides to sever ties with BJP, regional parties can and definitely should come together for the greater good and form a secular and strong government in the state. He said the Communist Party of India-Marxist would any day support a government that respects peoples mandate and does not hurt the sentiments of any community. Tarigami said Governors Rule was no answer to Jammu and Kashmirs problems. Governors Rule means Centres rule, in other words BJPs rule. The state has witnessed an unprecedented rise in incidents of communally driven violence (with the BJP pulling the strings). Jammu and Kashmir has no future with the BJP (in power). Babus cannot address the immediate concerns of the people. They (people) feel disconnected from the state machinery now, the veteran politician added. Tarigami argued that he was sure the PDP and the BJP would finally shake hands to again rule the countrys only Muslim-majority state. It wont be surprising for me that the PDP-BJP will form a government. These two parties have always played with peoples sentiments. Their only aim is to gain power at any cost. Im certain they will work out their so-called differences in the coming days to form a new government. Help India! By Shafeeq Hudawi Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when communal prejudices seem to be returning with a vengeance, Kerala has shown a heartening case of communal harmony. Christians of the state opened doors of their Bishops house for their Muslim brothers for the valedictory session of the 90th anniversary of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, held at Alappuzha beach on Sunday. Support TwoCircles The functionaries of Alappuzha Bishop House, head quarters of Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey, opened their halls for Muslims in order to help the perform their Maghrib and Isha prayers. Besides, their Muslims brothers were allowed to use the toilets and other facilities of the Bishop house. People in huge crowd began to throng to the beach from Sunday afternoon. They were helpless to find a place to perform their prayers. We opened our doors for our brothers as it occurred several times in our history, Father Febi, secretary of Bishop House told Twocircles.net. The functionaries were happy to see their Muslim brothers walking to the headquarters in queue. The discipline they kept till to the final moment, according to Febi, drew the respect of the local people. The entire crowd, reportedly, numbered around 5 lakh, they acted well. Even after we opened our doors, everyone was separately seeking our permission to enter inside and take ablution from our water tank, Father Febi added. The incident was brought to limelight through a Facebook post by Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), the students outfit of Samastha. The state general secretary Sathar Panthalloor, in his post, expressed gratitude to the Christian brothers. No communication was held between the organisers and the functionaries of Bishop House. They timely responded to the needs of their Muslim brothers, Sathar told Twocircles. Febi went on to say that they could have given more arrangements if such communication was held. However, the activists of Samastha decided to express their gratitude to the samaritans by giving a memento in order to keep this tradition intact. Our state leaders were much happy and told us to give our Christian brothers what they deserve for their favour, SKSSF local leader Hashim Neerkunnam. On Tuesday evening, a small felicitation function was held at the Bishop House, in which local leaders of Samastha handed over a memento to Alappuzha Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil in the presence of Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal. Venugopal handed over the memento to Bishop. Samastha leaders. C Mohammed Al Qasimi and Usman Saqafi along with P A Shihabudheen Musliyar, Faisal Shamsudheen and Noushad Panthrandil attended the function. Help India! By TCN News, New Delhi: Expressing strong support to defend Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in regaining its minority status, noted jurist and former Union minister Ram Jethmalani has criticized Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for its refusal to recognize AMU as minority institution before Supreme Court and said raising voice in AMU favor is a National issue. Support TwoCircles He was speaking at a press conference organized by the Aligarh Movement Foundation (AMF) here at his residence on Tuesday where he lashed out at BJP government and said it has gone mentally bankrupt by ignoring that Governor General of India had congratulated the Indian Muslims when Mohammaden Anglo Oriental (MAO) was elevated as Aligarh Muslim University . The said press conference was jointly addressed by Ram Jethmalani , Justice Sachar, Omar Peerzada, a convener of AMF, Prof. Anwar Khursheed, an AMU Teacher , Dr. Mohibul Haque and Supreme Court Advocate Zubair Khan. Justice Sachar, the Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and Ram Jethmalani heavily condemned Mukul Rohatgi, the Attorney General (AG) of India for his interpretation of Courts finding about AMU Minority restoration case and said he misguided HRD ministry resulting in U-turn of present government on its stand about Minority character of AMU. Jethmalani said that his commitment to the cause is no more a secret and he has been associated with Aligarh Movement Foundation since 2006. To raise voice in favor of AMU minority character has become a National issue, he added. Justice Sachar said that it is an absurd decision of government to roll back its stance and to say AMU is not a minority University. My committee report has suggested more universities be set up for minorities to eradicate educational backwardness of the Muslims in particular, BJP should realize that they are no more in opposition, and they should collectively give practical shape of Sab ka Saath Sab ka Vikas , he further said. The incorporation of MAO into university was only a legal procedural requirement, Omar Peerzada said adding, Moreover, the Muslim University Association had to collect Rs. Thirty Lakh (30 Lakh) before the College was given status of university. Had Muslims any inkling that even after submitting Rs. 30 Lakh to government for incorporation of MAO into AMU, it could be treated just like another university they would have never surrendered the MAO College which even the court accepts as a minority institution. Further he appealed all the right thinking people of the country to consider it as a National Issue and come forward to support the request to the government of India to adopt a positive and proactive attitude on the issue of minority character to the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Fans of the superhero Spider-Man are likely to flock to an auction in Dallas this week, attracted by the thought of owning their own copy of a piece of comic book history. The 1962 issue of the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy No. 15 featured the debut of the Peter Parker alter-ego character. Heritage Auctions are preparing themselves for bids as high as $400,000 (276,000) for the privilege of purchasing the highly desirable publication. Mint condition increases value Although the comic is not as rare as some might imagine it would be to generate such interest in the specialist industry, it is the rarity of its almost mint condition that seems to be making collectors sit up and notice. A previous copy of the same issue in prime condition fetched the staggering sum of $1.1 million in the United States. The managing director of the auction houses comic department, Lon Allen told the press that there may still be as many as 5,000 copies of the much-coveted issue in circulation. However, the current owner, Walter Yacoboski from New York, seems to have maintained his copy in a highly-valued pristine state. Calculated gamble by owner As investments go, Yacoboski took a calculated gamble back in 1980 when he paid out the not insignificant figure of $1,200 for a publication that would have originally cost just 12 cents back in the early 1960s. Utilising his savings from working as a short-order cook at the time, it was to mark the beginning of his limited foray into the rare superhero comic book market. Additional rarities for sale Besides the Amazing Fantasy comic book, the 60-year-old invested in similar additional rarities. He also intends to sell a Spider-Man from 1963, a Justice League of America and a couple of early editions of Fantastic Four which could net him a further $75,000. Purchasing farm with proceeds Not that the former baker intends to merely add to his savings with the proceeds from the sales. His intention is to utilise the extra finances to fund the purchase of his late fathers 17-acre vegetable farm on eastern Long Island. Origins in Silver Age The popularity of Spider-Man since its early origins in Marvel Comics remains high in the modern-day world. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko during the so-called Silver Age of Comic Books (from 1956 to 1970), it ticked all of the boxes during a period of commercial success and interest in illustrated stories in the superhero genre. Based on the concept of Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider, which enabled him to develop amazing powers as a consequence, Spider-Mans adventures have subsequently been immortalised through a number of feature films. 888 Holdings Seeking Regulatory Approval to Name Itai Frieberger as the New CEO February 17 2016 Jason Glatzer 888 Holdings, the owner of the second largest real-money online poker room in the world in 888poker, is currently seeking regulatory approval to appoint Itai Frieberger as the company's chief executive officer (CEO). Freiberger, 44, assumed the roll as the group's chief operating officer (COO) in April 2011 and was appointed to the board as an executive director in May 2015. It is believed that approval to become the group's latest CEO could take several months. Brian Roger Mattingley officially served as the CEO of 888 Holdings from March 2012 until May 2015. Mattingley is still believed to be involved in day-to-day operations, but has since migrated to the role of executive chairman following the retirement of Richard Kilsby. According to Poker Industry Pro, the appointment of a new CEO has been in the works for 18 months. It is believed that if Frieberger is approved by regulatory bodies, that Mattingley will be able to step away from his daily operational duties. When the process began in 2014, Mattingley announced that he will "continue to work alongside the rest of the executive team in driving the business forward." Chairman of the company's Nominations Committee, Amos Pickel, also informed interested parties that Mattingley will be important to the company's stability and growth. "We are very excited at this move, which will allow the company to continue to take advantage of Brian's wealth of experience, wisdom, and knowledge of the company, particularly in maintaining and developing relationships with existing and future regulators," Pickel said. In addition to 888poker operating the world's second largest real-money online poker site, according to PokerScout's Online Poker Traffic Report, it also operates the largest regulated online poker network in coordination with WSOP.com NJ in both New Jersey and the United States. Furthermore, 888poker provides the software behind WSOP.com NV, which is the largest regulated online poker room in Nevada and the second biggest in the US. Also, sharing liquidity Nevada network are poker players utilizing one of the three regulated Delaware online poker rooms that operate on 888poker's software. Outside of poker, 888 Holding operates an online casino, sportsbook, and bingo via its 888casino, 888sport, and 888bingo brands. Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+! Sharelines 888 Holdings is currently seeking regulatory approval to appoint Itai Frieberger as the company's CEO. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is used to aid the selection of men undergoing biopsies. Its use remains controversial. We propose a GC-sensor algorithm system for classifying urine samples from patients with urological symptoms. This pilot study includes 155 men presenting to urology clinics, 58 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, 24 with bladder cancer and 73 with haematuria and or poor stream, without cancer. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to assess the discrimination achieved, while linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) were used as statistical models for sample classification. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV), repeated 10-fold cross-validation (10FoldCV), repeated double cross-validation (DoubleCV) and Monte Carlo permutations were applied to assess performance. Significant separation was found between prostate cancer and control samples, bladder cancer and controls and between bladder and prostate cancer samples. For prostate cancer diagnosis, the GC/SVM system classified samples with 95% sensitivity and 96% specificity after LOOCV. For bladder cancer diagnosis, the SVM reported 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity after LOOCV, while the DoubleCV reported 87% sensitivity and 99% specificity, with SVM showing 78% and 98% sensitivity between prostate and bladder cancer samples. Evaluation of the results of the Monte Carlo permutation of class labels obtained chance-like accuracy values around 50% suggesting the observed results for bladder cancer and prostate cancer detection are not due to over fitting. The results of the pilot study presented here indicate that the GC system is able to successfully identify patterns that allow classification of urine samples from patients with urological cancers. An accurate diagnosis based on urine samples would reduce the number of negative prostate biopsies performed, and the frequency of surveillance cystoscopy for bladder cancer patients. Larger cohort studies are planned to investigate the potential of this system. Future work may lead to non-invasive breath analyses for diagnosing urological conditions. Journal of breath research. 2016 Feb 11*** epublish *** Raphael B M Aggio, Ben de Lacy Costello, Paul White, Tanzeela Khalid, Norman M Ratcliffe, Raj Persad, Chris S J Probert Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. PubMed OBJECTIVE - To investigate the relationship effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and fracture in men in the UK. PATIENTS AND METHODS - Using the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) database for years 2004 to 2008 that contains all the information about NHS and NHS-funded hospital admissions in England - 8,902 patients were found to have had prostate cancer and an admission to hospital with a fracture in 2004 to 2008. Of these 3,372 (37. 8%) were flagged as being treated with ADT, whilst there were 5,530 (62. 2%) admissions in the non ADT group (table 1). There were a total number of 228,852 admissions in the background population. RESULTS - The risk of a fracture requiring hospitalisation increases from 1. 12 to 1. 41 per 100 person years when a man is treated with ADT with prostate cancer than without - an absolute increase of only 0. 29 per 100 person years. When compared to the background population, there is an increase from 0. 58 per 100 person years in the background population to 1. 41 - a relative rate ratio increase of 2. 4 (p<0. 01) with an absolute increase of 0. 83 per 100 person years. CONCLUSIONS - In the UK there is a small but statistically increased risk of fracture in men who have been treated with ADT. Men with prostate cancer with or without ADT are at an increased risk of fracture compared with the background population. We therefore suggest that if bone health is to be taken seriously in men with prostate cancer that all these men should be risk assessed (FRAX or qfracture as NICE advised) rather than singling out men with ADT as all men with prostate cancer have an increased risk of fracture, with men on ADT slightly higher than without. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. BJU international. 2016 Feb 06 [Epub ahead of print] E R Jefferies, A Bahl, L Hounsome, M F Eylert, J Verne, R A Persad, PHONIC collaborative Department of Urology, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK. , Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre, Bristol, UK. , Public Health England Knowledge & Intelligence (South West). , University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK. , Public Health England Knowledge & Intelligence (South West). , Department of Urology, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK. PubMed TPP has slight negative impact on China: US think tank Updated: 2016-02-17 11:17 (Xinhua) BEIJING - The US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was signed by 12 countries accounting for 40 percent of the global GDP, will only have a slight negative impact on China, according to an authoritative US think tank. There is no denying that the multi-national free trade deal can bring hundreds of billions of US dollars in revenues to the signatories every year, said Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), an American nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute. But the TPP's negative impact on China is insignificant, which is negligible before 2025 and can cause China to lose between $9 billion and $20 billion a year by 2030, which accounts for less than 0.1 percent of its GDP at the time, the PIIE said. This may come as a surprise to those who see "the world's largest" free trade deal as a campaign to "encircle and suppress China" by excluding China, the world's largest trader. The PIIE also believes the TPP's impact on the real income of non-member countries in general is not going to be great and not all the impact is negative. China, India, South Korea and Thailand are among countries that will suffer from its negative impact as the pact diverts some trade from its non-members to members. South Korea will be hard hit as the deal will severely erode the advantages the country enjoys under its former free trade agreement with the United States. Meanwhile, some non-members, like the European Union and Hong Kong, will see their real income levels rise due to the TPP, which allows certain trade liberalization with its non-members. While the TPP is going to benefit its members in varying degrees, Vietnam will benefit most from it by 2030, with its real income expected to increase by $41 billion, or 8.1 percent of its GDP, according to the PIIE's calculation of the TPP's real income effects. By 2030, the TPP will add 131 billion dollars a year to the United States' real income, the largest net increase, but the figure will account for only 0.5 percent of the country's GDP. Japan's economy will also be significant boosted by the TPP, which is expected to increase the country's income by 125 billion dollars a year, or 2.5 percent of its GDP. This is remarkable for a country whose growth rate has been long hovering around 0 percent. China urges US to block bill to honor convicted criminal Updated: 2016-02-16 20:35 (Xinhua) BEIJING -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman urged the US Congress to block a bill approval by the Senate to rename a street in Washington D.C. after Liu Xiaobo, a convicted Chinese criminal. Spokesman Hong Lei told a routine press briefing on Tuesday that if the bill become a law, it will have "serious consequences." He did not elaborate. China is firmly opposed to the bill because it violated basic norms of international relations, according to Hong. "We urge the US Congress to stop considering the bill," Hong said, adding the Chinese side also hopes the United States Administration will end the "political farce." The bill wants to rename the street after Liu, a Chinese man sentenced to 11 years in prison on Dec. 25, 2009, after a Beijing court convicted him of violating Chinese law and engaging in activities aimed at overthrowing the government. Failing eco-protection bureaus in the firing line Updated: 2016-02-17 08:21 By Cao Yin(China Daily) China's revised law on pollution control allows a wider range of litigants to bring cases against government departments that neglect their duties. Cao Yin reports. Legal experts are predicting a rise in the number of public-interest lawsuits brought by local procuratorates against environmental departments that fail to address pollution control or enforce laws designed to prevent environmental damage. Under China's revised Environmental Protection Law, which came into effect on Jan 1 last year, local authorities, NGOs and related organizations were for the first time given the right to bring public-interest cases against provincial and lower-level environmental departments accused of incompetence. Before the new law, only individuals or residents' groups were allowed to bring cases of this type. Last month, Wang Ruiping, a chief judge at Fuquan court in Guizhou province, handed down a ruling in the first case of its kind in Chinese legal history. The local procuratorate sued the environmental bureau in Jinping county, accusing it of ignoring water pollution caused by illegal discharges from local factories and also failing to enforce the relevant laws. Wang ordered the bureau to rectify its failings and ensure that the laws are enforced. "It was not a complicated case because the facts were clear and there was compelling evidence. However, the importance of the case cannot be ignored because it was the first time that a prosecuting authority had acted as a litigant and lodged an administrative public-interest lawsuit under a pilot program," Wang said, referring to a trial project designed to give a wider range of litigants the opportunity to bring lawsuits against government departments. Since the revised law, Chinese toughest-ever measure against pollution and environmental damage, took effect, NGOs have been given the right to bring civil public-interest cases, which has resulted in a rapid rise in the number of cases being heard by the courts. A growing trend Last year alone, courts nationwide heard 48 environmental public-interest lawsuits, but from 2007 to 2014 the number was just 65, according to statistics provided by the Supreme People's Court. Three of the 48 cases were classified as "administrative" lawsuits, meaning local prosecutors sued environmental departments, which faced fines and court orders if found guilty. Wang Xuguang, deputy chief judge of the top court's environmental and ecological tribunal, said it's likely that many more administrative lawsuits will be brought. In July, the Standing Committee of the National People Congress, the top legislative body, allowed prosecutors in 13 provinces and municipalities, including Guizhou, to initiate a two-year pilot program to encourage the growth of administrative public-interest cases, he said. That means prosecutors can play a bigger role in supervising environmental departments by bringing public-interest lawsuits, he added. "Prosecution is a highly effective way of forcing environmental bureaus to perform their duties correctly. To them, it is a bigger threat than cases brought by NGOs," he said. Luo Chaoguo, chief judge of the environmental and ecological tribunal at the Guizhou Provincial High People's Court, said the new legislation is proving effective and confirmed that the province has just accepted a second administrative environmental public-interest case. "This new case has been brought by a prosecuting authority, which is accusing a township government of ignoring pollution caused by a local waste-disposal plant," Luo said. The new legislation is piling greater pressure on environmental departments, and the pilot program has won the backing of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which said it has ordered environmental bureaus at all levels to cooperate with procuratorates and to ensure adherence to the law. "Every environmental bureau must deal with pollution rigorously and enforce the law. They must also identify loopholes in their supervisory duties and learn the lessons provided by the case details when they are published," according to a statement released by the ministry. "As law enforcement departments, we must regulate our supervisory procedures ourselves and improve the transparency of our working models," it added. Law enforcement However, the ministry has conceded that a number of environmental departments have experienced difficulties in enforcing the law, partly because law enforcement offices are understaffed, but also as a result of violent resistance by some polluters. On Sept 9, seven people, including members of an air protection supervisory team, were attacked by a group of men as they prepared to inspect a factory in Jinan city, Shandong province, that was suspected of emitting pollutants. Five people were injured in the 10-minute attack, according a statement by the ministry. Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, said the perpetrators would be identified and punished, and that greater protection would be provided for law enforcement teams. Huang Desheng, a researcher at the ministry's Policy Research Center for the Environment and Economy, told the ministry's in-house newspaper that cleanup and protection efforts have been hampered by a lack of funding and low staff numbers in some areas. In a small number of rural areas, those problems have been exacerbated by the failure of the local authorities to coordinate their efforts with other government departments and by uncertainty about their legal obligations. "The result was that some environmental bureaus failed to solve pollution problems, and their lack of understanding of their duties also affected the efficiency of law enforcement," Huang said. Not every failing environmental department will be prosecuted, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, which said some offenders would be issued with judicial warnings before action is taken. Judicial advice In January, the top procuratorate published details of three typical environmental public-interest lawsuits brought by local authorities, including the one in Guizhou, and outlined the legal advice given to environmental departments. According to a report on Infzm, the website of Southern Weekly in Guangdong province, prosecuting authorities will send legal advice to environmental departments before a prosecution is brought, with the aim of conserving judicial resources and to give failing departments a shot across the bows. By January, warnings and advice had been issued to seven environmental bureaus judged to be reluctant in dealing with pollution, forcing them to act against polluting businesses. The bureaus were also required to submit written explanations of their actions within a month of receiving the warning, the report said. According to the procuratorate, the bottom line is that environmental departments that fail to rectify their oversights in line with the advice will be publicly criticized and sued. Luo, the judge, said lawsuits brought by NGOs can also play a role in forcing environmental departments to pay greater attention to law enforcement. "The more diversified the range of litigants becomes, the bigger the effect on environmental bureaus will be. That will ensure they play their full role in environmental protection," he said. Late last year, two NGOs, including Friends of Nature, an environmental group in Beijing, won a public-interest case they brought to force factories in Nanping, Fujian province, to pay 1.27 million yuan ($198,730) toward the restoration of forests damaged by illegal discharges of pollutants. Luo said the wider range of litigants will help to effectively protect the environment and make environmental restoration a priority, but he stressed that the use of public-interest cases is still being explored, especially administrative cases brought by local prosecutors. "How big a role public-interest lawsuits will play and whether the pilot will prove to be an effective measure remains to be seen," he said. Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn Three recent public-interest cases 1. On Dec 18, authorities in Jinping county, Guizhou province, brought an administrative public-interest lawsuit to force the local environmental protection bureau to deal with pollution caused by illegal discharges from seven stone-processing plants. The county court ordered the bureau to enforce the law, supervise the plants and clear up the pollution as quickly as possible. 2. On Dec 16, prosecutors in Qingyun county, Shandong province, filed a case against the local environmental department, alleging that it had ignored illegal discharges from business premises, which polluted local water resources. Although the department has been issued with notices warning of potential prosecution, the problem has remained unsolved. The case has been accepted by the county court and will be heard at a later date. 3. On Dec 21, prosecutors in Qingliu county, Fujian province, brought a case against the local environmental department, claiming that it had failed to impose fines on businesses that burned garbage in contravention of the environmental laws. The case will be heard by a court in Mingxi county. (China Daily 02/17/2016 page6) Paid menstrual leave provokes controversy in China Updated: 2016-02-17 10:54 (china.org.cn) Female workers in Central China's Anhui province will enjoy paid menstrual leave, following the example of their peers in neighboring Hubei province and South China's Hainan province. However, the practice has provoked widespread controversy, the Beijing News reported. According to the Anhui provincial government, from March, female workers may take a paid menstrual leave for one or two days on production of a certificate from a legal medical institute or hospital. However, the three sides concerned -- workers, employers and medical institutes -- all feel this is a difficult issue to handle properly. Last year, an investigation was carried out in South China's Guangdong province when local authorities were considering menstrual leave. However, more than 20 percent of the investigated females were unwilling to take leave for various reasons, such as exposing their private affairs and causing delays in work. Similar worries were felt by a female bank employee in Anhui, who said: "I will consider my work schedule first. There are penalties for those who fail to complete work tasks. I'm afraid my boss will be unhappy." Employers also revealed a sense of pressure if they are required to grant paid menstrual leaves. A hotel manager in Beijing said that besides female workers' health, an employer also has to consider operational costs. Paid leave will add to the cost of a company, which will make employers hesitant to hire female workers in the future. Besides, it's difficult to judge if the employee is really sick or just cashing in on being a woman. Li Yinhe, a renowned Chinese sociologist, suggested the authorities pay attention to the side effects of the policy if it causes tension between employers and employees. As for doctors, there are also problems, because it's difficult to evaluate the degree of menstrual pain an individual woman might suffer. Tan Xianjie, a gynecologist of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said that, due to a lack of clear standards, the diagnosis of menstrual cramps is usually based on patient description, and only a handful of people would probably visit hospitals just to obtain a certificate for menstrual leave. Making paid menstrual leave mandatory was first proposed by Zhang Xiaomei, a national political advisor and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, during the political advisory body's national meeting in 2011. More than 85 percent of females were adversely affected by menstruation, and 78.5 percent of them didn't receive proper care during their periods, she argued. Hainan and Hubei provincial governments issued regulations in 1993 and 2009 respectively, suggesting employers grant paid menstrual leave. However, according to a local newspaper, the policy was not effectively implemented in Hainan as it was not mandatory. Will Obama be inspired by his once-'closest neighbor'? Updated: 2016-02-01 11:36 By Chen Weihua(China Daily USA) The woman once described as President Barack Obama's "closest neighbor" fought against nuclear proliferation for 35 years before her recent passing, but the leader in the White House still has some unfinished business on the issue. Concepcion Picciotto, who protested against nuclear weapons in a camp across the street from the White House since 1981, died on Jan 25 in the N Street Village, a homeless shelter for women. The New York Times described the 80-year-old woman as Obama's closest neighbor. The two shared the same cause against nuclear proliferation: Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize largely for his call for a nuclear-free world. So far, Obama has not commented on Picciotto's passing. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Jan 27 that he didn't know if Obama was aware of her death. Earnest praised Picciotto for her commitment to peace. While the camp has been a constant presence across from the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there has been no report that any US president had ever spoken to Picciotto, who started her vigil in Ronald Reagan's first year as president. The reason could have been Picciotto's opposition to Israel's policies toward Palestine. Such a protest was politically risky for most US politicians in a nation where Israel is regarded as a close ally. Picciotto was a familiar figure to Chinese who saw her over the decades. Videos on YouTube show Chinese tourists making donations to her cause and praising her as an exemplar of American democracy. No one knows if Obama will acknowledge the non-proliferation cause that he and Picciotto advocated when world leaders gather at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington at the end of March. Obama's progress in building a nuclear-free world has been disappointing compared with the high expectations people had when he took office in 2009. Indeed, Obama should take some credit for concluding a nuclear deal with Iran, achieved in conjunction with other world powers including China, but he has not made any progress on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It came as a surprise to many Chinese that right after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan 6, US Secretary of State John Kerry quickly shifted the blame to China, saying China's approach had not worked and "we cannot continue business as usual". Kerry pressured China to take stronger actions during his trip to Beijing last week, reportedly including cutting oil supply to North Korea, something China immediately rejected. China condemned North Korea's nuclear test in the strongest terms, but many Chinese see the US as hardly doing anything conducive to resolving the issue. The US has not addressed DPRK's security concerns, such as the US' habitual pursuit of regime change, should it abandon its nuclear program. The US and its NATO allies toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, only years after his country gave up its nuclear ambitions. That has not sent the right message to DPRK's leaders. The US has offered no good alternative this time, except calling for stronger sanctions. On Jan 27, Mark Toner, the deputy State Department spokesman, described sanctions as effective and potent tools. But if sanctions were a silver bullet, the DPRK would not have conducted its fourth nuclear test, because it already is the most sanctioned nation on the planet. Over the decades, plenty of studies have proved that most sanctions have not worked. A year ago, Obama admitted the comprehensive US blockade on Cuba that had been in place for half a century had failed. Just as the huge suffering the US embargo inflicted on 11 million Cubans, sanctions targeting the lifelines of the DPRK will hurt 25 million people in the already poor nation, causing a possible humanitarian disaster that could destabilize the region. The US has long believed that sanctions can bring a nation to its knees, but what has happened in the case of both Cuba and DPRK show the opposite is often true. Obama should be praised for improving ties with Cuba and Iran in the past year. However, the US has so far refused to hold bilateral talks with the DPRK, a country with which it has no diplomatic relations. The US has been unwilling to resume Six-Party Talks without conditions attached, and its frequent military drills on the Korean Peninsula are hardly helpful to the situation. As Obama calls for a nuclear-free world, the US itself plans to spend more than $1 trillion over the next 30 years to significantly upgrade its nuclear weapons capabilities. It is not certain if Obama will be able to truly draw any inspiration in his last year in office from his formerly closest neighbor. Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com (China Daily USA 02/01/2016 page2) Writing in The Diplomat, an e-mag covering politics and culture in the Asia-Pacific region, Robert Farley says it is high time for a Hollywood movie depicting and celebrating Sino-US cooperation during World War II. Scholars have been scratching their heads over why China's contribution to the Allied Forces' efforts in the Pacific Theatre have "fallen out of the mainstream American historical conversation," Farely writes. After all, the Chinese People's War against Japanese Aggression, which began in earnest at the Marco Polo Bridge in 1937 but history traces back to the September 18th Incident of 1931 (also known as the Mukden Incident, which marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of northeast China), set the stage for one of the most destructive and brutal chapters in the war. But why so little cinematic attention to such a rich topic? Farley believes the answer could be because of Americans' self-centeredness. "Americans do not make movies about WWII that do not prominently feature Americans," he writes. He then lists a few high-profile examples - Stephen Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (1998), Enemy at the Gates (2001), about the Battle of Stalingrad, and Defiance (2008), about Jewish partisans in Belarus. "Eastern front" action films all. But what about the Western front in Asia? There was Spielberg's earlier film Empire of the Sun (1987), a coming-of-age drama about a privileged British schoolboy in Shanghai getting swept up in the Japanese invasion and spending the war in a Japanese internment camp. Yet why no major feature film exploring the bigger-than-life Americans in Asia back then - like General Joseph Stillwell and his complex relationship with Chiang Kai-shek or the swashbuckling General Claire Chennault, founder and leader of the American Volunteer "Flying Tigers". One of the reasons for the apparent disinterest, Farley suggests, could be "the dramatic political about face in East Asia in 1949". As if on cue, along comes the ideal story to use for a movie on the subject, (one that has previously been mentioned in these pages). Two Sons of China is a dramatic, action-packed novel based on the little-known Dixie Mission of 1944, when a group of US soldiers, mostly sons of missionaries who had grown up in China and were fluent in Mandarin, were dispatched to seek out Mao Zedong's secret stronghold in the northern area of Yan'an and investigate reports that Mao's guerilla troops were effectively battling the Japanese. In the real-life mission, a small group of American GIs were paired with Chinese Communist counterparts for a difficult mission behind enemy lines. "The Dixie Mission was America's first and best chance to understand the Chinese Communists who would later form the People's Republic of China," author Andrew Lam, told China Daily in an e-mail from Mexico. "It's a true story that depicts significant Sino-American cooperation during the Second World War at a time when defeat of the Japanese was the top priority for both countries. This type of story is a hidden gem of WWII - from a 'forgotten' theater of that conflict", Lam said. Best-selling author Anita Shreve called Two Sons of China "compelling in its story, gritty in its historical detail an eye-opening novel about a little known story at the far side of World War II". Lam believes that the story needs to be told - mainly that during WWII China was a critical ally of the US for numerous reasons, not least of which was that they kept about a million Japanese troops busily occupied in their country, troops that otherwise would have been free to fight elsewhere in the Pacific. Lam's Two Sons of China has all of the makings of a Hollywood hit - action, romance, history. Furthermore, as Farley points out, US studios have greater access to Chinese acting talent - and authentic locations - than ever before. There are also the access and distribution incentives. And it's not like movie makers haven't already nibbled. "There was a producer who made us a great offer last year," Lam said. "The process was moving along but then when it came time to actually sign the deal, they pulled back. I think their investor in China got cold feet." Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com. The Empire State Building illuminated in the colors of the Chinese flag for Lunar New Year. [Photo/XINHUA] When it comes to the Chinese New Year, relations between China and the US couldnt be better. Each year, Lunar New Year moves further into the American mainstreams consciousness. White House ceremony? Check (the second one took place on Tuesday). Empire State Building illuminated in red and yellow? Check (since 2000, actually). And this year, the Lunar New Year took Capitol Hill. The First Annual Congressional Lunar New Year Celebration and Reception was sponsored by Asian-American and Pacific Islander organizations along with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus at the US Capitol Building in Washington on Feb 10. I think it is important to recognize that we have it celebrated in one of these Congress buildings, because it is a powerful statement that the US respects and honors the Lunar New Year, said Ted Lieu, a US congressman from California. Also, for the first time in New York City, public school children had the day off for Lunar New Year on Feb 8. New York state Senator Daniel Squadron said that one in six pupils in his district, which includes Manhattans Chinatown, is of Asian descent. In previous years, the absentee rate for students on the Lunar New Year reached 80 percent. A new US Postal Service stamp commemorating the Year of the Monkey debuted on Feb 5. The stamp was designed by Kam Mak, 54, an illustrator born in Hong Kong who grew up in New York. It features two red-orange peonies symbols of wealth and honor in Chinese culture, according to Xinhua, and are used to decorate the traditional drums played during lion dances. The stamp also features a paper-cut design of a monkey by late artist Clarence Lee, and a Chinese character for monkey in calligraphy, by Lau Bun. As the most important holiday of the year for many Asian communities around the world, Lunar New Year is celebrated with distinct traditions including giving flowers, potted plants and bouquets as gifts, the USPS website says. The red peony featured on this years stamp symbolizes richness and honor, making it a favorite Lunar New Year gift and decoration. Individuals born during the Year of the Monkey are said to be clever, wise, and honest. With their keen intellect and sociability, they can easily adapt to new situations. The USPS issued the stamp at a ceremony on the campus of St. Johns University in Queens, New York. Lunar New Year has its share of commercial pitches, too. In recent weeks, Tsingtao, Chinas most recognizable beer brand (at least in the US), ran a brilliantly lit display on one of Times Squares towering video marquees. An explosion of colors greeted those walking down West 43rd Street toward the square. Macys stores in New York and California marked the event with special promotions. Disneyland and Universal Studios in California also celebrated the Spring Festival. In San Francisco, the city with the largest per capita Chinese-American population, city police officers have had a lion dance troupe for 28 years. The citys Chinese New Year Festival & Parade, billed as the largest in the world, goes back to the 1860s. The 2016 parade, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, will take place on Feb 20. To me, the Chinese New Year is almost like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras all rolled into one, Parade Director Harlan Wong told CCTV America. We pass out lucky money, red envelopes to anybody who is unmarried. And then, like Thanksgiving, we have huge family gatherings. And like Mardi Gras, we celebrate with the biggest Chinese New Year parade in the US. Perhaps someday the growing camaraderie between China and the US over Lunar New Year could spill into the political arena. Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com Fairchild rejects Chinese offer on US regulatory fears Updated: 2016-02-17 07:09 By Agencies(China Daily USA) Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc said on Tuesday it had rejected an acquisition offer from China Resources Microelectronics Ltd and Hua Capital Management Co Ltd, citing concerns over the US approval process. The move underscores the challenges Chinese companies and investors face in seeking to acquire US chipmakers, particularly when it interferes with existing deals. Fairchild had agreed to sell itself in November to US peer ON Semiconductor for $2.4 billion. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Fairchild said there was an "unacceptable level of risk" that the deal with the Chinese would be rejected by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an inter-agency panel led by the Treasury department which assesses potential mergers to ensure they do not endanger national security. China Resources Microelectronics and Hua Capital had offered $2.46 billion for Fairchild in December. Fairchild said that the Chinese offer did not compensate them for the CFIUS risk. "Specifically, the board believed that the consortiums proposed $108 million CFIUS reverse termination fee would not adequately justify risking the company stockholder premium present in the ON Semiconductor transaction," Fairchild said in its filing. Fairchild's board is open to another offer by the Chinese, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations. Fairchild's decision follows Philips' scrapping of a plan to sell its Lumileds lighting division to Chinese buyers because of opposition from CFIUS in January. Some lawyers who specialize in CFIUS transactions have advised clients that Chinese investments in US high-tech companies will have difficulty winning approval from CFIUS, unless the Chinese buyer is truly private, said Jim Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies who follows CFIUS. "Any company reading the tea leaves will see that it's going to be a bumpy ride getting CFIUS approval for a Chinese investment in the semiconductor industry," he said. In particular, the Defense department and Department of Homeland Security worry about supply chain security, he said. US touchscreen chip maker Synaptics Inc (SYNA.O) is in talks with a Chinese group of investors about being acquired. Apple Pay prepares for debut in China: ICBC Updated: 2016-02-17 12:20 By Paul Welitzkin in New York(China Daily USA) Apple Inc's mobile payment system will start in China on Thursday for customers of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), the world's largest bank in terms of total assets, according to online posts from the bank. China would represent the fifth country Apple in which has deployed its payment system. Apple didn't respond to a China Daily request for comment on Tuesday. Apple said in December that it would launch the wireless payment business in China partnering with the nation's No 1 bank card association, China Union Pay. China is the world's biggest smartphone market. At the end of last year, 358 million people - more than the population of the United States - were paying by mobile phone, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. For Apple Pay to gain significant traction in a new market it should have a range of partners, Jack Kent, mobile payment analyst for IHS in London, said in an e-mail. "The Chinese market already has a number of different mobile payment options, but it is important to remember that Apple doesn't need to supersede them to succeed. Apple Pay helps Apple tie people into its devices and services ecosystem and ultimately to sell more Apple products - if the launch of Apple Pay ensures its customers continue to buy its products, Apple will have succeeded," said Kent. "China is a critical market for Apple, and a key reason why it has prioritized this geography for deployment of Apple Pay. Apple Pay is intended to create a deeper reliance on and relationship with the device. The goal is to deeply engrain the iPhone into the user's daily life to create lock-in and loyalty," commented Jordan McKee, a mobile payment analyst with 451 Research in Boston in an e-mail. Instead of scanning a bar code, Apple Pay users will utilize what is called near-field communication technology (NFC). McKee said that Apple Pay's entry in China would mark the first large-scale NFC wallet deployment within the country. "China is no stranger to mobile payments, however, with Alipay (Alibaba's online payment platform) and Tenpay (A Chinese version of PayPal) experiencing explosive growth and commanding an effective lock on the market, Apple Pay's prospects for displacing these services outright are slim, given their pervasive role in Chinese consumers' financial and social lives," said McKee. Gao Yuan contributed to this story. paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com White House celebrate Lunar New Year Updated: 2016-02-17 10:30 By HUA SHENGDUN in Washington(chinadaily.com.cn) It is a stark contrast to see the increasing popularity of the Lunar New Year comparing with the time when it was celebrated by very few Asian Americans four decades ago, according to Tina Tchen, assistant to the President Barack Obama and chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. She made the point in her opening remarks in celebration of Lunar New Year at the White House on Tuesday. Many former White House staff members were among the audience. "Quite frankly, we did not have a big community to celebrate the Lunar New Year, back in 1960s," Tchen said. "I grow up at Cleveland, my family was probably one of five Chinese American families in Ohio." Nowadays, the Lunar New Year is celebrated everywhere such as Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and many other places, and it has become a focal point of the same time of every year, according to Tchen. As the last celebration of Lunar New Year under the Obama Administration, Asian American White House staff retrospect how far the Asian American communities have come in terms of political participation and promoting Asian cultures. "Within the Asian Pacific Islander communities, we have more than 200 federal officials across the country from regional offices to connect us with federal resources," said Alissa Ko, associate director for Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at White House. Over the seven and a half years, Asian American community has gone from one of those blips on the electoral college scenes on our president election night to a time in 2012 with Asian American vote became a decisive vote to talk about in the national election, according to Tchen. "I'm originally from Indiana, like Tina I have not grown up in a great tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year. Over time, thinking about how far our country has come, I really started to embrace my Asian American identity," Chris Kang, national director of National Council of Asian Americans. "My experience leads me to me working to provide a national voice for Asian American and Pacific Islanders issues," Kang said. When asked is favorite Lunar New Year memory, Kang said it happens to the Lunar New Year for this year. "We decided to let our four-year-old daughter to give all her kindergarten classmates red envelopes with coins and chopsticks in it to celebrate the holiday," Kang said. It is not only a opportunity for her to teach kids a little bit of her heritage but to embrace it in a way that was empowering, and I never got to have that experience, Kang said. President Obama sent his Lunar New Year messages on Feb 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey. "Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year across America and around the world. This is a time filled with family, get-togethers, and anticipation for the New Year a tradition I remember fondly from growing up in Hawaii," Obama said. Pan Jialiang contributed to this story Cui clarifies misperceptions of economy Updated: 2016-02-17 13:23 By CHEN WEIHUA in Washington(China Daily USA) Clearly upset with the doom-and-gloom views in the West about his country's economy, Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the US, wrote an op-ed arguing that the world's second-largest economy is growing stronger while it is committed to reforms. Noting a turbulent global economy, Cui said China, sadly and for no logical reasons, is often used as a scapegoat for current global market fluctuation. "It is imperative that people are clear about the reality behind the worldwide economic volatility," Cui said in the article titled A Prosperous China Benefits the World, posted on The Wall Street Journal website Tuesday evening. Cui said China's economic growth remains strong, and its contribution to the world economy is still impressive. He cited World Bank data that between 2009 and 2014, China's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 8.7 percent, compared with the 2 percent world average. During the period, China contributed 30 percent of global economic growth. Even in 2015, China's economic growth rate of 6.9 percent was among the world's fastest, and China contributed 25 percent to global growth. Cui attributed the growth largely to the middle class, the driving force of consumption in China. According to Credit Suisse's most recent Global Wealth Report, China's middle class, (individuals with wealth between $50,000 and $500,000) now ranks the largest in the world with 109 million members, surpassing the US with 92 million members. He cited the example of Starbucks. The company is planning to open 2,500 stores in China in the next five years. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz expressed his optimism in the Chinese market in a WSJ article. Given the stock market fluctuations in China, Cui admitted that there is room for improvement in market management. "But China's real economy in the long term has not been harmed since the stock market turmoil began last August," he said. Many economists have argued that China's stock market, whose value accounts for about 30 percent of China's total GDP, compared with 100 percent in the US, does not really reflect the real economy. Cui called it false that the Chinese government has intentionally devalued the yuan to boost exports. While the economic slowdown has contributed, China's currency depreciation is mainly the result of an exchange-rate reform launched last year to follow international standards and to establish a more flexible system linked to a basket of currencies, thus letting markets play the decisive role. "This has nothing to do with boosting exports," Cui said. Even for the commodities market, Cui said there is still significant demand from Chinese consumers, citing a still-growing demand for grain and oil and a huge demand for US beans and cotton. The Chinese ambassador believes that structural reforms will bring a brighter future to China's economy and, consequently, greater opportunity to the world. He described China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) as laying out five clear development concepts: innovation, coordination, green development, opening-up and inclusiveness. Cui said China's leaders are determined to see through structural reforms. "China is, in fact, playing a pioneering role in the structural reform that the global economy desperately needs, hence it should be applauded and encouraged," he said. China persists in developing Africa's infrastructure Updated: 2016-02-17 19:30 By Lucie Morangi(chinadaily.com.cn) The slowdown of China's economy will not affect its outbound investments to Africa. Contrary to popular perception, Chinese participation in the continent's infrastructural projects will increase, said Mark Smith, Head of Infrastructure & Capital Projects in Deloitte East Africa. "In fact, I am not in agreement with the perception that the economy is slowing down. Chinese mainland is still recording an average growth of 7 percent, which is higher compared to other global players," said the director during the release of the fourth Africa Construction Trends report 2015 in Nairobi. The fourth edition of the Deloitte Africa Construction Trends report highlighted that the total value of mega projects in the continent stood at $357 billion in 2015, a 15 percent increase from 2014. Of these projects, Southern Africa contributed the biggest share with 109 projects worth $140 billion, followed by West Africa with 79 projects values at $116 billion. "Rapid urbanization and influx of an expanding middle class continues to drive the need for infrastructural reform, expansion and upgrading," said Smith. With participation in 145 of the 301 projects in Africa, DFIs (development finance institutions) are the largest financiers representing 48 percent of total projects and 34 percent of continent-wide financing according to the report. "Governments are the second highest provider of funding, followed by the amalgamation of the participation of all singular countries' financing and then by China on a stand-alone basis," reads the report. Governments continued to own the projects by 71 percent (214) projects followed by private domestic owners with 38 projects and Africa DFIs with 9 projects (3 percent) In construction, the amalgamation of all the singular countries building participation represented the highest involvement at 28 percent, followed slightly by government at 27 percent. "China is present in 14 percent of all the projects on a standalone basis," read the report. The report tracks projects valued at more than $50 million. Smith noted that China's investment in East Africa continued to lead other foreign countries save for International Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). He opined that Kenya and Ethiopia will be the biggest recipients in the region. "We have seen China supporting regional mega transport infrastructure projects particularly in rail and ports. The trend will likely to continue in the short to long term future," said Smith. Overall according to the report, China owns only one project in the continent but is however present in the funding of 13 projects (4 percent) and heavily present in the construction of 42 projects (15 percent). Smith said that China's dominance was strongly visible in East Africa. "It has provided funding for 8 percent of the mega projects and builds 21 percent of them," said Smith during his presentation. This translates to about 13 projects. He pointed out that most of these projects are trans-border in nature hence accelerating the regional integration goals fronted by the governments namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Ethiopia. "This is also likely to fuel inter regional trade," he asserted observing that it will continue playing a significant role in bolstering confidence of such projects. East Africa accounted for 20 percent of all on-going projects in Africa, valued at $57.5 billion in 2015, compared to $60.7 billion the previous year. In total the number of projects in the region rose by 10 to 61 projects, with Kenya leading the pack at 20 followed by Ethiopia with 12 projects. However, there was a drop in projects value from $60.7 billion in 2014 to 57.5 billion in the year under review. "I think this is a good thing considering the challenges in the global economy such as liquidity crunch and low commodity prices. There has been a restructuring in the planning and packaging of these projects to bite-size portions," said Smith. The report also noted a single entry of real estate project for the first time in the region. The Two Rivers Project, valued at $200 million, saw two Chinese companies in a joint venture invest $70 million for a 38.9 percent stake. Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC-ENG) and the Jiangxi Water and Hydropower Construction have invested in the mall billed to be the largest in east and central Africa. Belgian PM is sole European leader invited to Boao Forum Updated: 2016-02-17 21:30 By Fu Jing in Brussels(chinadaily.com.cn) Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium (middle) Qu Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium and Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) have jointly sent the drumming-up messages at a Chinese lunar new year reception in Brussels on Tuesday. [Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel is so far the only European leader attending the Boao Forum in China in March, and top officials of both sides are urging investors to trust Belgium as one of the world's safest destinations, and to stop feeling pessimistic about China amid its development model shift. Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Qu Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium and Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) joined forces to send the upbeat messages at a Chinese lunar new year reception in Brussels on Tuesday. Ambassador Qu said China's invitation to attend the Boao Forum at the end of March signalled Chinese commitment to developing closer high-level relationship with Belgium, following efforts in 2014 and 2015. The Boao Forum organises high-level meetings for government, businesses and academics, mainly from Asia, to discuss pressintg issues for the region. "Prime Minister Charles Michel is invited as the only European leader to attend the Boao Forum and there, he has chances to present the opportunities in Belgium to the business leaders, not only from China but also from the rest of the world," said Qu. Qu said Michel will also pay an official visit to China and President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang are scheduled to meet him, while attending the 2016 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), which will be held in Boao, Hainan province from March 22 to 25. Belgium is still on the third level of safety alert in the aftermath of Paris attacks last November and it is reported that the top priority of Belgian leaders this year is to convince other leaders that their country is still one of the safest places in the world. China underlined its trust in Belgium with its support for Chinese lunar new year celebrations in Brussels on February 6. The Chinese New Year Parade was the first of its kind in Brussels. Thousands of Belgians and Chinese joined dozens of formations including dragon dancers, lion dancers, folk dancers, wushu martial arts practitioners, Peking opera performers and a fashion show. In his address, Peeters said Chinese-Belgium relations hit new heights in 2015 and in June last year, King Phillippe paid a state visit to China, where he met several key leaders. "It is not only one of our king's first state's visit abroad, it was also a very successful one with more than a hundred agreements were signed at that moment of that period. This is testimony to the excellent relations between Belgium and China," said Peeters. Peeters said Belgium is commited to join the Asia Infrastructural Investment Bank and it is exploring beneficial projects where it can bring value with its specific expertise and assets. "Bilaterally we look forward to the results of official visit of our Minister Charles Michel to China at the end of March," said Peeters. He said Michel's visit will be very important and both sides will jointly celebrate the 45th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium in October. "I hope these highlights will be very, very important to our bilateral trade," said Peeters. When opening the reception organized by Dewit's chamber, he said there were a lot of reasons to be optimistic about China. "China's economy is growing at a fast pace, the people's income is increasing, the service sector is booming and the Chinese tourists are increasingly traveling abroad," said Dewit. "So we should stop feeling pessimistic about China while it is successfully making the transition to a consumer economy." Dewit also said Belgium also remains an attractive place to invest, a safe place to do business and a great place to live. "Statistically, we are one of the safest countries in the world," said Dewit. Gao Shuang contributed to the story. To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com.cn Obama, ASEAN issue statement Updated: 2016-02-17 12:20 By Chen Weihua in Washington and Zhang Yunbi in Beijing(China Daily USA) The first US-ASEAN Leaders Summit, which ended Tuesday, issued a joint statement covering a wide range of areas, from ASEAN centrality and economic prosperity to fighting terrorism and regional peace and security. The statement, called the Sunnylands Declaration, is the result of the two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage, California, the same site where US President Barack Obama hosted President Xi Jinping in June 2013. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Obama said the US and ASEAN are affirming their strong commitment to a regional order, where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas," he said. That specific language such as the word "South China Sea", however, did not even appear in the joint statement posted on the White House website on Tuesday. It was not clear if it was because ASEAN nations could not come to an agreement. Obama said the US will continue to help its allies and partners strengthen their maritime capabilities. "And we discussed how any disputes between claimants in the region must be resolved peacefully, through legal means, such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by." Unlike China and many other nations, the US has not ratified the UNCLOS. While the first-day meeting on Monday focused mainly on economic issues, including a US bid to boost bilateral trade and recruit more ASEAN nations to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the second-day event focused mostly on regional security issues, including maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Ted Carpenter, a senior fellow for defense and foreign policy studies at Washington-based Cato Institute, said that enhanced dialogue with the ASEAN countries, along with expanded US trade and investment ties with those nations, is a positive development. "But trying to use ASEAN as a mechanism to counter China's policies in the South China Sea is both short-sighted and potentially dangerous," he said. "Yet that appears to be what the Obama administration hopes to do with the current ASEAN summit and Washington's overall policy toward the association." Obama, who spent some of his childhood years in Indonesia, spoke for about seven minutes at the press conference on the first US-ASEAN Summit. The White House press corps, however, seemed uninterested. None of the questions asked during a 35-minute Q&A session was about the two-day meeting. Instead, Obama was bombarded with questions about how he will fill the vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away on Feb 13; how he will deal with Russia amid the crisis in Syria; and his views on the 2016 presidential race, both on the Democrat and Republican fronts. "I'm confident that whoever the next president may be will build on the foundation that we've laid, because there's strong, sustained bipartisan support for American engagement in the Asia-Pacific region," Obama said. Teng Jianqun, an expert on US studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that Washington has been working on tackling economic cooperation, which Teng described as the weak link in ties with ASEAN countries. Zhong Feiteng, an expert on AsiaPacific affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the US arranged the gathering because it believes that the legitimacy of its engagement in the maritime problems will be boosted if ASEAN offers support or silent approval. Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com and zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn White House celebrates Lunar New Year Updated: 2016-02-17 12:20 By Hua Shengdun in Washington(China Daily USA) It's a stark contrast to see the increasing popularity of the Lunar New Year compared with four decades ago when it was celebrated by very few Asian Americans, said to Tina Tchen, assistant to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to first lady Michelle Obama. She made the point in her opening remarks at a Lunar New Year celebration at the White House on Tuesday. Many former White House staff members were among the audience. "Quite frankly, we did not have a big community to celebrate the Lunar New Year, back in the 1960s," Tchen said. "I grew up in Cleveland. My family was probably one of five Chinese American-families in Ohio." Nowadays, the Lunar New Year is celebrated everywhere, from the Kennedy Center to Lincoln Center and many places across the country; it has become a focal point for the same time every year, Tchen said. As the final celebration of the Lunar New Year under the Obama Administration, Asian-American White House staff looked back on how far Asian-American communities have come in terms of political participation and promoting Asian culture. "Within the Asian Pacific Islander communities, we have more than 200 federal officials across the country from regional offices to connect us with federal resources," said Alissa Ko, associate director at the White House. Over the administration's seven and a half years, the Asian-American community has gone from one of those blips on the electoral college radar screen on presidential election night to the time in 2012 when the Asian-American vote became a decisive factor in the national election, according to Tchen. "I'm originally from Indiana," said Chris Kang, national director of National Council of Asian Americans. "Like Tina, I have not grown up in a great tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year. Over time, thinking about how far our country has come, I really started to embrace my Asian-American identity. "My experience led to me working to provide a national voice for Asian-American and Pacific Islander issues," Kang said. Asked his favorite Lunar New Year memory, Kang said it happened this year. "We decided to let our 4-year-old daughter give all her kindergarten classmates red envelopes with coins and chopsticks in them to celebrate the holiday," Kang said. President Obama sent a Lunar New Year message on Feb 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey. "Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year across America and around the world. This is a time filled with family, get-togethers and anticipation of the New Year." Pan Jialiang contributed to this story. Chinese groups speak out on Liang's behalf Updated: 2016-02-17 12:20 By Chen Weihua in Washington, Chang Jun and Lia Zhu in San Francisco, May Zhou in Houston, Deng Yu in Seattle and Niu Yue in New York(China Daily USA) Chinese-American groups around the US are mobilizing in protest over the conviction of Peter Liang, a New York City police officer found guilty of manslaughter on Feb 11 in the shooting death of Akai Gurley in a Brooklyn stairwell in November 2014. Prosecutors successfully argued that Liang, 28, a rookie, was reckless when he discharged his weapon at the housing project and did nothing to help Gurley, 28, who was on another floor when a bullet fired by Liang ricocheted and fatally struck him. Supporters of Liang argue that the shooting was accidental and that he was scapegoated in the case because it was another instance of a black man dying at the hands of police in the US. New York City Police officer (NYPD) Peter Liang reacts as the verdict is read during his trial in court room at the Brooklyn Supreme court in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Feb 11. Mary Altaffer / Pool / Reuters Below are some of the efforts underway on behalf of Liang, who faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 14. NEW YORK Weisheng Zhao, president of Lin Sing Association in New York About 400 persons donated tens of thousands dollars within four days, and the amount of donations had been continuously increasing. More than 2,000 people had signed their names to a petition on behalf of Peter Liang to the US Supreme Court, and many of the petition signers were senior Chinese females. We are very angry, and we should not stand by the judicial oppression. We want equal civil rights rather than ignorance. Liang's case was not just for himself, but for the whole Chinese-American community. Lin Sing Association collected $40,000 for Liang's legal support for the trial. Four New York lawyers have volunteered to help Liang's petition. John Chan, chairman of Asian Community Empowerment in Brooklyn Our group has applied for a rally permit and plans to hold a parade at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn on Feb 20. Liang's case was an accident rather than a crime, and he appealed for more support from the Chinese community. WASHINGTON Ningping Feng, president of the Coordination Council of Chinese-American Associations (CCCAA), the largest organization serving the Chinese-American community in the greater Washington area The Chinese-American community in Washington cares for and supports Peter Liang. Individuals have volunteered to set up a coordination group to organize a rally this weekend. We are sympathetic to Liang, and are willing to offer whatever help we can provide, such as donations and the hiring of lawyers to resolve the issue through legal channels. We hope society will pay attention to this case, and I hope racial prejudice is not a factor in the court decision. Stan Tsai, president of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, Greater DC chapter The Taiwanese community I am familiar with in the Greater Washington area are all in support of Peter Liang, and the organization I represent will definitely participate in the rally once the details are known. Right now, the organizers are using WeChat to disseminate information, but that platform is only popular among people with Chinese mainland background, so I hope they will also use other means such as emails to disseminate information about the rally. Overall, people are confident in the US judicial system. But more or less there have been problems. Clearly this case is not more severe than other similar cases, but the sentencing is severe, and race could be a factor involved. The outcome could also be different if the NYPD union had held a stronger stance in support of Liang. SAN FRANCISCO Meggie Luo, founder of Able2Shine, a non-profit organization dedicated to Asian Americans' advancement into mainstream arenas The trial is unfair and that Chinese Americans need to fight for equality. In order not to fall victim to racial profiling in the future again, we need to unite and let our voice be heard. Fighting for Liang is to fight for Asian Americans themselves. LOS ANGELES Tian Wang, organizer of Los Angeles rally It's a tragedy to both Akai Gurley and Peter Liang. Our deep condolences go to the family of Gurley for their loss. But his death does not justify Liang's conviction. Liang was green and lacked training, and it was an accident. I hope people are clear about one thing: Liang did not commit murder. HOUSTON Qing Mei, a real estate agent and co-organizer of the Houston rally I am not able to judge if the conviction is right or wrong since I don't know all the facts and law, but I do feel that the judicial system did not treat Liang as it treated other police officers. While we mourn the death of the innocent victim, we also want the system to treat everyone equally. I hope that by organizing the rally we can have a more united community and continue to fight for our rights in the future. It may take 10 or 20 years before Asians are treated equally, but we must keep trying to achieve that goal. Xie Zhong, co-organizer of the Houston rally Liang was treated differently due to his skin color, and the judgment against him is not fair. The rally is fighting not just for Peter Liang alone, but also for fair judicial treatment of us as minority in this country. We are fighting for a fair system for our children in the future. I encourage people to join us on Feb 20 at the Galleria. As local organizer of a national event, I also encourage people to write to the judge on the behalf of and donate money for the cause of Peter Liang. SEATTLE Jimmy Liang, a rally organizer in Seattle Peter Liang's case once again reminds us of how Asian-American people survive hardships and difficulties. We must unite and make sure that injustice won't continue again in our future generations. Please be sure to come to join us; your voice will be heard. Phillip Yin, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Washington state As a Chinese American, my heart certainly goes out to Peter's family. The tragic case is complicated. Before any arguments about racial motivations, we should focus on the open justice. Long Yifan contributed to this story. Car bomb attack on military in Turkish capital kills 28 Updated: 2016-02-18 06:05 (Agencies) Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a meeting in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016, in this handout photo provided by the Presidential Palace. [Photo/Agencies] ANKARA - Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and other government buildings. The Turkish military condemned what it described as a terrorist attack on the buses as they waited at traffic lights in the administrative heart of the NATO member's capital. The attack, the latest in a series of bombings in the past year mostly blamed on Islamic State, comes as Turkey gets dragged ever deeper into the war in neighbouring Syria and tries to contain some of the fiercest violence in decades in its predominantly Kurdish southeast. President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's determination to fight those behind such acts would only get stronger and that it would not hesitate to exercise its right to self defence. "We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day," he said in a written statement. Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus said 28 people including soldiers and civilians were killed and 61 wounded in the blast, which occurred near a busy intersection less than 500 metres from parliament during the evening rush hour. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag described the attack as an act of terrorism and told parliament, which was in session at the time, that the car had exploded on a part of the street lined on both sides by military vehicles. This place may very likely turn into nothing more than my "excerpt granary." But I'm sure I can find some argument for the utility of such a granary...There is still a propensity to forget the enormous scope of primitive warfare. The following just serves as my own reminder. Lawrence H. Keeley wrote War Before Civilization, and the samples that Wade cites certainly pique my interest. Unfortunately I doubt I will have the time to read it (in light of all other goals/objectives). A propensity for warfare is prominent among the suite of behaviors that people and chimpanzees have inherited from their joint ancestor. The savagery of wars between modern states has produced unparalleled carnage. Yet the common impression that primitive peoples, by comparison, were peaceful and their occasional fighting of no serious consequence is incorrect. Warfare between pre-state societies was incessant, merciless, and conducted with the general purpose, often achieved, of annihilating the opponent. As far as human nature is concerned, people of early societies seem to have been considerably more warlike than are people today. In fact, over the course of the last 50,000 years, the human propensity for warfare has probably been considerably attenuated.Peaceful pre-state societies were very rare; warfare between them was very frequent, and most adult men in such groups saw combat repeatedly in a lifetime, writes Lawrence H. Keeley, an archaeologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Primitive warfare was conducted not by arrays of troops on a formal battlefield, in the western style, but by raids, ambushes and surprise attacks. The numbers killed in each raid might be small, but because warfare was incessant, the casualties far exceeded the losses of state societies when measured as a percentage of population. In fact, primitive warfare was much more deadly than that conducted between civilized states because of the greater frequency of combat and the more merciless way it was conducted. Primitive war was very efficient at inflicting damage through the destruction of property, especially means of production and shelter, and inducing terror by frequently visiting sudden death and mutilating its victims.Keeleys conclusions are drawn from the archaeological evidence of the past, including the Upper Paleolithic period, and from anthropological studies of primitive peoples. These include three groups of foragers that survived until recent timesthe !Kung San, Eskimos and Australian aboriginesas well as tribal farmers such the Yanomamo of Brazil and the pig and yam cultivating societies of New Guinea.To minimize risk, primitive societies chose tactics like the ambush and the dawn raid. Even so, their casualty rates were enormous, not least because they did not take prisoners. That policy was compatible with their usual strategic goal: to exterminate the opponents society. Captured warriors were killed on the spot, except in the case of the Iroquois, who took captives home to torture them before death, and certain tribes in Colombia, who liked to fatten prisoners before eating them.Warfare was a routine occupation of primitive societies. Some 65% were at war continuously, according to Keeleys estimate, and 87% fought more than once a year. A typical tribal society lost about 0.5% of its population in combat each year, Keeley found. Had the same casualty rate been suffered by the population of the twentieth century, its war deaths would have totaled two billion people.*On the infrequent occasions when primitive societies fought pitched battles, casualty rates of 30% or so seem to have been the rule. A Mojave Indian war party was expected to lose 30% of its warriors in an average battle. In a battle in New Guinea, the Mae Enga tribe took a 40% loss. At Gettysburg, by comparison, the Union side lost 21%, the Confederates 30%.An archaeologist, Steven LeBlanc of Harvard University, recently reached similar conclusions to Keeley after an independent study. "We need to recognize and accept the idea of nonpeaceful past for the entire time of human existence," he writes. "Though there were certainly times and places during which peace prevailed, overall, such interludes seem to have been short-lived and infrequent.... To understand much of today's war, we must see it as a common and almost universal human behavior that has been with us as we went from ape to human.Primitive warriors were highly proficient soldiers, Keeley notes. When they met the troops of civilized societies in open battle, they regularly defeated them despite the vast disparity in weaponry. In the Indian wars, the U.S. Army "usually suffered severe defeats" when caught in the open, such as by the Seminoles in 1834, and at the battle of Little Bighorn. In 1879 the British army in South Africa, equipped with artillery and Gatling guns was convincingly defeated by Zulu armed mostly with spears and ox-hide shields at the battles of Isandlwana, Myers Drift and Hlobane. The French were seen off by the Tuareg of the Sahara in the 1890s. The state armies prevailed in the end only through large manpower and attritional campaigns not by any superior fighting skill.How did the warriors of primitive societies get to be so extraordinarily good at their craft? By constant practice during some 50,000 years of unrestrained campaigning. Even in the harshest possible environments, where it was struggle enough just to keep alive, primitive societies still pursued the more overriding goal of killing one another. The anthropologist Ernest Burch made a careful study of warfare among the Eskimos of northwest Alaska. He learned, LeBlanc reports, "that coastal and inland villages were often located with defense in mind--on a spit of land, or adjacent to thick willows, which provided a barrier to attackers. Tunnels were sometimes dug between houses so people could escape surprise raids. Dogs played an important role as sentinels. The goal in all warfare among these Eskimos was annihilation, Burch reported, and women and children were normally not spared, nor were prisoners taken, except to be killed later. Burning logs and bark were thrown into houses to set them on fire and to force the inhabitants out, where they could be killed. Burch's study reveals that the surprise dawn raid was the typical and preferred war tactic, but open battles did occur."Both Keeley and LeBlanc believe that for a variety of reasons anthropologists and their fellow archaeologists have seriously underreported the prevalence of warfare among primitive societies. "While my purpose here is not to rail against my colleagues, it is impossible to ignore the fact that academia has missed what I consider to be some of the essence of human history," writes LeBlanc. "I realized that archaeologists of the postwar period had artificially 'pacified the past' and shared a pervasive bias against the possibility of prehistoric warfare," says Keeley.Keeley suggests that warfare and conquest fell out of favor as subjects of academic study after Europeans' experiences of the Nazis, who treated them, also in the name of might makes right, as badly as they were accustomed to treating their colonial subjects. Be that as it may, there does seem a certain reluctance among archaeologists to recognize the full extent of ancient warfare. Keeley reports that his grant application to study a nine-foot-deep Neolithic ditch and palisade was rejected until he changed his description of the structure of "fortification" to "enclosure." Most archaeologists, says LeBlanc, ignored the fortifications around Mayan cities and viewed the Mayan elite as peaceful priests. But over the last 20 years Mayan records have been deciphered. Contrary to archaeologists' wishful thinking, they show the allegedly peaceful elite was heavily into war, conquest and the sanguinary sacrifice of beaten opponents.Archaeologists have described caches of large round stones as being designed for use in boiling water, ignoring the commonsense possibility that they were slingshots. When spears, swords, shields, parts of a chariot and a male corpse dressed in armor emerged from a burial, archaeologists asserted that these were status symbols and not, heaven forbid, weapons for actual military use. The large number of copper and bronze axes found in Late Neolithic and Bronze Age burials were held to be not battle axes but a form of money. The spectacularly intact 5,000-year-old man discovered in a melting glacier in 1991, named Otzi by researchers, carried just such a copper axe. He was found, Keeley writes dryly, "with one of these moneys mischievously hafted as an ax. He also had with him a dagger, a bow, and some arrows; presumably these were his small change."Despite the fact that the deceased was armed to the teeth, archaeologists and anthropologists speculated that he was a shepherd who had fallen asleep and frozen peacefully to death in a sudden snowstorm, or maybe that he was a trader crossing the Alps on business. Such ideas were laid to rest when an X-ray eventually revealed an arrowhead in the armed man's chest. In spite of a growing willingness among many anthropologists in recent years to accept the idea that the past was not peaceful, LeBlanc comments, a lingering desire to sanitize and ignore warfare still exists within the field. Naturally the public absorbs this scholarly bias, and the myth of a peaceful past continues."Wade, Nicholas. Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. pg 150-4.*I note that current estimates for 20th Century wartime casualties are about 160 million people. My only point of criticism is Keeley's use of the terms including means of production, shelter, and property. I think that kind of terminology forces an interpretive paradigm that just doesn't suit the time period. Those terms he uses are really a "farmer's" terms (Since farming requires an actual and significant investment in property, shelter, etc.). Do--or could-- those terms also make sense in the hunter-gatherer-cultivator world? Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. 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Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh met counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran for over two hours, after which he welcomed the initiative to set a ceiling as a first step towards stabilising the market. Zanganeh, quoted by the Shana news agency, did not explicitly say that Iran would keep its own output at January's levels. An Iranian official earlier said that the country would continue increasing crude output until it reached levels achieved before the imposition of sanctions. Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical, Irans Opec envoy Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from January's near-record levels would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. The market needs a cut, not a production freeze, PVM analyst David Hufton said. Brent crude was up $1.92 at $34.08 a barrel by 1556 GMT. US crude rose $1.50 to $30.54. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia would freeze output at January levels, though Riyadh said on Tuesday that the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production after last month's removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other Opec members and Russia deem it necessary, FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabias stance. The deal doesnt add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal, Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing US oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts forecasting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. Jihadis used armoured vehicles in the attack on the United Nations mission in northern Mali that killed at least seven peacekeepers last week, a spokeswoman for the mission said. Experts in the investigation say the Islamic extremists used homemade shields to reinforce the truck that drove into the base in the town Kidal last Friday, Radhia Achouri told The Associated Press yesterday. She said investigations show that shells fired outside the camp diverted the soldiers as the truck, filled with explosives, entered the camp. The explosion did the majority of the damage, killing seven Guinean peacekeepers, and wounding more than 30 others. "When the truck forced through the front door, the peacekeepers opened fire on the car, but the bullets could not penetrate the truck which continued into the interior of the camp," she said. Olivier Salgado, a spokesman for the mission, said a woman was among those killed. The Mali-based Islamic extremist group Ansar Dine, which has ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the newspaper Alakhbar, which is generally used by jihadis for communication, the attack was led by a Mauritanian member of Ansar Dine. Northern Mali was occupied by al-Qaeda-linked extremists in 2012, before French forces pushed them from strongholds in 2013, though attacks by the extremists continue. Oil prices rose today with Brent breaking past $34 a barrel on expectations that energy heavyweights Russia and Saudi Arabia will discuss the global oversupply issue in a Doha meeting. At around 0900 IST, European benchmark Brent crude for April delivery was trading $1.15, or 3.44%, higher at $34.54. Its US counterpart West Texas Intermediate for March delivery was up $1.33, or 4.52%, at $30.77 compared to its Friday close. There was no settlement in the New York Mercantile Exchange yesterday due to a US public holiday. "As representatives from major oil producers fly to Doha to meet, the bullish flames get fanned, causing prices to remain strong," said Daniel Ang, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore. "As much as we continue to believe that this is yet another meeting that would yield nothing, the remain wary of any sudden agreement that major oil producers could come to." Oil prices have been depressed since last peaking in mid- 2014 due to oversupply, sluggish demand and slowing economies. They are currently down about 70% from June 2014 levels. Adding to the pressure on prices is the resumption of Iranian oil exports this year after sanctions linked to its nuclear programme were eased by world powers. Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi was expected to speak privately with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak in Doha today. "It does seem like Russia has been invited into the inner circle of OPEC countries which was vastly different from a year ago." said Ang. "However, we still remain sceptical for an agreement to be struck between those who are attending the meeting. Jim Chalmers warns disaster floods will weigh on GDP growth Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed the "initial estimate" the recent flooding would have on the economy but warns costs associated could be "even more significant" ahead of his first federal budget on Tuesday. Limited value: Liberal Senator against royal commission into COVID Liberal Senator Jane Hume acknowledged the long-term effects of lockdowns and school shutdowns but said Australia fared well compared to other countries. Heavy rain, hail and more flood warnings for four states this weekend Millions of residents along the east coast have been told to brace for more wet weather this weekend, with warnings of large hailstones for Friday and severe thunderstorms bringing heavy rain to already flooded river systems. Australian leaders react to Liz Truss resignation Australian leaders have reacted to the latest news in British politics with the resignation of Liz Truss and the potential return of Boris Johnson, in what could be the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years "on fast forward". Turkey pushes for Syria ground war BEIRUT (AP) Turkey Tuesday pressed for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies as a force dominated by Kurdish fighters pushed through rebel lines and captured more territory near the Turkish border. In Damascus, the U.N. envoy to Syria suggested humanitarian aid would be allowed into several besieged areas today. The U.N. has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fighting north of Aleppo. Syrian government troops and allied militias, backed by heavy Russian bombardment, are closing in on the area, hoping to seal off parts of Aleppo held by rebels since 2012 in what would be a major blow to the opposition. Pope makes appeal to young Mexicans MORELIA, Mexico (AP) Pope Francis urged Mexicos young people to resist the lure of easy money from drug dealers and instead value themselves as the future of their country during a visit Tuesday to the heartland of the nations narcotics trade. You are the wealth of Mexico, the pontiff said. Francis brought a message of hope to Mexicos next generation during a youth pep rally in Morelia, capital of Michoacan state, a major methamphetamine production hub and drug-trafficking route. It was by far the most colorful event of his visit, featuring butterfly-winged dancers and mariachi bands and a crowd so enthusiastic Francis nearly got pulled over by people grabbing at him. Rancher Cliven Bundy to stay in jail PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy must stay behind bars, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, calling him a danger to the community after he arrived in Oregon to support the armed occupation of a national wildlife preserve led by his sons. U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart also said Bundy, 69, should not be released ahead of trial because there is a risk he wont show up for future court dates. Bundy, 69, was arrested in Portland last week on charges stemming from a 2014 armed standoff with federal officials who were rounding up his cattle over unpaid grazing fees. Texan executed for killing store clerk HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) A Texas prisoner was executed Tuesday for the shotgun slaying of a Dallas-area liquor store clerk during a robbery more than 25 years ago. Gustavo Garcia, 43, was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. CST 16 minutes after the lethal drug began to flow into his arms. He became the third convicted killer put to death this year in Texas, which carries out capital punishment more than any other state. Hunters find casket in wildlife refuge NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) Hunters in Mississippi found an intact casket in a wildlife refuge, and authorities returned it to its grave. Adams County Coroner James Lee said the casket apparently floated out of a family cemetery during floods in January. He was called Saturday to deal with the casket, found in the open at the St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge. It held the remains of someone who had been buried within the last six months. Lee identified the body, located the cemetery, notified the family and returned the casket. NEW HAMPTON A former New Hampton woman died in a snowmobile accident in northern Wisconsin. Michelle D. Anderson, 48, failed to negotiate a curve on a trail and struck a pile of logs, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The accident happened about 1:30 a.m. Saturday near Bass Lake, Wis. Alcohol and speed appear to be a factor in the crash, according to the DNR synopsis. There have been seven fatal snowmobiles accidents in Wisconsin since the beginning of the year. Anderson was a graduate of New Hampton High School and Park University in Parkville, Mo. She served in the U.S. Army for six years and had been living in Marion and working as a senior system engineer for the federal courts in Cedar Rapids. Services with military honors will be Wednesday at Jerico Lutheran Church in rural Lawler. Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton is in charge of the arrangements. Charles City home destroyed by fire CHARLES CITY State and local authorities are investigating a fire that severely damaged a Charles City home. The blaze was reported at 6:57 p.m. Monday at 1208 F St. Crews found heavy smoke around the outside of the home. They could not get inside because debris was blocking the entry, according to a Charles City Fire Department statement. The residents were not at the scene. They were located Tuesday morning, unharmed, firefighters said. The house is considered a total loss due to significant fire and water damage. The houses deed owner is Amelia Management. Ron Clay is listed as the contract holder. The Iowa State Fire Marshals Office is assisting Charles City firefighters with the investigation. Osage police investigate stabbing OSAGE The Osage Police Department is seeking information relating to a stabbing Monday. Police were called to the Mitchell County Regional Health Center regarding a patient with a non-life threatening stab wound. The incident occurred at Triangle Trailer Park in Osage, according to a release from the police department. Police say the victim and witnesses were uncooperative with law enforcement and their investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call (641) 732-3777 or email osagepd@osagepd.org. WATERLOO A jury is considering the states case against three men charged in the holdup of a Waterloo drug store last year. Riley Augustus Mallett, 21; Cody Plummer, 22; and Kvon James Caine Henderson, 23, are charged with first-degree robbery in the Feb. 10, 2015, holdup at Greenwood Pharmacy. They scared, terrified the employees there, and Riley Mallett used a gun to do it, Assistant County Attorney Brad Walz told jurors during closing arguments Tuesday following almost a week of testimony. Walz said Mallett pointed a gun at the head of the pharmacist in the back of the store and demanded Xanax and codeine cough syrup while Plummer collected money from a clerk at the front register. After fleeing, they deposited the loot in a car driven by another co-defendant and had planned to meet up with Henderson in a second getaway vehicle but were caught by police, Walz said. Even though not everyone involved wielded a weapon, they shared responsibility for the crime, Walz told jurors. When you decide to go in and commit a robbery, you are responsible for the actions of the other people, Walz said. He said when a handgun was introduced into the plan, and the robbery note threatened to shoot up the store, it was foreseeable the gun was going to be displayed. Defense attorney Steven Scharg, who is representing Plummer, said his client had agreed to go to the store to steal drugs but not to commit a robbery. There was supposed to be no weapons, Scharg told jurors. There was no plan of a robbery. He said Plummer was cooperative after he was caught and admitted to his involvement. Defense attorney John Standafer, who is representing Mallett, questioned the pharmacists ability to identify the gunman, who was wearing a mask, based only on his eyes. There is no proof or credible evidence in this case that thats Riley Mallett, Standafer said. He noted another person arrested in the crime Myles Anderson, who is accused of providing the pistol and earlier pleaded guilty looks similar to his client. Jurors began deliberations Tuesday afternoon and are scheduled to return to the courthouse today to continue considering the case. OSAGE -- A Minnesota man has been sentenced to prison for weapons charges stemming from a 2014 crime spree that ended when he crashed a truck in Howard County. Attorneys for Raymond Hochstetler asked for a leniency, noting that he has lead an exemplar life since the incident and returned to the Amish community where he works as a builder. On Tuesday, Judge Linda Reade sentenced Hochstetler to three years and five months in prison and a $5,000 fine to be followed by three years of supervised release. In the government's sentencing memo, prosecutors accused Hochstetler, who had used meth and marijuana, of "kidnapping" a 17-year-old girl "and forcing her to participate in a burglary, then causing her serious injury by driving recklessly and crashing her vehicle." Authorities said Hochstetler stole two handguns from a Minnesota home and on April 8, 2014, traveled to Iowa with the girl. In Mitchell County, he entered the home of an elderly couple in McIntire and fled with a purse. Near Riceville, their truck struck a barrier, went airborne and crashed into an embankment. He was treated at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn. No charges were filed in the McIntire burglary, and a federal grand jury indicted Hochstetler on the firearms charges in July 2015. He pleaded guilty to the charges --- being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and possession of stolen firearms --- in September. About a dozen friends and relatives submitted letters of support for Hochstetler for consideration during sentencing hearing on Tuesday. A letter penned by his brother, Edwin, who lives in Texas, said Hochstetler had left the Amish community at age 17 and later started his own construction company. The brother wrote he suspected Hochstetler was using drugs and even told him of his concerns. "He no longer cared about the thing he once cared about and seemed to be living a sad and empty life," the brother wrote. He said in the letter that he eventually lost contact with him only to find him in the hospital following the crash. After recovering and living with his brother, Hochstetler decided to make changes in his life, the brother wrote. "He said he felt that to make a complete change and start a new life he wanted to be Amish again," according to the brother's letter. Hochstetler moved back in with his parents, according to the letter. He was given until March 2 to turn himself in to begin serving his prison time. CEDAR FALLS Joyce Coil won a position on the Board of Education on Tuesday, just five months after losing her seat in a contentious election. Coil, who previously served seven terms on the board, received 643 votes, or 39.89 percent of the 1,612 cast. She led a field of three candidates in the race, which didnt require a majority of votes to win. Im grateful to be back on the board, and I want to thank those supporters that have the confidence in me, the 59-year-old said in an interview. I worked really hard and I took nothing for granted. She will serve until the next regular school board election in September 2017. Eric Giddens was more than 60 votes behind her with 580, or 35.98 percent. Meg Campbell received 23.82 percent, with 384 votes. There also were five write-in votes. Voters across Cedar Falls Community Schools could cast ballots for the at-large position and 5.55 percent of 29,065 who are registered came to the polls. The special election was set after Jim Brown vacated a seat to become mayor of Cedar Falls, with its timing determined by when the board accepted his resignation. The board had the option of appointing a replacement for the seat or holding an election. Coil had been president of the board for the last two years before narrowly coming in fifth out of six candidates in the Sept. 8 school board election. Four at-large seats were up for election in that race, which brought out 11.6 percent of registered voters. Two failed bond issue referendums in the preceding year that would have paid for school expansion to ease student crowding formed the backdrop. Coil, a staunch supporter of the bond issues, still wanted to remain involved after her defeat. So she decided to throw her hat in the ring when the election was set. She sees her determination as an example for the districts children. Kids need to know just because things dont go your way the first time, dont give up, said Coil. And I didnt give up. She acknowledged, though, her time as a school board member may have provided an edge in the race. I think my experience had something to do with it, said Coil. I think people knew what to expect from me. She was overwhelmingly strong among absentee voters, who potentially include people from all eight of the districts precincts. Coil received 73 percent of the 322 absentee votes. Breaking down votes by precinct, Giddens came out on top in half of them Precincts 2, 5, 6 and 7. Campbell captured the most votes in Precincts 1, 3 and 4. Coil was the top vote-getter in Precinct 8. Coils dominance among absentee voters was important. The most votes cast among the precincts were 335 in Precinct 3 and 207 in Precinct 2. Votes cast in other precincts ranged from 73 to 184. The highest turnouts were 6.19 percent in Precinct 7 and 5.82 percent in Precinct 3. The lowest was 1.69 percent in Precinct 4 and 3.07 percent in Precinct 8. Coil campaigned via social media as well as by sending out post cards and making lots of telephone calls. She heard much encouragement for her candidacy through those contacts. What people did was really affirm for me that my continued support of education was important to them, she said. Im not going to lose my focus. Its all about the kids. TAMA Clear as mud. Thats how two progressive activists described U.S. Sen. Charles Grassleys answers about whether as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee he will work to confirm a replacement for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died Saturday. Sue Dinsdale of the Iowa Citizen Action Network and Matt Sinovic of Progress Iowa followed the Iowa Republican as he held town hall meetings in the area Tuesday. They heard what they described as a series of different answers from Grassley about the prospects of seeing a Supreme Court justice appointed during President Barack Obamas final months in office. I dont think hes giving any answers, Dinsdale said. I think the only consistency I see is inconsistency. Dinsdale rose at Grassleys Tama County town hall to seek clarification. Grassley has stated the committee will take things a step at a time, but also has said he favors delaying confirmation until a new president is sworn in. Were going to do everything step by step you see, and whats the next step? The next step wont come until the president makes an appointment, Grassley told her. But that followed comments to John Mehlert of Dysart that he favored waiting. I made a very clear statement, and I dont know whether it will hold. It will hold as far as Im concerned, until Im overruled, that we should put it off until after the election, Grassley said. After the forum, Grassley said he didnt see the two statements as conflicting. Theres no inconsistency there. When you ask about whats the committee going to do, Im going to take it step by step, and so we dont have a nominee. And then in regard to the general statement that I made, I made it in regard to the fact that this (delaying the appointment) is the same thing (Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck) Schumer said at 18 months left in the Bush administration, Grassley said. I think its a good thing he spoke about balance on the Supreme Court. I think I can speak about balance on the Supreme Court, but it gives me a lot of credibility if the Democratic leader is saying that. Grassley said even if the November election sees the selection of a Democratic president, he believes it is important the people get a vote before a new justice is appointed to the bench. I guess when the people of the United States speak, thats the final answer. Elections make a difference, Grassley said. Its a lot more than an individual. Its an opportunity for the people to be a part of the process. It doesnt matter who it is. The about 55 attendees at the town hall seemed to be divided on whether the Senate should act on Obamas yet-to-be-named nominee, but they had plenty to say about it. Mehlert, who asked one of the first questions about an appointment, said he wanted to see a new justice appointed within 30 days. People out here are getting sick and tired of the Republicans and Democrats fighting back and forth. Were the taxpayers. Were paying you guys, so I think that (appointment) should be done as soon as possible, Mehlert told Grassley. Richard Vander Mey said he supported delaying action until after a new president was sworn in and suggested many in the audience felt the same way. Another audience member spoke up to note he didnt speak for everyone. Vander Mey reminded Grassley of a speech Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., gave regarding President Ronald Reagans 1987 nominee Robert Bork, who ultimately was not confirmed. It ends with Kennedy saying, No justice would be better than this injustice. When your friends on the other side of the aisle say, Senator, why arent you doing something? Where do you get off doing this? I hope youll remember this quote. Id like to hear you on national TV or radio spit this (quote) back out again and throw it in their face, Vander Mey said. DES MOINES A state ban on the sale or donation of fetal tissue will likely win House approval, but opponents of the bill, who say prolife interests are politicizing the issue, predict it will not become law. The bill was approved Tuesday on a party line vote in the House Human Resources Committee. Floor manager Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola, said passage will make sure there is a law in place that allows Iowans to understand the fetal tissue is something we dont take lightly. Federal law already makes that statement Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said. Its absolutely not needed, she said, citing federal law prohibits selling human body parts, including lungs and kidneys. That would be so unethical. However, Fry said there is nothing in Iowa Code to prohibit the sale of fetal tissue, which has become a point of controversy in the wake of undercover videos of discussions with Planned Parenthood officials discussing the procurement of fetal tissues when conducting abortions. While it may be federal code, we want to make sure we have it in our code, he said, referring to Iowa law. The bill makes clear there is no monetary gain for someone to abort their child. In addition to being unnecessary, Wessel-Kroeschell said the bill unnecessarily politicizes the issue because HSB 621 would prohibit the donation of fetal tissue from an aborted fetus for research purposes. Treating the tissue from a woman who had an abortion versus from a woman who had a miscarriage is wrong, she said. There is no difference in the tissue and both are equally valuable in terms of research, Wessel-Kroeschell said, But certainly, society and health can benefit from the results of that research and I think we, as a society, deserve that. A child is a child, Fry said, rejecting the tissue is tissue argument. The bill draws a distinction between predetermined death and natural death and that would be the defining difference for many Iowans, as I understand it, Fry said. He wouldnt speculate on what will happen to the bill if it clears the House and is sent to the Senate. Clearly, there wasnt a lot of opposition in committee on this today, he said. Fry and Wessel-Kroeschell were the only lawmakers to speak on the bill before the committee voted 12-9 for passage. Wessel-Kroeschell, however, was quite certain the Democrat-majority Senate will not approve the bill. DES MOINES The Iowa Lottery broke several records in January thanks in large part to players in the world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, state lottery officials said. The state lottery in January set new records with $54.1 million in total sales, $17.3 million in monthly proceeds to state causes, and $30.2 million in monthly prizes to players. The state lottery also set records for highest single-day Powerball sales with $6.3 million on Jan. 13, its biggest sales week with $19.5 million for the week ending Jan. 9, and its highest monthly sales for instant scratch tickets with $20.8 million. The Iowa Lottery sold $34.2 million in Powerball tickets while the jackpot built from Nov. 5, 2015, to Jan. 13, 2016. The state lottery sold $52.2 million in Powerball tickets during all of fiscal year 2015. Bishops visit Bishops from the four Roman Catholic dioceses in Iowa visited with state legislators and policymakers Tuesday to ask that they be attentive to the rights of all, especially the most vulnerable, who are the marginalized, according to the Most Rev. Martin Amos, bishop of Davenport, who offered the morning prayer in the Senate and House. The bishops focused on four issues: assisted suicide; educational savings accounts; refugee resettlement; and privatizing Medicaid management, Amos said. We try to figure out what are some of the major issues going on, he said, and basically, were saying these are the things we think are important for the people of Iowa. The bishops dont take a position ion ever piece of legislation but some we have a stance on. Assisted suicide, were not in favor of that one, he said. That bill has not come out of a Senate subcommittee. On other issues, such as Medicaid, the bishops havent taken a position other than we want to say that the people have to be the main thing, Amos said. For the most part, he said, in discussions with lawmakers, the bishops are speaking for the church and what we believe to be the common good of all people. Its not particularly a Catholic thing, but what we feel is good for all peoples. Teen tanning About 100 volunteers from the American Cancer Society lobbied lawmakers for a prohibition on teens using tanning facilities and for more funding for anti-smoking programs. They asked legislators to support HF 420 to limit tanning-bed use to those 17 and older, which is similar to SF 232 approved by the Senate last year. Its important, Angela Ard of Cedar Rapids said not to include a parental consent provision. She began tanning at 16 with her parents consent and had melanoma within five years. Gary Streit, also of Cedar Rapids, asked legislators to boost anti-tobacco program funding from $5.3 million to $8 million, which is well below the $12 million appropriated in 2008. The adult smoking rate in Iowa fell to 17 percent then, but has increased to more than 20 percent as prevention funding has fallen, he said. The state spends about $1.2 billion a year on tobacco-related illness, Streit said. Conservation farmer Nominations for the 2016 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year are being accepted by Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. The award is given to a farmer who is making outstanding contributions towards soil conservation and water quality. The statewide winner again this year will have free use of a John Deere tractor for up to 12 months courtesy of the Van Wall Group and John Deere. To nominate a farmer, submit a brief letter (100 words or less) to the local Soil and Water Conservation District office by June 5. Dumping bill Persons dumping items weighing more than 10 pounds or larger than 15 cubic feet could be charged with a serious misdemeanor punishable by a fine ranging from $315 to $1,875 and jail time under legislation approved unanimously by the House Environmental Protection Committee. HF 2154 distinguishes between littering candy wrappers, beverage cans, food packaging, for example and larger items such as tires and household appliances and furniture. Littering could result in a simple misdemeanor charge with a fine of $65 to $625. Citing costs, Democrats on the committee questioned jailing people for dumping. They also suggested looking for ways to make it easier for people to properly dispose of large items to cut down in the incidences of dumping. Ballot merger School board elections would be moved from September to November and share the ballot with municipal elections under HSB 541, which was approved by the House State Government Committee. Chairman Guy Vander Linden, R-Oskaloosa, said the change will help improve the abysmally low voter turnout in school board elections. Average statewide turnout in municipal elections is three times that of school board elections, he said. Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, agreed the change would increase turnout, but said he was looking for something greater not only more voters, but more informed voters. Im not at all worried about the quality of the electorate in school board elections, Vander Linden said, because its the same as in municipal elections, state legislative elections and presidential elections. The 12-10 vote was not along party lines. Freer spirits HSB 574, a bill to give micro-distilleries more latitude in production and sales, cleared the House State Government Committee 22-0. The bill would equalize state laws as they apply to wineries, breweries and micro-distilleries, Rep. Mike Sexton, R-Rockwell City, said. Among the changes the bill includes is raising the production cap for micro-distilleries from 50,000 gallons a year to 100,000, increases the amount that can be sold for off-site consumption, allows sales to consumers outside of Iowa and by-the-drink retails sales on the premises. DES MOINES -- On Tuesday, Iowas Medicaid director said shes confident the state is ready for the March 1 transition that would move 560,000 Medicaid enrollees and nearly 30 providers from a fee-for-service plan over to a trio of out-of-state managed-care companies. But a handful of state legislators expressed concerns. Iowa Medicaid Director Mikki Stier and Department of Human Services Director Charles Palmer went before the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee in Des Moines to give an update on Iowas readiness for the managed-care transition. Gov. Terry Branstad announced in early 2015 the state would move its $5 billion Medicaid program over to managed care, originally targeting a Jan. 1 start date. But in mid-December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services the federal agency that still must approve the transition delayed the switch until March 1. CMS cited 16 readiness concerns, from an inadequate provider network to poor communications between the state and the providers and beneficiaries, as reasons for the delay. On Tuesday, Stier ran through a list of actions the state has taken in the months since, including beefing up Iowa Medicaid call centers, reaching out to the states 70 case management agencies and better training of the ombudsmen offices. Stier also told the committee that the number of providers to sign contracts has more than doubled since Dec. 31, and maintained the state had been ready for the move back in Jan. 1. But several senators including Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan voiced concerns over the adequacy of the provider network. Last week, Johnson sided with Democrats to vote in favor of a bill that would terminate contracts with the managed-care companies. The provider network has doubled since Dec. 31, but you feel you were ready then, said Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City. I think that says so much. DHS said that about 60 percent of current Medicaid providers have signed contracts with all three managed-care organizations, 70 percent have signed contracts with at least two and 90 percent have signed contracts with at least one. Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Robins, asked Stier if CMS has given her or other DHS officials any indication that Iowa is meeting the metrics set before it. Mathis along with other senators spoke with CMS officials about two and a half weeks ago about where Iowa stood with the readiness criteria. I asked them, If you had to make a decision today, would you? she said. They said the networks are not adequate, and they are seriously concerned. I get that you have to say we were ready Jan. 1 thats your job. But CMS is saying something very different to us. Stier said all requirements have been completed, and CMS is continuing to monitor the development of the provider network. Also on Tuesday, WellCare of Iowa said it will not pursue any additional appeals but instead will look for future growth opportunities outside Iowa. That came after a Polk County District Judge upheld the states decision to throw out the companys Medicaid managed-care contract. WellCare was awarded a contract along with Amerigroup Iowa, AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa and UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley in August. A state arbiter tossed out its contract in December, saying the company had improper communications with state officials and failed to disclose information regarding $137.5 million in fines it paid to resolve false claims settlements. While we disagree with the decision and are disappointed with this ruling, the time has come to move forward, said Blair Todt, WellCares senior vice president, chief legal and administrative officer. WellCare maintains the ruling does not accurately reflect the facts or the integrity of Iowas procurement process. While some procedural mistakes were made, the state acknowledged these mistakes did not impact its award decision and has never once questioned WellCares ability to provide quality care for Iowans. Wednesday, Feb. 17, is the deadline for Medicaid recipients to choose a managed-care organization for coverage to begin March 1. Here in the Corridor, all three major hospitals Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, UnityPoint Health-St. Lukes Hospital and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics now have signed contracts with the three remaining managed-care organizations. Soul food dinner planned at East WATERLOO East High Schools Women of Tomorrow will host a soul food dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday in the East High Commons. The menu includes turkey and dressing, ribs, ham, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, black-eyed peas, baked beans, green beans, mashed potatoes, candied yams, spaghetti, potato salad, sweet potato pie, pound cake, German chocolate cake and peach cobbler. Tickets are $8 per plate and are available at the door or from any Women of Tomorrow member. Walton League sets fish fries WATERLOO Waterloo Izaak Walton League, 5519 E. Washburn Road, is offering several upcoming fish fries during Lent, including this Friday. All-you-can-eat Alaskan walleye and mo-jo potatoes will be served from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Fish fries also are set for Feb. 26 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25. Everyone is welcome. Breakfast buffet, bake sale date set WATERLOO The Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters of America will host a all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and bake sale on Sunday at 1955 Locke Ave. Serving will be from 8 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for kids ages 10 and younger. Proceeds will be going to the Ranger Rosary Program, which presents hand-tied rosaries to all graduating seniors from Columbus High School in Waterloo, Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville and St. Athanasius in Jesup. Montauk concert rescheduled CLERMONT The recent snowstorm forced the Classics at Montauk concert, planned for Feb. 14, to be postponed. Its been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday. Community meal set for Sunday WATERLOO Sunday Supper, a hot community meal, is served every Sunday night at First Presbyterian Church, 505 Franklin St. The meal is served between 5 and 6 p.m. Call 233-6145 with any questions. Sons of Norway to meet Feb. 23 CEDAR FALLS The Sons of Norway will meet Feb. 23 at the Cedar Falls Womans Club, with dinner at 6:30 pm. Jon Tehven, Solglimt Lodge member and Sons of Norway International president, will share insights and focus on financial, fraternal and foundation benefits to Sons members. Reservations can be called to 277-2294. Wartburg to hold brass concert WAVERLY The Wartburg College Faculty Brass Ensemble and Student Brass Quintet will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in Rada Orchestra Hall of the Bachman Fine Arts Center. The recital is free and open to the public. The Faculty Brass Ensemble features Scott Muntefering, Jim Vaux and Ryan Barwise on trumpet, Andy Harris on horn, Bard Mackey on trombone and Rich Scheffel on tuba. Members of the Student Brass Quintet include Hailey Bieghler and Allison Hesse on trumpet, Samantha Kopf on horn, Emily DeBoer on trombone and Noah Hickman on tuba. Boz has a hardbreaking story about sitting next to a Honduran boy on a flight from Mexico City to San Pedro Sula. The boy was being deported, and wanted to get to his parents in New York City. I asked the question in the best way I could think of, in a way without suggesting the answer I both expected and feared. "David, are you going to be returning to school when you get back to Honduras." There was no hesitation in his response, "No, I'll be coming back to Mexico. Just like I have heard from so many others in Central America in recent years, deportation wasnt going to deter him. Hed be turning right back around to try again. Go ahead and read the whole thing. When the bombs dropped back in November of 2015, it was safe to say that, whilst the critics obviously praised the latest entry in the post-apocalyptic role-playing series as the greatest thing since ice-cold Nuka Colas or cybernetic dog companions, not all the fans felt the same way. Many considered it to be a step-back in comparison to Obsidian's Fallout New Vegas, which offered crafting, more factions, challenging moral decisions, and much more. Not to mention the plot and blurring of moral decisions as well - the Brotherhood of Steel, for example, are portrayed not as the last bastions of hope, but technology-hoarding xenophobes stuck in an underground bunker, unwilling to help anyone but themselves. Even the dreaded Caesar's Legion insists their dictatorship will ensure protection for the essential trade caravans. That is not to say the latest game does not have some brilliant inclusions. Crafting, making settlements, combat, V.A.T.S aiming; there were many features that received a vigorous polish. As for the others? Well, it's never too late to apply some mods to enhance the experience, add some twists to it all, or just add a bit of humour to this dark game. Check out my comprehensive list of the essential mods that every Fallout 4 player needs... Traveling around the world is one of the best hobbies. 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SUHAKAM was submitted on 10/8/2022, and to date SUHAKAM is yet to make and convey its decision as to whether they will hold a P... 1 day ago About Me Grisel Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta is a writer from Chicago who is an associate professor at Bronx Community College-City University of New York. Her scholarly and creative works have been published and performed internationally. View my complete profile Blog Archive If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first. Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well. What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that. The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players. How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long! Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up. Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home. Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves. Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino. Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information. Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead. With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks Betway: Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway. Coral Casino: Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account. Ladbrokes Casino: Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits. Paddy Power Casino: Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits. William Hill Casino: William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival. Bonus: 100% Match Bonus up to 100 Register Now Betway: 100% Match Bonus up to 100 Claim Now Coral Casino: 25% Cash Back on Deposits Claim Now Ladbrokes Casino: 35% Cash Back on First 3 Deposits Claim Now Paddy Power Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200 Claim Now William Hill Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200 Claim Now If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit. Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir? Canl Bahis Nedir? Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir. Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir. Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr. Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr? Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr? Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr. Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr. Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir; Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler. Canl Bahis Taktikleri Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir. Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir. Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz. Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr. Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz. Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz. Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz. Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz. Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz. Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir. Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr. Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak. Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir; Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi Banka hesap bilgileri Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura. Kacak Iddaa Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir. Kacak Bahis Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor. Illegal Bahis Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr. Yasads Bahis Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler. Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir? Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir? Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir; Iddaa Bilyoner Tuttur Birebin Oley Nesine Misli Iddaa 2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir. Bilyoner Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir. Tuttur Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr. Birebin Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor. Oley 2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr. Nesine Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur. Misli 2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur. Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir. Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir. Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr. Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir. Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz. Feb 16, 2016 | By Kira Italian 3D printer manufacturer Robot Factory has recently released a series of highly informative and entirely free-to-download documents pertaining to different aspects of the 3D printing industry. Each of these documents covers a different topic, and aims to collect and share well-researched, unbiased industry knowledge to help users become more familiar with 3D printing technology, and to make more informed 3D printer purchasing decisions. In particular, these 3D printing documents focus on Robot Factorys specialty: SLA 3D printing. While not yet as common as desktop FDM 3D printing (due, mainly, to its higher cost, time consumption and complexity), SLA, or Stereo-lithography technology has the advantage of creating much more precise and finely detailed 3D printed objects, and is therefore becoming more sought after for both prototyping and end-use needs. Popular desktop models such as Formlabs Form 2 have also contributed to making SLA 3D printing more accessible to a wider market. Robot Factory's range of SLA 3D printers It is therefore the perfect time to create a more open dialogue about SLA 3D printing so that consumers can be more informed and confident, whether they are looking for SLA 3D printing services, or want to buy an SLA 3D printer of their own. Although Robot Factory admits that comparing all of the different SLA 3D printers on the market is no easy task, their aim is rather to go over some of the common parameters and characteristics that could affect a products performance and purchase price. The result is a comprehensive, 16-page document titled How to Evaluate a Stereo Lithographic 3D printer. Objects created wth SLA 3D printing technology To begin with, Robot Factory outlines the technology behind SLA 3D printing: a light source (usually a high intensity lamp or laser) is focused into a vat of photopolymer resin. Following pre-determined patterns across the surface of the vat, the laser hardens the resin, layer by layer, building up a solid 3D object. There two common types of photoinitators used in the resins, which react to either Structured Light wavelengths, or UV light wavelengths. The process may seem simple enough, however the document goes on to explain in great detail the individual elements, materials and details that could affect the 3D printers functionality, purpose, quality, and price point. The topics covered include, but are not limited to: Types of photosensitive resins Light sources (high pressure lamps, LED UV or laser diodes) Top vs. Bottom Projection Resolution of the SLA 3D printer Engineering solutions (such as protective covers, quality of components, and overall design) Warranty and EC Declaration Assistance and documentation SLA 3D printer accessories Open source vs. proprietary software Price of consumables and spare parts Image from the document detailing Top vs Bottom projection light sources In particular, that last point reveals an important, yet potentially overlooked consideration when buying an SLA 3D Printer: The final price of the printer is not always the thing that differentiates one product from another, explains Robot Factory. For example, today you can buy inkjet printer to print documents, at a price of less than 50.00 but unfortunately we realize of the deception when we have to buy replacement cartridges which can cost up to 3 times the price of the printer itself. Likewise, SLA 3D printing requires resin and resin vats, which can end up costing more than the actual 3D printer. According to Robot Factory, the resin alone can reach prices above 400 /kg, while the vats, which need to be changed periodically, can cost up to 300 each time. It is a good thing to pay much attention at the time of purchase [to] this small detail, warns the company. Good advice, indeed. In its conclusion, Robot Factory provides a list of ten useful questions consumers can ask themselves before they purchase a SLA 3D printer, the first and most important of which is, What will it be used for? The answerhobby, prosumer, or professional usecan then be used to determine what costs, accessories, and features would best suit each individuals needs. As the 3D printing industry begins to truly enter the mainstream, there will be no shortage of companies and websites trying to tell you why their 3D printer (or 3D printing filament, accessory, or anything else,) is the one you should buy. While you could spend hours researching objective review sites, or even perusing 3Ders own 3D Printer Price Compare (which we highly suggest once youve got an idea of your preferred brand, technology, or price range), Robot Factorys free 3D printing documents are a good place to start for those who are feeling more than a little lost. Above all we hope to have given good information, so, when you access a website or visit a store, you can be able to understand if the quality and specifications are adequate to the price and especially to the use that you have to make, said the company. So far, Robot Factorys free educational 3D printing documents include one about differentiating its own 3DLPrinter-HD 2.0 from other SLA 3D printers on the market, as well as a document about the direct casting of resins 3D printed with SLA systems. All are free to download, provided you have either WinZip and Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. In the future, they intend to include even more educational documents, and are open to further edits, corrections and suggestions from the 3D printing community itself in order to make these guides as complete and useful as possible for those who could truly benefit. Posted in 3D Printer Maybe you also like: Feb 17, 2016 | By Benedict Metalysis, a UK-based manufacturer of metal powders for 3D printing, has secured a 20m ($28.5m) investment from British businessman Neil Woodford and Australian zircon producer Iluka Resources. Metalysis When Neil Woodford invests in your company, its generally a sign that youre on the right track. The businessman, who holds a degree in economics from the University of Exeter, is one of the most well-respected fund managers in the UK, and last year launched the Woodford Patient Capital Trust. Todays announcement sees the financial expert investing in metal 3D printing company Metalysis through that recently established trust. Investment has also been made by Iluka Resources, resulting in a double boost that will help Metalysis expand its production of metal powders. Why Metalysis? The company, based in South Yorkshire, UK, produces titanium powder for use in metal 3D printing, and claims to use 50% less energy than conventional titanium powder processes. Titanium produced using the established Kroll method is energy-intensive and consequently expensiveoften prohibitively so. Metalysis, however, uses the FFC process, named after Derek Fray, Tom Farthing, and George Chen, who discovered it at the University of Cambridge in 1997. The technique uses electricity to reduce metal oxide to metal in a molten salt in one step. Titanium is favored by aerospace and automotive manufacturers due to its strength and lightness, and can be used in SLM, DMLS, and other 3D printing processes. It is thought that 3D printed titanium components could prove more cost-effective than titanium components manufactured using other methods, and it is this speculation that has led Woodford and Iluka Resources to invest in Metalsys. Norsk Titanium, a Norwegian manufacturer, says it will be producing 3D printed titanium aerospace components by the second half of 2016, and other companies could soon follow its lead. The material can also be used in other industries such as healthcare. Metalysis has previously worked with TWI, another British firm, to produce 3D printed hip implants made from its tantalum powder. 3D printed orthopedic hip implants can be tailor-made to a patients individual anatomy with the use of 3D scanning technology, resulting in a more comfortable and effective implant. Neil Woodford Iluka Resources, which has also made new investment in Metalsys alongside Woodford, operates in mineral sands exploration, project development, and other fields. It is a major producer of rutile and synthetic rutile, and the worlds largest producer of zircon, an opacifier commonly used in the ceramics industry. The companys new investment in Metalysis will give it a 28.8% stake in the company. The prospects of commercial volumes of titanium metal powder, direct from rutile and synthetic rutile, at a materially lower cost than current technologies, could drive a dramatic expansion in global demand for titanium metal and titanium alloys, David Robb, managing director of Iluka Resources told Financial Times. The double investment indicates a growing domestic and international interest in the British 3D printing industry, at which Metalysis could soon be at the forefront. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Feb 17, 2016 | By Alec Its an unavoidable comparison. As 3D printing is about the closest thing to the iconic Replicator from the Star Trek franchise, the uninitiated tend to see a desktop 3D printer in that Sci-Fi context only to be disappointed to learn they cant just say an objects name and wait for the result. But the comparison itself is quite a useful one. With a 3D printer already in the International Space Station (21 plastic tools already 3D printed!), the technology is definitely heading towards a Star Trek-esque future. Though this can take a few decades, NASA is already looking to raise a future generation of engineers and astronauts. Working together with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation and the Star Wars franchise, their goal is to get kids interested in space travel and 3D printing. To do so, they have launched the Star Trek Replicator Challenge, for which kids can design non-edible food-related 3D printable objects. Calling all Starfleet cadets! The Challenge was just announced at New York's Intrepid Air and Space Museum, which incidentally houses a very cool and educational retired aircraft carrier. The challenge is aimed at all kids from kindergarten to the 12th grade, who can develop their own 3D printable designs for things such as knifes, plates, storage containers, and food growth equipment as they believe will be used in space by the year 2050. This is the third Future Engineers challenge launched by the ASME Foundation and, like its predecessors, is more about getting kids interested in STEM and design than about the designs they actually submit. The first Future Engineers competition launched in the spring of 2014, and asked students to design a tool that could be 3D printed in space. The second competition was called the Space Container Challenge and took place in the fall of 2015, for which participants designed a 3D printable container. Fortunately, 3D printing adds a very tangible and simultaneously useful technique with real-life space applications. To make the competition fairer for young kids, there are also special Junior and Teen age categories. The competition will run until May 1, and there are some cool prizes to be won. The Junior and Teen winners will receive a trip to NYC to visit the Intrepid Air and Space Museum's "Starfleet Academy" experience, and can even tour the decommissioned Space Shuttle Enterprise with a NASA astronaut as a guide. They will also win a mystery Star Trek prize pack. Moreover, four finalists from each age group will get a 3D printer donated to their school, while 10 semifinalists will also get a prize pack from NASA and Made in Space. The winners will be announced on July 5. For this edition of the Future Engineers project, students are thus encouraged to be more adventurous and use their imagination. The only rule is that the 3D printable tool should help astronauts to eat nutritious meals in the future. Entries can thus consist of utensils, containers, disposal units anything they can think of. Even teacups. As long as it can be sustainably manufactured in space. Sustainability will be a critical aspect of long duration space missions, said Niki Werkheiser, NASAs in-space manufacturing manager, and will require off-planet manufacturing technologies to create all of the items our future astronauts need. To more find more information on entering, go to the Star Trek Replicator Challenge here. Posted in 3D Printing Events Maybe you also like: Feb 17, 2016 | By Alec Metal 3D printing innovation is being spearheaded by a number of parties throughout the world, and the US military can definitely be found at the forefront. Over the past few years, the various military branches have been using 3D printing for the development of a number of aircraft, defense, and weapons manufacturing solutions. Though many projects are still under development, the first results of this innovative approach are now coming in. The US Army just announced that they will be taking their new 3D printed drone systems, or On-Demand Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) as they are officially called, to the 2017 Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments an annual event were new military tools are tested and showcased. This interesting 3D printing application is simply one of the first ongoing projects that are finally reaching fruition. Just over the last few months, several other projects have kicked off; the U.S. Air Force awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $6M contract to develop 3D printed rocket engines; the U.S. Navy has adopted metal 3D printing onboard warships; and a 41-foot Coast Guard boat has just been 3D scanned. Just last week, the U.S. Army also announced a heartwarming project to produce personalized 3D printed keepsakes for soldiers and their families. But when it comes to new military applications, theres no better place to test them than the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments, or AEWE. Held annually by the U.S. Army, its their Training and Doctrine Command's live, force-on-force experiment that has the goal of putting next gen solutions into the hands of soldiers and getting early and credible feedback from the all-important end-users. For the 2017 edition, projects had to be submitted in January by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory for a chance of inclusion in the next round of experimentation. The On-Demand Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems were selected as one of the 50 technologies to participate in the experiment, with 14 being developed by government researchers and 36 by industry partners. AEWE 2017 will take place at Fort Benning, Georgia, in early2017. According to Eric Spero, an acting team lead in the ARL Vehicle Technology Directorate, the selection committee was convinced that soldiers need to see the progress in the UAS project to enable them to see how they can be used practically and in what timeframe. "We saw the trajectories of two beneficial technology areas converging in the future, Spero said. The technologies are 3-D printing and small unmanned aircraft systems, sometimes referred to as drones. Specifically, they saw an opportunity to deploy these special drones in small-unit, decentralized decision-making tests in complex environments. Our technology is not about UASs, Spero explained. It's about the capability to design and build on-demand. The concept takes advantage of 3-D printing as a future enabler and positions us, as the U.S. military, to take advantage of increasingly better manufacturing technologies. Spero also outlined their functionality in a white paper, explaining that these 3D printed drone solutions provide support to manned and unmanned teams in the field. Small UASs equipped with sensors, for example, day or night, still or video, can provide preemptive threat detection and identification, he wrote. Whats more, an on-demand 3D printing production process will enable them to deliver customized, specific solutions via air. Small UASs can also be used to investigate weapons of mass destruction at a safe stand-off distance, looking beyond gaps, collecting forensic data, and breaching complex obstacles such as those that require hover-flight capability, Spero added. That customization process can be applied before any mission through soldier input, he explains. Should an immediate, unforeseen problem arise, Speros teams software can simply generate a computer-aided model which is 3D printed and assembled with off-the-shelf equipment. That software and assembly process is currently becoming developed in collaboration with Georgia Tech's Aerospace Systems Design Lab. The solution is envisioned to be available at the battalion level and below, supporting the company, platoon, squad and individual Soldier, Spero said. While such tools are already theoretically possible with off-the-shelf drones, this 3D printing process adds a whole new flexible dimension, and is also more cost-effective and more widely applicable. Small components are procured and assembled into a vehicle. The vehicle is relatively easy to repair or replace, or can be disposed of. The level of maintenance is driven by how long you want to a particular vehicle solution, Spero explains. When we mention that the on-demand version is flexible, potentially more available, and at a much lower cost - that's when people get excited. Whats more, expensive drones wont become obsolete as quickly as they do with the current manufacturing process. Should new components be developed or missions altered, a few new parts can easily be installed instead of rendering a whole fleet of machines obsolete. A small inventory of inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronics enables a wide range of UAS capability, he said. The burden of inventory will also be significantly reduced. The project is a part of the ARL Science for Maneuver Campaign, one of the eight initiatives that comes out of the lab. "We're focused on gaining a deeper understanding of advanced mobility technologies that will bring greater capabilities to our Soldiers, said Dr. Mark Valco, director of the Vehicle Technology Directorate. This project is a good example of our efforts to explore flexible, low-cost capability enhancements, Valco explained. He further added that this is a completely new approach to military drone use, design philosophy and production. Valco further argued that this would not be possible without 3D printing advancements. Innovation is the key. We're demonstrating a capability, but we need to evolve design tools, higher-grade materials and the ability to print faster. Our researchers are continually looking for opportunities to enable these new capabilities, he concluded. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Diksha Madhok in Quartz: Indian taxpayers seem to be a self-righteous lot. Beneficiaries of subsidies, according to them, must display adequate gratitude and the right colour of patriotism. Else, they go for the jugular. These days, a vocal section of them wants India to stop funding Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one of South Asias top-ranked institutions of higher learning. The reason for their outrage is an alleged anti-India protest that took place on the campus in Delhi on Tuesday (Feb. 09). At the event, some students chanted divisive slogans and questioned the execution of Afzal Guru, who was hanged for the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. Since Tuesday, the police have raided university hostels and arrested the president of the students union, charging him with seditioneven though he did not raise any controversial slogans. This is the first time that a JNU president has been arrested since the Emergency of 1975-77. But this grossly disproportionate and high-handed response by the state to an alleged offence caused by a tiny section of the universitys students has not stopped the taxpayers sanctimonious blustering and thundering on Twitter. Even the voluble TV anchor Arnab Goswami upbraided a JNU student for not exhibiting proper patriotism, despite being a beneficiary of a subsidized Indian education. Parasite is a word frequently thrown at JNU students over the last two days. It is an institution that has produced some of the most famous economists, lawyers and politicians in India, including the current commerce minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and the Intelligence Bureau chief till recently (Syed Asif Ibrahim), Dipankar Gupta, director, Centre for Public Affairs and Critical Theory, told Quartz. Such vilification will only prove to be counter-productive, Gupta, a sociologist, said. The sheer hypocrisy Such resentment, though, is not new. It surfaces every time students of liberal universities such as JNU or the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) go against what is perceived as mainstream opinion. Yet, most Indians have no problems with the government funding the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), even though many of their graduates end up on greener foreign shores. These IIT-NRIs are often put on a pedestal and worshipped as real Indian role models. More here. James Harkin at The Smithsonian: The souk is within the walls of Aleppos historic city center, one of six locations in Syria listed as World Heritage Sites by Unesco. Before largely peaceful protests in 2011 against the autocratic Syrian president Bashar al-Assad were met with government violence and devolved into a devastating civil war, killing at least a quarter of a million people and displacing millions so far, the country was one of the most beautiful on earth. Much of its enchantment came from its plentiful antiquity, which wasnt fenced off as in European capitals but lay unceremoniously aroundpart of the living, breathing texture of everyday life. The country, at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, boasts tens of thousands of sites of archaeological interest, from the ruins of our earliest civilizations to Crusader-era fortifications and wonders of Islamic worship and art. Now these antiquities are under large-scale and imminent threat. Already some of the most valuable have been destroyed as collateral damage in the shelling and crossfire between government forces and various rebel factions; others have been sold off, bit by valuable bit, to buy guns or, just as likely, food or a way to escape the chaos. Satellite images of treasured historical sites show the soil so completely pocked by holes, the result of thousands of illicit excavations, that it resembles the surface of the moondestruction and looting, as Unesco director general Irina Bokova put it last fall, on an industrial scale. more here. Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter Halloween events vary from trunk or treat events to haunted house A host of events are planned this month for Halloween from the annual haunted forest and trunk or treats to a new haunted house event downtown. Production Update and Asset Value Review Perth, Feb 17, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - ABM Resources NL ( ASX:ABU ) is pleased to provide an update on operations at the Old Pirate Gold Mine during January 2016. Continuous processing, introduced in mid-January 2016, contributed to record mill throughput for the month. Gold production in January exceeded the level forecast in the revised mine plan for the operation (ASX release of 24 December 2015) despite head grade being below target as some stockpiled low grade material was processed in order to achieve the higher throughput. The tonnage of ore mined also exceeded the target set in the mine plan. However mining activity in early February 2016 has been impacted by heavy rainfall. The rain had minimal impact on processing as stockpiles were able to be drawn on. Mining operations have since returned to normal and the project remains on track to achieve the production targeted in the revised mine plan. Project to date mine production, plant throughput and recovered gold are shown in the graph (in link below), with production details summarised in the table in link below. Review of Asset Values The Company has reviewed the carrying values of some of its assets following changes to mine development plans at the Old Pirate Gold Mine and the re-assessment of non-core exploration tenements. As foreshadowed in the December 2015 Quarterly Report (ASX release 29 January 2016), the Company expects to recognise impairment charges of between $18 million and $20 million against the carrying values of its Exploration, Evaluation and Development Expenditure and Mine Properties. The impairment has no effect on the Company's cash position or on-going business activities. Final asset carrying values will be determined following the completion of the half year audit and released in conjunction with the interim financial results in early March 2016. To view figures, please visit: http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/ASX-ABU-752986.pdf About ABM Resources NL ABM Resources (ASX:ABU) is developing several gold discoveries in the Central Desert region of the Northern Territory of Australia. The Company has a multi-tiered approach to exploration and development with a combination of high-grade production scenarios such as the Old Pirate High-Grade Gold Project, large scale discoveries such as Buccaneer, and regional exploration discoveries such as the Hyperion Gold Project. In addition, ABM is committed to regional exploration programs throughout its extensive holdings including the alliance with Independence Group NL at the regional Lake Mackay Project. Nanocube Memory Technology Advances Adelaide, Feb 17, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Strategic Elements ( ASX:SOR ) is pleased to report that an alternative method of building a Nanocube Memory Ink prototype is being optimised with the aim to reveal significantly enhanced capabilities of the memory technology. Due to very promising early results, extended time and resources have been allocated for further optimisation of this method and initial testing of the memory technology. Some of the advanced potential capabilities of the Nanocube technology have not been released publicly by the Company to date due to the patenting and IP process. It is common within the industry for Companies with disruptive technology to operate in 'stealth mode' in respect to certain aspects of their technology until market and IP/patent issues have been addressed. The memory ink prototype tested at the end of 2015 successfully demonstrated a number of important features that differentiate the Nanocube technology. Backing the UNSW technical team with time and resources to follow through their innovative ideas since the start of 2016 has led to a method that potentially enhances some of the most technically advanced features of the technology. Further optimisation and initial testing will be conducted over the next 3-4 weeks. A successful result will enable the Company to demonstrate the enhanced capacity of the technology to future potential partners. The Company will provide information on further developments as appropriate. Managing Director Charles Murphy said, "We believe the technology is completely different to anything else being developed globally. Its important we continue to back the innovative concepts that the UNSW team propose as they are a globally respected technical team developing a breakthrough technology". Background 100% owned Australian Advanced Materials (AAM) has an exclusive global licence for the technology from UNSW and has contracted the materials group at the UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering to assist in developing a nanocube memory prototype, improving the technology and creating new intellectual property. - Nanocube memory technology is based on RRAM, the type of memory technology forecast to replace flash memory, which is reaching its limits. - RRAM allows faster, less power hungry, more reliable, cheaper and more scalable memory. - There are many companies developing different RRAM memory solutions including Micron and Sony. - However the Nanocube technology has significant points of difference - it is flexible, transparent and can be fabricated into a liquid solution at room temperature outside expensive high-vacuum chambers. - The obvious fit is Printed Electronics (PE) where chemical, printing and electronic industries have collaborated to create a multi-billion dollar market that will be the future of electronics. - PE can create flexible, transparent electronics which current semiconductors cannot. PE can also be manufactured using cheap printing methods unlike current electronics made in expensive fabrication plants. - This creates opportunities to (a) allow device manufacturers to produce flexible products and (b) put electronics in places and on products that have never been able to use electronics before. - In December 2015 testing results were released clearly demonstrating the potential of the technology. About Strategic Elements Ltd Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) shares are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange under the code SOR. The Company is registered under the Pooled Development Program run by the Australian Federal Government to encourage investment into SMEs. To assist Pooled Development Funds to invest and raise capital, the Federal Government enables most shareholders in a Pooled Development Fund to make capital gains and receive dividends tax-free. ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost. Global education and test prep company Kaplan announced on Wednesday the launch of their U.S. Global Leadership and Professional Development Practice at a New York kick-off event, attended by business leaders from the banking, finance and accounting sectors. Kaplan already serves the people development needs of many Fortune 500 companies in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, said Dr. Andrew Temte, president of Kaplan Professional Education, per a press release Extending Kaplans successful global practice into the United States further enhances our ability to serve and meet the global professional development needs of global corporations, especially in the banking, finance and accounting sectors. We believe that both technical and behavioral confidence are key components in empowering leaders, managers and others to make the decisions that drive commercial performance, continued Andrew Perkins, global vice president of Kaplans Leadership and Professional Development Practice. And those decisions are made in the context of a workplace where people have to apply both a technical understanding of the issue at hand and simultaneously consider the human dimension. Kaplan says their approach is to work closely with clients in order to understand their business practices, processes and culture. This is obvious and yet learning and development programs are often separated out into technical lessons on one hand, and soft skills on the other, Perkins added. We believe development should integrate the technical and behavioral aspects and leverage the interdependences between them. Our programs rely heavily on simulations and decision making scenarios that do just this. The key to the successful development of individuals and organizations are interventions designed around what a particular business needs right now. No two businesses are the same, so why would the development they offer their people be the same? stated Dr. Ian Stewart, global head of Kaplans Leadership and Organizational Practice. Our experience with global firms operating in various business sectors is that specific interventions, rather than just theoretical programs, are necessary to imbed practical changes in the workforce that drive commercial advantage. Kaplans U.S. Leadership and Professional Development Practice will initially be based in Manhattan, with plans to expand to other U.S. cities soon. For more on the Leadership and Professional Development Practice, head to Kaplans site here. The Financial Accounting Standards Board is expected to release its long-awaited lease accounting standard this quarter, and companies are bracing for the impact on their balance sheets. The changes will require companies to gather significantly more information and require more management judgments each reporting period, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The changing model might affect financial ratios and metrics, lease vs. buy decisions, accounting processes and controls, along with technology. With that effort there comes a bit of compliance around ensuring that you have the full population of your leases and all the data that youll need to do the ultimate accounting, coupled with the fact that this information may not be centrally housed in one location, said Sheri Wyatt, managing director of PwCs Capital Markets Accounting Advisory Services. While many people believe the new standard simply means putting operating leases on the balance sheet, Wyatt sees the effort going deeper. The view is that for U.S. GAAP issuers its going to be largely a balance sheet exercise, because from the P&L or income statement perspective the accounting treatment will be virtually the same, she said. But with the prominence of these leases coming on the balance sheet, then that starts to put a bit more focus on companies processes and controls as well as the data. For those companies with mostly finance leases, there wont be as much of an impact because those leases are already on the balance sheet. According to FASB, finance leases will be accounted for in substantially the same way as capital leases are under current GAAP. The new standard will mainly affect companies where the leases have been kept off the balance sheet until now. It should not have much of an impact on corporate profits, though, or greatly surprise many investors and financial analysts. From a P&L perspective, if something still meets the characteristics of an operating lease, then youre still going to have the same P&L recognition pattern that you have under current GAAP, so were not expecting to see as much volatility or change in the income statements, said Wyatt. With respect to the additional leverage, all companies will be in the same position, so I dont know that this is necessarily going to take too many investors by surprise, particularly because companies are required to disclose under current GAAP what their lease commitments are. Analysts already do some analytics around that and apply a multiple to come up to what the potential balance sheet impact would be. Unless theres a situation where the company may, through their investigation process, find more leases than they originally had disclosed, I dont know that there will be too much surprise for investors. However, analysts are going to learn more about the lease terms. Some of the information that the analysts didnt have were the assumptions around the lease term and assumptions around the discount rate, and that can obviously have an impact on what companies are putting on their balance sheet compared to what analysts may have been expecting, said Wyatt. It remains to be seen whether there are going to be large variances between them. Companies will also need to provide more disclosure about embedded leases now. This is a change in GAAP where the definition of what contains a lease may be different from what it was before, said Wyatt. For example, a company may have a service arrangement that contains an embedded lease under current GAAP, but because that accounting treatment was an operating lease it may or may not have been disclosed in their disclosures. Now under the new standard, where it is changing the definition of a lease embedded in a contract, you could find a situation where there may be more leases, although we are currently speculating there may be less embedded leases under the new standard, as opposed to today. It may be kind of a push and pull, where companies might have previously not disclosed as many leases, but at the same time they may have a reduction in leases because of the new standard on embedded leases. Trade groups like the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association have been sounding warnings about the impact of the new standard on equipment-leasing companies. The concern that Ive heard has been the potential risk for lessees switching from leasing to buying, as well as potential additional information needs that companies may request from lessors in order to do their accounting, in particular where a contract may contain both a lease and a non-lease element and wanting to get the right information to be able to do the allocation between those two elements, said Wyatt. Lessees may elect to work with their lessors to modify the terms of their leases to lower the impact on their financial statements. Companies may start to look a bit more closely at their lease vs. buy decisions as well as their procurement process just to ensure that they are making the right decisions around whether its more economical for them to lease vs. buy, since at least from a balance sheet perspective youll get to a similar leverage as you would from buying it, said Wyatt. There are also differences between the upcoming FASB standard and the version released last month by the International Accounting Standards Board for companies using International Financial Reporting Standards (see IASB Releases Lease Accounting Standard). Those might have some impact on multinational companies. The differences are isolated into two areas, one in terms of scoping under U.S. GAAP will have a scope exception, or what we could exclude from measurement will be short-term leases, whereas under IFRS they have a concept of small-ticket leases as well as short-term leases, Wyatt explained. There could be some differences there, as companies start thinking about their policies and deploying it across their organization will need to keep in mind. The biggest difference for multinationals is going to be the fact that U.S. GAAP will have a dual model, where youll have a finance representation, the P&L, as well as an operating presentation, whereas under IFRS everything is going to be a financing. That does create some challenges, particularly from a systems perspective, in ensuring that whatever system that a company chooses to use, that it can handle multi-GAAP. Companies will need to start preparing for implementing the new standard over the next few years and some will need to produce comparative financial statements as they make the transition. The effective date of the standard is 2019, so it is at least three years out, but for public companies that have comparatives youre looking at 2017, 2018 and 2019, said Wyatt. FASB in some of their discussions has stated that because of some of the simplifications that theyve done with the models since they first started the project that they dont expect implementation to be too challenging. She believes companies will need to spend time accumulating the data and perhaps consider implementing a new system to handle both the new leasing and revenue recognition standards. The implementation process will take some time, but companies are also still in the midst of implementing the revenue recognition standard, said Wyatt. There will be a prioritization given that revenue becomes effective at least a year earlier than leasing. Wyatt believes a staggered implementation probably makes sense for many companies, but she noted that under both U.S. GAAP and IFRS, FASB and the IASB have allowed companies to adopt the standards early. At least under U.S. GAAP, its as early as when its issued, she said. Under IFRS its no earlier than when you adopt the revenue recognition standard. That gives companies some flexibility and is a bit of a difference from the FASBs typical protocol. Theyve generally not allowed early adoption of standards, but I think they want to give companies that flexibility to say if its more economical for you to adopt those at the same time you have the ability to do so. Companies may decide to change their procurement processes when entering into leases under the new standard. I dont think companies are necessarily required to look at their procurement process, but it gives them an opportunity to look at their process, said Wyatt. They may not have focused on it as much because perhaps the procurement and the decisions were largely around getting to operating lease treatment as opposed to getting the best deal for the organization. If a company is thinking about potentially modifying their procurement process or looking for ways to identify potential synergies that they can get from leasing equipment from a consolidated group of vendors as opposed to a more dispersed group of vendors, they can get some economies of scale from that. You can get some of those cost savings from consolidating vendors, thinking about the end-of-term decisions and whether you are making the right decisions when you get to the end of the lease, as well as lease vs. buy decisions, and getting a more robust process around that. The cost savings could mitigate some of the costs of compliance associated with implementing the standard. Companies can reduce the potential compliance costs with the help of technology. Companies when they think about the compliance costs may start to get a bit overwhelmed thinking about how they dont currently have a system or repository for their leases today, and so now theyre going to have to allocate resources in order to ensure that the data they have is accurate and complete, or go through the process of abstracting some of the key pieces of information, said Wyatt. I think that gives companies an opportunity to explore technology solutions. Weve been working with our clients around various uses of technology to help with that abstraction and extraction process so that companies can look to perhaps reduce the cost of compliance by leveraging technology. Animal Planet HD World, the premiere high-definition wildlife channel, in its new series MEET THE ORANGUTANS offers a window into the extraordinary daily drama of the world's oldest Orangutan Sanctuary, Sepilok in Malaysia. The channel puts heartfelt stories, both human and animal, at its heart to reveal the character of this wonderful species. Filmed in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneos tip, Sepilok is the last remaining oasis of tropical rainforest, and home to no less than 50 of these people of the forest at any one time.The series follows the apes from their arrival as tiny orphaned babies, to their triumphant release back into the wild as young adults. From babies being bottle-fed and wearing nappies, to teenagers being taught how to climb trees, and wounded Orangutans arriving at the sanctuary needing urgent veterinary care, there is never a dull moment. MEET THE ORGANUTANS kicks off on Animal Planet HD World on February 22nd and will air Monday to Thursday at 10 PM. MEET THE ORANGUTANS follows the lives of residents (orangutans) including Peanut, Beryl, Chiquita and Gelison, as they learn the crucial survival skills necessary for their eventual release. Then theres the teenagers who arent quite as innocent and eager to learn - whether its weigh-ins, forest school or feeding time, theres always the opportunity to pick locks, mug tourists, steal toolsor just hang around plotting the next heist. The human cariers, led by Susan (Sue) Sheward, Founder and Chairperson from the Orangutan Appeal UK, are every bit as colourful too, and the jurys still out on who rules the roost the staff or the apes. On top of the day-to-day madness, primatologist, James Robins who heads the charity's ground breaking research project, operating out of little more than a shack and living on tinned food for months at a time will assess just how adaptable, how extraordinarily intelligent, and how much like humans these gifted creatures really are. James overseas a range of intelligence tests, that would stump some humans, displaying their brilliant ruses for getting one over on the visiting tourists, and their whole system of communication. Uncovering intriguing facts about their psychology and biology, MEET THE ORANGUTANS reveals how much like us these animals really are. Due to commercial logging and illegal hunting, the orangutan is an endangered species.With the dwindling numbers just one little orangutan can make a lot of difference. Mumbai, February 16, 2016: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, the market leader in Oral Care, has created a completely new segment of express tooth pain relief with the launch of their innovative new product Pain Out. Now you need to apply just one drop directly on the tooth which is paining to get express symptomatic relief. Toothpain is one of the most common Dental problems and a recent study* conducted to assess attitudes towards dental care showed that 37%* of people have suffered from tooth ache in the past six to 12 months. Moreover, a whopping 62%* suffer from tooth ache at least once a week. Yet, 47%* of the people have never visited a dentist. Beyond excruciating pain Tooth pain also comes with no warning or trigger and brings life to a complete standstill. Pain Out is the First aid solution which can offer temporary relief so you can continue with your daily activities before going to a Dentist for permanent cure. Pain Out is the first product of its kind that has been researched, conceptualized and developed by Colgate in India. It is a topical application gel based formula with a unique Acti Eugenia formula. Eric Jumbert, Director, Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited said, At Colgate, we are continually innovating to address our consumer demands. Pain Out is one such innovation that Colgate has conceptualized and developed in India. Pain Out is a solution to treat unexpected toothache with just one drop. While this product offers express relief, one should maintain good oral hygiene and visit a dentist for permanent cure. Our new product is backed by robust scientific formulation that offers express relief. With Pain Outs launch, Colgate aims to take a step closer to its consumers and their needs. Pain Out will be available at all leading chemists near your home and is packed in a convenient compact yet premium packaging. Pain out is priced at Rs. 50 for 10 gm and will be available across India starting February 2016. Pain out offers symptomatic relief only, for permanent cure one must visit a dentist. The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the assault by lawyers and others on journalists and cameramen, especially women journalists, who were reporting from Patiala House Court on Monday when the President of JNU Students Union was to be produced in the Court. Condemning the incident, Rajat Sharma, President, NBA, in a statement issued, called it a cowardly attack meant to intimidate journalists carrying out their work in disseminating news and information, a service that is essential for any democratic society. He stated that this was an attack on the freedom of the press. The JNU Students Union President was produced in the Court on Monday on charges of sedition, where he had allegedly delivered anti-Indian speech and raised anti-India slogans during a protest march at the University to mark the anniversary of Afzal Gurus hanging. Groups of lawyers attacked the students and teachers of JNU as well as journalists covering the case in the Patiala House Court complex and called them anti-national. Vidya Balan released the Nihar Naturals #IAmCapable national report recently in Kolkata. As a brand, Nihar always stood for the inner-voice of women and has supported a progressive life for them. This time, Nihar took upon the task of making Indian women realize that, Appearance cannot be a tool to judge a womans capability. In order to sensitise women about their inner capability through a powerful medium that would immediately resonate with them, Nihar Naturals launched the #IAmCapable report, a national study commissioned to Nielsen. The report highlights a limiting bias faced by Indian women today 64% of Indian women state that judgements passed on them has affected their ability to reach their true potential. The Nihar Naturals initiative, commissioned this research to bust some commonly held judgements regarding a womans appearance and her ability. Womens hair length and clothing choices are elements of style that Indian society routinely polarises either as traditional or modern. Long locks are considered feminine, whereas short haircuts are not. Hair in a bun or braid is considered traditional and sedate; long and loose hair is judged as glamorous. With such fixed stereotypes at play, Indian women find their style being confused with their abilities like 62% of Indian men agree that women with long hair are better at attending to a childs needs and 62% of Indian men agreed that they dont think women who wear traditional attire can change the tyre of a car. An Indian actor has encountered and overcome such stereotypes in the professional world. As brand ambassador for Nihar Naturals, Vidya Balan said, I have chosen to be associated with Nihar over 5 years because this brand believes in encouraging and enabling women to achieve their full potential. I learnt that more than 69% of Indian men agree that their judgement of women is based on their looks. I feel by making public the findings in this survey Nihar is doing a great job in rejecting appearance based stereotypes. Nihar through its initiatives, is tangibly enabling men and women alike to overcome obstacles to development. Also present at the event was Harshini Khanekar, Indias first female fire engineer who overcame the odds of conventional bias against her choice of career in a male dominated field to succeed in her professional life. Harshini acknowledged the reports findings and said, I am alarmed to learn that 70% of women agree that majority of judgements on women are from family members or friends rather than strangers. I had observed this around the society; it affects womens morale and professional progress. I believe men and women alike need support to reach goals and should not have superficial judgements hampering our motivation. As part of this campaign for women to achieve their full potential, Nihar Naturals released a music video to bolster women to overcome judgements and to make the most of their capabilities. They asked to hear from women about their experiences and the response was overwhelming. Thousands of Indian women called in to relate their stories of facing bias and achieving their goals. Nihar felicitated one such lady Rubi Ghosh during the launch event in Kolkata. She faced considerable opposition from her in-laws and people in West Bengal to start dance tuitions for children at home. Her husband stood by her in the face of opposition. She began with 2 students and now she trains 80 dancers. Nihar Naturals celebrates Rubi's capabilities by helping her develop 'Rubi Ghosh Dance Academy'. If 69% of women surveyed agree that they want freedom from the judgements that are passed on them by people in the society then, we must do what we can to ensure that our society is set free of these burdens. Indianness and femininity are not determined by choice of hairdo or clothing. Just like Vidya Balan, Harshini Khanekar, Rubi Ghosh and other enterprising Indian ladies, our creativity and our productivity help build our self-esteem. This report commissioned by Nihar Naturals on research conducted by Nielsen aims to remedy the effect of women being misjudged on the basis of their style in relation to their abilities. It hopes people all over feel this message and it makes a difference in their lives. CAA International (CAAi) - the overseas advisory arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) - has been awarded a new capacity building project in Suriname, which will be led by CAAi and delivered in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Above: An A340 with the Surinam Airways fleet - the flag carrier airline of Suriname. The 13-month contract will see the UK CAA support the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism (MTCT) of Suriname in the implementation of a modernised legal and institutional framework for civil aviation. Experts from the UK CAA and IATA Consulting visited the South American country last month (January 2016) to embark on the project. They were greeted by key civil aviation representatives of Suriname including the MTCT, the Acting Director of Civil Aviation Safety Authority Suriname (CASAS), and the Senior Adviser to the President of the Republic of Suriname to name a few. The project team also met the Deputy Director of the ICAO South American (SAM) Regional Office to affirm the common goal of raising the level of effective implementation in Suriname and the SAM Region. Sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the project aims to raise Surinames safety oversight system and regulatory effectiveness to support the growth of Suriname and its eco-tourism industry. The UK CAA and IATA will support the drafting of a new Civil Aviation Act, assess options for the establishment of a new Civil Aviation Authority in Suriname and set up an independent air accident investigations body. The project team will support the separation of regulation and service provision functions and will review possibilities of privatisation and/or corporatisation models of other aviation services such as Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and Aerodromes. The project will also include the development of an implementation plan to support the modernised institutional framework. F-22 Raptors conduct show of force over South Korea Four U.S. F-22 Raptors conducted a combined formation flight alongside South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles and U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons here to demonstrate the capabilities of both nations Feb. 17, in response to recent provocative actions by North Korea. The F-22 Raptor is the most capable air superiority fighter in the world, and it represents one of many capabilities available for the defense of this great nation. The U.S. maintains an ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea, Lt. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the United Nations Command Korea and U.S. Forces Korea deputy commander and U.S. 7th Air Force commander, told reporters. Lt. Gen. Lee Wang-keon, the South Korea Air Force Operations Command commander, spoke about the strength of the alliances air combat capabilities during his brief remarks. The ROK and U.S. combined air forces remain ready to deter North Korean threats, and are postured to defeat them with the strength of our combined air combat capability, Lee said. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Evans, the 36th Fighter Squadron commander, flew alongside the formation, showcasing Osan Air Bases readiness mission. The combined nature of this flyover highlighted the high level of integration and interoperability between our two air forces, developed through decades of combined training, Evans said. Furthermore, the inclusion of F-22s, and a B-52 in January, demonstrated the firm resolve of all (U.S.) forces as we stand united with our counterparts from the ROK air force, he added. The mission demonstrated the strength of the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea and the resolve of both nations to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula. (This feature is part of the " Through Airmen's Eyes " series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)He is the Dr. Frankenstein of expeditionary treat making, whipping up delicious concoctions out of care package candy bars and whatever else he can dig up. His laboratory is a tiny office, and his only tools are a little microwave and a mini fridge.Yet, people dont run terrified from his newest monster -- everyone wants a piece.The story of deployed culinary experimentation began for Dan Johnson, the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group contract augmentation program manager, at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, in 2012. There, he had a coworker from Trinidad who specialized in making unique chocolate treats from whom he learned the tricks of the trade.All of what I do is in an expeditionary environment, and that surprises people, Johnson said. They think there is no way that I made this over here. But its all done in a microwave and a mini fridge in my office. Its truly Dans Gourmet Expeditionary Chocolates.This hobby has been his creative outlet for four years in Afghanistan. He makes a batch every month or so to break up the monotony of deployed life, because as Johnson jokes, It prolongs the inevitable descent into madness that results from writing government contracts every day.So where does Johnson find all the ingredients to complete the recipes he has designed? Care packages mailed from family and friends back home.People come to me all the time with things they get from their care packages, Johnson explained. I have had people bring me Twix and Twinkies, and so I came up with something out of that. Just the other day, someone brought in a bag of PayDays they got in the mail and asked if I could make something. I think I am going to mix it with a chocolate mousse; you cant go wrong with that.While Victor Frankenstein only made a couple monsters, Johnson makes about 60 to 80 culinary confections per batch to distribute throughout the support group. After the batch is served to his adoring fans, he keeps one of each new specimen for himself. However, it is not to eat. Johnson carefully cuts apart the snack, takes photos of it, and transcribes meticulous notes of how it was made. All of this helps him pass on his knowledge to others who want to mimic his recipes.Without an assistant, like Igor, to train, Johnson takes time out of his day to teach others how to make his concoctions. He has a passion teaching others to share in his experiences.I have always wanted to make candy but never had the opportunity to learn, said Tech. Sgt. Felicia Smith, a 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron executive assistant. When we first met, he was bringing in a batch of his newest treats and it cheered everyone up because it was so unexpected in a deployed environment. The reaction on peoples faces and the joy it brought them was incredible.I tried to make candy before and failed miserably. I was really discouraged, she added. It was after Mr. Johnson showed me how to do it, that I really knew what I was doing. There is an art to what he does, and he has inspired me.Like every good inventor, Johnson has a go-to secret recipe that people request all the time from him -- the Reeseo. While others across the world have made similar styles of this treat, his Air Force version is one of a kind. First, he takes two double stuffed Oreos and places them around a Reeces Peanut Butter Cup. Then, he uses a special chocolate to be melted over the entire treat. After that, he stamps the Air Force logo into the top. Finally, he finishes it off with powdered sugar to bring out the accent of the stamp. Over the course of his four years making delectable snacks, he has made upwards of 1,000 Reeseos.Though Johnson has carved out a niche as a confectioner, he does not plan on taking his talents to the business realm.I love making these as a hobby, but I would probably come to hate it if I had to do it as a job, he said. I will probably keep doing this even after I leave Afghanistan, but it will just be for my family and friends.With all the success Johnson has had in creating culinary masterpieces from the bits and pieces of care packages, he has surely earned his place as an honorary mad scientist. And, with how good everyone says his expeditionary treats taste, he surely isnt in any danger of being run out of town by an angry mob. In fact, its actually quite the opposite. New co-chairman joins Air Forces retiree council A new co-chairman will share the head of the table at this year's Air Force Retiree Council meeting in May. Retired Lt. Gen. Stephen Hoog, who left active duty in October, succeeds retired Lt. Gen. Steven Polk as council co-chair with retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley. The co-chairs serve as personal advisers to the chief of staff and the secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding retirees and their families. Hoog's appointment was announced by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. Meeting at the Air Force Personnel Center, the council receives briefings on today's Air Force structure from senior members of the Air Staff and other Air Force elements. This information helps the 19-member panel address issues submitted from 100 base-level retiree activities offices worldwide. Subjects range from health care to publication of the Afterburner newsletter to various benefit and entitlement enhancements. Recommendations on key issues are forwarded to the Air Force chief of staff and subject matter experts. Hoog attended a council orientation in early February where he was able to meet with Polk and McKinley to discuss his new role and responsibilities. "As a fairly new retiree myself, I am impressed with the support and services the Air Force strives to provide its retirees, their families and surviving spouses," Hoog said. "I'm looking forward to serving on the council beside others who care deeply about our retiree family." A native of the Bay Area in California, Hoog is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours, including 181 combat hours over Bosnia and Iraq. During his tenure as co-chair, Polk was instrumental in bolstering commander support for base-level retiree activities offices and reviving the hard-copy mailing of the Afterburner for retirees and annuitants without Internet access. "It was an honor and a privilege to serve with each council member and with CMSAFs (Gerald) Murray and McKinley -- professionals all and still serving," Polk said. "I'm proud of the work and accomplishments we handled as a team, and I'm grateful for the strong support of (former CSAF) Gen. Norton Schwartz and Gen. Welsh. I'm especially proud of the enthusiastic RAO volunteers worldwide who continue to serve our Air Force every day." This Account has been suspended. Contact your hosting provider for more information. Following the landmark victory in Delhi Assembly Elections, grabbing 67 of the total 70 seats, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which called for alternative politics and spoke of its commitment towards the common man formed government in Delhi with an almost full house under its command. AAPs manifesto with 70 points failed to live up to the expectations of the people and the party is yet to deliver the promises made by it. Voters may feel that for a democratic system to foster, the government must be held accountable for the pre-poll promises. For analysis, the 70 point Action plan drawn by the AAP for Delhi, was broken down into 90 points. Based on the work done, which was evaluated after gathering information from advisors to cabinet ministers, press releases and news reports, every promise, excluding 12 which were either too generic or difficult to assess, was assigned one of these statuses. We come across with the remarks Fulfilled, Under Progress, Yet to Start, Wishlist, Stalled or Broken we could not understand the real name of democracy in Delhi. Having trumpheted about the peoples movement, Arvind Kejriwal failed to keep up the promise in the last one year. The AAP meter does not show encouraging signs and it is just like any other elected Government. C.K. Ramani (The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.) Maharashtra Government drops the idea to make superstar Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador of Jalyukta Shivar last minute after backlash from BJP supporters on social media. For undoing the damage created by the furore over Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Hyderabad Central University (HCU) controversies BJP led Maharashtra government had planned to appoint Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador of Jalyukt Shivar project an initiative to make the state drought free. However, the government had to rethink its decision after a backlash from BJP supporters from social media as they tweeted about Aamirs intolerance remarks which had created a huge controversy in the country earlier. The #IntoleranceIndia was trending on social media. According to sources in CMO, Government has decided to drop the idea to appoint Aamir Khan as Brand Ambassador and we are searching for some other celebrity. Yes, its true that we had finalized Aamirs name, but in the morning CM had asked us to put his name on hold for the project, said the source. Aamir Khan was present in Make in India event and was scheduled to perform but the programme was cancelled after fire erupted at the venue. When asked about the development from BJP an office bearer, on the condition of anonymity said, To please somebody we cant invite the ire of our supporters. However, we are contacting other celebrities who can be appointed as ambassador for Jalyukt Shivar. However, Chief Minister has another reason to say. He denied the reports and said, The reports of Khan to be made the brand ambassador for drought-free Maharashtra was not true. Several regions of Maharashtra is witnessing drought. I appreciate the efforts of Aamir Khans Paani Foundation which will work with the state government for resolving the water scarcity problem. Officials said they were in talks with Khan since May last year and the actor was keen on working with the state government. Khan had also contributed Rs. 11 lakh to the chief ministers relief fund as donation to the scheme in 2015. Earlier, BJP had terminated Aamir Khans contract for the Incredible India campaign after the actor had made controversial comments on the issue of intolerance. The actor had said that his wife Kiran Rao was so concerned that she had even thought about relocating from India. Khan and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were expected to make a joint announcement of the initiative at the government guesthouse on Wednesday. Fadnavis had launched the water conservation project within a couple of months after he occupied office in 2014. The project was reportedly discussed with the Bollywood superstar in May last year. Under the Jalyukta Shivar project, water conservation projects were planned in 25,000 villages reeling under drought across Maharashtra are. In the first phase, the government completed 1.20 lakh works in 6,200 villages. The second phase will be rolled out in 5,000 drought-prone villages. At least five people have been killed in an explosion in Ankara, the citys governor has said. Up to a dozen more have reportedly also been injured, they added, after what police officials have said was a car bomb which targeted a military vehicle near a barracks in Turkeys capital city. Thick black smoke can be seen rising over Turkish capital city Ankara after reports of a car bomb exploding near a military dormitory. Local media reported a van carrying military personnel was hit, with a large number thought to have been injured. Turkey has been hit by a serious of attacks recently, including a suicide bomber that killed 10 people in Istanbul last month. The Bombay High Court directed the producer and director of film Dark Chocolate, based on Sheena Bora murder case, not to release any material apart from its already released trailer on internet, pending hearing on a plea of arrested accused Peter Mukerjeas sister. Peter Mukerjeas sister Shangom Das Gupta filed a petition in the high court seeking stay on the release of the Bengali movie Dark Chocolate, on the ground that it would hamper Peters opportunity for a fair and impartial trial. Senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for Shangom, told a division bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and GS Patel that Peter could not file the petition himself as he is presently in jail, and hence the verification process could not be done. We will initiate the process and include Peter as the second petitioner, Dhond said. Meanwhile, the movies Kolkata-based director Agnidev Chaterjee, who was present in court, informed the bench that the shooting of the movie is over and it is presently in the post-production stage. The movie should be ready in roughly about 20 days after which it would be sent to the censor board for certification. The trailer of the movie has been released on Youtube as part of the promotional activity, he said. The court asked the director and the producer company Macneill Engineering Studios not to release any further material or video of the movie on the internet. Other than what has been already released, nothing further should be released. We want to ensure that the accused Peter Mukerjea is not deprived of a fair opportunity to put forth his case before this court, the HC said. Jawaharlal Nehru University students issue has suddenly captured national attention after being charged with sedition. This has also brought the spotlight on the universitys student politics, once considered an ideal model for institutions but now being seen by many on the social media with acute suspicion. The legal implications of the police crackdown on the campus apart, JNU student politics over the decades has been unique in two ways: its freedom from money and muscle, and its propensity to see ideological debates and dissent as an integral part of politics. In how many universities today can children of working class people hope to contest and win an election without money being spent or goons being brought in to deter rivals and this shows the eagerness to win college elections. What a pity? Thus JNU politics is about ideas and debates and nothing else. Nickhil Maniam (The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.) Prashant Kishor (naam toh suna hi hoga), a brilliant political strategist, who grab the attention of the Indians when he helped through his strategy the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win an absolute majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Kishor and some members of Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) regrouped and started the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC). After first acclaimed success, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hired him and Kishor started working for the 2015 Bihar assembly election, closely with CM Nitish Kumar, a longtime Modis rival. Kishor helped Kumars Grand Alliance rout the BJPs alliance 17858. After the Bihar victory, there was gossiping that Kishor is in talk with the Indian National Congress, to run its campaign for the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 2017. Prashant Kishors new role as a cabinet-rank adviser on policy and implementation to Bihar Chief Minister is unlikely to affect his other assignment, even he is working as an advisor to Punjab Congress President Captain Amarinder Singh on the 2017 Assembly elections in the state. If media has to be believed then Kishors team have surveyed the first round for Punjab Congress. With the success story of General Elections and Bihar Assembly elections, his model of canvassing and stumping became imperative. Interestingly, Modis chai pe charcha and the 3D hologram rally were the CAGs brainchild. Twitter and Facebook was handled by BJPs Cyber Cell but most of its social media focus was on WhatsApp. Technology entrepreneur Rajesh Jains collection of phone numbers of people sympathetic to the Modi campaign (through those missed calls) was used to bombard those numbers with daily visual messages via Whatsapp. Modis speeches across the country had talking points from the CAG, based on feedback from where he was going to address the rally. The Statue of Unity project, which collected iron from people across the country to build a Sardar Patel statue, was the CAGs idea. Modi personally sat through many of these strategy meetings of the CAG for hours, and was particularly impressed by the hologram idea. The CAGs core group of members kept expanding throughout the election. After success story of BJPs win, the party and its leaders could not digest what they got, they even forgot to give due credits to people contributed to their success. After elections Prashant was sidelined by Amit Shah, he is known for his arrogance and thankless behaviours. As we know, because of Amit Shah even there is silent revolt in party workers too. Since, he has become President of the party, he never bothered to meet leaders of ground level and credit them for their work or contribution. Kishor felt he didnt getting his due in Modis government. He declined a post in the Prime Ministers office as he felt he deserved better. Kishor and his Citizens for Accountable Governance had hoped to be given a high-profile role in policymaking and implementation in the new government. However, the BJP felt that Kishor had become too big for his boots, and such a role would risk his taking away too much credit for the 2014 victory. He is one stubborn man who was the reason for the defeat of BJP in Delhi and Bihar. Kishor was so close to the then Gujarat chief minister that he lived with Modi in his official residence in Gandhinagar. His body, the CAG, made decisions small and big that BJP leaders and workers had to follow. The division of labour between the BJP and CAG was clear. The BJP, led by Amit Shah, worked on electoral strategies down to the booth level, doing much of the traditional work that it takes to win an election. Behind the scenes however, Kishor and his team were acting as force multipliers, packaging and branding Modi in a presidential style election. Yet, despite such influence on the party, Kishor wouldnt join the BJP, and the CAG remained an external body. If Narendra Modi had continued working with the CAG, it could have created a parallel structure to the BJP party apparatus, and would thus have created great resentment in the party. BJP President Amit Shah owes his elevation as BJP president to the credit accorded to him for the election win, and Shahs camp seemed to feel threatened by Kishor. The battle between Shah and Kishor playing out in Bihar was about more than just personal rivalry. That was a clash of two different models, the old-fashioned party loyalist and the professional campaign manager. Anyway, practically speaking Narendra Modi needs Amit Shah more than Prashant Kishor. Elections come and go, but a party can only rely on the loyalty of its own leaders. Its relations with external consultants, no matter how brilliant, will be transactional. Lets see with old loyal of Narendra Modi how long he can run in the race. Delhi, Bihar, municipal to gram panchayat elections, BJP has witnessed humiliating defeat and party lost its credibility much earlier than expected. On the other hand, Prashant Kishor has established himself as Kingmaker the one who crafts the win for party and its leader. Lets see how long he can live up to his benchmark. Web Toolbar by Wibiya (NaturalNews) On Fepuary 6, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that ap nuclear power plant about 40 miles from Manhattan had leaked one of the most potent radioactive carcinogens into the groundwater. The groundwater in that area flows to the Hudson River just 25 miles north of New York City. "Yesterday I learned that radioactive tritium-contaminated water leaked," the governor said in an official statement. "The company reported alarming levels of radioactivity at three monitoring wells, with one well's radioactivity increasing nearly 65,000 percent." Alarmingly, the leak is not the first for this plant in recent years. In fact, such leaks are relatively common among U.S. nuclear power plants. Potent carcinogen released into river The leak took place at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which supplies about 30 percent of New York City's electricity. Jerry Nappi, spokesperson for plant operator Entergy, said the leak probably came from a "spillage of water as a result of a mechanical issue during pumping of water" during January. Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), said that an out-of-service sump pump caused water to build up and overflow from a containment drain. This then produced a leak from the building, and eventually the radioactive water made its way into the ground. There was no word on why the leak went undetected for so long. Samples taken at the testing wells around the plant showed the highest radioactivity levels ever detected at Indian Point, in some cases exceeded 8 million picocuries per liter. The radioactive component that escaped appears to be tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Alarmingly, tritium is most carcinogenic when it contaminates drinking water. It can also cause birth defects. "Our first concern is for the health and safety of the residents close to the facility and ensuring the groundwater leak does not pose a threat," Cuomo said. Even ignoring the millions living in New York City, 317,000 people live just within the 10-mile evacuation zone around the power plant. Company whitewashes; state demands answers Predictably, Entergy and the NRC both tried to downplay the seriousness of the tritium leak. They both noted that the groundwater beneath Indian Point is not upstream of any drinking water supplies. And while the water flows directly in the Hudson River, which then flows through New York City and Jersey City, Entergy claimed that "there is no health or safety consequence to the public." The NRC parroted this line, claiming that the river would dilute the tritium into insignificance and noting that the amount released was far below federal limits. "The more immediate concern is how did this happen?" Sheehan said. The NRC and the state of New York have both launched investigations into the events surrounding the leak. "I am deeply concerned," Cuomo wrote to officials at the state's departments of Health and Environmental Conservation. "Indian Point has experienced significant failure in its operation and maintenance. ... The levels of radioactivity reported this week are significantly higher than in past incidents. ... I am directing you to fully investigate this incident... to determine the extent of the release, its likely duration, its causes, its potential impacts to the environment and public health, and how the release can be contained." This is not Indian Point's first instance of groundwater contamination in recent years. In 2014, two monitoring wells registered higher-than-normal levels of tritium, probably due to an accidental release during a maintenance shutdown of the plant. And in 2009, a federal investigation was launched following the release of 100,000 gallons of tritium-contaminated water into the groundwater... and from there into the Hudson River. In fact, such leaks are shockingly common among U.S. nuclear power plants. According to a 2009 investigation by The Associated Press, about 75 percent of the 65 nuclear power plants in the country have leaked tritium at least once. Of course, that only counts the times they've been caught. Sources for this article include: CNN.com NYDailyNews.com News12.cv.net[MP4] ABCNews.Go.com Governor.NY.gov NyackNewsAndViews.com CBS6Albany.com Science.NaturalNews.com TruthWiki.org FukushimaWatch.com Read more WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2016 - Key House Republicans are demanding to know how well the Food and Drug Administration is securing proprietary information it collects from food producers under new food-safety regulations. In a letter to the FDA, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton of Michigan, and its subcommittee on health, Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania, noted that the Food Safety Modernization Act gives the agency access to many records involving companies' use of preventative controls. Proposed changes to the nutrition facts label on packages will give the agency access to additional information, the lawmakers wrote. The letter goes on to ask FDA to provide answers to a series of questions about how sensitive company information is protected. Watching for stories about food safety? Sign up for an Agri-Pulse four-week free trial subscription to stay on top of this and other ag, rural policy and energy issues. Recent cybersecurity breaches at FDA and a criminal insider trading case involving an FDA official accessing information from drug review files in which he was not a part of the review team and did not have a need to know highlight the importance of FDAs ability to safeguard information security, the letter says. Since FDA now has access to and possession of the most highly sensitive and proprietary information such as recipes and formulas, the committee seeks specific information from FDA on actions and plans for protecting this kind of information. #30 February 16, 2016 The room occupied by Palestinian hunger striker Muhammad al-Kik at the HaEmek Hospital in Afula has become a pilgrimage site for human rights activists. This is the first time that activists and journalists alike have had a chance to visit a hunger striker in his room to shake his hand and offer encouragement. Just outside, dozens of police officers guard the room, while security cameras cover every corner of the hospitals internal medicine ward. Al-Kik, a 33-year-old resident of Dura in the Hebron District, works as a journalist for the Saudi Almajd news network. Upon his arrest by the Israeli authorities on Nov. 21, 2015, he decided to use a hunger strike to protest his administrative detention. That hunger strike has been going on for more than 80 days now. His attorney, Hanan Hatib, told Al-Monitor that his life is now in serious danger. All he drinks is water. Unlike Samer Issawi and other Palestinian hunger strikers, he refuses to take any salt or mineral supplements. He will not accept any medical care and refuses to even be seen by a doctor, fearing that it could interfere with his protest. In a conversation with Al-Monitor, Kiks fellow journalists in Hebron claim that the reason for his detention is his firm attitude toward Israel and the Palestinian Authority. As a reporter and lecturer, Kik lashed out regularly at the Palestinian leadership. Nevertheless, the Shin Bet claims that his activity as a journalist has nothing to do with his administrative detention. They say that he is a Hamas activist who has served time in prison for his activities, that he maintains contact with Hamas activists in Gaza and that he is still involved in terrorist activities through a student group aligned with Hamas at Bir Zeit University. Once his health deteriorated and it seemed he would die, the Supreme Court decided Feb. 4 to suspend his administrative detention. The courts use of this particular legal term did not rescind the administrative detention but rather made it conditional on his medical state, explained Hatib. The court determined that Kik required intensive medical care and should therefore remain in the ICU of HaEmek Hospital. His family and friends could visit him there, not as a prisoner, but subject to normal medical instructions for visiting patients. The court also decided that once Kiks condition stabilizes and he asks to be released from the hospital, he would have to approach the authorities, where he would have the right of appeal. The entire situation is absurd. Kik is not an administrative detainee, but he is not free either. The court released him, but there are still policemen right outside his door. Given these circumstances, Kik has decided to continue his hunger strike until the administrative detention order is lifted entirely and he is released from the hospital. Meanwhile, this unique legal situation makes it possible to keep Kiks room open to visitors. On one hand, visitors from across the country who regard him as a hero come to see him in his room. On the other hand, the ward has become like a military or police zone. On Friday, some 2,000 people participated in special Friday prayers for him [at the hospital]. They were [led] by Raed Salah, the leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, which Israel recently outlawed, said Hatib. Ever since his condition deteriorated, there has been a wave of protests by human rights activists hoping to pressure the Israeli authorities to release Kik immediately. One of these activists is Anat Rimon Or, who lectures about the philosophy and sociology of education at the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda and the Beit Berl College of the Arts. Rimon Or and another activist, Anat Lev, decided that they would also go on hunger strike. They began their strike Feb. 12 outside the official residence of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, as a sign of solidarity with Kik. They also started collecting signatures on a petition that they hope to present to the president. It reads, Your Excellency, Mr. President, we call on you as president of the State of Israel to intervene and save the life of the principled Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Kik, and in so doing, to help strengthen democracy in Israel. On the petition, which has been shared over social networks, they also write that the State of Israel has effectively sentenced Kik to death because of his insistence on preserving the basic principles of justice and fairness. Another activist, Hanita-Carolin Hendelman, launched a worldwide campaign in cooperation with international human rights organizations in an effort to make Israel end the practice of administrative detention. Hatib was by Kiks bedside during her telephone conversation with Al-Monitor. She described him as slipping in and out of consciousness. He is in a suspended state; not just in terms of his legal status as a detainee/not a detainee. He is also suspended between life and death, she said. When asked if it was possible to speak with Kik, she said he couldnt even use his voice. He can hear he listens, but he cant speak, his body is so weak. He usually communicates through gestures. Currently, all our efforts are focused on bringing about his release and saving his life, said Hatib. But as long as the state refuses to lift his administrative detention entirely, his condition continues to worsen, and the damage to his body is irreversible so much so, in fact, that it poses a real threat to his life. In order to assess the states position and put the legal term suspended to the test, Kiks lawyers have appealed to the Supreme Court with a request that he be transferred right away to a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank for further treatment. The state responded to the petition by saying that it opposes the transfer of Kik to another hospital. He must continue receiving medical care in an Israeli hospital, where he can be kept under constant watch and control. On Feb. 15, when the court reviewed the petition, it proposed to Kik's lawyers that he be transferred to the East Jerusalem hospital of al-Mukassad, where Israel can continue to watch over him. Kik refused. It is obvious that the state is sentencing Muhammad al-Kik to death, said Hatib. This is sad. February 17, 2016 The June 30 Revolution turned the Egyptian political scene upside down abroad and at home. At the level of international relations, Egypt has become more open to the world, while some of its relations with other countries have deteriorated. At home, Egypt has placed further emphasis on freedoms, applying the protest law so as to control security and order and to circumvent any attempt on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters to cause chaos and confusion. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former secretary-general of the United Nations and the honorary president of the National Council for Human Rights, gave an exclusive phone interview to Al-Monitor on Feb. 8, a week before his death at the age of 93. He said that the current climate does not allow the full application of human rights, given that Egypt has gone through two consecutive revolutions, followed by protests and demonstrations on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters who are difficult to contain. In regard to the Renaissance Dam, which the Ethiopian government is determined to complete, Boutros-Ghali said that the Egyptian government has neglected this issue for many years under former President Hosni Mubarak, stressing that any demands for military intervention in Ethiopia reflect ignorance. Concerning the consolidation of relations between Egypt and Moscow after the June 30 Revolution, which experts say would negatively affect Egypts relations with the United States, Boutros-Ghali said that these statements reflect ignorance as well. He stressed that it is very important and necessary for Egypt to be open to the whole world to achieve its goals and interests. The following is the full text of the interview. Al-Monitor: The Egyptian National Council for Human Rights [NCHR] was established through your initiative and with your support. How do you assess its current role in defending human rights in Egypt? Boutros-Ghali: The NCHR is playing its role to the fullest, always expressing its views on the human rights situation in Egypt. It does not spare any effort to assist the government in writing reports on various events. However, not everyone knows that the NCHRs role is only advisory and its decisions are not mandatory. The council does not have the right to compel the government to implement its agendas or views on human rights. Its role is limited to writing reports only. The government chooses to endorse or reject such reports. Al-Monitor: Do you believe that the NCHR enjoys full freedom in writing reports and issuing statements about the events taking place in Egypt? Boutros-Ghali: Of course the council has full freedom in writing reports, but as I said, the government does not always take its views into account, and this is its own concern. Al-Monitor: Do you believe that the current Egyptian political regime respects human rights and seeks to entrench the concept of democracy? Boutros-Ghali: It is difficult to fully apply human rights in Egypt at the present time, as some fundamentalist groups are still trying to regain influence and return to power. The terrorist activities taking place in Egypt every now and then are further proof that these groups will not give up easily. Therefore, the regime might implement practices that are against the principles of human rights to block the attempts of such militant groups. Al-Monitor: What is your assessment of the new protest law, which some have claimed represents a violation of freedoms in Egypt? Boutros-Ghali: As I said, the regime is trying to confront these groups with full force. There is a state of war between the government and the fundamentalist system. Freedoms and human rights will not be achieved overnight. Egypt is still in a transitional stage as it knew nothing about democracy before. Thus, we are still at the beginning when it comes to defending human rights. Al-Monitor: Do you believe that we still need exceptional laws, given the successive terrorist attacks targeting the police and the army in the country? Boutros-Ghali: If these exceptional laws become necessary, then why not? Given my previous experience as the UN secretary-general, I can confirm that this current turmoil between the regime and the fundamentalist minorities will drag on for many years in spite of the existence of the state institutions, a president, constitution and parliament. Al-Monitor: Given that you were a representative of Egypt in the United States for many years and were the first Arab to serve as secretary-general of the UN, how do you assess Egypts regional role under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi? Boutros-Ghali: Egypts regional role clearly evolved when Sisi came to office. Egypt has been open to the world, which was reflected in its relations with Moscow. These foreign policies will come to the benefit of Egypt and help it achieve its goals and interests. Al-Monitor: Was there any change in Egypts foreign policy following the June 30 Revolution? Boutros-Ghali: As I said, Egypt has changed and become more open. But it should seek to engage in dialogue with Qatar, and I wish they would reach results. It is unreasonable that Egypt was able to enter into negotiations with Israel after signing the Camp David Accords following the war of October 1973 and not refusing to make an effort with Qatar to unify Arabs. Al-Monitor: What is your take on the terrorist attacks occurring from time to time in Egypt? Boutros-Ghali: It is only normal following two revolutions, and they will drag on for years as I stated. Al-Monitor: Do you think the attacks that are sectarian in nature could impact national unity and cause divisions in society? Boutros-Ghali: No. The Egyptian community whether Christians or Muslims is cohesive. They are the sons of one country. Al-Monitor: How do you view the situation of Christians in Egypt after the June 30 Revolution? Boutros-Ghali: The situation of Christians in Egypt is very good, but the Egyptian regime ought to contain both sides to prevent any sectarian crises, especially since there are some external and internal players trying to take advantage of the situation to destabilize the country. Al-Monitor: How do you assess the efforts undertaken by the state to resolve the Renaissance Dam crisis? Boutros-Ghali: Unfortunately, former President Mubarak has neglected this issue. Under his rule, Egypts relations with Africa had taken a bad turn. He had not visited Ethiopia for years. It had been the custom to send the weak ambassador to Africa and the strong one to Europe. The current regime is trying to change this policy and is making a lot of effort into it, but things will take time of course. Al-Monitor: Are these efforts enough, in light of Addis Ababas insistence on completing the dam? Boutros-Ghali: The current regime is working on developing relations with Africa through joint projects, but the results of such efforts will take years to become tangible. Al-Monitor: As a former international negotiator and diplomat, what do you think is the best diplomatic solution to get out of this crisis? Boutros-Ghali: Ethiopia has a dream, and we should deal with this fact wisely. Any talk about militant intervention reflects ignorance. However, we should start international escalation, as according to the international law we have the right to object to the construction of the dam. February 17, 2016 A complicated argument is underway in the innermost sanctum of Israels Security Cabinet. On one hand, several decision-makers are asking tough questions about Israels plans to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets. Even some defense officials do not wholeheartedly support the size and scope of the deal. One the other hand, most of the military establishment, particularly the air force, supports the deal. These officials consider the purchase vital to maintaining Israels aerial superiority in the Middle East, a task that only gets tougher as the years go by. If the third stage of Israels deal with Lockheed Martin is approved, the total number of stealth fighters in the Israeli air force will reach 50. Two squadrons have already been purchased, and Israel has the option to acquire 17 more. While the next squadron of 17 jets has yet to be approved by the Cabinet, the government has already approved the purchase of all the ancillary equipment for them. Right now, the debate is over whether Israel should complete the purchase of the jets. The first delivery of stealth jets is scheduled to reach Israel by the end of this year. In the course of the debate, various sources have been flooding Israeli decision-makers with presentations, statistics and analyses showing that the stealth fighter's performance is much lower than what one would expect from an aircraft that costs more than $100 million. According to these claims, the jet has a limited range of just 1,200 kilometers (746 miles), problems with its stealth capacity and a diminished weapons load. The biggest deficiency of all, however, is US insistence on keeping the jets source code to itself. It will not allow any of the countries that purchase the jet to know what really takes place in the aircrafts impenetrable brain, or to control its operating system. The Israeli air force rejects all of these allegations outright. The top pilots and experts in what is considered the best air force in the world have examined and tested the F-35s performance and were satisfied with it. The commander of the Israeli air force, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, even spoke with his Italian counterparts, who took the jet on long flights (including from Italy to the United States) and reported that its range is significantly greater than what is now being claimed. Given how complicated and sensitive Israels relationship with the United States has been over the past few years, Israel's air force has complete independence in all matters pertaining to the handling of the jet. A senior Israeli defense official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The stealth fighter will not be leaving Israel except for operational strikes. We have no intention of sending it for maintenance in the US or Turkey, where its engines are manufactured. The Americans have come toward us in this respect, and we have no complaints against them. Another sensitive issue has been the installation of Israeli weapons and arms on the fighter jet, but this, too, has been resolved. As part of the understanding, the Americans agreed to include an F-35 test jet with the second squadron. It will have special equipment installed to allow Israel to run practice exercises and test all of the changes and additions it plans on incorporating into the stealth fighter, just as it does with all its other fighter jets. Overall, the Israeli air force is pleased with the deal. Another senior source said, also on condition of anonymity, There is no other way to maintain our qualitative advantage. This is undoubtedly the most advanced fighter jet in the world today. Given the current situation, Israel cannot allow itself not to acquire it. High-ranking sources in the defense establishment note that in the past four years alone, arms deals valued at $200 billion have been signed in the Middle East. It is unlike anything we have ever seen before, says one senior defense official on condition of anonymity. And the deals include countries with whom we are not in a state of war, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Egyptians purchased two MiG fighter squadrons, a Rafale squadron and a huge amount of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. The Saudis bought 154 new F-15s of the latest, most sophisticated model. The Gulf states are buying vast amounts of weapons with the most cutting-edge technological upgrades. What we are actually talking about is these countries upping their strategic positions. We may have peace with Egypt, but there is still no doubt that their reference point is Israel. The Egyptians arent buying these weapons because of Sudan or even the threat posed by the Islamic State in Sinai. We must be ready for every possible scenario and every radical strategic shift, because we have no other choice. Meanwhile, the Israeli air force is in the midst of a far-reaching strategic and operational shift of its own. As one senior air force official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Over the past four years, we have increased the assault capacity of each of our jets fourfold. This figure may be hard to absorb, but it is a fact. It would now take us 36-48 hours to conduct the same number of attacks as in the entire Second Lebanon War. These figures are especially remarkable given that the number of fighter jets is decreasing steadily due to age. The same source explained, Today, Israeli fighter jets can perform multiple operations more quickly and precisely than it could just a few years ago. The Israeli air force looks northward with serious consternation, noting that the skies above Syria, Lebanon and Turkey are more crowded than they have ever been before, said one senior air force official who asked not to be named. Until recently, only the Israeli air force allowed itself to stake out a massive presence over Syria and Lebanon. Now the Russian air force is there in full force, along with American, British, French, Jordanian, Saudi and international coalition forces. Who isnt there? It is only natural that what concerns Israel most are Russian fighter jets. Much has been written to date about the highly sensitive levels of cooperation between the Russian and Israeli air forces. Since then, the Russians have penetrated Israeli air space by mistake on two separate occasions. In both instances, Israel broke from habit, held back its missiles and allowed the Russian pilots to turn around, apologize and leave. Even if a Russian jet flies over Tel Aviv, we will not take it down, said one high-ranking military source, talking on condition of anonymity. ''The Russians do not appear on our radar screens as enemy or predator. They appear as neighbor. We coordinate with them, so there is no reason for us to have a run-in with them or for them to have a run-in with us. The Russian presence in the skies neither compromises nor restricts the Israeli air forces maneuverability, and I believe that it will stay that way in the future. Nevertheless, one gets the feeling that he isnt completely convinced that this prediction will indeed bear out. February 16, 2016 Official campaigning for the Feb. 26 Iran parliamentary elections will begin Feb. 18 and last until Feb. 25, according to official election bodies. However, as is the norm in Iranian politics, unofficial campaigning has already begun, with candidates giving speeches at universities, the traditional epicenter of Iranian political activity. Shargh Daily covered two of the more notable speeches at Amir Kabir University in Tehran on Feb. 15 by Mohammad Reza Aref, the lead Reformist candidate for Tehran, and Ali Motahhari, the former conservative member of parliament now running under Arefs Reformist list. Aref, who heads a list of 30 Reformist candidates, said that while this Iranian year (since March 20, 2015) brought about the final nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, it was the exception to the slogan promoted by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Government and Nation, Empathy and Rapport. On the mass disqualifications of candidates, Aref said, We had expectations that this year, for these two fateful elections that will make clear the direction of the future, that rapport would exist but many of the supporters of the Islamic Republic were disqualified. Of the nearly 12,000 candidates to register for the parliamentary elections, 4,230 candidates were approved to run. Over 5,000 candidates were either disqualified to run or their qualifications were not approved. According to the Iranian election bodies, 612 candidates also withdrew. In regard to the negotiations and international crisis over Irans nuclear program, Aref suggested that Reformists have been quiet over the last two years because they gave priority to national interests over partisan interests. He added, however, that while the nuclear deal was with foreigners, in the next deals, domestic groups are on the opposing side in negotiations. Aref, who was a presidential candidate in the 2013 presidential elections until withdrawing in favor of Hassan Rouhani in order not to divide the Reformist vote, told students that it was their responsibility to convince those who are on the fence about voting to show up to the ballot box. He also said that the Rouhani administration has not reneged on its campaign promises and must be given an opportunity an opportunity that can be provided through a cooperative parliament. The conservative-led parliament, which Reformists mostly boycotted, has consistently challenged the Rouhani administration over its domestic and foreign policies. Motahhari, who still serves in parliament and who has been perhaps the most vocal critic of the five-year house arrest of the Green Movement leaders involved in the highly disputed 2009 presidential election, addressed much more controversial topics during his speech. Motahhari argued that the Islamic Republic, from the first days of the revolution, has had opposition voices. He said that when the first Shiite imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, ruled, there was extreme opposition to him. Motahhari said that even the first parliament after the 1979 revolution had members of the now outlawed Mujahedeen-e-Khalq. He addressed the 2012 case of Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died in police custody and whose body showed signs of having been beaten; Motahhari said that when he asked questions about it, other members of parliament encouraged him to not pursue the death. Motahhari said, We cannot trample the rights of the people with the excuse of protecting the Islamic Republic. Motahhari added, In regard to freedom of expression, we have created artificial red lines that need to be reformed and we have to go forward step by step. He added, the first step was the 2013 [presidential] elections and the next step is the parliamentary elections. When asked by one of the students why he is running as a Reformist when he has been a conservative politician, Motahhari said that on what he called political issues he has always been a Reformist. Motahhari pointed out that when the Chain Murders were revealed, he supported the case's coming to light (the case involved killings of dissidents and intellectuals by the government from 1988 to 1998). However, he added that he has had issues with the administration's cultural policies. Motahhari is one of the members of parliament who raised the issue of womens leggings in Iran. February 17, 2016 SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq Zoroastrianism is the worlds oldest religion based on divine revelation and served as the state religion of three great Iranian empires for 12 centuries, from the sixth century B.C. until the seventh century. While religious diversity is now facing an imminent demise in Middle Eastern countries especially in Syria and Iraq the events following the rise of the Islamic State (IS) and its threat to this diversity has made it easier for the adherents of Zoroastrianism to reveal themselves after they had hidden their religion for 15 centuries, when many converted to Islam in the aftermath of the Muslim conquest of Iraq. Zoroastrians today are present in several areas of Iraqi Kurdistan and other areas administratively affiliated with the Iraqi federal government. But there are no accurate figures of their numbers as they are still referred to as "Muslims on their identity documents, even though they engage in Zoroastrian religious rituals. This represents a restriction on their right to freedom of belief, especially since converting from Islam to another religion is considered a crime according to the Personal Status Law. The Zoroastrian Cultural and Heritage Center in Sulaimaniyah contains a small temple where Zoroastrian rituals are being held for the first time in modern Iraqi history. Peer Luqman Haji, the spiritual leader of Iraqi Zoroastrians, administers the conversion from Islam to Zoroastrianism through the Kushti tying ceremony (a Kushti is the sacred girdle worn by Zoroastrians around their waists) and marriage ceremonies according to the Zoroastrian tradition. Haji talked to Al-Monitor at the temple about the extent of the recognition of Zoroastrianism in Iraq, the number of followers and where they are located. He also addressed the controversy surrounding the return of this ancient religion after it had disappeared for centuries and how this relates to the emergence of IS and its occupation of large parts of the country. As far as Haji is concerned, what he is doing is not merely a religious representation of a millennia-old religion, but a cultural revolution seeking to direct the hearts and minds of people toward a loving life and adopting moderation in a country threatened with segregation due to ethnic tensions. He is confident that his revolution will have a positive outcome on the country. The full text of the interview follows. Al-Monitor: Is Zoroastrianism an officially recognized religion in Iraqi Kurdistan? And what are the limits of such recognition? Haji: Zoroastrianism is recognized as one of the religious beliefs as per Law No. 5 of Protecting Components of Iraqi Kurdistan of 2015, which is new and positive. This encouraged us to officially establish this place [Zoroastrian Cultural and Heritage Center] representing Zoroastrians, after an absence of centuries. We also have an official representative at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, and this is considered a step forward on the path to official recognition. But we do not think these steps are enough for us to act freely, as the ministry has yet to recognize this place as a house of worship for Zoroastrianism, just like mosques and churches. We demand this, so we can have a house of worship that symbolizes our existence and therefore earns us legal protection. I have been to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Iraqi Kurdistan 12 times since September 2015, met with the minister on five occasions and asked for official recognition, particularly for the Zoroastrian Cultural and Heritage Center as a place that represents us from a religious point of view. The center has already been recognized as a nonprofit organization by the NGO Directorate. This means that the recognition of Zoroastrianism has not yet reached the point of giving us a temple to perform religious rituals, or at least recognizing the center as a house of worship or religious center. And it should be noted that the opening of the center was attended by a representative from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. That same day on Dec. 20, 2015 we presented a memo to the ministry demanding that the center be recognized. Al-Monitor: So you are saying that legal recognition of Zoroastrianism did not reach the point of equality with other religions? What aspects of equality are you demanding? Haji: First, we demand the recognition of this place and the small temple built in it as a house of worship for Zoroastrianism. We also demand that Zoroastrian clerics are recognized just like Christian, Muslim and Zaidi clerics. For example, as the spiritual leader of Zoroastrianism, I have a diploma in Zoroastrian theology from the Zoroastrian school in France. I have earned the rank of peer, which is the first rank in the hierarchy of Zoroastrian priesthood and the highest religious rank obtained by a Zoroastrian in Iraq. It was an intricate procedure, for after earning my diploma in Zoroastrian theology I had to be officially nominated to represent Zoroastrianism and be officially chosen by the Zoroastrian council in the United Kingdom, which indeed happened. But the Ministry of Endowments has yet to recognize me as a representative of the religion; I am working on this. Al-Monitor: Were you the first to demand the recognition of Zoroastrianism after centuries of its decline in Iraq, or were there other historical demands? Haji: I dont think Zoroastrianism really disappeared throughout that time, but it was indeed occulted since human beings have no power over their hearts and spirits, so they would hide their true beliefs for fear of persecution without abandoning them completely. I will give you an example: A Zoroastrian from Khanaqin in the Diyala governorate told me that his grandfather presented an official memo to the Iraqi court in 1924, demanding that Zoroastrianism was stated as his religion on his official documents. But his demand was rejected since Zoroastrianism was not one of the officially recognized religions upon the foundation of modern Iraq. This shows that Zoroastrians have not ceased to demand recognition throughout the past centuries and that political, religious and social reasons have forced them to hide their religious identity just like they are doing today in fear of the reaction of radical Islamists. As a result, many of them have to go to mosques for prayer so that they are not accused of being Zoroastrian and deemed unbelievers for that. Their ID cards still label them as Muslim. Al-Monitor: Are there any accurate or at least approximate statistics concerning the number of Zoroastrians or those who are adhering to it today in Iraq? Haji: The number of Zoroastrians in Iraqi Kurdistan and other regions is unknown, and I dont intend to hide these figures because I actually have no idea about the approximate number of public or secret adherents to the Zoroastrian faith. I receive new adherents each day in this temple. They are revealing their true religious beliefs after decades of hiding them or inheriting them from their fathers and grandfathers without being able to go public, until they now finally get the opportunity. Al-Monitor: How are Zoroastrians distributed across the different regions of Iraq? Haji: Each day, we discover new stories about Zoroastrians in many areas of Iraqi Kurdistan and others that are administratively part of the [Iraqi] federal government. Zoroastrians are [mainly] found in Dahuk province, in the city of Zakho in the far north [near the northern borders with Turkey] and in Sulaimaniyah province, notably the districts of Darbandikhan, Ranya, Qalaat Daza and Chamchamal. They are also concentrated in Halabja province and in Erbil province, notably Koysinjaq district and Koya near Koysinjaq. Zoroastrians reside in Daquq [district] and Altun Kupri [northwest of Kirkuk] in Kirkuk province; in Khanaqin and Kafri in Diyala province; in Tuz Khormato [administratively part of Salahuddin province] in Kalar district linking between several Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen areas such as Sulaimaniyah, Diyala, Kirkuk, Salahuddin and Baghdad. Kalar is bordered by Darbandikhan district [Sulaimaniyah] to the north, Khanaqin district [Diyala] to the east, the town of Jalawla [Diyala] and Kifri district [Salahuddin]. There are other areas as well that I am currently visiting and where I am discovering new adherents. Al-Monitor: Are there high rates of conversion from Islam to Zoroastrianism within Iraqi Kurdistan and among the Kurds? Haji: It is not a religious conversion per se. A more accurate term would be returning to ones original religion, or recovering it. A few days ago, I was in Khanaqin visiting a number of families who adhere to Zoroastrianism. They had paid me a visit at the temple in Sulaimaniyah, and we then set a date for me to visit them so I did. We performed the austerity ritual, which consists of a cleric wrapping the belt three times around the waist of a person, symbolizing his initiation to Zoroastrianism. They formed a Zoroastrian council in the area, and we now have a council in every city hosting Zoroastrians in Iraqi Kurdistan. The council is composed of adherents who take care of the creed and religion, to establish relations with the other adherents in their region and in other areas. There are high rates of returning to the religion among Kurds through the Zoroastrian Kushti tying ritual, which is the equivalent of reciting the Shahada [Shahada consists of the recitation of There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.] for Muslims before converting to Islam. The ceremony includes the tying of a girdle three times around the waist, which is called Tathbeet [binding], meaning the person has now become bound to Zoroastrianism and has not just converted from one religion to another. At the temple, I regularly administer marriage ceremonies according to the Zoroastrian tradition. Five couples came to [get married] according to the Zoroastrian rituals, while the sixth arrived with children. This last couple had had an Islamic ceremony, but they were remarried in conformity with the Zoroastrian rituals. The ceremony starts by me asking the couple to declare their will to marry each other three times. I then start with the ritual; the couple hold hands that are tied with a green cloth. They pledge before the peer to apply the Zoroastrian's three main rules: good thoughts, good words and good deeds. The groom buys a wedding band for the bride and vice versa; the ring does not have to be made out of a specific material it could be made out of iron, wood, gold or silver. All this happens in the presence of witnesses; the groom has a female witness and the bride has a male witness. The groom is not required to pay a dowry. After the ceremony is over, the couple vows to plant a tree every year on the day of their anniversary and give up all their commitments and devote themselves to volunteer work to serve others that day. Al-Monitor: How did Muslims react to the declaration of the new Zoroastrian Supreme Council and the establishment of a temple where Zoroastrian rituals are performed and conversion from Islam to Zoroastrianism are administered? Haji: To avoid any angry reactions, we worked silently without making any noise. We do not threaten anyone because our call is a peaceful one based on the values of peace and love. However, we still need a legal recognition within the constitution, as well as official financial and moral support in order to reinforce our position against radical clerics. This is especially true since [the latter] already started spreading lies and false accusations through mosques in order to calumniate us. An example is the claim that we are lewd and allow incest. And there are also many other false claims that aim to socially alienate us. This is obvious incitement against us. On Jan. 7, 2016, Mullah Abdul-Latif Ahmad of Sulaimaniyah defamed us publicly in front of an audience. We consider that a direct incitement to kill us. All I want to say is that people even Muslims treat us in a positive way, but some radical clerics deem us unbelievers publicly, which calls for an effective reaction from the state. Al-Monitor: How would you respond to claims saying that Zoroastrianism is resurfacing today in the form of a national religion for the Kurds, and growing as part of a new Kurdish identity against a Muslim Arab one? Haji: I do not agree with this argument, although we believe that Zarathustra was a Kurdish prophet, and that doesnt mean that Arabs cannot adhere to Zoroastrianism. Just because Prophet Muhammad was Arab didnt stop Kurds from adhering to Islam. Three members of the Arab al-Jabbur tribe in Kirkuk converted to Zoroastrianism, and I myself administered their Kushti ceremony here at the temple. I believe that Zoroastrianism is not a national religion for Kurds only, although it was their original religion. Everyone is welcome, especially since we consider Zarathustra as a prophet, philosopher and teacher at the same time. Zoroastrianism is a Reformist religion that is constantly modernizing and developing its ideologies in line with recent developments. Zoroastrianism is beyond any nationalist limitation and is spread in India and Iran. There are even Westerners who adhere to it, including Americans, British, Germans, French and Australians. Al-Monitor: How about the claims that go as far as associating the resurgence of Zoroastrianism in Iraq to the atrocities committed by IS in several Iraqi regions, and that these atrocities have driven people away from Islam and led them back to Zoroastrianism? Haji: I do not think that the return to Zoroastrianism in Iraq, or officially announcing it, is a direct outcome of the rise of IS and the negative reactions it has sparked. We have been working for years in European countries like France, Britain and many others to bring Zoroastrianism back to its birthplace in Kurdistan. This resurgence would not have seen the light had it not been for Law No. 5 of Protecting Components in Iraqi Kurdistan. The law clearly recognized Zoroastrianism as one of Kurdistans religions. And only after this have we been able to resurge in Kurdistan, and then we proclaimed the Zoroastrian Supreme Council in Iraq. This was preceded by secret efforts that have taken years, as I used to regularly visit the Kurdistan Region to demand recognition. However, we did not act publicly and officially until after this law recognized us while many of our colleagues have been working for years without ever abandoning their religious belief in Zoroastrianism. Al-Monitor: Amid the widespread religious radicalism in the Middle East, what does Zoroastrianism have to offer to counter this phenomenon? Haji: I think we need a cultural revolution that would pave the way for a new culture of tolerance. As a Zoroastrian cleric, I strongly believe that we have to spread love and repair the house [Iraq] we live in, without any discrimination. Therefore, clerics must preach reform and build societies on the basis of cooperation and with the aim of seeking heaven on earth, without waiting for Judgement Day to solve our problems. Zoroastrianism advocates for the freedom of religion, so it is up to each person to choose his or her religion. This means that no one should adhere to a certain religion before the age of 15. When religion turns into a strict ideology that rejects any debate or reform while clerics claim they speak in the name of God believing that their word and interpretation are the word of God society will be brought to ruins. Reform is an imperative and starting point for us representatives of Zoroastrianism to propagate our message. Both the Kurdish and Iraqi communities are traditional ones, where religious sensitivities play a role in intensifying the conflict. It seems like the government is failing to reach any level of religious harmony among the believers of all religions and denominations one that could ease the tension. So it is our duty to start this cultural revolution. We do not only mean the concept of religious freedom or the return to an old religion, but the choice of a new ideology that can suit and reconcile with the spirit of this age. This is why I call this a cultural and Reformist revolution. Hundreds of people flock into our small temple to perform marriage rituals according to the Zoroastrian tradition, the Kushti tying or the Tathbeet in Zoroastrianism. You will be surprised when I tell you that my visitors do not come alone but in the hundreds, and they ask me to visit them in other places. They also visit our headquarters in cities where Zoroastrians live. It is a true revolution that will seek to improve society. February 17, 2016 Speaking at a closed conference organized by the Israel Democracy Institute on Feb. 15, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein sounded resolute and confident, saying he was opposed to the suspension bill being promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As long as I am speaker of the house, this bill will not be sponsored, Edelstein said. This legislation comes in response to the outcry following the visit Balad Party lawmakers (of the Arab party Joint List) paid to the families of terrorists from East Jerusalem earlier in February. The proposed bill aims at suspending serving legislators for conduct unbecoming of their status as Knesset members. Edelsteins position justly grabbed the medias attention. He was the first and only Likud Party Knesset member to oppose the bill initiated and promoted by the premier. President Reuven Rivlin himself a Likud diehard lambasted the dangerous bill, which he said reflects a problematic understanding of what democracy is all about. However, he is no longer a Knesset member and therefore not bound by the prime minister or Likud voters. To Rivlin's credit it should be noted that even when he served as Knesset speaker on behalf of the Likud, he showed loyalty to liberalism principles. In 2011, for instance, he voted against a bill proposed by Netanyahu, thus defying the imposed unanimous vote by the coalition. The anti-libel bill (dubbed in Israeli media as the silencing bill) proposed to increase sixfold the limit on compensation for libelous reports, from 50,000 shekels to 300,000 shekels (from $12,000 to $77,000). Rivlin warned that such a law would harm freedom of speech and might damage irreversibly the media market, thus causing newspapers to shut down. It is for these reasons that the position espoused by Edelstein until recently a resident of one of the settlements in the West Bank sounded both refreshing and brave. Barely a day passed before the speaker of the house changed his mind and declared that he supports suspending lawmakers who openly and consistently incite racism or openly support terrorism and terrorists. Edelstein claimed that he has been consistent in his position, expressing reservations pertaining only to certain points in the proposed bill. Either way, once his objection was lifted, the road was paved to further the law in the Constitution Committee. Over the past couple of days, both the committees chairman, Knesset member Nissan Slomiansky, and the house speaker got phone calls from Netanyahu, who is currently in Berlin. The prime minister guaranteed them that the bills new wording will secure the necessary majority in order for the Knesset plenary to carry it. The proposed draft bill constitutes an amendment to the Knesset Basic Law. Passing an amendment to a basic law requires a majority of 61 lawmakers out of 120, which in and of itself is a tall order for Netanyahus narrow government, which is composed of 61 members. Another hurdle in Netanyahus path is the unexpected objection from the HaBayit HaYehudi Party. Ayelet Shaked, the justice minister, has voiced her reservations about the bill, while her fellow party member Bezalel Smotrich said, Today [the bill] is against Arabs, tomorrow it could be used against settlers or the ultra-Orthodox. According to the amended draft bill formulated by Slomiansky, a Knesset member could be suspended for a set period of time or until the end of the Knessets term upon a 90-member majority. It will initially require at least 61 lawmakers to submit to the house speaker a written demand for suspension. That demand will then be passed on to the Knesset Committee where a 75% majority is required in order for the process to be pursued any further. According to the proposed bill, a lawmaker could be suspended under three scenarios: a visit to an enemy state, support even if just verbal of terrorism, and renouncement of Israels identity as a Jewish democratic state. According to the current law, the Central Elections Committee can prevent an individual from running for an election. This committee is a judicial body, and the biggest change that is now being proposed is to hand the authority of suspending over to the Knesset, which could discontinue the term of an individual who has been democratically elected. It is the prime minister who has been pushing for this unprecedented legislation after having also lodged a personal grievance with the Knesset Ethics Committee against Balads three members: Hanin Zoabi, Basal Ghattas and Jamal Zahalka. In a Feb. 4 statement, Netanyahu said, Those [Knesset members] who comfort terrorists families dont deserve to be MKs. Even during his visit to Germany, the prime minister kept pushing for the bill, taking advantage of the press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to say, Democracy must protect itself. We wont allow for democracy to be taken advantage of in an effort to try and bring about its collapse. When Knesset members support movements that clearly call for the destruction of Israel, when they support terrorism, when they stand silently in memory of people who murder children, the Knesset can and must act against them. Ever since the last elections in March 2015, Netanyahu has put the struggle against Arab Knesset members at the top of his agenda. The more the lone-attacker intifada intensifies and as the struggle against Irans nuclear program faded, the more this agenda keeps taking on volume. With his new agenda, Netanyahu is altering the character of the Likud movement from a national-liberal party to a nationalistic one, leaving behind the ideologies espoused by its leaders, Revisionist founder Zeev Jabotinsky and late Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Netanyahu is motivated by electoral considerations and public opinion against the backdrop of the ongoing wave of terror and the decline in personal security. Time and time again, Netanyahu turns all Arab Israelis into an enemy. What is equally serious is the silence of Likud ministers and Knesset members who lend a hand by taking an active role in destroying the Likud as a movement with democratic values. Even Minister Benny Begin (son of Menachem Begin) considered to be the last remnant of the old, liberal Likud has been keeping mum. Those trying to stop this murky wave are former Likud Ministers Dan Meridor and Michael Eitan and obviously President Rivlin. No longer subject to Netanyahus authority, they are not concerned that Likud voters will take revenge on them for not being jingoistic enough. They already paid the price for their liberal values ahead of the 2013 elections when they were left out of the partys slate after trying to stop radical, anti-democratic, right-wing legislation. In a conversation with Al-Monitor, Meridor noted that the proposed bill is an unprecedented move because it makes Knesset members into a quasi-judicial body that explores the facts, holds hearings and hands out judgments. According to him, This undermines one of democracys core rights. To impeach someone who has been elected by the public I find this horrible. What does it mean support of terrorism? Balads Knesset members did something very ugly, but it wasnt a criminal offense. For this we have the [Knesset] Ethics Committee. Meridor bemoans the fact that there is likely no one today in the Likuds ranks to stop such moves. In the past, we stopped [them]. Todays theres nobody to stop [them]. I dont know what will happen in the end, but for the time being, this is detrimental. It aims at increasing ethnic tension between Jews and Arabs and intensifying incitement against Arabs. Whats at stake here? If a criminal offense is committed, there is a legal process. I have to admit that some of the actions of the Arab Knesset members are infuriating. But thats democracy. The boundaries are the boundaries of the criminal law. Why would Knesset members start ousting each other? Former Minister Eitan also raises a hue and cry against this legislation. There has been nothing like that in the history of the State of Israel. This is such a clear trend of encroaching on rights, he told Al-Monitor. Im afraid were slowly approaching the point of no return. This is conducive to an atmosphere whereby it is intolerably easy to have Knesset members impeached without a trial by other fellow lawmakers. February 16, 2016 In January, the Pentagon transferred 10 low-level Guantanamo Bay detainees to Oman, marking the largest resettlement of such prisoners in a single day since the US military began detaining suspected terrorists there 14 years ago. Oman has become the primary destination for transferred prisoners, having accepted roughly half of the Guantanamo inmates released since January 2015. The US military had resettled six Yemeni prisoners in Oman last June, and soon after, the Pentagon expressed its gratitude for Muscats willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and for its appropriate security and humane treatment measures. The prisoner transfers underscore the relationship between Muscat and Washington. As a stable Arab state that has maintained a military partnership with the United States since 1980, Oman plays a relatively low-profile, but influential role in Washingtons Middle East policy. Maintaining neutral stances on Middle Eastern conflicts while keeping diplomatic ties open to all sides, Muscat has served on several occasions as a diplomatic back channel for the United States. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said of Oman that it offers "wise advice and [helps] find solutions to various problems in the region. The Iranian nuclear agreement is one important example of this. Irans nuclear program was a hot-button issue during President Barack Obamas bid for re-election in 2012. At the time, Sultan Qaboos bin Said had assured Obama that Oman could serve as a back channel to the Iranians. That summer in Muscat, US officials and their Iranian counterparts held their first secret meeting, marking the beginning of the negotiations that ultimately led to last years watershed nuclear deal between the six world powers and Iran. Omans role as the host of the secret talks spared Obama from the domestic and international backlash he might have faced had news of the deliberations gone public in an election year. Democratic candidates and incumbents have assiduously avoided appearing soft on Iran since President Jimmy Carters humiliating defeat in 1980, in which the US hostage crisis (1979-1981) played a role. In another instance, in May 2015, Oman the only Arab Gulf state not to have joined the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen launched in March hosted secret talks between US State Department officials and representatives of the Houthi rebel movement to discuss a cease-fire. In the 1980s, Oman the only neutral Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member during the Iran-Iraq War had hosted secret cease-fire negotiations between Tehran and Baghdad. Muscat has more recently also helped broker the release of US citizens imprisoned in Iran and held hostage in Yemen. The Arabian Sea nation has historically relied on the worlds most powerful naval force of the day at one point the United Kingdom and now the United States to safeguard it from external threats. Although the sultanates leadership tries to obscure the visibility of Omans military ties with the West, the United States is Muscats most important defense partner. Oman hosts three US military installations, at Thumrait Naval Air Base, Masirah Air Base and Seeb International Airport. Three days after the prisoner transfer to Oman last month, the State Department released a statement approving a $51 million missile sale to Oman, describing the nation as an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaeda, Muscat has cooperated with Washington in the legal, intelligence and financial spheres to counter international terror organizations, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS). The Royal Oman Police Coast Guard, the Directorate General of Customs and the Royal Army of Oman have engaged US export control authorities to help them secure Omans land and maritime borders as well as its ports. According to the Financial Actions Task Force, Muscat has signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and established an Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism system compliant with international standards. Despite reports that two of the people behind the Jan. 7, 2015, Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris had passed through Oman, the State Department asserted that Muscat officials are taking necessary measures to keep extremist groups from using the sultanate as a haven or transit point. Organizations monitoring foreign fighters joining IS' ranks have not identified any Omanis among the group's members. Also, Oman is the only GCC nation that has not had a single citizen detained at Guantanamo. The White House is determined to empty Guantanamo, which in Obamas words is a recruitment brochure for our enemies. By taking the risk of accepting at least 21 Guantanamo prisoners since January 2015, Oman appears to be pursuing a strong relationship with the United States, playing the role of Washingtons ally and moderate Arab and Muslim country. In light of Republican Party opposition to resettling high-level inmates on US soil and the Pentagons reported sluggishness in transferring Guantanamo prisoners abroad, it remains to be seen whether Obama can make good on his 2008 campaign pledge and release the remaining 91 detainees within the next 11 months. In any event, his administration has plans to transfer more low-level detainees to other nations. It would not be surprising if Oman continues to receive Yemeni prisoners, who constitute the majority of those still held in the detention facility. Last month, however, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., voiced concern about transferring more Guantanamo detainees to Oman, given that it shares a border with Yemen. Ayotte even suggested that the administration was releasing the prisoners to Oman to circumvent a US law prohibiting the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to Yemen. Regardless, given that Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen the top three destinations for the 532 Guantanamo prisoners released under President George W. Bush are far less stable than Oman, it seems only logical that the Obama administration has turned to the quiet kingdom. February 17, 2016 While speculation continues about whether Turkey and Saudi Arabia will march into the Syrian war, Turkey is already fighting on two fronts without even entering Syria. In the first, Turkey is launching heavy artillery fire at Syrian Democratic Forces advancing toward Azaz in northwestern Syria, while declaring that the objective is to stop the advances of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). On the second front, Turkey is allowing militants to cross into Syria, since the Syrian army cut off the Aleppo-Kilis corridor. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, when asked last week if Turkey would do anything to reopen the corridor, aroused curiosity by replying, Wait for a few days; you will get your answer. Naturally, his cryptic response fanned the debate over whether a military intervention is in the making. Al-Monitor waited, and this is what we saw: The YPG first captured the Tishrin Dam south of Jarablus, Syria, crossed to the west of the Euphrates River and halted its advance. We are all aware that the Turkish government, to prevent the YPG from moving to the Jarablus-Rai region where the Islamic State maintains its only two border crossings to the rest of the world, had drawn a red line at the YPG crossing to the west side of the Euphrates. But instead, the advance came to the east of Afrin toward Azaz. On Feb. 10, the YPG and Jaish al-Thuwar (Army of Revolutionaries), two allied SDF units, seized the Menagh air base south of Azaz and then the nearby villages of Maranaz, Malikiye, Der Jammal and Tell Acar. On Feb. 13, the Turkish armed forces (TSK) began shelling the Menagh air strip, the four nearby villages and the Meryemine and Anabke villages attached to Afrin. Afrins center was hit by several shells. In shelling by 25-mile-range howitzers deployed at Yazibagi just west of Kilis, two civilians in Meryemine village were killed and six were wounded. Turkey, however, made another move that is bound to be controversial. To reinforce Tell Firat, whose defenders were pressed hard, hundreds of militants were taken to Turkey from the Hatay-Reyhanli border and reinserted to Syria from Kilis. The Syrian Human Rights Observatory said 350 militants with light and heavy weapons were transferred to Syria through Turkey. Some of these reinforcements reached Tell Firat, but local sources talking to Al-Monitor on strict condition of anonymity said the number transferred may well be higher. Sources on the ground cite one crossing point as the village of Bukulmez, attached to Reyhanli. Facing Bukulmez is the Syrian village of Atme, which is used as a logistical hub. A journalist from Afrin said, A logistical route has been established between Atme and Azaz via Hatay and Kilis. There are also unconfirmed reports of ammunition resupply from Kilis to Azaz. On Feb. 13, the Hawar News Agency in Turkey reported four truckloads of ammunition were transferred to Syria via the Oncupinar/Bab al-Salam border gate. The agency distributed photos of crates marked "MKE11D201-016," which are used by Turkeys state-owned ammunition maker. Local sources said another crossing used for the illegal transfer of militants via Turkey is the Yayladag border crossing, which has been visibly busier in recent days. Syrian regime forces, with Russian air support, had seized the Shiite towns of Nubl and Zahra between Afrin and the village of Baskoy in the east, thus severing the main supply route from Turkey to Aleppo. For armed groups to maintain their control of the Azaz-Marea line northwest of Aleppo and Idlib depends on keeping the Bukulmez and Yayladag gates open for logistics. With Syrian army advances on Turkmen Mountain, that route has been sharply restricted. But crossing to rural Idlib and from there to the northwest of Aleppo is still possible. Despite all these efforts, the fall of Tell Rifaat to the SDF could not be prevented. The Syrian rebel group Jaish al-Uswar entered Tell Rifaat on Feb. 15. The next day, Ahmed al-Omar, the group's spokesman, said it had cleared Tell Rifat after four days of battles. Tell Rifaat was a key point for logistics operations between Aleppo and Turkey. After Tell Rifaat, SDF units captured the villages of Ain Dejne, Kfar Naya and toward Azaz and then entered Marea. As these field developments unfold, so does the debate on what Turkey is hitting and why. The government came out with three justifications for shelling the Azaz area. Hurriyet cited a report that was distributed at the state's top echelons. It said: The US-supported Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Syrian regime forces want to advance to Azaz to provoke a new refugee wave toward Turkey. There are 10 refugee camps in the five-mile stretch between Azaz and Kilis on the Syrian side. If Azaz falls to the PYD, the people living in those camps will flee to Turkey. Azaz has to stay in the hands of the opposition. This SDF operation has nothing to do with combating IS because the group doesnt exist in the area attacked by the PYD. The strongest argument of the United States and Russia against the Syrian opposition is the presence around Azaz of Jabhat al-Nusra, which they consider a terrorist group. But there has been no Jabhat al-Nusra presence there for three years. Organizations such as Ahrar al-Sham and the Islamic Front are not included on the UN list of terror organizations. The PYD wants to enlarge its territory. While discussing these three justifications, one must clarify what force captured the Menagh air strip and the nearby villages. According to Kurdish sources in Afrin who spoke with Al-Monitor, in these operations the YPG provided logistics and weapons support to Jaish al-Thuwar, which was the key force of the operation. But although the flag they flew was that of Jaish al-Thuwar, it doesnt mean YPG was totally excluded. Who makes up Jaish al-Thuwar? Established in May 2015, some of its fighters were in the US-supported, but then disbanded, Hazm Movement and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front. Cephed al-Akrad (the Kurdish Front) made up of Kurds who had not joined the YPG is another unit of Jaish al-Thuwar. The Seljuks Brigade and Sultan Selim Brigade of Turkmens, which operate separately from the Turkish-supported Turkmen forces, are also part of Jaish al-Thuwar. An alliance of Arabs, Turkmens and Kurds, Jaish al-Thuwar joined the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces in October 2015. Most of the fighters hail from settlements on the Azaz-Marea line and areas of Menbic, al-Bab and Jarablus currently controlled by IS. It isn't accurate to call Jaish al-Thuwar fighters outsiders. After capturing areas near Azaz, the YPG left them to the control of Jaish al-Thuwar and withdrew to Afrin. Some observers in the Turkish government circles interpreted the move as the YPG using Jaish al-Thuwar as a cover. This may be a bit of an overstatement, as the Americans function as a coordinator between these two SDF units. As for claims that Jabhat al-Nusra is not present at Azaz, we have to realize that since Jabhat al-Nusra was added to the UN terror list, it has not been flying its flag in areas close to the Turkish border. In addition to its concentration in rural Idlib, Jabhat al-Nusra also has a presence north of Aleppo, in the Turkmen regions of Latakia and Azaz. Jabhat al-Nusra has significant mobilization capacity in these areas. Everyone following the developments in the region knows that the group is active not only on the Syrian side of the border but also in Turkeys Kilis and Hatay. According to a relief worker at Yayladag, Nusra people are considered local residents. They can cross the border anytime. Jabhat al-Nusra generally operates with Ahrar al-Sham in these areas. A journalist from Afrin told Al-Monitor that reports from last year that Jabhat al-Nusra had handed over its Azaz positions to Jaish al-Sham were false. He said, You can tour all of Syria without finding any symbol of al-Nusra's presence. But they are everywhere. They conceal themselves in Ahrar's ranks. Meanwhile, the Turkish government is working hard to persuade the international coalition to agree to a ground operation that would risk a clash with Russian and Syrian forces. But developments on the ground threaten to upset Turkeys game plan. Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com Don't Edit (AL.com File/Robin Conn) 20 places you can find slugburgers in AL, TN and MS Slugburger might not be the most appetizing-sounding name but in three southern states, this unusual kind of hamburger is a much sought-after treat. The burgers are typically made from a mixture of beef or pork and an extender, such as soy flour, and deep fried. They are often topped with chopped onions and mustard, and are served only in small, greasy-spoon diners and cafes. The odd-looking burgers were created during the Depression as a way to make the meat go further. They were brought to Corinth, Miss., in 1917 by John Weeks of Chicago, according to his grandson Willie Weeks, who is quoted on whatscookingamerica.net. Initially, they were known as "Weeksburgers" but at some point gained a new nickname because their flat, round appearance reminded people of nickels, or "slugs." Corinth celebrates being "Home of the Slugburger" with an annual festival and burger-eating contest. Outside of Mississippi, the burgers can generally only be found in some southern portions of Tennessee and in northern Alabama. Here's a list of places where you can try slugburgers. If you know of others, email kkazek@al.com. (NOTE: Be sure to call to check hours and availability before going.) Don't Edit (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com) Alabama Here are places to try slugburgers in Alabama. If you know of others, email kkazek@al.com. (NOTE: These are small, locally owned diners. Be sure to call to check hours and availability before going.) Don't Edit (Source: Busy Bee Cafe) Busy Bee Cafe 101 Fifth St. SE Cullman, AL 256-734-9958 Don't Edit Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com C.F. Penn Hamburgers 121 Moulton St. SE Decatur, AL 256-355-0513 Visit the Facebook page. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Source: Dismals Canyon) Dismals Canyon General Store 901 Highway 8 Phil Campbell, AL 205-993-4559 Visit the website. Don't Edit (AL.com File Photo) Dub's Burgers 402 S. Jefferson St. Athens, AL 256-232-6135 Visit the Facebook page. Don't Edit (AL.com File Photo) Nesmith's Hamburgers 14396 Court St. Moulton, AL 256-974-9806 Don't Edit Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com Willie Burgers 205 Main St. Hartselle, AL 256-773-0112 Don't Edit Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com Mississippi Here are places to try slugburgers in Mississippi. If you know of others, email kkazek@al.com. (NOTE: These are small, locally owned diners. Be sure to call to check hours and availability before going.) Don't Edit Don't Edit (Source: BJ's Corner Cafe Facebook page/Kim Owens) BJs Corner Cafe 802 Constitution Drive Iuka, MS 662-424-0038 Don't Edit (Source: BorroumsDrugStore.com) Borroum's Drug Store 604 Waldron St. Corinth, MS 662-286-3361 Visit the website here. Don't Edit (Source: Butcher Block Restuarant Facebook page) Butcher Block Restaurant 140 Old Highway 15 Pontotoc, MS 662-489-5542 Don't Edit undefined (Source: TishimingoCounty.org) Ellie's Snack Bar 108 W. Front St. Iuka, MS 662-423-2494 Don't Edit (Source: Johnnie's Drive In Facebook page/Shannon Swint) Johnnie's Drive In 908 E. Main St. Tupelo, MS 662-842-6748 Visit the Facebook page here. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Source: Johnnie's Drive In Facebook page/Kimberly Ann Rogers) The Elvis booth at Johnnie's Johnnie's Drive Inn in Tupelo has a table where Elvis Presley once ate. Don't Edit (Source: Latham's Hamburger Inn Facebook page) Latham's Hamburger Inn 106 Main St. W New Albany, MS 662-316-0575 Don't Edit (Source: Phillips Grocery Facebook page) Phillips Grocery 2406 S. Lamar Blvd Oxford, MS 662-236-5951 Phillips of Holly Springs 541 East Van Dorn Ave. Holly Springs, MS 662-252-4671 Don't Edit (Source: Slugburger Cafe Facebook page/Larry Shields) Slugburger Cafe 3000 Old Highway 72 Corinth, MS 662-287-1311 Visit the Facebook page. Don't Edit (Source: White Trolley Cafe Facebook page) White Trolley Cafe 1215 Highway 72 East Corinth, MS 662-287-4593 Visit the Facebook page here. Don't Edit Don't Edit Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com Tennessee Here are places to try slugburgers in Tennessee. If you know of others, email kkazek@al.com. (NOTE: These are small, locally owned diners. Be sure to call to check hours and availability before going.) Don't Edit (Source: Fat Cat's Facebook page) Fat Cat's Grille 121 N. Maple St. Adamsville, TN 731-632-0832 (Limited hours. Call first) Don't Edit (Source: Melanie King) Jacob's Grocery 15205 Parker St. Hornsby, TN 731-658-6853 Don't Edit (Source: Pat's Cafe Facebook page/Abby Jo Wilson) Pat's Cafe 110 E Court Ave. Selmer, TN 731-645-6671 Don't Edit (Source: Wink's Facebook page) Wink's 137 South Second St. Selmer, TN 731-632-5111 Don't Edit A Chambers County grand jury has indicted former Etowah County Chief Executive Officer Patrick Simms on a child sexual abuse charge. Simms was indicted Friday for sexual abuse of a child less than the age of 12 years old, almost a year after he was arrested on the same charge, according to court documents. In February 2015, Simms was named as a suspect in a case that was supposed to have occurred around Feb. 8. Later that month, he was arrested on the charge, which involved a child unrelated to him. The victim's mother reported him, according to court documents. As he previously posted bond, Simms does not require arresting again, Chambers County authorities said. Simms' contract with the Etowah County Commission was terminated last May following his arrest. Simms was the county's chief administrator from January 2006 until last year. In 2012, he was named county administrator of the year by the Alabama County Administrators Association. He has also worked in Talladega County and Chambers County. Birmingham police are investigating an afternoon shooting that left a teen seriously wounded. The shooting happened at 3:22 p.m. at 1725 Jefferson Avenue. The 15-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries, said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. Late this afternoon, police said he was in stable condition. The shooting happened in a residential area moments after the juvenile got off of a Max bus. An altercation between the victim and the suspect preceded the shooting. The shooting did not happen on the bus, police emphasized, but said the argument did start on the bus and it appears the suspect had the gun on the bus. Police cordoned off the nearby area. A couple evidence markers have been placed near and on the sidewalk. Authorities said a Good Samaritan helped the juvenile moments after he had been wounded. The victim was transported to Children's of Alabama. As homicide detectives were questioning witnesses at police headquarters, a young female witness told police she realized she had been injured at the shooting scene. Edwards said a bullet grazed the female in the leg and buttocks area. Birmingham Fire and Rescue was dispatched, where they treated the witness for a minor injury. Edwards said it appears the victim and the shooter, who is also a teen, were in a dispute. "It appears they had some kind of history and one of them ended up using a gun,'' he said. There were reports that the victim returned fire, but Edwards said that has not been confirmed. He said the suspect isn't in custody, but they have a good idea of his identity. An argument between a Birmingham couple this morning left one dead and the other in police custody. The shooting happened at 11:45 a.m. outside the couple's apartment in the 1600 block of Warrior Road.Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said officers dispatched to the scene found the male victim dead on the ground in the courtyard not far from the couple's unit. Edwards Tuesday evening identified the victim as Charles Burchfield. He was 27. He said he's not sure what the couple was arguing about, but said the woman grabbed her gun and shot her boyfriend. She stayed on the scene and waited for police to arrive, he said. She and a witness were taken to police headquarters for questioning. No formal charges had yet been announced. Edwards said the preliminary investigation showed the shooting stemmed from a verbal altercation between Burchfield and his girlfriend over Burchfield receiving phone calls from his ex-girlfriend. A witness told investigators the girlfriend shot at Burchfield twice before he began throwing bricks at her vehicle. The girlfriend then began to shoot again, and struck Burchfield once in the body. "A gun should have never been used in this case,'' Edwards said. The death is the the city's third homicide since Friday. Updated at 5:52 p.m. with the victim's name and additional information from police. Loyalty of partys establishment does not extend to Donald Trump after front runner called George W Bush a liar. Lindsey Graham wanted to be president. After years in the Senate, the South Carolina Republican thought he had the experience. With his time on the foreign relations and defence committees, he certainly thought he had the background. The problem was, he didnt have the support. In an election year, when security is nearly top of the list of peoples concerns, he could not make the breakthrough. READ MORE: Trump at his angriest, antagonistic worst He appeared in several Republican debates but always on the undercard the gathering of those doing badly in the polls. He had strong moments. He drew praise from pundits and politicians alike. But eventually he had to bow to the inevitable. With no visible support, there were no big donors racing to join the cause. And so he dropped out. He went to the debate in Greenville on Saturday. As a spectator. Supporting Jeb Bush When he dropped out of the race, he threw his support behind former Florida governor Jeb Bush. And now he works as a surrogate, a person who will talk up Bushs performance. But what comes over clearly in any interview and any conversation is how much the senator dislikes Donald Trump. He does not believe the Republican front runner is a Republican. He does not see him as a conservative and he certainly doesnt see him as a president. READ MORE: Why the debates in the US presidential race matter He has already told the billionaire businessman to go to hell and get out of his party. The softly spoken South Carolinian is now spending his days going from event to event, contacting supporters and doing what he can to put votes in play for his chosen candidate. Graham insists people will eventually see through Trump, that he will be rejected at the polls. But as a loyal Republican, he has said he would support whoever won the nomination and was the partys candidate for president. Xenophobic Trump That would mean, at that time, he was prepared to give his support to someone he described as a race baiting, xenophobic bigot. Trump has now gone too far. But it wasnt in comments about Mexicans, or women or the disabled. It wasnt his plan to temporarily ban all Muslims from the US. It wasnt even the many things that Trump has said during the campaign, with which the fact-checkers have found fault. It was his comments in the debate last Saturday where he described the last Republican president, George W Bush, as a liar. OPINION: Why Id vote for Trump, but you shouldnt He accused Bush of taking the US to war in Iraq when he knew that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. And he reminded the millions watching that Bush was in the White House when the 9/11 attacks took place. This, Graham said, is someone embracing nutjob viewssomething that really only comes from the kook part of America. Its something many Democrats have said over the years. And now Graham insists that if Trump wins the nomination, he will reconsider if he can give him his support. Not that he wont, just that hell reconsider. South Carolina contest The establishment of the Republican Party would love to see Trump fall. They believed his campaign would implode within weeks. They quietly smiled after every outburst from calling former presidential nominee John McCain a loser to his branding of Iowa voters as idiots when his poll numbers fell. They reasoned that other presidential candidates have disappeared for fewer misdemeanours and Trump would be no different. There was, at best, muted criticism of his more outrageous statements. OPINION: Why I will vote for Bernie Sanders The party saw he was attracting new voters, that he articulated the anger of many at the current political system. And the Republicans didnt want to chase them away. Trump kept getting stronger. He refused to apologise, refused to back down and hammered his message even harder. He didnt care if some people didnt like it. His poll numbers kept going up. The latest figures from South Carolina, the next state in the nominating contest which votes on Saturday, gives him a significant lead over every other candidate. This is a deeply conservative state and Trump has challenged many of the Republican Partys orthodoxies. If he wins there with its diverse electorate, which is bigger than Iowa and New Hampshire combined, there is no reason to think he cannot win in any other state. Many people believed the presidential run would change Trump. The Republican establishment is wondering if it got that right. As a large number of rebel groups continue fighting in northern states, communities are being torn apart. In a small farming village just outside the city of Lashio in Myanmars northern Shan State, Daw Mar Chon, an ethnic Kachin mother of two boys, tends to her buffalo after a day spent in the cornfields. But for the last two and a half months, her mind hasnt been on the job like it used to be. Her youngest son has vanished, a suspected victim of forced recruitment by a rebel army. When I heard he had disappeared I started looking for him and people told me that he had been taken, she said. At 6.30pm on November 26, some outsiders came into the village. With little commotion, they took three young men away, including 16-year-old Khon Taung, a school student who was training to be a mechanic. Daw Mar Chon didnt see the incident, but afterwards she heard the kidnappers were wearing uniforms. There are clearly suspicions in this poor village about who the men were, but the people seem too afraid to speculate or complain to authorities. They feel helpless. One village elder told me he has since met representatives of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), but stopped short of directly blaming them. The KIA is a large ethnic army based in Kachin State, but it also operates further south in Shan State where it is allied with the TaAng National Liberation Army (TNLA), a smaller rebellion that, in its latest incarnation, took up arms against the government more than 10 years ago. One of the TNLAs founders is Colonel Tar Bone Kyaw, who said they dont force people to join them. We dont have that policy, he said. We just organise them, we just explain to them they have to come by themselves. Most estimates put the number of soldiers in the TNLA at around 1,500 but its leaders claim to have 5,000. Instead of using permanent bases, they are a mobile force waging guerrilla warfare in the jungles of Myanmars largest state, where at least seven main groups are fighting for control of territory, natural resources and the drug trade or simply struggling for a greater say in their own destiny. We are not asking for succession. We are not asking for independence, said Colonel Tar Bone Kyaw. We would like to build real federalism in Burma with other ethnic nationalities. They are joined in the remote mountain areas by countless militias who are connected to and backed by various organisations and individuals, including drug lords, businessmen and politicians. It makes for a confused and often dangerous picture in Myanmars largest state but it is a scene that should be improving as the country heads towards greater democracy. Instead, there are early signs that the security situation will worsen. In October last year, the government, made up mainly of former generals from the countrys military which had ruled the country for almost 50 years before transforming into a partly civilian government following an election in 2010, signed what it called a nationwide ceasefire deal with rebel organisations and their armies. In reality, it was anything but nationwide and was dismissed by some as a last-ditch publicity stunt by the government before an election they knew they were highly unlikely to win against the National League for Democracy party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Eight groups signed the deal but many others did not, including some of the largest such as the KIA, the United Wa State Army and the Shan State Army North. Even the leaders of the largest group to sign, the Karen National Liberation Army and its political wing the Karen National Union, were in disagreement over whether they should attend the signing ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw. Some groups, such as the TNLA, werent even invited to sign, despite previously being involved in peace talks with the government, because they were still engaged in hostilities against the state. In the weeks after the signing, fighting intensified in some areas as rebel groups accused Myanmars army of boosting troop numbers and moving heavy weaponry into sensitive areas. The TNLA has increasingly been involved in clashes with the Shan State Army South or Restoration Council of Shan State, a signatory to the ceasefire agreement. TNLA leaders believe the government army is now supporting groups that signed the deal to attack those who did not, in what they allege is a divide-and-conquer strategy. As Aung San Suu Kyis NLD takes over the government, there may also be an attempt by the military to prove that the country needs its presence to ensure security, even though it will remain a powerful political force in its own right with control over key security ministries and veto power over changes to the constitution. As always, its civilians who are suffering and will continue to do so in the future if everyones worst fears of a major escalation in violence are realised. In the town of Kyaukme in Shan State, temples and monasteries are overflowing with people, mainly women and children. Thousands have driven for hours over bumpy, dusty roads from remote villages high in the hills to seek shelter and escape the fighting between the TNLA and the Shan State Army South. We saw people from the neighbouring village coming towards us, so we became scared and decided to leave, said Daw Aye Mee, a woman taking refuge in Kyaukme. Our Al Jazeera crew drove up the same long road for several hours through tea plantations, into the mountains towards the area where the fighting is taking place, and were met by village after village that had largely been abandoned. We were eventually stopped at gunpoint by jumpy government soldiers who prevented us going any further because the fighting was continuing. They said they were there to provide security, but their presence was perhaps evidence that they were giving support to the Shan State Army South in its battles against the TNLA. A few local men were the only residents left in the area and they too spoke of abuses by the TNLA. First they attacked the village, then they robbed people and they kept attacking the Shan troops, said U Zar Lin Tha, one of the men who stayed behind. The TNLA deny any wrongdoing and instead say they are the good guys in the region, with much of their time spent fighting the lucrative drug trade by destroying poppy fields and arresting dealers and users. Opium and methamphetamine production is thought to fund many of the armed struggles in Myanmar, something all the groups reject. They also deny involvement in other abuses such as rape, executions, forced labour and the terrifying and increasingly regular tactic of abduction. As do government forces. Meanwhile, back in the small farming village near Lashio, the 16-year-old Khon Taung has since phoned his desperately worried mother, but gave no details about where he is or what hes doing. When he calls he says Im fine and he tells us not to worry about him. Of course I miss him, she said, before staring off into the distance, maybe dreaming of the day her teenage boy comes walking back into the village. Crime Prevention units have been accused of intimidating opposition supporters, but might they turn on the government? Kampala, Uganda Ugandas Crime Preventers bands of volunteers managed by the police with the stated aim of reporting on and preventing crime have been running into a lot of bad press lately. As Thursdays parliamentary, presidential and local elections approach, they have been accused of mobilising support for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for three decades. An alliance of five human rights groups Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Network Uganda, Chapter Four Uganda, and Foundation for Human Rights Initiative have also called for the units to be suspended, accusing them of being partisan and carrying out assaults. In every election there is a new tool introduced by the regime, says Livingstone Sewanyana, the director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in the nations capital, Kampala. The Crime Preventers began in 2013 with a group of university students. Today, the group says it has 11 million members which roughly equates to one Crime Preventer for every 10 Ugandan households. They are trained by the police in skills such as taekwondo and ideological training, which Blaise Kamugisha, the forces national coordinator, says equips them to judge how and when to use their skills. People can use the skills they acquired to defend themselves, Kamugisha says. The fourth-year law student is quick to deny that there is any link between the groups creation and this years elections. But Kamugisha was previously the branch head of the NRM at Makerere University, where he studies, and many district NRM committee leaders also lead their areas Crime Preventers group. Moreover, months before official campaigning began in December 2015, more than 200,000 Crime Preventers were recruited, according to local media reports, raising questions about their role in the elections. Generally theres fear that theyve been recruited as a bloc vote for NRM, says Sewanyana. In a report released last month, Maria Burnett, a senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: Using volunteer or reserve forces to complement community policing is not a new or inherently bad concept, but these forces need to be regulated, impartial, effectively trained, and held accountable to the highest standards if they take on policing functions. Crime Preventers should not be undisciplined and unaccountable recruits who become the eyes and muscle of the ruling party in every village. A restless youth But this is exactly what some Ugandans have accused them of, arguing that they use intimidation to reduce support for the opposition parties. The group, however, has defended itself and insists that its form of community policing actually builds positive relationships. What we do is connect people to the police, says Kamugisha, adding that it also offers benefits to the young people who tend to be involved allowing them to connect with one another and explore potential business opportunities together. Uganda, the youngest country in the world with more than 78 percent of its 39 million population below the age of 30, also has a massive youth unemployment problem. Almost two thirds of the countrys unemployed are youths, according to government data. Non-governmental organisations suggest the figure could, in fact, be much higher. Some see becoming a Crime Preventer as a way to move up the socioeconomic ladder and get closer to those who are powerful, says Frederick Kawooya, a policy and campaigns manager at non-profit ActionAid Uganda. Theyre doing this for survival, he adds. President Musevenis campaign tagline, Focused on jobs and wealth creation, holds little meaning for many disenchanted young Ugandans, but critics of the Crime Preventers say the promise of economic opportunities may be enough to win votes. Jobless youths are promised benefits as Crime Preventers. Whose side do you think theyll be on? asks Sewanyana. Election 2016: Young Ugandans speak In a speech last month, police chief General Kale Kayihura promised the Crime Preventers that while the government could not offer a salary, they would be the beneficiaries of income-generating projects. At the Crime Preventers small office on the third floor of an old office building in downtown Kampala, thousands of booklets bearing the word Sacco are piled high. Like most groups with ties to the government, the Crime Preventers have membership with the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (Sacco). Sacco is a savings fund that can also disburse loans to members. The government has, in the past, provided funds to different groups through Sacco. In Kayihuras speech, he told the Crime Preventers: You have got a very good Sacco and if this Sacco works, it will be a vehicle through which you can get more support. But critics doubt that any real benefits will be felt by the young Ugandans hoping that membership with the Crime Preventers could offer a route out of unemployment. Its a promise, which can be real or can be diversionary, says Sewanyana. The groups legality has also been called into question as, although it falls under the watch of the police, there is no legal framework on community policing. When there is no clear structure, we are breeding a monster that can turn violent if they dont get absorbed into the upper class, says Kawooya. What will happen should the Crime Preventers expectations not be met after the election remains to be seen. But some are worried that so many dissatisfied young people could spell trouble. You see the restlessness in them, Kawooya says. That energy needs to be addressed or it will turn into a bigger problem. Trinna Leong is a 2016 fellow with the International Womens Media Foundations Africa Great Lakes Reporting Initiative. No one will believe that the stand-off between the Philippines and China over a disputed island in the South China Sea is a straightforward bilateral issue. It has serious implications not only for regional politics but also for the changing pattern of global power. This is why it is imperative that a clear basis be established for the resolution of the dispute without any further delay. Both the Philippines and China have adopted what appear to be rigid positions on the ownership of the uninhabitable rock and the waters around it, which the former calls Scarborough Shoal and the latter calls Huangyan Island. The Philippines claims that Scarborough Shoal, which is 135 nautical miles (250 kilometres) from Luzon, comes within its 200 mile (321.86 kilometre) Exclusive Economic Zone. China, on the other hand, argues that historically Huangyan has been part of its territory and is mentioned in a 13th-century Chinese map. There are counter-arguments against both positions. If the shoal is part of the Philippines, Chinese commentators point out, why didnt the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which gave the United States sovereignty over the Philippines, recognise it as such? On the other side, there are Filipino analysts who have reminded China that for hundreds of years before the 13th century, the ancestors of present-day Filipinos, Indonesians, and Malaysians, known for their superb maritime skills, were in fact the masters of the seas in the entire region, including what is now known as the South China Sea. Philippines seeks US support against China The Philippines wants the stand-off resolved through international law, on the basis of the Law of the Seas. China is totally opposed to this and insists that it be settled through bilateral talks. Though both sides will not budge, they are determined to avoid a military confrontation. This gives us some hope. What sort of peaceful resolution will satisfy both parties? This is where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) an organisation, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam may have a role to play. ASEAN could propose the establishment of an ASEAN-China forum to serve as a platform for continuous discussions and negotiations on the dispute and other related conflicts pertaining to the South China Sea. After all, three other ASEAN states, apart from the Philippines Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia have also staked claims to parts of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The opposing claimant in all these cases is China, which maintains that it has sovereign rights over most of the South China Sea and the islands in it. One of those islands the Paracels is also claimed by Vietnam. Since four ASEAN states are involved, it makes sense for the regional entity to approach the various disputes over sovereignty vis-a-vis China on a collective basis. The proposed ASEAN-China forum should not involve any other state or institution outside the contending parties. In the past, China has not been keen on this collective approach. It must be persuaded to accept it. A collective approach may serve the larger interests of both ASEAN and China for two other reasons. First, the South China Sea is believed to contain huge deposits of oil and gas. Though estimates vary, the area is regarded as one of the major sources of mineral wealth of the future. It is undoubtedly one of the factors behind the intense interest in the South China Sea, not only among the claimants but also other powers outside the region. Why shouldnt ASEAN and China jointly harness the wealth of the South China Sea for the well-being of their people? Malaysia has set a good example in this. In February 1979, it came to an agreement with Thailand to set aside a boundary dispute in the Gulf of Thailand. Instead, it joined hands with Thailand to explore oil and gas in a 7,250 square kilometre area in the disputed gulf. The agreement has been working well. The Joint Development Authority that manages the exploration had by the end of 2007 discovered approximately 8.5 trillion standard cubic feet of gas reserves from 22 fields in the area. With such a track record, Malaysia should perhaps take the lead and push for an ASEAN-China forum on the South China Sea. Second, both ASEAN and China are acutely aware that if the Shoal/Huangyan dispute drags on, and similar disputes erupt in the near future, a military superpower that has already declared its interest in the South China Sea will not hesitate to enter the fray as a direct player. Its involvement will almost certainly aggravate the situation, since the ASEAN claimant that is being backed by the United States may be emboldened to adopt an even more belligerent posture than it would otherwise. China is bound to retaliate since it regards the South China Sea as its core interest. A military conflict between China and the US could have devastating consequences for ASEAN as a whole. This is why China and ASEAN, whose economic ties with one another have deepened and broadened as never before in the last decade, should now elevate their relationship through a forum to address the most contentious issue that could tear them asunder. Dr Chandra Muzaffar is the President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). Understanding the demand for extremist propaganda or why some people buy it should be the right approach. Morwari Zafar is an international security consultant and a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Oxford. Threats from home-grown terrorism continue to challenge the outcomes of the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) paper almost half a year later. Incidents such as the San Bernardino shooting have reignited socially divisive responses similar to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. But to strengthen United States security posture, its administration needs to shift from unsustainable reactive responses to more proactive approaches in identifying, countering, and preventing home-grown terrorism. Identifying home-grown terrorists National security efforts rest on the assumption that home-grown terrorists can be detected. This is not necessarily a fallacy. Promoting acts of violent extremism on social media, for instance, would be a valid indication of threats. But the tactics to observe such behaviour disproportionately rely on racial profiling and perpetuate a clash of civilisations mentality that has increasingly focused on Muslims and Islamic extremism despite the fact that more people in the US have died from far right-wing attacks. Responding to the identity of the San Bernardino attackers in a New York Times article, a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center noted: Whats really troubling is that they appeared to be a well-integrated and stable couple with a baby and a job. It is unrealistic to assume that extremist violence can be forever eradicated. But the current strategy zeroes in on Muslim communities and links 'countering violent extremism' programmes with law enforcement agencies. by What is all the more troubling is the assumption that normative values such as marriage, children, and a job would deter certain ideologies from taking root. Such conceptions create a false threshold of risk for extremism and/or recruitment. A better way to examine and understand home-grown extremism is as a generational revolt. Olivier Roys recent article pragmatically characterises the opportunism of Islamic extremism among second-generation immigrants in France. He argues, as I have elsewhere, that second-generation youth often struggle to reconcile disparate cultures and subcultures. They negotiate nebulous boundaries, seeking belonging and relevance, and often end up frustrated by or falling short of societal and family expectations. Roy points out that many extremists have past lives steeped in partying, sex, alcohol and drugs. Consider Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, who was no stranger to strip clubs in the Philippines. But, according to Roy, they choose Salafism, an Islam possessing of norms that allow them to reconstruct the self all by themselves. Because they want nothing of the culture of their parents or of the Western culture that has become a symbol of their self-hatred. This view of extremism focuses on the formative nature of household dynamics, cultural environment, and the psycho-social impact on personhood rather than politically or religiously motivated ideologies. It more accurately situates home-grown extremism as an explosive mix of very human experiences and frustrations that lack outlets for self-expression. Breaking the brand When extremism becomes an outlet, fighting a propaganda war is futile. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levants (ISIL) recruitment of foreign fighters online has spurred US counterterrorism officials to revise their approach. Lisa Monaco, President Barack Obamas counterterrorism adviser, stated that the US government can work with the private sector to get additional messengers with alternative voices out there. Frankly, weve got to do a better job of approaching this in a way that allows us to the phrase has been used break the brand of ISILs message. OPINION: Remembering Chapel Hill one year on One suggestion, supported by presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, has been increased Internet controls. At a news conference in December, the director of the FBI, James B Comey, conceded that Internet controls could not sufficiently encompass recruitment via the Internet and social media. Simply because extremists stop tweeting does not necessarily mean they stop talking. Shutting down internet technologies just shifts the conversation to another space one that can actually be counterproductive in the governments attempts to keep a pulse on online recruitment. A useful approach to breaking the brand is to look at extremist narratives as products that are packaged, marketed and sold to consumers. It is easy for the producers, such as ISIL or al-Qaeda, to redefine their brand and target it to their consumers because they know what their consumers want. OPINION: Un-mosquing Obamas first US mosque visit Much of the current strategy focuses on discrediting extremist narratives in the media with the objective of decreasing their impact. All it does is limit the market share of jihadist messaging. Understanding the demand or why some people buy such propaganda is a more proactive approach. There is no need to confound blatant sociopathy and narcissism with, for example, an aberrant interpretation of Islam. Most foreign fighters are between 18 and 29 (PDF), and extremist propaganda caters to a demand among them that is much more intrinsic than any religious or political ideology. Preventing the problem It is unrealistic to assume that extremist violence can be for ever eradicated. But the current strategy zeroes in on Muslim communities and links CVE programmes with law enforcement agencies. Muslim leaders in cities such as Boston and Minneapolis that are running pilot CVE programmes have criticised the initiatives as opportunities for police monitoring and intelligence gathering rather than integration. In Minneapolis, for example, grants for CVE programmes have introduced allegations of opportunistic crisis conflation among members of the Somali diaspora who want to secure government funding for their organisations. For Community Resilience Programmes to be truly effective, they cannot be based on reactive ad hoc community mobilisations when a crisis emerges. Education is the best mechanism for social and structural integration across diverse populations. Education is also the key commonality among the cohort of home-grown extremist recruits in the US most have been or will go through the US school system. This is an opportunity for the US government to exponentially augment programmes for the children in mandatory school-sponsored community service initiatives. It is lamentable to have to spend millions of dollars on counterterrorism, when the government can cauterise the problem by investing that money, up front, in an overhaul of the education system. Police brutality, racism, bigotry, and extremism are all rooted in insular mentalities and ignorance. And when they are chalked up to inherent violent tendencies among certain populations, it further fuels the animosity, segregation, and dehumanisation that characterises the US, if not the worlds, political landscape at present. Morwari Zafar is an international security consultant and a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Oxford. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Even as capitalism descends on the island, Cubans are rushing to the US. Last April, the prominent accommodation rental website Airbnb took out full-page advertisements in The New York Times and other US newspapers, featuring Cuban and US flags side by side on a spherical surface under the statement One giant leap for mans kindness a play on the famous moon-landing quotation. The cause for celebration, in this case, was the launch of rental listings in Cuba. The campaign came in the wake of the 2014 US-Cuban rapprochement and the announcement that the two nations were on track to normalise relations, which had been frozen more than half a century earlier on account of the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castros slighting of US business interests in the country. Now, the US government has eased travel restrictions to Cuba as well as certain obstacles to investment, while the Cubans have become ever more accommodating vis-a-vis private-sector activity and property ownership. Its not clear, of course, how normalisation is even an option or what mans kindness has to do with anything, for that matter when the US penal colony of Guantanamo Bay continues to be illegally operated on occupied Cuban territory. A giant leap for mans bank accounts might have better described the occasion. The Cuban breeze Airbnb is far from the only actor set to turn a profit on the island. A recent Guardian article entitled Cuba for sale lists various European luxury property developers that have gone after a substantial piece of the real estate pie in Havana. READ MORE: The US in Cuba a history of organised crime Meanwhile, the fact that full normalisation has not yet come to pass means that US chains such as Marriott and Hilton can do nothing but stand drooling from just 100 miles across the Straits of Florida, waiting for the embargo to drop. So why, then, are Cubans currently fleeing to the capitalist US in droves if US capitalism is headed their way anyway? by The Guardian also quotes one description of proposals for Havanas old harbour as looking like Las Vegas meets Miami in the Caribbean'. So why, then, are Cubans currently fleeing to the capitalist US in droves if US capitalism is headed their way anyway? As the New York Times notes, hundreds of Cuban migrants are now breez[ing] across the US border each day from Mexico. According to numerous reports, the present spike in the number of States-bound Cubans is a result of rumours that, because of the US-Cuban detente, the US government will dismantle a certain Cuban Adjustment Act. Dating from 1966, this law essentially institutionalises the preferential treatment of Cuban migrants, who are granted permission to enter the US and treated to other forms of hospitality simply by turning up at the border. A relic of the Cold War era when the US endeavoured to stick it to Castro in every way possible for daring to successfully resist imperialist hemispheric designs the durability of the act is in one sense a testament to the United States grudge-holding abilities (and particularly those of the influential Cuban exile crowd). But the politically motivated double standard the law enshrines becomes even more glaringly unjust in the current migratory context. While many Cubans breeze across the border in search of economic opportunity, Central American migrants who are literally running for their lives incidentally from violence caused in no small part by US machinations in the region are often detained in dismal conditions and deported. Asking for the moon Until the rumours of impending adjustments to the Cuban Adjustment Act are either dispelled or confirmed, it seems migration patterns may hold which brings us back to the question of why Cubans are in such a rush to evacuate the soon-to-be Cuban version of capitalism for places such as the capitalist version of Cuba, Miami, as one analyst described it in a CNBC article on the exodus. READ MORE: Cubas struggle to cope with the tourism boom Although the precise motivations of each individual Cuban migrant obviously cannot be ascertained, commonly cited ones include a desire for superior levels of freedom and material wealth than have generally been available in Cuba. Theres no arguing that Cuba should be winning any awards for, say, freedom of the press or freedom of speech, but theres certainly plenty to be said for the freedom from having to worry about the basic necessities of life. The Cuban system of free, universal healthcare is just one example of the kind of things governments can accomplish when theyre not fighting ubiquitous wars to keep the world safe for capitalism or engaging in other varieties of destructive behaviour. As it turns out, not even the soldiers who fight US wars are eligible for much attention from the state unless you consider disproportionate homelessness and suicide levels among veterans indicative of some sort of freedom. The New York Times article on the Cuban breeze quotes a Navy veterans complaint that Cuban migrants are being given instant benefits while we have American veterans living on the streets. And while Airbnb can rejoice all it wants over imaginary lunar co-conquests, there are plenty of people left out in the cold and plenty of opportunities to wish there was a bit more room for decency in the present international landscape. But that, of course, would be asking for the moon. Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin Magazine. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Prime Minister says accepting a New Zealand offer to take in 150 refugees a year would encourage more to come. Australias prime minister has warned that resettling refugees in neighbouring New Zealand instead of deporting them to offshore detention centres could encourage more asylum seekers to try to reach Australia by boat. The plight of 267 asylum seekers facing deportation from Australia to the Pacific atoll of Nauru will be discussed when Malcolm Turnbull meets John Key for annual talks in Sydney on Friday. Keys government reached an agreement in 2013 with the then Australian government to resettle 150 refugees a year from Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Key said on Monday that the offer remained open although it was never accepted by Canberra. Australia has repeatedly defended its policy of rejecting asylum seekers, saying that it is necessary to deter them from taking dangerous trips on rickety boats. We recognise that the most important thing we have to do is not at any point give any encouragement or say or do anything that the people-smugglers will use for their marketing, Turnbull told reporters. We have a very clear-eyed focus that ensuring our borders are secure is saving lives, he said. Turnbull said he would not comment on any possible change to Australias policy of refusing New Zealands offer. READ MORE: Australia hospital guards baby from return to detention Despite a court ruling that upheld the legality of imprisoning refugees offshore, medical staff, teachers, church leaders, and activists have launched a campaign known as #LetThemStay calling for asylum seekers to be given permission to remain. LetThemStay campaign On Sunday, campaigners from ActionAid, Amnesty International, GetUp! and Greenpeace displayed a #LetThemStay banner at an iconic harbour in Sydney. Ming Yu Hah, a spokesperson for Amnestys Australia branch, told Al Jazeera this month that the country was at a watershed moment. State governments want a shift in federal government policy, as do members of the Liberal and opposition parties, she said. Now we are seeing many ordinary Australians from all sectors of society calling for changes. We have had enough of the deliberate cruelty to an already traumatised people. Humanitarian chief says more than 21 million Yemenis are in need of some form of aid and calls for unconditional access. The UN humanitarian chief has said a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Yemen with more than 21 million Yemenis in need of some form of aid. Stephen OBrien said on Tuesday that the situation was exacerbated by increased restrictions on efforts to respond to what he called the staggering needs of millions of people, including the diversion of a UN aid ship by Saudi-led coalition forces. OBrien said that more than 6,000 people had been killed since the beginning of coalition strikes against Houthi rebels in March 2015, of which about half were civilians. He said more than 700 children had been killed and some 1,000 injured. At least 7.6 million people were now severely food-insecure and more than 3.4 million children were out of school, the official said. ANALYSIS: What went wrong in Yemen? OBriens briefing to the UN Security Council, which was requested by Russia, was the first that focused on the humanitarian crisis sparked by the war. He said the Houthi rebels had been inconsistent in allowing access and movement of humanitarian goods and personnel, and that a recent warning by Saudi Arabia about the safety of aid workers in Houthi-controlled areas had caused delays to key missions. The UN official urged the council to demand that all combatants facilitate unconditional humanitarian access to all parts of Yemen. UN agencies and NGO partners are delivering assistance under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous circumstances, OBrien said. Just this last Sunday, a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a building 200 metres away from the Diplomatic Transit Facility, accommodating UN and diplomatic personnel. UN sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels have targeted civilians and that some of the attacks could be crimes against humanity. Satellite images show two batteries of eight missiles, Taiwan and US say, in move likely to strain relations. China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, officials in the US and Taiwan said. Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major-General David Lo told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain, which is under Chinese control but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions, Lo said on Wednesday. A US military official also confirmed the apparent deployment of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox. Taiwans recently elected President Tsai Ing-Wen told reporters on Wednesday that the move had created a tense situation. We call on all sides to adhere to the principle of resolving the dispute over the South China Sea in a peaceful manneremploying self-restraint is most important, Tsai said. But Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the reports were being exaggerated by Western media outlets. I hope that media everywhere, including in Western countries and Australia, will turn their attention to the lighthouses we have built on some of the islands we are using in the South China Sea, Wang said. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said it was notable that China had not denied the reports. China says that it has no intention of militarising these islandsbut it does say it has the right to self-defence, our correspondent said. News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations wrapped up a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the region but did not include specific mention of Chinas pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea. Al Jazeeras Marga Ortigas, reporting from the meeting in Rancho Mirage, said the move marked the first time China had taken such strong military measures in the disputed waters and the deployment would not go unnoticed by the US . President Obama did say the United States was duty-bound to keep the region stable by ensuring freedom of navigation, which meant they would continue with military patrols and flybys. Something like this by China will definitely be seen as a provocative move not just by the United States but all the countries in the region. Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including small islands that are hundreds of kilometres from its southern coast. Four countries in Southeast Asia have unresolved territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea, which has important shipping lanes and potential oil and other natural resources. In January, a US warship sailed into the area of sea containing the Paracel Islands group. Officials have not shown enough evidence to prove extension is needed to prevent further attacks, rights groups say. Frances decision to extend the state of emergency was passed on slim evidence that it would be effective in reducing the terror threat, rights groups and activists have said. As was widely expected, the French parliament on Tuesday voted for a three-month extension until May 26, allowing authorities to keep carrying out warrantless police raids and putting people under house arrest without prior authorisation of a judge. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve argued in Tuesdays debate that the threat of new terrorist violence remains very high. READ MORE: France extends state of emergency until late May But critics say that the state of emergency undermines fundamental freedoms, and should be used only under exceptional circumstances, which are yet to be proven by officials. Under international rights laws, there are clear criteria under which governments can declare a state of emergency, Marco Perolini, an Amnesty International researcher, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. We dont think the government has produced evidence which is necessary for authorities to extend the state of emergency. Examples of evidence should include the type of emergency authorities face, which have to reach the threshold of threatening the life of the nation for a state of emergency to be declared. Discriminatory raids Perolini warned that emergency measures have so far been relatively ineffective, as he accused authorities of disproportionately targeting the countrys Muslim minority. There have been at least 3,200 raids and some closures of mosques and businesses, while the counterterrorism unit of the Paris prosecutors office has opened only five terrorism-related investigations. READ MORE: French police abuse Muslims under emergency laws French President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency after the November 13 attacks across Paris which left 130 people dead. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL) group. ISILs claim triggered a backlash against Muslim communities not just in France, but across Europe and elsewhere. There are between 5.5 million and 6.2 million Muslims in France, or roughly 7.6 percent of the total population making the group the largest Muslim minority in Europe. After the Paris attacks, we did not oppose the state of emergency. But now we are more critical about this because there are huge problems with the implementation of these measures, Amnestys Perolini said. OPINION: Frances anti-terror measures are unconstitutional Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International published separate research at the beginning of February, pointing to cases in which excessive force had been used in raids, leading to human rights violations including violence. Citing dozens of testimonies, the groups said that since November 13 France carried out abusive and discriminatory raids and house arrests against Muslims, traumatising and stigmatising those targeted, including children and the elderly. Its concerning to see that some of these measures targeted Muslims based on their religious practice, and that is in a context in which Muslims in France already felt discriminated by authorities, said Perolini. He explained that before attacks in November and January when armed men targeted the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket, killing 17 people those of the Islamic faith were already discriminated against in France by not having equal access to jobs, and as they were banned from wearing religious symbols and clothing. Islamophobic attacks have increased, said Perolini. That would require a strong stand [of support] from authorities, which is not forthcoming at the momentThe emergency state is quite likely to further polarise society. READ MORE: French civil liberties and the spirit of sacrifice Yasser Louati, the Paris-based spokesman for Collective Against Islamophobia in France, also doubted there was enough evidence to support an extension of emergency law. You can install the state of emergency, but you have to prove it, he told Al Jazeera. The government is acting alone without taking into consideration warnings from civil society and the victims [of raids which used excessive force]. Muslims feel targeted as though we are the enemy. Frances illness The state of emergency can be renewed indefinitely, requiring parliamentary approval every four months. Looking ahead, comments by the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls were cited as possible inidicators of how much longer the measures could be in place. OPINION: France must remain a vibrant and plural democracy In an interview with the BBC in January, Valls said that the emergency state could be extended as long as it is necessary because of the threat from ISIL. We have seen that defeating terrorism is not an easy task in history, Samia Hathroubi, a French-Tunisian human rights activist, told Al Jazeera. It seems like our government does not have any kind of political vision of our foreign policy and our domestic affairs. Along with a proposed amendment to the constitution which would in effect force dual citizens who had served sentences for crime relating to terror out of the country following imprisonment, the emergency state proves that the line between this government and far-right ideas is becoming very thin and blurred, added Hathroubi. In terms of democratic values and debate, the state emergency is the symbol of Frances illness regarding keeping a balance between fighting terrorism, which is a serious question, and keeping our values and sticking to them. Follow Anealla Safdar on Twitter: @anealla Aid trucks start entering besieged areas as the UN urges warring parties to use aid delivery as a first step to truce. Humanitarian aid has started reaching besieged areas of Syria after trucks filled with supplies left Damascus, as the United Nations has urged warring parties to use aid delivery as a first step to a ceasefire. The UN spokesman says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants a cessation of hostilities in Syria as soon as possible, and the sending of aid convoys is an incredibly important first step. Aid trucks started entering three more besieged Syrian areas on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters, as part of U.N.-backed deal to deliver humanitarian assistance to five besieged areas. At least 100 trucks rolled out of the capital on Wednesday afternoon in the latest delivery of supplies to trapped residents, said Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Gaziantep, near Turkeys border with Syria. Undoubtedly this is progress for the thousands trapped in these besieged areas, Khodr said. About 35 vehicles later arrived at the entrance to Moadimayet al-Sham, a rebel-held town near Damascus encircled by President Bashar al-Assads forces, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Another 18 trucks departed for al-Foua and Kafraya, two towns in northwestern Idlib province besieged by rebels, the Red Crescent said. Turkey launches attacks on Kurdish units in Syria About 50 more were to travel to Madaya and Zabadani, two other regime-besieged towns near Damascus. The Syrian government approved access to seven besieged areas, the UN said after crisis talks in Damascus on Tuesday, a week before a planned resumption of peace talks between Syrias warring parties. Supplies included wheat and high-energy foods. A medical team would enter Kafraya and al-Foua, the spokesman said. The Syrian Red Crescent was co-ordinating with the UN on the aid deliveries. The UN has demanded unhindered access to all besieged areas of the country, where it says hundreds of thousands of people are trapped by fighting and deliberate blockades by Syrias various warring sides. Movement on the humanitarian side of the conflict came as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Turkey would not allow the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria. Speaking on Wednesday, Erdogan said there was no question of Turkish forces stopping their bombardment of Syrian Kurdish fighters. We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border with Syria, Erdogan said in a televised speech in Ankara, referring to the mountain in northern Iraq which for years has been a stronghold of the Kurdistan Workers Party armed group. READ MORE: Syrias Kurds wont retreat despite Turkish shelling Alluding to calls to stop shelling Kurdish positions, Erdogan said after Turkey hit their positions for four days in a row: Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing. The rapid advance of US-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies. Washington has long seen the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party and its YPG military wing as its best chance in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria to the chagrin of fellow NATO member Turkey, which sees the group as terrorists and fears it will stir up greater unrest among its own Kurdish minority. The fighting in Syria started as an unarmed uprising against President Assad in March 2011, but has since expanded into a full-on conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people, according to UN estimates. Thousands attend anti-government event in Pristina on eighth anniversary of countrys declaration of independence. Thousands of Kosovos opposition supporters have called for the government to resign on the eighth anniversary of the countrys declaration of independence, accusing it of violating the countrys constitution in reaching deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Opposition supporters came from all over the country to Pristina for the rally on Wednesday. Al Jazeeras Stefan Goranovic, reporting from the capital, said more than 15,000 were estimated to have taken part in the event. Opposition representatives are asking for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and the Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, our correspondent reported. The opposition rejects a deal between Kosovo and Serbia reached last year, giving more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. In December, the Constitutional Court decided that part of it was not in line with the constitution. The opposition also rejects a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and has called for a referendum or a new election. They have attempted to disrupt the work of parliament with tear gas, pepper spray and whistles. Shouting anti-government slogans, most of the participants in Wednesdays protest held Albanias red-and-black national flag at the Skanderbeg Square. Far fewer Kosovo flags were visible, along with a few US and German flags. Kosovo will not allow itself to be led by people who have violated the constitution, its sovereignty, said Visar Ymeri, leader of the main opposition Self-Determination Movement party. Ymeri set a February 27 deadline for the government to resign and declare a new election, or our protests will not stop. The rally participants dispersed peacefully. Another protest was called for Friday when parliament may start procedures on electing a new president. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci of the Democratic Party of Kosovo is the only self-declared candidate so far. In a normal situation, there can be no presidential election when the people insist the government shouldnt stay in office for a single minute (longer), Ymeri said. The government accuses the opposition of trying to come to power through violence. Earlier on Wednesday, the government held a ceremony to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the 2008 unilateral independence declaration with a military parade. Such a government has a clear mandate. It has the legitimacy to serve the citizens who trusted it with the majority of votes in a democratic process accepted by the whole political spectrum in Kosovo, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said. Kosovos Western backers have denounced opposition-led violence, calling on the opposition to resolve the political crisis in parliament. Kosovos independence has been recognised by 111 countries, including the US and major European Union nations. But it is rejected by Serbia, with support from Russia, which has blocked Kosovo from becoming a UN member. Kosovo and Serbia are holding EU-mediated talks to try to overcome their differences. Five years after the revolution, the Libyans uprising has not yet been transformed into a new political order. When the Arab uprisings began in Tunisia and quickly spread to Egypt, it was only inevitable that Libya, with a population that had been highly oppressed and deprived of its vast natural wealth, would follow suit. On February 15, 2011, the Libyan revolution was sparked by a gathering crowd in Benghazi, the second largest city and a bedrock of opposition to Gaddafis tyranny. The peaceful uprising quickly spread from Benghazi to other cities and by the third day (February 17) the Libyan revolution was in full flow. Gaddafis reaction was expectedly very brutal and violent. He ordered his security forces to shoot directly at demonstrators, hoping that this would squash the revolutionary dissent and keep him in power. The international community was obliged to intervene on March 19 to drive back Gaddafis huge military force that was sent to regain control of Benghazi. Five years on, people are still debating whether the military intervention was justified and the right policy. Some believed the West intervened purely to secure future interests in Libyas vast wealth and natural resources. It has been argued that Western interventions did not take place in similar conflicts because there was no natural resources at stake and it did not serve their interests. I strongly believe that the military intervention was correct and necessary to save thousands of civilian lives and to prevent a prolonged suffering for the Libyan population. The intervention was limited to air strikes, and no Western troops set foot on Libyan soil which could have been perceived as an invasion of Libya and a violation of its sovereignty. The revolution intensified, along with the international communitys military air campaign, which effectively neutralised Gaddafis air force and destroyed most of his command and control centres and supply chains. The end of his brutal era left a huge political and security vacuum in the country which was then filled by armed groups that were formed during and after the revolution. This allowed the Libyan revolutionary fighters to make several gains on the ground by being able to match Gaddafis remnant security forces. The demise of the Gaddafi regime came on August 20, 2011, when the capital, Tripoli, was finally liberated and Gaddafi was then killed exactly two months later. The end of Gaddafis brutal era left a huge political and security vacuum in the country which was then filled by armed groups formed during and after the revolution. The number of fighters during the revolution was put at around 25,000, yet after the liberation this number mushroomed tenfold to about 250,000. This was owing to a policy put in place by the first transitional government in post-revolution Libya, to pay salaries to those who took part in the uprising and belonged to armed groups that were acting as the new security bodies. These generous salaries encouraged unemployed Libyan young men to take up arms and set up their own militias or join existing ones. The proliferation of armed militias turned out to be one of the biggest problems after the revolution. I believe that an alternative policy of concentrating efforts and resources to rebuilding a professional army and police force should have been implemented immediately after the end of the revolution. With hindsight, a speedier transition to a new democratic state could have been achieved as a result of rebuilding security institutions sooner rather than later. In the present moment, militias and armed groups continue to be perceived as an obstacle to completing the political transition. In July 2012 Libya witnessed its first ever democratic elections, which led to a new transitional parliament called the General National Congress (GNC). The GNC in turn appointed a new transitional government that was tasked with running the country. The GNC was supposed to oversee the transition up until a draft constitution was put to a referendum and final elections held to elect a permanent legislative body that would then take over power. Yet the constitutional drafting assembly that was directly elected has not produced a draft until now. However, the political parties that participated in the elections for the first time in Libyas modern history did not live up to public expectations as they were continually seen as competing against one another to pursue their own narrow interests and agendas at the expense of national consensus and unity. This created a negative perception about political parties in the eyes of most of the Libyan people, at a time where they were looking to them to provide stronger leadership showing real patriotism and upholding Libyan national interests. The elections in June 2014 gave birth to the House of Representatives (HOR) which was to replace the GNC. By mid 2014, it was clear that the transition timetable set out by the interim constitutional declaration was not going to be met. This led to changes in the declaration to allow for elections to take place for a third transitional period. However, an official power handover never took place, resulting in two competing parliaments operating in the country at the same time; the GNC in Tripoli and HOR in the eastern city of Tobruk. During the same period, a retired general, Khalifa Haftar, had attempted to assume power through a military coup. In a televised statement, he announced the freezing of the constitutional declaration and termination of the GNC. The coup was widely dismissed. Having failed to take over power in Tripoli, Haftar turned his attention to gaining support in the east of the country by claiming that he would rid Benghazi of terrorism under the banner of the Dignity operation. Haftars actions plunged Libya into practically two civil wars, one in the east and one in the west, which were fuelled by regional players who wanted to gain influence in the country through the opposing groups they supported. A few months into the civil war, the UN decided to intervene and initiate a national dialogue that would lead to a power-sharing agreement meant to stop the fighting and get Libya back on its transitional track. After more than a year of various dialogue tracks and meetings held mainly in locations outside Libya, a political agreement was signed in the city of Skhirat, Morocco on December 17, 2015. The main signatories to this agreement were representatives of the two competing parliaments as well as political parties and other independent figures. This agreement resulted in the appointment of a new presidential council, consisting of nine members headed by Fayez Serraj, which was to form a new government of national accord (GNA). The political agreement may not be ideal and it will always have critics citing weaknesses in it. However, there can never be a perfect political agreement and solution. Compromises have been made by all sides in the conflict and I believe it is the best outcome that could have been achieved considering the current circumstances, particularly the fragile economic and security situations. There would have been dire consequences if the dialogue had failed and an agreement had not been reached. On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Libyan revolution, we look back and see that the comprehensive victory achieved by the Libyan people in 2011 has not yet been transformed into a new political and social order. Many obstacles have appeared in the transitional period thus far, some being intrinsic to Libyan society and some due to detrimental intervention by various regional states. It has become clear that Gaddafi has left behind a long, damaging legacy caused by his deliberate decimation of any forms of state institutions. Gaddafis legacy also included having no formal constitution or an independent judiciary system as well as the prohibition of political parties, civil society organisations and free press throughout his 42-year rule. It became apparent that the culture of political pluralism and consensus within Libyan society was very weak or non-existent. Libya stands today as a divided country with its population experiencing lack of stability and security as well as economic hardships owing to major falls in oil exports and prices. Alongside this, Libya is also experiencing an expanding terrorist threat from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) gaining footholds in cities such as Derna, Benghazi and, mainly, Sirte. The newly appointed GNA will have to face the mammoth challenge of ending the civil war and reuniting the country and its main institutions, as well as providing safety and security and restoring better socioeconomic conditions. Five years on, it is clear that the Libyan people have yet to enjoy the fruits of their major sacrifices during the 2011 revolution. Libyans were very successful in defeating and dismantling a brutal and totalitarian political regime. However, replacing it with a new political system based on justice, democratic institutions and rule of law proved to be much more difficult to achieve. The key factors for achieving successful change for Libyans lie in instilling a new culture of tolerance, political consensus, reconciliation and a new social contract that ensures the fair sharing of power and wealth. Dr Guma El-Gamaty is a Libyan academic and politician who heads the Taghyeer Party and has also been a participant of the Libyan Political Dialogue overseen by the UN. Pope Francis travelling to Ciudad Juarez as it tries to recover from drug violence which left 10,000 people dead. Pope Francis is set to complete his tour of Mexico with a visit to a city once synonymous with the countrys drug war. Local security officials hope the pontiffs visit to Ciudad Juarez on the countrys border with the US on Wednesday will help to heal the wounds left by drug violence, which left more than 10,000 people dead. The number of murders in the city has gone down from 3,000 in 2010 to just over 300 in 2015, but even though violence has lessened, poverty and youth unemployment remain major issues. The Catholic church is trying to tempt young people in poorer neighbourhoods from a life of crime by offering exercise classes, among other activities. But at least one religious leader says the government and the church are not addressing the core issues. These places are full of young people, young people that dont go to school, dont have a job, or that work in the border factories for a low wage. I think that we have a lot of work to do. Neither the church, me included, nor the government, is doing enough for them, said Father Hugo Munoz. As well as its association with Mexicos drug war, the city is a staging point for migrants from across Latin America trying to reach the US. Thousands of people have died trying to trek across the desert in an attempt to build new lives or join relatives across the border. Pope Francis, a critic of US immigration policy, is expected to make his way to the border to offer prayers. Charity says three people were pulled from the rubble of a hospital hit by missiles in Syrias Idlib province. Rescuers in Syria have pulled three survivors from the rubble of a hospital 30 hours after it was hit by a suspected air strike. The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which ran the hospital in Maraat al-Nouman, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that rescue operations were continuing for two members of its staff who were still missing. Dramatic video of the recovery operation, which local activists posted on YouTube, showed a woman covered in dust and blood but still concious being dragged to safety. * WARNING: The video below contains graphic content * Five MSF staff members were among up to 50 killed in a series of raids carried out on hospitals and schools in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces on Monday. The attacks were branded war crimes by Turkish and French officials. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the strikes violated international law. Russia, which is conducting an aerial campaign against rebel groups in the area, has denied it was responsible for the strikes after accusations were levelled against it by Turkey and activists. The countrys health minister Veronika Skvortsova said its military targeted only the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and did not deliberately hit civilians. While denying responsibility, Syrias ambassador to the UN, Bashar al-Jaafari, described MSF as a front organisation for the French intelligence service. Over the past year, MSF facilities in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan have been hit by air strikes. At least 28 killed and 61 wounded after car bomb reportedly targets military personnel travelling in heart of city. At least 28 people have been killed and 61 more wounded in a large explosion targeting a military vehicle in heart of the Turkish capital of Ankara. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Gaziantep, said officials believed a car bomb had caused the explosion on Wednesday evening and the target had been Turkish military personnel, who were travelling in a vehicle which was stopped at traffic lights. The death toll rose steadily on Wednesday night, with those wounded in the blast sent to hospitals across the city. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an urgent emergency meeting with top-level security officials in Ankara. We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day, Erdogan said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but government officials said they were treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Analysts and unnamed Turkish officials said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) armed group would be among the leading suspects. The explosion was heard across the capital when it went off at about 6:15pm local time. The attack happened at the height of evening rush hour, not far from Turkeys parliament, government buildings and military headquarters. Witnesses shared images on social media showing a large plume of smoke rising into the sky and and local news footage showed a large fire burning at the site of the explosion. This is really in the heart of the Turkish capital it is clearly a message to the Turkish government, Khodr said. This is the fourth major explosion in Turkey in the past few months. Terrorist act Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said in a speech that the blatant, treacherous attack was well organised. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Twitter the attack was an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who had been due to leave for Brussels later on Wednesday, cancelled the trip, an official in his office said. A Saudi-born Syrian suicide bomber, widely believed to be inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), detonated a bomb in the historic district of Istanbul in January, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15 others. Turkey has become a target for ISIL, with two bombings last year blamed on the armed group in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border and in the capital, Ankara. The latter killed more than 100 people. Violence has also escalated in the mainly Kurdish southeast since a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July between the state and the PKK armed group, which has been fighting for three decades for Kurdish autonomy. Aid groups operating near besieged city of Taiz are not providing displaced people with what they say they need most. Al-Turbah, Taiz Ghamdan Yaseens family has been displaced by the war in Yemen. His wife and five children badly need food. So when Oxfam gave him four blankets and four mattresses last month, he was forced to sell them in the market. I can sleep without a blanket, I can bear the cold weather, but my family and I cannot live without food. So I was compelled to sell the blankets and the mattresses in al-Turbah market, Yaseen told Al Jazeera. Yaseen said the value of the blankets he received was 5,000 Yemeni rials ($23), and that of a mattress was 4,000 rials ($19). He managed to sell the blankets and mattresses for 2,000 rials ($9) apiece, yielding 16,000 rials ($74) in total. I told [Oxfam] that I need the blankets and I will not sell them. Then I sold them to get money. I am not a liar, but the economic situation forced me to do, so may Allah forgive me. Yaseen said he used the money to buy two 50-kilogram bags of wheat and a 50-kilogram bag of flour. On Monday, The UN warned that residents of the city of Taiz in Yemen were facing imminent starvation. About 7.6 million people in Yemen are suffering from severe food shortage as a result of the war and are urgently in need of humanitarian assistance. READ MORE: Starvation in Yemen: We are hoping just to survive The population of Taiz, Yemens second-biggest city, has dropped from 600,000 to roughly 200,000 as many flee the ongoing civil war, according to UN figures. The Houthi rebel group laid siege to Taiz in August 2015, and since then has largely cut off the flow of goods into and out of the city. The city is a significant battleground in the nearly year-long conflict between the government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Houthi forces. I can sleep without a blanket, I can bear the cold weather, but my family and I cannot live without food. by Ghamdan Yaseen, a displaced Yemeni Many of those displaced from Taiz are now living in rural areas, especially al-Shimayateen district, where international aid organisations such as Save the Children and Oxfam have opened branches to help to alleviate the humanitarian situation. The displaced people say they are in dire need of food, which aid organisations are reportedly struggling to provide. Ghazi al-Husaini, a co-ordinator with Oxfam based in al-Turbah, told Al Jazeera that many displaced people need blankets and mattresses for the winter. He said he was aware that some displaced people sold the aid, which he considered to be a type of stealing. Walid al-Taweel, 35, a displaced man who is staying at the Adeem School in al-Turbah, received a food basket from al-Hikma charity association that contained five boxes of tissues, utentils and dishes, 5kg of sugar and 5kg of rice. When I learned that al-Hikma association would provide the displaced people with food baskets, I was very glad that I would get enough food for one whole month, as my neighbours told me. I went more than five times to al-Hikmas office in al-Turbah to get a basket, and finally I got it, but I was shocked to see its contents, said al-Taweel. He was expecting to get wheat, flour, cooking oil and more rice. He said he took the rice and sugar and sold the rest of the items to a shop owner for 2,500 Yemeni rials ($12). Q&A: Yemen has gone 100 years back in time Ibrahim Hamid, an al-Hikma representative based in al-Turbah, told Al Jazeera that the association was working hard to provide displaced people with basic commodities, and was collecting the goods from traders and donations. When the traders give us spoons, knives, tissues or dishes, we try to give them to the displaced people who are in need of them, as we do not buy them from the market In addition, we also provide the displaced and poor people with rice and sugar, Hamid told Al Jazeera. Despite the shortcomings of aid delivery in al-Turbah, the humanitarian situation is far worse in the city of Taiz, where the Houthi siege largely prevents medical supplies and other necessities from entering the city. On January 16, after five months of intense negotiations with officials, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was able to get a delivery of two trucks full of essential medical supplies into the besieged area of the city of Taiz, according to the MSF website. Abdul Kareem Shamsan, the head of the Humanitarian Relief Coalition in Taiz, which consists of 200 local organisations, confirmed that city hospitals received medicine, as well as other supplies including chest tubes, anaesthetic drugs, fluid and sutures, from MSF last month. But we also need oxygen cylinders. Dozens of people have been killed because of the lack of oxygen, Shamsan told Al Jazeera. He added that international aid organisations were unable to operate in the besieged areas of Taiz. Aid workers can come to the besieged areas in Taiz city, and there was a visit to some international aid workers to Taiz city in January, but they cannot get delivery of humanitarian aid to the residents of Taiz as the Houthis control the entries of Taiz city and they will not allow them, explained Shamsan. Instead, Taizs residents depend on smugglers to provide residents with food, water, fuel and medical supplies. Who owns the worlds busiest shipping lane and what lies below the surface that is causing growing tensions? Six countries are all scrambling for the South China Sea. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia are all making claims to it. But why now? China estimates there could be up to 213 billion barrels of oil beneath the sea. This would mean China would have the worlds second-largest proven oil reserves, just falling behind Saudi Arabia, which has 264 billion barrels. There are also estimates of up to two quadrillion cubic feet of hydrocarbon natural gas. Also corruption and bribery in the beautiful game. We look at the crisis at the heart of FIFA and how it can fix its reputation after facing allegations of bribery and corruption. Counting the Cost scrutinises FIFAs 2010 financial report. And protecting the rain forests. The clash between business and environment in Indonesia where a two-year government ban on rainforest logging is facing challenges. Counting the Cost airs each week at the following times GMT: Friday: 2230; Saturday: 0930; Sunday: 0330; Monday: 1630. Sara Serpa and Greg Osby at the Inner Circle Music Festival at the Cornelia Street Cafe. The Snow Owl, Juan Garcia-Herreros. Yuhan Su. The music industry today is defined by a strange paradox: there are too few labels and too many. On the one hand, the major labels have merged and sign less jazz artists, meaning the dream of a company with plenty of promotional muscles becomes harder to achieve. On the other hand, more and more musicians have started releasing their own music, but their labels are often one-man operations with none of the benefits that come with a true label: a brand, an aesthetic profile and most of all: visibility.The idea of a label based on a collective of artists is an attempt to solve this conundrum and they exist all around the world: ILK in Denmark, Kuai Music in Argentina and Whirl Wind Records in England, just to name a few. The concept has also taken root in the country where jazz was born. Inner Circle Music is run by the acclaimed saxophonistand is a prominent example of a label based on the ideas of creativity and community spirit.: When did you form Inner Circle Music and how did it happen?: Inner Circle Music was formed in 2007, one year after my final release for Blue Note Records. I had been signed with them since 1989 and my experience as an artist there was overwhelmingly positive. I was able to express myself entirely in the manner that suited my tastes and creative aspirations. However, near the end of my run it became increasingly obvious that the music business, as well as the priorities of the label itself had shifted. The primary focus was directed to artists who were more of a "sure thing" and who represented guaranteed sales, as opposed to artists like myself who didn't produce records that adhered to a contemporary model or industry expectations. The company president, Bruce Lundvall, asked me what direction I would be pursuing for my next project and I told him that it'd be better if I didn't offer yet another recording that only my die-hard followers would appreciate and support. He understood and begrudgingly agreed. So basically, I quit and was let go all at once, with absolutely no regrets. I enjoyed an amazing run with one of the most iconic companies in recording history. Not to mention, by that time I already had the blueprint for Inner Circle Music charted out anyway.: Is there a story behind the name of the label? Why is it called Inner Circle Music?: An inner circle usually is represented by a private group or a select society of like-minded associates. Inner Circle Music represents a group of able bodied and capable minded musicians and artists that I personally selected because I felt that what they were doing was both noble and full of potential. Many of them are primarily new artists that I endeavor to use my connections to help enable them to develop a more receptive and enthusiastic audience. I also sought to have a label that brought emphasis to more global-based forms of contemporary music expression. This idea is illustrated by the multi-national makeup of our roster.: How many people are involved with the label and what is your own role?: We are the classic grassroots operation. My role is to review new submissions and to aid and help my artists to design and establish a career trajectory and performance situations for themselves. We do not operate with the typical business structure or label model as has been done in the past. That method has often led to regret and big debt. We are completely independent and self-reliant and thus, we use our combined resources and tenacity to make things happen for ourselves. Our artists are obligated take on operational tasks or work for the label on an as-needed basis, which helps to keep our overhead low.: You are a musician yourself. How does that influence the way you run your label?: Being a musician myself allows me the ability to objectively hear projects that are not completely developed or to recognize the potential of an artist who may not be very experienced and has some growing and conditioning yet to do. I use my acquired knowledge, my perspectives and my practical vision to try to help my label mates realize who they are as contributing, progressive artists. However, most of the time I say nothing and don't interfere with their process because the entire reason that I signed someone in the first place is that I felt they were artistically complete and self sufficient. I truly feel that too many so-called "producers" assert themselves to much on the works of artists who would fare better without such unnecessary commentary and suggestions. I only step in when my opinion is requested or if I see that things are getting off track and are at risk of not representing our label in the manner of which it was conceived.: How would you define your aesthetic profile and the audience you are targeting? Your manifesto on your website speaks about the need for focus, cultural designation and direction. Could you elaborate on the musical direction you want to pursue with your label?: With reference to a "target" audience, I would not conclude that we have a specific demographic for acceptance and support, since we are not called Inner Circle "Jazz" but instead, Inner Circle "Music." All of our releases have their own unique personalities and stories, which is prerequisite for inclusion in the catalog. I would say that we are in preference of appealing to listeners who have hugely expansive tastes in their listening choices. The creation of contemporary music is aided by vast numbers of resources and global influences. Given that, we wish for our works to be in recognition of what is yet possible, with a respectful nod to what has been made possible.: The motto of the label, "Return to Now," is an interesting paradox. How would you define the musical now that you are seeking?: Much music that is produced these days is either derivative or hopelessly emulative. Sometimes artists choose to try to force innovation or be experimental to the degree that none of their music makes any references to the past and thus it has no sonic or historical pathways that link it to any artistic precedent. Our objective at INCM is to utilize practically everything that is been made possible and given to us. Then, we strive to process that information, create original and inspired works, then present those works in an organized framework and medium that is reflective of the sound of today. Basically, to be contemporary in the most honest and purest manner possible.: In many ways, the music on your label seems to go beyond fixed notions of genre, but do your see your label as a continuation of a specific jazz narrative or is such a notion aesthetically limiting?: "Jazz," by it's own acquired constructs, represents a mechanism that is (supposed to be) defiant of fixed labeling or characterization. It is solely borne of a combination of unassociated elements -literal "fusion," if you will. We at INCM do not burden ourselves with the idea of ignoring nor embracing any compartmentalizing efforts or elements. We are only committed to producing works that directly reflect who we are and what we aspire towards.: Could you speak about some of the defining moments or key releases on your label?: I would offer that the first true defining moment was when I got my hands on the first batch of CDs which was a confirmation that we were a true label, and not a pet project of my own contrivance. These days, practically every artist has a "label" of some sort, which they are usually the sole artist. Our status as a legitimate label was defined by the first seven releases taking place all at once.Honestly speaking, whenever one of our releases is spotlighted, lauded or even imitated, that would constitute yet another defining moment for us.: What is your take on the music business today? Do you think it has become easier or harder to run an independent label and do you welcome the digital revolution?: I readily embrace the various means of digital music and technology both as a consumer as well as a producer, because it offers quick and immediate access to music for study and enjoyment. But it's awful for the business. Let's be clear about that. "Easily accessible" also means easy to acquire for free and to share with no monitoring -which amounts to stolen full projects sand lost revenue from the actual producers of the works. This issue is of a lesser concern and consequence for pop artists, who enjoy hefty advances and more extensive ticket sales. However, for creative artists like ourselves it means that our CDs are little more than musical business cards which illustrate to consumers, agents and managers what our bands and music actually sounds like. Also, since physical CD sales do not constitute a major fraction of our income stream anymore, one of their primary functions is to influence proprietors to book our respective groups. Often, purchasers of CDs rarely refer to them again once the music has been ripped to their listening devices or phones, so their importance has been further devalued. A digital file is practically impossible to keep track of once it has been released.: Do you feel part of a musical movement and are there other labels you identify with?: Currently, we are not affiliated with any other labels or companies, although collaborations are not out of the question. Basically speaking, the only "movement" that I recognize is one where more artists are taking their recording fates in their own hands and are not waiting to be signed or discovered anymore. The fabled big label deals are not in step with reasonable thinking anymore, and many artists are avoiding such debt-driven alliances. They realize that there are alternative means that exist which would allow them to record and promote their art, while maintaining ownership and their artistic integrity. Self production isn't always the best route, and often results in misdirection and projects that lack focus. But for many, it's their only option.: Do you have a particular studio and engineer that you use?: We have no one studio or recording situation, and everyone is free to determine the sound that best suits their overall vision. In other words, there is no defined or prescribed "label" sound. That formula was successful in the 1950's and '60's but, in my opinion, would be too limiting a concept for recordings today. A universal label sound is not personal enough for my tastes and gives the recording engineer too much influence on the total color of the work. Such affectations are distracting to me. A studio's sound and vibe should be transparent.: Could you tell something about the packaging and design of your albums. Do you have a specific approach to the design of your albums and do you include liner notes or photography? Is it important to you with a physical product?: I have always contended that album or CD cover art is practically as important as the recorded work itself. It's the first thing that potential consumers see, and the packaging absolutely completes the story that is being sharedin a visual sense. Over the years many great projects have been, and continue to be, overlooked and ignored simply because the packaging and imaging looked cheap or was done with little thought. Some cover art looks completely detached and unrelated to the sound of the music itself. Honestly, there is very little that is more unimaginative than a musician holding their instrument on the cover of a CD. I do my best to encourage our artists to be as creative with the package art as they were with the creation of the music itself.: You have artists from many different backgrounds and parts of the world. Is it a conscious choice or a coincidence?: Progressive and challenging music is not exclusive to US-based artists. As a citizen of the world, I enjoy hearing ideas interpreted through the lens of persons from various locations that offer alternative strains of culture, customs and folklore. INCM reflects some of the best minds and talent there is.: How do you find your artists?: I meet interesting artists all the time. There certainly is no shortage of talent. However, many of my artists come to me via recommendation from others that I have chosen myself. I tend to trust the judgement of players that I already like. Unfortunately, we don't have the means to accommodate everyone that appeals to us for inclusion on our roster. It's far too easy for things to get out of hand, so we have remained small in an effort to keep our affairs manageable.: Could you elaborate on some of the key artists that have helped to shape the label's sound?: All of our artists are key players. There is no label sound other than that of individuality and honesty. We try to evoke the sound of true independence, meaning that there is absolutely no label or production intervention that would compromise the aims of the artist's work. Again, I only make my presence known when I feel that the project either lacks direction or focus or the artist is overspending. I have no commentary concerning the trajectory or scope of the artist's vision. I consider too many opinions to be meddlesome and artistically stifling.: How does your release schedule look? How many albums do you release in a year and what can be expected in the future?: We're not operating on a fixed release schedule. I much prefer to nurture the projects at a slower pace than to rush things and risk mistakes and poor performances. However, there are a few periods that I would advise not releasing new projects -like during spring break or in early January following the holidays (everyone is broke) etc... We are attentive to every aspect of the production process in order to insure that, upon completion, our finished projects sound entirely as we conceived them. They won't be released until they are entirely complete and when the artist feels the time is right.: Finally. How would you evaluate the story of Inner Circle Music so far and what is your vision for the future?: We've done remarkably well during our relatively short period of existence. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to continue to encourage our artists to do good work, and I'll certainly do my best to promote those works and aid in their introduction to a broader support and appreciation base. We'll do our best, to do our best.Greg OsbyNine Levels2009Nine Levels is the first release on Inner Circle Music and, in many ways, it could be seen as musical manifesto for the label. The album is open-minded, philosophical and emotionally deep and it challenges the fixed notion of genre and culture. In his review on All About Jazz, Mark F. Turner writes:"The music which is based upon Osby's perspective on the Zen like principles of "The 9 Levels of Humanity," personifies the artist: geometric time signatures, hip modernistic imprints, blues and bop touches and some new surprises, delivered with the usual high level of musicianship. The sharp movements of Osby's horn and music are intact but the recording speaks of a freshness that is free from the constraints of normal conventions and is articulated by a new band of rising artists who are poised to leave their own marks."With Nine Levels, Osby paves the way for a group of strong individuals who like to collaborate and reinvent tradition.Snow OwlNormas2013One of the many strong musical personalities on Osby's label is the Columbian bassist. The man behind the name is Juan Garcia-Herreros and while he is a highly accomplished instrumentalist, he is not interested in music as pure virtuosity and pyrotechnics. Instead, he engages in sophisticated musical translations on his album Normas, which simply means standards in Spanish.Snow Owl takes the standards of the American jazz tradition and reshapes them into his own musical language. As he explains:"I have taken the titles of famous Jazz Standard compositions, and translated them into my interpretation of what the Standards of today in Jazz should be. For example a simpleBlues entitled Mr. P.C. is now a complex and multi-rhythmical song in a 5/4 meter Clave with the title Senor C.P."The result is a rich and rhythmically vibrant stew of sounds that enhances the narrow concept of playing jazz standards.Adam LarsonSelective Amnesia2015In a way, the title of saxophonist's album: Selective Amnesia is an apt description of the aesthetic of many albums on Inner Circle Music. It is about partially forgetting a fixed idea of tradition and reinventing music.Larson belongs to a hip new group of musicians who are not of afraid of odd meter and complex structures, but the most refreshing thing about the album is the clear sense of melody. Whether Larson is playing a ballad or exploring tricky rhythms and breaks on "McWendel," his lines are lucid and easy to follow.The same thing can be said about his fellow players. Bassistand drummer Jimmy Macbride keep the groove in the pocket and guitarist Matthew Stevens and pianist Fabian Almazan spin a delicate web of melodic lines around the rhythms.Larson plays his own music and the reward is not the money, as the title of the track "Shitpay" humorously implies. Instead, the payment comes from the joy of playing music and it shines clearly through on an album that is both complex and accessible.The Aperturistic TrioTruth and Actuality2013Pianistis the leader of The Aperturistic Trio, but it really is a collective unit where Weidman, bassist Harvey S. and drummer Steve Williams create a sound that is both timeless and timely.The trio moves through different moods. The title track is a little history of jazz piano. It starts with gentle lyrical piano musings before a modern groove sets in. Then, the tune changes into an abstract tone poem where bassist Harvey S. plays with bow and Weidman adds interrupted intervals on the piano and finally everything is gathered again in the return of the cool, swinging groove.The trio makes organic musical experiments that retain the rhythm, the swing and the melody. This is contemporary music for both body and soul.Jorge VistelCimarron2014A trio with piano, bass and drums is a classic combination in jazz, but trumpet trios are relatively rare. Nevertheless, Cuban-born trumpeterexplores this particular combination with great success on his album Cimarron.Cimarron is the name of a slave who escaped in pursuit of freedom and his story becomes a metaphor for musical emancipation on the album. Vistel acknowledges his Cuban roots and there is an immediate rhythmical vibrancy about the music, but also traces of the avant-garde. However, the music avoids the pitfalls of purposeless meandering. Instead, clear rhythmical patterns and lines emerge.Vistal's tone is passionate, but also cool and clearly structured. For instance, "Rancheador" introduces a recognizable riff complemented by the bouncing groove from Reinier Elizarde and drummer Michael Olivera. Vistal takes the riff and bends it into a beautiful solo and overall Cimarron is an exciting modern jazz journey where different traditions coalesce into a personal sound.Petros KlampanisMinor Dispute2015Many of the releases on Inner Circle Music draw successfully on the diverse cultural background of the artists. Greek bassistis a clear example of this. The influence from his home country is striking, not only in his arrangement of the Greek folk song "Thalassaki," but also in the use of musical scales and figures. However, Klampanis has created his own expression and the album Minor Dispute could not be reduced to Greek folk music meets modern jazz. Klampanis wraps his music in elaborate soundscapes where his bandmates play important roles.Guitaristis almost cinematic in his varied use of the electric guitar and does not shy away from distorted outbursts while percussionistconjures an entire world of sound and pianistadds his sense of swing and harmonic sophistication.The tasteful use of strings is another bonus. They gently drift in without sugarcoating the music. The album plays out like an elegant and epic conversation between instruments, traditions and genres.Yuhan SuA Room of One's Own2015Back in 1929, Virginia Woolf published her extended essay "A Room of One's Own." It was a defense for women within the literary tradition. In music, the Inner Circle label has done a lot to secure that the new voices of female musicians are heard. One of them is the vibraphonist and composerand suitably she has called her second album as a leader A Room of One's Own. In his review of the album on All About Jazz, Hrayr Attarian writes:"On this intelligent and emotive record Su demonstrates that she has a mature and singular voice. One marked by ardent romanticism and pensive originality. She also emerges as a sensitive and clever bandleader allowing ample room for her sidemen's individuality while using them to augment her overall musical vision. A Room Of One's Own is delightful and stimulating as well as quite memorable. It is simultaneously edgy, inventive and accessible."Emilie WeibeloMoO2014There is also a literary reference on Swiss vocalist and composer's album for Inner Circle Music. oMoO is the name of her album, but it is also a novel by Herman Melville. In the book, Melville writes about his adventures in the South Seas. Like Melville, Weibel is also a fearless explorer and she is not afraid of using her delicate voice in different ways. This is also something Hrayr Attarian notes in his review of the album on All About Jazz:"Weibel also has a strong dramatic sense as she constructs three-dimensional pieces with inventive and memorable atmospheres. Accompanying herself on various instruments and utilizing sound clips Weibel carefully directs the progression of these brief yet eerily transcendent tunes with agility and deftness.Her wordless vocalese on "Tu Dis" blows like a fragrant breeze as her own overdubbed refrains buoy the lilting air. While the sunny disposition of the clever and playful "Hello Lea" is laced with a delightfully dark undercurrent.This type of contrasting motifs also appears on the title track with its chanting vamps. Despite her elegantly ethereal delivery and the intricately woven melody there is something vibrantly primal about the overlapping vocables."Sara Serpa & Andre MatosPrimavera2014Another vocalist on Inner Circle who is not afraid to stretch the boundaries of her voice is. On Primavera she is in the congenial company of guitarist Andre Matos and a few selected guests, including Osby himself. In his review on All About Jazz, John Bush writes:"Although there are (mostly) just two musicians on Primavera, the first recorded collaboration between Portuguese songbird Sara Serpa and guitarist Andre Matosone couldn't ask for a more sonically lustrous offering. That's partially due to the result of judiciously applied multitracking, and to the intricate melodic sense of both musicians. There is nary an extra note or a false move on this album, and it frequently soars, as on the title track, where Serpa's layered vocals paint vivid pictures over the angular guitar constructs of Matos."Alice RicciardiOptics2014is an Italian singer and while she is not as experimental in her approach as Emilie Weibel and Sara Serpa, she has a fresh take on the vocal jazz tradition and her album Optics uses various approaches to a wide range of material. There is superb scat-singing on "Flying in a Box," a convincing reading of a standard on "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" and musical interpretations of poetry on "Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town," "Sorrow" and "I've Heard an Organ Talk."A special feature is the use of intros to set the mood for some of the key compositions on the album and it is evident that Ricciardi understands how to create a narrative around the songs she sings. The album shows a dedicated artist at work.Lara SolnickiWhose shadow2014Alice Ricciardi interprets poetry with the understanding of a poet, but the Canadian singeris actually a published poet and it is clear that she also has a way with words. In his review on All About Jazz, Everett R. Davis writes:Whose Shadow? is an eclectic album about metamorphosis and influence and the conscious and unconscious shaping of an artist. Her impressive four octave vocal range journeys through ten delightful tracks featuring original compositions, traditional jazz fare, and classics to include "Sunset" (Kate Bush), "Shades Of Scarlett Conquering" (Joni Mitchell), and "I'll Remember April" (Patricia Johnson, Gene dePaul, Ron Raye) all with boldly unique style and vocal attitude of her own. Lara's voice is riveting, each word is clearly distinguishable and brings a refreshing and exciting tone to each selection.Kavita ShahVisions2014is a New York singer of Indian descent and her rich cultural heritage is reflected on her album Visions where she sings in several languages and includes a number of genres and styles. A tune by singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell sits comfortably next to the title track penned by Stevie Wonder and a tabla interlude and there is also a cover of British rapper M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," a bossa nova tune and a reading of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Deluge." Shah also finds room for her own material and the first rate contributions from people like co-producer and guitaristadds to the rich sound of the record that is like walking around a bazaar with scents from all around the world. Shah says about her own role as a musician:"I see myself as a cultural interlocutor. A singer can play an almost mystical role, connecting these different elements on stage with an audience through the human voice, through words. With the Visions project, it's amazing to see the Joni Mitchell fan who has never before seen a kora standing next to the hardcore jazz fan who would not expect to hear tablas on a Wayne Shorter tune. I hope that people find something familiar in the music that draws them in, but then discover something new that might change, even for a second, how they see the world."In a way, Shah's words sums up the aesthetic of Inner Circle Music. It is a label that builds bridges, translates cultures and aspires to change the way we perceive and use musical traditions.Tracks and PersonnelNine LevelsTracks: Principle; Tolerance; Humility; Truth; Less Tension Please; Resilience; Two Of One; Innocence; Optimism.Personnel: Greg Osby: alto and soprano saxophones; Sara Serpa: voice; Adam Birnbaum: piano; Nir Felder: guitar; Joseph Lepore: bass; Hamir Atwal: drums.NormasTracks: Senor C.P; Huellas; Impulso Interno; Cuerpo y Alma; Som I Serem; Touched; Hearts of Ether.Personnel: Juan Garcia-Herreros: electric contrabass guitar; Hector Martignon: piano; Roberto Quintero: percussion (#1,2,3,5,6 & 7); Stoyan Yankoulov: drums; Jonathan Powell: trumpet (#1,2,3,6 & 7); Jeremy Powell: tenor saxophone; Alexander Wladigeroff: trumpet & flugelhorn; Klaus Dickbauer: bass Clarinet (#4); Conrad Schrenk: electric Guitar (# 3); Daniel Mesquita: 12 string guitar (#2); Mamadou Diabate: balafon & percussion (#2); Abdoulaye Dembele: dun dun ba (#2); Djakali Kone: djembe (#2)Selective AmnesiaTracks: Suitable Replacement; Vanished Theories; McWendel; Gratitude; Disguise; Sh*tpay; Your Loss; The Dope Pope.Personnel: Adam Larson: saxophone; Matthew Stevens: guitar; Fabian Almazan: piano; Matt Penman: bass; Jimmy Macbride: drums.Truth and ActualityTracks: Dance of the Macrocosmic People; Homily for Pastor B (Memories of Frederick J. Bryant); Time to Make a Movie; Courage; Truth and Actuality; Re-Emergence; Aperturistic; Send One Your Love.Personnel: James Weidman: piano; Harvie S.: bass; Steve Williams: drums.CimarronTracks: Open the Way; Cimarron; The Iceberg Corner; Rancheador, Tres Palabras; Liber Abacci; Ciclos; Hamilton City; Evolution; Rancheador alt; Rezo.Personnel: Jorge Vistel: trumpet; Reinier Elizarde: double bass; Michael Olivera: drums.Minor DisputeTracks: Minor Dispute; Monkey Business; Lily's Promenade; March of the Sad Ones; Ferry Frenzy; Luiza; Thalassaki.Personnel: Petros Klampanis: bass; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Jean-Michel Pilc: piano; Jon Hadfield: drums, percussion; Max ZT: santuri + strings.A Room of One's OwnTracks: Amulet; Valedicere I; Valedicere II; Valedicere III; No 13 Waltz; All Kinds of Dreams; I Do Not Always Understand What You Say. What Is, Is By It's Nature On Display I; I Do Not Always Understand What You Say. What Is, Is By It's Nature On Display II; Painter's Mind; Freezing Point; Anti-Hunger Song.Personnel: Yuhan Su: vibraphone, vocals; Matt Holman: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kenji Herbert: guitar; Petros Klampanis: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.oMoOTracks: Lemania; Footprints; Paola; Tu Dis (To My Dad); L' Heure Exquise; River Song; Omoo; Hello Lea.Personnel: Emilie Weibel: vocals, music box, xylophone, percussion, keyboards, electronics.PrimaveraTracks: Primavera; Tempo; Rios; Choro; Kubana; Song for a Sister; Caminho; O Guardador De Rebanhos; A Realidade Das Coisas; Nuvem; Vanguard; Gardening; Se Me Va La Voz; Earth.Personnel: Sara Serpa: voice, fender Rhodes (2,6,14) piano (3,7,10); Andre Matos: guitar, electric bass (5,7,10) cymbal (7); Greg Osby: soprano saxophone (4); Leo Genovese: melodica, (3), kosikas(3),bombo legiero(10), piano (10), toy guitar (5); Pete Rende: Prophet keyboard (7).OpticsTracks: Deep Song; Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town; Optics; I Feel a Song Coming On; Intro #1; Sorrow; Flying in a Box; Intro # 2; A Flower is a Lovesome Thing; Intro #3; Worry Later; I've Heard an Organ Talk Sometimes.Personnel: Alice Ricciardi: vocals; Pietro Lussu: piano/fender Rhodes; Enrico Bracco: guitar; Dario Deidda: bass; Marco Valeri: drums.Whose Shadow?Tracks: Sunset; Freedom Dance; La Flute Enchantee; Music for a While; Jim the Dancer; A Timeless Place (The Peacocks); Shades of Scarlett Conquering; Mercy Street; Jill and Chloe; I'll Remember April.Personnel: Lara Solnicki: vocals; John Johnson: saxophones, bass clarinet, flute; Mark Kieswetter: piano, rhodes; George Koller: acoustic and electric bass; Ted Quinlan; guitar; Nick Frasier: drums; Lena Allemano: trumpet; Ernie Tollar: bansuri flute; Davide DiRenzo: percussian.VisionsTracks: Sodade; Visions; Little Green; Tabla Interlude; Paper Planes; Triste; Moray; Deluge; Oju Oba; My Time Is When; Rag Desh: Alaap; Rag Desh: Teental Gat; Rag Desh: Meltdown; Sodade Interlude; When.Personnel: Kavitata Shah: vocal; Lionel Loueke: guitar; Yacouba Sissoko: kora; Stephen Newcomb: piano, Rhodes; Michael Valeanu: guitar; Steve Wilson: soprano & alto saxophone; Linda Oh: bass; Guilhem Flouzat: drums; Miho Hazama: conductor; Tomoko Umura: violin; Curtis Stewart: violin; Nick Revel: viola; Will Martina: cello; Stephen Celluci: tablas; Rogerio Boccato: percussion.Page 1: Dave KaufmanPage 2: Courtesy of Juan Garcia-HerrerosPage 3: Courtesy of Yuhan Su UF students are entering to participate in a weeklong contest to race across Europe. The contest, called Red Bull Can You Make It? is run through the energy-drink company. Teams of three college students are selected based on audition videos. Teams will travel across Europe in seven days, using cans of Red Bull to get food, shelter and transportation, said Dixie Smith, a UF dentistry doctoral student entering the contest. Smith, 21, said teams are selected based on the number of votes their audition videos get online. Red Bull judges will select 165 teams by region, the quality of the videos and the number of votes they get. If picked, she and two other UF students would collect points by completing different tasks in Europe. The team with the most points wins a free trip to a major European city. Six women from UFs Surf Club are trying to make it on two teams, she said. Were technically competing against each other, but the goal is well both go, said Smith, whose teams name is Rad Bull Babes. Lauren Wilson, a UF biology sophomore, said her teams name is Bae Watch. She said she wants to participate in the contest to travel. Ive never been to Europe; its been totally out of my price range, the 19-year-old said. Ive never had an opportunity to go that far from home. Smith said it would be hard to prepare for the trip if her team is selected. Well probably just wing it, she said. Were kind of taking it one step at a time. Wilson said she was inspired to audition with her team because of a friend who participated in the race in 2014. Natalie Palmer, who graduated from UF in 2014, said she participated in Red Bulls first competition. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now While her team didnt win, she said it was the craziest thing shes ever done. Its definitely not for the lighthearted, the 23-year-old said. She said the first day of the race, her team traded three cans of Red Bull for a flight from Austria to the Swiss Alps. She said her team persuaded the airline to give them the flight for publicity. Within ten minutes we were running through security trying to catch the next flight out, she said. Wilson said she would trust strangers to help her team in the contest. I have a lot of faith in humankind, Smith said. I think a lot of our generation has lost that faith. Every team is going to make it most likely, and thats from the kindness of other people. Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @k_newberg. From left: Brett Walker, 24, Sky Smith, 22 and Dixie Smith, 21, pose for their team photo for RedBulls Can You Make It? contest which tasks teams to a race across Europe with nothing but cans of the energy drink. The students are a part of UFs Surf Club and entering alongside another team of three in the same club. Neha Saini, wearing red, stood frozen on Turlington Plaza on Tuesday. The 19-year-old was one of about 200 students who took part in the first Global Awareness Flash Mob. Bertrhude Albert, a UF instructor for effective oral communication, had her students freeze for about five minutes to draw attention to issues such as sanitation, suicide and human trafficking. While students sat frozen, nine students dressed in red took turns yelling statistics. The students who froze told a story through nonverbal communication, Albert said. They represented how people can get caught up in the present and not look at whats going on in the world. The red shirts of the students shouting facts represented the urgency of the statistics, she said. Black, worn by the rest of the students, represented their compliance with everyday life. Molly Vise, a UF biology senior, said the purpose of this flash mob was to encourage ordinary people to be aware of whats going on in the world. We have a very passionate millennial generation, the 21-year-old said. It was really nice working toward the things that all millennials are worried about right now. Albert said she wanted the students who participated in the event to experience how powerful communication can be and inspire UF students to take action and make a difference in the world. I hope that students really captured the heart of what was being said and are able to be the change, Albert said. Bertrhude Albert leads the Global Awareness Flash Mob at Turlington Plaza on Tuesday. Participants froze in place for five minutes while other students shouted statistics on current issues in the world. Albert teaches a class of 200 students that focuses on heightening oral communication skills. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Josh Venkataraman has more than 8,000 signatures, but hes missing one. Since last year, the UF telecommunication senior has fought to exonerate four Florida men who, in 1949, were convicted in connection with the rape of a white woman in Groveland, Florida, a city situated in Lake County. After the FBI found no evidence of a rape, the Groveland Four case became a story about four young men who were wrongly imprisoned by an all-white jury. Since he began the petition last Spring Break, Venkataraman, 22, has amassed signatures from places such as Seattle, Washington; Austin, Texas; and Australia. But hes missing one from Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who could sign off on the boys exoneration. I really just think its justice thats long overdue, Venkataraman said. Last year, a bill calling for their acquittal died in the Florida Legislature. This year, Venkataraman said a new bill will likely suffer a similar fate. The brother of Charles Greenlee, one of the four boys, joined Venkataraman at Groveland City Hall on Tuesday. Attendees stood and clapped as the mayor of Groveland issued a proclamation to Gov. Scott, asking him to exonerate the boys. Venkataraman said the mayor received death threats before Tuesdays announcement. For Wade Greenlee, 73, clearing his brothers name would mean an end to a multi-decade struggle. The proclamation would be the closest hes ever been to seeing his brother exonerated. Its been a long time coming, Greenlee said. But I never thought we would get to this point. Almost 70 years ago, Charles traveled from Alachua to Groveland to find a job because his girlfriend was pregnant. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Greenlee was less than 10 years old when his brother Charles, then 16, woke up to the allegations of rape. Charles spent about 13 years in prison before he was paroled. In 2012, as the last living member of the Groveland Four, he died. Im just sorry that hes not here to realize this, Greenlee said. Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo. Walter Irvin (third from left), Charles Greenlee and Samuel Shepherd stand in a jail after being accused of raping a 17-year-old white girl in Lake County, Florida, in 1949. Since then, Greenlees daughter, Carol Greenlee, has petitioned to exonerate her father and the other African-American men who were charged alongside him, known as the Groveland Four. Rebekah Robbins found inspiration Tuesday night. Robbins, a math instructor at the Gainesville Job Corps Center, visited the Headquarters Library for Alachua County to hear author William Kamkwambas story. Kamkwamba, 28, spoke to about 60 attendees and recounted his early years as an engineer and dreamer in the village of Wimbe, Malawi, Africa. Robbins listened to the story of how Kamkwamba used scraps to build a windmill at the age of 14, creating electricity in the village and earning him an invitation to the TEDGlobal Conference. He wrote about the project in his book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. He told attendees the conference helped him later obtain materials to build solar-powered water tanks, which came to use in the drought-stricken area. Growing up, I was very curious of how different things work, he said. Robbins, who excitedly approached Kamkwamba after the speech, said she will take the experience back to her students at the job corps. I think we all have that brilliance, she said. That brilliance just needs to be nurtured. Kamkwamba said most people in his community farmed, and his parents could not afford to send him to school. I didnt want to become a farmer, not because I hate farming, but because that is not the only thing I can do, he said. In 2014, he graduated from Dartmouth College after braving both his studies and the weather in Hanover, New Hampshire. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now I like the snow, but not the cold that comes with it, he said. Now, Kamkwamba travels to his village and implements more environmental and communal projects about once a year. All the people that are successful today have faced some challenges, but they didnt allow those challenges to stop them, he said. Twenty-nine-year-old author William Kamkwamba speaks at the Headquarters Library on Tuesday about his life in Malawi, Africa. At 14 years old, Kamkwamba built a windmill from scraps, providing electricity for his village. Toward the end of last year, it seemed the world had finally begun to pay attention to what was occurring in Syria. There was a flurry of news coverage, protests and conversation over social media. Although many of us have moved on, the conflict between Bashar al-Assads regime, rebel forces, ISIS and the Russians continues to kill and displace people in the region. The most recent reports show a total of about 4.7 million Syrian refugees who are, in many cases, without food, water, shelter and other basic needs. In a recent memorandum, the Human Rights Campaign identified three key areas of need, one of which is education. About 222,000 children in Lebanon, 100,000 in Jordan, and 400,000 children in Turkey are not in school. This occurs as a result of language barriers, economic hardship and enrollment requirements meant to bar Syrian students from attending schools in these host countries. Although much of the crisis involves matters of diplomacy, military intervention and negotiation between countries, there is now a way that students at UF can help. The first meeting of UFs local chapter of Students Organize for Syria (SOS) will be held today at 6:30 p.m. in Rinker Hall, Room 210. To learn more, you can like UF SOSs Facebook page at facebook.com/gators4syria. You can also join the Books Not Bombs campaign to help provide education for refugees of the conflict. This nationwide campaign is pushing universities across the country to provide scholarships for Syrian students, join the Syria Consortium and encourage other institutions to join the project. Make sure to sign the petition at books-not-bombs.com/uf and consider donating to organizations that are working to provide aid to those affected by the conflict. Amanda Nelson UF student 2005 .. AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63 The Deadly Assault and Bush Administration Cover-Up by S. Eben Kirkesby and Andreas Harsono 5427 14th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 $6.99 Fish Fridays! Manatee Co.'s Only 24-Hr. FREE Wi-Fi Paid Advertisement On Native Ground AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008 HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies: WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008 AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008 CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE] A judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation break into a phone belonging to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the killers in the December shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on Farook's iPhone 5C. The ruling requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the phone to cripple a security feature that erases data after too many unsuccessful unlocking attempts. Apple has programmed its iPhones to allow them to be accessed only with a passcode. Federal prosecutors told the judge they can't access a county-owned work phone used by Farook because they don't know his passcode. The subject device was seized pursuant to a federal search warrant for a black Lexus IS300, according to the governments court filing. His employer, the San Bernardino Public Health Department, has consented to a search of the phone, according to the filing. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. The company has five business days to contest the order if it believes compliance would be "unreasonably burdensome," Pym said in her decision. The Dec. 2 attack by Farook and Tashfeen Malik, his wife, killed 14 people and injured 22 others at a holiday luncheon for Farook's co-workers in San Bernardino. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles on Tuesday requested the court compel Apple to assist the investigation. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. The case is the latest episode in a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over encryption. Government officials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations. Technology experts and privacy advocates counter that forcing U.S. companies to weaken their encryption for law enforcement purposes would make private data vulnerable to hackers, undermine the security of the Internet and give a competitive advantage to companies in other countries. It also was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farook's work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about people with whom the couple communicated and where the two may have traveled. Farook and Malik took pains to destroy two of their personal cellphones, crushing them beyond the FBI's ability to recover information from them. Also, the two removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found, even after investigators searched for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake, diving for days. He was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. It was not known whether he forgot about the iPhone or did not care whether investigators found it. Pym didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes while a similar case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In that case, Magistrate Judge James Orenstein has not yet decided whether the government may compel Apple to unlock an iPhone under the All Writs Act, an 18th century law applied to the California case. The act has been used to compel a party to help the government in its law enforcement efforts, but Apple has argued that it is not its role to act as a government agent and that doing so would breach trust with its customers. Investigators are still working to piece together 18 unaccounted-for minutes in Farook's and Malik's activities from Dec. 2. Investigators have concluded the two were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; Malik's Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the group's leader around the time of the attack. FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress last week that investigators in the case have been unable to access a phone in the California case but provided no details. "It is a big problem for law enforcement armed with a search warrant when you find a device that can't be opened even when a judge says there's probable cause to open it," he said. "It affects our counterterrorism work. San Bernardino, a very important investigation to us we still have one of those killers' phones that we have not been able to open, and it's been over two months, and we're still working on it." Al Jazeera with wire services Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions, Lo said on Wednesday. A U.S. defense official also confirmed the apparent deployment of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox. News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the region but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea. We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas, Obama told a news conference. China claims most of the South China Sea, which The South covers almost 1.4 million square miles. It contains an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. About $5.3 trillion worth of trade and more than half the worlds merchant tonnage passes through it and it contains some of the worlds most important fisheries. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims to the waters. Beijing has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its claims. Washington worries that China has built up the islands with the aim of extending its military reach in the South China Sea. China says they will have mainly civilian uses as well as undefined defense purposes. The United States has said it will continue conducting freedom of navigation patrols by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region. Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from of the Center for a New American Security, said it was not the first time that China has sent such weapons to the Paracels, under Chinese control since 1974. I do think surface to air missiles are a considerable development, she said. If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at countering efforts by China, Vietnam and Taiwan to limit freedom of navigation. China condemned the U.S. action as provocative. Woody Island belongs to China, said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarize it. Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region. We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control, Tsai said. The missiles arrived at Woody Island over the past week, Fox News said. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on Feb. 3, but the missiles were visible by Feb. 14, it reported. A U.S. official told Fox News the imagery viewed appears to show the HQ-9 air defense system, which has a range of 125 miles and would pose a threat to any airplanes, civilian or military, flying close by. Asked about the report, Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said: While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely. China's move is likely to rattle Vietnam the most because of its proximity to the Paracels and because of a history of maritime tensions with China that culminated in 2014 with a standoff after China moved a massive oil rig into disputed waters. Al Jazeera with wire services Most Democratic and Republican voters in six crucial election-year states agree that the U.S. criminal justice system locks up too many nonviolent offenders and does too little to help them once they get out, according to poll results released Wednesday. The survey by the Justice Action Network (JAN), a Washington, D.C.-based criminal justice reform group, found consistent support for softening sentencing practices, drug laws and the way criminal records affect people after they serve their time. To produce the survey, JAN said it partnered with the The Tarrance Group, a Republican polling firm, to ensure GOP politicians on the campaign trail and Capitol Hill are aware of the results. This poll shows that criminal justice reform is not just smart policy, its also smart politics, said JAN Executive Director Holly Harris. Members on the Hill shouldnt be afraid of voting for reform. They should be afraid of voting against it. About two-thirds of voters polled by phone in mid-January in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin said the criminal justice system is unjust and too costly. Harris says she was surprised by the high levels of bipartisan support for reform. Pollsters spoke to 500 people in each state but Florida, where they interviewed 600. The study directed questions to a representative sample of ages, demographic groups and political affiliations in each state, a JAM representative said. Harris said there is also broad support for reform among JAN members, which include rights and fiscal responsibility advocacy groups on the left and right. Many Republicans want to see prison populations drop because mass incarceration costs taxpayers billions each year, Harris said, adding that many Democrats argue that that poor and minority populations are jailed at higher rates than white people, often for nonviolent offenses. The poll asked respondents to react to the following statement: Some people say that our criminal justice systems needs to be reformed. We keep too many people in prison for too long with mandatory minimum sentences that give too much power to bureaucrats instead of allowing judges to make individual decisions about sentencing. In Florida, 67 percent of respondents said they agreed; in North Carolina, 57 percent; in Nevada, 64 percent; in Kentucky, 60 percent; in Missouri, 61 percent; and in Wisconsin, 66 percent. Giving judges more discretion in sentencing garnered even higher support, with an average of 75 percent for each state. The poll found that Republicans and Democrats support change at similar rates. Harris says that reducing or eliminating criminal sentences for nonviolent drug offenses is one way to address the issue, along with eliminating criminal records that keep people from finding jobs and re-entering society. Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have made criminal justice reform important parts of their stump speeches and campaign platforms. Republicans have been less vocal, with the notable exception of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who dropped out of the race after failing to gain widespread support. On Wednesday, Clinton announced her plan for a $125 billion program to help black and Latino communities deal with the legacy of mass incarceration, through measures such as job-training programs. The New York Times quoted her as telling an audience in Harlem that her program would aid places where people of color and the poor have been left out and left behind ... places like Harlem and rural South Carolina. The Democratic caucus in Nevada on Feb. 20 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 27 loom large for Clinton, as tests of what her campaign calls a firewall of support among communities of color. She fared worse than expected against Sanders in the Iowa caucus, and endured a landslide loss against him in New Hampshire primary. But Sanders may be a better choice for criminal justice reform advocates, said retired New Jersey Police Officer De Lacy Davis, head of the National Coalition for Law Enforcement Officers for Justice Reform and Accountability (NCLEOJRA), which pushes for better police-community relations. Davis said that full reform needs to start with how police interact with communities they serve, and that police shouldnt upend young peoples futures by marking them with criminal records for life. Dealing with the consequences of mass incarceration is not enough, he said, contending that reform must happen on the street where the problem starts. Without endorsing any candidate, I think Bernie Sanders has made criminal justice reform a cornerstone of his platform, Davis said. In contrast to Clinton, who is more reluctant to soften federal marijuana laws, Sanders has offered full-throated support for ending prohibition. Laws criminalizing pot possession affect black people and Latinos at higher rates than white people, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Davis also said he believes Sanders plans for reducing the prison population dont have the stain of the tough-on-crime policies that Bill and Hillary Clinton pushed for in 1994. But Joe Giacalone, a former New York Police Department sergeant and current professor of criminal justice at John Jay College, said that rehabilitation should be a priority and that he doesnt see either candidate as offering a complete solution. He said he is skeptical of efforts to spring prisoners early. The reality, he believes, is that many people enter prison as nonviolent offenders but become more dangerous during their time inside. I have zero confidence on either side, he said, then quoted a 1972 song by U.S. rock band Stealers Wheel: Its like, Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.' Thats basically it. Edwin Desamour, the executive director of Men in Motion in the Community, says hes in a tug-of-war with neighborhood drug dealers. Brad Larrison for Al Jazeera America This, according to Desamour, has a creeping affect on the drug trade. Men come home and want to change their lives around, and they do try, said Desamour, who served eight years in prison for a fight-turned-homicide that he was involved in at age 16. They knock on doors, take classes on life skills, [how to do] interviews but when they did everything they had to do, their record was used against them, and its discouraging after a while. Some guys at the end of day, they dont want to be out there, but they end up back in it. Theres no justifying, but they have to feed their families that have to somehow survive. For others, usually a younger generation, he said, theyre not bad kids, but theyve been blinded by the drug lifestyle since birth. They see only the drug dealers with nice cars, new clothes, and girlfriends. They grow up aspiring to have their own heroin corner. They have street dreams. They dont see college. Theyre not exposed to nothing but that, said Desamour. Our job is to show them, No, thats not a way of life. We can do better. Its like a tug of war with us and the drug dealers, he added. They say theres that kid that lives in the middle of it and makes it. But not everybodys that kid. Philadelphias homicide rate has dropped from the highs of the mid-2000s, when it earned the nickname Killadelphia. Still, there were 277 murders in the city last year, many of them tied to the drug trade. Retired Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay told The Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this year that drug-related killings increased 55 percent in 2015 from the year before. Drug dealers are responsible for much of the citys violence. But as for addiction, Cram said, its the demand that drives the supply, not the other way around. Ankara Gov. Mehmet Kiliclar said authorities believe that the explosion was caused by a "bomb-laden vehicle." News reports said some cars caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but government officials said they were treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and a leftist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on ISIL targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkeys deadliest attack in years. Wednesdays attack comes at a tense time, with the Turkish government facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. The Turkish security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish fighters in the southeast since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has been helping efforts led by the United States to combat ISIL in neighboring Syria and has seen several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on the armed group. The Syrian war, meanwhile, is raging along Turkey's southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the Syria-Turkey border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to refugee camps on the Syrian side. Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has been a key focus of EU efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees in Europe since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He said that there can be no justification "for such horrific acts" and that "NATO allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism." German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts, we are on the side of Turkey." Washington also condemned the attack, according to a statement by Mark Toner, the State Department deputy spokesman. "We reaffirm our strong partnership with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the shared threat of terrorism," he said. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled a visit to Brussels on Wednesday evening and attended a security meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. The government imposed a gag order barring media organizations from broadcasting or printing graphic images of the dead or injured at the scene of the explosion. Turkey has imposed similar bans after previous attacks. Last month 11 German tourists were killed after a suicide bomber affiliated with ISIL detonated a bomb in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district. More than 30 people were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Suruc, near the border with Syria, in July. Al Jazeera and wire services Los Angeles massive methane leak from a natural gas well was labeled a mini-Chernobyl by city officials and described as the worst environmental disaster since the 2010 BP oil spill by consumer advocate Erin Brockovich. A single hole in the ground spewed more than 200 million pounds of methane out of the Alison Canyon storage field in L.A. County in 16 weeks. Because methane is 84 times as powerful at trapping the suns heat as carbon dioxide over 20 years, the torrent of gas, likened to a volcanic eruption, was equivalent at its worst to adding the exhaust of 7 million cars a day. The accident set back Californias plan to reduce greenhouse gases by a year or more. More disturbing, the leak, caused by a crack in an underground pipe, wasnt an anomaly; it was business as usual. The accident exposed the collusion between government and the oil and gas industry that led to the mishap, accounting gimmicks used to show progress on climate change and the reality that methane is a dirty energy source rather than a much-hyped bridge fuel to a zero-carbon future. Now that the well has been plugged, California lawmakers vow there will be stronger regulation and oversight. But that wont happen as long as fossil-fuel companies have the money to game the system. Since 2014, the oil industry has spent a stunning $42 million in the Golden State to defeat bills that would have reduced pollution and oil consumption. Many scientists say we must eliminate the use of hydrocarbons for energy this century to stave off global cataclysm. That requires the abolition of oil, natural gas and coal corporations. On Feb. 15, two activists dropped a banner above the headquarters of the California Public Utilities Commission, calling on it to shut down all natural-gas storage facilities in the state. Thats no easy task. But if nothing is done, there will be more calamities like the methane leak, which very clearly was a product of lax regulation and penny pinching. In 1979, the Southern California Gas Co. removed a shut-off valve on the well 8,400 feet underground that could have quickly stopped the leak. An official said it was difficult to find a replacement part and the valve wasnt required because the well was not categorized as critical, meaning one less than 300 feet from a home. In documents filed with a state agency decades ago, however, removing the critical safety system was described as Replaced safety system. This doublespeak, apparently legal, typified SoCal Gas response. One of the scores of lawsuits filed against SoCal Gas, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, alleges it knew five years ago that wells throughout Aliso Canyon were leaking. In December, SoCal Gas was caught overstating normal levels of benzene and underreporting the benzene spraying from the old oil field, the largest natural gas storage facility west of the Mississippi. According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of exposure of benzene, a well-established cause of cancer. Outside investigators monitoring the leak claim it was twice as large as estimates by SoCal Gas. Residents reported the leak to 911 within a day, along with accounts of nosebleeds and headaches. But SoCal Gas waited three days to inform local officials and residents. Within weeks, residents described other ailments, including nausea, vomiting and respiratory problems. Some 6,400 families living near the storage facility fled because of sulfur odorants, trace amounts of radon and toxins such as benzene, toluene, xylene and methylmercury. Many more people may have been affected, since elevated levels of methane were detected as far as 8 miles away. As talks about cease-fires and humanitarian aid drag on, the situation in Syria is becoming overwhelmed by dramatic military moves in the north of the country. President Bashar al-Assads government and its military backers have collectively thrown caution to the wind in favor of increased warfare that risks a wider regional conflagration while the U.S. and its allies scramble awkwardly to respond. What happens in northern Syria, from Aleppo in the west to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in the east, may define the geopolitical fortunes of regional and global powers for years to come. In the immediate future, though, we should expect Syrias downward spiral to accelerate if three key trends persist: Syrias fragmentation into half a dozen hostile component parts with wildly different aims, an increased reliance on military action on all sides and the likely fragmentation of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) into thousands of hardened militants dispersed across the region and the rest of the world. Northern Syria is strategically important for all the parties fighting one another; it has special significance for ISIL, which foresees an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil in northern Syria near Dabiq. Many ISIL fighters would welcome fighting and dying in a conflagration between good Muslims and evil apostates; other armed forces also seem willing to play their part in the fighting but purely for strategic gains. The nature, range and aims of the many groups now fighting in northern Syria are kaleidoscopic, with more than a dozen inching toward a free-for-all. A college cafeteria food fight might be the best analogy for the bullets, mortars and missiles whizzing around in the area. The initial four years of civil war saw Syria fracture into four zones controlled by the government, the Kurds, ISIL and scores of Islamist and secular-nationalist rebel groups. Russia stepped in last September with daily airstrikes to shore up the Assad government, mostly by attacking rebel forces in the center and north of the country but barely touching ISIL. Iran and Hezbollah have fought for Assad in the past three years, and with the recent air support from Russia this month, they have begun to drive rebels out of areas around Aleppo. An imminent government victory there would tip the nationwide balance on the ground dramatically in Assads favor while creating perhaps half a million more refugees who would head for Turkey or Europe where they are not wanted. During the first week of 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gave what he called a sermon in which he said the U.S. Constitution can favor religion over non-religion. He was right and, moreover, that is as it should be. Why should the Constitution favor religious belief over unbelief -- atheism? History provides an answer. Many atheists are fond of reminding people that when it comes to crimes against humanity, Christianity has much to answer for including the Thirty Years War, the Inquisition, and involvement with slavery. But two out of three of the worst mass murderers in all of history were atheists and the third might best be described as pagan. According to Rummels Death by Government, Stalins Union of Soviet Socialist Republics an atheist state -- murdered about 62 million of its own people during its 75 years of existence. Between 1948 and 1976, another explicitly atheist state, Maos Peoples Republic of China murdered 35 million of its own people primarily through deliberate starvation. The third worst mass murderer, Hitlers Nazi Germany, killed 21 million persons. This is not to say that every atheist is a potential mass murderer. There are ethical self-proclaimed atheists and unethical self-proclaimed Christians. But to paraphrase author and journalist Damon Runyon, mass murderers may not always be atheists, but that's the way to bet. Why might atheists value other peoples lives less? The U.S. Declaration of Independence states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These truths are self-evident to Christians and Jews who believe that everyone is endowed with an immortal soul; that everyone deserves to be treated as an end -- not as a means. But the basic equality of man is not self-evident to an atheist who depends only on personal observation or scientific enquiry to discover truth. Personal observation and science tell us that people are not equal in many ways; some persons are stronger, smarter, more self-sacrificing, kinder, more considerate, etc. then others. It seems a small step from the scientific observation that people differ in key aspects to the conclusion that some people, who we think are ignorant, malicious, or self-centered, should not be trusted with positions of leadership, influence, or even the right to vote. Based on personal observation, might one conclude that some people have value and others do not? Is it possible for an atheist to construct a morality based on the fundamental worth of the individual? And is such a morality sufficient to prevent mass murder? Men and women often know what the right thing to do is, but do the wrong thing instead. We treat our fellow humans as means to our own happiness rather than as ends in themselves. It is insufficient to simply know what is right -- most of us must be motivated to do what is right. There are at least three motivations for a person to avoid doing something that he or she knows is wrong. First, you might avoid doing anything that would get you into trouble with the law -- the police factor. Second, you might avoid doing anything that would leave you feeling ashamed if someone whose opinion you respect found out -- the mom factor. Finally, you avoid doing anything that violates your religionist beliefs of right and wrong -- the God factor. An atheist might be expected to have the same reaction to the police or mom factors. But if he was in a situation where the police and mom would not discover his crime or would not object if they did, would not an atheist find it easier to do what he rationally thought was best for himself regardless of the adverse impact on another? The Soviet Unions Stalin and Chinas Mao didnt murder tens of millions by themselves; they required hundreds of thousands or millions of ordinary people to assist in committing their horrible crimes. And if most of the population were atheists then this facilitated recruiting participants in their mass murders. If the police and people you respect are encouraging you to kill the villain of the hour -- whether he is called kulak, revisionist, or is a member of some racial or ethnic group -- why would an atheist hesitate? Especially if a refusal to participate in a crime would endanger his family or himself? Therefore, atheists face two hurdles to treating their fellow humans as possessing inherent value. First, the equality of worth of all persons and their possession of unalienable rights, which are fundamental articles of faith among Jews and Christians, are extremely difficult to prove scientifically. Second, atheists, by definition, are missing the belief that there are crimes that will endanger their immortal souls. If they can overcome the factors of police and mom, atheists are more likely to pursue their narrow self-interest regardless of the adverse impact on the life, liberty, or happiness of others. Therefore, Justice Scalia was correct. Although the United States should never favor one religion over another, if we cherish liberty and justice then it is important that our laws and society favor religious belief over atheism. Frank R. Gunter, Ph.D. is a professor of economics at Lehigh University, a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a retired Marine colonel. There is a synergy in our interconnected, media-saturated world that a prehistoric human being might not recognize, but that a modern Neanderthal-American, such has your humble correspondent, can appreciate and report. For I am, and some of you are, not only a person of mixed race, but a rather uniquely oppressed part proto-human minority, ignored, mocked, subjected to genocide (or whatever it you call it with Neanderthals), and in need of redress um, I mean money. First off, although I have not had my genome mapped (and have no intention of doing so, lest I find a truncated lifeline), new evidence suggests that I belong to that minority of Americans with Neanderthal DNA. Evidently, my ancestors moved into Europe some hundreds of thousands of years ago, some time before homo sapiens evolved, and there, besides admiring each other's heavy brow bones and dense, manly musculature, we developed certain traits that allowed us to prosper in colder, low-sunlight climes, well before global warming made everything better oh, I mean much, much worse. I have green eyes, light skin, and most significantly a tendency to develop actinic keratosis. I should also have a softness for tobacco and depression. But other than the occasional stogie, I seem be free of the former, and thanks to bourbon, I'm mostly blissfully unaware of the latter. But given that my wife thinks I'm mostly an idiot, it's pretty certain that I am at least 2% Neanderthal. Now let's get to that great synergy. Not long after learning of my Neanderthal roots, I also found out from our first black president, Bill Clinton, that I am almost certainly a person of mixed race. So I am not only part Neanderthal, but part African, and maybe Asian and other stuff, too. Bill Clinton is an accomplished liar, but all good fibbers occasionally tell the truth. At a campaign rally for his wife (who appears to be part Lhasa Apso), he let us know that everybody, excepting sub-Saharan Africans, is mixed-race, thus inadvertently or perhaps advertently undermining the principal justification for electing our current president. Except Clinton might have got that wrong, too. Mixed-race we may all be, but that also includes sub-Saharan Africans. Humans evolved in East Africa, before the Sahara existed. Some spread south and west into the rest of Africa, while others moved north and east to other places. The distance from Olduwai Gorge, Kenya (around where the earliest humans originated) to Cape Town, South Africa is about 2,500 miles. From there to Tel Aviv is about 3,400 miles. Not much of a difference in distance, and the walk from Olduwai to Tel Aviv might have been a bit easier. There was no particular reason for early humans to walk north or south, and it's quite possible people were in Israel before South Africa, with "purer" human genes. I don't know just saying. There were lots of human migrations, and they went pretty quickly on a relative basis. Fully modern humans evolved in Africa about 60,000 years ago and reached Asia 55,000 years ago. They got to Australia by about 40,000 years ago, where they were subsequently isolated. Want to see a real early human, without a lot of mixed up genetics, find a pure-blood Aboriginal Australian if you can he is the real thing. This is really what Clinton meant, I guess, depending on what the meaning of is is. African humans have more genetic diversity than humans on any other continent at least I read that somewhere. Anyway, mixed-race we all might be, but only some of us are part Neanderthal. My Neanderthal ancestors were almost certainly displaced, raped, and murdered, just because they looked a little different from other humans. And because for a long time we believed that they could not talk, we thought that they could not negotiate, like that great diplomat John Kerry. However, recent studies suggest that they could talk just as well as Kerry, which maybe explains a lot. The point is, Neanderthal lives mattered, too, not that the other 98% of the human genome cares today. Yesterday, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)'s conveniently contradictory positions on a lame duck president filling a Supreme Court vacancy, which depended on the party of the lame duck president, got some attention. Digging a little further, it turns out that our self-described constitutional scholar president, Barack Hussein Obama (D), he who was editor of the supposedly prestigious Harvard Law Review, despite some mystery about his grades also has changed...er, evolved in his attitudes about filibustering and rejecting Supreme Court nominees. Randy DeSoto at Western Journalism nicely sums up Obama's hypocrisy on I was for filibustering until I was against it as "poetic justice." Back in 2006, while Obama, a newly elected senator from Illinois, was biding his time until he could secure the nomination for president, then-president George W. Bush (R) nominated Samuel Alito to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Speaking to George Stephanopoulos (formerly of the Clinton administration) on the Sunday morning program This Week, Obama stated that because Alito did not have the proper judicial philosophy i.e., Obama's Alito wouldn't be independent of the White House. Therefore, Obama would: ... be supporting the filibuster because I think Judge Alito, in fact, is somebody who is contrary to core American values, not just liberal values, you know. When you look at his decisions in particular during times of war, we need a court that is independent and is going to provide some check on the executive branch, and he has not shown himself willing to do that repeatedly. Sure enough, he joined the effort of another president wannabe, then Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), and don't you just love the irony? a filibuster in an attempt to defeat Alito's nomination. That effort failed; today, Alito is a Supreme Court justice. A year before this, Obama joined the minority voting against confirming Supreme Court Justice John G. Roberts as chief justice in another failed dissension. So Senator Obama voted twice against confirming Supreme Court nominees from a president of another party. But that was so then, this is so now. And now Obama is president with his third Supreme Court vacancy to fill, as he explained after issuing a statement on the sudden death of Justice Scalia. After first praising Scalia, he declared: I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibilities to nominate a successor in due time. There will be plenty of time for me to do so, and for the Senate to fulfill its responsibility to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote. These are responsibilities that I take seriously, as should everyone. Theyre bigger than any one party. They are about our democracy. Theyre about the institution to which Justice Scalia dedicated his professional life, and making sure it continues to function as the beacon of justice that our Founders envisioned. Now nominating a justice is "bigger than any one party" because it must "function as the beacon of justice that our Founders envisioned." Obama just now realized this? Ten years ago he smeared Alito, charging him as "somebody who is contrary to core American values," and today he is warning Congress to give his as yet unknown nominee "a fair hearing and a timely vote." He reiterated this idea when questioned at a press conference Monday. Part of the problem we have here is we've almost gotten accustomed to how obstructionist the Senate has become when it comes to nominations. Ive got 14 nominations pending that were unanimously approved by the Judiciary Committee. Obstructionist? Hmm, a new word. How did that happen? Or is Obama's obstructionist of today the Obama who a decade earlier rejected a nominee "contrary to American values"? Don't be surprised if the justice Obama nominates conveniently reflects one party Obama's. Because the "beacon of justice" is bigger than any one party. And if you dont agree with that youre obstructionist. Sons and supporters of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who rebuffed agents from the Bureau of Land Management and FBI as they attempted to confiscate his cattle in 2014, traveled to Burns, Oregon in an act of civil disobedience to bring attention to the jailing of father-and-son ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond, on federal terrorism charges. Whether or not you agree with the actions of the Bundy family and their supporters in taking over a vacant federally owned building on the Malheur Wildlife Reserve near Burns, most Americans would wish for a peaceful resolution to the standoff. But from the beginning of the standoff, the Bundy Ranch Facebook page has been spattered with posts calling for the Oregon protesters and their families to be slaughtered. Since the killing by law enforcement officers of LaVoy Finicum, a rancher from Arizona who acted as spokesman for the occupiers, the vicious rhetoric has only intensified. Prior to deleting violent and obscene posts, administrators of the page have been capturing disturbing screen shots of calls for violence against the Bundys, their supporters, and ranchers in the West. Although some of the posts can be attributed to internet trolls and others looking to incite online warfare, the following post by somene identifying himself as the ordinary-looking James Brent made it clear he wanted all the protesters dead. What would cause an ordinary-looking guy to pray for the deaths of an entire group of Americans who were peacefully protesting government overreach? James Brents Facebook page reveals his profession: San Jose State University professor. He studied political science at Ohio State. The San Jose State directory confirms that James Brent, the man praying for the Bundys to be shot and killed, teaches political science at a California university. Unless someone with a grudge is impersonating him, this appears to be his genuine identity. But other posts make merely praying for the Oregon protesters to be shot and killed seem tame. ABCs Martha Raddatz, who pressed Ted Cruz about his promise to carpet-bomb ISIS, may want to question S.D. Wardell and Carter Wayne Allen about their desire to carpet-bomb Americans. Renee Wheeler and Sherry Hartin apparently think the ranchers are worse than the ISIS terrorists currently ravaging Syria and Iraq, calling for their elimination post-haste. Aaron Ancheta fondly recalled the brave acts of Janet Reno during the finest hours of Clintons term as president. Edwin Hooper called for killing families and waterboarding children. Dave Haney suggested murdering the Oregon protesters with ricin laced food. Following the killing of LaVoy Finicum by law enforcement officers, numerous gleeful and sadistic posts celebrating his death were posted on the Bundy Ranch Facebook page, like this one by Marcella Moine. This post by Martyn J. Hall is particularly giddy. Derek Jimenez, Jerry Lee Jackson, and Matthew John showed great pleasure not only in the death of LaVoy, but also in the thought that the remaining protesters would be shot to death. The managers of the Bundy Ranch Facebook page have had their work cut out for them, ensuring that the visible posts on the page are civil. This pitched incivility seem to have rattled even the sheriff overseeing operations in and around Burns, Oregon and the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Sheriff David Ward was quoted in the February 12 Washington Post, making this plea to warring factions in his community: We cant continue to go on tearing each other apart and hating each other because of differences of opinions. Get off Facebook. Write a letter. Leave out the insults. And if youre so persuaded, turn off the computer and get on your knees and pray for your leadership, because theres no way were going to fix this country if were all mad at each other and fighting over everything[.] Most Americans would agree with Sheriff Ward. There is always space in a free society for disagreement and peaceful protests. Lets hope Americas safe space for peaceful disagreement isnt overrun with obscene calls for the killing of Americans whose only crime is to defy federal overreach. A disturbing report from Breitbart reveals that Twitter has been "shadowbanning" some conservatives sites without telling the owners of the accounts that their tweets are being restricted. According to the report, confirmed to Breitbart by a Twitter official, the company has a "white list" and a "black list," with white list tweets getting favored search engine treatment while blacklisted accounts are left off timelines and virtually blocked from getting search engine coverage. Our source was backed up by a senior editor at a major digital publisher, who told Breitbart that Twitter told him it deliberately whitelists and blacklists users. He added that he was afraid of the sites power, noting that his tweets could disappear from users timelines if he got on the wrong side of the company. Shadowbanning, sometimes known as Stealth Banning or Hell Banning, is commonly used by online community managers to block content posted by spammers. Instead of banning a user directly (which would alert the spammer to their status, prompting them to create a new account), their content is merely hidden from public view. For site owners, the ideal shadowban is when a user never realizes hes been shadowbanned. However, Twitter isnt merely targeting spammers. For weeks, users have been reporting that tweets from populist conservatives, members of the alternative right, cultural libertarians, and other anti-PC dissidents have disappeared from their timelines. Among the users complaining of shadowbans are sci-fi author and alt-right figurehead Vox Day, geek culture blogger Daddy Warpig, and the popular pro-Trump account Ricky Vaughn. League of Gamers founder and former World of Warcraft team lead Mark Kern, as well as adult actress and anti-censorship activist Mercedes Carrera, have also reported that their tweets are not appearing on the timelines of their followers. The pattern of shadowban reports, which skews towards the alt-right, the populist right, and cultural libertarians, follows close on the heels of Twitters establishment of a Trust and Safety Council packed with left-wing advocacy groups, as well as Islamic research centre the Wahid Institute. What criteria does Twitter use to determine if a site goes on its black list? Are left-wing sites also on the black list? Given the low threshold most politically correct companies have regarding the definition of "hate speech," you can imagine several prominent conservative sites blacklisted simply because they don't toe the P.C. line. Meanwhile, a Scottish man has been arrested for "a series of alleged offensive online posts relating to Syrian refugees," according to the Guardian: Following a report of a series of alleged offensive online posts relating to Syrian refugees living in Rothesay on Bute, Police Scotland confirmed on Tuesday that a 40-year-old man, understood to be from the Inverclyde area, had been arrested under the Communications Act. Twelve Syrian families arrived in the seaside town in early December, as Scotland welcomed one third of the thousand refugees David Cameron agreed to take from camps bordering Syria before the end of last year. Following the arrest, Insp Ewan Wilson from Dunoon police office said: I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media. In this case, the posts appeared on Facebook, who is helping European authorities track down people critical of their government's refugee policies: So what did the Scottish man write that caused his arrest? Apparently, authorities haven't bothered to release the Facebook posts in question. Or the media isn't publishing them. That alone should set off alarm bells for free speech advocates. How can we judge if the "hate speech" warranted arrest unless the public is allowed to see why authorities felt it necessary to take someone into custody? We are living in evil times when huge social media companies get to determine the flow of information about politics and policy. Political debates and political ads can take on the tenor of an elementary school playground, with bullies and whiners and tattletales. This is what's happening now in the Republican primary race, and it's not helping anybody. There is only one time when attack ads or specific mano-a-mano debate charges have a chance of working: when an election is a binary choice, one between just two candidates. At that time and only at that time can one candidate elevate his own chances by tearing down another's chances for success. But unlike the Democrats, the Republicans do not have a binary choice. An attack by one candidate against another may hurt the target of the attack, but it does nothing to elevate the one making the attack and it may even hurt him. It's even worse when the attacks devolve into petty bickering trading charges of "liar, liar" or arguing endlessly (and in two languages) over minor policy points that matter to few who are not actually on the debate stage. The dynamics of petty bickering aren't pretty. What's worse, the fate of Chris Christie has already proven as if any proof had been needed that those tactics just don't work in a crowded field of candidates. Christie spent his entire last week in the presidential campaign attacking Marco Rubio, instead of putting forth any reason for New Hampshire voters to support the big man from New Jersey. To the extent that he wanted to tarnish Marco, he succeeded. However, his single-minded focus on Rubio instead of on himself left Christie mired in single digits, unable to move forward. As a case study in self-inflicted disaster, the end of the Christie campaign couldn't be any clearer. However, four of the survivors don't seem to have noticed. They also didn't seem to notice how Ohio Governor John Kasich, with his unrelentingly positive message all focused on why he would make a good presidential candidate worked some good New Hampshire. So instead of each candidate making his case to the voters, we see Trump acting like a schoolyard bully, demanding that Cruz apologize for "lying," lest Trump sue Cruz to prove the Canadian-born Texas senator isn't a natural-born American. Cruz, for his part, is attacking Trump for positions he'd once held (those are the "lies" Trump wants Cruz to apologize for), even as he and Rubio exchange charges of "liar, liar" for their evolving stands on a long-dead amnesty bill. Then, when it comes to Bush, Trump is again acting the bully, throwing around charges against President George W. Bush (who, last time I checked, wasn't running but who has a huge approval rating among South Carolina Republicans). These are charges so extreme that previously they had been heard issued only by the likes of Michael Moore or by some of Ron Paul's more extreme tinfoil-hat conspiracy-loving supporters. These attacks are not only beyond the pale for Republicans, but also over the line for all but the most extreme Democrats. Jeb Bush, in his turn, is trying to turn this kerfuffle back on Trump with his own attacks and charges, primarily about positions The Donald may have held ten, twenty or even thirty years ago. As if anybody cares. The only bright spot for Bush is that his brother, the President, was out there yesterday making a case for Jeb. In South Carolina, and especially in the face of Trump's over-the-top charges, this might actually help, though it's not yet showing up in the polls. That help will not be enough to move Jeb Bush to the second tier, but it will help him some and frankly, if the polls are any indication, with just 7 percent of South Carolina Republican voters supporting him, he needs all the help he can get. As each of these presidential wannabes spends air time and ad dollars on these varied attacks, he loses sight of the need to make the case here's why you should vote for me to primary voters and caucus goers who might want to support him. Right now, despite his increasingly extreme charges against President Bush and outlandish legal threats against Cruz, Trump still looks to be the odds-on favorite in South Carolina. Yesterday's Public Policy Polling survey has Trump at 35 percent, compared to 18 each for Cruz and Rubio. No one else is even close. Attacking Trump has proven futile, even dangerous, if only because he returns tit for tat and has a bigger megaphone. Those two candidates who still have a chance at becoming the sole surviving anti-Trump candidate Cruz and Rubio need to focus on making their case as the better-than-Trump candidate. They're not going to get anywhere attacking Trump. And they're especially not going to get anywhere attacking each other unless, of course, they want to be the next Chris Christie. Until they get out of the schoolyard and start acting like actual presidential-caliber candidates, the Republicans will continue to hurt themselves, even as they hurt others. That is no way to win the presidency. The president has indicated that he will nominate a successor to Judge Scalia. He is likely to place the name of a left-leaning justice for consideration. The president will undoubtedly determine to make this selection politically advantageous for the Democrats in 2016 elections. He would likely find a person with acceptable qualifications to a constituency that he would want to show up at the polls in larger numbers than would otherwise have shown up. The Senate is under control of the Republicans and a skilled parliamentarian in Majority Leader McConnell. He can control the calendar to remove the risk for a recess appointment during the remaining 2016 year. With some thought, the president can be prevented from such an appointment at the termination of this congressional term, as his term ends on January 20, 2017 also. Republican senators understand the critical nature of this appointment for their electoral futures and the nation's (as even Senator Graham has threatened a rejection). Normally the process of replacing the High Court Justices takes some time, during which the president vets new names (typically up to three months) and then the Senate holds hearings and votes, which can take up to another three months. Under this situation, then delaying the process puts the choice in the hands of the next president. Obama has indicated that he intends to submit a nominee within one or two weeks. Therefore, it appears that he has already selected from a list of possible choices. These are very likely to be committed liberal jurists. This would change the balance of the Court for a generation. There is nothing more important for the survival of the "originalist" (Scalia's thesis) construction of the Constitution than rejection of this type of jurist. If the president sends up a nominee from the left, the Senate should quickly review and reject the person. This will take the issue out of the immediate view of the voters long before the election, making the concern more ephemeral and less concrete. The president will likely select someone who has already passed through the Senate confirmation process, making it harder to reject that person. It will demonstrate that both parties followed their responsibility under the Constitution. It will show that the Republican senators have a backbone that they have rarely demonstrated against Obama. It will generate interest in disaffected voters to enlarge their majority for the next term. Obama himself filibustered the nomination of Judge Alito. He even argued against Chief Justice Roberts (who cast the critical vote in favor of Obamacare). Future Senate minority leader Schumer argued in the past against allowing President G.W. Bush to appoint a justice 18 months prior to the end of his term. Parliamentary maneuvers can be used by either side to gain an advantage. Prudence requires intelligent use of any procedures to thwart the destruction of our constitutional foundations. There is plenty of hypocrisy on the part of both political parties and individuals in Washington. Should the president nominate a more moderate justice, then the Senate leadership could delay or quickly reject the choice as it sees fit. The decision should be dependent upon the alteration to the balance of philosophy. Justice Scalia represented the most intellectually conservative position on the Court. He cannot be equally replaced, but one can be found with an inclination toward his views. He once explained in an interview that he would dislike seeing his replacement undo his work. It is dependent upon the Senate to honor his request. Its no secret that Apple and Android have carved up the smartphone market between them. Android has the market share but Apple has the money. There are several structural reasons for this, including how Google have given away Android whereas Apple jealously guards iOS. As a business, Apple have a firm rein on controls and this is reflected in a new chart available at the source, which shows the market and profit share of a number of the worlds largest smartphone manufacturers. The long and short of it is that Apple took 91% of the profit in 2015 and the next largest, Samsung, took 14%. And yes, this adds up to 105% and the reason for this is because a number of competitors lost money; the biggest loser in the data being Microsoft, having lost 3% of the markets profit during 2015. The data is imperfect as Chinese manufacturers do not, generally, disclose profits. However, consider this: Apple took 91% of the smartphone profit on the back of 17% of the worldwide market share. Samsung, with 24% market share, took 14% of the profit. Whats going on? Apples smartphone business generates a high margin thanks to their careful rein on spending, which includes building their products under tightly controlled facilities typically in China. The technology used in their devices is often considered to be beautifully refined and well positioned. By way of an example, you wont find a potentially under-utilized octa-core System-on-Chip under the skin of the iPhone, but instead a more restrained and efficient in-house designed dual-core chipset. However, whilst their product development is intelligent, the real genius behind Apple is in their marketing: their products are very expensive in comparison to the competition and essentially no better, yet people still buy them. Advertisement We have already reported on the slim margins that almost all Android manufacturers record on their devices and the situation is not getting any easier. Samsung turn a profit for every device sold, LG make a few cents and almost everybody else loses money, which is reflected by their negative profit figures. This isnt a sustainable business model and things need to change. Apple can spend progressively and relatively less and less on their innovative product development and still stay competitive with the rest of the market. Its difficult to see how the current situation helps consumers: Apple has no incentive to truly innovate. Meanwhile, businesses tempted by filling their devices with less than useful new features must be tempted to introduce more and more radical ideas into their smartphones to try to tempt people away from iOS. Samsungs Galaxy J-series of mid-range and entry-level smartphones were originally introduced last year. Now that its time for the company to start replacing the aging handsets, weve already seen entry-level models like the Galaxy J1 (2016 Edition) being put up for sale in the Middle East and South Asia last month. However, along with entry-level models, Samsung is also believed to be working on the next-gen Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 handsets, both of which are expected to be launched globally at some stage during this year. While the 2016 edition of the Galaxy J5 was recently imported to India by Samsung for testing purposes, another mid-ranged J-series device has now apparently showed up on the FCC website, indicating that its official launch may not be that far away. The device listed on the official FCC website happens to be a dual SIM smartphone that comes with the model number SM-J7109. It is expected to be marketed as the Galaxy J7 (2016) and some reports indicate that the particular variant listed on the FCC website is actually meant for China and not the US. The Galaxy J7 (2016) had already been spotted earlier on GeekBench as well as on Bluetooth SIG, so some of the key hardware specs are already in public domain. One important thing to note is that the device is expected to come in two different variants one powered by a Qualcomm SoC and another by a Samsung Exynos chip. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered variant showed up on GFXBench, it was the Exynos version that was revealed through the GeekBench listing earlier this month. Advertisement While the FCC listing doesnt corroborate any of the earlier reports regarding the hardware specs of the upcoming device, it does mention that the battery on the Galaxy J7 (2016) will be a 3,300 mAh unit as opposed to the 3,000 mAh one thats found on the Galaxy J7 from last year. As for the rest of the specs, the upcoming device is expected to feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display, have 3 GB of RAM, carry 16 GB of inbuilt storage and sport 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras on the front and rear. As for the processors, while the Qualcomm version is expected to come with the Snapdragon 615, the Exynos-powered model will carry the Exynos 7870 under the hood. Not long ago, Google came under fire for collecting student data through both Chromebooks and their suite of education apps. Skeptics wanted to know why the data was being collected and what would be done with it, as well as what was being done to protect it. With all this going on, Google quietly gave their Play For Education suite the axe, though that was supposedly unrelated to the controversy. United States Senator Al Franken decided to send a letter to Google personally asking for some answers. Googles reply came in a letter dated February 12, where they clarified some of their policies regarding student data collection and the reasons the data is collected. For the core services in the Google Apps For Education suite, such as Gmail and Drive, data is collected any time a student is signed in, whether using the services or not. The data collected only includes basic things like the IP addresses of devices accessing the service and the students name and email address on the service. This data is not used for advertising, but rather for Chrome Sync, which allows a student to sign into any Chrome browser or Chromebook and instantly make it feel like their own. As far as disclosure, school administration can ask for the data. Beyond the core services, when using things like YouTube and Maps, Google keeps data that the student gives to Google, along with things like hardware model and usage data for the apps, such as YouTube viewing history and Maps search history. Most GAFE services dont show ads at all and those that do are not targeted. This means that any data Google receives that it knows is from a K-12 student is never used for advertising. Advertisement On a Chromebook, data collection is similar to use of Google services on any other platform, aside from anonymous usage statistics and crash reports. The data collected is used strictly to enable student and teacher access and collaboration to the services, in essence; the anonymous data collected on Chromebooks is used to improve Chrome OS. Data is only shared with third parties as required by law or at school administrations request. Google also detailed their processes for securing user data that is sent unencrypted over GAFE, and clarified that this data remains as private and secure as any other GAFE data they receive. This clarification may not be enough for hardcore critics of the service, but Google appears to be in the clear, according to applicable law. While home delivery has always been a selling point for a business, it seems the last few years this has become extremely big business in its own right. Of course, Amazon do lead the way in this and in multiple regional markets with their Prime delivery service. However, Amazon has also been expanding their deliver service to offer more than just the delivery of products. One area in particular the company seems intent on embracing, is the delivering of groceries to consumers. Although, they are not the only company that seems to be setting its sights on the perishable market. Google has its own delivery service in the form of Google Express, although, it has never really competed with the likes of Amazon for various reasons. Most notably, as it only offers the service in select areas and from select third-party companies. Not to mention, the news on Google Express has been pretty limited since its initial 2013 launch. However, today has seen Google make a move which does indicate they are pushing forward with the service as they are now offering same-day deliveries for groceries. This was a feature which had already been rumored to be on the way, although it was expected to begin slightly earlier with the initial reports stating the service would launch before the close of 2015. Advertisement Those hoping to make use of Google Express for groceries will have to be residents in either Los Angeles or San Francisco and in select parts of the two cities, as these seem to be the only areas currently being served by the latest expansion. According to the details, the third-party companies offering the grocery deliveries through Google Express include the likes of Costco, Whole Foods and Vicente Foods. In terms of cost, this does depend on whether you are a subscriber or not. If you pay the subscription charge for Google Express already, then you will be looking at $2.99 for your same day grocery delivery, while those willing to pay on a per-use basis will be charged $4.99 for the pleasure. While this is still a low-key move on Googles part and certainly not one to trouble Amazon and their efforts, it does still highlight Googles commitment to entering the lucrative, albeit quickly becoming crowded, home delivery market. Google has gone through a number of big branding changes of late. The company itself saw a new holding company being formed and introduced, Alphabet, which Google now falls under the umbrella of. Not to mention, Google saw a logo change and a number of its departments going through their own changes as well. Changes, all with a view to establishing their position within the new Alphabet hierarchy. The most recent of which was Googles more adventurous division, Google X, dropping its Google moniker and simply becoming X. Alphabets Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, has now confirmed the next department to see an identity change and this time it is Google Ideas, which has now become Jigsaw. Google Ideas was the companys think tank and as Schmidt notes, was created with the original intention to try and bring to the forefront ideas on how to help the next five billion people coming online for the first time. An ethos which quickly adapted to account for additional global issues and concerns. With the identity change, it seems this will not be an aspect that is changing anytime soon. Instead, Jigsaw is what the team views as the next and natural evolutionary stage in Google Ideas philosophy of using technology to help solve global issues. According to Schmidt, the goal of Jigsaw will be to use technology to tackle the toughest geopolitical challenges, from countering violent extremism to thwarting online censorship to mitigating the threats associated with digital attacks. Aspects which form the basis for the adoption of the Jigsaw name with Schmidt noting how the world is a complex puzzle and one full of challenges. Advertisement While this might sound like negative reasoning to change the name, Schmidt does also point out another reason behind the name change is how communal problem solving is one of the ways in which world issues can be addressed. Adding, technology combined with research will be able to put the puzzle together. According to the announcement there will not be any immediate changes at the top with Jared Cohen, who was previously in charge of Google Ideas, adopting the position of President at Jigsaw. Those interested in finding out more about the change of Google Ideas to Jigsaw, head through the source link below to read the full blog posting. Xiaomi is currently not only one of the largest China-based smartphone manufacturers, but also one of the most interesting ones. This company will introduce their long-awaited Mi 5 flagship on February 24th, both in Beijing and in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Weve talked about that phone quite a few times now, and are here to talk about something else Xiaomi-related that popped up recently, and is rather interesting, read on. This China-based company has actually signed a global deal with a Beijing-based company called ACRCloud. Why is this so interesting? Well, ACRCloud actually provides Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, and this tech will be integrated in Xiaomis smartphones. To be more specific, the music / humming recognition technology will come pre-installed on Xiaomis Android-powered MIUI OS, let me explain. There are a couple of really popular music recognition services / apps out there, like Sound Hound and Shazam, for example. These apps are capable of recognizing a song that is playing after you activate them, while Sound Hound can also recognize your humming. Well, Xiaomis devices will also be able to recognize your humming. Advertisement Xiaomi has actually rolled out this feature to a couple of thousand beta testers recently, and it will roll out to everyone in March, it seems. This tech is integrated in MIUIs Mi Music app, and it is also capable of recognizing the songs that are playing, of course. This is not exactly all that new, Sound Hound had this feature for a while, but it is interesting to see it will come built into MIUI, that is certainly useful. ACRCloud provides an excellent music humming recognition solution for Mi Music. ACRClouds state of the art audio recognition technologies tremendously simplify the music searching process in Mi Music and noticeably improve the user experiences, said Li Shen, the Product Manager of Mi Music. That is pretty much it. It is important to remember that this feature is available only if you have MIUI installed on your Xiaomi device, it wont be available if youve flashed something else on it. This is kind of understandable, but worth mentioning nonetheless. If this beta test goes according to plan, Xiaomi will roll out the service to everyone next month, stay tuned. The debate surrounding encryption on smartphones, or more specifically, unbreakable encryption on smartphones is one which has been circulating for some time. However, more recently, the debate has been heating up in the U.S. with the states of California and New York looking to introduce bills which would essentially blanket ban the sale of smartphones which do not come with breakable encryption included. This would be a move which would directly affect the sale of many Android devices, as well as those from the likes of Apple. Needless to say, many are against such a move including both Google and Apple, who both publicly advocate the need for smartphones to be encrypted by default as a means to protect the end user and their data. The debate took another turn yesterday when a federal court order granted a request that Apple help to crack an iPhone belonging to one of those who took part in the recent San Bernardino atrocity. However, Apple today responded in the public forum by issuing an open letter, which not only made public the request but also included their denial to comply with the order, citing that it would set an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. Advertisement As to be expected, this was a statement which has immediately further ignited the debate on encryption on social media. One of those who has now joined the debate is infamous whistle-blower, Edward Snowden. However, his joining of the debate has resulted in Snowden calling out Google to join Apple in publicly supporting Apples non-compliant stance. In fact, the tweet goes even further than simply stating that Google should support Apple and instead Snowdens tweet accuses Google of already siding with the government through the companys silence on the matter. Further adding that this is one of the most important tech cases of the last decade. Of course, whether Google does come out and support Apple or not, the case in point does have a direct impact on Google and Android as it could open the door for similar requests for Android smartphones in the future. Meizu is one of the fastest-growing smartphone manufacturers in the world at the moment. The company has managed to ship out 20 million smartphones last year, which is significantly more compared to a year before when they managed to sell only 4.4 million units. Meizu has introduced a number of compelling Android-powered devices last year, and it seems like yet another Ubuntu-powered handset will arrive soon, read on. Ubuntu has released a teaser on their official Twitter page, through which they basically confirmed that they will launch a new product in collaboration with Meizu. The teaser says that the launch will happen on February 22nd in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Now, we basically know whats coming, the Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu variant has been rumored to launch for quite some time now, and thats almost certainly the device that well see showcased by Canonical and Meizu. The Ubuntu-powered Meizu PRO 5 has even leaked out earlier this month, in case you missed that. There is a slim chance these two companies might re-release the Meizu MX5 instead of the PRO 5, well see. Now, this device will be completely identical to the Android version in terms of hardware, but it will sport a completely different software provided by Canonical, Ubuntu Touch. This wont be the first handset these two companies have released together, the Ubuntu version of Meizu MX4 was introduced in December 2014. Advertisement The Meizu PRO 5 features a 5.7-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) AMOLED display, 3 / 4GB of RAM and 32 / 64GB of expandable internal storage. Were still not sure if all these variants will be available in the Ubuntu variant, well just have to wait and see. This phablet is fueled by the Exynos 7420 64-bit octa-core SoC, and a 3,050mAh non-removable battery is also a part of the package. The 21-megapixel shooter is placed on the back of this phone, and a 5-megapixel shooter is placed up front. This phone also offers dual SIM functionality, and supports 4G LTE as well, while it is made out of metal. The device measures 156.7 x 78 x 7.5mm, and it weighs 168 grams. Xiaomi Mi 5 is one of the most anticipated devices of this years Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Xiaomi has announced quite recently that they will introduce their new flagship both in Beijing and Barcelona on February 21st. Weve talked about this handset quite a few times thus far, but Xiaomi might be planning to introduce additional hardware alongside the Mi 5. What exactly could they announce? Well, Xiaomis drone, called Mi Drone, has surfaced a number of times thus far, and a new leak just popped up, read on. Weve seen patent sketches of the Mi Drone last year, and the rumors originally said that the drone will be announced before the end of 2015. Xiaomi has, allegedly, decided not to launch the drone so soon because it resembled DJIs offerings way too much, so theyve decided to re-design it. Well, if you take a look at the provided images, youll get to see the alleged Mi Drone in the flesh. According to the source, this drone is about 350mm long, so its not exactly small. Now, I dont know if you recall, but those patent docs that leaked a while back talked about how will consumers be able to control this drone. Xiaomi has, allegedly, decided to make the Mi Band one of your options, the drone could follow you around, using the Mi Band fitness tracker as its guide. Were not sure this information is accurate, but weve seen it leak more than once. Advertisement Now, this drone is actually rumored to arrive during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona as well, though Xiaomi didnt tease its arrival in any way, and they usually do that for most of the products they opt to announce. The Mi Drone will certainly be more affordable than the competition, we all know how price aggressive Xiaomi is. Latest rumors claimed that the drone will cost around $106 once it launches. Keep in mind that none of this is confirmed at this point, it is possible Xiaomi doesnt even plan to announce a drone, at least not anytime soon, well just have to wait for February 21st and see what happens. Linking the Cyprus issue to the Kurdish issue of Turkey is the only effective way to [a] uncover Turkish hypocrisy on her approach to majority-minority community relations [b] bring about a fair and permanent settlement to Cyprus' Turkish problem and [c] help bring community status recognition for the close to 20 million Kurds of Turkey. A win-win-win for the Kurdish, Turkish and Cypriot peoples. It may also bring about the first ever truly democratic constitution in Turkey's history! (ANSA) - Rome, February 17 - Premier Matteo Renzi told the Senate on the eve of an EU summit on Wednesday that just last year, Italy faced the migrant crisis alone. "Very few stood by Italy's cry of pain," the premier said. "The times in which governments...barricaded themselves behind the short-sighted and asphyxiating rules of the Dublin Regulation are long past - today no one fails to see the issue as a European one". Italy won't stop taking in refugees, he said. "As far as (migrant) reception we will not give up the values of our civilization," he said. "But we must be clear: when you have asylum seekers who spend the day doing nothing obviously a feeling of disaffection will grow in public opinion - and it mustn't be judged from a moralistic standpoint (because) it is the cry of pain of those who don't understand". He added that "equating security with fighting immigration is a patent falsehood". (ANSA) - Rome, February 17 - Pope Francis on Wednesday wrapped up his visit to Mexico by saying Mass at the fence separating the Central American nation from the United States at the border city of Ciudad Juarez. The Mass, which could be followed from both countries, was dedicated to the victims of violence including 43 students who went missing in Iguala in 2014. Formerly one of the world's deadliest cities, Ciudad Juarez is located just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas - a major migrant crossing from South to North. The pontiff's trip focusing on the plight of migrants who risk their lives to reach the United States occured as the number of Central Americans apprehended at the border is on the rise. Before the border Mass, the pontiff met with 700 detainees at the 3,600-inmate Cereso 3 prison, which holds many of Mexico's most feared narcos hitmen. He urged them to break the "vicious cycle of violence and exclusion" by talking to their loved ones and rejecting the deadly culture of drugs, greed and excess. "Those who have suffered deeply and...have experienced hell can become prophets in society," he said. In a visit Tuesday to the violent state of Michoacan, the pontiff spoke out against drug trafficking, saying resignation to it was "among the devil's favorite weapons" and urging Mexican youth to turn to Jesus in order to reject materialism and stay out of the drug trade. On Monday, the third day of his apostolic visit to Mexico, the pope asked representatives of the indigenous peoples for their forgiveness for what he called their "systematic" exclusion from society and the exploitation of their lands in the poor southern state of Chiapas. He also endorsed the use of native languages in worship in an effort to stem a tide of Protestant conversions in what is now Mexico's least-Catholic region. The pontiff is scheduled to fly out of Ciudad Juarez at 19:00 local time and is expected to arrive at Rome's Ciampino Airport at 14:45 local time on Thursday. (see previous). (ANSA) - Rome, February 17 - CISL trade union federation secretary-general Annamaria Furlan on Wednesday said recent job figures are "positive" but tax reform is necessary because "all taxes are shouldered by workers, employees and pensioners". Furlan said Renzi's 80-euro monthly bonus for low income earners "isn't a structural way to reform taxes". She admitted that the government's so-called Jobs Act labour reform "has taken some young people out of precarious situations", but said the government must provide "answers to the more than three million unemployed that we still have in our country". "New jobs aren't created through market forces but through development and growth," Furlan said. Statistics bureau Istat said in January that Italy's unemployment rate hit a three-year low in November 2015, rising only 0.1% in December 2015 in data reported this month. *FEEBATES* As discussed at the post An Effective and Comprehensive Climate Plan, feebates are the best way to combat climate change. Particularly effective ... 9 years ago Climate: Segolene Royal president of COP21 (ANSAmed) - PARIS, FEBRUARY 17 - French Minister of Environment, Segolene Royal, announced this morning that she will chair COP21, the conference on climate after the resignation of Foreign minister Laurent Fabius, announced Monday evening. "It's true - stated the minister and former companion of Francois Hollande on iTele - the president asked me to take on this responsibility and I accepted". Fabius left his post after a controversy surrounding the number of undertakings held by the former head of the Quai d'Orsay erupted. Royal actually through her weight behind the critics of the ex minister. (ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - BERLIN, FEBRUARY 17 - Despite ongoing conflict in Syria, the UN has seen improvement in humanitarian aid assistance to the population, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Wednesday. He was speaking during a visit to Berlin during which he met with President Joachim Gauck and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Grandi noted that ''a small window of opportunity'' had opened after recent agreement at the Munich conference on Syria. ''I think that the situation will continue to be complicated,'' he said, ''but any progress is progress.'' Grandi also praised Germany, underscoring the ''extraordinary leadership role'' it had taken on in the refugee crisis. At least one hundred lorries carrying humanitarian aid left Damascus on Wednesday towards civilian populations in several besieged areas of Syria after an agreement reached on Tuesday evening between the Syrian government and UN envoy Staffan de Mistura. The firs convoys, organized by the Syrian Red Crescent in coordination with the UN, are transporting aid mainly to five locations: Madaya, Zabadani, Muadamiya Al-Sham, all close to Damascus, and Foua and Kafraya, in the northwestern province of Idlib. The places that will later be reached by convoys are Kafr Batna and Deir Al-Zor, a regional capital in eastern Syria besieged by the Islamic State (ISIS). (ANSAmed). BEIRUT - Eight people were killed in a suicide attack carried out against a military post in Aden, in the south of Yemen, today, the pan-Arab network Al Jazeera reported without providing further details. Aden is the seat of the government of president Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi, while rebel Houthi Shias control the capital Sanaa. A high official quoted by the Associated Press newsagency added that the attacker was wearing a suicide-vest that he detonated while entering a military camp employed for the training of recruits. The attack has not been claimed by anyone yet but Isis has already carried out similar attacks in the past. Today's suicide bombing occures the day after a botched attempt to assassinate the governor of Aden and the police chief. (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 17 - Montenegro's ambassador to Italy, Antun Sbutega, said at an event held by Istituto Affari Internazionali on Wednesday that the country would become a NATO member in 2017 ''barring unforeseen circumstances''. He added that ''our membership is not a revolt against anyone. It is instead a sort of insurance'' against any ''external threats and for the stability of the region''. Sbutega said that ''we hope to become the 29th state of the European Union'', but admitted that it would be difficult process and that ''so far we have 22 negotiations chapters open out of 34''. ''Becoming part of NATO makes a more rapid process possible and is an incentive to go beyond, towards the EU,'' he said. The step is seen as almost an obligatory one, made by other eastern European countries that have become NATO members. ''No former communist regime,'' he noted, ''has been able to enter the EU without first becoming a NATO member.'' The eastward enlargement is causing tension with Russia, however. ''The Russians,'' he underscored, ''know that they cannot stop this process, but these rather undiplomatic positions taken are part of the framework of already tense relations between Moscow and the EU. We do not, however, intend to break off relations with Russia. These are ties that have been in place for centuries, and we have shared roots. We are Slavic and Orthodox, like them.'' He went on to say that ''over two-thirds of the Podgorica parliament backs our entrance, while a recent survey showed that 48% of citizens support it.'' The trend is growing, he noted. The next elections - expected to take place between late September and early October - will not change things. ''Citizens will be able to freely choose their representatives, who will be called upon to vote on the ratification of the membership treaty.'' The invitation from the foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to join NATO came in early December. ''I would like to thank Italy for this as well, for its lengthy diplomatic work to this end,'' he said, adding that relations with Rome ''are excellent in all sectors - political, economic and scientific. And Italy is the top investor in Montenegro in the energy sector.'' (ANSAmed). Antena 3, part of Intact Media Group, condemns the abusive action taken by the Special Cases Enforcement Directorate, on February, 15th 2016, on behalf of National Agency of Fiscal Administration, which ordered the evacuation, on a five days notice, of the buildings that host the television stations of the group. We believe this action of an unprecedented force to threaten directly the freedom of expression, by putting Antena 3, Antena 1, Antena Stars, ZU TV and Euforia TVs transmission at risk. Article 30 of the Romanian Constitution clearly states in point 1 that "Freedom of expression of thoughts, opinions, or beliefs, and freedom of any creation, oral, in writing, pictures, sounds or other means of communication in public are inviolable "and in paragraph 4 "No publication may be suppressed", consistent with the European Union Charter of fundamental rights. Judging by the way the operation was conducted - including the intimidation of employees, visitors and staff who were at the headquarters, being legitimated, photographed, interrogated seems as a clear act of impeding journalists to do their work. It is impossible, in terms of technical, logistical and human factors, to move all five televisions facilities in five days. We consider the February, 15Th action as abusive considering that Intact Media Groups companies were denied the right to a fair solution following the August, 8th 2014 Court of Law decision: they were not allowed to rent the buildings, for which, the law and the Romanian courts recognized the pre-emption right. A reasonable timetable for releasing the seized spaces was not given either. Antena 3, through their legal representatives, will continue the judicial efforts to end such an abuse, confident that in a state of law, in a democracy, justice is crucial and freedom of expression cannot be limited or eliminated. We would like to thank the thousands of people who expressed their support and solidarity and assure them that we will continue to do our job as journalists, with honesty and professionalism. News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles. Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used. Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year] Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006) Home Page Follow @arra Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS: Export Support Council established by the decision of the Armenian prime-minister has already received applications from the businessmen in prioritized areas. The head of the Industrial development department of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia Armen Yeganyan informed Armenpress that by February 10 they have received 10 applications. The Export Support Council was created on January 13, 2016 by the decision of the prime-minister of Armenia. The following areas have been set as priorities for receiving support for export: wine, fruit vodka industries, meat and fish production. The support for particular export products will be allocated by the Council and distributed by Armenia Development Fund. Yeganyan said that the application is already on the websites of the Armenian government and the Ministry of Economy. The companies apply to the government staff, which sends the proposals to particular agencies in order to get conclusions. All the conclusions are gathered in the Industrial Development department of the Ministry of Economy and then sent to the Support Council, which, in turn, publishes the decisions, Yeganyan said. Support to all the companies will be identical and will be revealed in the decisions. At this phase the assistance will be financial, but we cant exclude other forms of support as well, he added. The specific areas have been prioritized taking into account the decline of exports in these fields in 2015. 2015 was a difficult year both in terms of industry and exports. Particularly, the instability in Russian markets has harmed the identified areas. In comparison with 2014, in 2015 we have had a decline of 20% in the exports of meat and meat related products, 55% in fish and fish products, and 32% in wines. We expect that due to this support the indexes will improve and reach at least the levels of 2014, Armen Yeganyan said. The Council is set to constantly monitor the economic situation in the country. Thus, new areas might be added to the list and the existing ones removed once the situation is improved. Speaking of the reasons of decline in the mentioned areas, Armen Yeganyan said that the primary source was the instability in Russian markets, as those particular products were envisioned for Russian markets. To the question of accuracy of financial support while the Russian markets continue to go down, Yeganyan said that it might not be efficient if the markets are still in bad shape. If the export index is dependent on foreign markets, it will continue to have bad influence regardless of support. Though now we observe some stability in the Russian market and I dont think that big fluctuations will occur in the future that may lead to negative consequences. In 2015 we had a decline of 40% in spirits market, but it came down to 20% by the end of the year. This is an indicator of some stabilization in Russian market, he added. Yeganyans advice for the Armenian companies is to introduce some insurance mechanisms in their exports aside from state support. Export Support Council will use additional tools to include more areas in their support list. Yeganyan underscored that the companies should be more interested in obtaining new markets adapting their products to the needs of European, Arab and some African markets. If you adapt to the needs of a particular market, provide an accurate compatibility of quality and price, all the markets can be viewed as potential markets, the official says. He noted that the companies should step up and not be dependent on one direction and the state will support them in this endeavor. Ani Nazaryan A look at departments Following is a department-by-department look at budgets, staffing and issues: Sutter County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff J. Paul Parker. Adopted budget: $22,687,008 (includes jail). Staff: 144. 56 sworn officers. Residential burglaries have increased in Sutter County, which Parker says his deputies will prioritize in the next few months with intensive and strategic patrols, and data analysis. Auto theft also increased in 2015 to 45 reports in comparison to 29 in 2014. Marijuana grow-related home invasion robberies are a real concern for both Yuba and Sutter sheriff departments, which took about half-a-dozen such reports in the fall. And, investigations of marijuana grows "eats up an inordinate amount of time," Parker said. The work is resource-intensive as deputies are asked to respond to neighbor complaints, track down growers, and investigate whether the grow is legal, Parker said. "We're estimating that this year, we'll get 200 complaints of someone growing marijuana in violation of the county ordinance," he said. His staffing levels are holding steady, and the department is currently in the process of refilling a few open positions. Yuba County Sheriff's Department Sheriff Steve Durfor. Adopted budget: $24,684,684 (includes jail and animal services). Staff: 204 allocated positions, 25 vacancies, 18 unfunded positions. 49 sworn officers, 60 correctional officers. Yuba County experienced an increase in calls for service, while the department is still strained by the "cumulative effect of several years of budget cuts," Durfor said. His priority is to rebuild the front line patrol force. "Our response times may not have been as timely as they were," and community-oriented policing efforts, such as crime prevention officers, have been cut. The ongoing presence of drugs in the county's communities, as well as issues relating to marijuana grow operations, are incredible challenges, Durfor said. "The number of grows exceeds the resources we have to hold people accountable to the ordinance," Durfor said. "It takes a tremendous amount of time." Gang activity resulted in a number of shootings, and that violence will likely continue into the future, he said. "We are finding younger and younger individuals taking on a gang persona and the gang lifestyle, with a willingness to commit crimes and violence." Sutter County District Attorney's Office DA: Amanda Hopper. Adopted budget: $3,609,451. Staff: 29 allocated positions, 5 unfunded. Actual staff: 10 prosecutors, 5 support staff, 7 investigators, 2 victim-witness advocates. Total cases filed in 2015: 3041. Anti-fraud work became a priority in the office recently, as Hopper directed investigators to work closely with area agencies to identify ring-leaders in the crime and build cases against them, she said. "Fraud targets hard-working members who do nothing but use their mailboxes," she said. The crime often targets seniors, who have been left stripped of their retirement savings. Within the office, in-house training and communication are priorities, both for two newly hired attorneys and victim advocates. The office may soon add additional in-house staff for the Sutter County Victim-Witness program. Bi-county prosecution efforts have expanded in the last year. Gang prosecutors from across the river have met regularly to compare notes, and Sutter County entered into an arrangement to aid Yuba County in the investigations of officer-involved shootings. Yuba County District Attorney's Office DA: Patrick McGrath. Adopted budget: $2,137,238. Staff: 18 allocated positions, 3 unfunded. Actual staff: 8 prosecutors, 4 support staff, 2 investigators. Total cases filed in 2015: 2,725. Prosecutors are still adjusting to shifts brought by prison realignment, which changed sentencing practices, and added a new focus on local programming for criminal offenders, McGrath said. The concept is "totally foreign," he said. The core function of the office continues to be prosecuting violent crime. "Gang issues, particularly among minors, continues to be a real focus," McGrath said. The office lost 25 percent of its staffing during budget cuts six years ago, which limited prosecutors' flexibility to take on more complicated investigations. "Financial crimes involving elders, complex theft crimes, anything that requires a lot of prosecutors' time in the evaluation and setting those cases up we do them, but the reality is they don't receive a high priority if the resources are going to violent crimes," McGrath said. Yuba-Sutter Area California Highway Patrol Captain Shon Harris. Staff: 45 positions. 40 sworn officers, 3 civilian staff, 2 maintenance and auto workers. Collisions that ended in fatality rose last year, and officers did not identify a trend, Harris said. The incidents involved tractors, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, big-rigs and cars. Twenty-five people died as a result of 22 collisions in 2015, up from 17 in 2014. "The challenge is always to keep people buckled up and slow down and stay off the phone," he said. Officers increased DUI arrests from 361 in 2014 to 391, and speeding in south Sutter County continues to be a focus. Proactive community involvement became a new priority for the department recently, as Harris moved two officers into community outreach positions. He is looking to expand that program, as well as the senior volunteer and explorer programs. Staff numbers have maintained, but "we're barely keeping up with attrition," Harris said. "Fewer people are going into the field, agencies are short-handed and we're competing for the same applicant field." The facility is designed to meet the needs of the Middle East business aviation market which is expected to grow by 7% a year between now and 20241. The company increased its operations at the airport in August 2015, including acquiring additional aircraft parking space to meet the growing demand it was experiencing for its large-cabin business aviation services. The expansion also gave Gama Aviations fixed base operation (FBO) and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) teams the mandate to personally supervise the business aircraft left in their care, ensuring clients receive the highest possible levels of service. Martin Ringrose, managing director for Gama Aviation Middle East, said: We are delighted to have received official approval for our new hangar at Sharjah International Airport. Our team of dedicated and experienced industry professionals have enabled us to grow our presence in the Middle East, offering our customers the high-quality, flexible and client-focused service that is expected of a globally leading aviation service provider, whilst also saving time and money. New analysis2 by Gama Aviation has revealed that there are currently 95 large cabin business aircraft (comprising midsize and heavy jets and jet airliners) based in the UAE, representing roughly 17% of the regions business aircraft fleet. However, the UAE market has outstripped the region in terms of growth, accounting for 26% of the all large cabin business jet deliveries to the region between 2010 and 2014. This means that more than a third (37%) of the UAEs large cabin business jets are less than five years old and is indicative of the huge demand for large cabin, long-range business aircraft being experienced in the region. Furthermore, the Middle Eastern business aviation market is expected to experience a 7% CAGR between now and 20242, with 410 business aircraft expected to be delivered across the region over a ten-year period. Medium and large aircraft are expected to account for as much as 85% (340 units) of all deliveries, underlining the anticipated continued demand for large aircraft across the region. Gama Aviation believes that Sharjah International Airports location makes it perfectly situated to capitalise on this ongoing demand for business aviation in the region especially for those looking to travel to Dubai, given that the airport is situated closest to the citys downtown business district. Martin Ringrose continued: Our Sharjah FBO is just 30 minutes from Downtown Dubai, making our offering extremely competitive when compared to others in the region notably Dubai South, which is an hours drive away from Downtown Dubai. We expect our enhanced offering at Sharjah International Airport to allow more and more business travellers to save time and money by taking the most direct route to Dubai, Sharjah and the rest of the northern Emirates. Just over a week later a third Dreamliner left Paine Field near Seattle for Jeddah. The aerial picture shows all four of the new aircraft ahead of the departure from the US manufacturing plant. (Picture: courtesy Boeing/Saudia) All three aircraft departed the Boeing facility on February 3rd in intervals of 15 minutes for their 13-hour delivery flight to Jeddah arriving 4th February. The Dreamliners are registered HZ-ARA and HZ-ARB and fitted with General Electric GEnx 1B74/75 PIP II engines. The B777 is registered HZ-AK30. There are five more B787s on order while the B777 aircraft completes the 47 777s required by Saudia in both passenger and freight configuration. On arrival at Jeddah, HZ-ARB was first to land while HZ-ARA received an escort over the city with display smoke from the Royal Saudi Air Force display team. "ARA" then landed and proceeded to one of the royal ramps for an arrival ceremony followed by "ARB" The third Boeing 787 Dreamliner is registered HZ-ARC and arrived in Jeddah on the 12th February. The Dreamliners are expected to serve Manchester, Paris CDG, Istanbul, Casablanca, and Guangzhou from Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah. The Boeing 787 (HZARA) ready for pushback at Paine Field. (Picture Michael Kelly) YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. On February 18, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission will conduct a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the northern direction of Martakert. From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring will be conducted by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine) and Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria), as well as by staff member of the Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden), Armenpress reports. From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring will be conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his Field Assistant Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic). The NKR authorities have expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE Mission members. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The enemys activity noticeably increased in the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani antagonistic troops during February 146 and the night of February 17. During the mentioned period Azerbaijani armed forces fired around 800 shots towards Armenian positions from weapons of different calibers. Armenpress was informed by the Press Service of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Ministry that Defense Army frontier troops are in control of the situation and successfully carry out their combat duty. The Chief of the Air Force Reserve has announced the new Command Chief Master Sergeant for Air Force Reserve Command. Chief Master Sgt. Ericka E. Kelly, command chief for the 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California, will fill AFRC's top enlisted position, according to a release from Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of the Air Force Reserve. Kelly will replace Command Chief Master Sgt. Cameron Kirksey, who is scheduled to retire in March. Kelly spent most of her nearly 32 years of military service in the aeromedical evacuation career field. She transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1993. During her career she has deployed numerous times in support of contingency operations including Operation Restore Hope and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Kelly is an aeromedical evacuation evaluator and has more than 1.400 flight hours aboard C-9A, C-17A, C-130H, WC-130J, C-141B/C and KC-135R aircraft. More robust US airpower needed, AF leaders tell lawmakers Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and other senior leaders testified before the House Armed Services Committee about readiness and the fiscal year 2017 Air Force budget request Feb. 12. The panel, which also included Lt. Gen. John Raymond, the deputy chief of staff for operations, and Lt. Gen. John Cooper, the deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection, testified that with todays national security challenges, the world needs a strong American joint force. The joint force depends upon Air Force capabilities and requires airpower at the beginning, the middle and the end of every joint operation. Since our establishment in 1947, the Air Force remains the worlds first and most agile responder in times of crisis, contingency and conflict, Goldfein said. He added that the last 25 years of continuous combat operations and reductions in the total force, combined with budget instability and lower funding, have resulted in one of the smallest, oldest and least ready forces across the full spectrum of operations in Air Force history. Goldfein also stated the Budget Control Act further degraded readiness while limiting recovery. While the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 provided some readiness recovery and modernization efforts, the Air Force needs permanent relief from BCA with consistent and flexible funding, more manpower and time to recover readiness. For the past two years, instead of rebuilding readiness for future, high-end conflicts, Airmen have responded to events across the globe leading and in support of the joint force while remaining the worlds greatest Air Force. A return to sequestration would worsen the problem and delay the Air Force goal to return to full-spectrum readiness, Goldfein said We are too small and you have seen us trying to build back up capacity so we can do what our nation needs, Goldfein said. To improve mission quality, the vice chief of staff said the budget includes a modest upsizing of the total force to address a number of key areas, including critical career fields such as intelligence, cyber, maintenance, and battlefield Airmen. Aircraft maintenance career fields are approximately 4,000 maintainers short. The manpower requested will keep existing aircraft flying at home and abroad. We have offered numerous retention incentives to our older maintainers so they will stay and retain that training, that expertise, but we are digging a continuous hole as we go forward, Cooper said. According to Goldfein, this budget request prioritizes readiness and modernization over installation support. Todays Air Force maintains infrastructure that is in an operational excess. There are 500 fewer aircraft now compared to 10 years ago, therefore, a reduction and realignment infrastructure would best support Air Force operational needs by base realignment and closure, he said. Airmen are educated, innovative, motivated, and willing to ensure the Air Force continues to outwit and outlast opponents and defend the United States from harm, Goldfein said. They assure air superiority so American ground forces can keep their eyes on enemies on the ground rather than concern themselves with enemy airpower overhead. This budget request is an investment in the Air Force our nation needs, Goldfein said. "America expects it; combatant commanders require it; and with your support for this budget request, our Airmen will deliver it. Best Finance Products and Services Would you like to submit an article in the Finance category or any of the sub-category below? Click here to submit your article. Would you like to have your product or service listed on this page? Contact us. 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(5) Sep 25 (7) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 13 (2) Sep 11 (1) Sep 06 (2) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (1) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (2) Aug 28 (1) Aug 23 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 17 (1) Aug 16 (2) Aug 14 (1) Aug 10 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 02 (2) Jul 25 (1) Feb 14 (1) An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2022 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in Singapore, compiled by the professionals at Dezan... YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 2, 2016 at 20:00 pm there will be held the presentation of the new project called Musame at Rustaveli Theater. Within the framework of the presentation Tbilisi will be visited by the Austrian Musician Experimental Project Soap&Skin. It is expected that music lovers from Armenia will also attend the music event, Armenpress reports. Soap&Skin is the project of 25-year-old Austrian artist Anja Plaschg , who has made a special impression to listeners while her first visit in Tbilisi. Anja is recognized as a now Austrian pop star, inspired by Bjork and Sergei Rachmaninov, she issued her debut album Lovetune for Vacuum in 2009 and soon she turned in Austrian, German and French music charts. The most special effect while performing Soap&Skin hasits unlike, impromptu based live shows and stage movements that makes her creativity unique one. For now Anja is participating with Ruth Beckermann in a film called The Dreamed Ones, premiere of two artists history was held within the framework of Berlinale film forum. The purpose of the new project MUSAME is to offer the lovers of the modern music different live music and to implement visual, theatrical and musical incorporation. MUSAME is an experimental project, which will cooperate with young Georgian and foreign artists having original ideas. All the latest Ashbourne news. Ashbourne is an historic market town in Derbyshire. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it is known as the 'Gateway to Dovedale' and the 'Gateway to the Peak District'. Ashbourne is famous for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, which has been played since at least 1667, although its origins may date back centuries earlier. Ashbourne became a Fairtrade town in March 2005. The popular Tissington Trail, which follows the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, starts on the edge of town. Keep up to date with the latest news from the town by signing up for our newsletter. A man in military uniform penetrated the Ras Abbas camp and blew himself up. Dozens of wounded were taken to hospital. The military base is run by the Hadi government, which is backed by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels. Aden governor survived an ambush yesterday. Aden (AsiaNews) A suicide bomber killed at least ten recruits at a Yemeni army camp run by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of bombings rattling the city since Saudi-backed forces captured Yemen's second-largest city from the Iran-allied Houthis in July last year. The attack targeted hundreds of new recruits at the Ras Abbas camp in Aden's Buraiqa district, which was recently set up by the Hadi government to absorb new conscripts being trained to fight the Houthis who are allied with the forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and militarily supported by Iran. Witnesses said that the bomber wore a military uniform used by the new recruits, enabling him to penetrate the crowd undetected and detonate the bomb at the camp gate. "The explosion shook the camp violently and it could be heard miles away," a witness told Reuters. IS claimed responsibility in a statement on its online media arm Amaq. Residents said that IS, one of several armed groups that operate in southern Yemen, had recently warned young Yemenis against joining the army being set up by Hadi's government. This is the second violent incident in Aden in two days. Yesterday, the citys governor and security director survived a gun attack by unknown assailants on their convoy in the city. In January 2015, Yemen plunged into a brutal civil conflict opposing the countrys Sunni leadership, backed by Saudi Arabia, and Shia Houthi rebels, close to Iran. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition began air strikes against the rebels in an attempt to free the capital Sana'a and reinstall ousted President Hadi, who eventually returned from exile. Last January, UN experts documented 119 military operations by the Saudi-led coalition that violated international law, many of which involve multiple attacks that hit civilian targets. The probe found that fleeing civilians were attacked by helicopters. Since air strikes began, more than 5,800 have been killed. Some 80 per cent of the population is now in dire need for food, water, and basic necessities. by Kamran Chaudhry The Provincial Assembly of Sindh wants to introduce a law to control the preaching of the ulema. The sermons will be released only if previously approved by the government. All Islamic parties oppose the draft. The Catholic Church points out the pros and cons. "The new law will curb sectarianism," but "in the future we may also be asked to register our homilies". Lahore (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church of Pakistan has received the bill introduced in the province of Sindh, that would place Islamic Friday prayer sermons under strict state control, with mixed feelings. Father Abid Habib, of the Association of Major Superiors and member of the Commission for Justice and Peace, told AsiaNews: "Religious leaders need to be more careful in what they preach during Friday sermons, but the new law is not entirely convincing. In the future the government could ask for sermons to be registered at the police station. What we really need is that the imams of all the mosques in the country be properly educated. " While the Catholic Church is skeptical, the Muslims of Pakistan have rejected the bill. The Islamic parties have condemned the decision of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh to present the Juma Khutba (Friday sermon) Bill, which will allow preaching only if the text has been approved by the government as a precautionary measure. In presenting the legislation, Abdul Qayum Soomro, adviser to the Sindh chief minister for religious affairs, said: "No Khateeb (preacher) will be allowed to make provocative speeches. This proposal is important to appease hatred and replace it with religious harmony. " The new legislation will only apply in the province, one of three that make up the country. Those who criticize the forms of militancy in the name of religion have often cited Friday prayers as opportunities to rally exalted extremists. The Jumu'ah, common prayer on Friday, is sometimes associated with tensions between Christians and Muslims. For example, in the Punjab province, several incidents of attacks on Christians were attributed to the Friday gathering. Muhammad Asim Makhdoom, Secretary for Information of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, the Islamic religious party, believes that "the new law will spread anarchy." The Koran he told AsiaNews - "calling for peace. But it seems that the government wants to force the passage of the bill. It puts into question Islam and therefore should be avoided. The ulema will never agree ". Finally Mgr. Shukardin Samson, bishop of Hyderabad, highlights the positive aspects of the law. The prelate concludes: "It will help ease the prevailing tension in the country, but it must be the same in all provinces. Government control will prevent one religious leaders from speaking against each other and will curb sectarianism ". Francis visited prison inmates in Ciudad Juarez. The problem of security is not resolved only by incarcerating; rather, it calls us to intervene by confronting the structural and cultural causes of insecurity that impact the entire social framework. [. . .] Social reintegration begins by making sure that all of our children go to school and that their families obtain dignified work by creating public spaces for leisure and recreation, and by fostering civic participation, health services and access to basic services, to name just a few possible measures. Ciudad Juarez (AsiaNews) Pope Francis this morning at 10.30 am spoke to about 700 inmates in the courtyard of the Centro de Readaptacion Social estatal n. 3 "(CERESO n. 3) in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua. He also personally greeted some 50 of them, as well as a group of the relatives (pictured). Here the pope spoke about Reintegration or rehabilitation, which begin with social health, i.e. developing ways to avoid sickness, polluting relationships in neighbourhoods, schools, town squares, the streets, homes and in the whole of the social spectrum, and continues with the promotion of a culture which acts and seeks to prevent those situations and pathways that end in damaging and impairing the social fabric. This, the last leg of the popes visit to Mexico, is emblematic. The city the pontiff chose is a place that symbolises drug trafficking, femicide and sexual exploitation, the last bridge for Latin American migrants trying to cross illegally into the United States. It will also be here that he will celebrate his last Mass on Mexican soil, at 4 pm, about 80 metres from the heavily guarded US border, with worshippers on both sides, a facility that underwent major renovation as part of the states penal system reform, earning international recognition. The Holy Father greeted the inmates saying, I could not leave without greeting you and celebrating with you the Jubilee of Mercy. Celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy with you is recalling the pressing journey that we must undertake in order to break the cycle of violence and crime. We have already lost many decades thinking and believing that everything will be resolved by isolating, separating, incarcerating, and ridding ourselves of problems, believing that these policies really solve problems. We have forgotten to focus on what must truly be our concern: peoples lives; their lives, those of their families, and those who have suffered because of this cycle of violence. Divine Mercy reminds us that prisons are an indication of the kind of society we are. In many cases they are a sign of the silence and omissions which have led to a throwaway culture, a symptom of a culture that has stopped supporting life, of a society that has abandoned its children. Mercy reminds us that reintegration does not begin here within these walls; rather it begins before, it begins outside, in the streets of the city. Reintegration or rehabilitation begins by creating a system which we could call social health, that is, a society which seeks not to cause sickness, polluting relationships in neighbourhoods, schools, town squares, the streets, homes and in the whole of the social spectrum. A system of social health that endeavours to promote a culture which acts and seeks to prevent those situations and pathways that end in damaging and impairing the social fabric. At times it may seem that prisons are intended more to prevent people from committing crimes than to promote the process of rehabilitation that allows us to address the social, psychological and family problems which lead a person to act in a certain way. The problem of security is not resolved only by incarcerating; rather, it calls us to intervene by confronting the structural and cultural causes of insecurity that impact the entire social framework. Jesus concern for the care of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless and prisoners (cf. Mt 25:34-40) sought to express the core of the Fathers mercy. This becomes a moral imperative for the whole of society that wishes to maintain the necessary conditions for a better common life. It is within a societys capacity to include the poor, infirm and imprisoned, that we see its ability to heal their wounds and make them builders of a peaceful coexistence. Social reintegration begins by making sure that all of our children go to school and that their families obtain dignified work by creating public spaces for leisure and recreation, and by fostering civic participation, health services and access to basic services, to name just a few possible measures. Celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy with you means learning not to be prisoners of the past, of yesterday. It means learning to open the door to the future, to tomorrow; it means believing that things can change. Celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy with you means inviting you to lift up your heads and to work in order to gain this space of longed-for freedom. We know that we cannot turn back, we know that what is done, is done. This is the way I wanted to celebrate with you the Jubilee of Mercy, because it does not exclude the possibility of writing a new story and moving forward. You suffer the pain of a failure, you feel the remorse of your actions and in many cases, with great limitations, you seek to remake your lives in the midst of solitude. You have known the power of sorrow and sin, and have not forgotten that within your reach is the power of the resurrection, the power of divine mercy which makes all things new. Now, this mercy can reach you in the hardest and most difficult of places, but such occasions can also perhaps bring truly positive results. From inside this prison, you must work hard to change the situations which create the most exclusion. Speak with your loved ones, tell them of your experiences, help them to put an end to this cycle of violence and exclusion. The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say has experienced hell, can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims. A festive meeting with 50 thousand young people in Moreila. The word of hope is called Jesus, and "the principal threat to hope is to allow yourself to believe that you begin to be valuable when you start wearing the right clothes, the latest brands and fashions, or when you enjoy prestige, are important because you have money; but in the depths of your heart you do not believe that you are worthy of kindness or love". Morelia (AsiaNews) - The word hope is called Jesus; Jesus wants followers like Juan Diego; everything in Him is "an invitation to life" and "never an invitation to be killers." But "the principal threat to hope is to allow yourself to believe that you begin to be valuable when you start wearing the right clothes, the latest brands and fashions, or when you enjoy prestige, are important because you have money; but in the depths of your heart you do not believe that you are worthy of kindness or love". The roar of the 50 thousand young people gathered in the stadium Morelia responded to the words of Francis. The meeting with the young people of Mexico, at 16.30 (local time) was a festival of choirs, dances, traditional costumes, tens of thousands of multicolored handkerchiefs and a long banner with the image of a dove. And the Pope appeared smiling and amused, singing along with the young people to "Vive Jesus, el Senor". "You - he told them - you are the wealth of Mexico." But wealth must be turned into hope and "the biggest threats to hope are those words which devalue you, which make you feel second rate. The biggest threat to hope is when you feel that you do not matter to anybody or that that you have been left aside". Moreover: "It is hard to feel the wealth of a nation when there are no opportunities for dignified work, no possibilities for study or advancement, when you feel your rights are being trampled on, which then leads you to extreme situations". The Pope recalled that "in the family one learns closeness, solidarity, to share, to discern, to help bear the problems of others, to quarrel and argue, but to draw closer, hugging and kissing. The family is the first school in the nation. The family is the basic building block of a great nation". And "it is a lie that the only way to live as young people here is in poverty and exclusion; in the exclusion of opportunities, in the exclusion of spaces, in the exclusion of training and education, in the exclusion of hope. It is Jesus Christ who refutes all attempts to render you useless or to be mere mercenaries of other peoples ambitions". "Today the Lord continues to call you, he continues to draw you to him, just as he did with the Indian, Juan Diego. He invites you to build a shrine. A shrine that is not a physical place but rather a community, a shrine called Parish, a shrine called, Nation. Being a community, a family, and knowing that we are citizens is one of the best antidotes to all that threatens us, because it makes us feel that we are a part of the great family of God". Then he urged young people to "be clever as serpents and humble as doves". But be careful also to the lure of the world, " he principal threat to hope is to allow yourself to believe that you begin to be valuable when you start wearing the right clothes, the latest brands and fashions, or when you enjoy prestige, are important because you have money; but in the depths of your heart you do not believe that you are worthy of kindness or love". Today, the last day of his visit to Mexico, the Pope will travel to Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the United States. The program includes a visit to the CERESO 3 prison, an encounter with the world of work and the last Mass of his visit. From Ciudad Juarez Francis will leave for Rome, where he is expected to arrive tomorrow at 14.45. by Ieromonaco Ioann Despite many limitations, great sobriety and political compromises, the embrace is unprecedented. Although uniatism is considered outdated, the existence and mission of the Greek-Catholics is defended. Putins influence noticeable, but no blessing for a "holy war". Reference to desire to "work together." The analysis of a leading figure from Orthodox Moscow. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The meeting took place. True, it took place on the other side of the globe. True, it was hastily arranged, just one week from the announcement. True, behind closed doors and without any religious ceremonials, it was intentionally secular in its protocol. However, the meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill took place and is a fact, an event that remains in history. If the two had not signed any joint document nor issued any statement, the meeting itself poses an important historical precedent. The narrow room for maneuver within which Cuba's February 12 meeting took place, seen by the West, may appear obscurely Byzantine in style. Following the logic of the Moscow Patriarchate there were inevitable limitations aimed at containing the negative reactions from conservative faithful. The same can be said of the joint statement signed by the two spiritual leaders, beautiful in many ways, though clearly a result of negotiations and diplomatic compromises of the traces of which are clearly visible. The Pope and the Patriarch give thanks to God for their historic meeting and for the common history that the two Churches share, they deplore the fact that Catholics and Orthodox are deprived of the Eucharist, communion and they hope that their meeting will contribute to the restoration of 'unity for which Christ prayed. The 30 points of the joint document concerning the persecution of Christians (particularly in Syria, Iraq, the Middle East and North Africa), religiously motivated terrorism, the secularization of Europe, the reaffirmation of moral values (with particular reference to the institution of the family). The statement considers uniatism an unsuitable method to the search for unity between the two Churches, while also reaffirming the right of the Greek-Catholic communities to exist; deplores the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the schism between the Orthodox in the country; It urges Catholics and Orthodox to consider themselves brothers and not competitors, and to live in peace and love and collaborate fraternally in proclaiming the Good News. The Pope and the Patriarch invoke the Mother of God because to encourages the fraternity of the faithful of both Churches to "be united, at the time appointed by God, in peace and harmony into one people of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and undivided Trinity. " It is clear that some of these points were demanded by the Patriarchate, part of the "classical repertoire" of Moscow's grievances against Rome and formulated in this document in a more or less explicit way (uniatism, proselytizing); others come from the Kremlins repertoire and reflect a desire of the Russian government to obtain the two Churches approval of its international policy (war in Ukraine, Syria and the Middle East). However in both cases the expressions are well-considered and positions expressed in much softer tones than we could have expected. If it is true that the Pope subscribed for the first time to an official document that defines uniatism as a method of the past (but this position is accepted by several in the Catholic Church and Pope Francis himself had already said as much in his unofficial discourses), it is equally true that the Patriarch signed that the Greek-Catholics have "the right to exist and to undertake whatever is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of their faithful" and this is certainly quite astonishing. On closer inspection, the parts that relate to international politics show an even greater prudence on the part of the Churches and almost a distancing from the foreign policy of the Russian state authorities. Nowhere does the document moot the possibility of a military intervention in defense of peace in Syria and the Middle East. As for Ukraine, no mention is made of civil war or a "fratricidal struggle", but of confrontation and conflict, and "all parties to the conflict" are urged to refrain from violence and to build peace. In other words: a text that is true, whether one considers the conflict a civil war, or whether it is considered an attack by another country. Beyond this subtle diplomatic balance, what is most striking about the Joint Declaration is the fact that it is a much more objectively spiritual document than various programs of "strategic alliance" with Catholics as since advanced by some representatives of the Patriarchate Moscow. Above and beyond diplomatic niceties, what is of most note in this Declaration, and what will remain in history, is the declaration of the common Tradition of the two Churches, the sincere regret that Catholics and Orthodox "for almost a thousand years have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist", the 'waiting for the two Churches to return to full unity, expressed at the beginning and end of the document, as well as an exhortation to the faithful to have esteem, respect and love for one another and work together, which is repeated throughout the text. Another significant and unprecedented fact is the papal title itself, over which Pope Francis has inscribed his signature: "Bishop of Rome, Pope of the Catholic Church". From his first speech from St. Peters balcony, Pope Francis has presented and presents himself primarily as "bishop of Rome." This ecclesiology has enormous ecumenical value, primarily in dialogue with the Orthodox. However, spoken titles are one thing, the title in the signing of an official document, something else. This is also, intentionally, a new fact, which remains in history. The Pope emphasized this in his speech after the signing, placing himself explicitly on an equal footing with the Patriarch: "We speak as brothers. We have the same baptism. We are bishops". The Cuba meeting will remain in the history of the Church as a first, very cautious and timid effort at reconciliation between the Churches of Rome and Moscow. However, both the meeting and the Declaration have created important precedents. The prudence was an attempt to limit possible adverse reactions, especially from the ultra-conservative, nationalists, Stalinists and pro-government environments of the Russian Church, but also from some Greek-Catholic environment. However, so far reactions have been contained and unsurprising. Also for reasons of prudence the protocol, as mentioned above, there was no common prayer. Yet the text of the Joint Declaration explicitly contains beautiful songs of prayers and impromptu speeches of both the Pope, and the Patriarch, and ends with the prayerful invocation of the name of God. The Pope expressed the hope "that this is all for the glory of God the Father , Son and Holy Spirit, for the sake of the holy faithful people of God, under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God ", echoing the wish with which Patriarch Kirill had closed his speech:" that through the Churches participation in the life of modern society the name of the most holy and blessed Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit may be glorified". It should be noted that if, uttering these words, the Patriarch has not made the sign of the cross, as dictated by the Orthodox prayer tradition in each invocation of the Trinity, behind him, however, the bishops and members of the Russian delegation did. In his words after the signing of the Declaration, the Pope referred to "a number of significant initiatives, and that may be realized" jointly by the two Churches. The Patriarch said that "the results of this meeting is that it gives me the opportunity to say that the two Churches can now work actively", and that they will "work together with full responsibility." The Patriarch then told the press he saw no obstacles in subsequent meetings with the Pope. Clearly any joint activities and possible future meetings depend on the development of current events. Not to mention how often the Pope says, and as he reiterated after the meeting in Cuba, even speaking for the Patriarch: "We agree that unity is built by walking." The totally secular environment of the airport of one of the last communist countries, with Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill signing the Declaration between a Cuban flag and a large icon of the Virgin Hodegetria, or "one who shows the way." The text concludes with reference to the hymn to the Virgin sung by the Orthodox at the conclusion of the solemn Vespers of Lent: "Under the shelter of your mercy, we take refuge, Holy Mother of God." And so, we hope, we pray and we walk. The Damascus government has given the green light for the delivery of food and basic necessities to seven areas. These include the town of Madaya, where people are dying of starvation. Moscow rejects Ankaras accusations it bombed hospitals. The UN Security Council criticizes Turkey. Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Damascus government has given the green light for the delivery of food and basic necessities to some areas under siege. According to reports from the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan of Mistura, the convoys are ready to leave and this expedition is a "test" to see if the various factions are really willing to allow the distribution of aid. The aid destinations include the town of Madaya, where in recent weeks, reports remerged of people dying of hunger and malnutrition. Last week, world powers agreed to "cease hostilities" on a national scale and to accelerate and, where possible expand, the delivery of aid. "It is the Syrian governments responsibility - said de Mistura, after high-level talks in Damascus that we reach every Syrian citizen, wherever he or she is, and allow the deployment of UN aid." In the last hours the government headed by President Bashar al-Assad has given its approval for the entry of humanitarian aid convoys into seven areas under siege, under government army control or the grip of the rebel militias. UN sources say there are at least half a million people still living in areas under siege. The cessation of hostilities, that does not concern jihadist groups like the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, is expected to enter into force at the weekend. However, President Assad expressed doubts about its real effectiveness, noting that it will be "difficult" to apply. On the battlefield, the Syrian regular army, backed by Russian air raids, continues its northward advance and is ready to lay siege to Aleppo. Meanwhile, the - so far verbal - war continues between Turkey and Russia, with Moscow "categorically rejecting" the allegations launched by Ankara of war crimes for bombing hospitals in Syria, including a Doctors Without Borders center. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC that the only evidence that Russia is willing to accept "comes from the Syrian authorities." Finally, yesterday the United Nations Security Council criticized Turkey for cross-border attacks, in northern Syria, which create even more tension and instability in the country. All council member states agreed to "ask Turkey to respect international law." A Canadian pension fund is looking to invest $2 billion in affordable housing projects in Mumbai, said Maharashtras chief minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing a group of real estate executives and bankers at a recent conference. More than half of Mumbais 20 million inhabitants live in slums at least one million reside in Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia. The people who live here endure cramped conditions, poor ventilation and a lack of toilets, local media said. These conditions have also become particularly Zika virus-friendly during the summer monsoon season, when heavy rains flood the slums, leaving pools of standing water where mosquitoes can flourish. TNN reported that the Maharashtra state government is finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Canadian government pension fund and two Mumbai developers to build over 350,000 affordable homes e through the Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA). If approved, the two builders, Deserve Group and Radius Group, will be able to exploit prime slum plots from Cuffe Parade to Borivli with the help of the SRA, which will expedite permissions for them. "The pension fund may invest up to $2billion (Rs 13,600crores) in the project. We are still fine-tuning some of the clauses before finalizing it," a top government source told Times Of India. The developers, along with the pension fund, are expect to sign a tripartite agreement with the SRA. IL&FS has been appointed fund manager. "The two developers will have to obtain letter of intent (LOI) themselves. They will not get any preferential treatment for that. But once they receive LOI, the SRA will put them on the fast track," the sources added. SRA CEO Aseem Gupta said the state was awaiting confirmation from Canadian government officials. "The draft is yet to be cleared by SRA," he said. "The government wants to sell homes at a cheap rate of say $100 a sq ft. The Canadian Pension Fund will put in money only for the construction," said a person close to one of the developers. But government sources said the rate will be decided by SRA. "The SRA's role is basically to fast-track permissions. Apart from providing new tenements to slum dwellers, the developers have offered to build affordable housing in the sale component, which can be made available to people at a low rate," said sources. The two builders can expect a windfall by exploiting portions of the slum plots to build high end residential or commercial towers, which they can sell at market rate. The SRA, through private builders, has been able to provide less than two lakh houses to slum dwellers in the past two decades as against the 40 lakh homes promised when the scheme was introduced in 1996, TOI said. The cross-subsidy scheme has been wrecked by charges of corruption, malpractices and arm-twisting of slum residents by slum lords and land mafia. Some of the most expensive residential skyscrapers have come up on slum land. Housing experts have complained that slum residents are rehabilitated on a small portion of the plot in box sized multi-storeyed apartments while the larger chunk of Fadnavis added that there is growing interest among financial institutions to invest in various affordable housing projects across the country. Last week I met the Canadian ambassador. He informed me that the Canadian pension fund is ready to invest $2 billion in affordable housing. There is a lot of interest from other financial institutions to invest in this sector, said Fadnavis. The chief minister did not specify which Canadian pension fund is looking to invest in affordable housing projects in the city. Earlier, Mark Wiseman, the chief executive officer of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), which manages 268.6 billion Canadian dollars ($203.09 billion) in pension fund assets, was in India. At an interaction with Mint, Wiseman said that CPPIB will look to increase its exposure to the Indian consumer. I think over time we will see real opportunity there (consumer) like in other growth economies. Over time, we want more attachment with Indian consumers as India becomes a larger economy. We are very focusedly looking at co-investments in this sector, Wiseman told Mint. CPPIB currently has $2 billion invested in India across the infrastructure and real estate sectors. Guest Commentary By Doug Neasloss, Brian Falconer and Chris Genovali For those of you celebrating Premier Christy Clarks announcement declaring the end of commercial trophy hunting in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest, you can put away the champagne. While the announcement by the premier and Minister Steve Thomson essentially endorses the effort to buy out commercial trophy hunting businesses, undertaken by Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Coastal First Nations (CFN) several years ago, it commits no direct support, nor does it address trophy hunting by BC residents which accounts for 60% of the grizzly kill in the Great Bear Rainforest and in the rest of province. The province has still not recognized the ban on trophy hunting imposed by CFN and will continue to issue tags to kill grizzly bears and black bears in all areas of the Great Bear Rainforest, including in some areas where the black bears carry the white Spirit bear gene. In addition, the BC governments announcement regarding the commercial hunt is specifically applicable to CFN territory, which comprises approximately one third of the Great Bear Rainforest. Yet Minister Thomsons comments, corrected later by ministry staff, initially gave the impression to the media and the public that commercial trophy hunting had been ended throughout the Great Bear Rainforest. "The agreement today as we announced retires the commercial hunt for grizzly bear for the Great Bear Rainforest," he told reporters. "Protecting the species is the first principle and we will continue to manage the process elsewhere on a science-based approach to grizzly bear and wildlife management generally." Premier Clark, speaking at a press conference said the agreements include the end of the commercial grizzly hunt in Coastal First Nations traditional territory, and later referred to ending the trophy hunt on the coast. Although her first statement was slightly more accurate, both neglected to tell the whole story. Because of erroneous statements by BC government representatives and others, widely reported in the extensive media coverage of the announcement and subsequently shared via social media, the incorrect notion that trophy hunting has ended in the Great Bear Rainforest has literally travelled around the globe. To paraphrase Mark Twain, a misconception can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes. The reality is the province has committed no financial assistance to the effort to retire the commercial hunting tenures, leaving it up to CFN and Raincoast to negotiate and fund agreements with existing guide outfitting businesses. They have also done nothing to curtail the killing of bears for trophies by BC residents in the Great Bear Rainforest. Trying to clarify the situation, Bears Forever, a project of CFN and the Central Coast First Nations Bear Working Group, has stated: While the protection of B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest may now be assured, protection of bears from trophy hunting is not. There is not protection for any species of bears from resident trophy hunters and protection from commercial trophy hunting is only afforded to bears when they are within certain territories controlled by Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Coastal First Nations. We are committed to continue pushing until all trophy hunting is ended throughout the Great Bear Rainforest. Beginning in 2005 and through the end of 2015, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with Coastal First Nations, raised nearly two million dollars and purchased three commercial hunting tenures covering over 30,000 square kilometers of the Great Bear Rainforest. As these commercial licenses are put to rest, First Nation owned bear viewing operations like the Spirit Bear Lodge in Kitasoo/Xaixais territory are thriving, with all bear viewing operations generating over 12 times more in visitor spending and 11 times more in government revenues than bear hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest. While it will be a challenging task, CFN and Raincoast are deeply committed to raising the money and completing the purchase of the remaining hunting tenures. The province should now step up and end the resident hunt. The bears of the Great Bear Rainforest would then be truly protected. The world would join the 95% of British Columbians who oppose trophy hunting and truly celebrate such an accomplishment. Doug Neasloss is elected chief councillor of the Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation. Brian Falconer is guide outfitter coordinator for Raincoast Conservation. Chris Genovali is Raincoast's executive director. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Armenia Galust Sahakyan expressed condolences on the death of Arman Manaryan. Armenpress was informed from the information and Public Relations Department of the Armenian NA that NA Presidents condolence letter particularly reads: "I am deeply saddened by the death of the director, screenwriter, Honored Artist Arman Manaryan. Arman Manaryan was one of the most talented actors of our cinema art, whose name is associated with the rich segment of the Armenian cinema. His works, including his directed films and the films with his participation are unforgettable pages of our culture. These pages are the memorable evidences of his dedication, hard work and original understanding of art. I express my condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Armand Manaryan and share their sorrow. " Photo caption: Experts say it is important for settlement organizations to inform newcomers of Canada's legislation around childrearing, particularly things like 'spanking'./ Photo Credit: Jeff Turner via Flickr CC By Florence Hwang Special to The Post Cultural differences in childrearing require settlement organizations to provide newcomers with information and support in understanding Canadian laws on corporal punishment, also known as 'spanking', say experts. Nothing is more indicative of culture than the process of raising children to become adults, explains Justin Ryan, public education and communications co-ordinator with the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA). He describes a rite of passage for boys of a Brazilian tribe as an extreme example. A glove or gauntlet is made of grass. Bullet ants, whose bites feel like bullet shots, bite the young boys hand. He is not allowed to cry out in pain. Here, that would be the most violent consideration of child abuse possible. There, its the process which you become an adult, says Ryan. If I did that to my daughter, they would take her away. New immigrants coming to Canada may be conflicted on Section 43, Canadas law on corporal punishment, which the government agreed to revoke late last year as a result of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations. This is often because they are coming from vastly different cultural backgrounds some from strongly patriarchal societies with very little infrastructure and where domestic violence is relatively common, Ryan notes. In some cultures, for example, a father backhanding his child for speaking back, or not cleaning up or not being obedient is acceptable. Ryan says the most common response he gets from immigrants is surprise that there is a law regarding corporal punishment and that the government reinforces it. He explains that in a developing nation that has little infrastructure, there may be a law that says parents cant strike their children, but there is little follow-up or action taken. Understanding of Canadian way is vital Gary Direnfeld, a social worker who has 33 years of experience helping parents manage behaviour with children, says many immigrants come from countries where they place high value on respect, particularly for elders. That is a kind of respect that comes without questioning, where we expect the child to heed what the elder has to say and follow through and all will be well, so to speak, he explains. Contrast that with Canadian culture, which has more value on individualism and freedoms, which the children are often influenced by. Meanwhile the parents may come from a country where corporal punishment is sanctioned and considered reasonable. The child, having learned of their rights and freedoms, in the Canadian context, may then complain about the corporal punishment and that brings the parent to the attention of child protection services, says Direnfeld, who is based out of Dundas, Ontario. If you come from a war-torn country, where one is fearful of the political structures and institutions, the thought of a childrens aid worker coming to your home is more than frightful, he says. As disconcerting as it is to have a visit from the Childrens Aid Society with concerns of abusing your kids, for these families, those concerns are amplified given their lack of trust and faith in institutional services. Direnfeld says this issue of corporal punishment is deeper and broader than the average non-immigrant Canadian often appreciates. In acclimatizing new immigrants to Canada, settlement organizations should help them to appreciate our parenting approaches, he suggests. If you take a cross-cultural perspective on what [parenting expectations] are, then this gets a lot murkier a lot faster, which means we have to work a lot more closely with clients to communicate and make them understand what the implications are of Canadian law, adds Ryan. Lost in translation Ryan notes that in the case of immigrants, language is also a barrier in communicating with, for example, social services. These barriers may also make it impossible to understand subtle, but crucial, differentiations. He says that a classic example would be, when asked, How do you discipline your child? they may reply, I beat them, when what they really mean is I spank them. They simply dont have the language skills to choose the word that has the right connotation and correctly carries the reality of what theyre doing. MAGMA works to ensure that all parents understand the Canadian standards of child care. This is particularly the case with refugees, due to the recent influx. Child protective services delivers group sessions to proactively address these issues, such as explaining what is considered acceptable measures of discipline in Canada. One of our primary requirements is to instruct our clients [on] what our appropriate Canadian values are starting as soon as they get here regarding the stuff thats likely to get them in trouble with the law, Ryan says. As to the impact of repealing Section 43, which would effectively criminalize even those actions such as corporal punishment, organizations like MAGMA have to be even more proactive in passing on that understanding to their clients. Part of that is that the Canadian government is far more involved with managing family dynamics than most other countries, Ryan explains. Generally elsewhere the government is not seen as having a role in such private matters. Its therefore an adjustment for both sides in this equation when Canadian governments become directly involved in the lives of immigrant families. This piece was originally published in New Canadian Media. See http://newcanadianmedia.ca/item/33223-childrearing-what-s-accepted-elsewhere-may-be-illegal-here Felicia Djamirze, Miss International Australia, Hospitalized After Raid By Police Trending News: Miss Australia Disfigured By Police Flashbang During Raid Why Is This Important? Because America isn't the only place where police behavior can be suspect. Long Story Short Former Miss Australia International Felicia Djamirze was severely disfigured last week when police tossed a flash grenade into the bedroom of Dean O'Donnell. O'Donnell was under surveillance for drug traffic when Queensland police conducted the raid. Long Story Sometimes, despite their best intentions, even the use of "less-lethal" weapons by police can result in significant injuries to innocent citizens. Just ask former Miss Australia International Felicia Djamirze, who's currently recovering in a Queensland hospital after suffering third degree burns to her face and right arm. She went from looking like this: Daily Mail/Facebook To this: Daily Mail Djamirze was in bed with fiance, Dean O'Donnell, when police tossed a flash grenade before raiding the home. O'Donnell was under surveillance for drug trafficking, and was arrested on both drug and weapons charges after police found illegal guns and 2 kg of "ice," otherwise known as crystal meth. That's of little comfort to Djamirze though, who's started a GoFundMe to help burn victims and their families (though I can't for the life of me find a link to her page). Djamirze's lawyer Chris Ford says it took paramedics 40 minutes to show up at the scene, and that his client required two surgeries to fix her "melted" right hand. She's also still at risk of losing sight in her right eye. The police rode in like cowboys (and) nearly killed my client. There should be a full independent investigation, he told The Courier Mail. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question What's a girl like her doing with a guy like him? Disrupt Your Feed So when police injure a beauty queen, it becomes an international incident? Drop This Fact Ice was in the news just yesterday, as Australian police intercepted $1 billion worth of the drug as it was smuggled inside silicone bra inserts. You are the owner of this article. The path between law school and private practice is well-versed, but what about the student path to an in-house legal team? Bird & Bird Australia managing partner Shane Barber believes as in-house teams grow in size and capability, the process for hiring graduates in-house will inevitably become clearer. He said the legal profession as a whole should be starting to aid this process. Getting information to students about what in-house life is really like is extremely limited, Barber told Australasian Lawyer. We spoke to our clients about it and they felt the same, that there were limited opportunities for paralegals and potential graduate lawyers to get information and really experience what in-house life was really like. This year will be the first time the firm has launched the program, sending the winning GC for a Day students to spend a day shadowing a general counsel at a major company. Our clients who are participating have been very enthusiastic about the whole process, Barber said. It really is something that a firm like Bird & Bird, because of its scale and momentum and contacts, is well placed to do. While the program isnt about getting a job, Barber said he expects the program to give students a connection to a part of the profession they may not otherwise have a connection to. There is a career path that lawyers will soon follow that may not involve private practice at all. The sooner we can assist as a profession, in making that career path a smooth one, I think the better off for everyone, he said. Tanya Khan, vice president and managing director Australia and Asia Pacific for the ACC said the organisation is in support of the program. We support any initiative that encourages law students to better know and understand the in-house environment, learn more about the challenging and fulfilling opportunities of an in-house career and which hopefully encourages more students to take this path post their degree, she said. UK judge Beverley Lunt will resentence two brothers on a two year suspended sentence after the left they courtroom and dissed her on Facebook. Daniel and Samuel Sledden both pleaded guilty to selling cannabis from their home. Cannot believe my luck 2 year suspended sentence beats the 3 year jail yes pal! Beverley Lunt go suck my ****, Daniel posted 90 minutes after leaving court. The status update has since been removed. He then issued an apology: I want to say how sorry I am for what I wrote about Judge Lunt and my sentence. I was very lucky not to be sent to prison and I was very stupid to have written what I did. I want to say sorry to Judge Lunt and to anyone else who was upset or offended by my thoughtless post which I did not mean. According to a BBC report, Samuel also posted offensive remarks. Lunt told the court that their remorse and contrition was a vital component when considering their sentence but said the length of the jail terms was not wrong. Lunt said that she had been partly persuaded not to send them to prison because there had been no criminal wrongdoing since. She did say that the conduct of the brothers led her question whether an immediate custodial sentence should have been imposed, the BBC reported. It is the issue of suspension. Would I have done so had I appreciated, as I do now, their true views and what they really thought of the court proceedings? she said. The court heard that the brothers had written letters of apology to the judge. The review was postponed until 26 February. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenia was included in the 2016 UN Honor Roll for paying the regular budget assessments in full and in time, Armenpress was informed from the Press, Information and Public Relations Department of the Armenian MFA. In January 2016 the Armenian Government transferred $150,039 to the United Nations Regular Budget as 2016 annual membership fee. The Honor roll includes the countries that have paid their regular budget assessments in full within the 30 day due period specified in Financial Regulation. Only 27 of the 193 UN states were included in the Honor Roll this year. Australia's population has reached a milestone 24 million with migration contributing significantly to the rise, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.The population clock is an indication of the current population, based on a projection calculated using births and deaths data from the ABS and migration figures from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).The ABS gave details of how the country's population has changed over the years and how newcomers have added to the diversity of the Australian population.When Australia became a Federation in 1901 its population was 3.7 million. From then, it took Australia 58 years to reach a population of 10 million and by 1964, the population was increasing by a million every four to five years."Since reaching 20 million in late 2003, there have been around three years between each million person increase, with the population reaching 21 million in 2007, 22 million in 2010 and 23 million in 2013," said ABS director of demography, Beidar Cho."Since 2006, net overseas migration has been the driver of Australia's annual population growth. This peaked in 2009, with 66% of our growth being attributed to migration. Our most recent data from June 2015 indicates net overseas migration contributing 53% to Australia's total growth, with the remaining 47% due to natural increase," he explained.The data release also gives an indication of where people live and how this has changed. In 1901 only two states had a population of over one million people with New South Wales having a population of 1.4 million and Victoria 1.2 million people.By 1968 Queensland and South Australia also had over a million people at 1.7 million and 1.1 million respectively, whilst New South Wales and Victoria had reached 4.4 million and 3.3 million respectively.Western Australia experienced high growth from the 1970s, overtaking South Australia's population in 1982 and reaching a population of 2 million in 2005.In 2015, New South Wales remained the state with the largest population at 7.6 million, followed by Victoria at 5.9 million. Greater Sydney made up 64% of New South Wales' population and Melbourne 76% of Victoria's.The structure of Australia's population has changed significantly between the 1970s and today. In 1971 some 28.7% of the population were children aged up to 14 years, 63% were 15 to 64 years and 8.3% of the population were aged 65 and over.There were 2.9 children born per woman, the median age of the population was 27.5 years and life expectancy was 68.3 years for males and 74.8 years for females. Some 20.2% of the population was born overseas.By In 2015 some 18.8% of the population were children, 66.2% aged 15 to 64 and 15% aged over 65. There were 1.8 children born per woman, the median age of the population was 37.4 years and life expectancy was 80.3 years for males and 84.4 years for females while 28.1% of the population was born overseas.Looking at Australia's close neighbours, New Zealand's population was 4.5 million in 2015, while Indonesia had a population of over 250 million. While Taiwan's land size is smaller than Tasmania's, they had a similar population to Australia with 23.5 million in 2014. The 488GTB ushers in turbocharging into modern mid-engined V8 Ferraris with a 3.9-litre twin-turbo engine that develops 660bhp. Ferrari has officially launched the successor to the 458 Italia in India at Rs 3.88 crore (ex-showroom, India). The 488GTB is not only more powerful than its predecessor, but has also paved the way for turbocharging in modern mid-engined V8 Ferraris. The carmaker has showcased the 488GTB in Delhi and Mumbai. Marking its return to India last year, Ferrari opened bookings for its entire line-up of models, ranging from the entry-level front-engined California T to the range-topping F12 Berlinetta, in June 2015. The company went on to announce its official re-launch in the country in August with the display of the California T. Powered by a new 3,902cc twin-turbo V8 with displacement marginally larger than the California T's 3,855cc unit the 488GTB pumps out 660bhp and 69.95kgm of torque making it significantly more powerful than its predecessors, the 458 and 458 Speciale, that developed 562bhp and 597bhp respectively. Paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox sending power to the rear wheels, the 488GTB is capable of sprinting from 0-100kph in 3.0 seconds and has a top speed of 330kph. At present, Ferrari is operating through two dealerships located in Delhi and Mumbai, and is accepting bookings for its model range which includes the California T, the 488GTB, the 458 Spider, the 458 Speciale and the F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari 488GTB review The Honda MSX 125 became the Mod Dam and gained a little weight after the transplant. From a 102 kg (225 lb) bike, it jumped to 137 kg (302 lb), but the rest of the performance specs skyrocketed.Mod Dam is no longer striving to reach the 105 km/h (65 mph) top speed; instead, it can blast along the highway at 320 km/h (200 mph), as it looks like the "gentlemen agreement" limiter was also removed, and the 205 horsies of the Panigale engine can roam free.Now, don't expect to see the Grom's chassis being able to accommodate the 1199 Panigale engine. Kleff had to build a special trellis frame that was bolt on to the powerplant. In fact, he replicated the way Ducati superbikes are built, using the engine as a stressed member.The small dimensions of the Grom forced Kleff to relocate the radiator under the seat and leave only the oil cooler in the front. The wheelbase was only increased by a centimeter (less than half an inch) and no other major modifications were performed.Kleff had to build an entirely new exhaust system, and the result is stunning. The routing had to obey certain engineering constraints, so the welding job on the collectors adds a hefty dash of aggressiveness.Sadly, we will never know how fast the Mod Dam 1199 Panigale-powered Grom can go, because the bike burned down completely. After a few test runs, a friend of Kleff's and mechanic in the project also rode it. A fuel line ruptured and the motorcycle caught on fire, burning completely and being reduced to a smoldering wreck.However, Mario bought another 1199 Panigale R and plans to build a new Grom , so not all hope is lost. It just doesn't get any crazier than this. NHTSA GM will recall around 200,000 Saab and Saturn vehicles in the USA and Canada. The recall campaign is related to the Takata airbag fiasco, and targets MY 2003-2011 Saab 9-3 cars, along with MY 2010 and 2011 Saab 9-5 models.Furthermore, Saturn Astra models of the 2008 and 2009 model years will have to schedule a dealer appointment to replace their Takata-sourced driver-side airbag inflators. Out of the 200,000 vehicles mentioned, 180,000 were sold in the USA, while the remaining 20,000 units were delivered in Canada, the Detroit Free Press reports.Fortunately for the owners of the affected vehicles, no deaths or injuries related to the Takata airbag inflators in the models that will be recalled by General Motors have been reported.As thealready explained, the defective PSDI-5 front driver-side airbag inflators made by Takata in a particular period can explode with excessive force and send metal and plastic shrapnel towards the occupants of the vehicle it is supposed to protect.Other GM vehicles affected by the Takata recall involve the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Malibu, and many others. The 2005 Saab 9-2X is also being recalled on the Takata issue, along with the MY 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe. We are mentioning Pontiac because it is another brand that GM killed off.Honda, Dodge/RAM, and Toyota have the largest volumes of vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall situation. Last month, over five million vehicles were involved in the expansion of the Takata airbag inflator recall. Reports have revealed that Takata knew about the airbag issues in 2004 , after conducting secret tests off work hours to verify the problem.However, the executives of the company ordered engineers to destroy the data and get rid of the physical evidence. The NHTSA has fined Takata with $70 million , and the Japanese company will pay the sanction over the next five years. Grizzly, whose real name is Urs Pedraita, will start this trip from the legendary Daytona Beach during the Daytona Bike Weekend, on the main street at 1 pm local time on Friday, March 11.If things roll as planned, Grizzly should be back in Daytona on June 19 or even sooner. However, this massive and epic undertaking will require huge efforts from both rider and machine, as well as from his team.This is not the first time Urs Pedraita is embarking on long trips. Back in 2013, he took 37 days during the winter to complete a 9,000-mile-long (14,484 km) trip. Even more, since then, Urs also trained in the most challenging situations and weather climates to become able to withstand inclement conditions and ride on.Grizzly not only plans to roam the six continents that have roads but he also intends to ride way down south, in Antarctica, after passing through Ushuaia/ Patagonia.The journey obviously includes some flying, from Chile to Australia, and from there to South Africa, plus a huge plane trip from Singapore to Alaska.Urs' Victory Cross Country has had several modifications to make the bike suitable for such journeys. The list includes a touring-worthy 33-liter (8.7 gallon) tank, a custom seat with back support to make long hauls more bearable, and two huge LED fog lights to dramatically enhance visibility at night. Obviously, you should not be surprised to see his Victory shod with knobby tires.Grizzly's progress can be tracked by anyone thanks to the Grizzly Tracker app , a dedicated smartphone application that receives GPS data from his bike in near real time. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. Sant'Agata Bolognese machines have never been easy to describe using numbers alone. So what recommends the Huracan Spyder over its all-impressive Aventador Roadster big brother, for instance?Sure, there's a hefty financial distance between the two, but even if you have a V12-friendly bank account, you should still consider the V10 open-air model for a number of reasons. To understand why, you should take the usability difference that separates the fixed-roof Aventador and the Huracan and multiply it by two.Why the calculus? It all has to do with the roof. The Huracan Spyder may not have followed Ferrari and McLaren down the folding metallic top route, but its soft top can be worked at the touch of a button. And unlike in the case of the Gallardo Spyder, the newcomer's top provides pleasing thermal and aural insulation, even when the weather wants to interfere with your fun behind the wheel.The Aventador, however, pays tribute to its overly spectacular nature. You'll have to manually detach or install its carbon roof, while storing it in the nose of the supercar means you'll have to use your credit card as a replacement for your luggage.Then there's the basic difference between the two - the Huracan is considerably easier to handle. In fact, this is the first model in the history of the Italian company that, with a bit of effort, can be used as a daily driver. We never expected to say this regarding Lamborghini matters, but sometimes less actually is more. But we're not here to bash SsangYong even further into the ground. That would just be cruel. No, we want to show you something cool that few other vehicles have, if any. It's a display that shows you which way the wheels are turning. The idea is so stupid that it may be pure genius.Most cars offer a small display between the rev counter and speedometer. However, the one on the SsangYong Tivoli shows you in what direction the wheels are turning. We can almost imagine the company's CEO meeting up with his staff to discuss how to make the Tivoli the best crossover on the market.One guy says "we need to make it self-parking." But the boss quickly dismisses the idea as being too expensive. Another guy says "we'll give it a monitor to show the car's position within a parking spot." But the boss says they can't afford that either. So they finally decide to install a helpful arrow that shows which way the wheels are pointing.It might seem pointless, but so is non-alcoholic beer. We think there are plenty of situations where you might not know which way your wheels are turning. For example, as you return to your car after a hard day of shopping for curtain and matching pillows. You just want to rush home, forgetting how you got the car in the bay six hours earlier.We've also seen some female drivers who don't know what their car will do once they release the clutch. The steering arrow will help them too. But that kind of makes the Tivoli a car for people who can't drive, and we're not sure that we like that. We could also argue that all cars with a reversing camera don't need this function because you get guidelines that show in which direction the vehicle will move. ECU The first day of the second IRTA test of the year greeted the MotoGP riders with an overcast sky and mixed weather conditions. The track was wet in the morning and not exactly inviting, so only a few riders ventured on the Aussie asphalt.Given the conditions, the teams could hardly put their machines to the test too seriously, but some riders took advantage of the damp track to test Michelin's new wet tires and to get acquainted with how the Marellisoftware reacts in the rain.The lap times were nothing to write home about, as expected, but some of the teams sent their riders on the track with intermediate tires when the asphalt started to dry out.Rain finally stopped around two hours before the end of the session and left a track dry enough for slicks one hour ahead of the checkered flag. Naturally, a flurry of bikes appeared on the track, with the riders trying to improve as much as possible.The time sheets for the first test day at Phillip Island look much different than what we've been used to until this year. This includes only one of the "aliens" and only three factory riders in the top ten.As we said at the beginning, the day belonged to Danilo Petrucci, who put in a 1:31.764 lap time in the penultimate of the 12 laps he ran and finished over seven-tenths ahead of the second-fastest rider. Suzuki's Maverick Vinales also had a good day, finishing 0.71s behind the Octo Pramac Yakhnich rider.Bradley Smith was third, one tenth slower than Vinales and almost three-tenths faster than Scott Redding on the satellite Ducati. The top five was rounded with another satellite bike, Cal Crutchlow's LCR Honda, with his 21st and last lap being the fastest.Rossi posted the sixth time of the day, 1.3 seconds adrift Petrucci, followed by Pol Espargaro, Yonny Hernandez, returning Jack Miller and Andrea Iannone.Marc Marquez was 12th, while Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa had the 16th and the 17th lap times of Day 1 at Phillip Island. The time sheet saw Andrea Dovizioso last, without completing a lap.As a side note, we saw that Dovizioso and Crutchlow grew a beard, even though the hipster/lumbersexual looks are almost out of fashion. Are they planning to bring badass fashion to the Grand Prix? Surely hope so; and while waiting to see who else is following their example, get ready for some top-notch action in the upcoming movie about Barry Sheene's life and career The Japanese tuner has long broken the borders of its home country, with Akira Nakai, the one behind what is mostly a one-man show, now flying across the world to establish one new RWB community after another.Yes, we mentioned communities, as Nakai-san doesn't just build Porsche body kits, he generates a spark starting the fire that brings enthusiasts together.Once a new country lands on the man's map, RWB fans over there help the local community grow and obviously contribute to the global Rauh-Welt Begriff effort.The latest project of this kind is taking place as you are reading this, with Nakai-san having left Los Angeles , the location of his most recent build, for New Zealand.With the help of two facilitators, one of whom has spent years watching Nakai-san building his kits in Japan, RWB is kicking off its NZ offensive.And what a debut this is - we're talking about a dual 911 build. As you can see in the images below, a pair of 993 Neunelfers is ready to have Akira Nakai create fiberglass body kits for them.And if you're wondering about the episodes that take place as this story unfolds, here's a sample of how said facilitators view the man's work, "Wheel alignment time, front and rear fenders in place. The car is on the ground getting fine tuned. This guy is a machine!"Truth be told, Nakai-san uses his hands as precision tools, turning air-cooled 911s into drivable sculptures. And it looks like these Kiwis are in for quite an artistic manifestation.With the Porsches having been painted and gifted with eye-catching wheels, they are now waiting for Nakai-san to do his thing.For now, we can give you a preview of the dual build, with the video and the image gallery below serving as a fine appetizer.Given the speed that defines Rauh-Welt Begriff builds despite their unique character, there's just one question that remains to be answered here - what destination is written on Akira Nakai's next plane tickets? Automotive retail sales in Canada hit a record of 1.89 million new vehicles sold in calendar-year 2015. This is the third consecutive year of record retail sales in Canada. Commercial sales, on the other hand, were a different story. Cumulative sales in the commercial fleet market were flat year-over-year compared to 2014. In 2015, the daily rental and government segments of the fleet industry saw more growth than commercial sales. For instance, government spending on infrastructure has increased, which is positively impacting government fleet sales. As the second largest country in the world, Canadas fleet market is as diverse as its geography and it is regional in nature. There is not a single fleet market in Canada, with market dynamics varying by region and industrial sector. For instance, the oil industry is one of the largest fleet segments in Canada. With the global oversupply and collapse in the price of oil, companies in the Canadian energy sector have implemented deep spending reductions. Senior management at oil companies is placing intense pressure on fleet managers to control acquisition and operating expenses. One way is by deferring fleet vehicle purchases or by downsizing to a smaller truck segment, such as moving from -ton trucks to -ton trucks to reduce acquisition costs. Similarly, other Canadian companies have tightened their corporate budgets due to economic uncertainties facing their businesses and adopted temporary freezes on new-vehicle orders. It is anticipated that many of the vehicle acquisitions that were deferred will be made up in 2016. The forecast is that commercial fleet sales will continue to remain fleet in calendar-year 2016. However, there are dangers to arbitrarily extending fleet vehicle replacement parameters that could be counterproductive to the intended goal. Nearly all fleet-related expenses, both fixed and operating, are influenced by when a vehicle is replaced. For instance, deferring replacements and/or extending service lives increase the percentage of the fleet operating outside of its warranty period. As a result, maintenance costs and driver downtime increases. Also, the older the fleet, the higher the likelihood catastrophic failures will occur, which increases the percentage of out-of-stock purchases, the most expensive way to replace fleet vehicles. Strong Export Market Offsets Soft Oil Industry The economic slowdown in the oil-rich provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan has been somewhat offset by growth in other provinces, such as British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Canada is a net export nation with 75 percent of its exports going to the U.S., its largest trading partner. One factor strongly influencing the commercial fleet market is the foreign exchange rate of the Canadian dollar, which has declined against the U.S. dollar. This has positively impacted the Canadian economy, particularly provinces such as Ontario and Quebec, which have a strong manufacturing sector. The weaker Canadian dollar makes their exporters less expensive in the U.S. Although the strongest vocational fleet segments in the country are energy and construction, Canada is primarily a service-based economy, largely driven by small local businesses. As in the U.S., the small fleet segment is the growth engine for fleet sales in Canada. Despite the lower fuel prices, the demand for green, low-emission vehicles will continue to grow driven by the outlook of the Canadian federal government. It is expected that there will be a growing trend for businesses and municipalities in certain parts of Canada to adopt green technologies. Forecast for the Canadian Economy Historically, overall fleet sales in Canada have always been tied to the robustness of the national economy. Overall improvements in sectors such as housing, construction, and infrastructure assisted in modestly growing overall fleet sales. Construction is playing a bigger role in the economic activity Canada is experiencing in Ontario and Quebec, which has stimulated commercial fleet sales. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates Canada ended 2015 with growth of 1.2 percent, with Alberta in recession with a 1.3-percent contraction. The IMF forecasts that the Canadian economy will increase an anemic 1.7 percent in 2016. But, these forecasts are tenuous, especially with the ongoing uncertainty of global growth and commodity prices volatility. China is a key driver of global prices, especially for metals, an important Canadian export. An ongoing slowdown in the Chinese economy could put downward pressure on Canadian economic growth. The downturn in the energy sector is still rippling through the Canadian economy, leading to lower business investment. Despite the recessionary environment in Alberta, throughout the rest of Canada, there continues to be stable household spending, ongoing demand for housing, and gains in employment, all of which are positive signs for Canadas economy. In addition, the ongoing growth in the U.S. economy and the weaker Canadian dollar is boosting U.S. demand for Canadian exports. Let me know what you think. [email protected] YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. On February 17, the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Speaker Galust Sahakyan had a farewell meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili, who completes his diplomatic mission in Armenia. Armenpress was informed from the Information and Public Relations Department of The Armenian National Assembly that NA Speaker effectively assessed the Ambassadors work in our country and noted the solution of the debated problems during many meetings promoted the progress of the Armenian-Georgian cooperation. Galust Sahakyan expressed hope that in future both the cooperation between the two states and the relations between the parliaments of the friendly countries will further enliven. Thanking the Speaker for the reception, Tengiz Sharmanashvili highlighted the cooperation between the parliaments of the friendly countries and noted that during his tenure he had given great place to the restoration, development and progress of that cooperation. The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly and the Armenian NA deputies for their support shown during his activities and stated that leaving Armenia he will continue remaining the Armenian peoples faithful friend. Galust Sahakyan wished Tengiz Sharmanashvili new successes in his further activities. After a trial in 2015, Samsung is taking its "transparent" safety truck to the roads of Argentina for further testing and plans to roll it out across the globe later this year, according to a report by gizmag.com. The safety truck is Samsung's solution to a problem experienced by many motorists who can't see around a large truck. With a front-mounted camera, the system captures the view of the road in front of the truck and streams it to a large display made up of four weatherproof monitors on the back, according to the report. Samsung has now deployed the commercial version of the truck in La Plata, Argentina, for extensive testing. The location was chosen as a site due to the high number of traffic accidents that occur while motorists are overtaking one another on Argentinian roads. After four months of testing, the company will roll it out to the rest of the globe, according to the report. A suspicious device was found on a rental car near Albuquerque International Sunport Airport on Sunday, according to a report by CNN. New Mexico authorities say that the device appeared to be a credible explosive device but it has been found to be a hoax, according to the report. There were no explosives associated with the device, Thomas Mangan, spokesman for the Arizona Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, told CNN. The device was discovered on the rental car when it was put on a lift to be inspected, says the report. Employees at the rental facility contacted police. Mangan told CNN that authorities are conducting an investigation to determine who created this hoax device, according to the report. Click here for the full CNN report. The Weekender found a diverse selection of events on SocialFlight, from local fly-ins to a full-fledged regional aviation conference. On Saturday and Sunday, the 33rd annual Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, Washington, will be held by the Washington Aviation Association. Attendees who are flying in can take shuttles from Pierce County Airport/Thun Field to the conference. Over in the opposite corner, Everglades City Airpark in Florida will host a Saturday seminar on flying to Alaska with subject matter expert Chuck Gretzke. The event will include a free pancake breakfast for attendees, who are welcome to fly in and camp out prior to the event. Also Saturday in Pueblo, Colorado, all are invited to the opening of Pueblo Memorial Airport Terminals new Aviator Bar & Grill. Fly in and get a fuel discount from Rocky Mountain Flower FBO and free admission to the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. All aircraft are welcome to Poplar Grove, Illinois, Sunday for EAA Chapter 1414s chili fly-in. Skiplanes can arrive on the turf runways if theres snow, while everyone else can land on the paved runway. For more on this weeks upcoming events, visit SocialFlight. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. National Assembly (NA) Heritage faction MP Rubik Hakobyan calls for the opposition to actively participate in the discussions of new Electoral Code. During the interview with reporters in NA, Hakobyan, referring to the issue whether the opposition will have a larger representation in the 2017 parliamentary elections or not, mentioned that it will depend on what kind of participation the opposition will have during the discussion of the Electoral Code. I think that this issue should be tied to the new Electoral Code. It is very important for the opposition to have active participation in the discussions of the Electoral Code. In my opinion, the role of the opposition will depend on the mentioned above after the next parliamentary elections, Hakobyan mentioned, Armenpress reports. According to him, the opposition should renounce "all or nothing" principle. The opposition should go through constructive approaches. The opposition cannot benefit from "all or nothing" principle. We need to deny this approach, which can contribute to enhancing the role of the opposition, especially after 2017 parliamentary elections. First of all active participation is needed in the discussions of the Electoral Code and mechanisms to be introduced which will promote the role of opposition, the MP concluded. The Constitutional Reforms Referendum was held in Armenia on December 6. 17 February 2016 18:45 (UTC+04:00) By Nazrin Gadimova The OSCE Minsk Group, created for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could not find a way out of the situation for almost 22 years. This long-lasting collision has acquired the status of the frozen conflict as a result of the incorrect tactics of the organization. The current situation is absolutely unacceptable for Azerbaijan, which repeatedly stated its dissatisfaction with the Minsk Group activities. The co-chairs of the Group continue to make monotonous statements on the settlement of the conflict. Unfortunately, these statements do not reflect the actual situation. Germanys Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier affirms that Germany (which took over the OSCE Chairmanship in 2016) supports intensifying talks on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group format. In his interview to local media, Steinmeier said that creating a mechanism for clarifying the circumstances of ceasefire violations would be an important step toward the settlement of the long-lasting conflict. Steinmeiers position does not differ from the unconstructive and counterproductive position that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group stand for, Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Rasim Musabeyov believes. It would be an illusion to believe that it is possible to strengthen the existing ceasefire in the absence of progress in the conflict settlement, Musabeyov told AzerNews. The member of the parliament believes that it is unacceptable for Azerbaijan to allow any peacekeeping organization that will further exacerbate the conflict. They do not care that almost 800,000 Azerbaijanis were driven out from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. This position is unacceptable for Azerbaijan, Musabeyov concluded. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 16:06 (UTC+04:00) By Nazrin Gadimova Growing migration has become one of the reasons for the sharp decline in the number of population in Armenia. The residents of the country and a large diaspora accuse the government of failing to create the necessary conditions for living. Poverty, corruption, economic difficulties, social vulnerability, external debt and destruction - these are the main reasons that force people to leave their homes. In fact, labor migration is a worldwide practice for survival. What is bad in this situation the government has no intention or interest to improve the situation. The incumbent regime prefers to retain its power not caring of collapse of economy or full desertification of the country. Most of the Armenian population left their homeland looking for well-paid job or for job in general. The Armenian Times Newspaper reports that the local large companies discharged about 1,000 people monthly. Dire economic situation has forced companies to cut costs, the source said. The country has not yet published an official data on changes in the number of employees in the last quarter of last year. However, monitoring of large taxpayers, published by countrys Finance Ministry, show that number of employees at 520 large enterprises decreased by 3,600 people last year, the newspaper reported. Former chairman of the Armenian National Bank Bagrat Asatryan, in turn, believes that oligarchs' presence in the Armenian economy would only contribute to an outflow of able-bodied and skilled workers. All young leave, old people die... government remains Demographer Ruben Yeganyan believes that the Armenian population would be 4.3 million instead of current 2.8 million if migration was not high. Since 1991, we have lost 1.5 million people, he said. Following the latest census, the number of our resident population is of 3.2 million people, while the existing population is of 2.8 million. Over the next 50 years, the population may decrease by 1.5 million people, Yeganyan added. For the first time in nearly 40 years, the population of Armenia fell below the level of 3 million according to the Armenian Statistics Agency. In 2015, the countrys population decreased by 12,000 people, while during the last five years it decreased by 35,000 people, and since gaining independence in 1991 - by 634,700 people. Thus, based on the 2011 census, 2.9 million people live in the country as of January 1, 2016. Yeganyan said migration in Armenia has become an endless process since the 1990s, adding that the country suffers from a chronic disease that causes emigration. He said the phenomenon of emigration is systemic due to Armenias political, economic, social, moral and psychological state. Demographer said that the problem of immigration will not be solved if to eliminate one of these reasons. Thus, the whole system should be improved. Yeganyan believes that the population can be increased in two ways by increasing the birth rate and importing people. State officials are not very concerned about this phenomenon. The first ten years Armenias authorities simply denied the existence of migration, and when they finally recognized this fact, the country has left a million people. Thus, it was easier for the Armenian government to accept the fact that its citizens leave the country, rather than to create new jobs. Moreover, Armenian migrants send financial help to their compatriots who remain in Armenia. Following the latest data from the World Bank, this figure amounts to almost $2 billion per year - a figure commensurate to the state budget of Armenia. Probably it is difficult for the Armenian government to reject this source of revenue that relieves tension in the local society. Where they leave Armenia for? Armenian sociologist Gevort Pogosyan said 80 percent of the Armenians leave for the Russian Federation, 15 percent prefer European countries, while five percent choose the U.S.. In the early 1990s, when there was a war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia experienced the energy crisis; people were able to use electric light for two hours a day in the best many left because of difficult socio-economic situation, Pogosyan added. The second period of the outflow was recorded at the beginning of the 2000s. The vast majority of Armenians are leaving because they cannot find a job in their native land, and if they do, then the wages are so low that they cannot provide the necessities for themselves and relatives, Pogosyan believes. Following the results of an appropriate survey, almost 32 percent of respondents are ready to leave because of lack of work, 30 percent - due to hopelessness, 20 percent - because of the lack of justice, and 17 percent - due to lack of livelihood. Almost 52, 5 percent of respondents said they want their children to live abroad. There is high level of corruption in the country; people are dissatisfied with the courts. They are leaving because they cannot get legal solutions to their problems, maybe even elementary. They are forced to deal with corruption, bureaucracy, bribery. All these act as factors ejecting people from the country, the sociologist noted. Furthermore, the survey included a social study on the interdependence of happiness, patriotism and migration. Exceptional majorities of Yerevan residents - more than 82 percent consider themselves true patriots, while the vast majority - 69 percent, consider themselves happy. It may sound ironic, but patriotism and happiness do not prevent from desire to leave Armenia. Thus, most happy Yerevan residents as well as half the citizens who consider themselves true patriots intend to leave the country. -- Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 10:30 (UTC+04:00) By Francoise Girard Mosquitoes know no boundaries, and neither does fear. As public-health experts grapple with the Zika virus, panic continues to spread around the world. Yet the crisis has brought to light two important truths. The first revelation is how badly degraded public health systems have become, across Latin America and beyond. This did not happen by chance. In large part, it is the result of pressure on developing countries by concessionary lenders, such as the International Monetary Fund, to cut social sector expenses, including health spending, beginning in 1980. In Brazil and elsewhere, state authorities could have deployed well-known and cost-effective measures to control mosquito-borne diseases, but they did not. Their most affected citizens, who tend to be poor, have been forced to live with the consequences. Second, the Zika epidemic has revealed, with particular poignancy, another dire threat to public health: the denial of womens reproductive rights. Governments are shirking their responsibility in this regard too, often in a grotesque manner. The reported spike in cases of microcephaly a birth defect among infants in Zika-affected areas led the governments of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador to warn their female citizens not to become pregnant. This message, which places the blame and burden of the Zika epidemic on women, is as unjust as it is unreasonable. It is also toothless, as many women in the region do not have access to contraception or safe abortions. The Zika crisis has highlighted an obvious reality: Not providing women with reproductive health information and services places their lives and those of their children at grave risk. Latin Americas abortion laws are among the worlds most restrictive. El Salvador, for example, bans abortion in all circumstances and has incarcerated women who have gone to emergency rooms after miscarriages, charging them with seeking illegal abortions. Contraception can also be expensive or difficult to access across the region, despite high rates of teenage rape and pregnancy. The result, especially with the addition of the Zika virus, is a recipe for tragedy. Brazil, the Latin American country hit hardest by the virus so far, is emblematic of the problem: Abortion is allowed only in cases of rape, danger to the womans life, or in the case of fetal anencephaly (the absence of a major portion of the brain). In response to the Zika crisis, Brazil should immediately allow abortion in cases of suspected microcephaly as well. The loosening of restrictions, however, should not stop there. Over the last few years, conservatives in the Brazilian Congress have been trying to place limits on abortion in cases of rape. These efforts which demonstrate complete disregard for the rights and dignity of women must end. Instead, womens right to seek an abortion should be expanded and quickly. Governments must also ensure that services are accessible and affordable. Wealthy Brazilian women can afford to pay private health providers for safe abortions. Poor women are forced to resort to poorly trained and equipped providers who operate in unsanitary conditions, sometimes as part of criminal networks. In September 2014, two women died in Rio de Janeiro following clandestine abortions. In the region overall, 95% of abortions are unsafe. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 62% of women aged 15-49 want to avoid a pregnancy. But nearly a quarter of these women are not using an effective method of birth control. Expense is only one barrier for poor women and girls; another is the lack of information. Men and women need comprehensive sexuality education, so they are informed about their reproductive health and family planning options and know where they can get modern contraceptives. Recent evidence suggesting that Zika might be transmitted sexually adds extra urgency to making male and female condoms and other contraceptives widely available. The movement for reproductive rights has a long history in Brazil and in other parts of Latin America. Over the last several months even before Zika feminists had been taking to the streets in outrage at the lack of access to safe and legal abortions. The Zika crisis may mark a turning point in the fight for womens health and equality. It is certainly a wake-up call for governments everywhere to rebuild and strengthen public health systems, and to guarantee all women and girls access to contraceptives and safe abortions. Women and girls around the world know the alternative and it is terrifying. Copyright: Project Syndicate: Zika and Reproductive Rights --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 17:24 (UTC+04:00) By Aynur Karimova Georgia that eyes delivering Iranian natural gas to European consumers does not have real potential as a transit route, Laurent Ruseckas, the Senior Advisor with IHS Energy, believes. The expert told Azernews that the South Caucasus nation's desire to become a transit country for supplying Iran's gas to Europe is not necessary for Iran. "Iran already supplies gas to Turkey via a pipeline linking Iran with the Turkish pipeline network," he said. "If Iran were in a position to export gas to Europe, it would use this existing route via Turkey. It would have no reason to add either Armenia-Georgia or Azerbaijan-Georgia as transit countries." Georgia enjoys significant potential as a transit country for Azerbaijani gas sales to Turkey and Europe, which will start growing again in 2018 when the second stage of development of the giant Shah Deniz project begins to produce gas. Also, the country receives some Russian gas in payment for its role as a transit country for Russian oil to Armenia that accounts for the other 10 percent. In early January, Alireza Kameli, the Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company, said Iran plans to export its natural gas to Georgia through a pipeline. The Islamic Republic is expected to deliver its natural gas in the amount of 8.5-14 million cubic meters per day to Georgia through Armenia. However, according to Kameli, a contract will not be signed unless the project becomes economically justified. Gas purchase from Gazprom Commenting on Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze's recent talks with Russian Gazprom on purchase of gas in an effort to diversify its gas supplies, Ruseckas said it would be better for Tbilisi to save long-lasting energy partnership with Azerbaijan. "Georgia has gone from a situation of being 100 percent dependent on Russian gas to being about 90 percent depending on Azerbaijani gas. Georgia still receives some Russian gas in payment for the transit of Russia gas to Armenia via Georgia that accounts for the other 10 percent. Obviously the current situation is much better for Georgia, because its political relationship with Azerbaijan is very good while its relations with Russia remain difficult," he said. Meanwhile, the expert believes that as long as Azerbaijan remains Georgia's main supplier, purchasing a small amount of Russian gas would not be politically dangerous and it would not be negative for Azerbaijan either. "It is always positive for a country to diversify gas supply, which can be affected temporarily by purely technical issues that have nothing to do with politics," he noted. Earlier, commenting on Kaladze's statement that the gas pipeline to Georgia from Azerbaijan has no additional capacity, Robert M. Cutler, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies of the Carleton University, told Azernews that it would mean that Georgia should seek non-Azerbaijani sources, at least for the near future. "However, the situation may change in the longer term as the pipeline is upgraded to cope with additional volumes to be produced by Shah Deniz-2," he said. -- Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 10:00 (UTC+04:00) By Nazrin Gadimova Over the entire period of its existence, the OSCE Minsk Group failed to move forward in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, although the interested parties had pinned great hopes on it. However, within over two decades past the hope for bringing the conflict to the final solution in fact disappeared as the group did take no efficient step or action to fulfill its mandate. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict evolved in 1988 after Armenia territorial claims to neighboring Azerbaijan, whose 20 percent of lands it occupied in an unneighborly way. The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles. The statements promising a sincere contribution to the peaceful resolution of the conflict have become frequent, but declarative in essence. That, unfortunately, ruined confidence in success of the mediators representing the U.S., Russia and France. The group's activities were subjected to criticism many times and FM Elmar Mammadyarov has numerously stated his government's dissatisfaction with the work for pushing the conflict from the dead point. The minister, in particular, said that the co-chairs of the Minsk Group have failed to make any progress in resolving the conflict over the years. He added that despite the fact that three permanent members of the UN Security Council lead the OSCE Minsk Group, there is no breakthrough in this long lasting confrontation. Protecting mandate On the eve of the discussion on Nagorno-Karabakh in the PACE, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a joint statement, which recalled that the Minsk Group remains the only acceptable format for negotiations. The co-chairs noted that they appreciate PACE members interest in the conflict resolution, but at the same time urged to avoid steps which could undermine the mandate of the Minsk Group. We are not against discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at regional and international organizations, OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the U.S. the James Warlick said in his interview to the Voice of America, answering the question Azerbaijani government sharply criticized the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs calls on the resolution regarding Nagorno-Karabakh to the European Council to Parliamentary Assembly. What was the necessity for such a call? Warlick noted that the organization supports the rights of Azerbaijan and Armenia to raise this issue as they want, adding that the co-chairs emphasize that format of the negotiations, which was adopted by the Minsk Group, remains in force. We believe that being loyal to their obligations, Armenia and Azerbaijan will closely cooperate with the Minsk Group to resolve the conflict by negotiations, he said. Meanwhile, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry sent letters to its counterparts from Russia, France and the United States, which emphasized that the country has the right to raise any issue on the global agenda. Nobody has the right to interfere in the sovereign affairs of our country," Mammadyarov said. Schiff, Nuland vs PACE On January 26, 2016, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe put two reports on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the vote. The PACE adopted a resolution titled The inhabitants of the border regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately denied access to water dealt with the situation around the Sarsang reservoir. Prepared by parliamentarian from Bosnia and Herzegovina Milica Markovic, the document noted that the residents of Azerbaijans border regions were faced with environmental and humanitarian problem given the problem with Sarsang reservoir, located in Nagorno-Karabakh. With the majority of votes (66 pro and 71 con) the PA rejected a resolution of the British MP Robert Walter titled The escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The report called for the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces and other irregular forces from Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the document called on both governments to refrain from using military force, called on the OSCE to establish an international peacekeeping force to maintain security in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as to ensure safe return of those displaced from their residences. The document also envisaged creating a mechanism to investigate violations of the ceasefire. Norwegian MP Mogens Jensen, who presented the report, recalled that Armenia did not allow him to the country and Nagorno Karabakh. Later, in an interview with the Armenian Asbarez newspaper, U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff said U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland has played a special role in declining the resolution on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. I appealed to the U.S. State Department and one of the regional ambassadors before discussion on the resolution had started, Schiff said. I expressed my position and noted that this is one-sided resolution which supports Azerbaijan. Both the ambassador and Victoria Nuland said they would work on it. On February 10, 2016, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry sent a request to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington requesting to clarify the possible involvement of the U.S. State Department in the process of discussing the resolution in the PACE. Commenting on this issue, the U.S. State Department said the United States respects Azerbaijans sovereign right to raise issues relating to Nagorno-Karabakh in any regional and international organization, including the PACE. -- Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 10:51 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan has started preliminary consultations on prospects of the cooperation with the European Union (EU), without waiting for the mandate for negotiations on a new agreement. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev announced about this while talking to Trend on February 15. Negotiations on a new agreement on strategic modernization partnership, which will define the format of future cooperation with the EU, could be started only after receipt of the EU Council's mandate. We are interested in the accelerating the process of obtaining a mandate from the EU highest political body to start the negotiation process that depends on the European Commission, said Mammadguliyev. Meanwhile, we have started preliminary consultations. The EU delegation visited Baku in December in this regard and we held a videoconference with Brussels on February 12, he added. The government of Azerbaijan submitted a draft agreement to the EU in May 2015 as part of the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga. Mammadguliyev previously noted that the EU is interested in extending cooperation with Azerbaijan on the issues of ensuring energy security, and in the spheres as transport and fight against terrorism. Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of agreement on partnership and cooperation, which was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999. A new agreement envisages the adjustment of Azerbaijans legislation and procedures to the EUs most important international and trade norms and standards, which should lead to an improvement in the access of Azerbaijani goods to the EU markets. Today the EU is Azerbaijans main trade partner. The share of European countries in Azerbaijans foreign trade was 46.96 percent in 2015, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee (SCC). Currently, 31.92 percent and 59.1 percent of the Azerbaijani imports and exports respectively accounted for the share of the EU countries. European countries mainly supply Azerbaijan with machinery and transport equipments, and import petroleum products. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. National Assembly Prosperous Armenia faction has no final position on the election of the Human Rights Defender. Prosperous Armenia faction member Vahan Babayan told Armenpress that the representatives of the faction have already met with HRD candidate Arman Tatoyan and addressed questions to him. Our faction had a meeting with Arman Tatoyan and addressed issues of our concern to him, but there is no final decision over the voting yet. Soon the faction session will take place during which we will determine our position, Armenpress reports, Babayan mentioned. He noted that not only the candidate for the post of HRD is important, but also to what extent he is ready to overcome the difficulties that will face him during his tenure. Of course, it is also very important who tha candidate is. He must possess relevant professional qualities. We must still discuss all these, that is why we have not yet made a final decision, the MP mentioned. Vahan Babayan assured that an in-depth discussion took place at the meeting with Tatoyan. The MPs have raised quite sharp issues. But Babayan did not want to detail on the issues they have raised. To the question if Tatoyan will be able to carry out his duties in an unbiased way, Babayan mentioned that he does not want to assess the work of someone who has not yet assumed the post. Often it is incorrect to asses someone without seeing his work. That is the reason I do not want to make assessments now, Vahan Babayan concluded. The National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs has submitted the candidacy of Arman Tatoyan for the post of Human Rights Defender to the parliament. 5 MPs voted in favor of and 6 against Zaruhi Postanjyans candidacy. No one abstained. 2 MPs voted in favor of Narek Aloyan, no one abstained or voted against. 7 MPs voted in favor of Arman Tatoyans candidacy, and 4 against. No one abstained. The election will be held by the principle of secrec during the coming 4-day session. The Human Right Defender will be elected by qualified majority of 3/5. 17 February 2016 17:25 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijans President lham Aliyev arrived in the city of Ganja on a visit on February 17, Azertac state news agency reported. The head of state started his visit by laying flowers at a statue of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the city center. Head of Ganja City Executive Authority Elmar Valiyev informed President Aliyev about the reconstruction work in the area. Later, President Aliyev reviewed the city hospital No. 1 named after Abbas Sahhat in Ganja after major overhaul. The head of state was informed that reconstruction work at the hospital, which occupies an area of 3.2 hectares, was launched in 2012. The 245-bed five-storey hospital has departments of surgery, traumatology, urology, therapy, haemodialysis, neurology, gynecology and skin and venereal diseases. There are also X-ray diagnostics, physiotherapy, ultrasound diagnostics and ECO departments. The hospital is supplied with modern equipment and devices provided by the world`s leading medical equipment manufacturers. The hospital employs a 370-man medical staff, including 56 doctors. The president then visited Ganja Automobile Plant. The plant, a foundation stone of which was laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev, was commissioned in 2004. In the first three years the plant manufactured OKA, UAZ, CHAN-QAN vehicles. In 2007, the plant opened new assembly lines and embarked on the production of tractors and MAZ trucks under a bilateral agreement with Minsk automobile and tractor plants. As of 1 January 2016, Ganja plant manufactured 6,294 tractors and 134 special tractors. Of this, 5,737 tractors were sold to Agrolizing and 497 to farmers and businessmen. The plant also produced 2,578 MAZ trucks. President Aliyev also reviewed the conditions created at Imamzade religious complex in Ganja after major repair and reconstruction. President Ilham Aliyev first met with representatives of the country`s general public and religious figures. The ceremony kicked off with the recitation of verses from the Quran. The head of state addressed the event. Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade delivered a speech. Pashazade presented a Holy Quran to the head of state. Other speakers at the event included Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan eparchy Alexander Ishein, chairman of the Religious Community of Mountain Jews Milikh Yevdayev, head of Azerbaijan Catholic Church Vladimir Fekete and dean of Ganja State University Mubariz Yusifov. Mubariz Yusifov handed Ganja Imamzade Temple book to the Azerbaijani president. After the ceremony, the head of state reviewed the conditions created at Imamzade complex. President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the repair and restoration of Imamzade religious complex, as well as the landscaping work carried out around the complex. The reconstruction and landscaping work started in May, 2010. The complex occupies a total area of 10 hectares. The three-storey main building of the complex covers an area of 2,000 square meters. The building has ablution spaces for women and men, a storehouse, administrative and technical rooms and a hotel. There are two prayer halls for women and men, a religious library, a conference hall and a museum in the complex. The head of state visited the grave of Ibrahim, the son of the fifth Imam Mohamed Baghir. On behalf of residents and believers, representative of the Caucasian Muslims Office for the western region Haji Tahir Abbasov thanked the head of state for his attention to the religion and for the reconstruction of the complex. The temple was also reconstructed. It has two minarets, standing 45 meters in height, two prayer halls and a pilgrimage hall. Imamzade religious complex has an altar, which occupies an area of 220 square meters, a 1000-seat hall, Huseyniyye and Zeynebiyye prayer halls, and two parking lots for 1,000 cars. During the visit, President Aliyev attended the opening of a 240-seat orphanage-kindergarten in Ganja after major overhaul. All conditions have been created here for children. The Azerbaijani President cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the building of the orphanage-kindergarten. The head of state was informed that the orphanage-kindergarten was built in 1989. The major repair started in August, 2014. The building occupies an area of 13,000 square meters. The green areas were laid out, and amusement facilities installed in the area of the orphanage-kindergarten. The kindergarten has a gym, a swimming pool, a chess room and a medical point. There are 164 children in 9 groups. The facility employs 19 people. Later, President Aliyev reviewed Ganja European Youth Capital 2016 Park. The construction of the park was started in 2015 and completed by the end of the year. The park occupies a total area of 1.8 hectares. There is Wings of Youth monument in the center of the park. The president also reviewed the progress of construction at Ganja State Philharmonic. The head of state laid the foundation of Ganja State Philharmonic during his visit to Ganja on January 21, 2012. The President was informed that a 1200-seat concert hall, an open-air summer cinema theatre, a drawing gallery, an urban center and an observation tower will be built here. There will be catering facilities, an underground parking lot and auxiliary offices. Statutes of Azerbaijani music icons will be installed on the facade of the building. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 14:21 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli The Romanian embassy in Baku, in its capacity of NATO Contact Point Embassy to Azerbaijan, hosted a meeting with James Appathurai, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia on February 16. Ambassadors, Defense Attaches and senior diplomats from embassies of NATO countries in Baku also attended the event. The meeting was organized within the mandate Romanian diplomatic mission is fulfilling as NATO Contact Point Embassy in Azerbaijan (for the fourth time in a row). Addressing the event, Romanian envoy Daniel Cristian Ciobanu underlined the strategic importance of development of NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. Ciobanu informed that the Romanian embassy and Institute of Human Rights and Conflictology of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan will organize an international conference on the topic of NATO 2016 Warsaw summit: opportunities and expectations in Baku on March 7, 2016. Appathurai held an in-depth presentation about NATO-Azerbaijan relations, highlighting the successful cooperation between North Atlantic Alliance and Azerbaijan. During the meeting an exchange of views took place on different aspects of joint interest regarding NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 17:22 (UTC+04:00) The embassy of Romania in Baku organized a workshop on NATO-Azerbaijan relations on February 17. The event was held within the mandate Romanian diplomatic mission is fulfilling as NATO Contact Point Embassy in Azerbaijan (for the fourth time in a row). The Romanian embassy operates as an active channel for disseminating information about the role and policies of NATO. The workshop was attended by political analysts and military experts. Opening the event, Romanian Ambassador of Romania Daniel Cristian Ciobanu highlighted the strategic value of NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. Ciobanu underlined that Azerbaijan plays an important role in increasing European energy security. Due to its favorable geographical location Azerbaijan has huge opportunities in the field of transport. Romania will continue to support the development of cooperation between North Atlantic Alliance and Azerbaijan. Romania, which has been the second country in the world to recognize Azerbaijans independence, considers that Azerbaijan is a strong and reliable partner of the North-Atlantic Alliance. Representative of NATO's Political Affairs and Security Policy Division at NATO Headquarters, Steffen Elgersma, held an in-depth presentation about North Atlantic Alliance and its priorities. He stressed the mutual benefits of NATO-Azerbaijan partnership. During the workshop the participants touched upon different elements of NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 16:27 (UTC+04:00) By Nazrin Gadimova President Ilham Aliyev has signed a number of documents aimed at strengthening non-oil sectors of the local economy. On the background of the worldwide economic fluctuations, the government is keen on diversifying the economy by encouraging local entrepreneurs. Thus, the amendments to the Tax Code, approved by the head of state on February 16, provide for tax benefits to legal and physical entities engaged in investment activities. Following the amendments, the entrepreneurs will get the relevant document, granting them with tax and customs privileges. After receiving this document, physical and legal entities will be exempt from paying taxes in the amount of 50 percent of their revenues and incomes, respectively, for seven years. Moreover, local entrepreneurs will also be exempt from paying property and land taxes for a period of seven years after receiving the document. From January 1, 2016, wheat importers and sellers, as well as flour and bread manufacturers and sellers are exempt from paying taxes for a year under a relevant presidential decree. President Aliyev further approved amendments to the law On public purchases. Following these amendments, while implementing public purchases preference will be given to the high-quality goods produced by local manufacturers, even if the value of the tender offer exceeds by 20 percent. Encouraging local manufacturers will be mandatory after amendments enter into force. Moreover, the head of the state approved amendments to the law On customs tariff. Following the changes, legal and physical entities are exempt from customs duties and value-added tax (VAT) on import of technical equipment for seven years. After receiving an appropriate document, entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of these customs privileges. Any managing organization or industrial or technology parks operator should have a document confirming the import of technological equipment in order to build an infrastructure or construct any production facilities, as well as to conduct research, test and development works. Furthermore, Azerbaijan joined United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. President Aliyev signed an appropriate law on February 16. Being a treaty that is a uniform international sales law, it has been ratified by 84 states that account for a significant proportion of world trade, making it one of the most successful international uniform laws. The Azerbaijani President believes that 2016 will be successful for the country. At this stage the priority issues are business development, the deepening of radical reforms, Ilham Aliyev noted as part of his visit to Azerbaijans Tovuz region, adding that he is confident that the new reforms will soon play an important role in the development of the local economy. -- Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 18:17 (UTC+04:00) By Aynur Karimova The World Bank regards Azerbaijan as a leading country in the region in holding major reforms for the capital market development. Angela Prigozhina, who leads the WB financial and private sector work in the South Caucasus, announced about this in Baku on February 17, adding that another proof of Azerbaijan's reforms in the financial sector is the launch of an information system developed in a relatively short period of time. "Azerbaijan, for a very short period of time, has managed to hold large-scale reforms to develop capital market. During this time, much has been done, from the development of legal framework to the launch of this system today, which will give impetus to further development of the country's capital market, its transparency and openness," she added. Prigozhina said the capital market development will open the Azerbaijani financial sector for new investments, including the foreign ones. Azerbaijani companies will also be able to enter the international capital markets. The Banks official further added that the WB will continue providing a support to Azerbaijan in conducting reforms of the financial sector. "We will continue assisting the Azerbaijani government in reforming the financial sector to make it more stable, transparent and open to foreign investors. It is important the financial sector of Azerbaijan to be integrated into the international financial system for providing a support to the economic reforms in the country aimed at supporting the non-oil sector," she stated. Unified system launched A ceremony of launching the integrated trade, post-trade and surveillance system on the Azerbaijani Capital Markets was held at the Azerbaijani State Securities Committee on February 17. The system was developed as part of improving Azerbaijan's capital markets and will enable to strengthen the control over the ongoing transactions, unify the process of receiving reports about the conducted transactions from the professional market participants and prevent possible manipulation and dissemination of insider information on the market. The test work on introducing the software, as well as trainings for local specialists and participants of the exchange, who will use this system, have been recently conducted. In March 2011, the World Bank approved a loan worth $12 million to Azerbaijan for the implementation of the 'Modernization of capital markets' project. In January 2015, the Korea Stock Exchange won a tender announced by Azerbaijan's State Securities Committee on supply and installation of information systems of the capital market as part of the modernization and automation of the infrastructure of the capital market, which is being implemented on the basis of the joint 'Modernization of the capital market' project of the World Bank. The cost of the contract was roughly $5.5 million. The total cost of the 'Modernization of the capital market' project is $15.8 million. Besides the World Bank, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) allocated a grant worth $1.6 million and the Azerbaijani government - $ 2.2 million for the implementation of the project. Information systems have four subsystems: trading platform, clearing and settlement system, depository information system and the subsystem of control over the market. -- Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 16:48 (UTC+04:00) By Gulgiz Dadashova As a reaction to reports that Russia and some OPEC members agreed to freeze oil output at January levels aiming to tackle a global supply glut, the prices for oil slightly jumped on the Wednesday morning. Brent crude LCOc1 was up 28 cents at $32.46 a barrel by 0904 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude CLc1 rose 16 cents to $29.20 a barrel. The deal comes after a closed door meeting in Doha between Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar and Russia. Major producers announced that they would freeze, but not cut their output, in case other big producers join them. "The reason we agreed to a potential freeze of production is simple: it is the beginning of a process which we will assess in the next few months and decide if we need other steps to stabilize and improve the market," Bloomberg cited Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi as saying. Following the deal, all eyes turned to Iran, which signaled a tough stance. Tehrans Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh announced that Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. The Islamic republic earlier announced readiness to use its entire fleet of tankers for global transportation of oil, and Goldman Sachs forecasted an increase in oil production in Iran in 2016 to 3.13 million barrels per day (compared to 2.85 million barrels in 2015), which seems to further pressure the market. Meanwhile, OPEC members UAE and Kuwait said they were also ready to freeze output and oil sources in Iraq said Baghdad would abide by a global deal aimed at recovering the crude prices from their lowest level in over a decade. Later, the Venezuelan oil minister announced that ministers of Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria and Oman supported the decision to freeze oil. However, experts say moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the glut in the market. They believe that the current agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia are not enough for a stable growth of prices for physical oil supplies. Major banks and market analysts are also skeptic over the deal. "The details of this agreement suggest that such a freeze will have little impact on the oil market as proposed, while there remains high uncertainty that it even materializes, Reuters reported citing GOLDMAN SACHS. DEUTSCHE BANK, in turn, said not only has talks moved from cuts to a freeze, but such a freeze comes from producers who weren't expected to raise production materially in any case (Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Qatar). "A credible agreement to hold production flat by all OPEC members at the January level would be quite meaningful in tightening forward expectations of market balance as it would remove the threat of incremental Iranian volumes into 2017, the Bank said, Reuters reported. Other analysts voice more positive expectations, but note that tangible increase in oil prices cannot be recorded until the second half of the year, although much will still depend on how the countries will abide by quotas. One of the key factors in this bid to prevent oil prices to see the mark of $20 a barrel is to follow the agreed steps. As from time to time exporters agreed to keep balance in production, but failed to observe the deal as soon as the prices increased. The last global deal - OPEC and non-OPEC - dates back to 2001 when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. At least in short term, OPEC and non-OPEC members may see relief in their economies and more revenues, as the deal would ease pressure on their economies. This will also allow the oil economies to realize their crisis-management plans to revive their economies. -- Follow Gulgiz Dadashova on Twitter: @GulgizD Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 11:23 (UTC+04:00) Despite that Georgia has had territorial conflict since 2008, the country will become a NATO member, and all the allies know it very well, James Appathurai, NATO secretary generals special representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia, has told Trend. A large-scale military action was launched between Georgia and Russia in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military. Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow and called the two unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia the occupied territories. Further speaking to Trend in an exclusive interview in Baku on February 16, Appathurai said Georgias becoming a NATO member wont happen tomorrow, also because the country still has a lot of reforms to do, and that is what the sides are working on now. We are also working on thickening of our relationship, we hope for the quick resolution of the conflict with respect for the Georgias territorial integrity. For now we are working on deepening of our relations and preparing Georgia for an eventual membership in the NATO, he added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 12:23 (UTC+04:00) By Aynur Karimova The first train linking China and Iran, two major trade partners, arrived in Tehran on February 15 loaded with Chinese goods, Iranian media reported. The train carried 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province. It took 14 days to make the 9,500-kilometer journey through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The inauguration of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway route in December 2014 paved the way for journey from China to Iran through railways. "The arrival of this train in less than 14 days is unprecedented," Head of the Iranian railway company Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi said at a ceremony at Tehran's rail station attended by the ambassadors of China and Turkmenistan. It is believed that this train is a symbol characterizing Iran's aim to participate at this grand multi-billion project and China's desire to see Iran in this project envisaging the revival of the ancient Silk Road. "The revival of the Silk Road is crucial for the countries on its route," Aqayi said. The journey was 30 days shorter than the sea voyage from Shanghai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. It will leave every month and the frequency will be increased if necessary, according to Aqayi. "The railway will not stop in Tehran as we are planning to extend the railway to Europe in future, generating more income for Iran from passing trains," he added. The train is run by private companies using existing routes, Iranian railway company spokesman Sadegh Sakari told AFP. The move is a part of a plan to revive the Silk Road, Chinese President Xi Jimping's signature foreign policy initiative known as "One Belt One Road" and aimed at boosting Chinas trade turnover. The Silk Road is an ancient network of commercial land and sea routes, named for the lucrative Chinese silk trade, that were central to business across the Asian continent connecting China to the Mediterranean Sea. Back in 2013, President Xi proposed a project namely "Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road" which is seeking to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through a network of roads, railways, ports and airports. Iran, which plays an important role in Chinas regional economic ambitions, also eyes participating in the ambitious Chinese plan to revive the Silk Road as Iran is a critical part of this plan, due to its strategic location with access to key waterways. China is for expansion of ties on transport sector and Iran and China both are considered to be significant destinations that are located along the Silk Road. Over the past six years Beijing has been Tehrans major trade partner. Iranian Customs Administration reported that Iran exported 17.56 million tons of non-oil goods, worth $5.33 billion to China during the first eight months of 2015. China was the main importer of Iranian goods in the mentioned period. Beijings imports accounted for 22.7 percent of Irans total non-oil exports in terms of value and 33.3 percent in terms of volume. More than a third of Iran's foreign trade falls on China, which is Tehran's top customer for oil exports, according to Iranian media. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed last month to build economic ties worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years. This was announced during a visit to Iran by Xi, the first by a Chinese president in 14 years, and just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a historic nuclear deal with world powers. -- Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 12:05 (UTC+04:00) The European Union and Uzbekistan plan to create a Council on foreign investments and trade in the first half of 2016, Head of the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan Yuri Sterk said. Uzbekistan and the EU have huge untapped potential. The sides are negotiating to create a council on investments and trade for the use of this potential, said Sterk adding that it was discussed at the level of ministers for several times. He noted that the creation of the Council will expand mutual beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EU in trade-economic, investment and financial-technical cooperation. The council could help to solve concrete projects, and offer proposals to improve business climate in Uzbekistan, he added. The envoy said that it is necessary to establish a mechanism of interaction of private businesses and state bodies of the EU and Uzbekistan to efficiently solve problems of businesses and eliminate barriers. Uzbekistan and the EU signed an Agreement on partnership and Cooperation in 1996. In July 2015, the EU approved the amount of aid to Uzbekistan for 2014-2020 in the amount of 168 million euros. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 14:04 (UTC+04:00) The European Commission (EC) will provide new development funding of 251 million euros to Tajikistan by 2020, the Council of the European Union reported. The funds will focus on vital sectors for growth and social stability, such as rural development, health, and education, which are particularly important in the present economic climate prevailing in Central Asia. The EU and Tajikistan held their fifth Cooperation Council meeting on 16 February 2016. The EU was represented at the Cooperation Council by Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acting as head of the EU delegation. The delegation of Tajikistan was led by Sirodjidin Aslov, Foreign Minister of Tajikistan. During the meeting, the Cooperation Council reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to strengthen relations in a number of cooperation areas, noting the progress made since the fourth Cooperation Council meeting between the EU and the Republic of Tajikistan in November 2013. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Turkey has appeared in a deadlock. Turkish calculations and plans over the Syrian issue have failed, and it seriously troubles Ankara. Expert in Turkish studies Levon Hovsepyan mentioned about this in a press conference at Armenpress media hall. According to him, application of artillery by Turkey at the positions of Syrian Kurds is conditioned by those troubles. Turkeys operations against Syrian Kurds contain some elements of blackmail, as well. Those are acts directed against the USA. Doing this, Turkey tries to show the USA that there are disagreements over Syrian Kurds, but it can act on its own even in case of disagreements with the USA, Levon Hovsepyan said. The expert in Turkish studies noted that developments in the northern Syria are not in Turkey's interests.There is a concern that the USA and Russia may reach an agreement over Syrian issue and Turkey will be outsider in that case. Hence, Ankara attempts to solve some problems exercising various mechanisms. The first mechanism was the bombing of Syrian Kurds. We see that the grip tightens around Turkey and it can launch unpredictable activities. In fact, Turkey has invested immense resources during those years and now it is on the threshold of failure. Ankara is facing a dilemma. Either to wage ground operations or wait. In both cases the consequences will be severe for Turkey, Hovsepyan added. We see that fierce clashes go on in Syria. The coalition headed by the US, Russias constant air strikes, advance of government forces. Ankara, Saudi Arabia activate, announcing about their readiness to launch ground operations, they already conduct military exercises. Hence, by and large, there is no ceasefire, expert in Arabic studies Sargis Grigoryan said. He noted that in this situation a positive tendency can be noted. Those developments shed light on those underlying processes that in reality exist. Right, the international community is focused on Islamic State, but there are other groups there which are by no way inferior to the Islamic State. Those recent developments pushed Turkey and Saudi Arabia to actively make announcements and take some specific measures. The information that great quantities of armaments are transferred from Turkey to Syria can be viewed in this context, Sargis Grigoryan added. The expert in Arabic studies stated that the Armenian community in Syria can become target of the Turkish operations. It is not excluded that Turkey will direct its bombardments at Christian populated districts of Aleppo. 17 February 2016 14:41 (UTC+04:00) The contract to supply multirole SU-30SM fighter jets will be signed during 2016, RIA Novosti agency Feb. 17 quoted a senior official of Russias Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) as saying. It was reported earlier that Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and other officials in Moscow. SU-30 SM is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed by Russia. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 15:05 (UTC+04:00) Georgia can import Iranian gas through Azerbaijan, says Kakha Kaladze, Georgian deputy prime minister and minister of energy. Irans Shana news agency quoted Kaladze as saying Feb. 17 that there are two ways to import Iranian gas, either through Azerbaijan or through Armenia. He also said that Iran and Georgia can start electricity swap. We can deliver electricity to Iran during warm seasons and take the same amount [as delivered] in winter, he said. Alireza Kameli, the head of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), said after meeting Kaladze in Tehran on Feb. 16 that Iran is considering a plan to export 200 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia in a course of seven months. Saying that serious talks on the gas issue were held with Georgians, Kameli expressed hope that a deal for delivering Irans gas to Georgia would be finalized soon. He also forecasted that Iran would kick off gas supply to Georgia by late March. He further said that Tehran and Tbilisi would consider signing a long-term deal, if they find a short-term gas deal economically justified. A major part of Irans gas output is consumed domestically, while most of liquid fuels, which used to be consumed at industrial units and power plants, are now available for export. Iran plans to increase gas production to 1.1 billion cubic meters per day by 2018. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 February 2016 17:10 (UTC+04:00) Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced Tehran's willingness to cooperate with Japan in building small nuclear power plants. Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Katsuyuki Kawai in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, Fars News Agency reported on February 17. During the talks, Salehi called for the development of cooperation in scientific and technological fields, adding that Tehran is also interested in cooperation with Tokyo in areas related to nuclear safety, building 100-MW nuclear power plants, and other peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Kawai, for his part, underlined the need for the expansion of bilateral ties, and said, "Good proposals were raised during the meeting which will be precisely studied by the Japanese government." This is while Iranian and Japanese Foreign Ministers Mohammad Javad Zarif and Fumio Kishida in a meeting in Tehran in October had similarly underlined the two countries' resolve to boost cooperation in different arenas, specially in nuclear technology. Salehi visited Tokyo in November 2015 to hold talks with the Japanese officials about expansion of nuclear cooperation, specially safety standards. "Iran and Japan have exchanged delegations over the recent months and discussed ways to boost nuclear safety cooperation and Salehi's visit takes place for the same purpose," AEOI Deputy Chief and Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said at the time. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Ethiopian Foreign Minister Dr Tedros Adhanom has held talks in Addis ababa with the President of Puntland state of Somalia Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas, on issues of common interest, especially strengthening co-operation in peace and security, trade, investment and migration.During the bilateral discussion, Tedros affirmed the commitment of the Ethiopian government to continue to train students from Puntland including in post-graduate programmes, according to a high level official who attended the meeting.Following the discussion, Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas told the Reporters that Ethiopia had been playing a crucial role in the human resource development of Puntland by providing training for students from Puntland in various levels at the Civil Service University in Addis Ababa.Capacity building activities are among the key areas of co-operation with Ethiopia, he added.As for trade and investment ties, the government of Puntland was keen to strengthen further its partnership with Ethiopia, he said.He added that it was Puntland's wish that Ethiopian Airlines, would start direct flights between Addis Ababa and Puntland in order to boost economic and business ties.Puntland has ample opportunity in the area of infrastructure development, said the president. 3.0 ( - - ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan hosted the delegation of Moodys international rating agency on February 17. The delegation was comprised of the executive director of organizations risk assessment unit, assistant vice-director, researcher Sebastian Becker, assistant vice-director, researcher of the sovereign risk group Ernest Sergentin. As Armenpress was informed from the press office of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, minister Zakharyan welcomed the guests and briefed them on Armenias energy system and its perspectives. Yervand Zakharyan noted that due to some actions Armenias energy system is in rather stable financial shape now. It was also due to the change of the owner of the Electric Networks of Armenia and some actions inside that company. As a result the losses in electricity system have been reduced up to the figure of 11.2 % set by the Public Services Regulating Commission. Speaking about the programs in the atomic sphere, minister noted that some actions are undertaken now in order to prologue the exploitation of the current energy block up to 2027. For that purpose financial credits from Russian Federation have been received. In parallel with that Armenia intends to build a new nuclear energy block until 2027 with the power of 600 megawatt. Armenia works to get some private means for that purpose. Yervand Zakharyan has informed the guests that Armenia will also include the intensification of switching to renewable energy in its strategic plan for energy development until 2036. Specifically, it prescribes creating wind power capacities up to 200 megawatt, solar power up to 40-50 megawatt and small hydropower plants with the capacity of up to 120 megawatt. With this means Armenia wishes to reduce its dependence on energy imports. Speaking of energy integration projects in the region, minister noted that high voltage energy grids Iran-Armenia and Armenia-Georgia will be built that will provide the basis for energy transit and the creation of energy corridor. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Irwins has secured a listing to supply Tesco with three new Easter variants of its Joeys buns. The lemon and white chocolate, carrot cake and chocolate chip buns will be available from 450 British stores for an RRP of 1. Joeys are sweet madeira buns with a flavoured coating, sprinkled with desiccated coconut. The new deal will see Irwins supply more than 600,000 packs of Joeys buns annually to over 600 Tesco stores. Gary Mason, national account manager at Irwins, said: Sales of the Joeys range have gone from strength to strength following the launch in Tesco stores in May last year. The new listings reflect consumer demand for this type of product especially around key holiday periods such as Easter. It is fantastic to secure this business with Tesco, as it not only highlights the strength of our existing relationship, but also the quality and appeal of a much-loved local product. We plan to continue to expand and grow the range throughout 2016. Irwins recently reported a loss for its last financial year to 29 March 2015, despite a turnover of 29.6m. On 25 February, McGhees Bakery in Glasgow will play host to the launch of the 2016 Scottish Bakery of the Year competition. McGhees Bakery is the current champion of the competition, which is voted for by consumers across the country. As well as searching for Scotlands Bakery of the Year, the search is on for the countrys best morning roll, scone, savoury, bread, individual cake and biscuit. As part of the launch, McGhees will host a charity event from 11am to 12.30pm on 25 February, which will feature Scottish celebrities competing to show their bakery brilliance. Their efforts will be overseen by reigning champion Gordon McGhee and couture cake queen Mich Turner, the Scottish Baker of the Year ambassador. Scottish Bakers, the trade association for bakers in Scotland, founded the competition in 2012. Turner will also be compering the awards, which will be presented in May. Turner said: I am delighted to once again be involved in this event. As a professional cake-designer, I have been really impressed by the quality and creativity Scottish bakers are demonstrating and I look forward to being surprised and delighted again this year. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. On February 16 the Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan met with Tengiz Sharmanishvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Armenia. The Georgian diplomat is about to finish his five-year diplomatic mission in our country. Armenpress was informed from the Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communication that Gagik Beglaryan welcomed the guest and expressed his gratitude for the tight work of the embassy with the ministry. The Minister noted that the Armenian-Georgian cooperation in the transport and communication sphere was increased to a new level. Gagik Beglaryan highlighted the ambassadors great contribution to the signing of the agreement on the construction of Friendship Bridge in the territory of Bagratashen-Sadakhlo checkpoint on the border of the two countries. Let us mention that the agreement on the construction of a bridge on Debed River was signed in 2014 in Yerevan, between the governments of the Republic of Armenia and Georgia. Completing his diplomatic mission in our country Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia Tengiz Sharmanishvili noted that during his office as an ambassador the two countries have implemented a number of joint activities, achieved significant success in various spheres including transport and communication sphere. Ambassador Sharmanishvili said that he fulfilled his diplomatic mission with great love and responsibility, while Yerevan has become a sweet home for the last 5 years. At the end of the meeting the Minister once again expressed his gratitude to the ambassador wishing success during his further activities. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. NASDAQ OMX Armenia OJSC made no sale and purchase deals of US dollar on February 17. NASDAQ OMX Armenia informed Armenpress about the aforesaid. The Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia informs that the exchange rate of USD was 495.19 AMD on February 17 which is a decrease of 0.92 drams, the exchange rate of euro was 551.10 AMD (depreciated by 3.30 drams), and the exchange rate of the Russian ruble remained the same fixing at 6.42 AMD. The currency market has the following average exchange rates. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS: The overall amount of Azerbaijans trade in January 2016 is 1 billion 99 million 884.38 thousand USD. This is lower from the same amount of 2015 by 40.62 %. Armenpress reports that this news was disseminated by marja.az outlet, which had referred to Azerbaijans state Customs committee. In comparison with January 2015, in January 2016 exports from Azerbaijan have fallen by 50 %, while imports by 23%. Mexico Fines Volkswagen $8.9 Million Over Emissions Mexico City - Mexico's Profepa environmental protection agency on Monday fined German automaker Volkswagen's local unit just over 168 million pesos (around $9 million) for selling 2016 model vehicles that lacked the corresponding environmental compliance certificates. Volkswagen Mexico was fined for importing and selling 45,494 Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Seat and Volkswagen vehicles in Mexico, Profepa said in a statement. In a December 2015 inspection, the agency discovered that those vehicles lacked two NOM environmental compliance certificates, one that establishes the maximum allowable level of total hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and particles from new cars' exhaust pipes and another that sets the maximum allowable level of noise and the measurement methodology. Profepa said the fine was separate from an investigation being conducted in Mexico over the Volkswagen defeat device scandal. In September of last year, Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said Mexico would review Volkswagen's emissions certificates for diesel engine vehicles the automaker had sold in Mexico since 2009 to verify if they were in compliance with national standards. That probe came after Volkswagen acknowledged that the defeat devices had been installed on nearly 500,000 2.0-liter diesel-powered Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen vehicles sold in the United States since 2008. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused the automaker last September of using the devices to dupe regulators. The software on those engines detected when emissions testing was taking place and turned on emissions controls only when the vehicles were being operated in a test laboratory. When those same vehicles were being driven under normal conditions, the controls were turned off and they spewed up to 40 times the United States' legally allowable amount of nitrogen oxide, which contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain. The automaker said last September, after the scandal broke, that 11 million of its vehicles worldwide had been equipped with the defeat devices. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Economists believe that the gas price supplied by Russia to Armenia needs revision. They find that the Government of the Republic of Armenia must submit a written request to Russia for that. Economists Vahagn Khachatryan and Vilen Khachatryan expressed such a viewpoint in a press conference at Economic Journalists' Club. In the words of Vahagn Khachatryan, realities have changed; the world economy has appeared in a force majeure situation, which is a good opportunity to raise the issue of gas price. Yes, the gas price supplied to us is defined by contract, but considering the condition of our economy and drop in oil prices, gas price must be revised, Armenpress reports, Vahagn Khachatryan said. According to Vilen Khachatryan, in case of mutual will, revision of the gas contract will be possible. But he thinks that cutting gas price on the border will not be useful for consumers, which is a necessity. It is necessary to revise the gas contract. Armenia has signed such a contract the worst point of which is that the supply volume is fixed. This means that we must pay for that volume in any case. It would be possible if the payment was regulated according to consumption. But considering that the purchasing power of our citizens is declining, the population declines due to outgoing works and people save more, difficulties arise in paying for gas, hence, necessity to revise the price also rises, the economist mentioned. At the end of January, 2016, Minister of Energy and Natural resources Yervand Zakharyan, summing up the results of 2015, informed that the Government of Armenia had already applied to the Russian Government for lowering the gas price. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, the Cabinet discussed the 2015 performance report of the Police of Armenia adjunct to the Government on February 17. As Armenpress was informed from Information and Public Relations Department of the Government, Chief of the Police of the Republic of Armenia Vladimir Gasparyan reported on the bills submitted to the Government. He also detailed on the works done to expand the activities of the police in communities. Vladimir Gasparyan also touched upon the key works done in the Police in 2015, introduced detailed information on reforms and some structural and organizational measures. Cooperation with relevant structures of other countries and international organizations continued to expand, projects to improve the working conditions of police officers have been implemented, a range of police infrastructures have been renovated and re-equipped. The PM positively assessed the activities of the Police in 2015. Hovik Abrahamyan stated that results of the reforms are obvious for both the Government and the public and urged to go on in the same pace. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. 2015 was a successful year for IT sector. Over 450 IT companies, with 13 thousand specialists, are working in this sector in the country. The IT sector turnover in Armenia amounted to around $550 million last year, which is an increase of 17%. Minister of Economy Karen Chshmaritian stated the aforesaid during the discussion of 2015 report of the Ministry of Economy discussed at the Government. According to him, Republic of Armenia law on State assistance to the sector of Information technologies was successfully put into force, which provided for tax privileges to accredited start-ups. Providing tax privileges fostered the establishment of new companies in the sector and creation of new jobs. Particularly, 79 start-ups with 329 new jobs were established. The plan to widen and add toll lanes near the I-275/I-4 downtown interchange, currently known as "Tampa Bay Express" or "TBX," is moving forward. Concerns among residents who live near the interstate continue to grow, however. One of those residents, Kimberly Overman, lives in one of the oldest homes in Seminole Heights. She hopes to use her backyard to host weddings and other events. If TBX were to go through, however, she fears the construction would push visitors and guests away. "You know when they're building a highway they have to put in pilings and you hear the 'bang bang bang'?" asked Overman "Well, can you imagine doing that in the middle of your wedding? That won't be fun." Florida Department of Transportation officials say that the estimated $9 billion TBX project will help reduce traffic congestion. But residents like Overman also fear the damage to local historic homes that could result from the construction, as well as the potential negative economic impact. "Once you lose that history you can't get it back," said Overman, whose own house is 125 years old. "Once you lose the stories that help this community grow and the resources that were really blessed in this neighborhood, once you lose that you can't get it back." For the sake of history and the local economy, Overman hopes FDOT will reconsider TBX and focus instead on mass transit. FDOT is hosting a series of community engagement meetings for residents to voice concerns about TBX. "The design hasn't been completed yet so their input is really important because as the design process moves forward and the engineering moves forward there are opportunities to include and meet some of those neighborhood needs through that process," said Taryn Sabia of the Florida Center for Community Design Research, who is organizing the meetings. At a meeting Tuesday night in Seminole Heights, Stewart Fefer said he doesn't think the expansion is needed at all. "How this project can help the community the most is by not existing," he said. Residents told the event organizers that they've worked too hard to build their neighborhoods up to see them paved over. "You know, increasing the interstate by another half or third is really going to be devastating for those neighborhoods as far as redevelopment," said Matthew Suarez. Residents looked at maps of the proposed project but they said it's still difficult to offer input. "It's hard for citizens to look at a map and say, "Ok how are we going to solve all the unforeseeable problems that this huge infrastructure is going to create," said Laura Lawson. FDOT is hosting a series of community engagement meetings for residents to voice concerns about TBX. Visit www.tampabayexpress.com/community-engagement to see the schedule of meetings and their locations. An 18-year-old South Florida man has been accused of practicing medicine without a license - again. Malachi Love-Robinson, known as "Dr. Robinson" to his patients, was arrested after he allegedly gave physical exams and medical advice to people including an undercover officer at a "holistic medical clinic" he founded in West Palm Beach. Love-Robinson is not licensed in the State of Florida to practice as a medical doctor. Authorities say Love-Robinson was caught in January 2015 masquerading as a doctor at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, looking in on gynecology exams while wearing a white lab coat. A joint investigation of Love-Robinson by the Florida Department of Health investigators and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office had been ongoing since January. When deputies arrived at the New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center and Urgent Care in West Palm Beach this week, they found Love-Robinson identifying himself as a medical doctor and practicing medicine. He has been charged with practicing medicine without a license. He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on $6,000 bail. A St. Petersburg man said he was put into an isolation box several times while he was a student at the Midwest Academy, a private boarding school for troubled teens in Iowa, that's currently under investigation by the FBI. "Psychological torture," said James Farris, 24. "I think I had PTSD for a couple of years afterwards." Farris said he attended the Midwest Academy from October 2008 to December 2009. The FBI recently raided the private school after getting a complaint that a staff member sexually assaulted a student. That's when six former students, including Farris, told investigators about the isolation box punishment. "Its pretty much a concrete floor and concrete blocks. Its maybe about eight feet by four feet," he said. "Theres a camera thats always on in the room to monitor you. Theres a light on 24/7, which really makes it difficult to sleep at night." The FBI is investigating the alleged abuse from the time those former students attended the school from 2008 to last September. It costs $5,000 per month to send a student to the Midwest Academy. The former students said they would be forced into isolation boxes for days or weeks and would not be let out unless they sat in a specific position for 24 hours. "During the day, you have to remain seated and completely silent," Farris said. "You get bathroom breaks and meal breaks but otherwise its 14 hours of motivational tapes blaring over and over again." The Midwest Academy has temporarily closed and all of its 90 students have been removed. The owner has declined all requests for interviews. "Its not licensed at all by the State of Iowa and actually thats the biggest problem," Farris said. "So, its pretty much this gray area where you can get away with stuff in a private setting that you would absolutely not be able to get away with in a public setting." OPP near Ottawa are saying a 65-year-old dad, Bernard Cameron, was shot and killed by his daughters ex partner as the three of them argued late last week. The ex, Travis Porteous, 33, then turned the gun on Ms Cameron, 28, wounding her, and killed himself. Porteous had two children with Sarah Cameron. Ms. Cameron is expected to survive her injuries. She left a troubled relationship months before Travis showed up at her parents home in Almonte with a gun on Thursday, February 11, 2016. Ms. Cameron is expected to survive. Her lawyer Carolyn Gerbac said that Camerons mother and her two young children were in the house at the time of the shooting. Bernard Cameron was a former school teacher and second-term councillor in Mississippi Mills Ontario which includes the amalgamated town of Almonte. The incident took place a Camerons large home on Strathburn Street in Almonte. It was said that Porteous and Sarah were arguing and her father became involved Related YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. On February 17, within the framework of monthly reception of citizens Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received a group of citizens scheduled in advance. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of the Republic of Armenia, the questions and applications of freedom fighters, family members of servicemen, relatives of martyred soldiers addressed to the Defense Minister where different in nature, but mainly referred to social issues. Familiarizing himself with the concerns of the citizens, as well as hearing the comments and remarks of heads of responsible agencies, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan assigned to discuss and give appropriate solutions to the application-requests of the citizens. Some of the raised issues received in situ solutions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SOUTHEAST TEXAS TALES Mid-February has brought sunshine and warmth, rather than cold winds and flurries. Heavy winter coats are probably still in storage or gathering dust at the very back of most closets. The high for Presidents Day is a projected 75 degrees with a 40 percent chance of showers - a forecast probably more fitting for spring. But warm weather has at times preceded harsh winter storms. On this day in 1895, Jefferson and Orange counties were still recovering from 28 to 30 inches of snowfall. The winter that year had "almost been as warm as summer," according to a 1997 article in the Beaumont Journal. But the cold started blowing in from the north on Feb. 11. The snow started on Feb. 14 and didn't stop for 24 hours. Cattle herds drifted toward the Gulf to try to escape the storm, but the snow didn't melt for 10 days, causing some of the cattle to die "in piles," according to the Beaumont Journal. The 1895 storm might be the area's most "epic," but several other winter storms have caused chaos and harm to the Golden Triangle since. A 1924 "snow, ice and wind storm" blew electrical lines together and iced telephone lines, according to a Stephen F. Austin State University article written by local researcher Judith Linsley. Communication was cut off from Beaumont-Port Arthur to Houston. Operators would only accept messages that could be deferred because they didn't know when they could be delivered, according to Linsley's article. The electric streetcar line between Beaumont and Port Arthur sent a car to cut the ice. It took 24 hours for the car to run the 20 miles, the article stated. Snow halted travel in the 1895 storm as well. The trains couldn't plow through the more than 22 inches that sat atop the rails, according to the Beaumont Journal. In 1935, a storm that was reported to be the worst since 1895 hit Southeast Texas, Linsley stated in her article. A combination of sleet, snow and wind wiped out an estimated 25,000 head of cattle in Jefferson, Chambers, Liberty and Galveston counties. Ranchers lost more than $250,000 - around $3.6 million today's dollars - and some herds were diminished by 20 percent. The herds reportedly moved south until they walked into the water and drowned, Linsley reported. Some came back out of the water and froze. Thousands of cattle littered the beaches from Sabine Pass to Galveston. Snowfall occasionally makes its way to Southeast Texas when it's least expected. Like in April 1987, when spring snowflakes and a temperature of 24 degrees destroyed blueberry and peach crops in Jasper County, according to Enterprise archives. Fruit farmers lost about $500,000 that year, while vegetable farmers lost $750,000 to $1 million, the 1987 article stated. Fortunately, this February is expected to remain warm. Temperatures this week are not expected to drop below 50. MHeath@BeaumontEnteprise.com Twitter.com/mheath31 YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Powerful explosion occurred in Turkish capital of Ankara. Armenpress reports, Hurriyet newspaper informed about this. TASS reports details are being clarified. CNN Turk informs that the causes of the incident are not known. It is only reported that the blast occurred in the center of Ankara in a region with a number of military constructions. Witnesses tell that the explosion was heard from far away districts of Ankara. Accretive Health and Ascension in St. Louis have completed a transaction that included revising and expanding their existing services agreement for another 10 years. Under the new service contract, Accretive will exclusively provide revenue cycle services and physician advisory services to Ascension's hospitals. A newly formed investment vehicle owned by Ascension and TowerBrook Capital Partners has invested $200 million in Accretive Health, in exchange for convertible preferred stock and warrants. Accretive Health expects to begin transitioning Ascension's hospitals to the new service agreement over the next six months. "Ascension has been a valued partner since the founding of the company and we are pleased to enter a new phase in our relationship as long-term strategic partners," said Emad Rizk, MD, president and CEO of Accretive Health. "The highly complementary relationship with Ascension provides us with a significant growth trajectory, and we look forward to the benefits it will deliver to our customers, our employees and our shareholders." The two companies announced the transaction Dec. 8 of last year. As more patients with high deductible health plans are strapped with costly out-of-pocket bills, some consumers are saving money by paying cash for medical services upfront, reports The Wall Street Journal. Here are seven things to know about the trend of lower cash rates on medical charges. 1. Before the Affordable Care Act, hospitals and healthcare providers routinely charged uninsured patients the highest rates possible. Under new state and federal rules to protect uninsured patients from price gouging practices, however, hospitals are prevented from charging uninsured patients more than Medicare rates. 2. Since the ACA was enacted, hospitals have sought higher negotiated rates from commercial insurers to make up for financial losses on Medicare and Medicaid services, which traditionally return lower government reimbursement rates. When insurers pass those negotiated rates on to members, policy holders with high deductible health plans will in turn pay higher out-of-pocket costs. 3. Hospitals will often offer discounts to patients for cash payments on the day of service, as cash saves administrative work and collections hassles, according to the article. Many hospitals, fearing the effects of high deductible health plans on reimbursement rates, will offer lower cash rates to mitigate bad debt and ensure uninsured patients can still afford care. 4. Growing consumer price transparency is changing how patients, payers and providers pay for and collect on medical services. ClearHealthCosts, a startup that publishes healthcare prices for consumers, aggregated self-pay and negotiated insurance rates for medical services in New York, California and Pennsylvania. In many cases, a patient's Explanation of Benefits statements revealed the same services would have cost less money in cash at the same place, or a care setting nearby. "My favorite was the $5,400 MRI at an academic medical center in California," Jeanne Pinder, founder of ClearHealthCosts, told The Wall Street Journal. "Insurance paid about $2,900 and the patient paid about $2,500. It looked like he got a great deal but he could have paid $725 cash down the street." 5. By offering cash rates lower than insurance-negotiated rates, healthcare providers run the risk of violating payer contract provisions. "If insurers find out that plan members are able to access a cheaper cash rate, they'll call up the hospital and say, 'That's our new contracted rate,'" Jim Lazarus, vice president of The Advisory Board, told Wall Street Journal. 6. While some healthcare providers keep their cash rates quiet, other providers see low cash rates as an opportunity to drive business to patients who otherwise would have been unable to afford services. Regional Medical Imaging of Flint, Mich., said some insurers even encourage plan members to take advantage of cash rates. "They're collecting premiums, and they aren't having to pay out when patients pay cash instead," Amy Davis, Regional Medical COO, told The Wall Street Journal. 7. Low cash rates present savvy healthcare consumers with a dilemma. Most insurers won't count self-pay toward member deductibles, therefore policy holders must determine whether they will incur major medical expenses this year before deciding to save short term with cash. In some cases, research shows being single can help leaders like CEOs be less risk-averse. But can being married actually help you perform better at work? The answer is yes particularly if you have a specific personality trait, according to a study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. The researchers analyzed Australian households, examining both the personality dimensions of husbands and wives as well as information regarding job satisfaction, income and promotions. According to the study cited in the Harvard Business Review, there are five key personality dimensions: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism and openness. They found conscientiousness played a key role in determining employees' job satisfaction, income and number of promotions. Why does conscientiousness play such a big role? Andrew O'Connell, editor of the Harvard Business Review Group and author of the article, points out three primary reasons: 1. An employee with a spouse who exhibits conscientiousness is more free to concentrate on work because their spouse is likely to complete household chores. 2. Conscientious people help their spouses "feel more satisfied in their marriages." 3. When an employee has a conscientious spouse, he or she tends to imitate their meticulous habits. Whether positive or negative, marriage can have an effect on work performance. But more often than not, the team mentality needed for workplace success also relates to a similar mentality for marital success, according to Brittany Solomon, PhD, one of the study's author's. "When you're in a relationship, you're no longer just two individuals; you're this entity," Dr. Solomon said, according to the Harvard Business Review. Mount Auburn, Ohio-based Christ Hospital just inked a deal with UnitedHealth Group's data services division, Optum, which makes it an attractive destination for total hip and knee replacements, as well as some spinal surgeries, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. The contract makes Christ Hospital's Joint & Spine Center part of Optum's Center of Excellence network. The program, which launched in 2014, gives employees of some of the nation's largest businesses access to care from top healthcare providers for costly, complex services, and completely covers the costs of surgery, according to the report. "Each year we conduct a rigorous evaluation process of medical centers throughout the country," the company said, according to the report. "We invite only the most experienced and statistically successful healthcare providers to be part of our Centers of Excellence networks. There are different criteria and a separate Center of Excellence network for each condition we support." Some employers who participate in the program will also cover travel and lodging for employees who live within 50 miles of the hospital, according to the report. More articles on integration and physician issues: Presence Health outsources rehab services Harvard Medical School professor named president of Wellesley College Mercer University School of Medicine revamps its campus in Savannah Edgewood, Ky.-based St. Elizabeth Healthcare struck a five-year co-management deal with Cincinnati's ninth largest physician group, the Urology Group, according to Cincinnati Business Courier. While members of the 38-physician Urology Group are already part of St. Elizabeth's medical staff, under the agreement, several of the group's physicians have taken leadership positions with the health system to help direct care delivery, according to the report. "It's an effort on St. Elizabeth's part to get physicians more actively involved," Robert Prichard, MD, St. Elizabeth's chief clinical integration officer, told Cincinnati Business Courier, though the group will remain independent. "We have similar relationships in orthopedics, cardiology and ear nose and throat. We've had success with these. We think with where healthcare is going in the future it's very important for us to partner with physicians and make them an active member of the leadership team as opposed to just utilizers of our services." Urology Group physician Michael Dusing, MD, was named executive medical director for urology at St. Elizabeth, a position in which he will be expected to engage physicians both within his own group and within St. Elizabeth's physician group, according to the report. Dr. Dusing was elected last year to a two-year term as chief of surgery for St. Elizabeth Healthcare and serves on the health system's executive committee, according to the report. More articles on integration and physician issues: LCME takes Baylor College of Medicine off probation Rowan University hopes for medical school campus in Atlantic City ACGME continues to develop leadership initiative YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. At least 5 people die as a result of explosion in Ankara. 10 more are injured. Armenpress reports, citing AP, Ankara authorities informed about this. It is assumed that explosive devices situated in a car were triggered off. According to different information, the victims of the explosion were servicemen. A Florida teenager, Malachi Love-Robinson, is accused of pretending to be a physician for the second time in just over a year. Mr. Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without a license. He allegedly performed physical exams and gave medical advice to people including an undercover officer at an illegal medical office he ran in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to the Sun Sentinel. This is not the first time Mr. Love-Robinson has been accused of masquerading as a physician. He was previously investigated for practicing medicine without a license in October, and he is the same teen caught in January 2015 pretending to be a physician at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, according to the report. Mr. Love-Robinson played physician at St. Mary's for a month before he was ousted by Sebastian Kent, MD, an OB/GYN whose office is on the St. Mary's campus. Dr. Kent was shocked to learn Mr. Love-Robinson had been caught posing as a physician for a second time. "I've been in practice for 36 years, this is the first time something like this has happened," Dr. Kent told the Sun Sentinel. "It's very strange. Very, very strange." The website for Mr. Love-Robinson's fake medical practice, New Birth Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center and Urgent Care, touted a string of degrees including PhD an "HHP-C" and an "AMP-C." In paperwork for the business, his title is Dr. Malachi Love-Robinson, and he is listed as CEO, according to the report. Mr. Love-Robinson has a five-star rating on Healthgrades.com, based on two reviews. The website lists his age as 25 and says he has three specialties: naturopathy, psychology and mental health. According to the Sun Sentinel, Mr. Love-Robinson is being held at Palm Beach County Jail on $6,000 bail. More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits: 5 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements 4 physicians, 2 pharmacies allegedly bilked $10M from military's healthcare program Miami physician pleads guilty to role in $20M Medicare fraud scheme With an aim of improving patient care more effectively and efficiently, CMS and America's Health Insurance Plans have reached an agreement regarding core clinical quality measures for physicians across the nation. Here are five things to know about the new measures. 1. Creating a less complicated process. CMS and AHIP released the standardized measures as part of a broad Core Quality Measures Collaborative of healthcare industry participants. Those in the collaborative recognized physicians are often required to report different quality measures to multiple payers and measures are not aligned across public and private payers. That has resulted in "confusion and complexity for reporting providers," according to CMS. 2. Promoting alignment. With the goal in mind of establishing broadly agreed-upon core measures that could be harmonized across both commercial and government payers, AHIP and its member plans' CMOs, leaders from CMS and the National Quality Forum, as well as national physician organizations, employers, consumers and patient groups worked together to develop the core measure sets. The new sets cover performance reporting in: Accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes and primary care Cardiology Gastroenterology HIV and hepatitis C Medical oncology Obstetrics and gynecology Orthopedics 3. Implementing the measures. CMS said the measures will be implemented in several stages. For instance, commercial health plans will implement the core measures when contracts come up for renewal or if existing contracts allow modification of the performance measure set. CMS and partner organizations intend to add more measure sets and update the current sets over time. 4. Looking ahead. In January 2015, HHS announced its goal to shift 30 percent of all Medicare payments to value-based models by 2016. By 2018, the benchmark is to have half of all Medicare provider payments fall under an alternative model, which includes ACOs and patient-centered medical homes, among others. The standardized quality measures will aid HHS in reaching its ambitious goals. 5. This is what six industry leaders had to say about the new measure sets. CMS Acting Administration Andy Slavitt said, "In the U.S. healthcare system, where we are moving to measure and pay for quality, patients and care providers deserve a uniform approach to measure quality. This agreement today will reduce unnecessary burden for physicians and accelerate the country's movement to better quality." AHIP Executive Vice President Carmella Bocchino said establishing the core measure sets "is a first step of an ongoing process to ensure both public programs and the private sector align measures and reporting especially as we advance alternative payment models." American Academy of Family Physicians Vice President and CEO Douglas E. Henley, MD, said, "This agreement on a set of core measures for primary care and the PCMH represents a big step toward the goal of administrative simplification for family physicians and improved quality of care." Health Care Service Corporation Senior Vice President and CMO Stephen Ondra, MD, said, "Today's announcement by the Core Quality Measure Collaborative is an important step in getting payers, providers, purchasers and consumers on the same page when they measure and compare healthcare quality. This work will ultimately help accelerate the shift toward payment models that are based on the value of care, rather than the volume." National Partnership for Women & Families President Debra L. Ness said, "Our healthcare system urgently needs measurement that drives improvements in quality, supports informed consumer decision-making and ensures we're paying for and incentivizing high-value care. What we released today is a start at achieving consensus on the best measures, but we need to continue pushing for even better ones." National Quality Forum Chief Scientific Officer Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, said "The Core Quality Measures Collaborative's agreement on core measure sets for select areas of healthcare practice is an important step towards accelerating quality improvement and making healthcare more effective and efficient. Clinicians need fewer and more meaningful measures to reduce the burden of reporting similar or 'look alike' quality measures to different entities in order to free up more time for direct patient care. Equally important, this effort helps provide consumers with comparable information to better inform healthcare decisions." More articles on quality measures: 5 specialties with the most quality-based performance measures MAP releases annual list of 130 potential Medicare quality measures Stakes are rising for clinical quality: How to get the metrics right If you work in healthcare, chances are you are familiar with the U.S. Institute of Medicine's landmark report, "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System." The report has inspired the name of a new documentary announced by Tall Tale Productions on patient safety, healthcare-associated infections and medical errors. The documentary "To Err is Human" will be directed by Mike Eisenberg, son of the international patient safety expert John M. Eisenberg, MD. Before his death in 2002, Dr. Eisenberg served as director of the U.S Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and authored more than 150 articles on evidence-based decision-making, how payment affects healthcare quality and improving working conditions for healthcare providers. After studying his late father's work, Mr. Eisenberg was inspired to create the documentary to educate the American public and re-energize the national discussion on the patient safety crisis. The film will feature hard statistics, interviews with experts and the stories of patients and families directly impacted by a medical error. To finish the documentary, Tall Tale productions has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $125,000 by March 10. As of Feb. 17, the campaign had raised nearly $23,000. The production team is offering a variety of perks and rewards to those who contribute to the project. To learn more about the documentary, watch the video below. To contribute to the Kickstarter campaign, click here. More articles on medical errors: iHeart radio host produces patient safety advocacy radio program What helps physicians after committing a serious medical error? 7 steps to recovery 8 California hospitals fined for medical errors The key to increasing employee engagement, health, happiness and well-being lies in employers who establish a workplace culture of wellness, according to a study released Feb. 17 by Humana and the Economist Intelligence Unit. The study, called "The Wellness Effect: The Impact of Workplace Programs," explored insight into the scope, reach and impact of workplace wellness programs, as well as the challenges and opportunities that continue to shape their development. The October 2015 study surveyed 200 U.S.-based human resources executives and managers and 500 full-time employees from organizations with employer-provided wellness programs. Here are five findings from the study. 1. Some 67 percent of employees said participation in wellness programs increased their engagement in their employer's mission and goals. 2. Ninety-one percent of employees participating in wellness programs have improved their fitness while 89 percent said participation has improved their overall happiness and well-being. 3. Employers and employees agree (46 percent and 51 percent, respectively) the biggest obstacle to increased participation in wellness programs is lack of time. 4. About 44 percent of employer respondents said stress management programs would be the single most effective way of establishing a culture of wellness. 5. While only 14 percent of employees regularly participate in stress management programs, some 71 percent of employees said wellness programs have had at least a moderate impact in lowering stress. More articles on workforce and labor management: Natchaug Hospital employees protest proposed plan to cut pensions 6 healthcare organizations adding jobs Florida hospitals offering incentives to attract nurses: 3 things to know Hackers have shut down Hollywood (Calif.) Presbyterian Medical Center's computers for more than a week, according to CSO. Here are five takeaways: 1. The hackers are reportedly seeking more than $3.6 million to decrypt the system and the hospital's files. 2. The hospital has transferred its patients to other hospitals due to the outage. 3. The hospital's President and CEO, Allen Stefanek, declared the situation an internal emergency and said the malware has sporadically impacted the hospital's emergency room systems. 4. As a result of the hack, hospital personnel are using fax machines and telephones and are keeping medical records on paper. 5. Mr. Stefanek reported the attack was random, but he did not elaborate on any technical details. More articles on practice management: 13 statistics on orthopedic surgeon salary Improving healthcare cybersecurity: 3 steps to take 8 key points on payer participation in the 2016 marketplace To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Bombardier is cutting more than 1,000 jobs across Northern Ireland, including 580 this year. The plane maker, which employs over 5,000 staff here, announced the job losses on Wednesday morning. Have you been affected or do you work at Bombardier? Contact us here. A spokesman said: "Bombardier Inc announced today that it is taking steps to optimise its workforce in 2016 and 2017. In line with this, we have reviewed our requirements in Belfast and regret to confirm that we must adjust our workforce levels downwards by around 580 this year. In addition, we expect to have a further potential reduction of some 500 next year. "Around 200 Bombardier employee jobs in Northern Ireland are currently at risk of redundancy. The company will be lodging a formal HR1 redundancy notice with the Department for Employment and Learning, following which there will be a 90-day consultation period when we will explore opportunities to mitigate the number of compulsory redundancies. "In addition, around 380 members of our Complementary Labour Force (CLF) and other agency workers are being released from their assignments with the company in 2016. This includes 60 CLF who already left the company in January. "We deeply regret the impact this will have on our workforce and their families, but it is crucial that we right-size our business in line with market realities. "We will continue to evaluate all opportunities to significantly reduce our costs, improve our competitiveness, and boost our profitability, whilst focusing on the unique capabilities that will help shape and secure our future." Read More STRUGGLE The Canadian-owned aerospace giant is cutting around 7,000 jobs across its operations globally. The aerospace giant, which employs more than 5,000 people in Northern Ireland, is struggling to find buyers for its long-delayed CSeries jets. The wings and many of the fuselages of the planes are built in Northern Ireland. Last year the company received a $1bn (660m) bailout from the Quebec regional government. The production of wings for the CSeries is Northern Ireland's biggest-ever inward investment programme, worth 520m. In today's announcement, the company revealed it had secured another 75 orders for its CS300 planes, from Air Canada. That would bring the total orders so far to 318. REACTION Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell and Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry have expressed their regret at todays announcement. Jonathan Bell said: The impact of this decision will be hard felt in Northern Ireland, in particular by those personally affected. First and foremost, my thoughts are with the workers and their families as they absorb todays news. The company has taken this decision to rationalise its workforce across all its sites in order to ensure its viability for the future. Between 2002 and 2015, Invest NI offered 75m of assistance to Bombardier, including 21m for the CSeries, in support of investment commitments totalling 844.5m. While Bombardier has said there is nothing we can do to reverse this decision, we will continue to work closely with the company and to explore other ways to support their drive for greater efficiencies. While todays news is deeply disappointing, Bombardier Inc has made it clear that the decision has been taken to safeguard the companys long term future globally and here in Northern Ireland. I want to assure the affected staff that, together with Invest NI, the Department for Employment and Learning, and colleagues in the entire Northern Ireland Executive, we will do all that is possible to limit the impact of the redundancies and help with possible retraining. "The company has reaffirmed its commitment to the CSeries project and Belfasts critical role in its delivery. Confirmation today that Air Canada has signed up for 75 CS300 aircraft is a positive development for the CSeries project as a whole and I hope that in the long term as more orders are received, that we will see employment levels increase once again. Davy Thompson of the Unite union said the job loss announcement "is the latest, cruel blow to Northern Irelands manufacturing sector". "While the scale of the losses reflect the severe market conditions being experienced by the group which has led to over seven thousand job losses globally, heavy manufacturers across the region continue to face challenging times. "The Northern Ireland Executive needs to redouble their efforts and secure alternative employment for those highly skilled workers who will be made redundant. Invest NI must now commit themselves fully to proactively seeking foreign investment in manufacturing. "We are calling for all parties to publicly support the call for a Manufacturing Strategy and establish an Investment Taskforce for the sector bringing together all stakeholders, including Unite. "Unite will continue to liaise with Bombardier management to secure jobs in Belfast and defend our members terms and conditions during this difficult period." Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry said: The job losses announced today by Bombardier are extremely regrettable, not only for those who have lost their jobs, but also for the families, communities and the economy as a whole. My department will be proactive in determining what steps we can take to assist employees facing redundancy to provide them with advice and guidance regarding re-skilling, training and alternative employment opportunities. Officials will work closely with all those involved to ensure that the best advice, help and support are offered to all those affected employees at the appropriate time. "My department will also be offering redundancy clinics to the company and their employees. The Redundancy Advice Service works in partnership with a range of agencies including the Further Education Colleges and HMRC to provide advice and support on a range of issues. And Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest NI, which has invested more than 70m in Bombardier, said "we have listened to the companys reasoning for this difficult decision and, while it is hard to hear, we understand why it has had to make this choice". Alastair Hamilton, CEO of Invest Northern Ireland has expressed his disappointment at todays news that Bombardier Inc intends to reduce its workforce in Northern Ireland. "Todays news will be very upsetting to those working for the company, and their families," he said. "We will work closely with the Department for Employment and Learning to provide whatever support possible to help those that will be affected by the job losses, be that through redeployment into other companies, retraining or exploring the possibility of setting up their own business. "While we were fully aware that Bombardier intended to make cost reductions across its global business, the news of 7,000 jobs, 1,080 in Northern Ireland, is much greater than anticipated. "While Bombardier feels this right-sizing is essential for the business market as it stands today, its announcement of a new order of 75 CS300 aircraft by Air Canada is a positive development and I have every confidence that its commitment to the CSeries project will see the companys presence in Belfast rebuild for the future." COMPANY WIDE In today's trading update, Bombardier's Alain Bellemare, president and chief executive said: "We are turning Bombardier around to make this great company stronger and more competitive. "Over the past year, we renewed our leadership team and developed a clear plan to significantly improve our performance. We de-risked major development programs and stabilized the company, securing our liquidity position and taking a series of actions to rebuild margins. "With the certification of the CS100 aircraft, we also reached the last key milestone before the entry-into-service of the C Series, while ramping up to full production. And today, with the signing of Air Canada for the leading-edge CS300 aircraft, we add a major international airline customer based in North America to complement our orders in both Europe and Asia. Air Canadas commitment is a strong endorsement of this outstanding aircraft. "It will create significant value for Air Canada and its customers and will become a catalyst for future orders in North America and around the world." RESPONSE In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph earlier this month, Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell said he had "been given nothing to indicate more job losses" at the company. "We have thrown our weight behind Bombardier. I'm aware there are major challenges and I have been informed that the company has to make percentage reductions, and they're in negotiations with their unions as to how they can achieve those," he said. "We will do all in our power to support their core workforce of around 5,000 people. I have been given nothing to indicate more job losses." Northern Ireland business people have said the content of any renegotiated EU deal will not influence how they intend to vote in the referendum Northern Ireland business people have said the content of any renegotiated EU deal will not influence how they intend to vote in the referendum. The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce today said 60% of senior business leaders surveyed indicated the result of the Prime Minister's current efforts would not affect their vote. And 80% of business people here have said they intend to vote against a Brexit - compared to just 60% of their counterparts in Great Britain. The Chamber said the survey indicated that the renegotiation process - which is expected to end tomorrow - was having little impact on businesses. Stephen McCully, president of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "The findings suggest that the renegotiation is having little impact on day-to-day business - or the vote of the business community. "Many people made up their minds before knowing the outcome of negotiations, effectively discounting them as irrelevant. "For business people, this is a question of in or out." Fear of a world outside the EU was having an impact on business people here, with the future of farmers a particular concern, Mr McCully said. "Those within Northern Ireland who are firmly wedded to the EU have said that Brexit will leave us stranded outside the EU, and coping with the re-emergence of a land border with the Republic of Ireland. "We are told that trade with the EU nations will be difficult, even prohibitive, that our farmers will suffer huge financial losses with the withdrawal of EU farm subsidies. "Our roads infrastructure programme will apparently be set back if not supported by Structural Funds and PEACE monies." But he said the pro-Brexit lobby had argued that round 3bn could be saved in EU contributions if Britain exited. And Mr McCully - the head of electricity supplier Power NI - urged business leaders to fully acquaint themselves with both sides of the debate. He said: "It is not only helpful for individuals, businesses and indeed business representative bodies to ensure they are fully informed of such major issues, there is actually a responsibility on us to seek out the full facts and potential scenarios." Emotion would play a part but a decision should be "well-informed". YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Ruble started to rapidly appreciate after Iran expressed readiness to cut oil production. Armenpress reports gazeta.ru informs that exchange rates display this. At 19:12 by Moscow time Euro declined by 3.9 kopecks forming 84.172 rubles. Dollar declined by 2.47 kopecks forming 75.567 rubles. 500 more student bedrooms have been given the green light for Belfast, but two other developments - including a controversial student apartment building - have been deferred. Approval was given for a development that will involve the demolition of the former Belfast Metropolitan College building facing Blackstaff Square. It means more than 1,600 new student rooms have now been given permission. Two other large applications were not decided upon during last night's Belfast City Council planning committee meeting. That included a contested 156-bedroom project on Dublin Road, which has received dozens of objections from nearby residents. Addressing the committee, a member of the Donegall Pass Community Forum raised concerns about the development, which he said was in a "contentious location", including over issues of noise, its proximity to a residential area, parking, and the scale of the development. Councillor Ruth Patterson, who is opposed to the building, said the community was made up of a mixture of "ethnic minorities, Protestants and Roman Catholics" which had been well-established in the area. "How would you like 156 students living on your doorstep?" she asked. Conor Hughes of planners Turley Associates, acting on behalf of Lacuna Developments and Welsh company Watkin Jones, said the proposals were consistent with guidelines. Mr Hughes said while the group had launched a consultation process to deal with residents' issues, the "community decided to withdraw from that". Asked how poor student behaviour would be dealt with, the committee heard that a "three warnings" system was in place. Students failing to behave would then be "removed from the accommodation" and required to continue paying their lease fees. A vote will take place at a later date following a visit to the site by members of the planning committee. Work has already begun on the project, with the previous building demolished. A vote on another 407-bedroom student building on York Street, close to the new Ulster University campus, was also deferred pending a site visit by councillors. Some concerns were raised about clustering of major high-rise student buildings in the area, with several others also in the works close by. Sinn Fein councillor JJ Magee raised concerns about the actual level of student rooms needed for Belfast. Around 7,500 are at various different stages of development, with several projects under way. Mr Magee said one Ulster University staff member had told him the university only required "1,300 (student) beds". Council director of planning, Phil Williams, told the committee that each developer was required to identify a need for the student rooms proposed. He said while there will "come a point" when it becomes more difficult to justify, "we are nowhere near that point". The committee heard there had been 19 applications for student housing developments in the city. Concerns were raised that many of the new multi-storey buildings close to the new flagship Ulster University building, some of which have already been awarded planning permission, could "overshadow" the building itself. Just last month 1,200 student rooms got the green light after two major developments got the go-ahead. They are a 682-bedroom project at York Street by UK firm UniCiti, and an 11-storey student building with 475 rooms by Patton Developments located at Great Patrick Street. Three other proposals, including one large student development, were refused. According to two studies, if all 7,500 beds were approved, it would account for just 23% of available student beds, a lower proportion than many other cities in the UK. Property investors and landlords in the province should act now to minimise the impact of higher stamp duty charges, it's been claimed Property investors and landlords in the province should act now to minimise the impact of higher stamp duty charges, it's been claimed. Buy-to-let landlords will be hit with new costs from this April when a controversial extra 3% stamp duty charge will be introduced. And from April next year, landlords face being taxed on rental income before mortgage interest payments are deducted and before they can gain a tax credit for the interest. And accountancy firm RSM said that the prospect of the changes was already dampening the buy-to-let sector. The firm is holding a seminar next month to advise on the changes and how their impact can be minimised. Michael Blair, tax partner at RSM Northern Ireland, explained: "It is vitally important that landlords clearly understand the changes and that they could end up making a loss, or at least much less of a return - however large or small their portfolio." He said landlords could take measures such as setting up property partnerships or transferring larger portfolios to limited companies to diminish the impact. RSM said there was evidence that confidence was already lagging in the buy-to-let sector as the changes loom. RSM said figures from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive also pointed to a fall in the sector. There were 11,500 rental agreements in the private rented sector in Northern Ireland during the first half of last year, which was down 5% on the first half of 2014, RSM said. First time buyers...File photo dated 02/09/08 of people outside an estate agent's window in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Saturday January 24, 2009. It is still cheaper for first-time buyers to rent a home than buy one, despite house prices falling by 16% in the past year, according to a study out today. Houses prices are at their lowest level for five years, relative to income, but the high mortgage rates levied on first-time buyers continue to price them out of the market, according to propertyfinder.com. It would actually be cheaper for people to buy a home rather than rent in 95% of the country, if first-time buyers were given the best borrowing rates. See PA story MONEY FirstTime. Photo credit should read: Tim Ireland/PA Wire...A The average house price in Northern Ireland grew by 6,000 last year, according to official statistics. An average home was 148,000 in December, up from 142,000 a year earlier, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS). That meant growth of 1.5% - down from the rise of 4.9% over the previous 12 month period. Economist Andrew Webb, managing director of Webb Advisory, said political uncertainty may have contributed to the slowing growth. "The Northern Ireland political and budget uncertainties probably played a role in suppressing some housing demand in many families." And he said a growth in housebuilding during 2015 may also have increased levels of supply. "Builders took their cue from the strong growth in prices in 2014 and increased the level of new house building. "Albeit from a low base, National House Building Council figures suggest that Northern Ireland builders registered 30% more new homes in 2015 than in 2014 (3,223, up from 2,487). Again, this could have hampered price increases somewhat." And he said a growing trend for young people to rent could also have dampened demand and reduced the scope for 'bidding up'. The overall house price index measurement for Northern Ireland is 44.6% below the peak of August 2007.Growth here is dwarfed by the UK as a whole, where prices grew 6.7% in the year to December, to reach an average of 288,000. In England, property prices rose by 7.3% in the year to December, to 301,000 on average. London continues to be the most expensive region for property, with an average price of 536,000. The cheapest region in England is the North East, where the typical cost of a home is 155,000. First-time buyers faced paying 6.4% more for a property in December than a year earlier. The average price paid for a starter home in December 2015 was 219,000. Meanwhile, the CML said that first-time buyers collectively borrowed 46.7bn in 2015, a 4% increase on 2014 and the highest lending total for this sector by value since 2007. Movers borrowed 72.1bn, a figure which was up by 7% on 2014. Lending to this sector was also at its annual highest since 2007, the CML said. And 15.6bn was borrowed by buy-to-let investors for house purchases in 2015, also the highest annual total since 2007, said the CML's figures. Paul Smee, director general of the CML, said better economic conditions and schemes like Help to Buy explain the increasing lending. But Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said the rising cost of a home means that many people are losing hope of getting on the housing ladder. The loss of more than 1,000 jobs at Bombardier in Northern Ireland has been branded a "devastating blow". POLITICS First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said "news that staff at Bombardier have received today is a devastating development for many of the workers, their families and the wider manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland". "While the company has made it clear their decision is as a result of inescapable global economic factors, the impact is very real for those affected, and for the wider economy. "Bombardier has made it clear their decision aims to protect the long-term future of the business. The Executive will make every effort to mitigate the impact of the job losses and we will work closely with Invest NI and with the Enterprise and Employment and Learning Ministers to ensure all possible avenues are explored." Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell and Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry have expressed their regret at todays announcement. Jonathan Bell said: The impact of this decision will be hard felt in Northern Ireland, in particular by those personally affected. First and foremost, my thoughts are with the workers and their families as they absorb todays news. The company has taken this decision to rationalise its workforce across all its sites in order to ensure its viability for the future. Between 2002 and 2015, Invest NI offered 75m of assistance to Bombardier, including 21m for the CSeries, in support of investment commitments totalling 844.5m. While Bombardier has said there is nothing we can do to reverse this decision, we will continue to work closely with the company and to explore other ways to support their drive for greater efficiencies. While todays news is deeply disappointing, Bombardier Inc has made it clear that the decision has been taken to safeguard the companys long term future globally and here in Northern Ireland. I want to assure the affected staff that, together with Invest NI, the Department for Employment and Learning, and colleagues in the entire Northern Ireland Executive, we will do all that is possible to limit the impact of the redundancies and help with possible retraining. "The company has reaffirmed its commitment to the CSeries project and Belfasts critical role in its delivery. Confirmation today that Air Canada has signed up for 75 CS300 aircraft is a positive development for the CSeries project as a whole and I hope that in the long term as more orders are received, that we will see employment levels increase once again. East Belfast Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle said: "This is a serious development and my thoughts are foremost with the workers and families affected by this news. It is important to say that the skills and productivity of Bombardier Northern Ireland workers are first class and this decision appears to be based primarily on factors affecting the company on a global basis. "My Alliance colleague and Employment Minister Stephen Farry MLA has met with Bombardier and will be offering the full support of his Department and the Executive to the company and workers in terms of redundancy advice and guidance for training and employment opportunities. "I will seek assurances from the Executive that it will do all that it can to assist workers affected by this news and to support the long-term competitiveness of Bombardier. "Bombardier has a record of delivery and retains a key role in the delivery of the CSeries, a programme that has received a significant order from Air Canada today, and is set to enter into service this year, which I hope will give confidence to the market for further orders and help ensure the company not only survives this blow but thrives long into the future." Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry said: The job losses announced today by Bombardier are extremely regrettable, not only for those who have lost their jobs, but also for the families, communities and the economy as a whole. My department will be proactive in determining what steps we can take to assist employees facing redundancy to provide them with advice and guidance regarding re-skilling, training and alternative employment opportunities. Officials will work closely with all those involved to ensure that the best advice, help and support are offered to all those affected employees at the appropriate time. "My department will also be offering redundancy clinics to the company and their employees. The Redundancy Advice Service works in partnership with a range of agencies including the Further Education Colleges and HMRC to provide advice and support on a range of issues. DUP MP for East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson said: "Todays announcement is devastating for the Bombardier workforce and their families. My thoughts are with all of those affected and who now face an uncertain future. Those workers must now get any help and support they require to find alternative employment or retraining. "Bombardier still remains an absolutely vital part of the Northern Ireland economy however and I would hope reassurance can be given of the viability of the East Belfast site going forward. The company have said that redundancies worldwide are necessary to safeguard the companys future and presumably enable growth. "The announcement today that Air Canada have ordered 75 CSeries jets, for delivery by 2019 is a positive sign that it may be possible to mitigate these job losses to some degree. It is obviously vital that every effort is made to secure further orders and I have asked to meet senior management of the company to see how government at a national and local level can assist in this and ensure the C-series viability going forward. "I will work with both the Executive and the UK Government to do all possible to deliver future growth in both output and employment. As an initial response to todays announcement I will be meeting the Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell later this afternoon and have arranged to speak to Anna Soubry MP, the Minister with responsibility for manufacturing at Westminster." "I hope that through positive engagement the job losses announced today might be mitigated and that Bombardier can continue to be an important part of the fabric of the city. Ukip MLA David McNarry said: "The job losses at bombardier is devastating news for the workers and their families. The First Minister and the Enterprise Minister should have their tickets booked now to fly straight to Bombardier Head Office and see exactly what this companies intentions are in Northern Ireland." INDUSTRY Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI said the news "is a terrible blow on an individual basis for the 580 workers and contractors and an equally tough blow for the Northern Ireland economy". "Bombardier represents around 10% of our total exports and almost 50% of the manufacturing jobs in Belfast as well as a deeply embedded supply chain which stretches from the North West to North Down. These are well paid, highly skilled advanced manufacturing roles in line with the current economic strategy. "This is undoubtedly a difficult period for the Bombardier leadership, management and staff but we should remain confident that Bombardier will continue to play a leading role in our economy as demonstrated by the news that Air Canada has ordered 75 of the C Series aircraft. Hopefully this signals the beginning of the commercial success of this innovative and well received aircraft and the jobs lost today can be quickly replaced. "The Bombardier news come on the back of major announcements with JTI Gallaher and Michelin. One percent of our manufacturers employ almost half of all those who work in manufacturing and 49% of turnover. We need these large manufacturers to sustain the wider manufacturing and economic eco-system. This news should be responded by a commitment to quickly introduce a manufacturing strategy and take action on the cost of doing business to improve our competitiveness and confirming NI as a great place to do business for local and FDI manufacturers." Davy Thompson of the Unite union said the job loss announcement "is the latest, cruel blow to Northern Irelands manufacturing sector". "While the scale of the losses reflect the severe market conditions being experienced by the group which has led to over seven thousand job losses globally, heavy manufacturers across the region continue to face challenging times. "The Northern Ireland Executive needs to redouble their efforts and secure alternative employment for those highly skilled workers who will be made redundant. Invest NI must now commit themselves fully to proactively seeking foreign investment in manufacturing. "We are calling for all parties to publicly support the call for a Manufacturing Strategy and establish an Investment Taskforce for the sector bringing together all stakeholders, including Unite. "Unite will continue to liaise with Bombardier management to secure jobs in Belfast and defend our members terms and conditions during this difficult period." And Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest NI, which has invested more than 800m in Bombardier, said "we have listened to the companys reasoning for this difficult decision and, while it is hard to hear, we understand why it has had to make this choice". "Todays news will be very upsetting to those working for the company, and their families," he said. "We will work closely with the Department for Employment and Learning to provide whatever support possible to help those that will be affected by the job losses, be that through redeployment into other companies, retraining or exploring the possibility of setting up their own business. "While we were fully aware that Bombardier intended to make cost reductions across its global business, the news of 7,000 jobs, 1,080 in Northern Ireland, is much greater than anticipated. "While Bombardier feels this right-sizing is essential for the business market as it stands today, its announcement of a new order of 75 CS300 aircraft by Air Canada is a positive development and I have every confidence that its commitment to the CSeries project will see the companys presence in Belfast rebuild for the future." Music lovers can enjoy free gigs in the Cathedral Quarter tomorrow Music fans can enjoy dozens of free gigs in bars throughout the Cathedral Quarter on Thursday night. Over 30 bands will play in bars including the Black Box, The John Hewitt, McHughs, Aether & Echo , The Dirty Onion, The Duke of York, Whites Tavern and the Oh Yeah centre as part of the Output Belfast music conference. The event is the countrys largest ever one day music festival and will also include talks with top music industry experts. The keynote speaker will be Steve Albini who has worked with Nirvana, The Pixies, The Manic Street Preachers, The Stooges and dozens of others. Output Belfast will be his only speaking engagement in Europe in 2016, offering delegates a unique opportunity to gain insights from one of the most acclaimed and respected figures in the music business. The project is being run by Belfast City Council in partnership with Generator Northern Ireland. The conference takes place at The MAC tomorrow, February 18 . Registration is now open at outputbelfast.com. A list of the gigs can be found here. Jesse Hughes (C), the singer of US rock group Eagles of Death Metal, gestures during their concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Jesse Hughes, the singer of US rock group Eagles of Death Metal, gestures during their concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Jesse Hughes (R), the singer of US rock group Eagles of Death Metal, gestures during their concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images US rock group Eagles of Death Metal perform on stage at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. Eagles of Death Metal, the Californian rock group who were playing at the Bataclan music hall in Paris when jihadist gunmen burst in and killed 90 people in November, returned to the French capital for a concert at the Olympia. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Jesse Hughes, the singer of US rock group Eagles of Death Metal, holds a tee-shirt prior to the start of the concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes at the concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. Pic JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes blows a kiss before the start of the concert at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, on February 16, 2016. Pic JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images Eagles of Death Metal performed an emotional concert in Paris last night to "resume their gig" after the Bataclan concert hall massacre. The rock band took to the stage at the Olympia venue in the French capital just three months after their gig at the Bataclan was targeted by terrorists last year. Struggling to hold back his tears, frontman Jesse Hughes told the crowd, "Bonsoir (good evening), Paris, we're ready for this!" before launching into their first song I Only Want You. Halfway through the track, the band stopped and Jesse led the audience in an 89 second silence, to mark the 89 people who were killed during the 13 November attack. Security was understandably tight around the event, with police surrounding the venue and the streets to ensure no further attacks could take place. The heavy police presence was comforting for many who attended the gig, including one of the attack's survivors, Florian Novac. "After the attacks... I felt apprehension even being at the movies," he told AFP. "Now (I've seen the security) I'm not afraid, I am confident." Another survivor Julien, 27, told Britain's The Guardian newspaper: It was a way of finding closure. I was afraid the atmosphere was going to be very dark and sad. But it wasnt like that. It was difficult, and yet it was a pleasure. While the concert was in many ways a tribute to those who had tragically lost their lives, it was also an opportunity for people to let loose and enjoy the music. Speaking prior to the performance, Jesse said he wanted to ensure the audience had a good time. "Rock and roll for me has always been fun, and I am not going to let anyone take that away from me or my friends," he said, according to France 24. Expand Close A crowd waits outside the Olympia music hall the Eagles of Death Metal's concert, in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A crowd waits outside the Olympia music hall the Eagles of Death Metal's concert, in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) The band certainly achieved their aim with an energetic gig, although they deliberately left out their track Kiss the Devil, which they had been playing when the attack took place in November. During their performance of one track, Jesse appeared overcome with emotion as he told the crowd: "Lets make a deal, this is an emotional moment for me so if I f**k this song up, aint no one going to get mad at me." The first UK screening of the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! has kicked off this year's Glasgow Film Festival. Two centurions greeted guests on the red carpet at the Glasgow Film Theatre - a nod to the costume worn in the film by George Clooney in his role as a film star kidnapped while shooting a Roman epic. The film, described as an affectionate look at the 1950s Hollywood studio system, sees co-star Josh Brolin play a "fixer" tasked with keeping the acting talent out of the gossip columns. Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes make up the all-star cast. The screening marks the start of a 12-day celebration of film in Glasgow. Kelly Macdonald, who starred in the 2007 Coen Brothers movie No Country for Old Men, walked the red carpet along with fellow Scots actors Paul Higgins and Paul Brannigan at the opening gala. The Thick of It star Higgins said: "I'm really looking forward to it, I love the Coen Brothers. "I met Frances McDormand once and I'm in love with her as well." Festival co-director Allison Gardner said: " It's a fantastic film and we are delighted to have the UK premiere. It's a great honour and we think people are really going to love this film. "It's very funny and it's very dark." Fellow co-director Allan Hunter said: " It's a love letter to Hollywood, but with the kind of sourness and melancholy that you'd expect from the Coen Brothers. "It's the glories of Hollywood but some of the sins of Hollywood too. And film buffs will recognise so many things in it, so that's part of the fun too." The festival will host more than 300 events and screenings before closing on February 28 with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's Oscar-nominated Anomalisa. Walking the red carpet will be Richard Gere - in Glasgow for the UK premiere of Time Out Of Mind, which sees him play a homeless man in New York - and Hannah Murray, star of teen drama Skins and blockbuster series Game of Thrones. Murray features in Bridgend, Danish director Jeppe Ronde's take on the series of teenage suicides that put the Welsh town in the spotlight several years ago. The film will receive its UK premiere at the festival, along with Urban Hymn, set against the backdrop of the 2011 England riots and starring Shirley Henderson. Although the programme was finalised before his death, there will be a chance for audiences to remember David Bowie with a screening of The Man Who Fell To Earth at Glasgow Planetarium. Showings are planned of the concert film of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and the documentary short Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under, which follows the star in the early 1980s. Around 40,000 people attended the 2015 festival, with organisers expecting a similar audience this year. The 12th Glasgow Film Festival is set to open with the UK premiere of the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! The screening of the comedy starring Josh Brolin and George Clooney marks the start of a 12-day celebration of film and one of the festival's biggest-ever programmes. Brolin plays Eddie Mannix, a "fixer" in 1950s Hollywood tasked with keeping wayward actors in line, in the release that has met broadly positive reviews. The Glasgow Film Festival will host more than 300 events and screenings before closing on February 28 with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's Oscar-nominated Anomalisa. Walking the red carpet will be Richard Gere - in Glasgow for the UK premiere of Time Out Of Mind, which sees him play a homeless man in New York - and Hannah Murray, star of teen drama Skins and blockbuster series Game Of Thrones. Murray features in Bridgend, Danish director Jeppe Ronde's take on the series of teenage suicides that put the Welsh town in the spotlight several years ago. The film will receive its UK premiere at the festival, along with Urban Hymn, set against the backdrop of the 2011 England riots and starring Shirley Henderson. Although the programme was finalised before his death, there will be a chance for audiences to remember David Bowie with a screening of The Man Who Fell To Earth at Glasgow Planetarium. Showings are planned of the concert film of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and the documentary short Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under, which follows the star in the early 1980s. Around 40,000 people attended the 2015 festival, with organisers expecting a similar audience this year. Co-director Allan Hunter said: ''The programme is bursting with must-see movies and events." The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 is celebrating all things local this month by running a food inspired poetry competition and asking everyone to write a fun poem inspired by our wonderful local food and drink. The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 is celebrating all things local this month by running a food inspired poetry competition and asking everyone to write a fun poem inspired by our wonderful local food and drink. The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 is celebrating all things local this month by running a food inspired poetry competition and asking everyone to write a fun poem inspired by our wonderful local food and drink. The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 is celebrating all things local this month by running a food inspired poetry competition and asking everyone to write a fun poem inspired by our wonderful local food and drink. The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 is celebrating all things local this month by running a food inspired poetry competition and asking everyone to write a fun poem inspired by our wonderful local food and drink. Food lovers are being encouraged to write about local products to celebrate the Northern Ireland year of Food and Drink in 2016. The #odetofood competition has been inspired by the great produce that Northern Ireland has to offer as well as one of the worlds best-known poets from Northern Ireland, Seamus Heaney, who wrote about food in poems like Digging and Blackberry Picking. Rachel Quigg, Communications and Destination PR Officer for Tourism Northern Ireland, said: We want people to have a bit of rhyming fun. We have so many tremendous local brands in Northern Ireland like Bushmills, Tayto, Abernethey Butter, Armagh Cider, I could go on, that people can use as inspiration for their poems. Not only that, some of the worlds best-known writers are from Northern Ireland, like CS Lewis and John Hewitt, so what better way of celebrating our food and literary history than combining the two in a poetry competition. Tourism Northern Ireland has supplied a number of different ways for you to upload your creative and fun poems via social media using hashtag #OdetoFood, email to odetofood@duffyrafferty.com or post on Facebook tagging @discovernorthernireland by Monday 29 February. The best poem will win one nights bed and breakfast in stunning, Laurel Villa boutique guest house in Magherafelt for two people and entry for two on the Seamus Heaney Tour. Rachel continued: You might write a poem in four lines or a couple of paragraphs as long as its inspired by our local food and drinks its a contender. We would like to encourage entries from children, as well as adults, and remember everyone to please keep them clean. To get things started, Tourism Northern Ireland have got into the spirit of things by coming up with their very own food-themed rhyme There was a young man from Newtownabreda, Who was partial to a piece of toasted Veda, He loved honey and cheese, And a big feed of peas, Potato bread, sausages and soda! For more information on Year of Food & Drink 2016 visit www.discovernorthernireland.com/yearoffoodanddrink2016. The Business Side of Green Blog is where Peter Arpin gets to interact with the community on an ongoing basis. Here, Peter will share his thoughts and ideas when it comes to helping our community move towards a more sustainable future. Peter is also looking for your ideas and thoughts to promote and share through the Arpin Broadcast Network and its affiliates, Arpin Group, Arpin Van Lines and Arpin International Group. Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster said the outcome of May's vote would "decide the direction" the region takes for the next 10 years. First Minister Arlene Foster with Bishop John McDowell and John Bowman and (right) with British Ambassador Dominic Chilcott First Minister Arlene Foster has insisted she was not attending a 1916 Easter Rising commemoration during an event marking the rebellion against British rule. The Democratic Unionist leader, who had vowed to snub centenary commemorations of the uprising, travelled to Dublin to take part in a Church of Ireland-organised talk at Christ Church Cathedral about the offensive. The church had billed it as a commemoration but later issued a statement clarifying that the discussion was "not a commemorative one but one which is designed to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising by exploring it historically". Arriving at the event, Ms Foster said she was open to listening to the different perspectives, but added that people in the Republic had to take onboard difficulties northern unionists have with the rebellion. "I was very clear when I was asked about the commemoration of the Easter Rising, the Easter rebellion, call it what you will, that I wouldn't be coming to commemorations, but I was very happy to come to a historical lecture or reflective evening," she said. "That's exactly what I'm doing tonight and I'm delighted to be in Dublin, in Christ Church tonight. "I hope that I set a tone of respect, a tone of tolerance, a tone of respecting difference as well, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the different perspectives." The rising was a seminal moment in Irish history which ultimately led to partition and the creation of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ms Foster had previously denounced the event as an attack on the state and democracy which more recently gave "succour" to violent republicans in Northern Ireland. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, also invited to the event, last month declared his disappointment in the First Minister's vow to snub commemorations of the 100-year-old rising. Expand Close Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster chats with British Ambassador Dominick Chilcott as they attend an event to mark the 1916 Rising at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. PA PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster chats with British Ambassador Dominick Chilcott as they attend an event to mark the 1916 Rising at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. PA "One of the things I think that concerns people in Northern Ireland about what happened here 100 years ago at Easter is the fact that it was used then in the 70s and the 80s to justify what happened in Northern Ireland at that particular time," Ms Foster said, in reference to the recent IRA campaign. "I think that is a very difficult thing for a lot of unionists to come to terms with and it is something I think people here in the Republic of Ireland have to reflect on as well." Asked about the Queen placing a wreath and bowing before a monument to those who died fighting for Irish independence in Dublin five years ago, Ms Foster refused to comment on whether the monarch was right to do so. Expand Close The GPO in Dublin which was seized by the rebels during the Easter Rising of 1916 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The GPO in Dublin which was seized by the rebels during the Easter Rising of 1916 "Of course, Her Majesty The Queen makes up her own decisions and I think she's a tremendous role model, particularly in Northern Ireland in terms of reconciliation," she said. "For me, I have made my position very clear, I'm here to listen, I'm looking forward to listening." She added: "I'm certainly open to listening to different narratives, I've never said that I wouldn't listen to different narratives. Expand Close Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster speaks to the media whilst attending an event to mark the 1916 Rising at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. PA PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster speaks to the media whilst attending an event to mark the 1916 Rising at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. PA "But I, of course, have a very particular view on what happened 100 years ago, and that of course is where I come from in terms of my politics." The Christ Church evening, entitled State of Chassis - Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances in Dublin in 1916, included talks by a number of Irish historians. In a statement on Monday, Mrs Foster said: I made it clear previously that whilst I will not celebrate the events of the Easter rebellion I would be open to attending a more considered discussion about events in 1916. The Church of Ireland Historical Centenaries Working Group has organised an evening of presentations from leading historians and an opportunity for discussion. This event is not a commemoration of the events of Dublin in 1916 but is in line with the type of event I indicated that I would be happy to attend. I will be attending this event and look forward to an opportunity of gaining a deeper historical knowledge of events and to hear the stories of ordinary people coming from a range of differing viewpoints. Bombardier is to cut its workforce in Northern Ireland by more than 1,000 over the next two years. The Canadian-owned aerospace manufacturer said 580 jobs would be lost this year with a further 500 to go during 2017. The move is part of an overall efficiency drive which will see 7,000 staff being axed globally. A statement said: "We deeply regret the impact this will have on our workforce and their families, but it is crucial that we right-size our business in line with market realities. "We will continue to evaluate all opportunities to significantly reduce our costs, improve our competitiveness, and boost our profitability, whilst focusing on the unique capabilities that will help shape and secure our future." Bombardier is one of Northern Ireland's largest employers and supports hundreds of other jobs through its suppliers. Unions have described the announcement as another cruel blow to the manufacturing sector, still reeling from news that factories such as JTI Gallahers and Michelin are to close. Davy Thompson, of the Unite union, said: "While the scale of the losses reflect the severe market conditions being experienced by the group which has led to over 7,000 job losses globally, heavy manufacturers across the region continue to face challenging times. "The Northern Ireland Executive needs to redouble their efforts and secure alternative employment for those highly skilled workers who will be made redundant. "We are calling for all parties to publicly support the call for a manufacturing strategy and establish an investment taskforce for the sector bringing together all stakeholders, including Unite." ICTU assistant general secretary Peter Bunting described the decision as a "real catastrophe" for the working class communities where affected workers live. He said: "In East Belfast, in Newtownards, in Dunmurry and Newtownabbey, the places where bombardier is based, families will today be seriously examining their futures. "These are good, well-paid and skilled jobs for people whose options in the private sector we have are going to be limited to work that is more precarious, worse paid and with fewer prospects. "For those families, today's decision means that hope is diminished. That is the awful reality of redundancy situations." Bombardier's annual results recorded a significant drop in revenue during the year to December 2015 - down from 20.1 million dollars to 18.2 million dollars (14m to 12.7m). There was also a slump in pre tax profits - down by 40% to 554 million dollars (388m) . However, the company has secured a new order for 75 of the C-series 300 jets from Air Canada. The cuts will affect 200 Bombardier employees and 380 agency workers, 60 of whom left last month. The company said a formal redundancy notice would be lodged with the Department for Employment and Learning which would be followed by a 90-day consultation period. Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers described the announcement as "bitterly disappointing". She said: "Bombardier is a giant of Northern Ireland engineering and these job losses will be keenly felt. I am in urgent contact with the UK Business Minister and Northern Ireland's Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell over what immediate support might be available." MP Gavin Robinson, whose East Belfast constituency includes the Bombardier plant, said the news was "devastating". Sinn Fein's Mairtin O Muilleoir called for urgent action to protect the region's manufacturing industry. Alastair Hamilton, CEO of Invest Northern Ireland, said the scale of the cuts was greater than expected. He said: "While we were fully aware that Bombardier intended to make cost reductions across its global business, the news of 7,000 jobs, 1,080 in Northern Ireland, is much greater than anticipated. "We have listened to the company's reasoning for this difficult decision and, while it is hard to hear, we understand why it has had to make this choice." Meanwhile, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union said it was "criminal" that 270 jobs were also being cut at the firm's train-building arm in Derby. General secretary Mick Cash said: "With a desperate shortage of rail rolling stock in Britain it is criminal that jobs are being axed at the UK's last train-building workshop, Bombardier in Derby. "There is plenty of work for this plant to be doing if the Government had the will to intervene. Contracts for train building are still being shipped overseas, risking the very future of train building in the nation that gave the railways to the world. "RMT will be writing to ministers demanding that they step in to end this cull of skilled train-building jobs and secure a long-term future for the Derby plant." Prominent dissident republicans Colin Duffy and Alex McCrory have been released on bail after spending more than two years in prison. Colin Duffy, from Lurgan, and Alex McCrory, from west Belfast, were released on Thursday afternoon. The pair have been awaiting trial since 2013. Defence lawyers mounted successful applications based on the delay in the criminal proceedings. They are fighting attempts to prosecute them along with Henry Fitzsimons for a series of alleged terror-related offences. The three men are accused of belonging to an IRA grouping, and attempting to murder members of the PSNI. They faces further counts of possessing firearms and ammunition, and conspiring with to murder security force members. The alleged offences are connected to a gun attack on a police convoy in the north of the city. A PSNI Landrover and two accompanying vehicles came under fire on the Crumlin Road in December 2013. Lawyers for 48-year-old Duffy, formerly of Forest Glade in Lurgan; 54-year-old McCrory, from Sliabh Dubh View in Belfast; and 47-year-old Fitzsimons, of no fixed address, are challenging the strength of the evidence against them. They contend that the three accused should not be returned for trial. Last week Fitzsimons was granted bail after spending 27 months in custody. During preliminary inquiry proceedings at Belfast Magistrates' Court today lawyers for Duffy and McCrory secured their releases from custody too. Defence solicitor Peter Corrigan confirmed: "Mr Duffy and Mr McCrory were granted bail due to the excessive delay and uncertainty over any predicted trial date." A District Judge imposed tight conditions, including curfews, electronic monitoring and daily reporting to police. The pair are also banned from leaving the jurisdiction and must surrender any travel documents. The move comes in the wake of recent controversies surrounding elements of the existing expenses system Parliamentary watchdog Ipsa is to be asked to quality assure new beefed-up expenses guidelines for Stormont Assembly members. The Assembly Commission, which oversees the running of the devolved institution in Belfast, will request that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority examines proposals to strengthen current procedures. The move comes in the wake of recent controversies surrounding elements of the existing expenses system. The Assembly has found itself at odds with Northern Ireland's Independent Financial Review Panel over whether a 150,000 contract payment should have been made in 2012. Another furore was created by an Ipsa review of expenses arrangements at Stormont, undertaken last September, that raised some concerns about apparent informal routes by which MLAs had been able to challenge declined expenses payments. Members of the Assembly Commission met for 90 minutes in Parliament Buildings to discuss the issues on Wednesday. During discussions, they agreed to ask Ipsa to assess planned amendments to the MLA handbook on expenses. The commission, which comprises Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin and five other MLAs, will also ask Ipsa to "review" the findings of its own September report. A Stormont minister has been accused of driving Northern Ireland's wedding car industry into the ground. Environment chief Mark H Durkan has pledged to meet the firms after refusing to introduce an opt-out from licensing laws available in the rest of the UK. Two years ago the Law Commission in the UK recommended that wedding and funeral cars should continue to enjoy exemption from licensing regulations. At Question Time in the Assembly, Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson told the minister: "You have completely and utterly failed the wedding car industry, and, much further than that, you have disappointed many brides and grooms. "Quite simply, you have driven the wedding car business out of business, particularly when it comes to the use of vintage cars." He asked: "Will you agree, yet again, to meet me and the industry to see whether we can hammer out a solution and a settlement of the issue?" East Antrim member Mr Dickson said the minister had promised "he would be light touch" on regulations on the use of vintage vehicles, many of which are driven only a number of times a year. Mr Durkan first of all joked that his personal experience of wedding cars "has been a negative one". He then criticised Mr Dickson saying: "He must be dying to get into the press with something. I know that it has been a quiet four or five years for the member." The Environment Minister also argued: "A lot of exemptions in the legislation have been introduced for wedding car drivers. They are classed as class C taxis." He quipped: "Indeed, some of them are very classy when you have Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and what not. "I do, though, agree that there are still concerns. For example, part-time wedding car drivers who might drive 20 days a year in their profession are expected to undertake continuous professional development or training as well as pay the full price of a licence. "I said earlier that this legislation will be due a review. It was passed in 2008, and it is a sad indictment of the Assembly that the regulations are being implemented only now. I imagine that the review will commence as soon as this summer. "I think that wedding cars will be looked at, especially as we do not have to reinvent the wheel: we can just look at other jurisdictions and see how they dealt with this matter." He added: "I do not accept that I have failed; I think that I have succeeded where others have failed in getting this through. "I will be the first to put my hand up... and say that this is not perfect. However, I will work with members and with the industry to get it as close to perfect as it can be." Steve Albini will be the keynote speaker at the Output Belfast conference in The MAC A musician and producer who has worked with Nirvana will address Northern Ireland's largest ever music conference this week. Steve Albini has also collaborated with the Manic Street Preachers and many others. He will be the keynote speaker at the Output Belfast conference in The MAC, which will be attended by more than 500 artists, businesses and creative students and will address the challenges and opportunities that the music industry presents. Organised by Belfast City Council, the conference will include panel discussions, music sessions, workshops and speed networking events. A spokesman for the organisers said: "Output Belfast will be Albini's only speaking engagement in Europe in 2016, thus offering a unique opportunity for a Belfast audience to gain firsthand insights from one of the most acclaimed and respected figures in the music business." Other panels and workshops include a session on music composition and placement in the BBC television show Peaky Blinders. At night, the emphasis will switch to live music, with free pop-up gigs at nine venues in and around the Cathedral Quarter. Belfast City Cllr Deirdre Hargey said: "The economic and cultural contribution and potential of the creative industries is widely acknowledged. "The council is committed to supporting those working in the fields of film, music, digital media and design to achieve their true economic and creative potential. "This unique one day event is designed to provide a high quality, internationally recognised conference and showcasing event that will help to underpin and accelerate the development of skills, networks and market opportunities for artists and businesses in Belfast's burgeoning music industry sector." Lorna Moore denies failing to tell authorities about Sajid Aslam's plan to join IS in Syria A Muslim convert whose abusive husband allegedly left Britain to fight for Islamic State told jurors she would never have taken her three young children to join him, saying: "They mean the world to me." Lorna Moore, 33, denied knowing teacher Sajid Aslam, 34, was going to set off for Syria while she was away on a family trip to Butlins in Skegness in August 2014. She told her Old Bailey trial that she would "never" put her children in danger and called on her husband to "grow a pair" and come back to Britain to explain himself. Moore, who is originally from Omagh, Northern Ireland, told how she met Aslam when they were in the same university halls of residence. She converted to Islam and they married three years later, going on to have three children aged 10, nine and three. Soon after the birth of their first child, she said Aslam changed and became verbally and physically abusive towards her, calling her a "f****** fat bitch". She told jurors: "He started swearing. He pushed me into a pavement. He would grab me by the hair and put my face into the toilet and say 'Does that look clean to you?' He never left marks." In 2010, Moore went to police to ask them to help evict him from the family house but they could not help, the court heard. She said: "I had got to the point where I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I had been pleading with him to leave voluntarily. "I went to Walsall police station and they basically said there was a thing called squatter's rights and they had no authority to go in and drag him out and if I wanted him out they suggested changing the locks." Two weeks later, she locked him out and he stayed with his mother for the next six months until Moore went to a Muslim cleric to ask for a divorce. On the cleric's instructions, she said: "He said I should be grateful. He said just because I was a white Muslim did not make me a special Muslim and I had to take him back in the house. I was devastated." Aslam returned but they did not live as a couple, apart from a brief reconciliation when their third child was conceived. In November 2014, Moore returned from a trip to visit family in Ireland to the "nightmare" of police searching her home. She said her older children were "scared" and "confused" about what was going on while her "little one was crying". She told the jury that she had always co-operated with the police inquiries, saying: "I wanted to help them." Defence lawyer Rag Chand said: "The prosecution case is you were intending to leave for good - is that true?" Moore replied "No" and pointed out that she had just paid 4,500 for a teaching course. On her children, the lawyer asked: "Would you take them to Syria? Would you ever put their lives in danger?" Moore replied: "Never." Quizzing her about police interviews, the lawyer said: "You are asked about the last communication with Sajid Aslam. You say if he is innocent and got nothing to hide, he should grow a pair. What did you mean?" Moore replied: "Exactly that. He has got three kids here. He knows surely, if he had any concern for the kids and he is innocent, the first thing he would do would be to get on a plane and explain to the police." She added: "I hate him for the things he has done to the kids." Moore, from Walsall, West Midlands, denies failing to tell authorities about Aslam's plan to join IS in Syria. Moore told jurors that she had a job as a project manager for NCT - National Childhood Trust - which involved working with British Army wives. The defendant, who was brought up by protestant parents, said she considered IS to be a "terrorist organisation". She said she was only with Aslam "for the sake of the children", and he had even joined the online introduction agency singlemuslim.com Moore said she had always worked and looked after the children, while her husband was more interested in computer games than helping. Moore's mother Katherine told jurors her daughter had been planning to move back to Northern Ireland with the children after completing her teacher training in 2015. But during her visit in November 2014, the defendant brought forward the move to Christmas. Mrs Moore explained to court that her daughter had become "depressed" about the difficulties of her course and looking after her children. In the end, she abandoned the plan because she thought it could be "misconstrued". Mrs Moore said: "She felt that it would be misconstrued if she did not go back. "Police were still asking her questions. She thought 'I have to go back and face what I have to face' and that's the reason she did not stay." She described her daughter as "very dutiful", "patient" and a "very good mother". She would bring her three children to Ireland for Christmas every year, but without Aslam, who found life on their farm "boring". Mrs Moore said her son-in-law could be "impatient" and "unkind" towards her daughter, and added he missed the birth of his second child because he had shrugged it off as "another false alarm". More than 70 years after the D-Day landings, 31 veterans from Northern Ireland have been awarded France's highest honour. The Legion d'Honneurs were personally ordered by President Francois Hollande after the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings two years ago for all allied soldiers who fought in France from 1944-45. At Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, 15 of the veterans were presented with their medals by the honorary French consul for Northern Ireland, Regine McCullough. Family members and other members of the armed forces heard stories of how each of the veterans served in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Giving an insight into the gigantic scale of the decisive victory for the allied forces, the veterans honoured were members of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Many of those were teenagers when they first saw combat, with one veteran navy commando celebrating his 18th birthday on the Normandy beaches shortly after being part of the landing party. After the presentation, the veterans shared their incredible stories, with some recounting the moment they jumped out of their landing craft on to the Normandy beaches. RAF veteran Andrew Nicholl called the award "a great honour to get so late in life". "It was very nice - I didn't expect to get it after 72 years," he said. "I was a serving soldier when I received my previous medals." James McCune from Co Armagh landed on Sword Beach and was tasked with looking after barrage balloons designed to repel enemy aircraft. He said he recalled "a hairy moment" when a mountain of ammunition exploded, scattering deadly shrapnel for hours. James' daughter, Valerie Hamilton, said: "It's lovely. "He wasn't well at Christmas and we weren't sure he would survive to see today, so it's really extra special." His grandson, Matthew (16), added: "I'm very proud of him, it's a great achievement. He talks about his experiences quite a lot and it's very interesting." Granddaughter Grace (13) said: "It was nice seeing the young and old soldiers together". Second granddaughter Bethany (8) added: "He's fabulous." French consul Regine McCullough explained the 31 recipients of "the highest distinction in France" from Northern Ireland joined 3,000 other veterans around the world. "Because I'm from Normandy I've always wondered what it must have been like for these soldiers to land there," she added. "To meet some of them is incredible." The award was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. Of 129 commandos there were only four of us left George Thompson served as a telegraphist in the Royal Navy. On D-Day he was part of a commando unit and landed on Sword beach. He acted as a radio link between naval ships and shore troops, calling in gunfire on enemy positions. "I was in the naval commandos. We were the first to land on D-Day. We guided the assault group in. "Of the 129 commandos in my unit, there were only four left after D-Day. I landed on the beach when I was 17 and had my 18th birthday on the beach. Only four survived, I think I'm the only one left. "We were well trained for it, we were trained all the time. It was just like an exercise in its own way, only the ones who went down didn't get up again. "After the assault group came in, the peace was established and we met the paratroopers, we went home then. "I joined a new group of commandos then and went to the Pacific against the Japanese. "We were going up to the Philippines, we were passing through when the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. We thought it was the Aurora Borealis then we later found out it was the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. "Somebody once asked me 'did you ever dream after the war?' "A psychiatrist one time told us, talk about it. She was right. When you do start talking about it, you forget about it. "When you're keeping it inside you have nightmares, when you talk about it, it seems to leave. "I don't look back, I just live my life, believe it or not, and drink dark rum." The squadron was good and our aircraft reliable Frederick Jennings 90 served as a leading aircraftman, Royal Air Force radar technician with 320 (Netherlands) Squadron which operated over France prior and subsequent to the D-Day landings as part of the main body of the squadron was transported in a tank landing ship to beach near Dunkirk a few weeks after D-Day. "Well I was in a RAF squadron, operated from France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Part of the tactical airforce, we used to bomb the Germans frequently, mainly miss them. "I was in the 320 squadron of the air force, it was a Dutch squadron, They were short of people so the RAF lent them people like me. "I joined the air force in 1943 and after leaving radar school I went straight to 320 squadron till the war finished and then for my sins I was transferred to India. "It's very difficult in that my memories are more detached, you never came face-to-face with a German in an aeroplane. It was all very distant, but it was well organised unlike some of the things that went wrong. "The particular squadron I was on was very good, the aircraft were extremely reliable. "Very, very few crashed, the bombing was reasonably accurate and well-planned and organised. On the whole it worked very well." I was flying against the bombers at night-time Frank Ferguson served as a flight lieutenant, Royal Air Force, navigator and radar operator, 264 squadron and flew dawn patrol over Normandy beaches on D-Day. He joined the RAF through Queen's University Air Squadron. "On D-Day I was flying against the German bombers at night-time. We were over the coast and the beaches and then we moved into a place called Picauville. "I was still doing defence of the beaches prior to the liberation of Paris. We came back to the UK we were on flying bombs for a while and flew against the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge, back into Lille, moved up to Holland, had victory in Holland and then went to Germany for victory there. "It's a great recognition of what we did, and being over in D-Day, revisited two years ago it was a fantastic recognition we got from the French and the accolades we got. "In Ulster we are all volunteers, there was no conscription. Ulster was the same as the colonial services, they all came and fought against the Germans." It was just bloody murder, but I look back with pride Samuel McGookin served as an able seaman in the Royal Navy. Aboard Landing Ship Tank 419, he was part of the first wave supporting the initial landings at Juno beach on D-Day. Duties included operating a rear anchor winch and gunner on a 20mm Oerlikon cannon and 12-pound anti-aircraft gun. He spent June 6-10, 1944 transporting tanks and ammunition as well as removing wounded personnel back to the UK. "Well I'm sky high and it's out of this world. "My experience is going into France and getting these people sorted out. Of course everybody chased Jerry back. "I was on a landing craft, LST tanks, we were full of tanks and ammunition and lorries and about 500 troops. "Our ship just rolled up on to the beach, the doors opened and the ramp came down and then we were on the beach. "What was it like? It was just bloody murder. "I look back on it with pride, getting this medal today and being able to help those people. That's what you're there for, it's a job. "This award today is just out of this world." There were chunks of shell flying everywhere James McCune served as a leading aircraft hand for the Royal Air Force. Landed from tank landing craft on Sword Beach on D-Day. "It seemed that long ago that I hardly believe it. I was in the RAF (looking after) barrage balloons. I joined commando training in preparation for the invasion. I was very excited to go on a tank landing craft. There were two of us in a crew. When we went out to sea our landing time was eight in the morning. We were able to touch down even with the big tank lander. They were able to bring the ramp down so close that I was able to jump ashore without even getting my feet wet. "The German air force was nearly non-existent then and the beach commander decided that the balloons were only helping the enemy to target that area and told us to cut them adrift. "We had a very hairy time after about three or four days. They had stored all sorts of ammunition and petrol and water and that sort of thing, a huge mountain of it. Something, I don't know whether it was a shell or a bomb, hit it and it was exploding for about three hours. Chunks of shells flying everywhere, I didn't think we would get through that. We went from there through Belgium, Holland and into Germany. We put the balloons up again in Antwerp and the flying bombs and rockets started then. I counted five German bombers above us. Some were flying on to London." Contempt proceedings were brought against the PSNI officer by Attorney General John Larkin QC. A serving policeman who tried to arrest one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges has been sentenced to three months in prison. Thomas Anthony Carlin was ordered to serve the period behind bars for contempt of court over his approach to Lord Justice Gillen. In an unprecedented case, the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, held that the 43-year-old had acted with premeditation and determination. Sir Declan said: "We are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that (Mr Carlin) was a man driven by self-importance and attention seeking." Before the PSNI officer was led away in handcuffs he was told that if he seeks to apologise after 28 days the rest of his sentence will be set aside. Contempt proceedings were brought against him by Attorney General John Larkin QC. Mr Carlin's actions and outburst came at the end of a ruling in an ongoing house repossession case last month. He had been representing himself in the legal battle with Santander bank over claims that he had failed to make payments on a 192,000 mortgage for a property in Co Antrim. At the end of that High Court hearing he got up and moved towards the bench, holding aloft what appeared to be a PSNI warrant card. He claimed he was going to arrest Lord Justice Gillen, before security and court staff intervened. Mr Carlin was arrested on suspicion of two counts of common assault, but subsequently released without charge. The Police Ombudsman has also launched an investigation into the incident. He faced allegations of having interrupted proceedings without justification, refused to resume his seat, approached the presiding judge, threatened to arrest him without lawful excuse and physically interfered with a court tipstaff. Mr Carlin rejected offers of legal representation and declined to apologise for his actions. On Monday, after the case against him got underway at the High Court, he repeatedly claimed he was being subjected to a malicious prosecution and demanded a jury decide his fate. At one stage Sir Declan ordered around seven of his supporters to be ejected from the public gallery when the stood up to back Mr Carlin's contention that he was being denied a fair trial. The Attorney General argued that he had acted with flagrant illegality by an unreasonable and inexcusable disruption of proceedings. As the hearing continued today Mr Carlin sought further adjournments of up to 90 days. He also sought the right to cross-examine Lord Justice Gillen, who he claimed was "unlawfully at large", but declined to give evidence as part of his overriding suspicions that the process against him was unfair. Following all submissions, Sir Declan, sitting with Mr Justice Horner, delivered a scathing assessment of the policeman's actions. The Lord Chief Justice referred to aspects of his "self-importance and attention seeking", adding that inviting his supporters to stand up in court had been aimed at abusing the proceedings and gaining publicity. "It is clear that throughout this process he has revelled in being in the spotlight," Sir Declan said. "It also appears that he has been encouraged by others who have stayed in the background but used his foolish vanity for their own ends." With no evidence to support Mr Carlin's claims that an offence had been committed, the court held that he had no lawful power of arrest. "His purported use of the powers of a constable was an abuse," Sir Declan added. The Lord Chief Justice stressed that the contempt of court jurisdiction is not directed towards the dignity of individual judges, but rather the prevention of an interference with the due administration of justice. Those powers should be used sparingly, he pointed out, and only exercised as a last resort where other less drastic remedies are not available. "The court should recognise that those who misbehave are often driven to do so when suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. "Where, however, it is necessary to act in order to protect the processes of the court an element of deterrence is a proper consideration." Ruling that Mr Carlin's behaviour crossed the threshold of custody, Sir Declan noted his lack of any contrition. The judge confirmed: "He is sentenced to a period of imprisonment of three months. "If he applies to this court after 28 days to apologise for his conduct we will remit the remainder of the term." Dressed in a blue suit, Mr Carlin showed no emotion as prison guards led him from the courtroom. Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers is on a two day trip to the US Secretary of State Theresa Villiers has met with top US lawyers to try and find a resolution to the ongoing dispute around the national security veto. The contentious disclosure issue was raised with representatives from New York law firm O'Dwyer and Bernstein during a two-day State-side visit to promote the region. It is also expected to top the agenda of meetings with senior security figures in Washington later. Speaking from the US, Ms Villiers said : "I had a discussion with the New York lawyers about how we try and resolve the remaining blockages in the way of getting legislation through to set up the legacy bodies under the Stormont House Agreement. "A nd, how we provide confidence in relation to how information will be protected, to ensure that everyone is confident that the national security veto would only be exercised where the information really does need to be protected in order to save lives and protect important techniques." The continuing political row is holding up a 150 million package of measures to address the toxic legacy of the conflict - including the establishment of a new Historical Investigations Unit. The key logjam relates to the Government's insistence on retaining the right to withhold certain classified files from the public domain. A number of bereaved families and campaigners want the papers handed over to shine a light on the shadowy world of the security services, amid claims of paramilitary collusion and misuse of agents. But the Government has insisted the release of certain top-secret documents could compromise national security, potentially benefiting Islamic extremists or dissident republicans. Controversy also surrounds the extent to which state agencies are co-operating with dozens of long-delayed inquests into deaths linked to alleged security force misconduct and collusion. Ms Villiers said discussions had centred on appeals mechanisms which would give families an opportunity to challenge any decision not to hand over documents. The Government believes the final decision should rest with the region's High Court judges while Sinn Fein wants an international panel of judges to be appointed. Ms Villiers added: "We need to emphasise, this new, independent police unit (HIU) will get everything - all the documents which are relevant to the cases which it is investigating which are held by the police, by the MoD and the Government. "They will have all of it; not redacted; not flagged up. "They can see the whole lot and then they can decide whether it is a case where criminal charges are needed and then pass that advice on to the Director of Public Prosecutions - another completely independent office. "The UK Government is committed fully to disclosure to the HIU but we do have a duty to protect information which, if it was out in the public domain, could lead to loss of life." Meanwhile, Ms Villiers said the outcome of further discussions on how the US tackles organised crime would be fed back to the new panel tasked with dealing with paramilitary activity. The purpose of the two-day visit is to brief members of the US Administration and senior figures within the Irish American community on the Fresh Start Agreement and to promote investment. Ms Villiers said there had been a "warm welcome" for the new deal. The scene of the accident near Ligoniel in 2004 Kurtis Armstrong, who was jailed for seven years after one of the worst car crashes in Northern Ireland, leaving Antrim Courthouse today after applying to get his licence back early. Picture by Justin Kernoghan A killer driver who caused the deaths of four of his "best" college friends in one of Northern Ireland's worst road accidents wept in court today during a failed bid to get a driving ban lifted. Kurtis Armstrong (31) crashed off the Ballyhill Road near Templepatrick in County Antrim in February 2004 and was the only survivor, escaping with just a broken collar bone and bruises. Graeme Waring (17), Ian Currie (18), and 19-year-olds Philip McMurray and Joseph McDonald were killed. Philip McMurray and Ian Currie were both from Banbridge, Graeme Waring from Lisburn and Joseph McDonald from Belfast. Armstrong told police at the time that as a 'restricted' driver he had only being doing 45mph and he had been distracted by one of the passengers but expert prosecution witnesses said Armstrong must have been driving at over 100mph when he careered off the road. In 2008 after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving he was jailed for seven years and banned from the road for 12 years. But eight years into the ban he was applying to the court for his licence to be restored early. Expand Close Ian Currie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ian Currie At Antrim Crown Court on Wednesday a letter was read out which was signed by the families of the four young college friends who had died objecting to Armstrong, who got out of jail in 2011, getting his licence back early. Barrister Nessa Fee, representing the PSNI, said police also objected to the application. She told the court that at 12.50pm on February 24, 2004 a very serious road traffic accident happened on the Ballyhill Road near Templepatrick when a passing lorry saw a young man - Armstrong - coming out of a hedge row as bodies were "strewn around" an accident scene and passing motorists stopped to help before the emergency services arrived. Expand Close Graeme Waring / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Graeme Waring She said it appeared death was instantaneous. Ms Fee said the four men who died were all friends at Lisburn Institute of Higher and Further Education. Ms Fee said Armstrong received a broken collar bone and minor bruises. Expand Close Philip McMurray / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Philip McMurray Armstrong entered the witness box saying he accepted the verdict of the jury in his trial and that he accepted he was responsible and was remorseful. He said: "I have a family now. I have had time to reflect," before he broke down and had to leave the courtroom for a time. Armstrong of Ivy Hill in the Mullaghglass area near Lisburn, County Antrim, was banned from driving for 12 years in 2008. Expand Close Joseph McDonald / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joseph McDonald However, after eight years he was seeking his licence back early so he could potentially drive in connection with his family's limousine hire business for refuelling and mechanical work but said he would not be actually driving clients people like young people to formals. Judge Desmond Marrinan QC on Wednesday refused the application to restore the licence early due to the seriousness of the crash and he noted the trauma suffered by the victims families had "burned deep". Ms Fee said on the day of the crash Armstrong, who was not insured, was driving a white Vauxhall Corsa car and after leaving Lisburn College around noon called at a scrapyard in Hannahstown to look for car parts before going on to the Ligoneil area. She said Armstrong, who was studying construction, lost control of the vehicle which had its springs modified. He had bought the car three days earlier for 1,000. Ms Fee said Armstrong had committed other road traffic offences in the period running up to the crash. She said the car was "ripped to pieces" in a crash an expert witness said was caused while the vehicle was driving over 100mph. She said the police attitude was that this was "one of the worst accidents they have seen in Northern Ireland". Ms Fee said Armstrong's bid to get his licence restored had caused "further injury" to the feelings of the families of the deceased pals. She said they were "shocked and upset" and were concerned at the possibility that Armstrong could perhaps drive young people to formals as part of the limo business and they said there was an "apparent lack of remorse" by Armstrong. The families said they felt "most strongly" that restoring Armstrong's licence would send out the wrong message particularly as road safety campaigns were particularly aimed at young people. Armstrong's barrister Damien Halleron said he accepted it was a difficult application and said his client is "remorseful now for what he has done. He accepts the decision of the jury." He said four families had lost their sons who would never be brought back and he said Armstrong, now a father, appreciates their loss. Mr Halleron said the law says licences can be applied to be restored as early as half way through a ban. He said Armstrong's father James (61) is retiring from a mothballed limousine business due to ill-health. He said they had waited until now to make the application because they didn't want to "throw it back in the face of the families". Jim Armstrong told the court his son had been a "typical teenager interested in girls and cars" but now has a partner and a three-year-old child and had received counselling as the boys he killed had been "his close friends, his only friends" at the time. Jim Armstrong said he acknowledged the effect the accident had on the families of the deceased boys and said although he wanted the driving ban lifted so his son could help drive limousines to garages and car washes he said Kurtis would not be able to drive groups in the car as he would need a PSV licence and would be unable to get one. He said he would not have been happy with his son driving young people around, in any case. He said Kurtis tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible and although he lives in Lisburn he does not go out to local pubs and now has family responsibilities of his own. Mr Armstrong added: "He was a boy and now he is a man". The court heard that although Kurtis Armstrong had showed remorse for what he had done during an interview with a Probation officer, the PSNI lawyer Ms Fee said as far as the families of the victims are concerned he had never admitted he was to blame for the crash. Entering the witness box, Kurtis Armstrong said he accepted the decision of the jury and that he was responsible and he had expressed remorse. He broke down and after sipping water he was only able to add: "I have a family now, I have had time to reflect" as he was left the courtroom weeping. Armstrong's barrister Mr Halleron said his client has been rehabilitated and has paid his dues to society. Ms Fee urged the judge to give consideration to police objections and the letter of objection from the families. Rejecting the application, Judge Marrinan said it was one of the most serious road accidents in Northern Ireland, the results of which had been "catastrophic". He said James Armstrong said his son is now "much more mature" but the judge said he also had to take into account the view of the victims' families. The judge said the loss of life in the tragedy "begs the question at what age should we allow young people to get behind a tonne of metal and drive on our roads". He said Armstrong had shown recklessness not just on the day of the accident but before and said he did not admit his responsibility until after a second trial. He said the trauma of the families had "burned deep" and given the seriousness of the crash he said he was rejecting the application to restore the licence. Armstrong left the court without speaking to reporters. This is the worrying image that reveals how a Northern Ireland town has been plunged into darkness by cost-cutting Stormont. It shows Lurgan at night - weeks after street lamps were replaced by cheaper LED lights. Around 8,000 LEDs have been installed across the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council area. But the move has caused controversy, with residents claiming they do not provide enough illumination. Our photo shows how the change has impacted Lurgan. In one corner a set of street lamps can be seen glowing in the gloom, while the rest of the town is in near darkness. There are around 280,000 street lights in Northern Ireland. Energy and maintenance costs more than 13m a year. LED is cheaper as the lights last longer and use less energy. A pilot scheme for the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area was announced by the then Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy last year. In total, the scheme will convert around 15,000 street lights to LED at a cost of 3m. But unhappy residents contacted this newspaper to say the LEDs were "useless". Billy Allen said LED lighting was installed in his neighbourhood in Portadown about two months ago. He called the quality of illumination "abysmal", adding: "You might as well not have lights. In the majority of cases they point on to the road, not the pavement. The road is lit, but when you're walking on the pavement it's darkness. It is like walking up a country lane. It is abysmal. "It's also incredibly dangerous. Never mind the problem of criminality, it is a hazard for people out walking who could trip and fall. "Part of the town has the old orange lights and the difference is unbelievable. "You could be walking in a well-lit area and walk around a corner into pitch darkness." Philip Kilpatrick, who lives in the Gibson's Hill area of Lurgan, said the quantity as well as quality of lights was an issue. He explained that more lights were needed to compensate for the low quality of the LEDs. "If there was a sufficient quantity then it wouldn't be so much of a problem," he said. "Where I live, the lampposts are on one side of the street, and the old orange light lit up both sides. But there is a much shorter beam with the LED lights. The side of the street they are on is lit up under each light, but there is a gap between them where there is darkness. On the other side of the street there is virtually no light, as the beam doesn't go that far over." David Jones, a Ukip councillor, said he had been inundated with complaints. "The results of the scheme where it has been in action so far are disgraceful," he said. "We have received a great number of complaints, perhaps the highest number ever on any issue, but despite contact with the lighting division nothing has changed." The Department for Regional Development said it was trying to make the best use of new technology. "The pilot project in the Banbridge and Craigavon areas aims to light roads and footways to appropriate lighting levels," it said. "It is characteristic of LED street lights to provide very good control of light distribution onto the road surface and have noticeably less light spilling into the surrounding environment. This is efficient from a road lighting perspective and helps to reduce unwanted light pollution." The department said previous adjustments to street lighting had led to concerns until the public became used to the change. "In future, most street lighting will be LED, and the older orange lights will become obsolete as manufacturers move to the new energy-efficient and long-life LED alternatives. "Any complaints received about the new LED lights will be assessed and, where appropriate, reasonable adjustments will be made to try to address the issues raised." Arlene Foster attends an event to mark the 1916 Rising at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster has insisted she was not attending a 1916 Easter Rising commemoration during an event marking the rebellion against British rule. The Democratic Unionist leader, who had vowed to snub centenary commemorations of the uprising, travelled to Dublin to take part in a Church of Ireland-organised talk at Christ Church Cathedral about the offensive. The church had billed it as a commemoration but later issued a statement clarifying that the discussion was "not a commemorative one but one which is designed to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising by exploring it historically". Arriving at the event, Ms Foster said she was open to listening to the different perspectives, but added that people in the Republic had to take onboard difficulties northern unionists have with the rebellion. "I was very clear when I was asked about the commemoration of the Easter Rising, the Easter rebellion, call it what you will, that I wouldn't be coming to commemorations, but I was very happy to come to a historical lecture or reflective evening," she said. "That's exactly what I'm doing tonight and I'm delighted to be in Dublin, in Christ Church tonight. "I hope that I set a tone of respect, a tone of tolerance, a tone of respecting difference as well, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the different perspectives." The rising was a seminal moment in Irish history which ultimately led to partition and the creation of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ms Foster had previously denounced the event as an attack on the state and democracy which more recently gave "succour" to violent republicans in Northern Ireland. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, also invited to the event, last month declared his disappointment in the First Minister's vow to snub commemorations of the 100-year-old rising. "One of the things I think that concerns people in Northern Ireland about what happened here 100 years ago at Easter is the fact that it was used then in the 70s and the 80s to justify what happened in Northern Ireland at that particular time," Ms Foster said, in reference to the recent IRA campaign. "I think that is a very difficult thing for a lot of unionists to come to terms with and it is something I think people here in the Republic of Ireland have to reflect on as well." Asked about the Queen placing a wreath and bowing before a monument to those who died fighting for Irish independence in Dublin five years ago, Ms Foster refused to comment on whether the monarch was right to do so. "Of course, Her Majesty The Queen makes up her own decisions and I think she's a tremendous role model, particularly in Northern Ireland in terms of reconciliation," she said. "For me, I have made my position very clear, I'm here to listen, I'm looking forward to listening." She added: "I'm certainly open to listening to different narratives, I've never said that I wouldn't listen to different narratives. "But I, of course, have a very particular view on what happened 100 years ago, and that of course is where I come from in terms of my politics." The Christ Church evening, entitled State of Chassis - Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances in Dublin in 1916, included talks by a number of Irish historians. Members of the public during the first major event to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising, at Dublin Castle in Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday January 1, 2016. Three flags which were flown on O'Connell Street during the rebellion were raised over Dublin Castle in the ceremony attended by President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tanaiste Joan Burton. See PA story POLITICS Rising Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness (left) alongside grandsons of James Connolly, one of seven signatories of the Proclamation, James Connolly (centre) and John Connolly following the first major event to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising, at Dublin Castle in Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday January 1, 2016. Three flags which were flown on O'Connell Street during the rebellion were raised over Dublin Castle in the ceremony attended by President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tanaiste Joan Burton. See PA story POLITICS Rising Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire The GPO in Dublin which was seized by the rebels during the Easter Rising of 1916 O Sackville Street (now OConnell Street) in April 1916, after Irish Volunteers and Citizen Army members took over strongpoints in the city centre The GPO in Dublin which was seized by the rebels during the Easter Rising of 1916 The Church of Ireland hierarchy is said to be fuming after it emerged parishioners won't be able to get to Dublin city centre services on Easter Sunday due to 1916 Rising commemorations. One of the country's best-known and most ancient cathedrals has been forced to shut its doors to worshippers on the most sacred day in the Christian calendar by the organisers of the 1916 Easter Sunday parade. Gardai have requested that the front gates of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin remain locked for Easter Sunday. In addition, a traffic cordon is being imposed from Ringsend and to South Circular Road, closing off the city centre to all vehicles from 6am. The Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Michael Jackson, has criticised the parade organisers for their lack of consultation with the churches and other faith communities who will be affected. He said: "This decision was made without consultation with the dioceses and there is a considerable sense of disappointment and sadness." Parishioners who now won't be able to attend services locally on Easter Sunday are being invited to Church of Ireland parishes in the city's suburbs. But the country's most senior Anglican churchman said: "People will, understandably, be upset not to be able to worship in their parish churches on Easter Sunday." The cordon will remain in place until 8pm on Easter Sunday. Speaking to the Irish Independent, the archbishop said he was "taken aback and genuinely disappointed that there was no consultation". He also questioned the wisdom of holding the parade on Easter Sunday and not Easter Monday. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly during The Easter Rising parade which makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 Republican Sinn Fein parade at Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is Niall ? Donnghaile during the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is Lord Mayor of Belfast Arder Carson during the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is Lord Mayor of Belfast Arder Carson during the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is Gerry Kelly duringthe Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade Pictured the Irish Republican Socialist Movement Easter Commemoration Parade as it makes its way through west Belfast to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Picture - Kevin Scott / Presseye Sunday 5th April 2015 - Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast Pictured is the Main Easter commemoration Parade in West Belfast that made its way from Beechmount Avenue to Milltown Cemetery Picture Credit - Kevin Scott / Presseye Kevin Scott / Presseye Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pacemaker Press 5/4/2015 The Easter Rising parade makes it's way along the Falls Road to Milltown cemetary this afternoon on the 1916 uprising anniversary. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker "Had circumstances been different, there might have been wisdom in those responsible for the decisions that have resulted in Easter Day being used as the day for the commemoration, asking the question: 'Why Easter Day itself and not Easter Monday?' for example." Archbishop Jackson said the Church of Ireland had adopted a pragmatic approach. He will now celebrate Easter with the congregations of Christ Church Cathedral and Sandford Parish Church combined. Afterwards, he still intends to "take up the invitation of the Government to attend the ceremony of commemoration at the GPO on what is a very significant day in the history of the State". Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin said that St Mary's Pro Cathedral was the only Catholic church that was likely to be difficult to access when the cordon was in place. She said the archdiocese was "in discussions with the organisers to try and improve access" to the Pro Cathedral, which gave shelter to people during the week of the Rising, but said that "Mass will be definitely celebrated there on Easter Sunday". But Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has already expressed concern about access to the Pro Cathedral. Expand Close Christ Church Cathedral Dublin has been forced to close because of the Easter Rising events in the city. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Christ Church Cathedral Dublin has been forced to close because of the Easter Rising events in the city. Speaking on RTE's Marian Finucane Show last month, he said: "Christians have a right to celebrate Easter." He also criticised how the faith of many of the rebels was being "clinically wiped out" by a more secular interpretation of the events of 1916. Dublin City Council failed to respond to the Irish Independent's request for comment last night. Sarah MacDonald Irish Independent Tens of thousands of commuters in Dublin are being forced onto alternative transport in the second strike on the Luas network. Trade union leaders in Siptu said they fear the 48-hour walk-outs will continue for weeks or months after there was no contact with management or mediators in the last week. The latest stoppage is scheduled to run from Thursday morning until Saturday, hitting about 90,000 passengers each day. Workers' representatives, who have been championing salary hikes of 8% to 53%, claim pay scales mean drivers can work for nine years and hit a salary of 42,247 euro or 47,941 euro for traffic supervisors. Transdev, which operates Luas under a contract with the state, has pulled bonuses worth up to 750,000 euro for the workforce of 250 but said it remains open to pay rises albeit closer to the 1-3% mark. The company is facing penalties of more than 100,000 euro every day services do not run. Siptu spokesman Owen Reidy said the workers are determined to get some form of pay rise. "We'd happily dance with anybody but the radio studio is the only place we've had talks this week," he said. "The workers are determined to get a just outcome and even those who would rather not be on the picket line are serious about reaching an agreement." Transdev said the pay claims would cost the company more than 20 million euro over five years. Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe said he was powerless to offer more money to meet the demands. A further two strikes are planned, including on St Patrick's Day. A spokeswoman for Transdev said: "We have been saying since January that we are willing to engage on pay claims." Forensic officers outside the Regency Hotel where hooded gunmen in Garda-style uniform carried out a murderous raid Veteran crime boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch had no prior knowledge of the Regency Hotel gun attack when five heavily armed hitmen stormed the building and shot dead drug dealer David Byrne, it has emerged. Security intelligence sources believe the former criminal was not involved in planning the terrorist-style assault, which was carried out in revenge for the murder of his nephew Gary Hutch in Spain. And they revealed that Gerry Hutch is "furious" with those who carried out the audacious attack on members of the Kinahan crime cartel. He blames them for prompting the revenge murder of his older brother Eddie Senior (59) four days later, they said. Meanwhile, two of the four-man gang who are suspected of being involved in the revenge murder of Mr Hutch have been formally notified by gardai of an imminent threat against their lives. It is understood gardai were acting on information that the men had been identified and blamed for the murder of Eddie Hutch. The two under-threat criminals are closely linked to the Kinahan cartel. One of them is suspected of attempting to murder exiled crimelord John Gilligan twice in the space of less than three months, while the other is a chief suspect in the shocking 2006 Baiba Saulite murder case. Mr Hutch's funeral will be held on Friday in Dublin's north inner city. In a statement at the weekend, the Hutch family claimed they were being "terrorised" by the Kinahan crime gang, who they accused of making repeated attempts to kill Gerry. They said 200,000 was paid to the Kinahans after Gary had fallen out with the family, but that Gary was then shot dead and more demands for money were made. Intelligence sources said the murder of Eddie Hutch senior was a "game-changer" for the Monk and that "all bets are off". "There is strong information to suggest that Hutch did not even know about the Regency Hotel incident in advance and that he was furious with the younger crew who carried it out," a source told the Irish Independent. Expand Close Gunmen disguised as Gardai walk calmly into a Dublin hotel, then kill a man at boxing event in a hail of bullets [File photo] / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gunmen disguised as Gardai walk calmly into a Dublin hotel, then kill a man at boxing event in a hail of bullets [File photo] "Gardai who have known him for most of his career agree that he would have nothing to do with such a reckless and risky stunt because he is old and wise enough to know the implications it would have. "What happened at the Regency Hotel was a pantomime and a stupid escapade, as far at the Monk is concerned. "He is blaming the younger lads for escalating the situation by causing Eddie Snr's murder and he is heartbroken about that," the source added. Meanwhile the Irish Independent understands that most of the six-member hit team involved in the Regency attack - five gunmen and a getaway driver - have been identified from CCTV and other intelligence sources. While one of the men has been confirmed as a middle-aged republican killer from Northern Ireland, the rest of the gang are all believed to be close associates of Gary Hutch. Irish Independent Forensic officers outside the Regency Hotel where hooded gunmen in Garda-style uniform carried out a murderous raid Garda at a scene on Poplar Row in north inner city Dublin where Eddie Hutch snr was shot dead Garda snipers will be positioned on buildings in Dublin's north inner city on Friday for the funeral of Eddie Hutch Snr. Sources said last night that the garda operation will be "very similar" to the massive operation for David Byrne's service on Monday. Senior officers were last night finalising plans for the second feud-related funeral as investigations into both the Regency Hotel and North Strand killings continue. A large crowd is expected at Friday's funeral and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is expected to pay his respects to his murdered brother. As there are some higher buildings in the north inner city, specially trained members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) will monitor events to ensure that members of the rival Christy Kinahan cartel will not be able to target the event from elevated positions. The policing plan will involve around 100 armed and unarmed gardai and will also include bomb sweeps of Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott Street and Glasnevin Cemetery, where the gangland gun victim is expected to be buried. "If anything, Friday's funeral will be much easier to police for a number of reasons including the fact that the cortege won't be travelling far from the Hutch home to the church," a senior source explained. "But it has its own particular problems, as well, including the height of some buildings in the vicinity of the church." Senior gardai held a series of meetings at Mountjoy Garda Station yesterday which will act as a control centre for Friday's event Eddie Hutch's funeral is not expected to be anything like as brash as David Byrne's was on the opposite side of the capital on Monday afternoon. The ceremony at Nicolas of Myra Church, on Francis Street, was attended by many senior Christy Kinahan cartel members. It emerged last night that most of these gangsters, including 'Fat' Freddie Thompson and Christy's sons Daniel and Christopher Kinahan, stayed on in the city and tensions remain high. A number of them are understood to be staying in a high-end hotel in the Dublin 2 area. Sources said that gardai are "very satisfied" with how Monday's event was handled and there were no major incidents. This included an event after Byrne's burial in the Belgard Inn in Tallaght, which led to heavily armed officers setting up a number of checkpoints in the vicinity of the pub. Friday's funeral will happen in the same church where the funeral mass of Gary Hutch, Eddie's nephew, was held on October 6 last. At the ceremony, Gary's family pleaded for an end to gangland killings and his aunt Bernadette called on Hutch associates not to seek revenge against those who ordered his execution in Spain, but this fell on deaf ears. Source Irish Independent Micheal Martin at the launch of the Fianna Fail policy on rural Ireland Fianna Fail has promised an extra 18 million euro to revitalise the Irish language and Gaeltacht areas. The windfall would help increase the use of An Ghaeilge and create new jobs in Irish-speaking regions. Island life in places like Inis Mor near Galway would be protected through guaranteed transport and improved broadband connections for business owners. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said: "The Irish language is a key element of our identity but this Government has shown nothing but disdain towards it. "Fianna Fail wants to undo the damage that has been inflicted on the language by Fine Gael by appointing a senior minister for Irish and for the Gaeltacht who is a fluent speaker." Last year a report said Irish is unlikely to be the majority spoken language in Gaeltacht areas in 10 years. At one stage daily speakers had fallen below a two-thirds tipping point in many parts. Mr Martin said he was positive about the language's future as more young people were speaking it. He admitted that social networks like Facebook posed a challenge but said the language was in a better position than when he was growing up. Eamon O Cuiv, spokesman on agriculture and food, said: "To further strengthen our commitment to the language, we will invest an additional 18 million euros in a specific Irish language and Gaeltacht plan, which will aim to increase the use of Irish as well as creating new jobs in Gaeltacht areas." Fianna Fail outlined plans for state-contracted ferry services to all the islands and well as the air service to the Aran Islands. A senior minister would concentrate on broader community support and development in rural Ireland while a "guarantee" in government would set targets for the availability of schools, health and social services. A state enterprise bank would lend directly to small and medium-sized businesses. High-speed broadband would be connected to the 750,000 premises where it is not commercially viable while the mobile phone signal would be boosted across the country. Mr O Cuiv said public services in rural areas should be of equivalent quality to urban areas. He added that social enterprises and co-operatives should be promoted as a proven self-help tool. "Rural schools, health services, Garda stations, public transport routes, post offices and other facilities are facing direct cuts and closures because they have been labelled inefficient. "Fianna Fail in government will ensure that as many services as possible, such as community welfare officers and health services, are based in rural communities." An "infrastructural guarantee" would roll out fibre broadband with download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second to every home and business. There would be universal access to 4G mobile phone services. Changes to the tax system and social protection would support the self-employed, like farmers, by allowing them to make PRSI contributions for jobseekers' benefits, illness benefit and invalidity pensions. Irish health minister Leo Varadkar saw one of the armed robbers flee a Spar in Carpenters Town in Castleknock The Republic of Ireland's Health Minister Leo Varadkar was caught up in an armed robbery on Tuesday night as he canvassed with supporters. Two men, one armed with a sword and the other with a gun, had just threatened staff in the Spar store and were fleeing the scene with a sum of money when the minister arrived. Mr Varadkar saw one of the armed robbers flee a Spar in Carpenters Town in Castleknock before he set out on a canvass with his constituency team yesterday evening. The Minister was unharmed in the incident. He was relieved no-one was hurt during the robbery in his local Spar, which he shops in all the time even though locals were "shocked" following the incident. A guy ran by me but it was all over by the time I arrived. Unfortunately, burglaries affect have every area of the country in recent year and Im just glad no-one was hurt or harmed, Mr Varadkar told Independent.ie. It is also understood supporters of Fianna Fail candidate Jack Chambers were also on the scene as was Green Party councillor Roderick OGorman. The robbery happened at 7pm last night on Carpenterstown Road in Castleknock. Detectives were at the store earlier interviewing witnesses who were in the area at the time. Meanwhile, a Fianna Fail canvasser has revealed it took him 10 minutes to get through to emergency services after the armed robbery in which Mr Varadkar was caught up in last night. Speaking on Morning Ireland today, Howard Mahony, a Fianna Fail canvasser and retired garda, who was in Dublin 15 last night, said that it took him about 10 minutes to get through to the emergency services. I got some sort of a recorded message, he said. That they couldnt put me through at the moment. Thats a nationwide service and I can only assume that anyone who was trying to get through to the 999 line wasnt able to. " I went over to the Minister and I told him and he seemed unconcerned by it. He said it didnt matter anyway as Roderick OGorman [a candidate in the area for the Green Party] had already gotten through. I eventually got through about 10 minutes later. I kept trying as I wanted to get a decent description of what I had seen to garda. But it took me a while. A retired garda and former candidate, Mr Mahony said he gave chase to the raiders but was unable to keep up with them. I gave chase but I was too far away. I just wanted to get a better look at them for the description for the garda." He said the issue with the emergency services was beyond politics. "This is what concerns me the most the fact I couldnt get through, the fact that I was put on hold and Mr Varadkar didnt seem all that concerned for the service that he is effectively responsible for. Speaking on the same programme, Mr Vardakar said he was "only concerned that someone had spoken to the garda. Roderick OGorman from the Green Party had already gotten through to the emergency services. My concern was that it been called in and the gardai were on their way. They arrived quite promptly." The Minister agreed it was worrying that Mr Mahony couldnt speak to someone on the Emergency Services line. But the situation that we were in a robbery had just happened a few minutes previous and the main concern was that someone had spoken to emergency services. Mr Vardakar also revealed he is due to give a statement to garda concerning the robbery and had spoken to the Minister for Justice about it. Irish Independent Heroin and cocaine with an estimated street value of half a million euro was seized (Garda/PA) Heroin and cocaine with an estimated street value of half a million euro has been seized during a raid on a house in west Dublin. A 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene in Clondalkin and is being questioned about drug trafficking. Investigating gardai said they recovered 3kg of heroin and 1kg of cocaine during the planned search on Tuesday evening. The raid was part of an operation targeting west Dublin drug trafficking gangs, they said. Other material, including what is believed to be a mixing agent, was also recovered. The man arrested at the house is being held at Ronanstown Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. Micheal Martin has accused Leo Varadkar of failing to intervene in crisis after crisis in the health service as their war of words became increasingly bitter. Mr Varadkar criticised his Fianna Fail rival's record when he was health minister from 2000-2004. But Mr Martin said the current cabinet member failed to adequately fund hospitals. He said: "I reject his assertions this morning. I would respectfully say to Leo to have a reflection on his own performance over the last two years as minister for health, when waiting lists have escalated, when you have hospital reports like the maternity report on hygiene, where was he? "He has adopted the strategy of being a detached commentator on crisis after crisis in health and has presided over inadequate and insufficient budgets for hospitals. "It would be far better for him to reflect on his time in health than trying to attack somebody who made significant gains in a whole range of fronts in our health services between 2000 and 2004, many of which including the smoking ban continue on to the present day." On RTE's Morning Ireland on Wednesday Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin had "created a whole fairytale" about his own period as minister for health. There are just days before voters go to the polls Ireland's largest trade union has abandoned its "once in a century" hope of a left-wing government just days before voters go to the polls. Siptu has conceded there is no "feasible prospect" for a coalition of leftist parties and independents forming a coalition after next week's general election. The declaration comes a year after the union's president Jack O'Connor claimed the country was at an extraordinary juncture in history which would allow the massive political swing for the first time in the state's history. But in a statement to the union's magazine Liberty, Siptu's ruling executive urged its 200,000 members to back Labour as the only way of balancing another right-wing led government. "Obviously, we would prefer a left of centre government," it said. "However, there is no feasible prospect that it can come about in this forthcoming election." The union's national executive said Fine Gael could win a majority with just over a third (35%) of first preference votes because the opposition is so splintered. "Worse still, they may fall just short of it, requiring them to rely on the support of Renua and a handful of right-wing Independents," it said. Siptu also claims a Fine Gael and Fianna Fail coalition - which has been ruled out in a televised debate by Taoiseach Enda Kenny - would be the most right-wing government in the history of the state. It ruled out any prospect of a Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein alliance, even supported by a number of Independents, because of the need for a strict transfer voting pact. The union said a future left-leaning government would require parties making compromises and facing up to difficult issues. "However, as far as this forthcoming election is concerned, the only way of depriving the right of a monopoly of power and thus protecting the basic interests of working people and their families is if Labour wins enough seats to balance them in government," it added. Despite the prediction of a possible Fine Gael majority, party leader Mr Kenny appeared to rule out such a scenario, claiming he would prefer a coalition rather than a single-party government. As the latest in a series of opinion polls showed another slide in support for the senior coalition partners, the Taoiseach insisted he remained optimistic and did not take notice of pollsters. "This was always going to be a dogfight," he said. "Did anyone think this was going to be a cakewalk or a doddle? I didn't." Health Minister Leo Varadkar also acknowledged that another drop in the polls, putting Fine Gael at 26%, signalled his party may not be the largest after February 26. "It is an election, the election is competitive," he said. "I think certainly it was never the case in Fine Gael but there was an assumption by people in the media that no matter what would happen, Fine Gael would emerge as the largest party. That might not be the case." Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said there is "a real danger that Irish voters will sleepwalk into making a decision that they will regret" next week. Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Siptu of "a betrayal of working people" over its call for a strong Labour vote. "Before a vote has even been cast, the Siptu national executive has thrown in the towel and backed a Fine Gael led government and its plans to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest in our society," she said. "This is a betrayal of working people." Ms McDonald claimed an opportunity remained to elect a progressive government. "Siptu would serve its members in a much better fashion if it would throw its weight behind this effort," she added. "It must realise that the Labour Party has abandoned the 'left of centre' space that it speaks of and that another Fine Gael led government can only mean more chaos for the people Siptu represents." A vaccine to protect against meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months Almost 250,000 people have signed a petition calling for all children to be given a meningitis vaccine following the death of a two-year-old girl. Faye Burdett, from Maidstone, died on Valentine's Day after fighting the infection for 11 days. Her story, told by her mother Jenny, has been widely shared on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Faye's family said they are enduring "a pain you cannot describe" after the toddler contracted meningitis B. A vaccine to protect against meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months. Parents who wish to have older children vaccinated must pay privately, although a worldwide shortage of the vaccine Bexsero means stocks are very low. Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hopes to have increased stocks in the UK by the summer. The NHS programme is unaffected. Mrs Burdett has published photos of her daughter, including one of her in a hospital bed just before she died. She said: "This is a photo of Faye, two years old, who sadly lost her life to this dreadful disease. We campaign for change in her memory. "Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead. She was then transferred by South Bank Retrieval Service to Evelina Children's Hospital, where her heart stopped in the ambulance. They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her. "We were given a 1% survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting. "After a few days she seemed to have turned a corner, but the sepsis started to affect her more and the decision of limb removal was made. The extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery. "She was getting tired, her little body consumed by meningitis and sepsis (blood poisoning). We had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord. "We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away. At 9pm on February 14 she finally fell asleep forever. All this in only 11 days." Mrs Burdett called on people to sign the petition asking the Government for the meningitis B vaccine to be given to all children, not just newborn babies. "All children are at risk from this terrible infection," she said. "There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11." Sue Davie, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Faye's family and friends - they know we are here to support them in any way we can. "We are using our voice to support the petition to raise the profile of meningitis, keeping it high on the political agenda and increasing awareness among the public to prevent more lives being lost to this devastating disease. "Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected. "Moving forward, we continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at-risk groups, to ensure a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis." More than a quarter of renting families in England have moved three or more times in the past five years, a survey found More than a quarter of families in England's private rented sector have moved house at least three times in the last five years, according to Shelter. The housing charity said the figures reflect the "unstable" nature of renting, which can have damaging effects on the children living in the sector. The findings, from a Shelter/YouGov study of more than 3,700 private renters, show that 27% of renting families in England have moved three or more times in the past five years. This equates to more than 400,000 families moving at least three times in the past five years across England, if the survey's findings are projected across the country. The research found that nearly half (46%) of renting parents were forced to borrow money or had fallen behind on other payments due to the costs of their last move. Alongside the strain on their finances, parents reported that the lack of stability had a damaging effect on their children. More than one in four (26%) said that moving had a negative impact, with many reporting that it left their children feeling distressed, upset and insecure. Parents reported their children's education being disrupted as well as them having to leave friends behind. The charity found that 6% of privately renting families had to move their child's school with their last house move - equating to 65,000 families across England. The charity is calling for longer-term tenancies to be introduced, to give families greater stability. It found that more than nine in 10 (92%) families said that when they are looking for a new rented home it is important they can stay there long-term if they want to. Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "Today's sky high housing costs mean private renting is no longer just a stepping stone for young adults - it's where a quarter of all families in England have to live. It's shocking therefore that it is still not fit for purpose." The charity quoted interviews it has conducted with renters, including one who said: "Every time we moved we had to find 2,000, increasing each time, for deposits, searches, admin fees." In another case, a renter said: "So when we were evicted my children had to move schools. And then they had to change again when we got evicted from there, again because the landlord wanted it back." A Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) spokesman said: "We're determined to create a bigger, better private rented sector and are attracting billions of pounds of investment to build homes specifically for private rent, which will increase choice for tenants. We have also introduced measures to ensure tenants can be confident they will get a fair deal. "With 86% of the public saying they want to own their own home, we want to ensure anyone has the opportunity to do so. That's why we've doubled the housing budget to support the boldest plan for housing by any government since the 1970s, with Government initiatives having already helped nearly 270,000 people to buy since 2010." La Gomera in the Canary Islands, where Callum Gathercole set off on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in December A British student is believed to have become the youngest solo athlete to row an ocean. Callum Gathercole, 20, crossed the finish line in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, nearly two months after starting the 3,000-mile (4,828km) race in the Canary Islands. The experienced rower, who is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol, left La Gomera on December 20 and arrived in Antigua's English Harbour in the Caribbean in the early hours of Wednesday. In doing so, in a time of 58 days, 15 hours and 15 minutes, race organisers said he has became the youngest solo rower to cross an ocean. Mr Gathercole said: "It feels amazing now to be in Antigua. "There were definitely some difficult days rowing where you knew you had to keep going in tough conditions if you wanted to continue making progress, but it was also a brilliant challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed taking on." The student competed in the arduous challenge to raise money for the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, in memory of his father who was cared for by staff before he died two years ago. He has raised more than 85,000 so far. He battled tropical storms, 40ft (12m) waves and sleep deprivation to complete the race, dubbed the world's toughest row. Mr Gathercole, originally from Surrey, has been rowing since the age of nine and has taken part in events including the Henley Royal Regatta. He has also represented Great Britain in the European and World Internationals in 2012 and 2013. To follow the progress of the race, visit: www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/race-tracker/ A casualty arrives by a search and rescue helicopter after an avalanche in the Creag Meagaidh area Rescuers were sent after an avalanche north of Lochaber A climber has died following an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands. The man was one of two people rescued earlier from the Creag Meagaidh area of north Lochaber. They were taken to hospital in Fort William where police said one of the men died from his injuries. Inspector Donald Campbell said: "Police Scotland would like to thank all rescue personnel involved in today's rescue for the rapid response and determination displayed in very challenging conditions. "Sadly, one man succumbed to his injuries and his climbing companion remains in hospital." A coastguard helicopter, several mountain rescue teams and search and rescue dogs were all scrambled to the mountain range - around 19 miles north east of Ben Nevis - after being alerted to the avalanche at around 3.15pm. The pair were flown from the area to Fort William where they were picked up by ambulances and taken to Belford Hospital. Creag Meagaidh is a mountain on the north side of Glen Spean and is in an area known for ice climbing. The local avalanche risk was described as "considerable" on Wednesday. Elsewhere, efforts to locate experienced climbers Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, on nearby Ben Nevis were suspended on Tuesday after five hours of searches due to treacherous weather conditions. The pair, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, went climbing over the weekend and were reported overdue on Monday. No foot searches took place on Wednesday because of the conditions but the search and rescue helicopter was deployed during breaks in the weather. That helicopter later had to be diverted to assist following the avalanche at Creag Meagaidh, however. A police statement said: "Police Scotland can confirm that sadly a man has died following an avalanche in the north Lochaber area earlier today. "The man was climbing with one male companion, who remains in a serious condition in hospital. "Sixty-seven mountain rescue personnel were involved in today's rescue from Lochaber, Cairngorm, Glencoe and Glenmore rescue teams in addition to police officers, a SARDA dog and the R951 helicopter." Earlier, Police Scotland said a hillwalker rescued by search teams after being missing overnight with two others in Dumfries and Galloway died. Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and Jeffrey Stewart, 74, had not been seen since they headed off in the hills around Durisdeer in the Southern Lowlands on Tuesday afternoon. The men were found 2.5 miles east of the village on Wednesday following a large-scale search involving police and mountain rescue teams, and they were airlifted to hospital where one of the men was pronounced dead. Police have not confirmed which of the men has died. David Cameron has insisted "good progress" has been made on his EU negotiations on the eve of crunch talks with state leaders in Brussels. The Prime Minister spoke with European Council president Donald Tusk ahead of the summit, where he hopes to lock down agreement of his demands which could spark the start of the referendum campaign. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "They agreed that good progress had been made in all four areas of our renegotiation, and that the draft texts presented a good basis for agreement at tomorrow's European Council, subject to the satisfactory resolution of outstanding issues. "They looked forward to continuing the discussion at their meeting ahead of the Council tomorrow afternoon." Mr Cameron was boosted on Wednesday by German chancellor Angela Merkel's declaration that most of his demands were "justified and necessary", while French prime minister Manuel Valls said it would be a "shock" for Europe if the UK voted to leave the EU. But Mr Tusk warned that there is "no guarantee" he will reach an agreement and there were issues which would be "difficult to overcome". In a letter to EU leaders, Mr Tusk said the summit on Thursday and Friday "will be a crucial moment for the unity of our union and for the future of the United Kingdom's relations within Europe". He said: "After my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly: There is still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement. We differ on some political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to overcome them." But "there will not be a better time for a compromise", he said, adding: "It is our unity that gives us strength and we must not lose this. It would be a defeat both for the UK and the European Union, but a geopolitical victory for those who seek to divide us." Mr Tusk said the aim was to reach a "legally binding and irreversible agreement which addresses UK concerns, while being satisfactory to all" and he hoped a deal would be done at the summit. Agreement at the summit would allow an in/out referendum to be held as early as June and open the door for senior Eurosceptic Tories to join the campaign in favour of Brexit. If he secures a deal Mr Cameron will return to the UK for a Cabinet meeting to agree a Government position - and he has told ministers that collective responsibility will then be suspended on the issue so that they can campaign for either side. Among prominent figures yet to show their hand is London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was called to Number 10 for talks as the PM seeks to secure his support for the "remain" camp. Mr Johnson remained tight-lipped on his stance as he emerged from the 40-minute discussion but senior sources said he would "make everything abundantly clear by the end of the week" if a deal was concluded by EU leaders. They insisted he remained "genuinely conflicted" on the issue and rejected suggestions he was seeking to exploit the issue to maximise his chances of succeeding Mr Cameron as Conservative leader. In a pre-summit speech to the German parliament, Mrs Merkel said the changes being sought by Mr Cameron were "far from being demands that are just for Britain" and that it was in her country's national interest for the UK to remain in the EU. "They are also European demands and many of them are justified and necessary," she said. "Germany will make its contribution so that a result that satisfies everyone can be achieved, if possible already at the summit beginning tomorrow," she went on. "I am convinced that it is in our national interest for Great Britain to remain an active member in a strong and successful European Union." Mr Valls told the French parliament that a Brexit would send shockwaves "that we have trouble imagining in terms of the consequences on Europe", but indicated that Mr Cameron would not be allowed to create a pick-and-choose EU. "Europe should be a place of solidarity between states and we cannot choose 'a la carte' based on what suits us," he said. "Europe is a whole that we can adapt, but we can't rework it only according to our particular interests, otherwise a line is crossed." Alongside last-minute wrangling over the EU deal, Mr Cameron is also finalising new domestic legislation designed to assert the sovereignty of the UK Parliament. The Prime Minister is expected to publish plans soon for the UK Supreme Court to act as a "constitutional longstop" to regulate the impact of EU law on the UK in a way already done in Germany. It is one of several areas of concern set out by Mr Johnson, who has questioned whether it would be a "bazooka or popgun" in taking on European judges and bureaucrats. Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve has suggested any such move would be "pointless" as it could be overridden by the UK's treaty obligations. Conservative MP John Baron complained of "poor" communication between Downing Street and party backbenchers over the issue - after a letter signed by 40 colleagues failed to secure an audience with the PM. "We've been unsuccessful in obtaining that meeting so I haven't been privy to any discussions. Boris Johnson apparently has, I wish him well," he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One. BY KEITH JACKSON BY HER VERY NAME Noriko MiyakeMcClintock personifies a bond between Japan and Australia that would have been inconceivable in the darkest days of World War II. Her plea in yesterdays PNG Attitude to locate Australian veterans of the Aitape-Wewak campaign of 1944-45, happily brought forth immediate responses from Des Martin, Donald Hook and Doug Stewart. (By the way, if you are familiar with this theatre of war in New Guinea , you might like to drop Noriko an email here.) Des Martin was kind enough to send me a copy of his communication with Noriko. Des who was a Sergeant with the 6th Australian Division that saw action in the Aitape-Wewak now lives with wife Pam in that idyllic corner of south-east Queensland called Buderim. Heres part of what he wrote: I served with 6 Australian Infantry Division during the Aitape-Wewak Campaign 1944-45. Generally speaking two Australian brigades, the 16th and 17th, pursued the Japanese forces under the command of General Adachi along the coastal littoral while the 19th Brigade plus a PNG unit, did the same inland beyond the coastal mountain range. As I recall, the Japanese forces at the time were more or less living off the land, as the US naval submarine force had cut off supplies from reaching the area. Accordingly, Japanese units were scattered throughout the area in smaller sub units which made it easier for them to subsist than if they had remained together in larger formations. The result of this was that many small units were over-run or passed by, and one was likely to run into a small Japanese patrols in areas which seemingly had been cleared of Japanese forces. Thus even the non-combat units were likely to contact a Japanese sub unit and were forced to go armed and post sentries in areas which should have been safe. I hasten to add that their condition did not impact on the fighting ability of Japanese troops, and they remained tough and skillful soldiers fighting to the last when contacted by our forces. The area along the coastal littoral was heavy tropical rain forest in most places right down to the high tide mark. There were exceptions, of course. For example, the Japanese airfield at But had been built of coral and when we arrived a number of Japanese aircraft lay abandoned for lack of fuel but otherwise in good condition. Other more open areas had been pre-war coconut plantations producing copra. Given all the years that have passed my memory is a bit faded, but I still have the impression that when we first advanced against Japanese forces around the Aitape area they were not skilled infantry fighters and were easily overcome. It seems that many were non infantry, from naval or air force units, whose parent organisation no longer existed and who had been conscripted as infantry. Later as we pursued the Japanese forces along the coastal fringe we came against seasoned infantry which made the various clashes more difficult. Japanese soldiers killed in the Aitape-Wewak area were buried where they fell and, in my opinion, it would be impossible to determine the burial sites of the 9,000 or so soldiers killed by my division during the campaign. English councils are expecting to receive a record 23.5 billion from business rates next year, the Government has announced. It will be a 400 million increase from this year , according to the Department for Communities and Local Government. It is also the highest income since business rates were introduced in 1990, the department said. By 2020 councils will be able to keep all business rates income as the Government scraps the central grant, but under current rules they will only pocket 11.75 billion next year. Local government minister Marcus Jones said: "As part of our long-term economic plan British business is on a roll. "Councils already plan on handing out discounts of 3.2 billion which supports charitable work, fills vacant shops and encourages entrepreneurs, but we want to further incentivise councils to do even more. "That's why by 2020 councils will have greater financial autonomy and be handed the power to cut rates as much as they like to boost enterprise in their local areas. "And those that do give business a helping hand will reap the rewards - keeping 100% of the additional growth they generate." The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) warned that the move towards 100% retention of business rates comes with "strings attached". Sean Nolan, senior local government advisor at CIPFA, said: "We support greater financial autonomy for councils. Funding councils from local business rates is a positive and important step. "However, these long-term opportunities come with short-term challenges. "The Government needs to be clear this new money will come with strings attached. Councils will almost certainly get extra responsibilities when the scheme is launched in 2020, and in the meantime they are facing significant grant cuts elsewhere." Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said the traffic forecasts in the Davies Commission's report indicated it would reach 40 million annual passengers by 2024 - a number it has already reached The boss of Gatwick has said he expects ministers will re-examine forecasts for passenger growth which were "nearly 10 years out" as they conduct further investigation into proposals to expand aviation capacity. The airport's chief executive, Stewart Wingate, urged them to "peel beyond the executive summary" of the Davies Commission report, which recommend the building of a third runway at Heathrow in July last year. He told the Press Association: "It's absolutely fascinating because when you look at the conclusions that were drawn it doesn't seem to be consistent with the information that was within the report." Mr Wingate claims economic impact analysis, which favoured expansion at Heathrow over Gatwick, was based on "spurious, biased forecasts" which did not appear elsewhere in the study. In December ministers postponed a final decision on which project to back and a final decision is not expected before the summer as T ransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said fresh analysis of the environmental effects was required. Mr Wingate said the impact on air quality of a third runway at Heathrow means that project would be "very open to legal challenge" if it is selected, but he also expressed his hope that estimated passenger figures would be looked at again. "We're expecting they'll want to do work looking at the traffic forecasts," he said. "The Davies Commission work was based on a set of traffic forecasts that saw Gatwick get to 40 million passengers in 2024. We repeatedly said to the Commission 'We're there already, your forecasts are nearly 10 years out'. "I'm pretty sure the Government is going to want to take a look at that." Gatwick recorded 40 million passengers in a 12-month period for the first time in October last year. Mr Wingate accused Heathrow of attempting to "paint a picture" that it could provide "significantly more" long-haul connections than Gatwick. An expansion forecast published by the Davies Commission suggested that by 2050 Heathrow would serve 133 long-haul routes compared with 131 at Gatwick. "It really doesn't matter if you expand Heathrow or Gatwick, the UK will massively benefit from a connections point of view," Mr Wingate said. "You get the same connections but the price of ours is 7.8 billion versus 18.5 billion at Heathrow. "What on Earth as a country would lead you to invest unnecessarily 11 billion more on infrastructure which passengers have to pay for?" The Commission said in November 2014 that a second runway at Gatwick will cost 9.3 billion, but the airport insists this figure includes a contingency fund for unexpected costs which is already part of its own 7.8 billion estimate. Mr Wingate expressed his hope that the Government will examine the work done by the Davies Commission and then carry out "a more thorough job and a fair job". He added: "If they do that ... then the Government will be in a position to say 'Actually the right solution for the UK is Gatwick'." Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye claimed in a speech last week that backing expansion at his airport is the only way ministers can deliver sustainable economic growth and cut the deficit. He also hit out at Gatwick's plan, saying it did nothing for the economy or job creation and lacked political support. Sir Howard Davies has previously insisted that his commission "carefully considered" Gatwick's arguments before recommending Heathrow. Coldplay will pick up a Godlike Genius gong at the NME Awards with Austin, Texas Wolf Alice were double winners at the NME Awards, on the night Coldplay were honoured for their contribution to music. The Chris Martin-fronted four piece - known for the likes of Yellow, Fix You and Clocks - took the Godlike Genius award, before playing a career-spanning set. It came a day after they were confirmed as Glastonbury headliners. Accepting the award, Martin said: "We first came here when we were just kids. It's been a long journey." He proceeded to list the NME titles his band had been nominated for during the early years, before joking how they were shortlisted for "worst album, worst band, worst haircuts" in the mid-2000s. Acknowledging the Godlike Genius commendation, Martin said: "So for us it's been a big old circle and we are so grateful for the NME for having us back. "We feel grateful for our jobs, we feel grateful for the people who work with us, and it's a big cliche but we feel very grateful for the people who listen to us and give us this love." The award was presented by Australian pop veteran Kylie Minogue, who described them as "quite simply one of the finest bands Britain has ever produced". Wolf Alice, who were nominated for six gongs and also performed on the night, picked up the best track award for Giant Peach and best live band. Rat Boy won the best new act gong, while the Maccabees were named the best British band. The night kicked off with a video montage tribute to the late David Bowie, born a short distance from the Brixton Academy venue hosting the night's awards. The 69-year-old died last month. Charli XCX took the award for best British solo act. The songwriter, who has collaborated with the likes of Rita Ora, told the crowd: "This is weird, maybe I was the only person who showed up." Yoko Ono received the inspiration award, while the Libertines' secret Glastonbury gig won best music moment. The recently reunited Pete Doherty-led four piece were shortlisted for six awards. Glastonbury again triumphed as the best festival, while organiser Emily Eavis confirmed on the red carpet that another headliner would be confirmed "in the next couple of weeks", following the announcement Coldplay would play the event for a fourth time this summer. American songstress Taylor Swift accepted the best international solo artist gong - and its signature middle finger salute statue - via video message. She said: "I got the award in the mail. When you first open up the box, it feels a little aggressive. "Then you just put it in the shelf and kinda get used to it." Foals, who opened the show, beat off competition from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Tame Impala to win best album for What Went Down. Blur's New World Towers won best music film, while Run The Jewels took best international band and Bring Me The Horizon were handed the gong for innovation. Michael Fallon bows his head before a memorial obelisk in remembrance of the British servicemen killed in the Falklands War (Crown Copyright/PA) Michael Fallon paid tribute to the British casualties of the Falklands War as he became the first Defence Secretary to visit the islands in over a decade. Around 1,400 British service personnel are still stationed on the South Atlantic islands that have remained until recently at the centre of a bitter war of words with Argentina. However former president Cristina Kirchner left office two months ago, and her succession by Mauricio Macri has raised hopes of a thaw in relations with Buenos Aires. "I hope that opportunity can now be taken," Mr Fallon said. Ms Kirchner repeatedly raised the dispute with escalating rhetoric, asserting that the remote archipelago, known to Argentinians as the Islas Malvinas, should be returned. Argentina has maintained Britain has occupied the islands illegally since 1833. After an Argentine invasion in April 1982 a British naval task force was dispatched by Margaret Thatcher to retake the islands. A total of 255 British lives were lost, with many hundreds more wounded. In Port Stanley on Tuesday Mr Fallon bowed before a memorial obelisk in remembrance of the British servicemen killed in the conflict. A handwritten note left on a wreath by the Defence Secretary read: "In grateful memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of these islands." In a 2013 referendum Falklanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Fallon criticised recent comments by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that Britain and Argentina should negotiate over the islands' sovereignty. He told the newspaper: "The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it's Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party who want to override the wishes of the islanders." He added: "The issue is how we improve relationships with rest of South America and we have the election of a new government in Argentina that may open the door to that." Mr Fallon also reiterated the Government's commitment to spending 180 million on upgrading the islands' harbour facilities and fuel infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Duchess of Cambridge will act as the role of guest editor The Duchess of Cambridge has urged society to view children's mental health as being "every bit as important as their physical health" as she began her guest editorship of the Huffington Post UK. Writing a blog to mark her role at the helm of the news site, she spoke about the psychological well-being of her own children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, saying she and William "would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it". Kate sat down to a morning conference in Kensington Palace with Huffington Post UK editor Stephen Hull, his staff and some of the mental health charities she is associated with. She has commissioned articles, blogs and videos from leading figures in the mental health sector to raise awareness about the psychological well-being of the nation's children. The Duchess wrote: "The mental health of our children must be seen as every bit as important as their physical health. "For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help, worried that the stigma associated with these problems would be detrimental to their futures." The Duchess went on to say: "We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. "We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness." From a newsroom set up in a palace drawing room, Kate used a computer mouse to launch the news website's top story or "splash" - a piece titled Never Too Young, about the importance of early intervention for those with mental health problems. James Martin, a Huffington Post executive editor, asked the Duchess if she wanted to click the button to send the story live and told her: "This is the current splash which we have on the site which is your fantastic blog." He added: "We've prepared what we call a splash, which is a hangover term from the time of newspapers when you'd splash a story on a newspaper and it's translated here into digital." As she clicked the button Kate, who wore a Dolce and Gabbana skirt and shirt by Reiss, smiled and laughed. The Duchess told all those in the room: "Can I just say a huge thank you to Stephen and obviously the huge team that's been involved in this, turning it around so quickly." Mr Hull made the group laugh when he joked: "You've been a good boss." The Duchess spent around half an hour in the editorial conference meeting, reviewing the content she had commissioned. During her editorship she launched the Huffington Post initiative Young Minds Matter, which aims to encourage a wide-ranging discussion about children's mental health. US First Lady Michelle Obama has written a blog for the site and she praised Kate for using her role as guest editor to "shine a bright light" on the issue of mental health. The Duchess's editorship is the culmination of weeks of discussions with Huffington Post UK editor Stephen Hull and she has taken a close interest in the content published on his site on Wednesday. Kate later joined four children who had been filmed for motivational videos posted on the news website under the title "Real Truth", about why adults should feel comfortable speaking to young people about their mental health. The majority of the children have been helped by the charity Chance UK which provides mentors for youngsters with behavioural difficulties and the group were joined by their adult supporters. In the messages the children talked about what they were good at and what they wanted to be, and Keira, an eight-year-old from London, made the group laugh when her long list of potential careers, including wrestler and boxer, were read out. Kate praised the youngsters for recording the messages, telling them: "Your videos are brilliant, you really got your messages across. You should be very proud." Peter Fonagy, chief executive of the children's mental health charity the Anna Freud Centre, joined the Duchess for the editorial meeting as it was announced that Kate had become his organisation's patron. He said: "I think today can actually change the way children's mental health is viewed by society - it's that big. "There's going to be millions and millions of people seeing children's mental health as front page news - it's been translated into 16 languages and viewed across the world. "There's no way without Her Royal Highness a topic like this could have made this impact." His words were echoed by Mr Hull, who said: "We feel like this is a turning point, this campaign has started, there's a movement that's started, we're leading it now but may not be leading it forever." Detectives are looking for a man described as white, of thin build, with light brown hair and glasses (Metropolitan Police/PA) An 11-year-old girl was indecently assaulted as she watched a magic show at world famous toy shop Hamleys, Scotland Yard has said. The youngster was at the store in London's Regent Street with her family on November 8, when she was groped by a man believed to be in his late 30s or 40s. Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the attack and have released a CCTV image of man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident. He is described as white, of thin build, with light brown hair and glasses. At the time of the incident - between 4pm and 4.30pm - he was wearing a mauve shirt, dark jacket and black trousers. Officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Team are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting CRIS reference 6548974/15. Staff at an overcrowded violent Victorian jail did not always know where the inmates were, a highly critical report revealed Staff at an overcrowded, chaotic and violent prison did not always know where inmates were, an inspection has revealed. Watchdogs warned "control and accountability" of those held at HMP Leicester was "very poor" as they issued a highly critical assessment of the Victorian jail. The main wing was "often chaotic" and there was a "very high" rate of assaults on staff, a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons said. Campaigners said the findings lay bare the "catastrophic" impact of prison overcrowding, while the Government said the report was an example of the need for reforms. Inspectors described basic procedural security as "poor", adding: " Staff often could not account for prisoners and we routinely found prisoners where they were not supposed to be." Unlocking and movement of prisoners to activities was "poorly controlled and at times chaotic" and during spot checks inspectors were unable to obtain an accurate account of where inmates were at any one time " because they were not monitored properly", according to the report. HMP Leicester held 325 male prisoners at the time of the inspection held in September and October last year - 50% more than the number it was built for. The report concluded that the facility had deteriorated since it was last examined in November 2013. There were 75 assaults in the previous six months - almost three times that found in other local prisons. The rate of attacks on staff was almost five times that of similar local institutions, while levels of self-harm had increased. The report also said: :: New psychoactive substances - or so-called "legal highs" - were "too readily available", while illicitly brewed alcohol was also an issue. :: Use of force was more than double that of comparable prisons. :: Conditions in the segregation unit were "terrible" and it should be closed, with cells described as cold, damp, decrepit and "not fit for habitation". :: Prisoners struggled to access basic necessities such as toiletries, clean clothes and bedding. :: Only one probation officer managed all inmates serving indeterminate sentences and other high-risk prisoners. Deputy chief inspector of prisons Martin Lomas said: "This is a poor report. "We found pockets, such as the gym, substance misuse services and the work of the Community Rehabilitation Company, where the prison was operating more effectively, but much of what we inspected had deteriorated. "Managers were aware of the problems and data was being collected, but it wasn't being used and problems were not being analysed." He said there were "few meaningful plans to effect progress", adding: " Managers should start by making the prison safer and gaining control of basic operational routines." Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said: "Leicester's performance has deteriorated unacceptably and this cannot be allowed to continue." He said a new governor has been appointed. The "inspector r eports positively on the relationship between staff and prisoners", Mr Spurr added. Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "This report sets out in stark detail the catastrophic impact of overcrowding in prisons." Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the findings " show a prison that has lost its way". Last week David Cameron set out wide-ranging prison reform proposals. The Government previously announced plans to close old Victorian jails and build nine new prisons. Only HMP Holloway in North London has been confirmed as facing closure so far. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the report "is an example of how our ageing prisons need reform", adding: " We take our duty of care to staff and prisoners extremely seriously and tackling violence and drugs must be a priority. "We will be investing 1.3 billion to transform the prison estate over the next five years, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs." When I arrived in Mount Hagen in the 1960s, the umbrella reigned supreme. Umbrellas came in two colours, black and blacker; the kinky coloured ones came a bit later. In the highlands I reckon (1) umbrellas, (2) mens jackets, and (3) can openers were at the cutting edge. So to speak. I suppose the granddaddy of all technological change was the arrival of the steel axe and bush knife but, other than those, change tended to be more subtle. FORGET mobile phones and the internet. There were more radical and profound technological changes in Papua New Guinea long before anyone dreamed up those things. No one worth his salt ventured onto the roads without one. If you owned an umbrella, it was mandatory that you parade along the road showing it off. The umbrella, apart from being a status symbol, had some radical uses. Not least was keeping the rain off. It also kept the sun off. It also had a nice pointy end that could be jabbed into anyones ribs to emphasise a point. In addition, it was useful for swatting errant and annoying little boys and village dogs. In those days just about everyone, except most Europeans, were getting around in arse grass and pulpuls. However, for the truly trendy male, nothing surpassed the formal blazer or jacket. Where they came from Im not sure. The kongkong stores sold new ones I guess but there were not really any second hand shops around like there are now. Maybe the missionaries brought them in. I know I once passed a gentleman paddling a canoe down the Fly River dressed in a very fetching black negligee courtesy of the local SDA mission. The can openers werent those clunky things with little winders or the other ones with spikes that you used to jemmy the can open. They were the neat little openers with the tiny spike and inbuilt spoon that came in army ration packs. How 10,000 highlanders obtained one each is an enduring mystery. So there you have it. The well-dressed male in the highlands in those days had a broad bark belt with tankets at the back and pulpul at the front over which he wore a tweed or business-grey jacket. Nothing on the feet, but a woven beret on the head. Beard on face and razor sharp axe or bush knife tucked into the back of the bark belt. The axe handle didnt have a wide curved handle like the European version but was tapered so it could be twirled around with ease. One of the most terrifying sights I ever saw was several hundred highlanders dressed in pulpul and tankets and glistening with sweat charging full bore swinging the axes above their heads. Thankfully it was just a display at the funeral of a prominent bigman and was not directed personally at me. On their chest, the men wore a necklace made up of small horizontal bamboo tubes (or bits of aluminium fuel line if there happened to be a convenient crashed balus nearby), designating the number of pigs owned by the wearer. At least I think thats what they meant. Over the necklace dangled the ration-pack can opener on a string. If it was cool the wearer might also be sporting a shiny coat of pig grease. It was a sartorial elegance to put those future foppish rap-geared city kids to shame. Nowadays highlands men just wear jeans and tee-shirts like everyone else and spend their time nattering on mobile phones. Oh well, such is progress. Typhoon fighter jets have been tasked to deal with the bombers. RAF jet fighters have been scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers heading towards UK airspace. The Typhoons were launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Wednesday afternoon and the incident is currently ongoing, the Ministry of Defence has said. The jets - which are part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert - are escorting the bombers south across the North Sea. An MOD spokesman confirmed that the Russian Tupolev TU 160 aircraft are in the UK's "area of interest," but have not yet entered UK airspace. The UK's airspace covers a 12-mile radius out from the UK coastline. There have been several similar incidents in the UK and other European countries over the past year, as Nato has bolstered its presence near the Russian border. In September, two Russian Blackjack jets were intercepted over the North Sea. They were flying in international airspace that the MoD again described as an area of interest. In May last year, two Russian Bear bombers were tracked flying near UK airspace near the north of Scotland. They were escorted away from the area by Typhoons but were not regarded as a threat. Vladimir Putin was accused of Cold War-style brinkmanship over a series of similar incidents with Nato aircraft across Europe, with more than 100 Russian planes intercepted in 2014 alone. But the Russian Prime Minister accused the West of starting a new Cold War itself as the military alliance presence in eastern Europe and bitter arguments continue about Syria and Ukraine. From left to right, Craig Burnett, Holliday Grainger, Jade Cohen and Rudi Barman attending a screening of The Finest Hours at the Ham Yard Hotel Stars descended on London's west end for a gala screening of the Disney epic The Finest Hours. The film, based on a true story, is set in Massachusetts in 1952 and tells the tale of the SS Pendleton that split in two during a storm, trapping 30 sailors inside, and the subsequent daring rescue by the coast guard. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the all-star cast includes Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana and Holliday Grainger. Grainger attended the gala at the Ham Yard Hotel to discuss her role as Pine's love interest in the film. Pine plays US Coast Guard officer Bernie Webber, who took a three-man boat out to the sinking tanker - losing his compass on the way. Talking to the Press Association, Grainger said: "When I first read the script I was fascinated by the story but I didn't know a lot about the character. "I didn't feel the pressure of the role until I went to Chatham and met Miriam and Bernie's daughter - she took me on a tour, we went to the lighthouse, and we stood on the 36-500, the actual boat that was in the rescue. "Hearing her talk about her mum was so helpful for me to find and flesh out the character but also scary because Miriam was hugely loved." Grainger said playing the strong character of Miriam was something she very much enjoyed. "She defies the social conventions of the time, she proposes to her boyfriend, she waltzed into his place of work to speak to his boss - which is completely unheard of. "It was her self assurance and instinct that she has that I really found fascinating and with that comes a vulnerability - that kind of mixture is something you always like to show in a character." The film opens with the first time Bernie and Miriam set eyes on each other, after falling in love over the phone. Grainger said it was "amazing" to work with Pine who she said was "very funny". She added that she has never really liked the idea of going to sea in a storm and that the film has made her think it is "something very dangerous". "The coast guard will obviously be there to save you, but I would be up for going to sea on a nice calm blue sky day," she said. Other celebrities at Tuesday night's screening included Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson, Daniel Portman from Game Of Thrones, as well as Ant Middleton and Matthew Ollerton from the TV series SAS Who Dares Wins. Former SBS operative Middleton said he could definitely relate to parts of the film. He said: "There have been many times I have been cold, on a boat and clinging on for dear life." Three of the four world-record-breaking female rowers who have just completed their journey across the Pacific Ocean also attended the screening. The search for two experienced climbers missing on Britain's highest mountain has been suspended after further bad weather. Efforts to locate Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, on Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands were suspended on Tuesday after five hours of searches due to treacherous weather conditions. The pair, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, went climbing over the weekend and were reported overdue on Monday. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team planned to resume the search at first light today but heavy snow, fog and blustery winds have forced them to review their plans. No foot searches have taken place because of the awful conditions however a search and rescue helicopter was deployed during breaks in the weather. However, that helicopter later had to be diverted to assist a rescue following reports of a separate avalanche in the Creag Meagaidh area of north Lochaber. Two members of the Ben Nevis search team were caught up in an avalanche on Tuesday but survived unscathed. Rescue team leader John Stevenson told BBC Radio Scotland: "We're expecting more bad weather so we've put everything on hold and are reviewing it. "There were high winds yesterday which have died down a bit but it's still very blustery on the hill and the areas we want to look at have had a lot of fresh snowfall blown in so they are very unstable and we wouldn't like to put people in there until there is a bit of settlement. "It's always a worry when you're putting people in to these areas. It's quite scary and very hard work in these conditions." Mr Stevenson added: "As time goes on it's very difficult, the weather conditions have been really bad and no-one has heard from them or seen them is a worry. You always have hope but as time goes on that diminishes quite rapidly." It is believed the couple had been camping behind the Charles Inglis Clark (CIC) memorial hut on the north side of the mountain. Seasoned climber Ms Slater is a graduate of Manchester University and is employed as an environmental consultant near Bradford. Mr Newton, originally from Leicester, also lives in Bradford and studied physics at the Universities of Manchester and Leeds, according to his Facebook profile. He joined Hinckley Mountaineering Club in Leicestershire in 2010 before he moved away to university, with fellow climbers there calling him a natural. David Gair, club president, said Mr Newton had a wealth of experience garnered in the Himalayas, the Alps and in Scotland. He added: "He's a quiet, unassuming and very likeable young man. "He's a very competent mountaineer and if anybody is able to deal with this situation, he can." Friends and fellow climbers have been posting messages on social media praising the search teams and voicing hope that the couple will be found safe. One wrote on the UKClimbing forum: "Great, enthusiastic young climbers. Such good role models for the sport. "I've seen them out and about in the past and follow their logbooks cos they climb routes I'd like to. I hope they are found OK. I'm crossing everything and thinking of them and the search teams." An appeal was made by Chris Denham, pastor at Hope City Church in Leeds, where Mr Newton's brother is assistant pastor. He posted a picture of the couple on Instagram with the message: "Please pray today for the safe return of Tim & Rachel (Tim is the brother of our Assistant Pastor, Ed Newton, in Leeds). "Also pray for the weather to clear which is preventing rescue teams from searching at present and for all the family. Believing for miracles to be taking place on that mountain because God is Able!" Anyone who was climbing or walking in the Ben Nevis area over the weekend and saw the couple is being urged to contact police on 101. Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. / AFP / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's president has condemned a car bomb attack in the capital which killed at least 28 people, saying it exceeds all "moral and humane boundaries". Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is determined to fight those who carried out the attack in Ankara as well as the "forces" behind the assailants. The attack during rush hour on Wednesday targeted vehicles carrying military personnel that had stopped at traffic lights. At least 28 people were killed and another 61 wounded. Deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus confirmed the explosion was caused by a car bomb. He said seven prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the attack, which he described as "well-planned". Mr Erdogan has cancelled a planned visit on Thursday to Azerbaijan following the blast. Instead he convened a security meeting with prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Mr Kurtulmus pledged authorities would find those behind the attack. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State (IS) group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. The attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. Security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south-east since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: People carry a wounded man as Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: A wounded man is carried to an ambulance after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images A police officer clears the area of an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, after assailants exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing several people and injuring scores of others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of city, in an area close to where military headquarters and the parliament are located. (Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency via AP) TURKEY OUT AP Firefighters work at a scene of fire from an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A large explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb, injured several people in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, according to media reports. Private NTV said the explosion occurred during rush hour in an area close to where military headquarters are located as a bus carrying military personnel was passing by. Several cars caught fire, the report said. Ambulances were seen rushing toward the scene. The explosion caused a large fire and dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. (IHA via AP) TURKEY OUT AP ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images TURKEY OUT Emergency workers help an injured person on the ground near the site of an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded by a car bomb targeting the military in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The bloodshed came on the heels of a string of attacks in Turkey, blamed on jihadists but also on Kurdish rebels. The bomb aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / CIHAN NEWS AGENCY / CIHANCIHAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Smoke billows from the blast site as Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Ambulances pass the blast site after an explosion hit the Turkish army's service busses in Ankara, February 17, 2016 Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 wounded according to Turkish Minister of Health Mehmet Muezzinoglu in an explosion in the Turkish capital Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people were killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish police secure the blast site after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Getty Images TURKEY OUT Smokes rises above buildings following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / IHLAS NEWS AGENCY / STRINGER / Turkey OUTSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TURKEY OUT A police officer gestures as he walks at the site of an explosion while firefighters try to extinguish flames after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded by a car bomb targeting the military in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The bloodshed came on the heels of a string of attacks in Turkey, blamed on jihadists but also on Kurdish rebels. The bomb aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / CIHAN NEWS AGENCY / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: Turkish army busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. According to Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar, at least 18 people have been killed and 45 injured in an explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel. (Photo by Erhan Ortac/Getty Images) Getty Images Firefighters work at a scene of fire from an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A large explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb, injured several people in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, according to media reports. (IHA via AP) TURKEY OUT AP A man reacts next to policemen near the site of an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / EROL UCEMEROL UCEM/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images People react near the site of an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / EROL UCEMEROL UCEM/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images An injured person is loaded into an ambulance car following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / STRSTR/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / EROL UCEMEROL UCEM/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: A firefighter tries to put out a fire as Turkish army busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. At least five people have been killed and 10 injured in an explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel. (Photo by Erhan Ortac/Getty Images) Getty Images An injured person is loaded into an ambulance car following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / STRSTR/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TURKEY OUT People react near the site of an explosion after a car bomb targeted Turkish military in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / IHLAS NEWS AGENCY / STRINGER / Turkey OUTSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TURKEY OUT Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / IHLAS NEWS AGENCY / STRINGER / Turkey OUTSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: A firefighter tries to put out a fire as Turkish army busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. At least five people have been killed and 10 injured in an explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel. (Photo by Erhan Ortac/Getty Images) Getty Images An injured person receives medical treatment by rescue workers following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on February 17, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. / AFP / ADEM ALTANADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 17: A firefighter tries to put out a fire as Turkish army busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. At least five people have been killed and 10 injured in an explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel. (Photo by Erhan Ortac/Getty Images) Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. 21 people are believed to have been killed and at least 61 are said to be wounded according to the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack on a vehicle carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images) Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the US to combat IS in neighbouring Syria and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel sharply condemned the attack, saying she was horrified by it and that her thoughts were with the families of the victims and the injured. In a statement, she said: "I'm telling the Turkish people: we as Germans are sharing your pain." She added: "In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts we are on the side of Turkey." A convoy of humanitarian aid waits before making its way into government-besieged rebel-held towns in Syria (AP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel has renewed her proposal for a no-fly zone in Syria where civilians would be protected. Her suggestion was promptly rebuffed by Russia, which said it can only be done with the Syrian government's consent. Meanwhile, more than 100 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid left capital city Damascus to be delivered to five besieged areas in the country. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. Those efforts have been clouded by intense fighting north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syria's largest city to the border with Turkey. The violence in Aleppo and lack of improvement on the humanitarian front led to the collapse of indirect talks between the Syrian government and its opponents in Geneva earlier this month. It appears also to have revived a long-standing proposal to establish a no-fly zone in northern Syria - an idea that has been repeatedly floated by Turkey and other opponents of Syrian president Bashar Assad throughout the five-year-old war. A no-fly zone would potentially create a safe haven for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians but the US has long rejected the idea, fearing it would draw its forces further into the civil war. Ms Merkel expressed support for the idea and said it could be done by agreement between Mr Assad, his backers and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Enforcing a no-fly zone has become considerably more difficult since Russia began its air campaign in Syria late last year. Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov shrugged off Ms Merkel's proposal, saying it would require Damascus's consent and Security Council approval. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised the US for not backing his country's proposals, adding that a no-fly zone would have prevented Russia's air campaign in the region and thwarted thousands of civilian deaths. In Damascus, the humanitarian delivery operation got under way despite a delay of several hours. The convoys carrying food, medicine and other assistance reached the rebel-held town of Madaya, north-west of the capital, while a 35-truck convoy was to deliver aid to the rebel-held suburb of Moadamiyeh southwest of the capital. A mobile clinic offered by the Syrian Red Crescent also entered Madaya to tend to wounded civilians. According to the agreement, aid would simultaneously be delivered to two communities in the northern Idlib province that are besieged by rebels. Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders now says at least 25 people were killed in an airstrike on one of the hospitals it supports in northern Syria. Spokesman Tim Shenk said nine hospital staffers and 16 other people were killed, including a child. The dead included patients. At least 11 people, 10 of them staffers, were injured. The previous death toll was 11. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, has said the airstrike on the hospital in Idlib province appeared to be deliberate. It could be a close call when an asteroid zooms towards us next month. Asteroid 2013 TX68 flew past Earth at a comfortable distance of about 1.3 million miles two years ago - but its due to flyby again around 5 March. Experts believe that this time it will come much closer. NASA say it will still miss our planet, but should come close enough for us earthlings to be able to see it with a telescope. It could fly past Earth as far out as 9 million miles or as close as 11,000 miles. The variation in possible closest approach distances is due to the wide range of possible trajectories for this object, since it was tracked for only a short time after discovery. Scientists at NASA's Centre for NEO Studies (CNEOS) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have determined there is no possibility that this object could impact Earth during the flyby next month. But they have identified an extremely remote chance that this small asteroid could impact on Sep. 28, 2017, with odds of no more than 1-in-250-million. Flybys in 2046 and 2097 have an even lower probability of impact. "The possibilities of collision on any of the three future flyby dates are far too small to be of any real concern," said Paul Chodas, manager of CNEOS. "I fully expect any future observations to reduce the probability even more." Expand Close Graphic indicates the cloud of possible locations asteroid 2013 TX68 will be in at the time of its closest approach to Earth during its safe flyby of our planet on March 5. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Graphic indicates the cloud of possible locations asteroid 2013 TX68 will be in at the time of its closest approach to Earth during its safe flyby of our planet on March 5. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Asteroid 2013 TX68 is estimated to be about 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter. By comparison, the asteroid that broke up in the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, three years ago was approximately 65 feet (20 meters) wide. If an asteroid the size of 2013 TX68 were to enter Earth's atmosphere, it would likely produce an air burst with about twice the energy of the Chelyabinsk event. Chodas added: "This asteroid's orbit is quite uncertain, and it will be hard to predict where to look for it. There is a chance that the asteroid will be picked up by our asteroid search telescopes when it safely flies past us next month, providing us with data to more precisely define its orbit around the sun." Bill Cosby has lost the latest attempt by his lawyers to have sex assault charges thrown out Bill Cosby has lost an attempt to have sexual assault charges against him thrown out and the criminal case appears to be heading towards an evidence hearing. In a ruling on Tuesday, the judge who refused to dismiss the case earlier this month denied Cosby's appeal against that decision. The 78-year-old TV star is accused of drugging and violating an ex-Temple University employee at his Philadelphia home in 2004 and could get 10 years in prison if convicted. The defence insists Cosby had a promise from a previous district attorney that he would never be charged over the 2004 encounter. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill, though, found the evidence of such an agreement lacking after hearing from the ex-prosecutor and others at a two-day hearing. He said the issue does not warrant an immediate appeal that would delay the scheduled March 8 preliminary hearing. "An immediate appeal from these orders would not materially advance the ultimate termination of the matter," the judge wrote in a brief order. A spokesman for Cosby's lawyers said it was unclear if they would appeal to the state Superior Court. Cosby's lawyers have argued the charges stem from a political feud between former district attorney Bruce Castor, who had declined to arrest Cosby a decade ago, and Kevin Steele, who invoked the case as he campaigned against Castor last autumn. Mr Steele won the race for district attorney and filed charges against Cosby in December, days before the deadline expired. Dozens of women in recent years have come forward and accused Cosby of sexual impropriety spanning decades. Cosby, who played Dr Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992 and has been married for decades, has denied the women's accusations. The statute of limitations has expired in most of the cases against him. Cosby, whose legal residence is in western Massachusetts, remains free on 1 million dollar (700,000) bail. China has sought to downplay reports it has positioned anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island. Foreign minister Wang Yi accused the media of hyping the issue and said more attention should be paid to the "public goods and services" provided by China's development of its maritime claims. Taiwan's ministry of national defence said it had "grasped that Communist China had deployed" missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel chain. The move would follow China's building of new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. The build-up is seen as part of Beijing's efforts to claim virtually the entire South China Sea and its resources, which has prompted some of its neighbours to draw closer to the US. The most dramatic work has taken place in the Spratly Island group, where the militaries of four nations have a presence, although similar work has also gone on at Woody and other Chinese holdings in the Paracels. "The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments," the Taiwanese ministry statement said. Relevant parties should "work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions", the statement added. Taiwan's president-elect Tsai Ing-wen issued a call for calm, saying: "We urge every party to uphold peace in settling the South China Sea dispute and use self-restraint." US network Fox News also said China had moved surface-to-air missiles to the Paracels, identifying them as two batteries of the HQ-9 system, along with radar-targeting arrays. The missiles have a range of about 125 miles, putting all forms of aircraft within reach. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr Bill Urban did not confirm any missile deployment but said the US was watching closely. "While I cannot comment on matters of intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely. The United States continues to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction and militarisation of features in the South China Sea," he said. Following talks with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, Mr Wang said he had become aware of the missile reports just minutes before. "We believe this is an attempt by certain western media to create news stories," Mr Wang said. Echoing claims the island development was largely civilian-oriented and benefited the region, Mr Wang pointed to the construction of lighthouses, weather stations and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. Suspect had agreed to appear in a documentary about petty crime called King of the Pickpockets. Bild newspaper identified the suspect as Taoufik M Photo: Spiegel A suspect in the New Year's Eve sex attacks in Cologne has been arrested after the woman he is accused of assaulting identified him in a documentary. The 18-year-old woman, who has not been named, spotted the 33-year-old Moroccan man when he appeared on a documentary about petty crime called "King of the Pickpockets" on Spiegel TV. She reported him to police and he was arrested on Saturday morning. The teenager alleges the man put his hand under her skirt, but she managed to break free. She says he then chased her and assaulted her again, before threatening to hit her when she struggled - but he was stopped by other men who were with him. While the suspect has not been named by police, Blid newspaper identified him as Taoufik M, a Moroccan man who has lived in Germany for two years. Read more Read More "The man was one of a larger group of foreigners who carried out repeated sexual assaults and physical harassment," Dusseldorf police said in a statement. When interviewed for the documentary, he denied allegations he was the leader of a gang of petty criminals operating in Dusseldorf. Sexual assaults took place in a number of German cities on New Year's Eve. Independent More than a year after President Barack Obama signed legislation designating the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn and Fleming, U.S. Rep. John Katko says the project is moving forward after a land ownership issue was addressed. In an interview with The Citizen Tuesday, Katko, R-Camillus, said he's been contact with officials representing the National Park Service and the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn. There was a little concern earlier this year, he said, due to a land issue. With the National Park Service's involvement, the agency is required to have a certain percentage of ownership in the park's land. But Katko reported that those issues have been resolved. "It's going in the right direction, though," he said. "I think it's going to start moving along. The big hurdle, I think, is being cleared." U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced in December that a land transfer agreement had been reached between the A.M.E. Zion Church, which owns the Tubman property, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Schumer, D-N.Y., urged the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice to expedite the approval process for the land deal. "It is critical that the Department of Interior and Department of Justice make this agreement a priority and quickly bring it over the finish line," he said in December. The accord must be approved before the park can be formally established. The park would include two South Street sites the Home for the Aged and Tubman's former residence and the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Parker Street. At the state level, the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council won a top prize in the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. The region will receive $500 million over the next five years for economic development projects. One of the projects included in central New York's plan is a visitors center for the Tubman park. While the park won't be open for at least another year or two, Katko said he's excited about the future of the historic sites. "I think it's going to be great for tourism here," he said. "You couple that with Fort Ontario (in Oswego County) and we're starting to get that moving. That's coming together. That's going to be a good couple of nice tourism pieces in our district." Mahdi Asali, Iran's Opec envoy, said his country will keep increasing crude exports (AP) Iran has snubbed a proposal agreed to by four oil powerhouses to cap their crude output if other producers do the same, with a senior official saying Tehran has no intention of freezing production levels. Mahdi Asali, Iran's Opec envoy, said his country will keep increasing crude exports until it reaches levels attained before international sanctions were imposed on Tehran over its nuclear programme. The remarks come a day after four nations - Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela - conditionally agreed to cap their output at last month's levels in order to halt a slide that has pushed oil prices to their lowest point in more than a decade. Oil prices recently plummeted to under 30 US dollars (20.98) a barrel, the lowest in 13 years. The four countries made their announcement following a meeting on Tuesday in the Qatari capital of Doha that pointedly did not include Iran. They agreed to act only if other producers made similar freezes. Mr Asali said the fall in oil prices should be blamed on oversupply and that it was up to Saudi Arabia and others to cut down production to boost oil prices. He said the four nations that participated at the Doha gathering could stabilise oil prices on their own - if they cut their production by two million barrels a day. "These countries increased their production by four million barrels when Iran was under sanctions," Mr Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh daily. "Now it's primarily their responsibility to help restore balance on the market. There is no reason for Iran to do so." Iran is eager to ramp up its exports now that sanctions related to its nuclear programme have been lifted, saying recently it aims to put another 500,000 barrels a day on the market. Figures from the International Energy Agency show it pumped 2.9 million barrels daily in December before sanctions were lifted. Iran used to export 2.3 million barrels per day but its crude exports fell to one million in 2012. On Tuesday, Iran's petroleum minister Bijar Namdar Zangeneh signalled the Islamic Republic has no intention of giving up its share of the market. He acknowledged that global markets are "oversupplied" but said Iran "will not overlook its quota", according to comments carried by his ministry's Shana news service. A lawyer (centre) who spoke to the media supporting student leader Kanhaiya Kumar is beaten up by other lawyers outside a Delhi court (AP) Dozens of lawyers - many with links to India's ruling nationalist party - have attacked protesters demanding the release of a student leader arrested under India's colonial-era sedition laws. The clashes began shortly before a court hearing for Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the students' union at the country's premier Jawaharlal Nehru University. Mr Kumar has been in prison since Friday. Mr Kumar was escorted onto court premises on foot by a few policemen amid reports he was punched and kicked as he was taken inside the courtroom. About a dozen lawyers threw rocks at reporters and protesters, and one of them grabbed the camera strap of an Associated Press photographer, bruising his hand and breaking his lens. The attacks and Mr Kumar's arrest highlighted allegations of increasing intolerance in India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. Mr Kumar, a left-leaning campus leader, is accused of sedition for participating in events where slogans against India allegedly were shouted along with criticism of the 2013 secret hanging of a Kashmiri separatist convicted of an attack on Parliament. His arrest took place after a student faction linked to the BJP filed a police complaint. The lawyers waved Indian flags and chanted slogans like "glory to Mother India" and "traitors leave India". Many of the lawyers seen on TV footage had been involved in similar violence on Monday when reporters and Mr Kumar's supporters were beaten outside the court premises. The violence occurred despite the Supreme Court ordering the police to ensure security ahead of the hearing. Delhi police officials said officers are trying to identify those involved in the violence but have made no arrests despite several newspapers naming the lawyers and publishing their photographs prominently. India's sedition laws were drafted by its British colonial rulers to suppress the country's freedom struggle and in recent years the country's Supreme Court has said those laws should be invoked only when there is actual evidence of incitement to violence. Pope Francis was wrapping up his trip to Mexico with a politically charged visit to the US border for a huge open-air Mass as he focused on problems of violence, exploitation and migration. He also visited a prison - just days after a riot in another jail killed 49 inmates - and he urged decent treatment for workers in a city famed for low-wage assembly jobs. The altar for Wednesday's Mass is snug against the US-Mexico border, with just a road between its edge and the Rio Grande. Clearly visible is the skyline of El Paso, Texas, where at least 30,000 people were expected at the Sun Bowl for a simulcast of the ceremony. Francis was expected to stop at the border fence and give a blessing in honour of migrants on the other side, as well as those who died trying to get there. Migration is a theme close to the pontiff's heart. He has demanded that countries welcome those fleeing poverty and oppression and denounced what he calls the "globalisation of indifference" toward migrants. That message hasn't gone down well with some in the US at a time when border apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors rose significantly in the last three months of 2015. Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Sen Ted Cruz have vowed to expel all the estimated 11 million immigrants in the US illegally and build a wall along the entire border from Texas to California. On the eve of Francis' trip, Trump criticised the pope's border stop. "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview with Fox. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." Francis came to the border metropolis of Juarez after flying out of Mexico's capital with a final tour in the popemobile and serenades by mariachi bands. His whirlwind five-day visit has focused heavily on the injustices faced by Mexico's poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable to the country's drug-fuelled violence. And he has taken Mexico's political and religious leaders to task for failing to do good for their people. On Wednesday, Francis told the 700 or so inmates gathered in the prison chapel that they cannot undo the past. But he said they have the possibility of "writing a new story and moving forward". He urged the inmates to use their experience in prison for good, to help end the cycle of violence that has torn Mexico apart in recent years. The meeting came a week after a riot at Monterrey's Topo Chico prison, where rival gang factions bloodied each other with hammers, cudgels and makeshift knives. Ciudad Juarez's Prison No. 3 is relatively calm these days. But it has seen violent clashes before that reflected the chaos outside its walls. Not long ago Juarez was considered the murder capital of the world, as cartel-backed gang warfare fed homicide rates that hit 230 per 100,000 residents in 2010. A rash of killings of women, many of them poor factory workers who just disappeared, attracted international attention. Times have changed. Last year, the city's murder rate was about 20 per 100,000 people, roughly on par with Mexico's nationwide average of 14 per 100,000 - and well below what is being seen in current hotspots of drug violence such as the Pacific resort city Acapulco. Francis also met with workers, employers and advocacy groups, warning that God will judge those who exploit workers and make them "slaves of our day" for their own profit. Francis urged employers instead to think of the type of Mexico they want to leave for their children. "Do you want to leave them the memory of exploitation, of insufficient pay, of workplace harassment?" he asked. What air will they breath? An air tainted by corruption, violence, insecurity and suspicion, or on the contrary an air capable of generating alternatives, renewal and change?" A Turkish man helps a Syrian woman carrying a wounded girl to a hospital in Kilis after a hospital in Syria was bombed (AP) People gather around the rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, on Febrary 15, 2016, after the building was hit by air strikes Russia has rebuffed claims that its warplanes struck a hospital in northern Syria in airstrikes on Monday that killed at least nine people. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the hospital report was another case in which those who make such accusations against Russia are unable to back up their claims. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said Russian warplanes targeted the hospital in Idlib province, destroying it and killing nine people. France said that such attacks "could constitute war crimes". Mr Peskov referred the parties making the accusations to the "primary source" and said they should rely on official announcements from the Syrian government. He said: "For us, in this situation, the primary source is the official announcement from the Syrian government." When pressed, he told journalists the Syrian government had made a string of announcements on who could have been behind the bombing. He also noted that Syria's ambassador to Russia said the hospital was destroyed by the Americans. The airstrikes came just days after Russia and other world powers agreed to bring about a pause in fighting that would allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the revival of Syrian peace talks. The projected truce agreed on Friday in Munich was to begin in a week but there has been no sign it would happen. Meanwhile, Syrian government troops and a predominantly Kurdish coalition of fighters advanced and captured more areas in the north from rival groups on Tuesday while pro-government forces routed extremists from a main power station in the area. Syria's state news agency SANA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces took the villages of Ahras and Misqan in the northern province of Aleppo. Separately, members of the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of Arab and Kurdish groups, captured the major town of Tel Rifaat, one of the largest militant strongholds in Aleppo. After Tel Rifaat, SDF fighters also took the nearby village of Kfar Naseh, south of the town. Intense clashes broke out on Tuesday near the village of Kaljibrin as SDF fighters tried to reach it, according to the Observatory and Aleppo-based activist Bahaa al-Halaby. If SDF captures Kaljibrin, it would squeeze rebels in their stronghold of Mareh and the adjacent village of Sheikh Issa, which is also under attack by the IS. Also on Tuesday, government forces and allied gunmen captured a power station in eastern Aleppo from IS that the extremists had used as a jailhouse. The Observatory said the station and nearby villages were captured under the cover of aerial attacks by Syrian and Russian warplanes and helicopter gunships. Meanwhile, in the city of Aleppo, insurgents repelled an attack by SDF fighters on the neighbourhoods of Hullok and Bustan al-Basha, according to Mr al-Halaby and the Aleppo Media Centre. Donald Trump said it was a compliment that Barack Obama had said he would not get to the White House (AP) Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has declared that "torture works", repeating his vow to bring back waterboarding and approve other, tougher interrogation techniques. "Don't tell me it doesn't work. Torture works, okay folks?" the billionaire told a crowd in South Carolina, site of the next Republican primary on Saturday. Mr Trump has repeatedly backed enhanced interrogation techniques for foreign prisoners and said again on Wednesday he would "absolutely" allow waterboarding, which simulates the feeling of drowning. He added: "W e should go much stronger than waterboarding. "That's the way I feel. They're chopping off heads. Believe me, we should go much stronger because our country's in trouble, we're in danger. We have people that want to do really bad things." "Waterboarding is fine, but it's not nearly tough enough." Waterboarding was practised until late in the George W Bush administration but was disavowed by President Barack Obama. A 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded harsh interrogation techniques failed to produce information the CIA could not have obtained elsewhere or did not already have. Mr Trump's comments could further alarm some Republican leaders, who fear the billionaire or Texas Senator Ted Cruz will collect the delegates needed to secure the party's nomination before a more mainstream candidate can consolidate voters' support. So-called establishment Republicans worry that Mr Trump or Mr Cruz could jeopardise the party's chances of winning in November's general election. "We do need to get the field down to Trump, Cruz and somebody," said Henry Barbour, a Republican National Committee heavyweight from Mississippi. Candidates Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Marco Rubio are jostling to be that more mainstream candidate or at least keep their campaigns afloat if they do not. Mr Rubio on Wednesday said going forward he will address audience members who use "outrageous, over-the-top and egregious" language during his events. His comments are in response to an incident on Tuesday night when an audience member shouted "waterboard Hillary!" Mr Rubio laughed at the time. Mr Rubio said on Wednesday that he did not hear exactly what the shouter said. The Democratic field is already down to two candidates - Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Saturday's Nevada caucuses are next for them, with a South Carolina primary on February 27. Both Mrs Clinton and Ms Sanders are appealing to black voters as blacks make up more than half of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina and several other southern states. For the Republicans, the only thing that is clear heading into the South Carolina primary appears to be Mr Trump's grip on the lead following his victory in the New Hampshire primary. Yulia Tymoshenko has withdrawn her faction's backing for the Ukraine parliament's ruling coalition (AP) Ukraine experienced more political turmoil on Wednesday after former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced her faction was withdrawing from the governing coalition. Ms Tymoshenko's move comes a day after prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's cabinet survived a no-confidence vote in parliament even though a majority of lawmakers declared its work unsatisfactory. The vote reflected lawmakers' fears it could lead to the collapse of the governing coalition and an early election. Ms Tymoshenko, who leads the smallest of the four factions in the governing coalition, accused its participants of collusion in a bid to protect their seats. "We consider it inadmissible to be part of that pack, which has no chance because it doesn't want to conduct reforms, protect Ukraine and renew our life," she said. President Petro Poroshenko and Mr Yatsenyuk lead the largest factions in the coalition, with 217 of parliament's 450 seats between them. They retain a majority in parliament despite the exit of Ms Tymoshenko's 19 seats. Fierce spats involving members of Mr Yatsenyuk's and Mr Poroshenko's blocs amid Ukraine's economic woes have strained public patience and eroded the confidence of the west Some well-respected reformers have resigned in the past week, citing their disenchantment with the government's cronyism and corruption. Just before the no-confidence vote on Tuesday, Mr Poroshenko's spokesman urged Mr Yatsenyuk to resign, but many members of the president's faction then refrained from voting for the Cabinet's dismissal. The fourth faction, Samopomich (Self Help), which has 26 seats, is now key to securing the governing coalition. If it follows Ms Tymoshenko's example, the coalition will face a daunting task to find other partners to keep a majority and avoid a quick election. Just who does Fran Cowling think she is? For those as yet unacquainted with the absurd posturing of this sanctimonious young upstart, Ms Cowling is the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) officer for the National Union of Students. This week it emerged that she refused to share a platform at Canterbury Christ Church University with Peter Tatchell, saying that she wouldn't take part in the debate unless Tatchell was dropped from the panel. Cowling called him a bigot and said that he supported violence against transgender people. Oh, and she claimed he was racist too, just for good measure. Yes, that's right, we're talking about Peter Tatchell. The gay rights activist who has spent almost half-a-century rooting out prejudice in the name of truth, freedom and justice, often at great risk to his personal safety and physical health. What had this courageous, principled man done to incur Ms Cowling's righteous wrath? Well, his crime was to sign an open letter in a national newspaper standing up for free speech as "one of the most precious of human rights". This followed the disgraceful attempt to exclude Germaine Greer from an event at Cardiff University. A bunch of young women at this particular nursery of enlightenment decided that the veteran feminist was in fact a vile misogynist due to her belief that post-operative transgender men weren't actually women and that her very presence on campus would pose some kind of violent threat to students' mental wellbeing. The letter that Tatchell signed pointed out "you do not have to agree with the views that are being silenced to find these tactics illiberal and undemocratic", and called on universities to stand up to attempts at such bullying, and to affirm their support for "the basic principles of democratic political exchange". In the delusional world of Ms Cowling and her chums, this translated as supporting the rights of feminists to be "openly transphobic" and to "incite violence" against transgender people (God knows where she got the racist slur from, since she has provided no evidence). Yes, simply holding a different point of view, or even supporting someone else's right to hold a point of view you yourself oppose - after all, Tatchell has been involved in many campaigns against transphobia and, indeed, racism over the years - is now considered an act of violence. This is also the world where even clapping your enthusiastic support for somebody counts as traumatic. Last year at a women's conference organised by - guess who? - the National Union of Students - union representatives tweeted that "some delegates are requesting that we move to jazz hands rather than clapping, as it's triggering anxiety. Please be mindful!" Apparently, silently waving your hands in front of your face like a lunatic was considered "a nice way to show solidarity". Clunk. You hear that sound? That's satire breaking. So, if Tatchell was surprised at Cowling's petulant hissy fit, he was naive. Speaking out for freedom of expression and for the rights of those with whom you disagree to be allowed to have their say is exactly the kind of move guaranteed to get you knocked off the platform. All in the name of progress and enlightenment, of course. To be honest, I'm amazed that Ms Cowling didn't add Tatchell's rethink on our very own "gay cake" case to her trumped-up charge sheet of thought crimes. What a missed opportunity: championing religious fundamentalists' right to freedom of conscience over the right to order an iced cake in support of gay marriage? I would have thought that would make you forever untouchable, permanently no-platformed. Tatchell's reversal on the Ashers business is a measure of the man. Far from marking him out as a bigot and a backstabber, as the petty liberal fascists like to think, it reinforces his standing as a true freedom fighter. Someone prepared to turn against the tribe in support of something far more important: the right to think, act, speak and choose for ourselves, free from political or state coercion. Whatever our beliefs, whatever our sexuality or sexual orientation, this is vital. Without it, we're lost. Shutting down debate and actively censoring speech in the sanctimonious name of protecting the vulnerable and marginalised, has become commonplace in our universities: it is the orthodoxy of the times, and the fact that its (lack of) logic is now beyond parody doesn't seem to matter. I knew we were headed in a bad direction when Queen's Students' Union decided to join many other unions across the UK and Ireland in banning a rubbish song by some gormless R&B bloke best known for being publicly twerked by Miley Cyrus. Robin Thicke was his name, not that it matters, and the song, Blurred Lines, was the biggest hit of 2013. Because it included the lines "you know you want it", it was deemed that the song was "rapey" and promoted "a very worrying attitude towards sex and consent". I wonder if anybody ever did any follow-up research on this. Did preventing the student body hearing Thicke's sleazy song on union premises have a measurable effect on sexual assaults on campus? No, thought not. All that was achieved was that a few pious student leaders got to feel very good about themselves for performing an unwarranted act of censorship. It might only have been a stupid song, but that's a very dangerous precedent to set. Indeed, it was the banning of Blurred Lines, along with other more seriously chilling moves, such as the attempt to cancel a conference discussing the cultural impact of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, which led to Spiked magazine placing Queen's on its 'red' list of universities with the most severe restrictions on free speech. It was one of 63 universities graded red, indicating it has "banned and actively censored ideas on campus". Ulster University was classified 'amber', meaning it has "chilled free speech through intervention". What's happening in our education system, in our culture as a whole, that we are raising up this new generation of preachy, moralistic puritans - of the secular, rather than the religious variety, but every bit as blinkered - who are so determined to stamp out and silence any views that diverge from their own? I know I'm not the only one who fears that we have a particular problem with this mindset in Northern Ireland, where old-fashioned sectarianism seems to be transmuting itself into a new form of highly intolerant, highly immature identity politics. If you're not with us you're against us, right? Maybe it's something in the water. The EU appears to be saying it wants us to stay, yet seems to be fuelling the Leave vote. There definitely seems to be mixed messages coming from Brussels about Brexit. And one does have to ask: what do they really mean? On the one hand, they are talking about the British exit destabilising the rest of the EU and how they should punish us for leaving. Yet, on the other, they threaten us with congestion charges in every town. Now, while there is no indication that this is aimed at the British motorist, surely the threat of such congestion charges must make motorists think when it comes to the referendum? The German ministers are threatening Britain with trade sanctions if we leave. Well, in my book, that is the sort of threat that will get the British back up. When David Cameron started talking about reducing the numbers of immigrants from Eastern Europe, he was given a strong "Nien". The Schengen Agreement? Now it's on the verge of collapse - Germany is reinforcing its borders. Sir John Major warned that the EU was on the verge of forcing Britain out. So which is it? BILL PIPER Ukip, North Down If President Barack Obama wants to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. Rep. John Katko says he should find someone who will be acceptable to the Senate Republican majority. Katko, R-Camillus, said Tuesday during an hour-long interview with The Citizen's editorial board that Obama should nominate a replacement and the Senate should, at the very least, consider the president's choice. "If the Senate wants to vote if the president brings the right guy up that's great," he said. "If he doesn't, well, then it's not going to go. I think everyone knows that. I don't think there's any magic to it. This is what we've been doing for over 200 years." Scalia, who served on the Supreme Court for nearly 30 years, passed away Saturday at a ranch in Texas. He was 79. Almost immediately after news of Scalia's death broke, Senate Republicans said the next president should get to decide who replaces the conservative judge. Some members of the GOP have said that the Senate shouldn't vote on anyone Obama nominates to fill the post. If the Senate doesn't confirm Scalia's replacement this year, the Supreme Court will have to operate with eight justices for the remainder of the current session and the beginning of the 2016-17 session. Some Supreme Court observers have suggested that there are a few candidates who could be acceptable to Senate Republicans. The list includes Sri Srinivasan, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, who was confirmed by a 97-0 vote in 2013. Katko said if Obama wants to get a Supreme Court nominee through the Senate, he's going to need someone "palatable" to Republicans. "That's pretty simple," he said. "And if he's going to get someone in there that's absolutely not palatable for whatever reason, that's not going to work either." Obama said he intends to nominate someone for the seat. It is the third Supreme Court vacancy during his two terms in office. His previous nominees were Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. Both were confirmed with bipartisan support in the Senate. A new study of 15 to 24 year olds, released today by Electric Ireland reveals 4 in 5 young people feel the Irish public have a negative view of them with the vast majority (71%) citing the media as the reason for this misrepresentation. Almost 1 in 3 young people reported a lack of confidence and an enormous 57% feel that the media has contributed to that. The research was commissioned by Electric Ireland to mark its sponsorship of the Young St. Vincent de Paul (Young SVP) Youth Development programme, which encourages young people to get involved in social action and promotes their social and personal development. Results demonstrate a disconnect between how young people in Ireland today feel they are perceived, versus how they really are. When asked in more detail about how the media portrays them, 74% of young people say media exaggerate stories about youths today. In stark contrast, when asked, only 24% believe Irish people have actually had a bad experience of young people, suggesting that the media has a strong influence on Irish peoples attitudes. However, 65% of young people feel that Irish adults dont take the time to get to know or understand them. Of the respondents who have been part of the Young SVP programme, 57% say it made them more confident, 62% say it made them more aware of social justice, 48% more ready to help other people, and, amazingly, 39% felt the programme made them more job ready. To coincide with the release of the survey, Electric Ireland has created a short film titled #WhatDoYouSee. Available to view on www.WhatDoYouSee.ie, the film uses technology enabling a mobile in-browser, dual-messaging experience showcasing two perspectives of teens in Ireland, challenging the viewer to have a smarter perception of youth participation in the community. Jim Dollard, Executive Director, Electric Ireland, commented: The survey results showing that young people feel the media have a negative view of them really came as a surprise. We are concerned that teens think people view them negatively, which is anything but the truth. At Electric Ireland we know the potential of young people in Ireland and continuously champion them through our sport, music and charity partnerships. The hope is that the Young SVP programme makes them more confident and helps them to grow and develop on a personal level. Through the support of Young SVP, Electric Ireland ensures its commitment to Smarter Living reaches even the most vulnerable in society and empowers young people in Ireland to make a positive impact today. Commenting on the survey results, Kieran Stafford, National Vice President at SVP said: The results of the research speak for themselves; young people in Ireland are doing amazing things, and everyone should be doing more to celebrate this. We are thrilled to be supported by Electric Ireland on this and other programmes so we can reach thousands of young people across the country and help those young people express their true value to society. Electric Ireland has had a long standing partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, working together to provide assistance to any customers experiencing financial difficulty. In addition to financial support, Electric Ireland works closely with SVP to encourage use of PAYG (pay as you go) meters in assisting customers to manage their ongoing usage whilst repaying accumulated arrears as well as encouraging its customers to be energy efficient and budget savvy. SVP Conferences often work directly with Electric Ireland to help customers manage their energy bills. Spotify founder, Daniel Ek, believes that his firm saved the music industry from constant decline during the download era. Mr Ek's service has been criticised for not being lucrative enough for artists even though it is now nearing 30 million paid subscribers. The streaming giant CEO was responding to a question on Quora about artists' claims that Spotify and other similar services were harmful to the music industry. "Many people dont realize that the music industry was in decline throughout all the download years (with a one year exception in which it was basically flat). Now, finally, after years and years of decline, music is growing again, streaming is behind the growth in music, and Spotify is behind the growth in streaming," Mr Ek said. He went on to say that the industry is changing from an 'ownership' model to an access model, not dissimilar to the changes occurring in the car, publishing and news industries. Mr Ek said that change in any industry can be 'challenging' and insists that Spotify 'gets it' when it comes to peoples' objection to the move to streaming services. "Look, we pay the great majority of our revenue back to the music industry. And as we grow, that revenue is really making a difference. "So ultimately, we think the best measure of our contribution to the industry will be results - results that will give thousands and thousands of artists, songwriters, producers and so on the chance to do what they love, and their fans love, while being paid fairly for doing it," Mr Ek said. The Spotify chief was speaking as his firm nears almost 30 million paying subscribers. According to a report in the Financial Times, the streaming giant has gained a substantial amount of paying users in the opening month and a half of 2016. The paper cites people familiar with the matter who believe that the firm will hit the 30 million mark in the next three months. Lent doesn't get a lot of love in the evangelical world, but there is incredible value in voluntarily giving something up for a period of time to refocus your mind and heart on Jesus. Lent starts today and runs for 40 days through March 24. If you're looking to give something up for Lent as a way to refocus your life on Jesus, here are 1o meaningful things you can give up for Lent this year. Now, as a disclaimer, understand that many of these will hurt you a little bit. They will cause discomfort. That's the point: by depriving ourselves of what we crave, we remind ourselves that our ultimate satisfaction comes only from God. For it to be meaningful, it has to be a genuine sacrifice for you. Here are 10 meaning things you can give up for Lent: 1. Food This is where many people end up for Lent. Is overeating an issue for you? Does your sweet tooth dominate your eating habits? Is there a comfort food that you've come to rely on too much? Maybe it's a meal a day or a certain type of food, but food is a very common item to give up for Lent. 2. Social Media Is social media the first thing you check in the morning and the last thing you check at night? How many times a day do you scroll through your social media news feed? Social media can become an addiction and a distraction like most anything else. Perhaps you need to give up social media for Lent. 3. Television How many hours a day are you plopped down in the living room watching something when you should be up doing something? Has television come to dominate your time? Perhaps you need to give up your favorite television shows or television as a whole for Lent. 4. Internet Perhaps you're an internet junkie, constantly watching YouTube, scouring your favorite news sites or (if you're honest) looking at pornography online. Is the internet bringing out the best in you? If not, unplugging from the internet for 40 days could revolutionize your relationship with God. 5. (Video) Games Are you a gamer? Do you lose hours of sleep each night playing the latest Call of Duty? Are you constantly on your phone playing the latest iPhone game? If games have become a distraction to you, then this could be a very meaningful thing to give up for Lent. 6. Intimacy This doesn't apply to married people (no hate mail from the husbands please). But if you're honest, perhaps you're hitting the dating scene too hard, making too many compromises and ending up with too many regrets. Maybe a 40-day fast from anything sexual could be the first step towards getting your relationship with God right. 7. Alcohol I know you say you only drink socially and that you can stop anytime you want. Can you? Can you really? Then why not give up alcohol for Lent? Why not give it up as a way to refocus your mind and your heart on Jesus, the One who gives ultimate satisfaction. 8. Sleep What if you were more responsible about when you went to bed and when you woke up? Is staying up past midnight and scrambling out of the door at the last minute the next morning making you the person you want to be? What if you covenanted to go to bed by 10 pm each night and set your alarm for 6 am every morning during Lent to spend time with Jesus before you left your house? That would definitely bring you closer to God. 9. Isolation Perhaps you're a homebody. Perhaps you're perfectly content behind your door, behind your technology, behind your pets. Perhaps what God is calling you to give up for Lent is isolation, the emotional barriers you put up that keep you from doing life in community. Perhaps your resolution for Lent is to get out of the house, be at church as often as possible, to join a small group and start doing life with other believers. Isolation could be an incredible thing to give up for Lent this year. 10. Income Are you ready to follow the biblical example of tithing and give 10% of your income to God? Perhaps it's a local church, perhaps it's a Christian charity, or perhaps God is calling you to give it to someone in need, but what could God do in your life if you trust Him with 10% of your income for 40 days? That's three paychecks. What difference could God make through your faithfulness? Heres what God himself says in Malachi 3:10, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Maybe Lent is when you take him up on his challenge to trust him with your finances. If you made it this far, you might be overwhelmed with all the areas that you need to get right. Don't try and do them all. Pick one, two at most. Focus on one area to bring into obedience to God. When you're finished with these forty days, you can start again on your own and tackle another area. But use Lent as a springboard to renew and strengthen your faith in God. Now here's the critical part: to maximize the potential of Lent, it's not enough just to give something up. You need to replace it with something beneficial. When you give up food or social media or alcohol, it's going to create a deficiency, a hunger in your life. Instead of being miserable (and hungry), use that deficiency to drive you to God remind you that Jesus is your complete sufficiency. Whatever you give up for Lent, replace it with beneficial things like: Bible reading, prayer, church involvement, an encouraging book, Christian music, exercise or community. Today begins Lent. Join millions of other Christians across the world and leverage this opportunity to grow closer to God. Good luck and God bless! Efforts are being made everywhere in the world to promote peace and harmony, but people, generally, are neither enjoying peace nor harmony. There are sufferings all over the world, mainly because of the evil wave of terrorism that has invaded almost every part of the world. Terrorists are growing by leaps and bounds, and are from various faiths, but most of them are so-called Muslims, who in reality are neither Muslims nor in the category of human beings they are humanimals. They have maligned the peaceful religion of Islam; no wonder the term Islamophobia has been coined. The result of their acts of terrorism not only affect non-Muslims but play havoc with right-minded Muslims, who faithfully follow the dictates of Quran and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. The terrorists (ISIS, AL-Quada and some other groups) indulge in mass killings and destructions in many countries and cause untold sufferings. Are these the doings of Muslims, or those whose minds have been washed by the insane ideology of a sect of extremists who have become fanatics? Peace loving Muslims are now generally looked down upon by the peoples of other faiths and hated and assaulted whenever a terrorist organization strikes. Is this the fate of followers of Islam? If we look at Islamic history, we will find that after the conquest of Mecca in 630 AD, the force of Islam began to loom all over Arabia and the true spirit of Islam prevailed in the hearts of fast-growing followers. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) preached peace and harmony, and emphasized that peoples of the book (Muslims, Christians, Jews and all others who believed in one God) were believers and as such should remain at peace with one another, tied in brotherhood and love. Besides, religion, he taught the Muslims basic human values, such as piety, compassion, kindness, sacrifice, unity and the pursuit of education and knowledge. He urged them to imbibe in their character all that was noble. He pointed out that the true jihad (jihad-e-Akbar) is the war against ones evil intentions and desires, and the other jihad (jihad-e-Asgher) is a war against those who attack Islam and Muslim territories. Thus in all the wars that were fought in his time, the motive was to defend Islam. After the death of the Prophet in 632AD, the first four caliphs and the true followers of the Faith in the later years kept the spirit of the religion alive. But then gradually baser elements began to surface. Political intrigues, corruptions, wars among Muslims, bloodshed and greed for power all raised their ugly heads. The Decline Begins The later caliphs and governors, with the exception of few like Omar II, were more interested in expanding their empire than following Islamic values. They were great fighters and conquerors and so Islamic Empire began to swell. Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Persia and Central Asia a major portion of the globe came under their control. But the piety, sense of justice and universal love were being replaced by a love of luxury, greed for power, corruption and voluptuous living. And so, some of the great values of Islam were lost. The Empire, which had risen to the peak of power, and cultural splendor, which was the center of enormous wealth, learning, commerce, medical, architectural and scientific achievements, unfortunately began to harbor vice, crime and corruption. The rulers donned the garb of kings and emperors, living in palatial mansions with harems full of women, treating common people like slaves, overlooking the benefits of general education and sharpening their swords. People were fast relapsing into the evils of pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Naturally, the Empire slowly began to crumple. Rise of the West The people and leaders of the West, on the other hand, started waking up from their deep slumber which they were enjoying at the time of Muslim conquest and progress. The lamp of learning which Muslim philosophers, scientists and writer had lit could not illuminate its own people, but sparked the western mind. Taking rapid strides, western forces began to defeat Muslims and occupy their territories. They progressed in all fields of science, technology and general learning, leaving Muslims far behind. Muslims in the Mist of Confusion Shocked by the downfall, Muslims got enshrouded in the mist of confusion and despair. They desperately needed guidance and a strategy to rise again. They failed to interpret the true message contained in Quran and hadith (saying of the prophet) and faltered from the correct path. They divided into many sects with beliefs and ideology of their own and fell apart. The West took advantage of this disunity and further subdued the Muslims. Colonization began. In generations that followed, Muslims did produce some pious saints, Mullahs, brilliant scholars and scientists, revolutionary thinkers and writers who made big contributions in improving the society and goading it towards progress, keeping the flame of Islam lit, but the suffering still continued. In Islamic society mullahs have always played a forceful role, because the power of Islam springs from mosques and religious organizations. Muslims, as a rule, listen to their religious leaders and frame their lives according to their guidance. Though there are some very noble and right-thinking mullahs who always preach peace and brotherhood, few mullahs mislead the people. They give their own interpretations of Quran, sow seeds of hatred towards those belonging to other sects of Muslims or other religions. Some incite acts of violence and create general unrest. In such an atmosphere it is obvious that development gets stunted and people get confused, disunited and even violent. Today, there are some 1.7 billion Muslims in the world and more than fifty Muslim nations. Almost all these nations are called third world countries, and they depend on foreign help for their very survival. Confused and unable to fight foreign influence, some so-called Muslim groups like ISIS, Al-Quaida, Boko Haram, and Hamas use the means of violence, terror, mass killings and destruction of properties and suicide bombings that as a matter of fact lead them nowhere, but create general insecurity and loss of innocent lives, besides scarring the true Muslim image. This then is the image of a Muslim in the west, only because of the deeds of a few extremists and misguided groups. The image must change, sooner the better. This can only happen if Muslims realize their plight, create a unity among themselves, try to make the radical groups understand their folly, get proper and systematic education, embrace true Islamic values and work for the betterment of mankind. Role of the West In the interest of world peace and progress, all western leaders would do well to show more understanding and consideration towards Muslim countries, particularly those ravaged by wars and internal conflicts, help them ease their sufferings and extend a little more cooperation and goodwill. It is heartening to note that US President Obama is doing just that. Super power remains a super power only when it lifts mankind higher. Restoring the Image Though Muslims have erred, as all nations err sometimes, all is not lost. There are still some dedicated persons from all walks of life who are tirelessly involved to restore the tarnished image. There are some great Islamic societies and institutes particularly in the West which are having a positive and powerful impact on Muslims and non-Muslims. By Rafiq Ebrahim Muslims fortunately have a new inspired younger generation in many countries, educated and technologically advanced. The generation is morally sound, mentally positive, which denounce violence and prefer negotiations and dialog to redress the grievances of Muslims and achieve universal peace. This new generation will hopefully produce leaders and rulers who preach peace, love and brotherhood, instigate people to develop compassion and kindness and work for the betterment of their countries. With a fair sense of justice they would look after the welfare of their people and keep the machinery of progress running, at the same time extending their hands in cooperation and friendship with other countries. It is then that the true Muslim image will be restored. I love the Jewish culture and Judaism and peoples dedication to honor God on holidays and setting time once a week to have a Shabbat. This is a day of rest. In Jerusalem on Friday afternoon, many stores, and restaurants close in Israel before sundown to enjoy a day of rest. This means no electronics or working. This is just one reason to love Judaism, and its practices. It is a daily life practice. If youre looking at practicing Judaism, it is more than a conversion, and should be looked at seriously as with any new religion you are looking to become part of. Practicing Judaism is a way of life and embracing the religion is a way to connect with God on a higher level, being holy, and being called of God for the 15 million followers of the faith. For you are a holy people to Hashem your God, and God has chosen you to be his ... That is why I call you to account for all your iniquities (Amos 3:2). Book of Genesis also shared the covenant between God and his Jewish people. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a G-d unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And G-d said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. Take the time to look into your heart and soul is necessary if Judaism is for you. First look at the basic part of the religion. Laws and teachings How do you live? Commandments Judaism teaches that there is one God like in Christianity. They follow the moral codes and laws of the Hebrew Bible. There are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible that includes the Torah. The Torah means Instructions. The first five books are the Tanakh and are also in the Christian Bible. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.The mitzvah is a commandment and living an ethical life by following the Commandments. Jewish for dummies explained: Torah represents the Will of God. However, even traditionalists make exceptions in life-threatening situations, when one is required to let go of the mitzvot and save life. The exceptions to that exception are the mitzvot prohibiting idolatry, murder, and adultery. Commandments given in the Torah are like those of the Bible. Here are 10 from Exodus. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery." "You shall not recognize other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant, your animal or your stranger within your gates." "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you." "You shall not murder." "You shall not commit adultery." "You shall not steal." "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Find a synagogue (beit knesset) and a rabbi Go to a local synagogue and learn more for yourself. Also make an appointment with a rabbi to learn more about this place of worship and study. Some temples have women and men sitting in different places, with short walls between them, so learn more about the rules before you attend. Google one in your area. Do your research and honestly ask yourself if you are being led or have a heart to follow Judaism. Also assess if you want to make the commitment, and make the changes in order to commit. Corine Gatti is a Senior Editor at Beliefnet.com. For identifying the hypocrisy, inconsistencies, and, at times, opportunism of Donald Trumps critics, both readers and acquaintances have concluded that I have endorsed Trump. The truth is that Ive as yet endorsed no one. There are indeed reasons for a conservative or libertarian to recoil from Trump. (1) As I noted near the beginning of this contest, Trump is most certainly not any kind of traditional or classical conservative. There simply isnt anything in his history to suggest that hes ever had any kind of curiosity about, to say nothing of commitment to, the conservative intellectual tradition. Nor has Trump at any time indicated any kind of sympathy for libertarianism. In fact, until relatively recently, Trump seemed to have had more affinity with the Democrat Party than he ever had with the GOP. Trump spent decades fattening the coffers of such loathsome Democratic politicians as Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Charles Rangel, and Charles Schummer. He also supported Rahm Emmanuels run for mayor of Chicago. Neither Trump nor, evidently, any of his proponents seem to be bothered by this, accepting as unproblematic the Donalds assertion that this was the price that he had to pay in order to do business.But this rationale of Trumps is problematic: Its no justification at all. (2) Actually, its worse than even this, for routinely, over a period of decades, elevating his own self-interest above that of the well-being of the country, Trump in effect vindicates the judgment of many that hes a narcissist. In funding the very party that hes now running against, Trump facilitated their agendawhich he now claims to recognize is destructive of America. Yet he traded off these down payments on the destruction of his homeland in exchange for building his empire. Trump has long been both a billionaire and a celebrity. In other words, he is a man with much influence. However, though he is approaching 70 years of age, Trump has never deployed any of these resources of his toward reversing the disastrous course upon which America has been plunging for much of his adult life. Quite the contrary: hes used them to fund politicians who are all too eager to lead us down this path. (3) For all of the talk of Trump being a straight shooter, he has not infrequently contradicted himself. For example, while he now insists that he only gave to Democrats for business-related purposes, as recently as 2004 he told Wolf Blitzer: In many cases, I probably identify more as a Democrat. The economy, he continued, seems to do better under the Democrats than the Republicans. (4) Trump has, in fact, openly supported various ideas that have been perfectly at home among liberal Democrats. While claiming to hate the concept of abortion, Trump at one point nevertheless self-identified as pro-choiceactually, as very pro-choice. He also expressly favored a single-payer healthcare system. In his book, The America We Deserve, Trump said that while hes a conservative on most issues, Im a liberal on this one.Of course, as he reiterated as recently as the New Hampshire debate last week, Trump is an impassioned advocate of eminent domain, i.e. the enterprise of compelling private property owners to sell their holdings to the government for both public and private purposes. Even when it comes to whats become his signature issue, immigration, Trumps position sounds essentially like amnesty by a longer route: Those who are here illegally must leave, though as long as they arent criminals, they will be permitted to return. As he told Joe Scarborough: I believe in the merit system. If somebodys been outstanding, we try and work something out. Americans for Legal Immigration Pac (ALIPAC) has added Trump to their [Eric] Cantor Listtheir list of amnesty proponents. Numbers USA says that Trump is Harmful on the issue of amnesty and Unhelpful when it comes to reducing legal immigration. The organization assigns Trump an overall grade of C. Trump also blasted Jeb Bush for once intimating that taxpayers neednt spend half-a-billion dollars a year on women health issues. Trump implied that wethe taxpayers, that isshould be spending at least that amount and possibly more. That Trump is every bit as much a lover of Big Government as is any other liberal Democrat (or Republican) is abundantly clear not only from the foregoing considerations but from the fact that he is forever telling us how he is going to restore order to the cosmos: Trump never talks about liberty or freedom. (5) Not only isnt Trump appreciably distinct from your average run-of-the-mill social liberal; to the extent that neither are his neoconservative Republican critics appreciably different from their leftist Democrat counterparts, Trump isnt significantly different from the very Establishment that his legions of followers think he is going to undermine. To repeat: Trumps history betrays sympathy for leftist causes. The GOP is as unpopular as it is among its base of support because it is (rightly) perceived by them to have aided and abetted leftist Democrats in pursuit of basically one and the same leftist agenda. Ergo, politically speaking, in effect, Trump shares essentially the same worldview as that of the Establishment. (6) Trump is a lifelong businessman, the owner of his own company. However, the last thing that any lover of liberty wants is for the President of the United States to look upon the country as a business, much less his business. A business is an enterprise, i.e. an association of human beings united to one another as servants of the goal that defines the enterprise. Self-chosen pursuits have no place in such a scheme: what ultimately matters is the collective purpose of the association. (7) Finally, Trumps brash demeanor, his arrogance, and his readiness to ridicule and mock even the physical appearances of his critics are unbecoming of anyone, but particularly unseemly for a person with presidential aspirations. More concerning, though, is the precedent for this office that a Trump presidency could set. Jack Kerwick is a columnist for Beliefnet. Visit his column At the Intersection of Faith and Culture to read more. President Obama took a stand against inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim-Americans from Republican presidential candidates and visited a mosque for the first time in the United States. In his speech, at the mosque, Obama referred to Muslims as essential to the fabric of America. Thousands attended at the Islamic Society of Baltimore which is a 47-year-old mosque. Obama said, Let me say as clearly as I can as president of the United States: you fit right here. Youre right where you belong. Youre part of America too. Youre not Muslim or American. Youre Muslim and American. One of Obamas goals during his final goals during his last year in office is to advocate against what he deems as dangerous threads within the political discourse. We cant be bystanders to bigotry, Obama said. Together, weve got to show that America truly protects all faiths. As we protect our country from terrorism, we should not reinforce the ideas and the rhetoric of the terrorists themselves. Throughout his speech, Obama referenced recent conversations hes had with young Muslim parents whose children feel threatened by the countrys views on the Muslim community. You could not help but be heartbroken by their worries and their anxieties. Some of them are parents, and they talked about how their children were asking, Are we going to be forced out of the country? Are we going to be rounded up? Why do people treat us like this? Conversations you shouldnt have to share with children. Not in this country, said Obama. Recently, Republic presidential candidates like Donald Trump have made brash comments indicating that he would like to ban all Muslims from entering the country until tighter anti-terror measures are put into place. Here at this mosque, and across our country and around the world, Muslim leaders are roundly and repeatedly and consistently condemning terrorism. And around the globe, Muslims whove dared to speak out have often been targeted and even killed so those voices are there; we just have to amplify them more, Obama said. Obama also made reference to the general society consensus that thrives within our society by saying, We have tolift up the contributions of the Muslim-American community not when theres a problem, but all the time. Our television shows should have some Muslim characters that are unrelated to national security. Its not that hard to do. Shortly after Obamas appearance social media was infiltrated with the hashtag #TooLateObama. Many columnists voiced their concerns that Obamas visit was too late in coming. Angela Guzman is an Editor at Beliefnet.com. A travel advisory for Cayuga County that was issued Tuesday has been lifted. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office made the announcement Wednesday. The advisory was issued after a winter storm slammed central New York. A mix of rain and snow created hazardous conditions on area roads. Earlier report: The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel as the weather deteriorated road conditions throughout the region. A travel advisory was issued across the county Tuesday afternoon as the wet, flooded roadways began to freeze when temperatures dropped and snow began to fall, deputies said. Emergency personnel were responding to dozens of accidents across the county, according to a release. The Seneca County Sheriff's Office also issued a travel advisory for the county, reminding drivers that roads are currently open but snow covered and slippery in several areas. Later in the day, the National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for the southern half of Cayuga County, stating that the Owasco Inlet was flooding in the town of Locke due to ice jams. Flood advisories were in place for much of the day for urban flooding in upstate cities, including Auburn, created by the combination of steady rains and slush-clogged storm drains. The weather forced Cayuga Community College to close at 4:30 p.m., cancelling all evening classes and activities, according to the college's Twitter page. The Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency meeting scheduled for Tuesday was also canceled and rescheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday. *Climbing Milkweed*, *Matelea obliqua*. There are countless wildflowers that are classified as vines, but you only have a limited time to observe them in ... 7 years ago Bangladesh police stand in front of publisher Shamsuzzoha Maniks closed stall at the Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka after Manik and two others were charged over a book deemed as hurtful to Muslims, Feb. 16, 2016. Three people have been arrested and charged in Bangladesh for allegedly harming Muslim sentiment with the publication of a book titled Islam Debate. Police officers have also shuttered a stall at Dhakas famous Ekushey Book Fair, where the arrested editor of the controversial book was selling copies of it. On Tuesday, a court in Dhaka granted police permission to hold three suspects for questioning. In other news related to freedom of speech, the editor of Bangladeshs largest English language daily newspaper is facing an arrest warrant and court action over his recent public admission that his paper in 2007-08 published unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against top politicians, including the countrys current prime minister. Police on Monday arrested editor Shamsuzzoha Manik, the owner of the Badwip Prokshan publishing house that printed Islam Debate, Taslim Uddin Kajol, the owner of the printing press, and Shamsul Alam, Badwips marketing officer, officials said. A day earlier, police closed Badwips stall at the book fair and confiscated all available copies of the book a compilation of articles about Islam. The arrests occurred about three months after militants hacked to death Faisal Arefin Dipan, on Oct. 31, 2015, because he had published the books of Avijit Roy, a secular blogger who was slain by suspected militants on Feb. 26, 2015, as he and his wife left the Ekushey Book Fair. Charges filed under ICT They were arrested Monday night and the Shahbag police station filed a case against them under section 57 (2) of the ICT [Information and Communication Technology Act of 2006] for hurting religious sentiments (of Muslims), Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Maruf Hasan Sarder told BenarNews on Tuesday. The section stipulates that a person who deliberately publishes or transmits false or obscene content online or electronically that undermines law and order will face criminal charges. Violators can face up to 14 years in prison. Charges were filed under the ICT Act because the book was available online, Abdul Baten, a deputy commissioner of police, told reporters. Any electronic material that may prejudice the image of the state or a person, or that may hurt religious beliefs is considered an offense, according to the section of the law. Baten said police arrested the three because of an ongoing debate about the book on social media. The court granted permission to put them in remand (extensive questioning at isolated facilities). Police will be able to question Manik for five days, Alam for one day and Kajol for two days, according to the Associated Press. Readers are prudent enough Rafiqul Islam, one of the three lawyers of the defendants, told BenarNews that the book was published in November 2010. The owner of the printing press, Kajol, is illiterate, but he has been put in remand. He is just a businessman. How is a case under ICT act filed against him? Islam told BenarNews. In his view, the arrests will scare off other publishers. Even the printing press owners may stop publishing books in the future, Islam said. The killings of Roy, Dipan and secular bloggers also have a chilling effect on the industry, he said. The events after Avijit Roys murder and attacks on the publishers have made us careful about printing and publishing controversial items. We do not know what the book [Islam Debate] contains. The publishing house is not a member of our association, Mazhrul Islam, president of the creative publishers association, told BenarNews. Mohammad Alam, who was shopping for books at the fair on Tuesday, told BenarNews: Books may contain controversial stuffs but a publisher must not face punishment for writing. The readers are prudent enough to judge the good and bad. Warrant issued for Daily Star editor Meanwhile, a court in the central city of Narayanganj on Tuesday issued a warrant for the arrest of Mahfuz Anam, editor of Bangladeshs largest English-language paper, The Daily Star. He is accused publishing unsubstantiated stories about corruption that implicated current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, when a military-backed caretaker government ruled Bangladesh in 2007-08. On Tuesday, pro-government lawyer in Narayanganj Mohsin Mia filed a defamation suit against Anam that led to the warrant order, public prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon told reporters. Appearing on a TV talk-show two weeks ago, Anam admitted that his paper published stories that were fed to it by military intelligence officials. As a result of the reporting by the Daily Star and its Bengali-language sister publication, Prothom Alo, Hasina and Zia were both jailed on corruption charges. Anams admission prompted the prime ministers son, Sajeeb Wazed, to accuse Anam of publishing false stories against his mother to eliminate her from politics. Since then, MPs with the ruling Awami League party have demanded that charges be brought against Anam. A court in Dhaka also accepted a treason complaint by an assistant public prosecutor, requiring police to investigate a treason charge and report back on March 28. Ruling party leaders and activists have filed at least 55 cases against Anam in different parts of the country. Adem Karadag arrives at a Thai military court for arraignment on charges related to the August 2015 fatal bombing at a Hindu shrine, Feb. 16, 2016. Updated at 6:02 p.m. ET on 2016-02-16 Two Uyghur men pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the Aug. 17, 2015, bombing at a Hindu Shrine in central Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured 120 more. Appearing in a Thai military court, Adem Karadag, 31, and Yusufu Meiraili, 28, both identified themselves as Uyghurs from Urumqi in Chinas Xinjiang region. Karadags lawyer claimed he entered Thailand on Aug. 21, days after the attack, so could not be responsible. He also alleged that unidentified officials tortured Karadag in custody with water boarding, dog intimidation and a threat to return him to Chinese authorities. The said actions were aimed at forcing him to admit that he was the suspected bomber who planted the bomb seen in security camera records, lawyer Chuchart Kanpai told reporters. Uyghur and English translators were present as Karadag and Mieraili heard the charges against them and pleaded innocent. Mieraili challenged the court for his incarceration. It is not the right thing to have detained a Muslim for too long, Meiraili said through an English translator. Potential death sentences Karadag, aka Bilal Mohammad, was arrested on Aug. 29, 2015, after police said they had found bomb-making materials at an apartment in Bangkoks suburban Nongjok district. He was charged with offenses ranging from premeditated killing and bomb possession to illegal entry into Thailand, and could face a death sentence if convicted. Mieraili was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, while attempting to flee to neighboring Cambodia, police allege. Investigators claim he was attempting to acquire materials to make bombs. He could face a death sentence as well if convicted. In the days following their arrests, both men participated in police-staged reenactments of the alleged events leading to the bombing. The attack at the Hindu shrine, popular with both Thais and foreign tourists, took place during the busy evening rush time. A security camera captured footage of a man leaving a backpack on a bench at the shrine moments before the blast. A pipe bomb explosion the next day near Sathorn passenger pier, some five miles from the shrine, caused no injuries. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks. In September, then-police chief Pol. Gen. Somyos Poompanmuang told a press conference that a Uyghur group had carried out the attack to wreak revenge on Thai authorities for clamping down on them. We believe the motive behind this incident stemmed from government officials arresting or cracking down on a human trafficking ring, he said at the time. In July, Thai authorities forcibly repatriated scores of Uyghurs to China, drawing criticism and protests from rights activists and Uyghur advocates who say the Muslim minority suffers harsh repression in China. "The Ratchaprasong bombing appears to have been carried out by an international terrorist group which involved both ethnic Uighurs from China's Xinjiang region and sympathetic Turkish citizens and was probably operating out of Turkey. The bombing was almost certainly triggered by the Thai government's rendition in early July 2015 of 109 Uighur refugees back to China," Anthony Davis, a security analyst with IHS-Jane's, told BenarNews. The next court hearings in the Erawan case are scheduled between April 20 and 22. Thai investigators claim as many as 15 more suspects are wanted for their roles in the attacks, including a man who hurled a bomb near the Sathorn pier. An earlier version incorrectly reported that scores of Uyghurs were deported from Thailand in June 2015. Life as I Perceive it on the Canka Luta Waste... And, We Are So Very NOT Amused Australias Noodle Box launches Asian Restaurant Concepts business Australian-based Asian fast-food chain Noodle Box is restructuring its business through the establishment of a new parent company called Asian Restaurant Concepts (ARC). ARC has been established after Noodle Box acquired competitor Wokinabox in October 2015. CEO of Noodle Box, Ian Martin, will now become CEO of ARC, bringing with him years of experience in quick-service restaurant (QSR) companies including KFC, Gloria Jeans and Burger King in the United Kingdom. Martin said Asian Restaurant Concepts will manage the growth of both Noodle Box and Wokinabox franchise networks. ARC develops and manages the growth of these franchise networks, successfully guiding profitable growth through the use of proven business models, said Martin. Were proud to be applying more than twenty years of knowledge and skill to support our growing network of franchise partners both here in Australia and internationally, he stated. Noodle Box is Australias largest noodle-based QSR franchise. ARC will be responsible for a total of 106 restaurants including two new Wokinabox stores which have opened in 2016 in South Australia. Several new Queensland Noodle Box restaurants are expected to open in 2016 and shops have recently been opened in Saudi Arabia. Noodle Box was established in Australia in 1996 and Wokinabox was established in 2002. Von: Von NIKOLAUS BLOME Berlin On Thursday and Friday, another important EU summit will take place in Brussels. BILD talked to Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission. BILD: Mr Juncker, have you ever witnessed anything like the current de-solidarization between the EU member states before? Jean-Claude Juncker: Of course I would have preferred it if everyone had realized as quickly as Chancellor Merkel that the refugee crisis can only be solved through a joint effort just like the debt crisis before. But the motto is often every man for himself! However, even countries that were initially very critical are now providing concrete help. All countries are showing their solidarity via the EU budget. We have doubled the funds in record time and have mobilized 10.1 billion euros by regrouping means. Lesen Sie auch Ahead of the upcoming EU summit, chancellor Merkel still seems isolated. Juncker: It is part of the job description of a head of government to take a stand and to maintain it while under pressure. Chancellors were always respected when they maintained their direction under difficult circumstances. In particular, I am thinking of Helmut Kohls far-seeing reunification policy. History has proven him right, and it will prove Angela Merkel right. What would it mean for the EU if Merkel were no longer in office? Juncker: Angela Merkel will outlast all of her current critics in office. The European refugee policy that she and I stand for will be successful. It is a sign of political strength to say we will accomplish this. Everything else means giving up in the face of populists. Lesen Sie auch Four eastern-European states want to close the Macedonian border to Greece. Will this lower the number of refugees at the German borders? Juncker: It would be neither legal nor politically acceptable to cooperate with third countries in order to close the border to one of our member states. We support the border security on both sides the Greek and the Macedonian. We will only be successful if we work together more closely and cooperatively and if we do not destroy any trust. We must not risk Schengen and thereby also our domestic freedom. Auch interessant Do you still think that the EU will overcome the refugee crisis? Juncker: As was the case in the debt crisis, a high number of joint steps will be necessary in order to achieve the desired effect. Yes, it will take a while before the measures we in Europe have decided upon over the past weeks and months will be effective. But in Greece, the fingerprints of nine out of ten asylum seekers are now being taken. In September, it was 8%. Due to important decisions by the Turkish government, we can now see a reduction in the number of refugees in the country: according to Frontex, 7,000 refugees came from Turkey to Greece every day in October and 3,500 in December. Now it is 2,000 people. We finally see the first signs of progress. Lesen Sie auch Do you interpret the latest call of the EU founding members as a taste of a two-speed Europe? Juncker: I am happy about this affirmation by the EU founding members. Over the history of the EU, thinking ahead and proceeding ambitiously in everybodys interest has always paid off. This is what we owe the Euro and Schengen to; two achievements that have been heavily criticized but unfairly so, because they provided us with a high degree of wealth, freedom, and security. Many people in the world are jealous of that. How big is the chance in percentage that a Brexit, an exit of Great Britain from the EU, can be averted? Juncker: Our best experts are working on the most creative solutions in order to present Great Britain with a deal that is fair for the British, but also for the other member states. Despite the fact that, on the high sea and within European politics, anything is always possible, I am still convinced that the facts of the inner-European market, the EU trade policy and the global importance of Europe will speak for themselves. We need Great Britain in our European family and the British need the European Union. Lesen Sie auch Could it be that the EU sometimes has to take a clear step back in terms of integration? Or that at least the next contract amendment will not apply to all 28 member states in the same way? Juncker: Europe does not operate like the dancing procession of Echternach famous beyond Luxembourgs borders where the participants take two steps ahead and jump one step back. Due to the economic, foreign-policy, social, and demographic challenges that Europe is facing, we cannot afford this. Sometimes Europe might be able to take small steps or to take a break in order to gain a new momentum. We will need some momentum in the following weeks and months. The refugee crisis in particular shows that we need new, ambitious solutions for emphatic, joint actions. We need an efficient joint border and coastal protection in Europe. We need more joint financial means in order to care for refugees and for integrating them. And we also need, I think, a European minister of finance who will efficiently administer the European funds and allocate them to where they are most needed. In other words, we in Europe still have a lot of hard work ahead of us. MOSCOW - Internet censorship in Russia soared last year as the government stepped up efforts to filter content online, a report by a rights group said on Tuesday. Titled "The Triumph of Censorship," the report by Agora, a respected group of human rights lawyers, counted media reports and government statements about blocked web pages as well as prosecutions of people for what they posted online. The group found incidents of Internet censorship increased from 1,019 in 2014 to 9,022 in 2015. This included bans on online content issued by courts as well as similar decisions by government agencies that do not require court approval. Russia blacklists web pages for extremist content or making calls to join an unsanctioned rally, as well as for posting child pornography or information about committing suicide or making illegal drugs. Russia has also prosecuted a growing number of individuals for posting information online. "The number of people sentenced to actual prison terms for expressing their opinion on the web has multiplied," the report said. One of the authors, rights lawyer Damir Gainutdinov, said he expects the degree of Internet censorship to intensify this year. "There will be more prison terms," he told AFP. "They will attempt to block announcements of demonstrations." The government is also likely to crack down on those who publish tips for circumventing bans and filters -- such as by using VPNs or dark web browsers -- and to increase pressure on foreign companies such as Twitter and Facebook, he said. The government "fine-tuned" its methods of filtering content in 2015, leading to a race of sorts among different regions to report the most blocked material, the report said. Russian courts are "rubber-stamping decisions about banning information" while prosecutors boast of removing extremist materials from thousands of sites, it said. "Prison terms for posting 'likes' and shares (on social media) are meant to frighten people and make them stop discussing social problems," the report said. It named taboo topics as the conflict in Ukraine and corruption among government officials as well as LGBT rights and those of religious believers. Gainutdinov however said the government's goal was not to introduce a total Internet filter, which would be too expensive, but to make access to information too difficult. "The goal is to have most people give up and go back to watching television," which is overwhelmingly state-controlled, he said. Source: AFP The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) wishes to remind dentists that all dental assistants must be registered with the Council by 31 March 2016 or face criminal prosecution of the dental assistants and the dentists who continue to employ unregistered dental assistants. History In 2003, dental assistants in the country approached the HPCSA to request the Council to professionalise their work. In the same year, the regulation of dental assistants was proposed. In April 2005, the HPCSA opened the registration process to dental assistants. At the time, the regulations prescribed qualifications that would enable dental assistants to register. Those that did not register were thus not allowed to practice. The HPCSA as a statutory body is required to act in accordance with the establishing statute, namely the Health Professions Act, which requires that dental assistants should register with the HPCSA if they are to practice. Through the recommendation of the HPCSA, The Minister of Health amended the regulations. In 2008, dental assistants who were not registered with the HPCSA, but who had five years of experience practicing as dental assistants prior to the amendment were allowed to practice under the grandfather clause. Effectively, this meant that dental assistants that had no qualifications but had practiced for a minimum period of five years, prior to May 2008, were given three months within which to register with the HPCSA. In 2012, the HPCSA recognised that there were still a number of dental assistants practicing without registration, despite the 2005 regulations and the 2008 amendment. Once again, the HPCSA recommended that unregistered practicing dental assistants be given another opportunity to register with the HPCSA. The Minister of Health subsequently approved the recommendation. This time, unregistered practicing dental assistants were given six months within which to apply for registration. Legal cases In March 2014, The North Gauteng High Court recommended that unregistered dental assistants not be subjected to criminal proceedings and the dentists not be subjected to unprofessional conduct proceedings, until 31 March 2016. This was to allow the dental assistants to obtain the necessary qualifications. This means that the Court put a moratorium on the criminal prosecution of unregistered practicing dental assistants and the prosecution of dentists for employing unregistered practicing dental assistants. The South African Dental Association appealed the judgement and, in November 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal, confirmed the decision of the North Gauteng High Court that dental assistants have to be regulated in order to protect the public and dental assistants themselves. Whilst there are allegations from dental assistants that HPCSA has not assisted them, the HPCSA believes that it has provided a number of opportunities over the years to enable and ensure dental assistants are registered and professionalised. Both the Gauteng North High Court and the Supreme Court rulings are testimony to this. The top performers of the 2015 Casual Day campaign were announced at an awards breakfast at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban last week. Top of the leader board was the Quadpara Association of South Africa with R306,428, followed by the KZN Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) with R293,332 and the KZN Blind & Deaf Society with R109,650. The function was organised by a team from KZN APD whose director, Cheryl Naidoo, thanked all the attendees for their contribution towards the project. The public added R27m to the donations raised by Casual Day over the past two decades, bringing the national total for 21 years to R249m. Sponsored by the Edcon Group and supported by a number of corporates, Casual Day is the flagship project of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in SA (NCPPDSA). Motivated workers "We would like to thank all Durban employers who permit their employees to take part in Casual Day," says project leader, Vanessa du Plessis. "A large portion of what we raise comes from employees at companies and big corporates. It is very interesting to note that employees who participate in projects like Casual Day are more positive, motivated and productive at work. Doing good as a team gives employees a feeling of pride and meaning. "Doing good together leads to more satisfied employees and ones that are more likely to exceed their performance expectations than those who are not involved. The bottom line is - doing good is good for the bottom line." Casual Day project team chairman Lusani Netshitomboni encouraged the fundraisers to think of innovative ways of raising funds within a constrained economy. Mercia Maserumule, head of enterprise development at the Edcon Group, said the company has committed over R12m to Casual Day since becoming a principal sponsor in 2013, with over R4.3m of the funds raised as sticker donations at Edcon stores. Continued support The group continues to support the agenda of the South African community of persons with disabilities with the NCPPDSA and its affiliates across the country. Edcons relationship with the NCPPDSA extends beyond the Casual Day sponsorship to the recruitment and placement of persons with disabilities in jobs within the Edcon Group. The donations will be distributed to the NCPPDSA, South African National Council for the Blind, SA Federation for Mental Health, Deaf Federation of South Africa, Autism South Africa, Down Syndrome South Africa, the National Association for Persons with Cerebral Palsy, the South African National Deaf Association, the National Institute for the Deaf, QuadPara Association of South Africa, Alzheimers South Africa and the South African Disability Alliance. Getting to know the consumer, monitoring trends and understanding the role of technology will underline this year's 6th Annual SA Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) Research Conference, which takes place in Sandton on 13 April 2016. Sponsored by the Broll Property Group, this one-day, all-under-one-roof conference features a power-packed lineup filled with cutting-edge solutions, new ideas, and best practice for retailers, retail developers and investors, researchers, brokers and property managers. Innovation and adaptability is becoming all the more important in an ever-evolving retail industry, noted Amanda Stops, CEO of the SACSC. This years conference is an ideal platform to share knowledge and gain valuable, practical insights. The 2016 research conference programme is geared towards an enhanced understanding of modern shoppers and the technology driving new trends. Knowing how best to anticipate shifting consumer patterns and new technological developments enables the industry to stay ahead of the curve and make better, more informed strategic decisions. Just some of the topics to be covered in finer detail include panel discussions on retail cannibalisation, led by MSCIs Phil Barttram, as well as grocery retail trends. Amanda Cromhout, CEO of Truth & Emerce Commerce will lead discussions on the importance of placing the consumer front and centre in her presentation The Power of Customer Centric Retailing. The use of location knowledge The rise of geomarketing will also feature on the days programme as Greg Schneider, head of marketing of the Quirk group, explores the use of location knowledge to frame marketing efforts and how we can go from 1 audience of 000s, to 000s of audiences of 1. Delegates looking to extend their footprint into the rest of Africa can look forward to a timely presentation by Francis McDonald, senior manager of Deloitte South Africa as she examines market entry strategies for various African countries. In addition, John Cairns, currency economist of Rand Merchant Bank will tackle the subject of The Relentlessly Weakening Rand. The objective of the SACSC research conference is to offer delegates world-class solutions to meet the needs of the modern-day retail industry, said Stops. The 6th Annual SACSC Research Conference will take place at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton Central. For more information or to book a seat, go to www.sacsc-researchconference.co.za. The Cape Town International Animation Festival has announced an African premiere, multiple award winners and Oscar nominees as part of the line up for their fifth festival. The festival runs from 18 to 21 February 2016 at the River Club in Cape Town. Curated by Animation SA, the annual Festival brings South Africans the chance to catch some of the worlds best animated films from countries such as France, Brazil, Australia, Ireland and South Africa. In addition, the CTIAF hosts a range of workshops with global industry leaders, providing a rare opportunity to engage with them and learn from their insights. This years topics include subjects such as character animation, scriptwriting and producing. The CTIAF is made possible thanks to generous support from sponsors the National Film and Video Foundation; Wesgro; Animation SA and the French Institute of South Africa. CTIAF has also partnered with Nickelodeon. Festival Director Dianne Makings says, The Festivals programme is designed to inspire and build both the local industry and audiences, by exposing them to world class talent and content through screenings, talks, workshops and masterclasses". A highlight is the workshop with world-famous Laikas producer, Mark Shapiro, who has worked on films such as Coraline, Paranormanand, The Corpse Bride. Renowned producer, Christine Ponzevera will discuss different strategies to pitch to European studios, and also how co-productions work. Technical talks and demonstrations will all be hosted by Adobe, The Chaos Group, The Foundry and Cel Action. Its a coup to have secured Nedy Acet, who is a 3D animator at Dreamworks studio. He has animated several of Dreamworks major productions including Kung Fu Panda 3, Peabody and Sherman and Madagascar 3. He will present an artistic workshop about 3D character design. We are grateful to the French Institute of South Africa, who have enabled Nedy and Christine to be with us. The Festival will also host a student awards initiative, with incredible prizes; a childrens programme; a competition for the Festival trailer; outreach programmes and B2B sessions. All workshops take place at The River Club in Observatory, Cape Town. Screenings take place at the Labia Theatre and the Riverclub. The screening schedule is: Labia: Thursday 18 February 18h15: Adama Labia: Friday 19 February 11h30: The Farmers Llamas, Stick Man, Lost and Found Labia: Friday 19 February 13h45 : Between Frames: The Art of Brazilian Animation Labia: Friday 19 February: 16h00: Phantom Boy Short & Sweet Outdoor cinema : Friday 19 February: 20:30: Song of the Sea Labia Saturday 20 February 11:30: The Farmers Llamas, Stick Man, Lost and Found Labia Saturday 20 February 13h45: Adama Labia Saturday 20 February 16h00: Sita Sings The Blues Short & Sweet Outdoor Theatre Saturday 20 February 20:30: The Boy and The World Labia Sunday 21 February 11h30: The Best of SA Labia Sunday 21 February 13h45: Phantom Boy Labia Sunday 21 February 16h00 : The Best of the London International Animation Festival 2015 Tickets to screenings cost from R25 to R40. For the full programme of speakers and to book tickets, visit www.ctiaf.com. Workshop tickets and festival passes range from R100 to R500. South African buyers and importers will have an opportunity to discover Mauritius as an up-and-coming textile and apparel sourcing destination next month, when a high-profile trade mission from the Mauritian textile, apparel, accessories, jewellery and agricultural products sectors travels to Johannesburg and Durban for talks with local businesses. Mauritius, rapidly emerging as a preferred sourcing destination for value-added products under the brand identity Mauritius: Made With Care, is positioned as an emerging hub of design, style and quality for global textile and fashion brands. Mauritius also works closely and directly with its foreign buyers to meet expected international standards, while respecting international laws relevant to those export markets. The Mauritian textile, apparel and accessories industry, the powerhouse behind the positive transformation of the Mauritian economy over the past 40 years, exports high-quality raw materials and finished products around the world. Backed by aggressive growth strategies and skills development, competitive pricing and the fact that Mauritian products meet international standards for quality and production, Mauritian manufacturers are becoming preferred providers of top-quality textiles, apparel and accessories. Mauritius supplies textiles and apparel to major name brands, such as: Calvin Klein, Adidas, Woolworths, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Harrods, River Island and Levis. Traditionally, buyers in the US and Europe have accounted for the bulk of Mauritian textile exports, but South African exports have increased to around 24% of total Mauritian textile exports in recent years. The main exports from Mauritius to South Africa include textiles, apparel and accessories, food and other manufactured goods such as leather, footwear and wood products. Currently, Mauritius ranks 61st in the list of supplying countries for goods imported by South Africa. Strong trade relations Mauritius currently enjoys strong trade relations with a number of leading large wholesale and retail groups in South Africa, and the trade mission aims to strengthen these relationships while also seeking new buyers in different categories such as boutique outlets. The delegation of 40 Mauritian manufacturers will visit Durban from 14 to 15 March, and Johannesburg between 17 and 18 March for a series of buyers and sellers meetings to be facilitated by trade agency Enterprise Mauritius. Enterprise Mauritius CEO Arvind Radhakrishna said: The trade mission will build on our existing strong relations with South African importers and partners. The timing of the mission is particularly opportune in light of the depreciation of the South African rand, since Mauritian manufacturers enjoy a zero rate of duty when entering the South African market. Radhakrishna added: It should be noted that Mauritius is a vertically integrated sourcing destination for the textiles, apparel and accessories industry, presenting opportunities for partnership and sourcing at every stage of the textile development process from design, to raw materials, through to final product. Mauritius is also a competitive supplier into the corporate clothing, promotional items and sporting uniform markets internationally, and this is a sector that the Mauritian delegation is particularly interested to explore in South Africa. An important economic pillar The delegation comprises companies across textiles and clothing, jewellery, and agricultural products. In addition to its globally recognised apparel and accessories industry, its jewellery sector is enjoying a high level of export growth, primarily into European markets, and has become an important economic pillar for the country. The sector employs over 2,000 people and includes around 30 companies producing fine jewellery for export. Their activities include diamond cutting, polishing and processing, the manufacture of gold and silver jewellery, and precious or semi-precious stones. In the agro sector, the companies participating in the mission are manufacturers of unique products including herbal teas, Ayurvedic food supplements and cosmetics; Murunga Herbal Products and frozen snacks. Enterprise Mauritius is the apex trade promotion organisation of the Republic of Mauritius. For more information on Enterprise Mauritius and the textile/garments and jewellery sectors, go to SourceMauritius.com. Importers, buyers and retailers interested in meeting with Mauritian trade delegates in Johannesburg or Durban, can contact Sue Bowden on +27 (0) 11 728 9860 or email az.oc.ofniacirfa@eus. The economic crisis following President Jacob Zuma's treasury debacle has finally brought about a convergence of government and business, said former Nedbank chairman Reuel Khoza. Its so edifying to have the two parties talk to each other, no longer in a hesitant fashion, he said. The erstwhile suspicion that government had of so-called capital, and capital also castigating government for being inefficient, appear to be null. Khoza, who was the first black leader to become chairman of one of South Africas big four banks, stepped down in 2015 after nine years in the role. We are in a crisis of mammoth proportions, he said. To get downgraded and to climb out of that will be very difficult. It looks like that crisis is rendering all of us sober and we mean to actually converge and work together, he said. Khoza praises colleagues for intervention In December, Khoza co-authored a letter to Zuma after the markets and rand plummeted due to his firing of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and appointment of Des van Rooyen. The damage this is causing to the credibility of the country may take years or even decades to reverse we are gravely concerned about the manner in which you are governing us, he co-wrote, according to BizNews. A proud Khoza praised the leadership of Old Mutual and Nedbank, which he said made the biggest impact to bring business and government together. Old Mutual Emerging Markets CEO Ralph Mupita and Nedbank CEO Mike Brown drew up a presentation to show government how to avoid falling off the ratings cliff into junk status and have led the convergence of business and government, said Khoza. Planting the seed for change Mupita and Brown actually drove that process, he said. They are the ones who actually built a case for ensuring that we dont get another downgrade, he said. There is a sense that one planted a seed and the management and executive just see the world in a different way. It does appear that government now sees the need to listen to business. I have always argued that business and the public sector have got to operate together in perfect tango in order for us to prosper. Nedbanks engagement has resulted in several meetings between the countrys top business leaders and finance minister Pravin Gordhan, Zuma and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa. Khoza said that if we can work together sufficiently and substantially to avert being downgraded to junk, the future is bright. In fact, we can only grow. Source: Fin24 via News24 Wire Court finds against ACCC in Australian egg cartel accusations The Federal Court of Australia has ruled that a group of Australian egg producers did not attempt to induce a cartel arrangement despite allegations made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In its findings in relation to the proceedings initiated in May 2014, the Federal Court held that Australian Egg Corporation Limited (a promotional group for the Australian) egg industry, Farm Pride Foods and Ironside Management Services did not try and establish a cartel. The ACCC allegations were that the move was motivated by a desire to push up egg prices. The Federal Court disagreed. The Court also found that Mr James Kellaway, the managing director of AECL, and Mr Jeffrey Ironside, a director of AECL and Twelve Oaks Poultry, did not attempt to induce egg producers to engage in cartel conduct. The ACCC alleged that from November 2010, in AECL member publications, the AECL board encouraged its members to reduce egg production, in order to avoid oversupply which would affect egg prices. The ACCC also alleged that, in February 2012, AECL held an Egg Oversupply Crisis Meeting attended by egg producers in Sydney, where it allegedly sought a coordinated approach by egg producers to reducing the supply of eggs, in response to a perceived oversupply of eggs. Mr Kellaway and Mr Lendich both attended and spoke at this meeting, which was chaired by Mr Ironside. The Federal Court however found that while the ACCC had established that the respondents intended that egg producers should take action to address and correct an oversupply of eggs, it did not establish that this action was intended to be pursuant to an agreement or understanding involving reciprocal obligations by competing producers. ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said his regulatory body took action out of the impact a cartel could have had on prices. The ACCC took this action because it was concerned that the actions of AECL, Farm Pride, and Twelve Oaks Poultry, if successful, could have reduced the production or supply of eggs and ultimately increased the price to consumers and other businesses, Sims said. The ACCC will carefully consider the judgment, he stated. In response to the ruling the AECL simply acknowledged that it was in its favour and that it would prioritising its energies into promoting Australian eggs. A farming education initiative in KwaZulu-Natal, Future Farmers, backed by the KZN agricultural union, Kwanalu, is providing a unique work-integrated learning programme for young farmers. This social programme aims to cultivate the skills and ignite a passion for farming in young aspiring farmers between the ages 18 and 26 years old and provides them with real job experience in a field of agriculture of their choice. Designed to give young people the opportunity to "learn as they earn", the programme finds apprentice positions on local and international farms. Future Farmer, Njabulo Gumede at La Salle dairy, near Fresno in California, during his internship abroad. - Photo by Frank Robinson The brainchild of Howick dairy farmer Judy Stuart, Future Farmers was founded in 2005 after she identified a two-fold void in the agricultural sector. One being that of training and experience for potential young farmers and secondly, thanks to her international travels, the demand for hard-working and passionate youngsters on international farms. Bringing the agricultural generation to life Now 10 years later, with many successful placements of eager young South African farmers on farms in New Zealand, Australia, America and Denmark, Future Farmers has become a recognised role-player in the future of KZN farming. To this end, Kwanalu has secured funding for investment in the Future Farmers programme to bring to fruition a joint vision of a skilled, motivated and dedicated agricultural generation to life. The programme relies on local farmers to employ these young people at apprenticeship level to teach them the skills, knowledge and experience needed in farming. They are required to work for an agreed period of time on this farm before qualifying for a second apprenticeship abroad. Stuart explains why, irrespective of education or experience, each candidate must start at ground level. They may have to wash the dairy, clean calf pens, sweep floors and clean windows, and although it may seem that this has nothing farming management, they are given the opportunity for dedication to farming. One day when they are a manager, they will need to be able to delegate these tasks to staff and they must be able to do these jobs and do them well. This is the way you earn respect, she said. The second part of the programme places these young farmers, with the necessary criteria, on international farms where they work for a period of one year, gaining further invaluable experience before returning to SA to secure employment in the agricultural sector of their choice. Our young men and women are encouraged to bring back to South Africa all that they have learnt and to invest their time into the future of others. They are able to set an example by showing their communities what can be achieved with passion and a good work ethic, said Stuart. Taking farming to heart Future Farmers receives hundreds of applicants monthly from all over the province and further afield who undergo a rigorous selection process that ensures that only the most passionate, hardworking candidates with a real heart and enthusiasm for farming are selected. We are grooming a farming generation with outstanding work ethics, morals and personal responsibility. If they are not serious about their futures, they can hardly expect others, and their future employers to be, Stuart said. Kwanulu has secured funding and identified the Future Farmers programme as a key partner in implementing in order to initiate, drive and support job creation and youth development in the province. This funding will expand Future Farmers capacity to employ mentors and allow more young people into the programme. We are delighted to have found a way to help nurture and shape the future of agriculture in such a positive way` said CEO of Kwanalu Sandy La Marque. Get involved La Marque stressed that what Future Farmers and the future of farming really needs are open-minded, local farmers to come forward and participate in the programme, either as mentors or as employers. As a union it is imperative that we are at the forefront of initiatives that promote and create new opportunities in our field, but it is especially important that our members are positively and actively involved in the processes that will uplift the future of agriculture, she said. It is time for farmers to open their minds to ways in which they can personally and significantly add to the development of youth. We need our members to actively participate in job creation by offering up their knowledge and time to develop the skills of our young people, La Marque said. One of the main challenges faced by the construction industry in Africa is the lack of capacity in governmental and professional structures tasked to implement infrastructure projects. According to Frans Pienaar of Inyatsi Construction, this leads to issues with the delivery of quality products within the specified time and budget. These issues impact on the industry. Slow delivery of projects and delays in coming to market cause increased costs, with the lack of capacity in implementing agencies placing an additional burden on a private sector that is already struggling with cash flow, he says. The sub-standard quality of products, fading out of competitor and small construction companies, a drop in infrastructure development and the monopoly in the market that follows on this - all have an adverse impact on the construction industry. Out-dated model However, the construction industry can overcome these challenges. The basic standards in the construction industry are the Standard Conditions of Contract, as well as some Standard Specifications, which are mainly enforced through an out-dated model requiring clients to be advised by professionals or teams of professionals," Pienaars explains. The model should rather evolve towards a more modern form that involves a team of all the stakeholders in a project. It should focus on the delivery of a fit-for-purpose product and satisfying the clients need, rather than external factors such as professional pride and industry envy. According to Pienaar the best way to enforce these standards is through self-regulation. Delivery liability should be as close to the implementer of a project as possible. He believes that public-private partnerships and turnkey-type projects can also be used to ensure that risk is managed by the parties best suited to do this. However, he is worried that industry bodies are too fragmented to ensure efficient self-regulation. South Africa is trying to maintain its role as the thought leader in the construction industry in Africa, but industry bodies lose their relevance as the emerging markets develop and want to stand on their own feet, bypassing those bodies in order to achieve their objectives. The latest CJI report reveals a concerning trend regarding IT and telecommunications jobs - but there is some good news as well. CareerJunction has released its latest CareerJunction Index (CJI) report, which shows that labour demand has declined in the IT and telecommunications industries over the last few months. The CJI uses data gathered from the CareerJunction website to represent labour dynamics in South Africa. According to the report, demand for IT professionals in SA saw a decrease in demand during the final quarter of 2015. However, it is not all doom and gloom. IT and telecoms vacancies increased steadily from the second to the third quarter of last year, and remain higher than the same period last year, the report states. Programmers and software developers are on the forefront of market demand. This is especially true for programmers with .NET and or C# skills, who are most sought after. The graphs below show volume trends for IT and telecommunication job adverts published on the CareerJunction website over the past 12 months. Read the original article on MyBroadband. Men, hold onto your wallets. Your girlfriends are about to learn how to extract a monthly allowance from you. A controversial R300-per-person seminar to supposedly equip women with the skills to get a man to fund their upkeep, is going ahead even after the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) labelled it a scam. According to "seduction expert" and author Mandisa O Mahlobo, who will lead the seminar, "money and libido are directly related". "There is something about a giving man that makes us wet! So dear men, Girlfriend Allowance is actually more for your benefit than us! Let's meet and talk Divas!" she captioned the event's poster on Facebook. Mahlobo yesterday said she would be meeting the SABC. Her Facebook post on Monday explained an allowance was a gift that a man gave to "his woman willingly because he thinks of her as a queen not a prostitute". "He understands that his queen needs to be able to pamper herself from time to time and beautify herself for both of them. Look, give it, don't give it, whatever action you choose, will tell us a lot about your manhood." The planned seminar has received mixed reactions with many women agreeing they need a monthly allowance for their upkeep, while others argued it was sexist. Some men said the stipend would keep their girlfriends from dumping them. "I don't get an allowance and I think I should get one to buy all the things like lingerie that are needed to impress my boyfriend. He should pay for that," a Johannesburg information technology specialist said. But clinical sexologist Elna McIntosh said a girlfriend allowance was a form of "transactional sex on a higher scale. It's a modern form of prostitution." IVY Events and Promotions owner Lesego Moloi yesterday said it had planned a meeting with the SABC to finalise the venue. Source: The Times In the two decades Ravi Naidoo's been behind bringing some of the best local design and international creative speakers to our shores, he's seen trends rise, fall and resurge. In this exclusive interview, Naidoo lets us in on his personal inspiration, and what he's most looking forward to from Design Indaba 2016, which kicks off today! Known as the creativity booster of SA design, Ravi Naidoo is an inspiration to many. But he himself draws new inspiration constantly. He particularly likes the brave band of creators, makers and doers who are not doing the kind of thing which the previous generation did. Hes also inspired by the prevailing startup culture and its ability to take people with amazing academic credentials going into social entrepreneurship and trying to devise new models for socio-economic impact. An example of this is free translation engine DuoLingo, which lets you test phrases as you learn and translate bodies of work, which in turn boosts consciousness of others culture and languages. Its this exact form of alternative creativity' model that Naidoo taps into with Design Indaba. But is it all about passion for design, passion for changing the world, making better use of our individual creativity? Its all of this. Lets call it a hybrid powered by collaboration, especially when it comes to unpacking Naidoos best moments at Design Indaba past and present 1. Where do your personal responsibilities lie when curating the conference and the year-long agenda of Design Indaba. Naidoo: My primary agenda is to advance this idea that we can create a better future by design. And so, everything resonates with that simple thought. We select people who have been reformers and pioneers, and people who have affected change, and people that speak. The responsibility lies in finding people that actually match that mission of a better world through creativity as well as creating a better future by design. Its a call to action that circumscribes the kind of person hybrid creatives we look for, like songstress, pop-diva Imogen Heap. When not singing like a goddess, shes experimenting and investigating with coders how to create special alternative digital music gloves, and a platform that will find a more equitable way for the distribution of music. Its this kind of 'hybridity' we want to advance. Click here for more on this years change-making conference speakers and watch Heap explain her 'musical gloves' in the video embedded below: 2. What are you looking forward to from this years Design Indaba? Naidoo: I look forward to everything! We pay such crazy attention to detail in all that we do that not a single speaker is a free pass, absolutely every single one is sought out and chosen. When it comes to the FilmFest, every single movie is a premiere in Africa, and every youngster that has been chosen for Emerging Creatives is the best of their class in the country this year. So I have no favourites, I love it all equally. The big thing is hope, especially in putting on a particular programme that we hope falls on fertile ground and sprouts a whole host of other activities and projects as we see Design Indaba as a launch pad or catalyst. We provide the catalyst, and we hope that people take it on and that they use the inspiration and ideas to good effect after Design Indaba. 3. What can we expect from this years conference? Is there a specific focus for it that you have in mind? Naidoo: It really is about Design Indaba. With the evolution of the conference, the sensorial aspect to it has grown. We really want to make it a beautiful, goosebump-y experience, and weve asked all of our speakers to really push the stall out. Some of them are interacting around kinetic sculptures, some of their presentations morph into a concert, and yet others are doing the presentation in the form of a play. So the experience is not going to be led from the podium. Theyre all encouraged to give it more energy and reimagine the creative ways of presentation as we really invest in the production values of these presentations. 4. What do you see for 2016, beyond the conference? Naidoo: More and more ways of seeking relevance, particularly as an intellectual platform for the benefit of improving SA companies service offerings and multinationals abroad alike. We aim to create the kind of agency that actually is not about the skill pool of the people in our office, but which is also tapping into the 600-odd Design Indaba speakers from all around the world and telling companies and multinationals to use the gene pool weve created and the thought leaders weve curated over the last 20 years. Thats going to be a key part of our work as we come from an agency heritage, so this is part of us utilising our intellectual resource that we have in all these amazing people and looking for ways and means to find residual value in these relationships. Therell be relationship-building aplenty with all the design thinking floating around after Design Indaba 2016, which kicks off at the Artscape in Cape Town today. Be sure to get your Design Indaba fix from the special section on Bizcommunity, follow the activity on their Twitter handle and watch for Bizcommunitys tweets and coverage of this years three-day conference. DJs from all over the world will take to the numerous stages of Ultra South Africa, being held in Joburg and Cape Town. As always, the festival will feature an extensive line-up all three days, which will be filled with the very best artists in electronic music. Will you party with Skrillex or Zedd, Afrojack or Tiesto? The decision is yours. Tickets are virtually sold out, but those who still wish to purchase tickets must go to the festival's home page where general admission tickets and VIP admission tickets are still currently available for purchase. Here is the complete festival line-up for both Cape Town and Joburg and schedule to get you started! Cape Town Joburg For additional information, go to the festival's official webpage ultrasouthafrica.com or follow Ultra SA on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates, news and announcements. "Fairtrade South Africa is celebrated for its pioneering spirit; the Cape Town-based office was the global organisation's first marketing and business development setup in a developing country. This has subsequently led the way for other emerging markets, like Brazil, India and Kenya, who later followed suit by opening local offices and steadily growing domestic demand. We like to think innovation is in our DNA," says Lynsay Sampson, marketing and media manager at Fairtrade Label South Africa. Lynsay Sampson - Photograph by Lindsey Appolis We asked Sampson to tell us more about Fairtrade, its mission and its products... Why is Fairtrade important, what are you trying to change? Lynsay Sampson: Fairtrade is an ethical certification which certifies product supply chains. It is also a powerful tool that consumers can use all over the world to change the world every day. With one simple choice, you can make agriculture more environmentally friendly and allow people on farms to lead the dignified life everyone deserves. In terms of numbers, 1.5 million farmers and workers globally benefit from more equal and equitable supply chains, 64% of which are based in Africa and the Middle East. Tell us about Fairtrade and its products and design. What do you focus on? Sampson: We have a range of Fairtrade certified products in the local market and are often intrigued by the tools brands use to differentiate themselves. If we use wine as an example, we see this in the interesting flavour combinations winemakers are trying, together with lowered alcohol volumes for healthier consumers. The presentation of wine is another area that has evolved in recent years and this is evident in the selection of innovative, locally designed packaging. Gone are the days of the standard 750ml wine; these days you can find anything from 187ml to five litres on retail shelves. We are also seeing an increasing number of pouches and box wines, with varying quantities, designs and colours. Full Ega Range We were thrilled to hear Fairtrade was recommended as a strategy the wine industry should use to add more value to their wines and to make their wines more sexy. What has been the biggest challenge in gaining momentum in Fairtrade? Sampson: Fairtrade enjoys wide consumer recognition and brand affinity in the organisations more traditional markets, like the North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand, where consumers are well versed with what is widely accepted as the world's most trusted and recognised ethical label. In South Africa, contrastingly, because of the disparity of the South African consumer population, we needed to be innovative to grab the attention of local consumers and business decision makers. To do this, we have employed various strategies: educating consumers on their preferred communication platforms, dispersing information in a relatable tone and language, which does not alienate consumers. So while our goal is to educate, our goal is to make it easy and fun to learn. What has been the biggest highlight on the Fairtrade journey so far? Sampson: The exciting thing about starting a new office is that we are constantly breaking barriers and celebrating new milestones. Our biggest accomplishments to date have been to work with the local Cadbury Dairy Milk team to get all their Plain and Silk slabs Fairtrade-certified, which makes Fairtrade a lot more accessible to a wider consumer base. The second milestone is forging a strong relationship with Pick n Pay six years ago. The national retailer continues to offer the widest range of Fairtrade products in South Africa a commitment no other local retailer has managed to emulate. They remain the only supermarket giving any meaningful support to Fairtrade, and today, six years later, they are still as dedicated to the commitment. How do you keep the creative juices flowing at the office? Sampson: We try and spruce up the office decor from time to time - its magnificent what a new lick of paint can do for the staff moral, especially when were the ones doing the painting! We have a dynamic international team, which brings a range of perspective, experience and energy. Lynsay Sampson - Photograph by Lindsey Appolis Luckily for us, we also have the luxury of working with various brands, from multinational corporations to a one-man operation, so we are constantly interacting with various personalities and sharing experiences, which makes for interesting inspiration. PARIS - Twitter and Facebook lit up this weekend when pranksters reported that an asteroid was hurtling toward France, prompting a humourless denial on Monday on the website of a national radio station. A house-sized rock was on track to crash into the southern city of Marseille on 5 March, the fake reports, in French, said in widely-circulated tweets. The French government and NASA -- abetted by the media -- were trying to hide the bad news from the public to avoid panic, the authors of the tweets claimed. Like much spurious news circulating on social networks, these false reports contained a grain of truth. Earlier this month, NASA's Center for Near Earth Objects Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that an asteroid about 100 feet across (30 metres) named TX68 would pass by our planet on the appointed day, perhaps as close as 11,000 miles (17,000 kilometres). On an astronomical scale, that's a close shave. But there was absolutely no possibility, the US government scientists said, of an impact with mothership Earth. In fact, the asteroid was just as likely to fly by more than nine million miles (14 million kilometres) away. According to French radio station France Info, the hoax started with French video gamers trying to start a "trending topic" -- one of the most talked about topics of the day -- on Twitter. They used the hashtag, or keyword, "#ImpactFrance," to fuel the rumour. While they may not have reached their goal, the hoax gained enough tweets during the weekend to reach nearly one million pairs of eyeballs on Twitter. One user tweeted in English, presumably tongue in cheek: "I will leave France and go to Austria." Many others, referring to a research centre in the US state of Arizona, tweeted: "According to the Catalina Sky Survey, 2013 TX68 Asteroid may hit Earth on French territory." Some tweeted maps purportedly showing the asteroid's trajectory and the area of its expected impact -- saying that the meteorite's residue would shower debris as far as north Africa. But here's the kicker: the TX68 will approach Earth again in 2017, and this time -- according to NASA -- there's a one-in-250,000,000 chance of a violent rendezvous. However, the possibility is "far too small to be of any real concern," NASA said reassuringly. Source: AFP Infant formula driving record results for A2 Milk Company The A2 Milk Company today posted a record net profit of NZ$10.1 million (AUD$9.34 million) for the six months ended the 31 December 2015. The dairy producer which specialises in products made from milk that contains the A2 protein only said its success was due to substantial growth in its sales of infant formula across Australia, New Zealand and China. Revenue from infant formula sold in these countries totalled NZ$73.9 million, up 340 per cent on the same period in the previous year. Total revenue for the A2 Milk Company of the six months totalled NZ$139.1 million, an increase of 86 per cent on the same period last year. Despite the global oversupply of milk that continues to plague the dairy industry the A2 Milk Company said it increased its fresh milk performance in Australia with sales up 5 per cent. Due to the successful results, the A2 Milk Company has revised its forecasted earnings for the financial year ending the 30 June 2016 from NZ$335 million to NZ$350 million. Geoffrey Babidge, Managing Director of the A2 Milk Company said the companys strategic agenda over the period had been focusing on growing and broadening the Australian New Zealand milk business and developing growth opportunities in selected international markets. Following a period of development, a2 Platinum infant formula has become a significant contributor to growth and earnings in ANZ and China, which we see continuing, he said. In addition, we see positive prospects for growth of a2 Milk whole milk powder, which was first launched late last financial year. We are pleased with the growing level of distribution for a2 Milk in the state of California and the repositioning of our brand in the UK during the period, Babidge stated. The financial results include the period in November 2015 when A2 Milk infant formula, along with the product of its competitor Bellamys Organic infant formula, was difficult to find in Australia supermarkets and pharmacies. The shortages were driven by bulk purchases by traders selling directly online to customers in China. At the time Peter Nathan, CEO for the Australian and New Zealand divisions of the A2 Milk Company, told Australian Food News that A2 milk production was being significantly increased. " " Adolf Hitler and other Nazi Officials admiring Hitler's 50th birthday present -- a Volkswagen convertible. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images The Volkswagen Beetle, the best-selling car of all time, wasn't always so beloved. The car wasn't truly invented by the Nazis, in the sense that they didn't design it or build it, but that's just a matter of semantics. The Beetle was indeed the result of Adolf Hitler's plan to build a reliable car that hard-working German families could afford. He met with car designer Ferdinand Porsche in 1935 to set his plan into motion. The car had to seat five occupants, be easy to maintain, capable of traveling quickly on the autobahn and be affordable on an average salary. It took a while for the simple, air-cooled, rear-engined car to catch on in other parts of the world. The Brits thought it was noisy and hideous. Americans were hesitant to support anything even remotely connected to Hitler or the Nazi party. A rival car company claimed that elements of Porsche's design copied some of their own, a case which VW settled a couple decades later. It was revealed even later that Hitler stole many elements of his 1935 design from an earlier vehicle that was designed and driven by an inventor and journalist named Josef Ganz. Hitler spotted Ganz's car at a show in 1933, and the key elements of its design ended up in the Volkswagen. Ganz even called his car the May Bug. Shortly after Hitler and Porsche hashed out their plan, Ganz, who was Jewish, closed his business and fled to Switzerland. Advertisement But the general public, those who knew nothing of the copyright and design issues while the Volkswagen Beetle was in production, were really only concerned with the car's connection to Hitler, the Nazis and the lasting effects of World War II. Eventually, though, people across the globe gradually agreed that the Beetle was based on a solid premise, and it was okay to accept "The People's Car" and still be opposed to Hitler and his followers. The Nazis never actually produced or sold the car themselves, so that helped. In the 1960s, after a clever marketing campaign, the VW Beetle became the best-selling imported car in America. And in the meantime, Volkswagen expanded its product lineup to include variants such as military vehicles, the soon-to-be-iconic VW Bus, the playful and rambunctious Dune Buggy, and the svelte, Porsche-like Karmann Ghia coupe and convertible. The last traditional air-cooled VW Beetle rolled off the production line in Mexico in 2003, and although the car's unfortunate historic roots haven't been forgotten, it's clear that most of the world isn't holding a grudge against the car itself. The timing of Derek Fishers firing by the New York Knicks last week caused a few people to wonder if there was something beyond xs and os that might have precipitated the move. The team was still within range of a playoff spot with 27 games remaining and Fisher was in the midst of a five-year contract. Thats probably why rumors about Fishers alleged extracurricular activities with women also involved wih multiple Knicks players have stuck. A 2015 incident with Matt Barnes that ended in a physical altercation only drove home the rumors even further. So when Jalen Rose co-hosted Mike & Mike on Tuesday morning and the topic of Valentines Day flowers came up, one supposes this joke was there for the taking I heard a rumor. If you dont spend time with your Valentine, Derek Fisher will. Kudos for Rose for selling it. Just look at how enraptured P.J. Carlisemo is waiting for the payoff. Plus, Greenbergs ho-ho-ho laugh is the laugh of a guy who knows he cant respond to thatbut he really wants to. [Cork Gaines] Black Agenda Report Executive Editor Glen Ford The African Union will not be deploying 5,000 troops to Burundi without Burundis consent. The A.U. summarily dismissed the U.S.-backed proposal at the African Union Summit of member states at the end of January. Belgiums foreign minister then stepped up to say that Belgium, Burundis former colonial master, would send troops if the U.N. Security Council gave its approval, but Russia and China have thus far resisted attempts to intervene in Burundis sovereign affairs. However, the A.U. troop deployment was never an African solution to African problems. It was always a Western solution to the Wests problem with Burundis current government. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the U.S., Canada, France, the EU and Belgium Burundis former colonial master were its most adamant advocates. The U.S. Council on Foreign Relations published an editorial bemoaning the A.U. decision with the title Sitting on Tied Hands: The African Union and Burundi . But, whose hands are tied? Not the African Union's; it has made a decision. Black Agenda Report Editor Glen Ford, speaking to Phil Taylor, said that Western nations pay most of the A.U.s bills, so A.U. troops often do serve Western interests, but that this time the West had pushed too hard. " Well, the one thing that we can count on these imperialists to do is overplay their hand and reach too far, so that even though their financial backing and the subversion that they have accomplished with most of the militaries of Africa through the AFRICOM strategy has been quite effective. Even folks who are willing to play the stooge do have some self-respect and they have constituencies and sometimes even they will say, 'Back off. I would say that Tanzania has been working hard to put out this match that Samantha Power and her crowd were trying to light. CIUT-Toronto Taylor Report host Phil Taylor welcomed the A.U.s decision to halt the Wests humanitarian regime change express in Addis Ababa.Black Agenda Report Editor Glen Ford, speaking to Phil Taylor, said that Western nations pay most of the A.U.s bills, so A.U. troops often do serve Western interests, but that this time the West had pushed too hard. " African militaries have become dependent upon U.S. funding, U.S. training, even on the hope of somehow getting a leg up in the world through fraternization with U.S. military personnel. So its a masterful strategy that theyve come up with, to not create a system of big U.S. bases in Africa but virtually to make every base in Africa an AFRICOM military base. But there will be pushback and I think thats what youre noting." Ford also said that AFRICOM, the U.S. Africa Command , has had a very effective co-optation strategy, but that it will eventually receive more push back as it did at this years African Union Annual Summit. " Another element of the Burundian situation is the deployment of nearly 7000 Burundian troops in UN peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Mali, the Central African Republic, Darfur, Abyei, the Ivory Coast, and even Haiti. Although they operate under a UN umbrella, these deployments depend on Pentagon logistics, intelligence, and command. Peacekeeping deployments are essential to the U.S. and its Western allies interests, but they are also an economic opportunity for soldiers from the Global South and for troop contributing nations. It's not clear how this interdependence will play out as the US and its Western allies continue to push for regime change, but it is clear that Western interests are very thinly disguised as "African solutions" in Burundi. Coconino County Attorney Dave Rozema is retiring, but he has a successor already lined up. Flagstaff attorney Bill Ring, who worked in the county attorneys office for two stints totaling 18 years, has declared his candidacy and Rozema has endorsed him. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an office of dedicated professionals, Rozema said in a press release. Bill Ring is the right person to take the reins. Ring announced his election bid in a press release Monday. If elected this fall, he would replace Rozema, who was elected in 2008 and plans to retire at the end of the year. (E)very day the community looks upon the County Attorney to enforce the law in our courts and to set a level table for community prosperity, diversity and resilience, Ring said in his press release. I am ready to do my part to make us ever better. Ring has practiced law in Coconino County for 27 years. He worked at the Coconino County Attorneys Office for 15 years and ran his own private practice, William P. Ring PC, for 12 years. Ring is now working at the law firm Aspey, Watkins and Diesel during his run for office. Early in his career with the County Attorneys Office, Rings assignments included adult and juvenile prosecutions, hearings, trials and grand jury proceedings. Later, he shifted his focus to civil cases, specializing in property law. At the private practice he formed in 2001, Ring counseled clients in real estate matters. Ring returned to the County Attorneys Office in 2012 for three years to prepare for an eventual run for Coconino County Attorney. PHOENIX A Senate panel voted Tuesday to declare that the latest executive action on guns taken by President Obama is not enforceable in Arizona. The Senate Committee on Federalism, Mandates and Fiscal Responsibility voted to declare that presidential actions that are inconsistent with federal and state constitutions are unlawful and are not recognized by the state. It also bars public employees from enforcing, administering or cooperating with such actions. And individuals who believe some government worker is ignoring that prohibition would have the right to sue. The vote on SB 1452 was unanimous, with the two Democrats on the panel absent. The measure now needs Senate approval, where it might actually provoke some debate. Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said the legislation is a direct outgrowth of the most recent action by Obama dealing with background checks at gun shows. Allen said that is contrary to federal law. President Obama needs to quit disrespecting our system of government, she said. Even if its something he wants so much, it should go through the representatives of the people, it should go through the legislative branch, Allen continued. These laws should be changed there and not be changed through his executive orders. Allen is targeting actions by the president last month where he said one of the goals was to expand background checks in a bid to restrict who can get weapons. But Obama did not issue an executive order, which is a specific written directive to agencies under his control. Instead, the White House termed the measure an executive action, designed to clarify existing laws. In this case, the administration pointed out that licensed gun dealers must conduct background checks on buyers. The White House said all this does is spell out that simply because a transaction occurs at a gun show does not mean it fits within existing exemptions from background checks for the person-to-person sale of weapons. The action was a bit vague, with even the White House saying that there is no specific threshold number of firearms purchased or sold that triggers the licensure requirement. Allen said Tuesday that the latest action is just part of a pattern by the president of abusing executive orders. If the executive branch starts bleeding over into the responsibilities of the other two branches of government, somebody has to check that. Allen said her belief does not change even if all the president says he is doing is providing guidance to federal agencies about the applicability of existing laws. President Obamas made it very clear that he can use the pen to bring about (changes) if Congress does not act as quickly as he wants them to, she said. Allen compared it to the presidents efforts to expand deferred action programs to prevent the deportation of some individuals not here legally, an action a federal judge blocked. Allen said that, in the case of her bill, it wouldnt take a court action to block presidential actions in Arizona. She said that would be left to the Legislature, expressing the will of the people. We have more than once turned down background checks at gun shows, Allen said. And she contends that the president cannot decide that people who sell more than a set number of weapons at gun shows are, by definition, dealers. Thats not for him to determine, she said. It looks like you have reached this page in error ... The content you are looking for has either moved, or if you typed in the address there might have been a mistake. If you believe there has been a technical error please let us know. Most Popular Destinations The Northern Arizona Interfaith Council is sponsoring a week of events focused on discussing ways to reduce the risk of violence in our community. The community is invited to join local clergy at gatherings across Flagstaff teach, preach, and discuss nonviolence and peacemaking. All events are free, and all perspectives are welcome. The opening event is a panel discussion on the role of courage in the resolution of conflict. The Courage to Make Peace panel will be held today from 7-8:30 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 740 N. Turquoise Dr. Speakers with experience in diverse forms of peacemaking will offer personal, spiritual and practical ideas about how every individual can promote peace. Leaders of various churches will address the topic of peace at their various weekly services. On Friday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m., Heichal Baoranim/Temple in the Pines, Rabbi Mindie Snyder will discuss The Holiness We Wear: Priestly Garments Activated in a Complex World at the Shabbat evening service at 2609 N. Patterson Blvd. Saturday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m., The Reverend Richard Morrison, chairman of the Morrison Institute Advisory board and an ordained Episcopal priest, will deliver a message of non-violence at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver. He will also speak at Sunday worship services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., at Flagstaff Federated Community Church, 400 W. Aspen Ave., Reverend Kathleen Day will guest-preach on The Courage to Make Peace through the lens of Christian scripture and Kayla Muellers life and death. Reverend Joanne Giannino will ask, How Can We Approach Conflict with Peace? at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services Sunday at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St. Pastor Ken McIntosh will speak on peace at the 10:30 a.m. service Sunday at First Congregational Church, 740 N. Turquoise Dr. At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, at Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry, 319 S. San Francisco St., stories will be told about holy people who have advocated for peace and immersed themselves in the changing realities of their times as voices of healing. Everyone is invited to a community-wide discussion on our local response to violence Sunday from 12:30-2:30 p.m., at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St. Bring a dish to share for lunch if you can. RSVP at facebook.com/events/1128938143785084/ Finally, on Thursday, Feb. 25, the community is invited to join a discussion of students perspectives on violence at 7 p.m., at Campus Ministry Center, 500 W. Riordan Road. Using technology to improve communication Tech Tools to Improve Your Communication is the subject of this months Flagstaff Tech Talk set for today, Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. at Bookmans. Bret Carpenter of the Coconino SBDC and Joe Bodin of Reliable Web Designs will be digging into a variety of tech tools to help improve communication and business management. The discussion will cover software and organizational systems to manage internal projects and processes. This will include programs like Google Apps, Chat Tools, Private Business Social Networks and Project Management Software. This lecture is part of the Flag Tech Talk discussion series that is held on the third Wednesday of every month. These free technical lectures are designed to help regular people understand more about computers, the Internet and the resources available to help manage small businesses. For more information, visit flagtechtalk.com. Unfortunately, this is the real world we live in. Senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz unveiled a fantastical plan to "rebuild" America's military which will apparently include a plan to bring back Gluten. Thats why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experimentsor providing gluten-free MREs, Cruz said, using the shorthand term for Meal, Ready-to-Eat, CNN reported. [...] It is time for America to once again prioritize a strong, advanced and robust military, he said. How can we expect to defeat the enemy if our MREs are gluten-free? America already has the strongest, most advanced and robust military in the world by a very wide margin. There is nothing to "rebuild." When Republicans say they want to "rebuild" the military it should be interpreted as code for saying they want to bring back Don't Ask Don't Tell, prohibit women from serving in combat roles, prohibit transgender people from serving at all, and resume the practice of using military force as a blunt instrument rather than a last resort. There is no rational policy to be found here. It's just jingoism and machismo. (Cartoonist - Adam Zyglis) In other news, now that Republicans control the legislature and the governor's mansion in Kentucky, they're doing exactly what you'd expect them to do: pass forced ultrasounds. That should get the state economy going, right? Meanwhile, Trump supporters have filed a lawsuit in Alabama challenging Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for and become president. And finally, ambassadors to Sweden, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago, and Luxembourg have finally been confirmed after Ted Cruz lifted his hold on the process. Marco Rubio is still holding up the ambassador to Mexico for reasons. The South Dakota Senate has finally acted on the long-gestating measure to criminalize transgender student bathroom use. The legislation, HB1008, was passed by the South Dakota House earlier this month and affirmed by the state Senate yesterday. The legislation will now head to the governor's desk. Under the plan, schools would have to provide a "reasonable accommodation" for transgender students, such as a single-occupancy bathroom or the "controlled use" of a staff-designated restroom, locker room or shower room. Republican Sen. David Omdahl urged other legislators Tuesday to support the bill to "preserve the innocence of our young people." The process of preserving the "innocence of your young people" apparently includes closely scrutinizing their genitals and bathroom use. "I'm sorry if you're so twisted you don't know who you are," Omdahl said at a recent event when asked about the bill. "I'm telling you right now, it's about protecting the kids, and I don't even understand where our society is these days." That's exactly it, isn't it? He doesn't understand and he probably never will. Hatred and fear motivates men like state Senator David Omdahl to support a bill that requires close monitoring of children's privates. Who is the real threat here? You could diligently explain to lawmakers like Omdalh or Roger Hunt that gender is not a binary that is exclusively determined by personal plumbing, but it wouldn't make a difference. They've decided not to understand. Unless Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) vetoes the bill, the state will likely find itself in court defending the law from numerous lawsuits not the least of which could be filed by the federal government. As you may recall, the Department of Justice filed a legal brief with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals stating that transgender student rights are protected under Title IX. South Dakota risks losing significant amounts of federal funding if the state violates federal law by discriminating based on gender identity. Criminal impersonation Someone posing as an attorney tried to scam a Flagstaff man out of $12,000. According to the Flagstaff Police Department report, the victim told officers Thursday he had received a suspicious email from a man identifying himself as an attorney. The scammer claimed the victim owed $12,000 for a legal complaint that was filed against him. It also contained the victims Social Security number. In reality, the victim had never done business with the supposed attorney and did not owe anyone any money. When an officer called the contact information in the email, the scammer was unable to provide any information about the purported complaint against the victim. The fraudster later disconnected the number. The investigation is ongoing. Auto theft Flagstaff police are investigating a stolen vehicle. According to the police report, the victim left her vehicle parked in front of her mothers home in the 2000 block of North Third Street when she moved out of town in October 2015. When she returned to check on the car last week, it was gone. The victim reported the theft Friday after a friend saw someone else driving the vehicle on Fourth Street. The stolen car is a blue 2015 Chevrolet Sonic with Arizona license plate number BLJ5526. The investigation is ongoing. City and county residents who want to report a crime but wish to remain anonymous may call Silent Witness at 774-6111 or (877) 29-CRIME, submit a tip online at www.coconinosilentwitness.org, or text the word Flagtip along with your information to 274637 (CRIMES). Rewards of up to $2,000 are given for information that leads to an arrest. Lavina Vi Blenden, 93 of Cedar Vale, Kansas, passed away November 19, 2015 at her daughters home in Flagstaff, AZ. She was born February 16, 1922 in Wauneta, KS to Lewis and Naomi Cooper Howard. Lavina was married to the love of her life, Leslie Les Blenden. Lavina and Les moved, in 1952 from Cedar Vale to Tucson AZ. for the sake of their youngest daughter who suffered from asthma. Moving to a new city with four young daughters was a challenge, but Lavina with her usual grace set up a loving home for her family. Lavina entered the workforce in Tucson; she worked as a switchboard operator for Intermountain Aviation in Marana, AZ, and later the law firm Miller and Pitt in Tucson. After retiring Lavina and Les returned to Cedar Vale, KS. Lavina did not sit idle, she and Les raised cattle; Lavina, the avid animal lover that she was, named each and every cow and calf in their herd. Most were named after family and friends, you felt honored if Lavina bestowed your name to one of her calves. Aside from raising cattle Lavina went to school and became an EMT; she became Mayor of Cedar Vale serving from 1989-1993, and finally she rounded out her career as a representative for the Silver Haired Legislature. Lavina's friends and family looked forward to receiving her handwritten letters; she was a fantastic storyteller, with her wry wit she would send you into bellyaching laughter. Aside from writing letters she was also an avid fan of John Wayne (every movie seen no less than a dozen times), horses, collies and Bob Wills. She had a passion for Country Swing as well as Western and Native American cultures. Everything Lavina did was with great enthusiasm and dignity. Lavina was predeceased by her loving husband, Leslie Howard Blenden and her eldest daughter Nancy Ann Kodlick. She leaves her loving memories to be cherished by her daughters, Jane Schmidt of Tucson, AZ, Naomi Blenden of Long Beach, CA, and Evelyn Shepherd of Flagstaff, AZ. Also her eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and one great great grandson, nephews and nieces as well as a host of cherished friends. Lavina's philosophy was to approach life with a sense of humor, she was a role model of integrity, kindness, and grace for all who survive her. A celebration of Life honoring Lavina is planned for the spring in Cedar Vale KS; date to follow. Memories and condolences can be shared with her family at www.norvelowensmortuary.com A bill making its way through the state Legislature would introduce a statewide drone policy and invalidate cities attempts to regulate the devices. State Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Scottsdale, introduced SB 1449, which would prohibit the use of drones within the vicinity of certain public facilities or above private land without the consent of the owner. It also would prevent cities from enacting their own drone ordinances and supersede any existing municipal regulations. I was contacted by some of the private companies, folks who use drones for deliveries, over their concerns that individual cities and towns were passing their own ordinances, creating a patchwork of conflicting regulation throughout the state, which would have made it difficult for them to conduct their commerce, Kavanagh said. The bill is slated to go before the Senate Transportation Committee at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. If the bill passes, it would impact drone users in Paradise Valley, where the town council unanimously passed a more restrictive drone ordinance in late 2015. That rule prohibits flying drones in public spaces without an event permit, effectively limiting hobbyists to their own backyards. Kavanagh said he introduced the bill to combat ordinances like Paradise Valleys. In addition to being in total contradiction and violation of federal law, its way too restrictive, Kavanagh said of the Paradise Valley ordinance. They cant control the flight patterns of drones. Federal law precludes local regulation of flight patterns or elevations. Paradise Valley Mayor Michael Collins, who introduced the ordinance, did not respond to requests for comment. The Phoenix City Council also was considering a drone ordinance, primarily pursued by Councilmen Sal DiCiccio and Michael Nowakowski, but it decided to table consideration until April in anticipation of a response from the Legislature. Phoenixs proposed ordinance would have followed a similar approach to SB 1449, with restrictions on flying near government facilities or over private property. Unlike Paradise Valley, it would not have required permits for use in public spaces. Bill Mar, racing director and coordinator for the Phoenix Area Drone User Group, a hobbyist organization, said he would support a statewide statute, but that its important for average users to be just as involved in its creation. Groups like us, that are really the true stakeholders, are going to be around a lot longer after the lawyers go home, Mar said. Were going to be in it to make sure our interests are upheld. The conversation surrounding drones comes at a time when sales are booming. In 2015, the Consumer Technology Association projected drone sales to generate more than $100 million in revenue and move 700,000 units, a 63 percent increase from 2014. As drones popularity has soared, so have concerns over safety and privacy. Some worry about drones potential for aerial surveillance or interference with airplanes. Government agencies at every level are attempting to respond to the new technology. In December, the Federal Aviation Administration handed down new rules requiring drone users flying certain models to register their devices with the agency before use. Companies like Amazon, which has announced plans to use drones for package delivery, have lobbied officials in Washington, D.C., to help shape rules on drones as the FAA revisits the issue. Its not just hobbyists who would feel the impact of new regulations. Elisha Dorfsmith, a Flagstaff resident and Flagstaff Liberty Alliance board member, said he opposes Kavanaghs bill because it doesnt explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from using drones without a warrant. Mark Yorri, co-owner of Phoenix Drone Services, a local drone photography business, said he believes public concerns surrounding drones are largely unfounded. At the end of the day, what I would like to see is for everyone to wake up and realize the drone thing is totally inflammatory, Yorri said. There are no drones taking out airports. There are no drones spying in your backyard. These things are just fun, hobby-grade toys, for the most part. Mar said problems generally only arise when consumers arent educated about the rules. People may have difficulty staying updated because of the shifting regulatory landscape, and retailers provide little information at the time of purchase, he said. They can go out and get to a retailer and get themselves a drone without even knowing what theyre doing and nobodys going to teach them, Mar said. The retailers dont tell them what to do. A pending case of gross misconduct stands between University of Botswana economist, Professor Happy Siphambe and a plum job as the sixth Vice Chancellor of the countrys highest institution of learning .Prof Siphambe has been tipped to succeed Prof. Thabo Fako, Botswana Guardian has been reliably informed. A free spirit and intellectual of repute, Siphambes name within the UB community pops up a lot as a top contender, but a pending court case for misconduct may prove his major undoing. A source from the University of Botswanas Academic and Senior Support Staff Union (UBASSU) told this publication that Siphambe has what it takes to lead the university. Not only is he intelligent; he is a good decision maker and is one of the veterans of this university, he said. Siphambe has been with the UB since 1987. We need someone who will speak for the institution without fear, and thats Siphambe without doubt. We need someone wholl approach education minister boldly and address our issues, said the union source. Approached for comment Siphambe said even though he has not yet applied, a number of people have come to him asking him to do so. Im not under pressure to apply.but again, it will take me only two hours to make that application, he said, adding that he was still going to consult his family, friends and colleagues. The court case In April this year, Prof Siphambes legal team will defend a case in which the UB terminated his appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. In the court papers filed through Siphambes legal representatives, Rantao Kewagamang Attorneys, the Professor wants the court to, among others, set aside his demotion, review and set aside disciplinary proceedings against him and reinstate him with full benefits from the date of termination. The university slapped Siphambe with charges of serious misconduct and found him guilty of willful dishonesty against the employer and another employee in terms of Paragraph 3.5.4 of the Staff Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures. According to the charge sheet, in or about January 2014 when the University conducted annual Staff Performance Appraisals, Siphambe made an unauthorised and unprocedural change of the 2013 performance score awarded by Head of Department of Psychology Professor Kennedy Amone POlak to Dr Pheko, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, from 66 percent to 74 percent, without consulting the Head of Department. Siphambe was also charged for sharing university news with his colleague Dr Thapelo Otlogetswe. The charge, which the university eventually failed to find him guilty of, reads wilful disclosure of confidential information to an unauthorised person, which is detrimental to the interests of the University in terms of Paragraph 3.5.7 of the Staff Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures. It was alleged that sometime in March 2014, Siphambe had discussed with Professor Otlogetswe how the Appointments, Promotions and Reviews Committee made decisions regarding Dr Pheko and Dr Monteiros applications for promotions. The University was of the view that such discussions were most likely to cause tension between the applicants and the members of the Promotions Committee. The third charge, which the University relied on in their decision to demote Siphambe, is that of wilful neglect of duties in terms of Paragraph 3.5.3 of Staff Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures. Under this charge Siphambe is accused of failing to take disciplinary action against Dr Pheko and Dr Monteiro after establishing that their published work was plagiarised: and after he became aware that Dr Pheko disregarded lawful instructions given by the Head of Department. Professor Siphambe maintained during his Disciplinary Hearing that he did not need authority from the Head of Department of Psychology to temper with performance score award of Dr Pheko. He also denied ever having any discussion with Professor Otlogetswe regarding the matter on Promotions and Review Committee. On why he never took action against Drs Pheko and Monteiro after they were accused of plagiarism, Siphambe said he didnt know if it was established as a matter of fact that they had plagiarised. Nonetheless, UBASSU does not see this as impediment to Siphambe leading the UB. We understand fully well that the current UB wanted to use this tussle to threaten and tarnish Siphambes good name, but it wont work, said a source from the union. The Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) will in March 10th this year host its inaugural listings conference in Gaborone. The conference will be under the theme opening the BSE to the business community-creating value through listing, with the objective of attracting private companies to list on the BSE. It also intends to create a platform for listed companies to share lessons on how they can create value through listing and how they can leverage on their listing to expand their services and product offerings to markets outside Botswana. The BSE has invited small, medium and large enterprises that are not listed to come and share experiences of how listed companies used the bourse to grow their companies. Speaking at a media briefing this Wednesday, BSE Chief Executive Officer, Thapelo Tsheole said through this conference, they are creating relationships with the private and unlisted companies and establishing a means of educating the present and future business owners about the value of utilising the BSE to pursue growth opportunities. Similarly, the BSE is harnessing and nourishing relationships with companies that are already listed by giving them a platform to give back to the unlisted in the form of practical business experiences. To remain relevant and attractive, we need to have more companies in the stock market. We are looking to incubate companies that can potentially list in the short; medium to long term therefore we want to be part of their developmental process. Despite the smaller size of the countrys economy in terms of consumption capacity given the smaller size of the population, the BSE listed companies have demonstrated that business opportunities are not defined by geographic boundaries, he indicated. By this, Tsheole explained that these companies have grown tremendously beyond Botswana into Sub-Saharan Africa. They have fully explored the benefits brought about by listing and they continue to do so. Tsheole said the aim of the conference is to increase their daily and annual turnovers, adding that, we want to increase our daily turnovers from P12.1million per day to a bigger number and our annual P3billion to more of that. Boiki Tema, Coverage Director at RMB Botswana shared that there is an opportunity and capacity for investors to growth their wealth. After months of discussion, the Gage County Planning and Zoning commission has settled on decibel requirements for wind farm regulations. The commission approved the 12-page proposal following a two-hour public hearing Thursday, where area residents for and against wind energy shared their views. Ultimately, the commission approved limits of 60 decibels for participating landowners and 47 for non-participating landowners. Participating properties are those under an agreement with a wind energy system company, while non-participating properties are those that are not under an agreement. Other levels considered were 45 and 50 decibels. The 47-decibel limit also allows for an additional 5 decibels at certain times to account for ambient sound. The proposed guidelines will now be considered by the Gage County Board of Supervisors for approval. The board has proposed a special hearing on the subject, scheduled for March 17. Michael Dekraker, who lives southwest of Cortland in northwestern Gage County, spoke in favor of more strict regulations. He said loose regulations regarding noise would be unfair to nonparticipating property owners in the area. Were talking about whats reasonable to the people that are not participating, he said. The people that are participating, thats their call. Why should somebody else affect me on my property? Thats uncalled for. Thats not anything that I fought for when I was in the military. I fought for my rights and everybodys rights. Other highlights of the regulations include a pre-construction study and setback requirements of 1,650 feet or three times the total tower height, whichever is larger, from a nonparticipating property. The complete document can be found on Gage Countys website. Decibel levels and setback requirements have been heated issues for months as the commission reevaluated the countys wind regulations, which havent been changed since they were adopted in 2010. Around 30 people attended Thursdays public hearing for the discussion. David Schwaninger asked for more lenient regulations, saying the revenue generated by wind farms would help the area. Everybody talks about the kids and worry about the kids, he said. I dont think we should bring anything thats not safe to the kids, either, but they all want to send their kids to a very expensive school. Somethings got to pay for it. Paul Hay, University of Nebraska extension educator, cautioned against the limitation of decibels, pointing out the nuisance of a wind turbine is often in the ear of the beholder. Decibel standards or peoples sensitivity to noise is extremely variable, he said. The ambient noise that we have in our community now could be extremely variable. In November, Lancaster County approved regulations to establish noise limits of 40 decibels in the day and 37 at night for wind turbines, as measured from nearby dwellings. Gage Countys current regulations limit wind turbines to 60 decibels, which is roughly the equivalent to the sound of an air conditioning unit 100 feet away, according to a University of Purdue study. When the Steele Flats wind farm in southwestern Gage County was established, wind turbines were limited to 60 decibels. That wind farm would be exempt from any new regulations. Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts. Thursday is forecasted to be even warmer than Wednesday, with a high of 71 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service. Whats interesting about the temperatures down in (southeast Nebraska) is that theyre in the upper 50s, but if youre straight north near Sioux City, temperatures are still in the mid-30s, said Corey Mead, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the Omaha office, on Wednesday afternoon. That type of trend will continue in through the day tomorrow (Thursday). Temperatures in Beatrice will reach highs in the upper-60s on Friday and Saturday and mid-50s on Sunday, the National Weather Service predicts. Southeast Nebraska will cool down again next week. We will see a cool front moving into the area, Mead said. By Monday, well transition back to more seasonal temperatures with high temps in the mid- to upper-40s. The service forecasts lows in the upper-20s early next week and a slight chance of rain and snow Monday night and Tuesday. Mead said the weather forecasted for next week is whats expected of this region at this time of year. Wednesday reached 58 degrees in Beatrice. What helped you folks out down there is you dont have any clouds down there today and you dont have any snow, Mead said. Those two things help out. Warmer temperatures starting on Thursday are attributed to warm winds drawn into the area from the Southwest. Looking past the next 10 days, Mead said its nearly impossible to predict the weather of specific days, but he said he is sure there will be more snow this spring. An associate state climatologist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said there is a good possibility of flooding in Nebraska this spring. MUMBAI (PTI): India Navy's Design Directorate has set up a stall on innovation and developments by Naval Dockyard Mumbai and Weapons and Electronic Systems Engineering Establishment, at the 'Make in India' week underway here. The Navy has set up stalls exhibiting indigenisation initiatives and innovations undertaken, especially in the domain of ship building and repair with the theme 'Self Reliance through Indigenisation & Innovation'. Of the ten focus centres of the exhibition, the Indian Navy is participating actively in the 'Defence' pavilion, a Defence release said. Navy has also prepared a stall on innovation and developments by Naval Dockyard (Mumbai) and Weapons and Electronic Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE). WESEE section lays out the requirements of Indian Navy in terms of upcoming technologies in fields of Information Technology and Combat Management Systems. While having already saved thousands of crore rupees to government exchequer in the last few years by partnering in new projects with indigenous companies WESEE is able to design and produce high technology equipment specifically required for the Navy. The stall is looking at partnership development in fields of interest to the Indian Navy, the release said. Standing out as an example of indigenisation to the country, Indian Navy has transformed from a buyer's Navy to builders navy over the last five decades, the release said. Today, 46 warships and submarines are being made in India with projects worth Rs 1,34,761 crore being executed in Indian shipyards over the next decade or so. This transformation was achieved through extensive perspective planning looking at future scenario and requirements for 10-20 years window, it said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/02/2016 (2439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. RED DEER, Alta. Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd says a program to encourage more value-added processing in the petrochemical sector is getting a lot of interest. The Petrochemicals Diversification Program was announced earlier this month and provides $500 million in royalty credits to the sector. McCuaig-Boyd was in Red Deer on Tuesday and spoke to the local chamber of commerce and toured a petrochemical plant in Joffre. She says the Joffre plants expansion will be opened soon. The program will focus on two types of natural gas: methane and propane, which can be used in the manufacturing of fertilizers, plastics and other products. The government has said it expects 3,000 jobs during construction and 1,000 directly and indirectly once plants start up. Weve launched a new program, you know, 500 million (dollars) in royalty credits, to see if we can come up with two or three plants that can work with propane and methane that we have lots of in Alberta and were getting a lot of interest in that, McCuaig said. The credits will be paid out over three years once the projects are complete in an effort to reduce risk to government. The idea is for the petrochemical companies to trade or sell the credits to oil and natural gas producers, which can use them to offset their royalty payments to the province. The application process for the program closes in April. (CKGY, The Canadian Press) Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. EDMONTON An Alberta court has approved a $4-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed after an E. coli outbreak that sparked the largest meat recall in Canadian history. The lawsuit was against XL Foods Inc., which operated a meat-packing plant in southern Alberta during the tainted beef recall in the fall of 2012. Lawyer Clint Docken said hundreds of people in Canada and the United States could apply for a share of the award by the Aug. 17 deadline. Now it is all settled and there is the consumer component and the injury component, he said Wednesday. People who threw out the product can apply to get their money back and people who ate the product and got sick can apply for compensation for their injury. Under the agreement, which refers to possible E. coli contamination, XL Foods does not accept any wrongdoing or liability. Company officials could not immediately be reached for comment. During the outbreak, health officials confirmed that 18 people in Canada tested positive for a specific strain of E. coli bacteria linked to meat from the companys plant in Brooks, Alta. XL Foods recalled more than 1.8 million kilograms of beef in Canada and the United States. The plant in Brooks was later sold to JBS Canada. Under the distribution rules of the settlement, provincial health insurers can file claims to recover health-care costs. Lawyers involved in the lawsuit said the class action highlights the importance of food safety and holding companies accountable. Food safety is of significant concern. Every week it seems there is a recall, Docken said. We are hoping in the light of this particular case that there will be more awareness out there on the part of food producers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY A drilling industry group is calling on the federal and Alberta governments to do more to stick up for oil and gas workers. Mark Scholz, head of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, says 100,000 people are out of work in the oil and gas industry the equivalent of one in six. Scholz says the group isnt asking for a handout, but wants both levels of government to speak out more vocally in favour of market-opening pipelines. He adds that theres too much misinformation being circulated about the industrys environmental record. The association has launched a new campaign called Oil Respect that includes bumper stickers, petitions and an encouragement for people to write their political leaders. It also wants Feb. 13 to be recognized next year as Oil and Gas Awareness Day in Alberta, marking the 70th anniversary of striking oil in Leduc, Alta. Oil workers arent just losing their jobs families are losing their homes, businesses are going bankrupt. Over the past several weeks, I have read countless stories of families who are going through incredibly difficult times, said Scholz. Our industry is not asking for a government handout but we are asking for an honest discussion and we are asking for respect for an industry that has done so much to make Canada the best country in the world. He adds that as the industry contends with the worst economic conditions since the 1980s, its also fighting a new trend of misinformed criticism, celebrity activists, media elites, some politicians and environmental radicals. Follow @LaurenKrugel on Twitter. LINCOLN A proposal designed to expedite work on Nebraska roads projects is drawing a wide range of supporters, but some lawmakers are questioning their plan to pay for it. Members of the Appropriations Committee voiced concerns Tuesday that the bill would pull $150 million from the states cash reserve to jump-start the program. The bill by Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion would create a transportation infrastructure bank to help finance road projects. The Nebraska Department of Roads would use the money for highway projects, a county bridge matching grant program and infrastructure to attract new businesses. Gov. Pete Ricketts has identified the plan as one of his top priorities this year. Several senators noted that the department has yet not identified specific projects that would benefit. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. EDMONTON The Alberta government is expanding its program to try to save people overdosing on illicit fentanyl. Associate Health Minister Brandy Payne announced Wednesday the province is now making naloxone kits available free of charge at pharmacies for those with a prescription. Naloxone can reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose and save a persons life. Every Naloxone kit that gets distributed represents one life potentially saved and one less family that has to experience the loss of a loved one, Payne told reporters in Calgary. She said 300 pharmacies have so far signed on to provide the kits and train people how to use them. The kits consist of various items, including syringes and vials of the drug, to help patients resume breathing. The government pays $27 per kit. The plan has been rolled out in stages in recent months. Two weeks ago, the government announced the kits were available at 29 walk-in clinics and harm-reduction centres. In December, it said it was expanding the range of health practitioners who could distribute, administer and prescribe naloxone. That range now includes nurses, paramedics and other emergency responders. The province is dealing with a crisis of overdose deaths related to fentanyl, which is normally used as a very powerful pain reducer. The government reports that 272 Albertans died from fentanyl overdoses in 2015 more than double the previous year. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid narcotic considered up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Illicit fentanyl is created by adulterating the drug with heroin, cocaine or a similar substance. The powerful kick delivered by this mixture can in some cases put the user into respiratory distress. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. HALIFAX Canadian police forces are grappling with the tricky task of keeping the public safe against sexual assaults without placing blame on the victims of traumatic crimes. Its a delicate balance, as the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary recently found out after a public advisory warning about drugged drinks and potential sexual assaults in downtown St. Johns. The advisory offered safety tips for women that included socializing only with trusted friends and never leaving a drink unattended and the force followed up with a tweet showing a martini and the message Dont be a victim. Classic example of #VictimBlaming Why not advise people not to drug each other?! tweeted SPAAT, a self-described feminist organization in St. Johns. Why is it up to women to always be on guard? asked another post. Lynn Moore, a lawyer specializing in sexual abuse litigation, said she found the image of the martini and its message particularly distressing. The message is that people have control over whether or not theyre victimized and I dont think that people do, Moore said from Mount Pearl, just outside of St. Johns. Not everyone on social media was as critical. One person asked whether the police would be admonished for advising swimmers to be cautious at a beach where sharks have been spotted. Lets educate people on ways to protect themselves from these predators, lets not condemn for trying to help, tweeted another. But Moore said police forces should handle advisories about sexual assaults the same way they deal with impaired driving. The message with drinking and driving is not to stay off certain streets at certain times to other drivers or pedestrians the message is dont drink and drive. The force was quick to defend its actions, saying it was not blaming victims, but merely spreading awareness and offering suggestions for prevention. It held a news conference the next day to respond to the criticism. Police Chief William Janes was unavailable for an interview but said in an emailed statement the force believes the blame lies with people who commit sexual assaults and not their victims. It was not our intent to blame victims and we do appreciate and respect the perspective of others who are concerned about victim-blaming, he said. Its not the first time a police force or legal authority has landed in hot water over advice related to sexual assaults. In 2011, a Toronto police officer told a group of university students that women should avoid dressing like sluts to avoid being raped. Const. Michael Sanguinetti later apologized and was disciplined but remained on duty. Sanguinettis remarks spawned the international SlutWalk movement, designed to bring awareness to sexual violence all calling for an end to victim-blaming and slut-shaming. Theres also the well-publicized case of Federal Court Judge Robin Camp in Alberta, who asked a sexual assault complainant why she couldnt keep her knees together. An inquiry is being held to determine whether Camp, who made the comments in 2014 as a provincial court judge in Calgary, should be removed from his job. Halifax Regional Police have deliberately changed their messaging in the last couple of years when it comes to sexual assaults to place the focus on the actions of the perpetrator instead of the victim. The force regularly seeks advice from the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and has enrolled officers in trauma-informed training to better understand the emotions of victims. Deputy Chief Bill Moore said more than ever, police are being held accountable for their actions particularly when it comes to how they deal with victims or potential victims. Words do matter, he said. In the past, a press release may have stated that a sexual assault victim was walking late at night in a dark area. Now police focus on what the perpetrator was doing. Its a slight change, but one thats important, said Moore. He said making victims feel comfortable and respected is especially important given that sexual assaults are one of the most underreported crimes. At the end of this, in a lot of these cases, the victims have done nothing wrong. Theyre living their life and doing their thing. Its not for us to lay that level of blame on them. Jackie Stevens, executive director of the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, said safety tips might be practical, but they dont get at the root of the problem. Victims dont have control over other peoples actions, she said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/02/2016 (2438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MONTREAL Claude Jutra, the late filmmaker who epitomized Canadian cinematic excellence, had his name stripped from Quebecs film awards Wednesday amid allegations he abused a boy for 10 years. A day after the release of a Jutra biography that said he slept with boys believed to be 14 or 15, Montreal La Presse published a bombshell interview with a man who said Jutras abuse of him began at age six and included kissing, sexual touching, masturbation and oral sex. The contents of the article proved too much for Culture Minister Helene David, who made it clear she wanted the group that oversees the provinces movie industry to yank Jutras name from the annual awards that honour the best in Quebec cinema. The biography of Quebec filmmaker Claude Jutra by author Yves Lever is seen in a bookstore, Tuesday, Feb.16, 2016 in Montreal. Telefilm Canada says it will allow Quebec's film industry to take the lead on what to do about awards bearing the name of a famous director accused of sleeping with young boys. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Cinema Quebecs verdict came down a few hours later. The testimony we read in La Presse was definitely a trigger in our decision, Patrick Roy, head of the organizations board of directors, told a news conference. I dont feel like questioning the veracity of the account. It strikes me as very credible and it really shook me. David called Cinema Quebecs move a wise decision. She also requested a list of all the places in Quebec that bear Jutras name so municipalities can decide whether to keep them as is. Some jurisdictions didnt wait long before announcing their intention to erase all references to him. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the city would move to withdraw Jutras name from a downtown park as well as from a street in an east-end borough. In light of what weve seen this morning, Ive always said you cant defend the indefensible, Coderre said after the decision by the citys executive committee. Quebec City and Levis, which is across the St. Lawrence River from the provincial capital, also intend to rename the Claude-Jutra Street in their respective cities. Later on Wednesday, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, which hands out the Claude Jutra Award for the years best feature film by a first-time director, announced it was dropping his name. In light of recent developments, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television will rename its Claude Jutra award to the Canadian Screen Award for Best First Feature, Academy chair Martin Katz said in a statement. That award, which began in 1993, is separate from the Quebec ones. The controversy surrounding the filmmaker erupted ahead of a Jutra biography released on Tuesday. Author Yves Lever, a longtime cinema critic and professor, said the director especially liked boys of 14 or 15 and even younger. The man interviewed by La Presse said Jutra was a friend of his parents when he was a boy. He would always bring me presents, he said. I was happy to see him. I was a kid. I would jump on his back and he would make me roll over. Everyone had the impression it was good fun. The alleged victim said Jutra would lie beside him in his bed and ask for long hugs before he began touching the boys genitals. He said the abuse then heightened over the years and involved masturbation and oral sex. No new name has yet been set for the next gala, which is scheduled for March 20. The film director, whose films included Mon oncle Antoine and Kamouraska, committed suicide in 1986 after battling Alzheimers disease. The film awards have been named after him for nearly 20 years. With files from Pierre Saint-Arnaud in Montreal and Patrice Bergeron in Quebec City Nebraska has 529 cities and villages, 245 K-12 school districts, 93 counties, 23 natural resource districts, 17 educational service units, and six community colleges. These are just some of the hundreds of local governments responsible for levying property taxes in Nebraska. Property tax revenues fund local government, not state government. The state, however, is responsible for setting the rules for how property taxes are levied. This means the state can put measures in place to encourage local governments to control spending over the long term. When taxpayers are demanding structural property tax relief, it is incumbent upon us as state leaders to take action. Slowing the growth of local government spending is the focus of the property tax relief plan I proposed with Sen. Kate Sullivan, Chairwoman of the Education Committee, and Sen. Mike Gloor, Chairman of the Revenue Committee. Last week, I detailed LB958 in the Revenue Committee, a bill aimed at encouraging fiscal restraint and accountability by political subdivisions like cities, counties, and natural resource districts. This week I want to focus on LB959 in the Education Committee. Like the companion bill in the Revenue Committee, LB959 sets benchmarks for measured growth in spending for school districts, community colleges and educational service units. This is accomplished through four major reforms. First, a change in the budgeting process to simplify school district budget growth to 2.5 percent plus expected student growth. It also moves predictable annual retirement expenses into the budget base. Right now, schools are able to grow their budgets above this limit without taxpayer approval. In the event of sudden or unforeseen circumstances, schools can still increase their budget with a vote of the people. Second, LB959 limits the percentage schools can put into their reserves annually and limits the unused budget authority a district may carry forward. To maintain flexibility, school districts are still allowed to put money away for rainy days and to carry forward a limited amount of budget authority. Third, it makes a revision to a provision in the state school funding formula called needs stabilization. Previously, the average school district needs in the formula could grow by 12 percent, and fast growing districts had no limits. With LB959, each districts target funding level is limited to 5 percent plus student growth in the formula. Additionally, if a school district is shrinking, it allows the target funding level to decrease by up to 2 percent each year. This means needs stabilization can increase or decrease within a range of 98 to 105 percent plus student growth. Finally, the bill removes exceptions which previously allowed school districts and community colleges to unilaterally approve capital projects. If LB959 is enacted, schools and community colleges will need to seek voter approval for qualified capital construction projects. The taxpayers of Nebraska have made incredible financial commitments to our children and our schools. Over the past 15 years, Nebraskas student enrollment has grown about 0.33 percent annually for a total of 5 percent, while education spending in our state has grown at a compounding rate of 6.39 percent annually or 138 percent during the same timeframe. LB959 does not remove any tools to maintain or grow this commitment, it simply limits the growth of spending annually, and provides for voter approval on additional spending. This proposal delivers structural property tax relief and still provides adequate resources to Nebraska schools to educate our students to be the leaders of tomorrow. Some argue that not enough of Nebraskas state budget is spent on education. Forty-six percent of our current general fund budget is dedicated to K-12 and higher education. Additionally, Nebraska ranks 21st in Elementary-Secondary Revenue (federal, state and local sources) per pupil and 18th in Elementary-Secondary Spending per pupil overall. Nebraskans, rural and urban, are demanding property tax relief, and Ive prioritized it for this year. I need you to help me get it done by contacting your state senator and voicing your support. Lobbyists are paid by special interests to spend taxpayer money, and they are already trying to oppose property tax relief. Please visit www.NebraskaLegislature.gov for information on who your senator is and how to contact them. Ikea is a love/hate phenomenon that continues to amaze and fascinate people, but it can also be a source of conflict within relationships, as tastes may differ radically while couples browse the aisles. Comedian Tyler Fischer decided to poke fun at this common scenario by putting on a parody show in a store claiming to be a Swedish couples therapist there to check on couples who may be finding shopping a tense experience. The North's First Minister Arlene Foster has insisted she was not attending a 1916 Easter Rising commemoration during an event marking the rebellion against British rule. The Democratic Unionist leader, who had vowed to snub centenary commemorations of the uprising, travelled to Dublin to take part in a Church of Ireland-organised talk at Christ Church Cathedral about the offensive. The church had billed it as a commemoration but later issued a statement clarifying that the discussion was "not a commemorative one but one which is designed to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising by exploring it historically". Arriving at the event, Ms Foster said she was open to listening to the different perspectives, but added that people in the Republic had to take onboard difficulties northern unionists have with the rebellion. "I was very clear when I was asked about the commemoration of the Easter Rising, the Easter rebellion, call it what you will, that I wouldn't be coming to commemorations, but I was very happy to come to a historical lecture or reflective evening," she said. "That's exactly what I'm doing tonight and I'm delighted to be in Dublin, in Christ Church tonight. "I hope that I set a tone of respect, a tone of tolerance, a tone of respecting difference as well, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the different perspectives." The rising was a seminal moment in Irish history which ultimately led to partition and the creation of both the Republic of Ireland and the North. Ms Foster had previously denounced the event as an attack on the state and democracy which more recently gave "succour" to violent republicans in the North. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, also invited to the event, last month declared his disappointment in the First Minister's vow to snub commemorations of the 100-year-old rising. "One of the things I think that concerns people in Northern Ireland about what happened here 100 years ago at Easter is the fact that it was used then in the 70s and the 80s to justify what happened in Northern Ireland at that particular time," Ms Foster said, in reference to the recent IRA campaign. "I think that is a very difficult thing for a lot of unionists to come to terms with and it is something I think people here in the Republic of Ireland have to reflect on as well." Asked about the Queen placing a wreath and bowing before a monument to those who died fighting for Irish independence in Dublin five years ago, Ms Foster refused to comment on whether the monarch was right to do so. "Of course, Her Majesty The Queen makes up her own decisions and I think she's a tremendous role model, particularly in Northern Ireland in terms of reconciliation," she said. "For me, I have made my position very clear, I'm here to listen, I'm looking forward to listening." She added: "I'm certainly open to listening to different narratives, I've never said that I wouldn't listen to different narratives. "But I, of course, have a very particular view on what happened 100 years ago, and that of course is where I come from in terms of my politics." The Christ Church evening, entitled State of Chassis - Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances in Dublin in 1916, included talks by a number of Irish historians. Former solicitor Michael Lynn could be back in Ireland within weeks, after the courts in Brazil cleared the way for his extradition. Mr Lynn had been fighting moves to extradite him from Brazil for the last two years. Update 4.50pm: All charges have been dismissed against a group of 10 water charge protesters who were arrested as a crew tried to install a metre in Dublin last April. In dismissing the cases this afternoon, Judge McCarthy raised doubts about whether all of the protesters heard the direction of Sergeant David Lynch. He there was a lot of noise and commotion and noted that he failed to use an instrument to project his voice and as a result he felt there was a reasonable doubt as to whether his order was heard and understood by everybody. Update 3.25pm: Independent TD Joan Collins has questioned the timing of her trail after being cleared of failing to comply with a Garda direction to leave the scene of a water charge protest. This really vindicates what we said from the very beginning that we were out with community and our neighbours, peacefully protesting, having an effective protest to stop water meters being put into our community, said the election candidate in Dublin South-Central. Im really angry that this is not by accident that three days during an election, Ive been pulled in here, along with my colleagues. Earlier: Outgoing Independent TD Joan Collins has been cleared of failing to comply with a Garda direction to leave the scene of a water charge protest in Dublin. The judge dismissed the case against her after hearing evidence in relation to her summons and the direction given by Gardai last April. Banners in support of the so-called CRUMLIN 11 were erected outside the court on Day 1 of this trial. The group was whittled down to 10 when one of them did not show up and reduced to nine yesterday when the case against Dublin Councillor Patrick Dunne was dismissed. It now stands at eight after Judge Aeneas McCarthy decided the State had not raised the required standard to support a case against outgoing TD Joan Collins. The public order charges were brought after a crew was prevented from installing a water meter on Dublins Parnell Road. Gardai instructed the group to leave the area, but Ms Collins barrister argued there was no evidence to suggest she was involved in the use of threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and was entitled to her right to protest even if there are a few rotten apples in the basket. A similar application is now being heard for one of the remaining protesters. Joan Collins barrister has applied for the case against the Independent TD to be dismissed. She, along with nine others, is accused of failing to comply with a Garda direction to leave the scene of a water charge protest in Dublin last April. Health Minister Leo Varadkar arrived at the scene of a robbery in Dublin while out canvassing last night. The armed robbery at Mr Varadkar's local Spar shop in Carpenterstown in Castleknock had just finished, and the thieves were fleeing the scene when the Minister arrived. He saw one of the thieves fleeing the scene, running right past the Minister. Speaking to Morning Ireland this morning, Mr Varadkar said he was due to make a statement to gardai later today. He said he had spoken to the shop owner and was glad no one was hurt. FF's Jack Chambers and Roderick O'Gorman of the Green Party also happened upon the scene. Cllr O'Gorman told Today FM's Anton Savage that one of the men was armed with a machete. "It all happened very fast," he said. "The lads had obviously scoped the place out - there's a little gap in the fence between the car park and the next estate so they slipped through that very quickly and disappeared at that stage." The raiders were armed with a gun and sword or machete. They had threatened staff and were escaping on foot with a sum of cash. No one was injured in the robbery. Gardai have asked anyone who witnessed the robbery, or who has information to contact them at Blanchardstown garda station on 01 666 7000. The organisers of the St Patrick's Festival in Dublin said that the event will go ahead despite a planned Luas strike. The festival, which is now in its 21st year, is due to attract half a million visitors and tourists to the city. As well as a two-day stoppage starting tomorrow, Luas drivers are due to go on strike on March 8 and 17. The Transport Minister has urged all sides involved in the dispute over pay, to engage in talks to avoid further industrial action. CEO of the St Patrick's Festival, Susan Kirby, is reassuring people that events will go ahead as scheduled. "Obviously the Luas strike can have an impact, but the festival will go ahead, "We will run from the 17th to the 20th of March. "there's a really diverse and jam-packed programme and I'd ask everybody to keep an eye on the website, and obviously then as well, everyone concerned about travelling can check out the NTA website as well. "But the festival, I want to assure everybody, will carry on, will go ahead, and we can promise everybody a fantastic few days." By Elaine Loughlin, political reporter Jobs Minister Richard Bruton has warned the electorate is sleepwalking its way to decision they will regret if they elect a different Government. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has also admitted that hundreds of thousands of people have not felt the benefits of the recovery. Speaking at an event in Birr, Co Offaly this afternoon, Mr Bruton said he understood the anger voters may be feeling but advised them not to make a bad decision by voting on the basis of their emotions. This in my view is the most important election that I have ever stood in because there is a real danger that Irish voters will sleep walk into making a decision that they will regret for a great number of years to come. I understand the hurt that people have felt, I can understand the anger, but this is an election where people need to use their brains and not their emotions. We have a choice here, we have a choice between a Government that has a track record, that has a proven ability to grow an economy to give dividend back. We have a contrast then, to other parties who have no plan, whose track record has been dismal and who will not deliver the dividends that are needed, Mr Bruton said. Speaking on the election campaign Mr Kenny agreed with a poll released today which shows that many people have not experienced an upturn. I would agree that the recovery is not being felt by some people, he said, adding it is for this exact reason why it must be kept going as Fine Gael have promised. Mr Kenny said: 46% say that they dont fell the recovery, and 79% say its a two-tier recovery, this is very true in hundreds of thousands of cases but thats what politics is about and thats what Government is about making decisions that are actually going to impact on everybody. The Constitution our Framers gave us Publius Huldah: Above. The 17th Amendment Art. II, 1, cl. 2 and the 12th Amendment How The National Popular Vote Scheme Will Work. Art. II Art. III The States Can't Lawfully Enter Into A Compact Which Violates The U.S. Constitution! Under The NPV Scheme, Votes From Major Metropolitan Areas Will Decide Presidential Elections. What Should We Do? The compact for a National Popular Vote (NPV) is a destructive scheme. Yet it's been approved by several States; and is pending in others. Since the text of the compact no longer seems to be set forth on the NPV website , we'll look at the NPV bill now pending in Tennessee In a nutshell, the compact seeks to evade the 12th Amendment to our Constitution (where the States elect the President); and substitutes a national popular vote where inhabitants of major metropolitan areas elect the President.The federal government created by our Constitution is a Federation of Sovereign States united under a federal government for those limited purposes itemized in the Constitution; with all other powers reserved by the States or the People.So that The States - The Members of the Federation - could maintain their independence and sovereignty, our Framers wrote these provisions into our Constitution:State Legislatures were to choose the U.S. Senators for their State (Art. I, 3, cl. 1); and,The States, as separate political entities, were to elect the President (Art. II, 1, cls. 2 & 3).The People were to elect only their Representatives to the House (Art. I, 2, cl.1).James Madison explains in Federalist No. 45 (7th para), why this ensured that The States would maintain control over the federal government:The result of State Legislatures choosing the U.S. Senators and controlling the election of the President [via the selection of Electors], was that the States would be able to control the federal government.But we threw away one of these safeguards when we foolishly ratified the 17th Amendment with the popular election of U.S. Senators. This is how The States - The Members of the Federation - lost their representation in Congress and their control of the Senate.We abandoned the other safeguard when we foolishly ignored the procedures in the 12th Amendment where small bodies of specially chosen wise and prudent men (Electors) made the selections of President and Vice President for their State. We allowed Electors to become rubber stamps for the popular vote in their State.Our Framers didn't want popular election of the President because they recognized that People are easily manipulated by those who take advantage of their "hopes and fears", to steer them towards candidates favored by powerful groups ( Federalist No. 64 3rd & 4th paras; Federalist No. 68 , etc.)Furthermore, under the 12th Amendment, the electoral votes of each State are split according to how the Electors vote. If Tennessee obeyed the 12th Amendment, it would work like this when selecting President: 5 Electors vote for Candidate X; 4 vote for Candidate Y; and 2 vote for Candidate Z. Those would be the vote totals for President which would be sent to Congress. The same procedures are to be followed in a separate vote for Vice-President. 1 The "winner takes all" practice followed in most States is unconstitutional!Under the scheme incorporated in the NPV bill pending in Tennessee , all of Tennessee's electoral votes would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.The wording of the compact is deliberately obscure. In plain English, this is what it does:Each Member State will conduct a statewide popular election for President and Vice President.(a) & (b) The State Election official in each Member State will add up the votes cast in all the States and the D.C. to get the total number of votes cast nationally for each presidential ticket. The State official will then designate the presidential ticket with the largest number of votes nationally as the "national popular vote winner".(c) & (g) Electors will then be appointed in each Member State who are to cast all their votes for the national popular vote winner.So! If the popular vote in Tennessee is for James Madison, but the total national popular vote favors Adolf Hitler, then all of Tennessee's 11 Electoral Votes are awarded to Adolf Hitler.Indeed, the winner of the national popular vote will end up with all the electoral votes for every State. And do not think that the winner will fail to claim a "Mandate" for whatever he wants to do.Every aspect of the NPV violates the 12th Amendment. It sets up a method of electing the President and vice-President which is altogether repugnant to our Constitution.Furthermore, Art. I, 10, last clause, prohibits States from "enter[ing] into any Agreement or Compact with another State" "without the Consent of Congress". So, whether the NPV Compact also violates Art. I, 10, last clause, depends on whether Congress consents to it. But Congress may not lawfully consent to unconstitutional compacts of the States!Most of the Population of these United States is located in a few major metropolitan areas. Under the NPV scheme, these areas would decide the elections for President!See this 3D map (scroll down) showing how the major metropolitan areas voted in the last presidential election.The NPV is not about "making every vote count". The NPV is about guaranteeing that every future presidential election is decided by inhabitants of major metropolitan areas. And it further diminishes State sovereignty.Repeal the 17th Amendment. We must henceforth elect to Congress only those who are committed to repealing the 17th Amendment. This is the only way The States can regain control of the Senate.Return to the 12th Amendment. We must dismantle the present unconstitutional and corrupt system and return to the method of electing the President and Vice President established in our Constitution. State Legislators could restore to their States right now the power to control the President! All States have to do is obey the 12th Amendment! Also, specially chosen Electors are far more likely to choose good Presidents than the ignorant masses which fill our major cities.Even in its present perverted form, the "Electoral College" serves two important purposes: (1) It balances the influence of the heavily populated urban areas with the more sparsely populated rural areas; and (2) gives the smaller States a voice in the election of President.As a People, we need to STOP being so eager to amend a Constitution we have never read and don't understand.1 For an illustration of how voting under the 12th Amendment is to be conducted, see THIS under the subheading, "The 12th Amendment Establishes Procedures For Voting By Electors." One of the best free kicks youll see all season was scored in the Malaysian Super League yesterday. Pulau Penang were taking on Pahang and when their opponents were penalised striker Faiz Subri stepped up to take the shot. Guus Hiddink believes Chelsea have a good chance of progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals after John Obi Mikel's away goal in the loss at Paris St Germain. A rare strike from Mikel cancelled out Zlatan Ibrahimovic's opener before substitute Edinson Cavani earned a 2-1 last-16 first-leg win for the hosts at Parc des Princes. Away goals have separated these sides in the Champions League in each of the last two seasons - Chelsea won in the quarter-finals in 2014 and lost a year later at the last-16 stage - and Hiddink is optimistic Chelsea's position is favourable ahead of the March 9 second leg at Stamford Bridge. "I'm never happy with a loss but it's not a dramatic loss," said Hiddink, who saw his 11-game unbeaten run end. "I think it's 50-50 still. You have to consider it's a two-leg game. Scoring away is always good." Gary Cahill told BT Sport: "It's poised now. We know what we have to do and we have done it before at home. We go all in now." Hiddink expressed jealousy at the options at Laurent Blanc's disposal after Cavani. "I envy a bit the bench of PSG. They have a very strong bench," Hiddink said. Chelsea's defensive effort was impressive, but Eden Hazard made a limited impact. The Belgian playmaker, who chose the eve of the match to reveal it would be difficult to turn down a move to PSG, did little to boost any potential transfer fee and was withdrawn 19 minutes from the end. Hiddink said: "He has to grow and when he does, his shape will grow as well. "Happily we also have Oscar for his position. He will be better and better." PSG took the lead when Mikel fouled Lucas Moura and Ibrahimovic's resulting free-kick deflected off the Chelsea midfielder. Diego Costa had earlier had a header tipped on to the crossbar by Kevin Trapp and Hiddink rued further missed opportunities. "We could have been a little bit more lethal in the four, five counters we made," he added. John Terry missed the trip to Paris and may have to wait for his 700th Chelsea appearance as he is a doubt for Sunday's FA Cup fifth round tie with Manchester City. Hiddink will not rush the captain back. "We'll see," he added. "We must be careful. We must not go into a situation where he will drop back into a longer period of injury." Blanc rued the concession of an away goal and said PSG would strive to score at least one of their own in London in three weeks' time. "When you play at home you need to be stronger in defence because, if you concede a goal, it effectively counts double," Blanc said. "Chelsea scored, so we go to Stamford Bridge eager to score ourselves. "We'll have chances, most likely, so it'll be about defending well but we are an attacking team. "We have chances to score there. I hope we do." Sportswear giant Nike has severed ties with multi-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao following a homophobic slur made by the Filipino earlier this week. The 37-year-old, who takes on Tim Bradley in April in what is rumoured to be the final bout of an extraordinary professional career, provoked outrage when he described homosexuals as "worse than animals" in a television interview. A car bomb explosion in Ankara has killed 28 people and wounded 61 others, Turkey's deputy prime minister said. Numan Kurtulmus confirmed that Wednesday's explosion was caused by a car bomb and targeted military vehicles that were carrying armed forces personnel. He said seven prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the attack, which he described as "well-planned." No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Mr Kurtulmus pledged authorities would find those behind the attack. The explosion occurred during rush hour in an area some 300 metres away from military headquarters. The vehicles were targeted as they stopped at traffic lights. Military officials condemned the attack as "contemptible and dastardly". It was not clear who was behind the bombing. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State (IS) group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. The attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. Security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south-east since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the US to combat IS in neighbouring Syria and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. Turkey's prime minister has cancelled a planned visit to Brussels following the explosion. Ahmet Davutoglu had been scheduled to travel to Brussels later on Wednesday. Instead, Mr Davutoglu attended a security meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. Mr Kurtulmus said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also cancelled a planned visit to Azerbaijan following the blast. Mr Erdogan was due in Baku on Thursday for talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart. Two children born in England after their parents were trafficked from Slovakia should be placed for adoption in England, a British High Court judge has decided. Mr Justice Baker said it was not realistic to return the children - a girl approaching her third birthday and a boy approaching his second - to Slovakia. The judge, who sits in the Family Division of the High Court, announced his decision in a written ruling after analysing the case at a family court hearing in London. He said the children could not be identified, but the parents had lived in Bournemouth and Bournemouth Borough Council had responsibility for the youngsters' welfare. Mr Justice Baker said the family's background is "sad and disturbing". He said the couple married in Slovakia four years ago and are both in their 30s. The woman is Hungarian and of "Roma origin". She was raised on the street in Slovakia as part of a homeless family and is illiterate and has learning difficulties. The man is also Hungarian and has a "low IQ", said the judge. Mr Justice Baker said the couple told how they had been victims of people trafficking. The woman said they had arrived in Dover, Kent, had escaped from traffickers and then travelled around England before ending up in Bournemouth. She gave birth in May 2013 and in May 2014. The children were placed in temporary foster care in July 2014 after social services staff became concerned about conditions in the family home, domestic violence and the woman's mental health. Mr Justice Baker said the couple were evicted from their home in early 2015 and returned to Slovakia. He said their whereabouts are now unknown. Commonwealth's General Assembly looking at reforms of Certificate of Public Need law RALEIGH Virginia may advance reforms in its Certificate of Public Need licensing laws for medical services as early as this week, if a bill removing anti-competition rules for hospitals passes the state's House , making it eligible for consideration by the Senate. House Bill 193 , which deals with regulations similar to North Carolina's Certificate of Need laws, would remove market entry or expansion barriers under COPN for some small-scale operations including outpatient surgery centers and medical imaging facilities.Several Virginia hospitals are fighting the effort, arguing that relaxed regulations would reduce profits on some services that hospitals rely on to subsidize charity care as a means of maintaining their nonprofit status.The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association is running television ads across the state in an effort to convince residents that reform of COPN would bankrupt local hospitals, putting lives at risk.Those advertisements have been accompanied by a four-page letter from the VHHA to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, claiming that slumping state reimbursements and other factors are causing "serious harm to this key sector of Virginia's economy. Virginia's local hospitals and health systems simply cannot continue to absorb these reductions."But Delegate Kathy Byron, R-Bedford, counters that recent data reported to the IRS show Virginia's leading hospitals, such as Inova Health System, are performing well, with net gains of $513 million during 2013 alone."Hospitals with local monopoly protection are gaming the system at the expense, quite literally, of their patients, and we are allowing it to continue," Byron said Friday during a debate on proposed licensing reforms."The hospital industry opposes the elimination of the anti-competitive Certificate of Public Need because it says it can't afford competition," said Mike Thompson, president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy , a free-market think tank based in Springfield, Va. "The newly released financial numbers from the hospitals themselves clearly show this industry as a whole is doing very well. For it to say otherwise is simply not supported by the facts."Virginia's fight against COPN laws matches efforts by North Carolina lawmakers to reform or repeal this state's CON program . A full phaseout of the regulatory regime came up short during last year's final budget negotiations at the General Assembly, but the upcoming session in April may see lawmakers ready either to remove CON oversight from certain services - such as the establishment of new same day surgery centers or the addition of inpatient psychiatric beds - or strip the law from the books entirely.Follow this link to read more about the impact of CON laws in North Carolina. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures on Wednesday rose to their highest level in nearly seven weeks, as fears of... Oil prices were little changed on Friday as optimism about a possible rise in demand in China faded and the market... You love the blog, so subscribe to the Beervana Podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud today! LONDON: Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US diplomat, pleaded guilty on Thursday to causing the death of a teenager by... The new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine made a rare acknowledgment of the pressures they were under from... PARIS: At least 92 people have been killed as Iran has cracked down on women-led protests sparked by the death of... BENGALURU: An Indian court on Thursday declined to lift a freeze on Xiaomi Corps $676 million worth of assets, even... The alliance of minor parties has drawn up a hit-list of 16 Coalition-held seats to run candidates and attempt to disrupt the government vote. Crossbench anger at the prospect of Senate voting reform has bubbled over, with minor parties threatening to target the Coalition in marginal lower house seats at this year's election as pay back for changes they say will lock them out of Parliament. The 16 target seats include Deakin, Corangamite and La Trobe in Victoria - all held by Liberals with margins of 4 per cent per cent or less - and Lindsay, Banks, Macquarie and Eden-Monaro in NSW - held by Liberals with margins of 5 per cent or less. Minor party threat: Family First's Bob Day and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm. Credit:Andrew Meares The retaliation plan will be discussed at a forthcoming meeting of the minor party alliance, run by the so-called "preference whisperer" Glenn Druery, in early March. NSW senator David Leyonhjelm, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said if the Turnbull government strikes a deal with the Greens and Nick Xenophon to abolish the group voting ticket - the system that allows micro parties to magnify a small primary vote through preference deals - there would be "no future" for small parties in the Senate. Senator Leyonhjelm said minor parties would run "as many candidates as possible" in marginal seats the government will be desperate to hold. "The aim would be to take votes away from them and, to the extent we can, direct preferences to Labor," he said. Liberty, equality, fraternity - and now, the "right to disconnect". Among a host of new reforms designed to loosen the more stringent regulations in the country's labor market, France's labour minister, Myriam El Khomri, will include a provision that would give employees the right to ignore professional emails and other messages when outside the office. It would essentially codify a division between work and home, and, on a deeper level, between public and private life. Some believe people who don't make a distinction between home and work arrive at work 'shattered'. Credit:Sharon Dominick El Khomri apparently fleeced this idea from a report by Bruno Mettling, a director general in charge of human resources at Orange, the telecommunications giant. Mettling believes this policy would benefit employers as much as their employees, whom, he has said, are likely to suffer "psychosocial risks" from a ceaseless communication cycle. As reported in Le Monde, a recent study found than approximately 3.2 million French workers are at risk of "burning out" defined as a combination of physical exhaustion and emotional anxiety. Although France is already famous for its 35-hour workweek, many firms skirt the rules - often through employees who continue working remotely long after they leave for the day. A man has been convicted of bestiality after he admitted to a sex act on a miniature horse at stables in Canberra. His defence lawyer said the man, 73, was "extremely remorseful" after he pleaded guilty to the offence and appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court for sentencing on Wednesday. Police began investigating the offender in June last year after they received a referral from the RSPCA. Court documents said the man was interviewed by police and made partial admissions to engaging in a sex act with his miniature horse. He told police the offence involved the female miniature horse and had taken place in a stable at the end of 2012. More than 16,000 Canberra residents experienced some form of assault during 2014-15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The annual data, released on Wednesday, found 7000 Canberrans experienced at least one incident of physical assault although only 70 per cent reported to the police. More than 16,000 Canberra residents experienced some form of physical or verbal assault. Close to 11,000 ACT residents reported being threatened, with another 10,300 reporting face-to-face threats of assault. ACT Policing has previously urged caution when interpreting the data but believe it provides some indication of which crimes are under-reported to authorities. Infrastructure Australia's new 15-year infrastructure development plan may be missing a crucial ingredient political will. The report classifies two of its highest priority projects as live Transurban's $1.3 billion widening of the Melbourne's congested City Link route to Melbourne's airport, and Perth's $1.6 billion Freight Link road project, which is behind schedule after a court decision in December that environmental approvals were invalid. State governments will need to significantly raise charges for public transport. Credit:Paul Jeffers It lists 30 other projects as having the highest priority. None of them have a business plan yet. Developing one entails working out how they will be funded, and there are no easy options: as in the tax arena, there is a funding shortfall, and political risk. Infrastructure Australia points out that there are ultimately only two sources of funding for infrastructure: taxpayers, and users. Users are already effectively funding energy and telecommunications infrastructure, where charges are levied. They are significantly funding water infrastructure the same way, although the extent of their contribution is uneven around the country. Tough advertising conditions continue to cast a shadow over the free-to-air television industry, but Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner believes the company will begin to reap the benefits of its investment in digital platforms, such as streaming service Plus7, over the next few years. The Seven boss also reignited the network's call for the government to reduce or abolish broadcast licence fees. Credit:Ian Waldie The comments came as Seven returned to the black, delivering a net profit of $135.2 million. The result was a significant improvement on the year-earlier period, when it suffered a $934.66 million loss because of non-cash write-downs on the value of Seven's television and newspaper businesses. Village Roadshow will lead an action in the Australian Federal Court backed by Hollywood studios to have internet service providers block a piracy website which facilitates the free streaming of movies and television shows such as Star Wars and The Walking Dead. The action is the first taken to the Federal Court under the Copyright Amendment (online infringement) Act passed by the parliament which was put forward by the then Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull in June last year. The site Village Roadshow and its backers are seeking to block is SolarMovie. If successful the court case would not see Australians using the site prosecuted - it would simply stop working for users based here unless they were using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. The site has been blocked by court order in the United Kingdom and on Tuesday was the first site to be blocked through court action by Singapore ISPs since the its government's own copyright legislation changes in December 2014. So government changed the rules. From then on graduates could lose as much as they liked on rental properties, but their income for purpose of determining their HECS repayments became their income before negative gearing rather than after. Soon after the introduction of the higher education student loan scheme, the Tax Office noticed something odd. Graduates were meant to start repaying their loans when their income climbed above a certain level. But instead, some borrowed to buy investment properties which they rented out at a loss to keep their taxable income below the threshold. Government toughened up more than HECS. Quietly, it outlawed negative gearing in the calculation of the Medicare surcharge, the Private Health Insurance Rebate, the Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset and the Higher Income Superannuation Charge. Major changes to negative gearing will make housing investment less attractive. Credit:Louie Douvis It would be dead easy to do it for the calculation of tax, and it would be consistent. Taxpayers would be able to lose as much as they liked renting out properties. They would even be able to use the losses to offset profits from other investments and carry them forward to offset any profits when they eventually sold. But, as in Britain, Canada, the US, France, Germany, Japan and most of the nations with which we compare ourselves, they wouldn't be able to use real estate losses to cut the taxable income from their salaries. There's a reason surgeons, lawyers and mining engineers are far more likely to negatively gear than nurses, teachers or police. They have much bigger taxable incomes they are trying to get down. They often try to get them down below $80,000, where the second-highest tax rate cuts in. At the heart of negative gearing is a lie, or perhaps a mistake. Most spending isn't tax deductible, but spending for the purpose of earning an income is. The lie is that the interest payments and the rates and other expenses involved in renting out a property are for the purpose of earning an income. Somehow there has been a mistake and the rent hasn't covered the costs, but because the intention was to earn an income the costs should be written off against other income. The silent majority don't speak unless spoken to, and when they're "consulted" in polling or focus groups, no real opportunity is afforded for deliberation. They get asked opinions for two minutes, but rarely a considered view after learning more deeply about an issue. In December 2013, the City of Sydney and the state government decided to try a novel approach to consultation. A mini-public comprising of 43 people (including a third under 24 years of age) were randomly recruited from a pool of citizens across Sydney. It was Sydney City's first experience with a citizens' jury . They were asked: "How can we ensure we have a vibrant and safe Sydney nightlife?" They deliberated in facilitated sessions for more than 50 hours across three months, hearing from individuals, organisations and advocacy groups. The jury had a dedicated online discussion forum and, in April 2014, delivered their report with 25 recommendations. The jury found value in the "lockout law" but, as a trade-off, they wanted an earlier review and a "good behaviour" exemption. Recommendations 21 and 22 read: In his 1999 memoir, Unvanquished: A US-UN Saga, Boutros-Ghali said the Americans had told him where not to travel, whom to avoid meeting and what to say and not say in speeches; also to avoid ruffling President Clinton, whom he regarded as thin-skinned and indecisive, and to stay away from Congress and soft-pedal talk of America's $1.3 billion debt to the UN. Clinton had taken office trumpeting enthusiasm for multinational humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. But a disaster in Somalia shocked the administration into a policy reversal, and it shied away from future interventions, especially in Africa. American troops had entered Somalia in 1992 as part of a United Nations mission to feed starving victims of internal chaos. But when 18 Army Rangers were slain by warlord forces in 1993, the US withdrew its forces and retreated from risky UN missions, humanitarian or military. Thus America, like most other member states, tragically refrained from assisting a small, overwhelmed force of UN peacekeepers when Rwanda descended into genocidal slaughter and rape in 1994. Estimates varied widely, but the Rwandan government said 1.17 million people had been killed in 100 days. Clinton years later apologised for inaction. Boutros-Ghali's frustration over the Clinton administration's pattern of voting for tough Security Council resolutions, and then refusing to support the actions on the ground, had its paradigm in the civil war that raged from 1992 to 1995 in the former Yugoslavia. Massacres, rapes, displacement of populations and other atrocities ensued, many in "ethnic cleansing" campaigns against Muslims. The Security Council deplored the violence, but its peacekeepers in Bosnia Boutros-Ghali wanted 35,000, but got 8000 were wholly inadequate to subdue the fighting, although the Bosnian conflict was eventually mediated by the Clinton administration. While he had said early on that he would not seek a second term as secretary-general, Boutros-Ghali stood again. Late in 1996, the Security Council voted overwhelmingly to give him another term. But Albright, in her last days as the American delegate, cast a decisive veto as one of the five permanent council members. Boutros-Ghali thus became the only secretary-general denied a second term. The General Assembly gave the departing secretary general a standing ovation as it ushered in his successor, Kofi Annan of Ghana. But a frustrated Boutros-Ghali, in a farewell rebuke, chided member states for failing to deal with disasters in Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia. Boutros Boutros-Ghali was born in Cairo on November 14, 1922, into a politically active Coptic Christian family. His father had been finance minister and his grandfather, a prime minister under the British, was assassinated in 1910. Like his family, he represented the cosmopolitan class in Egypt between the wars that was immortalised in Lawrence Durrell's "Alexandria Quartet" novels. Indeed, some said he was the model for Nessim Hosnani, the Coptic financier of the tale. He earned a law degree from Cairo University in 1946 and a doctorate in international law from the University of Paris in 1949. He was a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University in 1954-55. For many years he was a professor at Cairo University, led its political science department and lectured around the world in Arabic, French and English. In 1977, when Sadat decided to go to Jerusalem, his foreign minister, Ismail Fahmy, resigned in protest, as did another cabinet member, the minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Riad, reflecting opposition to the overture in Egypt's dominant Muslim majority and in the Arab world. In Riad's place for the trip, Sadat named Boutros-Ghali. The three-day visit went well for Sadat but not for Boutros-Ghali. A lean, slightly built man with glasses and an intense expression, he often looked awkward and ill-prepared in the glare of klieg lights, addressing world news media in the unfamiliar role of government spokesman a remarkable flop for a confident, fastidiously groomed, well-organised scholar with cool manners and a self-effacing wit. But he was back to normal for the 1978 Camp David talks. While Sadat was the prime mover on the Egyptian side, observers said Boutros-Ghali argued cogently if unsuccessfully for a Palestinian state and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But the negotiations secured peace and Sadat's primary objective: the return of the Sinai Peninsula, seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Boutros-Ghali joined the Mubarak government after Sadat's assassination in 1981, focusing on foreign affairs. Besides pressing Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, he helped settle political and ecological disputes in Africa and in 1990 helped negotiate the release of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's imprisoned black leader. The thrill of the Upper House This column's gone on about the proposed changes to the Senate ballot a lot over the past year or so, most recently with reference to the news that the Coalition, the Greens and Nick Xenophon had cut a deal to change to above-the-line preferencing in a move that would almost certainly wipe out the independents and microparties, and mightily benefit the Coalition, Xenophon and possibly Labor to a smaller degree in the upper house. And V from the S needs to offer an apology for arguing that the Greens were supporting the change because it would likely give them the balance of power. That was a possible scenario last year, when the Abbott government's electoral woes seemed likely to haemorrhage upper house support, but now it's hard to crunch the numbers in any way that doesn't give the Coalition a clean sweep of both houses if Turnbull should choose to call a double dissolution. And why wouldn't he? In fact, according to a scenario hashed out on current numbers by microparty preference wranglers Graham Askey and Peter Breen, the Coalition is predicted to hold 40 seats in the Senate, Labor would remain on 25, the Greens would shrink to eight, and Nick Xenophon would pick up three. And this should worry anyone who thinks that politics is a bit too important to be a winner-takes-all grudge match. It's good to talk See, the great thing about having two houses of Parliament is that governments very rarely get to control both of them, meaning that the legislation that passes has to be argued, defended, scrutinised and often compromised upon in order to pass. And that helps to prevent terrible ideas from becoming law. Julia Gillard managed to get a record amount of legislation through Parliament despite Labor having a minority in both houses because the legislation was discussed and, when necessary, there were compromises. The relative paucity of laws passed by Abbott and Turnbull has nothing to do with the "feral Senate" and everything to do with their lousy negotiation skills - so it's no surprise they'd like to stop having to think about it. Not to be rude to those in the North, but Queensland's unicameral system means that any party that gets power in its own right gets to do whatever it wants in the state. At best that's seen wild swings from Labor to LNP from one election to the next, with governments spending much of their time dismantling whatever the last one put in place rather than creating any sort of long-term plan - and that's without quietly coughing things like "Joh Bjelke-Petersen" and "Fitzgerald Inquiry". But this is secondary to a rather urgent question, which is this: are the Greens secretly determined to destroy themselves, or what? Timing is everything The party is reportedly set to meet with Mathias Cormann against about the ballot changes next week with a view to legislating on them as soon as possible, and the argument from Greens deputy leader Lee Rhiannon is that this is a matter of principle. Which is fine and all, but in the political sphere being principled is generally seen as important, sure, but secondary to not being jaw-droppingly stupid. More specifically: at a time when the environment is at the absolute forefront of global concerns, why are the Greens apparently cool with abdicating responsibility for fighting for it? Revenant is a ghost who returns to haunt the present. Or a living ghost a person reappearing in your life after an extended absence. Fittingly, the word itself is a revenant, the current DiCaprio saga reviving a quaint piece of vocab from yore. Films wield that power. We saw the same effect occur in Angelina Jolie's Maleficent, just as Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York had many of us acquiring a literary term. (And in case you forgot: a crown represents a king, synecdochically.) Likewise, there's a sequence of movies that represents the thousands produced over the ages, thanks to evolving from titles into adopted phrases. As the red carpet is being shampooed in LA, the Oscars a week away, let's salute those films that dictionaries have accepted as newborn phrases. Credit:John Shakespeare As the red carpet is being shampooed in LA, the Oscars a week away, let's salute those films that dictionaries have accepted as newborn phrases. This month alone revived Groundhog Day (the numbing sense of a repeated event in your life), while Rain Man remains a genius on the autism spectrum. Sophie's Choice now means any impossible dilemma between two prized items, where choosing one dooms the other. Yes, I realise the William Styron book inspired the Streep/Kline flick. Just as Rambo and Bambi had their own novel precedents, though often it's the silver screen that exerts the greater linguistic impact. Non-fiction books such as The Perfect Storm and The Right Stuff owe much to their movie treatments when it comes to entering everyday idiom. Some of his colleagues thought he was too magnanimous, given that he and the rest of the Hollywood Ten spent a year in jail, but it was part of his princely nature. Dalton Trumbo made a famous speech in 1970 to the Writer's Guild of America, accepting a lifetime achievement award, in which he said it would do no good, when people looked back on the blacklist years, to search for heroes or villains. "There weren't any; there were only victims". Jay Roach's film uses that speech as its finale, after putting the boot into a good number of the cohort on the right, from John Wayne to columnist Hedda Hopper and director Sam Wood, who would happily have fanned the flames on Trumbo's pyre. That's fair enough: those who encouraged the Hollywood witch-hunt deserve all they get, within the bounds of accuracy. Bryan Cranston plays screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, the man who stood up to HUAC but paid a high price for doing so. Like most historical films, Trumbo has an uneasy relationship with that word. Gossip queen Hopper wasn't exactly the Witchfinder General we see here, but once you cast Helen Mirren, the size of the role increases to match her stardom, growing like Hedda's hats. Mirren plays her as a well-dressed version of Judy from the puppet show thwack, thwack, thwack to all the Hollywood commies. With Jay Roach, director of all three Austin Powers films, at the helm we expect a little sexing up. Roach doesn't disappoint: he gives us lots of gags, even as he tries to tell a straight story. PR queen Roxy Jacenko has defended her four-year-old daughter's Instagram account after Waleed Aly suggested the Sydney socialite was "commercialising" her. During an interview on The Project, Aly and co-hosts Mia Freedman and Carrie Bickmore probed Jacenko on her decision to create an Instagram account for Pixie Curtis, which has more than 100,000 followers. The author and former Celebrity Apprentice star notified police after an a unnamed fashion designer circulated photoshopped images which showed the child in sexually explicit situations. A father tried to kill his four-month-old daughter by making her swallow a 10c coin and noxious medications, a Queensland court has heard. The 21-year-old man has pleaded not guilty and is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court accused of attempting to murder the baby in August 2013. A father tried to kill his four-month-old daughter by making her swallow a 10c coin and noxious medications, a Queensland court has heard. Credit:Louie Douvis Crown prosecutor David Meredith said in his opening statement on Wednesday the child was taken to hospital after the mother found her gasping for air. The next day she vomited up a 10c coin before becoming lethargic and unresponsive. After covering 10 federal budgets, three federal elections and one hotly-contested scone buttering competition at the Bungendore show, Danielle has come home. She studied journalism and political science at the University of Queensland before joining APN, working for The Queensland Times and Bundaberg News-Mail. At one point, Danielle was dispatched to Africa as the company's inaugural fellow for Australia. Danielle Cronin A love of politics - fostered in childhood while watching the coverage of Queensland election nights with her Pa - prompted Danielle to move to the national capital more than a decade ago. As a reporter for The Canberra Times, she spent seven years in the federal press gallery reporting on stories ranging from the coup that ended Kevin Rudd's prime ministership to the Canberra firestorm. She was part of the team that won a Walkey award for coverage of the disaster that claimed four lives and destroyed about 500 homes. Contact Danielle Phone: 07 3835 7507 Email: dcronin@fairfaxmedia.com.au Tracing the earliest origins of dance is difficult, but it is safe to say people have been dancing as far back as 9,000BC when inhabitants of the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetaka carved dancing figures on the wall. Since then dance has evolved through ritual, a method of healing, court dancing, ballet, contemporary, post modernism and Kanye West. We have danced by ourselves, danced with partners and danced with the stars and now one man is dancing with a robot. Born into relative wealth in China, acclaimed dancer and choreographer Huang Yi's family went bankrupt, forcing them into poverty. A 66-year-old man has been seriously injured after a car and bus collided on the Gold Coast early Wednesday. The man was driving north on Ross Street, Benowa, about 5.20am, when a four wheel drive travelling in the opposite direction hit a median strip, causing the driver to lose control. The injured man attempted to swerve to avoid a collision with the four wheel drive, mounted the median strip and drove into the path of an oncoming bus. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the man suffered serious pelvic, abdominal, chest and arm injuries. He was intubated by paramedics and taken to Gold Coast University Hospital by high acuity response unit paramedics. A 31-year-old Berwick man has been remanded in custody over an arson attack linked to bikie gangs which destroyed the Kittens strip club in South Caulfield on Tuesday. The man, who didn't apply for bail, appeared in an out of sessions hearing at the Melbourne West Police Station on Thursday morning. Dressed in a black T-shirt and black track pants, he faced five charges: two counts of criminal damage by fire, one count of reckless conduct endangering life, one count of handling stolen goods, and one count of possessing prohibited weapons. The man, whose name was not released to the media, had injuries on his arms. A conservative group's attempt to sabotage a same-sex formal has backfired, with the event now free for youth after the organisers received thousands of dollars in donations. Minus 18, the peak body for same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse youth, has been holding the formal since 2010. The Minus 18-organised event for LGBTI youth has received an outpouring of support. The formal is aimed at providing a "safe space" for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) young people who are in high school or have recently left high school. But on Sunday, a group called STOP SAFE Schools Coalition posted a message on their Facebook page asking supporters to buy early-bird tickets aimed at disadvantaged youths. Did the word "pleasure" ever crop up in your sex education class at school? Chances are that, between ripping condoms off bananas and examining the vast array of sexually transmitted diseases, the notion that sex could be pleasurable, didn't exactly leap to mind. But a new, progressive, sex education resource for secondary students, created by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, is aimed at reshaping the way that sex, gender, and relationships will be discussed in Australian schools. Research shows that a quarter of all young people say they have "unwanted sex", due to feeling pressured, frightened, or being drunk. A contentious plan to build more than 1000 new apartments in towers at Flemington Racecourse has been savaged by Melbourne City Council, which has described the proposal as too high, too dense and lacking strategic justification. But that hasn't stopped the council asking the state government to hand it municipal responsibility for the entire area, with a territorial war breaking out between the city council and Moonee Valley Council. Victoria Racing Club and its development partner, the Shanghai-based Greenland Group, want to build four towers and a low-rise apartment precinct on racing club land that it says is ripe for residential development. One tower on Epsom Road would rise to 31 levels and be located in Melbourne City Council's area. The other three towers are in Ascot Vale, next to Flemington Racecourse railway station and within Moonee Valley Council's municipal boundaries. Public transport ticket penalties increased by almost 100,000 in a single year with beefed-up enforcement and some commuters are now arguing the system is not fair. There were 158,607 public transport ticket infringement notices issued in 2013-14 this jumped to 257,873 tickets and penalty fares the following year. The August 2014 introduction of the $75 public transport on-the-spot penalty fares did not reduce the number of public transport tickets issued. Instead, tickets surged, up 22,975 in 2014-15, and there were 76,291 new penalty fares issued, figures released by Public Transport Victoria show. Fines increased as part of a crackdown on fare evasion with more ticket inspectors checking more tickets. A key figure in Victoria's Ultranet scandal pocketed up to $10 million from selling his company to the project's developer, an anti-corruption hearing has heard. Details of a lavish meeting planned for Lake Como in Italy, huge payments and secret emails were revealed at the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission hearing into Ultranet on Wednesday. IBAC heard allegations that Greg Tolefe, the co-owner of a company called CingleVue, received between $4 and $10 million when it was bought by Ultranet developer CSG Limited. Some of this money was contingent on CSG Limited winning the Ultranet contract in 2009. Company documents filed in the US last month by Alcoa list Portland with six other plants with "idled" production. They are listed next to 14 plants that have been closed or sold by Alcoa since 2007. The smelter at Portland on Victoria's far south west coast. Credit:Jessica Shapiro Alcoa spokesman Brian Doy would not comment on whether Portland was losing money but said its focus was on "doing everything we can" to keep it internationally competitive. "The Portland smelter is a good asset, it is a very well-run and relatively modern facility but like many smelters around the world it is under significant pressure due to persistently low international aluminium prices," he said. Analysts estimate the smelter's power costs will rise by about $50 million to $90 million as a government subsidy is removed and a new power contract starts with AGL in November. Alcoa's bid to offset that with a new subsidy on the cost of poles and wires for the transmission of electricity to the smelter was recently rejected by industry regulator, the Australian Energy Market Operator. The company is expected to appeal the decision. It is also understood Alcoa representatives are due to meet with federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg in coming weeks. Macquarie analysts estimate without the subsidy and the rising power contract from November, the Portland smelter could be on track for losses of more than $100 million a year. However, that does not include savings already achieved by Alcoa such as winning an exclusion from the national renewable energy target and a controversial decision to sell its ship the MV Portland and to replace it with a foreign-flagged vessel. Crewmen on the MV Portland protest. Credit:Tekko Roos The possible departure of Alcoa comes amid a mass exodus of large manufacturing in Victoria, with large car-makers set to leave Victoria and Australia. Fairfax Media revealed in December that Alcoa representatives had already started meeting with senior members of the Andrews government to press the case for assistance to keep the plant open. Another path for Alcoa is to try renegotiate the looming power supply contract with energy giant AGL, which was signed in 2010. Under the agreement AGL is due to commit electricity from the Loy Yang A brown coal power plant, which produces high levels of greenhouse gas, from November. Industry sources have suggested Alcoa will seek to negotiate with AGL, which refused to comment on the situation. If the smelter closes it could have significant flow on effects for AGL, the electricity market as a whole and the town of Portland. The smelter is responsible for almost 10 per cent of Victoria's electricity demand. Its exit would exacerbate the massive oversupply of power in the national electricity market and could put further pressure on coal-fired electricity generators to shut. Analysts at UBS, in a separate report, have suggested AGL could stand to lose at least $18 million in a year if the smelter shut. The threat of closure has also rung alarm bells in the local community of Portland. Local Independent MP in the Victorian upper house, James Purcell, said: "All the businesses hang off Alcoa, or the workers of Alcoa. It would decimate the town.". Mr Purcell, who ran on a platform of job creation in the state's south-west, conceded the smelter would close at some stage in the future, but he said it needed to be a transition, "not a guillotine". He called on the Andrews government to help ensure the smelter stayed open long enough to develop new jobs in Portland, in industries such as renewable energy and agriculture. The number of Australians suspected of falling ill from salmonella linked to pre-packaged supermarket salads has risen to more than 200, weeks after an investigation was launched into the outbreak. Victorian health authorities are still searching for the outbreak's cause, believed to have originated at the Tripod Farmers facility in Bacchus Marsh. Other states are investigating reports of the same rare Salmonella Anatum strain. It is not yet known whether interstate cases of salmonella - with the exception of one confirmed case in NSW - are linked to the strain found in the popular pre-packaged salad mixes in Victoria. "Other states are also investigating cases of Salmonella Anatum to see whether these are linked to the outbreak strain in Victoria, or coincidental to it," a health spokesman said. Bangkok: Two Chinese ethnic Uighur men have appeared in a Thai military court and denied all charges over any involvement in a bombing that killed 20 people in Bangkok last year. Most of those killed in the August 17 explosion at the Erawan shrine near a busy Bangkok intersection were foreigners. More than 120 people were wounded by the blast at the shrine, a popular attraction with both tourists and Thais. Thai corrections officers escort Yusufu Mieraili, left, and Adem Karadag, rear, from a military court in Bangkok on Tuesday. Credit:AP "I am an innocent Muslim," Yusufu Mieraili told the court on Tuesday. Mieraili asked the court to accelerate proceedings because he had spent six months in jail. Latest News Australia's record property market run comes to an end PEXA NSW sees the largest declines in both property sales volume and aggregate value MFAA offers cybersecurity resources to members Optus data breach a 'wake-up call' for businesses Alternative finance providers have sparked a revolution in SME lending, according to a global fintech lender, and in a cooling residential property market it is more important than ever for brokers to keep up.Lachlan Heussler, managing director of Spotcap Australia, said the SME lending sector has seen the most significant disruption from alternative finance players.Once an oligopoly, there are now more than more than 20 key players in Australias lending market. Many are concentrated in the SME lending space, where we have arguably seen the most disruption.The SME lending sector was ripe for disruption because it has always been difficult for a small business to access finance. Even with the help of an established broker applications were cumbersome, time consuming and more often than not, likely to be rejected.Alternative lenders like Spotcap have created easy-to-use online applications and developed innovative models which evaluate the real-life cash flow of a business rather than focusing on what assets the business itself or business owner may have. These disruptive innovations have made credit more accessible for SMEs and swiftly transformed the lending market.Whilst alternative finance providers have already provided much needed competition in the lending market, Heussler says the sector will gain even more traction this year as traditional lenders and brokers embrace the disruption.Although the alternative finance sector will always have a focus on innovation, partnerships and collaborations will be an even greater priority this year.By the years end I believe all four of the major banks and a number of smaller financial players will partner with an alternative lender. These collaborations wont be confined to the banking system, super funds, non-bank financial institutions and industry bodies will also be a key focus. For example our work with the FBAA and MFAA has already allowed a significant number of brokers to add small business loans to their portfolios. These kinds of partnerships will continue to be a key focus this year.This will ultimately be driven by increasing demand by small businesses for a more efficient service.A short time ago small businesses tolerated a lending environment which stood in the way of growth and innovation. Today businesses are more willing to shop around for a better service from both traditional and alternative providers, Heussler said.Our broker partners tell us their clients are now more willing to explore alternative solutions and weve also seen it first hand in our loan book. Spotcap has experienced significant month-on-month growth in the number of loan applications received since we launched just over eight months ago.Spotcaps co-founder and CEO Toby Triebel will be joining other industry leaders to speak at the AltFi Australasia Summit 2016 in Sydney on Monday 29 February. The summit is the largest P2P and marketplace lending conference ever held in Australia. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams It was a mayoral mea culpa. Mayor DeBlasio apologized to Bay Ridge for failing to crack down on chronic illegal activity at 93rd streets notorious Prince Hotel which is just feet from a pre-K center his administration is proposing during a town hall meeting at Fort Hamilton High School on Feb. 16. DeBlasio called the situation at the flophouse absolutely unacceptable and promised his administration would finally take action. I have to take responsibility for that and apologize to you and the community, he said. I guarantee you now and Im making a very personal guarantee and all those cameras are running that there will be enforcement and action on the Prince Hotel. The Mayors office assembled a task force to investigate alleged drug use and prostitution at the hotel a year ago after local leaders panned the citys effort to build a three-story pre-kindergarten facility down the block from the establishment, but the task force has yet to take significant action there, locals said. The property owner has racked up 152 open buildings department violations and owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties as a result, city records show. Not so royal: Locals say the Prince Hotel is a hangout for druggies and prostitutes. Photo by Georgine Benvenuto A Community Board 10 member who asked about the mayors plan for the hotel at the town hall said she was happy to hear the Hizzoners promise, but said his words must be followed by action. Im satisfied with his answer and we will follow and we will see what happens hell hear from us and the press will hear from us if he doesnt [act on the promise], Doris Cruz said. The community board made a commitment to pre-K students that there will not be a Prince Hotel problem when that school opens. The School Construction Authority purchased the property for the proposed pre-K in October for $3 million, according to the real estate news outlet New York Yimby. The councilman who moderated Tuesdays town hall was optimistic about the mayors promise to move on the Prince Hotel and extolled how open-style meetings shoot pressing community concerns up the ladder. That is one of the best advantages of having a night like this, because issues like that can get directly to him, said Councilman Vincent Gentile (DBay Ridge). Standing up for Bay Ridge: Community Board 10 member Doris Cruz takes the mayor to task on the reputed den of vice. Photo by Georgine Benvenuto Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams 68th Precinct Bay RidgeDyker Heights Tool thief A lousy looter broke into a car parked on Oliver Street on Feb. 9 and stole a set of tools, police said. The owner left his car parked near Shore Road just after noon and came back a couple hours later to find someone had broken the lock on a rear door, police said. The thief stole a saw, mud mixer, hammer drill, and a handful of other tools, police said. Easy hit A scoundrel made away with a wallet left in an unlocked car parked on Senator Street on Feb. 12, according to a police report. The owner parked the car between Fifth and Sixth avenues at 3 pm and returned around 7 pm to find his wallet and all of his credit cards and licenses missing, police said. Ransacked A cat burglar broke into a home on Ridge Boulevard on Feb. 12, according to police. The victim left his home near 92nd Street for work around 2 pm and returned around 4 am the next day to find his apartment was completely ransacked and his rear windows lock was broken. The intruder stole some jewelry and a smartphone, authorities said. License and registration, please Someone cleared out a mans car parked on 71st street on Feb. 13, according to police. The victim parked his car between 10th and 11th avenues at 8 pm and came back the next morning to find everything in his car was tossed around, and both his glove box and center console open, police said. The bandit stole his wallet containing not only his credit cards, but registrations for his car, truck, and motorcycle as well. Dennis Lynch Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams 94th Precinct GreenpointNorthside Low spirits Cops cuffed a couple of scamps who they say stole a bottle of top-shelf tequila from a Metropolitan Avenue liquor store on Feb. 10. The victim was working at the store near Leonard Street at 4:45 pm when the duo came in and allegedly grabbed a bottle of Patron before fleeing on foot, cops said. The arresting officer saw the store clerk struggling with the pair outside the shop and ran up to apprehend one of the men, before chasing the other alleged crook down Leonard Street, finally catching up with him a few blocks later, authorities said. Platform pull A creep shoved a woman then snatched her wallet as she was waiting for the L train at Bedford Avenue on the morning of Feb. 8. The lady was waiting on the platform near N. Seventh Street when she felt the cretin sneak up and push her before unzipping her purse and taking her wallet, cops said. Purse pillager Some sneak also snuck up behind a woman on Roebling Street on the morning of Feb. 9 and pulled her wallet out of her purse. The lady was near N. Seventh Street at 9:20 am when the guy came up behind her and pulled open her purse, then reached inside and grabbed her wallet before running down Roebling Street towards N. Eighth Street, authorities said. Cops cuff cable crook Police arrested a guy who they say snatched some supplies from trucks parked outside a Greenpoint Avenue theater on the night of Feb. 13. The victim allegedly saw the crook pulling some goods from a vehicle parked near N. Henry Street at around 9 pm, then walk over to another truck and pull out some cables, according to a police report. The suspect allegedly took the supplies into his own truck before speeding away, but cops pulled him over and arrested him shortly thereafter, according to a police report. Allegra Hobbs Aesop Rock released one of the best (and by the looks of these year end lists, apparently underrated) hip hop albums of the year with Skelethon, his first solo release since 2007's None Shall Pass and easily his strongest since at least 2003's Bazooka Tooth. He supported that record with a tour which did make it to NYC, but had to be cut short due to Hurricane Sandy. He's rescheduled dates in many of the cities he cancelled on his recently-announced 2013 tour, which also hits NYC for a show on February 9 at Irving Plaza. The tour is with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, and Busdriver. Tickets for the Irving Plaza show are on sale now. by Andrew Sacher Tokyo Police Club at Bowery Ballroom in 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo) Indie popsters Tokyo Police Club are still kicking, and planning to release the followup to 2010's Champ in 2014. No title or release date has been announced yet, but they've just revealed the almost-nine-minute first single, "Argentina (Parts I, II, II)." Not that there weren't similarities before, but with this single and Comedown Machine, TPC and The Strokes are sounding more and more alike these days, if TPC aren't a bit more celebratory. You can watch the lyric video for the new song below. The band also have some US dates coming up in the spring, and though a full tour hasn't been announced yet, we know they'll be in NYC to play Webster Hall on May 15. Tickets for that show are currently on AmEx presale, and the general on-sale begins Friday (12/13) at noon. All currently known dates are listed, along with the new video, below... --- Tokyo Police Club - "Argentina (Parts I, II, III)" Tokyo Police Club -- 2014 Tour Dates (more TBA?) Jan 8 SOUND EMPIRE BARRIE, ON Jan 16 ALGONQUIN COMMONS THEATRE OTTAWA, ON Jan 17 STUDIO THEATRE SALLE ANDRE-MATTHIEU LAVAL, QC Jan 18 BREEZEWAY BAR - MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND May 1 ECHOPLEX LOS ANGELES, CA May 15 WEBSTER HALL by Bill Pearis The Long Ryders were maybe the roots-iest band in LA's jangly "Paisley Underground" scene of the early '80s (Rain Parade, Bangles, Three O'Clock, Dream Syndicate), owing much to Gene Clark and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Only together six years, the band still put out one of the best albums of that era -- 1984's stirring Native Sons (which actually featured Clark) -- and their other two albums are worth hearing, too. 1985's State of Our Union has their best-known song, the politically charged "Looking for Lewis and Clark." Their influence can be heard all over the '90s alt-country scene and those records still sound great today. Those three albums, as well as their debut EP, 10-5-60, plus b-sides, demos outtakes and other rarities, are part of a brand new comprehensive box set titled Final Wild Songs. The entire thing was remastered by legendary engineer Andy Pearce, and the box set comes with a booklet featuring extensive liner notes by the band, rare photos and memorabilia. It's definitely worth picking up and is out now via Cherry Red. You can stream most of it via Spotify (some songs aren't available to stream for copyright reasons), and watch the video for "Looking for Lewis and Clark," below. A reunited Long Ryders, fronted by Sid Griffin, are also touring Europe in support this spring. They promise U.S. dates for the summer. All are listed below. --- The Long Ryders - 2016 Tour Dates April 2016 26/04 Tues - El Sol - Madrid (Spain) 27/04 Wed- Las Armas - Zaragoza (Spain) 28/04 Thur - Loco Club - Valencia (Spain) 29/04 Fri - MAZ Basauri - Bilbao (Spain) 30/04 Sat - FREEK FEST - El Puerto de Santa Maria (Spain) "Did your French gun control stop a single fucking person from dying at the Bataclan? And if anyone can answer yes, I'd like to hear it, because I don't think so. I think the only thing that stopped it was some of the bravest men that I've ever seen in my life charging head-first into the face of death with their firearms. "I know people will disagree with me, but it just seems like God made men and women, and that night guns made them equal," he said. "And I hate it that it's that way. I think the only way that my mind has been changed is that maybe that until nobody has guns everybody has to have them. (via The Guardian) photo: The Church at Bowery Ballroom in 2015 (more by Greg Cristman) Psychedelic alt-rock veterans The Church are hitting the road for another U.S. tour this spring. Each night of the tour will feature two sets: the first has them playing their classic 1982 sophomore album The Blurred Crusade in full, and the second has them playing their latest album, 2014's Further/Deeper, in full plus "other classic tracks." The Church will land in NYC on April 15 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (2/19) at noon. VIP packages for the whole tour will be available too. All dates are listed, with a stream of The Blurred Crusade, below... --- latest news October 3, 2022 Dee Gambit Hundreds if not thousands of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ... 1st Congressional District race sees Norcross, Gustafson rematch U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1, is looking to repeat his win two years ago over Republican Claire Gustafson when voters turn out this November. FRAMED AS A TERROIST My 14-year Struggle to Prove My Innocence Mohammad Aamir Khan with Nandita Haksar Speaking Tiger 250 pages; Rs 250 Every now and again, a book comes along that challenges established canons and raises questions so obvious that readers wonder why on earth they hadn't been raised earlier. At first glance, Framed as a Terrorist by Mohammad Aamir Khan (with Nandita Haksar), does not look like it is that kind of a book. It is a slim paperback with a dull olive green cover embellished by a monochromatic portrait of a man. Judging the book by its cover, however, would be a grave mistake, for this narrative of a young man falsely accused of terrorism and incarcerated in different Indian jails for 14 years is one of the most thought-provoking stories of recent times. When 19-year old Mr Khan was arrested near his home in Old Delhi in 1998, he had no clue that he was facing charges in 18 bomb blast cases. He was, in his own words, simply a boy who had been on a long-overdue visit to his sister who lived in Karachi. Instead, he was first kidnapped and illegally detained by the police, and then tortured and dehumanised in prison. Fourteen years later, one cold January evening, he was acquitted quite as suddenly as he had been charged, and he returned home to a changed world. The book begins with Mr Khan's recollection of growing up in Old Delhi; a tale of a normal childhood surrounded by a loving set of parents and two doting older sisters. He recalls the young Alia, with whom he exchanged yearning glances and little else. Mr Khan was forced to leave all this behind when he was incarcerated. While he was in jail, his parents were ostracised by their community and neighbourhood. His father died and his mother fell gravely ill. Yet, Mr Khan was denied bail, even while high-profile celebrities like Salman Khan seemed to be cashing in all their Get Out Of Jail Free cards. Mr Khan paints a picture of a bewildering legal system as a web that ensnares the poor and vulnerable while allowing the rich and famous to slip through with ease. While he was strengthened by the love of his family and the ever-faithful Alia, others like him found other ways of escape. Some of the bleakest passages in the book recount the suicide of Shakeel, one of Mr Khan's co-accused who had also suffered, like Mr Khan, the horrors of torture, uncertainty and seclusion in prison. When in 2012, Mr Khan was released from jail, he returned like a stranger in a transformed world; the internet, the metro and mobile phones were all new to him. He was even amazed at how many channels there were on television, for when he had been arrested, there was only Doordarshan. Neither Muslim nor many human rights organisations came forward to help him pick up the threads of his tattered life. Eventually, in a triumph of hope and positivity, Mohammad Aamir Khan married Alia and began working for a human rights NGO. Framed as a Terrorist underscores the critical need for better pre-trial procedures and jail reforms. Mr Khan's experiences in jail also clearly show the flaws of a punitive law enforcement system that seems to have forgotten the distinction between convicted prisoners and those under trial. Mr Khan also notes how over his time in prison, changes in the political climate reflected changes in the types of people being arrested. If at one time, the majority of new convicts were Kashmiri, at another time they were Sikhs. Perhaps the only flaw in this otherwise compelling retelling of Mr Khan's story by Ms Haksar is her demand for the abolition of jails, given that they are misgoverned relics of a punitive society. This seems a rather unfair demand for a society that continues to battle crime and terrorism on many fronts. Mr Khan himself recounts meeting extremists of different faiths, making an especially disturbing reference to banter between Kashmiri and Sikh militants in Tihar jail. "The Sikhs boasted that they had killed their enemies but the Kashmiris only went for soft targets. The Kashmiris retorted that the Sikhs had a lot of resources and had taken refuge in the US and Canada..." Ms Haksar offers no suggestions about what the state should do with such people if not put them behind bars. In fact, in the final reckoning, Mr Khan himself displays a touching faith in the very humanity that has failed him so utterly. Even in a solitary cell, he managed to appreciate the beauty of a guava tree outside his window. He had the will to continue his studies even though he had been tortured beyond belief. And when he finally emerged a free man, he retained an incomprehensible, but incredibly moving positivity and faith. It goes to show that even though the system denied him justice for 14 long years, Mohammad Aamir Khan remained, and will always be, a free man. Debt-laden ABG Shipyard, which has been scouting for a strategic investor for quite sometime now, is likely to get one by the end of current fiscal. "We need an investor for our existing projects that have a working capital requirement of Rs 500-700 crore," Syed Abdi, managing director and chief executive officer of the company told reporters on the sidelines of the Make In India event held here today. Earlier, the company was in talks with Germany-based firm Privinvest Holding, but was not able to finalise the deal. "Privinvest is more for our future projects and so cannot say is out of list. But we need an investor for our existing projects as well," Abdi said. The company already has an order book of over Rs 12,000 crore, and is looking to bag naval and defence deals going ahead. ABG Shipyard is considering consortiums, along with domestic as well as overseas entities, for the 51 per cent majority stake sale. After Century Textiles, the Aditya Birla group is raising its stake in Kesoram Industries to 50 per cent from the present 46 per cent by way of a preferential share issue. Kesoram is the second B K Birla group company in which Kumar Mangalam Birla owned- promoter companies are raising stake. Kesoram announced to the stock exchanges that its board has approved preferential offer to promoter companies of Aditya Birla group. B K Birla had said in the past that Kumar Birla will be taking charge of his group companies after him. Kesoram said on Wednesday that it would issue preferential equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each of an amount up to Rs 90 crore to Manav Investment and Trading, a promoter group company and Optionally Convertible Preference Shares of face value of Rs 100 each of an amount up to Rs 90 crore to Induslnd Bank Ltd. Manav currently holds 8 per cent stake in Kesoram (see chart). Earlier, the board of directors of the company at its meeting held on December 19, 2015, had approved the fund raising of amount upto Rs 650 crore through qualified institutional placement of equity shares and/or any other financial instruments or security convertible into equity, FPO, ADR, GDR or FCCB, Kesoram Industries said in a statement. Kesoram stock closed 2 per cent down at Rs 80 a share on Wednesday. The board has also given the go-ahead to dispose off the company's spun pipe and the heavy chemical units located in West Bengal as well as divestment of certain of its investments in listed companies at prevailing market prices for the purpose of enhancing cash inflows, it added. The company said in aggregate the current market value of such investments is approximately Rs 470 crore. The companys performance was dismal and market analysts expect the company to improve their performance under the Aditya Birla group management. In September last year, Kesoram had sold its tyre unit to Singhania family-promoted JK Tyre for Rs 2,200 crore. The acquisition will help JK Tyre, the country's third largest player by revenue to strengthen its position in the industry and enter the two-wheeler and three-wheeler tyre market. Kesoram Industries will be able to reduce its debt which currently stands at about Rs 4,000 crore. The company has reported losses for last four years due to high interest burden. The business relationship between Ashok Leyland and its joint venture (JV) partner Japanese auto major Nissan has turned sour with the Chennai-based commercial vehicle major raising a series of allegations against its Japanese partner, and moving court for a legal remedy. Nissan, on the other hand, has said it is still open to reaching an amicable solution. According to Ashok Leyland, Nissan has been using a part of the equipment imported under the export promotion capital goods (EPCG) scheme to manufacture products other than that of the JV, which is a violation of the terms of the contract. It is to manufacture light commercial vehicles (LCVs) that the two auto firms have formed the JV - Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles. When contacted, Ashok Leyland refused to offer any comment saying the matter is sub-judice. A Nissan spokesperson said: We are not in violation of any of the terms of our agreements with Ashok Leyland and (we) dispute their claim. Import duty on the machines is due because exports by the JV did not reach the expected level. We are cooperating with the authorities to resolve this matter. Ashok Leyland has filed an affidavit in a district court in Kancheepuram. The affidavit, reviewed by Business Standard, states the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence has made an inspection at the site of Renault Nissan Automotive India and found certain EPCG assets were wrongfully used for manufacturing cars for Nissan. In view of these findings, the director-general asked the JV to explain the violations and also to refund the EPCG benefits it availed. Following this, Renault-Nissan proposed to pay Rs 24 crore duty to be able to use the equipment to manufacture other products than that of the JV. An official, who is close to the JV, said it was surprising it took four years for Ashok Leyland to realise its partner was using the equipment to manufacture cars. He also questioned the need to file a public suit, while JV agreement offers the option of arbitration. According to Ashok Leyland, the JV was not able to convene a board meeting due to the non-co-operative attitude of the other partner, forcing the former to opt for legal remedy. While Nissan did not respond to specific questions, the official cited above said the company would ask its JV partner to come out with a business plan to revive the loss-making venture. He said Nissan had stopped the production of Evalia, which was the only LCV product it was manufacturing and selling, while Ashok Leyland continued to manufacture and sell Dost, Partner and MiTR. Eight per cent of the revenue from Ashok Leyland comes from LCV business. Nissan was manufacturing its product at its Oragadam facility, while Ashok Leyland has been manufacturing its LCVs at its facilities. The partners were supposed to set up a new field facility near Chennai to manufacture LCVs, but the project did not take off due to bad market conditions. According to sources, Nissan forced the JV to write off capital attributable to its products Evalia/Stile, thereby bringing the JVs net worth to negative. The official also said Nissan was ready to sell its stake to Ashok Leyland, which initially showed interest but pulled out later. Both the companies did not offer any comment on this front. UK banking giant Barclays is all set to launch its fintech innovation hub Rise in India by June this year. Rise, a network of physical spaces and a virtual community designed to work with innovative start-ups to pioneer the future of financial technology, will have its hub in Mumbai. With this, Ian Buchanan, group chief information officer of Barclays is hoping to create an ecosystem of fintech focused start-ups that will help the bank solve some of its tech related problems as well as give access to start-ups to a banking culture. India will be the fifth country where Barclays will be launching this programme. Launched in 2015, Rise first hub was in London, followed by New York, Manchester, Tel Aviv and Cape Town. The banking sector has always been the first to face disruption from technology. With these centres the intent is to connect with the startup eco system so that problems that we need to solve can be shared. We feel that a lot of startups and smaller company can come in and help to accelerate this. I think they can be the change agents for us and our partner ecosystem, said Buchanan to Business Standard. Under the Rise programmes, Barclays will give access start-ups to co-working space, mentorship and access to the Banks APIs. We are not looking at investing in these firms. But we will give these fintech focused start-ups access to mentors and the possibility of having Barclays as their first customer. For us, it allows us to think more like a startup. We will help some of these launch their products, added Buchanan. Buchanan gives an instance of Egypt based startup Dopay, which was part of the accelerator programme and is now partnering with the bank to address the needs of the unbaked population in Egypt. We feel that start-ups are much more focused on creating and solving the customer experience part and that helps a company like us, he added. Buchanan believes that the Rise platform and creation of a ecosystem of fintech start-ups will allow people to connect from different geographies as well. This can allow ideas from the US and UK who want to connect with India and the other way too, he said. Buchanan is also hoping that the partnering with start-ups will have a rub-off effect on its internal teams as well. We created internal teams called co-labs which started in the UK and US and we also have this in our Pune centre. We make the work environment look and feel like a startup and when our teams work with start-ups in the Rise and accelerator programme and they come back and bring that change within the company, he added. Along with a focus to tap into the startup Buchanan says that the role of its captive centres and its third part IT services vendors continues to be of importance within the company. The Banks Pune centre is one of the largest in the world and employees about 5,500 employees of the total 25,000 in the technology group. It also works with top IT services players in India. Though we started our India centre on a labour arbitrage model but that has changed now. It is one of the most mature centre for us. At present we have several projects where all the aspects were done from India. Rather one of our leaders is based in Pune and who handles the global responsibility of Barclays credit card, he said. For Buchanan the focus it to move from the traditional water fall development model to a more agile development model that practices a devOps culture. We are actually working with our captive centre along with the onshore teams and building global collaborative platforms. We will be soon launching a product in Europe its a P2P product that has been built by teams in Pune, and the UK, he added. Many of India Inc's A-listers will celebrate the success of some of their peers who have achieved corporate excellence, at the Business Standard Awards function in Mumbai on Thursday. Apart from the winners, the stars will be Guest of Honour Manohar Parrikar, defence minister, and Chief Guest Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys & former chairman of UIDAI. Nilekani, the man who brought in disruption, first in the world of technology processes and then in delivery of government services, will speak on 'The coming great disruption' at the function. The awards will be given to 13 outstanding individuals and institutions who took their respective fields of operations to newer heights while delivering on scale, solidity and quality. They were chosen by three separate juries comprising some of the most respected names in India Inc. While the corporate excellence awards were chosen by a jury led by R C Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, the Banker of the Year was selected by one headed by Rakesh Mohan, former executive director of the International Monetary Fund and former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. The Fund Managers of the Year were selected by a jury led by G N Bajpai, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India and currently chairman of the Board of Trustees, NPS Trust. While Vivek Chaand Sehgal, CEO and MD of Motherson Sumi, will get the "CEO of the year" award, Eicher Motors will receive the "Company of the Year" award. Rahul Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Auto, will receive the "Lifetime Achievement Award" and the "Banker of the year" award has been won by Axis Bank MD and CEO Shikha Sharma. Ola Cabs, which scored very high on innovation and changed the business segment through a transparent business model, is the "Start-up of the year" and Abbott India and Container Corporation are the "Star MNC of the year" and "Star PSU of the year," respectively. The "Fund Manager-Equity" award will be given to R Janakiraman and Roshi Jain of Franklin Templeton Investments while the "Fund Manager-Debt" award for the year will go to Santosh Kamath and Kunal Agrawal of Franklin Templeton Investments. A new category of awards - the "Public Institution of the Year" - has been won by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for its involvement in advocacy and making a significant impact on public life. The winners were chosen not only after a rigorous assessment of data, but also their ability to deliver in future. "We looked carefully at success that can endure," said McKinsey India MD and McKinsey Inc director Noshir Kaka, a jury member. Besides Bhargava, the other members of the jury for corporate excellence were KKR India CEO Sanjay Nayar, EY India CEO and Country Managing Partner Rajiv Memani and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas Managing Partner Cyril Shroff. Apart from Mohan, the jury for selection of best banker comprised Edelweiss Group chairman and CEO Rashesh Shah, Ican Investment Advisors chairman Anil Singhvi, Bank of Baroda's former chairman M D Mallya, and Ambit Capital CEO (institutional equities) Saurabh Mukherjea. The members of the Bajpai-led panel that chose the Fund Managers of the year were Vibhav Kapoor, director & group CIO, IL&FS; Pradip Shah, chairman, IndAsia Fund Advisors; and Ashvin Parekh, managing partner, APAS LLP. Japanese two-wheeler giant Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) started its fourth plant in India at Vithalapur, a scooters-only facility, just 15 km from Suzuki Motor Corporation's upcoming facility in Gujarat. Spread over 250 acres, the facility has come up in just 13 months with an investment of nearly Rs 1,100 crore. Initially, the plant would produce around 600,000 scooters per annum which would be scaled up to 1.2 million scooters per annum by mid 2016. With the Gujarat plant commencing full production, HMSI's net installed capacity in India would be scaled up to 5.8 million units per annum in 2016 from 4.6 million units at present. Around 22 vendors of HMSI have set up shop in the vicinity of Vithalapur and in Sanand (about 40 km from here), and have cumulatively invested around Rs 1,100 crore in Gujarat. HMSI claimed that its fourth plant in India has created job opportunities for 3,000 people (directly and indirectly). About 85 per cent of the operators on the shop floor are local, while about 50 per cent of the managerial staff are from Gujarat. Inaugurating the facility here, the company said that it was all set to take the two-wheeler market by storm with its all new 'fun-bike' Navi that would hit the Indian roads by April this year. It would, however, be made at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan and would sport the 110-cc Activa HET engine. After running full capacity at its three existing plants in India last year, the fourth plant is expected to give HMSI the much-needed volume boost required to clear its current order backlog of 30,000 scooters till January. Explaining the increasing 'scooterisation' of the Indian as well as the Asian markets, YS Guleria, senior vice president, sales and marketing, HMSI said, automatic scooters now contribute nearly 30 per cent of the two-wheeler market in India, and in the next five years, we see this share going up to 35 per cent. "Between April 2015 to January 2016, while the overall two-wheeler market in India has declined by 1 per cent, motorcycles have registered a sales decline of 2 per cent, while scooters have registered a growth of 12 per cent," Guleria said. As such nearly 65 per cent of HMSI's sales in India come from scooters and Keita Muramatsu, president and CEO of HMSI, claimed that India contributes roughly about 25 per cent of HMSI's global sales of 17.5 million two-wheelers. As per data from the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM), HMSI has sold 3.5 million two-wheelers during April to January 2015-16. Gujarat roughly accounts for nearly 10 per cent of HMSI's sales and is a key market for the company, and nearly 40 per cent of all two wheelers sold in Gujarat are scooters. Speaking on the occasion, Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel said that as a member of legislative assembly from Mandal in 1998, she had seen this zone languish without proper infrastructure, roads and even agriculture. "With these companies setting up plants here, it has brought about a huge difference to the area. I saw several young ITI pass outs working at the site during my plant visit," she said adding that the state government has urged companies to adopt Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to develop industry-ready youth. Cumulatively HMSI has invested Rs 6,000 crore in its Indian operations so far, and by the end of this fiscal the figure would touch Rs 7,400 crore as the fourth plant comes into operation. HMSI started production in India from 2001 (Manesar, Haryana). In 2011, the second plant came up at Tapukara, Rajasthan, followed by Narsapura facility in Karnataka in 2013, taking the total installed capacity to 4.6 million units pa. R C Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, talks to Swaraj Baggonkar on the sidelines of the Make in India week about expansion and holding diesel responsible for pollution. Edited excerpts. Are capacity constraints coming up for Maruti Suzuki? There may be some temporary shortages. Around this time next year, we should be commissioning the first unit in the Gujarat plant and we are taking some measures in Gurgaon to increase production till that happens. How much will your production increase next year? Our target for 2015-16 was 1.4-1.5 million. We should be finishing somewhere close to that. Next year, we will be getting to almost 1.6 million, or maybe a little below that. Is Suzuki talking to the Haryana government for a new plant? It is between Suzuki and the Haryana government. I don't think we are creating any more car manufacturing facilities anywhere at this time. What are the talks about then? We are still working out the implication of this diesel policy on demand and whether you need more petrol engine capacities in what have been planned. That is still to be worked out fully. Diesel is coming under scrutiny. Where are automobile companies headed from here? With Euro 6, diesel is as good as any other fuel. Euro 5 lags behind because the state-run oil companies did not invest in upgrading. So it is being delayed. But, as happens in most such things, somebody does something and somebody else bears the consequences. That is what is happening here also. Do you feel diesel is being unjustly targeted? If you look at the contribution of diesel to the particulate emission in Delhi, it is being unfairly targeted. What is your estimate for industry growth? We have not done budgeting yet for the coming year. But, if double-digit (growth) is not possible, then maybe we should be able to do nearly 8-9 per cent. Swedish telecom gearmaker Ericsson has been selected by Idea Cellular to deploy 4G/LTE network in select circles and transform the firm's existing 2G and 3G infrastructure. The LTE deployment will cover Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, the North-East and Himachal Pradesh, which serve over 40 million subscribers. The agreement also includes transformation of Idea Cellular's existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across nine circles for 2G and five circles for 3G. The company, however, did not disclose the financial details. "The contract covers equipment, software and a range of professional services, including project management, systems integration and supervisory managed services for 4G/LTE across select circles for two years," Ericsson said in a statement. Idea, the country's third-largest mobile operator, has launched 4G LTE services in eight telecom circles - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, MP and Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana and Odisha, and is looking to expand to 750 towns across 10 circles by June 2016. "We are committed to offering our customers the best possible mobile experience. Transforming our 2G and 3G network will enable us to offer optimised mobile data and better smartphone performance while our LTE deployment will take the customer experience on Idea Cellular's network to the next level," Idea Cellular CEO Himanshu Kapania said. Ericsson is present in all high-traffic LTE markets, including the US, Japan and South Korea, and is ranked first for handling global LTE traffic - 40 per cent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson network. "The latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that India added more mobile subscriptions than any other region in the third quarter of 2015. These subscribers are increasingly demanding better network quality and superior services," Ericsson India Head Paolo Colella said. On Monday, the United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) delivered to the defence ministry a Letter of Acceptance (LoA), agreeing to supply 145 M777 ultra lightweight howitzers to India. Valid for 180 days, the LoA spells out the contract price, terms of supply and options available. Sources close to the sale tell Business Standard the asking price for 145 guns is about $750 million (Rs 5,000 crore). The vendor, BAE Systems, will supply the first batch of 155-millimetre, 39-calibre howitzers within six months of signing the contract. The remaining guns would progressively be built in India. In August 2013, the Pentagon had notified the US Congress that it was raising the maximum price of the sale to India from US $647 million, which had been notified in Jan 2010, to $885 million. However, BAE Systems officials clarify that this represented a maximum ceiling price, and the actual sale price would be significantly lower. On Wednesday, BAE Systems named the Mahindra Group as its Indian partner for assembling imported M777 kits into fully built guns. BAE Systems has so far assembled the M777 in Hattiesburg, USA. With this line now shuttered, Mahindra will build the guns in an "Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) facility", using components shipped to India from BAE Systems facilities in the UK. "BAE Systems is pleased to partner with Mahindra on our offer to develop an Assembly, Integration and Test facility in India. The facility is a fundamental part of the M777 production line,"said BAE Systems on Wednesday. According to BAE Systems officials, the Pentagon has drawn up the LoA in close consultation with the customer, i.e. the Indian government. That would suggest the bulk of the negotiation has been completed. Last May, after years of negotiations, the defence ministry cleared the purchase of 145 M777s for Rs 2,900 crore. The Union cabinet must now clear the sale at the new price of Rs 5,000 crore. Over the last three years, negotiations had apparently stalled, with successive defence ministers, AK Antony and Arun Jaitley, informing parliament that the cost was too high, and BAE Systems' offset proposal was inadequate. That impasse was broken last year when BAE Systems offered to assemble, integrate and test the M-777 in India. This brings the offer in conformity with the "Make in India" initiative. BAE Systems has also submitted a fresh offsets proposal. BAE Systems pointed out on Wednesday: "A domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility will enable the Indian Army to access maintenance, spares and support for the M777 locally." The M777, which has seen extensive operational service with the US military in Afghanistan, is being acquired to support Indian army operations on the rugged Himalayan borders with China and Pakistan. Built of titanium components and weighing just four tonnes (compared to 10-tonne conventional 155-millimetre guns), it can be air-lifted to high altitude deployment areas by helicopters like the CH-47E Chinook, which India is buying separately. The gun can also be towed more easily on narrow, twisty mountain roads. The initial order for 145 guns could rise significantly once the M777 starts being built in India. This would equip just 6-7 artillery regiments, while the army actually needs new artillery for 50-plus artillery regiments in 16 mountain divisions. "If India can offer a consolidated order for the 1,000-odd guns needed for 50 regiments, BAE Systems could be induced to offer far higher indigenisation," says a senior artillery officer. India's 220-odd artillery regiments have received no new artillery since the 1980s, when it bought 400 FH-77B, 155 mm/39 calibre Bofors guns. An indigenous effort by the Ordnance Factory Board to develop a 155 mm/45 calibre gun is proceeding slowly, with a gun barrel bursting during trial firing in 2013. Simultaneously, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) is developing a 155 mm/52 calibre artillery gun in partnership with the private sector. India has pursued the M77 procurement through the Pentagon, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. This involves the Pentagon negotiating terms with the vendor (BAE Systems), and signing the deal as a government-to-government contract. Real estate fund manager has raised Rs 150 crore for its Rs 500-crore fund from high networth individuals (HNIs) and insurance . Milestone plans to raise the remaining amount in the next six months. The fund was launched in January last year. Titled Milestone Opportunities Fund 10, it will have a tenure of three-and-a-half years and will do structured debt and equity deals. "We have raised commitments towards our new fund Milestone Opportunities Fund 10 to the tune of Rs 150 crore. We have been able to raise this amount from a combination of ultra HNI investors as well as institutions like one of India's largest insurance companies, a few private trusts, corporates and family offices," said Rubi Arya, vice chairman, Advisors. Arya also said Milestone was in the process of finalising an overseas fund on the lines of structured debt, with focus on residential and core assets. "We are also focusing on exiting the remaining investments across all our funds and have planned over Rs 700 crore of exits in the next 12 months," Arya added. In Gurgaon, Milestone is planning to invest Rs 100 crore in a housing project, where the land owner has entered in a joint development with a national developer. In Chennai, it plans to co-invest Rs 20 crore in Taramani, a micro-market providing good sales traction, along with an NBFC. In Mumbai, it would invest Rs 40 crore in a project at Kandivili West and Rs 65 crore in a prime location at Khargar, Navi Mumbai, with a local developer. Despite the dull real estate market, many home-grown fund managers have raised real estate funds in the recent past. According to reports, the real estate arm of Motilal Oswal Private Equity has raised Rs 500 crore for its India Realty Excellence Fund III. India Property Advisors (IPAL) floated by former Indiareit managing director Ramesh Jogani too had raised Rs 175 crore late last year. The fund will invest in under-construction projects. "Most of the fund managers have raised funds through their own distribution networks. It is far more easier for them to raise funds than individual-led fund managers," Jogani said. (PE) firms have stayed away from investing in shipping, ports and logistics for two years in a row. This shows they don't believe the fortunes will change much from the current grim situation. "PEs have stopped coming into the sector and there is no easy money for the shipping business," G Shivakumar, chief financial officer at Great Eastern Shipping, said in the third quarter earnings conference call. The company, like its peers, has given a negative outlook for the dry bulk trade division and did not provide valuations for the offshore business. The recent move by shipping and logistics company, Mercator, also speaks volumes about the grim situation. Mercator not only decided to exit the weak dry bulk business held via its Singapore subsidiary but also sold it to three PE for a token amount of three Singaporean dollars. The dry bulk trade across globe has virtually come to a standstill. This is evident from the level of Baltic Dry Index (BDI), the benchmark for dry bulk shipping freight, which has dropped to 200 from the all-time high of 11,000-mark in 2008. The rising BDI, which was nearing the 11,000-mark it hit in May 2008, also allowed several domestic shipping to expand from a long-term perspective. In the past 10 years, PE firms have invested $519 million in the domestic shipping industry, of which 77 per cent ($402 million) managed to make an exit. The highest flush out took place in 2010, as $306 million worth of funds exited from the sector. The remaining funds are struggling to wriggle out. "In a downcycle, the wise thing to do is to hope that the business cycle turns. Firms will have to remain in a wait-and-watch mode," said Sinha of IDFC. "There is no other option," he added. London-based equity firm 3i Group Plc, which has a nine percent stake in Krishnapatnam port, has exited all investments in India but has not been able to make much headway in terms of its exit plans from the port. For most PE firms, a common exit route is listing of the entity. However, Krishnapatnam has no such plans. "There are no plans of an initial public offering (IPO) as of now. We are only focusing on increased cargo volumes going ahead," C Sasidhar, managing director of Krishnapatnam port, told Business Standard. Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh handled 40.7 million tonne cargo in 2014-15, using 57 per cent of its capacity. Indian ports are currently under pressure because of tepid economic growth. Due to this, port authorities are exploring different ways of reviving business. The PE firms are, however, optimistic about the ports and logistics sector, which has seen an investment of $833 million between 2005 and 2015. "PEs are looking at more secular trade growths and to that extent ports and logistics are safer bets compared with shipping," said Sinha. Of the total $833 million invested by these firms in the ports and logistics segment, 42 per cent of the funds made an exit in the last ten years. Though this segment too has not seen any investment in the last two years, the inflow of funds in the prior period has certainly been stronger than that of the shipping sector. Unitus Seed Fund, a social impact venture fund, is planning to raise its second fund, after fully committing the first one. The first fund was backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates among many other investors, including T V Mohandas Pai and Ranjan Pai of Manipal Group. In an interview with Bibhu Ranjan Mishra, company co-founder and Managing Partnersays the second fund will be exclusively for India where it sees immense opportunities to invest in areas such as health care, education and financial technologies. Edited excerpts:We see innovation in a couple of different areas. And, one of the key things we look for is if the business is highly scalable and profitable but has inherent built-in social impact. So, we are focused on education and health care, while another area, which is proving to be highly interesting, is what we call livelihoods. For example, labour-as-a-service, which connects the suppliers to their customers. It not only increases the efficiency and income of the labour but also the convenience and value for the customers. And, technology is helping in making that possible. We are seeing similar things happening in financial technologies, which can be relevant for the lower-strata of the population by providing them access to financial services. So, FinTech is emerging and is very interesting. Between profitability and social objective, where do you play? Profit has to come first. Social objective will be maximised if profit comes first. Because, that will enable creation of businesses that are strong, they can grow in scale quickly and can raise the capital they require to scale and ultimately deliver social benefits along the way. If you are focused on social objectives first, you might deliver deeper impact but not much total impact in absence of ability to scale. Ultimately, you will not be able to raise money for that. For example, one of our portfolio is GoCoop, a marketplace for cooperatives focusing on handlooms and other crafts. GoCoop give cooperative producers access to global markets. So, their income goes up; buyers also get access to high-quality made-in-India goods and GoCoop makes margins in the middle. Given the spurt in entrepreneurship backed by government initiatives and private individuals, are you looking at raising investment in the country? We see great opportunities in India. Our first fund of $23 million has largely been invested or committed at this point, and we are only starting to raise a $50-million fund and that would be invested entirely in India in that have scaled business models with interesting built-in social impact. Our first fund was largely raised from limited partners (LPs) including Bill Gates and T V Mohandas Pai, Ranjan Pai of Manipal Group here. We are just beginning the process to finalise the second fund; the first close will happen in this summer. In the past three years, we looked at 2,300 deals to complete only 22. So, we have around one per cent yield, which means we are highly selective in picking up deals. In how many Indian have you invested so far? We have invested in 22 companies so far, of which we had one partial exit from a company that is into education. Our portfolio is dominated by education and health care, though there are a few other areas like labour-on-demand that we are finding interesting. We have even invested in a company in Hubli called LabInApp, a 3D simulation interactive tool for CBSE curriculum, catering to students from Class IX to XII. There is a firm called UE LifeSciences, which has developed low-cost devices for breast cancer screening. For less than a couple of hundred rupees, it can do a highly accurate scan using ultrasound technology with only a partially trained operator. It does not require radiologists or doctors. It plans to scan 100,000 women in the near term in India. What is your exit strategy? We dont look at immediate exits. We are a seed investor and we invest very early during the first institutional capital round. And then, we invest again in series A round. We might take a partial or complete exit in series B or C rounds. Tata Marcopolo, the joint venture company of Tata Motors and Marcopolo, on Wednesday said that the firm would commence production of buses and trucks once it found a solution to the labour crisis at its Dharwad unit. The company has declared a lockout on February 6 at the unit that makes Marcopolo range of buses after an external union created trouble, which led to dismissal of a few workers. Karnataka's assistant labour commissioner had called for conciliatory talks on Tuesday where Tata Motors insisted that it would not take back dismissed workers affiliated to Krantikari Kamgar Union, an external union. "The self-proclaimed office bearers of the Krantikari Kamgar Union an outfit not recognized by the company on technical and legal grounds insisted on participating and eventually prevented any meaningful dialogue taking place. We have reiterated our commitment to our operations here in Dharwad, as well as to the well-being and safety of our employees," Tata Motors said in a statement. "We also remain committed to finding a long-term and fair solution to the current situation, without any compromise on discipline, safety, productivity and quality." Tata Motors said that the government and administration officials were supportive to the company's concerns and are helping to resolve the issue. " We remain hopeful that a solution may be found soon, that will allow us to go back to production," it said Domestic carriers and the civil aviation ministry are in a quandary after the Supreme Court sought to know if there was a policy allowing carriers to skip uneconomic routes. Expressing its displeasure with airlines ignoring "unviable routes", the SC Bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur remarked on Tuesday there should be a provision asking airlines to serve uneconomic routes as well. The apex court asked the government to get back by March 9 about the policy. The court was hearing an appeal of Air India in the matter of Shimla where the airline had stopped operations since 2012. However, data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation show airlines are complying with the route dispersal guidelines, which mandate them to deploy a part of their capacity on under-served routes. At present, airlines are free to decide on the routes based on commercial considerations and there are no guidelines that compel airlines to fly to any specific route. However, under the route dispersal norms, airlines should deploy 10 per cent of their metro capacity to category-II routes - Jammu & Kashmir, northeastern states, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Further, according to rules, one per cent of total capacity on metro routes needs to be deployed within Kashmir, northeastern states and so on. These are known as category-IIA routes. In case an airline does not fly between two metros, it has no obligation to fly to the category-II routes. Shimla is not included in category-II or IIA routes. During December, all scheduled airlines complied with mandatory capacity deployment requirements according to route dispersal guidelines. The court's observations are a point of bother for the government, which for the past several years tried to introduce a regional connectivity policy by offering sops to airlines. "States like Himachal Pradesh, which are without air connectivity, are a telling comment on the state of regional aviation in the country. The court's comment need to be taken in the right spirit as it concerns public interest. I do not see how airlines can be forced to start commercial service as long as route dispersal guidelines are adhered to by them. Air India's route decisions are not always entirely commercial and, hence, asking for viability gap funding for Shimla routes is surprising especially after the Supreme Court's intervention. The biggest viability gap funding Air India gets is in the form of tax payer-funded equity infusion," said Kapil Kaul, CEO India of aviation consultancy Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. On Tuesday, the civil aviation ministry submitted to the court that Air India could lease ATR-42 aircraft to start the service to Shimla, but it would require viability gap funding from the state government to bridge the gap between costs and revenue. The ministry said a second airport in Shimla can be considered considering limitations at the existing airport. According to experts, the move to resume operations to Shimla is a good proposition. They, however, cautioned against forcing airlines from launching flights without government support and appropriate infrastructure. The civil aviation ministry's submission did not enthuse the Bench headed by Thakur, who expressed ire on the airlines for focusing only on lucrative routes. "The Chief Justice of India is right in asking for air connectivity on unviable routes. Shimla is after all a state capital and a major tourist destination," said Amber Dubey partner and head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG. However, he cautioned that it would be unfair to force airlines to fly on unviable routes. "Most airlines have stressed balance sheets given the high cost of flying in India and carry-forward losses. It was only in 2015 that the airline sector finally showed an uptick thanks to the fall in aviation turbine fuel prices," he added. Forest rights of tribals over their traditional lands in Ghatbarra village of Surguja district have been taken away by the government to facilitate coal mining of Prasa East and Kete Besan coal block. The block has been allocated to Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) and Adani Minerals Private Limited. The latter is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Adani Enterprises and RVUNL is a Rajasthan government enterprise. In an order passed on January 8, the government had cancelled the community land rights of the tribals in the village, given under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The government, in the order, stated that the villagers had been using their legal rights over the forest land to stop work of mining in their village, which falls in the Parsa East and Kete Besan coal block. It is the first such order to come to light in India, where community rights of tribals have been cancelled after being granted through the process laid down in the FRA. Business Standard reviewed the January 8 orders cancelling the land rights of the tribals in the village. The government and the district authorities, however, did not respond to the queries. The FRA does not provide for revocation of either community or individual land rights once granted under the law. The law and the attendant regulations provide only for the government diverting the forest land for some other purpose after prior consent of the tribals through their gram sabha. Under the FRA, tribals are empowered to claim individual and community rights over forestlands they have traditionally hold on. The gram sabha of Bhatbarra did so and in September 3, 2013 they were handed over the lands by the state government. After that, the village became aware that the coal block could remain susceptible to mining despite the Supreme Court orders cancelling earlier allocations. In October 2014 the gram sabha (village council) of Ghatbarra, along with 19 other villages, took out a formal resolution opposing the mining in their lands. Under the FRA, the gram sabha is the only authority empowered to decide the future of traditional tribal lands. Also Read: Five coal blocks in Chhattisgarh might see land conflict The FRA also requires that the claims and rights of all tribals and other forest-dwellers are settled before the government looks to remove them under section 4(5) of the law and other rules. But the central government gave the clearance to divert the land for mining in 2012 without settling the rights. Business Standard reviewed the orders of the environment ministry. One set of orders said the land would be diverted only once the rights of the tribals and others had been settled. But then later orders (called stage 2 forest clearance) handed over the land for mining without ascertaining that the rights had actually been settled. The state government in its order dated January 8 notes (translated from Hindi): When the administration tries to get diversion of forests done for the Parsa East and Kete Besen open coal block, the villagers, using the context of the land rights given by the collector to them, create barriers and protest to stop work. The order notes that this was investigated by the forest department. The conservator of forests of Surguja found that the land rights were given to tribals in 2013 while the forest clearance to RVUNL had been given in 2012. He concluded, therefore, the community forest rights given to the tribals could be cancelled. The district administration along with the tribal affairs and the forest department based on latters conclusions passed an order saying, because the land had been given in 2012 to the company for mining, it no longer classified as forestland in 2013 when it was given to tribals under the FRA. Consequently, the three set of authorities collectively decided that the government order handing over rights to tribals in 2013 is cancelled. The block has been caught up in a legal fracas over the forest clearance for other reasons as well. In 2014, the Green Tribunal (NGT) had cancelled the forest clearance noting that the environment ministry had not looked at the impact of coal mining on biodiversity in the region, including presence of protected species such as the elephant. It asked the environment ministry to take a look again at the case. But the stay on operations was removed by the Supreme Court even as the NGT orders to relook at the clearance continued to operate. Since then the ministry has not taken a decision on the matter, records show. National Spot Exchange (NSEL) founder Jignesh Shah appeared before the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Delhi Police on Wednesday. Shah was seen in the capital's Mandir Marg police station in the afternoon around the time the capital's media was busy with the JNU case in Patiala House Courts. The Mumbai-based Shah's Delhi visit came a day ahead of the Delhi High Court hearing anticipatory bail petitions of Shah and Jagmohan Garg, the promoter of Mohan India, one of the largest traders on NSEL. In response to an email seeking comments, an FTIL spokesperson said, "This is a very old case and the hearing has been going on for one year. You have done similar stories on this particular case every time that a hearing comes up, and we have replied on this in the past also. As per earlier replies given to you, we are completely cooperating with the investigating agency. But every time this case come up for hearing, there is nothing new to add in this ongoing matter." Garg's companies, which dealt in sugar contracts of NSEL, were among the largest defaulters in the Rs 5,600 crore payment crisis. The duo is accused of allegedly conniving to dupe Delhi-based Class One Exports, which has lost about Rs 23 crore. When contacted Garg of Mohan India said, "We are not absconding. We have already given enough property as collateral. But, these are stuck in various proceedings before agencies like IT and ED. These should be used to pay dues of NSEL investors. Even, if there is any shortfall, we are prepared to make it good." In September last year, the Tiz Hazari magistrate had refused anticipatory bail to Shah and Garg in separate orders. At the time of rejection of anticipatory bail in September, FTIL had said, "The FIR in Delhi is nothing but sheer harassment. Shah firmly believes in his innocence. However, as a law-abiding citizen, Shah has joined the investigation on multiple occasions and has made detailed submissions. He has always cooperated and will continue to cooperate with all investigating agencies. Shah has full faith in the judiciary and firmly believes that justice will be done to him." After this, Shah and Garg had moved the Delhi High Court separately. The applications have been since been clubbed and heard as a single matter. In an affidavit, the Delhi Police explained how the complainant was allegedly duped by executives of NSEL and Mohan India. "The complaint disclosed that the complainant bought 66,900 quintals of sugar between 25-06-2013 and 11-07-2013 from sellers M/s Mohan India and Brinda Commodity through NSEL. And, NSEL confirmed that the sugar was depsited in their godowns." Based on this Class One had made a payment of Rs 22.60 crore through cheque to NSEL through Indian Bullion Markets Association (IBMA), a sister concern. "It is also stated that M/S NSEL provided a receipt of ownership of goods stating the goods are kept in godowns in Khera Kalan, near Delhi." But, the police affidavit added that during investigation it was revealed that no actual transactions of sugar took place as was represented. It was also found that the six godowns, which had been taken on rent by Mohan India in Khera Kalan in the Narela area had a capacity of 10,000-12,000 tonnes of sugar collectively, whereas NSEL was claiming stock of 327,790 tonnes. The affidavit added that "from the investigations conducted so far there is sufficient evidence to prove that the companies NSEL, IBMA, Mohan India, Brinda Commodities and its directors and other officials under a criminal conspiracy cheated the complainant as well as other members/clients and for the purpose fake documents/valuable securities were produced and used." The Delhi Police has sought custodial interrogation saying the petitioners have not revealed the money trail during the investigation. It submitted a 22-point table listing out differences between the case pursued by the EOW of the Mumbai Police and the Delhi complaint. In January, when the matter was adjourned by the Delhi High Court, Shah's lawyers had submitted a 2,000-page submission detailing the various issues relating to the NSEL matter. The judge, who said the court did not have time for such lengthy submissions, had asked them to explain in two pages. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was sent to judicial custody until March 2 by a city court on Wednesday. But while being taken to the Patiala House Courts, Kumar was thrashed by an unidentified man. This happened despite the Supreme Court instructing Delhi Police to ensure that he be given adequate security. Kumar was produced in the Patiala House Courts amid tight security and sloganeering by lawyers, after his police custody expired on Wednesday. Vikram Chauhan, the lawyer who was among those beating up journalists on Monday, led a sloganeering group of lawyers on Wednesday as well. The lawyers chanted Vande Mataram and other slogans, waved the tricolour and attacked mediapersons. Journalists alleged police personnel looked the other way. During a hearing before the Metropolitan Magistrate, only six lawyers representing Kumar were allowed inside, along with a JNU professor and five journalists. This was on the instructions of the Supreme Court. Kumar's lawyers told the magistrate that despite the Supreme Court's direction, the police had failed to maintain law and order. They said the police allowed the assaulter to go free. A Supreme Court-appointed team of six lawyers - Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit Sinha and Harin Raval - asked Kumar and his counsel about the attack on him. The police claimed that even law-enforcers were beaten up. Soon after the fresh assault, lawyers informed a Supreme Court Bench of the incidents. The team of senior advocates, after taking stock of the situation at the court, informed the apex court that there was a serious threat to Kumar. The court again asked the police to ensure Kumar's safety. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court Bench had condemned Monday's attack on journalists in the Patiala House Courts. During Wednesday's hearing in the apex court, an advocate resorted to raising slogans. The Bench reprimanded him and accepted his unconditional apology. The court observed that there was a need for moderation in every section of the society. The Bench did not allow the advocates opposing Kumar's petition to repeat the "anti-national" slogans raised on the JNU campus on February 9. The Bench observed, "All of us are patriotic. Nobody is demeaning the motherland. But no one can be allowed to take the law in their own hands." The police had to wait for an hour-and-a-half to escort Kumar from the court premises as about 150 lawyers laid siege to the court. In continued flip-flop on the issue of his custody, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi claimed that police had clinching evidence against the student leader. His comments came after reports that security agencies have told the Ministry of Home Affairs that Kumar did attend the February 9 protest on the JNU campus but there was no evidence of his having indulged in any seditious activity. However, by evening, Bassi said the police would have no objection if Kumar's bail application was accepted. In a related development, three office-bearers of JNU unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh backed students' union, resigned from the protesting Centre's handling of the row at the university. The three - Pradeep, Rahul Yadav and Ankit Hans - said they disapproved of the "anti-India slogans" but were dissociating themselves from any further activity of ABVP because the way the Sangh Parivar affiliates have maligned their university in the last few days as well as "long standing difference of opinion with party on Manusmriti and Rohith Vermula incident." Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to take up the JNU issue with vigour in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament. The party believes it has garnered a groundswell of support for its stand on its core tenet of nationalism, while it has exposed opposition parties for having supported an "anti-national" cause. The party is also launching a three-day 'Jan Swabhimaan Abhiyan' (campaign for peoples' self-pride) starting Thursday in which party leaders and workers will try to build up public opinion against the alleged anti- activities in the central varsity and in support of action against people involved in it. Party leaders will contrast the recent sacrifices made by soldiers in Siachen with the "anti-national" activities in JNU. Headley's deposition that Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, was a Laskar-e -Taiba (LeT) operative will also come handy for the saffron party in cornering Congress, which has made it clear that it will target the treasury benches over a host of issues, including Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide, "intolerance" and the status of economy, during the Budget session beginning on February 23. In a related development, the Centre asked the West Bengal government for a report on "anti-national" protests in Kolkata's Jadavpur University. Clashes between different students groups were reported from the university campus today. BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha came out in support of Kumar. He said the student leaders didn't say anything anti- . Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan today alleged that Kumar has been "falsely implicated" and that he is ready to represent him in court. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there is an "alternative voice" in the university which should also be heard. Eleven villages from the Khalapur Nagar panchayat, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, have taken an initiative to voluntarily pool 3,500 hectares of land for the development of an integrated township. The proposed township will be similar to the NAINA (Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area) scheme being undertaken by the state-run City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco). The villagers have followed the Andhra Pradesh model, where the farmers have contributed 33,000 hectare to the government for the establishment of state capital at Amravati. Nearly two years after the Bali agreement, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the World Trade Organizations (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which seeks to ease Customs procedures to boost commerce. To implement the agreement, two-thirds of the total members, or 107 countries, have to approve it. India was the 71st country to give nod to the agreement. The pact aims to expedite the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit, for international trade. For this purpose, it sets out measures for effective cooperation between Customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and Customs compliance issues. Towards this end, a national committee on TFA would be set up to coordinate and implement the provisions of trade facilitation. The committee will be co-chaired by both the revenue secretary and commerce secretary. According to the WTO, full implementation of TFA could increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion annually. The overall boost to world export growth has been estimated at 2.7 per cent per annum. Talking to reporters, Commerce & Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the pact will bring much-needed predictability to trade related matters, by allowing advance authorisations, easier sharing of information with exporters and ease of business. Sitharaman, however, pointed out that lots need to change in terms of the Customs Act to fulfil Indias commitments under the pact. Also, changes in rules will need to be instituted in a range of areas. These include allowing goods to be released before duty is paid on a guarantee basis in cases of certain imports and allowing inward and outward processing for facilitating re-import and re-export of goods for repair. The scope of advance ruling has to be broadened to extend the facility to any importer, exporter or any person with justifiable cause. Indias current regime allows advance rulings to a limited set of persons such as joint ventures and foreign investors. The minister said bringing about these changes will require a significant amount of money. However, she said the government has not sought funding. OTHER DECISIONS The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a detailed probe against Monsanto as it found the global agricultural giant to be violating competition law in the market of Bt cotton technology in India. The move follows a complaint filed by the agriculture ministry and three Indian seed companies. The majority ruling, passed by six out of seven members of CCI, recommends investigation against Monsanto, Monsanto Holdings Private Limited (MHPL), Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) and MMBL (Mahyco Monsanto Biotech India) for forcing anti-competitive agreements and abusing their dominant position in the country's Bt cotton seeds market. The termination conditions of the sub-licence agreement entered in between MMBL and the informants are found to be excessively harsh and do not appear to be reasonable as may be necessary for protecting any of the intellectual property rights Such agreements discourage and serve as a major deterrent for the sub-licencee from exploring dealing with competitors, said the fair trade regulator. Apart from the agriculture ministry, the other informants were three Indian companies Nuziveedu Seeds, Prabhat Agri Biotech and Pravardhan Seeds. In its response, MMBL said it was important to point out the CCIs order was only a prima-facie opinion recommending an investigation. It is not a reflection of any final conclusions. It must also be noted that a member of the CCI found no merit in the complaints filed with the CCI and has exonerated MMBL. MMBLs statement added: We are evaluating the order and our options in respect thereof. MMBL conducts its business in an honest, transparent and respectful manner, and it remains confident this will be evident after all relevant information has been considered by the CCI. MMBL is a 50:50 joint venture formed between MHPL and Mahyco and is engaged in sub-licensing of Bt cotton technology of Monsanto in India. MHPL is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Monsanto in India and it is engaged in marketing of Bt cotton hybrid seeds (under trade name Paras) and other field crop seeds. It also holds 26 per cent stake in Mahyco. Charging of trait value payable on the basis of MRP of the seed packet apparently has no economic justification in light of the fact that performance of the Bt cotton crop depends not only on the Bt cotton technology, but also on other factors like genetic composition, climatic conditions etc and appears to be unfair, the commission said. The trait value is the estimated value for the trait of insect resistance conferred by the Bt gene technology. Based on comparison of fees equalised to per-acre basis across countries, MMBL has contended the trait value charged in India is the lowest in the world. However, the same does not appear to be a valid comparison as per-acre cost/price would vary, inter-alia, based on the type of soil and weather conditions, it added. The ministry filed a complaint with CCI as it had received many representations/complaints from different stakeholder groups Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha, Andhra Pradesh; Bharathiya Janatha Party Kisan Morcha, Telangana; and National Seed Association of India, alleging abuse of dominant position by MMBL. MMBL is also locked in a legal battle with the government of India over a notification issued by the agriculture ministry last year, which brought genetically modified cotton seeds under the seeds price control order. The company had challenged the ministrys notification in the Delhi High Court. The court had on February 5 refused to stay Monsantos plea to put the order on hold and given the Centre time till March 4, the next date of hearing for a counter-affidavit. According to the agriculture ministry, the decision to put Bt cotton seeds under price control was taken in view of farmers finding the seeds to be highly priced and the need to bring uniformity in their prices across the country. The Centre had said in its submission to the court that over the years, the efficacy of genetically modified Bt cotton in resisting pest attacks has declined and, as a result, royalties charged by a technology giant such as Monsanto must also come down. Heralding a major technological jump in the power transmission sector, US-based leading aviation services provider Erickson Incorporated would provide aircranes and other flying materials to Sterlite Grid Power Ventures for critical project in Jammu & Kashmir aimed to supply 2,000 Mw power in the region. Erickson, in a release last evening, said it is partnering with Sterlite Grid to install nearly 160 power transmission towers in the challenging terrain of the Pir Panjal mountain range in northern India, using Ericksons S64 Aircrane. Sterlite Grid is largest private operator of independent power transmission systems in the country. The project -- Northern Region System Strengthening- XXIX (NRSS-29) -- was awarded to Sterlite Grid through tariff-based competitive bidding in May 2014. Scheduled to commission in 2018, the project will be a key corridor that would strengthen the power transfer capability in J&K, providing an alternate route for power transfer, said the company. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 3,000 crore. Sterlite had last year joined hands with another US aerial solutions company -- Burns & McDonnell -- to source heli-cranes for erecting towers in hilly terrains. The project involves 450 kilometres of transmission lines between Punjab and J&K and 400 220-Kv gas-insulated substations (GIS) in Amargarh, Rajasthan. A total of 1,150 towers will have to be erected in Pir Panjal in the inner Himalayan region. The initiative will be the first time that transmission lines will be constructed, utilising a precision heavy-lift helicopter in India. The company expects to complete the transmission network nearly 10 months ahead of schedule, utilising Ericksons aerial expertise in setting transmission towers. The work is set to commence in mid-2016, said the media statement of Erickson. Erickson will assist Sterlite Grid by flying materials and steel as well as utilising the aircranes high-precision lift capability to erect the towers along the powerline. The work will be performed at altitudes between 9,000-12,500 feet in a remote region of the Himalayas. Erickson has 40 years of experience in building transmission towers utilising the aircrane in similarly remote and austere environments. The state of J&K faces a power crisis, with a deficit of more than 5,500 million units of electricity annually. It has lately increased its focus on the power reforms and drafted a separate budget for the sector. The current power demand of the state is 2,400 Mw, slated to increase to 3,500 Mw in three years. Sterlite, in an earlier statement said, strengthened connection with the North Grid would help solve the power crisis that J&K faces. With increasing share of renewable energy in the grid, the line would also enable the transmission of same. POWER BOOSTER Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised to take on competition from any state in the process of setting up an international finance centre (IFC). Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. With the Centre snapping funding for eight central schemes and restructuring outlay for 33 others, the government has asked for a special package to compensate its loss against these schemes. The Government of India has discontinued support for eight schemes -- National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), Backward Region Grants Funds (BRGF), modernisation of police forces, Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyaan, Scheme for central assistance to the states for developing export infrastructure, scheme for setting up of 6,000 model schools, National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) and tourist infrastructure. Together, these schemes would pose Rs 1,854.05 crore loss to the state exchequer. In respect of 33 restructured central schemes, the overall Budget provision has been pegged at Rs 12,859.61 crore. Out of this, the likely central assistance is Rs 6,031.60 crore with the additional requirement of state share being Rs 4,273.79 crore. Together, the state government stands to lose Rs 6,127.84 crore in this fiscal. "The Government of India may either restore the provision for these schemes or provide a special package to the state for continuation of these programmes and compensate the loss suffered by the state in the changed scenario of inter-governmental fiscal transfer through specific provision of funds in Union Budget 2016-17", the state government stated in its pre-Budget memorandum. The 14th Finance Commission has increased the share of states in central taxes from 32 per cet to 42 per cent. However, the inter se share of as fixed by the Commission, has gone down from 4.77 per cent to 4.64 per cent. CRISIL has revised its ratings on Allahabad Banks Tier-II bonds on prospects of further deterioration in asset quality and pressure on the lenders bottom line. It revised its ratings from AA+ to AA. CRISIL has assigned A rating to the banks Rs 1,000-crore Tier-I bond issue. The banks asset quality would remain under pressure over the next few quarters because of the asset quality review exercise, the rating agency said, adding this would result in increased pressure on the banks already weak profitability. The ratings action reflects the higher-than-expected deterioration in Allahabad Banks asset quality and profitability during the first nine months of 2015-16. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 6.4 per cent of the total in December 2015, from 5.5 per cent in March 31, 2015. The rise in gross NPAs was primarily due to slippage of relatively large exposures in the large corporate and mid-corporate segments. The lender posted net loss of Rs 160 crore for April-December 2015. The ratings, nevertheless, continue to factor in the belief that Allahabad Bank would continue to receive support from its majority owner, the government of India, CRISIL said. This support was assumed both on an ongoing basis and in the event of distress. Allahabad Bank's asset quality, profitability, and capital coverage for unprovided weak assets would remain under significant pressure. This was due to the expectation of continued increase in the banks gross NPAs over the next few quarters. The lenders liability to set aside money for bad loans may go up and this might result in significant losses over the next few quarters, as seen in the third quarter ended December 2015, CRISIL said. About two years ago, when the Reserve Bank of India raised a red flag on United Bank of India, it turned out that the lender was sitting on piles of non-performing assets. The Kolkata-based bank had reported a net loss of Rs 1,238 crore in the quarter ended December 2013, its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) had touched 10.82 per cent and net NPAs were close to 7.44 per cent. Subsequently, the regulator imposed curbs on its expansion, hiring and lending.Today, as some of the big public sector banks slip into the red, UBI is better off. It reported a profit of Rs 17 crore for the quarter ending December 31 2014, although 59 per cent less on a year-on-year basis.Two other Kolkata-based banks, UCO Bank and Allahabad Bank are now set to follow in the footsteps of UBI in imposing a slew of austerity measures. Allahabad Bank has closed six of its unviable branches and is planning to shut down two more. The bank has curtailed its advertising expenditure, and is likely to recruit fewer people next year. UCO Bank would also tread cautiously in branch expansion and credit growth, said a bank executive.There are apprehensions that if the banks end the financial year in losses, the new year could come with even more stringent cost cutting measures. Employees of the banks are apprehensive they might see a cut in staff welfare fund. Banks are required to set aside up to 3 per cent of their net profit for the staff welfare fund. The actual amount by each bank depends on the number of employees.Sources at Allahabad Bank said if the banks full year operations showed a net loss, there was a chance the fund could be curtailed or withdrawn. Every year, the bank spends around 1.5 per cent of its net profit on staff welfare, which includes free health check-ups, lunch allowance and events like family day functions.Rakesh Sethi, chairman and managing director of Allahabad Bank, could not be reached for comments. However, bank unions said any move to withdraw the staff welfare fund would be opposed by them.The losses that banks are showing are not actual losses. These are on account of higher provisioning. Moreover, the banks can always sell the underlying securities and return to profitability. We are watching the situation, and if after the next quarter there is any move towards withdrawing the staff welfare fund, we will oppose it, said S S Shishodia, president, All India Bank Officers Association. UCO Bank is planning to launch a focused recovery drive soon. We will take all types of measures for recovery, which includes sale to asset reconstruction companies, going for compromises, and invoking strategic debt restructuring, said Charan Singh, executive director, UCO Bank. The bank is looking to sell around Rs 1,000 crore of bad loans to asset reconstruction companies in the present quarter. It is expected to invoke SDR in four or five cases in the present quarter. We will be more cautious in credit expansion, and will seek credentials like AAA ratings and government guarantees before approving loans, added Singh. UCO Bank will also seek fresh capital from the government. Earlier, the bank had sought close to Rs 1,000 crore from the government. Once we receive approval from the government on equity infusion, we will have to evaluate how much more money we require. We might go in for raising Tier I bonds or preferential share of equity capital, said Singh. UCO Bank reported a net loss of Rs 1,497 crore for the quarter ended December 2015 against a net profit of Rs 303 crore for the same period a year ago. The gross NPAs of the bank stood at 10.98 per cent in the last quarter against 6.50 per cent in the same period a year ago. The net NPAs stood at 6.51 per cent in the last quarter against 4.25 per cent in the same period a year ago. Allahabad Bank reported a loss of Rs 486 crore for the third quarter against a net profit of Rs 164 crore in the same period a year ago. The net NPA ratio of the bank stood at 4.23 per cent against 3.89 per cent in the same period a year ago. The gross NPA ratio stood at 6.40 per cent in the quarter against 5.46 per cent in the same period last year. United Bank of India is still treading with caution over branch expansion and credit growth. The bank would go slow in deposit mobilisation to bring down the cost of funds, said a bank executive. United Bank of India is planning to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore Tier I capital. According to RBI norms, prompt corrective action triggers, if the capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) is less than nine per cent or equal or more than six percent or net NPA crosses 10 per cent. In the case of UBI, as on December 2015, the capital adequacy ratio as per Basel III stood at 9.92 per cent , that of Allahabad Bank at 10.38 per cent, and UCO Bank at 10.54 per cent. Cabinet approves Agreement for collaborative activities in the area of Traditional Medicine between . . Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization . . The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Agreement for collaborative activities to be signed in the area of Traditional Medicine between Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India and the World Health Organization, Geneva. . . The long-term collaboration with WHO would help in improving International acceptability and branding of Ayush systems, facilitate awareness generation regarding AYUSH systems of Medicine by means of education, skill development, workshops, publications and exchange programs between AYUSH and WHO for capacity building, facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the Member States; collaboration with third Parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 particularly in the context of AYUSH systems. . . The expenditure for carrying out collaborative activities will be met from the allocated budget under the existing plan schemes of Ministry of AYUSH. . . The activities will start subsequent to the signing of agreements by the two parties as per terms of reference mutually decided. As a first step in the long-term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the following WHO technical documents/publications which will help in better international acceptability of Indian Systems: . . i. Benchmarks for training in Yoga; . . ii. Benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda; . . iii. Benchmarks for practice in Unani Medicine; and. . iv. Benchmarks for practice in Panchakarma. . Under the long-term collaboration, AYUSH and WHO would subsequently take up other mutually agreed activities and initiatives that could encompass multilateral collaboration for promotion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine/Systems (T&CM) including development of the WHO publication on the Basic terminologies for T&CM; establishment of a database for global T & CM practitioners; establishment of a network of international regulatory cooperation for T&CM practice. . . The agreement between WHO and AYUSH is expected to benefit the practitioners of AYUSH systems. . . Background. . Ministry of AYUSH having the mandate to promote, propagate and globalize the recognized Traditional and Complementary Systems of Medicine (T&CM) including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy, proposes to collaborate and cooperate with the World Health Organization. Within the United Nations framework, World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health. It provides leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. . . During the presentation of Ministry of AYUSH before the Honble PM on 3rd July 2014, Honble PM desired that the Ministry needs to seize the opportunities for taking a lead in the world at a time when holistic health care has gained currency. India should strive to compete with China, when it comes to export of herbal medicine. It was emphasized that roadmap be prepared to establish Indias credentials in holistic health-care, including preparation of authoritative and credible literature. . . Given the strategic importance of collaboration between India and WHO for enhancing global positioning and acceptability of Traditional Systems of Medicine recognized in India (including Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Yoga & Naturopathy, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy), Ministry of AYUSH and WHO should foster a long-term relationship. . . Cabinet approves nomination of Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog as a part-time Member of the Telecom Commission . . The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for nomination of Chief Executive Officer, NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog as a part-time Member of the Telecom Commission in place of Secretary, Planning Commission which is Non-existent now. . . The participation of Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog in the meetings of Telecom Commission will lend value to the deliberations of the Commission, because the NITI Aayog has been mandated to serve as a Think Tank of the Government. . . Background: . . The Telecom Commission was set up by the Government of India vide Resolution dated 11th April, 1989 with administrative and financial powers of GoI to promote rapid development in all aspects of telecommunications. . . Before supersession of the Planning Commission, the Telecom Commission was composed of a Chairman [Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications], four full time members [Member (Finance), Member (Production), Member (Services) & Member (Technology)] and four part time members [Secretary (Department of Electronics & Information Technology), Secretary (Department of Economic Affairs), Secretary (Planning Commission) & Secretary (Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion)]. . . After supersession of the Planning Commission and its replacement by the NITI Aayog, only three part time Members were left with the Telecom commission. . . In order to lend values to the deliberations of the Telecom Commission, a need was being felt to introduce the CEO, NITI Aayog as its part-time Member because the NITI Aayog has been mandated to serve as a Think Tank of the Government. . . Cabinet approves Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) . . The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Proposal for Notification of Commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of World Trade Organization (WTO), ratification and acceptance of the Instrument of Acceptance of Protocol of TFA to the WTO Secretariat and constitution of the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF). . . The Trade Facilitation Agreement contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. These objectives are in consonance with Indias Ease of Doing Business" initiative. . . The Trade Facilitation Agreement shall enter into force for the notified members upon acceptance by two-third WTO Members. . . To facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions of the Agreement, a National Committee on Trade Facilitation would be set up under the Joint Chair of Secretary, Department of Revenue and Secretary, Department of Commerce. . . PMs interaction through PRAGATI . The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today chaired his tenth interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. . . The Prime Minister reviewed the complaints and grievances from people relating to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and directed all concerned officials to expedite their redressal. . . In course of his review today, the Prime Minister reviewed the progress of vital infrastructure projects in the road, railway, coal, power and renewable energy sectors, spread over several states, including Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Delhi. . . Reviewing the Char-Dham road connectivity improvement project in Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister called for expediting the work at the earliest. . . Shri Narendra Modi took stock of the comprehensive redevelopment projects of Railway Stations. He suggested to all Chief Secretaries to work towards at least one such redevelopment project in each State. He said such redeveloped railway stations would become iconic structures and centres of economic activity. . . The Prime Minister reviewed the scheme for upgradation of campuses of National Institutes of Fashion Technology (NIFTs), and for setting up of grid connected solar power projects in Government organizations, CPSUs and Ordinance Factories. He asked all Chief Secretaries to work towards speedy implementation of solar power projects in their respective States. . . The Prime Minister reviewed the programme for elimination of Kala Azar, and called for all efforts to eradicate this disease at the earliest. He also reviewed Mission Indradhanush," and emphasized the need for an organized and aggressive action plan to cover all children for immunization in a specific time-frame. . . Shipping ministry to issue tenders for roping in consultant for Colachel port by March . . Mumbai, February 17: Shipping ministry will issue tenders for appointment of a consultant by March for the proposed transhipment port at Colachel in Tamilnadu, said Shri Nitin Gadkari, union minister of shipping and road transport, Wednesday. . . Colachel in Tamil Nadu, Sagar in West Bengal and Wadhawan at Dahanu in Maharashtra will be the three new Greenfield ports on the Indian coast, he said at an interactive session on ports and shipping at the Make in India event at BKC. . . We have already initiated investments worth Rs 80,000 crore for mechanisation, modernisation and computerisation of ports under Sagarmala project," he said. . . Colachel is being promoted as transhipment hub because of deep drought of 18.5 metres as compared to Vizhinjam in Kerala, N. Muruganandam, Managing Director, Indian Ports Association told the audience. . . Vizhinjam was also mulled to be promoted as a transhipment hub to capture the container business. Several international ports like Singapore and Jebel Ali have more than one transhipment hubs. . . Gadkari also pointed out that the Cabinet has recently approved a 20% subsidy for shipbuilding, which will boost the ship building industry, apart from sanctioning of infrastructure status for the shipbuilding industry. . . Gadkari also pointed out the inland waterway bill will shortly get Rajya Sabha nod, paving the way for of 111 river ports. . . BM / CII In a blow to basmati players, the US has made registration with National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) mandatory for Indian exporters of aromatic rice. While the registration process has been on for the past three years, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) has issued a warning that basmati rice exports to the US would be allowed only from rice mills / processing units registered with NPPO effective April 1. The Apeda directive assumes significance in terms of rejections of Indian basmati rice consignments by US phyto-sanitary authority in the past. Also, the US authority had in 2011-12 detected cabinet beetle in basmati rice of Indian origin. Since then, the US authority became more quality-conscious with regard to basmati rice import from India. This is perhaps an attempt to regulate the market as consignments shipped to the US develop some issues related to pests or any other things. Mandatory registration with NPPO will filter out opportunistic exporters, while genuine ones would continue. This will help control the rate of rejection of consignments also, said Gurnam Arora, joint managing director of Kohinoor Foods, the producer and exporter of Kohinoor brand of basmati rice. Arora believes the quantity of exports to the US would decline, albeit marginally, in the coming years owing to elimination of opportunistic exporters from the system. Trade sources estimate 10-15 per cent of consignments get rejected every year. Apeda has issued an advisory to all authorities to issue phyto-sanitary certificate for export of rice to the US, only to registered rice mills / processing units. Following registration, NPPO would audit the plant before issuing export certificate. Around 95 per cent of exporters have already got registered with NPPO with basmati rice shipment happening in very organised manner. Therefore, it his highly unlikely there will be any impact in terms of basmati rice exports to the US with 10 per variation being common, said an Apeda official. China has also raised the practice of standard operating system of basmati rice exporters in India. While China has allowed its direct market access for Indians, a significant quantity already goes to the former through Hong Kong. As a consequence, direct demand from China has not emerged in a significant quantity yet. But, NPPO-registered exporters would soon start basmati rice exports to China soon, said Rajan Sundareshan, executive director of All India Rice Exporters Association. TATA MOTORS: SELL TARGET: Rs 291 STOP LOSS: Rs 309 SELL TATAMOTORS FUTURES @ Rs 303, TARGET Rs 291, STOPLOSS OF Rs 309 [MACD SELL + BELOW PREVIOUS CLOSE + BELOW MOVING AVERAGES] BHARTI AIRTEL : SELL TARGET: Rs 306 STOP LOSS: Rs 321 SELL BHARTIARTL FUTURES @ Rs 316, TARGET Rs 306, STOPLOSS OF Rs 321 [STOCHASTICS SELL + BELOW 100 & 200 DMA + BELOW PREVIOUS CLOSE] Disclaimer: This report has been prepared by Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Limited (GBNPP), here in after referred to as GBNPP. GBNPP, a publicly listed company, is engaged in services of retail broking, credit, portfolio management and marketing investment products including mutual funds, life and general insurance and properties. Each recipient of this report should make such investigation as it deems necessary to arrive at an independent evaluation of an investment in the securities of companies referred to in this report (including the merits and risks involved). This document is not for public distribution and has been furnished to you solely for your information and must not be reproduced or redistributed to any other person. Persons into whose possession this document may come are required to observe these restrictions. Opinion expressed herein is our current opinion as of the date appearing on this report only. While we endeavor to update on a reasonable basis the information discussed in this material, there may be regulatory, compliance, or other reasons that prevent us from doing so. Prospective investors and others are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not predictions and may be subject to change without notice. Within six months of the Amtek Auto episode involving JP Morgan AMC, which created a stir in India's mutual fund sector and forced the market regulator to intervene with stricter debt norms, the Rs 13 lakh-crore asset management sector is hit with yet another downgrade. The firm in focus this time is Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL). Two big fund houses ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund and Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund have a Rs 2,600-crore exposure to the papers of the company from the troubled steel sector. The debenture issuance by JSPL offered a coupon rate of 10.48 per cent. Early this week, rating agency Crisil had downgraded JSPLs long-term rating from BBB+ to BB+ with a cautionary note that the group's liquidity would deteriorate significantly in the near-term as the stake sale in rolling mill and the receipt of the proceeds from settlement in Bolivia might take longer. Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund has an exposure of Rs 2,100 crore in JSPL group, while ICICI Prudential AMC has nearly Rs 500 crore of exposure. Although the latter's overall exposure is merely 0.31 per cent of its overall debt assets under management, one of its schemes ICICI Prudential Regular Savings Fund has 2.91 per cent of its Rs 5,245-crore asset size in JSPL's debt instruments as on January 31, 2016. A spokesperson of ICICI Prudential AMC said, Our exposure on the said company is very measured as compared to our total debt funds under management. In terms of our experience, with this investment, the company has serviced all its debt obligations to us in time and the mutual fund industry has seen repayments by the company of more than Rs 2,000 crore over the last few months. Further, supporting the investments in the downgraded instrument, the spokesperson added, The minimum import price guidelines introduced by the government will help in improving the revenues of the company. The net asset value of ICICI Prudential Regular Savings Fund declined 0.54 per cent to Rs 15.57 on Tuesday after the downgrade. Debt funds normally own a number of individual bonds across maturities and sectors to limit the impact of an adverse development on overall performance. While we are monitoring the situation, we would like to point out that upgrades and downgrades of securities are part of every corporate bond portfolio. Also, specific to this matter, it is important to note that the introduction of minimum import price by the Indian government should help the steel industry in the medium term, said a Franklin Templeton spokesperson. According to Dhirendra Kumar, chief executive officer of Value Research, it's just a downgrade and not a default. Such downgrades are part and parcel when it comes to investment. There could be the possibility of further downgrades as economy is reeling under recession and commodity-based sectors are under deep stress. But, fund houses have taken a measured call and they have collateral, too. Experts say although there might be concerns around the downgrade, investors need to consider that all exposures are valued at fair values on a daily basis in line with Sebi guidelines. According to them, while the downgrade might result in some volatility in returns in near term, investors need to be assured that the schemes would continue to deliver returns over longer term according to their mandate and, hence, need not panic. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his supoorters today forcefully entered the Khalsa College campus by breaking down its the gates. Targetting Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, and his father Satyajit Singh Majithia, Captian Amarinder Singh alleged that the latter were hell bent on usurping authority and diluting the heritage status of Khalsa College Amritsar by converting the institution into a university for pecuniary benefits. He warned that the Congress Party would do its utmost to repeal any act passed by the SAD state government that sought to convert the college into a university. "Khalsa College is a part of our great heritage and history and not the private property of the Majithias to be usurped," Amarinder Singh told media outside the heritage building inside the campus. He said leading Punjabi families, including his (Patiala royal) family had contributed immensely to facilitate the setting up of the college that had become a part of Punjab's history and heritage. Meanwhile, the Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) has condemned Captain Amarinder Singh's crashing into the college premises. In a statement, it said that the heritage and independent status of Khalsa College would be maintained and added that the proposed Khalsa University Amritsar (KUA) will come up separately. The KCGC appealed to all political parties to join hands for successful completion of the ambitious educational project of Khalsa University which will provide boost to the education and youth employment in the border areas. KCGC President Satyajit Singh Majithia warned political leaders not to play politics over the issue. KCGC honourary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina strongly condemned 'misbehavior' by security staff of Captain Amarinder Singh. Britain's Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne will visit New Delhi on Thursday. Array Dunne will meet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to further boost the UK and India's defence and security partnership following Prime Minister Modi's visit to London last year. Dunne said, "Last November, our Prime Ministers set out their vision for a more strategic defence and international security partnership. The UK and India face many similar strategic challenges, so, we need to work even more closely together. In order to take our defence relationship to the next level, we are establishing capability partnerships to structure our cooperation on strategic capabilities across 'principal aspects of military effectiveness. I am here to progress this initiative together with the Indian Defence Minister and to hear from different parts of the Indian defence community." Dunne will also participate in a round table discussion organised by the United Service Institution, which will discuss the strategic defence partnership between the UK and India. The Congress on Wednesday backed Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha's call for the release of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, saying if the latter is right, then Kanhaiya should be released. Array "If Shatrughan Sinha's fact is right, because I have not read the transcript, then Kanhaiya should be released. And anyways there should not be any case be made against him of sedition or on being anti-national," Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI here. Array Tewari further added that the government wants to make the university (JNU) a 'sishu mandir' that is why they want they want to make issues out of all irrelevant things so that they can close the university. Array Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha on Wednesday came up in support of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been arrested on sedition charges and said that he is praying for his immediate release. Array "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti or against constitution. Hope wish and pray that he's release soon, sooner the better," Sinha tweeted. Array Sinha further stated that the Jawaharlal Nehru University is going through a crisis 'for reasons best known to politicians'. He went on to say that the JNU is an institution of international repute, enviable record and history. Array "It is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment, he tweeted. Array Kanhaiya Kumar will be produced before Delhi court today as his two-day police custody ends and the Supreme Court will also hear a plea seeking a fair trial. Taking a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress on Wednesday said that the ruling party was defending the untoward activities done by its party members and targeting the Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, who spoke against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. "BJP's justice- Umar raised anti-India slogans.MLA O.P. Sharma and lawyer Chauhan thrashed students and journalists, but there was no investigation on it," Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted. "Kanhaiya, who spoke against the Sangh and the ABVP is facing sedition charges and is in jail. Good days have really arrived for India. Jai Ho!," he added. Umar Khalid has been identified as the man behind the incident at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus. Earlier, the Delhi Police submitted a four-page report on its alleged crackdown on a group of protesting JNU students on February 9 to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and claimed that Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid raised anti- slogans after they were denied to broadcast a pro-Afzal Guru documentary. During the protest, DSU activists, led by Umar Khalid, began shouting anti-India slogans and singing songs eulogising Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt. However, the report said that Kanhaiya Kumar didn't raise anti- slogans but was just standing with DSU activists and Umar Khalid, who has been absconding since then. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt. Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the Congress party did not need any lessons or a certificate on patriotism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He advised the BJP better not to pontificate the Congress and its vice president Rahul Gandhi on nationalism and patriotism. "Our contribution and sacrifice to the cause of nation are exemplary and unparallel, while the BJP has none," he told reporters before presiding over the annual convocation of Hindu College here. "The Congress in general and Rahul Gandhi's family in particular have a record of greatest sacrifices to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country. Besides, let me tell the BJP that it was during their regime that Parliament was attacked, and it was under the Congress-led UPA's regime that terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru were hanged," he pointed out. When his opinion was sought on Rahul Gandhi's visit to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in support of the protesting students, Amarinder said, "I support the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution of India, but anything which is anti- is absolutely unacceptable." Addressing the convocation, the PCC president told the students that they were the future of Punjab. "Seventy percent of Punjab is young, and I understand your concerns. After completing your education, you must be expecting and aspiring for right kind of jobs. Your job ends after completing your studies, and now it's our duty to provide you with good jobs." At the same time, he said, it was not possible for the government to provide jobs to all. "We need to create a right kind of atmosphere, where investments and industry can come to Punjab, which will lead to job creation. I assure you that I will create that atmosphere, because it's my duty," he added. The PCC president regretted that the Punjab Government was not providing the due aid to the college, it was entitled to. "Same is the case with all aided educational institutions, as the state has gone bankrupt," he said, while pointing out that the state debt has mounted to Rs. 1.25 lakh crores. The PCC president said the revival of education and health systems in the state was his top priority. "Educationally Punjab has been divided into haves and have-nots, as a majority of students cannot afford private school education. We need to bridge that gap, if we honestly want Punjab's youth to be employed," he said. He also announced a grant of Rs. 25 lakhs for the college from his MPLAD fund. Earlier, he was received by the college's management committee, including chairman Sudhir Mahajan, secretary P.N. Aroa, principal P.K. Sharma and Hindu Sabha, Amritsar, president Hem Raj Gupta. Accusing the BJP-led NDA Government of shielding separatists and taking action against innocent people like JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday asked the ruling dispensation to ensure that the 'anti- virus' is stopped from spreading in the country. "The Central Government should have taken action on February 9 when the incident had taken place. This virus would not have spread had the government taken immediate action on the people raising anti- slogans," JD (U) leader Ajay Alok told ANI. "They (the government) gave ample amount of time to the separatists and the traitors. They (anti- elements) went to Jadavpur, now they will go to Karnataka and Mumbai. This is a virus and it has to be stopped from spreading. The Central Government does not want to take strict action. The government is just doing a formality by shielding the separatists and taking action against innocent people like Kanhaiya," he added. Continuing his tirade against the government for not initiating action against the real culprit, the JD (U) leader further said the 'fake nationalism' of the ruling BJP now stands exposed before the nation. "The video footages do not show Kanhaiya raising anti-national slogans.rather he was checking the ID cards of the people who were raising slogans. You have not arrested the person, who was actually raising anti-national slogans just because he was a PDP supporter and you want to make a government in Kashmir," said Alok. "These so-called nationalists should be ashamed. Their fake nationalism is getting revealed before the nation," he added. In a report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on its crackdown on a group of protesting JNU students on February 9, the Delhi Police yesterday said that Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid raised anti-national slogans on that day. The Delhi Police in its report also stated that JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar didn't join them. The common ancestors of apes and humans, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, evolved in Africa not Eurasia, two million years earlier than previously thought, says a new study. Senior researcher Giday WoldeGabriel stated that their new research supports early divergence, "10 million years ago for the human-gorilla split and 8 million years ago for our split from chimpanzees." WoldeGabriel further adds, that it is at least 2 million years earlier than previous estimates, which were based on genetic that lacked fossil evidence. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans compose the biological family Hominidae. Their knowledge of hominid evolution, that is, when and how humans evolved away from the great ape family tree, has significantly increased in recent years, aided by unearthed fossils from Ethiopia, including the C. abyssinicus, a species of great ape. This study has been published in Nature. Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das on Wednesday clarified that the students of the university had no role in the protest which raised anti- slogans, adding that it was certain fringe elements that were behind the incident. "Certain fringe elements raised the slogans," he said. "The entire university cannot be blamed." Das, said: " will not support any anti- activity. I spoke to the student representatives and they have categorically stated that they do not endorse anti- slogans. That rally was not officially convened by the students' union." Das further stated that the has a very historic background, adding that freedom of speech and right to dissent is allowed as it is a place of "all idealogies co-existing together." "If anyone puts up any anti- India poster, the university will speak to those students. If I get a report I will act according to the university procedures," he added. Asserting that the university is an autonomous institution, Das said that the police should not meddle with the business of the varsity. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier today sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal over the protest by Jadavpur University students. The ongoing protests in Delhi against the crackdown on the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) reached Jadavpur University on Tuesday. The students of Jadavpur University took out a torch rally on Tuesday and raised slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The students, affiliated to various Left Parties, took to the streets in Kolkata to protest the alleged police atrocities inside the JNU campus. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal over the protest by Jadavpur University students. The ongoing protests in Delhi against the crackdown on the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) reached Jadavpur University yesterday. The students of Jadavpur University took out a torch rally yesterday and raised slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The students, affiliated to various Left Parties, took to the streets in Kolkata to protest the alleged police atrocities inside the JNU campus. The Delhi Police on Wednesday claimed that as per their investigation some outsiders were also involved in the chanting of 'anti-national' slogans in the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. Array "We are the ones carrying out the investigation and people are the ones coming up with speculations. We have adequate evidence against Kanhaiya on basis of which he has been arrested. As per our investigation, some outsiders were also involved apart from JNU students. We are investigating this aspect," Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi told ANI here. Array "We have evidence, we will sift evidence, and take steps according to the law. We are unbiased, not at all prejudiced. JNU authorities are cooperating fully with us, all those who believe in integrity of the country are cooperating with the investigation," he added. Bassi was also critical of news published by a news agency which said that security agencies had no proof of Kanhaiya's involvement in the whole episode. "If a news agency is running some news, then you can overlook it. Either you agree with the information provided by the news agency, or on the people who are investigating it," he added. In a report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on its crackdown on a group of protesting JNU students on February 9, the Delhi Police yesterday said that Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid raised anti- slogans on that day. Array However, the report said that Kanhaiya Kumar didn't raise anti- slogans but was just standing with DSU activists. A case has been registered against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a district court in Allahabad for his remark on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) incident. The PIL filed in the court states that Gandhi took anti- stand by voicing his support for the JNU students. The matter will be taken up for hearing on March 1. Condemning the attack on journalists outside the Patiala House Court premises in the capital on Monday, the Congress vice-president yesterday alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was trying to crush the opinion of the people. He said that the Congress Party would not accept it and would fight this out. "The RSS backed people are being appointed as vice-chancellors in the universities and the voices of the students are being gagged. They are suppressing the voice of the Indian students whether in Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and in all the universities across the country. We will not accept this, we will fight against this," Gandhi told the media on the sidelines of his public rally in Sivasagar, Assam. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who joined the BJP protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday against the 'anti-national' slogans raised at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, said that there was a struggle underway between the forces of 'make India and break India' in which the former was bound to prevail. "Throughout the nation, there is a struggle between 'make India and break India' going on right now. The forces that are trying to unite the nation will not spare those who are trying to divide the nation. There are some, who through the use of divisive forces are trying to hamper the nation's development and sovereignty. The nation needs to unite against such people," Naqvi told ANI before joining the protest at the Jantar Mantar. In a veiled attack on the Opposition, he added that there were political parties, who were trying to unite with divisive forces for personal gains and added that they were harming themselves as well as the nation. Talking about the similar state of protest brewing at the Jadavpur University in West Bengal, Naqvi said that it was only a handful of students responsible for the unrest and appealed to the student body to identify those 'anti-national' elements and fight against them. "Be it Jadavpur or JNU or any other university, we can't brand the entire campus as anti- . All the students can't be anti- . Yes, there are a handful, who indulge in such activities and are trying to disgrace the entire student body. The students must raise their voices against the anti- elements brewing among them and take the matter in their own hands," he added. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal over the protest by Jadavpur University students. The ongoing protests in Delhi against the crackdown on the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) reached Jadavpur University yesterday. The students of Jadavpur University took out a torch rally yesterday and raised slogans against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The students, affiliated to various Left Parties, took to the streets in Kolkata to protest the alleged police atrocities inside the JNU campus. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on sedition charges, was on Wednesday taken to Tihar Jail after the Patiala House Court sent him to judicial custody till March 2. He was till now inside the Patiala House Court for security reasons as the police was waiting for suitable conditions to take him away. Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover as his two-day police custody ended on Wednesday. Array Kanhaiya, however, told the Metropolitan Magistrate that he was "assaulted" by a mob on the court premises, following which the court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned to ensure his safety. Array The Jail Superintendent has also been directed to take necessary steps to ensure that Kanhaiya is not harmed. Array Earlier, the Supreme Court condemned the Monday's attack on journalists in the Patiala House Court Complex, adding that the issue of security in the court premises has to be looked into. The apex court also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure adequate security to Kanhaiya. Array In an interim order on a petition relating to the JNU row, the court said, there will be restricted entry of people in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Array The court said, only five journalists, five lawyers, two students and two faculty members of the university, along with one investigating officer besides two family members of the accused would be allowed in the court. Array The court also directed the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. Kanhaiya has been charged with sedition in connection with the February 9 event in the JNU campus during which anti-India slogans were raised. The University of Karachi was evacuated on Wednesday after it was reported that three bombs had been placed at different sites in the campus. Array Students and faculty were gripped with fear and panic during evacuation as news of the bombs spread, reports Dawn. Array Meanwhile, the bomb disposal squad and a heavy contingent of police personnel has reached the university campus to search for the bombs. Array Further details are awaited. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key will make an official visit to Sri Lanka next week to highlight the growing commercial and political ties between the two countries. The New Zealand Premier will meet with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena ,Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and with a number of local businesspeople to promote New Zealand's interests in the region. Key will meet with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as speak with a number of local businesspeople to promote New Zealand's interests in the region. He will also lead a business delegation to focus on the significant opportunities to diversify trade between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which stood at 324 million dolllars in 2015. Key will be in Sri Lanka from 24-26 Februaryn and the visit will be Key's second visit to Sri Lanka as Prime Minister, having travelled there in 2013 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting earlier. At least seven suspected terrorists has been killed today during a gunfight with police officials in Sharaqpur area of Punjab in Pakistan. Array District Officer Counter Terrorism Department Nankana received a tipoff regarding 10 to 12 suspicious men riding on six motorcycles, who were seen travelling towards Sharaqpur for an attack on law enforcement personnel, reports the Dawn. Array Law enforcement personnel intercepted the men near a drain bridge in Sharaqpur and asked them to surrender. Array CTD sources ensured that when the firing stopped, seven men were killed by 'firing of their accomplices'. Array CTD sources revealed that police recovered 2kg of explosives, primacord, a Kalashnikov, two rifles of 244 bore and three motorcycles from the scene. Array Evidence suggested the hands of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi outfits, added CTD. The Supreme Court appointed five-member panel and Delhi High Court's Registrar General will file their report tomorrow on today's incidents in the Patiala House House. They would submit their report by 12 pm tomorrow following which the apex court woulld take up this matter. Extremely upset with the latest developments in the Patiala House, the apex court said the present bail hearing of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar should be adjourned under the present circumstances and formed a panel of five senior lawyers to find out the present situation in the Patiala House Court. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan told the media that the apex court called the lawyer of the Delhi Police when informed about the latest developments in the Patiala House Court complex. "The Delhi Police lawyer Mr. (Ajit) Sinha said that he was unable to get any instructions from the Delhi Police as to what had happened, on which the court has directed a team of five court commissioners, who are senior lawyers of this court, to immediately go to Patiala House Court under security escort of the Supreme Court and find out what has happened there, find out the situation in the Patiala House and then report back to the court after which the court will issue further directions," said Bhushan. "Meanwhile, the court has said that under these circumstances, the present bail hearing of Kanhaiya Kumar should be adjourned because it would not be possible for the hearing to proceed in this kind of atmosphere or in this kind of situation. Now, the court will give further directions only after receiving the report of these five court commissioners, who have been sent to Patiala House," he added. The JNU students' union president was earlier roughed up allegedly by a group of lawyers in the Patiala House Court. The incident took place when Kanhaiya was being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover. High drama was witnessed at the Patiala House Court earlier in the day where two groups of lawyers were seen raising slogans inside the court premises and beating up each other including journalists. A new geological study based on data from Western Greenland has indicated that small levels of atmospheric oxygen were developed 3.8 billion years ago, some 0.7-0.8 billion years earlier than thought. Today, most researchers agree that the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere happened in two major steps: the first during the so-called Great Oxidation Event about 2.5-2.4 billion years ago and the second during the Late Neoproterozoic Era around 750 to 540 million years ago. The latter is thought to have been the cause for the emergence of animals during the so-called Cambrian explosion around 540 to 520 million years ago. Researchers led by Professor Robert Frei released a study indicating evidence for the presence of small concentrations of oxygen on Earth already 3.8 billion years ago. The researchers analysed Earth's oldest Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) from Western Greenland. BIFs are marine chemical sediments originally comprised of alternating layers of silica and Fe-hydroxides and are widely used as geochemical archives. The reason for this is that they retain information on the composition and presence of oxygenation/reduction processes in ambient seawater and on the interaction of the atmosphere with Earth's surface. The fact that the analyses of the BIF layers from Western Greenland show elements that require presence of oxygen in the atmosphere opens up for the possibility of evolution of the earliest primitive photosynthetic life forms as early as 3.8 billion years ago. The research is published in the Journal Scientific Reports. The Supreme Court on will hear the Mumbai dance bar case today over granting licenses to bar owners. Array In the last hearing, the apex court had suspended a legal provision banning dance performances in Maharashtra and directed the state government to grant licences to the bar owners without insisting on the prohibitory legislation. Array Critical of the 2014 amendment in the Maharashtra Police Act that had imposed a total ban on dance bars and dance performances, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and P. C. Pant noted that the state government re-enacted a similar piece of legislation after the top court struck down a prohibitory provision in 2013. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has hit out at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for recent raids on government offices and residences of government officials, asking the top corruption watchdog to act 'responsibly'. NAB, which operates under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, is tasked to eliminate corruption from Pakistan through a holistic approach involving awareness, prevention and enforcement. Sharif said that said he would also take up the matter with the NAB chairman and if any person is persecuted, then the Government will take action, reports Dawn. Nawaz said his administration has always strived to serve the people and recalled his previous two tenures in which number of megaprojects had been initiated. NAB needs to take up cases only after thorough initial investigation. No one should be harassed without verification and solid proof added Sharif while addressing a gathering of PML-N's local government representatives in Bahawalpur. "The United States and India have a long and successful history of space cooperation. . Auspicious would be a good way to describe the cooperation between India and the United States on space science." Ambassador Richard R. Verma said these words almost a year ago, and they still hold true as he looks to welcome a number of key visitors this month who will lead several engagements to enhance the already impressive U.S.-India space relationship. Array "Space has captured the imaginations of people for thousands of years, and it continues to offer a limitless frontier for scientists to study and explore. As we push forward to tackle challenges on Earth, we should remember the importance of space research and exploration to drive innovation and technology development for the benefit of all people - from satellite navigation and smart cities, to water purification technology and medical imaging," said Richard R. Verma Array "Space also inspires young minds and sparks passions, encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) - skillsets that launch high-tech careers and stimulate entrepreneurship. Space, as part of the global commons, is a precious frontier that will allow for the continued advancement of mankind. It is an area in which international cooperation is not only important, it has become a necessity," he added. Array As President Barak Obama said "what was once a global competition has long since become a global collaboration." Array The United States and India have a long and successful history of space cooperation, beginning in 1963 when India first launched a U.S.-manufactured sounding rocket from Thumba to study Earth's magnetic equator. In the 1970s, India and NASA conducted the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE). Array SITE involved deployment of televisions in over 2,400 villages across India to receive educational programs via satellite. This was followed by the establishment of the Indian Satellite (INSAT) system in the 1980s. The first four INSAT satellites were built by U.S. industry, and three of them were put into orbit by U.S. launch vehicles. Array This early relationship has subsequently developed in to a robust partnership exemplified by numerous scientific exchanges, dialogues, and joint projects. This month, several notable visits and exchanges will propel our relationship forward. Array First, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Director, Dr. Charles Elachi, and his team will speak with students in Delhi about Earth and space exploration on February 17. JPL is working with India to jointly develop a synthetic aperture radar satellite that will allow scientists to study natural disasters and global environmental changes. Array NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will convene the third face-to-face meeting of the ISRO-NASA Mars Working Group in Bengaluru on February 22-25. Array The working group coordinates observations and science analysis between NASA and ISRO's Mars spacecraft - including India's Mars Orbiter Mission and NASA's MAVEN which arrived at Mars within days of each other in September 2014 - and explores potential cooperation on future missions to Mars. NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Dava Newman will travel to ISRO to open this event and hold discussions with ISRO counterparts. Array NASA Planetary Science Division Director, Dr. James Green, will lead the U.S. delegation in technical discussions related to Mars findings and collaboration. Array The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, with the support of India's Ministry of External Affairs, is organizing a Conference on Export Controls in Bengaluru February 22-23. The event is expected to bring together major business entities and relevant government officials from around the world that handle aerospace, defense, and dual-use items and technologies. Array The U.S.-India Space Security Dialogue on February 24 in Delhi will bring together our governments to discuss the long-term sustainability and security of the outer space environment. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Frank Rose will lead our delegation to this annual event. Array We anticipate that NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will be in Delhi February 25-26 for engagements with students and space policy thinkers. She intends to share her impressive experiences from her many spacewalks and inspire students to continue in their STEM pursuits. Her engagement with the space community would also serve to bolster U.S.-India engagement in space. Array The Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation (ORF) will host the second annual Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue February 24-26. The dialogue is named in honor of NASA Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-American woman in space, who perished in the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. Array ORF holds this annual dialogue to create a global platform to exchange views on the civil, security, and commercial aspects of outer space and honor Ms. Chawla's legacy of bravery and exploration. Array The event will host a series of space policy discussions on government, commercial, and civil society issues, and includes speakers from more than five countries. Ambassador Verma, Assistant Secretary Frank Rose, and NASA's Dr. Dava Newman and Dr. James Green will speak at this event. Array The upcoming events will serve to celebrate our joint successes in space and move us forward to greater heights together. The Union Cabinet recommended revocation of President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh. The Union Cabinet's decision came a day after the Supreme Court refused to restrain the Arunachal Governor from swearing-in a new government in the state, which is under President rule since January 26. Congress dissident Kalikho Pul on Wednesday said the Governor should invite them to form a Government. "We told the Governor that when the President ceases proclamation of his rule, we should be invited to form a Government," said Pul. Former finance minister Pul, along with 32 MLAs, on Monday called on Governor J.P. Rajkhowa to stake claim for forming the next government in the politically fragile state. The revolt by Congress dissidents led by Pul led to a political crisis in the state that finally led to imposition of President's Rule. Yesterday, a Congress delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee and urged him not to take any action over withdrawal of President's Rule if Centre makes any recommendation in this regard. The Supreme Court is hearing petitions seeking examination about the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor. The Income Tax Department has issued a reminder to Vodafone over its 14,200-crore rupees tax demand. On 4th of this month, the department had sent a notice to Vodafone International Holdings BV in this regard as the tax is due from the acquisition of 11 billion dollar Hutchison Whampoa's India telecom business in 2007. Vodafone says that the tax demand relates to a dispute that is currently the subject of international arbitration and no tax was due as the transaction was conducted offshore. Meanwhile, the Income-Tax Department has said that the notice served to the company was a part of a normal process. As many as 100 truckloads of aid were to enter five besieged Syrian areas on Wednesday, as part of the ongoing efforts to deliver aid to besieged Syrians, a humanitarian worker said. About 50 trucks were ready to enter the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabdani in Damascus, Xinhua quoted the humanitarian worker with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) as saying. Another 35 were set to enter Muadamiyeh, another rebel-held area in the western countryside of the capital, while 15 others were to be delivered to Kafraya and Foa, both Shia towns besieged by the rebels in Idlib province. The delivery of aid to the troubled areas were going to take place on periodic basis, in accordance to the needs of each area. The worker said the media team was going to enter Kafraya and Foa, while a mobile clinic unit was to enter Madaya. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded in a car bomb attack targeting the Turkish military in Ankara on Wednesday, authorities said. The bomb targeted the housings in Ankara where shuttles for military personnel were awaiting, according to the Turkish military, triggering two explosions near a military compound of the headquarters of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, local NTV news broadcaster reported, according to Xinhua. News footage showed a large plume of smoke rising into the sky from a fire at the explosion site. The area is also near the Turkish parliament in central Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said they are looking into details of the explosion, while the parliament spokesperson Omer Celik referred to the blast as a "terror attack". The government has banned domestic reporting of the incident. The attack happened at a time when a high-level security meeting, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was being held at the presidential palace. The Turkish General Staff has strongly condemned the attack in a statement, saying there were military personnel among the casualties. Turkey has suffered from a series of deadly attacks. In July 2015, a bomb attack in the border town of Suruc in southeastern Turkey left 34 pro-Kurdish and left-wing activists killed. In October, twin suicide bombings in Ankara claimed a total of 103 lives. Both were blamed on the Islamic State (IS) militant group. On January 16, 11 people, all German tourists, were killed when a suicide bomber affiliated with the IS attacked the tourist heart of Istanbul. At least 28 people were killed and 61 others wounded in a car bomb attack targeting the Turkish military here on Wednesday, Turkey's deputy prime minister and government spokesperson said. According to Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulus, the government has so far no information on who carried out the attack, Xinhua reported. Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar said the authorities believe that the explosion was caused by a "bomb-laden vehicle". The bomb targeted the housings in Ankara where shuttles for military personnel were awaiting, according to the Turkish military, triggering two explosions near a military compound of the headquarters of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, local NTV news broadcaster reported. News footage showed a large plume of smoke rising into the sky at the explosion site. The area is also near the Turkish parliament in central Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said they are looking into details of the explosion, while the parliament spokesperson Omer Celik referred to the blast as a "terror attack". The government has banned domestic reporting of the incident. The attack happened at a time when a high-level security meeting, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was being held at the presidential palace. The Turkish General Staff has strongly condemned the attack in a statement, saying there were military personnel among the casualties. Turkey has suffered from a series of deadly attacks. In July 2015, a bomb attack in the border town of Suruc in southeastern Turkey left 34 pro-Kurdish and left-wing activists killed. In October, twin suicide bombings in Ankara claimed a total of 103 lives. Both were blamed on the Islamic State (IS) militant group. On January 16, 11 people, all German tourists, were killed when a suicide bomber affiliated with the IS attacked the tourist heart of Istanbul. The CPI-M on Wednesday demanded the exit of Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi after a section of lawyers assaulted JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar at a court here. The Communist Party of India-Marxist also blamed "RSS/BJP goons" for the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, "under the very nose of the police". "There appears to be a complete breakdown of any authority of the law enforcing force in the nation's capital and the subversion of judicial orders is done with impunity," a CPI-M statement said. "The CPI-M strongly condemns the Delhi Police for not carrying out the directions of the Supreme Court to provide adequate security to Kanhaiya Kumar... "(Bassi) has brazenly justified such vandalism. He has no right to continue in office. "This is nothing but a blatant attempt to subvert the process of delivery of justice in the country. Such strong arm tactics are reminiscent of highly authoritarian and fascistic tendencies," it said. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president was under police custody since he was arrested for sedition on February 12, allegedly for raising anti-India slogans. He has denied the charge. On Wednesday, he was sent to judicial custody till March 2. "These charges are baseless," the CPI-M said, adding that Kanhaiya Kumar must be immediately released and the charge of sedition against him and other students be dropped. It also deplored the attack mounted by the RSS under the patronage of the BJP-led government against JNU. It said Wednesday's "brutal physical attack is the second in a row on lawyers, media persons and JNU students and faculty members who were present in the court premises..." The statement accused the Modi government of trying to sharpen communal polarisation by rousing jingoism "on the basis of fabricated and preposterous charges against the progressive values of JNU". Swami Agnivesh on Wednesday said that the sedition law, enforced by the British to safeguard the Raj, should be repealed since it was misused to muzzle dissent. The Arya Samaj scholar and social activist also said that by attacking an institution like the Jawaharlal Nehru University and arresting its student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the Centre has sent out a wrong message to the country. "This sedition law - Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code - was made by the British to safeguard their empire. They arrested Mahatma Gandhi and (Bal Gangadhar) Tilak under this law? Were they anti-national?" Agnivesh said at a function organised by the Popular Front of India in Panaji. He said that those who shouted slogans in favour of executed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on the JNU campus on February 9 must be identified and tried under the law. However, police should not arrest students on their whims and fancy, the social activist said. "The JNU has a legacy of providing educational opportunities to the poor students. The mother of Kanhaiya Kumar is a labourer, his father has paralysis. They earn Rs.3,000 per month. But they could still educate their son because he went to the JNU... his arrest will send a wrong message to the country," Agnivesh said. Alibaba, China's biggest online trader, on Wednesday reached agreement with the top economic planner to expand in rural areas. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will work with Alibaba in more than 300 rural areas to develop e-commerce, which is expected to optimise the agriculture industrial chain and encourage people to start their own businesses in rural areas, Xinhua reported. is developing fast in rural China as farmers begin selling produce online. Alibaba, JD and others have set up service stations in villages to help those who lack the necessary skills to shop online. Villagers can order goods at the stations and return a few days later to collect their packages. The number of Alibaba village service stations has risen from three in 2009 to 780, with plans to build a total of 100,000 such stations by 2019. President Barack Obama suggested the American people are too "sensible" to elect Republican frontrunner Donald Trump as president even as he and Hillary Clinton held commanding leads in the next battle ground of South Carolina. But he diplomatically avoided taking sides in the Democratic race between his former secretary of state and self-styled Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders who is posing a stronger than expected challenge to her. "I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president," Obama said at a news conference in California Tuesday. "And the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people. Being president is a serious job. It's not hosting a talk show, or a reality show." "It's not promotion, it's not marketing. It's hard. And a lot of people count on us getting it right," said Obama. The presidency isn't "a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get you in the news on a given day." He also took shots at two other Republican candidates senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Trump responded to Obama during an event in Beaufort, South Carolina, saying: "He has done such a lousy job as president." But he didn't mind being targeted by Obama, and took it as a "great compliment." Turning to the Democratic race, Obama praised Clinton saying: "You know, I know Hillary better than I know Bernie, because she's served in my administration, and she was an outstanding secretary of state." "And I suspect that, on certain issues, she agrees with me more than Bernie does," he said. But then added: "On the other hand, there may be a couple issues where Bernie agrees with me more. I don't know, I haven't studied their positions that closely." "Ultimately, I will probably have an opinion on it, based on both -- (having) been a candidate of hope and change and a President who's got some nicks and cuts and bruises from -- you know, getting stuff done over the last seven years." Meanwhile, A CNN/ORC survey found Trump holding a broad 16-point lead (38 percent to 22 percent) over his nearest rival Ted Cruz among those likely to vote in South Carolina's Republican primary this Saturday. Cruz was followed by Rubio with 14 percent and Jeb Bush with 10 percent. Hillary Clinton topped Bernie Sanders by 18 points (56 percent to 38 percent) in the state's Democratic primary, which will be held a week later. Republicans by far see Trump as the strongest candidate to handle the economy, illegal immigration and fighting terrorism. They also see him as the most likely to win in a general election. But on social issues and foreign policy, Trump holds only slim leads over Cruz. Clinton won handily on all issues, with vast advantages on health care policy and race relations. Sanders did manage to keep it close on gun policy, an issue that some Democrats say he has been weak on. However, according to the New York times Clinton's campaign is threatened by a generational schism as revealed by the New Hampshire primary where she lost the women's vote by 11 percentage points. In the meantime, after bringing older brother and former president George Bush to fire up his sinking presidential campaign, Jeb Bush Tuesday tweeted an image of a gun engraved with "Gov. Jeb Bush" given to him by a gunmaker with the single-word caption "America." (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday urged the central government to announce the location of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state soon. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, text of which was released to the media, Jayalalithaa said: "I request you to expedite the announcement of location of the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu and to ensure that the construction and establishment of AIIMS is initiated without any further delay." She said the state government has already identified the required extent of land at Sengipatti in Thanjavur district, Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram district, Pudukottai town in Pudukottai district, Perundurai in Erode district and Thoppur in Madurai district. The central government had announced setting up of AIIMS in Tamil Nadu in the union budget for 2015-16. "A central team visited Tamil Nadu from April 22nd to 25th, 2015 and inspected all the five identified locations. However, so far the final decision of where the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu would be set up is yet to be communicated," Jayalalithaa said. Washington, Feb 18 (IANS/EFE) US technology giant Apple has vowed to fight an order to unblock an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 dead. In a statement, CEO Tim Cook said the court order sought and obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is investigating the December 2015 attack, would pose a serious threat to data security. "The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers," Cook said on Tuesday in a message on the company's website. "We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand." A federal judge in Riverside, California, on Tuesday ordered Apple to help the FBI unblock and access the iPhone used in the December 2 attack, when Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and seriously injured more than 20 others at a San Bernardino county facility. The order handed down by Judge Sheri Pym said Apple must provide the FBI with "reasonable technical assistance" that enables the agency to access the mobile phone. That assistance would involve creating a new version of the iPhone operating system and installing it on the smartphone that was used by the shooter. Doing so would deactivate a security system that erases a phone's data if the digits of its passcode are not entered correctly after several attempts. Were that function to be deactivated, federal investigators would be able to enter as many passcode combinations as necessary to gain access to the iPhone and all the information it contains. The telephone was used by Farook but owned by his employer, the San Bernardino county public health department, which has already given permission for the phone to be searched. The data of most Apple devices is encrypted and can only be accessed by entering the correct passcode. If the wrong iPhone passcode is entered 10 times, its data is automatically erased. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers," Cook said in the statement, adding that "while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control". Stating that "opposing this order is not something we take lightly," the Apple CEO said smartphone data "needs to be protected from hackers and criminals who want to access it, steal it, and use it without our knowledge or permission." --IANS/EFE vr/ Hundreds of students in east China's Shandong province were setting up easels to prepare for a drawing test, while one student struggled to take off his shoes and socks with his feet instead. The sleeves of Zhang Han's bright orange down jacket hung empty at his sides. Holding a pencil between two toes on his right foot, Zhang drew a bottle, a pot and other still life objects with confidence. The high school graduate had his arms amputated after an electric shock when he was nine. He returned to school after one year in the hospital. Since then, he has learned to read, write, and paint, Zhang's mother told reporters, according to Xinhua. Zhang loves painting and design. He dreams of studying design in college, she added. Zhang is taking the art exam as an applicant to Shandong University of Art and Design. A new round of art exams started in mid February across China. Candidates' performance in these exams will serve as a criterion, along with their scores in regular college entrance exams, for admission to art schools at Chinese colleges and universities. Competition for top art schools is fierce. Beijing Film Academy, for example, plans to recruit 437 students from a total of 30,400 candidates. Leading Aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Kalyani Group company Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) on Wednesday announced the first shipment of BFL-made titanium flaptrack forgings for Boeing's Next-Generation 737 aircraft. "Shipment of the first titanium forging from India is a significant step towards building a capable and competitive supply chain in India for Boeing," said Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India in a statement. BFL will also supply forgings for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft scheduled to enter service in 2017. "BFL is truly honoured to become India's only forging company to be included in Boeing's globally approved vendor list for titanium forgings," said BFL chairman Baba Kalyani in the statement. According to Kalyani, BFL will explore mergers and acquisitions to become a significant player in the global aerospace components business. Both the companies are looking for opportunities to expand BFL's work for Boeing. BFL is a part of $2.5 billion Kalyani Group which provides components and solutions to automotive, railways, power, construction & mining, defence & aerospace, marine and oil and gas. With several political parties coming together to oppose the government action concerning JNU, the BJP has decided to launch a nationwide "Jan Swabhiman Abhiyan" from Thursday to expose attempts by the parties to "mislead the country in the name of freedom of expression". A party release said the campaign will be carried out between February 18 and 20 and party workers will organise many programmes at zonal, district and state levels. "The campaign is against attempts by some political parties to mislead the country by linking separatist voices with freedom of expression over incidents at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University," the release said. It said sit-ins, signature campaigns, singing of patriotic songs and meetings will be among programmes to be held by party workers. JNU has been on the boil over the arrest of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The controversy began when some students organised a meet on February 9 to mark the anniversaries of executions of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat. Anti-India slogans were reportedly raised at the gathering. Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2. The union cabinet on Wednesday gave ex-post facto approval to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) in the field of urban planning and governance. The MoU, signed in November 2015, will allow the two countries to share experiences in the field of urban development, governance and capacity building, an official statement said here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the cabinet meeting in New Delhi. China unequivocally opposes the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), an advanced US missile defence system, in South Korea, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said on Tuesday. Zhang said this on the sidelines of the seventh high-level strategic dialogue between the foreign affairs ministries of China and South Korea, Xinhua reported. Zhang said the current situation on the Korean peninsula was both extremely complicated and extremely sensitive. China has always steadfastly sticked to the denuclearisation of the peninsula and tried to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, always having been committed to solving the issue through dialogue and negotiation. China supports efforts at the UN Security Council to agree on a new and forceful resolution as soon as possible, he said. "Sanctions are not an end in themselves," Zhang said. "We still would have to find a fundamental solution through dialogue and talks." He said China was seriously concerned over the intention of Washington and Seoul to hold talks on deploying THAAD in South Korea. Pyongyang launched a satellite-carrying rocket, which Seoul sees as a cover for a long-range ballistic missile, on February 7, after conducting its fourth nuclear test on January 6. The US and South Korea said they have decided to discuss the deployment of THAAD. As one of the most advanced missile defence systems in the world, THAAD can intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight. Zhang said the deployment of such a system would exacerbate regional tensions and seriously harm China's strategic security interests as well as the security interests of other countries in the region. China clearly opposes the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, he said. "We are hoping that the related parties would seriously consider the concerns of China and be prudent with what they do," he said. In a message apparently designed to allay fears in Cuba of an imminent US corporate invasion, a top business figure said foreign investment was welcome as long as it respected sovereignty. Orlando Hernandez Guillen, president of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce and a member of a trade delegation currently on a working visit to Washington, said on Tuesday that "once the US lifts its sanctions on Cuba... US investments will be convenient to the extent that they are consistent with the national interests and sovereignty of the island," Xinhua reported. Guillen "sought to reassure those who express concern regarding possible negative impacts on the island, should the blockade end and the US trade and investment with the island expand." To that end, Guillen stressed the country's Foreign Investment Law, designed to ensure investment projects are in line with national interests, also applies to the US. "These are the same conditions that will be present when the North Americans invest," he said. On Monday, media reported the US government has approved the opening of the first US factory in Cuba, tractor manufacturing company Cleber LLC, which will be setting up shop in Cuba's Mariel special development zone. Cleber partners Horace Clemmons and Saul Berenthal, based in Alabama, said their objective was not just to "sell something" to Cuba, but to establish a business "that can solve the problems that they consider are the most important problems." The company plans to built low-cost tractors for Cuba's small farmers. "It is a first step but we are positively motivated and hope it becomes a point of reference," Guillen said. Four months after terrorists stormed American rock band Eagles of Death Metal's concert at the Bataclan concert hall here, the group returned to the French capital to play a comeback show. The band were performing when four Islamist militants stormed the Bataclan on November 13 last year, killing 90 people. Taking to the stage, frontman Jesse Hughes bounded on in a red cloak. The 43-year-old looked emotionally overwhelmed and stood in awe of the sold out crowd, reports mirror.co.uk. Hughes also made a peace and heart sign to his fans. He prayed and said: "Let's take this moment to remember." After performing four tracks, he added: "This is a room full of champions. I f****** love you." Hughes also paid tribute to his British friend Nick Alexander, who was selling merchandise at the venue when he lost his life. He dedicated the band's song "What I Want" to Alexander. "This next song goes out to my friend Nick Alexander. I love that motherf*****. Nick I love you so good," Hughes said. Psychologists were mingling with the audience in case flashbacks to the attacks caused concert goers to panic. There was also a support group called Life For Paris. Formed by victims after the attack it is now 500 members strong. Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have reached a "tentative agreement" on forming a unity government, a senior Fatah official said on Wednesday. Abbas Zaki, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, said the preliminary agreement was reached during the two-day dialogue held in Qatar on February 7 between leaders of the two rival groups, Xinhua reported. Besides forming a unity Palestinian government, the meeting also decided on a specific date for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections "within six months to one year," said Zaki. He added that contacts on high levels are continuing between the leaderships of the two groups in order to reach a final understanding on the mechanisms of implementing the agreement. A new date is to be fixed soon for holding another round of dialogue in Doha to finalise all related issues, said Zaki, reaffirming that any final deal "has to be guaranteed for immediate implementation". Among the sticky and outstanding issues is the question of paying regular monthly salaries to around 45,000 employees appointed by Hamas after the movement's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Handing over security affairs and control on crossing points either between Gaza and Israel or between Gaza and Egypt was another outstanding issue that was deeply discussed in the last session of dialogue, according to Zaki. The senior Fatah official also clarified that the current Palestinian situation and the ongoing changes in the region have urged the two sides to seriously think of ending the internal Palestinian split. "In case the two sides reach a final agreement, President Mahmoud Abbas will immediately head to Qatar to sign the agreement with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal," said Zaki. Five suspected terrorists of banned outfit Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who had escaped from a ajil in Madhya Praddesh, have been arrested in Odisha's Rourkela city, police said on Wednesday. The five terrorists, including a woman, were absconding from Khandwa Jail in Madhya Pradesh and were nabbed late Tuesday from a house in steel city of Rourkela in a joint operation by Odisha police, Telangana police and Intelligence Bureau. The arrested have been identified as Mohammad Khalid, Amjad Khan, Zakir Khan, Mahboob Khan and his mother Najma, said Director General of Police (DGP) K.B. Singh. Special Director General of Police (Intelligence) Arun Sarangi said they were arrested after three-hour-long operation jointly conducted by tactical unit of Odisha's special operation group, Telangana police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials. "All are involved in the activities of SIMI in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They were using a false identity and staying in Rourkela to collect money through dacoity for their other operations. All five hail from Madhya Pradesh and are also wanted by NIA," said K.B. Singh. The five were also involved in a bank robbery and are suspected to be involved in several terror activities outside the state, said Sarangi. The arrested people belong to Khandwa region of Madhya Pradesh and are reported to be involved in at least 17 other cases. The police said at least five guns and several bullets have been seized from their possession. French President Francois Hollande mourned the passing of ex-UN head Botros Botros-Ghali and paid tribute to "the friend of France" who fought for peace and to stop conflicts. "The death of Botros Botros-Ghali is that of a great Egyptian and a great servant of the UN, as Foreign Minister of Egypt, as Secretary General of the UN, as Secretary General of the Francophonie," Xinhua quoted Hollande as saying on Tuesday. The French president paid tribute to Botros-Ghali's diplomatic efforts to promote peace as he "never stopped fighting to avert conflicts and bring people closer together while respecting their diversity." To Hollande, Botros-Ghali's message for peace must "inspire the international community action at time the Middle East is experiencing new dramas." The former UN chief died earlier on Tuesday at the age of 93. Born in 1922 in Egypt, the late diplomat served as UN chief from 1992 till 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post. Returning home, Botros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. In 2011, he resigned after Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising. Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is supporting a campaign to get indie band Viola Beach to the top of the charts after its members died in a car accident. He has tweeted his support for the indie band, after the group died alongside their manager Craig Terry in a car accident on February 13, reports mirror.co.uk. The 43-year-old tweeted a link to the band's music on iTunes as family, friends and fans campaign to get them to the top of the charts. He wrote along with it: "Viola Beach - Swings & Waterslides - RIP LG X" Band members Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin had played a festival in Norrkoping, Sweden, just hours before their tour vehicle plunged off a bridge. Those close to the band were pleased with the support, with one tweeting: "One of our heroes tweeting for you and the lads @ craigtarry - Wish you could see all this. Nice one Liam!" The group's single "Swings & waterslides" is currently placed at number four in the iTunes charts, according to the online store's ongoing rankings. If you feel your girlfriend often manipulates her way to win the situation, partly blame evolution for such behaviour and seek proper guidance. According to a recent study, young women with high emotional intelligence (EI) are more likely to use manipulative behaviours, resulting in a greater engagement in delinquency. "I would hypothesise that it's partly due to evolution. In some circumstances, young women may have come to see social survival as more important than social niceties so manipulation may have been an adaptive behaviour which has continued through to the present day," explained lead researcher Alison Bacon from University of Plymouth in Britain. The research team wanted to assess why young women with high levels of EI are more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour than young men. For this, 125 young women participated and completed three key measures of EI -- Machiavellianism, the managing emotions of others scale (MEOS) and self-reported delinquent behaviour. The participants in the study answered standard questions on how they adapt their behaviour depending on, or to affect, the emotions of others. High EI women also presented higher levels of Machiavellian tactics and delinquency -- both in literal delinquent behaviours and in relationships such as social exclusion or coercion. "The study was conducted on a group of students and is not suggesting for a second that all young women with high emotional intelligence have these behavioural tendencies," the authors noted in a paper published in the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. The results, however, suggest that high EI may enable manipulative relational behaviours in some women which, in turn, support delinquency aimed at fulfilment of social or material goals, Bacon noted. The Indian government must appreciate the talent of fashion designers like the French government does, says Manish Arora, who at 43 has been conferred the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, the highest civilian award, by the French government. Known for working with a riot of colours, psychedelic prints and for producing kitschy designs that have been loved the world over -- sitarist Anoushka Shankar flaunted his creation at the 58th Grammy Awards ceremony -- Arora has been in the designing profession for over 15 years. Expressing his joy on the honour, Arora told IANS: "I am quite happy that the French could recognise somebody from India for this level in the field of fashion. "I am the first Indian ever in the world of fashion and art to receive something like this and I am very happy. I hope that the Indian government should now recognise fashion as the form of art like the way French do." Last year, the French government also honoured Indian designer Ritu Beri with Chevalier Des Arts et Des Lettres award, one of its highest civilian awards, for her contribution to the enrichment of Indo-French cultural relations. Arora, who runs the Indian by Manish Arora brand, feels that the Indian government lacks when it comes to giving recognition to the fashion industry. "Starting with the basic of the government's recognising fashion as serious business and then having specialised people who understand fashion to be involved in the government to make changes... Also, fashion designers are rarely recognised in any kind of ceremonies or awards in India. I think this needs to be changed," he added. With a steady international clientele that makes it a point to visit his stall at national fashion weeks, Arora's international presence started with his successful debut at the London Fashion Week in September 2005. He later showed his creative prowess at platforms in Hong Kong and Miami. In 2007, he showcased for the first time in Paris Fashion Week, eventually becoming a member of the distinguished French Federation of Pret-a-Porter in the same year. Now the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur is another feather to his cap. Looking back at his journey, Arora, whose connect with France was also strengthened by his appointment as the creative director for iconic French fashion house Paco Robanne in 2011, said: "I always think that it's just a beginning." "I never feel that I am working. I am one of those who is following his dreams in the form of a job. Not everybody in the world gets the chance to follow their dreams, and I am glad I found my belongings... I feel as if I am on holiday." However, being among the first Indians to show internationally had its own pros and cons when he had started, Arora said. "Starting in London, and then in Paris, was not that easy for me because you never had anybody else to take as an example. You had to make your own path, which comes with making a lot of mistakes, but then it also makes you more original and real because you have nobody else to look up to. So I am very glad with how my career shaped up," said Arora, whose designs are flaunted by the likes of international fashion icons like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj. While he is happy with the evolution of the Indian fashion industry on the global map, he feels the country's designers still have a long way to go. A solution, he said, lies in the fact that "it is great to use India but you need to modernise India". "You don't need to westernise, but you need to modernise India and Indian techniques of weaving or textiles to be at par with international level," added the designer, who has even worked in collaboration with brands such as Walt Disney, Swarvoski, Swatch, Reebok, Barbie, Mono Prix, Nespresso, Nivea, MAC Cosmetics, Pommery and Amrapali among others. (Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in) An Indian-origin chemist from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) has developed new high-performing materials for cells that harness sunlight to split carbon dioxide and water into useable fuels like methanol and hydrogen gas. These "green fuels" can be used to power cars, home appliances or even to store energy in batteries. "Technologies that simultaneously permit us to remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide while harnessing and storing the energy of sunlight as fuel are at the forefront of current research," said Dr Krishnan Rajeshwar, distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and co-founder of the university's centre of renewable energy, science and technology. "Our new material could improve the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar fuel generation which is not yet economically viable," added Rajeshwar, who earned his PhD in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. The new hybrid platform uses ultra-long carbon nanotube networks with a homogeneous coating of copper oxide nanocrystals. It demonstrates both the high electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes and the photocathode qualities of copper oxide - efficiently converting light into the photocurrents needed for the photoelectrochemical reduction process. "Dr Rajeshwar's ongoing, global leadership in research focused on solar fuel generation forms part of UTA's increasing focus on renewable and sustainable energy," said Morteza Khaledi, dean of the UTA college of science. Dr Rajeshwar's work is representative of the university's commitment to addressing critical issues with global environmental impact under the Strategic Plan 2020. "Creating inexpensive ways to generate fuel from an unwanted gas like carbon dioxide would be an enormous step forward for us all," Khaledi added. The new material also demonstrates much greater stability during long-term photoelectrolysis than pure copper oxide which corrodes over time, forming metallic copper. The team is designing, building and demonstrating a "microfluidic electrochemical reactor" to recover oxygen from carbon dioxide extracted from cabin air. The prototype will be built over the next months at the centre for renewable energy science and technology at UTA, said the findings published in the journal ChemElectroChem Europe and a companion article in the Journal of Materials Chemistry. Dr Rajeshwar joined the College of Science in 1983. He is charter member of the UTA Academy of Distinguished Scholars and senior vice president of The Electrochemical Society - an organisation representing the nation's premier researchers who are dedicated to advancing solid state, electrochemical science and technology. Dr Rajeshwar is an expert in photoelectrochemistry, nanocomposites, electrochemistry and conducting polymers and has received numerous awards. Agitating Jat community members on Wednesday continued their road and rail blockades at various places in Haryana even as some of their leaders arrived here for talks with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on their demand for reservation. People in Rohtak, Sonipat, Hisar, Bhiwani and Jhajjar districts were the worst sufferers due to the blockade. It was the fourth day of their agitation in Haryana. Para-military forces have been deployed in and around Rohtak and other affected districts to ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. The Haryana government on Tuesday sought additional forces from the Centre. People in districts of neighbouring Punjab, which are adjoining Haryana, are also facing problems due to trains being cancelled or diverted and roads being blocked. Officials said that at least 25 trains were cancelled in the Ambala and Ferozepur railway divisions due to the blockade at various places like Rohtak, Sampla and Jhajjar. At least 20 other trains were diverted through different routes. The blockade in Rohtak town, 75 km from Delhi, continued on Wednesday with protestors blocking all road and rail routes to the place. "We cannot reach our offices. Students cannot go to their educational institutions. There is complete chaos. The state government seems to be in a slumber," Naveen Malik, employee of a private company in Rohtak who commutes from Jhajjar town daily, told IANS. The Jats in Haryana are demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions under the OBC category. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday appealed to the community leaders to end their agitation and invited all organisations of the Jat community for parleys at his residence here on Wednesday. People travelling to and from national capital Delhi to Haryana for work were the worst affected due to disruption of trains. Transportation of goods on trucks and plying of buses were also affected in some areas. The worst affected were national highway-10 (Delhi-Rohtak-Hisar) and NH-71 (Rohtak-Jhajjar). Highways connecting Rohtak to Sonipat, Bhiwani and Hisar were also blocked by agitators. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday announced that a Global Investors Summit would be organised in the state in November this year. "Mineral-rich Jharkhand blessed with natural resources and skilled manpower is ready to welcome the investors in the state," said Das while addressing the Jharkhand Event under Make in India Programme in Mumbai. Noting that since creation of the state in November 2000, Jharkhand has its first majority-based stable government, he said his regime is committed to take the state to new heights of the development. "In last one year, the Jharkhand government has done a lot in the field of developing basic infrastructure development. To make the system business friendly, the government has taken several steps. Due to our efforts the World Bank ranked us 3rd among the Indian states for ease of doing business. "Ease of doing business is an initiative within the frame work of 'Make in India'. We have natural resources, skilled manpower, industrial culture and pro-active governance for making the initiative successful," said Das, inviting business tycoons to participate in the investment summit scheduled in Ranchi in November 2016. Urging investors to invest in untouched sectors also, he outlined the scope of investment in the field of tourism, agriculture and horticulture. "Nature has given ample of scenic beauty to our state and the climate is favourable for development of agriculture and horticulture-based industries," he said, elaborating on the steps taken by his government for making policies to help industry. Das also asked the investors to invest in the service sector, education, medical, information technology and electronic sector. Citing the latest initiative of the central government in developing Amritsar-Kolkata corridor, the chief minister said it will give momentum to the economical development of eastern India as well as Jharkhand Several journalists were beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court here on Wednesday before JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was to be brought there. Among the journalists who were assaulted were a Firstpost photographer and reporter each as well as a journalist from Network 18. Two groups of lawyers -- one opposed to Kanhaiya Kumar and another supporting his legal rights -- earlier got into a scuffle in the court in the heart of the capital. The lawyers who attacked the journalists - much like what happened two days ago in the court - were noisily protesting against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students who allegedly raised anti-India slogans a week ago. The journalists alleged that police personnel present in the court refused to come to their help. The lawyers who went on the offensive on Wednesday carried Indian flags and shouted slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'JNU Murdabad'. They shouted slogans against JNU and demanded its closure, saying the institution was "anti-national". On the other hand, a group of lawyers protesting against Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest demanded his immediate release. On Monday, many journalists including an IANS reporter, were beaten up by the same group of lawyers in the court. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The escalating tension arising from an obscure meeting on Kashmir held at the JNU here has spiralled into an acrimonious nationalism-versus-intolerance debate. The row has pitted Hindu nationalists, mostly from the ruling saffron alliance, against those opposed to the Narendra Modi government's alleged intolerance and its bid to crush dissent. An incident that would in normal times have made no ripples exploded on the national stage after the arrest of JNU's left wing student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, fuelling a debate on issues related to freedom of speech. Held for allegedly making "anti-national remarks" under a colonial-era sedition law, Kumar's detention has caused political fireworks just ahead of parliament's budget session. JNU students backing Kumar, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, have drawn support from large sections of the civil society -- but have also run into a wall of aggressive Hindu nationalists. "They have arrested an elected student union president on the draconian charge of sedition without even a shred of evidence. The message is clear. Fall in line with the BJP/RSS agenda," CPI-M leader Brinda Karat told IANS. Brinda Karat, whose husband and Marxist leader Prakash Karat was once a student leader in JNU, said the Modi government wanted to "impose its political and ideological hegemony over all academic institutions". "It is an authoritarian move to subvert democratic ethos," said Karat, an MP and a former student activist. Modi supporters who love to dub people like Karat "anti-national" now want the JNU -- a known leftist bastion -- to be shut down. BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said the JNU row had nothing to do with free speech as the heart of the issue was the shouting of slogans denouncing the hanging of Afzal Guru, convicted for the terror attack on parliament. On Wednesday, when a court sent Kumar to judicial custody till March 2, lawyers calling themselves Hindu nationalists assaulted him as well as the journalists covering the case. One of the lawyers was identified as Vikram Chauhan, who is said to be close to leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. On his part, Kumar has denied shouting anti-India slogans or taking part in anything that could invite sedition charges - which carries the maximum punishment of life imprisonment. The sedition law was widely used during India's independence movement and was slapped on Mahatma Gandhi in 1922. Legal experts doubt if Delhi Police can prove the sedition charge against the jailed Kumar - who has been transformed from an unknown student leader to a virtual national figure. Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde said sedition requires speech to cross the line into action. "The law is clear. Unless there is an actual incitement to violence, there is no sedition," Hegde told IANS. "There are two points regarding this case. Did Kanhaiya shout slogans? Was there any incitement to violence? I don't think police have evidence to prove that." (Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in) Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex here but was only jostled around. "I don't think you can say that the situation went out of hand; I don't think he (Kanhaiya Kumar) was beaten up. My information is that there was jostling when he was brought to the court in which he lost one of his slippers," Bassi told the media here. He said Kanhaiya was escorted by police officers and was well taken care of. "During the jostling, our police officers were covering him (Kanhaiya) from behind and front with the intention of protecting him from assault. Our tactic was not to use force because if we had used force, that could have been counter-productive," he said. "I am told by the DCP South that before leaving for court, he (Kanhaiya) gave his statement in the form of an appeal and expressed his confidence in the constitution," the Delhi Police chief added. Bassi said police have, meanwhile, issued summons to three people, including Vikram Singh Chauhan, one of the lawyers captured on video regarding the Patiala House court violence on Monday. "Three lawyers, including Chauhan, have been summoned. I hope they will appear before the investigation officer and give their version," he said. Asked if summons were issued to BJP legislator O.P. Sharma as well since he also was filmed attacking a CPI activist outside the Patiala House court, he replied: "Yes, I have summoned that gentleman (Sharma) also for tomorrow. I can understand the anguish of the people as well as yours but I have to go by the law." He said he will forward a report on the entire matter to the home ministry. A journalist was gunned down by unidentified assailants in south Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur, police said on Wednesday. Elvis Ordaniza, 49, native of Pitogo town and reporter in a local radio based in Pagadian city, was killed on Tuesday night, Xinhua reported. Zamboanga peninsula police director Miguel Antonio said that, based on initial police investigation, the victim was shot and killed around 7.00 p.m. (local time) in the village of Bagong Silang of Pitogo town. Police said Ordaniza was preparing dinner at the time. He went out briefly from his kitchen to gather firewood when two unidentified gunmen emerged and shot him twice. The assailants quickly escaped, leaving the victim lying on the ground. Ordaniza was initially rushed to a health centre and later transferred to a hospital in Pagadian city for treatment but was declared dead on arrival. Further investigation was underway, said the police. JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, was on Wednesday sent to judicial custody till March 2 while the Supreme Court made Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi personally responsible for his safety after being told that he was "badly beaten up" while being brought to court premises. Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya Kumar was brought there. With another day of scuffles at the Patiala House court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the law and order situation in the national capital was "fast deteriorating" and the Communist Party of India-Marxist demanded Bassi's removal following the "assault" on Kanhaiya Kumar. Bassi, however, maintained that the JNU student was not beaten up. As the controversy over JNU protests escalated, Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country was eager to hear "eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice" from the university. Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen sent Kanhaiya Kumar to judicial custody after Delhi Police said it did not need the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president any more for interrogation. The court directed Delhi Police, who will escort him to the jail from the court, and the superintendent of the Tihar jail to ensure his safety. Kanhaiya Kumar told the court that he was attacked by a group of people wearing black robes while he was being escorted by police to the court room. The leftist All India Students Federation (AISF) leader was arrested on February 12 on after anti-India slogans were raised at an event held at the JNU campus on February 9 to commemorate the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Kanhaiya Kumar, in a statement leaked to the media, appealed to students to maintain calm and said he does not support anti-national activity. He condemned the February 9 event at the JNU and said those who shouted the allegedly anti-national slogans included "some people from JNU and a section of outsiders". Ten student organisations owing allegiance to different political parties on Wednesday pledged support to him while Amnesty International sought his immediate release. Meanwhile, with the scuffle at the court and the assault on him reached the apex court where a bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said it will be the Delhi Police chief's personal responsibility to ensure his safety as well as those attending the court proceedings. The court adjourned the hearing till 2 p.m. so that a team of lawyers, comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Ajit Sinha, A.G.N. Rao and Harin Rawal, and could and assess the situation in the Patiala House court complex. The team said they witnessed an "unprecedented" situation with an atmosphere of "fear and terrorising people" and Dhawan told the court that the "collective view of the team is that police did not do their job". He told the court they were not only abused in the filthiest language but were described as Pakistani agents. The court gave Delhi Police till Friday morning to submit its report and directed the next hearing of the matter on Monday. Earlier, several journalists were beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court. Among the journalists who were assaulted were a Firstpost photographer and reporter each as well as a journalist from Network 18. Two groups of lawyers -- one opposed to Kanhaiya Kumar and another supporting his legal rights -- earlier got into a scuffle in the court in the heart of the capital. The lawyers who attacked the journalists were noisily protesting against JNU students who allegedly raised anti-India slogans a week ago. The journalists alleged that police personnel present in the court refused to come to their help. On Monday, many journalists including an IANS reporter, were beaten up by the same group of lawyers in the court. Bassi however told reporters that Kanhaiya Kumar was not beaten up during his appearance in Patiala House court complex here but was only jostled around. He said police have issued summons to three people, including Vikram Singh Chauhan, one of the lawyers captured on video in the court violence on Monday. BJP legislator O.P. Sharma, who had been filmed attacking a CPI activist, had also been summoned. JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, has never made anti-national remarks and in fact opposes all forms of extremism, fellow students and his Phd teacher-guide say. Those who know him well in Jawaharlal Nehru University as well as those who have known him from his younger days in Bihar insist that his politics are left-wing, pro-poor but certainly not anti-India. And those who were present at the controversial February 9 meeting on Kashmir at the JNU campus say Kanhaiya did not raise any of the anti-India slogans blamed on a section of students and outsiders. Fellow Phd student Amrita, a friend of Kanhaiya for 12 years, told IANS that he "can never even think of anything anti-India because it is against his understanding of politics and society". Two other students -- Rahila Perween, a PhD student, and Piyush Ranjan Jha, an MPhil student -- both of whom were present at the February 9 event told IANS that Kanhaiya "did not raise any anti-national slogans". The first president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) from the CPI-affiliated AISF, Kanhaiya faces charges of sedition for allegedly raising the slogans. He has denied the charge. "He is objective, analytical, empathizes with social issues and is against all forms of extremism," Amrita told IANS on Wednesday, a day when Kanhaiya was sent to judicial custody till March 2 after being roughed up by lawyers opposed to him. Amrita and Kanhaiya pursued their bachelor degrees in geography from the College of Commerce in 2003 in Patna. She said he was always a meritorious student and a good orator with an in-depth knowledge of world affairs. "He has great organizational capabilities. He deeply understands politics and is the kind of student and citizen one would be proud of," she said. Kanhaiya, now in his late 20s, is pursuing his PhD in African Studies at JNU under professor S.N. Malakar. "One should know about the history of the AISF, and then you will realise that Kanhaiya can never make anti-national remarks," Malakar told IANS. Rahila Perween, who has known Kanhaiya for 13-14 years, too was present at the February 9 event. "He did not raise anti-national slogans," Perween told IANS. "We are at the forefront of raising various issues. We are being targeted for this." Piyush Ranjan Jha said Kanhaiya arrived at the venue to prevent clashes between student groups on February 9. "Some people were present at the venue who are not from the university. He was there just to pacify the students. He did not make any anti-national remarks," Jha told IANS. A resident of Bihat village in Bihar, Kanhaiya'a father is a farmer and mother a health worker in Begusarai district, said Biswajit, general secretary of the AISF, the student wing of the Communist Party of India. His elder brother works for a private company, his younger brother has just completed his masters in commerce and his elder sister is married and lives in Bihar. Kanhaiya won the JNUSU president's post in September 2015. It was the first time the AISF won the post though it had held other positions in the student union in the past. Biswajit insisted that Kanhaiya was a patriot. "When the Indian government held events to commemorate the 1857 uprising, Kanhaiya represented his college and won an award as well. There is no way he can say anything anti-national," he said. (Priyanka can be contacted at priyanka.p@ians.in) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will be Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi's personal responsibility to ensure safety of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, as it was told that he was badly beaten up while being brought to the court premises in police custody earlier in the day. A bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said: "We make it clear that the responsibility is exclusively is that of the commissioner of police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused (Kanhaiya Kumar)." The order came after it was told by senior counsel Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for Delhi Police, that Bassi has told him that he takes personal responsibility for Kanhaiya Kumar's safety Sinha had taken instructions inside the court room from the police commissioner on his mobile phone on the directions of the court, which asked if Bassi can guarantee safety and security of Kanhaiya Kumar who has been arrested on charges of sedition. The court had said that the security of Kanhaiya Kumar and those present in the court room should be 100 percent fool proof, indicating that if Delhi Police can't do it, then it may seek other options. It had been suggested that the security be handed over to the Central Reserve Police Force. Senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, who is one of the six lawyers in the legal team defending Kanhaiya Kumar, sought court's order for his safety even in jail premises during his 14 days judicial remand granted by a magistrate on Wednesday. The court had adjourned the hearing till 2 p.m. to let a team of lawyers to submit their report about their assessment of the situation prevailing in the Patiala House court complex when they visited it on its post-lunch direction. Senior counsel Harin Rawal, who would compile the report, would also submit a copy of the video recording of all that transpired in Patiala House Court complex during their visit. The court also sought a report from the Delhi High Court's registrar general who too was present in the court of the metropolitan magistrate on its instructions, as it gave Delhi Police till Friday morning to submit its report and directed the next hearing of the matter on Monday. The court order came as team of six senior apex court lawyers that was sent to Patiala House Court to observe the situation there said they witnessed an "unprecedented" situation with an atmosphere of "fear and terrorising people". Besides Rawal and Sinha, the team also comprised Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, and A.G.N. Rao. Dhawan told the court that the "collective view of the team is that police did not do their job". He told the court they were not only abused in the filthiest language but were described as Pakistani agents. "We were called Pakistan ke dalle," he said, adding that not only was the police cordon around them broken, but gravel, and flower pots hurled at them along with abuse. He said Kanhaiya Kumar was "badly beaten" and doctors on the request of his lawyers were attending him, and also told the court that a gentleman wearing dark glasses entered the court room, thumped Kanhaiya Kumar and sat beside him. Even though the registrar general asked police to stop him and arrest him as his presence in the court room was in breach of the apex court order, police allowed him to go. Dhawan told the court that even though the deputy commissioner of police present was aware of the court's order, but still the person was allowed to move in and out without his identification being checked. Taking note of JNU students and journalists being assaulted with the court complex on February 15, the apex court had regulated entry in the court room where Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced, saying that besides his lawyers, the prosecution, Kanhaiya Kumar's relatives and five journalists only will be permitted. In the absence of relatives, two people - one from JNU faculty and one from the student fraternity - would be allowed. It had also allowed the presence of 25 other journalists in the Patiala House Court complex. The University of Karachi here was evacuated on Wednesday after police received reports of three bombs at different spots on the campus. Students and faculty were gripped by fear and panic during evacuation as the news spread, Dawn online reported. A bomb disposal squad and a heavy police contingent reached the university campus. "Triple 9", a gritty heist thriller starring Kate Winslet, will release in Indian theatres on March 11. With plenty of bloodshed, action sequences and witty dialogues, it will keep the fans of this genre deeply entrenched, read a statement from PVR Pictures, which is releasing the movie in the country. Directed by John Hillcoat, who is known for his dark and adult oriented dramas, "Triple 9" tells the story of how a group of corrupt policemen are blackmailed by gangsters to perform a near impossible robbery. In the US, '999' is the highest-priority code police use when one of their own is wounded in a gun battle. The plan in the movie involves killing a rookie police officer (Casey Affleck) by the crooked officers, but everything goes wrong when the former refuses to roll over and fights back. The cast features an overspill of talent in the form of Winslet, Gal Gadot, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Woody Harrelson. Also featuring are TV actors such as Norman Reedus and Aaron Paul. Winslet features as a cold-blooded mafia boss which is a far cry from her days of portraying the innocuous Rose in "Titanic". She will be sporting a Russian accent and will be seen dressed in risque outfits. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will on Thursday join "The Walk of Hope", an ongoing Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir 'padayatra' by social reformer Sri M. The cross-country walk with 70 volunteers reached the national capital earlier in the day after covering 3,900 km. "Our hope is to erase disparities arising from a misunderstanding of our diverse culture and religions, thus uniting India through a spiritual approach," Sri M told the media. During his three-day stay in Delhi, Sri M with other volunteers will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee. Sri M condemned the anti-national slogans raised at the JNU campus, apparently by some students, but also criticized the government's response. "Those who raised anti-India slogans were wrong but the government should have dealt with them cautiously. The government should start a dialogue with the students to end the stalemate," he said. Kerala headquartered Ma'din Academy in Malappuram has been named the headquarter for taking forward the Arab Reading Challenge (ARC) festival to India. Sayyid Ibrahim Khaleel Al Bukari, chairman of Ma'din Academy, told reporters here on Wednesday that this festival has now been extended to India and the main objective of this is to encourage sustainable and regular reading habits among students. ARC is a project launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that aims at facilitating a million students to read 50 million books. "The ARC will provide $3 million cash prizes and incentives to the students, families and supervisors who participate in the reading challenge and the best performing schools and supervisors will be honoured," Al Bukari said. Ma'din Public School, run by Ma'din Academy, has been named the headquarter to coordinate the reading festival here with the support of the School of Research Science (SRS) in Dubai, which serves as the headquarters of the ARC. The initiative, in coordination with all schools, will prepare for the 50 million books challenge through five stages. "Each stage will comprise reading and summarising 10 children's books, and afterwards, competitions will be held at the schools, district, state and at the country level. The finals will be held in Dubai in late May, 2016," added Al-Bukari. The student who comes first will get $150,000 of which $100,000 will go towards the student's tuition and $50,000 to the student's family. The awards for outstanding supervisors are valued at $300,000, and incentives for schools, as well as awards for students would be worth $1 million. Those who wish to be part of the reading challenge should directly register in the official website www. arabreadingchallenge.com and collect the reading passport from Ma'din Public School following the directions from the Dubai central administrative office of ARC. Ma'din Academy over the years has already set up 5,000 home libraries to enhance the reading abilities of families. Experion Technologies, a leading technology solutions and services company based in Kerala, will re-engineer Worldsmart's retail technology system that supports outlets across Australia. Worldsmart, part of the RD Jones group of companies in Australia, which has interests in hospitality, retail, gaming and technology industries, has contracted Experion to re-platform its integrated retail operations management solution for roll-out in retail chains and independent stores. "We are excited to partner Experion to push the envelope of innovation in retail technology", said Samuel Pons, managing director of Worldsmart. "From an innovation stand point, with the e-commerce push all over the world, retail is the most exciting industry in 2016. We see a massive transformation of consumer behaviour fuelled by new technologies like cloud and big data," said Binu Jacob, managing director and CEO, Experion. Beginning with five employees in 2007, today Experion employ over 300 IT professionals at their development centres at Technopark, Infopark and at Bengaluru. Experion Technologies offers IT product engineering as a service and has a portfolio of products in retail and transportation sectors. JNU Students Union president was assaulted by lawyers when he was entering a Patiala House court room here on Wednesday, witnesses said. was brought to the court since he is facing a sedition charge. He was escorted to the court by a posse of police personnel. His arrest has triggered a political storm. On Monday, lawyers had assaulted mediapersons and JNU students inside the Patiala House court complex, which is located in the heart of Delhi. No lessons appear to have been learnt from the investigations into the 2008 Mumbai attacks, an influential Pakistani daily said Thursday, nonetheless pinning hopes on Pakistan-India talks. An editorial "India-Pakistan talks" in the Dawn on Wednesday said that the start of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue (CBD) has now been delayed by more than a month, but comments by the Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale suggest that officials from both sides are trying to create the right environment for this to begin. "While not mentioning any preconditions for the start of the CBD, Bambawale did reveal that the foreign secretaries and national security advisers of Pakistan and India are trying to determine when the talks can begin, a timeline presumably linked to progress on the investigations into the Pathankot air base attack," said the daily. It wondered at what stage have the investigations reached? "After early and seemingly rapid movement, the trail appears to have gone cold - or at least news of further progress has been missing." The daily observed that the relative restraint that both sides showed in the face of immediate accusations and recriminations over the Pathankot attack will only matter if it can lead to meaningful cooperation. "There are still some basic questions about the Pathankot attack that have not been definitively answered. Who were the attackers? Did they cross the international border? Who were the architects and planners of the attack? "Each of those questions needs only a factual response, but a legal one so that justice can be pursued on both sides of the border." It went on to say that neither India nor Pakistan seems keen to publicly put all speculation to rest immediately. "Perhaps behind the scenes there are disagreements over what amounts to actionable intelligence and which parts of the public allegations are speculative, but that would suggest that politics is interfering with forensic investigation. "Given the resources of the two countries and the importance of what took place in Pathankot in early January, a month and a half ought to have been enough for at least the basic facts to be mutually established and shared with the public in both India and Pakistan. "Worryingly, it does not appear that lessons have been learned from the investigations into the Mumbai attacks of 2008." It suggested that perhaps what is needed is a further dose of direct prime ministerial intervention. "After all, had it not been for the boldness of prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi, the CBD was unlikely to have materialised." The editorial went on to say that in making the decision to resume full-fledged talks, the two prime ministers rightly realised that the India-Pakistan relationship cannot be reduced to a single issue for either side. "Discussing to the exclusion of all other issues was unlikely to bring peace, a fact that (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi eventually realised. Similarly, notwithstanding the centrality of the Kashmir dispute, the Pakistani attempt to cast as a side issue was never going to succeed. "The Pathankot attack has not undone the logic of the CBD; far from it, the attack has reinforced the need for India and Pakistan to engage each other." Males under the age of 25 diagnosed with cancer are less likely to have children than those without the disease. There is also less likelihood that cancer survivors get married than their peers without a cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, if they marry, they are three times as likely to turn to assisted fertilization to have children as males with no cancer diagnosis. Reduced paternity in male cancer patients was observed especially among survivors of testicular cancer, brain tumours, lymphoma, leukaemia and bone cancer. "These finds are important for male cancer survivors, seeing as we can identify groups at risk of having reproduction problems," said lead author Maria Winther Gunnes from the University of Bergen (UiB) in Norway. Children of those who have survived cancer do not have an increased risk of perinatal death or congenital anomalies. Similarly, there were no indications of increased risk of preterm birth or low birth weight, the researchers said. Also, the number of survivors after treatment of cancer in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood has steadily increased up to 80 percent over the past decades, due to improvements in treatment regiments and supportive care. The findings are detailed in the British Journal of Cancer. The researchers conducted a cohort study of all Norwegian men born between 1965 and 1985 to find out what cancer at a young age means for reproduction and marriage among male survivors of cancer in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. The West Bengal cabinet on Wednesday passed a proposal to launch a health insurance scheme for state government-accredited journalists, including those who have retired. The journalists can avail of the scheme -- christened "Mabhoi" -- till the age of 65, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced after the cabinet meeting. The scheme would be extended to all family members of the insured journalists who can take admission in state government hospitals and health centres, and hospitals accredited under the West Bengal Health Scheme. The cabinet also approved a health insurance scheme called Swasthya Sathi for civic police volunteers, green police volunteers, civil defence volunteers, disaster management workers, ASHA social health workers, self-help groups, national volunteers, Home Guards, ICDS workers, and contractual and casual workers. The total number of beneficiaries for Swasthya Sathi would be about 80 lakh. This group insurance scheme, costing the government Rs.1,000 crore, would provide a coverage of Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs.5 lakh, without any cap on family size. The full premium would be paid by the state government. Both Mabhoi and Swasthya Sathi schemes would run from April 1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against national closing-border solutions and vowed to fight for the joint European Union plan to limit flow of refugees to Europe. Merkel on Tuesday said the success of the upcoming EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday depended on whether EU nations could cooperate with Turkey in the refugee crisis, referring to a joint EU-Turkey action plan agreed in last November, Xinhua reported. "I will put all my strength on Thursday and Friday to make the European-Turkish approach turns out to be the right way to go on," said Merkel at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She also warned against the alternative measures suggested by the so-called Visegrad Group of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to close the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border. Such national solutions would have serious consequences for Greece, the EU and thus the Schengen zone, she said. Merkel meanwhile said the EU summit was not about agreeing on new quotas for a fair distribution of refugees in Europe. Merkel has been under huge pressure at home to reduce refugee inflows. She is also increasingly isolated within the EU because many European partners believe that the refugee crisis has been worsened by Germany's policy to leave its door open for refugees. The migrant crisis can only be resolved by the united European Union, European Council President Donald Tusk said, after a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. Tusk is in Czech Republic to participate in a Prague summit of the Visegrad Four (V4) group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) on Tuesday. Apart from the V4 prime ministers, the meeting was attended by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The participants of the summit agreed that migrant crisis has no other solution but a joint European Union effort. The leaders of the six countries agreed on the need to implement agreements between the EU and Turkey and support the efforts of Greece to fulfill the conditions of its Schengen membership. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Europe needs to regain control of the migrant streams, Europe is faced with serious challenges and problems, the solution of which must be based on common sense and a joint position. Sobotka asked Tusk to speed up the creation of a common European border guard and expressed unambiguous support for the implementation of the agreement with Turkey to limit the number of migrants coming to Europe. Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang and members of the Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC) on Wednesday met NSCN-IM general secretary T. Muivah to discuss the status of the ongoing peace negotiations between the group and the Indian government. The 19-member PWC also discussed the possible contribution it could make in the ongoing negotiations. Muivah, who is leading the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) in the peace talks with the Indian government, was accompanied by some leaders of the group. Among the several political leaders whom the PWC delegation met during their ongoing visit to Delhi, were Shiv Sena parliamentarian Anandrao Adsul, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav. The Naga peace accord framework was inked on August 3 last year between the NSCN-IM and the government, almost 20 years after continuous negotiations aiming to bring peace to Nagaland. Using the data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have discovered a jet from a very distant supermassive black hole being illuminated by the oldest light in the universe. The discovery shows that black holes with powerful jets may be more common than previously thought in the first few billion years after the Big Bang. The light detected from this jet was emitted when the universe was only 2.7 billion years old, a fifth of its present age. At this point, the intensity of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) left over from the Big Bang was much greater than it is today. "We essentially stumbled onto this remarkable jet because it happened to be in Chandra's field of view while we were observing something else," explained co-author Lukasz Stawarz of Jagiellonian University in Poland. The length of the jet, found in the system known as B3 0727+409, is at least 300,000 light years. Many long jets emitted by supermassive black holes have been detected in the nearby universe, but exactly how these jets give off X-rays has remained a matter of debate. In B3 0727+409, it appears that the CMB is being boosted to X-ray wavelengths. "Because we are seeing this jet when the universe was less than three billion years old, the jet is about 150 times brighter in X-rays than it would be in the nearby Universe," said Aurora Simionescu at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Studies (ISAS) who led the study. Electrons in black hole jets usually emit strongly at radio wavelengths, so typically these systems are found using radio observations. The discovery of the jet in B3 0727+409 is special because so far almost no radio signal has been detected from this object, while it is easily seen in the X-ray image. "Supermassive black hole activity, including the launching of jets, may be different in the early Universe than what we see later on," noted study co-author Teddy Cheung of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. By studying more of these distant jets, scientist can start to grasp how the properties of supermassive black holes might change over billions of years. The results were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Hindu Ezhava leader Vellapalli Natesan, who has been holding talks with the BJP before and after the formation of his Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), on Wednesday said no party was a political untouchable for him ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala. However, his overture has so far failed to win him potential allies, except for the BJP. "We held talks with all political fronts, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left opposition led by Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress-led United Democratic Front. What we are going to do is to follow the principles of opportunistic . None of the political fronts are untouchables for us," Natesan told reporters here on Wednesday. Natesan, the general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP), a social movement that propagates the values of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, floated the BDJS political party in December 2015. Hindus are 1.82 crore of the 3.34 crore population of Kerala, out of which Ezhavas are a majority. Natesan first announced that the BDJS will be a Hindu party but later said it will be a secular one. He met with BJP national and state leadership in the past. But as the BJP has been playing a waiting game, Natesan has now decided to open up to all political parties. However, both the Congress and the CPI-M said they were not interested in a political alliance with Natesan. CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that since the BJP alliance Natesan was looking for had reached a dead end, he was now trying to look elsewhere to remain politically afloat. Former chief minister and CPI-M veteran V.S. Achuthanandan said Natesan should first disclose the name of CPI-M leader he held talks with and only then will he say more on the issue. Alappuzha district Congress chief A.A. Shukoor said they were not looking forward to associate with Natesan at all. Only state BJP president Kummanem Rajashekeran showed any interest in Natesan. "Those who are interested in aligning with us should accept the BJP policies and programmes. We are open to Natesan and will have more talks," Rajashekeran told reporters at the state party headquarters here. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard in the prestigious Jadavpur University, its campus was on the boil on Wednesday as posters "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding 'freedom' for Manipur and Nagaland were put up, and subsequently torn by a rival group of students shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai". Vice chancellor Suranjan Das dismissed Tuesday's slogans eulogising parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru as the handiwork of "fringe elements" and ruled out any action including calling in police. However, a police officer said the matter was being "throughly investigated". The posters appearing on Wednesday morning were purportedly put up by a group which called itself "Radical". "Hum kya chahe, Azadi/Kashmir ki Azadi/Manipur ki Azadi/Nagaland ki Azadi" (We demand independence/Kashmir's independence/Manipur's independence/Nagaland's independence), said one poster. Another empathised with Afzal Guru and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon, both of whom have been hanged. "If the Gujarat mass murderers, those who hanged Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon are patriots, and if the students of Kashmir seeking independence are anti-nationals, then we are all anti-nationals." A third poster refered to a quotation of Mao Tse Tung and declared: "We are in favour of freedom fo all oppressed people." Some of the students took out a rally denouncing the "fascist" Narendra Modi government and decrying the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and the atrocities "brought down" on JNU students by the BJP and other arms of the "Sangh parivar". "I don't think this is a secessionist slogan. If I am an Indian citizen, I have freedom of expression. People of Kashmir are being tortured every day. If they want freedom, I support it. I don't think this is an anti-national step or slogan," said Zubi Saha, a member of Radical. A little later, another group of students carrying the tricolour and shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai" went round the campus and even staged a sit-in outside the university's administrative building Aurobindo Bhavan. They shouted slogans demanding exemplary punishment for those indulging in aceanti-national" activities and raising secessionist slogans in the campus. The group -- though small in number -- then tore up the pro-Guru, pro-Memon and other posters supporting independence of Manipur and Nagaland and condemned the pro-Guru slogans heard on Tuesday. Instead, they put up posters condemning the Radicals. "We are from Jadavpur University. We don't support anti-nationalists," a poster said. Some of them also cried "Pakistan murdabad, Hindustan Zindabad". Angry over the tearing of posters, the first group then took out a big rally that went around the campus, alleging that the posters were torn by those with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad connections. The vice chancellor claimed certain "fringe elements" had indulged in the pro-Guru sloganeering on Tuesday and called it "insignificant". "Some individuals had convened the rally. That rally was not officially convened by the students' union. They have told me," Das told the media here. "I have seen in the media that a large section of students who were present in the rally, including some of the office bearers of the students union, have unequivocally said they have completely disassociated from these anti-national slogans. They are not supporting it," added Das. "If in a rally, some fringe elements gave certain slogans, then that is inconsequential. If some fringe elements have given such slogans, then condemning the entire student body and maligning the image of the university is also unexpected and inconsequential." The context in which they had rallied was to show solidarity with students nation-wide for the right to express themselves, clarified Das. He ruled out lodging any police complaint, saying the university was a place for rational thinking and free speech. Police said they were looking into the matter. "Though no case has been lodged, we are thoroughly investigating the matter. If we find legal action is needed we will act," a senior Kolkata police officer told the media. The BJP said those who raised "anti-India slogans" at Jadavpur University deserved a "good thrashing". "What has happened is highly condemnable. It's a shame that some students raised anti-India slogans. Very soon, come people will give them (Jadavpur students) a good thrashing, which they deserve. It is only then that they will understand the true value of nationalism," said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's upcoming visit to India will be highly successful and bilateral relations will be normalised after the visit, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae said on Wednesday. Oli will be accorded a warm welcome in India, and the visit would further strengthen the relationship between Nepal and India, Rae said ahead of the visit that starts on February 19. Leading a delegation of over 100 members, Oli leaves for a six-day official visit to India on Friday. Bilateral ties were strained since September last year when Nepal promulgated its new constitution, and India expressed reservations over some of the provisions. Oli will hold political talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders that will be instrumental in helping clear the misunderstanding, Rae said. Pointing out that India gives high priority to Oli's visit, the Indian ambassador said the visit would help resolve the differences that emerged between the two countries of late. "Time and again, we have seen ups and downs in the relations but we have successfully resolved these hiccups through talks," the Indian envoy said. Matters like economic cooperation for mutual benefit and clearing the recent misunderstanding will take priority. Oli will visit the Tehri dam in Uttarakhand, and also look at the reconstruction work carried out in Gujarat after the 2001 earthquake. "We want to show how we have been building the hydropower station and how reconstruction work has been carried out in Gujarat," Rae said. "We are happy that the prime minister's maiden visit will be to India. PM Oli's visit to India will be successful, productive, and fruitful," the Indian envoy said. He said the Nepal government's decision to form a political mechanism to resolve the issue of demarcation of provincial boundaries was "laudable", and advised that Nepal should settle its internal problems through dialogue. Nepal's attempts to control cross-border crimes, cooperation in security matters and some legal framework will also be discussed during the visit, Rae said. (Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com) The oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere to support life happened 3.8 billion years ago -- some 0.7-0.8 billion years earlier than previously thought, scientists report. Researchers across the world agree that oxygenation happened in two major steps: the first during the so-called "Great Oxidation" Event about 2.5-2.4 billion years ago and the second during the Late Neoproterozoic Era around 750 to 540 million years ago. The latter is thought to have been the cause for the emergence of animals during the so-called "Cambrian explosion" nearly 540-520 million years ago. The discovery opens up for the possibility of evolution of the earliest primitive photosynthetic life forms as early as 3.8 billion years ago. "It is generally believed that early Earth was completely anoxic (without oxygen) but our study shows that the surface of the Earth was exposed to a low oxygen atmosphere already by this time," explained lead researcher Robert Frei from University of Copenhagen. To reach this conclusion, the researchers analysed Earth's oldest banded iron formations (BIFs) from Western Greenland. BIFs are marine chemical sediments and retain information on the composition and presence of oxygenation/reduction processes in ambient seawater and on the interaction of the atmosphere with Earth's surface. The analyses of the BIF layers from Western Greenland show elements that require presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. "This has far reaching implications for how we investigate the pace of evolution of life and its biodiversity on our planet," the authors noted in a paper published in Nature's Scientific Reports. Pakistan and the US will hold strategic dialogue in Washington later this month on security, anti-terrorism and economic cooperation, officials said on Wednesday. It will be the 6th "Ministerial level Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue" since the dialogue process began in 2010. The fifth session was held in Islamabad in January last year. Pakistan's top Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and US Secretary of State John Kerry will lead their respective sides on February 29, the Foreign Ministry said. A Foreign Ministry statement said the six segments of the dialogue -- cooperation in Economy and Finance, Energy, Education, Science and Technology, Law Enforcement and Counter Terrorism, Security, Strategic Stability and Non-Proliferation and Defence -- will come up for discussion. "The upcoming meeting will afford an important opportunity to take stock of the entire gamut of Pakistan's bilateral relations with the US," the statement said. The talks were disrupted in 2011 when the US forces conducted a unilateral raid to kill the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad. The process was restored in 2014. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the US in October 2015 provided necessary impetus and direction to the dialogue mechanism, the Foreign Ministry said. It would be third meeting since Sharif assumed office in 2013. Both countries will hold the dialogue weeks ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Sharif to Washington. President Barrack Obama has invited the prime minister to attend a nuclear summit, officials said. President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday extended greetings to the government and people of Gambia on their national day. Gambia observes its national day on February 18. In a message to Gambia President Sheikh Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, Mukherjee said bilateral cooperation between India and Gambia, especially in trade and development, has expanded steadily over the years and hoped for still better relations with the west African nation. "On behalf of the government, the people of India and on my own behalf, it gives me great pleasure to convey to you, to the government and the people of the Republic of The Gambia warm greetings and felicitations on the occasion of your national day," Mukherjee said in his message. "It is a matter of satisfaction that friendly bilateral cooperation between our two countries has expanded steadily, particularly in the areas of trade and development. "I am confident that the warm bilateral relations between India and The Gambia will further strengthen in the coming years to the mutual benefit of our people," the president added. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav arrived here on Wednesday evening to meet PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to break the stalemate over government formation in Jammu and . The Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary arrived on a special flight at the Srinagar international airport. "He drove straight to the Fair View residence of Mehbooba Mufti on Gupkar Road in Srinagar and right now they are holding a one-on-one meeting there," BJP sources told IANS. Madhav was authorised two days back by BJP president Amit Shah to meet Mehbooba Mufti to discuss formation of the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and . His arrival was expected ever since a stalemate over government formation occurred that resulted in imposition of Governor's Rule after then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed died on January 7 at AIIMS in New Delhi. After her father's death, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said the central government must take confidence building measures so that she can head a stable ruling coalition in the state. The BJP's stand has been that the agenda of alliance signed by the two parties last year that brought the coalition headed by Sayeed to power should be the only binding arrangement between the two parties. Wednesday's visit by Ram Madhav assumes significance since the outcome of his meeting may determine whether the two parties agree on government formation. Ram Madhav is scheduled to fly back to New Delhi on Wednesday night to apprise the BJP high command about the outcome of his discussions. India should expedite conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement in the country's interest, particularly after the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, the government said on Wednesday. "Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have moved satisfactorily, with modalities being agreed in August 2015," Secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry Anil Wadhwa said here at the Delhi Dialogue symposium organised jointly by the ministry and industry chamber Ficci. "If the technical negotiations which are underway are completed swiftly, RCEP may turn into a dynamic reality very soon, particularly if we succeed in forming regional value chains and production networks. With the TPP becoming a reality, expediting RCEP is in our interest," he said. The 16-member RCEP is composed of the 10 Asean members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six free trade agreement partners -- India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The US, Japan and 10 other Pacific-Rim nations recently concluded the TPP agreement described as largest regional trade pact in history. RCEP negotiations were launched in Phnom Penh in November. The 16 countries account for over a quarter of the world's economy, estimated to be more than $75 trillion. Addressing the session on Asean-India Relations, Wadhwa said: "In the past year, a significant achievement has been the completion of the Asean-India Free Trade Area with the entry into force of the Asean-India Agreements on Trade in Services and Investment on July 1, 2015. "So far, India, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand have ratified the agreements. Lao PDR has ratified the Agreement on Trade in Services. We request you to use your good offices to encourage the remaining Asean countries to ratify the agreement at an early date." "We have enhanced the Asean-India Science and Technology Fund from $1 million to $5 million with effect from this year, which will go towards setting up of an Asean-India Innovation Platform to facilitate commercialization of low cost technologies and collaborative R&D projects," he added. Wadhwa also said the government is keen to facilitate cross-border trade between India's northeastern states and neighbouring ASEAN countries by setting up more border trade points. "Under the MoU on Border Haats along the India-Myanmar border signed in 2012, it has been agreed to set up nine Border Haats, or markets, in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram," he said. India on Wednesday ratified the World Trade Organization's (WTO) trade facilitation agreement (TFA) which could increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion annually. Meanwhile, official data earlier this week showed the country's exports declined 13.6 percent in January in US dollar terms over the same month a year ago, marking the fourteenth straight month of decline in India's exports. Known mostly for her bubbly and glamorous avatars on television, actress Anasuya Bharadwaj hopes to impress audiences in the contrasting role of a gun-toting police officer in upcoming Telugu thriller "Kshanam". "My role in 'Kshanam' is so different from how I've been accepted on television all these years. Audiences who have gotten used to seeing me on television are definitely in for a surprise and I hope they like my new avatar," Anasuya told IANS. It was the film's lead actor Adivi Sesh, who approached her with the role. "About a year and a half ago, Sesh came to me with the role. I wasn't keen back then as I was busy hosting Devi Sri Prasad's concert in the US. Sesh met me again after I returned to India and this time made me read the script. I really liked my character," she said. "Kshanam", directed by debutant Ravikanth Perepu and produced by PVP Cinema, also stars Adah Sharma, Vennela Kishore and Satyam Rajesh in important roles. Transforming into the police officer had its share of challenges, admits Anasuya, popular for hosting "Jabardasth". "Right from my body language to the way I speak, hold a gun or stare and even the minutest of the expression had to be changed. This is a character with very minimal make-up and I've never faced a camera without make-up, yet I had to do it for the sake of the character," she said, and added that she's happy with the way her character has turned out. How did she prepare for her role? "Although I watched a few cop films, it was only to feel the intensity of the character. I avoided watching many films because I'm good at imitating and I didn't want to merely ape someone else on screen. I wanted to be me when I was playing the character," she said. Unlike "Mardaani" and "Jai Gangaajal", she plays a police officer who has the elegance of a woman but at the same time is authoritative. She also doesn't don khaki in the entire film. Ever since the first look of her character was released, she's been getting plenty of offers to play a police officer. "Out of the offers I've got so far, I'm considering one project. It's too early to comment but the story will revolve around me and the film will be produced a popular production house. Apart from that, I may also do a comedy-thriller," she said. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo in Arunachal Pradesh as its summoned original records pertaining to the disqualification of 14 legislators by the then speaker Nabam Rebia in December 2015. The status quo order effectively forestalled revocation of the president's rule and, for now, no new government can be sworn in. The constitution bench headed by the Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, while directing the parties to the litigation before it to maintain "status quo", asked its secretary general to facilitate the "implementation of the instant order" seeking original records relating to the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress lawmakers before 10.30 a.m. on Thursday. "In the meantime, the parties before this court shall maintain status quo. For further consideration," said the court as it directed the listing of the matter on Thursday. Referring to the post lunch proceedings, the constitution bench that also comprises Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice N.V. Ramana, in its order, said: "We are of the view, that it is essential to peruse the original record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs." The "record pertaining to the proceedings conducted by the Speaker - Nabam Rebia - under the Xth Schedule of the Constitution pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, held on December 14 and 15, 2015, be produced in this court in a sealed cover at the earliest, preferably by 10.30 a.m. on February 18, 2016, by the secretary of the state legislative assembly, in whose official custody, we are informed, the original record is available". The bench further said that "some part of the above record, is also in the safe custody of the Gauhati High Court, and has been retained in a sealed cover". The court directed that the registrar general of the Gauhati High Court to "ensure, that the sealed record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, assailed, is produced in this Court at the earliest, preferably by 10.30 a.m. on February 18, 2016". The court order came after in the post lunch session, senior counsel Fali Nariman told the court that efforts were on to install a new government by revoking the president's rule wherein 14 MLAs who were disqualified would be counted for the purposes of majority support in the government formation. He said the high court had, by an interim order, stayed their disqualification and the same order is in challenge before the apex court, and argued till the court decides on their fate, they could not be counted for the purpose of forming the new government. Bollywood actor Anupam Kher on Wednesday said he was scared about what was happening to the country in the wake of a huge political controversy over the happenings in Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and subsequent developments. He said the raging JNU row had transformed into an ideological fight between the BJP and its Left rivals, as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi offered support to JNU students. "...it angers me, shocks me as an Indian. I don't believe 1.3 billion people will let them destroy our country. There is much more in this country than the political games of certain parties," he said at the launch of Munmun Ghosh's novel 'Thicker Than Blood'. "...what happened at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Whatever I have watched on video is frightening. In the capital city of our country, some groups are raising slogans about 'desh ki barbadi' and 'azaadi'. It angered me as a countryman." Kher, 60, said freedom of speech does not mean people have the right to create disunity in the country. Hundreds of thousands of people have reached Medaram in Warangal district for Sammakka Sarakka jatara, India's largest tribal fair, which began on Wednesday. Devotees, both tribal and non-tribal, from different parts of Telangana and other states like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and AKarnataka are participating in the four-day fair, also known as Medaram jatra. Medaram and surrounding villages in the forest, about 100 km from district headquarters, have turned into sea of humanity for the tribal festival, organised once in two years. Men and women took a dip in Jampanna stream, which they believe wash away their sins. Devotees belonging to different states and speaking different languages throng the forests to pay obeisance to tribal goddesses Sammakka and Sarakka. The unique rituals, which include devotees offering jaggery to the deities, will begin Wednesday night with the customary arrival of Sarakka's image from Kannepally village which will be placed on a platform. The image idol covered in red cloth was brought in a vessel laden with vermilion and turmeric powder. The idols of Sarakkaa's father Pagidigidda Raju and husband Govinda Raju will also be brought to Medaram. Serpentine queues of devotees were seen even before the formal launch of the festivities, which will reach the peak on Thursday when the image of Sarakka's mother Sammakka will arrive from Chilalagutta village. Sammakka and Sarakka were legendary warriors from the Koya tribe who fought against the Kakatiya empire 800 years ago and were killed. The festival, which marks the celebration of tribal traditions, has grown in size during last few years with authorities making elaborate arrangements for the transport of the devotees and smooth conduct of the mega event. As the jatra this year is the first in Telangana state, the government has gone all out to make massive arrangements. According to officials, more than Rs.180 crore had been spent to make fool-proof arrangements. Two state ministers - A. Indrakaran Reddy and A. Chandulal - had been camping in Medaram for last couple of days to supervise the arrangements. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will visit Medaram on Thursday to make the offerings to tribal goddesses. According to Warangal District Collector Vakati Karuna, as many as 30,000 people have been engaged to ensure smooth conduct of the event. They include 9,000 policemen, 5,000 sanitation staff, forest officials, doctors, paramedical staff and volunteers. Officials expect more than 10 million people to participate in the festival this year. The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced that it will running 16 special trains for passengers attending the jatra while Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will operate 4,000 special buses. This is in addition to thousands of private vehicles. At least 13 soldiers were killed and several others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a military camp in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, a security official told Xinhua. "A suicide bomber detonated his explosives belt at the main gate of Ras Abbas military base in Aden's western district of Buraiga, where scores of new army recruits were present for training," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The suicide bombing resulted in the deaths of 13 people, mostly soldiers and new recruits, and injured several others at the scene, the source added. Nearly 50 soldiers were critically injured, according to a medical official. The port city of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, has been witnessing a state of chaos and lawlessness during the past weeks that resulted in the assassination of Aden's former governor, several high-ranking security officers and judges. The turbulent and complicated security situation in Aden and neighbouring southern provinces of Lahj and Abyan is one of the biggest challenges for the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces operating in Aden. The Saudi-led Arab coalition has dispatched thousands of soldiers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Sudan and Bahrain into five anti-Houthi southern provinces to support and train local Yemeni security forces there. Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East and the affiliate of the IS. The security situation in the country has deteriorated since last March when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. Ten student organisations owing allegiance to different political parties on Wednesday pledged support to JNUSU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on a sedition charge. They also demanded a judicial probe into the issue and vowed to take their struggle across all central universities in the country. Kanhaiya Kumar of the Communist Party of India-affiliated All India Students Federation (AISF) was arrested on February 12 after anti-India slogans were raised at a meeting held on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on February 9. He was on Wednesday sent in judicial custody till March 2 by a Delhi court. "We want a judicial probe into the whole issue, including what happened on the JNU campus on February 9 as we don't trust the central government agencies. We will take this movement to every central university and fight till the time we get justice," All India Students Federation (AISF) general secretary Vishwajeet Kumar told the media here. The other organisations which came out in support of the JNU students include the National Students Union of India (NSUI), All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI), Student Front of Swaraj (SFS) and the student wings of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal-United. "Representatives of these 10 student bodies will take out a protest march from Mandi House to parliament on Thursday and hold a public meeting on Saturday," SFI's Vikram Singh said. Representatives of various teachers and non-teaching staff unions are also likely to participate. "We will also join the students of Hyderabad University who will hold a march on February 23 to parliament to seek justice for Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula," Singh said. "The government never gave us any opportunity to explain our side of the story. On the contrary, they are picking students from left organisations and framing them under false charges," Vishwajeet said. "We condemn the anti-national slogans raised on the JNU campus and believe that the guilty should be strongly punished. At the same time, we also need to save the JNU that is under attack from right-wing fascist forces who are dubbing anybody and everybody opposed to their ideology as anti-national and anti-India," the student leader added. City-based medical devices Trivitron Healthcare will look at domestic as well as Asian markets for its newborn screening products, said a top group official. The group will also come out with a point of birth screening products so that the newborns are not troubled much, its founder and managing director G.S.K. Velu told IANS. "The central and the state governments are now realising the importance of having a healthy future India by screening the newborns for any ailments and take corrective actions before it becomes a lifelong problem," he said. During the Make in India conference in Mumbai, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finnish counterpart Jura Sipila jointly declared open the new Labsystems Diagnostics IVD (in vitro diagnostic device) factory - an Indo-Finnish joint collaboration - on February 13. The plant is located at the 25 acre Medical Technology Park promoted by Trivitron group for captive purposes. Velu said the over Rs.700 crore Trivitron group had acquired the Finnish company Labsystems Diagnositcs OY around two years ago. "The company manufactures the newborn screening systems and tests and other products. It is ranked second in the world in the new born screening segment," he said. According to him, the technology has been transferred to Trivitron Healthcare and a total of Rs.200 crore has gone into the plant technology and infrastructure. Newborn screening tests are done on newborn babies to detect early the possible congenital metabolic disorders that the child may suffer from, and are preventive screening to detect inborn errors, which if not treated early, may cause serious permanent problems like neurological, cognitive, tactile and physical damage. According to Velu, the group's focus will be on bringing down the screening costs so that it is available for the masses. "What is suitable for India will be equally suitable for other Asian and even African countries," he said. He said that the group will cater to the US and European markets out of its Finnish facility while the Asian and African markets will be served out of India. He said there are around 20-30 basic disorders that have to be tested out like the possibilities of the newborn suffering from thyroid problem. Two Indian Navy warships have called at Myanmar's International Terminals Thilawa in Yangon, an official report said on Wednesday. The vessels, INS Saryu and INS Bitra, which arrived at the Yangon port on Tuesday, between them carry 174 officers and crew members, Xinhua reported. The visit of the two ships, set to stay in Myanmar till Thursday, came after that of an Indian Coast Guard vessel in mid-January. That ship, designed to carry a Chetak helicopter, was regularly undertaking anti- smuggling, anti-poaching patrol in addition to tasks related to preservation and protection of marine environment and search and rescue at sea. An Indian Navy ship had previously called at Yangon in May 2015. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has generated more than 14 crore Aadhaar numbers in Uttar Pradesh, covering two-thirds of its projected population in 2015, an official said on Wednesday. Allahabad is at the top with 37.67 lakh Aadhaar number generation followed by Lucknow with 37.59 lakh and Kanpur Nagar with 35.18 lakh. Coverage of Aadhaar generation among residents above 18 years of age has reached 91.89 percent in the state, the official told IANS. "The Aadhaar generation in the month of January 2016 is equal to the Aadhaar generation in the last three months of October, November and December 2015 taken together, which shows that the residents are coming out in large numbers for Aadhaar enrolment," the official further added. In the month of February, more than 20 lakh Aadhaar have been generated till Monday (February 15). The current phase of enrolment started in March 2014. Those residents who are being enrolled recently, their Aadhaar number is now being generated expeditiously since there is increased capacity to de-duplicate and generate large volumes of Aadhaar number on day-to-day basis. The residents below 18 years of age have low coverage of Aadhaar and, therefore, emphasis is being given by UIDAI to cover children aged below five years through Aanganwadis and children aged 5-18 years in schools and colleges. Necessary instructions to field functionaries have already been issued by the state government for expeditious enrolment of remaining population in these age groups. Steps have been taken to felicitate the enrolment of senior citizens and disabled persons so that they do not face any problem during Aadhaar enrolment. More than 2,300 tablets have been deployed throughout the state to enrol children below five years of age. At present, there are more than 6,000 enrolment kits at more than 4,000 enrolment centres operated by 80 Enrolment Agencies and these include 3,342 Permanent Enrolment Centres (PECs) which are being operated in various parts of the state to facilitate residents not only to enrol for Aadhaar but also to resolve other issues like printing of e-Aadhaar and updation of Aadhaar. Aadhaar enrolment is required for residents to avail various government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pension schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG Subsidy (DBTL), Universal Account Number (UAN) of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Public Distribution System (PDS). Actress Vanessa Hudgens and her boyfriend Austin Butler are under investigation for reportedly carving their names in a heart into a rock formation in Sedona, Arizona. A public affairs officer for Coconino National Forest has said the incident involving Hudgens and Butler "is under investigation", reports etonline.com. "Officials at the Coconino National Forest became aware of the incident (Monday) when the media alerted them of the situation," the officer said. "There is no deadline for this investigation -- it takes as long as it takes. The maximum punishment for this is $5,000 and/or six months behind bars." Eyebrows were raised after Hudgens posted a photograph of the carving on Instagram, but the post has since been deleted. A website dedicated to the union government's Maritime India Summit 2016 to be held in April was launched on Wednesday by Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari at the ongoing 'Make in India Week' event here. "A strong maritime sector will create economic growth and jobs. Realising this potential is our duty towards the nation. I am committed to bring the sector into focus; to achieve our goal of port-led economic development," Gadkari said while launching 'www.maritimeinvest.in' portal. The website will facilitate investors and participants access detailed information about the summit, including registrations, the minister said. He urged potential exhibitors and other participants to register themselves online and avail the "early bird discount" till March 10. The Maritime India Summit, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 at the city's Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, will be the maiden global summit to be organised by the shipping ministry. "The Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2016 will comprise an Investors' Summit on April 14 and 15, 2016, along with exhibition and demo sessions spread over three days," the ministry said in a statement in New Delhi. "Republic of Korea is the partner country for the MIS 2016 and will be represented by a high-level ministerial and business delegation. More than 50 other maritime nations have also been invited to attend the summit," it added. Speaking at a seminar at the event on shipping and port sectors, Gadkari said many initiatives including modernisation and capacity addition have already been undertaken for ports with an investment of Rs.80,000 crore. Similarly, an Indian Port Rail Company has been established with the thrust on railroad connectivity, he said. He said the shipping ministry will issue tenders for appointment of a consultant by March for the proposed transhipment port at Colachel in Tamil Nadu. Colachel in Tamil Nadu, Sagar in West Bengal and Wadhawan in Maharashtra would be the three new ports on the Indian coast, he added. Addressing a separate seminar on roads and highways, the minister said the bureaucracy cannot be solely blamed for delays in awarding projects. "The system is to be blamed for delays in approval processes. I strongly feel that one cannot blame the system every time as well. Political support will also play a crucial role in this," he said. Debates on the British Empire's legacy gets sidetracked on whether it was "good" or "bad", instead of focussing on its enduring effects such as shaping many vibrant cities across the world that are still major drivers of global commerce and interaction, says British MP and historian Tristram Hunt. "It is interesting that the British Empire encompassed many cities that are now the hubs of global trade, of global interactions. "Cities like Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai - all have a British connection... with British colonialism and were developed in connection or in partnership with the British," Hunt, whose most recent book "Ten Cities That Made an Empire" presents the imperial story through an urban prism, told IANS in an interview. The Labour MP from Stoke-on-Trent Central, who was in India to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival, contends that the empire's history should not be seen as simply "good or bad" or as he stresses in his book as "the simple binary of the ruler and ruled" but through its still existing phenomena, such as "the chain of former colonial cities dotted across the globe". His work thus seeks to chronicle the imperial adventure through its "urban form and material culture" as seen from these cities which "chart the changing character of British imperialism". "And it is the very complexity of this urban past which allows to go beyond the 'good' and 'bad' of this cul-de-sac of so much imperial debate. The history of colonialism covered in this study suggests a more diffuse process of exchange, interaction and adaptation," he maintains. Hunt told IANS that he was drawn to this aspect while working on his book "Building Jerusalem: The Rise and Fall of the Victorian City" (2004), an account of the evolution of British cities such as London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and others during the 19th century. "I was working on a history of the British cities and appreciated that you couldn't understand these cities unless in a global context.. the context of the empire. You can't understand a city like Dundee without Calcutta, Manchester without Bombay, London without Delhi. I decided to tell a history of the empire through these cities around the world," he said. It is a wide spectrum, across time and space, of cities that Hunt chose - Boston (from Britain's first empire), Cape Town (South Africa), Hong Kong while "jewel in the crown", India bags three spots - for Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi. The others are Dublin (Ireland), Melbourne (Australia) and Bridgetown (Barbados), while the only British city is Liverpool - whose rise and fall mirrors that of the empire. "Each city tells a particular story of the empire," said Hunt, who makes a compelling case how the city was influenced by the era's ideology and economic considerations, shifting between mercantilism and free trade, or "righteous exploitation" as in slave trade/a selfless crusade for liberty (and after its abolition). The Indian cities mark the Raj's varying stages, with New Delhi - being completed at the time of its decline but still an outstanding example of imperial hubris, notes Hunt, pointing out the bells on its imposing official buildings were set in stone so they would never have to toll at the passing of the empire. On why he had left out cities from Scotland, despite the Scots' major role in developing, expanding and administering the British empire, he said the choice of an Irish city was more apt. "The Irish case was more interesting.. they were both colonised and part of the colonial system... under which they prospered too," he said, adding the Scottish influence was paramount in the rise of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Singapore was left out due to inclusion of Hong Kong as they "tell a similar story - the rise of the British empire through free trade" and Melbourne was chosen over Sydney, founded earlier, as more representative of the times. Hunt who has also written a biography of Karl Marx's collaborator Friedrich Engels, said the colonial legacy differs - admired and still used in some places (India) or demolished elsewhere (Dublin) - but he favours looking at it as a part of history. "I believe in adding to history, not taking away," he said. (Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in) Amid the controversy over the Centre's crackdown on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University and the arrest of its student union president over allegations of sedition last week, bestselling author Chetan Bhagat tweeted on Monday, "Every dog that barks need not be arrested. What they did was wrong, but sedition charges (are a) bit too much #JNU." Last year, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had said the government couldn't be blamed "if somebody throws a stone at a dog" as he sought to dismiss the killing of two Dalit children in a Haryana village as an isolated incident. In an interview to Reuters in 2013, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister, used the analogy of a puppy to describe his pain, when asked about the deaths during the 2002 Godhra riots. Subsidies in general and the in particular have been points of contention since 1991. Fertiliser accounts for a little less than a third of the government's expenditure on subsidy and has been the second-highest of the three major subsidies, food and fuel being the other two. With reference to the editorial, "Colonial-era code" (February 16), the sedition law in India is archaic and akin to blasphemy laws. As Nobel laureate has suggested, such provisions under the Indian Penal Code need to be examined to determine their relevance to today's times. It is incomprehensible that universities and colleges should have student unions with affiliations to various political parties. Students go to universities to learn and equip themselves for a bright career. The government should ban student unions in all colleges. In their enthusiasm, many students have gone astray. They need to be counselled; extreme charges need not be invoked against them. Politics and political parties should be kept off college and university campuses. H N Ramakrishna Bengaluru can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.in The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to keep the pot boiling around the anti-national protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) until the assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala. The reason isnt just to outmaneuver the Opposition during the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament, but to ensure the irrelevance of the Left parties in Indias electoral politics and eventually purge leftist ideology in centres of culture and academia. The first step on this road for the Sangh Parivar is to make the Left Front suffer electoral defeats in Bengal and Kerala, even if it means a bigger victory for the Trinamool Congress in the eastern state and helping Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) return to power for a rare second successive term in Kerala. The Sangh Parivars assessment is that another spell out of power in both states will sound the death knell of the Left parties as an electoral force of consequence on the Indian political scene. The Left parties are cadre based. These cadres are full time workers and paid salaries. Failure to return to power in Bengal and Kerala will squeeze the Lefts source of finances and shrink its cadre base. More than the Congress, the Sangh considers the Left as its ideological enemy. The BJP thinks the JNU issue, with its nationalist versus anti-national binary, has the potential to achieve its objective. Both Bengal and Kerala go to polls by the first week of April. In Kerala, the RSS runs hundreds of shakhas but because of the Left that hasnt helped BJP become a political force in the southern state. The bigger agenda is to gradually displace the leftist dominance in academic institutions and centres of culture. The Sangh Parivar considers leftists, more than the Congress, as a bigger stumbling block in the spread of its brand of cultural nationalism in the centres of culture and learning and eventually the English mainstream media. The Sangh Parivar is convinced that the current debate on nationalist versus anti-national has forced people across the country, including in academia and media, to take positions, just as it did in the aftermath of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. In Kerala, the RSS complains of having suffered long years of violence at the hands of the Left. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing two cases of killings of RSS cadres allegedly at the hands of CPI (M) backed goons. An RSS worker was killed in Kerala earlier this week. Communists have a long track record of spilling blood of political opponents whether it is Russia, China, West Bengal or Kerala. The murder of young RSS worker Sujith by CPM once again shows that partys obsession with blood and its philosophy of annihilation, said veteran RSS pracharak MG Vaidya on Wednesday. The BJP also hopes that any Congress and Left Front alliance in Bengal will divide the Communist Party of India (Marxist) into Bengal and Kerala factions. It will help the Sangh Parivar discredit Congress as well. The Sangh Parivar is busy spreading the message that both Left Front and Congress are standing with anti-national forces like Maoists and extremist Islamists. The BJP, however, had hoped that Congress strategists would understand that Sangh Parivar's support would help it in Kerala. But Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi spoiled it a bit. According to Congress insiders, some in the party had advised Rahul Gandhi against joining forces with the Left parties on the issue but he was guided more by his "conviction" than realpolitik. Sangh Parivar has worked out a strategy to discredit Rahul Gandhis claims of being born into a nationalist family, with his grandmother and father, former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi respectively, having paid with their lives for protecting the unity and integrity of the country. The propaganda will focus on how Rahul Gandhi cannot lay claim to the legacy of Indira Gandhi since Rahuls mother is foreign born Sonia Gandhi while Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. A suicide bomber killed at least 14 soldiers in Aden today, in the latest attack on Yemen's second city claimed by jihadists of the Islamic State group. The southern port city has been the headquarters of forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his backers in a Saudi-led military coalition but has seen growing violence by IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers," a military source said. The troops were attending a training session run by Sudanese forces of the Saudi-led coalition, another military source said. The bomber, who was disguised as a soldier, attacked the Ras Abbas camp in the west of Aden. The blast came a day after Al-Qaeda claimed an attack on the convoy of Aden's governor and police chief in which four jihadists were killed. Since March last year, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi, IS has ramped up its operations in Yemen. Its rival Al-Qaeda also has a significant presence, expanding its presence in the south and southeast. At least 18 people were killed and 45 wounded by a car bomb targeting the military in the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara today, the city's governor said. The bloodshed came on the heels of a string of attacks in Turkey, blamed on jihadists but also on Kurdish rebels. The bomb aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. Plumes of smoke rose from the scene, close to the headquarters of the Turkish military and the parliament. The powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic, an AFP correspondent said. The army said the attack took place at 1631 GMT and had targeted "service vehicles carrying army personnel". It did not give a toll. "The terror attack was carried out when the vehicles were waiting for traffic lights at a road junction," it added. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu cancelled a planned visit to Brussels tomorrow after being briefed, his office said. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene, which is near the Turkish military headquarters and the parliament. Wounded victims were seen being taken away on stretchers. NTV television said the explosion happened near a residential block for top-level military staff. Images from the scene showed fire-fighters trying to overcome a fierce blaze from wrecked service buses. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said on Twitter he strongly condemned the "act of terror". "But our determination to fight (terror) will become even greater," he added. Turkish police threw a security cordon around the area. A second blast later rocked the area, the AFP correspondent said, but media said this was police detonating a suspicious package. There was no immediate indication about who carried out the attack. The Islamic State group has been blamed for a string of bombings in the country since the middle of last year but the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has also killed dozens of soldiers in attacks mainly in the southeast of the country. The capital was already on alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the bloodiest attack in the country's modern history. Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on January 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul. The Meghalaya Government today said it has issued an additional 20,000 forms to fair price shops across the state to ensure that no one is left out of the National Food Security scheme slated to be rolled at the end of this month. "Over 20,000 new forms will be made available at fair price shops across the state to ensure that deserving beneficiaries of the National Food Security Scheme is not left out," a senior Food and Civil Supply official told PTI. He said the forms would be made available in a day or two and all those who felt left out or whose names were not in the list, but were deserving, would be given ample opportunity to stake their claims. Earlier in the day, the influential Khasi Students' Union met with the East Khasi Hills district deputy commissioner seeking inclusion of deserving families in the NFSA scheme. The KSU expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that many indigenous tribal families were left out of the scheme since the distribution of identity cards was based on the 2011 socio-economic census. "We will soon write to the state government demanding a separate census to ensure that implementation of the NFSA in the state is not biased," KSU general secretary Auguster Jyrwa said. In the absence of a separate census, several anomalies and discrepancies were detected in the implementation and distribution of the family identity cards under the scheme, he alleged. Over 21 lakh people in the state were set to benefit from the NFSA in the state, Food and Civil Supplies minister Clement Marak had said. The allocation of food grains from the Centre has already been received and the implementation of the scheme was to be finalised to ensure all beneficiaries enlisted, get the scheme, he said. Over 21 lakh persons across the state would get subsidised rice and wheat at Rs three and Rs two per kg for five kgs, according to the government approved list. The race to host the 2024 Olympic Games gets underway in earnest on Wednesday with the four bid cities -- Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome -- presenting their initial candidature files to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first step in an 18-month campaign to host one of the world's top sporting events will be a lowkey affair with IOC president Thomas Bach and leading officials currently attending the Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer. Bids will be transmitted by USB key to IOC headquarters in Lausanne with Los Angeles and Budapest deciding not to mark the occasion, unlike Paris and Rome. The Californian city, the 1984 Olympic hosts, will publish their bid on their website once the IOC have confirmed receipt. The celebration on the US west coast will take place on Tuesday with the unveiling of the city's official logo, a week after Paris unveiled theirs at a special ceremony in front of the Arc De Triomphe. The Los Angeles bid is in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 which targets cost reduction. Existing installations such as the Staples Center, the LA Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, and university stadiums will be used with athletes to be housed on the UCLA campus. No ceremony will take place in Budapest where opponents, fearing spiralling costs and risks of corruption, tried to force a citizens referendum to block the bid, like in Hamburg. The Hungarian capital have announced a modest budget of 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to build infrastructure. By contrast, Rome and Paris will mark the handover -- The Eternal City getting things rolling early at the Palazzo dei Congressi, the fencing venue at the 1960 Games. Rome bid president Luca Di Montezemolo will preside over a ceremony to be broadcast on state-owned television RAI. With the Colosseum as their emblem and the city's major tourist attractions as venues, the Italian capital will build on its strengths and existing infrastructure to avoid, like its rivals, unnecessary and unpopular costs. Paris -- who suffered a traumatic loss to London for the 2012 Games -- will unveil their bid in the afternoon at the city's new Philharmonie. Bid committee president Bernard Lapasset will confirm a budget of 3.2 billion euros for infrastructure, with existing stadiums and arenas being used along with landmark Paris monuments like the Grand Palais and the Trocadero. A week after unveiling its logo representing the Eiffel Tower, Paris should also confirm that its Olympic project will be turned towards their youth and suburbs. More detailed dossiers will be submitted in October before visits to the candidates by the IOC evaluation commission in early 2017. The vote for the host city will take place on September 13, 2017 in Lima. At least 25 people were killed in the bombing of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northwestern Syria this week, the aid group said today. Revising a previous toll of 11 dead, an MSF spokeswoman said nine hospital staff and 16 other people, including patients and a child, had died after the bombing of the hospital on Monday in Idlib province. At least 11 others were injured, including 10 hospital staff, the spokeswoman said. MSF has not assigned blame for the attack but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, has said a suspected air Russian air strike hit the hospital. Moscow, which has been carrying out air strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since September, has denied any responsibility. The bombing, which along with others on medical facilities and schools in northern Syria killed at least 50 people earlier this week, was widely condemned by Western governments. The Railway Police today seized about 250 gm of heroin valued at Rs 25 lakh in the international market from a train at Patna junction. Acting on a tip off, Government Rail Police (GRP) caught one person travelling by Bhabua-Patna Intercity Express and recovered 340 small packets of heroin weighing about 250 gm in total, Inspector GRP, Patna Pramod Kumar said. He said one person identified as Babu Bengali was arrested in this connection. The man, a native of Dhanbad in Jharkhand, was carrying the heroin from Ara and was on his way to Dhanbad when he was caught at Patna junction, Kumar said. The contraband was hidden in a bag, he said. The GRP was interrogating the arrested man for more details about the illegal trade, Kumar added. 'Walk of Hope', a padyatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which began on January 12 last year with the aim to propagate interfaith harmony, has now reached Delhi. The padyatra, which was kicked off on birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, who had undertaken a similar countrywide journey to spread the message of social harmony, has so far completed 3,656 kms in 254 days. By the time the footmarch reached Kanpur, a year had passed after covering Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The idea behind the ambitious 15-month long walk was mooted by Shri M, who calls himself a social reformer and says he is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi who used to hold several marches across the nation during the freedom struggle. Other objectives include equity for all, empowerment of women and sustainable living among others. The 67-year-old spiritual leader, a native of Andhra Pradesh, said that India's strength lies in its unity in diversity. "No community wants to destroy the fabric of this country, but if you look closely, you will find the vested interests of political or other people, they take advantage of the fact there are religions forgetting that humans are one," he said. The padyatra, which covers 15 to 20 kilometres every day has a 'core group' of 70 to 80 people who commenced journey from Kanyakumari and locals tag along and join it in various cities. "We used to walk in the day before taking shelter and sleeping in the homes of locals in towns and villages," Sri M said. "We didn't have a difficult time with people at all and even if we had, we solved it through dialogues. We visited temples, mosques and other religious places along the way and decided if somebody objects to it, we won't go, but believe me nobody did," he said. Among the core members, the oldest in the group is 80-year-old Commodore V Raveendranath, while the youngest is 20-year old film-maker S George. The Delhi leg of 'Walk of Hope', is being spearheaded by the 'Manav Ekta Mission, a wing of the Satsang Foundation established by Sri M, who was born as Mumtaz Ali, is set to end on March 3. The walk hopes to reach Srinagar by May 1 this year. The spiritual leader said he was aware that one walk alone would not be able to solve all problems and the aim was to sow the seeds of unity. "We have to nurture the seeds of peace in young people's hearts and the responsibility goes to teachers and their parents to make it happen," he said. Sri M, who has also penned "Apprenticed to a Himalayan master - A Yogi's Autobiography" is expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal here. Three office-bearers of JNU unit of ABVP today resigned from the student wing of the BJP to protest the Centre's handling of the ongoing row at the university and for "legitimising" actions of right wing 'fascist' forces. Pradeep Narwal, Joint Secretary of the JNU unit of ABVP, said he has quit the party. Rahul Yadav, President of ABVP unit of JNU's School of Social Sciences (SSS) and its Secretary Ankit Hans also said they have quit. In a joint statement, the three leaders said have decided to quit ABVP as they have serious differences over the way the NDA government was handling the issue, adding there is a difference between "interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti- ."They also expressed deep anguish over assault on mediapersons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House Court complex on Monday as well as attack on JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in the same court complex today, alleging that the government was "legitimising" the action of right wing fascist forces. "We are resigning from ABVP and disassociating ourselves from any further activity of the party as per our difference of opinion over the current JNU incident and long standing difference of opinion with MANUSMIRITI (Smriti Irani) and Rohith Vermula incident. "Anti- slogans on February 9 in university campus were very unfortunate and heart breaking. Whosoever responsible for that act must be punished as per the law but the way NDA government is tackling the whole issue, the oppression on professors, repeated attacks on media by lawyers and Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises (today) is unjustifiable," the statement said. When contacted, a senior ABVP leader said the organisation has not received their resignation. The three students further said, "We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti- . We cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community. "Every day we see people assemble at front gate (of JNU) with Indian flag to beat JNU student, well this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can't do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism," it added. The JNU students are on strike demanding release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. He was arrested on Friday last in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which Vice Chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it. However, the organisers had gone ahead with the event. At least five people were killed and 10 wounded in a car bomb targeting the Turkish military in the capital Ankara today, the city's governor said. The attack was aimed at a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. Plumes of smoke were seen rising over an area and the powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic, an AFP correspondent said. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene, which is near the Turkish military headquarters and the parliament. NTV television said the explosion happened near a residential block for top-level military staff. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said he strongly condemned the attack, Turkish media reported. Turkish police have thrown a security cordon around the area. There was no immediate indication about who carried out the attack, but the Islamic State group has been blamed for a string of bombings in the country since the middle of last year. The capital was already on alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the bloodiest attack in the country's modern history. Eleven people, all German tourists, were also killed on January 16 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul. Those attacks were blamed on IS jihadists, as were two other deadly bombings in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the year. Turkish authorities have in recent weeks detained several suspected IS members, with officials saying they were planning attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. But Turkey is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has staged dozens of deadly attacks against members of the security forces in the southeast. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority. The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July. Ankara has also been carrying out air strikes against Syrian Kurdish fighters across the border wartorn Syria since the weekend. Five persons have been sentenced to six months in jail for illegally hunting two ibexes, an endangered species of wild goat in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The jail terms were given in two separate instances of illegal huntin in the area. In the first case, a magistrate of the Gilgit wildlife department sent two people to jail for six months each for illegally hunting an ibex in Bar Valley of Nagar district. The men, identified as Janan and Hasnain, were also fined Rs 50,000 each for the crime under wildlife laws. The two were jailed for six months besides the fine. "The sentence came after the suspects confessed and evidence was produced before the magistrate," Hunza Range Forest Officer Shabbir Baig was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune. He said besides the spent bullet shells, the head and horns of the dead animal were seized from the possession of the men. The sentence was given yesterday in Gilgit, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In second case, the sentence was handed down to three men who killed an ibex in Ghizer Valley recently. Besides the six month imprisonment, the three men were fined Rs 50,000. The men hunted the ibex in Ishkoman last month and were caught red-handed by wildlife guards and community members on surveillance. "The three have been jailed for six months," Gilgit Forest Officer Ijlal Ahmad said. He added the sentence would discourage illegal hunting in the region. Illegal hunting and consequent sentence to the perpetrators has come in the midst of trophy hunting, a government sponsored programme, which aims to protect endangered animals from being hunted illegally. In November 2015, Gilgit-Baltistan government sold permits to hunt four markhors, 60 ibexes and eight blue sheep in the region. The licence fee for markhors, Himalayan blue sheep and ibexes was set at USD 67,500, USD 8,800 and USD 3,000 respectively. An intensification of fighting between pro-government forces and rebels in southern Syria has left nearly 50,000 civilians homeless in the heart of winter, the United Nations said today. The displacement comes with international attention largely focused on the north of Syria, where a government offensive backed by Russian air strikes has triggered an exodus of refugees towards the Turkish border. The UN humanitarian coordinator in Jordan, Edward Kallon, said the world body had organised additional cross-border aid convoys over the past fortnight that had provided winter clothing and basic shelter to more than 30,000 civilians, over 7,000 of them children. In southern Syria, near the frontier with Jordan, the city of Daraa remains in government hands but there has been heavy fighting in much of the surrounding province. Neighbouring Sweida, the heartland of Syria's Druze minority, has come under attack by jihadists of the Islamic State group but has seen less fighting than other parts of the country. Jordan hosts more than 630,000 of the roughly 4.6 million Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Jordanian government gives a much higher estimate of 1.4 million refugees, because many of them are unregistered. At least 60 persons were taken ill today due to suspected food poisoning in a village under Bhairavsthan police station area in Bihar's Madhubani district, a police officer said. The incident took place in Navtol village where at least 60 persons started vomiting and suffered from loose motion after consuming food at a feast held for the villagers by one Mohan Jha, Bhairavsthan police station in-charge Anil Kumar said. He said local health department officials were informed about the matter and subsequently a medical team has been rushed to the village to treat the ailing people. The medical officer in-charge at Jhanjharpur Primary Health Centre (PHC) Dr Deepak Verma said 45 persons have been treated so far by the medical team and the remaining patients were undergoing treatment and they were out of danger. The debt-ridden ABG Shipyard is at an advanced stage of negotiations with interested parties for a strategic investment into the company, which will see the management divesting its majority control. The deal is expected to be announced by March-end. "We are in talks with parties, which include domestic players as well a consortium where a domestic company has tied up with an international player. We hope to announce the deal by the end of March," Syed Abdi, MD and CEO, ABG Shipyard, told reporters at the ongoing Make in India Week here. Asked about German company Privinvest Holdings, which was reported to be among the interested parties, Abdi merely said "the company continues to be in talks with it". Abdi also said the company requires up to Rs 600 crore of working capital support and is speaking to lenders for the same. It has an order book of USD 2 billion and will bid for naval and defence contracts of over USD 1 billion in the near future. "We have bid for USD 1 billion worth defence and naval orders which includes landing platform docks and anti-submarine warfare," he added. In March 2014, ABG Shipyard had got approval on a corporate debt restructuring package of Rs 11,500 crore, but has been struggling to get out of it ever since. The company currently has two facilities in Surat and Dahej. Many of its peers have shifted focus to concentrate on the upcoming defence sector in order to survive and some like Pipavav Defence have also managed to get strategic investors like the ADAG Group. Four activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who had escaped from a jail in Madhya Pradesh in 2013, and a woman were arrested from Rourkela today. The SIMI members, wanted by NIA, were arrested from a house in the steel city after a special operation launched on the basis of intelligence inputs, Director General of Police K B Singh said. The three-hour-long operation involving an exchange of fire was conducted jointly by the tactical unit of Odisha's Special Operation Group (SOG) and Telangana Police at Mala Road, another police official said. The exact role of the woman and her antecedents were being ascertained, he said. The operatives of the banned outfit had escaped from a jail in MP's Khandwa district in 2013 and police teams of multiple states had been looking for them since them.A total of seven SIMI cadre had escaped from the jail. While one had surrendered the very next day of the jail break, another was caught from Madhya Pradesh the same year and the rest five had been at large since then. These men, led by their leader Faisal and another prisoner, had made an audacious escape from the district jail in Khandwa after scaling a 14-foot wall. The SIMI activists, who hail from Madhya Pradesh, had been staying at the place for the past about four years by using a false identity. They were involved in SIMI activities in several states including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They were staying in Rourkela to collect money through dacoity and similar other activities. Five guns and some ammunition were seized from the hideout. (REOPENS DEL22) Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Inspector General (Law and Order) Bhagwan Swaroop said the four SIMI activists arrested in Odisha were also responsible for an explosion in Bijnore in 2014. NIA has said the four were also connected with the Bijnore blast, he said. They have been identified as Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussain, S Mahboob and Mohd Khalid. There are several cases pending against them, Swaroop said. Under mounting attack for slapping sedition charges on JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today asserted that there was enough evidence against him and people from outside had also come to the controversial event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Emerging from the PMO, Bassi said investigators, probing the alleged raising of anti-India slogans at the JNU event, were looking at all aspects of the case including the motive. "We have adequate evidence against him (Kumar). I won't be telling you about the process of investigation and what all we have found out so far," Bassi told reporters. He dismissed reports citing inputs from security agencies that Kumar may not have raised anti-national slogans or made an inflammatory speech at the JNU event. "People in huge numbers participated in it (the event), and we have already identified the ring leader. Now we are looking for all those who have been identified. Very soon we will get hold of them," he said. Kumar was arrested on February 12 in connection with a case of sedition registered over holding of the event at the varsity last week to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The Police Commissioner said he had come to the PMO to invite some officials for the At Home programme being hosted by him. Bassi said there was no question of giving clean chit to the JNUSU president Kumar. "Not at all," he said when asked whether there was any clean chit to Kumar. The JNU students and teachers are on a strike demanding Kumar's unconditional release. Bassi said the the investigators have found that people from outside JNU also participated in the event. "What we have found out is that people from outside besides those from JNU participated in the demonstration. Now what was the motive behind this is something we will look into. We are investigating all aspects in detail," he said. He said JNU authorities are cooperating "fully" with the probe and that every person who "thinks about the interest of the nation is supporting us". "The situation at present reminds me of the verse 'Dekh tere sansar ki halaat kya ho gayi hain bhagwan, kitna badal gaya insaan' (Oh Lord what has this world come to, how much has the man changed)," he said. Ruling AIADMK today sought to corner the Left parties in the Assembly over the question of chief ministerial candidate of the People's Welfare Front in which they are constituents, leading to a lighter debate. AIADMK member Markandeyan participating in the debate on the interim budget said the four-party PWF led by Vaiko of MDMK was a "complex welfare front." In response, CPI(M) member K Balakrishnan said there was no such complexity in the Front. Intervening, Leader of the House O Panneerselvam said the AIADMK member's reference was only over the "complexity about who the PWF's chief ministerial candidate was" and nothing else. Electricity Minister Natham Viswanathan said they would only like to know who will be the chief ministerial candidate of PWF. While CPI (M) MLA A Soundararajan said the nominee will come from the PWF, CPI legislator M Arumugam said, "After the polls, MLAs elected on behalf of the PWF would choose the CM candidate." Balakrishnan retorted that since the Leader of the House was interested in knowing the Chief Ministerial candidate of the PWF, it would be the ruling alliance. The debate came in the backdrop of workers of Dalit-based Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), another PWF constituent, recently expressing their aspiration for a Dalit Chief Minister. However, party chief Thol Thirumavalavan said electing the Chief Minister on behalf of the PWF would be done after the assembly polls. A convoy carrying food and medicine entered a besieged rebel-held town near Damascus today in what the United Nations described as a test for the country's warring sides ahead of a hoped-for ceasefire. The Red Crescent said trucks laden with supplies entered Moadimayet al-Sham, the first delivery of aid since world powers agreed on an ambitious plan to cease hostilities by Friday and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access. Prospects for the ceasefire -- announced by top diplomats in Munich last week -- have been fading as violence continues to shake Syria, including strikes on hospitals on Monday and repeated Turkish shelling of Kurdish militia. The Red Crescent's Muhannad al-Asadi told AFP that a convoy entered Moadimayet al-Sham today. "There are 35 trucks carrying 8,800 sacks of flour, 4,400 food parcels, high energy foods and medical equipment," he said. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, added that supplies were also dispatched to four other besieged towns. "Today, aid for 30,000 people will enter Moadimayet al-Sham. Other aid will be enough for one month for 42,000 in Madaya, and close to 1,000 in Zabadani," he said. Madaya and Zabadani, in Damascus province, are both besieged by Syrian regime forces. Hillo said supplies for 20,000 people were to be delivered to the Shiite towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, in northwestern Idlib province, which are surrounded by rebels. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under siege, according to the UN. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said aid deliveries would provide a "test" for Syria's warring sides ahead of Friday's planned truce. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," he said in Damascus yesterday. His comments led a senior aide to President Bashar al-Assad to accuse the envoy of deviating from his mediation role. "His mission now is to establish a list of terrorist groups, and a list of opposition groups who should dialogue with the Syrian government," Buthaina Shaaban told AFP. "Instead of that he was working on humanitarian aid, which is not really his mission because he is a facilitator. He should take care of what he is apt to do." A UN source said De Mistura was set to stay in the capital overnight to monitor the deliveries. Diplomats have been pressing the ceasefire deal as a step forward in efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict that has left more than 260,000 dead, devastated the country and forced millions from their homes. A major international push to resolve the conflict, including Western and Arab nations that have largely backed Syria's opposition and Assad's key supporters Russia and Iran, was launched last year. But peace talks between the regime and opposition in Geneva quickly collapsed earlier this month and a major regime offensive, backed by Russian air strikes, has continued in northern Aleppo province. Air strikes on five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria earlier this week killed at least 50 people, the UN said. One of the strikes hit a hospital supported by charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), killing 25 people and prompting widespread condemnation. MSF did not assign blame for the attack though a Britain-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a suspected Russian strike had hit the hospital. Moscow rejected any responsibility and Syria's UN envoy Bashar al-Jaafari yesterday said MSF was responsible because it was not coordinating with the government. Further complicating peace efforts, Ankara has been shelling a Kurdish-led militia in northern Syria which it says is allied with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged an insurgency on its soil for decades. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed today that Turkey would never accept the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria, saying there was "no question" of Turkey ending its shelling. Turkey yesterday called for foreign ground forces to deploy in Syria, part of a longstanding push by the NATO member for a more robust response to the conflict. Today, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber television Ankara wanted to create a 10-kilometre "safe line" inside Syria that would include the flashpoint town of Azaz near the border. Turkey has long pressed for a safe zone inside Syria, backed up by a no-fly zone, and has warned Kurdish forces it will not allow them to seize Azaz, which is held by rebel forces. German Chancellor Angela Merkel today also reiterated her call for a no-fly zone to protect civilians, saying the humanitarian situation in Syria was "intolerable". "If we were able to reach an agreement between anti- and pro-Assad forces on a kind of no-fly zone... Then this would save many lives and aid the political process about Syria's future," she told the German parliament. Senior IPS officer will be the next Commissioner of Delhi Police, succeeding incumbent B S Bassi, who will hang his boots on February 29. A 1979-batch Union Territory cadre officer, 58-year-old Verma is currently serving as DG of Tihar prison and will serve as the top police officer of the capital for 17 months. Sources said the government has cleared the name of Verma as the next Commissioner of Delhi Police and a formal order is expected soon. Verma will take charge at a time when the Delhi Police is facing severe criticism for handling the JNU row, arising out of the arrest of the university's students union president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly raising anti- slogans at an event commemorating death of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Bassi has also received flak for allegedly going slow in taking action against those who indulged in violence in Patiala House court today and on Monday. Verma will head the 80,000 strong Delhi Police which is responsible for maintaining law and order in the capital that has a population of more than 1.7 crore. The new Police Commissioner will also have to deal with the Arvind Kejriwal government with which there has been an uneasy relationship ever since AAP came to power a year ago. In some candid advice to Donald Trump, US President Barack Obama told the controversial Republican front-runner that being president is tougher than being on a reality show and the American people are too "sensible" to elect him. "I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be President. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognise that being President is a serious job," Obama told reporters after the first ever US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California. "It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing," he said. The 69-year-old billionaire real estate tycoon fired back, saying Obama was lucky that he did not run for office in 2012. "You're lucky, I didn't run last time when Romney ran because you would have been a one-term president," Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina. Trump also interpreted Obama's prediction as praise after outlining his grievances against the Obama administration's budgets, health care, immigration policies and response to ISIS. "He has done such a lousy job as President," Trump retorted at a campaign event in Beaufort, South Carolina. "He's set us back so far, that for him to say that actually is a great compliment." During the press conference, Obama also criticised other Republican candidates. He said he thinks foreign observers are troubled by some of the rhetoric that is taking place in these Republican primaries and Republican debates. "I don't think it's restricted, by the way, to Mr Trump. I find it interesting that everybody is focused on Trump, primarily just because he says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying, as well," he noted. "He may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment, but if you look at what the other Republican candidates have said, that's pretty troubling, too," Obama said. The President said Trump was not the only Republican who raised concerns, but he singled out the real estate mogul as someone who would be singularly unprepared for the responsibilities of the Oval Office. In an apparent reference to another Republican presidential aspirant Marco Rubio, the Senator from Florida, Obama said there is a candidate who sponsored a bill, which he supported, to finally solve the immigration problem, and he is running away from it as fast as he can. Observing that all Republican candidates are denying climate change, Obama said that is troubling to the international community, since the science is unequivocal. Apple today opposed a US court's ruling to unlock the iPhone of a Pakistani-American terrorist who shot dead 14 people in California in December, saying the "unprecedented step" would threaten the security of its customers. In an open letter to its customers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that building a backdoor access to encrypted data on the iPhone of San Bernardino gunman Syed Farook would be "too dangerous" to create. Cook's response comes a day after a federal judge ordered Apple to provide investigators access to Farook's iPhone after the company "declined to provide" it voluntarily. "The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. "We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand," Cook wrote in his message to its customers. He said that for many years, Apple has used encryption to protect its customers' personal data because it believes it is the only way to keep their information safe. "We have even put that data out of our own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business," he argued. Informing its customers that Apple has co-operated with security agencies, including the FBI in the investigation of San Bernardino attackers, up to this point, he said the company has done everything that is both within its power and within the law to help authorities. "But now the US government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone," Cook said. Specifically, the FBI wants Apple to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. "In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today - would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," he warned. "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. "And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control," Cook said. Farook and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik shot dead 14 people and injured 22 others at an office party in San Bernardino, California, before they were killed in a shootout with police. CEO Tim Cook has rejected a judge's order to help the FBI break into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, warning it was "too dangerous" to create such a backdoor to the smartphones. US magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered on Tuesday to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI, including disabling an auto-erase feature after too many unsuccessful attempts are made to unlock the iPhone 5C. Federal prosecutors had filed a motion requesting Apple's help after the FBI failed to crack the phone's code two months into the investigation into the December rampage. Syed Farook, a US citizen, and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik gunned down 14 people at an office party in San Bernardino, California, before they were killed in a shootout with police. However, said it would fight the judge's order, firing the latest shot in a growing debate over encryption pitting the government against tech companies. 'US govt demand threatens the security of our customers' "The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a statement on the company's website. "We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand," he added. Cook said it was too risky to provide the requested software because it could allow ill-intentioned individuals to unlock any iPhone and raises major privacy concerns. "The US government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone," Apple said. In the wrong hands, this software -- which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession. "While the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control," he said, adding that Apple has cooperated with the FBI thus far. By disabling the security features, the FBI would be able to attempt as many different password combinations as needed before gaining access to the phone. It was the property of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, which employed Farook, and the authority had agreed to the search of the phone. Pym ordered Apple to provide software that would only run on the device in question, or any other technological means to access its data. But Apple said it was impossible to create such a tool that could only be used once, on one phone. Army's Western Command will be holding an investiture ceremony on February 20 in Pathankot, where 14 medals would be awarded to army men, including gallantry and service decorations. The Western Command will be holding an investiture ceremony at the Mamoon Cantonment in Pathankot to award the medals, including gallantry and service decorations, to army men, a Defence spokesman said today. The medals will be awarded by Lieutenant General K J Singh, Army Commander Western Command. Army Commander will felicitate the bravehearts of the army who had exhibited valour and dedication in discharging their duty, he said. The civilians who assisted the army are also being felicitated on the occasion. Arunachal Press Club (APC), Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and Arunachal Electronic Media Association (AEMA) have condemned the attack on journalists at the Patiala House court in the national capital on February 15. It is tantamount to an attack on the freedom of the Press and there is a need for strong action against those who were involved in the incident, said APUWJ and AEMA in joint statement today. "We are appalled by the manhandling of journalists outside an institution that is a symbol of morality and all that is good with humanity. Such constant attack on the media is an alarming trend that needs to be collectively condemned by one and all, not just by those in the Press," the statement said. If the Press has to live in constant fear, it will be the death knell of democracy, it said adding the perpetrators of the cowardly and fanatical attack must be brought to justice. "We stand by our fraternity members in solidarity during this time of ordeal," the organisations added. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said today he expected Germany to follow his tougher migrant stance and clamp down on the number of asylum seekers allowed into the country. Vienna announced Tuesday it would step up controls at existing checkpoints along its southern borders with Italy, Slovenia and Hungary to slow down the influx of migrants and refugees trekking up along the Balkans. Last month, Austria warned it would limit this year's number of asylum seekers to 37,500 -- sharply down from the 90,000 it accepted in 2015. The ruling centrist coalition also plans to impose this week a daily migrant limit at its main border crossing with Slovenia. "A government must take decisions based on reality," Faymann said in an interview published by the Kurier newspaper yesterday. "We have done this and I believe we have set an example that Germany will also set shortly," he added. In 2015, over one million people reached Europe's shores -- nearly half of them Syrians fleeing a civil war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives. The vast majority enter the EU through Italy and Greece, where they should register, but poor controls mean most are able to continue their journeys to northern Europe. Faymann said Austria still supported a deal proposed by Germany, under which Turkey would seal its borders and then fly refugees to Europe where they would be settled under an EU quota system. But in the face of the plan's sluggish implementation, Vienna has also joined the so-called "Visegrad Four" -- Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- which want tighter border controls inside the EU's passport-free Schengen zone. Today, Faymann and his German counterpart Angela Merkel will host talks with nine EU countries and Turkey in Brussels, hours before a summit involving all 28 bloc leaders. "I would like for Turkey to take stronger actions against migrant people smugglers... And for Turkey and Greece to strike a deal to return rejected migrants," Faymann told the Kurier. But he added: "we must also prepare tougher border measures" in case the EU efforts fail. Austria's interior minister said today the country would cap the daily number of asylum claims at 80 to slow down the migrant flow at its southern borders. In addition, the government will grant entry to a total of 3,200 migrants per day "who want to seek asylum in a neighbouring state", Johanna Mikl-Leitner told the APA agency. "Austria is among the EU countries most under strain and is reaching breaking point. It stands to reason to want to secure your own borders when there is no European solution," she said. The measure will enter into effect on Friday, the minister added. The move comes a day after Vienna said it would step up controls at existing checkpoints along its southern frontier with Italy, Slovenia and Hungary to curb the influx of migrants and refugees trekking up along the Balkans. The daily limit on asylum claims is in line with Austria's announcement last month that it would only take in 37,500 asylum-seekers this year -- sharply down from the 90,000 it accepted in 2015. Since January, the country of nearly nine million has already received 11,000 asylum claims, or around 250 a day. The government has not yet specified what it plans to do once the annual quota is reached. In reaction to Austria's restrictions, Slovenia and Croatia have also toughened controls -- a "domino effect" welcomed by Mikl-Leitner. "It is important that every country along the Balkan route tightens its borders," said the minister who sees the building of a "fortress Europe" as a solution to Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II. In 2015, over one million people reached Europe's shores -- nearly half of them Syrians fleeing a civil war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives. The vast majority enter the EU through Italy and Greece, where they should register, but poor controls mean most are able to continue their journeys to northern Europe. Earlier today, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann was quoted as saying he expected Germany to follow his tougher migrant stance and clamp down on the number of asylum-seekers allowed into the country. Faymann said Austria still supported a deal proposed by Germany, under which Turkey would seal its borders and then fly refugees to Europe where they would be settled under an EU quota system. But in the face of the plan's sluggish implementation, Vienna has also joined the so-called "Visegrad Four" -- Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- in wanting tighter border controls inside the EU's passport-free Schengen zone. On Thursday, Faymann and his German counterpart Angela Merkel will host talks with nine EU countries and Turkey in Brussels, before a summit the same day involving all 28 bloc leaders. Automakers have held a crisis meeting to see how they can help Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata after the recall of millions of vehicles worldwide due to a fault in the airbags, a German magazine reported today. According to the monthly Manager Magazin, Takata is unable to produce a sufficient number of airbags to replace the faulty ones. And it was impossible to find an alternative manufacturer in time, the magazine said. At the crisis meeting, it was discussed whether a buyer could be found for embattled Takata or whether to help it out financially, the report said. Also at the meeting, German automakers in particular discussed a possible solution for Takata's plant in Freiberg in eastern Germany, which has not been affected by the fault, the magazine continued. Neither Volkswagen and its Audi brand, nor Daimler's Mercedes-Benz nor BMW were willing to comment on the report. A week ago, the manufacturers recalled a total of 2.5 million vehicles in the United States because of the fault. The recalls became necessary after it was found that the Takata airbags can rupture and hit occupants of a car with shrapnel. At least 10 deaths, including nine in the United States, have been tied to the faulty airbags. Automakers worldwide have been forced to recall more than 20 million cars to have the airbags replaced. Investigators suspect that the airbag inflators and the propellant inside can deteriorate, especially in consistently hot and humid conditions, causing them to misfire. Beauty products direct selling company Avon India today announced a top level management change with the appointment of Rahul Shanker as its new Managing Director. Shanker will take over from Romulus Sirbu, who has been appointed to head Avon Malaysia, the firm said in a statement. Commenting on his role, Shanker said: "Avon is a company that stands for beauty, innovation, optimism and above all for women. I look forward to steering the India business ahead & in making this iconic brand realize its true potential here." Shanker had joined Avon in late 2013 as Director for sales and strategy. He has over 16 years of experience with international consumer goods companies. Avon sells products through more than six million active independent sales representatives in over 100 countries. It has over USD 8 billion as annual revenue. Condemning the anti-India sloganeering inside Jadavpur University campus, West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi, today sought a report on the incident from Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee and Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das. "Is there anything to appreaciate or praise, regarding whatever happened there? Any Indian would condemn whatever happened there. I have sought a report regarding the incident from the Vice Chancellor and the Chief Secretary," Tripathi, who is the JU chancellor, told PTI. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised yesterday at a rally which was brought out by JU students to express solidarity with their JNU counterparts agitating against the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Slogans like "Afzal bole azadi, Geelani bole azadi" and "Cheenke ke lenge azadi" were raised. Other slogans like "Freedom from RSS, freedom from Modi government", "Jab Kashmir ne maangi azadi, Manipur bhi boli azadi" were also raised. The Centre has sought a report from West Bengal government regarding the incident. Critical components maker Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) has completed the first shipment of titanium forgings for wing components to US aircraft maker Boeing. The pre-machined forgings will be used for the Boeing's B 737 next generation planes, a release said. Boeing had last year signed a multi-year contract with Bharat Forge for supply of these forgings, which are produced at the component maker's facilities in Pune and Baramati. Bharat Forge will also supply forgings for Boeing's B737 MAX planes, which are scheduled to be commissioned next year, the release said. "Shipment of the first titanium forging from India is a significant step towards building a capable and competitive supply chain in India for Boeing. This is yet another proof point of Boeing creating an aerospace ecosystem in India," Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar said. BFL claims to be the only forging company to be included in Boeing's globally approved vendor list for titanium forgings. BFL Chairman and Managing Director Baba Kalyani said with the objective of furthering its relationship with Boeing and its supply chain partners, the component maker will pursue merger and acquisition options - especially for machining and assembly. BFL also intends to expand its capabilities to offer higher value machining and manufacture of assemblies, the release said. A bill is set to be brought in the Budget session of Parliament to amend two electoral laws to allow the conduct of a limited delimitation exercise in West Bengal for bestowing voting rights on people who became citizens of the country following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh. The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to amend Section 11 of the Delimitation Act, 2002 and Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, an official statement said. Once passed, the proposed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016 will enable the Election Commission to carry out limited delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal following the exchange of 51 Bangladeshi and 111 Indian enclaves in July last year. The term of the 294-member West Bengal Assembly ends on May 29 and elections are likely to be held before that. Sources in the Law Ministry said that at a recent meeting between officials of the Law Ministry and the Election Commission, the poll body made it clear that it was necessary to grant voting rights to these people as the assembly polls in the state were nearing. Following delimitation, these people will be made voters of assembly and parliamentary constituencies. The enclaves were exchanged pursuant to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and 2011 Protocol and Instruments of Ratification during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh on June 6-7 last year. Other than the 14,000 people of the 51 enclaves that became part of India, about 921 who came from Bangladesh have also become Indian citizens. Law Ministry was earlier planning to bring an ordinance to amend the two laws. But the idea was shot down at a meeting of inter-ministerial group chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday last as dates of the Budget session were set to be announced the next day. As per convention, ordinances are avoided when session dates are announced. While session would commence on February 23, the proposed bill is likely to be introduced on March 1. The plan is to get it passed by both the Houses by March 4 so that the EC, in the limited time it has, can begin the delimitation exercise. The last delimitation in West Bengal was held in 2008 and laws needed to be amended for a fresh, but limited delimitation exercise, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said briefing reporters on Cabinet decisions. BJP today targeted the Left and Trinamool Congress over posters in Jadavpur University in Kolkata demanding "freedom" for Kashmir and raising of slogans in favour of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, alleging the Leftist ideology promotes treason and questioning the TMC government's "silence." "The Leftist ideology somewhere promotes treason that leads to anti-national thinking and BJP will continue to oppose such an ideology. "BJP questions the TMC's silence because it is the ruling party in West Bengal. We wish to know if their leaders can go to Hyderabad (university) why they are keeping away from JNU? And there is no action in Jadavpur University case. TMC is nothing but a mirror image of the Left," BJP National Secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said. Singh is also the party's co-incharge for the state which is likely to go to assembly polls in April-May. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in Jadavpur University (JU), posters demanding 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were found in the campus. In the backdrop of the Bank of Baroda Rs 6,000 crore illegal remittances case, CBI will be engaging with Indian Banks Association to have a "deep" look into economic and banking offences being reported from large number of banks and come up with preventive measures. CBI Director Anil Sinha will be meeting heads of banks in the country at a seminar in the first week of March in Mumbai where issues related to banking frauds will be discussed. The meeting comes in the backdrop of recent case in Bank of Baroda from where over Rs 6,000 crore were allegedly remitted to Dubai and Hong Kong under the nose of regulatory authorities by taking advantage of loopholes in the system. During its probe, CBI found serious procedural lapses which were allegedly exploited by operators and banking officials to allow these remittances without coming into the notice of regulatory authorities. "I have flagged the issue with the IBA people in a meeting. This year we are having a conference on economic crimes in Mumbai where IBA and other financial organisations will be there," Sinha said in a rare interaction with media. He said the conference will be to develop "preventive measures" to check these crimes. "We have flagged certain issues last year and Department of Financial Services issued a circular. We are going to be confabulating over this and have discussions on wide-ranging issues concerning this particular topic. May be we will be able to recalibrate our responses. We are going to look at it very deeply because this matter does concern us," he said. Singing legend Bob Dylan is recording the follow up to his 2015 album, "Shadows in the Night." The 74-year-old eleven time Grammy-winning musician is recording in Studio B at Hollywood's famed Capitol Studios with engineer, Al Schmitt, who also worked on "Shadows...," reported Billboard. "It's going along great. He sounds great. His mood in the studio is fabulous. We're having a good time. We're like two old shoes together now, we're so comfortable with one another now." Schmitt said. Dylan is also producing the record and the engineer praised him for his intelligence. "He's extraordinarily smart and he's so aware of everything that's going on, so he knows what's happening at every moment," he said. Bodies of four missing minor boys have been found in Bangladesh as the police launched a probe and announced a reward for providing information leading to murderers. Villagers spotted the grave where the murderers dumped the bodies while the police subsequently dug them up. "The boys, aged between 7 and 10, went missing while they were playing at a field at their village, Their bodies were found at an isolated area near the village," a police officer told a private TV channel. Police said they suspect feuds among villagers could be the reason for the murders. According to TV reports Deputy Inspector General of Police Mizanur Rahman visited the spot and requested the villagers to give any information that could lead them to the killers. A brain dead lineman with power utility Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has given a new lease of life to six persons as his vital organs were harvested and transplanted in them. 55-year old, Kumar suffered injuries after he fell down from a post while on duty on February 5. He was shifted from a hospital to Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) on February 13 in a serious condition. Kumar was declared brain dead at 3 am the next day by a team of doctors from the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, a KMCH release said. Dhanalakshmi, wife of Kumar, gave consent to donate his organs following which the heart, liver, kidneys, skin and eyes were harvested and transplanted in needy patients at different hospitals, it said. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said today that Britain's exit from the European Union would be "a shock" for Europe but that members could not pick and choose rules that suit them. "We believe and we hope" that a deal is possible to keep Britain in the EU, Valls told France's parliament. "Because the departure of Britain would signify ... A shock for Europe, but more importantly a shock to the way the world sees Europe, which is already in crisis." A summit of all 28 EU leaders will take place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, at which British Prime Minister David Cameron hopes to win backing for a package of reforms to his country's relationship with the bloc. Cameron says the reforms are necessary to convince Britons to vote to stay in the EU in a referendum that could take place as soon as June. Valls said France would be "particularly vigilant" on the issues of free movement of EU citizens, and relations between countries in the eurozone and others. "Europe should be a place of solidarity between states and we cannot choose 'a la carte' based on what suits us," Valls said. "Europe is a whole that we can adapt, but we can't rework it only according to our particular interests, otherwise a line is crossed. The cabinet today gave ex-post facto approval for memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between India and 13 countries including Israel and Syria for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. "The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its ex-post facto approval for MoU signed between India and various countries for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors," an official release said. The approval has been given to MoUs signed with 13 countries -- Netherlands, Nepal, Cyprus,Israel, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Tanzania, Surinam, Zambia, Syria, Bhutan, Chile and Mauritius, it said. These MoUs are signed for capacity building, knowledge exchange through visits of scientists and technicians, exchange of genetic resources, development of appropriate technologies and farm practices for enhancing agriculture productivity at farmers' field. Expenditure incurred on implementation of such MoU is managed within the financial allocation made for the ministry, the statement added. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the construction of six rail lines and a railway bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 10,700 crore to cater to increased passenger and freight needs. Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CCEA gave its nod for the construction in a 908 km stretch, which will cost over Rs 10,700 crore. Most part of the expenditure will be met through extra budgetary resources (Institutional Financing), according to a release. The expansion includes doubling of Hubli-Chickajur line, Wardha (Sewagram)-Ballarshah third line, doubling of Ramna-Singrauli line, third line between Anuppur-Katni, doubling of Katni-Singrauli line and an additional bridge, and doubling of Rampur Dumra-Tal-Rajendrapul line. The doubling of 190 km long Hubli-Chickajur railway line is likely to be completed in more than four years during the 13th Plan period and will cover Chitradurga, Davangere, Haveri and Dharwad areas of Karnataka, it said. The Pune-Miraj-Hubli-Bangalore route has been identified for doubling, which will improve rail traffic flow and boost overall development of the region. The stretch is part of an important rail link of passenger trains between Mumbai and Bangalore and goods trains to the ports at Mangalore. The doubling of tracks between Bangalore-Tumkur and Arsikere-Chickajur has already been completed on this link. Doubling work between Hubli-Londa part of Hubli-Londa- Vasco-da-Gama is in progress. Construction of the 132 km long Wardha (Sewagram) - Ballarshah third railway line is likely to be completed in five years in Wardha and Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra, the release said. The line capacity utilisation of the section is saturated and running of additional Mail/Express and goods traffic over causes delay in movement of the trains. CCEA approved doubling of 160 km long Ramna-Singarauli railway line at a cost Rs 2,675.64 cr and is likely to be completed by 2019-20. The project will cover the districts of Garhwa in Jharkhand, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh and Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh. The Ramna-Singrauli section falls in Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway. At present traffic utilisation of the section is 105 per cent, resulting in detention of trains and loss of revenue, the release said. In order to attain the desired fluidity and increase in the sectional capacity, doubling of this single line section is very essential from operational point of view. Construction of 165 km long third railway line between Anuppur-Katni in Madhya Pradesh has also been approved at a cost of Rs 1595.76 crore. The project is likely to be completed in over five years spanning over 12th and 13th plan period. The project would cover the districts of Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria and Katni districts of Madhya Pradesh. There has been tremendous surge in coal and ore mining recently. A number of industrial townships have also grown up along the project line. These developments have resulted in large demand for additional railway coach services on the section, it said. With an increase in freight traffic in the area, the capacity utilisation will reach upto 175 per cent. Apart from this substantial additional coal traffic from IB valley, Korba area, East Corridor and Gevra Road - Pendra Road Project will be channelised through this route to the respective destinations. To meet the growth in the freight and passenger traffic, tripling of third line between Anuppur-Katni is essential, the release said. Finding prima-facie violation of competition law, fair trade regulator CCI has ordered a detailed probe into alleged abuse of dominance by an Indian arm of the US-based genetically modified seed giant Monsanto. The majority order, passed by six out of seven members including Chairman of the Competition Commission, follows two separate complaints filed against Mahyco Monsanto Biotech India Limited (MMBL) -- one by the Agriculture Ministry and another by three domestic seed companies -- alleging abuse of dominance in the country's Bt cotton seeds market. The ministry had referred to the Competition Commission of India complaints filed against MMBL, including about "abuse of dominant position by charging unreasonably high trait fees (royalty) for Bt cotton seeds". The company was also accused of exploiting the government permissions to market Bt cotton technology by creating a monopoly through restrictive agreements for unjust enrichment by charging high trait value from its licensees and ultimately from farmers. Besides, it was accused of entering into anti-competitive sub-licensing agreements with the Indian seed manufacturers. The ministry informed the regulator that it had received many representations and complaints including from the BJP Kisan Morcha (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and industry body National Seed Association of India (NSAI), against MMBL. The second set of complaints was filed with CCI by Nuziveedu Seeds, Prabhat Agri Biotech Ltd Pravardhan Seeds Pvt Ltd against MMBL, as also its US-based co-parent Monsanto Inc, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), and Monsanto Holdings. MMBL is a 50-50 joint venture between Monsanto and Mahyco. After looking into the complaints, CCI in its majority order said that it "holds that the conduct of MMBL prima facie appears to be in violation of Section 4 of the Act". This section deals with abuse of dominance including by way of unfair and predatory pricing. The Commission further said it "is of the view that there exists a prima facie case of contravention of the provisions of Section 3(4) and Section 4 of the Act by the OP Group (Monsanto) and it is a fit case for investigation by the Director General". The section 3(4) deals with anti-competitive agreements. Accordingly, CCI directed the DG, its investigation arm, to conduct a probe into the matter and complete the same within 60 days. In case the DG finds that the companies have acted in contravention of the Competition Act, the DG has also been asked to investigate the role of the officials or persons who at the time of such contravention were in-charge of and responsible for the conduct of their business. Earlier in December, the government had passed an order to control pricing of cotton seeds including the Bt Cotton -- the genetically modified version. It was also decided to fix and regulate the license fees including the royalty or trait value. One CCI Member MS Sahoo, however, gave a dissent note, stating that there was no need of any investigation as the BT cotton technology BG1 as such was not in use and the licensing agreement was also not in force. Further, he said that the contracts in respect to this technology were entered prior to the Competition Act and the disputes were settled under 'Settlement and Release of Claims Agreement' in 2007. Meanwhile, for the case, the Commission has considered 'provision for Bt cotton technology in India' as the relevant market. CCI observed that the relevant geographic market for the downstream product market appears to be India as conditions of competition faced by the domestic seed manufacturing companies are distinctly homogeneous throughout the country. "Out of 1,128 Bt cotton hybrids approved by the GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) till May 2012, 986 hybrids were incorporated with Bt technology sub-licensed by MMBL. "Therefore, it appears that MMBL is having significant presence amongst the technology providers in terms of its market share in the upstream relevant market of provision of Bt cotton technology in India," the regulator said. Monsanto Inc (MIU) was the first company in the world to develop and commercialise Bt cotton technology and the same was licensed to MMBL for further sublicensing to seed manufacturers in India. As per CCI, many Indian seed companies entered into sub-license agreement with MMBL for procuring its Bt cotton technology in consideration of an upfront one time non- refundable fee of Rs 50 lakh and recurring fee called 'trait value'. "By terminating the sub-license agreements with the informants on account of disputes related to trait value, while the matter is sub-judice and invoking stringent termination conditions which would lead to ouster of the informants from the downstream market, MMBL appears to be using its dominance in the upstream market to protect its presence in the downstream market through its group entities...," the regulator said. Demand for cement is likely to grow by 4-6 per cent in the next financial year, compared to 3 per cent growth estimated this fiscal, on account of government spending in the construction and infrastructure segment, says a report. Cement demand grew by 5.6 per cent in the last fiscal, according to India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). The estimate by the agency for the current fiscal has been revised down from the earlier projection of 6.5-8 per cent. "Demand for cement (is expected) to grow by 4-6 per cent in FY17, double the growth registered in 2015, on the back of government spending in the construction and infrastructure segment," Ind-Ra said in its latest report. However, the ratings agency said it does not expect any significant revival in housing demand in either rural or urban areas. This would result in the mid-single digit growth in cement demand. As per Ind-Ra, cement demand in 2015-16 has been weak due to the slowdown seen across rural and urban housing as well as construction and industrial activities. Historically, the drivers of cement sector have been infrastructure, construction and real estate sectors. Going by Ind-Ra estimates, significant recovery is not expected in rural housing demand for the next fiscal due to the after-effects of this fiscal's weak monsoon and subdued growth in the minimum support price (MSP) of agri-products. Similarly, it does not expect any significant pick-up in urban housing demand as the real estate sector across six major cities (except Kolkata) is still ailing with high inventory levels. "We expect real estate developers to focus on project completion and consolidate their balance sheets in the near term. "Completing and delivering projects is also important for them to win back customers' confidence," it added. On the positive side, Ind-Ra noted that given the government's focus on roads and highways, cement demand could be supported by an uptick in activities by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). About 100 city-based journalists today staged a demonstration here criticising the alleged inaction of Delhi police over the attack on reporters by some lawyers in the premises of a court in the national capital. The protesters included senior editors who staged the demonstration outside Chennai Press Club here carrying placards and banners that read "Save Journalists, Save Freeodm, Save Democracy", "Attack on journalists at Patiala House court complex yesterday was 'anti-national'". The journalists, belonging to various media organisations, condemned the beating up of their Delhi counterparts by groups of advocates, and the alleged inaction of the Delhi police. They urged the Centre to take action against the 'goons' who attacked the media representatives in Delhi besides urging it to protect freedom of expression. Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up allegedly by groups of lawyers, drawing criticism from the press amidst calls to the Home Ministry to look into the "dereliction of duty" by police, which has been accused of being a "mute spectator" during the incident. China has deployed long-range anti- aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island, according to a media report today that was downplayed by the Communist nation as Western outlets' attempt to create "stories". Satellite images showed two batteries of eight surface-to- air HQ-9 missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, Fox reported. The report comes even as US President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to settle territorial disputes in the resource-rich region. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on February 3, but the missiles were visible by February 14. A US official said the imagery showed the HQ-9 air defence system with a range of over 200 kilometres, which would pose a threat to any civilian or military airplane flying close by, the report said. It is the same island where a US Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. Woody Island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The missiles arrived over the past week. China decribed the report as media hype. "We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create stories," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Claiming that the development was largely civilian oriented and benefited the region, Wang pointed to the construction of light houses, weather stations, and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. "All of those are actions that China, as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there," he said. Wang said China's construction of military infrastructure was "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self- protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that." The reported move by China comes as President Obama hosted 10 Asian leaders in California, many of those concerned over China's recent activity in the South China Sea. The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same, Obama said yesterday, as he called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the disputed and natural resource-rich South China Sea. (Reopens FGN 6) The Pentagon was watching the developments closely, a defence official told the news channel. "The US continues to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarisation of features in the South China Sea," the official said. In the past two years, China has built over 3,000 acres of territory atop seven reefs in the area. There are a total of three runways built on three of the artificial islands, the report said. China has said that it has a historical right to all of the South China Sea. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich international shipping lanes. China has deployed long-range anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, a media report said today, even as US President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to settle territorial disputes in the resource-rich region. Satellite images showed two batteries of eight surface-to- air HQ-9 missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, Fox News reported. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on February 3, but the missiles were visible by February 14. A US official said the imagery showed the HQ-9 air defence system with a range of over 200 kilometres, which would pose a threat to any civilian or military airplane flying close by, the report said. It is the same island where a US Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. Woody Island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The missiles arrived over the past week. The move comes as President Obama hosts 10 Asian leaders in California, many of those concerned over China's recent activity in the . The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same, Obama said yesterday, as he called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the disputed and natural resource-rich . The Pentagon was watching the developments closely, a defence official told the news channel. "The US continues to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarisation of features in the South China Sea," the official said. In the past two years, China has built over 3,000 acres of territory atop seven reefs in the area. There are a total of three runways built on three of the artificial islands, the report said. China has said that it has a historical right to all of the South China Sea. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich shipping lanes. China today rejected as "irresponsible" comments by UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein calling for the immediate release of rights lawyers and activists detained in the country. Zeid yesterday raised concerns about the arrest of an estimated 250 lawyers and activists in a crackdown since July, warning that China appeared to be locking up government critics regardless of whether they had committed a crime. But China said in a statement that "all those cases raised (by Zeid) involve illegal and criminal activities, and has nothing to do with restrictions of the rights and freedoms". "The High Commissioner made irresponsible comments in disregard of facts," added the statement from Beijing's mission to the UN in Geneva. Zeid made specific reference to the arrests of two prominent rights lawyers, Li Heping and Wang Yu, who were among a group of 15 lawyers arrested in July. The Chinese statement said Wang and other "so-called 'lawyers'" were using a Beijing law firm as a front to organise criminal activity. Regarding the prosecutions against employees of Hong Kong publishing house Mighty Current, which releases works critical of Beijing, China insisted all the cases were consistent with the country's criminal law. Beijing also defended the arrest and subsequent expulsion of Swedish national Peter Dahlin, who had been held on charges of "endangering state security". Responding to Zeid's criticism of the Dahlin case, the statement said the Swede was distributing misleading and distorted information about China's rights record to the international community. "China is ruled by law and everyone is equal before the law," the statement said, charging that the UN rights chief had a "biased, subjective and selective" view of the country. China's non-acceptance of the "unilateral" arbitration filed by the Philippines with the UN on the South China Sea issue is merely observing the law, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today, asserting that Beijing will "stick" to its stand. Wang's comments came after Australia called for a solution to the South China Sea (SCS) disputes through peaceful means, including arbitration. China in 2006 declared it would not accept arbitration of disputes concerning territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Wang told reporters after talks with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop here. "Chinese government will certainly stick to this position," Wang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua agency. He said that more than 30 countries, including Australia, have also made similar "exclusive" declarations. The Chinese Foreign Minister's comments came amid reports that China has deployed a battery of long-range surface-to-air missiles on one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea. During the press conference, Wang also gave a list of reasons why the Philippines' arbitration attempt is "invalid and unacceptable, including unilateral moves without consulting China, which goes against international norms, as well as the common sense argument that arbitration applications are usually lodged only when all other means are depleted." China and the Philippines have several agreements that disputes should be solved through dialogue and consultation. The Philippines has also signed the fourth article of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which states that disputes should be solved by those countries directly related, through negotiation and consultation. The Philippines' arbitration attempt "violated previous agreements and raised suspicion of its complicated international background or even hidden political motives," Wang said. The Asia Pacific region has witnessed tension after China flexed its military muscle in the resource-rich South China Sea. Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the waterways in the South China Sea. China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use. The US has criticised Beijing for building artificial islands in the disputed sea, and has flown a B-52 bomber and sailed a guided-missile destroyer near some of the constructions China has made in recent months. The first Chinese ship to search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished almost two years ago is due to depart Australia today for the southern Indian Ocean equipped with state-of-the-art sonar, a search agency said. The Dong Hai Jiu 101 had been testing its Synthetic Aperture Sonar off the west Australian coast in recent days and will drop off personnel at the port of Fremantle before departing for the vast search area 1,800 kilometre to the southwest, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement. The Chinese ship will become the fourth ship scouring a 120,000-square-kilometre expanse where Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is thought to have crashed on March 8, 2014. The search has had several setbacks through crew illness and equipment failures in recent months. More than 85,000 square kilometres of the search area have been scoured since late 2014, with Australia and Malaysia sharing the cost. The Boeing 777 vanished after mysteriously flying far off course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing. A wing flap found in July on the other side of the Indian Ocean when it washed up on Reunion Island is the only debris recovered. Most of the 239 people aboard Flight 370 were Chinese. Australia is conducting the search on behalf of Malaysia, where the plane was registered. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) has decided to develop an integrated township 'Khalapur Smart City', entailing an investment of Rs 7,909 crore. The Corporation today signed an MoU with three civic bodies, including Khalapur Nagar Panchayat, Kalote Mokashi Gram Panchayat and Nadode Gram Panchayat, representing 11 villages, at a 'Make in India' Week event to develop the township project. A special purpose vehicle 'Khalapur SPV' has been formed for the project, which would be developed on the lines of CIDCO's Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), a statement issued here said. The 11 villages, namely Khalapur, Mahad, Shiravali, Nimbode, Vanve, Nadode, Nigdoli, Kalote Mokashi, Kalote Rayati, Vinegaon and Kandroli Turf Wankhal, have taken the initiative to voluntarily pool land totalling around 3,550 hectares for the project. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 7,909 crore, of which the SPV would invest Rs 3,287 crore for developing internal infrastructure, while CIDCO would contribute Rs 4,622 crore towards city and peripheral-level infrastructure, the statement said. The SPV would allocate 40 per cent land towards the project for developing physical and social infrastructure and growth centres, it said. The growth centres, city and peripheral-level infrastructure would be developed by CIDCO in the next 10 years in phased manner, after receiving approval for the Khalapur Smart City Project Development Plan by the state, it said. The development of physical infrastructure on 60 per cent of the land would be the responsibility of the SPV. The work on the project is expected to commence by 2017, it said. Apart from this, the Corporation has also signed MoUs with 11 developers, with an investment potential of about Rs 29,000 crore to develop township projects in the NAINA region. "This will further enhance several investments and business opportunities in the region," the release stated. The state-owned CIL is getting ready to start auction of coal linkages to the non-power sector, including steel and cement, either by March-end or early April. "We are looking to begin the auction of coal linkages by either March-end or early April," a Coal India (CIL) official said. The government had this week issued broad guidelines for the methodology of the auction. The state-owned firm will finalise the quantity to be put up for sale after assessing the requirements from various sectors such as steel, cement and sponge iron, among others, the official said. "The process of coal linkage auction is under way," he said. Taking forward the process, the government had earlier said the initial floor price will be at the relevant CIL Run of Mine (ROM) figure and bidders will bid for a premium above that for relevant grade. ROM is the coal delivered from the mine that reports to the coal preparation plant and is not graded according to quality or size. The ROM price to be paid will be suitably indexed by CIL/Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for subsequent years. The successful bid premium shall remain constant over the contract period. The maximum bid quantity by a particular bidder shall not exceed the normative requirement of the end use plant, the ministry had said, adding that CIL/SCCL will chalk out an annual or six-monthly auction calendar. In a bid to ensure supplies and a level-playing field to non-regulated sectors, the government had earlier this month said the same will be provided to them only through the auction. The government is planning to auction coal linkages of around 24 million tonnes in the first year. Democratic presidential front- runner Hillary Clinton and her sole primary rival senator Bernie Sanders are in a "dead heat" among possible caucus- goers in Nevada, while Donald Trump has a whopping 26-point lead over his Republican rivals, latest polls showed. According to a CNN/ORC poll, overall, 48 per cent of likely caucus attendees in Nevada support Clinton, while Sanders is supported by 47 per cent. Both candidates carry their demographic strong points from prior states into Nevada, with Clinton holding an edge among women, while Sanders tops the former secretary of state among voters under age 55, the poll said. Clinton narrowly won the Iowa Caucus, while Sanders won the New Hampshire Caucus by a huge margin. However, Clinton holds a commanding lead over Sanders in South Carolina. As per the average of all major polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.Com, Clinton has an advantage of nearly 14 per cent against Sanders. In the polls among Republican caucus-goers, real estate mogul Trump has support of 45 per cent, and leads by a massive 26 percentage points over his nearest rival senator Marco Rubio from Florida, who has support of 19 per cent, followed by Senator Ted Cruz (17 per cent) and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (7 per cent). In a bid to increase the market share of its non-carbonated drinks, beverage major Coca-Cola India today said it plans to make its mango fruit juice product 'Maaza' a USD 1 billion brand (in retail sales) from India by 2023. "Since 1993, when we brought Maaza into the Coca-Cola family, we have invested to make it the largest juice brand in the country," Venkatesh Kini, president of Coca-Cola India said here today. "As we embark on the mission of turning Maaza into the world's first USD 1 billion juice drink brand coming out of India, we visualise the multiplier effect that it can have on agriculture, and the food processing sector. "Only 20 per cent of the market has tasted Maaza so far, and we have another 80 per cent to go," he added. The resource infusion behind Maaza is part of the USD 5 billion investment plan of the Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers in India between 2012 and 2020. The bottlers are setting up five greenfield projects over the next two years, in addition to 57 bottling plants that already exist, at least 50 per cent of which will have manufacturing lines for Maaza over the next few years, the company said. Non-carbonated drinks account for about a third of Coca-Cola revenues in India, Kini said. Coca-Cola and its bottlers will invest in enhancing the brand by launching affordable, value for money juice packs, expanding distribution and augmenting manufacturing to double Maaza sales by 2023. "Coca-Cola and its bottlers are therefore embarking on an ambitious plan to accomplish in eight years, what they haven't achieved in the last four decades," the company statement said. Coca-Cola and its bottlers annually procure 70,000 metric tonnes of mango pulp worth Rs 500 crore. In 2023, if Maaza reaches its target of USD 1 billion, Coca-Cola estimates that it will end up procuring over 1.4 lakh metric tonnes of mango pulp annually, worth nearly Rs 1,100 crore, thereby helping over 1 lakh farmers. Coca-Cola is also looking at doubling sales of Minute Maid, its orange flavoured fruit-based drink, in the next three years to Rs 1,000 crore, Kini said. Currently, Coke, 7up, Maaza, Kinley, Sprite, and Thumsup are among the Coca-Cola brands which have revenues of over Rs 1,000 crore. Colombia's national police chief resigned today, caught up in a male prostitution scandal that has also seen the country's deputy interior minister quit his post. The latest resignation came a day after prosecutors launched a probe into allegations that police officials ran a male prostitution network from 2004 to 2008. Police chief Rodolfo Palomino, 58, who is accused of creating the ring, made a public appearance with his wife and children in which he said he was resigning "in the absolute and full certainty that I am not guilty of any of the charges against me." "Faced with the known facts... I have made the decision with my family and with the police generals to ask the president to remove me from my post," he said, drawing applause from supporters. Prosecutors said in a statement yesterday they were investigating Palomino over the "creation and running of an alleged male prostitution network known in the media as 'The Fellowship of the Ring.'" A video broadcast by Colombian media supposedly shows deputy interior minister Carlos Ferro in 2008, when he was a senator, discussing male prostitutes. Ferro, 53, resigned yesterday over that video, sources close to the case told AFP. The state prosecution service is headed by Alejandro Ordonez, a conservative political opponent of President Juan Manuel Santos. A city-based advocate has filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments of Hindus by posting a cartoon over JNU row on Twitter, police said today. K Karuna Sagar, in a complaint lodged with Saroornagar Police Station yesterday, said that the Delhi CM had posted a cartoon over the JNU row on Twitter which was carried by an English daily. He alleged that the cartoon "hurt" his religious sentiments and also the sentiments of crores of Hindus, and sought for necessary action against Kejriwal by registering a case, Inspector S Lingaiah said. "No case has been registered so far...The complaint has been forwarded for legal opinion. We will act accordingly based on the legal opinion," the Inspector said. Kejriwal had posted a cartoon yesterday which depicted a Hanuman-esque figure assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi that public attention has been diverted towards JNU from other pressing issues. Congress has filed a special leave petition in Supreme Court challenging Speaker C Sazo's rejection of the disqualification petition against eight Congress MLAs, who had merged with Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) in November last year. "We have filed a petition in Supreme Court on February 9 challenging the order of State Assembly Speaker allowing the merger of eight Congress MLAs with NPF, thereby, disposing the disqualification petition against the Congress MLAs," Nagaland PCC ad hoc president K Therie told PTI here today. He said following the merger of the 8 MLAs on November 20 last year, the Speaker had disposed the September 4 petition filed by Congress in accordance with a 2014 ruling of Gauhati High Court. The Speaker had passed the order on November 21, 2015, saying the eight MLAs are protected against disqualification on defection ground. Therie said though all the 8 Congress MLAs had merged with ruling NPF, the original Congress Party had not resolved to merge with NPF. Therefore, they would attract disqualification, he said, adding "upholding the 10th schedule of Constitution, we have filed the petition in Supreme Court and we are hopeful that justice will be delivered as per the law." Following the merger of the 8 Congress MLAs with ruling Nagaland Peoples Front, there is no opposition in Nagaland Assembly. Rajasthan Public Works Minister Yoonus Khan today accused the Opposition Congress of "misleading" people of the state on issues of development including that of setting up of refinery. Khan, who was in the Tonk district to inaugurate a bridge, said that the Congress leaders have no issues to raise so they are levelling "misleading" allegations. He alleged that former chief minister Ashok Gehlot was responsible for stalling the oil refinery project. Khan alleged that Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot was misleading people of the state on the utility of the recently launched Mukhymantri Jal Swavalamban Yojna which is aimed at making villages of the state self reliant in water availability. Earlier, Khan inaugurated Negadia bridge in Niwai which is constructed over Banas river and connects Kekdi (Ajmer) with Deoli (Tonk). Bill Cosby's criminal sexual-assault case appears to be headed toward an evidence hearing after a judge denied his latest effort to throw the charges out. In a ruling yesterday, the judge who refused to dismiss the case earlier this month denied Cosby's appeal of that decision. The 78-year-old TV star is accused of drugging and violating an ex-Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004 and could get 10 years in prison if convicted. The defense insists Cosby had a promise from a previous district attorney that he would never be charged over the 2004 encounter. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill, though, found the evidence of such an agreement lacking after hearing from the ex-prosecutor and others at a two-day hearing. He said the issue doesn't warrant an immediate appeal that would delay the scheduled March 8 preliminary hearing. "An immediate appeal from these orders would not materially advance the ultimate termination of the matter," the judge wrote in a brief order. A spokesman for Cosby's lawyers said it was unclear if they would appeal to the state Superior Court. Cosby's lawyers have argued that the charges stem from a political feud between former District Attorney Bruce L Castor Jr, who had declined to arrest Cosby a decade ago, and Kevin Steele, who invoked the case as he campaigned against Castor last fall. Steele won the race for district attorney and filed charges against Cosby in December, days before the filing deadline expired. Dozens of women in recent years have come forward and accused Cosby of sexual impropriety spanning decades. Cosby, who played Dr Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992 and has been married for decades, has denied the women's accusations. The statute of limitations has expired in most of the cases against him. Cosby, whose legal residence is in western Massachusetts, remains free on USD 1 million bail. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that Delhi Police is "openly flouting" Supreme Court orders and wondered what instructions Commissioner BS Bassi has from his "bosses" after an attack on JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar and mediapersons at Patiala Court premises. The chief minister also said he has sought time from the President to discuss the law and order situation in the national capital. The Commissioner is acting "brazenly", Kejriwal alleged while seeking to know what was the "source of his (Bassi's) confidence". "Delhi Police openly flouting SC orders. Bassi acting so brazenly. What is source of his confidence? What instructions does he have from his bosses?," Kejriwal tweeted. In another tweet, he said, "Delhi law and order situation fast deteriorating. Have sought time from Hon'ble President to discuss the situation." Kanhaiya, who is named in a sedition case, and reporters were today attacked by a group of lawyers when the students' union leader was being produced at the the Patiala House Court complex, where similar scenes had unfolded earlier this week. Supreme Court had earlier today directed the Commissioner to ensure adequate security at the court complex where Kanhaiya was to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. Later, following the attack on the JNU leader and mediapersons on the court premises, the apex court rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the situation on the ground. "We are concerned about the law and order situation," a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh informed the court about the fresh violence, including the assault on Kanhaiya. Raising slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and waving the tricolour, the lawyers -- including Vikram Chauhan and some others, who had allegedly attacked journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the Patiala court two days back -- today marched to the court complex. One of the journalists, identified as Anwar of CNN IBN, said despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the police presence did not deter the lawyers from raising slogans and clashing with journalists and students. (Reopens DEL62) Kejriwal later tweeted "Had Delhi Police been under our control, then those raising slogans against Mother India and pseudo patriots goons would have been in jail. They (Centre) are not able to handle both." The CM has been demanding from the Centre to hand over the Delhi Police to the city government. Last week, the AAP government had ordered a magisterial probe into the alleged shouting of anti-India slogans by a group of students at the JNU here. Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. The Israeli government recently allotted nearly USD 26 million in this year's budget to combat what it sees as worldwide efforts to "delegitimize" the Jewish state's right to exist. Some of the funds are earmarked for Israeli tech companies, many of them headed by former military intelligence officers, for digital initiatives aimed at gathering intelligence on activist groups and countering their efforts. "I want to create a community of fighters," said Sima Vaknin-Gil, the director general of Israel's Ministry for Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, to Israeli tech developers at a forum last month dedicated to the topic. Initiatives are largely being kept covert. Participants at the invite-only forum, held on the sidelines of a cyber technology conference, repeatedly stood up to remind people that journalists were in the room. Among the government officials involved in the efforts are some of Israel's top secret-keepers, including Sima Shine, a former top official in the Mossad spy agency, and Vaknin-Gil, who recently retired as the chief military censor responsible for gag orders on state secrets. Israel has established itself as a world leader in cyber technology innovation, fueled by graduates of prestigious and secretive military and security intelligence units. These units are widely thought to be behind some of the world's most advanced cyber-attacks, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked Iran's nuclear energy equipment last decade. Each year, these units churn out a talent pool of Israelis who translate their skills to the corporate world. Now Israel is looking to harness their technological prowess for the fight to protect Israel's international image. Vaknin-Gil said her ministry is encouraging initiatives to expose the funding and curb the activities of anti-Israel activists, as well as campaigns to "flood the Internet" with content that puts a positive face on Israel. She said some of these actions will not be publicly identified with the government, but that the ministry will not fund unethical or illegal digital initiatives. Established about 10 years ago, the pro-Palestinian "BDS" campaign is a coalition of organisations that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organisers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups to liberal Jews disillusioned by Israeli policies. They lobby corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel. CPI(M) MP M B Rajesh today claimed that he had received threats and abusive calls after he came out in support of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on sedition charges. In a Facebook post, Rajesh criticised the BJP and Sangh Parivar for the arrest and had also questioned the alliance of PDP-BJP in Jammu Kashmir. He had also sought answers for 10 questions from the BJP. Rajesh said he had first got a call from a person at midnight yesterday stating that he wanted to talk something important to him. The caller, identifying himself as Biju, wanted to know why he was "supporting anti-national and Pakistani forces". Though he discontinued the conversation and switched off his mobile, the man called him repeatedly on his landline also. He said the caller had been identified and he would file a police complaint soon. A 39-year old CPI(M) worker, who suffered a minor injury in a clash with BJP activists here on February 14, died in his sleep today, police said. Shibu, a fisherman from Pallipuram area near Cherthala in the district, had gone to sleep last night, but did not wake up this morning. Police said Shibu suffered a minor injury in the clash between CPI(M) and BJP activists. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment and discharged a day later. Noticing that Sibhu remained motionless despite being roused, he was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said, adding, the cause of death would be known only after post-mortem. Following the death of Shibu, a hartal called by local CPI(M) leaders was observed in Cherthala taluk today. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) is expected to get about 30 per cent higher budgetary allocation at over Rs 20,000 crore for the next fiscal for implementation of key schemes including newly launched crop insurance programme. Under the Union Agriculture Ministry, there are three departments -- Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and Department of Agricultural Research and Education. DAC has received an allocation of Rs 15,500 crore for the current fiscal against budget estimate of Rs 16,646 crore. Sources said the DAC has sought over Rs 27,000 crore budget for 2016-17 fiscal keeping in view the implementation of major schemes, especially Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMSKY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojan (PMFBY) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Krishi Unnati Yojana. "The agriculture ministry is pursuing with Finance Ministry to allocate more funds in order to achieve the desired growth. It is indicated that the plan budgetary allocation for DAC may cross Rs 20,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal," the sources added. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the 2016-17 Budget on February 29. More funds are expected to be allocated for new crop insurance scheme, PMSKY and RKVY. However, the budget allocation for the Krishi Unnati Yojana (KUY) is expected to be lower at around Rs 7,000 crore in the 2016-17 fiscal, as against Rs 7,500 crore this year, they said. The KUY, which was launched in 2015-16 by consolidating various on-going schemes for better implementation, has sub-schemes like soil health management, horticulture, agriculture mechanisation, seeds and extension among others. The agriculture ministry has informed the finance ministry that any reduction in KUY would impact implementation of sub-schemes including soil health card programme, the sources said. Quick and efficient implementation of crop insurance and irrigation schemes are crucial as the country is reeling under back-to-back drought and facing challenges of climate change. Although agriculture contributes only about 13-14 per cent to the country's GDP, about 50 per cent of the population is dependent on the farm sector. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today launched the subsidy scheme for e-rickshaws as he announced financial assistance of Rs 30,000 by the Delhi government for retrofitting and registration of the vehicles. Addressing a rally of e-rickshaw drivers at Chhatrasal stadium, Kejriwal asserted that his government is "pro-poor" and said, "You voted us to power and now it is our responsibility to look after you." On the occasion, he distributed cheques of Rs 15,000 to 26 drivers who have already registered their e rickshaws with the transport department. He also thanked Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for supporting Delhi government's endeavour by extending time limit for registration of e rickshaws. "We thank Nitin Gadkari for extending last date of registration which is March 31 by which all e rickshaws must be registered," Kejriwal said. The chief minister has directed the transport department to develop parking facilities for e-rickshaws, which he termed as "the best mode of transport" for saving environment. He also invited e-rickshaw drivers to his residence tomorrow morning to hear their problems. Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai, who was present at the rally, said his department will organise special camps from March 9 for registration which will go on till March 31. A total of 3,000 e rickshaw drivers who have already registered their vehicles at 13 regional transport offices in the city have been provided cheques for Rs 15,000 as subsidy. There are 4,600 e rickshaws registered with transport department of Delhi which are eligible for the subsidy. The government will give financial assistance of Rs 30,000 to those e-rickshaw drivers who are yet to register their old vehicles after retrofitting as per norms of the Transport department. JNU-based Democratic Students Federation (DSF) today hit out at Delhi Police for describing it as a "hidden" students group that engages in "anti- national" activities on the campus. Around 19 students associated with the Democratic Students Union (DSU) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) are under the scanner following some "specific" inputs, police has said. But while the report names office-bearers of DSF, including former JNUSU President Lenin Kumar, the organisation they belong to is mentioned as Democratic Students 'Front' instead of 'Federation'. "We are an open and democratic students' organisation functioning in JNU since 2012. V Lenin Kumar was the President of the JNU students' union in 2012-13, when it spearheaded the anti-gang rape movement in Delhi in December 2012," DSF said in a statement. "All the activities attributed to the DSF in the report are patently false, mischievous and clearly aimed at tarnishing our image and making us targets of repression. We challenge the Delhi Police to provide even a shred of evidence regarding the activities attributed to us in the special branch report," it said. The police report says, "Two hidden student groups i.E. Democratic Students Union and Democratic Students Front have been found volatile and reactive. They are found indulging in anti- and anti-social activities." Kumar said the forum was neither involved as organisers of the February 9 programme on Afzal Guru nor was any of its members present during the incident. "DSF has clearly condemned the divisive slogans raised during the programme. We appeal to all concerned to see through the devious political designs underlying this special branch report and the timing behind its release to the media," he said. Information Technology company Dell today submitted a proposal to the Andhra Pradesh Government for initiating a technology-driven education system in the state from the next academic year. A Dell delegation met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here this afternoon and made a presentation on improving the educational standards in schools using technology, a press release from the Chief Minister's Office stated. Naidu asked Dell to come up with concrete proposals and plan of action that would be beneficial to the 72 lakh students in government and private schools in the state. The government was keen on reforming the education system by introducing a new educational policy from the 2016-17 academic year, he said. "If you come up with concrete proposals, we will entrust the responsibility of implementing the new education policy to you," Naidu told the delegation. The Dell representatives told the chief minister they were ready to partner with the state government in this regard and would come up with their proposals by June, the release added. Dell is working on projects in Brazil and Pakistan to improve educational standards in schools. The company was implementing a project in Haryana for the last two years and that was yielding good results, according to representatives of the company. "The school education system is better in Andhra Pradesh compared to other states. We will help the state in introducing international standards of education to make it a knowledge hub and place it among the top three in the country in the next five years," the delegation said. Naidu said good ideas should be effectively implemented. Only then the state will be able to produce better results. The Madras High Court has ruled that dismissed employees were entitled to encash their "earned or privilege leave" accumulated over the years. Justice D Hariparanthaman, allowing a petition filed by General Manager of Thanjavur District Central Cooperative Bank, who was dismissed from service, said employees can encash their earned leave on the day of retirement irrespective of the pendency of any disciplinary proceedings against them. The court heldthat Earned Leave encashment is a right equal to the right to property guaranteed under Article 300 A of the Constitution and it cannot be deprived. "Hence, the encashment of the same cannot be deprived on dismissal from service," the judge noted. Petitioner T Veeravinothan was denied the benefit on the ground that only retired employees were entitled for encashment of leave. Having joined the bank in 1976, he had 138 days of Earned Leave to his credit when he was dismissed in 2010. The judge directed the bank to disburse the corresponding amount working out to over Rs 2.28 lakh within six weeks. The Madras High court today directed the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Delhi, not to take any 'precipitating action' over basmati rice produce from Madhya Pradesh and areas where it is now grown till a decision is taken on a petition before it. After hearing the senior counsel for Madhya Pradesh, the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, observed that the issue sought to be raised was that while some states had been included in toto, what should have been actually done was to include specified areas of concerned states where cultivation of basmati rice goes on. The bench stated this in view of a decision to be taken with regard to specified areas which have to be included in the Geographical Indications (GI) tag. It was hearing a petition filed by Madhya Pradesh, represented by the Additional Director of Agriculture Department, seeking to quash the February 5 2016 proceedings of The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) here. IPAB had held, among other things, that APEDA, a statutory body, is entitled to getting GI tag for basmati rice in respect of the area and region specified in certified copies of maps annexed with its GI application. Consequently, the Assistant Registrar, GI Registry, Chennai, shall proceed with the registration and issue the certificate of registrationwithin four weeks, IPAB had said. This order was challenged by Madhya Pradesh. Senior state counsel for MP submitted that the issue of including certain areas of the state as basmati-growing should be examined by the Assistant Registrar of GI (ARGI) in view of IPAB's order. There were already directions to conclude that aspect within six months, he said. The bench, after hearing the arguments, issued notice to counsel of IPAB and other authorities. The counsel contended that such a plea cannot not be raised in proceedings before ARGI and could be done before this court as a consequence of the impugned order. The court noted that MP had never assailed the earlier order of ARGI and had thus lost its right to raise this issue, as otherwise they could always do so before ARGI, subject to meeting the conditions required to do so. It then adjourned the matter to April 5 and directed the authorities concerned to file their replies by then. Against the backdrop of the raging JNU controversy, Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria today said educational institutions should take forward the spirit of nationalism and social consciousness. "If Skill India has to take shape, teachers and educational institutes have an important role to play. I hope that our institutions and students take forward the spirit of nationalism and social consciousness. With this, they will grow and discharge their responsibilities towards the society and the nation," Katheria, Minister of State in the Human Resources Department said. Speaking at the 9th ASSOCHAM Higher Education Summit 2016 here, the minister emphasised on the importance of research in educational institutions. "We should see how we can take the research forward and teachers play an important role in this. The government recently held a national-level meeting on how quality of teachers can be improved," he said. The minister, however, parried questions on the ongoing Jawaharlal Lal University (JNU) row. The education experts present at the event pitched for greater autonomy to scholars and reducing bureaucratic control over educational institutes. Scholars also emphasised on the importance of a synergy between Indian industry and universities. "There is a need to have a community of scholars who need to be apolitical, but can still give good political education. They should not get involved in petty politics. It is important to pursue truth," said Prof Sudanshu Bhushan of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). Bhushan said it was the job of the state to ensure freedom as it was in its own interest. "It is in the interest of the state to be the guardian of higher education. If there is no freedom, it kills the soul of learning and teaching process," Bhushan said. Arun K Grover, Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University said, "To realise the Skill India and Make in India programmes, it is crucial to integrate the industry and academic institutions in the country. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today vowed Turkey would not allow the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria, saying there was no question of Turkish forces stopping their bombardment of Syrian Kurdish fighters. "We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border" with Syria, Erdogan said in a televised speech in Ankara, referring to the mountain in northern Iraq which for years has been stronghold of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. "They (the West) tell us to stop shelling" the Kurdish fighters in Syria, Erdogan said after Turkey hit their positions for the last four days in a row. "Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing. Whoever fires shells on Turkey will get not just a tit-for-tat response but an even greater one," he added. Erdogan renewed his assault on the United States, which supports the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia as the best fighting force on the ground against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. "The fact that the United States is continuing to support the YPG is something I find hard to understand," said Erdogan. "Aren't we NATO allies?" he said, addressing Washington. "Are you our friend or the friend of the PYD?" "We know that we need friends. But if you don't see us as friends then please say it loud and clear." Washington recognises the PKK as a terror group but not the PYD and YPG. But Erdogan said the links between the PKK and PYD were as tight as those between Al-Qaeda and its affiliate Al-Nusra Front. Erdogan said Turkey would "not allow... The provocative" steps taken by the Syrian Kurds in the northern Aleppo province where their advance has greatly alarmed Turkey. Turkey fears the Syrian Kurds want to carve out a continuous autonomous region in northern Syria stretching from the Iraqi border almost to the Mediterranean. Ankara also accuses the PYD of becoming a proxy of its regional foe Russia and working specifically to harm Turkish interests. "We will not hesitate to take the necessary steps against all terror organisations in Syria," said Erdogan. "If someone is trying to test the limits of Turkey's patience then they should know this limit has been reached." A senior Turkish official said Tuesday that Turkey was in favour of a ground operation in Syria to end the fighting, but only in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. Erdogan said: "We are not in search of an adventure and we are not seeking to throw someone else into an adventure. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko's party today quit Ukraine's ruling pro-Western coalition after the government survived a no-confidence vote, accusing it of being a stooge of shadowy tycoons. The fiery former 2004 pro-EU Orange Revolution co-leader's Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party is the smallest of the four groups that comprised the ruling majority in Ukraine's increasingly splintered chamber. Fifteen of her party's 19 lawmakers voted in favour of Prime Minister Viktor Yatsenyuk's dismissal yesterday. But deputies only mustered 194 of the 226 votes needed in the 450-seat parliament to force the government out. "This morning, the Batkivshchyna party has made the only decision possible -- to leave the coalition", Tymoshenko wrote on Facebook. She also called on other deputies "who care about the country" to follow suit. "We must clearly state that the pro-European coalition in parliament never existed," she added in a statement released by her party. Tymoshenko further accused lawmakers comprising the ruling majority of following the orders of shady businessmen "who formed the government and ruled the country." Her decision may complicate the government's ability to push through reforms sought by Ukraine's Western allies and the International Monetary Fund before they release new disbursements of vital financial aid. But deputies have previously often broken party ranks when it was time to enact important laws. Tymoshenko served as prime minister in 2005 and then again between 2007 and 2010 under former pro-Western president Viktor Yushchenko. She lost a bruising presidential election to her Russian-backed rival Viktor Yanukovych in 2010 and was subsequently jailed for nearly three years on disputed corruption charges. Tymoshenko won her freedom during Ukraine's historic February 2014 pro-Western revolution that toppled Yanukovych and forced him into self-imposed exile in Russia. But she came in a distant second behind Petro Poroshenko in presidential polls held in May 2014. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure initiation of steps for setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in the state without any delay. In a letter to Modi, she referred to a Central team's visit to Tamil Nadu in April last year for inspecting five suitable locations for an AIIMS Hospital. "However, so far the final decision of where the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu would be set up is yet to be communicated (to her government)", she said. "I request you to expedite the announcement of location of the AIIMS in Tamil Nadu and to ensure that the construction and establishment of AIIMS is initiated without any further delay", she said. Jayalalithaa recalled that after an announcement in the Union Budget for 2014-15 that new All India Institute of Medical Sciences would be set up in different places in the country, she requested one such Institute for Tamil Nadu. "In response, in the Union Budget 2015-16, the establishment of an AIIMS in Tamil Nadu was announced." She had also indicated then that the state had already identified the required land in Thanjavur, Kancheepuram, Pudukottai, Erode and Madurai districts. The Chief Minister said the "prestigious project will provide State-of-the-art medical facilities and services" to the people of Tamil Nadu and requested steps for expediting the project. Lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan today once again led a group of his colleagues in unleashing a brazen attack on journalists and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Courts complex, days after they were caught on camera thrashing scribes and JNU students and teachers branding them as "anti-nationals". The group led by Chauhan, the face of both the assaults, attacked journalists and Kumar, in open defiance of an order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at the court complex. Despite restrictions by the Supreme Court, the lawyers managed to enter the court complex and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. All the while, journalists alleged, police looked the other way. When contacted, Chauhan wondered why he was being "targeted" while those chanting anti-India slogans have been made "heroes". "Why are you not questioning them?" he asked. "These JNU people had sent their goons to the court premises today as well. They raised anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. Following that a section of the lawyers voiced opposition to their acts. We were provoked," he said. Another lawyer identified as Surendra Tyagi boasted about their action, saying "we have done our job for today". Chauhan alleged that a rival group of lawyers was trying to attack him. "They are trying to beat us up and we don't even respond?" Police has limited its action against Chauhan to merely summoning him despite the presence of visual evidence of his involvement in assaults on Monday and today which triggered outrage and attracted widespread condemnation. When asked about police inaction, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi only said summons have been issued to three lawyers, including Chauhan. BJP MLA O P Sharma was also caught on camera beating a CPI activist on Monday but police is yet to take any action against him. Parents of a Mumbai engineer jailed in Pakistan for alleged espionage have requested authorities in the neighbouring country to show compassion and release him on humanitarian grounds. "I appeal to Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics," said Fauzia Ansari, mother of 31-year-old engineering and management graduate, Hamid Ansari, who has been sentenced to jail for three years by a Pakistani court. Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. Ansari's parents had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in a Pakistani court when they came to know in January that their son was in the custody of the Pakistan Army. He was convicted on Sunday in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and was shifted to Peshawar Central Prison. "On January 13, we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan Army's custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India," said 55-year-old Fauzia. "We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely," said Fauzia, who recently underwent an ankle surgery after she met with an accident. "We are confident that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young guy like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail," she said. "I am not sure what crime my son has committed. As per his chats with his friends from Pakistan on Facebook before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was a victim of a social evil," said Fauzia, who is a Hindi lecturer in a junior college here and has undergone an ankle surgery after she met with an accident while crossing a road. Ansari's father's Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manager and elder brother Khalid Ansari (32) is a dental surgeon. ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose NGO has also been involved in efforts to locate the youth, said, "We thank those in India and Pakistan who worked ceaselessly to trace Hamid." "We are convinced he is innocent. He went there to meet his beloved whom he befriended on Facebook. He had absolutely no intention of getting into spying activities," Kulkarni told Accusing Congress and "some other parties" of misusing educational institutions for political interests, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today claimed the fight over an "anti-national" event at JNU is between "Break India and Build India". Addressing a BJP protest at Jantar Mantar here against alleged anti- slogans raised at JNU campus, Naqvi said "anti- activities by students at JNU and some other places is a conspiracy to malign India's global image." He alleged that after having failed to misguide people over the "so-called issue of intolerance", Congress and some other political parties are now misusing educational institutes for their narrow political interests. According to a press release issued here, Naqvi claimed that efforts had been made earlier to harm India's global image by raising the so-called intolerance issue and staging "award return drama" during India-Africa Forum Summit. "Now, same efforts to malign India's image are being done by some anti- elements. They want to create hurdle in the way of nation's progress and employment for youth," the Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs said. He said the events at JNU and some other places are a fight between "Break India" and "Build India". JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case after an event was held on February 9 to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. The arrest sparked massive outrage among students and criticism from non-BJP parties. Slamming opposition parties, Naqvi said it is "unfortunate" that some of them are supporting and defending anti-national elements. Educational institutions, he said, should be kept away from caste, community, religion and . The minister asserted that fundamental rights including freedom of speech and expression are absolutely safe under the NDA government but anti-national activities cannot be allowed. He asked whether freedom of speech constituted "making slogans in favour of terrorist Afzal Guru" in whose case all legal procedures were followed. "Whether supporting anti-national activities and anti-national elements is not sedition? Whether demanding 'freedom' of Kashmir, an integral part of India, is not sedition? Whether making slogans such as 'Bharat ki barbadi tak jang rahegi jari' (revolution till India is ruined) is not sedition? Are these activities not anti-national?" he asked. Naqvi said political parties who are defending such anti-national elements should apologise. Renowned film director Priyadarshan and his wife, cine artist Lissy, today arrived at a 'Memo of Compromise' in the Madras High Court on various issues pending before different courts, including their divorce, criminal and civil matters. Justice K K Sasidharan, before whom the memo was entered into, permitted Priyadarshan to manage a theatre tillMarch 31 2016. It would be handed over to Lissy with all the fixtures, equipment and furniture on the evening of that day. He agreed to the terms. The civil suit was filed by Priyadarshan against Lissy, praying for a decree declaring that he is the absolute owner of a residential property in Nungambakkam and another non- residential property with a preview theatre in it. When the interlocutory applications came up for hearing before Justice Sasidharan, he had directed both the parties to appear before him to ascertain the feasibility of a settlement. They had appeared before the judge on January 12. As they had ruled out reconciliation, the Judge had taken the next step to arrive at a modality to part on friendly terms. Both agreed and had suggested the terms and discussed pending issues and modalities of the settlement through counsel. Priyadarshan had agreed for divorce by mutual consent if Lissy withdrew charges in the pending divorce petition and they agreed to settle the matter. Lissy had also agreed to withdraw pending proceedings. Thereafter, issues regarding division of properties were discussed and an amicable settlement was arrived at. Both then appeared before the Judge on January 28, discussed the terms settled earlier and agreed to the proposal to resolve the dispute. The memorandum of compromise was then drafted. They had agreed to file a joint petition for divorce by mutual consent on or before February 17and appear before the concerned family court till decree of divorce was granted. The family court had adjourned the matter to this date. The Bombay High Court today directed the producer and director of film "Dark Chocolate", based on Sheena Bora murder case, not to release any material apart from its already released trailer on internet, pending hearing on a plea of arrested accused Peter Mukerjea's sister. Peter Mukerjea's sister Shangom Das Gupta filed a petition in the high court seeking stay on the release of the Bengali movie "Dark Chocolate", on the ground that it would hamper Peter's opportunity for a fair and impartial trial. Senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for Shangom, told a division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and G S Patel that Peter could not file the petition himself as he is presently in jail, and hence the verification process could not be done. "We will initiate the process and include Peter as the second petitioner," Dhond said. Meanwhile, the movie's Kolkata-based director Agnidev Chaterjee, who was present in court, informed the bench that the shooting of the movie is over and it is presently in the post-production stage. "The movie should be ready in roughly about 20 days after which it would be sent to the censor board for certification. The trailer of the movie has been released on Youtube as part of the promotional activity," he said. The court asked the director and the producer company Macneill Engineering Studios not to release any further material or video of the movie on the internet. "Other than what has been already released, nothing further should be released. We want to ensure that the accused Peter Mukerjea is not deprived of a fair opportunity to put forth his case before this court," the HC said. The bench has posted the petition for hearing after two weeks and asked the respondents to file their reply affidavits. In the film, Mahima Chaudhary plays the role of Indrani Mukerjea and Riya Sen will be seen as the victim and Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora. The cash-starved national carrier has finally succeeded in monetising its past headquarters -- the 23-storey Air India Towers -- in the heart of the megapolis with just one floor being empty now and the rental income touching Rs 100 crore. Most floors of the sea-facing 344 feet tall, centrally air-conditioned building measuring 2,20,000 sq ft on the historic Marine Drive in the Nariman Point area built in 1974, had been lying vacant for many years even when the flag carrier was headquartered in the building. In February 2013, the airline under the then chairman Rohit Nandan decided to shift its base to New Delhi. The irony is that neck-deep in debt, the airline with over Rs 30,000 crore long-term aircraft purchase loans and over Rs 30,000 crore in accumulated losses, has been spending close to Rs 90 crore a year to upkeep the tower. "We are left with just one vacant floor now. We have already rented out 8 floors to the Income Tax department, and 4 floors each to State Bank of India and the Service Tax department. We are talking to SBI for the remaining floor and hope to conclude this as well," Air India general manager for finance Kirti Rao told PTI here today. Each of these floors have a carpet area of around 10,000 sq ft and at average price of Rs 350 per sq ft, the tower is worth around Rs 900 crore. The company ruled out selling the building, but only renting it. Rao said with this the airline has just two floors with them in the tower. The rest of the floors are occupied by TCS, Director General of Shipping and Bharatiya Mahila Bank, which has half of the ground floor. TCS has been the oldest tenant on the building. The Air India Tower had the country's first escalator used in the ticket booking area, an underground two-layer parking facility, high speed elevators and fire-fighting equipment. Each floor had a lease price of Rs 2.50 per sq ft. The asset monetisation plan was part of the January 2012 bailout of the airline under which it would be infused with over Rs 33,000 crore of taxpayers money. As per the turnaround targets, AI is required to rent, sell or re-develop its properties to gather revenues of Rs 5,000 crore in the next 10 years. This includes 106 properties across the country, as well three in Tokyo and London. AI also has land parcels in Hong Kong, Nairobi, Mauritius, Mumbai, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata and Coimbatore, most of which are yet to be sold or leased. Rao also said that the airline also concluded the sale of four of its posh apartments on the Peddar Road in south Mumbai to SBI for Rs 88 crore. The new owner is yet to take possession of the flats, he added. When asked about the rentals of these floors, Rao said it varies from Rs 300 to 450 a square feet. On the rental income side, he said it should cross Rs 100 crore now. Meanwhile, chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani, who was roped-in six months ago to turn around the airline, expressed confidence to meet the March 2019 deadline, saying "we are well on track". Whether the airline will be able to report standalone profit in FY16 on the back of the massive drop in fuel bills, he said "unlikely", but refused to offer any reason. "We'll surely be Editda positive this year. But I am not sure of reporting profit for the full fiscal this year," Lohani told reporters today, adding that the airline has not paid back any of its working capital loans this year so far. Strangely, all the domestic airlines have been reporting record profits this year, boosted by cheap oil, which fell more than 70 per cent since June 2014. Lohani also parried a question on the revenue growth so far in the current fiscal year. Whether the airline will be able to conclude any more real estate monetisation plan this fiscal, Lohani answered in the negative without offering any specific reasons. Lohani was in town to open a new ticketing counter at the AI Towers here today. When asked why AI, which is sitting on a debt of over Rs 30,000 crore in air-craft purchase loans alone, is wasting money on refurbishing physical booking counters, he said booking counters will always remain though the future of booking is in the online space. He said already 18-20 per cent bookings are done through the official website and the rest is through a mix of physical as well as online travel portals and agents. Refusing to offer a break-up of physical bookings, he said around Rs 60 crore worth bookings are done manually every month. On the outcome of the probe into the death of a technician who got killed after getting sucked into the engine recently, Lohani said AI is not probing the incident, but the regulator is. He parried a question on whether the airline has replied to NHRC on the accident. A convoy carrying food and medicine arrived in a besieged rebel-held town close to Damascus today, the Red Crescent said, the first aid delivery since world powers agreed on humanitarian access across Syria. "The convoy has begun to enter Moadimayet al-Sham. There are 35 trucks carrying 8,800 sacks of flour, 4,400 food parcels, high energy foods and medical equipment," the Red Crescent's Muhannad al-Asadi told AFP. Officials from 17 countries met in Munich last week and agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access. The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said aid dispatched today to Moadimayet al-Sham and four other besieged towns was enough for 93,000 people. "Today, aid for 30,000 people will enter Moadimayet al-Sham. Other aid will be enough for one month for 42,000 in Madaya, and close to 1,000 in Zabadani," he said. Madaya and Zabadani, in Damascus province, are both besieged by Syrian regime forces. Hillo said supplies for 20,000 people were to be delivered to the Shiite towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, in northwestern Idlib province, which are surrounded by rebel forces. "Sieges need to be lifted wherever they are... It's unacceptable that such a country exists in this day and age," he added. A ceasefire is due to come into effect on Friday, but prospects of a lasting truce appear weak as a Russian-backed regime offensive around second city Aleppo has forced tens of thousands from their homes this month. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under siege, according to the UN. At least five people were killed and 10 people were wounded in a car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara today, the city's governor said. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles, Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said, quoted by the CNN-Turk and NTV channels. A Tirupati-bound Air Costa plane, with 111 passengers and crew on board, had to return to the airport here following a snag in its engine that developed a few minutes after take-off, an airline official said. The flight had taken off from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here at 2.45 pm and was supposed to land in Tirupati at 3.45 pm. "The pilot of the aircraft (flight LB671 Hyderabad- Tirupati) noticed technical glitch in the air and returned the flight to Hyderabad as he felt that the runway in Tirupati is not long enough for landing under the emergency circumstance," a senior official of the regional carrier said. There were 111 passengers and crew on board. After landing in Hyderabad, our engineering team examined the flight and fixed the problem, the official said, adding that within 15 minutes the plane again took off for Tirupati. (Reopens DES18) Later, British Airways said it was working to make the aircraft "air worthy". "We are very sorry for the delay to customers' travel plans and did all we could to fix the aircraft which had a technical fault before it was night stopped," British Airways said in a statement. The airline is doing all it can to fix the aircraft for its departure today, it said adding, "the safety of our customers and crew are always our top priorities and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so." "We provided hotel rooms overnight and refreshments for our customers," the release added. Former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari today condemned the attack on students and journalists by advocates in the Patiala House court premises. "Lawyers have a noble profession but only the profession has stayed noble while the professionals have changed," he said on the sidelines of the Sahitya Akademi's 'Samvatsar' lecture organised as part of its annual Festival of Letters. Asked about the students' protest at JNU, he said, "we shouldn't term a youngster as terrorist, we must try to understand his pain before labelling him or her a terrorist." "It is very easy to label someone as a terrorist before knowing anything about him or her," the former judge said. Dharmadhikari, a distinguished jurist and eminent Gandhi scholar, in his keynote address, expressed concern over the "fast vanishing" value systems in societies while shedding light on the problems that accompany the "modern and industrialised" lifestyle. He also said that the growing impact of technology on human lives is to an extent that, "instead of us using technology, it is technology that is driving us and bringing home many a new illnesses". In September 2014, Dharmadhikari had headed the state-appointed committee which recommended a "complete ban on bar girls in hotels and restaurants" in Maharashtra. His committee had also suggested to put restrictions on social media. Four absconding activists, who had fled from a jail in Madhya Pradesh in 2013, were arrested in Odisha early today. Officials said they were nabbed from Rourkela district after an exchange of fire with a joint team of Telangana and Odisha Police. Some ammunition has also been seized from them. Those apprehended have been identified as Mohd Khalid, Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussein and S Mahboob. The operatives of this banned outfit escaped from a jail in MP's Khandwa district in 2013 and police teams of multiple states have been looking for them since them. They were also on the radar of the Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with their probe cases, they said. A total of seven Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) cadres had escaped from the jail on October 1, 2013. While one had surrendered the very next day of the jail break, another was caught from Madhya Pradesh the same year. The remaining five had been at large since then. These men, led by their leader Faisal and an another prisoner, had made an audacious escape from the district jail in Khandwa after scaling a 14-foot wall. French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said today she would head the UN's COP21 climate forum after a long-time political rival, former foreign minister Laurent Fabius, stepped down from that role. French President Francois Hollande "offered me the opportunity yesterday to take on this responsibility, and I accepted," she told French television channel iTELE. A spokesman for Hollande's office confirmed the appointment but said a date had not been set. COP21 is the acronym for the 21st conference of parties to the UN climate arena. Its president comes from the country who hosts the forum's annual high-level gathering, and usually plays a key role in brokering agreements in the complex negotiations. Fabius, appointed in November, was hailed for shepherding the 195 nations to a historic deal in Paris that involves curbing carbon emissions and channelling hundreds of billions of dollars to poor countries exposed to climate change. He was pressured to relinquish the job on Monday after he stepped down as foreign minister and was named to head France's constitutional court. Critics argued that he could not simultaneously be on the court, which is supposed to be above the political fray, and also in charge of the COP, where politics and powerful interests collide. Royal, Hollande's former companion and the mother of their four children, was among the first to raise objections, calling for "the rules to be clarified" on double postings. In her new role, Royal will guide the first steps for implementing the December agreement, which set the ambitious goal of capping global warming at "well under two degrees Celsius" (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The 32-page deal also calls on rich nations to muster at least 100 billion dollars a year in climate aid from 2020. Just how that will happen has yet to be worked out. "We can't let the momentum slip," Royal told AFP. "There's a lot to do. I have already started." Among her priorities, she said, are putting a price on carbon and climate action in Africa. "Africa can be a laboratory for transitioning away from fossil fuels using solar, geothermal, hydroelectricity," she said. "We need a systematic approach, and we have to get moving before the end of 2016." Royal will also seek to highlight a signing ceremony for the agreement on April 22 at the United Nations in New York. She has said Hollande will attend and encourage other heads of state to join him. France will hands on the climate baton to Morocco, which will organise COP22 in Marrakesh from November 7 to 18. The Supreme Court today directed Delhi Police Chief B S Bassi to personally ensure safety and security of persons including arrested JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar,who is facing sedition charge, in Patiala House courts complex here after a fresh round of violence broke out. The order was given on a day of fast paced developments when the court had to step in and rush a six-member panel of advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes. After the panel gave an oral report mentioning that situation at the Patiala House Court was "unprecedented" and the "atmosphere was of fear and terrorising" and that Kumar was "manhandled", a bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre made it clear that "the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused." The panel claimed they bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who hurled abuses and expletives at them. "This particular atmosphere is unprecedented. Police did not do their job. The crowd broke the cordon and threw water bottles and sharp-edged flower pots on us. This is broadly the report," they said, adding that "there is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused and this police will be unable to save him." Inside the courtroom, the judges said, "We also direct that Commissioner of Police shall take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the accused until he is produced next before the trial court. "We may place on record that it is reported today by the members of the Committee that the accused was manhandled while he was produced before the Court today. We therefore make it clear that the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused," it said and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow. Kumar, who is facing sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, has been remanded in judicial custody by a Metropolitan court till March 2. The top court had earlier in the day issued directions to Police and the Delhi High Court Registry in the morning to ensure safe and smooth proceedings in the lower court but again had to step in in the afternoon after it was told that violence had erupted. The team of six senior lawyers comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit K Sinha and Harin Raval, was rushed by the bench in police protection to the lower court to assess the ground situation. Soon after the lunch recess at 2.15 pm, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan made an "extraordinary mention" in the court that inspite of the order passed in the forenoon, a tense situation is building up in the Patiala House Courts Complex, where a group of lawyers and others are resorting to violence threatening the security of Kanhaiya Kumar and his counsel. They informed that the Metropolitan Magistrate in the Patiala House Courts Complex where the proceedings were going on, in order to ensure the safety of those persons, has directed Kanhaiya and his counsel to take shelter in his chamber. The court noted the plea of the advocates that appropriate directions be given in the situation to rescue the accused and his lawyers and that even the five journalists who were allowed to attend the proceedings were feeling afraid of their safety. Taking on record the submission, the bench called upon senior advocate Ajit K Sinha, who was representing the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to contact him and obtain instructions within ten minutes as to the situation prevailing in the Patiala House Courts Complex. The court noted that despite making several calls Sinha was unable to contact the Police Commissioner, understandably because of the situation. Later, he contacted him and took instructions about the prevailing situation. Accordingly, the bench appointed six senior members of the Bar to proceed to the Patiala House Courts Complex and report the situation prevailing there. Noting all the developments, the bench said, "In the above mentioned circumstances, we thought it fit to depute some members of the Bar of this Court to observe the situation and report to this Court. We also believe the presence of the senior advocates might help defuse the tension." The bench also called the DCP (Security) of the Supreme Court complex Mahesh Bhardwaj and asked him to provide protection to the six-member panel for taking them to the apex court. The bench also orally asked Sinha to make a request to the magistrate that if needed the proceedings before him can be adjourned and those present inside the court room can be evacuated. The Rs 74,800-crore domestic auto component industry on Wednesday criticised the governments move to go for more free trade agreements (FTAs), saying it would only go against its Make in India drive and render the domestic industry uncompetitive. For Make in India, we should be competitive. We have not gained from any FTAs, Arvind Balaji, joint MD of Lucas TVS, and president of industry body Auto Components Manufacturers Association, told reporters in Mumbai at the ongoing Make in India Week. If we dont give a level-playing field, we wont achieve our full potential. The government is in discussion with the European Union (EU) and Australia for FTAs. The country already has such trade pacts with Asean. Because of the FTAs, he said, raw materials attracted higher import duty, while imports of finished goods had the lower levies, thus, making the sector uncompetitive. Dont handicap us and ask us to compete, he said, asserting that manufacturing resulted in value addition, which helped the domestic economy, whereas cheaper import of raw materials had limited benefits. The industry is believed to have taken up the issue with the government. Asked about the same, Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said his ministry interacted regularly with other ministries, including the commerce ministry, but declined to comment on this matter. The auto industry body, SIAM, had last year said the proposed India-EU trade liberalisation pact would not benefit domestic automobile firms. FTAs with competing countries do not benefit the domestic automobile industry. It is against the concept of Make in India for local value addition and local employment and, as such, completely built units (CBUs) of vehicles and engines should be kept in Indias negative list under India-EU FTA, SIAM had suggested. It had said duty on cars in the EU is only 10 per cent against India's import duty of 60-120 per cent. "Domestically-made cars are already exported at 10 per cent duty to Europe. Obviously, we would not gain much by further reduction of EU duties for our cars, but if Indian duties are reduced by 50 per cent or even more, it would be a substantial reduction in tariff. The gains will clearly be for the EU industry," the industry body had noted. With the arrest of four persons, police today claimed to have busted a gang which was allegedly involved in the purchase and sale of newborn babies. The gang members comprising three women and a man were arrested yesterday evening and and a five-day-old infant was recovered from them at Vardhman Chowk, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Narinder Bhargav told reporters. Police had contacted them through a decoy buyer to purchase a newborn. The accused had assured the buyer that they will bring a newborn to him in the near future, the DCP said. During preliminary investigation, the accused claimed that the male baby had been purchased at a price of Rs 2.30 lakh from a poor woman belonging to Arnia village in Fazilka district, Bhargav said. The gang used to be in touch with community health workers and registered medical practitioners (RMP) in villages and colonies of migrants from other states to locate needy and poor pregnant women who could not afford a child. They used to approach these women and strike a deal with them to purchase babies at Rs 2-3 lakh each, he said, noting the babies were later sold to rich couples at exorbitant prices. They also told the police that they have already sold four newborns to different couples in the recent past, Bhargava said. They had been arrested by the Faridkot police in 2015 in connection with a similar case, he said. The accused were identified as Tejvir Singh and his wife Rachpal Kaur (Moga), Baljinder Kaur alias Binder (Ludhiana) and Gurmeet Kaur (Faridkot), according to the DCP. Germany has revived calls for a no-fly zone in northern Syria an idea that once might have greatly helped the beleaguered rebels and protected civilians from bombardment but now is more complicated, dangerous and unlikely due to Russia's air campaign supporting President Bashar Assad. The proposal came amid international efforts to coax at least a temporary truce and as the government allowed humanitarian aid to head for besieged areas around the country, part of an effort described by a Russian official as a first step toward implementation of an agreement reached among world powers in Munich last week. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has been trying to secure aid deliveries and to improve the chances of restarting peace talks before the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by a major government offensive north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by regional and international rivals are clashing over a crucial strip of land linking Syria's largest city to the border with Turkey. The violence in Aleppo, which has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing toward the border, led to the collapse of indirect talks between the Syrian government and its opponents earlier this month. It appears also to have revived a longstanding proposal to establish a no-fly zone in northern Syria, which was floated repeatedly by Turkey and other Assad opponents throughout the 5-year-old war. A no-fly zone would potentially create a safe haven for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians and help stem the flow of refugees to Europe. But Washington has long rejected the idea, fearing it would draw US forces further into the civil war. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed support Tuesday for the idea and repeated it yesterday in parliament. She said it could be done by an agreement with Assad, his backers and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group a proposal that analysts say is now unrealistic and more an attempt to appease Turkey. At a conference, Merkel said such an agreement would be "a sign of good will," suggesting she was referring to a more informal deal to halt aerial attacks, and that this could help lead to the overall cessation of hostilities agreed upon in Munich. Enforcing a no-fly zone has become considerably more difficult since Moscow began its air campaign in Syria on September 30. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov shrugged off Merkel's proposal, saying it would require Damascus' consent and UN Security Council approval. Asked by reporters about Merkel's initiative, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov snapped: "It's not Merkel's initiative, it's Turkey's initiative. The Goa government has asked bankers to be lenient towards the barge owners who are not able to pay upfront amount to avail one time settlement (OTS) launched for them, due to continuing slowdown of the mining industry. "Banks should be lenient to barge (ships carrying iron ore) owners who are part of the OTS scheme by not insisting for 30 per cent upfront payment but accept whatever is paid," Minakshi Gad, Joint Secretary (Finance), Government of Goa told bankers this week. Gad was addressing a state-level Banking Committee meeting which was attended by Goa Chief Secretary R K Srivastava, representatives of the Reserve Bank of India and other banks, including State Bank of India. Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also represented for the meeting that discussed about the banking situation in the state. After the ban on the mining industry in 2012, the Goa government had asked banks to provide OTS for barge owners. The borrowing barge owners will have to pay 30 per cent upfront to the banks, while government will subsidise 35 per cent of the loan amount. Government's OTS for mining affected people have been extended till March 31, 2016. "The bankers expressed their concern towards the poor response of the borrowers. The matter was discussed in detail and government has asked banks to submit to SLBC, a statement regarding individual loan accounts at the start of the mining ban (September, 2012) with the current status by February 21," a senior official, who attended the SLBC, told PTI. Chief Secretary Srivastava stressed that banks should target achieving qualitative performance for the benefit of the poor and marginalised farmers. He also briefed about the achievement of the state with regard to Aadhar card and Krishi card and exhorted the need of 100 per cent achievement in issuance of Kisan Credit card by the banks. The government today gave its approval to a pact between the AYUSH Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the field of traditional medicine, a move aimed at improving acceptibility and branding AYUSH systems internationally. A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the pact, which will also help in long-term collaboration with WHO in facilitating awareness about AYUSH systems of medicine through education, skill development, workshops and exchange programmes between AYUSH and the UN body for capacity building. The Cabinet gave its nod to the agreement for collaborative activities to be signed in the area of traditional medicine between AYUSH Ministry and the World Health Organization in Geneva, an official statement said. The collaboration will "facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the Member States, collaboration with third parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 particularly in the context of AYUSH systems," it said. The expenditure for carrying out collaborative activities will be met from the allocated budget under the existing plan schemes of AYUSH Ministry. The activities will start subsequent to the signing of agreements by the two parties as per terms of reference. As a first step in the long-term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the its technical documents and publications like benchmarks for training in Yoga, practice in Ayurveda, Unani Medicine and Panchakarma. This will help in better international acceptability of Indian systems, the statement said. Under the collaboration, AYUSH and WHO would take up other activities that could encompass multilateral collaboration for promotion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine or Systems (T&CM). This will include development of the WHO publication on the basic terminologies for T&CM, establishment of a database for global T&CM practitioners and establishment of a network of international regulatory cooperation for T&CM practice, the statement said, adding the agreement between WHO and AYUSH is expected to benefit the practitioners of AYUSH systems. AYUSH Ministry aims to promote, propagate and globalise the T&CM, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha, sowa rigpa and homeopathy. During a presentation by AYUSH Ministry on July 3, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked it to seize opportunities so as to take the lead at a time when holistic health care has gained currency. During the presentation, it was emphasised that a roadmap be prepared to establish India's credentials in holistic health-care, including preparation of authoritative and credible literature. The Cabinet today approved WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement and decided to set up a national committee for overseeing the implementation of the TFA which aims to smoothen the flow of commerce globally. The Cabinet approved the proposal for Notification of Commitments under the TFA of WTO, ratification and acceptance of the Instrument of Acceptance of Protocol of TFA to the WTO Secretariat and constitution of the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF), said IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The committee will be co-chaired by the secretaries of revenue and commerce, he said. TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. These objectives are in consonance with India's "Ease of Doing Business initiative", said the minister while briefing about the decisions taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The FTA was agreed upon at a multilateral meeting in Bali in 2013. The pact will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO members complete their domestic ratification process. So far 69 WTO members have ratified this pact. The NCTF would be set up under the Joint Chair of Secretary, Department of Revenue and Secretary, Department of Commerce to facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions of the Agreement. The government today gave its nod to an agreement with Singapore for cooperation in the field of urban planning and governance. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave its ex-post facto approval to an MoU between India and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on cooperation in urban planning and governance," a release here said. The pact was signed with Singapore government-run SCE during Modi's visit to the island country in November last year. "The MoU will allow the two countries to share experiences in the field of urban development, governance and capacity building," the release said. Rejecting Vodafones criticism over the Rs 14,200-crore tax notice, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said in the past, the government had taken decision in favour of the UK-based telecom giant also. I can only inform you that in the past, many decisions have been taken by the government in the favour of the company also. Decision on the tax matter in Bombay High Court, the government did not choose to appeal against that, Prasad told reporters when pointed out that the telecom major has taken a serious objection to the notice. The income tax (I-T) department has issued Vodafone a reminder over its Rs 14,200-crore tax demand and threatened to seize assets in the case of non-payment, a move the UK firm said shows disconnect with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of a tax-friendly environment. The Minister said in what circumstances the notice was issued and what were the nuances, I think revenue department will explain that. The notice was sent on February 4 to Vodafone International Holdings BV seeking Rs 14,200 crore in taxes, which it says are due from its $11 billion acquisition of Hutchison Whampoas India telecom business in 2007. The matter is under international arbitration. On Tuesday, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had tweeted: The notice in Vodafone case is a routine exercise of sending collection notice to all those whose dues are not stayed by any Court. The party (Vodafone) can always approach assessing officer with a request to stay the demand as per law. In case assessing officer does not agree, party can go to next higher authority and get a stay, he tweeted further. In January last year, the government had decided against appealing the high court order that absolved Vodafone of Rs 3,200 crore tax demand in a transfer pricing case. Turning the spotlight on Champaner in Panchmahal district, the Gujarat tourism department has prepared an ad campaign film titled 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan talking about the historical city. The ad film was presented at the 'ELECRAMA 2016' held in Bengaluru, Gujarat tourism minister Saurabh Patel told PTI. It is for the first time that the state tourism department made a presentation of 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' ad campaign on Champaner at the Bengaluru event, to bring the place to the notice of the participants from companies in India and abroad and the visitors, he said. The ad film talks about Champaner as an architectural treasure trove that has been compared by conservationists to the great ruins of Pompeii in Europe. It is also one of the few medieval heritage sites in India with specimens of both Islamic as well as Hindu architecture. Champaner-Pavagadh boasts of a series of magnificent monuments, mosques, temples, pleasure pavilions, mansions, lakes and unique fortifications. Located 50 kms north of Vadodara, it has 114 monuments, 38 of them protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Patel added. Mumbai-based Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) has been given approval by the HRD Ministry to start an off-campus centre at Bhubaneswar in the name of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) with prospective effect. The ministry, in a statement released today, said it has issued a notification in this regard on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The move allows for conduct of academic course or programmes, subject to review of the off-campus centre by the UGC biennially for six years and subsequently after every five years subject to usual terms and conditions as prescribed under the UGC regulations, the statement said. HBNI had submitted a proposal to Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2010 for establishment of an off-campus centre at Bhubaneswar in the name of NISER. The proposal was examined by the UGC with the help of an Expert Committee in terms of the provisions of UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2010 and its amendments. Hearing a petition against police raids on hotels in suburban Malwani last year to expose an alleged prostitution racket operating in the area, the Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government whether it had issued any guidelines on such raids. A division bench headed by Justice V M Kanade asked Chief Public Prosecutor Sandeep Shinde to appear on March 10 to give information about any Government Resolution (GR) issued in this regard. The bench also asked petitioner Sumeer Sabharwal to file a reply to the second affidavit filed by police on conducting raids at hotels in suburban Malwani in Malad area of North Mumbai. The judges also asked Sabharwal, a Khar resident, to file written submissions and offer suggestions on procedures to be followed by police in such cases. On August 6, 2015, police had cracked down on hotels and bars in Malwani area and imposed fine on several couples on charges of indecency. The petition had termed the raids as "illegal, intrusive and unconstitutional" and sought action against police officials involved. The high court had earlier said that while there was a laudable intention behind police raids on hotels in Malwani following complaints of an alleged prostitution racket operating there, innocent persons cannot be harassed and their privacy should not be invaded. The Maharashtra government had taken a stand that police received complaints from local MLAs and residents that hotels in the area were being used to run prostitution racket and hence they conducted raids on hotels. Days after the major fire at a 'Make in India' event, the Bombay High Court today told Maharashtra government that it should frame comprehensive guidelines to ensure safety of artistes and technicians on stage and also of the audience, if such rules do not exist already. Hearing a PIL, a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade asked the government to file an affidavit in two weeks stating whether such guidelines or policy existed. Also, if such a policy or guidelines had been framed whether they were being implemented. A massive blaze had on Sunday night engulfed the stage of the show held at Girgaum Chowpatty beach where several film celebrities and politicians were present, but there were no casualties. "If such guidelines have not been framed yet, then it is high time that a policy or rules should be drawn immediately to ensure safety of artists and technicians on stage and also of the audience. "This is not about this event where a fire broke out causing panic among the audience.... This is not a blamegame. Fortunately, the government took steps and no untoward incident happened and everyone was evacuated," the bench said. The public interest litigation, filed by 'Association For Aiding Justice', sought safety measures for artists and others performing during an event. The petition demanded that all those working on a production (set) or at an event should be given information to enable them to perform their job safely. The PIL said that irrespective of the duration of the engagement period, all those working on a production or an event must be given an orienation at every work site where they perform. This must include information relevant to the event or production. "There is no general code of safe practices for events like the one held at the Girgaum Chowpatty where the stage was engulfed in fire," said the petition. Notably, in January this year, the High Court had refused permission to the Maharashtra to hold the mega event at the seafront. However, the Supreme Court earlier this month stayed the High Court order and allowed the government to conduct the event at the beach to kickstart the 'Make in India Week' programme. The Government has ordered a probe to ascertain the cause of the fire and also to find if due safety norms have been followed by the organisers. All the VVIPs present, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan were safely evacuated following the fire at the cultural event held here as part of the 'Make in India' investment meet. The programme was later called-off. Bachchan had left the stage a few minutes before the fire started. A division bench of High Court Justices A S Oka and C V Bhadang, while refusing to grant permission to the state government, had observed that permitting the government to hold such functions on the beach will be "faulty" to the guidelines of the committee, appointed by HC in 2001 to monitor activities on the beach. The HC-appointed committee had in 2005 submitted guidelines on what activities and functions can be permitted to be held at the Girgaum Chowpatty. The Madras High Court today suspended the three years simple imprisonment awarded by a trial court to 19 former law students in a case related to violent clashes between two groups of students in Dr Ambedkar Government Law College premises here in 2008. Passing interim orders on a batch of appeals filed by 19 accused, Justice P Devadoss suspended the January 28 order passed by XVII Additional Sessions Court Judge Gomathi Nayakam. He also ordered notice to the respondents and adjourned the petition for hearing after four weeks. The sessions judge had convicted a total of 21 former law students and acquitted 22 others. While all 21 accused were held guilty under IPC section 324 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and means), the 19 appellants were also convicted under section 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon). All the convicts were released on bail by the trial court. The case relates to violent incidents on November 12, 2008 between two groups of students in the campus of the college which had overtones of a caste clash. After a student with a knife was thrashed by a group in the college campus, it became a free-for-all subsequently for a full 90 minutes. Violent scenes were witnessed and police accused of being silent spectators. The Delhi High Court today tagged BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea with petitions challenging a trial court's decision to acquit 16 policemen of charges of murder and other crimes in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case in which 42 people were killed. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said that Swamy's plea be heard along with appeals filed by Uttar Pradesh state, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and some private party including a survivor of the massacre Zulfiqar Nasir. "Appeals are there. We can tag your plea with the appeals which is listed for hearing," the bench said. The court's order came during the hearing of Swamy's plea seeking further probe to ascertain the alleged role of then Minister of State for Home P Chidambaram in the case. Swamy submitted, "Appeal of state which arises out of a 1987 incident, which according to me was a genocide, is pending." The court has fixed the matter for March 31. NHRC has sought further probe into the massacre in the Hashimpura locality of Meerut. Prior to NHRC, Uttar Pradesh government as well as survivors and kin of the victims had moved the court challenging the acquittal of the 16 policemen. The high court had in August 2013 sought a response of Uttar Pradesh government while hearing Swamy's appeal which also challenged the trial court's March 8, 2013 decision dismissing his plea against Chidambaram, who was a Union Minister between 1986 and 1989. In the appeal, Swamy has sought further probe saying, "It was admitted on the floor of Parliament by the then Minister of State for Home Affairs P Chidambaram that the situation was calm on May 19 to May 22, 1987. Yet the trial judge states it was violent strife. Hence, even at this late stage, an investigation into this issue is essential for complete justice." The trial court had in March 2013 dismissed Swamy's plea for further probe to ascertain Chidambaram's role in the incident saying he has no locus standi and it is only the police who can move an application for further probe. On March 21 last year, a trial court gave the benefit of doubt and acquitted 16 former Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel accused of killing 42 people in Meerut, saying lack of evidence has failed to establish their identification. Nineteen people were named as accused and charges for offences of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy were framed against 17 of them by the court here in 2006, after the case was transferred to Delhi on a Supreme Court direction in September 2002 following a petition by the families of the massacre victims and survivors.. The 16 accused acquitted in the case are the ones still alive. Three other accused died during the trial. Union health ministry on Wednesday released a grant of Rs 10 crore to strengthen public health infrastructure and medical education in . The financial aid is part of the Centre's sustained efforts to significantly improve health care infrastructure in the state, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said. Of the released amount, Rs 4 crore is for district hospital in Chamba, while Rs 3 crore each for the district hospitals in Hamirpur and Nahan. "We have already sanctioned funds for setting up and strengthening of trauma care centres, cancer care facilities and purchase of new medical equipment in Himachal Pradesh," Nadda said. Nadda, a Rajya Sabha member from the state, said while the setting up of new medical colleges will boost medical education, the upgradation of the three hospitals will also improve quality of health care facilities. "The setting up of new medical colleges would provide a boost to medical education. It would provide greater access to medical education for the residents of . The upgradation of the three district hospitals in where these medical colleges are being set up would also significantly improve the quality of health care facilities at these institutions," Nadda said. Delhi High Court today sought the response of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on pleas seeking to set aside trial court order allowing summoning of documents from Ministries of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and other agencies in the National Herald case. Justice Sunita Gupta also issued notice to Swamy seeking his reply on or before March 15 on the pleas which also sought staying operation of the trial court's January 11 order. "I am issuing notice to the respondent, but not staying the proceedings before the trial court," the judge said. The petitions filed by AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora and Young India Ltd, through senior advocates R S Cheema and Rebecca John, said the trial court has not heard them and the order passed was an ex-parte order. "Swamy has sought all documents but no specific period has been mentioned in his application before the trial court and still his plea was allowed," Cheema contended, adding that the January 11 trial court order must be quashed or set aside. Swamy's plea seeking summoning of documents from the Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi Development Authority and Registrar of Companies was also allowed by the trial court. He had told the court that he needed these documents, which are in the custody of these ministries, for advancing arguments in the case. The trial court had on December 19, 2015, granted bail to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and three others-- Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey-- who had appeared in the court pursuant to summons issued earlier. Sam Pitroda, another accused, was granted exemption from personal appearance for that day only on medical grounds. The case is based on a private criminal complaint lodged by Swamy against them of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. The documents which Swamy had sought pertained to Associated Journal Ltd (AJL). The apex court on February 12 had exempted Sonia and Rahul Gandhi from personal appearance before trial court in the case. It had, however, left it open for trial judge to seek their personal appearance if he thought it appropriate at any stage. The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing in the trial court on February 20. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Vora, Fernandes (AICC General Secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned under sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B(criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. The trial court had on June 26, 2014 asked them to appear before it on August 7, 2014 but the order was stayed on August 6, 2014 by the Delhi High Court which on December 7 last year had vacated the stay by rejecting the plea to quash the complaint and the summons. On December 15, 2014, the high court had further stayed the summons till final disposal of the petitions. All the accused had challenged the summons issued to them by trial court on Swamy's complaint. Automotive giant Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's Rs 1,100-crore manufacturing plant at Vithalapur village in Ahmedabad district was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today. The scooter plant, which is the fourth two-wheeler manufacturing facility of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) in the country, has a total capacity to produce 1.2 million automatic scooters annually. The company has invested Rs 1,100 crore to set up this facility, where Honda will make its flagship brand of scooter Activa and Dio, said company's Group Vice President and Director V Sridhar. "This plant in Gujarat has become our fourth two-wheeler plant in India after Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka. This plant is having the capacity to churn out 12 lakh automatic scooters, mainly Activa and Dio. "Commercial production of 6 lakh units started today. In the later stage, we will start the second line of production by mid of 2016 to add another 6 lakh scooters," he said. At present, HMSI manufactures 46 lakh two-wheelers, including bikes, in three of their plants annually. With this new plant, its total two-wheeler production capacity in the country will increase by 26 per cent to 58 lakh units by the end of this year, Sridhar added. "This plant is spread across 250 acres. It has created 3,000 direct as well as indirect job opportunities. Out of these 3,000 jobs, 900 are direct jobs provided by us. 85 per cent of our staff in the plant are from Gujarat," he said. Patel remembered Prime Minister Narendra Modi for envisioning the development of Gujarat by bringing in such companies to open their plants here when he was at the helm of affairs in the state. "Due to such companies, many of our ITI students got jobs. When I was an MLA of this region in 1998, I remember how people used to struggle. It was Narendrabhai (Narendra Modi) who used his relations and brought such companies in Gujarat for the overall development of such regions," said Patel. Giving logic behind setting up a 'scooters only' plant here, company's senior VP for sales & marketing YS Guleria stated that the market for automatic scooters in India is growing at an enormous rate. "Activa was launched in 2001. Even after these many years, that model is still in demand. Due to such high demand, we are still having 13,000 pending orders of Activa. "Further, automatic scooters are getting more popular than motorcycles in India. Thus, we don't want to miss this market opportunity. This plant will help us in fulfilling the ever increasing demand for our scooters", Guleria said. President and CEO of HMSI Keita Muramatsu said that increasing adoption of scooters, a trend seen earlier in developed countries, is the key driver for Indian two-wheeler industry today. "HMSI enjoys 56 per cent marketshare in this segment in India, while we command 62 per cent share in Gujarat. Now, Honda scooters are not just Made in India, but also 'Made in Gujarat'." In the current fiscal year of 2015-16 so far, Honda two-wheelers has sold a total of 3.73 million units. Of this, scooter sales alone stood at 2.3 million units, an increase of 13 per cent on year-on-year basis, said Guleria. today on Wednesday said it has signed a wage settlement pact with workers of its Chennai plant, under which technicians will get an average salary hike of up to Rs 19,000 per month spread over three years. "The three year wage settlement will be implemented with retrospective effect from April 2015 and will remain effective until March 2018," Ltd (HMIL) said in a statement. The wage settlement was signed between the company's management and the recognised union, the UUHE (United Union of Hyundai Employees), it added. "As per the agreement, technicians will receive an average salary increase of Rs 19,000 per month spread over three years," the company said. The technicians will receive 50% of the increased salary in the first year and 25% each in the remaining two years. "This would mean a salary raise of Rs 9,500 a month will be given in the first year and Rs 4,750 a month in the second and third year respectively," it said. Last year in September, Maruti Suzuki India had reached a wage settlement with workers of its Gurgaon and Manesar plants, under which employees got an average salary hike of around Rs 16,800 per month spread over three years. In open defiance of the Supreme Court order, the group of lawyers which assaulted journalists on Monday, again attacked mediapersons and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House Court. Reacting to the events, the apex court rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation in the court, hours after it had issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court in the wake of Monday's violence. "We are concerned about the law and order situation," a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh informed the court about the fresh violence including the assault on Kumar when he was brought for remand proceedings. Chanting slogans like "Vande Mataram" and waving the tri-colour, the lawyers including Vikram Chauhan and some others who who had allegedly attacked the journalists, teachers and students of JNU inside and outside the court two days back, today came in a march to the court complex. They managed to enter the court complex despite heavy police presence and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. Police looked the other way, the journalists alleged. One of the journalists, identified as Anwar of channel CNN IBN, said despite heavy police deployment, clashes erupted in the court complex and the police presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. Soon after the fresh assault, lawyers made a mention of the incidents before a Supreme Court bench which asked the counsel of Delhi Police to find out the situation at Patiala House Court and get back to it in ten minutes. The court also also said it may appoint local commissioner to take stock of the situation. The apex court asks counsel to tell Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. The court was also informed by senior advocate Indira Jaising that Kanhaiya has been attacked in the court premises when he was brought for remand proceedings. (Reopens Del 30) Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at Patiala House court complex. The apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kumar. It had also asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. Journalist Anwar said he was roughed up by a group of lawyers and the police personnel deployed inside the court premises remained "mute spectators". "I was standing inside court premise when two groups of lawyers were shouting slogans. One was a small group of four-five persons in favour of Kanhaiya saying let the court decide who is anti-India. "The other group of lawyers, bigger in size, was shouting Vande Mataram and Bharatmata ki Jai. A scuffle broke out between the groups and few lawyers from bigger group targeted the smaller one. "When I tried take a snap of the scuffle, they targeted me. Snatched my phone, deleated picture and hit me," Tarique said. Pramod, who claimed to be a member of AISA, said the lawyers hit him on his head. Stones were hurled at a channel cameraman when he tried to film developments at court premises from the complex's compound wall, according to eye witnesses. Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi asserted that there was enough evidence against Kumar and people from outside had also come to the controversial event at the JNU during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Emerging from the PMO, Bassi said investigators, probing the alleged raising of anti-India slogans at the JNU event, were looking at all aspects of the case including the motive. "We have adequate evidence against him (Kumar). I won't be telling you about the process of investigation and what all we have found out so far," Bassi told reporters. He dismissed reports citing inputs from security agencies that Kumar may not have raised anti-national slogans or made an inflammatory speech at the JNU event. "People in huge numbers participated in it (the event), and we have already identified the ring leader. Now we are looking for all those who have been identified. Very soon we will get hold of them," he said. Kumar was arrested on February 12 on charges of sedition in connection with the event at the varsity last week to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. At a time where electronic books and devices to read them are gaining ground, Sahitya Akademi-award winning writers expressed their interest to embrace technology. Telugu writer Volga who has been awarded for her short story says it's only educated people in the city who are least interested in reading as people in villages are "still very much hungry of literature." "Through library movement, or thorough other literary forms like songs and street plays we have to reach out to them (villagers)," she said. The writer also said that the library culture is systematically destroyed in India and added 'literature will survive.' Arun Khopkar, who is a filmmaker, actor and a writer who received the award for Marathi for his his book on memoirs "Chalat-Chitravyooh" pointed out that technology helps readers connect with literature despite geographical challenges. "E-book has also allowed a whole lot of people, who are not residents of India but have kept in touch with their own language." "I have this collection of 20,000 books but it is just very difficult to maintain it," he added. Kula Saikia a story-teller from Assam stated that people in his state have also accepted the technology. "Printed books have an advantage of their own, if you have printed books in home then some of the family members develop the habit of reading." However, he added that e-book scores points when it comes to 'transportability.' "You can read a number of books when you are travelling around the world with Kindle," he said. The Akademi awarded writers had got together to discuss literature at an event during the ongoing Festival of Letters of the Sahitya Akademi. The conversation then veered towards the rural landscape of the country as some of the panelists had village backgrounds. Hindi poet Ramdarash Mishra amd among the seniormost in the panel, said he had the 'fortune' of being a villager but the values in the villages are fading day by day. "I have the fortune of being from a village, came to the city and gained new experience. We have values in villages, I still try to live in the city with those values, but the villages are now changing, the values are vanishing," he said. However, he cited that in these changing times, the dalits have found a voice as they were oppressed earlier. He also drew comparisons between journalist and writers and said the fine line between the two profession is growing day by day. India is likely to select by the year-end at least one fighter aircraft that will be manufactured by the private sector under the 'Make in India' process for supply to IAF, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said. He said that there may be one or two more jet fighter plants, either operational or in the process of being set up, in India in the next three years or so. Asked if this meant HAL will set up more plants, Parrikar said, "It is private sector which will be required to supply to the air force. We need fighters. We may encourage. There are proposals." Parrikar said yesterday through "proper process", by year end "we might select few aircraft to Make in India. Which one? I don't commit. But there will be at least one, may be two also." Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the US, Saab of Sweden, Dassault Aviation of France and Eurofighter have offered to set up manufacturing bases in India along with transfer of technology if their fighter aircraft was selected for Indian Air Force. All the companies are also in talks with Indian private firms to select a local partner. However, they are awaiting a clear signal from the government before selecting their partners. Parrikar also made it clear that 'Make in India' does not mean just assembly of equipment but manufacturing through transfer of technology. The development comes as both India and France are in the last stage of concluding an Inter-Government Agreement on direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jet planes. The government has also decided to equip IAF, which is facing a severe fighter shortage, with indigenously developed Tejas combat aircraft. HAL is already in the process of increasing its capacity to manufacture 16 Tejas aircraft per year. A 27-year-old Indian doctoral student of Tel Aviv University in Israel has been found dead in his dormitory room here, police said. Raj Kumar Raja, was a research student in cancer studies at the university. He was found dead in his dormitory room on Monday and the cause of his death is unknown. "An investigation found no suspicion of a crime and the student's body has been transferred to the forensic institute for an autopsy," a police spokesman told PTI. "The police is currently examining the situation, and the university is still waiting to receive the official police report," Orna Cohen, Tel Aviv University spokesperson said. Raja hails from Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh. He did'nt attend the lab on Monday. The university staff opened his room as he didn't answer their calls. They found him lying down the floor. "The police and emergency medical staff at the scene confirmed his death", Cohen said. The autopsy report is awaited. A 55-year-old Indian man, who was on a visit to the US to attend his daughter's marriage, went missing after the wedding reception. Prasad Moparti, from Hyderabad, had been in the US since January and was scheduled to return to India on February 26. He was attending his daughter Durga Moparti's wedding at Grand Island Mansion in Walnut Grove in Northern California on Saturday when he walked away about 4 pm and never returned, said Tony Turnbull, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. "I believe that he was just walking and he fell unconscious, and he just tripped or something like that, but I'm really not sure what happened, and this seems like a total mystery," Durga, 29, said. Turnbull said authorities suspended their search for Moparti as there was no "suspicious circumstances or foul play leading to his disappearance". He said Moparti was considered a voluntary missing person but considering his lack of familiarity with the area and history of depression, the department used "all resources available in attempts to locate him". "Family members ... Indicated Moparti suffered from depression, and that he showed indicators of his depression leading up to the wedding," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. That contradicts the picture painted earlier Tuesday by daughter Durga. She could not be reached after the search was suspended. "Our dad was really very happy. He was dancing. He was really joyful," she told reporters hours before the search was called off. She said her father, an avid walker who manages apartments in Hyderabad, danced at the party on Friday and enjoyed the ceremony on Saturday. She said as people were packing to leave the mansion on Saturday, Prasad Moparti told a family member that he was going for a short walk. When he didn't come back, she said the family searched for 10 miles before calling the police. Moparti was dressed in traditional Indian attire when last seen. The family posted fliers from Isleton to Rio Vista, Sacramento Bee reported. On Saturday and Sunday, searchers from the Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and Coast Guard units meticulously combed the shores as the bride's family circulated the fliers. On Monday, a CHP plane searched by air while a sheriff's dog attempted to pick up a scent. "We've done just about everything imaginable," Deputy Dave Kirby said before the search was called off. Now, the newlyweds are holding out hope that he is found safe. They have postponed their honeymoon until they know what happened to Moparti. "My dad missing is the only thing going on in my head right now, nothing else," Durga said. An Indian-origin senior doctor in the UK has been accused of dereliction of duty in attending to patients in a number of cases. Subhash Jasoria, 67, is accused of behaving "like a bystander" as a 78-year-old woman collapsed outside a shop in London and later refused 10 further requests for help in reviving her at North Middlesex University Hospital here. The unnamed elderly woman eventually made a recovery despite the incident, which took place in August 2013. The India-born specialist anaesthetist, with more than 35 years' experience in the field, is appearing before the UK's Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester. He is also accused of failing to properly treat a woman while working at London Women's Clinic, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. It emerged during the hearing that Jasoria had resigned from his job at Middlesex Hospital but was in the last days of three-month notice period when the August incident occurred. "When I got there, resuscitation was going on.. I saw Jasoria standing in front of the shop doing nothing, like a bystander, and I heard someone shouting, 'where is the anaesthetist?' Jasoria shouted towards me and said, 'she's here', " a female junior colleague of Jasoria known as Dr C said in a statement read at the hearing. "I took over from him and asked Jasoria to help us as the senior anaesthetist and he refused to help me and said, 'it's not my problem'. I said, 'you are the registrar, you need to help', but he refused again. I repeatedly, ten times, asked Jasoria for help and there was no help," she said. She said Jasoria shouted at her in front of the whole team and said, "if you can't manage airways you have no business being here". The hearing was also told that earlier that year, Jasoria had refused to intervene when he was bleeped by a consultant on a busy intensive care unit who needed help with a patient in cardiac arrest in A&E (Accident & Emergency). When challenged, Jasoria allegedly said, "It's irrelevant if I'm busy or not because it isn't my job to assist." "It is his case that he wasn't obliged to go even though he wasn't busy because he was needed to be on-call cover for any emergency which might arise in the obstetrics department. It is the GMC's case that this was a simple refusal for no good reason," said Nigel Grundy, Counsel for the UK's General Medical Council (GMC). In the case at the London Women's Clinic in June 2013, Jasoria is accused of failing to conduct a pre-operative assessment of a "Patient B". She eventually suffered a fit and fell into a critical condition where her body was starved of oxygen for a number of minutes. Jasoria admits failing to record the results of a pre-operative assessment with Patient B and failing to record her carbon dioxide readings, and telling Dr C to "get out of the way" but denies all other allegations. The tribunal hearing continues with a result expected later this month. US biotech company Inovio Pharmaceuticals said today it has had promising test results on a Zika virus vaccine in mice and plans to launch clinical trials on humans this year. Inovio's SynCon vaccine technology "shows promise as a preventive and treatment" for Zika viral infections, said Inovio chief executive Joseph Kim. Tests on mice offered promise in developing antibodies and "killer" T cells for countering the Zika virus. "We will next test the vaccine in non-human primates and initiate clinical product manufacturing," Kim said. "We plan to initiate phase I human testing of our Zika vaccine before the end of 2016." About 15 pharmaceutical companies are working to develop vaccines for the previously obscure virus that has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect that results in an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, an immune system disorder. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika outbreak an international health emergency on February 1 and said infections were reported in more than two dozen countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit. Inovio, based in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, said today it would ask US regulatory authorities to accelerate the process for approving the vaccine with an eye towards marketing the medicine as quickly as possible. Shares of Inovio rose 6.2 percent to USD 6.98 in late-morning trade. A senior WHO official, Marie-Paule Kieny, said on February 12 there were two candidate vaccines that appear most promising: one being developed by the US National Institutes of Health and another by India-based Bharat Biotech. However, large-scale trials of these vaccines are still at least 18 months away, Kieny said. The Zika virus, which is mainly carried by mosquitos, has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean, with multiple governments in the most affected areas urging women to avoid getting pregnant for the time being. experts, including World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, are visiting Brazil this week and next to check out a major increase in infections, which have been blamed for birth defects. Chan, whose organization has declared an emergency over the mosquito-transmitted virus, is expected in Brazil on February 23-24. Experts from the US Centers for Disease Control are already in the country and officials from two other US bodies, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, are due to arrive, the Brazilian health ministry said. Zika often has few symptoms, but Brazilian scientists say they have found a direct link between the virus and a serious birth defect called microcephaly in babies born to women who were infected while pregnant. There is no vaccine for Zika and cases have shot up across Brazil and much else of the region, raising fears for local people and visitors, including during the August Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian authorities have launched a national campaign against the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries the virus. Military personnel have reinforced health authorities in a door to door campaign against mosquito breeding spots. "We have a very effective fumigation campaign across Brazil," Health Minister Marcelo Castro said Tuesday after meeting 24 EU ambassadors in the capital Brasilia. "As happened in previous years, we hope that the mosquito population will be even lower," he said, noting that by the Olympics the southern hemisphere winter will see a sharp drop in mosquito numbers. The European Union delegation head to Brazil, Joao Gomes Cravinho, said, "The community has many worries over Zika." Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said today his country supported steps taken by other major producers that could stabilise the market and lead to price hikes for crude. But after a meeting with his Iraqi, Venezuelan and Qatari counterparts in Tehran, a day after Saudi Arabia, Russia and several other big producers agreed to freeze output, Zanganeh did not say Iran would follow suit. "We look forward to the beginning of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries and we support any measure that can stabilise the market and increase prices," he was quoted as saying by the ministry's service, Shana. "This is a first step but we need others. We look forward to the start of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries." Zanganeh's comments came a day after Saudi Arabia, OPEC's kingpin, and Russia, which is not a member of the cartel, agreed to cap output at January levels after months of low prices caused by a global supply glut. Venezuela, Qatar and Kuwait also signed on, but all agreed the move was conditional on other major producers joining in. The Islamic republic has long said it must pump more oil - despite plunging prices - as it seeks to regain market share lost during a US- and European-imposed embargo that flattened its exports. Zanganeh had said yesterday that Iran "won't relinquish" its market share but added that "there was room for discussion and examination" of moves to fix a production ceiling. However before today's talks Mehdi Asali, Iran's director general of OPEC Affairs at the oil ministry, blamed other producers for creating a glut and signalled Tehran would not change course. Iran has ramped up production since last month after sanctions were lifted on its energy sector when an agreement with world powers on its nuclear programme was implemented. Iran had been producing around 2.8 million barrels per day, around one million of which were exported, but after the nuclear deal it announced an immediate hike of 500,000 bpd. A further 500,000 bpd are planned to be added by the end of 2016. Iran today snubbed a proposal agreed to by four influential oil producers to cap their crude output if others do the same, with a senior Oil Ministry official saying Tehran has no intention of freezing oil output levels. Mahdi Asali, Iran's OPEC envoy, said his country will in fact keep increasing its crude exports until it reaches levels attained before international sanctions were imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program. Asali's comments came as Iran's oil minister was expected to hold three-way, closed-door talks in Tehran with his counterparts from Iraq and Venezuela. Today, Venezuela joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in conditionally agreeing to cap their output at last month's levels in order to halt a slide that has pushed oil prices to their lowest point in more than a decade. Oil prices recently plummeted below USD 30 a barrel, the lowest in 13 years. The four countries made their announcement following an unexpected meeting on Tuesday in the Qatari capital of Doha that pointedly did not include Iran. They agreed to act only if other producers made similar freezes. Asali said the fall in oil prices should be blamed on oversupply and that it was up to Saudi Arabia and others to cut down production to boost oil prices. He said the four nations that participated at the Doha gathering could stabilise oil prices on their own if they cut their production by 2 million barrels a day. "These countries increased their production by 4 million barrels when Iran was under sanctions," Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh daily. "Now it's primarily their responsibility to help restore balance on the market. There is no reason for Iran to do so." Iran is eager to ramp up its exports now that sanctions related to its nuclear program have been lifted, saying recently it aims to put another 500,000 barrels a day on the market. Figures from the International Energy Agency show it pumped 2.9 million barrels daily in December, before sanctions were lifted. Iran used to export 2.3 million barrels per day but its crude exports fell to 1 million in 2012. Yesterday, Iran's petroleum minister, Bijar Namdar Zangeneh, signaled the Islamic Republic has no intention of giving up its share of the market. He acknowledged that global markets are "oversupplied," but said Iran "will not overlook its quota," according to comments carried by his ministry's Shana service. Iraqi officials say Islamic State militants shot down a military helicopter west of Baghdad, killing both crew members. They say the Bell helicopter went down today near Amiriyah Fallujah, to the south of the Islamic State-held city of Fallujah. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters. An MI-17 military helicopter crashed yesterday, killing all nine crew members on board. Iraqi officials said that crash was caused by technical problems. The helicopter went down near the city of Kut, 160 kilometres southeast of Baghdad, far from the front lines of the war with the Islamic State group. "We will be signing the concession agreement for the project by March and in the next six months, we hope to complete the financial closure," Chairman and Managing Director Virendra Mhaiskar told reporters on the sidelines of the Make in India Week here. The company had bagged the contract from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for construction, operation and maintenance of the longest tunnel in South-East Asia, the Zozila Pass tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir. The scope of the project includes constructing approaches on NH-1 (Srinagar-Sonmarg-Gumri Road) on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (annuity) basis. The project also involves construction of tunnel with a length of 14.08 km and approach road of 10.8 km with three vertical ventilation shafts, snow gallery of 700 metres and avalanche protection measures. The construction of the tunnel is scheduled to be completed in seven years and the concession period is 22 years. "This project has strategic and socio-economic importance as it will provide the much-needed all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and Leh Ladakh, which remains cut off during the winter due to heavy snowfall, and hence (the project) assumes national importance," Mhaiskar had said. The company will receive semi-annual annuity of Rs 981 crore from the government, which will start after commissioning of the project, twice in a year till the end of the concession period. The Islamic State jihadist group shot down an Iraqi military helicopter west of Baghdad today, killing at least one person, officials said. The helicopter - the second lost by Iraq in two days - went down near Amriyat al-Fallujah, though officials differed on the exact location. Israel's top soldier is warning his troops not to use excessive firepower in combating a wave of Palestinian violence in which many youthful attackers have died in the act. In remarks to high-school seniors heading for compulsory military service, he spoke of the role of Palestinian teenagers in the unrest that erupted in early October. "When there's a 13-year-old girl holding scissors or a knife and there is some distance between her and the soldiers, I don't want to see a soldier open fire and empty his magazine at a girl like that, even if she is committing a very serious act," Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot said in remarks broadcast today by Israel's private Channel Two television. "Rather he should use the force necessary to fulfil the objective." Since October 1, Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks have taken the lives of 25 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count. At the same time, 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks but others during clashes and demonstrations. A disturbing number of attackers have been young teenagers. Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper quoted what it said was an internal study document by the army and the Shin Bet domestic security service which said 37 percent of them were aged between 16 and 20. Some have been younger still. In October, 15-year-old Hassan Mansara was shot dead by security forces after stabbing and seriously wounding two Israeli schoolboys in annexed east Jerusalem. His accomplice and cousin Ahmed, 13, was hit by a car as he fled, hospitalised and later charged with attempted murder. The following month, in an incident to which Eisenkot may have been alluding, two Palestinian girls aged 14 and 16 stabbed with scissors and lightly wounded an elderly man in Jerusalem. Police opened fire, killing the 16-year-old and seriously wounding the 14-year-old. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom enraged Israel in December when she called on Israel to halt what she called "extrajudicial executions" in response to attacks. She followed up her comment the following month with a demand for "thorough" investigations into the killing of Palestinians by the Israeli army. Having launched 55 missions in space in the last five years, the national space agency ISRO is looking at doubling the number of missions in the next five years to an average of 12. "We have already launched 55 missions during past five years and we are looking at doubling it during the next five years to 12 launches per annum. The new launches will be under both categories, including satellites and launch vehicles," ISRO secretary (science) YVN Krishna Murthy told PTI on the sidelines of Make In India Week here today. "We've already launched two missions this year and two more will be launched next month," he added. The agency is all set to launch the Chandrayan-II in 2017-18, he said. "The new Lunar Mission will be different from the earlier one," he said, adding "unlike Chandrayan-I which was having only Orbiter and Probe, Chandrayan-II will be having Lander and Rover too, and the Rover will move on the samples and transmit the data to Earth". More than 500 industries work with ISRO, he said, adding more than the direct business from ISRO, the partners benefit from monetising their association with the organisation. The ISRO Satellite Centre has built over 70 satellites in the last 41 years and there is a huge demand for small launchers with carrying capacity of 500 kg. Talking about the ISRO's annual budget, he said it is likely to be around USD 1.1 billion this year, up from USD 0.9 billion last fiscal. Union Minister for Communication and Information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad will lay the foundation for Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) Centre here, tomorrow. Addressing media here yesterday, senior director, Department of Electronics and IT, B M Baveja said, SAMEER, a center for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3), is an autonomous R&D institution under Department of Electronics and Information & Technology, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The centre operates through its headquarters in Mumbai and the other four centers, located in Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati and Visakhapatnam, he said. The Visakhpatnam centre is an extension facility of SAMEER, being established to carry out research activities in the field of electromagnetic interference and compatibility. Baveja said the permanent building will be constructed in a span of 15 acres of land in Gambhiram village in Anandapuram mandal of the district to carry out its works. EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) is the most commonly occurring scenario between the electronic products, causing a potential threat to strategic sectors. In order to evaluate the performance of electronics and electrical products from various sectors, there is a need to establish a dedicated centre to provide all the required Commercail and MIL STD test and measurement facilities. This centre is being equipped with highly specialised facilitates like electromagnetic pulse (EMP), pulse current injection (PCI) and ultra-wide band (UWB), EMI/EMC test facilities, the official said. He said the defence systems are increasingly dependent on various electronic systems and radio spectrum that cause electromagnetic interference between various systems, sub-systems ultimately causing disturbances in their normal function. Baveja said the establishment of the centre for EMI/EMC/EMP facility in the vicinity of Visakhpatnam will benefit number of vendors on the eastern coast as well as the Indian navy, he said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister for Urban Development and Housing M Venkaiah Naidu will also attend the funciton. Two members of the Marzotto family, owners of the Italian textile company of the same name, and a group executive were convicted today of tax fraud, local media reported. Matteo Marzotto, his sister Diamante and businessman Massimo Caputi were given nominal ten-month prison sentences by a court in Milan for evading a 70-million euro tax bill on the family's 2007 sale of the Valentino fashion house to investment fund Permira. The sale was organised through a company based in Luxembourg but should have been liable for Italian taxes, the judge in the case ruled. None of those convicted will go to jail immediately, pending up to two appeals against the sentences. Marzotto specialises in producing high-quality wool, cotton, linen and silk-based textiles for Italy's luxury and fashion sectors. Valentino now belongs to a Qatari investment fund which took over Permira. Jharkhand government today said it has secured Rs 62,000 crore worth of investment commitments with large corporates such as Adani and Vedanta evincing interests in power, fertiliser, steel and chemicals. "We have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 50,000 crore with Adani Group for setting up of thermal power plant and fertiliser manufacturing unit," Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das told reporters here on the sidelines of ' Week' here. "We have also signed a Rs 2,000 crore pact with the Vedanta as well as received 11 letters of intent worth Rs 10,000 crore from companies in sectors like chemicals, IT, textiles and constructions," Das said. The state has signed an agreement worth Rs 15,000 crore with the Gautam Adani-led group to set up a thermal power plant with a total capacity of 1,600 mega watt energy that will be supplied to Bangladesh Grid. The rest Rs 35,000 crore will be invested for setting up a unit that will produce coal-based methane fertiliser. Das said Jharkhand, with 40 per cent mineral base of the country, is the only state that has both coal and iron ore deposits. "We are on the path of becoming a developed state from a developing one in the next four years. For this, we are focusing on developing industry, agriculture, IT and tourism sectors, which are also very high employment generating sectors," he said. The chief minister also assured investors of a secured environment. The state, he said, which was ranked number 29 in ease of doing business, has improved to number 3 in the last 13 month since the BJP government took charge. "Besides the usual incentives, which are at par with other states, we have also introduced single-window system for speedy clearance of projects," Das said. "When we took charge of the government 13 months back, Jharkhand was at 29th position in ease of doing business list by World Bank-DIPP study. We have improved this to number 3 in just 13 months," he said. Jharkhand, which is also focusing on infrastructure and roads, is planning to provide 24x7 power supply by 2018, Das said, adding that the state will provide solar power to 400 tribal villages and towns by December this year. The agitation by the Jats demanding reservation under OBC category today affected rail and road traffic in several parts of Haryana prompting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to announce enhancement of the quota of reservation for Economically Backward Classes in the state from 10 to 20 per cent. During the day, the protests by the Jats spread from Rohtak-Jhajjar region to Sonipat, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad and Jind districts, with large number of women also joining the protests. While lawyers joined in the protests at Sonipat, a large number of students held a protest in Rohtak. The protesters are demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under OBC category. Jat and Khap leaders including Hawa Singh Sangwan, Sudeep Kalkal, Mahender Singh Mor and Santosh Dahiya held a four-hour long meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, in which Finance Minister Abhimanyu, Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar and State BJP President Subhash Barala were also present. Later, the Chief Minister announced to enhance the quota of reservation in government jobs and admission in educational institutions for Economically Backward Classes in the state from 10 to 20 per cent. He also announced to enhance the annual income ceiling from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh so that maximum people can get benefit under this category. The Chief Minister announced this while addressing a meeting of Jat and Khap leaders, an official spokesman said. Khattar said that in the today's meeting a "broad consensus" was reached between the government and the Jat leaders over the reservation issue. He also announced that the Committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to study all aspects of the reservations for Special Backward Classes and to suggest the best way forward, would submit its report before the forthcoming budget session of State Assembly next month. Khattar said the committee would consider all suggestions including that of bringing in an appropriate bill in this regard. Several Jat leaders had asked the Government to bring a Bill in the State Assembly on the quota issue. All India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti's national president, Yashapal Malik, said the government has given its proposal, "but the people are not that happy. However, its result will be known in a day or two (whether the protests will continue or end)". (REOPENS DEL 90) Malik told The agitating Jats blocked many roads leading to Delhi, with protesters squatting and placing truck/bus tyres, tree branches and other articles on the roads. The protesters also blocked the NH-10 passing through Sampla town in Rohtak district. Announcements were being made in villages asking Jat youths to come out on the roads and fight for their rights. As Jat agitation spread to other parts of the State, Khap leaders in Bhiwani blocked the Dadri-Jhajjar-Delhi road and burned effigy of Khattar. Several persons have been booked by the police for causing inconvenience to the general public and others. Apprehending law and order trouble during Jat agitation, additional police force has been sent to places where protesters blocked highways and were squatting on rail tracks. Agitating Jats have said that they want the government to come out with a concrete action plan before they can think of ending the protest. Capt Abhimanyu has said the BJP Government was all for talks with the Jat leaders with an "open mind". "In a democratic set up, any issue can be amicably resolved with talks and dialogue," he said earlier. Notably, a four-member committee constituted by the state government on the reservation issue demanded by the Jats in government jobs, would submit its report by March 31. On February 9, the state government had formed a four-member committee comprising Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, Principal Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes T C Gupta, Principal Secretary (Industries) Devender Singh and a representative from the office of the Haryana Advocate General to examine the issue in detail. Opposition parties Congress and INLD blamed the BJP Government for not being able to address the Jat reservation issue appropriately. The INLD has come out in full support of the agitating Jats who are demanding reservation. Meanwhile, opposition Congress and ruling BJP today indulged in blame game over Jat stir. While Health Minister Anil Vij alleged that the Congress had always misled the Jats, State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar said that before coming to power in Haryana, the BJP leaders had made tall promises to the community and was now finding itself in a fix. The Supreme Court had in March 2015 quashed the decision of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre to provide reservation to Jats under OBC of the Central government. A bike-borne person was mowed down and the pillion rider injured by a jeep in which robbers were escaping after stealing the vehicle, police said today. The robbers stole the jeep from a religious function in Kothun area of Chaksu last night and were fleeing when the accident happened, they said. The motorcycle rider, identified as Raju Meena, was killed while Prathviraj Gurjar who was riding pillion was injured and sent to Jaipur's government hospital, police said. JKLF vice chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat along with other leaders of the outfit was today taken into preventive custody after they took out a march here to protest against the recent death of students in south Kashmir and arrests of former Delhi University professor S A R Geelani and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) activists were detained at Abi Guzar locality in the heart of the city, shortly after they organised 'Gaiyebana Nimaz-e-Jinazah' (funeral prayers in absentia) for Zikra Maqbool, widow of JKLF founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, who died in Pakistan yesterday. The JKLF founder was hanged in Delhi's Tihar jail on February 11, 1984. JKLF headed by Mohammad Yasin Malik had announced a sit-in at Lal Chowk this afternoon to lodge its protest against the killing of two students allegedly in firing by security forces on protesters after an encounter in Pulwama district on Sunday. Malik could not attend the protest as he was undergoing treatment for a medical condition at a hospital under police custody. "JKLF is raising its voice against the unabated killings in Kashmir. This killing spree cannot be tolerated silently and Kashmiris will resist this genocide with passion and valour," the JKLF vice-chairman said before leading the protest march. Hundreds of people participated in funeral prayers attended among others by Islamic Students League chief Shakil Ahmad Bakhshi and representatives of various other separatist groups, including both factions of Hurriyat Conference. Delhi University today witnessed clashes between ABVP members and a group of students who came out in support of their JNU counterparts agitating over the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case. The students, numbering a little above 100, had gathered outside DU Arts Faculty around 1 pm raising slogans against the Centre's "transgression" in academic institutions across the country like in FTII, Hyderabad University and JNU. Claiming not to be part of any organised political outfit, the students marched in procession carrying banners bearing messages of solidarity such as "DU with JNU" and "Dissent is not sedition". "20-25 members belonging to ABVP interrupted the meeting shouting slogans like 'Bharat Mata ke Jai' and 'Jo Afzal ki baat karega woh Afzal ki maut marega' (those talking about Afzal will die like Afzal)," one of the students said. Towards the end of the meeting, ABVP members started waving the tricolour and asked the protesters to do the same and say 'Vande Mataram' as a "proof of their patriotism". In doing so, some ABVP members engaged in a scuffle with the protesters and the police. The ABVP members then marched through the campus raising slogans against the "anti-nationals" and condemning the meeting. Mitesh, an ABVP activist, justified the interruptions, saying they will not tolerate "anti-national" activities. He claimed that most of the protesters were "non-DU students". "Police personnel intervened in time and separated the groups. No one was injured and none has been detained," DCP (North) Madhur Verma said. CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat today lashed out at Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi calling him a "shakha (RSS) man" and demanded his removal over the attack on journalists, students and teachers in Patiala House court complex. Extending support to JNU students agitating against the arrest of its student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Brinda said the RSS which is ruling the country is no less than a "Rashtriya Sarvnash Samiti". "What is their idea of nationalism? The biggest anti-nationals are among those who are sitting in the Central government. First they file a bogus case against Kanhaiya and then he is beaten up in court premises...It clearly shows the hand of Delhi police commissioner," she said while addressing the students at JNU. "It (the attack) could not have happened without his knowledge. He called it a minor incident (the attack) and he defended them talking about emotions being roused. He refused to take action against them even if they were identified. Despite of Supreme Court orders, these goondas, in black coats, attacked Kanhaiya, when there was a police contingent there. "Bassi does not know Constitution and he is working like a 'shakha man' (RSS worker) and this is very clear and he has told bunch of lies. What is happening is that this is reenactment of Hitler Raj. Bassi should be removed immediately," she said. Kanhaiya was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. "As far as Kanhaiya is concerned, he (Bassi) does not have shred of evidence against him.. He will be exposed thoroughly," she added. The NHRC has issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government, Delhi Police and authorities of the Jawaharlal Nehru University over police action on the varsity campus following a row over an event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, sources in the panel said today. Notices were issued after the National Human Rights Commission, took cognizance of media reports about the event where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, leading to the arrest of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges. "However, the President of the JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, has denied the allegations stating that he went to the spot only to intervene in a clash between two groups. It is also alleged that police is mindlessly patrolling the campus and students are being witch-hunted and demonized for doing nothing. "It is widely alleged that the action of the police was illegal and high-handed and was an attempt to suppress freedom of speech and expression in academic institutions. It is also alleged that the charge of sedition was falsely added to intimidate those who dissent," said the panel while issuing notices to Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Delhi government, Delhi Police Commissioner and Registrar at JNU. The NHRC has sought their response within two weeks. Activists of National Panthers Student Union (NPSU) today tried to disrupt classes in Jammu University during a protest over the JNU row and sought slapping of sedition charges on the culprits. Led by Thakur Virender Singh, state President NPSU, the activists assembled in large numbers in front of the administrative block of the University. They raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Azad Hindustan Zindabad' and barged into classrooms urging the students to boycott classes. Singh said "anti-India propaganda" unleashed by certain elements at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi should be dealt with sternly. He said that the highly provocative and inflammatory speeches given by anti-nationals could not be tolerated by any nationalist. Calling the JNU row a result of "unholy nexus between the jihadists and the Leftists", Vishwa Hindu Parishad today hailed the government for taking "strong action" against those involved in seditious activities. VHP's international joint general secretary Surendra Jain lashed out at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for his visit to JNU in support of "traitors", saying the party that had fought for the country's freedom under Mahatma Gandhi is now fighting for "seditious characters". He also criticised the Left for its stand, saying it was behind the "killing" of many political opponents in Kerala and West Bengal. "VHP appeals to all political parties not to convert the politics of opposition to politics of national destruction. They themselves cannot survive by ruining the country. "It has become clear from the developments after the unfortunate incident that it was the result of the unholy nexus between the jihadists and the Leftists," claimed Jain. In what could stoke fresh controversy, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha today said Jadavpur University students who raised anti-India slogans need a good thrashing so that they understand the true value of nationalism. He also said that BJP MLA O P Sharma should be felicitated for "beating up anti-nationals" at the Patiala House court premises in the national capital, adding, "This is the way how anti-nationals should be treated." Talking to reporters here, Sinha said, "It is highly condemnable that anti-India slogans are raised by students of Jadavpur University. This is a shame. Those who raise anti-India slogans would be beaten up by the people. "In days to come people will give them (JU students) a good thrashing. What they need is a good thrashing then only they will understand the true value of nationalism." The BJP took out a rally during the day condemning yesterday's rally by JU students. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised yesterday at the JU students rally, which was taken out to express solidarity with their JNU counterparts who are agitating against the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. During the torch rally by students of all faculties of the university slogans like "Afzal bole azadi, Geelani bole azadi" and "Cheenke ke lenge azadi" were raised. Other slogans like "Freedom from RSS, freedom from Modi government", "Jab Kashmir ne maangi azadi, Manipur bhi boli azadi" were also heard. A jury has been selected for the trial of an Arizona man charged with supporting the Islamic State group and helping plan a violent attack last year at a controversial cartoon contest in Texas. The jury selection for Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem cleared the way for opening statements today. It's believed to be the first time the government has put a person on trial on charges related to the Islamic State. Kareem is accused of providing the guns used at the May 3 attack. Authorities say Kareem and the two men who carried out the attack researched travel to the Middle East so they could join Islamic State fighters. Kareem denies the allegations. A juvenile at an observation home for boys here as allegedly committed suicide following which Delhi government has ordered a departmental inquiry into the incident. Yesterday, a juvenile hanging himself from a ceiling fan in the dormitory of the facility in the evening. The Superintendent, Welfare Officer, and a nurse took him to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The departmental inquiry will be conducted by the Director, Women and Child Development Department to ascertain whether there was any foul play in the case and will also fix responsibility in the entire matter, said a statement issued by Delhi government. Separately, a report about the incident has been submitted to the District Magistrate (North) for initiating further action. Also, the Principal Magistrate of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Board is conducting a separate probe into the sequence and circumstances of how such an incident took place. The juvenile was admitted to protective custody (judicial custody) at the observation home by the order of the Principal Magistrate of Juvenile Justice Board-II. "A Principal Magistrate of Juvenile Justice Board has already visited the Observation Home at and conducted a preliminary inquiry by taking the statements of a few juveniles in conflict with law and the matter was subsequently reported to the Registrar General of the High Court of Delhi. Karnataka government today said it has received investment commitments worth around Rs 10,000 crore during the 'Make in India Week' in Mumbai. The investment interests received include TarKovacs Systems Group, a French company, to establish anocean based renewable energy project with an investment of 300 million euros (Rs 2,284 crore) and by McCormick Ingredients, a US-based company, to set up a food processing unit with an investment of Rs 150 crore. Other commitments include a proposal by Global Mode & Accessories, a garment export company, to set up a manufacturing unit with anemployment potential of 2,000 persons with an investment of Rs25 crore and by First Solar for Solar cell manufacturingunit, with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore. The state government in a release said Pert Telecom has expressed intention to establish a manufacturing base for a widerange of smart products and solutions in the areas of street lighting, IT security, surveillance and GPS with an investment of Rs 1,250 crore in a phased manner. The Karnataka State Seminar was organised today as part of the ongoing Make in India Week event in Mumbai that was attended by Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Tourism R V Deshpande along with a host of senior state government officials, including Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Commerce & Industries Department K Ratna Prabha. Stating that the state has led the industrial transformation of India, making its mark across all industries, Deshpande said, "Karnataka has innovated, inventedand invested to lead the future of India." "Today Karnataka has emerged as one of the most preferred FDI destinations for global firms," the minister was quoted as saying in the release. Several industry experts and industry captains like Dhiraj Mathur, Partner, PwC; L Krishnan, Managing Director, Taegutec India Ltd; Shekar Viswanathan, Whole-time Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd among others were present at the event. In another day of extraordinary events, JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and some journalists were attacked in a court complex here by rowdy lawyers in brazen defiance of the orders of the Supreme Court, which was forced to step in. Despite instructions by the apex court to ensure security at the Patiala House Court, where violent men in black robes had attacked journalists on Monday, Delhi Police failed to prevent the attack on Kumar, accused of sedition, was brought for remand proceedings. On Monday too, journalists were attacked by such elements. The Supreme Court had earlier in the day directed Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi to ensure proper and adequate security at the court complex and also asked the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court to be present there. All that was of no consequence as the rowdy lawyers punched and kicked Kumar, who was escorted by a posse of policemen from the vehicle to court. A medical examination later revealed that he had suffered abrasions on the face and both the legs. Even as the violence was being perpetrated in the court complex, senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and Prashant Bhushan informed the top court that a tense situation was building up at the Patiala House where a group of lawyers and others were resorting to violence. Acting swiftly, the apex court appointed a team of six senior members of the bar to proceed to the Patiala House to report on the situation. The team comprised Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit K Sinha and Haren Rawal. The lawyers team rushed to Patiala House under heavy police escort and had to wade through an angry mob of lawyers who showered abuses on them. They reached the Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen's court just as the proceedings had wound up but they talked to Kumar. Lovleen had remanded Kumar to judicial custody till March 2 but the accused had to spend three more hours in the court room as the belligerent lawyers laid siege outside. Late in the evening, he was taken to Tihar jail where he will be lodged under heavy security. Days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came out in support of arrested JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, a senior party leader today visited his home in Begusarai district and said "conspiratorial arrest" of Kanhaiya will prove to be the "undoing" of the BJP government at the Centre. JD(U) spokesman and member of Legislative Council Neeraj Kumar paid a visit to Kanhaiya's home at Madhusudanpur (Bihat) and expressed solidarity with his family. Later addressing a public meeting in the village, Kumar spoke in favour of the JNUSU president and demanded his immediate release. "The unfolding of events indicate that Kanhaiya Kumar's intention was to establish peace in the prestigious university and not any anti-national activity," Neeraj Kumar said. "About 120 hours have passed since the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, but no evidence against him has been made public," he said. "The Centre should either present evidence against the JNUSU president or withdraw allegation of sedition against him," the Bihar JD(U) spokesman said. He said Kanhaiya Kumar hails from a family of freedom fighters including famous CPI leader Chandrasekhar Singh and Ramcharitra Singh. In a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the JD(U) leader said " the conspiratorial arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar will prove to be the undoing of the BJP government." The JD(U) leader's comments came after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had defended Kanhaiya, saying he had met him and that he couldn't be an "anti-national." The chief minister had on Monday said it was "a design" to impose the ideology of ABVP on the nation and had claimed it was "like imposing Emergency" in the country. Senior RJD leader and state minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui also came out in support of the JNUSU president. "Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest is part of a conspiracy hatched by RSS, BJP and ABVP," Siddiqui alleged. Meanwhile, Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey today said party youth workers would hold agitation across the state from February 18-21 against Kanhaiya's "anti-national" assertions and rivals rushing to his defence. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been at loggerheads with Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi over a range of issues, today skipped the At-Home reception organised by the city police chief. Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had yesterday also not attended the 69th Delhi Police Raising Day parade. "Both Kejriwal and Sisodia today skipped the At-Home reception hosted by the Commissioner. The reason behind them not attending the event is the growing bitterness in their relation with Bassi, over issues including women's safety in the city," a source said. In October, Kejriwal had attacked the Delhi Police saying that "Jungle raj" was prevailing in the national capital which was a matter of "deep concern". In retaliation, Bassi had said, "There is no jungle raj in Delhi. If such a thing has been said than it is definitely wrong. It may be due to lack of knowledge or insight on crime situation." The AAP government has been demanding from the BJP-led central government to hand over the city police to it. Taking on the Arvind Kejriwal government, Bassi had said, "It would be a very unfortunate day in the history of the national capital if the Delhi Police comes under the city government" and that its functioning under the Centre's jurisdiction was "perfect". The Venezuelan opposition's top vote-getter is calling for a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro. Two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles called for a referendum to oust the socialist leader today. Capriles, who leads the more moderate wing of Venezuela's opposition, previously stopped short of calling for Maduro's ouster. Maduro has been on a collision course with opposition leaders since critics of Venezuela's socialist government took control of Congress in January for the first time in more than a decade. Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the one decision Congress has made since being sworn in - their attempt to deny Maduro emergency powers to death with the economy. Congress has been weighing several options for removing Maduro from office, including shortening his term, and calling a constitutional referendum. But many fear that the Supreme Court, which has never ruled against the executive branch, would simply overturn these efforts. A voter referendum may be a longer and more risky path, but Capriles said it is one the government will be forced to recognize. "Now is the time," he said. "They will not be able to overturn a referendum." A governor who narrowly lost to Maduro in the last presidential election in 2013, Capriles leads the opposition party that won a plurality of seats in the new Congress. Maduro's approval ratings have languished in the 20 percent range for most of his term, but a recall referendum is no sure thing. The opposition would need to gather nearly 4 million signatures to trigger the recall process. If a vote is called, winning a simple majority will not be enough. The opposition will need to surpass the number of votes Maduro won in 2013. An advocate was arrested by 'SHE Teams' of police for allegedly harassing a woman from Delhi by sending her abusive and vulgar messages, police said today. Accused M Abhishek and his friends had unsuccessfully tried to strike communication with the woman who had come to attend a programme at Gachibowli here last month, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT) Swati Lakra said. However, when she did not respond, they took her business card from other persons and since then Abhishek allegedly started sending her text messages asking her to respond and make friends with him, Lakra said. "As the victim was not responding to his messages, he continuously started sending her abusive and vulgar messages asking her to respond to him and enjoy the attention she is receiving," the officer said. She then informed the matter to her friends, who in turn called up the advocate asking him not to harass her. "She also requested him to stop sending messages as she was not interested in him. But, he did not stop and further started threatening her saying he will come to her place personally if she does not accept his friendship," Lakra said. The woman then submitted a complaint to "SHE Teams", the unit tasked with cracking down on eve-teasers and stalkers, and a case was registered and Abhishek arrested after investigation, she said. Lawyers supporting JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar today blamed police inaction for the violence in Patiala House Court in Supreme Court alleging that they remained 'mute spectator' when teachers, students and journalists were attacked and heckled by the mob. Submissions were made before the bench comprising justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre by senior advocates appearing in support of Kanhaiya in the petition seeking appropriate directions to Centre to ensure a proper conduct of the proceedings in Patiala House Court, regarding the JNU incident. Senior advocate K T S Tulsi appearing for the petitioner N D Jayaprakash said on February 15, when the Kanhaiya Kumar was produced before the Court, violence took place inside the court room in which the accused and several media persons were injured and were branded as "anti-nationals". He said that violence inside the court room is not accepted and sanctity of judicial proceedings has to be maintained. "The police personnel present there remained mute spectator and cameras of media personnel were broken and they were heckled," he said. The bench observed that in incidents like these, everyone blames police and if police acts, then they say excess has been committed. "Please remember before coming to blame the police. Remember what had happened in Madras High Court (referring to clash between lawyers and police some years back). Blamegame is not going to help anybody. Moderation is needed in every section of the society. When police intervenes both sides blame it of excesses," the bench said. Again when the issue of police inaction for the February 15 incident when teachers, students and scribes were thrashed by the lawyers was raised, the bench said "position of police is not very comfortable." "Why I am saying so you have to remember. Remember about the incident that happened in the Madras High Court. Today that very court is under protection of the CISF," Justice Chelameswar said. Lawyers at Karkardooma District Court here today observed a day-long strike to protest against police inaction in arresting those involved in alleged anti- national activities in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), paralysed judicial work. However, Advocate Mahesh Sharma, President of Shahdara Bar Association, also condemned the attack on journalists by persons dressed as lawyers at Patiala House Court but also claimed that some advocates were being falsely implicated in the incident. He said those raising 'anti-national' slogans can be clearly seen in various videos but the police has not arrested anyone apart from JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. "The judicial institution is being defamed. Why has police not arrested till now those persons who can be seen in the videos," he said. (REOPENS LGD48) Meanwhile, the lawyers protesting against arrested JNU student union leader Kanhaiya at Patiala House court today said they would be holding a "peaceful march" at the India Gate against the "anti-national activities" on February 19. "No anti-national activities will be tolerated at any cost. We will hold a rally to show lawyers' unity against such activities," lawyers on the court premises said before dispersing from the venue where the student leader was produced and kept inside the court room. The lawyers dispersed at around 7 PM after the police officials made a request to them to let them do their job and take Kanhaiya out of the court premises. : A car and a two wheeler of a private lorry operator were destroyed when unidentified miscreants hurled bombs at his house at Koodal Nagar here tonight, police said. The vehicles were parked in front of his house, Police said the man came rushing out of his house on hearing a noise and saw the vehicles destroyed. Police said they had been frequent complaints of attacks by miscreants using stones petrol bombs in the area for the past one month and added that patrolling would be intensified soon. Apparently dissatisfied over state Revenue minister Eknath Khadse's decision to close fodder camps, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed junior cabinet-rank ministers to supervise relief work in drought-affected Beed, Osmanabad and Latur districts. Fadnavis has also asked Cabinet ministers Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde, Chandrakant Patil and Deepak Sawant to coordinate the day-long visits of 30 such ministers who will review the government's drought relief measures at taluka level, a senior minister in the state cabinet said. Meanwhile, Khadse denied that his decisions are being overruled by Fadnavis. "The government has already communicated the collectors of the three districts with the decision not to shut down the cattle fodder camps," Khadse said. He said the decision was taken based on the reports by the district collectors who had informed availability of estimated 11 to 12 lakh metric tonnes fodder due to the unseasonal rains during the Rabbi season. "The decision is not like a divine ordination which cannot be changed anytime. The district collectors in the earlier order have been told to ensure that no cattle is deprived of fodder and water. Unauthorised cattle fodder camps need to seek permission and there cannot be two cattle camps within a radius of 500 metres," Khadse said. At present there are 2.08 lakh cattle in camps and around 237 such camps are in operation in the three parched districts in Marathwada region, he said. Speaking to reporters over recent rollbacks of government decisions, Minister for Cooperation Chandrakant Patil said there was no communication gap amongst the cabinet ministers and the administration. "If elected representatives ask the government to reconsider its decision, the government does reconsider," Patil said. The chief minister had yesterday asked the cabinet sub-committee headed by Khadse to reconsider its decision of closing the cattle fodder camps in drought-affected Beed, Osmanabad and Latur. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the state has attracted investments worth about Rs 8 lakh crore during the ongoing 'Make In India' week. "We have signed many memoranda of understanding (MoU) with several companies across sectors to the tune of Rs 8 lakh crore during the 'Make In India' week," he told reporters on the sidelines of the week-long event here. A couple of days back, the government signed pacts worth Rs 6 lakh crore, which included big commitments from Mahindra and Mahindra (Rs 8,000 crore), Mercedes (Rs 4,270 crore), Panchshil (Rs 5,000 crore), JSW Jaigarh Port (Rs 6,000 crore) and RCF Chemicals (Rs 6,204 crore), among others. The government today signed over Rs 1,60,000 crore worth agreements, which include commitments from CIDCO's two projects - Khalapur Smart City (Rs 7,909 crore) and township projects in NAINA project area worth Rs 29,952 crore. Developers' body MCHI-CREDAI also signed a pact to develop 5.69 lakh affordable houses in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) area with a proposed investment of Rs 1.10 lakh crore. "This MoU is in line with our aim to develop 11 lakh affordable homes in the MMR by 2020. We will act as a facilitator for the developers, who would submit their proposals under the scheme to develop affordable homes. We will ensure land and other clearances to ensure speedy execution of the projects," Fadnavis said. The state is expected to generate a revenue of around Rs 75,000 crore through taxes through this project, he added. The government has received commitments from retail players like Future Group (Rs 850 crore), Trent Hypermarket (Rs 400 crore), D-Mart (Rs 250 crore), Metro Shoes (Rs 50 crore), Shoppers Stop (Rs 50 crore) and Major Brands (Rs 50 crore). "The investments from the retail players is in line with the recently-released retail policy of the state," he added. The government also signed a pact with MAB Aviation and its partner Radius Circle to launch the first-of-its-kind air ambulance service from the state. "MAB Aviation will launch the first ever air ambulance services from Maharashtra. The company will launch its service from August and over the next two years it will expand its services across the country," Fadnavis said. Male forest guards purportedly taking height and chest measurements of women candidates during a recruitment drive in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district has kicked up a controversy with Congress dubbing it as "derogatory". The women, who had applied for posts of forest guard, were examined for physical fitness by the male officers yesterday, the Congress alleged. In a statement, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee said, "It is most unfortunate that under chief ministership (of Vasundhara Raje), women candidates were examined for physical fitness by male guards." "It is illegal and derogatory towards women. Their physical fitness examination must be done by women constables only. It was all happening under Raje rule," PCC Vice President Archna Sharma said. She also alleged that during Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) examination earlier this month, girls were not allowed to appear in the exams with their 'dupatta or chunni' and were forced to remove them. "The state government should take action against those involved in such incidents in which women's prestige is at stake," she said. A male relative of a 68-year-old French woman of Puducherry origin, who was murdered two days back, was arrested here today. Speaking to reporters here, Deputy Inspector General of Police K Jagadeesan said police questioned one Etheine (54), a Public Works Department employee, as they suspected that only those close to the family could have committed the crime. Etheine reportedly confessed to having committed the crime and was arrested from his residence, the DGP said, adding he was later remanded to judicial custody. The DGP said Ethiene had visited the house of Honurine (68), on February 15 night and allegedly quarrelled with herover a financial transaction, police said. Honurine was found lying in a pool of blood in the living room of her house by her eight-year-old granddaughter early on Tuesday. The girl immediately informed the servant, who alerted police. Honurine had been staying in Puducherry for the last 20 years while her two adopted children were residing in France. Her estranged husband is also away in France. In a major policy decision, West Bengal Government today allowed paternity-cum-child care leave of 30 days for its male employees which can be availed either during child birth or until their children turn 18. Announcing this at the State Secretariat Nabanna, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting today to enable male employees to discharge their parental responsibilities. The state government had earlier allowed maternity leave for 180 days and child care leave for 730 days to female employees of the state government and Panchayat Raj, besides other local bodies, boards, corporations, undertakings, companies, state aided universities, sponsored and non-government aided schools and colleges, Banerjee said. The scheme would be implemented with immediate effect, she added. Two persons were arrested in connection with a murder case, which the Bhiwandi Police claimed to have cracked merely on the basis of a batch number on a whisky bottle and a locket found from the crime scene. Addressing a conference in Bhiwandi last evening DCP Bhiwandi Division Sudhir Dhabade and ACP Chandrakant Joshi told newsmen that an unidentified man was found brutally murdered by some unknown assailants in the powerloom town on January 13 and an offence under sections 302, 201 rw 34 of the IPC was registered with the Narpoli police station of Bhiwandi. The police, which recovered the victim's abandoned body, were clueless in the initial stages of the probe as they could not get find anything except a whisky bottle and a locket of Sri Vishweshwari Group on his person. A thorough probe into the crime with the help of the batch number on the whisky bottle led the police to Monica Hotel of Bhiwandi after which the CCTV footage in the hotel was examined. To the surprise of the police team the shirt and the shoes that were worn by the victim matched with the one worn by a person seen in the footage who had visited the hotel along with two others for a drink. Later, police got in touch with the said Sri Vishweswari group at Varanasi and published pictures of the victim in the media there. Soon, the parents of the victim identified him and approached the police. The victim was identified as one Rajnish alias Rahul Shiv Charan Singh. Subsequently, the probe moved on two others accompanying Singh in the hotel. Investigations revealed that both of them were residents of Allahabad in UP and were identified as Anuj Pandey and Ankit Pandey. Getting to know about their whereabouts, police rushed to Allahabad and nabbed Anujkumar Pandey who was preparing to leave for Gujarat on February 12. Further probe revealed that the other accused Ankit Chandrashekar Pandey was visiting Mumbai to meet his relatives at Seepz in MIDC Andheri, from where he was picked up on February 14 night. Talking to PTI, senior PI Narpoli police station DD Shivthare said the motive behind the killing was that the victim had a love affair with the sister of the first accused which was not favoured by the girl's family and hence they wanted to get rid of him. As part of their plan, the duo took Singh for an outing and after a drinking session clubbed him to death, police said. A man jailed for four years awaiting a death penalty trial has taken the unusual step of pleading guilty to capital murder in a case that shocked Las Vegas for its brutality: the rape, torture, killing and mutilation of a 15-year-old girl on her way home from school. Javier Righetti was 19 when he killed Arbor View High School sophomore Alyssa Otremba. She disappeared Sept 2, 2011, after texting her mom that she was walking home from school. Her burned body was found in a vacant lot the next day. Now 23, Righetti pleaded guilty Feb 11 to all charges against him, including kidnapping, robbing and trying to rape another teenage girl in Las Vegas in March 2011. He got no promise that he won't be put to death. It's "extraordinarily unusual" to plead guilty before a capital murder trial with no deal from prosecutors to seek life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty, Righetti's court-appointed defence attorney said Tuesday. "He didn't deny that he did it," Christy Craig said. "He was aware of what this meant. He just didn't want to put anybody, including the family of the victim and his family, through a long trial." A Clark County District Court jury is due to begin March 15 to consider whether Righetti should be executed. Righetti last week told Judge Michelle Leavitt he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and stabbed Otremba dozens of times before burning her corpse in northwest Las Vegas. A prosecutor told a judge in October 2011 that Righetti provided a detailed confession following his arrest. "It made him feel powerful," prosecutor Christopher Lalli said at the time. "He said he did it because it made him seem more like a gangster or a thug." Righetti also was suspected of sexually assaulting a female cousin in Mazatlan, Mexico, Lalli said at the time, and served time in a Nevada Youth Training Centre in Elko for a sexually motivated kidnapping. Craig said Righetti knew his plea and penalty trial would get attention, and he wanted to retain his ability to appeal the jury decision. "There's very little he has control over," the defence attorney said. "This will get intense scrutiny as it winds through appeals even more so because he's pleading guilty to all counts. A man rescued off the coast of Cuba by a Disney cruise ship has been arrested in connection with a computer attack on a Boston hospital. Federal prosecutors say 31-year-old Martin Gottesfeld and his wife made a distress call Tuesday from a sailboat. Gottesfeld was arrested today on a conspiracy charge after the Disney ship returned to Miami. Prosecutors say he had a role in a 2014 computer attack at Boston Children's Hospital in the name of the hacking group Anonymous. Prosecutors say the FBI searched Gottesfeld's home in 2014 so he knew about the federal investigation. Authorities say the attack was in protest of the hospital's treatment of a teenager at the center of a custody dispute. An attorney for Gottesfeld declined to comment. Marble traders met Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today and sought changes in the import policy such as removal of quantitative restrictions, saying it would help in bridging the demand-supply gap. The Delhi Marble Dealers Association has also recommended free import of rough marble under the open general licence scheme. "Met representatives of marble dealers associations to discuss import policy of rough marble and travertine blocks and marble slabs," Commerce and Industry Minister, Sitharaman said in a tweet. In a memo submitted to the Minister, the association said that these changes would increase availability of raw materials and provide opportunity for reopening of close and sick marble processing units. "Assured availability of raw marble blocks promote would also create more opportunity for jobs in the country," it said. The current import policy has led to centralisation of trade to only few states, created barriers to entry, and loss of foreign exchange as value addition is happening in other countries, it added. "There is a huge demand and supply gap for raw materials, rough marble blocks," the memo said. With its new facility in Gujarat expected to be commissioned early next year, auto major Maruti Suzuki today said it will ramp up production at its existing plants in Gurgaon and Manesar to meet rising demand. "There may be some temporary shortage of capacity. Gujarat is coming up next year," the company's Chairman R C Bhargava told reporters at the Make in India Week here. The company, which has been witnessing double-digit sales growth for the last three years, will therefore have to expand production at its Gurgaon and Manesar plants in the National Capital Region (NCR), he said. He said Maruti Suzuki will end 2015-16 with sales of 1.45 million units, which is expected to rise by 8-9 per cent to 1.55 million units next fiscal. Bhargava also said that diesel engines are being unfairly targeted in the debate on pollution. Two-wheelers cause more pollution than the four-wheelers, but they are not targeted because of their sheer number and political considerations, he said. He also expressed reservation about the odd-even scheme of the Delhi government, saying a measure like congestion tax is justifiable but one cannot prohibit movement of cars. The Home Ministry has asked Delhi Police to submit a report today itself detailing the Patiala House court incident. "I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner and asked him to send a detailed report on the Patiala court incident today itself," Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters here. His comments came hours after a group of lawyers assaulted journalists and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House court. "If anyone violates law, action will be taken," he said. Asked about earlier attack on mediapersons on Monday, Mehrishi said investigation is going on into two FIRs registered in that connection. "Action will be taken as per law," he said. On Monday, journalists, students and teachers of JNU were attacked by people wearing lawyers' black robes in Patiala House court. Yesterday, hundreds of journalists hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in police presence and sought Supreme Court's intervention for protecting freedom of speech. Official sources said police would seek help from media organisations to provide video clips of February 9 incident at the Jawaharlal Nehru University to gather additional evidence against those who were involved in raising anti-national slogans and delivering inflammatory speech. Asked about reports that Delhi Police would not oppose the bail plea of arrested JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, they said perhaps police would like to incorporate everything in the charge sheet. The mines ministry has written to the finance ministry for scrapping of 10 per cent export duty on iron ore with Fe content below 58 per cent, a move that is designed to make the mining industry in Goa more competitive. Besides, it has also requested the finance ministry to consider raising the import duty on aluminium products by 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent and not raise the same on aluminium scrap. "We have recommended to the finance ministry scrapping 10 per cent duty on iron ore exported from Goa. We will recommend a reduction in export duty on high-grade iron ore (Fe content over 58 per cent). Quantum will be decided in a day or two," Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar told reporters here. Last month, Goa's mining industry body GMOEA wrote to the Prime Minister's Office, seeking to remove 10 per cent export duty on iron ore fines with Fe content below 58 per cent and 30 per cent export duty on iron ore lumps irrespective of the grade. The industry body argued that prices of iron ore with Fe content of 56 per cent have nosedived from $119 per tonne free on board (FOB) Goa in January 2011 to $21 a tonne in November 2015, making it unviable for miners to extract the ore with the current tax mechanism. The industry has to contend with extremely high percentage of taxes to the tune of 40 per cent even for low grade of iron ore, which makes it uncompetitive, it had said. The secretary added that the ministry has already written to the finance ministry to consider a 2.5 per cent import duty hike on primary aluminium products and bring it to 7.5 per cent. "Besides, we have recommended that the import duty on in-bound shipments of aluminium scrap should not be increased," he added. He said industry body Aluminum Association of India has mooted a case for safeguard duty on aluminium and the mines ministry has asked the finance ministry to expedite the case. Asked on minimum import price (MIP) on aluminium, Kumar said: "(We) have not sent any formal request on MIP for aluminium. We have asked the aluminium industry to present a case and then, we will decide based on its merits." The ministry has not recommended any change in the duty structure on copper ore or primary copper catalyst or cathode. The domestic aluminium industry says it's facing "a very tough time" on account of the twin problems of cheap imports from China and a meltdown in global prices. The price of aluminium at the London Metal Exchange (LME) has fallen 37 per cent to $1,555 per tonne in November this year, from $2,477 a tonne in the year-ago period. It has been lobbying with the government to hike import duty or impose safeguard duty on aluminium products. Industry leaders had also met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last year and requested him to raise import duty on the metal to check cheap imports from China, a scenario that can impact investments worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore. A 13-year-old daughter of a city- based businessman, who had been missing for the last two days has returned to her home safely, police said today. The family of the girl had complained to police on February 15, suspecting she had been abducted after she didn't come home from school, they said. According to police, the girl instead of going back to her home went to her maternal grandparent's house, who stay in Shastri Nagar area here. "Based on the investigation done by a special police team it is clear that the girl was not abducted, she herself had gone to her grandparent's home," Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police D C Dubey said. Later, the police was informed by the family that the girl was safe at her grandparent's home. "The girl has reached home safely and is a little scared right now. The reason as to why she went there herself can only be revealed after police talks to her," Dubey said. Yesterday, police had registered a case of abduction against unknown person after the girl was reported missing. Controversial Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was today detained here after he took out a march to express solidarity with JNU students and register protest against the arrest of former Delhi University professor S A R Geelani over alleged anti-India sloganeering. Rashid was taken into preventive custody near Zero Bridge and lodged at Rajbagh Police Station, police officials said. They said Rashid, along with several dozen supporters, took out a march from his Jawahar Nagar residence in support of JNU students and against the arrest of S A R Geelani. He was stopped by police near Zero bridge and asked to end the march, police said, adding he was detained as he paid no heed and tried to continue the march towards Lal Chowk. Rashid, who is known for his controversial actions and statements, had triggered a major row some months back by holding a beef party at MLAs' Hostel here amid a raging debate over the issue. The MLA yesterday lauded the students of JNU for protesting against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and lashed out at BJP and Congress for trying to use the issue for political gains. "I thank and salute the students and scholars of JNU for raising their voice against the hanging of Guru. Hats off to them. The protests are an undercurrent in India against the BJP and RSS," he had told reporters. Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is likely to sign an agreement with Tata Motors to buy 25 hybrid buses that will ferry people to and from the BKC business district. "We've received the letter of intent and we're about to sign an agreement which will confirm the order," Tata Motors' Executive Director for Commercial Vehicles, Ravindra Pisharody told reporters at the 'Make in India Week' here. He said the contract is likely to be signed in 2-3 days and the pricing details are still being negotiated. In an an earlier bid, it had put a price tag of Rs 2 crore per such bus, he said. The company had earlier negotiated with authorities in Bengaluru, but the deal failed due to difficulties on the financing front, he said, pointing out that the Central Government gives a subsidy of only 35 per cent. The MMRDA is able to pull it off because it is taking financial support from both the Centre as well as state governments, he said. It is likely to employ the buses to ferry people into the BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex) and back, he said. Calling electric mobility as a solution for the future, Pisharody said even though the commercial value is not clear, the company has decided to build up to 30 such buses and showcase them across the country. Pisharody said the budgetary support of Rs 75 crore for research on electric mobility was "very small" and he hopes that it is increased in the upcoming budget for next fiscal. He said the company continues to see a good traction on the defence production front and has bid for future infantry combat vehicle recently. Apart from it, Tata Motors has up to four potential contracts up its sleeve, where field trials of the solutions are being done at present, he said, without disclosing more details. Former MLA Mohammed Sohrab, whose son Sambia was arrested in a hit-and-run case in which an airman was killed during Republic Day parade rehearsal, today moved an anticipatory bail prayer before a city court. Subhra Ghosh, Chief Judge at the City Sessions Court, adjourned the hearing on Sohrab's plea till February 24 on a request by the prosecution counsel. The prosecution lawyer submitted that the investigating officer was holding a Test Identification (TI) parade and as such case diary was not available. Sambia Sohrab has been charged under sections 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 212 (harbouring an offender) and 427 (mischief) of IPC for the death of IAF Corporal Abhimanyu Gaud. Mohammed Sohrab, said to be a TMC member and a former RJD MLA, and his elder son Ambia have been absconding since the date of incident on January 13 and police have launched a search for the duo in and outside the state. TMC has denied any connection with Sohrab or his sons. Sambia and his two friends Shahnawaz Khan alias Sonu and Johnny were arrested in connection with the case. A warrant of arrest has been issued against Sohrab by a city court on a plea by Kolkata Police, which is investigating the matter. Gaud was mowed down by a speeding Audi SUV at around 6.30 AM on January 13 on Red Road outside Fort William, the Eastern Command headquarter, following which the occupants fled the spot. To boost funding for start-ups, the government should consider extending tax benefits available to foreign portfolio investors to other investors such as Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), venture capital and PE funds, say tax experts. The tax benefits enjoyed by FPIs with regard to transfer of securities should be extended to "fund entities such as AIFs, venture capital, and private equity investors, given that the investment made by these entities is long term in nature and is in similar nature compared to FPIs", said KPMG (India) Head, PE Tax, Saumil Shah. The government should consider changes in the tax laws in the forthcoming Budget as these would encourage the PE sector and give momentum to the Start up India action plan, he suggested. In order to resolve the problem being faced by foreign investors, the government in 2014 Budget decided to treat income arising from transfer of securities by FPIs as capital gains. Earlier, it was not clear whether income from sale of securities would be business income or capital income. "The government had announced a series of initiatives focusing on ease of doing business in India. The proposed Start up India Action Plan just adds to the momentum," Shah said. Experts suggested that provisions relating to 10 per cent withholding tax on income distributed by AIFs should be rationalised as it's creating unnecessary hardships for foreign investors. Currently, the provision of the withholding tax applies on payments made to tax-exempt entities. "The 10 per cent withholding tax on all incomes distributed by AIF to all kinds of investors is quite unfair and unreasonable, considering the fact that such distributions may be tax-exempt receipts such as dividends from portfolio companies," Shah said. He said the withholding tax obligation on AIF should be much rationalised on the basis of self-certification by investors. This will shift the burden of proof from AIF to investors. Ashok Maheshwary & Associates Managing Partner Amit Maheshwari told PTI: "In several cases, the payment may not be subject to tax in accordance with the treaty and the non-resident may suffer due to the unnecessary withholding. The non-residents may not be able to take credit of such withholding in their home countries since these deductions are not in accordance with the treaties. : A 'mourning dance' was performed by group of women Anganawadi and mid day meal women staff, who are on indefinite fast with state government employees, demanding implementation of 20 point charter of demands, The stir by the employees entered the fourth day today. The women sang the 'mourning' song and danced in a circle, while few male government employees wore black shirts, protesting against Government's 'negligence' towards the employees, who were seeking to revert to old pension scheme and also fill the vacancies, police said. Nearly 1,000 government employees and 250 anganawadi workers squatted in front of the Collectorate, raising slogans in support of their demands. However, they were arrested, police said. Zimbabwean former vice president Joice Mujuru announced today that she is forming a new party to challenge President Robert Mugabe's all-powerful ZANU-PF, in a move that could shake up the country's politics. Mugabe, who turns 92 on Sunday, has ruled since independence in 1980 during an era marked by vote-rigging, mass emigration, accusations of human rights abuses and economic decline. He is expected to stand again for election in 2018, but jockeying over his succession has intensified due to his advanced age and speculation about his health. "We are 'People First'," Mujuru told AFP by telephone, confirming the name of her new party but giving no further details. "We don't lead the people, but people lead themselves." Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first post-independence army general, was fired from the government and the ruling ZANU-PF party in December 2014. Her ousting came after a campaign by Mugabe's wife Grace denigrating Mujuru and accusing her of corruption, fomenting party division and plotting to topple Mugabe. Many of her allies and perceived sympathisers met a similar fate in a party purge. Mujuru, 60, who was replaced as vice president by long-time Mugabe ally Emmerson Mnangagwa, denied all accusations of disloyalty. She was a guerrilla fighter during Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war before rising to become deputy leader in 2004. A former ZANU-PF stalwart, she earlier served in several cabinet posts under Mugabe and was seen for many years as his favoured choice of successor. Her husband, Solomon Mujuru, died in a mysterious house fire in 2011. Mujuru signalled her intention to form a political party last year by releasing a manifesto that opposed Mugabe's key policies including indigenisation laws that compel foreign firms to cede majority stakes to locals. ZANU-PF has been riven by factional fights over Mugabe's succession although party figures have sought to downplay any splits. Mnangagwa is now viewed as the likely next president, with Grace Mugabe, 50, also a possible candidate. The president attended an African Union summit in Ethiopia at the end of last month, giving a long speech as he stepped down from his year as AU chairman. The event was his first major public appearance since rumours flared that he had collapsed and died in Asia during his annual holiday in January. A Zimbabwe court last week jailed an opposition activist for nine years for possessing home-made petrol bombs in a supposed plot to attack a dairy run by Grace. Condemning the attack on mediapersons at a court complex in Delhi, hundreds of city-based journalists today took out a protest march here demanding that the culprits be brought to book. The protest march was organised by the Mumbai Press Club, TV Journalists' Association (TVJA), Bombay News Photographers Association, among others. Holding up placards with messages like 'Stop Attack on Journalists', 'Stop Shooting the Messenger', 'Arrest OP Sharma', 'Sack Delhi Police Commissioner', the journalists walked from Press Club to the Azad Maidan gate in south Mumbai, where they raised slogans against the "lackadaisical" approach of Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and sought his removal from the post. Following the march, the journalists held a meeting at the Press Club to discuss the issue. Several journalists and students were assaulted earlier this week allegedly by lawyers and a Delhi BJP MLA inside and outside the Patiala House Courts where a sedition case against JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be heard. Similar scenes were repeated today when, in open defiance of a Supreme Court order, the group of lawyers which had assaulted the journalists on Monday, again attacked mediapersons and also Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House Court. Jailed former Maldivian president Mohammed Nasheed has sought a two-month extension of his medical leave in the UK, even as the Maldivian envoy here today accused him of misusing his visit to "deceitfully" tarnish the country's reputation. Talking to reporters at the High Commission in New Delhi, Maldivian envoy to India Ahmed Mohamed said that despite Nasheed serving a 13-year jail sentence on terror charges, the Maldivian government provided him with a diplomatic passport and allowed him to travel to the UK when he could have received treatment in the Maldives itself. "Despite this transparent and open dealing President (Abdulla) Yameen has granted to Nasheed to travel for medical treatment, Nasheed has misused his opportunity to deceitfully tarnish the reputation of Maldives," Mohamed said. Nasheed, 48, arrived in London for treatment on January 21 after he was granted 30-day prison leave by the government to undergo an urgent spinal cord surgery. "By damaging the reputation of the Maldives government and its constitutional offices, Nasheed very conveniently forgets that he is exercising his freedom of speech because he has been given a diplomatic passport to travel abroad and if as he says human rights is in danger, he would not be sitting in the UK," the envoy said, adding that, "there is no public information" as to whether Nasheed has consulted any medical personnel and treatment. Meanwhile, the government today announced in Male that Nasheed has asked for a two-month extension to his medical leave in the UK. The government, however, stated that a decision in this regard is pending. Correctional service spokesperson Hassan Ali told Haveeru daily that Nasheed had requested an extension of two months for his medical leave, which had expired yesterday. "The process of granting him an extension is underway." The envoy, however, did not mention the fresh request by Nasheed. The Maldives' Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon previously has accused Nasheed of using prison leave for publicity after he met Prime Minister David Cameron and held a conference with journalists in the UK. Highlighting the government's steps to reach out to other parties, the envoy stated that President Yameen on February 11 announced reconvening of the political party talks with the aim of "accelerating progress, development, and national unity of the country." Invitations for dialogue have been sent out to five political parties, including Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Adhaalath Party. Talking about the visit of a delegation from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), including Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar who was representing External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Mohamed said the visit went "very well" and meeting of the CMAG is scheduled for February 24. He said the main agenda was how to strengthen democracy in the Maldives and how the Commonwealth could be involved in the process. Mohamed said having an Indian presence in the CMAG team that visited Maldives "will help us a lot". (REOPENS DEL 32) "India understands what is going on in the Maldives and India understands what needs to be done," Mohamed said. "If the Commonwealth goes through the procedure, Maldives has not violated those. What has been happening is under maintenance of law and order," he said. "India has always been helpful and even in the recent political developments that have been happening," he added. The envoy asserted that India-Maldives ties were on an upward trajectory as manifested by the bilateral visits of ministers and top officials. "What has been happening is that the (India-Maldives) relationship has improved drastically as compared to what we have seen in early 2013 or early 2014," he said. Asked about whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's long-awaited visit to the Maldives after it was cancelled last year was on the cards, the envoy said the signals have been of "high luminosity" and "we are expecting something to happen this year". "Anytime the Prime Minister wishes to visit, he is more than welcome, even at a short notice," the envoy said. "As we speak, the biggest aircraft carrier of India is in the Maldives and that is also a very healthy sign of the relationship we have," he said. Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya along with its support ships INS Mysore and INS Deepak are on a four-day visit to the Maldives. Asked about reports that Maldives was the "biggest per capita" contributor to terror outfit ISIS, Mohamed said, "if we take per capita terms for anything in the Maldives it will be higher because the population is small." "We are not immune to the dangers of radicalisation along with many other countries around the globe. We have that issue, we admit to the fact that there have been Maldivians and there are Maldivians involved in the Iran, Syria conflicts," he said. The envoy stated that the reports were an "exaggeration" and "statistical manipulation". "What we are doing is engaging with many other intelligence agencies. We have a good arrangement with our neighbours especially with India and other regional, middle eastern countries and western countries in sharing intelligence," he said on the efforts to tackle radicalisation. The envoy also apprised journalists of the latest political developments in Maldives, including Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla being sentenced to 12 years in prison yesterday after being found guilty of terrorism by a criminal court. He also spoke at length about the forged arrest warrant issued by a magistrate of an island court. The Maldives police discovered on February 6, an "arrest warrant" issued against President Yameen. The Maldives police in its investigation found that the Magistrate of Maamigili island Ahmed Nihan had issued the "forged warrant", he said. Mohamed said former Maldivian Prosecutor General Muhuthaz Muhsin was also part of the conspiracy and both of them were taken into police custody. The envoy also noted that the Maldives Supreme Court on February 3 has started hearing on the appeal in Nasheed's sentencing. Nasheed became the Indian Ocean nation's first democratically elected president in 2008. Maldives has also been recently embroiled in graft scandals with a damning audit report exposing alleged embezzlement of nearly USD 80 million from the state-owned tourism company. Inspired by the way plants convert sunlight into energy, Korean scientists have developed a new type of multi-layered photoelectrode that boosts the ability of solar water-splitting to produce hydrogen. The special photoelectrode (Au NPs/TiO2/Au) is capable of absorbing visible light from the Sun and then using it to split water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen. It takes the form of two-dimensional hybrid metal-dielectric structure, which mainly consists of three layers of gold (Au) film, ultra-thin TiO2 layer, and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). A team of researchers affiliated with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea reported that this promising photoelectrode shows high light absorption of about 90 per cent in the visible range 380-700 nanometre (nm), as well as significant enhancement in photo-catalytic applications. Many structural designs, such as hierarchical and branched assemblies of nanoscale materials have been suggested to increase the ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption and to enhance water-splitting efficiency. However, through incorporation of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (Au) to TiO2 structures, their photoelectrodes have shown to enhance the photoactivity in the entire UV-visible region of solar spectrum when compared with the existing ones, the team said. "Several attempts have been made to use UV-based photoelectrodes for hydrogen production, but this is the first time to use the metal-dielectric hybrid-structured film with TiO2 for oxygen production," said Professor Jeong Min Baik of UNIST. Moreover, according to Baik, this special type of photoelectrode uses approximately 95 per cent of the visible spectrum of sunlight, which makes up a substantial portion (40 per cent) of full sunlight. "The developed technology is expected to improve hydrogen production efficiency," he added. "This metal-dielectric hybrid-structured film is expected to further reduce the overall cost of producing hydrogen, as it doesn't require complex operation processes," said Professor Heon Lee from Korea University. "Using nanoimprint lithography, mass production of hydrogen will be soon possible," said Baik. "This simple system may serve as an efficient platform for solar energy conversion, utilising the whole UV-visible range of solar spectrum based on two-dimensional plasmonic photoelectrodes," he added. The study was published in the journal Nano Energy. Indian-American South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley would endorse Marco Rubio, in what would give a major boost to the Florida Senator's presidential ambition ahead of the state's pivotal Republican primary, a media report said today. "Haley, the state's most popular GOP politician in polls, has decided to back the establishment candidate considered to be in best position to challenge Republican front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz," the local State newspaper said. In 2012 elections, she had endorsed Mitt Romney, the party's eventual nominee. Quoting an advisor of Haley in this regard, CNN said the 44-year-old South Carolina Governor's endorsement gives Rubio a huge boost just days before the crucial Saturday primary. Haley is considered to be a favourite vice presidential pick. Earlier Bobby Jindal, the Indian-American former Governor of Louisiana had also endorsed Rubio. In 2012 elections, she had endorsed Mitt Romney, the party's eventual nominee. As per the average of all major polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.Com, on average Rubio is currently ranked third with 17.7 per cent, a GOP race which is led by Donald Trump (33.3 per cent) and Ted Cruz (22 per cent). Even in South Carolina, where the Republican presidential primary is scheduled for Saturday Rubio (16.8 per cent) is placed third after Trump (34.5 per cent) and Cruz (17.3 per cent). "We were excited when we got the word that this was a real possibility," Rubio said after bagging Haley's endorsement. "For us and for me, I have said this before, and I would say, despite the endorsement I would say this, she represents everything I want the Republican Party to be about: fiscal responsibility, a limited federal government, all the things that our government should be about and all the things our party should be about, she embodies," Rubio said. The Democratic National Committee National press secretary Mark Paustenbach said given Haley's weak record in South Carolina, her decision to endorse a candidate with little record of his own makes perfect sense. "It's no surprise Haley feels comfortable lending her name to Rubio, a candidate whose campaign has been desperately trying to hide his own lack of actual accomplishments," he said. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush who was hoping to get Haley's endorsement expressed his disappointment over the decision of Haley. A court here today declined to give any immediate relief to suspended RJD MLA Raj Bhallav Yadav, who is evading arrest in an alleged rape case. Advocate Kamlesh Kumar filed an anticipatory bail application on behalf of the RJD MLA in the court of Additional District Judge Rashmi Verma. After hearing the application, the judge called for the police diary in the case and fixed February 19 as the next date of hearing. Yadav's lawyer argued it was a political conspiracy against his client and in her statement under CrPC 164, the victim didn't name the MLA. Speculation was rife that Yadav would surrender before the court after not getting any immediate relief on his anticipatory bail, but that didn't happen. Another RJD MLA Prakash Vir had yesterday said Yadav would surrender before the court on February 18. Nawada MLA Yadav, who served as minister in the Rabri Devi ministry, went underground after his arrest warrant was issued by Deputy Inspector General of Police Shalin on February 13 after the complaint of the minor victim girl's family. Meanwhile, a two-member team of National Commission for Women (NCW) today visited Nalanda in connection with the rape case. Sushma Sahu and Rekha Sharma met the victim's family, besides the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Nalanda. Later, Sahu criticised the police in Bihar and told reporters it seems they have become 'pangu' (incapacitated). The NCW members asked the district administration to provide security to the victim's family and also arrange for counselling of the girl who would be appearing for the Matriculation examination next month. Eminent scientists and writers from across the world, including renowned thinker Noam Chomsky and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, have joined the chorus of protest against the arrest of JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case. A statement signed by 86 academicians from renowned universities abroad condemns "the culture of authoritarian menace that the present government in India has generated" and said those in power are replicating the dark times of an oppressive colonial period and of the Emergency of the mid-1970s. "We have learnt of the shameful act of the Indian government which, invoking sedition laws formulated by India's colonial rulers, ordered the police to enter the JNU campus and unlawfully arrest a student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of inciting violence -- without any proof whatever of such wrongdoing on his part," the statement said. "Kumar, whose speech (widely available in a video) cannot in any way be connected with the slogans uttered on the previous day, was nonetheless arrested for 'anti-national' behaviour and for violating the sedition laws against the incitement to violence," it added. The statement also condemned police's action in this matter, saying it had brought "great dishonour" to the government. The academicians urged "all those genuinely concerned about the future of India and Indian universities to protest in wide mobilisation against it". "Since there is no evidence to establish these charges, we can only conclude that this arrest is further evidence of the present government's deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent, setting aside India's long-standing commitment to toleration and plurality of opinion, replicating the dark times of an oppressive colonial period and briefly of the emergency in the mid-1970s," it said. The JNU students' union president was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy that was registered following an event on the varsity campus to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) today said normalcy has gradually returned at its Tapukara plant which was hit by labour unrest yesterday. "We started the plant at usual time today but production started a bit late as there was some damage to the machines and it took some time to set them right," HMSI Senior Vice President General and Corporate Affairs Harbhajan Singh told PTI. Workers turned up as usual for their shift timings and there was no disruption in work, he added. "By tomorrow we expect return of complete normalcy in the plant," Singh said. Worker sources, however, said some of the union members protested against the district administration for going after the workers. Yesterday workers blocked exit gates of the factory demanding reinstatement of four colleagues who have been sacked by the company on disciplinary grounds. The plant has an annual capacity of 12 lakh motorcycles and scooters. HMSI inaugurated its fourth plant today in Gujarat with an installed capacity of 12 lakh scooters. The company has invested 1,100 crore on the new facility. With the Gujarat plant coming on stream, the company now has a total annual production capacity of 58 lakh units. HMSI had in the past experienced violent labour stir when in July 2005 a protest by its Gurgaon workers who were seeking higher wages and reinstatement of suspended employees turned into a major showdown after police cracked down on them. Hundreds, including protesters and some policemen, were injured in the violence. In a bid to consolidate presence in renewable energy, state-run power generator NTPC Ltd has tied up with German institutions DLR Cologne and Institute of Solar Energy. "NTPC through its R&D wing, NETRA is collaborating with two German Institutions DLR Cologne and Institute of Solar Energy (ISE), Fraunhofer, Freiburg on Solar Energy Research," a source said. "NETRA have signed contract agreements with DLR Cologne for Research in Solar Thermal and ISE Fraunhofer for Research in Solar PV," said the source. Under this programme, NETRA plans to setup state of art evaluation facilities for CSP, CPV, and Solar PV and conduct various programs for knowledge sharing, capacity building with German Institution in the area of Solar Energy. The programme is funded by German Government under the aegis of Indo-German Research Cooperation. NTPC has envisaged a broad base generation mix by evaluating conventional and alternate sources of energy to ensure long run competitiveness and mitigate fuel risks. NTPC has drafted its business plan of capacity addition of about 1,000 MW through renewable resources by 2017. NTPC has already commissioned 110 MW Solar PV Projects. Another 15 MW Solar PV and 8 MW Small Hydro Projects are in progress. At present, NTPC has an installed capacity 45,548 MW. The company has planned to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to 56 per cent by 2032 from existing about 85 per cent. The power producer envisages that the renewable energy will contribute 28 per cent to its capacity of 1,28,000 MW by 2032. 'Nyaya Yatra', a march forjustice that aims to create nationwide awareness about speedy,fair and transparent justice system, reached the city today. The march has been organised by Forum for Fast justice. As part of the yatra, two motorcades had left for Delhi on January 30 -- one from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and the other from Kutch to Kolkata. The 'Yatra' will terminate at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 4. Locals who had gathered at the venue where the members were welcomed on their arrival, stressed the need for a speedier justice system. Bhagwan Raiyani, well known judicial activist, who led the march, said he would carry forward this cause of judicial reform to a logical end. He said the Judicial system in the country was now such that it was not possible for one to get justice within a time frame. Raiyani said they would cover 22 states and 180 districts during the tour. US President Barack Obama believes Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump would not be elected as his successor as being a president is tougher than hosting a reality show and Americans are too "sensible" to elect him. "I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be President. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognise that being President is a serious job," Obama told reporters after the first ever US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California. "It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing," he said. The 69-year-old billionaire real estate tycoon fired back, saying Obama was lucky that he did not run for office in 2012. "You're lucky I didn't run last time when Romney ran because you would have been a one-term president," Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina. Obama also criticised other Republican candidates. He said he thinks foreign observers are troubled by some of the rhetoric that's been taking place in these Republican primaries and Republican debates. "I don't think it's restricted, by the way, to Mr Trump. I find it interesting that everybody is focused on Trump, primarily just because he says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying, as well," he noted. "He may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment, but if you look at what the other Republican candidates have said, that's pretty troubling, too," Obama said. The president said Trump was not the only Republican who raised concerns, but he singled out the real estate mogul as someone who would be singularly unprepared for the responsibilities of the Oval Office. In an apparent reference to another Republican presidential aspirant Marco Rubio, the Senator from Florida, Obama said there is a candidate who sponsored a bill, which he supported, to finally solve the immigration problem, and he's running away from it as fast as he can. Observing that all Republican candidates are denying climate change, Obama said he this that's troubling to the international community, since the science is unequivocal. Other countries around the world, they kind of count on the United States being on the side of science and reason and common sense, because they know that if the US does not act on big problems in smart ways, nobody will, Obama said. "But this is not just Mr Trump. Look at the statements that are being made by the other candidates. There is not a single candidate in the Republican primary that thinks we should do anything about climate change; that thinks it's serious. Well, that's a problem," said the US President. Being in the office, he said, is not a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get one in the on a given day. "Sometimes it requires you making hard decisions even when people don't like it, and doing things that are unpopular, and standing up for people who are vulnerable but don't have some powerful political constituency," he said. However, Trump continued to lead in the Republican polls in South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for Saturday. In an American Research Group (ARG) poll conducted this week, Trump was leading by 33 per cent followed by Rubio at 16 per cent. CNN/ORC in its polls said Trump had support of 38 per cent, while Ted Cruz was at the second spot with 16 points. In South Carolina, Trump was highly critical of Obama's record in office. Trump claimed Obama has done a "lousy" job on spending, national defence, healthcare and immigration. "You look at our budgets, our spending, we can't beat ISIS, Obama Care is terrible - we're going to terminate it - absolutely terminate and replace it," he said. "You look at everything. Our borders are like Swiss cheese. This man has done such a horrible job, he's set us back so far. For him to say that is actually a great compliment, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and will support the right of all nations to do the same, President Barack Obama has said as he sought "tangible steps" to lower tensions in the South China Sea amid flexing of muscles by China. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarisation of disputed areas," Obama told reporters yesterday at the end of the first US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California. "We will continue to help our allies and partners strengthen their maritime capabilities, and we discussed how any disputes between claimants in the region must be resolved peacefully, through legal means, such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas, which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said. "Mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and political independence of all nations by firmly upholding the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter and international law," Obama and ten ASEAN leaders said in a joint statement. "Freedom of navigation must be upheld, and lawful commerce should not be impeded. I reiterated that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said. He said one of his main messages over the past two days has been the commitment of the US to ASEAN and its people. That commitment is and will remain strong and enduring, he added. "With our strategic partnership, we have a framework to guide our ties for decades to come. Here at Sunnylands, we agreed to a number of key principles, including the principle that ASEAN will continue to be central, in fact indispensable, to peace, prosperity and progress in the Asia Pacific," Obama said. "When ASEAN speaks with a clear, unified voice, it can help advance security, opportunity, and human dignity, not only for the more than 600 million people across ASEAN, but for people across the Asia Pacific and around the world. And I'm pleased that here at this summit, ASEAN's strong voice allowed us to make progress on multiple fronts," Obama said. China says it has a historical right to all of the South China Sea. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich international shipping lanes. President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asia has called for peaceful resolution of the region's as they concluded a summit in California. Obama told a news conference yesterday that disputes must be resolved by legal means, including a case brought by the Philippines challenging China's sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea. China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but Obama said parties to the UN law of the seas are obligated to respect the ruling, expected later this year. Obama has been hosting 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in the US for the first time. That sends a subtle message to China that the US remains an important force in the region. But the leaders' joint statement after two days of talks avoided direct reference to China, reflecting the careful path that ASEAN members tread in their diplomacy with the world powers. "Any disputes between claimants must be resolved peacefully through legal means such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas, which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said. China says it has a historical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial islands, some with airstrips, to assert its sovereignty. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich waters, an important thoroughfare for shipping. Though not a claimant, the US has spoken out against China's conduct and has angered Beijing by sailing US. Navy ships near some of the artificial islands to demonstrate freedom to sail there despite China's territorial claims. Obama said the US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever law allows, and it will support the right of other countries to do the same. The US has long argued for the maritime rights issue to be resolved peacefully and is looking for ASEAN to take a unified stance on the issue. The diverse group of countries includes governments that lean toward either Washington or Beijing. Only four ASEAN members are South China Sea claimants, leading to sometimes conflicting views on how to handle long-simmering rifts. Crude prices recovered in Asia on Wednesday ahead of a meeting between the Iranian and Iraqi oil ministers and following a Saudi Arabia-Russia agreement to freeze output. At around 0330 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery was 18 cents, or 0.62%, higher at $29.22 and Brent for April was 33 cents, or 1.03%, higher at $32.51. have tumbled about 70% since June 2014, hit by oversupply, sluggish demand and concerns over the global economic outlook. Prices have come under renewed pressure from Iran's return to world after the lifting last month of sanctions linked to its nuclear programme. The commodity had enjoyed a surge from Friday to early Tuesday as Moscow and Riyadh -- the world's two biggest producers -- prepared for talks on a rout that has seen the cost of a barrel collapse and hammered global . But the conditional agreement between Saudi Arabia -- the de facto leader of OPEC -- Russia, Venezuela and Qatar to freeze output at record January levels, rather than make cuts, left a bad taste in the mouths of traders, sending both main contracts into reverse. But the meeting in Tehran between historic rivals Iran and Iraq -- as well as Venezuela -- provided some support for the beleaguered commodity Wednesday. "Iraq and Iran are the two countries that are going to contribute to growth from the OPEC nations this year," Richard Gorry, managing director at JBC Energy Asia in Singapore, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "Getting an agreement from these is going to be very difficult, particularly in the case of Iran," he added, referring to the fact the country has only just started exporting after Western nuclear-linked sanctions were lifted. "I wouldn't expect oil to breach $40 until we get into the second half of the year, that's simply because we're massively oversupplied still," he added. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Vice President Nanda Bahaur Pun have pledged to donate their one month's salary for rebuilding the historic quake-hit Dhararaha monument here. "Dhararaha is the symbol of our unity and strength, it is the identity of all Nepalis, so it has to be reconstructed under the fund collected from Nepali citizens," said Oli. Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, was a nine-storey, 61.88-metre-tall tower at the center of Sundhara in Kathmandu. Most of the tower collapsed in the Nepal earthquake, but the base remains. The Prime Minister was speaking at launch of a campaign to "I will construct Dharahara" that aims to collect funds for the reconstruction of the historic monument commenced yesterday. Pun will also donate his one-month salary for reconstruction of Dhararaha. Inaugurating the reconstruction process of Dharahara at Sundhara yesterday, Oli pledged to give his one month's salary for the citizen's fund. He also requested all Nepalis living in and outside of the country to donate fund for the reconstruction of Dharahara, Kathmandu Post reported. Oli also visited Pashupatinath Temple on Monday, the day especially dedicated to Lord Shiva and paid homage to the famed Hind temple on the occasion. Member-Secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) Dr Govinda Tandon said Oli expressed concern regarding reconstruction of the damaged structure within the Pashupatinath complex and asked if any help is required for the protection and preservation of the temple. The government has allocated Rs 250 million for the reconstruction. The Trust has stated that it will ask the government for the shortfall of the amount for reconstruction. This is the first time Oli visited Pashupatinath after becoming the prime minister. The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath and is located on the banks of the Bagmati River. According to official records, 8,891 people were killed in the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 last year while 22,200 others were injured in the tremor subsequent aftershocks. Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli's maiden India visit will be "successful" in strengthening ties and help in resolving differences that cropped up over the protests by Madhesis, the Indian envoy here said today. Speaking at an interaction organised at the Reporters' Club in the capital, India's Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae said India is giving high priority to Prime Minister Oli's six-day visit starting February 19. "We are happy that the Prime Minister's maiden visit will be to India. PM Oli's visit to India will be successful, productive, and fruitful," he said. The Indian Ambassador said the visit would further strengthen the relationship between Nepal and India. The visit would help resolve the differences that emerged between the two countries of late, Rae was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times. He said the Nepalese government's decision to form a political mechanism to resolve the issue of demarcation of provincial boundaries was laudable. He advised that Nepal should settle its internal problems through talks. Oli had earlier announced that he would not visit India unless the border blockade was lifted. Nepal alleged that the blockade in its southern border with India was imposed by Indian authorities as they were backing the agitation led by Madhesis -- a charge India had vehemently denied. The United Democratic Madhesi Front, the four-party alliance, officially announced withdrawal of their protests including the border blockade earlier this month. The front had launched an indefinite agitation protesting against the new Constitution promulgated on September 20 last year, saying it failed to address their concerns over representation and homeland. A local court sentenced a man to life imprisonment and 31 others to three years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the murder of a tribal man on suspicion that he was practising sorcery. District Sessions Court judge Hiranmay Bisoi convicted the 32 people for the murder of Tupi Majhi in April 2010 but acquitted three others. The 31 were sentenced to three years RI after being found guilty of attempting to destoy evidence and hiding facts. The inhabitants of Gadamaha village had imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on Majhi suspecting him of practising sorcery and in a meeting on April 7, 2010, called him and and asked him to pay. When he refused, Mathew Majhi, one of the villagers who was present at the meeting, pulled out a knife and slit open his throat killing him in public view. As soon as Tupi died, the villagers burnt his body in a nearby jungle and threatened the deceased man's family members not to disclose the matter to anyone. As the family members did not lodge any complaint out of fear, the police had registered a case on its behalf on getting the information and arrested 35 people in connection with the murder. As many as 8.44 lakh foreign tourist arrived in India in January as compared to 7.91 lakh during the same month last year, recording a growth of 6.8 per cent in the footfall. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism increased 13 per cent at Rs 13,669 crore in January this year against Rs 12,100 crore in the same period in 2015, an official release said. The US topped the list of percentage share of foreign tourists arrivals in India during January among the top 15 source countries with 15.29 per cent share, followed by Bangladesh (11.99 per cent), the UK (11.23 per cent), Canada (4.87 per cent), Australia (3.97 per cent) and Russian Federation (3.71 per cent). Germany's share was 3.27 percent, while that of France 2.98, Sri Lanka 2.97, China 2.74, Malaysia 2.59, Japan 2.38, Korea 1.82, Nepal 1.76 and Afghanistan 1.62 per cent. The percentage share of foreign tourists arrivals among the top 15 ports was highest at the Delhi Airport (28.38 per cent) followed by Mumbai Airport (19.59 per cent), Chennai Airport (7.92 per cent), Haridaspur Land check post (6.58 per cent), Bangalore Airport (5.72 per cent), and Goa Airport (5.68 per cent), the release said. Small levels of atmospheric oxygen had already developed on Earth about 3.8 billion years ago, much earlier than previously thought, a new study has found. Reconstructing the emergence and evolution of life on our planet is tightly linked to the questions as to when and to what extent Earth's atmosphere became oxygenated. Most researchers agree that the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere happened in two major steps - the first during the Great Oxidation Event about 2.5 to 2.4 billion years ago, and the second during the Late Neoproterozoic Era around 750 to 540 million years ago. The latter is thought to have been the cause for the emergence of animals during the 'Cambrian explosion' around 540 to 520 million years ago. Researchers, led by Robert Frei from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, found evidence for the presence of small concentrations of oxygen on Earth 3.8 billion years ago. The researchers analysed Earth's oldest Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) from Western Greenland. BIFs are marine chemical sediments originally comprised of alternating layers of silica and iron-hydroxides and are widely used as geochemical archives. The reason for this is that they retain information on the composition and presence of oxygenation/reduction processes in ambient seawater and on the interaction of the atmosphere with Earth's surface. The researchers used concentrations and isotope compositions, ie variations of the same elements with different atomic weight, of the elements chromium (Cr) and uranium (U) present in the BIFs. Chromium and uranium were used as these elements weather rapidly when continental landmasses are exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as oxygen (O2). After weathering, they are transported to the oceans by rivers, where they are deposited with chemical sediments and serve as geochemical signals of weathering by ROS. The fact that the analyses of the BIF layers from Western Greenland show elements that require presence of oxygen in the atmosphere opens up for the possibility of evolution of the earliest primitive photosynthetic life forms as early as 3.8 billion years ago. "It is generally believed that the Early Earth was a completely anoxic, but our study shows that the surface of the Earth was exposed to a low oxygen atmosphere already this time," Frei said. "This has far reaching implications for how we investigate the pace of evolution of life and its biodiversity on our planet," he said. Some Pakistani groups in Britain are "successfully" running a vicious campaign against India with regard to and the "lies" should be countered by providing facts to British lawmakers, a visiting MP from the UK said here. Robert John Blackman, MP from Harrow East in the UK, asserted that " is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan-occupied (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved," echoing India's position. He said the Pakistani groups present a "propagandist" picture on Kashmir and the British lawmakers feel "helpless" in contesting that as India does not provide the facts to present the real picture. "Some Pakistani groups in Britain have successfully launched a vicious campaign against India as far as Kashmir is concerned. The Pakistani diaspora has been reflecting a propagandist picture on Kashmir in UK," he said during an interaction with Kashmiri Pandits last night. "The government of India should take a call on this. They should provide the MPs in UK with facts and figures to contest the false claims and lies spread by Pakistan on Kashmir," he said. The MP, better known as Bob Blackman who is on a three-day visit to the state, asked the displaced Kashmiri Pandit diaspora to come out and fight the vicious campaign of Pakistan on Kashmir in UK and the West. "We try to get facts and figures on Kashmir from India, but it does not usually come to us. We feel helpless to uncover the Pakistan propaganda," he added. Asserting that "Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved", Blackman said, "the accession of Kashmir with India was final because the 'Instrument of Accession' was signed by none less than the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir." Blackman, who along with some NGOs of Jammu and Kashmir is trying to present the Kashmir issue in proper perspective before the British Parliament, said the UK MPs have started the process of using diplomatic means to present the real picture of the issuel. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in building better relations with Britain and said his country stands shoulder to shoulder with India in facing the challenge of terrorism. Talking about the "problem of radicalization", he said it is not confined to Britain or India but was aglobal issue. "Radicalization among younger people is a worldwide trend and it is high-time for the world community to come together and solve this problem," he said. At least seven Taliban and LeJ terrorists were killed in a fierce gun battle between police and militants in Pakistan's Punjab province, police said today. A gang of at least 12 terrorists were making their way to Sharqpur near Lahore when exchange of fire took place between the militants and police personnel, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police said. The militant resorted to firing on seeing the police, leading to an intense encounter in which seven militants were killed, while the rest of them escaped due to darkness, police said. Police also seized 2kg explosives from the possession of the terrorists. Officials said that the killed militants were linked with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and anti-Shiite Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group. Pakistan has increased anti-militants operations after recent attack by Taliban at a university in Charsadda town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where 21 people were killed, mostly students. Several students and teachers of a leading Pakistani university were today evacuated after authorities received reports of three live bombs on the campus but the scare later turned out to be a hoax, media reported. Police received reports of three bombs on the campus of Karachi University after which the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called in to secure the university, Dawn reported. Students and faculty panicked during evacuation as the spread, it said. Superintendent of Police Gulshan Saad Ahmad said they were alerted about a bomb targeting a book fair at the university. After checking the varsity, the BDS cleared the facility. Areas surrounding the building have also being checked for bombs, he said, adding that those spreading misinformation will be caught. Educational institutions across Pakistan have been on high alert after the Taliban attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on January 20 in which at least 20 people, including students, were killed. Pakistani Taliban militants have threatened more assaults on schools and universities since the attack, fueling a sense of insecurity in the country. Currently more than 27,000 students are enrolled with the the Karachi University while the number of teaching and non-teaching staff is over 4,000. Pakistan and the US will hold a strategic dialogue this month to enhance cooperation in areas like defence and counter-terrorrism, days after the Obama administration decided to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to it. The 6th round of the strategic dialogue on February 29 in Washington will be led by Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Secretary of State John Kerry. Aziz today reviewed the progress of previous rounds of the meeting at the Foreign Ministry. "The upcoming meeting will afford an important opportunity to take stock of the entire gamut of Pakistan's bilateral relations with the US," the Foreign Office said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's US visit in October 2015 had provided impetus to the dialogue mechanism, and this will be the third annual meeting since he assumed office in 2013. The dialogue process began in 2010 and the two countries held three ministerial meetings. It was, however, interrupted in 2011 when the US forces killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in a midnight raid. The process resumed in 2014 when Aziz and Kerry met in Washington in January. The key meeting will take place soon after the US announced to provide eight F-16 fighter jets worth USD 700 million to Pakistan, despite objection from India and mounting opposition from influential American lawmakers. India had summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over the decision. During the 6th strategic dialogue, the US and Pakistan would discuss cooperation in economy and finance, energy, education, science and technology, law enforcement and counter-terrorism, security, strategic stability and non-proliferation, and defence, officials said. Aziz's review meeting at the foreign ministry was attended by federal ministers for Planning and Development, Petroleum & Natural Resources as well as key federal secretaries. Taking suo-motu cognisance of the assault on mediapersons in the Patiala House Court complex, the Press Council of India has sought a report from the Delhi police on the incident, PCI Chairman Justice (retd) C K Prasad said here today. Terming the yesterday's incident as of a "grave nature", Prasad told reporters here that the attack was not on just journalists alone but also on the freedom of the Press. "Attack on the journalists is an unfortunate incident. It is not only an attack on the journalists but also attack on the freedom of the Press," he said, adding that a report had been sought from the Delhi police in respect of Patiala court incident. The PCI held a three-day sitting of the Inquiry Committee here since Monday. The Patiala House incident led to an outrage from the media with top editors of national media and journalists hitting the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in police presence. The Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the incident. Prasad said a report has also been sought from the local member of the PCI on the gunning down of a journalist at Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Satuday. The PCI had taken suo motu cognisance in this case also. Karun Mushra (28) was allegedly shot dead by some unidentified persons while he was proceeding somewhere on his motorbike. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would release operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna at Sherpur village in the neighbouring Sehore district tomorrow. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with top officials yesterday visited Sherpur and personally monitored preparations to make the visit "historic". The visit assumes more importance as BJP yesterday won the Maihar by-poll for the second time in the history with more than 28,000 votes. Chouhan, on behalf of farmers will felicitate Modi as "Kisan Mitra" for launching Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, Soil Health Card Scheme, National Agriculture Market scheme, relaxing rules for awarding compensation and for launching Kisan Channel, Agriculture department's principal secretary, Dr Rajesh Rajora told PTI. On the occasion, Modi will also distribute soil health cards and compensation to three farmers each as a token. He will also handover the trophy of 'Krishi Karman Award' for 2013-14 to Chouhan as he was unable to receive it at a ceremony in Rajasthan. "Madhya Pradesh has processed claims worth Rs 4,300 crore of nearly 20 lakh farmers - largest by any state in the country so far under the existing crop insurance scheme -- whose crops were damaged due to various reasons," he said. According to an official release, the Prime Minister is likely to arrive at Bhopal's Raja Bhoj Airport 12.55 PM and will leave for Sherpur in a helicopter and reach there at 1.30 PM. Modi will visit Kisan Kalyan Mela at Sherpur and after taking part in the felicitation programme by farmers, he will leave from helipad at 2.45 PM for Bhopal from where he will leave for Delhi at 3.10 PM, it said. State government has designated Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Uma Shankar Gupta and Revenue Minister, Rampal Singh as Minister-in-Waiting for the visit. Gupta will be present at the airport to receive the PM while Singh will welcome Modi at Sherpur helipad, it said. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the high-profile visit with Sehore by-pass remaining out of bound for Indore-Bhopal commuters, a senior police official said. A Polish librarian hunted across Europe on suspicion of killing and beheading a woman in Warsaw has been arrested in Malta, police said today. Kajetan Poznanski, 26, said by Polish media to be a fan of fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter, is suspected of murdering the 30-year-old Italian language teacher in her apartment on February 3 and cutting her head off before trying to burn the remains. Polish police spokesman Andrzej Borowiak said officers had tracked Poznanski through Germany and Italy before tracing him to a hotel in Malta, where he was detained by local police. The case has shocked Poland, where media reported that in addition to his admiration for "Silence of the Lambs" cannibal Lecter, Poznanski also gave poetry courses illustrated with macabre photos. It is not clear why the woman, originally from the town of Radom in central Poland, was killed. Polish art-house film director Andrzej Zulawski died today at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer, his family said. "My father died in the early hours of Wednesday, at a hospital in Poland. He had no chance of survival," his son and fellow director Xawery Zulawski told AFP. "He had projects in the works but the choice had been made: death. He didn't fight it, he didn't want to fight it." Xawery had posted on Facebook yesterday that Zulawski was "terminally ill with cancer". The actor, writer and director of several French films had just released his last film Cosmos in 2015, which won him the best director award at the Locarno film festival in Switzerland. Zulawski was "a very original artist, sometimes controversial but always true to himself", Polish Filmmakers Association president Jacek Bromski told Polish broadcaster Polsat. Born in occupied Poland in 1940, Zulawski left for Paris at the age of five with his parents and later studied at the Sorbonne. His films had a good dose of nihilism, savage eroticism and hopelessness, which he attributed in a 2004 Paris Match interview to being born during World War II. "Going into the war my family numbered 40 people, afterwards there were three... My younger sister died of hunger," he told the magazine. "As a kid I saw things that I never should have seen. It's undoubtedly what gave me the sense that every day is a miracle." Zulawski is survived by three children, including a son with French actress Sophie Marceau. They separated in 2001. "It's a huge loss for Polish and world cinema," Polish film critic Janusz Wroblewski told AFP. "His films are considered cinema classics, but at the time they were avant-garde," he said of the director of "The Third Part of the Night" (1971) and "The Devil" (1972). "He was provocative, breaking many Polish stereotypes and introducing eroticism in his films. Pope Francis said today that incarceration cannot be the only solution for Mexico's crime problems, as he visited a prison days after a riot killed 49 inmates at another penitentiary. "The problem of security is not resolved only by incarcerating; rather, it calls us to intervene by confronting the structural and cultural causes of insecurity that impact the entire social framework," Francis said in an address to hundreds of inmates. The 79-year-old pontiff was wrapping up an intense, five-day trip to Mexico with a visit to Ciudad Juarez, the world's former murder capital, where he prayed with inmates. After his speech he hugged and shook hands with female and male prisoners. One man kneeled before the pope, sobbing and kissing his hand. The pope often visits prisons while abroad and he chose the 3,000-capacity state prison of Ciudad Juarez for the last day of his Mexico journey. He visited the facility's newly-painted chapel and addressed hundreds assembled in its yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help "put end to this cycle of violence and exclusion." "The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say 'has experienced hell,' can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims," he said. The Juarez prison was the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with scores of prisoners killed. On the eve of the pope's Mexico arrival last week, a brawl erupted between groups of inmates fighting for control of a prison in the northern city of Monterrey, during which they slaughtered each other with bats and shivs. Francis is due to celebrate mass at a gathering at the Mexico-US border later in the day to pray for migrants -- a heated topic of the US presidential campaign. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in Jadavpur University (JU), posters calling for 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were today found in the campus even as two rival groups of students brought out rallies in the varsity premises. "Hum kya chahe - Azadi. Kashmir ki Azadi. Manipur ki Azadi. Nagaland ki Azadi (We demand freedom. Kashmir's freedom. Manipur's freedom. Nagaland's freedom)," one of the posters said. All such posters were signed by a group called 'RADICAL'. Both the student unions and authorities have distanced themselves from such posters. "These are some fringe elements. I met the students union leaders in the morning and they told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans," Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged three years ago, were raised at a rally yesterday taken out by JU students to express solidarity with JNU students protesting the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Das said he saw some student union leaders also walking in the rally yesterday in which pro-Afzal slogans were raised. "As a Vice Chancellor, it is my responsibility to see that the students get their right to protest, their freedom of speech and expression is protected," he said. On whether the university would make any police complaint on this issue, he said the question did not arise. "In university, the police has no role. I will never call police in the campus," Das said. Sounak Mukherjee, leader of Forum of Art Students--a students union--said the majority view of the students was not reflected in the posters. "We are against it," he said. In the meantime, two opposing groups of students brought out rallies in the campus. The smaller group shouted slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and voiced their concerns against yesterday's torch rally. They shouted slogans against eulogising Afzal. As a counter to this, other students also brought out a rally. The SFI state unit distanced itself from the pro-Afzal Guru slogans, saying they do not support it and the entire student community of JU should not be blamed for such "irresponsible slogans". "The SFI is always against terrorism, communalism and divisive forces. It is inappropriate to raise such slogans, which directly or indirectly support terrorism," Students Federation of India (SFI) state secretary Debojyoti Das said in a statement. The Centre today sought a report from the West Bengal government regarding the JU rally. SFI(CPI-M's student wing), AISF (CPI student wing) along with other Left students unions took out a rally today from College Square to Esplanade in Kolkata to express solidarity with their JNU counterparts who are agitating against the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Das in a statement said "Presently there is a tendency to polarize the nation on the basis of radical nationalism and attempts are being made to malign the Left parties. In such a scenario such irresponsible statements will only strengthen the fascist forces and weaken the student's movement." Das said no SFI leader was present at the February 18 rally and alleged involvement of ABVP, the student wing of RSS, in it. "We don't trust ABVP. They have this tendency of maligning the Left students' unions throughout the country by their sinister designs," he told (REOPENS CAL5) The JU vice-chancellor said he would act according to university procedures if he receives a complaint. Later in the evening a small group of students carrying the national flag brought down many of the posters. The students did not identify themselves as belonging to any union or political ideology and said "We will clean away all anti-national posters". Meanwhile, no complaint has yet been registered at Jadavpur police station on JU rally yesterday. "We are looking into the matter extensively and if there is any violation then legal steps will be taken against the accused," Joint CP (HQ) Supratim Sarkar said. ABVP state secretary Subir Haldar said the student unit will bring out a counter rally tomorrow to protest against the incident. "The agitation was anti-national. It was done at the behest of the Communist parties. They are supporting terrorists like Afzal Guru," he added. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in Jadavpur University (JU), posters demanding 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were found in the campus. "Hum kya chahe - Azadi. Kashmir ki Azadi. Manipur ki Azadi. Nagaland ki Azadi (We demand freedom. Kashmir's freedom. Manipur's freedom. Nagaland's freedom)," one of the posters said. All such posters were signed by a group called 'RADICAL'. Both the student unions and authorities have distanced themselves from such posters. "These are some fringe elements. I met the students union leaders in the morning and they told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans," Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised at a rally on Monday taken out by JU students to express solidarity with JNU students protesting the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Das said he saw some student union leaders also walking in the rally yesterday in which pro-Afzal slogans were raised. "As a Vice Chancellor, it is my responsibility to see that the students get their right to protest, their freedom of speech and expression is protected," he said. On whether the university would make any police complaint on this issue, he said the question did not arise. "In university, the police has no role. I will never call police in the campus," Das said. Students' union Forum of Art Students leader Sounak Mukherjee said the majority view of the students was not reflected in the posters. "We are against it," he said. In the meantime, two opposing groups of students brought out rallies in the campus. The smaller group shouted slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and voiced their concerns against yesterday's torch rally. They shouted slogans against eulogising Afzal. As a counter to this, other students also brought out a rally. JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in the university campus recently. The arrest sparked massive outrage among students and criticism from non-BJP parties. India's potash imports are likely to come down by 30 per cent to 29.42 lakh tonnes due to lower demand of the nutrient in view of drought and companies not entering into fresh contracts for the next fiscal. Total potash imports till January are around 29.42 lakh tonnes and it is unlikely that the companies will further import potash as there is substantial stock available in the market, sources said. India, which is one of the largest importer of potash, had imported 41.97 lakh tonnes in the 2014-15 financial year. Potash is a decontrolled fertiliser and government pays fixed subsidy on it. It is used in the form of Muriate of Potash (MoP) by farmers as a soil nutrient as well as in manufacturing of complex NPK fertilisers. "There is a carry-over stock from the last year and at the same time demand was low this year due to drought. The potash imports would remain below 30 lakh tonnes," sources said. In 2014-15, potash was imported at an average price of USD 320 per tonne. Indian companies majorly import potash from Uralkali, Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, Agrium Inc, Mosaic, Arab PotashCo and Israel Chemicals, among others. Earlier, the government had also shelved its plan to buy 30 per cent stake in Russian fertiliser producer ACRON's USD 2 billion potash mine project due to valuation issues. Government has granted customs duty exemption on electricity imported from Bhutan and Nepal while power generated from a plant located in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) would attract a levy of up to 89 paisa per unit. "Electrical energy originating from Nepal and Bhutan" will attract standard customs rate of "nil", the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in a notification. India presently imports 1.5 Gigawatt (GW) of hydropower from Bhutan. This is projected to rise to 8 GW by 2022 and imports from Nepal too may start. The notification said a customs duty of 40-89 paisa per kilowatt hour (kWh) or unit will be levied on power supplied from Processing Area of SEZ to Domestic Tariff Area (DTA). Giving break-up, it said 40 paisa per unit import duty would be levied on electricity generated in a Processing Area of SEZ using imported coal as fuel and 65 paisa a unit for the same generated using domestic coal as fuel. The import duty will be 59 paisa per unit if the power was generated using a mix of domestically produced natural gas and imported Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) and 89 paisa if it was generated using RLNG alone. An import duty of 18-24 paisa per unit would be levied on electricity supplies from Non-Processing Area of SEZ to Domestic Tariff Area, the notification said. As much as 24 paisa per unit would be levied as import duty if "electrical energy supplied from Non-Processing Area of SEZ to DTA" was generated using imported or domestic coal as fuel. If the same was generated using a mix of domestic gas and LNG, a customs duty of 18 paisa per unit would be levied and the duty would be 21 paisa if the fuel is only imported LNG. "Electrical energy supplied to DTA by power plants of 1,000 MW or above, and granted formal approval for setting up in SEZ prior to February 27, 2009" will attract "nil" customs duty, the notification said. The same from power plants of less than 1,000 MW that were granted formal approval for setting up in SEZ prior to February 27, 2009, would attract 18-24 paisa per unit customs duty, it said adding the duty would be 24 paisa if the power was generated using imported or domestic coal and 18 paisa if generated using mix of domestic gas and LNG. It would be 21 paisa if generated through imported LNG. Presently, power from project of 1,000 MW and above capacity are charged Rs 100 per 1,000 unit as import duty if the electricity is generated using imported coal and nil if generated using domestic coal. The duty for the same generated using domestic gas is Rs 110 per 1,000 kwh. In case of projects of less than 1,000 MW, the import duty is Rs 40 per 1,000 kwh for imported coal based plants and Rs 60 per 1,000 kwh for domestic gas-based units. Shiv Sena on Wednesday said that Pakistan should be pressurized to drop a controversial clause in its Bill that calls for annulment of marriage if any of the spouses converts their religion. The clause 12 (iii) of the Bill says a marriage will be annulled if any of the spouses converts their religion, sparking a debate that this may trigger forced conversions of minority community women there. "This is a conspiracy to convert the remaining Hindus and the clause is thus being strongly opposed by Hindus living in Pakistan. People feel such a clause will lead to increasing cases of conversions of Hindu women," the Sena said in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'. It said that during partition, the population of Muslims in India was around 3 crore and the number has since then shot up to 25 crore. "On the other hand, Hindus constituted around 22% of Pakistan's population during partition. The number has now come down to 1.7 per cent," Sena added. The Sena further said there were 428 temples in the neighbouring country during partition and the number has now decreased to 26. "To prevent extinction of Hindus from Pakistan and to save their lives, Pakistan needs to be pressurized to drop the clause from the Bill," the Sena said. On February 15, Pakistan's Sindh Assembly passed the Bill making the province the first in the country to allow the minority community to register their marriages. The landmark bill will apply to entire Sindh province, which has a sizeable population of Hindus. It was passed after a parliamentary panel last week cleared its draft, paving way for registration of marriage and divorce for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The bill fixes the minimum age of marriage at 18. Other provinces and the federal government need to adopt separate bills to enable Hindu get marriages registered. Jharkhand Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Roy today asked the opposition to submit the original letter purportedly written by a company accusing a BJP MLA of demanding extortion and employment. Roy asked Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Legislature Party leader Pradip Yadav to submit the original copy in the state assembly and reveal its source as the government had not received any such letter. Roy's response came during the course of debate over Motion of Thanks on the Governor's address when Yadav referred to the purported letter dated January 27 against BJP MLA Dhullu Mahto. Yadav asserted that he was saying with responsibility on the letter against Mahto. Mahto, who has since called for a probe to find the truth, had yesterday demanded he be allowed to defend himself in the House on the issue as the opposition reportedly raised it on the previous day. He, however, refrained after Speaker Dinesh Oraon informed him that the House proceedings on Monday did not mention any issue pertaining to him. Punjab Higher Education minister Surjit Singh Rakhra today urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to allocate funds for 11 new colleges in the state which are under construction. An official statement here said discussions took place between UGC chairman Ved Prakash and Rakhra here regarding issuing of grants under different schemes for colleges in Punjab. The UGC chairman has assured Rakhra to facilitate the colleges with maximum grants, it said. Prakash also said that these colleges should send their projects under various schemes as per norms of UGC to avoid any obstacle for their clearance, the statement added. Under the crop diversification scheme, maize is one of the most suitable alternatives to replace the cultivation of paddy in Punjab. The State Government has fixed a target to bring 2.0 lakh hectares under kharif maize in the state in 2016-17. Hybrid maize is a crop that can replace paddy. Disclosing this, a spokesperson of the Agriculture Department today said since maize hybrids yielding 6-7 tonnes per hectare are available, area under maize can be increased to 8 lakh hectares to meet the requirement of the crop for cattle feed, poultry and starch production. For increasing productivity of kharif maize, the government has evolved a programme for making timely arrangement of hybrid seeds of high yielding varieties to the farmers. The spokesman said that the main problem in the marketing of maize for the farmers is its higher moisture content of 25-30 per cent at the time of harvest whereas for storage purposes it should not be more than 14 per cent. Drying of maize to bring it to 14 per cent moisture content is very essential to avail the MSP. In this regard, the Punjab Government has installed seven big dryers in the state at a total cost of Rs 52.85 crore. Similarly, small dryers costing Rs 6 lakh each were also being provided to village co-operative societies and individual farmers on 50 per cent subsidy, subject to maximum limit of Rs 2.5 lakh. He said that to bring the targeted area of 2 lakh hectares under maize cultivation, the Agriculture Department has selected a total of 70 blocks in 14 districts. The spokesperson hoped that the area under maize crop would be increased this year as the government is committed to providing all adequate facilities to the farmers for production as well as for the marketing of the crop. He said in order to save the maize crop form any imminent insecticide attack, the technical staff of the department would be given training regarding use of seed drill to ensure germination of 30,000-32000 plants per acre, which ultimately determines the yield. The training would be imparted at Punjab Agriculture University and Borlaug Institute of South Asia (BISA) at Ludhiana district in March, 2016. Keen to boost fruits cultivation, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced releasing Rs 8 crore for setting up litchi and peer estate in the state. After meeting litchi, peer and guava growers, the Chief Minister asked the agriculture department to expedite the work to set up these estates which would be equipped with ultra modern laboratory, state-of-the art nursery and a pack house facility to ensure grading and packing of litchi and peer. Badal said that all efforts must be made to ensure that these estates were functional at the earliest so that farmers of the state could be benefited from it. Likewise, he also gave nod for establishing a litchi sub estate in Gurdaspur district for encouraging the farmers to adopt litchi cultivation. In another significant decision, the Chief Minister asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to make concerted efforts to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the litchi, peer and guava cultivators during the months of April, May and June. He directed the PSPCL to ensure regular power supply for atleast 10-15 hours as required by the cultivators during these months. Acceding to the demand of litchi cultivators, the Chief Minister promised to raise the issue of providing two 'special bogeys' daily in Jammu bound trains towards Mumbai and Pune from Pathankot, with the Railways Minister. He said this would curtail the transport cost of litchi cultivators to transit their produce to Mumbai and Pune, which were big markets for it. Badal said he would personally seek the intervention of Union Railways Minister to attach two 'special bogeys' daily in Mumbai and Pune bound trains from June 10 to July 10. The Chief Minister also agreed to explore the feasibility of evolving a price stabilisation mechanism for litchi, peers and guava to make its cultivation far more remunerative. He also asked the officers to ensure timely supply of pesticides and insecticides to the cultivators. He said Punjab's stellar role towards the country's progress is a testimony of the fact that if the state is strong then the country will be stronger. "We have suffered a lot during the partition and it's high time that the union government must help the brave and patriotic people of Punjab," Badal said. The Chief Minister reiterated that the SAD-BJP government has given top priority to strengthening the ethos of communal harmony, peace, amity and brotherhood in the state. "We are leaving no stone unturned for achieving this twin goal," he added. "Punjabis have penchant of creating history but for the first time efforts have been taken to preserve it for our younger generations", Badal said. Earlier in his address, Prabhu lauded Badal for constructing the state-of-the art college, which will help in further cementing the bond between the people of Punjab and Maharashtra. Announcing a slew of schemes for the state, Prabhu announced that the Rail Ministry will expedite the work on Amritsar-Ferozepur, Rajpura-Chandigarh, Rewari-Ludhiana and other important railway lines in the state. Prabhu said that he had already asked the General Manager of Railways to look into the matter. Pawar also lauded Badal for working relentlessly to safeguard the interests of state and its people besides strengthening unity and integrity in the country. He said Badal is the leader of farmers of the country, who was always concerned for the uplifting the farming community. The former Union Minister said that Badal is an example of how promises were fulfilled within a record span with full responsibility. Punjab government would soon ink an MoU with British Pig Association (BPA) to develop and promote piggery on the latest and scientific lines in the state. A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a meeting with BPA Export Manager Chris Jackson here today, an official spokesman said. The Chief Minister hoped the tie-up of state Animal Husbandry department with BPA would certainly turnaround the stagnated economy of beleaguered peasantry, which was grappling with acute agrarian crisis due to already squeezed margins on account of low returns from conventional farming. The piggery would further add new dimensions to the state government's ambitious programme of farm diversification. Jackson promised that BPA will provide all technical support and expertise to the progressive pig farmers in Punjab to further consolidate their economic position. To achieve this object, BPA would provide live pigs and frozen semen to the animal husbandry department for high quality breeding at government pig farms, which in turn would supply the best quality piglets to the local pig farmers. Jackson also visited the modern pig breeding farm, Nabha and was highly impressed with the latest infrastructure, equipment and advanced pig rearing practices followed there. In another significant decision, the Chief Minister also gave a nod to AOV Group for setting a modern meat processing plant at a cost of nearly Rs 50 crore at village Mattewara in Ludhiana district for value addition of goat, sheep and pig meat. The company would also export high quality meat products from this upcoming plant to ensure better remunerative prices to the pig farmers. Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary (Animal Husbandry) had updated Badal about the status of pig development in Punjab and said earlier the pig rearing was in the hands of poor strata of the society and the people used to keep just three to four pigs in small enclosures. Now with the passage of time, piggery profession was being adopted even by the affluent section of the society on commercial lines. He informed that there was nearly 50,000 pig population in Punjab and approximately 234 progressive piggery farmers. As per an estimate, pork production was pegged at nearly 76,000 tonnes in 2014-15. Apart from this, there were three government pig breeding farms at Chajju Majra (Mohali), Gurdaspur, Malwal (Ferozepur) besides a state-of-the-art pig breeding farm at Nabha (Patiala) and three more were being set up there to promote the pig breeding practices in the most hygienic and advanced manner. A 19-member Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC) on Naga political issue of Nagaland Assembly has been camping in New Delhi to seek the support of national political parties for early solution of the vexed problem. The delegation, led by Chief Minister TR Zeliang and Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, called on BJP President Amit Shah and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav yesterday, a government statement said here last evening. While Shah has given an assurance to meet their demands, Yadav expressed his party's support even for a constitutional amendment, if required, for a peaceful solution to the Naga political issue, it said. The PWC delegation is expected to meet other national leaders for a consensus, it said. Software provider Quick Heal Technologies, which raised Rs 451 crore through initial public offer (IPO), will list its shares on the stock exchanges tomorrow. The equity shares will be listed on the NSE as well as on the BSE. The IPO, which closed on February 10, was over-subscribed 11 times at a price band of Rs 311-321 per share. The IPO consisted of fresh issue of Rs 250 crore and an offer for sale of about 62.70 lakh equity shares by promoters Kailash Sahebrao Katkar and Sanjay Sahebrao Katkar as well as Sequoia Capital India Investment Holdings III. In a circular, BSE said "effective from Thursday, February 18, 2016, the equity shares of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd shall be listed and admitted to dealings on the exchange in the list of 'B' Group of securities." Similarly, in a separate circular, NSE said that equity shares of Quick Heal will be listed on the exchanges tomorrow. In the IPO, the portion set aside for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 4.34 times, retail investors saw 3.8 times subscription and the non-institutional investors category was subscribed by 36.7 times. Quick Heal had raised Rs 133.9 crore through issue of shares to 10 anchor investors. ICICI Securities, Jefferies India and JPMorgan India were the book running lead managers while Link Intime India was the registrar to the public issue. While the proceeds from the offer of sale would not go to Quick Heal, the Rs 250-crore funds raised from fresh issue of equity shares would be used by the company for advertising and sales promotion and capital expenditure for research and development. Quick Heal, which provides software security products and solutions in India, said that proceeds would also be invested to purchase, develop and renovate its office premises in New Delhi, Kolkata and Pune, as well as for general corporate needs. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav met PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti here today for the first formal talks over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been under Governor's Rule for over a month. Madhav, who arrived here in a chartered plane, drove straight to the residence of Mehbooba where the two held one-on-one meeting for nearly an hour, highly placed sources said. The BJP leader, who was instrumental in firming up the coalition government under late PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed last year, did not speak to the media after the meeting and left for the airport to return to Delhi. This was the first formal meeting between senior BJP and PDP leaders over government formation in the state, which is under Governor's Rule since January 8, a day after the sudden death of incumbent Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.. Mehbooba, who is seen as the successor to her father as the Chief Minister, had recently talked tough over government formation, demanding that BJP's government at the Centre should take some "confidence building measures" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state within a set timeframe. Some of the issues on which the PDP wants the Centre to take steps include revocation of AFSPA, dialogue with separatists in the state, sanctioning two smart cities for Jammu and Kashmir and return of power projects to the state. However, recently senior PDP leader Muzaffar Beigh spoke in conciliatory terms, saying the party only wants implementation of the Agenda of Alliance in a timeframe. Madhav's visit was kept a closely-guarded secret as state leaders of the BJP and other leaders of the PDP were reportedly unaware about it. But, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dropped hints about Madhav's visit by tweeting about arrival of an "unscheduled" flight at the Srinagar Airport. "Unscheduled flight VTJSG just landed in Srinagar after normal operation hours. Something is cooking with the PDP-BJP government formation," Omar tweeted. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today termed as "unfortunate" the alleged anti-India slogans raised in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and sought stringent action against those who committed the act. "It is unfortunate that in order to glorify the terrorists, slogans were raised on JNU campus in their support some days ago. Breeding of anti-India thoughts in this university is not right," Singh told reporters on sidelines of a function here. "Severe action should be taken against the elements that are talking about dividing the nation on JNU campus," he added. Replying to a query, he expressed hope that Raipur and other cities in Chhattisgarh would figure in Centre's next list of Smart City project. Singh said that municipal corporations are transforming the major cities in Chhattisgarh on the lines of the Smart Cities project. Earlier, speaking at a programme on 'small states' organised by Indore Press Club, he said that Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000 in the midst of several challenges. "But both the states have been benefited by the move as they are marching ahead and are on the development path," he said. He claimed that the Naxalism was on a decline in Chhattisgarh as people of the state have deep faith in democracy. "Notwithstanding the life threats issued by Naxals to boycott elections, 70 per cent electorate exercised their franchise during the Lok Sabha and Assembly election in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region," he said. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership accord in place, India should expedite conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement in the country's interest, a top official said today, pointing out the pact may "turn into a reality" very soon. "Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have moved satisfactorily, with modalities being agreed in August 2015. "If the technical negotiations which are underway are completed swiftly, RCEP may turn into a dynamic reality very soon, particularly if we succeed in forming regional value chains and production networks. With the TPP becoming a reality, expediting RCEP is in our interest," Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Anil Wadhwa said. The US, Japan and 10 other Pacific-Rim nations recently reached a final agreement on the largest regional trade accord in history dubbed as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal. The mega trade agreement will certainly have an impact on India's exports in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles and chemicals, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said recently. The 16-member bloc RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six free trade agreement partners -- India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP negotiations were launched in Phnom Penh in November. The 16 countries account for over a quarter of the world's economy, estimated to be more than USD 75 trillion. Addressing a Delhi Dialogue-VIII session on ASEAN-India Relations, Wadhwa said enhancing India-ASEAN trade is a priority area under the new Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-India partnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity (2016-20). The Plan of Action envisages a number of steps in the areas of trade and investment, finance, transport, food, agriculture, forestry, information and communication technology, tourism, science, technology and innovation and mining & natural resources management. "In the past year, a significant achievement has been the completion of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area with the entry into force of the ASEAN-India Agreements on Trade in Services and Investment on July 1, 2015. "So far, India, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand have ratified the agreements. Lao PDR has ratified the Agreement on Trade in Services. We request you to use your good offices to encourage the remaining ASEAN countries to ratify the Agreement at an early date," he said. Wadhwa said the ASEAN-India Trade Negotiating Committee has been tasked to undertake review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, which came into effect on January 1, 2010, noting that the review will help optimize its utilization and bring it up-to-date with today's standards. Stressing on deeper ASEAN-India collaboration, Wadhwa said: "We need to undertake capacity building programmes, workshops and seminars that focus on the ASEAN-India FTA, Rules of Origin, services liberalization, regulatory aspects of ecommerce, elimination of non-tariff barriers, competition policy and intellectual property rights, SME cooperation and promotion". He said the government is keen to facilitate cross border trade between our North-eastern states and neighbouring ASEAN countries by setting up more border trade points and Haats. "Under the MoU on Border Haats along the India-Myanmar border signed in 2012, it has been agreed to set up 9 Border Haats or markets in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram," Wadhwa said. Along with the construction of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-modal Project, we are also at the final stages of a Motor Vehicles Agreement between India, Myanmar and Thailand which will address soft connectivity issues, the Secretary (East) pointed out. "We have enhanced the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund from USD 1 million to USD 5 million with effect from this year, which will go towards setting up of an ASEAN-India Innovation Platform to facilitate commercialization of low cost technologies and collaborative R&D projects," he said. He highlighted the need for greater collaboration in development of infrastructure and sustainable energy promoting private sector cooperation in the development and utilization of renewable and alternative energy sources; clean energy technologies and energy efficient technologies through institutional capacity building; the facilitation of trade and investment in the energy sector; and liberalization of power trade among ASEAN member states and India. Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan are recruiting children as young as six years old to eventually be deployed into combat, adding scores to their ranks since mid-2015, Human Rights Watch reported today. The insurgents claim they only enlist fighters who have achieved "mental and physical maturity" and do not use "boys with no beards". But HRW said in a statement the Taliban have been actively recruiting young boys and training them in military operations including the use of improvised explosive device (IEDs). "The Taliban's apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful," said Patricia Gossman, senior HRW Afghanistan researcher. "Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency." HRW focused on northern Afghanistan, particularly Kunduz province, where it said the militants were also increasingly using Islamic religious schools known as madrassas for the military training of children. Indoctrination of boys under Taliban teachers can start as young as the age of six, the report said, with seven years of military training before they are deployed to militant groups by the age of 13. Local residents and analysts told HRW they believe the increase in child soldiers over the last 12 months was largely due to the insurgents' major offensive in northern Afghanistan, which began in April 2015. In September the Taliban briefly took control of Kunduz city, the first major provincial capital seized by the insurgents since they were ousted from power in 2001. HRW interviewed relatives of 13 children recruited as Taliban soldiers over the past year, and verified their claims through interviews with civil society activists, political analysts, and the United Nations. Among them were the families of Qasem, and Ahmad, recruited by Taliban when they were 15 and 14 respectively. Their families begged for the militants to release them, but were refused. "When the government forces counter-attacked, both Qasem and Ahmad ... Were killed. The boys' families recovered their bodies," a source told HRW. In Chahardara, a volatile district in Kunduz province, more than 100 children were recruited and deployed by the Taliban in 2015, the report said, citing residents. A Taliban statement today said the militants "categorically reject this report". "The recruitment of children in the ranks of Islamic Emirate is strictly prohibited," it continued. Rights groups have been warning for years that child recruitment remains rife by the Taliban insurgents but also by pro-government militia forces. Today, the UN's representative for children in armed conflict Leila Zerrougui told reporters in Kabul that militias such as the Afghan Local Police are using large numbers of child recruits. This month the Taliban shot dead in southern Uruzgan province Wasil Ahmad, a 12 year-old boy who rose to fame last summer after he joined a pro-government militia force to fight the insurgents. The Afghan government denied Wasil was part of the government forces. Bodies of two Indian medical students killed in a fire that broke out at a university dormitory at Smolensk in Russia reached Mumbai on Wednesday. BJP MP Kirit Somiaya, who was present at the airport along with the students' family members to receive the bodies, said Union minister Sushma Swaraj and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have spoken to the kin of the victims. "I connected the family members to Swaraj and Fadnavis through my mobile phone," Somaiya said. The students - Pooja Kallur (22) from Navi Mumbai and Karishma Bhosale (20) from Pune - were killed in their sleep when the fire broke out on the fourth floor of the dormitory of Smolensk Medical Academy on Sunday. While Pooja's body was taken to adjoining Navi Mumbai for last rites, Karishma's body was taken to Pune, Somaiya said. He said Pooja's funeral is slated to take place later today in Seawood area of Navi Mumbai, where her house is located, and that of Karishma in Pune later in the day. Pooja's kin blamed the college administration for not doing enough to save her life. "Her friend informed us of the fire. The institute didn't inform us anything. It should have done so," her brother had said. "It is the college's responsibility to save the students. There should have been fire extinguishers. The warden should save the students. They didn't do any such thing. They did nothing," he had said. Russia has filed a lawsuit against Ukraine at the High Court in London over a disputed USD 3 billion loan that Moscow says Kiev has refused to pay back, the finance minister said today. "Today the Russian finance ministry filed the lawsuit against Ukraine with the goal of recovering debt on Ukraine's bond with the nominal value of USD 3 billion," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was quoted by Russian agencies as saying. "This lawsuit was filed after repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage Ukraine in constructive dialogue about restructuring the debt and to admit the fact that Russia-owned eurobonds are an official loan," Siluanov said. Siluanov predicted that the court case will be "open and transparent" at the "independent, authoritative court which will examine the dispute impartially. Moscow and Kiev have been locked in a protracted standoff over the USD 3 billion that the Kremlin gave to Ukraine in 2013 shortly before former Russia-backed president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in the wake of mass protests. Kiev argues that Moscow lent its ally the money on preferential terms essentially as a bribe for Yanukovych's shock November 2013 decision to scuttle a free trade agreement with the EU that Kiev has since signed. The new government wants Russia to accept a 20-per cent debt writedown - the same terms accepted last year by Ukraine's private creditors. Ukrainian authorities insist that the funds do not represent a sovereign loan granted by one state to another, but rather a transaction made via the financial markets and subject to financial terms agreed with other creditors. The debt dispute between Moscow and Kiev has previously threatened to hamper the International Monetary Fund's USD 17.5-billion rescue plan for cash-strapped Ukraine. Russian and Syrian regime air strikes have not diminished and may have intensified despite an international agreement for a cessation of hostilities in Syria by week's end, the US military said today. "Their bombing has continued apace," said US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren, speaking to reporters from Baghdad. "We have not seen a lessening of intensity. If anything, it has increased." Warren said the US military has seen stepped-up use of tactical aircraft, launches of shorter-range ballistic missiles, and barrel bombs dropped from the back of Syrian helicopters. "This reckless disregard for civilian casualties only complicates the situation and prolongs civilian suffering," he said. Russia agreed at an international meeting in Munich on Friday to bring about a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria and allow humanitarian relief convoys into besieged Syrian cities. But on Monday five medical facilities and two schools were hit in air strikes in an area near Aleppo in northern Syria that has been the focus of a Russian-backed government offensive. The United Nations, which denounced the attacks as a "blatant violation of international law," estimated that 50 people were killed. Russia has denied any responsibility for the attacks, which drew international condemnation. "What actually happened is that Russian-regime aircraft conducted air strikes in those areas. And those hospitals were hit," Warren said. "Unclear to us if it was a Russian aircraft, or a Syrian aircraft, or a Russian missile or a Syrian missile," he said. "But what we do know is that there were strikes in the area and we know that hospitals were hit. The US' decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan should not be a cause of concern for India as the regional security situation was taken into account at the time of sale, the Pentagon said today as it rejected India's disappointment over the move. "We don't think it should cause concern for India," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said when asked to comment on India's reaction to Obama Administration's decision to sell the sophisticated fighter jets to Pakistan. "We think this is a capability that will help Pakistan in its counter-terrorism effort and we think that's in the national security interests of the United States," Cook said. The Obama Administration said on February 13 it had decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets worth nearly USD 700 million to Pakistan despite mounting opposition from influential lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties. "This sale always took into account the regional security situation. We look at our relationship with Pakistan and our relationship with India as separate relationships. We think this is important capabilities for the Pakistanis to go after terrorists in that country," Cook said. India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over the decision. India disagreed with the US' rationale that such arms transfers help Pakistan in combating terrorism and believes the US military aid to Pakistan goes into anti-India activities. These additional F-16 aircraft will facilitate operations in all-weather, non-daylight environments, provide a self- defence/area suppression capability, and enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter terrorism operations, the Pentagon had said. Drawing inspiration from the partition themed films by Ritwik Ghatak, director Gautam Ghosh will portray the angst of the people living near the Indo-Bangladesh border in his latest movie "Sankhachil". Set at a place near the Indo-Bangladesh border the film tells the story of a family whose relatives live on both sides of the barbed wire fencing. "I was associated with Ritwik Ghatak during his later phase for quite some time and was introduced to his vision that created films on partition. Partition always brought forth the raw wounds inflicted on the psyche of the affected people," Ghosh told PTI here. "I had heard from him the pain and anguish of the people affected by the partition but never previously sought to portray that angst in my film," he added. During a visit to the border, the "Moner Manush" helmer said, he realized how only humans are barred from crossing the man-made boundary but not others. "Birds of the sky, fishes and dolphins of Ichhamati river, tigers and crocodiles of the Sunderbans. None can bar them from going from one side to the other. It is a history of the humans which we can never do away with." "Sankhachil," shot in both sides of the border, is Ghosh's third Indo-Bangla production. Starring Bengali superstar Prosenjit and Bangladeshi actress Kusum in lead roles, the film will be released on Bengali New Year's Day (April 14) in India and Bangladesh. Recalling the frenzied welcome the production team received in Bangladesh, Ghosh said he saw no difference between the people, the landscape, the localities and the food of the two separate nations. About the popularity of Prosenjit in Bangladesh, Ghosh said, "He is immensely popular in Bangladesh. I had seen this during 'Moner Manush' shoot and found it again. At times we forgot where we were shooting, in West Bengal or Bangaldesh. "This shows the relevance and universality of our film where partition comes as the backdrop in the lives of contemporary people who cross over to the other side for sake of living," he said. Prosenjit recalled how during the one hour journey from the hotel to the location, he would have to come out of the car at seven-eight places to meet fans. "At such times the geographical barriers cease to exist. I feel honoured," said Prosenjit, who is co-producing the movie with a Bangladeshi producer. "We have also sent the film to Cannes and it will visit several other premier festivals," he said. : N Gopalswami, former Chief Election Commissioner was today conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Sastra University. Udayalaur Kalyanaraman, renowned 'namasangeerthanam' scholar and archealogist and temple historian Kudavayil M Balasubramanian were also conferred the DLitt at a function at the university here tonight. Badrinath, Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Netralaya, Chennai, delivered the convocation address and conferred the D.Litt to the three of them. Gopalswami said his grandfather and had told him to be straightforward when he sought his blessings. Others who were intellectuals and are straightforward were also his mentors like his grandfather. "I learnt lessons from all," he said. The former CEC said an institution should aspire for merit, which Sastra was doing without fear or favour. Kalyanaraman said Namasangeerthanam, irrespective of caste and religion, brings in national integeration. This was achieved by Sathguru Swamigal in the 17th century by collecting all songs from different languages. Balasubramanian said the shrines here are his temple of learning and he would work to reach the next generation and make them know about Indian culture and tradition. Saudi Arabia today executed one of its citizens and two Yemenis convicted of drug trafficking, bringing to 63 the number of people it has put to death this year. Saudi national Daifallah al-Omrani was executed in the northern region of Tabuk after his conviction for smuggling amphetamines, the interior ministry said. In a separate case, Yemeni citizens Ahmed Mubarak and Abdul Salam al-Jamali were executed in the southwestern city of Jazan near their homeland, the ministry said. They were convicted of trying to smuggle hashish. Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded by a sword. The kingdom executed 47 people in a single day on January 2 for "terrorism". In 2015 Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, mostly for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count. Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades. The kingdom practises a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death. Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in Saudi Arabia, which says the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at the Patiala House court complex where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, is to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. The apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kanhaiya whose extended police custody of two days is expiring today. Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said that the two family members of the accused, if present, will be allowed in the court room, otherwise one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused. The bench also restricted the entry of mediapersons inside the court room during the proceeding by limiting it to five journalists. It said that 25 journalists would be allowed to enter the compound and all the entries would be allowed only after proper identification and verification. The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or a group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to only today. The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court will meet at 2 p.m today to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on February 15 at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists who were present in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case. Market benchmark Sensex slipped from its initial gains and was trading below the crucial 23,000 level after plunging 271 points in late morning as selling re-emerged, tracking reversal of trend in Asian markets. Also, the broader NSE Nifty cracked below the-7,000 mark. The Sensex after opening higher, advanced to 23,241.88 backed up by value-buying in recent losers but slipped into the red and dipped below the 23,000-mark by falling 271.13 points or 1.16 per cent, at 22,920.84 at 1015 hours. The 50-share Nifty also declined by 87.60 points or 1.24 per cent to 6,960.65 at 1015 hours. Sentiment was dampened largely after Asian markets slipped into the negative terrain after an oil output freeze by Saudi Arabia and Russia disappointed investors, brokers said. Major losers were GAIL 2.62 per cent, SBI 2.56 per cent, Bajaj Auto 2.48 per cent, Tata Steel 2.45 per cent, Coal India 2.42 per cent, BHEL 2.28 per cent and Hero MotoCorp 2 per cent. Overseas, initial gains were wiped-off in other Asian markets too on profit-booking. Japan's Nikkei was quoting 1.55 per cent lower, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.50 per cent. Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.24 per cent. The SFI state unit today distanced itself from the pro-Afzal Guru slogans that were raised during a rally by Jadavpur University students, saying they do not support it and the entire student community of JU should not be blamed for such "irresponsible slogans". "On February 15, the SFI along with other Left students wing had taken out a rally protesting against the police action inside JNU campus. On February 16, another rally was taken out by some students of JU. We had no connection with that rally. Few students had raised certain slogans. Neither the SFI nor the entire student community of JU can be blamed for these slogans," Students Federation of India (SFI) state secretary Debojyoti Das said in a statement. "The SFI is always against terrorism, communalism and divisive forces. It is inappropriate to raise such slogans, which directly or indirectly support terrorism. "Presently, there is a tendency to polarize the nation on the basis of radical nationalism and attempts are being made to malign the Left parties. In such a scenario such irresponsible statements will only strengthen the fascist forces and weaken the student's movement," the state secretary of the students wing of the CPI(M) said. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were raised yesterday at a rally brought out by Jadavpur University students to express solidarity with their JNU counterparts who are agitating against the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. During the torch rally brought from JU campus to Gol Park in South Kolkata by students of all faculties of the university, slogans like "Afzal bole azadi, Geelani bole azadi" and "Cheenke ke lenge azadi" were raised. Other slogans like "Freedom from RSS, freedom from Modi government", "Jab Kashmir ne maangi azadi, Manipur bhi boli azadi" were also raised. The Centre today had sought a report from the West Bengal government regarding it. BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has often taken a position at variance with the party's stand, today came out in support of arrested JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charges, and called for his release soon. "Hope, wish and pray that he's released soon, sooner the better...," the actor-turned-politician said, adding Kumar has said nothing anti-national, contradicting his party's stand on the issue. "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti- or against Constitution," wrote Sinha on Twitter, the platform which he uses frequently to launch attacks against his party. Kumar is facing sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti- slogans during an event organised at JNU campus last week to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on his third death anniversary. As the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) row escalated, Sinha also countered the claim by some BJP leaders that the prestigious varsity has become the hub of anti- activities. "It(JNU) is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment," Sinha said. Sinha also said that any accusations in the JNU controversy needed to be substantiated with hard facts. "If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by," he said in another tweet. "JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record & history," he added. Pitching for higher investment, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said the state has introduced a 'single table' concept to give speedy approvals to projects. "We have now introduced single table concept for clearing proposals. Every week, I, along with my officials, sit with investors to understand their issues and help them resolve those," Chouhan told reporters at the Make in India Week here today. He said the state has investment-friendly policies, huge land bank, 24X7 power supply and better law and order situation. "We are among the top five states in ease of doing business. We have created an environment that will facilitate investors to come here and invest," he said. Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh, which was once a 'Bimaru' state (acronym for Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, UP) and was known for the Bhopal gas tragedy, is now at the top in terms of growth. Listing out some achievements under his leadership, Chouhan said when he took over as the chief minister, the state's power generation capacity was just 2,900 MW, which has now increased to 15,000 MW. "In the next two years, our power generation capacity will be augmented to 20,000 MW," he said. Chief Secretary Anthony de Sa said the state government is planning to invest around Rs 75,000 crore to build infrastructure over the next four years. "These investments will be in sectors like urban transport, solid waste management, water supply and housing. Some funds we have already arranged through Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other financial institutions and some funds will be coming from the state's budget," he said. Six CPI(M) workers were tonight arrested in connection with the brutal murder of a 27-year-old RSS worker in poll-bound Kerala's Kannur district, from where two incidents of bombs being hurled were also reported this morning. Police said the arrests were recorded late tonight. Those arrested are - Srijayan, Joy Joseph, Prasanth, Prabesh, Libin and Akash, all hailing from the district. Police said a 20-member gang was involved in the attack on Sujit, carried out on Monday night. The CPI(M) workers had barged into the house of Sujit at Papinesseri in the district and brutally hacked him in front of his aged parents and brother, who also suffered injuries. Sujit later succumbed to injuries. While BJP had slammed CPI-M for the attack, the Marxist party had denied it saying it was the fallout of a local incident relating to insulting a girl. BJP had maintained that CPI(M) was behind the attack to get over the embarrassment of the arrest of its party district secretary, P Jayarajan, an accused in the murder of a BJP functionary in 2014. The violence comes after a lull in Kannur, which frequently witnesses clashes between CPI-M and BJP. This morning, country bombs had been hurled at an RSS seva kendra and at the house of a BJP worker in thalassery in the district. But none were injured. Six people died from smoke inhalation when a crowd set fire to a city hall in Bolivia today in a dispute linked to a corruption scandal, officials said. The mayor of El Alto, near the capital La Paz, said demonstrators burst in to destroy evidence linked to controversial lawsuits against her predecessors. "They came in ... To burn files relating to cases against former public officials of the MAS," Mayor Soledad Chapeton told reporters, referring to Bolivia's ruling socialist party, which formerly governed the city. Chapeton's predecessor Edgar Patana, a former ally of President Evo Morales, is facing corruption charges. The bodies of six people killed in the raid were brought to the local Boliviano Holandes Hospital, its director Gonzalo Fernandez Zapata said on the radio. The chief administrator of the hospital, Polonia Pinto, added that the victims were three men and three women who died from breathing in smoke after the building was set on fire. Firefighters came to put out the flames and police fired tear gas to disperse people from the area. The raid followed a protest by locals who marched to the city hall. Television pictures showed city hall workers calling for help after climbing onto an upper terrace of the building to escape the fire, while others managed to climb onto the roofs of neighboring buildings. On Sunday, Bolivians will vote in a referendum on a divisive constitutional reform that could allow Morales to be re-elected until 2025. He has won the past three presidential elections and has overseen robust economic growth but opponents accuse him of presiding over corruption. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today attributed the violence at the Patiala House court to the anti-national sloganeering at JNU, saying the latter was the "trigger" and no country in the world allows it. Even as journalists and JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar were again attacked inside the court premises in defiance of Supreme Court order, Javadekar said that any kind of violence was "unacceptable" but the basic trigger is JNU and what happened in Jadavpur University is "unpardonable". "My first reaction to the first event (sloganeering) which is the trigger of all other happenings. It is about JNU event where some naxalites, some seperatists and students, altogether gave anti-national slogans - Jung Jung chalegi bharat ke barbadi tak (war will go on till India is destroyed). "No country allows such slogans anywhere in the world. Show me a country and give me some reasons to allow such things. This is never allowed and should not be allowed," Javadekar told NDTV when asked about his first reaction on the assault which took place inside the court. His remarks come on a day when Kanhaiya Kumar and some journalists were attacked in the court complex here by rowdy lawyers in brazen defiance of the orders of the Supreme Court, which was forced to step in. Despite instructions by the apex court to ensure security at the Patiala House Court, where violent men in black robes had attacked journalists on Monday, Delhi Police failed to prevent the attack on Kumar, accused of sedition, who was brought for remand proceedings. "As far as I know, the Supreme Court has appointed a 5 member committee. So the matter is subjudice. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. But the basic trigger is JNU and what happened in Jadavpur University yesterday is unpardonable and unacceptable. "We must stand united to condemn what happened in JNU and Jadavpur University(JU) and we all must stand by the government to find out the truth," Javadekar said. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in JU, posters calling for 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were today found in the campus even as two rival groups of students brought out rallies in the varsity premises. "Yesterday, JU students were calling for independence. What is going on? This is sedition we are witnessing. It means some separatist forces and anti-national forces have come together to infiltrate into the students and make them say these kind of slogans which is absolutely unacceptable," Javadekar said. Spanish police today searched the Madrid branch of China's biggest lender ICBC as part of a probe into the suspected laundering of at least 40 million euros (USD 44.5 million), police said in a statement. The director of the branch and a deputy director were arrested, a source close to the investigation said. The bank is suspected of being used to "introduce into the financial system funds earned through the alleged crimes of smuggling, tax fraud and the violation of workers' rights, allowing the transfer of the funds to China in a way that appeared legal," the police statement said. The operation is part of a probe carried out last year against Chinese organised crime groups based in Madrid which are suspected of importing huge amounts of goods from China without declaring them on customs forms, to avoid import and tax duties. The crime groups allegedly deposited the money earned into ICBC, which is accused of sending the funds to China without checking their origin as required by law. One of the crime groups that was broken up last year is suspected of having laundered "an amount known to be as of the moment 40 million euros" in the branch, the police statement said. Authorities suspect this system could have been employed in other nations and Europol is taking part in the investigation. Two armed police in green uniforms were guarding the entrance of the branch located on the leafy Paseo de Recoletos, a wide boulevard in the centre of Madrid. ICBC opened the branch, its first in Spain, in January 2011 as part of a push into several new markets in Europe. ICBC's foreign operations accounted for about 10 per cent of its total assets at the end of last year. Sri Lankan police today released sketches of two alleged assassins in connection with the murder case of the editor of The Sunday Leader, a vocal critic of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who was hacked to death in 2009. Lasantha Wickrematunga was killed in broad daylight in January 2009 when some unidentified bike-borne assailants gunned him down in the Colombo suburb of Ratmalana. He was the founder and editor of The Sunday Leader, and was involved in a legal fight with Rajapaksa's brother, the then powerful defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. After a decade-long rule of Rajapaksa was ended in 2015, the new government under President Maithripala Sirisena has revived the murder investigation. The police are still seeking information from public to help them on the investigation and released sketches of two alleged assassins in connection with the murder. Wickrematunga was declared a World Press Freedom Hero of the International Press Institute in 2010. In his final editorial which was published in 2009 after his assassination, Wickrematunge wrote, "When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me." He also wrote that he hoped his murder would not be interpreted as a "defeat of press freedom but as an inspiration". UP government would challenge the acquittal of 14 accused in two gang rape and murder cases related to the 2013 riots here. "We have been sent recommendation for filing appeals in two riots casesin which 14 accused-- four in a gang rape case and ten in a double murder case-- were acquitted by the lower courts due to lack of evidence here," district government counsel Dushyant Tyagi told PTI here today. He said that the four accused in the gangrape case were acquitted by the fast track court on January 21 while 10 accused were acquitted in the double murder case by a sessions court this month. The district authorities have decided to file appeals in the high court against the orders of acquittal of the accused and the "drafts" have been sent to the state government. The appeals would be filed in the High Court very soon. Meanwhile, the state government has taken serious view of "poor pleadings" in riots cases and asked the district magistrate to start monitoring them. An assistant government counsel has been relieved from the post due to unsatisfactory performance. The 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and surroundings districts left over 60 people dead and thousands displaced. A suicide bomber attacked a military camp in southern Yemen today, killing at least nine soldiers, military and medical sources said. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers" at the camp in the southern city of Aden overseen by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, a military source said. The soldiers were attending training run by Sudanese forces belonging to the Arab coalition, another military source said. "So far, the bodies of nine soldiers and several wounded were brought to the hospital" in Aden, a medical source said. The attack took place at the Ras Abbas military camp located in Aden's western Buraiqa district, the first military source said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes just a day after Aden's governor and its police chief escaped unharmed from a gun attack by Al-Qaeda militants on their convoy. Three of the attackers were killed and four guards protecting the convoy were wounded in a gunfight, according to the governor's aide. Aden has seen a growing jihadist presence, with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, long active in Yemen, and the Islamic State group apparently vying for influence. The jihadists have claimed several attacks against government and coalition troops since the loyalists pushed the Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies out of the port city and other southern provinces last July. The Saudi-led coalition has been supporting President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognised government with air strikes, weapons and troops since March last year. The United Nations says more than 6,100 people have been killed and 29,000 wounded in Yemen's conflict since the coalition began its raids, about half of them civilians. Russia's top aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi hopes to sign a partnership with Tata this year to manufacture key airplane parts for its 100-seat Superjet which it aims to market in India, an official said today. Talks are at crucial stage with Tata Advanced System which will include outsourcing manufacturing of the aircraft parts, said Eugene Andrachnikou, senior Vice President for sales and marketing at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCA), producer of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100). The partnership with Tata, which will be part of Make in India initiative, will also involve SCA investment, sharing of technology and knowhow as well as procurement of the parts for the plane, he said. "We are aiming to sign a partnership with Tata this year, Andrachnikou said, adding that once all specifics are agreed, production of SSJ100 parts would start soon given Tata Advanced Systems wide range of industrial production. The SSJ100 is the first 100-seat jet with a full fly-by- wire system, designed to optimise handling, reduce flight crew workload and maximise fuel efficiency. Speaking at the Singapore Airshow 2016 today, Andrachnikou said SCA had also initiated discussions with Indian airlines on deploying the SSJ100, which is designed to carry 100-120 passengers over a distance of 4,200 kilometres. "We expect to put about 50 SSJ100 in the Indian market with the next three to five years," he said, highlighting that India remains an attractive market for the superjet. The SSJ100 has the flexibility of operating in the low- travel season and compliment during the peak travel for airlines, Andrachnikou said. SCA has already supplied 20 SSJ100 to Interjet, Mexico's low-cost airline, and another 10 would be handed over within this year up to the first quarter of 2017. Tata manufactures aerostructures and components for several global Original Equipment Manufacturers at its facilities in Hyderabad. Police recovered dry cannabis weighing 700 kg after an SUV carrying it overturned near Kothapalli village in the district today, killing its driver. The incident occurred when a Bolero coming from Bhubaneswar hit a road divider before turning turtle, they said. Police found 80 packets of Ganja weighing 700 kg in the SUV. The deceased was identified as Manas Kumar Mangaraj. A case has been registered and investigation is on. Tata Motors today said the talks between Tata Marcopolo, one of its subsidiaries, and the workers of its Dharwad plant failed to yield any meaningful result. Earlier this month a lockout was declared at the Dharwad plant of Tata Marcopolo Motors following strike by workmen over wage negotiations. The company in a statement issued today said that Tata Marcopolo yesterday attended a meeting called by Assistant Labour Commissioner as part of its continued effort to resolve the ongoing crisis. "We were present and willing to hold discussions with people connected to the company. However, as clarified even earlier, we expressed our concern in engaging with unconnected people during the meeting," it added. The self-proclaimed office bearers of the 'Krantikari Kamgar Union' an outfit not recognised by the company on technical and legal grounds insisted on participating and eventually prevented any meaningful dialogue taking place, the auto major said. The company said that it has reiterated its commitment to the operations in Dharwad, as well as to the well-being and safety of our employees. "We also remain committed to finding a long-term and fair solution to the current situation, without any compromise on discipline, safety, productivity and quality," it said. The company remains hopeful that a solution may be found soon, that will allow it to go back to production, it added. The Tata Marcopolo plant in Dharwad employs over 2,500 people and has the capacity to manufacture over 15,000 buses per annum. The plant rolls out fully-built buses for intra-city and inter-city transportation, including 16 to 54-seater standard buses and 18 to 45-seater luxury and low-floor city buses. Private steel major Tata Steel today bagged the prestigious Global Safety Award by Energy and Environment Foundation. As a mark of recognition of its excellence in best safety records, Tata Steel's Jharia Division has been selected for the 6th Annual Global Safety Award 2016 in Gold category, a Tata Steel press release said. The award was presented on the occasion of the 6th World PetroCoal Congress in New Delhi by Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in the presence of Anil Razdan, Former Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India and Chairman Energy and Environment Foundation. On behalf of Tata Steel, Sanjay Kumar Singh, General Manager, Jharia Division, Tata Steel received the award. The ceremony was organized in support with The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of Coal and Ministry of power. On receiving the award, Singh said that Safety is of great importance and significance in mines and ensuring safety in mining operations will always remain a challenge. Rajeev Singhal, Vice President (Raw Materials), Tata Steel said, "We at Tata Steel ensure safe, scientific and efficient mining across all locations. This award has greatly motivated us to achieve higher benchmarks for sustainable mining". The Centre will issue tenders for appointing a consultant for the proposed transhipment port at Colachel in southern Tamil Nadu, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said here today. The minister said Colachel on the southwestern Tamil Nadu coast, Sagar in Bengal and Wadhawan near Dahanu north of Mumbai will be the three new greenfield ports. It can be recalled that already work on second transshipment terminal in Kerala is underway less than 70 km north of the proposed Colachel port. The country's first transshipment terminal is also in Kerala, in the commercial capital of the state, which has been functional since February 2010 but at a lower capacity due to cabotage laws that prevent larger ships sailing through domestic waters. "We have already initiated investments worth Rs 80,000 crore for mechanisation, modernisation and computerisation of ports under the Sagarmala project," Gadkari said at the Make in India Week here. Colachel has deep drought of 18.5 metres, while the being developed at Vizhinjam has 20 meters. The minister also pointed out that the Cabinet has recently approved a 20 per cent subsidy to boost shipbuilding, apart from sanctioning of infrastructure status for the shipbuilding industry. Gadkari further said the Inland Waterway Bill will shortly get the Rajya Sabha nod, paving the way for of 111 river ports. Thousands of Kosovo opposition supporters called for the government to resign today on the eighth anniversary of the country's declaration of independence, accusing it of violating the constitution in reaching deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Opposition supporters came from all over the country to the capital, Pristina, for the rally. Most of the participants held Albania's red-and-black national flag at the Skanderbeg Square while shouting anti-government slogans. Far fewer Kosovo ones were visible, along with a few US and German flags. "Kosovo will not allow itself to be led by people who have violated the constitution, its sovereignty," said Visar Ymeri, leader of the main opposition Self-Determination Movement party. Ymeri set a Feb 27 deadline for the government to resign and declare a new election, or "our protests will not stop." The opposition said that more than 100,000 people participated in the rally, while police said about 15,000. They later dispersed peacefully. The opposition rejects a deal between Kosovo and Serbia reached last year, giving more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. In December, the Constitutional Court decided that part of it was not in line with the constitution. The opposition also rejects a border demarcation deal with Montenegro. They have attempted to disrupt the work of parliament with tear gas, pepper spray and whistles. The government accuses the opposition of trying to come to power through violence. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa of the Democratic League of Kosovo said today it will continue its mandate until the next planned parliamentary elections on June 10, 2018. Another protest was called for Friday when parliament may start procedures on electing a new president. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci of the Democratic Party of Kosovo is the only self-declared candidate so far. Kosovo's Western backers have denounced the opposition-led violence, calling on the opposition to resolve the political crisis in parliament. Earlier today, the government held a ceremony to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the 2008 unilateral independence declaration with a military parade. Kosovo's independence has been recognized by 111 countries, including the US and major European Union nations. But it is rejected by Serbia, with support from Russia, which has blocked Kosovo from becoming a UN member. Kosovo and Serbia are holding EU-mediated talks to try to overcome their differences. Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan's son Suganathan got married here today at a function attended by dignitaries and and various political leaders, including DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Suganthan tied the knot with S Divya, both medical doctors, at a traditional wedding ceremony here. While DMK chief Karunanidhi attended the reception and blessed the couple, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa sent a bouquet and her wishes through her representative. Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss and BJP leaders including L Ganesan, industrialist and VGP group chairman V G Santhosham were among those who participated in the wedding and reception. While Tamilisai is a gynaecologist, her husband is a noted nephrologist and head of nephrology in a major city hospital. The Jammu and Kashmir government today informed the State Vigilance Commissioner (SVC) that a demolition order against a shopping complex on Jammu-Srinagar Highway couldn't be carried out as the notice was set aside by a Special Tribunal. Assistant Commissioner (Development) Udhampur informed the SVC that some stakeholders had approached the J&K Special Tribunal, against the demolition order, which was last year in September, a SVC spokesperson said. In 2013, the Commission had received a complaint about a shopping complex being constructed near Udhampur Berwin Bridge without necessary permissions and issued notices to departments concerned, the spokesperson said. After the notice was issued demolition was ordered, he said. The ACD Udhampur informed the SVC that following the order the stakeholders approached the J&K Special Tribunal following which the notice was set aside. The Tribunal said till action is initiated against other similar defaulters, the building of the applicant may not be demolished, he said. Donald Trump has told South Carolina voters to be wary of aircraft giant Boeing opening a plane finishing plant in China, saying he would not let it happen if he were president. "Be careful" because Beijing is "making Boeing build this massive plant in China" in order to secure orders, Trump warned. Should Boeing, which has a major plant in South Carolina, launch operations in the Asian giant as it announced last year that it would, it's "bye-bye to South Carolina," he told an exuberant crowd at a rally in North Augusta. "It won't happen if I'm president, by the way." Trump played up his international business acumen at a rally in North Augusta ahead of Saturday's Republican primary, the third statewide contest in the long road to the nomination. But he and his rivals, including Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, also traded political punches and laid out attack lines ahead of the crucial primary, the first in the US South. First-term Senator Rubio, mindful of the large evangelical population in the state, told a townhall in Beaufort yesterday that his faith would help guide his decisions in the Oval Office. Cruz, another freshman US senator, sought to boost his support among military veterans in South Carolina, taking to the decks of the famed decommissioned World War II battleship USS Yorktown to declare he would restore US military might if elected, after "years of neglect by President Barack Obama. "Starting next year our sailors won't be on their knees with their hands on their heads," Cruz said referring to the American sailors held in Iranian custody last month after their ship entered that country's waters. "Instead, they will be standing on the decks of the mightiest ships the world has ever known with their heads held high, confident that the great country that they volunteered to serve has their back. Turkey said today it was seeking to create a "safe line" inside Syria that would include the flashpoint northern town of Azaz near the Turkish border. "We want to form a 10-kilometre safe line inside Syria, including Azaz," Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber television in an interview. Turkey has long pressed for a safe zone, backed up by a no-fly zone, to protect its borders and provide protection for refugees on Syrian soil. Akdogan did not elaborate on the dimensions of the proposed zone or how it could be created. Alarmed by the advances of Syrian Kurdish forces in Aleppo province near the border, Ankara has in recent days bombed their positions, defying international calls for a halt to the strikes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday backed calls for a no-fly zone in Syria, saying it "would be helpful if there could be such an area, where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks." Moscow, which has carried out airstrikes to help President Bashar al-Assad regime's ground offensive in northern Syria, said Wednesday that any decision would have to be approved by Damascus. "Any decisions on creating some sort of no-fly zones cannot be taken without the agreement by the receiving side and without a relevant UN Security Council decision," deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax. Turkey accuses Kurdish fighters from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria of links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. The fate of Azaz is of particular concern to Turkey, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu making clear Ankara will not allow Kurdish fighters to take it from anti-regime rebels. The Turkish shelling in northern Syria has troubled an already complicated situation in Aleppo province, where regime forces have made significant advances with backing from Russian air strikes. Turkey has set up several camps inside Syria near Azaz to house Syrians fleeing the regime's strikes. European Council head Donald Tusk warned today ahead of a key summit there was "no guarantee" EU leaders would reach a deal to keep Britain in the bloc as German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed London's demands for reform. Only hours before the make-or-break summit in Brussels which he will chair, Tusk said: "After my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly -- there is still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement." "We differ on some political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to overcome them. Therefore I urge you to remain constructive," he said in a formal letter of invitation to the EU's 28 leaders for the two-day parlay starting tomorrow. Merkel earlier threw her weight behind Prime Minister David Cameron's reform demands, saying Germany shared many of his concerns and had done so for years. "These are not just about Britain's individual interests on some issues or questions, rather it is about several points that are justified and understandable," she told parliament in Berlin. Cameron has four key demands -- welfare restrictions to help curb immigration, safeguards for non-euro Britain, increasing competitiveness plus an opt-out from closer EU integration -- and they have all exposed sharp differences over what direction the European Union should take. Up to now, Merkel, the EU's undoubted power-broker, has offered support with the caveat that any changes must not compromise fundamental EU values and achievements, such as free movement of people. Now, she said, Germany shared Britain's concerns. "Like David Cameron, I believe that it is necessary for the EU to improve our competitiveness, transparency and (reduce) bureaucracy. Germany has shared these concerns for many years," she said. Even the controversial proposal to curb benefits is "justified and understandable because the jurisdiction for each respective social system lies not in Brussels but in each individual member state," she said. "Therefore, it is only natural for every member state to be able to protect its social system against abuse." Cameron has promised Britons an in-out EU membership referendum by 2017 but it is widely expected that if he can get a deal in Brussels, he will call the vote for June. Fail, however, and he has said anything is possible, including Britain becoming the first country to leave a bloc which critics believe is heading towards becoming a super- state, instead of the cooperative collection of independent sovereign countries they want to see. The key sticking point is Cameron's demand that EU citizens working in Britain not be allowed to claim welfare benefits for four years. Dodging reporters' questions, the United Arab Emirates' energy minister refused today to discuss a proposed cap to crude oil production agreed to by four oil-producing countries the day before, raising new questions about the proposal aimed at stabilising global prices. Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei's stance suggests regional rivalries also may be in play, as Russia and Saudi Arabia joined Qatar and Venezuela yesterday in agreeing to the deal if other producers go along. The surprise closed-door meeting involving the four countries in the Qatari capital, Doha, apparently did not include an Emirati official. Qatar and the Emirates, both oil and gas powerhouses in their own right, also compete with each other in the aviation industry and cultural pursuits. Al-Mazrouei, who gave a keynote address at the 2016 CIS Global Business Forum in Dubai, mentioned low oil prices in passing in his speech. Afterward, journalists followed him outside. "I will only talk about this conference," he said, before smiling and walking away from reporters' shouted questions. Al-Mazrouei then entered a side room at the hotel hosting the event. Security guards later arrived to put up a golden rope to keep journalists away. He left some 15 minutes later, still trailed by shouted questions. Later, he took to Twitter to say: "UAE oil policy is open to cooperate with all producers toward mutual interest of the market stability and we are optimistic on the future." Whether the Doha plan is enough to put a floor under prices is uncertain. The proposal depends on cooperation from a range of producers, including Iran, which is eager to ramp up its exports now that sanctions related to its nuclear program have been lifted. A barrel of benchmark New York crude fell 40 cents to close at USD 29.04 in New York yesterday. A barrel of Brent, the international standard, fell USD 1.21 to USD 32. The proposal for Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) for Delhi 2016 was today approved by DDA's Authority, which also proposed modifications in Master Plan for Delhi in social infrastructure and motel segments, and a 200 acres biodiversity park in the city. "Proposal for Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) for Delhi -2016, finalised after having detailed discussion with various stakeholders -- government department and local bodies. "After approval, DDA will initiate the process for software development for online building permit system for building permits," the DDA said. The Authority meeting of the urban body was today held at the Raj Niwas here under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. "A proposal has been made for developing the Tughlaqabad biodiversity park on 200 acres of land in Tehkhand Phase - II," it said. Proposals were also put up to effect modification in the MPD 2021 with reference to Chapter 13, Social Infrastructure - Development control norms for international convention centre for parking standard, exhibition, convention and meeting space and activities permitted. Similarly, the other local bodies of Delhi will initiate the same process. Modifications in MPD-2021 regarding motels were also proposed including -- restrictions to be followed by motels for holding social functions such as minimum 40 per cent of the plot area for parking space falls inside the boundary wall, demarcation of parking area within the motel, among other conditions, the DDA said. Proposal to retain the weighted average plinth area rates for the half-period ending March, 2016 at the same levels as for the half-yearly period ending September 30, 2015 was also proposed for standard costing of flats. "Transit-Orientation Development (TOD) regulations have been updated based on the suggestion and feedback from various agencies. These will be scrutinised and regulations shall be modified, if required," it said. A proposal was also made to fix premium for institutional land allotted to central and other agencies and educational institutions. Change of land usage in some parts of the city and regularisation of existing farm houses were among other proposals made today during the meeting, it added. Britain today urged the release of "all political prisoners" in the Maldives following the jailing of Islamist leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla. Junior foreign minister Hugo Swire said Imran's conviction on terrorism charges "raises worrying questions about freedom of speech, the rule of law and the government's commitment to democracy." Maldives yesterday sentenced Imran, the leader of the country's main Islamist party, to 12 years in jail. The opposition Adhaalath Party (AP) leader was charged under a 1990 anti-terrorism law for allegedly inciting unrest during an anti-government rally last May on the capital island Male. His imprisonment comes 11 months after the highly controversial jailing of the country's main opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, who last month obtained prison leave to undergo urgent surgery in London. Swire said that yesterday's conviction was a "backward step" after the granting of Nasheed's medical leave and called for further action. "I urge the government to work towards greater judicial independence and to restore confidence in democracy," he said in a statement on the government's website. "The government should release all political prisoners, end politically motivated trials and ensure all-party dialogue is genuine and inclusive," he added. President Abdulla Yameen is under intense international pressure to free Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected president. The tiny nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims has been gripped by political turmoil, damaging to its reputation as a luxury holiday destination, since Nasheed was toppled four years ago in what he claimed was a coup led by mutinous police and troops. The United Nations today condemned all sides in Afghanistan's conflict for using child soldiers, noting that while government forces have reduced the number of under-age recruits, insurgent groups continue to train large numbers of fighters under the age of 18. The Afghan government had made progress on the issue, said Leila Zerrougui, special representative of the UN Secretary General for children and armed conflict. However, she added that Afghan Local Police, who often operate independently from central oversight and have been widely criticized as unprofessional and corrupt, are major perpetrators of child recruitment among Afghan forces. Insurgent groups recruited more children in areas where the fighting is fiercest, she said. The Taliban, who have been fighting the government for over 15 years, mainly recruit children in provinces bordering Pakistan, she added. The border with Pakistan is long and porous, and Pakistan's government has been accused of protecting and supporting Taliban fighters while using the group to fight a proxy war. The Pakistani authorities have denied connections with the insurgent group, and have levelled similar accusations at Afghanistan's government. Zerrougui spoke to reporters a day after the New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Taliban forces of boosting the number of children in their ranks since the middle of last year, in violation of international laws against the use of child soldiers. The report said insurgents "have been training and deploying children for various military operations" in Afghanistan, including making and deploying bombs. It found that children between the ages of 13 and 17 were given military training in madrassas, or religious schools The use of child soldiers is illegal in Afghanistan, which ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994, committing the country to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging world leaders to sign the landmark agreement to tackle climate change reached in Paris in December at a ceremony at UN headquarters on April 22. The UN chief told the world body's 193 member nations today that the ceremony will be a key step toward ratification of the agreement. Every UN treaty is first signed and then ratified. The climate agreement needs to be ratified by 55 countries, representing at least 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, to enter into force. Ban said he has issued invitations and the leaders of Peru, France and Morocco, who hosted the last three climate conferences, will attend. The UN chief said the participation of all leaders will keep the global spotlight on climate change. The United Nations today condemned all sides in Afghanistan's conflict for using child soldiers, noting that while government forces have curbed the practice, insurgent groups continue to train large numbers of fighters under the age of 18. The Afghan government has made progress on the issue, said Leila Zerrougui, the UN representative for children and armed conflict. But she said the Afghan Local Police - government-allied groups that often operate as independent militias and are widely seen as unprofessional and corrupt - are major perpetrators. The Taliban, who have been battling the government for over 15 years, mainly recruit children in provinces bordering Pakistan and other areas where the fighting is fiercest, she said. Noting that the majority of Afghanistan's population is younger than 18, Zerrougui said child soldiers are "deprived of the minimum of their basic rights." "They are not going to school, they are deprived of access to health. They are targeted by armed groups and they are prevented from having hope for the future." Zerrougui spoke to reporters a day after the New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Taliban forces of boosting the number of children in their ranks since the middle of last year, in violation of international laws. The report said insurgents "have been training and deploying children for various military operations" in Afghanistan, including making and deploying bombs. It found that children between the ages of 13 and 17 were given military training in madrassas, or religious schools. Boys began indoctrination as young as six years old, and by the time they were 13 "have learned military skills including use of firearms, and the production and deployment of IEDs," a term for roadside bombs, HRW said. It said the Taliban had recruited child fighters since the 1990s, but had expanded the practice with new madrassas and training centres in the country's north. The Taliban condemned the HRW report in an emailed statement today, saying that it banned the recruitment of children as fighters. The use of child soldiers is illegal in Afghanistan, which ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994, committing the country to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Despite the downward trend marked by the UN, the government is still struggling to curtail the practice. The UN envoy for Yemen has said that deep divisions between the warring parties in Yemen are preventing him from calling for a new round of peace talks. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the UN Security Council yesterday that the parties are divided over whether a new round of talks should be convened without a cessation of hostilities. He said he hasn't received sufficient assurances that if he called for a cessation of hostilities it would be respected. The Arab world's poorest country has been plagued by fighting between its internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led, US-supported coalition, and Shiite Houthi rebels allied with former President Ali Abdulla Saleh. Peace talks had been expected to resume the week of Jan. 11 but were postponed following renewed fighting and airstrikes. Cheikh Ahmed urged the Security Council to act to implement a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible. The UN envoy painted a grim picture of a country gripped by deteriorating security, a humanitarian crisis, and an upsurge in attacks by "terrorist groups." "Many parts of Yemen are again witnessing airstrikes and extensive ground fighting," he said. "There has also been a significant increase in the number of missiles fired indiscriminately into Saudi Arabia." Cheikh Ahmed said the absence of a national government in many parts of Yemen has facilitated the expansion of extremist groups. "Al Qaida and the Islamic State are present in many parts of Yemeni territory," Cheikh Ahmed said. "There are reports of their growing influence in large areas of the governorate of Hadramout and their control of its port, maritime traffic, and illegal oil trade." The UN humanitarian chief warned Tuesday that a catastrophe is unfolding in Yemen. Stephen O'Brien cited more than 35,000 casualties since March 2015 including over 6,000 deaths; at least 7.6 million people lacking access to food; more than 3.4 million children out of school; and nearly 600 health facilities and over 1,170 schools unfit for use because of the conflict. The UN envoy to Libya is urging its parliament to endorse a unity government that can help combat a mushrooming Islamic State affiliate, he told today, the fifth anniversary of the uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi and plunged the country into chaos. "Every day lost in political dialogue is a day of gain of Daesh," Martin Kobler said in the interview, referring to the extremist group by its Arabic acronym. "There is chaos. There is anarchy in which Daesh expands." Libya's internationally recognized government and parliament has convened in the far east since 2014, when Islamist-allied militias seized the capital, Tripoli, in support of rival authorities. The two competing parliaments are each backed by a loose array of militias and tribes. The divisions have allowed IS to expand across the northern coast of the oil-rich North African country, which is just across the Mediterranean from Italy and has also become a major conduit for African migrants heading to Europe. IS controls the central city of Sirte and a number of oil installations, and has carried out attacks across the country. President Barack Obama said today that the United States will continue to target IS in Libya after a raid last year killed a top commander. But defeating the group will require a government with broad legitimacy and a unified army, and the international community can only lift an arms embargo once a unity government is in place. On Sunday, a UN-designated council presented a new 18-member Cabinet in the Moroccan city of Skhirat, weeks after the internationally-backed House of Representatives rejected an earlier lineup, citing reservations about its size and the distribution of portfolios among the country's three regions. Powerful factions in Tripoli have also rejected the unity government, raising concerns about whether it would be able to meet in the capital. Kobler hailed the new proposal, describing it as a "balanced list" and saying politicians should accept the deal so they can begin to address the country's "disastrous" humanitarian situation. Around 2.4 million Libyans out of a population of 6 million depend on humanitarian aid, with 1.3 million receiving food aid, Kobler said. He said people line up in front of bakeries and bring their own medicines to hospitals hit by shortages. Oil production has dropped from 1.6 million barrels a day to 350,000, and Central Bank reserves are dwindling. The UN Mideast envoy says threats by Hamas to continue building tunnels into Israel do "not help" reconstruction efforts in war-battered Gaza Strip. Nikolay Mladenov spoke today during a visit to Gaza. He toured Shijaiyah, one of the hardest hit areas in the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel. His remarks appeared to be a veiled criticism aimed at the Islamic militant group, which has struggled to balance its hard-line anti-Israel ideology and the pragmatic needs of ruling the territory. Hamas officials have pledged to continue building tunnels along the Israeli border, even after recent collapses killed 10 Hamas fighters. Israel views the tunnels as a top threat. Reconstruction in Gaza has been sluggish. Mladenov says only a third of funds pledged by international donors has been received. A Houthi Shiite fighter stand guard as people search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi airstrikes near Sanaa Airport, Yemen The UN humanitarian chief warned that a "humanitarian catastrophe" is unfolding in Yemen, exacerbated by increasing restrictions on efforts to respond to the staggering needs of millions of people, including the diversion of a UN aid ship by Saudi-led coalition forces. Stephen O'Brien painted a grim picture of the war-ravaged country on Tuesday: more than 35,000 casualties since March 2015, including over 6,000 deaths; at least 7.6 million people "severely food insecure"; more than 3.4 million children now out of school; and nearly 600 health facilities and over 1,170 schools unfit for use because of the conflict. O'Brien's briefing to the UN Security Council, requested by Russia, was the first focusing on the humanitarian crisis sparked by the country's civil war. Yemen's conflict pits the government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, against Shi-ite rebels known as Houthis, allied with a former president. The Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in September 2014, and the Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against the Houthis in March 2015. Al-Qaeda militants, southern separatists, and other militants have capitalised on the chaos of the civil war. O'Brien said he is "extremely concerned" about increasing restrictions on humanitarian access and deliveries, and he blamed all parties. He said the Houthis and their allies are inconsistent in allowing access to areas they control, noting that over the past week some UN agencies were given approvals but others were denied for missions to Ibb, Taiz and Saada. He said aid deliveries are continuing in areas where al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is present, but movement "is extremely challenging and dangerous." He said access to northern governorates, where needs are among the most severe, is challenging because of coalition airstrikes and fighting, especially along the Saudi border. O'Brien said recent communications from Saudi Arabia on the safety of humanitarian workers in Houthi-controlled areas have "impacted the humanitarian community's planning, causing delays to important missions over the past two weeks." This follows Saudi Arabia's denial of entry to the UN regional humanitarian coordinator on January 17, and the diversion of a ship chartered by the UN World Food Program to bring humanitarian supplies from Djibouti to the Yemen port of Hodeidah to the Saudi port of Jizan on February 11 by coalition forces. UN convoys delivering aid to thousands of besieged Syrians were due to set out today, but hopes for lasting peace dimmed the day after Turkey called for a ground operation in its war-torn neighbour. Syria's government has approved access to seven besieged areas, including the city of Madaya where dozens of people are thought to have died from starvation, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian affairs office said. Speaking in Damascus, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said aid convoys will be sent today in what will be a test of whether the warring parties will allow in humanitarian supplies. "It is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid," he said after meeting Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. "Tomorrow we test this," he said yesterday. Almost half a million people in Syria are in areas under seige, according to the UN, after almost five years of civil war between Syria's government and rebel forces. A Red Crescent source said the first convoys will head for the rebel-besieged Shiite villages of Fuaa and Kafraya in the north, and to Madaya and Zabadani, which are encircled by the army. Allowing in humanitarian aid was an important element in negotiations to clinch a ceasefire across war-torn Syria, but both sides have cast doubt on whether it will be implemented. Seventeen world powers agreed to a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" across Syria within a week under a deal struck in Munich last Thursday to end a war that has killed more than 260,000 people. But the bombings of at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria, which the UN said Monday killed 50 people including children, have dimmed hopes for a ceasefire. Under the deal, a new round of peace talks will be held in Geneva on February 25. "I can't say categorically that a week from last Thursday there must be a cessation of hostilities," deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. "I'm not trying to excuse the delay in any way, shape or form. I think we're going to continue to pursue, aggressively, the cessation of hostilities." Syria's envoy to the UN Bashar Jaafari yesterday also warned that "a ceasefire would take much longer than a week". The school and hospital bombings took place around Syria's second city of Aleppo, where the government has been pressing a major offensive against the rebels backed by Russian air strikes. Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai today flagged off 'Jan Jagaran Rath' which will create awareness about various Central schemes to uplift Dalits and poor. Three raths would visit every village and lane of Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency to create awareness among people about the schemes, he said. Member of Pradhan Mantri Gram Yojana, Ram Singh Valmiki said a 15-member team, with every rath having five persons, would inform people about the schemes through street plays at 100 places in the constituency. (Reopens DES16) Meanwhile, Union Minister Uma Bharti has said party would only decide over the chief ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. When asked who will be the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, the Union Minister for Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation, yesterday said, only party organisation will decide over the matter. Over a complaint made to National Green Tribunal about the river front scheme, she said, "I do not take otherwise, if the matter has been taken to NGT since it provides scope for correction." NGT was apprised of the process before commencing the river front scheme in Vrindaban, she said at Anupyati Geeta Ashram in Vrindaban. "Before commencing the work, instruction were issued for retaining thesanctity and originality of theold Ghats as per orders of the High court," the union minister said. She claimed that there was no politics in surgical strikes. "Whole country was happy after surgical strike, since it was a right step away from politics," Bharti said. As many as 73,000 civilians have fled the Marra mountains in the heart of Sudan's Darfur region since the army launched an offensive against rebels on January 15, the United Nations said today. The world body said the displacement was the largest in the district in a decade and marked a major flare-up in the conflict which has seen ethnic minority rebels fighting government troops and militia allies since 2003. "The number of civilians displaced as a result of the recent conflict in Darfur's Jebel Marra area has increased from 38,000 to 73,000, according to the latest estimates," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement. The Marra mountains, which rise to more than 3,000 metres (nearly 10,000 feet) and are one of Darfur's most fertile areas, are controlled by rebels of Abdulwahid Nur's faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA-AW). Many of those fleeing -- most of them women and children -- have taken refuge at a base at Sortoni run by peacekeepers of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). "The recent increase is largely due to a massive influx of some 30,000 civilians in Sortoni," OCHA said. The camp now houses a total of 53,562 displaced civilians, the UN said. Nearly 18,000 civilians have taken shelter at another camp in Tawila. "The UN and partners have teams on the ground working to assess the needs of those who have recently arrived in Sortoni and Tawila," said UN mission chief Marta Ruedas. The Sudanese government has not given the UN or aid agencies access to some areas around Jebel Marra making verification of the exact number of people fleeing difficult. The United Nations says that some 300,000 people have been killed in the fighting in Darfur since 2003 and 2.5 million displaced. JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar today appealed to "all" political parties to not "interfere" in the matters of university, which is caught in a row over an event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and asserted that the varsity is "capable" of dealing with issues internally. "I appeal to all political parties to not interfere in this matter. The university can deal with these issues internally and let the internal mechanism probe the issue," he told reporters. Addressing a press conference, Kumar also asked students to not feel "insecure and apprehensive". The VC maintained that though it advocates fair enquiry and punishment to the guilty, any sort of violent attack on students or teachers is condemnable. "Some of the teachers and students were manhandled in the court premises. The university condemns the alleged attack on them and is of the view that the law should be allowed to take its course and the guilty be punished," he added. Asked about reports regarding the hacking of the JNU website, the VC said the varsity is looking into the matter. "I have also been told that the website of the university has been hacked. We are investigating the matter," he said. Kumar said a high-level JNU committee is investigating the February 9 incident in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and the eight students who were found to be involved in it have been debarred from the university after a preliminary inquiry. Amid criticism over the VC's contradictory statements on alleged "police crackdown" on campus, Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi said, "There has been no contradictory stand on the police permission. The VC said we never 'called police' we just cooperated with it as per the law. And the permission was granted to enter only to abide by the law and was not an anti-student move". An internal communication to Delhi police from the JNU administration had yesterday revealed that the force was granted permission to enter the campus as they "may deem fit", contradicting the Vice Chancellor's stand that he did not call police to the premises. The clamour grew on campus demanding release of Kanhaiya who was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Veteran Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, one of the Arab world's most prominent political commentators and a former adviser to president Gamal Abdel Nasser, died today aged 92, state media reported. Heikal served as editor-in-chief of state-owned daily Al-Ahram from 1957 to 1974, and under his tenure it was considered the region's newspaper of record. He had been ill for three weeks, and suffered fluid in his lungs and kidney failure, Al-Ahram reported on its website. Heikal, who was born in the Nile Delta province of Qalubiya on September 23, 1923, authored more than 10 books on the conflicts and political intrigues of the region. He was a close associate of Nasser, who ruled Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970, serving as his information minister and for a brief period of two weeks also as his foreign minister. He initially backed Nasser's successor Anwar Al-Sadat, but was jailed in September 1981 after falling out with the president, who signed the first Arab peace treaty with Israel. He took to the sidelines during Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule, but would sometimes give interviews. Speaking to British newspaper The Independent in 2007, he criticised the autocrat, who was toppled in a popular uprising four years later. "Let us face it, that man was never adjusted to politics," he said of the former general, who succeeded Sadat after his assassination in 1981. In December 2015, Heikal called on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to hold a political dialogue to tackle the country's crises, ranging from an economic downturn to militant attacks and political unrest. Sisi, the former military chief, had overthrown the unpopular Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, unleashing a bloody crackdown on Islamists while contending with a jihadist insurgency. The crackdown has extended to secular opponents. "There are many people who accept what is happening, because the alternatives are bad, and they have experienced the alternatives," Heikal said in an interview with an Egyptian television host. But "there has to be a dialogue between all national forces...With representatives," he said. A statement from Sisi's office eulogised Heikal as having "enriched Egyptian and Arab journalism with his writings. Activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal today held a protest here against those who raised "anti-national" slogans at JNU and demanded strict action against them. "Our protest was against people with anti-national ideology and those who raised slogans against the country. We strongly oppose them and the Central government should lodge sedition case against them," VHP (Chandigarh) President Vijay Bhardawaj said. The activists held protest at Sector 29-30 light points and then assembled near CPI(M) office at Sector 30 where they blackened the photos of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and CPI-M leaders Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat. Hot exchanges allegedly took place between the protesters and CPI(M) workers during which stones were thrown at the party office, shattering windowpanes of a room. ASP (East) of Chandigarh police, Guriqbal Singh Sidhu said some persons have been taken into preventive custody and investigation is on. A case of rioting will be registered in this regard, he said. However, Bhardawaj denied that any VHP or Bajrang Dal activist threw stones at CPI(M) office. More than 100 people have gathered in Hanoi to commemorate the anniversary of Vietnam's brief but bloody border war with China. Thirty seven years ago, 600,000 Chinese troops invaded Vietnam to "teach Vietnam a lesson" for ousting the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. China withdrew its troops after a month. The residents lit incense today and laid flowers at the statue of King Ly Thai To, a Vietnamese hero, in a ceremony that lasted an hour. They chanted "down with the aggressors," and "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa," the Vietnamese terms for the Paracel and Spratly islands, which are claimed by both countries. The commemoration took place even though large gatherings without government sanctions are often stopped by the police. There have been no official government commemorations of the war. The White House said that President Barack Obama is prepared to veto legislation that would rename part of a Washington street after an imprisoned Chinese Nobel laureate. The bill -- introduced by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz -- would rename the area in front of the Chinese Embassy "Liu Xiaobo Plaza" after the Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. China yesterday strongly condemned the bill. The State Department said the bill, which has passed the Senate, would only complicate efforts to get China to release Liu. "It's our desire to work more productively and cooperatively with Congress on ways to address our shared goal of improving human rights in China," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said during a conference yesterday. Passage of the bill would mean the Chinese Embassy's new address would be "1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza." China on Tuesday threatened "serious consequences" if the legislation takes effect, calling on the US administration to end a "political drama." Cruz -- an ultra-conservative senator -- said in a statement yesterday that Obama's veto threat shows his "eagerness to coddle an authoritarian Communist regime at the expense of pro-American dissidents." Liu was sentenced in 2009 to 11 years in prison for inciting state subversion after calling for democratic reforms. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. China's communist regime has cracked down on dissidents under President Xi Jinping, arresting dozens of activists, lawyers and intellectuals. A special court here today sent the suspended chief engineer of Noida Authority Yadav Singh, arrested in a corruption case, to 14-day judicial custody The court of special judge G Sridevi has fixed the next date of hearing for March 1. Singh was produced in the court amid tight security in the afternoon, Kavi Nagar SHO Ashok Shishodia said. CBI prosecutors did not seek extension of the police remand of Singh for the third time. His police custody has earlier been extended twice by the court. On February 2, Singh was arrested by CBI in connection with a corruption case. He is facing two separate CBI cases - amassing disproportionate assets and corruption in awarding contracts. The cases have been registered on the direction of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Competition Commission of India (CCI), India's antitrust regulator, said on Wednesday it suspected that a Monsanto joint venture had abused its dominant position as a supplier of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds in the country. Local farmers and some of their associations, including one affiliated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, have complained that Monsanto overprices its products using its position as the supplier of GM seeds used in more than 90 percent of the country's cotton cultivation. U.S.-based Monsanto launched a GM cotton variety in India in 2002 despite opposition from critics who questioned its safety, transforming the country into the world's top producer and second-largest exporter of the fibre. Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) (MMB), a joint venture with India's Mahyco, licenses a gene that produces its own pesticide to a number of local seed companies in lieu of royalties and an upfront payment. MMB also markets the seeds directly, though the local licensees together command 90 percent of the market. Acting on a complaint by India's agriculture ministry that the JV was charging "unreasonably high" royalty fees, CCI asked its director general (DG) to complete an investigation into the matter in two months. "The DG shall also investigate the role of the officials/ persons who at the time of such contravention (of the competition act, if any) were in charge of and responsible for the conduct of their business," the CCI wrote in an order uploaded on its website. (https://bit.ly/1oJw4Jg) An MMB spokesman had no immediate comment, but its counsel told the CCI that the royalty charged from Indian seed companies was the lowest in the world, that prices had come down over time and innovation had to be rewarded, according to the order. A minister involved in the issue told the government was determined to lower GM cotton prices ahead of a possible launch of GM mustard, final trial reports for which are being examined by experts. A committee of government and independent experts this month sought more information from a team of Indian scientists who have spent almost a decade on laboratory and field trials for the mustard crop, which could become the country's first transgenic food crop. (Additional eporting by Rupam Jain and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Dale Hudson) India is preparing to pump in a higher-than-anticipated capital sum into poorly performing state banks, government sources said, a move that could see New Delhi infuse as much as $34 billion additionally and make it harder to hit planned deficit targets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in August pledged to put in Rs 70,000 crore ($10.2 billion) into state-run through four years to March 2019 as part of a broader banking reforms programme. It had then said the lenders would raise another Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the financial markets. But a surge in provisions for bad loans in a central bank-directed balance sheet clean-up exercise has sent several lenders into losses, hammering their stock prices and limiting their ability to secure external funding as the economy wobbles. It also means minister Arun Jaitley will have to squeeze the national budget to foot the bill. Indian public sector may find it difficult to raise capital, given their currently weak operating performance," Standard & Poor's credit analyst Deepali Seth said in a report, highlighting a risk of further rating downgrades. "These will therefore have to rely more on government support for capital infusions." Two senior government officials with direct knowledge of the matter said a new capital-infusion plan was being formulated that Jaitley might propose as early as the end of this month when he presents the federal budget. They did not say how much more the government was targeting injecting into the banks. A ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, reckons the government will have to cough up at least Rs 1.26 lakh crore, nearly double of what it originally planned, to keep its current ownership of state banks. But the figure might swell to as much as Rs 3 lakh crore if the lenders fail to raise funds from markets, it said. "Right now it's a tightrope walk," said Abhishek Bhattacharya, co-head of financial institutions at India Ratings. A sharp slowdown in India's nominal economic growth, which drives tax revenues, has already made it tougher for Jaitley to meet a target of trimming the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of GDP in the year that begins in April from the 3.9% budgeted for this year. Bhattacharya said the extra burden of capital infusion could add 35-40 basis points every year to the deficit over the next three years. In a Twitter post on Friday, the ministry quoted Jaitley as saying that the government is "committed to protect the banks and give them the capital requirements". "Bad loans are there but banks are equipped to deal with these issues," Jaitley said. Growth Capital Banks are the main source of funding for infrastructure and other investment projects, and capital constraints at the banks could throttle a nascent recovery. Big quarterly losses at lenders including Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank mean some of them will need more capital sooner than expected to grow lending. Bank credit growth last fiscal year fell to its slowest in nearly two decades. With all state-run banks, including top lender State Bank of India, trading at a steep discount to their book values, selling shares at dirt-cheap valuations is not an option. Ashwani Kumar, chairman at Dena Bank that is in talks with the government for capital support, said the original capital infusion plan was based on parameters including profitability of lenders, pace of bad loan additions and banks' ability to raise funds from the market. "If those parameters don't hold good, they have to put in more money," he said. India is planning to auction at least three in 2016, a top government official said, opening up the sector to private firms for the first time ever in a bid to slash imports of the metal that cost the government Rs 3,600 crore last year. Economically crippling shipments of up to 1,000 tonnes of gold, accounting for about a quarter of India's annual trade deficit, have already prompted the government to hike import duties and launch a scheme aimed at mobilising a pool of over 20,000 tonnes of the metal lying idle in homes and temples. But still the government has failed to curb imports by the world's second-biggest consumer, where gold is regarded as the highest form of gift for gods and humans alike. The absence of local production has scuppered efforts further. India now plans to auction at least three in 2016 with billions of dollars worth of estimated reserves, including Kolar in the southern state of Karnataka that was shut 15 years ago on high costs, Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar told Reuters. Kumar said several local and multinational companies had shown interest in the mines, but declined to identify them. "We're importing so much of gold, so a lot of people are interested," he said. "That goes without saying." Local media reports say Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal's Vedanta Resources and mining major Rio Tinto could be interested in the auctions. A Vedanta spokesman said the firm has previously shown an interest and was waiting for more details from the government, while Rio Tinto's India head, Nik Senapati, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Of the mines to be auctioned, two are new and located in the eastern states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, with combined gold ore reserves estimated at up to 3 million tonnes, Kumar said. The Chhattisgarh mine will be auctioned next month, he added. Gold ore typically yields 0.0005-0.001 percent of primary metal. As for Kolar, steel and mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar has cleared a proposal to restart production there and has written to Karnataka's chief minister regarding this. ABANDONED MINE Kolar has been a gold mining centre for centuries. Post-independence, it was run by state-controlled Bharat Ltd (BGML) until its closure in 2001. It is still estimated to have up to 280 tonnes of gold to recover in dust, open pit and underground reserves. (reut.rs/1Xx1kqG) India is hoping to raise more than 60 billion rupees ($876.11 million) by selling gold dust from Kolar, Kumar added. New Delhi has also promised to take over liabilities in the form of bank loans and employee costs owed by BGML, he said. Analysts believe gold mining will be profitable in India, where prices have jumped more than three fold in a decade versus an 89% rise in global spot prices. Weak world prices have prompted top producers such Canada's Barrick Gold Corp and Goldcorp Inc, Newmont Mining from the United States and South Africa's AngloGold Ashanti to cut costs. "Any gold production in India is great and maximising mining is the way forward," said Rajesh Khosla, head of MMTC-PAMP India, the country's biggest gold refiner. "There would be a lot of interest from foreign companies that have the latest technology." ($1 = 68.4843 Indian rupees) The fate of the first global deal in 15 years could be decided on Wednesday when OPEC members travel to Iran to persuade the country to participate in a deal to freeze output levels, possibly by offering Tehran special terms. Dominant OPEC power Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia, the world's top two producers and exporters, agreed on Tuesday to freeze production levels but said the deal was contingent on others joining in - a major sticking point with Iran absent from the talks and determined to raise production. OPEC members Qatar, Venezuela and Kuwait said they were also ready to freeze output and sources in Iraq - the world's fastest-growing producer in the past year - said Baghdad would abide by a global deal aimed at tackling a growing oversupply and helping prices recover from their lowest in over a decade. On Wednesday, Venezuelan Minister Eulogio Del Pino and Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi will travel to Tehran for talks with their Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh. OPEC member Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional arch rival, has pledged to steeply increase output in the coming months as it looks to regain market share lost after years of international sanctions, which were lifted in January following a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme. "Our situation is totally different to those countries that have been producing at high levels for the past few years," a senior source familiar with Iran's thinking told Reuters. Benchmark Brent oil prices fell 2% on Tuesday to below $33 per barrel on concerns that Iran may reject the deal and that even if Tehran agreed it would not help ease the growing global glut. The fact that output from Saudi Arabia and Russia is near record highs complicates any agreement since Iran is producing at least 1 million barrels per day below its capacity and pre-sanctions levels. "It requires discussion and examination to be seen what has been their point," Iranian news agency Shana quoted Zanganeh as saying on Tuesday. "What is important is that, first, the market is oversupplied, and, second, that Iran will not overlook its quota," he added. The comments by Zanganeh revived memories of the last OPEC meeting in December which ended without a decision after Zanganeh said he rejected any plan to curtail Iran's production before it rises to pre-sanction levels. However, two non-Iranian sources close to OPEC discussions told Reuters that Iran may be offered special terms as part of the output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which technically could be anything from setting limited production increase levels for Iran to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. The last global deal - OPEC and non-OPEC - dates back to 2001 when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. By Parisa Hafezi and Rania El Gamal ANKARA/DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran on Wednesday stopped short of offering to restrain oil output as part of a global pact to freeze production to prop up prices, making clear it wants to recapture the market share it lost during years of sanctions. Iran's stance will complicate talks on output levels after a surprise compromise this week between two of the world's top exporters - non-OPEC Russia and the group's leader Saudi Arabia - to freeze output at January levels, near their historic highs. The first mooted global oil pact in 15 years has so far failed to impress the market, which had expected a production cut instead of a freeze that could even turn into an increase if Iran wins special terms from fellow OPEC members. "This is the first step and other steps should also be taken. This cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members to stabalise the market is good . We support any effort to stabilise the market and prices," Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said, according to the Shana agency. Zanganeh spent around two hours with oil ministers from Iraq, Qatar and Venezuela in Tehran on Wednesday. The visitors, who flew from Doha, where the output deal was clinched on Tuesday, left the Tehran meeting without comment. Zanganeh spoke to Iranian media afterwards and chose his words carefully to avoid mentioning Iran's position on freezing its own output. "We had a good meeting today and the report of yesterday's meeting was given to us. We support cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members. "I was told that Russia as the world's biggest oil producer, Oman and other countries are ready to join. This is a positive step, we have a positive approach to it, this is a good start," he said. ILLOGICAL DEMANDS OPEC Gulf producers Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, as well as Venezuela said they would join the Russian-Saudi pact, aimed at tackling a growing oversupply and helping prices recover from their lowest in over a decade. But Iran is the major obstacle to the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal since 2001, having pledged to increase output sharply to regain market share lost during sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices." Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, told the Shargh daily newspaper before the talks on Wednesday. The sanctions, imposed over Iran's nuclear programme, were lifted last month after an agreement with world powers, allowing Tehran to resume selling oil freely in international markets. Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels per day of crude before 2012, but sanctions cut that to around 1.1 million bpd. Tehran has pledged to raise supply by around 1 million bpd in the next 6-12 months and on Wednesday some Iranian banks were reconnected to the SWIFT global transaction network, which will allow it to facilitate banking business. SPECIAL TERMS Iranian barrels would only add to the global glut, which has been fuelled by U.S. shale output and a decision by Saudi Arabia to pump at full capacity to drive higher-cost producers out of business. The world is already producing more than 1 million bpd than it consumes, with oil stockpiles at record levels. OPEC member Libya, whose output was cut to a fraction by a civil war, said on Wednesday it was keen to produce more Oil prices fell below $30 per barrel in January from as high as $115 in mid-2014, hammering the finances of Russia, Saudi Arabia and other producers. Brent oil futures rose almost 7 percent on Wednesday after losing 4 percent the day before to trade near $35 per barrel. "A freeze is not the same as a cut, and somewhat disingenuously, keeping crude production at January levels actually implies higher-than-expected annual output ... and so can hardly tackle the current market oversupply," JBC Energy said in a note. Two non-Iranian sources close to the OPEC discussions told on Tuesday that Iran might be offered special terms as part of an output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance, but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which could be anything from setting limited production increases to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. Olivier Jakob from Petromatrix consultancy said that if Saudi Arabia were to freeze output at January levels, the kingdom would need to cut exports by 500,000 bpd in the summer months, when it burns more oil for power generation at home. "The production freeze can therefore be seen as an un-official way for Saudi Arabia to make some room for the restart of the Iranian exports," he said. The last global deal in 2001 saw Saudi Arabia persuade Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow did not follow through and raised exports instead. (Additional reporting by Alex Lawler and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Writing by Andrew Torchia and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by David Holmes, Pravin Char, Janet McBride and Giles Elgood) By Parisa Hafezi and Rania El Gamal ANKARA/DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Wednesday it would resist any plan to restrain its oil output as fellow OPEC ministers tried to persuade the country to join the first global oil pact in 15 years. Talks in Tehran between Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh and his counterparts from Iraq, Qatar and Venezuela lasted for nearly three hours. Visiting ministers left without making comment. Zanganeh was due to make televised remarks at around 1500 GMT. Iran is the major obstacle to the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal since 2001, having pledged to increase output sharply to regain market share lost during years of sanctions. The meeting in the Iranian capital followed a deal reached on Tuesday by OPEC power Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia, the world's top two producers and exporters, to freeze production at January levels if other big oil nations agree to join. OPEC Gulf producers - Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE - as well as Venezuela said they would join the pact, aimed at tackling a growing oversupply and helping prices recover from their lowest in over a decade. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices." Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh daily newspaper on Wednesday. "How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price?" he said. "We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level." The freeze plan has so far failed to push up oil prices, due to concerns Iran would not participate and that a deal would do little to ease the global glut as it would still allow Russia and Saudi Arabia to keep pumping at near record levels. Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino, Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Qatari Energy Minister Mohammad bin Saleh al-Sada sat down with Zanganeh at 3 p.m. (1130 GMT). The sanctions, imposed over Iran's nuclear programme, were lifted last month after an agreement with world powers, allowing Tehran to resume selling oil freely in international markets. Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude before 2012, but sanctions cut that to around 1.1 million bpd. Tehran has pledged to raise supply by around 1 million bpd in the next 6-12 months. SPECIAL TERMS This would only add to the global glut, which has been fuelled by U.S. shale output and a decision by Saudi Arabia to pump at full capacity to drive higher-cost producers out of the market. The world is already producing more than 1 million bpd than it consumes, with oil stockpiles at record levels. As a result, prices fell below $30 per barrel in January from as high as $115 in mid-2014, hammering the finances of Russia, Saudi Arabia and other producers. Brent oil futures rose 3 percent on Wednesday after losing as much as 4 percent the day before. "A freeze is not the same as a cut, and somewhat disingenuously, keeping crude production at January levels actually implies higher-than-expected annual output ... and so can hardly tackle the current market oversupply," JBC Energy said in a note. Two non-Iranian sources close to the OPEC discussions told on Tuesday that Iran might be offered special terms as part of an output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance, but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which could be anything from setting limited production increases to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. Olivier Jakob from Petromatrix consultancy said that if Saudi Arabia were to freeze output at January levels, the kingdom would need to cut exports by 0.5 million bpd in the summer months, when it burns more oil for power generation at home. "The production freeze can therefore be seen as an un-official way for Saudi Arabia to make some room for the restart of the Iranian exports," he said. The last global deal in 2001 saw Saudi Arabia persuade Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow did not follow through and raised exports instead. (Writing by Andrew Torchia and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by David Holmes, Pravin Char, Janet McBride) Iran signaled on Wednesday it would take a tough line in talks among oil producers on restraining production, saying it would continue increasing its output until it reached levels seen before sanctions were imposed. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices." Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh daily newspaper. "How can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price?" Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino, Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Qatari Energy Minister Mohammad bin Saleh al-Sada were to travel to Tehran for talks with their Iranian counterpart Bijan Zanganeh on Wednesday in a bid to reach a deal to restrain output and prop up sagging prices. A spokesman for the Iranian ministry said the talks would begin at 2 p.m. (1030 GMT). Under a proposal which could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. "We have repeatedly said that Iran will increase its crude output until reaching the pre-sanctions production level," Asali was quoted as saying. Iran exported around 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude before 2012. Sanctions cut that to around 1.1 million bpd. A Reuters survey released on Jan. 5 showed Iranian production at 2.9 million bpd in December. The sanctions, imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear program, were lifted last month after an agreement with world powers, allowing Tehran to resume selling its oil freely in world markets. SPECIAL TERMS Two non-Iranian sources close to the OPEC discussions told Reuters Iran might be offered special terms as part of an output freeze deal. "Iran is returning to the market and needs to be given a special chance, but it also needs to make some calculations," said one source. The sources did not elaborate on the special terms, which could be anything from setting limited production increase levels for Iran to linking future output rises to a recovery in oil prices. The last global deal, involving OPEC and non-OPEC producers, dates back to 2001, when Saudi Arabia persuaded Mexico, Norway and Russia to contribute to production cuts, although Moscow never followed through and raised exports instead. The fact that output from Saudi Arabia and Russia is near record highs complicates chances for any new agreement. The price of benchmark Brent crude rose as high as $35.55 a barrel on Tuesday on hopes for a production deal, but it has since dropped back to $32.15, showing many investors doubt an agreement can be reached, that it would be respected, and would boost oil prices much. United Arab Emirates oil minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazrouei tweeted on Tuesday that the country's oil policy was open to cooperation with all producers toward the mutual interest of market stability. He did not elaborate. Kuwait said late on Tuesday it was committed to an agreement to freeze output provided other producers backed it. By Brad Haynes and Nathan Layne CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil/BENTONVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - When Wal-Mart Stores Inc. first expanded into Brazil's midwestern farm-belt city of Campo Grande seven years ago, the economy was booming and executives were eager to open stores even in sub-prime locations on one-way streets heading out of town. It didn't last. At the end of December, the U.S. retailer closed both of its Maxxi brand cash-and-carry stores in Campo Grande as part of a restructuring that shuttered 60 locations across Brazil, including some Supercenters. Shoppers said the stores could not compete on assortment, price or location. "It was never clear who Maxxi was for. It wasn't cheap enough for the poor. But there was no appeal for the middle class," said Ordecy Gossler, 40, a public accountant filling his cart with cleaning supplies and toilet paper at Atacadao, a rival chain run by France's Carrefour. "When they announced in December that both Maxxis were closing, no one in my office knew where they were." Today, Wal-Mart has just one Supercenter left in this city of 850,000 people, whose demographic of thrifty shoppers had once seemed suited to the world's largest retailer. It shuttered the city's other one at the end of the year, as traffic dwindled in the shopping mall it was meant to anchor.The retreat from Campo Grande is emblematic of Wal-Mart's broader issues in Brazil, a once-red-hot destination for foreign retailers and other companies that has turned stone cold. And the lackluster performance in Latin America's largest economy shows how tactics that helped Wal-Mart build success in the U.S. sometimes get badly lost in translation overseas. International results have been anemic, despite $22 billion in capital investment over the past five years. Wal-Mart last year generated a 4.5 percent operating profit margin from international markets, well below the 7.4 percent return posted from the U.S. Seeking higher returns, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon in October announced a strategic review of the company's global assets. Some securities analysts have speculated Wal-Mart could exit Brazil, as well as other markets in Latin America where it is already closing an additional 55 stores. The pullback in Brazil also has some worrying echoes of previous Wal-Mart debacles overseas, including South Korea and Germany, two markets it abandoned in 2006. LABOR PROBLEMS Brazil in particular has been dogged by poor locations, inefficient operations, labor troubles and uncompetitive prices -- with some of the problems baked in during an aggressive, decade-long growth surge, according to interviews with a dozen former and current Wal-Mart executives, as well as analysts, shoppers and store employees. For a graphic showing some of Wal-Mart's Brazil problems, see http://tmsnrt.rs/1oH9pNu Wal-Mart would not comment on financial results from Brazil ahead of the company's quarterly earnings on Feb. 18. People familiar with the numbers told that Wal-Mart has posted operating losses in Brazil for each of the past seven years. Jo Newbould, a spokeswoman for the retailer, said the store closures were part of its efforts to "actively manage" its global assets and that it has been working to lower costs in Brazil. David Cheesewright, head of Wal-Mart's international operations, said in an interview that it has no plans to quit Brazil. He pointed to the company's decision to invest in completing an integration of legacy computer systems into the wider Wal-Mart platform as evidence of a commitment to the market. "That's not the act of someone who is packing up the firm for other purposes," he said. Cheesewright expressed optimism about a turnaround. "It's a market that has always been high on potential, but has been a roller-coaster ride in terms of its performance," he said. "It happens to be on a downturn at the moment, and I'm sure it will do what it always has done, which is improve." RUNAWAY GROWTH Wal-Mart first entered Brazil in 1995 and grew in measured steps for nearly a decade. That changed in 2004-2005, when it spent about $1 billion to buy two retailers, Bompreco S.A. Supermercados do Nordeste and Sonae Distribuicao Brasil S.A. The deals expanded Wal-Mart's operations into the northeast and south of Brazil, and marked the beginning of a spending spree aimed at building a national footprint. With the takeovers came an array of brands: Wal-Mart currently operates under nine different store banners in Brazil. At the height of the expansion, former Wal-Mart executives said, a land rush mentality took hold. Brazil's thriving economy in those years convinced executives the biggest risk lay in moving too slowly. In response, they approved new store sites based on increasingly rosy forecasts of future sales. "Most executives didn't have the voice to say, 'Don't open this store; let's not approve more stores,'" a former finance executive recalled. "Why not? Because Brazil was the new country. We needed to put investment in before others do." In a six-year stretch through the fiscal year ending January 2013, Wal-Mart doubled its locations, reaching nearly 560 at its peak. The rapid expansion strained Wal-Mart's logistics -- traditionally one of its strong points in the U.S. but a drag on performance in Brazil. In some cases, delivery trucks drove days to reach distant stores from centrally located warehouses. Executives from headquarters bickered with those running some kinds of stores about who should bear the distribution costs, the former finance executive said. Amid the focus on growth, executives never fully integrated the legacy information systems from Bompreco and Sonae. Disruptions in communication between headquarters and the many different store types allowed inefficiencies to take root. Buyers, for instance, found themselves using three laptops, one each for the two legacy systems and another for the Wal-Mart platform, people familiar with the matter said. TAX ISSUES Cheesewright said he had put a priority on systems and would complete the integration by the middle of 2016. He said that would allow Brazil to benefit fully from system and process advancements made in the U.S., helping it to lower costs. He also said Wal-Mart was getting a grip on Brazil's complex tax system and litigious labor market, problems that have dogged it for years. In January 2014 Wal-Mart disclosed that unforeseen Brazil tax assessments and employment claims tied to a cost-cutting drive would slice 2 percent off its annual earnings globally. Labor claims in Brazil also hurt its results in the third quarter of the financial year that has just ended. Cheesewright said it was implementing a plan, including putting advanced time-keeping equipment in stores and getting workers to formally clock in, which should lower the risk of worker lawsuits."A lot of the stuff in Brazil is just the basic stuff: do people properly clock out for their lunch breaks, do you manage overtime correctly, do they have the right breaks between shifts?" he said. "It's a lot of basic blocking and tackling."Wal-Mart, whose sales at existing stores in the country edged down 0.6 percent in the August-October quarter, isn't the only retailer hurting in Brazil. With the economy in a deepening recession, market leader GPA, controlled by France's Casino, suffered a 2.3 percent sales drop at existing stores in the October-December quarter and has said it would slash investments in 2016. Carrefour bucked the trend, posting 8.5 percent growth in sales at existing stores, thanks to investments in hypermarkets and growth at Atacadao, the country's biggest cash-and-carry chain. BEATEN ON ACQUISITION The cash-and-carry format, which features bulk sales of food and other items paid for in cash and carried out by the customers themselves, has emerged as a rare bright spot in Brazilian retail. Cheesewright said Maxxi was now one of Wal-Mart's best performing formats after it had narrowed its focus to small business owners, giving up on competing head-to-head with the larger warehouses of Atacadao, which caters to both business shoppers and an increasing number of thrifty families. But after paring back to 44 locations, Maxxi gives Wal-Mart far less exposure to the cash-and-carry business than Atacadao and GPA's Assai, which have 123 and 95 stores, respectively. Some analysts and former executives say one of Wal-Mart's biggest missteps was losing a bidding match for Atacadao to Carrefour, which paid $1.1 billion for it in 2007. Cheesewright said Wal-Mart was piloting a larger version of its Todo Dia discount format in part as a way to attract some of the family shoppers now using rival cash-and-carry stores. Other plans include renovating supermarkets with a slightly smaller assortment and a focus on fresh food. The task of making all that happen falls to Flavio Cotini, who was promoted this month from chief financial officer to head the Brazilian operations. The reshuffle marked the fourth leadership change in Brazil since 2008 -- a lack of continuity at the top that has exacerbated problems, including hindering efforts to integrate operations, former executives said. "When you build a castle you build the foundation first. Wal-Mart did it in reverse in Brazil," a former senior executive in the international business said. "It is so hard to build a national chain when your system backbone is not in place." (reporting by Brad Haynes in Campo Grande and Nathan Layne in Bentonville; additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Editing by Martin Howell) By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - The oil world has been shaken this week by some of the biggest producers agreeing to freeze their output at January levels to contain a supply glut and prevent a further slide in prices, but markets show investors doubt this tactic will work. Oil ministers of top exporter Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela, together with non-OPEC member Russia, said after meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday they had agreed to keep output unchanged from January, provided other big guns followed suit. Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates said they would observe a freeze, on condition enough other large exporters did the same. The wild card is Iran, returning to the markets after years of sanctions, which has said it will resist any such curbs and stick to its pledge to increase production by 1 million barrels per day in the next 6-12 months. Oil ministers from Iran, Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar met in Tehran on Wednesday and Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said his country welcomed the decision by OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers to keep a "ceiling" on output. But Zanganeh did not explicitly say whether Iran would keep its own output at its January level. Tellingly, the longer end of the Brent futures price curve suggests that, for now, investors doubt that any such freeze would tilt the market into a supply deficit any time soon. The proposal aims to stem a 70 percent fall in the oil price over the last 20 months, after U.S. shale oil output and near-record production from OPEC and other major producers such as Russia created one of the largest global surpluses of modern times. IRAN TALKS LIFT PRICES Benchmark Brent futures prices rose by nearly 5 percent from Tuesday's close to above $34 a barrel by 1615 GMT following the Tehran talks. "Doha may have ended in an agreement but it opens up more questions than it answers. All the meeting has done is highlight the difficulties in reaching any agreement. The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," David Hufton, an analyst at broker PVM Oil Associates, said. In January, OPEC and Russia, the world's largest producer, were already pumping at or near record highs. The premium for oil in a year's time compared with oil for immediate delivery briefly spiked to nearly $9 a barrel on Tuesday, after the announcement, only to be winched back to a four-month low around $6. The larger the premium, the greater the expectation among investors that the supply of oil will be less plentiful in future and the gap right now is at its narrowest since October 2015. Further out, investors do not expect the oil price to trade far above $40 a barrel even by December next year. The December 2017 Brent futures contract trades at a premium of just over $10 to the front month April contract. Even if the major producers did agree to freeze or cut production, nimble U.S. shale producers could take advantage by boosting output to replace any fall in supply. Some analysts believe the major producers, which can produce at low cost, may be better off putting up with a period of low prices to drive higher-cost competitors out of business. "A sizeable, visible and lasting cut would clearly send a bullish signal to markets - in the short-term. But given U.S. shale players' ability to bounce back, and U.S. investors' desire to pounce amid a dearth of other opportunities, this could quickly re-stimulate production, and prices could arguably stay lower in the medium-term in this case," analysts JBC said in a note. (Reporting by Amanda Cooper; Graphic by Stephen Culp; Editing by Adrian Croft) fell, reversing gains earlier in the session, on signs that Iran will not join in a deal between Saudi Arabia, Russia and other producers to freeze oil output at January levels, keeping the current oversupply in place. Brent crude was down 31 cents at $31.87 a barrel by 0739 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. It had climbed to $32.83 a barrel in early trade on Wednesday. U. S. crude fell 25 cents to $28.79 a barrel, after trading for much of the Asian session above $29 a barrel. It ended the last session down 40 cents. Top oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday agreed to limit oil production at January levels contingent on Iran, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, agreeing to join the freeze. Iran has pledged to return its output to levels prior to sanctions imposed in 2011. ALSO READ: Iran could decide fate of first global oil deal for 15 years Iran will continue to increase oil output until it reached its pre-sanctions production level, Mehdi Asali, Iran's OPEC envoy told Iran's Shargh daily on Wednesday. Asali called an Iranian freeze illogical and said the current drop in prices was caused by other producers lifting output while Iran was under sanctions. Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino will meet officials from Iran and Iraq in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss the oil output freeze deal negotiated by Saudi Arabia and Russia, state oil company PDVSA said in a statement on Tuesday. Iraq, Qatar and Venezuela said they would freeze output at January levels provided a deal could be agreed. initially climbed on Wednesday on investor optimism the deal could lead to production cuts in the longer term, but turned negative later. "There was some technical buying, but at the end of the day the market is still looking towards Iran," Daniel Ang, an analyst at Singapore's Phillip Futures, told Reuters. It is unlikely Iran would freeze output at current levels but rather cap the increase in production at lower levels than planned, Ang said. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and will not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts FGE said in a note on Wednesday. "It could pave the wave for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Investors are also eyeing U. S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday for further direction on prices. U. S. crude stocks likely rose by 3.9 million barrels to 505.9 million barrels in the week to Feb. 12, according to a Reuters poll of analysts on Tuesday. Weekly inventory reports from industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the U. S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be released on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, a day later than usual because of a public holiday on Monday. By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose by more than 5 percent to climb above $34 a barrel on Wednesday after Iran voiced its support for an initiative led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze production to boost prices. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh met counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran for over two hours, after which he welcomed the initiative to set a "ceiling" as a first step towards stabilising the market. Zanganeh, quoted by the Shana agency, did not explicitly say that Iran would keep its own output at January's levels. An Iranian official earlier said that the country would continue increasing crude output until it reached levels achieved before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from January's near-record levels would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," PVM analyst David Hufton said. Brent crude was up $1.92 at $34.08 a barrel by 1556 GMT. U.S. crude rose $1.50 to $30.54. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia would freeze output at January levels, though Riyadh said on Tuesday that the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production after last month's removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stance. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts forecasting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. (Additional reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Adrian Croft and David Goodman) By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday on hopes that major producing countries would seal an agreement on freezing production following a key ministerial meeting in Iran, even though Tehran signalled a tough line. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh met his counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran for over two hours. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from the near-record levels in January would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," said PVM analyst David Hufton. Brent crude was up $1.42 at $33.60 a barrel by 1407 GMT. U.S. crude rose $1.16 to $30.20 a barrel. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia would freeze their output at January levels. But Riyadh said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. (Additional reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Adrian Croft and Susanna Twidale) rose on Wednesday as efforts led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to broker a deal to freeze production levels and ease a global glut turned to Iran, which signalled a tough line. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh will meet his counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. Brent crude rise up to $32 a barrel Brent crude was up 28 cents at $32.46 a barrel, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude rose 16 cents to $29.20 a barrel. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. FGE says freezing output won't be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday as efforts led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to broker a deal to freeze production levels and ease a global glut turned to Iran, which signalled a tough line. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was due to meet his counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar at 1030 GMT in Tehran. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from the near-record levels in January would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," said PVM analyst David Hufton. Brent crude was up 92 cents at $33.10 a barrel by 1105 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude rose 68 cents to $29.72 a barrel. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear programme last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. [EIA/S] (Additional reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Dale Hudson and Adrian Croft) MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police raided the Madrid offices of China's biggest bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), on Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering, the Interior Ministry said. The investigation by police, the Spanish tax agency and Europol involves funds handled by a criminal group acting in Spain which the Ministry says passed through the bank and were transferred to China. Over 100 police were involved in the operation, which saw the arrest of five ICBC directors, Europol said in a statement. A Beijing-based spokesman for ICBC said the bank was paying close attention to the investigation. "Our Madrid branch is actively cooperating," he said. "Strictly implementing anti-money laundering regulations, and strictly operating within the law and regulations have always been our fundamental operation and management principles," the spokesman added. Spanish police, investigating tax fraud on certain goods imported from China in an operation, known as "Operation Snake", in May last year, dismantled a group that was found to have laundered at least 40 million euros ($45 mln) through ICBC, the Ministry said. ($1 = 0.8988 euros) (Reporting by Emma Pinedo in Madrid and Shu Zhang in Beijing; Additional reporting by Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam; Writing by Paul Day and Angus Berwick; Editing by Hugh Lawson) By Alonso Soto BRASILIA (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's downgraded Brazil's credit rating deeper into junk territory on Wednesday, citing its failure to curb its fiscal deficit, in a surprise blow to President Dilma Rousseff's bid to haul the economy out of its worst recession in decades. S&P cut Brazil's sovereign credit rating to BB from BB+ with a negative outlook, just five months after becoming the first agency to strip the country of its coveted investment grade. Fitch ratings followed suit in December. Standard & Poor's highlighted the government's inability to plug the widening fiscal deficit amid a deepening political and economic crisis. Brazil's economy, the largest in Latin America, is on track for its worst recession since records began in 1901, after contracting around 4 percent last year. "We now expect a more prolonged adjustment process with a slower correction in fiscal policy, as well as another year of steep economic contraction," S&P said in a statement. Brazil's budget deficit has mushroomed since Rousseff took office in 2011. The deficit equalled 10.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2015, nearly five times its shortfall in the 12 months to mid-2011. By comparison, at the height of its debt crisis in 2009 Greece had a deficit of 15.2 percent of GDP. The downgrade caught Brazilian officials by surprise. Once the rising star among major emerging economies, Brazil now shares the same rating of its much poorer neighbours Paraguay and Bolivia. "We were considering this possibility, but we didn't think it would come so quickly," said a presidential aide who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Another government official said the surprise move could prompt the administration to announce a series of fiscal measures as soon as Friday. The government is working on legislation to reduce its fiscal goal for 2016 as revenues plummet. The government is also considering a budget freeze of around 24 billion reais ($6.02 billion), down sharply from the near 70 billion reais in 2015, the official told . In an official statement, the finance ministry said it was confident the downgrade will be reversed as soon as measures to rebalance the public accounts and bolster growth start to take hold. Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index and its currency gave back some of the day's gains immediately after the decision. The downgrade could exert further downward pressure on the real currency and prompt investors to exit an economy that only four years ago was growing above 4 percent, and raise borrowing costs for the government and corporations. The real currency lost more than 30 percent of its value last year. "This is unlikely to be the last downgrade because of the secular downward trend in emerging market credit ratings," said Alejo Czerwonko, emerging markets strategist at UBS Wealth Management, pointing to today's downgrade of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kazakhstan. "If policymakers have not reacted to previous downgrades why would they react to this marginal change in rating." Barclays said it expects S&P to downgrade Brazil again by the end of the year as political turmoil is likely to continue. Moody's and Fitch could downgrade the country in the first half of the year, Barclays said in the research note. The downgrade highlights the challenges that Rousseff faces amid growing pressure from allies to relax an austerity drive and stimulate economic growth to survive ongoing impeachment proceedings. Markets now expect the Brazilian economy to shrink more than 3 percent this year, fuelling unemployment. More than 1.5 million Brazilians lost their jobs last year, helping to crush Rousseff's approval ratings. (Additional reporting by Bruno Federowski and Silvio Cascione; Writing by Alonso Soto and Daniel Flynn; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bernard Orr) By David Lawder PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Negotiations between the United States and India to resolve a solar power trade dispute are continuing with no clear end in sight, the top U.S. trade official said on Tuesday, signaling another likely delay in a World Trade Organization public ruling in the case. The World Trade Organization (WTO) had set a Wednesday deadline to announce its decision, after several delays in recent weeks to allow the two countries time to pursue settlement talks. Washington filed the WTO challenge three years ago, claiming that India's national solar power program illegally discriminated against imported solar panels and related products though its subsidies for domestically made products. "We're still engaged in conversations with them," U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman told in an interview in California. "It's too early to tell whether we're going to have an agreement or not." Indian media have reported that a WTO dispute settlement panel had confidentially notified Washington and New Delhi that it would rule against India in the case. Froman declined to discuss the WTO's intentions nor any details of the settlement talks. But he said that it was a U.S. decision to seek the announcement delays. "It's at our discretion whether the WTO extends or not, based on how the conversations are going," Froman added. Indian government officials in New Delhi, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said that the settlement discussions were continuing, and there was little concern over the WTO announcement deadlines. The U.S. trade complaint in 2013 alleged that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission subsidies were available only if developers used equipment produced in India, violating a key global trade rule. The program is aimed at easing chronic energy shortages in India, Asia's third-largest economy. The Obama administration argued that the subsidies were a barrier to solar products made in America and elsewhere but also effectively raised the cost of generating solar power in India and were extending the country's dependence on fossil fuels. An Indian government official told that New Delhi may be able to agree to a compromise that would allow subsidies for Indian manufacturers only for those projects built by state sectors such as defence or railways. Currently, private firms in India are also eligible for subsidies of up to 10 million rupees ($145,770) for each megawatt of new solar generating capacity if they opt for locally made panels and modules. But another senior government official said, however, that India wanted to balance the WTO rules against the sensitivities of its local manufacturers. "We can't just depend on imports for setting up of planned 100,000 megawatts of solar power generation. Local companies will have to get a share as we want to strengthen domestic manufacturing under Prime Minister Modi's Make in India programme," the official said. (Additional reporting by Krishna N. Das and Manoj Kumar in New Delhi; Editing by Mark Potter) Chief Executive of Bord Bia, Aidan Cotter, has addressed over 300 delegates attending the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA) today. The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture is one of the worlds largest and most influential sustainable agriculture shows. It welcomes thousands of agri-scientists, inventors, growers, food suppliers and producers, NGOs, and key government officials. The event has attracted exhibitors and delegates from around the world and acts as an international platform to debate global food security, sustainable food production and climate change. Bord Bias Origin Green programme was selected as one of only three key topics for discussion as part of todays opening ceremony. Over 485 Irish food and drink companies have signed up to Origin Green, which accounts for 95% of all food and drink exporters. At farm level, more than half of Irish dairy and 90% of Irish beef production comes from farms signed up to Origin Green. To date, Bord Bia has conducted over 100,000 carbon assessments on Irish farms, with over 900 taking place each week. Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Spain's public debt neared 100% of gross domestic product in 2015, according to data released by the Bank of Spain on Wednesday and preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute. Public debt rose 2 billion euros to 1.070 trillion euros by the end of December last year, the Bank of Spain said. Preliminary data published by INE in January showed Spanish GDP expanded 3.2% in 2015 from the year before, rising to a nominal 1.074 trillion euros according to a Reuters calculation. Final GDP numbers are due on Feb. 25. That would produce a debt-to-GDP ratio of 99.6 percent at the end of 2015, up from 99.3% at the end of the third quarter and from the government's official forecast of 98.7%. In 2014, the ratio was 99.3%. However, it was below a forecast sent to Brussels in October of 99.7%. "This is due to two factors - the reduction of the public deficit and economic growth," acting Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told reporters. Spain's public finances have been under scrutiny since a property bubble burst in 2008, putting millions out of work, almost tripling public debt as a percentage of economic output and sending the budget deficit soaring to more than 10% of GDP. Investor concern over the country's high public deficit - one of the highest in Europe - came to a head in 2012 when bond yields rose to unsustainable levels, pushing Spain close to needing a sovereign bailout. A pledge by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi at the time to do "whatever it takes" to protect the euro pulled Spain back from the brink and economic growth returned again mid-2013. The economy is expected to expand around 3% this year. However, the European Commission has told Madrid the next Spanish government must reduce its deficit this year in line with European Union rules. Those rules call for a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60 percent and a deficit of 3% of GDP, or less . The government's debt-to-GDP targets are 98.5% for 2016, 96.5 percent for 2017 and 93.2% for 2018. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie by George O'Dowd, Managing Director of Novi SMEs in Ireland are taking grave risks to business by overlooking the dangers of cybercrime. A recent survey revealed that nearly half of SMEs didnt feel they needed to protect their business against cyber-attacks despite listing data protection as one of their biggest concerns. SMEs are as likely to be hit with cybercrime as their bigger competitors but they are less equipped financially and operationally to absorb the impact. Many businesses have fallen victim to Ransomware, whereby company data becomes encrypted leaving the business paralysed unless a ransom is paid to criminals for the unlocking key. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Irish organisations have been held to ransom by a hacker, and yet the vast majority (93%) assert they would never pay a ransom. So what practical steps should you take to help protect your business from cyber-crime? Security should be an ongoing process and not something you do every few years. Implementing security systems without proactively maintaining and managing those systems will leave your business exposed. Security consists of several layers each with a specific responsibility: A poorly configured firewall or a firewall that does not offer advanced threat protection is a guaranteed security risk. Firewall policies should be regularly reviewed by experts to ensure that they are offering maximum protection. An internet monitoring system helps identify unusual internet activity on your network such as a malware infected device. All devices should have an up to date antivirus and antimalware installed and security updates should be applied to address any vulnerabilities. Remote access to corporate networks should consist of an encrypted connection consisting of two factor authentication (a username and password along with a unique code generated by a phone app or a key fob that you need to enter when logging in.) An email protection system to help block malicious emails reaching employees and minimise their changes of falling victim to a phishing attack. A security breach at Target in the USA resulted in the theft of credit card details from 40M customers. Criminals gained access by sending a phishing email to an unsuspecting air conditioning contractor who provided them with his username and password. Had Target implemented two factor authentication the username and password alone would not have provided the criminals access and as a result cost the company $162M. With 200,000 new pieces of malware being identified every day and a hacking intrusion taking 210 days to detect businesses need to get serious about security! The EUs new General Data Protection Regulation will come into force in 2018 and could result in companies being significantly fined for allowing security breaches to compromise their customer data. Cyber Security is not the new buzz word, it offers a very real threat to every business. Contact our security team for more on how to protect your business. www.novi.ie hello@novi.ie (0) 1 621 8633 About us An international English language trade mission from Ukraine was hosted by Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) this week. The trade mission visited Ireland to organise placement for Ukrainian students in MEI member school and colleges in Ireland. Ireland is fast becoming the destination of choice for International English language students from the former Soviet Union countries such as Ukraine. The growth is helped in part due to the geopolitical situation in the region and the ongoing currency difficulties. While the largest numbers of students that study English in Ireland every year, traditionally arrive from Italy and Spain, year on year growth from these markets is modest and it has been from new markets that MEI have focussed its attention in order to continue to increase the number of international English language students studying in Ireland. In comparative terms, Ireland is well ahead of the UK, USA, Canada and Australia in terms of international English language students per head of population. CEO of the Marking English in Ireland, David OGrady says, "Overall, in 2014, students from over 80 countries came to study English in regulated English language schools and colleges; however it was Ukraine that has seen some of the most consistent growth in recent years. "From 2011 to 2014 the number of Ukrainian adult students doubled from 33 to 65 and they spent an average of over eight weeks in Ireland, learning English. In relation to junior students there has been an almost six fold increase in students from 13 in 2011 to 76 in 2014. "Positively for Ireland we also know that students from Ukraine spend longer in Ireland than comparable students in the UK, contributing more to the Irish economy." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us It was announced this week that an AMBER researcher, Prof. Valeria Nicolosi, has been announced as a recipient of a European Research Councils (ERC) Consolidator Grant. AMBER is the Science Foundation Ireland funded materials science centre, hosted in Trinity College Dublin. The ERC Consolidator Grant is one of the most sought-after competitive research grants in Europe and will provide Prof. Nicolosi with 2.5 million in funding over 5 years for her project 3D2DPrint. The 3D2DPrint project focuses on creating a new type of extremely long lasting battery one that can come in any shape or size and can be camouflaged within any type of material - whether thats clothing, your mobile phone, your car dashboard or even implanted inside your body (e.g. for an Implanted Cardiac Device). This funding will enable her to establish a multidisciplinary research group to develop this unique class of energy storage devices. Prof. Valeria Nicolosi is Irelands only four-time ERC awardee, and has been awarded over 11million in funding for her research in the past 5 years at Trinity. The aim of 3D2DPrint is to develop a new energy storage technology using a unique combination of Prof. Nicolosis novel 2-Dimensional nanomaterials and 3D printing processes. It is hoped that this innovative approach will produce a range of energy storage devices by exploiting 3D printing to develop complex material shapes, which may offer further performance enhancement at low cost. This grant will enable Prof. Nicolosi to employ 6 researchers (3 Senior Post Doctorates and 3 PhD candidates). This is her 4th ERC Award, she has previously received an ERC Starting and two Proof of Concepts grants worth 4.3 million in total. Director of AMBER, Prof. Michael Morris says, "The awarding of this Consolidator Grant to Prof. Nicolosi is an excellent acknowledgement of the research work she and her team are currently undergoing. "The work Prof. Nicolosi and her team are doing is at the fore front of their fields, and this grant will help them take the next step in combining the teams expertise of advanced materials methods to integrate nanomaterials into 3D printed energy storage devices. "During her time at Trinity, Prof. Nicolosi has received over 11 million in funding, including 4.3 million to date from the ERC, and now an additional 2.5 million to further her research. She is an exceptional asset to the AMBER team and this funding also reaffirms how competitive Ireland is as a place for research." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Killarney Convention Centre were celebrating this month after being awarded the prestigious European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) 5 Star Award for Excellence. The award recognises the achievements of some of Irelands best-managed organisations. Winners undergo rigorous examination and must illustrate their employees dedication, low absenteeism, high productivity, customer satisfaction and superior financial performance. All applicants are then independently judged by EFQM approved assessors. Killarney Convention Centre joins 30,000 elite organisations across Europe that have used the world-class EFQM model as their blueprint and driver for sustainable competitiveness. The award-winning team collected their accolade at a gala ceremony, hosted by The Centre for Competitiveness (CforC) in association with EFQM, in Bangor last week. Killarney Convention Centre General Manager, Breffni Ingerton commented, "The benefits of EFQM accreditation are substantial as it provides an international symbol and benchmark of excellence. "As part of our Journey to Excellence we had to demonstrate our excellence in employee management, strategic leadership, high productivity, high levels of customer satisfaction and overall superior business performance." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us The Irish Times has today reported that lingerie company, Victorias Secret, is in advanced discussions to replace BT2 in one of the most prominent stores on Dublins Grafton Street. To broaden its appeal in the European market, the US store moved its annual lingerie fashion show to Londons Earls Court a year ago. It was the most watched fashion event in the world, attracting 500 million viewers in 192 countries. Victorias Secret has been operating a store in Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport for more than a year where the range of products includes a variety of leisure wear, fragrances, body care products, cosmetics, scarves, sunglasses and fashion bags, as well as the world famous lingerie. The Irish Times reports that BT2 is expected to secure compensation of close to 1.5 million from owners IPUT for surrendering its lease of the Grafton Street building. IPUT has apparently agreed in principle to grant the American company a new long-term lease at a rent of close to 2 million. The current rent of 1.2 million had been due to be reviewed later this year. The BT2 building was acquired by IPUT from the ESB Pension Fund around 2012 for about 20 million as part a larger transfer of property investments to the fund. Source: www.businessworld.ie About us It was announced today that 18 companies will showcase their communications technology solutions on the Ireland Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade fair and conference which is taking place in Barcelona next week from February 22nd 25th. The event aims to showcase the best in Mobile Technology and is expected to attract more than 94,000 attendees to the Catalan capital. It provides an opportunity for Irish companies to network, make sales leads, validate the market opportunity and measure their solutions against the best that the world has to offer. This year, 18 Irish exhibitors comprising 5 new start-up companies and 10 established companies will take part. In addition, there will be a number of Irish companies who will be visiting the trade show. Amongst the companies on the Ireland Stand are IMob Media, Asavie, Anam, Cesanta Software, XINTEC and Edgetier. Manager of Software Department at Enterprise Ireland, John MacNamara says, "A key role of Enterprise Ireland is to help companies to scale internationally. The 18 companies showcasing their solutions on the Ireland Stand this year will present new and innovative technologies being developed in Ireland. "These companies are already attracting the attention of major international players and the MWC will provide them the perfect platform to demonstrate these solutions and to strengthen their ties with mobile operators and other key players in the global telecoms ecosystem." Source: www.businessworld.ie Apple Inc opposed a court ruling on Tuesday that ordered it to help the FBI break into an iPhone recovered from a San Bernardino shooter, heightening a dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. Chief Executive Tim Cook said the court's demand threatened the security of Apple's customers and had "implications far beyond the legal case at hand." Earlier on Tuesday, Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said that Apple must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. Federal prosecutors requested the court order to compel Apple to assist the investigation into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by Farook and his wife, killing 14 and injuring 22 others. The two were killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has been investigating the couple's potential communications with Islamic State and other militant groups. "Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily," prosecutors said. U.S. government officials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations. Technology experts and privacy advocates counter that forcing U.S. companies to weaken their encryption would make private data vulnerable to hackers, undermine the security of the Internet and give a competitive advantage to companies in other countries. In a letter to customers posted on Apple's website, Cook said the FBI wanted the company "to build a backdoor to the iPhone" by making a new version of the iPhone operating system that would circumvent several security features. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers - including tens of millions of American citizens - from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals," Cook said. He said Apple was "challenging the FBI's demands" and that it would be "in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications." In a similar case last year, Apple told a federal judge in New York that it was "impossible" for the company to unlock its devices that run an operating system of iOS 8 or higher. According to prosecutors, the phone belonging to Farook ran on iOS 9. Prosecutors said Apple could still help investigators by disabling "non-encrypted barriers that Apple has coded into its operating system." Apple and Google both adopted strong default encryption in late 2014, amid growing digital privacy concerns spurred in part by the leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said on Tuesday that Apple might have to write custom code to comply with the order, presenting a novel question to the court about whether the government could order a private company to hack its own device. Zdziarski said that, because the San Bernardino shooting was being investigated as a terrorism case, investigators would be able to work with the NSA and the CIA on cracking the phone. Those U.S. intelligence agencies could likely break the iPhone's encryption without Apple's involvement, he said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A new kind of beauty pageant will take place for Bronx women this March. Miss Guinea USA is an event that strives to empower Guinean women by focusing on brains over beauty. After the success of its inaugural contest in 2008, the event now enters its eighth year. The contest is the largest event of the non-profit organizations Giving Back for Tomorrow, which encourages women to embrace their African culture and assist their home country. When founder and CEO Fatima Diallo first came to the Bronx in 2004 from Gambia, she noticed that her African peers werent embracing their heritage. Especially the Guinean people, I wanted them to start dressing African, if you have all these beautiful clothes why not wear them? said Diallo, who was dismayed to see Africans doing hair braiding instead of getting jobs. They are afraid of being told no, said Diallo, Because of where we grew up and the limitations we have in our minds. After contestants are chosen for Miss Guinea they are asked to develop a platform focusing on the issues they want to tackle in Guinea. Participants often cite child marriage, lack of education, and female genital mutilation as problems that need to be addressed. The eight contestants, ranging in age from 16-27 then take part in a weeklong series of events and workshops designed to educate and empower. Contestants meet with politicians, community leaders, and CEOs who teach them how to become leaders. Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, a supporter of Miss Guinea, met with young women last year, some of whom didnt think voting was important, to teach them about the political system and how to get involved to create change. She plans to speak again this year. The Permanent Representative of Guinea to the United Nations spoke with participants one-on-one last year and will again be present this coming pagaent. This is different from Miss America mainly because of the traditions, said Diallo We dont do bikinis. Diallo and her team doesnt just want the African community to show up they want everyone to come and educate themselves about African culture. They are more confident, more open, better speakers, and they embrace their culture more, said Diallo of contestants post-pageant, Its not about a crown its about what they learn. This years winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship in addition to the title of Miss Guinea USA 2016 and the runner up will receive a $500 scholarship. The pageant will take place on Saturday, March 19 at the African Culture Performing Art Center at East 123rd Street in Harlem and tickets can be purchased at EventBrite or on the pageants website. James Schamus makes a convincing directorial debut with Indignation Published on February 17, 2016 Story by Tony Andrews en de es fr it pl Review by TL Andrews Ang Lee's long time producer, James Schamus, makes his directorial debut with Indignation, an adaptation of Philipp Roth's book of the same name. In works like Brokeback Mountain Schamus showed us his ability to wade through complex emotions while remaining capable of telling a clear and poignant story. He has certainly carried over those skills to his work as a director. The film is set amidst the draft for the Korean war. The protagonist Marcus Messner, played by Logan Lerman, is a Jewish boy from New Jersey whose scholarship exempts him from having to enlist. The only child of an over-bearing father and a long-suffering mother, he sets off to college in Ohio, resolute to focus on his studies. Things change when Olivia Hutton (Sarah Godon), an angelic looking blond girl, enters his life. She is far more liberal than anything he has ever encountered in his kosher world back home. At first this causes him to take a step back, but then, driven either by lust or adventure he takes two giant leaps forward, much to the chagrin of his mother. The film is about an unravelling. Because Marcus was wound so tight his whole life, everyone close to him gets whipped as he comes undone. Lerman does a wonderful job of playing the studious butcher's son on a slippery slope. Like the greats, he not only masters the core of the character in the beginning, but his transformation along the downward spiral of indignation is just as compelling. Equally noteworthy is Sarah Gadon. She harmoniously combines the conservatism of the 1950s with the rebelliousness of her character in a way that makes neither feel like an addendum. Indeed both are integral to her as a human being and understanding them is necessary to explain the sordid decisions she makes. In terms of pacing, the film starts at a gentle trot, and takes a good while before things really get going. It is only when Marcus has a Kafka-esque meeting with his Dean that Schamus really shows off his chops as a writer. The emotional ups and down you go through as the two verbally joust in the office make you feel like you are watching a carefully choreographed fight scene. Indignation will not be remembered as the best film Schamus ever directed rather as a damn good start. Story by Tony Andrews Schengen speaks! The anniversary interview Published on February 17, 2016 en de pl es fr it Last year the Schengen Agreement celebrated its 30th anniversary. 2015 has been the most turbulent year since its creation. We thought that, after such trials, it would be a good idea to let Schengen speak for itself. We met up for a quick coffee and personal interview with the free-movement area, to talk about its past and future. So Schengen, you turned 30 last year. Such a wonderful age to be! Can we assume, from the double expresso in front of you, that you are still a little tired from last years celebrations? [Smiles] If only that were the case. To be honest, I barely celebrated because I was continually preoccupied with quarrelling with our family and neighbours. Unfortunately, I often find myself at the centre of these conflicts. As you most likely know, the work that I do for our family is extremely important, but there are massively differing ideas about how it should be done. This conflict significantly increased over the last year. Many people criticised me. At times, I feared for my life. To be honest there wasnt much to celebrate. I'm sorry to hear that. When you were born in 1985 your family was noticeably smaller and no one really knew what lay ahead... You might think that. However, back then, everything was quite straightforward. On the 14th of June 1985, I was born in a small town in Luxembourg, from which my name "Schengen" originates. My family, then consisting of Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, decided that I should abolish passport checks at their borders. The plan was that the intra-European borders would gradually be abolished. What implications did that have for your family? It meant that my extended family were able to visit each another more easily. If they travelled from Germany to France for example, they were no longer checked at the borders. Is that all? It sounds easier than it actually was. Abolishing border controls necessitated adaptation of the safety standards and Visa regulations between the contracted parties. Shortly after my fifth birthday (on the 19th of June 1990), the Schengen Agreement was signed, which specified my objectives: the harmonisation of the conditions of entry and the introduction of the Uniform Schengen Visa, police and judicial cooperation, measures against cross-border drug trafficking and clear jurisdiction on asylum issues. A common area of security and justice was thus created. Evidently you had a lot on your plate. Not an easy task at such a tender age! I quite agree. Above all I lacked the technical and legal know-how. The convention entered into force on the 1st of September 1993, but the practical application of collective decisions was not implemented until the "enactment" of the Schengen convention on the 26th of March 1995. My team needed some time to set up the databases and data protection authorities we see today. Initially, the European Unions external borders were the priority, however it became clear that I needed to also work within the EU. Through the Schengen Protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam, I became part of EU legislation on the 2nd of October 1997. [Schengen smiles contentedly.] So, your family expanded then It certainly did, but I can't remember how exactly! [He raises his eyebrows, tipping his head to the side for a moment, and taps his index finger on his forehead.] Yes I believe, I do remember: Italy joined in 1990, Spain and Portugal 1991, Greece 1992 and Austria came along in 1995. Denmark, Finland and Sweden imagine that! even non-EU countries, from 1996 onwards, expressed a desire to join. From 2007 onwards, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Malta, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia were added to the family. Finally Liechtenstein, also not an EU member, joined us. Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Croatia are still not fully-fledged members, but are close to becoming so. That is quite impressive! Yes, we have grown considerably over the last few years, but the UK and Ireland for example, are not part of the Schengen area. We do however maintain a cooperative relationship with them. We work together to ensure greater police and judicial cooperation for example, within my "Schengen Information system" (SIS for short). They dont however issue Schengen visas and continue to carry out border checks. That explains why one still has to queue for passport control checks, upon arrival at a London airport. However, border checks have been re-introduced in certain places. Also, there has been talk that you are no longer able to perform your duties properly, in the face of the increasing numbers of refugees... Ok, just a minute. You need to look at it differently. My duty to ease intra-EU mobility ties in with the reinforcement of external EU borders. As you mentioned at the beginning, at the time of my birth, no one anticipated how Europe would evolve, the levels of migration, the sources of conflict and, which would most influence my work. Conflicting ideas about how to deal with these new developments and challenges, led to the family disputes that I mentioned above. I believe that in times like this, we should stick together and look for sustainable solutions. What's your view? You should know that after 30 years of life and work experience I have come to the conclusion that it is important not to take decisions single-handedly. One should use an interdisciplinary and innovative approach to tackle issues. That means utilising scientific, practical and political expertise as well as taking into consideration the views of younger generations. Schengen, thank you for your time! --- In the upcoming weeks cafebabel will publish a series of articles together with the grass roots think tank Polis180 e.V. on the various facets of the Schengen area and the connected vision of a borderless Europe. This piece was written by Natalie Welfens. Story by Polis180 Grassroots-Thinktank Translated from Auf ein Gesprach mit Schengen Murphy Givens Columnist SHARE Eli Merriman, who grew up on his fathers ranch at Banquete, remembered cutting hackberry roots by Banquete Creek for the women to use as snuff brushes. Murphy Givens Collection Annie Schallert was born in the family home at Laguna and Water in 1862. Her father and mother were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schallert. Three days after she turned 17, and after she had finished the eighth grade, she married Ernest Bagnall, who became one of the town's first undertakers. Bagnall was a fine carpenter who made his own caskets. When they were married they lived in a house on Starr Street. In the hurricane that struck on Aug. 12, 1880, the sky was dark, the wind blowing hard, and slanting rain stung like nails. "Mr. Bagnall carried many across the street," she said. "The water was up to his waist. We went to a higher place and stayed there for hours. When we got home there was part of a boat sticking into the house and all our stuff was washed into the street, like everybody else's. People got back what they could. We watched a tin tub full of clothes as it floated down the street." Times, Aug. 29, 1952; interview, Nov. 25, 1939 Mrs. Frank Skidmore was born on May 7, 1855. Her father, R.H. Dickson, moved to Rockport when she was a child. At age 16 she married Frank Skidmore, on Aug. 3, 1871. Frank Skidmore established a cattle ranch around the area that is now Skidmore. The Skidmore family built a 14-room, two-story house on the bank of Aransas Creek, north of the coming town. During the Nuecestown Raid, on Easter weekend 1875, Mrs. Skidmore and her brother William Dickson traveled to Corpus Christi to go shopping. They crossed the Nueces River on the Sharpsburg Ferry two hours before the raid. She was in a millinery shop in Corpus Christi when the sheriff rode up and down the streets yelling a warning. Her brother borrowed a saddle and took one of the buggy horses to join a posse to chase the bandits. There wasn't much shopping done after that. "The raiders got off light. I think the posse killed only one member of the raiding party. We learned later that they robbed the Noakes store." Caller-Times, May 7, 1950; May 6, 1951; May 4, 1952 Rejino Rodriguez, born in Tamaulipas in 1862, came to Texas as a small boy. His father worked on roads around San Antonio, San Diego and Kenedy. Rejino was interviewed in 1964 when he was 102 years old. "When I first came to Mathis there was not even one house. An old Mexican put up a restaurant for the cattle workers. He was Pavlino. He died a long time ago. There was no lake at that time, but there was the Nueces River, where we watered the cattle. Lots of timber back then. People used to come from a long way to travel to San Antonio. When they came this way they got the lime they used in their tortillas. They stayed there sometimes for two weeks cooking the caliche for the lime. I lived in Mathis for 36 years, but I worked here long before there was a town." Mathis News, Jan. 9, 1964 Alice Doughty was born across the Mission River from Refugio in 1861. She grew up in the town of St. Mary's and later Rockport before her family moved to a ranch near the present town of Sinton. They shopped in Corpus Christi, traveling by wagon on a pasture road and crossed the Nueces River on a ferryboat. They purchased in large quantities to keep the number of trips down, buying coffee by the 100 pounds and flour by the barrel. Alice married J.L. Quinn who worked for her father, J.M. Doughty Sr. He later worked for the Coleman Fulton Pasture Company. When their kids reached school age they were taught at home by a governess. After a school was built at Sinton, her children rode to classes by horseback. She remembered when Sinton had only a railroad section house and when it was necessary to flag a train if there was a need to stop it. Caller, Dec. 23, 1949 Eli Merriman was born in Hidalgo in 1852, the son of Dr. and Mrs. E.T. Merriman. The family moved to Banquete in 1857 where Dr. Merriman bought a ranch and practiced medicine. Eli was later one of the founders of the Corpus Christi Caller. Merriman once recalled the times when he was a boy growing up on his father's ranch, about a mile from Banquete. He remembered the quilting parties, where the women gossiped as bad as the men folks, talking about their neighbors who weren't there. "Some of the ladies dipped snuff, a custom among the best at that time. I remember being sent down to the creek after hackberry roots to make the snuff brushes for the quilters. There were so many ladies around the frame that I had to crawl under the quilt to distribute the brushes." Perhaps topic number one was their notorious neighbor, Sally Skull, who refused to ride side-saddle, dressed like a man, carried two guns and wasn't bashful about using them. She was a strong-tempered woman who commanded respect. "She had the eye of a hawk with staring eyes," wrote Merriman. "While she may have had her faults, she was jolly and joking with her friends. She came to our house bringing some of the finest butter ever made, large yellow balls of butter packed way down in a stone jar." When he was 6 his mother sent him and his younger brother John, who was 5, to take lessons with his Aunt Mary, who had married his uncle, Marcus Fusselman. Eli's Aunt Mary taught them to recite poems. Eli's was: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are; Up above the world so high; Like a diamond in the sky; When the blazing sun is set; And the grass with dew is wet; Then you show your little light; Twinkle, twinkle, all the night." His brother John's was: "How I like to see a little dog; And pat him on the head; So prettily he wags his tail; Whenever he is fed." Caller, March 9, 1936; Times, April 16, 1936 (This is the first of six columns based on the memories of pioneer settlers in the Corpus Christi area.) Murphy Givens is the retired Viewpoints editor of the Caller-Times. Email him at givens.murphy@gmail.com. City Hall SHARE By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times Endorsing a slate of proposed affordable housing complexes won't likely garner a unanimous vote from the City Council. It's anticipated that next week the council will decide whether to give its approval for a series of proposed affordable housing complexes. On Tuesday, city leaders diverged on supporting projects that fall within the council's adopted guidelines or supporting projects that take into account concerns about possible impacts to school districts and traffic. The state decides whether a project is awarded tax credits, but the process weighs local backing heavily. Project construction is largely contingent on tax credits, and the council's support can make or break the chances of being awarded those tax credits, developers have said. On Tuesday, one of five developers seeking council support withdrew. The developer had been eyeing a location in Calallen, an area likely attracting affordable housing development because of its schools. Good schools earn more points with the state. Three other proposed complexes also would be in Calallen only one could be awarded tax credits. A fourth proposal would involve a demolition and rebuild of Samuel Place Apartments, 4315 Carroll Lane. That project is competing for tax credits in a different pool. City Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn, who represents the Calallen area, said after the meeting she is concerned with proposed affordable apartments in the 14000 block of Northwest Boulevard. Vaughn believes more housing there will burden overcrowded schools and contribute to traffic snarls, she said, adding the city needs to discuss and address traffic and flooding concerns in the area. Vaughn pointed out she has supported affordable housing. Last year, she voted in favor of all the proposals. River View at Calallen, in the 12000 block of Leopard Street, was selected for tax credits. This year, she does not plan to support the proposed complex on Northwest Boulevard, she said. She intends to support Mar Bella Providence, at 11330 Leopard St., which will cater to older residents. She is also considering whether to endorse a proposed complex at Callicoatte Road and Leopard Street that would target seniors and veterans. Calallen is a great place to live and has great schools, said Mayor Nelda Martinez, who said she would support all of the proposals. "The schools are growing out there ... and growth is tough, and transition and change are tough," Martinez said. "But they're also expanding their tax base as well, with more people coming out there and more projects like this ... I hope will help with their expansions as they build." Last year, the council voted unanimously to support all proposed affordable housing projects seeking tax credits. In 2014, support for new affordable housing complexes in the Calallen area failed in a 4-4 vote by the council. City Councilwoman Lucy Rubio said Tuesday she would welcome affordable apartments in her district, which includes the city's Westside. "We have room to grow," Rubio said. "And we have a school district that needs the capacity. We could be very accommodating." The council created criteria for approving support for affordable housing projects seeking tax credits. The idea was projects that meet the criteria would win automatic support, which would dispose of any perception of politics, officials said. Martinez has said she will support all of the proposals because they meet the council's criteria. Proper zoning which by default takes traffic volume into account will become part of the city's criteria next year. Ensuring a proposed project has the correct zoning before supporting it can help safeguard the city, said City Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre. Anything the city supports will rise to the state level for consideration, so if a project is awarded tax credits and then is unable to get proper zoning it could pose a significant problem. There's a possibility that the city could lose out on a project if the council "backed one that isn't ready to go," McIntyre said. "And we need affordable housing." Twitter: @CallerCrow IN OTHER BUSINESS The City Council on Tuesday: Authorized the publication of a newspaper notice stating the city intends to issue up to $18.1 million in certificates of obligation to make up for budget shortfalls for street projects in the 2012 bond series. The largest deficiency the funding will cover is $7 million for the South Staples Street reconstruction, from Brawner Parkway to Kostoryz Road. Heard from the city's Development Services division that staff is preparing a presentation that will look at the differences in building codes between manufactured housing and traditional or modular homes. The presentation is also slated to give an overview on how other Texas cities handle manufactured housing and zoning, said Dan McGinn, interim director of Development Services. When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas SHARE Garza By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times A judge raised the bail for a man accused of causing a crash that killed a beloved high school band instructor. Luis Garza, 27, appeared before 148th District Judge Guy Williams on Wednesday. A grand jury earlier this month indicted him on a manslaughter charge. Garza, who had a warrant out for his arrest, was facing $20,000 bail but Williams raised the amount to $55,000, court officials said. Veterans Memorial High School assistant band director Jesus Lopez Jr., 48, died Sept. 8 after his Dodge Charger was struck by a Ford F-150 while exiting the school's driveway. Garza was hospitalized and released the same day. Lopez was a mariachi director and assistant band director for about eight years at Moody High School before transferring to Veterans Memorial, which opened last year. Hundreds of people, including students, attended Lopez's funeral and both bands paid tribute to him with performances just after his death. Corpus Christi police have said the crash had indications Garza was speeding north on Cimarron Boulevard before he drove off the road and crashed into Lopez's Charger. Twitter: @CallerKMT CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dimalier Jeremiahs Rosado (left) and Xavier Antonio Rivera Torres SHARE Xavier Antonio Rivera Torres Dimalier Jeremiahs Rosado By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times Less than an hour after they were told to leave a Port Aransas bar, two men tried to come back inside, police said. Minutes later, a longtime patron of the bar was stabbed. About 9:30 p.m. Sunday, witnesses saw Dimalier Jeremiahs Rosado, 32, and Xavier Antonio Rivera Torres, 25, enter the bar in the 800 block of Tarpon Street, said Sgt. Mike Hannon with the Port Aransas Police Department. One of the men tried to walk outside the bar with an open alcoholic container and was stopped by a member of the staff, he said. The men left without their alcoholic beverages, but soon returned to the bar. Clyde Leonard, a longtime patron, met them at the door. "He doesn't work at the bar, but he's a regular patron and acted as an informal bouncer," Hannon said. "He told them they couldn't return." Witnesses told police Rosado threw a punch at Leonard, missed and Leonard returned the punch. Hannon said Rivera Torres produced a knife from his back pocket and stabbed Leonard in the left side of his torso. The men fled in a 2004 Chevy Malibu and drove toward the Port Aransas Ferry, which is about 0.7 miles away from the bar. Police were called about 10:11 p.m. with descriptions of the suspects and the vehicle. About 10:40 p.m., the men were taken into custody at the ferry. Hannon said the weapon and blood evidence were located by officers in the suspects' vehicle. Rosado and Torres, both of Puerto Rico, were taken to Nueces County Jail to be interviewed by an officer fluent in Spanish, Hannon said. They told police they were in Port Aransas to go to the bars. They may have been staying in Portland, he said. Rosado and Torres were arrested on suspicion of murder. They remained jailed Tuesday with bail set at $1 million each, according to jail officials. Leonard, 44, was taken to Care Regional Medical Center in Aransas Pass, where he died. Hannon interviewed eight witnesses who said they saw the incident at the bar. If anyone has information on the incident, Hannon said to call PAPD at 361-749-6241. "There's no evidence that either party knew the victim and no one at the bar was familiar with the suspects," he said. Natalia Contreras contributed to this report. Twitter: @Caller_Jules COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Officer Andrew Jordan receives a slice of cake on his first day back on patrol Tuesday. Jordan was shot serving a search warrant Feb. 19, 2015. SHARE COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Assistant Chief Mark Gutierrez says a few words about Officer Andrew Jordan on his first day back on patrol Tuesday. Jordan was shot serving a search warrant on Feb. 19, 2015. By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times When Senior Officer Andrew Jordan woke up in the hospital about a year ago, not returning to work never crossed his mind. Jordan and two other officers were shot while executing a raid on a suspected drug house Feb. 19, 2015, in the 3000 block of Churchill Drive. Jordan was struck in a thigh and a forearm. He returned to work Tuesday after a year of surgeries and physical therapy. Fellow patrol officers and supervisors welcomed Jordan with a cake and balloons during his first official roll call at the Corpus Christi Police Department Headquarters. "Once I was in the hospital and I woke up and they told me I would be OK, I knew I wanted to try hard to get my strength back and go back to work," Jordan said. "The department's support helped a lot. It's almost like an extra family." Assistant Chief Mark Gutierrez said the department getting together to welcome back officers wounded in the line of duty encourages camaraderie. "We face danger every single day and we do so willingly knowing that we are serving the community," Gutierrez said. "Officer Jordan getting shot in the line of duty, and being willing to come back speaks volumes of him and other officers in this department." Three people were taken into custody after the shooting. One of them, Ray Rosas, 46, was arrested on suspicion of three counts of attempted capital murder. Capt. Dave Cook, who commanded the incident last year, said it's important for officers to know leaders in the department appreciate officers. "We work hard to develop an operation plan that allows officers to be safe," Cook said. "Unfortunately when individuals feel the need to fight we need to be prepared for that. In this case unfortunately officer Jordan was injured but he survived. This is his calling, his desire and we know he will continue to perform well in the field." Twitter: @CallerNatalia COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A woman walks past campaign signs as she walks past the Nueces County Courthouses parking lot on the first day of early voting in Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. SHARE COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A woman holds a campaign sign as she sits next to campaign signs outside the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing polling location on the first day of early voting in Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A woman holds a sign as she stands next to campaign signs outside the Nueces County Courthouse on the first day of early voting in Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES A woman walks past campaign signs outside the Nueces County Courthouse on the first day of early voting in Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Voters fallout ballots in the Nueces County Courthouse on the first day of early voting in Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Related Coverage Elections: See who's on the 2016 Primary ballots By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times Zayne and Asher Peeler may have the best track record for showing up to the polls in all of Nueces County. They've been there for every election since they were born they just haven't voted yet, because neither is older than five. Parents Travis and Tera Peeler believe it's important to bring them and make voting a family affair from Day 1. "We want them to know it's important to have your voice heard, and I want to inspire them to do that all their lives," said Travis Peeler, 37. The Peelers were some of the first of more than 1,500 Nueces County residents to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting for the March 1 primary. Nueces County Clerk Kara Sands said there were no problems during the first day. The resolve of the Peelers and 1,500 other early voters so far this year isn't one most of Nueces County shares, however. The turnout percentage in primary elections hasn't surpassed 15 percent here since 2008. But this year could be different. Tuesday's turnout more than doubles the first day of voting for the 2014 midterm election's primary, and while it falls more than 1,000 votes short of 2008 which was the most recent presidential race without an incumbent running there's a certain kind of excitement around the election. Noe Rodriguez made sure to log his vote early Tuesday so he could spend much of the rest of the day campaigning for Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Rodriguez, 62, has voted consistently all his life, but this is the first year he contributed financially to a campaign and really the first time he's actively campaigned for a presidential candidate, he said. Rodriguez, like many voters this year, is unhappy about "establishment candidates" and vowed Tuesday to do more to help Sanders win if he's needed. "I'm semiretired, so ($27) was all I could afford, but if it gets close in other primaries I'll donate again," he said. "If he needs it, I'll do it. And there's millions of us giving $27." State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, who is also on the ballot, opted to vote in the first hour polls were open so he can spend the rest of his available time encouraging more people to vote. "It sends a good message to the rest of the state when Nueces County votes well," Hunter said. Kathleen Hudson, the director of administrative services at The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center of Corpus Christi one of the county's busiest early voting sites every year said she expects the daily number of voters will increase closer to the election. Hunter pointed to a late-February Republican presidential debate in Houston as something that could cause a surge in voters. "It's just begun," Hudson said. "We're going to have one of the busiest years yet." SHARE Spell Olivares with an "s," not a "z" when voting for Nueces County sheriff in the March 1 Democratic primary. It's an important distinction between two similarly surnamed candidates. Jose Olivares with an "s" is a police officer and former jail officer with about 20 years of varied law enforcement experience but no noteworthy leadership and management experience. In this race, count his lack of experience as a blessing. His opponent is former Sheriff Larry Olivarez with a "z," who has proven experience. Olivarez proved adept at getting elected three times. He can talk rings around his soft-spoken opponent. But Olivarez also proved that he didn't know how to manage the jail competently or to accept responsibility. Managing the jail is the most important part of a sheriff's job description in these modern times both candidates know this. Substandard jail conditions became known in 2006 shortly after Olivarez resigned to run unsuccessfully for county judge. The county lost revenue from temporary incarceration of federal inmates as a result. Olivarez was quick to blame his appointed replacement then, and continues to do so. We didn't buy it then and don't now. The Sheriff's Officers Association has issued the former sheriff a cease-and-desist letter for continued unauthorized use of its logo on his website. Putting the letter there suggests an endorsement Olivarez doesn't have. The association president, Joe A. Gonzalez, also took issue with Olivarez's unsupported allegation at a candidate forum that there is corruption among employees at the sheriff's department. Gonzalez said there is no "factual basis" no charges, investigations or findings for Olivarez's aspersions. This experienced politician's tactics trouble us as we're sure it troubles the employees Olivarez seeks to lead. It should be clear now: The things Jose Olivares hasn't done are why Democrats should vote for him. The winner will face unopposed incumbent Republican Sheriff Jim Kaelin in November. SHARE Richard Hartwig, Kingsville Congressional majorities Pat Dorsey wrote the following in a Feb. 12 letter to the editor of the Caller-Times ("President hasn't earned our respect"): "President Obama had both the House and the Senate in his control for 6 of his 7 years in office". The correct figure is two years. Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, with Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate. The Republicans captured the House of Representatives in 2010 and have maintained their majority in that body ever since. The Republicans took control of the Senate in 2014. SHARE Juanita R. Johnson, Aransas Pass Farenthold best for district For so many years, we were forced to live with Congressman Ortiz who couldn't be bothered to come home and serve the constituents that elected him. In all the years I lived in Ortiz's district, I never met him. I was never invited to a Meet and Greet or anything else. I don't believe he ever drove through Aransas Pass. We were blessed to see a complete change in that pattern when we worked so hard to get Blake Farenthold elected in 2010. We did work hard by walking and knocking on doors, working at the polls, making phone calls and putting out signs. We won when Blake won and turned our district red. Blake has made every effort to stay present in the 27th district even with a grueling schedule that includes two plane trips per week. I value the hometown feeling we get from our representative being available and accountable to his constituents. By now, Blake has proven he cares about our district and travels for hours every weekend to attend events, host town halls and meet constituents from Corpus Christi to Bastrop to Wharton. I have met Blake and his family at several events and they are good Texas people. We have a Congressman who was born and raised in Corpus Christi and we shouldn't have to risk the loss of a dedicated representative for a candidate we don't know and can't support. The Caller-Times editorial board made a claim we as a community cannot support because we know how valuable it is to have someone like Blake on our side. Let's show our support for Blake Farenthold for Congress. GOSHI, Nigeria, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Cameroon says its armed forces captured a major Boko Haram stronghold in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 100 militants and freeing hundreds of hostages. ADS Voice of America quoted Cameroon Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary as saying the troops assaulted the town of Goshi between Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, killing at least 162 Boko Haram fighters. Intelligence reports indicated the militants had established training facilities and bomb-making factories in the town and were brainwashing teenage girls to become suicide bombers. Cameroon handed control of Goshi to Nigeria, which reportedly approved the mission in advance. The town lies nine miles from the border that divides the two nations. Two Cameroonian soldiers were killed in the operation, which was led by special forces troops and resulted in the release of hundreds of Cameroonian and Nigerian hostages. The Nigerian military said Tuesday at least nine Cameroonian soldiers were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated next to their convoy as it traveled on a road between the towns of Pulka and Goshi. Since 2009, Nigeria and its neighbors have battled insurgents with terrorist group Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State last year. At least 20,000 people have been killed in violence associated with the group, according to the United Nations. Boko Haram seeks the formation of an Islamist government in Nigeria and has also been known to conduct attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon -- which, along with Benin, are members of an African Union-sponsored coalition that has conducted raids against the group along the border since last year. ADS Gutierrez will report directly to Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media Group Asia Pacific, and in addition to leading the Thai media team, is tasked with developing the countys operations into a digital hub for the Indochina region. The appointment follows the acquisition of integrated agency Riverorchid last year, which gave Havas operations in all five countries of Indochina and strengthening its physical presence across nine out of 10 Southeast Asian economies. Mohan described Thailand as a "strategically important market" for Havas, adding that a strong Thai leadership will greatly augment its position. He praised Gutierrez's experience in traditional and digital marketing as well as his success building his own startup venture. With over 20 years of experience, Gutierrez has worked with Universal McCann, Mindshare, New Media and Ogilvy on clients including Unilever, Coca-Cola, MasterCard, and IBM. Gutierrez also did a stint as the chief marketing officer of Buzzebees Company Thailand, where he led CRM initiatives for brands such as Samsung and was responsible for the expansion of the business into Laos. He was also the founder of Sandbox Global; a social gaming company that built a user base of more than 5.2 million registered users and has been featured among the trending and top-rated apps on Facebook. Gutierrez said he was attracted to Havas vision of integration and collaboration, adding that marketers in Thailand will appreciate the agencys "distinctive approach" to marketing. Pandora launched its latest Valentines Collection through 3D builds on selected Clear Channel bus and taxi shelters in the heart of the city. The two-week campaign showcases the retailer's charms on five strategically chosen bus/ taxi shelters in the Central Business District and Orchard area. The OOH companys six-sheet panels have been gutted for optimal effect, allowing the spotlight to be on the supersized Valentines charms. Kelly Khoo, CEO of Clear Channel Singapore said the treatment of OOH, as the new shopfront is inevitable. As more customers begin browsing before entering stores, OOH acts in real-time to trigger purchasing appetites, she said. Upon tapping or scanning of an NFC spot or QR code, the public will be directed to a website where they are able to view the full collection. At the same time, they are encouraged to share their very own Pandora moment on Instagram with the hashtags #PandoraSingapore and #ValentinesMoment. Five lucky winners will walk away with a limited edition Valentines Day Pandora silver bracelet each. We are excited to see these larger-than-life renditions of our Valentines Day charms on the streets of Singapore, said Fion Tin, brand marketing director of Pandora. With the ability to also connect to inspirational love stories on mobile, we feel this truly brings our brand and its promise to life." For Valentines Day this year, Opera launched a campaign to engage with Indonesias mobile and internet-savvy youth community. The effort is centred on a 15-minute film called Arah Kisah Kita (we direct the story), produced by film director Salman Aristo and scriptwriter Gina S. Noer, which ends in a cliffhanger. The brand asked five prominent Indonesian YouTubers to craft the continuation and conclusion of the love story: Sarab TV, Dikidi Channel, Cameo Projects, GPS (Gak Penting Sih), and Susah Tidur. In addition, the campaign asks viewers to guess the ending via a poll on the campaign microsite, providing the audience with a platform to participate and interact with the campaign. So far, weve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the consumers, said Peko Wan, head of PR and communications, Asia at Opera Software. In addition to mobile advertising, Opera has promoted the campaign through its Indonesia social-media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Line, where Opera has a total of 6.5 million followers. The official full video of the mini drama has clocked more than 302,000 combined views from YouTube and Facebook, along with more than 30,000 likes and 2,200 shares. The company also reported a 49.7 percent conversion rate (the percentage of clickthroughs to the campaign microsite that resulted in video views) for the campaign. Set to run into March, the campaign is now in its second stage, where viewers can vote for the best video ending to the love story. Ad Nut likes the approach Opera took with this video-driven campaign, which takes advantage of the festive occasion that is Valentines Day and gets well-known YouTube stars involved. The killer move anchoring the whole initiative is giving young people a say in what they want to see happen in the love story. Ad Nut has read more than enough research reports that go on and on about how young people always want to feel like theyre a part of something, and that their views matter. This campaign takes that to heart. Tonton kelanjutan #ArahKisahKita versi YouTubers! Vote dan share video favoritmu, dan menangkan hadiah menarik dari Opera! http://opr.as/ArahKisahKita #vote #youtubers #video #ending #ArahKisahKita #GePamungkas #ClairineClay #love #cinta #lovestory #valentine #photoftheday #vsco #vscocam #operabrowser #operaforandroid #minidrama 9.56am: The streetsweepers have been to that crash on the Parkes Way/ Coranderrk Street roundabout so the road should reopen again soon, police say. We're also hearing that it was three, not two vehicles involved. Two of the vehicles are off the road but a third is still on the road. Earlier police said via Twitter two of the vehicles were trucks. It was a small, welcome relief after the fire in the Wakefield's Gordon home on Monday night, which shredded the ceiling, shattered windows and erupted through the roof all in a matter of minutes. Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has any information that could assist the investigation and has not yet spoken to them, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or at act.crimestoppers.com.au. The October to December 2015 quarterly crime statistics show reports decreased in the Inner north and Woden, in a year-on-year comparison. ACT Policing's acting superintendent of ministerial policy and performance, Adrian Craft, said it was natural to see ebbing and flowing in reports of crime. Mr Russell said his client had hopefully realised his addiction was the root cause of his offending and he now had a lot of motivation to avoid drugs and time in prison. Joyce seems utterly unconcerned with the recruitment and retention of staff. Presumably if Fraser is correct that moving to Canberra is a big issue for men and women, then relocating to Wagga Wagga, Toowoomba, Armidale or Dubbo from Canberra is just as big an issue for professional staff. I know it is for university staff, having worked in Armidale at the University of New England. Dual careers in the one family, in particular, pose serious mobility problems for some families and that certainly applies to regional centres and to some extent to Canberra as well, including the ANU. Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned [] Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Runners & walkers dash around Delphi The Do It In Delphi Dash was Saturday morning with the 5K walk/run beginning downtown on the Courthouse Square. The... Special prosecutor issues report on Liggett campaign The Comet sponsored a sheriffs candidate debate on Sept. 29. After the debate, Sheriff candidate and deputy Tony Liggett provided... Delphi Council member Conner resigns post It has been an upward struggle for Delphi City Council member Gayle Conner to represent her constituents as witnessed at... With the addition of the Aygo x-cite and now the new x-pure, Toyota is looking to add a bit more style to their UK summer. You already saw the updated x-cite version of the Aygo about two weeks ago. The car now features a bright blue Cyan Splash exterior (instead of the old Orange Twist), glossy black 15 alloys, door mirror casings, front pillar extensions and rear bumper inserts. Inside you get Cyan Blue air vent surrounds, dark gray seats (with contrasting blue and light gray bolsters) and gloss black center console and gear shift surround. Customers can also add the optional metallic black painted roof and front/rear pillars, plus rear privacy glass for an extra 395. In terms of tech, theres also a safety pack that includes a Pre-Crash System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) as well as very decent standard equipment which features air conditioning, power-adjustable door mirrors, height adjustable drivers seat, leather steering wheel and gear knob trim, front fog lights and LED daytime running lights. As for the new Aygo x-pure version, it features a White Flash paintwork with white-painted alloys and silver-finished bodywork elements. Inside youve got gray seat fabric, together with white and light gray bolsters while in terms of equipment & specs, the x-pure is identical to the x-cite, apart from having the bi-tone package. Both the Aygo x-cite and x-pure are now available to order starting from 11,295 OTR, and are all covered by Toyotas five-year/100,000-mile new car warranty. PHOTO GALLERY At last years Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg took us by surprise with the mind-blowing Regera. So to make sure this doesnt happen again, heres what the Swedish firm plans for this years event. Basically, the exclusive automaker is preparing to unveil not one, but two world premieres at Geneva, part of the the companys three model display. The Regera will be there, obviously, but it will be appearing for the first time in production guise, after 12 additional months of development and 3,000 changes later as Koenigsegg puts it. And remember, this is a ~1500 hp hybrid, gearbox-less hyper-machine that were talking about, which we hope will retain all its major traits. Next on the list is the unveiling of the final Agera model range, with Koenigsegg believing that its most successful model of all times should be sent out in style. That said Geneva 2016 will see the premiere of the final Agera model series ever. The third model will be a brand-new built Agera RS, one of the fastest selling Koenigsegg models in history, flaunting 1,144hp and 1,280Nm (944lb-ft) of torque. The car maker also released two teaser images and a video, and although the pictures dont reveal much, the footage caught the anger of a very savage, caged machine, ready to cause a stir at the motoring event. Full details about the cars will be revealed March 1st. Geneva 2016 is coming pic.twitter.com/4QXTswtwNA Koenigsegg Official (@koenigsegg) February 16, 2016 A sneaky peek into what were taking to the Geneva Motor Show. Full details March 1st. https://t.co/BLgkxrOxW9 pic.twitter.com/PSSEcEsy9G Koenigsegg Official (@koenigsegg) February 17, 2016 VIDEO As if the Elise wasnt a lightweight track-munching drivers car to begin with, the British automaker has introduced a new performance Cup variant the fastest road-going Elise ever made. The new moniker brings a comprehensive array of modifications, shaving 21 kilograms (46 lbs) in the process and gaining 26 horses. Now, the Elise tips the scale at a measly 931 kilograms (2,052 lbs), being capable of getting from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 3.9 seconds but thats to be expected from car manufactured by a company known for its aggressive weight saving techniques. Adding lightness and speed to an already swift and frisky automobile is a tricky task, but staying true to Colin Chapmans Simplify, then add lightness recipe, Lotus delivered a real treat from its Lightweight Laboratory. Featuring a Lithium-ion battery, carbon fiber seats, and ultra-lightweight, forged alloy wheels, the car slashes 17.5 kilograms. But the story doesnt end here, as the company also offers a Carbon Aero Pack, which reduces the vehicles mass to just 912 Kilos. Moreover, the little Elise Cup 250 is available for the first time as a roadster as standard with a hard top available as an option. All these performance enhancements make the car lap Lotus test track in 1 minute 34 seconds, four seconds off the previous Elise Cup 220s time, making it the fastest recorded production Elise. Power comes from a new higher-output version of the supercharged 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine, boasting 243 hp at 7200 rpm and 250 Nm of torque between 3500 and 5500 rpm. The aerodynamically optimized body kit comes into play as well, providing 66 Kilograms of downforce at 160 km/h (100 mph) and 155 Kilograms at 248 km/h (154 mph) which is the vehicles top speed. But in spite of all the weight saving, the Elise Cup 250 doesnt lack in creature comforts, sporting a full Alcantara interior in red or black, with an optional Leather Pack available. A total of ten paint choices are available for the car, providing customers a wide variety of options to tailor their Elise. PHOTO GALLERY A new mid-sized van that will slot between the NV200 and NV400 has been confirmed by Nissan, as the firm will expand its Light Commercial Vehicle range. As expected, the new model will be called the NV300 and it will succeed the popular Primastar. The vehicle will strengthen Nissans position as an LCV manufacturer with a wide range in Europe and it will offer enhanced efficiency and practicality to customers. The manufacturer will offer the new NV300 with a five-year / 100,000miles (161,000km) warranty, which will cover all Nissan genuine accessories. Those interested in the new LCV will have to wait until later this year to place an order. The next-gen light commercial vehicle will be assembled by Renault, at its Sandouville plant, in Northwest France, alongside the new Renault Traffic, following a 3-year work and 230 million ($257 million equivalent) investment. Adding the NV300 will increase the factorys output by 100,000 units between 2016 and 2026. The facility is responsible for a version of the Vivaro, for Opel and Vauxhall, and it will soon begin production of the next-gen Fiat midsized van too. PHOTO GALLERY Launching a successful car company is never easy, but Welsh firm Riversimple hopes to crack the industry with its advanced compact car. Revealed in prototype guise, the Rasa two-seater that runs solely on hydrogen has been approved for testing throughout Europe over a 12 month period, starting later this year . The Riversimple Rasa is underpinned by a carbon fiber composite chassis and thanks to the use of other lightweight components, tips the scales at a mere 580 kg. Power comes courtesy of an 8.5 kW fuel cell delivering the equivalent of 11 hp that drives each of the four in-wheel motors. Additionally, the powertrain incorporates super-capacitors that capture energy produced under braking and turn it into electricity for the electric motors. The production car is claimed to have a range of up to 482 km (300 miles) when running on 1.5 kg of hydrogen. Good enough, provided a sufficient infrastructure will be built. The company itself is being supported by a 2 million pound grant from the Welsh government. Twenty prototypes will be created for testing in order to validate the vehicles systems before a production model hits the market in 2018. Discussing the car, founder of Riversimple, Huho Spowers, said: The Rasa engineering prototype marks another key milestone in bringing an affordable and highly-efficient hydrogen-powered car to market. We really have started from a clean sheet of paper. It gives us the opportunity to introduce customers to a more convenient concept of motoring, a lightness of ownership that neither places a burden on the pockets of motorists or the surrounding environment. The car is simple, light and fun in every respect. PHOTO GALLERY Photo: Thinkstock.com UPDATE 1:30 P.M. The Petro-Canada on 25th Avenue has raised the price of a litre of gas to 99.9. Castanet has not heard if other stations are following. If you haven't filled up your car today, you might want to consider it. The price of a litre of gas at several Kelowna gas stations took a 13-cent jump Wednesday to 99.9 cents. Kamloops has seen the price of petrol go up recently from 78.9 to as high as 91.9, although according to gasbuddy.com, the Costco on Hugh Allan Drive is selling the liquid gold for 85.9. Other stations in the region are coming in at 89.9. As of noon, gasbuddy.com is reporting a litre of gas in Vernon is still going for 89.9. According to CNBC, the price of a barrel of crude jumped 5.6 per cent after Iran voiced support for a move led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze production in an oversupplied market. The price of a barrel of crude oil today is $34.76 US. Lafarge halts EUR20m investment in Sagunto plant, Spain ICR Newsroom By 17 February 2016 The management of Lafarge yesterday made public its decision to halt the expansion of its quarry and its plant at Sagunto, Spain, due to the uncertainty created by the new local government and the lack of viable alternatives, according to El Mercantil Valenciano. The cement producer had intended to spend around EUR20m in upgrading its plant. In 2013 Lafarge and the town council of Sagunto agreed for the company to accept the limits to the use of its quarrying concession and move to the only available alternative in terms of the required quality of limestone, located in El Pinal. While this is possible, the council is expected to support in the renewal of the licence that allows the company to occupy the public forest in the area of current activity, which expires in 2017, and the extension of the 14ha Margas contiguous zone. However, the local government team has objected to Lafarges administrative procedures in terms of the environment. The decision leaves plans to use the plant as a key export facility up in the air. Sagunto currently operates at around 73 per cent of capacity on the back of exports to Algeria and Greece, which account for 80 per cent of its output. The company owns a further five plants in Spain. Published under The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday evening recommended the General Assembly confirm Judge Roger Page to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Judge Page was nominated by Governor Bill Haslam to replace Justice Gary Wade who retired in September. It was a true honor to play a part in this historical event and I look forward to having a second western Tennessee Justice on the Supreme Court for the first time since 1997, said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown). The first of its kind hearing follows a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2014 which called for appellate judges to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature. State Attorney General Herbert Slatery outlined the history behind the changes which put the new system into place, spanning three General Assemblies and a plurality of votes cast in the gubernatorial election to ratify. The last step came with legislation, sponsored by Chairman Kelsey, which was approved last month that put the framework in place on how the states appellate judges should be confirmed or rejected. Judge Page was introduced to senators on the committee by Dwight Tarwater, General Counsel to the governor, who called him a man of great integrity, humility and intellect. Afterwards, lawmakers asked him a wide variety of questions from judicial interpretation, and the death penalty to his record on the court. Judge Page, 60, received his law degree with honors in 1984 from the University of Memphis, where he ranked fourth in his class. He has been a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals since his appointment by Haslam in December 2011, writing more than 330 appellate opinions. He previously served as a circuit court judge for the 26th Judicial District, which includes Chester, Henderson and Madison counties. In that position, he presided over more than 300 civil and criminal jury trials. The nomination now moves to the full Senate for final consideration. Technological advances are ushering in a new era of understanding in the search for fundamental physical particles - including dark matter - scientists will tell a public event. Researchers are using analysis of deep space observations together with experiments far underground to hunt for dark matter - an elusive material which, together with dark energy, is thought to account for about 95 per cent of the universe. Scientists will tell a public symposium in Washington, DC how current theories and experiment point to the existence of dark matter, but how it is little understood by scientists. Its discovery would be a fundamental development in understanding the physical universe, a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will hear. Professor Alex Murphy, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy, will describe ongoing global collaborations by scientists around the world to detect and define the nature of dark matter. These include astronomy studies to examine its effect on galaxies and light in space, and experiments deep underground that seek to detect it by minimising interference from other particles. The most sensitive of these experiments is Large Underground Xenon, or LUX, detector - which is located a mile underground in South Dakota, US. Recent improvements have increased the device's chances of identifying sub-atomic particles called WIMPs - weakly interacting massive particles - which are believed to be the main component of dark matter. Professor Murphy said: "Technology has enabled us to ramp up our search for this fundamental material, and its place in the physical realm." Professor Murphy will explain the research at a symposium entitled Astroparticle Physics: Understanding Mysteries of the Universe on 3pm, Saturday 13 February at the Marriot Wardman Park, Washington DC. He will be joined by Professor Angela Olinto of the University of Chicago and Professor Eun-Suk Seo of the University of Maryland. Scientists at the world's premier science conference - the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting - will this year be discussing the advances enabled by the UK's pioneering Long-Duration Experiment facility (LDE). Unmatched anywhere in the world, the LDE allows scientists to closely study the atomic and molecular behaviour of matter under different conditions and over a period of two years. Based at the UK's synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source, the LDE exploits powerful synchrotron light -- which is 10 billion times brighter than the sun -- to penetrate to the heart of matter. But unlike Diamond's 25 other experimental stations, the LDE allows scientists to study the behaviour of material as it changes over an extended period of time, meaning that experiments can last not hours or days, but months or years. Prof Trevor Rayment, Diamond's Director of Physical Sciences, "Historically, synchrotrons have been racing to provide scientists with experimental tools that glean rapid results. On some of our beamlines, we can now study hundreds or even thousands of samples each day. In areas like structural biology this is vitally important and super fast experiments have become quite routine at Diamond. However, we know that many scientific problems actually call for research to happen on super slow timescales and, counterintuitively, this research is actually much harder to plan for and to succeed in. Diamond's new LDE facility is already helping researchers to conduct long term experiments, focusing on areas such as making better batteries, improving the effectiveness of drugs in hot climates, and testing cement that can be used in the disposal of radioactive materials in the UK's planned geological disposal facility (GDF)." The LDE is a unique facility and a resource designed to address problems that simply cannot be solved anywhere else. Diamond's synchrotron light illuminates samples around 1000 times better than laboratory microscopes. As well as providing an in-depth insight into materials over an extended period, the LDE can also be tailored to specific temperature or levels of humidity, meaning that scientists can assess material's long-term behaviours in varied environments. The long-term behaviour of materials has never been studied in this level of detail before, and the facility is revealing new insights into how materials interact on the atomic scale under different conditions and over time. One of the key projects currently taking place at this world-leading facility is looking into the long-term behaviour of nuclear waste cement as it gradually becomes hydrated by water. This work, led by Dr Claire Corkhill from the University of Sheffield's NucleUS research group, could be vital to informing the UK's strategy on radioactive waste disposal. Claire explains: "The UK government plans to bury the most dangerous form of its radioactive waste in a geological disposal facility deep underground - somewhere between 200 and 1000 metres under the surface. To put this in context, the London Underground at its deepest is only 65 metres down. "But because it can take hundreds of thousands of years for this waste to decay to a safe level, the facility needs to be able to endure for an extremely long time. That's why this study is so vital to energy research. By studying the molecular reactions between cement and water over two years, our team can extrapolate the impact over a much longer period." Claire will be presenting her pioneering work on radioactive waste disposal at the AAAS conference this February 14th. As part of a symposium entitled Cleaner Energy Solutions: What Can 21st Century Large-Scale Physics Deliver? Claire will make up a panel of three leading energy scientists. Together, the group will discuss their individual research projects and equip the audience with an understanding of pragmatic, achievable solutions to the global warming challenge. This is the ultimate goal for research like Claire's and, with the support of cutting-edge facilities like the LDE, scientists are helping to develop our approach to the challenges presented by climate change. Energy research is just one of the many areas in which the LDE can provide scientists support. The facility puts a call out once each year, and an external panel of experts selects the most intriguing scientific research for further study. Professor Chiu Tang is Principal Beamline Scientist for I11 and the LDE facility. He says: "We are here to support a class of experiments that could not otherwise be done within the existing science infrastructure. And that's what we're looking for - problems that couldn't be solved any other way and the opportunity to open up avenues of enquiry that have never been thought possible before." Parade steps off Audio Article For the first time since 2019, marching bands, classic cars, dance troupes, scouts and politicians made their way along Midlothian Turnpike for the annual Midlothian Day Parade on Saturday, Oct.... William Ryan Homes offers choices for those who want one-level living, with three ranch designs and the two-story Jensen that has a first-floor master bedroom. Three ranch plans and a two-story with a first-floor master are popular. Changing demographics and a resurgence in one-level floor plans are resulting in buyer enthusiasm for the three ranch plans and a two-story home with a first-floor master bedroom being offered by William Ryan Homes in their new home communities throughout the Chicago suburbs. Advertisement These floor plans are among a variety of distinctive two-story home designs that ensure that virtually every buyer can find a home that meets their needs and preferences. "We are finding that not only active adults but also many young families are finding that ranch plans are very convenient, especially when children are small," says Chris Coleman, Chicago Division president. "In addition, some active adults may want to live in the same neighborhood as their children, so we are creating communities that appeal to all age groups and interests." Advertisement Ranch plans and the Jensen two-story are offered in all William Ryan Homes communities around Chicagoland but not all ranch plans may be offered in every community. Prices vary by community, with the lowest base prices shown with each description. "Our ranch plans include partial basements, popular mud rooms and two- or 2.5-car garages, Coleman says. "They feature the open, airy floor plans that are so popular with buyers, and they are intelligently designed to focus space where people spend most of their time." The Cambria ranch includes 1,798 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms, two full baths and two-car attached garage. Highlights include an impressive foyer, great room with adjoining dining room and kitchen defined by a half wall peninsula and with a walk-in closet. The Charleston ranch features 2,008 square feet of space, with three bedrooms, two full baths and two-car garage. The Charleston is similar to the Cambria but includes an expansive foyer, extra-large great room, and a flex room off the main living area that can be used as a study, formal dining room or playroom. The Coventry is a 2,200-square-foot ranch with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and two-car attached garage. Features include a great room concept on a larger scale with similar convenience and open atmosphere. A Coventry ranch is available for a quick move-in at Hampshire Highlands in northwest suburban Hampshire. Offered at $329,990, this Prairie-style home with a three-car garage is filled with deluxe features, including a full walk-out deep pour basement. For more information about William Ryan Homes communities and floor plans, contact Liz Larson at 888-357-7186 or visit chicagoonline@wmryan.com or visit WilliamRyanHomes.com. Tech hub 1871 is partnering with Peanut Butter, whose CEO is David Aronson, a Kellogg graduate with a background in human resources outsourcing. (Kristan Lieb, Blue Sky; Peanut Butter ) Free catered lunches, yoga classes and video games are nice. But with student loan debt weighing on millions of Americans, employer-funded repayment programs may be the next thing millennials look for in a job. One startup helping companies offer the benefit is Chicago-based Peanut Butter, which runs a platform to help companies create, manage and track the impact of loan repayment plans. Companies pay a per-employee, per-month fee. Advertisement Founder David Aronson, who earned an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and has experience in human resources outsourcing, began Peanut Butter last year. He's the CEO of the company, but he's also a client. "When I was in college, all I could afford to eat was peanut butter sandwiches," he said. Advertisement As a member company at Merchandise Mart-based tech hub 1871, Peanut Butter set its sights on helping other startups guide young entrepreneurs through student loan woes. The company plans to announce Wednesday that it is partnering with 1871 to connect the hub's more than 350 member companies and alumni companies to its services. Aronson said the inspiration for the business came from a 2014 research report from Aon Hewitt that said a large chunk of workers in their 20s and 30s weren't saving enough to take full advantage of their employer's 401(k) match. "I thought, of course, it's because they're paying off their student loans," he said. "If employers could spend that benefit money in a way that is more valued by their employees, then this could be really good for everyone." Aronson said employers commonly contribute $133.33 monthly $33.33 allocated as withholding for the employee's taxes, and $100 directed to debt payment. If an employee had $31,000 in student debt, "an employer's contribution of $100 a month can help them avoid more than 30 percent in principal and interest over the life of the loan, and can help get them out of debt in just over seven years instead of 10 years," Aronson said. A 717-person, millennial-focused survey sponsored by the company found that respondents said they were willing to stay at a job at least 36 percent longer if a company offered student loan repayment. The average respondent said they would value repayment services twice as much as 401(k) contributions or health insurance and seven times more than free food at work. "The companies are able to keep good people around by offering this benefit, and their employees are able to get out of debt sooner than they otherwise would," Aronson said. But it's not yet something most companies are trying out: Just 3 percent of companies surveyed in a 2015 Society for Human Resources Management employee benefits report offered the perk. Advertisement 1871 CEO Howard Tullman said entrepreneurs and member companies have said their employees want a service that would help with their loans. The incubator announced a health care and benefits exchange for its members in November. "Everything that we've heard from the companies is they're hearing it regularly and if there was a way to address this, and offer this as a retention tool and also as a recruitment tool, they would be very happy," he said. mgraham@tribpub.com Twitter @megancgraham An argument is that businesspeople traveling on expense accounts won't take the Blue Line because it's not fancy enough but would take something on which they can be more productive. How productive they can and choose to be in 20 minutes remains to be seen. United Airlines mechanics voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to reject the company's contract offer and authorize a strike, a setback in efforts to repair labor relations as the airline awaits the return of its CEO. Over 93 percent of the ballots cast opposed the contract Chicago-based United put forth in October that would cover 9,000 mechanics in the bargaining unit, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a press release. More than 7,800 members voted, the union said. Advertisement "At a time when United Airlines is incredibly profitable, it is clear that mechanics deserve a better offer from the company," Jim Hoffa, Teamsters general president, said in a statement. Oscar Munoz, the airline's president and CEO, who suffered a heart attack just six weeks after he took the helm of the company and who is recovering from a heart transplant, said in a statement that "although we are disappointed by this outcome, we are eager to get right back to the table." Advertisement Munoz, who is expected to return to work at the end of the first quarter, added, "I will personally meet with our labor leaders to make sure we reach an agreement that will work for our technicians." The parties are expected to appear before the National Mediation Board for a status conference March 3 in Washington, D.C., according to United. Although the union's members authorized a strike, the Railway Labor Act that covers airline employees requires that they jump through several more hoops before a strike can legally take place. Among the issues in dispute is a two-tier pay scale that would give new hires less pay, vacation and sick leave than veteran workers for 8 1/2 years, said Bob Fisher, airline division representative for the Teamsters and a former United mechanic. Though the starting wage varies, it would be "in the low $20s" per hour for new hires and it would take them more than eight years to get to the top tier of $46.15 per hour, Fisher said. "The idea of implementing B-Scale wages for incoming mechanics is unacceptable," Capt. David Bourne, director of the Teamsters Airline Division, said in a statement. "There is no need to place the financial burden for this agreement on the backs of future mechanics." Though the contract offer includes a 33 percent pay raise, it would be offset by increased health insurance costs, a cut in profit sharing and work rule changes that would reduce overtime pay, Fisher said. The mechanics are among several labor groups that have fought with United since its 2010 merger with Continental. The airline remains in federal mediation with the flight attendants union to negotiate a joint contract for some 24,000 flight attendants. But United also has logged recent successes in improving relations with its unionized workforce, a pledge Munoz made upon taking the job. Pilots last month overwhelmingly approved a two-year contract extension. On Tuesday, the airline reached a tentative agreement with the dispatchers union on a contract extension through the end of 2021. Advertisement Munoz's absence "had a bearing" on the outcome of the mechanics' contract, Fisher said, adding he was hopeful that talks would get back on track upon Munoz's return. aelejalderuiz@tribpub.com Twitter @alexiaer Xtabentun, sometimes called liqueur of the Maya, is a mead-based spirit flavored with anise and found all along the Yucatan. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) In the weather-beaten Mayan ruins of Tulum on the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, there's a centuries-old structure referred to as The Temple of the Descending God. On the walls of this crumbling building are barely discernible carvings of a figure turned upside down, as though diving. It's believed by some that this is a picture of the honey bee god, Ah-Muzen-Cab, dipping into a flower for some nectar. The Maya frequently imagined that valued consumables in the natural world such as water, corn and honey were under the control of specific deities. Honey was a source of sweetness, especially treasured in a culture that didn't have sugar cane or sugar beets. Honey's sugar content enabled it to be converted into an even more valuable commodity: booze. Advertisement The fermentation of honey was practiced by ancient peoples all over the world. The mead that Beowulf and his Anglo-Saxon warriors drank was made of honey, and the ancient Maya of Central America also prepared beer using a recipe of honey, with corn and chilies. Henry Bruman, in his 1930 book "Alcohol in Ancient Mexico," reported upon the widespread consumption of Mexican beverages created from fermented honey. Advertisement During the fermentation process of such beverages, alkaloid-bearing ingredients including hallucinogenic peyote were sometimes added, making for a potentially psychotropic sip. In gift shops throughout Yucatan are displays of xtabentun (ish-tah-been-tune), advertised as "liquor of the Maya." Made only in this region, xtabentun is honey beer to which anise and distilled spirits are usually added. The name "xtabentun" is derived from the legend of a woman named Xtabey, a virtuous courtesan, who gave her love freely and cared for the needy. When she died and was buried, sweet flowers called xtabentun grew all about her tomb; these small white flowers are sometimes represented on labels of the bottled liquor. Xtabentun may be taken straight or on the rocks. Some like to mix the liquor with coffee to make Mayan coffee or with tequila and lime to make a Mayan margarita. Xtabentun is predictably sweet, with a strong anise flavor similar to Sambuca or Galliano (without the latter's herbal complexity). This liquor's aggressive sweetness can be mellowed by mixing with vodka, moonshine or other clear spirits. At Celeste in Chicago, bartender Michael Huebner adds xtabentun to a cocktail he created called 18-Rabbit, named after a legendary Mayan ruler. (Look for xtabentun at specialty liquor stores. You may have to order it. Or you may need to fly to the sunny Yucatan.) David Hammond is a freelance writer. By more than doubling studio expectations for its opening-weekend success, "Deadpool" hasn't simply opened the Hollywood portal to a potential new array of X-character stories. The Ryan Reynolds passion project will also surely open the film industry's eyes to the massive market for R-rated comic-book adaptations. Fortunately for the power suits of Tinseltown, the comics vaults are overflowing with "mature content" books that could readily lend themselves to engrossing cinematic adaptations. Dark characters. Grim plots. Stories that graphically plumb the moral underbelly of the human condition. From blood-spattered Westerns to sci-fi epics, today we consider the Mature Comics That Most Need to Become an R-Rated Film: MICHAEL CAVNA: So you and I knew that "Deadpool" would do reasonably well, but these monster box-office numbers that practically rival "The Dark Knight's" debut certainly speak to a thirst for R-rated comics adaptations that don't feel like the same old tales of origin reboots and capes-vs.-urban apocalypses. So if you were a Hollywood executive, what's the first "mature content" comic you'd now try to option and adapt? The comic series "American Vampire" has not been adapted for the big screen. (DC/Vertigo ) DAVID BETANCOURT: The top two that come to my mind are "American Vampire" and "Y: The Last Man." "Last Man" [which was adapted in 2011 in short form] has been in movie limbo for a while now, and I'm surprised someone hasn't scooped up American Vampire. Fox has somewhat of a fun dilemma on their hands. "Deadpool" literally made twice what most folks were thinking it would for its opening weekend. So if you can spawn X-Force out of "Deadpool," given Deadpool's connection with Cable, do you continue the "R" momentum and make an X-Force movie rated R as well? If X-Force was in development [prior to "Deadpool's" release], Fox must have been thinking PG-13 -- just like the X-Men films. But now, seeing the success of "Deadpool,: maybe Fox executives have more than one R-rated franchise. They have to at least be thinking about it. And because of "Deadpool's" success, if that character (now) appears in an X-film, does he (himself) seem diluted if he's in a PG-13 movie? MC: Agreed. "American Vampire" especially leapt immediately to mind. It is already so gorgeously cinematic and costume-rich as rendered -- from the old-Western vistas and saloons to the Jazz Age sheen on forward -- that it ticks off multiple Hollywood film genres. I can just imagine Scorsese or Paul Thomas Anderson nailing each period while getting across the grim and graphic menace. And since Stephen King was such an early contributor to AV, he might have a few tips for Scott Snyder on the perils and pitfalls -- and pros -- of your work being adapted to the screen. Vaughan's "Y: The Last Man" is fertile terrain, but I could also see his "Saga" (with Fiona Staples) being adapted soon, even as it's still unfurling. The world is ready for an R-rated space opera redolent with themes that hit closer to the bone -- and to the nerve endings -- than the necessarily kid-friendly Star Wars franchise. Advertisement Brian Vaughn's "Y: The Last Man" and "Saga" above, with Fiona Staples, could provide good fodder for filmmakers. (Image Comics) And speaking of Vertigo titles like AV, my first R-adapted pick would be "Sandman," though perhaps there's no way to begin to do it justice in a single film -- it needs sequels. Gaiman has optioned work to HBO before, but even more than his novels like "American Gods," his DC/Vertigo epic seems to be the child he has been most protective of over the years. Now that Sandman seems to be moving forward as a Warner Bros. screen project (with Joseph Gordon-Levitt reportedly attached), my fantasy adaptation would see it becoming a franchise spread over a healthy arc of films, like "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter." Can you imagine what Guillermo del Toro could do with that? DB: What I'm most interested to see is if other directors who might normally stay away form PG-13 superhero flicks might now be interested in the genre, if they know darker works can now be adapted. Guillermo del Toro has been linked to a Justice League Dark before. Could Deadpool's success mean a project like that more likely gets made now? MC: Precisely. There is an established generation of directors who I think would be energized by getting to push into R-rated comics fare the way, say, Matthew Vaughn has -- less in the direction of "Kick Ass," especially now that Deadpool swims in the same trope-aware waters of superhero cinema, and more in the vein of "Kingsman." Elsewhere, though I know it's easy to over-lean toward Vertigo's sublime stable, I could definitely see "Transmetroplitan" as a riveting one-shot film, adapting (Warren) Ellis' crackling dialogue for gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem. We've seen interpretations of Hunter Thompson on screen before, of course, but "Trans" could brilliantly bleed with the bleak tones and dark humor of a future dystopia in the gifted hands of a Ridley Scott. DB: Surely at that point, someone has to be circling around "The Boys," by Garth Ennis. I think "Kick Ass" is what "Deadpool" could have been, if not for "Deadpool" happening to be one of Marvel's most popular characters. Fans of Kick Ass went to see it -- but maybe not so much the general public. Then again, two "Kick Ass" movies were made, so I guess enough people saw it. Everything that isn't standard superhero fare is up for grabs. But is that a good thing? Will a new frontier of R-rated comic book material bring about more Hollywood interference? MC: The question of studio interference is a good one that also speaks to budgets. Because "Deadpool," at $58-million, cost less than half of "Ant-Man's" reported budget, the financial risks weren't as high, which means the studio suits don't have to be quite as antsy. That also raises the question: What's better on the small vs. big screen? Few would argue against Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" being better-suited to the series format. But Image has such a stocked creative cabinet; we mentioned SAGA, but Image's has its own rich library of mature books that are deeply cinematic. (Note: Some of which, in the real world, are already in various stages of development.) I can just see Cary Joji Fukunaga adapting (Jason) Aaron's words from "Southern Bastards," or (Jonathan) Hickman's "East of West." And "The Manhattan Projects" could be amazing in the hands of Michael Mann. And [John] Layman and (Rob) Guillory's "Chew" reportedly will be animated -- which brings up whether we'll soon see R-rated animated comic-book adaptations. Advertisement Cover of "Southern Bastards" by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour. (Image Comics) DB: Funny you mention animation. (We have) written on many of DC/WB's animated films that come out frequently. Those animated films, we always go out of our way to note that they are a hard PG-13. It stands out. In the action, in the occasional bad word. But it works. DC/WB is doing a great job with them. I don't think DC would ever take it to "R" with animation, but wouldn't it be great to see Image, or DC imprint Vertigo give it a try? MC: Seriously, that would make for a great test-case in the current market -- the black canary in the coal mine of modern audiences. I haven't mentioned some works that Hollywood has had its hooks in, like "Preacher." But as a producer, I'd sure look at "100 Bullets," and Aaron's "Scalped," which was inspired by the real events of Leonard Peltier. And the first thing I might try to do as a Hollywood honcho, I realize, is to try to sign Los Bros Hernandez. The opus that is "Love and Rockets" would surely have to be a series, or a multi-picture enterprise, but the richness of the developed-over-decades characters and narratives, would make the comic a prime pick to introduce to a larger, albeit R-rated, audience. DB: "Scalped" has been picked up by WGN America, which is disappointing because it is for sure a mature-content title, but how far can WGN America take it? Which brings us to another situation. If it is mature comic-book content and it gets watered down by a network that can't go all the way (to "R"), does that mess with the product and the experience from fans? Or would any studio or network in that situation be more concerned with a general audience being introduced to the story for the first time, and not worry about hardcore comic-book fans. MC: I think that's the precise dark side of any larger Deadpool Effect in Hollywood. Beware the town's creative teams that would dilute the content with too little regard or love for the original. I have no problem with a PG-13 rating if that's a natural artistic outcome, of course. But as we've seen so often over the years, mostly with adapted novels, a filmmaker or jittery studio can bowdlerize the work, thinking that strategic move plays to the masses. The real effect, though, is that something as wild and alive and dangerously kinetic as McMurphy in the great "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" becomes lobotomized. When that happens to a raw and brilliant work, I just want to grab a pillow -- and not simply to sleep through the pablum that is a film that blatantly sold its artistic soul. Indeed, a kind narrative lurks behind this music, as the album's liner notes indicate: " 'Un Cambio' is a story about coming to terms with life. ... So often love doesn't unfold in the way we want, and moments of hope and inspiration interrupt our confusion all too infrequently. We have watched, unable to help, as loved ones suffer. And when some of them disappear along the way, we are never prepared. We may find ourselves yearning for a change, yet change occurs in ways we least expect. Still, this is the life we are given, so we stomp our feet on the ground in a dance of celebration." A tourist couple looks at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, where a newly founded organization, Paryatan Mitra, was created to assist tourists visiting certain parts of the country. (Manish Swarup / Associated Press File Photo) India: A newly founded organization, Paryatan Mitra, was created to offer support to tourists visiting Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow. A group of doctors, engineers, activists, tourism members and students who founded the organization hope to curb street harassment and crime against women, assist in legal disputes and start a tourist helpline for those needing general assistance and in case of emergencies. China: The negative impact of tourism at many of the country's glaciers has led to a soon-to-be enforced ban on visiting glaciers in Xinjiang. The ban, which will be implemented in 2020, is meant to protect the fragile and shrinking glaciers from further erosion and other damage. Many of the country's 21,000 glaciers in Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Xinjiang have been shrinking at a fast rate and are expected to be reduced in size by 60 percent over the coming decade, which may lead to additional bans around the country. Advertisement France: Border security continues to be ramped up since last November's terror attacks in Paris, causing major delays at many international crossing points into the country. The Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports recently experienced two-hour waits as security personnel took three times as long as usual during document inspections for travelers. Tourists should expect delays and plan ahead when organizing transfers between airports and ground transportation. Italy: Thirty-eight cases of meningitis have been registered in Tuscany over the last year, resulting in nine deaths. Though health officials are not calling this an epidemic or recommending tourists defer travel to the area, they are recommending that visitors take normal wellness precautions, particularly those with compromised immune systems. Washing hands before meals and after contact with others and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers may prevent infection. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness in the neck and back, nausea and general fatigue. Advertisement Timor-Leste: The U.S. Embassy issued a statement reminding travelers that there are no hyperbaric chamber facilities in the country for the treatment of decompression sickness; the nearest are located in Darwin, Australia, and Bali, Indonesia. Specialized scuba diving accident insurance is highly recommended for tourists, as accessing hyperbaric chambers requires costly specialized evacuation ambulances. Compiled from news services and travel sources. For updates, check with the State Department at 888-407-4747, www.travel.state.gov. Larry Habegger and Dani Burlison are freelance reporters. Lake Michigan might look frigid and icy around the edges, but it's nothing compared with last year. A recent cold snap increased the amount of ice on the lake, but overall the mild winter has kept the lake free of extensive coverage. As of Tuesday, about 16 percent of Lake Michigan was covered by ice, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. Thats below average for the lake, normally around 27 percent. Jia Wang, an ice climatologist at the research lab, said the reason for the low ice coverage is a combination of multiple weather phenomena impacting the Great Lakes, including El Nino. As a result, Chicagoans could see more of the beach in the coming years, as low lake ice can cause more evaporation during the winter. The ecosystem and shipping industry also could see effects. How this winter compares Daily average ice concentration, or the percentage of the Great Lakes covered in ice, is measured using images from multiple satellites to create a daily composite, Wang said. Prior to the satellite era, ice coverage was measured using photos taken from airplanes. The chart below shows the daily average ice concentration for Lake Michigan this winter, compared with an average of all winters from 1972-73 to 2014-15. Ice coverage normally peaks around mid-February and declines through March and April, and the lake eventually becomes ice-free by early May. The mild winter is a stark contrast to the brutal cold of the last two winters: In 2013-14 ice coverage surpassed 90 percent. That winter was particularly cold, and is the third-coldest winter for Chicago since records began in 1872. Last winter saw extensive ice coverage as well. The lack of surface ice isnt limited to Lake Michigan. Overall, the Great Lakes are less icy than recent winters as well. The maps below are produced each day by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, and show ice concentration (in shades of gray) and water temperature. The map for Monday is vastly different from the map from one year ago, when there was about twice the amount of ice. Feb. 15, 2016 Feb. 15, 2015 Though the past two winters were severe, Wang said he doesnt expect this winter to reach those intense levels. Those winters were abnormally cold, and Wangs forecasts show a maximum ice cover of 24 percent for Lake Michigan this year. The cold snap last weekend helped push the coverage levels close to average, but the upcoming weekend looks like it will be a mild one. WGN meteorologist Tom Skillings forecast shows highs above freezing, reaching more than 50 on Friday. Even if ice for the Great Lakes has peaked, the lakes have still logged more ice cover than the winter of 2011-12, which had a maximum average ice concentration of 12.9 percent, said Wang. The long-term average maximum coverage for the Great Lakes system is 53.2 percent. Why so low? The below-average ice cover on the Great Lakes is a combination of multiple weather phenomena, according to Wang. This includes the El Nino pattern underway. A warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean near the equator affects weather around the globe. In a typical El Nino event, Northern states often get warmer while Southern states often get wetter, according to NOAA. This winters El Nino is one of the strongest measured by NOAA since 1950. Another winter with a very strong El Nino, 1997-98, also logged low ice cover on the Great Lakes, according to data from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. El Nino isnt the only factor affecting lake ice, though, Wang said. Other warming phenomena affecting the Great Lakes regions include the North Atlantic oscillation (fluctuation in air pressure regions in the Atlantic) and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (increased surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean). NOAA temperature outlooks show an increased chance of warmer-than-normal weather in the coming months, as well as increased chances of less-than-normal precipitation. The less-icy winter could be indicative of a long-term trend of less ice coverage on the lakes, according to Wang. In 2012 he co-authored a study showing that coverage on the Great Lakes has been decreasing since the 1970s. Between 1973 and 2010 coverage on the Great Lakes decreased 71 percent, and Lake Michigan decreased 77 percent. Though the last two winters had extensive ice coverage, Wang said that the results of the study remain valid. Global warming, Wang said, increased the surface air temperatures over the Great Lakes. The two severe winters in 2011-12 and 2012-13 reduced the magnitude of the trend, but the overall trend continues with this mild winter. Possible side effects Lake levels One of the most noticeable impacts from a lack of coverage is lake level fluctuation, said Philip Willink, a senior research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium. Ice acts like a blanket, Willink said, keeping water from evaporating during the dry winter. A winter with less ice will have more water evaporating out of the lake. The past two icy winters helped lake levels rise to record levels. In late 2014 the water levels of the Great Lakes rose above their historical averages for the first time since the late 1990s. Willink said he expects the levels to fall within the next few years. Lake ice is just one of the processes that can affect lake levels, though. A change in rainfall, air temperatures or wind speeds also change the levels one way or the other. Shipping A significant change in lake levels could have significant impact on shipping and boating on the Great Lakes, Willink said. A Tribune report last year said that for every inch of immersion a freighter loses to low water, it must forgo 270 tons of cargo, according to Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Lake Carriers' Association, an organization that represents 16 American companies that transport raw materials, such as iron ore and flux stone, for the steel industry. A less icy lake also means less ice breaking efforts are needed, according to Mark Gill, U.S. Coast Guard director of Vessel Traffic Services. Less ice, along with a decrease in shipping activity from a sluggish economy, has decreased the need for the Coast Guards fleet of seven icebreakers. The Canadian Coast Guard also operates two icebreakers on the Great Lakes and brought in three additional ships to help out with the severe ice coverage the past two winters, Gill said. Water temperature Increased water temperature isnt so much an effect of low lake ice, but rather an overall indicator of warmer weather, Willink said. Water temperatures will likely be warmer this spring and summer, and the region will be warmer earlier, Willink said. Surface water temperature readings by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab show that this winter has been above average. What can affect the ecosystem, though, is the overall temperature of the water, which ice is an indicator of. Fish that tend to prefer cooler temperatures, such as salmon, will stay farther away from shore while the temperatures are warm. Note: The daily average ice concentration for the Feb. 29 leap day in 2012 is not included in the chart. Data sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab; Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework; National Weather Service @KyleBentle One way out of that bind is to prevail in court. A second is to find another site. But that won't be easy, in part because other choice sites could face similar legal challenges. And even if Emanuel can come up with a suitable alternative, it's uncertain whether Lucas will accept it or bolt to another city, as he did after his setback in San Francisco. Last year, after legal objections were raised to his plan, he raised the possibility of pulling out of Chicago for Los Angeles. The Chicago Avenue Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River will be closed for emergency repairs during regular work hours until the weekend, according to city officials. The bridge will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, according to a release from the city's Transportation Department. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to use the bridge during the closures, while one lane of traffic will be open in each direction for cars the rest of the day, according to the release. Advertisement "The closures are needed to make repairs to the grating on the bridge deck and to the supporting beams," according to the release. "Traffic on the bridge was reduced to one lane in each direction (Tuesday) after inspectors determined the repairs were necessary." The No. 66/Chicago Avenue bus will be rerouted during the day, with eastbound buses rerouted at Halsted Street, going north to Division Street, and going back south to Chicago at Larrabee Street. Buses heading west will follow the reverse route. For more information, check the CTA's website. Advertisement About 18,500 vehicles travel over the bridge daily, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Chicago Avenue Bridge was opened in 1914 as part of a wave of bridge-building after the federal government required Chicago to remove numerous center-pier swing bridges, which were anchored in the middle of the river and rotated to allow river traffic. The U.S. secretary of war ordered the previous Chicago Avenue Bridge and others like it removed because the swing bridges were considered an obstruction to river traffic, according to the Historic American Buildings Survey. Chicago police Officer Jose Alvarez, center, and his wife, Dora, leave a Feb. 16, 2016, hearing at the Chicago Police Board. The Police Department is seeking to fire Jose Alvarez for allegedly hitting his wife in a 2012 off-duty incident. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) The Chicago Police Department is seeking to fire a veteran officer for allegedly hitting his wife several times while off-duty in 2012, but his wife testified Tuesday at a police board disciplinary hearing that the abuse never took place. Officer Jose Alvarez, 44, was a tactical officer before being suspended without pay after then-Superintendent Garry McCarthy decided to fire him in July. Advertisement Daniel Myerson, an assistant corporation counsel who represents the superintendent, alleged the incident took place after Alvarez and his wife, Dora, returned to their home in the Hegewisch neighborhood after attending a party early on the morning of July 4, 2012. Alvarez accused his wife of drinking too much alcohol and flirting with a man at the party, Myerson said. As the couple argued in bed, Alvarez straddled his wife, held her down and struck her in the face several times, Myerson alleged. She managed to flee out of the house, running to a neighbor's residence as her husband gave chase, he said. She then grabbed onto a railing as Alvarez, clad in only a shirt and underwear, tried to drag her away, Myerson said. Advertisement A neighbor who saw the incident from inside her home called 911. Alvarez's wife, 34, suffered severe bruising to both sides of her face, according to the testimony. Myerson said her eyes were "swollen and purple." "This is not the type of person who should hold the star of a Chicago police officer," Myerson said. Both Alvarez and his wife testified Tuesday. Both acknowledged that they had argued but denied he ever struck her. She contended she had been drinking and tripped on a staircase in their home, fell and hit her face. Alvarez, a nine-year department veteran, testified he did not see how his wife was injured and did not realize she was hurt until he saw her in the bathroom minutes later. The wife also testified that she ran from the home because she was angry, not because she was trying to flee an assault. She also testified she did not remember telling officers at the time that her husband had hit her. "I was very upset with him," Dora Alvarez said. "If I said something like that, I don't remember. But I wanted him to go away. I just wanted them to take him away from me." Advertisement Alvarez's attorney, Daniel Herbert, said none of the city's witnesses could definitively say the assault occurred. Herbert also noted that criminal charges against Alvarez were dropped and that his wife never signed a criminal complaint. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Several character witnesses testified that Alvarez, whom they called "Tony," was family-oriented and a hard worker who they never knew to be violent. "He's highly regarded and respected by his peers," testified Sgt. Franklin Paz, who said he's assigned to the Grand Crossing police district. The Alvarezes have been married 15 years and have two sons, according to their testimony. Jose Alvarez also has an older son from a previous relationship, he said. After Alvarez's arrest, the Independent Police Review Authority, which probes allegations of police misconduct, opened an investigation, police spokesman Frank Giancamilli said. It was not immediately clear why it has taken so long for the case to come before the Chicago Police Board. Testimony will resume in the matter next month. A hearing officer will decide if he agrees with the superintendent's recommendation that Alvarez be fired. The nine-member police board then weighs in. Advertisement cdrhodes@tribpub.com Twitter @rhodes_dawn Officials behind "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' bid to build a museum along Chicago's lakefront are considering other cities and sites for the project, a city of Chicago lawyer told a federal judge Wednesday, indicating the lawsuit filed to block the proposal has put the project in jeopardy. Attorney Brian Sieve made the comments during a hearing related to a lawsuit filed by the preservation group Friends of the Parks to block the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Advertisement The "uncertainty and delay ... has caused the museum to, frankly, consider other cities and other sites that it may relocate to and that may put the entire project in jeopardy," Sieve said. Asked after the hearing which cities were courting the museum, Sieve did not say. Advertisement On Tuesday, the city filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge John Darrah to lift an order barring the start of construction before the legal fight is resolved. The judge said he would issue a ruling April 21. After Friends of the Parks filed the lawsuit, Lucas raised the possibility that he might move the project to Los Angeles. A spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday referred questions to Lucas about whether Los Angeles is pitching itself as a backup location. Through a spokeswoman, Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, Lucas' wife and a prime mover behind the project, and museum President Don Bacigalupi both declined to address the city lawyer's comment that museum officials are considering other cities because of the court case delay. Lucas selected Chicago for the site of the museum in 2014 after a national park board had rejected a plan to build his museum at a San Francisco site overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Oakland, Calif., also has expressed interest in luring Lucas to the city if the Chicago venture collapses. Sieve said the lawsuit could prevent Chicago from having "a valuable resource" that residents will be able to enjoy. Darrah replied that Friends of the Parks could argue "that all the citizens of Illinois would lose out if the museum was there." The Lucas camp wanted to break ground on the project this spring, and the city wants the ability to move forward with unspecified preliminary work while the court case is pending. Friends of the Parks' attorney Tom Geoghegan said he is always open to discussions with the city but said it is premature to talk about starting any activity at the site until the judge rules on the case. The parks group said it is not opposed to the museum coming to Chicago but wants it to be built at a different location. It has previously suggested the vacant Michael Reese Hospital site as an alternative location. On Wednesday, the group suggested that the museum could be built west of Lake Shore Drive, on a deck over railroad tracks, similar to Millennium Park. However, it was unclear how much that would cost or who would pay for it. Advertisement "It would be a shame if the city lost this opportunity because the mayor didn't seriously make an effort to find a site that is not subject to 100-year-old public trust doctrine making it illegal to build on the lakefront," Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry said in a statement after the hearing. Geoghegan is seeking information about the site selection process, including documents and depositions with city and Park District officials that may shed light on how the lakefront property was chosen. Lucas wants to house his collection of artwork and showcase exhibits and films at the futuristic-looking building between Soldier Field and McCormick Place. The museum has the approval of the Chicago City Council, the Plan Commission and the Chicago Park District, which has entered an agreement to lease the land near Lake Michigan at a cost of $10 for 99 years. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Friends of the Parks says the museum project violates the state's public trust doctrine, will benefit a private party more than the public and will tarnish the lakefront. The group contends the land selected for the museum site is held in the public trust because it is formerly part of Lake Michigan, and that the land should be protected and preserved for the state's residents. Darrah ruled Feb. 4 that Friends of the Parks adequately states a claim and that the lawsuit can move forward. No construction can take place at the site until the case is resolved. The judge said at the end of the hearing that he would consider letting the city go forward on preliminary work if Friends of the Parks and the city came to an agreement on that action. Advertisement As proposed in Chicago, the privately funded 300,000-square-foot museum is slated to be built on 17 acres of lakefront property. The project is expected to cost more than $300 million. The museum, designed to include several theaters, a library and an observation deck, will charge an admission fee but also will have several free areas. The plan also calls for nearly 4.6 acres of park land and improvements at the site. poconnell@tribpub.com Twitter @pmocwriter Overnight flights at O'Hare International Airport would rotate among runways to spread the airplane noise to different areas under a test plan given preliminary approval Tuesday. The plan marks a rare moment of agreement between airport officials and leaders of surrounding communities, who generally welcomed it as a promising, if short-term, step to relieve jet noise. Advertisement But some critics said it does nothing to address the ultimate point of contention between city officials and residents: whether to close diagonal runways that could spread out noise the most. The Fly Quiet Committee, with nine voting members from Chicago and the suburbs, recommended rotating runways on a weekly basis from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. When possible, the hours of the rotation would begin at 10 p.m. and end at 6 a.m., depending on traffic and other conditions. Advertisement The change would mean that night takeoffs and landings would not be concentrated on the same two runways on the south side of the airfield that run between Bensenville and Schiller Park. The recommendation will go for a vote March 11 before the full O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, which is made up of more than 50 municipalities and school districts, plus Cook County. If approved as expected, Chicago Department of Aviation officials said they will bring the plan to the Federal Aviation Administration for implementation by May. FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said the agency would determine how best to test the plan on flight operations. The program would then run for six months, and the resulting noise data and public feedback would be analyzed to see if and how the nighttime runway rotations should be used permanently. "It's a quick fix that provides some relief for people, and it isn't that difficult to implement," Bensenville Mayor Frank Soto said. "It shows everybody is really trying to work together." People who live around the airport have complained about its noise for decades, but complaints intensified in recent years after the city began shifting from the old diagonal runways to new parallel east-west runways, which concentrate more traffic over the North Side of the city and the western suburbs. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Fair Allocation in Runways, a group that represents city and suburban residents, welcomed the plan to spread out the noise by including the main diagonal runway, which runs northwest to southeast, avoiding the hardest-hit residential areas. But FAiR member Al Rapp, of Park Ridge, said the plan will ultimately fail if the diagonal runways are closed by 2019, which Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said is necessary to complete the new runways and proposed western access to the airport. Rapp objected that the plan didn't specify exactly what runway configurations would be used. Once those plans are published online, he said, then residents can judge which runways provide some peace and quiet. Advertisement Chicago aviation officials said the proposal marks a consensus between the city and community groups to relieve noise in the hardest-hit areas, particularly Bensenville and Schiller Park, as well as nearby areas such as Itasca and Wood Dale. "The city's goal is to provide immediate relief for communities most impacted by nighttime noise, and that's what this plan will accomplish," Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans said. rmccoppin@tribpub.com Twitter @RobertMcCoppin A federal judge has squelched attempts to force Mayor Rahm Emanuel to give sworn testimony about the so-called "code of silence" within the Chicago Police Department as part of an ongoing lawsuit alleging a police cover-up of a 2007 off-duty road rage incident. Lawyers for Nicole Tomaskovic had asked U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis to order the mayor to sit for a deposition in Tomaskovic's lawsuit alleging the city has a de facto policy of covering up the bad actions of officers. Advertisement A federal jury in December found that Officer William Szura was acting within the scope of his duties with the city when he used excessive force on Tomaskovic while off duty during a traffic altercation on the shoulder of the Stevenson Expressway that turned violent. But in a hearing Tuesday, the judge denied the deposition request and quashed a subpoena that Tomaskovic's lawyer had sent to Emanuel's office, court records show. Advertisement The request to depose Emanuel came after the mayor, amid the deepening scandal over the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, condemned a "code of silence" within the Police Department in a December address to the City Council. "We cannot ask citizens in crime-ravaged neighborhoods to break the code of silence if we continue to allow a code of silence to exist within our own Police Department," Emanuel said. The city had argued in a court filing last week that the mayor couldn't possibly have knowledge relevant to the case since the incident occurred four years before he took office. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The city also said allowing the mayor's deposition in Tomaskovic's case would set a "dangerous precedent" that could lead to him being forced to give sworn testimony in a wide range of lawsuits, eating up a substantial amount of his valuable time. "Given the frequency with which plaintiffs make boilerplate assertions of a 'code of silence' in federal court," the filing argued, "Mayor Emanuel would likely be unable to take on any of his actual duties as mayor of Chicago as a result of the time he would need to devote to such undertaking." Szura, a longtime mounted police officer who has since retired from the force, was accused of attacking three women Tomaskovic, Kelly Fuery and Debra Sciortino after he pulled their car over on the side of the expressway while off duty as they were headed home from the Chicago Pride Parade. The jury found in favor of Szura on all counts except for Tomaskovic's claim of excessive force. The legal hurdles to require a sitting mayor to give sworn testimony are high. Last year, lawyers for 11 Chicago police officers who claim Emanuel removed them from his security detail for political reasons sought to require the mayor sit for a deposition, but U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber denied the request. Advertisement jmeisner@tribpub.com Twitter @jmetr22b Writer Harriet Heyman and her husband, venture capitalist Michael Moritz, have donated $50 million to expand University of Chicago programs for low-income students, the university announced Wednesday. The donation provides half of the funding needed for an enhancement of the university's Odyssey Scholarship Program and Collegiate Scholars Program, which helps CPS students prepare and apply for college. Heyman and Moritz are challenging other donors to match their contribution within the next five years. Advertisement The Odyssey program, which began in 2007 with a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor known as Homer, eliminates loans and work-study requirements for low-income students. Since then, more than 3,500 students have been named Odyssey scholars, and the program has received 10,000 additional donations. The donation from Moritz and Heyman, a U. of C. alumna and South Shore native who attended Chicago public schools, will help fund internship and study abroad opportunities for those students. Advertisement The donation also will allow for increased participation in the Collegiate Scholars Program from about 70 students to 108 students. The competitive three-year program places talented CPS students in summer classes at the university and provides leadership training and opportunities to visit colleges. Of the 479 program alumni, 70 percent have gone on to attend the nation's most selective schools, such as U. of C. and Harvard. "Cultivating students' potential for exceptional achievement regardless of their economic circumstances has always been a central commitment of the University of Chicago," said President Robert J. Zimmer, in a news release from the university. "Harriet and Michael's transformative generosity reaffirms that principle and allows us to pursue an ambitious model of support for students of diverse backgrounds." mmccall@tribpub.com Twitter @MatthewMcCall_ SPRINGFIELD Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday framed the state's precarious financial situation as a choice for lawmakers this year: work with him on a long-term mix of budget cuts, tax hikes and his pro-business, union-weakening agenda or steep cuts will have to be made. "You choose," Rauner said in his second budget speech at the Capitol. "But please, choose now." Advertisement Should lawmakers continue to resist striking a thus-far-elusive compromise, the first-term governor said he would wield the budget ax himself if the General Assembly gives him special powers to do so. Democrats who control the legislature quickly knocked down the offer, with veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan suggesting once again that the governor should "get reasonable." Advertisement And while Rauner asserted that "this year cannot become a rerun of last year," that's the path Republicans and Democrats appear headed down this spring: a continuation of the stalemate that has left state government amassing billions of dollars in unpaid bills, social service agencies shuttering programs for the poor and some state universities pondering mass layoffs. With all of the House and much of the Senate up for election, those in control of the Capitol are digging in, confident that voters will vindicate their approach this fall. Until then, the state faces a $6.6 billion budget deficit. Under the proposed budget, Rauner assumes he'll be able to find $2.7 billion in savings by reducing health benefits of state workers, reining in state payments for pensions and making agencies operate more efficiently. But Rauner would need help from lawmakers and a new contract with state workers to realize much of those savings. The governor also is hoping to avoid having to pay back $454 million that his administration borrowed from special funds last year to help get through the budget impasse. That leaves a roughly $3.5 billion hole. Rauner didn't spell out how he would bridge it. Instead, the administration presented two scenarios one in which the state would have $32.8 billion to spend and another that would allow for a more generous $36.3 billion. The Rauner administration said lawmakers could either give the governor the freedom to cut the $3.5 billion on his own or work with him to fill the hole with a combination of cuts and new tax revenue alongside passage of his broader legislative agenda. That wish list, a big sticking point for Democrats for a year now, includes changes in how workers are compensated for on-the-job injuries, tighter rules on big-dollar lawsuits and limits on what unions can negotiate in collective bargaining. Rauner said going solo on deep budget cuts is not his "preferred course of action" and wouldn't solve the state's long-term challenges, but that approach would allow Illinois "to stop digging the hole deeper." "With my hand outstretched with a genuine desire to compromise, with respect, I humbly ask you to join me in transforming our state for the better," Rauner said. "Turnarounds are about changing direction. From loss to growth. From decline to expansion. From deficit to surplus. For the economy. For jobs. For taxpayers. For our children. For our future." The governor's Republican allies applauded him for what they see as a willingness to take the heat for fixing Illinois' financial mess. Advertisement "The governor came out and said, 'I am willing to work with you guys, I am willing to share in the difficult choices, but you can't keep doing what didn't work in the past, which is to keep raising taxes without reforming the underlying cost-drivers,'" said Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine. "Either compromise, Democrats in the legislature, or get out of the way and let the governor lead." Democrats saw it differently, with Senate President John Cullerton likening the situation to "Groundhog Day." "I am disappointed in the proposal he made today because it's not a clear path for how we should have a balanced budget for next year. It's out of whack for the second year in a row," Cullerton said. Even without a full budget in place since the new spending year started July 1, state government has been operating at about 90 percent of its capacity because of court intervention and a number of laws that require certain expenses to be paid. Rauner also chose to sign a K-12 education funding bill that was part of a budget package Democrats sent him last year, a decision that allowed him to take credit for boosting spending on schools while avoiding school closings that could have resulted from the impasse. In an apparent acknowledgment that the budget fight of the past year could extend for another, Rauner called on lawmakers to send him a stand-alone funding bill for early childhood education and primary and secondary schools, and he asked that they provide even more money than is currently being spent. "No matter how this session unfolds, send that education bill to my desk clean, no games and I'll sign it immediately," Rauner said. Advertisement He called for an additional $75 million to help more kids enroll in preschool, as well as increasing per-pupil spending for elementary and high school students. Known as the "foundation level," Illinois is supposed to give school districts at least $6,119 for the education of each student. But the state has failed to meet that benchmark in recent years, leading state education officials to prorate those dollars through across-the-board cuts. The result: Affluent districts that already receive less in funding from the state face a comparatively smaller cut than poorer districts that rely more heavily on state dollars. Rauner did not specify how he would pay for the increase in education spending, saying only that reaching the foundation level should be "a first step toward reforming our school funding formula." Instead he took aim at Democratic efforts to overhaul how schools are funded, charging that plans floated in the Senate are nothing more than a "cynical strategy" that pits schools against one another. "To achieve formula changes, we must increase state support for education so that no community has state funding taken away as part of reform," Rauner said. It's a concept commonly known as being held harmless, as well-to-do districts don't want to have their already small share cut as lawmakers search for ways to boost funding for poorer schools. Rauner also took aim at Chicago Public Schools, saying it benefits from a "special deal" in which the district receives hundreds of millions more in funding from the state than districts with similar student demographics. His comments drew a sharp rebuke from CPS CEO Forrest Claypool, whose district has had to make cuts and borrow hundreds of millions of dollars at high interest rates to deal with a massive budget deficit spurred by teacher pension costs. Advertisement "When I listened to the governor, I was reminded of kind of a reversal of Scripture because what he was saying was the first will remain first and the last shall remain last," Claypool told reporters. "Today he made it clear that he was going to do nothing to change the fundamental inequity in school funding throughout the state of Illinois. He proposed nothing additional or new for low-income children throughout the state. The governor today did not disturb the status quo, he defended a system that is indefensible." While Rauner highlighted his desire to pump additional money into early childhood and primary and secondary education, left unmentioned in his remarks was his plan to slash higher education spending. Under the governor's latest budget blueprint, state universities would see funding cut by an average of 20 percent, down from last year's proposed 30 percent trim. Rauner repeatedly has questioned spending at schools, contending administrators are paid too much and there isn't enough emphasis on performance. As such, his proposal would set aside money to reward schools that hit graduation rate targets and other goals. Roughly $10 million would be earmarked for community colleges, and another $50 million would be designated to beef up budgets at state universities that meet certain benchmarks. Left unanswered is how to funnel money more immediately to colleges and universities, some of which say they are struggling to keep their doors open as higher education remains one of the few areas of government not to receive any operating dollars during the impasse. Democrats have sent Rauner a plan to free up more than $700 million for community colleges and scholarships for low-income students, but Rauner plans to veto the measure, saying there is no way to pay for it. Advertisement That prompted a protest by students from Chicago State University, which has declared a financial emergency and said it may not be able to meet payroll come March. As Rauner spoke, the faint chant of students yelling "Do your job!" and "Budget or else!" could be heard inside the ornate House chamber. "We want to show we really care. It's a three-hour trip from Chicago to Springfield, so for us to come here instead of be in class, it really shows the governor that we care about our education and that he needs to fund it," said Paris Griffin, a senior. "But it's been a long eight months, and it doesn't seem like we're being taken seriously." Elsewhere, Rauner would cut nearly $200 million for a program that provides in-home assistance for seniors who don't qualify for Medicaid, shifting some seniors to what the administration says will be a cheaper option for care. The governor also wants to save $13 million by removing children under the state's care from more expensive institutions to community-based care centers. Meanwhile, Rauner wants to hire as many as 700 more corrections workers to cut down on costly overtime at prisons, as well as another 200 workers at the Illinois Department of Transportation, where budget officials say head count has dropped by as much as 500 workers since a federal judge appointed a hiring monitor in the wake of a patronage scandal. While both sides agree in principle that closing the massive budget deficit will require a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts, the stalemate of the past eight months has shown that talk of urgency doesn't always bring action. With the November election looming, some lawmakers said it was hard to see a resolution before next year. "We're dysfunctional. Our state is not operating as it should," said Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo. "I could lie to you and tell you everything's going to be fine, but honestly, I don't see this being resolved until next January." Advertisement Chicago Tribune's Juan Perez Jr. contributed from Chicago. kgeiger@tribpub.com mcgarcia@tribpub.com cbott@tribpub.com Hillary Clinton, left, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Effie O. Ellis Center in Bronzeville on May 20, 2015, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Topspin Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton returns to Chicago on Wednesday for a "get out the vote" rally in the Bronzeville neighborhood as she works to gain African-American support in her primary campaign battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Clinton will be joined at the rally by Geneva Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland, the Naperville woman whose death in a Texas county jail last summer sparked national attention. The trip, to encourage early voting in advance of the March 15 primary, marks the second time that Clinton will appear in Bronzeville since announcing her presidential bid. Last year, at a union-backed event, she held a roundtable with child care workers to discuss costs and push for paid family leave. Advertisement Facing an aggressive challenge from Sanders for the Democratic nomination, Clinton has made gaining support from African-American voters a key. On Tuesday, she delivered a speech on racism in Harlem in which she called for ending the "school to prison" pipeline that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities. Advertisement Clinton, a Chicago native who was raised in Park Ridge, criticized a lack of money for public schools and increasing demands on teachers for allowing a culture of "zero tolerance" to take root to handle student conflict. She proposed a $2 billion plan to help create the hiring of "School Climate Support Teams" in districts and schools with high suspension and in-school arrest rates. Her campaign noted Chicago's schools have one of the highest racial discrepancies for students punished, issuing 32 suspensions per 100 black children compared with only five for white students. In addition to the Bronzeville rally, she also will hold a high-dollar fundraiser. Donors who raise $27,000 will gain entrance to a "host reception" with her as well as a spot on the Hillary for America Finance Committee, according to an invitation. Sanders' campaign, meanwhile, opens a South Loop office in the afternoon. (Rick Pearson) What's on tap *Mayor Rahm Emanuel has no public events. *Gov. Bruce Rauner gives his budget speech at noon. Watch here. *The Chicago City Council Housing Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider an ordinance that would give aldermen more say over the Chicago Housing Authority. Advertisement *Grace period voting starts. (Regular early voting starts Feb. 29.) What we're writing *Rauner to deliver second budget speech before winning approval of first budget. *Zopp more aggressive in second debate of Democratic U.S. Senate campaign. *Scalia vacancy quickly becomes campaign issue for Sen. Mark Kirk. *Emanuel says city will release police shooting videos two to three months after incidents. *Another call for special prosecutor in Laquan McDonald police shooting case. Advertisement *Two 911 call takers suspended without pay in LeGrier case. *Chicago in bind on Lucas Museum sites. What we're reading *C'mon, ride the (CTA pension) train? *Emanuel drops in magazine's yearly arbitrary power rankings. *African-American fathers, sons strengthen bonds in Washington Park project. From the notebook *CTU "walk-in" protests: As contract talks continue Wednesday, the Chicago Teachers Union and allied groups are planning a series of "walk-in" protests at schools across the city. Advertisement It's the latest in a series of demonstrations against Mayor Emanuel and his appointed Chicago Board of Education. CTU says the coordinated protests will focus on "nearly 200 CPS campuses," mostly around schools' morning arrival times. The union says the demonstrations -- which come amid ongoing contract talks and a district effort to trim $85 million from its student-based budgets to schools this year -- will be peaceful. But the plan has led to some tension with school officials. The school district's security office "is working with principals to put specific protocols in place" for Wednesday "to ensure student safety and avoid classroom disruptions," according to a message sent to parents by district CEO Forrest Claypool and his top education officer, Janice Jackson. CPS told parents it expected union members and supporters to gather outside school buildings to demonstrate, but that protesters might also "attempt to walk into the school building as a group in a form of civil disobedience." "In some cases, this may mean limiting access to schools in the morning," Claypool's letter said. "In many cases, there will be no change needed." A district spokeswoman didn't answer which schools would have limited access Wednesday, however. (Juan Perez Jr.) Advertisement *Clip-and-save debate list: WTTW-Ch. 11's "Chicago Tonight" will host a series of Democratic primary candidate debates next month ahead of the March 15 election. March 1 is the 8th Congressional District: Schaumburg businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Elgin state Sen. Michael Noland and Villa Park Village President Deb Bullwinkel. March 2 is the 10th Congressional District: Former U.S. Rep. Brad Schneiger and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. March 7 is the 1st Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush and 21st Ward Ald. Howard Brookins. March 9 is a Cook County Circuit Court clerk forum: Four-term incumbent Dorothy Brown, 8th Ward Ald. Michelle Harris and attorney Jacob Meister. March 10 is a Cook County state's attorney forum: Two-term incumbent Anita Alvarez and challengers Kim Foxx and Donna More. Advertisement Each one starts at 7 p.m. Follow the money *Billionaire Democratic donor George Soros gave $70,000 to a super political action committee promoting Democratic Cook County state's attorney challenger Kim Foxx. *Marty Durkan, who's running as a Democrat for a water reclamation board seat, spent around $50,000 on a mailing for Ald. Michelle Harris, who's the Cook County party's endorsed candidate for Circuit Court clerk. *Track campaign contribution reports in real time with this Tribune Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ILCampaignCash Beyond Chicago *Presidential race, Republican side: Brothers Bush versus Donald Trump in South Carolina. *Presidential race, Democratic side: Clinton talks race in Harlem ahead of Chicago visit. Advertisement *Grassley waiting for Obama Supreme Court nominee before deciding whether he'll hold hearings. *AP explainer on the fight in northern Syria. Four US journalists arrested in Bahrain while covering the anniversary of the island nation's 2011 uprising were charged, released and heading for the airport on Tuesday to fly out of the country, a lawyer said. Feb. 16, 2016. (AP) (Associated Press) Four U.S. journalists arrested in Bahrain while covering the anniversary of the island nation's 2011 uprising were charged, released and flew out of the country Tuesday, a lawyer said. Despite charging them, Bahraini officials allowed them to head for the airport, apparently after the intervention of the U.S. Embassy in Manama. Bahrain is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and surrounding waterways crucial to the global oil trade. But their arrest and charges highlight the sensitivity the kingdom still feels five years after the uprising, as low-level unrest and protests continue. The journalists left a police station after meeting with prosecutors and headed straight for Bahrain International Airport, which they flew out of Tuesday night, lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi told The Associated Press. Authorities kept their cameras and computers, al-Jishi said. The reporters had been held since their arrests Sunday while covering protests in Sitra, a Shiite community outside of the capital, Manama. Bahrain police initially said they detained the four Americans on Sunday for providing "false information that they were tourists" and also alleged that one took part in an attack on Bahraini officers. In a statement Tuesday, Manama's chief prosecutor Nawaf al-Awadi said the journalists' possession of cameras and computers sparked their investigation. It said the journalists were freed "pending the completion of the investigation." An Arabic version of the statement from al-Awadi said the journalists had been charged with illegally assembling with the intent to commit a crime. A later English version carried by the state-run Bahrain News Agency said they were charged with "unlawful obstruction of vehicles and attending unlawful gatherings." The differences between the two could not be immediately reconciled. The nature of the journalists' release suggests they'll likely be banned from returning to Bahrain. The U.S. Embassy in Manama declined to immediately comment on news of the journalists' release. On Monday, U.S. Ambassador William V. Roebuck met with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, according to a late-night statement on the Bahrain News Agency. Only one of the four journalists has been identified so far, freelancer Anna Therese Day of Boise, Idaho. A friend of Day's, Jesse Ayala, has said the journalists were simply doing their job and denied they took part in any "illegal behavior." Day had previously contributed to The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast. Police said one of the journalists was a woman and three were men. On Sunday, police arrested a photographer working with the group, two witnesses said. Later that night, police surrounded the area with checkpoints and arrested the other three, they said. The witnesses spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested. An Interior Ministry statement alleged one of the four journalists "was wearing a mask and participating in attacks on police alongside other rioters in Sitra." The statement also said the journalists entered the country between Thursday and Friday on tourist visas. "At least some of the arrestees were in the country as members of the international media but had not registered with the concerned authority and were involved in illegal activities," the statement said, without elaborating on what those activities were. Bahrain requires international journalists to obtain special media visas before entering to work. The island kingdom allows citizens of many countries, including the United States, to get a tourist visa on arrival. Obtaining a media visa takes several days, and activists say Bahrain has denied media visas for some journalists since the 2011 protests. The 2011 protests in Bahrain were the largest of the Arab Spring wave of demonstrations to rock the Gulf Arab states. They were driven by the country's Shiite majority, which demanded greater political rights from the Sunni-led monarchy. The protests were quashed after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sent in reinforcements. Bahrain blamed regional Shiite power Iran for stirring up the demonstrations, though a government-sponsored investigation into the unrest said there wasn't a "discernable link" between the protests and the Islamic Republic based on the information the government gave them. Bahrain's government committed to a number of reforms in the wake of the 2011 demonstrations, but low-level unrest continues, particularly in Shiite communities. Small groups of activists frequently clash with riot police and bombs occasionally target security forces. Hundreds of Bahraini youths protested Sunday on the fifth anniversary of the uprising. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said at least six reporters are imprisoned by the kingdom over their work. "It is sad that the fifth anniversary of the protests is marked by the arrest of yet more journalists in Bahrain, which has since become one of the worst jailers of journalists in the Arab world," said Sherif Mansour, the committee's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Associated Press Young men look towards the Greek Chios island as they wait for the wind to calm down to travel on a dinghy with other migrants and refugees from Cesme in the Turkish province of Izmir. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) LONDON After an unparalleled tide of asylum-seekers washed onto European shores last summer and fall, the continent's leaders vowed to use the relative calm of winter to bring order to a process marked by chaos. But with only weeks to go before more favorable spring currents are expected to trigger a fresh surge of arrivals, the continent is no better prepared. And in critical respects, it is even worse. Advertisement Ideas that were touted as answers to the crisis last year have either failed or remain stuck in limbo. Continental unity lies in tatters, with countries striking out to forge their own solutions - often involving a razor-wire fence. And even the nations that have been the most welcoming toward refugees say they are desperately close to their breaking point, or are already well past it. The result, analysts say, is a continent fundamentally unequipped to handle the predictable resurgence of a crisis that is greater than any Europe has faced in its post-Cold War history. Advertisement "It's a very dangerous situation," said Kris Pollet, senior policy officer at the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. "Anything can happen." On Thursday, European leaders will have one last opportunity to reckon with the crisis before the pace of new arrivals inevitably begins to climb again in the spring. But few have any expectations that this week's summit will succeed where countless others before it have failed. "Europe can deal with this if it wants to. But there needs to be a political breakthrough. And I'm not optimistic," Pollet said. Without one, he said, "it's going to be chaos. That's clear." The scale of disorder and political disruption could be even greater than what Europe faced in 2015. The numbers themselves are already of an entirely new magnitude: Although arrivals are down from the height of the crisis last fall, the number of people who crossed the sea to reach Europe in the first six weeks of the year - around 75,000 - is 25 times higher than it was during the same period last year. More than 400 have drowned along the way. On the Greek islands, the most common European landing spot for people fleeing war and oppression in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, thousands have arrived even on days when the rough winter seas were churned by gale-force winds. But once the asylum-seekers have landed in Europe, the continent still has no coherent system for managing the flows. Just three out of an intended 11 "hot spots" - locations in Italy and Greece where those deemed likely to receive asylum will be separated from those expected to be denied - were up and running at the start of the week. A quota system that was intended to evenly distribute 160,000 refugees across the continent has similarly foundered: Fewer than 500 people have taken part. Countries in eastern and central Europe, meanwhile, have boycotted the program. Advertisement With countries improvising their own responses to the mass migration, the most basic tenet of Europe's post-Cold War identity - that national leaders should act collaboratively to reach continent-wide solutions to common problems - is being called into question as never before. At most immediate risk is Europe's decades-old system for borderless travel, the Schengen zone. European leaders have warned that it could come crashing down within months, and it has already been riddled by an array of new fences, military patrols and ID checks where once there was free movement. Greece could be the first casualty of Schengen's decline, with the rest of the European Union threatening to kick the cash-starved nation out of the free-movement club unless authorities in Athens can get better control of the nation's sea border with Turkey. Last week, the EU gave Greece a three-month deadline to do just that. But some don't want to wait that long. Eastern European countries including Poland and Hungary are attempting to form an anti-refugee front ahead of this week's Brussels summit, seeking to combine forces on a plan that would effectively trap refugees in Greece and allow them to travel no further into Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who on Monday called Europe "defenseless and weak" in stopping what he regards as an Islamic invasion, has called for the construction of razor-wire fences along Greece's northern borders with Bulgaria and Macedonia. Such a barrier is already going up on the Greek-Macedonian frontier, a major transit point for those heading further north. Even governments regarded as reasonably pro-refugee say that border will soon need to be sealed. Advertisement On a visit to the Macedonian capital on Friday, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that his country is rapidly nearing the limit it has set for asylum-seekers this year - less than half the total of last year - and that Macedonia should be ready to "completely stop" the flow of migrants in the coming months. On Tuesday, Austria announced a bold new plan to limit new arrivals, part of what is now being called a "domino effect" of measures from Greece through the Balkans and into Western Europe meant to deter migrant flows. In a news conference, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner was preparing to set up 12 new checkpoints along its southern border and impose a daily, perhaps even hourly, quota on migrant flows. Austria will also follow Sweden in denying entry to anyone without a valid travel document. "If fences are necessary, additional fences will be built as well," Mikl-Leitner said. Those comments only add to the pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose nation has taken more asylum-seekers than any other in Europe but who faces growing demands to live up to her pledge to dramatically reduce the flows. She heads to Brussels this week with an urgent need to break the political gridlock. One possibility would be to form what some are calling a new "coalition of the willing" - or a list of nations, likely in northern Europe, willing to take in asylum seekers who qualify for resettlement directly from Greece and Turkey. She is also putting stock in a new NATO effort to combat people-smugglers in the Aegean Sea, while pushing Greece to more rapidly ramp up its hot spots for registering and processing asylum seekers. Meanwhile, she is continuing to press Turkish leaders to live up to their end of a bargain in which the EU agreed to pay Ankara 3 billion euros in exchange for Turkish cooperation in cracking down on smuggler networks. Advertisement But with arrivals already far outpacing the same period last year, Germans are running out of patience with Merkel. At home, she faces a falling approval rating and a conservative backlash against her steadfast refusal to close Germany's borders, even after taking in more than one million people last year. The refugee crisis "is a Gordian knot Merkel has to cut. But she tied her political future to it and there's no way back for her," said David Kipp, an associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. If Merkel fails in her attempts to cajole European leaders into cooperating, refugee advocates say there could be grave consequences - not only for the continent, but also for the millions of people seeking an escape from the wars that have consumed Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflict zones. "Our fear is that there will be a domino effect where countries say 'We've had enough,' " said William Spindler, a spokesman for the U.N.'s refugee agency, UNHCR. "Refugee flows are a reality. As long as you have conflict, you will have people fleeing for their lives." And at the moment, more people are doing so globally than at any time since World War II - some 60 million. The number trying to enter Europe is a relatively small fraction. Heaven Crawley, who chairs the study of international migration at Britain's Coventry University, said Europe should be able to handle the number of people reaching its shores. Syria's neighbors, she noted, have coped with much higher proportional totals. Advertisement But, she said, the continent has been plagued by internal division, as well as a focus on keeping people out - rather than honestly reckoning with what should happen once refugees arrive. "It's a crisis of Europe's own making," she said. "If Lebanon and Jordan can manage it, why can't the richest region in the world? It's politics." Faiola reported from Berlin. The Washington Post's Karla Adam in London and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report. ANKARA, TURKEY A car bomb went off in the Turkish capital Wednesday near vehicles carrying military personnel, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to parliament and armed forces headquarters and lodgings. Buses carrying military personnel were targeted while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the "contemptible and dastardly" attack. Advertisement "We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. At least two military vehicles caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. Advertisement There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Kurtulmus pledged that authorities would find those behind the bombing. He said the government had appointed seven prosecutors to investigate the attack, which he described as being "well-planned." Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on IS targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkey's deadliest attack in years. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the bombing saying it exceeds all "moral and humane boundaries." Turkey is determined to fight those who carried out the attack as well as the "forces" behind the assailants, he said. "Our determination to retaliate to attacks that aim against our unity and future grows stronger with every action," Erdogan said. "It must be known that Turkey will not refrain from using its right to self-defense at all times." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the explosion and "hopes the perpetrators of this terrorist attack will be swiftly brought to justice," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Wednesday's attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer and renewed fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. Advertisement The Syrian war is raging along Turkey's southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkey's border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border. Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has also been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. Stoltenberg said there can be no justification "for such horrific acts" and that "NATO Allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism." German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts we are on the side of Turkey." Washington also condemned the attack, according to a statement by Mark Toner, deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department. "We reaffirm our strong partnership with our NATO Ally Turkey in combatting the shared threat of terrorism," Toner said. Advertisement After the attack, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled a visit to Brussels Wednesday evening and attended a security meeting with Erdogan and other officials. Erdogan postponed a trip to Azerbaijan planned for Thursday. The government meanwhile, imposed a gag order which bans media organizations from broadcasting or printing graphic images of the dead or injured from the scene of the explosion and also banned reporting on any details of the investigation. Turkey has imposed similar bans after previous attacks. Last month, 11 German tourists were killed after a suicide bomber affiliated with the IS detonated a bomb in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district. More than 30 people were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Suruc, near Turkey's border with Syria, in July. Associated Press Debra Jackson, a 29-year-old waitress, was discovered shot in the chest three decades ago in an alley. The body of Janecia Peters, 25, was found in a dumpster in 2007. There were at least eight other women. And one who got away. They were young and black and leading troubled lives. Most were killed along a corridor in the Manchester Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Each was initially labeled Jane Doe. Police kept the cases quiet a decision that later led to outrage over what seemed a disregard for the victims as well as the community's safety. The slayings were eventually linked to a serial killer, dubbed the Grim Sleeper. When affable Lonnie Franklin Jr., a former Los Angeles police garage attendant and city garbage collector, was arrested in the case in 2010, it shocked residents but signaled a key moment in the search for justice for a region that has often felt marginalized when it comes to solving homicides. On Tuesday, as Franklin's capital murder trial began in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman told jurors the victims were especially vulnerable to someone who knew the South Los Angeles streets and alleys by heart. At a time when crack cocaine was devastating the community, Franklin had preyed on susceptible women, some of whom worked as prostitutes, luring them into the isolation of his car with the promise of drugs, she said. All but one tested positive for narcotics. Their bodies were later "dumped like trash." As she spoke, gruesome photos were projected onto a screen: Valerie McCorvey's half-naked body left in the street, ligature marks etched into the 35-year-old's neck; Peters folded into a fetal position, her head and hands seen through a hole in a black garbage bag; Alicia Alexander, 18, found nude and underneath a mattress in an alley. The images elicited gasps and whimpers from courtroom spectators. A woman covered her eyes and collapsed into the man beside her, who buried his head in his hands and wept. Franklin, 63, wearing a blue button-down shirt and tie, stared ahead, never turning to look at the photos. Silverman said jurors at one point will view video of Franklin's interrogation by police. "Pay close attention to his body language and his conduct during that interview process as he laughs and makes light of the photos of the dead women lying on the table in front of him," she said. A search of Franklin's home resulted in 800 items of evidence, including 10 guns, one of which matched the bullet that struck Peters in the spine, Silverman said. A photo of Peters, her breast exposed, was found in a refrigerator in Franklin's garage. Advertisement The defense declined to give an opening statement, but will have the opportunity to do so after the prosecution rests. Former LAPD Det. Dennis Kilcoyne, the first witness called, said it was Peters' 2007 slaying that prompted the search for a serial killer after the attacker's DNA matched two earlier cases. Then-LAPD Chief William J. Bratton ordered up a task force to search for related killings. "We started connecting the dots," Kilcoyne said. The controversial DNA evidence that pointed to Franklin will probably be argued at length between a prosecutor and a defense attorney whose interactions at earlier hearings have been contentious. Hundreds of potential jurors warned that the case may take about three months and possibly feature more than 400 witnesses were asked their thoughts on DNA analysis and interpretation in a 31-page questionnaire. In 2008, officials collected DNA data from state prisoners, hoping for a hit on the Grim Sleeper. Nothing turned up. A year later, then-state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown approved a new technique that allowed officials to check whether a crime suspect's DNA partially matches anyone in the state's offender DNA database. The "familial search" for the Grim Sleeper came up with a name: Christopher Franklin. Arrested in 2008 and charged with firearm and drug offenses, he had been required to submit his DNA. His father was Lonnie Franklin. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> Advertisement Police focused on the elder Franklin, tailing him to ensure he was a DNA match. A detective posing as a busboy at a restaurant collected a discarded pizza crust, fork, napkin, drinking glass and cake crumbs. Last year, Franklin's attorneys said that an expert hired by their team had determined that DNA collected from two crime scenes linked to their client matched convicted serial killer Chester Turner. The judge ruled that their expert wasn't qualified to testify. In court papers, the defense also listed more than a dozen other men as potential sources of DNA found at crime scenes tied to Franklin. Turner convicted of killing 14 women, many of whom were found in an area straddling Figueroa Street was among a handful of serial killers in Los Angeles County targeting women during the 1980s and 1990s at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. Ivan J. Hill, known as the 60 Freeway Slayer, strangled women in the San Gabriel Valley. Michael Hughes targeted women who had drug problems, dumping three of them in a commercial area of Culver City. Samuel Little choked his victims, leaving their bodies in alleyways or abandoned garages. See the most-read stories this hour >> The Grim Sleeper, however, has been called the most enduring serial killer of the group, continuing to kill for decades. It's a distinction that angers many who attribute the murders to an indifference toward the victims. "It's been wrenching for the families, demoralizing for the community," said Margaret Prescod, an activist who believes the victims' race was a factor in the cases going unsolved. She has pushed for more than two decades for authorities to be more aggressive. "Everybody remembers the young blond who was killed in Aruba, and rightly they should," Prescod said. "But meanwhile you have all these women in South L.A. and they didn't get the same attention. They're considered the riffraff of society." She added that Enietra Washington, the lone survivor who escaped as a 30-year-old in 1988, didn't know for two decades that she had encountered a possible serial killer. Prescod, who acts as an advocate for victims' families, also said the women's line of work and drug problems should be de-emphasized. "That doesn't mean they should be killed, that their lives should be devalued." Franklin faces 10 counts of murder and one of attempted murder, but investigators suspect that he is responsible for additional deaths. LAPD detectives had continued to search for victims after Franklin's arrest, publicly releasing photos of unidentified women found inside his home. After reviewing hundreds of unsolved homicides and missing person reports, they announced in 2011 that they had traced six more killings to Franklin. By then, the complicated case was moving sluggishly toward trial. In a strategic decision, police decided against seeking additional charges out of fear it would lead to even more delays. For those who have sat through numerous court proceedings over the last five years, the first day of testimony was about progress and pain. After court ended, Porter Alexander walked slowly down the hallway, struggling to speak about the daughter found dead at 18 and the grisly images that had been displayed. "To sit there and see all the trauma that those young girls endured," he said. "I don't have the words." corina.knoll@latimes.com stephen.ceasar@latimes.com For more Southern California courts news, follow @corinaknoll and @sjceasar. ALSO O.C. deputy fatally shoots man at Yorba Linda hotel Looting prompts closures at mining sites in Joshua Tree Blame the balloons: Thousands without power in South L.A., other areas Donald Trump "will not be president" despite his commanding lead in the Republican field, President Barack Obama flatly declared Tuesday, bluntly questioning Trump's temperament while asserting that a restive electorate would ultimately make a "sensible choice." It was Obama's most scathing assessment of the Republican nomination battle to date as he argued that Trump's views were the norm, not the exception, in the Republican Party, and that the front-runner had no business being given access to nuclear weapons or deciding how to prevent a banking crisis. "Whoever is standing where I'm standing right now has the nuclear codes with them, and can order 21-year-olds into a firefight," he said, "and have to make sure that the banking system doesn't collapse and is often responsible for not just the United States of America but 20 other countries that are having big problems or are falling apart and are going to be looking for us to do something. "The American people are pretty sensible," Obama said. "And I think they'll make a sensible choice in the end." Trump said Obama's prediction "actually is a great compliment." Trump outlined his complaints about Obama's presidency, saying: "You look at our budgets, you look at our spending, we can't beat ISIS. Obamacare is terrible. ... Our borders are like Swiss cheese." Trump said Obama "has done such a bad job, he's set us back so far, that for him to say that actually is a great compliment." Trump was answering questions at a campaign event at a Beaufort, South Carolina, high school. He later added that Obama was "lucky I didn't run last time, when Romney ran, because you would have been a one-term president." After hosting a summit of Southeast Asian leaders, the president said foreign observers "are troubled" by the rhetoric in the primaries and seemed to share the view himself. Though voters are venting, he said, ultimately "reality has a way of intruding." "I have a lot of faith in the American people. And I think they recognize that being president is a serious job," Obama said. He then jabbed at Trump's celebrity. "It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing. It's hard. And a lot of people count on us getting it right." Advertisement Los Angeles Times, Associated Press Roberts, Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy, notes University of Chicago law professor Eric Posner in Slate, "are not originalists." They don't go strictly by what the text was understood to mean when it was written but "decide cases the way justices always have: by using whatever materials at hand historical sources, yes, but also (and mainly) judicial precedents, common sense, general principles, political values and so on." Using stingray devices, police can zero in on the location of a particular cellphone and identify the serial numbers of all phones in the area. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Imagine this: A family with young children decides to spend the day visiting a Chicago-area museum, shopping on the Magnificent Mile or hitting some of the historic Lincoln sites in Springfield. The parents pack up the children and head out to the car. They may forget something, but like the rest of us they are unlikely to leave their smartphones at home. What they don't know is that bringing that phone could have unseen consequences if police are using an emerging technology anywhere near their destination. Using this new technology, law enforcement officers are able to capture and store calls, texts or photos of these family outings in a way we never imagined possible. Cell site simulators (often referred to as "stingrays," after the most popular trade name of the technology, StingRay) were developed for use by the military, either as a means of tracking someone in an urban conflict setting or to disrupt cell signals from being used to detonate explosive devices. Advertisement Like so much other technology created for military use, stingrays have returned to the homeland for use by domestic law enforcement, as an easy means of identifying and locating someone in a crowd who is involved in criminal activity. The technology is very expensive, but it can operate in very surprising, and invasive, ways. A stingray effectively "tricks" all cellphones within a certain range into thinking that the device is a legitimate cellphone tower. Once your phone is connected to the masquerading tower, police can zero in on the location of a particular phone and identify the serial numbers of all phones in the area. If such a device were used, for example, on North Michigan Avenue, at the state Capitol during a rally or on Chicago's Museum Campus, all the people in the vicinity could have their cellphone identities and information captured, and they would never know it. Advertisement If you have not heard of this technology, that may be on purpose. In many communities, including Chicago, privacy advocates have been forced to sue simply to find out if their cities are using the technology. In fact, when stingray use by police was revealed in Tacoma, Wash., a number of City Council members (who had approved the purchase) reported that the technology was never fully described to them. In other words, our tax dollars are being expended for this surveillance technology without any public debate. The secrecy is aggravated by the power of stingrays. New generations of cell site simulators are being promoted as able to block calls, lock phones connected to the tower, drain phone batteries, plant viruses and malware on phones and intercept the actual content of cellphone transmissions, including all calls, emails, website browsing or text messages. The device is even capable of blocking fast connections and slowing down service, meaning that family members who get separated near a cell site simulator may not be able to reach one another easily. Despite these capabilities, there are currently no rules governing how police can use cell site simulators in Illinois. The Illinois General Assembly should change that soon. A bipartisan group of legislators is pushing legislation that would add a number of important protections for residents in Illinois. First, the legislation would regulate the use of this powerful technology to locating or tracking someone who is believed (based on some evidence) to be involved in criminal activity. Police should be prohibited from using a stingray to intercept data (like calls or text messages), place viruses or malware on a device or drain battery life. The federal government recently issued regulations requiring cell site simulators used by its law enforcement officials to be configured in a way that prohibits these uses. If that's good enough for the FBI and the DEA, it is certainly appropriate for Chicago or Peoria. The state legislation also would require law enforcement to get permission from a court before using a cell site simulator, and apprise the court as to how the device works and how it will be used. When being asked to grant a probable-cause order to utilize a stingray, a judge should understand the power and reach of this surveillance technology. Currently, many judges may not. Finally, police would be required to delete the data of anyone who is not a target of the investigation, such as that family visiting the museum. These modest regulations are quickly gaining widespread support across Illinois. They should. No family should think that a cultural getaway is an invitation to be surveilled. Khadine Bennett is the legislative counsel and Edwin C. Yohnka is the director of communications and public policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Gov. Bruce Rauner will deliver his budget address Wednesday, the second of his tenure. So if you're keeping score at home: 2 budget speeches, 0 budgets, because Rauner remains in a stalemate with the free-spending legislature over how to fund cash-strapped Illinois. We knew Rauner's budget speech last year, given on his 38th day in office, wouldn't go down easy: It was Republican governor from the outside vs. Democratic lords of the realm. Of course there would be pushback. But we wondered if long-serving House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton could look anew at the state's financial crisis and acknowledge the day of reckoning was finally at hand. Advertisement We wrote: "Will they now try to school (Rauner) on the art of obstruction? Or will they work with him to fix a broken Illinois?" The answer Obstruction School! came last spring. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly handed the governor a budget with $4 billion more in spending than expected revenue. Rauner vetoed it, because we don't have the money. Advertisement (Scott Stantis) Meanwhile, Rauner went to work securing reasonable labor contracts with several public employee unions. Unfortunately, contract talks with 38,000 state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are playing out as a shameful mini-me version of the state budget battle: Madigan and Cullerton are doing what they can to tip the AFSCME negotiations in favor of a contract Illinois taxpayers cannot afford. On Tuesday, Madigan's House dissed the governor by passing a dangerous bill that would take the AFSCME negotiations out of the governor's hands and submit the two sides to binding arbitration. A three-member panel would look at AFSCME's desires and the governor's offer and pick a winner. No let's-split-the-difference compromise based on what Illinois could actually afford. Just pick a side. Feel lucky? The Rauner administration doesn't. The stakes are absurdly high: The union's demands could add another $3 billion in spending over the life of the contract. Last May, the General Assembly first passed the arbitration bill. Rauner vetoed it and the Senate voted to override, but miraculously the House came up short in its override effort and the bill died. Now it's back, looming as a new threat to taxpayers. Senate action, or inaction, comes next. It's exasperating to consider the legislature's meddling in AFSCME's negotiations with the executive branch. Think about it: Rauner on Wednesday will address the citizens (and taxpayers) of Illinois about the state's budget mess. And he will give this address looking out at an audience of elected officials, some of whom essentially told him Tuesday to shut up and let unelected arbitrators decide whether taxpayers should fork over the added-on billions to pay state workers. Money Illinois does not have. The Rauner administration says it's been through 67 negotiating sessions with AFSCME in a year, and the two sides remain far apart on the most important issues. We've chronicled some: Rauner wants to freeze wages for four years. He wants employees to work 40 hours a week before becoming eligible for overtime, instead of the current 37.5 hours. He wants workers to pay more for their own health coverage. AFSCME wants higher wages and to keep its other benefits. What Rauner wants is what the state needs: government services Illinois can afford. In January, Rauner asked the Illinois Labor Relations Board to rule whether negotiations are at an impasse. That would allow him to impose his final offer, which could provoke an AFSCME strike. It likely will take months to hear a decision. Coinciding with that process is this gambit to involve an arbitration panel. The AFSCME contract expired June 30, 2015, but for as long as this plays out, terms of the previous contract remain in force. We don't know what the governor will say during his budget address Wednesday, but we know he's got a couple of key facts at his disposal: Illinois has a $111 billion unfunded pension obligation. It has a pile of unpaid bills. And by pushing this measure, Democrats actually are pushing for tax increases to cover their attempted generosity to their pals at AFSCME. Generosity Illinois cannot afford. Advertisement Follow the Editorial Board on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Children stand near the rubble of a burnt house after Boko Haram attacks at Dalori village on the outskirts of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria on Jan. 31, 2016. (AFP/Getty Images) In December, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari declared Boko Haram, the country's ultra-violent Islamist militant group, to be "technically" defeated. That's just not so. A few weeks ago Boko Haram fighters went on the rampage, killing 86 people in an assault on the village of Dalori in Nigeria's northeast. The attack involved shootings, suicide bombings and torchings of huts. A witness reported hearing the screams of children burning to death. Advertisement This month Boko Haram attacked again, sending three females wearing explosive vests into a crowded refugee camp. Two women blew themselves up, killing 58 people, while the third bomber, a young teen, surrendered. She said she feared killing members of her own family, who were in the camp. She also warned that more bombings were planned. Buhari's "technical" description of victory seems narrowly focused on claims that since he took office last May, the Nigerian military has made progress retaking territory from Boko Haram. It's hard to assess what's really happening from afar, but the foe is clearly shifty, capable of hit-and-run assaults and suicide bombings, as well as ground warfare. Boko Haram's use of young women and girls is especially disturbing. "Many of them don't know that they will be blown up with remote devices," Leila Zerrougui, a United Nations official, said recently. Advertisement Remember, too, this is the terror organization that kidnapped 276 school girls in 2014. Most of those girls are still missing. Nigeria said last week that the military continues searching. Boko Haram's catalog of horrors is more than a distant tragedy in a troubled country. The group affiliated itself with Islamic State last year in a part of Africa increasingly vulnerable to a broad terror threat. In January, al-Qaida gunmen killed two dozen people at a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso, following a similar attack in Mali in November. On the other side of the continent is unstable Somalia, where last week the East African militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for blowing a hole in a commercial jetliner Feb. 2. Somalia's president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, connected the dots back to Nigeria, saying members of Boko Haram trained in Somalia. Because the terrorists are linked and organized, the president said, "we, the world, we need to be so organized." A hole is photographed in a plane operated by Daallo Airlines as it sits on the runway of the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Feb. 2, 2016. (AP) He's right. Boko Haram doesn't pose a direct threat to the United States the violence in Nigeria is rooted locally in resentment over poverty and corruption that found an outlet in radical Islam. There's reason to be vigilant, though, because the chaos Boko Haram sows gives encouragement and potential breathing room to jihadists across Africa. Territory left unchecked will fester: In 2013, it took an invasion by French forces to reclaim Mali from elements of al-Qaida and other Islamist groups. Nigeria, Africa's largest and wealthiest nation by gross domestic product, ought to be able to handle its own security, but it struggles far too much. The economy's a mess, hobbled by low oil prices and corruption, while the military is inefficient and unreliable. The Boko Haram attack on Dalori occurred just miles from the military's anti-Boko Haram command center. Forces from neighboring countries are fighting alongside Nigeria, while the U.S. has a presence in the region that includes a drone base in Niger, another planned for Cameroon and some special forces operations. So there should be an ample military force to destroy Boko Haram. The greater pressure from Washington and other world capitals needs to be political: to push Buhari to keep his armed forces in line and focused. Terrorists with a parochial approach today often find ways of extending their reach tomorrow. The Nigerians need to up their game against Boko Haram. And they need to find those kidnapped girls. Follow the Editorial Board on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. I am both a worker and a boss. I am a unionized employee of a nonprofit organization. But as a taxpayer in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois and the U.S., I am one of the "bosses" to public employees teachers and others. So what kind of boss would I be? I would be a boss who treats my employees fairly, even at inconvenience to me. I would be like Aaron Feuerstein, former head of Malden Mills Industries, who paid his workers when a fire 20 years ago destroyed his factory, and rebuilt it to preserve their jobs. (I would be a boss who first looks out for those who work for me, whose lives literally depend on me. Advertisement When the now receding state income tax hike was in place, I paid more in taxes to Illinois than before. But my payments helped insure public employees' constitutionally guaranteed pensions, so I feel good in that way. I am willing to pay more in taxes a progressive state tax that might affect me if it means those who work for me are treated well. I would also devote my resources where they would do the most good; tax money that has gone into TIFs should be released to help ease the budget crisis. And I would make changes only through negotiation with my employees, and live up to promises that are in force. Unless my fellow bosses can pass constitutional legislation with the input of public unions, or amend the state constitution (not saying I would support that, but it is a proper, legal way), we need to keep our guarantees to our workers. Saying there is no more money is not an excuse; we can find the money. Advertisement Jeffrey Taylor, Chicago "Bluebirds, singing a song, nothing but bluebirds, all day long" go the lyrics of "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin. Evidently bluebirds were special to Berlin, and they are treasured by many nature enthusiasts, especially since their population has been declining. You see, bluebirds evidently require especially "attractive" houses. And, Barrington High School senior Sean Doran, son of Terry and William Doran, of Fox Point, has just achieved Eagle Ranking; by building a whole slew of them, with a little help from his friends! Advertisement "Local Eagle Scout Candidate Sean Doran of Troop 927 was in need of an Eagle project. Leave No Child Inside was in need of bluebird houses for the May 4th greater Barrington area KidFest. Sounds like a perfect match!" said Pat Winkelman of Leave No Child Inside (LNCI) of Barrington and Lake Zurich. "Bluebirds are cavity dwellers, and with the past trend of landscaping to rid yards of decayed or dying trees that provide food, shelter and nesting sites, along with extreme development, bluebirds are in need of help to provide them nesting sites," said Pat. "Furthermore, bluebirds are unable to create their own nest cavities as woodpeckers do.However, bluebird nest boxes mimic natural cavities, and with proper installation, can provide many years of service to local bluebird populations." According to Pat, "The Leave No Child Inside initiative resulted from Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods" where Louv coined the phrase "nature-deficit disorder" resulting from the shocking divide between children and the outdoors." Advertisement "Sean completed his project of building nearly 80 bluebird house kits, along with compiling information regarding house maintenance and bluebird attraction for children," added Pat. Then, in a joint June celebration of "Leave No Child Inside" month, the annual Barrington Area KidFest, 12th annual Community Kite Fly, and fourth annual Family Nature Fest converged in Barrington Citizen's Park. It was hosted by the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, Barrington Park District and Leave No Child Inside of the Greater Barrington and Lake Zurich Area, "three community-oriented organizations," according to Pat. More than 2,100 children and caregivers, plus numerous supporters, attended the event, including Barrington Area Library, Barrington High School Interact Club, Boy Scouts Signal Hill District Council/Pathway to Adventure, Citizens For Conservation /Youth ED, Cosley Zoo, DaVinci Waldorf School, Fox Valley Wildlife Center, Fred Fest, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, Glowby the Bubbler, LLBean, Lake County Forest Preserve, Lakeside Moms & Tots, and Noah's Ark Christian Preschool. "I originally was planning on doing a project involving technology," said Sean. "After reading about the (bluebird) project and its benefits for my local community, I said 'yes' to the beneficiary organization, Leave No Child Inside. I love building things and planning out a project. I also like working with children." Sean then researched birdhouse specifications and appropriate location. He compiled materials, a budget, and donations. "Additionally, Sean led his volunteers in cutting the bird house pieces, pre-drilling pilot holes, entrance holes, ventilation holes and holes for clean-out mechanism," said Pat. "The next step was assembling each kit, including two different length screws and an educational sheet about the importance of bluebirds. Lastly, Sean instructed his volunteers regarding the process of making the houses, setting up at KidFest and finally assisting the many children in making their own houses." One birdhouse sample was painted Home Depot orange as a thank you to the Palatine Home Depot for their donation of materials, tools and safety goggles. Sean recounted his obstacles on the path to project success: "One of the greatest challenges was planning for the actual event, KidFest, at the very beginning of my project. I already knew that I needed about four or five volunteers to help me on event day Another challenge that I faced was planning how to best construct the kits. We ended up having three Troop building sessions." Sean described the value of scouting. Advertisement "I believe that becoming an Eagle Scout has opened up a new world for me. I have learned a new level of leadership I have also learned the difficulties of leading a group of people. It has changed my life in a big way. I have gained a new level of respect from friends and family, and they sometimes ask me for help." Sean added, "It takes a lot of work!" LNCI's next KidFest take place May 7, with a rain date of May 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Citizens Park in Barrington. More information can be found at funoutside.org and barringtonkidfest.com. Kimberly Albrecht is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press As building and grounds director for Lincoln-Way High School District 210, Paul Gonzalez helped renovate a barn at North for the "Superdog" training center. (Daily Southtown / Gary Middendorf) In the two years before the Frankfort Square Park District took over the Superdog training school, Lincoln-Way High School District 210 received no payments from the dog training center it spent nearly $45,000 to host, records and interviews show. Recently-released records also show that a high-ranking District 210 administrator claimed the Frankfort Square Park District was running the dog training program in September 2013 months before the park district took over the program in 2014. Advertisement And even though District 210 spent nearly $45,000 to renovate a barn at Lincoln-Way North for Superdog, the district never had any formal written contract with Superdog, officials said. Altogether, those revelations raise even more questions about the cash-strapped school district's management practices, community members said. Advertisement "It makes me wonder from a cultural standpoint what kind of oversight and management they have within the (district)," said Liz Sands, president of Lincoln-Way Area Taxpayers Unite. District 210 landed on the state's financial watch list last year and the school board voted to close Lincoln-Way North in response, prompting major community outcry and scrutiny of the district's finances. In December, LWATU filed a lawsuit claiming financial mismanagement by district officials and seeking to block the high school's closure. The Daily Southtown recently reported that the district paid out $272,000 in retirement bonuses for 18 employees from 2013 to 2015, at a time when the district's financial situation was rapidly deteriorating. The district has also paid $199,113 in penalties to the state pension system, records show. Previously, the Southtown reported that Superdog was created by former Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie in 2011 and 2012 without school board knowledge or approval. The district's former building and grounds director, Paul Gonzalez, helped Wyllie create Superdog and resigned in 2013 after the district determined he did private work during his district hours, reportedly in Wyllie's subdivision. At Superintendent Scott Tingley's request, the park district took over the Superdog program in 2014. Tingley has said Superdog had "no student benefit." Tingley succeeded Wyllie in 2013. Superdog is run by a trainer who has worked with Wyllie and his Australian shepherds. Tanya Mikolajcyzk, pink sweater, conducts a "Superdog" obedience training class offered by Frankfort Square Park District and taught in a Lincoln-Way North High School building, January 19, 2016. (Allen Cunningham / Daily Southtown) It's unclear how much money Lincoln-Way missed out on by not charging Superdog for using its facilities. School district officials said they have no records showing how many people brought their pets there for classes or how much revenue the program brought in. The district's lack of records showing how its facilities were used also raised concerns. Advertisement "If they're paying attention to how many students are in each classroom for each class period, they certainly should be paying attention to how many outsiders are using their properties," said Steve Eberhardt, an attorney representing LWATU. Since the Frankfort Square Park District took over the program in 2014, Superdog has brought in substantial revenue. From May 2014 to December 2015, Superdog generated $76,165 in revenue, park district records show. Superdog holds evening classes three times a week. Of that, $46,788 went to Superdog's instructor, $20,608 went to District 210, $4,210 went to the Park District's scholarship program for graduating seniors and $4,558 went to maintenance, according to the Park District. Although Superdog did not pay any money to Lincoln-Way before becoming a Park District program, school district officials said Superdog did pay $1,600 for scholarships to students. Superdog's trainer did not return messages seeking comment. Advertisement The other issue raised by recently-released public records is when the Park District took over the program. In September 2013, the Illinois Education Association filed a Freedom of Information Act request that asked for records related to the "Super Dog Training School" at Lincoln-Way North. Responding for the district, Assistant Superintendent for Business Ron Sawin said "the program is operated through the Frankfort Square Park District." Jim Randall, the park district's executive director, has said his district "had nothing to do with that program from 2012 to 2014" a point he reiterated when asked about the district's 2013 FOIA response. "No involvement prior to 2014," Randall wrote in an email. Asked about the 2013 FOIA, Sawin said he based his response on a 2012 intergovernmental agreement between Lincoln-Way 210 and Frankfort Square Park District. He declined an interview request to discuss that further. Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > That document, signed in July 2012, lists a number of facilities shared between the two governments, including Superdog Obedience Training School. Last month, that agreement became a source of contention after Lincoln-Way's Board President, Kevin Molloy, said he had never heard of Superdog until March 2015, even though he had signed the intergovernmental agreement. In an interview, Molloy said he signed the document but didn't know it involved the dog training center. Minutes from the Lincoln-Way board meeting on July 26, 2012, show that Wyllie discussed extending the intergovernmental agreement, but Superdog is not mentioned in the minutes. Sawin said he "cannot state with certainty" who created the intergovernmental agreement but said it wasn't him. gpratt@tribpub.com Advertisement Twitter: @royalpratt Statue of Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural speech outdoors across from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, in Springfield, on Jan. 22, 2014. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) SPRINGFIELD On Friday, Illinoisans celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday and I celebrated mine. If you grow up in Illinois sharing a birthday with our state's martyred saint, expect to be thoroughly indoctrinated in Lincoln lore. Advertisement When I was a kid, I read every Lincoln biography in the school library, had a picture of Honest Abe tacked to my bedroom bulletin board and could rattle off Lincoln trivia the way other boys can recite baseball statistics. When I was 8, I wanted to go to Gettysburg, not Disney World. Advertisement Other states have nicknamed themselves after their crops, their heritages or natural attributes. Illinois, on the other hand, is the only one that identifies itself with a person thanks to state Sen. Fred Hart of Streator who, in 1955, sponsored legislation designating the state as the "Land of Lincoln." Here in Springfield, Lincoln has been all but deified Preserver of the Union; The Rail Splitter; the Great Emancipator. In many ways, Lincoln is the glue that holds together the state's identity. Ask a Texan where she's from and she'll say "Texas." Ask the same question of an Illinoisan and you more than likely will hear: "Chicago," "the suburbs" or "downstate." Illinois has long been a divided state with a political heritage that would make Rod Blagojevich blush. And culturally the divide is even greater. Advertisement Folks in the northeastern part of the state live like they are in New York City and think down in Southern Illinois it's rural Alabama. Years ago, I worked out of state with a woman from Skokie. When she learned I was from Illinois, she wanted to know if I was from the city or the suburbs. When I told her I grew up on a hog farm near Galesburg, she gave me a blank perplexed look. It wasn't part of her conception of Illinois. But Lincoln has become the touchstone that joins the state. His life reflects the contradictions of Illinois. His most famous act the Emancipation Proclamation was the classic Illinois political move. Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > It freed slaves only in areas controlled by the Confederacy but not in areas under Union control. It looked high-minded and statesman-like. But the proclamation's immediate value was as a ploy to keep England and France from supporting the Confederacy. Secretary of State William Seward said at the time, "We show our sympathy with slavery by emancipating slaves where we cannot reach them and holding them in bondage where we can set them free." An Illinois politician motivated by appearances rather than idealism? Maybe what we are seeing today in Springfield shouldn't be so surprising. After all, "Honest Abe" cut his political teeth as an Illinois legislator. Advertisement Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse reporter and a journalist with Illinois News Network, a project of the Illinois Policy Institute. He can be reached at sreeder@ilnews.org. A goat has been spotted roaming with deer near the Haeger property on the west side of the Fox River. (John Tovar / HANDOUT) West Dundee got the goat. A goat believed to be the same animal seen trotting through Elgin neighborhoods in October has been spotted in West Dundee, according to village manager Joe Cavallaro. Advertisement Residents began reporting seeing a goat about two months ago, Cavallaro said. "From what we can ascertain here, it is running with a herd of deer," Cavallaro said. Advertisement The goat has been spotted in the village's Old Town area on the south side of the village, and on the Haeger property on the west side of the Fox River. "It might be a little confused," as it is living with a whole other species, Cavallaro laughed. When last seen by Elgin police in October, a goat was trotting into high weeds in Wing Park. After that, it was reported by residents in Elgin's Century Oaks Neighborhood. Since it was spotted in West Dundee, police officers and the community have reported the goat roaming on the edges of town. At least one resident gave it a name via a Facebook post Thor. "Community members call into village hall asking about it," Cavallaro said. Alyssa McGaha of West Dundee said she saw the goat for the first time at about dusk on Dec. 29. She posted photos of the goat on a village-centric Facebook page at the time. "I live backed up to the Haeger Property, across a small creek on Strom Drive and right next to South End Park. We see deer all of the time spot them almost every day at dusk when they come out of the woods, jump the small creek and venture into the neighborhood and/or South End Park to frolic and play. "The deer appeared alarmed and kept looking back toward the forest, and all of a sudden they all ran off in a shot, and out of the forest, came 'Thor'," the name McGaha gave the goat after her first encounter. Advertisement "I was completely flabbergasted. I was expecting them to be running from a coyote perhaps, but certainly not a goat. I tried to snap a few pictures of him but he quickly took off back into the woods," McGaha said in a Facebook message. She asked around via Facebook posts, but no one volunteered more information. Since then, she's seen the goat again. "Exactly one month later, I spotted him again with a group of deer in our backyard," she said. "A few others have been lucky enough to get pictures of him, but he's clearly very skittish and doesn't stick around long enough for you to get a good picture," McGaha said. The deer have since seemed to adopt the goat as one of their own, she added. There have been no reports to Kane County officials of a lost goat. Advertisement Brett Youngsteadt, Kane County Animal control director, said there is no reason for his office to pick up the goat, unless asked to do so by village officials. "It is possible it ran off someone's farm and it is now living in the wild," Youngsteadt said. It wouldn't be the first time his office has had a farm animal. There was another goat in the county shelter last year, and a potbellied pig is in the shelter now as well, he added. The pig was picked up by animal control wandering the streets, he said. The expert on goats, however, is Anita Dahnke of the American Goat Federation, out of West Lafayette, Ind. Based on photos emailed to her Tuesday, Dahnke believes, "He's most likely at least part dairy," she said in an email response. It appears to be a cross between a Spanish meat goat, an Alpine dairy goat, and possibly a Kiko meat goat "which were imported from New Zealand and are now raised here. We're guessing based on appearance," Dahnke said. She said she can't tell the gender from the photos. Advertisement It is likely a wether a neutered male or a female. "If they are sexually intact you can see the udder on a female and the testicles on the males. It is probably a wether or a female, or the deer might not accept it," she said via phone. Spanish goats once roamed the U.S. and still do, and this goat seems comfortable roaming with the deer, Dahnke said. "Since no one has come forward to claim him/her, it won't hurt anything to let the goat roam. There is some concern about parasites, but goats have roamed in the wild for years and this goat has a heavy hair coat and appears to be very healthy. In addition, there won't be any concern about increasing the goat population since it is by itself," she said. The deer can carry a parasite worm that can be dangerous for goats, she said. "So that is not the best, but he'd be harder than heck to catch," Dahnke said. It could have come from anywhere someone's farm, a sale barn, or a controlled browse program if there was one in the area when it appeared, she added. Advertisement While her group occasionally hears of free-roaming goats, it isn't all that common. "Normally goats don't roam but a goat roaming the suburbs of Chicago is pretty cool." While neighbors seeing the goat in their backyards might enjoy the visits, they might not appreciate its company come spring. Goats tend to like broad-leaved plants, like flowers and hasta. "They love hasta," Dahnke laughed. "Goats are browsers and they will eat leaves off trees, etc. which is basically what the deer eat," she said. "They will stand on their back legs in order to reach as high as they can. This goat may also climb on decks in order to eat flowers but also eat the undesirable plants like multiflora rose, thistles and cockleburs. It will also be more likely to climb on cars and other objects in the yards so people need to be aware of that possibility. If it is startled or cornered it may run over someone, just like any other animal," she wrote. While the goat has been living as a feral goat since at least last fall, it isn't too late to socialize him, she added. Advertisement "But he is like a dog that has been running feral for awhile," she added. He can be socialized if fed they also like alfalfa hay, Dahnke said. If it stays healthy, finds plenty of forage, and isn't eaten by a coyote, the goat could live up to 12-13 years, Dahnke said. Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter. Elgin has given notice to Stickling Foundation overseer Neal Pitcher to make emergency repairs to the Tower Building facade. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News) Elgin authorities ordered the overseer of the Tower Building to do emergency repairs Tuesday following reports that pieces of the downtown building's limestone facade were tumbling to the ground, creating a possible hazard. According to documents obtained by The Courier-News, Elgin corporate counsel William Cogley contacted property overseer Neal Pitcher on Feb. 8 to discuss the issue and inform him immediate action was required. Pitcher heads the nonprofit William Stickling Foundation, which owns the downtown building. Advertisement The city's request followed a Courier-News story about residents who were concerned about the potential hazards of chunks falling off the 15-story limestone building's facade. "We talked 10 days or so ago about moves that had to be made to make sure the public is safe," Mayor Dave Kaptain said. "Mr. Pitcher is responsible for the building, and if he doesn't take the steps we're requiring, the city will make sure it's safe as well." Advertisement Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall has this 60-pound piece of the Tower Building's facade in his office at City Hall. (City of Elgin / handout) Cogley asked Pitcher to have a protective canopy installed over the sidewalk next to the building, which has been surrounded by a fence put there by the city since the structure was red-tagged in 2014. According to Cogley, Pitcher indicated the foundation did not have resources to cover the work and that he would reach out to staff from Missouri-based Capstone Development, which is in negotiations to buy the building. Capstone intends to convert the Depression Era building into 45 market rate apartments. Chicago-based developer Richard Souyoul has been working on the project with Capstone. Tuesday, Souyoul said he hasn't been told of the order to fix the facade, but that the sale is still moving forward. "We are working on it," Souyoul said of the sale. "The facade thing was not a welcome situation," and added one more issue to the project, he said. Pitcher could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Cogley asked community development director Marc Mylott to issue a notice and order of emergency repairs to Pitcher. The document was posted on the building, emailed and sent by registered mail Tuesday, city manager Sean Stegall said. The city gave Pitcher until Monday to put up the canopy around the Tower, which is Elgin's tallest building. By March 1, he must provide evidence a qualified third party has assessed the facade, according to the order. He must also start any repairs the assessment says need to be made. If Pitcher doesn't comply, the city will take steps to have the canopy installed and possibly to shore up the facade itself, Cogley said. A lien could be put on the property to cover the city's costs, Cogley said. Cost estimates are not yet available, officials said. Advertisement Downtown businessman Michael Copeland has a collection of pieces that have come off the building in the past two years, but said what he found this year were the biggest chunks yet. He compared them in size to a large dictionary. Elgin has put up signs on the fence surrounding the red-tagged Tower Building warning of falling objects. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News) In his City Hall office, Stegall has a 60-pound limestone piece collected Feb. 5 after it fell from the Tower Building. Stegall said he has shown it to City Council members and staff to show how serious the matter is. He said he does not know of other large pieces that have fallen from the structure since that date, and the city has installed signs around the building warning of falling objects. Stegall said city crews check the site daily for facade debris, and he periodically inspects the area, too. The Tower Building stands between North Grove and Douglas Avenues at East Chicago Street in downtown Elgin. Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter. mdanahey@tribpub.com Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington (left) and 2nd Ward Alderman Peter Braithwaite addressed resident's concerns after a shots were fired and two men barricaded themselves in an Evanston home last November. (Bob Seidenberg / Pioneer Press) If you see more police on the streets, it's part of a new Evanston Police Department strategy seeking to increase visibility and saturate areas where there have been an uptick in reports of gunfire and shootings, police announced last week. Evanston police Chief Richard Eddington discussed the heightened deployment at a 2nd Ward meeting at the J.E.H. Education Center on Thursday. Advertisement Eddington said a series of violent events, primarily day-time shootings, have prompted police "to emphasize high visibility and deployment of resources in the areas that have been most impacted." Under the strategy, said Deputy Chief Aretha Barnes, in charge of field operations for the department, residents can expect "to see more of us out on the streets, from top to bottom." Advertisement Barnes said members of the detectives bureau, gang, drug and juvenile units will be out in the streets. Eddington said police used a similar strategy in driving down the burglary rate last year. "That operation tended to be more low profile and covert. We've taken those resources and put them into high visibility patrols," he said. As an example, he cited an incident in November when officers followed suspects in a shots-fired incident into a building in the 1800 block of Lake Street. "The NET (Neighborhood Enforcement Team) happened to be in the area doing something else when the shooting occurred," he said. "It was because they were there and able to intervene quickly, identified the offender, recovered the firearm, we had a successful resolution, so we're trying to duplicate that success with this deployment strategy." The department will also be more active on Facebook and Twitter, Barnes said. On Twitter, under the handle @EvanstonPD, police could be tweeting out information "as simple as an accident and road closure," to something of a more serious nature, "such as a shooting investigation in progress," she said. The department also depends on citizen participation, she said. "If you see something, if your neighbor sees something, please give us a call," she appealed to residents. Advertisement "That's what it really takes from every one in here," said Kevin McCoy, a resident who attended the meeting. "So open up your mouth and say what's going on. When you catch it, when you nip it in the bud, that's when you can make a difference." The department's Text-A-Tip program allows a tipster to remain anonymous, while supplying the department with information. More information about the program can be found on the city website, cityofevanston.org, clicking on the "Government" tab, and then the "Police Department." Leads in murder of Curt's Cafe student, other investigations At the meeting, Eddington told residents that police have developed several "persons of interests" in the shooting death of former Curt's Cafe student Bejamin "Bo" Mandujano-Bradford. Bradford, 20, was fatally shot Jan. 19 in the 1300 block of Darrow Ave., which is located in the 2nd Ward. He said police have more background work to do before the individuals can be brought in for questioning. "Unfortunately we know through our investigation that young Mr. Bradford was engaged in ongoing illegal activities that led directly to his demise," Eddington said at the meeting. Advertisement In this file photo, Evanston police Chief Richard Eddington addresses the city's Human Services Committee. (John P. Huston / Chicago Tribune) Eddington said police served search warrants on several social media sites as well as phone records dating back several months in their investigation of the case. "It is very tragic, the death of a young person, especially a violent one," Eddington said, "but what's more tragic is the effort that many entities in the city of Evanston put in attempting to direct Mr. Bradford to a better life." At the meeting, Eddington provided details on several other recent shooting or shots fired incidents, which have occurred outside the ward over the past month. The shooting of a 45-year old Chicago man in the arm at Howard and Ridge Avenue the night of Feb. 10, appeared to stem from a dispute four days before over a parking space, Eddington said. He told residents that the Feb. 2 non-fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man who was sitting in his car in the 1300 block of Dobson Street appeared retaliatory. Eddington said the shooting appeared to be in response to the June 2014 killing of Albert E. Norman. Norman was found behind the wheel of a car on the 1900 block of Brown Avenue, shot to death. The case remains unsolved. Advertisement "Unfortunately this is connected to a series of events in town," Eddington said. "That individual (the man shot on Dobson Street) was held accountable or responsible by the street for the death of Albert 'Pig' Norman." "Whether that's true or false I can't speak to its certainty," Eddington said, "but that's what a lot of Albert Norman's friends think." He said the man shot on Dobson had a long history of such interactions. "When we interviewed him we asked 'who would want to shoot you,'" Eddington said. "His response [was] 'a lot of people.' He's in the life, that's where his intentions are." Eddington told community members that recent shots fired incidents in the 2000 block of Dewey Avenue on Jan. 29 and in the 2000 block of Emerson Street on Feb. 1 appeared part of "ongoing gang conflicts." The victim in the Emerson shooting was on home monitoring and had gone outside to smoke a cigarette when someone shot at him, said Eddington. Advertisement "We are working diligently on all these cases," Eddington said. The cases can be difficult to make, he said, "especially if the victims don't cooperate." That's one reason, police are placing stress on saturating certain areas with officers and looking for firearm violations, he said. bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @evanstonscribe Authorities say warmer weather has created dangerous ice conditions that have already led to multiple accidents this month on frozen waters in Lake County and southeastern Wisconsin. And the temperature is only going to rise this week. Advertisement "With the warming conditions coming this weekend, it's only going to be worse," said Fox Lake Fire Chief Ron Hoehne "Our suggestion is to stay off the ice." The most recent accident happened Monday night when a 34-year-old snowmobiler from Spring Grove spent more than 20 minutes in frigid water in Fox Lake after he rode into open water, Hoehne said. The ice on the Chain O'Lakes can get about a foot thick, but other areas have no ice at all, he said. Advertisement Divers and an airboat were needed to rescue the man, who was hospitalized with hypothermia, Hoehne said. The snowmobiler is expected to recover. Lisa Hodgkinson Kindstrom, 59, who has lived by Fox Lake for eight years, said there is more open water on the frozen lake this year. "This is probably the most open it's been in weeks," she said. "It was frozen over where he went in just a few days ago. He was very lucky (to survive)." Jamie Enderlen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the temperature on Friday could reach the upper 50s, but with wind gusts up to 45 mph. "It's going to be warm, but it's going to be a windy one," Enderlen said. The highs are expected to be in the upper 40s Saturday and return to the 30s next week, she said. Fox Lake Fire Battalion Chief Ed Lescher said the changing weather has created varying ice conditions. "Ice conditions can change nightly and go from just a couple of inches to no ice," Lescher said. Advertisement Rich Riedel, a sergeant for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the ice is very unstable right now because of the fairly mild winter. "Where there is good ice today, there may not be good ice tomorrow," Riedel said. "It can be 12 inches near shore and as you cross the lake it gets thinner and thinner. It gives the perception of one big solid piece of ice but it's not. Nobody can predict when it's safe. We'd obviously recommend someone take precautionary measures if they are going on the ice." Safety tips include wearing a life preserver, carrying ice picks and a rope. Hoehne said those who do go out on the ice should never snowmobile alone especially in the dark. That is exactly what happened Monday evening, Hoehne said. A woman on her porch heard the snowmobiler's cries for help and called 911. "He was very lucky the woman two blocks away heard him," Hoehne said. Advertisement Hodgkinson Kindstrom said she watched the rescue unfold. "I could hear the divers calling for the airboat, and then when it came ... you don't forget that sound of that boat," she said. "It's loud when it hits the ice, and it makes a different noise when it's on the water." Hoehne added: "We've had two cases recently where without the air boat it might have had a more serious outcome." The other case involved a snowmobiler who ended up in the water near the Grass Lake Road bridge this year, Hoehne said. That man was later charged with DUI, Riedel said. On Sunday, 53-year-old Wheeling resident Mark Reninger was killed when his snowmobile hit open water in Lake Geneva, Wis. Another snowmobiler was also hospitalized. Despite recent accidents and warnings about ice safety, Riedel believes there will be more emergencies in the coming days. Advertisement "I think we are going to have a few more over the weekend," Riedel said. "People have been itching to get miles on their snowmobiles because of the warm winter so far." fabderholden@tribpub.com Twitter @abderholden No need to wonder if the economy has rebounded in Naperville. The answer can be seen downtown, where more than a half dozen new stores have opened or soon will be. Among the new businesses to open in the last year include Dark Horse Pastries, 28 W. Chicago Ave., Delzo's Pizza, 22 E. Chicago, and Delirio Latin Fusion, 5 W. Jackson Ave. Advertisement On the horizon this spring and summer are MOD Pizza, 103 S. Washington St.; Nando's PERi-PERi at 6 W. Jefferson; Everdine's Gourmet Sandwich Shop at 24 W. Jefferson; Halsted Street Deli, 206 S. Washington St.; and the much anticipated Market Restaurant & Bar by Two Brothers at 16 W. Jefferson. The scene is burgeoning, and that's exciting, said Katie Wood, executive director of the Naperville Downtown Alliance. Advertisement "We work very hard to help businesses here succeed quickly and I have to tell you, our phone rings a lot," Wood said Tuesday. "The downtown area continues to be an area people like to visit as well as conduct business, and the city staff, the chamber of commerce, the Naperville Development Partnership and others work hard to make us the business friendly community we are." Katie Wood, executive director of the Naperville Downtown Alliance, says the number of new stores and restaurants coming to Naperville "speaks to the strength and vibrancy of our downtown." (David Sharos / Naperville Sun) Jason Ebel, co-founder of the extremely successful Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, said the company's new Naperville business "is currently in the permitting stage right now and is scheduled to open mid or late May." "We'll bring what we do downtown, and our philosophy is that there are a lot of great restaurants and businesses down there already, and we're not there to compete against them but rather just to offer something that's unique and different," Ebel said. "We're very excited to come to Naperville." Also coming in March will be Soft Surroundings, a retailer offering casualwear, shoes and bedding for women, plus jewelry and beauty products. The store will be in the Main Street Promenade. "We're especially excited as this will only be their second store here in Illinois, and they've elected to come to Naperville," Wood said. "We're always looking to keep a balance between restaurants and retail, and we feel we have great new offerings that really complement each other." City staff hold hold a weekly meeting that's a "a one-stop shop" for potential new business owners, where they can get all their questions answered, she said. Downtown regularly "flexes about 10 percent" of its occupancy space, which is "a natural evolution," she said. Soft Surroundings, a franchise store that sells womens clothing, jewelry and other items, will open next month here in downtown Naperville. It's only the company's second store in Illinois. (David Sharos / Naperville Sun) "The fact there is open space doesn't mean that businesses come here and fail," Wood said. "There are many factors from mom and pop shops where people elect to retire or those that need more space and it isn't available where they're at. When you see vacant store fronts it usually means there is a lease negotiation going on or a build out." Newcomer Terrell Cole, who opened his Dark Horse Pastries on Feb. 9, said he noticed a number of unfulfilled opportunities in the downtown area after he moved here years ago from Philadelphia. He felt it was time to plug a hole, he said. Advertisement "From the time I came here, I felt they needed a bakery in the downtown as well as a good barbecue place and a few other types of things," Cole said. "I went to culinary school back where I lived and for 14 years I was a chef with Sullivan's (Steakhouse, also downtown). I feel downtown Naperville, with the Riverwalk and everything, is great, especially in the summer. "Katie Wood and her people make sure the downtown is full and that there are things happening here all the time," Cole added. "I feel the foot traffic will be here." David Sharos is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. Here are five things to do in Northwest Indiana Feb. 19-25. The Lake County Parks is sponsoring the CSRI Ice Skating Party for families with persons who have special needs from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 20 at Deep River Waterpark Ice Skating Plaza, 9001 East U.S. 30, Merrillville. Admission is $6. Call 219-769-7275. Advertisement Purdue University Calumet will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a family-friendly event of singing, dancing and food at 4 p.m. Feb. 21 in Alumni Hall of the Student Union & Library. Traditional Chinese food will be served at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for Purdue Calumet students and $10 for the public. At 2200 169th St., Hammond. Call 219-989-2765. Dunes Birds and Brews will be held from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Craft House, 711 Plaza Dr., Chesterton. Admission is free. Meet birders, find new birding spots, and more. Call 219-395-1882. Advertisement Join Dunes Learning Center for a screening of "The Land, An Adventure Play Documentary," followed by a panel discussion on the importance of outdoor child-directed play. Space is limited and advance purchase is required. Tickets are $5. At the Dunes Learning Center, 700 How Road, Porter. Call 219-395-9555, The largest gun and knife show in Northern Indiana, with 350 tables, will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 20 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso. Tickets are $6 for adults; kids 12 and under are free. Call 219-942-4512. Do you have something going on we could include in Five Things to Do? Email your item, with time, date, place, price and contact information, to wweber@tribpub.com at least two weeks before the event. "As the snow flies "On a cold and cloudy Chicago mornin' Advertisement "A poor little baby child is born "In the ghetto ..." Advertisement Elvis Presley James Oliphant, 48, is a native Chicagoan, but has lived in the Miller neighborhood of Gary since June. Our interview took place at the library in Miller. He is the founder of Oliphant Photography. *** "My mother's family is from Memphis," Oliphant said. "I grew up in Englewood (community of Chicago). We were on 65th and Normal. From there, we moved to 59th and Green. All of that is part of Englewood. It's kind of funny because back then you had a dividing line. Everything was racially divided. When my grandmother got to town, she said she couldn't go past Halsted. The line went back and back and back. In 1977, we moved to Marquette Park (neighborhood), we were like the fifth black family on the block." James, my friend Pat Wisniewski was teaching a film class to some fifth-grade students five or six years at a school in Englewood. She showed the kids a clip of our documentary "Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh." The students were mesmerized by the footage of the Kankakee River, the trees and the wildlife. Innocently, they asked Patty if the film was shot in Africa. The Kankakee River is little more than an hour's drive from Englewood. "Absolutely. There are kids in Englewood who have never seen downtown Chicago except on television. When you grow up in the segregated South Side of Chicago and then you move to the Marquette Park area, you're going to run into something. I was 10 years old in 1977 and I saw the Nazi Party march down Marquette Road. I had nightmares. Today, you wouldn't catch me in that neighborhood, and I'm black. It's horrible." College? "I went to the Illinois Institute of Technology on 35th Street in Chicago right by Sox Park. I didn't got to college until I was 30. I earned a degree in political science. I minored in psychology. From there, I went to law school for a year. Law school didn't agree with me. I found it very boring. It just wasn't for me in terms of who I am as a person. I've been in love with photography since I was 8 years old. I'm completely self-taught. I read everything I could get my hands on. Advertisement "I'll tell you how it happened. My uncle had an old accordion Polaroid. I was fascinated by that camera, but I couldn't touch it." Yeah, I remember those Polaroids. The first time I saw one of those photographs appear before my very eyes, well, I was like Cro-Magnon man discovering fire. Of course, growing up along the bayous of the Kankakee, it was a momentous event if the mail got delivered. "It was like magic. I was hooked. When I was 15 I got my first summer job and saved every dime to buy a 35-mm camera. It was a Minolta X-700. I also bought my own darkroom equipment. I think that if you're trained in the darkroom it makes you a better photographer. Some photographers are better technicians and some just have a better eye. Because of growing up in a darkroom, I got a combination of both. Especially with black-and-white, which is what I love to do." First job out of high school? "I worked for several photo lab companies in downtown Chicago. I got like 10 years experience working in Chicago labs in the darkrooms. I shot some head shots, portraits, some album covers for different artists. ... This was back in the early '90s. What happened was, the company I was working for was burglarized. I lost everything. I was using their space to shoot. The owner filed an insurance claim, but he never paid me. I lost all my equipment. I didn't pick up another camera for almost 15 years." When did you finally get back into photography? Advertisement "Around 2007. I shoot now with a mirrorless system. Technically, looking inside the view finder, well, it's what you see is what you get." What did you do for a living during your hiatus from photography? "I was a probation officer for 10 years. Five years in Chicago and five years in Las Vegas. I was a parole probation officer in Vegas." That had to be a trip. "Yeah, but after growing up in Englewood, there was nothing that could shock me." How did you discover Miller? Advertisement "There was this lady that I had the biggest crush on while in high school. Somehow, back in the '90s, we reconnected. She told me that she had bought a house out here. She invited me to her place and I just fell in love with Miller. I bought a house here about 10 years ago. But then I moved to Las Vegas, because I thought I was going to marry a girl out there. I'm back. I never sold the house. It's paid for. Actually, I'd like to have a studio on Lake Street." Final thoughts? "I give all the credit in the world to my grandmother. She treated everybody the same. She was a sweetheart. My mom had me at a young age. She was always working. My grandma raised me. I moved to Vegas in '08 and she died in '09. My grandma was a maid. She was smart as hell, but only had a fourth-grade education." *** Along with Laverne Freeman's wonderful oil paintings, James Oliphant's tremendous black-and-white photographs of some of Miller's first African-American residents will be on display for the rest of the month at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts in Miller. Jeff Manes is a freelance columnist for the Post-Tribune. When Gary Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade opposed a measure recently that would have permitted a Fire Department auto mechanic to be paid by the city's General Services Department for similar duties, she said she was opposed to "ghost payrolling." But before the Common Council went along with her concerns Feb. 16 and amended the bill to delete the appearance of a would-be ghost, Sparks-Wade, D-6th, was already introducing her own ordinance one meant to reduce instances of nepotism within city government hiring. Advertisement The council voted 8-0 to approve an ordinance altering the city budget and the salaries of certain employees. But not until after the ordinance was amended to delete provisions related to the employment of a full-time firefighter, who will continue to receive an $83,561 annual salary without a part-time city job on top of that to repair city vehicles. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson had no public comment on the council's actions, even though she had been a sponsor of the proposed budget change, and had said having one person do double duty for the city and the Fire Department would wind up saving the city some $100,000 rather than having the city hire another full-time staffer. Advertisement The remaining parts of the ordinance that were approved involved providing slight raises for a couple of city employees, but also making cuts in other parts of the payroll to ensure the total amount spent did not increase. "There's no change in the bottom line of the operating budget," city Controller Celita Green said. Sparks-Wade is not through with wanting to bring up issues. Nor is she willing to back off of offending her council colleagues, if her own latest ordinance is any indication. Her measure establishes guidelines for people appointed to boards and commissions overseen by the Common Council. Sparks-Wade who once worked as an investigator for the Indiana Department of Children Services said she is concerned about nepotism in city government. Her ordinance, scheduled to be reviewed by the council's ways and means committee when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, say all appointees must live within Gary city limits, and cannot be related in any way to a council member. She said she is aware of some council members with relatives in positions of authority, but said she has not put together a complete list. The ordinance quickly sparked a reaction when the council assigned it to the committee for further review a procedural move at best. Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, voted against the referral, hoping she could thwart the bid before it ever got discussed. She was the only opposition on Tuesday, but Sparks-Wade said she expects more people to criticize her. Advertisement "This challenges the way things have been done for too long in Gary," she said. Brown said she opposes the change because, "I want to increase access to government." She also said she believes many of the people who would be rejected by such a requirement are actually eminently qualified to hold the positions they now have. "If they're qualified to serve, why should we turn them away," Brown said. Sparks-Wade disagreed, saying that hiring a relative is "akin to me hiring my mother for a job." And when asked what if her mother were qualified for a job, Sparks-Wade said, 'I still wouldn't hire her," while pointing out that Brown's husband holds a post on the city's police commission. Advertisement "It's not really about who we hire as much as about what kind of image it creates" for Gary, she said. Sparks-Wade said she fully expects criticism when the proposed ordinance is discussed in committee. She also said she is encouraged by the fact she was able to stop what she regards as an improper hire from occurring, despite the support it had from the mayor. Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Enterprises in east China's coastal city of Weihai have benefited from the China-Republic of Korea (ROK) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) since it was signed in June 2015, local authorities said Tuesday. The commission for development and reform in Weihai, Shandong Province said 1,845 enterprises conducted trade with ROK in 2015 worth 5.98 billion U.S. dollars, 35.3 percent of the city's imports and exports, an increase of 14.5 percent. The city's ROK bonded commodity trading center is now home to 140 ROK manufacturers' Chinese headquarters. The city now working on a commodity distribution center and China-ROK cross-border e-commerce. More than 350,000 Chinese and South Koreans passed through the city's passport control in 2015. China and the ROK signed the FTA in June 2015 after three years of negotiations. Under the deal, Seoul and Beijing will eliminate tariffs on more than 90 percent of traded goods within 20 years. So far, there have been two rounds of tariff cuts, on Dec.20, 2015 and Jan.1, 2016 respectively. China is ROK's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade stood at 240 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 and is expected to reach 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2016. Tencent Inc, owner of China's most popular mobile phone social app WeChat, has announced that it will charge fees for withdrawing money from the app's "wallet" from March 1. The wallet is one of the many functions of WeChat, often misunderstood as a simple messaging app outside China. In fact, WeChat aims to address every aspect of a user's life, social or non-social. The wallet alone, linked with bank accounts, allows the user to book tickets for movies, trains and flights, order food deliveries, pay utility bills and credit cards, buy financial products, donate to charity and transfer money directly to other users. In the recent Lunar New Year holiday, about 32.1 billion virtual red envelopes of cash were sent via WeChat, nearly 10 times the amount last year with 516 million people joining in. People born after 1990 sent the most -- nearly 2.6 billion. The red envelops are only an indication of the huge transaction volume at WeChat. At least one in five of the app's 549 million users are paying with the wallet. Tencent has to pay transaction fees but has never charged users. The decision to charge the fee is to cushion rocketing costs, Tencent said in a statement on Monday. Users will have a withdrawal quota of 1,000 yuan (150 U.S. dollars). Withdrawals will incur fees not less than 0.1 yuan when the quota is used up. Other forms of payment and money transfers will remain free. "Withdrawing" means transferring money out of the wallet and back into a bank account. China's mobile banking market passed 9.3 trillion yuan in 2015, of which Tencent's apps made up 17.4 percent, 1.6 trillion yuan, according to a report by consulting firm BigData. WeChat's wallet took about one trillion yuan, which translates into a few hundred millions of yuan in transaction fees, Li Chao, analyst with consulting firm iResearch said. In addition to saving Tencent's costs, the change is meant to discourage users from putting their money into their bank accounts. The volume of mobile banking transactions in China is expected to exceed 28 trillion yuan in 2016. The combination of social apps and payment is the future of mobile banking in China. It is a field where social apps are fighting to build richer and easier payment experiences to attract and maintain users and encourage them to spend, Cheng Li, analyst with China E-commerce Research Center, said. Southwest China's Guizhou Province is expected to evacuate more than 9,000 residents for the protection of the world's largest ever radio telescope before its completion in September, local authorities said Tuesday. The evacuation is facilitated by a proposal delivered last year by several members of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), according to Li Yuecheng, secretary-general of the CPPCC Guizhou Provincial Committee. The proposal asked the government to relocate residents within 5 kilometers of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, to create a sound electromagnetic wave environment, said Li. The Guizhou provincial government is expected to resettle 9,110 residents in Pingtang County and Luodian County in four settlements by the end of September, he said. Each of the involved residents will get 12,000 yuan (1,838 U.S. dollars)subsidy from the provincial reservoir and eco-migration bureau, and each involved ethnic minority household with housing difficulties will get 10,000 yuan subsidy from the provincial ethnic and religious committee. Construction of the FAST began in March 2011 with an investment of 1.2 billion yuan. Upon completion, the telescope will be the world's largest of its kind, overtaking Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory, which is 300 meters in diameter. This photo shows a left-behind children with his grandmother at their home in a village in Queshan County of central China's Henan Province on February 4, 2016. [Photo: china.com.cn] The State Council, China's Cabinet, has released a guideline on the protection of children left behind by parents earning a living in distant cities. CRI's Xie Cheng reports that the document delineates the various responsibilities of parents, the government and society at large. The guideline stresses the parents' primary responsibilities of guardianship over left-behind children who are minors. Their kids under the age of 16 should not be left living alone without protection while their parents are working away from home. If the migrant workers can neither take their children with them nor have one parent stay home, they must appoint a responsible guardian. They should also keep in touch with their children regularly and see them often, so as to keep track of their lives, studies and mental health. The guideline also states that local governments and village committees should keep themselves well-informed of the status of left-behind children within their jurisdiction, in a bid to ensure the kids are properly cared for. Governments at the township level must set up a file for each child and help left-behind children contact their parents, and village officials and Party members must visit the children regularly as well. Wang Zhenyao, a professor from Beijing Normal University, comments on the guideline. "In the past, most of these obligations were implemented by local governments at the township level, with very little support from their superior organizations. Thus, almost all the heavy burdens were shouldered by grass-roots departments lacking adequate professional assistance." He added that with this new guideline, this year might even be marked as the year of transition towards better handling the left-behind children issue. "Under the new guideline, a professional system will be available that specifies the obligations and responsibilities of all parties involved, which will help to ensure that the protection of left-behind children can be performed in a solid and thorough manner." The guideline also states that a system of compulsory reporting, intervention, assessment and help will be established. Cases involving injury, abuse or other harm must be reported to the appropriate authorities, and intervention must take place as soon as possible. Governments can also contract charities and voluntary bodies to provide professional services. Xu Weihong, an expert in child psychology, said the protection and caring for left-behind children requires joint efforts from across society. "In my opinion, the issue of left-behind children is a long-term phenomenon. All sides should make great efforts and never ignore any issues connected to the children. The left-behind children need more timely psychological counseling; otherwise an ignorance as to their psychological issues could lead to serious negative effects on their overall mental health." Recent figures show that over 60 million children are considered left-behind in the country. Lack of proper care for many has resulted in a number of heartbreaking incidents, including a suicide of 4 left-behind siblings last year in southwest China's Guizhou Province. A touring exhibition dedicated to saving the Asian elephant is coming to southwest China's Yunnan Province, a major home for the endangered pachyderms. First held in the Netherlands in 2007, Elephant Parade events have since brought hundreds of painted elephant sculptures to London, Milan, Copenhagen and Hong Kong, among other places. The parade will be held in the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, according to an agreement signed between Elephant Parade International and Yunnan Gold Peacock Tour Group on Tuesday. The parade is likely to be held by the end of this year after a 10-month preparation, according to Li Mei, chairman of the Yunnan Gold Peacock Tour Group. Twenty percent of Elephant Parade profits from the sales of sculptures and souvenirs are donated to elephant welfare and conservation projects worldwide. The organizers hope this latest event will both raise awareness of elephant protection in China and whip up international promotion of the country's efforts to protect wild elephants. In the past week, a wild elephant in Xishuangbanna crushed or damaged almost 30 cars in three strolls along a major highway. Wild Asian elephants are a level one nationally protected species in China, with less than 300 in the country. Flash Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui on Tuesday expressed opposition to South Korea's plan to deploy a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul. Zhang met in Seoul with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam to co-chair the seventh China-S. Korea high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries. The senior-level dialogue came after South Korea and the United States agreed to begin talks about deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the South Korean territory in response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear and missile threats. Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket, which some see as a test of banned ballistic missile technology, on Feb. 7 following its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. Zhang told reporters after the meeting in Seoul that he exchanged views with Lim about the THAAD issue, among other issues, and said China expressed oppositions to the THAAD deployment. Zhang said China attaches great importance to ties with South Korea, and is ready to work along with the country to boost the sound development of bilateral relations, noting that China is firmly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which conforms to the common interests of China and South Korea. China opposes the DPRK's nuclear test and rocket launch, and supports a new and effective resolution at the UN Security Council, but sanctions are not an end in themselves, and a fundamental solution to the issue should be sought through dialogue and negotiations, Zhang said. The senior Chinese diplomat urged relevant parties to act prudently, in an apparent reference to Seoul and Washington that have agreed to launch talks about the THAAD deployment. China hopes relevant parties would show respect for China's interests and act with prudence, as the deployment is not conducive to easing the current tension and maintaining peace and stability in the region, but would impair China's strategic security interest, Zhang said. The THAAD, designed to track and destroy ballistic missiles at an altitude of 40 km to 150 km, has been put under suspicion about its operational effectiveness in South Korea as hundreds of shorter-range DPRK missiles can fly at a much lower altitude. There are also safety concerns as the THAAD X-band radar emits super-strong microwaves, allegedly harmful to human bodies within 3.6 km while paralyzing electronic devices and airplanes within 5.5 km. South Korean officials said the two sides had "candid, in-depth, and constructive" discussions on bilateral ties and the security conditions on the peninsula. South Korea attaches great importance to ties with China and is ready to work for their further development, and would maintain consultations and communications with China regarding the THAAD deployment issue, said the S.Korean officials. Flash Refugees and migrants aboard the passenger ferry Blue Star Patmos arrive at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, Feb. 1, 2016. Almost 6,000 refugees who registered at the islands of Lesbos and Chios arrive at the Port of Piraeus. Hundreds keep making the crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands despite bad weather conditions. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday warned against national closing-border solutions and vowed to fight for the joint European Union plan to limit flows of refugees to Europe. Merkel said the success of the upcoming EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday depended on whether EU nations could cooperate with Turkey in the refugee crisis, referring to a joint EU-Turkey action plan agreed on last November. "I will put all my strength on Thursday and Friday to make the European-Turkish approach turns out to be the right way to go on," said Merkel at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She also warned against the alternative measures suggested by the so-called Visegrad Group of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to close the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border, saying that such national solutions would have serious consequences for Greece, the European Union and thus the Schengen zone. Merkel meanwhile said that the EU summit was not about agreeing on new quotas for a fair distribution of refugees in Europe. Merkel has been under huge pressure at home to reduce refugee inflows. She is also increasingly isolated within the EU because many European partners believe that the refugee crisis has been worsened by Germany's policy to leave its door open for refugees. Flash File photo taken on Dec. 3, 1991, shows Boutros Boutros-Ghali, appointed sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations at the UN headquarters in New York. [Xinhua/UN Photo/Milton Grant] Egyptian former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on Tuesday in a hospital in Giza at the age of 93, the official MENA news agency reported. Born in 1922, the late top diplomat led the United Nations from 1992 until 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post. After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Ghali resigned later in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular protest. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday hailed Boutros-Ghali as "a respected statesman" and expressed sadness at his predecessor's death. "The late Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was a respected statesman in the service of his country, Egypt," Ban said. Boutros-Ghali was a well-known scholar of international law and brought formidable experience and intellectual power to the task of piloting the United Nations through one of the most tumultuous and challenging periods in its history, Ban said. As Secretary-General, Boutros-Ghali presided over a dramatic rise in UN peacekeeping. He also presided over a time when the world increasingly turned to the United Nations for solutions to its problems, in the immediate aftermath of the cold war, Ban said. "Boutros Boutros-Ghali did much to shape the Organization's response to this new era, in particular through his landmark report 'An Agenda for Peace' and the subsequent agendas for development and democratization," he said. While praising Boutros-Ghali for rightly insisting on "the independence of his office and of the Secretariat as a whole," Ban stressed that "his commitment to the United Nations -- its mission and its staff -- was unmistakable, and the mark he has left on the Organization is indelible." Ban extended his deepest condolences to Mrs. Boutros-Ghali, as well as to the rest of the family, to the Egyptian people, and to the late Secretary-General's many friends and admirers around the world. The United Nations community will mourn a memorable leader who rendered invaluable services to world peace and international order, Ban said. When appointed by the UN General Assembly as the body's chief in 1991, Boutros-Ghali was also Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs. He served as Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1991, during which he became member of the International Law Commission. Ghali was part of the secretariat of Mubarak's ruling party since 1980 until his appointment at the United Nations, then he became member of the Egyptian parliament in 1987. In 1978, the diplomat attended Camp David summit and played a negotiating role in the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel reached later in 1979. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. Cheng Jie pictured with her husband, Du Hongbo, and their two sons. (Photo: courtesy of Du Hongbo) China Aid Reported by Qiao Nong. Translated by Carolyn Song. Written in English by Brynne Lawrence. (Liuzhou, GuangxiJan. 11, 2016) A court in Chinas southern Guangxi ruled to officially close a church-run kindergarten this summer after persecution against the school began in February 2014. Authorities in Liuzhou, Guangxi officially closed the Hualin Foreign Language Experimental Kindergarten on July 17, dismissed more than a dozen Christian teachers, fined the school 800,000 Yuan (U.S. $122,000) and confiscated teaching supplies worth 1.8 million Yuan (U.S. $274,500). The Yufeng District Board of Education, located in Liuzhou, accused the Hualin Foreign Language Experimental Kindergarten, which run by the Guangzhou-based Liangren Church, of publishing teaching materials without a permit and gaining a profit from the sale of the textbooks. The kindergarten maintained that no profit was made from the distribution of the character-building textbooks. In response to these allegations, authorities apprehended the kindergartens director Cheng Jie on Feb. 18, 2014. Guangxi officials later took Liangren Church elder Huang Qiurui, printing press owner Fang Bin, and Liangren Church member and Hong Kong citizen Li Jiatao into custody from their homes in neighboring-Guangzhou and officially arrested them on June 24, 2014. All four were convicted of engaging in illegal business operations. On April 24, 2015, authorities sentenced Cheng Jie, Li Jiatao, and Huang Qiurui [Editors Note: Huang Qiurui was previously incorrectly reported as Huang Quirui] to two years in prison; Fang Bin was sentenced to a year and nine months. Authorities imposed a fine of 5,000 Yuan (U.S. $766.49) on all three, and the defendants decided to appeal their cases. Many of the kindergartens other employees were impacted by the case. The Board of Education informed all the local kindergartens and primary schools not to hire the teachers from Hualin Foreign Language Experimental Kindergarten, Du Hongbo, Chengs husband, said. These teachers have no way to re-engage in the education sector. Additionally, he said that his wife and Li Jiatao are currently incarcerated at Nanning Womens Prison, where they perform hard labor for 10-15 hours per day. China Aid exposes religious freedom abuses, such as those experienced by Hualin Foreign Language Experimental Kindergarten, in order to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. China Aid Contacts Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] Website: www.chinaaid.org Zhongfu Tongxin Church members gather for a service outside their sealed doors. (Photo: China Aid) China Aid Reported in Chinese by Qiao Nong. Translated by Carolyn Song. Written in English by Brynne Lawrence. Updated: 10:42 a.m. CDT on Feb. 25, 2016 (Shantou, GuangdongFeb. 17, 2016) Government personnel in Chinas southern Guangdong province detained and interrogated a Christian woman for several hours after she passed out Christian reading materials on Feb. 8. When authorities learned that Jiang Junying, a member of the persecuted Zhongfu Tongxin Church in Shantou, was on a sidewalk distributing Gospel leaflets to passersby on Feb. 8, they dispatched local public security bureau officers to detain her and confiscate her handouts. Taking her to the local police station, they interrogated her for several hours. They asked her many things, such as where she got the leaflets and who asked her to distribute them, said Guo, a woman who attends the church. They let her stand there, but, in the end, there was no way for the police station [to get any information from her]. They held her for one afternoon. While people were having lunch, she just stood there and prayed. Later on, the police let her go. Previously, the public security bureau pressured individual church members to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), Chinas government-run church. After they repeatedly refused, authorities sealed the church building on Aug. 18, claiming that the church members used the building to illegally practice religion. Guo petitioned at the provincial government building. Afterwards, officials removed the seals, installed cameras over the churchs entrance, and coerced the landlord to terminate their rental contract, forcing them to move to another location. The public security bureau also repeatedly asked individual church members to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Chinas government-run church, but they refused. Consequentially, authorities closed the church. China Aid exposes abuses such as those experienced by Jiang Junying and the Christians attending Zhongfu Tongxin Church in order to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. Taipei Times By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter Feb. 17, 2016 Former vice president Annette Lu () yesterday lauded Taiwans religious diversity and tolerance as the nation prepared to host an international cross-religious forum on religious freedom in the Asia-Pacific region later this week. Former vice president Annette Lu, right, and Democratic Progressive Party whip Ker Chien-ming, second right, attend a press conference for the first Asia-Pacific Religious Freedom Forum in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times The first Asia-Pacific Religious Freedom Forum, which Lu is chairing, is to run from tomorrow through Sunday in Taoyuans Yangmei District (). The forum is jointly hosted by several groups in the US and Taiwan, including US-based Christian human rights organization China Aid, US-based watchdog Freedom House, the Democratic Pacific Union a non-governmental organization founded by Lu to promote democracy, peace and prosperity and the Taiwan Association for China Human Rights. With the stated aims of promoting religious freedom and facilitating cooperation among world leaders on human rights issues, the forum is to bring together a total of 99 parliamentarians, government representatives and religious leaders from 26 nations. Among the invited guests are US Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Katrina Lantos Swett, Member of the European Parliament Bastiaan Belder, Pakistani National Assembly Member Asiya Nasir, Freedom House president Mark Lagon, World Evangelical Alliance secretary-general Efraim Tendero and International Campaign for Tibet president Matteo Mecacci. At a news conference at the legislature yesterday afternoon, Lu expressed her gratitude to the US for choosing Taiwan as the location for the significant forum and regarding the nation, which is home to 28 different religions, as a beacon of religious freedom. Religion is often the cause of conflicts or even wars in many countries. The worlds worst nightmare at the moment is terrorism, which in essence revolves around the longstanding conflict between Islam and Christianity, Lu said. Lu said many religions in Taiwan have joined together in support of the forum, ranging from Taoism and Christianity, to I-Kuan Tao and the nations newest religion, Weixinism, which she said demonstrates harmony and solidarity among the nations various religions. In addition to the forum itself, Lu said participants are also due to jointly present the Taiwan Declaration for Religious Freedom to the world on Friday, pledging that Taiwan would continue to play an active and meaningful role on the international stage, particularly in promoting religious freedom. However, the upcoming forum has been overshadowed by difficulties by some invitees in securing a visa to Taiwan. China Aid vice president Kody Kness said that as of yesterday, nine attendees from nations including Bangladesh, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Pakistan and Nepal are still waiting for approval of their visa applications, including former Pakistani National Assembly member Johnson Michael. It is important that attendees from these countries attend and receive our full support to advance democracy and human rights in these countries, Kness said. Asked if there are any invitees who would not attend the forum because their visa applications were impeded, Kness named World Uyghur Congress president Rebiya Kadeer, Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng () and Tibetan Government-in-Exile Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay. Lu said she regretted that the trio were unable to participate in the forum, urging the new legislature to voice their concerns to the government for infringing on their human rights. Last week, the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the de facto representative office of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in Taiwan, told us that President Ma Ying-jeous () administration had informed it through an unofficial channel that it would be inconvenient for the government to allow [Sangay] to visit Taiwan, Lu said. We deeply, deeply regret such a decision, Lu said. In response, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Eleanor Wang () said foreign citizens ineligible for visa-free entry or an electronic visa who are invited to attend an international meeting in Taiwan should apply online for e-visas using an Ecode provided by the ministrys Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is issued upon receipt of an official request by a central government agency. After such applications are filed, Taiwanese consulates and embassies in concerned countries will decide whether to approve the application, Wang said, adding that the Taoyuan City Government forwarded the Ecodes to host organizations on Feb. 4. Wang said of the 10 attendees who received the Ecodes, four had been granted an e-visa as of yesterday. One of them abandoned his application, because the information he provided was inaccurate, while five attendees have yet to fill out their application online, Wang said. China Aid Media Team Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here A demolished church cross. (Photo: China Aid) China Aid By Brynne Lawrence Updated 2:28 p.m. CDT on Feb. 9, 2016 (Wenzhou, ZhejiangFeb. 5, 2016) Groups totaling more than 100 government officials broke into two churches in Chinas coastal Zhejiang province and demolished their crosses on the early morning of Jan. 28. According to reports from local Christians, authorities secretly entered Shangye Village Church in Ruian, Wenzhou and Funan Church in Jiaxing and simultaneously demolished their church crosses. Police controlled Christians who congregated outside to protest. From Jan. 2527, authorities also destroyed six more church crosses, triggering speculation concerning a new wave of persecution. A few clergymen are now being held, a local Christian said. There has been no information from them. Even their families cant contact them. The [number of] demolished crosses has now reached 1,800. In Jan. 2014, Zhejiangs government launched the Three Rectifications and One Demolition campaign with the objective of either correcting or demolishing illegal structures. It quickly became clear, however, that the initiatives true focus was churches, crosses and other religious sites. According to local Christians, officials have removed 18 crosses since the beginning of this year. Church attendees noted that current attempts to destroy church crosses deviate slightly in method from previous ones. In the past, government bureaus notified church members of plans to demolish a cross. Lately, the officials prefer to secretly dismantle crosses without delivering any prior notification. Additionally, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) is pressuring house church attendees to destroy their own churchs cross. According to a TSPM staff member, the organization dispatched him to a rural church in order to personally encourage church attendees to carry out destruction efforts. A list of churches demolished since Jan. 1 can be read in full below. China Aid reports cases such as this one to expose violations of religious freedom and promote freedom of religion and rule of law in China. A list of churches demolished in Zhejiang since Jan. 1 1. On Jan. 7, Nanhu Churchs cross was destroyed in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. 2. On Jan. 7, Wutian Dongzhuang Churchs cross was demolished in Lucheng District, Wenzhou. 3. On Jan. 11, Luofu Churchs re-erected cross was demolished in Yongjia County, Wenzhou. 4. On Jan. 14, Dongmen Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 5. On Jan. 18, the cross on Wuniu Churchs Shanhou Chapel was demolished in Yongjia County, Wenzhou. 6. On Jan. 25, Songqiao Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 7. On Jan. 25, Xiuyang Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 8. On Jan. 26, Qingkeng Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 9. On Jan. 27, Waipu Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 10. On Jan. 27, the cross at Baziqiao Christian Churchs meeting place was demolished in Cangnan County, Wenzhou. 11. On Jan. 27, two church crosses were demolished in Cangnan County, Wenzhou. It has been reported that there were other church crosses demolished within the county, but specific data needs to be verified. 12. On Jan. 28, several crosses were demolished in Yongjia County, Wenzhou. Specific data is not available. 13. On Jan. 28, Funan Churchs cross was demolished in Jiaxing, Zhejiang. 14. On Jan. 28, Shangye Churchs cross was demolished in Ruian, Wenzhou. 15. On Jan. 29, Waipu Churchs re-erected cross was demolished again in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 16. On Jan. 29, Zhenguangtou Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 17. On Jan. 29, Xiaqiao Churchs cross was demolished in Pingyang County, Wenzhou. 18. On Jan. 29, Dongan Aodi Churchs cross was demolished in Yongjia County, Wenzhou. China Aid Media Team Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here China's revised law on pollution control allows a wider range of litigants to bring cases against government departments that neglect their duties. Cao Yin reports. Legal experts are predicting a rise in the number of public-interest lawsuits brought by local procuratorates against environmental departments that fail to address pollution control or enforce laws designed to prevent environmental damage. Under China's revised Environmental Protection Law, which came into effect on Jan 1 last year, local authorities, NGOs and related organizations were for the first time given the right to bring public-interest cases against provincial and lower-level environmental departments accused of incompetence. Before the new law, only individuals or residents' groups were allowed to bring cases of this type. Last month, Wang Ruiping, a chief judge at Fuquan court in Guizhou province, handed down a ruling in the first case of its kind in Chinese legal history. The local procuratorate sued the environmental bureau in Jinping county, accusing it of ignoring water pollution caused by illegal discharges from local factories and also failing to enforce the relevant laws. Wang ordered the bureau to rectify its failings and ensure that the laws are enforced. "It was not a complicated case because the facts were clear and there was compelling evidence. However, the importance of the case cannot be ignored because it was the first time that a prosecuting authority had acted as a litigant and lodged an administrative public-interest lawsuit under a pilot program," Wang said, referring to a trial project designed to give a wider range of litigants the opportunity to bring lawsuits against government departments. Since the revised law, Chinese toughest-ever measure against pollution and environmental damage, took effect, NGOs have been given the right to bring civil public-interest cases, which has resulted in a rapid rise in the number of cases being heard by the courts. A growing trend Last year alone, courts nationwide heard 48 environmental public-interest lawsuits, but from 2007 to 2014 the number was just 65, according to statistics provided by the Supreme People's Court. Three of the 48 cases were classified as "administrative" lawsuits, meaning local prosecutors sued environmental departments, which faced fines and court orders if found guilty. Wang Xuguang, deputy chief judge of the top court's environmental and ecological tribunal, said it's likely that many more administrative lawsuits will be brought. In July, the Standing Committee of the National People Congress, the top legislative body, allowed prosecutors in 13 provinces and municipalities, including Guizhou, to initiate a two-year pilot program to encourage the growth of administrative public-interest cases, he said. That means prosecutors can play a bigger role in supervising environmental departments by bringing public-interest lawsuits, he added. "Prosecution is a highly effective way of forcing environmental bureaus to perform their duties correctly. To them, it is a bigger threat than cases brought by NGOs," he said. Luo Chaoguo, chief judge of the environmental and ecological tribunal at the Guizhou Provincial High People's Court, said the new legislation is proving effective and confirmed that the province has just accepted a second administrative environmental public-interest case. "This new case has been brought by a prosecuting authority, which is accusing a township government of ignoring pollution caused by a local waste-disposal plant," Luo said. The new legislation is piling greater pressure on environmental departments, and the pilot program has won the backing of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which said it has ordered environmental bureaus at all levels to cooperate with procuratorates and to ensure adherence to the law. "Every environmental bureau must deal with pollution rigorously and enforce the law. They must also identify loopholes in their supervisory duties and learn the lessons provided by the case details when they are published," according to a statement released by the ministry. "As law enforcement departments, we must regulate our supervisory procedures ourselves and improve the transparency of our working models," it added. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at the Central Urban Work Conference in Beijing, Dec 22, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua] Policies used to tide over last year's unusual volatility in the stock and exchange market were a right call, said Premier Li Keqiang in his first appearance after the Spring Festival holiday. Those market-stabilizing measures, consisting with international practice, defused some "bombs" over a period of time and warded off systematic financial risk, said Premier Li at an executive meeting of the State Council, according to Xinhua. However, authorities in charge should also draw lessons from the experience, address internal management issues and implement initiatives and take both timely and effective approach, added the Premier. The recent sharp decline in the international equity market has brought new challenges and uncertainties to China's economy, but it is also a test of tenacity, he said. "China's economy has proved stronger and stronger in the time of challenges." A-share market edged down on Monday as trading resumed after the weeklong holiday. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.7 percent to close at 2,746.20 after losing as much as 2.8 percent during early morning trading. Latest statistics showed national unemployment rate rose to 4.99 percent in January after the country expanded the survey from 31 major cities to all prefectural-level cities, said Li, adding that such level is not easy to achieve given that China has a population of more than 1.3 billion. "As long as the labor market remains stable, the economic fundamentals are stable," said Premier, according to Xinhua. Li also urged all departments to be more cautious and efficient. "China's economy has great potentials, as its high savings rate leaves much room for resilience. Once the economic growth shows signs of slipping below the reasonable range, we should take decisive moves when needed." China's GDP grew by 6.9 percent last year, the lowest since 1990, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. New yuan-denominated lending in January jumped 71 percent year-on-year to 2.51 trillion yuan ($385 billion), official data showed on Tuesday. WASHINGTON - Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on Tuesday rejected accusations against China for the current global market fluctuation, saying that China's contribution to the global economy remains strong and that it is playing "a pioneering role" in the structural reform that the world desperately needs. In an opinion piece published on the Wall Street Journal, Cui said China, for no logical reason, is "often used as a scapegoat for the current global market fluctuation," which includes the slumping stocks, continued decline in oil prices and the volatility of the values of currencies in emerging markets since the start of the year. Cui highlighted a few points to help people understand the reality behind the world-wide economic volatility. First, China's economic growth remains strong and its contribution to the world economy remains impressive. Cui said the growing middle class is now the driving force of consumption in China. According to the World Bank, the Chinese economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.7 percent between 2009 and 2014, compared with the world average of 2 percent. In the same period, China was the stimulant behind 30 percent of global economic growth. In 2015, China was still one of the largest and fastest-growing economies, with a growth rate of 6.9 percent, and it contributed 25 percent to global economic growth. Second, China's real economy in the long term has not been harmed by the stock market turmoil that began in August. The fluctuations in the still developing stock market "shouldn't be taken as reflective of general sentiment about the Chinese economy or its overall performance," he wrote. Third, Cui rejected implications by news outlets that the Chinese government has intentionally devalued the Chinese currency, the yuan, to boost exports. "This claim is false," Cui said. "While the economic slowdown has contributed, China's currency depreciation is mainly the result of an exchange rate reform launched last year to follow international standards and to establish a more flexible system linked to a basket of currencies, thus letting markets play the decisive role." Cui said that the reform has worked. "Recently, the yuan has appreciated significantly against both the US dollar and the basket of currencies, showing its value can rise and fall," he wrote. Fourth, downward pressure on oil prices is largely attributable to competition for global market share between traditional oil suppliers and new shale oil producers, while the lifting of sanctions against Iranian oil exports has also contributed to lower oil prices. A man checks out a Shiseido Co Ltd's beauty products advertisement in Beijing. The Japanese company's China business grew by only 2 percent last year.[Provided to China Daily] One of Japan's leading personal care companies has reported strong demand for its products from Chinese visitors to the country, despite weaker growth in the Chinese market itself. The latest figures from Shiseido Co Ltd revealed its 2015 annual sales rose 12.6 percent to 763.1 billion yen ($6.7 billion). Analysts said that the increase was helped significantly by Chinese tourist sales. The group's operating income rose 77.4 percent to 37.7 billion yen, but its China business grew by just 2 percent. "We have seen a substantial increase, both in sales and income, mainly due to our major brands in the domestic market," said Norio Tadakawa, its corporate officer and CFO, who added both its operations in Beijing and Shanghai struggled last year. Sales at its Shanghai outlet have been flat for several years, he said, adding the firm is now planning to reverse that with a targeted 10 percent growth this year in China. In the medium to longer term, he said, "we are seeing more of the middle-class market, so we will keep on expanding consumption and diversification" of products, adding its e-commerce business is expected to grow 20 percent in China. Tadakawa said Shiseido is also planning a new innovation center in China, which will help the firm grow market share. He admitted, however, that competition from South Korean brands is intensifying, making its job in China harder. According to Kantar Worldpanel China, sales of South Korean cosmetic brands are now growing faster than Japanese brands, at 33 percent compared with 11.6 percent, focused mainly on high-end products. Shiseido's results followed closely on the heels of those from Japanese beauty care rival Kao Corp, which announced net sales increased 5 percent compared with the previous year to 1.47 trillion yen for the year ended Dec 31. Its profits increased, said officials, due to the effect of increased sales of healthcare products in markets across Asia. Net income increased 19.3 billion yen compared with the previous fiscal year to 98.9 billion yen, with beauty sales increasing 3 percent, while cosmetics sales decreased 2.3 percent. Laurie Du, an analyst at Mintel Group Ltd, the United Kingdom-based research firm, said Chinese consumers have gained more awareness of international brands through frequent overseas travel, especially for Japanese goods bought in Japan. Du said products made in Japan now represented 29 percent of all skincare product sales by Chinese travelers, which is higher than goods from both South Korea and France. "Chinese consumers strongly believe in the competitiveness, quality and price of Japanese products," she said. Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, said it had also seen a significant rise in demand for everyday Japanese fast-moving-consumer products by Chinese buyers in Japan. But he added that it remains critical for Japanese marketers to expand their product offerings to avoid missing out on what are likely to be growing numbers of Chinese traveling overseas for goods. Thomas Gaestadius from Arrow Factory checks the brewing point of one of its signature craft beers at his Beijing-based plant. BRUNO MAESTRINI Local microbreweries are on the rise, creating premium drinks out of indigenous flavors for a thirsty nation with a taste for the unusual Swedish-born Thomas Gaestadius, brewmaster and co-founder of Beijing-based microbrewery Arrow Factory Brewing, works surrounded by stainless steel tanks filled with his latest concoctions, which release a thick and pleasant malty scent. The small brewing facility next to Liangmahe in eastern Beijing opened to the public in January, serving food and craft beer. It was only two years ago that Gaestadius and British business partner Will Yorke started brewing on a small scale to supply their sausage restaurant Stuff'd, near the Lama Temple in the Chinese capital. They now brew 1,000 to 2,000 liters per week, also supplying craft beer to other restaurants in town. The business partners, who used their own savings to start the brewery, say craft brewing is a demanding business not right for everyone. "It is an expensive business to set up and it is very labor-intensive," said Gaestadius. "The necessary equipment can cost 500,000 yuan ($78,000) to 1 million yuan. You also need a lot of space, and getting a commercial venue in downtown Beijing is not cheap, either." Their microbrewery is now growing organically, with most of its profits reinvested in expanding capacity to capitalize on China's new thirst for craft beers. "It is crazy now. Both Chinese and foreigners here are increasingly interested in craft beer," Gaestadius said. Only five years ago, China's craft beer scene was virtually nonexistent, with only 20 microbreweries operating in the country. That number increased to some 200 in 2015, putting specialty beers on the map, according to industry sources. China's overall beer market is worth an estimated 543.3 billion yuanthe world's largest by volume at 47.5 billion liters, according to Simon Moriarty, head of emerging markets research at Mintel Research. Craft beer, however, remains a niche product, accounting for less than 1 percent of the Chinese beer market, meaning that it is still a barely tapped business opportunity. In 2007, Xinjiang-born Jackie Zhou opened a bar, Jackie's Beer Nest, in Shanghai to sell imported bottled craft beer after falling in love with the complex and flavorful brews. A stevedore works at Qingdao port in Shandong province, July 1, 2015. [Photo/IC] BEIJING - China will increase financial support to its industries as they are being encouraged to transform themselves amid the country's industrial upgrades, an official document said on Tuesday. China will expand credit to industrial enterprises, make capital and insurance markets more helpful and innovate in corporate financing system, according to a guideline jointly released by eight economic regulators including the People's Bank of China. Improved financial services will push forward supply-side reform, facilitate overcapacity reduction, accelerate de-stocking and reduce corporate burdens, the guideline said. The authorities will implement a differentiated strategy targeting different sectors and areas, the guideline said. The development of emerging sectors and upgrades of traditional ones will receive more support, and financial institutions will be encouraged to make long-term loans to high-tech firms, technical equipment manufacturing and some basic industries. However, loans to "zombie companies" that have suffered continual losses and are unable to pay back their debts will be slashed or withdrawn, according to the guideline. To facilitate industrial consolidation, China will widen financing channels for mergers and acquisitions, such as allowing firms to issue preference shares and convertible bonds. The regulators also promised stronger support for companies exploring foreign markets. Companies will be encouraged to go public, issue bonds and increase asset securitization on overseas markets, use more yuan-denominated outbound lending and make overseas investment in yuan. China will pursue a steady credit increase, keep liquidity at a proper level and maintain a stable monetary market, the guideline said. Beer consumption in China saw the largest decline in five years last year, with domestic brands still dominating the market, according to industry experts and media reports. Beer sales volume in China in 2015 dropped 5 percent to almost 48 billion liters compared with a year earlier. Sales in 2014 declined 1 percent year-on-year, said Joy Huang, research manager of Euromonitor International. "A cool summer and the slowdown of the economy, plus consumers' increasing health awareness have been major factors behind the drop," Huang said. "There was less dining out and stricter control on drunk driving." The beer market in China is maturing as total sales volume over the past few years has slowed and finally experienced a drop of 1 percent in 2014, according to a report released in December by Mintel Group Ltd. The market also is consolidating, with the top five companies taking about 75 percent of the total volume. Smaller breweries make up a further 10 to 15 percent of market share, with the rest going to imports, according to Mintel. Volume levels dropped, but the market total value has increased, partly as a result of increased marketing of premium brands by most companies. Domestic brands still dominate the market, dwarfing foreign brands. Only 1 percent of respondents surveyed as part of the report said they drink imports exclusively. The main reason is that foreign brands have yet to penetrate smaller cities like they have major cities. So consumer exposure to these beers often is small. Imports usually are far more expensive than Chinese brews and such high prices deter lower-earning consumers from trying them, the report said. The report found a lack of education about foreign beer brands and a preference for domestic beer have contributed for the disparity. International brands must focus on increasing their visibility and exposure in China outside of major cities, the report said. They also must consider altering their products for the Chinese market to make sure their beer strikes a chord with Chinese consumers' palates. Also, 29 percent of those surveyed in the report said they believed imports were not available to buy, which is another challenge facing these brands, on top of the fact that many Chinese consumers do not have the disposable income to afford premium and foreign beers. In China, Tsingtao and Snow have a comfortable lead in the market. Budweiser is the most established Western brand in China and comes in fourth in popularity, according to the report. This is followed by Carlsberg and Heineken. "Beer is considered very much a local product in China," said Joshua Channon, a research analyst for Mintel Group. "It is not uncommon for some beers to be among the top three beers drunk in their region of origin but barely even available in other parts of the country." The report has found that Chinese consumers are demanding higher quality than simply mass produced, lower-priced lager. They are becoming more aware of the quality of ingredients. Brands could benefit from adding details about the hops they use, for example, on packaging. That's especially so for foreign craft beers whose taste relies heavily on hops, the report notes. It also says such brewers should find encouragement in a growing belief that rare beers are fashionable and reflect good taste. The survey also found that beers that tout health and beauty benefits are magnets for many consumers. Young women predominate in the group that cares about beauty, but health is an area of universal appeal. Rice-based ingredients and a light taste could prove to be very suitable for Chinese consumers, the report said. The availability of beer on online shopping sites can help improve the sales of smaller brands among consumers outside of major cities. However, the biggest increase has been in purchasing beer in supermarkets and convenience stores, giving brands a good opportunity to educate consumers with in-store product sampling, the report said. Potential customers look at a model of a real estate development in Haikou, Hainan province, Oct 18, 2015.[Shi Yan /for China Daily] China's major real estate developers' sales surged in January thanks to a series of property easing policies by the government, including a relaxation in housing purchase regulations. Property group China Vanke Co Ltd's sales in January reached 25.59 billion yuan ($3.89 billion), a year-on-year increase of 10.3 percent, while Guangzhou-based developer Evergrande Real Estate Group reported sales of 21.23 billion yuan, a 83 percent increase compared to the same period of 2015. According to Ouyang Jie, deputy head of Future Land, the outlook for China's real estate market in 2016 is believed to be more optimistic than last year, thanks to the easing policies released by the government earlier this year. The People's Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission announced a reduction of the down payment limit for first-time homebuyers from 25 percent to 20 percent earlier this month, which analysts believe will help prop up the country's flagging housing market. It's the second time in less than five months that the central bank has lowered the down payment limit for first-time buyers since last October, when the authorities dropped it from 30 percent, at which it had stood since 2010, to 25 percent. Many major real estate developers also have a brighter outlook in 2016, with Vanke aiming to achieve sales of 300 billion yuan, a 15 percent increase from its 261.4 billion yuan in 2015, and 200 billion yuan in sales expected by Evergrande, up 11.1 percent from 180 billion yuan in 2015. However, experts believe 2016 will still remain challenging, especially for some small- and medium-sized property developers, and those with projects in third- and fourth-tier cities, as China's slower economic growth and high debt levels among real estate developers might crimp growth in the year ahead. According to Zhang Dawei, chief market analyst at Zhongyuan Real Estate Co, sales in third- and fourth-tier cities still remain challenging, with a substantial inventory of unsold housing against a backdrop of general economic slowdown and lackluster business. BEIJING - In China's southern manufacturing hub Dongguan, a shoe factory is shutting down and laying off 1,900 employees. A subsidiary of Stella International Holdings, the factory is one of the most important production and processing bases for brands like Nike, Prada and ECCO. "With demand shrinking and wages rising, we had no choice but to shut down," said Zhong Weijie, a human resource manager of Stella International Holdings. "The capacity will move to Southeast Asia." But it is not all doom and gloom. An hour's drive from Dongguan in Shenzhen, smartphone maker Huawei announced sales revenue of $60.1 billion in 2015, and predicted $81.8 billion this year. Huawei is now the world's third biggest smartphone maker after Samsung and Apple, and rapidly expanding. These two stories are a snapshot of what's happening in Chinese factories: traditional manufactures battle overcapacity, while new industries blossom. Huawei has achieved its success through continual innovation. Every year, 10 percent of revenue is plowed back into R&D. Almost half of its employees engage in R&D in some way or another. The shift of manufacturing pattern is seen in China's exports. Processing, labor-intensive and using little technology, is being replaced by general trade, which involves domestic products and technology. General trade now accounts for 58.4 percent exports. In May 2015, China rolled out the "Made in China 2025" plan to shift away from low-end manufacturing to more value-added production. Local governments have offered tax incentives to high-tech companies and guided private funds into innovative projects. As tech-intensive production becomes lucrative, traditional manufactures are adapting. "It's true that fields with overcapacity problems have operational difficulties, but by improving energy efficiency, we also see many opportunities," said Yin Jianan, chairman of Shanxi Blower Machinery Company. Opportunities also lie in international cooperation. By establishing factories overseas, many Chinese manufacturers have found ways to digest excess capacity with lower labor-costs abroad. Overseas mergers by Chinese firms increased by 40 percent in 2015, most of which led by private manufacturers buying out foreign businesses tech advantages of valuable brands, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). "We believe the trend will continue," said Liu Yanlai, a partner with PwC, "China-led multinationals are going onto the world stage." Just as China relied on manufacturing to rise in the past, the sector is still a pillar industry. Chinese manufacturing is not fading, it's just changing. BEIJING - Last week, when Chinese people were celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Monkey, the global financial market was rocked by turmoil, bringing challenges and uncertainties to the Chinese economy. However, the Chinese government is ready to deal with the difficult situation: It is confident that the world's second-largest economy still harbors great potential and has enough leeway to deal with economic predicament. China's confidence and courage are rooted in sound economic fundamentals, massive economic volume and the government's management and mobilization capability. First of all, China's economic fundamentals remain sound. The surveyed unemployment rate for January 2016 stands at 4.99 percent, which is the biggest shining point, as a healthy employment rate guarantees sound economic fundamentals, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at Sunday's executive meeting of the State Council. The current stable employment situation, increasing personal income growth that surpasses the GDP growth, and gradually decreased energy consumption per unit of GDP have all demonstrated the stability and health of the economic fundamentals. Secondly, the Asian giant, which possesses the world's largest foreign exchange reserves and a high savings rate, enjoys much leeway in financial market and monetary policy. According to the central bank, China held $3.23 trillion of foreign exchange reserves at the end of January, which will not allow speculators to dominate market sentiment. Last year, despite a sluggish world economy and prominent structural problems facing the domestic economy, China's GDP realized medium-high growth on the basis of $10 trillion. Without a doubt, these numbers can convince any critics who try to belittle China. Moreover, China has ample tools at hand, including a relatively complete regulatory regime, a reformed renminbi exchange rate and an enhanced monitor system for short-term speculative capital movements and cross-border financial derivative trading. Thirdly, the Chinese government is very strong in mobilization and action, which has been admired by many other countries. Many past crises have proved that the Chinese government is able to respond to tough situations effectively, which was vividly demonstrated in the 1997 financial crisis, when China, as opposed to many other Asian countries, maintained its own integrity. As the Chinese premier put it, China's economic development has been constantly growing despite being faced with challenges, and the more difficult the situation, the more tenacious the Chinese economy. BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Wednesday denied speculation of capital outflows from the country. "The fundamentals of Chinese economy and market remain sound, and there is no foundation for the yuan to keep depreciating, hence no drastic capital outflows," MOC spokesperson Shen Danyang told a press conference. The remark was in response to claims of a capital flight, which cited rising imports from Hong Kong in January as fresh evidence of a hidden money exit through trade channels as the yuan weakens. In January, mainland imports from Hong Kong more than doubled. Shen attributed the rise to a low comparison base last year and mainland efforts to expand imports, warning against drawing easy conclusions without detailed analysis and factual support. Concerns about capital outflows have been on the rise as the economy slows and the central bank revamped the foreign exchange mechanism last year. Authorities have cited China's current account surplus and foreign exchange reserves as solid support for the balance of international payments. BEIJING - China's non-financial outbound direct investment (ODI) in January was 18.2 percent higher than in January 2015, Ministry of Commerce (MOC) data showed on Tuesday. Some $12.02 billion of ODI came out from China last month, the MOC said in a statement. The year-on-year increase accelerated from a 6.1-percent rise in December and was also faster than the annual growth of 14.7 percent in 2015. The MOC attributed the growth largely to investment in the manufacturing sector, which soared nearly 90 percent year on year to $1.62 billion in January. Chinese local enterprises contributed 92.5 percent of the total ODI in January, up from a share of 66.4 percent in 2015, with their outbound investment surging 175 percent year on year. Big overseas mergers and acquisitions boosted the ODI growth. For example, hydropower giant China Three Gorges last month paid about $3.7 billion for the rights to operate two hydropower plants in Brazil for 30 years. The United States was one of the most popular investment destinations for Chinese companies, whose ODI in the country nearly quadrupled from a year earlier to $1.6 billion in January. Investment in the United States is expected to maintain fast growth this year, the MOC said. China's outbound investment ranks as the world's third biggest in flow and and the eighth in terms of stock. Guests stand next to a Volkswagen logo at the stage of the company at the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai, in this April 20, 2015 file picture. [Photo/Agencies] Volkswagen AG is confident its China sales may rise in line with the overall auto market this year, as it explores potential cooperation with domestic firm Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co, better known as JAC, in what could be a third partnership with Chinese automakers. The head of the German firm's China business, Jochem Heizmann, said in Beijing he expected China's total passenger car market to perhaps even exceed gross domestic product growth in the world's second-largest economy. "If we look to the general growth situation, it's still tremendous, big growth," Heizmann said, adding that there is potential for expansion in China's smaller cities despite the country's economy registering a weaker growth. "These are still cities with millions of inhabitants but in a different development stage," Heizmann said. The executive said VW will stick to existing plans for China, investing more than 4 billion euros ($4.46 billion) annually for the coming years. Its global business has come under increased scrutiny since it admitted in September it misled United States regulators about vehicle emissions. Sales in China, a stable source of revenue for years and the carmaker's biggest market, fell 3.4 percent in 2015 before rebounding in January. US rival General Motors Co's vehicle sales in China rose 5.2 percent last year, allowing it to overtake VW to claim the number one spot in the world's largest car market. While confident in VW's existing operations in China, including two tie-ups with domestic automakers, Heizmann said VW is in early talks with JAC, a State-owned automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, about the potential for cooperation between the pair. Asked whether cooperation with JAC could involve electric vehicles, actively being promoted by the government as a solution to chronic pollution in the country's large cities, Heizmann said: "We have started talking about potential for cooperation, but no more detailed plans at present." Based in Hefei in the eastern province of Anhui, JAC is one of China's smaller automakers. A new production line for advanced LCD screens from Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd will help China's display panel industry make headway against its foreign competitors, according to industry experts. The sixth-generation production line will produce low-temperature polysilicon LCD screens using thin film transistors. Located in Wuhan, Hubei province, the high-tech firm will market the displays for smartphones and other mobile devices. The company expects the line to achieve mass production in 2017, with 88 million display panels or modules manufactured annually. By next year, output will reach more than 10 billion and more than 5,000 people will be employed. The new facility received major financial support from Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd, a supplier of LCD displays and subsidiary of TCL Corp, which invested 16 billion yuan ($2.46 billion) in 2014 to establish the production line in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone. Li Dongsheng, chairman of TCL Corp, said at the production line's opening ceremony that "the completion of the line shows Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics has the ability to produce state-of-the-art high-end display panels. This project is an important one for TCL Corp". Wuhan government officials said it is working to attract a range of companies involved in the manufacturing process of display screens, from suppliers of raw materials to makers of panels, modules and terminal products, to establish offices and facilities in Wuhan. The officials believe the production line will help the domestic industry catch up with companies in Japan and South Korea, all have dominated the LTPS LCD display market in recent years. Other domestic producers have made heavy investments to build the sixth-generation LTPS LCD screen production lines. BOE Technology Group Co Ltd launched its Gen-6 LTPS/AMO-LED production line in Chengdu, Sichuan province, last year, while Tianma Microelectronics Co Ltd recently announced it will build a Gen-6 LTPS production line in Xiamen, Fujian province, and Kunshan, Jiangsu province, both of which are expected to begin production this year. China is the world's largest consumer of display panels. According to Sigmaintell Consulting Co Ltd, demand in China for LTPS LCD panels will increase from 140 million in 2015 to 230 million this year, with its penetration rate rising from 27 percent last year to 39 percent this year. "The Gen-6 LTPS TFT-LCD production line from Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics will help domestic display manufacturers increase their clout in the field of medium- and high-end mobile phone screens," said Li Yaqin, vice-president of Sigmaintell Consulting. Fan Boyu, a senior manager for market research firm WitsView, said China's production capacity of LTPS LCD panels will continue to expand this year as major display producers target the medium- and high-end mobile phone markets, although that could push inventories of screens beyond demand levels, which could compress profits for manufacturers. Liu Kun contributed to this story. A Chinese worker assembles a new energy car on the assembly line at an auto plant in Zouping county, East China's Shandong province, Dec 16, 2014. [Photo / IC] Be more responsive to the public and to international concerns, key members of the State Council are told Premier Li Keqiang has called for key members of the State Council to be more responsive to the public and to international concerns about China's economic prospects. Key ministers and department chiefs were urged to meet the media to explain how China will overcome the difficulties it faces. The premier was reported by Chinese media on Tuesday as making the remarks during an executive meeting of the State Council on Sunday. He told officials at the meeting to inform their domestic and international audiences that China is confident it has sufficient policy weapons to help the economy cope with increased challenges. But he added, "We don't want to use our weapons when we're not fully prepared." The economy can draw on the creativity of the nation's 1.3 billion people, Li said. One example of China's resilience, he said, is the latest job data. The government reported that the urban unemployment rate stood at 4.99 percent in January after it improved the survey method. The premier said that as long as the job market remains stable, other economic fundamentals would be easy to manage. His comments came after volatility in international equity markets during the Spring Festival holiday triggered alarm among economists and overseas observers. But Li said the challenges can help the government to become more focused and more attentive in its work. He said that the measures and policies taken to cover volatility in the stock and exchange markets were the "right call". He added that such market-stabilizing measures, which were consistent with international practice, had defused certain "bombs" over a period of time and warded off systemic financial risk. However, the authorities should also learn lessons from this experience, address internal management issues and take a timely and effective approach, Li said. Xu Hongcai, director of the Economic Research Department at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, believes the resilience of China's economic development lies in its economic transition. "China is now undergoing its economic structural optimization, with consumption playing an increasingly larger role in the country's economic growth," he said. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, consumption contributed 66.4 percent to GDP last year, a year-on-year increase of 15.4 percentage points. "Meanwhile, the service industry is developing rapidly, which will provide more potential platforms for employmentan important index for a country's economic growth," Xu said. "Also, the potential for areas in central and western China has not been fully explored. All of these factors show there is better potential for China's economic development." Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Service, introduces Apple Pay during an Apple event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, Sept 9, 2014. [Photo/Agencies] Stocks of mobile payment related companies soared on Tuesday over speculation that Apple Inc will introduce its cash-free smartphone payment service to China this week. Apple Pay, a new way of making purchases in retail stores that was developed by the United States smartphone maker, will boost the mobile payment business as local players like Xiaomi Corp and Alibaba Group Holding also roll out similar services. The supposed launch date was leaked by the social media account of Guangzhou-based China Guangfa Bank on Tuesday. The bank said in a post on instant messaging app WeChat that Apple Pay will be available in the country by 5 am on Thursday. The message was later deleted. Apple said in December that it will launch the wireless payment business in Chinaits biggest overseas marketpartnering with the nation's No 1 bank card association, China UnionPay. China UnionPay said it will announce the launch time with Apple later; Apple did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Fueled by the looming Apple Pay entry, shares of 30 Chinese companies that provide mobile payment technologies surged by an average of 6.69 percent on Tuesday, according to data from market tracker Royal-Flush Information. Eastcom peace Technology Co, a Guangdong-based maker of mobile payment terminals, and Nantian Electronic Information, a payment platform developer, led the advance. Both companies hit the 10 percent increase ceiling early in the trading day. Datang Telecom Technology Co, a mobile communications hardware maker, also saw its stocks jump by 6.11 percent from the day before. Li Chao, a Beijing-based analyst from iResearch Consulting Group, said Apple Pay will help open up the Chinese smartphone payment market, where e-commerce giant Alibaba now controls the lion's share. "It will be difficult for Apple Pay to challenge Alibaba's payment services in the short run, but the availability of Apple Pay will certainly attract more people paying at the counters with smartphones instead of reaching for their wallet," Li said. Wu Yiyao in Shanghai contributed to this story. China missed the chance to become part of the global observatory network that recently reported the first direct observation of gravitational waves, experts said, adding that space exploration is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked. "When US scientists planned a global network to expand LIGO's (the advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) surveillance area, they had proposed the idea of an observatory to Beijing," said Hu Wenrui, a renowned physicist and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "However, the Chinese did not accept the idea for building a ground detector, so LIGO chose its Asian base in India," he said. NowLIGO has two interferometer facilities in the United States and is also cooperating with the UK, Germany, Australia, India and other countries to form a global gravitational wave detector network. "LIGO was built in 1999 but literally found nothing," said Hu. In 2011, scientists improved LIGO's design and the National Science Foundation in the US granted another $400 million. "This was very farsighted," Hu said. The advanced LIGO project was finished on March 31, and received signals of the longs ought gravitational wave six months later. "China started research for building our own gravitational wave facilities in 2008, but it was very, very difficult to promote the project because gravitational waves are some thing so far from people's daily lives that few knew its significance," Hu said. "I hope the success of LIGO will bring gravitational wave research to the forefront," he said. Now scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are proposing a space research project to catch up with countries that have looked into this field for decades. "We have to participate in the research, because gravitational waves might represent the future of technology," said Zhou Dejin, spokesman for the academy. Zhou cited the case of electromagnetic waves, which were considered too advanced to be of practical use when predicted in the late 19th century, but today we are using them in every aspect of communication including radio, TV, Internet and GPS. "The discovery of gravitational waves is comparable to that of electromagnetic waves, and space exploration will give us vast potential for future development in the field," said Wu Yueliang, vice-president of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wang Yifang, head of the CAS high-energy physics institute, said that China should consider big scientific programs. "Major scientific discoveries cannot be made overnight. Ifwe do not plan for today, we won't have any significant output tomorrow," he said. Municipal government wants manufacturing to contribute at least 25 percent of the city's GDP The municipal government of Shanghai has pledged to prevent manufacturing from declining too quickly in China's largest business city. By the end of 2014, the latest year for which figures are available, the city had more than 24 million permanent residents - equivalent to the population of Australia. As befits a municipality of this size, service industries have increasingly begun to eclipse manufacturing's contribution to local GDP, but the latter should still contribute at least 25 percent, according to the city's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). This year, municipal officials are aiming to achieve a GDP growth rate of between 6.5 and 7 percent year-on-year. However, according to Tang Huihao, chief economist at the municipal bureau of statistics, it will be hard for Shanghai to achieve sustainable growth in its modern service industries without a solid manufacturing base. Xiao Lin, director of the city government's development research center, said this was the first time that Shanghai, the country's oldest industrial center, had refocused on manufacturing and set a floor for its decline. Economists say it is important not to let manufacturing wither away when much of the city's new wealth is being created by its financial houses and service industries. Citywide, the contribution to GDP by all service industries rose rapidly from 57 percent in 2010 to 64.8 percent in 2014 and 67.8 percent last year. However, the city still wants to play a key part in the central government's "Made in China 2025" campaign to boost manufacturing quality, Xiao said. Shanghai's focus should be on high-end and intelligent manufacturing, the official said, featuring smarter, more environmentally-friendly and service-oriented technologies. Preferably, Shanghai should try to enlarge manufacturing's contribution to local GDP to between 30 and 35 percent "not only in the following five years, but for a longer time", said Wang Sizheng, an official from the municipal Development and Reform Commission. As the population gets older and the city increasingly loses its price competitiveness in comparison with other cities in China and further afield, "innovation becomes the only way to go" for manufacturers, according to Rui Mingjie, a professor with Fudan University. Shanghai is capable of leading the country in several industries, including semiconductor equipment and materials, industrial robots, making the homegrown airliner C919 and constructing luxury cruise ships. Xu Zheng, chairman of Shanghai Construction Group, pointed to the city's skyline as proof of it embracing new technology. "Shanghai Tower is the last piece in the trio of skyscrapers on Lujiazui's skyline. To construct a 632-meter-tall building with a total gross floor area space of 576,000 square meters, we have relied a lot on state-of-the-art innovative technology," he said. Six years ago, Shanghai Construction Group spent several million yuan on research into building information modeling technology, and the Shanghai Tower is the first application of this, Xu said. Chinese children are finding new ways to manage the lucky money they received during the Spring Festival as modern parents encourage their kids to learn more about finance and investment. Gifting money in a red envelope, or hongbao, is a popular holiday tradition in China - believed to bring luck to the recipient. The money is most often given to young people by their elders, although the amount can vary greatly. In order to find out more about how much money changes hands, and what it is spent on, four students from The High School Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province, conducted a survey this year, according to a report in Chinese Business View. They found that about a third of their 256 respondents received less than 2,000 yuan ($308), 2.7 percent were given more than 15,000 yuan and the largest group, 41.8 percent, received between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan. When asked what they planned to do with the money, 57 percent said they would give it to their parents, 31 percent planned to buy books and stationery and about 9 percent said they would spend it on classmate get-togethers. Investing in the stock market was one of the more unusual suggestions that the investigating students, aged 11 to 12, received. Apparently, Chinese parents still play a big role in deciding how lucky money is spent, although increasingly their thoughts are turning to investments and savings. Dong Yijing, a 33-year old mother in Shanxi province, said her 3-year-old son received around 60,000 yuan in lucky money during the holidays. In addition to spending a small share on reading material, Dong said she "will donate one third of the money to disabled kids under my son's name and save the rest in the bank as a fixed deposit in his account". "When he grows up, I will show him all the receipts for the donations so that he will be able to appreciate how it all started when he was so young," she said, adding that her son's savings will eventually help him to travel the world when he is older. Wu Jian, 45, a businessman in Shanghai, said his 12-year old son was managing his lucky money himself. "I want my son to gain some financial knowledge and learn the basic concepts of money management when he is young, so I allowed him to invest his lucky money under my guidance," said Wu. As well as investing in education insurance, Wu suggested his son start a collection of model cars as "he likes cars, but is not old enough to have a driving license". "I liked my father's advice and I found collecting more interesting than just buying books and saving," said his son Wu Yue. Jin Yuan, a bank clerk and mother of a primary school student in Xi'an, described lucky money as a "nice tradition" that should be kept up. "Many of my colleagues chose to open an account using their children's names at the bank to save their kids' lucky money," she said. "However, I think teaching them how to spend it correctly matters more than saving it under their name." A Chinese clerk counts RMB (renminbi) yuan banknotes at a bank in Huaibei city, East China's Anhui province, January 22, 2015.[Photo/IC] Reform should rely on the public and benefit the public, as President Xi Jinping said at the 10th meeting of the central leading group for comprehensively deepening reform in last Febuary. He pointed out that reform should deal with the problems ordinary people face in their lives and better meet their needs, and for the first time raised a new benchmark for evaluating the results of reform--sense of gain. The results of reform thus come under a new sort of scrutiny--subjective evaluations from residents decide whether reform is successful or not. Looking back, residents could sense the fruits of reform over the last year. Still, it takes time and will require further effort to meet residents' expectations in some less well-performing areas. Rising income for both rural and urban residents in the last year gave them a direct sense of gain. Official data shows that China's national per capita disposable income stood at 21,966 yuan ($ 3,349) in 2015, up 7.4 percent from 2014 in real terms, outpacing GDP growth. The gap between rich and poor narrowed, according to measurements using the Gini coefficient, a statistical index in which zero equals perfect equality. It stood at 0.462 in 2015, dropping for seven years in a row after the index hit 0.491 in 2008. In the next five years, the government will further deepen income distribution reform, during which time the key task is to increase people's incomes to achieve the goal of doubling rural and urban residents' real income by 2020, compared with that of 2010. While rising income brings a sense of gain and leads to rising happiness in a certain sense, excessively focusing on economic indicators takes our attention away from the real measurement of a country's and people's progress. The government has done a lot to help people lead better lives. One week before January 1, lights came to 39,800 people in remote northwest China. They became the last group to receive electricity to light their homes in the world's most populous country. At the end of 2015, China met its goal of providing electricity to all of its people, set out in the 12th five-year plan. In early January, government loosened restrictions on who can apply for permanent residency in cities and provided more policy support for improving shantytown dwellings and dangerous homes as part of efforts to accelerate urbanization and improve living conditions. There were more jobs created through policy support. In the face of economic headwinds, when economic growth slowed to 6.9 percent in the last year, supportive policies to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship bring a sense of gain to residents who wish to start their own business. The image of two birds putting their heads together went viral online. [Photo/web] Stealing the spotlight from Chinese celebrities showing off their love online on Valentine's Day, a photo of a gander "kissing" a goose went viral online and turned many Internet users into scriptwriters penning romantic stories about the two love birds. The photo of a gander standing on a soil path joining her beak together with that of a goose tied in a basket at the back seat of a motorcycle was first posted online on Valentine's Day with such touching lines as "the gander kisses goodbye to his lover at village entrance before both being separated." Moved by the image, many started scripting different storylines between the two birds. Some pieced together a happy-ending picture saying that they eloped after an accident happened to the motorcycle and lived happily after with many children. Others, perhaps more realistic and also more imaginative, wrote that the goose cheated on her lover shortly after they eloped, but they still met the inevitable end of most domestic birds and ended up getting fried. However, Deng, the owner of the two birds, told a far less romantic story. The picture was taken on Feb 9 when the goose was about to be sent away to a relative's home as a thank you gift to return a favor, said Deng, whose parents had been raising the birds for more than a year in a village in Meizhou, South China's Guangdong province. "When my father tried to tie the goose, the gander yanked his neck trying to prevent him and gaggled as if pleading to my father for pardon," said Deng, whose family still sent the goose away though a bit moved by the scene. The gander was later cooked by Deng's family, too, during the weeklong Chinese new year holiday because Deng's parents will leave home for work after the holiday and nobody else will be left to take care of it, said Deng. By Wednesday afternoon, the topic of #the story between a gander and a goose# has generated a readership of 220,000 on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. Experts interpreted the unexpected fever about the two birds in different ways. Some said the different versions of the romantic stories add hype to the photo and it's a good example of new media empowering the public with the right of speech and participation. Others attributed the fever to the special occasion of Valentine's Day when romance is in the air and easy to be spiced up. Others, however, claimed that it's likely to be an online marketing campaign. A public toilet equipped with WiFi, ATM and charging facility in Beijing. [Photo/IC] Foreigners may frown at squat toilets and terrible odors in China's public restrooms but the situation is expected to change as China considers blacklisting those behaving badly in public toilets at scenic spots. The potential move against uncivilized behavior in public conveniences was revealed by Li Shihong, deputy chief of the China National Tourism Administration (NTA), the country's tourism regulator. The move is aimed at improving the image of China's tourist attractions. "Many people spend a lot of time dressing themselves but they do not spare a second to flush the toilet. Toilet civilization has a long way to go in China,' said Li Jinzao, director of the NTA. In addition to blacklisting those behaving badly, the country will invest more than 12.5 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) to push forward "toilet reform" which will be financed by central and local government funds as well as private investors. The "toilet reform" was initiated by the NTA in 2015. Since its launch, 22,000 public toilets have been built in scenic spots across the country, and this year 25,000 more are expected to be erected, the NTA said at a national conference on public toilets. Energy- and water-saving and deodorization technology will be applied in new toilets, said the NTA. China's restroom issue has also drawn attention from foreign organizations. To find solutions to better dispose of and recycle toilet waste, a toilet-themed innovation contest jointly held by the NTA and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is collecting designs from across the country. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on China and Australia to strengthen ties in various fields as he and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop co-chaired the third round of bilateral diplomatic and strategic dialogue on Wednesday in Beijing. The China-Australia relationship is facing significant opportunities, Wang said, urging both sides to further political mutual trust, expand mutual-beneficial cooperation, respect each other's core interests and add new content to bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries can enhance integration and docking between their major development initiatives and strategies, as well as open up new areas for economic cooperation since a free trade agreement has come into force, he said. The minister called on Australia to provide easier services for Chinese tourists to promote people-to-people exchanges. China also wants to deepen defense cooperation and law-enforcement cooperation with Australia. Wang urged the two countries to enhance coordination and cooperation in the United Nations, G20 (Group of 20) and APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). Speaking highly of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Bishop said Australia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields and on global affairs. The two sides exchanged views on South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and agreed that maintaining regional peace, stability is in line with common interests of both countries and the international community. BEIJING -- The G20 Trade Ministers Meeting will be held in Shanghai on July 9, 2016 to discuss ways to boost trade and investment cooperation, a commerce official said Wednesday. The two-day meeting will be held in advance of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, which is slated for Sept. 4 and 5. China took over the G20 presidency in December last year. "Global trade plays a weakened role as an engine for economic growth as its growth loses steam. Therefore, G20 members have a strong will to strengthen trade and investment cooperation," Ministry of Commerce (MOC) spokesperson Shen Danyang said at a press conference. The G20 Trade and Investment Working Group was established this year based on a proposal from China. The meetings of trade ministers and the working group will allow G20 members to hold in-depth talks on topics including trade and investment mechanisms, global trade expansion and multilateral trading system development. Mont Saint-Michel, an islet on France's northern coast, topped by an 8th-century Benedictine abbey, was France's first heritage site and among the first ever designated.[Photo/ Agencies] A number of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites face major challenges, including the following: Machu Picchu, Peru This magnificent "lost city of the Incas" is cited by UNESCO as beset by logging, poor waste management and agricultural incursion but hasn't been placed on its list of sites in danger. Peruvian experts are raising other alarm bells, from vehicle fumes to the unceasing tread of footsteps producing a similar effect as a small-scale earthquake that could lead to the collapse of the temples and other structures. The number of visitorsnearly 2,500 dailyappears to be overwhelming the site's safe carrying capacity. The 15th-century royal retreat was built high up in the Peruvian Andes to accommodate a population estimated at no more than 800. Omori, Japan This sleepy western Japanese town had "no outstanding universal value", according to the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which makes recommendations on world heritage sites. Its only attraction was a long-defunct silver mine and no tourist infrastructure existed aside from one eight-room guesthouse. But following intense lobbying by the Japanese authorities, Omori was inscribed in 2007. A year later, almost 1 million tourists poured in, rupturing the quiet lifestyle of the unprepared community. Another controversial site in Japan was added to UNESCO's roster last year: factories and mines of the country's Meiji Industrial Revolution. Tens of thousands of Koreans, Chinese and Allied prisoners of war were forced to work at some of the locations, prompting the Chinese media to charge the listing "helped Japan cover up or glorify some of its past wartime atrocities". South Korea demanded that Japan make it clear that South Korean slave labor was used. Lijiang, China Amid widespread publicity, the 800-year-old town in China's southwestern province of Yunnan was declared a site in 1997, and is today one of the country's top domestic tourist destinations. Outsiders with more capital and skills moved in, sparking tensions with local residents who felt they were "losing their town". Already in the early 2000s, many streets of the old quarter were up to 90 percent in the hands of newcomers profiting by the mass influx. Annual visitors swelled from some 150,000 before the heritage designation to 2.8 million three years later and some 16 million last year. Local culture has been adulterated in a complete tourism-oriented makeover. The charming houses are reproductions: Virtually the entire old town was razed by a 1996 earthquake. Mont Saint-Michel, France This offshore islet topped by a stunning 8th-century Benedictine abbey was France's first heritage site and among the first ever designated. Already a major pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages, it underwent many transformations but has always drawn romantics and the faithful, even when it served as a prison during the French Revolution. With a resident population of about 50 and only 100 hectares in size, it now attracts up to 2.8 million visitors a year. The Smithsonian Magazine wrote that its narrow, medieval streets are packed with tourists "who shoulder to shoulder, four to five thick, mill about like subway commuters at rush hour along the main street, which is nonstop cafes, hotels, restaurants and shops, selling every kind of souvenir imaginable". The band Anda Union reaches out to global audiences with its new interpretation of traditional Mongolian music.[Photo provided to China Daily] At Settle Victoria Hall in England, Chinese performers in long colorful robes and leather boots recently enthralled an audience, members of which had seldom heard the sounds of the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) and such other indigenous instruments before. Showcasing the traditional khoomei, or throat-singing, musicians brought alive the magic of the grasslands and the mountains. During the hourlong concert, the band from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region led the audience through a mixture of nomadic melodies, as part of its UK tour that started on Jan 26. Anda Union, the band from Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia, performed 23 concerts in Glasgow, Liverpool and Oxford, among other cities. The tour will end on Friday. "It has been raining since we started our tour in the United Kingdom. Some people may not like the rain but we enjoy it very much. The smell of the grass reminds us of our home. We love being close to nature," says Nars, the lead musician, who grew up in the Horqin grasslands of Inner Mongolia with his herder grandparents. Since the band's birth in 2001, the musicians' mission has been to find inspiration from old and forgotten songs while creating a new form of music. One of their songs, The Legend of the Swan Brothers, is based on a Mongolian song, which tells the story of a local folk hero similar to Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to help the poor. "We all grew up with legends of Genghis Khan, Mongol tribespeople and many other folk tales about love, brotherhood and courage. They are our wealth," says Nars, 34. Since most of the tales have no written form, the band members sought help from their parents and grandparents to learn the melodies and lyrics. Nars learned to play the horse-head fiddle from his grandfather. At age 12, he went to Chifeng to study music, where he met some of Anda Union's future members. The rest of the band came from Hohhot after Nars joined the Inner Mongolian Music and Dance Troupe. The band's name, Anda, is derived from the Mongolian word for "brotherhood". Most of the members are skilled in khoomei singing. Each member also plays a traditional instrument or does vocal music. Uni plays the tobshur, a two-stringed Mongolian lute; Chinggel plays the moadin chor, a Mongolian flute made from a reed; and Tsetsegmaa and Biligbaatar are masters of urtyn duu, or the long song, a style of singing which stretches sentences over minutes. In 2006, the band won the first prize for ethnic music at CCTV's Youth Singing Competition, which gave it opportunities at the national level. The band's performance at an arts festival in Shanghai in 2006 caught the attention of Tim Pearce, a UK filmmaker, who became the band's manager three years later. "It doesn't matter that people do not understand the language. Their music is truly universal, and there is no other band presenting Mongolian music as they are. They have the greatest variety of songs and take people on a wonderful musical journey," says Pearce, who has toured with the band in the United States, UK, Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, Pearce traveled with the band to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, where they discovered old songs and a rapidly changing social environment. After three months of filming and a year of editing, the documentary, Anda Union From the Steppes to the City, was released. "The lifestyle of Mongolian people has changed. For example, people ride motorcycles on grasslands rather than riding horses. But we are proud of our nomadic culture," says Nars, who runs a music school in Hohhot, teaching young people to play various instruments. Band member and vocalist Saihanniya runs a Mongolian bar in Hohhot that promotes Mongolian music. "We especially want to catch the attention of young people, who more likely listen to hip-hop, pop and rock," Nars says. "What we have done is just a drop in the ocean since Mongolian music is a huge treasure that needs to be rediscovered and preserved." Contact the writers through chennan@chinadaily.com.cn Zou Yute decorates a firecracker dragon lantern in Binyang county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Feb 16, 2016. [Phot/Xinhua] Zou Yute, a 62-year-old folk artist, is an inheritor of the traditional craftsmanship of making firecracker dragon lanterns in Binyang county of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Firecracker and Dragon Festival, which falls on the 11th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, was inscribed into the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008. It is an original local festival celebrated by both the ethnic Han and the Zhuang people of the region. The Dragon Dance in Firecrackers is derived from the traditional dragon dance. Bare-chested performers hold dragons on poles as people march and dance on the streets. While the dragon dance is going on, firecrackers are set off. This custom has a tradition of over 1,000 years in Binyang. Artists perform at the "Happy Chinese New Year" gala in Almaty in Kazakhstan, Feb 9, 2016. [Photo/almaty.chineseconsulate.org] A "Happy Chinese New Year" gala was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Feb 9-10. The Ministry of Culture of China and the Consulate General of China in Almaty organized the event. Chinese Consul General in Almaty Liao Hongbo and about 800 officials and representatives from city government, local schools and institutions attended the gala on Feb 9. Liao expressed his best New Year's wishes in his address at the occasion. He noted that the "Happy Chinese New Year" event has been held in Almaty for seven years and plays an important role in promoting the cultural exchange and mutual relations between China and Kazakhstan. He highly praised the new achievement of cooperation between the two nations. Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 is the most notable book by Philip Kuhn. [File photo] Philip Kuhn, a preeminent British-born American historian on Chinese history, died on Feb 11. He was 82. His death was confirmed by Sinologist and Chinese history professor Hilde De Weerdt and Cambridge history professor Hans van de Ven. "RIP Philip Kuhn, author of excellent books on Chinese history: Rebellion & Its Enemies; Soulstealers; Origins of the Modern Chinese State," writes Weerdt on her Twitter account at 5:40 pm Beijing time on Monday. Kuhn was born in 1933 in London. He went to the US, attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C.. After getting his A.B. at Harvard University, he went to Georgetown University for graduate school in 1957. Kuhn returned to Harvard for his doctorate in History and East Asian Languages under the guidance of John King Fairbank, a prominent historian of China. Diverging from the "shock-response" pattern put forward by Fairbank, which argues that Western society's impact on China changes Chinese society fundamentally, Kuhn suggests one probe the history of China to explain its transformation. This was a new and unconventional view in the study of Chinese history. Many of Kuhn's readers mourned his death on social networking sites Sina Weibo, spurring the interest of netizens to take a look at Chinese society from a historical perspective. Among Kuhn's published books, Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 is most notable. Some university professors claim that the book is required reading material for their students. Originally published in 1990 by Harvard University Press, Soulstealers won the recognition of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize in 1992 for its "subtle, powerful, and still relevant inquiry into the dynamics of autocratic rule". It probed into the mass hysteria which broke out over sorcerers among the common people during the most prosperous period of China's last imperial dynasty. Liu Chang, co-translator of Soulstealers said that the book is "attractive as a detective novel". "The book is also about contemporary China," Liu said Kuhn used to tell him. In the book, Kuhn wrote that in a society where population is growing excessively, per capita resources are going the wrong way and social morale is decaying, people will doubt that they can improve their social condition through work or study. And when they lose faith in the judicial system, they may turn to sorcery for an illusion of power. The four books published by Kuhn are Rebellion and Its Enemies in Late Imperial China; Militarization and Social Structure, 1796-1864; Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768, and Origins of the Modern Chinese State and Chinese among Others: Emigration in Modern Times. Related: Pop-up books in China Homebuyers at a real estate promotion event in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. [Long Wei/China Daily] Nearly five years ago, I made the biggest investment decision of my lifeto buy an apartment. Of course it was not in Beijing. Housing prices in the capital city had already skyrocketed to a jaw-dropping level far beyond the purchasing ability of a wage-earner like me, but they constantly served as a reminder of my foolishness of not having forecast the trend. In a matter of years, property prices in the community where I lived had surged by around seven times. If I had had any prophetic vision, I would have been able to retire now sitting on my ballooning property wealth, I often thought. The feeling of contrition kept nipping my heart with such an increasing intensity that I finally felt compelled to make up for itby buying a property elsewhere. My target destination was Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. Not only because it is my wife's hometown, but also it is considered a niche market. Often called "the city of spring", it is a tourist mecca famous for its pleasant weather and eternal greenery, as well as clean and fresh air. And the price for an apartment in a high-end community in the downtown areawell furnished and in a get-your-baggage-and-settle-in stateis only around 10,000 yuan ($1,540) per square meter, or a quarter of that in Beijing. What a bargain. So in the summer of 2011 I was ready to dig the first bucket of gold in my life. As if I had put on the red shoes in one of Hans Christian Anderen's fairy tales, I found myself in an unstoppable mode, carried away by passion searching for a buying target, negotiating over discounts, arranging for payments, and finally, signing a deal. The 90-sq-m apartment I bought is in the second phase of a mature community project just a few kilometers from the city center, with supermarkets, schools, a cinema, a small park and many bus routes nearby. I chose it because I kept in mind the No 1 rule in real estate: "Location, location, location". I had sown the seed, and was waiting to reap my fruits of fortune. In the following years, I have become an avid watcher of housing prices. The timing of my investment was good. Nationwide, housing prices have kept rising, but noticeably only in Beijing and other first-tier or coastal cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. As for my investment, the gain has been even lower than fixed deposits at banks. It might take some time for the ripple effect of housing price rises to spread from major cities to a third-tier one like Kunming, I thought. Yet my hope was dashed with the completion of many more housing projects surrounding my community, each offering more attractive prices. I had to resort to Rich Dad, Poor Dad to get some comfort. "Keep your daytime job, but start buying real assets," I read. But isn't that just what I have done? So have many other people. My foot masseuse told me proudly one day that she had just bought an apartment in a county in Gansu province. The young man who used to deliver bottled water to my office also told me the other day he had settled his parents from a village to his newly bought apartment in Tai'an, Shandong province. Many of my friends in third- and fourth-tier cities have at least two apartments. Then I read reports about the country's ambitious urbanization plan. The new urban and township blueprint looks to accommodate an additional 3.4 billion people by 2030, as compared to 730 million people already settled in cities. That explains why everywhere I go in the country, I see endless skylines of buildings in the "new districts" or "ghost cities", even in some poor and remote counties. It must be the largest building boom in human history. On Tuesday the central bank, in another move to buoy up property market, allowed banks to cut the minimum required mortgage down payment to 20 percent from 25 percent, the lowest level in many years. But I doubt it will be effective. Except in first-tier cities, people have had too many houses in hand already. LI MIN/CHINA DAILY Freedom of navigation is a buzzword of the day. Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr, Commander of the US Pacific Command, said on January 27, 2016, that the US navy will "continue down the path of freedom of navigation operations" and "you will see more of them, and you will see them increasing in complexity and scope". Both China and the United States agree to freedom of navigation, a fundamental principle of the law of the sea. But they have different interpretations of it. China and more than 20 other developing countries, such as Brazil, India, Vietnam and Malaysia, believe that military activities, such as the close-in surveillance and reconnaissance by a country in another country's Exclusive Economic Zone, infringe on a coastal state's security interests and therefore cannot be simply categorized as freedom of navigation. The US, however, maintains that military activities fall within freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of the sea. The US is never shy of claiming freedom of navigation as its higher moral ground. But the irony is it still refuses to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Even President Barack Obama admitted that "it's a lot harder to call on China to resolve its maritime disputes under the Law of the Sea Convention when the United States Senate has refused to ratify it". China, on the other hand, upheld freedom of navigation as a principle in line with the UNCLOS as early as 1998 in its Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf. US "freedom of navigation" naval operations are even a contradiction to the US' claimed policy of taking no position on competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC] The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and the Year of the Monkey is no exception. President Xi Jinping has proven to be a man of his word in fighting corruption, continuing to hunt down many tigers (senior officials) and swatting away swarms of flies (lower-ranking officials). But there is another segment of the population that requires attention. As the cartoon character Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us". Many people in China appear to have little or no respect for law, and reflect the attitude of Bumble in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist that "the law is an ass". Xi has pointed out that "strong and effective law enforcement builds a strong nation, while slack law enforcement weakens a nation". This clearly applies to people at all levels. Disrespect for the law is a cancer in any society. For example, one of the things that many drivers in large metropolises detest are traffic jams and their inconvenience. Yet one of the main causes of traffic jams is drivers cavalierly flaunting the rules and making an ass of the law. The worst offenders are drivers who delight in "playing chicken" with pedestrians and bicycles, seeing if they get out of harm's way in time. It appears that these drivers see the lives of others as worthless as the laws that they are knowingly flaunting. And that includes the growing legion of drivers texting while driving, a behavior proven to be as deadly as drunken driving. If people feel contempt for these simple safety rules, they probably feel the same for other more important ones as well. Observing this sad state of affairs doesn't take sophisticated surveillance equipment. As malaprop-meister Yogi Berra once said: "You can observe a lot by watching." Just stand momentarily at any intersection and watch how many laws are broken. Notice how the good people who play by the rules are delayed or inconvenienced by the lawbreakers. Imagine what would happen if these drivers were fined for breaking the law, and that after repeated violations their licenses were suspended for a period of time or their cars impounded. Driving is a privilege to be earned, not a right. Surely, using this carrot-and-stick approach their behavior would begin to change. Variations on this theme have been successful elsewhere, so why not here? China is in an excellent position to catch lawbreakers since many cities have sophisticated traffic camera technology. Imagine what the additional use of drones could do to make this process even more effective. And by installing RFID chips or barcodes on each car, the guilty could be easily identified and ticketed in a very visible way that tells the public that laws are indeed enforced and that there are ever-rising costs for disobeying them. Traffic law enforcement results in behavioral change, orderly roads, civility, and also generates significant revenue. I've been told that violators of such simple laws aren't punished because governments "don't have the political will" to do so. But that was before Xi's campaign and before the Fourth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2014, which for the first time in the Party's history had rule of law as its central theme. Respect for the law is crucial to achieve the Chinese Dream, for the simple reason that if people don't obey laws, it also means that they don't respect the laws or those who made them. Enforcement brings compliance and order, if not respect. Without enforcement and compliance, some people will continue to flaunt the law at street level, and that many in more lofty places will put their energies into workarounds, and not into building a better and more orderly society through the rule of law. It's high time to get serious and stop people monkeying with the law. The author is a senior adviser to Tsinghua University and former director and vice-president of ABC Television in New York. Beijing has demanded that Washington halt the progress of a bill aimed at renaming the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, after Liu Xiaobo, a convicted Chinese criminal. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for engaging in activities aimed at overthrowing the government. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. China considers the award reflects poorly on the Nobel Committee because Liu had been found guilty of criminal acts against the State before the prize was announced. Approval of the bill by the US Senate violated the basic norms of international relations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday during a regular news conference. China firmly opposes the bill, he stressed. If passed, the bill would have serious consequences, Hong said. "We urge the US Congress to stop considering the bill," Hong said. He called on the US authorities to stop "this political farce". The bill, proposed by Republican senator and US presidential candidate Ted Cruz, was passed by the Senate on Friday, but it must also be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by the US president before it can become law. If passed, the official address of the Chinese embassy would become Liu Xiaobo Plaza. The address now is 3503 International Place. In return, some Chinese netizens have suggested naming the street in front of the US embassy in Beijing after Monica Lewinsky, who was involved in a sex scandal with former US president Bill Clinton, or after Edward Snowden, a US National Security Agency whistle blower. Ren Yuanzhe, a leading researcher of international relationship studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said some Western politicians often linked Liu's case to so-called human rights issues, but China should not consider it a big deal as the bill was unlikely to pass. "These politicians intended to outrage and shame Beijing by doing this," Ren said. "But I think the American authorities are unlikely to pass the bill as we all know it is a direct provocation against China and an interference in our internal affairs." This file photo with Boutros Boutros-Ghali's signiture was taken on March 26, 1996 at Beijing's Zhongnanhai during his visit to China. [Photo by Xu Jingxin/China Daily] CAIRO - Egyptian former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on Tuesday in a hospital in Giza at the age of 94, the official MENA news agency reported. Born in 1922, the late top diplomat led the United Nations from 1992 until 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post. After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Ghali resigned later in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular protest. When appointed by the UN General Assembly as the body's chief in 1991, Boutros-Ghali was also Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs. He served as Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1991, during which he became member of the International Law Commission. Ghali was part of the secretariat of Mubarak's ruling party since 1980 until his appointment at the United Nations, then he became member of the Egyptian parliament in 1987. In 1978, the diplomat attended Camp David summit and played a negotiating role in the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel reached later in 1979. UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday hailed former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali as "a respected statesman" and expressed sadness at his predecessor's death. "The late Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was a respected statesman in the service of his country, Egypt," Ban said. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the sixth UN Secretary-General, died at 93 in Egypt Tuesday. Boutros-Ghali, an Egyptian politician and diplomat, served as the sixth UN chief from 1992 to 1996. Born in Cairo on Nov 14, 1922, he was the first Arab to serve as UN Secretary-General. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday hailed Boutros-Ghali as "a respected statesman in the service of his country, Egypt." The Security Council observed a minute of silence Tuesday morning. Ban praised him for guiding the Organization through the tumultuous early 1990's and for helping shape the UN's response to post-Cold War realities, drafting a seminal report on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping. He showed courage in posing difficult questions to the member states, and rightly insisted on the independence of his office and of the Secretariat as a whole, said Ban. Also during his tenure, he spearheaded UN structural and management reform. After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Boutros-Ghali later resigned in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising. According to UN website, Boutros-Ghali received a Ph.D. in international law from Paris University in 1949. Between 1949 and 1977, he was Professor of International Law and International Relations at Cairo University. From 1974 to 1977, he was a member of the Central Committee and Political Bureau of the Arab Socialist Union. From 1979 to 1991, he was a member of the International Law Commission, and was a former member of the International Commission of Jurists. He became a member of the Egyptian Parliament in 1987 and was part of the secretariat of the National Democratic Party from 1980. Until assuming the office of Secretary-General of the United Nations, he was also Vice-President of the Socialist International. In September 1978, Boutros-Ghali attended the Camp David Summit Conference and had a role in negotiating the Camp David accords between Egypt and Israel, which were signed in 1979. He also headed Egypt's delegation to the General Assembly sessions in 1979, 1982 and 1990. During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt in January this year, Xi met with 10 people awarded for their outstanding contribution to the China-Egypt friendship, including former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. MOSCOW - The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed accusations of Russian air forces in Syria attacking hospitals, calling the allegation unacceptable and baseless. "We categorically deny and do not accept such statements, especially because those who make such statements are unable to prove their allegations in any way," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He asked reporters to rely on primary sources of information over such issues, noting that for the Russian side the primary source should be official representatives of the Syrian authorities. "In this case, the representatives of the Syrian authorities made a number of statements on this subject, and declared their position as to who might be behind these bombings," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Peskov as saying. Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Riad Haddad, on Monday accused the U.S. of destroying a hospital backed by the humanitarian group MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors without Borders) in Syria. "American warplanes destroyed it (a hospital in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib). Russian warplanes had nothing to do with any of it -- the information that has been gathered will completely back that up," Haddad told TV channel Russia 24. In another development, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Turkey has been using large-caliber artillery against the Syrian army and opposition forces since the end of last week. Ankara has also attacked border settlements in Syria's Aleppo province, he said in a ministry statement. Konashenkov also warned of the sharp upsurge in terrorist activities "in particular northern areas" after the Munich agreement on cessation of hostilities in Syria was reached Friday. Turkish authorities as well as Western countries have been blaming Russia for bombing civilian targets. Moscow denies such allegations and insisted that all Russian airstrikes in Syria are carried out after repeated verification of reconnaissance information and through coordinated actions. Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, left, shakes hands with his South Korean counterpart Lim Sung-nam during their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Feb 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] SEOUL - The foreign affairs ministries of China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) held a strategic dialogue in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss issues including the Korean Peninsula nuclear problem. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui co-chaired the seventh high-level strategic dialogue between the foreign affairs ministries with First Vice-Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam of the ROK. Zhang said China attaches great importance to relations between China and the ROK. China stands ready to work together with the ROK to implement the consensus achieved by the national leaders and push forward the development of bilateral relations while ensuring they remain on the right track, he said. The Chinese vice-foreign minister said it is in the interests of both countries to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and maintain peace and stability there. China is opposed to the nuclear test and satellite launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and supports efforts at the UN Security Council to pass a new and forceful resolution as soon as possible. However, sanctions are not an end in themselves and a fundamental solution still has to be found through dialogue, he added. Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan 6 and launched a satellite-carrying rocket on Feb 7, which Seoul sees as a cover for a long-range ballistic missile. The United States and the ROK have decided to discuss the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). As one of the most advanced missile defense systems in the world, THAAD can intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight. Zhang presented China's serious stance on the possible deployment of THAAD in the ROK. Such a move would not be helpful in reducing the current tensions and not be conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability. Rather, it would harm the strategic security interests of China, he said. "China has serious concerns over such a move. We unequivocally oppose it. We are hoping that the related parties will handle this prudently," Zhang said. The South Korean side said it attached great importance to the strategic cooperative partnership with China and is willing to make efforts to further promote bilateral relations. The DPRK's moves of carrying out yet another nuclear test and launching a satellite-carrying rocket in disregard of international opposition have posed a real threat to the ROK, and also harmed the international non-proliferation regime, the South Korean side said. It urged the international community to show solidarity in its response and called on the UN Security Council to pass a forceful and effective new resolution on sanctions against the DPRK as soon as possible. The Dharahara Tower before and after the earthquake. [Photo/Xinhua] KATHMANDU - While launching a campaign to reconstruct Dharahara, also known as Bhimsen Tower, one of Kathmandu's landmarks on Tuesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced that he would donate his one month salary. The prime minister's move is considered as an attempt to encourage Nepali citizens to chip in for the rebirth of this historic monument crashing down due to the April 2015 devastating earthquake. The inauguration of the account will be done by depositing Oli's one month salary on Wednesday as per his announcement. "We have to construct our heritage sites on our own. I urge all the Nepali citizens to help in the noble cause," Oli said from the premise of the wrecked structure, adding Dharahara will be constructed out of the money from Nepalese citizens only. As per the government's plan, the Department of Archeology (DoA) in coordination with Kathmandu Metropolitan City will reconstruct the 250 feet tall structure built in 1832, after collecting seed money for it. The DoA had opened an account where any individual or organisation can donate any amount of money they wish. According to DoA, the government is preparing to commence reconstruction of 104 heritage sites including Dharahara beginning in April 24, 2016. Out of them 61 will be constructed within a year while remaining 40 will be as multi-year projects with a target of completing in two years. A total of 754 historical, cultural and religious monuments in 20 districts were damaged in last year's quake and its aftershocks. Among them, 133 have been reduced to rubble, while 621 have sustained varied degrees of damage. After a two-day gathering, leaders of the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states released a joint statement that avoided directly naming China as observers said most ASEAN countries understand the risks brought about by the US flexing its muscles in the region. The document was issued as the meeting at the Sunnylands retreat in California ended on Tuesday. US officials had been hoping to arrive at a common position on the South China Sea, however, "not all ASEAN members" agree on how to handle the disputes in the South China Sea, Reuters reported. The US and ASEAN countries endorsed a "shared commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force", the statement said. It did not include the specific mention that Washington had been seeking regarding China, Reuters noted. Zhou Yongsheng, professor on international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Washington has long been subscribing to double standards on the South China Sea issue, and the ASEAN countries rejected such a statement as "they foresee a dangerous prospect of US military provocations in the region". Washington stirred tension in the South China Sea at the end of January when a US navy destroyer intruded in Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands. It was quickly forced away by the Chinese military. Zhou observed that most ASEAN member states remain neutral toward US-China tensions, and are concerned that their support to the US flexing muscles could lead to flared disputes or increased tension in the South China Sea region. "In that sense, the balance of the region will be at risk, and the situation will not be conducive to themselves," Zhou said. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told a working dinner of the leaders on Monday night that China's role in the region is expected to grow, the Singapore-based Channel News Asia reported. Loong said China's larger presence will likely lead to occasional friction, uncertainties and anxieties, including in the South China Sea, but these issues must be managed peacefully to preserve regional stability and security. Reuters and AP contributed to this story. Beijing has taken notice of the non-militarization commitment made by the US and Southeast Asia nations and it hopes such a commitment "could be honored by actions", Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a joint news conference with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, February 17, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] The top Chinese diplomat made the comments at a joint press conference in Beijing with his visiting Australian counterpart Julie Bishop. After a two-day meeting, leaders of the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states released a joint statement on Tuesday in which they shared a commitment to "non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of activities". Wang told reporters in Beijing that "China has taken notice" of the joint statement. "Non-militarization serves the interests of all parties. However, non-militarization should not target a single country, and should not be applied with double or multiple standards," Wang said. "The non-militarization in the South China Sea needs the joint efforts by relevant countries inside and outside the region," Wang said. Zhou Yongsheng, a professor on international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, noted that it is actually the US that has embarked on the most frequent and the most provocative military activities in the South China Sea. "The US has boosted warships patrolling in the South China Sea and made incursions into territorial waters of sovereign states Such practices obviously have run against what it advocates as non-militarization'," Zhou said. The so-called US commitment on non-militarization does not accord with its actions, Zhou added. In regard to China's defense facilities deployed on some garrisoned islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, Wang said the facilities deployed are "limited and necessary". Such deployment is exercising the self-preservation right and the self-defense right endowed by international law, and it is "having nothing to do with militarization", Wang added. The minister noted that beacons have been built there, and facilities will be built for weather observation and forecasting as well as helping fishing boats tackle storms and emergencies. The Republic of Korea said it is willing to communicate with China over whether to deploy a US anti-missile system, according to a news release issued by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. The ROK also said it doesn't want the issue over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to harm China's interests or influence its relations with China. It said it attaches great importance to its strategic cooperative partnership with China, while the international community should act in solidarity to deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's recent nuclear test and satellite launch. The remarks were made on Tuesday when Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui visited Seoul for the seventh China-ROK High-Level Strategic Dialogue between Foreign Ministries. Zhang also met the ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and ROK senior presidential foreign affairs and security secretary Kim Kyou-hyun on Tuesday. Zhang reiterated China's grave concern about, and opposition to, the deployment of the THAAD in the ROK, and said China hopes relevant parties will deal with the issue cautiously. China attaches great importance to its relations with the ROK, and is willing to work with the ROK to push the bilateral relations to always develop on the correct track, he said. On the day of Zhang's visit, ROK President Park Geun-hye voiced a tough warning to the DPRK. Tensions over the Korean peninsula have been increasing since the DPRK announced a successful nuclear test on Jan 6. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a joint news conference with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing Feb 17, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's construction of facilities on its islands is legitimate when asked about reports that China had positioned anti-aircraft missiles on one of its islands in the South China Sea. Fox News reported on Tuesday that an advanced surface-to-air missile system had been deployed on Yongxing Island in the past week. Wang told reporters at a press conference with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop in Beijing that he learnt about the missile reports just minutes before. "We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories," Wang said. The top Chinese diplomat said he expected global media to pay more attention to the public services China offered in the South China Sea, including construction of lighthouses, weather stations, and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. "All of those are actions that China, as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there," he said. He said China's construction of "limited, necessary facilities of self-protection" was "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that". Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium (middle) Qu Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium and Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) have jointly sent the drumming-up messages at a Chinese lunar new year reception in Brussels on Tuesday. [Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel is so far the only European leader attending the Boao Forum in China in March, and top officials of both sides are urging investors to trust Belgium as one of the world's safest destinations, and to stop feeling pessimistic about China amid its development model shift. Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Qu Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium and Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) joined forces to send the upbeat messages at a Chinese lunar new year reception in Brussels on Tuesday. Ambassador Qu said China's invitation to attend the Boao Forum at the end of March signalled Chinese commitment to developing closer high-level relationship with Belgium, following efforts in 2014 and 2015. The Boao Forum organises high-level meetings for government, businesses and academics, mainly from Asia, to discuss pressintg issues for the region. "Prime Minister Charles Michel is invited as the only European leader to attend the Boao Forum and there, he has chances to present the opportunities in Belgium to the business leaders, not only from China but also from the rest of the world," said Qu. Qu said Michel will also pay an official visit to China and President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang are scheduled to meet him, while attending the 2016 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), which will be held in Boao, Hainan province from March 22 to 25. Belgium is still on the third level of safety alert in the aftermath of Paris attacks last November and it is reported that the top priority of Belgian leaders this year is to convince other leaders that their country is still one of the safest places in the world. China underlined its trust in Belgium with its support for Chinese lunar new year celebrations in Brussels on February 6. The Chinese New Year Parade was the first of its kind in Brussels. Thousands of Belgians and Chinese joined dozens of formations including dragon dancers, lion dancers, folk dancers, wushu martial arts practitioners, Peking opera performers and a fashion show. In his address, Peeters said Chinese-Belgium relations hit new heights in 2015 and in June last year, King Phillippe paid a state visit to China, where he met several key leaders. "It is not only one of our king's first state's visit abroad, it was also a very successful one with more than a hundred agreements were signed at that moment of that period. This is testimony to the excellent relations between Belgium and China," said Peeters. Peeters said Belgium is commited to join the Asia Infrastructural Investment Bank and it is exploring beneficial projects where it can bring value with its specific expertise and assets. "Bilaterally we look forward to the results of official visit of our Minister Charles Michel to China at the end of March," said Peeters. He said Michel's visit will be very important and both sides will jointly celebrate the 45th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium in October. "I hope these highlights will be very, very important to our bilateral trade," said Peeters. When opening the reception organized by Dewit's chamber, he said there were a lot of reasons to be optimistic about China. "China's economy is growing at a fast pace, the people's income is increasing, the service sector is booming and the Chinese tourists are increasingly traveling abroad," said Dewit. "So we should stop feeling pessimistic about China while it is successfully making the transition to a consumer economy." Dewit also said Belgium also remains an attractive place to invest, a safe place to do business and a great place to live. "Statistically, we are one of the safest countries in the world," said Dewit. Gao Shuang contributed to the story. To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com.cn Beijing 'has the right to such deployments on Xisha Islands to protect national sovereignty' Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a joint news conference with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing Feb 17, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Any defense deployment on China's territory would be legitimate, Beijing said on Wednesday, responding to reports that China has positioned anti-aircraft missiles on the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. "The Xisha Islands are the inherent territory of China. China has justified and legal rights to implement defense facilities on its territory to protect national sovereignty and security," the Defense Ministry's Information Office said in a statement to China Daily. "China started deploying maritime and air defense on relevant islands years ago. The hyping by certain Western media is a pure repeat of the 'China threat' theory," the statement said. Fox News reported on Tuesday that China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system on Yongxing Island of the Xisha Islands in the past week, citing satellite photos. A US official confirmed the accuracy of the photos, Fox said. The report came several weeks after a US Navy destroyer intruded in Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. The Defense Ministry has said the Chinese military will take any necessary measures to protect national sovereignty. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily media briefing on Wednesday that he was unaware of the specifics of the situation, but added that any facilities that are built have to do with national defense, not militarization. "We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at a news conference with Australian counterpart Julie Bishop in Beijing. Wang called on global media to pay more attention to the public service China has offered in the South China Sea, including construction of lighthouses, weather stations and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. "All of those are actions that China, as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there," he said. He said China's construction of "limited, necessary facilities of self-protection" was "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that". Yao Yunzhu, a senior researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Science, said of the report about the missile deployment that "there is nothing surprising". "Military implementation on islands is an act taken by countries around the globe, while China's military implementation on the Xisha Islands started many years ago," she said. Yao said the move, if confirmed, would not be directly linked to the US destroyer intrusion. "However, more provocations will draw in more preparation." lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn The guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (front) conducts a trilateral naval exercise with the Turkish and South Korean Navy on May 25, 2015. [Photo/IC] Beijing hopes that commitments "will be honored by actions" after the United States and the leaders of Southeast Asian nations pledged "non-militarization" in a joint statement following a two-day gathering. US President Barack Obama wrapped up his meetings with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states at Sunnylands in California on Tuesday, and a statement released afterward said they share a commitment to "non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of activities". Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that "China has taken notice" of the statement and hopes that the US and ASEAN countries match their words with actions. Last month, tension was stirred again in the South China Sea as a US Navy destroyer intruded in Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands. "Non-militarization serves the interests of all parties. However, non-militarization should not target a single country and should not be applied with double or multiple standards," Wang told a joint news conference in Beijing on Wednesday with his visiting Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop. "The non-militarization in the South China Sea needs joint efforts by relevant countries inside and outside the region," Wang added. Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said that the US has embarked on the most frequent and the most provocative military activities in the South China Sea. "The US has boosted warships patrolling in the South China Sea and made incursions into territorial waters of sovereign states. Such practices obviously have run against what it advocates as 'non-militarization'," Zhou said. Reuters said US officials had been hoping to arrive at a common position on the South China Sea at the gathering. However, not all ASEAN members agreed on how to handle disputes in the region, it said. Although the Philippines, an ASEAN member, is seeking international arbitration against China over the South China Sea issue, the statement on Tuesday did not directly name China. Lost for over 200 years, a cantata co-written by classical maestros Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri rang out in public for the first time on Tuesday, shedding new light on their reputed intense rivalry. The Italian composer was allegedly so jealous of the Austrian prodigy that he once tried to poison him a claim rejected by experts as the collaboration was performed in Prague. "The part composed by Mozart is, shall we say, more ingenious and dramatic, while the other two verses are more lyrical," musician Lukas Vendl told reporters after playing the four-minute composition on a harpsichord. "But it's impossible to deduce from it who was a better composer." The cantata from 1785 is "key to a new understanding of the relationship between Mozart and Salieri," according to Timo Jouko Herrmann, the German musicologist and composer who found the work. Herrmann said it suggests the men were "colleagues who worked together" rather than rivals and undermines a legend suggesting that Salieri may have played a role in Mozart's untimely death at 35 in 1791. Titled Per la ricuperata salute di Offelia (For Ophelia's recovered health) the cantata was jointly composed by Mozart, Salieri and an unknown musician named Cornetti. It accompanies a libretto by Italian poet Lorenzo Da Ponte and is dedicated to popular English soprano Nancy Storace (1765-1817), who returned to the stage after losing her voice for a spell. The score lay unidentified in the Czech Museum of Music since the 1950s, but Herrmann was finally able to attribute it to the two composers thanks to access to new information on the Internet, the museum said. I was recently asked by a client about the warranty it should seek from its Chinese manufacturers to put into the Manufacturing Agreement Im drafting for this client. I responded as follows: There are two separate warranty issues. The first is the warranty for defects in the product as delivered. The second is the warranty on defects that appear only after use. I will discuss each in turn. For warranty defects that can be discovered on inspection before or when delivered, there are three options commonly used for China: 1. China Factory Warranty Option 1 a. The Chinese manufacturer warrants that your product will meet certain specifications. b. The product is inspected in China prior to shipment. c. If a defect is discovered, the general procedure is as follows: i. The defective product is not shipped. In same cases, it makes sense to require that the product be destroyed. In your case, with your product, it seems the best route will be to require that the product be recycled. ii. There are two possible responses to the financial shortfall that results from defect: a) The manufacturer is required to reduce the amount of its invoice by the amount of product rejected. b) The manufacturer is required to make-up the shortfall with compliant product within a specific time frame. Option 1 is the preferred option in your situation. 2. China Factory Warranty Option 2 You inspect your product when it arrives in the United States and in Mexico. No payment is made until after the product has been inspected. Under this approach, the product is inspected within a specific time frame, usually 60 days. If defects are discovered, the procedure outlined in Option 1.c. above is followed. This is the approach the big box retailers typically take. However, Chinese manufacturers normally agree to this approach only where there are large purchases in fixed amounts for a fixed time period; They normally will not agree for unspecified per purchase order purchase arrangements. Because the quantities you will be buying are quite large, I suggest we try to get your manufacturer to agree to this option. 3. China Factory Warranty Option 3 The product is inspected in the United States and in Mexico, but payment is made prior to shipment. Under this approach, the general procedure is as follows: 1. Your Chinese manufacturer warrants that your product will meet your specifications. 2. You have 30 days to inspect the product. If you discover defects, you are given a credit against future purchases. The factory does not repair, does not replace and does not provide a cash refund for the defective product. Though there are many possible variations, the above approach is used in the vast majority of per purchase order type purchases from China. The problem with this approach is that you cannot collect on your credit without making a subsequent purchase. This means you are trapped into making purchases from a company that makes defective product. Chinese factories usually do not offer any after-purchase warranty. In other words, the traditional approach in China has been to say: you must find the defect on inspection and if you fail to find one, thats on you. U.S. companies typically counter by demanding an extended warranty on the following terms [for the particular product our client would be buying]: 1. One- or two-year warranty. 2. Warranty to repair or replace at the expense of the Chinese factory. No cash payment made from the Chinese factory and credit against future purchases are at the option of the buyer. 3. If the defect rate exceeds 3%, this is considered an epidemic failure and under these circumstances, the factory is liable for all costs incurred by the buyer in response to the defect, in addition to repair and replace. Though many Chinese factories will agree to this type of extended warranty, it is not typical for them to live up to the commitment, and with so many Chinese factories in financial trouble these days, there is also a risk that your factory will not exist in one or two years. The warranty issue for China is quite complex and much of the procedure depends on payment terms and place of inspection. (Photo : Reuters) US President Barrack Obama has demanded an end to land reclamation, construction and militarization of the South China Sea, adding that the territorial dispute must be resolved according to international laws. Advertisement US President Barrack Obama on Tuesday called for an end to land reclamation, new construction and all other activities contributing to the militarization of the South China Sea even as reports spread that China has deployed surface-to-air missile systems in the contested waters. Obama made the statement at the conclusion of the US-led two-day summit with leaders of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the California resort of Sunnylands. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement In his closing remarks, Obama called for a halt to "reclamation, new construction and militarization" of Asia's oceans -- a barely veiled reference to China's rapid construction of artificial islands, airfields and other facilities in the South China Sea. "Any disputes between claimants must be resolved peacefully through legal means such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said, referring to the case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague. "Reaffirming Commitments" The Philippines filed a case before the PCA three years ago in a bid to stop China's land reclamation activities in the South China Sea. The Philippine government has said it is confident the international tribunal will issue a ruling on the case by May. Obama stressed the need for freedom of commerce in Southeast Asia, adding that the US and its partners in the ASEAN are "reaffirming our strong commitment to an international order" with rules and norms that are universally observed, and where "the rights of all nations, large and small" are respected. Political analysts have noted that the US-ASEAN joint statement falls short of the aggressive approach on issues surrounding the South China Sea which they say claimants like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia would have preferred. Instead, the statement embraced broad principles that reflected "the careful path that ASEAN members tread with the world powers," according to the Associated Press. This has led observers to speculate that ASEAN nations with close economic ties with China were reluctant to risk an open confrontation with their economic benefactor. 'Trumped' Thunder The White House had tenaciously promoted the significance of the gathering all through last week, and Obama outlined an agenda of critical economic and security issues for his guests. However, as with his previous engagements with Asian leaders, Obama's moment as "America's Pacific President" was eclipsed by other news. This time it was the Republican presidential campaigns and the death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonine Scalia. Not a single reporter asked about the summit -- or the reported presence of Chinese missiles in the Paracel Islands -- during the press briefing that followed Obama's closing remarks. Demonstrators gathered at Sunnylands on Monday to protest against on-going human rights and governance issues in some of the ASEAN member countries, as well as Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. The Washington Post earlier called the summit "an unseemly parade of dictators," noting that -- of the 10 leaders in the ASEAN -- only those of the Philippines and Indonesia have been elected through fair democratic means. But some analysts have argued that Washington has to get its hands dirty if it wishes to retain its influence over the Asia Pacific -- a strategic long term goal for the US government that could entail its involvement in the region for years to come. "The Post is correct that some of the more autocratic leaders will use the photo opportunities at Sunnylands to bolster their legitimacy back home," said Aaron Connelly of the Lowy Institute for Policy in Sydney in a report published last week by The Interpreter. "That is unfortunate, but it is also an unavoidable consequence of diplomacy." Advertisement TagsUS-China relations, China-ASEAN, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea (Photo : Wikimedia Commons / NASA) A panoramic view of the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, where the Chinese government has reportedly deployed advanced surface-to-air missile systems. Advertisement Taiwanese defense officials on Tuesday confirmed the presence of advanced surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea under the control of China. The confirmation from Taipei came after Fox News issued a report about new civilian satellite images suggesting the presence of missile systems on an island claimed by both China, Vietnam and Taiwan. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The images from ImageSat International appear to show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missiles launchers and a radar system on Woody Island, part of the disputed Paracel island chain in the South China Sea. The images were reportedly taken last week. "The Taiwanese defense ministry has learned of China's deployment of surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island, in the Paracel Islands," a statement from Taipei reads. "The Republic of China military is closely monitoring further development of the situation." An unnamed US defense official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles. "Apparent Deployment" China has controlled the Paracel island group since 1974, and considers it part of the country's Hainan province. But Beijing's authority over the area is being challenged by the governments of Vietnam and Taiwan. Reports of the presence of Chinese missiles in the area went public just as US President Barrack Obama issued a call to all parties involved in disputes over the South China Sea to cease land reclamation and other activities that contribute to the militarization of the contested waters. Obama made the entreaty at the conclusion of a US-led summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California. It is unclear whether the US chief executive already knew about the missiles before he issued the statement. When asked about the missiles, however, Navy Commander Bill Urban -- a spokesman for the Pentagon -- said the US has been keeping an eye on developments in the Paracels. "While I cannot comment on matters related to intelligence, we do watch these matters very closely," he said. Responding to questions about the issue at a press conference held on Wednesday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi did not confirm or deny the deployment of the missiles, but said he thought it was an attempt by Western media to create stories. "Self-Control" The satellite images obtained by Fox News appear to show a pair of HQ-9 air defense arrays, a Chinese version of Russia's much-vaunted S-300 missile system. The HQ-9 "Red Banner" is said to be capable of shooting down aircraft within a range of 200 kilometers. The missiles reportedly arrived on Woody Island in the past week. Images obtained separately indicate dredging and filling at two new sides in the Chinese-administered archipelago, and construction work on what analysts say is a helicopter base. Taiwan's president-elect Tsai Ing-wen has noted the rapid escalation of tensions over the South China Sea in recent weeks. She appealed to all parties involved in the dispute over the contentious territory to exercise restraint. "We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai said after news of the presence of missiles on the disputed islands broke. Rory Medcalf, who heads the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra, says reports of China's deployment of missiles to Woody Island are "sadly not surprising." "This will further militarize tensions in the South China Sea," Medcalf told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It reinforces the view that China intends to exert growing control in these international waters, including potentially by declaring an air defense identification zone." The South China Sea is a vital thruway for global commerce. The US Department of Defense estimates that around 30 percent of the world's ship-borne trade transits across the Asian waterway each year, including around $1.2 trillion in trade bound for the US and over $190 billion in exports from Australia. Advertisement TagsChina-Vietnam relations, China-Taiwan relations, US-China relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea (Photo : Getty Images) Officials conducting house-to-house visits in Brazil to educate people about the Zika virus and exterminate mosquitoes carrying the virus. Advertisement As many countries continue to battle the Zika virus, scientists are working against time to create a potent vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that a vaccine against the Zika virus will be available in at least 18 months. Brazil, the most severely affected nation, has been increasing its efforts to combat the scourge. Authorities have been sending out teams to help control the spread of the virus, which was declared a global health emergency in November. The most effective way to curb the disease is by eliminating its carrier, the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement As the August Rio Olympic Games fast approaches, there are questions about Brazil's ability to host the global competition given the ongoing outbreak of the Zika virus. However, Rio De Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has brushed off the apprehensions, pointing out that the Zika virus is not an impending threat to the event. "We have to deal with the Zika problem, but that is not an Olympic issue. It is an issue for us Brazilians and for Rio de Janeiro," he said. He stressed that the dry season falls in July and August, with a lower possibility of mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water. Paes vowed not to give up in the fight, encouraging people to take all the necessary precautions to avoid any athlete or visitors from getting infected with the virus. He also downplayed fears about the virus, noting that there are exaggerations made about its risks. This past weekend, the Brazilian Health Ministry carried out a mobilization campaign across the country to annihilate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in 350 cities deemed to be most vulnerable. The campaign includes house-to-house visits, reaching at least 3 million homes and distributing over 4 million leaflets on Saturday, Aldo Rebelo, Brazil's Defense Minister, said. Currently, of the more than 4,000 reported microcephaly cases across Brazil, over 400 have been confirmed. Over half a million individuals, including more than 220,000 soldiers, have been dispatched to various locations to exterminate the mosquitoes in Brazil. So far, they have already visited nearly 24 million establishments, including public buildings, commercial properties and private houses. The WHO announced last week Friday that potential large-scale clinical testing of Zika vaccines is anticipated in at least 18 months. The health body further advised pregnant women and those planning to get pregnant to delay travel to Zika virus-affected nations. Meanwhile, China has recently discharged its first patient infected with the Zika virus and also confirmed its second imported case. The country claimed it is tightening security in its southwestern border in the province of Yunnan with a 24-hour lab to test for the virus. Advertisement TagsZika virus, china, Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro (Photo : Getty Images) The Chinese media have downplayed the recently-concluded US-ASEAN meeting, saying nothing important came from the gathering in terms of foreign policy decisions. Advertisement The Chinese media has shrugged off the recently-concluded two-day US-ASEAN summit held in Sunnydales, California, saying nothing significant in terms of striking geopolitical decisions was reached after the talks. Despite this, many observers agree that Beijing is concerned that the ten-member ASEAN has forged a common ground in handling territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The Communist Party-run Global Times, in an editorial piece, said California's Sunnylands resort was the 'wrong place' to hold talks on the South China Sea row and that in spite of their unified goal to strengthen ties, most ASEAN member-countries would not want to take sides between Beijing and Washington. Leverage "These countries may know that if they pick a side from either China or the United States, they would be controlled by it and used as leverage," one commentary said. An opinion piece cited the example of Vietnam, which has a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, but has 'cautiously' been treading a fine line between Beijing and Washington. "Among the 10 ASEAN members, only the Philippines publicly adopts a pro-U.S. attitude, but it does not stand in complete opposition to China," it added. Largest trade partner China is ASEAN's largest trade partner, but its claim to almost all of the South China Sea and its unrestrained buildup of artificial islands and facilities in the region have become a source of serious concern among Beijing's Southeast Asian neighbors. Beijing has always reiterated that disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved between individual claimants and that there should be no room for outside interference by third parties, obviously referring to the United States. Beijing has reportedly reclaimed up to 2,900 acres of land in the disputed international waterway. Fiery Cross Reef China recently tested its newly-built airstrip in the disputed Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys chain of islands by landing civilian planes. This drew protests from Vietnam and the Philippines. In the recently-concluded summit between the US and ASEAN, President Barack Obama said the two sides have a 'shared vision' of upholding international rules and norms in resolving maritime disputes peacefully. "Here at this summit, we can advance our shared vision of a regional order where international rules and norms, including freedom of navigation, are upheld and where disputes are resolved through peaceful, legal means," Obama said. Advertisement TagsGlobal Times, Chinese media, South China Sea row, Washington, china (Photo : Getty Images) The beer industry in China experienced its lowest sales drop in five years in 2015. The cool summer and economic slowdown are some of the factors blamed for the decline. Advertisement In 2015, the brewery business in China experienced its lowest decline in five years despite the fact that local brands are still dominating in the market, industry experts have revealed. Last year, beer sales volumes in China declined by five percent to nearly 48 million liters compared with a year earlier. Euromonitor International research manager Joy Huang said that in 2014, sales dropped by just one percent year-on-year. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Huang explained that the factors behind the decline includes the cool summer as well as the country's economic slowdown and netizens growing consciousness over their health. She further added that it could also be a result of fewer people eating out and more stringent drunk driving rules. According to Mintel Group Ltd., China's beer market is maturing despite the fact that the total sales volume has declined over the past few years. It also claimed that the market is strengthening, noting that nearly three-fourths of the total volume are taken by the top five beer enterprises. Smaller establishments, on the other hand, comprise between 10 and 15 percent of the market share, while the rest goes to imported products. Although the sales volume in China's beer industry has declined, the total market value has increased, potentially due to the increased premium brands promotion. However, foreign brands are still dwarfed by local products in the market. Of the respondents surveyed, only 1 percent claimed to solely drink imported beers. The report reveals that this can be accounted for by the fact that small cities unlike major ones are less exposed to foreign beers, implying international brands should boost their efforts to penetrate them. Aside from that, imported beers are also more expensive, thus forcing low-wage drinkers to resort to local beers. Also, there is a lack of education about international beer brands, which most likely contributes to the discrepancy. Given these factors, foreign brands should concentrate on increasing their visibility across China, even in small cities, the report said. It further suggested that brands should modify their products to suit the palates of the Chinese market. Beside the fact that not all Chinese have the luxury to dispose money on premium and foreign beer brands, 29 percent of the individuals surveyed never thought international brands were up for sale in the country. Tsingtao and Snow are currently the leading brands in China. The Western brand Budweiser, on the other hand, not only comes fourth in popularity, but also as the most well-established foreign beer brand in the country. Trailing behind is Carlsberg and Heineken. Advertisement TagsBeer, china, snow, Tsingtao beer, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Heineken beer (Photo : Getty Images) Beijing haas called on Washington to scrap a bill filed in the US Senate renaming a plaza in front of the Chinese Embassy after a convicted criminal. Advertisement Beijing is up in arms against a United States bill aimed at renaming the plaza in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington after Liu Xiaobo, a convicted criminal in China. Liu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he was found to have engaged in dissident activities and for attempting to overthrow the government. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Beijing has demanded that Washington halts the passage of the bill saying that it violates the basic norms of international law. 'Serious consequences' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China firmly opposes the bill, warning that its passage will have 'serious consequences.' "We urge the US Congress to stop considering the bill," Hong said. Hong, in a press conference, called on Washington to 'stop this political farce', accusing the US of trying to shame Beijing. Ted Cruz The bill was reportedly first filed by Republican senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz, and was passed by the Senate last Friday. Hong said the Senate's approval of the bill was an act violating international relations and that it should be immediately scrapped. If passed, the official address of the Chinese embassy would become 'No. 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza'. The embassy's current address is '3503 International Place.' Monica Lewinsky Chinese netizens have joined in on the controversy and have suggested renaming the street in front of the US Embassy in Beijing to 'Monica Lewinsky', a woman who was found to have had sexual relations with former US President Bill Clinton or ' Edward Snowden', the former National Security Agency 'whistleblower' who is currently in self-exile' abroad. Ren Yuanzhe, a leading researcher of international relationship studies at China Foreign Affairs University, assured the netizens that despite the filing of the bill, it is unlikely to pass and China should not make a big deal out of it. Unlikely Washington had, from the start, linked the case of Xiaobo to human rights abuses being allegedly committed by Beijing. "These politicians intended to outrage and shame Beijing by doing this," Ren said. "But I think the American authorities are unlikely to pass the bill as we all know it is a direct provocation against China and an interference in our internal affairs," he emphasized. Advertisement TagsLiu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize, Chinese Embassy, bill, china (Photo : Reuters) Tencent Holdings Limited is expanding its presence in the Japanese market. Advertisement Tencent Holdings Inc. announced that its popular messaging app WeChat will begin to charge a fee for every money transferred from the app's digital wallet service to a client's personal bank account. On Monday, the app, which boasts of more than a billion users, announced that beginning March 1, it will charge users for any amount transferred from the virtual wallet service known as WeChat Wallet to the user's bank account. The minimum charge is 0.1 yuan, according to Tencent's statement on Feb. 15. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement However, the app will only start charging after the first 1,000 yuan. The company also said that it will stop charging if user's spend and transfer through WeChat when one's account total is more than 20,000 yuan in a month. WeChat claims that the initiative is not to make profit, but to pay for the bank charges incurred in every transaction. In a statement, it claimed that the company has been covering bank fees for users, but since the number of user is growing, WeChat can no longer shoulder the increasing amount as well. The move is expected to encourage WeChat users to utilize the company's digital platform both offline and online. It also revealed that it has coordinated with a number of street-side businesses across China, including 100,000 brick-and-mortar outlets, over 80,000 bistros and 600 parking lots. Analysts speculate that the move is to refrain users from withdrawing their money and giving Tencent more funds to invest in its financial and wealth management schemes. A bank insider told Caixin that app companies are not usually charged with bank fees. One executive from a big state-owned bank said that usually, banks often waive these fees or overly lowers them as establishments like Tencent and Alibaba make huge deposits. Another employee from the e-banking unit at a major bank revealed that these fees can be a source of profit, as banks usually charge Internet giants like Tencent only 0.07 percent of the transferred amount, while the company gets to keep the rest (0.03 percent). Advertisement TagsWeChat, Tencent, WeChat Wallet, bank account (Photo : Getty Images) The first ever train to travel from Zhejiang province to Tehran arrived in Iran on Monday. Advertisement The first ever train to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran on Monday, reviving the ancient Silk Road, according to the Iranian railway company. The train aims to make transportation between Shanghai and Iran shorter. The train was carrying 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province. It reportedly took 14 days to make the 9,500-kilometre (5,900-mile) travel through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement According to the head of Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi, the arrival of the train in less than 14 days is remarkable. He noted that the revival of the Silk Road is critical for all countries that are part of the route. His statement came at a ceremony attended by the ambassadors of China and Turkmenistan in Tehran railway station on Feb. 15. Taking the route by train will be 30 days shorter compared to travelling by sea from Shanghai to the Iranian port of the Bandar Abbas, said Aqayi. There are plans to extend the railway to Europe in the future. This initiative is expected to generate more income for Iran. Aqayi added that the frequency of trips may be increased if necessary. But for now, the train will leave every month. Iranian railway company spokesman Sadegh Sakari told AFP that the train is managed by private companies using existing routes. China is the top customer of Tehran's exports, accounting for more than a third of Iran's foreign trade. Just last month, China and Iran vowed to strenghten their economic ties as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In the next ten years, the two countries will engage in trade worth up to $600 billion. This agreement was made during Xi's visit to Iran on Jan. 23, the first visit made by a Chinese president in 14 years to the Middle East nation. This visit was made just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted. President Xi hopes to revive the Silk Road trade routes with his foreign trade initiative known as "One Belt, One Road". The Silk Road is an ancient a group of commercial land and sea routes that played an essential part in business across Asia and the Mediterranean. Advertisement TagsSilk Road, Silk Road trade, China Silk Road Economic Belt, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi, Zhejiang, Kazakhstan, turkmenistan, Xi Jinping, Hassan Rouhani, China-Iran ties, China-Iran Railway Line, One Belt, One Road The Chocolate Math of it All - v. 9/30/2022 Number of Days Since This Chocolate Bet Started: 5,860 Number of Chocolate Items Eaten: 5,860+ Number of different items combined with chocolate: 371 - from Absinthe to Zucchini) Weight of Chocolate Eaten: ~ 5,860 oz. (366.25 lbs. or 166.12 kg) Total Number of Chocolate Calories Consumed to date: ~ 879,000 (There are, on average, 150 calories in 1 oz. or 28.3 grams of chocolate.) Number of Companies producing chocolate items I've eaten: Approx. 1,592; Number of bean-to-bar makers: 194 Number of Countries where chocolates were made: 66 Number of Pounds of Chocolate Americans Eat: Approx. 11-12 pounds per year; I eat 27 lbs. (more than 12 kg.)/year. Per capita chocolate consumption in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Ireland: 8-9 kilograms (17-22 pounds)/year. Global demand has stayed high, despite economic fluctuations. Cost of all these Chocolates: A lot of money, but worth every penny. Chocolates range from $1 to $20 each. Occasionally I receive gifts or samples. Copyright Information All other product names, logos, trademarks, and product packaging designs belong to their respective owners. Content and photos are by Corinne C. DeBra unless otherwise noted; all photos are posted in low resolution. Copyright (c) 2006-2021 Corinne C. DeBra, Chocolate Banquet FACT CHECK: Does Donald Trump support funding Planned Parenthood? Guest Reviewer | 17 February, 2016 by Michael Foust COLUMBIA, S.C. (Christian Examiner) With only two days left until the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump's opponents are spotlighting his support for Planned Parenthood, running television ads quoting his own words and labeling him as out of the mainstream of Republican beliefs. Trump's position on Planned Parenthood is nothing new, but he added fuel to the issue Saturday night when in front of a nationwide audience he defended the controversial organization during the GOP debate. "It does do wonderful things but not as it relates to abortion," Trump said. At issue is whether Trump supports withdrawing federal funds from Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider. He has implied on several occasions that he backs federal funding for Planned Parenthood, provided the money does not go toward abortions. That position puts him at odds with the GOP-led House and Senate, each of which passed a bill that would defend Planned Parenthood. President Obama vetoed it in January. But on other occasions, Trump has said he would favor defunding the group. Planned Parenthood performed 327,000 abortions in fiscal year 2014. Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz launched a TV ad this week showing an undercover video of a Planned Parenthood official drinking wine as she discusses receiving money for body parts from unborn babies. A narrator says, "Planned Parenthood treats the unborn like another form of currency, and yet some politicians still defend them." The ad shows pictures of Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, implying that their positions are identical. "Planned Parenthood serves a good function," Trump says on screen in the ad. The clip was taken from an August 2015 interview with FoxNews' Sean Hannity. During that interview with Hannity, Trump bucked the predominant conservative view. "Let's say there's two Planned Parenthoods, in a way," Trump said. "You have it as an abortion clinic. Now that's actually a fairly small part of what they do, but it's a brutal part and I'm totally against it and I wouldn't do that. They also, however, service women. ... We have to help women. A lot of women are helped. We have to look at the positives, also, for Planned Parenthood." That same month, Trump said in an interview on CNN, "I would look at the good aspects of [Planned Parenthood]. ... I would look at other aspects also, but we have to take care of women. We have to absolutely take care of women. The abortion aspect of Planned Parenthood should not be funded." Trump's position as stated in the Fox News and CNN interviews appears to support funding as long as it does not pay for abortions. That would mirror current law, which technically does prohibit federal funds from paying for abortions. But as the pro-life website LiveActionNews.org reported, the federal money for Planned Parenthood is fungible. "Planned Parenthood cannot legally use taxpayer dollars for abortions, but money is able to be used for other services, thus freeing up funds for abortions that much more easily," the website said. "And even if PP never uses one cent of federal dollars for abortions, many Americans feel that their hard earned money should not be going to an abortion provider, regardless of what other services the money is used for." Defunding Planned Parenthood, the website said, would allow other women's health clinics that don't perform abortions to receive federal money. Yet still on another occasion in a September 2015 interview with FoxNews' Bill O'Reilly Trump backed the defunding of Planned Parenthood. "I wouldn't do any funding as long as they are performing abortions," Trump said. "And they are performing abortions. So I would be opposed to funding I would be totally opposed to funding." Trump's spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson, seemed to defend that more nuanced stance during an interview on CNN Monday. "Mr. Trump has said that Planned Parenthood does do cervical cancer screenings, and that is a good thing when you are a poor, single mom in a neighborhood that doesn't have access to these other clinics," Pierson said. "However, Mr. Trump is whole-heartedly against abortion funding, and we do know that if Planned Parenthood does continue to receive federal funds from the government, that those funds are fungible. So there has to be a way to say, look, no more abortions or go start a different clinic. But the federal government should not be funding abortions." Kim Davis outside a Kentucky jail where she was held for 6 days: 'We serve a living God' Editorial Staff | 08 September, 2015 by Joni B. Hannigan GRAYSON, Ky. (Christian Examiner) -- Walking out of the Carter County Detention Center Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk jailed in contempt of court for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, appeared overwhelmed amidst a sea of people waving flags and crosses and singing hymns at her release today. Leaning into her attorney Mat Staver, with Gov. Mike Huckabee looking on, Davis long hair neatly braided to one side nodded and smiled gently while Staver spoke for her, telling the crowds gathered she would spend the remainder of the day resting at home. "She plans to be back at work this week," Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel, told hundreds gathered for a rally that Huckabee called for throughout Labor Day weekend. "I can guarantee you, knowing Kim, she loves God, she loves people, she loves her work, and she will not betray any of those three," Staver said in a CNN video. "She'll do her job good. She'll serve the people as they want her to serve, as she was elected, and she'll also be loyal to God, and she's not going to violate her conscience." Noting her release, and Staver said the court order did not settle the underlying issue, and that is that Davis asked for a very specific accommodation. "Remove her name and her authority from the marriage certificates," Staver said. "That is what we have asked for since the very beginning. Kim is still asking for that today. We will continue to ask for that in the future. "We are still asking for her conscience of her religious convictions accommodated," Staver said. At a rally in front of the convention center, Davis began to cry when supporters cheered for her. "I just want to give God the glory," Davis said. "We serve a living God ... just keep on pressing, don't let down, because He is here, He is worthy," Davis said. "I love you guys. Thank you so much." Huckabee, a U.S. presidential candidate, said it is not possible to explain America outside of the providence of God. "God showed up and He showed up in the form of an elected Democrat in the name of Kim Davis," Huckabee said. About freedom of religion and of conscience, Huckabee said he would sacrifice much to see it restored, even to the point of spending time in jail. "Lock me up if you think that's how freedom is best served," Huckabee said. "Because folks, I am willing to spend the next eight years in the White House leading in this country. But I want you to know I'm willing to spend the next eight years in jail, but I'm not willing to spend the next years in tyranny under people who think they can take our freedom and conscience away." Monkeys evolved from 'cursed,' mutated Jews, Turkish newspaper says 16 February, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , | ISTANBUL (Christian Examiner) A pro-Islamist Turkish newspaper has printed a new evolutionary theory, but the paper's theory claims humans did not descend from apes. Instead, it rejects the work of Charles Darwin, "a Jew," and claims monkeys are the ancestors of cursed Jews. Journalist Seyfi Sahin, who also claims to be a physician, wrote in Vahdet, the daily newspaper of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (or AKP), that "chromosomal anomalies" in primates "have never led to the birth of human beings or of monkeys resembling human beings." In fact, Sahin wrote that he believes the science is backwards and the Koran proves it. Humans, he wrote, have 23 pairs of chromosomes, while apes have 24 pairs. Because they are similar, he said, they can "transfer from one to another." Jews, who are well organized in the world's financial and scientific institutions, are so powerful that they terrorize the world of science. Through propaganda and through the reiteration of this nonsense, they have brainwashed and imposed this opinion as a rule, and sold this deception as scientific reality. Even some ignorant theologians have believed the propaganda of this theory. "When we, physicians, examine anomalies in chromosomes, we find that human chromosomal anomalies lead to the birth of humans similar to monkeys, as in cases of microcephaly, in which newborns resemble monkeys in form, intelligence, behavior, and social life. Such [deformed humans] must be kept under strict control. The numbers of such cases is not negligible," Sahin wrote. "In monkeys too there are chromosomal anomalies, but these have never led to the birth of human beings or of monkeys resembling human beings. We understand from this that humans are not derived from monkeys, but that monkeys come from humans. There are many factors in the creation of such anomalies, among them divine, environmental, and chemical." But according to Sahin, the only cause that really matters is the "divine." He argues that the Koran states that those who violated the Sabbath "will become miserable monkeys" [Koran 5:60]. "Also: 'Whomever Allah has cursed and punished, and those he turned into monkeys, pigs, and Satan worshippers, occupy the worst place [in His eyes], and they are perverts that have deviated from their path [Koran 5:60].'" Sahin again quotes the Koran as proof of his new evolutionary theory: "'And when they became arrogant and did not change their ways, they were told to become low and contemptible monkeys [Koran 7:166]," he wrote. "The [Koranic] verses above show us that monkeys have come from humans. Allah always tells the truth." Sahin also proposed that the theory of evolution described by naturalist Charles Darwin is a theory "put forward by a Jew," and one meant to confuse Muslims and turn non-Jews away from God. Darwin, of course, was not Jewish. He was baptized in the Church of England in 1809, in spite of his father's Unitarian leanings. He later left the church, but in 1879 he described himself as an agnostic. He said he had never been an atheist. His funeral took place in Westminster Abbey. Still, Sahin wrote: "Darwin, being a Jew, believed, lived, and was buried according to his religion. His real targets were the Muslims. Most likely, Darwin knew about these Koranic verses. In the Holy Koran, Allah responded very well to these perverts." "Jews, who are well organized in the world's financial and scientific institutions, are so powerful that they terrorize the world of science. Through propaganda and through the reiteration of this nonsense, they have brainwashed and imposed this opinion as a rule, and sold this deception as scientific reality. Even some ignorant theologians have believed the propaganda of this theory," Sahin wrote. He then concluded that "the gorillas and chimps living today in the forests of North Africa are cursed Jews. They are perverted humans that have mutated. This thought is much stronger and scientific than Darwin's theory." If Muslims only hand ownership of the world's banks and control of the world's scientific organizations and "propaganda outlets," Sahin wrote, the world would know the truth as he perceives it. For now, he said, "We have our intellect, we have our faith, and we have our Allah." The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which translated the article, monitors Islamic extremism in the region and provides English translations of television broadcasts, propaganda videos and newspapers. The article was published just as Turkey began talks with Israel to normalize the relationship between the two countries. The AKP, which the paper represents, is the party of Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who has recently pivoted toward support for militant Islamists in his country. Terrorists explosions in Turkish capital kill 18, injure 45 17 February, 2016 by Reuters , | ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Eighteen people were killed and 45 injured by an explosion in the administrative heart of Turkey's capital of Ankara on Wednesday, an interior ministry official told Reuters. A vehicle laden with explosives detonated as military buses passed near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and government buildings during the height of evening rush hour in an attack the Turkish military said was an act of terrorism. Reports say initial signs indicate that militants from Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were behind the Ankara bombing, a Turkish security source said. However, separate security sources in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast gave a different account, saying they believed Islamic State militants were behind the bombing. "I heard a huge explosion. There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away," a Reuters witness said. "We could immediately hear ambulance and police car sirens rushing to the scene." Turkish media reports said many people were injured. A health ministry official said the authorities were still trying to determine the number of dead and wounded, who had been taken to several hospitals in the area. Images on social media showed the charred wreckage of at least two buses and a car. The explosion sent a large plume of smoke above central Ankara. Turkey, a NATO member, faces multiple security threats. It is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and has been shelling Kurdish militia fighters in northern Syria in recent days. It has also been battling militants in its own southeast from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who have fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy. The PKK has frequently attacked military targets in the past, although it has largely focused on the mainly Kurdish southeast. Wednesday's bombing comes after an attack in Ankara in October blamed on Islamic State, when two suicide bombers struck a rally of pro-Kurdish and labor activists outside the capital's main train station, killing more than 100 people. A suicide bombing in the historic heart of Istanbul in January, also blamed on Islamic State, killed 10 German tourists. COMPILED from various reports. Tragic shooting in church lot parking followed by arrest & baptism 17 February, 2016 by Jessica Vanderpool/ABN , | NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Christian Examiner) When John Eric Schmidt was charged with second-degree murder, no one could have known that less than a year later, not only would the charge have been dropped, but Schmidt would be celebrating a newfound eternal freedom through salvation in Christ. Schmidt, 53, of North Little Rock, was charged with second-degree murder after shooting 32-year-old Chad Johnson during what Pulaski County sheriff's deputies said was a property dispute, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The incident took place at Graves Memorial Baptist Church in North Little Rock. Schmidt, who has emergency medical training, then tried to administer first aid to Johnson, but Johnson died en route to the hospital. Schmidt required medical attention for his injuries. Authorities recently dropped the murder charge against Schmidt, according to the Democrat-Gazette. Schmidt's lawyer, David Cannon, said the charge was dropped after it was determined Schmidt acted in self-defense, the Democrat-Gazette reported. Cannon said Chad Johnson had choked Schmidt, which had forced Schmidt to act. In an interview with the Arkansas Baptist News shortly after the July 7 shooting, Graves Memorial Pastor Travis Matthews explained that although the event occurred on church property, it did not involve the church. He also confirmed that Schmidt and his wife had been attending Graves Memorial, though they were not members at the time a fact that has changed over the course of the past six months. The July tragedy turned into a ministry opportunity for Graves Memorial Baptist. God's definitely done some great things through it (the shooting), and I think our church has learned to love in a different way and have a compassionate spirit. Matthews explained Schmidt's daughter had been baptized and was involved in the student ministry and praise team at the time of the shooting, so Schmidt and his wife had visited a handful of times to support her. Because of this, the groundwork had been laid for the church to minister to the family following the shooting. Matthews said he met regularly with Schmidt, who had become very depressed in the months after the incident. "The shooting really became an opportunity to really build a deep relationship with the family," Matthews said. "(It was) a painful journey but a way God used to bring healing in their lives overall." Eventually, both Schmidt and his wife accepted Christ as Savior, and they were baptized at the church in September and are now active in ministry. "I believe God takes the hard things in life, and when we surrender to God and let God do a work, you can see the fruit of God doing great things in those circumstances," Matthews said. "You don't want to make light of a horrible situation, but it definitely brings joy to see God bring beauty from ashes. "God's definitely done some great things through it (the shooting), and I think our church has learned to love in a different way and have a compassionate spirit," he added. As for Schmidt, he said his prayer has been that the ordeal would be "used for good and as example of the power of God and of love between Christians." Jessica Vanderpool is senior assistant editor of Arkansas Baptist News. This article is used with permission. At least 22 have been killed in airstrikes against two hospitals in Syria. A hospital in Maarat al-Numan in Syrias Idlib province, supported by medical charity Doctors without Borders, was struck four times. At least seven people were killed, including 5 patients, a staff member, and a hospital guard. Eight are missing, the medical charity said, according to CNN. This appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure, and we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms, Massimiliano Rebaudengo, the Doctors Without Borders head of mission said regarding the strike, according to New York Times. In a separate attack near the Turkish border in Azaz, at least 12 people were killed in strikes on a childrens hospital and a school housing displaced people. Under international humanitarian law, it is forbidden to attack medical facilities. Attacks follow days after an agreement made last week in Munich between Russia and other world powers to limit the cessation of hostilities in Syria by the end of this week. The five-year civil war in Syria has led to the deaths of over 250,000 people and has displaced over 11 million. UNC excavation crew in Galilee region of Israel uncover first known depictions of biblical heroines An excavation team in Israel has discovered the first known depiction of two biblical heroines from the Old Testament. World to reach 8 billion people in November, India to unseat China as most populous in 2023: UN By Nov. 15, the worlds population is projected to reach 8 billion, and by 2023, India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country, according to a new report from the United Nations. Single, non-religious young adults are most unhappy Americans post-COVID-19: report Young adults under 35 who are single and non-religious report the highest levels of unhappiness since the COVID-19 pandemic began and since 1972, when the General Social Survey began measuring levels of happiness among Americans, a new analysis from the Institute of Family Studies suggests. 9 Christian leaders arrested in Australia after protesting deportation of asylum seekers Australian Christian leaders have been arrested after holding a prayer vigil at the office of the Minister for Justice, a result described as ironic by theologian and campaigner Jarrod McKenna. The nine leaders from different Church traditions were protesting the deportation of 267 men, women and children to detention camps on the Pacific island of Nauru. The majority of them are asylum seekers who were brought from the island to Australia because they needed treatment for serious medical conditions. More than 30 are babies born in Australia to asylum-seeker mothers. Australia has refused to allow them to stay and has defended its hard-line approach to refugees, who are turned back at sea or detained in camps, arguing it deters people-traffickers. Some camps have been the scene of riots, sexual abuse and beatings and have been widely criticised by human rights groups. The issue has been highly controversial in Australia, where campaigners have protested using the #lethemstay hashtag. Among the supporters of the asylum seekers is activist theologian Jarrod McKenna, who tweeted "IRONY: 9 faith leaders being arrested in the Minister for JUSTICE office for pleading #LetThemStay." IRONY: 9 faith leaders being arrested in the Minister for JUSTICE office for pleading #LetThemStay. #lovemakesaway pic.twitter.com/Z5E7KRfti5 Jarrod McKenna (@jarrodmckenna) February 17, 2016 The Christian leaders, protesting as part of the faith-based Love Makes A Way movement, targeted the officer of Justice Minister Michael Keenan. "No-one should be in detention on Nauru, where there is no functioning hospital but it would be particularly cruel to rip children out of classrooms and send away these 37 babies born on Australian soil," said Love Makes a Way spokesperson Kate Leaney. "In his maiden speech, Mr Keenan MP espoused the benefits of a multicultural Australia and the importance of freedom. We are here in part to pray and appeal to Mr Keenan that he might stand for the freedom from oppression for people seeking asylum on our shores," she said. However, police arrested the protesters and removed them from the office. A Love Makes A Way statement said: "The peaceful, prayerful vigil was met with dignified and respectful police response. "The same response is not expected for the 267 men, women and children vulnerable to be deported to offshore detention on Nauru." Another Zika virus complication? WHO reports rise of rare paralysing ailment in Latin America A lot of questions surround the Zika virus infection as it spreads across Latin America and threatens the entire world: Does it really cause mental deformity among babies? Can it ever be cured and eliminated? As these mysteries still remain unanswered, another question about this incurable virus infection has arisen within the scientific community: Is the Zika virus linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare condition that can temporarily paralyse a patient? Scientists are working to determine if there is indeed a connection between the virus and the syndrome, as more and more cases of this conditionwhere a person's own nervous system is attacked by his or her immune systemare being reported in Latin America. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s weekly report on the Zika virus infection circulated in 34 countries, this rare neurological disorder that weakens the arms, legs and the upper body has already been reported in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Suriname and Venezuela. In Venezuela alone, 252 cases of Guillain-Barre have already been reported, with one patient already dead. Quite notably, this syndrome was observed at the same time and place as Zika infections. The WHO said the exact cause of spike in the number of patients suffering from this syndrome in Latin American nations has yet to be determined. "The cause of the increase in GBS incidence observed in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Suriname remains unknown, especially as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus have all been circulating simultaneously in the Americas," the global organisation said, as quoted by The Daily Mail. Last Friday, senior WHO expert Marie-Paule Kieny said scientists might be able to confirm within weeks if the Guillain-Barre Syndrome is indeed linked to the Zika virus infection. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, meanwhile said there is growing evidence that the Zika virus infection is linked to microcephaly. "It seems indeed that the link with Zika (and microcephaly) is becoming more and more probable, so I think that we need a few more weeks and a few more studies to have this straight," she said, also as quoted by The Daily Mail. Church that does not side with the poor 'cannot claim to follow Jesus', synod told If the Church fails to side with the poor and needy, it cannot claim to follow Jesus, a leading young Christian told senior clergy and laity today. Church of England leaders called on the Government to initiate a "full independent review" into the impact of benefit sanctions. The Church's governing body, meeting in Westminster, heard stories from around the nation of how the poor and vulnerable had been hit by benefits sanctions. The sanctions were disproportionate and didn't "fit the crime", the synod heard. Members backed a motion from the Diocese of Leeds which called on the government to launch a review into the system where claimants have their benefit money stopped for weeks at a time even for being a few minutes late for a meeting at a job centre. Elliot Swattridge, youth representative on the synod, said: "If we do not side with the poor and needy then we cannot claim in any sense to follow Jesus." Referring to a diabetic who died after being sanctioned, he added: "The system is not broken; it's cruel, even deadly." He also asked: "Can we disprove what the statistics say, that the Church is there for the rich?" Canon Kathryn Fitzsimons, Priest-in-Charge at Oakwood Church in the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales, and also of Gipton, a large social housing estate where a food bank runs, said there were too many instances where sanctions had led to a level of "enforced destitution" which was "simply unacceptable" in a compassionate society. The Church was not suggesting there should be no sanctions but was questioning the increasing "severity" and frequency of those currently in place. She said there was a "lack of flexibility" in the system which meant mental health issues and limited English were not always taken into account when people exposed themselves to sanctions. Examples of "harsh treatment" included a claimant who was late for a job centre appointment because he had been to a job interview first. There was also a dad who failed to make a job centre meeting because he had to go to court to stop his flat being repossessed. He ended up walking the streets "in despair" and "felt guilty and ashamed" at not being able to look after his son because of the sanction. "There seems to be real questions as to whether the punishment fits the crime," Fitzsimons said. "For most of us the thought of being punished by the loss of four weeks pay for being half an hour later for work as a first offence would be a bizarre one." The Bishop of St Albans said: "Early Christianity spread like wildfire because of its radical altruism." Canon Peter Adams, vice-chair of the Luton foodbank, said people came in with desperate need for complex reasons. One speaker described a food bank in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England feeding 1,000 people a week. Canon Simon Taylor, Chancellor of Derby Cathedral, said: "The government's aim of reducing dependency on the welfare system is to be applauded." But he added that the sanctions undermined their efforts to do this. Over a quarter of those sanctioned in Derbyshire report that financial difficulties due to impact of sanctions last for six months or longer after the sanctions are over. "The sanctions are not reducing dependency. They are perpetuating and increasing dependency." Fenella Cannings-Jurd, a lay member for the Salisbury diocese, said the long-term impact of sanctions was disproportionate. "A mother or father who as a consequence of having benefits sanctioned cannot provide food for their children may be seen as an inadequate parent." This could even lead to their having their children removed, she said. Frank Field, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger, told Christian Today outside the debate: "The Church has led the nation's fightback against hunger and, this week, it is taking a lead role in the debate that needs to take place on a wider scale on the wellbeing of our poorest citizens. A next key move, which some dioceses have already taken, is to piece together a national picture which gives us a better idea of the extent of hunger and the provision in place to meet this need. A national anti-hunger strategy can only be built upon such data." Donald Trump on fighting ISIS: 'When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families' What makes Donald Trump different from other Republican presidential candidates, which fuels his popularity? As far as the Vox news outlet is concerned, the answer is that Trump is the only GOP candidate bold enough to say "the things that mainstream Republicans hint at but are too afraid to say explicitly." Vox recalled an incident last month when Trump told Fox News TV host Bill O'Reilly that he would kill the families of suspected terrorists to deter them from attacking America. "When you get these terrorists," Trump said, "you have to take out their families." O'Reilly asked Trump if he meant what he said. Trump replied, "I would do pretty severe stuff" and the crowd watching him roared their approval, Vox said. Like Trump, other Republican candidates have been focusing on the clear and present danger posed on America and the world by radical Islam in the form of the Islamic State (ISIS). Most of the candidates agree that the only solution to end the ISIS threat is the use of overwhelming military force. "Radical Islamic terrorists have declared war on the Western world. Their aim is our total destruction," Jeb Bush said. "We have but one choice: to defeat it." "There is a war against ISIS, not just against ISIS but against radical jihadist terrorists. That is a war they win or we win," Marco Rubio said during the last GOP presidential debate. Chris Christie even called the looming confrontation as "World War III." However, despite their fiery rhetoric, most of the candidates could only offer modest proposals in combating ISIS, which only expand on President Barack Obama's current strategy and do not include the deployment of major U.S. ground forces, Vox noted. Senator Ted Cruz did propose to "carpet-bomb" areas controlled by ISIS. But when CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked him if he would really carpet-bomb civilian areas, thus intentionally killing many innocent Syrians, Cruz backed off. "You would carpet-bomb where ISIS is. The location of the troops. You use directed air power. But the object isn't to level a city, the object is to kill the ISIS terrorists," he said. His remarks showed that Cruz wasn't willing to murder civilians to get at ISIS, Vox said. In contrast, Trump has no such qualms, which endears him to Republican voters who really do think that ISIS poses an imminent and existential threat to America, Vox said. The voters see Trump's proposed policy as commensurate to the threat posed by ISIS, viewing his "angry rhetoric as refreshing honesty." As one supporter said, Trump says "whatever he wants to say without having someone buffer it for him. We like raw truth." Dublin churches forced to close on Easter Sunday for security Churches in Dublin will be forced to close on Easter Sunday due to a safety cordon, as up to half a million visitors are expected to flood the city to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising. "This decision was made without consultation with the dioceses and there is a considerable sense of disappointment and sadness at this but the Church's priority now is to find a way of offering worship on the most significant day in the Christian calendar," a diocesan spokesman said, according to ACNS. The Easter Rising, which began on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, was an armed insurrection by republicans seeking to end the British rule in Ireland, which eventually lead to the establishment of independent Ireland. Dublin's Anglican Cathedral and six city centre churches will be forced to close, with the Irish police, the Garda Siochana, requesting the front gates of Christ Church Cathedral to remain locked and saying "there will be no ready access to their churches on that morning." The affected parishes will have their Easter Sunday services hosted in parishes outside the cordon, however the Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, has said that a clergy member will say The Office in each church on Easter Day "in order to avoid a break in the witness of the church." Archbishop Jackson said: "People will, understandably, be upset, not to be able to worship in their parish churches on Easter Sunday. We are making this decision with regret but in recognition that people for whom we have a duty of care will find it very difficult to gain access to city centre churches on Easter Day." Jackson, who would usually worship at Christ Church Cathedral on Easter Day, will celebrate Easter with the Christ Church congregation and the Sandfurd Parish church on Easter morning. He will then "take up the invitation of the Government to attend the ceremony of Commemoration at the General Post [the centre of the Uprising] on what is a very significant day in the history of the State." Evangelical church in Chiapas suffers arson attack on eve of Pope's arrival An evangelical church in Chiapas, Mexico, was attacked and burned this week, just a day before Pope Francis visited the region. Early morning on February 15, the Fuente de Fe, Alabanza y Poder church in Zinacantan city was raided and subject to an arson attack, according to Evangelical Focus. Unidentified assailants broke into the church, damaging a window and the door in the process, and gathered around 200 chairs, the pulpit, curtains and tables and burnt them. The fire that ensued damaged the ceiling. Due to the Pope's visit to the region, the police office in the city was closed, and the church's pastor, Ciro Diaz Mendez, was therefore unable to report the attack. However, he along with a legal representative went to the church to verify the damages. The next day, Pope Francis spoke against exploitation and oppression of the indigenous people of Chiapas, saying the world should seek forgiveness for their treatment of them. "How well we would all do, to do some soul searching and learn to say sorry," Francis said. Evangelical Focus noted that "the Pope did not mention any of the attacks and aggressions some Mexican evangelical communities have suffered in the recent years, most of the times (sic) just for not renouncing their faith." This latest attack against evangelical christians in Chiapas, Mexico is not an isolated incident. On 4 January, armed villagers raided and destroyed the homes of Protestants in Leyva Velazques village, Chiapas, forcing them to flee to nearby mountains. Protestants are a minority religion in Mexico and "in the rural areas where we see persecution, many villages and their councils are dominated by adherents to syncretistic Catholicism," ICC's advocacy manager, Nathaniel Lance, previously told Christian Today. For first time, Muslim woman leads prayer to Allah at Wisconsin assembly invited by a Christian lawmaker For the first time, a Muslim woman was allowed to lead the invocation during a session of lawmakers in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on Thursday last week. Christian lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Mandela Barnes had earlier extended an invitation to Janan Najeeb, the president of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition and founder of the Islamic Resource Center, to lead the prayer during the lawmakers' session. Barnes told the Journal Sentinel that he made this decision to allay fears towards Muslims in the face of some politicians' comments linking them to terrorist activities. "There is just so much for us to get over in terms of our fears," Barnes said, as quoted by Christian News. Najeeb, for her part, said she hopes this initiative will increase lawmakers' awareness "that Muslims are part of the fabric of our society." "We are adding our story to the stories of the many communities that came before us and created this country," the Muslim woman said. Najeeb, who is married to physician Waleed Najeeb, also lamented how some Muslims are forced to quit their jobs because some companies choose to prohibit them from performing Islamic practices in the workplace. "It's no longer than some other employees probably taking some bathroom breaks," the Muslim leader stated. "They're being basically asked to choose between their employment and their faith." Aside from praying to Allah, Najeeb also read a verse from Islam's holy book, the Quran, on the Assembly floor. "And among his Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are signs for those who know," Najeeb read. "O mankind, we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you." Georgia drops 'blasphemy bill' which sought to ban religious insults Georgia has dropped a proposed anti-blasphemy bill due to political strife, despite it having been conditionally approved by the parliament's human rights committee. According to EurasiaNet, the draft was dividing the ruling Georgia Dream coaltion. Parliamentarian Soso Jachvliani therefore decided to withdraw his proposal on February 15, saying that it needed more work. Parliamentary Speaker Davit Usupashvili said the legislature has stopped discussion of the proposed law. The bill stated that it aimed to protect all religions, punishing irreverence toward religions by law. It proposed imposing a fine of 100 lari (around 80) for "insults to religious feelings", with the figure doubled for a repeat offence. Desecrating a religious symbol could result in a fine of 1,000 lari (800), about the figure of the average monthly salary. There were fears among religious minorities that it would be used to guard the interests of the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church and would be used as a tool of discrimination. "This law is not going to protect anyone; at least not the minorities, and will be a powerful tool against freedom of speech," Rusudan Gotsiridze, a Baptist bishop, told Liberali.ge. Criticism of the bill also came from within the Orthodox church. One Georgian Orthodox priest, Deacon Tamaz Lomidze, based in Germany said in a sermon: "Who can define religious feelings? What judge can rule on whether a certain action is insulting to to someone's religion?" Amnesty International said it feared that the bill threatened to "outlaw criticism of religious leaders and institutions, and suppress free speech on topical political and social issues." The Georgian Orthodox Church is extremely powerful in the country and is associated with a pro-Russian and nationalist agenda. Its members have been associated with protests, sometimes violent, against Muslims and other religious minorities such as Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Jews. According to the Tolerance and Diversity Institute, in September 2014 in Kobuleti in the Adjara region, local Orthodox Christians slaughtered a pig and nailed its head to the front door of a Muslim boarding school to protest its opening. Rene Laennec: Google Doodle honours Christian medical pioneer Google's masthead today shows two figures on either side of a pair of lungs. One of them is a modern doctor with a stethoscope and the other is an antique gentleman holding a sort of tube to his ear. The tube is actually a stethoscope too, and it was the invention of Rene Laennec, whose 235th birthday it would have been today. Laennec was a Breton, a brilliant doctor who was also a devout Christian. Born in 1781, he studied medicine under his uncle and treated soldiers wounded in France's revolutionary wars under Napoleon. Before his death at the age of only 45 he made important discoveries about cirrhosis of the liver, melanoma and tuberculosis, the disease that was to kill him. His most significant contribution to medicine, though, was the invention of the stethoscope. Before this, doctors used to listen directly to patients' chests by placing an ear against the skin ('immediate auscultation'). This was rather awkward in the case of female patients and when patients were obese it was hard to hear the heart in any case. Laennec recorded his experience of trying to treat a young woman who was rather plump. "I recalled a well known acoustic phenomenon: if you place your ear against one end of a wood beam the scratch of a pin at the other end is distinctly audible. It occurred to me that this physical property might serve a useful purpose in the case I was dealing with. I then tightly rolled a sheet of paper, one end of which I placed over the precordium (chest) and my ear to the other. I was surprised and elated to be able to hear the beating of her heart with far greater clearness than I ever had with direct application of my ear. I immediately saw that this might become an indispensable method for studying, not only the beating of the heart, but all movements able of producing sound in the chest cavity." He spent three years testing different materials and making tubes, eventually settling on a hollow tube of wood 3.5cm in diameter and 25cm long. Wooden stethoscopes were used until the second half of the 19th century, when rubber tubing was introduced. The stethoscope made it possible for doctors to listen to what the heart was actually doing and was a huge step forward for medicine. But Laennec was respected not just for his skill, but for his faith. In the French biography translated by Sir John Forbes, it says he was "a man of the greatest probity, habitually observant of his religious and social duties. He was a sincere Christian, and a good Catholic, adhering to his religion and his church through good report and bad report." His death was that of a Christian. "Supported by the hope of a better life, prepared by the constant practice of virtue, he saw his end approach with composure and resignation. His religious principles, imbibed with his earliest knowledge, were strengthened by the conviction of his maturer reason. He took no pains to conceal them when they were disadvantageous to his worldly interests; and he made no boast of them, when their avowal might have been a title to favour and advancement." It's common today for people to set science and faith in opposition to each other, as though they are somehow mutually exclusive. Laennec's life and work show that this is far from the case. He was a man of faith whose early life was spent amid fanatical persecution of the Church, the massacres of priests, the destruction of churches and the confiscation of Church property. Tens of thousands of priests were forced to leave the country and those who refused were executed. But Laennec's faith remained firm. 'Harassment, vilification, intimidation': Bishop Ball sex abuse victim speaks out A sex abuse survivor has accused senior clergy in the Church of England of repeated attempts to prevent him from sharing his story. Graham Sawyer was the victim of sustained abuse by Bishop Peter Ball, former Bishop of Lewes and Bishop of Gloucester, during the 1970s and early 1980s. In a fringe meeting of General Synod on Tuesday night, Sawyer said he experienced "enduring harassment, vilification and intimidation" from senior clergy when he tried to speak about his experiences. Sawyer, one of Ball's 17 victims, said that anyone who "lifts their head above the parapet and dares to give testimony of their experiences" suffers consequences. Bishop Ball, 83, was jailed in December 2015, for misconduct in public office and indecent assault. He was cautioned in 1993 for one act of gross indecency against a 16-year-old but was allowed to work in churches until 2010. Tuesday's gathering, held in Methodist Central Hall, was organised by the Church Reform Group and the National Council of Hindu Temples. Sawyer, who is chair of the Church Reform Group, said Ball and some of his friends were behind a "web of hate and bullying" seeking to cover up abuse crimes. "I suffered much harassment, from... senior people within the Church of England when I lifted the lid on Ball's behaviour, such that I had no prospect of ordination in the UK at the time," he said. "I had to move to New Zealand in order to pursue my calling as a deacon and then priest." After a number of years, Sawyer said he was offered a position in the Church of Wales by Rowan Williams, who he described as the "one hero in this whole story". However he offered no such praise to others within the Church who he described as "vain and difficult to believe". He was dissatisfied with how his case had been dealt with "despite countless pleas by me including to the current Archbishop of Canterbury for truth and reconciliation." He added: "My experience... is that the Church of England is robust in its treatment of people like me." Although he insisted he "holds no ill will against Bishop Ball and forgive him from my heart", he described him as a "monster". "It was right that he was sent to prison although I experienced no sense of vengeance or satisfaction in seeing a frail 83-year-old man being led from the dock." Arun Arora, director of communications for the Church of England, told Christian Today he was not at the meeting and so was not able to respond to the accusations in full. The Archbishop of Canterbury has promised an independent inquiry into child abuse, which is expected to be launched in the coming weeks. Out of the race, Mike Huckabee says he'll endorse God's principles, not candidate Since dropping out of the Republican presidential race, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has been asked who he plans to endorse as his candidate for the White House. During an interview with the Christian Examiner, Huckabee revealed that the only thing that he plans to endorse is God's principles. "My plan right now is to endorse principles, rather than persons and to be very clear in endorsing those things that I think are important and valuable to our culture and to our country, and to let the voters make up their own minds as to who best embodies those principles, and which candidates will best lead the country," he said. Huckabee does not think that his endorsement at this point is "significant" anyway, since people who make endorsements are "pretty well done" once they do so. "You've made your point and everybody says, 'OK,' and you really, then, can't speak at all to the larger field of candidates and/or to the things they are currently saying. While I certainly might change my mind, right now I don't see myself going out and making an endorsement," he said. The former presidential hopeful is glad that he is out of the race because campaigning is pretty "intense" and exhausting. Even if he did not get the GOP nod, Huckabee acknowledged that God has been very good to him. "I did my part. It didn't work out, but I look at my life in the great(er) context of where I started as a kid, and ... what a blessing, what an incredible joy to live in this great country where a kid like me, who grew up like I did, could even get on the stage. So despite my disappointment in not getting the nomination and winning the election, I still love the Lord and I love this country, and that doesn't change a bit," he said. Oxford University Labour Club embroiled in accusations of anti-Semitism Accusations of anti-Semitism have embroiled Oxford University's Labour club (OULC), the former platform of a number of politicians including Ed Miliband and Michael Foot. Chairman of the club Alex Chalmers resigned in protest, alleging that a "large proportion of both OULC and the student left in Oxford more generally have some kind of problem with Jews". Chalmers, an undergraduate at Oriel College, said his decision was in light of the OULC's decision to endorse 'Israel Apartheid Week' which he described as having a "history of targeting and harassing Jewish students and inviting antisemitic speakers to campuses". His resignation was shared publicly on Facebook on Monday night, accusing members of the OULC executive of "throwing around the term 'Zio' (a term for Jews usually confined to websites run by the Ku Klux Klan) with casual abandon". Chalmers also claimed that senior club members had expressed their "solidarity" with Hamas and claimed "most accusations of anti-Semitism are just the Zionists crying wolf". OULC have said they are looking into the allegations and that it was "horrifying" Jewish students did not feel safe on campus. Fellow co-chair of OULC, Noni Csogor, said: "We take allegations of anti-Semitism in the club very seriously and I will be discussing, with my executive committee, how to deal with the kinds of statements Alex mentions, and what concrete steps we can take in future to preserve a club that's been a safe haven for Jewish students in the past." Jewish students in Oxford have responded by saying they are "saddened" but "unsurprised" by the reports of anti-Semitism. Oxford University Jewish Society (JSoc) claimed some students have been "laughed at and mocked" on previous attempts to raise the issue, according to the IBTimes. A spokesperson added: "It is not the first time that Oxford JSoc has had to deal with anti-Semitic incidents within the student left and it will not be the last. It is a significant and worrying issue and one that, on many occasions, Jewish students have felt that they are fighting alone. We are grateful that Alex Chalmers has made the statement that he did and has brought the issue of anti-Semitism to the fore in a way that Jewish students have so far been denied." The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) campaigns director Russell Langer added: "The reports of anti-Semitism coming out of the OULC are extremely concerning. These reports, along with the decision of OULC to endorse Israeli Apartheid Week, show that OULC are against the interests of Jewish students. I commend the bravery of former co-chair Alex Chalmers in his decision to resign from OULC and bringing this issue to the attention of the wider public. Considering the number of senior politicians who have passed through OULC I hope that this matter is investigated urgently by the Labour Party with appropriate action taken." Palestinian Muslims and Christians unite to restore Bethlehem church Palestinian Muslims and Christians have united to renovate a church in Bethlehem on the site that, according to tradition, Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Associated Press reports. The first stage of the restoration of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, built in the fourth century by Saint Helena over the believed site of the virgin birth, has been completed. "For the first time you can see, when you go up, mosaics really magnificent and beautiful and unique in the whole world," said Ziad al-Bandak, who leads the Palestinian committee in charge of the renovation. Before the project, the roof was in urgent need of repair, and leaks had ruined a significant number of the church's mosaics and paintings. Now that the roof has been structurally repaired, these treasured art works have been restored to their former beauty. Due to the tense nature of relations between the three Chrsitian denominations who have stakes in the church the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Churches renovations had previously been put off. Custom dictates that whoever pays for the renovation of an area of the church would then own it. According to AP, in 1461, a visitor to the church wrote: "In the roof the timbers which were constructed in ancient times are rotting, and this structure is falling daily into ruin." This stalemate was overcome through the involvement of the Palestinian authority in 2013, enabling the renovation to be arranged and funded by Palestinian authorities and international donors. The Palestinian authority's involvement is, in part, motivated by a desire for the church to be recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Al-Bandak sais that nearly $8 million has already been spent and the international team working on the church include Italians who specialise in the renovation of historical sites. The structural issues with the roof have been resolved and, for the first time in almost a millenium, the thousands of fine mosaic tiles have been retouched, according to AP. The full restoration is expected to take at least another three years and is predicted to cost a further $11 million, al-Bandak said. Although they do not have the funds yet, President Mahmoud Abbas told al-Bandak to press on with work. "He told me from the beginning: 'Even if you don't have all the money to go ahead, star. This is a holy place and money will come,'" he said. Pope Francis loses his cool with 'selfish' well-wisher Pope Francis rebuked well-wishers in Mexico for being selfish, after they grabbed him and caused him to fall onto a child in a wheelchair. Francis, who is currently in the middle of a six-day visit to Mexico, was in the city of Morelia on Tuesday greeting the crowds after an open-air stadium mass specifically for young people, when one well-wisher grabbed his arm. He would not let go of the Pope, causing Francis to lose his balance and fall onto a child in a wheelchair. The Pope recovered, kissing the child on the head. But he then shared his frustration, shouting to the person who had grabbed him in Spanish: "No seas egoista. Que te paso, no seas egoista", which translates to mean "Don't be selfish, don't be selfish." Pope Francis has endeavoured to engage with the public in a face-to-face manner, choosing to travel in open topped cars, rather than the bullet proof pope-mobiles that were introduced after the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981. Priests in El Salvador banned from secular study to avoid 'worldly temptations' Priests in El Salvador have been prohibited from studying at secular universities in order to avoid the temptation of worldly desires, according to NDTV. The instruction was given by the country's Episcopal Conference in a letter published by a church newspaper, Gazette Orientacion. "It is not proper or convenient for us, as we run many risks when out in the world, beyond abandoning the parish and priestly life," the letter said. Any suggestion that a course was being taken to equip the priest for post-ministry work would not be allowed, according to the letter. "That does not go with our vocation and mission such temptation should be far from us," it said. If a priest did want to study at a secular university, he would need a letter of approval from his bishop, the letter added, and the Episcopal Conference would seek to find a similar course at an ecclesiastical college. The bishops said that this ban on secular study was inspired by Pope Francis' homily on 26 April last year, when he ordained 19 new priests. In the homily, Francis encouraged priests to "diligently read and meditate on the Word of the Lord, that you may believe what you read, teach what you have learned in faith, and practice what you teach." El Salvador is a majority-Christian country, with 47 per cent of the nation identifying with as Roman Catholic. Uganda's martyr: Why we should remember Janani Luwum Archbishop Janani Luwum was the head of the Anglican Church in Uganda under the gangster rule of Idi Amin. He was a firm opponent of Amin's excesses and paid the ultimate price for it, martyred by regime thugs on Amin's orders. He died in 1977 on either February 16 the day observed in his memory in Uganda or 17, the day on which he's commemorated in the Anglican Communion. His story is an example of the cost of discipleship and has been an inspiration for nearly 40 years. Born in 1922, Janani became a Christian in 1948 and went to theological college the following year. He was ordained in 1954 and became a bishop in 1969. Five years later he was appointed Archbishop of the Metropolitan Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga (in Zaire). The times were exceedingly troubled. The country was plagued by tribalism and the post-indepence president, Milton Obote, was overthrown by General Idi Amin in 1971. His regime was fiercely repressive, with thousands of people shot and imprisoned. Around 55,000 Ugandan Asians, mainly small shopkeepers from India and Pakistan, were expelled. An army rebellion led to thousands of arbitrary executions. The train of events leading to Janani's death began with a sermon by Bishop Festo Kivengere before government officials on January 30, in which he denounced the killings. The following Saturdary Janani's home was raided. After he visited Amin to protest at the killings and 'disappearances', he and two Cabinet ministers were arrested and held for military trial. On February 16 they were paraded at a rally in Kampala and Janani was accused of planning to stage a coup. They were driven off in a Land Rover to an interrogation centre and never seen alive again. A government statement said one of the prisoners had tried to escape and their car had collided with another vehicle, killing them all. When their relatives saw the bodies, however, they were riddled with bullets. According to some witnesses they were taken to an army barracks, beaten and shot. Janani showed great courage in the face of death. He told Kivengere before his protest: "They are going to kill me. I am not afraid." On another occasion he said, "I am prepared to die in the army of Jesus." He was given a memorial in Westminster Abbey in 1998. Among those he influenced during his lifetime was the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, who met him when he was posted to Gulu town as a magistrate. Janani told him to use his position to bring justice to the country. "We must be Christ to his people," Sentamu said Janani told him. "Take up their cases." Why don't yesterday's sermons still speak today? What makes a great sermon? Some people will talk about the preacher's skilful use of illustrations, some will value deep Bible knowledge, others will talk about the preacher's ability to relate the text to everyday life, while others will point to the indefinable sense of the Spirit's anointing. These things are all true. But what's interesting is how our sense of what makes a great sermon has changed over the centuries. What strikes one generation as new, fresh and exciting is just tedious to another, or odd. I thought of this while browsing through a fascinating book picked up for a few pence in a charity shop. Famous English Sermons, edited by Ashley Sampson, was published in 1942 and contains 16 sermons, beginning with the 7th-century Jarrow monk, the Venerable Bede, and ending with CS Lewis, whose wartime radio broadcasts were wildly popular. Among others it includes are Hugh Latimer, who was to be martyred, the famous poet John Donne, John Wesley and CH Spurgeon. The interesting thing is to see how they changed. Those old preachers said things that wouldn't occur to us today. For instance, Bede points out that Peter is called "Bar-Jona", which means "son of a dove". Quite right, he says: "For the dove is without guile, and Peter followed his Lord in prudent and pious guilelessness." And the Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, so that works too. It's rather lovely, but it's not the sort of thing we'd say today. Richard of Wimbledon, in 1388, used the parable of the labourers in the vineyard to talk about the different roles of priests, knights and labourers in society. It's a bit tenuous. Hugh Latimer (1552) preached on the Lord's Prayer. He scatters Latin about, but on the whole he is homely, witty and straightforward. There is a long and rambling story about a woman he visited in prison who was accused of murdering her child; it turned out she didn't do it and he got her set free, but it's not clear how the story relates to anything in particular. John Donne's famous Death's Duel sermon is included; it was his last, and he preached it as he was not much more than a corpse, dying of cancer and in great pain. It's not easy, and there's even more Latin, but it's just wonderful. "Whether the gate of my prison be opened with an oiled key (by a gentle and departing sickness) or the gate be hewn down by a violent death, or the gate be burnt down by a raging and frantic fever, a gate into heaven I shall have..." On the other hand, Jonathan Swift, the famous author of Gulliver's Travels, was a better novelist than preacher; his sermon on A Project for the Advancement of Religion and the Reformation of Manners just argues that the state ought to promote religion because it's useful. I liked John Wesley's sermon on Temptation, which is full of stories. Some modern Methodists keep a copy of his Forty-Four Sermons to hand in case the preacher doesn't turn up, though I don't know how it would go down nowadays. John Henry Newman's on The Invisible World is excellent; he compares the world of animals to the world of angels. We move among animals and never think about how mysterious their world is we don't know whether they can sin, whether they will be judged, whether they will survive death. Isn't this "as mysterious as anything which Scripture says about angels?" Spurgeon preached a thunderous sermon on the Immutability of God, about eternal punishment, among other things. "When a million ages have rolled away, and you are exhausted by your pains and agonies, you shall turn up your eye and still read, 'SHALL BE DAMNED', unchanged, unaltered." And when we come to the later 19th and early 20th century we read very clever, erudite sermons indeed, from people like Henry Scott Holland and Campbell Morgan. Would any of them still be preachable today? Not really, at least not as they stand. They might appeal to people of a literary bent, but the language and ways of thinking of even the most up-to-date of them are hard work. That's not to say that they aren't worth reading there are good things in all of them but they wouldn't grip a congregation today. And this is quite telling, and we can learn at least three things from it. First, sermons are temporary. We aren't producing something intended to last, and shouldn't be surprised or disappointed if it doesn't. Preaching is performance art. It might be recorded, either on paper or aurally, but its meaning is in the happening, not in the recording. Preachers who worry their congregations aren't learning from their sermons have got the wrong idea of what a sermon is. Think of it as a concert, not as a class. Second, sermons are conditioned. A lot depends on the interplay between congregation, culture and the preacher himself or herself. So much of what we think of as "good preaching" depends on what we're used to. What would go down a storm in a Pentecostal-type church would bomb in a cathedral. A sermon that would be appropriate for an Anglican evensong would mystify an evangelical megachurch. Third, sermons at their best are Spirit-filled. They are not just human productions, though they are the result of hard work and deep study. They come out of prayer, the preacher's and the congregation's, and attentive listening to God. God's Spirit takes inadequate words and makes them strong, even when on the printed page we might wonder why. The power of the preached word through the ages has been enormous. Sermons have fed the hearts and minds of God's people in congregations large and small. Preachers have fearlessly judged kings and queens. Somehow, God has spoken. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Young Nigerian suicide bomber gets cold feet, tears off vest to avoid killing people A young Nigerian girl, packed with explosives around her body and sent on a mission to suicide-bomb a refugee camp, tore off her vest and ran away from her handlers to avoid taking part in the attacks, according to reports. Nigerian authorities, however, said two other young Nigerians managed to walk into the crowd of hundreds of people at Dikwa refugee camp in northeast Nigeria and blew themselves up, killing 58 people and wounding 78 others last week, the Associated Press reported. The United States strongly condemned the latest bombings on the refugee camp, which was allegedly carried out by the Boko Haram extremist group. Mark Toner, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement that "the U.S. remains committed to assisting those afflicted by the conflict and supports efforts to provide greater protection for civilians and the regional fight against terrorism.'' According to self-defence fighter Modu Awami, the third bomber, about 14 years of age, confessed that "she was scared because she knew she would kill people." "But she was also frightened of going against the instructions of the men who brought her to the camp,'' said Awami, who helped question the girl, according to AP. "She confessed to our security operatives that she was worried if she went ahead and carried out the attack that she might kill her own father, who she knew was in the camp,'' Algoni Lawan, a spokesman for the Ngala local government area also told the AP. Lawan said the girl was among the thousands who were held captive for months by the extremist group. Awani said the teenager had tried to convince her companions to abandon the mission but failed. She also corroborated her story by leading the soldiers to the unexploded vest. Awami said the girl has given officials information about other planned bombings by the Boko Haram. Satomi Ahmed, chairperson of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, said the information given by the girl has prompted them to tighten security at the camp, which holds some 50,000 people who have fled Boko Haram's Islamic uprising. Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people, made 2.5 million homeless and spread across Nigeria's borders. They have also kidnapped thousands of people. The increasing number of suicide bombing by girls and children have raised fears that the extremists are turning some captives into weapons, according to Fox News. "An army bomb disposal expert has said that some suicide bombs are detonated remotely, so the carriers may not have control over when the bomb goes off,'' Fox News said, citing the AP report. Awami said it is still difficult to account the number of fatalities in the latest bombings as some bodies have been mangled. "Women, children, men and aged persons all died,'' he said. "I cannot say the exact number as some cannot be counted because the bodies were all mangled.'' Naming rights on the building formerly known as Occidental Tower will be an option for a company seeking visibility at a prominent intersection in Dallas. Houston-based Occidental Petroleum recently sold the building north of downtown Dallas to New York Life Real Estate Investors and Encore Office. The new ownership team is planning major renovations to the 24-story building, which will have five top floors available after Occidental Chemical vacates a portion of it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Jarrod Harris If you're one of the 15 million people who have seen "Action Figure Therapy," then we don't have to explain Jarrod Harris' humor. If not, you can discover it this weekend at the Joke Joint Comedy Showcase. When: 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Where: 11460 Fuqua Tickets: $16, jokejointcomedyshowcase.com 'Amber Secrets' One of the world's finest collections of Burmese amber joins the Morian Hall of Paleontology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. "Amber Secrets: Feathers From the Age of Dinosaurs" will feature more than 100 fascinating fossils. When: Daily, beginning Friday Where: 5555 Hermann Park Tickets: $30, $20 for children; hmns.org Pablo Francisco Impressionist Pablo Francisco brings his stand-up act to the the Houston Improv Comedy Club. When: 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday Where: 7620 I-10 at Marq-E Center Tickets: $22-$32; improv.com Laugh it up More than 30 comedy acts, including the Broken Lizard Group, Brian Posehn and Ron Funches, will take part in the second annual Come and Take It Comedy Takeover at Warehouse Live. When: 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday and Sunday Where: 813 St. Emanuel Tickets: $69 for two-day pass; comeandtakeitcomedy.com Comedy tour The Laugh Out Loud Comedy Tour featuring Instagram star Paul Whisky and Facebook star CallMe Choko makes a stop this weekend at the J.W. Marriott. Other entertainers on the bill include Blame the Comic, Josh Castro and Simply Courtney. When: 6-8 p.m. Sunday Where: 806 Main Tickets: $22-$127; laughoutloudtour.com Quilt exhibits A trio of exhibits await visitors to the Texas Quilt Museum. "Modern Quilt Guild at the Texas Quilt Museum" showcases 25 quilts from around the country. "Wild Fabrications" features 16 works made by members of the Studio Art Quilt Associates depicting both realistic and fantastical members of the animal world. "Quilts: A World of Beauty" spotlights 22 quilts that took home prizes at the recent International Quilt Association show. When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, through March 27 Where: 140 W. Colorado, La Grange Tickets: $8; texasquiltmuseum.org Honoring Olivewood "Honoring Olivewood," a new exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History, showcases the beauty of Houston's first incorporated African-American cemetery. Houston photographer Kasey French was just 16 when she shot the photos in 2011 during a youth service camp. When: Daily through May 29 Where: 415 Barren Springs Tickets: $10, $7 ages 6-11; nmfh.org This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man was found shot to death Wednesday morning inside a car in northeast Houston. The man was discovered about 6 a.m. in the 3100 block of Collingsworth Street near Des Chaumes Street, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the man was slumped in the front seat of the car and had been shot at least once. Homicide investigators were dispatched to the scene but so far no information about the case was released. It was not known if the man was shot where he was found or was shot elsewhere and was driven or drove to where the car was stopped. More details will be reported as the story develops. There will soon be a real-life Krusty Krab restaurant in Kemah, but not if SpongeBob has anything to say about it. Viacom, owner of "SpongeBob SquarePants," is suing IJR Capital Investments for trademark infringement, citing the fact that the name "suggests an association with and/or endorsement by Viacom or Nickelodeon," according to a "cease and desist" letter from Viacom. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Shipley Do-Nuts opened its 131st Houston area location Feb. 6 at 6512 U.S. 90A in Sugar Land. Franchise owner Sid Smith hosted a grand- opening celebration during which a free glazed doughnut was given to each guest. Other prizes and gifts also were given away. "I'm excited to introduce our wonderful doughnuts and kolaches to a new group of potential customers," Smith said. Shipley Do-Nuts offers more than 60 varieties of doughnuts, pastries and kolaches made fresh daily. There are 300 franchise locations in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The company has plans to reach 400 stores by 2020. Shipley Do-Nuts plans to develop at least five additional locations this year in the Houston region, according to a company news release. Shipley Do-Nuts originated in Houston, where the corporation maintains its offices and production facility. For more information, visit www.shipleydonuts.com. Rosenberg mayor to speak to chamber Rosenberg Mayor Cynthia A. McConathy is set to deliver a state of the city speech during the Feb. 23 gathering of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce at the Rosenberg Civic Center. The mayor's address will take place during the business networking organization's meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center at 3825 Texas 36. To register for the event, visit www.fortbendchamber.com. More than 1,200 companies and organizations make up the chamber's membership. The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce is the largest single county chamber in the Houston region. In addition to providing member businesses with networking opportunities, the chamber serves as a business advocacy group and promotes tourism. Primary care group gains new physician Houston Methodist Primary Care Group has a new internal medicine physician at its Riverstone location at 18717 S. University Blvd., Suite 105, in Sugar Land. Dr. Vandana Khera joins Dr. Deepshika Sharda in serving the Sugar Land and Missouri City communities. "I consider it an honor to be joining Houston Methodist Primary Care Group," Khera said in a news release. "And I am fortunate that my patients trust me with their most valuable asset - their health. My purpose is to care for my patients' physical and mental well-being by helping them achieve health goals through preventive care." Khera received her medical degree from Government Medical College in Patiala, India, before completing both her internship and internal medicine residency at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. She is board certified in internal medicine and treats a variety of acute and chronic conditions with special interests in geriatrics and endocrinology. Before joining Houston Methodist Primary Care Group, Khera practiced outpatient medicine at a physician-led organization in Norwood, Massachusetts. In addition to English, Khera speaks Hindi and Punjabi. To learn more about Houston Methodist, visit www.houstonmethodist.org. Houston surgeon expands practice Texas Vein and Cosmetic Specialists recently opened a second location in Katy. Located in Houston's Energy Corridor District, Texas Vein and Cosmetic Specialists Dr. Michael Bardwil and his staff opened the Katy office to provide easier access to vein care patients in the area. For the last 12 years, Bardwil has dedicated his efforts exclusively to vein treatment. Varicose veins affect nearly 50 million Americans, according to Bardwil. However, there are many myths and misconceptions about varicose veins. "Many people think that varicose veins are simply a cosmetic problem with the legs," he said in a news release. "Doctors who deal with the disease every day know that it is more than cosmetic." "Even among those who have varicose veins, there is the wrong idea that varicose veins are just an annoying problem that does not need to be dealt with as soon as possible," he said. According to the board-certified general and vascular surgery doctor, varicose veins are treatable and treatment is almost always covered by insurance. To find out more about the practice, visit www.txvein.com. Chamber aims to help small-business owners The Central Fort Bend Chamber hosts a monthly Working Lunch Series, which focuses on technical education topics for small businesses and costs $25 for chamber members and $35 for non-members. The chamber held its first educational series luncheon of the year Jan. 21 at the Rosenberg Civic Center with Derek Finely, a certified financial planner with WJ Interests LLC. Finely updated the room of nearly 50 people on changes made last year to Social Security and Medicare. The Central Fort Bend Chamber is a nonprofit business networking and advocacy organization. To register for the Working Lunch Series, visit www.cfbca.org or contact Leigh Ann Dawson at 281-342-5464 or email her at ldawson@cfbca.org. New development could see home start in 2017 Development activity in Veranda, a 590-acre master-planned residential community in Richmond, is expected to begin midyear, with home construction estimated for early 2017. Located near the northwest corner of Williams Way Boulevard and U.S. 59, the property will feature up to 2,500 homes. The Houston-based Johnson Development Corp. and California-based IHP Capital Partners acquired the property last year from the Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation, a Richmond-based charitable endowment. Pat McDonald, the foundation's chief financial officer, said Johnson Development was selected because of the company's commitment to creating a first-class, sustainable development that respects the area's history and the legacy of the Henderson and Wessendorff families Veranda is Johnson Development's seventh Fort Bend community, joining Cross Creek Ranch, Harvest Green, Imperial, the new Jordan Ranch, Sienna Plantation and Riverstone. The name of the new master-planned community in Richmond was inspired by an old photograph discovered by Johnson Development team members while visiting the Fort Bend Museum for a bit of inspiration on the project's vision. Photos dating to the early 1800s depicted structures with broad porches in the front and back allowing doors to open to help circulate air through the homes. One photograph in particular featured a boarding house opened in 1837 by Jane Long. The house, located at the corner of Morton and Fourth streets in Downtown Richmond, later became The Veranda Hotel. It is now home to Sandy McGee's restaurant. Seeing that old photo sealed the developer's decision to name it Veranda, said Trey Reichert, general manager of Johnson Development, in a news release. "We want this community to reflect the rich heritage of Richmond, both visually and figuratively," Reichert said. "Builders will be encouraged to incorporate timeless elements such as expansive porches - verandas - into their home designs. This was the seed that led to our considering the name Veranda for the development." For more information about the Veranda development, visit www.johnsondevelopment.com. The public is invited to weigh in on the Houston Housing Authority's plan to construct a four-story, 233-unit apartment complex at 2640 Fountain View using low-income housing tax credits. A meeting to hear residents' views is set for Wednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m. at Briargrove Elementary School located nearby at 6145 San Felipe St. Commuters, residents, business owners and anyone else who will be impacted by the upcoming Memorial Drive reconstruction project in west Houston will have an opportunity to take a final look at the plans and ask questions at a public meeting scheduled for March 24. The city's Public Works and Engineering Department will host the meeting, during which time officials will present an overview of the project, including a timeline and plans for traffic mitigation during construction and answer questions. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the youth activity room at Bridge Point Bible Church, 13277 Interstate 10. Planned for the 2.5 mile stretch of roadway from Kirkwood to Eldridge is construction of a four-lane divided roadway with 10-inch reinforced pavement and curb and gutters and replacement of water and sewer pipes. The project also includes construction of sidewalks on both sides of Memorial with wheelchair ramps and driveways, replacement of the bridge at Turkey Creek and installation of seven new traffic signal systems and street lighting. In the works for more than five years, Houston City Council in December gave final approval for the $39 million project, slated to get underway within the next 60 to 90 days. The city will pay about $26.4 million, while $12.6 million will come from state funds. The projected is expected to take almost 2 years or 860 days to complete. Public Works and Engineering spokesman Alvin Wright said they will closely monitor contractor Oscar Renda Contracting Inc. to ensure the project is completed on time, pending cause for delays such as inclement weather or complications with infrastructure. The increasingly busy roadway has deteriorated considerably over the years and was deemed beyond repair. Instead the roadway will be rehabilitated, complete with a wide median and wider sidewalks, under ReBuild Houston and the city's Capital Improvement Plan, meant to improve traffic circulation, mobility and drainage and handle future increases in traffic. For more information contact the District G office at districtg@houstontx.gov or go to www. www.houstontx.gov/council/g/ The Houston school board decided Wednesday to fire the firm it picked to lead its search for a superintendent and to start fresh with another one. Trustees voted unanimously to sever ties with Iowa-based Ray and Associates after hiring the firm on a split vote in December. To take over the process, the board selected Illinois-based Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, another consulting group focused on school executive searches. Hazard, Young also is conducting a superintendent search for the Humble Independent School District, which has roughly 41,000 students, about one-fifth as many as Houston ISD. Some Houston ISD trustees had expressed concern that Ray and Associates did not plan to allow enough time for community input, and Internet research revealed a troubled search in Kentucky in 2007. School board president Manuel Rodriguez Jr. said this week that trustees felt "uneasiness" with the firm. The firm had barely started the search, providing the district with an online survey asking teachers, parents and others what qualities they desire in a new superintendent. The survey was the same one the firm used in at least one other district, online records show. Superintendent Terry Grier, who has led the nation's seventh-largest school district since 2009, steps down Feb. 29. Trustees were aiming to have a replacement hired by July. Also Wednesday, trustees named Deputy Superintendent Ken Huewitt as the interim superintendent. Huewitt, who also serves as the district's chief financial officer, has worked for HISD since 2001, all in the finance department. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Texas State University. Grier promoted Huewitt to deputy over the summer, giving him more responsibility over daily operations in his absence. Several trustees urged Huewitt to be focused on academics as well. About one-fifth of HISD's schools are rated low-performing by the state. "I think this city and I think this board want to make sure we have some stability during this interim time," trustee Greg Meyers said. "But we also want to make sure we continue to move the needle." Arturo Michel, the board's attorney, said any fees owed to Ray and Associates and any changes to Huewitt's contract would be negotiated. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Members of the local Black Lives Matter movement on Tuesday renewed their call for Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman and Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson to publicly apologize for their comments following the fatal shooting last August of Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth. At the time, Anderson said the shooting was an attack on "the very fabric of society" and that it was time for the "silent majority" to support law enforcement. Hickman seemed to link the shooting to Black Lives Matter. "We've heard black lives matter, all lives matter - well, cops' lives matter, too," he said. In September, Texas Southern University students and other activists first called for apologies. They described the words by the prosecutor and sheriff as "dangerous rhetoric" that unfairly tied Shannon Miles, the suspected shooter, with the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, those individuals are pointing to revelations of a sex scandal marring the homicide investigation and the recent declaration of mental incompetence for Miles in their call for officials to say sorry. "As quick as they were to jump to conclusions they need to be just as quick to apologize," TSU student Anthony Collier said at a press conference. "As we've seen this scandal break out, we realize they didn't have all of the facts and they were just jumping to conclusions, and that's dangerous and that's irresponsible and we expect more from those who are elected to protect us and serve us." Goforth was gunned down outside a Harris County convenience store Aug. 28. Miles, 31, is charged with capital murder in the deputy's death. Last week, the Harris County Sheriff's Office terminated a third deputy related to a sex scandal that has rocked the agency. The members of Black Lives Matter were joined Tuesday by local activists who have protested Sandra Bland's death, members of a public service employees union, and individuals with the multiracial and multiethnic Greater Houston Coalition for Justice. "Words do matter," said Jerry Ford Jr., a recent TSU graduate who is a candidate for the state House seat vacated when Sylvester Turner was elected Houston's mayor. "We held this press conference today to let everybody know that our movement is not about any anti-police rhetoric. Our activity is about making sure we are paying close attention to injustices that young African-Americans in this country face and to find a way to close the communication gap between communities of color and our law enforcement officials." Last week, Hickman expressed "regret" about asserting that anti-law enforcement public pronouncements contributed to the killing but stood by his belief that Goforth was targeted solely because he was in uniform. Tuesday, Hickman's media relations office said in a statement: "The Sheriff sees no current need to revisit this issue." Anderson's spokesperson said she has not made any apologies but met with a group of community leaders Sept. 9. Attendees included NAACP Houston branch president James Douglas, Catholic Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, Greater Houston Partnership CEO Bob Harvey and the Rev. Bill Lawson, a local social justice legend and pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. In that meeting, she said that she did not know that "silent majority" had a connotation dating back to the late 1960s when President Richard Nixon used the phrase to describe white conservatives who supported the Vietnam War but were not as vocal as people in the streets. "I was asking people who don't attend protests, who don't write their congressmen, who may not be politically active to join together to support the local police officers who protect us all every day," Anderson said in a statement Tuesday. Ford and Collier said the people invited to that meeting do not represent Black Lives Matter. Last week, leaders of the Houston NAACP also were criticized by activists such as Tammie Lang Campbell - the former president of the Missouri City and Vicinity NAACP branch - for honoring Anderson with an award that salutes attorneys who have displayed legal excellence and contributed to criminal justice reform. A film festival intended to promote and celebrate inclusion of individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, mental illness and other challenges is playing through Thursday in Houston. "ReelAbilities" kicked off its fourth year Sunday night. The festival offers free screenings of 12 films at Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24. "We try to balance the film selection around different experiences and different life cycles," said Carl Josehart, chief executive officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann, one of the sponsors. "We want to focus on the totality of living with a disability." "The festivals are a great experience because often people with disabilities feel like they are invisible; there are not always images in the popular media that are inclusive," said Josehart. Every film celebrates the accomplishments, talents and realities of living with a disability. The ReelAbilities film festival, which began in 2007 in New York, has since spread to 15 cities where committees for each city select films to represent diversity and inclusion. It is designed to educate the public to the lives of the disabled. The Jewish Family Service Alexander Institute for Inclusion hosts Houston's festival in collaboration with City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, the Bristow Group and TIRR Memorial Hermann. Films cover various mental and physical disabilities, the families that support them, and everyday interactions. Speakers from various films attend the events to talk to the public and answer questions about coping with life's ups and downs. "I'm living the life as a parent with a child of a disability," said Shelley Townsend, a volunteer for Reelabilities. "And when you watch the films you see other visions of people going through the same experiences as you and it doesn't matter where you live or who you are, everyone goes through the same experiences if you are close to someone who has a disability," said Townsend, University of Houston's program director of parent-to-parent services for families with children of disabilities. The films are also being shown to public and private charter schools to teach children about the importance of inclusion. This year selected films will be shown to over 4,000 students at multiple schools throughout Houston. "Every year the school participation gets bigger, it exposes kids to situations where they might be uncomfortable and gives them ways to relate to people past someone's disability," said Joanne Graf, Reelabilities Houston Chair. The festival is designed to provide an opportunity to move past the social stigmas of having a disability and give a voice to the underrepresented. "People often feel that when they live with a disability there is not always a good representation," Josehart said. "It's exciting feeling to be able to see someone you can relate to." A three-week vice crime sting held semi-coincidentally during the NFL Playoffs resulted in the arrest of 121 alleged "johns" and 19 alleged prostitutes in Houston and Harris County. The arrests were made as part of a nationwide initiative of 59 law enforcement agencies known as the National John Suppression Initiative, begun by the Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff's Office. The three-week initiative began Jan. 17 and ended on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7 and most notably resulted in the questioning of Denver Broncos player Ryan Murphy. KRIV-TVs Isiah Carey reported this week that the U.S. Marshals Service in Houston could be on the hunt for people who havent paid their federal student loans back. A few people in Houston were likely starting to look over their shoulders. Paul Aker of Houston told Carey that U.S. Marshals officials in combat gear with guns came to pick him up at his home on Feb. 11. He had received a federal student loan in 1987, he said, for $1,500 for schooling at Prairie View A&M University. RELATED: Students Across U.S. Participate in Million Student March to Protest Cost of Public Education Aker, Carey reported, later signed an agreement to repay the amount he owed on the 29-year-old loan plus interest totaling $5,700. He will also have to cover the tab for expenses related to the arrest. The concept of armed federal agents coming to bust people for not paying back federal student loans is something that many would consider a waste of taxpayer's money. RELATED: Tame student loan debt to afford home mortgage But according to the U.S. Marshals Service, there was a bit more to Akers story that wasnt told on air. According to the feds Aker had a warrant for his arrest and that he had been dodging them for some time. The U.S. Marshals Service noted Tuesday that they have been given the responsibility for service of civil processes as directed by the federal court system. These civil processes can include summons for individuals to appear in court to address delinquent federal student loans. "Since November 2012, U.S. Marshals had made several attempts to serve a show cause order to Paul Aker to appear in federal court, including searching at numerous known addresses. Marshals spoke with Aker by phone and requested he appear in court, but Aker refused. A federal judge then issued a warrant for Aker's arrest for failing to appear at a Dec. 14, 2012, hearing," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. "It is the responsibility of the U.S. Marshals to serve civil processes at direction of the federal courts. These civil processes include summonses for individuals to appear in court to address delinquent federal loans, including student, agricultural and other loans made by federal agencies." When officials made contact with him on Feb. 11, the U.S. Marshals said that they only sent two agents to his door. They say that when they attempted to arrest him, Aker resisted and retreated back into his home. "The situation escalated when Aker verbally said to the deputies that he had a gun. After Aker made the statement that he was armed, in order to protect everyone involved, the deputies requested additional law enforcement assistance. Additional deputy marshals and local law enforcement officers responded to the scene. After approximately two hours, the law enforcement officers convinced Aker to peacefully exit his home, and he was arrested without further incident," the agency said in a statement. The statement from the U.S. Marshals noted that here in Houston some 1,500 people have been identified for not appearing in court to address outstanding federal student loans. These are likely extreme cases that have been drawn out for some time though. It's still recommended that debtors pay back their loans as quick as they can. A judge has now issued warrants for the arrest of these people. Marshals say that every attempt is made to inform individuals of their initial summons before it comes to what Aker faced. The Wall Street Journal reported last year during graduation season that 71 percent of college graduates getting bachelors degrees leave school with an average of $35,000 to their names in student loans. If you think that you might have outstanding student loan amounts somewhere out there, a good resource to confirm that is StudentLoans.gov. Be sure you have all your pertinent information on hand before you register for the website. Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez was taken into custody Tuesday evening during a city council recess in which a recall election to remove himself and two other city council members was discussed. "He was inciting a riot," said city Police Chief Jesus Lopez, no relation, after the mayor and a citizen exchanged pushes and loud words. Currently Reading Texas teachers accused or convicted of inappropriate relations with students This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate "Zika virus," one of the latest odd terms to become a U.S. household phrase seemingly overnight, comes with a lot of baggage. Most frightening is the image of babies with smaller than normal heads -- a condition known as microcephaly -- which has been reported among some mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant. Researchers are studying the possible link between Zika virus infection and microcephaly, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In other words, the lack of scientifically proven fact leaves a lot of room for conspiracy theories and simple misinformation. For example, one idea now widely regarded as a conspiracy theory is that Brazil's recent microcephaly increase is the result of a larvacide called pyriproxyfen being added to drinking water to kill mosquitoes. George Takei, an actor famous for his role in the original Star Trek series and more recently a gay rights activist, shared the questionable pesticide theory on Facebook, according to ScienceBlogs. Another apparently bogus theory holds that the recent Zika outbreak is due to the use of genetically modified mosquitoes in northeast Brazil to combat dengue fever. Journalist Aura Bogado notes that much U.S. news coverage of the microcephaly epidemic uses almost inhuman terms -- "strange," "deformed," "shrunken heads" -- and describes a widely distributed illustration of babies' comparative head sizes as "phrenology-like." "As literary scholar Sarah Schuetze points out, 'seeing these babies is the real threat of Zika.' Forget accommodating the challenges these children will face with additional first-world resources; our first concern is being exposed to the horror of images of them." Because there is no vaccine or medication for Zika, the best prevention tip to date is to avoid mosquito bites, according to the CDC. Many other questions remain. U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, of South Carolina, is upset by a fake Facebook page that falsely shows him switching his presidential endorsement from Marco Rubio to Ted Cruz. The Facebook page's profile picture was of Gowdy and was named "Trey Gowdy Prayers." The post on Monday stated: "It is official, I have changed my mind. My previous endorsement of Marco Rucio was a grave mistake. The recent South Carolina debate revealed his total lack of integrity, intellect and foresight. To all my Christian and Conservative friends in South Carolina, I hereby formally endorse Ted Cruz for President of the United States." Gowdy was quick to offer a response Tuesday and in a statement released by Rubio's campaign, the representative said: "It's been reported that a fake Facebook page has been used to fool South Carolinians into thinking that I no longer support Marco Rubio and that I'm instead supporting Ted Cruz. Nothing could be further from the truth and I'm demanding that Senator Cruz and his campaign repudiate these dishonest and underhanded tactics." Cruz in hot water: Critics allege Cruz campaign mailer violated Texas law The Facebook page has since been deleted. There is no concrete evidence on whether the Cruz campaign was behind the creation of this account. Cruz did issue a statement through Twitter saying: "Our campaign had absolutely nothing to do with this fraudulent Facebook post ... This kind of deception is deplorable and nothing like it would be tolerated by this campaign." This isn't the first time Cruz has been accused of sneaky tactics during the 2016 presidential race. He came under fire in Iowa after his campaign sent mailers alleging voter violations during caucuses and for spreading a false report to caucus goers that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race. Caucus confusion: Rivals aim to dog Cruz over report of Ben Carson's false dropout Billionaire Mark Cuban said he would encourage former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to join the 2016 presidential race, but the Dallas Mavericks' owner admitted that he fears Bloomberg would be "too meek" to win against the "loud" and "boisterous" party candidates. When asked by WABC radio's "Election Central with Rita Cosby" on Tuesday if Bloomberg will run for the presidency, Cuban said, "I have no idea, but I'd like to see him run. I think he'd bring a different perspective. We know his policies, from his time as mayor of New York. We know where he stands on guns. We know where he stands on other issues. He's very, very progressive in a lot of respects on social issues, and he's somewhat conservative on fiscal issues. We know he understands business. "The question is going to be, is he too meek? And when I say meek, I mean just force of voice." Cuban continued: "You know, can he shout loud enough? Certainly in the business world he's far from meek, and he can handle himself in any circumstances, and he's proven that when he was mayor. But in this election, the way things are running right now, being loud unfortunately means something and it takes a force of voice to stand out, particularly on the Republican side." Reports have said Bloomberg is considering a run, and an independent candidacy is open, assuming Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were to become the nominees for their respective parties. "So, if you get into a race where he's the independent candidate, most likely the Republican candidate and let's just say it's Hillary on the Democratic side, it's going to be loud. It's going to be boisterous. And I don't know how he'd fit, and even more importantly, I don't know how he'll be perceived," Cuban said. "And if he's not loud and he's kind of reserved in how he speaks, you know, will that be perceived as negative? Will that be perceived, that he doesn't, he doesn't have what it takes to be president? And you hate to think, that those are decision points for people, but they may be." Though Cuban said he isn't ready to pick a candidate, he again encouraged Bloomberg to run to see if his presence and voice could change the tone of the debate. "Yeah, I mean look at I'm not ready to, we've got enough time, that I'm not ready to pick a candidate yet, or endorse anybody," Cuban said. "But I certainly would encourage him to run so that we can see, you know, where he is on the issues and others can see where he is on the issues, and more importantly, to see if it changes the tone of the debate. "You know, with Michael coming in, if he comes in, like I said, there might be issues that he's not, he's not loud and that might impact people's perceptions. But if he can change the tone of discussion. If he can make it so that we're actually debating issues and looking for details on where they stand on issues, and getting into minutia in some cases, I think if he can drive that, then that would be a huge benefit." Cuban also admitted that if Joe Biden came into the race against Clinton and Sanders, then he would vote for Biden. However, Cuban did give credit to Clinton's smarts but admits that he fears she wouldn't be able to combine the two parties effectively. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hours after Antonin Scalias death Saturday, the battle began for who would replace him on the Supreme Court and who would nominate that replacement. Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) kicked off the discussion with a tweet Saturday afternoon that said we owe it to [Scalia], & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement. From there the debate has roiled on: Should a soon-to-be lame duck president be able to place someone on the Supreme Court? The answer is well, pretty confusing. But anyone claiming theres a precedent or a hard and fast rule seems to be mistaken. Cruz added during Saturdays debate that "We have 80 years of precedent of not confirming Supreme Court justices in an election year." That is not true since Anthony Kennedy was confirmed in 1988 during the final year of Reagan presidency. But the situation is different since Kennedy was nominated in 1987. His nomination only came after the Democrat-controlled Senate rejected the nomination of Robert Bork a candidate considered too dogmatic in his right-wing views. The New York Times notes that Since 1900, the Senate has voted on eight Supreme Court nominees during an election year. Six were confirmed. But several of those were for seats that had become vacant in the previous year. (The Times also has a chart that shows Supreme Court nominations dating back to George Washingtons presidency). SCOTUS Blog recaps all the Supreme Court vacancies during election years in the 20th Century. Most nominations were successful. However, in most of these cases the same party controlled the White House and the Senate. So it makes sense that the Republican Senate would try to block Barack Obamas nomination. Checks and balances and such and such. The strange part is GOP leaders announcing plans for a categorical block of all nominees and claiming a precedent instead of just rejecting the nominees one at a time. By showing their hand, conservatives might have given the eventual Democratic nominee another talking point for the general election. Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders can paint again the Republican leadership as obstructionists who would rather hamper a branch of the government than work across the aisle. (Why announce a pre-emptive block? Wouldnt it have made strategic sense for Republican leaders to wait for an individual nomination and say, Obamas nominee is too liberal!) Clinton already seems to be doing this. And theres one precedent that does assist the obstructionist argument. The Senate has never needed more than 125 days to replace a Supreme Court justice. Obama still has more than 300 days left in his presidency. Theres no past standard election year or not for waiting that long. See the potential replacements for Antonin Scalia in the gallery above. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN -- Concealed handguns would be mostly banned in dormitories but not in classrooms under campus-carry recommendations accepted Wednesday by University of Texas at Austin President Gregory Fenves. After an extensive review of how to implement the campus-carry law approved last year by the Legislature, Fenves accepted the recommendations of a campus panel concerning rules for regulating the possession of handguns at the UT flagship campus. THE RESPONSE: Nobel-winning UT professor draws attention after vowing to ban guns "I do not believe handguns belong on a university campus, so this decision has been the greatest challenge of my presidency to date," Fenves said in a statement. "I empathize with the many faculty, staff, students and parents of students who signed petitions, sent emails and letters, and organized to ban guns from campus and especially classrooms. As a professor, I understand the deep concerns raised by so many. However, as president, I have an obligation to uphold the law." After months of controversy, Fenves announced he has adopted the 25 policy recommendations developed by the 19-member Campus Carry Working Group he appointed last year. Under those proposals, laboratories, areas where pre-K-12 programs are taught, and university dorms and residence halls generally will be designated gun-free zones. Faculty members and employees with private offices will be able to prohibit handguns inside them. OPTING OUT: Which Texas private colleges will ban campus carry? J. Scott Applewhite/STF Guns will not be banned in classrooms. The decision on dorms appears to conflict with a December ruling by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said public universities might violate the new campus-carry law by prohibiting handguns in dorms and residence halls. "Under the law, I cannot adopt a policy that has the general effect of excluding licensed concealed handguns from campus. I agree with the working group that a classroom exclusion would have this effect," Fenves said in an email sent campus-wide on Wednesday. Fenves also said he is establishing the Campus Carry Implementation Task Force -- chaired by Gerald R. Harkins, associate vice president for campus safety and security --that will include experts in university operations, safety and security, as well as faculty members, staffers and student representatives. The president said it will "develop guidelines, rules and practices to comply with the campus policies." THE RULING: Ban on guns in dorms would violate law, AG says According to Fenves, the university's board of regents can amend the campus rules with a two-thirds vote within 90 days. Senate Bill 11, which allows campus carry for the first time in Texas at public colleges and universities, takes effect Aug. 1. Under state law, the open carry of handguns will continue to be prohibited on campus and in university buildings. Numerous private colleges in Texas have said they would not allow guns on their campuses. Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 11 into law in June 2015 to allow students 21 years or older on public college campus to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. In the law, public universities are able to designate reasonable areas where guns are to be prohibited. At UT, numerous rallies and public forums have been held and many cane out to express their opposing views on campus carry. Last month at the Faculty Council meeting where the committee proposed five new solutions to campus carry, former Nobel Laureate winner and UT physics professor Steven Weinburg went so far to say he would ban guns from his classroom. "Whatever the university regulations are, I will put it in my syllabus that the class is not open to students carrying guns," said Weinburg at the January meeting. "Now that may get me into trouble with the state or with the students, I may wind up in court, but I am willing to accept that possibility." Wednesday's announcement by Fenves drew immediate and intense response from both supporters and opponents on the campus-carry issue. C.J. Grisham, founder of Open Carry Texas, said while the overall UT recommendations are good, the ban on guns in dorms violates a serious intent of the law and it is "not going to fly." "When you ban guns in dorms, where else is a law abiding citizen suppose to keep their guns, in their car" said Grisham. "As a bad guy, all I have to do is wait until you put your gun in your car and then I break into your car and I have a gun." If the gun-ban in dorms is not changed, Grisham predicted it could be challenged and overturned. Joan Neuberger, history professor and member of Gun Free UT, said in e-mail comments that she is outraged withFenvesand Chancellor William McRaven for not allowing guns to be banned from classrooms, but also for not putting a member of Gun Free UT will be on the implementation committee. "I am very sad that the community where I have lived and worked for more than twenty years will become--has become--a more dangerous and anxious place," Neuberger said. She said her group is considering legal action to keep concealed handguns off the campus. In contrast, Madison Yandell, president of College Republicans at UT, said her group is generally pleased with guns being allowed in classrooms and thinks it reasonable for firearms to be banned in dorms andthat holsters completely cover the trigger. Even so, Yandell said some potential problems with the recommendations include faculty or staff making their offices "gun free" zones and requiring semiautomatic handguns to be carried without a chambered round which "contradicts a widely accepted practice for concealed carry." "It forces one to draw their weapon and then load the first round which is a serious impediment to being able to quickly react,"she said. "It contradicts standard training which would require different practices for on campus and off campus carry." Xavier Rotnofsky, student government president and member of the Campus Carry Working Group, said because since the president's recommendations are the same as the working group, he said it is clear the university understands the limitations it faces under the campus-carry law. "This is something we didn't want to begin with and we are just sort of forced to deal with," said Rotnosfky. "This is the outcome of wanting to keep the campus as safe as possible while understanding the limits placed on us by the Texas Legislature." Republican primary turnout on day one of early voting nearly doubled from 2008 in Texas' 10 largest counties, likely reflecting elevated interest in the heated contest for the Republican presidential nomination. Data compiled by the Texas Secretary of State shows that 41,508 Republican voters cast an early or absentee ballot in the state's 10 largest counties as of Tuesday, up from 21,130 on the first day of early voting in 2008. Participation increased just 13 percent from Texas' Mary 2012 Republican primary, however, when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was leading the Republican field by a wide margin. The quest for this year's Republican nod features businessman Donald Trump, leading in national polls, as well as hometown Sen. Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who also boasts Texas roots. Democratic turnout in the state's 10 largest counties, meanwhile, dropped 30 percent from 2008, when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's hotly-contested primary drove turnout in Texas to record highs. Clinton's campaign now is looking to capitalize on the former secretary of state's ties to Texas to drive her closer to the Democratic nomination over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. In Harris County, the Lone Star State's most populous county, first-day Republican turnout more than tripled from 2008. First-day early balloting among Harris County Republicans declined 5 percent from 2012. Democratic participation in Harris County held steadier than it did in Texas' other large counties, falling 4 percent from 2008. Over the last eight years, an average of nearly half of Harris County's primary vote has been cast prior to Election Day, either early or absentee. Early balloting in Texas' March 1 primary runs through Feb. 26. For Harris County voting locations and other information, visit www.harrisvotes.com. THE LEAD: Cook and McNutt enter the homestretch in vicious House race, by Quorum Reports Scott Braddock. The race has become so intense that most voters who spoke with Quorum Report in Palestine and Corsicana on Tuesday said the House contest was motivating them to get to the polls even more than the presidential primary. I believe it, said Bob Belcher, the former Editor of the Corsicana Daily Sun who recently resigned from the newspaper to run for Navarro County Tax Assessor-Collector. We havent seen a local race like this in, well, maybe ever. -- A race to follow >> Steve Munisteri has endorsed Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler for re-election. Tom has demonstrated he is the leader that the Republican Party of Texas needs as we enter a critical election year. Under Toms conservative leadership, the Party is winning historic elections and is poised to dominate Democrats in 2016. Happy Wednesday, yall. From the looks of things, early voting this year is going to blow past everyones expectations. Watch this space. Catch me at bobby.cervantes@chron.com or tweet me @bobbycervantes. -- First-day early primary voters smash GOP turnout records in Tarrant County, by the Star-Telegrams Anna Tinsley. By the end of the day in Tarrant County, Republicans cast 4,617 ballots in person and Democrats cast 2,922 ballots in person, local election records show. Although several candidates have dropped out of the GOP presidential race, the battle for the nomination in both parties is alive and well. Thats why officials have long said excitement about making a difference in the race for the White House this year could motivate more than the usual number of the states 14.1 million registered voters more than 1 million in Tarrant County alone to vote this year. But its not just about the presidency. -- Clinton hopes Texas propels her toward Democratic nomination, by the Express-News Peggy Fikac. But a big Clinton win in Texas - whose diverse population is representative of the country in a way that Iowa or New Hampshire are not, and whose 252 delegates are the most at stake to that point - would give Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, a much bigger hill to climb against the former senator and secretary of state. -- Mayor Adler calls for taking risks as Austin grapples with growth, by the Statesmans Mary Huber and Andra Lim. Borrowing the language of chemistry, citing an example from computer science and referring to the culture of the startup scene, Mayor Steve Adler said city government shouldnt be afraid to experiment when it comes to tackling the affordability and mobility challenges that have accompanied Austins rapid population growth. -- As Zika looms, Dallas Countys health direct has deja vu, by the Morning News Naomi Martin. Now, Thompson said officials should track how many people are entering the Dallas-Fort Worth area from countries in Central and South America where the virus is endemic. He wants the government to consider monitoring those travelers and educating them about the importance of visiting a doctor, even for mild symptoms. -- MUST WATCH: The domain name war of the 2016 elections, The Washington Post THE CALENDAR 9:00 a.m.: State Affairs ( Senate Chamber) QUOTE TO NOTE Its unbelievable. Ill say, Jeb Bush is a total stiff. And the next minute Ill be in be in my apartment, well have the news on, We have breaking news, Donald TrumpI say, Ted Cruz is a terrible, terrible liar, the worst Ive ever seen. We have breaking news I will say it is an amazing way to communicate. -- Donald Trump at a South Carolina rally on Tuesday, on how he dominates news cycles SPEED READ Texas Take: Clinton holding back the fire, Houston Chronicle Baylor says no to concealed handguns on campus, Associated Press Activists renew call for sheriff, DA to apologize in Goforth case, Houston Chronicle Perry backs Kevin Brady facing tea party challenge, San Antonio Express-News With Pope Francis' border city visit, Texans rediscover Mexico -- and like what they see, Los Angeles Times Trump ups the ante in his Cruz attacks with bogus quote, The Dallas Morning News Baylor says 'no' to concealed handguns on campus, Austin American-Statesman What happened to the Austin savings bonds, other Adler ideas, Austin American-Statesman The journey of two families in two countries, split by a chain-link fence, Los Angeles Times Texas A&M leaders visit school, apologize for race incident, Austin American-Statesman House GOP subpoenas 3 groups in Planned Parenthood probe, Austin American-Statesman 'We dropped the ball': State admits errors in reporting teacher discipline, USA Today List of Texas Women for Trump includes women who arent for Trump, The Dallas Morning News Ted Cruz wants robust defense budget after voting against it 3 times, Star-Telegram The more Trump defies his party, the more his supporters cheer, The New York Times Obama chides senators to do their job, vote on court pick, Associated Press Before Supreme Court nod, an intrusive interrogation, Associated Press Scalia truthers run amok with conspiracy theories, San Antonio Express-News Major oil-producing countries to the rescue? Thats a fantasy, Houston Chronicle Apple resisting magistrate order to share iPhone information, Associated Press RACE TO 2016 -- CNN POLL: Though Clinton holds an edge over Sanders on handling a range of top issues, the results suggest the extremely close race hinges on divided opinions on the economy. Overall, 48% of likely caucus attendees say they support Clinton, 47% Sanders. Both candidates carry their demographic strong points from prior states into Nevada, with Clinton holding an edge among women, while Sanders tops the former secretary of state among voters under age 55. -- In explaining why he is the most reliably conservative candidate running in the Republican primary, Donald Trump on Wednesday hewed tightly to his new favorite phrase: I'm a common-sense conservative, per Politicos Nick Gass. -- Clinton race speech has a message for Bernie, by Politicos Annie Karni. Hillary Clinton on Tuesday offered a veiled rebuke of Bernie Sanders, arguing in a sweeping speech on the state of race in America that his fight to end economic inequality does little to address the systemic racism gripping the country. -- Cruz pinched in race for SCs evangelicals, by Politicos Katie Glueck. Ted Cruz emerged the evangelical favorite in Iowa, but Marco Rubio is maneuvering to elbow him out in the race for conservative Christians in South Carolina. Rubios campaign has turned a spotlight on his faith here. He has been attending church with popular South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and meeting with local pastors. He has declared he would rather lose an election than soften his anti-abortion position. And, in conversations with voters, Rubio is speaking openly and eagerly about God winning over deeply conservative Christian gatherings. -- GOP candidates in high-stakes chess match in South Carolina, by the APs Julie Pace and Bill Barrow. Indeed, the only thing that is clear heading into Saturday's South Carolina primary appears to be Trump's grip on the lead. Cruz, the winner of the Iowa caucuses, is also in the mix for a strong finish. But the more mainstream lane populated by Bush, Kasich and Rubio is more jumbled. Bush's campaign now sees an opening to capitalize on Rubio's fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, while Kasich's strong second-place showing there has given him reason to keep his campaign going. Rubio's team, meanwhile, is quietly confident that South Carolina will prove to be a comeback story for the Florida senator. The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. Braves advance to semis at Unity CHEROKEE - Cherokee's volleyball girls took down Harlan 3-0 on Monday and headed to Orange City this past Wednesday to... Wolverines end season at West Bend-Mallard WEST BEND - The South OBrien volleyball team traveled to face West Bend-Mallard in the first round of the regional... Warriors suffer 44-14 loss to Gehlen Catholic ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia football team hosted Gehlen Catholic on Friday evening, but lost the game 44-14. The Warriors struck... Warriors take down Raiders to finish regular season ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia volleyball team hosted East Sac County on Thursday evening and took down the Raiders 3-1 to... Braves go 3-6 at Heelan Invite SIOUX CITY - Cherokee's volleyball team, 23-9, worked on fine tuning its skills here Saturday in a 12-team Sioux City... Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Rebrands as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The Canadian federal government department that used to be called Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has been renamed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Usage of the new name began soon after the new government of Canada took office in November, 2015, but has become more apparent over the opening weeks of 2016. IRCC facilitates the arrival of immigrants to Canada, provides protection to refugees, and offers programs to help newcomers settle in Canada. IRCCs mandate also extends to granting citizenship, issuing travel documents (such as passports) to Canadians, and promoting multiculturalism. While the acronym CIC continues to be used in some cases, particularly on older webpages and program guides, it has become increasingly apparent over the first few months of the present governments term in office that IRCC is preferred in most official publications and communications. To avoid any confusion, stakeholders should note that CIC and IRCC are not two separate departments. If documents or publications refer to CIC in one instance and IRCC in another, they are actually referring to the same department. IRCC is not so much a new department, but the successor to one that has existed for many years. However, the name CIC may continue to be used for some time by some stakeholders, such as Canadian provincial and territorial governments. The addition of the word refugees in the official name of the government department reflects the current governments focus on humanitarian and refugee immigration to Canada. That being said, the government has made it clear that Canada will uphold an open and welcoming immigration policy for skilled immigrants and family class programs. There is no evidence to suggest that economic immigration or family reunification is less important to this government than its predecessors; indeed, the government has pledged to increase funding allocated to IRCC to improve program delivery and processing times. In addition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a public mandate to the Minister overseeing IRCC, John McCallum, to increase the maximum age for dependents to 22, from 19, to allow more Canadians to bring their children to Canada. Minister McCallum has also been asked to look into giving additional points under the Entry Express immigration selection system to provide more opportunities for applicants who have Canadian siblings. Immigration The Immigration portion of the department title refers to Canadas efforts to build and maintain a policy of welcoming newcomers in a way that is beneficial to Canadians and newcomers alike. Canada has traditionally been a country with a progressive, open immigration policy, with most Canadians being able to trace foreign ancestry within just a few generations. As Canada faces a demographic challenge and wishes to have strong economic growth and security, immigration is likely to continue to play an important role in Canadas future. To learn more about immigration to Canada, click here. Refugees The word Refugees is the one and only word that has been added to the departments new name. Instability and conflict over recent years in some regions of the world has led to an increase in the number of refugees globally. These individuals and families have been forced from their homes and are often in extremely vulnerable situations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are 60 million such persons in the world. The current government of Canada has responded to this reality not only by making a semantic change to a government department, but also through concrete action. A huge effort has been made to expedite the arrival of refugees from Syria, with the government now on target to meet its commitment to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February. To learn more about refugees and Canada, click here. Citizenship One of the defining characteristics of Canadas immigration policy is that it provides a pathway to Canadian citizenship for individuals who make the major life decision to immigrate to Canada. Becoming a Canadian citizen and joining the Canadian family is very often a humbling and emotional benchmark in an immigrants life. Citizenship remains an important component of IRCC, as it was before the department was renamed. To learn more about eligibility requirements for Canadian citizenship, as well as the rights and responsibilities that citizenship confers on an individual, click here. CICNews will retain its current name The Canada Immigration Newsletter, published exclusively on CICNews.com on a bi-monthly basis, will continue to be published on CICNews.com for the time being. To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs operated by IRCC, please fill out a free online assessment today. 2016 CICNews All Rights Reserved Fear is flammable, and on this weeks episode of 60 Minutes, host Scott Pelley seemed determined to kindle it. Pelley interviewed CIA Director John Brennan at CIA headquarters last Sunday about the security threats facing the United States in 2016, and the threat of ISIS in particular. Pelley opens the show with the claim that ISIS has, the manpower, the means, and the ruthlessness to attack the US, Dun dun dun. Then Pelley sets out to prove his point with a series of leading questions, starting with his first, and punctuated throughout the 13-minute segment: Is ISIS coming here? So youre expecting an attack in the United States? Does ISIS have chemical weapons? Sign up for CJR 's daily email Do they have the capabilities to bring them to the West? What do you think our policy would be after an ISIS-directed attack in the United States? As if thats a foregone conclusion. Pelley is committing a double disservice here. Not only is he not providing context around the complex quandary of how the US should deal with ISIS, his questions inflate existing fears, implying that the ISIS threat in the US is imminent and inevitable. The consequences of this kind of societal terror are obvious. Over the last year, weve seen how quickly fearlegitimate or otherwisebecomes hate. And history shows that the more threatened Americans feel, the more willing they are to forgo certain civil liberties in exchange for the promise of protecting the nation. Look, for example, to the encryption debate currently broiling in the country. The intelligence community has been vigorously fighting for anti-encryption measures, while most members of the technology sector agree that doing so would only serve to make the country less safe. After the November Paris attacks, Brennan in part blamed the Snowden leaks and the technological capabilities of terrorist groups (a euphemism for encrypted communications) for the failure to stop the attacks. I hope this will be a wake-up call, he said at the global security forum. Pelleys interview came several days after James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, updated the Senate Armed Services Committee on the range of threats facing the nation, a report otherwise known as the Worldwide Threat Assessment. Clapper referred to his opening statement as a litany of doom. ISIS and the threat posed by encryption to cybersecurity both made the list, along with North Korea, Al Qaeda, and the migrant crisis in Europe. Few journalists pushed back. Most simply reported the key points made at the hearing. Journalists are just parroting a lot of the governments claims, says Jenna McLaughlin, a national security reporter at The Intercept. The threats facing the country, she says, from ISIS in particular, are definitely dangerous, but definitely overplayed. The act of overplaying comes with its own brand of danger. Pelleys questioning, sadly, is a perfect example. Marcy Wheeler, a national security blogger and frequent columnist, leveled three critiques at the Pelley-Brennan exchange. First, she argued, throughout the segment the duo conflate ISIS-inspired and ISIS-directed attacks. Pelley: Is ISIS coming here? Brennan: I think ISIL does want to eventually find its its mark here. When Pelley questions him further on whether he expects an attack on US soil, Brennans answers, I believe their attempts are inevitable. But what does that actually mean? Its a statement couched in unclear language ISIS will attempt an attack on American soil at the scale of 9/11, or is he suggesting the terrorist state will provide resources to radicalized Americans? While both scenarios may be legitimate threats, its important to distinguish between them, since they imply different consequences and require different means of counterattack. Wheeler also called out Pelleys blanket acceptance of Brennans contentious line about the role of encryption in the Paris attacks. She also makes note of how Pelley inflates the issue of ISIS having access to chemical weapons. That ISIS has access to chemical weapons is not controversial. It was addressed in the threat assessment brief, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has confirmed that ISIS has used mustard gas in at least one instance, likely an August 2015 attack in Marea, Syria, which killed an infant. And according to Alastair Hay, a chemical weapons expert and professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, there is some indication that ISIS may be creating some of its own material, although that hasnt been confirmed. ISIS getting its hands on chemical weapons is an understandably alarming thought, but the menace implied by the term is often far greater than the menace of the weapon itself, says New York Times reporter C.J. Chivers. Just saying chemical weapons is like saying, BOO! he says. Its the journalists job to step back and provide context. A long-time war correspondent and arms expert, Chivers has written several stories on chemical weapons in Syria, including a feature story on the family of Sidra, the infant killed last August in Marea. Chivers says that when he writes on the issue, he insists on including language contextualizing the threat fairly high up on his pieces. Doing so is a service to readers, who want to be informed, not agitated. Instead of doing that job and explaining to viewers that chemical weapons varyand that some, like chlorine, have been used in Iraq since 2004, in IEDs and the like, and that these attacks are often non-lethal and inefficientPelley forges ahead. He leaves viewers with an unexamined statement from the CIA that says ISIS can now make small amounts of chlorine and mustard gas. None of the context, all the fear. Now several years into the surveillance debate, during which time the intelligence community has consistently put national security interests before civil liberties, sometimes at the expense of the latter, journalists should be cautious about taking the CIAs word. Pelley, and 60 Minutes, not only lost an opportunity to force some truth, they threw a match into the tinderbox that is America today. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Chava Gourarie is a freelance writer based in New York and a former CJR Delacorte Fellow. Follow her on Twitter at @ChavaRisa New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday were left scratching their heads wondering why the state got only $15 million in federal flood protection funding. Legislators on the Democrat-controlled Senate oversight committee said theyll have to wait for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department to release its scoring on the competitive grant application later this month before they can draw conclusions. The panel heard from environmentalists, residents and regional stakeholders as part of an inquiry into the application by Republican Gov. Chris Christies administration for the competitive grant that was unveiled last month. The state requested about $300 million to build embankments to protect against flooding in the Meadowlands as well as for a New Jersey Transit bus garage in the region. Instead, the $15 million will go to develop a list of best practices for communities facing flooding, lawmakers said. Other states, including New York, received more grant money. New Jerseys neighbor won about $200 million of some $1 billion in available funds. Since the amount was announced, department Secretary Julian Castro part of the Democratic Obama administration told reporters that New Jersey submitted a weak application and that further details on the scoring have to wait until later before becoming public. Christies office has said the grant award was disappointing and it angered the states congressional delegation. Also, on Thursday, Joelle Farrell, a spokeswoman for Gov. Chris Christie, said its hard to see the committee hearing as anything but political. Senate President Steve Sweeney disputed that and said the purpose of the hearing was getting to the bottom of what happened in the application process. This isnt a witch hunt, he said. Neither the federal housing department nor the state Department of Environmental Protection was represented at the hearing. Messages seeking further comment were not immediately returned. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Holes in the floorboards. Cracks in fenders and bumpers. Metal that sticks out of torn seats and rips uniforms. Gas gauges that dont work. Radio equipment that malfunctions. Occasional breakdowns. Peeling paint. And then theres the time a detective heading to a call took a turn and the steering wheel came off. He managed to avoid an accident, and no one was hurt. These are New Havens police cruisers. Its embarrassing, said Officer Craig Miller, president of the local police union. Its unsafe for our patrol officers and unsafe for the community. The police union, frustrated by years of cruiser problems and city funding cuts that have slowed purchases of new vehicles, filed a complaint with the state Board of Labor Relations in September, saying the poor condition of the fleet is creating unsafe work conditions. The matter is currently in mediation. Police and city officials, meanwhile, announced plans last month to replace the departments 44 cruisers over the next few years. They also say city mechanics inspect vehicles in the police fleet two to three times a year to make sure theyre safe. New Haven appears to be an extreme example of police departments nationwide that are dealing with deteriorating vehicles and budget cuts. In Pueblo, Colorado, 75 of the 100 marked police vehicles are older than five years, 51 have more than 100,000 miles on them, and one a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria is approaching 200,000 miles, the Pueblo Chieftan reported last month. Trenton, Ohio, officials have proposed a special police levy, some of which would be used to replace some police cruisers that are more than 10 years old, The Journal-News reported last month. Of the more than 800 police vehicles in Tucson, Arizona, more than half have more than 80,000 miles the recommended maximum in some industry standards and more than 70 are at least 10 years old, KOLD-TV and the Arizona Daily Star reported. Officials said a five-year replacement budget was cut in 2008 and they replace cruisers when they can get the money. In New Haven, the Finance Committee of the citys Board of Alders is expected later this month to consider a master lease plan that would allow the police department to buy 12 vehicles a year, in addition to the 12 a year already in the budget. City officials also are asking alders to increase the vehicle and maintenance budget by $150,000 to a total of $450,000 a year, to provide stable funding for vehicle replacement. There is no disputing many of these vehicles are in need of replacement or repair, said Officer David Hartman, the departments spokesman. Out of necessity, weve retained many that are well past their prime. The reason is simply budgetary. There are problems. Theyre being corrected, Hartman said. Everyones generally optimistic. The permanent solutions lie in the hands of the citys finance committee. New Havens chief administrative officer, Michael Carter, said the city has yet to recover from severe cuts to its capital budget in 2008-2009 during the Great Recession and is also behind in replacing garbage trucks, snowplows, parks vehicles and other vehicles. While city officers are driving troubled cruisers, Police Chief Dean Esserman and four assistant chiefs have newer sport utility vehicles. Esserman declined to comment. In the citys current fiscal year, officials bought six 2014 Dodge Charger cruisers for detectives, two new Chargers for detectives and a new 2016 Ford Expedition for the chief, officials said. The city also bought 11 used cruisers, including a 1999 Ford. Miller estimated that about three-quarters of city police cruisers have some kind of problem. He said a majority of the vehicles are Ford Crown Victorias, which Ford stopped producing in 2011. The department even has some Chevrolet Luminas, which were discontinued in 1999. Many city cruisers have logged close to 100,000 miles, he said. From time to time, New Haven has replaced cruisers with used ones from nearby police departments. Miller drove an old Yale University Police Department cruiser for a while. While driving that cruiser to a call a couple years ago, Miller turned a corner and the laptop computer console swung hard into his hand, taking a layer of skin off. You get a sense of a city by what its police cars look like, Miller said. They say that theyre moving quickly to fix the issues. Well see. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The U.S. Coast Guard begins hearings on Tuesday to investigate whether misconduct or negligence were factors in the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro during a hurricane last fall, an accident that left the vessels 33 crew members dead. The 790-foot (241-meter) El Faro went down off the Bahamas on Oct. 1 while on a cargo run between Florida and Puerto Rico. It was the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S.-flagged vessel in more than three decades. The Coast Guards Marine Board of Investigation will first trace the history of the ship by examining its inspection reports, crew qualifications and past operations. Officials from Tote Maritime Puerto Rico, the ships owner, and former El Faro crew members are expected to testify during the initial 10-day hearing in Jacksonville, Florida. A second hearing session, which has not been scheduled, will focus on the ships final voyage, including cargo loading, weather conditions and navigation, the Coast Guard said. The investigation board will look for factors that led to the disaster; evidence of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or willful violation of the law by licensed or certified individuals; and whether the Coast Guard or other government employees contributed to the accident, according to the agency. The National Transportation Safety Board, which will participate in the hearings, said last week that it would try again in April to recover the ships voyage data recorder from the wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Relatives of crew members killed when El Faro sank have sued Tote, saying the ship was not seaworthy and should have avoided the hurricane. Tote has blamed the accident on a loss of power due to unknown causes and has invoked a 19th-century maritime law that would limit its financial liability. (Reporting by Barbara Liston in Orlando, Fla.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Lisa Von Ahn) Halle Berry Calls Lack of Oscar Diversity 'Heartbreaking'. Halle Berry, the first and only African American actress to win an Oscar for Best Actress, has finally went on the record about her feelings concerning the Academy Awards and the lack of any person of color being among the nominees. The scandal has ballooned to one of the worst in Academy history. Boycotts have been threatened. Spike Lee, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith have publicly stated they won't be attending. Diversity has been promised for the future . So how does the woman who won a history making Best Actress Award award for Monster's Ball in 2001 feel about the whole issue? Well, she just calls it 'heartbreaking'. According to ABCNews, Halle Berry had these comments about winning, "Honestly, that win almost 15 years ago was iconic. It was important to me, but I had the knowing in the moment that it was bigger than me. I believed that in that moment, that when I said 'The door tonight has been opened',I believed that with every bone in my body that this was going to incite change because this door,this barrier, had been broken. To sit here almost 15 years later, and knowing that another women of color has not walked through that door is heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking, because I thought that moment was bigger than me. It's heartbreaking to start to think maybe it wasn't bigger than me. Maybe it wasn't. And I so desperately felt like it was". Further commenting about Hollywood and the general state of film and filmmaking as a craft Halle Berry had these observations to make according to Deadline "It's about truth telling. And as filmmakers and as actors, we have a responsibility to tell the truth. And the films, I think, that are coming out of Hollywood aren't truthful. These days they're not really depicting the importance and the involvement and the paticipation of people of color in our American culture". In her famous acceptance speech at the Oscars Halle Berry cited past and present actresses to try to put the whole win in perspective. She wanted to make clear that she was a part of the film community as were all actors of any color. That is what this whole thing has been about because color shouldn't make a difference. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsHalle Berry, Black Actresses, oscar diversity, Halle Berry Speaks, Lack of Oscar Diversity Heatbreaking "Composed Music": Speaker Craig Havighurst Proposes Name-change to Revitalise Classical Music Circa 1880: A page of annotaed score from Richard Wagner's opera 'Nibelungenlied' (The Ring of the Nibelungen) showing the scene of Siegfried's death. (Photo : Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Most of us C-lites have probably been exposed to the stereotype: classical music is boring, wearisome, aged, not hip. Although this stereotype is a skin-deep assessment, the bad rap long endured by the classical community is at last simmering down, in part owed to a generation of positive internet marketing. Nevertheless, some members of the community are arguing that a lasting revitalisation of classical music requires a more aggressive marketing strategy --- In this case, a name change. Could the term "composed music" perhaps win over more hearts and minds? Music journalist/speaker Craig Havighurst seems to think so. Although it's probably wise to disassociate oneself with those who'd completely dismiss an entire genre on such shallow grounds, the negative public image absorbed by classical music in the last few decades (as itemized by a pessimistic Slate article) has arguably reduced a would-be plethora of flocking fans down to cozy, but prideful trickle. In an impassioned new article by Craig Havighurst, the music journalist argues that the term "classical" is not only a victim of negative press, but also of hopeless unspecificity. Clearly not alone in his beliefs, Craig Havighurst looks to some esteemed members of the community who also eschewed the term. He quotes Leonard Bernstein, who defined "classical" as a word used to describe music that isnt jazz or popular songs or folk music, just because there isnt any other word that seems to describe it better. He also cited musicologist Alex Ross, who complained, I hate classical music: not the thing, but the name. The phrase is a masterpiece of negative publicity, a tour-de-force of anti-hype. From there, Havighurst proposed an entirely new term for the genre: the ever-vague "composed music". As but a humble suggestion, the term is unlikely to catch on anytime soon... nor will it overhaul record store labels or inspire a mass restrategizing of media libraries. Instead, Havighurst uses the term to represent a kind of ideology; he paints a rosy future where the "baggage of history, class and race" would be swept away, and that "the music would no longer come across as an oldies format but as a vibrant art form." As a thought experiment, this proposition raises some questions. On one hand, it's about time that even the most conservative of classical enthusiasts come to address the term's dated nature. After all, the word itself exemplifies "age" and antiquity. With each passing year, marked by an influx of evolving musical forms, it becomes increasingly arbitrary to file a Milton Babbitt piece in the same folder as the bulk ancient Greek literature. (This is something which many-a-classical enthusiast already goes out of their way to stress, often going so far as to develop names for styles and movements which may, in the end, be unique to the composer himself.) Still, some refining of the term is clearly in order. Ironically though, in an effort to quell the divide and conquer nature of the term "classical music", Craig Havighurst's new term may not offer a better outcome. After all, since "composed music" presents an obvious indictment against popular music as being, somehow, "non-composed", the gap between the perceived elitism of the classical community may not help matters. Tell us your thoughts on the term and offer up your own suggestions in the comment section! 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsClassical Music, Composer, Internet, Marketing, Craig Havighurst 19th Century Cello Survives Anglo-Zulu Wars, Fallen Soldier, Sold for 6,000 As historical instruments go, interest at auction ranges from the prestige of an instrument's previous owner to the mileage of the instrument itself. Recently, a weathered and war-weary cello that belonged to a fallen soldier was, at auction, sold for 6,000. The cello had survived traveling to the south of Africa during the 19th Century's bloody Anglo-Zulu Wars. Wales Online reported that a 19th Century cello, which was expected to sell for 6,000 even before the auction, had belonged to native Welshman Sergeant David Gamble (a member of the Brecon-based 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot, which later became the Royal Welsh Regiment). It had traveled to Africa in the first major battle of the Anglo-Zulu Wars, the Battle of Isandlwana, a battle which did not end well for the British as the imperial power's trifling 1,800 troops were overwhelmed by the Zulu Kingdom's 20,000 Impi soldiers. Although not much is known about Sgt. Gamble, it is certain that he joined the regiment at 14 years old and died at 33 at the Battle of Isandlwana after having his cello "strengthened" for the journey to the hot continent. More is known about the cello itself, which was built in Dublin around 1800 and has changed hands between various European collectors. Although a surviving photo of the regiment's band shows a double-bassist, it is not known for a fact that the man is David Gamble. Further accounts of Gamble's life during the Anglo-Zulu Wars were written up by historian Saul David in his book 'The Battle of Isandlwana: The Great Zulu Victory of 1879'. The soldier was last seen in battle by mounted soldier and interpreter James Brickhill who denied helping the soldier onto his horse during the retreat. Records indicate that Brickhill had regretted this decision after seeing British soldiers "disemboweled as they were overrun." The cello also bears a key piece of authenticity to link the instrument with the soldier, a plate attached to the rear of the body -- likely a boon to the hesitant auctioneers. It reads, This cello was formerly the property of Sgt. David Gamble who was with his regiment killed at the Battle of Isandlwana, Zululand, South Africa, 1879. Repaired August 1884. Wales Online later reported that the 19th Century cello was confirmed to sell at auction for 6,000, although the English buyer did not want his identity revealed. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsHistorical, Auction, Instruments, cello, Battle Classicalite Catches Up With Jazz Guitarist Hristo Vitchev (Photo : Photo Courtesy Hristo Vitchev) (Photo : Photo Courtesy Hristo Vitchev) Hristo Vitchev deserves to be heard. His website describes him as an impressionistic, modern jazz guitarist. However, one listen of his new CD In Search of Wonders, you are struck by the timelessness of Mr. Vitchev's music. The guitarist fronts a tightly structured quartet that features him on guitar, Jasnam Daya Singh on piano, Dan Robbins on bass and Mike Shannon on the drums. In real life, they are four different individuals but, as a band, they are one, as Mr. Vitchev will be the first to tell you. Classicalite sat down with our new friend from Bulgaria to talk to Hristo about his band, jazz and playing guitar. (Photo : Photo Courtesy Hristo Vitchev) Classicalite - Give Classicalite readers a little bit of your background. Where you were born? What interested you most about guitar? How you started out? Hristo Vitchev - I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since a very young age I always had a fascination with music, but only as a listener. I was really into all the rock bands of the 70s and 80s and pretty much spent all my free time listening to music. However, it was not until I was 12 that the first desires to play a musical instrument were born. I remember that my grandma decided to sign me up for guitar lessons at the local music school in the neighborhood and my life really changed at that point. I knew right away that I wanted to be a musician. My family relocated to Caracas, Venezuela (where we spent 10 years) and I continued my guitar studies there, getting more and more into progressive rock, as well as guitar inventive instrumental music. In 1996 my family moved to the USA and it was here where I first discovered jazz and really got intrigued by the multicolored tonal hues and textures of this great American art form. I decided to pursue music in university and decided to devote my life to jazz music. During my studies I got so interested in composition and arranging and started writing my own compositions and trying to put bands together and record them. That eventually evolved into my quartet and now a discography of around 12 albums. Classicalite - On your new CD, In Search of Wonders, most of the songs are over five minutes long, yet there is no excessive soloing by anyone, how do you manage to keep the group so tightly structured? Hristo Vitchev - The group has been together for 8 years or so and we truly connect at an emotional level. We are best friends in music and life and when we start playing (from the first to the last note) there is a telepathy between us that is so special and magical. Somehow that free and very spontaneous spirit of the group makes everything take care of itself in a very natural way. Classicalite - How would you describe your guitar style? Hristo Vitchev - I am very much influenced by the great modern jazz guitar players - Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, and John Scofield. However, throughout my musical studies I was mainly fascinated with the piano and the very complex harmonic palette that was possible on this instrument. A lot of my teachers were piano players and all the concepts we covered I tried to adapt to my guitar playing on my own. I will definitely have to say that the harmonic aspect of guitar playing is what intrigues and interests me the most.A lot of the media has dubbed me as an Impressionistic jazz guitar player over the years. Classicalite - Guitar never really overtly dominates your new CD, would you consider yourself a composer first and then a guitarist seconds? Talk about how you compose songs? How do they come to you? Hristo Vitchev - Yes, I do consider myself a composer first and foremost and that is exactly how I approach the writing and arranging process for the band. The primary goal is always to figure out what does the music require from us (the musicians) and try to realize it to my best ability. Just because I play guitar that does not mean that my albums have to feature the guitar as the primary instrument. Sometimes I write passages and melodies that do not require a guitar at all. Most of the time my compositions always start with the exploration of different harmonic textures, concepts, and movements. I try to express all the feelings and emotions with combinations of pitches and intervals. Almost like assigning them a flavor in a harmonic way. Then as I get to the right flavor and right sensation a lot of the other aspects of the music start to emerge naturally; melodies, rhythms, grooves, etc. I do all of my composition work on the piano. Classicalite - Talk about the kind of guitar you play and why you prefer it? Your tone on the CD sounds pretty clean. I'm guessing you don't use any effects or pedals? Hristo Vitchev - For all the acoustic jazz playing I use arch top hollow-body guitars. I am very honored to endorse a custom builder based in Northern California. The guitar company is called DMT Guitars and they made two very beautiful instruments for me. If people are interested they can visit my website and find more information about them as well as see photos, etc. I usually use only a few clean boost pedals to add a little more brilliance to the sound as well as a touch of analog delay to the signal in order to achieve a reverb like effect without sounding in the back of the mix. Classicalite - What is the first thing a person must know about a guitar before ever picking it up that will be an invaluable aid? Hristo Vitchev - It is one of the most expressive instruments out there and everyone can learn how to play it. In general I do not believe in talent. I only believe in hard work, passion, discipline, dedication, and love for what you do. Classicalite - Lastly, who are your guitar idols? Hristo Vitchev - Definitely, Pat Metheny, Julian Lage, to name a few...the list is really long. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsHristo Vitchev, Hristo Vitchev Quartet, Jazz Guitarist, Jazz Group, EXCLUSIVE, Classicalite Q&A AKRON, Ohio -- Jury selection begins Wednesday for the second time in the case of a man accused of killing a man and two children during a robbery involving marijuana. Eric Hendon, 31, faces the death penalty if convicted of shooting John Kohler, 42, and his two children, Ashley Carpenter, 18, and David Kohler Carpenter, 14 on Dec. 31, 2013. Summit County Common Pleas Judge Amy Corrigall Jones on Tuesday said she expected jury selection to last until March 17. Opening statements are expected to begin March 21. She said during the hearing that prosecutors expect their case to take from eight to 10 days. Corrigall Jones also allowed the defense team of Brian Pierce and Don Malarcik to hire an expert in pharmacology to testify about how key witness Rhonda Blankenship might have been affected by medication she was prescribed while recovering from injuries suffered in the robbery. The first round of jury selection was stopped in October after defense attorneys argued that prosecutors failed to disclose Blankenship's diary entries which identified the shooter as Eric Hendon's brother, Michael. Michael Hendon is serving life in prison without parole after being found guilty of complicity to aggravated murder. Prosecutors said they fulfilled their duties of giving defense attorneys discovery materials by providing them a police report that documented the diary entry. They also offered the defense team a chance to look at the box of evidence kept at the Barberton Police Department that contained a copy of the entry. Corrigall Jones stopped jury selection and ordered a hearing. The judge eventually ordered Blankenship to turn over her computers, cellphones and tablets for review by a forensic expert. The judge also demanded to review Blankenship's mental health records to see if they contained anything pertinent to the trial. The Hendons wanted to steal high-quality marijuana from Rob Kohler who sometimes sold it to Michael Hendon. The two bought drugs but returned five minutes later. Eric Hendon shot and killed John Kohler, prosecutors say. He shot Blankenship in the head and stabbed her in the face and shot and killed the two kids. Blankenship testified during Michael Hendon's trial that she pretended to be dead while waiting for them to leave. She crawled to her phone, pulled the knife out of her face and called 911. Broadview Heights St. Sava.JPG Bass Energy Inc. had wanted to drill a fourth gas and oil well on the property of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Broadview Heights. The company has backed away from that plan, due to strong resident opposition, and falling oil and gas prices. (Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.com) BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio - Despite a judge's March 2015 ruling that oil and gas firms can drill new wells in Broadview Heights, not one company has applied for a permit to drill here since that time, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources records. Strong opposition by Broadview Heights residents, and falling gas and oil prices, have kept drillers away, according to one oil and gas executive. Bill Hlavin, president and owner of Bass Energy Inc. - a Fairlawn firm that has drilled 14 oil and gas wells in Broadview Heights over the years, according to municipal records - has no plans to dig another well in the city. That's even though it was Bass, along with Ohio Valley Energy in Austintown, that sued Broadview Heights in 2014 over the city's voter-approved prohibition against new wells. In March 2015, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab sided with the oil companies, saying that state government, not municipalities, decides whether to allow gas wells, and how to regulate them. "In this business, you never say never," Hlavin said. "But when we were drilling there (in Broadview Heights), we had no idea we would face all the political turmoil we faced." Hlavin said Bass Energy deals with enough state-imposed regulations and doesn't need more static from cities like Broadview Heights. He said he will continue drilling in Ohio south of Canton, where communities embrace oil and gas wells. "I'm tired of battling radical environmentalists who are ignorant of what's going on and don't understand the process," Hlavin said. "It's not worth the trouble to go there with people who are not open-minded." Hlavin also pointed out that Bass Energy and Ohio Valley Energy are waiting out another court case in Broadview Heights. In 2014, Mothers Against Drilling In Our Neighborhoods - an activist group based in Broadview Heights - sued the state and Gov. John Kasich, saying that municipalities should be allowed to regulate oil and gas wells. Bass and Ohio Valley were also named as defendants in that case, which is now in the Eighth District Ohio Court of Appeals. Oral arguments were heard in January. In addition, in May 2013, Paul and Agina Kempen, a Countryside Lane couple, sued Bass Energy over the company's plan to drill near their street. That case is also ongoing, according to Cuyahoga County court records. For Hlavin, all the legal wrangling is too much fuss, especially when the price of oil has recently dropped so significantly. He said drilling firms won't see profits again for another two-three years. A woman answering the phone at Ohio Valley City said the firm had no comment regarding their plans in Broadview Heights. Tish O'Dell, director of Mothers Against Drilling, could not be reached regarding Hlavin's comments. However, earlier this week, O'Dell said she hopes to schedule a public meeting to update Broadview Heights residents on the court cases and new oil-and-gas-drilling research. Bill of Rights In 2007, Bass signed a land lease with St. Sava Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church, on West Wallings Road, to drill oil and gas wells on 100 church-owned acres. The company drilled three wells there. Then, in 2012, Mothers Against Drilling campaigned to ban future oil and gas wells, citing environmental concerns, by amending the Broadview Heights charter. In November 2012, voters approved a charter amendment that created a Community Bill of Rights, which prohibited future wells. The city, citing the Bill of Rights, ordered Bass not to drill a fourth well on the St. Sava land. But in June 2013, the ODNR sided against the city and issued a permit to Bass Energy. Nevertheless, Bass and Ohio Valley Energy - which had signed leases with property owners to drill on land next to St. Sava - sued the city. They said they were hindered from drilling by the community bill of rights, which they said violates the U.S. Constitution because it denies them use of their property. The companies wanted the court to declare that Broadview Heights had no authority to stop them from drilling and order the city to back down. In his March 2015 ruling, Astrab said state law gives the ODNR "sole and exclusive authority" to permit and regulate gas wells. He said state code prohibits local governments from standing in the way of gas operations. Astrab's ruling essentially killed the city's Bill of Rights. The city, after consulting with two downtown law firms, said it had no basis for an appeal. Mothers vs. Kasich In its December 2014 lawsuit against the state and Kasich, Mothers Against Drilling said the U.S. and Ohio constitutions guarantee the rights of citizens to govern themselves locally and protect their communities - in this case, from the detrimental effects of oil and gas wells. In July 2015, a Cuyahoga County court dismissed the suit, citing a February 2015 Ohio Supreme Court ruling that said home rule does not overrule state law regulating oil and gas drilling. That case involved Munroe Falls. In a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld an appellate court's ruling that struck down regulations the community was trying to enforce against a driller, Beck Energy. BROOKLYN, Ohio - Ikea's decision to drop land deals in suburban Cleveland prompted harsh words Wednesday from the economic-development director in Brooklyn, where the furniture giant was considering a store. But Andi Udris isn't mad at Ikea. He's aiming his ire at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agency's district office in Buffalo, New York, has been evaluating Ikea's request for a permit to build off Tiedeman Road near Interstate 480 for at least eight months. And though the Army Corps hasn't made a formal decision on the project, which would eliminate roughly 15 acres of wetlands, the group's feedback hasn't left Ikea or local business leaders feeling much hope. "The question is how to make this a win-win," Udris said of balancing Ikea's needs, economic-development opportunities and environmental concerns. "The federal government is not interested in making this a win-win. They feel that they have to win, and everybody else has to lose. We lose 300-some jobs and miss out on an iconic retailer." On Friday, Ikea terminated land-acquisition agreements with the city and The Plain Dealer Publishing Co., which own parts of a potential 30-plus-acre site north of the newspaper's printing plant. The privately held retailer, which has a painstaking and very private method of picking locations, has been eyeing Northeast Ohio for years. The Swedish retailer has 41 U.S. stores and adds only a few new outposts in the United States, at most, each year. In Brooklyn, Ikea's real estate scouts found a central spot on undeveloped land, with freeway visibility and enough space for a 366,500-square-foot store and parking. But the deal - which was far from done - hit a major barrier: Proving to the Army Corps that the Tiedeman Road site was, indeed, the best option. In a Jan. 22 letter to Ikea, the Army Corps said the retailer's site-selection criteria were too narrow. The agency didn't buy Ikea's argument that there wasn't a viable alternative, another site where there would be less environmental damage. "It has not been demonstrated that there are circumstances that separate the needs of Ikea from those of other similar retail development end-users. ... It may be practicable to utilize sites that do not fully meet all of the applicant's ideal siting criteria," Peter Krakowiak, an Army Corps biologist in Buffalo, wrote in the letter. Water-quality groups raised concerns last year about Ikea's choice of site. In letters submitted to the Army Corps, they said the project would add to flooding problems in the Big Creek watershed and complicate efforts to remove that watershed from a list of trouble spots that, ultimately, cause problems for Lake Erie. On Wednesday, though, Bob Gardin of Big Creek Connects said that his group and others have worked with Ikea to find common ground. After meeting with Ikea representatives last year, Gardin decided to support the project if Ikea agreed to offset the wetlands losses in Brooklyn by creating or saving wetlands elsewhere in the watershed - instead of farther away. "It seems, however, that the [Army Corps], or perhaps just its Buffalo office, may be the major impediment to anything proceeding with Ikea at the Brooklyn site," Gardin wrote in an email, "as they seem to understand little about the issues related to urban sprawl and its devastating social, economic and environmental impacts, by insisting on exploring sites of significant distance from the urban core." In an email Wednesday, an Army Corps spokesman stressed that the agency's guidelines only allow wetlands or waterways to be filled if there's no other practical, less damaging alternative. The agency, which is locked into a separate fight with the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority over where to dump dirt dredged from the Cuyahoga River, asserts that Ikea has other choices. And as long as the Army Corps believes that, the agency won't even consider Ikea's mitigation proposals. "We have reached out to Ikea to determine their next step," wrote Andrew Kornacki, the Army Corps spokesman. "The Corps has not made a permit decision at this time and remains committed to working with Ikea through the application evaluation process." Local business leaders said they're not giving up. "This is more than a retail center," said Joe Roman, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the local chamber of commerce. "It's a distribution center, and it's a destination kind of retail center. It brings with it the ability to attract other investors who want to be around Ikea, itself. It's sort of like what McDonald's was 40 years ago. McDonald's went into a corner, and you saw three other people go into that corner." At the behest of public and private partners in the Ikea deal, the chamber recently conducted its own site analysis of the region and submitted the results to Ikea, to pass along to the Army Corps. Citing confidentiality agreements, executives at GCP wouldn't talk about that report. But Udris said the conclusion was the same. The Brooklyn property was the standout choice. Those findings seemed to carry little water with the Army Corps, he said. "For a community like Brooklyn, we have no other undeveloped land," added Udris, who recently stepped up to shepherd economic-development efforts in a city that will lose its largest employer, American Greetings Corp., to Westlake this year. "Now," Udris said, "we have this wetlands issue to contend with. ... I can't do anything with this land. Ever." A U.S. magistrate has ordered Apple to help the Obama administration hack into an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, California. The ruling by Sheri Pym on Tuesday requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the phone to cripple a security encryption feature that erases data after too many unsuccessful unlocking attempts. Federal prosecutors told the judge they can't access a county-owned work phone used by Syed Farook because they don't know his passcode. By default, Apple has encrypted its iPhones to allow them only to be accessed using a passcode. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a Dec. 2 shooting at a holiday luncheon for Farook's co-workers. The couple later died in a police gun battle. watch now China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and U.S. officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as U.S. President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region. Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions," Lo said on Wednesday. A U.S. defense official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox News. News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the region but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its territorial claims. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims on the area. At the end of the ASEAN summit in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, President Barack Obama reaffirmed the United States' "strong commitment to a regional order where international rules, norms, and the rights of all nations --large and small-- are upheld." He said that countries at the summit discussed the need to take "tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, construction and militarization of the disputed areas." "I reiterate that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said. The United States has said that it will continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft through the South China Sea. China has repeatedly called these patrols, which encroach on waters China claims ownership of, provocative and warned that they risked military action in response. Ernest Bower, senior adviser and Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told CNBC that the U.S. was not asking ASEAN to choose between it and China, but rather to "strengthen themselves and become a solid core for new regional security and economic architecture." "The genius of ASEAN is it doesn't have a sovereign identity and because of that, it doesn't have a sort of national interest like the U.S. or China does," Bower said. But in a sign of the sensitivity over the issue, on Tuesday China rapped Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for saying that Australia recognised the Philippines' right to seek international arbitration in its dispute with Beijing over islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines has challenged Beijing's rights to the islands in an arbitration court in the Hague. Bishop had said that Australia did not take a side in the competing claims but was awaiting the arbitration outcome. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei repeated China's claim that the case was a contravention of international law. "China certainly will not accept this. Australia out not to selectively avoid this reality," he said. The issue is further complicated by the fact that some ASEAN members, such as current chair of the group Laos and neighbor Cambodia, have close economic ties to China. Rising tensions Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from of the Center for a New American Security, said, meanwhile, that it was not the first time that China has sent such weapons to the Paracels, under Chinese control since 1974. "I do think surface to air missiles are a considerable development," she said. "If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment." A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at countering efforts by China, Vietnam and Taiwan to limit freedom of navigation. China condemned the U.S. action as provocative. China has said it would not seek militarization of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defenses. watch now watch now watch now In theory, airlines love cheap oil but in practice, most airlines are less than thrilled. Airlines are thought to benefit from low oil prices because the cheaper commodity makes jet fuel - a major expense for airlines - less costly. But airline chiefs at the Singapore Airshow have pointed to the plunge in oil prices which are down as much as 80 percent since mid-2014 as taking a bite out of their premium traffic. Akbar Al Baker, chief executive of Qatar Airways, said his airline wasn't enjoying an oil-related boost. "It is reducing the business travel. The companies are tightening their belts and there is generally an economic downturn," Al Bakar told CNBC on Tuesday. watch now Qatar is based in the Middle East, which is heavily reliant on oil exports. "You've always expected that a lower fuel price would stimulate economies, but it is actually doing the other way around," he said. "Lower fuel costs are not at the moment good news to me because there is a downturn in air travel due to the downturn in businesses due to the recession that is going to happen due to the lower oil prices." A number of big companies have cut jobs in the wake of oil's slump; in January, French oilfield services firm Schlumberger said it would cut 10,000 jobs, while BP announced 4,000 cuts. Many more jobs are expected to go in 2016, because oil companies have little room to further trim from capital expenditure and the supply chain. Qatar isn't alone in seeing an oil-related slump. The CEO of Indonesia-based Garuda Indonesia , Arif Wibowo, said that low oil prices were also hitting his top-line sales. watch now watch now watch now watch now Iran could support any effort to stabilize oil prices, including cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, the nation's oil minister said after a meeting Wednesday, according to Reuters. Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said while he supports a production "ceiling" to stabilize oil prices, it's the first of several steps that should be taken, according to Reuters reports quoting the ministry's official Shana news agency. OPEC ministers had traveled to Iran to talk about a possible production freeze between global oil producers. Oil prices bounced slightly on the Iranian oil minister's comments, with U.S. oil popping above $30 per barrel and Brent futures nearing $34. It was an unexpected move from Iran, which had already voiced resistance to joining the deal before the talks in Tehran began. Zanganeh did not explicitly say in his remarks quoted by Shana that Iran would keep its own output at its January level. If an agreement is reached, it could become the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal in 15 years, as oil producers seek to boost persistently low oil prices. Benchmark U.S. WTI light sweet crude was 4.51 percent higher at $30.38 a barrel, while European Brent crude rose 5.28 percent to $33.88 a barrel. On Tuesday, WTI settled 1.4 percent lower in the Asian session after gaining as much as 7.1 percent intraday; Brent settled 3.6 percent lower after jumping 6.5 percent intraday on hopes of a supply cut deal.The energy commodity has declined 70 percent since the summer of 2014. The price gyrated Tuesday on supply-cut hopes ahead of a meeting of top exporters in Doha, Qatar. Those hopes were dashed when Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to freeze output at January's levels instead. Qatar and Venezuela have already agreed to participate but the deal was also contingent on other producers joining in. Iran, which was not present on Tuesday's meeting, had planned to increase output by at least 500,000 barrels a day this year following the lifting of Western sanctions last month. On Wednesday, Iran's OPEC envoy told Shargh newspaper that it was "illogical" to ask Iran to freeze its oil production level, Reuters reported. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical ... when Iran was under sanctions, some countries raised their output and they caused the drop in oil prices ... how can they expect Iran to cooperate now and pay the price?" Mehdi Asali was quoted as saying. This stance was reiterated again just before the meeting Wednesday when an Iranian oil official said the country wanted to keep boosting output, according to Dow Jones, which cited the Shana news agency. Market watchers received news of the deal on Tuesday with skepticism because not only do Iran and Iraq need to agree to the freeze, but even if the deal went ahead, it would be unlikely to solve the problem of a supply glut. Russia pumped a post-Soviet record high of 10.88 million barrels a day in January, while Saudi Arabia's output was near its record high around 10.2 million barrels a day, said Sebastien Marlier, senior commodities editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit. Questions were also raised over whether Russia and indeed Saudi-dominated OPEC itself would be disciplined enough to respect the agreement. "The success of the deal will depend on Russia playing its full part," said Julian Jessop, Capital Economics' head of commodities research. "The track record here is not good Moscow reportedly reneged on a similar deal in 2001, although the stakes are arguably higher now," Russia also failed to respect a similar agreement with OPEC producers in the 1990s, said Marlier. Meanwhile, OPEC was believed to already be pumping above its previous 30 million barrel-a-day ceiling as producing countries sought to pump up volume to offset losses from sliding prices. The oil cartel was pumping 33.1 million barrels a day recently, according to London-based Capital Economics. If the other producers do not agree, then little will change, but even if they do, any significant price recovery could increase the incentives for U.S. shale output to start growing again. Miswin Mahesh and Kevin Norrish Barclays analysts A U.S. court order to unlock an iPhone looks like pure Apple sauce. The ruling on Tuesday requires the technology giant to help the FBI hack into a mobile device owned by one of the shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California last December. Law-enforcement and national-security concerns are obviously important. Protecting privacy is critical, though, especially since China and other countries may now seek similar backdoor access to smartphones. The FBI wants the company to eliminate one of the iPhone's most compelling features: The ability to block access to anyone including Apple other than the owner. While the agency says it only aims to unlock the one device, Chief Executive Tim Cook stressed in an open letter opposing the order that it would set a frightening precedent. It's not hard to see the government demanding, for example, that the company and other smartphone manufacturers create software allowing officials to intercept messages. More from Breakingviews: Bernie Sanders may have found his Fed chief The FBI's legal position seems flimsy. It's based on the All Writs Act of 1789, a fuzzy law that permits courts to issue orders that boost their legal jurisdiction. Prosecutors have relied on it in a few cases to crack into mobile devices. There's little precedent, however, and at least one court has ruled that the act doesn't offer justification for unlocking a smartphone. More than five years after it set out to reduce waste, MillerCoors announced that its major breweries are now landfill-free. The company said Wednesday its brewery in Fort Worth, Texas, has achieved that status it's MillerCoors' eighth and final major brewery that now reuse or recycle nearly 100 percent of the waste they generate. That means no glass, paperboard, plastics or metal waste are sent to landfills. Any remaining nonreusable or recyclable brewery waste is sent to a waste-to-energy facility, which has now become a standard practice across MillerCoors. Miller Coors crushed cans Source: MillerCoors "As we continue our journey to brew a sustainable future, maintaining landfill-free operations at all our major breweries will make a significant impact," said Kim Marotta, director of sustainability at MillerCoors. The environmental initiative began in 2009, when the company set out to reduce brewery waste by 15 percent by 2015. A new crowdfunding page is asking fans for cash in an effort to cover Kanye West's alleged $53 million debt. The tongue-in-cheek GoFundMe page was created just days after the rapper launched a Twitter plea for $1 billion from Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying he didn't have enough resources to back his ideas. He then went on to confirm himself as the "greatest artist of all time" and claimed the investment would be more fruitful than if it was used to open a school in Africa. watch now The FBI is probing a bankrupt California wine seller that some customers claim was operating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. In a statement, the law enforcement agency said Wednesday that is seeking information from customers of Berkeley-based Premier Cru, which filed for bankruptcy last month. "The FBI is investigating claims of a Ponzi scheme involving the Berkeley wine company Premier Cru," FBI spokeswoman Michele Ernst told CNBC in a statement. "Due to the wide scope and high number of complaints from people who claim to have been impacted by Premier Cru's bankruptcy, the FBI has established an email address for individuals to notify us with complaints, concerns and tips. It is premiercru.complaints@ic.fbi.gov." The principal owner of Premier Cru, John Fox, couldn't be reached for comment, nor could his attorney. Fox also has filed for personal bankruptcy. The fall of Premier Cru is believed to be the biggest wine seller bankruptcy in recent history, and has shaken confidence among wine buyers. The company filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in January, after several customers filed lawsuits claiming it was operating a Ponzi scheme by taking their money, but never sending their wine. Premier Cru's bankruptcy statement listed $7 million in assets and $70 million in debts, much of it owed to more than 9,000 customers. Those customers include billionaires such as William Koch and Jeff Greene as well as several Chinese collectors, according to court documents. But Mark Bostick, trustee for the bankruptcy, said the largest creditor may turn out to be American Express . Several customers who purchased wine at Premier Cru used their AmEx card to do so, and the company has been issuing them refunds. WHEN: Today, Wednesday, February 17th WHERE: CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Following are excerpts from the unofficial transcript of a FIRST ON CNBC interview with T-Mobile CEO John Legere on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET) today, Wednesday, February 17th. Following are links to the videos on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000494666, http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000494667, http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000494674 and http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000494668. All references must be sourced to CNBC. LEGERE ON THE UN-CARRIER REVOLUTION The biggest donator last year was AT&T. AT&T contributed to the benefit of the rest of us. 1.5 million losses on theNow Sprint has been a kind of a long-term contributor of post-paid phones, lately they have had a small gain so all of them you know dumb, dumber and yellow contribute heavily to the un-carrier revolution. LEGERE ON TIM COOK He's in a really really difficult spot. I mean obviously what we've got is an unheralded situation where he is being requested to help authorities deal with the security of the device. We will see where it goes. I wouldn't know how to advise him but I understand both sides of the issue. I think its groundbreakingWe value security and privacy for our customers at the paramount basis. But the questions right now associated with national security and the horrific accident where 14 people were killed, I really don't know how to balance it. About CNBC: With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, CNBC World and CNBC HD , CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to approximately 371 million homes worldwide, including more than 100 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries. CNBC also has a vast portfolio of digital products which deliver real-time financial market news and information across a variety of platforms. These include CNBC.com, the online destination for global business; CNBC PRO, the premium, integrated desktop/mobile service that provides real-time global market data and live access to CNBC global programming; and a suite of CNBC Mobile products including the CNBC Real-Time iPhone and iPad Apps. Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBC Universal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/networks/cnbc/. Seventeen U.S. state governors have signed a green accord that sees them pledge to push clean energy sources in the United States. Signed on Tuesday, the Governors' Accord for a New Energy Future says that the deployment of "renewable, cleaner and more efficient energy solutions" will make the economy more productive and resilient. To achieve this states will look to expand clean energy sources, diversify energy generation, modernize infrastructure and encourage people to use clean transport, among other things. The bipartisan agreement is signed by the governors of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. watch now Honeywell has gone to the dogs, literally. The U.S. company is developing surveillance equipment to be worn by a dog, such as a Labrador or German shepherd, for use in dangerous or confined spaces, such as tunnels or collapsed buildings. The equipment maker, which is better known for installing equipment such pressurization systems into airplanes, has a prototype on display at the Singapore Airshow this week, using a stuffed dog nicknamed Odin. At previous trade shows, such as the SOFEX in Tampa, Florida, Honeywell has demonstrated the equipment on a live dog, but due to Singapore's strict animal quarantine rules, the dog was left at home this time. watch now While still a prototype, the K9 C2SA, or "dog command and control situation awareness unit," will likely hit the market later this year. Honeywell said the equipment was already being tested in tunnels in Israel, and the Australian military had expressed interest. Honeywell declined to reveal the pricetag but said the feedback from the U.S. army was that it was "affordable." Training a dog to wear the K9 unit could become an added expense, though: Each dog requires six to eight weeks of training to recognize the buzzer commands for whether to go right or left. The animal will then have around four to six years of working life. In the poker game playing out among global oil producers, Iran is something of a wild card. In effort to reverse the recent crash in crude prices, big oil exporters like Russia and Saudi Arabia announced this week they're trying to forge an agreement to tighten global supplies and push prices back up again They face a number of major obstacles, including a slowing global economy that has cut into oil demand. The list includes the imminent return of Iran as a global oil exporter after the lifting of sanctions that had been imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear development program. watch now Telecom Italia's CEO has addressed criticisms about the company's newly released investment plan, including increasing expenditure (capex) while so heavily indebted. "We have decided to invest more because the signals coming from the market are very exciting, Marco Patuano told CNBC in an interview that aired on Wednesday. The investment will be, among other things, in the group's 4G mobile network. "The difference between a good 4G and not such good 4G is really crucial in order to move the competition away from prices. The competition will have to be on quality. And quality means basically better quality of the data network," Patuano told CNBC. "It's the right time. So we have to accelerate," Patuano added. Marc Hill | Bloomberg | Getty Images Telecom Italia's plans to step up its spending on building out faster fixed and mobile networks in its home market over the next three years, have been met with some concern. Outlining its investment plan to 2018, the company said on Tuesday it would spend 12 billion euros ($13.4 billion) over the three years in Italy, including 3.6 billion to lay fiber optic cables. "I think that in such volatile markets, when you go there and you say: I'm going to do more capex, you need a bit of time to go through the model and to digest if it is a good idea or not," Patuano said of the concerns. "One year ago, everyone would say: I will do more capex - it could have been good or bad but it was something that the market generally speaking was liking. Today the market is much more selective and I think they need a bit of time to really digest the numbers and the figures and so on." Patuano told CNBC that the company had asset disposals in their investment plan. "We have to complete the exit from Argentina which is decided, so we are not changing our mind," said Patuano. The group could find further assets to sell if it needed the cash, he said. Reuters reported Tuesday that the Italian telecoms company was targeting early voluntary redundancies for around 3,300 workers in Italy and aimed to cut an additional 250 staff as it seeks to cut costs. Between 2016-18, the company will also use solidarity contracts, under which employees work less but are also paid less. Those contracts will be used to avoid the equivalent of 2,600 layoffs, the agency said. The company released disappointing full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of 7 billion euros (7.81 billion USD), down 20.3 percent from the previous financial year. "If that is the case, we would expect a gradual increase in interest rates," he said, but stressed the Fed's mantra of being data dependent. "Since January, the data has been mixed. We're going to keep watching the data and decide in March or beyond when is the right time to move." Citing the Fed's latest projections, Kashkari said policymakers see "moderate economic growth and inflation returning to target over the medium term." The Fed's target for inflation is 2 percent. "We are in somewhat of a pickle. We all want to get inflation creeping back," he said, because price pressures in the U.S. and globally remain stubbornly low. "It's also economic conditions around the world [that] are causing interest rates to be low and necessitating low interest rates," Kashkari told CNBC's " Squawk Box ," ahead of the afternoon release of the minutes from the Fed's January meeting. In December, the Fed increased rates for the first time in more than nine years. At the time, policymakers projected four more rate hikes in 2016. Given the recent financial turbulence, market participants expect fewer if any moves in the near future. Kashkari also said Wednesday that banks would still need to be bailed out in another financial crisis even though post-2008 regulations have helped them to become healthier. "The banks are stronger. They have more capital, deeper sources of liquidity," Kashkari acknowledged. "Progress has been made, but if we have a stressed economic environment and multiple banks are in trouble at the same time, the government is going to have to step in and bail them out." "I don't think that's an answer people are going to find acceptable," he continued. "So now is the time to consider a more transformational solution." He said he's going to bring in experts to help him craft by the end of the year a plan to address the problem "once and for all." There should be one set of rules that every American bank needs to follow, Kashkari told CNBC's "Squawk Box," a day after the newest central bank policymaker called for radical action to rein in banks and protect taxpayers. He conceded, however, that a financial crisis outside the U.S. would be a wild card. "If other countries want to take huge risks with their financial systems, we can't stop them," he said. "'Too big to fail' is not just a U.S. problem, it's a global problem." Capital is the best weapon against shocks to the financial system, he added. Addressing a hypothetical on China, Kashkari said: "None of us has perfect information into the Chinese government and their financial system. But from what I know of the Chinese system, they have enough capital to stand behind their banking system." But he argued there would still be an impact on the Chinese economy, which could spread to the U.S. "It leads to great market upheaval and one of the transmission mechanisms from China to the U.S. are obviously risk premiums, obviously volatility in the markets. Even If our trade linkages may be moderate, if risk premiums go up all around the world, that could have an effect on our economy too." Kashkari, who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for governor of California in 2014, served as the administrator of TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, at the Treasury Department during the 2008 financial crisis. After leaving Washington, he joined Pimco as a managing director and head of global equities. Before his time at Treasury, he was a vice president at Goldman Sachs. In his first speech as head of the Minneapolis Fed, Kashkari urged Congress to consider bold rules, including breaking up the largest banks or turning banks into "utilities" by creating huge cash cushions so they can't fail. Such rules would go further than the post-crisis Dodd-Frank regulations. A man under investigation by the FBI since at least the fall of 2014 was arrested in Miami this morning after being rescued by a Disney cruise ship near the coast of Cuba. Martin Gottesfeld, 31, of Somerville, Massachusetts was charged with conspiracy for allegedly coordinating a computer work attack on a Massachusetts hospital supposedly as a part of the hacking group "Anonymous". More from NBC News: Hacking of health care records skyrockets Teen accused of hacking CIA, DHS chiefs' info arrested University of Central Florida hack exposes 63,000 SSN Gottesfeld, the Government alleges, "posted a YouTube video calling, in the name of Anonymous, for action against the local hospital in response to its treatment of Patient A." "This is a selling opportunity ... think what the market is rewarding is they had a meeting and it was civil. They all said the right thing. This is a potential first step. If they agree on this, will they agree on a production cut? They need to," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital. Analysts caution that the situation is fluid and the outcome still very uncertain, particularly since Iran has not seemed to have definitively agreed to anything. That country has been the wild card for the oil industry, since it is bringing crude back to the already oversupplied market now that sanctions against its nuclear program have been lifted. Talks between major oil producers about freezing output shows how painful cheap crude has become, but it is not likely to bring an end to the world oil glut anytime soon. Saudi Arabia and Russia surprised the market by striking a possible deal to freeze output in what would be the first coordinated move to contain global supply since OPEC first announced plans in November 2014 to let the market set prices. West Texas Intermediate crude surged more than 5 percent Wednesday, as traders took comments from Iran to mean it agreed with the deal. Read MoreOil surges 5.6 percent on expectations of deal The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is not a party to the preliminary agreement but some of its members are, including Qatar and Venezuela. The accord depends on other producers holding output steady. OPEC meets in June, and some analysts believe it may now be more open to cutting back on production. "I think June's in play," said Helima Croft, chief commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets. Croft said it will be more clear how much supply overhang there is by then, and there should also be more clarity in terms of the U.S. industry's output. "At that point, you will know the trajectory of the U.S." But Ed Morse, Citigroup's global head of commodities research, does not expect any accord on the part of OPEC and does not see much impact from the producers' agreement. Read MoreThe importance of oil and stocks correlation "It's an agreement in case the impossible happens. It's a totally free ride. It had its moment of pulling up the oil price. The probability is so incredibly low and the Saudis know that. That's why they're willing to meet with the Venezuelans ... and to meet with the Russians," he said. Morse said while some producing countries are desperate and companies are also desperate, Saudi Arabia is not. He does not expect an OPEC deal, but said if there was a resolution of geopolitical issues that might change the dynamic. "The plausibility of that (OPEC accord) is low, with one possible exception. That is that the Saudis indicated if the right kind of deal was made in the Middle East involving changes in the government in Syria and changes in the military positions of Russia and Iran, they would consider making a contribution to higher oil prices," Morse said. Under the possible agreement to cap production, producers would maintain January's output level. But that also poses a problem since Russia was pumping at a post-Soviet Union high of about 10.8 million barrels a day and Saudi Arabia was producing about 10.2 million barrels a day. Iran has said it could bring back 500,000 barrels a day to the market immediately and 500,000 barrels later on. But so far, Iran may have delivered an estimated 280,000 to 300,000 a day from floating storage, Croft said. Read MoreEarly signs of oil capitulation Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh met with ministers from Venezuela, Qatar and Iraq on Wednesday but he did not confirm the country would freeze production. Zanganeh said the production cap should be a first step toward stabilizing the market. Meanwhile, Mehdi Asali, Iran's envoy to OPEC, was quoted earlier as saying it would be illogical for Iran to freeze oil production. Morse said the Iranians did not make much of a commitment at all. "I thought that was diplomatic speak. Denied by somebody while made positive by somebody else. I don't make anything of this other than noise," he said. Iran also has internal political considerations, and analysts said it would be unlikely to see it agree to any detailed announcement of production caps that may not play well at home. "Zanganeh is of course constrained by the fact that Iran is having an election on the 26th of February, and to say something very controversial would be very unlikely," said Bhushan Bahree, senior director at IHS Energy. "I think what it shows is that below $30, all of these oil exporters are very uncomfortable with price levels and they were trying to change at least the market perception that things could carry on, continuing to go down," said Bahree. Croft said even if it doesn't mean an accord is coming the discussions are important. "For the Russians and the Saudis, the two big heavyweights to come out, and say they're going to freeze production that's a real big change in message," she said. watch now Oversupply and weak demand continue to grip volatile oil markets but several analysts have found a pocket of relative safety which could potentially offer returns of 35 percent over the next twelve months. Rather than fretting about whether the oil price has yet to find a bottom, several investment banks have started turning bullish on certain oil majors. These producers have suffered with a 70 percent plunge in the price of the commodity since mid-June 2014. But, many majors have been busy slashing costs and it appears France's Total has come out on top. "We think Total is less at risk than most of the rest of the sector," Jason Gammel, an equities analyst at Jefferies, told CNBC Wednesday. "(Patrick) Pouyanne (CEO of Total) has done a very good job in managing the company. Right now what we're focused on is strong balance sheets that can make it another 18 months without having to make extremely difficult decisions like cutting the dividend." Shares of the French major are down 6 percent this year amid the wider sell-off in equities. But last year it lost just 3 percent when its peers, like London-listed BP , fell nearly 14 percent. Its price-to-earnings ratio - an important metric used by analysts to gauge a company's valuation - is at 14.07, suggesting it offers more value than rivals such as Shell , BP and Eni . Gammel recently upgraded Total with a "buy" rating from "hold" and said his most preferred stocks also included Chevron, BG and Shell. On Monday, analysts at brokerage Bernstein Research, led by Oswald Clint, called Total a "stock for all seasons" and upgraded it to "outperform" from "market-perform." "Current valuations represent a compelling entry point to invest once again in this major," the analysts said in a note. They added that the stock was 5 percent below their own valuation metrics, after being 30 percent above that same barometer at this stage last year. Maureen Sullivan | Getty Images "With our price target rising to 51 euros, we see 35 percent upside over the next 12 months pre-dividend yield," the firm added. The major has found growth opportunities in its exploration and production sector, according to Bernstein, who said that it has limited exposure to U.S. production which is facing a wave of bankruptcies due to the low price. The brokerage also added it had good exposure to the natural gas sector and was profitable with its refining operations. Total has 16 "buy" ratings from the group of analysts that follow it, seven "strong buy" ratings and just one "sell" rating. The Swiss private bank Sarasin confirmed it was the "fittest of its peers" in a note last week following its earnings report. President Barack Obama stands with Vice President Joe Biden (R) and family members of shooting victims while speaking about gun violence in the East Room of the White House in Washington January 5, 2016. Carlo Barria | Reuters President Obama on Tuesday offered an extended critique of the Republicans running to replace him, describing them as "troubling" to people around the world and singling out Donald J. Trump as someone who would not be a serious president. Speaking at a news conference in California at the end of a two-day summit meeting with leaders from Southeast Asian nations, Mr. Obama criticized the positions taken by the Republican candidates on climate change, Muslims in America and immigration. "There is not a single candidate in the Republican primary that thinks we should do anything about climate change, that thinks it's serious," Mr. Obama said. "Well that's a problem. The rest of the world looks at that and says, 'Well, how can that be?'" The president said Mr. Trump was not the only Republican who raised concerns, but he singled out the real estate mogul as someone who would be singularly unprepared for the responsibilities of the Oval Office. watch now "Being president is a serious job," Mr. Obama said. "It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing. It's hard. And a lot of people count on us getting it right. And it's not a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get you in the news on a given day." He said Mr. Trump "says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying as well." "He may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment," Mr. Obama said, "but if you look at what the other candidates have said, that's pretty troubling, too." Without mentioning Senator Marco Rubio of Florida by name, Mr. Obama noted that one of the candidates had once supported a bipartisan bill to overhaul immigration, but was now "running away from it as fast as he can." More from The New York Times: Eyeing South Carolina Ted Cruz had success before Justices John Kasich hopes for Michigan success Later on Tuesday, in Beaufort, S.C., Mr. Trump said that he considered what Mr. Obama said about him to be a compliment. "That man has done such a bad job," Mr. Trump said, "and has set us back so far." When Mr. Obama was asked to weigh in on the Democratic presidential primary campaign between Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, he demurred, saying that Democratic voters should be given the chance to choose between them. "Bernie and Hillary agree on a lot of stuff and pretty much disagree across the board with everything the Republicans say," he said. "I know Hillary better than Bernie because she served in my administration, and she was an outstanding secretary of state." He said there were probably places where Mrs. Clinton agreed with him more than Mr. Sanders, and places where Mr. Sanders might be closer to him than Mrs. Clinton, though he hastened to add that he had not studied their positions closely. "Ultimately, I will probably have an opinion on it," he conceded. Has His Royal Highness weighed in on the Brexit debate? That's the big question in Britain Wednesday morning, after Prince William made a speech Tuesday at the Foreign Office that many are interpreting as support for Prime Minister David Cameron's campaign for Britain to stay in the EU. "In an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential. It is the bedrock of our security and prosperity," said the Duke of Cambridge. Max Mumby | Indigo | Getty Images The second-in-line to the throne made the comments in a speech honoring a group of young diplomats. Kensington Palace told CNBC, "The speech was not about Europe." However, Euro-sceptics were quick to criticize the Royal's comments, with the leader of right-wing party UKIP Nigel Farage tweeting, "Clear that Prince William has been used by our Foreign Office and the pro-EU establishment." The Royal also said, "For centuries, Britain has been an outward looking nation. Hemmed in by sea, we have always sought to explore what is beyond the horizon... And wherever we go, we have a long and proud tradition of seeking out allies and partners." Prince William's speech coincides with Cameron's meetings this week in Brussels ahead of the start of an EU summit on Thursday. He is believed to be meeting with senior European members of parliament, including European parliament president Martin Schulz, to drum up support for an EU referendum as early as June. watch now Extortion, one of the oldest tricks in the criminal bag, is wreaking havoc in the brave new digital world and generating lots of money for cyber crooks. Ransomware, as this latest wrinkle in malicious software, or malware, is known, stealthily infects a desktop or laptop computer, sometimes locking up the machine, but more often encrypting data and files, rendering them unusable. Then an ominous message from the attacker pops up, demanding a ransom be paid in order to unlock the computer or decrypt the data. The latest notable casualty is a Hollywood-area hospital that had its internal hospital computer system shut down by hackers who demanded $3.7 million in ransom this week. Participants at a hacking conference. Getty Images Conceivably, every business and consumer using the Internet is a potential target for ransomware perpetrators, although small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) have become particularly easy marks. "SMBs are incredibly vulnerable to these types of attacks," warned Ed Cabrera, vice president of cybersecurity strategy at Trend Micro, an IT security company in Irving, Texas, adding that large companies' IT departments usually invest in robust cybersecurity programs. "I'd say the threat level is critical. Small businesses lack the resources, the security and the multi-layer defense programs to help protect themselves. And it's only escalating." Early versions of ransomware have lurked for more than a decade, but the latest ones are increasingly sophisticated, as are the cyber crime gangs that assiduously update their malignant programs and find novel ways to elude cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. "Never before in the history of humankind have people across the world been subjected to extortion on a massive scale as they are today," stated The Evolution of Ransomware, a 2015 report from Mountain View, California-based cybersecurity firm Symantec . While ransomware is a global menace, the Symantec report said, the U.S. is the primary bull's eye. "This is a business, and it's all about making money," said Dmitriy Ayrapetov, director of product management at Dell SonicWALL, the Round Rock, Texas-based computer company's network cybersecurity division. Just how much these nefarious businesses are making is tough to peg. Ransom demands have reportedly been for as much as $50,000, yet the average paid is $300, and nearly 3 percent of the victims agree to pony up, according to Ayrapetov. With the cyber criminals hitting millions of users, the FBI reports. Originally, cash cards and wire transfers were the currency of choice, but because cash can be traced, bitcoin is now the favored tender, exchanged over Tor and other anonymous online networks. "It's the perfect payment method," said Kevin Haley, director at Symantec Security Response. Many victims are unfamiliar with digital currencies including bitcoin, but like any diligent web enterprise, "these guys will walk the uninitiated through the process," Haley said. "This gives you an idea of the operations and how successful they are. They have people in technical support, for God's sake." How they propagate their pernicious payloads reveals the technological state of this dark art. One pathway is through Internet browsers running versions of Java, Flash, Shockwave and other ubiquitous software and plug-ins that haven't been updated with the latest security patches. Ransomware creators are constantly embedding advertising, pornography, shopping and other highly trafficked online networks with their handiwork, which is programmed to ferret out those browser vulnerabilities and infect computers when the end-users click on activating links. The other common entry point is through spam emails that contain an attachment including ransomware. The email is disguised to look like it's from a package delivery service, such as a bank, the IRS, an employment agency or even the FBI, and prompts the recipient to download the attachment, thus unleashing the ransomware. The urgent ransom notes that appear are basically intended to freak out the victim to pay up or else. For example, a screen purportedly from the FBI, including its official logo, alerts the victim that suspicious downloads of porn, copyrighted music or other illicit material have been detected. Another ruse is that a user account needs to be updated by clicking on a link, or that tax returns aren't complete. The attacker threatens that unless the ransom is paid, typically within a couple of days, the encrypted files will be forever lost and legal action may follow. Payment instructions follow. Then comes the decision of whether to pay the extortionist or not. Never before in the history of humankind have people across the world been subjected to extortion on a massive scale as they are today. The Evolution of Ransomware Symantec report "If you're a small business, all of a sudden all your data is encrypted and you can't recover customer information, contracts, legal documents and other vital material," Ayrapetov said. "Is it worth being able to continue running your business for just $200?" Considering that the National Cyber Security Alliance has estimated that 60 percent of small businesses hit by cyber attacks end up going out of business, it's a difficult call. Those who do pay, however, most often can recover their data. "They stick to their word," Ayrapetov said of the hackers, "because they want the business to be a sustainable model." Indeed, the ransomware business is expanding beyond computers to target smart phones, tablets and potentially anything connected to the burgeoning Internet of Things. "Imagine your watch, your router, almost any device that has an operating system your smart television, cable box, car, doors, thermostat," Haley said, also imagining the ransom threat. "You can heat up your house, but it will cost you a bitcoin." watch now watch now The business operations of a drug dealer or a terrorist have little in common with a Maryland dairy farmer. But in a bizarre business tale, the IRS in February 2012 seized nearly $63,000 from a pair of dairy farmers after a series of cash deposits came under scrutiny due to federal laws. Those rules were intended to target criminals including money launderers, who deposit large amounts of cash in increments of less than $10,000 to evade authorities. In a prior settlement with the government, Randy and Karen Sowers, who own South Mountain Creamery in Middletown, Maryland, got back a portion of the seized money, around $33,500. Now in a new letter filed this week to the Justice Department, a nonprofit organization that has has been working with the farmers is helping in the fight to get back the rest of the couple's money $29,500 despite the prior settlement. "We know the right thing to do would be to give this money back," says Robert Everett Johnson, an attorney at the Institute for Justice public interest law firm. Randy Sowers, a dairy farmer in Maryland, is trying to get back the full $63,000 that he says was wrongly seized by the IRS four years ago. Source: Kate Rogers Randy Sowers said his bank teller initially suggested that his wife keep deposits under $10,000 to avoid time-consuming paperwork at the bank. "We thought it was very legitimate," he said. Karen Sowers initially wanted to deposit $12,000 earned from a weekend farmer's market. "If I wanted to hide it, I would have put it in a can. We have trouble paying our bills and don't need the government coming and taking money from us." Despite settling previously with the government, the Sowerses and Johnson say they are owed all of the assets, and initially had to settle for fear of losing the full amount seized and potentially more assets. The IRS and Justice Department work closely together on these seizure-related cases. "Federal law prohibits the IRS from discussing specific taxpayers," IRS spokesman Dean Patterson told CNBC by email. A Justice Department spokesman also declined comment on specific cases. watch now The Sowers case has attracted attention among small business owners, who argue time consuming paperwork and regulations sometimes can be nonsensical. There have since been some policy changes. The IRS in October 2014 said it would restrict asset forfeitures to cases in which the property owner is suspected of criminal activity. And a policy directive from the Department of Justice issued last March says the asset forfeiture program will focus on the "most serious illegal banking transactions." While the policy shifts are meant to apply toward future cases and doesn't necessarily apply to those impacted in the past, the development hasn't stopped the Institute for Justice or business owners from fighting for their cash. Congress has even gotten into the fray. The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight took up the Sowers case, and asked the Treasury Department to review similar cases. The related cases include Khalid "Ken" Quran, who owns a convenience store in Greenville, North Carolina. He had more than $150,000 seized in June 2014 after he unknowingly agreed to forfeit his bank account when IRS agents visited his store, accusing him of skirting reporting laws. Quran denies the charges. The IRS said, 'You need to sign a paper' Ken Quran, a convenience store owner in North Carolina, has had more than $100,000 seized by the IRS. Source: Ryan Dumville watch now watch now watch now In a statement to customers on Tuesday, Apple 's chief executive, Tim Cook, vehemently opposed the FBI's efforts to unlock the iPhone 5C belonging to San Bernardino, California, shooter, Syed Rizwan Farook. Calling the move "chilling," Cook explained why he believes the All Writs Act of 1789 the statute the Department of Justice is citing to obtain information in this case sets a "dangerous precedent." "If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone's device to capture their data," Cook said in a statement. "The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone's microphone or camera without your knowledge." Cook outlined his reasoning for challenging the FBI's demands, but the government's methodology for invoking the All Writs Act is not as clear cut, especially since the statute is considered by some to be relatively obscure. Drawing its roots from the Judiciary Act of 1789, but updated in the 1900s, the All Writs Act grants federal courts the authority to issue the writs (court orders) that are "necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law." Essentially, the catchall statute allows courts to require third parties' assistance to execute a prior order of the court, according the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit specializing in defending civil liberties in the digital world. Though Cook may have called the use of the act "unprecedented," this is not the first time the government has tried to employ the statute to compel Apple to unlock a seized mobile device. In October 2015, Magistrate Judge James Orenstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, expressed strong doubts that he had legal authority to order Apple to unlock an iPhone in government possession. "[Apple] is a private-sector company that is free to choose to promote its customers' interests in privacy over the competing interest of law enforcement," wrote Orenstein in his memorandum and court order. Anthony Sabino, an attorney and law professor at St. John's University, said he agrees with Orenstein's assessment. "The law is somewhat esoteric. It is just not something that comes into play a lot. It is usually used in situations where there is some sort of conflict between the federal court authority and the state court authority," said Sabino. "As far as characterizing the All Writs Law, it is much more of a jurisdictional statute as opposed to one that truly touches on search and seizure." The main problem with using the All Writs Act against Apple, Sabino said, is the issue of the government wanting the tech giant to create a master key to access the data from one of the San Bernardino perpetrators' phones. Once the FBI has this key, there is concern that it can access anyone's smartphone, he added. "I trust the FBI, and I believe in the FBI, but I don't know if I want a government agency to search anyone's information without a search warrant," said Sabino. "That's a tremendous amount of power to hand over. Once you let the genie out of the bottle, you can't get him back in." watch now watch now watch now watch now For most consumers, the court order for Apple to help the FBI access iPhone data isn't something to lose sleep over. There are bigger worries for your mobile phone's security, such as criminals. On Tuesday, a U.S. magistrate ordered Apple to help the FBI unlock a phone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, California. Apple chief's executive, Tim Cook, responded in a letter to customers Wednesday, calling the request "chilling." "If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone's device to capture their data," he said in the letter. (IPhone data is encrypted when the device is locked. Apple has said it doesn't store passwords and cannot open a locked phone.) But some security experts say the court order isn't, as Cook has interpreted, a broad request for the government to monitor your iPhone. "They don't care what's on your phone," said J.J. Thompson, co-founder and chief executive of Rook Security, an IT security firm. This is a specific request with a particular phone in a case with exigent circumstances, he said. "The request is, please help me hack that individual iPhone and there are plenty of methods today of doing that," said Morey Haber, vice president of technology for BeyondTrust, another IT security firm. "I don't think the average user should be worried unless Apple does admit to creating a [broader] method for the government to come in." That could open the door for more widespread surveillance or hacks, he said, as showcased in the recently discovered Juniper Networks . Congress is the possibility the National Security Agency initially requested the software alteration. Right now, consumers should worry more about criminals' designs on their phones. Although mobile hacking still isn't widespread, it is on the rise: Last year, 8 percent of businesses cited mobile fraud as a prevalent threat, from 3 percent in 2014, according to IDology, an identity verification firm. "Our security mindset has not adapted," Al Pascual, director of fraud and security for Javelin, told CNBC.com earlier this year. Consumers who know to set strong passwords on their computers and avoid clicking on suspicious emailed links don't necessarily take the same precautions on their phones, he said despite making more mobile purchases and other sensitive financial transactions. Donald Trump is quick to tell voters why they should follow a strong leader, but what will he say now that the leader of the Tea Party movement, Ken Crow, is abandoning him for Jeb Bush? On Tuesday, Crow told the Washington Times he was jumping off the Trump train because he wasn't acting like a president. "Anyone who is unable to control his language in front of little old ladies and children is a problem for me," Crow told the Washington Times. "When is Trump going to act like a president? The answer is he's not." On Tuesday, a U.S. magistrate ordered Apple to hack into an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, California. In response, Apple chief executive Tim Cook called the order is "chilling" and said it is essentially asking the U.S. tech giant to "hack" its own users. In a letter to customers on Wednesday, Cook said that he opposes the court order, explaining that the move is "dangerous." What do you think? Is Apple right, or is the government? The debate over regulating cybersecurity hit a new peak as the Feds pressed Apple to provide access to a San Bernardino terrorist's locked iPhone. The investigation of the December mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, presented a critical juncture in a raging battle between industry and lawmakers after a federal magistrate ordered Apple to help the FBI break into the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook. The order sparked a sharp response from CEO Tim Cook, who has long argued that allowing government access to encrypted data in the form of a so-called "back door" would introduce vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers and be a breach of user privacy. But investigators have maintained that terrorists are hiding behind the safety of encryption to plan attacks, putting lives at risk. Cook's response echos the broader tech industry, the vast majority of which resists efforts by governments to get special access to encrypted data. Last year's terror attacks in Paris reignited the debate around privacy and security, with a number of U.S. officials, including CIA Director John Brennan and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., blaming encrypted technology and recent curbs on intelligence-gathering for empowering the terrorists. And while it is unclear what role, if any, encrypted communication played in those attacks, there were voices in and out of government demanding law enforcement be given access to electronic communication. "I view encryption like many view the 2nd Amendment," Mark Cuban said in a post on his Cyber Dust messaging app in December a service that deletes users' messages 24 seconds after they are read. "Encryption is a fundamental underpinning of the freedom of speech." In Europe, the U.K. is considering the Investigatory Powers Bill, also known as the Snoopers charter, which would force tech companies to help provide unencrypted communications to police or spy agencies, fueling fears that companies could be forced to terminate end-to-end encryption. In a November interview with The Telegraph newspaper, Cook spoke out against the measure. "To protect people who use any products, you have to encrypt. You can just look around and see all the data breaches that are going on. These things are becoming more frequent. They can not only result in privacy breaches but also security issues," said Cook. Cybersecurity and privacy experts CNBC spoke with universally agreed that the benefits of encryption far outweigh the potential threats raised by lawmakers. watch now "Today, every online communications platform offers encryption to their users. The motivation for doing so is the desire to protect people's privacy and safety. It protects people from cybercriminals from stealing information or in more extreme cases it protects people from more dangerous issues," said Fortinet director Deena Thomchick. "These types of platforms have been used to coordinate positive reforms in any number of countries and this same encryption protected the people involved in those activities. For this reason, a few years ago a number of major platforms in the social media and information-sharing space decided to default to always encrypting communications. Unfortunately, these same technologies developed to protect individuals are sometimes used by bad actors to hide criminal activity," she said. Ben Johnson, a former NSA employee and Bit9+CarbonBlack chief security strategist, agreed. "The problem is that when the bad guys can use the same technology, the same information, the same process as the good guys, how can you stop only the bad guys from using it?" The Electronic Frontier Foundation also weighed in. "These heinous attacks must not be used to justify further erosion of our security, civil liberties or privacy," wrote Executive Director Cindy Cohn. The privacy advocacy organization points out that there has been neither public confirmation that the terrorists used end-to-end encryption, nor that encryption of communications caused the intelligence agencies to fail to detect the plot. "What we do know is that strong encryption is crucial to allow political organizers, government officials and ordinary people around the world to protect their security, privacy and safety from criminals and terrorists alike. Any 'back door' into our communications will inevitably (and perhaps primarily) be used for illegal and repressive purposes rather than lawful ones," wrote Cohn. So-called back doors would enable government agencies to access encrypted communications using keys provided by tech companies. That opens up a whole new set of issues, said Gartner analyst Peter Firstbrook. The biggest problem is that the U.S. cannot get a backdoor in all encryption software. It is simply not practical. Peter Firstbrook Gartner analyst U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) says he believes President Barack Obama should nominate a successor to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia following his death Saturday in Texas. The Democrat on Monday answered questions on the topic during his appearance at Syracuse University to promote a series of proposals to combat student-loan debt. (Eric Reinhardt / BJNN) SYRACUSE, N.Y. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) says he believes President Barack Obama should nominate a successor to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia following his death Saturday in Texas. The Constitution doesnt say the president serves four years but can only act in his first three or her first three, Schumer said in answering a reporters question on the topic. The Senator on Monday answered questions on several topics during his appearance at Syracuse University to promote a series of proposals to combat student-loan debt. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (RKentucky), the Senate Republican majority leader, on Saturday said the next president should be the one to choose the nominee, noting that it would give the voters a say in the selection process. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (RTexas), who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, said he would filibuster any appointee Obama nominates to replace Scalia. Schumer disagrees with both of his fellow lawmakers. So, this idea of blocking somebody and keeping the vacancy on the Supreme Court for over 300 days itll tie our judicial system in a knot and its just not fair and not right, said Schumer. The Democrat said that he wants to see President Obama nominate a mainstream, bipartisan type who can get the support of both parties. Schumer contends his Senate colleagues ought to have a hearing and hold a vote on any prospective nominee. However, in the summer of 2007, Schumer gave a speech urging his Democratic colleagues in the U.S. Senate not to confirm any nominees to the Supreme Court that then-President George W. Bush might make before his term ended in January 2009. In the aftermath of Scalias death, Schumer has said in media appearances that he did not mean to imply that he was urging the Senate not to hold any hearings or votes on a prospective Bush nominee. Regarding Scalia, Schumer, in response to a question from BJNN, said he was a brilliant man with a probing mind, noting that he didnt agree with him on many of his views. He came from Queens and he had a joy of life. Hell be missed. Hell be missed, Schumer added. Obama on Tuesday pledged he would be nominating a successor to Scalia. Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com Terminal ready to take flight The new Columbia Regional Airport terminal is open for business. Flights will start next week. Crime Report Shelby County 911 - A Crime Report SHARE By Yolanda Jones of The Commercial Appeal Memphis police are searching for two suspects in connection with a robbery Wednesday morning at a tax preparation business where a duffle bag with $50,000 was allegedly stolen. The robbery occurred at 9:46 a.m. at Tax Pros Etc. at 3084 South Third. Police spokesman Louis Brownlee said the preliminary investigation showed that the suspects, two men, came into the business armed with a gun and stole cash. Brownlee did not know how much money was taken in the robbery, but dispatchers broadcasting the robbery to officers said the suspects stole a gray and black duffle bag with $50,000 in it. The suspects fled northbound on Third Street in a gray or blue Infiniti with tinted windows and temporary tags. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-2274. Big rigs are a constant presence on U.S. 78 (Lamar Avenue) and Shelby Drive. SHARE By Wayne Risher of The Commercial Appeal Vice President Joe Biden's visit to a Rossville rail yard highlights one of the Memphis logistics industries' biggest success stories of the past two decades: intermodal freight, a University of Memphis official said Tuesday. Dan Pallme, a senior associate director of the Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute, told the Traffic Club of Memphis that the Norfolk Southern intermodal gateway strengthened Memphis as a freight hub, even though it's outside the city. "When it comes to Memphis, I think we're the big winner," Pallme said. "Since 1998, every (intermodal) facility in the region has either been developed or new or expanded to give us a total 2 million lifts (a year). Even though it may not be in the Memphis region as far as new intermodal facilities ... we're going to get some of the traffic that comes in to the other terminals." Intermodal facilities transfer containerized freight between trucks and rail cars. Each container movement is called a lift. The Fayette County facility, the area's newest when it opened in 2012, is a Wednesday stop on Biden's tour of projects aided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It anchors the southwest end of Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor, a beefed up rail system being developed from Memphis to the congested Northeast. Pallme called the Rossville yard "a perfect example" of government and business joining forces to build infrastructure. The federal government put $52.5 million into the $105 million facility. Pallme told the club the outlook wasn't so good for another critical project, an overhaul of Lamar Avenue (U.S. 78) to ease the flow of passenger vehicles and trucks. Lamar serves a vast warehouse and distribution district that includes the Burlington Northern Santa Fe intermodal gateway at Lamar and Shelby Drive. Pallme predicted the first phase of Lamar, from Shelby Drive to the Mississippi state line, won't be completed for at least 10 years. "I really don't think it will be 10 years from now, but I could be wrong, before the first phase is done," he said. "It's such a huge amount of funding they need. It's going to be a long time," Pallme added. Project estimates are $270 million to $280 million, including more than $100 million in right-of-way purchases. Pallme said he doesn't see movement this year on higher fuel taxes, which have been debated in Nashville and Washington. "It's election year and it really hasn't garnered the support." But he said some states are considering creative alternatives to fuel tax increases. Rhode Island is working on a plan for truck tolls. "There's some interesting things going on behind the scenes that some states have done. I think it may not be called a fuel tax but they may have a transportation tax or a rebate of some kind," Pallme said. On another topic, Pallme cited mounting evidence of a trucking industry slowdown. "Big trucking companies are extremely cautious instead of optimistic for 2016, which is a pretty bad sign," Pallme said. Retail inventories are high, and there was no increase in shipments usually associated with the period before Lunar New Year factory stoppages in Asia, starting Feb. 8 this year. Big truck makers have laid off or furloughed workers, truck orders were down 48 percent in January, and manufacturing and exports are weak, Pallme said. Both imports from and exports to China were down double digits in January. SHARE By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal Fifty years ago, Memphis cardiologist Dr. Maury Bronstein was helping lead the charge to improve the chances that heart attack victims would survive. "Back in the old days, we didn't have monitors, we didn't have anything except you'd admit the patient to the hospital, give them some oxygen and a few medicines, and unfortunately walk in the next morning and find a lot of them dead," said Bronstein. Now 90 years old and retired for a decade, Bronstein recalls the first coronary care unit to open in the Mid-South, in February 1966 at the former Baptist Memorial Hospital medical center near Downtown. He was chief of staff at that time and had worked to make the Memphis hospital one of a handful in the country to start coronary care units. He'd picked up the idea two years earlier at an American Heart Association conference. He'd traveled to the Miami Heart Institute to use as a model, while colleagues went to study other sites, Bronstein said. "We had a 10-bed unit and the beautiful part of it was from the nursing station, all the patient rooms and the patients were able visible to the nurse," he said. "Right after we opened, we decided amazingly enough that the nurses were capable of doing the defibrillator," Bronstein said. Kathy Leake, who started her nursing career at Baptist in 1970, couldn't count how many times she had delivered life-saving shocks while working in the unit. "That was part of the draw for nurses, was to be on the cutting edge of what was going on in cardiology and being able to have more responsibilities," said Leake, now a Baptist quality department performance improvement specialist. "We felt very special." The defibrillator, those powered paddles used to shock a heart into normal rhythm, had been revolutionized earlier in the 1960s when Dr. Bernard Lown used direct current (DC) electric current instead of AC. Electronic monitoring of patients, the "crash cart" and, by 1968, cardiac catheterization that allowed diagnosis and procedures by inserting a thin tube through blood vessels had arrived. "We kept very close records, but unfortunately, nobody had time to compile all that stuff," Bronstein said. "The one statistic that we did compile was that a third of the patients at Baptist Hospital, and it was a national consensus, a third of the patients who lived to get to the hospital died in the hospital." Within the first 18 months, the mortality rate dropped measurably, he said, and nationally has continued to decline. From 2003 to 2013, according to the American Heart Association, the death rate from heart disease has fallen about 38 percent, but it continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. "You've got to remember, for many people the first evidence of a heart attack is when they drop dead," Bronstein said. Watch Bronstein answer the question of how coronary care has changed in the Business Q&A video. Our weekly Business Q&A answers your questions about business and customer service in Memphis. Have a question? Submit it to Kevin.McKenzie@commercialappeal.com. January 07, 2016 Cortez Miller, left, and James Harris, work to shine up a Ford truck while preparing for the 2016 Memphis International Auto Show at the Cook Convention Center. SHARE By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal One of the largest events at the Memphis Cook Convention Center each year has been the automobile show, a winter attraction staged by a business near Los Angeles that regularly draws in 300 new models and tens of thousands of visitors. Now Memphis' auto dealers plan to put on their own annual new-car show, beginning Oct. 27, a move meant to raise charity money and help school a new generation of powertrain technicians in an era when car techs are in short supply. While it isn't clear if the January event run by Motor Trend Auto Shows LLC will continue, the board of directors at the Greater Memphis Automobile Dealers Association agreed to launch a car show this year to help mark the organization's 100th anniversary. "We just feel like we as dealers have for 50 years abrogated our responsibility to handle this part of our industry,'' said dealer association president Kent Ritchey. "We've watched our peers around the nation do this and have seen the programs you can fund and develop around an auto show.'' Motor Trend Auto Shows general manager Steve Freeman expressed surprise at the decision by the Memphis dealers. "I don't know what they are planning to do. Our show is very successful,'' Freeman said, noting automakers in particular have shown strong support over the 10-plus years his El Segundo business has put on the Memphis event. Automakers provide money to rent the space for the auto show and ship in most of the new vehicles at their expense as part of their marketing efforts. Motor Trend promotes the event and charges an admission fee. Motor Trend would probably reach out to the Memphis dealers and offer to partner with them on the car show, Freeman said. Ritchey, president of Landers Automobile Group, did not rule out a partnership, although he said local dealers insist they want control of a car show and want it to occur in October. "I can tell you we're not going to be involved in a show in January or February,'' Ritchey said, and added an autumn event will " enhance business at a time of year when it needs enhancing." The local dealer group consists of 54 dealerships in DeSoto County, Shelby County and West Memphis owned by 19 different companies and individuals with annual sales exceeding $2.7 billion per year. America's auto dealers originally began car shows to stimulate sales, although Ritchey said the Memphis dealer group, one of the nation's oldest, wants to muscle up charity and education programs like counterparts have done in other cities. For the anniversary, the group will make a charitable donation each month. While visitors to the proposed October show might pay no or only a small admission fee, he said, sponsorships paid by banks and other industries close to the car business could raise the bulk of the money to cover the show's expense and fill the dealer group's checkbook. The dealer group in turn could continue the charitable giving and make scholarships available for students in automobile technician programs. Memphis dealers figure they are short by 100 car techs, Ritchey said, although the most senior technicians can earn $100,000 per year using special electronics to diagnose and repair cars. Presently, some dealers recruit graduates from technician schools in Charlotte, Dallas and Houston. Memphis offers no similar training. Ritchey said dealers often agree to absorb the $24,000 tuition and relocation expense to bring in techs at entry-level pay of $30,000 to $40,000 per year. To help fund the charitable and education programs, dealers need to scale up the auto show, said Sunrise Buick GMC at Wolfchase general manager Ryan McIlroy, a board member of the Greater Memphis Automobile Dealers Association. "It just kind of got buried in the news," McIlroy said. "We want to make it more of a premier event.'' Automakers, which supply most of the fresh vehicles for an auto show, are ready to support a dealer show in Memphis, McIlroy said. "GMC seemed pretty optimistic," he said, referring to officials at General Motors' truck brand. What would make the Memphis show distinct is the timing. Memphis dealers sensed the local car show was overshadowed in January by similar events in the nation, Ritchey said, and decided October would enable the automakers to bring in fresh and unfamiliar vehicles for drivers to see. October is early in the auto show cycle. Automakers reveal the most new products at the country's largest car show, the North American International Auto Show. It is staged by the Detroit-area dealers' group early each January. Memphis dealers could try to entice the car companies to divert some of those new products to Memphis for a fall showing, although the Detroit, Los Angeles and New York shows get the bulk of the vehicles being revealed to the public for the first time. Following the Detroit show, winter and early spring are the typical seasons for car shows across the South and the Midwest, although Charlotte, Miami, Nashville, San Antonio and Tampa each have car shows in November repeating the products shown elsewhere the prior winter. The only significant auto shows in October are Tokyo's massive event, and in Southern California the Orange County International Show staged in early October by Motor Trend. The company produces 21 auto shows in the nation. Its Memphis show requires 25 trailer loads of equipment and dozens of haul-away trucks used to ship vehicles First Tennessee Bank is headquartered in Downtown Memphis. SHARE By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal Nearly one year after Pinnacle Financial Group of Nashville gained a foothold in Memphis, First Tennessee Bank has accused its rival of conspiring to poach talent. Pinnacle officials recruited First Tennessee executive vice president Damon C. Bell and, before he left First Tennessee, he lured seven former co-workers from the banks private wealth group, says a complaint filed Wednesday by First Tennessee in Shelby County Chancery Court. The Memphis-based bank asked for a jury trial and recommended Bell return his salary, bonus payments, a constructive trust and make restitution for damages to First Tennessee, the complaint says. Wednesdays complaint widened the scope of an earlier filing by naming Pinnacle for the first time. The original complaint cited only Bell, who was recently questioned by First Tennessee lawyers in a proceeding called a deposition. Bell's responses led to the amended complaint filed Wednesday. "This is more about the fact that a competitor working in concert with our employee conspired to hire away our relationship managers from us," First Tennessee president David Popwell said in an interview. "One of the points that's key is he accepted a job with this company and came back to our offices and continued to work and extend job offers to our employees." A Pinnacle executive declined comment Wednesday, saying the bank does not comment on pending legal matters. Pinnacle, the largest bank based in Nashville, last April bought Magna Bank of Memphis for $83 million. The First Tennessee employees joined Pinnacle almost immediately. Bell conspired with Pinnacle to raid First Tennessees Private Wealth Group (along with certain members of other First Tennessee banking groups) so that Pinnacle could do harm to First Tennessee and establish a competing presence in the Memphis market, the complaint says. The complaint alleges Bell and Pinnacle executives discussed hiring members of the private wealth group while Bell was still a First Tennessee employee and in possession of sensitive customer information. First Tennessee, the complaint adds, has been forced to undertake expensive and time-consuming efforts to transition responsibility to its remaining team members in order to continue to serve its clients needs. Bell is the only former First Tennessee employee subject to the complaint. Others who left First Tennessee, the states largest homegrown bank, to work at Pinnacle are, according to the filing: Herman Strickland, Joy Bowen, Sam King, Robert Sutton, Carla Williams, Stacey Richards and Teresa Beans. Cameron Yates (from left), Phil Darius Wallace and Annie Freres in River City presented by Voices of the South. SHARE Incoming principal conductor Robert Moody leads the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in this weekend's First Tennessee Masterworks concert. By Jon W. Sparks Robert Moody will lead the Memphis Symphony Orchestra this weekend for its Masterworks concerts, and it's somewhat of a milestone: "This is my final time to come with the title 'guest conductor.'" It's not so much the end of an era as a prelude to a new one. The maestro assumes the duties of principal conductor starting next season as MSO music director Mei-Ann Chen finishes her tenure here this season. Moody has been a frequent guest at the podium of the MSO since 2006. He's looking forward to his permanent duties as maestro next fall, but for now, he's relishing the two concerts coming up this weekend, which include three standards Ravel's "Bolero," Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story," Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" as well as Bates' "Desert Transport." Mason Bates may not be the most familiar name, but he's a rising star in the classical world. He was recently named composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is said to be the second-most-performed living composer in the United States after John Adams. He also has a friendship with Moody that figures into "Desert Transport." "It's one of my commissions," Moody says. "Mason and I were offered a private helicopter ride across the state of Arizona, and the piece came out of that." The work starts with the orchestra making the sounds of a helicopter's blades beginning to turn. You eventually hear it rising up and musically visiting various places, from cities to desert expanses to Indian ruins. Woven into the piece is a recording of a Pima tribal song that Bates got permission to use, and it gives a mystical element to the composition. Moody premiered the piece in 2011 with the Arizona Music Festival Orchestra. As it happens, "Bolero" was part of the first concert performed by the MSO at the brand-new Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, in part for its popularity and in part to show off the hall's ability to handle very quiet sounds as well as thunderous blasts. "'Bolero' is the pinnacle of pulling out all the stops," Moody says, "and showcasing the orchestra moving from instrument to instrument with the same theme. Some say it was a bet Ravel took to see if he could do one theme for 16 minutes with the incessant, seductive rhythms of the percussion that never stops. It's such a good, sultry, sexy piece." Bernstein's Symphonic Dances comprise some of the most important music of the 20th century, Moody says. "He gives us a tone poem, what Richard Strauss did with the 'Rosenkavalier' suite. We hear great music and themes we know and are of our culture performed in such a virtuosic way." "'Romeo and Juliet' is a brilliant overture fantasy that was never fully fleshed out with an opera," Moody says. "So it's a tone poem as well, telling a story without words. In my score, I've penciled in from beginning to end where I think events from Shakespeare's story happen, whether the duels or love scenes or marriage or their deaths." Moody notes that the program, coming just after Valentine's Day, is intended to be romantic. "If anybody feels like they're in the doghouse after Valentine's Day, now is the time to invite them to the concert." Memphis Symphony Orchestra First Tennessee Masterworks 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter. Tickets for Cannon Center: $15-$85, students $5 ; for GPAC: $50, students $5 (GPAC). Info: memphissymphony.org and 901-537-2525. Getting under the skin Voices of the South is presenting the regional premiere of a terrific work by Louisville playwright Diana Grisanti. "River City" takes on themes of race, community and family with vigor and clarity. The story starts with Mary, a mixed-race newlywed expecting a child with her Latino boyfriend, Javier. Her father has just died, and she's going over the very few things he left behind, causing her to realize how little she knew of him. This begins a journey to find out more about him, and through some deftly staged time travel, we get a glimpse of his time being raised as an orphan at a Catholic school, his involvement in the Louisville community and the things that shaped his life. The cast does a superb job of giving the story nuance and force. Phil Darius Wallace is, as always, electrifying to watch. As Mary, Noby Edwards is spot-on as a woman trying to juggle an ambitious husband who wants to move, an impending family and her insatiable need to find out more about her family. Annie Freres is glorious as a shrewd nun and later as Mary's mother. Director Alice Berry's assured hand provides a powerful experience in the intimate TheatreSouth space. 'River City' Through Feb. 28 at TheatreSouth, 1000 S. Cooper. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $17-$23. Info: 901-726-0800 and voicesofthesouth.org. A life of disappointment With "Mothers and Sons," Theatre Memphis puts another thoughtful work on its Next Stage, where it often takes on serious, well-crafted plays. This one, by prolific playwright Terrence McNally, looks at grief, acceptance and how agonizing it is for those who cannot change. Katharine, sour on life, shows up at the posh Manhattan apartment of her late son's former lover, Cal. Katharine's son died years before of complications from AIDS. Cal grieved and eventually met Will, whom he married. They now live a comfortable life with their young son, but Katharine has arrived without any particular purpose except to vent about gays, disappointments at all levels, loss and frustration. It's a character study of a woman who still thinks homosexuality is a choice, who loved her son but hated his lifestyle, who blames everyone for him not having the life he should have experienced this fabulous, achingly desirable Upper West Side existence. The story doesn't go much further and ends vaguely enough with perhaps a hope that all involved might at least see how the others feel. What's intriguing is the interplay among characters, with sharp exchanges and verbal wounding that erupt in between the occasional genteel moments. Veteran director Jerry Chipman has an excellent touch here for the nuances of tone and movement. The cast is splendid, with Karen Mason Riss casting Katharine's bitterness all about the apartment with keen asperity. Greg Alexander is a well-etched Cal, reflective, conflict-averse but determined not to let Katharine run over him or his family. Chase Brother plays his husband, who has less tolerance for their visitor, and Holden Guibao plays the son. The Memphis Film Prize SHARE By John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal "The Memphis Film Prize," a new short film competition and festival, promises a $10,000 top prize, according to organizers. The event is an offshoot of the Louisiana Film Prize, a Shreveport-based competition founded in 2012 that awards $50,000 each year to a film shot in the Shreveport area. With money provided by corporate sponsors (Chevrolet and Stella Artois have been involved in the past), the cash prize is one of the largest anywhere for a film competition. (In comparison, the Indie Memphis Film Festival offers $1,000 cash prizes and larger amounts in the form of "production grants" and "cash-equivalent" equipment rentals.) The winning Memphis Film Prize short will be entered into the Louisiana contest as a sort of "guest" of that festival, competing alongside that state's 20 finalists for the $50,000. Film contest details will be announced by at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at a meeting for filmmakers and interested people at Local in Overton Square. The meeting will be hosted by Louisiana Film Prize founder Gregory Kallenberg and local organizer David Merrill of FuelFilm: Memphis, an organization devoted to promoting local film. Filmmakers from anywhere in the world can compete for the Memphis Film Prize, but they must shoot their 5-to-15-minute narrative film from Feb. 18 to June 14 in Shelby County. Ten finalists will be chosen to compete for the $10,000; the competing films will be screened during the "Memphis Film Prize Festival," which will be part of this year's On Location: Memphis Film & Music Fest, which is moving off the Labor Day weekend to the earlier dates of Aug. 12-14. Kallenberg said the purpose of the contest is not just to inspire filmmakers but to demonstrate the economic impact of film production. He said 127 production teams worked on short films in Shreveport last year, and 70 percent of those consisted of out-of-towners. Kallenberg said Memphis was a logical choice for a second film prize site, as he works to expand the network of participating cities. "Memphis has an amazing vibe and a rich history in independent filmmaking," he said. For more information, visit MemphisFilmPrize.com. Shelby County commissioners will be in Nashville this week for County Government Day. SHARE By Linda A. Moore of The Commercial Appeal County officials from across the state, including nine Shelby County commissioners and Mayor Mark Luttrell, will invade the halls of the Tennessee Legislature this week to push legislation they say is critical to the citizens of Shelby County. They'll be taking part in County Government Day on the Hill, sponsored by the County Officials Association of Tennessee and the Tennessee County Services Association. It's an opportunity for commissioners to meet with state elected officials from inside and outside the county and explain in a way no one else can the county's needs, said County Commissioner Heidi Shafer, legislative affairs committee chairwoman. "By having the personal time, each commissioner gets to talk to the folks who they share constituents with and really, really personally spell it out. Here are our issues. Help us get some relief," Shafer said. It will be the first time Commissioner David Reaves, the county's education committee chairman, has made the trip to Nashville since being elected to the commission. He said there are far too many education issues on the table to let others speak for Shelby County. Those include support of legislation that puts a moratorium on school takeovers by the state's Achievement School District and adding "claw back" language to any ASD legislation, that would give back to the school district a school taken over by the state that does not improve. There are also some proposed changes that would be harmful to the larger counties in the state, including the possibility of altering the formula for differential funding. According to the Tennessee Basic Education Program 2.0 Handbook for Computation, the county cost differential factor is used to adjust per-pupil funding in systems where the cost of living in the county is greater than the statewide average. Gov. Bill Haslam has discussed possible changes to the formula that would phase that cost differential out, Reaves said. "I think it's going hurt bigger school districts and probably give more weight to their lawsuit," he said. The trip will cost more than $4,300 for nine commissioners, which includes a $70 registration fee, $167.11 for one night in the Nashville Airport Marriott, a $44.25 per diem and $197.40 round trip for mileage. The county administration and the commission have lobbyists in Nashville, but much of what happens during County Government Day is outside of the lobbyists' responsibilities, making it time well spent, Luttrell said. "The lobbyist has day-to-day, boots-on-ground responsibilities monitoring our legislation," he said. "What we're doing is raising the flag and letting them know what our priorities and showing appreciation for carrying our legislation." February 17, 2016 - Jose Alarcon works inside what will be a crocodile habitat in the future site of the Zambezi River Hippo Camp exhibit at the Memphis Zoo. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) SHARE February 17, 2016 - Miraq the Okapi is seen in his temporary enclosure. He will join other African animals including hippopotami and crocodiles in the new Zambezi River Hippo Camp exhibit which opens late this spring at the Memphis Zoo. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) Related Coverage Memphis Zoo announces opening date for hippo exhibit By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal When the Memphis Zoo's "Zambezi River Hippo Camp" opens in late spring it will be home to a new animal: Miraq the okapi. Okapis are known as the "unicorns of Africa" because they resemble a cross between zebras and giraffes. Miraq is about a year-and-a-half old and came to Memphis from the Houston Zoo. Okapis stand about 5 feet tall as adults and have velvety brown fur with white stripe markings along their buttocks to camouflage them in the dense forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are from. They are a relative of giraffes and have similar protrusions on their heads called ossicones. Most have black tongues, but Miraq is unique because his is pink, zookeper Jamie McTyre said. Okapis are endangered, and the zoo hopes to someday begin a breeding program to help contribute to the population, McTyre said. "I think the biggest thing about zoos is you want people to come and see these animals because they are ambassadors for their species in the wild," she said. "People see them in person and care about them more and hopefully do more for conservation. It's all about teaching and spreading that message." The new hippo exhibit will mimic an African fishing village, complete with flamingos, hippos, crocodiles and other animals. As visitors walk through the camp, it will be similar to walking along a river, said Matt Thompson, director of the animal program at the zoo. "It's a whole new region of animals and a better way to look at them," said McTyre. On Wednesday afternoon, construction workers were busy potting plants and painting wood beams in the crocodile exhibit, which will eventually house four African crocodiles from South Africa. Thompson said the crocodiles arrived at the zoo about a week ago, and the largest weighs 900 pounds. Once completed, visitors can watch the crocodiles at feeding time as they jump out of the 80,000 gallons of water in their enclosure, Thompson said. They will share their home with African fish as well. The hippo exhibit will house Binti and Splish, two adult female hippos. They will be joined by a male sent from Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida. Their new home will be filled with 800,000 gallons of water and was designed with several land mounds so they can either partially or completely submerge themselves, Thompson said. Visitors will be able to see the hippos above and below the water. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam speaks at a press conference at the state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, about his plan to grant more autonomy to six public universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. Under his proposal, each school would get local boards with power to decide budgets, tuition and leadership matters. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) SHARE By Jennifer Pignolet of The Commercial Appeal Gov. Bill Haslam will propose legislation to make the first year of TNReady tests count toward a teacher's evaluation score only if the results help them, his office announced Wednesday. The proposal comes in the wake of calls from school districts and some legislators to not punish teachers for proficiency scores that are expected to drop due to a more rigorous test. The calls increased after the test, which was supposed to take place entirely online for the first time, suffered a software crash on its first day last week. All students will take the tests with paper and pencil starting next week. Haslam's proposal is just for this school year and allows teachers to choose whether to count the data. "The proposal keeps student learning and accountability as factors in an educator's evaluation while giving teachers the option to include this year's results if the results benefit them," the statement from Haslam's office said. The change was proposed "given recent, unexpected changes in the administration of the new assessment," according to the statement. The state pushed back the testing window for the first part of the test, which was supposed to start Feb. 8. It will now run from Monday to March 18. Districts will receive their paper tests on a rolling basis starting this week, the Department of Education said in an email. Schools have been asked to test all of one subject in one day across the district. The Tennessee Education Association, the statewide teacher union, had called for a three-year ban on using TNReady to assess teachers, calling it "unfair and inappropriate." After Haslam's announcement Wednesday, TEA president Barbara Gray said the organization applauds the decision but hopes it will extend to schools, which as it stands could end up eligible for state takeover based on TNReady tests. "It is encouraging to see the governor listen to the widespread calls from educators, parents and local school boards for a one-year moratorium for TNReady data in teacher evaluations," Gray said in a statement. "It is important that schools are given the same leniency as students and teachers during the transition to TNReady." She added that the organization will continue to fight the use of any student testing data to evaluate teachers. Last month, Shelby County Schools joined Metro Nashville and Knox County school districts in passing resolutions that called for a reprieve on using the tests to evaluate teachers. Haslam and Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said previously the state had already compromised on the use of TNReady data for teacher evaluations. Through the compromise, if the score hurt a teacher's evaluation, it would only count for 10 percent. If it helped that teacher significantly, TNReady would count for the full 35 percent it will count in the future. The state also noted that while proficiency scores are expected to drop, students' growth compared with their peers across the state will still be an accurate measurement and could be used to evaluate teachers fairly. Most teachers are evaluated on observations in their classroom, student achievement measures and growth scores. Ted Horrell, superintendent of the Lakeland School System, said representatives from several suburban school districts encouraged the state to take such action when the local officials were in Nashville this week. Horrell said Wednesday's announcement should relieve teachers stressed by the connection between the testing and their evaluations. "I'm really pleased because I know what it will mean to our teachers," Horrell said, adding that it was a goodwill effort on the part of the state to indicate officials know the challenges educators face. SHARE Greg Davis By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal Former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis' 2014 conviction for defrauding the city should be thrown out because of the perception he did not receive a fair trial, attorney Steve Farese told the Mississippi Court of Appeals during oral arguments Wednesday in Jackson. Farese said perception is reality in today's world, and Davis' case "presents a strong perception he did not receive a fair trial." A three-judge panel heard nearly an hour's worth of arguments from Farese and Barbara Byrd of Atty. Gen. Jim Hood's office, representing the state. Justices said after arguments they would make a decision soon. The appeal stems from Davis's 2014 DeSoto County conviction in an embezzlement case that dragged on for nearly two years. Davis was sentenced to 15 years but would serve only 2.5 years. He is free pending appeal. In the case, the state charged Davis defrauded Southaven when he bought a city-leased SUV without approval from aldermen in 2009. He purchased the $25,000 vehicle for $11,000 before the city had the option to buy it. The case was part of a tumultuous series of events in which Davis went through a highly publicized divorce, admitted he was gay and was ordered by the state auditor to repay more than $70,000 in city funds he was accused of misusing. The Appeals Court in December upheld a Hinds County chancellor's finding that Davis must repay the expenses improperly billed to Southaven. In the case heard Wednesday, Farese centered his arguments for reversing the verdict on two points: The trial court's failure to grant a change of venue and its failure to declare a mistrial because of discrepancies concerning the vehicle lease. Farese said Davis was "vilified" for months before his June 2014 Circuit Court trial in Hernando. In written documents filed with the court, Farese said "the jury pool was tainted by the press coverage and other publicity which was extensive and so prejudicial to the interests of Greg Davis as to make it reasonably likely that Davis's right to a fair trial would be lost." He said 62 of 88 potential jurors indicated they had heard of the case and, in many instances, has already formed an opinion. He said nine of the 12 jurors and alternates chosen said they knew about the case beforehand. Concerning the vehicle lease, Farese said there should have been a mistrial when a witness presented a lease agreement during the trial that contained information Farese and prosecutors had never seen. During their questioning of Byrd, justices seemed concerned about the lease as well. They grilled Byrd on whether there shouldn't be a mistrial since having a "true and correct" copy of the lease was a linchpin of the case, and attorneys didn't have it. Byrd argued that Davis knew terms of the lease and concealed information from the city by buying the SUV before the city had a chance to act. SHARE So Tennessee legislators want to designate an official state rifle. OK, while there are more important matters to deal with, we can sort of see a bit of logic to the move. Tennessee had its origins as a frontier state settled by the likes of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett (although Indians actually were the first settlers), who, according to Disney, "Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three." One would think the General Assembly would want a muzzle-loaded musket or long rifle as the state rifle. But not our lawmakers. It appears a Barrett Model M82/M107, a modern military .50-caliber sniper rifle, is about to receive the honor. Barrett is headquartered in Tennessee. The House approved a resolution to that effect last year under the sponsorship of Rep. Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough, a Marine veteran, who carried the weapon during a tour of duty in Iraq. The resolution is on the verge of passage in the Senate. Van Huss initially proposed that the Barrett be designated as Tennessee's official state firearm, but that idea ran into problems after concerns that it would be a slight to Beretta, which manufactures handguns in Tennessee. What's next, an official state oven from Electrolux or an official state vehicle from Volkswagen? SHARE By Marc Champion Syria's cease-fire deal was born in Munich, in the early hours of Friday morning and pronounced dead in the same town within a day, a development that exposed just how little influence the U.S. now has over the conflict. British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond probably had the smartest take on the deal, when he divided it into two parts during the annual Munich Security Conference, which began hours after the deal was signed. One part, to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged civilians, will probably happen to some extent and would surely be a worthwhile achievement. The other, a potential truce, is entirely dependent on what Russia wants, Hammond said. That's a stunning admission in itself: Since when did Russia, rather than the U.S., play the deciding role in any part of the Middle East? Since now. The terms of the truce show the impotence of the U.S. in Syria. In the short term, at least, there should be no mystery about what Russia wants, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, who heads Russia's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy: Aleppo. "The deal's dead, but it will live after two or three tries," Lukyanov said. He put this down to the nature of conflicts, drawing a parallel with Bosnia and in particular Ukraine, where it took a series of attempts at a truce, from September 2014 to February 2015, to make one more or less stick. There is, of course, a more cynical way to look at Ukraine's abortive cease-fires, which is that Russia used them to avoid harsher sanctions, while still achieving its minimal military goals. In Syria, those minimal goals involve President Bashar al-Assad recapturing Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war. "Of course, Russia will not stop supporting Assad until Aleppo is taken, or liberated however, you choose to describe it," Lukyanov told me, shortly after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had excoriated the deal as "immoral," for just that reason. "This is an absolutely crucial issue, both for Syria's future stability, and for Russia to demonstrate that the whole operation made sense. You need some kind of spectacular event of the scale of retaking Aleppo to do that." This is why the agreement Lavrov signed up to makes no mention of stopping airstrikes, and on Sunday the Russian bombing campaign continued unabated. It's also why the U.S. might have paid lip service to close military cooperation in the text of the deal, but will not follow through with it something Lavrov was quick to complain about, warning that without such close cooperation the deal can't work. The U.S., after all, will continue its own air campaign against Islamic State regardless of any cease-fire, from which it and the al- Qaida franchise al-Nusra are excluded. So why not create a joint operations room? As the Harvard professor and former U.S. undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns told me, the U.S. believes Russia is dropping indiscriminate gravity and cluster bombs on civilian- populated areas of Aleppo, on the pretext of battling terrorists. "You can absolutely understand why Secretary of State [John] Kerry is unwilling to align the U.S. with what Russia is doing in Syria," he said. And that's what close military cooperation in selecting targets, which the Russians would insist include Aleppo, would mean laundering Russia's "anti-terrorist" campaign, civilian casualties, refugees and all. If Russia won't enable any cease-fire until Aleppo is taken, that leaves the question of what happens after the city falls, or at least is surrounded. Lukyanov is well connected, but he said he didn't know. He is, however, worried. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's warnings this weekend about sliding into a new Cold War suggest that Putin may be, too. "At a certain point, a full Turkish intervention is inevitable," said Lukyanov, referring to the extreme concern Turkey would have about tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of refugees heading for Turkey, while Kurdish and Syrian government forces take control of the whole border, cutting off Turkish access and creating a Kurdish proto-state. Indeed, if recent talk from Turkey and Saudi Arabia about sending in ground troops hasn't spooked both superpowers, it should have. "That would mean a completely different conflict, with a much larger force fighting on the side of the opposition and the risk of a direct Russian-Turkish conflict," said Lukyanov. Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member protected by its collective defense clause, has already shot down a Russian plane, so nothing can be ruled out. The potential for escalation to a Russia-NATO conflict would be real. Putin, however, doesn't have to test Turkey's limits once Aleppo's future is more or less settled. He can back a cease- fire and turn his air power and Assad's ground troops on Islamic State in their headquarters, Raqqa. That would not only be a second spectacular event with which to declare victory, but would also split the West and the region over his intervention in Syria. In addition, it would leave Assad rather than any U.S. or Turkish-backed rebels in control of territory abandoned by Islamic State. Already there are indications Assad is preparing such an assault. Kerry's problem, and that of the U.S. and its allies, is that by now Putin holds virtually all the cards. Russia may not be the dominant player in the Middle East, but when it comes to Syria, it certainly is. Marc Champion writes editorials on international affairs for Bloomberg View. The Soul Beat 260 - The Open Knowledge Hub - Creating Opportunities for Greater Knowledge Sharing February 16 2016 From SOUL BEAT AFRICA - where communication and media are central to AFRICA's social and economic development In this issue of The Soul Beat: For the past two years, Soul Beat Africa has been working with the Institute for Development Studies and other partners from across the globe on an initiative called the Open Knowledge Hub (OKhub). This newsletter intends to inform you of this initiative and to explain how this free resource can benefit organisations and institutions working in the field of development and social change. What is the OKhub? The OKhub is an Open Data project, which has created a platform that allows organisations - in particular, those involved in generating and collating significant amounts of development-focused knowledge - to share their knowledge more widely. These organisations share their content onto the Hub in the form of metadata (titles, URLs, abstracts, keywords), which allows the knowledge to be further reused, adapted, reconfigured, and made available on the websites and online portals of other organisations. The result is that knowledge is more widely accessible (instead of just being available on one site for a particular audience, it can be made available on many sites and to a variety of audiences), leading to more informed policy making and practice in international development. In particular, a key objective of the project is to raise the profile of diverse perspectives on international development, so the Hub pays particular attention to content from organisations based in the global South. Soul Beat Africa and the OKhub Soul Beat Africa is one of the partners of this initiative, contributing content from our HIV/AIDS theme site. As a knowledge intermediary, we collate knowledge (research reports, materials, case studies) on media and communication for social change in Africa from our networks and from a wide range of sources, and make them available through the Soul Beat Africa website and theme sites. With the OKhub, all this knowledge can now be reused by other websites and portals and therefore has the potential to reach a much wider audience. In addition to Soul Beat Africa, the Hub currently contains knowledge from 13 other organisations. Technology developed by the initiative enables you to access ALL this knowledge in one place and to use a range of tools (discussed below) to present this content - which can be configured to suit your development focus, geographic focus, and user needs - on your own websites. Click here for more information about the Hub. [top] What are some of the reasons for using the Hub? Many development-focused organisations, institutions (research, academic, media), and government departments run websites to share their own as well as other information with their networks or with a community of practice. Keeping websites up to date with new information requires resources that many organisations don't have. The OKhub can help provide this additional content at no cost. In addition, some kinds of knowledge may fall outside your scope of work but could still be useful for your networks. Perhaps you are working with a focus on climate change in Africa but would like to make knowledge about climate change in other parts of the world available to your users. The Hub provides an easy way to supplement the knowledge already featured on your website. [top] What kind of knowledge can be accessed from the Hub? As mentioned, there are currently 13 partners/initiatives (mostly from the South or working closely with research institutions from the South) contributing knowledge to the Hub. The knowledge covers: * a wide range of development issues, such as gender, climate change, health, nutrition, governance, and economic development. * content sourced from organisations working across the globe covering geographic areas such as: Africa, the Caribbean, Asia (India, Philippines, Korea), Latin America, and the South Pacific. * different kinds of documents, such as research and policy documents, materials and guides, and academic research. Besides Soul Beat Africa, here are a few content contributors that include African knowledge related to a range of development issues: * Eldis - covers a wide range of development issues such as governance, health, gender, and economic development; * Bridge - has a global gender focus; * Observ-action - a French website based in Democratic Republic of Congo that focuses on gender; * OpenDocs - e-repository of development research from the Institute of Development Studies and research institutes in developing countries; * HEART - a consortium of leading organisations working in international development, health, nutrition and education; * International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) - focuses on evaluation research covering a range of development issues and regions. * ELLA: Evidence and Lessons from Latin America - shares development lessons between Latin America and Africa with an emphasis on economic development, governance, and environmental management. Click here for more information on all the other content partners/data sources. In addition, if you go to the Content Explorer and just do a search for, e.g., "gender" or "agriculture" or browse the various categories, you will get a good idea of what content is available on the Hub. When creating your widget or plugin, you can then of course refine it further, tailoring it to your specific needs and geographic focus. [top] Can organisations share their knowledge onto the Hub? Yes, you can. However, as content quality and metadata requirements are key to becoming content contributors, there are certain criteria that need to be met. In addition, the process of uploading your metadata onto the Hub is quite involved and requires resources on the side of the OKhub developers and the organisations submitting knowledge. These resources would need to be raised. We hope you will consider taking advantage of this free resource. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Anja Venth at aventh@comminit.com or Alan Stanley at info@okhub.org [top] STAY CONNECTED WITH SOUL BEAT AFRICA Follow us on Twitter @SoulBeatAfrica Visit us on Facebook Subscribe to our e-newsletters here Subscribe to our RSS feed Select Commodity All Ajwan Alasande Gram Almond(Badam) Alsandikai Amaranthus Ambada Seed Amla(Nelli Kai) Amphophalus Antawala Anthorium Apple Apricot(Jardalu/Khumani) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar Dal(Tur Dal) Ashgourd Astera Avare Dal Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Balekai Bamboo Banana Banana - Green Barley (Jau) Bay leaf (Tejpatta) Beans Beaten Rice Beetroot Bengal Gram Dal (Chana Dal) Bengal Gram(Gram)(Whole) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Betal Leaves Bhindi(Ladies Finger) Bitter gourd Black Gram (Urd Beans)(Whole) Black Gram Dal (Urd Dal) Black pepper BOP Bottle gourd Bran Brinjal Broken Rice Broomstick(Flower Broom) Bull Bunch Beans Cabbage Calf Capsicum Cardamoms Carnation Carrot Cashewnuts Castor Seed Cauliflower Chapparad Avare Chennangi Dal Cherry Chikoos(Sapota) Chili Red Chilly Capsicum Chow Chow Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum(Loose) Cinamon(Dalchini) Cloves Cluster beans Cock Cocoa Coconut Coconut Oil Coconut Seed Coffee Colacasia Copra Coriander(Leaves) Corriander seed Cotton Cotton Seed Cow Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea(Veg) Cucumbar(Kheera) Cummin Seed(Jeera) Custard Apple (Sharifa) Dalda Dhaincha Drumstick Dry Chillies Dry Fodder Dry Grapes Duck Duster Beans Egg Elephant Yam (Suran) Field Pea Firewood Fish Foxtail Millet(Navane) French Beans (Frasbean) Galgal(Lemon) Garlic Ghee Gingelly Oil Ginger(Dry) Ginger(Green) Gladiolus Cut Flower Goat Gram Raw(Chholia) Gramflour Grapes Green Avare (W) Green Chilli Green Fodder Green Gram (Moong)(Whole) Green Gram Dal (Moong Dal) Green Peas Ground Nut Oil Ground Nut Seed Groundnut Groundnut (Split) Groundnut pods (raw) Guar Guar Seed(Cluster Beans Seed) Guava Gur(Jaggery) He Buffalo Hen Hippe Seed Honge seed Hybrid Cumbu Indian Beans (Seam) Indian Colza(Sarson) Isabgul (Psyllium) Jack Fruit Jaffri Jamun(Narale Hannu) Jarbara Jasmine Jowar(Sorghum) Jute Kabuli Chana(Chickpeas-White) Kacholam Kakada Kankambra Karamani Karbuja(Musk Melon) Kartali (Kantola) Khoya Kinnow Knool Khol Kodo Millet(Varagu) Kulthi(Horse Gram) Lak(Teora) Leafy Vegetable Lemon Lentil (Masur)(Whole) Lilly Lime Linseed Lint Litchi Little gourd (Kundru) Long Melon(Kakri) Lotus Lotus Sticks Lukad Mahedi Mahua Mahua Seed(Hippe seed) Maida Atta Maize Mango Mango (Raw-Ripe) Marasebu Marget Marigold(Calcutta) Marigold(loose) Mashrooms Masur Dal Mataki Methi Seeds Methi(Leaves) Millets Mint(Pudina) Moath Dal Mousambi(Sweet Lime) Mustard Mustard Oil Myrobolan(Harad) Neem Seed Niger Seed (Ramtil) Nutmeg Onion Onion Green Orange Orchid Ox Paddy(Dhan)(Basmati) Paddy(Dhan)(Common) Papaya Papaya (Raw) Patti Calcutta Peach Pear(Marasebu) Peas cod Peas Wet Peas(Dry) Pegeon Pea (Arhar Fali) Pepper garbled Pepper ungarbled Persimon(Japani Fal) Pigs Pineapple Plum Pointed gourd (Parval) Pomegranate Potato Pumpkin Raddish Ragi (Finger Millet) Raibel Rajgir Ram Rat Tail Radish (Mogari) Raya Resinwood Rice Ridge gourd(Tori) Ridgeguard(Tori) Rose(Local) Rose(Loose) Rose(Loose)) Round gourd Rubber Sabu Dan Sabu Dana Safflower Sajje Same/Savi Season Leaves Seemebadnekai Seetafal Seetapal Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) She Buffalo She Goat Sheep Snake gourd Snakeguard Soanf Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soji Soyabean Spinach Sponge gourd Squash(Chappal Kadoo) Sugar Sugarcane Sunflower Sunhemp Suram Surat Beans (Papadi) Suva (Dill Seed) Suvarna Gadde Sweet Potato Sweet Pumpkin T.V. Cumbu T.V. Cumbu Tamarind Fruit Tamarind Seed Tapioca Taramira Tender Coconut Thinai (Italian Millet) Thogrikai Thondekai Tinda Tobacco Tomato Toria Tube Rose(Double) Tube Rose(Loose) Tube Rose(Single) Turmeric Turmeric (raw) Turnip Walnut Water Melon Wheat Wheat Atta White Peas White Pumpkin Wood Yam Yam (Ratalu) Select State Select Market Apple may have taken on the fight of its life in standing up to the FBI, which is demanding that it help break into an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators in December's San Bernardino mass shooting. Apple has promised to fight a U.S. magistrate judge's order Tuesday requiring it to assist the FBI, and legal experts say the case could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Apple needs to tread carefully, however. A bitter presidential election has further polarized the country around issues including how to respond to terrorists, and Apple needs to be careful the public doesn't turn against it. By refusing the court's order, Apple is choosing to "protect a dead ISIS terrorist's privacy over the security of the American people," Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. Despite the lofty rhetoric and whichever side you're on, it's a position Apple would certainly rather not be in. If the order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym still stands after Apple's appeal, the company can elevate the case through the courts. With the case involving privacy, national security and other major issues, the Supreme Court may be interested, some legal experts said. Some cases take years to reach the nation's highest court, but this one is likely to move faster because it's related to a high-profile terrorism investigation, with the FBI possibly hunting for associates of the shooters. "This is a particularly important case," said Gregory Nojeim, a senior counsel with the Center for Democracy and Technology. "While sometimes these things fester and drag on, sometimes they move quickly because they're important." Like Apple, the FBI could also appeal any judicial order that reverses Pym's decision. And the FBI is likely to fight on, given that the Dec. 2 shooting that killed 14 people is a high-profile terrorism case. FBI Director James Comey also has been raising alarms about smartphone encryption since late 2014. The FBI wants Apple's assistance to defeat an iPhone feature that erases the information on the phone after 10 unsuccessful password attempts. Pym gave Apple five days to appeal if the company finds it "unreasonably burdensome." It's clear Apple will appeal, after CEO Tim Cook said Pym's order amounts to a request for Apple to "hack our own users." "The U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create," Cook said in a statement. "They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone." If Pym's order still stands, Apple could take it next to a district court judge. If it loses there, it could move to an appeals court, where it would likely be heard by a three-judge panel. If the company loses again, it could appeal the case to the full appeals court or the Supreme Court. Apple will appeal immediately to a district judge if it loses a second time before Pym, Kevin Bankston, director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, said by email. "Their need to comply [with the order] would almost certainly be stayed pending that appeal, and likely stayed pending a circuit appeal if that happened." Although legal experts say it's unlikely, Pym could hold Apple in contempt of court if the company refuses to cooperate with her order. She could potentially impose "significant" fines, said Braden Perry, a regulatory and government investigations lawyer with the Kennyhertz Perry law firm in Kansas City. Fines could accrue while the company refuses to comply. Contempt of court penalties also can include prison time, but most legal experts dismissed that possibility. The judge's order has ratcheted up a long-simmering debate about encryption and law enforcement access to personal information on smartphones. On the other side of the debate to Cotton, digital rights group Fight for the Future is planning nationwide protests at Apple stores in opposition of the court order. The FBI's request is a "dangerous demand" that will endanger the privacy of all smartphone users, said Evan Greer, Fight for the Futures campaign director. A European start-up has announced a hydrogen fuel cell car with just 18 moving parts and a range of 300 miles that is now being tested on public roadways. The Rasa hydrogen fuel cell car from Riversimple Movement has a chassis made from carbon fiber composite skin weighing less than 90lbs. Riversimple The Rasa is a two-door hatchback with a carbon fiber chassis that weighs less than 90lbs. While a Rasa prototype, which has a top speed of 60mph, is currently being tested on European roads, a one-year public beta trial of 20 vehicles with prospective customers is being proposed for later this year. The company did not release any pricing information on the Rasa. The car is expected to be on the market beginning in 2018 through a "sale of service" ownership model, which is similar to a lease where a driver has a fixed monthly fee and mileage allowance. With a sale-of-service agreement, Riversimple covers all repairs, maintenance, insurance and fuel expenses of its new, two-door hatchback. "The Rasa engineering prototype marks another key milestone in bringing an affordable and highly-efficient hydrogen-powered car to market. We really have started from a clean sheet of paper," Hugo Spowers, founder of Riversimple Movement, said in a statement. "The car is simple, light and fun in every respect." Riversimple When the vehicle is in motion, hydrogen passes through a small 8.5 kilowatt (kW) fuel cell (the size currently used in forklift trucks), which has the equivalent to 11 horsepower. As the hydrogen passes through the fuel cell, it combines with oxygen to form water and electricity to drive the motors positioned in each of the four wheels. Water is the only exhaust. More than 50% of the kinetic energy produced under braking is recovered and turned into electricity to boost acceleration via a bank of super-capacitors. The result is a range of up to 300 miles on 85 ounces (1.5 kilograms) of hydrogen; that's an estimated fuel economy equivalent to 250mpg. Development of the Rasa was supported by a 2 million grant from the Welsh government in 2015. Riversimple Major automakers around the world have announced plans for working hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. One major issue facing the clean-energy vehicles is a lack of infrastructure to support them -- in other words, the lack stations at which to fuel the cars. Last year, Toyota, Nissan and Honda announced they will increase efforts to produce more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and plan to work together to build more fueling stations to support them. Despite slow market uptake, Hyundai Motor Co. said last year that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles represent the future of eco-friendly cars more than all-electric vehicles. Hyundai, the largest carmaker in South Korea, began selling its Tucson Fuel Cell SUV in 2014. 23 May 2022 - Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors. Cllr Peter Golds is Leader of the Conservative Group on Tower Hamlets Council The last week of January saw the disgraced former Mayor of Tower Hamlets involved in two further court cases, both of which he lost. However, both show the courage and expense required by concerned citizens in securing justice against public corruption. Those seeking to stop fraud can only look on while the police service continues in its now legendary torpor in the face of ever more damning evidence of fraud and corruption within this borough. In April 2015, after a six week landmark trial, Lutfur Rahman was disqualified from office on seven grounds of corrupt and illegal practices and discharged from public office for five years. The Court required that he pay an initial 250,000 of the petitioners costs with a likely bill of 500,000. He paid not a penny; instead he incurred additional fees by seeking a Judicial Review to rule as to whether the judgements on bribery, the illegal payment of canvassers, and corruption relating to spiritual influence were correct in law. By this process he sought to reduce the amount he would have to pay for the petitioners legal fees and also to reduce the period of his disqualification from office. He did not contest the remaining four grounds for disqualification, in the same way that much damning evidence against him and his so called party was not challenged during the trial. Shortly after the case concluded, and in a blaze of publicity, orchestrated by Ken Livingstone, George Galloway and many in the group we now know as Momentum, an appeal for funds was launched, and well known lawyers were said to be interested in taking up the charge. Little happened afterwards, at least from these groups. Rahmans legal problems However, Lutfur Rahman has a very poor record in court. Between 2011-and January 2016 no fewer than eight different Judges in a variety of different courts were extremely critical of him, as can be seen from the following examples. Starting in March 2011, Judge Timothy King, in jailing a convicted molester of woman an illegal mini cab driver described a glowing character reference submitted to the Court by Mayor Rahman as being in ignorance of the defendants background and personality. Later Rahman claimed that he did not even know the offender. In February 2014, Judge Anthony Pitts, jailed the boss of the notorious Channel S, a Rahman mouthpiece regularly censured by Ofcom, which itself had been a recipient of much council funded largesse. His crime was money laundering and the Judge released yet another glowing character reference. In this reference, Rahman had described his criminal friend in the following terms; he has a real desire to help others. As this man had previously been imprisoned in 2008, it could be inferred that this desire was more to help himself and his personal and political friends. In 2014 Rahman instructed the council to launch a failed Judicial Review attempting to prevent the Governments Best Value Inspection of the council. This cost thousands of pounds of taxpayers money and failed dismally. Mr Justice Kenneth Parker commenced his Judgement with the words This is hopeless. He then went on to take the application apart in the most critical and damning terms. Where concerns have been raised that a local authority is poorly governed, poorly managed financially and may even have engaged in fraud, it stands to reason that there must be concerns as to whether such an authority has exercised its functions as economically, efficiently and effectively as could properly have been expected. Later that year, Justice Goss threw out an appeal, by the Rahman instructed council in equally forthright terms, agreeing with the ruling by Mr Justice Parker. The 2015 Judgement by Commissioner Richard Mawrey QC into the corrupt Rahman administration in Tower Hamlets is widely known. I should say, supposedly widely known. The exception appears to be New Scotland Yard where amazingly, a senior officer investigating Tower Hamlets, claimed not to have read the judgement after it was delivered and therefore public. In August 2015, High Court judge Mr Justice Edis suggested that Mr Rahman might be attempting to conceal his true wealth from the petitioners who were attempting to claim their costs back and duly froze his assets, a decision that was later extended until January this year. The Rahman property portfolio In November 2015, Rahman declared himself bankrupt after publishing a list of names of people who had made him loans totalling some 700,000. These included his 23 year old niece (60,000), various Tower Hamlets First councillors and some local businesses and organisations prominent in his election campaigns. By this time interest revolved around three properties that he had purchased for the purpose of buy to let. Having obtained details from the land registry, I wrote to each of the three different companies which had advanced mortgages on the two properties. This evidence showed that on the third and fourth of March 2005, Rahman applied for separate mortgages from two different companies for two different properties. He stated on his mortgage applications that one was to be used for a residence and the other as buy to let. Both were rented out. Neither mortgage lender was notified of the other application. Initially he intended to use his own company as the solicitor for both purchases, but wisely crossed out the company name on the second mortgage engaging a completely different company. He also varied the spelling of his name. Tower Hamlets property prices have risen enormously over the past decade and these properties were no exception. One property, 3 Grace Street, E3, was to become the subject of the decision in January 2016. This was purchased in 2005 for 230,000 and a mortgage raised by Mortgage Express Ltd. At the same time he secured a mortgage for 30 Deal Street, E1. This second mortgage was provided by Amber Homeloans Ltd. Lutfur Rahman conveniently declared himself bankrupt in November 2015. The Chancery Division considered an application by Ayesha Farid (Mrs Rahman) that she was solely responsible for the property at 3 Grace Street, notwithstanding that her husband, Lutfur Rahman, had applied for the mortgage in his name and was the only name on the land registry. To this end she provided a series of threadbare witness statements and produced witnesses who claimed to have advanced her substantial sums for the deposit. The Judge says in paragraph 72 of his decision their evidence is hopelessly vague. He describes as unbelievable the evidence that unidentified persons, advanced her 13,000 without her (Mrs Rahman) knowing where the money came from. The Judge, Chief Master Marsh, was withering about both Lutfur Rahman and his wife in Court. He described Mrs Rahman in the following terms: I found her to be a thoroughly unsatisfactory and unreliable witness. He also said that: she adjusts her evidence under pressure. Of Lutfur Rahman he says in reference to the mortgages for both properties: It was never revealed to the mortgagor who believed the property solely belonged to Mr Rahman based on the false information he provided in the mortgage application form. In addition the Court established through redacted bank accounts, that these properties had realised 108,254.14 in rents over eight years. There are no records for the year 2009 and 2005-8, indicating the actual rental income is higher. The rent was paid into one of Lutfur Rahmans bank accounts. None of this has been declared to HMRC for taxation purposes by either Mr or Mrs Rahman. The Chancery Division of the Royal Courts of Justice has now established that perjury, tax evasion and fraud in completion of a mortgage application, has been committed by both Mr and Mrs Rahman. I have posted a full dossier to Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe on this case, containing the full judgement and correspondence relating to the dubious mortgage applications. The question is, will the Metropolitan Police Service investigate or, as is so wearily familiar, again avoid doing anything? The failed Judicial Review Earlier in the same week, on January 25th, came the decision on the application for a Judicial Review, whereby Lutfur Rahman sought to overturn three of Commissioner Mawreys judgements and thereby reduce the period of his disqualification from office and the amount he was required to pay in costs. The three items were, bribery, the payment of canvassers, and spiritual influence. Lord Justice Lloyd-Jones (a former chair of the Law Commission) sitting with Justice Supperstone rejected the bid to appeal against the findings of bribery and illegal payment of canvassers, finding that the challenge to Commissioner Mawreys judgement was unarguable. They did permit a review on the findings of spiritual influence, not that the judgement was incorrect in law, but that it had not been tested for many years. They did not reduce the period of disqualification from office or reduce the court costs. The full Judgement is awaited but I am indebted to Francis Hoare for noting from what was said in court with regard to grants: The bribery findings were ground breaking and need to be considered very carefully by every local authority. If any individual holds effective control over the budget of a local authority and distributes funding with the intention of procuring votes corruptly, they are guilty of bribery and would stand to be disqualified from public office for five years. No such findings have ever been made previously and the January 2016 judgement is a very important finding with potentially long lasting effects on public authorities. This clarification of grant funding by a Judge as senior as Lord Justice Lloyd-Jones should be considered in detail by all local councils and public bodies in their grant making process. Transparency in grants by public bodies In future public bodies must, at least, require publication as to details of applicants, the purpose of their organisation and its rules of governance. The Lutfur Rahman policy of setting up sham community groups with management bodies consisting of his personally selected candidates and supporters which duly received hundreds of thousands of pounds of money must now be over. Councillors must be able to check and question grants by their authorities to ensure that there are no other council leaders prepared to abuse the taxpayer in the way that Rahman did. When the full written judgement by Lord Justice-Lloyd Jones and Justice Supperstone is published, every Monitoring Officer should be sent a copy and councillors should ensure that what has been stated in court is incorporated in council codes of practice and conduct. Councillors in Tower Hamlets repeatedly sought to establish details of groups receiving funds. It should not have taken an election petition and a government imposed audit to establish that in some places money was being showered on people who had not even formally applied for grants! Having used the Executive Mayoral model to assume over 90 per cent of the power within the Council, Rahman was able to direct the obstruction of, and indeed personal vilification of elected members seeking information to which we were entitled, regarding the management of the council and the distribution of millions of pounds of taxpayer funded grants. In March 2014 a document written by an officer in the Rahman office, in which I was defamed stating that I had a criminal conviction, was accidentally sent to the BBC. Two years later I am still fighting to secure access to the email exchange between a now former council officer and the BBC regarding this document. The BBC have no concerns as to releasing the email. It is the council, even now, which is being obstructive. That I know of the contents, the date of the email exchange, when the document was sent to the BBC and indeed even the colour of the paper it was printed on, still results in continued obfuscation. The Lutfur Rahman influence appears to continue from a political grave. The Electoral Commission Finally, where has the Electoral Commission been in all of this? Not a word has been published relating to the election petition, let alone the most recent legal matters. The 2015 judgement was a landmark event and yet this organisation seeks to continue, in the words of Commissioner Mawrey: with a degree of optimism that Dr Pangloss would admire. For the best part of a decade the electoral commission have pretended that there was no problem in Tower Hamlets or worse, producing reports that were simply laughable; on one occasion praising the borough for its robust electoral services. The extraordinary and drawn out election count of 2014, which caused international embarrassment, was excused. Ever mounting evidence of electoral corruption resulted in so called Protocols, abused by Tower Hamlets First and treated as a fig leaf by the commission and the MPS, in order to ignore the reality of what was before them. This is despite them being the two organisations which should be the guardians of probity. There has been no desire by the commission to attend the councils overview and scrutiny committee or even a convened meeting of councillors to discuss the situation. The petitioners have been ignored and the thousands of pages of witness statements appear to be forgotten by them. Yet the petitioners and the many witnesses have been vindicated by Commissioner Mawrey and now two senior Judges in the recent failed Judicial Review. The taxpayer gives the electoral commission 40million per year. Why does the silence continue? He could go either way but, on balance, Goves Eurosceptic convictions are likely to trump his Cameroon loyalties. His friendship with the Prime Minister, which stretches back the best part of 20 years, will probably prove less telling than his belief, made plain during Party Conference in 2012, that Britain should quit if major reform was not forthcoming. Or, as he was reported to have said at the time, Give us back our sovereignty or we will leave. But how he decides to declare will be less important than what he then decides to do (assuming, that is, he plumps for Brexit after all). The Justice Secretary could resolve his conflict of loyalties by declaring for Leave and then maintaining radio silence. Such a course would perhaps square the circle of doing whats right, by his lights, and keeping faith with his friend, or at least not embarrassing him repeatedly during the campaign. However, it would also silence him on a matter about which he yearns to speak his mind on the presumption, as I say, that he wants Britain to leave without the big renegotiation that he knows isnt happening. If Brexit is worth breaking with ones leader over, it follows that it is also worth telling voters why during the referendum campaign itself and the run-up to the vote. What he does and how he does is not important because Gove would be a populist gain for Leave. This would not be the case, to put it mildly: on at least one measure, the Justice Secretary is unpopular with voters. But his brains, eloquence and agility would help to frame the debate. What he said on Newsnight or the Today Programme would have an impact on the BBC elsewhere, Fleet Street, and discussion more widely. Gove may be Camerons friend, but their political relationship has not always been plain sailing. The former didnt want to be prised out of his post at the Education Department and sent to the Whips Office. And the forthright expression of his views on Islamist extremism have helped to keep him out of contention for the Foreign and Home Offices, at least to date. Furthermore, he strained against the narrowness of Lynton Crosbys security-focused election campaign, wanting a wider pitch that stressed social justice and reform: less than eight weeks before polling day, he called on Conservatives to become warriors for the dispossessed. This will none the less be a very hard decision for him. This site hopes that it goes the right way. It's generally assumed that insurance rates will go up after you have an accident and file a claim, but by how much? More than you might think, according to a report by insuranceQuotes.com. The survey found the average driver will face a 44% rate hike after a single claim of over $2,000. The biggest increase would come if you happen to live in California. There, a driver making a first claim would face an average increase of 78%. Massachusetts and Wisconsin are nearly as expensive, with average rate hikes of 67% and 54% respectively. On the other hand, claims are less expensive for drivers in Maryland, Michigan, and Oklahoma, who see their rates rise between 22% and 25%. Second claim If you have an accident and make a claim, the only worse thing you can do is have another accident and make a second claim. The study says your insurance rate will be twice as high as a driver without a claim. Previous claims are a big factor in car insurance rates and can affect the amount you pay for years, Laura Adams, senior analyst at InsuranceQuotes, said in a release. If you get a rate hike for making a small claim, it could end up hurting your finances over the long run. In some cases, not making a claim can be a smarter move. That's a hard concept for many consumers to grasp. You pay for insurance every month, so why can't you use it when you need it? That's certainly a rational argument, but unfortunately that's not how the insurance system works. Insurance is all based on perceived risk the chances you will file a claim that costs the company money. Insurance companies believe that once you file a claim, chances are good you will file another at some point. Fair or not, under the concept of shared risk, you'll be penalized. Judgment call It becomes a judgment call when it makes economic sense to file an insurance claim and when it pays to pay for damage yourself. InsuranceQuotes.com has this handy calculator to help you figure it out. Why have insurance at all if you are penalized for using it? Good question. In a majority of cases it would pay to self-insure, putting the money you would pay for car insurance each month into a savings account. Unfortunately, your self-insurance policy would not be able to cover all potential accidents which could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and liability. That's why every state requires motorists to carry auto insurance, or pay into a state-maintained uninsured driver fund each month. The best thing a driver can do is put the phone away and drive carefully. Hands off JNU And Other Campuses By Asian Human Rights Commission 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org The trouble fomenting in Indian varsities ever since the new government came to power has now reached one of the most prestigious universities of the country, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The stir ostensibly started after a group of students organized an event commemorating the death anniversary of Afzal Guru and called his hanging a judicial murder. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student group affiliated with the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party took exception to that and accused them of indulging in sedition. The Union government lapped up the accusation and unleashed an unprecedented police action on the campus. The police arrested Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, the President of JNU Students Union who belongs to a political group at loggerheads with the organizers of the event under sedition charges just for his presence at the event. Unfortunately, a section of electronic media added fuel to fire and presented a rabble-rousing narrative of the events, aimed at inciting passions. They summarily called JNU a hotbed of seditious activities, against all the evidence present. They broadcasted videos whose authenticities they themselves called suspect videos with anti-India slogans, with no faces identifiable. They also refrained, inexplicably, from running the video of the speech made by Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar. The AHRC has access to both the video and an English translation of the same , and has found that far from being seditious, Mr. Kumar repeatedly asserts his belief in the idea of India, its Constitution, and the rule of law. The question, however, is not whether his speech was seditious or not. The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly held that mere membership of even a banned organization does not attract the charge of sedition, unless the person engages in violence, as it did when granting bail to Dr. Binayak Sen on 10 February 2011. Jurists like Mr. Fali S. Nariman and former Attorney General of India Mr. Soli Sorabjee have also concurred with this view and both have criticised the Union Government for arresting Kanhaiya Kumar under sedition charges. It is in this context that the arrest of Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar becomes a dangerous marker of the times to come. His arrest signifies the increasing assault on the freedom of speech by the incumbent government. It also exposes the increasingly dangerous involvement of Union Ministers in the day-to-day affairs of varsities, at the behest of the ABVP, for stifling the voices of those who disagree with their politics. The case has also seen the highly disturbing intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Mr. Singh has asserted that he has evidence against Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar. The Minister must explain under which law police can share evidence with him in an ongoing intervention into an alleged crime. He must also answer to whether he is not influencing the investigation by such claims and thereby threatening the security of an Indian citizen. The deplorable crackdown has come high on the heels of intervention of Union Minster of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya, and Union Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD), Ms. Smriti Irani, in the University of Hyderabad. Mr. Dattaterya had raised the similar bogey of anti national activities against an Ambedkarite group of Dalit students at the behest of the ABVP and sought action from HRD Minister Irani action against them. His intervention led to the suspension of Dalit students and was followed by the suicide of one of them: Rohith Vemula. Vemulas suicide has led to a great ferment against the government across India. The police action also continues with the highhandedness of the government in dealing with student protests, as seen in the Film and Television Institute of India and the brutal assault on students in Delhi opposing the scrapping of fellowships by the University Grants Commission. The crackdown on JNU exposes how there is a threat of India being turned into a police state under the current dispensation. A vicious attack on JNU students and faculty has succeeded the crackdown. This incident occurred inside Delhis Patiala House Court, by a group of lawyers shouting patriotic slogans under the watch of the police, which refused to intervene. The students and faculty had gone there to show solidarity with Mr. Kumar, who was to be produced in front of a magistrate after the end of his three days police remand. The lawyers did not spare even the media, which was there to cover the hearing, and went on to the extent of molesting female reporters, something that many of the reporters have stated themselves. The attackers also included a Bhartiya Janta Party Member of Legislative Assembly, Mr. O. P. Sharma, who was caught in the act on camera. Delhi Polices refusal to charge the identified lawyers and the MLA even a day after the attacks betrays the Union governments support for the attacks. The crackdown on JNU, most of all, exposes the apologetic state of the Judiciary in India. A primary role of the Judiciary is to curtail the arbitrary use of police power; and the Judiciary has simply failed in this regard. On what evidence did the magistrate send Mr. Kumar to police remand first for 3 days? And, then under what grounds did he then extend the same by two more? What kind of prosecution is that relies almost entirely on custodial interrogation without producing any other evidence? Until India wakes up from its slumber and addresses its judicial institutions, to redesign and rejuvenate them, such misuse of police and judicial institutions will be hard to stop. The rot is in the system that has been abused by all governments, the current one has only shown how much further such misuse can go. It is high time for all stakeholders in Indias future to get up and fix the system, while forcing the government to back off from its attempts to stifle voices of dissent and crack down on campuses. Dissent Is The Essence Of Democracy: AMU Students March In Solidarity With JNU By AMU Students & AISA (AMU Unit) 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org A protest march from Maulana Azad Library to Baab-e-Syed, AMU in solidarity with JNU students and against RSS and BJP patronize fabrication of false sedition charges upon them. We, the students of Aligarh Muslim University believe that a university is a place where various issues are to be discussed and debated in a free manner and everyone has a right to dissent in democratic system. But, under present NDA regime at centre, every other tone that is not affiliates or matched with RSS-BJP is being framed as anti national. This should be stop as this is not an essence of a healthy democracy and this creates an atmosphere of undeclared emergency in the country. We, the students of Aligarh Muslim University believe in the sovereignty and integrity of Union of India. But, at the very same time we believe that no law of the land would become a tool for political vendetta as we seen in the arrest case of JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and his innocent colleagues. We strongly condemns the sedition charges against the students of JNU for their alleged anti-national sloganeering and we believe that sedition is undemocratic and the Sedition law itself is a British legacy. We condemns the torture and beat up by RSS minded lawyers and their goons to the journalists, teachers, activists and students yesterday at Supreme Court premises and also condemns the anti people of act of Delhi police for not taking any action on those miscreants. At the same time we also condemn the anti-India sloganeering at JNU or at any site in India and demand fair probe by independent committee to find out and to punish the culprits behind this anti-national act. In todays protest march we submit a memo to President of India to order a fair probe into a matter and to ensure release of innocent students of JNU. AMU Students & AISA (AMU Unit) Good Labor Bad Likud: Dispelling The Myth Of Democracy Within Israels Political Establishment By Ramzy Baroud 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org The Israeli Right, as demonstrated by a scary coalition of rightwing nationalists, ultranationalists and religious zealots, deserves all the bad press it has garnered since its formation last May. But none of this should come as a shock, as the Right in Israel has never been anything but a coalition of demagogues that catered to the lowest common denominator in society. As unlikable as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, he is, in fact, a fair representation of the worst that Israel has to offer, which, over the years, has morphed to represent mainstream thinking. But Israel has not always been ruled by the right-wingers, and the likes of current Justice Minister, AyeletShaked, who has made a habit of calls for extermination and genocide of Palestinians, are relatively newcomers to Israels political tussle. In previous Knessets, the likes of her would have been assigned to a neglected seat in the back of the Knesset, along with other lunatics who often mouthed profanities and incessantly called for killing all Gentiles. Tellingly, she is now one of the main centerpieces in Netanyahus menacing coalition. Somehow, this may be of benefit to the wider world. At least now, many would get to see Israel as the country that it has always been, but which has cleverly hidden its real nature under a mask of liberal facade and ever-touted democratic ideals. Few, with good conscience, can claim that Netanyahu and his partners - Moshe Yaalon, Naftali Bennet and Shaked, among others are icons of democracy, any democracy, however lacking. In fact, a new draft in the Knesset, which is in the process of becoming a law, proposes to punish any Israeli organization that dares question Israels behavior and undemocratic practices. Those who are anticipating the supposed liberal democratic forces in Israel to rise against the destructive rightwing machine should also reconsider. Isaac Herzog, the chairman of the Labor Party and head of the Zionist Union coalition is not markedly different than Netanyahu, at least when it comes to issues of substance. At best, he is a true manifestation of Israels center-left, double-faced approach to politics. Oddly enough, it is the Right that has learned the tricks of the trade from the Left in Israel, not the other way around. In recent comments, Herzog shouted from the pits of his partys political irrelevance that he does not see a possibility at the moment of implementing the two-state solution. He told Israeli Army Radio that if he is to become a Prime Minister, he would focus on implementing security measures instead of investing in a bilateral agreement with the Palestinians. While he partly blamed Netanyahu for the failure to achieve the supposedly coveted goal of two states, he also assigned equal blame to the ever-hapless Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who has been watching for years as his make-believe world of 'peace process' has been collapsing around him, unable to even control his own exit from, or entry to the West Bank without a prior permit from the Israeli army. However, the issue is far more important than blaming Israels hypocritical and cowardly Left: but, rather, to highlight a dominant myth about the Right and Left within Israels political establishment. For many years, much of the Western worlds understanding of Israel has been based on a cluster of myths, from the early fables of the Zionists making the desert bloom, to Palestine supposedly being a land without people for a people without land. This intricately constructed and propagated mythology evolved over time, as Israeli hasbara labored to provide a perception of reality that was required to justify its wars, its military occupation, its constant violations of human rights and its many war crimes. One aspect of the Western perception of Israel is that the Jewish-state, which is also a democracy, has been experiencing a long-drawn-out battle between rightwing ideologues, and liberal forces that have labored to preserve Israels democratic ideals. However, such misrepresentations are always grossly at odds with the reality. Take any aspect of Israeli history that many, even in the Western hemisphere, now see as immoral and inhumane for example, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, the massacres of 1947-48, the racism against Palestinians who remain in todays Israel after the Nakba, the illegal Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the illegal annexation of East Jerusalem, the construction of the illegal settlements, the building of the Apartheid Wall, and, more recently, the wars on Gaza which killed over 4,000 people since 2008. Much of these atrocities have the fingerprints of Labor and their allies. The fact is that it was the Mapai Party, which was later joined by other supposedly progressive forces to form the Labor Party in the 1960s, that has been responsible for most of the bloodletting, ethnic cleansing and illegal practices that have pushed the situation to this degree of desperation. The rightwing in Israel did not achieve prominence until the late 1970s. Prior to that, Israel was ruled exclusively by Labor governments. Netanyahus current rightwing government officials are by no means short of exacting utter cruelty in inhumaneness, and the reality is that this behavior is rooted in a political past. What largely differs between the Right and Left in Israel is the expression of their political discourses, certainly not the outcomes. The fundamental reason why some insist on maintaining that myth of Israels Peace Camp compared to the ominous Right - is that they are frenziedly promoting the idea that Israel is still governed by democratic forces, an assumption that allows Western governments the time and space to ignore the plight of the Palestinians. Rightwing leaders like Netanyahu and his coalition partners are an utter embarrassment to Europe still a major supporter of Israel - and they make it very difficult for the United States to even sustain the charade of its peace process. The West longs for the days when Israel was governed by less belligerent sounding leaders, regardless of their violent agendas. Labor governments in Israel, whether those that existed in the late 40s and 50s, or those that ruled under the leaderships of Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, etc., never truly showed any genuine sign that ending the Occupation and granting Palestinians a form of real sovereignty was ever on their agendas. Do not believe the hype. Rabin was given a Nobel Peace Prize after the 1993 signing of the Oslo Accords, despite the fact that Oslo did not give Palestinians sovereignty or the right to self-determination. Instead, it sliced up the West Bank into various zones, ultimately controlled by the Israeli army, and bribed some within the Palestinian elites with phony titles, VIP cards and mounds of money to play along. Rabin was killed by a Rightwing Jewish zealot because, as far as the religious and ultranationalist camps in Israel were concerned, even such concessions as a Palestinian flag and a national anthem, among other symbolic achievements offered to the Palestinians by Oslo, were still considered a taboo. So, when Herzog threw his hand in the air and postponed any discussion of a two-state solution that has been dead and buried for years now, it was not a sign that Labor had given up or that the level-headed Herzog is officially fed-up with the shenanigans of Netanyahu and stubbornness of Abbas. It is a mere contribution of the good Labor-bad Likud routine that the Israeli ruling class have played for decades. The great irony, though, is that the destruction of the two-state solution myth was the predictable outcome of the illegal Jewish colonies in the Occupied Territories, which were, interestingly enough, the backbone of the Labor Party policies following the illegal Occupation of what remained of historic Palestine after the war of 1967. At the time, rightwing forces were too insignificant to merit mention. Only the Labor reigned supreme, which single-handedly took over Palestine and precluded every chance for a lasting peace. Dr. Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20 years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His books include Searching Jenin, The Second Palestinian Intifada and his latest My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gazas Untold Story. His website is: www.ramzybaroud.net JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar Beaten Up Inside Court Premises In Blatant Violation Of Supreme Court Orders To Ensure His Safety By Countercurrents.org 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org In blatant violation Supreme Court order to ensure the security of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar when he is produced in Patiala House court, he was beaten up by lawyers in the court premises. The lawyers also beat up a journalist and a student. Despite the Supreme Court putting restrictions on who can enter the court during his appearance, a group of lawyers assembled inside the complex shouting slogans and beat up Kanhaiya Kumar when he was brought to the court by the police. Taking note of fresh violence at Patiala House, Supreme Court have appointed a five-member team to assess the ground situation and report back to it. The apex Court on also asked Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi to submit an explanation by tomorrow on his failure to ensure law and order at Patiala House today. The court asked Bassi to take responsibility or else its would issue orders to stop the law and order situation at Patiala court from spiraling out of control. The Supreme Court had, earlier in the day, restricted the number of people inside the courtroom, allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing. Later the court sent Kanhaiya Kumar to 14 days of judicial custody. Kanhaiya Kumar was taken to the Tihar central jail. He was taken out of the Patiala House Court almost four hours after he reached the court and was attacked by the lawyers. Kanhaiya Kumar filed two pleas in the court today. One of Kumars appeal sates that he suspects a threat to his life. The second appeal is questioning the Delhi polices claim of having evidence proving his culpability. Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi had claimed that the evidence in possession of Delhi police is enough to prove the sedition charges levied against Kumar. An appeal that was filed by Kumar was that all electronic evidence against him must be presented to him. On February 15 also a section of lawyers had beaten up JNU students and media persons inside the court premises when Kanhaiya Kumar was produced in the court to extend his police custody. Yesterday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in the presence of police . The journalists had also sought the SC's intervention in protecting freedom of speech. Kanhaiya Kumar, president of Jawaharlal Nehru University's students union was arrested on 12th February in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested allegedly for raising anti-India slogans at an event organised by the students to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged in Tihar Jail on February 9, 2014. He was arrested by the Vasant Kunj north police in south Delhi. Earlier on Thursday, police took suo-moto cognizance and registered an FIR against unknown students. Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event. He claimed in the court that this was a politically-motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students union (JNUSU). The Roots Of Religious Fundamentalism In Pakistan By Ali Mohsin 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org In an interview with Reuters last month, Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, head of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), offered to review Pakistans notorious blasphemy laws, saying that there are varying opinions on the issue within the clergy. Just days later, however, Sherani backtracked from his statement, declaring that the CII would not change or amend the laws in order to satisfy its many critics . Sheranis about-face should have come as no surprise. After all, this is a man who supports child marriage, having vehemently opposed a recent bill that would have outlawed this retrograde social practice. It is indeed shameful that, despite five years having passed since the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, both of whom courageously spoke out in defense of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, little if any progress has been made towards repealing the draconian laws. Aasia Bibi still languishes in prison, anxiously awaiting her appeal hearing in the Supreme Court. Multiple death threats led to her being placed in isolation last October. Meanwhile, Taseers killer Mumtaz Qadri continues to enjoy his celebrity status among the more reactionary layers of the population. The fact that not the slightest change has been made to the blasphemy laws serves as an indictment of the Pakistani ruling class and its political parties, none of which have taken a consistent, principled stand against the laws and religious discrimination. The murder of Taseer in January of 2011 had led many to call for repealing or amending the blasphemy law. However, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership quickly bowed to pressure from the religious right, prevailing on Sherry Rehman to withdraw a bill that would have scrapped the death penalty for blasphemy, while essentially keeping the laws in place. We are all unanimous that nobody wants to change the (blasphemy) law, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had said at the time. Not surprisingly, the then PPP-led governments capitulation emboldened the Islamists, resulting in Bhattis assassination two months after Taseer was killed. Years after this tragic episode, Pakistans mostly impoverished religious minorities continue to bear the brunt of the oppressive blasphemy laws. Last August, Pastor Aftab Gill of the Biblical Church of God in Gujrat, Punjab, and three others were charged with blasphemy after they used the Urdu word "rasool", which means apostle, in advertisements for a Christian ceremony. According to Pastor Aftabs younger brother Unitan Gill, the owner of a successful grocery store and one of those arrested, the advertisements were brought to the attention of the police by rival Muslim grocers for the purpose of eliminating him as a competitor. In another incident that took place in the Kasur District of Punjab last September, Pervaiz Masih, a Christian youth, was accused of blasphemy by residents of his village. According to media reports at the time, Masih had been involved in a dispute with local Muslims over a contract for the provision of sand. Muhammad Khalid, an influential resident of the village, and several other Muslim villagers ended up hurling spurious accusations of blasphemy against Masih. When the police arrived at Masihs house to arrest him, the latter was not at home. Spurred on by a mob of enraged fundamentalists, the police proceeded to harass and brutally assault Masihs relatives, including the women. In typically cruel fashion, they seized members of his family and held them at a police station in Khadiyan, giving Masih no choice but to surrender himself into their custody. The ongoing persecution of minorities is an issue that stirs up a lot of passion in the countrys urban milieu, particularly among the better educated and more affluent members of society. These often liberal, well-intentioned individuals dream of a secular Pakistan, or at the very least, a nation that upholds the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens, including the right to openly practice ones religion without fear of persecution. The good intentions and genuine concern of its adherents notwithstanding, Pakistani liberalism is, for all intents and purposes, politically bankrupt. Even the more thoughtful representatives of the liberal intelligentsia appear to be trapped in a state of paralysis and ideological confusion, with their pro-capitalist outlook making it practically impossible for them to lead the necessary and unavoidable struggle against militant Islamism, religious bigotry and every other form of backwardness. This apparent inability to grapple with complex political and social problems is the result of a failure to undertake a materialist analysis of objective reality. Such an analysis would take into account the class character of the Pakistani state, as well as the profoundly significant, and indeed for many, inconvenient, truths regarding the creation of Pakistan as a homeland for the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent. There is a tendency among historians and analysts to place most if not all of the blame for the current state of affairs on the shoulders of the US-sponsored dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. Zia, of course, promoted the clergy and Islamist political parties as a bulwark against the working class, having certainly feared the possibility that ordinary Pakistanis could grow tired of his rule and turn sharply to the left. Zias Islamization campaign also further communalized a country whose stability had been perpetually undermined by sectarian and ethnic conflict ever since its inception. The devastating social impact of the Zia era is widely acknowledged. It is necessary to point out, however, that the masses had already been led down a dark path long before Zia arrived on the scene, in a process that began prior to the establishment of the Pakistani state. In the late 1930s, elements within the Muslim elite, motivated by narrow and selfish interests, began to aggressively pursue an agenda involving the creation of a separate state for Indias Muslim population. The oft-repeated phrase Jinnahs Pakistan should be familiar to even the most casual observers. Those who conjure up this tired slogan whenever minorities are targeted must come to terms with the fact that it was the Quaid himself who set the dangerous precedent of using communalist rhetoric for political ends. Jinnah, a westernized, non-practicing Muslim, cynically raised the cry of Islam in Danger as part of his campaign to drive a wedge between Muslims and Hindus and gain support for the partition of the Indian subcontinent among the sections of the Islamic clergy. Based on the bogus claim that Muslims and Hindus constituted two distinct nations, the partition that gave birth to the Land of the Pure was a tragedy of immense proportions, resulting in an orgy of violence and untold suffering for millions of people on both sides of the artificial border. Studying the partition with an open mind is critical for anyone trying to make sense of the prevailing backwardness in the country. As ones understanding of this issue deepens, it becomes more and more evident that the persecution of religious minorities is the inevitable result of an official policy, rooted in Pakistans creation through the partition, that encourages the identification of Islam with the state, consequently diminishing non-Muslims to second-class status while also fanning the flames of religious fundamentalism and strengthening the power of the clerics. The blasphemy laws are just one example of how the Pakistani state discriminates against religious minorities and violates their democratic rights. Non-Muslims are officially barred from the highest offices in the government. Furthermore, minorities must vote separately from the general population in communal electorates, thus making clear that they are to be viewed as apart from and inferior to Muslims. The vicious persecution of non-Muslims under the blasphemy laws, the numerous discriminatory practices of the state and the general climate of fear under which religious minorities go about their lives, all highlight the entrenched Muslim supremacism in Pakistan. This deeply ingrained social problem can neither be legislated away, nor can it be completely and permanently resolved through military or police crackdowns on extremists. The Pakistani bourgeoisie, which in addition to its glaring failure over the decades to provide the working class with the most basic necessities of life, is entirely complicit in the oppression of minorities and the increased influence of religious extremists. The major political parties have all connived and colluded with Islamists at one point or another. To this day, Pakistans ethically challenged and morally repugnant politicians continue to exploit the sectarian and ethnic divisions within the country whenever it suits their interests. It is for this reason that not even the purportedly liberal section of the ruling elite can be pressured into acting on behalf of religious minorities. The fate of the non-Muslim population is bound up with that of the entire working class, within which religious minorities constitute one of the most oppressed layers. Nearly 70 years since the establishment of Pakistan, ordinary workers, whatever their religion, must still contend with the unresolved issues of poverty, unemployment, economic inequality and the inaccessibility of quality healthcare and education. These shared conditions are the basis upon which workers and poor farmers can potentially unite against the bourgeoisie and the oppressive, capitalist state through which it rules over and exploits the working class. A revolutionary movement of the masses, consciously aimed at replacing the existing social order with a genuinely free and egalitarian society, would finally bring an end to religious discrimination and every other manifestation of oppression and exploitation. The writer is a holds a Master's degree in Political Science from Long Island University. He is a freelance columnist and an activist based in New York. He can be reached at amohsin1917@gmail.com Puerto Ricans Suffer As Creditors Feast On Debt Colony By Matt Peppe 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org The La Perla neighborhood of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico Just an hour before my wife an I landed in her native Puerto Rico last month, the island's government had defaulted on $1 billion in bond interest payments. It was the second default in five months for the cash-strapped government whose debt now totals $72 billion. None of this was evident as we waded through the crowds in Rafael Hernandez airport in Aguadilla, which had been converted into a civilian airport after the closure of Ramey Air Force Base 40 years earlier. People hugged their relatives, welcoming them back home or bidding them farewell. It was a normal scene you'd see at any airport in the world. But the situation in Puerto Rico is not normal, and you don't have to spend long there to see how regular people are suffering more every day under the crushing burden of debt. You notice every time you make a purchase at the store or get the check at a restaurant. The sales tax in Puerto Rico now stands at 11.5 percent, after being raised 64 percent in July from 7 percent. The measure was approved by the island's governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, in conjunction with a package of austerity measures to raise money to pay the interest on the island's debt to creditors. This might not sound like an astronomical amount, but the impact is felt more in Puerto Rico than it would be in any of the states. Sales taxes are regressive. People with lower incomes spend more of their earnings on things that are taxed than those who can afford to store their income as savings. This means the lower your income, the harder you will be hit by the sales tax. Puerto Rico's median average income of less than $20,000 is 50 percent less than the poorest American state. For families already struggling to pay the bills on such meager earnings, the additional sales tax burden is eating away their little disposable income, or worse, forcing them to borrow to pay for their basic necessities. Outside a beachfront restaurant in Aguada, I noticed an SUV with a bumper sticker that summed up the feelings of many Puerto Ricans. "The debt is not ours, it belongs to the Empire," it read. Many people may believe this represents Puerto Ricans failing to take responsibility for running up a tab they now can't pay. But this would falsely assume that Puerto Rico exercises independent control over the conditions that created the debt. In reality, Puerto Rico is a colony whose political and economic structures are determined by the dictates of the empire they belong to. Constrained by the neoliberal capitalist system of the United States, Puerto Rico is unable to chart its own course for independent economic development. The Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution makes it impossible for Puerto Rico to protect its own industries. They must allow American businesses equal access to Puerto Rico's markets. The Cabotage Laws make shipping to and from Puerto Rico prohibitively expensive, impeding demand for exports and driving up prices on imports. The detrimental effects of U.S.-imposed restrictions on Puerto Rico's economy have forced them to incur debt to pay for social spending. Unlike every other industrial country in the world, the United States does not provide universal health care to its citizens. The federal programs that are supposed to guarantee insurance for the poor and the elderly do not apply equally to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico only receives half the rate of federal healthcare funding as the 50 states, even though its residents pay the same rates in payroll taxes. This strain was further exacerbated last month when the U.S. government cut payments to Puerto Rico's Medicare Advantage program by 11 percent. My in-laws told us how their prescription deductibles and their co-pays under their Medicare Advantage plans had increased. The Puerto Rican Healthcare Crisis Coalition (PRHCC) called the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a blow to the health of the entire Puerto Rican community. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which is supposed to guarantee health insurance to the rest of the population, does not apply equally to Puerto Rico either. While Puerto Rico passed its own laws requiring features of Obamacare - such as prohibiting denial of insurance based on pre-existing conditions and caps on coverage - there is no individual mandate. The result is a death spiral" for private insurance plans. Elderly and sick people purchase coverage, while younger and healthier customers, who don't need the same level of costly care, opt not to participate. This drives up premiums drastically, making plans prohibitively expensive for those who need them most. With federal government spending and local tax revenue insufficient to meet the population's health care needs, the Puerto Rican government must assume more debt to cover the difference. Privatization of Public Assets Like countries across the global South who have found themselves indebted to U.S.-run institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, Puerto Rico has been encouraged to privatize its public assets and use the money to pay its creditors. Under former Governor Luis Fortuno in 2009, Act 29 was passed to allow government to enter into public-private partnerships for infrastructure and other projects. It created the Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) to identify, evaluate, and select the projects that shall be established as Public Private Partnerships. The first target for private takeover of Puerto Rico's public infrastructure was the island's most traveled highway, PR-22. Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico, LLC (Metropistas), was awarded a 40-year lease for $1.49 billion to operate both the PR-22 and PR-5 highways. The company is a consortium of a Goldman Sachs infrastructure investment fund and a Spanish toll concession company. PR-22 runs from San Juan west through 12 municipalities towards Aguadilla. Metropistas recently raised the toll prices after the expiration of an initial period where they were prohibited from doing so. But apparently tolls are not the only way they are generating revenue. A friend explained how the electronic toll collection system, AutoExpreso, had been malfunctioning and issuing fines for not having enough money in your account to pay the toll, even when the account did actually have money. He said that he received four separate fines, none of which was valid. When he tried to contest the fines he was told that based on a technicality (not submitting an appeal in writing by an arbitrary deadline) the fines would stand, even though they should have never been issued in the first place. When he complained, he was told he had a choice to pay or to find another route. Of course, the only alternative for commuters in that heavily populated area of the island is to use inaccessible and inconvenient back roads. Puerto Rico's main airport, Luis Munoz Marin in San Juan, was also recently privatized. The Mexican company Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV and private-equity firm Highstar Capital received a 40-year lease to operate the airport. The deal was negotiated under the previous administration, but did not take effect until Garcia Padilla took office. Unsurprisingly, the first time I visited after the privatization I discovered the airport no longer offered free Wifi. That Puerto Rico's public assets have been turned into investment opportunities for American and foreign creditors should come as no surprise. Since its inception as a Commonwealth (a euphemism for colony), the interests of capital have taken priority over the general population. Puerto Rico's Constitution grants creditors first priority for payment, ahead of even the population whose will the Constitution is supposed to represent. Daliah Lugo explains this mystifying legal arrangement in her Opinion and Order blog: "That's right: the entity we know as 'Puerto Rico' was in fact set up by Congress and its allies as a corporation, its first duty always to its investors." A political arrangement that does not prioritize the people who purportedly consent to it is farcical. Puerto Rico has never achieved self-determination, despite the fact the UN removed the island from its list of Non-Self-Governing territories in 1952. The UN's Special Committe on Decolonization has recognized this as recently as 2014 when they called on the United States to end their "subjugation" of Puerto Rico and allow its people to "fully exercise their inalienable right to self-determination." But the United States does not want to acknowledge that, having failed to grant sovereignty to Puerto Rico, they legally hold "the obligation to promote to the utmost ... the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories," according to Article 73 of the UN Charter. Only the U.S. Congress - not Puerto Rico's legislature - has the ability to change Puerto Rico's political status. But they have never given any indication they intend to do so, despite a 2012 referendum in which Puerto Ricans decisively rejected the current colonial status. Few Americans are aware of the social and economic crisis consuming Puerto Rico, which is rarely covered by mainstream news organizations (other than some notable exceptions). But as expenses rise - for housing, health care, groceries, utilities - and economic opportunities disappear, families find themselves in a more and more precarious situation. A change in political status that would finally grant the Puerto Rican people a right to govern themselves in their own interest is the only hope to reverse the devastation 117 years as a debt colony has wrought. Matt Peppe writes the Just the Facts blog. He can be reached on Facebook and Twitter or by email at mdpeppe@gmail.com. Dissent Is Not Sedition By Rayees Rasool 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org From Indian educational institutions to Indian Courts Justice has been buried, voices choked, humans lynched, students called terrorists and then they called it NATION. India Proudly says that it is a country of different civilizations, religions, communities etc. But with present regime who are behaving as cruel dictators are providing a different image of this country. They dont let any stone unturned to show the ultra national fascist face of government even if it will take anyones life. They will ask you what to eat, what to say, whom to love, what to read and how to live. This alleged democracy fears from a small group of unarmed students. Students who were trying to express their solidarity with a person who became the victim of political vendetta, and was hanged to satisfy the collective consciousness of unconscious fascist forces. Those young men and women expressed the solidarity with the people of Kashmir who are living under the military occupation since this country got freedom. Abraham Lincoln putted it like this Those who deny freedom to other deserve it not for themselves. The whole drama regarding the event of JNU on 9th Feb 2016 organized by few students is not new. But whats new is in todays time is interference by the state. If we see the word University it denotes universe. Universe, were all living beings live together despite having different ideologies and political aspirations. If you believe in your democratic set up then you ought to be tolerant towards the people. Democracy doesnt mean to carry white piece of paper and name it as unique identification card for all. Democracy is not forcing people to vote for a person who is un-liked by the majority. Democracy means respect dissent. No matter who organized the event in JNU or who gave the slogans, what maters is why those slogans were raised. Why hundreds of young men and women shouted and demanded for the freedom of Kashmir. Why those hundreds of students shouted in favor of Afzal Guru and MaqboolBhat. This is the time for introspection for government of India, why after 65 years still kashmiris are not happy with the country who rule them. If they are really worried about the incident they should mend the ways and see what went wrong. Kashmir is the highest military zone in the world, when govt. confirms there are less than 200-armed rebels operating in Kashmir. Why whole population is under siege. By using force and booking students under serious crimes wont help. The more force you use the more rebels you will create. This whole problem is the creation of mainstream corporate Indian Media houses. Every night in these news rooms they are shouting on their highest and give certificates to the people for being nationalists and anti Nationals. Every Night they decide who should live were. Every night in media trials they declare students, activists, democratic organization, human rights groups as terror groups. This jingoistic approach by Indian Media will lead them towards the destruction. Media is supposed to inform people. But in India, the job of media is to misinform and divert attention from important issues and changes decided by the political and economic elites. Noam Chomsky identified 10 strategies of media to manipulate and contain. 1) The strategy of destruction. 2) Create problems, and then offer solutions. 3) The gradual strategy, acceptance to an unacceptable. 4) The strategy of deferring. 5) Go to a public as a little child. 6) Use the emotional side more than the reflection. 7) Keep the public in ignorance and mediocrity. 8) To encourage public to be complacent with mediocrity. 9) Self-blame strengthen. 10) Getting to know the individuals better then they know themselves. This is how with the help of corporate media helps system to exert greater control and power over people. Dissent does not mean sedition. In current JNU row the whole drama is revolving around fascist forces, media trials, government and police. They all complement each other to choke the voices. Now at the end let me point out few positive points from incidents like JNU, RohithVemula, FTII or protest over Non-Net fellowships. The student community came forward united. All big revolutions start like this. The youth of India have realized the cost of dissent and providing space for different ideologies. They will stand against every injustice be it RohithVemula, Afzal Guru or illegal arrest of Kanya Kumar. They will speak and speak loudly. Having a say allowing people to debate on different political and social issues is not a crime. You may agree to disagree but you are not a criminal. Because Dissent is not Sedition. Rayees Rasool is a Socio Political activist and writer The UN And The Invisible Palestinian Knives Of Allege-gate By Vacy Vlazna 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org In Palestine, you would be forgiven for thinking that there was no United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The SR, Christof Heyns, in the past 6 years, has never made a country on-site visit to Palestine to get first hand information on the hundreds of cases of zionist perpetration of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of the people of Palestine. Not even the dozens of extrajudicial street executions of Palestinian children and youth carrying the invisible knives in Allege-gate since October 1, 2015 has impelled Heyns to rush to Palestine to ensure the zionist war criminals uphold Palestinian right to life. In Palestine alleged is a synonym for extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary execution. Yes, there is a Palestinian youth intifada, and yes there have been acts of resistance to the illegal occupation involving knives, rocks, and cars that have taken some occupier-settler lives. But the Zionist Occupation Forces (ZOF) i.e. military and police death squads are running amok in Occupied Palestine shooting, seemingly for grisly amusement, innocent Palestinian schoolchildren, workers., housewives and youth. In a wimpy statement on 16 November 2015, SR Heyns welcomed the assurance of the zionist Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to the effect that Israeli security forces are prohibited from firing at a suspected assailant unless an immediate danger to human life cannot otherwise be prevented and that the use of fire must be proportional to the threat. You can be certain that the devastated parents of Wisam Qasrawi, 21 who buried their beloved child - transformed from family breadwinner into a martyr by lawless zionist bullets - know Wisam was killed in an indisputable and illegal extrajudicial execution. Wisam was born in a village, Misilya. It was described for the Palestine Exploration Fund (patron was Queen Victoria) by Royal Engineers surveyor Lieutenant Condor in 1881 as a village with ancient wells beneath it and a rounded hilltop above with extensive views north east across the great plain to Nazareth, west to Carmel, and to Jenin behind a neighbouring hill, north west across a broad corn vale. Today, Misilya continues its ancient agricultural lineage of growing olives and cereal. Its 3000 residents are close-knit and mainly poor because of the crippling zionist occupation. Wisam was outgoing, energetic, well liked and had lots of friends with whom he enjoyed playing playstation and billiards at the local cafe. Wisam also had an admirable sense of responsibility; he left school in year 11 to become the family breadwinner because his father had a severe back injury and his mother had small twins plus his other younger siblings to care for. Even while at school he worked as a part-time farm or building labourer to help out. The early morning of Sunday 17th, January gave no hint of impending tragedy. Wisam got dressed for his work at a brick/stone factory in Nablus, gave his mother the remaining money in his wallet and armed only with his mobile joined his mate who was giving him a lift as far as the Huwwara checkpoint. He was dropped off about 500 yards from the checkpoint. Eyewitnesses reported that the heavily armed soldiers were calling out to Wisam, Come on, come to us. Wisam walked, relaxed and hands in the air, and at 50 metres military shots burst hitting his chest and head. Typically, he was left to bleed out and die. Within 10 minutes, even before Wisams mate returned to Misilya, the zionist news reported an alleged attempted stabbing at the Huwwara checkpoint with no soldiers injured (understandable). By the afternoon the ZOF had made incursions into Wisams village, set up checkpoints and closed off the village which was in collective shock, helplessness, anger and mourning. Wisams body was returned at night and respectfully given a martyrs burial; the body is not washed as usual with scented water and wrapped in a shroud, but the martyr is buried in the clothes in which he/she died and the blood is left unwashed. According to a Hadith - on Resurrection Day, the Shahids blood -Its color saffron, and its odor musk. With 68 years of the violent unrestricted bloodletting of martyrs, the scent of this holy musk is tragically Palestines oxygen. Wisam is no more, just as Ehab, Khalil, Ahmad, Ruqayya, Dania, Nihad, Fuad, Naim, and all the other young innocent invisible-knife wielders, are no more. The UN was set up to maintain international peace, security and human rights for all. In 68 years, the now 192 member states of the UN have not furthered one moment of peace and justice for the people of Palestine. The zionist state has over and over, day to day, blatantly violated every UN declaration and convention it has ratified and it has never been suspended or expelled from the UN, A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The UN is as fake as the fake knives of Allege-gate. Both are smokescreens for impunity for zionist brutality and crimes against humanity. Dr. Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. She was Human Rights Advisor to the GAM team in the second round of the Acheh peace talks, Helsinki, February 2005 then withdrew on principle. Vacy was convenor of Australia East Timor Association and coordinator of the East Timor Justice Lobby as well as serving in East Timor with UNAMET and UNTAET from 1999-2001. Academics At The University Of Warwick Express Solidarity With Student Struggle In JNU By Concerned Academics of University of Warwick 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org We Stand with JNU: Solidarity Statement from Academics at the University of Warwick We, the undersigned, wish to express our solidarity with the ongoing student struggle at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India. In doing so, we wholeheartedly condemn the extra-constitutional detention of the JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and seven other students on February 9, 2016. Universities should be places of academic freedom where dissent and critical thinking must not only be tolerated but should be actively encouraged. The students who have been charged with sedition (a colonial-era relic that the Supreme Court of India itself has attempted to weaken) for questioning the Indian states controversial execution of Afzal Guru, the man accused in the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, breached no law, and are being illegally detained. Credible news reports from Indias leading television channels and newspapers have confirmed that the police action, and subsequent occupation of the university by police, was spurred on by the right-wing students group, the ABVP, that seems to have a direct line of influence with the ruling BJP in central government. Since the February 9 incident, other students and faculty of JNU have been intimidated and beaten up, and journalists have been threatened and assaulted. Further exacerbating the attacks, on 15 February 2016, JNU students and faculty, along with at least ten journalists, were violently attacked by lawyers and a legislator from the ruling party when they were peacefully attending court in support of Kanhaiya Kumars hearing. All of this amounts to one of the most concerted and vicious projects of undermining not just one of Indias leading universities, but of creating a widespread culture of intolerance and state-sanctioned violence and orchestrating an assault on public education. The attack on JNU comes on the heels of what is being termed the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula, a dalit student at the University of Hyderabad, and the concerted attacks on dalit students there, also in the name of a manufactured patriotism in which any questioning of the states role in entrenching caste and class hegemony is rendered anti-national. We want to assure the students, staff and faculty of JNU that they are not alone in their struggle. We, at the University of Warwick, are part of a growing global movement that seeks to condemn and resist the vicious attack on democratic norms, academic freedom and political dissent at JNU and in other universities globally. Dr. Rashmi Varma, English and Comparative Literary Studies Prof. Upamanyu Pablo Mukherjee, English and Comparative Literary Studies Dr. Aditya Sarkar, History Dr. Goldie Osuri, Sociology Dr. Sarah Hodges, History Prof. Shirin Rai, Politics and International Studies Dr. Bishnupriya Gupta, Economic Prof. Gurminder Bhambra, Sociology Dr. Silvija Jestrovic, Theatre Studies Dr. Milija Gluhovic, Theatre Studies Prof. Benita Parry, English and Comparative Literary Studies Prof. Thomas Docherty, English and Comparative Literary Studies Shrikant Botre, PhD candidate, History Divya Rao, PhD candidate, English and Comparative Literary Studies Dr. Emma Bird, English and Comparative Literary Studies Reva Yunus, PhD candidate, Sociology Sourit Bhattacharya, PhD candidate, English and Comparative Literary Studies Prof. Janelle Reinelt, Theatre and Performance Studies Maria Estrada Fuentes, PhD Candidate, Theatre and Performance Studies Prof. Ann Stewart, Law Dr. Rebecca Williams, History Dr. Susan Haedicke, Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies Dr. Karl Schoonover, Film and Television Studies Somak Biswas, PhD candidate, History Dr. Helen Wheatley, Film and Television Studies Dr. Laura Schwartz, History Dr. Silvija Jestrovic, Theatre and Performance Studies Lewis Smith, PhD candidate, Department of History Prof. Jim Davis, Theatre and Performance Studies Contact address: Dr. Rashmi Varma Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL Email: Rashmi.Varma@warwick.ac.uk The People vs.The Police State: The Struggle for Justice In The US Supreme Court By John W. Whitehead 17 February, 2016 Countercurrents.org Justice Antonin Scalia The untimely death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has predictably created a political firestorm over who gets to appoint the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, when, how, and where any judicial nominee will stand on the hot-button political issues of our day (same-sex marriage, Obamacare, immigration, the environment, and abortion). This is yet another spectacle, not unlike the carnival-like antics of the presidential candidates, to create division, dissension and discord and distract the populace from the nations steady march towards totalitarianism. Not to worry. This is a done deal. There are no surprises awaiting us. The powers-that-be have already rigged the system. Theythe corporations, the military industrial complex, the surveillance state, the monied elite, etc.will not allow anyone to be appointed to the Supreme Court who will dial back the police state. They will not tolerate anyone who will undermine their policies, threaten their profit margins, or overturn their apple cart. Scalias replacement will be safe (i.e., palatable enough to withstand Congress partisan wrangling), reliable and most important of all, an extension of the American police state. With the old order dying off or advancing into old age rapidly, weve arrived at a pivotal point in the makeup of the Supreme Court. With every vacant seat on the Court and in key judgeships around the country, we are witnessing a transformation of the courts into pallid, legalistic bureaucracies governed by a new breed of judges who have been careful to refrain from saying, doing or writing anything that might compromise their future ambitions. Today, the judges most likely to get appointed today are well-heeled, well-educated (all of them attended either Yale or Harvard law schools) blank slates who have traveled a well-worn path from an elite law school to a prestigious judicial clerkship and then a pivotal federal judgeship. In other words, it really doesnt matter whether a Republican or Democratic president appoints the next Supreme Court justice, because they will all look alike (in terms of their educational and professional background) and sound alike (they are primarily advocates for the government). Given the turbulence of our age, with its police overreach, military training drills on American soil, domestic surveillance, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, wrongful convictions, and corporate corruption, the need for a guardian of the peoples rights has never been greater. Unfortunately, as I document in Battlefield America: The War on the American People, what we have been saddled with instead are government courts dominated by technicians and statists who march in lockstep with the American police state. This is true at all levels of the judiciary. Thus, while what the nation needs is a constitutionalist, what we will get is a technician. Its an important distinction. A legal constitutionalist believes that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law (the Constitution) and strives to hold the governmentaccountable to abiding by the Constitution. A judge of this order will uphold the rights of the citizenry in the face of government abuses. A legal technician, on the other hand, is an arbitrator of the governments plethora of laws whose priority is maintaining order and preserving government power. As such, these judicial technicians are deferential to authority, whether government or business, and focused on reconciling the massive number of laws handed down by the government. John Roberts who joined the Supreme Court in 2005 as Chief Justice is a prime example of a legal technician. His view that the role of the judge is limitedto decide the cases before them speaks to a mindset that places the judge in the position of a referee. Roberts approach to matters of law and justice can best be understood by a case dating back to his years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The case involved a 12-year-old black girl who was handcuffed, searched and arrested by policeall for eating a single French fry in violation of a ban on food in the D.C. metro station. Despite Roberts ability to recognize the harshness of the treatment meted out to Ansche Hedgepeth for such a minor violation, he ruled that the girls constitutional rights had not been violated in any way. This is not justice meted out by a constitutionalist. This is how a technician rules, according to the inflexible letter of the law. Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan of the DC Court of Appeals, who is rumored to be a favorite pick for Scalias spot on the court, is another such technician. When asked to strike down a 60-year-old ban on expressive activities in front of the Supreme Court Plaza, Srinivasan turned a blind eye to the First Amendment. Srinivasans rationale? Allowing demonstrations directed at the Court, on the Courts own front terrace, would tend to yield the opposite impression: that of a Court engaged with and potentially vulnerable to outside entreaties by the public. This view of the Supreme Court as an entity that must be sheltered from select outside influencesfor example, the views of the citizenryis shared by the members of the Court itself to a certain extent who, as Lithwick points out, have become worryingly cloistered, even for a famously cloistered institution todays justices filter out anything that might challenge their perspectives. Are you getting the picture yet? The members of the Supreme Court are part of a ruling aristocracy composed of men and women who primarily come from privileged backgrounds and who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. When youre cocooned within the rarefied, elitist circles in which most of the judiciary operate, it can be difficult to see the humanity behind the facts of a case, let alone identify with the terror and uncertainty that most people feel when heavily armed government agents invade their homes, or subject them to a virtual strip search, or taser them into submission. Now do you understand why the Supreme Courts decisions in recent yearshave been characterized most often by an abject deference to government authority, military and corporate interests? They no longer work for us. They no longer represent us. They can no longer relate to our suffering. In the same way that the Legislative Branch, having been co-opted by lobbyists, special interests, and the corporate elite, has ceased to function as a vital check on abuses by the other two branches of government, the Judicial Branch has also become part of the same self-serving bureaucracy. Sound judgment, compassion and justice have taken a back seat to legalism, statism and elitism. Preserving the rights of the people has been deprioritized and made to play second fiddle to both governmental and corporate interests. In the case of the People vs. the Police State, the ruling is 9-0 against us. So where does that leave us? The Supreme Court of old is gone, if not for good then at least for now. We can no longer depend on the federal courts to protect us against the government. They are the government. Yet as is the case with most things, the solution is far simpler and at the same time more complicated than space allows, but it starts with local actionlocal changeand local justice. If you want a revolution, start small, in your own backyard, and the impact will trickle up. If you dont like the way justice is being meted out in America, then start demanding justice in your own hometown, before your local judges. Serve on juries, nullify laws that are egregious, picket in front of the courthouse, vote out judges (and prosecutors) who arent practicing what the Constitution preaches, encourage your local newspapers to report on cases happening in your town, educate yourself about your rights, and make sure your local judges understand that they work for you and are not to be extensions of the police, prosecutors and politicians. This is the only way we will ever have any hope of pushing back against the police state. About John W. Whitehead: Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His book Battlefield America: The War on the American People(SelectBooks, 2015) is available online at www.amazon.com. Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org. Photos by MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Paul Redding (left), with Kitchen Interiors, helps contractor Greg Kuhlman iron out some details of a kitchen he is working on. The new showroom opened Tuesday with a ribbon cutting celebrating the recovery from a massive fire several months ago. SHARE A visitor walks up to the new Kitchen Interiors showroom on East Virginia Street in Evansville Tuesday. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS (L-R) Carol Green with her daughter Krystal Powless look at cabinet fronts with Tim Perry from Kitchen Interiors. The company celebrated the opening of it's new showroom on E. Virginia Street Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony, February 16, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Kitchen Interiors assistant manager Kim Hanor cuts a cake after the new showroom's ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, February 16, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS A picture hanging the wall of the Kitchen Interiors new showroom shows the fire that destroyed the previous showroom that was located in the Kight Home Center. The new showroom, located on E. Virginia Street, celebrated it's opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, February 16, 2016. By Susan Orr of the Courier and Press In a space devoted to possibilities and new ideas, a photo on the wall of Kitchen Interiors' showroom stands out from its surroundings. The wood-framed photo shows an aerial view of a ruined building, still smoldering as firetrucks spray it with water. It's a reminder of how much has changed for Kitchen Interiors recently. On Tuesday, less than six months after a devastating fire, Kitchen Interiors celebrated the opening of its new showroom on East Virginia St. Kitchen Interiors is a subsidiary of Kight Lumber. It previously operated out of a building on the Kight campus, on Oak Grove Road between Green River and Burkhardt roads. On Sept. 3, that building was destroyed by an accidental fire caused by discarded smoking materials. A portion of the Kitchen Interiors building had been used for lumber storage, said Kitchen Interiors Assistant Manager Kim Hanor. "It was just like kindling. It burned hard and it burned fast and hot." But even with the fire, Hanor said, Kitchen Interiors never missed a beat. Employees moved into temporary space at Kight, and both companies worked together to move forward. "That was one of the things we were most proud of," said Kight Lumber President Troy Kough. Kight employees doubled up in offices to make space for their colleagues, Kough said. They pitched in on weekends to help clean out the burned building, which has since been demolished. Kitchen Interiors and Kight Lumber's parent company is Ohio-based Carter Lumber. With support from Carter, Kitchen Interiors considered its options for the future: rebuild at the same spot, continue operating from within the Kight building, or relocate. The Virginia Avenue spot seemed ideal, Hanor said, because it was an existing building that could be revamped relatively quickly. "This, they thought, was the fastest way to get us back on our feet." The new spot is larger than the old one about 8,000 square feet, as compared with 5,000 square feet. Kough said the new location also offers better visibility and a more welcoming appearance for customers. The new showroom is at 5800 E. Virginia St., just east of Metro Avenue SHARE David Gunn Evansville's David Gunn has been named head of sales and operations for ThalesNano Inc., a leader in micro-reactor flow chemistry headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. According to a release, Gunn's responsibilities include building the business for the entire portfolio of reactor instrumentation in the pharmaceutical, academic, specialty chemicals and petro industries as well developing a team of technical service engineers. Gunn attended Castle and Memorial High School before graduation from Loyola University of Chicago in 1990. He spent 20 years as a principal investigator in synthetic medicinal chemistry for Abbott Laboratories and Bayer Healthcare. DENNY SIMMONS / COURIER & PRESS Signs displaying "Low salt zone" and "No spray zone" are placed about every 10 miles along portions of the newly opened stretch of Interstate 69 south of Bloomington, Ind. The "salt" refers to salt used during winter driving conditions and the "spray" refers to weed control along the highway. SHARE By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press An Indiana Department of Transportation official told the Courier & Press on Wednesday that the blue rectangular signs on the new section of Interstate 69 signifying the highway as a "low salt zone" are there as reminders for road crews, not as a declaration on how the road is treated. Scott Manning, the strategic communications director for INDOT, said the salt substance used to treat the roads statewide is below the salt threshold asked for by environmental agencies in areas where there is karst a system of underground limestone caves and streams. That reasoning would explain previous claims by other INDOT spokesmen that the section of interstate is treated like the state's other highways. "Generally speaking, (low salt zones) are treated with the same volume and in the same manner, as far as salt goes, as we treat the other state highways and interstates because, by and large, we're not using a volume of salt that would be a detriment to an ecologically-sensitive area," Manning said. "That's why when IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) and the EPA looked at our winter operations plan, they signed off on it because the level of salt we generally use statewide fit within the parameters. "What the signs really do is to serve as a visual reminder to our operators that are out in the plow trucks. While we set guidelines and have standards and policies, ultimately the man or woman driving the truck and controlling the settings on salt spreader it's up to them to their discretion how much salt gets deployed." Manning said the hope is that the truck drivers do not dump an"excessive amount" of salt in a "low salt zone." Regular motorists, Manning said, do not have reason to feel any less safe while traveling in low salt zones during snow or ice events. However, he stressed that all roads can become dangerous during hazardous weather. "Obviously, if you're driving in a winter weather event you want to exercise caution, no matter where you are on the state's road system," Manning said. "You want to slow down, you want to allow extra braking distance all of those sorts of good general winter driving practices." Previous to Wednesday, the agency had only said the road in the two low-salt areas in Southwestern Indiana were treated the same as any other highway in the state during winter weather events. But in conversations with the Courier & Press, the agency had been unclear when pressed how that could be the case if the area was indeed a low salt zone. The Courier & Press started asking about the low-salt designation after Evansville firefighter Beth Csukas was seriously injured after hitting a slick spot near mile-marker 109 on Jan. 16 while on Interstate 69 near Bloomington. Her crash was one six incidents at the mile-maker that morning. After spending about a month in an Indianapolis hospital, Csukas was transported to a Louisville, Kentucky, rehabilitation center earlier this week. In addition to the zone on Interstate 69, there is also a stretch of Indiana 37 between Bedford and Mitchell that is a low-salt area. SHARE By Shannon Hall of the Courier and Press Chandler Council President Tonya Wester said her neighbor once opened her grill and touched the food she was cooking. That's one of the reasons she thinks a Good Neighbor Ordinance (PDF) is important to Chandler. The Chandler Town Council adopted the "Good Neighbor Ordinance" in a 3-1 vote Tuesday night. It goes into effect immediately. Chandler Councilwoman Andrea Johnson voted against the ordinance. She said the ordinance is good in theory, but worries about where the line is drawn. The ordinance, which is based off of Evansville's ordinance, is geared toward landlords and tenants who create a nuisance to their neighbors. Wester said, for her, it's more about safety. Most of the offenses listed in the ordinance would allow landlords to evict the tenants anyway, Councilman Sean Johnson said. Common misdemeanors such as criminal mischief, intimidation, theft, harassment or public intoxication as well several other offenses in a tenant's neighborhood could be considered nuisance if a tenant has been arrested, cited or the police department discovered a person committed any of the offenses. "This isn't out to evict people," Wester said. "We have to hold someone accountable." People arrested and charged with crimes such as murder, rape, child molestation or stalking a neighbor would result in automatic eviction. An owner or property agent could be fined $750 per day if they fail to comply with the eviction filing order. The maximum fine would be $5,000. If a property owner evicts a tenant for violating the Good Neighbor Ordinance, the owner cannot rent to the tenant at any of its properties for a year. Evansville passed its Good Neighbor Ordinance in June 2014. Some landlords were against the ordinance because it could unfairly put a larger burden on landlords for their tenants' behavior, they claimed. Wester said it's has helped Evansville, but caused some of the problem residents to move to Chandler. Evansville City Council President Missy Mosby said when the ordinance was adopted, the council at the time wanted to revisit it in about year to see if it needs updating. She said she only knows of one incident that someone was going to be evicted, but the judge ruled in the tenant's favor. Mosby said she plans to have a couple more public meetings about the ordinance. Boonville Police Chief Daryl Saltzman approached the Boonville City Council earlier this month about creating a similar ordinance. The council agreed to consider to allow its attorney to look further into a similar ordinance. SHARE By Joel Mathis And Ben Boychuk Gen. Mark Milley, the Army chief of staff, and Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, both testified this month that because all combat roles are now open to women, women should register for the selective service as all American men must do when they turn 18. Although Republicans have long opposed women serving in combat, several GOP candidates for president, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, endorsed the idea ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Is this equality realized? Or equality gone too far? Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, weigh in. JOEL MATHIS Women? In the military? Fighting wars? If I had pearls, I'd clutch them. The debate we're suddenly having about drafting women is very silly, for two reasons. First, you may have noticed that we don't actually draft people anymore modern American conscription ended in January 1973. America has fought a few wars since then. A couple of them both in Iraq were kind of big. In fact, the first Gulf War took place my senior year in high school. I remember old hippies offering lessons in how to avoid the draft, if it were reinstated, but it never was. The war came and went, the troops came home, and the emergency faded away. The second invasion and occupation of Iraq might have justified a draft. That war stretched our military along with reserve and National Guard units to the breaking point, making it increasingly difficult for the all-volunteer military to recruit and retain, ahem, the volunteers. Still, renewal of the draft was never a serious likelihood. Absent some big change in our political mindset, then, a draft is only likely if civilizational survival is truly at stake if the barbarians really are at the gates. If that ever becomes the case, it won't matter much whether the hands holding weapons belong to men or women. The other reason the argument is silly? Women already fight and die in our wars. Roughly 140 different sources offer different counts died fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. You really didn't hear all that much about it. Our hatred of seeing women come home in caskets, it seems, is more theoretical than proven. Listen: The draft is an awful tool. It rips people away from their families to go kill and risk being killed for causes they may or may not support. It has always fallen most heavily on poor and working class men. If we're only now disturbed by the prospect of conscription, it doesn't necessarily mean we hold women in esteem. It probably just means we value the lives of poor men too little. BEN BOYCHUK What kind of man would think it a good idea to compel a woman to fight and die in a war? What sort of man would put somebody's daughter or mother harm's way before himself? It's bad enough when the elite consensus no longer objects to women in combat, in practice let alone in theory. Political expediency demands that women have the opportunity to serve on the frontlines. Politics will also require the armed services to change the standards to make sure they do. Still, it's one thing to let American women volunteer for an infantry or armored unit, assuming the standards remained untouched. The question is whether they should be compelled to serve and fight. Of course they shouldn't. (To anticipate an objection: Yes, Israel requires men and women of a certain age to serve in the military. Israel is also a country roughly the size and population of New Jersey, surrounded by enemies that would kill every man, woman and child given half a chance. We aren't Israel.) Say what you will about Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, but his response to his fellow Republican presidential candidates who lent their support to this Selective Service scheme was precisely right: "Are you guys nuts?" "I'm the father of two little girls. I love those girls with all my heart. They are capable of doing anything in their hearts' desire," Cruz said. "But the idea that their government would forcibly put them in the foxhole with a 220-pound psychopath trying to kill them doesn't make any sense at all." Not only that. We hear so much about the "rape culture" that supposedly permeates America's college and university campuses a crisis so great that the Obama administration has made combatting campus sexual assault a top priority. Yet this same government would subject women to rape, torture and slaughter at the hands of an enemy because equality somehow demands it. Strange. Extending the draft to women isn't about fairness or equality. It's madness born of forgetfulness. We're forgetting what it means to be men and women. We're forgetting why our daughters and sisters should be protected, not made into cannon fodder. We're forgetting what it means to be a civilization worth defending in the first place. Ben Boychuk (bboychuk@city-journal.org) is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathis@gmail.com) is associate editor for Philadelphia Magazine. Visit them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/benandjoel Researchers from the University College London (UCL) have discovered the fastest ever data rate in digital information, suggesting one day a movie could be downloaded within one second. The researchers from UCLs Optical Networks Group had achieved a rate of 1.125 Tb/s as part of research on the capacity limits of optical transmission systems. The research was designed to address the growing demand for fast data rates. UCLs electronic and electrical engineering lead researcher, Dr Robert Maher, said: While current state-of-the-art commercial optical transmission systems are capable of receiving single channel data rates of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gb/s), we are working with sophisticated equipment in our lab to design the next generation core networking and communications systems that can handle data signals at rates in excess of 1 terabit per second (Tb/s). "For comparison, this is almost 50,000 times greater than the average speed of a UK broadband connection of 24 megabits per second (Mb/s), which is the current speed defining 'superfast' broadband. To give an example, the data rate we have achieved would allow the entire HD Games of Thrones series to be downloaded within one second," he added. The study, published by Scientific Reports, used techniques from information theory and digital signal processing to custom build an optical communications system with multiple transmitting channels and a single receiver. As part of the UNLOC (unlocking the capacity of optical communications) program, funded by the engineering and physical sciences research council, the project will investigate ways to improve the optical network infrastructure to support the explosion of digital content, cloud and e-health services and the ubiquitous connectivity of smart devices referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). UCLs principal investigator of the UNLOC program, Professor Polina Bayvel, said: "This result is a milestone as it shows that terabit per second optical communications systems are possible in the quest to reach ever higher transmission capacities in optical fibres that carry the vast majority of all data generated or received. A high-capacity digital communications infrastructure underpins the internet and is essential to all aspects of the digital economy and everyday lives." Lack of action on the part of law enforcement has aided Cryptowall to become the most financially successful piece of malware in history, according to a report. The study, published by Imperva, found that the cyber-criminal gang behind Cryptowall 3.0 managed to blackmail 227,205 (AU$457,299) in ransom from 670 victims around the world. The figures were derived from an analysis of Bitcoin wallets alleged to be connected to the criminals. The research showed that criminals demanded different amounts depending on their location in the world. Demands ranged from $960 in the US to $700 in Russia. The firm found that the malware went to great lengths to remain anonymous by using Google Drive to deliver the malware and TOR to hide Bitcoin transactions. One of the reasons that Cryptowall has become successful could be down to the lack of any action by police and other law enforcement agencies to close the gang and others down. We have clearly demonstrated that peeling the layers behind the financial infrastructure of ransomware is achievable and such investigations could be a powerful tool if undertaken by the appropriate authorities. We believe one of the reasons ransomware is thriving is the lack of action from law enforcement agencies, the report said. Mark James, a security specialist at ESET, told SC Magazine UK that Cryptowall or indeed any ransomware malware poses a very real threat to many computer users because of the potential damage to files that so many still fail to backup. Considering this is something that is so simple to defend against, it is still so widely used and often successfully. The fact that it will adapt for the market area it is infecting shows that the malware writers do have an understanding of how important it is to tailor the ransom, he said. Jonathan Sander, VP of Product Strategy at Lieberman Software, told SC that it's not that local law enforcement doesn't want to help with Cryptowall, they can't. A friend works with cyber-crime efforts of local police here in the States, and recently told me that since Cryptowall most often crosses international boundaries there's not much the police can do. They know this already. So when they are told about it they mostly give condolences and move on to investigations where they can have an impact. He added that the other problem is that reporting Cryptowall issues to more savvy law enforcement sounds like reporting your bike was stolen when you didn't bother to lock it up. Since a good back-up strategy can be almost 100 percent effective to combat Cryptowall, police may simply feel the real crime was your own lack of preventative measures." Chris Boyd, malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes, told SC Magazine that while law enforcement may well be investigating these cases, DIY builder kits have ensured almost anybody can make a fully functional Ransomware file. They're having to separate the homebrew crowd from the professional organisations, and that takes time, he said. Everyone should strive to have a solid backup plan in place - one of the plus points of Cryptowall-style infections becoming mainstream news is that more people are now aware of the dangers and, at the very least, looking into possible backup solutions, he added. This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com Former Avaya Australia managing director Jeff Sheard has joined sales analytics startup Qotient as its new Asia-Pacific managing director. He left Avaya in January after seven months as the local MD, leaving the multinational vendor in the hands of general manager of services Darren Read until a permanent replacement is found. Qotient is a New Zealand-headquarted company that offers consulting and licensing for its cloud-based sales analytics platform. Qotient's platform allows sales and marketing executives to aggregate data in real-time to generate specific campaigns. Sheard told CRN that the company plans to build out its partner platform, and has already signed Sydneys Carpe Diem Consulting as its first Australian partner. He will be responsible for the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on Australia and New Zealand. Qotient has started growing customers in Singapore and Japan, and has around a dozen customers in Australia. Sheard will also be hiring a handful of local sales staff. Sheard joined Avaya in November 2014 as director of enterprise and government. He was promoted to managing director nine months later to replace the outgoing Tony Simonsen. Prior to Avaya, Sheard was sales director of the commercial and public sector for HP Australia. Brian Walshe, Dimension Data's general manager of end user compute, has parted ways with the company after 13 years to join independent software vendor Nintex. Walshe, a well-known identity across the Australia Microsoft channel, started as Nintexs vice president of sales for Asia Pacific in January. Microsoft ISV Nintex was founded in 2006 when it was spun off from Melbourne IT services provider OBS (now part of Empired). In 2010, Nintex was sold to a consortium of private equity firms. The company provides workflow automation tools for SharePoint its product catalogue includes Nintex Workflow, Nintex Forms, Nintex Live and Nintex Mobile apps. The ISV now has more than 5000 customers worldwide, and 200-300 partners in Australia. The company was named Office and SharePoint application development partner of the year at last year's Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. Walshe said he was looking forward to transitioning from a services giant to a vendor, bringing his 35 years of industry experience. I had 13 extremely good years with [Dimension Data] but after that, you get the feeling it might be time for a change, said Walshe. Ive known people at Nintex for a long time, I looked at the challenge and I thought it would be interesting. Having a long history on the other side of the fence makes it easier because I understand where partners are coming from and understand where theyre coming from. To have great conversations with partners, you have to understand how they make money. Walshe joined Dimension Data in 2002, working for its Microsoft business. He was promoted to general manager of Microsoft solutions infrastructure in 2009, and was most recently appointed general manager of end user compute in 2014. Dimension Data is yet to announce Walshes replacement. VCE, the converged infrastructure division of EMC, has fired a warning shot at hyperconverged darlings Nutanix and Simplivity with the launch of its own appliance, the VxRail. VxRail starts at a list price of $60,000. An entry-level appliance would boast hybrid storage, six cores, 64GB of memory and 3.6TB storage. A top-spec, all-flash node could run up to 28 cores, 512GB memory and 19TB storage. Matthew Oostveen, chief technology officer at VCE Asia-Pacific & Japan, agreed that the VxRail pricing was set to compete against the likes of Nutanix and Simplivity, but stressed that VCE's greatest focus was not displacing early adopters of hyperconverged appliances but greenfield opportunities. He estimated the converged market where VCE's flagship Vblock plays is worth $5-7 billion, while the nascent hyperconverged market is only around $300 million. He pointed to a few reasons why the VxRail product could have an edge over rivals: EMC's huge global sales force; the combined partner channel of EMC and VMware, which will all get access to the appliance; and VMware's incumbency in the data centre. "The reality is this is a new market and there are established players. In order for us to be competitive, we had to work hard on this engineering. We had to make sure the integration between VMware and VCE was tight. We had to make sure this is not just some 'software installed on some hardware', it is genuine appliance. We had to ensure the pricing was [competitive]," said Oostveen. VxRail's building block approach means more appliances can be rapidly added to provide more capacity. "Organisations can start small, with a couple of virtual machines (VMs), and easily and non-disruptively scale to thousands of VMs with a predictable, 'pay-as-you-grow' approach," according to VCE. A single box can host up to 200 virtual machines, and by expanding the environment up to a maximum of 16 appliances, users can run 1,280 cores and 384TB of storage, driving up to 3,200 VMs. Oostveen pointed out that at this scale, a VxRail, VxBlock or Vblock may be a better fit. Speed of deployment is one promise, according to VCE, with 15 minutes between "power on" and provisioning virtual machines, then just five minutes to add a new appliance, which can be configured automatically. Three layers of VMware software are running on the x86 server hardware vCenter Server for management, vSphere Enterprise Plus hypervisor and VSAN software-defined storage. Target customers High-end Vblocks are known for their equally high price tags, and tend to be found at the heart of enterprise data centres. VCE expects the VxRail to open up new opportunities in the commercial channel, such as at the edge of distributed enterprises like branch offices of a bank or retail outlets of a supermarket chain. VDI scenarios would be another use case, with one appliance able to operate up to 600 virtual desktops. Aaron Steppat, senior product marketing manager at VMware ANZ, expected VxRail to have an edge over rival hyperconverged platforms thanks to VMware's incumbency in corporate IT, where sysadmins are already well-versed in vSphere. He called it "the path of least resistance", adding that the use of well-known VMware tools made VxRail "radically simple storage". "There are a lot of organisations out there that have invested heavily in VMware expertise and VMware education. So the last thing we want to do is have them retool just to take advantage of this new wave, of consuming these building blocks," said Steppat. One early users was Fujifilm Medical Systems in the USA. Fred Sinclair, the company's product manager, technology solutions, said: With the tightness of the VMware and EMC integration, everything worked like clockwork. The simplicity of deploying and managing the VxRail appliance enables us to free up our engineers to do what they do best help our customers deploy IT and imaging solutions that impact patient care." VxRail joins VCE's family of converged systems that started in 2009 with the flagship Vblock, and has since been expanded with the addition of the VxBlock and VxRack. The products serve different market tiers and house different components. The Vblock combines technology from VCE's founding partners, with a VMware hypervisor, Cisco USC for compute, Cisco networking and EMC storage. The newer additions, VxBlock and VxRack, include VMware's NSX software-defined networking. VxBlock runs NSX on top of Cisco hardware, with Cisco UCS providing the compute. VxRack runs NSX on a Cisco networking hardware, but uses commodity x86 servers built by Quanta, as does VxRail. SDN is central to the dysfunction that undermined the VCE partnership. VMware's 2012 acquisition of Nicira, which became the foundation for its NSX technology, put it into competition with Cisco, which has its own take on SDN, which it calls Application Centric Infrastructure, or ACI. Dell is warning investors that a whopping US$14 billion drop in the market capitalisation of VMware is going to negatively affect the final price of the blockbuster acquisition of EMC. A Dell spokesman said the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asked the company to clarify language about the risks involved in the merger. The total value of the blockbuster acquisition has dropped by about US$10 billion from its original US$67 billion, to US$57 billion. In an SEC filing, Dell noted that "the market value" of the VMware tracking stock has "declined, thereby reducing the implied value of the stock portion of the merger consideration". The filing on Friday US time by Denali Holding, the holding company for Dell, seeks to clarify the effect VMware's falling stock price will have on the Dell-EMC merger. When the deal was announced in mid-October, the US$67 billion price tag was the result of Dell's agreement to pay EMC shareholders US$24.05 per share for EMC, plus 0.111 shares of Denali tracking stock tied to VMware's performance. At the time, it was estimated that the tracking stock would be worth about US$9.10 a share. "Sounds like the price is going down," said one Dell and EMC partner, who added, "It shouldnt matter to us what Dell pays or what EMC shareholders get. All that matters is that the deal happens, or doesn't, and since we have no control over any of that, we just have to stay focused on things that we do well." The VMware tracking stock is intended to "track" Dell's economic interest in VMware, and the value of that stock will fluctuate based on VMware's share price. That share price has dropped precipitously since the deal was announced. On 9 October, the last business day before the Dell-EMC announcement was made, VMware, 80 percent of which is owned by EMC, had a market capitalisation of US$33.2 billion and a stock price of US$78.65 a share. Now, its market cap is about US$19.2 billion, and its stock price is hovering around US$45.54. If the deal were to close today, the more than 40 percent decline in VMware's share price would necessitate a corresponding decline in the value of the tracking stock. A Dell spokesman said the EMC acquisition price of US$24.05 per share was "locked, that doesn't move, but because VMware has moved down, the value of the portion of the merger consideration linked with the tracker is going to be in that range of decline." The value of the tracking stock will be determined around the time the merger closes, based on the value of VMware shares in the days prior to the closing. To make the EMC acquisition work, Dell intends to take on up to US$49.5 billion in debt from a group of banks including Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, Barclays, Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and RBC Capital. It was reported last week that the deal had hit a snag when the banks requested more time to arrange the loans amid tightening credit markets. Dell chairman and CEO Michael Dell and EMC chairman and CEO Joe Tucci have been adamant that the deal was progressing as planned and would close within the original timeline. This article originally appeared at crn.com Hewlett Packard Enterprise has started a Windows 10 consulting service in Australia. The service is a part of the Cloud, Productivity and Mobility program, jointly launched with Microsoft in the Australian market this month. HPE and Microsoft announced that the consulting service would integrate Microsoft products such as Enterprise Mobility Suite, Dynamics CRM, Office 365, Skype for Business and Windows 10 Enterprise. Specific services will include digital process design, application development and prototyping for clients. Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft share a common vision for how cloud, mobility, and industry solutions can be applied to deliver breakthroughs for our clients, said HPE South Pacific enterprise services general manager Nick Wilson. Our combined set of technology assets, expertise and global scalability are unmatched in the industry and give us significant advantage over the competition. The CPM program had been launched in the USA in November. The expansion into Australia has been seen as a minor intrusion into the SME market by local resellers contacted by CRN. One Microsoft and HP partner executive told CRN anonymously that HP services traditionally served the very top end of town, as their cost models are uneconomic under 1000 seats - but the company now seems to have identified the 250-1000 seat mid-market as a growth sector. While no reseller likes a vendor competing with the channel, he said, HP has done this for years in all sectors. The only area that they are successful on is large volume in a tender situation Services dont work this way, the executive said. They cannot service any account directly without five people involved - and this means that either their margin is 300 percent on an hourly rate or is a massive account, but both options dont work in Australia in the mid-market." HP will assist with market growth [but] they are too expensive, too inflexible. David Markus, managing director at Microsoft and HP partner Combo, agreed that HPE has its work cut out in the SME market. I can see that the larger service providers might struggle with the new HPE service offerings, but it is truly a vast marketplace and HPE is just one player, he said. There is no lack of work to be done out there. Markus said bigger providers like HPEs services arm are creeping into the SME segment as technology becomes more commoditised, but this can present opportunities for service providers: The interesting thing is that this makes it easier for us to take on larger clients to offer the more flexible solutions a small provider can offer. A court order demanding that Apple help the US government unlock the encrypted iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters opens a new chapter in the legal, political and technological fight pitting law enforcement against civil liberties advocates and major tech companies. The government argues that the phone is a crucial piece of evidence in investigating one of the worst attacks in the United States by people who sympathised with Islamist militants. But privacy groups warn that forcing companies to crack their own encryption endangers the technical integrity of the Internet and threatens not just the privacy of customers but potentially citizens of any country. A federal judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday US time ordered Apple to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators seeking to read the data on an iPhone 5C that had been used by Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and wounded 22 others on 2 December in San Bernardino, California. Both were killed in a shootout with police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the couple's potential communications with Islamic State and other militant groups, and argued that it needs access to the iPhone to find out more. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the Department of Justice was asking Apple for access to just one device, a central part of the government's argument, which Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has said was "simply not true". Representatives of several other tech companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. "They are not asking Apple to redesign its product or to create a new backdoor to one of their products," Earnest told reporters at the daily briefing. In a letter to customers, Cook wrote: "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." Most technology security experts, including many who have served in government, say technical efforts to provide government access to encrypted devices inevitably brings in law enforcement. The argument has been made on-and-off since the 1990s, when the government tried and failed to force tech companies to incorporate a special chip into their products for surveillance purposes. The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone," Cook said in a statement on Tuesday. "But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices." If the federal judge, Magistrate Sheri Pym, rejects Apple's arguments, the vendor can appeal her order to the district court, and then up the chain to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco and ultimately the US Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit is known to be pro-privacy. "The government ultimately will have an uphill fight, said Robert Cattanach, a former Justice Department lawyer who advises companies on cyber security issues. Farook was assigned the phone by the county health department he worked for, prosecutors said in a court filing on Tuesday US time. The health department had "given its consent" to authorities to search the device and to Apple to assist investigators in that search, the document said. Next: Apple's 'master key' Channel programs News Dell Edges Closer To Selling Perot Systems, Enters Exclusive Negotiation With NTT Matt Brown Share this Dell has inched one step closer to selling its Perot Systems business, entering into an exclusive 30-day negotiating period with NTT Data, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. France-based Atos dropped out of the bidding for Perot last week, according to reports, leaving India-based Tata and NTT Data of Tokyo to vie for the IT consulting unit. NTT, parent of Dimension Data, was in exclusive negotiations for Perot as of last week, although differences over the price, which have plagued the deal for months, remained, according to a Reuters report. Related: Report: Dell Hits Financing Hiccup In Blockbuster $67B EMC Acquisition Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told CRN Dell had a 30-day exclusive agreement with NTT, but did not know how close the parties might be to signing a purchase agreement. The source wished to remain anonymous because the negotiations are confidential. "This is good for all parties and allows Dell to maintain focus on the EMC acquisition and its commitment to the channel," said Stephen Monteros, vice president of sales at Ontario, Calif.-based Dell partner Sigmanet. Monteros said the Perot sale is likely to drive more services business for his company and the channel. Sigmanet, Monteros said, has partnered with Dell on services for the past two or three years and has pulled in $4 million to $5 million in revenue annually as a result. He said the company expects to easily double that this year. Dell also expects a huge opportunity for partners as a result of the Perot sale, as the company leans on partners to become go-to resources for customers that want to maintain tight control of core workloads, sources said. The company intends to use partners to make an aggressive push in enterprise solutions as customers' infrastructure ecosystems and consumption models evolve and move away from the "manage my mess for less" model. Dell Services, which includes Perot sales, ranked No. 9 on the CRN 2015 Solution Provider 500. In Dell's fiscal year 2012, ended Feb. 1, 2013, Dell Services accounted for $8.4 billion in annual sales. Dell acquired Perot in 2009 for about $3.9 billion, but has run into difficulty reaching its $5 billion asking price with several potential buyers, including NTT, Tata, Atos and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. Part of the problem is that Perot's value has declined along with the overall IT outsourcing market. Perot has a strong presence in the government and health care industries and was founded by Texas billionaire and erstwhile presidential candidate H. Ross Perot. Unloading the unit would provide Dell with cash it needs to help pay down the $49.5 billion in debt it expects to take on as part of its acquisition of EMC Corp. The acquisition is expected to close between May and October, and Dell has said it intends to aggressively pay down debt during the first 18 to 24 months after the closing. In addition to Perot, Dell has been trying to sell its Qwest software business and its SonicWall security business, which together could bring as much as $4 billion. Cloud News Dell Warns Investors VMware Share Decline Will Impact Final EMC Deal Price Matt Brown Share this Dell is warning investors that a whopping $14 billion drop in the market capitalization of VMware is going to negatively affect the final price of the blockbuster acquisition of EMC. A Dell spokesman said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asked the company to clarify language about the risks involved in the merger. The total value of the blockbuster acquisition has dropped by nearly $8 billion from $67 billion as originally proposed to $59.5 billion, according to numbers provided by Dell. [Related: Dell Sales Kickoff: Michael Dell Pushing Sales Force To Land New Customers As EMC Merger Grows Near] In an SEC filing, Dell noted that "the market value" of the VMware tracking stock has "declined, thereby reducing the implied value of the stock portion of the merger consideration." The Friday filing by Denali Holding Inc., the holding company for Dell, seeks to clarify the effect VMware's falling stock price will have on the Dell-EMC merger. When the deal was announced in mid-October, the $67 billion price tag was the result of Dell's agreement to pay EMC shareholders $24.05 per share for EMC, plus 0.111 shares of Denali tracking stock tied to VMware's performance. At the time, it was estimated that the tracking stock would be worth about $9.10 a share. "Sounds like the price is going down," said one Dell and EMC partner, who added, "It shouldnt matter to us what Dell pays or what EMC shareholders get. All that matters is that the deal happens, or doesn't, and since we have no control over any of that, we just have to stay focused on things that we do well." The VMware tracking stock is intended to "track" Dell's economic interest in VMware, and the value of that stock will fluctuate based on VMware's share price. That share price has dropped precipitously since the deal was announced. On Oct. 9, the last business day before the Dell-EMC announcement was made, VMware, 80 percent of which is owned by EMC, had a market capitalization of $33.2 billion and a stock price of $78.65 a share. Now, its market cap is about $19.2 billion, and its stock price is hovering around $45.54. If the deal were to close today, the more than 40 percent decline in VMware's share price would necessitate a corresponding decline in the value of the tracking stock. A Dell spokesman said the EMC acquisition price of $24.05 per share was "locked, that doesn't move, but because VMware has moved down, the value of the portion of the merger consideration linked with the tracker is going to be in that range of decline." The value of the tracking stock will be determined around the time the merger closes, based on the value of VMware shares in the days prior to the closing. To make the EMC acquisition work, Dell intends to take on up to $49.5 billion in debt from a group of banks including Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, Barclays, Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and RBC Capital. It was reported last week that the deal had hit a snag when the banks requested more time to arrange the loans amid tightening credit markets. Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell and EMC Chairman and CEO Joe Tucci have been adamant that the deal was progressing as planned and would close within the original timeline. Cloud News IBM Unveils Major Channel Program Restructuring To Reflect Cognitive Transformation Joseph Tsidulko Share this IBM's push to infuse intelligence into its products through cognitive platforms will be reflected in a major revamp of its channel program. The reworking of the technology giant's PartnerWorld channel program shifts the focus from products to solutions while simplifying the overall structure, Marc Dupaquier, general manager of IBM Global Business Partners, told attendees of its PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday morning. The changes were spurred by IBM's transformation to cognitive computing and cloud, technologies that require partners to build on top of the IBM platform by integrating deep industry expertise and adding value to the solutions they deliver customers. [Related: 10 Key IBM Acquisitions That Could Boost Partners] For two years, IBM has been talking about its transformation, the market shift, and the need for its partners to "change a lot of things. Basically everything," Dupaquier told partners gathered from 82 countries. The focus on cloud and cognitive computing "forced us to completely rethink how we are helping partners," Dupaquier said. Partners were following a certification path aligned to products, and that had to change. The value partners add doesn't come from product mastery. "We realized while the product knowledge was absolutely necessary," Dupaquier said, "the essential thing was everything you build on top" One partner welcomed the changes. Rick Bailer, senior vice president of sales at Sirius Computer Solutions, an IBM partner based in Norwalk, Conn., said the new structure makes sense because once-disparate solutions are converging, and partners must be evaluated by a common criteria. "The change is looking across the board at a partner's total involvement with IBM, including hardware, software, and now all this cloud stuff," Bailer told CRN. "It's looking at a common way to evaluate a partner so they can be rewarded for that." Dupaquier said that while some partners in attendance haven't seen business growth while they worked to transform their businesses in line with IBM's larger vision, "they're still here, so they believe in IBM." Now is the time for them to reap the rewards of all the work they've done, he added. "We have transformed. We made being a business partner simpler," Dupaquier said. "I believe the market is coming our way." The new IBM PartnerWorld program will go into effect in January 2017, introducing all new tiers, as well as skills, competencies, benefits and digital assets. While partners have 11 months to gain new competencies, many of the credits they've already earned will apply to the new structure. Dupaquier shared with CRN the details of the channel restructuring, which converts IBM's current three-tiered system Member, Advanced and Premier to one with four tiers to add granularity. The new structure will have an entry-level tier called Registered. It's for partners with no real skills or engagements, and once they earn $25,000 in revenue and gain a competency, they advance to Silver. Partners in the Member tier will automatically transition to Registered. Those in Advanced will go to Silver, and Premier will shift to Gold. All partners will have to earn new certifications to make it all the way up the ladder to Platinum, including a certification in client satisfaction. After six months, until June 2017, they'll be evaluated to see if they have done enough to remain in the tiers in which they first landed, he said. Beyond the new tier structure, IBM will introduce 44 different competencies. That's not a magic number, Dupaquier said, and it eventually could change. Any competency that doesn't have many partners certified after a year will likely be removed, while new ones might be added. Competencies, as opposed to products, are solution-based, he told CRN. In the past, "you could be best in one product," Dupaquier told CRN, but the solution is broader than any one product. IBM is still developing a system of benefits to reward partners as they advance up the tiers. Those will vary by country, and they will not be linked to earnings. The benefits will help partners further differentiate themselves and continue to advance through the tiers. They'll include vouchers for additional classes and competencies, helping solution providers see more staff members earn certifications. For a Silver partner, benefits will include a digital marketing assessment; at Gold, it will be assistance implementing the digital experience. And Platinum partners will have access to a "lab advocate" essentially a direct connection to senior IBM engineers. IBM has also "completely, completely redefined our curriculum" for PartnerWorld University, an online portal in which partners can develop sales and technical skills, Dupaquier said. The new program structure should encourage partners to be more innovative, said Bailer, of Sirius Computer Solutions. "IBM is going to reward us for that solution, so if we have IP that we're adding value with, we have an opportunity to make more money." But some partners might struggle with the new approach that shifts emphasis to building unique solutions rather than simply reselling products. While some might not survive the process, new partners will join because they see the opportunities. "There's a lot of partners that are caught up in an infrastructure-centric past," Bailer said. "Hopefully a lot of partners do morph." That's what his company did over the last decade. In 2002, 90 percent of Sirius' business was related to the Power Systems server line. The company began to diversify in 2008. "It's one thing reselling anything, but it's another thing innovating on top of it," Bailer told CRN. Security News Partners Stand Behind Tim Cook Letter Saying Apple Wont Allow FBI Backdoors Into Encrypted iPhones Sarah Kuranda and Lindsey O'Donnell Share this Apple is taking a strong stand on the encryption debate, telling the federal government that it would not submit to requests to unlock an iPhone associated with the San Bernardino shooting late last year. And Apple's partners are backing the company's position. In a letter to customers Wednesday, CEO Tim Cook said that, while the San Bernardino event was a tragedy, Apple would not create backdoor access into its encrypted iPhones, saying it would create a dangerous precedent for government access to private information and communications. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at handThe government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers including tens of millions of American citizens from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe, Cook said. [Related: Solution Providers: Proposed State-Level Encryption Legislation Would Hamper Our Ability To Protect Mobile Customers] Partners cheered the move by Cook, saying that the entire encryption debate could be undermined if the company gave in to the FBIs demands. Michael Oh, chief technology officer and founder of TSP, a Boston-based Apple partner, said it appeared the FBI was using the San Bernardino event as a catalyst to push its agenda on encryption, but that encryption could be undermined if the company gave in. Apples taking the correct stance here, he said. If Apple gives the FBI the ability to do this, who will make the decision of where to draw the line? This goes far beyond mobile phones and can extend to any device or hard drive. The letter comes after a California judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to unlock the iPhone, which was used by one of the alleged assailants in the December mass shooting event. Apple does not have access to the data on its phones, so the FBI requested the company create a new version of its operating system, eliminating some security features, to install on the iPhone in question. Previously, Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, could use a tool that would plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. There is no precedent for the government to ask for this particular kind of access, Cook said, which would force Apple to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack and create a backdoor with no guaranteed limit on its use. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone, Cook said. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession, he said. Apples stand against the FBI is the latest iteration in a growing narrative around encryption technologies. The debate started with the Snowden documents and gained steam in recent months as the government pushed for backdoor access to encryption technologies in wake of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino late last year. The security industry has maintained a strong stand, as Cook did in his letter Wednesday, that allowing backdoor access to encryption would weaken security technologies and give hackers easier access to client systems. The government has argued that this type of access is important for law enforcement. However, this ongoing tug of war between the public and private sector needs to come to some kind of resolution, partners said. Sam Heard, president of Lakeland, Fla.-based Data Integrity Services, said both sides have a valid argument and need to come together in a level-headed way to settle their differences. I personally think that both players, the government and private enterprise and corporate America, have to get off their egotistical pogo sticks and sit down in a room and say we can work together, Heard said. They should all get off their high horses and work together. For example, Heard said maybe Apple could, as a compromise, unlock the single phone involved in the San Bernadino case in a clean room on the companys campus, without showing the FBI how to unlock all iPhones. Steven Kantorowitz, president of CelPro Associates, an Apple partner based in New York, had a similar view to Heard, given that the government was able to obtain a warrant for the investigation. You have an expectation of privacy on your phone... but if the government has a warrant they should be able to be allowed into the phone, he said. Regardless of stance on the debate around encryption, this case will prove a critical turning point in that debate, said John Marler, chief operating officer at Houston-based Set Solutions. The Apple case is going to be pivotal, Marler said. I wouldnt be surprised if it goes all the way to the Supreme Court. Immediately after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they did something that may seem unusual: Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (Gen. 3:7) Sin produces guilt, and guilt generates the need for a covering. Our natural instinct to try to cover up our mistakes rather than admit them is inherited from Adam and Eve. They instinctively thought the way to cover their sin was to cover up their mistake with garments of their own making. But when God came looking for them in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8) they must have felt a sudden draft as they realized how inadequate their self-manufactured apparel was in the presence of a holy God. Only when they grasped their inability to cover their very real guilt before God were they in a position to receive Gods provision for their sin: The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21) This verse records the very first death in the Bible. The skin for Adams and Eves covering came from an animal God had created and then killed to make a sufficient covering for His childrens guilt. The first death in history was a sacrificial death. Something innocent died to cover the sins of someone guilty. And God was the One who provided the sacrificial animal. Under Mosaic law, there were numerous and unending offerings and sacrifices God commanded as a perpetual reminder of the peoples sins. The climactic offering for the sins of Israel as a whole occurred on the Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16. Once a year, the Jewish high priest would enter into the most sacred place in the temple, the Holy of Holies, where God was thought to dwell. The Holy of Holies contained the ark of the covenant, a box that among other things contained the Ten Commandments given to Moses. On top of the box was a gold lid called the mercy seat. On each end of the box was the representation of a special kind of angela cherub associated with guarding the holiness of God. The picture was clear. God, looking down at the ark of the covenant, saw His law being violated by His own people day after day. But once a year, the high priestafter offering a bull as a sacrifice for his own sinwould enter into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a goat on the mercy seat, symbolically covering over (or atoning for) the sins of the people. Thus, when God looked down at the ark, He no longer saw His law, which had been transgressed, but the blood of an animal covering the sins of the people. But who created the required sin offering? God reminded the Israelites that He was the One who created the animal they offered on the sacrificial altar: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. (Lev. 17:11) Once again we see the picture of something innocent dying for those who are guilty. One more example. In Genesis 22 we find the remarkable account of God commanding his servant Abraham to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him has a burnt sacrifice. As Abraham raised his knife to plunge it into the heart of his beloved son, the Lord stopped him and instead provided a ram as a substitute for the sacrifice He had required. Moved with gratitude for what God had done, Abraham named the place Yahweh Yireh (meaning The Lord Will Provide). Nearly two thousand years later, in that same group of hills known as the region of Moriah, God would provide the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. It was in that same area many scholars believe that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), was crucified. Someone innocent died as a sacrifice for those of us who are guilty. Every animal offered in the Old Testament sacrifices was required to be without blemish. But these animals were simply an object lesson pointing to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, whom God Himself would provide to atone for the sins of the world. Like the animal sacrifices, Jesus Christ was perfect. But thats where the similarity stops. The Old Testament sacrifices had to be offered continually. Christ was offered once. The Old Testament sacrifices were made by sinful priests who had to atone for their own sins. Christ was the perfect High Priest who presented Himself as the sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifices provided temporary reconciliation with God. Christs sacrifice offered eternal redemption for those who believe. The writer of Hebrews illustrates the contrast between the Old Testament sacrificial system and the sacrifice of Christ this way: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Heb. 9:1112) My pastor, when I was growing up, used to say, Your reaction to reading the book of Leviticus is a measure of your spirituality. If thats true, then I flunk the spirituality test! All of the specific instructions regarding offerings and sacrifices seem tedious to read. But I suppose that one spiritual response I have when reading Leviticus is gratitude to God for not requiring such complicated and continual rituals today. The Old Testament sacrificial system was designed as a regular reminder of the very real problem of sin in each of us that must be atoned for. The fact that those sacrifices were never completed but had to be offered year after year created a longing for the once-for-all sin offering that only God Himself could make. [Editors Note: This excerpt is taken from Not All Roads Lead to Heaven by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016 by Dr. Robert Jeffress and Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Used with permission.] Dr. Robert Jeffress is senior pastor of the 12,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and is a Fox News contributor. His daily radio program, Pathway to Victory, is heard on more than 800 stations nationwide, and his weekly television program is seen on thousands of cable systems and stations in the US and in nearly 200 countries around the world. Known for his bold, biblical stands on cultural issues, Jeffress has been interviewed on more than 2,000 radio and TV programs, including Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, CNN, Real Time with Bill Maher, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and The OReilly Factor. Publication date: February 17, 2016 MSC Cruises today announced the winners of its 3rd Annual MSC True Partnerships Awards. MSCs travel partners are a crucial part of our success, says Richard Sasso, president, MSC Cruises USA. We greatly appreciate all the efforts of our valued partners who have truly raised awareness about our brand in the North American market. We are excited to honor our top partners of the year and congratulate them on their hard work. Awards are presented to the lines top performing North American travel partners for the year based on overall business growth in revenue and guests and continuous partnership support and innovative marketing efforts that drive increased consumer awareness. Over the month of February, our Share the Love month initiative is dedicated to recognizing the travel agent distribution for their ongoing support of the MSC Cruises brand, said Ken Muskat, executive vice president. It seemed to be the most appropriate time to recognize the best of the best of MSCs travel partners who have truly assisted in the elevation of our brand. We are looking forward to continuing to work with all our partners as MSC expands in the North American market. MSC True Partnerships 2015 Complete List of Award Winners include: Presidents Award for Overall Partner of the Year Winner: International Cruise and Excursions, Inc. (ICE) Gallery Home-Based Partner of the Year Winner: Cruise Planners Online Partner of the Year Winner: Expedia Consortium Partner of the Year Winner: TravelSavers Northeast Account of the Year Winner: Military Cruise Deals Southeast Account of the Year Winner: Worldwide Cruises Owner: Felicia Aceituno Canadian Account of the Year Winner: Sunwing Canadian Consortium Account of the Year: Winner: Expedia Cruise Ship Centers This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Worried about your vehicle hitting a pothole and causing hundreds of dollars in damages? You should be, because with this cold-again, warm-again winter, freezing and thawing cycles could cause potholes to suddenly appear on roads across southwest Connecticut. Traditionally, pothole season begins in March, but with this winters above-average temperatures we may see an early arrival of ruts, dips and craters on our roads. A new study released Wednesday by AAA reveals how much pothole damage is costing Americans and how worried we are about hitting these seasonal holes in the roads. The AAA study showed that pothole damage has cost U.S. drivers $15 billion in vehicle repairs over the last five years, or about $3 billion annually. It also found that two-thirds of Americans especially middle- and lower-income people are concerned about potholes on local roadways. The most worried people are those making less than $75,000, because of the financial impact of expensive and extensive vehicle repairs. And where in the nation are the most people concerned about potholes? No surprise its the Northeast, where 74 percent of people surveyed said they worried about potholes. The Northeast also leads the nation with the most drivers (20 percent) reporting some kind of pothole damage in the last five years. The condition of Connecticut roads is another cause for worry. Many rankings list Connecticut as having the roughest roads in the nation. One 2014 assessment by the White House, made in a pitch for more transportation money, had Connecticut and Rhode Island tied for worst, with 41 percent of roads in poor condition. More Information To minimize vehicle damage from potholes AAA urges drivers to make sure tires are properly inflated and have adequate tread depth, because tires are the only cushion between a pothole and the vehicle. If a pothole strike is inevitable, it is also critical that drivers slow down, release the brakes and straighten steering before making contact with the pothole. To avoid potholes in the roadway, drivers should remain alert, scan the road and increase following distances behind the vehicle ahead. Spare tires Spare tires, an important feature missing from one-third of 2015 model year vehicles sold, are critical for drivers affected by pothole damage. AAA says tire-inflater kits have replaced the spare tire in millions of vehicles over the last 10 model years and, due to their limited functionality, cannot provide even a temporary fix for pothole damage. AAA has called on automakers to put consumer interests first and halt the elimination of spare tires in new models. Types of damage from potholes Tires are often cut or torn or punctured in a way that is not reparable. A new tire can cost between $100 to $500, depending on the type of vehicle. The force of a pothole struck can bend wheels in a way that it cannot be repaired. A driver can expect to spend $300 for each wheel that is damaged. Often tire/wheel re-balancing is needed, at a cost of about $50. Damage to suspension system could result in the most costly repairs, AAA says. Damage cost U.S. drivers report an average repair bill of $306 to repair pothole damage to their vehicle. Sixtyfour percent report repair bills of $250 or less, 30 percent report bills greater than $250 and up to $1,000, and 6 percent report bills in excess of $1,000. See More Collapse A cold asphalt patch makes a temporary pothole repair, and the same hole sometimes has to be fixed a second or even third time, state Department of Public Works officials said. Hot asphalt, which cant be used until consistently warm temperatures arrive, is a more permanent fix. On average, American drivers report paying $300 to repair pothole-related vehicle damage, John Nielsen, AAAs managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, said in a statement detailing the study. The problems range from tire punctures and bent wheels, to more expensive suspension damage. Adding to the financial frustration, those whose vehicles incurred this type of damage had it happen frequently, with an average of three times in the last five years. Its common for drivers to sue municipalities for damages. Many cities and towns belong to the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, an insurance pool for local governments. But trying to get the state to pay for pothole damages is another story. Thats because the Legislature has given the state sovereign immunity from lawsuits and 99 percent of the time drivers are on their own. All the more reason to keep a lookout for potholes. STAMFORD The Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut is inviting area residents of all faiths to join in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors in a Monday night event at Stamford High School. Former Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Shays is scheduled as the keynote speaker for the event, billed as a response to recent anti-Muslim and anti refugee and immigrant rhetoric in the ongoing presidential race. Its a way to go beyond wringing your hands, said Reverend Kate Heichler, head of the Interfaith Council and pastor at North Stamfords Christ the Healer church. Theres something about bringing our energy together in one place. Heichler said the event was inspired in part by a December forum at Stamfords Islamic Cultural Center of New York, in which area Muslims expressed concerns that they would be harrassed at school or out in the community. At the forum, Assistant Chief of Police Thomas Wuennemann said his department hadnt recieved any reports of harassment, but Im sure it has happened, and people dont feel comfortable reporting it. Tensions have been elevated since early December, when a Muslim couple expressing support for the so-called Islamic State killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif. After the shooting, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. More Information If you go: What: A Community in Solidarity - Stonger Together When: Monday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. Where: Stamford High School, 55 Strawberry Hill Ave. See More Collapse Heichler said the Interfaith Council members from Stamfords United Jewish Federation were particularly vocal in calling for Mondays event. There shouldnt be space for intolerance in Stamford, said James Cohen, head of the Stamford UJF. As Jews, we should stand up for anyone who is being treated unfairly. Cohen said the event would strive to be as non-partisan as possible. This is a mater of conscience. Law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens are worthy of respect, he said. Mayor David Martins Multicultural Council is partnering with UFJ and the Interfaith Council on Mondays event. The divisive language being used by some on the national stage is not representative of most Americans or Stamford residents," the mayor said Wednesday. We celebrate our diversity here in Stamford and see it as a strength. Heichler said she hoped the event would be just one of several events aimed at promoting tolerance among the regionss religious communities. (Monday will) be an uplifting evening, but I hope itll have a life beyond that, said Heichler. The Interfaith Council is already planning a forum entitled A conversation with our muslim neighbors, she said. I always have been at home in restaurants. It began during the 1970s with trips to my grandfathers place, Risolis Steakhouse in Harrison, N.Y., where I would sneak behind the bar to fool around with the soda gun or gobble up maraschino cherries until I was high on sugar. As a child growing up in Fairfield, there were family celebrations and holidays spent at Dogwoods (later Sidetracks) and the Golden House in Westport, and weekend afternoons at the Center in downtown Fairfield and the Villanova in the Southport section of Fairfield, where my fathers softball team would gather after games. As a teen, I lolled about at Howard Johnsons, lingering over cheap bowls of ice cream and coffee refills so that I could justify occupying the booth. I only hope I left a decent tip. Not long after, I began waitressing at Friendlys in Southport, after an unsuccessful attempt at the Pie Plate. When I was legal, Id hang out at Als Place and the Lemon Tree Lounge in Southport. I wish I had made it to Ottavios (for the Candy Man alone), but I managed to visit the Driftwood Lounge before it closed, a young persons bucket-list item. One might say it was the kind of bar that time forgot, but time did catch up with it, as well as the other restaurants mentioned here. Restaurants are more than the building or decor. They become beloved because of who is in the kitchen or behind the bar, setting down your meal or sitting in the seat beside you. Patti Woods, a fellow 1988 Fairfield High School alum, recently wrote The Lost Restaurants of Fairfield (Arcadia Publishing, $21.99). My stroll down memory lane began with her advice: This is just a start. Your personal stories and memories complete the picture. Use this book as a tool. Ask your friends what they remember, what their favorite restaurant was and what dish they really wish they could have just one more time. You might be surprised just how long the conversation lasts. Here are a few excerpts: The apple (pie) in the towns eyes With its yellow and brown decor; big, shiny globe light bulbs and glass display cases, the Pie Plate restaurant (operated by former baker and owner Art Green) was the place to get dessert from the early 1970s through the early 1990s. Set in a strip mall near The Circle, the Pie Plate was more than just pies. The large menu offered diners everything from soup and sandwiches to full meals. But of course, it was the pie that attracted people. We were always busy, said Beth Herde, a waitress at the Pie Plate from 1977 to 1980. I can remember times when the line was out the door. On the regular menu, there was apple, of course, and other fruit pies such as blueberry, peach, strawberry rhubarb, apricot, pineapple and cherry. For a short time in the summer, fresh strawberry pies were available. .... Then there were the cream and custard pies: banana, banana fudge, chocolate, black bottom, pineapple, coconut, apple, blueberry and cherry. Then there were the prize pies pecan, mince, pumpkin, cream cheese with fruit, lemon meringue, chocolate nut chiffon, strawberry chiffon and coconut custard. Pie was served by the slice, and for an extra 20 cents, you could have your pie in true New England style and add a slice of Swiss or cheddar cheese. People really liked the Dutch apple pie, said Herde. Glitz and glamour On May 27, 1963, what had once been a supermarket ... reopened as the towns ritziest banquet hall Ottavios, named after (owner Otto) Veglios father. After a remodeling job that cost over $100,000, the former grocery store (where Circle Diner sits today) was converted into a 12,000-foot red-carpeted facility with accommodations for up to 700 diners. Ottavios was decked out in a Mediterranean theme, and fold away partitions divided the dining area into four separate rooms. Each meal would start with hors doeuvres, followed by manicotti or antipasto, sherbet and an entree: lobster tails, surf and turf, roast beef, prime rib, filet mignon, boneless stuffed chicken, poulet au champagne, chicken Francaise, veal Milanase, veal Francaise or veal cordon bleu. We did everything New York style, said Veglio. Fairfield never saw a Venetian table until I brought it in. In addition to a spread of desserts, another option for parties was the Candy Man a waiter who would offer lemon ice and a cart full of candy while Sammy Davis Jr.s The Candy Man played over the speakers. The end of an era Fairfields downtown had two working-class neighborhood bars that achieved local legendary status (before both closing in 2006). Als Place had been a bar since 1935. The Driftwood opened in 1967. (The Driftwood) was far from fancy. The wood-paneled room had a bar and a few tables. A coat rack was available to hang your jacket, and photos and beer signs lined the walls. Behind the bar, bottles were lined up, along with American flags and a sign that said, I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesnt look good either. If you wanted a beer or a Canadian Club and water, this might be your place. A glass of wine or a fancy martini? Youd best move along. Behind the bar, Millie Larsen poured drinks from day one. In the 1950s, she worked down the street as a bartender at Rudys (now Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill). She settled into the Driftwood, where her regular patrons called her Mom. On Sundays, she would cook a buffet, which she would serve up for free to patrons so they wouldnt drink on empty stomachs. It was the kind of place where, instead of playing pool or darts, youd sit and shoot the breeze. One of the things that made this such a good bar was that we did not have that many fist fights, she was quoted as saying in the Connecticut Post. I mean, there were a few, but there was always somebody here whod break it up. Reprinted with permission from The Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, by Patti Woods. www.arcadiapublishing.com. chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy Who vets your photo captions to be sure that they describe accurately the full context of what the photo shows? Judging by the Feb. 15 edition, the shocking answer is no one. In that edition, your newspaper ran a photo of the funeral of an Arab terrorist shot in the act of trying to murder Israelis. Your caption read, West Bank: Family members mourn while taking a last look at their brother who was fatally shot by Israeli forces Sunday during his funeral in the village of Abadiya, near Bethlehem, Monday. Your caption does not explain why he was shot, and that he was trying to stab people to death. The actual facts of the story appeared in the New York Times: ... at a West Bank security checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a Palestinian gripping a knife ran at Israeli paramilitary border police officers, and an officer shot and killed him, Israeli police said. No Israelis were injured. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian as 17-year-old Naim Safi of Abadiya village, near Bethlehem. My grandchildren asked me why your newspaper was trying to make Israel look bad. I had no answer for them. Do you? Rosette Liberman Milford Ian relief: Deadline extended for property tax payments Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order delaying the payment of property taxes across 26 Florida counties struggling from impact of Hurricane Ian. COURTESY OF DESOTO Central Towers was purchased by the University in 1974. It was later renamed Richardson after John W. Richardson, who served as the president of Memphis State University, now called the University of Memphis, in 1974. He was perviously the dean of the graduate school for more than 12 years. COURTESY OF DESOTO Richardons female resident advisors pose for a photo outside Richardson Towers in 1983. A Central Avenue and Patterson Street will be missing a nearly 45-year-old landmark.A COURTESY OF DESOTO Many students have chained their bikes in front of Richardson over the past few decades. This photo was taken in 1975 and published in the Desoto with the caption, Some unfortunates had two wheels instead of four. Richardson Towers, a student resident hall at the University of Memphis since the late 1960s, will be demolished during the summer. While the halls may be empty and the students who lived in it long gone, many alumni still remember the dorm as a hot spot for student activity.A aAside from the fire drills, towers was adef a the place to be,a said James Rudolph, a business management graduate from the U of M who lived at Richardson Towers from the fall of 1997 to the spring of 1999.A aMy stay in Towers was a great experience. There was a good sense of community,a Rudolph said. aSeveral floors competed in intramurals, which caused lots of healthy competition. To this day, I see former residents of Towers around town, and, while I might not have known them personally, we recognize each other from those days, making it easier to strike up a conversation.aA Although Richardson was not the dorm everyone wanted to live in, at one time it was definitely the dorm everyone came to akick it,a said Brittany Dawson, graduate assistant in the Office of Student Conduct.A During Dawsonas undergraduate career, she lived in Richardson Towers from 2007 through 2010. Before the University Center, the aTowersa was the place to be.A aTowers has important history to the U of M,a she said. aIt was home to a lot of students and their friends, and a lot of memories and friendships were made there. I definitely want a brick from the building once they start to knock it down.aA Dawson said one winter she will never forget at Richardson was during finals week when it snowed several inches, and someone kept pulling the fire alarm.A aIt was around one-ish in the morning,a she said. aI know we left the building at least three times. Imagine all of us outside in the snow, freezing, at 1 a.m. in pajamas and study clothes.aA Issues with students pulling fire alarms were a constant occurrence at Richardson, explained Tyler Ricossa who lived there in 2009.A aI loved living in Richardson Towers, minus the inevitable fire alarms.a Ricossa said. aIt was nice living in a collective space with all of my friends and fellow emerging leaders.aA Between false alarms, Ricossa said he found the love of his life in Richardson.A aThe first time my wife and I met was in Richardson Towers North,a Ricossa said. aWe are sad to see it goaRichardson will always hold a special place in our hearts.aA Delaina Carreras, U of M sophomore studying graphic design, lived in Richardson Towers in the fall of 2015 and said the longstanding dorm has definitely seen better days.A aRichardson Towers was the last dorm everyone wanted to live in being that it was so old,a Carreras said. aMy experience overall at Richardson Towers has taught me a lot about appreciating dorms and dorm life in a new way in a new sense, being that it was Richardson Toweras last year standing. Itas bittersweet to an extent that it will be torn down in the summer, but maybe itas good to retire the old and bring in the new.aA Jim Garrison lived in Richardson Towers, then known as Central Towers, in 1969. Garrison moved to Memphis from Nashville to attend the U of M, known then as Memphis State University. He said Richardson was a amore modern place to live,a as many of the other dorms at the time were older.A Garrison said living at Richardson was convenient for him because he did not own a car while he was a student. He said he liked being able to stay on campus to get food and do laundry.A John Langlois is the CEO of Walker Baptist Hospital in Jasper, Alabama.A He said he did not remember much about Richardson when he lived there around 1984. He did say he could recall acountless fire alarms in the middle of the night ... and watching space shuttle challenger coverage in the lobby.aA Jay Adkins, a photographer and adjunct professor at the U of M, lived in Richardson from 1989 to 1990.A aI canat really talk about [my experience living there], but we aged Danny Armitage prematurely,a said Adkins, laughing. During his time living at Richardson, Armitage, now the U of Mas dean of students, lived in an apartment on the first floor of the building.A Richardson is being knocked down after Centennial Place opened in January of 2016. The towers were built in the 1960s but the University did not use the entire building until 1974. Richardson was able to house over 1,000 students, while Centennial holds approximately 700. Presidential candidate Donald Trump is likely coming to Memphis, according to officials in his West Tennessee campaign. In an attempt to court the Mid- South vote, the business moguls campaign recently informed Memphians he will be holding a rally in the birthplace of rock n roll. Though the exact date for his arrival has yet to be announced, Terry Roland, the honorary chairman for Trumps West Tennessee campaign, said the presidential candidate would probably make an appearance some time before the Tennessee Republican Primaries on Mar. 1. Theyll give me 48 hours notice, Roland said. They will set up a venue. Then theyll release it to me, and Ill release it to the public. A location for the rally has yet to be determined, but Roland listed the Agricenter, FedExForum, Canon Center and Convention Center as possibilities. Roland also said he and others have high hopes for the citys reaction to Trump. Im excited, he said. I think hell get a good response. A lot of people think hell get a good response. Roland and other local supporters may be looking forward to Trumps appearance, but there are plenty of University of Memphis students who stand opposed to the former reality TV star. Abeer Abdelrahim, 18, a biomedical engineering freshman, is a devout Muslim who plans events for the Muslim Student Association. She said she doesnt understand how others could support a candidate whom she considers to be intolerant towards Islamic faith. With such bigotry so publicly displayed, we thought he was going to be kicked out, she said. But then his polls went up. Abdelrahim is worried the event might be dangerous for Muslims. Its not quite safe for us to go, she said. Some might wonder why Trump would choose to campaign in Memphis, a city that usually votes Democrat. But Eric Groenendyk, a U of M political science professor who specializes in American politics, said he thinks he has an answer. The city of Memphis tends to be a heavily Democratic area, he said. But the surrounding areas tend to be strongly Republican. Therefore, there are plenty of votes to court in the area. Roland can back up Groenendyks theory, as he has received inquiries about Trumps appearance from several surrounding regions. Ive got people calling me from Texas, from Arkansas and from Tennessee, he said. People from Jackson are bringing buses in. There are also some Memphians who support Trump. Brett James, 21, a mechanical engineering junior from Memphis, said hes excited about the prospect of a Trump rally in Memphis. That would be cool to go to, he said. And I do think Trump is crazy. But I think its the kind of crazy that could shake up the government and make things happen. Another student who is considering attending Trumps rally is Shawn Mufti, 21, a communications junior from Memphis. However, Mufti, who is also a Muslim, said he disagrees with Trump. I think if Donald Trump wants to come to Memphis, thats perfectly fine, he said. I would go to his rally because its important that we take the time to listen to ideas that are different from ours, even if that means listening to viewpoints or ideas that you consider controversial, offensive or highly offensive. Austin Anderson Noor Taylor explains to University of Memphis students that, contrary to popular belief, the hijab is worn as a choice by Islamic women to show religious commitment, not because they are forced to. Students from the Muslim Student Association talked faith and religious garb Tuesday during their celebration of World Hijab Day.A The international day gave University of Memphis students a chance to try on a headscarf and also helped students at the U of M understand why Muslim women wear headscarves, said Noor Taylor, 22, criminal justice senior and member of the Muslim student group.A aA lot of people donat know or are confused about why we wear hijabs,a Taylor, who has worn a hijab for nearly three years, said.A Some people assume that women are forced to wear a hijab by their families, Taylor said.A aIn Islam, women are supposed to wear a hijab, but itas not forced,a she said. aItas for those who are ready to submit completely to God.aA Taylor, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, discovered Islam when she was 17-years-old. Sheas the only person in her family to convert to Islam.A There are plenty of Muslim women who do not wear hijabs, as wearing them can sometimes be difficult, Taylor said. When Taylor started wearing a hijab, she immediately noticed some people she once thought were her friends stopped hanging out with her.A aA lot of people asked me aWhen did you become Muslim?aa she said. aI gained a lot of friends as well, but religion should not separate people.aA The first six months of wearing a headscarf was a struggle, Taylor said. But she became comfortable with it and began to see this religious practice as an important part of her faith.A aWomen are the face of Islam,a Taylor said. aWhen you see a Muslim man, they may not know right away that heas Muslim. They see him as a person. But when someone sees me, they automatically know Iam a Muslim. We are recognizable instantly.aA Being the face of anything can be very stressful but also important, Taylor said.A aPeople are going to look to you to see what you do,a she said.A Austin Anderson Freshman LLC resident, Rylie Gordon, is forced to wash his hair in the sink before class because it is the only source of warm water in his hall. Many students are complaining they cannot get a hot shower at the Living Learning Complex, the University of Memphisa honors dorm.A Students in some areas of the building have been unable to get hot water for weeks now. It is unclear how many floors are experiencing water problems, as not all students at the LLC are having these issues.A Aretha Milligan, associate director of U of Mas Residence Life and Housing, said she had little information to share about the LLCas freezing water complaints.A aWe donat know exactly what the problem is right now, but I can say we are working on this issue, and it will be resolved,a Milligan said.A After spending thousands of dollars to live on campus, water temperature problems are the last things residents want to look forward to after a long day of classes, said Allison Todd, 21, an international studies and foreign language major.A aI have one thing to say a I need hot water, and I need it now,a Todd said, while appearing exasperated and shaking her hands.A Todd is one of many residents who said they feel ripped off after weeks of cold showers and muddy faucet water.A The LLC is exclusively for honors and scholar students. It is one of the U of Mas newer dorms and is more expensive than most, with rent starting at $2,580 per semester. The resident hall can house about 500 students. There were 387 students living there in the fall semester.A aWe shouldnat have to pay all of this money for housing and have no hot water,a Todd, who lives on the north side of the second floor in the LLC, said. aAdministration has not even addressed why the situation is occurring.aA Another resident, Caleb Carter, 19, international studies freshman, said, despite his multiple complaints made to LLC administration, water problems still exist.A aWeave been experiencing water issues on my wing for weeks now,a Carter, who also lives on the north side of the second floor, said.A Carter added that after complaining to his resident advisor, he was told to let the cold water run, and it would eventually turn hot. But after following those instructions, he said the water remained acold as ice.aA Students were warned Saturday the hot water would be shut off from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day in order to fix miscellaneous plumbing issues. However, even after the time period allotted, the problem still persisted.A David Bonilla, 19, business freshman from Memphis, said he could not remember the last time he was able to take a hot shower. He said he has even tried running the shower for hours at a time in hopes of hot water but still came up with the same results.A aThe plumbing issues are very inconveniencing,a Bonilla, who lives on the second floor, said. aIave tried to take quick showers, and, in some instances, Iave had to make a drive home on the weekends just for a hot one.aA Bonilla said the University should locate the issue and fix the problem as soon as possible.A aItas cold outside, wet and muddy,a Bonilla said. aAfter a long day at school we just want a hot shower - thatas all.aA BAILEY CLARK David Rudd, the president of the University of Memphis, spoke to the faculty senate Tuesday, to address the concerns faculty members had about the Focus Act. This act would separate the U of M from the Tennessee Board of Regents and form an independant board. University of Memphis president David Rudd announced in a faculty senate meeting Tuesday the U of M will be separating from the Tennessee Board of Regents and creating its own independent governing board.A aThis will happen,a he said. aThere has not been opposition to it, this clearly will move forward, and it will move forward in relatively rapid pace.aA The separation, which U of M officials have been working towards for decades, will give the University an opportunity to lobby independently and improve as not only a college but also as a research facility comparable to the University of Tennessee.A Despite the possible financial boost, some members of the faculty senate were concerned about the repercussions an independent board could have.A One professor said he was uneasy about the new boardas loyalty to the school, implying they could put personal interests above the school.A But Rudd assured the professor and others that measures would be taken to prevent this, and the new board would be selected by faculty, with both a faculty member and student being included on the board.A The University of Memphis is different from other schools within the Tennessee Board of Regents, which is made up primarily of community colleges, Rudd said. In the past year, TBR has taken funds the U of M has earned and distributed it to other schools, Rudd said.A With its own governing board, the U of M could lobby for funds independently from TBR, without the possibility of that money going to another university, Rudd said.A The school could save money in the split as well. The U of M currently pays $2.5 million to TBR, but under its own board that number could go down to $1 million.A An independent governing board would allow U of M to focus on its own needs without getting bogged down in the problems of the 45 other TBR universities.A aIt would allow us to re-direct the quality and expansion of what we do that is critical to higher education,a Rudd said. aThat becomes special.aA Lifestyle | Daily Life | News | The Sydney Morning Herald Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss It is a sordid story that says so much about our times. Enthused by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the notorious paedophile Tom OCarroll, who has campaigned for sex with children as young as four to be legalised, applies to join the Labour Party. Despite the fact the ex-chairman of the Paedophile Information Exchange was facing charges for gross indecency with a child at the time, his membership was rubber-stamped by a hopelessly lax party HQ last September. Sordid: Enthused by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn (left), the notorious paedophile Tom OCarroll (right), who has campaigned for sex with children as young as four to be legalised, applied to join the Labour Party Thus OCarroll who had the support of Harriet Harman, Patricia Hewitt and the current shadow police minister Jack Dromey for his vile crusade in the 1970s and 80s, when they were leading lights in the National Council for Civil Liberties was back in the Labour fold. The fact that Miss Harman has never apologised for backing this evil man and that he was able to rejoin Labour so easily in order to support Mr Corbyn raises disturbing questions. Indeed, the suspicion is that his membership was only suspended yesterday because the Press had found out about it. What is equally instructive, however, is the revelation that OCarroll also attended a meeting of Hacked Off a bunch of zealots determined to stop the free Press exposing wrongdoing. Hacked Off, of course, is backed by Max Mosley who has never forgiven the News of the World for revealing his spanking sessions with prostitutes. Is it so surprising that OCarroll beat a path to its door? Luvvie actress: Emma Thompson described Britain as 'a cake-filled misery-laden grey old island' Sneering at Britain With depressing predictability, the CBI today publishes a letter in which it claims there is a compelling case for Britain remaining inside the EU. What the letter fails to point out is that if the EU-funded CBI had previously got its way the UK would now be chained to the job-destroying euro. Meanwhile, the luvvie actress Emma Thompson accompanied her own declaration of support for EU membership with an astonishing attack on Britain, which she described as a tiny little cloud-bolted, rainy corner of sort-of Europe, a cake-filled misery-laden grey old island. With friends like the CBI and Miss Thompson, a self-declared European who seems to loathe her own country, the Remain campaign doesnt need enemies. The pro-EU camp leapt opportunistically on Prince William's remark about being able to 'unite in common action with other nations is essential' Mixed royal message It is denied by No 10 and Kensington Palace, but if Prince William did seek to intervene in the referendum debate three days before David Cameron is due to stitch up his EU deal, it would be an act of unacceptable political meddling by a supposedly neutral royal figurehead. The pro-EU camp leapt opportunistically on his remark that in an increasingly turbulent world, our ability to unite in common action with other nations is essential. But the Prince also said that Britain has always been an outward looking nation that has sought to explore what is beyond the horizon. In other words, Britain has always been a free-trading nation, at its best when not confined by the narrow, Statist, over-regulated and arthritic European Union. The Mail could not have put it better. We often hear stories about near-death experiences, but a group of surviving coma victims have taken to social media to reveal what it really feel likes to wake up after one. A curious Reddit user took to the social media channel to ask people what it was like entering the world again after being in a long coma - and the thread has attracted hundreds of responses. From believing they were in a different country, hallucinations and simply wanting to go back to sleep again, there were some mixed - and fascinating - results. Scroll down for video A curious Reddit user took to the social media channel to ask people what it was like entering the world again after being in a long coma - and the thread has attracted hundreds of responses Many of those who responded recalled stories of people seeing some sort of 'white light' before waking up People who have been in comas often speak about 'white tunnel' moments, and a number of people in the thread shared also similar experiences, as well as recalling feelings of being trapped in their bodies, before eventually waking up. Epic_panda, who had been in a serious car accident, explained that she woke up 'extremely confused and crying' in an intensive care unit, thinking she was still dating her high school boyfriend and 'couldn't understand' why he wasn't with her. She later got back with the boyfriend, after her family asked him meet up with her in the hope it might help her get her memory back. She continued: 'But what I do remember from the coma was that I was standing in a white room, it felt like I was waiting for something, but I didn't know what. But not everyone remembers feeling an outer body experience, with many people's memories entirely blank before, during and after the coma 'But the worst memory was when I was still in a coma and I could feel people hold my hand and I could feel the nurses bathing me, but I couldn't move or open my eyes, I just couldn't do anything and it was terrifying! 'I could feel the nurses washing my hair and body, and I just wanted to wake up because I felt violated.' In response, Romanticheart recalled a similar experience their father had. 'My dad basically died twice within the past year or so, heart just stopped and my mom had to basically beat him back to life. Fun times. 'But what he remembers from both times is being in a white room, that felt to him like a waiting room at the doctors or something, there were other people around he didn't know, and he could occasionally hear what sounded like a voice over a PA system but he doesn't remember what it said. 'He also said that he could hear my mom yelling at him and feel her hitting him, while he was sitting in that "waiting room".' A handful of people recalled stories of themselves or relatives waking up thinking they were in a different country TheDeadManWalks, who was in a coma due to a life-threatening case of internal bleeding, likened waking up to wading through water. They said: 'The first few days was a genuine coma, after that it was induced by the doctors with ketamine. Waking up was kind of like emerging from deep waters. It took me a few days to actually be fully aware, I attribute that to the meds. 'Before that, it felt like time was skipping at random. The last proper memory I had was being surrounded by doctors on a table with these insanely bright high-powered lights pointed at me. I was sweating from the heat of them but still felt like I was freezing, because of all the blood I'd lost. 'Then I remember a doctor cauterising my nose to stop the blood coming from there and even through all the pain of my body trying to tear itself apart, having a white-hot chunk of whatever shoved into my nose was still enough to make me scream. 'After that I was out for at least a week, then I started to come round for a few moments at a time.' Meanwhile others thought they had aged 40 years, or became obsessed with gaming character Mario User wisemanKSig was among those to detail his experience during and after a medically induced coma due to a skin-destroying condition known as Steven Johnson Syndrome, caused by an adverse reaction to antibiotics. 'There was no "waking up" phenomenon. One day I remember some flashes of light. Next day a few minutes. Etc,' the survivor said. Recalling hallucinating on the drugs administered for treatment, they 'essentially had no idea what was going on for at least a week.' 'For example, I was convinced the heart rate monitor was playing the Mario theme song and they had brought me Mario to play. The nurse wasn't happy after I kept asking to play,' they added. Fellow users were fascinated by the story, and so the user recalled some more - including an being convinced they were in Taiwan rather than Philadelphia due to the hallucinations. Many of the people who replied to the thread recalled vivid hallucinations, which have stayed with them for years to come 'So I thought they were speaking Taiwanese at me. Hilarious. My dad was very confused when I kept asking him why they sent us to Taiwan. One of them was f***ing horrifying and still bugs me to this day. 'They were all like weird extremely vivid dreams but I have no idea if I was sleeping or awake or whatever,' wisemanKsig said. Fears of being in another country was a common theme, and other users recalled similar experiences either they or their relatives had encountered. Abngeek wrote: 'My uncle had a similar hallucinatory experience coming out of a medically induced coma after a horrible car accident. He was at Washoe Medical Center in Reno [Nevada, America] - he kept hearing the name and thought he was being held captive by Indians. 'He was restrained due to his extensive injuries and intubation, kept making a scissors gesture with his fingers. Later we found out he was trying to ask people for scissors so he could cut himself free and escape.' One person recalled a heartbreaking story of waking up after a house fire in which their brother died Meanwhile, RogueVenus replied: 'When my grandfather came out of a coma after a bad fall, he kept asking to be sent back to an American hospital - I wonder if he was experiencing something like this.' Meanwhile, user Kreth recalled thinking they had woken up in Spain. User CyberClawX said he also experienced hallucinations after being in a coma following a horrific motorcycle accident in which he lost an arm but was lucky to even survive. He said: 'My coma hallucinations were pretty bad, I kept trying to fight everyone, everyone (friends, family and doctors). 'They strapped me to the bed so I wouldn't hurt anyone or myself. When I finally stopped hallucinating, I was so tired of running away, and fighting (think Inception, or dreams, I felt I was in there for months), that I didn't even care much for the fact I had lost an arm, I was just glad it was over.' Some people described feeling like they had been waiting in a 'white room' while they were in the coma Meanwhile, user YouWerentTalkingToMe, who was in a coma after a car accident, said: 'I was in a coma for two months, scored a three on the Glasgow Coma Scale. (That's the lowest you can get, if I woke up they thought I'd be a vegetable or paralysed for sure.) 'All the doctors were shocked I lived, they've since told me. But when I "woke up" from the two month coma I was scared. 'There was Happy Birthday banner on the wall of the hospital so the first thought that came to my mind is. 'Holy s**t, what happened?" My second question I asked myself is, "how old am I?" I didn't know what to do or how to find out what happened so my third bright idea was to look at the back of my hands to see if they'd aged a lot The 28-year-old woman said: 'For some reason 60 years kept running through my head, like I was 60-years-old. I could tell I was in the hospital because of the room and I had a neck brace on, so I tried to stand up to walk to a mirror and realised I couldn't walk. 'Then, my next brilliant idea was just to scream as loud as I could so someone would know I was awake. 'I tried to scream but no sound came out (I later found out the second intubation paralysed a vocal cord.) I didn't know what to do or how to find out what happened so my third bright idea was to look at the back of my hands to see if they'd aged a lot.' After seeing that they looked about the same, she decided to go back to sleep. 'The backs of my hands looked about the same so I thought at most it had probably been a few years. I knew there was nothing I could do and was tired, so I just decided to go back to sleep. But...it felt like I just woke up in the morning and no time had passed,' she added. User l2ob, who was in a coma for three weeks due to a traumatic brain injury, wrote: 'I don't remember waking up. I actually don't remember the whole first week and a half after waking up, so I only go off of how people tell me I was. 'I do have a memory of believing that I was actually probably put under for a number of years and that my loved ones were trying to make me think it was only three weeks, and that something terrible had happened and they didn't want me to find out...I guess it made me paranoid during that time? ' Matt1519, from the UK, said: 'I was hallucinating for five days straight 24/7. During the day I was having loving and warm hallucinations while my family, close friends and loved ones were around me during visiting hours. But when they had to leave my visions because very dark and completely unbelievable however, to me, they were extremely convincing. 'I'm not talking wavy shapes and fuzzy things. I'm talking genuinely convincing things that were happening to me. 'As a man of science I was constantly questioning them but It was just so real to me. To the point where I still question if maybe it genuinely did happen to me. 'While I was in the coma I died twice and yes I had the crazy white light experience however not in the tradition tunnel story. 'I also had out of body experiences. For weeks after I had awful nightmares, really really graphic stuff and some very very emotive nightmares.' In a heartbreaking story, Reddit user Schlike, aged 17, told the thread about their experience of waking up from a coma following a house fire when they were six. Their brother died in the blaze They said: 'I think I was in a coma for about a month. I remember going to bed the night before (the fire happened in the room I was sleeping in at night). 'My first memory of waking up, I remember thinking everything was normal and had no idea what I had missed. I remember getting this box of letters wishing me well and had no idea the amount of time I had missed.' Luxury beauty treatments, a free holiday and toilet paper worth close to $400 - it would be worth going to the Oscars simply to get the goodie bag. The lavish pack, worth more than $260,000, is gifted to Hollywood's leading stars - and one Australian brand is in on the action. Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt, of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, founded memobottle - a re-usable water bottle shaped like a piece of paper. The unique design was slipped in to the hands of A-listers as part of this year's goodie bag, making it one of Hollywood's hottest accessories. Scroll down for video In the bag: Australian entrepreneurs Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt had their memobottle placed in this year's Oscars goodie bag Innovative design: The bottle is shaped like an A5 or A6 piece of paper so it can easily slip in to your bag Bottled fame: Memobottle founders Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt of Victoria have made their product one of this year's hottest accessories Unlike regular round water bottles, the memobottle is shaped like an A5 or A6 piece of paper. The innovative designs was created to slip in to your handbag alongside your laptop, tablet, books and purse. 'Bottles hadn't changed shape in decades yet tablets, laptops and computer bags were all flat in their design,' Mr Leeworthy said. 'Round bottles just didn't fit with our modern lives. So, we decided to flip the equation.' Slim fit: The shape of the memobottle allows it to be easily slipped in to your bag alongside laptops, tablets or books Environmentally friendly: They hope the re-usable design will help combat the damaging effects of today's throw-away society The bottle's founders said they initially came up with the idea for a re-usable bottle as a way to join the fight against today's throw-away society. 'To really break people's habits around single-use drink bottles we had to offer something that was truly convenient, beautiful and sustainable in design,' Mr Leeworthy said. By gifting the item in the Oscars goodie bag they hoped memobottle would reach the likes of Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. Social influencers: The founders were excited the memobottle would be gifted to Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and Matt Damon (right) who are involved in charity work Celebrity effect: 'They are using their vast influence to shed light on environmental issues that need addressing,' Mr Byrt said 'Getting the memobottle in the hands of actors like Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio is exciting for us on many levels,' Mr Byrt said. 'These are people who are enormously passionate about environmental and social causes. 'Matt works tirelessly with his charity Water.org and Leo is doing incredible social and climate related work with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. 'They are using their vast influence to shed light on environmental issues that need addressing.' 'Cloud-like tissue': Also in the Oscars goodie bag was JOSEPH'S Toiletries luxury toilet paper (centre) worth close to $400, compared to generic toilet paper (right) Time to travel: The priciest item in the Oscars goodie bag was a ten-day first-class trip with Explore Israel worth $76,400 (pictured is the Israeli city of Jerusalem) Round the world: Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy, also contributed a gift to the luxurious swag bag (left) that also included a 15-day walking tour of Japan (file photo, right) The lavish Oscar goodie bags are only given to the nominees for the main acting and directing categories. This year's freebies included more than $7000 worth of laser skin-tightening procedures, a five star holiday, a walking tour of Japan and a chance to climb Mount Fuji valued at more than $62,000 and a 10-day first class trip to Israel worth $76,400. A woman's Facebook post praising a restaurant manager's decision to give a free meal to a woman with learning difficulties when her card was declined has gone viral. Lisa Wilks was dining with her husband Jeremy and children in Pizza Express, Surbiton, when they noticed that a fellow diner who 'clearly had special needs' was unable to pay for her meal. The mother said that while the waitress was 'very kind', Jeremy immediately offered to pay for the stranger's dinner - only for the restaurant manager Alex Prince to settle the bill himself. Scroll down for video Lisa and Jeremy Wilks were dining at Pizza Express, Surbiton, when the incident happened. After sharing her story on social media about the manager's generosity, her post went viral with more than 40,000 likes After explaining that he was authorised to give away two free meals per month, Alex approached Lisa and her family and offered to pay for their meal, too. Lisa said she was 'absolutely dumbfounded', adding that she had 'never heard of any chain restaurant behaving in such a generous way'. After she posted her message on Facebook, it was shared 3,500 times in 22 hours - and five days later, it has gone viral with more than 20,000 shares and 40,000 likes. Lisa, who encouraged friends to share it, said she was 'staggered' by the response. Her post in full read: 'We took the kids for dinner at Pizza Express. There was a very friendly lady dining alone at the next table who clearly had special needs. When the time came for her to pay the bill, her bank card was declined. 'We were absolutely dumbfounded!' Lisa said she was blown away by the Pizza Express manager's generosity 'The waitress told to her, in a very kind way, that there was a problem but that she would call her manager for help.Jeremy immediately leapt up and told the waiting staff that we would pay for the lady's meal. 'However, when the manager arrived, he explained to the lady that she couldn't use her bank card to pay, but that there was no need to worry; Pizza Express authorises the restaurant to give away two free meals per month and that, on this occasion, they would like to provide her with a free meal. 'She was extremely grateful and apologetic that she had been unable to pay, We were relieved that the lady had been treated in such a dignified way and that she was not placed in a difficult position. 'Then, the manager approached our table. He said that, as we had shown such generosity, he would like to donate the second free meal that the restaurant was able to offer to us! We were absolutely dumbfounded! Assistant manager Alex Prince gave a woman with learning difficulties a free meal after her card was declined 'That is amazing': Lisa was inundated with likes, shares and comments after posting the story on Facebook 'I have never heard of any chain restaurant behaving in such a generous way. We were quite overcome. I made sure that the lady was able to get home OK then we thanked the staff and left ourselves.' She added: 'I think Pizza Express, and in particular the manager of the Surbiton branch, deserve a massive pat on the back. I told the manager that my younger son has special needs and that I was really impressed by how the restaurant had treated this special case. 'I said that I would share the story on social media. So here it is!' According to Kingston News, assistant manager Alex Prince, 25, said: 'I never expected it to blow up like this. It was just a chance to brighten up someones day. 'When the father came up and offered to pay her bill, well, that to me was such an act of generosity. We have had people unable to pay before but I have never seen someone else offer to pay like that. 'We were saving the blank cheques for a special occasion but when the dad stepped in and did that I just thought, "Theres our second blank cheque right there".' Commenting on her post, Neil Robert Wishard wrote: Lisa that is amazing and beautiful tor read, while Sarah Nendick said: Lovely story isnt it nice to think that some big corporates still have a heart! Alice Stow added: Great story! So glad there are people like generous Jeremy and the pizza express manager in the world! Lisa encouraged friends to share the post, and it quickly went viral. However, the assistant manager at Pizza Express insisted that Lisa's husband, Jeremy, had been the generous one after offering to pick up the bill Another friend wrote: Hearing stories like that completely restores my faith in the world. Lovely! Other friends said her story had reduced them to tears, while Joanna commented: Brilliant that Pizza Express has such a good attitude. Lisa added: 'He could easily have made his own life easier by giving the free meal to a customer who was complaining or being difficult, but instead he chose to do something better. 'The waitress serving the lady also deserves a mention as she treated the lady in question with such kindness sensitivity. 'As parent of an autistic child, I always notice the way that people with special needs are treated. She went make-up free while attending engagements in Pakistan but Queen Maxima of The Netherlands has gone back to her usual high-glamour look today. The 44-year-old Argentinian-born royal stepped out in a elegant light burgundy coat to visit debt relief organisation Buddy in Leiden. The national agency helps people who have got into financial trouble or are at risk of exclusion. A polished Maxima paired her sophisticated outerwear, which had a grey lining and tie-waist belt, with high heels in a matching hue, a large silver cuff and flower-adorned earrings. She went make-up free while attending engagements last week but Queen Maxima of The Netherlands has gone back to her usual high-glamour look today The 44-year-old Argentinian-born royal stepped out in a elegant light burgundy coat to visit debt relief organisation Buddy in Leiden Mother-of-two Maxima, who is married to Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, was presented with a pretty bouquet of red and white roses by representatives from the organisation upon arrival. She smiled warmly at well-wishers who had gathered to greet her and waved at royal fans. Maxima braved the February chill to go bare-legged and kept her day-time make-up look simple with a toned down smoky eye and pale lipstick. Her glossy blonde locks were straightened and left to hang loosely around her shoulders. Mother-of-two Maxima, who is married to Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, was presented with a pretty bouquet of red and white roses by representatives from the organisation upon arrival A polished Maxima paired the sophisticated outerwear, which had a grey lining and waist belt, with matching high heels, a large silver cuff and flower-adorned earrings Maxima greets a member of the public who has arrived with a bouquet of flowers before her engagement Clearly pleased with the warm reception, Maxima makes her way into the debt organisation meeting Famed for her stylish dress sense, Maxima perfectly matched the colour of her coat to her stilettos Maxima has a number of royal engagements coming up over the next few weeks. On February 22 she is due to attend a photography sessions with other members of the royal family in Lech, Austria. On March 7 she will attend a meeting of WOMEN Inc held in Oegstgeest, The Netherlands, and on March 9 she will watch the Leerorkest Anniversary Concert in Amsterdam. Maxima will round off her busy few weeks with a state visit to France on March 10-11. Meanwhile, last week, a fresh-faced Maxima flew to Benazir Bhutto International to meet with the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan at the Serena Hotel. As she stepped off the plane she was greeted by a large group of officiaries who presented her with a colourful scarf. She spent three days in the country as part of her role as UN secretary special advocate for inclusive finance for development. Maxim smiled warmly at well-wishers who had gathered to greet her and waved at royal fans The Dutch Queen was first handed her role of Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance in 2009 by Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon Maxima, who is also the Honorary Patron of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, has been tasked with raising awareness of the benefits of financial systems that also help the poor. In practice, this means improving access to savings, insurance and credit - all of which are particularly important in countries where famine and rising food prices can hit the poorest hard and, in the worst cases, lead to starvation and malnutrition. Access to credit and savings also gives business a boost, and allows small farmers and entrepreneurs in poor countries to strike out on their own and move past subsistence. She's not afraid of being seen in the same outfit twice and today Spain's stylish Queen Letizia donned a pretty pink coat she debuted just weeks ago. The 43-year-old monarch, who hosted several audiences at Madrid's Zarzuela Palace, stepped out in the 'Cosyna' cashmere cocoon coat by her favourite designer, Hugo Boss. The wool/cashmere blend coat has a round neckline with a concealed button placket and two patch slash pockets on the front. It has drop seam sleeves, a dividing seam at the back and small darts at the nape. She's not afraid of being seen in the same outfit twice and today Spain's stylish Queen Letizia donned a pretty pink coat she debuted just weeks ago The 43-year-old monarch, who hosted several audiences at Madrid's Zarzuela Palace, stepped out in the 'Cosyna' cashmere cocoon coat by her favourite designer, Hugo Boss Mother-of-two Letizia paired the elegant jacket with a lace ivory top, tailored grey trousers and burgundy high heeled shoes. Pretty pearl droplet earrings completed the look. She brushed her chic shoulder-length bob behind her ears and kept her day-time make-up simple save for a spot of eye liner. Letizia brushed her chic shoulder-length bob behind her ears and kept her day-time make-up simple save for a spot of eye liner Letizia previously wore the elegant coat to visited the Foundation Against Drug Addiction (FAD) in Madrid on January 12 Letizia greets guests at Madrid's Zarzuela Palace before posing with the group for a photograph Letizia warmly greets a guest, dressed in an off-the-shoulder black jumper and red flare trousers Letizia takes centre stage as she poses amongst guests at the palace before hosting several audiences Letizia previously wore the elegant coat to visited the Foundation Against Drug Addiction (FAD) in Madrid on January 12. Her Majesty became the honorary president of FAD in September, taking on the role from Queen Sofia who served as patron for nearly 30 years. Then, she paired the mid-lenght garment with a plum-coloured Jamayla blazer by Hugo Boss and the label's matching Valessima skirt. It has been a busy week for Letizia, who is mother Leonor, Princess of Asturias, 10, and eight-year-old Infanta Sofia of Spain. Yesterday she stepped out in an elegant ivory suit to meet with the Board of Patronage at the Prado Museum in Madrid alongside her husband King Felipe VI. Letizia paired the elegant jacket with a lace ivory top, tailored grey trousers and burgundy high heeled shoes. Pretty pearl droplet earrings completed the look Letizia is a fan of German designer Hugo Boss, pictured wearing the brand's pink coat, and regularly steps out in their garments Before business got under way, the royal pair were spotted chatting to a group of excited school children who had waited outside of the establishment to greet them. Clearly making an effort for her day of engagements, Letizia donned a chic off-white blazer that nipped in at her slender waist and had a rose emblem on the lapel. This sophisticated jacket was paired with a matching knee-length pencil skirt and a pair of burgundy pointed high-heels. Letizia accessorised the day-time look with a plum-coloured snakeskin clutch bag and silver droplet earrings. BBC police drama Happy Valley has lost 300,000 viewers in a week amid complaints over poor sound quality leaving fans struggling to hear the dialogue. Last week legions of fans took to Twitter when the show returned for its second series to praise the acting talent and writing but were left frustrated by the 'inaudible' and 'mumbling' dialogue. The BBC responded to say it 'worked very hard to ensure everything was audible while keeping the sense of reality and the rawness of the performances', but as the second episode aired last night it seemed the problem showed no signs of abating. Scroll down for video Sarah Lancashire who plays central character WPC Catherine Cawood in the BBC's Happy Valley and while some have praised her acting, others have complained they can't hear her Viewers have taken to Twitter to say the dialogue between the characters is often inaudible Presenter Richard Madeley said he had 'real trouble hearing the dialogue' and his followers agreed saying they had to turn the volume up on their TVs and use subtitles Once again, all talk surrounding the show on social media was about the 'dreadful' volume levels. Some said the poor sound left them questioning their own hearing, while others had to rely on subtitles or turn their volume up to the max to follow the drama. It seems the issue is effecting viewing figures with only 6.2 million tuning in to Tuesday's episode, down from 6.5 million the previous week. TV presenter Richard Madeley was among those who complained on Twitter about the poor sound in this week's episode, starring Sarah Lancashire and James Norton. He wrote: 'Watched the brilliant Happy Valley ep 2 last night BUT anyone else have REAL trouble hearing the dialogue? We had to keep rewinding it.' Many of his followers agreed with Anita Singh replying to say 'yes. I thought it was just my rubbish telly' and Helen Henshaw writing '@richardm56 Was very hard to hear same as last week, we had to put subtitles on #HappyValley' Cath O'Neill added: 'Both episodes of the 2nd series have been dreadful to follow. Can't understand a word.' Meanwhile Marilyn Caley said: '@richardm56 it was a nightmare. If loud enough to hear speaking the music would suddenly blare. Lots of complaints to BBC i heard.' Presenter Gordon Burns added that the mumbling was spoiling a 'fab programme' while another viewer, Michelle, urged the BBC to sort out the 'dreadful sound quality' Happy Valley fans Charlotte Willis and Ruhi Hamid also urged the BBC to sorted out the 'terrible sound' The second series of Sally Wainwright's much anticipated Happy Valley police drama aired on BBC last week Sort out the sound levels! Viewers made a plea to BBC bosses to try and correct faltering audio on Happy Valley before the next episode airs Another TV presenter also weighed in on the issue with former The Krypton Factor host Gordon Burns stating that the poor sound was ruining the show for him. He wrote: 'Having to turn the sound volume up and down like a yoyo...even then can't always make out the mumbling. Spoils a fab programme #HappyValley' Dozens of others sent their own Tweets with Charlotte Willis complaining: 'Had to watch #HappyValley with subtitles last night as couldn't hear dialogue. Best thing on tv. Terrible sound. Sort it @BBCOne' and Ruh Hamid writing: 'Totally agree. Had to do same. I don't understand how they recorded it.' It was a similar story last week when the first episode aired and fans took to Twitter to say that they were struggling to hear the programme because of poor audio levels. Halfway into the hour-long show, the social media site was awash with viewers complaining about key character Sarah Lancashire's 'mumbling' - saying they were finding the drama hard to follow. Brilliant acting, shocking sound quality: Characters were said to be mumbling with some viewers saying the sound levels on the show were 'inaudible' in places (Pictured James Norton, right, who plays Tommy Lee Royce) @Norfolk_Girly was one of those who took to Twitter to complain: '#HappyValley. Enjoyed BUT sound not too good. Bit mumbly in places. Or do I have to speak northern to understand.' Others added their voice with @MariaErrington pleading with the BBC to 'sort the sound levels out please before episode 2' and @WoodsideLodge crediting 'brilliant acting' but 'shocking sound quality - #disappointing.' @JennieLeeCobban wrote: 'Awful muffled sound on the otherwise wonderful #HappyValley. So tired of having to switch volume up almost to maximum to make out dialogue.' @amandajp17 agreed that the sound was 'terrible' while @oldnicodemus was happy that other viewers were experiencing the same problems: 'So it's not just me having trouble with the sound quality of #HappyValley The delightful Sarah Lancashire seems to be mumbling.' @Lisafirth666 added: 'Anyone else finding the sound quality poor on #HappyValley?' It is not the first time a BBC show has faced criticism of this nature, as hundreds of people complained about the sound in Jamaica Inn and crime drama Quirke in 2014. Disappointment: Legions of viewers took to Twitter to say that the poor audio levels led them to not enjoy the first episode of the drama James Norton, fresh from War and Peace, plays chilling psychopath Tommy Lee Royce in Wainwright's gritty cop series Sarah Lancashire reprises her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood serving in the Yorkshire police Is it our hearing or is something wrong? Some viewers said they'd had to turn up the volume when watching Following the complaints last week, the BBC posted a statement on its website which said: 'We received complaints from some viewers who felt that the dialogue was difficult to hear in this episode. 'We worked very hard to ensure everything was audible while keeping the sense of reality and the rawness of the performances. Happy Valley is a drama that has been lauded for its realism and dramatic pathos as such the dialogue is representative of the characters and area in which it is based; and we trust it didnt interfere with the audience enjoyment of the opening episode which was watched by 6.5 million.' In 2013, BBC director-general Tony Hall said the corporation could look at how to stop actors 'muttering' in its TV dramas. 'I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man, but I also think muttering is something we could have a look at,' he said. 'Actors muttering can be testing - you find you have missed a line - you have to remember that you have an audience.' The first series of Happy Valley captured the imagination of viewers, drawing an impressive consolidated audience of 7.8 million for its series one finale. The second portion of the gripping cop drama, written by Last Tango In Halifax's Sally Wainwright, sees James Norton reprise his role as psychotic Tommy Lee Royce. Set in the Yorkshire Valleys, it stars Sarah Lancashire as Royce's nemesis, police sergeant Catherine Cawood. A million miles from Prince Andrei: James Norton, bound for Hollywood after his role in Tolstoy's novel (right), plays a very different character in Wainwright's drama (left) James Norton fans took to Twitter to comment on the stark difference between his two recent roles Poor sound quality aside, the episode doubled up as a celebration of current British acting talent. James Norton, who played Prince Andrei in War And Peace, is cast as violent psychopath Tommy Lee Royce. A million miles away from dashing Andrei Bolkonsky, a role which looks set to catapult 30-year-old Norton to Hollywood stardom, the actor spat and raged while playing the incarcerated rapist. On Twitter, @DrCarlaBanks wrote: 'Struggling to get my head around James Norton as Prince Andrei in #WarAndPeace AND Tommy Lee Royce in #HappyValley - amazing as both.' Fans of Harry Potter were also happy to see a pair of familiar faces and quickly took to Twitter to point out that Happy Valley appeared to have raided Hogwart's acting talent. Actors Matthew Lewis, who starred as Neville Longbottom, and Shirley Henderson who was 'moaning' Myrtle Warren in the blockbuster films of J K Rowling's book both appeared in the first episode of the new six-part series. It's Neville Longbottom! Harry Potter fans couldn't believe their eyes when actor Matthew Lewis made an early appearance in last night's Happy Valley Different spectacles, different role: Actress Shirley Henderson who played 'Moaning Myrtle' in Harry Potter reappears in Happy Valley as Frances Drummond Slew of tweets: Happy Valley fans were delighted to see Neville Longbottom actor Matthew Lewis on their screens last night No longer a footman! Mr Molesley from Downton Abbey (Kevin Doyle) turned up as beleaguered police officer John Wadsworth A celebration of British acting talent: Many familiar faces including former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, left, and actor Kevin Doyle, formerly of Downton Abbey, appear The pair appeared on screen as characters Sean Balmforth (Lewis) and Frances Drummond (Henderson), both who appeared to be heading for trouble in the latest series of Sally Wainwright's BAFTA-winning cop drama which stars Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood. @Eiremay Beatty wrote: 'When you think Happy Valley can't get any better because James Norton's in it, but then Neville Longbottom and Moaning Myrtle show up!' Others looked for some intertextuality between Wainwright's work and JK Rowling's books. @MrDavidEBrown penned: 'Will Neville Longbottom go on a killing spree with Moaning Myrtle? #HappyValley ' @RebeccaLWills noted: 'So, Neville Longbottom might be a serial killer, Mr Molesley is being blackmailed, and Moaning Myrtle is a stalker! Loving #HappyValley' A long way from Hogwart's: Harry Potter fans took to Twitter to comment on Matthew Lewis... but only referred to him as 'Neville' Similarly, @ZoeWelch added: 'Everyone's dreams of Prince Andrei have now been wiped over with nightmares of Tommy Lee Royce #HappyValley' Norton, Lewis and Henderson weren't the only actors that fans recognised though, with former Coronation Street stars Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played transgender Hayley Cropper in the soap and Katherine Kelly, who starred as Becky McDonald on the cobbles, also making an appearance. Elsewhere, fans were quick to declare that Mr Molesley from Downton Abbey had landed in the valley; actor Kevin Doyle plays tortured police officer John Wadsworth, who is already the subject of a salacious blackmail plot. A former-anorexic woman whose weight plummeted to less than six stone after living off just an apple a day has opened her own bakery. Jessica Humphreys, 20, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, spent six months on a psychiatric ward after she cut out food and took on early morning workout sessions to shed weight. After her stretch in Prestwich Hospital's Guinness Unit, Greater Manchester, she enrolled on a catering course at Bury College to improve her relationship with food and beat anorexia once and for all. Scroll down for video Jessica Humphreys, 20, opened her own bakery Jessica's Patisserie in Bolton, Manchester earlier this month. She previously spent six months on a psychiatric ward during her battle with anorexia Jessica (pictured at the height of her anorexia) would get up early in the morning to exercise and cut down what she ate until she was surviving on no more than an apple a day Following months of hard work Jessica opened her own bakery, Jessica's Patisserie, to sell sweet treats in her home town earlier this month. Jessica admits that she was heavily influenced by the media and says she became obsessed with losing weight after seeing skinny models in magazines. She said: 'The anorexia crept up on me and it was only my mum who noticed that something was not right and took me to Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 'I was in denial about it while I was in hospital and I just thought everyone hated me and that they wanted to get me fat. At the height of her illness Jessica (pictured) weighed less that six stone and her heart rate dropped. The 20-year-old admits that she was heavily influenced by the media and says she became obsessed with losing weight after seeing skinny models in magazines Following her GCSEs Jessica (pictured baking in her kitchen) enrolled on a catering course to help improve her relationship with food and her self-esteem 'When doctors told me that I was going to a psychiatric ward I just thought I would be there for a couple of days - I was in there for six months.' Jessica (pictured with her twin sister during her battle with anorexia) was forced to miss most of Year ten at Harper Green School in Bolton and took her GCSEs on the ward The entrepreneur says that in the midst of her illness she was oblivious to her diminishing frame. She said: 'I was looking back at pictures and I just did not think I was that thin and I really was dangerously thin. 'It's scary that I just did not see myself that way and I saw myself as a huge girl. 'I was watching all the modelling films and watching Britain's Next Top Model and reading magazines with skinny women all over them at the time so the media had a huge effect on me. 'I'm a healthy weight now but I don't weigh myself because it might trigger the anorexia again.' Jessica was first diagnosed with the condition after months of early morning exercise sessions using her Wii Fit video game and cutting out foods until she only ate an apple every day. She was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital in 2009 after her heart rate dropped to dangerously low levels and her weight fell below six stone. Doctors issued her with an ultimatum to gain weight in two weeks or she would be admitted to Prestwich Hospital's Guinness Unit, a psychiatric ward. But after refusing to eat, Jessica was admitted to the ward for six months and missed most of Year ten at Harper Green School in Bolton. Jessica, who also has a twin sister called Deanna, took her GCSEs on the ward before attending a Bury College open day in 2011, hoping to fulfil her dreams of becoming a dancer. But after she was hit with a crisis of confidence, she opted to take up a place on a catering course - which transformed her relationship with food to such a degree that she felt able to turn herself into a business owner. Jessica ices cup cakes in her bakery after food helped with her recovery. She said: 'I found it tough at first because the thoughts that were going through my head were "what if this makes me fat?" and I was scared of food but something in my mind told me that it will make me better' Some of Jessica's creations for children's parties, including a bake featuring Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly, right. She said: 'I always wanted to work on my own since I got into cooking at school' Jessica (pictured with one of her creations) opened her own bakery earlier this month and she says that her business is going very well Jessica explained: 'I wanted to be a dancer but my confidence and self-esteem was at such rock bottom that I couldn't do it so I chose catering instead. 'I found it tough at first because the thoughts that were going through my head were "what if this makes me fat?" and I was scared of food but something in my mind told me that it will make me better.' Jessica is thrilled with her new lease of life and says that her shop looks to have a promising future. She added: 'The business is going well so far. I was just getting tired of working for other people and I always wanted to work on my own since I got into cooking at school. 'I just never thought it would be this early in life.' Maternity dressing can be tricky that is, unless you're Ivanka Trump, and the team at Oscar de la Renta lends you a dress seemingly tailored to fit your baby bump. The 34-year-old scored the flirty, floral designer dress to wear while sitting front row at the fashion house's Fall 2016 show at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday. Besides showing off the feminine frock on Instagram, the fashion fan posted a quick video clip from the presentation and gave props to designer Peter Copping, who has been heading up the line since shortly before its founder passed in 2014. Scroll down for video Getting dressed up: Ivanka Trump uploaded a photo of herself in an Oscar de la Renta dress after attending the New York Fashion Week show Not long now! The 34-year-old, pictured showing off her blooming bump earlier this month, is due to give birth in just a few weeks' time Facny: She sat in the front row of the event, which spotlighted designer Peter Copping's latest collection Bow-bedecked brilliance: Several of the models wore chokers which giant fabric bows attached to the back, which amped up the glamour of their gowns 'Thank you team #oscardelarenta for the beautiful dress that fits the baby bump!' Ivanka captioned the mirror selfie she shared after the show. The blonde beauty complemented the sweet vibe with half-pulled-back locks and soft, natural-looking make-up. She also congratulated the designer on a 'stunning fall collection' as she shared a video of the models walking together during the big finale. Though she seemed excited to attend the major Fashion Week event, Ivanka was actually out of town when her little sister Tiffany made her own runway debut at a show for her friend's fashion line, Just Drew. Tiffany, 22, visited New York on a long weekend away from the University of Pennsylvania, using her time to strut her stuff in a blue tuxedo dress alongside fellow socialite (and friend of the designer) Kyra Kennedy. However, Ivanka who modeled herself when she was younger was out in New Jersey celebrating Valentine's Day with her husband, Jared Kushner. The couple also went go-karting and enjoyed cookies with their children, Arabella and Joseph. No show: Although Ivanka snagged herself a front row seat at the Oscar de la Renta show, she is not thought to have been in attendance when her step-sister Tiffany Trump made her catwalk debut last week (pictured) A night off: The mother-of-two left her family at home for the evening in order to attend the fashion event Former fashion star: Ivanka herself enjoyed a very brief modeling career during the late 1990s, when she was still a teenager, strutting her stuff on catwalks in New York (left) and Sydney (right) For a lady to lust after: Shiny, iridescent fabrics like this one played up the girly glamour of the more feminine dresses Gilded glam: Some of the more modern pieces featured gold threading and glitzy beading, and only one of the models wore pants (right) Uh-oh! One model slipped out of her shoe on the catwalk, slightly stumbling over the lost heel Like a pro: She recovered, bending down to right the heel and seamlessly stick her foot back in it The spotlight was certainly bright on the show Ivanka did make a point to attend, though, which was held at the Prince George Ballroom and one of the hottest tickets of the week. Copping was inspired by the juxtaposition of 'American sportswear versus French tradition' for his latest collection, which mixed 18th century fabrics and styles with a modern touch. Models walked in lace, satin, and jacquard, and were accessorized with details like furry feminine Peter Pan collars, ladylike satin pumps, embellished box clutches, and dramatic handfuls of cocktail rings. Several of the evening gowns without which, an Oscar show wouldn't be complete featured large bows in the back, which are sure to be as big of a hit on the red carpet as they were on Instagram. The show had it's missteps too, though literally. One model briefly lost her footing when she accidentally stepped out of her high heel, having to stoop and slip it back on before making her way down the rest of the runway. Ready for the ball: Naturally, their were several big-skirted ball gowns on the runway Feeling blue: The colors were more muted than in his spring collection, with an icy blue catching the eyes of members of the audience Cute collars: One of the most-worn accessories was a furry Peter Pan collar, which models wore over coats, tops, and dresses Feeling frilly: No one could argue that the collection wasn't uber-feminine, with floral prints, pinks, and draping Must-have heels: Copping didn't skimp on seriously chic accessories, either, and the shoes featuring sequins, stones, and sculptural heels A little glitz, please: Some of the sparklier numbers are clear front-runners for future red carpets Burgundy babes: The designer traded in the bright reds of Spring 2016 for luxe wine hues for fall Old-school: He was inspired by styles and fabrics used during the 18th century A touch of today: While honoring the past, he incorporated modern touches and plenty of glitz Fab fabrics: He also mixed textures seamlessly, blending lace, jacquard, and frazzled fur in a single ensemble Advertisement A Steinway grand piano belonging to Sting has gone on display ahead of an auction of more than 200 lots from the art collection at his former family home. Fans with a desire to twinkle the same ivories as the 16-time Grammy award winner will need deep pockets, with an estimate set at 30,000 for the 1853 Steinway and Sons instrument that took pride of place in the family's music room at Queen Anne's Gate in London. A collection of pieces from Sting and Trudie Styler's former residence will be offered at Christie's on February 24, led by British artist Ben Nicholson's March 55 (amethyst), estimated to fetch 350,000 to 500,000. Scroll down for video Sting's prized Steinway piano which is thought to be worth 30,000 has gone on display in a pre-sale exhibition Sting and Trudie Styler are downsizing as they move from their Queen Anne's Gate to a flat in Battersea Power Station The couple's collection of art includes pictures including the Picasso work, Le Corsage A Carreaux (left) thought to be worth between 30,000 and 50,000; The couple are selling their furniture including this striking perspex table with a hot pink interior (right) Prominent among the works are Henri Matisse's Jazz portfolio (250,000 to 350,00), Pablo Picasso's lithograph Le Corsage a Carreaux (30,000 to 50,000) and drawings and prints by Gustav Klimt, Rene Magritte and Carsten Holler. Picasso's Visage Aux Grands Jeux is a relative bargain for art collectors, estimated at 1,200. Post-war art and pieces from young contemporary artists, specially commissioned for the staircase at the couple's former home, will also be part of the sale. The auction house replicated four rooms from the couple's former house near St James's Park, which they sold for 19million last year. Paper Bride, Red Grass Sea, the 2006 painting by Zeng Chuanxing, is thought to be worth between 20,000 and 40,000 The 2007 painting Paper Bride, Grey Mood (left) by Zeng Chuanxing is expected to fetch between 30,000 and 50,000; an auction worker holds Pablo Picasso's terracotta plate Visage aux grands yeux (right) stamped, marked and numbered 'Madoura Plein Feu / Empreinte Originale de Picasso underneath. Conceived on 6 October 1960 it was executed in a numbered edition of 100 The couple are selling their 20 pictures from Henri Matisse's 1947 Jazz series. The auction notes that 'the colours fresh and bright, the printed surfaces in very good condition, some sheets with pale time staining at the sheet edges and some pinpoint foxmarks, generally in very good condition' The superstar couple will set up their new London base in the 8billion redevelopment of the former Battersea Power station, but do not have room for all of their possessions. The auction, due to take place on 24 February, is titled Queen Annes Gate: Works from the Art Collection of Sting & Trudie Styler. On its site, Christie's describes the sale as, 'Remarkable in its breadth and quality, the collection captures its owners knowledge and passion for art and design, with estimates from 1,000 to 500,000 presenting opportunities for both new and established collectors.' will be dominated by the couple's vast collection of contemporary art, which includes pieces by some of the biggest names of the 20th Century. One of those for sale is March 55, an abstract piece from 1955 by Ben Nicholson, which is said to be worth 500,000 ($765,000). David Mach's Buddha (left) is thought to go for between 7,000 and 10,000 in the art sale that takes place on February 24; Sting and Trudie Styler have revealed their taste in fine art and furniture with the Christie's auction The items come from the couple's main home and in a series of photos released last year, it was clear that the couple could sit in their sitting room on the sofa under a Picasso, while the Steinway piano was in pride of place in the hallway. Sting is auctioning off his prized piano and priceless art collection - including Matisse and Picasso (shown on the walls of his living room in Queen Anne's Gate) - as he prepares to clear out his multi-million pound mansion ahead of a move into Battersea Power Station The singer's Steinway piano - said to be worth around 50,000 (pictured left at his home in Westminster) - is among more than 200 items from their former family home to be offered at Christie's on February 24 Post-war art and pieces from young contemporary artists (some of which are pictured here in Sting's music home), specially commissioned for the staircase at the couple's former home, will also be part of the sale Other prominent pieces in the collection - which has been gathered by the couple over the past two decades - are drawings and prints by Gustav Klimt, Rene Magritte and Carsten Holler. The couple are also selling a sexually-explicit abstract piece by Keith Haring, worth 100,000, ($153,000) along with pieces from young contemporary artists, which were specially commissioned for the staircase at the couple's former home. Other items to go under the hammer include mirrors, tables and ceramics worth tens of thousands of pounds each. Andy Waters of Christie's London, which is conducting the auction, said: 'Having been entrusted with many of the greatest private collections assembled by some of the most notable figures throughout history, Christie's is honoured to be offering for sale works from the art collection of Sting and Trudie Styler. 'Their home effortlessly combined luxury, rarity and colour - a skilful balance that created the ultimate London home. One of the prominent pieces going under the hammer is Henri Matisse's Jazz portfolio from 1947, said to be worth up to 350,000 'Each work of art was carefully chosen and the resulting collection is a testament to Sting and Trudie Styler's informed eye for art and design. 'Alongside works by Matisse, Picasso, Mapplethorpe and Nicholson, the collection includes Sting's Steinway piano, which occupied pride of place in the music room at Queen Anne's Gate.' The couple, who have been married for 23 years and have four children, sold their nine-bedroom mansion for a staggering 19 million. They had bought the property in 2003 from the Labour MP Shaun Woodward for 5.7 million, before carrying out extensive work. But instead of moving their belongings to the numerous other homes they own around the world - including the new home at the Battersea development - the couple have decided to get rid instead. Sting and Ms Styler (pictured in Cannes in June) have multi-million properties in Malibu, New York, Tuscany, north London and Wiltshire The couple, who have been married for 23 years and have four children, sold their nine-bed mansion (pictured left and right) for 19 million. They bought the property in 2003 from the Labour MP Shaun Woodward - father to clean-eating queen Ella Woodward - for 5.7m, before carrying out extensive work They already own multi-million properties in Malibu, New York, Tuscany, north London and Wiltshire. The pair, who are worth 180million, bought an apartment at the iconic landmark last year. It has not been confirmed if the apartment will be in or next to the actual power station. But with Sting's impressive fortune the couple are likely to have purchased one of the apartments at the higher end of the scale, where prices peak at 3million for a four bedroom house. Their new home could even be a penthouse for which prices have not been released, but are are available on request. Experts have predicted they could cost as much as 30million. At the time that he announced the sale, he said: 'My former neighbours in London were the Queen, the Prime Minister, and they haven't complained. I don't practice in the house, I'm house trained. I'm not telling you which apartment it is, but it's very nice.' For so long, theirs seemed the most idyllic of marriages. Childhood sweethearts Steve and Ann Berry walked down the aisle, aged 21 and 17, blissfully in love. From that day they led an unexceptional, but happy, life. Cosy Sunday lunches, nights tucked up in front of the television and, when their three daughters came along, family holidays. For 22 years, the couple, from Redditch, Worcestershire, remained by each other's side. Steve had a successful career as a financial adviser, Ann worked in accounts for a local firm. There were no rows and their girls grew into beautiful young teenagers. But, in 2004, Ann suddenly found herself filled with discontent. Julie Minter, 46, and Martin Copland, 54, from Pavenham, Bedfordshire are a boomerang couple who remarried. The couple were struck by regret shortly after their split in 2003. The couple fell in love in 1998 'It's difficult to say what went wrong. Steve and I never fought and the girls say they have very happy memories of their childhood. I just remember thinking: 'I don't want to be married any more.' I felt I had missed out by marrying so young. I wondered what my life would have been like if I had experienced more. I felt Steve and I were stuck in a rut. 'We were comfortable but felt more like friends than lovers. I couldn't help wondering if there was something more exciting.' They split, rapidly and painfully. Steve was bereft, then angry and their daughters were confused and heartbroken. For years, Steve and Ann couldn't bear to be in the same room. Vitriol and bitterness replaced the happy times they had shared. So, in the face of such anguish, how on earth did Steve, now 54, and Ann, now 50, reunite just five years later? Martin was an export business adviser, and Julie was running a start-up export company. 'She was my client, but I was smitten,' says Martin. The pair had a whirlwind relationship and married in August 1999, above The Berrys are one of a growing number of couples who fit a pattern described last week by family judge Sir Paul Coleridge. He said those who divorce are likely to regret it after living with the consequences. 'It has been obvious to me thata significant proportion of people who separate wish they had not five years down the line,' said Sir Paul, who retired from the High Court bench after launching the Marriage Foundation think-tank. His comments came as new research showed the number of 'boomerang' couples, who divorce then reunite, is increasing. According to the study, more than a quarter of divorcees in Britain considered reconciliation, 12 per cent got back together and 40 per cent admitted to still loving their ex. However, tensions soon emerged, thanks to the fact they both often worked abroad. 'We rarely saw each other. We were basically crossing in the hallway,' says Julie. 'We weren't spending enough time together' Sir Paul could have been talking about Steve and Ann. They met in 1981 and, despite their youth, married two years later. 'I'd just left school and had a place at college in Birmingham, but I ended up staying in Redditch to be with Steve,' says Ann. 'When we married, I was so young my name couldn't go on the mortgage of the house. Everyone assumed I was pregnant but I wasn't; I was just so in love and felt sure our relationship was right.' That feeling was cemented by the birth of their daughter, Casey, now 29, and, later, identical twins Hannah and Charlotte, 27. Initially the pair kept their renewed relationship a secret when they rekindled their romance less than two years since their split. Julie proposed in 2008 and they married, again, five years later, in 2013, above But Ann's momentary doubts wrenched their family apart. 'I took the girls to live in rented accommodation. It was a huge wrench for the children, who were at secondary school. I feel terrible about that.' The split was rancorous, with Steve unwilling to accept his marriage was over. 'I loved Ann. I couldn't understand why she was breaking up the family,' he says, 'but we couldn't have a civil conversation with each other.' They were forced to see one another once a week when Steve picked their daughters up for visits and would argue about everything from whether Steve was ensuring the girls were doing their homework to the fact Ann was now in a new relationship. Their passion for each other was stronger than ever. 'We never wanted to be apart, even for a few hours - we were so grateful for the second chance that we didn't want to waste any time,' says Julie Despite the heady excitement of this relationship, it was volatile. Despairing at this situation, Ann found herself calling the one man she knew she could rely on: Steve. Ann's needs took over Steve's life, despite the fact he was in another relationship. 'I had met someone, but I was always leaving her to help Ann so it didn't work out,' he says. Ann began to look at Steve differently. He still had that same old kindness and humour. She found herself comparing her new relationship to the one she'd had with Steve and realised how close and loving their marriage had been. After anger has subsided, people can find they see good parts of their relationship as well as the bad In 2009, Ann left her partner. Steve was there, helping her to pick up the pieces - and their caring friendship soon became more romantic. 'The romantic spark was much stronger when we got back together,' says Ann. 'We both felt elated to be back together. Steve never gave up on me. 'I didn't believe the person I had met at 15 could be right for me because I felt I hadn't lived enough, but I realised he was.' When they remarried in 2012, their daughters were bridesmaids and their grandchildren flower girls. 'The girls were wary when we first got back together, but they know now we'll be together for ever,' says Ann. 'We get on so much better,' says Steve. 'I've always loved Ann. I'm so happy to have her back.' Christine Northam, a counsellor from Relate, says crunch points in relationships, such as stressful jobs or coping with small children, are often what cause divorce. A few years down the line, however, former couples may realise the situation, rather than any inherent flaw in their relationship, was to blame for their unhappiness. Second time around the couple are more conscientious about what it takes to make each other happy 'After anger has subsided, people can find they see good parts of their relationship as well as the bad,' says Christine. 'Priorities can change and we realise things we thought were important, work, for instance, may not be. 'If former partners resume their relationship, it has a good chance of being successful because they are more emotionally mature.' Some couples realise rather quickly that they have made a mistake. Martin Copland and Julie Minter were struck by regret shortly after their split in 2003. Martin, 54, and Julie, 46, from Pavenham, Bedfordshire, fell in love in 1998. Martin was an export business adviser, and Julie was running a start-up export company. 'She was my client, but I was smitten,' says Martin, now a communications manager. 'We had a whirlwind relationship and married in August 1999. We adored one another.' However, tensions soon emerged, thanks to the fact they both often worked abroad. 'We rarely saw each other. We were basically crossing in the hallway,' says Julie. 'We weren't spending enough time together to keep our relationship alive.' A growing number of couples who fit a pattern described last week by family judge Sir Paul Coleridge. He said those who divorce are likely to regret it after living with the consequences Evenings together, weekends, even birthdays fell prey to their careers. 'Julie missed my 40th birthday because she was on a work trip to New Zealand,' says Martin. 'I started to think: 'These are the times we should be together. If we're not, what's the point?' We had disagreements over what our priorities were and couldn't seem to compromise.' They remained friends, with Julie even helping Martin move into and decorate his new home. 'We still loved each other,' says Julie. 'I could picture us growing old together. We just couldn't see how to make it work, which was so sad.' They divorced, but love still burned. 'We were always on the phone to each other, or meeting,' says Martin. 'We had other partners, but we'd call one another to moan about them.' By 2005, work had taken Julie to Houston, Texas. She got engaged to a ranch owner, but she and Martin kept in touch by email. 'When I heard Julie had become engaged, I was sad, but I also hoped she was happy,' says Martin. When Julie had a health scare she realised she wanted only Martin: 'My fiance was useless in a crisis. I tried to get hold of Martin, but he was on a charity hike in Peru.' Martin says: 'When I landed at Heathrow, I got a voicemail from Julie and three days later was on a plane to Houston. I just wanted to be there because I loved her.' Julie left her fiance and returned to Britain to be with Martin. It was less than two years since their split. Initially, they kept their renewed relationship secret. 'When you divorce, people take sides and try to comfort you by saying 'he was never right for you', so we wanted to be sure before we told everyone,' says Julie. Their passion for each other was stronger than ever. 'We never wanted to be apart, even for a few hours - we were so grateful for the second chance that we didn't want to waste any time,' says Julie. 'When we did come clean, our family and friends were delighted for us.' In 2008, Julie proposed to Martin while they were on a Caribbean cruise. 'She got down on one knee on the liner,' says Martin. 'She said it was her turn, as I'd done it first time. We knew we'd get married again.' LASTING LOVE Official statistics show the UK's divorce rate has fallen to its lowest for 40 years Advertisement They married five years later, in 2013. 'We're more aware of the effort marriage takes,' says Julie, a communications director. 'This time, we made a choice to travel less for work, but more with each other. 'I'm taking exams to become a personal trainer and Martin's planning early retirement, so we'll have more time for each other. We know what we lost. We feel we have to make up for those lost years.' Diane and Lloyd Dwyers, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, were apart for more than two decades and had married other people before they were reconciled. They married in 1986, when Diane was 24 and Lloyd 23, but the marriage lasted only four years. Diane, now 54 and an executive assistant, says: 'We didn't try hard enough. I thought marriage would be easy. Our parents were happy. I thought it just happened. Now I know how much effort is needed. 'We argued over the minutiae of life: who would do the housework, friends of Lloyd's I didn't like. We began to drift. When the excitement faded we just ended it, instead of trying to save it.' New research has showed the number of 'boomerang' couples, who divorce then reunite, is increasing. According to the study, more than a quarter of divorcees in Britain considered reconciliation, 12 per cent got back together and 40 per cent admitted to still loving their ex Diane was unhappy with her new husband. 'Our relationship was much less fun than my marriage to Lloyd. Even when Lloyd and I argued, we could make each other laugh. In my second marriage, the rows were much worse.' She split from her second husband in 2000, while Lloyd's second marriage lasted 18 years before he and his wife separated in 2009, after having two daughters. Diane had lived abroad because of her new husband's job, but moved back to Kidderminster and would occasionally see Lloyd in the street. One day, in 2011, Lloyd was in a pub when Diane walked in. 'We started chatting,' says building company owner Lloyd, 53. 'We just hit it off again. Neither of us have changed much and we still have the same chemistry, but I worried it would be too messy if we tried again. Then, one day, Diane called me. That was that.' Diane smiles as she admits: 'The years didn't change the fact I still fancied Lloyd like mad. Being together again felt natural.' They remarried on June 7, 2012; the anniversary of their first wedding. 'We're so happy,' says Diane. 'My only regret is not having children with Lloyd, but it feels so easy being back with him, as if we never got divorced.' Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero accused of fuelling a national obesity crisis with their sugar-laden drinks Top offender was a venti (large) serving of Starbucks Hot Mulled fruit drink, which had 25 teaspoons Found 35% have more sugar than a Coca Cola can - which has 9 teaspoons - the equivalent of 7 chocolate biscuits Advertisement Popular hot drinks containing a shocking 25 teaspoons of sugar are being sold by high street coffee shop chains. Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero have been accused of fuelling a national obesity crisis with their sugar laden speciality drinks. A large - or venti - serving of a Hot Mulled Fruit drink from Starbucks, which comes with chai, orange and cinnamon, has 99g of sugar. That equates to 25 teaspoons and is more than three times the recommended maximum for an adult for an entire day. Recommended maximum daily intake of added sugar for an adult is 30g or around seven teaspoons. The drink features in a top five of sugar laden drinks surveyed by the campaigning group Action on Sugar. Its survey of 131 flavoured hot drinks found 98 per cent would receive a red label for high sugar content under guidelines drawn up by the Food Standards Agency. And 35 per cent of the speciality flavoured drinks contain the same amount or more sugar than Coca Cola, which is nine teaspoons per can equivalent to seven chocolate biscuits. Scroll down for video Popular hot drinks containing more than 25 teaspoons of sugar are being sold by high street coffee shop chains, a survey has revealed. A venti serving of a Hot Mulled Fruit drink from Starbucks, which comes with chai, orange and cinnamon (top left), has 99g of sugar or 25 teaspoons. Pictured are the other worst offenders; Costa Coffee's Chai Latte (top centre), Starbucks' White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (top right), Starbucks' Signature Hot Chocolate (bottom left), KFC's Mocha (bottom centre) and Caffe Nero's Caramelatte (bottom right) Top offenders include the US chains White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream, where a venti has 73.8g 18 teaspoons. Even its Signature Hot Chocolate comes in a 60g 15 teaspoons. Meanwhile Costa's Chai Latte Massimo has a whopping 79.7g of sugar 20 teaspoons. And a large mocha from KFC has 58.8g 15 teaspoons while a Caramelatte from Caffe Nero, measures 50.6g 13 teaspoons. In some of these the sugar content was marginally inflated by the natural lactose sugar found in milk. The campaign group is calling for new legally binding targets requiring supermarkets and manufacturers to cut the sugar content in food and drink. The idea has the support of supermarkets through the British Retail Consortium, however there are doubts the Government will back the measure in the soon to be published Childhood Obesity Strategy. Action on Sugar said coffee shops have an enormous influence because there are more than 18,000 outlets selling an estimated 1.7 billion hot drinks a year. Action on Sugar has created a list of the top six worst offenders (pictured). They say Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero have been accused of fuelling a national obesity crisis with their sugar laden speciality drinks Top offenders include Starbucks' White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (left), which contains 73.8g 18 teaspoons - and Costa Coffee's Chai Latte Massimo (right), which has 79.7g of sugar 20 teaspoons Its chairman, Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said: This is another example of scandalous amount of sugar added to our food and drink. 'No wonder we have the highest rates of obesity in Europe. David Cameron now has all the evidence to make the UK the first country in the world to stop the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic. Kawther Hashem, a registered nutritionist and researcher for Action in Sugar, said: Coffee shop chains must immediately reduce the amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the extra-large serving sizes. These hot flavoured drinks should be an occasional treat, not an 'everyday' drink Kawther Hashem, a registered nutritionist and researcher for Action for Sugar These hot flavoured drinks should be an occasional treat, not an "everyday" drink. 'They are laden with an unbelievable amount sugar and calories and are often accompanied by a high sugar and fat snack. It is not surprising that we have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Action on Sugar is calling for an independent agency to be given responsibility for nutrition and implementing legally binding targets. These would reformulate food and drink to cut sugar content by 50 per cent and fat by 20 per cent within five years. The agency would be responsible for banning of all forms of advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks to children and adolescents. Controversially, the agency, along with the Treasury, would be responsible for implementing a sugar tax on drinks. In response to the new findings, Starbucks said: Earlier this year we committed to reduce added sugar in our indulgent drinks by 25 per cent by the end of 2020. We also offer a wide variety of lighter options, sugar-free syrups and sugar-free natural sweetener and we display all nutritional information in-store and online. Costa said: We take the nutritional balance of our food and drink very seriously and we have already taken significant steps to reduce the sugar content of our ranges. 'We intend to continue improving the balance of our product offerings while maintaining the high quality and great taste our customers expect. 'This April we will be setting salt and sugar reduction targets for 2020. Have scientists found the great breakthrough for cancer therapy? The medical research world is abuzz this week with the news that an experimental treatment has banished blood cancer symptoms in 94 per cent of patients. Whats more, this success rate was seen in patients who were expected to live only months because such conventional cancer treatments as chemotherapy had failed to save them. The results are being hailed as amazing and, if the trials success can be replicated on a much larger scale, could prove a pivotal moment in the history of cancer treatment. Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle are claiming the medical victory after they treated several dozen patients with a cancer of the white blood cells called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Normally, only 40 per cent of patients aged between 25 and 64 survive for five years after being diagnosed with ALL. The rate is even lower among people aged 65 or older, at a dismal 15 per cent, according to Cancer Research UK. The American scientists new therapy involves genetically modifying a key weapon in the patients natural immune defence system, called T-cells. These normally hunt and kill cells in our bodies that are infected with bacteria, or such viruses as cold and flu. Crucially, the genetic modification effectively teaches the T-cells to recognise cancer cells as enemies to be destroyed. As well as seeing the 94 per cent success rate in ALL patients, when the researchers tried the treatment called immunotherapy on people with other blood cancers, they improved the condition of more than 80 per cent of patients. In more than half of those patients, the cancer appeared to have gone completely. As one of the lead investigators, oncologist Dr Stanley Riddell, says: This is unprecedented in medicine, to be honest, to get response rates in this range in patients with these very advanced cancers. One further hope is that these trained T-cells will be able to stay in the body for years acting as a form of vaccination against any returning cancers. Another new immunotherapy study indicates that such modified T-cells can stay in the body for at least 14 years. T-cell immunotherapy is created from T-cells (bottom left in left image). These are removed from the patient and genetically tweaked to recognise and attack their cancer. The genetically-modified cells are then grown in their millions in a lab before being infused back into the patient, where they hunt down cancer cells (right) The cancer cells are then destroyed. Researchers likened the therapy to a vaccine that gives protection for life against an infection. Scientists around the world are now perfecting the technique Professor Chiara Bonin says that her research at a Milan hospital demonstrates that it is possible to create cells that still remember the cancer and are ready for when it comes back. Seasoned cancer experts are not ready to break out the champagne just yet, however, because the past two decades have seen many new therapies hailed as magic bullets for cancer subsequently not living up to their promise. This is unprecedented in medicine, to be honest, to get response rates in this range in patients with these very advanced cancers Dr Stanley Riddell, lead investigator This is because they have cured far fewer patients than was first hoped or their side-effects have proved too dreadful to inflict on patients. In fact, one of the first scientists to use immunotherapy to fight cancer was New York surgeon William Coley in the 1890s. He was inspired to do this by a patient with a rare cancer who staged an unexpected recovery after suffering a serious bacterial infection. Coley believed this infection had provoked the patients immune system to attack anything that looked alien, including the cancer cells. He then began vaccinating other cancer patients with bacteria, believing that, in a minority of cases, this spurred the immune system to destroy tumours. His work was greeted with scepticism, however, and was then overtaken by the development of radiotherapy and chemotherapy as powerful cancer treatments if not without their side-effects. Now, William Coleys ideas are being explored anew, but attempts to develop immunotherapy into a modern anti-cancer weapon have been dogged by the fact that tinkering with the human immune system is still fraught with danger. Breakthrough: Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle are claiming a victory These perils were highlighted in 2006, when six volunteers were admitted to Northwick Park Hospital in Middlesex after the disastrous trial of a drug that worked by modifying the immune system, and which was intended to treat such diseases as multiple sclerosis. The six healthy young mens immune systems began attacking their own bodies. They were rushed into intensive care with organ failure after experiencing serious reactions within hours of taking the drug. The worst-affected lost his fingers and toes. Whats more, all the men were then told that they would be likely to develop cancers or auto-immune diseases as a result of their exposure to the drug. Dr Riddell is open about the potential dangers of his newly-announced immunotherapy treatment: There are reasons to be optimistic, there are reasons to be pessimistic. Indeed, during his trial, there were problems with some patients whose immune systems appear to have overreacted; 20 developed a condition called cytokine release syndrome. Cytokines are messenger cells in the immune system that can go out of control when the system is overstimulated. In turn, they can drive the immune system to overreact further, inflaming healthy cells throughout the body. In Dr Riddells trials, the affected patients suffered symptoms of fever, dangerously plummeting blood pressure and nerve damage. Two of his patients died. Dr Riddell believes, however, that lowering the dose of T-cells can reduce the risk of side-effects. There are other reasons why we should welcome such work with some caution, particularly since the results are very recent and there is a risk that the patients symptoms could reappear in future. Indeed, cancers are notorious for returning months and even years after patients have been given the all-clear. This is not least because tumour cells can hide, dormant, deep in patients tissues to evade attack, and reactivate themselves later. Professor Peter Openshaw, British Society for Immunology president, says that Dr Riddells research is exciting but believes we must be patient as its findings are explored further. Intriguingly, he believes that, although this latest research used immunotherapy as a last-ditch treatment, it may best be used early on, just after patients have been diagnosed with their cancer. The professor has also warned that immunotherapy may not work on many types of cancer, because the tumour cells they produce do not carry consistent identifying markers that the genetically modified T-cells can recognise and then attack. Instead, the cells are able to change and adapt to threats. Such cancers can evade and escape immunotherapy by evolving their cells very quickly, says Professor Openshaw. Certainly, the tests causing so much excitement so far have targeted only certain blood cancers, and the researchers acknowledge they need to see how long their patients remain in remission. It will also take at least five years to get this treatment into standard use. Dr Riddell agrees immunotherapy requires much further development and that, even then, it will not be a panacea for every cancer. Nevertheless, his excitement is undimmed. Much like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, its not going to be a save-all, he says. However, I think immunotherapy has finally made it to becoming a pillar of cancer therapy. The devastated parents of a toddler who died from meningitis have shared horrific photos of her fighting for her life to raise awareness of the illness. Faye Burdett, 2, battled the vicious condition for 11 days before her tiny body succumbed to it. Now her parents are sharing their tragic story in a bid to prevent other families going through the same ordeal. They are also calling for the Meningitis B vaccine given to all children - not just babies - to prevent the most deadly form of meningitis claiming more lives. Faye Burdett, 2, battled the most deadly form of meningitis for 11 days before her tiny body succumbed to it The family, from Maidstone, Kent, first became aware something was wrong when Faye developed a rash on her forehead at the start of the month. When it failed to go away her worried parents, Jenny and Neil, took her to A&E. Now desperately ill, she was immediately transferred to the Evelina Children's Hospital in London. 'Her heart stopped in the ambulance and medics spent hours working on stabilising her,' said Mrs Burdett. 'We were given a one per cent survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting.' As the days went by it appeared Faye's health was improving. But tragically, she succumbed to a common complication associated with meningitis B - blood poisoning, or sepsis. The infection rapidly took over her fragile body, leaving her heartbroken parents with no option but to agree to her leg and arm being amputated. Blood poisoning causes the bloods clotting mechanism to go into overdrive and cause blockages inside the blood vessels. Oxygen and vital nutrients cant get to the bodys tissues, causing them to die. For some people, amputations are limited to fingers or toes, while others may need their hands, feet, and even arms or legs amputated. An online petition calling for the Meningitis B vaccine to be given to all children has so far had 260,000 signatures - fuelled by Faye's shocking story being shared thousands of times on Facebook 'The extent of removal was massive - full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery,' recalls her mother. 'Faye was getting tired, her little body consumed by meningitis and sepsis.' It was then that the couple had to make the most agonising decision of their lives. 'We had to make the decision - either a massive operation which she could die from, or let her go peacefully of her own accord. 'We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away. 'At 9pm on February 14th she finally fell asleep forever. All this in only 11 days.' The couple are now desperate to raise awareness of the deadly condition and are campaigning for all children to be given the Meningitis B vaccine - not just newborn babies. WHO GETS THE MEN B JAB? Last September, an NHS programme began to inoculate babies against meningococcal B (MenB) bacteria in England. The strain kills 30 people a year mainly children under five and leaves ten times that number with lifelong health problems. Some victims have to have limbs amputated because of blood poisoning, while others suffer brain damage. The terrifying infection can kill within hours of the first signs showing. Babies over the age of two months are ordinarily not eligible to receive the new Bexsero jab on the NHS. Critics say the cut-off was for cost reasons: introduction of the jab was delayed for more than a year while the Department of Health and makers Novartis haggled over price. Advertisement 'All children are at risk from this terrible infection, yet the Government plans to only vaccinate 2 to 5-month-olds,' explained Mrs Burdett. 'There needs to be a roll-out programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11. 'Meningococcal infections can be very serious, causing meningitis, septicaemia and death.' At the moment, parents who want their child vaccinated must get it done privately. Three doses are required - and tend to cost between 95 - 160 each time, according to the charity Meningitis Now. An online petition calling for the Meningitis B vaccine to be given to all children has so far had 260,000 signatures - fuelled by Faye's shocking story being shared thousands of times on Facebook. 'In a few days we have seen this rise from a few hundred signatures to thousands due to furious social media campaigns and also contacting some media,' said Mrs Burdett. 'Anything you can do to promote and support this cause is very welcome.' Sue Davie, CEO of the charity Meningitis Now, said: 'Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Fayes family and friends they know we are here to support them in any way we can. 'The response to Fayes petition has been overwhelming, with signatures reaching over 240,000 in a matter of days. 'We are using our voice to support the petition to raise the profile of meningitis, keeping it high on the political agenda and increasing awareness among the public to prevent more lives being lost to this devastating disease. 'Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected. 'Moving forward, we continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at risk groups to ensure a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis.' Faye's family are now desperate to raise awareness of the deadly condition and are campaigning for all children to be given the Meningitis B vaccine, called Bexsero, and not just newborn babies In a further bid to raise awareness, family friend Charlene Reed is urging the public to donate to a fund in memory of Faye - and sign the petition to get the vaccine given to all children. Writing on Facebook, she said: 'Faye fought for a whopping 2 weeks with meningitis and at times, we really thought she would come through. 'So to receive the news on Monday morning was not only heartbreaking but shocking. 'Please sign and share the petition on my profile - we are trying to get parliament to reconsider charging us hundreds of pounds each to protect our children from this. 'In Faye's legacy we will fight to raise awareness.' The post has so far been shared 73,000 times and attracted a staggering 10,000 comments. Ms Reed continued: 'The vaccination in question has a total cost of 450 per child. 'I am the mother of twins who could never afford something at that cost - its saddening that our lives and the lives of our children depend on the cost of something that would save someone. 'All children are at risk from this terrible infection, yet the Government plans to only vaccinate 2-5 month-olds. 'There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11. '[That's why] this petition is so important.' Text NOW to 70800 to automatically donate 5 or visit the fundraising page here. To sign the petition click here. Elderly patients deemed to be blocking beds are being threatened with warning letters to make them leave hospital. NHS trusts have begun imposing the notices on those whose relatives have been unable to place them in care homes. Letters warn families they have a limited amount of time to find a suitable home or face legal proceedings. The Sandwell and West Birmingham trust confirmed it had begun issuing relatives with the letters to help them get their heads around the responsibility of finding a care home place. Scroll down for video Frail and elderly patients in hospital are facing the threat of eviction if their relatives cannot find them a care home, an investigation has found (file photo) But managers insisted only a handful had been issued and that they were used as a last resort. The Bournemouth and Christchurch trust introduced a similar policy in 2014 over concerns that families were failing to take responsibility for relatives. Bed-blocking is at record levels and figures this month showed 8,500 patients were stuck in hospitals every day. Toby Lewis, chief executive of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said it had introduced warning letters to try to help families. We have found the important thing is to have a conversation early, in order to give families time to plan, he added. This is a process that takes about three weeks and involves three letters, but we very rarely issue the last one, which begins the eviction process. Mr Lewis said the warnings helped to ensure families understood the responsibility to pay for care before deciding where relatives should live. People want to look at two, three or four homes before they make a big life decision, he added. Weve tried to be disciplined about this, but it is also about being humane in how we apply this. But Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said she was concerned that elderly people were being put under undue pressure to leave hospital when relatives could not find a decent care home. A shocking 220,000 days of delays are caused by families inability to find or afford - a suitable nursing home. Hospital chiefs say families often visit three or four before making a decision (file photo) People have a right to the information they need and a realistic idea about time scales so they can make the best choice for them, she added. Arbitrary discharge deadlines are unlikely to help and could make things worse. In November 2014, when Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals imposed eviction measures, managers said some families had asked them to keep patients while they took a two-week holiday. Others demanded that patients stay in hospital because they did not like care home curtains, or because they needed time to build a granny annex at their homes. Similar policies were employed by Aintree hospitals in Merseyside and Southport and Ormskirk, Greater Manchester, in 2011. They warned families that patients would be given 48 hours to make their own arrangements to leave. If they refused, trusts threatened to seek a court order for the possession of their bed. The proposals have been condemned as inhumane by campaigners. Bed-blockers are usually elderly people who are deemed well enough for discharge, but remain in hospital because appropriate provisions have not been made for them at home or in care homes. Many bed-blocking patients suffer dementia and do not leave hospital because there are no places for them in care homes. Others have suffered a stroke or broken hip and are unable to move back into their own homes before stairlifts or rails are installed. Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said when the measures first came to light: This is an absolute disgrace. It is so difficult for these patients to get the help they need in the community. There are simply insufficient resources for people to cope on their own. They need a planned discharged. This is a damning indictment of how society treats the elderly. Managers insist the letters are only a last resort, and it is unclear how many patients if any have actually been evicted by hospitals in recent years. Hospital chiefs say the warnings are meant to spur relatives into finding care home places, thus preventing further legal action. But under trespassing laws usually reserved to remove gangs of teenagers from shopping malls it is believed hospitals could seek a court order for possession of their bed. The bed-blockers could even be forced to pay the legal fees incurred. The idea of such evictions came from a 2006 case involving Barnet Primary Care Trust in North London. An Indian man is suffering from a mystery condition that has caused his legs to balloon - leaving one weighing the same as a baby elephant. Arun Rajasingh, 34, from Chennai, southern India, has been suffering from a bizarre genetic disorder since birth, which has triggered the abnormal growth. His right leg now weighs an incredible 15st 10lbs (220lbs or 100kg) - approximately the same weight as a newborn elephant calf. The condition, which has baffled doctors in India, leaves him immobile and needing a wheelchair to get around. Despite regularly undertaking physiotherapy and medication to reduce the pain in his legs, no cure has yet been found. Arun Rajasingh, 34, has a rare genetic condition which means his leg has ballooned to 15st 10lbs (220lbs or 100kg), approximately the same weight as a newborn elephant calf Mr Rajasingh said: 'Doctors are still researching about my condition and they have not found a cure yet. 'I get emotional and feel disheartened sometimes but I haven't lost hope at all.' After his birth, Mr Rajasingh's parents were told he would only live for a few weeks, but he has gone on to prove the medical professionals wrong and survive into his mid thirties. So far, doctors have ruled out elephantitis, a parasitic infection that causes extreme swelling in the arms and legs. Having found no other cause for his rapid growth, they believe he has a rare, undiagnosed genetic disorder. Mr Rajasingh has even sent his medical records to institutions such as Harvard Medical School - but has still not managed to get a diagnosis. The condition has caused one of Mr Rajasingh's legs to swell to up to five times is normal size. Despite regularly undertaking physiotherapy and medication to reduce the pain in his legs, no cure has yet been found The condition has baffled doctors in India, who believe it is an undiagnosed genetic disorder. Mr Rajasingh is now sharing his story in the hope other medics around the world can help He uses a wheelchair to get around, and even needs help doing simple daily chores such as getting dressed and going to the toilet. 'I have been affected by this condition since my birth. It has affected both my legs, but my right leg is affected really badly,' he said. Despite his disability, series of treatments, and his mother's early death, Mr Rajasingh enrolled at an engineering college 500 miles away from his home. After graduating, he took up few jobs but his condition meant he was not able to continue working. He is now trying to set up his own software company, citing Apple CEO Steve Jobs as his role model. Mr Rajasingh has been suffering from a genetic disorder since birth, when doctors predicted he wouldn't live longer than a few weeks. But he defied the odds and has survived into his 30s His condition has left him immobile and needing a wheelchair to get around. He even needs help doing simple daily chores such as getting dressed and going to the toilet Mr Rajasingh said: 'Doctors are still researching about my condition and they have not found a cure yet. I get emotional and feel disheartened sometimes but I haven't lost hope at all' He said his disabilities have made him stronger as a person, and he hopes this will help him succeed in business. He said: 'I have complete faith in my abilities and I am giving 100 per cent to my business. 'After all the physical and mental challenges I have faced, I feel stronger as a person now. I dream of going out in the fresh air and socialising with people.' Mr Rajasingh said he is still hopeful that a cure is possible for his condition. He is sharing his story in an effort to reach out to medical practitioners across the world. outcomes' should be considered by doctors when considering the best treatment for patients Cannabis smokers are five times more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol, experts have warned. And for those people already battling an alcohol use disorder, using marijuana is likely to aggravate their dependency. Alcoholics, who did not use the drug, were significantly more likely to be seeking treatment in rehab, within three years, according to scientists at Columbia University and the City University of New York. Their results are reinforced by another study, published today, by colleagues at Columbia and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Those investigations suggest cannabis use also increases the risk a person with become dependent on drugs, and develop a smoking habit. Cannabis smokers are five times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder, than those who do not use the drug, experts at Columbia University and the City University of New York discovered Dr Renee Goodwin, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, said: 'Our results suggest that cannabis use appears to be associated with an increased vulnerability to developing an alcohol use disorder, even among those without any history of this. 'Marijuana use also appears to increase the likelihood that an existing alcohol use disorder will continue over time.' The second study, led by Dr Mark Olfson, warns 'these adverse psychiatric outcomes should be taken under careful consideration in clinical care'. Dr Goodwin and her team examined data from 27,461 adults who enrolled in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. All those included in the study first used marijuana at a time when they had no lifetime history of alcohol use disorders. The population was studied at two separate points in time. Twenty-three per cent of those adults used cannabis at the first assessment and again over the following three years. Researchers discovered that group was five times more likely to develop an alcohol use problem, compared with those who had not used marijuana. Of the group being studied, five per cent had never used the drug, researchers noted. Their results are reinforced by another study, published today, by colleagues at Columbia and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Those investigations suggest cannabis use also increases the risk a person with become dependent on drugs, and develop a smoking habit Those adults who had a problem with alcohol but did not use cannabis were significantly more likely to be in recovery treatment three years later. Meanwhile Dr Olfson and his team of researchers surveyed the same data, but looked at records for 34,653 American adults. Again interviews were conducted three years apart. Researchers note that marijuana use was not associated with an increased risk for developing mood or anxiety disorders. But their results mirrored those of Dr Goodwin's team, in finding an increased risk for 'developing alcohol and drug use disorders, including nicotine dependence'. Dr Goodwin said: 'From a public health standpoint we recommend that further research be conducted to understand the pathways underlying these relationships as well as the degree to which various potentially vulnerable population subgroups - youth, for example - are at increased risk. 'If future research confirms these findings, investigating whether preventing or delaying first use of marijuana might reduce the risk of developing alcohol use disorders among some segments of the population may be worthwhile. A Brazilian woman who underwent plastic surgery left the operating room with more than just a flatter stomach and enhanced breasts, doctors have revealed. The 40-year-old developed a temporary case of kleptomania after leaving hospital. Days after her operation, the woman began to have 'recurring, intrusive thoughts and an irresistible compulsion towards stealing'. Doctors who treated the women said the unusual side effect was caused by a disruption in blood flow to the patient's brain during surgery. Dr Fabio Nascimento, who is currently a neurologist at Toronto Western Hospital in Canada, but who was part of the medical team during the woman's hospitalization in Brazil at the time of the case, told Daily Mail Online the restricted blood flow could have occurred during or right after the operation. A Brazilian woman developed a case of temporary kleptomania after suffering a disruption in the blood flow to the brain during plastic surgery to augment her breasts and carry out a tummy tuck, a case report reveals 'The restriction in blood flow deprived her brain of oxygen and nutrients, which as a result, disrupted brain function and led to brain damage,' he said. 'This injury interfered with certain circuits within her brain, causing the neurological symptoms observed after the surgery. 'The brain has high energy demands, making it is particularly susceptible to lack of oxygen and nutrients (mainly glucose). 'Therefore, if deprived of oxygen and/or glucose, brain damage ensues.' The woman's operation involved breast augmentation, a tummy tuck as well as liposuction and an arm lift, and was carried out in 2013. Immediately after surgery the patient appeared disorientated, and suffered memory lapses, a case report published in the journal BMJ Case Reports, revealed. Doctors ordered an MRI scan, which revealed decreased blood flow as well as a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen. The area damaged was the caudate nucleus, which plays a role in memory and learning. Dr Nascimento said neurological and psychiatric symptoms can occur after surgical procedures. He told Daily Mail Online: 'These symptoms can be as typical as temporary memory impairment, and at other times as atypical as kleptomania. 'However, the development of this kind of symptoms is extremely rare and people should not be discouraged from having medically-indicated surgeries.' The woman's kleptomania resulted in her getting in trouble with the authorities while out shopping. Dr Fabio Nascimento, who treated the woman, said: 'The restriction in blood flow deprived her brain of oxygen and nutrients, which as a result, disrupted brain function and led to brain damage. This injury interfered with certain circuits within her brain, causing the neurological symptoms observed after the surgery.' Scans, pictured, revealed the damage affecting areas of the brain that play a role in memory and learning Dr Nascimento said despite having more than enough money to pay for an item, she was compelled to steal it instead. She snatched the item from the shelf and hid it in her purse before leaving the store, he said. The patient's kleptomania was temporary, however, and only lasted a few weeks - resolving spontaneously. 'The prevailing theory that can potentially explain her spontaneous recover is called "rewiring", which is literally a reorganization of brain connections following injury,' Dr Nascimento explained. 'In other words, subsequent to injury novel connections are established within the brain. 'This "healing" process is believed to be primarily coordinated by survival anatomical brain regions - areas that were not damaged by the initial insult. 'This "neuroanatomical reorganization" ultimately leads to brain repair and clinical recovery.' A male form of HRT could help counter the effects of the male menopause, experts say A male form of HRT may help improve the mood and sex drive of ageing men, a study has found. Scientists found that testosterone replacement treatments may also help over-65s walk quicker and reduce depression. The findings provide evidence that a male menopause may strike men as they age, with dropping levels of testosterone affecting their mood and sexual drive. Some experts think that as with women, a drop in male sex hormones may explain many of the problems men experience in later life, including fatigue and mood changes. They insist there is no need for men to suffer as they get older, and should have access to hormone replacement therapy in the same way that women are able to take tablets as they pass the menopause. But the theory is controversial, with many scientists arguing that a gradual decline in testosterone levels is a natural and healthy part of ageing - and does not require artificial treatments. The new study, led by scientists in Chicago and Los Angeles, found that treating over-65s with testosterone gels for a year increased their testosterone levels to that expected in a man of 30. The treatment did not improve energy but did improve mood and depressive symptoms. Sexual drive, sexual frequency, and the distance they could walk in six minutes also increased. The experiment, which involved 790 men over the age of 65 who had low testosterone, did not result in any reported side effects, the authors said. Dr Mark Molitch of Northwestern University in Chicago, whose study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said: In recent years, talk about low testosterone and its treatments have become part of the public discussion. Yet questions have always lingered about the treatments effectiveness and safety. I believe the results of this large, nationwide study will provide doctors and patients answers and guidance theyve been looking for. He added: Men in the study experienced an increased sexual desire and small improvements in mood and physical function. Importantly, there was no evidence of an increase in heart or other cardiovascular issues in those who received testosterone compared to a placebo. And we monitored the men in this study for at least a year after receiving treatment. Experts insist there is no need for men to suffer as they get older, and should have access to hormone replacement therapy in the same way that women are able to take tablets as they pass the menopause. They believe the treatment could help boost mood as well as a man's sex drive Co-author Dr Ronald Swerdloff, of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, added: These initial results some benefit from testosterone treatments in older men who have low testosterone levels. While these initial findings are encouraging for men with low testosterone levels, our trials will continue to analyse the data to determine whether testosterone treatment improves cognitive function, bone density, cardiovascular health and anaemia, as well as the risks of testosterone treatment. Professor Malcolm Carruthers, a doctor in London, last year called for testosterone therapy should be made far more widely available - and estimated that 2million men in Britain could benefit. But Professor Frederick Wu of the University of Manchester, said: It should be emphasised that is a relatively rare condition since only 1.5 per cent of those screened - 790 out of 51,085 men - were eligible to enrol in the trial. Its also important to note that these findings do not apply to younger men with borderline low testosterone levels this study did not look at such men. The Haryana Wildlife Department is conducting a survey to check the number of wild animals, including leopards, in the vicinity of Aravalli mountain range - from Bhiwani to Faridabad district. The assignment was handed over to the Wildlife Institute of India (WLII) in January, with the department expecting to complete the project in June. Aravalli mountain range in Haryana is known for being a natural habitat for wildlife animals such as leopards, hyena, jackal and peacocks among others. With a focus on big cats, the institute has been given the task to identify locations and number of wildlife animals, said Raj Kumar Bhatia, district forest officer (wildlife) Gurgaon. Leopards come towards areas with a human population to look for food, especially in summer. A leopard cub was found injured in a village near Gurgaon in December last year. Bhatia believes that the long-pending initiative to ascertain the number of leopards in Aravalli is important as other ranges and natural parks like Gir Forest, Nandan Kanan and Jim Corbett have mechanisms in place to calculate the number of wildlife animals, but Aravalli is not able to achieve the same status due to lack of data. The last survey that was conducted approximately three years ago found that there were over 10 leopards in Gurgaon. However, the survey was only partially successful as there was a scope for incoherent data. Hence, we have decided to conduct another survey using scientific methods to get the exact figure for the number of big cats living in the vicinity. WLII will use methods like photographs of pug marks in particular areas to calculate the numbers, Bhatia said. The Aravalli mountain range covers Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurgaon, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal in Haryana with officials saying that dense forests spread into territories of Gurgaon and Faridabad. Areas like Manesar, Raisina, Bhondsi, Damdama and Mangarbani are recognised as wildlife habitats for leopards. While officials are not in a position to tell the exact number of big cats, villagers believe there are 25-30 leopards in the dense forests of Manesar, Raisina and Bhondsi in Gurgaon district. WLII will study natural ponds, caves and thickness of forest areas to find out the basic requirements for wildlife. The department will act on the basis of the report to ensure that wildlife is not deprived of natural habitat, Bhatia said. While anger among students has prevented the Delhi Police from entering the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, police suspect four of the accused in the sedition case are hiding inside. Local intelligence as well as technical surveillance show these students are inside the university campus, though their locations keep changing at regular intervals. Well-placed sources said special branch and district police personnel, present inside JNU in plain clothes, have also confirmed that these students are on campus. Students hold a protest in the administrative block of JNU demanding the release of JNUSU chief Kanhaiya Kumar. Police arrested the student leader after he allegedly raised anti-India slogans on the campus. The police have already shared a list of 19 students with the JNU administration and told them that they needed to be interrogated. This includes Omar Khalid, the JNU student who was one of the organisers of an event last week to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Police have already arrested JNU student union president Kanahiya Kumar. Some of the other accused in the case are Rama Naga, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh Kumar, Ananth Prakash Narayan, Aishwarya Adhikari and Shweta Raj, though police say more names could be added during the course of the investigation. According to the police, these students raised anti-India slogans during the event. We have found that some of the accused in the JNU sedition case are possibly inside the campus. At least four of them are on campus but locations of some others who have been traced in other parts of Delhi NCR. This information is based on local intelligence and technical surveillance, a senior official privy to the investigation told Mail Today. Police are worried about violent protests if they attempt to enter the JNU campus forcibly, or conduct raids Police sources, however, have told Mail Today that Khalid and the other organisers of the Afzal Guru event have left the campus. When asked whether more arrests are likely, officials cited the possibility of violent protests if they entered the campus forcibly or conducted raids. He said students also had the support of a section of teachers and that could aggravate the situation. We have deployed staff inside the JNU campus and they have also suggested that due to the presence of a large number of protesters it would be tough for us to conduct a search operation. Almost 19 students are under the scanner in the case. We believe that the accused students are constantly changing their locations and it would not be possible to search every corner of the campus at the same time, an official said. On February 11th and 12th, there was heavy deployment of police force but later it was reduced, said Bikramaditya Chaudhary, Secretary of JNU teachers association (JNUTA). Meanwhile, Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi said that police are probing suspected financial links between terror outfits and students allegedly involved in the raising of anti-India slogans at the varsity. Police are looking into all aspects of the case. If any person is found with financial links with terrorist outfits, he/she will also be charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Bassi said on Tuesday, while talking to the media on the 69th Raising Day Parade of Delhi Police. Bassi said several persons have been identified following the event, which led to a sedition case against Kanhaiya Kumar, and they will be arrested soon. He said the evidence in the matter so far supports the registration of a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy against Kumar, who was arrested on February 12. Bassi said police have no problems with JNU authorities as they are cooperating with the probe. Asked about the alert in which Delhi Police had posted a tweet by an account named 'HafeezSaeedJUD', which was later taken down, Bassi maintained that the alert was issued for the content of the tweet which was seditious and could have made people engage in activities which come under the domain of IPC Section 124 A (sedition). Journalists still face police apathy By Ankur Sharma in New Delhi Police apathy for journalists at the Patiala House Courts complex did not end with the commissioner terming the violence a minor incident. The police refused to register the journalists complaint and filed a suo moto case, saying they would amend the FIR if evidence surfaced during the course of investigation. Journalists hold a march from the Press Club of India to the Supreme Court in protest against the attack on mediapersons and JNU students inside Patiala House Courts complex The two FIRs registered in the case state that multiple clashes, which took place inside the court, went out of control. Also, in the second FIR, the police have mentioned BJP MLA OP Sharma as a victim as he had suffered injuries. The police have not registered a separate case based on the complaint filed by journalists and JNU teachers and students, who were thrashed by lawyers. According to the FIR, the police got a PCR call around 3.45pm that Sharma had suffered injuries and the cops were taking him to RML Hospital for treatment. Sub-inspector Kishan Pal, posted at Tilak Marg police station, said when he reached gate number 2 of the complex, he found that mediapersons had gathered there. He also said he saw CPI and BJP workers fighting. The police, in their FIR, said they tried to stop the workers, but in vain. Nowhere is there a mention that Sharma was thrashing a man. Another FIR says the police got a call around 2.51pm saying that a scuffle had taken place. According to the police, senior officers had already briefed staff that the main accused, Kanhaiya Kumar, would be produced in court and that his supporters may also be present. The sub-inspector on whose statement the FIR is based said the personnel were asked to be deployed and deal patiently with any situation arising at the complex. The ongoing JNU row, which is intensifying by the day, has not spared even the varsitys teachers union - the Jawaharlal Nehru Teachers Association (JNUTA). A large number of teachers of the Left-dominated association have come out in the open against the body and accused it of acting arbitrarily and tarnishing the image of the university. This section of the teachers body also defied the bandh imposed by Left groups and continued teaching in their respective classes. Members of the JNUTA and varsity students during a rally against the police crackdown after an event was held on the campus to commemorate the death anniversary of Afzal Guru They claimed to have been manhandled by students when they had gone to meet vice-chancellor M Jagdesh Kumar. Students have been on a sit-in at the administrative block since the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Professor Ramnath Jha of the Sanskrit department told Mail Today how the dissenting lot had been nearly assaulted and certainly manhandled when they tried to meet the vice-chancellor. We want to meet the V-C to assure him that we were against the strike going on in the university but we were pushed and shoved around by the students, who were staging a protest at the administrative block demanding Kanhaiya Kumars release, Jha said. Expressing their angst against the dominant ideological flavour of the JNUTA, these teachers said they are mulling the possibility of breaking away from the body and forming an independent association. A decision on the issue will be taken at the next meeting. The JNUTA has always behaved in a high-handed manner. Even this time, they have been deciding things without keeping us in the loop. We are also teachers in the varsity. Any view other than the dominant one is brushed off as saffron, BJP or Sanghi. In reality, only a handful of teachers are associated with the Left students protest on the campus. Most teachers want to douse the fire as soon as possible. Few teachers have indulged in such trade union-type adventurism, Professor Amita Singh told Mail Today. Another teacher from the miffed lot, Uttam K Pati of the biotechnology department, was of the view that the existing JNUTA only believed in closed-door meetings. A section of teachers are not involved in the nurturing of different ideas. There are nearly 650 teachers in the university and I assure people that most of us are not with the JNUTA, Pati said. Some members of the Jawaharlal Nehru Teachers Association have condemned its approach to the ongoing JNU 'anti-nationalism' row Meanwhile, dismissing the allegations, the JNUTA said: We had a wonderful general body meeting (GBM) today in which different views were discussed. Some of the discussions were heated too but we ended the meet on a cordial note. We are a democratic body and the allegations are baseless, vice-president of the JNUTA Ashish Agnihotri said. Some of the dissenting teachers claimed members of the JNUTA had stooped to abusing and harassing those differing from them. Several mails have been sent to us in which some teachers of the association have abused us and used derogatory language, said one of the teachers, requesting anonymity. Professor Hari Ram Mishra said similar incidents have occurred on the varsity campus earlier but this was the time when action was taken. Any story is the sum total of many stories. So also the Jawaharlal Nehru University story that dominates media discourse emanating from Lutyenss Delhi at the moment. Those defending the indefensible deeds of students owing allegiance to various shades of Red, and united by a common impulse to taunt the Indian state, would want people to hear and believe only their story. But the other stories need to be told too, if only for a fuller understanding of what transpires at tax-funded institutions of higher learning in the guise of free thought, free speech and free debate. Demonstrators shout slogans during a rally against the JNU students' union It would also explain why theres outrage across the country and little sympathy for students against whom the police have initiated action. Thats irrespective of whether or not the government has overreacted. Outrage This is not the first time JNU has been the object of popular anger and public scorn. In 1999, in the midst of the Kargil war, leftist students in JNU organised an India-Pakistan mushaira. Abuse and worse was heaped on India and its defence forces. When two brothers, both soldiers, who were present, protested, they were set upon. It needed one of them to pull his revolver to escape the mob. A decade later, in 2010, leftist students organised night-long revelry to celebrate the massacre of 76 CRPF jawans by Maoists in Dantewada. The next year, Arundhati Roy, speaking to her admirers at JNU, justified the killing of security forces to loud applause and louder cheers. Examples abound of such events at JNU. From pushing the demand for Tamil Eelam to promoting separatism in Kashmir Valley, from expressing solidarity with secessionists in Indias North-East to berating Hindu beliefs, from demonising America to calling for the extermination of Israel, from protecting Islamists on the campus to providing the protective cover of progressive politics to Islamism, everything that appalls common sensibilities and offends mass sensitivities is kosher. Free speech, free debate, free dissent and free thought are touted as covers of convenience for everything that militates against the very ideals that were once enshrined as the founding principles of JNU. As a distraught teacher rues, an institution that was supposed to be a tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru has, over the decades, become a memorial to Mohammed Ali Jinnah, living up to his infamous threat: We will either have a divided India or a destroyed India. This transmogrification has been facilitated by teachers who place ideology before academic excellence, students who believe it is their right to fob off the state and live at the taxpayers expense while abusing both benefactors, and a debilitated government held hostage to the capricious politics of cynical politicians. Intellectuals eager to play the role of useful idiots have no dearth of masters. Tradition The patently anti-India event of February 9, where slogans ranged from Bharat ki barbadi to Kashmir ki azadi, was in keeping with the long-standing tradition of leftist students at JNU mocking the Indian state, pushing the envelope, daring authorities to act against them. They did so in the smug belief that the state, as in previous years, would not dare respond. They believed wrongly. The outpouring of anger in the leftist camp has little to do with the JNU students union president being arrested under the law against sedition. It has everything to do with the government daring to touch their bastion. The police action has understandably rung alarm bells across campuses: the party is almost over, if not already. It could be argued that perhaps the government, and the police, could have dealt with the situation in a more sophisticated manner. After all, not every student at JNU (or any university with a dominant leftist lobby) carries a tambourine and sings We shall overcome or whatever its variants are. Nor does every teacher believe that his or her first loyalty is to the banner of ideology. Resentment Demonising a university or its community serves no purpose. Cleansing campuses of malcontent silently, effectively, away from the glare of an intrusive media controlled by cheap thrill seekers does. Sadly, the first has happened with amazing speed. The resentment against JNU is palpable in the street, in drawing rooms, in offices and in places far and wide. Media hype and hysterical denunciation by the unsettled usual suspects have combined to fan the anger. Misplaced support for misguided students has proved counter-productive. A last story that needs to be told is about how much we, the people, spend on JNU. Between 2012-13 and 2015-16, nearly Rs 1,300 crore has been paid from the exchequer to this university alone. Thats not exactly loose change. Academic freedom and free debate are fine, but surely both teachers and students owe accountability to taxpayers. That accountability is not fulfilled by glorifying terrorists and calling for the dismantling of the very state that affords the luxury of subsidised campus life. As for free speech, the leftists need to realise that its a two-way traffic. They cant have for themselves what they deny to others. Indeed, harsh as this may sound, the fact remains freedom and leftism are antithetical to each other. No bastion of Left politics can claim to be free. So when JNU leftists cry Freedom under siege, one can only feel sorry for them. It has been rightly pointed out that JNU needs a reboot. For that, it first needs to be reclaimed from those holding it to ransom. If the government fails in this task, let taxpayers insist they will no longer foot the bill for bogus dissent and spurious revolution. The butt of all sardar jokes - Santa alias Gurpreet Singh and Banta alias Prabhjot Singh - are of the opinion that jokes targeting a particular community should be banned. Sick of being on the receiving end of all the jokes, the duo have now changed their nicknames to Shugli and Jugli. The root cause behind the decision is to discourage jokes being cracked on Sikhs, the duo told Mail Today, adding that they wanted to make people laugh, but not at the cost of religion or appearance. Gurpreet and Prabhjot Singh say jokes against any community should be banned Why should the jokes on Sikhs alone be banned? We feel jokes on every community should be made illegal. By making Sikhs the butt of jokes, they are actually hurting their sentiments. When the community realised that the jokes have crossed limits, we were compelled to change our nicknames, Gurpreet said. Echoing the sardar duos views is another Punjabi comedian Balwinder Singh Vikki, who is popularly known as Chacha Raunki Ram. Making fun of Sikhs is wrong, he said, adding that he had not insulted any religion in his 35-year stint as a comedian. Sikhs are a brave and hard-working community and deserve respect. I welcome the move to ban jokes on Sikhs, Vikki said. Known for their fun-loving attitude, Sikhs are now concerned about the jokes which insult them and portray them in a negative light. Demanding beef in the hostel mess and worshipping Mahisasur (a demon) are among the anti-national activities listed by Delhi Police in a report on the controversial event organised at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) states that extreme Left group the Democratic Students Union (DSU) was behind the protest on February 9. Along with DSU the report also mentions the Democratic Students Front that has been involved in anti-national activities in JNU in the past. The police report, submitted to the MHA, states that the Democratic Students' Union was behind the February 9 protest at JNU. It goes on to list the group's 'anti-national' activities. Mentioning that the two hidden groups have been volatile and reactive on various issues, Delhi Police has listed their anti-national activities, including the mourning of Afzal Guru and celebrating the killing of CRPF jawans by Maoists in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh in 2010. They worshipped Mahisasur in place of Goddess Durga during Navratri festival. They invited Kashmiri separatist leader Geelani for a meeting and asked for beef in the hostel mess, the report states. Members of the DSU organised the event and raised anti-India slogans, but the Delhi Police arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, president of JNU students union on February 12, on charges of sedition. The action followed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs comment that anti-national activities will not be tolerated as he reacted to the incident on JNU campus last week. Sources in the security establishment felt that Kumars arrest seems to be a decision taken in a hurried manner. Even the Delhi Police report on the incident suggests that it was DSU members that incited the crowd. Explaining the sequence of events, the report says that DSU members, under the leadership of Umar Khalid, convener, DSU bought with them equipment to show a documentary on the history of occupation in Kashmir. Since JNU administration denied screening of the film, DSU activists started to raise slogans and sing songs supporting Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, the report says. Both were Kashmiri militants who were hanged for carrying out terrorists attacks. Even though the Delhi Police report mentions that Kumar was present during this protest, certain intelligence inputs indicate that he was being a mediator to pacify the situation. DSU is a front organisation for Maoists and Kumar belongs to AISF, the student wing of the Communist Party of India. Traditionally, a Left political party and Maoists cannot share the same platform, said a MHA official. The Special Branch of Delhi Police, that has prepared the report, says nine students from DSU and 10 from DSF have been identified as those indulging in anti-national and anti-social activities. The report mentions their names. Sometimes they discreetly prepare nude and objectionable posters of deities and affix them on walls, the report says. The report further states that a police officer has been posted in JNU in plain clothes to keep a watch on the situation. Hackers breach JNU website to avenge Afzal event By Shashank Shekhar in New Delhi Two Indian hacking groups on Tuesday claimed to have defaced the library page of Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys (JNU) website and accessed the varsitys data. The groups claim that the move was to avenge the event held in the campus to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. The message posted on the site said Pakistan will never get Kashmir Indian Hackers Online Squad claimed responsibility for defacing the university website and said Indian hackers will not stay silent against anti-national activities. We hackers are against the anti-national slogans, which were raised inside the JNU campus, and not against the university. Though illegal, our motive is to destroy the cyber space of anti-national supporters, an anonymous hacker, who uses Bl@Ck Dr@GoN as an alias, told Mail Today via email. The group, after hacking the varsity website, posted an image of the Tricolour and said they saluted the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to eliminate terrorists like Afzal Guru. The group also warned anti-national elements at JNU to accept that Pakistan will never get Kashmir. Protesters should be thankful to god that they are alive. If the same incident would have happened in Pakistan, people would have burnt them alive, the post read. The issue was soon noticed by the JNU administration and the page has been taken off the website. A senior official of the university confirmed the website had been hacked and the computer department is looking into the matter. In the second hack, another hacking group accessed website data and made it public. The data included email ids and passwords of faculty members. Joint Commissioner MK Meena has been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, over a dozen IPS officers have been moved out of Delhi police. This includes Joint Commissioner MK Meena, who had a tiff with the AAP government in Delhi. Meena has been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Sources said the transfers ordered by the Union Home Ministry were routine in nature and it had no bearing with the ongoing tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre. BJP targets anti-nationalism There are no signs of the JNU row ending any time soon. The BJP leadership has asked the state units to hit the streets for three days from February 18 onwards to spread the nationalism verus anti-nationalism debate. The party will evoke sentiments through swabhiman (self-respect) meetings targeting those supporting anti-national forces. Who will fill Bassis shoes? With just a fortnight to go for Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassis retirement, names of several contenders are doing the rounds. Earlier, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer was tipped to be brought in to the Capital to take charge of Delhi police. The buzz now is that there might not be any break from the tradition and an officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre will be appointed. In the race for the top job are senior IPS officers Alok Kumar Verma (currently DG Prisons in Delhi), Dharmendra Kumar and Deepak Misra, both holding senior posts in Delhi police. Medal lost and found Special commissioner of police Vasudeva Rao lost his medal during the Raising Day celebration of Delhi Police sending the cops into a tizzy. It took almost seven hours to locate the special commissioners medal. Shah's second visit to Mathura BJP chief Amit Shah will be in Mathura on Wednesday, his second visit to the city in a month. He had visited the famous Banke Bihari temple in Mathura earlier this month also. Even if you are a non-smoker residing in Delhi, chances are high that your lungs will be as unhealthy as those of someone who smokes. A study in Delhi, conducted by the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), has revealed that among those tested for lung impairment during the odd-even run, smokers and non-smokers were equal when it came to lung impairment. The detailed report, which has been compiled by a team of doctors at MAMC, has been submitted to Delhi health department last week. The report has been categorised in terms of age, gender, education, tobacco use, and duration of stay in Delhi. Equally unhealthy As per the data, 34.5 per cent of smokers and non-smokers each were found to have impaired lungs. It means the lungs of non-smokers are equally unhealthy. We need to establish the reason behind this interesting fact. The results are equally surprising for us, Dr Suneela Garg, project officer and sub-dean at MAMC told Mail Today. The lung function tests were carried out by specialists stationed at 10 locations - Rajiv Chowk Metro station, ITO, Nehru Place, Jama Masjid, Vikas Marg, ISBT Anand Vihar, Kashmere Gate, Kamla Nagar market near KMC gate, Dilli Haat and Shadipur Depot. Even doctors agreed there was a link between air pollution and unhealthy lungs. There might be many reasons for non-smokers having lung impairment. Some might already have bad lungs, or they must have been exposed to high level of pollution, or maybe they were living in a city with a high level of bronchitis. We need more data to establish a proper relation between air pollution and unhealthy lungs, but indirectly, there are many linkages to prove the same, Dr Randeep Guleria, professor and head of pulmonology at AIIMS told Mail Today. The report also classified the total number of people tested in terms of the duration of their stay in Delhi. According to the findings, the longer you stay in Delhi, the unhealthier your lungs are. Of the people who stayed in Delhi for five-nine years, 28.7 per cent had impaired lungs, while the percentage increased with the rise in the number of years. A shocking 36.7 per cent people of those who stayed in the Capital for over 20 years had unhealthy lungs. Those who have stayed in the Capital for a longer period of time had more unhealthy lungs. The pollution level in Delhi needs to be monitored, added Dr Garg. One-fifth of youngsters in Delhi were found to have unhealthy lungs, as per the report. And 17.5 per cent of those who were screened were less than 20 years old. Recently, a multi-agency study revealed the impact of poor air quality on the growth of foetuses in pregnant women. The study was conducted by the Sir Gangaram Ram Hospital in association with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and London School of Hygiene to explore the link between air pollution and a neonates birth weight and gestational age. MAMC calls for dedicated cell to monitor public's lungs By Astha Saxena in New Delhi The Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) will soon submit a road map to the Delhi government, suggesting measures to improve the unhealthy lungs of Delhiites. Among the suggestions, the doctors feel a dedicated cell should be established in the office of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) to monitor the lungs of citizens on a daily basis. The team will submit suggestions to the government by next week. Raising awareness about the effects of smoking also features in the plan A lot of awareness needs to be spread. The figures are not very positive. We need to have a proper dedicated cell in the health department so that people can get their lungs regularly tested. Students should be included in the awareness programme, where they could be informed about the harmful effects of smoking, Dr Suneela Garg, project director and sub-dean of MAMC told Mail Today. The study conducted by the medical college during the odd-even run found one-third of Delhiites have weak and unhealthy lungs. We will also observe the effects of indoor pollution and ways to reduce it, said Dr Garg. As per data released by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 5 lakh lives are lost in India every year due to indoor air pollution. Most of them are women and children. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently said that one of its focus areas in 2016-17 will be to raise awareness among rural women regarding the use of electricity or LPG stoves, in a bid to curb indoor air pollution. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is all set to start the first large-scale study in nearly 18 years on links between respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, and air quality in the Capital. The CBI has filed a supplementary charge-sheet against ex-media baron Peter Mukerjea in the Sheena Bora murder case. Peter was charged under sections 302 (murder), 120b (conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence). The CBI is likely to file another charge-sheet against Peter soon. Former Star TV CEO Peter Mukerjea (left) with his wife Indrani. Both are behind bars on suspicion of killing Sheena Bora, Indrani's daughter from a previous relationship. In its charge-sheet before Additional Metropolitan Magistrate RV Adone, the CBI said a total of 52 witnesses have been examined and their statements and other relevant documents compiled. The statement of one of the witnesses (witness number 32) was submitted in a sealed envelope to the Quila Court. The CBI charge-sheet states that Sheena Bora was killed as her relationship with Rahul was disapproved of by the latters father Peter and his wife Indrani, both of whom were part of the plot to murder her. Sheena Bora was allegedly strangled inside a car in April 2012, but the murder only came to light in August 2015 Peter, whose wife Indrani is the prime accused in the case, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder conspiracy. He was questioned by the CBI for two weeks, after which he was remanded in judicial custody and sent to the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. On February 12, a special CBI court rejected Peters bail plea in the murder case. Other co-accused, Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai (Indranis former driver), have also been kept in the same prison while Indrani has been sent to a womens prison in Byculla. Sheena, Indranis daughter from an earlier relationship, was allegedly strangled inside a car in April 2012. Her body was later burnt and dumped in a forest in adjoining Raigad district. The CBI, which took over the probe from Mumbai police late last year, suspects a financial motive behind the murder. The murder took place in 2012, but came to light in late August last year. The CBI cited call data records it has collected to state that Peter spoke to Indrani on April 24 at around 12.24pm for 1,329 seconds, and again at 1.36pm for 242 seconds, and that they exchanged messages as well. Indrani spoke to Peter again for 924 seconds after Sheenas body was disposed of the next day. The CBI has also mentioned two mails written by Sheena to her close friend in the charge-sheet. In her first mail written on August 26, 2009, Sheena said that Indrani tried her level best to influence her higher-ups at her workplace to ensure that she loses her job. In the second mail written two days later, Sheena referred to Indrani as a 'bitch' and a 'witch' saying how unsupportive she was. Sheena was working with Mumbai Metro before she went missing in April 2012. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said voters had chosen "development, development and development". "The people of India reposed faith in politics of development, development and development", tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rejoicing over an impressive by-polls show by the BJP and its allies. The BJP and friends clinched seven out of 12 seats in the state by-elections. The favourable results for the ruling alliance come at a time when the opposition is questioning the governments alleged high-handedness in Jawaharlal Nehru University. Happy to see the victory of BJP and allies in bypolls in northern, southern, eastern, western and central parts of the country. I express gratitude to the people. People across India reposed faith in politics of development, development & development, Prime Minister Modi tweeted. The comment came after the BJP won the crucial Muzaffarnagar Assembly by-poll in Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh, and jolted the Congress in Karnataka by winning two of the three by-polls. In Bihar, BJP ally RLSP won the Harlakhi by-poll against the might of the JD(U)-RJD Congress alliance, while the Akalis won the Khadoor Sahib bypolls in Punjab. The only solace for the Congress was the win in Deoband in UP, a Muslim-dominated seat won by the party after 28 years. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana gave one seat each to BJP, Shiv Sena and TRS, while CPI-M held its ground in Tripura. The by-poll results came amid a political slugfest over the JNU issue which also dominated the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister ahead of the Parliament session starting February 23. The Prime Minister pacified an aggressive opposition which pressed for his clarification on the beating up of journalists in court and slapping sedition charges on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, DMKs Kanimozhi, CPIs D Raja, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu after an all-party meeting called by PM Modi in Delhi Though the prime minister told the opposition leaders he will address all their concerns, sources across political parties said the JNU controversy is likely to impact on Parliament proceedings along with other issues like the intolerance debate, the recent suicide of a Dalit scholar in Hyderabad, and the imposition of Presidents Rule in Arunachal Pradesh. Responding to the JNU incident raised by the leaders of Congress and the CPI-M at the all party meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said its implications need to be understood properly, said sources. I have 20,000 to split between my two children, aged two and ten. What should I do with it? L. P., by email Piggy bank: Where you should put the money for them depends on the age at which you would like them to be able to access the cash, and what you'd like them to use it for Holly Black, of Money Mail, replies: Where you put this generous gift to your children depends on the age at which you would like them to be able to access the cash, and what you'd like them to use it for. If youre keen to avoid paying any tax on any of their profits, then youll need either an Isa or pension. A pension might sound a bit premature, but the longer you leave money invested, the more time it has to grow. If you put 10,000 into a pension for your two-year-old and it grew at 5 per cent a year until she was aged 65, she would have an incredible 216,235 without ever adding another penny. You can set up a self-invested personal pension very easily through any fund supermarket, such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Bestinvest or AJ Bell. Youll pay a small annual fee for using the service and then a charge for whichever fund you invest the money in. Of course, its likely your children may want to get their hands on the cash a little earlier than age 65 perhaps to pay for university tuition fees or a deposit on a house. Lets assume they wish to access the money at the age of 18. If you put the money into separate Junior Isas, each will take control of their account at 16. But they will not be able to take anything out until they are 18. You can either choose a cash Junior Isa or a stocks and shares Junior Isa, depending on whether you want to take a risk as you try to grow the funds over the years. Good investment: A pension might sound a bit premature, but the longer you leave money invested, the more time it has to grow The benefit of a cash Isa is a steady, guaranteed return. The downside of course is that the return is limited. Currently, the best rate is 4 per cent from Halifax, although you will have to be a customer yourself to take advantage of this rate for a child. Nationwide pays 3.25 per cent. If you put the full amount for each into a Halifax account, your youngest will have about 18,729 when she turns 18, and your oldest 13,685. If you want the potential to grow the money even further, youre going to have to invest it. Investing comes with the risk that you may lose money, so make sure you are comfortable with this before you go ahead. You can set up a stocks and shares Junior Isa through a fund supermarket. Again, youll pay an annual fee for the service and an annual charge for the funds you choose to invest. On December 7, I sent a parcel of Christmas presents to my grand-daughter, paying Parcelforce 12.98 for the 48-hour service. The tracking service said it had been delivered on December 9 at 5pm, but it wasnt. A long conversation with Parcelforce got me nowhere and a letter dated December 18 was ignored. On December 28, I wrote directly to Parcelforces managing director Gary Simpson but I have not had a reply. P. G., Flintshire. No show: Parcelforce managed to lose 70 worth of Christmas presents one reader had sent to their grand-daughter What has it come to when a letter to the office of the managing director of Parcelforce part of Royal Mail doesnt even elicit the courtesy of a response? This is one occasion when being lost in the post is no excuse they are the post! And please dont tell me Royal Mail employees now only respond to emails. It seems your package was delivered to a post office by a Parcelforce driver who has since left the business hence the amount of time it took to carry out the investigation. It wasnt clear which post office it was delivered to, but having searched two possible ones, the items have not turned up. Parcelforce has now settled your claim for 70 for the contents and a refund of the postage. It has also added 10 goodwill to cover the cost of your phone calls, plus a tiny bit on top. But none of this makes up for the disappointment of Christmas presents that failed to arrive on time. However, Parcelforce has now been in contact with you to apologise for the inconvenience. A spokesman says: We value our customers greatly and regret that on this occasion Mr G. did not get the great customer service we always aim to deliver to all our customers. So what happened to your letter to the managing directors office? It seems it was received but incorrectly filed which is why you didnt get a reply. Lets face it, these mistakes can happen to all of us. I had a lot of problems with Vodafone so decided to cancel my contract and pay a 124 early exit fee. That was on October 5, 2014. When I asked to pay the fee I was told there was no one in the office who could take the money. I was told a bill would be sent to me. After numerous emails, phone calls and letters, I have had no reply and no bill. As we had cancelled the direct debit, we couldnt pay online. We couldnt pay by phone because the account number was no longer recognised. Now Vodafone says it is putting the matter in the hands of debt collectors, who incidentally have no details about us at all. W. I., Hants. Good old Vodafone. Even when you want to pay a bill it puts up barriers to prevent you doing so. The problem is that when you cancelled your direct debit, it couldnt take the termination fee that would have been added to your November bill. Its always worth leaving a direct debit open for a few months so any refund due can be made or take a final payment. If it gets it wrong, the direct debit guarantee puts the onus on your bank to sort it out. A Vodafone spokesperson says: Were sorry this happened as its clear that Mr I made every effort to pay his bill. There is nothing owing on his account now, and well make sure there is no adverse information on his credit file. Vodafone has refunded you 65 by way of apology. YOU HAVE YOUR SAY Every week Money Mail receives hundreds of letters and emails about our stories. Heres what you had to say about our report into banks that dont let good borrowers extend their mortgage: My husband is about to turn 60 and, despite having a large deposit, we cannot get a mortgage. Even though Im younger than he is, the bank looks at his age first. P. F., Chester. Ive always thought the point of home ownership is to be able to live mortgage-free once you reach retirement. I would hate to be in the situation where I was having to borrow more at that stage of life. J. B., London. I dont understand why banks think it is OK to sell equity-release products, but not give them a short, interest-only mortgage at least with the latter the debt doesnt keep growing. D. J., Doncaster. As long as the borrower is making repayments and there is a plan in place to repay the mortgage, I dont see why a bank would not agree to a mortgage. They are just making life onerous because they can. J. S., Sevenoaks, Kent. Any decision about a mortgage should be based on the persons ability to repay the loan, not how old they are. T. N., Surbiton, Surrey. I dont generally agree with equity release, but this seems like the sort of situation where it may have to be used if banks arent willing to lend. T. H., Halesworth, Suffolk. Rather than remortgage in retirement, surely it would be better to just avoid all of this hassle and downsize. J. N., Devon. People are older before they get on the property ladder these days so its not surprising if they need their mortgages into their 70s. Banks need to catch up. V. G., London. I know that most banks have an upper age limit on their mortgage lending, but they should really use it as more of a guide and be flexible depending on peoples circumstances. J. R., Warwick. People berate the banks for their decision not to lend to older people but the real problem is the regulators. The bank probably wants to offer this loan its low risk and it wants the money but it is scared of putting a foot wrong. S.R., London. EDF replaced my meter in December 2011, then began sending me inaccurate estimated bills. Though I reported this, it claimed the new meter wasnt operating until June 2013. At this stage, I was sent a bill crediting me with 3,748.87 made up of cancelled charges, a VAT rebate, goodwill gestures and a government rebate. To this day, EDF is reluctant to say when and how it applied the code for accurate billing. Also, does HMRC receive the returned VAT that the computer program records has been returned to a customers account? To top it all, Ive been summoned to appear at a magistrates court by EDF but no hearing is listed. R. N., Bromley, Gtr London. Your letter suggests youve had a rough time with EDF. But you omitted one important point: Ombudsman Services has already reviewed your complaint and you refused its decision. It ordered, among other things, a written apology, confirmation that a 30 goodwill payment had been made, any erroneous VAT charges removed and an accurate bill issued upon receipt of up-to-date meter readings. EDF has fulfilled these obligations but you are refusing to pay money you owe. EDF was initially at fault because it did not update the details on its computer system when it installed a meter at your property. However, it then applied the back billing code which meant you were only charged for 12 months energy usage up to June 5, 2013. This led to the 3,748.87 cancelled charges and rebates. As for the VAT 172 was refunded to you, so there is nothing for EDF to pay HMRC. EDF has written to you on several occasions requesting payment. Pre-warrant visits were made and letters hand-delivered. As the bill still remained unpaid, EDF applied for a Rights of Entry warrant and a debt-related charge of 60 was added to your account. It admits the hearing did not go ahead, so that 60 has been removed. You should contact EDF and discuss a repayment plan. Can I remind readers that I will not intervene on a case that is with an ombudsman or that has been decided by an ombudsman in favour of a company. I will only look at an ombudsman complaint if the ombudsman has found in your favour and the firm has not abided by the ruling. Cruise ships are back at a new terminal on the famous waterfront outside the Three Graces of Liverpool the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool. It was here that thousands of well-wishers gathered last summer when Cunards Three Queens the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 returned to their spiritual home to celebrate the birth of the cruise line in Liverpool 175 years earlier. The celebration marked a significant day for the city. The River Mersey has long been the lifeblood of Liverpool helping to turn the city into the one of the greatest ports in the world in its heyday. Special guest: Cunards Queen Mary 2 returns to its spiritual home to celebrate the birth of the cruise line in Liverpool 175 years earlier It now marks the start of what could be its revival putting Liverpool at the heart of George Osbornes Northern Powerhouse. A deep water container terminal at the Port of Liverpool is part of variously dubbed the Ocean or Atlantic Gateway that will see 50billion invested in 50 projects in the North West over 50 years. The container terminal, known as Liverpool2, can cater for a giant new breed of post-Panamax container ships the biggest ever to take to the seas and so large the Panama Canal had to be widened to accommodate them opening up the North West to new trade from all over the world. Liverpool already handles 45 per cent of all UK-bound container traffic from North America and the city is the closest port to over half of UK manufacturers. But 91 per cent of deep sea containers that come to the UK enter via ports in the South. Today Lord Heseltine will speak to Liverpool business leaders at the Mansion House in the heart of the City of London. Heseltine, dubbed the minister for Merseyside for his work turning the citys fortunes around after the 1981 riots, will hail Liverpool as one of the leading lights in the Northern Powerhouse and the gateway to the Atlantic. Liverpool has a real opportunity to shape its own destiny and it will be important to set clear priorities for investment for it to really thrive as part of the Northern Powerhouse, he will say. The citys post-war decline has been well-documented and the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s, including the strikes and the riots, still hang over the region. Unemployment of nearly 10 per cent in Liverpool compares with a national average of around 5 per cent while typical incomes and life expectancy are far lower than in other parts of the country. Official figures show Liverpools economy shrank by 0.8pc between 2009 and 2014 making the only one of 13 cities covered in the report by the Office for National Statistics to see output fall (see graph). But transformation is imminent. The Ocean Gateway project is being led by Peel Group and involves the redevelopment of the Manchester Ship Canal as well as the Port of Liverpool and the Wirral Waters project on the other side of the Mersey in Birkenhead. Peel chairman John Whittaker sees the regeneration and renaissance of the corridor between Merseyside and Greater Manchester as the chance to create the most dynamic and economically sustainable region in the UK. He warns, however, that more needs to be done to give the private sector the confidence and ability to deliver in the North. Part of that is the Chancellors devolution revolution, where regional cities will get more powers, though critics argue this is no silver bullet for Liverpool and the surrounding region. Merseyside voters will next year chose a directly elected mayor who will take on a raft of powers and 30million of investment a year for the next 30 years a total pot of 900million. But not everyone convinced by talk of the Northern Powerhouse and some senior business figures in Liverpool worry that the real focus is on Manchester and Leeds. The feeling is not helped by the fact that Osbornes constituency of Tatton lies just outside Manchester. And there is also concern that the Government is more interested in the North-South HS2 rail link rather than the West-East HS3 line. Whereas it can take just over two hours to take a train from Liverpool to London, it takes over three hours to get from Liverpool to Newcastle. Economists warn that the Northern Powerhouse must focus on growth across the region not just a handful of hotspots. In the North East, there is concern that areas such as Teesside will be left behind. The closure of the SSI steel works in Redcar with the loss of thousands of jobs has hit the region hard. Wide load: The Liverpool2 container terminal will be able to cater for giant post-Panamax container ships like China's CSCL Globe (pictured), which are so large the Panama Canal had to be widened to accommodate them According to analysis by KPMG, of the 20 investment opportunities pitched to Chinese investors during the Chancellors recent visit to China, only two were in the North East and none were in the Tees Valley and Durham region. Business leaders across the North are desperate to attract new investment and improve transport links. Robert Hough, chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership in Liverpool, says the regions entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well but adds that connectivity to both new and existing markets is crucial to the success of the Northern Powerhouse. John Hall, chief executive of Professional Liverpool, which promotes financial services and the professions across the region, says todays gathering with Heseltine at Mansion House in London is an attempt to put Liverpool on the map. There are plenty of success stories, from Jaguar Land Rover at Halewood to the record number of start-ups in Liverpool in 2015. Liverpool will host the International Festival for Business this June. That Liverpool has been chosen to host as it was in 2014 and has been for 2018 and 2020 is a major coup for Merseyside and the North West as the region looks to consign years of economic failure to history. A recent report by the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University notes: Liverpool city region faces many significant economic and social challenges and it still compares unfavourably with many city regions in the UK and beyond. But it has shown it is moving in the right direction. Devolution can help with this. But it is not a silver bullet. 'The last thing the city region needs to do is find itself in spring 2017 with lots of new powers and responsibilities but no plans or people in place to put them into action. Crucial to this will be the Mersey, just as it was when the old dock opened for business in 1715, making Liverpool the birthplace of modern commercial shipping. Too good to discount? Pernod Ricard is refusing to get drawn in to a supermarket price war The maker of Absolut vodka, Jameson whiskey, Beefeater gin and Havana Club rum has refused to enter into a supermarket price war, writes Laura Chesters. Pernod Ricard, the worlds second largest spirits company, said firms had come under pressure from the big stores to offer bottles of spirits at an offer price of 15 a litre at Christmas. But Pernod Ricard refused and said it kept prices constant to focus on value not volume, meaning not worrying about how much of a drink they can sell. Alex Ricard, grandson of one of Pernod Ricards founders who is a year into his job as chief executive and chairman of the 20billion company, said: We age some of our spirits for 12 or 15 years, why give it away? 'Consumers are ready to pay a premium if they think it deserves it if the brand has both substance and style. He said the company may have commercial conflicts with the likes of supermarkets but that it will stick with its value over volume plan. Money Mail can today lay bare the devastating full impact of George Osbornes plot to raid middle-income savers pensions. For the first time, we can reveal how the Chancellors plan to scrap tax breaks on pensions will leave a black hole in the nest eggs of up to four million workers. If Mr Osborne axes this in the Budget next month, it will leave savers facing a hard choice if they want to keep their retirement dreams on track. Floating away: Under plans being considered by the Government, the system whereby basic-rate taxpayers receive a 20 top-up from the Government for every 80 they pay into a pension will be scrapped They will either have to work into their 70s to plug the gap or scrape together hundreds of pounds extra to put aside for retirement every month. In the most extreme cases a 35-year-old earning 45,000 would have to pay in an extra 4,140 a year into their pension to build up the same retirement fund at the same rate as today. The alternative would be sticking with saving the same amount as they do today and working for another seven years, until they are 72. How savers will be hit The impact would come from a decision to axe the long-standing principle of tax-free pension saving. This sees savers put back into their pre-tax position thanks to relief on money paid into their pension - in return for this, they pay tax when they eventually draw that pension. At present, basic-rate taxpayers receive a 20 top-up from the Government for every 80 they pay into a pension. Poll Should tax-free pension saving for 40% taxpayers be kept? Yes No Should tax-free pension saving for 40% taxpayers be kept? Yes 3671 votes No 1379 votes Now share your opinion Those earning more than 42,385 receive 40 for every 60, while top-rate taxpayers receive 45 for every 55. Under plans being considered by the Government, this system stands to be scrapped and replaced with one of a number of options. These include a flat rate of between 20 per cent and 30 per cent. A 20 per cent rate means all savers would have to put 80 into a pension to get a 20 top-up no matter how much they earn. If the rate was 25 per cent they would need to save 75 to get an extra 25 from the Government. There are now just four weeks until Chancellor announces whether he will slash the 34.3billion tax relief bill. Our campaign to stop Mr Osborne wrecking the retirement plans of millions of savers has won the backing of influential economists, politicians and business leaders. These include the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Its director Paul Johnson warns: Pensions must not be treated as a cash cow by the Treasury they are vitally important to Britains long-term prosperity. Warning: Backbenchers have warned of a riot if the cuts to pension savings go ahead and claim Mr Osborne can forget his chances of succeeding David Cameron as Prime Minister Senior Tory MPs have also called on the Chancellor to rethink his plans, fearing it could cost the party votes at the next election. Backbenchers have warned of a riot if the cuts to pension savings go ahead and claim Mr Osborne can forget his chances of succeeding David Cameron as Prime Minister. Mark Garnier, a Tory MP on the Treasury select committee, condemned the plans as a war of attrition on higher earners. Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP for North East Somerset, railed against plans to remove tax-free pension saving from higher-rate taxpayers, calling them basically socialism. Meanwhile, the Association of British Insurers has warned against reckless and highly risky proposals that would create a timebomb for future generations. Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at FTSE 100 firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said any steps to reduce the tax breaks on pensions today could have disastrous consequences in the years to come. A move to a flat-rate system might be marketed by the Government as a boost to basic-rate taxpayers as they might receive more than under the current system. But Mr Rees-Mogg describes it a socialist policy. He says: What is suggested is giving one set of people another set of peoples money. Unrest: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP for North East Somerset, railed against plans to remove perks from higher-rate taxpayers A hit to those who aspire to earn 45,000 a year Our figures, prepared by actuarial firm Barnett Waddingham, reveal how middle-income workers would face the greatest struggle of all those affected by the changes. A 35-year-old earning 45,000 a year would have to pile an extra 1,776 a year, or 148 a month, into their pension with a 25 per cent flat rate to make up the difference. Thats assuming their pot grew at a rate of 5 per cent and they bought an annuity income that would provide payouts worth two-thirds of their current earnings. Alternatively, they could continue working for two-and-a-half years longer to the age of 67-and-a-half and pay in the same amount. And a pension Isa could hit even harder Another option open to the Chancellor is to completely reverse the current system and introduce something a bit like an Isa. This would involve removing tax relief altogether but allowing savers to make tax-free withdrawals when they retire. Savers may be given a top-up by the Government worth a proportion of their current contribution but this is not guaranteed. Civil servants and the Chancellor are understood to be attracted by the flexibility of what is being called a pensions Isa. But Money Mail has uncovered the full extent to which such a system would ravage savers nest eggs. Without a top up, the same saver would have to stash an eye-watering 345 extra a month (thats 4,140 a year) into their pensions meaning they would have to pay in 936 a month in total in every single month over the next two-and-a-half decades. If at the end of the Budget people feel it is not worth saving into a pension or are just too frightened to do so they might well give up - Steve Webb Alternatively, they face being forced to work for another seven years retiring at 72. Things barely improve with the 10 per cent government top-up experts have suggested. The worker would have to toil for another five-and-a-half years or pay in an extra 246 a month into their pension. Experts fear that the additional burden on savers shoulders could mean many abandon putting cash into their nest eggs altogether. Former pensions minister Steve Webb, who now works as a policy expert at insurer Royal London, said: If at the end of the Budget people feel it is not worth saving into a pension or are just too frightened to do so they might well give up. If you take a large amount of cash out of tax relief it makes it even harder for many to achieve the retirement they want. A Treasury spokesman says: The Government launched a consultation into pensions tax relief last summer. We are considering all options, including retaining the current system. This consultation is now closed and we will respond at the Budget. Loyalty schemes have come a long way since the days of sticking Green Shield Stamps into books to get a cut-price set of saucepans. The revolution started in the Eighties with the Sainsbury's Homebase Spend & Save card and was complete when Tesco launched its Clubcard in 1995. Today, eight in ten of us have at least one points card in our purses or wallets. About a third of us have five or more. In fact, it's hard to name a shop that doesn't offer some sort of reward for your repeat custom. Barely worth it: Rewards on loyalty schemes have been cut drastically due to new EU rules introduced in December limiting the amount they can charge shops to process card payments But over the past 12 months many of the best schemes have suffered a battering. Banks, credit card companies, supermarkets and airlines have all taken the axe to the rewards on offer. They blame the EU for a little-known rule change that's made it harder for card companies to make money when you spend. Now they've cut rewards so drastically that in many cases it hardly seems worth bothering any more. For example, one card requires customers to spend 12,000 to earn just 15 in shopping vouchers. Another company requires you to spend 34,000 for just two tickets to a West End show. So are any of these deals still worth the effort? EUROPEAN LAW THAT SPELLED DISASTER Poll Would Britain be better off in or out of the EU? In Out Would Britain be better off in or out of the EU? In 16244 votes Out 60553 votes Now share your opinion Banks and loyalty card providers claim they can no longer afford to offer such generous perks to customers. They blame new EU rules introduced in December limiting the amount they can charge shops to process card payments. Previously banks could charge stores whatever they liked. It was not uncommon for fees to be as high as 1 per cent. But now fees are capped at 0.2 per cent and 0.3 per cent for debit and credit card payments respectively. The new rules were supposed to be good for retailers and benefit shoppers. It was hoped stores would pass on savings of as much as 700 million a year to customers with lower prices. But card companies claim they used the money they raked in from card fees to help fund loyalty reward schemes. They say without this income they've had to pare back the perks. At the same time, supermarkets have started to realise that busy shoppers prefer lower prices to Clubcard or Nectar points. Many offer credit cards linked to their loyalty schemes and have cut the benefits severely. Again, the idea is to lower prices in store. In the past year, the cashback credit card has almost disappeared. Capital One was first to axe its popular credit card, which paid customers up to 5p for every 1 spent. Then Santander hiked the fee on its 123 credit card from 24 to 36 a year and capped the cashback amount new customers can earn to 9 a month. With Santander's 123 credit card you still earn 1 per cent of cashback on spending at supermarkets, 2 per cent at department stores and 3 per cent on petrol, National Rail and Transport for London travel. But you now can't earn more than 3 a month in each category. This means that after paying the card's annual fee the most cashback you can earn in a year is 72. And to get this you would need to spend 300 every month at the supermarket, 150 at department stores and 100 on petrol and train tickets. American Express, which is not affected by the EU fee cap, has one the few juicy cashback deals left. With its Platinum Everyday card, you get an introductory bonus rate of 5 per cent for the first three months up to a maximum 100 in rewards. After this, you are paid 0.5 per cent on spending of up to 3,500 a year, 1 per cent from there up to 7,500 and 1.25 per cent on everything higher. Customers who spend 1,000 a month can earn 198.75 a year. The catch is that you need to spend at least 3,000 per year to get any cashback at all and not all retailers accept Amex. And if you fail to clear your balance in full each month, you will be charged interest at 22.9 per cent. Points mean.... A trip will now earn you less Avios pints if you book a cheap seat with BA NOW 'FREE' FLIGHTS COST THOUSANDS Air miles are one the most popular loyalty schemes going. More than two million people collect Avios points, which can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Flybe flights. But you now need to spend huge amounts to earn enough miles to get anywhere. Last year, British Airways upset many loyal customers by hacking back generosity of the Avios scheme. It used to be simple you received one point for every mile you flew. Under the changes, the number of points you get depends on the type of ticket you buy. If you book the cheapest seat on a 2,000-mile trip, you'll only receive 500 points instead of 2,000. You can also earn Avios points by spending on British Airways' American Express credit card. You get one Avios point for every 1 you spend. Plus you get 3,000 points if you spend 500 in the first three months. So if you spend 1,000 every month on it you will earn 15,000 points in the first year. You can use your points to get money off flights all over the world. To fly economy one way to New York for free during peak times, for example, you would need 20,000 Avios points. But you are still responsible for the taxes and other charges which can run into the hundreds. If you travel in Europe you will pay a fixed fee of 35, covering all taxes and charges for a return economy flight under British Airways' Reward Flight Saver scheme. If you spend 20,000 a year on your card you can take a partner or friend for free when you use your points to buy a flight. Avios points can be spent elsewhere, but you won't get much. Two tickets to a West End show cost a whopping 34,000 Avios points or 34,000 of spending on the Amex card. Lloyds Bank also has an Avios credit card. There are American Express and MasterCard versions of the account. For every 1 you spend with Amex you earn 1.25 points. On the Mastercard you have to spend 5 to get 1.25 points. So if you spend 1,000 on Mastercard you'd only earn 250 points. Yet if you use your Amex you'll get 1,250 points. And there is a 24 annual fee. You get double points in the first six months and if you spend 7,000 in a year you get two free upgrades on flights paid for using your points. You can also earn Avios points by shopping online at stores including Apple and John Lewis through BA's Gate 365 scheme. And you can swap Tesco Clubcard vouchers for Avios points, too. And Virgin has its Atlantic White card, which has no annual fee. There's a Visa and an Amex version. For every 1 you spend on the Amex you get one mile. On the Visa card you need to spend 2 for a mile. There is a bonus of 3,000 miles for your first purchase. If you spend over 10,000 a year you get a free premium economy upgrade. You can do this twice a year. And if you spend 15,000 a year you'll get a free companion ticket for a friend to use when you go away. A return economy flight to Miami would use up 29,750 miles 29,750 spending on the Amex and a huge 59,500 on the Visa card. And you'd pay up to 400 in taxes. A return flight to Miami would use 29,750 miles - 59,500 worth of spending on Virgin's Atlantic White Visa card BIG SUPERMARKETS GIVE UP ON LOYALTY Last week Marks & Spencer told customers it was halving the rewards for spending on an M&S credit card from February 29. Currently, for every 2 customers spend outside M&S stores they get one point worth 1p. From next month, they will need to spend 5 to get the same reward. To build up enough points for a 10 M&S voucher, customers will need to spend 5,000, up from 2,000. Customers will still earn one point for every 1 they spend in M&S. Its Sparks reward card, launched last year, disappointingly offers no cashback. The reward for spending 300 is first refusal on its sale items. Not just any cut: Last week Marks & Spencer told customers it was halving the rewards for spending on an M&S credit card from February 29 Tesco and Sainsbury's have halved the loyalty points you can earn when spending on their credit cards in the past year. With Tesco Bank's Clubcard credit card you get one point for every 4 you spend in Tesco (on top of the one point per 1 spent paid to all members of its Clubcard loyalty scheme). So you get five points for every 4 you spend. Each point you earn is worth 1p. So for each 4 you spend you are essentially getting 5p back. Once you've built up 150 points you'll be sent a 1.50 voucher. However, when you use your card outside Tesco stores you now have to spend 8 to earn just one point up from 4. This means that to earn a modest 15 in vouchers you'd need to spend a whopping 12,000 in other stores. You can trade in your vouchers for Clubcard Boost tokens, which can be better value. Each 15 voucher becomes 60 to spend in restaurants such as Prezzo. At Sainsbury's, swiping your normal Nectar loyalty card now only gives you one point for every 1, instead of two. So to get a 10 voucher you'd now need to spend 2,000 in store instead of 1,000 (a 10 voucher equals 2,000 points). But if you have Sainsbury's credit card you will still get two Nectar points for every 1 you spend in the supermarket but just one point for every 5 spent elsewhere. So to build up 10 worth of points you need to spend 1,000 on your credit card in Sainsbury's or 10,000 elsewhere. Morrisons pared back its Match & More loyalty scheme last year. Previously, it compared prices of like-for-like products at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi and Lidl. For every 1p difference you got ten points on a card loyalty card. Aldi and Lidl's cheap deals made it easy to build up points. That's been axed. Now you get five points for every 1 spent in store or online and ten points for every litre of fuel from Morrisons petrol stations. Each point is worth just 0.1p. You need 5,000 points to get a 5 voucher. This requires you to spend 1,000 in store or buy 500 litres of fuel. The Asda Money card pays 1 per cent cashback on spending in its supermarkets and petrol stations. You get 0.5 per cent cashback on spending elsewhere. If you spend 500 in Asda and 1,000 in other stores each month you'll earn 120 a year. John Lewis and Waitrose shoppers earn one point for every 1 they spend in either store using their Partnership card. You get one point for every 2 spent elsewhere. Every 500 points are worth a 5 voucher which you can spend in John Lewis or Waitrose. Boots' Advantage scheme is still the most generous scheme. You get four Advantage points for every 1 you spend. Each point is worth a penny: so for every 50 you spend you earn 2 in points. OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT FOR A BETTER DEAL Banks still offer some worthwhile deals to current account holders. Halifax has the Rewards Clarity credit card, which pays you 5 a month providing you spend at least 300 each month on the card. You must pay at least 1,000 a month into your account. Nationwide offers its FlexAccount customers a Select credit card which pays 0.5 per cent cashback on all spending, plus 25 when you make your first purchase. Spend 1,500 a month on your credit card and you'll earn 115 cashback in your first year. You must pay at least 750 a month into your current account. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MONEY: LISTEN TO THE THIS IS MONEY PODCAST Sam Barton lost everything good in her life because of her descent into the hell of intravenous ice addiction - the result of years of drug taking that started when she shot up speed as a 16-year-old schoolgirl. However, when she nearly lost her life in a nightmare knife attack by an enraged female addict on ice, heroin and cannabis, Sam received a 'final wake-up call' and realised she could die if she stayed on drugs. The attack came at the same time as the end of her friendship with one of her oldest female friends after she went to jail for drug offences and saw Sam take so much ice she had a psychotic episode in which she had 'wild and dangerous thoughts'. Scroll down for video Sam Barton started shooting up amphetamines intravenously when she was a schoolgirl in Perth and spent the next 25 years addicted to speed and then ice until she was attacked by a crazed female meth addict Pictured while she was still on ice in a very dark period during which Sam said she 'lost herself' to the drug and feared she would never be able to stop shooting up But instead of making her worse, the now-44 year old artist and former restaurant cook from Perth gave up her ice addiction the same day. Sam has just celebrated her one-year anniversary free from ice and has decided to tell her story with blistering honesty to warn others about the depths she reached and the violent ice drug culture which left her permanently disabled. Her story of addiction is an at times terrifying tale which began when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl and tried drugs for the first time by injecting a hit of amphetamines 'straight up'. 'At the time, it was a thrill,' she admitted. Before long, shooting up with a needle became part of her life and took her down a path to some dark places. Amphetamines or 'speed' as it was known two decades ago was a relatively 'clean' drug, which was replaced by the far more sinister form of amphetamines, crystal meth - or ice. 'When ice took over from speed and pseudoephedrine because the government had cracked down on all the chemicals you need to make those drugs, everything changed,' Sam Barton* told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was around 2005 and the people in it and selling it were more aggressive. Taking speed was like 'an aeroplane slowly taking off and then slowly landing' she said while taking ice was like 'an RAAF fighter jet thundering off the ground and then thundering back.' Sam said that ice was so pure at that stage that $100 worth 'would drop me like a sack of s***. Skinny and high, Sam is pictured during her ice addiction (above) which continued until she got a wake-up call when another female meth addict, enraged and high, stabbed her with a piece of rusty metal in the arm Sam's arm after it had healed from the crazed meth addict's attack showing scar tissue (above, left) and the trailing orchid tattoo she had to incorporate the scar so she 'could bear to look at my arm and not have bad memories' Sam's road into addiction began at a time when, unbeknownst to her, she was suffering from a bipolar condition. 'I just remember feeling that I wasn't like everyone else, that I was different and that there was something not right with me,' she said. HOW TO GET OFF ICE: SAM'S ADVICE TO HELP OTHER METH ADDICTS Sam's advice for other addicts wanting to get off drugs are: Be honest with the people who are willing to help you: doctors, therapists, family and friends. No matter how painful it may be, remember the person you were before drugs When you remember who you were you are going to go through a grieving process because you have wasted all this time being on drugs Find a good doctor you can be honest with, just keep trying until you find the right doctor who cares about you Change your phone number and avoid the drug addicts and dealers you knew Learn to enjoy your own company because in the transition from drug addiction to being clean you will have lots of time alone, so get used to it Advertisement 'The first time I took drugs I felt normal, but taking drugs meant I threw away part of the person I was before I took drugs. 'I've finally faced up to who that person is, though it was scary and after 26 years it takes a lot to do that.' That first time she was injected with speed, Sam says she 'held out my arm and looked away, like you're at the doctor's. 'I said "what's it going to do? What's it going to do? What's it going to do? Oh my God" and I was told "That".' Sam's first boyfriend when she was a teenager was also an intravenous speed user and they took drugs together once or twice a week. Her father had left the family home and her mother had multiple sclerosis, and so her schoolgirl curfews were non-existent. 'I started to run off the rails, yes that's true,' she said. In Year 11 her grades slid from Bs to Ds and Fs and she left school and found two jobs - cleaning rooms on weekends and working in a bar at night. 'I did feel proud of myself earning money, but then I'd get on speed and go for two or three days staying awake, then I'd spend the rest of the time sleeping.' Sam, and her boyfriend would buy $50 of speed and he would take more than half the deal. Then one night Sam's boyfriend went on a speed binge with friends in bush land in Waroona, around 100km south of Perth. 'He got lost in the bush and he saw a plane and started a fire to attract attention and ended up burning 250 hectares of government land,' Sam explained. 'Farmers rescued him. There were a few firebugs around at the time and the judge gave him three years' in prison.' With time off for good behaviour, Sam's boyfriend was released after nine months. She had remained loyal to him and visited him in prison. She stuck with him for another year until he sold their rental television while she was away visiting her mother to get money for drugs. Sam then found another job, working in a bar which began her career as a cook and started her life-long love of cooking. But she also began a relationship with a man who was a drug dealer - although not initially a drug user. He then started taking drugs, which Sam said turned him into a violent and aggressive person. This photograph of Sam shows her in the grip of her addiction which started out as pure amphetamines known as speed, changed to pseudo-ephedrine and eventually turned to the dark world of ice addiction This photo of Sam was taken in the earlier days of her addiction when she was injecting 'pure speed' which she likened to 'a plane slowly taking off', whereas ice is 'aggressive and more like a fighter jet' 'The day he punched me was the day I left him,' she said. 'I had already lost my job because he used to lock me in the house. I didn't realise that he wanted to control things, that that's what sort of person he was. 'But when he hit me, I ended up throwing my stuff over the fence and jumping it.' Then in 1997, Sam was in her car when it was hit from behind. She was seriously injured and suffered nerve damage to her eye and her right arm which meant she had to learn how to do things with just one arm. Still things appeared to be looking for Sam after she met her husband and they married in 1999. The following year, she found a job she loved working as a kitchen hand at the WACA in Perth until the kitchen contract ended and all the staff were fired. Sam's husband used to go away for work and while she was at home alone with her pet dog she started using drugs again. After the couple split up, she lived in her car with her dog for three months. She eventually found a place to live, but it was at this stage drugs really took hold of her life. 'I lost track of days and nights to ice,' she said. Drawn into a darker and more violent drug world, Sam said she didn't know how to battle her addiction. A stint in a drug counselling course only led her into further drug taking with other addicts she met there. Then her close female friend told her 'to get her s**t togther'. 'She told me she believed I had a mental illness as well as my drug addiction. I was then diagnosed with a bipolar disorder.' When Sam was diagnosed she was also offered a flat in a supported housing unit in Perth. 'I moved in here and I was determined to get off the drugs,' she said. Sam as she is today, clean from drugs after 25 years addicted to shooting up amphetamines which she gave up after being attacked by crazed meth addict and her best friend being sent to jail for drugs Then she was attacked by the woman high on ice and other drugs. 'By 2010 to 2011 my care factor was zero. It was Australia Day 2013 when I was attacked by this ice-enraged woman. 'She was on ice and alcohol and heroin, the whole kaboodle, and she had this rusty piece of metal she had picked up form a building site. 'We were both on the street and she was chasing me and I saw the blade and turned and she drove it into my right forearm and pulled it out and then she grabbed me by the head and I thought she was stabbing the back of my head.' The woman who attacked her was convicted for the attack, but Sam was left with even less movement in her right arm. That continues today, although she has covered the worst of the scars with a tattoo of trailing orchids. She told her doctors and therapist at the hospital about her addiction and managed to get off ice for three months before relapsing. Her ice habit came to a stop on the catastrophic day her former friend went to prison and Sam curled up on her bed and was ministered to by another of the access housing tenants. Now twelve months clean and counting, Sam said she wanted to help and inspire others to get off drugs. She said her life is 'so much better' without drugs. She eating and sleeping habits have improved and she has rekindled her love of painting, which she finds soothing and 'meditative'. 'When I told my GP I was five weeks clean, he high-fived me,' she said. 'When I said I was six months clean he gave me a hug.' The Texas sheriff who responded to Antonin Scalia's death says he didn't know it was the Supreme Court justice who had died until he arrived at the scene because the person who called 911 refused to say whose body had been found. Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez on Tuesday said the owner of the ranch where Scalia died called authorities shortly after noon Saturday, saying only that the person's name is 'big and it's overwhelming.' No EMS services were requested. Dominguez says he drove about 30 minutes to the Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa and found Scalia's body. Scroll down for video Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez on Tuesday said the owner of the ranch where Scalia died called authorities shortly after noon Saturday, saying only that the person's name is 'big and it's overwhelming.' No EMS services were requested Ranch owner John Poindexter has said Scalia seemed normal at dinner the night before he was found 'in complete repose' in his room. The county judge decided no autopsy was needed. In an interview with Daily Mail Online, Dominguez also dismissed claims Scalia was found with a pillow over his face. Dominguez says he drove about 30 minutes to the Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa and found Scalia's (pictured) body He said that the pillow was in fact above the justice's head and that there was nothing 'fishy' about the death. He also says that he has been left 'upset' by the political wrangle sparked by Scalia's demise. Responding to comments made by retired D.C. homicide commander William Ritchie, who described the circumstances of Scalia's death as 'fishy', Sheriff Dominguez reveals there was no sign of a struggle or anything amiss. 'He [Scalia] was just lying on the bed with a pillow above his head,' he says. 'Everything seemed normal and he was just there lying down. 'There was no sign of a struggle, no wrinkles in the cover or on the pillow either.' He adds: 'Those people in Washington, they got their theories and I got mine. They need to keep politics out of it.' Sheriff Dominguez and his deputies were the first local law enforcement officers to arrive at the luxury Cibolo Creek Ranch near Shafter, Texas following the discovery of 79-year-old Scalia's body early Saturday morning. Asked why Judge Cinderela Gonzalez felt able to issue a death certificate stating Scalia died of natural causes without seeing the body or an autopsy carried out, he says: 'If there's no suspicious circumstances, then that is allowed under Texas law. 'She made that decision after speaking with me and after making calls to his doctor and his family. 'The decision was also based on what they told her.' Scalia, who had long suffered from heart problems according to his doctor, will be laid to rest this weekend. In an interview with Daily Mail Online, Dominguez also dismissed claims Scalia was found with a pillow over his face - insisting it was resting above his head His body was flown back to Virginia on Sunday afternoon and he will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Friday in continuance of a tradition last observed after the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2006. But while Scalia's family have asked for privacy as they mourn, the death of the conservative justice has sparked a political war of words. Scalia's body is now at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, Virginia. Assistant manager Bob Gallagher said the body arrived on Sunday night and that there will be no autopsy before burial. His body will lie in repose on Friday in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court, sources familiar with the plan told NBC News on Tuesday. The sources added that on Saturday, devout Catholic Scalia's funeral will be held at 11am at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Terrifying footage has emerged of an extremely aggressive baby brown snake backed up against a wall and lashing out at a snake catcher trying to relocate it. The tiny snake had been kept trapped underneath a white container in the storeroom of an Adelaide home when it was approached by Ange Broadstock of Adelaide Snake Catchers. The highly venomous snake repeatedly coils its head backwards and forms an 's-shape' with its body before striking out suddenly, tongue flicking and mouth wide open. Scroll down for video Terrifying footage has emerged of a tiny baby brown snake backed up against a wall and striking at a camera The deadly snake had been kept trapped underneath a white container in the storeroom of an Adelaide home Ange Broadstock of Adelaide Snake Catchers thought the highly-venomous snake was 'so cute' A woman inside the house welcomes Ms Broadstock and directs her into the storeroom where the snake has been captured. 'I didn't know how lethal he was ... he just went along the wall there, I don't even know how he got inside,' she can be heard saying. But the snake catcher doesn't appear too fazed by the baby snake's intimidating display. 'He's so cute!,' Ms Broadstock says, before conceding the snake is in fact a deadly hatchling brown - the second most venomous snake in the world. Ms Broadstock spends a few more moments filming the snake as it does its best to scare off the grown adults towering above it. The owner of the house was unsure how the snake had managed to get inside her storeroom It comes just weeks after a six-year-old died after being bitten by a brown snake on a property in northern NSW. The little girl's mother shared an image of a dead brown snake in November last year Less than two weeks ago a six-year-old girl died after being bitten by a highly-venomous brown snake on a property just outside Walgett, in northern New South Wales. The young girl slipped into a coma and passed away eight days after she was bitten by the snake. In an eerie coincidence, in November last year the little girl's mother shared an image of a dead brown snake sprawled across a cracked dirt path with the caption: 'The brother in-law got him'. The little girl's death prompted NSW Ambulance to issue a reminder to the public about the dangers of brown snakes in the warmer summer months. Brown snakes are a particularly 'nervous' species and are known to strike without hesitation if surprised or cornered, according to the Australian Museum. The eastern brown snake has venom containing powerful neurotoxins that causes progressive paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding. Brown snakes are found all the way along the east coast of Australia, from Cape York, along the coastal and inland ranges of New South Wales, to Victoria and South Australia. They generally eat small mammals like rodents or birds, but are also known to eat small reptiles. Brown snakes are a particularly 'nervous' species and are known to strike without hesitation if surprised or cornered Victim: Becky Watts was murdered in a sexually motivated kidnap plot devised by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare Family and friends of murdered schoolgirl Becky Watts today gathered to unveil a bench carved in memory of the teenager. Becky was just 16 when she was brutally murdered in a sexually motivated kidnap plot devised by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare. Matthews' mother, Anjie, who is married to Becky's father, Darren Galsworthy, was among those who visited the bench today to pay tribute to the schoolgirl, just days before the first anniversary of her death. Becky's father and stepmother, Darren and Anjie Galsworthy, led mourners as they paid tribute to the schoolgirl just days before the first anniversary of her death. The bench, carved from a single oak tree trunk, sits at Plummers Hill Open Space, just yards from where Becky lived in the St George area of Bristol. Sculptor Andy O'Neill created the bench with input from Becky's family, with the whimsical design reflecting Becky's interests and passions, including her love of dogs and unicorns. In the centre of the bench 'Becky' has been carved into the middle of a winged heart. Family friend Lorraine Atterton told ITV the bench is a fitting tribute to the teenager, whose disappearance and murder shocked the nation. Matthews suffocated his 16-year-old stepsister while trying to kidnap her from her semi-detached home in Bristol on February 19 2015. Remembered: Family and friends of Becky including her stepmother Anjie Galsworthy, far left, aunt Sarah Broom, grandfather John Galsworthy, father Darren Galsworthy and uncle Sam Galsworthy, unveil the bench Killers: Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews, left, murdered Becky with the help of girlfriend Shauna Hoare, right. Matthews was sentenced to a minimum 33 years in prison and Hoare was jailed for 17 years Becky suffered more than 40 injuries to her body as she bravely fought for her life against porn-obsessed Matthews and his partner. He dragged her body into the boot of his Vauxhall Zafira and drove it to the home he shared with girlfriend Hoare less than two miles away in Cotton Mill Lane. Touching: 'Becky' is carved into the middle of a winged heart in the centre of the wooden bench Final touches: Sculptor Andy O'Neill sands down the memorial bench, which is made from a single piece of oak Tribute: Family and friends with the bench, which sits just yards from where Becky lived in Bristol Over the next three days, Matthews bought an 80 Mac Allister circular saw, goggles, masks, bags, cling film and tape to cut up and package Becky's body. Packages containing Becky's eight body parts were stored in suitcases and a box, then moved into a shed just 80 metres away in the early hours of February 24. By that time, Avon and Somerset Police had launched the force's largest missing person's investigation, which culminated in Becky's remains being discovered on March 3. A 2004 photograph of Marquez carrying a wounded comrade in Fallujah inspired the No Man Left Behind statues located at two corps bases Marquez was hospitalized for several hours with injuries to his head He says they later ambushed him, hit him in the head with a handgun, knocked him unconscious, and stole his wallet An Iraq war veteran whose bravery inspired two statues says he was beaten by a group of teens in Washington, DC on Friday night after they approached and asked him whether 'black lives matter'. Chris Marquez, 30, a decorated US Marine veteran, was eating in a McDonald's when the youths walked up and started questioning him, WJLA reported. 'I felt threatened and thought they were trying to intimidate me, so I figured I'm just going to keep to my food, eat my food and hopefully they'll leave me alone,' Marquez told the station. The youths started calling him a racist, he said, but it was when he tried to leave the restaurant that things went badly for him. Scroll down for video Vet: Chris Marquez, an Iraq vet with eight years of active duty, says he was attacked outside a Washington, DC McDonald's on Friday after a gang of youths asked him whether he thought 'black lives matter' Injured: He says the youths knocked him to the ground from behind, beat him and robbed him. He was taken to George Washington Hospital with injuries to his face and eye The marine, who had survived ambushes in Fallujah at the height of the Iraq War, was taken unaware again and this time he was unarmed and without backup. One of the teens hit him in the head from behind, knocking him to the floor, where the gang beat him savagely before robbing him. Marquez told police that one youth hit him in the head with a handgun. 'As soon as I walked out of the McDonalds I got hit in the back of the head, or the side of the head,' he told WJLA. 'I just dropped to the ground, and [the McDonald's manager] says I looked unconscious.' The veteran believes that the attack was a hate crime, and that he was targeted because he was white. 'I believe this was a hate crime and I was targeted because of my skin color,' he told The Daily Caller. 'Too many of these types of attacks have been happening against white people by members of the black community and the majority of the main stream media refuses to report on it.' Marquez was taken to George Washington Hospital where he was evaluated for several hours and treated for head trauma and an eye contusion. He was left with bruises and cuts to his face, and says that he's had trouble sleeping since the event due to a sharp pain that he often feels in his head. That wasn't the only indignity the veteran suffered: when he awoke on the sidewalk outside McDonald's, he found his pants ripped and his wallet containing $400 in cash, three credit cards and his Veterans Affairs medical card, among other things missing. The youths used the cards that night to the tune of $115, and Marquez hopes that the trail will help police catch them. Sleepless: Marquez told WJLA that he has had trouble sleeping with the incident, as he now has a repeated pain down the left-hand side of his head Targeted: Marquez says that he was assaulted outside this McDonald's in Washington, DC, after being confronted inside by a gang of teens HOW MARQUEZ SAVED A LEGEND IN FALLUJAH'S 'HELL HOUSE' AND BECAME AN INSPIRATION Hell: Marquez (pictured, left) and fellow Marine Dane Shaffer lift injured 1st Sgt Brad Kasal after the 'Hell House' firefight in Fallujah. The image shocked the world and was memorialized in two statues On November 7 2004, American, British and Iraqi troops began a fierce, unrelenting conflict with insurgents in the Iraqi city of Fallujah - little knowing that the campaign would last two months and become known as The Second Battle of Fallujah. The fighting was furious throughout, but it was the brutal events of one particular day - November 13 - that would become known in Marine Corps legend as 'The House of Hell'. That day, in south-western Fallujah, two Marines on a seek-and-destroy mission found themselves caught in a vicious foxhole. They managed to surprise and kill one hidden insurgent, but in doing so alerted others on the roof to their presence. A volley of bullets came through a skylight, followed by grenades, wounding both soldiers. US reinforcements arrived but were also caught in the gunfire and trapped. First Sergeant Brad Kasal, who had arrived outside the building, grabbed another Marine and the two entered to provide support. Kasal was an experienced Marine who had fought in the first Gulf War, and the two managed to neutralize another insurgent before being surrounded and hit in the legs with gunfire. A grenade was thrown into the room to finish them off and Kasal threw himself on top of his comrade to protect him, suffering further injuries to his legs. Nevertheless, Kasal was able to pull his comrade out of harm's way, then draw his pistol and guard them for over an hour while reinforcements fought their way into the house to rescue the men. Two of the reinforcements that battled their way into the room were Chris Marquez and Dane Shaffer, who carried Kasal to safety. Photographer Lucien Read was also there, and took the picture that would immortalize the three and become an iconic image of the terrible violence being wrought in the country. Ten years later, Wyoming artist John Phelps would recreate the image as two statues that would be placed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Advertisement The veteran seemed troubled by the teens' accusations of racism, telling The Daily Caller, 'When I was in the Marine Corps, I served with people from many different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and races. Like all Marines, I fought for the freedom of all Americans and not just one particular group.' Marquez served eight years on active duty in the Marines as a rifleman and scout sniper from 2003-2011, and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor on his first deployment for carrying his commander's body out of combat after he was killed in an ambush, according to The Daily Caller. During his time in the Corps he was deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once. But he was best known for a photograph showing him and a fellow Marine carrying a wounded sergeant out of a house in Fallujah, after a firefight that became known as 'The House of Hell' in Marine Corps lore. That photograph in turn inspired two statues named No Man Left Behind, which are currently on display at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Inspiration: Marquez and a fellow marine were photographed carrying an injured comrade out of a battle, an image that inspired two statues, including this one at Camp Pendleton, San Diego After leaving the Corps, Marquez worked as a defense contractor for the State Department, which deployed him again to Afghanistan. His LinkedIn profile says this lasted for nine months in 2012. He joined Santiago Canyon College the following year, getting an Associate of Arts in Communication Studies in 2014. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Strategic Communication at American University. His LinkedIn profile says that he worked as an intern at Warner Brothers Entertainment in Burbank, California, for three months in 2013, then spent five months as an intern with the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in 2015. His last listed job was as a legislative fellow at the US House of Representatives from September 2015 to last month. Politics seems to have been a goal of Marquez's civilian life. In 2014 he ran as a Democratic candidate for Congress, hoping to represent the 42nd Congressional District of California, according to BallotPedia. Politics: In 2014, Marquez ran for congress as a Democrat, calling himself a supporter of 'fiscal conservative and social libertarian policies.' He came third of four, with 10% of the vote In a YouTube video he described himself as believing in 'fiscal conservative and social libertarian policies' and said that a personal issue for him was 'fixing the Department of Veterans' Affairs' His BallotPedia page says that he was in favor of reforming 'draconian' drug laws, investing in renewable energy and 'providing a clear path towards citizenship for law abiding undocumented immigrants.' It adds that he objected to the Affordable Care Act, which he accused of causing Americans to lose insurance policies and 'forcing' institutions to act against their 'core beliefs'. He came in third place with 11% of the vote, behind Democrat Tim Sheridan with 15.8% and Republican Ken Calvert, who took home 67.5%. Speaking to The Washington Post, DC police chief spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said that detectives were reviewing surveillance footage but that it was not immediately clear what it showed. 'Its an active investigation, and in this case, as in any other, were going to investigate it to the fullest,' he said. The CBI was accused of coordinated scaremongering last night after it rounded up business groups from across Europe to warn against Brexit. The heads of 21 business federations on the Continent led by the slavishly pro-EU CBI signed a letter calling on the UK to maintain its ties with Brussels. But the move was instantly dismissed by critics who pointed out that the supposedly neutral CBI is funded by the EU and previously campaigned for Britain to join the ill-fated euro. Debate: David Cameron (pictured at a CBI conference in London last year) has urged business leaders to speak out in favour of Britain staying in the EU in the hope that it will swing the referendum in his favour The letter also threatened to backfire after many of the signatories warned that Brexit would be a disaster for Europe rather than Britain. The head of Germanys business lobby group warned that a divided Europe would sink into oblivion if Britain left the EU. WHEN THATCHER SAID UK SHOULD QUIT UNION Margaret Thatcher explicitly stated that she wanted Britain to leave the European Union, it emerged yesterday. Political commentator Rachel Sylvester said the former prime minister revealed her views over lunch in the 1990s after she had left office. Writing in the Times, she said: I asked whether she was in favour of Britain leaving the EU. She fixed me with a long, hard stare and paused before replying: Yes, I think I am. Advertisement Eurosceptics seized on the comments as evidence that the EU needs Britain more than Britain needs the EU. Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave group leading the campaign for Brexit, accused the CBI of coordinated scaremongering: The CBI is funded by the EU, so it is no surprise that it wants to campaign for the UK to stay in the EU come what may. David Cameron has urged business leaders to speak out in favour of Britain staying in the EU in the hope that it will swing the referendum in his favour. The CBI released a string of comments gathered from the heads of business lobby groups across Europe warning that Brexit would be a disaster for the region. Anger: Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave group leading the campaign for Brexit, accused the CBI of coordinated scaremongering Markus Kerber, director general of the BDI business group in Germany, said: A Brexit would lead to a dead end. A divided Europe will sink into oblivion. MAY'S CALL FOR UNITY TO BEAT TERRORISM Britain will struggle to defeat terrorism if it retreats into isolation, Theresa May warned last night. In a clear sign of her wariness about a so-called Brexit, she highlighted the importance of continuing to work with the EU and other organisations to tackle extremism. Defeating terrorism requires a global response, she said in a speech in Washington DC. If we are to deal with this threat effectively, we can no longer look simply to domestic solutions. There must be international co-operation. Advertisement Michel Guibuad, the director general of Frances MEDEF the countrys largest employers federation said that: For France and for Europeans, a Brexit would be a major step backwards. But the warning from the CBI was undermined by a report from the British Chambers of Commerce which said business remains divided on Europe. Carlos Ghosn, chief executive, of Nissan and Renault brushed off fears of Brexit: I dont think Im going to sell more cars because the UK stays in or leaves the EU, British business leaders with roots in the Commonwealth said the UK should quit the EU if it cannot bring back powers over immigration and trade. In a letter to Mr Cameron, they said ties to Brussels harmed British trade with Commonwealth nations such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand. A New Zealand brothel owner has been slammed for planning to open her bordello to the public to raise money for a children's charity. Nicky Hughes, owner of the 'Shh... Adult Fun Spot' brothel on the country's North Island, is planning to raise money for Kai Kitchen charity and believes the event will 'help to break down barriers' between the community and the sex industry. But the event has been slammed by a national family watchdog, who deemed it an attempt to promote the brothel and normalise the sex industry. Scroll down for video Brothel owner Nicky Hughes has defended against controversy surrounding a fundraising event she is holding for a children's charity Family First national director Bob McCroskie believes the event is an attempt to 'normalise prostitution' 'It's completely wrong. The brothel is clearly trying to promote its business,' Family First national director Bob McCroskie told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's normalising prostitution' for children, he said. 'The stigma that surrounds prostitution exists for good reason' he added. Mr McCroskie is calling for the event to be boycotted and for Kai Kitchen to distance itself from the brothel. But Ms Hughes has defended herself against the controversy and told Daily Mail Australia that the event will be positive for the community. 'There are a lot of people in the community who are curious about our business. We are looking to educate them about what we do and why,' she said. 'The industry is not what it's made out to be on TV, which is where a lot of people base their perceptions on prostitution,' she added. 'The sex industry gets a bit of bad rap so we want to open a window for the public to show what it is we really do. And we figured we would help feeding kids while we were at it. Ms Hughes said the 'open home' event in 'Shh... Adult Fun Spot' will help to break down barriers between the community and the sex industry The adult-only 'open home' event will see brothel staff lead tours through the premises (pictured: a room inside the brothel) The event is raising money for Kai Kitchen charity, who make offers lunch to more than 40 hungry school children every day The adult-only 'open home' event will see brothel staff lead tours through the premises and answer questions about their work. The money raised will go to the Kai Kitchen, which makes lunches for more than 40 hungry school children every day. 'I don't see why a brothel can't also be involved with a charity,' Ms Hughes said. A brave Swedish shop assistant hurled sweets at a gunman trying to rob her before chasing him down the street. Zainab Salem, 24, was working the night shift in a Malmo grocery store when a masked robber brandishing a gun demanded she hand over the money in the counter. Undeterred, the heroic worker fended him off by using sweets as ammunition before charging at him from behind the counter. The masked gun man bursts into the grocery store and demands Miss Salem to hand over the money She first threw sweets at the gunman and said she was fed up with being picked on because of her tiny frame With the gunman pointing the gun at her, she ran from behind the store and he dashed out the shop The gunman ran out of the grocery store after being surprised by the bravery of Miss Salem Hearing her screams, her brother followed and the two managed to grab hold of the gunman outside Miss Salem, who is only 5ft 2in and six stone, recalled: 'I think police were shocked when they heard what I had done. It was pure adrenaline' 'He pointed a gun at me. First I ducked. Then I picked up sweets and threw them at him before running around to the other side of the counter,' she told The Local. 'I didn't really have time to think. It happened in seconds. But I think I'd just had enough. It was the third time I was threatened like this in the space of five months.' Screaming as she ran in pursuit of the robber, she altered her brother who was also working in the shop. Together, they managed to catch the gunman and bring him back to the store and police were already in attendance. Miss Salem, who is only 5ft 2in and six stone, recalled: 'I think police were shocked when they heard what I had done. It was pure adrenaline. 'I was lucky of course, even though I don't think the gun was loaded, but I was just so tired of it. They always pick on people who are smaller than them.' The home of Angelo Bruno (pictured), a Philadelphia mob boss who was killed in front of his home in 1980, has been nominated as a historical landmark The home of a late Philadelphia mob boss has been nominated to become a city historical landmark, 35 years after he was shot to death in a car in front of it. Angelo Bruno, who was known as the 'Gentle Don' when he ran the city's Italian mob in the 1960s and 1970s, was gunned down outside the home in 1980 at age 69. The Philadelphia Daily News said that Bruno's biographer Celeste Morello sent the city's Historical Commission a landmark nomination for the rowhome. Morello said she nominated the three-bedroom home due to its significance in law enforcement history and that Bruno's criminal activity helped shape federal laws and strategies for fighting organized crime. 'If Bruno didn't do things to make law enforcement notice him, I doubt that Philadelphia would have been one of the first organized-crime law enforcement units with a 'strike force' in the country,' Morello told the Daily News. On March 21, 1980, Bruno was shot and killed while sitting in the passenger seat of a car parked in front of his house. Bruno's driver, John Stanfa, sustained minor injured from shotgun shrapnel. Standa, who is believed to have ordered the hit on Bruno, went on to become mob boss around 1989. Now 75, he is serving a life sentence for a 1995 federal racketeering conviction that included murder, gambling, and extortion. Bruno was killed by a shotgun blast to the face in 1980 while he sat in his car outside his Philadelphia home After Bruno's death it is widely believed Philip Testa, his right-hand man, took over the mob and became its leader A biopic has been released about Bruno's life, in which Chazz Palminteri play's mob boss, called 'Legend' The commission is expected to take up the nomination next month. 'I assume it is our first historical property nomination related to Mafia history in Philadelphia. I can't think that there is another one. 'It's certainly a unique story about Philadelphia's history that we don't typically come across at the office,' said Kim Broadbent, historic preservation planner on the staff of the Historical Commission. Bruno's daughter, Jean, currently lives in the house, which has been for sale for several years. John Stanfa (center), who was Bruno's driver, was thought to have carried out the hit on the mob boss in 1980 Bruno (pictured, center) was arrested on conspiracy charges in December 1963 at Logan International Airport This photo shows Angelo Bruno (right) in 1968 with Philip Testa who was allegedly Bruno's chief lieutenant In a 2010 interview, when the house was first placed on the market, Jean Bruno told the Daily News: 'Every time I come out of this house, I see the very spot where he was killed.' Jean Bruno said those memories have faded. 'I realized my father wouldn't want me to have those bad feelings. That helped me. 'Now I don't think of it,' she said. She said she supports having the house made a landmark, in part because it might raise the home's value. Bruno's daughter Jean still lives in her father's rowhouse. The home has been up for sale for several years Jean said in 2010 the memories of her father's death haunted her every time she came outside and saw where he was murdered but that now the memories have faded British courts are dealing with more than 700 notifications involving European Union migrants every week in the UK a rise of nearly 40 per cent in five years. In a fresh blow for EU backers, figures show that Europeans have been involved in 146,100 notifications including murder and rape since 2012. Poles and Romanians are the worst offenders, fuelling fears over the impact of EU expansion. British courts are handing out more than 700 convictions involving European Union migrants every week in the UK a rise of nearly 40 per cent in five years (stock photograph) But the statistics show that only 19,227 foreign crooks have been deported in the past four years many of whom will have originally come from outside Europe. Critics seized on the figures as evidence that the bloc's freedom of movement rules are routinely being abused. Under an EU information-sharing system, British police forces notify counterparts in other member states if one of its citizens is convicted of a crime here. The figures were released by the National Police Chiefs' Council under the Freedom of Information Act, which has exposed numerous public sector scandals but is now under threat from the Government. They showed that last year 37,079 notifications were made. This is equivalent to 713 a week or 101 every day. It compared to 27,056 notifications in 2010 meaning there has been a 37 per cent increase for EU citizens in the UK. A notification also includes an appeal or a breach of a court order, said criminal records office ACRO. Experts suggest that the figures are evidence that the surge of migration sparked by Britain throwing open its doors to citizens from the former Soviet bloc has led to a rise in the number of crimes. In 2015, there were notifications concerning 10,300 Poles and 6,249 Romanians. They were followed by citizens from Ireland (5,164), Lithuania (4,557) and Latvia (2,330). Jack Montgomery, spokesman for Eurosceptic group Leave.EU, who uncovered the figures, said: 'Remain campaigners like to claim that the EU is a huge boon to security and public safety. Free movement is enabling tens of thousands of crimes to be committed every year. This is a dreadful trade-off, however you measure it, and the situation is clearly worsening. MP David Davis (pictured) said the figures demonstrate that 'freedom of movement means we can't keep out people who we would wish to keep out in the public interest' 'The public are being endangered and the law-abiding majority of immigrants are being given a bad name, which worsens tensions.' David Green, director of think-tank Civitas, added: 'When we consider if immigration is a bad thing or a good thing we have got to remember that a lot of people who arrive here are criminals.' And Conservative MP David Davis said: 'This is just a demonstration that freedom of movement means we can't keep out people who we would wish to keep out in the public interest, or expel people we would wish to keep out.' There were no details regarding offences or sentences. But figures will include a convicted Polish rapist who changed his name and used false documents to enter the UK and rape two more women he met online. Rafal Bargiel, 40, was jailed for life last December. EU citizens sentenced to jail will be eligible for deportation but officials must check if they are a threat to public security, public policy or public health. In 2014, the last calendar year for which figures are available, 1.2million offenders were convicted in Britain's courts. There are about 3million EU citizens among Britain's 63.7million population. This was a 34 per cent rise on 2010. A Britain Stronger In Europe spokesman said: 'Our membership of the EU keeps us safer from terrorism and cross-border crime. 'Those advocating an end to free movement would also end our membership of the single market hitting British businesses hard and increasing prices in the shops. A prestigious Sydney girl's school has suspended 10 of its students after bottles of alcohol were discovered stashed in several lockers in preparation for a huge party. The stash of wine and alcopops was found by staff at Loreto Normanhurst in Sydney's north ahead of a party planed for 130 students. Eight Year 11 students were suspended after the alcohol was found in lockers and two students for planning the party off premises, which the school had advised against out of fear for safety, the Daily Telegraph reports. Staff at the prestigious Loreto Normanhurst girl's school in Sydney's north found a stash of wine and alcopops in several lockers in preparation for a huge party for 130 students The principal of the Catholic boarding school, Barbara Watkins, wrote to parents last week informing them 'many student' had planned and purchased alcohol for the party. The school, which costs up to $22,000 a year, had tried to stop the Year 11 students from attending but was met with a social media campaign threatening those who were against the party. 'Via social media, the school and certain individuals were singled out and threatened for taking a stand in favour of safety,' Ms Watkins wrote in the letter. Eight Year 11 students were suspended after the alcohol was found in lockers and two students for planning the party off premises, which the school had advised against out of fear for safety 'Many students were involved in the planning of the event and purchasing alcohol as well as disturbing and intimidating behaviour towards other students and the school.' The alcohol was found at the school by staff during a search of lockers in afternoon periods. Ms Watkins said the threats made over social media towards student was serious and would be investigated in the coming week. The teenager was caught weeks after he opened his own medical office A Florida teenager was arrested for pretending to be a doctor after giving an undercover police officer a medical exam at an illegal practice he opened - a year after he was caught posing as a gynecologist. Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was released from the Palm Beach County jail on Wednesday on $21,000 bond on charges of practicing medicine without a license, fraud and grand theft. Palm Beach County sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Love-Robinson was arrested on Tuesday after he performed an exam on an undercover agent and gave medical advice. Love-Robinson claimed to be 25 and the co-founder, president and CEO of New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care center in West Palm Beach, where he masqueraded as 'Dr Malachi A Love-Robinson, PHD, HHP-C, AMP-C'. But his police said his medical 'career' ended abruptly when the fake doctor was caught in the act. Scroll down for video Malachi Love-Robinson (pictured left on his 'clinic's' website and right in his mug shot) masqueraded as a doctor at New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care center until he was caught by an undercover agent Love-Robinson (pictured above) was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license The Department of Health served a notice to cease and desist and issued Love-Robinson several citations, authorities said. Love-Robinson's grandfather, William Robinson, told the Sun Sentinel that his grandson never claimed to be a medical doctor, only a 'holistic doctor.' He said his grandson had never seen patients. But the latest incident is the third time in just over a year that Love-Robinson has allegedly been found to be pretending to be someone he is not. After his latest arrest, he told WBPF: 'All these are accusations and I will have my lawyer contact you.' In January 2015, he reportedly impersonated a gynecologist at St. Mary's Medical Center and looked in on exams. Dr. Sebastian Kent, an OB/GYN at the center, told the Sun Sentinel: 'I've been in practice for 36 years, this is the first time something like this has happened. It's very strange. Very, very strange. He was caught in a pregnant woman's exam room in St. Mary's Medical Center wearing a coat, a face mask and stethoscope with the clinic's logo, WPBF reported. But the station also reported that staff had seen the teenager roaming the halls for around a month before that incident. But the center denied the then-17-year-old Love-Robinson had ever come in contact with patients and decided against pressing charges. Afterwards, Love-Robinson denied he had pretended to be a doctor, telling the station: 'I requested to shadow some physicians. The next things I know, the cops are there.' Love-Robinson's biography on the New Birth New Life website refers to him as a 'well rounded professional' and highlights his preference for alternative therapies Then, he was investigated and cited by the Department of Health for practicing medicine without a license in October 2015 after allegedly posing as a massage therapist without a license at a rehab center in Boynton Beach. But in January this year, the Sheriff's Office as well as the Palm Beach Narcotics Task Force (PBNTF) and its partners at the Florida Department of Health began investigating Love-Robinson again after receiving an anonymous tip. Three weeks ago, the teenager had thrown a grand opening for his clinic, leading concerned family members to report him to authorities, according to WBPF. 'Our investigation revealed that Love-Robinson had opened a medical office at 4700 north Congress Avenue, suite 303, West Palm Beach, Florida and was presenting himself as a medical certified doctor,' a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department said. 'Members of PBNTF and Department of Health conducted an undercover operation at the medical office of Love-Robinson. During this undercover operation, Love-Robinson performed a physical exam on an undercover agent and offered medical advice.' Meanwhile, Love-Robinson's profile on New Birth New Life's website shows him with a white lab coat and stethoscope. It describes him as 'a well rounded professional that treats, and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases treatment of physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the human body'. It goes on to say that he 'utilizes physiological, psychological, and mechanical methods'. These methods apparently include 'air, water, light, heat, earth'. On HealthGrades, a site that lets users rate doctors, Love-Robinson's profile includes a personal statement that reads 'I believe that if you restore your health the natural way and the right way you will be able to maintain that grade of health easier and more efficiently, why? because is natural [sic].' It also states his age as 25. The case has drawn comparisons with fictional TV doctor Doogie Howser - played by Neil Patrick Harris - who was a physician from the age of 15 in the hit 1990s comedy series. Terry Jarvis, 26, fled across the West Virginia state line as he jumped into the Tug Fork River in order to escape the law A man was arrested after he took a very cold swim in a river in order to escape the law. Terry Jarvis, 26, fled across the West Virginia state line as he jumped into the Tug Fork River, wearing just a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Kentucky's Martin County Sheriff John Kirk told WSAZ that West Virginia State troopers arrived Monday at Jarvis' mother's West Virginia home and Jarvis ran out the back door. He then jumped into the Tug Fork River crossing into Kentucky. Air temperatures Monday were in the 30s and 40s. Authorities say they tracked Jarvis' footprints in the snow to a Kentucky house where they found him hiding in a shower about a mile south of his river crossing. Kirk told Williamson Daily News that after swimming in the river into Martin County, 'he caught a ride to a residence where they refused to let him in'. Jarvis then went to another residence, where he was able to gain entry and the homeowners gave him clothes. Kirk said: 'He went to another residence where he knew the people. We followed his footprints in the snow to the other residence.' The homeowners lied and said Jarvis was not in the home when police arrived. Deputies found Jarvis' wet clothes laying near the door, where he had changed clothes. Authorities found him hiding in the bathtub. Jarvis is in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center awaiting extradition back to West Virginia. Kirk said several other people were also taken to jail for hindering apprehension and lying about Jarvis hiding in their house. Jarvis was wanted on unspecified warrants. Jarvis is currently being held at the Big Sandy Detention Center where he will be extradited back to Mingo County, West Virginia. Eastern European countries have told David Cameron they will block his renegotiation deal unless migrant workers already in Britain are exempt from cuts to child benefit. Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia yesterday said reductions in child benefit payments could only apply to new arrivals to Britain. Tomas Prouza, the Czech Europe minister, told Radio 4s Today programme: I think this is important that we dont do the changes retrospectively, that the people already in the UK can play according to the existing rules, and those who come later already know what the new rules are. Cost of living link: Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured left yesterday with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker) wants to cut child benefit payments to the children of EU migrants abroad He said the countries understood the demand, which has already received the backing of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, would be included in the final proposals. The Prime Minister wants to cut child benefit payments to the children of EU migrants abroad by linking them to the cost of living in their home country. Tory MEP: Syed Kamall admitted that other EU leaders could line up with a list of demands because they all have the power to veto the deal at a summit The warning came as Mr Cameron was told to expect a flurry of last-minute demands from other countries threatening to wreck his proposals potentially leading to a series of secret backroom deals. Tory MEP Syed Kamall, who leads the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, admitted that other EU leaders could line up with a list of demands because they all have the power to veto the deal at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Asked if there was a risk countries such as Greece could now come in at this late stage and say weve got issues about refugees and if you dont help we could be a problem, Mr Kamall, who has been advising Mr Cameron on his renegotiation, replied: Clearly. Meanwhile, European Council president Donald Tusk, in Prague for talks with Czech premier Bohuslav Sobotka, confirmed EU citizens currently working in the UK would not be affected by the proposed curbs on in-work benefits. He said unsolved problems remained and there was an extra mile to go before reaching an agreement, with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia having concerns. Mr Tusk said: In the Czech Republic, as well as in other countries, the issue of access to social benefits continues to be among the most sensitive. I believe that the proposal I have put on the table is fair and balanced for all. 'It protects the freedom of movement, while helping the UK to address all its concerns when it comes to their specific system of in-work benefits. A teenager accused of gang-raping a 14-year-old girl with his school friends in Austria has moved to the UK, prosecutors say. The unidentified boy is one of six youngsters apparently from migrant families who terrorised the girl at the school in Graz - Austria's second largest city - for months and reportedly raped her at least four times. On one occasion, the schoolboys allegedly dragged their terrified victim out of the girls' toilets, stripped her naked and raped her in the canteen. Gang-raped: Six teenage boys allegedly terrorised the girl and raped her at least four times (stock image) The attack is said to have taken place in May last year when the girl locked herself in a toilet after being mobbed by the boys, who were aged between 15 and 16, in the playground. To her horror, they then forced themselves inside and dragged the then 14-year-old out, it is alleged. The traumatised schoolgirl told prosecutors she was screaming for help, and although other pupils witnessed the boys chasing her and forcing their way into the toilet, no one intervened. The teenagers are accused of then dragging the schoolgirl into the school canteen where she was stripped naked and gang raped. Witnesses told police the girl's screams could be heard 'throughout the whole school', and that they were stunned when teachers did nothing. And when she turned up late for class, she was reprimanded, it is claimed. The rape was revenge for the girl dumping one of the boys, Austrian media has reported. The school director has denied knowing anything about the attack, explaining: 'I only know about an incident in which the girl was in the class by the boys who had barricaded the door in order to keep her inside. 'The teacher managed to force the door open and helped the schoolgirl. I spoke to the school inspectorate about the incident, and then with the police.' He added: 'I have almost 200 school kids here who are perfectly respectable, but what these boys allegedly did is simply unbelievable.' Graz prosecutor Hansjoerg Bacher told MailOnline that all six boys are from migrant families. Attacks: Six youngsters reportedly terrorised the girl at the school in Graz - Austria's second largest city (pictured) - and raped her at least four times (stock image) He said the boys were being investigated for four alleged rapes - one of which is said to have happened in the school medical room. Prosecutors are now investigating 18 people because it is suspected others, including pupils and a teacher, did nothing to stop the attack. They are being investigated for possible charges of failing to assist in the prevention of crime. Bacher said the female Austrian teacher had been questioned and was under suspicion of either knowing about the attack and not doing anything, or acting too late. The girl only came forward with her story months after the alleged attacks after she moved to a new school and confided in a teacher. All six boys were released on bail and one of them has travelled to the UK. Bacher confirmed: 'We have not interviewed him because he is in England. We are in contact with his parents but we do not know when he will be returning.' 'We are in contact with the family defence lawyer. The boy is in England with his parents. He moved after the case became public although it is not believed that the move was connected with the allegations. As a diver with 25 years experience, John Sear photographs, counts and documents an array of marine life populations beneath the surface of Australia's most iconic harbour. Describing himself as 'fanatical' Mr Sear said it's his passion exposing what is underneath the water. He works mainly in the aquatic reserve at Cabbage Tree Bay, Manly, but also at Chowder Bay, Parsley Bay and any other beaches and coves in Sydney Harbour that have shark nets. A striking red and white fish has been photographed in the waters of Sydney Harbour 'Weve found over 300 species in the small reserve (in Manly) and within Sydney Harbour there are more fish species than the Mediterranean Sea', he said. 'There are 500 species in Sydney Harbour, there's a fantastic variety of not just fish life.' This week Mr Sear and fellow diver Dave Thomas, founder of Eco Divers, have been counting and documenting seahorses in Parsley Bay,as reported by the ABC. 'On a monthly basis Eco Divers go to Parsley Bay and monitor the population of seahorses that live on the nets,' Mr Sear said. A white seahorse is seen inside a net in Sydney Harbour 'Weve found over 300 species in the small reserve (in Manly) and within Sydney Harbour there are more fish species than the Mediterranean Sea', he said John Sear (back), who took the incredible photographs in Sydney, is a diver with more than 20 years experience 'The nets around the pools are obviously intended to protect swimmers but sea life grows on them and seahorses find it a good habitat.' Eco Divers count the population to keep the local councils aware, as when nets are removed it can have devastating affects on the seahorses. The most common varieties the duo find are Potbelly seahorses and White's or New Holland seahorses. This week they found 16 seahorses, 11 female and five male which Mr Sear said is a 'surprisingly' small amount, however all the males were carrying young in their pouches. In this photograph a seahorse is pictured in a net in the middle of the iconic Sydney Harbour 'There are 500 species in Sydney Harbour, there's a fantastic variety of not just fish life,' John Sear said Mr Sear said the East Australian Current, made popular by the film Finding Nemo, is also responsible for a lot of sea life in the harbour. 'During the summer months it (the current) comes down from the Great Barrier Reef and brings with it a lot of tropical fish,' he said. 'If you go out snorkelling at his time of year when the water is warm, you'll often find tropical fish and also turtles.' As well as fish and seahorses, the harbour is also home to penguins, seals, sea hares and invertebrates. This week Mr Sear and fellow diver Dave Thomas, founder of Eco Divers, have been counting and documenting seahorses in Parsley Bay John Sear described himself as 'fanatical' and said he is passionate about discovering and documenting life under the sea 'Sydney has the most northerly mainland penguin colony of fairy penguins and little penguins,' Mr Sear said. 'There'd be 60 or 70 pairs over recent years, you often see them, and I've seen them in Darling Harbour before just swimming around.' Over the years he's seen many changes in the harbour, with an 'incredible' improvement in water quality after sewerage was moved further out to sea, as well as a recovering shellfish population since people stopped using antifouling paint on boats. One Sunday earlier this month, mother-of-two Stacey Simpson decided to do the washing. After it had finished, she put the damp load into her Hotpoint tumble dryer, switched it on and thought no more about it. However, shortly afterwards, the 30-year-olds nose told her that something was very wrong. I started to smell burning so I went to investigate, she said. As I opened my dining room door that leads into the kitchen I saw flames coming from my tumble dryer. Severe damage left by a fire thought to have been sparked by a tumble dryer belonging to Stacey Simpson from Grays in Essex Sensibly, Miss Simpson, from Grays, Essex, did not tackle the blaze herself. She rushed upstairs, grabbed her two daughters, and got out of the house. All three were still in their pyjamas. Unfortunately, it appears that Miss Simpsons terrifying experience is far from rare. Based on Freedom of Information requests to fire brigades, the Daily Mirror estimates that 6,000 fires may have been caused by faulty dryers in the past six years. If correct, then it means that dryers have overtaken cooking appliances as the second most common cause of house fires, after cigarettes, cigars and pipes. In fact, Miss Simpson can count herself lucky, for at least three deaths have been attributed to dryers catching fire, and nearly 300 people have been injured. Among the fatalities is Mishell Moloney, a 49-year-old mother of two. On the same day as Miss Simpsons fire, the body of Miss Moloney was found by relatives who broke into her smoke-filled home in Frankley, near Birmingham. The fire is thought to have been started by a tumble dryer. In October 2014, Doug McTavish, 39, and Bernard Hender, 19, were killed in a blaze started by a faulty dryer in their flat in Conwy, North Wales. Disturbingly, these fatalities may not be the last, as 5.3 million machines in our homes are suspected of being potentially dangerous. The dryers affected are those made by Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit between April 2004 and September 2015. All these brands are owned by the company Whirlpool, which bought them in 2014, but took until last November to issue a safety notice. Based on Freedom of Information requests to fire brigades, the Daily Mirror estimates that 6,000 fires may have been caused by faulty dryers in the past six years This stated, in the normal language of corporate gobbledygook: We are activating an extensive consumer outreach and service action plan in order to provide our consumers with products that are updated to higher safety and quality standards. What this means in plain English is that the US electrical giant is currently visiting 4,325 homes in the UK every day in order to modify the dryers to stop them catching fire. However, even if its 1,000 engineers work flat-out, those 5.3million machines will take three and a half years to put right. So how can you identify whether you own an affected model? First, check whether your machine is one of the 113 affected models. With some 12.5million tumble dryers in the UK, you have a greater than four in ten chance that it will be. According to consumer group Which?, the quickest way to check is to look for a green dot sticker inside the dryer, either on the door or on the rim. If theres no dot, look at the back of the machine. If you find a green dot, your dryer will not be at risk. Mishell Moloney (left), 49, was found dead at her charred home in Frankley, Birmingham after she was killed in a house fire believed to have been sparked by a tumble dryer (file picture, right) If there is no green dot, then Creda or Indesit owners should visit safety.indesit.eu, and Hotpoint owners should visit safety.hotpoint.eu. Type in the model number and serial number of your machine, both normally found on the back of the dryer door, or on the doors recess, and the website will tell you if your machine could be affected and so needs to be modified. If you do not have access to the internet, call 0800 151 0905 to check if your machine is affected. If your model is thought to be at risk, Whirlpool will arrange for an engineer to call to modify your machine free of charge. But while you wait, you will need to be wary of your dryer. The reason the fires start is because excess fluff from clothes can come into contact with the dryers heating element, and start to combust. Short of taking the machine apart to check the element an operation that should be done only by a qualified engineer the best thing to do is to remove the lint from the fluff filter after every load. When the dryer is running, you are strongly advised to keep an eye on it. Also, make sure that the vent pipe runs outside your home and is not blocked or kinked in any way. Owners are also warned not to put any materials that have been used for mopping up flammable liquids in the dryer. The most radical solution would, of course, be to buy new tumble dryer made after September last year. But that is clearly an expensive option which is out of the reach of many. A Virginia woman whose son's remains were found in the trunk of her car more than 10 years after he was last seen alive has been charged with murder. Court documents indicate Tonya Slaton, 44, of Richmond was indicted on February 1 in Hampton Circuit Court on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her son, Quincy Jamar Davis. Human remains found in a Ford Mustang she was driving on Interstate 64 in Hampton in June were identified as Davis'. Court documents indicate Tonya Slaton, 44, of Richmond (pictured) was indicted on February 1 in Hampton Circuit Court on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her son, Quincy Jamar Davis The indictment alleges Slaton killed Davis between July 24, 2004 and July 24, 2005. He would have been 14 or 15 years old at the time, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Police said Davis was never reported missing. The medical examiner has not determined the cause of death. Slaton was pulled over in Hampton while driving on I-64 on June 6, 2015 for having expired tags. At the time, the trooper, who was conducting a traffic stop, began impounding the vehicle and while taking inventory, discovered a black trash bag in the trunk. There was a strong odor of rotting flesh permeating from the bag and the body had been double-bagged and sealed with duct tape. The indictment alleges Slaton killed Davis (pictured) between July 24, 2004 and July 24, 2005. He would have been 14 or 15 years old at the time Slaton allegedly threw some clothes on top of the bag, and told the trooper it contained just clothes. Soon afterwards, she was charged with concealment of a dead body. Following the arrest, the Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the remains found in the car were those of Davis. Davis, who would have now been 25, was last seen in 2004 when he was a seventh grader at Virginia Beach Middle School. Slaton is set to be arraigned in court next week on the murder charge. Court and news records showed Slaton had been in trouble previously. In 1997, she was convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery for injuring Davis when he was six years old, according to The Virginian-Pilot. According to documents, he was in first grade at the time and had cuts and bruises on his chest and back, and Slaton was sentenced to no jail time on the condition of good behavior for six months. A Virginia Beach Department of Human Services spokeswoman told The Virginian-Pilot she could not comment on whether child protective services investigated the mother regarding the incident. In 2002, court records indicate she was charged with domestic assault and battery, however there are few details regarding that incident. Human remains found in the trunk of a Ford Mustang she was driving on Interstate 64 in Hampton (pictured) in June were identified as Davis'. Police said Davis was never reported missing In October 2008, Hampton police were looking for her and her black Mustang after she fired four shots through her boyfriend's front door. She had become angry when he tried to break up with her and went and got a gun out of her car, saying 'neither one of them were going to leave alive', according to a report about the affidavit in that case. The boyfriend escaped by climbing out of a window, cutting himself. The notorious Baltimore gangster, Nathan Barksdale, who inspired several characters in The Wire, has died in a North Carolina medical federal prison. He died on Saturday aged 54 and the cause is currently unknown, says the Baltimore Sun. Barksdale was known as Baltimore's gangster kingpin in the eighties and ran a violent-heroin-dealing operation from the Murphy Homes public housing project. Scroll down for video The notorious Baltimore gangster, Nathan Barksdale, who inspired several characters in The Wire, has died in a North Carolina medical federal prison. He died aged 54 but cause is currently unknown Foreground: Preston Bodie Broadus from The Wire, played by JD Williams, who was one of the characters inspired by Barksdale Barksdale was known as Baltimore's gangster kingpin in the eighties and ran a violent-heroin-dealing operation from the Murphy Homes public housing project He was reportedly shot 20 times and had to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Barksdale, also known as 'Bodie', had later worked with the anti-violence Safe Streets program but was arrested in 2014 for taking part in a heroin conspiracy with members of the Black Guerrilla Family gang. And his notoriety was the inspiration for key characters in The Wire, a drama that shines a light on the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers, as well as drug dealers and users. The characters that he inspired include drug kingpin Avon Barksdale and a dealer named 'Bodie' Broadus. Series creator, David Simon, told the Baltimore Sun: 'There are some anecdotal connections between his story and a multitude of characters.' Wire character Avon Barksdale (played by Wood Harris, pictured) was another character inspired by Nathan Barksdale The Wire took inspiration from the violent streets of eighties Baltimore. Pictured: Kurt Schmoke talking at the Governors Summit on Violent Street Crime, Baltimore, Maryland, 1980 Melvin Williams (left and right), whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption also earned him a place in The Wire, died last December 'We mangled street and given names throughout 'The Wire' so that it was a general shout-out to the Westside players. But there is nothing that corresponds to a specific character.' Simon worked at the Baltimore Sun in the eighties and wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. Barksdale clearly found The Wire's inspiration flattering and even released a DVD - called The Real Avon Barksdale -that chronicled his life, where he was interviewed by actor Wood Harris, who played Avon. The DVD's narrator describes Barksdale as 'one of the most notorious and resilient gangster drug kingpins Baltimore has ever seen' and a 'magnet for violence'. Barksdale (right) clearly found The Wire's inspiration flattering and even released a DVD - called The Real Avon Barksdale -that chronicled his life, where he was interviewed by actor Wood Harris (left), who played Avon While he was acquitted for the killing of drug trafficker Frank Harper in 1982, in 1985 he was convicted of torturing three people in an 11th-floor apartment in Murphy Home and sentenced to 15 years in jail. Following his release, Barksdale had said he'd left a life of crime but was then ensnared in a Drug Enforcement Administration wiretap investigation in 2014 and got four years in federal prison. He had apparently lapsed back into heroin addiction and had been running a drugs scam to feed his habit. At the sentencing he said: 'I did some good. I'd like to think I saved some lives.' Jeremy Corbyn poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falkland Islands than Argentina, the defence secretary said yesterday. Michael Fallon said the 'islands had moved on since 1982' - but the Labour leader hadn't - as he urged more holidaymakers from the south american nation to visit. Mr Fallon, the first senior cabinet minister to step foot on the Falklands in 14 years, said he wanted a tourism boost to the islands. Michael Fallon said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falkland Islands than Argentina during a visit this week (right). It came as he urged more holidaymakers to visit the Falklands Mr Fallon, the first senior cabinet minister to step foot on the Falklands in 14 years, said he wanted a tourism boost to the islands. He is pictured meeting an RAF rescue team in front of sea king helicopter in Stanley His comments were echoed by the chair of the legislative assembly, Mike Summers, who said it would be 'good' for the heavily brainwashed' people of Argentina to come on cruise ships and see the British territory. Mr Fallon had battled against the Foreign Office to visit the islands after they raised concerns it could inflame tensions with the new Argentine government - a concern he dismissed as 'nonsense'. During his historic visit to reaffirm Britain's 180million investment to continue to defend the islands, he lay a wreath for the 255 British people who died fighting the 1982 war. Mr Fallon said: 'The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it is Jeremy Corbyn and Labour party who want to override the wishes of the islanders.' He said Mr Corbyn posed an 'immediate threat' because he had 'made it clear the islanders shouldn't have a veto over their future'. Last month Mr Corbyn prompted anger when he called for a 'dialogue' with Argentina over the Falklands - after the islanders had voted overwhelmingly in favour of being part of Britain. Argentina's outgoing ambassador in London, Alicia Castro, said Mr Corbyn wanted a Northern-Ireland style deal which would allow her country and Britain to govern the islands together. She described Mr Corbyn as 'one of ours'. One islander, Sharon Jaffray, said his comments made him a 'dinosaur'. Mr Fallon said: 'The islanders really have moved on in terms of self-government, taking charge of their own future, building an economy... 'The islands have moved on since 1982 and Mr Corbyn clearly hasn't. 'The issue now is how we improve relationships with the rest of South America. And we have a new government in Argentina that may open to door to that.' Mr Fallon made the historic visit to reaffirm Britain's 180million investment to continue to defend the islands Mr Fallon at Gypsy Cove with Michael Poole MP and Nick Randell, the Falkland Islands' environmental officer There are currently around 60,000 tourists who visit the Falkland Islands every year on cruise ships. But with a new Argentinian President who is seen as wanting to strengthen ties with the UK, locals are hoping the figure could increase with an influx of tourists from Argentina. Currently around 5,000 tourists are from Argentina. Mr Summers said: 'It is good for the Argentinians to come here and see what we have got and how we manage it. 'It is good for them to see it, they are so heavily brainwashed in Argentina about what happened. 'They think it is an Argentinian territory stolen by the British... we've been here for generations.' He said there were 'lots of options' and tourists could be attracted by the diverse wildlife. 'There are lots of options, from the growth of cruise vessel tourism, to increasing land based tourism. There's a huge potential for tourism here. 'There's a potential for it to grow and we are happy about it', he said. Asked if there there was a plan to bring more Argentinian tourists and other holidaymakers to the islands, Mr Fallon said: 'Yes. 'The long term aim is to diversify the economy away from a dependence on fish... which means encouraging more tourism and more travel.' Mr Fallon with Falkland Islands Governor Colin Roberts, looking at a head statue of Margaret Thatcher The defence secretary is pictured laying a wreath at Liberation Monument in the island's capital of Stanley He said this meant 'opening up the islands to easier transport links elsewhere in South America'. There are currently 1,200 British service personnel stationed on the islands - far more than the handful of marines that were there when Argentina invaded. Mr Fallon added: 'The islands are defended now and could be reinforced much more rapidly.' HMS Clyde, an offshore patrol vessel with guns, is currently stationed near the capital Stanley, and there are also four Typhoon warplanes at the airbase ready in the event of an attack. At the time of the invasion in 1982, Britain had just withdrawn its only ship protecting the islands. Mr Fallon said he was in the islands to underline Britain's 'long commitment' to the Falklands and emphasise 'heavy' defence investment. The glamorous former girlfriend of Mustapha Dib announced she had split with her new husband on social media weeks before her former flame walked free from prison, sources told Daily Mail Australia. Bethany Wikeepa, who describes herself as a Mormon, announced the end of her relationship with New Zealand carpenter Jason Wikeepa on Facebook recently, in a post that has since been deleted. Dib was released on Monday after the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal quashed his conviction for the 2000 murder of a woman in Sydney's west. He had been sentenced in 2012 to 30 years in prison. Mrs Wikeepa, then known as Bethany Heagney, was a constant presence by Dib's side during his trial and appeared to cheer his release in a social media post on Monday evening. Scroll down for video Bethany Heagney married Jason Wikeepa shortly after Dib's imprisonment. She announced the pair had split in a now deleted Facebook post weeks ago Bethany Wikeepa, then known as Bethany Heagney, was a supportive presence by Mustapha Dib's side during his trial. Dib is pictured right showing off his back tattoos All smiles: Mustapha Dib grinned from ear to ear as he emerged from prison a free man, carrying only a plastic bag of his possessions Dib greeted friends and family with tight hugs as a media pack watched on Monday evening Mrs Wikeepa posted a picture to Instagram and Facebook with the words 'god is good' on Monday night, hours after Dib's release. The photograph was captioned 'prayers have been answered' and accompanied by a cheering emoji. Sources did not believe the announced split was related to Dib's release as many who know Mrs Wikeepa were surprised Dib's murder conviction was quashed. Dib was sentenced to at least 30 years in jail in 2012 for murdering a woman at a shooting in Punchbowl, in Sydney's west, in November 2000. Days after his imprisonment, Mrs Wikeepa professed her love to Dib, reportedly writing on his Facebook page: 'I love you, miss you so much.' Five months later she had moved on, becoming engaged to New Zealand construction worker Jason Wikeepa. She gave birth to a baby boy in April last year and has two girls from a previous relationship. Dib grinned from ear to ear when he was freed from prison earlier this week. He gripped friends and family in tight hugs in front of a media pack. The night Mustapha Dib was freed from prison, Bethany Wikeepa posted this celebratory message: 'prayers have been answered' Mrs Wikeepa (left, right) had professed her love to Dib publicly in the weeks prior. 'Bethany is not going to be making any comments to the media but I can personally tell you Bethany is in a really good place right now, excited for the future and is busy focusing on her children and faith' A panel of three judges for the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled there was room to doubt the identity of the person who shot the woman and wounded a man. Announcing an unanimous decision, Justice Clifton Hoeben told the court: 'My analysis of the evidence has led me to conclude that it was not open for the jury to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the applicant was the person who shot [AB] and the deceased.' 'The evidence has left me with a reasonable doubt on that issue and that is a doubt which the jury should also have had.The applicant is to be released from jail forthwith.' Dib served six years in prison for the manslaughter of 14-year-old Edward Lee, who was stabbed to death in 2000. He was released in 2009. In recent years, Mrs Wikeepa appears to have a happy life in Sydney's Sutherland Shire, regularly posting pictures of herself taking her children for walks. Speaking on Mrs Wikeepa's behalf, her best friend, Gabriela Cevallos, told Daily Mail Australia Bethany was focused on her children and religion. 'Bethany is not going to be making any comments to the media but I can personally tell you Bethany is in a really good place right now, excited for the future and is busy focusing on her children and faith'. Jeb Bush has been struggling with internet pranksters today, with a botched Tweet and a website squatter frustrating his attempts to woo South Carolina voters during a key part of his campaign. Earlier today, Bush's Twitter account posted a picture of a pistol with 'Gov. Jeb Bush' a reference to his position of Governor of Florida, which he held from 1999-2007 engraved on the top of its barrel, and a single word: 'America'. That was all the internet needed: the post was met with an avalanche of parodies mocking Bush's public image and the post's macho tone. Off target: Bush's original post appeared to be trying to impress gun-loving South Carolina voters, but was quickly co-opted for humor by Twitter users Many users ran with the weapon angle, posting up images of fictional weapons of war with equally fictional locations. @JohnJosephAdams posted toy lightsaber from Star Wars, with the name of the planet 'Tattooine', while @GarciaHortolano offered Harry Potter's magic wand, with 'Hogwarts', the name of Potter's wizarding school. And @DavidOMahoney went for a shot from the movie 300, alongside 'Sparta' echoing Gerard Butler's cry of 'This is Sparta!' from the movie. Lampoon: One user switched Trump's gun for a Star Wars lightsaber, and name-checked Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tattooine Magic: A wand from Harry Potter's school of Hogwarts was offered up as an alternative to Bush's pistol Kicking off: Another user drew on the famous 'This is Sparta' scene from the movie 300, turning Gerard Butler's war cry into a glib joke Others edited the image itself, replacing the former Florida governor's name with sarcastic text. @SimonMaloy edited in 'Macbook Pro, Baby', a reference to a much-mocked video released by Bush in which he enthuses about Apple products. Other edits included @mashable's 'Please clap,' recalling the time Bush had to remind his New Hampshire audience to applaud the end of a speech, and @dannyodwyer's rather brutal 'ALSO RAN.' And one simply replied with an animated clip of Angela Lansbury wearing oversized spectacles and uncomfortably firing a pretend gun, perhaps a poke at Bush's less-than-macho image. Book 'em: Twitter user Simon Maloy replaced Bush's name with 'Macbook Pro, Baby', a reference to a much-shared clip of Bush enthusing about Apple products posted on his own YouTube account Mockery: One gag (pictured left) reference a clip of Bush reminding an audience to clap at the end of one of his speeches, while another (pictured right) was the more brutal 'ALSO RAN' Animated: Slade Sohmer's animated clip of Angela Lansbury firing a joke gun appeared to be a comment on Jeb's less-than-macho public image. Bush told reporters today that he was unaware of the original tweet, and that he'd received the gun as a gift from South Carolina-based firearm company FN Manufacturing that morning at a town hall meeting. 'The purpose was we went to a gun manufacturing facility where lots of jobs are created, high-wage jobs. And I received a gun and I was honored to have it,' he told reporters near Leesville. But that wasn't all for the beleaguered candidate, as the internet lit up with chatter about a prankster buying up the 'JebBush.com' domain name so that he could squat on it and cause it to redirect to the official Donald Trump website. Fake: A tweet from a spoof Donald Trump Twitter account went vital after it announced that the JebBush.com address was redirecting visitors to Donald Trump's site. Trump's real camp have denied involvement In fact, the redirect was set up in December 7, but news about the redirect gained a second wind today when a fake Tweet by spoof account @P0TUSTrump, which seemed to show Trump gloating and admitting to the prank, went viral. According to KMTV, the Trump camp have denied any knowledge of the prank. South Carolina, which will hold its vote for a Republican candidate on Saturday, is a key area for Bush, as his family has historically polled well there. It also has a strong gun culture, which Bush's tweet today appeared to be trying to tap into. A CNN poll on Tuesday said that Bush was polling fourth place with 10%, behind Marco Rubio with 14%, Ted Cruz with 22% and Donald Trump with 38% of the vote. See more of the latest on Pope Francis at www.dailymail.co.uk/popefrancis He yelled the the crowd using Spanish 'Don't be selfish, don't be selfish' Pope Francis recovered and kissed the man, but made his The Pope has shown a rare sign of anger during his trip to Mexico after an eager crowd tugged his arms and caused him to topple over. Francis was at a stadium in the western city of Morella on Tuesday greeting fans at an open air mass for young people. However, when one eager person pulled at his robe, it caused him to crash down into a wheelchair-bound man. And although the Pontiff recovered and kissed the man on the head, he did not hide his irritation. Pope Francis smiled as he greeted a crowd during a visit to a stadium in the city of Morella, western Mexico, on Tuesday. The area is a focal point for cartels in the country However, some eager members of the crowd tugged on his arm and caused him to topple onto a disabled man standing in front of the barriers The head of the Catholic Church yelled: 'No seas egoista. Que te paso, no seas egoista', which translates to 'Don't be selfish, don't be selfish.' Francis took a couple of steps back as appeals came over the public address system asking the crowd not to clump together. The pontiff continued to wave to people and handed out rosaries for a few minutes more before leaving again. Speaking after the incident Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that it was a 'normal human reaction' to certain admirers' 'excessive enthusiasm'. It comes after the pope has said in the past that he is prone to anger but that his bad tempers do not last. During the trip to Mexico, Pope Francis has urged Mexico's young people to resist the lure of easy money from drug dealers and to instead build up their communities by valuing themselves as the wealth of the country. He recovered and took a few steps back, but he made the audience members aware of his irritation He yelled: 'No seas egoista. Que te paso, no seas egoista', which translates into English as 'Don't be selfish, don't be selfish' Francis sought to offer a message of hope and encouragement to the next generation during a youth pep rally Tuesday in the state of Michoacan, which is a hotspot in Mexico's drug trade. The Pontiff said he understood it was difficult to feel one's worth when, in his words, 'you are continually exposed to the loss of friends or relatives at the hands of the drug trade, of drugs themselves, of criminal organizations that sow terror.' But, he insisted, 'You are the wealth of Mexico.' The Pope waves to the young faithful gathered at the stadium in Morelia, where he held a rally for young people Pope Francis embraces two young women during a meeting with thousands of young people from all over Mexico at a stadium in Morelia He also met with a group of indigenous children and was seen shaking their hands and blessing them The Pontiff tried on yet another hat while greeting the thousands of youths that had turned out for the rally Two young girls go to embrace the Pope during his penultimate day of engagements during his visit to Mexico He arrived at the stadium full of cheering Mexican priests, nuns and seminarians for a Mass in the heart of Mexico's drug-trafficking country. It is home to the incredibly violent Knights Templar cartel. Speaking to the assembled clerics, he said: 'Faced with this reality, the devil can overcome us with one of his favorite weapons: resignation... A resignation which paralyses us and prevents us not only from walking, but also from making the journey.' On the penultimate day of his pilgrimage he cruised through town on a (five-mile) nine-kilometer drive in his popemobile. Thousands of people along the motorcade route waved Vatican flags and cheered wildly as he passed by. The visit to Morelia is also tangible sign of Francis' respect for the city's archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda, whom Francis made a cardinal last year. On the penultimate day of his pilgrimageto Mexico he cruised through town on a (five-mile) nine-kilometer drive in his popemobile. One of the main aims of his trip was to urge young Mexicans not to be tempted to sell drugs or join gangs, but to help make their communities stronger instead Earlier in the day, Francis celebrated mass with priests and nuns at another stadium in the Mexican city of Morelia Nuns clapped and cheered as they awaited the arrival of the Pontiff with one holding up a photograph of him The mass for the priests and nuns took place in the heart of Mexico's drug-trafficking country. His five-day trip to Mexico comes to a close on Wednesday In a country where the church hierarchy is closely tied to political and financial elite, Suarez Inda has echoed the pope's admonition that 'pastors should not be bureaucrats and we bishops should not have the mentality or attitude of princes.' Michoacan has endured some of the most gruesome episodes of Mexico's drug war, which has left 100,000 people dead or missing in the past decade. Francis has used his five-day cross-country trip, which ends Wednesday, to press Mexican leaders to provide 'effective security' to their citizens. On Wednesday he will wrap up his trip with some of his most anticipated events: a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. A police raid on a residential property has uncovered an enormous amount of stolen goods, drugs and ammunition, with a toddler also found sleeping on the floor in front of the television. The raid was conducted at a house on Mumford St in Ashmont, Wagga Wagga on Tuesday afternoon and allegedly found a small amount of methamphetamine, also known as ice, 22 laptop computers, 61 mobile phones and six bullets. Police crime manager Darren Cloake said a one-year-old child was found asleep on the floor of the main living room as the stolen items were packed into the bedrooms of the home. A police raid on a residential property has uncovered an enormous amount of stolen goods, drugs and ammunition (pictured) A one-year-old toddler was also found sleeping in front of a television in the house as the stolen items were piled high in the bedrooms The raid was conducted at a house (pictured left) on Mumford St in Ashmont, Wagga Wagga on Tuesday afternoon '[The] items were stored in rooms that would normally be given over to raising a child. So there's significant social issues there,' Inspector Cloake said, The ABC reported. The raid also uncovered a ride on lawnmower, three bicycles, 43 watches, numerous digital camera, PlayStation, iPads, iPods, fitbits, USB sticks, hard drives, jewellery, gold clubs and DVDs. A 32-year-old man was arrested at the home for an outstanding warrant and police expect to charge the other occupants of the house. Wagga Wagga police shared photos of some of the property seized on their Facebook page on Wednesday, saying officers are 'currently sorting through the items.' They have also encouraged locals not to refer to the property as 'stolen,' until police are able to log each item. Various power tools, a ride on mower and three bicyles were also discovered in the haul '[The] items were stored in rooms that would normally be given over to raising a child. So there's significant social issues there,' Police crime manager Darren Cloake said Wagga Wagga police shared photos of some of the property seized on their Facebook page on Wednesday, saying officers are 'currently sorting through the items' Police have also encouraged locals not to refer to the property as 'stolen,' until police are able to log each item. 'At a very near date, police intend to have victims of crime come and view the items and with any luck we can restore some of the stolen property to the lawful owners,' they shared on their Facebook page. Senior Constable Chris Culgan admitted the haul was surprisingly large and said the victims' 'privacy has been invaded.' 'It saddens you really, to see it all,' he said. It is believed most of the stolen goods come from Tolland, Kooringal and Ashmont in Wagga Wagga. Officers plan to create a property list for the goods and have encouraged the public to share their social media post in a bid to reunite the owner with their items. 'At a very near date, police intend to have victims of crime come and view the items and with any luck we can restore some of the stolen property to the lawful owners,' they shared on their Facebook It is believed most of the stolen goods come from Tolland, Kooringal and Ashmont in Wagga Wagga An impressive set of golf clubs and two guitars in cases (both pictured) were also discovered at the Ashmont property Officers plan to create a property list for the goods and have encouraged the public to share their social media post in a bid to reunite the owner with their items Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell (pictured) said ministers needed to take immediate action to deal with the issue of radicalisation, claiming pupils at unregistered schools 'could be in harm's way' At least 21 schools that haven't been officially registered in Britain are being investigated over fears some of them are radicalising pupils with 'narrow Islamic-focused curriculums', it has been claimed. Education chiefs are said to be probing a host of 'illegal' schools across the country, a number of which are allegedly teaching hate-filled, misogynistic, homophobic and anti-Semitic material to children. Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said ministers needed to take immediate action to deal with the issue, claiming children at unregistered schools 'could be in harm's way'. The Labour MP told The Sun: 'Despite warning after warning, they [ministers] have dragged their feet, leaving children in unregistered schools where they could be in harm's way. 'It is extremely worrying that Ofsted remains concerned that the number of children being educated in unregistered provision far exceeds the number currently known by the Government.' The newspaper reported that at least 21 schools are currently under investigation with inspectors apparently finding a number of cases of children being taught 'narrow Islamic-focused curriculums'. It is unclear exactly how many pupils are being taught at the 'illegal' schools, but experts say each unregistered institution tends to have fewer than 100 - particularly because some schools are based out of small religious centres or even people's homes. The Department for Education said there would be 'no single knockout blow against those who seek to corrupt young people' but confirmed it was taking action to protect children from 'illegal' schools. A spokesman added: 'We are taking unprecedented and direct action across the board to protect children, inform parents and support teachers, putting us firmly on the front foot.' It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to 'shut down' schools which were 'filling children's heads with poison and hearts with hate' in his Tory conference speech last October. Vowing to stand up to 'passive tolerance' which leaves children vulnerable to extremists, Mr Cameron announced inspectors would shut down Islamic religious schools promoting hate. He also said some mosques in Britain were promoting hate and vowed to shut them down. In his Conservative conference speech, he said: 'Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it's at Madrassas, Sunday Schools or Jewish Yeshivas. Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured) vowed to 'shut down' unregistered schools in Britain which were 'filling children's heads with poison and hearts with hate' in his Tory conference speech last October 'But in some Madrassas we've got children being taught that they shouldn't mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people. 'These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened - not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate. 'So I can announce this: If an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. 'And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down.' Two months after his warning, Ofsted set up a special task force to uncover unregistered schools operation outside of English laws. The decision to launch a Ofsted task force into unregistered schools came after investigations were launched into three Birmingham schools, including Park View (pictured) over the content of curriculum it was teaching The schools regulator said it had already uncovered unregistered Muslim faith schools which keep pupils in squalid conditions and teach a 'narrow' Islamic curriculum and said they pose 'a serious and growing threat' to the safety of hundreds of children, who may be vulnerable to extremism. In December, inspectors shut down three unregistered schools in Birmingham, with one using 'anti-Semitic, homophobic and misogynistic material'. Conditions in one were described as 'unhygienic and filthy'. A total of 94 pupils were being taught by adults who had not been suitably checked for work with children. Ofsted has already found 15 such 'hidden' schools in the past year, running full timetables and involving about 800 pupils. It is understood a large number of them catered for Muslim communities, but there were also schools of other faiths. A beloved 60 kilogram dog named Henry was stolen from a secure backyard and only returned by two anonymous men when the owner posted a 'no questions asked $2000 reward' online. Rhianna-May Gilmour was beyond devastated when she woke up to find that her 'best friend' - an adorable Bullmastiff dog - had disappeared from her Telarah yard in NSW's Hunter Valley region. Concerned for her dog, who had not gone missing once in the 18 months she had owned him, she started up a Facebook page named 'Bring Henry Home' with the hopes of finding him. But despite thousands of likes on the page and hundreds of shares from concerned residents in neighbouring suburbs, Ms Gilmour didn't receive a single phone call in five days. Rhianna Gilmour has been reunited with dog Henry - who disappeared from her backyard last Thursday Two anonymous men rang Ms Gilmour up on a private number and said her dog Henry was safe. They told her she was free to have him back provided she give them $2,000 in cash as she had promised online 'They just said "We have Henry. We won't give him back without the money",' said Rhianna Gilmour It wasn't until she updated the page with a reminder that she was offering a $2,000 reward 'for the safe return of (the) puppy with no questions asked' that someone contacted her. Speaking from a private number, a man told her her dog was safe and she could have him back provided she handed over the money, the Maitland Mercury reported. 'They just said 'We have Henry. We won't give him back without the money',' Rhianna Gilmour said. Ms Gilmour kept details to a minimum for fear the men could return, but said they had met her at an undisclosed location close to her home and fled as soon as she gave them the cash. 'Two guys walked down the street with Henry,' she said. 'He had no collar, they were dragging him by the scruff (of the neck).' She said since being reunited with Henry she felt 'complete again.' Ms Gilmour said the two men met her at an undisclosed location close to her home and fled as soon as she gave them the cash She is overwhelmed with happiness since Henry was returned safe - but said she reported the incident to police and the RSPCA 'I can't explain how happy I am and how happy he is, we are both literally crying with happiness,' she posted online. 'Henry is okay, but I am taking him to the vets now as he is exhausted and weak, I don't think he has been fed or given water (or if he has only little) he also didn't have his collar on.' It's unclear how exactly the enormous canine disappeared from her backyard in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, but Ms Gilmour says the circumstances were certainly suspicious. 'I have a big colour bond gate with a latch that is always locked. When I woke up this morning it was wide open. There is no way he could of opened it,' she said. Maitland Acting Inspector Joe Krzanic told Daily Mail Australia that police were actively investigating the stealing of the dog, but were not involved with Ms Gilmour's transaction with the men. 'She did report a dog stolen, and thats the investigation,' he said. It's unclear how the dog disappeared in the first place. Maitland police are currently investigating claims that the dog was stolen Ms Gilmour said her backyard had a big colour bond gate with a latch that was always locked One woman following the 'Bring Henry Back' page warned Ms Gilmour that a group of thieves were targeting Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the Hunter region and tagging houses they had approached. But Inspector Krzanic said that stolen dogs were not commonly reported to police in the Maitland region and he was unsure whether there was much of a basis for claims of illegal dog fighting rings. 'Every now and again people lose a dog and one goes missing and the whole thing blows up ... we have not had any evidence to that effect in relation to dog fighting rings, he said. Ms Gilmour is just happy to have her best friend back at home. 'Henry isn't a human but he has a heart and he has emotions and feelings and he can feel just the same as we do. His not a 'thing' and his defiantly (sic) not 'just a dog'.' 'His home and safe now and I'm sure he'll be back to normal in no time.' 'Please everyone keep a close eye on their pets.' One woman warned Ms Gilmour that thieves were targeting dog-owners in the region and tagging houses Ms Gilmour is just happy to have her best friend back at home A Texan who arrived in Australia without warning in July 2014 has been found guilty of wounding with intent after he aimed a crossbow at his ex-wife's new husband and hit him on the head with a tomahawk. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Texan, 51, lay in wait behind bushes at his ex-wife's Central Coast home on July 15. He then aimed a crossbow at her husband, ordered him to his knees and hit him on the head with the victim's own tomahawk that the Texan had picked up on the property. This was the creepy rubber face mask that was found in the Texan's car on the Central Coast The victim was able to fight the Texan by using his laptop as a shield. The American ended up in a ditch after his ex-wife, a neighbour and a tradesman came to the victim's aid when they heard his cries for help. 'I just told him, 'Hey stop. Just get on your knees' and he just charged at me with the f****** laptop,' the Texan said at the time. 'I'm supposed to fly out on Friday. I guess there's no chance of that happening?' A jury at Gosford District Court found on Monday that he had not intended to murder his ex-wife's husband. The Texan, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The Texan aimed the crossbow at the Central Coast man, but said he only had 'only used the crossbow for protection' (stock image) The court heard the Texan and his wife divorced in August 2009 when the child they had together was four years old. It was after this that the ex-wife and the Central Coast man began an online relationship that ended in the pair getting married in April 2010. However, the relationship between the Texan and his ex-wife deteriorated in the intervening years resulting in him flying unannounced to Australia in July 2014. He also used the victim's own tomahawk to hit him with after he picked it up on the property (stock image) The Texan told police a few hours after the attack he had 'only used the crossbow for protection'. During the attack the victim told police he yelled at the Texan: 'You're a f****** idiot. You're going to jail.' When searched by police a rubber face mask, surveillance notes, a cooler bag with food supplies, and a Central Coast map were found In the Texan's hire car. More than 130 NHS officials who are involved in assessing which drugs are given to patients have lucrative second jobs as paid consultants to pharmaceutical firms, it has been revealed. Health service staff, including many managers and senior officials, are said to be receiving plump fees to sit on 'advisory boards' for drugs firms whose products they consider on behalf of the NHS. Ministers have now launched an urgent investigation into the practice, with many MPs claiming action will be taken against any NHS staff attempting to influence purchasing decisions for payment. Health service staff, including managers, are said to be receiving plump fees to sit on 'advisory boards' for drugs firms across Europe whose products they consider on behalf of the NHS (file picture, posed by model) Health minister Alistair Burt described the allegations as 'very serious' while Meg Hillier, chairman of the public accounts committee, said it 'shows a very worrying relationship' between health staff and drugs firms. A Daily Telegraph investigation found that many senior NHS staff have been flying abroad and staying in luxury five-star hotels while attending meetings hosted by pharmaceutical firms. Some are said to be earning up to 1,250 per day advising drugs companies on selling their products to the NHS, while others are receiving between 700 and 1,000 a day for meetings across Europe. The pharmaceutical industry is spending more than 30million a year employing officials and doctors as consultants, as well as a further 10million a year on flying them to meetings and hosting events. Three officials at one Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in Luton were flown separately to a German spa town for paid advisory board meetings, while another firm, Hospira, hosted NHS staff in the five-star Esplanade hotel in Zagreb, Croatia. The Telegraph investigation reveals the practice of officials taking prescribing and 'medicines management' roles while acting as consultants to drugs firms is systemic within the NHS. Officials at one Clinical Commissioning Group in Luton were flown to a German spa town for paid advisory board meetings, while another firm, Hospira, hosted NHS staff in the Esplanade hotel in Croatia (pictured) Many are said to be attending more than 20 paid advisory boards each year, alongside their NHS jobs, before taking part in NHS decisions about adopting the drugs they had been paid to advise. Ben Woodhouse, medicines optimisation lead at Bolton CCG, carried out 31 pieces of advisory work for pharmaceutical firms during 2014-15. He told the newspaper that the work, carried out around his 30-hour NHS week, helped 'make best use' of funds as he could provide advice and ensure drugs comply with guidance. Luton CCG said advisory board work was routinely declared and that it had 'rigorous policies and procedures in place around the recommendation of any medicines'. A spokesman for NHS England said: 'If found to be true, the behaviour alleged in this report is unacceptable and may be against the law, and it is right that there is a full investigation and any necessary action taken. 'The 2016/17 NHS standard contract, which we are now consulting on, seeks to introduce a requirement that NHS providers maintain gifts and hospitality registers outlining all gifts and hospitality they receive from pharmaceutical and medical devices companies which will make it easier to spot when NHS staff have a conflict of interest. 'NHS staff who breach these new rules face possible disciplinary action by their employer and investigation by NHS Protect, who work to identify and tackle crime across the health service. Hillary Clinton had a coughing fit while giving a speech on Tuesday in New York. The Democratic hopeful had trouble delivering her thoughts on racism at Harlems Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture as she discussed improving the lives of inmates, according to Jezebel. She covered her mouth several times before sipping on some water and treating herself to a throat lozenge in an attempt to continue her speech about 'white privilege' and the barriers that black Americans face, according to Breitbart. Scroll down for video Interrupted her speech: Hillary Clinton had a coughing fit while giving a speech on Tuesday in New York 'Too much to say,' quipped Hillary as her cough continued to give her problems. Hillary's cough became so disruptive that the crowd started chanting 'Hillary! Hillary!' in order to encourage her to finish her speech. 'Thank you. You're a great Amen chorus,' she replied before quoting Martin Luther King. This is not the first time that Hillary Clinton has suffered from a tickle in her throat while discussing important matters. Clinton had to dig out a lozenge at last year's Benghazi hearings. Despite never raising her voice, at the ten-and-a-half-hour mark Clinton broke down in a coughing fit that ended only after she took a lozenge from her purse and then rejected a suggestion of a short break from Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican. Clinton also suffered a coughing fit in Iowa back in January, something she attributed to speaking a lot on her campaign tour. 'You do talk a lot in this campaign,' Clinton said, and she continued with her speech in an extremely strained voice. Apple have been ordered to hack into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers after federal prosecutors have said they have 'not cooperated'. The technology giant was given the order Tuesday in an unprecedented ruling that pits digital privacy against national security interests. The ruling by Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, a former federal prosecutor, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature, which erases the phone's data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. Scroll down for video Apple have been ordered to hack into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers after federal prosecutors have said they have 'not cooperated'. Pictured: San Bernardino shooters Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook going through customs as O'Hare Airport in Chicago last July upon their arrival from Saudi Arabia Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Malik's timeline from December 2 - and FBI believes that information stored on Farook's iPhone (which is currently locked) could help. Pictured: Evidence markers are scattered around an SUV near the site of the shootout between police and killers Crucial evidence: Federal prosecutors told the judge in a court application Tuesday that they can't access a work phone used by Syed Farook because they don't know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Pictured: People hold candles as they attend a vigil at the San Manuel Stadium to remember those injured and killed The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. The decision gives the Justice Department a significant victory in an entrenched technology policy battle, as more-powerful encryption services threaten the ability of federal agents to uncover important evidence in criminal or terrorism cases. The Obama administration, which has embraced stronger encryption as a way to keep consumers safe on the Internet, had struggled to find a compelling example to make its case. The ruling Tuesday tied the problem to the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a December 2 shooting at a holiday luncheon for Farook's co-workers. The couple later died in a gun battle with police. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. The Cupertino, California-based company did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press asking about the case. Pictured: founder Steve Jobs Federal prosecutors told the judge in a court application Tuesday that they can't access a work phone used by Syed Farook because they don't know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a person's employer. Farook, an American citizen, was an environmental health specialist with the San Bernardino County health department, which was hosting the holiday party at the Inland Regional Center where the attack took place. The judge told Apple to provide an estimate of its cost to comply with her order, suggesting that the government will be expected to pay for the work. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. The Cupertino, California-based company did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press asking about the case. The order requires that the software Apple provides be programmed to work only on Farook's phone, but it was not clear how readily that safeguard could be circumvented. The order said Apple has five days to notify the court if it believes the ruling is unreasonably burdensome. The Obama administration, which has embraced stronger encryption as a way to keep consumers safe on the Internet, had struggled to find a compelling example to make its case. Right: Judge Sheri Pym didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. It also was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farook's work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about whom the couple communicated with and where they may have traveled. The couple took pains to physically destroy two personally owned cell phones, crushing them beyond the FBI's ability to recover information from them. They also removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found despite investigators diving for days for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. It was not known whether Farook forgot about the iPhone or did not care whether investigators found it. The phone was running the newest version of Apple's iPhone operating system, which requires a passcode and cannot be accessed by Apple, unlike earlier operating systems or older phone models. San Bernardino County provided Farook with an iPhone configured to erase data after 10 consecutive unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The FBI said that feature appeared to be active on Farook's iPhone as of the last time he performed a backup. The California judge didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In that case, Magistrate Judge James Orenstein has not yet decided whether the government can compel Apple to unlock an iPhone under the same 18th century law applied to the California case. The All Writs Act has been used to compel a party to help the government in its law enforcement efforts, but Apple has argued that it is not its role to act as a government agent and that doing so would breach trust with its customers. Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Malik's timeline from December 2. Practice: Officials say Farook visited a gun range in the days leading up to the attack, firing an AR-15 and a handgun, which would later be used to kill 14 people and injure 21 others TIMELINE OF TERROR MARRIAGE Tashfeen Malik entered the US for the first time on July 27, 2014, on a K-1 or 'fiance' visa. The visa program allows foreign residents intending to marry American citizens to live with them in the US for up to 90 days prior to the wedding. Before entering the country, the partner has to undergo several rounds of counter-terrorism screening and a medical exam. Malik would have also had to undergo a one-on-one interview with an embassy official in her home country of Pakistan. However, already questions are swirling about how the checklist works. For example, Fox News reported that Malik cited an incorrect home address in Pakistan on her visa application and it wasn't picked up by the authorities. The couple reportedly met on a Muslim dating website sometime in 2013. They came face-to-face for the first time in Saudi Arabia in July 2014 when Farook took a two-week vacation to meet his bride-to-be and her family. A new photograph shows the new couple arriving in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on the evening of July 27, 2014. The pair were reportedly married in Riverside, California, in August 2014. Farook petitioned to have his wife's immigration status changed to Legal Permanent Resident in September. It is likely the couple also had a religious ceremony in Saudi Arabia before Malik moved to the US, although this hasn't been confirmed. Advertisement Officials have concluded they were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group; Malik's Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the group's leader around the time of the attack. In 2014, Apple updated its iPhone operating system to require that the phone be locked by a passcode that only the user knows. Previously, the company could use an extraction tool that would physically plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress last week that investigators in the case had been unable to access a phone in the California case but provided no details. 'It is a big problem for law enforcement armed with a search warrant when you find a device that can't be opened even when a judge says there's probable cause to open it,' Comey said. Robyn Millen, from Brighton, said she 'wanted to die' after receiving this Snapchat photo from her father Having their parents follow them on social media is already too much for some teenagers. But one 18-year-old had the shock of her life after receiving a near naked Snapchat from her father. Robyn Millen, from Brighton, said she 'wanted to die' after receiving the inappropriate photo which showed her father naked in the bath on Valentine's Day, with emojis covering his genitals. Shocked upon receiving the message via the social media platform, she immediately sent a text message to her father saying: 'Dad your Snapchat was so inappropriate.' However, he appeared to be rather unfazed by the unfortunate incident, and explained he was simply trying to send it to her mother. 'Sorry, thought I only sent it to mum! Lol,' he said. 'Don't know how it works.' She informed him that not only had he managed to send it to her, but he had also posted it on his 'story' which meant it was available to the wider public. Robyn, a college student currently applying to university, told him: 'That's on your story. All of your friends can see it'. However, he still seemed to take the incident all in his stride, responding: 'So what. Nothing to see apart from my legs and those emoji things.' Before adding: 'I am...amazing.' His wife, Robyn's mother, added: 'hahahaha.' Robyn, who shared the embarrassing debacle on Twitter, then informed her parents via a group text message - that more than 1.5million people had seen her father's photograph. They responded again with 'hahaha' and several emojis, to which she said: 'I shouldn't have told him, he's going to be so annoying.' Snapchat Stories is a relatively new feature on the app and allows 'snaps' to be added together to create a narrative. It means pictures can be viewed by the public for 24 hours before disappearing unlike previous Snapchat messages which vanish within seconds of being received. Robyn took to Twitter to inform her followers of the embarrassing incident - showing the picture she received from her father (left) and the messages she sent to her parents telling them it was 'so inappropriate' (right) Text messages between Robyn and her parents show how they appeared unfazed by the whole incident Recent studies show that Snapchat is now favoured among teenagers and young adults over the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Hordes of secondary school pupils have signed up for the app, with some 57 percent of children aged 11 to 16 using it, according to a survey of 6,500 students across the country. The social network allows users to send messages which are automatically deleted a few seconds after they are opened. Detectives are appealing for witnesses to an alleged indecent assault on an 11-year-old girl at Hamleys toy store and have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to as part of their enquiries An 11-year-old girl was groped by a man as she watched a magic show at Hamleys toy shop, Scotland Yard has said. The youngster was at the store in Londons Regent Street with her family on November 8 last year, when she was allegedly indecently assaulted by a man believed to be in his late 30s or 40s. Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the reported attack and have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with their investigation. He is described as white, of thin build, with light brown hair and glasses. At the time of the incident, between 4pm and 4.30pm, he was wearing a mauve shirt, dark jacket and black trousers. Officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Team are investigating. Last summer, a convicted sex offender was jailed for two years after admitting to groping a nine-year-old girl in front of her family in the world famous Hamleys toy store just days before Christmas. Peter Grant of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, touched the girl while she played with remote control cars with her brother on December 22, 2014. The girl's grandmother then saw Grant and confronted him before he was arrested by police. When police searched the shop and Grant's room at the Easy Hotel in West Drayton, west London, they found spy pens and a laptop with videos from the toy store accompanied by vile commentary. The then 61-year-old later claimed he had come to London for a holiday and he would only molest children if the opportunity presented itself. Grant had previous convictions for indecent assault and making indecent images. Anyone with information in connection with the latest incident has been asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting CRIS reference 6548974/15. These satellite pictures claim to show that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. Taiwan's defence ministry confirmed the existence of the facility after reports that missile launchers could be seen on the images on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain. A U.S. defence official also confirmed the 'apparent deployment' of the missiles, believed to have arrived in the past week. The report came as President Barack Obama called for 'tangible steps' to reduce tensions in the region. China has controlled all of the Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, since the mid-1970s and the end of the Vietnam War. These satellite images released by ImageSat International claim to show that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. The missiles appeared to be the HQ-9 air defence system, with a range of about 200km (125 miles) Proof? A U.S. defence official also confirmed the 'apparent deployment' of the missiles, believed to have arrived in the past week. These images suggest they arrived on a beach between February 3 and February 14 Experts said the long-range missiles, said be positioned on a beach in the area marked above, could be used to target enemy aircraft, heightening tensions in the region and potentially prompting US intervention China has reportedly deployed surface-to-air missiles on the disputed Woody Island (seen above in 2012) in the South China Sea, ratcheting up tensions in the area, through which one-third of the world's oil passes But tensions in the sea through which one-third of the world's oil passes have mounted in recent months after China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities. Washington says the move threatens free passage in a strategically vital area and has sent warships close to the disputed islands to assert freedom of navigation, raising fears of escalation. Australian military aircraft also regularly overfly the area. Fox News said yesterday that images showed two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system had arrived on the main island, Woody. A Taiwan defence ministry spokesman told AFP news agency: 'The defence ministry has learned of an air defence missile system deployed by the Chinese communists on Yongxing Island.' The ministry would give no further detail on when it had become aware of the installation, saying only that it had known about it 'for a while'. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi described the reports as 'an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories'. Land grab: An aerial view shows construction work by China on the Mabini in the disputed Spratley Islands Man-made: Fiery Cross reef in the Spratly Islands chain is claimed by China, Vietnam and the Philippines He did not explicitly deny the deployment, but said the press should 'turn your attention more to the lighthouses we have built on some of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea'. He added: 'Self-defence facilities that China has built on the islands are consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that.' The Fox News report was based on pictures from ImageSat International, which earlier this week released images said to show reclamation work in the Paracels. The missiles appeared to be the HQ-9 air defence system, with a range of about 200km (125 miles), according to reports. Experts said the long-range missiles, said be positioned on a beach, could be used to target enemy aircraft, heightening tensions in the region and potentially prompting US intervention. 'The long-range HQ-9... could exacerbate the nerves of neighbouring countries, particularly Vietnam,' said Kevin Cheng, editor-in-chief of the Taipei-based Asia-Pacific Defense Magazine. 'The military deployment could be seen to violate the US call for free navigation in the area and allow it more excuse to interfere in affairs there.' Tensions in the sea have mounted in recent months after China transformed contested reefs (above) in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities China has asserted its claim to almost all of the South China Sea by rapidly building artificial islands including airstrips said to be capable of hosting military jets The report on the missile batteries came as Obama wrapped up a two-day Southeast Asian summit in California where leaders voiced concern over Beijing's military build-up in the strategic and resource-rich area. 'We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions,' Obama said, calling for 'a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarisation of disputed areas.' The Pentagon declined to confirm the Chinese missile deployment. But China's increasingly muscular actions in the vital waterway featured heavily at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks at Sunnylands, a sprawling California desert retreat. In a joint statement, Obama and the 10 ASEAN leaders demanded the 'peaceful resolution' of a myriad of competing territorial claims over islands, atolls and reefs. Obama has tried to muster an informal coalition of Pacific allies to demand that Beijing respect the rule of law, hoping that China will want to avoid being painted as a regional bully. A female vigilante group has been set up in Sweden to patrol public swimming pools in the wake of a number of alleged sexual assaults on children and young women Siri Bernhardsson has set up 'Tafsvakten' - The Groping Guard - after growing tired of reports of rapes and molestations at public pools in the country. The 24-year-old from Kalmar says the group is needed because women and children in Sweden no longer feel safe going swimming. Scroll down for video Viligante: Siri Bernhardsson, 24, from Kalmar says her vigilante 'Groping Guard' group is needed because women and children in Sweden no longer feel safe going to public swimming pools 'The news is practically flooded with articles about molestations and rapes on Sweden's public pools, I have had enough,' writes Miss Bernhardsson on her Facebook group 'Tafsvakten' [The Groping Guard]. Last weekend, Miss Bernhardsson and her fellow 'Groping Guards' spent the day in the Kalmar Adventurebaths. She says the point of the group is to be extra pairs of eyes and ears in the aquatics centre, and to be there to support women and children if they feel unsafe. 'It makes me sad that many women choose not to go to the swimming pool out of fear that something might happen,' Miss Bernhardsson told Aftonbladet. She says she has been contacted by a number of women, confirming that many feel unsafe at her local pool, and the initiative has since gained momentum. Protectors: Miss Bernhardsson set up Tafsvakten' - The Groping Guard - after growing tired of reports of rapes and molestations at public pools in the country. Miss Bernhardsson has received donations to pay for her entry fee at the swimming pool in Kalmar, and other women have set up their own 'Groping Guards' in other Swedish cities. However, not everyone is pleased with Miss Bernhardsson's initiative, and she has been criticised by the management at her local aquatics centre. 'We do not want a private person coming in and acting like a life guard and having that kind of contact with out guests at our establishment, said Kalmar Adventurebaths' operative chief Susanne Gryfelt. Ms Gryfelt added that there had only been one report of an assault of a sexual nature in recent months. Miss Bernhardsson's initiative follows a number of reported incidents at public swimming pools in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe involving male migrants and refugees. In January, a number of girls reported being sexually assaulted by young male asylum seekers at a public swimming pool in central Stockholm. Miss Bernhardsson's initiative follows a number of reported incidents at public swimming pools in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe involving male migrants and refugees attacking children and young women (stock image) The four cases all involved girls under the age of 18, who claim they were sexually assaulted by migrant teenage boys at Eriksdalsbadet, the biggest aquatics centre in Stockholm,. 'We do not wish to point fingers to a specific group, but we are talking about boys without a parent or guardian,' Stockholm City police chief Elisabeth Anestad told Swedish media last month. On popular demand: 'Groping Guards' are now being set up in other Swedish cities Another case which send shock-waves across the continent saw a ten-year-old boy raped by a 20-year-old Iraqi migrant in a swimming pool in Austria. The attacker claimed he raped the boy because he had 'too much sexual energy' and it was a 'sexual emergency. The victim had to be hospitalised with serious injuries and his mother, herself an immigrant who came from Serbia in the 90s, said regrets teaching her children to be welcoming to migrants. This comes after migrants were banned from a historic swimming bath in Germany after a gang of men were caught on camera masturbating in a hot tub and sexually assaulting women. Several other men were seen 'emptying their bowels' in the children's end of the main swimming pool at the Johannisbad baths in Zwickau, Saxony. Management at the historic baths are reportedly no longer allowing migrants into the facilities following the allegations while some local swimmers have stayed away after the incidents. In response to growing concerns, a leisure centre in Bornheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, became the first in Germany to ban migrants after a schoolgirl was sexually assaulted in a public swimming pool by Syrian teenagers. Three Syrian boys were arrested in January over the attack at a leisure centre in Munich as the country grapples with growing concerns about sex crimes perpetrated by asylum seekers. A passenger jet carrying Pope Francis was hit by a laser as it approached Mexico City airport on Friday, Alitalia has confirmed. The Airbus A330-202 was on a critical stage of the final approach when the flight's captain Massimiliano Marselli warned air traffic controllers of the danger. The aircraft, which was carrying Pope Francis and his entourage, had flown in from Havana for his five day visit of Mexico when the pilots reported the intense green beam. Pope Francis was on board the Alitalia Airbus A330-202 as it approached Mexico Airport on Friday when it came under a laser attack moments before it was due to land after flying from Havana, Cuba An Air Traffic Control recording made minutes before Pope Francis left the aircraft on Friday, pictured, described the laser attack as the aircraft was making its final preparations for landing Two following aircraft operated by United Airlines and KLM reported being hit by the same laser, file photo An audio recording from the pilots on board the four-year-old passenger jet reported the laser beam coming from a 12 o'clock position from a distance of 15 miles. It is understood at the time of the attack, the aircraft was passing 8,000 feet at approximately 150 knots and was on final approach for the airport. The audio recording was posted on the aviation website Airlive.net which closely follows incidents involving passenger aircraft. A spokesman for Alitalia confirmed the incident took place and the aircraft landed safely with no injuries to passengers and crew. 'The cockpit crew of Alitalia flight AZ4000 on Friday February 12 noticed a laser light from the ground, as did other aircraft flying towards Mexico City, as they prepared to land at the Mexican capitals airport. 'The aircraft captain, Massimiliano Marselli, promptly reported to the control tower what the cockpit crew had witnessed, which is standard procedure with these type of matters, and similarly it is usual practice for the control tower to alert the competent, local authorities. 'None of our cockpit crew or any passengers on board were injured by the beam and the aircraft landed safely. 'The aircraft, an Airbus A330, was en route from Havana in Cuba to Mexico.' Pope Francis visited the crew in the cockpit of Al Italia Flight AZ400 during his journey to Mexico City According to the report, two other flights, United 821 and KLM 685 also report being struck by a laser beam from the same location. The Pope was onboard Alitalia flight, although the four-year-old Airbus is owned by ALC Blarney Aircraft Limited based in Dublin. Alitalia have been asked for a comment about the incident. This attack comes just days after a Virgin Atlantic passenger jet was forced to return to London Heathrow airport after one of the pilots was injured in a laser attack. A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic confirmed the incident took place shortly after take-off and that the pilot was taken to hospital as a 'precautionary measure', but was unable to offer further details on his condition. She said the safety of the crew and customers on board flight VS025 from London Heathrow to New York JFK was a 'top priority'. In a recording from the flight, a crew member can be heard telling air traffic control they have a 'medical issue' with one of the pilots 'after a laser incident on take-off', and that they are going to return to Heathrow. Laser expert John Tyrer, of Loughborough University, is a professor of optical instrumentation and has designed laser safety equipment for the police. He said the pilot could have felt stunned or shocked by the incident, adding: 'If you get an attack in your eye it will make your eye water and you may get a headache.' The Airbus A330-202, pictured, was undamaged and Alitalia confirmed there were no casualties Pope Francis, pictured, will leave Mexico on board the same jet following a frantic five-day tour of the country A pilot who has been targeted at least 20 times with a laser has said it is 'quite an unnerving' thing to happen while in the air. Ollie Dismore, director of operations for the UK National Police Air Service, who has been a pilot for more than three decades, said there were 108 reports of lasers being used against force helicopters last year alone. Calling the issue of laser attacks a 'growing problem', especially with the powerful lasers that are now available, he said 'you will not find a police pilot who has not been targeted multiple times'. In a 23-year career as a police helicopter pilot, Mr Dismore said he has been targeted by a laser 'many times' - estimating the figure to be well in excess of 20. He described being targeted with a laser while flying an aircraft as similar to walking through the beam of a high powered LCD presentation projector. 'When this comes upon you in the dark it will come through one side into the canopy, which is a bit like a goldfish bowl, and bounces around the internal surfaces - you get a very distracting flickering effect of the beam inside the cockpit,' he said. An award-winning NHS nurse torched himself outside Kensington Palace after he was sacked for writing a letter in support of a colleague, it emerged last night. Amin Abdullah, 41, doused himself in petrol and set himself alight close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges London residence last week. Officers from the palace, who were first on the scene, made frantic efforts to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher and gave him first aid. Tragedy: Amin Abdullah, an award-winning NHS nurse, set fire to himself in the outside Kensington Palace last week Out of work: Amin, left was fired from the job that he 'lived for' at Charing Cross Hospital for signing a petition in support of an embattled colleague, right Paramedics also tried to save him but he was pronounced dead minutes later in Kensington Gardens. Mr Abdullah, who won an award for his nursing skills two years ago, worked as a junior nurse at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, West London. Blame: Amin's partner Terry Skitmore, pictured together, said the man he loved was treated 'disgracefully' But in December he was sacked for gross misconduct after writing a letter to senior colleagues in which he called a patient a professional complainer against NHS staff. He claimed the patient, who had made a complaint against one of his colleagues, was derogatory and rude about individual members of staff. Mr Abdullah was also one of 17 staff members who signed a petition in support of the colleague. However, Imperial College Healthcare, the trust that runs Charing Cross Hospital, decided his actions constituted a serious breach of the professional code of conduct and fired him on December 21. He logged an appeal against the decision, but started to suffer from severe depression as he waited for his hearing. The nurse was admitted to St Charles Hospital in West London for treatment for his mental condition, but was allowed to leave two days before his appeal hearing. Some four hours later he set himself alight outside Kensington Palace. Last night his long term partner Terry Skitmore, 62, said: The way they treated him was disgraceful. What pushes you to cover yourself in petrol and set fire to yourself? Amin was sacked because he tried to stick up for a colleague who had been called lazy and unfriendly in a patients complaint. He signed a petition and wrote a letter saying the patient always complained and was a bit of a moaner. Mr Skitmore, a grandfather of two, tracked down the patient who made the complaint and told her of his partners death. In a letter to him, the patient wrote: Dear Terry, you have no idea how this news has devastated me. I am... so aware that the devastation I feel is nothing in comparison to how you must be feeling. Yes I do complain a fair bit about things that go on in the NHS, but I feel rightly so. Probe: Forensic officers scour the grounds near where Amin was found just outside the boundary of Kensington Palace last week Investigation: Specialists examine a petrol can found near where Amin, 41, was found dead Mr Skitmore, a retired postman, said police knocked on the door of his home in Notting Hill and asked if he had seen his partner because he had failed to return to his mental health unit. He said: They came back at 5am and said You better sit down and I knew what was coming. They said he was dead. Something triggered him and he didnt want to go any further. We have been together for 12 years. We had a great relationship. He was very shy and kind. He was just a nice human being - thats why he was into that profession. He lived for that job. Mr Skitmore added: There needs to be a campaign for nurses who are treated like this. Its a travesty. They are doing this to people all the time. Its not just nurses but doctors and especially whistle-blowers. I dont want this brushed under the carpet. Mr Abdullah was raised in an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and moved to the UK in 2003. A spokesman for Imperial College Healthcare said: We are saddened to hear of Mr Abdullahs death and would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. The trust will engage fully with any investigations into Mr Abdullahs death. A spokesman for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, which runs St Charles Hospital, said: We are appalled at this awful incident and our hearts go out to this poor man and his family. Donald Tusk, pictured on the steps of Downing STreet with David Cameron during the negotiations, urged EU leader to protect the EU's strength EU Council president Donald Tusk tonight pleaded with EU leaders to finalise a deal on Britain's membership warning failure would be a 'defeat both for the UK and the European Union'. Mr Tusk, who will chair the landmark talks tomorrow afternoon, said in a letter to all 28 member states that 'unity gives us strength and we must not lose it' insisting the talks had 'momentum' and there would no better time to finish the deal. But deep divides still remain despite an almost unprecedented diplomatic offensive by Prime Minister David Cameron and Mr Tusk. France has reservations about concessions to Britain on the euro and the City of London, while key nations in eastern Europe are troubled by the reforms to benefits. Mr Tusk's call for an agreement comes hours after German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted Britain's demands were 'justified' and it was in her country's 'national interest' for Britain to stay in the EU. In his plea, Mr Tusk said: 'After my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly: there is still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement. 'We differ on some political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to overcome them. Therefore I urge you to remain constructive. 'The negotiations are very advanced and we must make use of the momentum. There will not be a better time for a compromise. 'It is our unity that gives us strength and we must not lose this. It would be a defeat both for the UK and the European Union, but a geopolitical victory for those who seek to divide us.' However, in a later interview with the BBC, Mr Tusk said he felt EU leaders would have no choice but to come to some sort of deal. Speaking to the German parliament today, Mrs Merkel said Britain was a key ally of Germany on many issues. Mrs Merkel said: 'Mr Cameron's demands are far from being demands that are just for Britain. 'They are also European demands and many of them are justified and necessary.' Mr Cameron has been warned he will get nothing else from EU leaders as France digs in over City regulation and Eastern Europe rebels over migrant benefits. The Prime Minister will travel back to Brussels tomorrow for a crucial summit he hopes will allow him to formally call the referendum as soon as Friday night. Mr Cameron was said to be 'stressed' at yesterday's meetings in the European Parliament. In his letter to all EU leaders tonight, pictured, Mr Tusk urged a deal to be struck on Britain's membership with the European Union Angela Merkel, pictured right at a cabinet meeting in Germany today, has said David Cameron's demands are 'justified'. Mr Cameron, pictured following yesterday's meetings, faces a tense final few hours of talks But ahead of what could be all-night talks, Mr Cameron will be forced to defend his draft deal on several fronts. Last night, the British insisted Mr Cameron would fight off the move by French President Francois Hollande as it is one of his red lines that he achieves a cast iron guarantee he will get treaty change. EU Council president Donald Tusk has warned the leaders will have to 'walk an extra mile' to conclude the deal, while Polish Europe Minister Konrad Szymanski warned 'unless something changes we are in for a very long night'. An English breakfast - which could become a brunch - has been planned in Brussels for Friday morning where the deal could be finalised. But following the latest talks, a new version of the agreement will emerge later today as behind the scenes discussions continue furiously until the EU leaders formally sit down tomorrow afternoon. A review of every country's negotiating position, published in The Telegraph, have revealed Mr Cameron's last minute visit to Paris on Monday night has failed to resolve French issues. It makes clear Mr Cameron can expect no additions to his agreement. Francois Hollande has set out a series of red lines, including a bar on any veto of non-eurozone countries over the euro members. Concessions to Britain must not 'affect the operation of the euro area', France has insisted. A block of eastern European nations have raised a series of objections to the draft deal on migrants. PARIS: FRENCH MP CALLS DAVE A 'BLACKMAILER LIKE MRS T' A French MP yesterday accused David Cameron of adopting blackmail tactics worthy of Margaret Thatcher in his renegotiation. Alain Tourret, who represents the Calvados region, told fellow politicians that the Prime Minister was forcing his changes by threatening Britain could leave the EU. Europe is a whole that we can adapt, but we cant rework it only according to our particular interests, otherwise a line is crossed, he told the French parliament. Today, Mr Cameron adopts the policy of blackmail of Mrs Thatcher. French prime minister Manuel Valls yesterday said a British exit from the EU would be a shock for Europe but that member states could not pick and choose the rules that suit them. He told MPs: We believe and we hope that a deal is possible to keep Britain in the EU because the departure of Britain would signify ... a shock for Europe. But more importantly a shock to the way the world sees Europe, which is already in crisis. Mr Valls said France would be particularly vigilant on the issues of free movement of EU citizens and the relation between countries in and out of the Eurozone. Europe should be a place of solidarity between states and we cannot choose a la carte based on what suits us, he said. Advertisement Tory MP Sarah Wollaston today suggested she was despairing of the chance for 'meaningful reform' as the latest news emerged from Brussels And eurosceptic Michael Fabricant today joked that even if the deal is as thin as some fear it will nevertheless be 'hailed as a huge triumph' Czech Europe minister Tomas Prouza yesterday insisted changes must only apply to new migrants. He said the deal must mean 'people already in the UK can play according to the existing rules'. Sources told The Times some MEPs could be like 'monkeys with guns' when they get their hands on the deal - which will not happen until after the referendum. The paper said Mr Cameron had appeared 'stressed' at yesterday's meetings, where he arrived late. Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin later told the BBC: 'I do like the idea of myself being a monkey with a gun.' Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, had held further talks on his own position with Mr Cameron this morning but refused to make clear his views Even close allies such as Denmark, which is supportive of the deal, is eager to ensure the 'emergency brake' on migrant benefits is not picked up by other member states. EU leaders will meet to discuss the UK renegotiation tomorrow afternoon in Brussels. After an initial exchange of views, they will take a break for dinner during which they will discuss other issues such as the migrant crisis. Mr Tusk will then hold talks on the UK deal into the night, including one-on-one meetings with leaders. A senior EU official said: 'We are ready to have an English breakfast on Friday morning to complete the whole process.. it could be brunch.' He said a 'war room of lawyers' will be on hand during the talks. But Tory MPs made clear their dismay at the continuing rows. Sarah Wollaston said: 'If the EU regards these homeopathic proposals as a 'contagion' there really is no hope of meaningful reform.' Michael Fabricant added: 'One of the most relevant comments regarding our ''our demands'' was ''s that it'' 'No doubt at end of week it'll be hailed as huge triumph.' Boris Johnson was called to Downing Street today and after 40 minutes of talks said 'I'll be back' to waiting journalists. He is expected to make his position clear at the end of the week. It was made clear yesterday some of the most contentious aspects of Mr Cameron's expected agreement will not be debated and voted by MEPs until after Britain's referendum. European Parliament president Martin Schulz insisted this was not a veto and added: 'I encourage British people to vote on the basis of the outcome of Thursday, to vote Yes. 'Then we start a legislative procedure which will clarify and help to solve the problems addressed by the frame which will be, I hope, accepted on Thursday.' BRUSSELS: DETAILS OF BENEFITS DEAL TO BE SECRET UNTIL AFTER POLL Britain will be kept in the dark about key details on how migrant benefit curbs will work until after the referendum, Brussels officials admitted yesterday. EU leaders are set to agree tomorrow that David Cameron will be allowed to reduce payments of child benefit and tax credits to foreign workers. But crucially he will not be told by how much before the poll. As part of the deal, Mr Cameron will win the right to cut payments to EU workers whose children remain in their home countries. The Government will be allowed to introduce a system with 28 rates of child benefit one for each EU state according to the standard of living in the relevant country. But EU officials yesterday said they would not disclose how these rates would be calculated until after a referendum. Mr Cameron is also set to be given an emergency brake to cut payments of in-work benefits, such as tax credits, for the first four years that an EU migrant is in the country. At the start they will receive no payments, but the rate of increase will also not be disclosed until after a referendum. A spokesman for European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said: The sequence of events in case of an agreement at European Council would be that people will vote on the agreement, and then if there is a decision to remain this would be the moment for the EU to put forward secondary legislation to implement the deal. Advertisement Mr Cameron spent several hours at back to back meetings in Brussels yesterday before returning to London to continue his diplomatic efforts by phone Among his meetings was Commission president Jean Claude Juncker, who has warned there is no 'plan B' considering what happens if Britain leaves the EU Elsewhere today, a huge poll indicated most European voters want Britain to stay in the EU. Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory peer, surveyed 28,000 people across the EU. EU MIGRANTS COMMIT 700 CRIMES IN BRITAIN EVERY WEEK, FIGURES REVEAL British courts are handing out more than 700 convictions involving European Union migrants every week in the UK a rise of nearly 40 per cent in five years. In a fresh blow for EU backers, figures show that Europeans have been found guilty of 146,100 crimes including murder and rape since 2012. Poles and Romanians are the worst offenders, fuelling fears over the impact of EU expansion. But the statistics show that only 19,227 foreign crooks have been deported in the past four years many of whom will have originally come from outside Europe. Critics seized on the figures as evidence that the bloc's freedom of movement rules are routinely being abused. Under an EU information-sharing system, British police forces notify counterparts in other member states if one of its citizens is convicted of a crime here. The figures were released by the National Police Chiefs' Council under the Freedom of Information Act, which has exposed numerous public sector scandals but is now under threat from the Government. They showed that last year 37,079 notifications were made. This is equivalent to 713 a week or 101 convictions every day. It compared to 27,056 notifications in 2010 meaning there has been a 37 per cent increase for EU citizens in the UK. Advertisement Overall, about 60 per cent of people want Britain to stay a member - and 10 per cent are eager to the UK and her demands out of the EU altogether. Lord Ashcroft said support was strongest amongst Britain's 'old allies' such as Ireland, Malta and Portugal. Following yesterday's meetings, Mr Cameron's spokeswoman said the discussions had been 'useful'. She said: 'At the European Parliament, he met with the President of the European Parliament and the MEPs who are representing the Parliament in the negotiations on the UK's proposed reforms [Elmar Brok (EPP), Roberto Gualtieri (S&D) and Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE)]. 'They all offered their support for solutions in each of the four areas and, in particular, committed to work hard to ensure that the relevant secondary legislation on the emergency brake and child benefit is swiftly adopted by the Parliament. 'The Prime Minister also met with the chairs of the three largest groups in the European Parliament - Gianni Pittella, Chair of the Socialist and Democrats; Manfred Weber, Chair of the European People's Party and Syed Kamall, Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformist Groups. 'All three made clear their support for the proposals on the table and said they were ready to take any necessary EU legislation through the European Parliament swiftly.' 'The Prime Minister then went on to meet the President of the European Commission. They agreed that the talks on the UK renegotiation had progressed well since the publication of the draft proposals by the President of the European Council. 'They focused on those issues where there are still details to be nailed down in order to pave the way for an agreement at this week's summit.' Mr Cameron has also spoken by phone to the Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka after the country's Europe minister highlighted problems with the child benefit agreement. Mr Cameron later spoke to key ally Mark Rutte by telephone and the Dutch Prime Minister agreed there was a 'good basis for a deal', Downing Street said. Nigel Farage, left yesterday at the European Parliament, insisted Mr Cameron's deal would not work. Council president Donald Tusk, right, will chair tomorrow's talks and had been involved in his own diplomatic push Mr Cameron rushed into Brussels 25 minutes late yesterday, pictured as he finally met with European Parliament president Martin Schulz European Council president Donald Tusk, who was in Prague for talks with Mr Sobotka, confirmed that EU citizens currently working in the UK would not be affected by the proposed curbs on in-work benefits. 60 PER CENT OF EU CITIZENS WANT BRITAIN TO STAY, POLL SUGGESTS Most European voters want Britain to stay in te EU, according to a huge poll. Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory peer, surveyed 28,000 people across the EU. Overall, about 60 per cent of people want Britain to stay a member - and 10 per cent are eager to the UK and her demands out of the EU altogether. Lord Ashcroft said support was strongest amongst Britain's 'old allies' such as Ireland, Malta and Portugal. He said: 'This is not just because we are a net contributor to the budget they actually seem to like us. 'When people gave favourability ratings for each of the other EU countries, plus some others, the UK came second to Sweden. 'The youngest participants, aged eighteen to twenty-four, gave us more positive ratings than any other age group. Advertisement He said 'unsolved problems' remained and there was 'an extra mile' to go before reaching an agreement, with the 'V4' Visegrad countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - having concerns. Mr Tusk said: 'In the Czech Republic, as well as in other Visegrad countries, the issue of access to social benefits continues to be among the most sensitive. 'I believe that the proposal I have put on the table is fair and balanced for all. 'It protects the freedom of movement, while helping the UK to address all its concerns when it comes to their specific system of in-work benefits. 'The safeguard mechanism on access to in-work benefits is not designed to apply to EU citizens currently working in the UK. 'We will now have to sort out the remaining issues in a constructive spirit of trust and co-operation. 'The position of V4 is very clear. In view of that I have no doubts: There is an extra mile we will have to walk to reach an agreement.' LEADING BREXIT CAMPAIGNER REPORTED TO POLICE OVER BID TO BREAK SPENDING LIMITS IN EU REFERENDUM Labour MP Pat McFadden (right) has asked police to investigate whether Tory Eurosceptic Steve Baker (left) may have 'breached the law' after leaked emails showed he had suggested ways of breaking spending limits A leading Brexit campaigner was reported to police tonight after leaked letters revealed he was planning to break the 7 million spending limit for the EU referendum. Tory MP Steve Baker wrote to Eurosceptic colleagues detailing how Vote Leave, one of the two groups battling to be designated the official Out campaign in the referendum, could 'spend as much money as is necessary to win'. Now Labour MP Pat McFadden has asked police to investigate, saying Mr Baker's comments suggest his campaign 'may breach the law'. The Electoral Commission is currently deciding which of the rival Brexit campaign groups - Vote Leave and Grassroots Out - will be given official designation in the referendum campaign, which will impose a spending limit of 7 million. All other campaign groups will have an upper ceiling of 700,000. In his letter to colleagues, which was leaked to The Times, Mr Baker set out how Vote Leave had worked out how to use front organisations to get around these spending limits. He wrote: 'It is open to the Vote Leave family to create separate legal entities, each of which could spend 700,000: Vote Leave will be able to spend as much money as is necessary to win the referendum.' In his letter to police, seen by PoliticsHome, Mr McFadden wrote: 'It has come to my attention that Vote Leave Limited, an organisation that has registered to participate in the EU referendum, may breach the law with respect to spending rules.' He added: 'I urge you to urgently investigate whether Vote Leave's clear plan to 'create separate legal entities' would amount to a plan to work together with other campaigners in a way that contravenes the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000,' Mr McFadden wrote. 'Since Vote Leave's actions may constitute a breach of the law, I believe this is a matter of public importance and interest and so I hope it will be treated as a matter of priority.' Mr McFadden also wrote to Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, demanding an investigation and asking the elections watchdog 'consider' the fresh information as part of its decision over which campaign to award official designation. A Vote Leave spokesman denied it was attempting to break the law on spending limits. 'We never have and never will encourage people to break the law. We will comply with the referendum rules as we always have,' a spokesman said. Meanwhile a source close to Mr Baker told The Times: 'Steve would never encourage anyone to break the law.' Advertisement Never forget the horror of war in Europe as you weigh breaking up the European Union, warns D-Day veteran Lord Bramall Lord Bramall said he was the only politician alive with living memory of war in Europe One of Britain's most decorated military veterans today warned of the damage a British exit from the EU could cause. Field Marshall Lord Bramall, who served at D-Day and led the Army in reclaiming the Falkland Islands, said he was the only politician alive today with first hand knowledge of the horror of war in Europe. In a letter to The Times, Lord Bramall said the question of peace in Europe had been forgotten amid rows over economics and national sovereignty. He said: 'If the answer to this more important question is that the damage would be devastating with a real risk of weakening if not unravelling the whole structure, then I believe our choice may look rather different. 'I suggest that a broken and demoralised Europe just across the Channel, lacking the practical influence of this country, would constitute a far greater threat to our future, indeed to the whole balance of power and equilibrium of the western world, than having to continue to endure some irritating and unnecessary meddling from Brussels.' Lord Bramall warned of the 'devasation and appalling human suffering' caused by the last war in Europe. He said it was 'inflicted on helpless people by ideological discord and rivalry.' A family of Somali refugees who sparked a row over council housing when they were given a 2million taxpayer-funded mansion have been moved out - into a 1.3million semi around the corner. Unemployed Saeed Khaliif, his wife Sayida and their brood provoked uproar in 2011 when they moved into one of the most expensive properties ever to be funded by housing benefit. It emerged today that the family have now vacated the six-bedroom property in West Hampstead, north-west London, due to changes in the welfare system. But campaigners have been left further outraged after they were given a property worth 3,000-a-month in rent in an up-and-coming area of the capital. Somali refugee Saeed Khaliif and his wife Sayida have been moved into a second north-London property It is understood that Mr Khaliif has not worked since he arrived in Britain in 2008. The family were initially housed in a 1,000-a-month property in Coventry, West Midlands. But they caused anger when they decided they would rather live in London and were handed the keys to the huge house not far from the homes of popstar Boy George and movie director Ridley Scott. Their case was one of a number which exposed just how much was being paid out for housing benefit and prompted the government to cap benefits at 500 a week for couples with children. After the limit was imposed, Camden council moved the couple and their reported eight children into the new property in up-and-coming Cricklewood. Neighbours say the house underwent significant renovation before the family were moved in. The couple lost their 2million Hampstead home due to the benefit cap but have got this 1.3million semi Local resident Pedro Rodriguez said: 'The council have given them a home of luxury and spent thousands renovating it before they moved in. 'The house is huge and it has been decorated to a very high standard with an open-plan layout, high spec kitchen and slate patio.' Mr Rodriguez added: 'They do no open the door to council staff. It's not right some people are given so much for free when others are struggling.' The council own the property and is said to keep rents within the benefit cap, while similar properties in nearby streets command amounts of up to 3,000-a-month. Dia Chakravarty, Political Director at the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'The welfare system is meant to be a safety net for those who are struggling, not a comfort blanket. 'Hard-pressed families struggling with their bills will be furious at such an extortionate amount being spent on housing a single family in one of the most expensive areas in London.' The couple were previously given this six-bed mansion, which in 2011 was one of the most expensive properties ever to be funded by housing benefit It is understood the couple are entitled to such a large property because two of their children have disabilities. Camden council leader Sarah Hayward said: 'Camden Council uses council housing to support families who can demonstrate they need help finding a genuinely affordable home. 'For many of our tenants they need help because they have a specific high level support need like illness or disability. 'Often the support needs of tenants are ignored in debates about social housing. 'In addition, London's economy depends on having access to a broad base of labour from the highly skilled and specialist to more generally lower qualified and lower paid. 'The provision of affordable housing is essential to meeting this Labour demand in addition to our responsibilities supporting vulnerable families facing illness and disability.' But Douglas Carswell, the Ukip MP for Clacton, accused the Government of being mad in allowing Mr Khaliif to be funded so heavily. This Somalian individual and his family is getting all this money, he said. There are constituents of mine who have paid into the system for all their lives and also have children with special needs and they cannot get a penny in support. At the house today, no one from the family was prepared to comment. Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck, who is being sued by his ex-wife Nathalie, pictured, who claims he has failed to pay $2.5million in child support The heir to one of Europe's most well-known aristocratic families is being sued by his ex-wife who claims he has failed to pay $2.5million in child support. Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck is alleged not to have paid the $50,000 a month to German countess Nathalie von Bismarck since they separated in 2011. The Count, 51, is the great grandson of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the patriarch of his family who was known as the Iron Chancellor and created modern Germany in the 19th century. However, the countess alleges that the Count is failing to honour their divorce agreement which ensured that she was not obliged to care for her own needs by taking up gainful employment. A New York judge has now ruled that the Count must provide proof of his income and assets by March 14. The Countess, 45, a Canadian born designer, fled Europe for the US over the summer and got an order of protection preventing her ex-husband from contacting her or their children, son Alexei, nine, and daughter Grace, six. At a hearing in Manhattan she refused to give her address because she claimed that she fears for her physical safety. Manhattan Support Magistrate Lewis Burofsky ruled that the Count has until next month to comply with his order. Their divorce was finalised in 2014 and under the agreement the Countess is given sole access to the residential rooms at the von Bismarck family castle in Friedrichsruh, Germany. The couple had met on the Caribbean island of St Barths and dated while splitting their time between New York, London and St Moritz. They married in a Jewish ceremony in the Hamptons in 2004, with the marriage being the Count's third having previously married actress Laura Harring and heiress Celia Demaurex. After they wed, they spent most of their time in Germany, at Friedrichsruh Castle near Hamburg, however, after the birth of their children they moved to New York. The Countess, 45, a Canadian born designer, fled Europe for the US over the summer and got an order of protection preventing her ex-husband from contacting her or their children, son Alexei, nine, and daughter Grace, six The countess alleges that the Count is failing to honour their divorce agreement which ensured that she was not obliged to care for her own needs by taking up gainful employment The Count was a banker until he became an MP in 2005 but failed and became dubbed the laziest member of the government. He has battled addiction and his drunken exploits have been mocked in the German media. The protective order states that the Count must undergo twice-daily breathalyzers during visits with the children and quarterly drug testing. Their divorce was finalised in 2014 and under the agreement the Countess is given sole access to the residential rooms at the von Bismarck family castle in Friedrichsruh, Germany, pictured In 2013 he told Bild, Germanys biggest tabloid, that the von Bismarcks had descended into a family war over money. In an article headlined: Booze, debt, hatred - the downfall of the House of Bismarck, the Count claimed that his mother, Princess Elisabeth had an alcohol habit and frequently insulted his ex-wife when they were together. The Countess declined to comment and the Count did not respond to messages for comment. The great-great-grandfather of the Count, was the legendary 'Iron Chancellor' Otto von Bismarck who lived on five hours sleep a night. The Count, 51, is the great grandson of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the patriarch of his family who was known as the Iron Chancellor and created modern Germany in the 19th century In the 1860s, von Bismarck forged a united Germany from several smaller states. His chief aim was to ensure the power of the Prussian state, and his victory over France in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 broke Frances dominance over Europe. In power, von Bismarck was a conservative monarchist who attempted to curb the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and stem the growing power of Germanys socialist movement. Its use is now extended to GPs are being forced to prescribe gamblers anti-addiction drugs in an attempt to tackle Britain's betting epidemic. The medication naltrexone is usually given to those with severe drug and alcohol problems, including heroin addicts. But it was revealed today that the NHS is now giving the drugs to compulsive gamblers who are unable fight their 'cravings'. GPs are prescribing the worst gamblers anti-addiction drugs in a bid to tackle Britain's betting epidemic The first clinic to prescribe the drug was the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London, which handed the medication to a patient in November as part of a pilot scheme. Under the treatment service, commissioned by the Responsible Gambling Trust, it has since treated four more patients who were unable to helped through other methods. Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a researcher from the clinic, said: 'The medication is used to stop the most compulsive gamblers who are resistant to treatment. It helps stop craving.' The trust which runs the National Problem Gambling Clinic says the course of treatment costs about 68 per patient for three months, or 272 a year. Last year GPs referred almost 1,000 of the countrys worst problem gamblers to the clinic for help. Recent figures show there are now more than half a million problem gamblers in Britain, indicating the impact of the expanding industry. Meanwhile, calls to GamCare, the country's leading helpline which offers counselling to addicts, rose by one third last year. The medication naltrexone is usually given to those with severe drug and alcohol problems According to the charity, half of the 40,000 people who called the helpline were suffering either financial difficulty or relationship breakdown as a result of gambling. The worrying statistics have led campaigners to accuse ministers of allowing the gambling industry to spiral out of control, despite links to mental health problems, family breakdown and crime. Their main argument centres around fixed-odds betting terminals, dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling, which cause untold misery by allowing users to stake 100 a time on games including roulette and poker. In the past five years, the number of people addicted to FOBTs has jumped more than 50 per cent. FOBTs were introduced on to Britains high streets a decade ago after tax reforms by then Chancellor Gordon Brown left a loophole in the law. The machines were initially declared illegal by the Labour Government on the basis that roulette bets may only be made in a casino. However it backed down after bookmakers argued that since the spin of the wheel was made offshore in tax havens such as Gibraltar, such machines should be allowed. Under new controls introduced last April, players now have to seek permission from staff to stake more than 50. HOW LABOUR UNLEASHED FIXED ODDS FREE-FOR-ALL Fixed-odds betting terminals were brought in by Labour in 2001 and were never properly regulated, allowing them to spread across high streets. Baroness Tessa Jowell, the partys former culture secretary, has admitted it was her reforms that led to the free-for-all the terminals became. She was in post when they were introduced, and four years later she brought in flawed laws to regulate them. Labours 2005 Gambling Act, which gave the Gambling Commission the power to step in to regulate the terminals, has been criticised for not being strong enough. Baroness Jowell blamed the commission, saying it should have done more to take action against the machines. She called for planning regulations to restrict the number of betting shops and therefore the number of terminals. Advertisement Figures show there are now more than half a million problem gamblers in Britain, while calls to the country's leading helpline GamCare, which offers counselling to addicts, rose by a third last year (posed by model) But figures obtained last month by the Fairer Gambling campaign group reveal that Ladbrokes alone now makes more than 1,000 per week per machine up 9 per cent in just one year. Ladbrokes said its growth came mainly from 2 stakes and it took responsible gambling very seriously. But Adrian Parkinson from Fairer Gambling said the rise in profits showed that self-regulation had failed. Paddy Powers weekly FOTB profits went up 4 per cent from 1,319 in the first six months of 2014 to 1,373 in the first six months of 2015. And at Coral, profits went from 957 to 986 between the first nine months of 2014 and 2015 up 3 per cent. Last year, David Camerons former speechwriter, Claire Foges, urged him to clamp down on the fiendishly seductive machines in an article for the Mail. THE MINISTER WINED AND DINED BY BOOKMAKERS The minister in charge of gambling policy was wined and dined by bookmakers and industry bodies over two years. John Penrose, minister for heritage and tourism from 2010 to 2012, accepted hospitality to events such as Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham races. Over this period, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where he was based, is accused of doing little to tackle the scourge of gambling. Mr Penrose is now a junior minister in the Cabinet Office, which has blocked a review into fixed-odds betting terminals demanded by Tracey Crouch, the new gambling minister. Official records show he accepted a wide range of hospitality. In 2010 this included dinner with the Horseracing Betting Levy Board. In 2011, it included drinks receptions thrown by Ladbrokes and The Tote, and in 2012 he was entertained by Gala Coral at Royal Ascot. Advertisement Fixed-odds betting terminals (pictured) cause untold misery by allowing users to stake 100 a time on games including roulette and poker Miss Foges, the Prime Ministers former speechwriter, wrote that FOBTs were sirens on the rocks to the weak-willed. In 2013, MPs published a report following a contentious year-long investigation into the betting trade. In that report, MPs called on the Government to relax rules restricting gambling venues and machines. The culture, media and sport select committee said councils should be able to allow more gambling machines in betting shops and casinos. The MPs also said the Gambling Commission should charge operators lower fees. HOW NALTREXONE DRUG WORKS In order to work, addictive drugs stimulate brain receptors and produce a euphoric feeling. Naltrexone is attracted to the same receptors. Once it has latched on to them, the drugs have no effect and negate the 'high' feeling that makes users want to take them. The medicine is not a cure for addiction but is used as part of programme for addicts that may include counseling, support group meetings and other treatment. Advertisement Yesterday Matt Zarb-Cousin, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, said: The huge potential prizes per spin and rapid gameplay draw gamblers in but the high stakes can encourage players to chase their losses, snaring them in a trap that can lead to debt, family breakdown and crime. Figures from GamCare, a charity that offers counselling, showed half of the 40,000 callers it helped last year were suffering financial difficulty or relationship breakdown, while almost one in ten said their health has suffered. The number of calls from those addicted to betting machines has jumped more than 50 per cent in five years. The Association of British Bookmakers said it was unaware of any evidence that problem gambling has increased. The Association of British Bookmakers said: 'The industry works closely with government and regulators on responsible gambling initiatives.' A spokesman for the culture and media department said: 'We introduced strong gambling controls last Apirl. This includes putting an end to unsupervised stakes about 50 on FOBTs and giving more power to local authorities to stop new betting shops opening up in the area.' A National Problem Gambling Clinic spokesman said it has treated five people with naltrexone since it began trialling the drug in November 2015. This involves a course of three months' supply at a cost of 68 per person, they said. 'This is a valid treatment for problem gambling for whom other treatments have not worked,' the spokesman said. 'The pilot is designed to establish clinical effectiveness and demand in a UK population of problem gamblers, prior to any decision being made on expanding this medication to form a front line treatment for problem gambling. 'The pilot is delivered as part of the treatment service commissioned by the Responsible Gambling Trust. Former prime minister Tony Blair today insisted economic migration was good for Britain Tony Blair today insisted economic migration was good for Britain as employment data showed two million EU workers have jobs in the UK. The former prime minister intervened on the European debate in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Mr Blair's remarks come as David Cameron battles to finish his renegotiation ahead of a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU - which Mr Blair said he was against. In a translation of the interview, Mr Blair insisted the 'interest' of the UK staying in the EU should be 'evident to all'. Employment data out today showed the number of EU workers with jobs in Britain grew by 200,000 in 2015 and now stands at 2.1 million. Mr Blair said: 'There are three types of immigration. 'The economic one (it) is shown that is good, with appropriate rules, it has been seen in the US, as in Britain. 'Then, one of the refugees: Europe must open the door, for moral reasons, to those who flee from persecution. 'But we have to check the third type of immigration: that among those who flee do not hide extremists.' Mr Blair said it would be 'unreasonable' for Britain to stand alone in the world when there were giant nations such as China, India and the United States. He said: 'From the economy to security: only by being together we can defend ourselves.' The former Labour leader repeated his belief that there were some areas for Europe to integrate further. He said: 'There are fields in which integration would be more advantageous, from security to energy, others in which diversity is celebrated. 'However, instead of continuing an endless discussion about the type of institutions to give to the EU, sometimes an excuse for inaction, we must ask ourselves what we really want from Europe. 'And strive to give Europe greater economic growth, less unemployment and more innovation.' Mr Blair's intervention comes as the Prime Minister was warned he will get nothing else from EU leaders as France digs in over City regulation and Eastern Europe rebels over migrant benefits. The Prime Minister will travel back to Brussels tomorrow for a crucial summit he hopes will allow him to formally call the referendum as soon as Friday night. But ahead of what could be all-night talks, Mr Cameron will be forced to defend his draft deal on several fronts. EU Council president Donald Tusk has warned the leaders will have to 'walk an extra mile' to conclude the deal, while Polish Europe Minister Konrad Szymanski warned 'unless something changes we are in for a very long night'. David Cameron, pictured in Brussels yesterday, is due back at talks on Britain's membership of the EU tomorrow as he hopes to conclude a deal An English breakfast - which could become a brunch - has been planned in Brussels for Friday morning where the deal could be finalised. Mr Cameron was said to be 'stressed' at yesterday's meetings in the European Parliament. But following the latest talks, a new version of the agreement will emerge later today as behind the scenes discussions continue furiously until the EU leaders formally sit down tomorrow afternoon. A review of every country's negotiating position, published in The Telegraph, have revealed Mr Cameron's last minute visit to Paris on Monday night has failed to resolve French issues. It makes clear Mr Cameron can expect no additions to his agreement. Francois Hollande has set out a series of red lines, including a bar on any veto of non-eurozone countries over the euro members. Concessions to Britain must not 'affect the operation of the euro area', France has insisted. A block of eastern European nations have raised a series of objections to the draft deal on migrants. Czech Europe minister Tomas Prouza yesterday insisted changes must only apply to new migrants. He said the deal must mean 'people already in the UK can play according to the existing rules'. Sources told The Times some MEPs could be like 'monkeys with guns' when they get their hands on the deal - which will not happen until after the referendum. Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin later told the BBC: 'I do like the idea of myself being a monkey with a gun.' Even close allies such as Denmark, which is supportive of the deal, is eager to ensure the 'emergency brake' on migrant benefits is not picked up by other member states. Miss Bryant then texted boyfriend Daniel Hughes, 25, to tell him the news She had baby Joshua, who weighed 7lb 4oz, at her home in Cardiff, Wales A mother who had no idea she was pregnant gave birth on the toilet - after three doctors failed to diagnose her and thought she was merely constipated. Charlotte Bryant, 20, visited three GPs in the run up to her son's birth and not one noticed she was expecting. Doctors handed her painkillers and laxatives - and she was stunned when 7lb 4oz Joshua popped out. Charlotte Bryant, 20, pictured left with baby Joshua, was shocked to give birth at home on her toilet, right Joshua was rushed to hospital in Cardiff with a chest infection, pictured, after the surprise pregnancy Joshua, pictured, who weighed 7lb 4oz, is now safe and settling in at home with his adoring mother Teaching assistant Miss Bryant said: 'I really had no idea I was expecting - I'd put on a few pounds but I thought I'd been eating too much cake.' She added: 'I'd had really bad backache and I'd gone to the doctors. I'd been diagnosed with inflamed muscles and given painkillers and Diazepman. 'Then another doctor at my surgery examined my tummy and told me I had constipation. She didn't have any idea that I was nine months pregnant. 'I was prescribed with a big box of powder laxatives. I went home and took one and then a short time later I felt an urge to go to the toilet. 'I sat on the toilet and I felt something really odd between my legs. It was like a poo but it felt like it was coming from the wrong place. Miss Bryant, pictured left with boyfriend Daniel Hughes, 25, said she revealed the good news about him having a son, pictured right, via text message Miss Bryant said three doctors missed that she was pregnant with Joshua, pictured, and thought she was constipated and gave her painkillers and laxatives 'I felt the urge to push and then as I looked down and I saw a face looking at me. It was absolutely surreal.' Little Joshua swooshed out in seconds and luckily Miss Bryant's brother Adam, 26, was also at their home in Llanederyn, Cardiff, Miss Bryant said: 'I screamed for my brother and told him I'd had a baby. He told me to stop being stupid until he came downstairs and saw a baby in my arms.' She wrapped her baby in a towel and an ambulance was called - which arrived ten minutes later. 'Six paramedics came through the door. One of them cut the umbilical cord and checked us over and then we were taken straight to hospital. 'Obviously I didn't have a thing for him - not even a packet of nappies.' Miss Bryant said Joshua, pictured, is beloved by her family even though they had no idea he was coming Miss Bryant, pictured left and right, said she took a laxative and felt the urge to go to the toilet only to give birth Joshua who weighed in a healthy 7lb 4oz was rushed to Intensive Care at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, because he was found to be suffering from a chest infection. Miss Bryant then texted a picture of baby Joshua to her boyfriend of two years, Daniel Hughes, 25. She said: 'I texted him a picture of Joshua and told him he had a son. He was in complete shock as I was. 'At first he thought I was playing a joke on him and told me I was fibbing.' Miss Bryant added she had absolutely no idea she was pregnant - her periods were like clockwork and she felt no movement in her tummy. HOW WOMEN CAN BE PREGNANT WITHOUT REALISING IT Ms Janet Fyle, of the Royal College of Midwives said although Miss Kellys situation is uncommon, it is not unusual. She said: Some women just dont know they are pregnant One lady was serving in Afghanistan and didnt realise she was pregnant, and we had to send services out there. It might happen for a variety of reasons. Its different for any women. There are some women with good abdominal muscles and fat and the baby lies flat against the back so they dont have a bump. Some women wont have the normal pregnancy symptoms. Some women feel the baby moving inside them, but some dont. Some women have good abdominal muscles and fat and the baby lies flat against the back so they don't have a bump, says Ms Janet Fyle, of the Royal College of Midwives A lot of the symptoms of pregnancy are everyday symptoms. So they might not know that having wind is a sign of pregnancy. Especially if theyve never had a baby. Not all women are body-conscious. It depends on whats going on in their life. In these cases, the midwife has an important role in supporting the new family, as adjusting to being a parents can be a shock. She said: The women themselves are totally shocked when it happens to them. A lot of talking and reassurance by the midwife is needed. They need to say the occurrence is unusual but the woman herself is not abnormal. That woman is going to need a lot of help and support adjusting to being a parent. Women with unplanned pregnancies get very upset, so imagine one day you have a normal life and the next you are a parent. The midwife would give that woman a lot more care, watching for signs of post-natal depression or even post-natal unhappiness. Advertisement Miss Bryant, pictured left and right, said Mr Hughes did not believe her when she broke the news 'When my back began to ache I would never have believed it was the start of labour pains. 'It's funny the doctor thought I was constipated and gave me laxatives and hours later a baby popped out.' She said becoming an instant mother was a real shock but now Joshua is three weeks old and is adored by his family. 'He is the most beautiful baby and Daniel and I love him so much even though he was a complete surprise,' she said. A former criminal lawyer with alleged gang connections is facing drug charges after her hotel room was raided by police. Briana Ioannides, 26, was arrested and charged after detectives executed a search warrant at a room at Mantra Broadbeach on the Park in Queensland's Gold Coast, Courier Mail reported. Ice, GHB liquid fantasy, Oxazepam, drug paraphernalia and suspected stolen property were found in the hotel room during the raid at about 6am on Wednesday, Queensland Police said in a statement. Briana Ioannides, 26, was arrested after a property in Bundall, Queensland was searched on Thursday morning Police allege the former criminal lawyer at high-profile firm Gatenby Lawyers has links to Finks outlaw motorcycle club gang. Ioannides was on Wednesday charged with three counts each of possession of dangerous drugs and possession of a drug utensil, and one count each of possession of drug property and unlawful possession of a restricted drug. The woman from Bundall, Gold Coast, was remanded in custody and will appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, police said. Once again, we are finding offenders associated with gang members in possession of dangerous drugs and stolen property, said Acting Detective Inspector Russell Jones, Taskforce Maxima. We will come back as many times as it is necessary. The community expect us to do this and accordingly, we will be relentless in our efforts, he said. Ioannides (left) was a criminal lawyer at high-profile criminal law firm Gatenby Lawyers Ioannides has a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Commerce double degree from Griffith University and a Diploma of Legal Practice from Bond University. Last month, a magistrate gave her bail but told her shed be straight on the first bus to Brisbane womens prison if she was charged with further offences, Courier Mail reported. The anti-bike gang Taskforce Maxima had been executing a search warrant in a Coogeen Street, Bundall property when they found the alleged drugs. In a statement, police also alleged they found 'instructions for the production and distribution of steroids'. Ioannides was arrested earlier in December after a raid on her property resulted in the arrest of her and her boyfriend. Police, executing a search warrant, allegedly found cash, weapons and drugs at the home. Ioannides was a criminal lawyer at high-profile criminal law firm Gatenby Lawyers. She has a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Commerce double degree from Griffith University and a Diploma of Legal Practice from Bond University. Ioannides has a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Commerce double degree from Griffith University and a Diploma of Legal Practice from Bond University A security hoax has forced a Virgin Australia flight bound for Los Angeles to divert to Brisbane before it was searched by Australian Federal Police. The Boeing 777 left Sydney at 11am on Wednesday for the Californian destination, but landed in Brisbane four hours after departure over a safety threat understood to be a hoax. The plane was then checked and cleared by the AFP, and passengers are due to depart Brisbane at 10pm, local time. Scroll down for video 'During the flight a bomb threat relative to this aircraft was received by Virgin Australia,' an attendant reportedly announced to passengers on the aircraft 'During the flight a bomb threat relative to this aircraft was received by Virgin Australia,' an attendant announced to passengers on the aircraft, Yahoo Seven reported. 'While our internal review believed this threat to be a hoax, it is appropriate to return to Australia so the aircraft can be searched.' 'While our internal review believed this threat to be a hoax, it is appropriate to return to Australia so the aircraft can be searched,' a flight attendant said to passengers A spokesperson for the airline said all passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft safely. A full search of the aircraft has been conducted by the AFP, and the AFP has confirmed the travelling public and aircraft have been cleared of any potential danger, the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. The safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. The spokesperson did not provide details of the threat, but it was also reported to be a bomb threat by Associated Press. A Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Los Angeles was forced to divert to Brisbane on Wednesday following a security threat (stock image) Passenger Ash London, a television and radio personality, was a passenger on the flight and documented the experience on Twitter (pictured) Television and radio personality Ash London was a passenger on the VA1 flight, and documented the experience on Twitter. Dumping 12 tonnes of fuel as VA01 bound for LA returns to Oz four hours in. Bummed, she wrote. Security issue on my flight to LA. Landed in Brisbane safe and sound, she later wrote, adding that Virgin Australia staff had been amazing. An AFP spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that a flight was rerouted to Brisbane International Airport for additional screening as the result of a threat made. The spokesperson said it was a precautionary decision and declined to comment on whether the threat is considered a hoax. A speeding motorist who killed a heavily-pregnant mother and her unborn child will serve just six months behind bars after he admitted careless driving. Tahira Parveen, 30, was eight months pregnant with her third child when she was hit by BMW driver Shammas Rehman, 23, just after dropping her daughter off for her first day at nursery in Small Heath, Birmingham. Rehman, who had borrowed the powerful car from a friend and had never driven it before, was sentenced to 12 months when he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court, but will only serve half that period in prison. BMW driver Shammas Rehman, 23, (pictured) killed pregnant mother Tahira Parveen, 30, but wilklserve just six months behind bars after he admitted careless driving Mrs Parveen's angry husband, Zubair Hussain slammed the sentence dished out to Rehman, who lives in Small Heath. 'When a mother's life is taken away, it leads to a huge vacuum that is difficult to fill, especially in this case,' he said after the hearing. 'My children will always carry the psychological burden of this terrible tragedy. 'My faith, family and friends have enabled me to be strong in what is still a devastating tragedy.' Mrs Parveen was hit by the BMW and pinned against a wall, which collapsed on top of her as she walked home after dropping her daughter off at Starbank Primary School on September 6, 2013. Another mother and two young children were also hurt, including a four-year-old boy who was walking to his first day at school, only to be left in a seven months. The court heard Rehman borrowed the BMW 3 series from a family friend who owned a car hire business, and he intended to drive to London for a family wedding. Mrs Parveen was hit by the BMW and pinned against a wall, which collapsed on top of her as she walked home after dropping her daughter off at nursery school Christopher Hotten QC, mitigating, said the two-litre vehicle was more powerful than the Smart car he owned and was a rear-wheel drive, which he was unfamiliar with. Rehman had picked up a friend on the day of the crash and was on his way to a Next clothes store to buy an outfit for the wedding. Crash witnesses said he lost control of the BMW, which spun onto the pavement and collided with the women and children. The court heard the car would have failed an MoT test because its Dynamic Stability Control system was faulty, and was told a driver should 'moderate speed and exercise caution' with such an issue. Rehman had spotted the warning light - as had his passenger - but ignored it and had not adjusted his driving to compensate, the court heard. Mrs Parveen was hit by the BMW driver just after dropping her daughter off for her first day at nursery at Starbank School in Small Heath, Birmingham (pictured) He also admitted driving above the 30mph speed limit - but not significantly in excess of it. Rehman accepted that his wheels had crossed a mini-roundabout moments before the crash and that he had accelerated inappropriately given the road and weather conditions. He was originally charged with causing death by dangerous driving and was due to face trial last month. But his guilty plea to the alternative charge of causing death by careless driving was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. Passing sentence, Judge Francis Laird told Rehman: 'You lost control and careered into wholly innocent pedestrians. 'The consequences of your behaviour have been catastrophic. 'The impact on the families has been devastating. It is beyond belief how families can cope with such tragedy. 'I have read letters from yourself, your father and others. 'The combination of these documents paint a picture of a young man who is decent, law-abiding and sensitive. 'I accept your remorse is not based on the predicament you are in here today, but it's because of a genuine and deep-seated sadness for what happened. 'You appear to be genuinely very sorry for what happened.' Mr Hotten said Rehman had showed 'genuine and continuing remorse' and did not intend to drive again. In addition to his jail term he was banned from driving for two-and-a-half years. After the hearing, Mr Hussain called on the government to review sentencing for drivers who caused fatal accidents. 'It is beyond our imagination and it has increased our fears that perpetrators will be able to walk free and roam our communities feeling vindicated by this ruling,' he said. 'We are deeply saddened to learn from the lack of regard for public safety. 'We ask the government to review the way the system treats such cases and perpetrators. 'We feel the sentencing guidelines need to be scrutinised and reviewed with immediate attention. 'Sentences should befit the crime and a form of rehabilitation for the guilty. Advertisement A former Royal Navy officer has embarked on a 50,000 mission to find a Second World War submarine after it sank 74 years ago with his uncle on board. Gavin Don is planning to use his life savings to search for the wreck in the Aegean Sea after spending five years desperately hunting for clues in relation to HMS Triumph's whereabouts. The 55-year-old believed he had narrowed the search down to a 27-mile track at the south of the Greek mainland - until he uncovered an intelligence disaster that had been buried by British authorities. Mr Don, who used to work as a warfare officer, now hopes to take his own boat to Greece to search a different area and will use sonar equipment in his bid to find the submarine, which disappeared in January 1942. Former Royal Navy officer Gavin Don, pictured (left) on his boat in America, has embarked on a 50,000 mission to find a Second World War submarine (right), which sank 74 years ago with his uncle on board Mr Don, who starting researching the submarine after being inspired as a boy, discovered it had been due to pick a British spy and 18 Allied soldiers up from a remote island - but it never made it. An underwater archaeologist then contacted him and revealed he should try searching for the wreck near an island called Antiparos (pictured) Mr Don, who starting researching the submarine after being inspired as a boy, discovered it had been due to pick a British spy and 18 Allied soldiers up from a remote island - but it never made it. An underwater archaeologist then contacted him and revealed he should try searching for the wreck near an island called Antiparos. There was no record of the submarine going to the island in British documents but Mr Don began investigating through Greek sources and uncovered a story excluded from British history. He established the small, barely populated island was a secret base, which was used by forces to assemble and hide evaders so they could be picked up by a submarine without detection. On December 30, 1941, HMS Triumph dropped off Lt George Atkinson, a soldier working for the Special Operations Executive, who was to meet up with 18 Allied soldiers who had escaped from Italians and bring them back to the submarine. But HMS Triumph failed to show up again and the group's cover was blown. The men were all arrested, including Lt Atkinson who was later charged with espionage and shot. Mr Don, whose uncle Robert Douglas-Don, pictured (left) as a gunnery officer and (right) in a painting, was on board the submarine, believed he had narrowed the search down to a 27-mile track at the south of the mainland - until he uncovered an intelligence disaster that had been buried by British authorities This poignant photograph is the last picture of HMS Triumph's crew, who enjoyed a stop in Egypt before their final mission to the Aegean Sea The incident was a disaster that the British were keen not to publicise - and has only come to light in recent years. The new tale inspired Mr Don to launch a fresh search in a 300 square mile area, which will take up to two months and require a team of 20 people. He has also bought 40,000 of sonar equipment. The businessman, who lives in Edinburgh and whose uncle, gunnery officer Robert Douglas-Don, was on board the ship, said he was inspired from a young age to search for the vessel. He said: 'I grew up with the story of my uncle's disappearance living in the foreground of my childhood. 'His portrait hung on the dining room wall and his medal sat on the windowsill, but my parents didn't really talk about him. I always wondered where he is and thought it was bizarre no one knew or tried to find the ship. 'When I was 18 I spent a year sailing yachts in the Aegean and I often wondered whether I was passing over Robert's submarine.' Mr Don is planning to use his boat Nancy (pictured) for the sonar search and has already bought 40,000 of equipment as he desperately hunts for the wreck Mr Douglas-Don's last letter, which revealed correspondence was taking three months to reach him, is one of the few possessions Mr Don's family have kept Mr Don discovered the sub had been due to pick a British spy and 18 Allied soldiers, who had escaped from the Italians, up from a remote Greek island - but it never made it. Above, HMS Triumph's Jolly Roger flag Greek diver Kostas Thoctarides has previously found another British submarine - HMS Perseus - off Ithaca using side sonar. An image of the sub is pictured above Mr Don has spent several years trying to get permission from Greek authorities to search for the sub with sidescan sonar. He also needs to transport his boat Nancy from its current spot in the Mississippi River in the US, by either sailing across the Atlantic or getting it shipped if it won't make the journey. After locating the submarine, he would then need to take photographs and identify it as HMS Triumph using ten distinguishing features. Mr Don said: 'The project has got more interesting and absorbing and this great story has emerged. 'There was absolutely nothing about Antiparos in any British documents. The official history that the navy writes after the war - there's no mention of it. 'Part of the problem is that all of the other files about Triumph were sunk on its depot ship HMS Medway in 1942. Personnel records, orders the submarine received - everything that wasn't sent straight back to the UK was lost. 'The satisfying part has been gradually building up a picture for the families. It's been quite emotional.' Guards at a 'chaotic' prison had no idea where some inmates were during a snap inspection, it emerged today. The HM Inspectorate of Prisons carried out spot checks on Leicester Prison during an inspection last autumn. The prisons watchdog today warned 'control and accountability' of those held at HMP Leicester was 'very poor' as they issued a highly critical assessment of the Victorian jail. The main wing was 'often chaotic' and there was a 'very high' rate of assaults on staff, a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons said. Scroll down for video The inspection into HMP Leicester last year found chaotic conditions at the jail, including checks which failed to locate prisoners The inspection found: New psychoactive substances - or so-called 'legal highs' - were 'too readily available', while illicitly brewed alcohol was also an issue. Use of force was more than double that of comparable prisons. Conditions in the segregation unit were 'terrible' and it should be closed, with cells described as cold, damp, decrepit and 'not fit for habitation'. Prisoners struggled to access basic necessities such as toiletries, clean clothes and bedding. Only one probation officer managed all inmates serving indeterminate sentences and other high-risk prisoners. Campaigners said the findings lay bare the 'catastrophic' impact of prison overcrowding, while the Government said the report was an example of the need for reforms. Inspectors described basic procedural security as 'poor', adding: 'Staff often could not account for prisoners and we routinely found prisoners where they were not supposed to be.' Unlocking and movement of prisoners to activities was 'poorly controlled and at times chaotic' and during spot checks inspectors were unable to obtain an accurate account of where inmates were at any one time 'because they were not monitored properly', according to the report. HMP Leicester held 325 male prisoners at the time of the inspection held in September and October last year - 50 per cent more than the number it was built for. The report concluded that the facility had deteriorated since it was last examined in November 2013. David Cameron, pictured left on a visit to HMP Onley, outlined new prison reform plans earlier this month. The inspection at Leicester took place before the changes were announced There were 75 assaults in the previous six months - almost three times that found in other local prisons. The rate of attacks on staff was almost five times that of similar local institutions, while levels of self-harm had increased. Deputy chief inspector of prisons Martin Lomas said: 'This is a poor report. 'We found pockets, such as the gym, substance misuse services and the work of the Community Rehabilitation Company, where the prison was operating more effectively, but much of what we inspected had deteriorated. Mr Cameron, pictured at HMP Onley, made a major speech on prison reform - claiming to be the first Prime Minister to do so in many years 'Managers were aware of the problems and data was being collected, but it wasn't being used and problems were not being analysed.' He said there were 'few meaningful plans to effect progress', adding: 'Managers should start by making the prison safer and gaining control of basic operational routines.' Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said: 'Leicester's performance has deteriorated unacceptably and this cannot be allowed to continue.' He said a new governor has been appointed. The 'inspector reports positively on the relationship between staff and prisoners', Mr Spurr added. Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: 'This report sets out in stark detail the catastrophic impact of overcrowding in prisons.' Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the findings 'show a prison that has lost its way'. Last week David Cameron set out wide-ranging prison reform proposals. The Government previously announced plans to close old Victorian jails and build nine new prisons. Only HMP Holloway in North London has been confirmed as facing closure so far. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the report 'is an example of how our ageing prisons need reform'. He added: 'We take our duty of care to staff and prisoners extremely seriously and tackling violence and drugs must be a priority. 'We will be investing 1.3 billion to transform the prison estate over the next five years, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs.' by migrants in Germany up by 92,000 in 2015 Crimes committed by migrants in Germany increased by 79 per cent in 2015, according to figures released by the Federal Criminal Office. Nearly one in five offences committed by migrants or refugees in Germany last year were violent crimes, such as assaults, robberies or 'threatening behaviour'. However, despite reports of sex mob attacks and public molestation cases involving asylum seekers across Germany, just one per cent of crimes committed by migrants were sex crimes. Rising: Crimes committed by Migrants and refugees, pictured in front of the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo) in Berlin on Tuesday, increased by 79 per cent from 2014 to 2015 And while the number of crimes by immigrants increased in comparison over 2014 to 2015 by 79 per cent, the number of refugees at the same time rose by 440 percent. Notably, genuine asylum seekers from countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan were substantially more law-abiding than economic refugees from the Balkan countries. This the third situational 'Crime in the context of immigration' report of the Federal Criminal Office (BKA) - which is classified for police and civil servants eyes only - but was leaked to best selling newspaper Bild. It covers crimes by immigrants from January to December last year, a time when over a million asylum seekers poured into Germany. The data comes from 13 of the 16 states which make up the Federal Republic. The number of criminal offences committed by asylum seekers rose to 208,344 - 92 000 more than in the previous year. But the BKA states; 'The vast majority of asylum seekers commit no crime'. In 2015, the number of criminal offences committed by asylum seekers rose to 208,344 - 92 000 more than in the previous year Crime rose steadily in the first six months of the year but tapered of to become almost stagnant by the end of it, even though more refugees arrived in the second half. The nature of the offences appears to be mostly minor: 28,712 cases of riding on public transport without paying the fare, 52,167 incidents of forging paperwork in a bid to get money, 85,035 cases of theft, mosty shoplifting - nearly double those of 2014. Assaults, robberies and what Germany classes as 'predatory extortion' and 'offences against person freedom,' including threatening behaviour, doubled over 2014 with 36,010 cases, accounting for 18 percent of the crime total. And sex crimes - the fuel for right-wing extremists who have launched a black propaganda campaign on the Internet to brand all asylum seekers as rapists and child molestors following the events in Cologne on New Year's Eve - remain low, under one percent. Logged last year were 1,688 cases of sexual offences, including against children, including 458 rapes or acts of 'sexual coercion.' Hamburg, Bremen and North Rhine-Westphalia, three states governed by centre-left SPD parliaments, did not deliver refugee criminal data to the BKA. That means the events in Cologne on December 31, when hundreds of women were sexually molested or robbed by marauding gangs of immigrant men, are not included in these statistics. The report goes on to state that there were 240 attempted murders by immigrants - 127 in 2014 - and in two-thirds of all cases, perpetrators and victims were of the same nationality. One German was murdered, 27 immigrants were killed by other immigrants. Syrians are officially listed as making up the bulk of asylum seekers - 48 percent - with them being suspected of 24 percent of the crime. Serbs account for two percent of refugees but are suspected of 13 percent of the total number of crimes. The crime figures covers crimes by immigrants from January to December last year, a time when over a million asylum seekers poured into Germany 'Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis are the largest group of immigrants, but are less frequently delinquent in relation to other groups of migrants,' said Bild. 'Proportionately more offenders were found among immigrants from the Balkans (Kosovo, Albania, Serbia), Eritrea and Nigeria.' As to terror suspects hiding among genuine refugees, the report stated that there were 266 instances individuals suspected of being 'fighters and members of terrorist organizations abroad.' Eighty were ruled out, 186 cases are still being probed. The report called the infilration of militants into the country 'a growing trend.' Friedrich Kotter, head of Kotter, Germany's biggest security company after Securitas, said much of the problem was to do with boredom, with people having nothing to do in the asylum centres. He said: 'In the first few weeks it was always quiet after they arrived, but then they started to get really bored. There is also intercultural stress in the large camps. 'They simply need something to do, challenges, for example learning a language. 'Simply sitting there is not sustainable even in the short-term. The government needs to do more otherwise it is easy to predict where this will go.' His fears that asylum accommodation is the root of criminality were confirmed in Bavaria where Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, 59, from the CSU (Christian Social Union) said there had been 17,246 police actions in Bavarian asylum accommodation last year. In comparison to 2014, that was an increase of 270 per cent. Speaking to the local government he said: 'The police are absolutely at their limits in keeping the situation under control.' He added that the police are also increasingly the target for aggression and in particular women police officers. BHS has launched an investigation today after a customer discovered the chain sold her a jumper with an ASDA label. Angela Devine, 59, says she was 'cheated' when she bought a 17.50 grey knit top from BHS' Milton Keynes store because it would be cheaper in Britain's second largest supermarket. The bank manager had worn the heart print jumper once and noticed the label was thicker than normal. After inspecting it further the bank manager noticed that a BHS washing instructions label had been glued over the top of a George at Asda one. Upset: Angela Devine, 59, pictured with her husband Kevin, found BHS was selling clothes with with an ASDA label in its Milton Keynes store Detective work: The bank manager noticed the label in her 17.50 top was thicker than usual and saw the BHS label was just glued on top of an Asda one BHS has blamed the mistake on their supplier, who it claims provides clothes to a number of shops, but refused to say how many garments or shops were affected. Ms Devine said: 'When you buy clothes in BHS you expect them to be BHS clothes. 'It's a bit shocking really. I know these manufacturers supply lots of stores but you wouldn't think they would so blatantly cover it up. 'We wouldn't have paid the same amount for the product if we bought it in Asda so I feel a bit cheated.' Angela, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was bought the discounted v-neck jumper by her husband Kevin, 59, last month. She noticed the unusual label when she washed it for the first time, and complained to BHS who gave the couple a 30 voucher. A letter from the customer services department said: 'I am sincerely sorry to see that this item has been labelled incorrectly. Comparison: Mrs Devine, 59, says she was 'cheated' because the same top would probably be cheaper in Asda 'I can confirm that we are taking this matter very seriously and are carrying out an investigation with the Milton Keynes store.' BHS refused to say how many garments were affected, or how many were recalled, but claimed the item was a BHS product. A spokeswoman said: 'The item in question was labelled incorrectly by our supplier who also produces clothing for a number of retailers. 'All affected items were recalled as soon as the error was discovered but unfortunately a small amount had been sold before the recall. Mr Johnson, pictured leaving Downing Street today, said there was 'no deal' but that he would 'be back' London Mayor Boris Johnson today said there was 'no deal' after he spent 40 minutes in Downing Street with the Prime Minister. Mr Johnson quipped 'I'll be back' to reporters as he left No 10 today as David Cameron juggles his talks with EU leaders while trying to square the big beasts in his party. The Mayor would be thrust to the forefront of the campaign to get Britain out of Europe if he opts to back Brexit. But he has refused to be firmly drawn on the issue - warning he was not persuaded by Mr Cameron's draft deal but reportedly also telling eurosceptic MPs he's 'not an outer'. Friends of the MP and London mayor insist that he is genuinely conflicted over who to back amid concern that a plan by the Prime Minister to reassert the sovereignty of British law is falling apart. Speculation is also mounting that Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, and close friend of the Prime Minister, could declare for the Out campaign. Mr Gove, an avowed Eurosceptic, is considered the more likely of the two men to take the leap. The Cabinet ministers Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling, Theresa Villiers, John Whittingdale and Priti Patel have already told colleagues that they will campaign to quit the Brussels club. They are expected to show their hand in the days after Mr Cameron returns from Brussels with his deal tomorrow. Once the Prime Minister has put the deal to Cabinet, the gag will finally be removed from ministers who have been banned from airing their Eurosceptic views. Those who remain on the fence with No 10 desperate to keep them onside include Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary. Government officials denied that Mr Camerons decision to call Mr Johnson into Downing Street yesterday morning was a sign that he was stressed. One said: I do not recognise that description. But ministerial sources insisted that the Prime Minister was feeling the strain. An insider said: It is getting to him. It looks like he is starting to take it all personally. In the past two days, Mr Cameron and George Osborne have held meetings with and made calls to dozens of junior ministers and backbenchers. It is estimated up to 100 Tory MPs could come out for Brexit. No 10 had hoped to woo them with the promise of legislation stating Britains Supreme Court takes precedence over the European Court of Justice. But the plan for a so-called British constitutional court is understood to have run into serious trouble. Sources suggest the best it can achieve is to give Britain the opportunity to delay implementation of judgments by the ECJ while the court is asked to think again. This would fall far short of Eurosceptic demands that Britain and Parliament should be sovereign. Mr Johnson is reportedly keen to see guarantees about British sovereignty as part of the package presented by Mr Cameron. Mr Johnson has repeatedly insisted he will not come off the fence until Mr Cameron's talks with the EU are finalised. Mr Cameron, pictured with the Mayor at a memorial ceremony, is known to be keen to securing the backing of Mr Johnson for the campaign He is not due to attend an emergency cabinet meeting pencilled in for Friday, if talks are completed at the EU summit beginning tomorrow. But Mr Johnson is thought likely to make clear his views at the end of the week once the deal is complete. On Sunday, Mr Johnson told voters there is 'no reason to be afraid of' leaving the EU. And he promised to 'come off the fence with deafening eclat' when he decides which side of the EU referendum he will back. He told the BBC: 'I'm going to wait until the Prime Minister does his deal and I will then come off the fence with deafening eclat; whatever happens you will hear a lot from me. 'You don't have long to wait. 'The salient point is this: London is now doing unbelievably well. 'People thinking about Britain in Europe, Britain out of Europe should recognise that a lot of the investment we attract now is from places outside the EU. 'We export increasingly outside the EU. There is no reason to be afraid.' Mr Johnson, who is stepping down as Mayor of London in May, insisted the capital would 'flourish' in or out of the EU. 'London is by far and away the economic powerhouse of the whole of Europe,' he said. 'It is the commercial, the financial, the cultural, the tech centre of the whole community, it is 25 per cent of UK GDP, it will flourish in or out - that is certainly the case.' The Prime Minister is expected to make clear the British Supreme Court outranks the European Court of Justice - making it similar to Germany constitutional court. A new bill could also be produced making clear the Commons reserves the right to scrap laws implementing EU rules in Britain that was first passed in 1972 - restating existing constitutional convention. Securing the support of Mr Johnson would likely guarantee Mr Cameron faces few truly 'big beasts' in the referendum race to polling day, expected on June 23 if the remaining talks go well. Advertisement This is the heart-breaking moment a tiny baby orangutan desperately clung to his mother moments after the starving ape had been tranquilized by rescue workers. Staring into the camera with human-like emotion, the baby ape acts just as a child would clinging to his mother. The malnourished pair were rescued from a plantation in Borneo after their natural habitat was destroyed by forest fires. The fearful baby orangutan hugs its mother after she was tranquilized by animal rescue workers Scared to leave its mother's side, the baby ape clings on to her unconscious carer while workers rush to separate the two The orangutan was tranquilized after it was found with its baby starving on a plantation in Borneo The pair were struggling to find food having fled forest fires that destroyed their natural habitat Both were clearly emaciated and starving to death. Here the mother's leg and hip bones are clearly visible Without the help of the International Animal Rescue (pictured), the two apes would likely have starved to death Rescue workers used tranquilizer darts to prise the terrified pair from their home in a tree (pictured) After being shot, rescue workers used netting to catch the orangutans as they fell from the tree After being rescued in late January, they were transported back to the charity's base in Ketapang The pictures show the mother was so emaciated from lack of food her leg and hip bones are clearly visible. Despite starving, the female orangutan was so fierce in her determination not to let rescuers near her baby it took three tranquilizer darts before she fell and landed safely in nets. Ayu Budi Handayani, a veterinarian for International Animal Rescue (IAR), said: 'It is amazing that, despite the fact that she was so skinny and weak, this mother was still determined to protect her baby. 'She had already undergone the trauma of fleeing from the fires and losing all sources of food and shelter and then she had to contend with being hit by an anaesthetic dart and caught in a net. 'The poor thing couldn't know that we were there to help not harm her.' IAR have now taken in the mother and baby dubbed Mama Nam and baby Nam since the pair were rescued in late January. Since being cared for, Mama Nam - though to be aged about 20 - is now producing milk for her baby, aged about two or three. The baby orangutan, estimated to be aged two or three, appears terrified during the separation from its mother After its mother was tranquilized, she released her grip from the tree and the pair fell to the ground The International Animal Rescue warns forest fires in Borneo are threatening the livelihood of the species Rescuers workers located the mother and father and camped out under the tree in which they were nesting The pair were found badly starving on a plantation after villagers in Semanai, Simpang Tiga village complained that the animals were eating their crops. A team from IAR in West Borneo, travelled to the village in the district of Sukadana, about one and a half hour's drive away, and camped out under the tree where the apes were resting for the night. The following day, in spite of the mother's shocking physical condition, it took three anaesthetic darts to make her release her grip on the tree and fall into the net below - with her baby still clinging to her. After assessing the mother's and baby's condition the rescue team decided to take them both back to IAR's Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Ketapang. Karmele Llano Sanchez, programme director of International Animal Rescue in Indonesia, said: 'This poor mother and her baby have been without food for many months because their habitat has been destroyed by fire. 'It is heartbreaking to see wild orangutans in this extreme state of starvation. We are still dealing with the consequences of the fires that devastated large forested areas in Ketapang last year. They were found on a plantation after villagers had complained that the animals were eating their crops Since being taken in by the charity, the orangutan mother has now started to produce breast milk for her baby 'And we are expecting a long drought season again this year as a result of the El Nino, with the risk of more forest fires to come. 'We are already making plans to prevent a recurrence of last year's fires which destroyed some of the forest at our own centre. 'But the horror of rescuing animals from the burning forest and seeing their habitats wiped out before our very eyes is almost impossible to bear. 'We need all the help and support we can muster if we are to save more orangutans' lives in the coming months.' International Animal Rescue CEO Alan Knight said: 'I hear from the vets at our centre that the mother orangutan is now producing milk for her baby which is wonderful news. 'I hope it won't be long before both mother and baby are fit enough to be released into a protected area of forest where there is a plentiful supply of fruits and other food to sustain them. 'I do urge the public please to continue supporting International Animal Rescue so that our team in Borneo is fully equipped to continue the fight to save these magnificent orangutans during the difficult months ahead.' To donate please visit www.internationalanimalrescue.org On trial: Cambridge University undergraduate Prithvi Sridhar (pictured outside court), 21, is accused of raping a fellow student in a halls of residence after accompanying her home from a night out A Cambridge University undergraduate raped a fellow student in a halls of residence after offering to accompany her home from a night out because 'she was nervous about walking home alone', a court heard. Prithvi Sridhar, 21, forced himself on the woman after returning to her room and left love bites on her neck, it was said. She tried to get away but he kept pulling her back and raped her as tears ran down her face, the alleged victim told Cambridge Crown Court. 'I told him multiple times that I didn't want to have sex with him,' she said. 'He tried to push himself inside me and I laid back because it hurt less. 'I was trying not to look at him because I did not want it to happen. 'Tears were running down my face and I was shaking.' David Matthew, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened after a night out on November 4, 2014. 'There was a fair amount of drinking involved,' he said. 'They moved on to a club and both were drinking alcohol. 'He persistently wanted to dance with her and they were hugging and kissing.' The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: 'He (Sridhar) was dancing with me and tried to get with me.' Sridhar, who is reading engineering at the prestigious Queens' College, is said to have offered to accompany the girl home because 'she was nervous about walking home alone'. They shared a taxi back to her halls of residence where Sridhar began kissing her but she tried to stop his advances, the court heard. Mr Matthew told the jury: 'They got into bed both fully dressed but she says she felt pushed along. 'Up to this stage they both agreed to the physical contact.' The alleged victim added: 'I told him I did not want anything to happen. He kissed my neck and left huge hickies. 'He decided he wanted to have sex but I told him to stop and I tried to push him off. 'I started crying because it was really hurting. I tried to get up to go to the toilet but he was pulling me down.' Mr Matthew told the court how Sridhar then allegedly forced himself upon the woman, causing her pain. He added: 'He (Sridhar) denies penetrating her and says he had difficulty in getting an erection. Sridhar's alleged victim told Cambridge Crown Court (pictured) that she tried to get away but he kept pulling her back and raped her as tears ran down her face. The incident is said to have happened on November 4 2014 Accused: Sridhar (pictured) denies one count of rape. The trial, which is expected to last a week, continues 'He says intercourse did not take place at all.' The court heard how the victim, who did not attend the same college as Sridhar, reported the alleged incident to the police a week later on November 11, 2014. A close friend of the victim, who also cannot be named, told the court after the alleged incident the victim was 'not in a very good state and was crying and distressed'. Drugs kingpin 'El Chapo' has accused Mexican prison guards of turning him into a zombie complaining they do not let him sleep. The leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel escaped from prison in July but was recaptured last month after seven months on the run. The authorities took him back to the maximum security jail the Altiplano prison in central Mexico while he waits to see if he will be extradited to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. Scroll down for video El Chapo in his cell at the Altiplano prison in central Mexico. The drug cartel leader has accused prison guards of turning him into a zombie as they don't let him sleep However, El Chapo, real name Joaquin Guzman, has told his lawyer Juan Pablo Badillo that he feels he is the victim of 'physical and mental torture'. Mr Badillo told Mexico's Radio Formula that his client says that the prison guards wake him up every two hours, just to check he is there. El Chapo allegedly told Mr Badillo: 'They are turning me into a zombie, they won't let me sleep, now there is nothing else I want but for them to let me sleep.' The drugs lord had been serving a sentence at the prison when he escaped in July 2015 through a 1.2-mile tunnel which his cartel members dug from nearby land. The authorities took El Chapo to the maximum security jail in central Mexico while he waits to see if he will be extradited to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges With suspected help from the inside, he managed to climb through the bottom of his shower where there happened to be a blind spot in the cell. However, since his recapture, the authorities are taking no chances of him escaping again. The jail has reportedly installed 400 new cameras and they hope to add another 600 to that by April. According to local media reports, motion sensors also sense his every move, dogs have been trained to detect his scent, steel rods reinforce the floor and metal detectors stand outside the door. But according to his lawyer, what most concerns him is lack of sleep. Mr Badillo added: 'He describes it as a brutal torture, it is similar to what they did to Stalin in the 40s and 50s in Russia.' Mexican officials have said their main concern is making sure Guzman does not escape again before his extradition to the United States to face charges there. Last week, it was reported that he was willing to plead guilty in the United States - as long as he is not jailed in a maximum-security prison. The Sinaloa cartel leader believes he would enjoy better treatment in an American cell compared to the 'extreme freezing conditions' of his current Mexican lock-up where he 'fears for his life'. However, he will only plead guilty if US prosecutors promise to spare him from its most brutal institutions 'where he would not see the light of the sun for more than an hour a day'. The leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel escaped from prison in July but was recaptured last month after seven months on the run El Chapo has told his lawyer Juan Pablo Badillo, pictured, that he feels he is the victim of 'physical and mental torture' Another lawyer Jose Refugio Rodriguez told Univision earlier this month: 'I fear for his life. 'If anyone is subjected to such cold temperatures - so cold, extremely cold - they could get very sick. 'We are going to work the extradition so that the United States doesn't find a man on his knees, begging for help. But Mr Badillo added he did not have much time to talk about possible extradition to the U.S. with El Chapo during a prison visit on Monday. The driver drove onto the kerb, into a fence before entering a school yard Father-of-two is killed in a freak accident while on a school run A 43-year-old father of two has been killed in a freak accident while waiting to pick up his children from the school where his wife works. A 70-year-old woman who was driving to pick up a grandchild from St Leonard's College in Brighton East, Melbourne, on Tuesday lost control of her car before hitting and killing Darren Booth - whose wife is a teacher at the school. The driver mounted a kerb in the school drop-off zone, driving through a fence before continuing almost two metres inside a school yard, reported The Age. Darren Booth, 43 (left), was killed picking up his children from the school where his wife, Michelle Booth (right), worked. Flowers from parents and their children have since been piled near the scene. St Leonard's College Principal Stuart Davis informed the school community on Wednesday morning the father of year six student Sophie and year two student Ava had been killed. 'I can confirm that the parent killed was Darren Booth, husband of our Junior School Teacher Michelle Booth and father of Sophie and Ava. 'On behalf of the entire College community I have extended our heartfelt sympathies to Michelle, Sophie and Ava, and to all of Darren's family and friends,' he said. Counselling for school students has since been provided by the school and parents are encouraged to speak to their children about the incident. 'As you'll appreciate it can be difficult to share this information with large groups of students, and so we encourage you to speak with your child(ren) about the accident this evening,' said Mr Davis. A 70-year-old elderly woman mounted the kerb before ploughing into a fence before fatally injuring the father who was standing on the kerb. Flowers from parents and students have since been placed at the scene Police are still investigating the matter but say the elderly woman is unlikely to be charged as there is not enough evidence to show she was being negligent or culpable. A parent at the school, Elettra Normington, said the tragic incident rocked the neighbourhood, reported theHerald Sun. 'It was one of those freaky accidents that happened. 'It's quite scary. My kids always ride their bikes home from school, so I guess it could have been much worse than this,' she said. The car was left on the school grounds over night shielded by a blue tarp as police continued their investigations. Hundreds of swimmers in Brazil are being warned to stay out of the water following a spate of attacks by shoals of deadly piranha, which has left more than 50 people injured in just over a month. Unsuspecting tourists have had chunks of flesh bitten out of their hands and feet as drought conditions in the South American country force the lethal predators to migrate from their natural habitat to deeper waters packed with holidaymakers. This weekend at least eight bathers were savaged by man-eating 'white bitches', the six-inches-long species blamed for the attacks, on beaches in Palmas, in Tocantins State, North Brazil. Three children were among the casualties as people took to the Graciosa river to cool off during the hot holiday weekend. Juraci de Souza was bitten while paddling in the river at Sao Paulo beach in the south of the country Schools of piranhas have been biting swimmers in rivers across many regions of Brazil (file photograph) A four-year-old boy had a chunk taken out of his heel and piranha hooked razor sharp teeth into Veraluci Milhomem's toe on the same day. 'I felt a stab of pain in my foot and started screaming,' recalled the 55-year-old admin assistant. 'My friends dragged me out of the water before anything else could happen,' she added. In the Northeast in the last ten days, 25 people reported vicious attacks scaring off swimmers looking for fun in a popular stretch of the San Francisco river in the town of Pao de Acucar, in Alagoas. Among the victims was student, Lucas Andre da Silva, 15, whose heel was lacerated in a bite on Sunday. 'I was playing in the river with friends when I felt something dig into me. I pulled my foot out of the water to see what had happened and saw a lot of blood. The bite still really hurts,' he said. He vowed never to risk dipping his toes in the water again during this time of year. On a freshwater beach in Populina in Sao Paulo, Southeast Brazil, 20 holidaymakers have been terrorised by voracious lone white bitch piranha. Juraci de Souza, 42, was just getting out of the Rio Grande when it happened. 'I was swimming to the shallower part of the river when I felt a twinge. As I came out onto the sand I saw that I was bleeding heavily from my foot,' said the fork-lift truck driver. 'Thankfully I'd been bitten by a bitch (piranha). If it had been a whole school it would have been much worse,' he added with relief. Veraluci Milhomem, ictured, was bitten by piranhas as she was swimming at Palmas beach Signs have been erected along many Brazilian river banks warning swimmers about the Piranha menace According to Bruno Benhocci, biologist at the Votuporanga University in Sao Paulo, the unusually high numbers of the carnivorous creatures plaguing the waterways could be linked to drought conditions in recent years which has affected food supplies. 'In the absence of their natural food, piranhas are moving from shallow areas to deeper parts where they can find it,' he said. 'Piranha's can't detect whether a movement is made by a finger or a fish, they just bite what they can get,' he explained. Local officials have put up signs warning of the dangers and banned swimmers from using the beaches until the end of this month. Possessing one of the most fearsome reputations, the predators can smell blood up to two miles away, devour cattle to the bone in a matter of minutes, and pound for pound their sharp toothed bite is more powerful than a great white shark's and three time stronger than an alligator's. Neighbors in Montana were terrified when they heard screams 'about someone having a gun' emerging from a house in Great Falls. Seven officers were called to the scene, but they soon realized a family was simply enjoying a night in front of the television. Two adults and several children were watching the midseason premiere of the AMC zombie show The Walking Dead, which is set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by the undead. Seven police officers were called to a home in Great Falls, Montana after neighbors heard screams. They surrounded a home on 8th Street North (pictured, general view) Police found the family was watching The Walking Dead, a popular TV show set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies Sunday's episode was the midseason premiere that saw several major characters killed off. The TV show premiered in 2010, The first 911 call was made at 7.28pm on Sunday by a neighbor who heard screams about a gun, according to police notes. A second caller who was also disturbed by the noise helped police identify which house on 8th Street North the screams were coming from. The officers turned up in force and surrounded the home. They heard 'loud talking' and 'flashing lights', but soon realized everything was okay when they peered through two open windows near the TV. Sergeant Brian McGrew said: 'We had a whole bunch of guys on that one.' No report was filed. The Walking Dead premiered in the US in 2010, and has since become the highest total viewership of any series in cable television history. The parents of Madeleine McCann have told her brother and sister 'everything' about her disappearance, according to her mother Kate. Mrs McCann, 47, said her twins Amelie and Sean, now 11, still want their sister back after she went missing from the family's holiday home in the Algarve, Portugal, in 2007. She added she and husband Gerry have kept their eldest daughter's room in the same condition as it was when she vanished. Scroll down for video Kate and Gerry McCann, pictured with twins Amelie and Sean left, say their 11-year-olds 'know everything' about the search for their sister Madeleine, pictured right, who went missing in 2007 Speaking to The Sun, Mrs McCann said: The twins are doing really well. They've grown up essentially without Madeleine, knowing their sister is missing and they want her back. 'They are up to date, they know everything, they know if we are meeting police. There is nothing kept from them.' She added the twins don't talk about Madeleine, whose 13th birthday is in May, as much as they did when she went missing, but still raise money at school to support the efforts to find her. Mrs McCann and husband Gerry, of Leicester, have led an eight-year campaign to keep the search for the youngster going since she went missing while they were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007. The McCanns, pictured, have been leading a campaign to find their daughter for the past eight years Police investigations in the UK and Portugal have failed to find Madeleine, pictured, who turns 13 in May She thanked the public for all their support over the years which she said 'kept them going'. The couple have also recently launched a campaign with charity Missing People and the National Crime Agency to help find missing children or flag up when youngsters are in danger. As previously reported, they say they have not lost hope in finding their daughter, despite the resources put into the search being scaled back by police last year. Scotland Yard announced in October it was dramatically cutting the number of officers in the probe, known as Operation Grange, from 29 to four. At the time of the announcement, the family's spokesman said: 'Should the need arise for a private investigation to be resumed, [Mr and Mrs McCann] have made sure they have enough money left in Madeleine's fund.' The operation, launched in 2011 at the request of David Cameron, has so far cost upwards of 11m. Mrs McCann, left, has thanked the public for their support in their search for her daughter, pictured right Detectives said they have investigated 60 suspects and looked at 650 paedophiles as well as almost 9,000 sightings of the girl since she was abducted. A total of 60 people were considered as more serious suspects but her kidnapper has not been found. Last year British detectives returned to Portugal with sniffer dogs and sifted through scrubland on their hands and knees - 1,000ft from where she vanished eight years ago. They also used radar scanners that could penetrate to depths of up to 13ft (four metres) at at least three sites but found no trace of her. It is not known exactly when Operation Grange will officially end, but a spokesman for the Met recently said: 'While there remain lines of inquiry, the vast majority of work by Operation Grange has been completed.' Patient Andrew Wallace, 33, (pictured) was being transported to the psych ward at Summa St Thomas Hospital in Ohio when he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed security guard Arthur Belcher Jr A patient in the psychiatric ward of an Ohio hospital attacked an unarmed security guard with knives, critically injuring him, police said. Akron police Lt Rick Edwards said the 54-year-old guard, identified as Arthur Belcher Jr, suffered life-threatening injuries and had surgery on Tuesday night. Edwards said the attack happened at about 7pm on Tuesday at Summa St Thomas Hospital and Belcher was stabbed in the neck and abdomen. On Wednesday, a hospital spokesman noted that Officer Belcher is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. The attack occurred as the 33-year-old patient, Andrew Wallace, was being transferred to St Thomas from Summa Akron City Hospital, according to WEWS. Once he arrived at the psych ward on the fifth floor, Wallace allegedly pulled out one of the two knives he had in his possession and stabbed Belcher multiple times. Other hospital employees restrained the patient, who has been taken into custody. No one else was hurt. Belcher was transported to Akron General Medical Center after reportedly losing a lot of blood. Edwards said it is not known how Wallace got the knives into the hospital. Mike Bernstein, a Summa Health spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday that the attack was unprovoked, according to WKYC. Scroll down for video A police car is seen outside of the hospital following the attack. Police said the attack happened at about 7pm on Tuesday at Summa St Thomas Hospital and Belcher was stabbed in the neck and abdomen 'On the evening of February 16, unarmed Summa Health Security Officer Art Belcher, Jr, was injured during an unprovoked incident with a patient at Summa St. Thomas Hospital,' the statement said. 'This morning, we are pleased to report Officer Belcher is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Summa Health is conducting a thorough review of the incident. 'The family of Officer Belcher extends its warmest thanks to all for their thoughts and prayers and has asked for complete privacy. We thank the media for their understanding and cooperation. 'All questions regarding the person charged in the incident can be referred to the Akron Police Department. 'Summa Health will not comment on the care provided to that individual.' Wallace was charged with felonious assault and is set to make his first court appearance on Wednesday, according to WEWS. Wallace was charged with felonious assault and is set to make his first court appearance on Wednesday. Police said it is not known how Wallace got the knives into the hospital In August 2014, a police report indicated that he was arrested when officers found him with a machete hidden up his sleeve at a gas station, according to WEWS. He was also accused of trying to get rid of meth after he was taken to jail. In May 2013, he was admitted into the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for an aggravated robbery and burglary. A dodgy travel agent has pleaded guilty to conning clients out of almost $280,000, and even stole his soon-to-be mother-in-law who was planning a dream holiday for her 70th birthday. Jordan Dittloff, 28, from Colac - about 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne - stole $277,993 from 47 different customers after first taking from people in July 2014, according to the ABC. The 28-year-old appeared in the Victorian County Court on Wednesday. Jordan Dittloff, 28, has pleaded guilty to conning clients out of almost $280,000, and even stole his soon-to-be mother-in-law's 70th birthday collection money Dittloff took payments from holiday-goers for flights, hotels and tours while working at Ace Travel in Colac and even printed fake itineraries but never completed the bookings. One of the 28-year-old's victims was his then-fiancee's mother, who saved up for her trip-of-a-lifetime by sewing and knitting, the ABC reports. Prudence Campbell told the court she has been on anti-anxiety medication since the incident, and that her daughter, Skye, has been attacked online by people who mistakenly believed she was involved in her ex-fiance's 'despicable actions'. Ditltloff and Skye Campbell have since broken up. Dittloff's behaviour was exposed after he closed the travel agent in May 2015 and vanished, leaving panicked customers in the dark about how their holiday plans had disintegrated. Dittloff took payments from holiday-goers for flights, hotels and tours while working at Ace Travel in Colac but never completed the bookings 'Some have had $30,000 stolen, some might have had $1000 but for some of those people $1000 was a lot of money, all they had,' prosecutor Raeleene Maxwell said, according to the Geelong Advertiser. 'He told police that he closed the doors and left the note as he knew it was about the time that people were going to start their travel but did not have bookings and that everything would unravel,' Ms Maxwell said. 'He stated he knew it was wrong, that he deserved to go to jail and he would one day pay the money back.' One of the 28-year-old's victims was his then-fiancee's mother, who saved up for her trip-of-a-lifetime by sewing and knitting Ms Maxwell read witness testimonies to the court, with many detailing the heartbreak and pain they suffered at having thousands of dollars and dream holidays ripped away from them, according to the Herald Sun. 'Jordan betrayed my trust in him as a businessman and as a friend,' Heather Green, Dittloff's biggest victim who lost almost $32,000 said in a statement, the newspaper claims. 'I really have to question whether Jordan has any real remorse for what he has done to us.' John Kerry has met with Hollywood studio executives to plan a counter-attack on the Islamic State's slick propaganda machine. The Secretary of State posted a picture of the 90-minute meeting with the heads of 13 production companies including Disney, Warner Bros, DreamWorks, and 20th Century Fox at Universal's Los Angeles headquarters on Tuesday afternoon. 'Great convo w/ studio execs in LA. Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative,' he tweeted - using the Arabic acronym 'Daesh', which the terrorist group hates, instead of 'ISIS'. 'Great convo w/ studio execs in LA. Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative,' he tweeted - using the Arabic acronym 'Daesh', which the terrorist group hates, instead of ISIS The west has struggled to compete with the attractive and persuasive promotional videos produced by the Middle Eastern terror group. Videographers, photographers and editors are ranked higher than soldiers in the terrorist group as ISIS dedicates itself to brainwashing Muslims across the globe, a Washington Post investigation concluded last year. They are paid $700 a month - seven times a militant's salary - and dictate when and how hostages are executed in order to create the perfect shot. And it is all done using state-of-the-art equipment, shipped in from Turkey or brought over by Westerners who are lured to join ISIS from the United States, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. Now, in a desperate bid to combat the propaganda machine, the U.S. government is tapping into its decades-old connection with Hollywood - and tweeting about it to let ISIS know. Beyond movies, they also discussed worldwide marketing and how to build narratives about a mixture of cultures at the meeting organized by Universal chairman Jeff Shell, according to Variety. One person involved in the meeting told Variety they plan to look at how they can collaborate with filmmakers in Iraq and Syria. 'Let's work out how to involve people who are there,' the unidentified source said. Filmmakers are routinely offered Motion Picture Incentives (MPIs) - such as cash rebates, grants and special access - to shoot movies in a certain state or sector. A prime example was Top Gun, the hit Tom Cruise movie of 1986 which saw navy applications rocket by 500 per cent. Indeed, the CIA's former general counsel John Rizzo spoke about the federal agency's 'special relationship' with Hollywood in his book Company Man: Thirty Years of Controversy and Crisis in the CIA. 'There are officers assigned to this account full-time. Movie industry vets are receptive to helping the CIA in any way they can, probably in equal parts because they are sincerely patriotic and because it gives them a taste of real-life intrigue and excitement,' he wrote. Nonetheless, terror experts have seen few adequate responses to the ISIS propaganda machine from America. The terror group's videos have been singled out as their most powerful weapon against the West. From its headquarters in a two-story residential building in Raqqa, Syria, the media division oversees hundreds of recruits - mainly foreigners - who have been put through two months of military training and a month of media training, the Post investigation found. The newspaper interviewed seven men once affiliated with the terrorist group and its incredibly well-oiled media division who are currently serving or have served time in Morocco jails. It revealed propaganda drives everything they do. Once approved, the media recruits are put on a lucrative salary, with free state-of-the-art equipment shipped in from Turkey (including a Canon camera and a Samsung Galaxy), then start receiving daily assignments. They are sent all over the 'caliphate' - the region of Iraq and Syria that ISIS occupies - and ordered to film slayings, landscapes... anything. These shots are put on a hard drive, delivered to one of their 36 offices, and compiled into slick clips, such as this week's video threatening to bomb New York. Videographers, photographers and editors are ranked higher than soldiers in the terrorist group as ISIS dedicates itself to brainwashing Muslims across the globe with slick, high quality promotional videos Abu Abdullah al-Maghribi, an ISIS defector who worked in security and dabbled in propaganda, told the Post: 'It is a whole army of media personnel. 'The media people are more important than the soldiers. Their monthly income is higher. They have better cars. They have the power to encourage those inside to fight and the power to bring more recruits to the Islamic State.' Though they screen the videos on projectors in Iraq and Syria, locals are not the bull's eye for the Islamic State's propagandists. BRITISH CHILD IS FACE OF CHILLING NEW ISIS BEHEADING VIDEO A young boy with a British accent became one of the new poster boys for ISIS. The child threatened the UK with new atrocities in a depraved ISIS execution video in which five spies were killed. Dressed in military fatigues and a black bandanna bearing the white mark of ISIS, he pointed to the distance and declared: 'We will kill kuffar [non believers] over there.' In the ten minute long propaganda video, five shackled men dressed in orange jumpsuits 'confessed' to spying for British security services. Advertisement Marginalized and emotionally conflicted Muslims, perhaps in Western countries saturated with Islamophobia, are the real target as ISIS attempts to build an international army to inflict terror. With each video, each tweet, each photograph, they aim to present two images, as the Post's reporters Miller and Mekhennet well observe. Some shots show idyllic scenes of beautiful wildlife and sprawling hills in Iraq and Syria, to push an image of what life could be like if Muslims who feel marginalized in the West were to move to the Middle East and join the caliphate. Others show senseless violence that no adjective can do justice. Mass beheadings, burning people alive, throwing gay men off buildings, stoning people to death. The aim: to instill fear in the people they relish terrorizing. A video issued in the wake of the Paris attacks was a prime example of the kind of material designed to instill fear in the West. It is compelling: with a vibrant, rhythmic French song as the soundtrack, it features high-quality shots of New York's Times Square and Herald Square, cut seamlessly with a scene of a man strapping a bomb around his waist then covering it with a leather jacket. The man then walks into the crowds and reaches for the trigger. Other videos, such as the beheadings of James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Alan Henning in the summer of 2014, have since been analyzed by videographers who detected a number of different cuts. It suggests the executioner Mohammed Emwazi, also known as 'Jihadi John', performed his pre-amble multiple times before finally murdering the innocent hostages. Social media is another intensely-monitored prong of the media operation. As the Mail reported in November, the independent military research group Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) has uncovered a 34-page report on social media that is issued to all ISIS recruits. It advises them how to avoid detection, and suggests more than 100 encrypted apps - available on the Apple Store - for them to download to avoid being detected by counter-terrorism agencies. In it, jihadis are told not to use Instagram because its owner, Facebook, 'has a bad reputation in the protection of privacy'. Messaging services WhatsApp and Line are also banned as they require the internet and cannot be easily masked by encryption devices. And Dropbox is off-limits because 'Snowden advised not to use the service', and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is on the board of directors. Donald Trump gave a verbal shrug when asked by radio host Michael Savage if he believed the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had been murdered. 'I'm hearing it's a big topic, that's the question. And it's a horrible topic, but they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow,' Trump replied, refusing to fully kill off the conspiracy theory that has been floating around in recent days. 'I can't give you an answer,' Trump continued, according to CBS. 'You know, usually I like to give you answers, but I literally just heard it a little while ago.' Scroll down for video Donald Trump wouldn't kill off conspiracy theories that have swirled since Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday at a ranch in West Texas GOP frontrunner Donald Trump said it was 'unusual' for a pillow to be found over the dead justice's face, a fact attributed to the ranch owner Savage made the query on his radio show Savage Nation. 'Donald, I need to come back to the topic we've been all screaming about here, which is Scalia,' the host said. 'Was he murdered? I know it's pretty brutal to say that, and I'm not wanting to drag you into this but this is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger.' Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday at the Cibolo Creek Rance in Texas. He was 79 'I went on the air and said we need the equivalent of a Warren Commission,' the radio personality continued. 'We need an immediate autopsy before the body is disposed of. What do you think of that?' The Scalia conspiracy theories seem to be accidentally started by the Cibolo Creek Ranch owner John Poindexter, reported CBS News. Poindexter told a San Antonio newspaper that when he and a friend of Scalia's found the dead judge Scalia was 'in bed, a pillow over his head. His bed clothes were unwrinkled.' 'He was lying very restfully,' Poindexter said. 'It looked like had not quite awakened from a nap.' Scalia had gone on a hunting trip to West Texas and told the U.S. Marshals Service, which usually provided the Supreme Court justice with a security detail, that he wouldn't be needing one for this particular personal excursion. Once the 79-year-old's body was discovered those on the scene had trouble locating an individual who could pronounce Scalia dead. Eventually a justice of peace was able to make the call, by phone, without ever seeing the body, a bizarre situation, but something that is legal in Texas. The Presidio County judge, Cinderela Guevara also didn't request an autopsy, which jolted conspiracy theorists into action. However, Guevara said she had conversed with Scalia's Washington, D.C. physician and was told the justice suffered from several chronic conditions. The Washington Post reached out to Scalia's doctor, Brian Monahan, a U.S. Navy rear admiral, but he declined to comment about the late justice's health citing 'patient confidentiality.' Additionally, a local law enforcement source told CNN that 'there were no signs of foul play.' But those statements still left the door open for doubt, with some criticizing authorities for not ordering at least a medical examination to push it closed. 'As a former homicide commander, I am stunned that no autopsy was ordered for Justice Scalia,' Washington, D.C's former head of criminal investigations William O. Ritchie wrote on Facebook Sunday. 'My gut tells me there is something fishy going on in Texas.' With Scalia's public viewing scheduled for Friday and his funeral being held on Saturday, Richie suggested to CNN that there was still time to do an examination for the public's peace of mind. Once Trump weighed in, Poindexter again clarified what he saw in Scalia's room. 'I think enough disclosures were made and what I said precisely was accurate. He had a pillow over his head, not over his face as some have been saying,' Poindexter told CNN. 'The pillow was against the headboard and over his head when he was discovered,' Poindexter continued. 'He looked like someone who had had a restful night's sleep.' The Greek border descended into chaos today as truckers in Bulgaria set up a road blockade in retaliation for weeks of similar protests on the opposing side of the border crossing. Furious lorry drivers parked their vehicles bumper-to-bumper along the road, preventing traffic from exiting the country. On the other side checkpoint, Greek farmers had done the same with tractors - creating a deadlock preventing any vehicles from moving between the two countries. Hundreds of trucks queue on the Bulgarian side of the border crossing with Greece during today's protest Truckers launched the blockade in response to a similar protest being held by farmers on the other side of the crossing Authorities estimate 1,000 trucks are backed up for miles along the one road leading to main crossing between the two countries The truckers have said only cars transporting small children or the sick will be allowed to pass Across the border, Greek farmers have parked tractors along the road leading up to the border It is believed more than 1,000 trucks are cars are jammed behind the tractors. The farmers are protesting EU-imposed pension reforms linked to the country's latest European bailout Authorities estimated 820 trucks, 320 cars and six buses were stranded on the Greek side of the main crossing. On the Bulgarian side, about 1,000 trucks and 500 cars were backed up, with the tailback extending for miles on either side. The Bulgarian truckers' protest was sparked out of frustrations caused by weeks of blockades carried out by their Greek counterparts. The farmers have demonstrated for over a month against pension and tax reforms demanded by the EU, blocking roads into Bulgaria and across Greece with their tractors. Farmers had been allowing private cars and passenger buses to cross, and had been occasionally opening the border to truck traffic. But the Bulgarian truckers argue the Greek farmers had failed to uphold their side of an agreement to lift the blockade for several hours a day to allow commercial trucks to cross. Veselin Dangov, a trucker, told AFP: 'It's been a traffic chaos here for over a month and we, the transport companies, are the hardest hit.' Speaking from the Kulata-Promachonas checkpoint, he said: 'We'll maintain our protest until the Greeks remove their tractors definitively and open the checkpoint. 'We cannot trust them anymore. Whatever deal for passage we strike, they break it.' A 10.5mile line of heavy-freight trucks had formed at the Bulgarian side by noon today. Truckers protesting on the Bulgarian side of the border chat and eat on the side of the road A Bulgarian family make their way to the checkpoint by foot having been prevented from entering in a car The only way to cross the border is to do so by foot as the opposing protests gave blocked traffic going both ways A trucker on the Bulgarian side cooks a barbecue during the highly-emotional protest The border crossing (pictured) was closed to traffic given nothing could get past the two opposing lines of traffic A man pushes a cart loaded with goods across the border. The Bulgarian truckers say weeks of Greek protests and blockades have hit them the hardest Two smaller checkpoints on Bulgaria's southwestern border with Greece were also sealed off, border police said. Last Tuesday, Bulgarian authorities negotiated a lifting of the Greek blockades for several hours every day to prevent the queuing of trucks. But since Monday, Greek protesters have once again stopped trucks from passing through Kulata. Josic Mijo, a Croatian driver, said: 'I've been here since 13:20 GMT on Monday. What do we have to do with Greek politics? 'The Bulgarians are right to be angry. Who do the Greek think they are - the rulers of Europe?' Bulgarian officials have called on the EU to intervene and solve the problem, which they say is violating the principle for free movement of goods across the 28-nation bloc. The pension reform is part of government efforts to meet the conditions of Greece's third international bailout. But critics say some professions will be forced to pay two thirds of their declared income in social security contributions and taxes. A spearfisherman has defended himself from a great white shark by hitting it in the nose with his spear gun and captured the ordeal on his GoPro camera. Video of Sam Tapps terrifying experience on Saturday in waters off Edith Breakers in Seal Rocks, three hours north of Sydney in the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions, was later posted to YouTube to warn others of the potential dangers. The GoPro footage shows Mr Tapp and friends spearfish off their boat, before a great white shark suddenly comes into focus just ahead, which the Port Stephens local then bats away. Scroll down for video Spear fisherman Sam Tapp filmed his terrifying experience on Saturday in waters off Seal Rocks, NSW Get in the boat, boys! video catches him warning his friends. Its a white! Mr Tapp then called out as the men scrambled to get aboard and away from the beast. The great white had begun circling them only minutes after a grey nurse shark had bumped into Mr Tapp. He told The Herald hed journeyed from Port Stephens with his father Peter and friend Ethan Sutton to spear for kingfish. He told The Herald it was four metres long. 'I hope to highlight the importance of working together while diving, especially when larger fish are being targeted and individuals may start to focus on only what is in front of them rather than keeping an eye out for your mates,' he wrote on YouTube. If it wanted to give me an inquisitive little bite, you know, thats not a little bite from a puppy dog, he told 7 News. Mr Tapp defended himself from a great white shark by hitting it in the nose with his spear gun and captured the ordeal on his GoPro camera The great white had begun circling them only minutes after a grey nurse shark had bumped into Mr Tapp His affair with former Russian prostitute Svetlana Travis came to light this week after she The ex-girlfriend of Eliot Spitzer - whom he described as 'the love of his life' - is still reeling over revelations the disgraced politician cheated on her for years with a former Russian call girl. Lis Smith - whose relationship with the 'Luv Guv' became public in December 2013 when pictures of emerged of then-married Spitzer sneaking into her Soho apartment - broke up with the 56-year-old at the end of last year. But she was shocked and disgusted after news emerged this week that the former New York governor had been sleeping with Svetlana Travis for at least two years, sources told theNew York Post. Scroll down for video Eliot Spitzer's former girlfriend Lis Smith (left) was 'shocked' by revelations her ex had been cheating on her with former Russian prostitute Svetlana Travis (right) Concerned friends of political operative Smith are now urging her to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases after the shocking revelation. The affair only came to light on Saturday after Travis, 25, called 911 from his $1,000-a-night suite at the Plaza Hotel, in New York, claiming she had slit her wrists after Spitzer had choked her. Travis told cops that he had gotten physically abusive with her after telling him she planned to return to Moscow. She then smashed a glass, slashed her wrists and called 911 to ask for medical help, reports claim. The young divorcee, who had written about her former life as a high class prostitute, later changed her story and became 'totally uncooperative' with police. She has since flown home to her native Moscow. The NYPD confirmed that the incident is under investigation, but Spitzer's spokeswoman, Lisa Linden, said: 'There is no truth to the allegation.' A source close to Smith, 33, told The Post that she'd had no idea about Spitzer's Russian girlfriend. Smith, 33 (right), and Spitzer, 56, (pictured cuddling up at a Knicks game shortly after he split from his wife two years ago) split up in December last year 'This was not an open relationship,' the source said of Smith and Spitzer's romance. Meanwhile Spitzer has made a public declaration of love for Smith, calling her 'the love of my life' on Monday. 'The woman who initially made the allegation was not my girlfriend,' he said after he was accused of choking Travis. 'Lis Smith was my girlfriend, and I had and have deep affection for Lis.' Spitzer, the multi-millionaire son of real estate tycoon Bernard Spitzer, studied at Princeton before graduating Harvard Law school and going on to become a lawyer. While at Harvard he met his wife-to-be, Silda, who he has three children with. After graduating, Spitzer then went on to make a name for himself as the 'Sheriff of Wall Street' by chasing down corrupt financiers, and was even considered as presidential material. In 2007 he became the 54th governor of New York, but was forced to quit the following year amid a prostitution scandal. He reportedly had at least seven meetings with high-end prostitutes over a six-month period, and is believed to have spent up to $80,000 on hookers over many years. Infamous as Client 9 of the Emperors Club VIP call-girl ring, he resigned at a public press conference. Silda elected to stand by him. After his resignation, Spitzer attempted to rehabilitate his public image with a stint presenting a CNN news show, which failed, and then eventually made his way back to work for his father who passed away last year, leaving Spitzer $16million. Spitzer's marriage finally fell apart after he was pictured sneaking into the Soho apartment of political spin doctor Lis Smith in December 2013. Police were called to the Plaza Hotel (pictured) on Saturday after Travis called 911 saying she slit her wrists after Spitzer choked her The affair is widely believed to have been behind Spitzer's split from Silda, which was agreed in February 2014. As part of the settlement, she was granted $7.5million, $240,000-a-year for life, and the couple's luxury Fifth Avenue apartment. Meanwhile Smith, who had just become part of Mayor Bill de Balsio's team and was widely tipped to become his press secretary, was dropped from his office. After the affair was made public, Spitzer appeared to have no qualms about hiding his new relationship with a much younger woman. He was spotted getting close with Smith at a Knicks game just weeks after his divorce was finalized, and Spitzer was also pictured as he was introduced to his new girlfriend's family at Christmas 2013. Shortly afterwards, the couple took a romantic trip to Jamaica where they engaged in an amorous hot tub session during which he was seen sucking her toes, it was claimed. The pair spent two years together, but broke up in December last year, during which Smith apparently took custody of a gray grimalkin cat the pair had adopted. Spitzer met Smith, 33, while she was his campaign manager during his failed political 'comeback' to become New York City's new comptroller in 2013. She then went to work for then New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio but within a week of her relationship with Spitzer becoming public, she was out. Smith then worked as the deputy campaign manager for former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's disastrous 2016 presidential campaign which saw him drop out as soon as the first Iowa poll numbers came out, showing him at less than 1 per cent support. By 2017, the health service is expected to face a one billion euro shortfall It is unable to cope with treatment required for its ballooning population The German health service is facing a billion-euro deficit as it struggles to cope with the influx of more than a million asylum seekers who arrived last year. Although the German government pays a lump sum to the country's health insurance companies every time they treat an asylum seeker, this apparently does not even cover half the cost. Currently the amount is 70 per person, but research over costs of treating asylum seekers in Hamburg has revealed it needs to be at least between 140 and 155. Scroll down for video The German health service is facing a billion euro deficit due to the influx of healthcare needed for its booming migrant population. Pictured are a group of refugees in Berlin queuing for their registration papers Currently the government pays a lump sum of 70 for every asylum seeker treated. However, it is estimated the true cost lies closer to 155. Pictured are migrants arriving in Munich by train The deficit means that per refugee there is a deficit of around 78 a month, which is 935 per year. For every 100,000 asylum seekers, this means a shortfall of 93million per year. According to the latest figures, this year alone the total deficit is expected to be several hundred million euros and by next year and it will rise to over 779million as more become eligible for health service treatment. If the country's finance minister Wolfgang Schauble refuses to use taxpayer money to bail out the health service, it will mean the deficit needs to be paid by German workers through their health insurance contributions. The government currently pays 10.9billion a year to the health service, and in 2017 it will be 11.2billion. Asylum seekers which come into the country have to wait 15 months and then get the same rights to health service treatment as a German worker. Because asylum seekers who usually do not speak German or have any skills are believed to be unlikely to work in Germany, they will also end up taking unemployment benefits known as Hartz IV. Alex Chalmers quit as co-chairman of the club claiming a large number of members 'have some kind of problem with Jews' Alex Chalmers, pictured, quit as co-chairman of the Oxford University Labour club after he complained that a large number of members 'have some kind of problem with Jews' Jeremy Corbyn was today told to personally intervene in a row over anti-Semitism allegations at the Oxford University Labour club. And this afternoon Ed Miliband pulled out of an event he was due to attend next month over the damaging claims. Universities Minister Jo Johnson has called for an investigation into the events in a letter to university vice-chancellor Louise Richardson. Labour MP John Mann said Mr Corbyn must 'personally look into' the claims after the club's co-chairman quit, complaining that many of its members 'have some kind of problem with Jews'. Alex Chalmers, an undergraduate at Oriel College, also claimed some of the group even sympathise with Islamic militant group Hamas - an allegation that Mr Corbyn himself has faced ever since he announced his bid to run for Labour leader. The club, which counts a number of esteemed politicians as former members, including Michael Foot and the Miliband brothers, has been rocked by claims of racism. The University's Jewish Society, known as JSoc, said it had heard reports of slurs and songs sung that amount to anti-Semitism. Labour MPs say they are 'deeply concerned' at the allegations while the Israeli embassy said it is 'appalled' by the claims which, if true, are 'abhorrent'. Labour Students, the body which Oxford University Labour Club is affiliated to, has launched an immediate investigation into the matter. This afternoon it emerged Mr Miliband had decided to postpone a talk he was planning to give to the Oxford University Labour Club in March. He was due to address the club's annual John Smith Memorial Dinner on March 4. A spokesman for the former Labour leader told the New Statesman: 'Ed is deeply disturbed to hear of reports of anti-semitism in the Oxford University Labour Club. ANTI-SEMITISM CLAIMS AT OXFORD NEED AN URGENT INVESTIGATION, MINISTER DEMANDS Oxford University must carry out an urgent investigation into the allegations of anti-Semitism, the universities minister said today. Jo Johnson, right, has written to vice-chancellor Louise Richardson outlining his concerns at the reports. He said: 'I am writing now following reports in the press alleging rampant anti-Semitism among members of the Oxford University Labour Club, and following the resignation of its chairman Alex Chalmers. There can be no justification for attacks on Jewish students, and no tolerance for institutionalised racism within an organisation that bears the University's name. Universities must be places for students, irrespective of their background, to develop as individuals and citizens, free from the fear of racism or the kind of intimidation that curtails free speech. Jewish students at Oxford and all universities must feel confident that university leaders take their safety seriously. I would welcome your assurance that the situation involving the OULC is being urgently and thoroughly investigated, with strong disciplinary action taken where necessary. Advertisement 'It is right that the executive of the club has roundly condemned the comments and fully co-operates with the Labour Students investigation. 'Ed and the Labour Club have agreed that his talk should be postponed until the investigation is resolved.' Mr Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, said Mr Corbyn should ensure a thorough investigation is carried out. 'I have written to the Labour party asking for an investigation as a matter of urgency,' he said today. 'It is hugely embarrassing for the Labour party. This is something Jeremy Corbyn should personally look into.' MP Louise Ellman, vice chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel, said: 'I am deeply disturbed by the news that Oxford University Labour Club has decided to support Israel Apartheid Week and by the revelations from Alex Chalmers about the troubling tone of the discourse in which this debate appears to have been conducted.' She said comparisons between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa 'are a grotesque smear and the Labour Party should dissociate itself from them'. The Israeli embassy in London said: 'The embassy of Israel is appalled by reports of anti-Semitism, intimidation of Jewish students, and support for terrorism against Israel at the Oxford Labour Club. 'We would not expect such disgraceful activity from any morally upright person - let alone students at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. 'Anti-Semitism masquerading as politics is abhorrent. 'It must be recognised as such and condemned by all.' Mr Chalmers said he resigned following the club's decision to endorse Israel Apartheid Week. In a public post on his Facebook page, he said that despite the club's 'avowed commitment to liberation', the attitude of certain members towards disadvantaged groups was 'becoming poisonous'. Labour MP John Mann, right, called on Jeremy Corbyn, left, to personally intervene over the claims of anti-Semitism at the Oxford University Labour club His comments, alongside allegations published by the university's Jewish Society, has sparked the investigation by Labour Students, which said it is 'deeply troubled' at the reports. A Labour party spokeswoman said the Party 'condemns anti-Semitism in any form' and that they welcome the investigation. The executive committee of the Oxford University Labour Club said it would co-operate with the investigation. In a statement they said: 'We are horrified at and whole-heartedly condemn anti-Semitic behaviour in all its forms. 'The comments detailed in JSoc's statement last night indicate a shocking pattern of hateful and racist behaviour by some club members, and it's of the highest priority that this be dealt with swiftly and lastingly. 'Labour Students is launching an investigation; we will fully co-operate with this and encourage any of our members to come forward with any information that will assist the process.' Eric Devin Masters from Michigan, who has admitted three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct during an appearance at Kent County Circuit Court A former coast guard who was convicted of making sexually-explicit videos of children has pleaded guilty to raping a toddler in a motel room while filming the attack. Eric Devin Masters, 29, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, admitted three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct during an appearance at Kent County Circuit Court. Masters is already in jail serving a 50 year sentence for a previous charge of sexually exploiting children. But when investigators started to probe the case, they learned that Masters had raped an 18-month-old girl on Christmas Day in 2011 and recorded it on video. According to the Detroit Free Press, the video showed the 29-year-old engage in multiple sex acts with the toddler, who at times was tied to the bed. Judge Mark Trusock accepted the guilty pleas on five felony charges and Masters answered 'yes sir' when asked if the facts of each assault was true. He is due back before the court on March 17, where he will be sentenced, with first-degree criminal sexual conduct punishable by up to life in prison. Last year, Masters received a 50-year prison term when he was convicted of producing child pornography of three young girls, aged 18 months to 12 years old. FBI investigators found that over the course of five years, Masters molested five young girls in five West Michigan counties. After sentencing, the mothers of two of the victims in the federal case spoke out, describing emotionally the pain Masters put them and their children through. During his case Masters also addressed the court and said he was 'feeding an addiction' that he could not stop. Judge Mark Trusock at Kent County Circuit Court, pictured, accepted the guilty pleas on five felony charges and Masters answered 'yes sir' when asked if the facts of each assault was true In imposing the 50-year sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell stated that this was one of the worst scenarios he could think of and one of the worst cases he had ever seen. He said: 'I am stunned by your lack of understanding of yourself and why you did what you did.' Two RAF Typhoons have been scrambled this afternoon to intercept two Russian bombers heading towards UK airspace. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed two Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack aircraft have been spotted heading towards Britain with Typhoons sent out in response. A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that the Russian jets are currently in the UK's area of interest, but have not yet entered UK airspace. Scroll down for video Two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers have been spotted approaching UK airspace (file picture) A map showing the flight path of the Typhoons to intercept the Blackjack bombers this afternoon The Typhoons, which were dispatched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, are currently escorting the bombers south across the North Sea. They are part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert. The UK's airspace covers a 12-mile radius out from the UK coastline. It is believed the aircraft are with the Long Range Aviation branch of the Russian military, which are involved in strategic bombing missions and carry nuclear weapons. They have never penetrated UK airspace. Typhoon jets can be deployed in a range of operations, including combat. More recently, Typhoons have been involved in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria, with jets dispatched from the British military base of RAF Akrotiri. Vladimir Putin has previously been accused of Cold War-style 'brinkmanship' over similar incidents with Nato aircraft across Europe, including more than 100 Russian planes intercepted in 2014. A RAF Typhoon jet similar to two that have been scrambled to intercept Russian planes (file picture) A Russian Blackjack bomber (Tupolev Tu 160) being intercepted an RAF Tornado F3 fighter near Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, in March 2014 Last November tensions mounted further when Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet after it allegedly entered Turkish airspace while operating missions in Syria. HOW THE TU-160 IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST OPERATIONAL BOMBER The Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack, which is also known as the White Swan, is the world's largest operational bomber. The Blackjack can fly twice the speed of sound It has also been billed as the world's largest combat aircraft, supersonic aircraft and variable-sweep aircraft - and been compared to the American B-1 bomber. Measuring 178ft long and with a spread wing span of 183ft, the aircraft has a range of more than 7,500 miles. With a crew of four men, the Blackjack entered service in 1987 and can carry 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles as well as 24 Kh-15 attack missiles. The aircraft is part of the Long Range Aviation branch of the Russian Air Force which is involved with long-range nuclear weapons. Advertisement Intercepts of Russian aircraft by NATO have increased over the last year amid heightened tensions between the West and Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. The Blackjack is the world's largest operational bomber and is nicknamed the White Swan by the pilots. It can travel at twice the speed of sound and carry 16 nuclear missiles. It is possible the bombers were taking an unusual route to Syria, after a similar incident last November when two Blackjacks came close to entering UK airspace and Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to intercept them. The Russian aircraft were making an out-of-the-ordinary 8,000-mile trip round Europe on their way to a bombing mission in Syria. The bombers departed from Olengorsk, in the Kola Peninsula and made their way westbound, coming close to Norwegian and British airspace, where they were met by the RAF. Once intercepted by Britain's Typhoons, they made their way over the Atlantic Ocean and headed back east to Gibraltar, before firing their missiles from the Mediterranean Sea. After flying over Syria, they took the usual route home, over Iran and the Caspian Sea, according to The Aviationist. In October, Typhoons intercepted a Russian Tu-95 'Bear' over the North Sea and Russian warships passed through the Channel and had to be escorted by the Navy. As previously reported in May 2015, The RAF was forced to scramble two fighter jets after Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons were spotted flying towards British territory. The Typhoon jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland to intercept two Russian Bear aircraft and escort them away from the UK. Deonte Carraway, 22, was arrested last week after police said he filmed 'vile sexual acts' between children while working as a volunteer teacher's aide Seventeen children have now been identified as victims of a Maryland volunteer teacher's assistant who admitted to making sexual videos of children, police said. On Wednesday, Prince George's County police said another child had come forward as a victim in the case involving 22-year-old Deonte Carraway, according to NBC Washington. 'We're conducting forensic interviews in Deonte Carraway case,' Police Chief Hank Stawinski told NBC on Wednesday. 'Our concern is providing support to victims.' Carraway was arrested on February 5 after allegedly videotaping 'vile sexual acts between minors during the school day on school grounds' during his time working at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School in Glenarden. Police said they recovered more than 40 videos showing children performing sexual acts alone or with each other, under the direction of Carraway, according to the New York Post. Carraway, who had been volunteering at the elementary school, was arrested after police said he admitted to making sexual videos of children. Scroll down for video Carraway (pictured, far left), of Glenarden, Maryland posted this image of a field trip with pupils on February 3 last year. Police said they recovered more than 40 videos showing children performing sexual acts alone or with each other, under the direction of Carraway Last week, authorities said that they had identified 12 victims so far and said some of the videos were recorded in a school bathroom. Carraway also made recordings in private homes, in the school, the Glenarden Municipal Center and the Theresa Banks Memorial Aquatic Center, according to a statement from Prince George's County police. Carraway has since been charged with 10 counts of felony child pornography, abuse of a minor and second-degree sexual offense. Police were notified when pornography was found on a child's phone. 'We were notified by the uncle of a student that they saw a nude photo on the child's phone on the application Kik,' said one police officer, according to CBS Baltimore. 'That's how they were relaying the images back and forth.' Court documents said he had recorded videos of at least 10 children aged between nine and 13. However, police said the investigation could last months and uncover more victims. The guardian of a nine-year-old student has filed a lawsuit against Prince George's County Public Schools, claiming the predatory behavior of Carraway was known by students and teachers and even reported to the school's principal. The guardian is suing for the boy allegedly being sexually exploited by Carraway. The lawsuit claims teachers had expressed concerns about Carraway to principle Michelle Williams, but Williams said she could not act without proof. School system CEO Kevin Maxwell said last week that Williams had been put on paid leave. Some of the videos are said by police to have been filmed at Sylvania Woods Elementary School in Glenarden Carraway has been charged with 10 counts of felony child pornography, abuse of a minor and second-degree sexual offense According to his Twitter account, Carraway was active on Kik and Instagram under the username Glenardenboy, although his Instagram account appears to have now been deleted. At the time of writing, Carraway's Twitter account has no posts more recent than November last year. Most paint him as a fairly happy individual, but one post from that time says, 'Basically don't open up to anyone ever.' He also posted various selfies, including topless images, and on February 3 last year he posted a photo of himself taking a class of small children on a field trip. Carraway had been a paid assistant in the previous school year and was working as a volunteer this year. He was also the director of the Glenarden Voices of Youth Choir. Prince George's County Public Schools said in a statement 'The safety of our students is a top priority for PGCPS.' A spokesperson told CBS Baltimore that Carraway had undergone a background check and that he did not have a criminal record. Convinced: Eugene Scalia said the justice's family had no doubt his death was natural Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia's son today rejected conspiracy theories surrounding his father's death. Eugene Scalia broke the late justice's family's silence to tell a radio show that none of them doubted he was 'taken from us by natural causes'. The intervention came amid a series of questions over the death, prompted by the lack of an autopsy, the death being certified by phone by a judge, and an initial description of his body being found with a pillow 'over his face'. Eugene Scalia spoke out as the flurry of calls panicked phone calls to local police staff at the Texas ranch where the judge was found dead on Saturday were revealed to Daily Mail Online. Politico reported that the justice's son told the Laura Ingraham radio show on Wednesday: 'Our family just has no doubt that he was taken from us by natural causes. 'We accept that. Were praying for him. We ask others to accept that and pray for him.' Call records seen exclusively by Daily Mail Online show that the first was made at 12.04 shortly after Scalia's body was discovered in the $700-a-night El Presidente suite. The conversation, which took place between a ranch staffer and the 911 duty officer, ended with a request for the US Marshal Service. Eight minutes later, at 12.14pm, a second call from the ranch came in this time requesting a different service and made direct to the police department. Detailed: Minute-by-minute, the call log of the Presidio County Sheriff's department shows how the discovery of the justice's death unfolded Location: The 'El Presidente' suite at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, where Scalia's body was found Saturday morning. John Poindexter, the ranch's owner, said the judge was 'lying very restfully' when he was discovered Speaking out: Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez tells Daily Mail Online he stands by his investigation into the death of the Supreme Court Justice PILLOW WHICH FUELED MYSTERY A description of how the justice was found has been one of the main drivers of conspiracy theories. Ranch owner John Poindexter initially spoke of how Scalia was found with a pillow 'over his face'. On Tuesday Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez spoke to Daily Mail Online to put the record straight, saying that it was 'above' his head. And on Wednesday Poindexter also spoke to CNN and said: 'He had a pillow over his head, not over his face as some have been saying, said John Poindexter, owner of the Cibolo Creek Ranch. 'The pillow was against the headboard and over his head when he was discovered. He looked like someone who had had a restful nights sleep. There was no evidence of anything else.' Advertisement At 12.19pm, a third call was received, again to the police headquarters, but this time asking for an alternative number. Next came a call from ranch owner John Poindexter listed in the log as 'John Point Desker' who is recorded as 'having an urgent matter, requesting Sheriff'. Finally, at 12.35pm, the log notes that a call from Sheriff Danny Dominguez was 'transferred to Point Desker from Cibolo Creek'. By that time, Sheriff Dominguez, 53, was arriving at the lavish ranch which sits 39 miles outside of Presidio County seat Marfa and just short of Shafter; a former silver mining town that is now largely abandoned. The property, which is tucked away down a lengthy private road and hidden in a fold of the mountains, has long been popular with wealthy tourists among them rocker Mick Jagger and actors Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts. The flurry of calls came shortly after 79-year-old Scalia's body was discovered in his room between 11.30am and 11.40am on Saturday morning. Scalia, who was revealed to have had a history of heart problems, had been enjoying a quail shoot at the property with friends but retired to bed early on Friday night after complaining of tiredness. The next morning, Poindexter and a friend of the late Justice's attempted to call him at around 8.30am but on getting no answer, decided to go out. On their return, at 11.30am, the duo broke into Scalia's room and found him lying 'cold' in his bed. Poindexter later told reporters that 'the judge...was in complete repose. He was very peaceful in the bed. He had obviously passed away with no difficulty at all in the middle of the night.' He added: 'Among the most commonly said things [on Saturday] was, if this had to happen, and we're really sad that it did, but if it had to happen, it happened in the very best of circumstances. 'He seemed to enjoy himself greatly.' Remote: The Cibolo Creek Ranch is almost 40 miles from the nearest town, Marfa, where the sheriff and his deputies had to come from when his body was discovered Historic: The ranch includes restored forts from the 19th century Empty: The ranch is access from county road 67 and the surrounding area is devoid of other settlement This town: The nearest official settlement to the ranch is Shafter, now a ghost town Meanwhile, Sheriff Dominguez has ruled out foul play and told Daily Mail Online that a pillow originally said to have been covering Scalia's head was in fact above it. 'He [Scalia] was just lying on the bed with a pillow above his head,' he said. 'Everything seemed normal and he was just there lying down. 'There was no sign of a struggle, no wrinkles in the cover or on the pillow either.' He also hit out at the conspiracy theories that have sprung up in the wake of the Supreme Court Justice's death and said the rush to politicize the death was 'disrespectful to the family'. 'It was totally routine,' he said. 'Everyone has their way of doing an investigation and we did it our way. 'I was told that he had been there and had been out hunting quail with his friends the day before. They said he had felt tired afterwards and went to bed around nine.' He added: 'Those people in Washington, they got their theories and I got mine. They need to keep politics out of it.' Asked by Daily Mail Online on Tuesday why Judge Cinderela Gonzalez felt able to issue a death certificate stating Scalia died of natural causes without seeing the body or an autopsy carried out, he explained: 'If there's no suspicious circumstances, then that is allowed under Texas law. She made that decision after speaking with me and after making calls to his doctor and his family. Hunting country: The justice had been shooting quail with an unnamed group of 'admirers' at the ranch Mourned: Justice Scalia's funeral will be on Saturday, in the form of a requiem mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington DC. His seat at the court was draped in black this week 'The decision was also based on what they told her.' Scalia, whose body was returned to Virginia late on Sunday afternoon, will now be laid to rest this weekend. Ahead of his funeral on Saturday, he will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Friday in continuance of a tradition last observed after the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2006. But while Scalia's family have asked for privacy as they mourn, the death of the conservative justice has sparked a political war of words. President Obama has insisted that he will nominate a replacement for Scalia, backed by Democratic hopeful Hilary Clinton, while Republican presidential candidates have said they will oppose any attempt to appoint a new justice ahead of November's general election. Senator Ted Cruz, 45, has proved particularly vociferous and said on Monday that he would 'absolutely filibuster' any nomination Obama might make. However, the ongoing political wrangle has left a bad taste in the mouth of some onlookers not least Sheriff Dominguez, who says the political reaction to Scalia's death has been 'upsetting'. 'My issue is why are they [Washington] turning his death into such a big political deal already? It shows a huge lack of respect. 'Everyone, even our President, is getting involved and it's all about them and how it can be used for their benefit. He added: 'They hadn't even removed the body when all of this started up. They should have at least let the funeral pass first. 'It's really upsetting that these are the kind of leaders we have and that it goes right to the very top. Show the family some respect. 'Both parties have been as bad as each other. They could have waited but they chose not to. Instead, they had to put their two cents in with no thought for the family.' But she tells jury they were 'only together for the sake of the children' A mother-of-three accused of planning to take her children to join her Jihadi husband in Syria told a court today that she now hates him after learning he had joined a Muslim dating site. Former supply teacher Sajid Aslam, 34, from Walsall is said to have left his Northern Ireland-born wife Lorna Moore, 33, and their children to join ISIS in August 2014. She allegedly failed to alert police and even planned to reunite the family in the civil war-ravaged country after she received a text from another couple making the trip saying: 'see you there'. Northern Irish Islamic convert Lorna Moore, 33, (left at court and right on arrest), who is accused of planning to take her children to join her Jihadi husband Sajid Aslam in Syria However, the white Muslim convert today told jurors at the Old Bailey in London that she would 'never' have put the lives of her children at risk and said she saw ISIS as a 'terrorist organisation'. She said that by the time her husband left, they 'were only together for the sake of the children' and told the court Aslam had even subscribed to 'singlemuslim.com'. Moore said how she had thrown him out of the house years earlier, but was forced to take him back when a Muslim cleric told her she would not get to paradise if she got a divorce. Asked by her barrister, Rag Chand, how she now feels about Aslam, Moore replied: 'I hate him for what he has done to me and the kids. 'I'm trying to hold things together, he's happily sitting there.' She continued: 'I can't let him have any contact with my kids'. Former supply teacher Sajid Aslam from Walsall who is said to have left his Northern Ireland-born wife Lorna Moore, 33, and their children to join ISIS in August 2014 Moore, whose children are aged 10, nine and three, added: 'I grew up in Northern Ireland, I had to check if there was something under the car. It was not a life I wanted for my children.' The court heard Moore was born in Omagh and grew up an only child in the countryside. She was raised as a Protestant, attended Manchester Metropolitan University and hoped to become a teacher. She has taught in several primary schools, but by 2014 Moore was working as a project manager for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) where she helped young parents, including British soldiers' wives. She had also enrolled on a 4,500 course to train as a Maths teacher. Moore met Aslam in 2000 while living in university halls of residence and the pair lived a 'typical student life' after falling in love. She converted to Islam before they got married and moved to Walsall, but Moore said Aslam 'changed' after their first child was born, becoming aggressive. 'It got worse. He started to swear if things had not been done in the house,' she said. 'If toilets had not been cleaned he would become a bit more physical with more name-calling.' Moore said he would call her a 'f****** white b****', a 'chav' and a 'Gori' (an offensive name for a white person). 'He would grab me by the hair and put my face in the toilet and say 'does that look clean to you,' she continued. '[He said] if it was not for him I would be a "Gori on a council estate with a can of Carling and a cigarette and with five kids by five different fathers." She claimed that she worked and did all of the housework while Aslam sat around playing computer games. But she had enough by 2010 and called police in an attempt to get him out of their home, jurors heard. 'The thing that spurred me on into kicking him out was the police forwarded my details onto victim support and they were calling the land line,' she said. 'I was petrified that if he found out he would hurt me.' The court heard he lived at his mother's house for six months, but was persuaded to visit the local Muslim Council. 'We saw a Muslim cleric, I wanted a divorce, in Islam it's difficult to get divorced,' she said. Aslam's group included Jacob Petty (left), who attended a Church of England school and is the son of minister Reverend Sue Boyce (right), in Walsall before converting to Islam aged 15 and leaving the UK to fight in Syria in the summer of 2014, it is claimed 'I was able to speak about certain things, but he said I should be grateful I was not coming in black and blue and said just because I was a white Muslim, it didn't mean I was a special Muslim. 'He said I would have to take him back in the house if I wanted to go to paradise.' Moore said she was 'devastated', but allowed Aslam back into the family home. She explained their relationship was not sexual from then on, although they did have a third child after a one-off encounter. Aslam began teaching and would spend his spare time in a games room in the loft, equipped with a computer games console, pool table and dart board, jurors heard. Moore said her husband told her he was going on holiday with his sister while she was away at Butlin's, in Skegness from August 22, 2014. Prosecutors say Aslam flew to Turkey before crossing the Syrian border on August 30 when he sent his friend Ayman Shaukat a coded message to announce he had arrived. The court has heard how former Church of England schoolboy Alex Nash, 22, and his Muslim wife, Yousma Jan, 20, flew to Turkey on November 4. Just an hour before another couple, who were intent on making the same trip, arrived at Birmingham Airport to start their journey, Moore received a text message from Jan's phone saying: 'See you there.' Ayman Shaukat (pictured) is accused of helping Aslam and another man get to Syria to join ISIS The pair were deported back to the UK by the Turkish authorities and arrested off the plane at Heathrow airport. Nash has since pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts. Moore had booked return flights for her and her children to Palma, Majorca for November 15 and made an appointment to get passports for her children Jurors have previously heard she was also making arrangements to rent out her home. But Moore insisted the text message referred to an arrangement she had made to pick up Nash and Jan from the airport when they returned from holiday. She said she was considering moving back to Ireland and that she would probably have sold her home had she been planning to move away for good. Moore is on trial accused of failing to alert police that her husband was going to Syria in 2014 alongside Shaukat, who is accused of helping Aslam and another man travel to the civil war-ravaged country. They are said to have been part of a group of young Muslims, from Walsall, who left, or planned to leave, the country to join ISIS. The group included Jacob Petty, who attended a Church of England school, in Walsall before converting to Islam aged 15 and leaving the UK to fight in Syria in the summer of 2014, it is claimed. In an email with the subject 'New Life', he told his parents, including his minister mother Reverend Sue Boyce, he would never be coming back to the country and is believed to have been killed, aged 25, while using the name Abu Yaqoob Britany. Petty's school friend, Isaiah Siadatan, left the wife he married in an Islamic ceremony, Kerry Thomason, 24, and their two children to join him. Police stopped Thomason following Siadatan, and he later sent her an email 'insisting that she should bring their children to him in the Islamic State', said Mr Christopher. It is not known whether he is still alive, but Thomason has admitted to assisting Siadatan in preparation for his acts of terrorism. Shaukat, of Walsall, denies two counts of preparation of terrorist acts and one charge of possession of information contrary to the Terrorism Act. Moore, also from Walsall, denies concealing information about acts of terrorism, and Nash, of Walsall has admitted preparation of terrorist acts. Authorities say man is believed to have been However pay devices can 'store' up to 400 in payments without wifi Payments on contactless debit or credit cards can be made up to 30 A brazen thief has allegedly been spotted committing a crime which exposes the risks of owning a contactless payment card. The scammer, reportedly photographed in Russia, was seen on a train using a payment device to scan contactless cards through unsuspecting victims' pockets and bags. While contactless card payments can only be made up to 30, devices are able to 'store' more than 400 without a connection to a landline or wireless internet. Shameless: This brazen thief was reportedly spotted in Russia, using a payment device to scan contactless cards through unsuspecting victims' pockets and bags The shameless 'contactless thief' was reportedly photographed by a man named Paul Jarvis, who used the snap to highlight the issues of the cards in a Facebook post, which has since gone viral. He wrote: 'So this guy was spotted wandering round with a Point of Sale (POS) device. All he has to do is key in a price less than 30 and then touch the device on the pocket that contains your wallet. 'Ching! You've just been charged automatically on your touch pay enabled credit/debit card.... We just tried this in my local pub with their POS device and it worked... 'I've actually shown people this using the NFC function on my mobile to read their card data through their wallet to freak them out but this is the first time I've seen someone doing it for real. 'Time to invest in a screened wallet I guess..' Mr Jarvis' posted the picture on his Facebook on Saturday, after which it has been shared more than 10,000 times. High risk: While contactless card payments can only be made up for 30, devices are able to 'store' more than 400 worth without a connection to a landline or wireless internet While Mr Jarvis appears to be British, authorities have today said they believed that the photograph was in fact taken in Russia. Despite the alleged thief being pictured abroad, there is cause to worry about the increasing use of contactless cards. Speaking to MailOnline, leading hospitality industry professionals explained that the risk of the Facebook post becoming a reality in the UK is why they have opted not to get contactless cards. 'If your payment device is signed into your mobile account this is completely possible, although this also makes it 100 per cent traceable!,' says London-based bar consultant Elliot Davies, who has more than a decade's experience in hospitality . 'And it would only work up to a certain amount, up to 400-odd quid, before it needs to be locked into a telephone line. 'He would have have a business account, a POS (Point of Sale) account, and a business bank account, all easy for police to trace and locate. 'Not worth the jailtime.' Ken Livingstone has compared Tony Blair's New Labour with North Korea Ken Livingstone has drawn a contrast between the 'democrat' Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair's New Labour which was 'more like North Korea'. The former London mayor's latest outburst related to the party's leadership election rules where he called for MPs to be sidelined from the process. He insisted Labour's Parliamentary Party having a 'veto' over who runs to be leader was 'nonsense'. And in a New Statesman interview, Mr Livingstone said: 'The Labour Party before Blair was a genuinely open, democratic one. Jeremy's bringing that back.' He added: 'Jeremy is genuinely a democrat, unlike the New Labour regime, which was more like North Korea, internally.' Current Labour rules require a leadership candidate to be endorsed by at least 15 per cent of parliamentarians before they are allowed on the ballot paper. The rules forced Mr Corbyn to scramble into last year's leadership election at the last minute by borrowing nominations - before romping to an improbably victory. Mr Livingstone suggested that instead, someone should be allowed to run for leader with the backing of just two MPs. He added: 'Why not allow councillors to do it?' North Korea has already sparked international outrage on several occasions this year. It carried out a nuclear test in January and claimed it had successfully set off a hydrogen bomb. International experts studying the data from the explosion were sceptical. Concerns were raised further this month when the regime launched a long range missile in a test. North Korea claimed it was pursuing a peaceful space programme but the launch prompted discussion of whether to install a missile defence system. In remarks set to infuriate Labour backbenchers, Mr Livingstone insisted all MPs should face 'automatic reselection all the time'. He said: 'Those Labour MPs were there during a Labour regime that never reversed Thatcher's anti-union laws, never gave people the stronger work rights that we had in the past - yet they demand them for themselves. 'It's wrong.' Mr Livingstone endorsed George Osborne for the leadership of the Tory Party because he said it would make it easier for Labour to win in 2020. He said: 'I'm hoping Osborne, because he's the most obnoxious snob in British politics. That'd be good. 'The contrast between George Osborne and Jeremy Corbyn, who is actually a nicer and more regular guy, is exactly what we want.' Mr Livingstone was sidelined from Labour's defence review last month after a series of interventions which infuriated the party's MPs. Mr Livingstone insisted the new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was more democratic than Tony Blair as he called for an overhaul of the party leadership rules The activities of the despotic Kim Jong-Un, pictured last year following a submarine missile test, have repeatedly provoked international outrage But he even suggested last month he could be tempted by a return to the Commons if a by election occurred. In a Sunday Times interview he also defended Stalin and Putin and insisted he could have won as much as Tony Blair if he had been Labour leader in the 1990s. Mr Livingstone repeated his call for the cancellation of the renewal of Trident. He said the money should instead be spent on 'arts and recreation' - insisting this would create jobs. He said: 'Of course I would be tempted. I love running things and I love Jeremy.' Islamic State terrorists are feared to have obtained 'highly dangerous' radioactive material that could be used as a weapon in their war against the West. The Iraqi government is searching for the material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop, after it was stolen in November from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra. It is said to have belonged to U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford and utilizes gamma rays to test flaws in materials in oil and gas pipelines. Officials fear it could be used to make a so-called 'dirty bomb' - a device that combines nuclear material with conventional explosives to contaminate an area with deadly radiation. In comparison, a nuclear weapon uses nuclear fission technology to trigger a vastly more powerful blast. There are fears the 'highly dangerous' stolen material could be used in a 'dirty' bomb by ISIS militants The militants are known to have previously used chemical weapons - such as mustard gas - while fighting for territory across Iraq and Syria A senior environment ministry official based in Basra, who declined to be named, said the device contained up to 0.35oz of Ir-192 'capsules', a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. Large quantities of the material - called Ir-192 - have gone missing before in the U.S., Britain and other countries, stoking fears among security officials that it could fall into hands of criminals. A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry said he could not discuss the issue, citing national security concerns, while Weatherford offices either declined to comment or did not return calls. The material was owned by Istanbul-based SGS Turkey, according to a document seen by Reuters and confirmed by multiple officials. It too declined to comment and referred Reuters to its Turkish headquarters, which did not respond to phone calls. The document, dated November 30 and addressed to the ministry's Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes 'the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity belonging to SGS from a depot belonging to Weatherford in the Rafidhia area of Basra province'. The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). If not managed properly, it could cause permanent injury to a person in close proximity to it, and could be fatal to someone exposed for a period of hours to days. A senior security official, who declined to be identified, said: 'We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh. They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb.' Specialists in biological and chemical warfare say ISIS may have developed their own chemical weapons capability. Pictured is a capsule being cleaned from a building following an ISIS mustard gas attack A canon capsule is seen following ISIS terrorists' mustard gas attack in the rebel-controlled Marea District of Aleppo in September last year There was no indication the material had yet come into the possession of ISIS, which seized territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 but does not control areas near Basra. The security official, based in Baghdad, told there were no immediate suspects for the theft. But the official said the investigation suggested the culprits had specific knowledge of the material and the facility: 'No broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry,' he said. An operations manager for Iraqi security firm Taiz, which was contracted to protect the facility, declined to comment, citing instructions from Iraqi security authorities. A spokesman for Basra operations command, responsible for security in Basra province, said army, police and intelligence forces were working 'day and night' to locate the material. The army and police have responsibility for security in the country's south, where Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias and criminal gangs also operate. Iraqi forces are battling ISIS in the country's north and west, backed by a U.S.-led coalition. The closest area fully controlled by ISIS is more than 300 miles north of Basra in the western province of Anbar. The Sunni militants control no territory in the predominantly Shi'ite southern provinces but have claimed bomb attacks there, including one that killed 10 people in October in the district where the Weatherford facility is located. The militant group has been accused of using chemical weapons on more than one occasion over the past few years. Chemical producing equipment is seen at the site of a suspected insurgent facility in northern Iraq in 2005 Besides the risk of a dirty bomb, the radioactive material could cause harm simply by being left exposed in a public place for several days, said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. 'If they left it in some crowded place, that would be more of the risk. If they kept it together but without shielding. 'Certainly it's not insignificant. You could cause some panic with this. They would want to get this back.' The senior environmental official said authorities were worried that whoever stole the material would mishandle it, leading to radioactive pollution of 'catastrophic proportions'. A second senior environment ministry official, also based in Basra, said counter-radiation teams had begun inspecting oil sites, scrapyards and border crossings to locate the device. Two Basra provincial government officials said they were directed on November 25 to coordinate with local hospitals. ISIS terrorists in Indonesia are planning to target the nation's food and water supplies with cyanide according to the country's security chief. Minster Luhut Pandjaitan warned that Islamic terrorists were especially keen on targeting the supplies of the police and army in an effort to destabilise the state. Speaking to reporters, Pandjaitan claimed: 'IS is now using cyanide to terrorise. They are using cyanide to poison food.' Scroll down for video Indonesian military are on high alert after reports emerged of ISIS attempts to acquire cyanide in the country Indonesian security minister Luhut Panjaitan, centre, believes ISIS is awaiting to strike with cyanide He continued: 'We have considered various forms of threats and we are prepared to face such a possibility (of cyanide poisoning).' Indonesia is trying to crackdown on Islamic fanatics, including terrorists who have aligned themselves with ISIS According to IBT.com, Indonesia's police chief General Badrodin Haiti claimed ISIS had taken the idea from a recent murder in Jakarta where the victim drank coffee laced with cyanide. In recent weeks, Indonesian police have arrested 20 suspected terrorists linked to ISIS. Many of those who were detained had close links to three leading Indonesian members of the terror group who are currently in Syria. Authorities also believe ISIS sympathisers have infiltrated the nation's prison system where they are seeking to recruit hardened criminals to their cause. One cell busted south of Jakarta had recruited an inmate trusted by jail wardens to steal guns and ammunition from the police armoury behind bars. A police source said his girlfriend hid the weapons in an insulated lunchbox and smuggled them to militants on the outside. Horrific footage shows a woman being brutally punched to the ground and a floored male reveller savagely beaten after a mass brawl erupted outside a nightclub. The 26-year-old man was later taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder, while the woman, 28, suffered a black eye and broken leg after trying to intervene in the fight. Police are investigating the incident, which happened outside the Scala nightclub in Camden, north London, at just after 5am on September 1 last year. Violence: CCTV footage has captured the moment a mass brawl erupted outside a nightclub in north London Brutal: Horrific video shows a floored male reveller being savagely beaten after a fight broke out last year The injured revellers were both rushed to hospital by ambulances following the violence. Officers are appealing for information in relation to two suspects they believe attacked the pair and then fled the scene before police arrived. The suspect believed to have stabbed the male reveller is described as a light skinned black man, aged about 20 years old, of stocky build, with short dark hair. He wore a black hooded top and black trousers and was carrying what is thought to be a knife. Injured: The 26-year-old man was later taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder, while the woman, 28, suffered a black eye and broken leg after trying to intervene in the fight on September 1 2015 Appeal: Police are investigating the incident, which happened outside the Scala nightclub in Camden, London Mass brawl: The injured revellers were both rushed to hospital by ambulances following the violent scenes The second suspect, believed to have punched the woman, is described as a black man aged about 20 years old. He was wearing a black jacket and light blue jeans. Anyone with any information has been asked to contact Detective Constable Arif Sheikh at Camden CID on 020 8733 6047 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Investigation: Officers are appealing for information in relation to two suspects they believe attacked the pair and then fled the scene before officers arrived The suspect believed to have stabbed the male reveller is described as a light skinned black man, aged about 20 years old, of stocky build, with short dark hair. He wore a black hooded top and black trousers New York City's top officials have denounced President Barack Obamas plan to slash federal counterterrorism funding by half. NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro and New York's Senator Charles Schumer gathered for a news conference at One Police Plaza in Manhattan on Wednesday, urging Congress to fully fund the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). They vowed to fight the White House proposal, which would cut funding to the UASI - which assists high-threat areas with resources to prevent, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism - from $600million to $330million. Scroll down for video NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton speaks at a news conference on Wednesday NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton (left on Wednesday) called President Obama's (right) plan to slash anti-terror funding unconscionable considering New York City is a top terror target It would trim the funding for New York City from $180million to $90million. The city relies on the money to maintain terrorism prevention and response infrastructure as well as help offset local municipalities' security expenditures. Bratton blasted the plan as unconscionable, considering the city is a top terror target', adding that the money was vital to keeping more than eight million New Yorkers safe. New York City remains a top terror target. To cut funding - for a city that the entire federal government acknowledges is the top terror target - is indefensible, he said. Bratton said the proposed cut would effectively eliminate the NYPDs intelligence analyst program, as well as vapor wake bomb-sniffing dogs, cameras monitoring high-profile locations and radiological and chemical sensors. Who thought this would be a good idea? he added. Upset: (left to right) Sen. Charles Schumer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Department of New York Commissioner Bill Bratton hold a press conference criticizing the White House's proposed budget Mayor de Blasio said the city cannot afford to lose funding in the face of heightened threats. Anti-terror funding is no place to cut corners, he said. Its no secret that New York City is one of the worlds top terror targets - and the Urban Area Security Initiative helps ensure that we will be prepared for whatever dangers arise. As a city and as a nation, we cannot afford to lose this essential funding at a time when we face increased threats. New Yorks tireless police force and first responders have done their part now its time for our leaders in Washington to do theirs. U.S Senator Schumer said the UASI is the cornerstone of effective preparedness in the United States in the wake of terror attacks at home and abroad. Commissioner Bill Bratton with NYPD units funded in part through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant, which is funded through the Department of Homeland Security, after the press conference on Wednesday Members of the NYPD Strategic Response Group, which is funded in part through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant, stand outside NYPD headquarters today He said it makes no sense to slash funding, and referenced the recent ISIS-inspired attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, as proof that we must make sure America has the resources it needs to remain protected'. Schumer said: Ive said it before, and I will say it again, UASI is the cornerstone of effective preparedness and prevention against terrorist threats and enables the NYPD to do all they can to keep New Yorkers safe and secure. With ISIS-inspired attacks and terrorism on the rise all across the globe, we must make sure that America has the resources it needs to remain protected. It makes no sense for the administration to slash critically needed anti-terrorism funding, especially at a time when we are all on high alert. Bratton (pictured) said the proposed cut would effectively eliminate the NYPDs intelligence analyst program, as well as vapor wake bomb-sniffing dogs and cameras monitoring high-profile locations A man watches television screens inside the New York Police Department's Joint Operations Command room, which is funded in part through the Urban Area Security Initiative Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro (pictured) said the funding cut would have an immediate and potentially dangerous impact on the city I pledge to fight tooth and nail in Congress to make sure that UASI funds are increased in New York City and across the country. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the funding cut would have an immediate and potentially dangerous impact on the city. Nigro said that the funds have helped the FDNY train first responders to better respond to hazardous materials incidents and public health outbreaks like the Ebola virus, which reached the city last year, as well as terror attacks. The White House previously said the plan still contributes robust funding to combat terror. A California high school girl has been caught on video beating up a male student before fleeing down the street as a teacher chases her. The school lunch brawl occurred on campus at Sonoma Valley High School last Thursday, but the footage was posted to Facebook at the weekend. By Tuesday it had been viewed 12 million times. According to students, both teens are freshmen. While the boy goes to Sonoma Valley, the girl is believed to attend Creekside High School, another school on the same campus. The video shows the girl pushing the boy to the ground, and then kneeing him twice in the face, before running away. Brawl: A fight broke out on the Sonoma Valley High School campus last Thursday involving a girl beating a boy to the ground, getting on top of him and kneeing him in the face twice Ouch: In a video posted to Facebook - and viewed over 12 million times - the female student kicks the boy in the face with her knee Scene: The school lunch brawl occurred on campus at Sonoma Valley High School last Thursday, but the footage was posted to Facebook at the weekend Fled: Leaving the boy battered on the ground, the girl quickly runs as a teacher tries to stop her As if aware of the cell phones recording her, the girl does well to cover her face as she flees. Suddenly a teacher arrives at the scene and be heard yelling: 'Get that girl! Right now! Who is that girl?' The girl then takes off through the parking lot and down the street, as the teacher appears to give up chasing her. Sonoma Valley High School Principal Kathleen Hawing confirmed the video was shot on her campus, however said the police were not called. 'We never condone violence in any shape or form,' Hawing told The Sonoma News. 'People are commenting on Facebook without any knowledge of the incident, and it's just unfortunate that those are the things we deal with.' 'We are working with our community, our students to talk about social responsibility, digital citizenship, and to understand the effects of social media.' Chase: The teacher tries to grab the girl, but she makes a run for the parking lot and manages to get away The school contacted Facebook and asked to have the video taken down. However the school told CBS SF Bay Area that Facebook declined saying that the video does not violate its community standards. Creekside High School principal Sydney Smith told the network: 'As far as I know there are not any major issues between our two schools, and we're not in competition.' Smith said 'the lesson to come out of this is to think twice, and if it's not nice, don't post it'. CCTV footage captured the shocking moment a car laden with explosives detonated during rush hour in the centre of the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing at least 28 people. The target of the blast, which also injured at least 61 people, was a convoy of military service vehicles in the administrative centre of the capital city. Footage shows several cars slowing as they pass a convoy of buses, reported to have been carrying members of the armed forces, which was attacked as it waited at traffic lights. The screen suddenly goes white as the bomb exploded, although it isn't clear from the footage from which car the explosion originated. Footage: CCTV images show cars filing past the convoy of military buses, which were attacked as they waited at traffic lights in the Turkish capital of Ankara Blur: It isn't clear from the footage from which car the explosion originated, as a number of cars slow down alongside the bus before the screen turns a bright white in the blast Aftermath: Smoke fills the streets of Ankara just moments after a car bomb exploded, killing at least 28 people and injuring 61, according to latest estimates Horror: At least 28 people are dead and 61 others injured in an explosion believed to have been caused by a car bomb in the Turkish capital of Ankara The attack took place near a busy intersection less than 500metres from parliament, and also near to the city's armed forces' headquarters and government buildings, during the evening rush hour. Plumes of smoke were seen rising over the city and the powerful blast was heard across several neighbourhoods, sending residents rushing to their balconies in a panic. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene of the blast, where emergency service workers treated victims who were shocked and covered in blood. A health ministry official said the authorities were still trying to determine the number of dead and wounded, who had been taken to several hospitals in the area. Initial reports claimed just the blast killed five people and injured 10 others, but that number was raised substantially by the city's governor Mehmet Kiliclar. The country's health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu raised the death toll again to 21, although the country's deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus later raised it again to 28. Mr Kurtulmus also confirmed that the blast was caused by a car bomb and targeted military vehicles that were carrying armed forces personnel. Blast: Flames and giant plumes of black smoke rise from the site of the explosion, which is believed to have targeted a convoy of military vehicles Panic: Emergency services at the scene following a car bomb detonation close to military buildings in Ankara, capital of Turkey Destruction: Firefighters stand near a burning car after the explosion in Ankara, which caused plumes of dark smoke to hover over the city Battle: Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara Care: A person injured in the explosion receives medical care. The death toll from the blast has risen from initial estimates of five to more than 20 He said seven prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the attack, which he described as 'well-planned'. Mr Kurtulmus said no group had yet claimed responsibility, but pledged authorities would find those behind the attack. 'I heard a huge explosion. There was smoke and a really strong smell even though we were blocks away,' said a witness. 'We could immediately hear ambulance and police car sirens rushing to the scene.' A second blast was reported to have followed the first, causing panic in the area. However, local media claimed this was caused by police detonating a suspicious package. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has cancelled his planned trip to Brussels following the explosion, according to an official in the prime minister's office. Mr Davutoglu was due to leave later on Wednesday for Brussels to meet a number of EU leaders on Thursday for discussions on the migrant crisis ahead of a full summit of the 28-member bloc. Targeted: A map of the blast site shows its proximity to Turkey's Air Force HQ (Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanligi) and to the country's parliament buildings (TBMM) Blaze: Firefighters try to extinguish flames following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara Concern: People react near the site of an explosion after a car bomb targeted Turkish military in Ankara, killing at least 28 people and injuring at least 61 others Warning: Plumes of thick, dark smoke rise above buildings following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara Hurt: A wounded man is carried to an ambulance after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara Damage: A wounded man is carried to an ambulance after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara Scare: An injured woman covered in blood sits in an ambulance after the blast during rush hour on Wednesday Meanwhile the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a visit to Azerbaijan, according to presidential sources. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said he strongly condemned the attack, Turkish media reported. Although reports are unconfirmed, Turkish security officials told Reuters that initial signs indicate the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents were behind the attack. However, separate security sources in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast gave a different account, saying they believed ISIS militants were behind the bombing. The spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, said on Twitter he strongly condemned the 'act of terror'. 'But our determination to fight [terror] will become even greater,' he added. Alarm: Turkish army service busses burn after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara. Emergency services fill the blast site, with firefighters trying to douse flames and paramedics caring for the injured Blame: A police officer clears the area of an explosion in Ankara. It has not yet been confirmed who was behind the attack, but both the PKK and ISIS have been separately blamed Security forces: Turkish police secure the blast site after an explosion on February 17, 2016 in Ankara ISIS has been blamed for a string of bombings in the country since the middle of last year. A blast in Ankara on October 10 last year killed 103 people. Two suicide bombers in the October attack blew themselves up in a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the bloodiest attack in the country's modern history. An attack on January 16 also killed 11 people, all German tourists, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the tourist heart of Istanbul. Those attacks were blamed on ISIS jihadists, as were two other deadly bombings in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the year. Turkish authorities have in recent weeks detained several suspected ISIS members, with officials saying they were planning attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. Fear: Flames can be seen emerging from behind a bus at the site of the bombing. A fire engine stands at the site of an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara Security: An ambulance arrives after an explosion in Ankara. Ambulances and fire engines were sent to the scene, which is near the Turkish military headquarters and the parliament Control: Turkish police officers block a street after an explosion in Ankara, Turkey. The city was already on edge after a series of attacks since the middle of last year Chaos: A man reacts next to policemen near the site of an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara Injury: An injured person is loaded into an ambulance car following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara. Concerned relatives and members of the public have begun arriving at the site of the blast Fight: Firefighters battle to douse flames of the raging inferno, after a car bomb targeted a convoy of military vehicles in Ankara's administrative heart, near to military headquarters, parliament and government buildings Reaction: Emergency services and members of the public rushed to the site of the explosion, which left plumes of black smoke floating over the Turkish capital On guard: A Turkish soldier stands guard near the site of an explosion in Ankara. Turkey, a NATO member, faces multiple security threats, making it difficult to pin down who is to blame for the attack Alert: Turkish soldiers stand guard near the site of an explosion in Ankara. The explosion went off near to the armed forces' headquarters, government and parliamentary buildings Wary: Police officers stand next to the explosion site in Ankara. Another explosion following the initial blast is reported to have caused panic, but reports claim it was the police detonating a suspicious package But Turkey, a NATO member, faces multiple security threats. The country is also waging an all-out assault on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has staged dozens of deadly attacks against members of the security forces in the southeast. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority. The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July. President Erdogan said on Wednesday there was no question of Turkish forces stopping their bombardment of Syrian Kurdish fighters, vowing not allow the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria. Flames: A fire engine is seen near the site of the bombing, as the death toll rises from five people to at least 28 Response: Emergency workers help an injured person on the ground near the explosion site in Ankara Rescue: An ambulance arrives, with the fire seen in background, close to the site of an explosion in Ankara On edge: Emergency services at the scene following a car bomb detonation close to military buildings in Ankara, capital of Turkey Emergency: Smoke rises over buildings following an explosion after an attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles in Ankara on February 17, 2016 Target: Cars of emergency services arrive after an explosion in Ankara, which is believed to have killed at least 28 people and injured at least 61 more Attack: A Turkish police officer closes a street after an explosion in Ankara. Although reports are unconfirmed, Turkish security officials have said that initial signs indicate the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents were behind the attack. Force: Police officers clutching riot shields arrive at the site of a bombing in Ankara. Although reports are unconfirmed, Turkish security officials have said that initial signs indicate the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents were behind the attack. THE BLOODIEST BOMB ATTACKS IN TURKEY SINCE 1982 February 17, 2016: At least 28 people are killed and 61 wounded in a car bombing targeting the Turkish military in the capital Ankara. January 12, 2016: 11 German tourists are killed and another 16 people wounded in a suicide attack by a Syrian bomber in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district, the ancient tourist heart of the city. October 10, 2015: 103 people are killed and more than 500 wounded in twin suicide bombings targeting a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara, the deadliest on Turkish soil. The government blames ISIS jihadists. July 20, 2015: 34 people are killed and about 100 injured in a suicide bombing in the predominantly-Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria. Turkish officials blame ISIS. May 11, 2013: A twin car bomb attack kills 52 people in Reyhanli near the Syrian border. Ankara blames pro-Damascus groups. February 11, 2013: 17 people are killed when a Syrian minibus explodes in Reyhanli. July 27, 2008: Two bombings in Istanbul leave 17 dead and 115 wounded. The authorities blame the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). September 12, 2006: 10 people, including children, are killed in a powerful bomb blast in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast. The PKK denies involvement. November 15 and 20, 2003: Four suicide car bomb attacks in Istanbul hit two synagogues, the British consulate and a branch of the British multinational bank HSBC, leaving 63 dead including Britain's consul general, and hundreds wounded. The attacks are claimed by Al-Qaeda and a Turkish extremist group named the Islamic Front of Raiders of the Great Orient. March 13, 1999: 12 are killed in a firebombing on an Istanbul shopping mall. The attack is claimed by the PKK, which later retracts its statement. December 25, 1991: Explosives and firebombs are hurled at an Istanbul department store, killing 17 people and injuring 23. The attack is blamed on the PKK. September 6, 1986: A twin suicide bombing claimed by Islamic Jihad kills 22 people at a synagogue in Istanbul. August 7, 1982: A bomb at Ankara airport followed by a gun battle leaves 11 dead and 63 injured. The attack is claimed by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). Source: AFP Advertisement Turkish Firtina howitzers stationed in Turkey's southern region of Kilis shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in the row, in response to incoming fire, reports said. 'They [the West] tell us to stop shelling' the Kurdish fighters in Syria, Erdogan said in a televised speech. 'Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing. Whoever fires shells on Turkey will get not just a tit-for-tat response but an even greater one,' he added. 'We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border' with Syria, Erdogan added, referring to the mountain in northern Iraq which for years has been stronghold of PKK militants. Reports this evening suggest Turkey has begun a wave of air strikes against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan. Terrifying: Peaceful demonstrators at a pro-Kurdish rally on October 10, 2015 react as a powerful blast goes off behind them. An explosion in Ankara today has killed at least 28 people and left 61 others injured Uprising: Demonstrators hold placards which reads 'We know the murderer!' during a protest against a bombing in Ankara on October 13, 2015. A blast today is believed to have been targeted at a military convoy Ankara has also been carrying out air strikes against Syrian Kurdish fighters across the border wartorn Syria since the weekend. A Kurdish splinter group, the Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan (TAK), claimed a mortar attack on Istanbul's second international airport on December 23 which killed a female cleaner and damaged several planes. A central California school district settled a free speech lawsuit brought by a high school junior who was sent home for refusing to change out of a T-shirt that read, 'Nobody Knows I'm a Lesbian.' The deal approved Tuesday night requires the Manteca Unified School District, which serves the cities of Stockton, Lathrop and Manteca, to adopt a policy clarifying that students may wear clothing with statements celebrating their or their classmates' cultural identities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The case is the latest in a long line of legal disputes over the clothing messages that school and college officials may prohibit for the stated purpose of maintaining discipline. Taylor Victor, 16, and her mother sued two Sierra High School administrators who told the girl in August that her shirt was an improper display of sexuality that violated the school's dress code and might be disruptive. A teacher had her called to the office when she showed up in the shirt, according to court documents. A central California school district has settled a free speech lawsuit brought by Taylor Victory (pictured), a high school junior, who was sent home for refusing to change out of a T-shirt that read, 'Nobody Knows I'm A Lesbian' 'The law on this is very clear: public schools can't censor the personal beliefs of students,' ACLU attorney Linnea Nelson said. 'The message of Taylor's T-shirt expresses the most fundamental type of speech already protected by the First Amendment, the California Constitution and the California education code.' Under the terms of the settlement, the high school administrators deny violating Victor's free speech rights and they and the district deny any wrongdoing. District officials did not have immediate comment Wednesday. Victor, who was open at school about identifying as a lesbian, said she had reviewed the district's dress code before deciding to wear the shirt. Not finding any rules prohibiting pro-gay messages, she says she chose to go home instead of change. 'I knew that rule did not exist, and I knew that was my free speech right to wear that shirt to school,' Victor said in an interview. The deal requires the Manteca Unified School District to adopt a policy clarifying that students may wear clothing with statements celebrating their or their classmates' cultural identities, according to the ACLU In other recent cases, Ohio University last year agreed to revise its student conduct code and pay $32,000 to a student who sued after a campus group was told not to wear T-shirts bearing a sexually suggestive double entendre. In 2013, a Connecticut school district agreed to let a high school student wear a T-shirt with a slash mark through a gay pride rainbow after facing the threat of legal action from the ACLU. But federal courts have allowed some limits on student speech. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that an Alaska school acted within its discretion to discourage illegal drug use when it suspended a student who displayed a banner reading 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' at an Olympic torch relay. And the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in 2014 that administrators at a Northern California high school plagued by racial strife lawfully banned T-shirts bearing the American flag while the campus commemorated 'Mexican Heritage Day.' With the central California settlement in the works last week, Taylor was given the go-ahead to wear the disputed T-shirt. He denies charges and the trial at Croydon Magistrates' court An angry diner hurled racist abuse at a top chef calling him a 'black ****' in front of shocked customers, a court has heard. Kevin Boxall, 43, is accused of racially abusing French brasserie owner Malcolm John while he was working at his restaurant, Brasserie Vacherin in Sutton, Surrey. However, Mr Boxall denies using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour towards Mr John on June 30 last year. The defendant is accused of racially abusing French brasserie owner Malcolm John at his restaurant, Brasserie Vacherin (pictured) in Sutton, Surrey Giving evidence today, Mr John told Croydon Magistrates' Court: 'On that day in question I was working in Sutton in the kitchen. 'I happened to be walking into the bar where I encountered the defendant. It was about 1pm. 'It was not too busy at the time, but we had a few people in the bar having drinks. 'The defendant approached me and asked if I was aware of an incident that had happened in the restaurant a few weeks earlier where he claimed he was assaulted by another customer.' The court heard Mr Boxall was dressed casually in shorts and had an 'aggressive' demeanor. Mr John said: 'I assumed that he looked like somebody under the influence of alcohol because his words were slurred and he kept moving around and waving his arms around. 'He said, do I remember or if I was aware of the incident that happened with another customer. 'I said I was not, but he was not satisfied by that and asked me what I planned to do about it, and if I had CCTV.' But when Mr Boxall was told CCTV was only available for the previous 14 days, he moved 'virtually' into Mr John's face. Mr John said: 'He was not happy with that. He took a step towards me and ushered under his breath the words "you black bastard". 'I said to him: "I want you to leave my restaurant and if you don't I will call the police". 'He didn't leave straight away, but became animated and was waving his arms around, so I gently ushered him out of the restaurant.' Mr John said: 'I had to escort him out of the premises. 'Outside on the pavement I turned to walk away from him back into the restaurant and that's when the defendant, in broad daylight, shouted at me "you black ****". 'It was said at the top of his voice. People in the restaurant and opposite across the road could hear it so it was audible to everyone. Staff at the restaurant pressed the panic alarm and Mr John and a 'frothing' Boxall were left outside 'The high street was laden with people at the time. I thought the world was getting more tolerant so the comments took me back to those days at schools where I got called names.' Mr John, who also owns businesses in Chiswick and Croydon, said he was left embarrassed by the comments and was determined not to let Mr Boxall abscond before police arrived. A passing paramedic tried helping and when police eventually arrived Mr Boxall pretended he had been attacked, the court heard. He said: 'At that point Mr Boxall threw himself on the floor. 'When the police arrived he was spread eagle on the pavement, face down in front of the paramedic.' Born in St Vincent, Mr John moved to Coventry, West Midlands, aged four before training with the Savoy Group at the Berkeley Hotel Knightsbridge for six years. In 2004 he opened his first brasserie, Le Vacherin, in Chiswick, west London, before founding Brasserie Vacherin in South Croydon in 2008 and then his third diner in Sutton. Mr Boxall, of Carshalton, Surrey, denies one count of racial abuse. Leaving Europe could have 'catastrophic' implications for the future of the Falkland Islands, a top politician warned today. The government of the British territory has written to the Tory party warning against leaving the European Union, he revealed. Michael Poole, the equivalent of a UK MP, said a departure would have a 'huge impact' on the economy. Scroll down for video Falklands MP Michael Poole, pictured far left talking to the UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, second right in a Falklands pub today, wrote a letter to the Conservative party warning that Britain leaving the EU would have a 'huge economic impact' on the Falkland Islands If their relationship with Europe is severed, the islanders could be forced to establish greater ties with Argentina, the member of the legislative assembly said. The Falkland Islands relies heavily on the European free trade agreements, which allows the islanders to export vast quantities of fish without paying a tariff or adhering to a quota. But over half of their national income now 'hangs in the balance' because they send nearly all of their fish to Europe, he said. Mr Poole said: 'It would have a large impact on the Falkland Islands' economy in particular. 'The key concern for us is access to the single market. 'If there is a decision to leave, if we suddenly lost that tariff free and quota free access to that major market then that could be catastrophic.' Michael Poole, pictured centre with Michael Fallon (left) and the island's environmental officer Nick Randell, said the Falklands relies heavily on the European free trade agreements Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, pictured, would be forced to establish greater ties with South America if Britain left the EU, says Michael Poole, the Stanley MP His comments came as Defence Secretary Michael Fallon became the first senior minister to visit the Falklands in 14 years. Visiting the Argentine war graves, Mr Fallon said: 'It is important to pay your respects to both the British and argentine war dead and to remember the scale of the conflict here. Although the sovereignty issue is settled, those who died here will not be forgotten.' A staggering 60 per cent of the Falklands national income comes from exporting fish, bringing in up to 80million a year. Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, pictured visiting a statue of Margaret Thatcher on the Falkland Islands, warned that Jeremy Corbyn poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falklands than Argentina Around 95 per cent of that income is generated from sales to European nations, including mainly Spain and Italy. The island is currently self-sufficient, except for the cost of defending it. The relationship with Argentina has meant the government has struggled to build up trade relations with south american countries, which has made it reliant on Europe. Mr Poole added: 'We've been trying for years to try and get access to some south american countries in terms of selling fish and meat to them but we've just really struggled to do it. '(Leaving Europe) would mean we'd have to think seriously about trading relationships which are mainly Europe based at the moment.' He said the islands could be 'forced' to establish greater ties with South America 'out of necessity.' 'We've written to the Europe minister and also to the chairs of respective yes campaigns for the three major parties in Westminster about this just highlighting what it means to us', he said. Jeremy Corbyn poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falklands than Argentina, claims defence secretary during visit to the island Jeremy Corbyn poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falkland Islands than Argentina, the defence secretary said yesterday. Michael Fallon said the 'islands had moved on since 1982' - but the Labour leader hadn't - as he urged more holidaymakers from the south american nation to visit. Mr Fallon, the first senior cabinet minister to step foot on the Falklands in 14 years, said he wanted a tourism boost to the islands. Michael Fallon said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falkland Islands than Argentina during a visit this week (right). It came as he urged more holidaymakers to visit the Falklands Mr Fallon made the historic visit to reaffirm Britain's 180million investment to continue to defend the islands Mr Fallon, the first senior cabinet minister to step foot on the Falklands in 14 years, said he wanted a tourism boost to the islands. He is pictured meeting an RAF rescue team in front of sea king helicopter in Stanley His comments were echoed by the chair of the legislative assembly, Mike Summers, who said it would be 'good' for the heavily brainwashed' people of Argentina to come on cruise ships and see the British territory. Mr Fallon had battled against the Foreign Office to visit the islands after they raised concerns it could inflame tensions with the new Argentine government - a concern he dismissed as 'nonsense'. During his historic visit to reaffirm Britain's 180million investment to continue to defend the islands, he lay a wreath for the 255 British people who died fighting the 1982 war. Mr Fallon said: 'The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it is Jeremy Corbyn and Labour party who want to override the wishes of the islanders.' Michael Fallon said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) poses a 'bigger threat' to the Falkland Islands than Argentina during a visit this week (right). It came as he urged more holidaymakers to visit the Falklands He said Mr Corbyn posed an 'immediate threat' because he had 'made it clear the islanders shouldn't have a veto over their future'. Last month Mr Corbyn prompted anger when he called for a 'dialogue' with Argentina over the Falklands - after the islanders had voted overwhelmingly in favour of being part of Britain. Argentina's outgoing ambassador in London, Alicia Castro, said Mr Corbyn wanted a Northern-Ireland style deal which would allow her country and Britain to govern the islands together. She described Mr Corbyn as 'one of ours'. One islander, Sharon Jaffray, said his comments made him a 'dinosaur'. Mr Fallon said: 'The islanders really have moved on in terms of self-government, taking charge of their own future, building an economy... 'The islands have moved on since 1982 and Mr Corbyn clearly hasn't. 'The issue now is how we improve relationships with the rest of South America. And we have a new government in Argentina that may open to door to that.' The defence secretary is pictured laying a wreath at Liberation Monument in the island's capital of Stanley Mr Fallon made the historic visit to reaffirm Britain's 180million investment to continue to defend the islands Mr Fallon at Gypsy Cove with Michael Poole MP and Nick Randell, the Falkland Islands' environmental officer There are currently around 60,000 tourists who visit the Falkland Islands every year on cruise ships. But with a new Argentinian President who is seen as wanting to strengthen ties with the UK, locals are hoping the figure could increase with an influx of tourists from Argentina. Currently around 5,000 tourists are from Argentina. Mr Summers said: 'It is good for the Argentinians to come here and see what we have got and how we manage it. 'It is good for them to see it, they are so heavily brainwashed in Argentina about what happened. 'They think it is an Argentinian territory stolen by the British... we've been here for generations.' He said there were 'lots of options' and tourists could be attracted by the diverse wildlife. 'There are lots of options, from the growth of cruise vessel tourism, to increasing land based tourism. There's a huge potential for tourism here. 'There's a potential for it to grow and we are happy about it', he said. Mr Fallon, the first senior cabinet minister to step foot on the Falklands in 14 years, said he wanted a tourism boost to the islands. He is pictured meeting an RAF rescue team in front of sea king helicopter in Stanley Asked if there there was a plan to bring more Argentinian tourists and other holidaymakers to the islands, Mr Fallon said: 'Yes. 'The long term aim is to diversify the economy away from a dependence on fish... which means encouraging more tourism and more travel.' Mr Fallon with Falkland Islands Governor Colin Roberts, looking at a head statue of Margaret Thatcher The defence secretary is pictured laying a wreath at Liberation Monument in the island's capital of Stanley He said this meant 'opening up the islands to easier transport links elsewhere in South America'. There are currently 1,200 British service personnel stationed on the islands - far more than the handful of marines that were there when Argentina invaded. Mr Fallon added: 'The islands are defended now and could be reinforced much more rapidly.' HMS Clyde, an offshore patrol vessel with guns, is currently stationed near the capital Stanley, and there are also four Typhoon warplanes at the airbase ready in the event of an attack. At the time of the invasion in 1982, Britain had just withdrawn its only ship protecting the islands. Mr Fallon said he was in the islands to underline Britain's 'long commitment' to the Falklands and emphasise 'heavy' defence investment. He also discussed Melania and Ivanka Trump's toilet habits in bizarre chat Republican front-runner revealed he's 'not into anal' on Stern show in 2004 Donald Trump - who dodged the military draft - said that dating in the Eighties was his own 'personal Vietnam'. The Republican presidential candidate told shock jock Howard Stern that he felt 'lucky' not to have picked up an STD while sleeping around during the decade. Trump added that he felt like a 'great and very brave soldier' when he appeared on the show in 1997, re-posted this week by Buzzfeed. Scroll down for video Donald Trump - who famously dodged the draft - said that dating in the Eighties was his 'personal Vietnam' Stern said both he and Trump had previously compared every vagina to a 'potential land mine' in private, as the billionaire added: 'There is some real danger there.' The billionaire real estate mogul was granted medical deferments from the military draft at age 22, and told reporters this year that it was because of bone spurs in both heels. During his campaign for office, Trump has declared himself a devoted supporter of veterans and insists he would do the most for their causes if elected president. He even admitted to New Hampshire voters last December that he feels 'a little guilty' for not serving in Vietnam. But during the 1997 interview on The Howard Stern Show, he appeared to trivialize the war and those who fought for their country - comparing it to his sex life. 'I've been so lucky in terms of that whole world,' he said of sexually transmitted diseases. 'It is a dangerous world out there,' he said. 'It's scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam-era.' 'It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.' The Republican presidential candidate (right) told shock jock Howard Stern (left) that he felt 'lucky' not to have picked up an STD while having sex during the decade Stern agreed, adding: 'A lot of guys who went through Vietnam came out unscathed, a lot of guys who've gone through the eighties having sex with different women came out with AIDS and all kinds of things.' Trump also went on to describe how he made his potential sexual partners get screened for STDs with his own personal doctor. When asked if that was a difficult thing to ask potential partners, Trump replied: 'The whole romantic process is terrible. Because you meet somebody, and you start really liking that person, and you start getting with that person and you're really going at it and you say "excuse me, we have to stop now". 'It's not like, you know the Seventies was the best time.' The interview is not the first time that Trump has overshared on the Howard Stern Show. In 2004, he discussed his sex life again, revealing 'I'm not into anal.' On another occasion, that same year, he held a bizarre discussion about his then-girlfriend Melania's toilet habits. After Stern joked his girlfriend had only ever defecated four times in their three years together, Trump replied: 'I'm gonna say, I can say the exact same thing about Melania. Trump continued that he had never seen Melania 'make doody.' 'I've never seen any, it's amazing. Maybe they save that for after marriage.' He described his ex-wife Ivana's bowel movements as 'a little more normal'. In 2004, he discussed his sex life again, revealing 'I'm not into anal,' while on another occasion, that same year, he held a bizarre discussion about his then-girlfriend Melania's toilet habits (pictured together earlier this month as Trump celebrated his New Hampshire primary victory) Trump said in 2004, that he had never seen Melania 'make doody' adding that 'maybe they save that for after marriage' (pictured in New Hampshire earlier this month) He told the shock jock his ex-wife Ivana's bowel movements as 'a little more normal' (pictured with Ivana in 1987) Since joining the presidential race, Trump has made a play for the veteran vote - offering veterans groups six-figures to appear at his campaign rallies. He even held a fundraiser for them instead of attending a debate in the run-up to the caucuses. Despite dodging the draft, he has claimed that he felt like he was in the military during his years at the strict New York Military Academy. The pricey prep school where Trump's parents sent their wild-child teen for five years to shape up, he claimed, provided him with 'more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military,' he told his former biographer. The revelation that The Donald considers himself in the same class as armed forces veterans comes in a New York Times preview of a Trump biography that the Republican presidential candidate won't welcome on bookshelves. He initially granted Pulitzer-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio six hours of interviews for his 'Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success,' but later cut him off for the grave sin of speaking with his enemies. Two men have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison after brutally beating a disabled man, recording the vicious assault on the victims cell phone and then posting it on his Facebook. Shadeed Bey and Nikey Walker, both 20, pleaded no contest to charges including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. They are accused of assaulting a 23-year-old man with cerebral palsy, a brain disorder that affects movement and muscle co-ordination, in the stairwell of his apartment building in Pontiac, Michigan, on November 29. Scroll down for video Shadeed Bey (left) and Nikey Walker (right), both 20, pleaded no contest to charges including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder While a no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, it is treated as such for sentencing. Bey was sentenced Tuesday to between eight years and 20 years, and Walker received six years to 20 years. I'm sorry for what I did, Bey told the court. Authorities say Bey beat the man on November 29, while Walker recorded the attack. Investigators say the men posted the video on the victim's Facebook page. After the incident, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard branded the men cowards. Preying on those in our community who suffer from disabilities will not be tolerated and furthermore, to have the audacity to post their actions on the victim's page is beyond belief, he said. They are accused of assaulting a 23-year-old man (pictured in orange) with cerebral palsy in the stairwell of his apartment building in Pontiac, Michigan, on November 29 Police released the 53-second clip, which shows the attacker kicking the victim in the stomach. In a merciless assault, he continues punching and stomping on the victim, who is seen cowering barefoot on the floor. The footage, which is filled with expletives, ends as one of the men runs down the stairs. While authorities did not released the name of the victim, Frankie Santana, a resident at the complex, told WJBK-TV that he was the man who was assaulted. Why would they do that and put it on Facebook? That's how you are going to get caught real quickly, Santana said. He said the men spit and stomped on him, injuring an eye, but that nothing is broke. Police released the clip, which shows the victim being kicked in the stomach and repeatedly punched Frankie Santana said he was the victim in the assault and said the men spit and stomped on him, injuring an eye, but that nothing is broke Investigators believe they followed someone to get inside the building and then walked into the victim's unlocked apartment. I crawled through the hallway and knocked on someone's door and that's how I got help, Santana told the TV station. Investigators responding to a report of the assault said they were told the suspects also posted the video to their own Facebook pages. A man was killed in an avalanche and another died while out hiking with friends in a day of tragedy and drama on Scotlands hills yesterday. The mountaineer caught in the avalanche was climbing on Creag Meagaidh, about 19 miles north-east of Ben Nevis, when it struck yesterday afternoon. A helicopter rescue team that had been looking for missing climbers Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, on Ben Nevis was diverted as a rescue was mounted. One dead: (From left) Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and Jeffrey Stewart, 74, tried to shelter when 50mph winds and heavy rain swept Dumfriesshire on Tuesday, and they were found yesterday afternoon Vanished: A helicopter rescue team that had been looking for missing climbers Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, on Ben Nevis was diverted to Creag Meagaidh yesterday as a separate rescue was mounted Search: A coastguard helicopter from Inverness was diverted to Creag Meagaidh from Ben Nevis yesterday The man and his climbing partner were airlifted from Creag Meagaidh to hospital, but he was pronounced dead yesterday evening. His friend was said to be in a serious condition. Earlier yesterday, it emerged an elderly man died and two of his friends were being treated in hospital for hypothermia after they got lost hillwalking in Dumfriesshire. Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and 74-year-old Jeffrey Stewart tried to shelter when 50mph winds and heavy rain swept the area on Tuesday. They were found yesterday afternoon after spending the night in the open, but one was pronounced dead in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Dumfries. A huge search for the three men involving police, mountain rescue teams and volunteers was started at 7pm on Tuesday when they did not make it home. It was called off at 2am yesterday and resumed at first light, with an HM Coastguard helicopter from Prestwick also brought in. Landing: A casualty is brought by a coastguard helicopter from an avalanche at Creag Meagaidh in Scotland Help: Two people have been flown to hospital by helicopter following the avalanche in the Creag Meagaidh Incoming: Two ambulances picked up the patients - in a serious condition - from a landing site in Fort William and took them to Belford Hospital after they were flown out of the avalanche area by the helicopter (above) The men were found about two-and-a-half miles east of Durisdeer village near Thornhill, around noon. It is thought all were from the Dumfries area. A neighbour of Mr Thomson said: The three of them have always enjoyed going climbing. When they left to go on this trek nobody would have been thinking that anything would go wrong. The wind is a huge factor as well as the cold. The conditions in the Scottish Highlands are among the most challenging anywhere in the world Heather Morning, Mountaineering Council of Scotland Sadly, it seems to have happened this time and the family must be devastated. You dont expect to lose someone when they are doing something theyve done plenty of times before. The conditions must have been quite bad because they are all quite experienced. The men were regular visitors to the Lowther Hills area of the Southern Uplands. They had left home at 8.30am on Tuesday, but the alarm was raised when they had not returned at 3.30pm. Inspector Gordon McKnight, search co-ordinator for Police Scotland, said: The weather through Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning was very poor, however, it improved this morning which allowed the use of air support to assist the teams on the ground. A police spokesman added: We can confirm that one of the three missing walkers has been pronounced dead at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. The two other men are currently being treated for hypothermia. The procurator fiscal has been informed. Looking: Rescuers search with help from a coastguard helicopter for two experienced climbers on Ben Nevis Difficult conditions: Hill walkers descend Ben Nevis where rescuers have been searching for the climbers The tragedy came as the search for a couple missing on Ben Nevis was stood down as the two other climbers were badly injured on 3,710ft Creag Meagaidh, near Roybridge, Inverness-shire. Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, who were on a Valentines Day trip to the UKs highest mountain, have not been seen since Sunday morning. The three of them have always enjoyed going climbing. When they left to go on this trek nobody would have been thinking that anything would go wrong Neighbour of walker Bobby Thomson The search for them has been hampered by bad weather. But minutes after a Coastguard rescue helicopter managed to take off about 3pm yesterday, it was diverted to Creag Meagaidh when police received calls that cries for help had been heard after a large avalanche on the mountain, which is popular with ice climbers. Sixty-seven people from the Lochaber, Cairngorm, Glencoe and Glenmore rescue teams were involved in the operation, in addition to police officers and Search and Rescue Dog Association personnel. Police confirmed that two casualties were flown to Belford Hospital, Fort William. A spokesman said: We received a report of an avalanche on Creag Meagaidh, a mountain range approximately 19 miles north-east of Ben Nevis. HM Coastguard helicopter Rescue 951 was diverted from its search for two missing climbers in the Ben Nevis region. Helicopter: Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, Lochaber MRT and search and rescue dogs are searching Destination: The helicopter was diverted from Ben Nevis to possible cries of help heard on Creag Meagaidh Two casualties have been rescued from the area and airlifted to Belford Hospital in Fort William. Police Scotland can confirm that sadly a man has died following an avalanche in the North Lochaber area. The search is being co-ordinated by Police Scotland The man was climbing with one male companion, who remains in a serious condition in hospital. Inspector Donald Campbell said: Police Scotland would like to thank all rescue personnel involved in todays rescue for the rapid response and determination displayed in very challenging conditions. Sadly, one man succumbed to his injuries and his climbing companion remains in hospital. The avalanche was reported by other climbers who saw equipment on the surface of the snow. Rescuers continued to search the area, but it is thought no one else was involved and the teams were stood down. A tent belonging to Mr Newton and Miss Slater, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, was discovered by police on the north side of Ben Nevis after Miss Slater did not turn up for work as an environmental consultant on Monday. Her boyfriend is currently studying at Leeds University. Yesterday, an appeal was made by Chris Denham, pastor at Hope City Church in Leeds, where Mr Newtons brother is assistant pastor. He posted a picture of the couple on Instagram with the message: Please pray today for the safe return of Tim & Rachel (Tim is the brother of our assistant pastor, Ed Newton, in Leeds). Also pray for the weather to clear which is preventing rescue teams from searching at present and for all the family. Believing for miracles to be taking place on that mountain because God is Able! Up in the air: A coastguard search and rescue helicopter searches along the north face of Ben Nevis Viewpoint: Two people were taken to hospital by helicopter following the avalanche in the Creag Meagaidh area Members of Miss Slaters family from Canada arrived in the area yesterday to meet rescuers looking for her. The most likely explanation is that they could have got caught up and been buried in an avalanche. Obviously, the longer we go on looking, the more worried you become John Stevenson, Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said they had failed to find any sign of the missing couple before being called to Creag Meagaidh. A spokesman said: Sadly, conditions on Ben Nevis are preventing us from going out to look for Rachel and Tim. Leader John Stevenson said: The most likely explanation is that they could have got caught up and been buried in an avalanche. Obviously, the longer we go on looking, the more worried you become. Ten days ago, a climber was airlifted to hospital after falling more than 1,000ft when he was caught in an avalanche on Creag Meagaidh. He was airlifted to Belford Hospital, while his companion was able to walk off the mountain with help from rescuers. 'Believing for miracles': An appeal was made by Chris Denham, pastor at Hope City Church in Leeds, where Mr Newtons brother is assistant pastor Base: The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Centre in Fort William, which is taking part in the search in Scotland Odd: The Lochaber MRT is baffled why nobody had a positive identification of where the couple had been Yesterday, the avalanche risk for Creag Meagaidh was rated as considerable above around 2,600ft on north to east aspects, meaning a single person could set off a snow slide. Ben Nevis had a similar risk above around 3,000ft. Believing for miracles to be taking place on that mountain Chris Denham, pastor at church where Tim Newton's brother is an assistant There have been 69 avalanches recorded this season, with six in the past 48 hours. Heather Morning, safety adviser with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said: The wind is a huge factor as well as the cold. The conditions in the Highlands are among the most challenging anywhere in the world. The sport is a risk but it has been said its more of a risk driving along the A9. We all accept there are risks when we head out to the mountains, but it is important to assess the risks and to do your homework before you head out. Meanwhile, a male ice climber in his 60s was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital, in Inverness, with a suspected broken ankle after a fall on Coire an tSneachda in the Cairngorms. Jailed: Mark Armstrong, 26, abducted and repeatedly raped in 15-year-old victim A rapist who snatched a schoolgirl off the street and subjected her to a 32-hour attack could be out of jail in four years. Mark Armstrong kidnapped his 15-year-old victim as she returned from netball practice, threatening her with a flick knife. Her horrific ordeal lasted a day and a half, during which she said she was raped eight times. Last night, a victims group attacked the sentence handed down to the dangerous paedophile, who will be monitored for life but may serve only four years in prison. Armstrong was given an Order for Lifelong Restriction a jail term from which he can only ever be freed with the permission of Parole Board bosses. But the punishment part of his sentence is only four years, after which he will be eligible for parole. It means, despite his brutal crime, that with time served already he could be back on the streets in just over three years. A court heard that in March last year Armstrong put his hands around the girls throat and asked her if she was a virgin, before a prolonged sex attack in the grounds of a derelict cottage, during which she begged him to stop. He then took her to his house in Dunfermline, Fife, where she was assaulted again. At one point he led her to believe he was letting her go, only to take the 15-year-old to his home a second time, where he attacked her again. A High Court judge yesterday told the 26-year-old rapist his actions were cruel, depraved and inhumane. But Lady Wise cut a potential sentence of 15 years if he had not pleaded guilty or been given an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), to four years. Jan Macleod, manager of the Womens Support Project charity which works to raise awareness of violence against women in Scotland, said: I am worried this might send the wrong message to people about the seriousness with which the sentence reflects the impact on the victims life. This was not a brief attack there is an element of torture in pretending to release someone and attacking them again. If you have been through an experience like that, it doesnt always ruin your life for ever but it changes it, and the difference between knowing that person is behind bars and that they are walking around on the streets is immense. Armstrong will be monitored until his death under the OLR after being charged with abducting, raping and assaulting the defenceless girl, who he strangled and left with facial injuries which made her unrecognisable. THE SHRINKING SENTENCE... Armstrong could have faced 15 years in jail but that term was cut and cut again as a result of sentencing guidelines. He received an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), which means he can only be freed by the Parole Board if it believes he is not a risk to public safety. But the judge sets a punishment part of such a sentence the minimum number of years that must be served in jail. If Armstrong had not got an OLR, Lady Wise said, her starting point would be to give him 15 years. Four years were taken off for an early guilty plea. The OLR means the judge deducted another three years which would have been added to protect the public. That leaves a jail term of eight years, but criminals jailed for more than four years are eligible for parole halfway through. It means the punishment part of Armstrongs sentence is four years, after which he can appeal to be released. On remand in prison since March, he could be out in March 2019. Advertisement But a prison term of 15 years he could have received under a fixed sentence for these charges and a string of violent robberies against women was whittled down to almost a quarter of that. At the High Court in Glasgow, Lady Wise took four years off because Armstrong pleaded guilty early. She said another three were being deducted because she was not imposing a determinate sentence, but a lifelong restriction instead. She said this would have left the rapist facing only eight years in prison, making him eligible for parole after serving just half of that. So, following that guidance, she set the punishment part of his sentence at four years. The judge said there is absolutely no assumption or expectation that he will be released after this amount of time. Any offences committed while on parole would see Armstrong returned to jail. But Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said: Mark Armstrong is a depraved individual who put his victim through a terrifying ordeal and four years does not seem long enough. Once again, it is the victims of crime who are let down by the SNPs soft-touch approach to justice. It yesterday emerged that Armstrong was cleared at the High Court in Dunfermline of raping a 41-year-old woman more than a decade ago when he was 16. The schoolgirl he targeted in March was travelling home from netball training and had got off a bus in Dunfermline when Armstrong abducted her. As her frantic mother reported her missing to the police, she was being brutally attacked at the cottage in Kingseat Road, Dunfermline. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was then taken to Armstrongs home, where she suffered repeated sexual abuse and rape. The schoolgirl was eventually let go in Lochore Meadows country park, north of Dunfermline (file image) Advocate depute Jane Farquharson told Edinburgh High Court last year: The accused only spoke to tell her what to do, to shut up or stop shivering. The girl told police later: I just wanted to call my mum. The 15-year-old estimated she had been raped eight times, saying later it happened over and over again. Police found the victims T-shirt, underwear and broken glasses at the cottage, but hours passed before she was released at Lochore Meadows Country Park near Lochgelly, Fife. She was reunited with her mother, into whose arms she fell, described by police as shaking, crying and occasionally howling. The victim suffered facial injuries which left her unrecognisable from a photo given to police when she went missing. 'Public protection': Lady Wise Yesterday defence counsel Michael Anderson told the court his client felt he should be jailed for a long time. He added: He says he deserves a long sentence. For what it is worth, and I recognise it may not be worth a lot, he articulates his regret at what has happened. Armstrong has been placed on the sex offenders register and Lady Wise told him: Your behaviour was so cruel, depraved and inhumane that even without any other offences or previous criminal convictions, it would merit a very significant punishment. The bravery and resilience shown by your victim during and after her ordeal was quite remarkable, but the long-term impact on her is as yet unknown. On the sex offenders four years before being eligible for parole, she added: You will be released only when it is considered no longer necessary for the protection of the public that you continue to be confined in prison. Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Johnson said: It is due to the courage and bravery of Armstrongs victim that he has been brought to justice. It is not an overstatement to say she cracked the case for officers, and Police Scotland pays tribute to her maturity and resolve. We hope this sentence will allow Armstrongs victims, and their families, to rebuild their lives. The Scottish Daily Mail has previously revealed that record numbers of rapists are being freed early from prison after serving only half their sentence, with 19 granted parole in 2013-14. The SNP has axed automatic early release of the most serious offenders, but some people convicted of rape have been let off with community service. On the Armstrong case, a Scottish Government spokesman said: The independence of Scotlands judiciary is a fundamental part of the Scottish legal system and ministers cannot intervene or comment in individual cases. Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden were just 13 and 11 when they pulled a fire alarm at their Arkansas middle school and fatally shot five people as they exited the building in 1998. Tried as minors and released on their 21st birthdays with clean records, Johnson and Golden are the only two living mass school shooters who are walking free in this country. With state laws sealing their records and the memory of their names shrouded by the Columbine shootings just one year later, Johnson was arrested with a gun in 2007 while Golden applied for a concealed carry permit under a new name, ABC reports. Mitchell Johnson (left, in 2008) and Andrew Golden (right in 2000) pulled a fire alarm at Westside Middle School in Arkansas and opened fire as people left the building. The 1998 mass shooting killed 5 people On March 24, 1998, Johnson and Golden killed four students and one teacher when they opened fire at Westside Middle School in Craighead County. Ten others were injured. The boys reportedly took Golden's grandfather's rifles, and the two boys planned to run away after the attack. Debbie Spencer, a science teacher who taught both boys, told ABC: 'They were hiding in the bushes and shooting at us. It was an ambush. It was chaos.' She also revealed that she barely escaped and later found a hole in her purse while she was giving the police a statement. Due to state laws at the time prohibiting minors from being charged as adults, they received the maximum sentence, which saw them released on their 21st birthdays. After seven years in prison, Johnson was released in 2005. Golden was released after nine years in 2007. Johnson (left) was 13, and Golden (right) was 11 at the time of the attack. They were tried as minors and released from prison on their 21st birthdays Debbie Spencer, a science teacher who taught both boys, told ABC: 'They were hiding in the bushes and shooting at us. It was an ambush. It was chaos.' Pictured: an injured student after the attack Johnson was arrested two more times after he was freed. He has been on probation since July 2015. Pictured, a student after the shooting in 1998 In 2007, Johnson was stopped in Arkansas and charged with possessing a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance. Lawyer Jack Schisler, who represented Johnson in that case, told ABC he thought his client was being unfairly punished for being released at the age of 21. Johnson was released on bond, and arrested again in 2008 after he took a debit card left by a customer at the gas station he was working. He used the card, and was found in possession of marijuana when he was arrested. Johnson was sentenced for 12 years. While he was eligible for parole in 2011, he served another four years for the 2007 conviction. According to court records, he was released on probation in July 2015 and placed in a drug rehabilitation program. Golden also showed a penchant for guns after his release. Arkansas State Police spokeman Bill Sadler told the Arkansas Times in 2008 that Golden, who was operating under the name Drew Douglas Grant, applied for a concealed handgun permit. He was denied after police found he failed to properly disclose his time at a youth services center and federal prison in a section that asks applicants to list their previous residences. Golden applied for a concealed handgun permit in 2008 under a new name. The application, which was submitted just one year after his release, was denied. Pictured, the school and its students in the aftermath Through this process, his legally changed name was revealed. It was previously protected under a gag order that prohibited attorneys from revealing details of his new life. Family members of the victims argued that if sex offenders in Arkansas are required to disclose their personal information, including their email accounts, usernames, and physical characteristics, then Johnson and Golden should not be protected by the law. Mitch Wright, who lost his wife in the shooting, said he believed it was in the public's interest to reveal Golden's new name. Spencer, the science teacher who narrowly escaped, told ABC: 'They shouldn't have any rights. They shouldn't have the right to be out, to get a family, to have a gun and have a normal life like they didn't ever do anything wrong.' Benghazi is surrounded by UN-recognised government but the city is held by ISIS and al-Qaeda aligned rebels The children are refugees in their own city as they flee heavy clashes between pro-army forces and Islamist rebels The drawings, by 10 and 11-year-olds, show trauma of bombings and gun fights with many of them unable to sleep Libyan children from Benghazi aged 10 and 11 drew the war torn city from their point of view during night clashes Advertisement These are the devastating drawings by Libyan school children who live in constant fear of airstrikes, gun battles and car bombs in the country's second city of Benghazi. The pictures reveal a heartbreaking insight into the traumatic reality of the daily violence through the eyes of children aged just 10 and 11. In one picture, first published by the International Business Times, a young girl in a pink dress says: 'I can't sleep with all this bombing'. Trauma: The children, aged 10 and 11, from Libya's second city of Benghazi have lived though war for half of their lives Violence: They were asked to draw was like during a night of clashes. Some opted to draw the detailed weapons used in the war torn city And sleeplessness is a common theme as one child's drawing shows her racked by fear of tanks, bombs, missiles and guns. 'I was in bed sleeping but I wake up by a big boom. I wake up again at 12 o'clock... I wake up on [sic] three am I couldn't handle it... I wake up I felt scared but my mum was sitting on the chair beside me I couldn't sleep.' The children, who have all been made 'refugees' in their own city, were asked to draw what it was like during a night of clashes. 'Most of them are refugees; they talk about the time when they were at home,' their teacher said, who wanted to remain anonymous. 'You feel they have their own beds and their own rooms they are away from,' she explained, adding that the school itself had moved many times due to nearby heavy clashes. 'The children are always talking about bullets, bombs and guns. But they are so good when the planes come they don't feel scared and they don't cry,' she told IBT. Another drawing clearly shows the fear one child feels as the school is depicted being attacked by a tank, while in the foreground the children are crying. School: Many of them have become refugees in their own city which is being fought over by pro-government forces and Islamist militias Chaos: Two governments and parliaments, allied to rival armed groups, are vying for control four years after Gaddafi fell to an armed uprising. Sleepless: A common theme for a number of the children was being unable to sleep during a night of clashes due to the noise and terror One drawing clearly shows the two sides fighting with the the flag of the army forces on one side firing at the Islamist fighters on the right who bear the black flag of ISIS. The children have spent half of their young lives living through the war, which broke out five years ago. And their knowledge of the different weapons is apparent. Tanks, helicopters, missiles, RPGs mounted on the back of trucks all feature heavily and in detail. Pro-government forces have been fighting Islamist forces for months in Benghazi city, which has pockets of militias aligned with IS and al-Qaeda. Two governments and parliaments, allied to rival armed groups, are vying for control four years after Muammar Gaddafi fell to an armed uprising. UN-backed and former Gaddafi ally General Khalifa Haftar's army special forces launched an offensive against Islamists in Benghazi, last October. Army forces in eastern Libya are loyal to internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, who was forced to leave the capital Tripoli in the west in August for the eastern city of Bayda when a group called Libya Dawn seized the capital. The new rulers in Tripoli set up their own government and parliament, but these have not been recognized by the United Nations. One drawing clearly shows the two sides fighting with the the flag of the army forces on one side firing at the Islamist fighters on the right who bear the black flag of ISIS The school itself has had to move a number of times due to heavy fighting in the area between pro-government and Islamist rebels Ted Cruz mocked Donald Trump tonight as he addressed the billionaire's lawsuit threat against him. 'I'll confess I laughed out loud,' he said of a cease and desist letter Trump's lawyers sent him, Cruz relied on his 20 years practicing law as he proclaimed it 'really pressed the bounds of the most frivolous and ridiculous letters I've ever seen.' Trump wants him to pull an attack and the businessman's lawyers are labeling defamatory because it presents old clips of the Republican advocating positions he says he no longer holds. 'It is quite literally the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard, that telling the voters what Donald Trump's actual record is, is deceitful and lying,' Cruz said tonight at a televised CNN town hall. Scroll down for video Donald Trump (left) had his lawyer send a cease and desist letter to Ted Cruz (right) and his campaign over an ad that suggests Trump isn't pro-life 'I'll confess I laughed out loud,' Cruz said of his initial response. He told CNN's Anderson Cooper at a town hall, 'It is quite literally the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard, that telling the voters what Donald Trump's actual record is, is deceitful and lying' The Cruz camp sent a lengthy rebuttal to reporters today after a press conference that said the ad, which questions whether the Republican frontrunner is really pro-life, will not be scrapped 'because it is accurate and factual whether Mr. Trump and his army of lawyers agrees or not.' 'In fact, they now plan to air the ad with greater frequency,' the statement said of Cruz and his campaign. Trump doubled down in his own response, labeling Cruz again a 'liar,' his favorite insult for the Texas senator this week. 'He is a liar and these ads and statements made by Cruz are clearly desperate moves by a guy who is tanking in the polls watching his campaign go up in flames finally explains Cruz's logo,' Trump said. Cruz's logo is a teardrop-shaped flame colored like the Texas or American flag. Marco Rubio has also claimed Cruz is a liar over the Texas senator's attacks on his immigration record. 'I said he's been lying because if you say something that isn't true and you say it over and over again and you know that it's not true, there's no other word for it,' Rubio said tonight at the CNN town hall, at which he appeared before Ted Cruz. Rubio defended his hits on Cruz and said, 'When it's about your record, you have to clear it up, because if you don't, then people say, well, then it must be true. He didn't dispute it.' The U.S. senator cited several times Cruz's credibility has been called into question, including an incident on caucus night in Iowa, when his campaign admittedly spread a rumor that turned out to be false that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race. 'So these things are disturbing and they need to be addressed. And I'll address them,' Rubio said tonight. Earlier in the day Cruz had charged that 'Rubio is behaving like Donald Trump with a smile.' Rubio didn't quite know how to respond to the accusation this evening. 'Donald smiles. I've seen him smile,' he said. Cruz declined tonight to reciprocate any name calling he characterized both Rubio's and Trump's pattern of response as, 'They start screaming liar, liar, liar,' 'I can't think of any precedent' in any previous presidential election,' he said. 'I'm not gonna say the same thing about them. I think the people of South Carolina deserve more than people just throwing mud at them.' And he said, as he broke down their arguments one by one, 'Just yelling liar doesn't make it so.' Marco Rubio has also claimed Cruz is a liar over the Texas senator's attacks on his immigration record. 'I said he's been lying because if you say something that isn't true and you say it over and over again and you know that it's not true, there's no other word for it,' Rubio said tonight at the town hall Yesterday Jeffrey Goldman, a lawyer representing Trump, sent a letter to Cruz, Chad Sweet, Cruz's campaign chairman and Jeff Roe, Cruz's campaign manager, accusing him of defamation. At a press conference today in South Carolina Cruz waved the letter around and taunted Trump. Donald Trump said today 'watching his campaign go up in flames finally explains Cruz's logo,' pictured above 'Mr Trump you have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life,' Cruz said, according to the Guardian. 'Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits this takes the cake. And so, Donald, I would encourage you, if you want to file a lawsuit challenging this ad, claiming it is defamation, file a lawsuit.' The letter 'demanded,' as the Cruz team put it, that the Texas senator's campaign stop running the ad 'Supreme Trust,' which is currently on the airwaves in South Carolina as Republicans from that state head to the polls Saturday. 'Supreme Trust,' reminds voters that in 1999 Trump said he was pro-choice in an interview with the late Tim Russert. This is important, Cruz and his aides point out, because 'they do not believe Mr. Trump's recent campaign claim that he is pro-life and, more importantly, the voters should not believe Mr. Trump either.' The broader point of the spot is to get voters thinking about 'electing the right candidate' who will be consistently conservative and send like-minded justices to the bench. 'Life, Marriage, Religious Liberty, the Second Amendment. We're just one Supreme Court Justice away from losing them all,' the ad says. Cruz, a former clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, has been pushing this line in recent days, on the heels of the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, which Republicans vow not to let President Obama replace. As Trump's team likely notes, the Cruz spot selectively edits out the portion of the interview in which Trump utters 'I hate it,' on the topic of abortion, which would have shown Trump expressing some reservations on the issue. Trump has been running as a pro-life candidate and has been on an anti-Cruz campaign all week. In Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Monday Donald Trump called Ted Cruz 'the most dishonest guy I think I've ever met in politics' Donald Trump called into CNN to reiterate his comments on Ted Cruz and respond to Cruz saying that Trump sounded 'rattled' Yesterday, he said he was still mulling a lawsuit over the 'liar's' Canadian birth. 'I'm thinking about it very seriously, Trump told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America. 'He was born in Canada, He can't be president because of the fact he was born in Canada. He lived there for years.' On Monday, Trump made the official announcement that he wanted to sue the 'totally unstable' Texas senator over his Cruz's Canadian birth, unless he received an apology for various attacks. Trump also pointed fingers at the Republican National Committee, saying that if the party's governing body doesn't intervene, that pledge he signed to support the GOP nominee is null and void, which could open the door for a Trump third-party run. 'One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President,' Trump said of Cruz in a statement, after spending his afternoon in South Carolina labeling the senator a liar more than a dozen times. 'Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me,' Trump added. Trump was angry over the 'Supreme Trust' ad, but he was also irritated about remarks made by Cruz on the Sunday shows that said Trump would tarnish the Second Amendment. Ted Cruz was also in South Carolina this week and used Twitter as a way to respond to Trump's allegations 'And if Donald Trump becomes president, the Second Amendment will be written out of the Constitution because it is abundantly clear that Donald Trump is not a conservative,' Cruz said, adding that Justice Antonin Scalia's death and the Supreme Court vacancy if caused changed 'the entire contours of this race.' 'The time for the circus and reality show is over,' Cruz said. DONALD TRUMP'S 'RESPONSE TO THE LIES OF SENATOR CRUZ' Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual. He is the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much. Cruz said I would be appointing a liberal judge when in fact I will appoint a great conservative and I am the only candidate who has gone so far, at the debate, as to suggest two individuals I feel would best represent the conservative values we need to protect: William 'Bill' Pryor Jr. and Diane Sykes. Cruz says I am pro-choice, when in fact I am staunchly pro-life and have been for a long time. Like Ronald Reagan, on many issues, I have evolved. Cruz says I am in favor of ObamaCare, when in fact I have spoken about repealing and replacing this disaster of a system at every speech throughout my campaign and since it's inception. Meanwhile, Cruz was responsible for getting Bush to put in the judge that failed to vote against ObamaCare twice. Cruz says I will try to take away your second amendment rights, when I am one of the strongest proponents of the right to bear arms and I say so in every speech that I have made for years. I am a proud member of the NRA and so are my sons. Cruz has become unhinged and is lying with the hopes that his statements will go unchecked until after the election and he will save his failing campaign. In Iowa, Cruz told thousands of Ben Carson voters that Dr. Carson had left the race and to instead vote for Ted Cruz. He apologized when the race was over. Likewise, his fraudulent voter violation form sent to Iowa voters. If Ted is going to continue to lie with such desperation, I have no choice but to fight back. One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President. If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me. I am the strongest on the borders and I will build a wall, and it will be a real wall. I am strongest on illegal immigration, strongest on ISIS, strongest on the military and I will take care of our Vets. I will end common core and preserve the second amendment. I will renegotiate our trade deals and bring our jobs back to our country. I am the only person who will Make America Great Agai Advertisement Trump spent a large chunk of time on the stump Monday in South Carolina putting Cruz through the ringer. 'I've never met people like politicians, they are the most dishonest people I've ever met,' Trump remarked to supporters in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. 'Jeb is just Jeb,' Trump said, holding off his complaints about the Bush for the time being. 'But this guy, Ted Cruz, is the most dishonest guy I think I've ever met in politics.' Trump doubled down on his positions on abortion and the Second Amendment. 'I just want to tell you I'm pro-life,' Trump said, jokingly telling his audience that whatever they hear about the billionaire from Cruz, it's actually the opposite. 'The Second Amendment is my thing,' Trump huffed at another point. Besides abortion and guns, Trump called attention to some of the shenanigans that happened in Iowa with Cruz's staffers telling handfuls of caucus goers that Ben Carson, another popular choice among evangelical voters, was on the verge of dropping out. Cruz later apologized to Carson over the phone and again on the New Hampshire debate stage. 'What he did to Ben Carson in Iowa was a disgrace,' Trump said, adding that he was impacted too because Cruz was able to scoot ahead of him and win the Iowa caucuses. Trump came back a week later with a victory in New Hampshire, but he was still bitter about what happened in Iowa. 'If Iowa had any guts, the people from the Republican party, which they don't, they should disqualify him from winning Iowa,' Trump suggested. Trump encouraged his supporters to set the record straight, so that the billionaire wouldn't have to pay for advertising to counter Cruz's lies with just five days to go before South Carolina Republicans vote. He also hinted that he might be considering backing out of the loyalty pledge that he signed and gave to the RNC. He articulated a different reason to supporters not because of Cruz, like he said in his statement, but because the candidates weren't getting their share of the tickets for the debates, which, in Trump's opinion, is what led to him being booed at the last two gatherings. 'The whole room is filled with special interests and donors, which is a disgrace for the RNC,' Trump alleged. he debate's sponsoring parties divvy up the tickets and then the candidates take the rest, with the candidates getting the most they've seen on cycle for Saturday night's debate since only six Republicans are left. 'The RNC better get its act together, because I signed a pledge and the pledge isn't being honored by the RNC,' Trump complained. Moving on from his first event, Trump's campaign sent out the statement promising to sue Cruz over the senator's lies. 'Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual,' it said. 'He is the biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise and I have seen some of the best of them.' Trump then held a press conference for reporters and said the same thing. Ted Cruz defended himself via Twitter suggesting that all he did was articulate Donald Trump's actual policy prescriptions 'He's an absolutely disgusting liar,' Trump said of Cruz. 'And he goes around saying he's a Christian? I don't know, you're going to have to really study that,' Trump said to reporters this afternoon. Cruz took to Twitter to respond. 'You cannot simply scream 'liar' when someone points out your actual positions,' he wrote, calling the trend 'curious' in a longer video message about the spat. The Texas senator also said at an event in South Carolina that he had never seen Trump so rattled. Soon after, Trump called into CNN and said that was just not so. 'He doesn't mean that,' Trump said. 'He's says that just for effects. He's the one. He's an unstable guy ... he's just using that expression because he likes it and it's just ridiculous.' A leading Brexit campaigner was reported to police tonight after leaked letters revealed he was planning to break the 7 million spending limit for the EU referendum. Tory MP Steve Baker wrote to Eurosceptic colleagues detailing how Vote Leave, one of the two groups battling to be designated the official Out campaign in the referendum, could 'spend as much money as is necessary to win'. Now Labour MP Pat McFadden has asked police to investigate, saying Mr Baker's comments suggest his campaign 'may breach the law'. Scroll down for video Labour MP Pat McFadden (right) has asked police to investigate whether Tory Eurosceptic Steve Baker (left) may have 'breached the law' after leaked emails showed he had suggested ways of breaking spending limits The Electoral Commission is currently deciding which of the rival Brexit campaign groups - Vote Leave and Grassroots Out - will be given official designation in the referendum campaign, which will impose a spending limit of 7 million. All other campaign groups will have an upper ceiling of 700,000. In his letter to colleagues, which was leaked to The Times, Mr Baker set out how Vote Leave had worked out how to use front organisations to get around these spending limits. He wrote: 'It is open to the Vote Leave family to create separate legal entities, each of which could spend 700,000: Vote Leave will be able to spend as much money as is necessary to win the referendum.' The row over EU referendum spending limits came as David Cameron continued his diplomatic offensive today. Among his meetings was Commission president Jean Claude Juncker, pictured with the PM today A leading barrister, Jolyon Maugham QC, said Mr Baker was suggesting a criminal offence. In his letter to police, seen by PoliticsHome, Mr McFadden wrote: 'It has come to my attention that Vote Leave Limited, an organisation that has registered to participate in the EU referendum, may breach the law with respect to spending rules.' 60 PER CENT OF EU CITIZENS WANT BRITAIN TO STAY, POLL SUGGESTS Most European voters want Britain to stay in te EU, according to a huge poll. Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory peer, surveyed 28,000 people across the EU. Overall, about 60 per cent of people want Britain to stay a member - and 10 per cent are eager to the UK and her demands out of the EU altogether. Lord Ashcroft said support was strongest amongst Britain's 'old allies' such as Ireland, Malta and Portugal. He said: 'This is not just because we are a net contributor to the budget they actually seem to like us. 'When people gave favourability ratings for each of the other EU countries, plus some others, the UK came second to Sweden. 'The youngest participants, aged eighteen to twenty-four, gave us more positive ratings than any other age group. Advertisement He added: 'I urge you to urgently investigate whether Vote Leave's clear plan to 'create separate legal entities' would amount to a plan to work together with other campaigners in a way that contravenes the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000,' Mr McFadden wrote. 'Since Vote Leave's actions may constitute a breach of the law, I believe this is a matter of public importance and interest and so I hope it will be treated as a matter of priority.' Mr McFadden also wrote to Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, demanding an investigation and asking the elections watchdog 'consider' the fresh information as part of its decision over which campaign to award official designation. A Vote Leave spokesman denied it was attempting to break the law on spending limits. 'We never have and never will encourage people to break the law. We will comply with the referendum rules as we always have,' a spokesman said. Meanwhile a source close to Mr Baker told The Times: 'Steve would never encourage anyone to break the law.' It came on the eve of the crunch summit of EU leaders in Brussels, where David Cameron hopes to secure a deal with his fellow 27 European leaders over plans to reform Britain's membership of the EU. The leaked emails, pictured, were sent by Steve Baker to Eurosceptic colleagues suggesting ways to break the 7million spending limit during hte EU referendum If an agreement is finalised by Friday, the EU referendum will take place in June. But there remain significant differences between Mr Cameron and some EU leaders over the proposed reforms, such as plans for an 'emergency brake' on EU migrants' access to benefits. Tonight the EU Council president Donald Tusk pleaded with EU leaders to finalise a deal on Britain's membership, warning failure would be a 'defeat both for the UK and the European Union'. Mr Tusk, who will chair the landmark talks tomorrow afternoon, said in a letter to all 28 member states that 'unity gives us strength and we must not lose it' insisting the talks had 'momentum' and there would no better time to finish the deal. Deep divides still remain despite an almost unprecedented diplomatic offensive by Prime Minister David Cameron and Mr Tusk. France has reservations about concessions to Britain on the euro and the City of London, while key nations in eastern Europe are troubled by the reforms to benefits. Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, had held further talks on his own position with Mr Cameron this morning but refused to make clear his views Mr Tusk's call for an agreement comes hours after German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted Britain's demands were 'justified' and it was in her country's 'national interest' for Britain to stay in the EU. In his plea, Mr Tusk said: 'After my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly: there is still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement. 'We differ on some political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to overcome them. Therefore I urge you to remain constructive. 'The negotiations are very advanced and we must make use of the momentum. There will not be a better time for a compromise. 'It is our unity that gives us strength and we must not lose this. It would be a defeat both for the UK and the European Union, but a geopolitical victory for those who seek to divide us.' Boris Johnson was called to Downing Street today and after 40 minutes of talks said 'I'll be back' to waiting journalists. He is expected to make his position clear at the end of the week. It was made clear yesterday some of the most contentious aspects of Mr Cameron's expected agreement will not be debated and voted by MEPs until after Britain's referendum. European Parliament president Martin Schulz insisted this was not a veto and added: 'I encourage British people to vote on the basis of the outcome of Thursday, to vote Yes. Two Saudi Air Force cadets training in Britain have been arrested over an alleged rape. The Middle Eastern recruits, both 21, who are currently stationed at an RAF base, were held after a woman complained she was sexually assaulted last week. The Saudi men, based at RAF Cosford in Shropshire, are alleged to have carried out the attack in nearby Telford. One of them was arrested on suspicion of rape, while the second was held on suspicion of conspiracy to rape. They have been released on bail until next month. The Middle Eastern recruits, both 21, who are currently stationed at an RAF base, were held after a woman complained she was sexually assaulted last week (stock photograph) RAF Cosford hosts elite air engineers from all over the world, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, who learn to work on planes sold by the UK to their countries. Warrant Officer Andy Bisset, who oversees the training scheme, told a local paper in 2014: 'We get international students being sent here to train because we are the best in the world. 'The students come from places like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where we also sell a lot of our equipment to. 'They do really well with the language barriers and the countries don't just send everyone over, it's their best students.' The Shropshire air base is the only place in the country where decommissioned Jaguar jets are used for students to learn how to work with live aircraft. The RAF Cosford website states that its school trains over 1,000 students per year, including 'engineer officers from a number of overseas countries such as Sultanate of Oman, Nation of Brunei and, Kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.' Training students from Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries generated around 11.5 million for the Ministry of Defence in 2012-13 Natasha Kaur, from West Mercia Police, said: 'RAF Cosford are fully co-operating with West Mercia Police's ongoing investigation into this incident and both men have been released on bail until March.' The Saudi men, based at RAF Cosford (pictured) in Shropshire, are alleged to have carried out the attack in nearby Telford An RAF spokeswoman added: 'We can confirm that two overseas students based at RAF Cosford have been arrested by West Mercia Police on suspicion of rape and conspiracy to commit rape.' This is not the first time that foreign recruits training in the UK have been linked to serious offences. MoD bosses agreed to let up to 2,000 Libyan recruits train at Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire in 2014. But the multi-million pound programme was abandoned after allegations of rape, drunkenness, fighting and vandalism. The majority of the Libyan cadets - a mix of established armed forces, new recruits and former revolutionaries - were sent home in November 2014 after five of them were charged with sexual assaults and reports of ill-discipline and disorder emerged. Local residents described finding soldiers hiding under cars, wandering the streets drunk and engaging in anti-social behaviour. An Australian school has urged parents to stop packing watermelon, bananas and strawberries in their children's lunchboxes. Point Cook College, south-west of Melbourne, has taken this extreme step to prevent students from going into anaphylactic shock due to their food allergies, the Herald Sun reported. Principal Frank Vetere emphasised it was not a ban on certain foods but the school had liaised with the families of children who had fellow students prone to allergies. Scroll down for video An Australian school has urged parents to stop packing watermelon, bananas and strawberries in their children's lunchboxes 'There seems to be a growing number of students with allergies, and we try to manage it the best we can with proactive measures,' Mr Vetere said. 'We have 20 students with allergies and they are all different. 'With every class that has a child with an allergy, we send out a letter to the families.' Point Cook College enrols children from prep to Year 9. The list of food parents were asked to avoid packing included bananas, watermelon, soy, wheat, eggs, dairy and nuts, according to the Herald Sun. Other schools and kindergartens are scrapping strawberries, grapes, spinach, chocolate, lollies, chips, muesli bars and jelly to prevent the rising cases of allergies and obesity. Point Cook College, south-west of Melbourne, has taken this extreme step to prevent students from going into anaphylaxis due to their food allergies The number of people with allergies is rising, with more than four million Australians affected by the affliction. But Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Professor Katie Allen told the Herald Sun allergies to fruit were not common. She said forbidding certain foods was not the right answer except in the case of students at childcare centres or kindergartens because it was a 'controlled environment'. Prof Allen said it gave children a 'false sense of security' within schools and led to 'lunch box Nazis'. 'We often get letters from people about schools banning a broad variety of foods including nuts, eggs and cows milk and "may contain traces" foods... which includes chocolates and snack foods,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Prof Allen said food bans were hard to enforce in schools and it was almost impossible to monitor children's lunch boxes. She said the best option was to promote the idea of not sharing food. 'Infectious agents can [also] pass from people sharing food. It's just a good recommendation [for children] to eat what foods their parents have prepared them,' Prof Allen told Daily Mail Australia. Australian Primary Principals Association executive officer Michael Nuttall said he had heard of primary schools asking parents to avoid packing peanut butter sandwiches due to nut allergies but not other foods. Health experts say allergies to fruit were rare, despite the number of people with allergies was rising 'Schools obviously weigh up managing risk against the practicalities... You have to realistic about it,' Mr Nuttall told Daily Mail Australia. Mr Nuttall said primary schools had their role to play in avoiding allergic reactions but urged parents to also take charge. 'Parents have to be responsible for their own children and what they take to school, [and] dont encourage sharing food,' Mr Nuttall said. 'Banning is not the best option but schools have to make their own decisions around their communities. 'Sometimes principals may have to make a decision in one school that might not be made in another.' Dakota and Bristol got engaged last year but called off their wedding a week before it was set to take place The decorated veteran has filed for joint custody of the baby, and child support from Bristol Meyer is the presumed father of Bristol Palin's daughter Sailor Grace, who was born out of wedlock in December Dakota Meyer, one of three living recipients of the Medal of Honor and Bristol Palin's former fiance, has officially endorsed Ted Cruz for president. In a tweet to his 70,000 followers Wednesday, the highly decorated Afghan War veteran said: 'I'm honored to be supporting @tedcruz across South Carolina.' Meyer's message came after the Texas senators campaign sent out a press release announcing his endorsement. Choose Cruz: Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer has endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president Bro-mance in the air: Cruz released a statement calling the retired US Marine 'a man of great courage and principle' Dakota is a man of great courage and principle, Cruz said in the statement. He has served our country dutifully and honorably as a Sergeant in the Marines. Dakota understands the extreme impact this election has on the future of this country. The statement quoted Meyer as saying that the United States is in need of a 'strong, principled conservative in the White House.' We need a Commander-in-Chief who works with our allies and makes it known that certain actions against the United States and its allies will not be tolerated, Meyer stated. I am confident that Ted Cruz has the ability and resolve to be Commander-in-Chief. Cruz, who proudly carries the label of 'proven conservative,' has been running as a values candidate, defending the biblical definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and staunchly opposing abortion rights. Conservative firebrand: Cruz has been running as a values candidate, defending the traditional definition of marriage and opposing abortion rights Meyer, who in 2011 became the second youngest Medal of Honor recipient, was set to marry Bristol Palin last May, but the couple called off their wedding a week before it was set to take place Love child: Meyer is the presumed father of Palin's daughter Sailor Grace, who was born out of wedlock in December 'Ted Cruz will preserve life, marriage, and the family, and he has the record to prove it,' his campaign platform reads. 'And rather than enacting policies that tear down these pillars of our society, he will work to restore a culture of life, marriage, and family.' Given the firebrand senators uncompromising stance on family values, Meyer's endorsement of Cruz may come as a surprise to some in light of his recent history with the Palin family. Meyer, 27, is the presumed father of Bristol Palin's infant daughter, Sailor Grace, who was born out of wedlock in December. Bristol and Dakota met in 2014 and got engaged last year but pulled the plug on their wedding a week before it was expected to take place. Although Ms Palin has not publicly named her daughter's father, Meyer filed for joint custody of Sailor Grace in January, as well as child support from Bristol. The legal case has stalled in the court pending the results of a paternity test. Kingmaker from Wasila: Bristol Palin's mother, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, last month endorsed Ted Cruz's chief rival, Donald Trump, for president Meyer's decision to back Ted Cruz is also not likely to endear him on Bristols outspoken mother, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who last month threw her support behind the GOP senators chief rival, Donald Trump. According to the latest poll numbers cited by Politico, Trump has a commanding lead over all his rivals in South Carolina ahead of Saturday's primary, earning 35 per cent to Ted Cruz's 19 per cent, with Marco Rubio in third place with 17 per cent, followed by 9 per cent for John Kasich, 8 per cent or Jeb Bush and 7 per cent for Ben Carson. Simmering tensions between Cruz and Trump erupted this week when the billionaire real estate mogul threatened to sue his rival for defamation over an attack ad that features Trump saying in a 1999 TV interview that he is pro-choice. Joshua Adam Reese, 21, was arrested and is being held as a 'person of interest' Police have recovered a body identified as the missing Alabama teen who called his mother on Saturday evening to say someone was trying to kill him. Nicholas Hawkins' body was discovered on Tuesday in a wooded area the coroner referred to as an 'illegal dump site,' AL.com reported. Authorities said the 19-year-old's body was wrapped up in some type of covering when it was found. Coroner Joey Vick said that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Scroll down for video Police have recovered a body identified as that of the missing Alabama teen, Nicholas Hawkins, who called his mother on Saturday evening to say someone was trying to kill him Police arrested 21-year-old Joshua Adam Reese early Tuesday on a felony failure to appear violation and he is being held as a 'person of interest' in the Hawkins case. Hawkins was last heard from as he walked home on Saturday evening when he made a panicked call to his mother to tell her someone was trying to kill him before his cellphone cut off, WVTM reports. Officers, with the help of search dogs, had been scouring the woods behind a hunting lodge in Dora, Alabama - where his cellphone last pinged. Hawkins worked at a McDonalds until recently, when he left saying he wanted a better life 'It's disturbing when he calls his mother, tells his mother someone is trying to kill him and then they lose contact,' Police Chief Jared Hall said at a press conference on Monday. 'Nobody's had contact with him [since].' Hawkins, who lives with his grandparents, had been walking home from a beauty pageant on Saturday when he made the call to his mom at 8pm. His 2009 white Chrysler Sebring was found parked at a Dora residence around 2pm on Sunday. Yesterday, detectives searched a hunting club off Mountain View Road - the last place Hawkins' cellphone pinged at about midnight on Sunday. Police arrested 21-year-old Joshua Adam Reese who is being held a 'person of interest' in the case Officers, with the help of search dogs, had been scouring the woods behind a hunting lodge in Dora, Alabama - where Hawkins' cellphone last pinged With the help of search dogs, officers combed the wooded grounds but were unable to find any trace of the teenager. On Monday, the family made a desperate plea for the return of the missing teen who they described as 'thoughtful' and 'kind.' 'I just want Nicholas to know that we love him and that he is not in any kind of trouble,' his grandmother Pat Hawkins had said. 'And if he can heard this message, or anybody can hear it and tell him, if he would just contact us, we will come get him and bring him to safety. And we love him very much.' Mrs Hawkins said the family had been in living hell since his disappearance. Police are now questioning Reese about Hawkins' disappearance. According to court records, Reese was previously charged with attempted murder in 2013 after he allegedly hit a man over the head with a gun and tried shooting him, AL.com reported. In that incident, he was later released on a $50,000 bond. The case has yet to go to trial, according to AL.com. He was later charged with public intoxication and possession of marijuana in September 2015 after he was arrested, court records indicated. Reese pleased guilty in January, and was fined as well as ordered to participate in a substance abuse treatment, AL.com reported. Hawkins had worked at a McDonalds until three months ago when he stopped going and said he was moving away for a better life. Two veteran LAPD officers are facing life in prison after being charged with raping four women while on duty, prosecutors said. James Nichols, 44, and Luis Valenzuela, 43, who worked as partners assigned to the Hollywood Division, are accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting the women, often while they were on duty together, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced today. While one officer acted as a lookout in the front seat of a departmental car, a 19-year-old woman working as a drug informant was forced to perform oral sex on his partner in the back seat of their police car, the teenager said in a federal court filing. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck takes questions from the media at news conference at the LAPD headquarters downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday about two Los Angeles police officers who were arrested and charged with repeatedly raping four women while on duty over a three-year period 'You have to do what the police tell you to do,' the teenager claimed she was told. Another woman, also working as a drug informant, said Nichols and Valenzuela each forced her to have sex with them twice after threatening her with jail time. Two other women told eerily similar stories. At the time the alleged assaults occurred, the victims were 19, 24, 25 and 34. Most, but not all, of the alleged incidents occurred while the officers were on duty. The charges against Nichols and Valenzuela include rape under color of authority and oral copulation by force. Valenzuela also is charged with pointing a gun at one of the women. They could face life in prison if convicted. Attorneys representing the officers in civil litigation filed by the women did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday. The officers, who have denied all the claims in court records, were set to be arraigned on Thursday. Prosecutors are asking that they each be held on bail of more than $3.5million. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference on Wednesday that both officers have been suspended without pay since 2013. Their employment status is pending an administrative hearing that would follow their criminal case, he said. 'These two officers have disgraced themselves, they disgraced this badge, they disgraced their oaths of office,' Beck said. 'It's a violation of public trust.' A 19-year-old woman working as a drug informant was forced to perform oral sex on one of the officers in the back seat of the cops' police car, the teenager said in a federal court filing. Pictured above is a stock image of n LAPD vehicle's back seat He said investigators are actively seeking other potential victims. Prosecutors said the rapes began in December 2008 after Nichols and Valenzuela became partners in the department's Hollywood Division. They were working as narcotics investigators. All four women assaulted had been arrested on drug-related charges at various times by the officers, prosecutors said, and court records show at least two had been recruited by the officers to work as drug informants. Those women have filed civil rights lawsuits against the officers. The Los Angeles City Council settled one case last year after agreeing to pay one woman $575,000, while the other case is still being litigated. A third lawsuit is expected to be filed. Beck said the department's internal affairs bureau began investigating the officers after the first woman complained of being raped 2010. In 2014, the department's elite Robbery Homicide Division took over. Asked why it took so long for the charges to filed against the officers, Beck said the investigation was complicated and involved reluctant witnesses who were difficult to find. Dennis Chang, an attorney who represents two of the women in the case, said the officers took advantage of the women's positions and threatened them with jail time or outing them as informants. 'These women were drug users, they're primarily arrested and in custody, in an extremely vulnerable state,' Chang said. 'They were afraid.' The charges come after former Oklahoma City Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw was sentenced to 263 years in jail for raping women he targeted while on duty. The 29-year-old cried in court after he was convicted on multiple charges, including first-degree rape, sexual battery, stalking and forcible oral sodomy in December last year. A doctor accused of murdering her husband with a hammer may have been acting 'like a robot' the night he died because she was traumatised by years of being forced into sex acts, a court heard. Chamari Liyanage, 35, allegedly killed her husband, Dinendra Athukorala, 34, who was also a doctor, with a 1.79kg hammer while he slept in their bed at their Geraldton home, north of Perth. She has claimed that she does not remember anything between going to sleep on 23 June 2014 and waking up the next morning to find her husband covered in blood, the ABC reported. Psychiatrist Dr Victoria Pascu told the court that years of abuse could leave someone in a 'robotic' or automated state - able to walk around and perform tasks without realising they are doing them. Chamari Liyanage is accused of killing her husband Dinendra Athukorala (pictured together) with a mallet while he slept The doctor allegedly killed her husband with a 1.79kg mallet (shown) in their bed at their Geraldton home The Supreme Court of Western Australia has previously heard that Mr Athukorala would beat his wife if she refused to perform sexual acts which included having a threesome with a 17-year-old girl. She told the jury that he would force her to look at child porn images and also perform sex acts for people watching in online chat rooms as part of five years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Dr Pascu said that Liyanage shows signs of suffering from battered-wife syndrome and having a 'cult like mentality' after the years of abuse. She told the court that a person can be capable of acting independently of his or her will if they have suffered physical or psychological trauma. 'There are different degrees of being in an unconscious, automatic state,' she told the court. 'The person might still be walking around but acting like a robot, doing things but don't know they are doing things. I don't believe [Liyanage] was suffering a mental impairment.' Liyanage, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder, has also spoken more about the couple's affair with a 17-year-old girl She said that Liyanage being in a state of 'automation' at the time of the incident is a 'possibility'. Dr Pascu told the court that she couldn't support the possibility of Liyanage killing her husband in cold blood because she didn't have evidence of her type of personality doing that. She said that Liyanage appeared to be 'freer and more at peace' at Greenough Regional Prison than in the months leading up to her husband's death. A police officer who was first on the scene described the victims lifeless body covered by a pillow with the wooden handle of the mallet on his left hand side. Liyanage has previously claimed her husband became interested in 'younger and younger children' and that he would stay up at night to look at child porn sites on three laptop computers. 'It became constant beatings, constant teaching sessions, he kept me sitting on the bed or kept me on camera and [had me] perform for people online,' Liyanage said, according to the ABC. 'People would ask me to get undressed or do sexual acts. He got more and more interested in children, younger and younger children.' She has previously claimed he had forced her into a threesome with a teenager, 17. During the trial the doctor was show a number of pornographic images - including those of children and asked if she had ever seen them before. She said she had seen 'thousands of images' similar to the ones presented as he husband would regularly look at child porn sites. Liyanagea says her husband, who had forced her into sexual acts with a 17-year-old, was becoming interested in children and frequented child-porn sites Dr Athukorala (right, pictured with wife) was found by police in the couple's bed at their home in Geraldton Western Australia in June 2014 The trial, which is in its third and final week, has revealed the woman was allegedly forced into sexual situations by 'the man she loved' and that by the end she wanted to end her own life. 'He would constantly be downloading and chatting on websites trying to find women. If I had shown I was not interested, he would get extremely angry.' The court has heard Liyange believed her husband wanted to 'change the person she wanted to be'. She has even admitted to feeling so trapped in the relationship she wanted to kill herself, but she couldn't go through with it because she knew how devastated her parents would be. Liyanage, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder, has also spoken more about the couple's affair with a 17-year-old girl. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was befriended by Liyanage at the request of her husband. She describes being fearful of her husband - even though she knew seducing the teenager was wrong. 'He was rubbing his penis almost where her genitalia was but she was keeping her legs pressed tight together. 'I couldn't physically do anything to stop it. I kept tapping his shoulder reminding him he couldn't do the actual intercourse. She describes being fearful of her husband (pictured) - even though she knew seducing the teenager was wrong The accused has said she could not say no to her husband because she was afraid of him beating her 'As part of supporting him I had to touch her. 'Once or twice I kissed her to show I was OK with what they were doing. 'My clothes were on the whole time. 'I know I'm not supposed to do any of this but there was no way I could run away. 'If I stopped it, there would be many, many days of beating, scolding it could go on for months until he found another girl. 'Please don't destroy her life.' The court has also previously heard that Liyanage kept a notebook documenting the 'mental and physical abuse' he allegedly inflicted upon her. A police officer read out notes from her diary in court, which one entry saying: 'He plays with me like a cat, I am a mouse, until I am dead he plays. 'I am extremely scared for my life when I see that look in his eyes. Please God, get me out. Let me die in peace, please help me.' The trial continues. Dr Athukorala was found by police inside the couple's home in Geraldton, Western Australia in June 2014 A Sydney serial flasher has been banned from hardware giant Bunnings Warehouse after he was shockingly caught masturbating in front of a female staff member. Court documents revealed by Channel 9's A Current Affair program showed that Shonit Danwer went to the Bunnings Warehouse store at Marsden Park in Sydney on six different occasions in seven days and on one day masturbated in front of a female member of staff. On the day he exposed himself to the member of staff, the 49-year-old spent $101 in the store on taps, washers and bathroom cleaner. Scroll down for video Shonit Danwer exposed himself to a female staff member in Bunnings Warehouse at Marsden Park in Sydney. But five years earlier he was found guilty of lewd acts at a Sydney music school (pictured) After being charged with committing an act of indecency, he pleaded not guilty, and blamed his lewd behaviour on a hernia problem that he was suffering from. Despite this a NSW court found Danwer guilty and he is now awaiting sentencing, although it was reported by the program that he is now looking to appeal against the conviction. But this was not his first offence as five years ago he was caught during a police sting when he exposed himself to an undercover police officer at a Sydney music school. A Current Affair showed security footage of Danwer disgustingly carrying out lewd acts in front of young girls who had come for music lessons, while he was seated in the schools waiting room. Danwer carryied out lewd acts in front of young girls who had come for music lessons He would expose himself while he was seated in the schools waiting room Danwer would first position chairs in the waiting room so that he was sitting next to or opposite students Channel 9's A Current Affair program challenged Danwer about his lewd acts at Bunnings Warehouse Danwer would first position chairs in the waiting room of the music school so he could either sit opposite or beside the school children children and expose himself to them. The horrifying CCTV footage shows Danwer pretending to read a magazine in the waiting room while at the same time exposing himself to the young, frightened children who are obviously terrified. At the time Sydney 2GB radio host Ray Hadley was just one person to express his outrage that the flasher did not have more serious charges brought against him for his actions. CCTV footage shows Danwer pretending to read a magazine in the waiting room in front of students A NSW court found Danwer guilty of lewd acts in Bunnings and he is now awaiting sentencing Hot off a poll showing him at the top of the Republican presidential field for the first time since early November, Ted Cruz branded himself the 'new national front runner' at a town hall this evening in South Carolina. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Cruz, a Texas senator, with 28 per cent of Republican support nationally, compared with 26 per cent for Trump, the outspoken maverick billionaire. 'And then the next closest candidate is way down at 17 percent,' Cruz said, referring to rival senator Marco Rubio, of Florida. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Hot of fa poll showing him at the top of the Republican presidential field for the first time since early November, Ted Cruz branded himself the 'new national front runner' at a town hall this evening in South Carolina TOP MAN: The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Cruz, a Texas senator, with 28 per cent of Republican support nationally, compared with 26 per cent for Trump, the outspoken maverick billionaire 'And then the next closest candidate is way down at 17 percent,' Cruz said tonight, referring to rival senator Marco Rubio, of Florida The survey was released to the public at 5pm just after Cruz took the stage. 'For the first time in many months, there's a new national front runner on the Republican side,' Cruz said to cheering and hollering from his audience. After the Texas senator finished reading off the survey's findings he told them, 'So the sound you're hearing is the sound of screams coming from Washington, D.C.' At that point the sound his audience was hearing was silence, as they awkwardly reacted to his dismissal of Rubio, who he's aggressively trying to take down as a supporter of amnesty for illegals. The NBC poll's results are unlike any other survey published in months, and stands in stark contrast with other measurements all of which show The Donald leading the pack by wide margins. But taken at face value, it ends a streak of 31 straight national GOP polls where Trump has occupied the top slot. Trump press secretary Hope Hicks told DailyMail.com that the new poll is an 'outlier,' suggesting it's a blip in the radar that shouldn't be taken seriously. She noted that the pollsters contacted an unworkably 'small sample of conservatives,' including only 400 Republicans in all, which might skew the results. But Cruz was ready to crow on a day when the two rivals have been at each other's throats and their aides are preparing the South Carolina's first-in-the-south primary election on Saturday. And several of his supporters shot down the Trump campaign's framing of the poll as untrustworthy. Cruz backer Fred May said after the Spartanburg, South Carolina, town hall that Cruz's rise was always 'coming.' 'I believe he's gonna be stronger as he goes to other states in the country,' May said. 'He's just picking up speed. Momentum is building, and it's happening. There's a force there.' Cruz is seen here responding to a Trump threatened law suit over campaign ads at a press conference earlier today Ignore it: Trump aides told Daily Mail Online the pollsters contacted an unworkably 'small sample of conservatives,' including only 400 Republicans in all, which might skew the results. Rubio came in third in the survey with 17 per cent as he attracted a marquee endorsement from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. John Kasich, the Ohio governor whose low level of support in the Palmetto State led his campaign to say Wednesday that he wouldn't stick around long enough to see the weekend's votes counted, somehow attracted 11 per cent ahead of retired surgeons Ben Carson's 10 per cent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's 4. The poll was conducted after last Saturday's South Carolina Republican debate, suggesting that Trump's high-octane outbursts against Cruz he told an audience of millions that the senator is 'the biggest liar' may have hurt him nationally as much as it's helping him in the state. The past week's events were cited by multiple Cruz attendees tonight as the reason they solidified their support for the conservative senator. A month ago in the same NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Trump led Cruz by 13 percentage points, 33 to 20. Republican pollster Bill McInturff ran the new poll with Democratic pollster Peter Hart. McInturff said in a statement that 'when you see a number this different, it means you might be right on top of a shift in the campaign.' 'What you don't know yet is if the change is going to take place or if it is a momentary "pause" before the numbers snap back into place.' 'So, one poll post-Saturday debate can only reflect [that] there may have been a "pause" as Republican voters take another look at Trump,' he said 'This happened earlier this summer and he bounced back stronger. We will have to wait this time and see what voters decide.' Rubio is in third place in the poll after a rocky New Hampshire primary which saw him plunge to fifth after a disastrous debate performance Surprise: John Kasich came in ahead of Jeb Bush in the poll, despite pinning so little hope on the state that he is not sticking around for the election results NBC News reported that this month's poll differed from last month's in one crucial respect, including a larger percentage of self-described 'very conservative' voters. If pollsters had 're-weighted' their numbers to match their previous pool of voters, Trump would have come out ahead by 1 percentage point. The new numbers also suggest a decline in the number of Republican voters nationally who say they could support Trump. Last month 65 told pollsters it was a possibility. This month it was 56 per cent. The final insult for Team Trump, if the numbers hold in future polls, is a shift in his head-to-head performance against Cruz and Rubio. A month ago he was seven points ahead of Rubio in a head-to-head matchup for the Republican presidential nomination. Now he's training 57-41 a 23-point swing. Similaly, Cruz now trounces Trump in that mano-a-mano hypothetical by a 56-40 margin. Last month that margin was only half as large, 51-43. Trump made news on Tuesday by threatening to sue Cruz over a TV ad that he said misrepresented his positions on abortion with footage from a broadcast interview dating from before he 'evolved' into a pro-life conservative. Cruz called his bluff on Wednesday in a press conference, saying he dared Trump to take him to court. South Carolina is known as a bare-knuckle politics state whose electorate more closely mirrors the national Republican base than New Hampshire's or Iowa's. More than twice as many voters are expected to come to South Carolina's polls on Saturday, compared with the New Hampshire turnout. Paltrow, 43, broke down on the stand testifying in the case last week as she spoke of her fear for the safety of her and children Apple and Moses The jury also said that they did not believe he needed to be hospitalized for mental health issues He previously had sent pornographic messages and sex toys to the actress in 1999 and 2000, and was A man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow has been found not guilty of all charges by a jury. Dante Soiu, 66, admitted in court to sending the actress 66 letters and packages in recent years but said they were to apologize to the actress after he was committed to a mental institution for mailing pornographic messages and sex toys to the actress in 1999 and 2000 in a previous case. Paltrow, 43, said on the stand that these new messages included marriage proposals and also referenced her death. In addition to acquitting Soiu of all charges, the jury also said that they did not believe he needed to be hospitalized for mental health issues. Off the hook: A man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow (above in October 2015) has been found not guilty by a jury Paltrow broke down in tears as she took the stand in the case, the day after watching her ex-husband Chris Martin perform at the Super Bowl. She said she feared not only for her safety but also that of her children Apple, 11, and Moses, 9, especially after she claims gifts began arriving at her home, including a Weight Watchers cookbook. Paltrow testified that she got a guard dog and had her bodyguard teach the animal 'attack and bite commands' out of fear. 'You are hopelessly lost,' Soiu allegedly wrote in one letter from 2010 to Paltrow. 'Now you must die. Yourself, must die so that Christ can have preeminence.' Dante Soiu (above) admitted in court to sending the actress 66 letters and packages in recent years In another, Soiu allegedly wrote: 'I have a goal: to marry Gwyneth Paltrow and take care of her.' The actress called the entire experience 'traumatic.' Soiu testified that he never intended to scare Paltrow or physically harm her when he took the stand in his defense last Wednesday. 'I have no desire to hurt her feelings. I have no desire to harass her,' said the man. He said that he just wanted a pen pal, adding that he was 'very lonely.' Soiu also said on the stand; 'I was trying to show I had changed and I had become a different person. I wanted to show a new face towards her.' The Columbus, Ohio native was previously committed to a mental institution after sending lewd messages and sex toys to the actress when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the previous case. He also testified that he wrote to other celebrities and famous figures over the years, including President Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie and Vladimir Putin. Siou even forwarded letters that he sent to President Obama and actress Jolie to Paltrow. His lawyer had argued that Paltrow had never even seen the letters he sent, and that was reading them for the first time when she appeared ion the stand. Pelletier was embroiled in high profile custody battle after the hospital diagnosed her with a mental issue and held her against her will for a year The hack was a protest to free teenage patient Justina Pelletier A man rescued off the coast of Cuba by a Disney cruise ship has been arrested in connection with a computer attack on a Boston hospital. Martin Gottesfeld, 31, and his wife made a distress call on Tuesday from a sailboat, according to federal prosecutors. But after he was pulled to safety, agents connected Gottesfeld to the active 2014 investigation into hacking group Anonymous and its alleged attack on Boston Children's Hospital in 2014. He appeared in the city's US District Court on Wednesday facing conspiracy charges, which carry up to five years in prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine as the hospital claims it suffered $300,000 damages during the attack. The hack was connected to the high profile case of Justina Pelletier, the 16-year-old Connecticut girl who was held against her will for a year. Martin Gottesfeld, 31, (pictured) and his wife made a distress call on Tuesday from a sailboat. They were rescued by a Disney cruise - then Gottesfeld was arrested by the FBI for a hack on Boston Children's Hospital According to the FBI, Gottesfeld and Anonymous shut down the hospital's servers. Investigators also believe he posted a video on YouTube that gave the public information they could use to join the attack on the hospital's servers. Using the rallying cry #FreeJustina, Gottesfeld also joined protesters on Twitter calling for her release. Pelletier first checked in to Boston Children's Hospital in February 2013 with flu-like symptoms. But the family became embroiled in a custody battle with the state when hospital staff insisted her genetic muscular condition was in fact a stress-related mental disease caused by domestic abuse. Mitochondrial Disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and support groups claim many sufferers are accused of fraud, or their parents accused of abuse. Held in a psychiatric ward, Justina claimed hospital staff were 'mean and nasty' and accused her of faking her condition. They told her she had Somatoform Disorder, which is considered to be anxiety-related with sufferers feeling real pain that cannot be medically explained. Between 0.2 and 2 per cent of females and 0.2 per cent of men in the U.S. have been diagnosed as sufferers. Justina's family insisted she did not have Somatoform Disorder symptoms when she was admitted to Boston Children's Hospital. The hack was connected to the high profile case of Justina Pelletier, the 16-year-old girl (pictured) who was held against her will for a year. They allegedly shut down the hospital's servers to protest for her freedom She couldn't see her family without a welfare supervisor or hospital staff member in the room. And she was rarely allowed outside for fresh air and spends most of her time in a small room, off the main psychiatric ward, without even a television to occupy her time. She was finally released in June 2014 after 16 months in relative captivity. Gottesfeld was arrested on Wednesday and charged with conspiracy after the Disney ship returned to Miami. Prosecutors say Gottesfeld knew about the federal investigation because FBI agents searched his home in 2014. An attorney for Gottesfeld declined to comment. Anonymous has not addressed the arrest. Laura Samuel, 33, is accused of intentionally setting off the sprinkler system She was looking for a quick escape from the emergency room, but ended up locked in jail instead. An Oregon woman was arrested for setting of the sprinkler system in a hospital Friday in an attempt to be released from the ER. Laura Samuel was taken to Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham in the morning to be evaluated, but was annoyed when her discharge was delayed, police told the Portland Tribune. Apparently hoping to speed up the process, Samuel, 33, broke a telephone in her room and then used the phone battery to smash a fire alarm light. When the broken light failed to trigger the alarm, Samuel set off a sprinkler using an unknown heat source. The sprinkler system flooded two bathrooms, a hallway and three hospital rooms with water that flowed at a rate of 60 gallons per minute, according to the Tribune. Three rooms were put out of orders for several hours after the incident, police said. Samuel was arrested on charges of arson, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct and was held at the Multnomah County Detention Center. Left, the scene at Mount Hood Medical Center in Oregon after the hospital was flooded Friday feature which erases the phone's data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it The CEO of Google has voiced his support for Apple's CEO after his refusal to allow the FBI access to the phone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook despite a judge's ruling on Tuesday. Sundar Pichai wrote on Twitter: 'Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users' privacy. 'We know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face significant challenges in protecting the public against crime and terrorism. We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders. Scroll down for video and full statement from Tim Cook Taking a stand? Google CEO Sundar Pichai (pictured in December) has sided with Tim Cook after the Apple chief refused to allow the FBI access to the phone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook Speaking out: 'I feel like now there are a whole bunch of terrorists running out and buying iPhones, like the little 'I' in iPhone should be for ISIS,' Mandy Pifer (pictured right), who lost fiance Shannon Johnson (left) said Wants Apple to follow the law: The brother-in-law of 60-year-old victim Isaac Amanios (pictured left), said his family supports personal privacy but believes an investigation is necessary 'But that's wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent. Looking forward to a thoughtful and open discussion on this important issue.' While What's App founder Jan Koun also adding his backing for Apple, saying he couldn't agree more with their stance. He also wrote on Twitter: 'I have always admired Tim Cook for his stance on privacy and Apple's efforts to protect user data and couldn't agree more with everything said in their Customer Letter today. 'We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set. Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake.' Meanwhile, families of the victims of the San Bernadino shooting are chastising Apple for refusing the federal order to hack into the phone of the dead terrorist. 'I feel like now there are a whole bunch of terrorists running out and buying iPhones, like the little 'I' in iPhone should be for ISIS,' Mandy Pifer, who lost fiance Shannon Johnson in the tragic shooting, told the New York Daily News. Johnson was heralded as a hero for shielding the body of Denise Peraza and telling her 'I got you,' when Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire at a San Bernardino County health department gathering on December 2. Farook had an iPhone 5c and the FBI wants to access the phone in the hope it holds vital information about the terrorist's motives and plans. But Apple is arguing, however, that it would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices. Robel Tekleab, 35, the brother-in-law of 60-year-old victim Isaac Amanios, said his family supports personal privacy but believes an investigation is necessary. APPLE COULD BYPASS SECURITY... BUT WON'T Faced with a federal judge's order to help investigators break into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters, Apple may well argue that the request places an unreasonable burden on the company. In fact, experts say that complying with the government's request wouldn't be particularly challenging for Apple. But doing so might set a dangerous precedent that could threaten the data security of the millions of iPhone users around the world. The phone in question was used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a December attack. Investigators don't know if the phone contains important evidence about the attack or the couple's communications - and because its contents are encrypted, they won't unless they can get the passcode to unlock it. The phone was issued by Farook's employer, the county of San Bernardino. Refusal: Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a message on the company's website Wednesday morning, saying they would be fighting a court order to hack an iPhone as part of the San Bernardino terror investigation. Cook pictured above holding an iPhone 6 in September 2014 Investigators can't just try random passcodes until they hit on the right one, either. The phone has apparently enabled an Apple security feature - a sort of self-destruct option that would render the phone's data unreadable after 10 incorrect passcode attempts. The judge's order requires Apple to create a unique software package - one Apple CEO Tim Cook described as 'a new version of the iPhone operating system' - that would allow investigators to bypass the self-destruct system. The same software would also let the government enter passcodes electronically, eliminating both the tedium of manual entry and the enforced delays the iPhone system imposes after a few wrong guesses. Apple opposes the order, arguing that such software would amount to a security 'backdoor' that would ultimately make iPhone users across the globe more vulnerable to information or identity theft. Both the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have pledged to support Apple, saying that the government's request endangers security and privacy. From a technical perspective, making such software shouldn't be difficult for Apple, experts say. But once created, it would be nearly impossible to contain, says Ajay Arora, CEO and co-founder of Vera, a startup that provides companies with encryption services. 'Imagine if that got into the wrong hands,' he says. 'What they're asking for is a God key - and once you get that, there's no going back.' The demands being made of Apple border on the bizarre, says Lee Tien, a staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group. 'Asking a technology company to make its security less secure is a crazy, stupid thing to do,' he says. 'It's like asking water not to be wet.' The government's best bet may be to argue that its request doesn't actually create a backdoor, even if that's how Apple characterizes the request, says Robert Cattanach, a former Justice Department attorney. But Apple is probably right to worry that a government win in this case will lead to broader requests down the road. 'If the court rules in favor of the government, then I think the stage has been set for the next step, which is, 'Thanks for removing the auto-wipe. Now you need to help us defeat the code',' Cattanach says. 'If you're the government, you're going to ask for that.' Advertisement 'I love my Fourth Amendment as much as anyone, but this is a case of law and order, and I expect Apple to follow the law,' Tekleab said. 'I don't have any desire to pick through (Farook's) phone and see whatever life he had, but I want to know how he succeeded in this,' he added. Tekleab said he hopes that Apple will come up with a solution for the future should a similar incident occur again. 'Apple, as a responsible citizen corporation, should look into this further because it's not just their customers they should protect. They should also protect the nation and potential customers down the line who might be harmed by these people,' Tekleab told The New York Daily News. Gunmen: This July 27, 2014, photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The couple were killed in a shootout with police after killing 14 at a holiday luncheon for Farook's office 'I want to know how we failed and let this person go this many years undiscovered so he could do the damage he did.' CAN APPLE REALLY DENY A COURT ORDER? Apple has five days to appeal the California judge's decision forcing the tech company to help the FBI bypass the passcode on alleged San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's work iPhone. According to law expert Jamil Jaffer, all Apple can do do is appeal the order through district judges all the way to the Supreme Court, Congress may also be able to step in and make laws that strike a more precise balance between privacy and national security, he told CNBC. Advertisement He also believes that Apple has the resources it needs to determine a means of achieving the government's goal without threatening the privacy of others. 'My perception of Apple is that they have a lot of money and capability,' Tekleab said. 'I have no doubt they can do this and do it quickly. And they should want to because it's the law.' Meanwhile the family of British soldier Lee Rigby, who was murdered on the streets of London in May 2013, have also hit out at Apple's decision not to unlock the iPhone. Fusilier Rigby, 25, was hacked to death near the Royal Artillery barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, by terrorists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who were known to the security services as having involvement in radical Islamic activities. And Fusilier Rigby's uncle Ray McClure told the BBC: 'Valuable evidence is on that smartphone and Apple is denying the FBI access to that information. 'If a court issued a warrant in the UK or United States to search somebody's house, you wouldn't stop them, you would allow them in - why should a smartphone be any different? 'If Mr Cook has no sympathy for terrorists, why is he stopping the FBI accessing those phone records?' CEO Tim Cook's ferocious response, posted early on Wednesday on the company's website, came after an order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym that Apple Inc. help the Obama administration break into the encrypted phone. The first-of-its-kind ruling was a significant victory for the Justice Department in a technology policy debate that pits digital privacy against national security interests. WHAT INVESTIGATORS WANT Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said that Apple must provide 'reasonable technical assistance' to investigators seeking to unlock the data on an iPhone 5C that had been owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically. However, Apple says this is akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes.' Advertisement Noting the order Tuesday from federal Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in California, Cook said 'this moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake.' Cook argued that the order 'has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.' Pym's order to Apple to help the FBI hack into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino, California shooters set the stage for a legal fight between the federal government and Silicon Valley over a first-of-its-kind ruling. The order, in which Apple is being directed to assist the FBI in breaking into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardo shooters, represents a significant victory for the Justice Department. The Obama administration has embraced stronger encryption as a way to keep consumers safe on the Internet, but struggled to find a compelling example to make its case. Cook said that the U.S. government order would undermine encryption by using specialized software to create an essential back door that he compared to a 'master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks.' 'In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today - would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession,' Cook wrote. 'The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a back door. 'And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.' Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman today deferred to the Justice Department but said it was important to recognize the government is not asking Apple to 'create a new backdoor to its products.' He said the case was about federal investigators learning 'as much as they can about this one case.' 'The president certainly believes that is an important national priority,' he said. FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress last week that encryption is a major problem for law enforcement who 'find a device that can't be opened even when a judge says there's probable cause to open it.' Password: Federal investigators are trying to gain access to suspect Farook's work phone. Currently, Apple does not have a means of breaking the passcode, but the court has ordered the company to figure out a way around the passcode to gain access to the phone's contents. Above, the suspects' battered SUV The ruling on Tuesday tied the problem to the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a December 2 shooting at a holiday luncheon for Farook's co-workers. The couple later died in a gun battle with police. Federal prosecutors told the judge in the court proceeding - that was conducted without Apple being allowed to participate - that investigators can't access a work phone used by Farook because they don't know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a person's employer. The judge told Apple to provide an estimate of its cost to comply with her order, suggesting that the government will be expected to pay for the work. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. The ruling by Pym, a former federal prosecutor, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature, which erases the phone's data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. SHOULD THE PHONE BE OPENED UP? TRUMP AND SAN BERNARDINO SURVIVORS WEIGH IN ON APPLE'S FIGHT WITH THE COURTS Donald Trump was one of the first big names to weigh in on Apple's fight with the federal government, saying he believes the tech company should comply with the court order to open Farook's iPhone. 'To think that Apple won't allow us to get into her cellphone? Who do they think they are? No, we have to open it,' The Republican presidential candidate told Fox & Friends Wednesday morning. 'I agree 100 percent with the courts. In that case, we should open it up. Against Apple: In an interview with Fox and Friends Wednesday morning, Donald Trump said he was '100 per cent' with the courts on the issue to hack Farook's iPhone. Pictured above at a campaign stop on Tuesday in Beaufort, South Carolina 'I think security, overall, we have to open it up and we have to use our heads. We have to use common sense,' Trump added. 'Somebody the other day called me a common-sense conservative. We have to use common sense.' Trump said in a 2013 Facebook post that he has 'a lot of' Apple stock. Fellow Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said he hoped Apple would comply but acknowledged it was a 'tough issue'. 'There's no easy answers for the encryption issue,' he said. 'Because on the one hand, this encryption is designed to prevent people from having unauthorized access to your private information. 'On the other hand, there are terrorists and criminals who are using encryption to protect themselves. So I really think this is going to require us to work very closely with the technology industry to find a solution.' Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, claimed that Apple was becoming the 'company of choice' for criminals. 'Apple chose to protect a dead ISIS terrorist's privacy over the security of the American people,' he said. 'The problem of end-to-end encryption isn't just a terrorism issue. 'It is also a drug-trafficking, kidnapping, and child pornography issue that impacts every state of the Union. It's unfortunate that the great company Apple is becoming the company of choice for terrorists, drug dealers, and sexual predators of all sorts.' Bill Bratton, the NYPD commissioner, agreed with Trump, saying: 'No device, no car and no apartment should be beyond the reach of a court-ordered search warrant.' Government whistleblower Edward Snowden took the opposite side of the debate. With Cook: Government whistle-blower Edward Snowden was critical of the court order against Apple In a tweet, the former security contractor wrote: 'The FBI is creating a world where citizens rely on Apple to defend their rights, rather than the other way around.' Snowden fled the country in 2013 after leaking thousands of classified documents detailing the government's surveillance program. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, a leading legislator on privacy and tech issues, supported Apple. 'This move by the FBI could snowball around the world,' he said. 'Why in the world would our government want to give repressive regimes in Russia and China a blueprint for forcing American companies to create a backdoor? 'Companies should comply with warrants to the extent they are able to do so, but no company should be forced to deliberately weaken its products. In the long run, the real losers will be Americans' online safety and security.' Survivor: Arlen Verdeh lost his wife Bennetta Betbadal in the December 2 shooting. He said he's disappointed in Apple for not helping the FBI more in their investigation The debate also sparked outrage from San Berarndino survivors, such as Arlen Verdeh who lost his wife Bennetta Betbadal in the shooting. 'For national security, it should not take three months to help the federal government with this decision,' Verdeh told NBC Los Angeles on Tuesday. 'I am very upset with Apple for not assisting the federal government.' 'People's lives matter,' Verdeh added. 'This could reduce other instances. Any assistance they can help the federal government in finding what's behind those phones is a big help.' Tim Cook's letter started a firestorm on social media Wednesday morning, after it was posted online. Many sided with the Apple CEO's decision to protect user security at the expense of possibly being held in contempt of court. Others, however, were not impressed with the company's decision to hinder a federal investigation into the deadliest domestic terror attack since 9/11. Advertisement However, some security experts say the requiest is possible because the phone in question is an older iPhone 5C which does not have a fingerprint sensor or Apple's latest security feature, known as a secure enclave. 'Based on my initial reading of the request and my knowledge of the iOS platform, I believe all of the FBI's requests are technically feasible,' said Dan Guido on Trail of Bits Blog. The Electronic Frontier foundation, a nonprofit well known for fighting for digital rights, backed Tim Cook and Apple. 'We are supporting Apple here because the government is doing more than simply asking for Apple's assistance,' it said. 'For the first time, the government is requesting Apple write brand new code that eliminates key features of iPhone securitysecurity features that protect us all. 'Essentially, the government is asking Apple to create a master key so that it can open a single phone. Victims: A composite photo of all 14 victims from the San Bernardino shooting rampage. They are top row left: Robert Adams, Isaac Amanios, Bennetta Betbadal, Harry Bowman and Sierra Clayborn. Second row from left: Juan Espinoza, Aurora Godoy, Shannon Johnson, Larry Daniel Kaufman and Damian Meins. Bottom row from left: Tin Nguyen, Nicholas Thalasinos, Yvette Velasco and Michael Wetzel 'And once that master key is created, we're certain that our government will ask for it again and again, for other phones, and turn this power against any software or device that has the audacity to offer strong security. 'The U.S. government wants us to trust that it won't misuse this power. But we can all imagine the myriad ways this new authority could be abused. 'Even if you trust the U.S. government, once this master key is created, governments around the world will surely demand that Apple undermine the security of their citizens as well.' It was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farook's work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about whom the couple communicated with and where they may have traveled. The couple took pains to physically destroy two personally owned cell phones, crushing them beyond the FBI's ability to recover information from them. They also removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found despite investigators diving for days for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. It was not known whether Farook forgot about the iPhone or did not care whether investigators found it. The phone was running the newest version of Apple's iPhone operating system, which requires a passcode and cannot be accessed by Apple, unlike earlier operating systems or older phone models. San Bernardino County provided Farook with an iPhone configured to erase data after 10 consecutive unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The FBI said that feature appeared to be active on Farook's iPhone as of the last time he performed a backup. The judge didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Malik's timeline from December 2. Investigators have concluded they were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group; Malik's Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the group's leader around the time of the attack. In 2014, Apple updated its iPhone operating system to require that the phone be locked by a passcode that only the user knows. Previously, the company could use an extraction tool that would physically plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. Hired: Cherie Blairs firm Omnia Strategy, which trumpets her human rights work, acted for the controversial new Maldives regime - and could now become the subject of an anti-corruption investigation Murky financial links between Cherie Blair and the corrupt dictator of a tax haven with an appalling record on human rights can be revealed today. A law firm founded by Tony Blairs wife, who trumpets her human rights work, earned more than 2,000 a day representing Abdulla Yameen, the autocratic president of the Maldives. In a highly irregular move, the firm was paid more than 200,000 of its fee by a suspected conman and terrorist now wanted by Interpol. As a result, Mrs Blairs company, Omnia Strategy, could become the subject of an anti-corruption investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and US government. Mr Yameen has jailed more than 1,700 opposition activists, and the leaders of three rival political parties, staging show trials dubbed a travesty of justice by Amnesty International. A Daily Mail investigation has discovered that Mrs Blairs firm: Agreed to work for Mr Yameens dictatorship for six months in return for 420,000; Publicly claimed its job was to help build democracy and improve transparency and accountability in the country when Omnia was also hired to handle the regimes PR; Was paid 210,000 of its fee by Mohamed Allam Latheef, a businessman who is accused of corruption, arms trafficking, terrorism, and the embezzlement of more than 30million in public money; Was involved in financial transactions with Abdullah Ziyath, ex-head of a Maldives tourist quango, who is suspected of colluding with Latheef and is on trial accused of masterminding the theft of more than 50million from the government. Last night, Omnia said in a statement it took the suggestion it had received money from someone other than its client very seriously and was urgently reviewing the payment. Lawyers representing victims of the regime called for the financial relationship between Mrs Blair and the dictatorship to be investigated by UK and US fraud authorities. One said: Like all law firms Omnia is subject to strict money-laundering laws which require it to carry out due diligence on the people who are paying it. Autocratic president: Abdulla Yameen has jailed more than 1,700 opposition activists, and the leaders of three rival political parties - who paid Cherie Blair's law firm 2,000-a-day to represent him Mrs Blairs firm was hired by the Maldivian government last summer, claiming its role was to promote democracy and transparency. But secret documents obtained by the Mail reveal the firm was hired to advise on strategic diplomacy, media training, [and] international media relations and to handle PR during the regimes legal battle with ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, who claims he was forced out of office at gunpoint in 2012. Mr Nasheed, represented by lawyer Amal Clooney, was later jailed for 13 years in a trial described by Amnesty International as a sham. Amid an international outcry over his treatment and the governments crackdown on human rights, Mrs Clooney agreed to represent Mr Nasheed for free. In contrast, Mrs Blairs legal firm Omnia Strategy made a deal to help the Maldivian government for two payments of 210,000. Omnia then billed Abdullah Ziyath, former managing director of the state-run Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), for its work. Ziyath has since been arrested on 50 embezzlement charges as part of a 55million alleged corruption investigation. Bank records show a payment subsequently made to Mrs Blairs firm came not from Ziyaths agency, but from MC Maldives Private Ltd, a garment company with no links to political activity. Contrast: Mohamed Nasheed, who claims he was forced out of office at gunpoint in 2012 by Yameen, was represented by lawyer Amal Clooney - George Clooney's wife - for free The companys owner, Abdulla Rafiu, said he had been duped into paying the money to Mrs Blair by Latheef. Eva Abdulla, an MP for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, said: The invoice shows Cherie Blair is working for the most corrupt agency of a very corrupt government. When Omnia sent an invoice to the government and ended up getting paid by a private company, that should have raised all sorts of red flags. The invoice shows Cherie Blair is working for the most corrupt agency of a very corrupt government Eva Abdulla, MP for Maldivian Democratic Party Mrs Blair is Omnias founder and chairman. On its website she describes having more than 35 years experience as a barrister specialising in public international law and human rights. She also boasts that she received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill medal in 2007 for her high ideals and courageous actions. In a statement, the firm said: Following the unpredictable domestic events that occurred in the Maldives in October and November 2015, Omnia Strategy moved swiftly to suspend the provision of services to MMPRC and subsequently terminated its engagement before the completion of the contract. Regarding the allegations surrounding payment of our invoice, we are taking this matter very seriously and are reviewing the suggestion our client was not in control of the referenced bank account. It said its role involved advising the government on legislative and institutional reform, adding that this was: This was a separate contract it has also concluded. A spokesman for the Maldives Presidents Office said it was unable to comment yesterday. Cherie, human rights hypocrite: Damning dossier on Mrs Blair's 'ethical' law firm reveals dealings with arms trafficker now wanted for terrorism What is Cherie Blairs ethical law firm doing making huge sums representing a banana republic with a dreadful human rights record? And, oh, yes, the money was paid by a man now wanted by Interpol for arms trafficking, terrorism and corruption Left-wing wife: Cherie Blair has missed few opportunities to try to give the public a rose-tinted view of her politically correct lobbying and legal work What first attracted Cherie Blair to the wealthy dictator in charge of one of the worlds most corrupt and repressive tax havens? That was the question being asked last summer when the supposedly principled human rights lawyer unveiled her latest high-profile client. His name was Abdulla Yameen, and while he might have boasted very deep pockets, he also happened to be an international pariah. As President of the Maldives since 2013, Yameen presided over a kleptocratic government notorious for its systematic violations of democracy and human rights. Around 1,700 political opponents had been chucked into prison since Yameens disputed 2013 election. They included Mohammed Nasheed, Yameens charismatic predecessor whose case was dubbed a travesty of justice by Amnesty International and whose celebrity supporters ranged from Sir Richard Branson to Amal Clooney. What made Cheries choice of client so extraordinary was that she had always on paper, at least supposedly devoted her adult life to human rights and democracy. As the Left-wing wife of a former Labour Prime Minister, she had missed few opportunities to try to give the public a rose-tinted view of her politically correct lobbying and legal work. A sense of the image she wanted to project can be seen in the biographical profiles beneath expensive portrait photos on her two personal websites. The profiles state that, as well as being involved with over 20 charities, the QC and former Judge has devoted her adult life to fighting for human rights in her professional career and is a strong advocate for womens rights and crusader on the subject of social responsibility. Yet here she was trying to further the interests of a government whose appetite for jailing dissidents had turned it into the Indian Oceans premier banana republic. So what was going on? Why had Mrs Blair, at 61, taken such a sordid job? One un-named former minister in her husband Tonys government recently ventured an interesting if controversial point of view. It always struck me that [Cherie] was insecure, he told the Guardian newspaper. That is down to her background. Everything flows from that: the need for money. In other words, the ex-minister was suggesting, Cherie had cynically agreed to represent a despot because she fancied a fat pay cheque. Its a theory which looks all the more compelling in light of two extraordinary secret documents which fell into the Mails hands this week. Representing a despot: Mrs Blair, whose firms client was Maldives President Yameen, in dark glasses (above) The first is an invoice that Cheries firm, Omnia Strategy, sent to the Maldives government on August 24 last year. It makes clear the firm expected a fixed fee of 420,000 to be paid in two 210,000 tranches in return for six months of work. To put it another way, Ms Blair was prepared to abandon her treasured principles in return for 70,000 per month for her firm, or just over 2,000 a day. Thats a tidy fee for a working class girl from Liverpool even if it represents a mere fraction of her and her husbands estimated 60 million net worth today. Tony Blair, who since leaving office built much of that fortune doing business with a host of the worlds most sleazy autocrats from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Kuwait and Qatar would doubtless agree. Intriguingly, the invoice we have seen for the first 210,000 tranche contains a potted description of how Omnia actually earned this tainted money. It states that the firms duties consisted of helping the Yameen regime carry out strategic diplomacy, media training, international media relations, and the management of the international coverage of a controversial decision to jail three high-profile dissidents. Which surely means that Omnia was acting as the despotic regimes PR company. Theres nothing illegal about that (although some would view it as deeply immoral), but the fact is that in public Omnia has always described the work it has done for the Maldivian regime very differently. Only last month, for example, Cheries firm released a statement claiming its involvement in the exotic country was all about improving the lot of its 320,000 citizens by helping improve transparency and accountability. Deeply shady suspected fraudster: Mohamed Allam Latheef is a businessman accused of corruption, arms trafficking, terrorism, and the embezzlement of more than 30million in public money As a law firm, Omnia Strategy advises governments on issues relating to matters of international law and treaty obligations, the statement read. The work Omnia Strategy has undertaken is intended to bring tangible improvements to a young nation. Any comments suggesting the contrary are wholly inappropriate and without ground. Compare and contrast that public statement with the contents of its invoice. Asked to square the two divergent mission statements, Omnia released a further statement to the Mail last night insisting that it did indeed advise the Maldives government on legislative and institutional reform. However, it said, this part of its work took place under a separate contract to the one the Mail has obtained details of. That wont silence the critics, however. If Cherie Blair had done any kind of homework, she would have known that this is an indefensible regime Eva Abdulla, MP for Maldivian Democratic Party Omnia repeatedly told the people of the Maldives that the firm had been hired to help the government with legal reform and democracy, says Eva Abdulla, one of the few opposition MPs in the Maldives still brave enough to publicly venture an opinion that might upset the dictatorship. This document instead shows that a major part of the job was a PR role. They were explicitly hired to defend the governments decision to jail opposition leaders. If Cherie Blair had done any kind of homework, she would have known that this is an indefensible regime. But the only thing she seems to have cared about is the fact that the government was going to pay her. That, however, isnt the only point of interest about Omnias 210,000 invoice. Another can be found towards the top of the document, which was sent from Cheries swanky office in a tower block near Hyde Park in London. There you can see that it was addressed to one of Omnias key contacts in the Yameen regime: Abdulla Ziyath, the Managing Director of the Maldives Marketing and Promotion Board or MMPRC. (He was actually MD of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, but the invoice got the firms name wrong.) Career: Mrs Blair, pictured with her husband Tony, had always - on paper, at least - supposedly devoted her adult life to human rights and democracy Mr Ziyath is shall we say? an intriguing character for Mrs Blair, or indeed anyone else, to have entered into a lucrative business relationship with. Formerly a close associate of the dictator, he is facing criminal trial for his alleged role in the biggest ever fraud case to hit the Maldives: the embezzlement of around 50 million from MMPRC, which he ran. Ziyath was arrested in October last year after it emerged that tens of millions of pounds of public money had illegally been siphoned from its coffers. Prosecutors allege that the organisation which took cash from developers in return for granting tourist licences and leases on land for hotels then handed huge illegal bungs to dozens of influential figures in the Yameen government. A special audit found that Ziyath had signed off millions of dollars of cheques to private companies, and subleased 59 islands, lagoons and plots of land for development without keeping documents detailing the transactions. He and two co-defendants (one of whom is Yameens former vice president Ahmed Adeeb) face 50 corruption charges. They are maintaining their innocence, and their trial continues. On paper, of course, none of this unfortunate scandal is Omnias fault. The invoice pre-dates Ziyaths arrest, and there is no reason why the firm should have known about the scandal when it agreed to work with him. However, the second of the two secret documents we have seen will drag Cherie squarely into this deeply unedifying affair. The A4 sheet is a receipt detailing the bank transfer on September 18 in which Omnia was wired the 210,000 payment it had requested from the Maldives government. Look closely at the document and you will see that the cash in question said to be payment for professional services came from an account held at the Bank of Ceylon in Male, the capital of the Maldives. Yet this bank account did not belong to the Maldives government, or even to Ziyaths supposedly corrupt PR agency, which Omnia had billed. Instead the account was controlled by a completely different private company called MC Maldives Pvt Ltd. So what was going on? When I found out I was very unhappy. I am a businessman. I dont want any connection with political things. I asked my friend for an explanation, and he said he would get back to me but never did Abdulla Rafiu, entrepreneur We have established that MC Maldives is a large textiles firm which imports and exports clothing to and from the Maldives. It is owned by Abdulla Rafiu, a well-known entrepreneur who also owns a tobacco business. However, when we called Mr Rafiu this week, he claimed to have arranged the bank transfer to Mrs Blair as a favour for a second local businessman called Mohamed Allam Latheef. Latheef, in turn, owns a company called SOF Pvt Ltd. According to Rafiu, it was SOFs money that ended up in the HSBC bank account of Mrs Blairs firm. He says and has shown us documents to prove it that SOF had been unable to make an international payment on the afternoon of September 18 because it was the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid. The firm had therefore put the funds into Rafius account, and Latheef had asked him to transfer it directly to an HSBC account in London as a favour. Only later did Rafiu realise that the money was going to Cherie Blair. When I found out I was very unhappy, he told us. I am a businessman. I dont want any connection with political things. I asked my friend for an explanation, and he said he would get back to me but never did. All of which begs a second question: who was this Mr Latheef who actually paid Cherie Blairs bill? Here things get murkier still: for Latheef is a deeply shady suspected fraudster at the centre of the ongoing corruption scandal involving Ziyath. Maldivian prosecutors claim that the bulk of the funds looted from the MMPRC some 30 million were funnelled to his aforementioned private firm, SOF Pvt Limited. He recently fled the country and now is the subject of an Interpol red notice effectively an international arrest warrant. The red notice states that Latheef is wanted for threatening catastophe; criminal property damage; use of dangerous weapon during an offence; trafficking, manufacture sale or possession of catastrophic agents or firearms; terrorism and corruption. What a colourful chap to be paying 210,000 to Mrs Blairs law firm! Quite where this leaves Omnia Strategies is anyones guess. The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which requires members to follow detailed guidelines designed to avoid them being paid from the proceeds of money laundering, crime and corruption. Among other things, they stipulate that firms such as Mrs Blairs ought to carry out stringent due diligence regarding the true source of funds paid by a client. They are also supposed to carry out detailed checks to ensure that people paying them are who they say they are. It broke every rule in the book: Omnia billed the government, and was paid by a private firm. This boasts tell-tale signs of money laundering British lawyer, working on behalf of the victims of Abdulla Yameen Mrs Blair is a QC and former judge, so she ought to ensure that her firm is stringent in carrying out forensic checks. All of which makes one wonder why Omnia did not tell money-laundering watchdogs that it had accepted a 210,000 international payment from a completely different organisation from the one it had invoiced in a country famed for corruption and money laundering. When we asked Mrs Blairs office about the affair yesterday, it released a statement saying: Regarding the allegations surrounding the payment of our invoice, we are taking this matter very seriously and are reviewing the suggestion that our client was not in control of the referenced bank account. Omnia Strategy has in place strict compliance policies and procedures. The statement added that Omnia had terminated its six-month contract early following the unpredictable domestic events that occurred in the Maldives in October and November 2015 [a reference, one imagines, to Ziyaths arrest] and is no longer instructed by either the Government or the scandal-hit quango. Thats unlikely to silence critics. One British lawyer working on behalf of the victims of Yameen tells me he is passing details of the transaction to anti-fraud authorities in the UK and the U.S. (where Omnia has a second office in Washington DC). Cherie Blair should have known that she was going into business with a very nasty regime, with links to corruption and organised crime, so this payment ought never to have been accepted, he said. It broke every rule in the book: Omnia billed the government, and was paid by a private firm. This boasts tell-tale signs of money laundering. The opposition MP, Eva Abdulla, added: Cherie Blair is working for the most corrupt agency of a very corrupt government. When Omnia sent an invoice to the government and ended up getting paid by a private company, that should have raised all sorts of red flags. That they simply chose to accept this money regardless of its provenance tells us everything we need to know about the firm and the people that run it. The August 24th invoice from Cherie Blairs law firm Omnia Strategy to the Maldivian government, requesting payment of 210,000 for PR work The Bank of Ceylon record of a September 17th transfer of 210,000 to Omnia Strategies. The money was paid by a private textiles firm with no links to politics or the Maldivian government, at the request of Mohamed Latheef, an internation fugitive wanted for by Interpol terrorism and embezzlement What is Cherie Blairs ethical law firm doing making huge sums representing a banana republic with a dreadful human rights record? And, oh, yes, the money was paid by a man now wanted by Interpol for arms trafficking, terrorism and corruption Left-wing wife: Cherie Blair has missed few opportunities to try to give the public a rose-tinted view of her politically correct lobbying and legal work What first attracted Cherie Blair to the wealthy dictator in charge of one of the worlds most corrupt and repressive tax havens? That was the question being asked last summer when the supposedly principled human rights lawyer unveiled her latest high-profile client. His name was Abdulla Yameen, and while he might have boasted very deep pockets, he also happened to be an international pariah. As President of the Maldives since 2013, Yameen presided over a kleptocratic government notorious for its systematic violations of democracy and human rights. Around 1,700 political opponents had been chucked into prison since Yameens disputed 2013 election. They included Mohammed Nasheed, Yameens charismatic predecessor whose case was dubbed a travesty of justice by Amnesty International and whose celebrity supporters ranged from Sir Richard Branson to Amal Clooney. What made Cheries choice of client so extraordinary was that she had always on paper, at least supposedly devoted her adult life to human rights and democracy. As the Left-wing wife of a former Labour Prime Minister, she had missed few opportunities to try to give the public a rose-tinted view of her politically correct lobbying and legal work. A sense of the image she wanted to project can be seen in the biographical profiles beneath expensive portrait photos on her two personal websites. The profiles state that, as well as being involved with over 20 charities, the QC and former Judge has devoted her adult life to fighting for human rights in her professional career and is a strong advocate for womens rights and crusader on the subject of social responsibility. Yet here she was trying to further the interests of a government whose appetite for jailing dissidents had turned it into the Indian Oceans premier banana republic. So what was going on? Why had Mrs Blair, at 61, taken such a sordid job? One un-named former minister in her husband Tonys government recently ventured an interesting if controversial point of view. It always struck me that [Cherie] was insecure, he told the Guardian newspaper. That is down to her background. Everything flows from that: the need for money. In other words, the ex-minister was suggesting, Cherie had cynically agreed to represent a despot because she fancied a fat pay cheque. Its a theory which looks all the more compelling in light of two extraordinary secret documents which fell into the Mails hands this week. Representing a despot: Mrs Blair, whose firms client was Maldives President Yameen, in dark glasses (above) The first is an invoice that Cheries firm, Omnia Strategy, sent to the Maldives government on August 24 last year. It makes clear the firm expected a fixed fee of 420,000 to be paid in two 210,000 tranches in return for six months of work. To put it another way, Ms Blair was prepared to abandon her treasured principles in return for 70,000 per month for her firm, or just over 2,000 a day. Thats a tidy fee for a working class girl from Liverpool even if it represents a mere fraction of her and her husbands estimated 60 million net worth today. Tony Blair, who since leaving office built much of that fortune doing business with a host of the worlds most sleazy autocrats from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Kuwait and Qatar would doubtless agree. Intriguingly, the invoice we have seen for the first 210,000 tranche contains a potted description of how Omnia actually earned this tainted money. It states that the firms duties consisted of helping the Yameen regime carry out strategic diplomacy, media training, international media relations, and the management of the international coverage of a controversial decision to jail three high-profile dissidents. Which surely means that Omnia was acting as the despotic regimes PR company. Theres nothing illegal about that (although some would view it as deeply immoral), but the fact is that in public Omnia has always described the work it has done for the Maldivian regime very differently. Only last month, for example, Cheries firm released a statement claiming its involvement in the exotic country was all about improving the lot of its 320,000 citizens by helping improve transparency and accountability. As a law firm, Omnia Strategy advises governments on issues relating to matters of international law and treaty obligations, the statement read. The work Omnia Strategy has undertaken is intended to bring tangible improvements to a young nation. Any comments suggesting the contrary are wholly inappropriate and without ground. Deeply shady suspected fraudster: Mohamed Allam Latheef is a businessman accused of corruption, arms trafficking, terrorism, and the embezzlement of more than 30million in public money Compare and contrast that public statement with the contents of its invoice. Asked to square the two divergent mission statements, Omnia released a further statement to the Mail last night insisting that it did indeed advise the Maldives government on legislative and institutional reform. However, it said, this part of its work took place under a separate contract to the one the Mail has obtained details of. That wont silence the critics, however. If Cherie Blair had done any kind of homework, she would have known that this is an indefensible regime Eva Abdulla, MP for Maldivian Democratic Party Omnia repeatedly told the people of the Maldives that the firm had been hired to help the government with legal reform and democracy, says Eva Abdulla, one of the few opposition MPs in the Maldives still brave enough to publicly venture an opinion that might upset the dictatorship. This document instead shows that a major part of the job was a PR role. They were explicitly hired to defend the governments decision to jail opposition leaders. If Cherie Blair had done any kind of homework, she would have known that this is an indefensible regime. But the only thing she seems to have cared about is the fact that the government was going to pay her. That, however, isnt the only point of interest about Omnias 210,000 invoice. Another can be found towards the top of the document, which was sent from Cheries swanky office in a tower block near Hyde Park in London. There you can see that it was addressed to one of Omnias key contacts in the Yameen regime: Abdulla Ziyath, the Managing Director of the Maldives Marketing and Promotion Board or MMPRC. (He was actually MD of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, but the invoice got the firms name wrong.) Career: Mrs Blair, pictured with her husband Tony, had always - on paper, at least - supposedly devoted her adult life to human rights and democracy Mr Ziyath is shall we say? an intriguing character for Mrs Blair, or indeed anyone else, to have entered into a lucrative business relationship with. Formerly a close associate of the dictator, he is facing criminal trial for his alleged role in the biggest ever fraud case to hit the Maldives: the embezzlement of around 50 million from MMPRC, which he ran. Ziyath was arrested in October last year after it emerged that tens of millions of pounds of public money had illegally been siphoned from its coffers. Prosecutors allege that the organisation which took cash from developers in return for granting tourist licences and leases on land for hotels then handed huge illegal bungs to dozens of influential figures in the Yameen government. A special audit found that Ziyath had signed off millions of dollars of cheques to private companies, and subleased 59 islands, lagoons and plots of land for development without keeping documents detailing the transactions. He and two co-defendants (one of whom is Yameens former vice president Ahmed Adeeb) face 50 corruption charges. They are maintaining their innocence, and their trial continues. On paper, of course, none of this unfortunate scandal is Omnias fault. The invoice pre-dates Ziyaths arrest, and there is no reason why the firm should have known about the scandal when it agreed to work with him. However, the second of the two secret documents we have seen will drag Cherie squarely into this deeply unedifying affair. The A4 sheet is a receipt detailing the bank transfer on September 18 in which Omnia was wired the 210,000 payment it had requested from the Maldives government. Look closely at the document and you will see that the cash in question said to be payment for professional services came from an account held at the Bank of Ceylon in Male, the capital of the Maldives. Yet this bank account did not belong to the Maldives government, or even to Ziyaths supposedly corrupt PR agency, which Omnia had billed. Instead the account was controlled by a completely different private company called MC Maldives Pvt Ltd. So what was going on? When I found out I was very unhappy. I am a businessman. I dont want any connection with political things. I asked my friend for an explanation, and he said he would get back to me but never did Abdulla Rafiu, entrepreneur We have established that MC Maldives is a large textiles firm which imports and exports clothing to and from the Maldives. It is owned by Abdulla Rafiu, a well-known entrepreneur who also owns a tobacco business. However, when we called Mr Rafiu this week, he claimed to have arranged the bank transfer to Mrs Blair as a favour for a second local businessman called Mohamed Allam Latheef. Latheef, in turn, owns a company called SOF Pvt Ltd. According to Rafiu, it was SOFs money that ended up in the HSBC bank account of Mrs Blairs firm. He says and has shown us documents to prove it that SOF had been unable to make an international payment on the afternoon of September 18 because it was the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid. The firm had therefore put the funds into Rafius account, and Latheef had asked him to transfer it directly to an HSBC account in London as a favour. Only later did Rafiu realise that the money was going to Cherie Blair. When I found out I was very unhappy, he told us. I am a businessman. I dont want any connection with political things. I asked my friend for an explanation, and he said he would get back to me but never did. All of which begs a second question: who was this Mr Latheef who actually paid Cherie Blairs bill? Here things get murkier still: for Latheef is a deeply shady suspected fraudster at the centre of the ongoing corruption scandal involving Ziyath. Maldivian prosecutors claim that the bulk of the funds looted from the MMPRC some 30 million were funnelled to his aforementioned private firm, SOF Pvt Limited. He recently fled the country and now is the subject of an Interpol red notice effectively an international arrest warrant. The red notice states that Latheef is wanted for threatening catastophe; criminal property damage; use of dangerous weapon during an offence; trafficking, manufacture sale or possession of catastrophic agents or firearms; terrorism and corruption. What a colourful chap to be paying 210,000 to Mrs Blairs law firm! Quite where this leaves Omnia Strategies is anyones guess. The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which requires members to follow detailed guidelines designed to avoid them being paid from the proceeds of money laundering, crime and corruption. Among other things, they stipulate that firms such as Mrs Blairs ought to carry out stringent due diligence regarding the true source of funds paid by a client. They are also supposed to carry out detailed checks to ensure that people paying them are who they say they are. It broke every rule in the book: Omnia billed the government, and was paid by a private firm. This boasts tell-tale signs of money laundering British lawyer, working on behalf of the victims of Abdulla Yameen Mrs Blair is a QC and former judge, so she ought to ensure that her firm is stringent in carrying out forensic checks. All of which makes one wonder why Omnia did not tell money-laundering watchdogs that it had accepted a 210,000 international payment from a completely different organisation from the one it had invoiced in a country famed for corruption and money laundering. When we asked Mrs Blairs office about the affair yesterday, it released a statement saying: Regarding the allegations surrounding the payment of our invoice, we are taking this matter very seriously and are reviewing the suggestion that our client was not in control of the referenced bank account. Omnia Strategy has in place strict compliance policies and procedures. The statement added that Omnia had terminated its six-month contract early following the unpredictable domestic events that occurred in the Maldives in October and November 2015 [a reference, one imagines, to Ziyaths arrest] and is no longer instructed by either the Government or the scandal-hit quango. Thats unlikely to silence critics. One British lawyer working on behalf of the victims of Yameen tells me he is passing details of the transaction to anti-fraud authorities in the UK and the U.S. (where Omnia has a second office in Washington DC). Cherie Blair should have known that she was going into business with a very nasty regime, with links to corruption and organised crime, so this payment ought never to have been accepted, he said. It broke every rule in the book: Omnia billed the government, and was paid by a private firm. This boasts tell-tale signs of money laundering. The opposition MP, Eva Abdulla, added: Cherie Blair is working for the most corrupt agency of a very corrupt government. When Omnia sent an invoice to the government and ended up getting paid by a private company, that should have raised all sorts of red flags. That they simply chose to accept this money regardless of its provenance tells us everything we need to know about the firm and the people that run it. The August 24th invoice from Cherie Blairs law firm Omnia Strategy to the Maldivian government, requesting payment of 210,000 for PR work The Bank of Ceylon record of a September 17th transfer of 210,000 to Omnia Strategies. The money was paid by a private textiles firm with no links to politics or the Maldivian government, at the request of Mohamed Latheef, an internation fugitive wanted for by Interpol terrorism and embezzlement Heartbreaking images have emerged from China of the moment a child was torn away from his mother as she left him behind to return to work in the city. Seven-year-old Feng Feng from Ruilin Village in Qionglai, Sichuan Province, was pictured saying an emotional goodbye to his mother on February 15, reports the People's Daily Online. The 40-year-old mother, surnamed Zhi, was going back Chengdu after spending the Lunar New Year break with her son. Fengfeng remains in his village with his grandparents, he is one of millions of China's so-called 'left-behind children'. Heartbreaking: His grandparents hold him back from his mother in Qionglai, Sichuan Province on February 15 Emotional: Seven-year-old Fengfeng is dragged away from his mother who is leaving him behind for work Fengfeng has been raised by his grandparents in their hometown since he was small, his mother works as a courier in the city to provide for her family. When Zhi left him, he was crying continuously and begging to go with her. As he was begging and being dragged away by his grandparents Fengfeng shouted to his mother: 'You can't do this to me!' Zhi is divorced from Fengfeng's father, which makes her the sole earner in the family. As well as Fengfeng she has a daughter who is currently in high-school. By working in Chengdu, Zhi can provide for her two children and her parents. During the holiday, Fengfeng allegedly followed her everywhere and refused to go out to play with other children in village. He asked his mother to hold him tightly, even when he slept. Speaking to local reporters Zhi said: 'If I took Fengfeng to Chengdu with me I really could not take care of him alone.' Currently more than 61 million children in China grow up without their parents. The figure is around one fifth of the child population in the whole country. These children usually live in poor and rural communities under the supervision of their aging grandparents, while their parents work in the cities to earn money. Fengfeng's mother Zhi is among 250 million migrant workers in the country trying to improve family life by taking a city job and leaving their children behind. Some of these children will not see their parents throughout most of their childhood. Over the past month, millions of migrant workers in China would have returned home to their families for the New Year celebrations, also known as Spring Festival. And heart-rending scenes like this would have been repeated throughout the country. Farewell: 40-year-old Zhi holds back tears as she leaves her son with her parents to go and work in Chengdu On February 14, China's State Council released a guideline on the protection of 'left-behind children.' According to a CCTV report, the guideline states that local governments should keep themselves well informed of left-behind children to ensure they are fully cared for in the absence of their parents. Each child should be individually checked and visited regularly by local officials. No child under the age of 16 can live entirely by themselves. These guidelines have come into play after many problems that occurred with left-behind children grabbed the attention of the public eye and made international headlines. One example happened last year when four children in Guizhou province were found dead in an apparent suicide. Earth may have contained small concentrations of oxygen as early as 3.8 billion years ago, a new study claims. Currently, it is widely accepted that the oxygenation of the atmosphere took place in two major steps, the first dating back as far as 2.5 billion years ago. These new findings would push the initial oxygenation date back roughly one billion years, opening up the possibility of photosynthetic life forms during the Early Earth period. Earth may have contained small concentrations of oxygen as early as 3.8 billion years ago, a new study claims. According to the researchers, the elements require oxygen to be present in the BIF layers, indicating that Earth already contained low levels of atmospheric oxygen at this point FINDING EARLY OXYGEN ON EARTH An international team of researchers led by Robert Frei of the University of Copenhagen has found that Earth contained low levels of oxygen as early as 3.8 billion years ago. Previous research has led to the widely accepted belief that the oxygenation of Earths atmosphere came about in two major events. It began with the Great Oxidation Event between 2.5 and 2.4 billion years ago. A second event during the Late Neoproterozoic Era from 750 to 540 million years ago continued this process. Now, the study has revealed oxygen may have been present roughly a billion years before the first accepted oxygenation event. Advertisement It is largely agreed that the oxygenation of Earths atmosphere began with the Great Oxidation Event between 2.5 and 2.4 billion years ago. A second event during the Late Neoproterozoic Era from 750 to 540 million years ago continued this process, and some scientists believe this gave rise to the Cambrian explosion, of 540-520 million years ago that birthed diverse animal groups. Now, a new study by an international team of researchers has analysed the oldest Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) on Earth samples of marine sediments from Western Greenland to determine that Early Earth was exposed to low atmospheric oxygen much earlier than has been believed. These formations are made up of marine chemical sediments, and have alternating layers of silica and Fe-hydroxides. This allowing researchers to examine the composition and presence of oxygenation and reduction processes in the ancient oceans and atmosphere. The team, led by Robert Frei of the Department of Geoscience and Nature Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen, used concentrations and isotope compositions of chromium and uranium in the BIFs to reveal the presence of oxygen. When exposed to reactive oxygen species, these elements break down and are carried to the ocean by rivers. Researchers analysed the oldest Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) on Earth samples of marine sediments from Western Greenland According to the researchers, these elements require oxygen to be present in the BIF layers, indicating that Earth already contained low levels of atmospheric oxygen at this point. This means that simple photosynthetic life was possible much earlier than has been believed, as early as 3.8 billion years ago, the study claims. It is generally believed that the Early Earth was a completely anoxic, but our study shows that the surface of the Earth was exposed to a low oxygen atmosphere already this time, said Frei. This has far reaching implications for how we investigate the pace of evolution of life and its biodiversity on our planet. Oculus Rift may be on the verge of shipping to customers, but PlayStation owners could be immersing themselves in games using Sonys dedicated VR headset before Christmas. A retail executive has revealed the highly-anticipated gaming gadget will launch in autumn. A previous rumour suggested it will cost more than the Oculus Rift at $800, which converts to 558, but this has not been confirmed. Scroll down for videos PlayStation gamers could be playing titles using Sonys dedicated VR headset (pictured) well before Christmas. A retail executive has said the highly-anticipated gaming gadget will launch in Autumn GameStop boss Paul Raines told Fox Business News: 'We will launch the Sony product this fall and were in discussions with the other two players [HTC and Oculus] '. It has previously been reported Sony's VR headset would launch in the first half of this year, but the 'new' timing would fit in with PlayStations other previous launches, such as its last console. Sony told MailOnline: 'The launch date will be announced in due course. We have nothing more to comment on at this time.' The PlayStation VR, or PSVR, has a head-mounted display with 1080p HD resolution and a 90-degree field of view, while sensors built into the headset track head movements. The firm unveiled the device at 2014's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and at the launch, Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, said his company had been working on the technology for more than three years. GameStop boss Paul Raines told Fox Business News : 'We will launch the Sony product this fall and were in discussions with the other two players [HTC and Oculus] '. An image of the headset is pictured above APPLE'S VR PLANS REVEALED Apple has hired one of the world's leading virtual reality researchers in a clear sign the firm is developing its own VR systems. It comes just weeks after Oculus began preorders for its $599 rift (418). Google is also developing VR systems, including cardboard, a $25 case for phones. Doug Bowman joined Apple from Virginia Tech, where he had been director of its centre for human computer interaction for around five years. According to his academic profile, Mr Bowman focused his research on 'three dimensional user interface design and the benefits of immersion in virtual environments'. Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight, said it was 'unthinkable' that Apple has not been developing a VR system. 'I'd wager that there is a substantial team within Apple figuring out how the company will play a role in this technology,' he said. 'It certainly can't let rivals such as Facebook, Google and Samsung run away with the market, particularly given the groundswell of momentum building around smartphone based virtual reality.' Advertisement Sony has reportedly sold more than 35.9 million PlayStation 4 consoles, which will be able to run VR games. It also makes sense because gamers tend to spend more on new hardware in the run up to Christmas, Gizmodo reported. It is thought the launch will prove particularly popular because gamers will simply be able to buy the device, plug it in and play, unlike with the Oculus and HTC Vive, which will require the latest hardware. However, Sonys VR headset wont be quite as powerful as the Oculus Rift, which will require a Nvidia GTX 970 graphics processor. The PlayStation 4 runs one thats closer to the Nvidia GTX 660 a less advanced processor. In January, a listing, which appears to have been posted by accident on Amazon's Canada site, revealed the PlayStation VR will cost $1,125 CAD, which converts to $800 USD or 558. The page was spotted by Forbes and the price was removed. Sony said in a statement: 'This was an error by Amazon, we haven't announced price for PlayStation VR.' However, it was not clear whether the posting of the listing was an error, or the price shown on the listing was the mistake the statement refers to. If the price was correct, it will make the standalone headset more expensive than the Oculus Rift, which costs $599 (418). It is thought the launch will prove particularly popular because gamers will simply be able to buy the device, plug it in and play, unlike with the Oculus Rift (pictured) and HTC Vive, which will require the latest hardware In January, a listing, which appears to have been posted by accident on Amazon's Canada site, revealed the PlayStation VR (pictured) will cost $1,125 CAD, which converts to $800 USD or 558 At the Consulmer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sony's chief executive Kaz Hirai told the BBC it has more than 200 developers working on 100 new titles for the PlayStation VR. He said: 'I think the fact that we have more than 200 developers signed up to the PlayStation VR program who are working on probably more than 100 titles that will play on PlayStation VR, is a testament to the kind of support that we're getting from the content creation community on PlayStation VR.' Another serious contender in the VR space is HTC. The Taiwanese firm used the conference to announce its Vive Pre system. The firm has built on the original model, but made it more comfortable with a redesigned strap to give it more stability and balance. The firm originally unveiled the device at 2014's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. At the launch, Shuhei Yoshida (pictured), president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, said the headset had been in development for three years Another serious VR contender is HTC. The Taiwanese firm used this week's Consumer Electronics Show to announce its Vive Pre system. The firm has built on the original model unveiled ten months ago and has made the latest model (pictured) more comfortable with a redesigned strap to give it more stability and balance On the inside, interchangeable foam inserts and nose gaskets mean the Vive Pre fits more comfortably and securely to the user. It has an updated front-facing camera and a new dual stage trigger that makes interacting with objects smoother, while haptic feedback makes these interactions feel more lifelike. Vive is set to launch to consumers in April 2016, although prices have not been revealed. While VR headsets are predicted to be big news this Christmas, it may take years before they become cheap enough to be a common feature in most homes. Goldman Sachs has predicted VR and augmented realty as a segment will be worth $80 billion (56 billion) by 2025, which is around the same size as the desktop computer market today. VIRTUAL REALITY EXHIBIT LETS COUPLE SWAP BODIES Have you ever wanted to see the world through your partner's eyes? That's the concept behind BeAnotherLab's Gender Swap experiment that uses Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets to let wearers experience how other people see the world. Through the use of the headset, and a series of first-person cameras, the system creates the illusion that partner A can see what is being recorded by the visor worn by partner B, and vice versa. One member of the couple is called the user, while the other is the performer. Through the Oculus Rift goggles, the user is shown a video stream taken from the perspective of the performer's eyes. Each couple agrees on a set of synchronised movements and the partner's mirror each others hand gestures, and so on, while wearing the headsets. By mimicking movements, it creates an illusion in the brain that what the performer is seeing, is actually being seen through the eyes of the user. Advertisement This includes the short-eared dog and the Channel Island fox Across 600 species, animals with big brains are more at risk of extinction Mammals with large brains tend to be smarter but they also face a greater chance today of going extinct. Researchers have found that animals with larger brains are more likely to be on the global endangered species list maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It has long been known that having lots of grey matter comes at a certain cost, and the experts believe that supplying a large brain with blood requires a lot of energy. Researchers from Stanford University measured the skulls and body sizes of different-sized creatures, including the tiger cat (pictured) and compared this with their conservation status. Across 600 species, the study found animals with larger brains were more at risk of becoming extinct A professor at Stanford University, Eric Abelson, suspected there might be a link between larger brains and the risk of extinction. To test his hypothesis, he examined museum samples from more than 1,650 animals from 160 different species in the Americas. Abelson measured the skulls and body sizes of creatures as small as rodents and as big as buffalos, but did not include aquatic animals. The next step was to check their status on the global endangered species list maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). BIG BRAINS MAKE YOU SMARTER Researchers from Wyoming University recently showed that animals with big brains are smarter. Bears came top of the class in problem-solving tasks while meerkats were found to be the dunces of the animal kingdom. Despite their portrayal in TV commercials as cheeky, chatty creatures, meerkats and other members of the mongoose family completely failed to solve a puzzle that many other species cracked. Overall, 35 per cent of the animals solved the puzzle. And members of the cat family tested outshone the dogs by a whisker. Advertisement The so-called Red List classification is broken down into half-a-dozen levels of extinction threat. Abelson additionally examined a second data set of more than 600 species of animals across the globe. To his surprise, he found a clear pattern - animals with larger brains were more at risk of going the way of the dodo and the dinosaur. For example, the tiger cat has a large brain is a threatened species, as is the Channel Island fox. The pygmy raccoon had the largest relative brain size in the study and it is critically endangered. In the Americas, the link was especially strong for mammals with a big brain relative to body size. 'This likely represents a case of "endangerment filtering",' he explained in the study. 'Species in North America have gone through a period where large-bodied species had suffered large population losses.' The pygmy raccoon (left) had the largest relative brain size in the study and it is critically endangered on species list maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Channel Island fox (right) was also found to have a large relative brain size and is a threatened species Researchers from Wyoming University recently showed that animals with big brains are smarter. They found that animals that live in social groups (hyena pictured) develop higher intelligence because they have to deal with others, but this study found no evidence that social group size influenced problem-solving abilities These animals are now either extinct or protected with rebounding populations, and thus not - in either case - considered endangered, he added. The findings come at a time when scientists believe Earth is entering a 'mass extinction event,' only the sixth in the last half-billion years. The most recent occurred 65 million years ago, and wiped out non-avian dinosaurs. The current die-off is a result of changes set in motion by human activity and climate change, with life in the oceans particularly affected. THE FIVE GREAT EXTINCTION EVENTS Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions. End-Ordovician mass extinction The first of the traditional big five extinction events, around 540 million years ago, was probably the second most severe. Virtually all life was in the sea at the time and around 85% of these species vanished. Late Devonian mass extinction About 375-359 million years ago, major environmental changes caused a drawn-out extinction event that wiped out major fish groups and stopped new coral reefs forming for 100 million years. End-Permian mass extinction (the Great Dying) The largest extinction event and the one that affected the Earths ecology most profoundly took place 252 million years ago. As much as 97% of species that leave a fossil record disappeared forever. End-Triassic mass extinction Dinosaurs first appeared in the Early Triassic, but large amphibians and mammal-like reptiles were the dominant land animals. The rapid mass extinction that occurred 201 million years ago changed that. End-Cretaceous mass extinction An asteroid slammed down on Earth 66 million years ago, and is often blamed for ending the reign of the dinosaurs. Advertisement According to the IUCN, coral reefs - home to over a quarter of all marine species - could disappear by 2050. About 41 percent of amphibians and 26 of mammal species are currently facing the prosect of disappearing entirely. Abelson said further research into the correlation between brain and body size could give scientists new tools to predict extinction rates. But even if there isn't a direct correlation between size and intelligence - humans don't have the biggest brains in the animal kingdom, even in proportion to their body size - a bigger bundle of neurons is usually seen as a plus. They look like over-stuffed butlers as they waddle out of the sea and onto dry land to begin their long treks back to their nests. But it seems a session of gorging themselves with fish out at sea can make the often epic journeys even harder for penguins than they already are - by making them more likely to fall over. Researchers have discovered fat penguins are less steady on their feet and topple over due to the extra weight they are carrying in, and around, their stomachs. Scroll down for video King penguins stock up on food and build fat reserves while hunting out at sea, but this can make it harder for them to walk back on land. Researchers have found the birds become less steady on their feet and more likely to fall over when overweight (left) compared to when they are slimmer (right) Analysis of their waddles has shown the birds sway from side-to-side far more erratically after gorging themselves out at sea compared to when they are slim. For fans of comedy wildlife footage, it means the tubby creatures are much more likely to face plant as they struggle up the beach from the ocean. PUTTING PENGUINS ON TREADMILLS According to Dr Astrid Willener, getting penguins to walk on a treadmill was one of the biggest challenges she faced during her study. She used wild birds captured on Possession Island, on the Crozet Archipelago off the coast of Antarctica. 'The most difficult and tricky moment is when the treadmill first starts. Once the speed is set the penguins usually walk fluently,' she explained. 'Those that could not walk straight away and were quite difficult to train. Some individuals were lazy and "water-ski" on the treadmill by leaning their back on the wall behind them.' However, with some gentle encouragement she was able to get eight of the penguins to walk on the treadmill. Using special cameras and fitting motion sensors to the birds, Dr Willener was able to measure the movements of these animal's bodies as they walked. Advertisement However, there is also a more serious consequence for the penguins as they can sometimes have difficulty standing upright, leaving them vulnerable to predators like giant petrels. The findings suggest penguins have to find a careful balance between eating enough to ensure they do not starve while caring for their chicks on land, and not too much so they can still walk. Dr Astrid Willener, an ecologist who conducted the research for her PhD while at Roehampton University in London, spent several months studying the gait of king penguins on Possession Island, in the Crozet Archipelago. She told MailOnline: 'King penguins cannot eat while they are onshore. 'As they may fast up to a month during the reproductive period, they arrive from the sea with fat reserves and their stomach's full. 'Indeed, king penguins returning back from the sea have sometimes difficulties standing up and walking. 'I did see penguins struggling to stand and walk, but when it was the case, predators spotted them fast, and start attacking them, pulling them apart and eating them alive. The researchers found the centre of gravity in overweight penguins tended shift, throwing the birds off balance (illustrated). Their waddle became more erratic and they swayed side-to-side far more when fatter 'It is why king penguins try to have a good balance between having a lot of fat reserves to fast longer, but they cannot eat too much otherwise they won't be able to stand properly while onshore and they will be attacked by their predators.' Dr Willener's study builds on previous work she conducted using treadmills to analyse the comical waddle of king penguins. She found their strange gait helps the birds pick up speed as they walk across the land as the side-to-side motion lets them take longer and wider strides while remaining stable. However, in the latest research, she and her colleagues examined the differences between penguins returning from the sea after hunting and those returning to the sea after fasting. King penguins (pictured) spend around 40 per cent of their time on land, but they are better adapted to swimming in the water. Their torpedo-shaped bodies and short legs makes it much harder for them to walk and so they adopt a waddle to help them pick up speed. Sadly, as they pile on weight this pushes them off balance Using special cameras and motion trackers, they were able to analyse the birds' gait as they walked on a treadmill. While in the water penguins are like living torpedoes, capable of swimming at up to 7.6mph (12km/h). But on land, their streamlined bodies and powerful webbed feet at the end of short legs leave them at a distinct disadvantage. The average speed of the birds as they waddle through the colony a rather unimpressive 0.9mph (1.4km/h), but on some occasions the animals must run to avoid being attacked by rivals. Yet king penguins spend up to 40 per cent of their time ashore and can walk several miles to reach their nesting grounds. King penguins have a maximum speed of up to 7.6mph in the water but tend to only walk at around 0.9mph when on land. Despite this they can travel several miles to reach their nesting grounds Emperor penguins can walk up to 60 miles (97km) across the Antarctic ice in the middle of winter as they travel from the sea to their nesting grounds. The males and females take turns to leave the colony to hunt for fish and squid while the other remains ashore to care for the eggs and chicks. This means they must build up fat reserves to help them survive their fast while on land and also bring back fish in their stomachs to feed their chicks. Their weight can increase by at least 18 per cent on these strips, going from 24lbs (11kg) to more than 28lbs (13kg). Dr Willener found that as the birds leave the water with this extra fat around their middle and food in their stomachs, their waddle becomes more erratic. They tended to lean far more when overweight than when they were slimmer and they swayed side-to-side more too. King penguin parents take it in turns to care for their chicks, which means they can spend long periods on land fasting while the other is out hunting at sea. When they return from a hunt they can be 18 per cent heavier than when they left after a prolonged fast at sea Dr Willener said the extra mass around their stomachs appears to throw the birds off balance, making it harder for them to stay upright. While humans are able to adapt their gait as they put on weight by leaning backwards to make themselves more stable, penguins do not. The researcher explained: 'King penguins spend most of their time in the water and swim over 600km one way during the breeding season to reach the polar front to fish. 'Swimming is their primarily mode of locomotion. They are incredible good swimmers and have completely adapted for this. 'Despite this, they are also well adapted to walk. They are not very efficient in comparison to other pedestrians species, but their walking ability is amazing considering their huge body mass change and as it is 'only' their secondary mode of locomotion.' Hundreds of iron-rich meteorites which could hold secrets to the formation of the Solar System may be just beneath the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet. Researchers say they are 'hidden' just 10cm under the surface after being warmed by the sun and melting the ice that surrounds them. They say the iron rich meterorites are 'tantalisingly close'. A hidden reserve of iron-rich meteorites which could hold secrets to the formation of the Solar System may be hidden just beneath the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet, researchers say. HOW DID THEY GET THERE? Researchers say the meteorites are missing as a result of the Suns rays penetrating the clear ice in MSZs and warming the iron-rich rocks more than non-metallic ones. Such warming melts the ice surrounding the meteorite, causing it to sink and offset all annual ice upwelling - this permanently traps the meteorites just below the surface. Advertisement The University of Manchester paper, published in Nature Communications this week, suggests that these meteorites could be just 10-50cm from the surface, making their retrieval tantalisingly possible. Although meteorites fall evenly across the Earths surface, over two thirds of the total number of collected meteorites has been recovered in Antarctica, partly due to the contrast between the white Antarctic surface and the dark meteorites resting on top. However, it is primarily because of ice flow dynamics, which transport and concentrate meteorites buried in the ice for hundreds of years up to localised regions at the surface known as Meteorite Stranding Zones (MSZs). This has enabled highly fruitful meteorite collection missions from the MSZ surfaces since the 1970s, which have provided colossal insights for planetary scientists, and yielded many Lunar and Martian meteorite samples. However, far fewer iron-rich meteorites are found in Antarctica than anywhere else on Earth. The reason behind their scarcity has remained a mystery until now, but Dr Geoff Evatt and his team appear to have found the solution. They propose that the meteorites are missing as a result of the Suns rays penetrating the clear ice in MSZs and warming the iron-rich rocks more than non-metallic ones. Such warming melts the ice surrounding the meteorite, causing it to sink and offset all annual ice upwelling - this permanently traps the meteorites just below the surface. Meteor rain: Highly fruitful meteorite collection missions from the MSZ surfaces since the 1970s, which have provided colossal insights for planetary scientists, and yielded many Lunar and Martian meteorite samples. The authors have combined laboratory experiments with mathematical models to show that typical thawing and freezing processes will cancel out the upward transportation of meteorites with high thermal conductivity (e.g. containing iron), allowing those with lower conductivities to emerge from the ice. The filtering mechanism identified by The University of Manchester team indicates that sub-layers of ice, tens of centimetres beneath the surface of a MSZ, potentially contain iron-rich meteorites that have been kept in a preserved state for thousands of years. Online retailers and banking services have made our lives easier, but they have also made it easier for cyber thieves to steal our data. A new study has found that hackers are snatching 50 to 100 credit cards at a time and selling these batches for $250,000 to $1 million. Researchers discovered hackers use online forums that are for buying and selling goods, to sell your information. Scroll down for video A new study finds that hackers are stealing 50 to 100 credit cards at a time and selling them from $250,000 to $1 million. Researchers found that hackers use online forums that are for buying and selling goods, to sell your information WHAT TYPES OF DATA ARE HACKERS STEALING AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY SELLING IT FOR? 44.7 percent of sellers offer other users bank account or credit card data, as well as CVV data from credit cards (34.9 percent) and electronic data, such as eBay and PayPal accounts (1.4%). Besides credit and debit cards being stolen and sold, thieves are going as far to sell identity documents such as passports and driver licenses. Dumps were the most common item on the list, they sold for more than $102.60 each and the second prevalent item was CVVs ($26.21), followed by eBay and PayPal accounts ($27.25). In general, the average costs for data were lower than that of data manipulation services such as identity documents ($138.46), drops ($192.37), cashout services ($1,076.93), money transfers ($1,424.59) and bank accounts ($700.00). Holt noted that hackers who capture data in the field, such as gathering numbers from ATM machines, can cash the information in for about $2.4 million. MasterCard and Visa showed to be the two providers at higher risk of being affected by hackers, then American Express, followed by Discover. Advertisement A team from Michigan State University found that even though data robbers are making a large profit, it's actually the buyers who stand to gain the most. On average, a batch of 50 stolen credit or debit cards could make the buyer between $2 million (if only 25 percent of the cards worked) and nearly $8 million (if all the cards worked). In 2009, Heartland Payment Systems fell victim to a security breach as hackers stole 130 million credit and debit cards processed by 100,000 businesses, making this the largest breach in the US. Most recently, Target found themselves under attack when 40 million numbers were stolen in 2013. In that same year, 43 percent of companies in the US were attacked by data stealing hackers, reported USA Today. 'In the past two years there have been hundreds of data breaches involving customer information, some very serious like the Target breach in 2013,' said Thomas J. Holt, Michigan State University criminologist and lead investigator of one of the first scientific studies . 'It's happening so often that average consumers are just getting into this mind-set of, 'Well, my bank will just re-issue the card, it's not a problem.' 'But this is more than a hassle or inconvenience. It's a real economic phenomenon that has real economic impact and consequences.' Holt's study, published in NCJRS, explains that there's evidence suggesting these hackers use online forums to find potential buyers, which have resulted in an underground economy fueled by stolen data. This involves 'various resources that can be used to convert electronic data into real world currency and engaged in various forms of cybercrime'. 'Although financial service providers from around the world are compromised, the bulk of stolen data sold in these markets appears to come from the United States, followed by various European nations,' writes Holt. Researchers exampled a sample pf 1,899 threads from 13 web forums, where criminals have been known to sell stolen data -- 10 were in Russian and three were in English. The forums work internationally and are for consumers to interact with each other to buy and sell goods. Researchers found that these malicious hackers create threads in these forums to showcase their latest batch of stolen information. On average, a batch of 50 stolen credit or debit cards could make the buyer between $2m (if only 25 percent of the cards worked) and nearly $8m (if all cards worked). Researchers found that these malicious hackers create threads in these forums to showcase their latest batch of stolen information (pictured) Results of the study suggest 84.3 percent of the sampled forums were found to have some sort of stolen data, 44.7 percent of sellers offer other users bank account or credit card data, as well as CVV data from credit cards (34.9 percent) and electronic data, such as eBay and PayPal accounts (1.4%). USING HONEY ENCRYPTION TO KEEP PASSWORDS SECURE Most think looks and personality play key roles when finding a potential date, but research has shown that the key to finding your soul-mate is by the way they smell. Researchers have unveiled a radical new way to secure passwords - and say fooling hackers is key. The new honey encryption system relies on tricking cybercriminals. It gives hackers fake data in response to incorrect password guesses, fooling the hacker repeatedly. The system gives encrypted data an additional layer of protection by serving up fake data in response to every incorrect guess of the password or encryption key. If the attacker does eventually guess correctly, the real data should be lost amongst the crowd of spoof data, the researchers say. Advertisement Besides credit and debit cards, thieves are going as far as to sell identity documents such as passports and driver licenses. During the investigation, Holt and his team found that hackers will advertise the different types of data they have available and how much each costs similar to posting a thread about goods for sale. Dumps, a collection of data, were the most common item on the list, they sold for more than $102.60 each and the second prevalent item was CVVs ($26.21), followed by eBay and PayPal accounts ($27.25). In general, the average cost for data were lower than that of data manipulation services such as identity documents ($138.46), drops ($192.37), cashout services ($1,076.93), money transfers ($1,424.59) and bank accounts ($700.00). Holt noted that hackers who capture data in the field, such as skimming numbers from ATM machines, can cash the information in for about $2.4 million. MasterCard and Visa showed to be the two providers at higher risk of being affected by hackers, then American Express, followed by Discover. In general, the average costs for data were lower than that of data manipulation services such as identity documents ($138.46), drops ($192.37), cashout services ($1,076.93), money transfers ($1,424.59) and bank accounts ($700.00) Ultimately, Holt said he hopes to help protect consumers from the potentially disastrous effects of identity theft and credit fraud. 'My goal is make people cognizant of just how much their personal information means, how much value there is,' Holt said. Many will have to wait for manufacturers to run updates to patch devices Engineers at Google and Red Hat have uncovered a major computer security flaw, and it could leave thousands of smart devices vulnerable to hackers. The researchers have cooperated to develop a patch that protects users from this bug but many will have to wait for manufacturers to issue updates before a fix is possible. Google Android devices are not susceptible to the bug, along with Windows and OS X, but smaller devices and thousands of routers and internet connected smart devices could be affected. Engineers at Google and Red Hat have uncovered a major computer security flaw, and it could leave thousands of devices vulnerable to hackers. The researchers have developed a patch that protects users from this bug but many will have to wait for manufacturers to issue updates before a fix is possible WHO IS AFFECTED? The GNU C Library (glibc) flaw makes users in all versions since 2.9, including Linux devices, vulnerable to attacks. Google Android devices are not susceptible to the bug, along with Windows and OS X, but smaller devices could be affected. This includes a computers and internet routers, among other devices that connect to the internet. The Google team has released a patch for the bug, and a Proof of Concept attack so manufacturers can determine if their systems are vulnerable. Advertisement This flaw affects GNU C Library (glibc) users in all versions since 2.9, including Linux devices. In a recent Google blog post, Security Engineer Fermin J. Serna and Technical Program Manager Kevin Stadmeyer detail the issue that makes devices susceptible to 'remote code execution,' in which an attacker can gain access to a device. The bug works on stack-based buffer overflow in certain functions of the library, meaning that certain code can be exploited to allow for the input of malicious code. This could include 'attacker-controlled domain names, attacker-controlled DNS servers, or through a man-in-the-middle attack,' according to the blog. While an exploit of this kind is not 'straightforward,' it can be done by bypassing security measures that are built into the systems. The Google team has released a patch for the bug in the blog post, along with a Proof of Concept attack to allow manufacturers to determine if their systems are vulnerable. For security purposes, the researchers have withheld the exploit. 'We will not release our exploit code, but a non-weaponized Proof of Concept has been made available simultaneously with this blog post,' the team writes. 'With this Proof of Concept, you can verify if you are affected by this issue, and verify any mitigations you may wish to enact.' The bug works on stack-based buffer overflow in certain functions of the library, meaning that certain code can be exploited to allow for the input of malicious code. This could include 'attacker-controlled domain names, attacker-controlled DNS servers, or through a man-in-the-middle attack,' according to the blog For users who can't immediately run the patch, the team also details ways to mitigate the issue, to make devices less susceptible. 'Our suggested mitigation is to limit the response (i.e., via DNSMasq or similar programs) sizes accepted by the DNS [Domain Name System] resolver locally as well as to ensure that DNS queries are sent only to DNS servers which limit the response size for UDP [User Datagram Protocol] responses with the truncation bit set,' the team writes. Glibc maintainers were alerted of the bug in July 2015, but it has been present since 2008. revealed first genetic evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, 100,000 years ago Hidden within the DNA of many of us is evidence that long ago our ancestors had some illicit liaisons with a closely related, but now extinct, species of human. But tracing exactly when Homo sapiens interbred with their Neanderthal cousins has been greatly debated. Now researchers have uncovered evidence that suggests modern humans first interbred with their thickset relatives 100,000 years ago, a staggering 50,000 years earlier than first thought. Scroll down for video Over 100,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans ventured out of Africa for the first time (illustrated) and bred with Neanderthals. The finding could rewrite our understanding of how modern humans travelled across the world and came to live in different regions at different times The finding has the potential to fundamentally rewrite our understanding of how modern humans left Africa and spread around the globe. An international team of researchers have revealed the first genetic evidence of a scenario in which early modern humans left the African continent and mixed with now-extinct members of the human family in the Near East. DO ALL NEANDERTHALS HAVE DNA FROM MODERN HUMANS? The study has revealed modern humans passed their genes to the Neanderthal population. Modern humans and Neanderthals cross-bred on at least two separate occasions, 100,000 years ago and around 50,000 years ago. But the findings only comes from one Neanderthal bone found in Russia. Neanderthal remains found in Croatia and north Spain showed no fragments of Homo sapien DNA, showing they did not breed with early humans. 'Perhaps these Neanderthal groups did not coincide with H. sapiens, or, if they did, they did not have any offspring' said CSIC researcher, Carles Lalueza. Advertisement And astonishingly, this was before our ancestors are thought to have made the mass migration 'out of Africa' less than 65,000 years ago. Antonio Rosas, of the Spanish Natural Science Museum, said: 'Over 100,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans ventured out of Africa for the first time. 'These modern humans met and interbred with a group of Neanderthals, which later may have moved to the south of modern day Siberia, carrying the genes of Homo sapiens.' The finding, reported in the journal Nature, puts back the previously first-known case of a human-Neanderthal hybrid produced by the two species by 50,000 years. 'It's been known for several years, following the first sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, that Neanderthals and humans must have interbred,' quantitative biologist Professor Adam Siepel of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) explained. 'But the data so far refers to an event dating to around 47,000 to 65,000 years ago, around the time that human populations emigrated from Africa. This diagram shows the scenario of interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals. Neanderthal DNA in present-day humans outside Africa originates from interbreeding that occurred 47,000 - 65,000 years ago (green arrow). Modern human DNA is likely a consequence of earlier contact 100,000 years ago (red arrow) The modern human ancestor who contributed genes to this particular Neanderthal individual (dorsal bone pictured) known as the Altai Neanderthal must have migrated out of Africa long before the main migration that led Homo sapiens into Europe and Asia 60,000 years ago, the scientists claimed WHAT DO THE FINDINGS MEAN FOR MIGRATION MODELS? Antonio Rosas, of the Spanish Natural Science Museum, said: 'These discoveries have direct implications on the evolutionary model.' For decades experts have known that there was an early migration of H. sapiens out of Africa, because of the remains that were found at the archaeological sites at Skhul and Qafzeh in Israel. But without palaeontological data, this movement was seen as a failed attempt at migration, since it went no farther than the Near East. This study adds to evidence supporting an early migration out of Africa, some 200,000 years ago, such as the presence of Homo sapiens in China around 100,000 years ago. Likewise, stone tools found in the south of the Arabian Peninsula have been attributed to this early H. sapiens journey out of Africa. Both pieces of evidence could well tie in with those modern humans who passed their genes on to the branch of Neanderthals who migrated east. Advertisement 'The event we found appears considerably older than that event.' Professor Siepel added: 'One very interesting thing about our finding is that it shows a signal of breeding in the 'opposite' direction from that already known. 'That is, we show human DNA in a Neanderthal genome, rather than Neanderthal DNA in human genomes.' The team of experts from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Cornell University and the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, used several kinds of computer modelling algorithms to compare the complete genomes of hundreds of contemporary humans with complete and partial genomes of four archaic humans. Contemporary Europeans, Eurasians and Asians, carry two per cent genetic sequences from Neanderthals, which is proof of interbreeding that followed the 'out of Africa' human migration some 60,000 years ago. This implies children born from Neanderthal-modern human pairings outside of Africa were raised among the modern humans and ultimately bred with other humans, explaining how fragments of Neanderthal DNA remain in human genomes. Contemporary Africans, however, do not have detectable traces of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes. This indicates that whatever sexual contact between modern humans and Neanderthals occurred among humans who had already left the African continent. 'It's been known for several years, following the first sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, that Neanderthals [illustrated with a museum model] and humans must have interbred,' quantitative biologist Professor Adam Siepel of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) explained THE 'OUT OF AFRICA' THEORY AND THE ROUTE TAKEN The first modern humans to arrive in Europe and Asia migrated north out of Egypt around 55,000 years ago, according to a study published in May last year. It answers a long-standing question about the route early Homo sapiens took when spreading from the African continent. It also shows most Europeans and Asians living today are more closely related genetically to people living in Egypt than in Ethiopia. This suggests Egypt was the last stop for people migrating out of Africa 55,000 years ago rather than taking a more southerly route through Ethiopia. Some scientists believed that humans may have travelled from Ethiopia across the Bab el Mandeb strait to the Arabian Peninsula. However, the new research suggests a northern route from Egypt, through the Sinai Peninsula and then out into Asia and Europe was the most likely route. The findings also support evidence that these first humans to leave Africa came into contact with Neanderthals in the Levant at the time. Dr Toomas Kivisild, an anthropologist at the University of Cambridge who lead the study, said the results paint a clear picture in which the main migration out of Africa followed a Northern, rather than a Southern route' Advertisement But the team's evidence of 'gene flow' from descendants of modern humans into the Neanderthal genome applies to one specific Neanderthal, whose remains were found some years ago in a cave in south western Siberia, in the Altai Mountains, near the Russia-Mongolia border. The modern human ancestor who contributed genes to this particular Neanderthal individual known as the Altai Neanderthal from a tiny toe bone fragment - must have migrated out of Africa long before the main migration that led Homo sapiens into Europe and Asia 60,000 years ago, the scientists claimed. In contrast, two Neanderthals from European caves that were sequenced for this study - one from Croatia, another from Spain - both lack DNA derived from ancestors of modern humans, indicating there was no early interbreeding event. In contrast, two Neanderthals from European caves that were sequenced for this study - one from Croatia, another from Spain - both lack DNA derived from ancestors of modern humans, indicating there was no early interbreeding event. A stock image of a Neanderthal skull is shown above ARE NEANDERTHALS TO BLAME FOR MODERN DISEASES? Neanderthals and modern humans are thought to have co-existed for thousands of years and interbred, meaning Europeans now have roughly two per cent Neanderthal DNA. These 'legacy' genes have been linked to an increased risk from cancer and diabetes by new studies looking at our evolutionary history. However, some genes we inherited could have also improved our immunity to other diseases. Scientists have found that part of our HLA system, which helps white blood cells to identify and destroy foreign material in the body, could have come from Neanderthals. Other researchers suggest humans outside Africa are more vulnerable to Type 2 Diabetes because they interbred with Neanderthals. Researchers from Oxford and Plymouth universities have also found that genes thought to be risk factors in cancer were present in the Neanderthal genome. A gene that can cause diabetes in Latin Americans is believed to have come from Neanderthals, long before their ancestors colonised the New World. Another recent genetic study by scientists at the University at Buffalo has suggested that Neanderthals may have suffered from psoriasis and Crohn's disease, a condition that affects the digestive system. Advertisement The team also analysed the DNA of another archaic human relative - a Denisovan individual - whose remains were found in the same cave in the Altai Mountains as the Altai Neanderthal. Denisovans, like Neanderthals, are members of the human line that eventually became extinct. The Denisovan's genome showed no traces of modern human DNA unlike, Neanderthal found in the same cave. These findings do not mean modern human ancestors never mated with Denisovans or European Neanderthals, but Professor Siepel said 'the signal we're seeing in the Altai Neanderthal probably comes from an interbreeding event that occurred after this Neanderthal lineage diverged from its archaic cousins, a little more than 100,000 years ago.' It is possible a group of modern human ancestors from Africa separated early from other humans, at a time when present-day African populations diverged from one another, around 200,000 years ago. The researchers suggest there must therefore have been a long lag between the time when this group branched off the modern human family tree, roughly 200,000 years ago, and the time they left their genetic mark in the Altai Neandertal, about 100,000 years ago. The group were then lost to extinction. Martin Kuhlwilm of the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said the team focused on the genomes of contemporary individuals from five populations across Africa to identify mutations which most of them have in common. This was the data that provided evidence of 'regions in the Altai Neanderthal genome that carry mutations observed in the Africans - but not in the Denisovan' or in Neanderthals found in European caves. Professor Sipel added: 'This is consistent with the scenario of gene flow from a population closely related to modern humans into the Altai Neanderthal. 'After ruling out contamination of DNA samples and other possible sources of error, we are not able to explain these observations in any other way.' There may be hope yet for the 150,000 missing Adelie penguins of East Antarctica. After a massive iceberg collided with Commonwealth Bay and forced the penguins further away from their food source, it had been reported that huge numbers of these flightless birds died as a result. But, some experts suggest an explanation that is much less macabre. With no evidence so far of 150,000 frozen penguin carcasses, researchers say the colony may simply have marched to another location in search of food. There may be hope yet for the 150,000 missing Adelie penguins of Antarctica. After a massive iceberg collided with Commonwealth Bay and forced the penguins further away from their food source, it has been reported that huge numbers of these flightless birds died as a result. But some say they may have just relocated ABOUT ADELIE PENGUINS Adelie penguins find their meals in the sea, feasting on krill and fish. They live in colonies, and breed between October and February. The arrival of the B09B iceberg disrupted the hunting habits of Adelie penguins at Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica. Expansion of ice as a result of the iceberg cut off access to the sea by more than 37 miles. This forced the penguins to have to travel much farther for food, which the research team suggests has led to a dramatic collapse in the population. Others, however, speculate that the colony may have moved somewhere else. Advertisement In 2010, a giant iceberg, called B09B collided with Commonwealth Bay, a location in East Antarctica that housed a colony of breeding Adelie penguins at Cape Denison. Before this, Commonwealth Bay was rarely covered with sea ice, researchers from the University of New South Wales explain in a paper published to the journal Antarctic Science. This onslaught of ice has been linked to a decline in the Cape Denison penguins, who were subsequently cut off from access to the sea by more than 37 miles of ice. Thus the entire area of ocean between land and iceberg has become covered by unbroken fast ice up to 3 m thick, the authors write. In normal years, the presence of open water to the shores of Cape Denison allowed nesting Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae Hombron & Jacquinot) to feed in Commonwealth Bay and on the nearby pack ice. With the arrival of B09B the penguins must now walk more than 60 km (estimated from December 2013 satellite photos) to find food. Giant iceberg called B0B9 has been linked to a decline in Cape Denison Adelie penguins, who were cut off from access to the sea by 37 miles of ice The team reports that the colony has now shrivelled to just about 10,000 penguins, down from an estimated 150,000 in 2011. If the ice persists, the researchers predict this colony will vanish in just 20 years, making note of the already uncharacteristically silent, colony, and hundreds of abandoned eggs and freeze-dried carcasses of previous seasons chicks, which littered the ground during a 2013 census. But, other experts say that this is not unusual of penguin colonies, which always leave behind frozen remains as the unforgiving Antarctic climate prevents decomposition, according to Live Science. Ancient mummies of penguins and seals have even been found on the cold, dry continent. And although the Cape Denison colony appeared to dwindle, other colonies in Commonwealth Bay were found to be thriving. Just because there are a lot fewer birds observed doesnt automatically mean the ones that were there before have perished, Michelle LaRue, a penguin population researcher at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis who was not involved in the study told Live Science. They easily could have moved elsewhere, which would make sense if nearby colonies are thriving. I do not know what happened to these birds, but no one does for certain, LaRue continued. The face that so many birds [are] done from this location is really interesting. Although the Cape Denison colony appeared to dwindle, other colonies in Commonwealth Bay were found to be thriving. Some experts suggest an explanation that is much less macabre. With no evidence so far of 150,000 frozen penguin carcasses, researchers say the colony may simply have emigrated in search of food The study also notes that the penguins may have packed up and moved to a new nesting site. But even if this is not the case, LaRue says, relative to the size of the growing Adelie populations of East Antarctica, the loss of the Cape Denison colony is not as staggering as the numbers suggest. Losing 150,000 birds even if that were true is hardly apocalyptic, LaRue told Live Science. Antarctica is home to roughly 7 million Adelie penguins, according to a 2011 estimate. In the London branch wealthy members allegedly fork out 2,000 to join, plus 2,000 annually, to be part of the club Collaborating with business partner Gary Landesberg, Paltrow's club will feature a spa, gym and swimming pool The 43-year-old actress has plans to open a new branch of the exclusive Arts Club in West Hollywood Advertisement Award-winning actress, lifestyle guru and now a hospitality pioneer - it appears there are no ends to Gwyneth Paltrow's talents. The 43-year-old entrepreneur is turning her hand to launching a private members club in West Hollywood and new design renderings reveal the exclusive address will be a lavish, eight-storey addition to Tinseltown's skyline. Collaborating with business partner Gary Landesberg, Paltrow's new branch of the Arts Club will feature a spa, gym, swimming pool and even a helipad. Scroll down for video Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has plans to open a new branch of the exclusive Arts Club in West Hollywood Collaborating with business partner Gary Landesberg, Paltrow's (right) lavish member's club will feature a spa, gym, swimming pool and even a helipad, which is a legal requirement for the building for use by the emergency services The creative team behind the Sunset Strip property's renderings are architectural firm Gensler. The club is due to feature an open-air dining terrace, screening rooms and a Japanese/Latino restaurant on the eighth floor New designs showcase the dazzling 132,000-square-foot venue, which is set to replace the current Hustler Hollywood store, the retail space of porn magazine tycoon Larry Flynt. The creative team behind the Sunset Strip property's renderings are architectural firm Gensler. The club is due to feature an open-air dining terrace, screening rooms and a Japanese/Latino restaurant on the eighth floor. Glamorous visitors will be able to stay at the hub taking advantage of the 15 guest rooms on the sixth floor, with 220 parking space available in a subterranean garage. The rooftop will boast breathtaking views of the city, somewhere for guests to sunbathe and to take a secluded dip in the club's swimming pool. Paltrow is a major backer of the project, having bought the store along with developers Landesberg, Arjun Waney and Jai Waney. The other current Arts Club branch is in London and has magnetised celebrities to its doors since 1863. It has been a popular hot spot over the years with past and present clientele including Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Kim Cattrall, Beyonce, Jessie J and Pippa Middleton. Last week millionaire music mogul Simon Cowell hosted his son Eric's second birthday party at the plush venue with girlfriend Lauren Silverman. Since its origins, the club has aimed to provide a haven for people who have a professional or amateur relationship with the Arts, Literature or Science. For those who won't be able to step inside the West Hollywood elite club, there will be a number of shops and an art gallery available for the public to visit The dazzling 132,000-square-foot venue is set to replace the current Hustler Hollywood store, the retail space of porn magazine tycoon Larry Flynt Wealthy members currently fork out 2,000 to join, plus 2,000 annually for the privilege of using the elegant 18th century Mayfair townhouse on Dover Street, London according to Curbed. But money alone can't secure affluent socialites access to the club. Each member has to be nominated by a current member, or be an active member of the art, literature or science industries. Thankfully for those who won't be able to step inside the West Hollywood elite club, there will be a number of shops and an art gallery available for the public to visit. Before it becomes a reality, proposed plans will have to be vetted at public hearings and receive feedback from city officials, and it could take 18 months to two years before approval is given. Wealthy members currently fork out 2,000 to join the current Arts Club in London (pictured), plus 2,000 annually for the privilege of using the elegant 18th century Mayfair townhouse on Dover Street A flight attendant has won the hearts of people around the world after he was photographed feeding an elderly passenger on a Thai Airways flight. The photo, captured by a fellow traveller on a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur last week, has gone viral on the internet. Passengers who witnessed the moment were moved by flight attendant Chakkrit Ratanawethins kind gesture and heaped praise on him for helping the disabled man, who was unable to feed himself when a meal of garlic chicken and rice was served. Flight attendant Chakkrit Ratanawethin fed an elderly passenger on a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur Thomas Lim, who snapped the photo and shared it on Facebook, wrote online that he was touched by the act. He added: Very good to see kindness like this. His kindness should be applauded and praised. Lim, a passenger on flight TG417, took the photo last Thursday from his seat on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Ratanawethin, 55, has worked for Thai Airways for 30 years and was the purser, or chief flight attendant, on the flight. He said: 'At first, I didn't really know that he was unable to feed himself. However, after his friend asked me for help, I helped him with no hesitation. 'After I found out about the photos over the social network, Im so proud that I am able to help build up Thai's reputation and our countrys images.' A Thai Airways spokesperson said: 'The comfort and well-being of our passengers is always our first priority at Thai Airways. 'We pride ourselves on our reputation as one of the world's leading airlines when it comes to customer service, but it is clear that our colleague went the extra mile on this occasion.' In December, a Hainan Airlines flight attendant was photographed feeding a disabled passenger on a flight In a similar incident last December, Hainan Airlines flight attendant Fan Xuesong knelt down and fed a 71-year-old man, who had recently suffered a stroke and was unable to grip a spoon. Photos of the moment, which occurred on a flight from Zhengzhou to Hainan in south China, moved millions in China. Fan later told reporters: When I started to feed him dinner, the old man suddenly began to cry. A teenager who contracted a potentially fatal strain of E-Coli during a First Choice holiday in Turkey has been awarded a bumper six-figure payout. Bradie Perkins was 13-years-old when he travelled to the notorious 'super-sized' beachfront complex with his family in Sarigerme in October 2010. But the teen started to feel lethargic and tired during his last few days staying at the Holiday Village Turkey - which has featured on the BBC's Watchdog programme. Bradie Perkins was 13-years-old when he travelled to the notorious 'super-sized' beachfront complex with his family in Sarigerme in October 2010 The teen started to feel lethargic and tired during his last few days staying at the Holiday Village Turkey - which has featured on the BBC's Watchdog programme. Pictured on a dialysis machine when he arrived in the UK After returning home to Britain, Bradie had to be rushed to hospital twice because of severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps, dehydration and other gastric symptoms. He was eventually diagnosed with E-Coli and a parasite infection called Giardiasis as well as a kidney condition known as Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS). Bradie was forced to have dialysis treatment but tests in June 2014 found his kidneys had been left functioning at just two-thirds of their normal ability because of the damage caused by the illness. Tour operator TUI UK Limited - trading as First Choice Holidays and Flights Limited - initially denied liability throughout the five-year claim. But the case was eventually settled last month just four weeks before a trial was due to begin. Bradie, who is now 18, has received a substantial six-figure settlement after medical experts concluded that his kidneys were so badly damaged there's a possibility they could fail in the future. After returning home to Britain, Bradie had to be rushed to hospital twice because of severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps, dehydration and other gastric symptoms He was eventually diagnosed with E-Coli and a parasite infection called Giardiasis as well as a kidney condition known as Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) Bradie, 18 (left) pictured with his sister Madison, 15, (centre) dad Craig (right) and little sister Betsy, 6 (front) Bradie (left), who is now 18, has now received a substantial six-figure settlement after medical experts concluded that his kidneys were so badly damaged there's a possibility they could fail in the future. Pictured here with his sister Madison, 15 (right) His family told lawyers that food from previous meals was often re-used at the Holiday Village Turkey the next day and that cold food was sometimes topped up with hot food. They found that meals were often undercooked and left uncovered while flies, insects and even cats were seen in the restaurant. The family said there were also instances where the pool was closed due to children defecating in the water but the family never saw the pool drained and re-filled. Bradie, who lives with his parents in Earl Shilton, Leicester, said the illness meant he had to give up his dream of joining the Navy. The Perkins family told lawyers that food from previous meals was often re-used at the Holiday Village Turkey the next day and that cold food was sometimes topped up with hot food The family say they found that meals were often undercooked and left uncovered while flies, insects and even cats were seen in the restaurant The family said there were also instances where the pool was closed due to children defecating in the water but the family never saw the pool drained and re-filled The teen, who is currently studying for his A-levels at college, added: 'I remember my parents were worried before we went because of the Watchdog programme and when we first arrived the hotel they were still filming and it just didn't seem very clean. 'I knew something was wrong when I became so tired and for the last few days of my holiday I felt like I spent more time in the hotel room than I did with my family actually enjoying myself. 'When we got home it was just a nightmare. I suffered with horrible symptoms, including blood from my back passage, and I was in hospital several times and needed dialysis treatment. 'I wasn't the same for months and months and was really scared about what it meant for the future. 'I was devastated at being told I couldn't join the Navy and it's made me have to re-think my future plans. 'I'll have to live with the effects of my illness forever and will always be watching what I eat or worrying about where to go on holiday. 'The settlement gives me peace of mind in that if my kidneys do fail in the future, that I will be able to get the specialist treatment and support I will need.' Family time: Bradie Perkins with his dad Craig and little sister Betsy Specialist international personal injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who secured Bradie's settlement, also represented 26 other holidaymakers who were ill at the resort in 2010 Bradie spent 10 days at the four-star Holiday Village Turkey with his father Craig, 43, mother Michelle, 38, and his two younger sisters Madison, 15, and six-year-old Betsy. The beachfront resort - which boasts bars, restaurants and a 'pool for every day of the week' - featured on BBC's Watchdog programme around the time of the family's trip after paying out 100,000 to 34 claimants who stayed at the hotel in 2005 and 2007. Specialist international personal injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who secured Bradie's settlement, also represented 26 other holidaymakers who were ill at the resort in 2010. Those claims were settled in 2012 but it took a five-year battle to get First Choice to pay out to Bradie over allegations that food hygiene failures caused his illness. Under the terms of his settlement, the teen will also be entitled to seek further compensation if his kidneys fail in the future as anticipated by medical experts. Tour operator TUI UK Limited - trading as First Choice Holidays and Flights Limited - initially denied liability throughout the five-year claim. But the case was eventually settled last month just four weeks before a trial was due to begin. Here pictured on a dialysis machine The four-star Holiday Village Turkey is still advertised on the First Choice website as a 'super-sized beachfront complex' with prices starting at 338 per person Amandeep Dhillon, a partner and expert travel lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who represented Bradie, said: 'While hundreds of holidaymakers became ill at the Holiday Village in Turkey over the last decade, Bradie unfortunately suffered from a very serious gastric illness including a potentially deadly strain of E-coli, as well as the Giardia parasite. 'He and his parents were terrified when he was hospitalised and it will now affect his life forever. 'He has missed out on his dream career in the Navy and had his life massively affected at a time when he should have been able to concentrate on being a teenager and completing his studies.' The four-star Holiday Village Turkey is still advertised on the First Choice website as a 'super-sized beachfront complex' with prices starting at 338 per person. It has 500 rooms spread out over three floors in four buildings and boasts seven pools as well as a 'bumper crop of activities' including ten pin bowling and high ropes. Part of a Scottish hotel beloved by celebrities such as supermodel Kate Moss is being recreated in Dubai. The owners of the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside are set to copy almost every detail of their Copper Dog pub and restaurant in Scotland - which is in the same building - and build an identical bar in the United Arab Emirates city - right down to the glasses it will serve malt whisky in. Hotel manager Kevin Smith and two members of staff will travel to the Gulf state in the coming weeks to run the venture, which is opening for business next month. The owners of the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside are set to copy almost every detail of their Copper Dog pub and restaurant in Scotland - which is in the same building - and build an identical bar in Dubai The restaurant's granite stonework will be recreated at the sister venue, as will its pitch pine panelling Supermodel Kate Moss and her husband Jamie Hince leaving the Craigellachie Hotel last year The restaurant's granite stonework will be recreated at the sister venue, as will its pitch pine panelling - which comes from traditional distillery equipment. Pictures that adorn Copper Dog's walls will be reproduced and hung from those of the new business. And dram glasses used to serve local malt whiskies will be packaged up and flown to the United Arab Emirates. The new venue's menu will showcase some of Scotland's finest produce, such as Sutherland's of Portsoy smoked salmon and Aberdeen Angus beef. The bar has one of Scotlands biggest selections of single malt whiskys, and stocks almost 1,000 bottles Owner Piers Adam, from London, spent 3million revamping the 26-room property, which was built in 1893, before reopening it two years ago. Last year, Kate Moss, musician Noel Gallagher and actress and fashion designer Sadie Frost were among the celebrity guests who gathered at Craigellachie. The famous faces, whose house parties in the Primrose Hill district of London became the stuff of legend during the 1990s, were marking the 40th birthday of nutritionist to the stars Rosemary Ferguson. Hotel manager Mr Smith said: 'We want to bring Dubai the best that Scotland and especially Speyside has to offer. More than 3million went into revamping the 26-room property, which was built in 1893, before it was reopened two years ago Pictures which adorn Copper Dog's walls will be reproduced and hung from those of the new business and the layout of the venue will be copied exactly 'We're working with local suppliers like Johnstons of Elgin for yards of tweed for the interiors, and the coopers from Balvenie for decorative cask ends.' Waitress Jemima Haigh-Frarey, 23, will leave her home in Rothes to help oversee the new restaurant during its first year. She said: 'Well, Dubai isn't exactly Rothes, and I've never lived anything like that far away from home before. 'But it is exciting;. I'm going from working in a small restaurant in Craigellachie to one of the richest places in the world.' She will be joined by fellow Copper Dog hostess Tammy Latto, also 23, while the project gets off the ground. Dram glasses used to serve local malt whiskies in the venue will be packaged up and flown to the United Arab Emirates. Pictured is the Craigellachie Hotel's owner, Londoner Piers Adam An investigative journalist whose new documentary claims toxic cabin air is poisoning passengers and crew says he fears it will take a mass tragedy before the aviation industry acknowledges the problem. German filmmaker Tim van Beveren claimed passengers and crew are inhaling poisonous fumes in aeroplane cabins, leading to so-called aerotoxic syndrome, and airlines and manufacturers are covering it up despite deaths and new research. He called it the industrys dirtiest secret and claimed the fumes can be stopped from reaching those on board, but that it may take a mass casualty tombstone event for action to be taken. Scroll down for video A new documentary claims passengers and crew are being poisoned by toxic air in aeroplane cabins Despite mounting evidence, Van Beveren claimed, the industry hasnt bothered to take the necessary steps to stop the fumes because it would cost billions and they could open themselves to litigation. He told Mail Online Travel that it would likely take a proactive regulator or a catastrophic event. He added: 'Either the regulators would demand these changes, which I believe is their task, or if we have, and hopefully we will not, a tragedy where hundreds of people are killed for something associated with a fume event. This could be a pilot who is overcome by fumes in the cockpit and they are not managing fast enough to get to their oxygen mask on. Its only if you have the accidents and the death count then the changes are made mandatory. This is contradictory to what the aviation industry is saying about their worship of safety. Introduced in 1999, aerotoxic syndrome is a little-known term given to long and short-term symptoms caused by exposure to contaminated cabin air in jet aircraft, although the term has not been recognised by the global medical community. Aerotoxic Association, which is campaigning to have the syndrome recognised, said symptoms can include fatigue, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, dizziness, headaches, vomiting or nausea. The term has gained a lot of attention this year thanks to incidents where passengers or crew fell ill or fumes were reported on board, although it has not been cited in any official reports. Richard Westgate, a former co-pilot with British Airways, died after complaining he was suffering from aerotoxic syndrome linked to fumes he inhaled while in the cockpit WHAT IS AEROTOXIC SYNDROME? 'Aerotoxic syndrome' is the term given to symptoms linked to the exposure to contaminated air in jet aircraft. Many former pilots, co-pilots and cabin crew believe they have been subjected to long-term illnesses due to the amount of time they have spent exposed to cabin air and 'toxic fumes'. Numerous scientific studies have been carried out since the late 1970s to try and determine whether contaminated cabin air is the cause of chronic health problems. Symptoms of 'aerotoxic syndrome' are said to include fatigue, blurred or tunnel vision, loss of balance, seizures, memory impairment, headaches, tinnitus, confusion, nausea, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and irritation of the eyes, nose and upper airways. If Sheriff Stanhope Payne, the senior coroner for Dorset, rules in the inquest into the death of British Airways co-pilot Richard Westgate that cabin air was partly to blame for his death, then it will be the first time an independent judge in the UK has put this on record. Advertisement Van Beveren pointed to a Los Angeles-bound American Airlines flight that was forced to return to London after some crew members and passengers reported feeling dizzy or lost consciousness. However, American Airlines said no issues were discovered after the Boeing 777-300 was inspected and as a precautionary measure all of the air filters were replaced. Following that event, the Unite union, which represents cabin crew, demanded a public inquiry into cabin air and complaints from employees who say they suffer from aerotoxic syndrome symptoms. Flight attendant Sarah Steegar, who works for a major airline, said she feels that concerns from crew are being ignored by airlines and manufacturers. She added: What companies or industries ever go around publicising and eagerly pursuing possibly health-damaging defects of their product? If they acknowledge it theyre opening themselves up to massive liabilities. Steegar said she has never specifically suspected herself of suffering from toxic aeroplane air, but its possible that she just chalked up the symptoms to other environmental factors of the job. She told MailOnline Travel: My long-term memory has definitely, clearly suffered from flying in general, and I had a cancer diagnosis at age 29. There are also several flights where I have felt the sudden burning eyes and nausea that can be symptomatic of fume exposure, however, these can also just be the effects of working all night shifts with little to no sleep and little access to proper food. Or, in the case of the cancer, just bad luck. Being crew is very tough in the body in general. It's often impossible to know what's bad luck, what's bad sleeping or eating routines or what's from exposure like this. Most of todays planes have systems in which the cabin contains a mix of recycled air and warm compressed air drawn from their engines, a process known as bleed air. There are seals designed to keep oil and bleed air apart, but the seals can leak or fail and organophosphates contained in heated engine oil can contaminate the unfiltered bleed air that is pumped into the aircraft cabin. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the only aircraft where this does not occur, as it uses electric compressors that take their air from the atmosphere. Those who are campaigning for recognition of the syndrome say airlines and manufacturers should install bleed air filters or warning systems on existing aircraft to protect crew and passengers. Yet the campaigners have faced an uphill battle in convincing the public thanks to aviation industry and medical professionals who have produced conflicting studies or shrugged them off as conspiracy theorists. German investigative journalist Tim van Beveren has produced a new documentary on aerotoxic syndrome In his film, Unfiltered Breathed In: The Truth About Aerotoxic Syndrome, van Beveren spoke to crew who say they have suffered symptoms, researchers who have taken air quality readings on planes, and toxicologists to support his claims. He told MailOnline Travel: You can look at big tobacco or asbestos, and how long it took until it was acknowledged that these substances can harm? We may be facing something similar here. Known as 'fume events', sickness in passengers and aircrew have been recorded since the 1950s. One such event was implicated in the death of British Airways co-pilot Richard Westgate, who died in 2012. The 43-year-old had complained of persistent headaches, nausea and chronic fatigue and he claimed this was caused by fumes in the cockpit. A study conducted following his death found that air in cockpits was being contaminated by contained organophosphates and other chemicals. Senior coroner for Dorset, Sheriff Stanhope Payne, who is presiding over an inquiry into Westgate's death, previously said that airlines must take action to prevent passenger deaths from toxic fumes inside aircraft cabins. In response, British Airways said the available evidence does not suggest that organophosphate chemicals are present in cabin air in sufficient quantities to pose a risk to health. BAs position was backed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which cited a number of studies. It said: The overall conclusion of those studies is that there is no positive evidence of a link between exposure to contaminants in cabin air and possible acute and long-term health effects, although such a link cannot be excluded. They cater to business travellers or those looking for a quick nap or lovers seeking a venue for a secret rendezvous. Whatever the purpose of the visit, websites that sell hotel rooms by the hour with cut-price rates are doing swift business as they deflect claims they promote infidelity. French startup Dayuse.com said it has seen a surge in bookings from customers in London, Paris and New York, but insists not all are there for an afternoon delight. DayUse.com's founder said there has been a rise in bookings, but not everyone is booking to have an affair People can use the website to book a hotel room during daytime hours without having to pay a full days rate and it doesnt question their intentions. Dayuse.com said it offers rooms at daytime rates that are up to 80 per cent cheaper than the full price. Guests can book for two hours or more and they dont need a credit card when they make a reservation. The website has teamed up dozens of London hotels and a search for available rooms on Thursday afternoon turned up 116 results. Users can book a room for as little as 44 - and for an extra 10 they can take advantage of a 'Valentine deal' For 44, the cheapest rate available, guests could book a standard room from 11am to 5:30pm, but for an extra 10 the hotel would throw in a 'Valentine deal' romance package (a small bottle of wine and fruit). At the higher end of the scale, guests can make a booking at the Hilton London Paddington for 138, which would give them access to a room from 9am to 5:30pm. According to the website, it would be 62 per cent cheaper than the usual rate of 364 a night. Dayuse.com is active in 14 countries and 100 cities, and thanks to the boom it has secured a 15million (11.6million) investment to expand. It success led to the French newspaper Le Parisien declaring that the cinq-a-sept (five to seven), the term used to describe a cheating partners post-work romp with a lover, was making a comeback. But found David Lebee insisted most of the websites users are workers seeking rest. Maud Chabanier, head of DayUse.coms US market, told The Local that hotels which offer rooms through the website have seen a 10 per cent increase in revenue on average and they have been able to sell a number of rooms twice. She's got an angelic face and an enviable figure that have seen her blossom into one of Australia's top model exports. And on Wednesday, Victoria's Secret star Shanina Shaik, 25, did what she does best and posed or a photoshoot for the lingerie giant. Shanina, who hails from Melbourne, tantalised her social media followers sharing, on Instagram, a raunchy GIF and picture of her flashing her chest in a pink lace bra. Scroll down for video On set: Australian model Shanina Shaik, 25, completed a photoshoot for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret and shared a raunchy GIF and picture online to Instagram In the GIF, the brunette holds onto the collar of a white bathrobe that was draped over her shoulders and yanks it open to reveal her bra. The exotic beauty captioned part of her post: 'Peek-a-boo,' before sharing a selfie of her holding onto the robe. In the clip and image, she showcases a soft golden tan and wears dewy foundation, a pink shade on her lips and a slick of mascara. Her long dark locks are styled over her shoulders into loose tousled curls. Camera ready: Shanina shows off a soft golden tan, and wears natural make-up Shanina first walked in the coveted Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011 and since since enjoyed a burgeoning relationship with the brand. In November last year, she strutted her stuff down the catwalk for Victoria's Secret parading a set of butterfly wings. Shanina has been working hard recently and has just returned to the US, where she is based, after having appeared in Myer's Autumn/Winter 2016 fashion launch in Australia last week. It's been a whirlwind few months for the Melburnian who recently announced her engagement to DJ Ruckus, real name is Gregory Andrews. On brand: In November last year, she strutted her stuff down the catwalk for Victoria's Secret and stunned in a set of butterfly wings Doing well: Shanina first walked in the coveted Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011 and since enjoyed a good relationship with the brand He'd just won his first ever BAFTA, and was clearly in the mood to celebrate. And as reports emerge about Leonardo DiCaprio, 41, making a beeline for gorgeous Irish presenter Laura Whitmore following his big win on Sunday night, photos have emerged showing the two getting cosy at a post-ceremony party. The snaps show I'm A Celebrity presenter Laura, 30, whispering into Hollywood star Leo's ear as they enjoy a BAFTA party at London's Rosewood hotel. Scroll down for video Getting close: Leonardo DiCaprio, 41, reportedly made a beeline for TV presenter Laura Whitmore, 30, following his BAFTA win on Sunday, with photos showing the two getting cosy at a post-ceremony party Both stars changed out of their glad rags following the ceremony at the Royal Opera House, with Laura snapped in figure-hugging black teamed with a statement choker necklace, after previously wowing on the BAFTA red carpet in a stunning aqua gown. Leo meanwhile swapped his tux for his favourite flat cap as the two talked while surrounded by fellow party guests. The actor seemed quite taken with Laura as she flashed a coy smile, before the Irish beauty is seen leaning in to talk in Leo's ear, so she could be heard above the din of the party. See the latest on Leonardo DiCaprio and his rumoured romance with Laura Whitmore Smitten? The snaps show I'm A Celebrity presenter Laura, 30, flashing a coy smile as she talks to Leo at a BAFTA after party at London's Rosewood hotel According to The Sun newspaper, The Revenent star asked Laura to come back to his room at the hotel after talking at the party. An onlooker claimed: Leonardo was completely taken by Laura. She was playing it cool but he made a beeline for her and they instantly started flirting. The insider adds that Laura loved the attention she received from the superstar. Has he fallen for her charms? Leonardo celebrated his momentous BAFTA win by partying with Laura until the early hours of Monday morning, according to a report Leo made it clear he wanted her to come back upstairs to his suite at the hotel to continue the party afterwards, the source added. It is believed that Laura was one of many friends who headed back to the superstars suite at 3.30am where the late night antics and celebrations continued. A partygoer told the publication: He was all over Laura until after 5am. At one point he held her face in his hand. Celebrations: The Hollywood star reportedly set his sights on the Im A Celebrity presenter and asked her to come back to his room at Londons Rosewood Hotel However, a source close to Leonardo has since denied the fact the pair headed back to his hotel room. Laura - who acted as the official red carpet host for EE at the event - has been dating Sunset Sons rocker Rory Williams over the past few months. Leo ended his short-term romance with blonde bombshell Kelly Rohrbach at the end of the year. Irish beauty: It is believed the Irish stunner loved the attention she received from the Hollywood star She's taken: Laura - who acted as the official red carpet host for EE at the event - has been dating Sunset Sons rocker Rory Williams over the past few months Huge night: The 41-year-old star won the Best Actor prize for his role in The Revenant Meanwhile, another blonde beauty, Roxy Horner - the model ex of former TOWIE star Joey Essex - has hit back at reports she spent the night with the Hollywood star at his hotel, insisting the two are just friends. Despite partying in his plush hotel suite until 5am on Monday, a few hours later Leonardo was ready to hit the town again. The 41-year-old actor enjoyed a night at celeb-favourite hotpot Chiltern Firehouse on Monday night, with The Sun reporting that he met up with 24-year-old Roxy at the venue. Just friends: Another blonde beauty, Roxy Horner - the model ex of former TOWIE star Joey Essex - has hit back at reports she spent the night with the Hollywood star at his hotel, insisting the two are just friends Insiders claim Leo invited Roxy back to his suite at the Rosewood Hotel at 2am, after the model and her friends were reportedly seen being escorted by the actor's security to the hotel while he travelled in a separate car. Roxy has hit out at rumours the pair were 'hooking up' throughout the night though, tweeting in the early hours of Wednesday: 'You can't have a friend in the industry without people assuming it's more than that... It's a joke.' She added: 'FYI we all went our separate ways home, as friends do. Thanks, bye. Having her say: Roxy hit out at rumours the pair were 'hooking up' throughout the night, tweeting in the early hours of Wednesday Time for a quiet one?: After two nights in a row of parting, on Tuesday Leonardo was spotted heading for dinner at Scott's in Mayfair with director Ridley Scott Signature look: The actor was rocking his favourite flatcap and head-to-toe black for the low-key dinner Still celebrating: Leo's dinner came after he won the Best Actor BAFTA at Sunday's glitzy ceremony Big Ang, star of VH1's Mob Wives, says her marriage has broken up as she fights her battle with stage 4 lung and brain cancer. The 55-year-old, in an emotional interview with TV's Dr. Oz, said she kicked out her husband of six years Neil Murphy and is facing what comes on her own. 'I felt he never stepped up to the plate so I was done with it,' she said. 'I feel now it's too late. I'd rather be by myself. I'd rather be alone and that's what I did.' Scroll down for video Emotional interview: Mob wives star Big Ang said she kicked out her husband after he failed to step up and support her as she battles stage 4 lung and brain cancer Sharing her story: The 55-year-old sat down with TV's Dr. Oz for a tearful interview in which she admitted she doesn't know if she's going to make it The reality star - who's full name is Angela Raiola - was often tearful during the sit down TV interview that aired Tuesday. She wore a silk scarf around her neck to hide the scars from her 10-hour surgery last April that removed cancerous growth from both sides of her throat. She said she ricochets between being okay and being depressed. Split: The VH1 reality star, who's name is Angela Raiola, was married to sanitation worker Neil Murphy who appeared on her show Mob Wives. They're pictured together at a Hollywood event in May 2015 Being brave: She told Dr. Oz that she'd rather face what's ahead alone and admitted she sometimes feels okay and other times is depressed Struggling to understand: Big Ang said she can't make sense of what has happened to her over the past several months Had surgery: She said she'd been declared cancer-free after having a 10-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her throat and was planning a celebration before finding out a month later she had stage 4 cancer 'Sometimes I think I'm going to be fine and sometimes I just don't think I am,' she said. She said she struggles to understand what has happened to her during the past several months. 'First I thought I was cancer free. I was going to have a big party. Then a month later I was stage 4,' she explained in a low raspy voice that's the result of her surgery and disease. 'I can't make sense of this,' she added. Big Ang said she tries to stay positive and her two kids and six grandkids help with that because they mean so much to her and she knows how much they need her. Sick: Big Ang wore a silk scarf around her neck to hide the scars from her surgeries and spoke in a low and raspy voice, sometimes seeming to struggle for breath Staying strong: She said she tries to stay positive by focusing on her children and grandchildren In the TV interview, Big Ang said her doctors are now switching to an advanced approach aimed at boosting her body's immune system. The reality star is the niece of the late Salvatore 'Sally Dogs' Lombardi, who was a reputed captain of the Genovese crime family. After gaining celebrity on Mob Wives, she got her own short-lived spin-off series, Big Ang and Miami Monkey. A smoker for 40 years, she said she stopped smoking immediately after her first cancer diagnosis last March, after keeping up the habit for more than four decades. Her sister Janice Detore set up a GoFundMe.com page last month to raise money to buy cannabis oil to alleviate Big Ang's discomfort and pain and as an alternative treatment. To date, the appeal has raised more than $44,000 from well-wishers. They are no longer effectively man and wife and whilst many questioned the glue that bonded Gabi Grecko and Geoffrey Edelsten, it appears their romance was more about companionship. Miami-born model Gabi, 26, has claimed that she and the 72-year-old businessman never had sex, or consummated their marriage, for the 18 months they were together. Speaking from her home in New York, the buxom Maxim model told Daily Mail Australia: 'No we didn't have sex once, I was not happy about that... I need that [sex].' She added somewhat jubilantly: 'I don't have a boyfriend but I've finally had sex... I didn't have it the entire time I was with Geoff.' Scroll down for video Outspoken: Gabi Grecko has claimed that she and estranged 72-year-old husband Geoffrey Edelsten never had sex, or consummated their marriage, the one-and-a-half years they were together Relieved: The buxom Maxim model told Daily Mail Australia that she and the former medic never had sex but she has since they split in September A spokesman for Geoffrey vehemently denied her claims on Wednesday, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'This is rubbish. Of course they consummated their relationship.' Indeed many questioned the incongruous couple when they announced their surprise romance short of two years ago last March. Their rollercoaster relationship endured its fair share of ups and downs; acrimonious splits and blazing rows, but they appeared to draw a line under the quarrelling last year in June when they married in a Chinese registry office in Melbourne. And just when it looked like the dust had settled Gabi caused a stir weeks later when she declared she was pregnant and subsequently miscarried - claims Geoffrey later insisted were fake. Man and wife: They appeared to draw a line under the quarrelling last year in June when they married in a Chinese registry office in Melbourne. Pictured on their wedding day in June The aspiring actress was hospitalised for weeks at a trauma centre at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, following a reported fall down a flight of steps which she said left her with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Daily Mail Australia revealed Gabi's claims that she miscarried were fabricated with Geoffrey saying she did it for attention. 'I'm done, we're divorcing, the whole pregnancy thing was false,' he threatened at the time. Claims: Geoffrey insisted Gabi, seen in hospital in June last year, faked her pregnancy for attention Pregnancy test: Gabi shared this Google image of a positive pregnancy reading, announcing she was expecting on her Instagram account Protective: Gabi opened up and stood by her pregnancy annoucement soon after she revealed she was expecting Geoffrey's first child Gabi, however, insisted she was telling the truth and was heartbroken over losing her unborn baby. The couple remained together and fast forward a few weeks they appeared in Celebrity Apprentice together. Mid show, Gabi threw a tantrum accusing her older husband of being 'in love with his secretary' and promptly jetted off home to New York in September. Moving on: The former medic has been linked to 25-year-old American actress Rachel Currence who he took to see Mariah Carey concert on NYE 'It's over, so long Geoffrey,' she captioned an Instagram shot of her boarding a flight at the time. Since then the former medic has been linked to 25-year-old American actress Rachel Currence who he took to see Mariah Carey concert on NYE. 'We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, we have a light relationship', Geoffrey later insisted after being spotted at Melbourne's Crown Casino with the starlet on New Year's Eve. For her part Gabi insists she is single and enjoying her new found freedom in the Big Apple. Both she and Geoffrey say they will consider divorcing 18 months after they have been separated. He was seen getting cosy with Laura Whitmore during an afterparty for Sunday night's BAFTAs. And Leonardo DiCaprio is certainly making the most of his time in London, hitting the town again on Monday. But another blonde beauty, Roxy Horner - the model ex of former TOWIE star Joey Essex - has hit back at reports she spent the night with the Hollywood star at his hotel, insisting the two are just friends. Scroll down for video Pals: Roxy Horner, the model ex of former TOWIE star Joey Essex, has hit back at reports she spent the night with Leonardo DiCaprio at his London hotel on Monday , insisting the two are just friends Despite partying in his plush hotel suite until 5am on Monday, a few hours later Leonardo was ready to hit the town again. The 41-year-old actor enjoyed a night at celeb-favourite hotpot Chiltern Firehouse, with The Sun reporting that he met up with 24-year-old Roxy at the venue. While she made no mention of Leonardo, Roxy did post photos on her Instagram account as she partied at the London nightspot with her girlfriends. See the latest on Leonardo DiCaprio and his rumoured romance with Laura Whitmore Night out: While she has made no mention of Leonardo, Roxy (left) did post photos on her Instagram account as she partied at London's Chiltern Firehouse with her girlfriends, the same venue Leo was seen at Girls night: The stunning blonde showed off her model figure in a black crop top teamed with a wide-brimmed hat for the night on the town Insiders claim Leo invited Roxy back to his suite at the Rosewood Hotel at 2am, after the model and her friends were reportedly seen being escorted by the actor's security to the hotel while he travelled in a separate car. Roxy has hit out at rumours the pair were 'hooking up' throughout the night though, tweeting in the early hours of Wednesday: 'You can't have a friend in the industry without people assuming it's more than that... It's a joke.' She added: 'FYI we all went our separate ways home, as friends do. Thanks, bye.' Having her say: Roxy hit out at rumours the pair were 'hooking up' throughout the night, tweeting in the early hours of Wednesday Just pals: A source has told The Sun that the pair had met previously in Leo's hometown of Los Angeles A source has told The Sun that the pair had met previously in Leo's hometown of Los Angeles. 'Leo and Roxy met a while ago in LA and he was taken with her. When he got to London for the Baftas he immediately said they should hang out,' the insider claims. MailOnline have contacted representatives for Leonardo and Roxy for comment. Back to mine? Insiders claim Leo invited Roxy back to his suite at the Rosewood Hotel at 2am, with the model and her friends seen being escorted by the actor's security to the hotel while he travelled in a separate car Roxy previously dated Joey, with the childhood friends in a relationship two years ago before splitting just before the reality star headed to Australia for his appearance on I'm A Celebrity in in 2013. After Joey was said to be 'heartbroken' by the split, he was pictured enjoying dinner with the successful model in November 2015. Roxy, who also dated Taio Cruz in 2011, has been rubbing shoulder with Hollywood stars in recent months, attending the premiere of Bradley Copper's Burnt last year and regularly flying to the States for modelling jobs. Ex: Roxy previously dated Joey Essex, with the childhood friends in a relationship two years ago before splitting just before the reality star headed to Australia for his appearance on I'm A Celebrity in in 2013 Back in 2012 Roxy shared her appreciation for Leo, posting a smouldering black and white shot of the star on her Twitter page and gushing: 'Leonardo DiCaprio is also the definition of sexy.' Meanwhile, Leo was seen having a close conversation with I'm A Celebrity presenter Laura Whitemore on Sunday night after they met at a BAFTA after party, following Leo's first ever win at the ceremony. According to The Sun, the actor invited the Irish beauty back to his hotel suite with a group of friends where they continued to party until 5am. She's a fan! Back in 2012 Roxy shared her appreciation for Leo, posting a smouldering black and white shot of the star on her Twitter page and gushing: 'Leonardo DiCaprio is also the definition of sexy' An onlooker claimed: Leonardo was completely taken by Laura. She was playing it cool but he made a beeline for her and they instantly started flirting. The insider adds that Laura loved the attention she received from the superstar. Leo made it clear he wanted her to come back upstairs to his suite at the hotel to continue the party afterwards, the source added. Roxy Jacenko has hit back at the 'three grown men' accused of circulating lewd photographs of her daughter Pixie, vowing to continue to promote the four-year-old's business online despite the scandal. The PR maven lashed out at the 'sick' trio she says produced doctored images of her daughter earlier this year, describing their alleged behaviour as 'paedophilia'. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, the mother-of-two told of her shock at discovering the images but said she would not shy away from promoting their business online because of their emergence. Scroll down for video Hitting back: Roxy Jacenko spoke out against 'three men' allegedly involved in circulating doctored images of her four-year-old daughter Pixie and insisted she would not allow the scandal to affect their business 'What we can't forget here is that we've created a really wonderful business and Instagram is how that business is as successful as it is today. 'We're in the process of it being stocked in Myer, we're selling worldwide, she has a huge fan base in India and China. Why should our business be affected because of three sick paedophiles?' she said. Revealing that she now vets every user who requests access to Pixie's page, she continued: 'For the moment it will remain on private (because) her safety and protection is of the utmost importance. 'Her business will remain a solid business. I'm not going to be backed into a hole and live my life like a recluse because of three sickos who are envious of a four-year-old.' Business: Pixie is the face of her own company, Pixies Bows, which boasts a global fan base and mass Instagram following Protective: Roxy recalled being contacted by a man who had received the images in a 'sick' email chain Pixie has amassed a global following of hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and commands premium rates for product placement in designated posts. Her hair accessories line, Pixies Bows, is shipped worldwide and coveted by other celebrity children. On Wednesday it was claimed three men, who are 'known to the general public', had been sharing doctored photographs of her in a seedy email chain. According to The Daily Telegraph, the photographs showed Pixie holding up an explicit book and posing next to an Amsterdam prostitute. Furious: The mother-of-two immediately contacted the police when first shown the material two months ago Staying quiet: The 36-year-old declined to share the names of those said to have circulated the material Roxy was first made aware of the images two months ago after being sent them by one of the email chain's recipients. She immediately handed them to police who are investigating the matter. Recalling seeing the photographs, she said on Wednesday: 'I don't think I have ever in my life been so physically ill. 'The thought that she could be involved in anything like that...what kind of sick, deranged humans do this?' she said. Eager to move on: The mother-of-two said she did not intend for the material to become public knowledge Reluctant to share the names of those allegedly involved, Roxy said one of the individuals allegedly involved is known to the public. 'I haven't even told my husband who they are. They'd be known to the general public, one of them in particular for being in the fashion industry,' she said. During an appearance on the Kyle and Jackie O Show on 106.5 she said the men were known to her but 'not enemies'. Following: Pixie has her own Instagram account which has amassed more than 100,000 followers Future: The four-year-old is seldom seen without one of her signature hair bows and travels the world promoting the line with her mother 'Are these people my enemies, no they are not but I know them.' She added she contacted the boss of one of those said to be involved to tell her of their alleged involvement. Describing the material, she said: 'Seeing your four-year-old child in a situation they had superimposed her into, it was sick.' 'To superimpose a child into a sexual position, you have to be f***ed in the head'. Last year the Roxy was forced to defend her work with her daughter after being likened to a child abuser by a journalist. Lampooning the writer who labelled her as such, the businesswoman said it was a 'disgrace' to suggest she was harming her child by creating a company in her name. Insisting she was trying to set up a secure financial future for her daughter, Roxy revealed that all profits from the business and other ventures in which Pixie's name or face is used are stored in a bank account also held in her name. Australian actress Teresa Palmer certainly knows how to captivate audiences in her movies and it seems she knows exactly how to command attention off screen too. The 29-year-old blonde beauty was seen at the premiere of her new film Triple 9 in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, stealing the spotlight in a purple silk mini dress. The star - who hails from Adelaide - completed her smouldering look with a deep plum lip as she joined her co-star Casey Affleck at the event. Scroll down for video Flawless: Australian actress Teresa Palmer stole the show at the Triple 9 premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday night in a purple silk dress completed with a plum lip Teresa's dress featured layers of material on the neck and back and was sleeveless. On her left shoulder, a piece of gold material was also seen, with a jewel encrusted buckle. Teresa teamed her look with black pointed heels and a black and gold clutch, with her hair pushed back off her face into a messy ponytail. Her make-up complimented her stunning outfit and featured a plum lip with a smokey eye and dewy foundation. Catching up: The blonde star posed for photographs with her co-star Casey Affleck Leggy lady! Teresa's short dress showed her her long limbs to perfection On the night, she posed for photographs with her co-star Casey Affleck and was also spotted talking to the films director, Australian John Hillcoat. Triple 9 follows the story of a criminal gang and corrupt police officers who have the Russian mafia blackmailing them. Casey's character Chris Allen meanwhile, is at the centre of a murder plot. The film also stars the likes of Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul and Fast and Furious' Gal Gadot. In the flick, Teresa plays the character of Michelle Allen, Chris' partner. Blue eyed beauty: In the new movie, Teresa plays the character of Michelle Allen, the partner of Casey's character Chris Going from strength to strength: Teresa had a busy 2015, working on several film projects Teresa has had great success in Hollywood, having starred in films including The Choice - which has just come out - and I Am Number Four. She has one son, Bodhi, who has just this week celebrated his second birthday, with her actor and director husband Mark Webber. She also is step mother to Mark's older son Isaac Love, who he has from a previous relationship. Earlier this month, Teresa denied rumours that she was expecting another child. Having a laugh: The beauty was also spotted talking to the films director, Australian John Hillcoat Teresa told The Daily Telegraph that shooting nine films in the last couple of years made the prospect of another child was unlikely. 'Its just not happening right now,' she said. However, she did hint at the possibility of trying for a baby again now that her schedule is less hectic. She added: 'I have been like a machine for the last two years but now the machine has stopped. I think its about time to cultivate some self care.' It was not immediately clear what caused the 98-year-old's death Soleil tweeted out on Tuesday the universe had gained a ' George Gaynes, the star of seven Police Academy movies and the cranky foster parent in the 1980s sitcom Punky Brester, has died. He passed away on Monday at the age of 98 in North Bend in Washington state, according to Variety. His death was confirmed by his daughter, Iya Gaynes Falcone Brown. On Tuesday night his Punky co-star Soleil Moon Frye tweeted a heart-felt memorial to her friend and on-screen adoptive father. Scroll down for video Actor George Gaynes (pictured) died Monday in Washington state at 98. Gaynes was a familiar face to TV audiences in the 1980s as the foster father of Soileil Moon Frye (left) in the sitcom Punky Brewster In memoriam: George Gaynes, pictured with Dustin Hoffman in drag in the 1982 comedy Tootsie Funny guy: Gaynes also played the Commander in Police Academy in 1984, and continued in that role for the next six movies in the franchise, ending with Police Academy: Mission To Moscow in 1994 Soleil Moon Frye tweeted out this message about her on-screen foster father George Gaynes after his death 'The universe just gained a gigantic star. You will be in my heart and soul always & forever. Your little Punky RIP George Gaynes,' Soleil wrote. The character actor also famously played a soap opera star who ended up kissing Dustin Hoffman in drag as Dorothy Michaels in the 1982 movie 'Tootsie'. Gaynes was a jobbing character actor who appeared in hundreds of TV shows and some 35 movies, the trade publication reported. He was also a celebrated baritone singer who starred in plays, musicals and operas in North America and Europe. But while his face might be a familiar one, he never achieved name recognition or the kind of fame that goes with above-the-title success. George Gaynes and his actress wife Allyn Ann McLerie, who he met after moving to New York to sing opera On-screen dad: George Gaynes said 'The two things an actor dreads most are children and dogs' as he co-starred alongside both in the hit 1980s series Punky Brewster 'Anyone who believes in happy endings will take consolation from the career of George Gaynes, about to become a television celebrity at the age of 64,' The New York Times reported in 1984, when Gaynes was actually 67, shortly before NBC telecast the first episode of 'Punky Brewster'. He starred opposite Soleil in 'Punky' from 1984 to 1988, playing building manager Henry Warnimont who finds an abandoned girl whom he eventually adopts. The show ran for four seasons, first on NBC and then in syndication, The New York Times reported. 'The two things an actor dreads most are children and dogs,' he told The Times in 1984. 'I have both in this series.' He also appeared for three seasons on the TV comedy The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd starring Blair Brown and his actress wife, Allyn Ann McLerie. Gaynes was born George Jongejans in Helsinki, Finland to a Russian mother and Dutch father. George Gaynes was never billed in an above-the-title way, but he captured the hearts of his Hollywood colleagues like Giancarlo Giannini (left picture, right) and Barbara Rush (right picture, right) Beloved role: Gaynes had the ability to make audiences laugh and worked steadily in TV and film although he never became a household name Jobbing actor: He could hold his own opposite Hollywood's finest including Christopher Lee, pictured, in Police Academy 7 He was raised in France, England and Switzerland and later during the Second World war he enlisted in the Royal Dutch Navy. After the war he traveled to New York, where he joined the New York City Opera. There he played Figaro, Leporello in 'Don Giovanni' and assorted fathers, monks and ragpickers, according to the New York Times. He also appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but he considered himself primarily an actor. 'I was an acting opera singer, and thats one of the reasons I left opera,' he said. He appeared on Broadway in Cole Porters 'Out of This World' and in 'Wonderful Town' with music by Leonard Bernstein. That same year, he changed his surname to Gaynes and married Allyn Ann McLerie, George Gaynes starred alongside Dustin Hoffman in 'Tootsie' as John Van Horn an actor playing the lecherous Doctor Medford Brewster in the movie's soap opera Gaynes planted a big, sloppy, wet kiss full on Dustin Hoffman's mouth as they played actors in the soap opera In the 1960s and 1970s, he starred in shows including 'The Defenders', 'Mission: Impossible', 'Bonanza', 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'Hawaii Five-0'. He also acted in the soap operas 'General Hospital' and 'Search for Tomorrow'. His big screen credits included 'The Way We Were', 'Altered States' and 'Wag the Dog'. He retired in 2003, according to Variety, after appearing in the feature comedy Just Married, starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy and moved from California to Washington. In addition to his wife, Gaynes is survived by a daughter; one granddaughter; and two great-granddaughters. His son, Matthew, died in a 1989 car crash. She recently said she was open to finding love online after being named ambassador for dating website, eHarmony. But Fiona Falkiner might not need to use the online dating site for much longer if her second date with a mystery man proves to be successful. The 33-year-old former contestant and host of the Biggest Loser opened up about her promising romance prospects as she discussed online dating with Today show anchors Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic. Scroll down for video 'I might be going on a second date soon': eHarmony ambassador Fiona Falkiner, 33, told Today show hosts Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic online dating was working for her 'I've going on a couple of dates and I might be going on a second date soon,' she told the morning show presenters on Wednesday. Fiona told the hosts she decided to give online dating a go after struggling to find a suitable companion. 'I'm 33 years old, and I want a family and to settle down and meeting someone in my industry can be difficult,' she said. The beauty previously told Daily Mail Australia previously after fulfilling many of her weight and career goals, meeting Mr Right would mean 'my life would be complete'. 'I just came off the back of spending Christmas with my family and once again my nieces and nephews asked me, "Why aren't you married auntie Fee?"' she said. 'I've been single for a long time now, I've been dating but haven't had a long term relationship for a while so it would be nice to have that completeness in my life.' Apart from her dating life, Fiona has been upping her style in the fashion stakes, enlisting the help of celebrity stylist Donny Galella. 'Styled by the lovely @donnygalella': The starlet made sure to praise her celebrity stylist Donny Galella for her red carpet costume at the recent TAG Heuer cocktail party in Sydney Time for a selfie! Fiona made sure to grab a quick selfie with Hollywood heartthrob at the exclusive event Most notably, the plus size model stole the show at the recent TAG Heuer cocktail party in Sydney. T he TV personality oozed confidence as she glided into the event with professionally-applied highlighter and impeccable contouring, intensifying her pretty facial features. Fiona coordinated her dress, which ended just after her knees, with a pair of simple grey pumps. She wore her long blonde tresses in loose tumbling waves, while enhancing her blue eyes with thick lashings of mascara and eyeliner. Looking good: The starlet recently showed off her body in a black bikini The radiant starlet kept accessories to a minimum to keep the floral party frock the main focus and opted for a simple bracelet, a ring and drop earrings. The plus size model was also recently announced as the ambassador of Trimfit Bodies. She will front a 12-week fitness program that requires 10 minutes of exercise per day and provides more than 200 healthy recipes. She will also provide motivational tips to participants via email. It seems his daughter James is already excelling at just 14-months-old. For Ryan Reynolds revealed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show that his little girl says the word 'dada' whenever she sees a poster of his smash hit character Deadpool. The actor, whose film has demolished a series of box office records over the weekend, made the comment after revealing she is already 'running around talking and having a ball.' Young prodigy: Ryan Reynolds revealed his daughter James calls his character Deadpool 'dada' The 39-year-old movie beefcake said: 'She has a few words in her vocabulary. She sees me all over the place because right now the Deadpool advertising is everywhere. 'So when we go into New York City its on top of the cab and shell be like, "dada, dada. dada, dada 'I dont know how she, I mean Im in a mask, but yeah she knows thats me so.' The excited daytime chat show doyen cheekily suggested it is because Ryan, who is married to his Green Lantern co-star Blake Lively, had taken to wearing the leather piece of clothing around the house. Dad-vertising: He said his girl always starts screaming his name when she sees posters from his film Parental advisory warning: He may be a little concerned his daughter identifies him as a homicidal hitman The whip smart Canadian told her: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. Only Wednesday nights.' Modest Ryan also poked fun at the fact he was named People's sexiest dad alive, which comes after he won the sexiest man alive title back in 2010. He said: 'Clearly I've graduated to the next worst thing, sexiest dad. I don't think there's a scientific method, for choosing that I don't think they've polled everyone on earth. 'I think It's three guys in a boardroom but that'll work.' World's sexiest guest: The Canadian beefcake won hoots of approval from his female fans in the audience It sells magazines: Ryan was only too happy to poke fun at his new title of sexiest dad alive Lantern of his life: Ryan, who was previously hitched to Scarlett Johansson, is married to his old co-star Blake Lively One of the tensest scenes sees his character fighting completely naked against the film's villain Ajax, who is played by English actor Ed Skrein, in a burning building. And Ryan joked he was just happy he became a father before the film was shot in case he suffered an on-set mishap. He said: ' Yeah, woah! You don't want to get hit there. I already had a child before I shot this, so that was covered.' The movie hunk added he would spend eight hours having synthetic scarring put on his body before filming the brutal sequence, which was filmed over two days on a burning set. 'You don't want to get hit there': Ryan joked about ther dangers of filming a fight scene in the nude Fifteen hour days: He would spend eight hours having synthetic scarring put on his body before filming the brutal sequence He said: 'I get into the set around one in the morning and I start this long process of head-to-toe make up and shoot a 15 hour day. '(The set also) kept shutting down because the fire marshal was worried the roof was going to combust because it was so hot in there. It's not really a comfortable process.' Gentleman Ryan also agreed to go in the dunk tank, and after Ellen managed to knock him in Chideo donated $25,000 to his favorite charity The Make-A-Wish Foundation. He explained children with cancer were especially drawn to his character Wade Wilson as he suffered from the disease in the film, and he would invite them on the set as part of his work with the charity. Another kind of pool: Ryan took part in a dunk tank challenge for charity Not-so-'armless: It did not take long for Ellen to hit her target It doesn't get Van Wilder than this: And soon he was giving the thumbs up to his adoring fans Prince William will be seeing a familiar face if he tunes in to The Voice this weekend. The Duke of Cambridge's first girlfriend Rose Farquhar is auditioning in front of Will.i.am, Paloma Faith, Ricky Wilson and Boy George. Rose, 31, briefly dated William, 33, in 2000 after he finished his A'levels after meeting at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire. Will they turn around? Prince William's ex-girlfriend Rose Farquhar auditions for The Voice on this Saturday's episode Rose is generally considered as the Prince's first serious girlfriend, with him going on to date several women at university before meeting his now-wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in 2003. Despite their romance faltering, Rose and William have always stayed on good terms and often see each other at society weddings due to their mutual friends in common. An insider told The Sun that Rose - daughter of Captain Ian Farquhar, a master of the Beaufort Hunt - informed the Prince she was going on the show and he gave her his 'blessing'. The Voice is the second TV talent show Rose has auditioned for after previously appearing on 2006's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?. Young love: Rose and Prince William dated when he was 18 (pictured) after he completed his A'levels at Eton She got down to the last 18 in the show to find a Maria for the West End production of The Sound Of Music. Following the programme, she went on to receive a BBC Fame Academy Award to study Musical Theatre and Acting in New York City. Aside from her love of singing, Rose's day job is promoting luxury brands such as Land Rover and Harrods, while she does a lot of charity work in her spare time. Society set: Rose, pictured in 2014, is on good terms with William and often sees the Duke at society weddings and polo matches Rose had to have reconstructive surgery on her face after being kicked by a horse after being thrown into a ditch. On Saturday's episode of The Voice, Rose sings Anyone Who Had Heart, the Burt Bacharach classic performed by Dionne Warwick and Cilla Black. The Voice is on BBC1 on Saturday 20 February at 7.15pm. They separated in 2014 after tying the knot nine years earlier. But on Wednesday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Brendan Fevola confirmed he had moved back in with his wife Alex as he confided in NRL legend Paul The Chief Harragon. As he revealed the couple had rekindled their romance, the 35-year-old admitted he 'wished' he 'didn't drink [alcohol] much' but uses it as a way to reconnect with the mother-of -three. Scroll down for video Trying again: Brendan Fevola confirmed he had moved back in with his estranged wife Alex as he confided in NRL legend Paul The Chief Harragon on Wednesday night's episode of 'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! 'I love it [alcohol] too much and Alex loves a drink too, having a sip and a good time,' he began. 'When I moved back in she's like put the kids to bed and we would sit out on the balcony and have a couple of glasses of red,' Brendan explained while adding it was a 'nice' feeling having alone time with Alex despite their unsettled past. As he openly spoke about the pair's new and improved romance, the controversial former AFL player revealed he now finds himself putting effort into their relationship in a bid to making it work. Lifting his game: As he openly spoke about the pair's new and improved romance, the 35-year-old admitted he now finds himself putting effort into their relationship in a bid to making it work 'I never used to really listen...she'd just talk about her work [as a photographer] and I used to be like, "Oh yeah yeah yeah" but now I sit there and listen and Im like, "thats amazing",' he gushed. He went on to add: 'She will get home at 7pm, and I've got dinner on the table ready to go, like, I plan it for when she gets home, so she's so wrapped. 'When we first got back, she says the only reason I've got you here is so you can cook me dinner,' Brendan laughed. The former Carlton full-forward also discussed wanting to have more children, a son, in addition to raising the couple's three daughters Mia, 16, Leni, nine, and Lulu, six. Trying his best: He went on to add: 'She will get home at 7pm, and I've got dinner on the table ready to go, like, I plan it for when she gets home, so she's so wrapped' 'I want a boy,' he said. 'I'm only 35,' adding that he would undergo IVF to ensure the sex of the child. However, gender selection is in fact illegal in Australia and the ethical integrity of the procedure has been widely questioned. Over the years Brendan and Alex, who wed in 2005, have battled through an on-again, off-again relationship, hitting critical mass when Brendan was rumoured to have an affair with Lara Bingle in 2006. Expanding: The former Carlton full-forward also discussed wanting to have more children, a son, in addition to raising the couple's three daughters Mia, 16, Leni, nine, and Lulu, six At the time Lara claimed that she was unaware that the footy star was married and ended the affair as soon as she found out. In the past Brendan also dealt with alcohol and gambling problems, first coming to public light when he reported from the Brownlows drunk during a special edition of The Footy Show's Street Talk. 'I wish I didnt drink so much. I just love it too much. Alex loves a drink too. She loves having a sip, like a good time,' he told Paul. After dodging questions about his marriage to the media in the past, it's the first time he has publicly said they are back together. Her body transformation has been well documented so it was surprising to see Charlotte Crosby covering up her slimline bikini body for a photoshoot on a beach in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday. The Geordie Shore original was pictured larking around Manly Beach, dressed in a black jumpsuit which concealed all of her fit figure, aside from her fore arms. Charlotte, 25, was perhaps not appropriately dressed for the mid-twenties temperatures in the plain one-piece. Scroll down for video Camera shy? Charlotte Crosby covered up her slimline bikini body in a black jumpsuit as she larked around on a beach in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday The boiler suit was cinched at the waist offering her some definition in the non-fitted outfit. The former Celebrity Big Brother winner certainly stood out among the barely-clothed locals and holiday makers who relished the chance to top up their tans. Instead, she was pictured getting her outfit dirty as she splashed around in the shallow waters on her knees. Charlotte seemed in high spirits as she did her thing for the camera and she was accompanied by a solo cameraman whose job it was to capture her in her best light. Beach babe: Charlotte, 25, was pictured on her hands and knees, getting her one-piece wet and dirty, as she did her thing on camera Minimal skin on show: The Geordie Shore original concealed every inch of her fit figure which she's achieved with two tailor made workouts which are now DVDs Dipping her toes: She frolicked around on the sandy shore and appeared animated for the film project Standing out: Charlotte was undeniably overdressed in the cinched-waist boiler suit which she teamed with a studded leather hand bag and a pair of Birkenstock sandals She ensured her hair and make-up were in keeping with her low-key theme, sweeping her dyed blonde locks into a high ponytail which sat on the side of her head. The Belly and Bum Blitz star sported minimal make-up, allowing her bare-faced beauty, and recently surgically-enhanced nose, to take centre stage. Charlotte recently explained her decision to go under the knife, exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, insisting it was the right thing to do. On the prowl: At one point, she was seen crawling up the sea front while holiday-makers looked on confused Jump around: The former Celebrity Big Brother winner seemed in an excitable mood as she played up to the camera Presenting prowess: It was unclear exactly what Charlotte was shooting but all will no doubt be revealed soon. She is currently in Australia promoting her Bum Blitz fitness DVD 'When I watched myself before and I turned to the side I felt sick because my nose looked so awful. No one ever noticed my nose, I never got one comment in my whole entire life saying youve got a bad nose. But I wasn't happy with it, I got it done for me,' she said. 'When I got the cast off I looked in the mirror I was like, "wow, that is amazing". To think that [my nose] has just changed in three hours and I felt so much better and I was so much more confident.' Although she's thrilled with the results of the 6,000 plus cosmetic procedure, she doesn't feel the need to have any more work done - excluding occasional botox and regular lip fillers. 'Wow. that is amazing': Charlotte wore minimal make-up, allowing her nose job to take centre stage after telling Daily Mail Australia she feels a lot more confident after the surgery Hearts for Aus :She looked to be drawing a love heart in the sand as she recorded some footage of her trip Down Under While her facial appearance can be enhanced within minutes, maintaining her size 8 figure takes considerably more work. Charlotte explained: 'I have to work hard to stay in shape. Obviously the lifestyle that I have on Geordie Shore drinking and partying and eating bad food massively contradicts it sometimes so I fluctuate all the time but Ill never go back to how I was [size 16]. 'I always fluctuate a couple of pounds but people do that on their period. Im always going to strive to be the best me that I possibly can but there is only a fraction of the time that Im actually happy.' My Kitchen Rules villain Jessica recently stated that the version viewers are seeing of her on the popular cooking show is 'just a character.' But her co-star Nelly tells a different story, slamming the health fanatic in a new interview and insisting that she's exactly the same off-screen as she is on the reality series. 'With Jess, what you see is what you get, and off-screen she is just the same,' Nelly told the AAP. 'With Jess, what you see is what you get, and off-screen she is just the same': My Kitchen Rules' star Nelly (left) slammed the show's 'villain' Jessica (right) in a new interview The 25-year-old continued: 'There were a lot of things she said that were cut out, so she is very much like that and full on. 'She's not my cup of tea,' the T2 tea ambassador added. Jessica recently opened up about her portrayal on the series in an interview with Channel 7's Sunrise. 'There were a lot of things she said that were cut out, so she is very much like that and full on,' explained Nelly 'She's not my cup of tea,' added the T2 ambassador 'I don't carry regrets, they're too heavy for me,' she said. 'I dont claim to know everything there is about the world but I dont carry around regrets,' she added. When asked if she was experiencing the social media backlash after being painted as the show's villain due to her healthy eating habits, the 30-year-old revealed that she's been staying off it. 'I am not in any form on social media. I know who I am and the people in my life know who I am,' she said, adding that 'TV Jessica' is just a 'character'. 'I don't carry regrets, they're too heavy for me': Jessica recently told Sunrise that she regrets nothing from her time on the show 'TV Jessica is just a character': The 30-year-old said that the version of her that viewers at home are seeing is just a character Meanwhile, on Wednesday night's episode of MKR, the healthy eater seemed to offend Italian jeweler Luciano when she called him out for repeatedly questioning the gravy in the main dinner dish. 'Luciana, you're really bitchy today!' she said with a smile. Her comment left Luciano stunned and the entire table gasping while Luciano's friend, Martino, laughed hysterically. 'How dare she,' said Luciano. 'Jessica telling me I'm very bitchy? Calling the kettle black.' 'You know what?' said Jessica with a smile. 'If I like someone I'll take the piss out of them.' Luciano still looked annoyed as Martino smiled alongside him, with Jessica then reiterating: 'I'm not fighting with anyone.' 'Luciana, you're really bitchy today!' said a playful Jessica on Wednesday night's episode of My Kitchen Rules 'How dare she!' Luciano was left fuming from the comment while his partner Martino saw the lighter side of the situation and laughed hysterically The Full House cast reunited to comfort a sad Donald Trump in a funny The Tonight Show spoof on Tuesday. The cast played their characters from the beloved nineties sitcom, while host Jimmy Fallon played Trump from Michelle Tanner's (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's character) old bedroom. Actors Bob Saget, John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin and Andrea Barber all joined in on the fun, as the gang gave a worried Trump a pep talk about his election prospects. Scroll down for video Silly spoof: Jimmy Fallon's Donald Trump gets a pep talk from Bob Saget's Danny Tanner character as the Full House cast reunited for a Tonight Show skit The cast members also trotted out their old catchphrases including 'have mercy','cut it out', 'how rude!', and even sang the Full House theme song. John Stamos and Lori Loughlin also shared a kiss as their Uncle Joey and Aunt Becky characters. The skit began with a frightened Trump sitting up in the dark, calling out 'Dad!' The bedroom was the same as Michelle Tanner's original room, except for the giant Trump portrait by the door. Dad! The bedroom is identical to the one Michelle Tanner (played by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) had in the original sitcom - except for the large Trump portrait by the door 'What's wrong, honey?': The Donald confesses he's worried about being an election 'loser' Hearing Trump cry out, Bob Saget, who plays Danny Tanner, arrives to comfort the worried Republican, followed by John Stamos and Dave Coulier. 'Donald, what's wrong, honey?' asks Saget, as he puts an arm around Trump. 'I'm just sad,' sulks Trump. 'Look, I know I won in New Hampshire, my numbers were huge,' he says. 'But, I'm afraid that if I don't win the nomination everyone will say I'm a loser.' They're back! Dave Coulier and John Stamos also arrive to comfort Trump How rude! Lori Loughlin, Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin interrupt Trump's conversation with his 'three dads' Send her the bill: Trump demands they build a huge wall to keep out nosy neighbor Kimmy Gibbler, played by Andrea Barber 'Donald, I know winning is very important to you, but sometimes it's ok to lose. Right, guys?' says Saget, as Uncle Jesse (Dave Coulier) and 'Uncle Joey (John Stamos) enter. 'The point is, you made it farther than anyone thought, and no matter what happens, you should be very proud of that,' says Stamos, who reaches out to give Trump a comforting pat on the head. 'Hey, watch the hair, huh?' the candidate warns. Actors Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin also arrive to help boost Trump's mood, before they are interrupted by Andrea Barber's nosy neighbor Kimmy Gibbler. Old familiar friends: The cast and Trump break into the Full House theme song Fan favorite: Stamos and Loughlin also shared a kiss as Uncle Joey and Aunt Becky Revival: The cast also appear on the Full House update, Fuller House, which debuts on Netflix on February 23 When Trump laments 'What ever happened to predictability?', the cast burst into the Full House theme song. Later, John Stamos and Lori Loughlin also share a kiss as fan favorites Uncle Joey and Aunt Becky. And when the family are interrupted by Kimmy, The Donald proposes a new way to keep her out of the house, spoofing his call to ban Muslims from entering the US and to build a giant wall on the US-Mexico border. 'I know how we can keep her out. We need to build a giant wall,' Trump demands. 'No more Gibblers! A ban on all Gibblers, until we figure out what's going on. And we make her pay for it!' Fighting on: Trump says its up to him to stop a Clinton getting back in the White House. 'I mean, who wants to see something from the nineties come back in 2016?,' he explains The skit ends with Saget again comforting Trump. 'Just remember, Donald, if you win and become president, that's great,' he says. 'But if you lose and don't be come president, we'll be even prouder.' As always, the comforting pep talk works its magic, with Trump agreeing to press on. 'You guys are right. I have to stay in the race, otherwise a Clinton will be in the White House again,' says Trump. 'I mean, who wants to see something from the nineties come back in 2016?' Stylish: Candace, Jodie and Andrea were all smiles as they attended the Fuller House premiere at The Grove in Los Angeles on Tuesday The cast were promoting their new Netflix revival of the beloved 90s sitcom, Fuller House, which debuts on February 23. They were also all smiles as they attended the premiere for their new show at The Grove Pacific Theaters in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Candace wore a frilly blue mini dress, while Jodi wore a tight pink dress and Andrea donned a white jumpsuit. They are the new girls on the TOWIE block. And Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows are ensuring they make themselves known as they were spied stripping down to their bikinis as filming of the new season commences. The stunning duo were rocking near-identical red bikinis as they paraded around the pool in Gran Canaria, Spain on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Striking: Chloe Meadows [left] and Courtney Green [right] are ensuring they make themselves known as they were spied stripping down to their bikinis as filming of the new season commences The blonde bombshell of the pair, Chloe, was flaunting an extremely buxom physique as she paraded beside the pool in a high-waisted number. Showing off her ample assets in a halterneck bikini top, the bra-like shape could barely contain her ample assets as she walked beside her pal. Her high-waisted bottoms boasted completely sheer panels on the hips which made for a racy look as the knickers flashed even more flesh than a usual bikini. She covered up with a white kimono with a crochet lining while stacking on the accessories in true Essex style. See TOWIE updates as Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green film in Gran Canaria Lady in red: The blonde bombshell of the pair, Chloe, was flaunting an extremely buxom physique as she paraded beside the pool in a high-waisted number Red-y to go: The stunning duo were rocking near-identical red bikinis as they paraded around the pool in Gran Canaria, Spain on Wednesday Chloe sported a delicate silver body chain which tumbled between her cleavage while also rocking a shorter silver chain. The pretty blonde paired the look with an abundance of rings a heavy bracelet and a glamorous pair of sunglasses. She wore particularly heavy make-up for a poolside visit with deep lip liner and a strong brow, looking more party than pool in its over all theme. The pretty star allowed her long blonde locks to cascade over her shoulders while billowing in the wind, which highlighted her lighter and darker highlights. Crimson curves: The stunning duo were rocking near-identical red bikinis as they paraded around the pool in Gran Canaria, Spain on Wednesday Copycat: Chloe sported a delicate silver body chain which tumbled between her cleavage while also rocking a shorter silver chain as Courtney went for a very similar look Perfect by the pool: The girls looked like they walked off a magazine cover as they paraded along the pool Diminutive brunette, Courtney did her own take on the red number as she also wore a bra like top although her bikini top was more controlling of her slightly more humble assets. Her bikini bottoms were perilously low-cut with a raunchy sheer panel threatening to bare all. She too opted for a white ankle length cover up which tied at the waist. Pretty star: Diminutive brunette, Courtney did her own take on the red number as she also wore a bra like top although her bikini top was more controlling of her slightly more humble assets Stunning: The girls are set to fit right in with their heavy make-up, stunning figures and glamorous style Matchy, matchy: The girls clearly spent a lot of time planning their coordinating bikinis Up close: It seems the girls have an unbreakable bond - meaning nothing will stand in the way of their friendship - not even pending TOWIE drama The pretty star also rocked heavy make-up for her poolside shoot, no doubt wanting to be picture perfect for her on-screen debut, as she wore lashings of black eye make-up and a heavy brow. Clearly keen to replicate her pal in every way, Courtney also wore very similar jewellery to Chloe, including a silver body chain, a matching necklace, a host of studded earrings and rings. Courtney, 20, and Chloe, 23, are the best of friends and already know several of their new male co-stars, which should no doubt provide some juicy storylines for viewers. Sexy display: Determined to fit in with their glamorous co-stars Kate Wright and Georgia Kousoulou, the girls ensured their looked their very best for their screen debut Incredible curves: Both the girls were showing off envy-inducing figures Dolled up: The pretty star also rocked heavy make-up for her poolside shoot, no doubt wanting to be picture perfect for her on-screen debut, as she wore lashings of black eye make-up and a heavy brow Raring to go: Single lady Courtney - who knows Mike Hassini and Liam Blackwell - is set to share her emotional story with viewers, having lost two stone following the breakdown of her last relationship Blonde beauty: The girls were stunning as they expertly posed poolside - looking simply sensational Single lady Courtney - who knows Mike Hassini and Liam Blackwell - is set to share her emotional story with viewers, having lost two stone following the breakdown of her last relationship. Meanwhile, Chloe is already well acquainted with Lewis Bloor, Jake Hall and Dan Edgar, as well as being close friends with CBB star Megan McKenna. The blonde is also single and her trip to Spain will no doubt bring back bad memories since she was recently dumped by her boyfriend while on holiday in the sunny country. Determined to fit in with their glamorous co-stars Kate Wright and Georgia Kousoulou, the girls ensured their looked their very best for their screen debut. Newly slim: Single lady Courtney - who knows Mike Hassini and Liam Blackwell - is set to share her emotional story with viewers, having lost two stone following the breakdown of her last relationship Natural beauty: Courtney looked stunningly striking as she gazed into the distance Thick as thieves: Courtney, 20, and Chloe, 23, are the best of friends and already know several of their new male co-stars, which should no doubt provide some juicy storylines for viewers Best pals: The girls proved they were the best of friends as they cosied up poolside Stunners: Despite the matching natures of their ensembles, the girls ensured they put their personal stamp on the looks Val Kilmer was seen leaving London last week, appearing in good spirits amid recent concerns about his health. The 56-year-old actor was dressed smartly as he pulled up at Heathrow airport in a chauffeur-driven car. The pictures show the star with what looks like a long scar on his cheek, but he was not wearing the breathing aid he was photographed with in December, with a faint scar visible on his neck. Scroll down for video Mystery condition: Scars could be seen on Val Kilmer's cheek and neck as he arrived at London Heathrow last week amid concerns over his health Val was dressed in a pair of smart grey trousers teamed with a black jacket and a white shirt. The shirt was left unbuttoned at the neck, with no sign of the bandannas or scarves the star has previously taken to wearing, in an apparent effort to hide his tracheostomy tube. Val seemed in good spirits as he said a warm goodbye to his driver with a handshake, and agreed to snap a selfie with his chauffeur before heading inside the airport. On the mend: The 56-year-old actor looked in good health and good spirits as he made his way inside The Hollywood star has been enjoying a trip to London to catch up with some close friends, including acclaimed artist Tracy Emin. Val posted a photo of the two on his Facebook page earlier in the week after they enjoyed a performance of The Master Builder, starring Ralph Fiennes. The actor gushed about the play on Facebook, and even joked about his hair in the photo, writing of his friend: 'Altho I wish she would have told me my hair was doing a Chris Walken... Lord.' Scar: The star had what looked like a long scar on his cheek, but he was not wearing the breathing aid he was photographed with in December Dapper: The Hollywood star was dressed smartly in grey trousers teamed with a black jacket and open-necked white shirt Say cheese: Val was persuaded to take a selfie with his driver before saying goodbye At the beginning of December fears were sparked for the Batman actor's health after he was seen near his home in Malibu, California with what appeared to be a breathing aid around his neck. Heading to a local Trader Joe's grocery store to do some shopping, the Heat actor was seen wearing the medical device - thought to be a tracheostomy tube. The outing followed Val's denial in October that he is battling throat cancer after rumours of ill health surfaced; although he did admit an undisclosed procedure had left him with a 'swelling'. Fun times: The Hollywood star had been enjoying a trip to London to catch up with some close friends, including acclaimed artist Tracy Emin, who he shared a Facebook photo with earlier in the week Healthy: Val was sporting long locks, with the star joking about his 'Christopher Walken' hair in his Facebook post Thanks very much: The actor said goodbye to his driver outside the airport with a warm handshake Ready for business: The actor looked dressed for a day at work rather than a flight as he prepared to jet out of the UK Let me take a selfie: Val flashed a small smile as his driver snapped the photo According to the UK's National Health Service website, a tracheostomy is a surgical opening in the anterior wall of the trachea to facilitate ventilation - the opening is usually maintained by use of a tracheostomy tube. A tracheostomy may be created for a number of reasons - including to deliver oxygen to the lungs when a person is unable to breathe normally after an injury or accident, or because their muscles are very weak. It can also allow a person to breathe if their throat is blocked, whether because of a swelling, a tumour, or something stuck in their throat, and to reduce the risk of food or fluid going into the lungs. MailOnline contacted a spokesperson for Val Kilmer for further comment at the time, with one representative confirming that the actor was currently on hiatus. Health fears: At the beginning of December fears were sparked for the actor's health after he was seen near his home in Malibu, California with what appeared to be a breathing aid around his neck Not hiding anything: There was no sign of the breathing aid last week though, while Val had also ditched the scarves he's been wearing around his neck recently Having his say: The outing in December followed Val's denial in October that he is battling throat cancer after rumours of ill health surfaced Keeping warm: The California star buttoned up his jacket as he headed out into the chilly London temperatures Where to sir? Val had a conversation with a member of airport staff about his luggage Cheers! The polite actor raised his hand for a handshake as he climbed out of his car Val took to social media to deny that he was gravely ill in hospital after Radar reported that he was admitted to UCLA's intensive care unit and could 'barely speak.' He wrote on Facebook: 'Thank you all for your love and support. There's a rumor I'm unwell again and in hospital which is totally untrue.' 'I was in to verify I have no tumor or infection of any kind which was verified by the very caring experts at UCLA.' That had been the third time that year that Kilmer - a Christian Scientist - had denied he was suffering from cancer. Buttoned up: The star admitted last year that an undisclosed procedure had left him with a 'swelling' but has refused to elaborate on his condition Fun trip: Val looked in great spirits after a fun-filled few days in London with friends Finishing touch: Leaning down to tweak his trousers, Val made sure he was looking his best before heading inside Heathrow Off again: The actor has returned to social media recently, sharing photos of trips around Europe Feeling good: Back in October Val took to social media to deny that he was gravely ill in hospital after Radar reported that he was admitted to UCLA's intensive care unit and could 'barely speak' He made his first public appearance during Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 fashion presentation and album listening party at Madison Square Garden. But despite being in town for the big event, Lamar Odom apparently did not have quite the time to visit two of his nearest and dearests. His two children, Lamar Jr. and Destiny, were hurt that the 36-year-old former NBA star was not able to spend time with them in New York according to a Wednesday report from Us Weekly. Scroll down for video BIg debut: Lamar Odom - pictured with estranged wife Khloe Kardashian - made his first public appearance duding Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 event at Madison Square Garden last Thursday A source for the publication explained: 'He didn't see his kids when he was in NYC and the kids were upset. 'They were supposed to come out and see him, but Lamar has been embarrassed to call them and they are angry.' Another insider for the weekly gave a similar account of the situation as they claimed that his two children 'were very upset' about not seeing Lamar. Tough times: The former NBA star's two children Lamar Jr and Destiny 'were very upset' that he did not see them while in the Big Apple, as they were pictured visiting him at the hospital shortly after he was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel Perhaps it was out of the former professional athlete's hands as his trip back to his home state was very brief considering he was seen jetting back to LA on Friday, the day after Kanye's event. His two children and their mother Liza Morales rushed to visit Lamar at the hospital back in October after he was found unconscious at a brothel in Nevada. The trip had been organised by the former Los Angeles Laker player's estranged wife as they visited him numerous times before he was ultimately discharged last month. On-the-go: Perhaps the reasoning the 36-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers star was timing as he was already seen arriving back in LA Friday, a day after Kanye's big showing Lamar Jr and Destiny were also able to spend time with their father on Christmas as they spent the holiday at LA hospital Cedars-Sinai. At the time a source told Us Weekly: 'He was so happy the kids were there with him for Christmas and they were so happy to be with them. 'They had so much fun. It was very emotional and very happy.' Support system: Destiny, Lamar Jr and Lamar's ex Liza Morales famously rushed to his bedside after his overdose, as they were pictured in Las Vegas back in October Lamar looks to be in much better health as he was spotted grabbing some dinner at Asian takeaway Pickup Stix in Los Angeles during Valentine's Day on Sunday. He reportedly spent the love-filled holiday with his estranged wife Khloe, 31, as friends according to E! News. 'It was more a day of friendship than romantic love,' a source told E!, adding that the former athlete 'appreciates Khloe so much for everything she has done for him these past few months.' Obama under fire for lack of leadership over Syria The United States is coming under increasingly bitter criticism for its perceived lack of leadership over Syria as the country's brutal civil conflict heads toward new levels of intensity. Washington appears unable or unwilling to prevent its ally Turkey from bombing Kurdish fighters inside Syria, its critics say. And it has done little to rein in Russia's mounting military involvement on behalf of Bashar al-Assad. In the eyes of his detractors, President Barack Obama is guilty of refusing to engage in Syria by doing exactly what he said he would do when he was elected in 2008: pulling America out of Middle Eastern wars, after the Iraq debacle, and "pivot" US foreign policy towards Asia. People gather around the rubble of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near Maaret al-Numan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, on February 15, 2016, after the building was hit by suspected Russian air strikes Ghaith Omran (Al-Maara Today/AFP/File) A pointed attack came Tuesday from France, where few have forgotten Obama's last-minute refusal to take action against Syria in 2013 after evidence surfaced that the government used chemical weapons against civilians. "Obama had said, 'If he uses chemical weapons, it will cross a red line," former Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday on Europe 1 Radio. "And that red line was crossed with no reaction." "When the history books are written, we'll see that this was a turning point, not only in the Middle East crisis but also for Ukraine, Crimea and the entire world," Fabius had said earlier this month, adding that he regretted the "ambiguities" and "lack of very strong engagement" Washington has demonstrated with respect to Syria. - 'Historians will look back' - After the bombing of hospitals and other civilian targets around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, the State Department only bemoaned the "continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people" and questioned Russia's "willingness" to put a stop to it. For Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, that simply wasn't enough. "Historians will one day look back at our archives and wonder what we thought we'd accomplish with such statements," Schanzer tweeted Tuesday. The White House has dismissed the accusations of inaction. Washington says the military coalition of 65 countries it has led for the past 18 months has carried out thousands of air strikes against jihadists of the Islamic State group, who control territory in both Syria and Iraq. At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry -- a skeptic of military interventionism known for his boundless public optimism about the diplomatic process -- has spearheaded an attempt to launch a peace process together with 20 global and regional powers. The United States and Russia agreed in Munich on Friday on a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week with the aim of relaunching the peace process and halting the exodus of civilians. They also agreed to open humanitarian aid corridors. But with Moscow intensifying its air campaign in northern Syria and Turkey stepping up calls for a ground offensive, any hope for a truce seems increasingly illusory. US National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned Monday's bombing -- most likely Russian -- of hospitals in Aleppo that left 50 dead, according to the United Nations. "We think it runs counter, frankly, to the commitment made in Munich on Friday," she said, "and to our shared interest in seeing the violence reduced, civilians allowed to receive humanitarian assistance." She also criticized Turkish air strikes against Syrian Kurds that are both poisoning relations between Moscow and Ankara and undermining the Turkish-American alliance. - 'Moral bankruptcy' - Even Washington's critics understand it is in a very difficult position. An ally of Ankara within NATO and the anti-terror coalition, it also supports Kurdish militia groups fighting ISIS in Syria. The United States is also formally Russia's partner in the search for a political solution in Syria. Kerry hashed out Friday's Munich agreement together with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. However, few believe anything will come of it. "One shouldn't expect anything from the Americans... They have no more credibility" in the Middle East, said Joseph Bahout, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment who spoke Thursday just before the agreement was announced. And in a recent article from the Brookings Institution, experts Michael Ignatieff and Leon Wieseltier argue it is "past time to proclaim the moral bankruptcy of American and Western policy in Syria." "Western inaction," they write, is the result of "five years of empty declarations that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go, of half-hearted arming of rebel groups, of allowing the red line on chemical weapons to be crossed and of failing adequately to share Europe's refugee burden as it buckles under the strain." In the eyes of his detractors, President Barack Obama is guilty of refusing to engage in Syria by doing exactly what he said he would do when he was elected in 2008: pulling America out of Middle Eastern wars Mandel Ngan (AFP) US Secretary of State John Kerry, seen center in Munich on February 12, 2016, has spearheaded an attempt to launch a peace process together with 20 global and regional powers Christof Stache (AFP/File) Love, rage, silence: secret lives of Afghanistan's female poets With her kohl-rimmed eyes cast down, Nadia lilts through a folk couplet before a secret assembly of women poets on a forbidden subject that often gets people killed in Afghanistan -- love. "Like a candle I burn all night, separated from my lover," the 20-year-old intones in Pashto. "I melt and fade like hot wax." Single women and housewives swaddled in brightly coloured headscarves come together in a basement room for the poetry reading, some of them risking punishment or even death if discovered Jawed Tanveer (AFP) The young university student is part of Mirman Baheer, a women's literary society that holds secret gatherings in Kandahar city, the spiritual birthplace of the famously misogynistic Taliban. Her ode to love is a landay, two-line Pashtun folk poems that have become a symbol of cultural rebellion for women and an outlet for incendiary issues, from child brides to honour killings. They are more commonly about romantic love -- sometimes overlapping with sex, marriage and heartache -- in a tightly gender-segregated society where any public display of it is seen as a shocking breach of tradition. "Who will marry a woman who indulges in love poetry?" said Nadia, quoting her mother who forbade her from joining the poetry club. "People instantly judge: 'She writes about love, she must be a woman of loose morals.'" News of the meetings has spread by word of mouth, but mobile phones are increasingly used to organise the clandestine gatherings. Single women and housewives swaddled in brightly coloured headscarves come together in a basement room for the poetry reading, some of them risking punishment or even death if discovered. A few were accompanied by their little sisters to help fabricate convincing alibis when they return home. And for those too afraid to defy their families, Mirman Baheer offers a hotline service for women to call clandestinely and leave their landays, which are read out during weekly sessions. - 'Killed for celebrating love' - The underground gathering offers a glimpse into the hidden world of Afghan women flouting patriarchal mores in the country's conflict-torn Pashtun heartland. "Landays, with the power of their grief, love, rage, defy any facile notion of a Pashtun woman as a mute ghost beneath a blue burqa," said Eliza Griswold, author of "I am the Beggar of the World: Landays from Contemporary Afghanistan". "Thousands of years old, these remarkable folk poems provide outsiders a means to explore the inner world of a culture that can be hard to access." Nearly 15 years since the Taliban Islamist regime was ousted from power in a US-led invasion, Afghanistan has witnessed a sea change in women's rights, with female lawmakers and even pilots now commonplace. But gender parity remains a distant dream amid pervasive conservative attitudes that still deride women as "Naqis-ul-aqal" (having a weaker intellect than men) and deem that a female voice should be forbidden in public spaces. "Morality protectors in Afghan society believe that male honour can be protected only by locking away women where nobody can see or hear them," said poet and writer Waheed Warasta. "Women who dare to step out to recite poetry do so at the risk of being labelled as prostitutes." In 2010, a teenage poet known by her nickname Zarmina set herself on fire after a violent altercation with her brothers who caught her reading a love poem over the phone and presumed there was a boy on the other end of the line. A resident of Gereshk district in the Taliban insurgency-wracked province of Helmand, Zarmina was a regular caller to Mirman Baheer's poetry helpline and later died of her burns in hospital. She is glorified within the club as a "poet martyr". "We live in a country where people get killed for celebrating love," said Pakeza Arzo, a Kabul-based coordinator at Mirman Baheer, who transcribes landays from anonymous callers. - 'Antidote to heartbreak' - The club's weekly gatherings in Kabul are held openly and attract elite university professors, lawmakers and journalists, but its meetings in conservative areas such as Kandahar and Helmand are held under a tight veil of secrecy. Mobile phones can provide a lifeline. Arzo said some rural women who have no freedom to step out of their homes break down over the phone, their poems giving vent to a torrent of anguish. "Landays reflect their struggles and work like an antidote to heartbreak," Arzo said. One caller, who calls in regularly, left this landay: "When my husband took a second wife, I burned / I no longer care about the flames of hell." Another bemoaned the stoning of a young woman accused of adultery. "For whose sin am I sacrificed to tradition / My biggest crime is that I am a woman." And one caller from Khost province bordering Pakistan was unabashedly bold, her landay laced with contempt for the prevalent machismo culture. "You demand a kiss by force / Night will give way to dawn, but you shall not have my lips." For many, going out of their homes to buy mobile phone credit is akin to traversing a minefield. They are fearful of getting caught and some call from a different number every time. And it usually ends with a familiar pattern: after a while, the calls abruptly stop, Arzo said. "This sudden silence can only mean two things: either the poet has been killed or married off." A women's literary society holds a secret gathering in Kandahar city, the spiritual birthplace of the famously misogynistic Taliban Jawed Tanveer (AFP) Gender parity remains a distant dream amid pervasive conservative attitudes that still deride women as "Naqis-ul-aqal" (having a weaker intellect than men) Wakil Kohsar (AFP) Boeing wins $1.3 bln buy commitment from China's Okay Airways Boeing said on Wednesday it had won a commitment from China's Okay Airways to buy 12 aircraft for $1.3 billion, a deal the carrier said showed the nation's travel sector is robust despite an economic slump. "The Chinese people are very good at saving... It doesn't matter if the economy has worsened, they will still travel," Okay Airways chairman Wang Shusheng told reporters. "Right now, we are focusing on the region and Singapore is one of the destinations in our consideration," he added. Boeing has won a commitment from China's Okay Airways to buy 12 aircraft from the 737 family in a deal worth $1.3 billion Okay Airways, founded in 2004 and Chinas first privately owned airline, currently flies to Japan, Thailand and South Korea's Jeju island as well as domestic routes. In 2014 it agreed to buy 10 single-aisle Boeing planes worth $980 million. The latest deal is subject to Chinese government approval, the US manufacturer said at the Singapore Airshow where it was announced. Okay committed to buy eight 737 MAX 8s, three 737 MAX 9s and one next generation 737-900 extended range version, which are all narrow-bodied aircraft. The Chinese carrier also has the option to order another eight 737 MAX 8s, Boeing said. Wang said the carrier also plans to expand its fleet to include wide-bodied aircraft to fly to more international tourist destinations such as Hawaii and Fiji. A decision would be made later this year on the wide-body planes, he said. The airline aims to have 80 aircraft by 2020, with 30 percent of the fleet expected to be wider aircraft. The Okay Airways purchase is the biggest announced so far at the biennial Singapore airshow, which has seen slim pickings this year amid global economic jitters. The order is also a boost to the 737 MAX 9, which has been outsold by the A321 neo, its rival narrow-body aircraft made by Europe's Airbus. Boeing said the purchase commitment marks the first order for the 737 MAX 9 by a Chinese airline. Industry players agreed travel demand in China remains strong despite a recent rout in the country's stock market and a slowing economy. "The stock market in China is not China," Airbus senior executive John Leahy said in Singapore on Tuesday. The other major deal at the show is an order by a US leasing firm from Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp for 20 of its new regional passenger plane in a transaction potentially worth over $900 million. ATR, the European manufacturer of turboprop aircraft, on Tuesday signed a $130 million deal with a Singapore-based firm for five new ATR 72-600 planes. Uganda's challengers: the candidates hoping to unseat Museveni Seven candidates are challenging Uganda's incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 71, in Thursday's election, hoping to end his three-decade rule. Here's who they are: Kizza Besigye Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni gestures prior to addressing supporters during a rally ahead of elections Isaac Kasamani (AFP) Museveni and Kizza Besigye, 59, were once close. They fought together in the bush war to overthrow Milton Obote, during which Besigye served as Museveni's trusted personal physician. Later, Besigye married Museveni's former girlfriend, but the two men eventually became political foes when Besigye broke ranks with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to make a bid for the presidency in 2001. This year is his fourth attempt to unseat Museveni with his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, his best performance so far being the 37 percent he won in 2006. Spurious accusations of treason and rape, frequent arrests and detentions, regular tear-gassings -- both of him and his supporters -- beatings and harassment have not put Besigye off. But opinion polls have him lagging behind Museveni with at most 32 percent of the vote, insufficient to force a run-off. Amama Mbabazi Another ex-NRM stalwart, Amama Mbabazi, 67, only abandoned the party he helped build after being denied anointment as Museveni's successor. The former prime minister and NRM secretary-general took the slight badly after years of loyal service, including helping to mastermind the removal of term limits in 2005 that paved the way for Museveni's continuing rule. Mbabazi is the most powerful party loyalist to turn on Museveni and he did so amid grand corruption allegations, which he has denied. Despite his high profile among Uganda's political elites, his campaign at the head of the Go Forward party has failed to gain momentum countrywide. Like his fellow leading contenders -- Museveni and Besigye -- Mbabazi hails from south-west Uganda. Other candidates Abed Bwanika, 48, of the People's Development Party (PDP) has made two unsuccessful runs for the presidency, garnering just over half a percentage point in 2011. The Christian vet is little more than a political sideshow, despite his propensity for populist rhetoric. Venansius Baryamureeba is a 47-year-old computer scientist, teacher and independent candidate. Benon Biraro, 57 and a retired soldier, runs the Uganda Farmers' Party. Maureen Kyalya, 41, is the only female candidate and is making her first step on the national stage in 2016 as an independent, having worked in local politics in the east of the country. Indian student attacked in court as sedition row boils over An Indian student leader arrested on a controversial sedition charge was attacked on Wednesday when police brought him into court, as anger over a case that has sparked mass protests boiled over. An AFP correspondent saw men inside the court set upon Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on Friday over a rally at Delhi's prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University where anti-India slogans were chanted. India's Supreme Court, which had directed Delhi police to ensure the safety of all inside the lower court following an earlier outbreak of violence, dispatched a team of lawyers to assess the situation. Indian student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar (C) is escorted by police into Patiala Court for a hearing in New Delhi on February 17, 2016 Chandan Khanna (AFP) "We have informed the Supreme Court about the atmosphere of terror in Patiala House," said one of the lawyers, A.D.N. Rao. "The accused was beaten up. The panel members were also heckled." The 32-year-old student union leader's arrest has sparked a major row over freedom of expression in India, where some rights campaigners say the Hindu nationalist government is using the British-era sedition law to clamp down on dissent. Sedition carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment although convictions are rare. Kumar denies he was among those chanting anti-India slogans at last Tuesday's rally to mark the 2013 hanging of Kashmiri separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru over a deadly 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. The student leader was sent to judicial custody until March 2. Amnesty International called for the immediate release of Kumar and S.A.R Geelani, a former Delhi University lecturer arrested Tuesday on the same charge in connection with another event marking Guru's death. "The sedition law was used by the British to curb free expression during India's independence struggle," said Tara Rao, programmes director at Amnesty International India. "It's unfortunate that the government is using it now to silence and harass those with divergent opinions." - Chaotic scenes - Hundreds of police were deployed at the Patiala House court in Delhi ahead of Kumar's appearance, after students, academics and journalists were attacked when they turned out to see him on Monday. Television footage showed chaotic scenes as a frightened-looking Kumar was dragged inside by police, some carrying riot shields. A large group of men outside the court, who appeared to be lawyers and some of whom were carrying Indian flags, chanted slogans including "Down with Kanhaiya Kumar". Some threw stones at journalists who were there to cover the hearing. Kumar had to be confined to the courtroom for nearly three hours because of the crowds outside, the Press Trust of India said. Delhi police commissioner B. S. Bassi, who has come under fire over Kumar's arrest, defended his officers' handling of the situation. "There was jostling, there was pushing and pulling. Notwithstanding the excitement of the crowd, our officers protected the accused," he told reporters. Bassi also said three lawyers and a state-level lawmaker with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been summoned over Monday's violence. The opposition Congress party had earlier blamed supporters of the BJP for that unrest, which provoked outrage among journalists and academics. "(The) system must prevail. Obviously it is a matter of concern for everybody when a person who is in police custody, if he is manhandled," junior home minister Kiren Rijiju told NDTV. - Police hunt 'ringleaders' - The latest violence came as police mounted raids in several Indian cities to hunt for other students accused of involvement in the rally to protest against Guru's execution three years ago. "We have identified the ringleaders and a search is on to find them. I am confident they will be arrested soon," said Bassi. Police sources told AFP raids were taking place across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, where separatist violence has simmered for decades. Protests against Guru's execution have regularly been held in Kashmir, where many believe he was not given a fair trial. Guru always denied plotting the attack, which was carried out by Kashmiri militants. Sedition charges have been used in the past against supporters of independence for the disputed territory of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in full by both. One of the last prominent convictions for sedition in India was that of Binayak Sen, who was jailed for life in 2010 for allegedly helping Maoist rebels but later released on the orders of the Supreme Court. Hundreds of teachers went on strike at JNU on Tuesday, where many students have said they will boycott classes until Kumar is released. There have been major protests against his arrest in Delhi and in the eastern city of Kolkata, where students at Jadavpur University held a rally on Tuesday. The arrest of the 32-year-old student union leader has sparked a major row over freedom of expression in India, where some rights campaigners say the Hindu nationalist government is using the British-era sedition law to clamp down on dissent Money Sharma (AFP) India's Supreme Court, which had directed Delhi police to ensure the safety of all inside the lower court following an earlier outbreak of violence, ordered an immediate halt to the proceedings and dispatched a team of lawyers to assess the situation Chandan Khanna (AFP) Mugabe's ex-deputy sets up rival Zimbabwe party Zimbabwean former vice president Joice Mujuru announced Wednesday that she is forming a new party to challenge President Robert Mugabe's all-powerful ZANU-PF, in a move that could shake up the country's politics. Mugabe, who turns 92 on Sunday, has ruled since independence in 1980 during an era marked by vote-rigging, mass emigration, accusations of human rights abuses and economic decline. He is expected to stand again for election in 2018, but jockeying over his succession has intensified due to his advanced age and speculation about his health. Joice Mujuru with Robert Mugabe at a ZANU-PF party meeting on October 24, 2014 in Harare Jekesai Njikizana (AFP) "We are 'People First'," Mujuru told AFP by telephone, confirming the name of her new party but giving no further details. "We don't lead the people, but people lead themselves." Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first post-independence army general, was fired from the government and the ruling ZANU-PF party in December 2014. Her ousting came after a campaign by Mugabe's wife Grace denigrating Mujuru and accusing her of corruption, fomenting party division and plotting to topple Mugabe. Many of her allies and perceived sympathisers met a similar fate in a party purge. Mujuru, 60, who was replaced as vice president by long-time Mugabe ally Emmerson Mnangagwa, denied all accusations of disloyalty. She was a guerrilla fighter during Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war before rising to become deputy leader in 2004. A former ZANU-PF stalwart, she earlier served in several cabinet posts under Mugabe and was seen for many years as his favoured choice of successor. Her husband, Solomon Mujuru, died in a mysterious house fire in 2011. Mujuru signalled her intention to form a political party last year by releasing a manifesto that opposed Mugabe's key policies including indigenisation laws that compel foreign firms to cede majority stakes to locals. ZANU-PF has been riven by factional fights over Mugabe's succession although party figures have sought to downplay any splits. Mnangagwa is now viewed as the likely next president, with Grace Mugabe, 50, also a possible candidate. The president attended an African Union summit in Ethiopia at the end of last month, giving a long speech as he stepped down from his year as AU chairman. The event was his first major public appearance since rumours flared that he had collapsed and died in Asia during his annual holiday in January. A Zimbabwe court last week jailed an opposition activist for nine years for possessing home-made petrol bombs in a supposed plot to attack a dairy run by Grace. Pope to defend migrants at Mexico-US border mass Thousands flocked to Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis focusing on immigration -- a heated topic on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff landed in Ciudad Juarez, the world's former murder capital, after a flight from Mexico City to wrap up an intense, five-day tour of the country. He will visit a prison to pray with hundreds of hardened criminals, just days after a riot left 49 inmates dead at another penitentiary, and he will meet later with workers from the city's key manufacturing industry. Pope Francis upon arriving in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on February 17, 2016 Ronaldo Schemidt (AFP) But after admonishing Mexican leaders to combat drug violence during his trip, Francis came to the border to focus on an issue dear to him: The plight of migrants fleeing misery and violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful. A sea of pilgrims had already arrived early Wednesday, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis is expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The service also will be broadcast on a giant screen at a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants in an event staged on the United States border coincides with the US presidential election primaries -- a fact that irked at least one candidate. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. - 'We don't harm anybody' - Armed troops stood guard as thousands streamed to the esplanade hours before the mass. Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." While the pope has defended migrants fleeing wars, poverty and religious persecution across the world, he has also called on governments to remedy the root causes of the exodus and for migrants to respect the laws of host countries. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. Many have also died under the scorching sun while crossing the US-Mexico desert. "We don't go there to harm anybody. We leave our countries to seek a better future. We only ask for respect," said Isaias Franco, a 47-year-old Salvadoran having lunch Tuesday near the site of the mass. Franco lived in the US state of Oklahoma for seven years until he was deported in 2011. The Mexican government, meanwhile, has cracked down on illegal migration at its southern border following a surge of unaccompanied child migrants who arrived in 2014. - Prayer for victims - During the mass, Francis will also pray for crime victims in Mexico, where more than 100,000 people have died or gone missing in a decade of drug violence. Relatives of 43 students who disappeared in the southern state of Guerrero in 2014 are expected to attend the mass, as well as some of the mothers of the hundreds of women killed in Juarez in the past two decades. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, falling to 300 last year. Security sources attribute the drop to the Sinaloa cartel's turf war victory, but the government gives credit to tough policing and a crime prevention program. Billboards were put up across the city to welcome the pope with the words "Juarez is love." But those signs contrast with the black crosses with pink backgrounds installed in protest at the murders of women. Pope Francis's visit to Mexico Nicolas Ramallo, Gustavo Izus, Vincent Lefai (AFP) Altar boys cheer as Pope Francis arrives in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on February 17, 2016 Ronaldo Schemidt (AFP) Indian activists criticise Vatican for revoking priest's ban Children's activists in India on Wednesday criticised the Vatican for revoking the suspension of a Catholic priest who was convicted by a US court of sexually abusing a minor. Indian priest Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, 61, was suspended by his local diocese in India five years ago after being accused of sexually abusing two girls during a posting to Minnesota. He was later convicted of assaulting one of them, a 16-year-old, and served time in jail. The Vatican lifted the suspension of Indian Catholic priest Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul in January following a recommendation by an Indian bishop Filippo Monteforte (AFP/File) But the Vatican lifted his suspension in January following a recommendation by an Indian bishop. "The lifting of the suspension amounts to the Church condoning his actions," Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, an NGO working on women's and girls' rights, told AFP. The decision was "totally unacceptable", coming as the Vatican undertook to root out sexual abuse by the Church, she said. Jeyapaul was accused of sexually abusing two girls while serving as a priest in Crookston Diocese in Minnesota between 2004 and 2005, but one victim dropped the charges against him. The Diocese of Ooty in southern India's Tamil Nadu state suspended him in 2010 before he was arrested by Interpol in 2012 and extradited to the US to face trial. Following a plea deal, Roseau County district court sentenced him to a year in jail but he was released and deported to India in June 2015 on account of time served while awaiting trial. Sebastian Selvanathan, a spokesman for Ooty diocese, said that while the Vatican had lifted Jeyapaul's suspension, the priest would not return to service. "We have provided him accommodation but he will not have any active role in the Church," Selvanathan told AFP. The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a US group, has urged the Church to warn the public about Jeyapaul's past and expressed concern over his presence in India. "We worry now about the safety of girls in India near Fr Jeyapaul," the group said on its website. Spanish police search branch of China's ICBC bank in money laundering probe Spanish police on Wednesday searched the Madrid branch of China's biggest lender ICBC and arrested five of its directors as part of a probe into the suspected laundering of at least 40 million euros ($44.5 million). The bank is suspected of allowing funds earned through the alleged crimes of smuggling, tax fraud and labour exploitation to be transferred "to China in a way that appeared legal", police said in a statement. Police arrested five directors of the branch during the search, the EU police agency Europol, which supported Spanish authorities in their investigation, said in a separate statement. Spanish Guardia Civil stand guard outside the Madrid branch of China's biggest lender ICBC after its director and a deputy director were arrested as part of a probe into the suspected laundering of at least 40 million euros on February 17, 2016 Javier Soriano (AFP) Two armed police in green uniforms guarded the entrance of the branch located on the leafy Paseo de Recoletos, a wide boulevard in the centre of Madrid, as a crowd of journalists looked on. Spanish police said the raid was a follow-up to a an operation carried out last year that targeted Chinese gangs based in Madrid, suspected of importing huge amounts of goods from China without declaring them on customs forms, to avoid import and tax duties. The crime groups allegedly deposited the money earned into ICBC, which is accused of sending the funds to China without checking their origin as required by law. One of the crime groups that was broken up last year is suspected of having laundered "an amount known to be as of the moment 40 million euros" in the branch, the police statement said. Police detained dozens of people as part of the operation against the groups last year and broke up several illegal sweatshops where Chinese immigrants worked. Europol said Spanish investigators then uncovered other Chinese and Spanish crime groups that are suspected of also using the services of ICBC in Spain to launder money earned through illegal activities. The agency said it deployed a unit to Madrid to assist Spanish authorities with intelligence which found signs that the alleged money laundering had links to activities in France, Germany and Lithuania. - 'Complex corporate structures' - The head of Europol's financial intelligence group, Igor Angelini, said the operation "shows all the challenges that modern transnational financial investigations entail." "Criminal activities generate cash which is then injected into the financial system through the misuse of complex corporate structures. The complicity of several professionals who move the funds across different jurisdictions completes the picture," he added. Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said the government and Spain's money laundering watchdog, SEPBLAC, would do all it could to help the investigation into ICBC. "If there is any type of need of cooperation with judicial or police authorities, we will provide it, as we always do and as and as SEPBLAC always does," he told reporters when asked about the search of ICBC. The police statement said a judge in Parla, a southern Madrid suburb where many of the Chinese store wholesalers are located, had ordered the search of the branch. ICBC is the world's largest bank by market capitalisation. It entered the Spanish market in January 2011 with the inauguration of its branch in Madrid. A year later it opened a second branch in Barcelona. The Chinese lender's foreign operations accounted for about 10 percent of its total assets at the end of last year. Veteran Egyptian journalist Heikal dies at 92 Veteran Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, one of the Arab world's most prominent political commentators and a former adviser to president Gamal Abdel Nasser, died Wednesday aged 92, state media reported. Heikal served as editor-in-chief of state-owned daily Al-Ahram from 1957 to 1974, and under his tenure it was considered the region's newspaper of record. He had been ill for three weeks, and suffered fluid in his lungs and kidney failure, Al-Ahram reported on its website. Egypt's then interim president Adly Mansour (right) meets with journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal in Cairo in July 2013 Heikal, who was born in the Nile Delta province of Qalubiya on September 23, 1923, authored more than 10 books on the conflicts and political intrigues of the region. He was a close associate of Nasser, who ruled Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970, serving as his information minister and for a brief period of two weeks also as his foreign minister. He initially backed Nasser's successor Anwar Al-Sadat, but was jailed in September 1981 after falling out with the president, who signed the first Arab peace treaty with Israel. He took to the sidelines during Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule, but would sometimes give interviews. Speaking to British newspaper The Independent in 2007, he criticised the autocrat, who was toppled in a popular uprising four years later. "Let us face it, that man was never adjusted to politics," he said of the former general, who succeeded Sadat after his assassination in 1981. In December 2015, Heikal called on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to hold a political dialogue to tackle the country's crises, ranging from an economic downturn to militant attacks and political unrest. Sisi, the former military chief, had overthrown the unpopular Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, unleashing a bloody crackdown on Islamists while contending with a jihadist insurgency. The crackdown has extended to secular opponents. "There are many people who accept what is happening, because the alternatives are bad, and they have experienced the alternatives," Heikal said in an interview with an Egyptian television host. But "there has to be a dialogue between all national forces...with representatives," he said. Syria's chaotic mix of actors and interests Syria's brutal five-year war has turned increasingly messy, threatening a broader regional conflict as a tangle of internal and external players push their own multi-faceted agendas. Who are the key foreign actors and what are their goals? - ASSAD'S ALLIES - A new recruit trains to shoot on February 16, 2016 at a camp in a rebel-held area of Aleppo KARAM AL-MASRI (AFP) Russia and Iran are the major backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Their ultimate objectives differ, but both appear determined to annihilate the opposition and keep the regime in power. - Russia Syria is a key foothold for Russia in the Middle East, an important military staging post from which to project influence across the region. Analysts say Moscow is not necessarily wedded to keeping Assad in power in the long term, but wants to ensure control over any future political transition. Russia launched its own air strikes in Syria in September to support Assad and fight "terrorists", saying it was targeting the Islamic State group and other jihadists. But the West has accused Moscow of seeking to eliminate all opposition rebels, including more moderate groups. The Russian-backed regime assaults on rebel bastions in the northern city of Aleppo that began on February 1 have shifted the momentum decidedly in Assad's -- and Moscow's -- favour. Advances by regime forces have seen indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, killing hundreds of people and causing some 50,000 to flee Aleppo. - Iran Tehran has sent thousands of "military advisors" to Syria, including Shiite militias and members of its Lebanon-based proxy force, Hezbollah. Assad has long been a close ally of Iran as part of its battle for regional dominance against the leading Sunni power, Saudi Arabia. - REBEL SUPPORTERS - The countries backing the opposition are fractured, often finding themselves at odds even with their allies. Russia's bulldozer approach to the conflict has caught the West offguard, undermined its repeated calls for a political solution and triggered a virulent reaction from the leading supporters of the rebels -- Turkey and Saudi Arabia. - Turkey The war of words has escalated between Moscow and Ankara, already at daggers-drawn since Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on the border in November. The West fears the consequences of further aggression between Russia and Turkey -- a NATO member which boasts the alliance's largest military force after the United States. Turkey -- once a friend of Assad -- now vehemently opposes the Damascus regime, and analysts say it initially saw the conflict as an opportunity to extend Ankara's influence south. But Turkey is now hosting 2.6 million Syrian refugees and trying to keep security in a border region where IS jihadists are active. Turkey has long rejected claims of aiding IS, which has now carried out string of attacks on its soil. But it is also increasingly concerned by the growing influence of Kurdish fighters in Syria, fearing they are seeking to carve out an autonomous region on Turkey's border and embolden the homegrown rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). It has carried out air strikes on the Syrian Kurdish militias, even though they are backed by the West as one of the few forces capable of tackling IS. - Saudi Arabia Officially, Saudi Arabia's main concern has been IS, saying it will increase its air strikes against the jihadists. However, analysts say Riyadh is primarily interested in supporting opposition rebels as part of its regional competition with Iran, which has also seen it battle Iranian proxies in Yemen. - United States US forces have been bombing Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria since September 2014, carrying out the vast majority of strikes by the anti-IS coalition. But despite repeatedly calling for Assad to step down, President Barack Obama has been reluctant to directly back the "moderate" opposition rebels. Having been elected in 2008 on a mandate to pull US forces out of Iraq, he has been unwilling to involve the country in another grinding war in the Middle East even when Assad was shown to have crossed Obama's supposed "red line" of using chemical weapons in 2013. Washington's efforts to train and equip a "moderate" rebel force to take on IS was a spectacular failure in 2015. It struggled to find recruits among the opposition, whose primary concern was fighting Assad, and its first fighters were almost immediately intercepted and disarmed by jihadists, leading to the scrapping of the $500 million programme in October. The United States has continued to press for dialogue and a political transition, but its critics say this has allowed Russia to seize the momentum with its more ruthless military aggression. - France France has been one of the most hostile opponents of Assad, and following the jihadist attacks in Paris in November it has stepped up air strikes against IS. However, France lacks the military or diplomatic clout to direct Western actions. Outgoing foreign minister Laurent Fabius bemoaned Washington's lack of commitment to the rebel cause when he resigned last week, but his government finds itself powerless to alter the dynamics of the conflict. Map showing areas controlled by the various actors in Syria's civil war A Syrian man carries his two girls across rubble following a barrel bomb attack on Aleppo's rebel-held al-Kalasa neighbourhood on September 17, 2015 Karam al-Masri (AFP) Rescuers search for survivors from under rubble following a reported air strike on Aleppo's rebel-held al-Kalasa neighbourhood on February 4, 2016 Thaer Mohammed (AFP) Smoke billows following reported Syrian regime bombings on rebel positions in Jobar, in eastern Damascus, on October 15, 2015 Ammar Suleiman (AFP) Myanmar's Suu Kyi, army chief talk as presidency issue looms Aung San Suu Kyi met Myanmar's army chief for the third time since her pro-democracy party swept elections, officials said Wednesday, heightening speculation that the military may hold sway over the selection of the next president. Suu Kyi, barred from top office by the junta-era constitution, has exactly one month before her party needs to put forward candidates for a president who will take power in April. Multiple rounds of talks have been held in the capital in recent weeks between the key players in the delicate political transition from army rule. Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won landmark polls in November 2015 Ye Aung Thu (AFP/File) But the talks have taken place behind closed doors, with Suu Kyi, outgoing President Thein Sein and the army chief all coy on the hard details of their discussions. Myanmar's army confirmed that the Nobel laureate and military leader Min Aung Hlaing "met and held discussions" at army headquarters in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. It released photographs of Suu Kyi smiling in a post on the Facebook page of the office of the army chief. "They discussed the rule of law and the ongoing process to create a lasting peace in a friendly and open way," the Facebook post said. Suu Kyi's doctor Tin Myo Win accompanied her -- the second time he has sat in on meetings with the army chief. He is rumoured to be among the NLD's leading candidates for the presidency if Suu Kyi can not cut a deal with the army to change the charter. The document excludes her from the role because she married and had children with a foreigner. No-one from the NLD was available to comment on the meeting. The NLD has stressed the delicacy of the transition to justify its silence on the issue in recent months. Many hope a new NLD government will finally mark the end of the army's grip on the country, spur an economic revival and a new era of political freedom and accountability. But the party nurses painful memories of its 1990 electoral landslide that was simply ignored by the generals, who went on to renew their repressive rule for a further two decades. Thein Sein, who cancelled a high-profile visit to the United States this week to oversee the transition, did not attend the talks on Wednesday. Erdogan vows no let-up in strikes on Syrian Kurdish fighters President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there was no question of Turkish forces stopping their bombardment of Syrian Kurdish fighters, vowing not allow the creation of a Kurdish stronghold in northern Syria. Turkish Firtina howitzers stationed in Turkey's southern region of Kilis shelled positions of Kurdish fighters in Syria for the fifth day in the row, in response to incoming fire, reports said. "They (the West) tell us to stop shelling" the Kurdish fighters in Syria, Erdogan said in a televised speech. A Kurdish fighter guards a checkpoint near the Syrian town of Ain Issi Delil Souleiman (AFP) "Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing. Whoever fires shells on Turkey will get not just a tit-for-tat response but an even greater one," he added. "We will not allow a new Qandil on our southern border" with Syria, Erdogan added, referring to the mountain in northern Iraq which for years has been stronghold of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. Western countries including the United States and France have urged Turkey to stop the firing, fearing it will endanger an already beleaguered deal, agreed in Munich last week, for a cessation of hostilities. After calm in the morning, the Turkish howitzers renewed firing on positions of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from 1445 GMT, the Dogan news agency reported. Erdogan meanwhile stepped up a war of words with the United States, which supports the PYD and YPG as the best fighting force on the ground against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. "The fact that the United States is continuing to support the YPG is something I find hard to understand," said Erdogan. "Aren't we NATO allies?" he said, addressing Washington. "Are you our friend or the friend of the PYD?" "We know that we need friends. But if you don't see us as friends then please say it loud and clear." Washington recognises the PKK as a terror group but not the PYD and YPG. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States urged Turkey to cease artillery fire across the border. "We just think it escalates tensions in the region." - 'Patience limit reached' - Turkey fears the Syrian Kurds want to carve out a continuous autonomous region in northern Syria stretching from the Iraqi border almost to the Mediterranean. Ankara is concerned the Kurds will now take a so-called "corridor" east of the town of Azaz on the Turkish border still in control of rebels to link up two Kurdish-held areas. "We will not hesitate to take the necessary steps against all terror organisations in Syria," said Erdogan. "If someone is trying to test the limits of Turkey's patience then they should know this limit has been reached." Turkey has long pressed for a safe area backed by a no fly zone in this region extending several kilometres into the border to ensure its security and house Syrian refugees. "We want to form a 10-kilometre (six-mile) safe line inside Syria, including Azaz," Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber television in an interview. But the idea has never found much enthusiasm from the United States, a failure which Erdogan said had allowed Russia to seize the military initiative. "Hey America! You did not want the no-fly zone and now the Russian planes are bombing the area and thousands of people are dying," he added. A senior Turkish official said Tuesday that Turkey was in favour of a ground operation in Syria to end the fighting, but only in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. But Erdogan said: "We are not in search of an adventure and we are not seeking to throw someone else into an adventure." Archaeologists find oldest known Jerusalem settlement Israeli authorities announced Wednesday they had uncovered findings proving for the first time the existence of an established human settlement in Jerusalem as far back as 7,000 years ago. A dig in the annexed east Jerusalem neighbourhood Shuafat revealed two homes with parts of walls and floors intact, as well as "pottery vessels, flint tools, and a basalt bowl" characteristic of the Chalcolithic era, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. The discoveries came to light during road work in the area. A section of Israel's separation barrier in east Jerusalem divides the Palestinian Shuafat refugee camp (right) from the Jewish settlement Pisgat Zeev Thomas Coex (AFP) Chalcolithic settlements have been found outside of Jerusalem, but prior to the Shuafat finding, only "fragmentary" remnants were unearthed in the city, according to the head of the authority's prehistory branch, Amnon Barzilai. "Now in the new dig we found remnants of a village, an established village," he said. In the Chalcolithic period humans were "still using stone tools, but began to create high-level ceramics and for the first time, copper tools as well," said Ronit Lupu, director of excavations at the authority. The authority earlier mistakenly named her as Ronit Lupo. They were also forming "established settlements with economies," Lupu said. Researchers were long puzzled by the lack of hard evidence of Chalcolithic settlements in Jerusalem, which was a central route connecting the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean coast. Chalcolithic settlements were found elsewhere in what is today Israel and Jordan. Barzilai said the focus on Jerusalem's later historical eras could have led to researchers overlooking the Chalcolithic period, considered by some a bridge between antiquity and modern human communal existence. "Now we can know that even in the periods prior to the First and Second Temples, even in the Chalcolithic period, it was an inhabited area," he said. To Lupu, the new findings give closure to a long quest for Chalcolithic settlements in Jerusalem. "For years in Jerusalem we had a feeling -- we knew it was there somewhere but never found it. But here we found it," she said. A child's coffin dating from the Chalcolithic period more than 6,000 years ago on display in Jerusalem in 1999 Daoud Mizrahi (AFP) 25 killed in Monday's bombing of Syria hospital: MSF At least 25 people were killed in the bombing of a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northwestern Syria this week, the aid group said on Wednesday. Revising a previous toll of 11 dead, an MSF spokeswoman said nine hospital staff and 16 other people, including patients and a child, had died after the bombing of the hospital on Monday in Idlib province. At least 11 others were injured, including 10 hospital staff, the spokeswoman said. People gather around the rubble of a bombed hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Syria's northern province of Idlib on February 15, 2016 Ghaith Omran (Al-Maarra Today/AFP/File) MSF has not assigned blame for the attack but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, has said a suspected air Russian air strike hit the hospital. Moscow, which has been carrying out air strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since September, has denied any responsiblity. Rights group slams Taliban's use of children as 'cannon fodder' Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan are recruiting children as young as six years old to eventually be deployed into combat, adding scores to their ranks since mid-2015, Human Rights Watch reported on Wednesday. The insurgents claim they only enlist fighters who have achieved "mental and physical maturity" and do not use "boys with no beards". But HRW said in a statement the Taliban have been actively recruiting young boys and training them in military operations including the use of improvised explosive device (IEDs). HRW focused on northern Afghanistan, particularly Kunduz province, where it said the militants were also increasingly using Islamic religious schools known as madrassas for the military training of children Noorullah Shirzada (AFP/File) "The Taliban's apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful," said Patricia Gossman, senior HRW Afghanistan researcher. "Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency." HRW focused on northern Afghanistan, particularly Kunduz province, where it said the militants were also increasingly using Islamic religious schools known as madrassas for the military training of children. Indoctrination of boys under Taliban teachers can start as young as the age of six, the report said, with seven years of military training before they are deployed to militant groups by the age of 13. Local residents and analysts told HRW they believe the increase in child soldiers over the last 12 months was largely due to the insurgents' major offensive in northern Afghanistan, which began in April 2015. In September the Taliban briefly took control of Kunduz city, the first major provincial capital seized by the insurgents since they were ousted from power in 2001. HRW interviewed relatives of 13 children recruited as Taliban soldiers over the past year, and verified their claims through interviews with civil society activists, political analysts, and the United Nations. Among them were the families of Qasem, and Ahmad, recruited by Taliban when they were 15 and 14 respectively. Their families begged for the militants to release them, but were refused. "When the government forces counter-attacked, both Qasem and Ahmad ... were killed. The boys' families recovered their bodies," a source told HRW. In Chahardara, a volatile district in Kunduz province, more than 100 children were recruited and deployed by the Taliban in 2015, the report said, citing residents. A Taliban statement Wednesday said the militants "categorically reject this report". "The recruitment of children in the ranks of Islamic Emirate is strictly prohibited," it continued. Rights groups have been warning for years that child recruitment remains rife by the Taliban insurgents but also by pro-government militia forces. On Wednesday the UN's representative for children in armed conflict Leila Zerrougui told reporters in Kabul that militias such as the Afghan Local Police are using large numbers of child recruits. This month the Taliban shot dead in southern Uruzgan province Wasil Ahmad, a 12 year-old boy who rose to fame last summer after he joined a pro-government militia force to fight the insurgents. Russian, regime air strikes continue 'apace' in Syria: US Russian and Syrian regime air strikes have not diminished and may have intensified despite an international agreement for a cessation of hostilities in Syria by week's end, the US military said Wednesday. "Their bombing has continued apace," said US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren, speaking to reporters from Baghdad. "We have not seen a lessening of intensity. If anything, it has increased." Warren said the US military has seen stepped-up use of tactical aircraft, launches of shorter-range ballistic missiles, and barrel bombs dropped from the back of Syrian helicopters. Smoke billows following reported air strikes by Syrian government forces in a rebel-held area of Daraa in southern Syria, on February 17, 2016 Mohamad Abd Abazid (AFP) "This reckless disregard for civilian casualties only complicates the situation and prolongs civilian suffering," he said. Russia agreed at an international meeting in Munich on Friday to bring about a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria and allow humanitarian relief convoys into besieged Syrian cities. But on Monday five medical facilities and two schools were hit in air strikes in an area near Aleppo in northern Syria that has been the focus of a Russian-backed government offensive. The United Nations, which denounced the attacks as a "blatant violation of international law," estimated that 50 people were killed. Russia has denied any responsibility for the attacks, which drew international condemnation. "What actually happened is that Russian-regime aircraft conducted air strikes in those areas. And those hospitals were hit," Warren said. FBI-Apple standoff puts encryption on front burner Apple's challenge of a court order to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers opens up a new front in the long-running battle between technology companies and the government over encryption. The standoff brings the sensitive issue, which has been at a stalemate in Congress, into the courts, and has abruptly shifted the policy debate on encryption. A California magistrate on Tuesday ordered Apple to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to break into an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the deadly December rampage that killed 14 people and has been linked to supporters of the Islamic State organization. Apple's challenge of a court order to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers opens up a new front in the long-running battle between technology companies and the government over encryption Robyn Beck (AFP/File) Apple quickly said it would fight the judge's order. Chief executive Tim Cook called it "an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers," and said the order "has implications far beyond the legal case at hand." Apple, Google and other technology firms in recent years have stepped up encryption -- allowing only the customers to have "keys" to unlock their devices -- claiming improved security and privacy is needed to maintain confidence in the digital world. That drive for privacy has prompted sharp objections from law enforcement and intelligence officials, who claim that criminals and extremists are able to hide their illicit activities thanks to device encryption. "This is a clever move by the FBI to move from the legislative arena, where they were not winning, to the courts," said Joseph Hall, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a digital rights group. - Raising privacy hackles - The order raised hackles among privacy advocates, which see the potential to unleash unbridled surveillance in the United States and elsewhere. "If the FBI can force Apple to hack into its customers' devices, then so too can every repressive regime in the rest of the world," said Alex Abdo of the American Civil Liberties Union. But Apple also came under attack for thwarting a critical security investigation. "Apple chose to protect a dead ISIS terrorist's privacy over the security of the American people," said Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. "Regrettably, the position Tim Cook and Apple have taken shows that they are unwilling to compromise and that legislation is likely the only way to resolve this issue." New York City police commissioner William Bratton welcomed the order and added, "We cannot give those seeking to harm us additional tools to keep their activity secret. I reiterate my call on Congress to act immediately in passing legislation to provide law enforcement the tools we need to keep America safe." White House spokesman John Earnest said the White House supports the request by the FBI and Department of Justice. "They are not asking Apple to redesign its product or to create a new backdoor to one of their products," Earnest told reporters. "They're simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device." - Debate on 1789 law - The case is likely to work its way through the courts, which will need to consider a number of both technical and legal questions. Interestingly, Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym's order is based on the 1789 All Writs Act, which lays out broad authority for the courts to help enforcement of the law. Steve Vladeck, an American University law professor and co-editor of the Just Security blog, said the order stretches the interpretation of the centuries-old law. "If the government can compel Apple to develop software (to get around encryption) what can't it do," Vladeck told AFP. "There is no history of court orders compelling companies to do research and design." Legal scholar Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University said in a blog post that Pym "seems to believe that she can order companies to become unwilling participants in surveillance research and development." "I fail to see her legal basis for such an extraordinary order against a private company," Turley wrote. Berin Szoka, president of the libertarian think tank TechFreedom, said the order goes against "bedrock principles of law and privacy." "If forcing Apple to hack its own devices qualifies as 'reasonable technical assistance,' there is no practical limit to what law enforcement could force private companies to do to compromise the security of their systems," Szoka said in a statement. Darren Hayes, a Pace University professor of computer forensics, argued that Apple and other tech companies may have gone too far by using encryption that, in theory, makes it impossible for the firms to hand over evidence even if served with a legal warrant. "I think that the public, once they become more educated about what is happening, might change their stance about Apple," said Hayes, who has worked as a consultant to law enforcement. "This case is sensitive for the US public and I don't think it's particularly good public relations for Apple" to refuse to help the investigation, Hayes added. One key question is whether Apple has the ability to provide the assistance sought by the FBI. "Apple does not have the keys to your device -- they are burned onto your chip," Hall said. But he said it may be possible to get around that encryption with software modifications. "Apple has never been forthcoming about the deep details of its system," Hall said. Hayes said that no one knows for sure if Apple can circumvent the encryption, but noted "the fact that they're arguing this makes me think they may be able to do it." Damascus says UN Syria envoy deviating from mission A senior aide to President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday accused the UN's Syria envoy of deviating from his mission by focusing on aid deliveries. Envoy Staffan de Mistura angered officials in Damascus on Tuesday when he said it was the government's "duty" to ensure aid access and that deliveries on Wednesday would be a test for the government. "His mission now is to establish a list of terrorist groups, and a list of opposition groups who should dialogue with the Syrian government," Buthaina Shaaban told AFP by telephone. UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura holds up a map of Syria during a news conference in Munich, on February 12, 2016 Christof Stache (AFP/File) "Instead of that he was working on humanitarian aid, which is not really his mission because he is a facilitator. He should take care of what he is apt to do." Shaaban also criticised De Mistura for not making it clear that the Syrian regime has cooperated in previous UN aid deliveries. US issues blood-donating guidelines to combat Zika US health officials on Tuesday issued new guidelines for donating blood aimed at avoiding the contamination of the country's blood supplies with the Zika virus. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recommended that anyone returning from a region in which the virus is being transmitted or showing signs of a possible infection wait four weeks before giving blood. Those with confirmed Zika infections also should not donate blood until a month after the illness has been resolved, the FDA said. An Aedes Aegypti mosquito is seen at a laboratory of the Ministry of Health of El Salvador in San Salvador Marvin Recinos (AFP/File) Canada and France have already announced similar measures, which are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The FDA said those who have had sexual contact with people who visited a region in which the virus is circulating within the previous three months are also considered at risk of being infected. Although no US blood banks have reported Zika contamination to date, the new measures were prompted by the latest scientific information about how Zika and similar viruses are spread, the FDA said. Two possible cases of transmission through blood transfusion have been reported in Brazil. The FDA said four of five people infected with Zika show no symptoms. The United States does not screen travelers arriving in the country for Zika because of the lack of symptoms, the Department of Homeland Security said last week. The FDA also recommends that areas considered active Zika transmission zones within the United States, which include the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, use blood for transfusion from the US mainland, where the virus is not circulating. Zika is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue fever. The disease normally causes mild flu-like symptoms and a rash, or goes unnoticed altogether. But it is strongly suspected of causing microcephaly, or abnormally small heads and brains, in babies born to women infected with the virus. Appeals court upholds Apple e-book settlement A US appeals court rejected Wednesday a challenge to a settlement between Apple and consumers which could have voided a $450 million payout deal in the Apple e-books antitrust case. A three-judge panel dismissed criticism of the settlement by plaintiff John Bradley that a lower US court had erred in considering the settlement for damages before Apple's appeals of its liability in the case are heard. In July 2013, US District Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple was liable of conspiring with five book publishers to fix e-book prices, a decision upheld by an appellate court. A US appeals court rejected a challenge to a settlement between Apple and consumers which could have voided a $450 million payout deal in the Apple e-books antitrust case Daniel Roland (AFP/File) Apple has launched an appeal in the case to the US Supreme Court. Bradley's attorney, Steve Miller, had argued that Cote should not in November 2014 have approved the $450 million settlement while the appeal on Apple's liability was still unresolved. Bradley challenged the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of the settlement. If the Supreme Court upholds Apple's liability in the case, Apple will pay plaintiffs the full $450 million. If the liability ruling is reversed, Apple will pay just $70 million. "The district court's failure to defer its ruling will lead to confusion and uncertainty and potential future litigation," said the Bradley brief. But the US appeals court roundly rejected this argument. "Evaluation of the fairness and adequacy of every settlement requires a court to asses the likely future legal proceedings, namely the relative probabilities of various outcomes if there was no settlement and the parties went to trial," said the appeals decision. "The District Court did not abuse its discretion." The ruling was lauded by plaintiffs attorneys Hagens Berman, which said consumers could ultimately recover more than twice their losses if the Supreme Court upholds the lower court rulings. "The decision today affirms the contingent settlement structure we fashioned to maximize the potential amount of recovery and get money back into consumers' hands as fast as possible," said attorney Steve Berman. White House opposes bill to rename Chinese Embassy address The White House said Tuesday that President Barack Obama is prepared to veto legislation that would rename part of a Washington street after an imprisoned Chinese Nobel laureate. The bill -- introduced by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz -- would rename the area in front of the Chinese Embassy "Liu Xiaobo Plaza" after the Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. China on Tuesday strongly condemned the bill. A protester stands in front of a poster of Liu Xia, the wife of Chinese Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who was jailed in 2009, in Hong Kong on March 8, 2014 Aaron Tam (AFP/File) The State Department said the bill, which has passed the Senate, would only complicate efforts to get China to release Liu. "It's our desire to work more productively and cooperatively with Congress on ways to address our shared goal of improving human rights in China," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said during a news conference. Passage of the bill would mean the Chinese Embassy's new address would be "1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza." China on Tuesday threatened "serious consequences" if the legislation takes effect, calling on the US administration to end a "political drama." Cruz -- an ultra-conservative senator -- said in a statement on Tuesday that Obama's veto threat shows his "eagerness to coddle an authoritarian Communist regime at the expense of pro-American dissidents." Liu was sentenced in 2009 to 11 years in prison for inciting state subversion after calling for democratic reforms. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. Pope Francis has told prisoners in a notorious Mexican prison to become 'prophets' and to use their experiences through 'hell' to help the country break its cycle of violence. Francis made his plea at the state penitentiary of Ciudad Juarez, a city once known as the world's murder capital, days after a riot killed 49 inmates at another Mexican prison. The pope often visits prisons during his trips abroad and he chose the 3,000-capacity state prison of Ciudad Juarez for the last day of this five-day visit to Mexico. Preach: Pope Francis was given a cross made by an inmate during his visit to the Ciudad Juarez prison He visited its newly-painted chapel and addressed hundreds assembled in the prison yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help 'put end to this cycle of violence and exclusion Visits: The Pope often visits prisons and chose the 3,000-capacity penitentiary en route to the US border He visited its newly-painted chapel and addressed hundreds assembled in the prison yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help 'put end to this cycle of violence and exclusion.' 'The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say "has experienced hell," can become a prophet in society.' he said. The pope argued that a country's security problem 'is not resolved only by incarcerating,' arguing that the structural and cultural causes of crime must be addressed. On the eve of his arrival last week, a brawl erupted between inmates fighting for control of a prison in the northern city of Monterrey, killing each other with bats and shivs. The Juarez prison was also the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with dozens of prisoners killed in recent years, but it has been held up as an example of efforts to improve Mexico's notoriously overcrowded prisons. After the prison, the pope headed to a meeting with workers from the city's key manufacturing industry. But Francis came to the border to focus on an issue dear to him: The plight of migrants fleeing misery and violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful. A sea of pilgrims had already arrived early Wednesday, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words 'I love the pope.' Francis is expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The service also will be broadcast on a giant screen at a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city. The Juarez prison was also the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with dozens of prisoners killed in recent years Compassion: The Pope addressed a huge mass on the US border to preach about migrants fleeing misery The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants in an event staged on the United States border coincides with the US presidential election primaries. One candidate wasn't pleased. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a 'very political person.' 'I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico,' the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. Armed troops stood guard as thousands streamed to the esplanade hours before the mass. Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities 'to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants.' Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a 'very political person' Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States The mass was attended by families of victims of Mexico's drug violence, which has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. The mass will also be attended by families of victims of Mexico's drug violence, which has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, falling to 300 last year. Armed troops stood guard as thousands streamed to the esplanade hours before the mass Burundi, DR Congo ask UN council to take action against Rwanda Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are urging the UN Security Council to take action against Rwanda, which they accuse of recruiting refugees to oust the Bujumbura government, according to letters released Wednesday. Rwanda has repeatedly denied claims that it was arming Burundian refugees in a bid to overthrown President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose re-election has plunged his country in turmoil. Burundi's UN Ambassador Albert Shingiro called for an urgent council meeting to "take appropriate action to ensure that the Rwandan government does not engage in any act designed to destabilize Burundi," in a letter dated Friday. Burundian soldiers withdraw from the restive Cibitoke neighbourhood in Bujumbura on July 1, 2015 Marco Longari (AFP/File) Kinshasa asked the 15-member council to "condemn without delay" Rwanda's actions and press Kigali to immediately end recruitments and other operations, Ambassador Ignace Gata Mavita said in a letter dated last Thursday. Burundi has been in turmoil since Nkurunziza announced plans in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win. More than 400 people have been killed and some 230,000 have fled the country in the conflict that the United Nations fears could slide into ethnic warfare, similar to the conflict that led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to travel to Burundi on Monday to push for political talks and a stronger international presence to pull the country back from the brink, diplomats said. A UN panel of experts reported last month that Rwanda had recruited refugees, including children, in a camp in eastern Rwanda and provided them with two months of military training with a view to oust Nkurunziza. The United States, which has friendly relations with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, has said the reports of Kigali's military activities in Burundi are credible. During a visit to Burundi in January, Security Council ambassadors heard Nkurunziza blame Rwanda for the violence in his country. Throngs flock to pope's mass at Mexico-US border Throngs gathered at Mexico's border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis highlighting the plight of migrants -- a hot-button issue on the US presidential campaign trail. The 79-year-old pontiff chose Ciudad Juarez as the last stop of a five-day trip to Mexico to address immigration and to visit a notorious prison, where he urged inmates to help break the country's cycle of violence. A huge stage was set near the border fence for the open-air mass with more than 200,000 Catholic faithful waiting for the pope's arrival. Pope Francis receives a cross made by an inmate during his visit to the CeReSo n. 3 penitentiary in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on February 17, 2016 Gabriel Bouys (AFP) A sea of pilgrims flocked there early in the morning, waving flags and wearing shirts with the words "I love the pope." Francis was expected to salute people watching on the other side of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. Catholics streamed into a 51,000-capacity stadium in the US city, where the crowd performed a wave while waiting for the mass to be broadcast on a giant screen. The pope's decision to make a plea for migrants at a mass on the US border coincides with the US presidential election primaries where the fate of 11 million undocumented immigrants is the source of vivid debate. One candidate wasn't pleased. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to pay to build a wall along the border, called the pope a "very political person." "I think that he doesn't understand the problems our country has. I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," the billionaire real estate tycoon told Fox Business channel last week. Responding to Trump's comments, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that the pope was a man of faith and "one should not be surprised that his pastoral and spiritual message has political repercussions." - 'More compassion' - Maria Ortega Cruz Bautista, 62, traveled from Chicago to be with her family at the mass in Ciudad Juarez, a city she left 14 years ago. She voiced hope that the pope's message will prompt authorities "to have more compassion and more consideration for migrants." In El Paso, Sandra Ovalle, 32, shared a similar feeling as she headed with her family to the Sun Bowl stadium. "We hope that the pope will make our leaders change, so that we get support and that things change for the better," said Ovalle, a native of Mexico's northern Chihuahua state who now lives in the US state of New Mexico. Central Americans have been leaving their poor and gang-infested countries in droves, crossing Mexico's porous southern border with Guatemala on their way to the United States. The trek across Mexico is filled with dangers -- from gangs that steal, kill or seek to forcibly recruit them, to corrupt officials who demand bribes to let them travel. - Inmates as 'prophets' - While pilgrims waited for the mass to start, Francis visited a prison, nearly a week after a riot killed 49 inmates at another Mexican penitentiary. He visited its chapel and addressed hundreds of inmates in the prison yard, telling them they should use their experiences to help "put an end to this cycle of violence and exclusion." "The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say 'has experienced hell,' can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims," he said. The pope argued that a country's security problem "is not resolved only by incarcerating," arguing that the structural and cultural causes of crime must be addressed. The Juarez prison was the scene of deadly riots a few years ago, with dozens of prisoners killed in recent years, but it has been held up as an example of efforts to improve Mexico's notoriously overcrowded prisons. Ciudad Juarez stands as a grim symbol of Mexico's violence, but also of hope. It became the country's most dangerous city a few years ago as the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels fought for control of drug routes. Their turf war left as many as 3,000 dead in 2010, but the murderous rampage gradually eased afterward, with the toll falling to 300 last year. The mass will also be attended by families of victims of Mexico's drug violence, which has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing in 10 years. The parents of 43 missing students whose case has caused international outrage were offered three seats at the mass, but lacked the means to go. A crowd waits for Pope Francis to celebrate mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on February 17, 2016 Yuri Cortez (AFP) Pope Francis is greeted by a female inmate during his visit to the CeReSo n. 3 penitentiary in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on February 17, 2016 Gabriel Bouys (AFP) Obama: No excuse for Republicans not to vote on nominee RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AP) President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that Republicans have no constitutional grounds to refuse to vote on a Supreme Court nominee, and he challenged his political foes in the Senate to rise above the "venom and rancor" that has paralyzed judicial nominations. As Obama cast the dispute over filling the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia as a test of whether the Senate could function, there were early signs that Republican resistance could be eroding. Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley suggested he might be open to considering Obama's yet-to-be named nominee, an indication his party may be sensitive to Democrats' escalating charges of unchecked obstructionism. "I intend to do my job between now and January 20 of 2017," Obama told reporters at a news conference. He said of the nation's senators: "I expect them to do their job as well." President Barack Obama gestures as he answers questions during a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Obama was in California for a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders gathered for two days of diplomacy. But his attention was divided at that conference. The nine-member court, the highest in the land, is now divided evenly between liberals and conservatives. The court would be unable to issue rulings on any issue in which the justices split 4-4. Since Scalia's unexpected death at a Texas ranch on Saturday, White House lawyers and advisers have been scrambling to refine and vet a list of potential replacements, while also devising a strategy to push a candidate through the Republican-led Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he doesn't think Obama should be putting a candidate forward. The Kentucky senator, as well as several Republicans up for re-election this year, say Obama should leave the choice up to the next president. The November election, they argue, will give voters a chance to weigh in on the direction of the court. Obama dismissed that notion, insisting he will put forward a replacement and believes the Senate will have "plenty of time" to give the nominee a fair hearing and a vote. Democrats say Obama has every right and a constitutional duty to fill vacancies on the court until he leaves office next January. Obama conceded the dispute reflects years of escalating partisan hostilities over judicial nominations and that Democrats' hands are not bloodless. Years of bickering have left the public accustomed to a situation where "everything is blocked" even when there's no ideological or substantive disagreement, he said. The pace of judicial confirmation always slows in a presidential election year, as the party that does not control the White House holds out hope that its candidate will fill vacant judgeships rather than give lifetime tenure to the other party's choices. In the past, lawmakers have sometimes informally agreed to stop holding hearings on lower court nominations during campaign season. Obama argued Tuesday that "the Supreme Court's different." McConnell has shown no signs of shifting his opposition, and several lawmakers facing heated elections have backed him up. But the party may still be searching for a strategy. The White House has been looking for cracks in the Republicans' opposition as it deliberates on a nominee. If Republicans indicate they may hold hearings, Obama would have greater reason to name a "consensus candidate," a moderate nominee who would be at least somewhat difficult for Republicans to reject. If there's virtually no chance of Republicans bending, Obama might go another route -- picking a nominee who galvanizes support among the Democrats' liberal base and fires up interest groups in the election year. Obama on Tuesday would not tip his hand much. "I'm going to present somebody who indisputably is qualified for the seat and any fair-minded person, even somebody who disagrees with my politics, would say would serve with honor and integrity on the court," he said. Asked if that meant he was leaning toward a moderate, Obama said, bluntly, "No." He would not comment on whether he would consider appointing a candidate during a congressional recess, a last-ditch maneuver likely to further inflame partisanship in Congress. Obama's dilemma arises, in part, because of the unusual timing. Supreme Court vacancies in presidential campaign years are rare, largely because the justices avoid retiring when prospects for confirming successors are uncertain. If Senate Republicans hold fast to their vow not to confirm anyone Obama nominates, the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices not just for the rest of this court term, but for most of the next one as well. High court terms begin in October, and the 80 or so cases argued in the course of a term typically are decided by early summer. ___ Associated Press writers Mark Sherman and Donna Cassata contributed to this report. The flag flies at half-staff outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia over the weekend. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama answers questions during a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Foreign Minister Minister Julie Bishop has appeared at a press conference with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as he downplayed reports China has positioned anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island. Ms Bishop stood besides Mr Yi as he dodged the reports and blasted the media for exaggerating the issue. Tensions in the area have almost reached boiling point in recent days with U.S. President Barack Obama calling for restraint as Ms Bishop tried to get assurances from Chinese officials that they will not militarise the disputed island. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (left) talk after a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing 'We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories,' Mr Yi said on Wednesday. 'All of those are actions that China, as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there,' he said. However, US Pacific Command head Admiral Harry Harris Jnr described the missile reports as greatly concerning. 'This could be an indication, if there are missiles there, it could be an indication of militarisation of the South China Sea in ways that the president of China, that President Xi said he would not do,' Admiral Harris said. Ms Bishop (left) stood besides Mr Yi (right) as he dodged reports China had deployed missiles and blasted the media for exaggerating the issue Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for photographers as she arrives for a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 It comes after Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it had 'grasped that Communist China had deployed' an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. The Philippines also said the development increased regional tensions. The missile deployment would follow China's building of new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. Julie Bishop still found time for a work-out during the high pressure talks in China this week Ms Bishop was filmed on an early morning jog near Beijing on Tuesday morning They are seen as part of Beijing's efforts to claim virtually the entire South China Sea and its resources, which has prompted some of its wary neighbors to draw closer to the U.S. The most dramatic work has taken place in the Spratly Island group, where the militaries of four nations have a presence, although similar work has also gone on at Woody and other Chinese holdings in the Paracels. 'The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments,' the Taiwanese ministry statement said. Relevant parties should 'work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions,' the statement added. Ms Bishop has tried to get assurances from Chinese officials that they will not militarise the disputed islands Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (middle) and Julie Bishop (right) talk as they arrive for a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs China's move is likely to rattle Vietnam the most because of its proximity to the Paracels and because of a history of maritime tensions with China that spiked in 2014 with a standoff after China moved a massive oil rig into disputed waters. China regards Australia and the U.S. as unwelcome outside interlopers in regional waters. Mr Yi and Ms Bishop engaged in a testy exchange in December 2013 after Australia criticized China's unilateral declaration of an air defense zone in the East China Sea. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop speaks during a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi A map of the South China Sea shows the difference areas that are claimed by different nearby countries A file handout picture dated 18 February 2015 and made available by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows an aerial view of construction at Mabini Reef by China Ahead of Ms Bishop's visit, President Obama and the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations called Tuesday for the peaceful resolution of the region's maritime disputes. Mr Obama told a news conference that disputes must be resolved by legal means, including a case brought by the Philippines challenging China's sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea. China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but the President said parties to the U.N. law of the seas are obligated to respect the ruling, expected later this year. China lands more planes on its man-made island in the disputed South China Sea, sparking fears it will impose an 'air defence zone' Vietnamese gather to commemorate border war with China HANOI, Vietnam (AP) More than 100 people gathered in Hanoi on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of the start of Vietnam's brief but bloody border war with China. Thirty seven years ago, 600,000 Chinese troops invaded northern Vietnam to "teach Vietnam a lesson" for ousting the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. China withdrew its troops after a month. The residents lit incense Wednesday and laid flowers at the statue of King Ly Thai To, a Vietnamese hero, in a ceremony that lasted an hour. They chanted "down with the aggressors," and "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa," the Vietnamese terms for the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea. A Vietnamese woman prays as more than 100 Vietnamese people gather in central Hanoi Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 to commemorate the anniversary of the start of Vietnam's brief but bloody border war with China. The residents lit incense and laid flowers at the statue of King Ly Thai To, a Vietnamese hero, in a ceremony that lasted about an hour without police intervention. There have been no official government commemorations of the war. (AP Photo/ Tran Van Minh.) The Paracels are claimed by Vietnam, China and Taiwan, while the Spratlys are claimed in all or parts by those three along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The commemoration took place even though large gatherings without government approval are often stopped by the police. There have been no official government commemorations of the war. The Vietnamese Communist Party and government celebrated the victories over the French and then the Americans, but they "appear to forget about the border war with China and the days when China occupied Hoang Sa and Truong Sa," said one participant, Nguyen Huu Hop. Hop said he volunteered to go to the border fight the Chinese, but that his unit was instead stationed in the capital Hanoi. He said many young men in his neighborhood were killed in the war. After China withdrew its troops, periodical fighting continued along the border for another 10 years before the communist neighbors normalized diplomatic relations in 1991. China is now Vietnam's largest trading partner, but relations have plunged following China' parking of an oil rig near the Paracels in May 2014. The countries have since then tried to mend ties by exchanging high-level visits, but tensions remain over the islands. More than 100 Vietnamese people gather in central Hanoi Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 to commemorate the anniversary of the start of Vietnam's brief but bloody border war with China. The residents lit incense and laid flowers at the statue of King Ly Thai To, a Vietnamese hero, in a ceremony that lasted about an hour without police intervention. There have been no official government commemorations of the war. The banners read "Feb. 17, 1979, People will not forget." (AP Photo/ Tran Van Minh.) Pope Francis urges governments to 'open hearts' to migrants CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) In a moment filled with powerful political symbolism, Pope Francis prayed Wednesday at Mexico's dusty northern border for the thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the United States and appealed for governments to open their hearts, if not their borders, to the "human tragedy that is forced migration." "No more death! No more exploitation!" he implored. It was the most poignant moment of Francis' five-day trip to Mexico and one of the most powerful images in recent times: History's first Latin American pope, who has demanded countries welcome people fleeing persecution, war and poverty, praying at the border between Mexico and El Paso, Texas, at a time of soaring anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign. Pope Francis stands a platform near the U.S.-Mexico border fence along the Rio Grande, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, as seen from in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Francis made the sign of the cross and blessed hundreds of people gathered in El Paso. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Francis stopped short of calling for the U.S. to open its borders during a Mass celebrated just yards (meters) from the frontier. But in his homily, beamed live into the Sun Bowl stadium on the El Paso side, Francis called for "open hearts" and recognition that those fleeing gangland executions and extortion in their homelands are victims of the worst forms of exploitation. "We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people, whether by train or highway or on foot, crossing hundreds of kilometers through mountains, deserts and inhospitable zones," he said. "They are our brothers and sisters, who are being expelled by poverty and violence, drug trafficking and organized crime." Francis also praised the work of activists who "are on the front lines, often risking their own lives" to help those caught up in the migration crisis. "By their very lives, they are prophets of mercy," he said. And then, in a pointed message, Francis added a politically charged greeting to the 30,000 people gathered in the Sun Bowl to watch the simulcast on giant TV screens. "Thanks to the help of technology, we can pray, sing and celebrate together this merciful love which the Lord gives us, and which no frontier can prevent us from sharing," Francis said. "Thank you, brothers and sisters of El Paso, for making us feel like one family and the same Christian community." Immigrants gathered in El Paso said they were greatly moved by the words of Francis, who flew back to Italy after the Mass. Angelica Ortiz, who was among some 500 people who were invited to be on the U.S. side, could barely speak after the pope's prayer. "I'm overcome by emotion," she said, "a lot of emotion." People at the Mass also expressed happiness with the pope's message. Wiping away tears, Angeles Arevalo said the pontiff's call for compassion toward migrants would be heard on both sides of the border. "They are watching us from there as well," she said, alluding to the simulcast in El Paso. Marielena Torres also felt Francis' words could bring changes in attitudes about immigration: "He is the Holy Father, and he can help a lot." Francis, the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, had wanted to cross the border in solidarity with other migrants when he visited the U.S. last fall. That wasn't possible for logistical reasons, so he did the next best thing Wednesday by coming within a stone's throw of the fence to pray and lay a bouquet of flowers next to a large crucifix that is to remain at the site as a monument to his visit. While migrant activists on both sides of the border cheered the gesture, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump criticized it as a politicized and ill-informed move. "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview last week with Fox television. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." He and fellow GOP hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz have vowed to expel all the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally and build a wall along the border from Texas to California. Asked to comment on the criticism, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope is concerned about the plight of migrants everywhere, not just in the United States. "The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner," Lombardi said Tuesday. The Mass, celebrated in a field along a highway that parallels the Rio Grande, marked the climactic end of Francis' five-day swing through some of Mexico's most marginalized places, where drug-fueled violence has soared thanks to the complicity of police and other public institutions. Francis took both church and state to task for failing their people and urged the next generations to resist the lure of the drug trade. In a speech Wednesday to workers and employers, Francis warned that without job opportunities, Mexico's youth risk being seduced into the drug trade. "Poverty becomes the best breeding ground for the young to fall into the cycle of drug-trafficking and violence," he said. He urged employers to think instead of the Mexico they want to leave for their children. "Do you want to leave them the memory of exploitation, of insufficient pay, of workplace harassment?" he asked. "What air will they breathe? An air tainted by corruption, violence, insecurity and suspicion or, on the contrary, an air capable of generating alternatives, renewal and change?" "God will hold today's slave-drivers accountable," he warned. Francis began his final day at Ciudad Juarez's Prison No. 3, where he told about 700 inmates at a chapel that they cannot undo the past but must believe that things can change. They all have the possibility of "writing a new story and moving forward," Francis said. His message of hope came days after 49 inmates died in a riot at different prison in northern Mexico prison, where prisoners fought with hammers and makeshift knives. Eight more were injured Tuesday in a brawl at yet another prison. Not long ago Juarez was the murder capital of the world as cartel-backed gang warfare fed homicide rates that hit 230 per 100,000 residents in 2010. A rash of killings of women, many of them poor factory workers who just disappeared, attracted international attention. Times have changed, though. Last year, the city's homicide rate was about 20 per 100,000 people, roughly on par with Mexico's nationwide average of 14 per 100,000 and well below current hotspots of drug violence, such as the Pacific resort city of Acapulco and surrounding Guerrero state. Many businesses that closed during Juarez's darkest years have reopened. Tourists are again crossing over from the United States and people say they no longer have to leave parties early to avoid being on the streets after dark. "At least now we can go out. We can walk around a little more at that time of night," said resident Lorena Diaz, standing under a huge banner of Francis hanging from her balcony. Diaz, who along with about 30 family members secured tickets for Wednesday's Mass, welcomed Francis' calls for Mexicans not to tolerate corruption and violence. "He's telling us to get out of the trenches, not to close ourselves off," she said. ___ Associated Press writers Peter Orsi in Mexico City and Astrid Galvan in El Paso, Texas, contributed to this report. ___ Nicole Winfield on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nwinfield EDITORS - REMOVE FROM YOUR SYSTEMS AND ARCHIVES AND MAKE NO FURTHER USE OF AP PHOTO GB041, SLUGGED MEXICO POPE, TRANSMITTED WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17, 2016. THE PHOTO IS NOT POOL AND WAS SENT IN ERROR - Pope Francis smiles and waves upon arrival at the US-Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Feb. 17, 2016. After a brief moment of prayer, Francis got back on his popemobile to head for the fairgrounds, where he celebrated his last Mass during a five-day Mexico tour. (Gabriel Bouys/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis blesses hundreds of people gathered a few yards away on the U.S. side., as he stands near the U.S.-Mexico border fence along the Rio Grande, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. After a brief moment of prayer, Francis walked down the ramp and got back on his popemobile to head for the fairgrounds, where he celebrated his last Mass during a five-day Mexico tour. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Migrants seated next to a border fence in El Paso, Texas, stand and cheer as Pope Francis arrives on the banks of the Rio Grande in Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Francis made the sign of the cross and blessed hundreds of people gathered in El Paso. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) People wait to get a glimpse of Pope Francis as he arrives to celebrate an outdoor Mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Thousands of people from El Paso as well as other parts of the U.S. were expected to make the short trip over the various bridges that link the cities to attend the outdoor Mass that is expected to be attended by more than 200,000 people and will cap Francis' visit to the Latin American country. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Jose Luis Castillo stands at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry in front of a cross memorial with a message that reads, "Not One More" marking the women who have gone missing, many turning up dead afterwards, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Castillo, whose daughter went missing in 2009, will attend Wednesday's papal Mass in the Mexican border city, with other families whose daughters have gone missing. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) Two small boys balance themselves on the rail of a border fence during an event organized by the Border Network for Human Rights, on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Pope Francis will conclude his weeklong Mexico trip with a visit to Ciudad Juarez where he will meet with Mexican workers, grassroots groups and employers in an encounter where hell likely repeat his mantra on the need for dignified work for all and land, labor and lodging. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) Carlos Dominguez chalks an image of a cross on the road as he waits for a glimpse of Pope Francis along the pontiff's planned route in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) A group of invited migrants cheer in El Paso, Texas as they wait to see Pope Francis in Juarez, Mexico, from a site on the banks of the Rio Grande along the border fence Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Women standing next to an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe listen to Pope Francis celebrate an outdoor Mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Thousands of people from El Paso as well as other parts of the U.S. were expected to make the short trip over the various bridges that link the cities to attend the Mass that capped Francis' visit to the Latin American country. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) A couple prays during an outdoor Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Thousands of people from El Paso as well as other parts of the U.S. were expected to make the short trip over the various bridges that link the cities to attend the outdoor Mass that is expected to be attended by more than 200,000 people and will cap Francis' visit to the Latin American country. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Cosby loses bid for quick appeal that could have halted case PHILADELPHIA (AP) Bill Cosby's sexual-assault case appears to be headed toward an evidence hearing after a Pennsylvania judge refused to halt the criminal proceedings and ask the state Superior Court to review a key pretrial issue. The 78-year-old TV star is accused of drugging and violating an ex-Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004 and could get 10 years in prison if convicted. The defense insists Cosby had a promise from a previous district attorney he would never be charged over the encounter. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill found the evidence of such an agreement lacking after a hearing this month. Cosby's lawyers then asked him to approve an immediate appeal of the issue to the Superior Court. That would have likely delayed the scheduled March 8 preliminary hearing. FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 file photo, Bill Cosby enters the Montgomery County Courthouse for a court appearance in Norristown, Pa. Cosbys criminal sexual-assault case appears to be headed toward an evidence hearing after a Pennsylvania judge denied his latest effort to throw the charges out. In a ruling Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, the judge who refused to dismiss the case earlier this month denied Cosby's appeal of that decision. (James Robinson/PennLive.com via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT However, O'Neill in a ruling Tuesday said the legal question involved does not warrant a direct appeal. "An immediate appeal from these orders would not materially advance the ultimate termination of the matter," the judge wrote in a brief order. A spokesman for Cosby's lawyers said they had no comment on the decision. They have argued that the charges stem from a political feud between former District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr., who had declined to arrest Cosby a decade ago, and Kevin Steele, who invoked the case as he campaigned against Castor last fall. Steele won the race for district attorney and filed charges against Cosby in December, days before the filing deadline expired. Dozens of women in recent years have come forward and accused Cosby of sexual impropriety spanning decades. Cosby, who played Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992 and has been married for decades, has denied the women's accusations. The statute of limitations has expired in most of the cases against him. Cosby, whose legal residence is in western Massachusetts, remains free on $1 million bail. ___ Myanmar's insurgents fight on despite advent of democracy MONG ARK, Myanmar (AP) On a freshly scarred battlefield, a diehard rebel army is facing off at gunfire range against a military that for decades has imposed iron-fisted rule over this Southeast Asian nation. Overhead, vultures circle the mountainous terrain while insurgent soldiers crouch near deep foxholes, prepared, they say, to throw back another possible assault. Myanmar's civil war the longest in modern world history hasn't ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knife's edge. Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy swept November's elections, has promised that bringing peace will be the top priority when her government assumes power April 1. "We will try for the all-inclusive ceasefire agreement," the Noble Prize laureate said recently. "We can do nothing without peace in our country." In this Feb. 4, 2016, photo, a rebel fighter of the Shan State Army North (SSA-N) stands guard close to the front line of the fighting area in Mong Ark, in an area under the control of SSA-N in northeastern Shan state, Myanmar. Myanmars civil war - the longest in modern world history - hasnt ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knifes edge. (AP Photo/Esther Htusan) But suspicions of the country's military were again aroused as it battled the Shan State Army-North in these remote hills of northeastern Myanmar just as voters were casting their ballots across the country. As the countdown to democracy proceeds, so do clashes with the Kachin Independence Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and others. The rebel armies represent various ethnic groups that for decades have been fighting for autonomy while resisting "Burmanization," a push by the Burman ethnic majority to propagate its language, religion and culture in ethnic minority regions. "No, no, no we don't trust them," Shan army Maj. Gen. Hso Hten said of Myanmar's military, vowing they would only lay down their arms if their goals were fully implemented, the foremost of which is a federal system in which ethnic minorities are granted genuine autonomy. That would include use of ethnic languages in schools and greater control over forests, hydro-power and other natural resources. During the battles in Shan state, which ended with a fragile ceasefire at the end of November, government jet fighters and helicopter gunships strafed and bombed military and civilian targets. They swept into villages, driving more than 10,000 from homes they looted and sometimes destroyed, according to refugee and Shan army accounts. Both sides accuse one another of sparking yet another round of warfare in an insurgency that erupted in the early 1960s among the Shan, the largest of 135 officially recognized ethnic minorities that make up 40 percent of the population. The first uprising, that of the Karen, was launched 67 years ago, shortly after the country's 1948 independence from Great Britain, followed by numerous others. The generals ceded power to a military-backed government in 2011, paving the way for the recent elections. But the armed forces remain the country's most powerful institution, stoking fears they will take orders not from the elected government but their commander-in-chief. Hso Hten, who joined rebel ranks in 1958, expressed some hope in Suu Kyi's future government, given her overwhelming popular support. "We are compelled to trust her because we don't have any choice," said the 80-year-old general in an interview in the town of Wan Hai from which his rebel army says it commands more than 10,000 troops and 18,000 square miles (46,600 square kilometers) of territory. Like the other major insurgencies notably the Kachin and Karen this Shan group is not a classic guerrilla outfit swooping down from jungle hideouts but more akin to a state within a state. It runs 28 departments, including health and agriculture, schools, a hospital and orphanage, and even issues its own vehicle license plates. The Shan treasury, which gathers revenue from taxes on residents, can purchase weaponry on the black markets of China, Thailand and Cambodia. Some groups in the Shan State and elsewhere in Myanmar have traditionally financed their insurgencies through drug trafficking. On the frontline, some 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Wan Hai, soldiers wield everything from Czech pistols to U.S.-made grenade launchers from the Vietnam War. A 24-hour alert is in force, and at night the soldiers observe the campfires of the Burmese military dug into a range of undulating hills. The fighters sleep burrowed into tiny molehill-like shelters camouflaged against aerial attacks by withered brown leaves. Use of airpower is a recent development in the fighting, and some powerful ordnance appears to have been dropped: one bomb crater measured some 1.5 meters (5 feet) in depth. The soldiers talk of combat in October and November that killed 70 of their comrades. They file past a shattered house where they killed a Burmese commander with a rocket-propelled grenade. A few meters (yards) away, stretching across a beautiful valley carpeted by terraced rice fields, begins a no-man's land sown with mines. "We have this small piece of territory and want to live in peace but they still come and attack us," said Lt. Sao Mong. "They are all over these mountains. If they don't intend to attack again why are they still here, why don't they withdraw?" The Shan State Army-North, one of two main Shan rebel armies, refused to sign a ceasefire agreement last October between the government and eight insurgent groups. But none of the more than 20 armed insurgencies have given up their weapons. The Shan general said the armed groups in total field some 100,000 soldiers, although analysts believe the figure may be less. "The government has always said, 'Put down your guns and we will talk politics,' while the insurgents said, 'Let's talk politics and then we will put down our guns, maybe.' That issue is still there," says David Steinberg, an American author of several books on Myanmar. Suu Kyi's party promise to expunge the legacy of nearly seven decades of hatred, suspicion and blood may prove difficult. While some rebel groups have committed unlawful acts, including the recruitment of boy soldiers, international agencies, the United Nations and others have over several decades detailed widespread rape, torture and extra-judicial killings of civilians, even crucifixions, by the military. Villagers have been used as human minesweepers. More than half a million people have been driven from their homes just in eastern Myanmar. The former government acknowledged that some atrocities did occur while its forces were fighting what it called "terrorist organizations." But nobody has been brought to justice, Suu Kyi has announced no plans to do so and the military continues to operate in its former fashion, although the scale of atrocities appears to have lessened. "We ran away with only the clothes we were wearing. We are afraid to go back," said Pa Phit, a 45-year-old woman who fled with all other 60 residents when government troops entered Ho Nam village while firing their guns. "We have nothing left, not even a small spoon." Among more than 1,400 refugees encamped on a bare hilltop was 102-year-old Nai Nang, carried over the hills by grandchildren after the troops occupied her village. With such acts, the insurgents do not lack for fresh recruits to their cause, even if a private in the Shan army earns just $8 a month. "We have been facing injustice, bullying and oppression since I was young," said Sao Siha as he walked around a Wan Hai monastery where damage from mortars and air-launched rockets had been freshly repaired. After years of witnessing killings of innocent people, he finally had enough when in October the military attacked his town of Maing Naung. The abbot of a Buddhist monastery and a monk for 36 of his 45 years, Sao Siha made what he said was a wrenching decision to exchange his robes for a Shan army uniform. "I wanted to take action against injustice," he said. "I had no choice." __ Associated Press writer Esther Htusan contributed to this report. In this Feb. 5, 2016, photo, rebel fighters of Shan State Army North (SSA-N) participate in morning drills in Wan Hai, an area under the control of SSA-N in northeastern Shan state, Myanmar. Myanmars civil war - the longest in modern world history - hasnt ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knifes edge. (AP Photo/Esther Htusan) In this Feb. 5, 2016, photo, rebel fighters of Shan State Army North (SSA-N) stand close to a wood fire after participating in morning drills in Wan Hai, an area under the control of SSA-N in northeastern Shan state, Myanmar. Myanmars civil war - the longest in modern world history - hasnt ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knifes edge. (AP Photo/ Esther Htusan) In this Feb. 4, 2016 photo, a rebel fighter of Shan State Army North (SSA-N) adjusts his equipment as another soldier follows, at rear, to the front line in Mong Ark, an area under the control of SSA-N in northeastern Shan state, Myanmar. Myanmars civil war - the longest in modern world history - hasnt ended, even with democracy triumphant in recent elections and the winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, pledging to end hostilities between the central government and a host of autonomy-seeking ethnic minorities. Prospects for stopping the bloodshed are balanced on a knifes edge. (AP Photo/Esther Htusan) In this Feb. 5, 2016 photo, Pa-An, an ethnic Shan woman who was displaced due to fighting between the Myanmar government army and ethnic Shan State Army North (SSA-N) on Oct. 6, 2015, stands in front of a camp for refugees with her grand daughter in Hai Pa village, northeastern Shan state, Myanmar. During the battles in Shan state, which ended with a fragile ceasefire at the end of November, government jet fighters and helicopter gunships strafed and bombed military and civilian targets. They swept into villages, driving more than 10,000 from homes they looted and sometimes destroyed, according to refugee and Shan army accounts. (AP Photo/ Esther Htusan) Siege warfare in Syria revives debate over ancient tactic AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Syrian government troops who have besieged dozens of rebel-held communities are moving toward their biggest target yet the opposition-controlled neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo, where some 300,000 people risk being trapped. Sieges were widely used for centuries as a military tool from Jerusalem to Leningrad and Sarajevo and aren't defined outright as a war crime. However, recent images of emaciated civilians in blockaded areas, such as the Syrian town of Madaya, have prompted global outrage. The United States says President Bashar Assad is violating the rules of war with what it calls a policy of "surrender or starve." FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, civilians carry supplies in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian government troops who have besieged dozens of rebel-held communities over the past three years are moving toward their biggest target yetopposition-controlled neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo, where some 300,000 civilians risk being trapped. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP) A look at sieges and changing legal views: ___ HOW WIDESPREAD ARE SIEGES IN SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR? Assessments vary. A recent report by the Netherlands-based nonprofit PAX and the Washington-based Syria Institute said 46 communities with more than 1 million residents are under siege to varying degrees, and pro-government forces are responsible for nearly all the blockades. The U.N. has listed 18 besieged communities with nearly a half-million residents, including Madaya, along with dozens of towns with 4.5 million people it defines as "hard to reach." The discrepancy may stem from different definitions of siege, although the Syria Institute report says there's also been underreporting. It says Madaya, where aid groups say at least 44 people have starved to death, initially was not on the U.N. list. ___ WHAT ARE THE MILITARY ADVANTAGES? Laying siege to enemy-controlled cities allows attacking armies to keep their own casualties low by avoiding urban combat. The goal is to force trapped fighters to surrender. Assad's government began besieging opposition-held areas more than three years ago because it did not have the manpower to take and hold territory. In recent months, Russian airstrikes have sent tens of thousands of civilians fleeing targeted areas, making it easier to encircle those who remain, along with rebel fighters, said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Aram Nerguizian, of the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, says siege warfare is used by both sides, but "in terms of scale, the willingness and ability to do this, the Assad regime obviously has a massive edge." Syrian rebels are besieging two pro-government towns, while Islamic State extremists blockade parts the eastern town of Deir el-Zour, where the U.N. says about 200,000 people are trapped. In some cases, sieges have led to local cease-fires. ___ WHY BESIEGE ALEPPO? Aleppo, a trade hub in antiquity, was besieged in the past, including by Mongols and Crusaders in the 13th century. In the Syrian civil war, both sides view Aleppo as a major prize. Rebels seized several neighborhoods in 2012, but pro-government forces regained territory north of the city this month, threatening rebel supply routes from Turkey. Only a narrow corridor of several kilometers (miles) in width links rebel-held areas in the city and the nearby countryside. A government siege of Aleppo would deliver a major blow to opposition morale. ___ WILL RENEWED TRUCE EFFORTS PUT AN END TO SIEGES? It's doubtful, particularly in the Aleppo area. Syria and Russia have signaled that the Aleppo offensive will continue, despite a plan for a temporary Syria-wide halt in hostilities announced by the U.S. and Russia last week. Syrian aircraft recently dropped leaflets over parts of Aleppo, warning militants that "the belt is tightening around you" and urging their surrender. An international task force on humanitarian access recently said it hopes sustained aid deliveries to besieged areas can begin shortly. ___ HAS THE LEGAL VIEW OF SIEGE WARFARE CHANGED? Yes. Until a few decades ago, there were few restrictions on siege warfare. "In the old days, you could besiege an entire area without real regard to the health and welfare of the civilian population," said Beth Van Schaack, a visiting professor of human rights at Stanford Law School. The World War II siege of the Russian city of Leningrad, now called St. Petersburg, was one of the longest and deadliest in history. A top German commander involved in the campaign was subsequently acquitted by a U.S. military commission, Van Schaack said. "There was a much more permissive legal environment, even as late as the mid-20th century," added Sean Watts, a law professor at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. ___ WHAT IS THE VIEW TODAY? International humanitarian law still does not prohibit siege warfare outright. However, restrictions introduced since World War II such as a blanket ban on starving civilians make it virtually impossible to besiege areas inhabited by both civilians and combatants without violating the rules of war, Watts said. "Once it becomes apparent that the civilian population is starving, they (those conducting the siege) have an obligation to either allow in the supplies that are necessary to prevent starvation or let the civilian population leave," he said. In Syria, pro-government forces and opposition fighters have largely ignored such prohibitions. Blockades are also often accompanied by random attacks on trapped populations, including by imprecise mortar fire and crude, explosives-stuffed barrels dropped from government helicopters. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has denounced "surrender or starve" tactics in Syria. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has said denying humanitarian access to besieged areas is "deplorable and against the law." Those responsible for starvation sieges could also face the more-severe charge of crimes against humanity for "extermination," or an attempt to kill large numbers of civilians, Van Schaack said. ___ DO SUCH CLASSIFACTIONS MATTER? Perhaps not now, but later. "If we look over the course of history, we see increasingly that impunity is no longer the norm and that eventually the long arm of justice catches up with people," Van Schaack said. "So we obviously lack the political will right now, in the midst of this conflict, to establish a tribunal or make the referral to the International Criminal Court, but over time, eventually this war will end, let's hope sooner rather than later," she said. FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2016, file photo, people wait to leave the besieged town of Madaya, northwest of Damascus, Syria. Sieges were widely used for centuries as a military toolfrom Jerusalem to Leningrad and Sarajevoand aren't defined outright as a war crime. However, recent images of emaciated civilians in blockaded areas, such as the Syrian town of Madaya, have prompted global outrage. (AP Photo, File) Sieges used throughout history by warring armies Sieges have been used throughout the centuries by warring armies to force the surrender of opposing troops entrenched in urban or fortified areas without having to forcibly conquer territory. Some examples of sieges through history: ___ SARAJEVO (1992-1995) FILE - In this April 6, 1993, file photo, a woman eats a bit of food she found in a pile of trash on the street in Sarajevo. The Serb siege of Sarajevo went on longer than the 900-day siege of Leningrad in World War II. (AP Photo/Michael Stravato, File) The Serb siege of Sarajevo went on longer than the 900-day siege of Leningrad in World War II. Sarajevo's 380,000 people were left without food, electricity, water or heating for 46 months, when an average of 330 shells a day smashed into the city. It began on April 6, 1992, when about 40,000 people from all over the country Muslim Bosniaks, Christian Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats poured into a square to demand peace from their quarreling nationalist politicians. Serb nationalists fired into the crowd from a nearby hotel, killing five people and igniting the 1992-95 war. The Serb nationalists, helped by neighboring Serbia, laid siege to Sarajevo, and within months had occupied 70 percent of Bosnia, expelling non-Serbs from territory they controlled. A Nov. 21, 1995, peace agreement brokered by the U.S. ended the shooting and the siege. ___ LENINGRAD (1941-1944) The siege of Leningrad, now called St. Petersburg, began in September 1941, or three months after Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union. About 1 million Soviet civilians and a similar number of soldiers died before the blockade was finally broken on Jan. 27, 1944. ___ VICKSBURG (May 18-July 4, 1863) During the American Civil War, Union forces waged a long campaign to conquer Vicksburg, Mississippi, and gain control of the lower Mississippi River. The effort culminated in a concentrated attack that began May 18, 1863, and a siege that started eight days later. Confederate forces surrendered the city on July 4. Vicksburg had 19,233 dead; wounded or missing: 10,142 Union and 9,091 Confederate. Combined with the battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1-3, the two weakened the Confederacy and gave momentum to Union forces. ___ THE ALAMO (Feb. 23-March 6, 1836) Built in the 18th century by Spanish missionaries looking to convert the local Native Americans, the Alamo gained its place in history in 1836, when about 200 Texas settlers died trying to defend the fort from Mexican forces. Among the dead: Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Lt. Col. William Travis, who promised never to surrender or retreat. The battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" helped inspire Texans to defeat the Mexican army a month later, securing Texas's independence. ___ CANDIA (1648-1669) The siege of Venetian-ruled Candia, modern day Heraklion, Crete, was one of the longest in history. It began in May 1648 and ended after 21 years with the Venetian surrender. ___ MASADA (73-74) The siege at Masada took place from 73-74 on a large hilltop overlooking the Dead Sea wedged between what is now Israel and Jordan. As chronicled by historian Josephus Flavius, the Roman legion surrounded Masada and laid a months-long siege to 960 Jewish rebels inside the fortress. The Romans built a ramp to penetrate the fortress, and when they finally did, they found no one left alive. The Jews apparently killed themselves rather than surrender. Masada has become a controversial event in Jewish history, with some regarding it as a place of reverence that commemorates a heroic struggle against oppression and others considering it a warning against extremism and the refusal to compromise. ___ BATTLE OF CARTHAGE (around 149 B.C.-146 B.C.) The Battle of Carthage in what is now Tunisia and siege of the city was the main part of the Third Punic war. The Romans laid siege to the city, eventually capturing it and killing thousands. It has been claimed that after conquering the city, the Romans destroyed it and spread salt over it so nothing would grow, but that account has never been backed up by ancient writers. FILE - In this Feb. 22, 1936 file photo, the chapel of Alamo, site of an heroic battle during the Texan war of independence from Mexico, is seen at nighttime in San Antonio. Built in the 18th century by Spanish missionaries looking to convert the local Native Americans, the Alamo gained its place in history in 1836, when about 200 Texas settlers died trying to defend the fort from Mexican forces. Among the dead: Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Lt. Col. William Travis, who promised never to surrender or retreat. The battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" helped inspire Texans to defeat the Mexican army a month later, securing Texas's independence. (AP Photo, File) Phoenix hits 90 degrees; earliest in state's history PHOENIX (AP) While the winter heat was on its way out in many areas of the West on Wednesday, Phoenix had its earliest 90-degree day on record. The National Weather Service originally forecast a high of 91 degrees, which would break a nearly 30-year-old record for the city. By early afternoon, the temperature stood at 83, and meteorologists began backing off the 90-degree prediction. But the thermometer at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reached 89 degrees around 3:40 p.m. and hit 90 about a half-hour later. People enjoy unseasonably warm temperatures at Crown Beach Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Alameda, Calif. California is having another day of unseasonable warmth before a low-pressure system brings rain and snow. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) The records go back to 1895, and the earliest 90-degree days in Phoenix's history were on Feb. 24, 1904 and again on Feb. 24, 1986, meteorologists said. The previous record high for Feb. 17 was 88 degrees, set in 2014. The normal temperature for this time of year in Phoenix is 71 degrees. Last year, the first 90-degree day didn't occur until March 16. The winter heat wasn't lost on Buckeye resident Ashley Salgado, who said hiking trails near her home have emptied in recent days at least when it comes to people. "There are a lot more lizards out, and I'm afraid there are going to be a lot more rattlesnakes out too," she said. Experts confirm Salgado's fears. Warmer temperatures have awakened the reptiles during a time they are typically in hibernation in Arizona. The Northwest Fire District outside Tucson started getting calls in the last two weeks from panicked residents about rattlers in their yards and patios, something they don't usually see until late March and early April. Firefighters catch the snakes and take them out to the desert. Meanwhile, an Oregon cold front was bringing a soggy end to a brief heat wave that had delighted Californians flocking outdoors. The National Weather Service said winds would increase throughout Wednesday, with rains starting by mid-afternoon in the San Francisco Bay Area. After three days of record-breaking heat, a new system was expected to bring a quarter-inch to a half-inch of rain to most parts of the region Wednesday and Thursday. The system was expected to drop between 1 and 2 feet of new snow in California's highest peaks, the National Weather Service said. Beaches in Southern California were crowded after the holiday weekend saw record-breaking heat from Los Angeles to San Diego. The high in downtown Los Angeles hit 90 degrees on Tuesday, breaking the old record of 88 for the day that was set in 1977, according to the weather service. San Diego's high of 89 was 8 degrees above the 1981 record. The airport in San Francisco recorded 72, beating a 2007 high. People play in the surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. California is having another day of unseasonable warmth before a low-pressure system brings rain and snow. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) People enjoy unseasonably warm temperatures as they walk around Lake Merritt, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. California is having another day of unseasonable warmth before a low-pressure system brings rain and snow. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Fog settles in on a snow-covered farm in Beaver, W.Va., Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 16, 2016. (Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald via AP) Kevin Smith, a cousin of Vernon and Regina Cavin, uses his tractor to lift the roof of the storage shed as another cousin, Phillip Knight, removes a tub of belongings as cleanup continues Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in the Stronghope community northeast of Wesson, Miss., following Monday's storm system that brought destructive winds to areas of central and south Mississippi. The Cavins lost their home, storage shed and kennel to the storm. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Seeking Cruz's friends in Washington, check the House WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Ted Cruz's rivals like to say he doesn't have any friends in Washington. That's not true. Despite a distinct lack of support from his Senate colleagues not one single endorsement the Republican presidential candidate and freshman Texas senator has a small but loyal group of supporters in the House who are flying to rallies, meeting with voters and trying to convince the electorate that he's not such a bad guy. Republican Rep. Mark Meadows says he's traveled to Cruz events "to really tell the personal side of Ted Cruz that not many people know." His North Carolina district shares a media market and a border with South Carolina, which will hold its closely contested GOP primary on Saturday. FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2014 file photo, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. speaks in Washington. Sen. Ted Cruzs rivals like to say he doesn't have any friends in Washington. Despite a distinct lack of support from Senate colleagues _ not one single endorsement, the Republican presidential candidate and freshman Texas senator has a small but loyal group of supporters in the House who are flying to rallies, meeting with voters and trying to convince the electorate that he's not such a bad guy. Meadows says he's traveled to Cruz events "to really tell the personal side of Ted Cruz that not many people know." (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) "On issue after issue, Cruz has told the truth and done what he said he was going to do," Meadows said when he endorsed Cruz last month. "It may not make him a lot of friends in Washington, but it is exactly what the American people expect of their leaders." Meadows is one of about 20 House Republicans who are campaigning for Cruz around the country. Iowa Rep. Steve King, a fierce opponent of immigration, stood by Cruz's side when he gave his victory speech after winning the state's caucuses two weeks ago. South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan is appearing with Cruz in at least four South Carolina cities this week. Cruz scored two more House endorsements this week: Reps. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Raul Labrador of Idaho. In a statement Wednesday, Labrador called Cruz "the only candidate that will truly change the way Washington works." Many say it doesn't matter that Cruz has a reputation for getting on the wrong side of some of his GOP Senate colleagues, such as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whom Cruz accused of lying last year, or Arizona Sen. John McCain. McCain has sparred with Cruz a number of times and last month said questions about Cruz's eligibility due to his Canadian birth should be explored, keeping the issue alive after Cruz's foe Donald Trump raised concerns. His congressional supporters say Cruz isn't always well loved because he's doing his job. In 2013, the Texas senator and his House allies contributed to the partial 16-day government shutdown as they tried to starve President Barack Obama's health care overhaul of money, a move several of Cruz's GOP colleagues considered ill-conceived and futile. "It rubs people the wrong way because ultimately what Ted is trying to do is reduce the influence of outside groups and force members to make tough decisions," said Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, who also endorsed Cruz last month and is serving as his Colorado campaign chairman. "I think that people who don't like him now as a colleague will respect him and be willing to work with him as president." The supporters say they aren't worried that he wouldn't get along with lawmakers if elected president. They say they aren't trying to rally support in the Capitol, but with voters. "Senators and congressmen know enough to make their own decisions," says Rep. Mo Brooks, a Cruz supporter from Alabama. Cruz has always had a closer relationship with members of the House, where the tea party-inspired Freedom Caucus has made similar moves to block GOP leadership. Freedom Caucus member Randy Weber of Texas said "there has been some discussion" in the caucus about making an endorsement, though at this point members are making their own decisions. Some, like Meadows, have introduced House versions of Cruz's Senate bills. Meadows and Duncan attended the Republican debate in South Carolina Saturday and spoke to reporters afterward as surrogates for Cruz. King live-tweeted the debate, criticizing Cruz's opponents and writing that the Texas senator landed "final blows" at the end. Though he doesn't have any Senate endorsements rival GOP presidential contender Marco Rubio has some half dozen Cruz does have a handful of friends there. When he made a rare appearance to vote on a North Korea sanctions bill last week, a few senators on the floor warmly greeted him. Others pointedly ignored him. Perhaps Cruz's closest friend in the Senate is Utah Sen. Mike Lee, whom he met before he was elected. Lee came to the Senate floor to block several nominees on Cruz's behalf earlier this month. He hasn't endorsed the Texas senator in the presidential race, saying he's also close friends with Rubio, but said he would consider an endorsement, "if this became about one of them." Another fan, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, has called Cruz "a very effective campaigner." But he hasn't endorsed him. __ Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick FILE - In this May 9, 2015, file photo, Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., speaks at the Freedom Summit in Greenville, S.C. Sen. Ted Cruzs rivals like to say he doesn't have any friends in Washington. Despite a distinct lack of support from Senate colleagues _ not one single endorsement, the Republican presidential candidate and freshman Texas senator has a small but loyal group of supporters in the House who are flying to rallies, meeting with voters and trying to convince the electorate that he's not such a bad guy. Duncan is appearing with Cruz in at least four South Carolina cities this week. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File) 10 Things to Know for Thursday - 18 February 2016 Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday: 1. WHY POPE SOUNDED TOUGH NOTE DURING MEXICO VISIT Observers say the pontiff clearly feels both the church and the government have failed Mexico's people. Women pray as they listen to to Pope Francis give Mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Pope Francis concludes his visit to Mexico today. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) 2. OBAMA EXPECTED TO VISIT CUBA NEXT MONTH Word of the trip comes as the two countries continue their efforts to normalize relations. 3. VA SYSTEM TAKES FRESH HIT A suicide hotline operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs allowed crisis calls to go into voicemail, investigators say. 4. WHERE BERNIE SANDERS IS SHOWING SURPRISING STRENGTH Nevada was supposed to be one of Hillary Clinton's safest bets but the race has tightened markedly. 5. CAR BOMB KILLS LEAST 28 IN TURKISH CAPITAL No one immediately claims responsibility for the attack in Ankara. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in Turkey recently. 6. WHO PAID RANSOM TO COMPUTER HACKERS A Los Angeles hospital says it forwarded a ransom in bitcoins equivalent to about $17,000 to hackers who disabled its computer network. 7. GERMANY REVIVES CALL FOR NO-FLY ZONE IN NORTHERN SYRIA It's an idea that once might have greatly helped the rebels and protected civilians but now is more complicated, dangerous and unlikely due to Russia's air campaign. 8. STUDY: TESTOSTERONE TREATMENT NO FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH A group of older men supplied with testosterone gel found only modest improvement in their sex lives, walking strength and mood. 9. FLORIDA COUPLE CASHES IN WINNING TICKET FROM $1.6 BILLION POWERBALL It's the second of three winning tickets from the record jackpot. Whoever holds the final ticket in California hasn't yet come forward publicly. 10. JURY ACQUITS GWYNETH PALTROW'S ACCUSED STALKER Prosecutors allege that the Ohio man sent the actress dozens of unsolicited letters and gifts in recent years. A police officer clears the area of an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, after assailants exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing several people and injuring scores of others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of city, in an area close to where military headquarters and the parliament are located. (Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency via AP) TURKEY OUT IS suicide bomber strikes army camp in Yemen, killing 9 SANAA, Yemen (AP) A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt at the gates of an army camp in southern Yemen, killing at least 9 recruits on Wednesday in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Gen. Ahmed Seif al-Yafai, a Yemeni commander, told The Associated Press the attack took place at a camp close to the southern city of Aden, which the internationally-recognized government and its Saudi-led military backers are using as a base for air strikes against Shiite rebels, known as the Houthis, who control the capital. The Saudi-led coalition and Yemeni forces took control of Aden in the summer after expelling the Houthis and their allies, however the city has descended into lawlessness since then. Islamic State and al-Qaida branches in Yemen have created safe havens inside the city. Yemen's IS affiliate issued a claim of responsibility for Wednesday's bombing in a statement posted online and identified the attacker as Abu Eissa al-Ansari, posting a picture for a young man with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The Associated Press could not immediately independently verify the statement, but it resembled previous claims. The targeted camp was delivering training programs to southern army fighters. The Latest: UN: Task force to meet on aid to besieged areas DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) The Latest on the civil war in Syria (all times local): 2:38 a.m. The U.N. special envoy for Syria says a task force seeking humanitarian access throughout the conflict-torn country will meet Thursday in Geneva to take stock of efforts to reach besieged areas. A convoy of humanitarian aid waits in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) offices before making their way into the government besieged rebel-held towns of Madaya, al-Zabadani and al-Moadhamiya in the Damascus countryside, as part of a U.N.-sponsored aid operation, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A similar convoy is headed to the villages of Foua and Kfraya in the northern Idlib province, which are besieged by rebels. The convoys represent the third humanitarian aid delivery to the besieged communities after two similar efforts last month. (AP PHOTO) Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that aid convoys to some besieged locations that started Wednesday are a test for the U.N.'s capability to deliver humanitarian assistance "and for all parties on the ground to allow this to take place." The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Yacoub el-Hillo, said convoys reached five besieged towns with "life-saving aid including food, medical supplies and equipment, vaccines, water and sanitation items for almost 100,000 people." De Mistura said access to besieged areas is a first step to access throughout Syria demanded by U.N. Security Council resolutions and 17 key nations who met in Munich on Feb. 12. ___ 9:40 p.m. The U.N. spokesman says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants a cessation of hostilities in Syria as soon as possible, and the sending of aid convoys is "an incredibly important first step." Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are trying to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance Wednesday to over 100,000 people in Moadamiyeh, Madaya and Zabadani near Damascus, and Foua and Kfarya in northern Syria. He told reporters in New York that the 17 key nations that agreed in Munich last Friday to a cessation of hostilities within a week need to pressure the combatants they have influence on to halt the fighting. He says "we've had a lot of conferences, we've had a lot of speeches and commitments." He says the Syrian people "want to see hard evidence that these conferences serve a purpose." ___ 6:35 p.m. Doctors Without Borders now says at least 25 people have been killed in an airstrike on one of the hospitals it supports in northern Syria. Spokesman Tim Shenk said Wednesday that nine hospital staffers and 16 other people were killed, including a child. The dead included patients. At least 11 people, 10 of them staffers, were injured. The previous death toll was 11. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, has said the airstrike on the hospital in Idlib province appeared to be deliberate. Syria's United Nations ambassador on Tuesday accused the Nobel Peace Prize-winning medical aid organization of being a branch of French intelligence. ___ 5:04 p.m. Trucks loaded with relief items are starting to arrive to besieged suburbs of the Syrian capital after an hours-long delay. An Associated Press team says 24 trucks carrying food, medicine and other assistance have almost reached the rebel-held town of Madaya, northwest of the capital while a 35-truck convoy is about to enter the rebel-held suburb of Moadamiyeh to the west. Some 100 trucks left Damascus earlier on Wednesday as part of a U.N.-sponsored relief operation that was approved by the Syrian government. A mobile clinic offered by the Syrian Red Crescent also entered Madaya to tend to wounded civilians. ___ 4:00 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the United States for not backing Turkey's proposals to establish a no-fly zone in Syria. Erdogan said Wednesday a no-fly would have prevented Russia's air campaign in the region and thwarted thousands of civilian deaths. "Oh America! You did not say 'yes' to 'no-fly zone.' Now the Russian planes are running wild over there, and thousands and tens of thousands of victims are dying," Erdogan said. "Weren't we coalition forces? Weren't we to act together?" ___ 3:50 p.m. Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance destined for besieged areas near Damascus are still parked on a highway on the edge of the capital. Over 100 trucks carrying food baskets, medicine and milk are expected according to an agreement between the Syrian government and the U.N. to begin entering five besieged areas on Wednesday, including rebel-held suburbs of the Syrian capital. Aid would simultaneously be delivered to communities in the north that are besieged by rebels. By mid-afternoon, scores of trucks belonging to the Syrian Red Crescent were still parked on the side of the highway at the entrance to Damascus. An aid official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements, said the delay was due to "purely logistical" reasons. Zeina Karam in Beirut ___ 3:10 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is renewing her proposal for a no-fly zone in Syria, saying it could be done by an agreement between Syrian President Bashar Assad, his backers and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters Wednesday that Merkel's suggestion came in the context of what was agreed upon in Munich, that a humanitarian corridor should be established to deliver aid to Syrian civilians, and hostilities should cease, hopefully in the next day or two. Spokesman Martin Schaefer says "If both can be implemented, then that will be the basis to protect the people who are on the Turkish border, maybe 40,000 to 70,000, from attacks from the air and on the ground." He gave no further details, however, on how such a no-fly zone would function. ___ 2:50 p.m. Turkey's president responded angrily to calls for his country to halt its cross-border shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria, saying Ankara "has no such plans." Addressing local officials Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said Turkey would not allow the Syrian Kurdish forces to establish a stronghold at the Syrian-Turkish border. Turkey regards the Syrian Kurdish forces as a terror group because of their links to its own outlawed Kurdish rebels who are internationally recognized as a terrorist organization. Turkey has been shelling Kurdish Syrian forces since Saturday, saying it has been responding to provocations. The United States and others have called on Turkey to hold its fire. Erdogan insisted Wednesday that Turkey's shelling was "self-defense." __ 2 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is renewing her proposal for a no-fly zone in Syria, saying that it could be done by agreement between President Bashar Assad, his backers and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Merkel said that such an agreement would be "a sign of goodwill" and would put many people at ease. She first aired her idea in an interview published Monday, without giving details. At a news conference Wednesday, Merkel said it would be a good sign if "an agreement between Assad and his supporters and the anti-IS coalition" could produce a commitment to "set up a kind of no-fly zone in which there is no bombing, in which civilians are not pressured and killed" in the area between Aleppo and the Turkish border. ___ 1 p.m. A senior Russian diplomat has shrugged off German Chancellor Angela Merkel's proposal to consider a no-fly zone over Syria, saying it can only be done with Damascus' consent. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency Wednesday that any no-fly zone would need to be approved by the Syrian government and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Gatilov's statement comes as Russian warplanes continue to strike militant positions around Aleppo in support of a Syrian army offensive. Russia has said that it will continue to strike extremists in Syria despite a planned truce. Merkel said in an interview published Monday that it would be "helpful" if there were areas where no side would carry out aerial bombardments "a kind of no-fly zone." ___ 11:30 a.m. Trucks destined for besieged areas in Syria are being loaded with humanitarian aid, part of an agreement between the Syrian government and the U.N.'s Syria envoy. The Syrian foreign ministry hit back Wednesday against envoy Staffan de Mistura, who said the deliveries were a "test" of the Syrian government's commitment. A statement said "we do not wait for anyone to remind us of our duties toward our people." Still, the convoys appeared to be preparing to head to besieged areas Wednesday. The U.N. said the government of President Bashar Assad had approved access to seven besieged areas across the country and that convoys would head out in the coming days. The U.N. estimates that 18 Syrian communities are besieged, affecting around half a million people. Staff from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent get ready to accompany a convoy of humanitarian aid as it waits in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) offices before making their way into the government besieged rebel-held towns of Madaya, al-Zabadani and al-Moadhamiya in the Damascus countryside, as part of a U.N.-sponsored aid operation, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A similar convoy is headed to the villages of Foua and Kfraya in the northern Idlib, which are besieged by rebels. (AP PHOTO) FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2016 file photo, a Turkish man helps a Syrian woman carrying a wounded Syrian girl to a hospital in Kilis, Turkey. The fighting in northern Syria has huge implications in the civil war and risks erupting into a wider regional conflict. The battle for control of Aleppo involves all the major players over a prized strip of rebel-held territory near the Turkish border. (AP Photo/Halit Onur Sandal, File) FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2016 file photo, a wounded Syrian man is carried to a hospital in Kilis, Turkey. The fighting in northern Syria has huge implications in the civil war and risks erupting into a wider regional conflict. The battle for control of Aleppo involves all the major players over a prized strip of rebel-held territory near the Turkish border. (AP Photo/Halit Onur Sandal, File) FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2016, file photo, Turkish artillery fire from the border near Kilis town toward northern Syria, in Kilis, Turkey. The fighting in northern Syria has huge implications in the civil war and risks erupting into a wider regional conflict. The battle for control of Aleppo involves all the major players over a prized strip of rebel-held territory near the Turkish border. (AP Photo/Halit Onur Sandal, File) Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses his lawmakers in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Turkish artillery continue to pound the positions in northern Syria as a Turkish official says his country is pushing the case for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies in an international coalition against the Islamic State group.The official told reporters in Istanbul that "without ground operations it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria" and that Turkey has pressed the issue in recent discussions with the U.S. and other Western nations.(AP Photo) Fight over gunman's locked iPhone could have big impact WASHINGTON (AP) An extraordinary legal fight is brewing with major privacy implications for millions of cellphone users after a federal magistrate ordered Apple Inc. to help the FBI hack into an iPhone used by the gunman in the San Bernardino mass shootings. The clash brings to a head a long-simmering debate between technology companies insistent on protecting digital privacy and law enforcement agencies concerned about losing their ability to recover evidence or eavesdrop on the communications of terrorists or criminals. On Wednesday, the White House quickly disputed the contention by Apple's chief executive officer, Tim Cook, that the Obama administration is seeking to force the software company to build a "backdoor" to bypass digital locks protecting consumer information on Apple's popular iPhones. In this photo taken Nov. 15, 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks in Milan, Italy. A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered Apple to help the FBI break into a work-issued iPhone used by one of the two gunmen in the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, a significant legal victory for the Justice Department in an ongoing policy battle between digital privacy and national security. Apple CEO Tim Cook immediately objected, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal fight between Silicon Valley and the federal government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The early arguments set the stage for what will likely be a protracted policy and public relations fight in the courts, on Capitol Hill, on the Internet and elsewhere. "They are not asking Apple to redesign its product or to create a new backdoor to one of their products," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "They're simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device." Within hours of the judge's order on Tuesday telling Apple to aid the FBI with special software in the case, Cook promised a court challenge. He said the software the FBI would need to unlock the gunman's work-issued iPhone 5C would be "too dangerous to create" and "undeniably" a backdoor. Cook compared it to a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks, and said there was no way to keep the technique secret once it was developed. "Once the information is known, or a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge," Cook said. At the center of the debate is the private information carried on nearly 900 million iPhones sold worldwide: Photographs, videos, chat messages, health records and more. There also was swift reaction on the presidential campaign trail, where Donald Trump told Fox News that he agreed "100 percent with the courts," and on Capitol Hill, where the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, R-N.C., said, "Court orders are not optional and Apple should comply." Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who fought encryption in the 1990s, said she thought the government should be able to access the phone. On Twitter, Edward Snowden called it "the most important tech case in a decade." But Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., called the Justice Department's request "unconscionable and unconstitutional." The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym represents a significant victory for the Justice Department, which last year decided not to pursue a legislative fix to address encryption but has now scored a win instead in the courts. Federal officials until now have struggled to identify a high-profile case to make its concerns resonate. But in siding with the government, Pym, a former federal prosecutor, was persuaded that agents investigating the worst terror attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11 had been hobbled by their inability to unlock the county-owned phone used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in December before dying in a police shootout. The dispute places Apple, one of the world's most respected companies, on the side of protecting the digital privacy of an accused Islamic terrorist. "We have no sympathy for terrorists," Cook said. Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. The phone Farook was using, running the newest version of Apple's iPhone operating system, was configured to erase data after 10 consecutive, unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The magistrate ordered Apple to create special software the FBI could load onto the phone to bypass the self-destruct feature. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. The Justice Department said it was asking Apple to help unlock only the iPhone used by Farook and owned by the county government where he worked as an environmental inspector. The judge said the software should include a "unique identifier" so that it can't be used to unlock other iPhones. "If a court can legally compel Apple to do that, then it likely could legally compel any other software provider to do the same thing," including helping the government install tracking or eavesdropping software on a phone or laptop, said Kevin Bankston, director of the Open Technology Institute at New America. It was unclear how readily the software might be modified to work against other iPhones, or how quickly Apple might update its own software to render the new bypass ineffective. The next step in the case wasn't immediately clear, either. The judge gave Apple five days to contest the order as unreasonably burdensome. A magistrate judge on the lowest rung of the federal judiciary almost certainly could not establish meaningful precedent without affirmation from a higher-court judge, which means the fight is likely to proceed up the chain. The former head of the FBI division responsible for producing some of the FBI's most cunning surveillance tools, Marcus Thomas, said Apple faces a challenge in showing that the government's request is overly burdensome. Thomas, the chief technology officer at Subsentio LLC, said companies that build ultra-secure products that might be used by criminals or terrorists can expect government requests for help. "Society wants to know that companies aren't producing these complicated services and devices that can be used as weapons against them," he said. ___ Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/latams and Eric Tucker at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP This July 27, 2014, photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. A U.S. magistrate has ordered Apple to help the Obama administration hack into an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, Calif. The ruling by Sheri Pym on Feb. 16, 2016, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the phone to cripple a security encryption feature that erases data after too many unsuccessful unlocking attempts. Federal prosecutors told the judge they cant access a county-owned work phone used by Farook because they dont know his passcode. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP) AP EXPLAINS: What's behind Britain's wrangling with the EU? LONDON (AP) European Union leaders are holding a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to hammer out a deal designed to keep Britain in the 28-nation bloc. With the stakes high and the issues complex, the AP explains the ins and outs of the UK-EU relationship. ___ WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION? British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, is greeted by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at EU headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. David Cameron is visiting EU leaders two days ahead of a crucial EU summit. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) Germany, France and four other nations formed the European Economic Community in 1957, determined to banish forever the bloodshed of two world wars. The grouping became the EU in 1993 and has grown into a 28-nation bloc of more than 500 million people stretching from Ireland to the Aegean Sea, with substantial powers over member states' laws, economies and social policies. It has its own parliament, central bank and 19 EU members use a common currency, the euro. ___ WHY IS BRITAIN CONSIDERING LEAVING? Britain joined the bloc in 1973, but many Britons feel their island nation a former imperial power with strong ties to the United States is fundamentally different to its European neighbors. Anti-EU Britons resent everything from fishing quotas to fruit sizes being decided in Brussels, though supporters say Britain's economy and security are enhanced by EU membership. The anti-EU view is especially strong in the Conservative Party of Prime Minister David Cameron. It was partly to appease his party that Cameron promised to hold a referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prospect of Britain leaving the EU is known as "Brexit" short for British exit. ___ WHAT COULD GET BRITAIN TO STAY? Cameron argues that Britain should stay in the EU if he can get changes cutting red tape and giving individual countries more power. This week EU leaders will try to agree on change in four areas: economic governance; competitiveness; sovereignty; and social benefits and free movement. The last section is the most contentious Britain wants to be able to make immigrants from other EU countries wait for up to four years before they can receive some welfare benefits, notably child benefit. ___ WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FOCUS ON CHILD BENEFIT? Since a group of former communist eastern European nations joined the EU in 2004, more than 500,000 Poles, Lithuanians and others have moved to Britain. They receive the same benefits as British workers, including payments if they have children even if those children live in the parents' home country. This strikes many Britons as unfair. EU leaders won't agree to substantially undermine the key EU principle that citizens may live and work freely in other member states. But they are offering a tweak an "emergency brake" that will allow Britain to restrict benefits for a period if the U.K. can show its social welfare system is under pressure. Cameron says curbing benefits will cut the number of migrants coming to Britain, though this is debatable. Many workers are drawn less by the promise of benefits than by Britain's relatively dynamic economy and high wages. ___ WILL EU LEADERS REACH AN AGREEMENT? Other EU countries value Britain for its diplomatic and economic clout and because it provides a counterweight to France and Germany. But they get frustrated with its constant demands. European Parliament President Martin Schulz said recently that some EU politicians privately think: "Don't stop a rolling stone. If the Brits want to leave, let them leave." There is a general desire to help Britain, but some sticking points remain. Eastern European nations don't want other countries to be able to use the brake on benefits offered to Britain, while countries in the single currency worry that protections for Britain and other non-eurozone nations unduly advantage to Britain's financial center, the City of London. ___ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? If there is a deal in Brussels, Cameron is expected to announce a referendum date as soon as Friday, with June 23 the most likely option. That will set off months of campaigning by "remain" campaigners led by Cameron and a broad but fractious "leave" group. Colombia's police chief resigns over sexual misconduct probe BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) The head of Colombia's police resigned Wednesday amid accusations of illegal enrichment and sexual misconduct with young cadets that threatened to tarnish the reputation of one of the South American nation's most-prestigious institutions. Gen. Rodolfo Palomino's resignation came a day after Colombia's inspector general opened an administrative probe into the accusations, which surfaced in the media late last year. Palomino, in this third year as police chief, reiterated his innocence at a press conference and said the charges are part of a campaign to slander him. FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2015, file photo, Colombia's Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo Palomino arrives to attend a press conference in Bogota, Colombia. Gen. Palomino's resigned on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, a day after Colombia's Inspector General opened an administrative probe against him into accusations of illegal enrichment and sexual misconduct with young cadets, which first surfaced in the media late last year. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) "I can't allow that because of an investigation against the director, doubts be cast on the police's honorability," Palomino said surrounded by his family and high-ranking officers. "Human beings are never above the institutions they serve." The accusations against Palomino range from his purchase of a luxury home outside Bogota that was apparently incompatible with his police salary and alleged illegal wiretaps against journalists. But the most damning charges, which have monopolized public attention the past few days, are Palomino's alleged participation in a male prostitution ring, dubbed the "Community of the Ring" by local media, that allegedly forced entry-level cadets to cater to high-ranking officers and even members of congress. Palomino has for months fought accusations by a former colonel that he abused his position for sexual favors years ago. In announcing the probe Tuesday, Inspector General Alejandro Ordonez said authorities obtained testimony and a videotaped conversation from 2008 between a then-senator and police captain that it said corroborates existence of the prostitution ring. President Juan Manuel Santos, who in December had ordered his own probe of Palomino, thanked the general for his nearly four decades of public service while swiftly naming his replacement, Gen. Jorge Nieto, who had been deputy director. Covertly, Israel prepares to fight boycott activists online TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. The Israeli government recently allotted nearly $26 million in this year's budget to combat what it sees as worldwide efforts to "delegitimize" the Jewish state's right to exist. Some of the funds are earmarked for Israeli tech companies, many of them headed by former military intelligence officers, for digital initiatives aimed at gathering intelligence on activist groups and countering their efforts. "I want to create a community of fighters," said Sima Vaknin-Gil, the director general of Israel's Ministry for Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, to Israeli tech developers at a forum last month dedicated to the topic. FILE - In this April 20, 2015, file photo, an Egyptian man shouts anti-Israeli slogans in front of banners with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) logo during the launch of the Egyptian campaign that urges boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel and Israeli-made goods, at the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in Cairo, Egypt. Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat posed by the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File) Initiatives are largely being kept covert. Participants at the invite-only forum, held on the sidelines of a cyber technology conference, repeatedly stood up to remind people that journalists were in the room. Among the government officials involved in the efforts are some of Israel's top secret-keepers, including Sima Shine, a former top official in the Mossad spy agency, and Vaknin-Gil, who recently retired as the chief military censor responsible for gag orders on state secrets. Israel has established itself as a world leader in cyber technology innovation, fueled by graduates of prestigious and secretive military and security intelligence units. These units are widely thought to be behind some of the world's most advanced cyber-attacks, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked Iran's nuclear energy equipment last decade. Each year, these units churn out a talent pool of Israelis who translate their skills to the corporate world. Now Israel is looking to harness their technological prowess for the fight to protect Israel's international image. Vaknin-Gil said her ministry is encouraging initiatives to expose the funding and curb the activities of anti-Israel activists, as well as campaigns to "flood the Internet" with content that puts a positive face on Israel. She said some of these actions will not be publicly identified with the government, but that the ministry will not fund unethical or illegal digital initiatives. Established about 10 years ago, the pro-Palestinian "BDS" campaign is a coalition of organizations that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organizers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups to liberal Jews disillusioned by Israeli policies. They lobby corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel. The movement has made inroads. U.S. and British academic unions have endorsed boycotts, student governments at universities have made divestment proposals, and some famous musicians have refused to perform in Israel. The BDS movement also claims responsibility for pressuring some large companies to stop or modify operations in Israel. In its latest push, it has urged top Hollywood actors to reject a government-paid trip to Israel being offered to leading Oscar nominees. Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, said "quite a few web pages" that BDS websites linked to have mysteriously disappeared from the Internet. "We assume Israel's cyber sabotage is ongoing, but we are quite pleased that its detrimental impact on the global BDS movement has been dismal so far," he said. Israel says the movement is rooted in anti-Semitism and seeks not to change Israeli policies, but ultimately to put an end to the Jewish state. Many online activists driving anti-Israeli campaigns on social media are tech-savvy, second- and third-generation Muslims in Europe and the U.S. who have grievances against the West and also lead online campaigns against European and U.S. governments, said Elad Ratson, who tracks the issue for Israel's Foreign Ministry and spoke at last month's cybersecurity forum. He said they often create code that allows activists to blast thousands of messages from social media accounts creating the illusion that many protesters are sharing the same anti-Israel or anti-West message online. Israeli officials lobby Facebook to remove pages it says incite violence against Israelis, and there has been talk of advancing legislation to restrict Facebook in Israel. A Facebook representative met with Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan in Israel last week about the matter. Ratson said social media giants are beginning to close inciting users' accounts. Twitter said in a statement this month that since mid-2015, it has closed more than 125,000 accounts that were "threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to ISIS," the Islamic State group. But he said Islamist activists are simply moving to "Darknet" sites not visible on the open internet. Some Israeli tech companies are starting to build sly algorithms to restrict these online activists' circle of influence on the "Darknet," so activists think their message is reaching others when in fact it is being contained, Ratson said. Other Israeli companies work on forensic intelligence gathering, such as detecting digital or semantic signatures buried in activists' coding so they are able to track and restrict their online activity. Firewall Israel, a non-profit initiative sponsored by the Reut Institute, an Israeli think tank, is building an online platform to help pro-Israel activists around the world communicate about anti-Israel activism in their communities. At a recent event the initiative held at Campus Tel Aviv, a Google-sponsored event space for entrepreneurs, an Israeli web expert taught young activists how to mine the internet for BDS activities. "Delegitimizers are engaged in a Disneyland of hate," Igal Ram of Firewall Israel told seminar participants. "We want to act against the people who run the Disneyland ... and the useful idiots who help." Inspiration, an Israeli intelligence analysis company founded by Ronen Cohen and Haim Pinto, former military intelligence officers, launched a technological initiative some months ago to collect intelligence on BDS organizations in Europe, particularly Scandinavian countries, the U.S., and South America, Cohen said. He said the initiative aims to dismantle the infrastructure of groups he said were responsible for incitement and anti-Semitism against Israel. He declined to give specifics. "It's no different than an operation, which you sometimes read about in the newspaper, in Syria or Lebanon," Cohen said. "It's the kind of thing that, if you want to do it in the future ... you can't work in the open." ___ UN: Hamas tunnel threats not helpful for rebuilding of Gaza GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) The U.N. Mideast envoy says threats by Hamas to continue building tunnels into Israel do "not help" reconstruction efforts in war-battered Gaza Strip. Nikolay Mladenov spoke on Wednesday during a visit to Gaza. He toured Shijaiyah, one of the hardest hit areas in the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel. His remarks appeared to be a veiled criticism aimed at the Islamic militant group, which has struggled to balance its hard-line anti-Israel ideology and the pragmatic needs of ruling the territory. Hamas officials have pledged to continue building tunnels along the Israeli border, even after recent collapses killed 10 Hamas fighters. Israel views the tunnels as a top threat. Palestinian teachers say a dozen arrested for striking RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) Palestinian teachers say police have detained about a dozen of them for organizing a two-day school strike. Palestinian teacher Yousef Badran of Hebron says Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority has not fulfilled a 2013 pledge to issue a 10 percent raise to teachers. He says teachers scrape by on salaries of about $640 per month and "all we demand is a decent life." The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is going through a severe fiscal crisis and struggling to pay its vast number of government employees. Teachers make up the largest group of this sector. Badran said about 20,000 teachers from across the West Bank demonstrated this week in Ramallah outside the prime minister's office. The Latest: Pope says God will judge exploiters of workers MEXICO CITY (AP) The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Mexico (all times local): 1:20 p.m. Pope Francis is warning that God will judge those who exploit workers and make them "slaves of our day," for their own profit. Pope Francis looks at the crowd that came to welcome him upon arrival to Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison, just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates, and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) During a visit to Ciudad Juarez, Francis urged employers to think of the type of Mexico they want to leave for their children. "Do you want to leave them the memory of exploitation, of insufficient pay, of workplace harassment?" he asked. And he added, "What air will they breath? An air tainted by corruption, violence, insecurity and suspicion, or on the contrary an air capable of generating alternatives, renewal and change?" Francis' meeting came on his final day in Mexico. He concludes it with a visit to the Texas border for a prayer for victims of human trafficking. ___ 1:05 p.m. Religious leaders and migrants rights advocates in the United States say Pope Francis' acknowledgment during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border of the struggles of immigrants will send a humanitarian message. Just before his Mass Wednesday afternoon in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Francis is to walk to the border fence along the Rio Grande, which separates the two countries. There, he'll offer a prayer for migrants on the other side and for those who died trying to get to the U.S. A group of about 500 people, including migrants and refugees, will be on the U.S. side. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville said at a news conference in El Paso Wednesday that "because something has political dimensions it doesn't mean that it does not also have moral dimensions ___ 12:25 a.m. Pope Francis is urging Mexican prisoners to look to the future and believe that their lives can change rather than dwell on the "sorrow and sin" that got them incarcerated. On his final day in Mexico Wednesday, Francis brought the message of his Holy Year of Mercy to the No. 3 prison in Ciudad Juarez, once considered the murder capital of the world. Francis told the 700 or so inmates gathered in the prison chapel that they cannot undo the past. But he said they must believe that things can change, and that they have the possibility of "writing a new story and moving forward." He said: "You have known the power of sorrow and sin and have not forgotten that within your reach is the power of the resurrection, the power of divine mercy which makes all things new." He urged the inmates to use their experience in prison for good, to help end the cycle of violence that has torn Mexico apart in recent years. "The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say has experienced hell, can become a prophet in society," he said. "Work so that this society, which uses people and discards them, will not go on claiming victims." ___ 11:05 a.m. People have begun pouring across the border from the West Texas city of El Paso to Juarez, where Pope Francis is holding the final Mass of his visit to Mexico. A steady stream of pedestrians has been flowing across the Bridge of the Americas from El Paso into Juarez ahead of the pope's afternoon Mass. Volunteers from the Catholic diocese were handing out free water bottles to those crossing the bridge. Luis Trillo is among those crossing, making the walk despite pain from arthritis in his legs. He says he's excited to hear Francis' blessing at the Mass. ____ 10:55 a.m. Pope Francis has touched down in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, greeted by hundreds of people in bleachers set up at the city's airport. It's the final stop on a whirlwind five-day visit to the country, and it's expected to be one of the most dramatic as the pope tackles issues of violence and immigration from an altar set up right along the U.S. border. The faithful have been streaming along the city's closed-off streets to reach the site of the Mass, walking in pairs or in extended families, some bundled against the early morning cold. ___ 10:25 a.m. The temporary altar where Pope Francis is to celebrate an open-air Mass is snug against the U.S.-Mexico border with just a highway between its edge on the Rio Grande. The skyline of El Paso, Texas, is clearly visible and on Tuesday a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter was so close it seemed to nearly fly over the altar while making a low, lazy path above the Rio Grande. Venders are hawking papal memorabilia from yellow and white flags to baseball caps and t-shirts with the pontiff's likeness. ___ 9:15 a.m. The airline that carried Pope Francis to Mexico says the plane carrying the pontiff was hit by a laser light from the ground as it arrived on Friday. Alitalia says no one was hurt and the aircraft landed safely. It said Wednesday that the crew notified the Mexico City airport's control tower of the incident. Officials around the world have been increasingly concerned about people training laser pointers on jetliners. In some cases, crewmembers have suffered eye damage. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported nearly 4,000 laser strikes in 2013. ___ 9:00 a.m. Pope Francis has ended his vist to Mexico's capital with a final mariachi serenade. But he's still got major events on today's schedule for northern Mexico. The Mexican Navy's mariachi band saw him away with a specially composed number: "Pope Francis, this isn't farewell, it's only see you later. May God bless you." And then he boarded a jet for the border city of Ciudad Juarez. ___ 7:20 a.m. Pope Francis is wrapping up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with some of his most anticipated events. Those include a visit to a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates. He'll also stop at the Texas border at a moment when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. The pope has left his lodgings at the papal nuncio's residence in Mexico City for the last time on this visit after a farewell serenade by mariachis. He's beaming and waving to thick crowds along the streets as he heads to the airport in his popemobile to catch a flight to the northern border metropolis of Juarez. After the stop there, he'll fly home to Rome. Francis' final events cap a whirlwind five-day visit that focused heavily on the injustices faced by Mexico's poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable to the country's drug-fueled violence. Pope Francis, top second from right, visits inmates at the CeReSo n. 3 prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is wrapping up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison, just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates, and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (Gabriel Bouys/Pool photo via AP) Faithful and Pope Francis' plane are silhouetted at the airport in Morelia, Mexico, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. In his homily, Francis told the priests and nuns to not become resigned to the problems around them or give in to paralysis, which he called the devil's "favorite weapon." (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Choir girls walk to the entrance of the Benito Juarez International Airport to greet Pope Francis before he arrives in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison, just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates, and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) Carlos Dominguez chalks an image of a cross on the road as he waits for a glimpse of Pope Francis along the pontiff's planned route in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison, just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates, and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) Pope Francis waves from a Fiat sedan as he arrives to the airport in Mexico City, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff departed for Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday morning, where he will visit a prison, just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates, and make a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Soldiers stand guard as people arrive to get a glimpse of Pope Francis along the pontiff's planned route in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The pontiff is scheduled to wrap up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with a visit in a Ciudad Juarez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Two small boys balance themselves on the rail of a border fence during an event organized by the Border Network for Human Rights, on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Pope Francis will conclude his weeklong Mexico trip with a visit to Ciudad Juarez where he will meet with Mexican workers, grassroots groups and employers in an encounter where hell likely repeat his mantra on the need for dignified work for all and land, labor and lodging. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre) US accuses China amid signs of missiles on disputed island WASHINGTON (AP) The United States warned Wednesday of rising tensions in the South China Sea after China appeared to have placed a surface-to-air missile system on a disputed island. Taiwan's defense ministry said that China had positioned anti-aircraft missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel chain, which is occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said commercial satellite imagery appeared to indicate China has deployed a surface-to-air missile system. Another U.S. official gave a more direct confirmation of the deployment on Woody Island. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the information publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it is unclear whether the deployment is intended for the long-term. This image with notations provided by ImageSat International N.V., Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, shows satellite images of Woody Island, the largest of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. A U.S. official confirmed that China has placed a surface-to-air missile system on Woody Island in the Paracel chain, but it is unclear whether this is a short-term deployment or something intended to be more long-lasting. (ImageSat International N.V. via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES The deployment follows China's building of new islands by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. The buildup is seen as part of Beijing's efforts to claim virtually the entire disputed sea and its resources, which has prompted some of its wary neighbors to draw closer to the U.S. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the media of hyping the issue and saying more attention should be paid to the "public goods and services" provided by China's development of its maritime claims. China's actions in the South China Sea have becoming a source of tension not just with other Asian governments that claim territory there, but with Washington. Secretary of State John Kerry said the signs of increasing militarization contradicted a public assurance from Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited the White House last September. "When President Xi was here in Washington, he stood in the Rose Garden with President Obama and said China will not militarize the South China Sea. But there is every evidence every day that there has been an increase in militarization," Kerry said before meeting with Poland's foreign minister in Washington. "It's a serious concern," he said, adding that he expected the U.S. would have a "very serious conversation" with China on the issue in the next few days. U.S. network Fox News reported that China had moved two batteries of the HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system, along with radar targeting arrays on Woody island. HIS Jane's Intelligence Review agreed with that conclusion in its assessment of commercial satellite imagery of the island. The review's deputy editor Neil Ashdown said that depending on the version of the HQ-9 deployed, the system has a range of between 125 kilometers (78 miles) and 230 kilometers (143 miles), and would be the most advanced surface-to-air missile system currently deployed on land in the South China Sea. He described that as a significant military escalation. Reports of the deployment came shortly after President Barack Obama wrapped up a summit in California on Tuesday with Southeast Asian leaders, who called for the peaceful resolution of the region's maritime disputes through legal means. Obama said the leaders had discussed, "the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas." That has been a frequent appeal from Washington in the past two years, but to little effect. U.S. officials say China has reclaimed 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land, mostly in the Spratly Island group and has recently conducted test flights to an island there with a newly built 10,000-foot (3,050-meter) airstrip. The Paracels lie further north. Although not one of the six governments with territorial claims in the South China Sea, the U.S. says it has a national interest in the region's stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in and above what are some of the world's busiest sea lanes. Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday that China's actions demonstrated Beijing's desire to resort to coercion and President Xi's "cavalier disregard for his public commitments to the United States." He said the U.S. should consider "raising the costs for Beijing." Called Yongxingdao by China, Woody Island has an artificial harbor, an airport, roads, army posts and other buildings. Recent satellite imagery appears to show it is adding a helicopter base likely dedicated to anti-submarine warfare missions. China's move is likely to rattle Vietnam the most because of its proximity to the Paracels and because of a history of maritime tensions with China that spiked in 2014 with a standoff after China moved a massive oil rig there. __ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Ralph Jennings in Taipei, Taiwan, Christopher Bodeen in Beijing, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Tran Van Minh in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for photographers as she arrives for a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. China's moves to assert its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea are expected to be a key agenda item during a visit to Beijing Wednesday by Bishop. (Wu Hong/Pool Photo via AP) Director hopes 'Zero Days' will spark debate on cyberwarfare BERLIN (AP) When machines at a nuclear plant in Iran suddenly began spinning out of control six years ago, suspicion quickly fell on the United States and Israel, especially after a sophisticated virus was found that appeared to have been tailored to sabotage a key process in the enrichment of weapons-grade uranium. Computer security experts dubbed the virus Stuxnet, describing it as the most powerful cyberweapon the world had yet seen. While the attack on the Natanz plant appeared to have met its immediate objective to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapons program the emergence of Stuxnet was soon compared to the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 for its ability to change the course of warfare. A broad public debate about the use of cyberweapons has yet to happen, however, although every modern society is vulnerable to attacks on its critical infrastructure, says Alex Gibney, an Academy Award-winning documentary maker who spent years investigating the Stuxnet case for his new film, "Zero Days." Alex Gibney, director of the FIlm 'Zero Days' answers questions during an interview with The Associated Press at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Gibney said he wants a broader debate, particularly in the United States, about the role and regulation of cyberweapons in modern warfare. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt) The movie, which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, traces the origins of Stuxnet to joint U.S.-Israeli efforts to foil Iran's nuclear weapons program without resorting to airstrikes. But interviews with past and present intelligence officials in both countries soon met with a wall of silence that frustrated Gibney. "Obviously the Manhattan Project (to develop the first U.S. atomic bomb) was a secret project, but when the bombs when off in Hiroshima and Nagasaki nobody said 'What bombs? Did bombs drop? We're shocked,'" he said. Even after it became clear that other countries had not only obtained copies of Stuxnet but used parts of it in attacks, and the virus was spreading through computer systems in the United States, the U.S. government largely refused to engage in a debate on the pros and cons of cyberwarfare, said Gibney. "You would expect people to keep covert operations a secret but once they're blown, and particularly when they seem to cross over into so much physical destruction, at what point does it become almost nonsensical to not engage about those subjects?" Unlike the case of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who approached journalists with classified information about U.S. electronic surveillance programs, Gibney said finding someone who would talk was "a long slog." "I talked to some friends of mine who had been in the Obama administration and there was a sense of pretty extraordinary fear of even talking off the record about this topic," he said. "It was toxic. So it was really a problem, this one." Eventually some in the intelligence community came forward, according to Gibney. Their identities remains hidden throughout the film, masked by an actress who voices their words. One, a purported NSA employee, confirms the agency "did Stuxnet." The anonymous source also describes the operation known internally as "Olympic Games" as small compared to wider contingency plans for a cyberattack on Iran known as "Nitro Zeus." The CIA declined to comment on the claims made in the film, some of which have been previously reported by the New York Times and the Jerusalem Post. It referred questions to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Some experts believe Stuxnet helped spur negotiations toward last year's nuclear accord with Iran. Gibney thinks the blowback resulting from the release of such a sophisticated cyberweapon outweighs the benefits. With Russia, China, North Korea and Iran now believed to be among the countries with major cyberarmies, he thinks it's time to talk about the implications of a free-for-all in the field of electronic warfare. "In a world that's so interconnected, if hospitals go down, if water filtration systems go down, if electricity goes down, suddenly in the modern world those effects can be catastrophic," Gibney told The Associated Press. Still, the history of international accords to limit the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons offers some hope, he said. "One thing we know about technology, and one thing we know about agreements is that over time you learn. You learn how to understand and defend against these weapons, and also how to figure out how to regulate their use," he said. Alex Gibney, director of the FIlm 'Zero Days' answers questions during an interview with The Associated Press at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Gibney said he wants a broader debate, particularly in the United States, about the role and regulation of cyberweapons in modern warfare. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt) From left, journalist David Sanger, director Alex Gibney and journalist Yossi Melman, pose for the photographers during a photo call for the film 'Zero Days' at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt) Mining company in Brazil dam burst reaches deal over repairs RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) The mining company involved in Brazil's worst environmental disaster has reached an agreement with local government and public prosecutors to hire an independent auditor to monitor its repair work. Under terms of the deal with officials from Minas Gerais state, Samarco must set out new emergency measures in the event of further collapses in its dam network. The company must also keep a helicopter on 24-hour standby for rescue teams. Samarco is a joint-venture of mining giants Vale and BHP Billiton. FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2015, file photo, a rescue worker searches for victims next tot he carcass of a dead cow, at the site of the town of Bento Rodrigues, after two dams burst, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Samarco, a joint-venture of mining giants Vale and BHP Billiton, involved in Brazils worst environmental disaster has reached an agreement on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, with local government and public prosecutors to hire an independent auditor to monitor its repair work. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) Federal agency awards $10M to upgrade, close rail crossings BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded nearly $10 million in grants to upgrade or close dozens of railroad crossings in eight states, including a $1.1 million grant to Louisiana. FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg visited Baton Rouge on Wednesday to announce the grants, which are funded by the federal Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail Program. Louisiana's grant will pay for closing six crossings and upgrading nine others with gates and lights along a 6-mile stretch of Baton Rouge rail owned by Kansas City Southern Railway Company. The FRA says four people have been injured in 11 accidents at these 15 crossings since 2000. An average of eight trains per day travel along the route. The other states receiving grant money are Arkansas, California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The grants target routes where trains carry crude oil and ethanol. Feinberg said there was an "uptick" in deaths and injuries at rail crossings in 2014 after years of steadily declining numbers. "We know that those numbers went way, way down during the recession, probably because there were fewer people on the roads and fewer trains traveling," she said. "We're not sure yet why those numbers have ticked up." But accidents at rail crossings are a "really old challenge," Feinberg added. "It's one that I think we've thrown a lot at over the years, over the decades, and we need to be thinking about it in new ways," she said, noting that the FRA is working with technology companies to integrate federal rail data with mapping applications. In 2014, 267 people died in collisions between trains and vehicles at U.S. railroad crossings. Only four states had more deaths at crossings in 2014 than Louisiana, which had 13. Many of the crossings due for upgrades and closings in Baton Rouge are near a magnet school for middle schoolers. Sean Joffrion, the school's principal, said many of his students have to cross the tracks at least twice every day. "Knowing that the safety of the railroad crossings will be increased puts me as well as parents more at ease," he said. U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Louisiana said the grants are a "step in the right direction." Bush swings at Trump, Rubio on national security BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) Jeb Bush is swinging hard at fellow Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and John Kasich Wednesday, dismissing them as ill-prepared as he fights for his political survival. The former Florida governor says Rubio's claim that Bush has no foreign policy experience is "a low blow." Bush touts his two terms as governor and 30-plus years in the private sector, which included overseas trade missions. He called Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, "a back-bencher" and "a guy whose office has a hard time actually saying what his accomplishments are." Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop in Aiken, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT National security is a key issue in the South Carolina primary. Bush is in a fight with Rubio, Ohio Gov. Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for second place to Trump's commanding lead in Saturday's primary. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop in Aiken, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT The Latest: Cruz says Obama shouldn't travel to Cuba BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) The Latest on the 2016 race for president, three days out from the South Carolina Republican primary (all times local): 10:15 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says President Barack Obama should not travel to Cuba next month. Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., appears with Anderson Cooper during a commercial break at a CNN town hall event, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) The White House is planning to make the announcement about the visit as early as Thursday. But asked about reports of the president's plans on Wednesday night during a town hall in South Carolina broadcast on CNN, the Republican candidate for president said Obama shouldn't make the trip "as long as the Castros are in power." Cruz's father was born in Cuba, where he was arrested and jailed before fleeing to the United States in the 1950. "My father has seen firsthand the evil and oppression in Cuba," Cruz said. Cruz is also speaking out against any plans of closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying he fears Obama will do so before leaving office next year. ___ 9:55 p.m. Bernie Sanders is repurposing his well-received "America" television ad for the upcoming Democratic contests in Nevada and South Carolina. The gauzy ad featuring the music of Simon and Garfunkel was first released during the Iowa caucuses. The people featured in the original spot were overwhelmingly white, leading top Hillary Clinton ally David Brock to say the ad presented a "bizarre" image of America. Nevada and South Carolina are more racially diverse and the new ads feature more minorities, as well as scenes from locations in both states. The changes come as Sanders tries to boost his appeal with black and Hispanic voters. Clinton's campaign is hoping to offset Sanders' strength with young voters by drawing big vote totals among minorities. The new Sanders' ads are airing in the Reno, Nevada, and Greenville, South Carolina, areas, according to Kantar Media's CMAG data. ___ 9:30 p.m. Marco Rubio says a significant portion of minority families in America feel they're being treated differently. The son of Cuban immigrants says he was a victim of racism as a 7-year-old, during a mass migration of Cubans in 1980. Rubio said older kids in his Nevada neighborhood told him to get on a boat and go back to his country. Rubio said during Wednesday's CNN presidential town hall, "That disturbed me as a young child." Rubio would become the nation's first Hispanic-American president if elected. He noted he was endorsed Wednesday by South Carolina's Indian-American governor and will campaign Thursday alongside the state's African-American senator. He said, "That says a lot about the Republican Party." __ 8:45 p.m. Republican Donald Trump says that, if he's elected president, any person he nominates for Supreme Court justice will have to pledge to uphold a landmark gun rights case. Trump was answering questions on a televised town hall on MSNBC when he was asked whether he would make upholding the Heller decision a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees. The 2008 case determined that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. Trump responded: "I give that commitment right now. Absolutely. " He added that he's been "very strong" on defending the Second Amendment and that both he and his sons are members of the National Rifle Association. ___ 8:20 p.m. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson says he would probably nominate a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia if he was now in the White House. "Why not do it?" Carson asks at a town hall broadcast by CNN from Greenville, South Carolina. He'll be followed later Wednesday night by fellow Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. South Carolina's GOP primary is on Saturday. Carson says he would have litmus tests for the candidates for the high court. But rather than ask potential nominees about where they stand on an issue such as abortion, "I would look back at what they've done throughout their lives." Carson says that's a better way to learn about a candidate for the court, rather than in interviews for which candidates have prepared in advance. Several of Carson's fellow Republican candidates for president have said the choice to replace Scalia should be made by the next president, and not by President Barack Obama. ___ 7:34 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says he has been "saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus" and that informs how he's running for president. Cruz spoke Wednesday evening in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at an event organized by the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Cruz has been defending his trustworthiness against accusations from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio that he is a liar and engaging in dirty campaign tricks. Cruz has denied the claims. He said Wednesday that his religious faith informs every decision he makes, including how he runs his campaign. Cruz frequently extols supporters in his stump speech to "awaken the body of Christ" to save the country. Cruz's win in the Iowa caucuses was fueled by evangelical Christian support, a group of voters he is also aggressively courting in South Carolina ahead of its Saturday primary. ___ 6:17 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is campaigning alongside Marco Rubio for the first time since endorsing his presidential bid. The Republican governor campaigned alongside Rubio during a Wednesday evening event in suburban Columbia just hours after news her endorsement was announced. She said there were a lot of good people running for president, but her job was to find one who could do the job best. She credited Rubio's fight, passion and conviction. And she said she wanted to find a candidate who would prove to her immigrant parents they made a good decision by coming to America. Haley said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America." Rubio's Republican rival, Jeb Bush, described Haley as "the most meaningful endorsement there is" in South Carolina. ___ 5:33 p.m. Donald Trump says he worries the Republican-led Senate may cave to President Barack Obama and appoint a new Supreme Court justice. At a rally in Walterboro, South Carolina, Trump says he's "hearing these little cracks" that suggest the GOP might not hold its ground in opposing any nomination before the election to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly last week. Trump says Obama wants to nominate a justice who will be "very negative" on the Second Amendment and gun policy. He says the Senate's GOP leadership "gave Obama everything" on the budget as well as the health care overhaul law. Trump says if he can win in South Carolina on Saturday, he can "run the table" in the rest of the GOP nominating contest. ___ 4:43 p.m. John Kasich is spending the day of South Carolina's Republican primary campaigning and raising money in Massachusetts. Kasich's campaign says he may return to South Carolina on Saturday evening to await the primary results after earlier events in Massachusetts, but the schedule is not finalized. Saturday's events include a fundraiser in Boston and a town hall meeting in Worcester. Massachusetts is one of just a few northern states holding its primary on Super Tuesday on March 1. The Bay State, alongside Vermont and Minnesota, are seen as more favorable territory for Kasich than South Carolina and a string of Southern states voting on March 1. ___ 3:42 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is getting an earful of advice much of it about Donald Trump during a campaign appearance in South Carolina. One man in the town hall audience of about 300 people told Bush his presidential "campaign has been co-opted by the P.T. Barnum of our time." Another man at the same event told Bush, "I'm afraid that your message isn't resonating," suggesting Bush turn the other cheek to Trump's continual taunting. Bush calls Trump "a bully," and suggests the best approach is to "punch him back in the nose." The former Florida governor is struggling for a strong finish in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Gov. Nikki Haley is poised to endorse rival Marco Rubio. ___ 3:19 p.m. GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush says he is "disappointed" that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing rival Marco Rubio just three days before voters in the state cast ballots for the Republican nominee. Speaking to reporters after a campaign event in Summerville, S.C., Bush said of Haley: "She's a very good governor and should I win the nomination, there'll be a role for her in the campaign." Haley's endorsement of Rubio was confirmed by a person close to the Republican governor with direct knowledge of her decision. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the endorsement ahead of a Rubio event Wednesday night, where she's expected to make it official. Bush has struggled to keep his campaign afloat, calling in help from brother George W. Bush, the former president, and his mother, Barbara Bush. Jeb Bush's brother and father won big primaries in the state in 2000 and 1988. ___ 3:00 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Marco Rubio ahead of Saturday's first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary. A person close to the Republican governor with direct knowledge of her decision says she will endorse Rubio at his event Wednesday night in Lexington County. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the endorsement ahead of the event and spoke on condition of anonymity. Haley's endorsement was considered the most coveted among South Carolina politicians. She joins Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy in endorsing Rubio. The state's first female and first minority governor said just Tuesday that she may not endorse this cycle. But she's been very critical of Donald Trump. Haley endorsed Mitt Romney a month before South Carolina's 2012 presidential primary and campaigned with him. Romney lost to Newt Gingrich, breaking the state's three-decade tradition of backing the party's eventual nominee. ___ 2:40 p.m. Hillary Clinton is praising President Obama and pledging to continue many of his policies as she campaigns in his hometown of Chicago. The former secretary of state told several hundred people at a Wednesday rally a few miles from Obama's home that she is "unapologetic" about her loyalty to the president. She called his two terms in office "impressive," saying he got the economy back on track, passed his signature health care bill and saved the auto industry from collapse. Clinton says "I will build on the progress that President Obama has made." Clinton also stressed her own ties to Chicago, reminding the crowd she was born in the city and raised in its suburbs and recalling previous visits, including a meeting with Obama where he asked her to be his Secretary of State. Clinton was joined on stage by the mothers of several young black people from Chicago who were killed by the gun violence that has ravaged many of the city's predominantly black neighborhoods. Also with her: the mother of Sandra Bland, a suburban Chicago woman who was found dead in a Texas jail cell after a 2014 traffic stop. Both Clinton and rival Bernie Sanders are trying to appeal to minority voters as the contest moves to Nevada and South Carolina. ___ 2:30 p.m. Marco Rubio has a new outside group in his corner, and it is backed by a Miami donor who says he will spend more than $1 million on the 2016 presidential race. The super political action committee, called Values Are Vital, recently put $133,000 into pro-Rubio mailings in the next-to-vote primary states of South Carolina and Nevada. One postcard portrays Rubio rivals John Kasich and Jeb Bush as "liberals." The group's chief donor, Ronald Firman, tells The Associated Press that he does not personally know Rubio, a Florida senator, but is "convinced he can win against the Democrats." Firman says Rubio has the best mix of foreign policy and economic credentials and proposals of any GOP candidate. Firman, a 53-year-old in commercial real estate, and Las Vegas attorney Martin Burns formed Values Are Vital two years ago to help their childhood friend Paige Kreegel in a special election for a Florida congressional seat. The pair spent more than $1.5 million; Kreegel lost. ___ 1:27 p.m. John Kasich says he disagrees with Apple's CEO that the government overreached in ordering the company to help the FBI hack an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in San Bernardino, California. The Ohio governor told reporters Wednesday, "I don't think it's an example of government overreach to say that, you know, we had terrorists here on our soil and we've got to understand more detail about who they may have been communicating with." Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, murdered 14 people Dec. 2 before the couple was killed by police. The phone was recovered from their vehicle in the aftermath of the attack. Apple CEO Tim Cook says helping authorities unlock the shooter's phone could undermine encryption for millions of other users. Kasich said if he was president he would resolve the problem quietly, adding "some of these things just shouldn't be talked about" in public. ___ 1:15 p.m. Rapper Killer Mike is touching off a controversy with his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, in which the rapper told supporters, "a uterus doesn't qualify you to be president of the United States." The remark Tuesday was an apparent reference to Sanders rival Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who would be the nation's first female president. The comment raised tensions between the two campaigns as they head into pivotal contests in Nevada, South Carolina and a string of "Super Tuesday" states on March 1. The rapper, whose real name is Michael Render, suggested that Clinton would be slow to move on issues of racial justice. ___ 1:10 p.m. John Kasich predicts he'll fare "better than squat" in South Carolina's Republican primary. The Ohio governor said before a campaign rally Wednesday in Bluffton, South Carolina, that he hopes to beat expectations during the South's first presidential primary Saturday. Kasich told reporters: "I don't think people expected me to do squat. And I think we'll do better than squat, but we'll see." Kasich finished second in New Hampshire last week, but headed to South Carolina with less money and fewer campaign staff and volunteers in the state than his nearest rivals. About 200 people turned out to hear Kasich in Bluffton, and he implored them to spread the word by calling friends. ___ 12:56 p.m. Hillary Clinton is being joined in Chicago by prominent black lawmakers and the mother of a black suburban woman who died in her Texas jail cell last year. Geneva Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland, is campaigning with Clinton Wednesday as the Democratic presidential candidate works to appeal to minority voters ahead of contests in Nevada and South Carolina. Bland was found dead days after she was pulled over by a white officer in Texas last year. A medical examiner ruled her death a suicide, though the 28-year-old's family has questioned that account and how the stop was handled. The case became a symbol of mistreatment of blacks by law enforcement and inequalities in the criminal justice system. Rep. Danny Davis, who has represented his West Side Chicago district since 1997, says he backing Clinton over rival Sen. Bernie Sanders because of her record of fighting for health care, education and other issues important to black people. ___ 12:51 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says he would not vote to approve a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court who he had previously supported for a federal appeals court post. The Republican presidential candidate said at a news conference Wednesday that he would not vote to confirm U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Sri Srinivasan if he were nominated by President Obama. Srinivasan was approved on a unanimous 97-0 vote by the Senate for the federal court post in Washington D.C. in 2013. Cruz says the Senate should not confirm any nominee in a presidential election year. Cruz says it is "very different" voting for a judge to serve on the federal appeals court and the Supreme Court. Cruz says he wants to make the presidential election a referendum on which candidate would make the best appointments to the Supreme Court. ___ 12:42 p.m. Donald Trump says the GOP lost the 2012 presidential election when Mitt Romney named Paul Ryan his running mate. Trump says the problem is the way Ryan's budget dealt with Social Security and Medicare. Trump told several hundred people at a Sun City retirement community in Bluffton, South Carolina, Wednesday that Ryan represents cutting entitlements. Trump pledged that he would not cut the programs to assist seniors. He recalled a Democratic-leaning group's 2012 ad that showed a stand-in for Ryan pushing an elderly woman off a cliff. Trump said "that was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan." The Ryan budget would slash spending for safety-net programs for the poor, remake Medicare , cut personal and corporate taxes and push down the deficit. Ryan's office had no immediate comment on Trump's remarks. ___ 12:36 p.m. Jeb Bush is getting more family support on the trail ahead of South Carolina's Feb. 20 primary. The Bush campaign says Barbara Bush will be in Clemson on Thursday for a rally with her son. The former first lady campaigned with the former Florida governor in New Hampshire earlier this year. On Monday, former President George W. Bush appeared with his brother in North Charleston. ___ 12:16 p.m. Ted Cruz says if Donald Trump sues him as threatened over a campaign ad, the lawsuit would be dismissed as frivolous. Cruz lashed out at Trump at a news conference Wednesday in South Carolina, three days before the state's primary. Cruz says the ad, which includes footage of Trump declaring his support for abortion rights, can't be defamatory because it includes comments Trump himself made on national TV. Trump has since said his position has changed and he is anti-abortion. Speaking directly to Trump, Cruz says. "you have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life. Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." ___ 11:41 a.m. Marco Rubio says going forward he'll address audience members who use "outrageous, over-the-top and egregious" language during his events. That's in response to an incident Tuesday night when an audience member shouted out "Waterboard Hillary!" Rubio laughed on the suggestion at the time. He pointed to the press in the back of the room while chuckling and said he didn't hear the comment, but knew it wasn't profanity. The next morning in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Rubio said he didn't hear exactly what the shouter said. He added, "But I also can't be I the position of correcting everyone in the audience that says something, because I'll never get through my speech." Rubio says that going forward, "If it's something outrageous, over the top and egregious, I'll address it." Presidential candidates are often confronted with heated or violent rhetoric during their events. Hillary Clinton was criticized after laughing off an audience member's suggestion last fall that someone strangle Republican Carly Fiorina. In 2008, John McCain corrected an audience member who called President Barack Obama an Arab. __ 11:40 a.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump declared on Wednesday morning that "torture works" and repeated his vow to bring back waterboarding and approve other, tougher interrogation techniques. "Don't tell me it doesn't work. Torture works, OK folks?" Trump tells a crowd of several hundred in Sun City, South Carolina. "You know, I have these guys, torture doesn't work. Believe me, it works, OK? And waterboarding is your minor form." Trump has repeatedly advocated enhanced interrogation techniques for foreign prisoners, including during a recent GOP debate. He said again Wednesday he would "absolutely" allow waterboarding, which simulates the feeling of drowning. "But we should go much stronger than waterboarding," he adds. "That's the way I feel. They're chopping off heads. Believe me, we should go much stronger because our country's in trouble, we're in danger. We have people that want to do really bad things." "Waterboarding is fine, but it's not nearly tough enough," he says. (Waterboarding was practiced until late in the Bush administration, but was disavowed by President Barack Obama. A 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded that harsh interrogation techniques failed to produce information the CIA couldn't have obtained elsewhere or didn't already have. Republican leaders objected to the report's findings, as did some former CIA officials, who said they gained vital intelligence that still guides counterterrorism efforts.) ___ 11:33 a.m. An outside group supporting John Kasich's presidential bid is up with an ad in South Carolina featuring a defense by the most recent winner of this state's GOP primary. In the television spot from New Day for America, the image - but not the voice - of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich appears, defending Kasich against attacks that paint the Ohio governor as soft on defense. Earlier this week, an outside group backing Jeb Bush began airing an ad in this miitary-minded state - home to to Fort Jackson and Parris Island, massive training installations for the Army and Marine Corps, as well as a number of air bases and a naval training school for nuclear submarine officers - aiming to use Kasich's own words against him. Both Kasich and Gingrich denounced the criticism. In the New Day ad, a narrator quotes Gingrich's recent remarks to a newspaper that Kasich, alongside whom he served in Congress, "consistently fought for a better, more effective military." On the trail himself on Wednesday, Bush continued to take on some of his GOP rivals, including Kasich, who have not argued for military spending increases on the same scale Bush has, painting himself as best-positioned to assume the role of commander in chief. ___ 11:22 a.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in Sun City on Wednesday, calling his former rival "one of the dumbest human beings I've ever seen." Trump was responding to Graham's appearance on Fox News earlier Wednesday, when Graham called Trump "a kook" and "unfit for office" and said he would be "the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican Party." Trump hit back from a stage in Sun City, mocking Graham's demeanor, saying, "He couldn't even talk. He was shaking - the hatred. "He went crazy. The guy is a nut job," says Trump. Graham appeared calm in the interview. Trump also mocked Graham's low level of support in polls before he dropped out of the GOP contest as well as his perspective on U.S. military engagement. "I could push him over with a little thimble," says Trump, adding: "This guy knows nothing." It was in Sun City in June that Trump read Graham's cell phone number out loud to the crowd one of the first signs that his campaign was eager to break all the rules of political decorum. ___ 11:10 a.m. Jeb Bush is swinging hard at fellow Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and John Kasich Wednesday, dismissing them as ill-prepared as he fights for his political survival. The former Florida governor says Rubio's claim that Bush has no foreign policy experience is "a low blow." Bush touts his two terms as governor and 30-plus years in the private sector, which included overseas trade missions. He called Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, "a back-bencher" and "a guy whose office has a hard time actually saying what his accomplishments are." National security is a key issue in the South Carolina primary. Bush is in a fight with Rubio, Ohio Gov. Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for second place to Trump's commanding lead in Saturday's primary. A member of the audience wears a wig to mimic Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, as he greets members of the audience after speaking at a rally at Sumter Country Civic Center in Sumter, S.C., Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson waits during a commercial break at a CNN town hall event, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks during a campaign stop, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Summerville, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich addresses supporters during a town hall meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Livonia, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop in Aiken, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes photos during a rally at Morehouse College, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York. Nevada was supposed to be one of Clintons safest bets. But in the final days before Saturdays caucuses, Clintons chances of a big victory look far more like a political crap shoot. (AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith, File) Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a rally Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Anderson, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop in Aiken, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Cracks emerge in GOP refusal to consider Supreme Court pick WASHINGTON (AP) Concerted Republican opposition to considering President Barack Obama's pick for the Supreme Court showed early signs of splintering on Wednesday as a handful of influential senators opened the door to a possible confirmation hearing. One Republican even suggested the president should nominate a candidate from his state. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, did not rule out a committee hearing on Obama's forthcoming nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, went a step further and said she'd support such a move. "I do believe that the nominee should get a hearing," Murkowski, who's running for re-election this fall, told reporters in Juneau, Alaska. "The question then becomes, we have a hearing on a nominee. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that ends up in a vote." President Barack Obama gestures as he answers questions during a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said chances of Senate approval were slim but added that Obama should "use this opportunity to put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda" on the high court. "But should he decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows maybe it'll be a Nevadan," Heller said. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he opposes a filibuster to prevent a vote, as some Republicans have suggested. Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has said he'd wait to see who Obama selects before ruling out a hearing in his committee. Those senators formed a cautious but growing chorus of voices breaking with the absolutist position of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has told the White House not to even bother nominating a candidate. The Kentucky Republican and several Republicans up for re-election have maintained that voters in November's presidential election should have a say in the direction of the nation's highest court. Cornyn, McConnell's deputy, agreed that it should be left to the next president to pick Scalia's successor. Still, Cornyn said it was up to Grassley to decide whether to schedule a hearing, and to McConnell to decide on a full Senate vote if the Judiciary Committee were to vote on the nominee. "It's entirely up to the Senate whether to confirm that nomination, and I think we should not," Cornyn said on radio station KSKY's "The Mark Davis Show." McConnell has shown no signs of softening his opposition to confirming an Obama nominee, which could put vulnerable Republicans in a precarious position as his party works to keep control of the Senate in the November elections. But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid predicted Republicans would "cave in" and said he hoped Obama would announce a selection "in the next 10 days or so." Reid said he believes McConnell "has made a terrible mistake by saying that he is going to ignore the president." He added: "The American people are going to make them pay if they jerk the president around on this." Wrangling over replacing Scalia came as preparations were ramping up to honor the conservative firebrand's life and legacy on the court. The president and first lady Michelle Obama planned to pay their respects Friday when Scalia lies in repose at the Supreme Court, and Vice President Joe Biden was to attend Scalia's funeral on Saturday. Vowing to exercise his responsibility to pick Scalia's successor, Obama has sought to turn GOP resistance into a case study in Washington dysfunction. "The American people expect the Senate is going to show up and do their job even though they have a big election around the corner," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Heller said people from Nevada "should have a voice in the process." Among the names of potential candidates circulating in Washington corridors is Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval a Republican who supports abortion rights although it would be unusual for Obama to nominate a candidate from the opposite party. The pace of judicial confirmations always slows in presidential election years, thanks to reluctance by the party out of power in the White House to give lifetime tenure to their opponents' picks. In the past, lawmakers have sometimes informally agreed to halt hearings on lower court nominations during campaign season. But Obama has argued that "the Supreme Court's different." If Republicans seem seriously amenable to holding confirmation hearings, Obama would have greater reason to name a "consensus candidate," a moderate nominee that Republicans would be hard-pressed to reject. If there's virtually no chance of Republicans bending, Obama might pick a nominee who galvanizes Democratic support and fires up interest groups in the election year. If no replacement is confirmed, the Supreme Court will operate with eight justices not just for the rest of this court term, but for most of the next one as well. High court terms begin in October, and the 80 or so cases argued in the course of a term typically are decided by early summer. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Kathleen Hennessey contributed to this report. ___ Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP and Alan Fram at https://twitter.com/asfram The flag flies at half-staff outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia over the weekend. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama answers questions during a news conference following the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Cruz could be 1st Hispanic president, but rejects the label COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) Ted Cruz could be the first Hispanic president in U.S. history, but that's not how he wants to be known. Cruz, whose father was born in Cuba, admits that his Spanish-speaking skills are "lousy." He offers only the occasional "muchisimas gracias" on the campaign trail. His positions on immigration, including ending birthright citizenship and building a border wall, put him at odds with many Hispanic voters and advocacy groups. Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks to supporters at a rally Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Anderson, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Florida Sen. Marco Rubio shares some of the same conservative positions on immigration, some of which antagonize the Hispanic community an increasingly powerful demographic in American elections. In appealing to conservatives in mostly white Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states to vote in the race to collect delegates for the Republican Party's nominating convention, it wasn't necessary for Cruz or Rubio to appeal directly to Hispanic voters. But that will change quickly in Nevada on Feb. 23, where Latinos make up 28 percent of the population, although they made up only 5 percent of Republican voters in the 2012 caucuses. Cruz's top strategist, Jason Johnson, says the Texas senator can win the general election by capturing just 30 percent of Hispanics, or not much more than the 27 percent Mitt Romney got in his failed 2012 White House bid. Cruz is counting on bringing out millions of mostly white evangelical Christians and working-class voters who sat out the past two elections. "In the Democratic Party, you're the Hispanic guy, you're the African-American guy, you're whatever your little bloc is, you're pigeonholed and simply a quota representative," Cruz told The Associated Press in a November interview. "One of the reasons I'm a Republican is because we treat people as individuals. ... When I ran for Senate in Texas, I didn't run as: 'Vote for the Hispanic guy.'" As a teenager in Cuba, his father Rafael Cruz joined an uprising against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, during which time he was arrested and beaten. In 1957 two years before Fidel Castro took power the elder Cruz fled Cuba for the U.S. Ted Criz told AP that nothing sums up why he ran for office more than his father's journey. "Being the son of an immigrant who has fled oppression makes you appreciate how precious and fragile our freedom is, and is integral to who I am," Cruz said. "But I think a great many of Hispanics in this country are tired of being stereotyped or taken for granted by the Democratic Party." Cruz was born Rafael Edward Cruz in 1970. His parents spoke only English when around him. Cruz changed his name to Ted when he was 13, infuriating his father. By distancing himself from his cultural heritage, Cruz is opening himself to criticism from the other Cuban-American in the race. In last weekend's debate, the fluent Rubio criticized Cruz for not speaking Spanish. Cruz lashed back in heavily accented Spanish. Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Cruz "doesn't fundamentally understand the Latino community." The Washington-based group of national conservative and Republican leaders has criticized Cruz for his opposition to legalizing people who are in the county illegally. Cruz and Rubio "have turned their back on our community" and are catering to the anti-immigrant fringe of the Republican Party, said Dolores Huerta, a longtime civil rights activist. "We can't vote for somebody just because they happen to be of Latino descent," Huerta said. ___ Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sbauerAP and find more of his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/scott-bauer ___ Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Will Weissert contributed to this report from South Carolina. Cruz defends his trustworthiness, blasts Trump, Rubio SENECA, S.C. (AP) Ted Cruz defended his trustworthiness and aired his grievances against Republican rivals Wednesday, saying Donald Trump's threatened lawsuit over a campaign ad would be dismissed as frivolous and Marco Rubio has no evidence to back up his claims of untoward campaigning by the Texas senator. "Look, ethics matter," Cruz told reporters. The Texas senator has been fighting back against the claims from Trump and Rubio all week, but the press conference marked his most forceful and focused defense as Saturday's South Carolina primary neared. Cruz, who graduated from Harvard Law School and previously worked as Texas's top lawyer, dismissed Trump's threat earlier this week to bring a defamation lawsuit over a television ad Cruz is running. The ad in question features footage of Trump in a 1999 interview supporting abortion rights. Trump has since said he is now anti-abortion. But Cruz, who said he would like to take Trump's deposition himself, said a lawsuit against the ad has no chance. Trump's attorney sent Cruz a letter on Tuesday saying the ad was "replete with outright lies, false, defamatory and destructive statements" and Cruz could be held liable for damages if it's not taken down. Cruz dismissed Trump's demands, calling it "one of the most remarkable letters I have ever read." "You have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life," Cruz said, speaking directly to Trump. "Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." Trump, who holds a strong lead in South Carolina, retorted that Cruz was a liar who is making desperate moves to inflate his campaign, which Trump said was "going up in flames." "I am pro-life and I do not support tax payer funding for Planned Parenthood as long as they are performing abortions," Trump said in a statement. Trump also repeated his threat to possibly bring a lawsuit over Cruz's eligibility to be on the ballot, given that he was born in Canada. Cruz and legal experts have said he is eligible because his mother was a United States citizen at the time of his birth. "Time will tell, Teddy," Trump said in his statement. Cruz went through a litany of other accusations that have flown back and forth between his campaign, Rubio and Trump about dirty tricks leading up to the South Carolina primary. He denied being involved with anything untoward and called for anyone with evidence to come forward. Trump and Rubio are "repeatedly putting forth fabrications with no evidence, no basis whatsoever, just trying to throw mud and attack," Cruz said. "The insults and the falsehoods and the fabrications have no business in politics. It is incumbent upon all of us to speak the truth." Rubio was asked Wednesday to come up with evidence that Cruz's team was behind a fake Facebook page wrongly claiming that U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy had switched his endorsement from the Florida senator to Cruz. "It's just a pattern of people around his campaign that have continuously done things like that," Rubio said. ___ Associated Press writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report. ___ Rapper's comments at Sanders rally spark controversy ATLANTA (AP) When rapper Killer Mike spoke before Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at an Atlanta rally on Tuesday night, he sparked controversy by telling supporters that "a uterus doesn't qualify you to be president of the United States." Killer Mike is the latest Sanders surrogate to use impolitic comments about Hillary Clinton, raising tensions between the two campaigns as they head into pivotal contests in Nevada, South Carolina and a string of "Super Tuesday" states on March 1. It comes weeks after former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright implied at a Clinton rally in New Hampshire there was a "special place in hell" for women who don't support Clinton, a line that angered some female supporters of Sanders. The rapper, whose real name is Michael Render, suggested at a rally before 4,800 people at Morehouse College that Clinton would be slow to move on issues of racial justice. His comments referenced a recent conversation he said he had with anti-racism activist Jane Elliott. Hip Hop artist and activist Killer Mike speaks during a rally with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at Morehouse College, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) "When people tell us, 'Hold on, wait awhile.' And that's what the other Democrat is telling you. 'Hold on, Black Lives Matter. Just wait awhile.' 'Hold on, young people in this country, just wait awhile,'" the rapper said. "But I talked to Jane Elliott a few weeks ago, and Jane said, 'Michael, a uterus doesn't qualify you to be president of the United States. You have to be you have to have policy that's reflective of social justice.'" Sanders did not address the comments during the Atlanta rally and it wasn't clear if the senator heard them he was off stage at the time. The campaign did not immediately address the remarks. Clinton campaign spokeswoman Karen Finney responded to the rapper on Twitter, "Based on her uterus? Must be ignoring @HillaryClinton lifetime of doing the work breaking down barriers for all." NARAL Pro-Choice America, a reproductive rights organization supporting Clinton, called it "inappropriate and sexist" and urged Sanders to denounce the comments. The rapper defended himself on Twitter, citing Albright's remarks. Albright later wrote in The New York Times that it "was the wrong context and the wrong time to use that line." Killer Mike cited a prominent female supporter of Sanders, former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner, writing on Twitter that "i don't and never will Hate or think less of woman. Sen. Nina Turner is my Next Great Political Champ but I'm sorry No HRC for me." Sanders vowed to run a positive, issue-based campaign and he frequently says he's never run a negative ad during his congressional career. But some of his top surrogates have made statements at rallies that may have crossed the line. At an event in Burlington, Iowa, actress Susan Sarandon said she had "gotten a lot of flak as a woman for not just, you know, voting genitalia and going for the women candidate." She said, "I would love to see a woman president. I believe one day there will be a woman president. But it's even more important that that woman be the right person." She added that she was "so disappointed and devastated when Hillary Clinton voted for the (Iraq) war and I was so moved when Bernie Sanders stood in what was an unpopular position and said what he said which unfortunately for all of us came true." Cornel West, a Princeton University professor and civil rights activist who has campaigned with Sanders, pointed to Clinton's ties to Wall Street, telling a Davenport, Iowa, audience that "we will not be led astray by our dear sister Hillary Clinton. We know the difference between a genuine Democrat small D and a Wall Street Democrat capital D." __ An Oscar onslaught for 'Mad Max' blindsides Miller NEW YORK (AP) Of the many roads to the Academy Awards, none is as unlikely as the one taken (at ferocious speed, with engines roaring) by George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road." Whatever one's concept of "Oscar bait" is, it does not include action-movie dystopias with face-painting kamikazes and blind, fire-shooting metal guitarists who answer to the name of "Doof." "There's a great quote from Hunter S. Thompson where he said that when something turned right for him unexpectedly, it was like falling down an elevator shaft into a pool of mermaids," Miller says. "It's been a little bit like that." Despite "Fury Road" being about as far away from the usual Oscar-friendly costumed drama, Miller's fireball of a film heads into the Feb. 28th Academy Awards with 10 nods (second only to "The Revenant"), including best picture and best director for Miller. Nominated in every technical category, "Mad Max" stands a good chance of being the night's most-awarded film. In this Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 file photo, George Miller arrives at the 88th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. No film was further removed from the Academy Awards than Miller's apocalyptic fireball "Mad Max: Fury Road." But the 10-time nominated "Mad Max" may well come away with more wins at the Academy Awards on Feb. 28 than any other film. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) It's a gratifying if utterly unforeseen outcome for the 70-year-old Miller, who spent more than a decade trying to get various iterations of a "Mad Max" sequel off the ground, not to mention months of shooting in the Namibian desert and several years in post-production along with the bad word of mouth that accompanies such delays. But when "Fury Road" was finally unveiled in May, the response was rapturous. Here was not the average, bloated summer sequel at all. Here was a blisteringly cinematic movie stuffed with allegorical meaning, with much to say about gender roles and power. "I treat action movies very, very seriously," Miller says in a recent interview between stops on the awards circuit. "It's not something like: Here's a movie with talkie bits and now some action. We were trying to conflate the two." The multitude of Oscar nominations for "Fury Road" speaks to the widespread admiration for the movie's old-school craft. Though it includes extensive visual effects, "Fury Road" was shot with real vehicles on a real location. Miller is the rare action filmmaker who speaks of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd as inspirations. "It finds its antecedents in those early films, those pre-sound movies where arguably the film language, this very new language we had, was forged," Miller says. "When I first came to cinema that's where I first went to with a pretty strong sense of inquiry as to: What is this new language? It's not much more than 100 years old and we can read it before we can read books." The language of "Fury Road" an essentially non-stop chase through a post-apocalyptic wasteland is wildly kinetic. It's expressed almost entirely through imagery rather than dialogue. Tom Hardy, who inherited the role of Max from Mel Gibson, described Miller's movie as "if Obi-Wan Kenobi could make an action movie." It's composed of approximately 2,900 shots. The average shot is 2 seconds and 9 frames. "Film is a mosaic art and this one had many pieces," Miller says. The mammoth task of assembling so much footage from scenes sometimes shot with a dozen cameras fell to Miller's wife, editor Margaret Sixel. She received daily footage at home in Australia while shooting continued in Africa. She, too, is up for an Oscar. It's Sixel's first nod, but several of Miller's films have previously been Oscar nominated, including 1992's "Lorenzo's Oil," 1995's "Babe" and 2006's "Happy Feet." It's a jarringly varied filmography bookended by "Mad Max," which Miller first debuted in 1979. The story has remained a constant in Miller's life, an omnibus onto which to latch ideas. In the '70s, it was oil shortage; in "Fury Road," it's water scarcity. But for many, it's the film's story of female empowerment, led by Charlize Theron's one-armed warrior Furiosa, that's makes "Fury Road" exceptional. Some have called it a feminist action film. "It was really, really gratifying when people did respond and saw all its resonances and really picked up on it," Miller says. "The attraction of something like 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is basically allegorical. You're trying to find those things in the story that seem to be constant in humanity." "Fury Road," which made $376.7 million globally, was named best film by the National Board of Review. Last weekend, it won four BAFTAs. The American Film Institute named it one of the 10 best films of the year, hailing it as "a journey of fire and blood through which the action genre is razed to the ground and reborn." Miller has two ideas for further installments based on the backstories of different characters. "I always thought that you really don't know what your film is until some time passes and it's reflected back at you by the audience," he says. "That process seems to be accelerated now. It's been surprising and gratifying." ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from "Mad Max: Fury Road," directed by George Miller, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. The 10-time nominated "Mad Max" may well come away with more wins at the Academy Awards than any other film. The 88th annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 file photo, director George Miller, a feature film award nominee for "Mad Max: Fury Road," poses backstage at the 68th Directors Guild of America Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. No film was further removed from the Academy Awards than Miller's apocalyptic fireball "Mad Max: Fury Road." But the 10-time nominated "Mad Max" may well come away with more wins at the Academy Awards on Feb. 28 than any other film. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) This photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Tom Hardy, center, as Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron, right, as Imperator Furiosa in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' action adventure film, "Mad Max:Fury Road," directed by George Miller, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. The 10-time nominated "Mad Max" may well come away with more wins at the Academy Awards than any other film. The 88th annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) Republican feud escalates; SC Gov. Haley backs Rubio CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) A three-way feud among the GOP's leading White House contenders escalated Wednesday, with Republican Ted Cruz daring Donald Trump to sue him and dismissing Marco Rubio's charges of dishonesty just days before South Carolina's high-stakes primary. Yet it was Rubio who may have scored the day's biggest win as he secured the coveted endorsement of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The popular governor said she was tasked with identifying the best candidate as she surveyed the crowded GOP field. "If we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America," she said alongside the Florida senator during an evening rally in suburban Columbia. Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks with William Griffin of Charlotte, N.C. Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, at the Seneca Family Restaurant in Seneca, S.C. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) While a major development, Haley's endorsement did little to quiet the intensifying clash between Cruz, Trump and Rubio over alleged ethical violations in the days leading up to Saturday's South Carolina contest. Cruz, the Texas senator, has been trying to beat back charges of dishonesty from Trump and Rubio for weeks. He shifted his defense to the next level during an afternoon news conference that highlighted Cruz's extensive legal training. "You have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life," said Cruz, a Harvard Law School graduate, speaking directly to Trump. "Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." Trump threatened earlier in the week to bring a defamation lawsuit against Cruz over a television ad that attacks the Republican front-runner's conservative bona fides. Specifically, the ad features footage of the billionaire businessman in a 1999 interview supporting abortion rights. Trump now says he opposes abortion. Trump's attorney sent Cruz a letter Tuesday charging the ad was "replete with outright lies, false, defamatory and destructive statements" and saying Cruz could be held liable for damages if it's not taken down. Cruz on Wednesday said a lawsuit against the ad has no chance, and said he would like to take Trump's deposition himself. He also announced plans to run the contested ad more frequently. "Please Donald, file this lawsuit," Cruz said during a CNN presidential forum Wednesday night. The prospective legal battle marks another extraordinary step in the turbulent 2016 Republican primary season. Polls suggest Trump continues to hold a big lead in South Carolina and in upcoming states, as Cruz works to rally the Republican Party's most conservative wing and Rubio tries to consolidate mainstream Republicans behind his candidacy. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich continue to battle for a spot at the table, while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson struggles for relevancy. Haley's endorsement was a major setback for Bush in particular, who told NBC News on Monday that "she is the probably the most meaningful endorsement" if there is one in the state. Bush on Wednesday said her decision left him "disappointed." At one point during a Summerville campaign stop, Bush mimicked pundits suggesting the race is over. "It's all decided, we don't have to go vote, I guess, it's all finished," Bush told the crowd in remarks circulated by rival campaigns. "I should stop campaigning maybe, huh? It's all done. That's not how democracy works." Rubio continued his assault against Cruz's campaign tactics. He accused Cruz supporters of using "push polls" and creating a fake Facebook page wrongly claiming that South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy had switched his endorsement from the Florida senator to Cruz. "He's been lying," Rubio said during the CNN forum. "If you say something that isn't true and you say it over and over again, and you know that it's not true, there's no other word for it." Cruz denied being involved with anything untoward and called for anyone with evidence to come forward. Trump and Rubio are "repeatedly putting forth fabrications with no evidence, no basis whatsoever, just trying to throw mud and attack," Cruz said. "The insults and the falsehoods and the fabrications have no business in politics. It is incumbent upon all of us to speak the truth." Meanwhile, Trump again called Cruz a liar making desperate moves to boost his campaign. "I am pro-life and I do not support taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood as long as they are performing abortions," Trump said in a statement. The New York real estate mogul also repeated his threat to bring a lawsuit over Cruz's eligibility to be on the ballot, given that he was born in Canada. Cruz and legal experts have said he is eligible because his mother was a United States citizen at the time of his birth. "Time will tell, Teddy," Trump said. ___ Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont in Summerville, South Carolina, contributed to this report. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, in Bluffton, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Pope seen as taking unusually tough tone during Mexico visit MEXICO CITY (AP) During five days in Mexico, Pope Francis excoriated government elites for denying their people justice and peace, told bishops to do more to alleviate their flock's suffering at the hands of drug traffickers and corrupt officials, and pointedly avoided the pomp of Mexico City in favor of more humble settings. While popes often offer gentle criticism on visits abroad, Francis seems to have gone even further in hectoring his hosts this trip. Observers said the pontiff clearly feels both the church and the government have failed Mexico's people. "The pope literally believes that the devil is on the loose in Mexico, sowing death, misery and resignation, and he believes that the state, the church and the drug dealers are complicit," said Andrew Chesnut, chairman of Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "He believes that Mexico, with the second-largest Catholic population in the world, is going through an acute moral and political crisis and that the church needs to become an active agent to build a more just Mexico." Pope Francis waves upon his arrival at the airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Francis is celebrating Mexico's Indians on Monday with a visit to Chiapas state, a center of indigenous culture, where he will preside over a Mass in three native languages thanks to a new Vatican decree approving their use in liturgy. The visit is also aimed at boosting the faith in the least Catholic state in Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) For Francis, such dressing downs are part and parcel of his Jesuit spirituality, which calls for frequent "examinations of conscience" before God. That said, even by the pope's standards his speech to bishops Saturday was short on words of praise. Francis lauded church leaders for their work on behalf of migrants but also admonished them to be true pastors, not career-minded clerics who spew words and inoffensive denunciations that make them sound like "babbling orphans beside a tomb." "We do not need 'princes,' but rather a community of the Lord's witnesses," Francis said. The bulk of Mexico's bishops were appointed by St. John Paul II, who some say ignored more activist priests put forward by the local church in favor of others less likely to challenge the establishment. Francis clearly knows the Mexican church well, having led the Latin American bishops conference while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. And the faults that he finds here careerism, an affinity for power and prestige, and an overly exalted reverence for the clergy are the same issues he has criticized in his own government, the Vatican Curia. In one famous Christmas greeting, Francis listed 15 ailments that he said the Vatican is suffering including "spiritual Alzheimer's" and the "terrorism of gossip." On this visit, Francis made his beef with the Mexican church clear in an inscription he left in a guestbook at a seminary: Priests should be pastors of God and not "clerics of the state" a reference to the close ties that many senior churchmen have with the government. By contrast, his speech to U.S. bishops last fall was astonishing for his praise of how they had handled sex abuse scandals something that drew swift condemnation from victims' groups. "This tour stands in contrast to his trips to neighboring Cuba and the U.S., where he was more of a pastor and diplomat," Chesnut said. "More than a few Latin Americans, in particular, will wonder why he was so straight-talking in Mexico yet so circumspect in Cuba, where the church is relatively repressed and the government is authoritarian." Francis's message, and the relative bluntness of the delivery, has been welcomed by many in Mexico. Oscar Medran, who was heading Wednesday to the pope's final Mass in Mexico in the northern border city of Juarez, said: "This is a pope who hits them where it hurts." ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Ciudad Juarez contributed to this report. Pope Francis bows his head as he celebrates Mass at a stadium in Morelia, Mexico, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Francis arrived in the heart of Mexico's drug-trafficking country to offer words of encouragement to clergy trying to minister to a people tormented by the violence and gang warfare of the drug trade. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he leaves after celebrating Mass in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Francis is celebrating Mexico's Indians on Monday with a visit to Chiapas state, a center of indigenous culture, where he will preside over a Mass in three native languages thanks to a new Vatican decree approving their use in liturgy. The visit is also aimed at boosting the faith in the least Catholic state in Mexico. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Pope Francis arrives in the popemobile to Viktor Manuel Reyna stadium, in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Francis is celebrating Mexico's Indians on Monday with a visit to Chiapas state, a center of indigenous culture, where he presided over a Mass in three native languages thanks to a new Vatican decree approving their use in liturgy. The visit is also aimed at boosting the faith in the least Catholic state in Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) An army reservist is suing the owners of a gun range after he identified himself as Muslim and was allegedly asked to leave the premises. Raja'ee Fatihah, 29, an employee with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, filed a lawsuit in US District Court against Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gun Range in Oktaha, Oklahoma. The case is the latest in a series across the US alleging anti-Islamic discrimination. Raja'ee Fatihah, who has filed a lawsuit in US District Court against Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gun Range, spoke to members of the media at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City on Wednesday Brady Henderson, the legal director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the suit, said a sign posted on the business declared the range a 'Muslim-free' establishment. He added that similar signs have been placed at businesses in several states. 'Whether the sign in question says 'no Muslims' or whether it says 'no coloreds' or whether it says 'no women' or 'no Christians' or 'no Buddhists' it is just as un-American and fundamentally it is just as wrong,' Henderson said. Fatihah, who is also a board member with the Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations' Oklahoma chapter, said he went to the gun range after learning about the sign. At first he stated that the owners of the store were both pleasant and welcoming until he mentioned he was Muslim and the mood allegedly changed. 'At that point, they started treating me with suspicion,' Fatihah said. A similar lawsuit was filed by CAIR last year against a gun shop in Florida, but that case was dismissed by a federal judge. Robert Muise, with the American Freedom Law Center, is working with the owner of the Oklahoma gun range (pictured). He said Fatihah was denied service because he was belligerent, not because of his religion It was determined CAIR could not prove its members were harmed by the store's Muslim-free policy, Henderson said. Robert Muise, with the American Freedom Law Center, represented the Florida gun shop owner and now is working for Chad Neal, the owner of the Oklahoma gun range. Muise said Fatihah was denied service because he was belligerent, not because of his religion, and that the sign declaring the shop a 'Muslim-free' business is protected by free speech. 'The only thing the law prohibits is if somebody denies services strictly on the basis of religion, and that didn't happen here,' Muise said. Fatihah denies that he acted belligerently, however. Fatihah, pictured Wednesday, says the owners of the gun range were both pleasant and welcoming until he mentioned he was Muslim and the mood allegedly changed Claims of discrimination by business owners against Muslims have been reported in numerous states. And formal complaints have been filed with the US Department of Justice regarding incidents in Arkansas, Florida and New Hampshire, said CAIR's national director Ibrahim Hooper. 'It's one of those issues that's tied to the overall rise of anti-Muslim bigotry in our society,' Hooper said. Ben Nevis search for missing climbers suspended amid bad weather A major search for two experienced climbers missing on Britain's highest mountain has been suspended due to "treacherous" weather conditions. Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, from the Bradford area of West Yorkshire, were climbing on Ben Nevis, in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, over the weekend. The alarm was raised on Monday afternoon when the couple were reported to be overdue in returning from the expedition. Rachel Slater and Tim Newton are missing on Ben Nevis (Police Scotland/PA Wire) It is believed they had been camping in a green tent behind the Charles Inglis Clark (CIC) memorial hut on the north side of the mountain. The hunt for the pair - involving police, mountain rescue teams and search dogs - entered its second day on Tuesday as fears for their safety grew. But after five hours of searching, it was decided that conditions were too dangerous to continue for now. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) said 80mph to 90mph winds had been making the temperature feel like minus 20C. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Whilst police inquiries remain ongoing, search efforts have been suspended on Ben Nevis due to treacherous weather conditions." It is not yet clear when the search effort will be able to resume. In an updated post on Facebook, the mountain rescue team said conditions were "very challenging" during the search, which had been carried out on foot. Rescuers said there had been 36 people out searching from Lochaber MRT and the RAF MRT, as well as three members of the Scottish Search and Rescue Dog Association. The posting went on: "After five hours of searching, it was decided that conditions were too dangerous to continue search which was focused on Coire na Ciste and South Trident Buttress area following a possible sighting of two people fitting their description climbing in this area early Sunday afternoon." Ms Slater is an experienced climber who is well-travelled. In a blog, she wrote: "I've been around rocks my whole life as my parents are very keen climbers - most of my childhood was spent scrambling around at the bottom of the cliff with the occasional easy top rope. "In 2005 my family moved to Calgary, Canada, and in 2007 I joined a youth climbing team at my local wall and in 2008 progressed to the competitive youth team. "We trained three times a week at 6am and competed locally and nationally throughout the winter. In the summer and school holidays I sport climbed with my family in the Rockies and Western States of America." She left Canada in 2009 to study at the University of Manchester, from where she graduated with a BSc (Hons) in environmental science. In September 2013, she completed a six-month contract with an environmental consultancy in Glasgow before embarking on a three-month sport climbing trip to France and Spain. After returning again to Spain on her own to climb in Catalonia, she "joined the grown up world of 9-5" at the start of last year, according to her online posts. She is employed as an environmental consultant near Bradford. Mr Newton, originally from Leicester, also lives in Bradford and has studied physics at the universities of Manchester and Leeds, according to his Facebook profile. Logbook entries for Ms Slater on UKClimbing.com suggest she has conducted a number of climbs with Mr Newton. Meanwhile, numerous messages have been posted on social media from people praising the search teams and voicing hope that the couple will be found safe. On Facebook, Jay Smith wrote: "Hoping for a good outcome on this. Stay safe all that are searching." Linda Howell said: "Hopefully they are safe and well and off the hill totally oblivious to all this worry and searching." Lochaber MRT warned about the conditions on the mountain just days ago. In a social media message on Friday, the team wrote: "Stunningly beautiful today on the Ben, however extremely challenging snow conditions." Stars turn out for screening of sea rescue drama The Finest Hours Stars descended on London's west end for a gala screening of the Disney epic The Finest Hours. The film, based on a true story, is set in Massachusetts in 1952 and tells the tale of the SS Pendleton that split in two during a storm, trapping 30 sailors inside, and the subsequent daring rescue by the coast guard. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the all-star cast includes Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana and Holliday Grainger. From left to right, Craig Burnett, Holliday Grainger, Jade Cohen and Rudi Barman attending a screening of The Finest Hours at the Ham Yard Hotel Grainger attended the gala at the Ham Yard Hotel to discuss her role as Pine's love interest in the film. Pine plays US Coast Guard officer Bernie Webber, who took a three-man boat out to the sinking tanker - losing his compass on the way. Talking to the Press Association, Grainger said: "When I first read the script I was fascinated by the story but I didn't know a lot about the character. "I didn't feel the pressure of the role until I went to Chatham and met Miriam and Bernie's daughter - she took me on a tour, we went to the lighthouse, and we stood on the 36-500, the actual boat that was in the rescue. "Hearing her talk about her mum was so helpful for me to find and flesh out the character but also scary because Miriam was hugely loved." Grainger said playing the strong character of Miriam was something she very much enjoyed. "She defies the social conventions of the time, she proposes to her boyfriend, she waltzed into his place of work to speak to his boss - which is completely unheard of. "It was her self assurance and instinct that she has that I really found fascinating and with that comes a vulnerability - that kind of mixture is something you always like to show in a character." The film opens with the first time Bernie and Miriam set eyes on each other, after falling in love over the phone. Grainger said it was "amazing" to work with Pine who she said was "very funny". She added that she has never really liked the idea of going to sea in a storm and that the film has made her think it is "something very dangerous". "The coast guard will obviously be there to save you, but I would be up for going to sea on a nice calm blue sky day," she said. Other celebrities at Tuesday night's screening included Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson, Daniel Portman from Game Of Thrones, as well as Ant Middleton and Matthew Ollerton from the TV series SAS Who Dares Wins. Former SBS operative Middleton said he could definitely relate to parts of the film. He said: "There have been many times I have been cold, on a boat and clinging on for dear life." Gatwick boss urges airport expansion re-think amid report's 'spurious forecasts' The boss of Gatwick has said he expects ministers will re-examine forecasts for passenger growth which were "nearly 10 years out" as they conduct further investigation into proposals to expand aviation capacity. The airport's chief executive, Stewart Wingate, urged them to "peel beyond the executive summary" of the Davies Commission report, which recommend the building of a third runway at Heathrow in July last year. He told the Press Association: "It's absolutely fascinating because when you look at the conclusions that were drawn it doesn't seem to be consistent with the information that was within the report." Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said the traffic forecasts in the Davies Commission's report indicated it would reach 40 million annual passengers by 2024 - a number it has already reached Mr Wingate claims economic impact analysis, which favoured expansion at Heathrow over Gatwick, was based on "spurious, biased forecasts" which did not appear elsewhere in the study. In December ministers postponed a final decision on which project to back and a final decision is not expected before the summer as T ransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said fresh analysis of the environmental effects was required. Mr Wingate said the impact on air quality of a third runway at Heathrow means that project would be "very open to legal challenge" if it is selected, but he also expressed his hope that estimated passenger figures would be looked at again. "We're expecting they'll want to do work looking at the traffic forecasts," he said. "The Davies Commission work was based on a set of traffic forecasts that saw Gatwick get to 40 million passengers in 2024. We repeatedly said to the Commission 'We're there already, your forecasts are nearly 10 years out'. "I'm pretty sure the Government is going to want to take a look at that." Gatwick recorded 40 million passengers in a 12-month period for the first time in October last year. Mr Wingate accused Heathrow of attempting to "paint a picture" that it could provide "significantly more" long-haul connections than Gatwick. An expansion forecast published by the Davies Commission suggested that by 2050 Heathrow would serve 133 long-haul routes compared with 131 at Gatwick. "It really doesn't matter if you expand Heathrow or Gatwick, the UK will massively benefit from a connections point of view," Mr Wingate said. "You get the same connections but the price of ours is 7.8 billion versus 18.5 billion at Heathrow. "What on Earth as a country would lead you to invest unnecessarily 11 billion more on infrastructure which passengers have to pay for?" The Commission said in November 2014 that a second runway at Gatwick will cost 9.3 billion, but the airport insists this figure includes a contingency fund for unexpected costs which is already part of its own 7.8 billion estimate. Mr Wingate expressed his hope that the Government will examine the work done by the Davies Commission and then carry out "a more thorough job and a fair job". He added: "If they do that ... then the Government will be in a position to say 'Actually the right solution for the UK is Gatwick'." Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye claimed in a speech last week that backing expansion at his airport is the only way ministers can deliver sustainable economic growth and cut the deficit. He also hit out at Gatwick's plan, saying it did nothing for the economy or job creation and lacked political support. Michael Fallon pays tribute to Falklands War casualties Michael Fallon paid tribute to the British casualties of the Falklands War as he became the first Defence Secretary to visit the islands in over a decade. Around 1,400 British service personnel are still stationed on the South Atlantic islands that have remained until recently at the centre of a bitter war of words with Argentina. However former president Cristina Kirchner left office two months ago, and her succession by Mauricio Macri has raised hopes of a thaw in relations with Buenos Aires. Michael Fallon bows his head before a memorial obelisk in remembrance of the British servicemen killed in the Falklands War (Crown Copyright/PA) "I hope that opportunity can now be taken," Mr Fallon said. Ms Kirchner repeatedly raised the dispute with escalating rhetoric, asserting that the remote archipelago, known to Argentinians as the Islas Malvinas, should be returned. Argentina has maintained Britain has occupied the islands illegally since 1833. After an Argentine invasion in April 1982 a British naval task force was dispatched by Margaret Thatcher to retake the islands. A total of 255 British lives were lost, with many hundreds more wounded. In Port Stanley on Tuesday Mr Fallon bowed before a memorial obelisk in remembrance of the British servicemen killed in the conflict. A handwritten note left on a wreath by the Defence Secretary read: "In grateful memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of these islands." In a 2013 referendum Falklanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Fallon criticised recent comments by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that Britain and Argentina should negotiate over the islands' sovereignty. He told the newspaper: "The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it's Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party who want to override the wishes of the islanders." He added: "The issue is how we improve relationships with rest of South America and we have the election of a new government in Argentina that may open the door to that." Atlantic challenge student Callum, 20, becomes youngest to row an ocean A British student is believed to have become the youngest solo athlete to row an ocean. Callum Gathercole, 20, crossed the finish line in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, nearly two months after starting the 3,000-mile (4,828km) race in the Canary Islands. The experienced rower, who is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol, left La Gomera on December 20 and arrived in Antigua's English Harbour in the Caribbean in the early hours of Wednesday. Student Callum Gathercole, 20, is believed to have become the youngest solo athlete to row an ocean (Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge/PA) In doing so, in a time of 58 days, 15 hours and 15 minutes, race organisers said he has became the youngest solo rower to cross an ocean. Mr Gathercole said: "It feels amazing now to be in Antigua. "There were definitely some difficult days rowing where you knew you had to keep going in tough conditions if you wanted to continue making progress, but it was also a brilliant challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed taking on." The student competed in the arduous challenge to raise money for the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, in memory of his father who was cared for by staff before he died two years ago. He has raised more than 85,000 so far. He battled tropical storms, 40ft (12m) waves and sleep deprivation to complete the race, dubbed the world's toughest row. Mr Gathercole, originally from Surrey, has been rowing since the age of nine and has taken part in events including the Henley Royal Regatta. He has also represented Great Britain in the European and World Internationals in 2012 and 2013. Islamic State shrugs off any Saudi ground force in Syria DUBAI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Islamic State says it will fight any Saudi ground intervention in Syria and that Saudi action might add to complications but would not bolster enemies of the militant group. Saudi Arabia has said it is ready to participate in any ground operations in Syria that the U.S.-led alliance may decide to start. "This intervention, if it happened, would not provide much to the enemies of Islamic State ...," Islamic State said in an editorial on Tuesday carried by the group's al-Naba weekly newspaper, referring to President Bashar al-Assad, his Russian and Iranian allies and the U.S-led coalition. "Thus, Islamic State's view towards this intervention would be no different from its view of the U.S. intervention in favour of rejectionists (Shi'ites) and the apostate Kurdish parties or the Russian intervention in favour of the Nusairis," it said, using a derogatory term to describe Assad's Alawite sect. "It will keep fighting the apostate and polytheists no matter how they change their colours, tongues and homelands." Saudi Arabia said earlier this month that the kingdom, which has been leading Arab military operations against the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen since March last year, believed that to win against Islamic State in Syria the coalition needed to combine aerial operations with ground operations. Saudi Arabia, a main supporter of Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, has been an active member of the U.S.-led coalition that has been fighting Islamic State in Syria since 2014, and has carried out more than 190 aerial missions. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said last week that he expected both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to send special operations forces to Syria to help local opposition fighters in their campaign to retake the city of Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed it had sent aircraft to the Incirlik air base in NATO-member Turkey for the fight against Islamic State. Major powers agreed in Munich on Friday to a pause in combat in Syria, but Russia pressed on with bombing in support of Assad, its ally. Assad has promised to fight until he regains full control. New Islamic State franchise threatens Egypt By Daniel Nisman and Michael Horowitz Feb 16 (Reuters) - On Jan. 21, days before the fifth anniversary of Egypt's fabled revolution, police in Cairo raided a slum in the crowded Ahram neighborhood. Booby-trapped bombs went off in a scene more reminiscent of Fallujah, Iraq, than Egypt's capital. Six officers and three civilians were killed, and an entire floor of the mid-size apartment block was leveled. The bombing was the latest in a string of attacks claimed by a new Islamic State group that calls itself "Misr" - or "Egypt" in Arabic. The Misr network is an ominously peculiar militant creation. It is not designated as an official "province," an Islamic State-controlled territory, or wilaya, like the group's Sinai and Libyan counterparts. Yet Misr's name and the ability of its cells to regroup after being hit hard by police suggest that this offshoot of the world's most powerful jihadist group is out to threaten stability in Egypt's heartland. If ignored, it may well achieve it. Meanwhile, the Sisi regime is continuing its relentless purges of any traces of the once influential Muslim Brotherhood. Like the Cairo police raid, however, the repercussions of the government's actions could be far worse than expected. Because President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi might ultimately deliver thousands of disillusioned Islamists into the toxic ideological embrace of Islamic State's "caliphate." Misr launched with a car bombing against the Italian consulate in Cairo, in July 2015. It again drew public attention the following month, with a bomb so powerful it was heard across the Cairo megalopolis. The target was the Qalubiya Province Security Directorate, just north of the capital. Though its Sinai counterpart stole the headlines, Misr has since carried out more than 10 sophisticated attacks in Egypt's highly defended capital, hitting symbols of power as well as tourism attractions. Over the seven months since its creation, Misr has moved from sophisticated one-off bombings to more frequent, yet simpler attacks. It's a worrying shift in modus operandi that indicates an effort to ignite and maintain a low-level insurgency in the neighborhoods once dominated by the disintegrating Muslim Brotherhood. These attacks and their targets actually bear a striking semblance to those carried out by violent Muslim Brotherhood offshoots, known as "Popular Committees," in the year after Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's ouster in 2013. Skeptics of Islamic State's potential in Egypt argue that Sisi's rise to power demonstrates the wider public's fierce nationalism and its strong support for the military. These attitudes, they argue, will prevent Islamic State from ever being able to take root in Egypt, as it has in the Sinai Peninsula and in Libya. In the five years since Arab Spring protests ousted President Hosni Mubarak, however, Sisi's crackdown has virtually demolished the marketplace for dissenting political activism. It has created a dangerous ideological vacuum that Islamic State now threatens to fill. The disorganized liberal youth groups that spearheaded the 2011 revolution have failed to find a political voice in a society polarized over demands for security and stability. Meanwhile, the once well-oiled Muslim Brotherhood social and political machine is in shambles. The group's leaders are either exiled, jailed or dead, and its grass-roots support base left fractured, disenchanted with democracy and on the verge of radicalization. In branding the Brotherhood in its entirety as a terrorist organization with no prospect for reconciliation, the Sisi regime's propaganda is turning into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since 2013, hundreds, if not thousands, of Muslim Brotherhood members have turned to violence with any means at their disposal. Misr is emerging as the most active and capable militant group in the Cairo area; it has claimed the majority of attacks during the revolution-anniversary period. By attacking police, the group seeks to outbid other antigovernment Islamists and capitalize on discontent fueled by increasing police brutality and enforced disappearances under Sisi's rule. Unlike their local competition, Misr cells have physical connections with well-armed and well-funded Islamic State wilayas, or branches, in neighboring Libya. The Sinai province, with the help of Palestinian groups in Gaza, has proven its ability to keep the Egyptian military bogged down and away from the Libyan border, Cairo and Egypt's industrial heartland in the Nile Delta. Most important, Islamic State continues to hedge its bets that Sisi's government will fail in its efforts to provide a positive economic and political future for Egyptian youth. This would yield a virtually bottomless pool of potential recruits for attacks at home or abroad. In a publicized assessment, U.S. Defense Intelligence Chief Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart warned, on Feb. 8, that Islamic State could extend its operations deeper into Egypt. When matched with events taking place on the ground, Stewart's statements should set off alarms in the offices of policymakers around the world, as well as in Cairo's halls of power. aThe international community must make every effort to roll back Islamic State's presence in Libya. It must also shut down the Sinai arms trade, fueled by Hamas and Iran, which enables the Sinai branch to pull in crucial security resources and treasure. Though it may seem unlikely in Egypt's current political climate, the Sisi regime must open talks with avowed non-violent Brotherhood leaders. Together, they must declare that Islamic State's radicalism as their shared enemy. Granted, both sides would be forced to make considerable confidence-building gestures toward one another to work toward national stability. This would include the government offering amnesty to some imprisoned Brotherhood activists, and Brotherhood leaders agreeing to abandon ties to subversive regional actors. Sisi must also allow a political voice for what is left of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the population that it represents, as an alternative to violence. Jordan's government, which shares Sisi's apprehension over the Muslim Brotherhood, recently completed the same feat. It abolished that country's subversive Brotherhood branch while empowering its more moderate elements. Denying Islamic State a fertile recruiting ground requires the Sisi government to curb the country's multiplying centers of corruption, reform security forces and seriously tackle poverty through investment and education. Cairo's allies must demonstrate to all Egyptians that they stand firmly behind Egypt in this effort. A new conflict brews at Peru's Las Bambas copper mine LIMA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Families in Peru that were relocated to make way for MMG Ltd's huge Las Bambas copper project occupied their former lands inside the mine on Tuesday to press the company for compensation, the country's ombudsman and a local leader said. The protest in a remote highland region has not affected operations at the mine, said the community's vice president, Obispo Huamani, and Artemio Solano, the regional representative of Peru's ombudsman. The mine's vice president of corporate affairs, Domingo Drago, denied anyone had invaded company property. Las Bambas, which recently started production and cost $7.4 billion to build, is expected to become one of the world's biggest mines with annual output of about 400,000 tonnes. It is also expected to propel an economic recovery in Peru this year and help the Andean country become the world's second biggest copper supplier after Chile. Huamani said former residents of Fuerabamba would remain inside the mine until MMG fulfilled a series of commitments, including paying each family the remaining half of a 400,000 soles ($113,955) compensation pledge and providing teachers for new schools. Solano said the Melbourne, Australia-based company had agreed to fully compensate community members only once all families had relocated. But 15 families have refused to move to the new town of Nueva Fuerabamba that MMG built. Authorities who talked with protesters on Tuesday reported that 40 former residents were inside the mine and building shelters, Solano said. Three people were killed in protests against Las Bambas in September in a dispute with other communities that stemmed from a revision to the mine's environmental plan. The current conflict overlapped with a visit from President Ollanta Humala, who praised Las Bambas as a key motor of growth. Huamani said the Fuerabamba community was not opposed to the mine but would insist the company deliver more benefits. Peru is rife with disputes over mining, especially related to water. Two major projects have been derailed because of local rallies in recent years. But no project in Peru at this stage of development has ever been stopped by protests. Taiwan defence ministry confirms China surface-to-air missiles in South China Sea TAIPEI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island in the South China Sea, Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters on Wednesday. No other details of the deployment can be disclosed, Lo said. Taiwan's defence ministry "will closely watch subsequent developments," he said. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions." China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island - Taiwan By J.R. Wu and Andrea Shalal TAIPEI/WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and U.S. officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as U.S. President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region. Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Major General David Lo told Reuters the missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island. The island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 year but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. "Interested parties should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and refrain from taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions," Lo said on Wednesday. A U.S. defence official also confirmed the "apparent deployment" of the missiles, first reported by Fox News. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system, according to Fox News. News of the missile deployment came as Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded a summit in California, where they discussed the need to ease tensions in the region but did not include specific mention of China's assertive pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year, and has been building runways and other infrastructure on artificial islands to bolster its claims. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas," Obama told a news conference. The United States has said it will continue conducting "freedom of navigation patrols" by ships and aircraft to assure unimpeded passage through the region, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. RISING TENSIONS Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from of the Center for a New American Security, said it was not the first time that China has sent such weapons to the Paracels, under Chinese control since 1974. "I do think surface to air missiles are a considerable development," she said. "If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment." A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracels chain last month in a move the Pentagon said was aimed at countering efforts by China, Vietnam and Taiwan to limit freedom of navigation. China condemned the U.S. action as provocative. China has said it would not seek militarization of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defences. "Woody Island belongs to China," said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. "Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarize it." Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region. "We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai said. The missiles arrived at Woody Island over the past week, Fox News said. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on Feb. 3, but the missiles were visible by Feb. 14, it reported. A U.S. official told Fox News the imagery viewed appears to show the HQ-9 air defence system, which has a range of 125 miles (200 km) and would pose a threat to any airplanes, civilian or military, flying close by. Romania - Factors to watch on Feb 17 BUCHAREST, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Wednesday. OMV PETROM Romania's OMV Petrom, controlled by Austria's OMV , is seen reporting a more than five-fold increase in fourth-quarter net loss to 1.62 billion lei ($405.95 million) with upstream hit by depressed crude prices. MOLDOVA Moldova's President Nicolae Timofti pays an official visit to Bucharest to meet the country's president and prime minister. Last month, Romania's Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos pledged to send emergency aid to Chisinau and work to bring its neighbour closer to the European Union as long as it makes greater efforts to reform its system and end corruption. CEE MARKETS Central Europe's equities reversed early gains and its main currencies weakened on Tuesday after a meeting of oil producers failed to lift crude prices, triggering risk-averse behaviour among investors. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on Hungary, Factors to watch, Feb 17 BUDAPEST, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Following is a list of events in Hungary and the region, as well as news stories and press reports which may influence financial markets. (For any queries: Budapest editorial +36 1 327 4745) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HUNGARY (ALL TIMES GMT) BUDAPEST - PM Orban on visit to Moscow, meeting President Putin IN THE REGION BULGARIA - Dec C/A (1000) POLAND - PPI, Jan (1300) POLAND - Industry output, Jan (1300) POLAND - Retail sales, Jan (1300) IN THE NEWS REUTERS Austria says it plans daily migrant quotas Austria will introduce daily and hourly migrant quotas modelled on those Germany has put in place on its border, and will examine putting in place crowd-control measures at a dozen additional crossings, its interior minister said on Tuesday. Hungary govt says economy would justify stronger forint Hungary's government considers the economy strong enough that would justify stronger levels of the forint currency, Economy Minister Mihaly Varga told a press conference on Tuesday. He added that Hungary had started to work on its 2017 budget with a view of producing a balanced budget with zero deficit. Hungary less vulnerable but needs budget cut, IMF says Hungary's economy is performing very well and its vulnerability to shocks has declined substantially, although debt levels remain high, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, concluding "Article IV" consultations with the country. CEE MARKETS-Assets reverse rise on oil talks, Czech growth robust Central Europe's equities reversed early gains and its main currencies weakened on Tuesday after a meeting of oil producers failed to lift crude prices, triggering risk-averse behaviour among investors. EU's Tusk says "extra mile" needed for reform deal with Britain The European Union faces tough negotiations ahead to reach an agreement with Britain on EU reforms at a summit starting on Thursday, European Council head Donald Tusk said. Central Europeans see problems over benefits in British EU deal - Czech PM Central European countries continue to see open issues in talks with Britain over child support payments and exclusion of immigrant workers from social benefits, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said after meeting European Council leader Donald Tusk on Tuesday. Merkel warns against border closures, says to fight for EU-Turkey plan Suicide bomber kills at least 13 recruits at Yemen army camp By Mohammed Mukhashaf ADEN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 13 recruits at a Yemeni army camp run by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, medical sources and a security official said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of bombings rattling the city since Saudi-backed forces captured Yemen's second-largest city from the Iran-allied Houthis in July last year. At least 60 people were also wounded in the attack targeting hundreds of new recruits at the Ras Abbas camp in Aden's Buraiqa district. It was recently set up by Hadi's government to absorb new conscripts being trained to fight the Houthis. The official said the bomber was disguised in military uniform used by the new recruits, enabling him to penetrate the crowd undetected inside the camp. An official earlier said the attack occurred at the gate. Witnesses described ambulances racing to evacuate the wounded, as troops surrounded the area to keep onlookers away. "The explosion shook the camp violently and it could be heard miles away," one witness told Reuters by telephone. Medics at the nearby Masafi hospital said they had received the bodies of 13 people, while at least 60 wounded people were taken to hospitals in Aden. Islamic State, in a statement published on its online media arm Amaq, said that a bomber wearing an explosives vest blew himself up at the Ras Abbas camp. The group published a photo of the attacker it identified as Abu Isa al-Ansari, and said the bombing "killed around 20 apostates and wounded 60 others". Residents had said that Islamic State, one of several armed groups that operate in southern Yemen, had recently warned young Yemenis against joining the army being set up by Hadi's government. On Tuesday, Aden's governor and security director survived a gun attack by unknown assailants on their convoy in the city. What would "Brexit" look like? By Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - As Britons debate whether to stay in or leave the European Union at a membership referendum, one of the key arguments is what a British exit, or "Brexit", would look like? Below is an outline of the process which would be triggered by a British vote for "out", and some of the possible options suggested for the country's future relationship with the bloc. ARTICLE 50 Article 50 of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty sets out the process of withdrawal for an EU member state. It has never yet been triggered. While Greenland left the bloc's predecessor, the European Economic Community, in 1985, no state has left the EU. What happens? After Prime Minister David Cameron notifies the European Council that Britain plans to withdraw, negotiations would begin on the arrangements for leaving and for Britain's future dealings with the remaining 27 member states. Negotiations are conducted by the European Council. Britain would not be involved in the EU side of the discussion and would not have a vote on the terms of the agreement it offers. Any deal must be agreed by both sides. On the EU side it requires the backing of the remaining EU leaders via qualified majority vote, as well as the European Parliament. Depending on what is included in the agreement, it may also need to be ratified by the national parliaments of all 27 member states. Amendments would need to be made to EU treaties to take account of Britain's withdrawal, while Britain would have to prepare new national legislation to substitute for EU acts. How long could it take? The treaty allows for up to two years of negotiations. If no agreement has been reached by this point, all 27 other member states either have to unanimously agree to extend the negotiation period, or Britain exits with no deal in place. During that time, EU laws would still apply to Britain. What would Britain's future relationship look like? THE GREENLAND EXAMPLE Greenland left the EU's predecessor, the EEC, in 1985 after a referendum three years earlier. After leaving the bloc, the Danish territory continued to receive EU funding and have tariff-free access to the market for fisheries products in return for allowing the EU fishing rights over its waters. Most commentators argue there is little read across from the example of Greenland as it was not a member state in its own right, but joined as part of Denmark, and has a much smaller population of just 57,000. Given there are around 2 million Britons living abroad within the EU, and 2.5 million EU citizens living in Britain, one element of the Greenland deal which may be copied however are its transitional arrangements. Greenland's deal allowed for EU migrants who had acquired rights under EU law, such as free movement, to retain those rights for a transitional period. THE SWISS MODEL Switzerland, along with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Its goods exporters enjoy tariff-free access to EU markets, while it is also free to negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries. It has a free trade deal with China for example, whereas the EU does not. It has only limited access to the EU's services market however, and almost none for financial services -- a significant contributor to the British economy. While Switzerland has freedom over its own social and employment policies, something many in Britain would like, it also pays contributions to the EU budget and accepts free movement of people -- two elements of EU membership "out" campaigners want to get away from. Switzerland experiences far higher levels of net EU migration per head of its population than Britain. In a February 2014 referendum it voted to introduce quotas on EU migrants from 2017, something that would violate its bilateral pact guaranteeing free movement. The EU has so far refused to agree to this curb and has threatened to suspend all other EU-Swiss agreements and market access if Switzerland imposes the quotas unilaterally. THE NORWEGIAN MODEL As well as being a part of EFTA, Norway has access to the EU's single market by being a member of the European Economic Area. In return, it accepts freedom of movement of EU citizens, pays contributions to the EU budgets and applies the single market's rules and regulations without having a vote on them. Cameron has said Norway, which twice rejected EU membership in referendums, is not a model to emulate. It pays twice as much per head to the EU as Britain, takes twice as many migrants but has no "seat at the table", he said. Under the Norway model, most EU policy areas would continue to apply to Britain, in particular many of the employment laws often cited by businesses as overly restrictive. Like Switzerland, Norway has the freedom to negotiate its own free trade agreements with non-EU countries. It is also not subject to the European Court of Justice, whose power many British "outers" are unhappy with. THE TURKISH MODEL Turkey, which is a candidate country to join the EU, has a customs union agreement with the bloc. The deal means it does not face tariffs to export most goods into the EU, and accepts the EU's external tariffs when trading with non-EU countries. It does not have any say in setting these tariffs however. The agreement also does not cover services markets. FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA) Campaigners for "out" favour Britain agreeing a free trade deal with the EU, similar to that the bloc has just reached with Canada, which removed 99 percent of customs duties. They say this would allow Britain to trade with the EU largely as before, while also leaving it free to agree trade deals directly with other countries such as the United States, its biggest individual export partner, and emerging markets. "Out" campaigners argue that as Britain has a trade goods deficit with the EU -- 7.6 billion pounds in December 2015 -- the bloc could not afford to cut it off. "We are too valuable a market for Europe to shut off. Within minutes of a vote for Brexit, the CEO's of Mercedes, BMW, VW and Audi will be knocking down Chancellor (Angela) Merkel's door demanding that there be no barriers to German access to the British market," Conservative lawmaker David Davis said. "The first few months after Brexit will probably be hysterical, but the leaders of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and the rest know that the way to lose elections is to destroy your own industries," said Davis, who is backing "out". On the other hand, leaders determined to discourage others following the British example and breaking up the EU, could choose to make Brexit as painful as possible for Britain, EU officials and diplomats say. The "in" camp also point out these deals take far longer than two years to agree -- the Canadian agreement will have taken seven years by the time it is expected to come into force -- and argue Britain outside the EU would not have the same clout in negotiating trade deals with the rest of the world. Getting rid of barriers to trade in services, the dominant sector in Britain's economy, is also likely to be harder. Those backing "out" argue those barriers already exist within the EU. WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION TERMS If Britain is unable to agree a free trade deal with the EU, it could fall back on WTO rules -- described by some in the "out" camp as a "Brexit safety net" -- which set upper limits on tariffs countries can impose. This would give Britain low or zero tariffs on many of its exports to the EU, though tariffs in some key sectors such as cars, chemicals and food would remain relatively high. Britain would also face barriers on services, particularly in highly regulated sectors such as financial services. Under both a free trade agreement and WTO terms, Britain would not have to accept free movement. PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Feb 17 MOSCOW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Federal Taxation Agency have launched checks on the local alcohol market to uncover illegal schemes of tax evasion by alcohol producers. - President Vladimir Putin has proposed setting up a working group in the Kremlin which will monitor relations between businessmen and law enforcers and courts. - Gazprom's board of directors has voted to re-elect Alexei Miller as the company's CEO for another five years. The contract will be extended from May 31, the daily writes. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is challenging Russia's diplomatic efforts to reach ceasefire, the daily reports referring to the Syrian government's determination to fight till it wins. - The government has agreed to consider lifting export fees on railway shipments of metal products. - Russia's central bank is toughening measures aimed to prevent banks from using cyberattacks as a cover for the withdrawal of assets. - Russia's presidential chief of staff Sergei Ivanov has been appointed to head a Kremlin group overseeing possible conflicts between businessmen and law enforcers. IZVESTIA www.izvestia.ru - Nearly 25 percent of students in Russian universities bribe their teachers to pass exams, according to independent surveys. - Russian lawmakers are planning to ban marriages for those younger than 16, the daily reports adding that in 17 regions marriages are allowed from 14 years. NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA www.ng.ru - Iran will receive as much Russian weapons as it can afford itself paying for, the daily writes, commenting on the visit of Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan to Moscow and his talks with senior Russian officials. The arms deals could be worth $8 billion, the daily adds. Ukraine PM hunts for new allies after coalition cracks By Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk KIEV, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk looked for new allies on Wednesday to shore up his crisis-hit government, after a junior party quit the ruling alliance and another faction signalled it could walk out. In his first public remarks since surviving a no-confidence vote, Yatseniuk called for a reshuffle in the coalition and said he was in talks with various political groups, including the populist Radical party, about a possible tie-up. Getting new allies could help Yatseniuk stave off the prospect of a snap election, but he still may struggle to win support for enacting reforms demanded by Ukraine's Western backers in exchange for a $40 billion aid package. Months of squabbling in the coalition came to a head on Tuesday when President Petro Poroshenko, who leads the largest party in the alliance, called for Yatseniuk to resign. Yatseniuk survived the no-confidence motion that followed but the majority of Poroshenko's lawmakers voted against him. A self-described "kamikaze" prime minister who came to office in 2014 determined to pass unpopular austerity measures, Yatseniuk now risks becoming the lame duck leader of a country battling a deep recession and a pro-Russian separatist conflict. "It has become absolutely clear that it is essential to reshuffle the coalition and (make) changes to the coalition agreement," he said in a televised government meeting. The Fatherland faction, led by former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, quit the coalition earlier on Wednesday. "The prospects for an effective reform programme being implemented by the current political elite are close to nil," said Daragh McDowell of risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. The Radical party opposes many of Yatseniuk's reforms, such as cuts to energy subsidies and pensions. It was part of the ruling alliance until September but quit in protest over laws to grant a special status to eastern territories claimed by pro-Russian rebels. Radical party leader Oleh Lyashko said he preferred a new coalition to snap elections, especially in light of Ukraine's standoff with President Vladimir Putin's Russia over the annexation of Crimea in 2014. "A war amongst ourselves in Ukraine plays into Putin's hands," he told reporters. Tymoshenko's party has 19 seats in parliament. Even after its departure, Yatseniuk still has a majority. His coalition now contains his own party, President Poroshenko's party and the Samopomich (Self-help) party, created after the 2013-2014 protests that toppled the previous pro-Russian president. The Radical party has 21 seats in parliament. One lawmaker from Samopomich said his party was debating a "dissolution of the coalition of Ukraine's kleptocrats", suggesting they might walk out too. LAME DUCK Two years after the "Maidan" protests, Ukraine's economy is still shrinking, the hryvnia currency is hovering around 11-month lows and the separatist conflict, which has claimed more than 9,000 lives so far, shows no sign of ending. Kiev's failure to tackle corruption and implement reforms has prompted the International Monetary Fund to withhold the next tranche of aid, worth $1.7 billion, part of the $40 billion Western aid programme. Yatseniuk's government has struggled to tackle bribe-taking in the judiciary, to sell off loss-making state companies and to pass a law giving more autonomy to the eastern Donbass region. The latter is a key part of a ceasefire deal agreed with Russia in Minsk last year. "Snap elections are now becoming a reality ... It was incredibly hard work for the government to get laws through parliament even before all of this, but now even more so," Olha Chervakova, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's bloc, told Reuters. Maldives opposition leader jailed for 12 years for role in protests By Daniel Bosley MALE, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A Maldives court has sentenced an Islamist opposition leader to 12 years in jail, convicting him on terrorism charges related to a speech that protested the imprisonment of the islands' first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed. Best known as an exotic tourist destination, the Indian Ocean archipelago has been roiled by political unrest since Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012. In March 2015, he was arrested, charged under the country's terrorism laws and sentenced to 13 years for ordering the abduction of a judge, following a rapid trial that drew widespread international condemnation. Under pressure from foreign governments, President Abdulla Yameen's government released Nasheed last month to let him seek medical treatment in London. Late on Tuesday, however, a court sentenced Sheikh Imran Abdulla, the leader of Islamist Adhaalath Party, to 12 years for comments he made in an anti-government speech during a mass protest against Nasheed's arrest on May Day last year. The government said Imran was charged for urging protesters "to confront police", something the politician's lawyer denied. "We believe the judgment is grossly unfair because he has not called for violence in his speech", Imran's lawyer Husnu Suood told Reuters. "He clearly asked the participants at the rally to refrain from violence and had taken all steps to prevent violence". Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, called the judicial process that led to the sentencing "deeply flawed". "We renew our call for the Maldivian government to end politically motivated trials and to take steps to restore confidence and a commitment to democracy and human rights including freedom of expression and the rule of law and judicial independence", Toner told a regular news briefing in Washington. Clashes between protesters and police broke out at the 2015 May Day demonstration in the capital, Male, and hundreds of protesters were arrested. "No country in the world would condone such a call for violence", Abbas Adil Riza, the deputy high commissioner for Maldives in Colombo told Reuters. The sentencing of the Islamist politician comes days after President Yameen called on the opposition parties to end a standoff with his own party amid rising international pressure. Adhaalath Party Spokesman Ali Zahir said the sentencing demonstrated the absence of good faith from the government's side in the inter party talks. United States wants NATO to step up fight against Islamic State By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The United States is pressing NATO to play a bigger role against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, putting Washington at odds with Germany and France which fear the strategy would risk confrontation with the alliance's old Cold War foe Russia. All 28 NATO allies are already part of a 66-nation anti-Islamic State coalition, so the United States is looking to NATO as an institution to bring its equipment, training and the expertise it gained leading a coalition in Afghanistan. "It is worth exploring how NATO, as NATO, could make an appropriate contribution, leveraging for example its unique capabilities, such as force generation," U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said after meeting allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels last week and referring to NATO's know-how in drumming-up troops, planes and ships from allies. Seeking to recapture the Islamic State strongholds of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, Washington wants a bigger European response to the chaos and failing states near Europe's borders. Carter's call for NATO's help came as defence ministers from the anti-Islamic State coalition met last week at NATO headquarters in Brussels for the first time, albeit with NATO insignia removed from the walls. Despite support from Britain, the U.S. push has not been received well by France and Germany. Given Russia's concerns over NATO expansion in eastern Europe, Paris and Berlin are worried that deeper NATO involvement in Syria could be taken by Moscow as a provocation that the alliance is seeking to extend its influence. As the Russian-backed Syrian government advance nears NATO's southeastern border, growing hostility between Russia and Turkey only makes some members of the alliance more reluctant, diplomats say. Notwithstanding an agreement between Russia and the United States to avoid accidental military air incidents, France and Germany worry Russia's targeting of opposition groups other than Islamic State increases the risks. "NATO and Russia would not be fighting a common enemy," a NATO diplomat said. NON-COMBAT OPTIONS Carter has sought to distinguish between Syria's civil war and the fight against Islamic State, saying the campaign against the militant group will go on regardless, and has pushed allies to accelerate their efforts. In that vein, Washington tested waters by making a request for NATO to provide its surveillance AWACS aircraft to the anti-Islamic State coalition fighting militants in Syria. Germany pushed back on the AWACS request. That has forced a compromise by which NATO will send the planes to allied countries so as to free-up allies to send more of their own equipment to fight Islamic State in Syria, diplomats said. France also sought assurances that the AWACS request did not mean NATO as an institution was being involved more deeply in the anti-Islamic State coalition. Still, NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Philip Breedlove said planning for a bigger alliance role was "a natural shift ... a natural evolvement of the thinking." "All our nations are under greater pressure, so this is just beginning. There is no detail but there are lots of opportunities that are being considered," he said. NATO involvement in Syria could help answer critics who say the alliance has watched passively as Russia has widened its role there. It could also address concerns expressed by southern allies, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, that NATO does not have a strategy to address risks on the Mediterranean, the entry point for huge numbers of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said NATO might not yet be ready to move ahead along the lines suggested by Washington, "but the very fact that we brought together 45 members of the anti-IS coalition, inside NATO headquarters, shows you that we want to see a stronger governance of the coalition." "We want to be able to measure the progress of the campaign and to review it more regularly," Fallon told Reuters. For the moment, discussions on various options include more NATO training of Iraqi troops and police, as well as strengthening government departments in areas taken back from Islamic State, according a U.S. defence official. Britain bans public-sector boycotts of Israeli suppliers LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Local authorities and public-sector organisations in Britain are banned from boycotting Israeli suppliers under new government rules, and violators could face severe penalties, the British government said on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the new rules as a boost for his government's battle against a Palestinian-led international boycott campaign. Palestinians criticised the decision, saying it would reinforce Israel's occupation of territories they seek for an independent state. The British Cabinet Office said that apart from where legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been imposed, procurement boycotts by public authorities were "inappropriate". In a statement, it said such boycotts "undermine good community relations, poisoning and polarising debate, weakening integration and fuelling anti-Semitism". The new rules coincided with a visit to Israel by Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock during which, in a speech, he voiced opposition to "those calling for boycotts". In welcoming remarks to Hancock and a British trade delegation to Israel, Netanyahu said: "I want to commend the British government for refusing to discriminate against Israel and Israelis and I commend you for standing up (for) the one and only true democracy in the Middle East." The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which campaigns for a boycott of all Israeli goods and questions Israel's legitimacy, condemned Britain's decision. In a statement, the PLO said British local governments and publicly funded bodies would be forbidden "from exercising their democratic right and freedom of choice not to be complicit" in Israeli settlement-building on land Palestinians seek for a state. "We strongly urge the British government to reconsider its positions and to rescind this regulation. This is not only a matter of law or politics, but also of moral responsibility." The BDS said in a statement that Prime Minister David Cameron was "making a grave mistake similar to Margaret Thatcher's unwavering support of apartheid South Africa". The British government said the World Trade Organisation's Government Procurement Agreement required signatories to treat suppliers equally, and therefore any discrimination against Israeli suppliers would be in breach of the agreement. The government has not made boycotts a criminal offence, but those in sectors such as the health service, local authorities and some university student unions that impose them could face penalties, including fines and contract cancellations. In 2014, the city council in Leicester in central England voted to boycott produce from Israeli settlements. Last November, Israel was stung by European Union guidelines under which products made in the settlements must be labelled as such, rather than carry a "Made in Israel" label. Opponents of the labelling initiative fear it will boost the BDS. Italy PM says must do everything possible to keep Britain in EU ROME, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Every effort must be made to keep Britain within the European Union, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of the bloc's leaders in Brussels this week to discuss a EU deal with London. "We must make every possible effort to keep Great Britain in the EU," Renzi said in a speech to parliament. Slovenian gov't wants army to help police control migrant flow LJUBLJANA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Slovenian government asked parliament on Wednesday to allow the armed forces to help police control the country's borders as the migrant crisis prompts tougher measures along the route to western and northern Europe. "It is one of the government's measures in gradually stepping up control of the flow of migrants," Slovenian news agency STA quoted the Defense Minister Andreja Katic as saying. STA said parliament could vote on the measure at the beginning of next week. Slovenia's move follows Austria's announcement that it will cap the number of migrants entering the country at 3,200 per day. If approved by parliament, for which support of at least two-thirds of the deputies present is required, the army would be granted police powers to help secure the national borders for three months, which can be renewed. Radioactive material stolen in Iraq raises security fears By Ahmed Rasheed, Aref Mohammed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State. The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, went missing in November from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra belonging to U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford, the document obtained by Reuters showed and officials confirmed. A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry said he could not discuss the issue, citing national security concerns. A Weatherford spokesman in Iraq declined to comment, and the company's Houston headquarters did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The material, which uses gamma rays to test flaws in materials used for oil and gas pipelines in a process called industrial gamma radiography, is owned by Istanbul-based SGS Turkey, according to the document and officials. An SGS official in Iraq declined to comment and referred Reuters to its Turkish headquarters, which did not respond to phone calls. The document, dated Nov. 30 and addressed to the ministry's Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity belonging to SGS from a depot belonging to Weatherford in the Rafidhia area of Basra province". A senior environment ministry official based in Basra, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak publicly, told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of Ir-192 "capsules", a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source by the International Atomic Energy Agency, meaning if not managed properly it could cause permanent injury to a person in close proximity to it for minutes or hours, and could be fatal to someone exposed for a period of hours to days. How harmful exposure can be is determined by a number of factors such as the material's strength and age, which Reuters could not immediately determine. The ministry document said it posed a risk of bodily and environmental harm as well as a national security threat. DIRTY BOMB FEAR Large quantities of Ir-192 have gone missing before in the United States, Britain and other countries, stoking fears among security officials that it could be used to make a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb combines nuclear material with conventional explosives to contaminate an area with radiation, in contrast to a nuclear weapon, which uses nuclear fission to trigger a vastly more powerful blast. "We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh," said a senior security official with knowledge of the theft, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb," said the official, who works at the interior ministry and spoke on condition of anonymity as he is also not authorised to speak publicly. There was no indication the material had come into the possession of Islamic State, which seized territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 but does not control areas near Basra. The security official, based in Baghdad, told Reuters there were no immediate suspects for the theft. But the official said the initial investigation suggested the perpetrators had specific knowledge of the material and the facility: "No broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry," he said. An operations manager for Iraqi security firm Taiz, which was contracted to protect the facility, declined to comment, citing instructions from Iraqi security authorities. A spokesman for Basra operations command, responsible for security in Basra province, said army, police and intelligence forces were working "day and night" to locate the material. The army and police have responsibility for security in the country's south, where Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias and criminal gangs also operate. POLLUTION RISK Iraqi forces are battling Islamic State in the country's north and west, backed by a U.S.-led coalition. The militant group has been accused of using chemical weapons on more than one occasion over the past few years. The closest area fully controlled by Islamic State is more than 500 km (300 miles) north of Basra in the western province of Anbar. The Sunni militants control no territory in the predominantly Shi'ite southern provinces but have claimed bomb attacks there, including one that killed 10 people in October in the district where the Weatherford facility is located. Besides the risk of a dirty bomb, the radioactive material could cause harm simply by being left exposed in a public place for several days, said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. "If they left it in some crowded place, that would be more of the risk. If they kept it together but without shielding," he said. "Certainly it's not insignificant. You could cause some panic with this. They would want to get this back." The senior environmental official said authorities were worried that whoever stole the material would mishandle it, leading to radioactive pollution of "catastrophic proportions". A second senior environment ministry official, also based in Basra, said counter-radiation teams had begun inspecting oil sites, scrapyards and border crossings to locate the device after an emergency task force raised the alarm on Nov. 13. Egypt to shut prominent NGO that documents alleged rights abuses -security sources By Amina Ismail and Ola Noureldin CAIRO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities have ordered the closure of a prominent local non-governmental organisation that documents alleged human rights abuses and treats torture victims, the NGO and security sources said on Wednesday. Security sources and a lawyer for the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation for Victims of Violence and Torture said authorities agreed to hold off from closing it down until next week to allow more time to explain the reasons for the move. Sources in the Health Ministry, which issues licenses for the Nadeem centre, said it had committed unspecified violations. Nadeem centre director Aida Seif el-Dawla described the action as part of the toughest crackdown on dissent in Egypt's modern history. "Unless they arrest us all, we will continue in our work as long as we remain out of prison," she told Reuters. "It would be stupid if they shut down the centre because we provide a service that no one else provides to the underprivileged." Amnesty International condemned the move against the Nadeem centre, saying the NGO gives a lifeline to hundreds of victims of torture and families of people subjected to enforced disappearances. Human rights groups accuse President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government of widespread abuses, allegations it denies. As armed forces chief, Sisi toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 after mass protests against his rule. Security forces killed hundreds of Mursi supporters in the streets and arrested thousands of others. Secular activists were later rounded up. NGOs have also been closed under what government critics say is a rollback on political freedoms won in the 2011 uprising that ended 30 years of rule under President Hosni Mubarak. Egyptian authorities deny allegations by human rights groups and activists that security forces round up people and detain them in secret detention centres where they are tortured. "This looks to us like a barefaced attempt to shut down an organization which has been a bastion for human rights and a thorn in the side of the authorities for more than 20 years," said Said Boumedouha, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme. Egypt's human rights record has come under fresh scrutiny since Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, 28, was tortured and found dead on the outskirts of Cairo this month. The government has denied media reports that he was arrested by security forces before his death. Out of Africa, and into the arms of a Neanderthal By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Research showing that our species interbred with Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago is providing intriguing evidence that Homo sapiens ventured out of Africa much earlier than previously thought, although the foray appears to have fizzled. Scientists said on Wednesday an analysis of the genome of a Neanderthal woman whose remains were found in a cave in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia near the Russia-Mongolia border detected residual DNA from Homo sapiens, a sign of inter-species mating. Previous research had established that Homo sapiens and our close cousins the Neanderthals interbred around 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, said geneticist Sergi Castellano of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. The new study, published in the journal Nature, indicates that additional interbreeding also occurred tens of thousands of years earlier. Our species arose in Africa roughly 200,000 years ago and later migrated to other parts of the world. Geneticist Martin Kuhlwilm of Spain's Universitat Pompeu Fabra, who worked on the study at the Max Planck Institute, said a very likely scenario explaining the Homo sapiens DNA in the Neanderthal woman's genome is that a small population of our species trekked out of Africa and encountered Neanderthals in the Middle East, and interbreeding occurred there. Their journey appears to have been what researchers called a failed dispersal from Africa, with no descendants going on to colonize Europe, Asia and points beyond. "We don't know what happened to them. It seems likely that this population went extinct, either by environmental changes or maybe direct competition with Neanderthals," Kuhlwilm said. "This seems to have happened during a much earlier migration out of Africa than previously thought. It implies that modern humans left Africa in several waves, some of which probably went extinct." The robust, large-browed Neanderthals prospered across Europe and Asia from about 350,000 years ago until shortly after 40,000 years ago, disappearing in the period after our species established itself in the region. Despite an outdated reputation as our dimwitted cousins, scientists say Neanderthals were highly intelligent, with complex hunting methods, likely use of spoken language and symbolic objects, and sophisticated fire usage. Brazil miner Samarco delivers new environmental plan for burst dam SAO PAULO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Brazilian iron ore miner Samarco Mineracao SA, a joint venture of Vale SA and BHP Billiton PLC, delivered an updated environmental recovery plan on Wednesday following a dam burst that devastated a major river. Turkey's Erdogan postpones visit to Azerbaijan after Ankara bombing -sources ISTANBUL, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Erdogan has postponed a planned visit to Azerbaijan after a bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday killed as many as 21 people, presidential sources said on Wednesday. Erdogan, who was due to visit Azerbaijan on Thursday, called Azerbaijani President Ilham Alyev and told him it would not be appropriate to visit now, the sources said. Son of Liberian president chosen as interim central bank chief MONROVIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Liberia's central bank board has elected the son of Nobel Peace Prize winning President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as its interim executive governor, bank sources said on Wednesday. Charles Sirleaf, formerly a deputy governor who has worked for the bank since 2004, will occupy the post for an undefined interim period. The previous head, Joseph Mills Jones, left to prepare his candidacy for a presidential election in the West African country due to take place in 2017. President Johnson Sirleaf, who has strong ties with Washington and is credited with helping the country recover from a bloody civil war that ended in 2003, must step down next year due to a two-term limit. She is due to decide on a permanent successor to Jones, to steer Liberia's economic recovery after two years in which the country endured an Ebola epidemic and a collapse in the price of iron ore, its major export earner. A source close to the presidency confirmed the temporary appointment, without giving an indication of how long he would remain. Some critics accuse Johnson Sirleaf of appointing family members and other allies to key posts throughout her presidency in order to consolidate her position. Another one of her sons, Robert, was both chairman of the National Oil Company of Liberia and senior adviser to the president until he resigned in 2013. Fumba Sirleaf, her stepson, is the head of the National Security Agency. "This (appointment at the central bank) is unfair. It is not about qualifications, but about expediency," said Emmanuel Gonquoi, former chairman for the coalition of civil society in Liberia and a political commentator. However, central bank officials stressed that Charles Sirleaf was a suitable choice. U.S. believes mustard gas used by Islamic State in Syria, Iraq WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Islamic State militants are believed to be responsible for sulfur mustard gas attacks in Syria and Iraq last year, the United States said on Wednesday. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Islamic State insurgents were responsible for a mustard gas attack in the town of Marea on Aug. 21 "largely based on photographic evidence as well as Syrian opposition description of the event." A confidential Oct. 29 report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, concluded that at least two people were exposed to sulfur mustard in Marea, north of Aleppo, in August. Syria is supposed to have completely surrendered the toxic chemicals 18 months ago. Their use violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Toner also said that based on available information, the United States believed that the Islamic State group was responsible for mustard gas attacks in Iraq. It is the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. A source at the OPCW confirmed that laboratory tests were positive for sulfur mustard after 35 Kurdish troopers were sickened on the battlefield in August. Radioactive material stolen in Iraq raises security concerns By Ahmed Rasheed, Aref Mohammed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material whose theft last year has raised fears among Iraqi officials that it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State. Baghdad reported the stolen material to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in November but has not requested assistance to recover it, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday. The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, went missing from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra belonging to U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford, an environment ministry document seen by Reuters showed and security, environmental and provincial officials confirmed. A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry said he could not discuss the issue, citing national security concerns. Weatherford said in a statement that it was not responsible or liable for the theft. "We do not own, operate or control sources or the bunker where the sources are stored," it said. The material, which uses gamma rays to test flaws in materials used for oil and gas pipelines in a process called industrial gamma radiography, is owned by Istanbul-based SGS Turkey, according to the document and officials. An SGS official in Iraq declined to comment and referred Reuters to its Turkish headquarters, which did not respond to phone calls and emails. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the reports but has seen no sign that Islamic State or other militant groups have acquired it. The environment ministry document, dated Nov. 30 and addressed to the ministry's Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity belonging to SGS from a depot belonging to Weatherford in the Rafidhia area of Basra province". A senior environment ministry official based in Basra, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak publicly, told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of Ir-192 "capsules", a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. The IAEA said the material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source, meaning that if not managed properly it could cause permanent injury to a person in close proximity to it for minutes or hours, and could be fatal to someone exposed for a period of hours to days. How harmful exposure can be is determined by a number of factors such as the material's strength and age, which Reuters could not immediately determine. The ministry document said the material posed a risk of bodily and environmental harm as well as a national security threat. DIRTY BOMB FEAR Large quantities of Ir-192 have gone missing before in the United States, Britain and other countries, stoking fears among security officials that it could be used to make a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb combines nuclear material with conventional explosives to contaminate an area with radiation, in contrast to a nuclear weapon, which uses nuclear fission to trigger a vastly more powerful blast. "We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh," said a senior security official with knowledge of the theft, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. "They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb," said the official, who works at the interior ministry and spoke on condition of anonymity as he is also not authorised to speak publicly. There was no indication the material had come into the possession of Islamic State, which seized territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 but does not control areas near Basra. A State Department spokesman declined to comment on whether the missing material might be suitable for use in a dirty bomb. The security official, based in Baghdad, told Reuters there were no immediate suspects for the theft. But the official said the initial inquiry suggested the perpetrators had specific knowledge of the material and the facility. "No broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry," he said. An operations manager for Iraqi security firm Taiz, which was contracted to protect the facility, declined to comment, citing instructions from Iraqi security authorities. A spokesman for Basra operations command, responsible for security in Basra province, said army, police and intelligence forces were working "day and night" to locate the material. The army and police have responsibility for security in the country's south, where Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militias and criminal gangs also operate. POLLUTION RISK Iraqi forces are battling Islamic State in the country's north and west, backed by a U.S.-led coalition. The Sunni Muslim militant group has been accused of using chemical weapons on more than one occasion over the past few years. The closest area fully controlled by Islamic State is more than 500 km (300 miles) north of Basra in the western province of Anbar. Islamic State controls no territory in the predominantly Shi'ite southern provinces but has claimed bomb attacks there, including one that killed 10 people in October in the district where the Weatherford facility is located. Besides the risk of a dirty bomb, the radioactive material could cause harm simply by being left exposed in a public place for several days, said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. "If they left it in some crowded place, that would be more of the risk, if they kept it together but without shielding," he said. "Certainly it's not insignificant. You could cause some panic with this. They would want to get this back." The senior environmental official said authorities were worried that whoever stole the material would mishandle it, leading to radioactive pollution of "catastrophic proportions". A second senior environment ministry official, also based in Basra, said counter-radiation teams had begun inspecting oil sites, scrapyards and border crossings to locate the device after an emergency task force raised the alarm on Nov. 13. Defence gets $51-billion for 2016-17 (US$1=INR66), 2.25 per cent of GDP as against $36-billion and 1.75 per cent of GDP the previous year. Capital expenditure has risen to 48 per cent of the budget, a percentage that would leave World War I nations green with envy. However, there is not just one fly in the new budget ointment, there's a whole mess of cockroaches busy eating the ointment. The 2015-16 budget and previous ones left the military crippled; now the military has been given a half-metre tall crutch. Ministry of finance types reading this will be livid and become even more convinced that the military cannot ever be satisfied. They will be entirely wrong. This analyst estimates that the military has a $400-billion equipment deficit. If we are to raise the military to necessary force levels and to modern standards, even $400-billion is pathetically inadequate. There is no way in which a serious defence can be mounted on less than four per cent of GDP (about what the US spends); for a first-class military (though not a super-class military like the US) we need 6 per cent of GDP. Now, of course, $51-billion is not the actual budget, it is higher because pensions, border forces, and nuclear warhead/missile development have been left out. But this not something unique to India: the US' real defence budget is probably closer to $1-trillion as opposed to the official $525-billion or so. Pakistan's is $10-billion, double the official $5-billion. All these figures are approximations. This analyst is happy to note that a $100-billion government investment in gas-powered power stations would provide 400-gigawatts more power than we have now. ($100-billion matched by Indian/international equity investors; multiplied by 3-times loans; assumed $2-billion/gigawatt.) That more-than-doubling of power availability could - probably - just by itself bring our GDP growth to 9.5 per cent. So there is a massive opportunity cost in increasing defence spending. The problem is this opportunity cost is theoretical because the government is so efficient in spending its money. Moreover, bureaucratic obstacles, which are still very heavy, waste money. If finance ministry wants to say "we're poor, we cannot afford more on defence", this is acceptable to this analyst. But then we should eliminate the threats to our national security: give Kashmir to Pakistan; Ladakh to China; and assure China it is free to expand as it wants. This could bring our defence spending down to one percent of the GDP for a reasonably equipped 3,00,000-person military. We cannot have it all ways: refuse to let the economy grow freely, which we did for 45 years to 1990, and still hinder; refuse to cut back our need for a very strong defence by adjusting our foreign policy; and refuse to spend government revenues efficiently. And please recall that in 1962 we were spending two per cent of GDP on defence, about $600-million in then-year dollars. The results are well known. One reason we have to spend so much more money is the astronomical increase in weapon costs. In the late 1960s we could buy MiG-21s for $1-million each (again, all these figures are approximations). Now you cannot buy a heavy fighter for less than $100-million. Yes, the capability jump is also astronomical. Back in the day, $1-billion would have bought 1,000 fighters. We can hardly replace that with 10 fighters, no matter how capable! Another example: the Vijayanta tank cost about $250,000 and it was reasonably matched against the US M-60, then top-of-line. RICHMOND Opponents of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline released an economic study Tuesday to bolster their argument that the $5 billion project ultimately would cost more than it's worth to localities in its path in Western and Central Virginia. The study, commissioned by five citizen groups in four counties, estimates that construction of the 42-inch, high-pressure natural gas pipeline would do immediate and ongoing damage to property values, as well as ecological resources, tourism and small business development in Highland, Augusta, Nelson and Buckingham counties. Opponents already are using the analysis by Key-Log Economics LLC in Charlottesville to bolster their case against the project before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is expected to decide later this year whether to certify the need for the pipeline and allow eminent domain to acquire rights-of-way along the more than 550-mile route from West Virginia to southeastern Virginia and North Carolina. Pipeline opponents argue property rights at Va. Supreme Court The Mountain Valley Pipeline case could affect other proposed natural gas pipelines that would cut through the Virginia mountains, including the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. "The decision to approve or not approve the [Atlantic Coast Pipeline] does not hinge on a simple comparison of the estimated benefits and estimated costs," the 57-page study concludes. "The scope and magnitude of the costs outlined here, however, reflect and are an important component of the full environmental effects that must be considered in making that decision." "Impacts on human well-being, including but not limited to those that can be expressed in dollars and cents must be taken into account by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and others weighing the societal benefits of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline." The pipeline developers, led by Richmond-based energy company Dominion, have released two economic studies estimating the benefits of the project. Those benefits include increased local taxes and jobs, primarily during construction, and $377 million each year in lower electricity costs to consumers in Virginia and North Carolina from providing a low-priced natural gas supply for power generation. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline issued a statement Tuesday that said the Key-Log report "lacks factual basis and credibility." "All you have to do it look at the experience of neighboring counties here in Virginia to see that," said spokesman Frank Mack, who cited thriving businesses near pipelines in Albemarle and Augusta counties, as well as California's Napa Valley. "There is no substantiated reason to think Nelson County will be any different." "There are many examples of communities in Virginia and around the country where tourism, agriculture and residential development have peacefully co-existed alongside natural gas pipelines for many years," Mack said. The company also challenged the report's assumption that pipelines diminish property values, citing FERC's conclusion after reviewing research on the issue two years ago in a case involving a pipeline proposed in New York. "The commission concluded that there is 'no consistent information suggesting that the presence of a natural gas pipeline easement would decrease property values'," Mack said. But opponents have argued that the company's studies don't measure true costs of the proposed pipeline to the communities in its path. To prove their point, five groups raised more than $40,000 in contributions from residents of the four counties to pay for the Key-Log study. The groups are: Friends of Nelson, the Augusta County Alliance, Friends of Buckingham Virginia, Yogaville Environmental Solutions, and Highlanders for Responsible Development. Opponents have shown before that they have financial support in their battle with Dominion, which owns Dominion Virginia Power, the state's largest public utility. Last year, the "All Pain, No Gain" campaign raised almost a half-million dollars in contributions and in-kind services for an advertising and marketing campaign against the pipeline, according to co-chairs Nancy Sorrells of Augusta and Charlotte Rea of Nelson. The new study estimates up to $141.2 million in one-time costs from construction of the pipeline along a 126-mile stretch through the four counties, based on diminished property values in the pipeline corridor and loss of ecological services, including aesthetic values. The analysis also estimates ongoing costs of the proposed pipeline at up to $109.1 million a year, reflecting the effect on local revenues from tourism and other businesses in the four counties, as well as the annualized costs of reduced property and ecological values. But the biggest numbers presented in the report estimate a loss of up to $7.4 billion in property values in perpetuity because of the effect on viewsheds of the project's 125-foot-wide construction and 75-foot-wide permanent easement in a region that places a high economic value on its scenic vistas. The analysis does not reflect proposed changes to the route announced by Dominion last week that would reduce the number of miles through Highland, increase the number of miles through Augusta, and pass through Bath County for the first time. ROANOKE The federal trial related to the slaying of Waynesboro reserve police Capt. Kevin Quick resumed Tuesday with key testimony from forensic scientists about DNA evidence and from investigators who provided detailed information on cellphone records. Day 11 started with testimony from Wendy Cohn, a specialist in body fluid identification and DNA analysis with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. Cohn said she examined items recovered from a vehicle in Louisa County that appear to be linked through DNA to defendants Mersadies Shelton and Daniel Mathis and to Anthony White, a government witness who testified earlier in an attempt to receive a lighter sentence. The vehicle was not identified as Quicks Toyota Forerunner; however, prior testimony from investigators indicated that his SUV was processed for evidence after being recovered in Louisa County. Cohn testified that a piece of chewing gum found in the front ashtray of the vehicle was linked to Shelton. She explained that her department makes one of three findings regarding DNA evidence: it can eliminate a subject, it can fail to eliminate a subject or it can be deemed inconclusive because of insufficient DNA. She said that if a stadium were filled with 6.5 billion people who were black, white or Hispanic, none would have the same DNA as the sample studied, barring the existence of an identical twin. For statistical purposes, those three ethnic backgrounds are considered because they match the ethnic backgrounds of the majority of people in Virginia. Rubber gloves found in the SUV were linked to Mathis and a second set was linked to White through Cohns DNA analysis. Two red sneakers and a pair of Urban Pipeline blue jeans found in a Days Inn in Alexandria, where some of the defendants and White were arrested, contained blood stains linked to Edward Chaplain, a Bumpass man who was wounded during a robbery on Super Bowl Sunday of 2014. Prosecutors did not indicate which defendants were alleged to be the owners of the sneakers or jeans. Cohn also testified that she examined a stain on a branch cut from a tree near where Quicks body was found in Goochland County. The stain was determined to be blood containing DNA consistent with Quicks. Special Agent Michael Jedrey, who serves with the High Technology Crimes Division of the Virginia State Police, testified that he studies data recovered from computers, cellphones and other devices connected to the Internet. Jedrey said that he acquired data from 10 cellphones alleged to be associated with the defendants and several witnesses. He testified that he can obtain logical data using the phones operating system and that he can obtain physical data that bypasses the phones operating system. Physical data, he said, can be obtained even if the phone is not working and even if messages have been deleted. The data is still there, he said, but sometimes bits of data are overwritten and no longer viewable. Jedrey testified that he examined photos, videos, text messages, Web searches, lists of contacts, emails and records of usage from the phones recovered through search warrants. In addition, Jedrey said he collects call detail records kept by the service provider and also examines when and where the phones were used. He provided a list of cellphone numbers associated with the defendants and some of the government witnesses. Scott Reynolds, the case agent for the Louisa County Sheriffs Office, testified that he was responsible for compiling a timeline of cellphone usage from the seized cellphones and from 911 calls related to crimes the defendants are accused of committing. Reynolds read through an extensive list of dozens of phone calls, text messages and emails exchanged among the seized phones from Jan. 30, 2014, through part of Feb. 2, 2014. His testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. After the jury was excused, Judge Glen Conrad discussed the schedule for the rest of the trial with the defense and prosecutors. The prosecutors said they expect to rest their case about midday Wednesday and the defense said it expects to complete its case Thursday. Closing arguments are tentatively scheduled for Friday, more than a week ahead of schedule. RICHMOND Three of the six remaining GOP presidential hopefuls have scheduled Virginia events ahead of the state's March 1 presidential primary. Ohio Gov. John Kasich will hold a town hall meeting Monday evening at Virginia Commonwealth University. The event in the Egyptian Building Auditorium, 1224 E. Marshall St., will be from 6:30 to 7:30. Earlier Monday, Kasich holds a 10 a.m. town hall at George Mason University in Fairfax. GOP front-runner Donald Trump takes part in Regent University's presidential candidate series next Wednesday, Feb. 24 in Virginia Beach. On Feb. 29, the day before the Virginia primary, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson takes part in the candidate series at Regent. Kasich held a town hall at the University of Richmond on Oct. 5. In November, he submitted his ballot signatures in person in Richmond and took part in Regent's candidate series. Carson spoke at Liberty University in Lynchburg in November and held a September rally in Loudoun County. Trump held October rallies in Henrico County, and in Norfolk and a December rally in Prince William County. RICHMOND Virginia's Republican-dominated House of Delegates approved a bill Tuesday that seeks to protect people who oppose same-sex marriage, which critics said would open the door to discrimination and roll back gains the LGBT community has made toward equal treatment. The measure aims to prohibit state agencies from punishing individuals and businesses for refusing services or taking other actions against same-sex couples, transgender people or someone who has extramarital sex. It would block the state from withholding grants or nixing contracts for individuals or groups that subscribe to those religious beliefs. Republican Del. Todd Gilbert, the bill's sponsor, said lawmakers must act to prevent the discrimination of those with strongly held faiths, who are "constantly under attack by the shifting cultural winds." "The activists who pursue same sex marriage ... are not satisfied with equality and they will not be satisfied until people of faith are driven out of this discourse, are made to cower, are made to be in fear of speaking their minds," Gilbert said. "They want us driven out." Gilbert said his bill, for example, would ensure that the state can't withhold tuition-assistance grants from private religious universities that prohibit students from living together outside of marriage. It would also prohibit the state from revoking the liquor license of a restaurant that requires transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological sex, he said. Opponents say any effort to grant special protections for individuals with these religious beliefs and groups would violate the Constitution and crumble under a court challenge. "You can't get more unconstitutional than that," said Claire Gastanaga, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. House Democrats urged their colleagues to vote down the bill, saying the measure would give taxpayer-funded groups a broad license to discriminate and hurt Virginia's reputation nationwide. Democratic Del. Mark Sickles, who is gay, asked lawmakers not to consider the bill a "free vote" because it "has no prayer of passing." Sickles became emotional during his floor speech and told lawmakers that their children will look back and see how they voted on the measure. "We need to choose whether we want to treat everyone equally or not. It's as simple as that. The law is the same for everybody," Sickles said. Several Republican delegates joined Democrats to vote against the measure. Among them was Del. Scott Taylor, who is seeking Virginia's 2nd Congressional District Seat. Taylor said the bill was too broad. The bill cleared the House with a 53-46 vote after a heated debate as lawmakers worked to pass the final bills before the "crossover deadline" when most bills that will move forward this year must have made it through at least one chamber. Gilbert's measure heads to the Senate, which narrowly approved legislation last week that would allow officials to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages. Both measures face vetoes from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and don't appear to have enough votes to survive the governor's rejection. There's a saying that elections have consequences. Nowhere is this truer than with presidential appointments, particularly federal judgeships that can shape American law long after a president leaves office. However, just hours after Justice Antonin Scalia's death was reported, Republican senators including Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell launched a controversy by declaring that they had no interest in confirming a successor until after a new president takes office. Sen. McConnell said, "The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice." Yet, the American people had a voice in the last election , when they convincingly re-elected President Barack Obama to a second term. There's no question that Republicans don't want a conservative icon like Justice Scalia replaced with an Obama appointee who will tip the scales in favor of the court's liberal bloc. And a Supreme Court nomination fight will be even testier with the White House up for grabs. But senators have a duty to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities, and failing to do so will be detrimental to all three branches of government. The nonpartisan SCOTUSBlog noted that there has never been an instance in the past 100 years of a president or Senate failing to fill a Supreme Court vacancy because of an upcoming election. In fact, perhaps in a nod to constitutional prerogatives, President Obama will not make a recess appointment, according to a spokesman, and will wait for the Senate to reconvene. If the Senate doesn't act, the court for a year or longer may be issuing reams of 4-4 opinions that will have the effect of upholding lower court rulings but not will result in new legal precedents. An eight-person court also provides one less vote to consider important appeals and yet another empty seat if a justice recuses himself or herself from a case. All of that said, Senate Republicans who largely opposed President Obama's two previous Supreme Court nominees can always reject a nominee after going through the confirmation process. They can let a nomination work its way through that process. Their turn will come. And, in any case, why assume an Obama nominee would not be to their liking? Maybe the odds are slim, but senators cant know until a name is proposed. Again, this is part of allowing the system to work as designed. Indeed, Sen. Grassley has now indicated he may do just that. After his death, even ideological rivals lauded Justice Scalia's intellect. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called him a "treasured friend," "different in our interpretation of written texts, one in our reverence for the Constitution and the institution we serve." GOP senators should follow the justices' lead and put their partisan differences aside for the greater good of the republic they serve. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump lead their rivals two weeks before Virginia's March 1 primary, but voters have doubts about the front-runners, a new poll says. Both leaders are highly unpopular with likely voters in Virginia, according to a survey Christopher Newport University released on Tuesday. Trump's unfavorable rating is 64 percent and Clinton's is 59 percent. In a sign of a restive Virginia electorate, only one of the eight remaining candidates in the two parties - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. - has a higher favorable rating than unfavorable rating. Clinton, the former secretary of state, has the backing of 52 percent of likely voters in Virginia's Democratic primary, to 40 percent for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Among likely Republican primary voters, Trump, the business mogul, has the support of 28 percent, followed by Rubio at 22 percent and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at 19 percent. The other remaining GOP candidates lag far behind, with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Ohio Gov. John Kasich tied at 7 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush trailing at 4 percent. Rubio has the highest favorable rating among candidates in the poll, at 44 percent. The candidates with the highest unfavorable ratings were Trump; Clinton; Bush at 58 percent; Cruz at 52 percent; and Sanders at 50 percent. "Almost all of the voters have an opinion about Donald Trump and twice as many see him in an unfavorable light as view him favorably," said Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at CNU. "Even so, among likely Republican voters he's still winning the horse race." While Kasich's ratings also are upside down, many Virginia voters don't know enough about him to give an opinion. "With 39 percent undecided about him, John Kasich has upside potential, but not much time to grow from 7 percent," Kidd said. Complicating Kasich's task is that the Republican candidates compete in a dozen states March 1. That means Kasich and the super PAC that supports him cannot just focus ad spending in Virginia, hoping to boost his name recognition ahead of the primary. The Right to Rise Super PAC, which backs Bush, already is running an ad in Virginia that depicts Trump as a crumbling ice sculpture. As for the Democratic primary, "Virginia Democrats continue to be hesitant about Clinton," Kidd said. "However, she maintains a solid lead over Sanders, with only a small percentage of undecided voters left." Clinton has the backing of Virginia's top Democrats, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who led her 2008 bid for the Democratic nomination, and U.S. Sens. Timothy M. Kaine and Mark R. Warner. More than two-thirds of respondents - 68 percent - said being in tune with a candidate on issues is more important than whether the candidate is likely to win the general election in November. In a potential trouble sign for Trump, 52 percent of Virginia voters say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who has called for a ban on non-citizen Muslims entering the country. In December Trump urged "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." The presidential candidates will compete in South Carolina and Nevada before Virginia and the other states vote on Super Tuesday. Sixteen candidates qualified for Virginia's March 1 primary ballots, but one of the three Democrats and seven of the 13 Republicans have dropped out of the race. NORFOLK - England - Prince George's latest blockbuster outfit has caused a sensational storm of approval from millions of Britons who are avid royal watchers. Prince George has proved once again how much of a style icon he is after a 485 outfit he wore to his dads recent EU speech sold out today. I think its meant to be making some sort of subtle statement, but I cant quite put my finger on it, royal commentator, Barnabas Ballentyne, told ITV news. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on hand to lead the toddler out onto the stage where his new outfit was photographed at least 20,000 times by whole teams of photographers. There was even approval from across the Channel, where Jean Claude Juncker reluctantly interrupted a date with another jug of cognac to applaud the choice of attire. Jah, Cest une magnifique choice. Wunderbar. Ze Gothas are coming homefinally. Hamid Ansari was arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. (Photo: Twitter) Mumbai: Parents of a Mumbai engineer jailed in Pakistan for alleged espionage have requested authorities in the neighbouring country to show compassion and release him on humanitarian grounds. "I appeal to Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics," said Fauzia Ansari, mother of 31-year-old engineering and management graduate, Hamid Ansari, who has been sentenced to jail for three years by a Pakistani court. Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court, which pronounced him guilty of espionage. Ansari's parents had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in a Pakistani court when they came to know in January that their son was in the custody of the Pakistan Army. He was convicted on Sunday in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and was shifted to Peshawar Central Prison. "On January 13, we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan Army's custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India," said 55-year-old Fauzia. "We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely," said Fauzia, who recently underwent an ankle surgery after she met with an accident. "We are confident that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young guy like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail," she said. "I am not sure what crime my son has committed. As per his chats with his friends from Pakistan on Facebook before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was a victim of a social evil," said Fauzia, who is a Hindi lecturer in a junior college here and has undergone an ankle surgery after she met with an accident while crossing a road. Ansari's father's Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manager and elder brother Khalid Ansari (32) is a dental surgeon. JNU students agitating for the release of the Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: A team of senior lawyers set up by the Supreme Court to report to it on the situation in the Patiala House courts where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar was produced today, said there was "complete breakdown of law and order" and an atmosphere of "fear and terror" prevailed there and the police did not act. "There is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused (Kanhaiya) and this police will be unable to save him," the six-member team of lawyers said giving an oral ground report to the apex court. They said they too bore the brunt of the people in lawyers' robes who gave them "the choicest of the abuses and tried to hurt them by throwing sharp-edged flower pots and water bottles". Stating that visuals of the events were filmed by one of them using mobile phone, the lawyers said "this particular atmosphere is unprecedented. Police did not do their job." "The crowd broke the cordon and threw water bottles and sharp-edged flower pots on us. This is broadly the report," they said, adding that The committee, comprising senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Harin Rawal, Ajit K Sinha and advocates Prashant Bhushan and A D N Rao, had rushed to the Patiala House court after being directed by the apex court. It was Dhawan, who started giving an account of the panel's visit to the Patiala House Court to a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre, saying he had never seen the crowd of such a proportion as witnessed there and termed it as "an unprecedented situation". Dave joined him saying the atmosphere was surcharged and of "fear and terror". Dhawan said they had spoken to Kanhaiya Kumar who said he was attacked and beaten on his way to the court room and inside, a man in dark spectacles, not in lawyers' dress, had gone near the accused, asked him something and hit him. This man also sat in the court room later, he added. "How did he get inside the court room when there was a specific order of this court? When the accused asked the police to stop him, no action was taken," Dhawan said. The panel claimed they bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who hurled abuses and expletives at them. "This particular atmosphere is unprecedented. Police did not do their job. The crowd broke the cordon and threw water bottles and sharp-edged flower pots on us. This is broadly the report," they said, adding that "there is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused and this police will be unable to save him." Inside the courtroom, the judges said, "We also direct that Commissioner of Police shall take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the accused until he is produced next before the trial court. "We may place on record that it is reported today by the members of the Committee that the accused was manhandled while he was produced before the Court today. We therefore make it clear that the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused," it said and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow. Kumar, who is facing sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, has been remanded in judicial custody by a Metropolitan court till March 2. The top court had earlier in the day issued directions to Police and the Delhi High Court Registry in the morning to ensure safe and smooth proceedings in the lower court but again had to step in the afternoon after it was told that violence had erupted. The team of six senior lawyers comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit K Sinha and Harin Raval, was rushed by the bench in police protection to the lower court to assess the ground situation. Dhawan said the team also spoke to area DCP Jatin Narwal, who was present in the court room as to why the man was not stopped, the officer had no answer even when he was specifically told about the apex court order passed in the morning. "Each one of us told him how that person entered the court room and how he pushed the accused," Dhawan said, adding that the accused was beaten outside and pushed inside the court room. "We need a report on how this person was allowed in the court room," the senior lawyer said. Dhawan said as they were entering the court with police escort, Sibal was abused and flower pots etc were thrown on them and slogans like "Ye Pakistan ke dalle hain" (They are Pakistani agents) raised. He even mentioned an expletive in Hindi saying he was sorry to mention it but "there were all kinds of abuses for them". While Sibal, Dhawan and Bhushan had appeared for the petitioner N D Jayaprakash, an alumnus of JNU, who filed the petition against police inaction on February 15 and seeking safety of Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with the offence of sedition, Sinha had represented the Delhi Police and its Commissioner B S Bassi in the matter. Rawal, former Additional Solicitor General during the UPA government, and Rao were watching the proceedings and had agreed to be part of the panel. Dhawan said though the team was under the security cover, the police cordon was broken and "Rawal has recorded everything on his mobile camera." He also said he spoke to Registrar General of Delhi High Court who was asked by the bench's order to be present in Patiala House Court and had asked the DCP to arrest the man who had entered the court room unauthorisedly, but this was not done. Dave again said, "There is a very serious threat to the safety of the accused. This police will be unable to save him. We interrogated DCP Jatin Narwal how that person came in and out of the court. The DCP didnt have the answer." The bench interrupted him and wanted to know from Delhi Police counsel and senior advocate Ajit K Sinha if he can find out how many officers were there in the court. He said around 30 officers were there and the police was waiting for the accused' medical examination after which he would be taken safely. Washington: In some candid advice to Donald Trump, US President Barack Obama told the controversial Republican front-runner that being president is tougher than being on a reality show and the American people are too "sensible" to elect him. "I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be President. And, the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognise that being President is a serious job," Obama told reporters after the first ever US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California. "It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion. It's not marketing," he said. The 69-year-old billionaire real estate tycoon fired back, saying Obama was lucky that he did not run for office in 2012. "You're lucky, I didn't run last time when Romney ran because you would have been a one-term president," Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina. Trump also interpreted Obama's prediction as praise after outlining his grievances against the Obama administration's budgets, health care, immigration policies and response to ISIS. "He has done such a lousy job as President," Trump retorted at a campaign event in Beaufort, South Carolina. "He's set us back so far, that for him to say that actually is a great compliment." During the press conference, Obama also criticised other Republican candidates. He said he thinks foreign observers are troubled by some of the rhetoric that is taking place in these Republican primaries and Republican debates. "I don't think it's restricted, by the way, to Mr Trump, I find it interesting that everybody is focused on Trump, primarily just because he says in more interesting ways what the other candidates are saying, as well," he noted. "He may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment, but if you look at what the other Republican candidates have said, that's pretty troubling, too," Obama said. The President said Trump was not the only Republican who raised concerns, but he singled out the real estate mogul as someone who would be singularly unprepared for the responsibilities of the Oval Office. In an apparent reference to another Republican presidential aspirant Marco Rubio, the Senator from Florida, Obama said there is a candidate who sponsored a bill, which he supported, to finally solve the immigration problem, and he is running away from it as fast as he can. Observing that all Republican candidates are denying climate change, Obama said that is troubling to the international community, since the science is unequivocal. "We are receiving reports that more than 3,000 people have been displaced in the past week," said Mark Cutts, country head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (Photo: AP) Yangon: Over 3,000 people have fled their homes in northern Myanmar following clashes between two ethnic rebel groups, the United Nations said on Tuesday, raising fears that the government's fragile peace efforts could be fracturing. Heavy fighting in the northern state of Shan broke out last week between the Restoration Council for Shan State (RCSS) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). It is a rare instance of the country's ethnic armed groups turning on each other and comes during a complicated transition from an army-backed goverment to Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party. "We are receiving reports that more than 3,000 people have been displaced in the past week," said Mark Cutts, country head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. He said most of the newly-displaced were being housed in monasteries in the town of Kyaukme and receiving assistance from local groups and the Myanmar Red Cross. Kyaukme's lower-house MP Sai Tun Aung said locals have told him of teachers and students fleeing on foot to escape arrests, killings and arson attacks being carried out by "an armed group moving around the region". He did not specify which rebel group was responsible. Myanmar's government has tried in recent years to end decades-long civil wars between the military and numerous ethnic armed groups battling for greater autonomy. The outgoing government signed a peace deal with a handful of major groups, including the RCSS, late last year. But its efforts to sign a nationwide peace deal foundered after the government baulked at including several groups locked in ongoing conflict with the military, including the TNLA. It is unclear what sparked the recent fighting between the RCSS and TNLA. But the lack of full participation in the peace deal has raised concerns that rebel groups could begin vying with each other to control territory. The peace talks with ethnic armed groups have been steered by the quasi-civilian government that replaced outright military rule in 2011. It was trounced in November elections by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Last month ethnic minority groups applauded the outgoing government's peace efforts at a conference in the capital Naypyidaw, but said the difficult task of implementing the agreement lies with Suu Kyi's party, which will form a government in April. Significant hurdles lie ahead, including ongoing fighting and Suu Kyi's strained relationship with the still hugely powerful military, which holds the key to lasting peace. New Delhi: Indias maritime neighbour Maldives emerged as the biggest per capita contributor to terror outfit ISIS while India is one of the worlds lowest in this regard, top government sources have said. The revelation has sent shockwaves through the Indian security establishment. According to some reports, Indian intelligence agencies had earlier suspected that the Pakistani ISI was trying to expand its sphere of influence to the maritime archipelago which is not very far from Indias southern coast. Intelligence agencies had also suspected that the ISI along with Pakistani terror outfits were trying to spread radicalism in the Maldives to fan hatred against India. Sources, at the same time, said that India being one of the lowest per capita contributors to the ISIS indicates that the ISIS has not been very successful in spreading its tentacles in India. It may be recalled that the Indian government had recently said that the efforts of terror group ISIS to gain recruits from India has met with limited success largely owing to our own pluralist society and inclusive democratic experience and that while there are reported to be a small number of Indian jihadi fighters in Iraqi-Syrian war zones, the government is taking measures to control this through immigration controls, intelligence sharing, and liaison with states. So far as the Maldives is concerned, India had recently welcomed the decision of the Maldives to allow the jailed former president Mohamed Nasheed to travel to the UK for medical treatment. Speculation is rife that New Delhi may have suggested and persuaded the archipelago nation to allow the former president-seen by many to be pro-India-to go abroad for the medical treatment. Istanbul: Turkey said on Tuesday that it wanted a ground operation in neighbouring Syria with its international allies, as a UN envoy held talks in Damascus aimed at saving a troubled ceasefire plan. Tensions escalated over Russia's air war in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with Ankara branding it "vile, cruel and barbaric" and EU President Donald Tusk saying it "leaves little hope" of a solution. Turkey sees the ouster of Assad as essential to ending a five-year conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people, and is highly critical of Iran and Russia over their support for the Damascus regime. "We want a ground operation with our international allies," a senior Turkish official told reporters in Istanbul. "There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria," the official said, but added: "Without a ground operation it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria." Saudi Arabia, another fierce critic of Assad, has said it is ready to send special forces to Syria to take part in ground operations against the ISIS. The United Nations said Monday that nearly 50 civilians, including children, had died in the bombings of at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria. The region around Syria's second city of Aleppo has been the target of a major offensive by Syrian government troops, backed by Russian warplanes, which has sent tens of thousands fleeing to the Turkish border. Russia denied it had bombed any hospital in Syria, calling such reports "unsubstantiated accusations". Ceasefire hopes fade UN envoy Staffan de Mistura met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus Tuesday to try to keep alive the proposal announced by world powers in Munich early Friday for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week. "We have been particularly talking about the issue of humanitarian unhindered access to all besieged areas not only by the government but also by (the) opposition" and ISIS, De Mistura told reporters afterwards. He said they would meet again later today"to address this urgent issue which is as you know related to the wellbeing of all Syrian people and is connected to the very clear discussions and conclusions of the Munich conference." Assad on Monday downplayed prospects of a halt in fighting, saying that it would be "difficult" to implement a truce. "They are saying they want a ceasefire in a week. Who is capable of gathering all the conditions and requirements in a week? No one," Assad said in televised remarks. Turkey meanwhile shelled Kurdish positions in northern Syria for a fourth straight day today, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor. It said the shells had struck the town of Tal Rifaat which was captured on Monday from mostly Islamist rebels by a Kurdish-Arab coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. Turkish media also reported shelling on Kurdish positions around the rebel stronghold of Azaz. Diplomatic Tensions Flare Ankara accuses the Kurdish forces of ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. Turkey fears the Kurds will be able to create a contiguous Kurdish territory just across the border in northern Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday accused Kurdish fighters of being "Russia's legion working as mercenaries" with a priority aim of harming Turkey's interests. Moscow says its military intervention has targeted IS and other "terrorists", but activists say Russia's raids have caused disproportionately high civilian casualties. Russia's air strikes have allowed government forces to press a major operation that has virtually encircled rebels in eastern Aleppo city, as well as pushing them from much of the region to the north. "Those vile, cruel and barbaric planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since September 30 without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly," Davutoglu said in parliament. Moscow meanwhile called Turkey's shelling in Syria "provocative" and said it supported raising the issue at the UN Security Council. A US State Department spokesperson urged Turkey and Russia to avoid any further escalation. "It is important that the Russians and Turks speak directly, and take measures to prevent escalation," the spokesperson said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed "uneasiness" about France's call over the weekend for an immediate halt to the shelling of Kurdish forces, a Turkish diplomatic source said. Speaking on Monday with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault by telephone, Cavusoglu said Turkey was fighting against "elements of terror" in Syria. Hassan Nasrallah said the two countries have been pushing to send in international ground forces because they are not ready to accept a political solution to the conflict. (Photo: AFP) Beirut: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday accused Ankara and Riyadh of dragging the entire region into war and said victory was imminent for his Shia Lebanese group and its Syrian regime allies. They (Turkey and Saudi Arabia) are ready to drag the region into a war, Nasrallah said in a video address to supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah bastion. He said the two countries have been pushing to send in international ground forces because they are not ready to accept a political solution to the conflict in Syria, which is why they want to continue the war and destroy it. Nasrallah said Riyadh and Ankara planned to intervene directly because their allies the Islamist rebels on the ground have suffered successive defeats at the hands of Kurdish and Syrian regime forces. He also said victory for President Bashar al-Assads forces, backed by Hezbollah, Iran and Russia was coming. In the days ahead and for the decade to come, we will proclaim victory alongside the Syrian army, he said. He also vowed, To prevent Daesh (Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group), Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate), America, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their pawns from occupying Syria and Israel to realise their ambitions. On Saturday, Turkey said that it could, alongside fellow international coalition member Saudi Arabia, mount a land operation against IS in Syria. Syrias ally Iran, which has sent thousands of military advisers into Syria, warned Tuesday that the deployment of Saudi troops would violate international law. Police received reports of three bombs on the campus of Karachi University after which the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called. (Photo: uok.edu.pk) Karachi: Several students and teachers of a leading Pakistani university were on Wednesday evacuated after authorities received reports of three live bombs on the campus but the scare later turned out to be a hoax, media reported. Police received reports of three bombs on the campus of Karachi University after which the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called in to secure the university, Dawn news reported. Students and faculty panicked during evacuation as the news spread, it said. Superintendent of Police Gulshan Saad Ahmad said they were alerted about a bomb targeting a book fair at the university. After checking the varsity, the BDS cleared the facility. Areas surrounding the building have also being checked for bombs, he said, adding that those spreading misinformation will be caught. Educational institutions across Pakistan have been on high alert after the Taliban attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on January 20 in which at least 20 people, including students, were killed. Pakistani Taliban militants have threatened more assaults on schools and universities since the attack, fuelling a sense of insecurity in the country. Currently more than 27,000 students are enrolled with the Karachi University while the number of teaching and non-teaching staff is over 4,000. Sartaj Aziz, center, adviser to the Pakistani prime minister on foreign affairs, speaks during the third round of a meetings at the foreign ministry in Islamabad. (Photo: PTI) Islamabad: Pakistan and the US will hold a strategic dialogue this month to enhance cooperation in areas like defence and counter-terrorrism, days after the Obama administration decided to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to it. The 6th round of the strategic dialogue on February 29 in Washington will be led by Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Secretary of State John Kerry. Aziz on Wednesday reviewed the progress of previous rounds of the meeting at the Foreign Ministry. "The upcoming meeting will afford an important opportunity to take stock of the entire gamut of Pakistan's bilateral relations with the US," the Foreign Office said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's US visit in October 2015 had provided impetus to the dialogue mechanism, and this will be the third annual meeting since he assumed office in 2013. The dialogue process began in 2010 and the two countries held three ministerial meetings. It was, however, interrupted in 2011 when the US forces killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in a midnight raid. The process resumed in 2014 when Aziz and Kerry met in Washington in January. The key meeting will take place soon after the US announced to provide eight F-16 fighter jets worth USD 700 million to Pakistan, despite objection from India and mounting opposition from influential American lawmakers. India had summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over the decision. During the 6th strategic dialogue, the US and Pakistan would discuss cooperation in economy and finance, energy, education, science and technology, law enforcement and counter-terrorism, security, strategic stability and non-proliferation, and defence, officials said. Aziz's review meeting at the foreign ministry was attended by federal ministers for Planning and Development, Petroleum & Natural Resources as well as key federal secretaries. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan received his graduation degree today, 28 years after passing out from Hansraj College here. On the occasion, he walk down the memory lane as he recalled his days time at his alma mater. The 50-year-old "Dilwale" actor, who was in the capital to launch the anthem of his much-awaited Yash Raj Film, "Fan," said he felt special coming back to the campus. "This is a very special moment for me. I am back in my college, which I left in 1988. I am missing only one thing -- my children are not with me today, as I wanted to show them every corner of my college," Shah Rukh said at the event. While presenting him with the degree, Hansraj College Principal Rama Sharma said the institution is proud of its superstar student. "We are very happy to present him the degree after so many years. We had kept his degree safely in our college. We are proud to bestow him with it today," Sharma said. The actor also signed the register after taking the DU graduate degree. Shah Rukh, who was born in Delhi, lived in famous localities of the city including Rajendra Nagar and Gautam Nagar. The "Chennai Express" star studied at St Columba's School and earned his bachelor's degree in Economics from Hansraj. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out again at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that attack on journalists and the JNU show his regime wants the country to follow RSS ideology. Rahul, who is on a two-day visit to Assam, said the RSS is planting its own Pracharaks as vice chancellors of different universities. The way journalists were assaulted, it is absolutely wrong and we condemn it. They are planting RSS in every university. They are suppressing the voice of Indian students, but we will not let it happen. We will fight it out .They want to suppress the voice of the youth of the country, he said while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a rally in Sivsagar. Rahuls rally was attended by thousands of Congress supporters from various districts of Upper Assam. It was a great show of strength for the ruling Congress after the BJP launched a high-pitched election campaign by Modi and party president Amit Shah. They are trying to suppress the voice of the youth be it in JNU, in Hyderabad, Lucknow and other places, Modi has failed to fulfill his promises, Rahul said.He said Modi has failed in many fronts. He (Modi) promised to contain price rise of essential commodities when he came here before the Lok Sabha polls, he said. Women journalists in Delhi on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and asked him to take action against lawyers and others who attacked mediapersons in court. They also demanded action against Delhi Police personnel who watched silently the violence unleashed by a group of lawyers. A delegation of journalists under the aegis of India Womens Press Corp (IWPC) met Rajnath and apprised him of the incident at the Patiala House court on Monday when lawyers attacked journalists and students and faculty of Jawaharlal Nehru University who had gone there to witness the court proceedings against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. They raised the issue of Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi dismissing the incident as a scuffle and demanded that accountability be fixed. It is a matter of concern that the Delhi Police Commissioner has dismissed the incident describing it as a scuffle. Such observations will encourage those elements who already believe that they are above the law of the land, the journalists said in a memorandum. More than a dozen journalists were set upon by lawyers who prevented them in the discharge of their duties... These were the regular beat journalists who were on assignment. Even women journalists were not spared. It is unfortunate that security personnel of the Delhi Police did nothing even as the assault continued, it said. The journalists also demanded his intervention to sort out the issue. We urge your intervention in the matter on two counts. There should be some accountability of the Delhi Police who watched silently as the assault happened. And secondly, as there were CCTV cameras the incident of assault must have been recorded. We demand that the perpetrators of the assault be brought to book at the earliest, they said. Earlier, over 200 journalists took out a protest march demanding strong action over Mondays violence at the Patiala House Courts Complex. China has deployed long-range anti- aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island, according to a media report today that was downplayed by the Communist nation as Western news outlets' attempt to create "stories". Satellite images showed two batteries of eight surface-to- air HQ-9 missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, Fox News reported. The report comes even as US President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to settle territorial disputes in the resource-rich region. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on February 3, but the missiles were visible by February 14. A US official said the imagery showed the HQ-9 air defence system with a range of over 200 kilometres, which would pose a threat to any civilian or military airplane flying close by, the report said. It is the same island where a US Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. Woody Island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The missiles arrived over the past week. China decribed the report as media hype. "We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Claiming that the development was largely civilian oriented and benefited the region, Wang pointed to the construction of light houses, weather stations, and rescue and shelter facilities for fishermen. "All of those are actions that China, as the biggest littoral state in the South China Sea, has undertaken to provide more public goods and services to the international community and play its positive role there," he said. Wang said China's construction of military infrastructure was "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self- protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that." The reported move by China comes as President Obama hosted 10 Asian leaders in California, many of those concerned over China's recent activity in the South China Sea. The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same, Obama said yesterday, as he called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the disputed and natural resource-rich South China Sea. The Pentagon was watching the developments closely, a defence official told the news channel. "The US continues to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarisation of features in the South China Sea," the official said. In the past two years, China has built over 3,000 acres of territory atop seven reefs in the area. There are a total of three runways built on three of the artificial islands, the report said. China has said that it has a historical right to all of the South China Sea. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich international shipping lanes. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in Jadavpur University (JU), posters calling for 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were today found in the campus even as two rival groups of students brought out rallies in the varsity premises. "Hum kya chahe - Azadi. Kashmir ki Azadi. Manipur ki Azadi. Nagaland ki Azadi (We demand freedom. Kashmir's freedom. Manipur's freedom. Nagaland's freedom)," one of the posters said. All such posters were signed by a group called 'RADICAL'. Both the student unions and authorities have distanced themselves from such posters. "These are some fringe elements. I met the students union leaders in the morning and they told me that they disassociate themselves with all anti-national slogans," Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said. Slogans in favour of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged three years ago, were raised at a rally yesterday taken out by JU students to express solidarity with JNU students protesting the arrest of their leader Kanhaiya Kumar for alleged sedition. Das said he saw some student union leaders also walking in the rally yesterday in which pro-Afzal slogans were raised. "As a Vice Chancellor, it is my responsibility to see that the students get their right to protest, their freedom of speech and expression is protected," he said. On whether the university would make any police complaint on this issue, he said the question did not arise. "In university, the police has no role. I will never call police in the campus," Das said. Sounak Mukherjee, leader of Forum of Art Students--a students union--said the majority view of the students was not reflected in the posters."We are against it," he said. In the meantime, two opposing groups of students brought out rallies in the campus. The smaller group shouted slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and voiced their concerns against yesterday's torch rally. They shouted slogans against eulogising Afzal. As a counter to this, other students also brought out a rally. The SFI state unit distanced itself from the pro-Afzal Guru slogans, saying they do not support it and the entire student community of JU should not be blamed for such "irresponsible slogans". "The SFI is always against terrorism, communalism and divisive forces. It is inappropriate to raise such slogans, which directly or indirectly support terrorism," Students Federation of India (SFI) state secretary Debojyoti Das said in a statement.The Centre today sought a report from the West Bengal government regarding the JU rally. Superstar Salman Khan has shared a video of his rumoured girlfriend and Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vantur's reality show, which she will be hosting. The 50-year-old "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" star took to Twitter to post a video of the show, where Vantur is conversing in Roman language. "Samajh Mein aaya (Did you understand)?," he asked his fans. Salman, who spends a lot of time at his farmhouse, said he always wanted to host a reality show on farming. "The show I've been wanting to do for longest time. It's like BiggBoss but on Farm. Kitna kuch kar sakte hai iske Sath (We can do so many things)," he added. The actor was last seen hosting the ninth season of celebrity reality show "Bigg Boss". Slapped with sedition charge, JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar today said he is an Indian who has full faith in judiciary and the Constitution, a statement the police latched on to say that it will not oppose his bail. "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country," Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings. "The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial," he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings. Kumar, who has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week, has been arrested by Delhi Police. He has been remanded to judicial custody till March 2. Reacting to the statement, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said if Kumar applies for bail, then police will not object to it. "I personally feel, a young person...perhaps be given bail," he told reporters. Kumar told the committee of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court to asses the situation in Patiala House Court that he was treated well by the police. "I have no complaints against the police. When I was brought to the court, a mob attacked me. Police was escorting me to the court room and they tried their best to save me from the mob. But still, I was beaten up. Even some of the police officials were assaulted," he said. The magistrate immediately ordered medical examination of Kumar by a team of doctors inside the court. The magistrate ordered the DCP (Security) present in the court to ensure that there is no attack on him. He also directed the Superintendent of Tihar jail to ensure security of Kumar. Bassi said there is adequate evidence against Kumar in the sedition case. "As far as merits of the case , we will present it in the court." He said before he left for the court, Kumar had issued a statement in which he had said he has faith in the Constitution of India and had referred to the objectionable anti-national slogans. The objective of the statement, the Commissioner said, was to tell the other JNU students not to indulge in such activities and that it was not the right path. "I have told the government counsel to tell the Supreme Court that Kanhaiya before appearing in the Patiala House Court has made the appeal. DCP (South) is releasing the statement on twitter for wider reach," said Bassi. But in view of his appeal to his brethren in JNU not to indulge in anti-national activities and his expression of faith in Constitution and judiciary, he said they would not oppose his bail if he applied for it. Asked whether he was giving a clean chit to Kumar, Bassi said "I am not giving a clean chit." When the Nimrod Theatre Building in Sydney was threatened with demolition charges so that the creative forum could be turned into an apartment complex, more than 600 ardent art lovers and entertainers from Australia came together to save this unique performance space. Renamed Belvoir Theatre Company, it is one of Australias most celebrated theatre groups. Under the leadership of the general manager Brenna Hobson, the company has churned out some of the most professional and promising playwrights, directors, actors and designers. But its not just at home that they present their dynamic, visionary work. The company also regularly travels across the globe and puts up some of their best productions at major arts centres and festivals. And from the Land Down Under, their in-house production, Stories I Want To Tell You In Person, travelled to India and was staged at Jagriti Theatre recently, supported by the Australian High Commission and Australia India Council. This was Brennas second time in the City as she was already here in 2012, when she was working for a festival and meeting theatre artistes from India. Its great when we travel through work and meet people who are in the same industry as we are. We try and understand a lot of similarities and see how the industry works here as compared to Australia. We are enjoying Bengaluru a lot; eating kulfi, vadas and gulab jamun and getting fat in the process! This is such a huge city to explore. I have discovered new things wherever we go. In Australia, the cityscape is similar and we know which is the centre and the suburb. Here, the city is in transition and everything is developing. So we find a tall building in Whitefield and think its the centre but its actually a suburb. As a travelling theatre company, she says that they always face challenges with the sets and logistics and tweak nuances in the script to suit different countries. She explains, Logistically, there is always something going wrong because we travel a lot. We do make changes in the way we communicate our plays, just to make sure that the audience understands the play in a way they should. We tweak nuances and change jokes, depending on our audience, but overall, our script is the same. Quite rightly, she points out certain differences in the theatre scene too. While in India she found that theatre is quite seasonal, back home, productions last for a whole year and slowly develop over time. It must be difficult for artistes here. Australia is also one of the three countries where theatre for the young and by the young is quite popular. There is a bit of theatre for children as well. There are about eight theatre companies where people are practising theatre professionally. We dont suffer from a problem of funding and sponsorship as we get adequate amounts from various levels of government. And thankfully, there isnt a censorship culture as such. Apart from reflecting life and reality, Belvoir focuses on plays that reflect the indigenous and colonised culture, where it is mainly about the social consciousness of indigenous people and how theatre can make a difference to life. Brenna is making a trip to Kerala next to put up her production for the Satellite festival and then will head to Mumbai before going to Sydney. Looking forward to come back to Bengaluru, the cheerful artiste says. The Supreme Court today directed Delhi Police Chief B S Bassi to personally ensure safety and security of persons including arrested JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar,who is facing sedition charge, in Patiala House courts complex here after a fresh round of violence broke out. The order was given on a day of fast paced developments when the court had to step in and rush a six-member panel of advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes. After the panel gave an oral report mentioning that situation at the Patiala House Court was "unprecedented" and the "atmosphere was of fear and terrorising" and that Kumar was "manhandled", a bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre made it clear that "the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused." The panel claimed they bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who hurled abuses and expletives at them. "This particular atmosphere is unprecedented. Police did not do their job. The crowd broke the cordon and threw water bottles and sharp-edged flower pots on us. This is broadly the report," they said, adding that "there is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused and this police will be unable to save him." Inside the courtroom, the judges said, "We also direct that Commissioner of Police shall take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the accused until he is produced next before the trial court. "We may place on record that it is reported today by the members of the Committee that the accused was manhandled while he was produced before the Court today. We therefore make it clear that the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused," it said and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow. Kumar, who is facing sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, has been remanded in judicial custody by a Metropolitan court till March 2. The top court had earlier in the day issued directions to Police and the Delhi High Court Registry in the morning to ensure safe and smooth proceedings in the lower court but again had to step in in the afternoon after it was told that violence had erupted. The team of six senior lawyers comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit K Sinha and Harin Raval, was rushed by the bench in police protection to the lower court to assess the ground situation. Soon after the lunch recess at 2.15 pm, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan made an "extraordinary mention" in the court that inspite of the order passed in the forenoon, a tense situation is building up in the Patiala House Courts Complex, where a group of lawyers and others are resorting to violence threatening the security of Kanhaiya Kumar and his counsel. They informed that the Metropolitan Magistrate in the Patiala House Courts Complex where the proceedings were going on, in order to ensure the safety of those persons, has directed Kanhaiya and his counsel to take shelter in his chamber. The court noted the plea of the advocates that appropriate directions be given in the situation to rescue the accused and his lawyers and that even the five journalists who were allowed to attend the proceedings were feeling afraid of their safety. Taking on record the submission, the bench called upon senior advocate Ajit K Sinha, who was representing the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to contact him and obtain instructions within ten minutes as to the situation prevailing in the Patiala House Courts Complex. The court noted that despite making several calls Sinha was unable to contact the Police Commissioner, understandably because of the situation. Later, he contacted him and took instructions about the prevailing situation. Accordingly, the bench appointed six senior members of the Bar to proceed to the Patiala House Courts Complex and report the situation prevailing there. Noting all the developments, the bench said, "In the above mentioned circumstances, we thought it fit to depute some members of the Bar of this Court to observe the situation and report to this Court. We also believe the presence of the senior advocates might help defuse the tension." The bench also called the DCP (Security) of the Supreme Court complex Mahesh Bhardwaj and asked him to provide protection to the six-member panel for taking them to the apex court. The bench also orally asked Sinha to make a request to the magistrate that if needed the proceedings before him can be adjourned and those present inside the court room can be evacuated. On their return, the six-member panel orally gave the ground report saying that the situation at the Patiala House Court was "unprecedented" and the "atmosphere was of fear and terrorising" as even they have bore the brunt of people in lawyers' robes who gave them the choicest of the abuses. Raval, a member of the panel of senior advocates, submitted he had filmed the entire incident at Patiala House on his mobile and taht he will submit a copy of it to the court tomorrow. The panel said they were able to reach the court room in the police cordon, which was broken by the errant crowd and after meeting Kanhaiya they came to know that he was beaten outside the court room and even inside a person in dark specs, who had made an unauthorised entry, had given him a thump. The team of lawyers said when they asked DCP Jatin Narwal, he had no answer as to how that person had entered the court room and why he did not stop him or got him arrested when even asked by the accused. After hearing the oral report, the bench asked Sinha to talk to the police commissioner to inform that he will be responsible for any untoward incident and whether he was in a position to ensure full security to Kanhaiya and others. Sinha got back saying that the police commissioner has assured him that there will be 100 per cent security to Kanhaiya and no harm would be caused to him and he will be safe and secure. The bench in its order noted that the members of the Committee who visited the Patiala House courts complex pursuant to the orders passed earlier returned and made an oral report of the events they observed. It asked them to submit the report in writing tomorrow. The bench also asked senior advocate Sidhharth Luthra, who was representing the Delhi High Court Registry, to submit a report in writing about the observations made by the Registrar General of the High court who was present in the proceedings in the noon in the Patiala House court Complex by 2 pm tomorrow. Sinha was asked to submit a report on behalf of the police by Friday, 10.30 am. The bench noted the submission of Sinha that on instructions he has spoken to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, who has personally assured the safety of the accused and all others who were permitted to attend today's proceedings before the trial court pursuant to the order passed in the morning. During the hearing of the case in the morning, the plea seeking appropriate directions to Centre to ensure a proper and decorus conduct of the proceedings in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House Court, regarding the incident which allegedly took place in the campus of JNU was taken up by the bench. Senior advocate K T S Tulsi appearing for the petitioner N D Jayaprakash said that on February 15, when Kanhaiya Kumar was produced before the Court, a lot of people gathered including the members of the legal fraternity, students and their "supporters" and a large number of media persons. He said that violence took place inside the court room in which the accused and several media persons were injured and were branded as "anti-nationals" "Violence inside the court room is not accepted and sanctity of judicial proceedings has to be maintained. The police personnel present there remained a mute spectator and cameras of media personnel were broken and they were heckled," he said. The bench observed that in incidents like these everyone blames police and if police acts, then they say excess has been committed. "Please remember before coming to blame the police. Remember what had happened in Madras High Court (referring to clash between lawyers and police some years back). Blamegame is not going to help anybody. Moderation is needed in every section of the society. When police intervenes both sides blame it of excesses," the bench said. Again when the issue of police inaction for the February 15 incident when teachers, students and scribes were thrashed by the lawyers was raised, the bench said "position of police is not very comfortable." "Why I am saying so you have to remember. Remember about the incident that happened in the Madras High Court. Today that very court is under protection of the CISF," Justice Chelameswar said. Tulsi alleged that Commissioner of Police has termed the February 15 incident as a minor scuffle but in no way it can be termed as a minor incident as several persons were injured. Several petitions were moved as intervening application including from that of All India Lawyers Union and said that since case of Kanhaiya Kumar is to be taken up again by the magistrate at 2pm today proper security should be ensured. Apprehensions were expressed by various lawyers that the proceedings may not go on in an atmosphere in which legal proceedings are normally expected to be conducted. Advocate Prashant Bhushan who intervened in his own capacity and other lawyers submitted that appropriate directions be given to ensure that the proceedings are conducted in accordance with law. While Bhushan and other lawyers were making submissions in surcharged atmosphere in the jam packed court room, a lawyer Rajiv Yadav started shouting slogan inside the court hall. The bench asked the security personnel to bring him before it after which he tendered an unconditional appology for his behaviour. The appology was accepted by the court and the matter was closed. "All of us are patriotic. Nobody is demeaning the mother land but in no one is allowed to take law in their own hands," the bench said. The bench agreed with the contention of the lawyers representing different parties and said in order to ensure conduct of the proceedings before the trial Court are undertaken today in a ordinarily manner, it is necessary to regulate the entry of people in the Court. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for Delhi High Court informed the court that a meeting of administrative committee was scheduled at 2pm and a report has been sought from the District Judge Patiala House Court regarding the February 15 violence. The bench then issued slew of directions regarding entries into the the court room and allowed six lawyers of the accused and the procecution. The court said that since the accused is a young student, it allowed immediate family members of the accused, not exceeding four, on an identification by the accused. "If such family members are not there, then one from the faculty and one from the student community identified by the accused shall be permitted into the Court(if they are present)," the bench said. The apex court further said that due to constraints of the space in the magisterial court hall, it allowed only five journalists to enter to cover the proceedings. The bench also directed the police to take appropriate measures to maintain the law and order situation in accordance with the law and clarified that the said directions were for the proceedings of the day only. It also sought the decision taken by the Delhi High Court Administrative Committee within a week after the decision is recorded. Hatti Kappi, a coffee chain in Bengaluru is an employer with a difference. It currently has 40 senior citizens working in different outlets in the city. The restaurant wants to help senior citizens, who are in need, by giving them jobs. The senior people working here receive a salary of about Rs 10,000 per month and Rs 3000 as medical allowance. There is also a corpus set up for emergencies. After training, senior citizens are deployed on various jobs in the coffee outlets, from kitchen to the cash counter. Hatti Kappi is impressed by the commitment and efficiency of its senior citizen employees. Hatti Kappi plans to go pan-India by 2017, ensuring that every outlet would employ at least one senior citizen. They also plan to start an NGO to provide accommodation to homeless senior citizens. Lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan today once again led a group of his colleagues in unleashing a brazen attack on journalists and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Courts complex, days after they were caught on camera thrashing scribes and JNU students and teachers branding them as "anti-nationals". The group led by Chauhan, the face of both the assaults, attacked journalists and Kumar, in open defiance of an order of the Supreme Court, which had directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure proper and adequate security at the court complex. Despite restrictions by the Supreme Court, the lawyers managed to enter the court complex and roughed up a few journalists, snatched their mobiles and deleted video footage. All the while, journalists alleged, police looked the other way. When contacted, Chauhan wondered why he was being "targeted" while those chanting anti-India slogans have been made "heroes". "Why are you not questioning them?" he asked. "These JNU people had sent their goons to the court premises today as well. They raised anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. Following that a section of the lawyers voiced opposition to their acts. We were provoked," he said. Another lawyer identified as Surendra Tyagi boasted about their action, saying "we have done our job for today". Chauhan alleged that a rival group of lawyers was trying to attack him. "They are trying to beat us up and we don't even respond?" Police has limited its action against Chauhan to merely summoning him despite the presence of visual evidence of his involvement in assaults on Monday and today which triggered outrage and attracted widespread condemnation. When asked about police inaction, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi only said summons have been issued to three lawyers, including Chauhan. BJP MLA O P Sharma was also caught on camera beating a CPI activist on Monday but police is yet to take any action against him. Video clips of two youths being stripped and whipped with belts at a railway platform and beaten again on a local train for allegedly stealing a mobile phone have gone viral with railway police launching an inquiry. The videos have also been aired by some news channels, but the time, place and the identity of the persons involved are not known yet. The PRO of Government Railway Police said police were examining CCTV footage from various stations in Mumbai. "We haven't yet got the CCTV footage of the incident," he said, adding a DCP-rank officer would be conducting the probe. One of the videos shows two men hitting the two youths, who were stripped, with belts on the platform. The youths can be seen begging for mercy as the men abuse and accuse them of stealing the mobile phone. The second clip shows the same youths being beaten up inside a local train. The videos, apparently shot by some commuter, went viral first on WhatsApp. Nobody has filed a complaint or informed the police about the incident, the PRO said, adding "we request the people to give any information they may have." Lawyer and human rights activist Abha Singh termed the incident as serious and said the police should first register an FIR under section 324 (assault) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code so a proper probe could start. "Such cases where public takes law in their hands need to be seriously dealt with under the criminal law. Even if a person is not bound by law, it is his or her duty to inform the police of the commission of such a horrific crime," she said. Former member of Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee of Central Railway Rajiv Singal termed it a 'jungle- raj' and blamed the railway administration. "When men can be beaten in full public view, we can easily understand where the safety of women passengers stands," he said. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Mohan on Wednesday said all precautionary measures have been taken for peaceful conduct of zilla and taluk panchayat elections in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts, coming under Western Range. The elections will be held on February 20. Speaking to mediapersons after holding a review meeting here, he said the total number of polling booths in three districts is 2,737 and the booths in Mangaluru city police commissionerate limits is 362. Out of 2,737 polling booths in the three districts, 732 are sensitive and 268 are hypersensitive. In Mangaluru city, there are 42 hypersensitive and 134 sensitive polling booths. Elaborate security arrangements will be in place for the sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths, he said. There are 154 booths in Maoist-affected areas in three districts in the range including 61 in Dakshina Kannada and 54 in Udupi districts. Armed police personnel will be deployed at the Maoist-affected areas and ANF will be combing in these areas, he added. The ADGP said the three districts have 2,500 police personnel already and additional 3,000 police personnel will be deployed for election duty. About 2,000 Home Guards and special commandos will also be deployed wherever required. He said around 25 KSRP platoons will be deployed in the three districts. High alertAlok Mohan said though there are no intelligence inputs on movement of Maoists in the region and the police are on high alert. Apart from this, IGP (Western Range) had recently convened a meeting of the police personnel from border districts of Kerala to alert the police to keep an eye on the movement of bad elements. Goonda ActGoonda Act has been invoked against 16 persons, including three in Mangaluru city police in the Western Range from December. We will not allow anyone to take law into their hands. The habitual creators of problems will be dealt sternly, he warned. The Goonda Act has been invoked against 100 persons across the State in the last three months, he noted. Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary has charged that BJP is attempting to communalise all issues and has not even spared the students. Speaking to the mediapersons, he said BJP is slowly trying to communalise and saffronise the issues, which otherwise would have been simple affairs. Poojary said the JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar has done no anti-national activity for which he had to be harassed. The matter was hyped and given a communal touch by BJP. The students are after all students and if they have committed mistake, they should be brought to the right path. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and CPM leader Seetharam Yechurys visit to JNU is again hyped for all unwanted reasons, he charged. Demanding an in-depth probe into the issue, Poojary said the videos, involving ABVP activists raising slogans, should be thoroughly investigated. He said the assault at Patiala court complex should be condemned. He said the rebel candidates from Congress should withdraw as there would be no major impact of the rivalry on Congress. Power is not permanent, he observed. He said the chief minister should auction his costly watch and use that money for development works. If at all the chief minister is being questioned, the people who question should not forget the suit worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi worth crores of rupees. The chief minister should realise that people will forget the issue, he added referring to PMs decision to auction the clothes and use the money for development initiatives. If the chief minister is prosecuted, the prime minister should also be prosecuted, he insisted. Poojary said former chief minister Kumaraswamy does not have any right to question the chief minister as it is his decision to wear the costly watch. A case is pending against Kumaraswamy on Rs 150 crore fraud in the High Court. Kumaraswamy has also amassed huge tracts of land in Bidadi in the name of his aunt (mothers sister), he charged. The byelection result will not change the political scenario. The election results will also play a decisive role in the next assembly elections. Congress will surely have an upper hand in the forthcoming taluk and zilla panchayat elections, he added. The continuing indecision of the government over the use of genetically modified seeds in the country is not in national interest. Last week, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a body under the environment ministry, deferred a decision on allowing the cultivation of a hybrid mustard variety called GM Mustard DMH-11. The GM variety was developed by Indian scientists in Delhi University and did not pose the usual problems associated with the use of GM seeds developed and sold by foreign multinationals. Field trials had been conducted and the mustard variety has been proved to give 25-30 per cent more yield than the traditional mustard varieties which are sown in the country. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the government did not want to take a decision in haste. But the debate on GM crops has been going on in the country for many years. The government has not been able to make up its mind. The UPA government stopped commercial production of Bt brinjal in 2010 after the GEAC had given its approval. Bt cotton is widely cultivated in the country and it has raised cotton production by 2-3 times. One view is that food and non-food GM crops have to be treated differently. But cotton seed oil cakes are used as cattle feed and so they enter the human system. There have been no complaints about GM cotton adversely affecting the environment or human or animal health. India is the worlds largest importer of edible oils. More than 70 per cent of the consumption is met by imports. The soyabean oil and rapeseed oil which are imported into the country are produced from genetically modified crops. So the opposition to domestic cultivation of the mustard GM variety is misplaced. There is a need to increase the production of oilseeds and cultivation of the high-yielding domestic mustard variety which offers scope for this. The GM mustard seeds will be supplied free to the farmers since the research that led to the development of the variety was publicly funded. So, fears about control of the countrys agriculture by foreign seed companies are misplaced. The bio-safety data will also be put into the public realm for study and appraisal. Issues concerning food security, seed monopoly and bio-safety are the main points of opposition to GM crops. The apprehensions over these issues are mostly without basis. India does not have an independent regulator to deal with the technological and other matters related to GM crops. The government should set up an independent regulatory mechanism and take other steps to promote research into and use of GM technology. Some more Indian soldiers have died at the Siachen glacier in the last few days. The unnecessary deaths should have refocused the attention of both India and Pakistan on the futility of posting forces at the height of some 23,000 feet where the temperature is minus 41 degrees. Both should have sat across the table to find a solution to the unsavoury happenings. Instead, New Delhi has treated the matter as sacrifice of soldiers and ended it with their state funerals. More than a decade ago, when Pakistan lost as many as 180 soldiers in an avalanche, the two countries did discuss the matter at length and reached an agreement. Then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had initialled it. But he could not sign the agreement because our armed forces raised the question of how the glacier was strategically important. It was a mere bogey. I have discussed the matter with the retired top-brass. And they have rejected the strategy angle. So, the soldiers remain perched at that height. It was General Pervez Musharraf who spoilt the situation. He was the one who stationed soldiers and tribals on the glacier when the then prime minister A B Vajapyee took a bus ride to Lahore. Musharraf, then heading the army, did not want peace with India. He, like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, thought that Pakistan could defeat India. He realised his mistake and admitted publicly that he wont do so again because he had learnt from history. India lost heavily in the Kargil war initially but ultimately prevailed because of superior military strength. The situation has not been normal since. Some incidents, off and on, take place to keep the two nations apart. Maybe, there are elements which do not want peace between the two countries. The Pathankot incident is a recent example. A few days before the meeting between foreign secretaries of the two countries, the incident took place. Both New Delhi and Islamabad have become mature enough not to break off the talks, which are re-scheduled again. In fact, the Siachen glacier is itself a matter of dispute. This is one of the matters which is spoiling the relations between the two nations. Unfortunately, the problem has assumed a political colour. The ideal solution is to let the glacier become a no-mans land. The Simla conference which delineated the Line of Control, now an international border, could not extend the line to the glacier because it was found unpractical to do so. The matter was left at that. Both nations have to overcome bitterness that has deepened since then. The two countries can still pick up the threads from where the Simla conference had left it off. If the glacier has to become a no-mans land, both sides will have to implement the Simla agreement in letter and spirit. Pakistan was not straight forward when the understanding was reached last time. It had some other ideas because it had ordered a large number of snow shoes from Germany. When the Indian intelligence agencies informed New Delhi about the procurement of snow shoes, it stationed its troops on the glacier. Pakistan was surprised to find them when it sent its troops to occupy the glacier. The fear of being stabbed in the back has stalled peace. Yet, there is no option except to have trust in each other. India and Pakistan are seldom on the same page. Partly, it is because they carry the baggage of partition and partly because they have no trust in each other. Above all, there is a general perception in India that since the army is a decisive factor in the affairs of Pakistan, it is not possible to foster any meaningful relationship until it becomes a democratic polity again. In fact, since the time when General Mohammad Ayub Khan took over the reins of Pakistan in 1958, India has assumed that no normalcy between the two countries is possible. Joint defence pact General Ayub had even offered a joint defence pact. Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru spurned it with the remark: Joint defence against whom? The leaders of the two other military regimes in the 70s and later General Zia-ul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf were never taken seriously because New Delhi believed that their say from the military point of view would never allow any exercise for peace to succeed. However, when Pervez Kayani was the army chief, he jolted Indias thinking by advocating peaceful coexistence between the two countries. But his suggestion that the civil and military leaderships should discuss ways to resolve the issue was a bit confusing. He should have known that the military leadership in India is not part of the decision-making process which is primarily in the hands of the elected representatives. General Kayanis proposal did not stop at the Siachen glacier. He had hinted at a follow-up, thus belying the impression that peace between India and Pakistan was a hostage to the armys hawkish thinking. He opened a window of opportunity which the governments on both sides should have grabbed with the two hands to normalise relations. I wish a back channel had worked on Kayanis suggestion. Though New Delhi failed to react officially then, the media had welcomed his proposal with guarded comments. The question then was whether the Indian forces would withdraw from the Siachen glacier after Pakistan had rejected a unilateral pullout as was suggested by Nawaz Sharif, who was the prime minister at that time. History has once again created the circumstances because Nawaz Sharif is the Prime Minister now also. He should take the initiative, especially when Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed the gesture of visiting Pakistan while returning from Kabul. Both can meet either at Islamabad or at New Delhi to implement the agreement which Rajiv Gandhi had initialled. They should realise that in the absence of normalcy between India and Pakistan, the region cannot develop. The first batch of 26 CBI officers have enrolled for an advanced course on cyber crimes, cyber forensics and cyber laws at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). An MoU was signed between the two institutions last year in this regard. The 10-day residential course will cover all imminent areas relating to themes like hands-on training on cyber forensic tools and devices. The 26 officers include investigating officers as well as prosecution officers from all over the country. The course uses a number of international tools. Legal experts from various companies and government experts will also provide their insights, said Nagarathna, Senior Assistant Professor of Law and co-coordinator, Advanced Centre for Research, Development and Training in Cyber Laws and Forensics, NLSIU. Specially designedThe programme has been specially designed, developed and delivered keeping in mind the need for effectively addressing the complexities of advanced cyber technology, said a release from the centre. NLSIU had also conducted the course for officers from the office of the Advocate-General of Sri Lanka last December. A group of students from the City has conducted research on managing biomedical waste. It has also put forth recommendations to deal with biomedical waste effectively. As a part of the study, ten students Amrutha, Raja, Tejas, Manasa, Karthick, Yashaswaini, John, Vishal, Shakti and Srushti from Vishwas Helpline Charitable Trust, an orphanage in JP Nagar, visited Maridi Eco Industries, a medical waste disposal company at Kanakapura on January 22. They prepared a report based on their observations and discussions with waste management experts, pourakarmikas and hospitals. The research conducted by the students was a part of the Trash Trek challenge conducted by First Lego League (FLL 2016), organised by Caterpillar India Pvt Ltd and mentored by The Perfect Raaga Charitable Trust. Their presentation with their observations and inspiring ideas on dealing with biomedical waste impressed the FLL judges and won them the Core Values award, a week after the visit. During their visits, the students found that many hospitals were not disposing the waste as per the colour-coded system. While pathological waste should be disposed in yellow bags, plastic waste should be dumped in blue bags, glass bottles in white bags and needles without syringes, surgical instruments in black cans. But these rules are hardly followed. When we enquired with Maridi Eco Industries, they said that the hospitals or clinics have to shell out money for handing over segregated waste and hence, some of them avoid it, said Tejas and Amrutha, who were part of the research team. Raja, a class 10 student, said since biomedical waste is non-recyclable, it is being burnt with diesel and to minimise the usage of fuel, he has come up with a solution. He said, The smoke coming out of the chimneys installed in most biomedical waste disposal companies can be turned into mechanical energy and that in turn into electrical energy. The electrical energy can be used for burning the waste. Working modelMadhavi, an engineering student from the trust, plans to bring out a working model based on Rajas idea. The trust was among the three schools selected from the City for the challenge that is conducted worldwide. As a part of the Trash Trek challenge, the students also developed a robotic game based on biomedical waste and its disposal. They now plan to approach the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and biomedical waste disposal companies with their research study and suggestions on effective waste disposal. A week after the discovery of gravity waves involving a large team of Indian scientists, the union cabinet on Wednesday has given its approval in-principle to set up an Indian gravity wave observatory. The move will aid scientists undertake cutting-edge research in astronomy. The LIGO-India project (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in India) will establish a state-of-the-art gravitational wave observatory in India in collaboration with the LIGO Laboratory in the US run by Caltech and MIT. Piloted by the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology, the Rs 1,260-crore proposal, known as LIGO-India project, has been pending for the past five years. The clearance from the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is, however, only in-principle as DST and DAE are likely to submit an updated proposal after recalculating the project cost and finalising the site. This may take several months. Scientists shortlisted four sites in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where environmental surveys are being carried out. Almost 300 acres of land is required to set up the Indian observatory for which the USA will provide the main detector. LIGO-India will also bring considerable opportunities in cutting-edge technology for the Indian industry which will be engaged in the construction of eight-km long beam tube at ultra-high vacuum on a levelled terrain. The scientists already have shared their requirement with the industry, which is upbeat about the project. The site will have to be free from human disturbances shaking the earth. There should not be any railway line, airport, mining activity of heavy-industry nearby, but also it should not be too far off, making it inaccessible for researchers. The Indian observatory would be managed by Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, Institute for Plasma Research in Gandhinagar and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore. However, there is a consortium involving 16 Indian institutions as of now that would carry out the scientific research involving the Indian LIGO detector. The Defence Ministry has six months to respond to a US government proposal to purchase M777 ultra light weight howitzers through a government-to-government contract as the manufacturer of these Howitzer has announced selection of its local partner to manufacture these guns in India. The gun maker, BAE Systems on Wednesday announced picking up Mahindra for the in-country Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) facility for the M777 A2LW155 ultra lightweight howitzer. India and the US are in discussions to purchase 145 of these guns through the foreign military sales route. It was being negotiated for several years after successful trials in the mountains. The Army plans to utilise these guns for high-altitude warfare in the North East and in Jammu and Kashmir. The costing was the bone of contention. In March, 2013, the US government offered the deal at $694 million with 30 per cent offset. The proposal, however, did not materialise as the deal expired for want of a response from the defence ministry in time. The US government had subsequently taken an approval from the US Congress to offer the M-777 deal to India at a ceiling price of $ 885million an increase of 27 per cent. However, shifting the AIT facility to India is expected to reduce the cost factor significantly. In 2015, the company submitted a US government-supported proposal offering a higher degree of indigenization on the M777 weapon system. The proposal's highlight was to establish the AIT facility in India in partnership with a domestic company. The facility is a fundamental part of the M777 production line. A domestic facility will enable the Indian Army to access maintenance7, said Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager, weapon systems, at the BAE Systems. The agitation for Inner Line Permit (ILP), a special pass for outsiders to enter Manipur, has once again gathered storm in the state capital Imphal and adjoining areas. An umbrella group demanding an Inner Line Permit in Manipur resumed its anti-migrant agitation on Wednesday and said workers from outside the state who do not have work permits will be handed over to police. On the first day of resumption of the campaign, we pasted posters in many parts of Imphal town asking people not to sell land to migrants, hire them for construction and other odd works, said Kh Ratan, convener of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) which had spearheaded last years movement in demand of the special law. Our volunteers have started checking the identity cards of migrant workers. Those who want to work in Manipur should have work permits from the labour department, Ratan added. The movement has been renewed after Manipur government remained silent over the implementation of the law it had passed along with two others in August last year. There was widespread protests in the hill areas against the against the anti-tribal bills in Churachandpur district. Nine protesters were killed in police firing after angry people torched the houses of their MP and MLAs. The bodies have not been buried since the tribals wanted all the three law, including that the one on the ILP, withdrawn. Scientists of Indian and American space agencies will meet in Bengaluru from February 22 to 25, discussing and analyzing findings of their respective satellites orbiting the Mars as well as exploring cooperation for future missions to the Red Planet. Coinciding the meeting of the Mars Working Group set up jointly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of America and the Indian Space Research Organization in Bengaluru, US astronaut Sunita Williams may visit New Delhi between February 25 and 26 for engagements with students and space policy thinkers. Besides, the Nasas Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director, Charles Elachi, is also currently on a visit to New Delhi. The Nasa JPL is working with the ISRO to jointly develop a synthetic aperture radar satellite that will allow scientists to study natural disasters and global environmental changes. The third meeting of the Nasa-ISRO Mars Working Group in Bengaluru will focus on observations and science analysis made by the Mars missions of the two agencies including Mars Orbiter Mission of India and MAVEN of the US, which arrived at the orbits of the Red Planet within days of each other in September 2014. The Nasa Deputy Administrator Dava Newman will travel to the ISRO to open the event and hold discussions with his counterparts. The NASA Planetary Science Division Director, James Green, will lead the US delegation in technical discussions related to Mars findings and collaboration with the ISRO team, the American Embassy in New Delhi stated in a press release issued on Wednesday. The US and India, according to the press release, will also hold Space Security Dialogue on February 24 in New Delhi, discussing the long-term sustainability and security of the outer space environment. The US government's Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Frank Rose would lead the US delegation.Amandeep Singh, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, is likely to lead the delegation from India. Five members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi) involved in several terror and other criminal activities in different parts of the country were arrested in Rourkela early on Wednesday. The three-hour-long joint operation, which involved a gun battle, was executed by teams from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as well as the Odisha Police and the Telangana Police. The Simi members, including a woman, were in the NIA most-wanted list and were carrying a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each. We have managed to nab five Simi members from Rourkela. Four of them are men. It was a multi-agency operation. They were involved in several terror and other criminal cases in different states, including bomb blast, murder of policemen, jail break and bank robbery. They were wanted by the NIA, said K B Singh, Odisha DGP. The arrested are: Mehboob Khan, Zakir Khan, Amjad Khan, Saqil and Najma Bibi. All are from the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. Three of them had escaped from a prison in Khandwa during a jail break in 2013. Bibi (50) is the mother of one of the arrested men. Three pistols, bullets, fake documents, a car and a motorcycle have been seized. While staying in Rourkela, they had managed to procure fake bank documents and PAN cards with the help of a local man, an insurance agent. They were in the process of procuring fake passports, said Singh. The DGP said, the arrested SIMI members had hideouts at several places across the country. They have been staying in an one room rented accommodation in Rourkela for the last five to six months with a fake identity. We have been keeping a close watch on them for last several days following intelligence inputs, Singh added. Involved in blastThe arrested were involved in a bomb blast at a temple in Pune and a bank robbery in Telangana. They were using Rourkela as shelter. But we suspect they were also involved in a bank robbery case in Sundergarh district last year, the DGP said, adding that preliminary interrogation revealed that they had plans to rob a bank in Chhattisgarh as they were in urgent need of money. In November, an al-Qaeda member was nabbed from a village in Cuttack district. The deadlock over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to end as BJPs point man Ram Madhav met PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti here on Wednesday evening to iron out differences between the two alliance partners. Sources said BJP national general secretary Madhav, who arrived in Srinagar at 5 pm had a two-hour closed-door meeting with Mehbooba at her Fairview residence here. The meeting started at 5:30 pm and lasted till 7:30 pm, they said. Neither of the two parties, however, made any announcement, nor did the two leaders brief the waiting media persons. Madhav, who had played a key role in forging alliance with PDP last year, will brief the party high command in New Delhi regarding the outcome of his meeting with Mehbooba on Thursday. On Sunday, BJP president Amit Shah had reportedly authorised Madhav to meet Mehbooba to discuss formation of the PDP-BJP government in the state. A top BJP leader on the condition of anonymity told Deccan Herald that the Central government has agreed to return two hydro-power projects from NHPC to the state. The Union government has also agreed to consider revoking Armed Forces Special Powers Act in a first phase from Srinagar and Kathua districts respectively on a trial basis, he said. The PDP had set conditions for re-entering into the alliance with BJP in the state and had pitched JK-specific confidence building measures. The party wants the Central government to make some concessions on its Kashmir-centric political agenda, including relaxation in the controversial AFSPA, a demand the BJP has rejected in the past. The PDP is also pushing for more financial assistance for the state from the Centre. The state has been under Governors rule since January 8 following Mehboobas reluctance to take over after the death of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a day earlier. The biannual Sammakka Sarakka Jatara, considered the worlds largest tribal religious congregation attracting several millions, began on Wednesday at Medaram in Warangal district. A staggering 1.1 crore people are expected to visit the event, also called Medaram Jatara, to commemorate the crusade of the mother-daughter duo Sammakka and Saralamma against an unjust law imposed by the rulers. Devotees to the Jatara pray at the makeshift open air shrines where idols of two goddesses are installed for three days and are then shifted to another for two more years. Last year, an estimated 1 crore pilgrims visited Medaram in Tadwai mandal, 90 kilometres from Warangal city in Telangana. Devotees also offer bangaram (jaggery) to the goddesses, the quantity of which is equivalent to their body weight. A festival without vedic or Brahmanical influence, goats and chicken are sacrificed to the goddesses and liquor is consumed in large quantity in Medaram village. Until 1998, devotees could reach the village only on a bullock cart, post which the government declared the 1000-year-old festival official and laid a pucca road to the venue. After the formation of Telangana, the festival has gained additional importance with the state government sanctioning Rs 200 crore for the development of the village. While TSRTC would run 400 special busses to Medaram from across the state, more than a lakh private vehicles are also expected at the village. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would offer prayers at Medaram on Friday. Telangana endowment minister Indrakaran Reddy said 125 varieties of flowers will be brought from Bengaluru to decorate the open space, where the statues of Sammakka, Sarakka, Padigiddaraju, and Govindaraju are installed on a pedestal called Gadde. In all, 12 tonnes of flowers will be used for decoration in three days. On Wednesday, four tribal priests carried the statues from Kannepalle, Kondai, Poonugondla villages performing prolonged rituals. Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday condemned the incident of attack on journalists at Patiala House court premises, saying media has an unhindered right to report. Media has an unhindered right to report. Attack on mediapersons is highly improper and condemnable, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister tweeted. This came after a group of people dressed in lawyers robe beat up mediapersons on the court premises for the second time in last two days. The journalists had gone to the court for coverage of court proceedings in the JNU student sedition case. The mob began assaulting the media persons when the JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being produced in a court in connection with the case. Earlier in the day, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also suggested that "alternative voice" in the university should also be heard. "JNU is a very premier institution of India, widely respected also. It has produced outstanding civil servants, great academicians and also well known public figures. Its faculty and students also excel well. We all think there is also a very eloquent, powerful and constructive alternative voice in the JNU. The country is equally eager to hear that voice," he said. JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar sustained minor injuries after being attacked by some lawyers inside Patiala House Courts complex on Wednesday. Kumar was being escorted to the courtroom when he was attacked by a large group of lawyers, said a police officer. Kumar was reportedly punched, kicked and dragged by the lawyers. The 28-year-old was attacked again when he was waiting in a room before the hearing. The attackers, however, managed to leave without being stopped by police. Kanhaiya later told Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen that he was saved by the police. A medical examination was also conducted inside the courtroom and the doctor said Kumar had sustained abrasions. Kumars supporters claimed that he sustained internal injuries and needs to be hospitalised. A team of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court also spoke to Kumar and reported that he was terrorised. Kumar has identified two lawyers who attacked him. The magistrate has sent Kanhaiya to judicial custody till March 2. He was taken to Tihar Jail from the court amid tight security and sloganeering by lawyers. Police said they will not oppose Kumars bail. Kumar was arrested on February 12 on sedition charges, but his supporters say he has been targeted for publicly criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party. In open defiance of a Supreme Court order which allowed some presence of journalists in the court on Wednesday, a group of lawyers led by Vikram Chauhan also assaulted a journalist and student before Wednesdays hearing. Waving the national flag and raising slogans, they also clashed with another group of lawyers. The clashes erupted despite heavy police deployment on the court complex and the lawyers forced the journalists to leave court premises. Police presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students, said the journalist. The Supreme Court team also reported that they were abused and called agents of Pakistan. A group of senior TV journalists on Wednesday urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to order a judicial probe into the violence against journalists in the Patiala Courts here by lawyers and others while covering the proceedings against JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. Under the aegis of the Broadcast Editors' Association, they demanded that exemplary steps against the culprits so that such incidents do not occur in future. The journalists who met the minister included Barkha Dutt, Sonia Singh, N K Singh, Shazi Zaman, Dibang, Vinay Tewari, Q W Naqvi, Navika Kumar, Deepak Chaurasia, Satish K Singh, Supriya Prasad and Sanjay Bragta. In a memorandum submitted to the minister, the BEA said, the manhandling of journalists is a "matter of serious concern". Despite identifying themselves, they were subjected to physical assault by a group of people in black coats supported by some unknown persons. It carries ominous signs as it is not only a pre-meditated assault on journalists but also on roots of democracy, it said. You will agree with us that democratic institutions cannot remain oblivious of this incident which is a wanton attempt at crushing the freedom of expression guaranteed by our Constitution, it said. After the fresh round of attacks on journalists and the targeting of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Union Home Ministry on Wednesday asked the Delhi Police to submit a report on the incidents. Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi and asked him to send a detailed report on Wednesday itself. Bassi has been describing Mondays incident as a minor scuffle. Mehrishi spoke to Bassi after violence broke out in the court. Kumar was assaulted by a group of people inside the Patiala court complex while some journalists also bore the brunt. If anyone violates law, action will be taken, Mehrishi said.Asked about the earlier attack on mediapersons on Monday, he said investigation is going on into two FIRs registered in that connection. Action will be taken as per law, he said. The fire of protests against arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar spread to Jadhavpur University (JU) in faraway Kolkata late on Tuesday. Students unions, however, distanced themselves from invoking Afzal Guru in their slogans as BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad demanded arrest of anti-national elements. Jadhavpur, which joined nationwide protests with a torch rally on Tuesday evening, continued the agitation throughout Wednesday. As ABVP and the state BJP claimed that some students raised slogans to condemn the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, besides demanding independence for Kashmir and Manipur, the Home Ministry asked the state government for a detailed report on Tuesdays rally. The official communication, sent to Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee and Principal Secretary Moloy Kumar De, asked the state government to compile a comprehensive report with the circumstances leading to protests at JU and issues raised in the rally. Sources said some people did raise slogans protesting against Gurus 2013 hanging and the 2004 encounter of Ishrat Jahan. State BJP president Pralhad Joshi demanded on Wednesday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should release a White Paper on the sources of all the gifts he has received, including the costly watch he wears. He was addressing a press conference in the town. The MP said the chief minister comes from a socialist background. It is not known whether he has placed a ceiling on the cost of the watch he wears. Let Siddaramaiah reveal the person who gifted the watch to him. Else, it would be concluded that the charges being made that the costly gift is a quid pro quo for some favour to someone are true, the BJP leader said. The matter would be raised in the Lok Sabha and legal action was also being contemplated, Joshi said. He predicted that the results of the ZP, TP elections would be similar to that of the byelections where the Congress suffered a setback. The poll results were an answer to the misgovernance of the Siddaramaiah dispensation, Joshi said. Siddaramaiah should call a meeting of the ministers and MPs concerned before presenting the budget. Regard the Hubballi-Ankola railway line, for which the National Green Tribunal has given its approval, Joshi said he would write to the chief minister about it. He said the drought relief money was yet to be distributed to farmers though the Central government had already released Rs 1,500 crore for the purpose, he said. The State government is sitting on a faulty tender process since 2013 for implementation of the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) scheme. Documents available with Deccan Herald show that only two companies had taken part in the incomplete tender process. Both of them are linked to Vivek Nagpal, who was charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and restrained by the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) from accessing the securities market for five years. The tender notification was published in March 2013. Even before biddings were filed, five corrigenda with several amendments to the notification were issued between May 10 and May 30. The corrigenda were aimed at favouring one company, Rosmerta Technologies Ltd. When the financial bids were opened, Rosmerta emerged as L-1. Linkpoint Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, the only other company to take part in the bidding, emerged as L-2. A close look at these two companies reveals that directors of Rosmerta Pankaj Madan and Sandeep Malik are also directors of a company named KKH Technologies Pvt Ltd, in which 100 per cent shares are held by Nagpals family. Documents also show that Nagpal had represented Linkpoint at a meeting at the Madhya Pradesh secretariat in April 2014. With no competitive biddings, the tender process was in clear violation of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 1999. Two companies, which could not even participate in the tender process because of amendments that suited Rosmerta, have filed a writ petition before the High Court. But instead of cancelling the tender process, the Transport Department is pointing at the pending writ petition, though other states have either dismissed or cancelled the tender process for having companies linked to Nagpal in the bidding. Both Rosmerta and Linkpoint face several complaints from eight states where they were awarded contracts. Madhya Pradesh has already terminated its contract while Delhi has filed an affidavit against the company in the Supreme Court and is on the verge of cancelling its contract. The Chhattisgarh government has also rejected a bid made by Rosmerta. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the proposal to cancel the tender process had to pass through legal opinion. My officials have told me that there is a Supreme Court judgment in this regard. I have asked them to take legal opinion on cancelling the tender process and start it afresh. We will take a decision soon, he said. If all goes according to plan, a stretch of National Highway 212 (Mysuru-Nanjangud road) that leads to Mysore airport at Mandakalli will be beautified on the lines of the road that leads to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at Devanahalli in Bengaluru. Mysuru Mayor B L Bhyrappa said that a French firm had evinced interest in developing the airport road, surroundings of Amba Vilas Palace and KRS Road. It is estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, with the French firm investing 90 per cent of the cost and the Central and State governments sharing the rest. They have evinced interest in promoting solar energy and other environmentally friendly projects in the city. The mayor said it was the commitment of the private firm during the Invest Karnataka meet held recently. A clear picture is expected to emerge when the mayor visits France (on invitation) on February 21. Betsurmath said the United Nations International Development Organisation, under its Global Environmental Facility, has selected five cities in India Mysuru, Vijayawada and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Jaipur in Rajasthan. Priority-wise, the organisation will spend $13.5 million (Rs 100 crore) to develop the cities. That apart, Betsurmath has been invited to Singapore on March 1. He is expected to seek expertise in management of solid waste, streetlights and generation of alternative energy from waste. To boost an accident-free commute, a recently launched mobile app, DriveSafe.Smart, helps in blocking calls that come through while people are driving or riding. The caller gets an instant message that says, I am driving, will call later. A new feature of this app is now going live: Drive Smarter. Drive Smarter is designed for employers such as cab services, delivery services, office cabs, courier services and sales staff management. The employer could monitor the Total Distance travelled, Current Location of the employee and the Total Cost of the job. The cost of petrol consumed could also be tracked. The currently available feature helps a driver notify the nearest police station and hospital in case of an emergency. It also notifies the nearest user for help. The app, launched during the Road Safety Week in January by the Commissioner of Road Transport and Safety, works without an Internet connection. The Student Police Cadet (SPC) programme conducted in the State has been appreciated by the Union Government. Bengalurus Additional Commissioner of Police (East) P Harishekaran, who is the nodal officer of the programme, has been invited by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to discuss the SPC and to implement it across the nation. The PMO has sent a letter in this regard. It is a proud moment for the State. The Union government is planning to implement the SPC across the country in all government, aided and Navodaya schools. A presentation will be made before PMO officials and members of the Home Ministry. Later, a discussion will be held on preparing policy matters, budget allocation, allotting co-ordination officers, training centre and other factors, Harisekharan told Deccan Herald on Wednesday. The programme will be introduced under the leadership of the Home Ministry in coordination with the education, social welfare, women and child welfare, human resource and other ministries. The hard work of the entire team has paid off and we will strive to make it a success at the national level, added Harisekaran. Harisekaran said he has conducted a survey across the state by interacting with officials of various departments, public, police, school heads, students and their parents. Source material was collected from experts from various fields such as community policing, education, personality development and information technology. Training manuals developed for the SPC project are designed to enable each student police cadet to develop all the qualities and virtues desired. While engaged in the process, it is anticipated that the inner capabilities of the cadet will be portrayed in a positive manner. Harishekaran left for Delhi on Wednesday. The process to form the Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) began on Wednesday, with 18 corporators being elected its members. Regional Commissioner M V Jayanthi conducted the proceedings. The 18 corporators are Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy, Floor Leader of the Palike council R S Satyanarayana, M K Gunashekar, R Sampath Raj, Nausheer Ahmed, Mamatha K M, R Padmavathi Amarnath, K Umesh Shetty, Manjula N Swamy, M Nagaraj, K Poornima, M Venkatesh, S Sampath Kumar, K Narasimha Naik, Shashirekha M, V V Satyanarayana, B M Shobha Muniram and Gangamma. Delayed by almost one-and- a-half-hours, the election process went off smoothly. The administration had deployed a good number of police personnel, fire tenders and erected barricades. The process started around 11.30 am with Jayanthi announcing receiving nomination from 18 corporators. The corporators were given five minutes to withdraw their candidature. When nobody came forward, they were declared elected unopposed. The committee will have a total of 30 members. Other members will be chief minister, minister for urban development, principal secretary to urban development department, one representative from Government of India, commissioners of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), BBMP, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), chairperson of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), director of Town and Country Planning Department, finance secretary and two elected members of Bengaluru Urban zilla panchayat. Objection raised Soon after the council proceedings began, leader of the opposition BJP in the Palike council, Padmanabha Reddy, demanded when the election to the chairperson of the BMPC will take place. He lamented that the BMPC formed during the previous Palike council never met because the chairperson was not elected from among the members. Jayanthi replied that the resolution passed by the council would be sent to the government, and kick-started the proceedings. Heaps of uncleared garbage, that was lying on a vacant site on Alpine Eco Road on at Chinnappanahalli Doddanekundi extension, was set on fire recently. The incident has angered residents in the area. Though residents suspect that BBMP workers set the trash on fire, it is unclear who is behind this act. The Fire department was called to douse the fire. Sudhansu Mohanty, a resident, told Deccan Herald, that part of the government land was being used by BBMP as a secondary waste collection centre. Trolleys carrying garbage unload trash and later the same loaded onto garbage trucks. There are around 5,000 people staying in and around the locality. We had to spend the entire night in smoke-filled air, he said. Residents complained that waste has been dumped on the plot for the last two to three months, adding to the mosquito and stray dog menace. Anita Makharia, another resident, has launched a signature campaign to raise awareness about the issue and bring the problem to the notice of the authorities concerned. When contacted, BBMP Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapura zone Umanand Rai, said that he was not aware about the issue and is busy with the Hebbal bye-election. Despite boasting of alumni like scientist Bharat Ratna CNR Rao and superstar Rajnikanth, the 80-year-old Acharaya Patashala High School (only the State Board syllabus) at NR Colony in Basavanagudi have seen dwindling admissions over the years and might lead to its closure. The school, that once attracted scores of students from south Bengaluru, now has only 235 students (2015). The school is affiliated to the state board and teaches Kannada and English medium. Established in 1935 as a primary school, the boys high school was started in 1942 and a girls high school in 1946. The two functioned as separate units till 2007 when they were merged due to dwindling admissions. The primary section was closed around this time due to the same reasons, said H A Mahadaiah, headmaster of the school. When I joined the boys high school as headmaster in 1996, there were 638 students and 12 sections in the boys high school and around 600 students with nine sections in the girls section. Our teachers have tried to meet parents and asked them to admit students to the school. While some have shown interest, others feel they have better options, added Mahadaiah, who has been associated with the school for over three decades. Details obtained from the school show that even till 2007, there were only 462 students. This decreased to 370 in 2008, 327 in 2009, 314 in 2010, 265 in 2011, 274 in 2013 and 265 in 2014. No data is available for 2012. This trend has not gone unnoticed, according to T V Maruthi, president, APS Educational Trust. The topic to close the school was broached during a meeting; however we are thinking what to do. Nothing has been decided yet. We are incurring huge losses, he said. Asked about the reasons for the declining admissions, Madhava Rao, a retired teacher who taught mathematics and physics for 19 years, gives a number of reasons. Parents these days are more aware and interested in the syllabus of other boards which they believe is better than the state boards. Compared to a few years ago, the number of private schools, which parents feel are more in tune with modern times, have also increased around here, he said. A massive rock slide on Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon forced thousands of motorists onto a circuitous, 146-mile detour and could prompt delays on the heavily traveled route for up to a month. Officials say Monday nights slide underscores the challenges of managing hundreds of miles of Colorado roads winding through rockfall-prone slopes that cycle through repeated freezes and thaws. The closed interstate will reopen partially Thursday afternoon at the earliest, with traffic alternating each direction in the eastbound lanes. Workers must repair the damaged roadway and shore up unstable rocks towering above before traffic can start moving again. A solid timetable for full reopening has not been announced, although officials estimate it could be up to a week before vehicles can simultaneously head in both directions. It will be about a month before fixes are complete. Until then, motorists are encouraged to divert several hours on U.S. 40 to the north. An average of about 300 vehicles ordinarily travel the canyon every hour. The slide, which occurred about 9 p.m. just west of the Hanging Lake Tunnel, sent boulders tumbling into at least three vehicles. No injuries were reported, but the rocks gouged holes in the asphalt and damaged guardrails. Smart-car-size boulders fell down canyon walls, said Amy Ford, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Mitigation work Mitigation work was done in Glenwood Canyon during the summer, and at least three major rock slides have closed the same stretch of I-70 in the past 12 years. While routine checks, sensors and proactive rock removal aim to mitigate the danger on mountain roads, Mother Nature sometimes holds surprises. A slide just south of Durango early Sunday left roughly 700 tons of rocks on U.S. 550. CDOT has a $9 million rockfall program aimed at keeping tabs on the more than 750 Colorado locations including Glenwood Canyon that are recognized as having chronic rockfall hazards. Those funds pay for netting, visual monitoring and rock removal, among other remediation. Its a combination of all those efforts, Ford said. Its an incredibly difficult task. As much as we do, we still have to deal with mountain environments. Mondays slide wasnt even the first of the day. About 19 hours earlier in the same area, car-sized boulders fell onto the interstate and prompted lane closures. CDOT engineers analyzed the canyons walls after the 2 a.m. slide and, although they ordered further review, found that the area appeared to be stable. They felt like it was safe to reopen the road based on that first review, Ford said. Then about 9 p.m., more large boulders tumbled down onto two semi-trailers and at least one car. One of the semi-trailers was severely damaged. Ray Hatch said he was behind the wheel of one of the trucks on a trip from Denver to Flagstaff, Ariz., when he was hit by the slide. All I saw was this big cloud of snow coming down, said Hatch, who lives in Las Vegas. Then it hit my windshield and I couldnt see anything. Hatchs truck came to a stop after running into a large boulder that lodged in the road before him. He called the experience a big surprise and said he didnt know at first what hit him. The 24-mile stretch of I-70 between Gypsum and Glenwood Springs has been closed during cleanup, cutting off the states main route from the Front Range to the Western Slope, including the popular resort destination of Aspen. Semi-trailers traveling cross-country also rely heavily on the passage. CDOT used a helicopter Tuesday to view the damaged area and determine the stability of the canyon walls. Officials also were examining the road for structural issues. In June, I-70 through the canyon was closed for about eight hoursafter 1-ton boulders fell onto the highway. In March 2010, another major slide near the Hanging Lake Tunnel closed the interstate for about four days. That incident prompted a disaster declaration by then-Gov. Bill Ritter. Another slide there in 2004 cost $700,000 to repair and closed the interstate for a day. During the I-70 closure in 2010, a 55-year-old Craig woman taking a detour was killed when a rock smashed through the roof of her car. Early thawing CDOT says rock slides are fairly common in Glenwood Canyon during spring thawing. Recent warmer temperatures have sped the process and probably prompted Mondays slides. There have been problems in there even when it was (U.S.) 6 before the interstate, said Jonathan White, an emeritus geologist with Colorado Geological Survey who specializes in rockfall. Its just the nature of the terrain. White explained that the canyon is lined with granite and that tiny separations in the rock face can be widened by melting ice and snow, which causes chunks to break off. When you drive along the canyon, you can see all these steep slopes are nothing but broken rock, said White, who worked on surveying the rockfall risk when the interstate through the canyon was built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some of the boulders that landed on I-70 Monday are so large that they must first be blasted with explosives so that pieces can be loaded onto trucks and hauled away. The cost of repairing the interstate is being calculated. Bustang service will stop at Eagle as long as the road remains closed. Jonathan Godt, program coordinator for the U.S. Geological Surveys landslide hazards initiative, pointed to CDOT as a national leader in mitigating rockfall danger. Still, he said, there is no magic bullet. Although, transportation departments and other facilities managers take actions to reduce rockfall and rock slide potential, the only foolproof way to mitigate their impacts is to avoid cliffs, canyons and steep slopes altogether, he said. (Thats) hard to do in the mountainous parts of Colorado. Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733 or jpaul@denverpost.com Staff writer Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report. Glenwood Canyon Detour CDOT officials advise motorists to take U.S. 40 as an alternate route. The detour, which adds 146 miles to a normal trip between Wolcott and Rifle, could take up to four hours. Westbound motorists should get off I-70 at Colorado 131 at Wolcott to Steamboat Springs then head west on U.S. 40 to Craig. In Craig, drivers should head south on Colorado 13 to Rifle, where they can get back on the interstate. Eastbound motorists are encouraged to take the same route in reverse. By Terri Hansen 5 February 2016 (Indian Country) It has taken well over a decade of advocating on behalf of his tribe to keep his scattered community intact as their island on Louisianas Gulf coast disappears under Gulf of Mexico waters, but now Chief Albert Naquin of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw is high fiving. Thats because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in January that it had awarded the state-recognized tribe $48 million to pay for a move, most likely farther north inland, making them the first community of official climate refugees in the United States. Chief Naquin is ecstatic to have gotten the funds. Im very, very pumped, Chief Naquin said. Im very, very excited. Ive been working on this for 13 years. Ive taken some pretty big hits for doing that, and not just locally. Naquin said the tribes standard of living should improve as well. The monies are part of $92 million awarded to Louisiana as part of a National Disaster Resilience Competition the state won. HUDs copy billion competition awarded funds to states and communities nationwide. The Isle de Jean Charles has been reduced from 11 miles long and five miles wide in the 1950s, to around a quarter-mile wide and two miles long today. The tribes disintegrating homelands have already displaced and scattered many families, and some of the funding will pay for homes to reestablish community. [] A 2014 ProPublica report about the tribe, Losing Ground, said sinking land and extreme erosion along the southeastern coast of Louisiana could lead to the largest forced migration for environmental reasons in the history of the country. [] The tribe will still maintain ownership of their island home after they move as part of the agreement, Naquin said. The land contains their history, and their burial grounds. I hope it lasts 200 years, he said. However, Houma Today reported that experts suspect the island will be completely submerged within 50 years. NOAA measurements show the sea level is rising almost 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) a year in Louisiana because the land is also sinking in a process known as subsidence. [more] A new wooden fence blocks Cynthia Dana's view of the alley behind her house where she found her son dead, bleeding from the ears, two and a half years ago. "I can't remember it," Cynthia Dana said. "I try not to remember it." Forest Dana, 27, was found in the alley on July 28, 2013. It was Forest's dog, Boss, who barked loud enough and long enough for Cynthia Dana to go out into the backyard. She couldn't understand why the dog was making such a fuss. Then she found Forest Dana's body. Investigators would later note extensive bruising to Forest Dana's cheek bone, jaw and right eye. Thomas Bennett, the medical examiner for Montana and Wyoming, concluded that Forest died from "having his head driven over by a motor vehicle." "It wasn't pleasant," Greg Dana said about finding his son's body. Greg Dana was the one to check Forest for a pulse while on the phone with 911. Forest Dana died in his hometown of Absarokee, which has a population of less than 2,000. On the night of his death, the whole town and then some were out celebrating during the town's three-day Absarokee Days. The festival includes softball tournaments, drinking, dancing and an all-class high school reunion. That meant when investigators began looking into Forest Dana's death, they needed to question about a 10th of the town's population as potential witnesses. It was 11 months before charges were filed against Michael Thomas Holtz, and another 18 months to get close to a trial date. During two years of investigation, the Danas heard from many friends and neighbors who had been questioned about Forest Dana's death. The Danas didn't know what people had said or what the investigation had yielded. But they were patient. They were waiting for a trial. That is until last week, when a prosecutor filed a motion to have the negligent homicide charges dropped against Holtz. A judge is expected to dismiss the case this week while allowing Stillwater County officials to bring charges against Holtz again in the future, if the investigation progresses. Now, Cynthia and Greg Dana's burning questions must remain unanswered even longer. "I can't understand the justice system," Cynthia Dana said. "When they told us they were dismissing the charges without prejudice, we had to Google what that meant." "Do we have a right to that evidence?" Cynthia Dana said. "Are we going to know how that night unfolded?" According to charging documents, Forest Dana was seen leaving the bars around 11:30 p.m. on the day he was killed and walking down the alley toward his parents' house. Holtz's car was seen driving at high speed down the same alley at about the same time. Holtz was picked up that evening without his car. The car was found hanging off a ridge about 30 feet from where Holtz was picked up. Prosecutors charged Holtz with tampering, alleging he had crashed the car in an effort to destroy evidence. Forest Dana's DNA was found on the car, although no witnesses were able to identify Holtz as the driver of the vehicle that hit Forest Dana. "We know he danced that night," Greg Dana said. "We know he tried to get home early. "He only made it to the gate." The knowledge that their son was dead became a daily battle for Cynthia and Greg Dana. But their grief coincided with the slow gears of a homicide investigation beginning to churn. "We're getting used to the loss," Cynthia Dana said. "But I'm jealous of the people who get to have a funeral and move on." Forest Dana's death will likely become one of about 73 uncleared homicide cases in Montana since 2005, according to the Montana Board of Crime Control. A total of 19 counties still have uncleared murder trials, five of which did not clear any of their homicide cases between 2005 to 2014. Most of these cases track back to before 2012. The state Division of Criminal Investigations, who were called in by the Stillwater County Sheriff's office to help investigate Forest's murder, will continue working to bring Forest's killer to justice. Four agents helped with the original investigation. The division only has a handful of agents to investigate these types of crimes. John Strandell, chief of the DCI's investigations bureau, has said the agency sometimes has to turn down cases because they can't even send one agent out to help. With four, a large portion of the Division's resources were dedicated to this investigation. The Danas hope the person who killed their son will "be a man and admit it," Greg Dana said. The legal proceedings continue to confuse and frustrate the Danas as they cope with their son's death. The town has rallied around them though, in a large part due to the love most felt toward their son. In the affidavit, a friend of the victim's and Holtz's described Forest Dana as the nicest person he'd ever met. "I don't know where it came from," Cynthia Dana said. "He was always just like that, he always just had a good heart." Forest Dana's friends from town helped the Danas build the wood fence that hides the scene of Forest Dana's death. On it, Cynthia Dana has hung Forest Dana's initials in sheet metal above a cross. Five tiny crystals are mounted in the wood, to allow light to shine through. "I miss him horribly," Cynthia Dana said. Forest was a carpenter who on a dare had become an ordained minister online, but had since married several of his friends. He was spiritual and had a good soul, she said. Montana State Prison inmate Dewey Eugene Coleman died on Sunday at the Lewistown Infirmary of natural causes, according to a news release from the Montana Department of Corrections. He was 67. Coleman was on death row for almost 15 years before his sentence was commuted to life in prison. Im not sending flowers, said Eleanor Harstad Neurohr on Monday. Neurohr is the mother of Peggy Lee Harstad, the woman Coleman was convicted of killing in 1974. On July 4, 1974, Harstad, 21, was returning home to Rosebud from a Fourth of July rodeo in Harlowton. She was spending the summer at her familys farm before beginning her teaching career in Plains. On the drive, her path crossed Dewey Eugene Coleman and Robert Dennis Nank. The two had been riding a motorcycle through Montana after leaving a veterans' hospital in Wyoming, where they had been treated for medical issues related to mental health. Their motorcycle had broken down and were stopping vehicles asking for assistance. When Harstad came upon the two men, they took control of her vehicle, a light-green car with a white-and-green checkerboard top. A friend had brought the car back from California for Harstad, Neurohr said. The men drove Harstad to a secluded area where they bound and sexually assaulted her; Nank later stated he was impotent at the time and did not succeed in assaulting Harstad. They drove with Harstad a little longer before they allowed her to get dressed again and then killed her by holding her down in the Yellowstone River until she drowned. The next day, Neurohr drove to the Harstad family ranch outside Forsyth into town to grab coffee with friends and run errands. As she headed into town, she saw the unmistakable checkered top of her daughters car. She thought it was unusual to see a car so similar to her daughters, but believed it was a road workers. She was at a cafe when a call came in to the business; John Harstad, Peggy Harstads father, was on the line. He asked me if I knew where Peggy was, and I said, 'Yes, I think shes at a girlfriends house or maybe with Lynda, her sister,'" Neurohr said in an interview with the Gazette on Monday. And John said, Well, a car with her license plate was found parked along Frontage Road.'" Neurohr and her husband saw their daughter everywhere after that. The whole town rallied to help them find her. They even called in a Native American clairvoyant from Hardin who stayed at the Harstad ranch. Neurohr still credits the woman with pointing the family to the area on the Yellowstone River where Harstads body was found. Peggy was right across from where she said she would be, Neurohr said. Two fisherman found her, and I remember, it had rained a lot that year, so the river was very high, and Coleman and Nank hadnt put Peggy in the main stream, so, when the water receded, the two fisherman saw her body. Her body was discovered in late August 1974 on the north bank of the Yellowstone River near Forsyth. They wouldnt let me see her, Neurohr said. I wanted so badly to see her. The night before Peggy Harstad's death, she kissed both her parents and thanked them for all theyd done for her. She was kind, a loving, good-natured person, Neurohr said. When Harstad would come home from college, her sister Lynda Ottun would walk over from where she and her husband lived, and the three women would visit in the kitchen together. The girls would sit together on the counters laughing and chatting while Neurohr prepared dinner or lunch, Neurohr said. I miss that, Neurohr said. After Peggy Harstads death, Neurohr said she could never again get close to her older daughter. Sometimes I wish Id asked her, talked to her about it, Neurohr said. But we were all hurting, hurting so deeply. Nank and Coleman were arrested in October 1974 in Boise. Nank entered a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty, in exchange for testifying against Coleman. Nank confessed that he and Coleman had raped, beaten and drowned Harstad, while Coleman denied that he was involved. Both were charged with deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping and rape, according to Gazette archives. Nank died in 1999 according to Montana State Death Records. Coleman was convicted and sentenced to 100 years for the homicide and 40 years for the rape charge. He received the death sentence for his conviction of aggravated kidnapping, a mandatory sentence at the time. That law was repealed in 1977. Coleman appealed his sentence, and the Montana Supreme Court determined the mandatory death sentence to be unconstitutional. Coleman was again sentenced to death in 1978 under a new statute. Just days before the hanging was to take place, Coleman was granted a stay of execution. Coleman later argued that his death sentence was handed down because he was black, and that Nank was given preferential treatment because he was white. The two men are interchangeable to Neurohr, who said the death penalty wasnt good enough for either. My daughter suffered at their hands, Neurohr said. They should suffer. That was my hate talking at the time, but I still feel what they got was far too plush. Both men pointed the finger at the other after the death of her daughter, but both could have stopped it, she said. Killing my daughter, through that, I lost my husband, Neurohr said. John Harstad died from a heart attack in 1989, a month after an interview with the Gazette about his daughter's death, in which he remarked on the overwhelming support from the community. "It was just all too late," he had said of their efforts. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Coleman in 1988, commuting his death sentence to life imprisonment. Neurohr is the last surviving member of Peggy Harstads direct family. Her sister, Lynda Ottun, died from cancer in 2005. Her adoptive brother, Rowland Limberhand Harstad, died in 2009 from a heart attack. The youngest brother, Monte Harstad, died in 2013, also following a battle with cancer. Monte always thought he should have been with her, Neurohr said. Even though he was just a little tyke, he thought, maybe if hed been with her, she would have come home. In May 1974, a few months before Harstad was killed, she told her mother where she wanted to be buried when she died. She pointed to a big hill where she used to ride her horse, Neurohr said. From the top, she could see the familys entire ranch. I remember I told her, Peggy, were not going to talk about it, were not going to think about it, Neurohr said. "'Parents dont bury their children.'" Coleman would have been eligible for parole this year. A previous hearing with the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole in 2011 did not go in his favor. Im happy about it, Neurohr said of Coleman's death. But theres closure, it gives you a feeling, I cant really explain the feeling, it has all come to the end. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site. by Kathleen Gilbert BEIJING, September 7, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) Escaped Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is leading international opponents of forced abortion in calling upon the worlds largest company to end compliance with the Chinas one-child policy. Family planning police have targeted employees (569) Sign up below to have the hottest Catholic news delivered to your email daily! Close Sign up below to have the hottest Catholic news delivered to your email daily! Church Militant, we need to band together to protect our religious liberties and win the culture war! Long-term use of Victoza, a type 2 diabetes drug, could lead to increased blood glucose levels, new research claims. Victoza (liraglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that helps lower blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin production in people with type 2 diabetes. It is prescribed for patients who are obese and often suffering with complications because of their weight. Researchers from the University of Miami, United States and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden report that Victoza can exhaust insulin-producing cells over time, resulting in higher blood sugar levels. However, as the study was conducted on mice, clinical studies involving humans would be needed to validate these findings among people with type 2 diabetes. In their study, they implanted mice with human insulin-producing cells. For 250 days, the mice were then given daily liraglutide doses, and the researchers monitored how the pancreatic beta cells were affected. Initially, an improvement was noted in the beta cells, but they eventually became exhausted and secreted less insulin in response to glucose. Study author Midhat Abdulreda, University of Miami, explained: Given the lack of clinical studies on the long-term effect of these drugs in diabetes patients, this is a very important discovery. Per-Olof Berggre, Karolinska Institute, added: We also need to take these results into account before prescribing blood-sugar suppressing GLP-1 analogues when planning long-term treatment regimens for patients. Our study also shows in general how to carry out in vivo studies of the long-term effects of drugs on human insulin-producing cells, which should be extremely important to the drug industry. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. If you have questions about your medication, speak to your doctor but do not stop taking your medication unless your doctor recommends that you stop. Buying a new smartphone around the 20K price mark? Well, there is a lot to choose from. Phones like the Moto X Play make for a good proposition, but what if you want the best phone in this segment? You will have to turn to the Nexus 5X or the Lenovo Vibe X3 in that case. Googles Nexus 5X has presumably not been very popular, because of which it has undergone a big price drop, especially for the 16GB model, priced at Rs. 21,999. The Lenovo Vibe X3, on the other hand, costs Rs. 19,999 and on paper, looks quite similar. So, without further ado, let's compare the two devices and see what's what. Here's a look at the specifications first: LG Nexus 5X Lenovo Vibe X3 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Display Size 5.2-inch 5.5-inch Display type IPS LCD IPS LCD Display Resolution 1920 x 1080p 1920 x 1080p RAM 2GB 3GB Storage 16GB 32GB Expandable Storage No Yes Rear Camera 12.3 21MP Aperture size f/2.0 f/2.0 Front Camera 5MP 8MP Battery (mAh) 2700mAh 3500mAh OS Android 6.0 Android 5.1 Fingerprint scanner Yes Yes Build and Design While the design of a smartphone is subjective, the build quality is certainly better on the Vibe X3. Lenovo's device features a metal rim around the phone that not only adds a robustness to the package but adds some premiumness as well. The LG Nexus 5X may have a smaller footprint, but that doesn't add much to the size difference. The Lenovo Vibe X3 is slightly bigger but provides a decent grip, thanks to its curved back. Another thing to mention is that the Nexus 5X is much lighter than the Vibe X3. However, all things considered, the Lenovo Vibe X3 would come out on the top. Winner: Lenovo Vibe X3 Performance Even though both phones sport the same Snapdragon 808 SoC, there is a difference in the synthetic benchmark scores. During our tests, the Nexus 5X performed better in most of the synthetic benchmarks. However, in normal day to day performance, both phones perform more or less the same. Multitasking is definitely better on the Vibe X3, thanks to the 3GB of RAM but the Nexus 5X isnt a slouch either. For example, if you're running multiple high-end games, like Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 5 etc. on both the phones, the Vibe X3 is able to keep games paused at a point (while you do other things on the phone) longer than the Nexus 5X. So, while in terms of processor performance, you wouldn't notice a big difference, the Vibe X3 has a slight advantage on multi-tasking, which makes it the winner here. Winner: Lenovo Vibe X3 Operating System and UI The Nexus 5X has a clear advantage here, given the fact that it runs on Android Marshmallow, while the Vibe X3 is yet to be updated from Lollipop. That said, Lenovo has toned down its Vibe UI, to give a more stock-like feel, which is good. The newer OS on the Nexus also closes the gap in terms of multitasking, despite the fact that it has only 2GB of RAM. The device brings the purest form of Android to the table and hence, the UI is undoubtedly clean and the phone does not come with any pre-loaded apps, like on the Vibe X3. As for the Lenovo Vibe X3, it was surprising to see a Lenovo phone without its usual Vibe UI. As mentioned above, Lenovo has recently cleaned up the interface and in the new UI it has kept everything minimalistic. There is a proper app drawer and smoother stock like UI. The number of pre-installed apps have also been decreased. However, it's hard to stand against the fact that the Nexus 5X will be the first to get Android N, whenever that is out, which is why the Nexus 5X wins. Winner: Nexus 5X Display While the displays on both phones are quite good and it'll be hard to figure out the difference unless they are kept side-by-side, we found that the Nexus 5X is a tad better. The 5.2-inch LCD display on the LG 5X turns out to be better in all kinds of tests. We checked colour banding, contrast and saturation of colours. On top of that, viewing angles and the deeper blacks on the Nexus 5X, make it the winner. Winner: Nexus 5X Camera Camera is one of the top priorities for many, when buying a new smartphone, and both phones don't disappoint here. Lenovos Vibe X3 brings a 21MP, Sony IMX230 sensor, which supports 4K, but does not bring other features like laser autofocus. On the other hand, the Nexus 5X has a smaller 12.3MP sensor, but uses the newer IMX377 Sony sensor. It also supports video recording in 4K, but has laser auto-focus. However, the camera shutter is much faster and accurate in Nexus 5X, thanks to the laser assisted autofocus. Images taken by LG Nexus 5X (L-R: outdoor, low light, bright indoor) (Click to see full size image) Images taken by the Lenovo Vibe X3 (L-R: outdoor, low light, bright indoor) (Click to see full size image) In almost all lighting conditions we found that the Nexus 5X was faster and produced better image quality. The colours were more true to life compared to the warmer images of the Lenovo Vibe X3. In addition, the Nexus 5X really shows its camera prowess over the Vibe X3 in low light imagery, thanks to laser autofocus and larger pixel size. The details and the colour composition are much better on the Nexus 5X. Winner: Nexus 5X Battery Life In order to save weight and size, the Nexus 5X has a smaller battery. The phone comes in with a 2700mAh battery, against the Vibe X3's 3500mAh. On regular usage, the Nexus 5X can manage a day's worth of battery life. If you like playing games, you will end up with a dead phone before you hit the bed at night though. Lenovo on the other hand came better prepared. The Vibe X3 brings a 3500mAh battery to the table and offers better battery life, a day and half to be precise. So, even with heavier usage, the phone will survive the day easily. It wasn't difficult to pick the Vibe X3 as the winner here. Winner: Lenovo Vibe X3 Storage The biggest blow to the Nexus 5X comes when you consider the storage on both the devices. While the Vibe X3 comes with 32GB of internal storage, which is expandable to 128GB, the Nexus 5X has a measly 16GB of storage inside, and that's all you'll ever get with it. For anyone buying a phone in this price range, it makes for a pretty big difference, especially because both the phones promise good performance, which means you're likely to be downloading a lot of apps and games. Do we need to spell out the winner here? Winner: Lenovo Vibe X3 Winner winner, chicken dinner.. While both the Nexus 5X and Vibe X3 are quite equally matched, the extra storage on the Lenovo device earns it the victory in this battle. The phone does have a lesser camera though, which means you will be making a compromise, but given the fact that the Nexus 5X still costs a bit more, it seems worth it. The massive radio telescope project, which China is stating will add to the comprehensive hunt for extraterrestrial life, is nearing start of operations at the expense of local residents. In 2011, China began its work on Fast (Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical radio Telescope), a massive telescope unit that will aid our quest for life on the outer fringes of the universe. Fast came at a price of 127 million, and when finished later this year (by September, as per targets), will become the worlds largest observatory telescope, with a diameter of 500 metres. All of this sounds fantastic and is sure to excite the dream of E.T. life hunters, but this comes at a price. Come September 2016, and the Chinese government will force nearly 9,000 local residents to relocate from the nearby areas of Guizhou, China. The Xinhua news agency reported the news of the impending evacuation yesterday, stating that homes that will be forced to relocate will be given a compensation of 1,275 (12,000 Yuan) by the eco-migration bureau of the Government. This move is being undertaken to ensure a safe electromagnetic environment, and prevent damage to individuals exposed to radiation. Such moves, however, are not unheard of by the Chinese government. Previously, hydro-electric dam projects and poverty alleviation schemes have led to similar relocation drives imposed by the government, leading to the affected residents claiming that they are often poorly compensated. The Fast telescope, however, is being looked at as a scientific achievement. Once functional, the movable panels of the telescope will reflect signals from distant corners of the universe and gather them into a singular 30-tonne Retina source. As much as progress for progress's sake must be encouraged, the issue of sudden relocation being imposed upon local residents is definitely a point of concern. Necessary sacrifice, or overconfident technology? Oil has continued to flow naturally from a discovery well near Gatwick Airport owned by a consortium of oil exploration companies, with the first two tankers of crude sent for refining. Following the announcement of Monday's initial flow using water, UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) said operator Horse Hill Developments had recorded a steady flow of light, sweet crude of slightly more than 456 barrels of oil per day over a 9.5-hour period on Tuesday, consisting of dry oil with zero water. Horse Hill Developments, in which UKOG and fellow AIM-listed peers Alba Mineral Resources, Doriemus, Solo Oil, Stellar Resources and Evocutis have stakes, used a smaller choke in order to further stabilise the flow. "The well continues to produce high quality oil at good rates," said Stephen Sanderson, UKOG's executive chairman. "Although further work is required to be done, we are now beginning to establish the commerciality of the project earlier than originally anticipated. The first two tankers full with 348 barrels of oil were sent to be refined at noon yesterday." The Horse Hill-1 discovery well is located in the PEDL137 licence in Surrey's Weald Basin near Gatwick Airport. UKOG has a 20.16% stake in the PEDL137 licence, with other stakes ranging from Alba's 9.75%, to Doriemus, Solo Oil, Stellar Resources all with 6.5% each, while Evocutis owns a 1.3% interest. The drilling exercise has attracted protesters concerned that the companies may employ controversial fracking techniques. On Tuesday, while the Horse Hill Protection Group (HHPG), which opposes drilling at the site, collected samples from what it said was a plastic outflow pipe from the site, some locals living near the well were reported to have complained to the Environment Agency about smells during flow tests yesterday. But Sanderson, who has claimed the entire Weald Basin could contain up to 124bn barrels of oil, has strenuously denied that fracking techniques will be needed to extract the oil. Once the current testing of the Lower Kimmeridge limestone belt is completed by the HH-1 well, the next phases of the drilling operation will move to the shallower Upper Kimmeridge limestone and Portland sandstone zones at approximately 840 and 615 metres below ground level. NetScientific added a big name in the British medical industry to its board on Wednesday, announcing the appointment of Professor Stephen Smith as a non-executive director. The AIM-traded biomedical and healthcare group said Smith had held senior roles in the NHS and academia, including as a clinician scientist, head of department, dean and CEO with the Medical Research Council, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Smith was responsible for the largest merger in the NHS, the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which brought together four London-based NHS trusts. He also served for four years as its first CEO. "Stephen's impressive leadership experience in mergers and commercialisation internationally further strengthens the group," said NetScientific chairman Sir Richard Sykes. "We look forward to welcoming Stephen to the team as we continue to build our subsidiary companies towards developing new technologies and concepts in healthcare management and diagnostics to improve patient care and outcomes," he added. Amazon is reportedly in talks with former Marks & Spencer womenswear boss Frances Russell to help launch its own fashion label. Russell, who left M&S last year, is said to be in negotiations with Amazon about taking on a senior role at the online retailer but it is not clear whether she would be based in the UK or in the US, according to the Guardian. Amazon fuelled rumours that it was launching a fashion label earlier this month after it advertised for jobs including fit specialist, merchandiser and inventory manager. An ad on its online jobs site for software development engineer read: When you think of buying new clothing, shoes, watches and jewellery, do you think of Amazon? Not yet? Well, we are going to change that. Amazon already sells third party branded clothing which has been growing. The companys fashions vice president of clothing Jeff Yurcisin in October hinted at Amazon taking the business further by launching its own-brand clothing. When we see gaps, when certain brands have decided for their own reasons not to sell with us, our customer still wants a product like that, Yurcisin said. Amazon declined to comment on the report. Negative rates are likely to erode bank profits by between 5% and 10%, according to Morgan Stanley. It argued that negative rates are a dangerous experiment as they not only erode profits, but also give a disincentive to cross-border Eurozone lending and risk non-linear effects on bank funding. This is all contrary to the ECB desire to ease credit conditions and support financial stability, it said. MS said that beyond a 10-20 basis points rate cut, the impact on earnings would be exponential. It said experience from Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland suggests banks will reprice lending and charge higher fees to mitigate. However, the weaker state of lending and contracts linked to Euribor means the ability to reprice is lower in the Eurozone. As long as the lower bound is not clear, it's difficult to predict how bank stocks will perform, as -1% negative deposit rates (as some senior policy makers have suggested) would materially impair net interest income in the euro area. For banks, we argue the best scenario would be no cut in the depo rate, and some expansion of ECB buying programmes. As far as FX is concerned, it reckoned further rate cuts from the ECB will have much less of an effect on the euro relative to the initial move below zero. Most of the EUR impacting portfolio adjustment following the first cut to negative is already complete, it said, adding that valuations are also very different now compared to summer 2014. With the costs to cutting higher, the returns diminishing, and valuation already cheap, we think there is little that the ECB can do on the rates side to materially move the common currency. Contracts-for-difference trading platform Plus500 reported a drop in earnings for 2015, although the decline was less steep than it had expected as additional marketing and regulatory costs were partly mitigated by customer growth. In its preliminary unaudited results for the year ended 31 December, the company said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation slipped to $132.9m (93.3m) from $145.4m. Meanwhile, revenue rose to $275.6m from $228.9m as the number of active customers grew 29% from 2014 to 136,540. Chief executive Gal Haber said: Plus500 had a record number of both new customers and active customers in 2015. Whilst marketing expenses are recognised and paid for when incurred, these new customers are expected to contribute to significant revenue growth and a higher EBITDA margin in 2016. We made significant progress enhancing our regulatory compliance and onboarding processes. We were pleased that Plus500UK began accepting new UK customers again in January 2016 and we are not subject to any regulatory restrictions in each of our regulated entities. Haber said the company was entering 2016 with more high value customers, an enhanced trading platform and a strong balance sheet, adding that the first quarter should be active, given strong customer additions. Plus500 was forced to stop taking on new UK clients in May last year and freeze existing trade accounts due to an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority into its client data verification and anti-money laundering procedures. Gaming industry software supplier Playtech had announced in June 2015 that it inked a deal to buy Plus500 for around 459.6m. However, the agreement was terminated in November due to regulatory woes, with Playtech saying it could not fully allay the concerns of the FCA. The company declared a final dividend of $0.2922 per share, down a touch from the previous years $0.3001 per share, but the total dividend will be $0.8405, up from $0.8008. The board also declared a special dividend of $0.3362 per share, up from 2014s $0.2657, amounting to a total payout of $38.6m. Also on Wednesday, Plus500 said Asaf Elimelech will be promoted to joint chief executive officer on 28 February, while Gal Haber will be promoted to managing director. Haber will then work with Elimelech, who will be promoted to chief executive officer, freeing up Haber to focus all his time on continuing the growth of the business. Whitman Howard said the numbers look pretty good given the regulatory hiatus in the UK during the year and higher client acquisition costs. At 1254 GMT, shares were up 4.8% to 534.50p. Flathead County law enforcement said four people were found dead Tuesday in Olney, three of them attributed to a triple homicide-suicide. Authorities have not release information on the manner of the fourth person's death, according to the Flathead County Sheriff's Office. Columbus-area business profits surged in COVID bounce back Some Franklin County suburbs did particularly well as the economy recovered from COVID disruptions, according to income-tax receipts. Montana small business startups arent alone when it comes to funding or planning, experts said Tuesday at an economic workshop in Billings. The workshop, organized by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., covered everything from financing to business planning. Tester said he organized the event to promote a very important part of Montanas economy. Ultimately, this is about the American dream and people making a living and being able to support their family, Tester said. Small business is the basis for that in this state. Tester said the new jobs being created in this country are by businesses that are less than five years old. Teaching people how to start and grow new businesses supports those jobs and take pressure off of the government. Speakers at the half-day event, which took place at Montana State University Billings, included State Auditor Monica Lindeen, who told the 100 attendees that Montana recently made it easier for businesses to sell stock to investors. For $50, business owners can file the paperwork to sell equity stock and begin selling shares 10 days later. Montana businesses can raise up to $1 million from Montana investors in 12 months under the new rules. Lindeen oversees the program. Businesses can promote stock to their customers and the general Montana public under the rule without approaching a bank, or crossing into area of more strict investment regulations. The statistic repeatedly cited by presenters was Montanas ranking by the Kauffman Index as the No. 1 state for start-up businesses, both in 2014 and 2015. Other speakers focused on developing business plans and the need for businesses to make community connections, both for advice and investment, but also to make sure that customers see value in a businesss product. Its important to have some customer interaction before approaching investors, said Diane Smith of American Rural, which focuses on expanding opportunities for rural and small town businesses by providing access to modern business tools, including technology, education, commerce and health care. Smith is also part of Frontier Angel Fund, a venture capital investment group. She said businesses have to have a product and customers before they attempt to attract investors. Those two things are more important than a persons cash investment in their own business. Its very little about the money, Smith said. What I do want to see is customer transactions. Theres a notion out there that you can get funded for an idea. I hate to burst anyones bubble, but ideas are pretty common. Weve all invented the worlds best dog food, but if you havent put it in front of a dog, then the dog dont know. The Senates Republican majority should find the will to confirm a replacement for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said Tuesday, arguing that waiting for a new president as proposed by the GOP is too long. President (Barack) Obama is going to be in office until the middle of January; its the middle of February now. Thats 11 months out. I mean, come on, said Tester, a Montana Democrat. We should not let the election process stop us from doing our job. I think its a mistake. Tester said he was amazed by how quickly after Scalias death Feb. 13 that Republican leaders announced they would not let the confirmation process move forward until there was a new president. The Senate has never taken more than 125 days, or about four months, to vote on a successor from the time of nomination, according to a recent New York Times report. On average, a nominee has been confirmed, rejected or withdrawn in 25 days. But few presidents have successfully filled vacancies announced in their final full year, the Times said. But since Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day OConner on July 7, 1981, the average has been just over 66 days. Obama has a Constitutional obligation to recommend an appointee to the Senate, Tester told The Gazette. The Senate should hold a hearing on that appointee and make a decision, even if the decision is to reject the nominee. The list of Obama nominees currently awaiting Senate confirmation is more than 140 names long, according to White House data. Nearly all of those nominees were put forward by Obama before the current election season. "There's a ton of people who are sitting in the wings by the way, people who want to serve in government," Tester said. "The guy who is overseeing the Iran financial sanctions. They won't confirm him. There's all sorts of positions like that where we don't have anyone in the position and you wonder why government isn't working. It's because quite frankly Congress isn't working." The longest delayed nomination is for a seat on the United States Court of International Trade. That nomination was made Jan. 7, 2015. There are more than two dozen vacant federal judgeships for which Obama made nominations in 2015 that the Senate hasn't filled. All three members of Montanas Congressional delegation issued statements over the weekend about Scalias death. Tester is the first to give his opinion on whether the Senate should consider Obamas nominees for a new Supreme Court justice. Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who is in Alaska for a field hearing on energy policy, contends the Senate should wait until a new president is sworn in. "Steve will thoughtfully consider any nominees experience and merits," said Alee Lockman, Daines' communications director. "However, he believes that the long-standing practice of not confirming a nominee during a presidential election year should be maintained. The Senate has a constitutional role to advise and consent, and an appropriate consideration is that the American people have already begun voting on the next president. "Steve believes the nation would be best served if filling this vacancy occurs in a new Congress and outside the political climate of an election year." The last time a Supreme Court appointment was made during an election year was Feb. 3, 1988, when Democrats controlled the Senate and confirmed Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Americans were already voting in presidential primaries when Kennedy was confirmed, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Michigan voters cast their ballots Jan 14, 1988. Hawaii voters cast their votes the day after Kennedy's appointment. Four states had held primaries or caucuses by Feb. 8 that year. This Page has moved to a new address: Sorry for the inconvenience Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service AFRC announces awards for Communication Excellence Air Force Reserve Command announced the winners of the 2015 Awards for Communication Excellence during the Public Affairs Symposium in Atlanta, Feb. 11. The following winners will go on to represent AFRC in the Air Force-level competition. Major Henry H. "Hap" Arnold Award for Public Affairs Communication Effectiveness: 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Best Innovative Communication Award: 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado. Best Crisis Communication Award: 315th AW, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr., Award: 439th AW, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Outstanding Communication Airman (E-1 to E-4) Award: Senior Airman Monica C. Ricci, 439th AW. Staff Sergeant Christopher S. Frost Outstanding Communication NCO (E-5 to E-6) Award: Tech Sgt. Lauren C. Gleason, 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Outstanding Communication Senior NCO (E-7 to E-8) Award: Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe, 439th AW. Captain Bradley R. Schuldt Outstanding Communication Company Grade Officer (O-1 to O-3) Award: Capt. Jeffrey B. Kelly, 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Outstanding Communication Field Grade Officer (O-4 to O-5) Award: Maj. Ashley E.A. Conner, 477th Fighter Group, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Outstanding Communication Civilian Category I (GS-5 to GS-9 or equivalent) Award: Mr. William C. Pope, 439th AW. Outstanding Communication Civilian Category II (GS-10 to GS-12 or equivalent) Award: Ms. Ann F. Skarban, 302nd AW. AFRC announces Media Contest winners Air Force Reserve Command announced the winners of the 2015 Media Contest during the Public Affairs Symposium in Atlanta, Feb. 11. The following winners will go on to represent AFRC in the Air Force-level competition. Web-based Publication: 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Website/Blog: 434th Air Refueling Wing/PA Grissom ARB, Indiana. Outstanding Digital Presence: 439th AW/PA. News Article: Maj. Cathleen Snow, 920th Rescue Wing/PA Patrick Air Force Base, Florida Feature Article: 2nd Lt. Anna Wyant, 920th RQW/PA. Commentary: Capt. Perry Covington, 452nd Air Mobility Wing/PA March ARB, California. Photojournalism: Tech Sgt. Kelly Goonan, 94th AW/PA Dobbins ARB, Georgia. Outstanding New Writer: Tech Sgt Lauren Gleason, 507th ARW/PA Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Military Print Journalist of the Year: Staff Sgt Jaimi Upthegrove, 94th AW/PA. Civilian Print Journalist of the Year: Shawn Jones, 514th AMW/PA Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Graphics Illustration: William Pope, 439th AW/PA. Graphics Animation: William Pope, 439th AW/PA. Graphics Layout and Design: Tech Sgt Benjamin Mota, 434th ARW/PA. Documentation Photography: 2nd Lt. Anna Wyant, 920th RQW/PA. News Photography: Capt. Zach Anderson, 931st Air Refueling Group/PA McConnell AFB, Kansas. Feature Photography: Tech Sgt Benjamin Mota, 434th AW/PA. Sports Photography: Staff Sgt Daniel Phelps, 94th AW/PA. Portrait Photography: Staff Sgt Trevor Saylor, 934th AW/PA Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minnesota. Illustrative Photography: Staff Sgt Jaimi Upthegrove, 94th AW/PA. Pictorial Photography: Tech Sgt Efren Lopez, 4th Combat Camera Squadron, March ARB, California. Picture Story: Staff Sgt Daniel Phelps, 94th AW/PA. Military Photographer of the Year: Tech Sgt Sam King, 919th Special Operations Wing/PA Duke Field, Florida. Civilian Photographer of the Year: William Pope, 439th AW/PA. Video Spot Production: Manuel Smith, Headquarters AFRC/PA Robins AFB, Georgia. Video News Report: Tech Sgt Stephen Winn, 439th AW/PA. Video Feature Report: Tech Sgt Benjamin Hayes, 94th AW/PA. Local Video Newscast: Manuel Smith, HQ AFRC/PA. Social Media Video: Manuel Smith, HQ AFRC/PA. Military Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Staff Sgt Jeremy Roman, 301st Fighter Wing/PA Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. Civilian Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Manuel Smith, HQ AFRC/PA. Video Documentary: 4th CTCS. Video Field Production: Manuel Smith, HQ AFRC/PA. Infographic: William Pope, 439th AW/PA. The Bureau of Land Management has decided not to go forward with the controversial land exchange of BLMs Durfee Hills for the Anchor Ranch located inside the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Durfee Hills, which is surrounded by private land, has good elk hunting for a few people who can fly into the area. The Anchor Ranch blocks access and is a keystone property for Bullwacker-Cow Creek area one of the largest blocks of BLM land in the state. Most of the controversy was around the notion that important elk habitat was going to be exchanged for a road right of way to the Bullwacker-Cow Creek area. I see it differently and was disappointed that the BLM did not present to the public a more careful analysis of the exchange options before dropping the proposal. Bullwhacker and Cow Creek have one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the state. Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope, sage grouse and many other species are generally abundant there. Wildlife habitat on the Anchor Ranch would add to the richness to the wildlife habitat of the national monument. The area is a wonderful place to explore and recreate and has been historically accessed by road or canoe. The Montana history is amazing in this part of the Breaks. More than 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark dined on bighorn sheep harvested from this area. Capt. William Clark penned, in the course of the day we also saw several herds of the big-horned animals among the steep cliffs on the north, and killed several of them. World class mountain sheep are still there in this landscape that looks much the same as when Capt. Clark saw it. The ice age changed the Missouri River and created Cow Island below the Anchor Ranch. It is here that for centuries buffalo found a safe crossing of the mighty Missouri. Indian people took advantage of the shallow river to cross, following the buffalo in their migrations. Chief Joseph crossed the Missouri here and fought with the army as he attempted to lead his people to safety in Canada. Steamboats had to offload heavy cargo when the river was too low. Bullwhackers and their teams pulled those heavy loads out of the Breaks to Fort Benton. The road now closed to the public across the private Anchor Ranch was used in early days by pioneers. The BLM has studied how to build a road around the Anchor Ranch. The options are not good and very expensive. A new road would be damaging to the landscape and the wildlife. During hunting season, Ill continue to get to the Breaks with my old canoe as I have for three decades. The Anchor Ranch has historically been used for cattle ranching. Ranching has been compatible with the national monument. However, one must have concern about what happens to uses of the Anchor Ranch in the future. In my career in the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, I am most proud of improving the publics estate with acquisition of land by exchange and purchase. Acquiring better access and consolidation of public land into usable tracts for the public is a good thing. Opportunities often come only once and must be taken quickly if they are in the public interest. BLM did dozens of land exchanges in the 1980s; we learned that every tract of public land is valuable to some member of the public. That is a good thing but does make this proposal difficult and controversial. Most of us do not want to give up any tract owned by the public. The Anchor Ranch could have been a very significant addition to this amazing Montana landscape. I'm sorry to see this opportunity pass without full public analysis. Hopefully, new idea will come forward to bring the Anchor Ranch into public ownership. President's FY17 budget impacts Air Force Reserve The Department of Defense budget request for fiscal year 2017 includes a number of proposed changes for the Air Force Reserve. If enacted into law, the DOD budget request would reduce the Air Force Reserve manpower end-strength by 200 positions and increase the Air Force Reserves presence in a number of mission areas. Following is a summary of Air Force Reserve force structure actions that are a part of the overall FY17 Presidential Budget Request. These force structure actions are just proposals and are subject to congressional approval/action: The 924th Fighter Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, will gain 21 F-16s in FY19 and lose 28 A-10s from the formal training unit in FY20. The 914th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York, will lose eight C-130H aircraft and gain eight KC-135 Stratotankers in FY17 and be redesignated the 914th Air Refueling Wing. The 442nd FW, Whiteman AFB, Missouri, will lose 27 A-10s and gain 27 F-16s in FY18. The 916th ARW, Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, will lose four KC-135 in FY17, 12 KC-135s in FY20 and gain 12 KC-46A tankers in FY20. The 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh ARS, Pennsylvania, will lose eight C-130H aircraft and gain eight C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in FY19. The 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB, Mississippi, will continue restoring the 815th Airlift Squadron, equipped with 10 C-130Js as a unit-equipped squadron. The 20th Intelligence Squadron, (classic associate unit) will stand up at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The 41st IS (classic associate) will stand up at Fort Meade, Maryland. The 75 IS (classic associate) will stand up, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Joint Forces Headquarters-Cyber (classic associate), JBSA-Lackland, Texas, will plus up to meet requirements. The 39th Information Operations Squadron (classic associate) will stand up at Hurlburt Field, Florida. A British lawmaker has said the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including parts "illegally controlled" by Pakistan, are integral part of India and that Pakistan must vacate the territory and return it to India under a negotiated settlement of the dispute. "State of Jammu and Kashmir in totality is part of India an integral part of India and it needs to be reunited and should come under the dominion of India," member of the UK parliament and leader of ruling conservative party Robert John Blackman told reporters in Jammu during a meet the press function organised by the Press Club of Jammu. "The erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir had signed instrument of accession with India and given the control of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to India. It is Pakistan which illegally occupied its territory which it should hand back to India through negotiation," he said. Also, Blackman said, war is no solution for any dispute between the two countries as both are nuclear powers. The best option is for Pakistan to vacate the territory forcibly occupied and hand it over to India, he added. Drumming up support to his Conservative Party, the lawmaker from the Harrow East constituency in England said that things have changed for the Pakistan lobby in the UK parliament with "friends of India" like him speaking up for India. He said there has been a strengthening of bonds between India and the UK since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of power in India and his last year's "historic visit" to UK has further strengthened that bond. He also praised Modi's vision to develop India as an economic and military power of the east and United Kingdom was ready to provide all possible support to India for attaining that goal. India, he said, has for long been a victim of terrorism originating from Pakistani soil and it is up to Pakistan to mitigate the situation by reining in the "forces" that spread terrorism. He said the UK government is fully aware of the terrorism being faced by India and it stands shoulder to shoulder with India to combat terrorism. However, he said, he cannot speak on behalf of the UK government. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing nearly $30 million to Montana Native American tribes as part of two block-grant programs aimed at housing. The grants will go to Montana's seven federally recognized reservations, including special project grants for the Northern Cheyenne, Confederated Salish and Kootenai and Blackfeet tribes. Most of the money will be allocated under the Indian Housing Block Grant program, according to HUD. The nearly 20-year-old program is a large source of support for tribal housing authorities to build or renovate homes. Nationally, $660 million will be released this year. The Indian Housing Block Grant program is the single largest source of affordable housing assistance in Native American communities, said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramirez in a press release. Additionally, HUD will allocate money for special projects to three Montana tribes under the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program. Together, the grants for Montana include $2.7 million for the Apsaalooke Nation Housing Authority on the Crow Reservation. Just more than $4.6 million will make it to the Fort Peck Reservation. The Northern Cheyenne are set to receive $2.8 million under the Indian Housing Block program and $900,000 under the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program. The latter grant will be used to rehabilitate 27 homes across the reservation, according to HUD. dpa ElectionsData With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc. The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties. A man admitted on Tuesday he was driving drunk and on methamphetamine when he rolled his vehicle in a crash that injured his two young daughters. During a hearing in U.S. District Court in Billings, Jon Lee Fighter, 30, of Hardin, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious injury and to felony child abuse and neglect. There was no plea agreement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek said the one-vehicle rollover happened on Dec. 24, 2014, outside of Hardin on the Crow Reservation. Fighter was driving the car with his two daughters, ages 5 and 4, who were passengers. The 4-year-old was belted into a car seat, while the 5-year-old was not restrained, Suek said. The 5-year-old girl was transported to a Billings hospital where she was diagnosed with a bruised liver. The doctor had to give the girl Fentanyl, a powerful pain killer, because of her extreme pain, Suek said. The 4-year-old suffered scrapes to her nose and face and some bruising, Suek said. Fighter was under the influence of alcohol and meth at the time and had a blood alcohol concentration of .152 percent, Suek said. The legal limit is 0.08 percent. Fighter faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the assault count. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters set sentencing for June 2 and continued Fighters release. CASPER, Wyo. A Natrona County sheriffs lieutenant died Saturday from complications after surgery, according to a news release from the department. Lt. Jerry Dale Clark had been the Detention Division lieutenant at the Natrona County Detention Center for more than 15 years. In the release, Clark, who was 65, is lauded for being sensitive toward the needs of inmates and for being a father figure for his deputies. Lt. Clark was a true mentor who cared deeply about his community, employees and every inmate in his care, the release states. (He) always made it a point to make time for those who sought his council and advice. Clark was an advocate for many inmate opportunities at the jail, including the General Educational Development program, Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous and chaplain program. (He) believed in providing these types of opportunities to those in the detention center so they could find a way to improve their individual lives, the release states. Clark also served on the Juvenile Justice Board, which was tasked with finding ways to better assist youth in the justice process in Natrona County, according to the release. In addition, Clark took part in several community activities, such as Shop with a Cop, an annual event that pairs children with law enforcement officers to buy Christmas gifts. A memorial service for Clark will be held 2 p.m. Thursday at Highland Park Community Church in Casper. Infiniti has left the door open to a potential sub-$30,000 price tag for its upcoming Q30 small car, as it seeks "more relevance" in the Australian market. Arriving in the third quarter of 2016, the all-new hatchback represents the Japanese luxury marque's most competitive offering yet in the luxury car field, carrying considerable expectations for the brand's presence in Australia. It will land in the middle of the hotly-contested circa $37,000 field comprising the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 competitors that Infiniti Australia managing director Jean-Phillipe Roux wants to distinguish his offering from. Asked whether a $30,000 starting price could help the Q30 stand out from the pack, Roux said: "we're looking at different scenarios". "It's too soon to say," he continued. "Premium is getting more and more accessible, although the market is moving. Yes, it's about the prices, they play a big part, but it's also about why would you buy an Infiniti. And that's a story we want to tell. "It's more about driving people to our showrooms and our website so they can discover our story and our products." Pricing is already a key strategy for Infiniti in Australia. Its junior executive sedan, the Q50, undercuts all of its European and Japanese rivals, as does the newly updated Q70, the latter by some $6000. But the hatchback segment is becoming increasingly crowded; a top-of-the-line Mazda3 hatchback is now more expensive than the cheapest Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Sharing under body elements with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLA-Class models, the Q30 and accompanying QX30 cross-over are expected to yield considerably more sales for Infiniti Australia, which registered 574 vehicles last year in a period where Mercedes-Benz sold a mammoth 36,374. Not that Roux is counting his chickens just yet. "We don't disclose forecasts, but we do expect it to do fairly well within the segment," he said, tempering expectations on actual sales numbers. "We're not there in terms of relevance yet. This is a very important car for us. It's a game-changer. Is it going to be a silver bullet? Is it going to solve all our issues in terms of brand awareness? No," he said. "Are we going to multiply our volume by 10? No. But we think it's going to have a major impact on us in terms of brand recognition and in terms of getting conquests." The launch of the Q30 and QX30 models coincides with plans to increase Infiniti's Australian dealer network to 10. A local disability campaigner has written a letter to the disability officer of Dundalk court services to complain about a lack of wheelchair access to the building. Mark Fitzsimons - disability advocate of Louth Environmental group has written an open letter to the court services over his complain that there is a lack of wheelchair access in a number of areas within the building. He writes that he believes the courthouse contravenes the Disability Act, 2005 and that proceedings should be moved to another, more suitable building. I am writing to you as a member and advocate of the disability community of Ireland to formally complain and to notify you that your Court and any proceedings which take place therein are held in direct contravention of S. 25 of the Disability Act, 2005. Given the nature of the business that takes place in your building and the importance of our rights as citizens to access to justice and given the time frame that you were given to comply with the above legislation, I am now formally require you/your organisation to immediately desist from discriminating against disabled citizens... and to have proceedings temporarily moved to a building which fully complies with the above legislation e.g. Redeemer Family Resource Centre or An Tain Theatre in the Dundalk Town Hall, until such a time as Dundalk Courthouse and each of its courtrooms have fully complied with the above legislation. Its not always what you do but the way you do things in business that secures your place in the market and a loyal customer base. The mistaken belief that you have to reinvent the wheel will only serve to make your experience more overwhelming and limit your options. They think they have to come up with something that no one has ever done before a new invention, a unique service. The issue should not be coming up with something so unique that no one has ever heard of it but instead answering the questions: How can I improve on this? or Can I do this better or differently. (www.entrepreneur.com) Courage wasnt needed, there was never any doubt! With a clear idea about how to do things differently, Kirsten Shanks tells Dynamic Business how she is navigating the highly competitive waters of the health and wellness industry with a business likewise in good health. Orchard St., a cold-pressed juice retailer, was far from a new invention; the very idea itself, sparked when founder Kirsten was sipping juice in a cold-pressed juice bar in Manhattan, New York. Any suggestion that the market was already awash with similar offerings would have no discouraging effect for Kirsten. Kirsten said Orchard St. really came about as a vision, one of those moments when something enters your mind with such clarity and impact that it leaves no room for doubt. Courage wasnt needed, there was never any doubt! And Kirsten was right to keep doubt at bay. Since starting the business from her home kitchen in 2012 with her own funds, a website and a little stock, Orchard St. has quadrupled its turnover, grown from 2 to 38 employees, and now has 3 retail stores in Sydneys Eastern Suburbs. We have grown from being an unknown brand to establishing ourselves as the premium name for organic juice cleanses in Australia with a significant annual turnover, said Kirsten. Building a mindful business In what comes as her most critical point, Kirsten comments: amongst it all, we have continued to refine our philosophy, maintain our integrity and build a community. And that philosophy, spawned from her childhood experiences in the jungles of Borneo where her father worked as a structural engineer, is about sharing the experience of wellness in a holistic and supportive manner. Speaking about the philosophy, Kirsten says its about building a mindful business and a mindful business is one built on foundations of integrity and awareness for a purpose greater than financial gain. According to Kirsten, Orchard St. is comfortably distinguished from competitors who, although deploy the right branding and appearance, are operating solely for profit. A way to operate that resonates with your customers Kirsten said when you are in the wellness marketplace you need to be transparent; authenticity cannot be built but must be at the core of a business. It is about the way you conduct business day-to-day and the personal practices you and your staff utilise to ensure alignment and productivity. A different way of doing things will attract a different customer, said Kirsten. The lesson to be drawn from Kirstens experience could be applicable to a variety of industries where competition is rife: reinventing the wheel is not a prerequisite for a standout, successful new business. Customers are very sensitive to the integrity of a business, says Kirsten, so finding a way to operate that resonates with your customers is key. After all this has worked for Orchard St., a confident business now looking for an investor with the right of vision and value to expand further. CHEYENNE, Wyo. A provision before the state Legislature would allow the state to study and develop a database for insurers and employers to compare the costs of health procedures throughout Wyoming. The ultimate goal of the databases, known in the health care world as multi-payer claims databases, is to lower costs for insurers, employers and patients, said Anne Ladd, the CEO of the Wyoming Business Coalition on Health, which has started its own database. Health care in Wyoming is among the most expensive in the country. Lawmakers in Cheyenne are discussing a number of ways to decrease costs from Medicaid expansion for 20,000 low-income uninsured Wyoming adults to a bill allowing hospitals to obtain more money from Medicaid. The footnote in the budget bill to study and possibly develop a multipayer claims database is another possibility. Colorado and other states have multipayer claims databases and have saved money on health care, Ladd said. You have this database, and youre able to know that costs in Town A are more expensive than costs in Town B, Ladd said. You could go to the providers in Town A and say, Could you explain whats going on here so we can begin to peel back the onion and address health care costs? Some community hospitals or clinics have practices that are not based on the latest research. The business community could ask the hospital why it charges to perform tests or procedures that the medical literature shows are not effective. The database provides transparency of costs. The business community can have a conversation with the health care community at a time when health care costs are rising, she said. If we dont do that, we are on a path of mutual destruction, Ladd said. We have to find a way to work together, and wed like to find a way to work together based on data rather than anecdotes. Patient privacy is protected in the databases, she said. Studies have shown infection rates, medication errors and other measures of quality health care are actually lower at lower-cost hospitals and clinics, and Ladd doesnt think quality would suffer if people based more of their decisions on costs, Ladd said. If the Legislature adopts the footnote, the Wyoming Health Department would study a potential database. If officials thought it could be beneficial, they would develop it. The department is not allowed to spend any state money on the database. The department would invite other insurance companies and employers to participate. The databases were reviewed in the House on Monday as part of an overall discussion on the budget bill. Rep. Elaine Harvey, chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, said she was happy it was in the budget bill, as the databases are one of the most effective ways for states to get a handle on medical costs. She asked Rep. Tim Stubson, who explained the budget to colleagues in the House, why the footnote would allow participation in the database to be voluntary and not required, as is in other states to ensure richer data. We think its best if people voluntarily do it, instead of forcing them, said Stubson, a Casper Republican who is running for U.S. House. The state effort would be separate from the database developed by Ladds organization, which is made up of employers who self insure. Employers choose whether they want to participate in the database. We are working with a group in Montana that has been doing this for 12 years, she said. Its called the Montana Association of Health Care Purchasers. Stubson said there is a chance that the budget footnote could be amended to unite the state effort with the Wyoming Business Coalition on Health. It was the compromise position that came out of the committee, Stubson said, referring to the Joint Appropriations Committee. Im sure there will be more discussion on it. As written, it will be to do our own claims database. CASPER, Wyo. Police arrested a Casper man Saturday after a woman was taken to the hospital with bruises over much of her body, according to an arrest report. The woman reported her boyfriend, Nathan John Trost, had assaulted her. Officers arrested Trost for felonious restraint, aggravated assault and domestic battery. Trost, 40, was being held in the Natrona County Detention Center as of Tuesday afternoon. The woman said she and Trost were in their home on East 14th Street when Trost became angry, according to the police report. She told officers Trost strangled her until she lost consciousness. She said he also dragged her across the floor, banged her head into a wall and threatened her with a hammer and a knife. The woman also reported Trost ripped a ring off one of her fingers, possibly breaking the finger, the report states. She said she was able to persuade Trost to allow her to leave the residence, and she flagged down a passing car and asked the driver to take her to the hospital. Foods of fall: Sweet potatoes There are many great foods that we enjoy in the fall. Apples, leafy greens, and of course, one of my favorites, sweet potatoes. Best known... Planning for Santas visit Here at the Early County Museum, weve jotted down our wish list for Santa, and we all wished for the same thing snow! We... A visit to Lake Kolomoki Ranger Lauren Bryant couldnt help but notice young Khalil's casting skills while making rounds Saturday morning. When visiting from Atlanta his grandparents say this is... Fall weather brings unwanted guests We welcome the cooler temperatures of fall, but the unwanted house guests that often appear are not so welcomed. Insects including roaches and other types... Aloha! The BMT Tandem meeting (Twitter #BMTTandem16) is underway in Honolulu, and were looking forward to the scientific presentations that start tomorrow, Thursday. This preview highlights some of the presentations that may be of interest to subscribers at the meeting over the next 5 days when theyre not surfing waves at the North Shore! The meeting ends on Monday Feb 22. If you cant make it to Hawaii, then I expect the BMT community will be sharing updates from the meeting via Twitter. Do follow: @DrMiguelPerales, @DrKomanduri, @sgiraltbmtdoc, @DrMvandenBrink, @BldCancerDoc, @MSKBMTTandem & others (this is not intended to be a definitive list, only a starting point). We wont be doing a daily blog, but will be generating some commentary and analysis, as the opportunity presents. Subscribers can login to read more or you can purchase access. This content is restricted to subscribers Relentless Positive Procrastination On October 2, 2015, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder admitted that there was a problem with lead contamination in the drinking water of Flint. That was 139 days ago. So far, exactly ZERO lead water lines have been replaced in the beleaguered city. That is about to change. Well, eventually: The state of Michigan announced on Tuesday a new agreement with a Flint-based engineering firm to help identify and assess the condition of high-risk lead pipes in the city in an effort to restore the citys safe drinking water supply. We need to make sure people will be able to once again turn on the tap and be able to use what comes from it. Were immediately targeting high-risk, high-hazard homes to help those families, Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement. Together, we can focus on longer-term solutions. The state did not immediately release the terms of the contract with the engineering firm Rowe Professional Services. Snyder spokesman Dave Murray said work would begin soon but he could not say how quickly it would start or when the work would be complete. This can only be described as relentless positive procrastination from Michigans CEO governor. The technology is available. Lansing has done this and shown that it can be done safely and QUICKLY. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero who ran against Gov. Snyder in 2010 has pledged to help Flint with this Herculean effort. However, in the middle of an catastrophe, Gov. Snyder and his team are moving slowly and deliberately. Meanwhile, Flint residents are still being told not to drink water directly from their taps unless it has been filtered through a filter capable of removing all the lead (which, in some places, isnt even possible.) They are still having to bathe themselves and their children in bottled water. And, shockingly, according to canvassers for Clean Water Action who I have spoken with, some Flint residents arent even aware they shouldnt drink their tap water. These are people who have yet to see a National Guard member on their doorstep delivering water. Gov. Snyder says he is running our state like a business. If a business was dealing with a catastrophic disruption to their business like this, you can be sure it wouldnt take well over four months to begin resolving it. Rick Snyder has convinced far too many voters that hes a capable CEO and leader. His actions in the Flint water crisis have proven that to be an indisputable lie. UPDATE: State Rep. Jeff Irwin from Ann Arbor informed me that he proposed an amendment this morning to Senate Bill 136 that would have appropriated $55 million to get moving quickly on the replacement of lead service lines in Flint. The amendment was defeated on a party line vote with all Republicans voting it down. S.B 136 is the legislation passed two weeks ago by the Senate to appropriate $30 million to offset the (poisoned) water bills of Flint residents. [Rachel Maddow photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog] Apple will begin selling new models of its iPad tablets and iPhones in mid-March, according to a report published last week in 9to5Mac. It will debut a 4-inch iPhone, called the iPhone 5se, as well as a new iPad Air at a March 15 event, followed by a retail and online sales launch three days later, said the report, which cited unnamed sources. Apple is not expected to offer its usual preorder sales event, but that decision is subject to change. The new tablet, called the iPad Air 3, reportedly will include a new Smart Connector and support for various Apple accessories, most importantly an updated smart keyboard and Apple Pencil. The body of the new phone reportedly will be similar to that of the iPhone 5s, which was released in 2013, and the device will include new A9 and M9 processors, an NFC chip that will allow the phone to use the Apple Pay mobile checkout technology, the same camera as the iPhone 6 support for always-on Siri activation, plus the ability to take Live Photos. What else will be in the new iPhone and iPad? Will it contain WiFi or the faster LiFi or some permutation thereof that doubles the range of connectivity while using less power? Theres always a surprise feature or so in any Apple device, said Susan Schreiner, an analyst atC4 Trends. Appeal to Mass Market Apple may be trying to appeal to a subset of customers who want to buy an Apple product but cannot afford to pay for it at current price points, according to Kevin Krewell, principal analyst atTirias Research. The new small iPhone to replace the iPhone 5s makes a lot of sense. There is a group of people who like the smaller form factor and others who want an iPhone, but can only afford it at a lower price. This new iPhone allows Apple to upgrade the iPhone 5s to the latest chip technology, while maintaining 5s pricing, he told the E-Commerce Times. The rumored iPhone fills a sweet spot that Apple missed when it introduced the iPhone 6 in terms of size. While there was a pent-up demand for a larger screen smartphone, there still is a huge population that prefers the convenience of the smaller screen to a larger screen, Schreiner told the E-Commerce Times. These consumers didnt run out and buy the iPhone 6 just because it was the latest and greatest from Apple. How many people still held on to their iPhone 5s because of this? she asked. Its unusual for Apple to release a new phone midcycle, Krewell noted, but the move may be designed to boost sales in China, which is a key market for the companys international business. There are lots of rumors about what Apple will introduce next and when. March 18 or thereabouts sounds about right because it will be at the end of Q1, which Apple anticipates to be slow due to a range of factors, including currency and geopolitical shifts and turmoil, said Schreiner. Softening Sales The report comes at a time when Apple isstruggling to make a market for some of its core product upgrades, particularly the iPhone and iPad, which have seen growth curves start to soften. Apple needs to shake things up a bit, said analystJeff Kagan. Their rapid growth wave seems to be starting to slow, he told the E-Commerce Times. Growth in the installed base of iPhones has slowed from previous years, according to newly released data fromConsumer Intelligence Research Partners. The installed base grew 11 percent in the December 2015 quarter, compared with 23 percent in the December 2014 quarter. Apple had some of its greatest success with the iPhone 6 and 6s models, which had larger form factors, said CIRP co-founder Michael Levin. New methods of financing phones have made the more expensive models more affordable to users. So were not sure what Apple wants to accomplish with the reported smaller phone, at least in the U.S., he told the E-Commerce Times, noting that the 5s seems to meet the needs of U.S. customers looking for a less-expensive handset. The new phone might have more to do with meeting the needs of non-U.S. customers, Levin said, who also dont have access to the same phone financing programs as U.S. customers. United States Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, last week introduced legislation to prevent states from passing laws banning the sale of smartphones with encryption capabilities. The ENCRYPT Act of 2016, as the bill is known, provides that a state or political subdivision of a state may not mandate or request that a manufacturer, developer, seller or provider of covered products either design a security backdoor or modify existing security functions to allow the surveillance of their users or allow their physical search by any agency or instrumentality of a state, a political subdivision of a state or the United States. No Backdoors The bill prohibits the use of products or services from manufacturers, developers, sellers or providers to decrypt or otherwise render intelligible information that has been encrypted or otherwise rendered unintelligible. Covered products and services include computer hardware, software, electronic devices, and online services available to the general public. In short, the bill aims to shut off attempts by the FBI, NSA and law enforcement agencies in the U.S. to force high-tech companies to include security or encryption backdoors or otherwise provide access to information on devices. Rationale for the Act I was concerned when I saw the New York State legislators bill that would mandate encryption backdoors, and got more concerned when the California state legislature introduced a similar bill, Lieu told TechNewsWorld. California is a Democratic state, and if a Democratic legislator introduces the bill, I figure it will pass. The FBI, the NSA and other law enforcement agencies have been pressing for encryption backdoors. FBI Director James Comey went so far as to suggest Congress might have to intervene if Apple and Google refused to remove default encryption from iOS and Android, but some lawmakers gave that suggestion a chilly reception. A Weather Eye You cant design a smartphone that would work in different states differently in terms of encryption, because people travel in different states all the time, Lieu pointed out. The issue is not about encryption, per se, he said. Whether you believe in encryption backdoors or oppose them, you can still support the [ENCRYPT 2016] bill, because states shouldnt get into interstate commerce. The bill introduces people to the issue, observed Daniel Castro, a vice president at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, and in some ways, it educates policy makers on the issue. It also sends a signal to the states that Congress is keeping an eye on things, and maybe theyll give the issue some serious consideration, Castro told TechNewsWorld. We need a national policy on this, he remarked. Its not just about screwing up encryption but about how we can do national security really well. Alternative energy has become a real growth engine during the last several years. It seems to bounce up and down, depending on the leadership in the White House. President Obama is a supporter, so growth has been relatively strong in recent years. The big question is, what will happen under a new president? That is a question every investor and industry worker is asking. We all want to work and invest in a growth sector. Many people have hitched their wagon to the growth engine in the energy space, and that has been a good call. Will the Growth Engine Slow? However, worries that things will change and growth will slow are starting to set in. What happens will depend in large part on who we elect as president. Energy is important, but it is just one of many important factors we must focus on going forward. In general, voters wont focus on one issue, like energy, when there are multiple problems like security, economic growth and jobs. That said, growth in energy, especially alternative energy, will continue. The question is, will it be at the same rapid pace or will it slow? If you are working for or invested in the right companies in the alternative energy space, you likely will continue do well. Choosing Growth Companies How do you choose the right growth-oriented companies? That question is easier to ask than to answer. Alternative energy is an industry driven by innovation, reinvention and politics. The hot companies and new technologies always will capture the attention of the media and industry watchers. That means those companies should be the focus for investors and workers. The life span of a hot opportunity in the energy space may be short. A company or technology that is new and hot today may give way to the next hot company or technology in the blink of an eye. That happens in every industry. Consider the mobile phone marketplace. Motorola led the space early on. Then in the 1990s, Nokia and BlackBerry took the No. 1 position, sending Motorola to the basement. In the 2000s, Apples iPhone and Googles Android OS took the lead, sending Nokia and BlackBerry to join Motorola in the basement. Leadership Changes Things change quickly. Leadership changes quickly. Sometimes leaders stay leaders by creating the next growth wave to ride. Most times they do not they ride that wave up and then down again. Consider the iPhone, which has been under scrutiny for slowing growth. Apple remains a beloved company in the eyes of its customers. However, its growth lately has not been quite up to what analysts predicted, so thestock has been hit and some media outlets have been trashing it. There are two distinct sectors to balance: the customer and the investor. Sometimes they are on the same growth track, but other times they take different paths. Expect the same thing to happen in the energy space. Investors can use the lessons they learned from the wireless wars in the energy arena. Choose the right companies and technologies to work for or to bet on with your investment dollars. Energy Tables Turn Quickly The hottest energy industry segments are solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal energy. There will be plenty of winners and losers in each. Determining which to bet on is the biggest challenge. Stay alert the tables can turn quickly. That might happen with the change in leadership in Washington. However, even if the new president has an alternative energy focus, the industrys volatile growth will continue. Alternative energy will continue to grow its the pace of growth that is the big unknown. Be prepared to make a series of strategic moves. Staying alert in the rapidly growing and changing alternative energy space will help you stay on the winning side of the growth curve. 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James Taylor of The Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank in Chicago, will speak at the event. Taylor is a columnist for Forbes.com and has served as an analyst on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, CBS and ABC. Topics to be covered include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan and Waters of the U.S. rule, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service easements and field biologists hired to help farmers seeking qualification for 2014 Farm Bill programs, said the Landowners Association's Executive Director Dwight Wrangham. Wrangham said some issues, like the Clean Power Plan, are new to the annual event, but others, such as Waters of the U.S., are updates. When it comes to the Clean Power Plan, Wrangham said many of the association's members are agricultural producers and big users of electricity who do not want electric rates to go up as a result of regulations. Some have coal and oil rights on which they receive royalties and don't want to see production go down. Wrangham said Taylor is active in helping to fight these regulations and will give an overview of where such challenges are in the legal system presently and what to expect in the future. When it comes to U.S. Fish and Wildlife easements, Wrangham said the issue is important because the agency is required to delineate for landowners which portion of their property is a wetland under federal control. Prior to a court order, the agency had tried to take control of entire quarters of land housing a wetland. Dennis Miller, a past president of the association, has had some success working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and will share information with attendees to use, Wrangham said. Brian Johnson, executive director of the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts, will report on the progress of field biologists hired by farm groups in the state. These biologists were hired to help with items, like soil testing, required for farmers to qualify for programs under the 2014 Farm Bill. Finally, attendees will hear from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service state director on a new, federally funded program for wetland mitigation, Wrangham said. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Ramada hotel in Bismarck, 1400 E. Interchange Ave. It costs $30 and is open to the public. Those who wish to participate can register at the door. Wrangham said he expects 40 to 60 people in attendance. (Facebook/SonsofAnarchy) Fans of the series "Sons of Anarchy" have been confused about what to expect when talks about a prequel made the rounds. It's good news for the series' fans as both spin off series and a prequel movie will be made. Accoording to reports, the cast will get together on May 27 to 29. The working title for the spin off is "The First 9," which refers to the nine founding members of SAMCRO. In an interview with Deadline, series creator Kurt Stutter has revealed his early plans for the prequel. He shared that he envisions the story to start in Nam and go back to how John Teller and Piney met, became friends and eventually co-founders of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original, otherwise known as SAMCRO, which the series' story revolved around. Early talks have named actor Brad Pitt to play the role of John. Actor Charlie Hunnam, who played the series' lead star Jax, told Men's Journal in an interview: "He's [Stutter] trying to do a prequel, which I would love to see. Kurt is trying to get it going. Did you read that about Brad Pitt maybe playing my dad? Brad Pitt as John Teller. How awesome would that be?" In the same interview with Deadline, Stutter also talked about being open to doing something that revolves around the story of the Mayans. He said, "It's the same [biker] subculture, but it'd be interesting to see the influences of that culture and how it impacts the subculture we already understand. I would do a contemporary piece, not a prequel, and place it far enough away from Northern California that it wouldn't step on the mythology that's already been told." The spinoff is said to star different actors from those casted in the "Sons of Anarchy" series. While Mandan students scored above the state average in the latest standardized test results for science, the picture's incomplete for math and English. The science scores stem from the North Dakota State Assessment taken by high school juniors, as well as eighth- and fourth-graders in fall 2015. They show that 69 percent of Mandan juniors scored either "proficient" or "advanced," whereas only 62 percent of juniors throughout North Dakota fell in those categories. "We were seven to eight points higher than the state at all three years," Superintendent Mike Bitz said. Sixty-seven percent of Mandan eighth-graders came in proficient or better, as did 74 percent of the school district's fourth-graders. He said families will soon receive their children's results via the mail or at parent-teacher conferences. Math and English Parents will also get their kids' results from the Smarter Balanced math and English test taken for the first time in the spring. Students in grades 3-8 and 11 sat for the exam. The school district cannot, however, produce a snapshot of how its students performed overall on the new computer-based tests. Bitz said Mandan received individual results for each student in early February, months after scores came in for the majority of students elsewhere in the state. "They didn't total up anything for the district, which is a little frustrating for us," he said. As a result, the district has thousands of scores to distribute to families but no sense as to how it or its schools stacks up to the rest of North Dakota or other states that administered the same test. Statewide, 46 percent of students were deemed proficient in English and 40 percent in math, according to preliminary results released in October. Greg Gallagher, assessment director for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, said information is coming on how Mandan's students performed as a whole and at each school. The department is working to finalize a report that will provide that data for each school district in North Dakota, he said. "We're trying to crank it out as fast as we can," Gallagher said, adding that there's not yet a date set for its release. He said testing disruptions last spring are to blame for the delay in Mandan's results. Technology glitches meant some schools, including ones in Mandan, did not administer a portion of the test. As a result, testing vendor Measured Progress could not apply the same algorithm to grade incomplete tests, State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said in October when preliminary results were released. Each exam had to be scored separately. In light of the grading difficulties, Bitz said he's unsure whether Mandan students' Smarter Balanced results will align with their scores on other tests or their classroom performance. He said some parents will notice that their kids' scores match up, whereas others may not. A group of education organizations is challenging school leaders around the country to spend one day shadowing individual students so they can develop greater empathy for their charges experiences. Participants in the Shadow a Student Challenge sign up to follow one child for a full day during the week of Feb. 29 to March 4, eating lunch with them, attending classes, and maybe even riding the bus with them. Those taking part will connect on social media to share what they learn, and will get resources from the organizersSchool Retool, a fellowship that encourages school leaders to promote deeper learning and solve problems in their buildings; IDEO, a consultant group; and the d.school at Stanford University, which encourages innovation in schools. Susie Wise, the K-12 lab network director for Stanfords d.school, talked about the vision of Shadow a Student with Staff Writer Evie Blad. The exchange has been edited for length and clarity. Why is empathy something school leaders should include in their improvement strategies? WISE: To a person, [principals who have shadowed students] all had realizations, really different ones that were very profound to them. It felt like it was a kind of interesting gateway for them in terms of shifting their mindset about their role as a leader. What is the difference between following one student and the day-to-day life of being in and out of classrooms? WISE: Youre intending to really shift your position to not be the leader who is directing traffic and working on 47 things at once. One of the things you get to see is the space in between, for instance. You see transitions and you see posture. Some of the leaders whove done it have been surprised with how passive the students day is, how much sitting there is, how many transitions there are that dont make much sense. You dont see that when youre looking at a master schedule and youre in your leader mode. Its very important work to make sure all of the pieces fit together, but then you have to also sit in it and see how does this work for the student? You want school leaders to find hacks to solve problems they may identify while shadowing. Whats a hack? WISE: [We work] with people who are in situations that feel constrained, and thats why weve landed on hacks. A hack is a small, scrappy experiment that gets you moving. So the opposite of a hack is saying, We need to get a bond and raise $10 million and build a new building and then have a new bell schedule. A hack is, Gosh, I have heard about advisory, which is where you really ensure that every student has a deep relationship with adults in your school. And, to roll that out schoolwide, that takes a lot of orchestration. ... Try it. Get two teachers to try a collaborative project with two classes. Do an advisory with six kids for one week and then find out from the kids and from the teachers: What does that feel like? What shifted? Could this be an important way for us to work? And then keep going. We call it a quick win. A hack helps you get to a quick win or a quick loss, and thats really important too. How should leaders pick which student to shadow? WISE: The most important thing is to be really intentional about it. Who are the groups of students in your school that you know the least about? Whats most important is what might you see and how will that connect with the questions you have about your school. ... Whether you are a struggling student or a star student or someone in between, the experience of being noticed and having someone with authority show that they care is actually really powerful and validating. Here are summaries of recent annual addresses by governors around the country. HAWAII Gov. David Ige (D) Jan. 25 Of the brief time the governor devoted to education in his State of the State speech , most of it was focused on bringing clean energy to the classroom. Hawaii needs to find more efficient ways to cool classrooms, Ige said, to relieve the states dependence on imported fossil fuels. He plans to use $100 million in Green Energy Market Securitization funds from the states energy department to make classrooms more energy efficient. Arianna Prothero NEW HAMPSHIRE Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) Feb. 4 The governor told legislators that preparing K-12 students for higher education and the changing workforce, in particular by improving science, technology, engineering, and math education, is a priority. New Hampshire has been a leader in competency-based education, Hassan noted. A handful of schools in the state are now attempting to reduce standardized testing in favor of more locally managed assessments that are integrated into the students day-to-day worka model that is expanding nationally based on our success, she said. The governor also said shell focus on early-childhood education, including working to give all children access to full-day kindergarten. Further, the state will expand afterschool and youth-employment programs. And through a new pilot program, counselors will work with at-risk middle school students to develop education and career plans, she said. Liana Heitin PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom Wolf (D) Feb. 9 In his second annual budget address, Wolf berated Pennsylvania lawmakers for being more than 200 days lateand countingin passing a version of his first budget, originally presented almost a year ago as a way to restore years of cuts to public education while also addressing the states long-term structural deficit. We are sitting at the bottom of a $2 billion hole. It is simply unbelievable that some folks in this chamber want to keep digging, Wolf said. In December, the legislatures House Republican leaders walked away from a deal to balance the states books while sending $350 million to schools. If lawmakers dont approve a balanced budget for the current fiscal year, Wolf warned, local property taxes will skyrocket, while teachers and programs will be slashed. Although he didnt address specifics in his speech, Wolf presented a fiscal 2017 budget that includes an additional $200 million increase in basic education fundingwhich totaled $5.5 billion in fiscal 2015, the last budget before the current impasse. His new proposal also calls for multimillion-dollar boosts for early-childhood and other programs, as well as significant changes in the way charter schools are funded. Benjamin Herold RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) Feb. 2 The governor pegged a number of education proposals, including a revision to Rhode Islands school funding formula, to the states need for a pipeline of skilled workers in her annual address to lawmakers . To help level the playing field between traditional schools and charters, if a student moved to a charter school, aportion of per-pupil funding would stay behind at the district school, Raimondo said. The formula would also put more funding into schools educating students with greater needs, but those schools would need to adopt proven best practices. Her $1.35 billion K-12 budget request, an increase of 2.5 percent from fiscal 2016, also would require each school to make its budget publicly available online. In addition, the governor requested $50 million to modernize school buildings, proposed making the SAT college-entrance exam free for all students, and said she would expand computer science in all grades. Stephen Sawchuk WYOMING Gov. Matt Mead (D) Feb. 8 Education wasnt a marquee issue for Mead in his annual speech to lawmakersthat was reserved for his proposal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act despite the states resistance to Obamacarebut K-12 did warrant a mention or two. Declining coal production has hampered efforts to continue improving school spending (more than a third of coal revenue goes to education), but the governor nixed calls to raise taxes, instead calling for other proposals to keep K-12 coffers full. There are no easy answers, he said. Over the next year, we need private businesses, schools, legislators, the executive branch, and others to look at school funding and the options. Lets look before we leap. Stephen Sawchuk Mandan city commissioners Tuesday approved joining an urban road study that could qualify it for more state road funds, if they become available. The North Dakota League of Cities asked the city's top populated cities to participate in a statewide survey, aimed at compiling information on the conditions of urban roads prior to the 2017 legislative session. The concern is cities lost some state funding that the counties were successful in getting, according to representatives of the NDLC. According to Justin Froseth, city engineer, if the city does not participate in the survey, Mandan will not be eligible for additional state road funds if they are identified in the future. He added the survey would give the city engineering staff updated data about road conditions in the city. The study will give state decision makers one study to determine the urban road system needs instead of taking information from each jurisdiction's study separately, according to Froseth. Mandan's share of the survey costs will range from $4,800 to $6,100, he said. Teachers have a wealth of knowledge, not only of students academic needs, but also their social-emotional needs. Teachers know when to push their learners and when to pull back. Above all, we see our students as people. We know how to motivate them so they become engaged. But when top-down policies govern education, we rarely have the opportunity to put our knowledge to work, and the constraints only seem to be intensifying. My teaching colleagues and I often wonder: Are there any ways to better leverage our expertise for students benefits? It was with this in mind that we traveled to Minneapolis recently to attend the first Teacher-Powered Schools National Conference . The conference was held in November 2015 and organized by the Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative, of which the Center for Teaching Quality is a partner organization. It was well-attended by teachers from across the country who believe in the ability of teachers to take the lead in creating schools and education systems that honor the needs of learners. Some attendees were from schools completely governed by teachers. They provided information and evidence of what happens when teachers secure the opportunity to lead. Others, like me, represented schools where teachers have varying degrees of autonomy. I cant stop thinking about what we learned at this conference. The concept of opening the door for teachers to design and run schools is something that resonated with my colleagues and me. It is something that we have been fighting for since we first met and started teaching together four years ago. We believe in the ability of teachers to gather together around a shared vision to harness the brilliance of all learnersteachers and studentsin their schools and across whole systems of education. The fact that teacher-powered schools exist, and are doing well, means it is possible to turn the top-down approach on its head. Here are three reasons why we need to take advantage of this opportunity for educators and students: 1.) Leveraging Teacher Knowledge How can policymakers truly understand the implications of a system or a policy they have created if they are not living in the reality of that system? Each day, our government asks teachers and their students to live under policies they had little to no voice in creating. This method of operation is crippling the very people who are most connected to the education of the young people in this countryteachers. Teachers work tirelessly to provide students the pathways for success, allowing them to individualize their learning experiences. We have a deep understanding of the needs of our students. We hear their voices. We are connected to their struggles. However, we are seldom asked for input on larger policies of the systems in which we teach and students learn. What would happen if policymakers provided opportunities to leverage the collective brilliance and knowledge of all teachers? Some teams of teachers are already free to make all curricular decisions, take charge of school culture, and even rethink guiding principles of their schools. There is evidence that these teams create schools responsive to the unique needs of the student populations they serve. 2.) Increasing Teacher Accountability Many outsiders point to teacher resistance to restrictive accountability measures as proof that teachers do not want to be held accountable. But teachers arent resisting the very idea of accountability. Put simply, teachers want to be accountable for doing what is best for the students. In order for teachers to be able to make the decisions that can harness the talents of each individual student, policymakers must provide teachers with the flexibility to make adjustments to the systems in which we teach. Like most professionals, my colleagues and I will accept accountability for the results of decisions we make ourselves. 3.) Creating Responsive Systems What would happen to a business that failed to respond to the needs of the consumer? Each day, teachers are asked to teach in institutions not designed for what our studentsour customers"really need. We face challenges in applying our educational expertise to create spaces where the needs of all learners are met. At the conference, I learned some specific examples of how teacher-infused leadership structures allow teachers to design ways to hear students voices, see the areas of need, and work productively as teams to figure out the best ways to respond. I was inspired when I heard presenters from Social Justice Humanitas Academy describe how teachers carry out their mission to achieve social justice through the development of the complete individual. Clearly, teacher-led schools are one means of putting the needs of students first. My colleagues and I have begun to pursue teacher-powered policies and practices in our own work, starting with the development of a shared vision for educating the whole child. This vision is aligned with both our own personal truths and the truths of our students. We are more motivated than ever to create a space for student learners to become empowered and have a part in their own education. We are now proactively working with our administrators to create space for us, the teachers, to make school level decisions necessary to make our vision a reality. But we are just one team, seeking change in one school. Many more teams of teachers have the capacity to do this work. The time has come for policymakers to start creating opportunities for teachersthose on the front lines of educationto design and run institutions and systems in a way that honors the needs of the learners. With these opportunities, we can create spaces where student voices are heard, and all students are given opportunities to shine. Patrick Schlosser, 23, died as the result of injuries sustained in a one-vehicle roll over accident west of Ramona, S.D., on Feb. 11, 2016. Mass was held on Feb. 16 at St. William Catholic Church, Ramona, with the Rev. Paul Josten officiating. Burial with military honors was at St. Ann Cemetery, Badus Township. Patrick Vincent Schlosser was born Dec. 24, 1992, at Mountain Home, Idaho, to Francis and Monica (DeRungs) Schlosser. He grew up on various Air Force Bases in the USA and overseas, including Bellevue, Neb., Fayetteville, N.C., San Antonio, Texas, and Kadena, Okinawa, Japan where he graduated from high school. He served in the U.S. Army from 2012, until receiving an honorable discharge in January of this year. He is survived by his parents, Francis and Monica Schlosser, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany; two brothers, Anthony, Wichita, Kan., and Aaron, Ramstein; one sister, Katharine Schlosser, Bismarck; his grandmother, Veronica Schlosser, Mandan; and many uncles, aunts and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Leo and Velma DeRungs and Peter Schlosser. (Weiland Funeral Chapel, Madison, S.D.) State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler has promoted a Department of Public Instruction manager to the job of assistant superintendent for student support and innovation. Laurie Matzke will supervise the departments divisions for academic support, federal title programs, teacher and school effectiveness, and American Indian and multicultural education, according to a news release. Matzke previously was manager of the DPIs student support and innovation division and its director of federal title programs. She joined the department in 1993 as its coordinator for migrant and homeless education. She has a bachelors degree in elementary education from Valley City State University and a masters degree in curriculum and instruction from California State University at Fullerton. Baesler said the change is part of an ongoing DPI reorganization that will make it easier for divisions to collaborate on projects and provide academic and instructional assistance to students and teachers. -- Forum News Service Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London. 17:55, 17 OCT 2022 WILLISTON As drug use continues to rise in Williams County and the surrounding area, illicit substances are increasingly turning up in the most vulnerable sector of the population. More babies than ever before are testing positive for drugs just minutes after drawing their first breath in local delivery rooms. She attributes the increase in part to a growing population, better education for healthcare workers as to when and how prenatal substance abuse can be reported, and a lack of in-patient addiction services in the Williston area. Helpless victims of addiction Although marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine are the substances most often seen here, an increasing number of local newborns have heroin in their systems. If healthcare workers suspect something is amiss, both the infant and the mother are tested for drugs. Positive results usually result in intervention by social services. Usually, babies experiencing withdrawal are treated at Trinity Hospital in Minot, although its not uncommon for an infant who is still showing symptoms to be placed in a foster home. Murky record-keeping The problem is hard to quantify, due mostly to record-keeping systems that dont specifically track instances of infants born with controlled substances in their systems. Positive drug tests done on newborns are reported to the state, but the information is recorded under an umbrella category of child abuse and neglect. Once the incidents are documented, there is no way to pull out numbers specific to rates of prenatal drug exposure, because no separate classification for it exists. On top of that, there is no defined standard for testing infants. Reasonable suspicion of a mothers drug use seems to be the barometer used by hospitals, creating the possibility that some exposed babies slip through the cracks. We suspect that not all of these cases are being reported, said Marlys Baker, administrator for child protection services in the children and family services division of the Department of Human Services. There is a state law that does give doctors permission to test without the parents permission, but how often thats happening and under what circumstances we dont know. We think there are varying policies in different hospitals on testing. The states child welfare system, developed in 2009, is operated by the Department of Human Services. The agencys information collection is designed to capture what it needs to report to the federal government, which in turn uses three benchmarks safety, permanence, and well-being to measure child health state by state. Task force to examine scope of problem Such increases arent limited to the Bakken region. The issue is causing concern statewide. At the beginning of last year, the North Dakota legislature created a task force made up of lawmakers and representatives from health care, social services and law enforcement to research the severity of the problem across the state. The group aims to examine the cost of treating mothers and babies affected by substance abuse, evaluate existing services that offer them help, and figure out how to increase public awareness about the dangers controlled substances pose to unborn babies. State Sen. Nicole Poolman, R-Bismarck, was the driving force behind the creation of the task force. Motivated by a foster mother in her district who expressed concern over the number of babies in the foster care system there whod been exposed to drugs, Poolman realized that gathering information was a critical first step in addressing the issue. There is no doubt in anyones mind that it is a problem and it is increasing, Poolman said. We just want to get as many healthy babies born as we possibly can. The group aims to devise ways to offer resources to expecting women, rather than threatening them with legal consequences. One of the goals of the task force is insuring that we dont make it a crime...our focus is much more about providing services for pregnant women, Poolman said. Prenatal exposure not a crime Tennessee is the lone state that considers drug use during pregnancy a crime. In 18 other states, mothers can be accused of child abuse only if their babies test positive for a controlled substance after birth. In North Dakota, the states sole requirements are that a baby be tested and the results reported if there is suspicion that the mother used drugs during her pregnancy. Local law enforcement is alerted to the births through doctors, social services and sometimes even the babys family members. Often, police will present the cases to the States Attorneys office, said Sgt. Detective Amy Nickoloff of the Williston Police Department. Charges are filed in some situations, primarily those that involve older siblings who test positive for drug exposure. In 2013, Williams County prosecutor Nathan Madden appealed to the state supreme court after district court judge Joshua Rustad dismissed charges of child endangerment against three local mothers whose babies tested positive for methamphetamine immediately after birth. The court ruled in favor of the women, upholding Rustads dismissal of the charges. Sana'a, 10 February 2016 Following months of blocked access to Taiz City, Yemen, and in response to mounting emergency health needs, the World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully delivered more than 20 tonnes of life-saving medicines and medical supplies. These medical supplies are critical to meet the most urgent needs in a city where more than 200 000 people continue to live under siege with limited access to humanitarian aid. The health supplies, which had been blocked from entering the city for 8 weeks, were finally delivered to Al-Thawra, Al-Jumhoori, Al-Rawdha and Al-Ta'aon hospitals as of 31 January. The supplies include trauma kits, interagency emergency health kits, diarrhoeal disease kits and 170 oxygen cylinders, enough for around 35 000 beneficiaries. Additionally, dialysis solutions were facilitated to Al-Thawra Hospital for 30 000 dialysis sessions for one year. Hospital staff in Taiz City are desperate for medicines and medical supplies so that they can continue to offer the most basic medical care. The delivery of these WHO supplies is a huge step that we are hoping will pave the way for the provision of more medical support to the city, said Dr Ahmed Shadoul, WHO Representative in Yemen. Since April 2015, the ongoing violence and insecurity continues to limit the delivery of aid in Taiz City. 3 districts in Taiz City -- Al Mudhaffar, Al Qahirah and Salah -- still remain inaccessible and people are in urgent need of food, safe water and life-saving health services. Many hospitals have been forced to close their intensive care units due to a lack of fuel, medicines and health staff. Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease and cancer are struggling to access essential medicines and dialysis centres. Shortages in food have led to a significant increase in prices, with many people now unable to afford basic food items, resulting in increased risk of malnutrition, especially in children. The main wells providing safe drinking-water have shut down due to interruptions in power supply and a lack of fuel for generators. Earlier this week, an aid plane landed in Sana'a airport with an additional 40 tonnes of WHO medicines and medical supplies. These supplies will be distributed to where they are most needed across the country. It is vital that WHO and partners are given unrestricted access to all people in need, so that they can be urgently provided with life-saving health care, said Dr Shadoul. Related link Read the latest situation reports on Yemen Residents urged to check slow cookers Local residents are being urged to check their slow cookers after Tesco recalled some of its models. The Office of Fair Trading has issued the warning for 3 litre and 5.5 litre models which have KDJ brand plugs. They were sold between July 1st and December 31st last year - on a small number of units the plug poses a risk of electric shock through the exposure of live parts. Model numbers can be found on the white label on the base of the appliance - Tesco want people to return them to the store as a precautionary measure. DAVENPORT, Iowa Against a "changing media landscape," Lee Enterprises, parent company to the Bismarck Tribune, is optimistic about its future as digital revenues continue to rise and it draws strong audiences to multiple platforms, company executives told shareholders Wednesday. Were upbeat about our accomplishments, and were on a positive, transformational path, said Mary Junck, the company's chairman, president and CEO, during the annual shareholders meeting at the publisher's downtown Davenport headquarters. Before a standing-room-only crowd, most of whom were Lee employees, she said, "Digital revenue is on a strong trajectory. Subscription revenue continues to grow, and the audiences in our markets are huge across all age groups and platforms." Junck, 68, who also was elected to her new position as Lee executive chairman, said the company is seeing a shift in its audiences. "Our audience is migrating from using print exclusively to using a combination of print and digital or digital only," she said. During a board of directors meeting following the shareholders meeting, Kevin Mowbray was elected president and CEO in a leadership transition first announced in December. Mowbray, 54, had served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. The company reported a 28 percent growth in 2015 in its total digital revenue. "These gains can be attributed to our ever-expanding suite of digital products and the talent and expertise of our sales force," Junck said. "Digital subscription revenue has also been a key contributor to our growth." Junck and Ron Mayo, Lee vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, told shareholders that the company continues to focus on paying down its debt. Junck said the strong free cash flow "has fueled aggressive deleveraging and kept us ahead of schedule in retiring debt, which we strongly believe drives long-term shareholder value." Mayo said the company has reduced debt by $80.5 million in the past 12 months, including $21.9 million in the first quarter of 2016. Lee also is reviewing its real estate portfolio with plans to monetize those assets where beneficial, he said. The undepreciated book value of its portfolio is worth about $200 million. ''We expect to reduce debt even further in the March quarter of 2016 as we continue to use all of our available free cash flow to reduce debt," he said. Carol Alexander, of Taylorville, Ill., a Lee retiree and shareholder, raised questions about the company's ability to meet the 2022 deadline to pay off its debt, as well as declining numbers in circulation, audience reach and print advertising. "We have reduced our debt each and every year, and our forecast shows we will continue to pay down our debt and meet our obligations," Mayo said. City/Town: Zug Event Type: Family Location: Freizeitanlage Loreto, Loberenstrasse 40 Do you already have children in a local school and want to learn more about the Swiss school system? Join our seminar to learn about: Your child in the Swiss education system: from Kindergarten to high school Child assessment and transition from primary to secondary school The different pathways in secondary education Your role as a parent Swiss qualifications and options abroad Local, bilingual or international school? Zug When: Tuesday, 23th of February 2016 Where: Zug, Freizeitanlage Loreto, Room 524, Loberenstrasse 40, Zug Time: 8.30 11am Fees: CHF 75 Information and registration: Stefanie Busse-Dickinson Call: 078 911 2300 or send an email to: Stefanie.Dickinson@livingswitzerland.ch Thinking about going local?Do you already have children in a local school and want to learn more about the Swiss school system?Join our seminar to learn about Your child in the Swiss education system: from Kindergarten to highschool Child assessment and transition from primary to secondary school The different pathways in secondary education Your role as a parent Swiss qualifications and options abroad Local, bilingual or international school?ZugWhen: Tuesday, 23th of February 2016Where: Zug, Freizeitanlage Loreto, Room 524, Loberenstrasse 40, ZugTime: 8.30 11amFees: CHF 75Information and registration:Stefanie Busse-DickinsonCall: 078 911 2300or send an email to: Re: Medical Malpractice Quote: pilatus1 What would you do? A week ago I went to the doctor's office to have two small bumps (pilar cysts) removed from my scalp. Nothing serious, they're hereditary, run in the family, and I had one removed approx. 8 years ago in the US by my family doctor, no big deal. When I got to the doctor's office, the assistant told me that both of the doctors would be coming to perform the procedure, not just the head doctor. (The one who told me he would remove them.) I didn't think anything of it. The head doctor numbed up both areas with some local anesthetic injections, and mentioned that he hoped the anesthesia wouldn't wear off before they finished removing them. I took this as a joke, as he likes to joke around. He removed the first cyst, with the other doctor and the assistant watching. Everything went smoothly, but i remember thinking that it took quite a bit longer than when I'd had this done 8 years ago. Now onto the second cyst. The second doctor, the underling I suppose, took the scalpel and made the incision - following instructions of the head doctor. I thought to myself, 'WTF, am I a lab rat here or what! Is this woman qualified?!' - but was hesitant to make a scene while someone has a scalpel to my head. Anyway, I could feel the cut, and told them so. The head doctor nonchalantly reassured me that it would'nt take long. Well, turns out the underling couldn't find the cyst under my skin for some reason. She dug around in my scalp for seemingly forever, as the anesthetic wore off nearly completely, and I just clenched my teeth and dealt with, just looking forward to the ordeal being over with and getting out of there. Head doctor kept giving instructions, telling her what she was doing wrong, etc. It was terrible - the feeling of forceps clawing around under my scalp. Finally, they told me in English that they had finished, and that the second cyst, being small, they'd had to cut it out in small bits instead of removing it whole - and that is why I couldn't see it (the other cyst was sitting there on the instrument tray) I thought this kind of strange, because I had been listening to the whole conversation between them in Schweizer Deutsch and hadn't heard anything like that mentioned - but I figured I must have just missed something or misunderstood, and was happy to not have to feel the forceps digging around anymore. They stitched me up and sent me on my way, and I made an appointment for a week later (tomorrow) to have the stitches removed. Fast forward 5 days, and the swelling has gone down on both sites. The first site is fine, no pain even when I put pressure on it. The second site, however, is still painful and I can still feel the cyst under my skin, no smaller than before! Now, i understand that nothing is certain and that doctors can make mistakes just like everybody else, but in this instance I feel like I was a) Not properly anesthesized, and the doctor knew it , b) used as a test subject/lab rat for the head doc. to teach his underqualified underling a new skill, and c) completely lied to about the cyst being removed when it is, in fact, still there. I have to go in to get the stitches out tomorrow, but I'm hesitant to have these peeps come anywhere near me now. I'm also curious about how this will work with my insurance company, as I'm sure i'll have a large % of the bill to pay myself and I don't want to pay for a procedure that wasn't actually performed. So, what would you do? How would you approach and what would you say to the doctor? If I go in to the office just to explain my complete lack of confidence in them, will I get charged for another office visit? I'd gladly remove the stitches myself.. aargh! If the latter I'd try to find another one and go to see them.... explain your concerns, if the cyst is still there it should be simple enough to prove that nothing was removed (presumably they're sent to a lab to be checked in case this time they're malignant so that should show that there was ony one as well). Ask the new clinic for an assessment of the treatment so far and hand that on to your insurance. Hospitals should have an office that deals specifically with this sort of problem, ask at the reception desk. If up until this point, the 'head doctor' has been reasonable and you've trusted him, then simply explain calmly that you were unhappy with what had happened, you don't think the student removed the cyst as it's clearly still there (he'll tell you it's recurred), but you were in pain and frankly too shocked to complain at the time, and don't want the trainee anywhere near you again! Malpractice as such is incredibly difficult to prove. Personally I've had a few medical interventions/mis-diagnoses that even in England would have ended up in court, but here I have to accept attempts to simply 'fix' the problem. When you say 'doctor's office' is this an GP, a department of the hospital or a specialist?If the latter I'd try to find another one and go to see them.... explain your concerns, if the cyst is still there it should be simple enough to prove that nothing was removed (presumably they're sent to a lab to be checked in case this time they're malignant so that should show that there was ony one as well). Ask the new clinic for an assessment of the treatment so far and hand that on to your insurance.Hospitals should have an office that deals specifically with this sort of problem, ask at the reception desk.If up until this point, the 'head doctor' has been reasonable and you've trusted him, then simply explain calmly that you were unhappy with what had happened, you don't think the student removed the cyst as it's clearly still there (he'll tell you it's recurred), but you were in pain and frankly too shocked to complain at the time, and don't want the trainee anywhere near you again!Malpractice as such is incredibly difficult to prove. Personally I've had a few medical interventions/mis-diagnoses that even in England would have ended up in court, but here I have to accept attempts to simply 'fix' the problem. If nationalist sentiments are the only and final prerogative to belong to an academic community, then it must also be reiterated, a university has no business to share these sentiments. The founding figures of JNU knew it and it is upon the entire community of students, teachers and concerned citizens to safeguard the university against such jingoistic versions of nationalism. (I)t is my conviction that my countrymen will gain truly their India by fighting against that education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideals of humanity. -- Rabindranath Tagore, Nationalism in India, 1917 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been a left bastion since its inception, and largely because of it, the campus has been home to critical ideas, questioning the dominant ideologies of power, be it caste, class, gender or mainstream nationalism. It has not been simply ideas that have roamed free in JNU, but the lives of students themselves, in the way they could talk, eat, love, discuss, argue, and quarrel, within a larger atmosphere of tolerance. Defining Universality If you want to call a place a university, you grant that place its freedom to question everything in the world. Otherwise there is no need to have them, or call them universities. When Tagore started Visva-Bharati, he related it with universality and that is how a university is ideally understood all over the world: A place where students can inculcate the right to challenge bigoted views and attitudes, something they may not learn from other social spaces like the family. A university in fact, is not supposed to be an extension of any parivar (family), or the mirror image of the community you belong to. A university is, by definition and ethos, a community at variance with your sentimental ties in the world. A university is a place where you meet the other, the antagonist, the challenger, and learn to deal with your political and other differences. To accept and respect those differences, even as you try to bridge or reject them, are the choices at hand. A university is a place where students learn to resist all that is forced upon them, all that does not taste like liberty. A university is a place where a future is born, and it is called future precisely because it refuses to resemble the past. Resistance is the universal responsibility of university education. Only resistance is truly universal. A university is a place where you put forward your best political argument for a cause and measure it against the arguments of others. It is, by extension, no place where you can try scuttling ideas by appealing to primal and regressive instincts like murder. The idea of bloodshed in the name of any political sentiment is ethically disallowed in a university premise, even as students have a right to speak for people whose lives have met with unjust violence. That is why, in the recent incident in JNU, allegedly blood-thirsty slogans against the political demands of Kashmiris, as much as violence-mongering against India by some Kashmiri youths are equally unacceptable. Not because it is a crime, but because masculinist modes and language of protest are a critical issue. The language of protest has to be tempered so that it does not resemble a rampant form of jingoism. There is a political (and ethical) necessity in not borrowing the singular language (and logic) of hate. The good name of resistance needs to be upheld. Standing up to Power JNU is a place where people who belong to powerful sections of society learn to side with those who belong to deprived, aggrieved and powerless sections of the nation. This critical training is part of JNUs (left) politics and what students cherish the most. This is what makes JNU students add their voice to the need for positive discrimination through reservation, for Dalit emancipation, more rights for workers, for tribals, and for people in the North-east and Kashmir, where people live (and die) under the boots of terrible colonial laws. All this makes JNU special, and if this right is snatched away by state force and repression, it will be a nightmare for the future of education in this country. The government has to let the university breathe its critical air or take pride in its demise. But JNUs place among the intellectual community in the world would not allow this easily. JNU has a promising history of standing up, across governments, against all forms of state coercion. Students of this university raised their voice against the Congress regime during the Emergency, the anti-Sikh riots, and more recently, against its attempts to push the neo-liberal agenda by coercion. They marched to Bihar Bhawan, braving police retaliation, when a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) belonging to the Laloo Prasad government in Bihar was allegedly found to be behind the killing of an ex-JNU President. They attacked the anti-poor machinations of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) government in Nandigram. They protested the 2002 pogrom in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-governed Gujarat. JNUs prestige in the world comes from recognising and taking up causes involving all victims of our sordid political history. JNU does not exist to articulate what the countrys cosy, upper caste elites think and desire. Fighting Crude Nationalism If students of JNU deserve the status of criminals for raising their protesting and dissenting voices against all forms of power and its excesses, then a list should be prepared of all those who have been part of this illustrious tradition since its inception. You cannot put the history of a university behind bars. You cannot criminalise a universitys ethos. You can only face it intellectually, and argue back, soberly, with the arguments at your disposal. Having sentiments critical of nationalism (and articulating them publicly) is not a legal crime. As Tagore articulated way back in 1917, it is rather a desirable sentiment. To question the nation and those who claim to be nationalists in the name of fostering exclusionary ideas and pride, is the ethical duty of university students. A BJP spokesperson said on a news channel, his blood was boiling hearing some of the slogans in the controversial march that took place on 9 February in JNU. Condemning the slogans and making a political point about them is one thing. Sending the police to intimidate the student community as a whole without good reason and procedure, is quite another. What about television news anchors shouting on top of their voices against JNU students, making legal accusations and sitting on judgement against them by crudely abandoning whatever is left of their journalistic responsibilities? Perhaps they too would say, their blood was boiling. Is the boiling blood of the nation henceforth going to determine its courses of action? And what about those people who were disgusted watching television newsrooms being transformed into trial rooms, with anchors behaving like ruffians? If nationalist sentiments are the only (and final) prerogative, then it must also be reiterated, a university has no business to share these sentiments. For it is precisely the universitys business to distance itself from all that goes in the name of crude, populist nationalism. That is also what the man, who gave Indias national anthem and also one of its first, global universities, categorically laid down as the universitys distinguishing feature. There has to be a worldwide condemnation of any move to stifle the voice of a university in any country by using the bogey of anti-nationalism against it. India is a democracy unlike China, where students were gunned down in Tiananmen Square for protesting against the policies of the government. The JNU Students Union President must be released to begin a reconciliatory gesture between the state and the university. A democratic state cannot gobble up the limited space accorded to the critical voices of a university. JNUs intellectual callibre cannot be throttled by making its students live and articulate their voices in fear. It is the mind without fear and the head held high that the national poet wished his countrymen to bear. It is the promise of JNU to bear it. While few doubt the cleverness of hackers, the disheartening truth is they dont need to be all that clever to gain access to sensitive data. Its a bit depressing, said Chandra Rangan, vice president marketing, HPE Security Products at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, discussing some of the findings published in HPEs Cyber Risk Report 2016. Attackers are lazy. They want maximum bang for the buck, so they will go for low-hanging fruit, Rangan said, noting that the most exploited bug in 2015 was over five years old. It was also the top bug in 2014. Similarly, the top 10 vulnerabilities (called CVEs or common vulnerabilities and exposures by security researchers) leveraged by attackers in 2015 are more than a year old and nearly half of them are at least five years old. What is new, Rangan said, is a shift in which applications, rather than servers or operating systems, are used as a primary attack vector. Mobile Insecurity The research also reveals an increase in attacks on mobile platforms. While Microsoft Windows remains the top vector for attackers by far, with 95 percent of newly discovered malware samples and 42 percent of exploits targeting it, Android moved into second place in 2015 with 18 percent of the total exploits. That marks a change from 2014, when Oracles Java took the number two spot. Java dropped into third place with 12 percent of all discovered exploits in 2015 a decline from 21 percent in 2014 followed by Microsoft Office (11 percent) and Adobe (14 percent, evenly divided between Flash and Reader exploits). Seventy-five percent of the mobile apps scanned by HPE had at least one vulnerability that HPE considered severe, compared to 35 percent of non-mobile applications. Some software developers seem to be making a tradeoff between speed and security, Rangan said. There is a whole new crop of app developers, and they are saying how quickly can I get this app to market and how quickly can I monetize it? When you are in that mode, you are less likely to use the development processes and methodologies that include multiple security checks. It is getting easier to secure mobile applications, he said, with automated methods of checking for insecure code. You do not need to make a tradeoff, and you do not need to use the old-school waterfall development model. There are plenty of technologies out there where you can build security into the very fabric of your apps. Developers, end users and others must become more involved in security, he said. Security is not a single IT function. If you see it that way, it causes people to think of it as an afterthought or as someone elses job. Ann All is the editor of Enterprise Apps Today and eSecurity Planet. She has covered business and technology for more than a decade, writing about everything from business intelligence to virtualization. Younited Italia, Nicola Manzari e il nuovo Coo, Luca Faccini e Head of Growth e Domenico Petraroli e General Counsel PHILADELPHIA - Patients who are undergoing treatment for diseases such as cancer often face the added challenge of a compromised immune system, which can be a toll both of their condition and the drugs used to treat it, leaving them vulnerable to various opportunistic infections. Many of these infections are not only life-threatening, but caused by rare organisms that are extremely difficult to isolate and identify. However, the sooner an infection is pinned down, the faster and more effectively it can be treated. After developing a novel investigational technology called PathoChip that can rapidly identify elusive microorganisms, a team of Penn Medicine researchers recently succeeded for the first time in identifying a pathogen in a patient sample, demonstrating the proof of principle that this technology can be used to identify pathogens in human disease. In a recently published study in Cancer Biology & Therapy, the group of Penn colleagues, led by Erle Robertson, PhD, professor and vice-chair for research in Otorhinolaryngology at the Perelman School of Medicine, and James Alwine, PhD, a professor of Cancer Biology and Michael Feldman, MD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, used a version of the PathoChip microarray, which contains 60,000 probes for all known viruses, as well as a broad range of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and helminthes, a parasitic worm, to identify the pathogenic agent in the sample of a patient. They analyzed preserved tissue samples from a middle-aged male with relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who developed an unknown fungal infection following chemotherapy. "We've run many tests to see if we could identify pathogens in the lab, just to see if the PathoChip has efficacy in identifying a variety of organisms, and we were able to identify all infectious agents tested, "Robertson said. "But this was the first time we actually looked directly at a patient sample to identify a pathogenic agent." The PathoChip allows for a single sample to be tested simultaneously for thousands of possibilities, dramatically reducing the time required for diagnosis. They first screened the sample and analyzed it with a type of bioinformatics probe to narrow the focus to a specific microbial family. Seventeen organisms displaying the highest signal were compared with the signals from a control sample. Molecular signals obtained from additional bioinformatics tests provided further information, which led to the identification of the specific infectious agent -- in this case one of the two species of Rhizomucor, a rare fungus known to cause zygomycosis in humans. A potentially fatal illness most often seen in immunocompromised patients, zygomycosis is not only difficult to treat but challenging to diagnose. Fungal species can be painfully slow or even impossible to culture in the laboratory, delaying or preventing their identification and therefore patient treatment. As Robertson explains, the PathoChip provides an efficient alternative. "With this technology, out of 60,000 possibilities and probes that we used, in a little over 24 hours we were able to identify this particular fungi," he says. While other techniques, such as sequencing arrays, are available to identify unknown infectious organisms, these approaches can also have significant limitations. "You could use other technologies such as next-generation sequencing, but there would have to be a high percentage of nucleic acids present in the tissue, and technicians would need enough of these materials to do the sequencing," Robertson explains. "The analysis component of it would take more time," he adds. "We think this technology is complementary to next-generation sequencing in some ways, and even more finely tuned, because we have a much higher sensitivity in detecting agents or individual organisms present in any kind of sample, whether it's abiotic or biotic. We can identify agents in soil, for example, in plant tissue, in animal tissue, or human tissue." Robertson and his team in the laboratory, which includes Sagarika Banerjee, PhD, and research technician Kristen Peck, M.Sc. along with bioinformatics expert Zhi Wei, Ph.D. from the New Jersey Science and Technology Institute, are looking ahead to both expanding the capabilities of the PathoChip and increasing its use in the clinic: "We are constantly updating it based on what we think are important agents to include on the chip right now." Additional work is currently being done to further develop the next steps for using PathoChip to identify infectious agents in the clinic. "This will take a great deal more research to eventually lead to approval for frontline clinical use in hospitals," Robertson said. ### This work was supported by an Avon Foundation Grant (Avon-02-2012-053) and by the Abramson Cancer Center Director's fund. ROSEMONT, Ill. (Feb. 17, 2016)--Each year, hundreds of orthopaedic surgeons travel to developing countries to treat and care for patients. Yet despite the successful completion of many surgical procedures on patients who may not otherwise have access to care, adequate follow-up--so critical to optimal outcomes--is not always available or guaranteed. A new study appearing in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that a sustainable surgical follow-up program may not only be possible, but cost-effective in ensuring acceptable outcomes, even in an austere environment. Between July 2007 and January 2012, 10 surgical mission trips were completed in Peru with a mean time of six days on location, and a mean number of 2.3 surgeons (between two and five surgeons) per trip. A Peruvian general surgeon, paid by the surgical mission group, oversaw postoperative visits at time intervals of two to four weeks, five to 16 weeks, four to seven months, and eight to 12 months after surgery. Each follow-up visit included the completion of a patient outcome form; radiographs; functional range-of-motion photographs; and assessment of demographics, the type of surgical procedure, complications--infection, malunion or nonunion (whether or not a bone adequately healed)--and clinical results. Of the 127 patients eligible for follow-up, 81.9 percent (104) were seen for post-surgical care. The mean length of follow-up was 11.8 months, with a mean number of 3.7 postoperative encounters. Orthopaedic trauma fixation (the setting and surgical repair of broken bones) was the most common procedure (57 percent) with 42 of them (40 percent) requiring surgery (open reduction and internal fixation). Of the 104 patients, 101 (97 percent) experienced successful wound healing, and 100 (96 percent) had a functional outcome deemed to be fair or good by a local physician. Ninety-seven percent of the fractures were successfully repaired. The infection rate was 2.9 percent (three patients) with 97 percent of the fractures adequately healed and united, according to the study, which is still underway. The mean direct cost of the follow-up program was $20,041 in U.S. dollars per year. "This model puts the incentive for follow-up on the designated local medical provider and also provides the visiting surgeons with necessary post-trip follow-up results up to 1 year later," said Peter A. Cole, MD, orthopaedic surgeon, professor of orthopaedics at the University of Minnesota and lead study author. "It is a fundamentally new way of thinking about successfully collecting follow-up information from patients. "Other than in certain disaster-relief situations, it is possible for surgical missions to the developing world to implement programs which track the outcomes of their intervention," said Dr. Cole. "Following the outcome of your surgery can be as important as closing the wound." ### 1. Paying employees to exercise doesn't work, but the reverse might Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-1635 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Financial incentives for promoting daily physical activity goals are most effective when the award can be lost, according to a randomized, controlled trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine. This means that the threat of having an award taken away is more effective than not earning one in the first place. More than half of adults in the United States do not get the minimum amount of exercise required to reduce their risk for disease and death. Workplace wellness programs are growing in popularity and more than 80 percent of large employers now use some form of financial incentive to encourage participation. However, little research exists on the efficacy of financial incentive designs. Researchers sought to determine the effectiveness of three methods to frame financial incentives to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults. Participants in a 13-week intervention were given a goal of 7,000 steps a day and were randomly assigned to the control group or one of three financial incentives: gain (a fixed amount of money given each day the goal was achieved); lottery (daily eligibility for cash if goal was achieved); and loss (cash given monthly upfront and a small amount removed each day the goal was not achieved). The researchers found that the gain incentive was no more effective than control. In comparison, a loss incentive resulted in a 50 percent relative increase in the mean proportion of time participants achieved their physical activity goals. According to the authors, these findings suggest that the way in which a financial incentive is framed is important to its effectiveness. This information may be especially helpful to employers looking to implement workplace wellness programs. Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview the lead author, Dr. Mitesh Patel, please contact Katie Delach at Katharine.Delach@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-349-5964. 2. Evidence does not support using erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) to obtain higher hemoglobin targets in patients with anemia and CKD Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-1839 URL goes live when the embargo lifts According to an evidence review published in Annals of Internal Medicine, treating anemia with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) to obtain higher hemoglobin targets does not seem to improve health-related quality of life for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), even for younger, healthier patients. Anemia is common in CKD and is often treated with ESAs. The optimal hemoglobin targets for treating anemia with ESAs is an ongoing source of controversy, with some clinicians aiming for higher hemoglobin targets for younger patients as a way to improve health-related quality of life. They argue that cardiovascular risks associated with ESAs may be limited to older patients. Researchers reviewed 17 published studies to determine the effect of ESAs on health-related quality of life at different hemoglobin targets in adults with dialysis-dependent or -- independent CKD. They found that randomization to a higher hemoglobin target resulted in no clinically or statistically significant improvement in any measure of health-related quality of life. These findings support current guidelines for achieving lower hemoglobin targets in patients requiring treatment for anemia, but do not support using ESAs to achieve individualized hemoglobin targets. Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview the lead author, Dr. Navedeep Tangri, please contact Toby Maloney at tmaloney@sogh.mb.ca or 204-632-3341. 3. Computer-assisted stethoscope may help docs better understand what they hear during chest auscultation Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/L15-0350 URL goes live when the embargo lifts An observation piece published in Annals of Internal Medicine describes a new technology designed to help health care professionals better understand what they hear during chest auscultation. The authors developed a computer-assisted stethoscope that utilizes an algorithm to physically and mathematically divide sounds into one of five categories specified by the International Lung Sounds Association (normal, rhonchi, wheezes, fine crackles, course crackles). It can be difficult for clinicians to differentiate these respiratory sounds because their frequencies overlap. In a test, the computer-assisted stethoscope successfully analyzed the sounds and displayed the information in real time. When different respiratory sounds were present at the same time, the algorithm classified the sounds. In addition to helping clinicians better understand what they hear, the authors suggest that the technology could be used in medical education and in settings were invasive procedures are performed. Note: For an embargoed PDF or author contact information, please contact Cara Graeff. 4. Health officials urge action to ban the sale of powdered alcohol Abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-2291 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Health officials urge action to ban the sale of powdered alcohol, in an editorial published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Early last year, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved a formulation of powdered alcohol, or Palcohol, for distribution and sale in the United States. Sold in packet form in five different flavors (vodka, rum, cosmopolitan, powderita, and lemon drop), Palcohol contains 55 percent alcohol by weight and can be reconstituted to its liquid form by adding water. Citing a lack of safety data and the potential for abuse and misuse among both youth and adults, the Baltimore City Health Department convened physicians and public health leaders to endorse a statement on the clinical and public health dangers of the product. Their advocacy efforts led to a ban on the sale and distribution of Palcohol in the city of Baltimore as well as the state of Maryland. Baltimore public health officials urge clinicians in local jurisdictions to form coalitions in their own areas to help keep Palcohol off the market. Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To interview the lead author, Dr. Leana Wen, please contact Sean Naron at Sean.Naron@baltimorecity.gov or 443-414-0075. ### Also in this issue: The Patient-Centered Medical Home and Associations With Health Care Quality and Utilization: A 5-Year Cohort Study Lisa M. Kern, MD, MPH; Alison Edwards, MStat; and Rainu Kaushal, MD, MPH Original Research http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M14-2633 What Do You Mean by Medical Home? Mark W. Friedberg, MD, MPP Editorial http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M16-0058 Chinese cultural values underlie the willingness of family members to care for stroke survivors at home, so interventions to support caregivers should consider incorporating these values, according to research presented at the Nursing Symposium of the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2016. Each year, an estimated 22.5 million people in China survive a stroke and 78 percent of them require home care. This study probed stroke caregivers' perceptions of this responsibility within the Chinese culture. Researchers interviewed 14 stroke caregivers, average age 58, seven tending a spouse and seven a parent. Eleven were women. All were first-time caregivers who provided an average of 14 hours of care each day. Three themes emerged from the individual interviews: Among all the caregivers, 64 percent accept their role as a natural and expected part of life, a perception deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Among the spouse caregivers, 92 percent believe it is their moral obligation to care for a sick partner, and women believe caring for sick relatives to be their role in the family. Providing support during adversity is viewed by 71 percent of caregivers as an expression of love among family members. Children caring for parents believe that caregiving is a virtue and a means of repaying their parents. ### Additional Resources: Any available multimedia related to these tips are on the right column of this link http://newsroom.heart.org/news/isc-2016-tuesday-news-tips?preview=4b9c090234fa1c5ebb8637e0ba2f8230. Join the AHA/ASA Support Network to talk with others going through similar journeys including depression after stroke. African-Americans and Heart Disease, Stroke Stroke Caregiver Resources Follow news from the ASA's International Stroke Conference 2016 via Twitter: @HeartNews #ISC16. Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Stroke Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding. Chicken meat is very popular with consumers and chicken breast fillets in particular. Due to the demand for this lean type of meat, breeding efforts have specifically focused on selecting chickens with a higher daily growth rate and more significant breast muscles. However, this is not without problems. Recent research has demonstrated that leg muscles and bones do not grow proportionally with breast muscles, and this may lead to chickens being put down as they have trouble carrying their own weight. In cooperation with SEGES and partners from the industry scientists from Aarhus University will now examine whether an increased incubation temperature may increase the growth of supporting musculature and leg bones. We expect that the project will help reduce the occurrence of leg problems in broilers and also reduce the number of chickens having to be put down because they have trouble walking. It will improve animal welfare as well as producer economy. At the same time it will mean increased job satisfaction for the farmer as it is very demotivating to put down and destroy fine chickens that he has fed and cared for through the entire production period, says Senior Researcher and Project Manager Niels Oksbjerg from the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University. The chickens are closely monitored In order to examine whether or not an increased temperature will actually make a difference the scientists plan to carry out a series of trials in which several groups of eggs are exposed to different incubation temperatures from day 4 to day 7 of the brooding period. Once they hatch the chickens are weighed and this is repeated 15 and 35 days after hatching, respectively. Further, the chickens' feed consumption and mortality rate is registered. Once they are put down the chickens' legs are weighed and the tensile strength of the bones is measured. Incubation temperature profile is of particular interest as previous studies have demonstrated that an increased temperature will result in an increased number of muscle fibres at day 18 of the incubation period. And muscle fibres constitute the basic building blocks of chicken musculature and are positively related to animal growth. However, we still do not know why a temperature increase on the days in question is able to make a difference as to the number of muscle fibres. - It has been observed previously that the number of limb movements increases in the period from day 6 to day 11 when the incubation temperature is increased. Muscle contractions and stretching increase the cell division in the muscles and therefore it seems likely that increased muscle activity may increase the number of muscle fibres and stimulate bone formation, says Niels Oksbjerg. In the longer term, the project partners hope that the project may result in the development of a revised incubation technology. ### Further information The project is funded by the Fjerkrafgiftsfonden (the Danish Poultry Association) and is accomplished by Aarhus University, SEGES and incubation specialists from the hatchery DanHatch and other partners. Further information Senior Researcher Niels Oksbjerg Department of Food Science E-mail: niels.oksbjerg@food.au.dk Tel.: 8715 7809 Mobile: 3011 3204 Nanotechnology Approach Restores Glucose Regulation and Motor Function in In Vivo Preclinical Models of Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis, Respectively; Joint Swelling and Destruction Resolved in In Vivo Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis Parvus' Approach Can Be Tailored to Treat Diverse Diseases Calgary, Alberta, Canada, February 17, 2016 - Parvus Therapeutics today announced the publication in Nature of a seminal paper describing the discovery and applications of a novel therapeutic approach employing nanomedicines, referred to as "Navacims"TM, to reprogram white blood cells to become regulatory cells capable of blunting autoimmune responses and restoring the equilibrium of the immune system. Navacims are nanoparticles (NPs) coated with disease-relevant peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (pMHCs) that alter the behavior of pathogenic T lymphocytes by binding directly to their antigen receptors. The peer-reviewed article, titled "Expanding antigen-specific regulatory networks to treat autoimmunity" reports on a body of work, including results in multiple in vivo disease models, built on more than eight years of research by Parvus Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Pere Santamaria, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Santamaria commented, "Autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, are extraordinarily complex responses of our immune system against some of our own tissues (e.g. pancreas, brain and joints, respectively), leading to chronic organ inflammation, organ dysfunction, and, in some cases, premature death. Blunting these incompletely understood immune responses without suppressing the normal components of our immune system that protect us against infection and cancer is not currently possible." "However, our work offers a pharmaceutical solution to this fundamental problem," Dr. Santamaria continued. "Navacims essentially re-program disease-causing white blood cells to become disease-suppressing cells, known as regulatory cells, leading to sustained therapeutic effects in various spontaneous and experimental autoimmune diseases, as reported in our article in Nature. Essentially, we have found that Navacims can be tailored to treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases, while sharing a common structure. Importantly, they have been shown to affect human white blood cells in the same manner as they do murine cells. Furthermore, Navacims have shown promising safety findings in preclinical in vivo models. Based on our results to date, we believe Navacims represent a therapeutic platform with broad-ranging health care implications." Findings being reported in Nature include: pMHC class II Navacims expanded cognate CD4+ T-cells that consistently have a TR1-like, regulatory T cell surface phenotype, transcriptional pattern and cytokine profile (mouse=human TR1 cells) systemically. pMHC class II-Navacims designed to target T cells in newly diabetic nonobese (NOD) mice restored normoglycemia (normal blood sugar regulation) in the majority of the mice tested. Tailored pMHC class II Navacims restored motor function to paralyzed C57BL/6 mice at the peak of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (a model of Multiple Sclerosis). pMHC class II Navacims, targeting disease-causing T cells in joints, resolved joint swelling and destruction in arthritic mice. "The findings being reported in Nature represent a scientific advance for Parvus and also a major achievement in the field of Immunology," said Janice M. LeCocq, CEO of Parvus. "We believe that Dr. Santamaria's work has the potential to transform the treatment of many of the more than 80 major autoimmune diseases affecting humankind, alleviating the suffering of millions of patients and their families. Over the coming year, we will be dedicating much of our in-house efforts to the advancement of our two lead programs for type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis." "Dr. Santamaria's work to target the immune system dysfunction that causes type 1 diabetes represents the kind of innovative work that JDRF believes will eventually get us to a cure for this disease," said Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Vice President of Discovery Research Julia Greenstein, Ph.D. "He and his colleagues have made exciting progress towards possibly developing a new class of drugs that could rebalance certain T-cells and ultimately provide a cure for type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases as well." The JDRF has funded the work of Dr. Santamaria and his colleagues at Parvus to explore Navacim-based treatments for diabetes. Parvus' strategy is to establish partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies to undertake the clinical and commercial development of many of its product pipeline candidates while also reserving rights to others suitable for its own development and commercialization. Parvus currently is engaged in late stage discussions with multiple pharmaceutical companies with regard to the type 1 diabetes (T1D) program. Manufacturing scale-up is now underway to supply upcoming preclinical and clinical studies. The work being reported in Nature was led by Dr. Pere Santamaria and largely executed at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine (animal models of disease) and the Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) (humanized mouse work), with significant contributions from investigators at Institutions in Europe and the US. Further, Innovate Calgary, the technology-transfer and business-incubation center for the University of Calgary, provided early support for the transfer of the Navacims technology to and incubation of Parvus Therapeutics, which was organized as a separate entity in 2012. ### About Navacims Navacims are nanoparticles (NPs) coated with disease relevant peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (pMHCs). As opposed to other NP-enabled therapeutic strategies, Navacims operate by directly binding to pathogenic antigen-specific T lymphocytes via their antigen receptors and by reprogramming these cells to become disease-specific regulatory T cells. The resulting regulatory T cell population then goes on to suppress all other autoreactive lymphocytes partaking in the autoimmune disease process, without compromising systemic immunity. Navacims need not have to target prevalent or disease-triggering autoreactive T cell specificities to blunt a given autoimmune disease process. About Parvus Therapeutics Inc. Parvus Therapeutics Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of Navacim therapeutics, novel nanoparticle based immune complexes that induce the in-vivo expansion of disease-specific T- and B-regulatory cells resulting in the restoration of immune homeostasis. Navacims can be readily be tailored to target a broad range of autoimmune diseases and have the potential to radically improve the lives of patients suffering from these diseases. Caltech biologists have performed the first large-scale screening in a vertebrate animal for genes that regulate sleep, and have identified a gene that when overactivated causes severe insomnia. Expression of the gene, neuromedin U (Nmu), also seems to serve as nature's stimulant--fish lacking the gene take longer to wake up in the morning and are less active during the day. The findings improve our understanding of how sleep is regulated--a process that we know surprisingly little about despite its clear importance. In the long term, the results suggest Nmu as a potential candidate for new therapies to address sleep disorders. A paper describing the new screening process and its results appears in the February 17, 2016, issue of the journal Neuron. David Prober, assistant professor of biology at Caltech, began the work as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, and has continued the work at Caltech since 2009. The lead authors on the paper are Cindy Chiu (PhD '14), a former graduate student in Prober's lab, and Jason Rihel, who collaborated with Prober at Harvard and now has his own lab at University College London. "Sleep is a mysterious process," says Prober. "We spend a third of our lives doing it, and every animal with a complex nervous system seems to do it, so it must be important. But we still don't understand why we do it or how it's regulated." Genetic screens are a powerful method that can help identify the genetic basis of such behaviors. They typically involve mutating the DNA of thousands of animals, raising them, identifying any resulting physical or behavioral differences, and determining which altered gene produced each mutation. This approach works well for simple model organisms, such as fruit flies and worms, because their anatomy is relatively simple and it is easy to raise large numbers of them, but is far more difficult in vertebrates, such as rodents. Recently, zebrafish have emerged as a valuable vertebrate model system for studying sleep. Compared to a mouse, the small, striped fish are much easier to work with. Many can be raised in a small space (a larva is about 4 millimeters long, about the same size as a fruit fly); they develop quickly, exhibiting complex behaviors, such as hunting, by the time they are five days old; and they are transparent during their embryonic and larval stages, making it simpler for researchers to track what is happening inside their brains. Like humans, zebrafish sleep for consolidated periods of time at night. Furthermore, Prober says, "anatomical and molecular similarities between zebrafish and mammalian brains suggest that the basic neural circuits regulating sleep in zebrafish are likely conserved in mammals." Rather than mutating the DNA and testing which functions were lost, the researchers used a gain-of-function approach in the new study. Just after fertilization, when the zebrafish embryos were still single cells, the researchers injected them with a DNA molecule, called a plasmid, carrying a gene that was inserted into the genome of some of the cells in each fish. In particular, they wanted to test genes that are predicted to encode for secreted proteins--those, like neuropeptides, that cells make and then release. Many of the genes that have been identified as being involved in sleep encode neuropeptides. Using a genetic switch called a heat-shock promoter, which turns on only when the fish are heated to about 37 degrees Celsius, the biologists were able to control when the fish expressed each inserted gene. They kept the switch on long enough for the fish to overexpress each gene, making many copies of the products. Then they used computerized video trackers to monitor the fish for several days to see which genes affected sleep. Next, the researchers made transgenic zebrafish for each of the genes that had demonstrated strong effects on sleep in the genetic screen. That labor-intensive approach gave them zebrafish in which all cells overexpressed a particular gene in response to heat shock, providing more robust results. In the end, the most significant change resulted from overexpression of Nmu, a gene that is also found in mammals and is expressed in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. "After heat shock, the fish that overexpress Nmu are much more active both during the day and at night," says Prober. "The fish almost don't sleep at all the night following the heat shock--so they display a very profound form of insomnia." When the researchers mutated the zebrafish so that they did not have Nmu, the larvae were less active during the day. Adult fish without the gene were particularly sluggish first thing in the morning. Like humans, zebrafish normally start to wake up at the end of the night and then become much more active when the lights turn on. "The fish without Nmu are defective in this anticipation of dawn," says Prober. "So it seems that this gene is particularly important for the transition from nighttime sleep to daytime wakefulness." To explore how Nmu promotes wakefulness, the researchers first investigated the gene's role in a stress response pathway known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Researchers had previously shown Nmu to be involved in arousal caused by stressful situations and hypothesized that it was involved in activating the HPA axis. However, Prober and his colleagues found that Nmu suppressed sleep to the same extent in zebrafish mutants lacking a protein called the glucocorticoid receptor, which is necessary for HPA axis signaling, as it did in fish with a functional glucocorticoid receptor, suggesting that the gene does not act through the HPA axis. The researchers then went back to the drawing board and asked which neurons in the brain became activated as a result of Nmu overexpression. Using a technique that labels activated neurons, they saw strong activation of a handful of cells that express a gene called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the brainstem. "That was surprising because CRH is the gene that initiates the HPA axis response, but the cells that do that are in the hypothalamus, a different part of the brain, and they aren't activated when we overexpress Nmu," says Prober. "It's another population of CRH cells in the brainstem that are activated by Nmu overexpression." A low dose of a drug that blocks CRH signaling completely blocked the wake-promoting effect of Nmu overexpression in zebrafish, the researchers found, whereas a higher dose also reduced wakefulness in normal fish. "So not only is CRH signaling required for the effects of Nmu on behavior, it's also required for normal levels of activity," explains Prober. Several wake-promoting or sleep-promoting genes and neurons have been identified, he notes. However, scientists still do not know which are the relevant ones for causing sleep disorders in humans. "Our study suggests that Nmu could be a good gene to look into." ### Additional Caltech authors on the paper, "A Zebrafish Genetic Screen Identifies Neuromedin U as a Regulator of Sleep/Wake States," are Daniel A. Lee, Chanpreet Singh, Eric A. Mosser, Shijia Chen, Viveca Sapin, Uyen Pham, Jae Engle, Brett J. Niles, Christin J. Montz, and Sridhara Chakravarthy. Steven Zimmerman and Alexander F. Schier are additional authors from Harvard University. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani and Marc Vidal are authors from Harvard Medical School. The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the European Research Council, University College London, the High-Tech Fund of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Ellison Foundation, the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Cold Spring Harbor, NY - Using several different methods of DNA analysis, an international research team has found what they consider to be strong evidence of an interbreeding event between Neanderthals and modern humans that occurred tens of thousands of years earlier than any other such event previously documented. Today in Nature the team publishes evidence of interbreeding that occurred an estimated 100,000 years ago. More specifically the scientists provide the first genetic evidence of a scenario in which early modern humans left the African continent and mixed with archaic (now-extinct) members of the human family prior to the migration "out of Africa" of the ancestors of present-day non-Africans, less than 65,000 years ago. "It's been known for several years, following the first sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, that Neanderthals and humans must have interbred," says Professor Adam Siepel, a co-team leader and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) quantitative biologist. "But the data so far refers to an event dating to around 47,000-65,000 years ago, around the time that human populations emigrated from Africa. The event we found appears considerably older than that event." In addition to Siepel, who is Chair of CSHL's Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, the team included several members of the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, including Martin Kuhlwilm, Svante Paabo, Matthias Meyer and co-team leader Sergi Castellano. Kuhlwilm was co-first author of the new paper with Ilan Gronau, a former member of Siepel's Lab who is now at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, Israel. Melissa Hubisz, a Ph.D. student with Siepel at Cornell University, also made major contributions to the work. The full international research team included 15 additional co-authors. "One very interesting thing about our finding is that it shows a signal of breeding in the 'opposite' direction from that already known," Siepel notes. "That is, we show human DNA in a Neanderthal genome, rather than Neanderthal DNA in human genomes." This finding, the result of several kinds of advanced computer modeling algorithms comparing complete genomes of hundreds of contemporary humans with complete and partial genomes of four archaic humans, has implications for our knowledge of human migration patterns. People living today who are of European, Eurasian and Asian descent have well-identified Neanderthal-derived segments in their genome. These fragments are traces of interbreeding that followed the "out of Africa" human migration dating to about 60,000 years ago. They imply that children born of Neanderthal-modern human pairings outside of Africa were raised among the modern humans and ultimately bred with other humans, explaining how bits of Neanderthal DNA remain in human genomes. Contemporary Africans, however, do not have detectable traces of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes. This indicates that whatever sexual contact occurred between modern humans and Neanderthals occurred among humans who left the African continent. "Ancestors of present-day African populations likely didn't have the opportunity to interbreed with Neanderthals, who lived largely outside of Africa," explains co-author Ilan Gronau. The team's evidence of "gene flow" from descendants of modern humans into the Neanderthal genome applies to one specific Neanderthal, whose remains were found some years ago in a cave in southwestern Siberia, in the Altai Mountains, near the Russia-Mongolia border. The modern human ancestor who contributed genes to this particular Neanderthal individual - called the "Altai Neanderthal," and known from a tiny toe bone fragment - must have migrated out of Africa long before the migration that led Africans into Europe and Asia 60,000 years ago, the scientists say. In contrast, the two Neanderthals from European caves that were sequenced for this study -- one from Croatia, another from Spain -- both lack DNA derived from ancestors of modern humans. The team also included in their analysis DNA from another archaic human relative, a Denisovan individual, whose remains were found in the same cave in the Altai Mountains. Denisovans, like Neanderthals, are members of the human line that eventually became extinct. Both of these archaic human cousins lived in the same cave, although at different times in the past. The Denisovan analyzed in this study did not have traces of modern human DNA, unlike the Neanderthal found in the same cave. That doesn't mean modern human ancestors never mated with Denisovans or European Neanderthals. What is does mean, Siepel clarifies, is that "the signal we're seeing in the Altai Neanderthal probably comes from an interbreeding event that occurred after this Neanderthal lineage diverged from its archaic cousins, a little more than 100,000 years ago." The modern human sequences in the Altai Neandertal appear to derive from a group of modern human ancestors from Africa that separated early from other humans, about the time present-day African populations diverged from one another, around 200,000 years ago. Thus, there must have been a long lag between the time when this group branched off the modern human family tree, roughly 200,000 years ago, and the time they left their genetic mark in the Altai Neandertal, about 100,000 years ago, before being lost to extinction themselves. The team's analysis included more than 500 genomes of contemporary Africans. "I was looking to see if I could find genomic regions where the Altai Neanderthal has sequences resembling those we see in humans," says Martin Kuhlwilm. "We know that contemporary non-Africans have traces of Neanderthal in them, so they were not useful in this search. Instead, we used the genomes of contemporary individuals from five populations across Africa to identify mutations which most of them have in common." This was the data that provided evidence of "regions in the Altai Neanderthal genome that carry mutations observed in the Africans - but not in the Denisovan" or in Neanderthals found in European caves. "This is consistent with the scenario of gene flow from a population closely related to modern humans into the Altai Neanderthal. After ruling out contamination of DNA samples and other possible sources of error, we are not able to explain these observations in any other way," Siepel says. ### The research described here was supported by the Special Foundation of the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, ICREA, EMBO YIP 2013, The Max Planck Society, the Krekeler Foundation, the MICINN and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "Ancient gene flow from modern humans into Siberian Neanderthals" appears online in Nature Wednesday, February 17, 2016. The authors are: Martin Kuhlwilm, Ilan Gronau, Melissa J. Hubisz, Cesare de Filippo, Javier Prado, Martin Kircher, Qiaomei Fu, Hernan A. Burbano, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Marco de la Rasilla, Antonio Rosas, Pavao Rudan, Dejana Brajkovic, ?eljko Kucan, Ivan Gusic, Tomas Marques-Bonet, Aida M. Andres, Bence Viola, Svante Paabo, Matthias Meyer, Adam Siepel, and Sergi Castellano. The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology The Institute focuses on matters regarding the origins of humankind. The Institute's researchers study widely-differing aspects of human evolution. They analyze the genes, cultures and cognitive abilities of people living today and compare them with those of apes and extinct peoples. Scientists from various disciplines work closely together at the Institute: Geneticists trace the genetic make-up of extinct species, such as Neanderthals. Behaviorists and ecologists, for their part, study the behavior of apes and other mammals. Visit http://www.mpg.de/eva-en About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2015, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.edu Montreal, February 17, 2016 -- Over the last two decades, an increasing number of companies have set up subsidiaries in offshore financial centres. So why don't they move the entire business, and establish headquarters there too? While it seems prestigious -- and tax-savvy -- to be based in the Cayman Islands or Luxembourg, companies that choose to do so aren't actually worth more, according to a new study published in the Journal of Corporate Finance. It's the companies whose subsidiaries are offshore that are reaping the financial benefits. However, there are hidden costs associated with this too. "Offshore financial centres, or OFCs, are attractive to companies because of low taxation, flexible regulations and stringent secrecy policies," says Concordia University accountancy professor Michel Magnan, who conducted the study with co-authors Tiemei Li from the University of Ottawa and Art Durnev from the University of Iowa. "Market icons like Google, Apple and the General Electric Company have already established offshore subsidiaries to take advantage of those benefits. For example, Google's offshore operations helped the company reduce its overseas tax rate to 2.4 per cent in 2009, the lowest tax rate compared to the top five US technology companies," says Magnan. To examine whether migrating offshore or establishing an offshore subsidiary benefits shareholders, the researchers examined thousands of firms with registered headquarters in 19 OFCs, as well as firms from 30 non-OFC countries with subsidiaries offshore. They found that the value of firms whose headquarters are registered offshore is significantly less than that of onshore firms. On the other hand, firms whose offshore presence is limited to subsidiaries are worth more than strictly onshore firms. The study shows that, specifically, firms with subsidiaries in OFCs are worth 11 per cent more than purely onshore companies, while firms with headquarters in OFCs are valued 14 per cent lower than their onshore counterparts. Why is that? Magnan explains that, although companies with offshore headquarters have much lower corporate tax rates -- which average 11.5 per cent, as compared to an average of 36.5 per cent for firms with offshore subsidiaries -- "it appears that these tax savings are offset by the costs associated with conflicts of interest between shareholders and management that arise because of offshore disconnect." In spite of the increase in worth for firms with subsidiaries in OFC's, there are hidden costs that may also off-set that. Magnan hopes government policymakers will pay attention. "Lax monitoring by tax authorities, loose legal regimes and flexible regulation enforcement of OFCs increase the risk of insider expropriation and decrease investor protection. The confidential policies of offshore financial centres and offshore firms' complex legal structures also create more opacity for investors," he says. "That lack of transparency negatively affects a firm's worth and, to a large extent offsets tax benefits, especially for firms registered offshore. We argue that a company that claims it's legally based in one country can sometimes provide a misleading impression -- what looks like a US or Canadian company can be reaping rewards elsewhere without investors' knowledge." ### Related links: Full study http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2167441 John Molson School of Business https://www.concordia.ca/jmsb.html Michel Magnan https://www.concordia.ca/jmsb/faculty/michel-magnan.html Media contact: Clea Desjardins Senior advisor, media relations University Communications Services Concordia University Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068 Email: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca Web: http://www.concordia.ca/now/media-relations Twitter: @CleaDesjardins Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have built a wearable robotic limb that allows drummers to play with three arms. The two-foot long "smart arm" can be attached to a musician's shoulder. It responds to human gestures and the music it hears. When the drummer moves to play the high hat cymbal, for example, the robotic arm maneuvers to play the ride cymbal. When the drummer switches to the snare, the mechanical arm shifts to the tom. Georgia Tech Professor Gil Weinberg oversees the project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. He says the goal is to push the limits of what humans can do. "If you augment humans with smart, wearable robotics, they could interact with their environment in a much more sophisticated manner," said Weinberg, director of the Center for Music Technology. "The third arm provides a much richer and more creative experience, allowing the human to play many drums simultaneously with virtuosity and sophistication that are not otherwise possible." The robotic arm is smart for a few reasons. First, it knows what to play by listening to the music in the room. It improvises based on the beat and rhythm. For instance, if the musician plays slowly, the arm slows the tempo. If the drummer speeds up, it plays faster. Another aspect of its intelligence is knowing where it's located at all times, where the drums are, and the direction and proximity of the human arms. When the robot approaches an instrument, it uses built-in accelerometers to sense the distance and proximity. On-board motors make sure the stick is always parallel to the playing surface, allowing it to rise, lower or twist to ensure solid contact with the drum or cymbal. The arm moves naturally with intuitive gestures because it was programmed using human motion capture technology. Weinberg and a team of student researchers with backgrounds in music, engineering, computer science and physics built the arm after creating a robotic prosthesis for an Atlanta drummer. That device had two sticks, one with a mind of its own. The prosthetic arm allowed the man to continue his musical passion after losing an arm in an accident, while also making him the fastest drummer in the world. Its success led Weinberg to create the "third arm" robot, something that anyone can wear and become a cyborg drummer. "If you have a robotic device that is part of your body, it's a completely different feeling from working alongside a regular robot," said Weinberg. "The machine learns how your body moves and can augment and complement your activity. It becomes a part of you." The next step is linking the arm's movements to brain activity. The team is already experimenting with an electroencephalogram (EEG) headband that detects a drummer's brain patterns. They're hoping to identify patterns that would allow the arm to react when the musician simply thinks about changing tempo or instruments. Weinberg sees other applications for the technology. "Imagine if doctors could use a third arm to bring them tools, supplies or even participate in surgeries. Technicians could use an extra hand to help with repairs and experiments," he said. "Music is based on very timely, precise movements. It's the perfect medium to try this concept of human augmentation and a third arm." ### For another video showing the technology, visit the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition Facebook page. The competition for future musical instruments is held annually at Georgia Tech and is scheduled for March 3. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through grant numbers IIS-1345006. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF. Weve had a burst of media activity this week; lets round up some of Actons activity on the airwaves: Monday, February 15 Todd Huizinga, Actons Director of International Outreach, joined the FreedomWorks podcast to discuss his newly released book The New Totalitarian Temptation: Global Governance and the Crisis of Democracy in Europe. Tuesday, February 16 Kishore Jayabalan, Director of Istituto Acton in Rome, is a native of Flint, Michigan, and recently spent some time in his hometown. WJR Radio in Detroit turned to him for a natives perspective on the water crisis, and what his thoughts are on the cause of the crisis and the way forward for the city. Wednesday, February 17 Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg joined host Rob Schilling on WINA Radios The Schilling Show in Charlottesville, Virginia, in order to discuss the economic proposals of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Gregg argues that Trump, far from being a champion of free markets, actually promotes mercantilist policies that will result in more crony capitalism. According to Gregg, voters are right to be angry at the state of politics and the economy in the US, but Trumps proposed solutions will only make the situation worse. Were anticipating more interviews to come this week, and well share them with you here on the PowerBlog. Stay tuned. WASHINGTON (Feb. 16, 2016) -- Viewing graphic anti-smoking images on cigarette packs triggers activity in brain areas involved in emotion, decision-making and memory as observed via brain scans. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center and Truth Initiative reported their findings online this week in Addictive Behaviors Reports. The brain scanning study, the first to be conducted in young adult smokers, suggest these images could effectively warn smokers about cigarettes' health consequences, says the study's co-lead author, Darren Mays, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC. "What we found in this study reinforces findings from previous research where scientists have asked participants to report how they think and feel in response to graphic warnings on cigarettes," says Mays, a researcher who studies cancer prevention behaviors including tobacco use interventions. "This study offers us new insights on the biological underpinnings for those responses, bolstering evidence for how these warnings can work to motivate a change in behavior." When the 19 study participants were shown images such as one of an open mouth, revealing rotted teeth and a tumor on the lower lip, with the text: "WARNING: Cigarettes cause cancer," key brain areas showed notable responses, says cognitive neuroscientist Adam Green, PhD, the study's other co-lead investigator. These areas were the amygdala and the medial prefrontal region, says Green, who administered functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the volunteers. "The amygdala responds to emotionally powerful stimuli, especially fear and disgust. And experiences that have a strong emotional impact tend to impact our decision-making," says Green, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at Georgetown. "The medial prefrontal region that responded to graphic warning labels in this study has been previously associated with self-relevant processing. When we find information to be self-relevant, that may increase how impactful it is for our life decisions." Other studies have indicated that activation in both the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex might impact future health-related decisions and attitudes, Green says. "Regulators can and should use this research to craft more effective warning labels and messages to smokers that both deliver facts about the negative effects of smoking, and trigger thoughts and actions that move smokers toward quitting," said Raymond S. Niaura, PhD, senior author of the study and director of Science at the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Truth Initiative. "Tobacco is still the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and the growing body of research showing the effectiveness of warning labels should energize policymaking." Participants were shown 64 images of a cigarette pack for four seconds each. Among the images used were some displaying the graphic warning labels proposed for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that communicate the smoking-associated risks of lung disease, cancer, stroke, heart attack and reduced life longevity. Some of the test images were not graphic, intended to serve as control stimuli to compare brain response. After each image was shown, the volunteers, smokers who were between 18 and 30 years old, used a push-button control to report how much each image motivated them to quit, from 1 (not at all) to 4 (a lot). Researchers found that self-reported motivation to quit was significantly greater for graphic warning images than to the control warnings -- as was also seen from scanning results. They also found that so called "plain packaging" - packs with no brand names or imagery such as those being used in Australia --did not change participants' responses. Similar fMRI results have been reported in brain studies of adolescent smokers and older smokers, says Mays. "As more evidence like this is published, the case grows stronger that graphic warnings are important and can make a difference in terms of motivating smokers to take steps to quit," Mays says. ### Co-authors include Emily Falk, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania, Donna Vallone, PhD, David Abrams, PhD from Truth Initiative, and Natalie Gallagher and Kenneth Tercyak, PhD, from Georgetown University. Data collection for this study was supported in part through a contract from Truth Initiative. Manuscript preparation was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products (CA172217). This work was also supported in part by the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA051008). About Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through innovative basic and clinical research, patient care, community education and outreach, and the training of cancer specialists of the future. Georgetown Lombardi is one of only 45 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, as designated by the National Cancer Institute (grant #P30 CA051008), and the only one in the Washington, DC area. For more information, go to http://lombardi.georgetown.edu. About the Schroeder Institute The Steven A. Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies conducts tobacco-control research with a focus on the public health impacts achieved by reducing smoking. Using a transdisciplinary "team science" approach, we work with scientists, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to strengthen the science of tobacco-control implementation, dissemination and policy. The Schroeder Institute is a research arm of Truth Initiative, the national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The Washington D.C.-based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about Truth Initiative's work speaking, seeking and spreading the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org. LOS ANGELES -- As men age, their testosterone levels decrease, but prior studies of the effects of administering testosterone to older men have been inconclusive. Now, research shows that testosterone treatment for men over 65 improves sexual function, walking ability and mood, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by a team of researchers that included lead researchers from Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed). Researchers conducted the Testosterone Trials (TTrials), a coordinated group of seven trials, and have analyzed the results of the first three regarding its impact on sexual function, physical function and vitality. They found that testosterone treatment increased the blood testosterone level to mid-normal for young men. Testosterone also improved all aspects of sexual function, including sexual activity, sexual desire and the ability to get an erection. Testosterone treatment did not significantly improve distance walked in six minutes when only men enrolled in the physical function trial were considered, but did increase the distance walked when all men in the TTrials were considered. The treatment did not improve energy but did improve mood and depressive symptoms. "These initial results from the TTrials show some benefit from testosterone treatments in older men who have low testosterone levels," said Ronald Swerdloff, MD, a lead researcher at LA BioMed. "While these initial findings are encouraging for men with low testosterone levels, the TTrials will continue to analyze the data to determine whether testosterone treatment improves cognitive function, bone density, cardiovascular health and anemia, as well as the risks of testosterone treatment." Drs. Swerdloff and Christina Wang, MD, led the study at LA BioMed, where research volunteers have participated in the multi-center TTrials. In 2003, the Institute of Medicine reported that there was insufficient evidence to support any beneficial effect of testosterone in such men. This report was the impetus for TTrials, which are now the largest trials to examine the efficacy of testosterone treatment in men 65 and older whose testosterone levels are low due seemingly to age alone. TTrials researchers screened 51,085 men to find 790 who qualified with a sufficiently low testosterone level and who met other criteria. The men enrolled were randomized into two groups: one to take a daily testosterone gel and the other a daily placebo gel, for one year. Efficacy was then evaluated at months three, six, nine and 12. Sexual function was assessed by questionnaires. Physical function was measured by questionnaires and the distance walked in six minutes. Vitality, mood and depressive symptoms were also evaluated using questionnaires. Across the three trials, adverse events - including heart attack, stroke, other cardiovascular events and prostate conditions - were similar in men who received testosterone and those who received placebo. However, the number of men in the TTrials was too small to draw conclusions about the risk of testosterone treatment. "To fully evaluate the potential risks of testosterone treatment, a larger and longer study may be needed," said Dr. Wang. ### The study was conducted in partnership with the National Institute on Aging. The other research and medical centers participating in the study were the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Puget Sound Health Care System, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, University of Florida School of Medicine, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine. The Testosterone Trials were supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (U01 AG030644). The TTrials were also supplemented by funds from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. AbbVie (formerly Solvay and Abbott Laboratories) also provided funding, AndroGel, and placebo gel. About LA BioMed Founded in 1952, LA BioMed is one of the country's leading nonprofit independent biomedical research institutes. It has approximately 100 principal researchers conducting studies into improved diagnostics and treatments for cancer, inherited diseases, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by environmental factors and more. It also educates young scientists and provides community services, including prenatal counseling and childhood nutrition programs. LA BioMed is academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For more information, please visit http://www.LABioMed.org RUSTON, La. - Researchers from Louisiana Tech University have published a study on the prevalence and impacts of "serial inventors" - scientist and engineers within university research communities who are particularly inventive and produce patents at a high level. The article titled, "Prevalence of Serial Inventors in Academia" has been published in a recent issue of "Technology and Innovation", a journal of the National Academy of Inventor (NAI.) Dr. Richard Kordal, director of Louisiana Tech's Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization; Dr. Dexter Cahoy, associate professor of mathematics and statistics; Dr. Eric Sherer, assistant professor of chemical engineering; and Beatrix Koev, former Louisiana Tech graduate student, co-authored the paper which details a list of inventors on all U.S. patents issued to five major research universities over a 23-year period, and highlights the outsized contributions of serial inventors. "We were interested in determining if like 'serial entrepreneurs' there are 'serial inventors,' and quantifying what percentage of the total inventors they make up," said Kordal. "There have been many studies published about serial entrepreneurs, but fewer about serial inventors. For the purposes of their research, we defined an 'inventor' as a person who has been granted a US patent." The study distinguishes "inventor" from researchers who may have disclosed a discovery or a potentially patentable invention to their respective university technology licensing offices. Since not all discoveries are patentable and/or commercializable, patent protection is commonly only pursued on a fraction of all discoveries. Kordal says the study's results support the commonly held belief that a small percentage of high performing inventors (serial inventors) are responsible for a disproportionate number of patents being generated by a research organization. "Approximately 10 percent of faculty inventors account for about 50 percent of the patents generated at a university," Kordal said. "Particularly striking was that this percentage was identical among all five major universities studies, indicating it may be a universal fact. We also found this to be true here at Louisiana Tech as well. "We also believe that the success of these highly creative and productive individuals is due in large part to their success in building and sustaining productive research groups. Key is their ability to obtain funding for their research projects from sponsors." Kordal and his team also believe their findings are timely given uncertain budget times. An unintended consequence of cut backs to state support for higher education could be the loss of these top performing researchers to other well-off states that continue to invest in higher education. "There is a competition among universities for these serial inventors and 'star' faculty, and we could be in danger of losing them to other states if we do not invest in higher education. This loss of key innovators could have long lasting negatives effects on our economic development efforts." ### Planning algorithms are widely used in logistics and control. They can help schedule flights and bus routes, guide autonomous robots, and determine control policies for the power grid, among other things. In recent years, planning algorithms have begun to factor in uncertainty -- variations in travel time, erratic communication between autonomous robots, imperfect sensor data, and the like. That causes the scale of the planning problem to grow exponentially, but researchers have found clever ways to solve it efficiently. Now, researchers at MIT and the Australian National University (ANU) have made the problem even more complex, by developing a planning algorithm that also generates contingency plans, should the initial plan prove too risky. It also identifies the conditions -- say, sensor readings or delays incurred -- that should trigger a switch to a particular contingency plan. Despite the extra labor imposed by generating contingency plans, the algorithm still provides mathematical guarantees that its plans' risk of failure falls below some threshold, which the user sets. "The problem with planning contingencies is that there are so many things that can go wrong, if you generated plans for all possible contingencies, you'd go nuts," says Brian Williams, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics whose group developed the new system. "So then the question ends up being, 'How many contingencies do you generate?'" Pedro Santana, a graduate student in aeronautics and astronautics, is first author on a paper describing the system, which he presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence last weekend. He's joined by Williams and Sylvie Thiebaux, a professor of computer science at the Australian National University and a researcher with Australia's National Information Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) research program, which has a partnership with MIT. Probabilistic pruning As Williams explains, the range of possible decisions that a planner faces can be represented as a data structure called a graph. A graph consists of nodes, which are usually represented as circles, and edges, which are represented as line segments connecting the nodes. Network diagrams and flow charts are familiar examples of a graph. In a planning system, each node of the graph represents a decision point, such as, "Should I take the bus or the subway?" A path through the graph can be evaluated according to the rewards it offers -- you reach your destination safely -- and the penalties it imposes -- you'll be five minutes late. The optimal plan is the one that maximizes reward. Factoring in probabilities makes that type of reward calculation much more complex: The average bus trip might be 15 minutes, but there's some chance that it will be 35; the average subway trip might be 18 minutes, but it's almost never more than 24. In that context, for even a relatively simple planning task, canvassing contingency plans can be prohibitively time consuming. To make the problem tractable, the MIT and ANU researchers borrowed a technique from some earlier work from Williams' group. Before the planner begins constructing the graph, it asks the user to set risk thresholds. A researcher trying to develop a data-gathering plan for a multimillion-dollar underwater robot, for example, might be satisfied with a 90 percent probability that the robot will take all the sensor readings it's supposed to -- but they might want a 99.9 percent probability that the robot won't collide with a rock face at high speed. The researchers' algorithm treats these thresholds as a "risk budget" that it spends as it explores paths through the graph. If the planner determines that a given branch of the graph will exceed the budget, it lops it off. Staying optimistic That determination has to be rapid, however. So the researchers use some simple rules of thumb -- or, in computer parlance, heuristics -- to evaluate branches. Every path through a given branch, for instance, might include a different car route between two points, each with its own probability distribution of possible travel times. But if traversing a straight line between the points, at the maximum allowed speed, will still incur intolerable delays, there's no point in evaluating probabilities for every route. The branch can be eliminated. As long as the heuristics are optimistic -- possibly underestimating risk but never overestimating it -- the planner can lop off branches without compromising the quality of the final plans. Sometimes those heuristics are application-specific, like the one that evaluates routes geometrically. But sometimes they're not. For instance, one of the reasons that probability distributions add so much complexity to planning calculations is that they're nonlinear: Their graphs take on shapes that are more complicated than simple lines. In a paper being presented at the International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling in June, Santana -- again first author -- Williams, and colleagues at MIT, the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Caltech describe a way to produce linear approximations of probability distributions that are much easier to work with mathematically. Those approximations are optimistic: They never overestimate risk. But a computer can evaluate them thousands of times faster than it can a nonlinear distribution. Such heuristics offer hope that the researchers' planning system could update plans on the fly, in light of new information, as well as generating contingency plans in advance. ### Additional background ARCHIVE: Helping robots handle uncertainty http://news.mit.edu/2015/algorithm-helps-robots-handle-uncertainty-0602 ARCHIVE: MIT engineers hand "cognitive" control to underwater robots http://news.mit.edu/2015/cognitive-underwater-robots-0507 ARCHIVE: Software that knows the risks http://news.mit.edu/2015/planning-algorithms-evaluate-probability-of-success-0115 ARCHIVE: New research could let vehicles, robots collaborate with humans http://news.mit.edu/2013/vehicle-robot-human-collaboration-0503 Megan Schnall had no idea that what was about to happen to her 6-year-old son had been building for months. As the Conway, South Carolina, woman later realized, there were warning signs, but not the kind the parent of a young child expects to see. So Schnall was shocked when Jayden got off the school bus that Monday afternoon. "I knew something was seriously wrong, because he fell to the ground and had no control of his limbs. He was like a rag doll." As she would later learn, Jayden had suffered a major stroke, something that only happens to an estimated 12 out of 100,000 children under 18. "He started throwing up, which can be a sign of brain swelling," Schnall said. She rushed him to Conway Medical Center. There, doctors did the initial treatment and told her Jayden needed the expertise of pediatric intensivists, doctors trained in treating critically ill patients, at the Medical University of South Carolina. They set up something she'd never seen before: a telehealth consultation. "It was really kind of cool," Schnall said. A camera and video monitor were rolled in so an intensivist almost 100 miles away at MUSC could examine Jayden in his Conway hospital room. "The MUSC doctor really zoomed in and looked at every possibility. They were able to ask us questions and see the severity of the situation," Schnall said. Then, Jayden was transferred to MUSC. "It really gave me comfort knowing that they already had a jump-start on Jayden," his mother said. "When we pulled into MUSC, they already had an idea of what he looks like and where his vitals were." All of that was possible through the Pediatric Inpatient and Emergency Teleconsultation program led by David McSwain, M.D., at MUSC Children's Hospital. Kids deserve the best care available, he said, regardless of whether they live in a town with a small medical center or a city with a high-tech teaching hospital.McSwain said pediatric telehealth has been so successful that MUSC Health is helping to expand it statewide. He's working with other children's hospitals to develop the South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative Telehealth Network with a $1 million grant from the Duke Endowment. The grant money will help equip the children's hospitals to serve as resources for smaller medical centers in their referral areas. While the network will start with pediatric critical care consultation, similar to what's already being done at MUSC, the goal is to position each children's hospital to build its own telehealth program. McSwain said the benefits of pediatric telehealth can be huge. First, it gets assistance quickly to kids who need it. He remembered the case of a girl who had supraventricular tachycardia, a condition where the heart beats too quickly. "SVT isn't always immediately life-threatening, but if it isn't treated quickly, it can have serious consequences, including heart failure," McSwain said. That's where pediatric critical care telehealth came in. "I was able to diagnose SVT by looking at the EKG tracing on her bedside monitor. Then I called our pediatric cardiology fellow to evaluate the child with me, and we were able to guide the community hospital staff through a series of maneuvers to stop the SVT. With telemedicine, we were able to do all of that within minutes of the call, and that patient ended up avoiding an intensive care unit admission."McSwain said that wasn't an isolated case. When consultations are done the old way, by phone with no video link, the rate of pediatric intensive care admission is about 70 percent. But when telehealth comes into the picture, the rate drops to about 50 percent. The result: "massive cost savings to both families and the health care system," McSwain said. Telehealth may have helped save a life in Jayden Schnall's case. His local doctors, who don't routinely deal with children who have had strokes, were able to reach out to specialists at MUSC, and the result was that Jayden got exactly the treatment he needed. After extensive treatment, including another stroke scare, Jayden is on a blood thinner while doctors search for the cause of his illness. For now, his mother is focusing on how well he's doing. "He's just about caught up with school and we couldn't ask for a better hospital, better care, better doctors," Schnall said. She's also become a big fan of telehealth. "I think that's the wave of the future." ### On March 9, 1989, a huge cloud of solar material exploded from the sun, twisting toward Earth. When this cloud of magnetized solar material - called a coronal mass ejection, or CME - reached our planet, it set off a chain of events in near-Earth space that ultimately knocked out power to the Canadian province Quebec for about nine hours. Though CMEs hit Earth often, those with the potential to shut down an entire power grid are rare - and scientists want to make sure that next time, we're prepared. Because space weather can have - at its very worst - such significant consequences, scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are creating models to simulate how space weather can impact our power grid. Scientists developing this next-generation project - called Solar Shield - have recently incorporated six test sites around the country, where they compare computer simulations of forecasted space weather impacts with the actual observations on the ground. Solar Shield, which combines research efforts from several agencies, is supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology directorate. Simulations - like those used by the Solar Shield project - can ultimately be used to improve operational space weather forecasts, such as those issued by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, the U.S. government's official source for space weather forecasts. "We really want to create models that accurately show incoming space weather," said Antti Pulkkinen, a research astrophysicist at Goddard, and the lead of the Solar Shield project. "That way, space weather forecasters can provide the grid operators the information they need to know what's happening when they start seeing weird fluctuations in the power grid." To create better protection for power grids, the Solar Shield project must take into account not just what's happening on Earth, but what's happening on the sun and in the space in between. When the most intense CMEs and solar wind streams hit Earth's magnetic bubble, the magnetosphere, it can start to rattle violently, changing the strength and direction of the magnetic field in different places on Earth. But such severe geomagnetic storms, as they are called, only happen in certain circumstances. "One of the problems we need to solve is predicting the direction of the magnetic field embedded in a CME," said Pulkkinen. "They only generate major storms within the magnetosphere if they're pointed opposite Earth's magnetic field when they hit - otherwise, it may give an initial punch and then just kind of fizzle." If the storm is particularly strong, however, our power grids may need some protection. The quick-changing magnetic fields in the magnetosphere can create electric currents at Earth's surface, called geomagnetically induced currents, or GICs. Because much of our planet is criss-crossed with long metal structures - from oil pipelines beneath the surface to power lines yards above our heads - these electric currents have perfect, wire-like pathways that allow them to flow across long distances. For example, a powerful geomagnetic storm in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, caused GICs so strong that telegraph wires were unable to handle the huge amount of electricity, interrupting communications. The consequences of GICs in modern power lines are more direct. In order to transmit power effectively, there must be the right combination of voltage and current in power lines. The extra current of GICs can disrupt this balance, possibly resulting in stressed transformers or voltage collapse. The GICs brought on by the March 1989 geomagnetic storm introduced so much extra current to the Quebec power grid that protective relays were tripped and the voltage collapsed. To better understand what space weather situations cause the most intense GICs, scientists working on Solar Shield use CME measurements, solar wind observations, and other physical parameters to model the timing, location, and strength of the GICs. Using pictures of CMEs from a special type of instrument called a coronagraph - which blocks out the overwhelmingly bright disk of the sun, allowing us to see the comparatively faint atmosphere, known as the corona - they estimate the size, speed and direction of these CMEs, one of the driving forces behind geomagnetic storms. Measurements of fast solar wind streams currently come from NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer, or ACE, which resides between us and the sun at a distance of about a million miles from Earth. Solar wind data from NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, launched in 2015, will replace ACE data later this year. Scientists input their estimates of the characteristics of these solar events into computer models, which simulate when, where, and at what speed the solar material will strike Earth, as well as the location and strength of the resulting induced currents. The models that Solar Shield scientists use are tested and validated at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center, or CCMC, at Goddard. Once they have GIC simulations from the model, scientists compare them to measurements taken at six power substations around the U.S. By comparing the predicted characteristics with the actual characteristics of the GICs, scientists can improve the Solar Shield simulations. With accurate advance warning, power engineers have quite a few options to protect the grid. With a day or two of notice, power grid companies can alter maintenance schedules to make sure that as many critical lines are up and running as possible. Even with just 20 minutes of lead time - which is how long it could take for a CME to travel from our advanced warning satellite to Earth, a distance of nearly a million miles - grid operators can take steps to prevent blackouts and damage. One such step is injecting reserve power into the system, helping to stabilize the system voltage. As projects like Solar Shield help improve our space weather models, the hope is that forecasting will improve just as terrestrial weather forecasts have improved, and - like meteorologists who fine tune their warnings of hurricanes as the storm waxes and wanes - space weather prediction can provide highly accurate details on the force of any incoming solar storm. ### For more information about space weather, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sunearth Soilless farming could help developing countries with little arable land and harsh for agriculture climate, such as Qatar, to become self-sufficient in terms of their produce. Relying on advanced hydroponics and multi-story vertical growing, the proposed system uses nutrient-enriched water to produce approximately a hundred times more yield compared to when the crops are grown on a conventional farmland of the same size. The hybrid setup, devised by Nik-Othman Abdullah, biotechnologist at Malaysia University of Science and Technology, is described in his Methods paper, published in the open-access peer-reviewed journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO). In his publication he describes and explains the steps of the approach meant to tackle the food-shortage and enormous import expenditures in the country in line with the Ministry of Environment of Qatar's recently created National Food Security Programme. The proposed vertical-horizontal regulated soilless farming is theoretically capable of increasing the domestic produce on such a scale that the country, which has been estimated to have spent USD 11 billion on imported food in 2014 alone, could become self-sufficient. Furthermore, this type of soilless farming could provide reliable quantity as well as quality of the crops. Grown indoors, where they would be constantly monitored by personnel with good technical and scientific knowledge, the produce would be less affected by factors such as atmospheric conditions, contamination or pests. The plants would be supplied with the calculated amount of nutrition they need, as well as the exact amount of light and gas exposure. Being grown in a sterile environment and not treated with fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides and other harsh chemicals, the crops would not only look visibly identical, but would also be cleaner, fresher, healthier, tastier and richer in nutrient content. They would also grow faster and bigger. "Plants would not waste energy in root tissue production because nutrients in pure form will be provided to the plants instead of the plant stressing to search for the nutrients," explains the biotechnologist. "Therefore, plants grow evidently 50% faster and bigger." On the other hand, such farming would be more cost-efficient, since there would be significantly less personnel needed and no expenditure on chemical treatment. Moreover, it would take only 10% of the water used in conventional farming for a same-sized piece of agricultural land. Overall, soilless farming would cost 90% less, although the initial setup would be quite expensive. The latter is also the only disadvantage pointed out in the paper. The author stresses that such a farming ground can be constructed basically in any location. "It can be set up almost anytime and everywhere, in a greenhouse, warehouse, inside a building, or even in outer space," Nik-Othman Abdullah comments. ### Original source: Abdullah N (2016) Vertical-Horizontal Regulated Soilless Farming via Advanced Hydroponics for Domestic Food Production in Doha, Qatar. Research Ideas and Outcomes 2: e8134. doi: 10.3897/rio.2.e8134 HOUSTON -- (Feb. 17, 2016) -- A study by biologists from Rice University and Oregon State University has found that significant outbreaks of marine viruses may be associated with coral bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses. The new findings in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology document a viral outbreak that occurred as corals were bleaching -- losing color as a byproduct of expelling symbiotic algae that live in the corals' tissues -- in part of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia. Researchers who studied the reef with support from the National Science Foundation found three viral groups, including a herpes-like virus, in the outbreak. The loss of sugars donated by the algae -- the major food source for corals -- can leave corals more susceptible to disease or being overgrown by reef competitors. In severe or prolonged cases, bleaching can be lethal to corals. "It is well established that bleaching can occur if environmental stress, such as unusually high temperatures, makes the photosynthetic machinery in symbiotic algae go haywire," said study lead author Adrienne Simoes Correa, a marine biologist in Rice's Department of BioSciences. "During this particular event, we saw conditions get tough for coral colonies, then the reef bleached and we observed very high abundances of several kinds of viruses in these corals, all within a period of a few days." Correa said it's possible that viral infection of corals' symbiotic algae may have contributed to the bleaching in these colonies. "If true, that would open up a whole new way to think about bleaching," Correa said. The study's authors said the research is especially significant because Earth is now experiencing just the third recorded incidence of mass coral bleaching on a global scale. "People all over the world are concerned about long-term coral survival," said study corresponding author Rebecca Vega-Thurber, an assistant professor of microbiology in Oregon State's College of Science. "This research suggests that viral infection could be an important part of the problem that until now has been undocumented and has received very little attention." While viruses are abundant, normal and diverse residents of stony coral colonies, they can become a serious threat to corals when their numbers reach extremely high levels. In the new study, researchers observed a coral reef near Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef in 2011 as it was exposed to multiple stresses from high levels of ultraviolet light at low tides during a period of heavy rain and high temperatures. During the period of observation, researchers found that viral loads in the corals exploded to levels two to four times higher than any previously recorded, and a significant bleaching event occurred at the same time as the viral outbreak. The viruses included retroviruses, megaviruses and a type of herpes virus, which was particularly abundant. Herpes viruses are ancient and are found in a wide range of mammals, marine invertebrates, oysters, corals and other animals. Vega-Thurber said the findings suggest that a range of stresses, particularly high water temperatures such as those that can be caused by an El Nino event and global warming, may have made the corals susceptible to viral attack. "This is bad news," Vega-Thurber said. "This bleaching event occurred in a very short period on a pristine reef. It may recover, but incidents like this are now happening more widely all around the world." Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared that the world is now experiencing its third global coral-bleaching event, the last two being in 1998 and 2010. The latest global bleaching event began in the northern Pacific Ocean in 2014, moved south in 2015 and may continue into this year, NOAA officials said. NOAA estimated that by the end of last year, almost 95 percent of U.S. coral reefs were exposed to ocean conditions that can cause corals to bleach. "Coral reefs around the world are in trouble because human actions have abnormally warmed seas, polluted reefs with nutrients and killed off the fish that used to eat coral-smothering algae," Correa said. She said the viral outbreak in the latest study was linked with exposure to air and heavy rainfall at low tide, but it's possible that other types of stress could foster the same sort of outbreaks. "We need to get back out on the reef and determine whether massive viral infections also occur in direct response to fertilizer runoff and other land-based nutrient pollution," Correa said. "We have a special chance to tackle this question right now in terms of high-temperature stress, given the ongoing global bleaching event." ### High-resolution IMAGES are available for download at: http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/02/0216-CORAL-hor-lg-2fo2ei7.jpg CAPTION: A section of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia underwent bleaching in early 2011. Researchers found that a viral outbreak coincided with the bleaching. CREDIT: A.M.S. Correa/Rice University http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/02/0216-CORAL-ver-lg-18glsgm.jpg CAPTION: If viral infection of corals' symbiotic algae contributes to bleaching, "it would open up a whole new way to think about bleaching," said study co-author Adrienne Correa, a marine biologist at Rice University. CREDIT: A.M.S. Correa/Rice University http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/02/0216-CORAL-amsc-lg-2m2m8pf.jpg CAPTION: Adrienne Simoes Correa CREDIT: Rice University http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/02/0216-CORAL-rvt-lg-tjg0sc.jpg CAPTION: Rebecca Vega-Thurber CREDIT: Oregon State University A copy of the Frontiers in Microbiology paper is available at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00127/abstract This release can be found online at news.rice.edu. Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,910 undergraduates and 2,809 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for best quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/AboutRiceUniversity. New research has identified regions in the United States where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing effects on water quantity and quality. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign used detailed models to examine impacts on water quantity and quality in soils that would occur if existing vegetation was replaced by various bioenergy crops in the name of ethanol production. "We expect the outcome of this study to support scientifically sound national policy decisions on bioenergy crops development especially with regards to cellulosic grasses," wrote Atul Jain, professor of atmospheric sciences at U of I, regarding a paper published by the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Currently, corn is the dominant crop used in biofuel production. Recently, research has revealed bioenergy grasses such as Miscanthus and switchgrasses such as Alamo and Cave-in-Rock causes less nitrogen to be lost due to rain and irrigation than corn. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for crops and a key ingredient in fertilizer, but nitrogen often washes away into rivers and other bodies of water where it is detrimental to aquatic ecosystems. Another advantage bioenergy grasses and switchgrasses have over corn is their deep root system which allows them to draw water and nutrients from deeper soil levels and allows them to be more resilient in poor growing seasons. "Growing bioenergy grasses, in general, can mitigate nitrogen leaching across the United States," said Yang Song, a graduate student and the study's lead author. "However, the greatest reduction in nitrogen leaching occurs when bioenergy crops displace other cropland or grassland, because energy crops consume more water and less nitrogen fertilizer than the crops and grasses that they replace, resulting in less water runoff and nitrogen loss." By using a combination of crop growth, hydrological, carbon and nitrogen cycle models, researchers found that the estimated land suitable for bioenergy grasses--particularly Miscanthus, the most productive bioenergy crop--is limited, despite its relatively high biomass productivity and low water consumption per unit of ethanol. Specifically, the most suitable regions to grow bioenergy grasses in terms of impact on water (and ultimately ethanol production) are eastern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, and the Northern Atlantic regions. Miscanthus and Cave-in-Rock are less suitable in areas such as Missouri, southern Illinois, and Mississippi River watershed regions of eastern Arkansas. Finally, the researchers found that bioenergy crops do best in regions with higher precipitation rates. They are more likely to fail in dryer regions with less frequent and predictable precipitation, such as the Great Plains, where environmental conditions limit production of bioenergy grasses. In the Midwest, on the other hand, the grasses are generally able to withstand periodic dry conditions because their roots can grow toward deeper and moister soil. ### The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Hideki Aihara, Zhiqi Yin, and Ke Shi of the University of Minnesota, along with colleagues from Cornell University and St. Louis University have made a major stride in exploring new therapies to combat HIV/AIDS and retrovirus-based cancers. Reporting in the February 18 issue of the journal Nature, the researchers tell how an experimental procedure that involves beaming X-rays at immobilized molecules allowed them to discover how a cancer-causing retrovirus called RSV brings together many copies of a protein (known as integrase) to form tiny molecular claws that insert RSV genetic material into that of a host cell, conscripting it to make more retroviruses. Because RSV is a close relative of the HIV-1 retrovirus, the work has potential application for improving HIV/AIDS therapies. "It can certainly help with the development of anti-retrovirals to target the integrase functions," says Aihara, senior author on the paper and an associate professor in the University's Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics. "Ultimately, we want to inhibit HIV integration, and for that purpose we need to know HIV intregrase's complex structure." To conduct the study, researchers had to first figure out how to make a stable protein-DNA complex just the right size for analysis and immobilize it in crystalline form -- a process that took several years. Next they bombarded it with X-rays and captured data on how the X-rays ping around as they travel through the crystal. Once the X-ray-scattering patterns were available, it took another three years of complex calculations using the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute's state-of-the-art computing capabilities to derive from them the precise position and configuration of the freeze-framed molecules. In the end, they came up with a big surprise: Whereas other viruses use a complex of four integrase molecules to guide the host and viral DNA into position and connect them, RSV uses eight. "The structure looked very different from what we anticipated," Aihara says. "Initially it looked odd, but we started looking into details and it sort of all made sense." Aihara now has his eye on doing the same things with HIV integrase, which is more difficult to work with than RSV integrase, but would yield results even more useful for designing anti-HIV therapies. "We would really like to see whether this unexpected assembly is also the case for HIV," he says. "We think it is, but we [need] evidence." ### Palestinian University Honors Terrorist with 'Cultural Event' | Main | Canadian Government Says Terrorists Can Receive Aid Funds February 17, 2016 USA Today Highlights Terror Tunnels Writing in USA Today, Shira Rubin (Israel Fears Tunnel War by Hamas,? Feb. 15, 2016) covers Israeli concerns about Hamas tunnel construction. Rubin notes an Israeli military assessment that Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist group which rules the Gaza Strip, is employing 1,000 Gazan diggers to construct a large underground tunnel to sit atop smaller tunnel systems. The purpose of these tunnels is to kidnap and murder Israelis. Some of the tunnels have electricity and telephone lines, but most do not. The underground passages, Rubin reports, give Hamas a rare advantage against a vastly superior Israeli military.? In 2006, the tunnels were used by Hamas to kill two Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers and to kidnap a third, Gilad Shalit. Shalit was held captive for five years before he was released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. USA Today quotes Betty Gavri, who lives on Kibbutz Nir Am, where residents can hear Hamas digging underneath them: This conflict has reached a point where youre fighting not another army but terrorism, whichmakes all public spaces into a battlefield.? By taking the time to note everyday Israeli concerns, Rubin reports an aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict that many in the media too often miss. She details not only Hamas actions, but the groups statements as well. USA Today notes Jan. 29, 2016 statements by Hamas head Ismael Hanieyeh praising diggers killed in tunnel collapses as heroes? and calling for more terror tunnel construction and experimenting? with rockets aimed at the Jewish state. Although winter rains have caused some tunnels to collapse, Hamas nonetheless has boasted that it is only expanding construction. A Lexis-Nexis search of other major U.S. print news media shows only USA Today detailed Hanieyehs exhortations. The paper also reports IDF efforts to counter the tunnels. Israel received a $120 million U.S. grant to develop an underground defense system that, Rubin says is able to detect the digging of tunnels dozens of yards below ground.? This system could represent a major military defeat for Hamas and a big psychological boost for Israelis.? In addition to this high-tech effort, the IDF is using considerable engineering and intelligence efforts? to locate and destroy the terror tunnels, according to Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot. Yet, the danger to Israel is great. Rubin reports quotes Eado Hecht, a military researcher who testified during the 2015 U.N. commission investigating the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. Israels only short-term option is to go into Gaza to destroy the tunnels, as was done in the 2014 war, which was enormously costly in terms of casualties and also politically,? Hecht said. USA Today deserves recognition for shining a light on Hamas terror tunnels. Posted by SD at February 17, 2016 01:07 PM My humble opinion is the Israelis need to pump salt water into the tunnels to force their collapse, and the collapse of the soil above the tunnels. So a few buildings collapse. The area residents know there are tunnels there, and dirt is being disposed of. Where did all the waste dirt from the previous tunnels go? That alone would be a huge expense. Posted by: milwaukee at February 17, 2016 06:20 PM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment PHILADELPHIA -- As men age, their testosterone levels decrease, but prior studies of the effects of administering testosterone to older men have been inconclusive. Now, research shows that testosterone treatment for men over 65 improves sexual function, walking ability and mood, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by team researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and twelve other medical centers in the United States, in partnership with the National Institute on Aging. Researchers conducted The Testosterone Trials (TTrials), a coordinated group of seven trials, and have analyzed the results of the first three - Sexual Function, Physical Function and Vitality. They found that testosterone treatment increased the blood testosterone level to mid-normal for young men. Testosterone also improved all aspects of sexual function, including sexual activity, sexual desire and the ability to get an erection. Testosterone treatment did not significantly improve distance walked in six minutes when only men enrolled in the physical function trial were considered, but did increase the distance walked when all men in the TTrials were considered. The treatment did not improve energy but did improve mood and depressive symptoms. "The results of the TTrials show for the first time that testosterone treatment of older men who have unequivocally low testosterone levels does have some benefit," said the principal investigator of the TTrials Peter J. Snyder, MD, a professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. "However, decisions about testosterone treatment for these men will also depend on the results of the other four trials - Cognitive Function, Bone, Cardiovascular, and Anemia - and the risks of testosterone treatment." In 2003, the Institute of Medicine reported that there was insufficient evidence to support any beneficial effect of testosterone in such men. This report was the impetus for TTrials, which are now the largest trials to examine the efficacy of testosterone treatment in men 65 and older whose testosterone levels are low due seemingly to age alone. TTrials researchers screened 51,085 men to find 790 who qualified with a sufficiently low testosterone level and who met other criteria. The men enrolled were randomized into two groups: one to take a daily testosterone gel and the other a daily placebo gel, for one year. Efficacy was then evaluated at months three, six, nine and 12. Sexual function was assessed by questionnaires; physical function was measured by questionnaires and the distance walked in six minutes; and vitality, mood and depressive symptoms were also evaluated using questionnaires. Across the three trials, adverse events including heart attack, stroke other cardiovascular events and prostate conditions, were similar in men who received testosterone and those who received placebo. However, the number of men in the TTrials was too small to draw conclusions about the risk of testosterone treatment. Snyder added, "a larger and longer trial is needed to assess the risks of testosterone treatment." The TTrials were conducted at 12 additional medical centers across the country including Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Puget Sound Health Care System, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, University of Florida School of Medicine, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, and Yale School of Medicine. ### The Testosterone Trials were supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (U01 AG030644). The TTrials were also supplemented by funds from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. AbbVie (formerly Solvay and Abbott Laboratories) also provided funding, AndroGel, and placebo gel. Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 17 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community. Scientists reveal how birds can carry potentially fatal infections to humans but not get ill Scientists have discovered that a specialised white blood cell found in birds can destroy a potentially fatal fungal infection which affects more than one million people every year. Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that causes fatal infections in those with a weakened immune system. It is one of the most dangerous infections of individuals with AIDS and is thought to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, every year. Birds are known to carry the fungus and their droppings are thought to be a source of human infection; however it has been a longstanding mystery why the birds themselves do not appear to become ill. Now, a team from the University of Sheffield have shown that a particular white blood cell within the bird's blood system, called a macrophage, is able to completely block the growth of Cryptococci. The scientists, led by Dr Simon Johnston, found that the fungus can grow slowly within the bird's digestive tract, but if it tries to invade the bird's body then the immune system immediately destroys it - which explains why healthy birds can still help spread the infection. Dr Johnston said: "Birds have a higher body temperature than humans, 42 o C instead of 37 o C, but this alone is not enough to fully stop the fungus. "By studying bird cells under the microscope, we have seen that macrophage cells have the ability to completely block the growth of the fungus, which can be fatal in humans. "Understanding where the disease comes from and how it spreads is critical. If we can learn how some animals are able to resist infection we might be able to gain insights into how we can improve the human immune response to this fungus." This work, published in Scientific Reports, was carried out in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and is part of a much larger international effort to understand, fight and ultimately eliminate cryptococcosis. Dr Johnston added: "We are now working with leading scientists from all over the world to try and understand where this pathogen came from, how our bodies fight it and what we can do to help our own immune system defend us from this fungus and other related infections. "Many human diseases are spread by birds, but we know surprisingly little about their immune systems. Discovering how they resist otherwise fatal infections offers the hope of improving our ability to intervene in this cycle and prevent a diverse range of human diseases." He added: "In addition, infectious diseases of birds themselves are a major threat to agriculture, such as when 170,000 poultry were culled due a suspected bird flu outbreak. "Learning more about the bird immune system is an important step in developing new ways to combat such infections." ### The work was funded by the Medical Research Council, Lister institute for Preventative Medicine and all of the authors are members of the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology, a pan-UK consortium supported by the Wellcome Trust that provides funding to link research groups in medical mycology together across the UK. Notes to Editors To view the full paper please visit: DOI: 10.1038/srep20977 The University of Sheffield With almost 27,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities. A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in. In 2014 it was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education and in the last decade has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield has five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. For further information, please visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk For further information please contact: Amy Pullan, Media Relations Officer, University of Sheffield, 0114 222 9859, a.l.pullan@sheffield.ac.uk To read other news releases about the University of Sheffield, visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news New study indicates deterrent measures such as anti-smuggling are ineffective and an alternative is needed The research highlights the need for opening safe and legal routes for those migrating Findings demonstrate that a deeper understanding of why people migrate is needed A series of proposed changes to EU policy on refugees and migrants has been released by researchers at the University of Warwick. The policy suggestions are the result of an on-going three year project, Crossing the Mediterranean sea by boat: Mapping and documenting migratory journeys and experiences, which is in its first year and is part of the wider 1 million Mediterranean Migration Research Programme, launched by the Economic and Social Research Council in September. Over 3,700 people were believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean during 2015. Alongside these tragic developments, increasing levels of migration along the Balkan route have been met by border closures within the EU, with growing tensions exacerbating humanitarian challenges across the wider region. EU Member States have struggled to adopt a unified approach to handling the issue. The University of Warwick project involves conducting a total of 225 in-depth qualitative interviews with migrants and refugees. Currently in its first phase, the findings draw on a series of interviews conducted since September 2015 across three Mediterranean island arrival points: Kos, Malta and Sicily. The team has been led by Dr Vicki Squire, associate professor of international security from the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) University of Warwick. It is hoped the findings will provide the basis for discussion with EU policy makers and non-governmental organisations regarding recent policy developments and used as steps to improve policy responses over the coming months. The four suggestions are: 1. Replace deterrent border control policies with interventions that address the diverse causes of irregular migration: Findings from the project suggests that measures such as detention centres, deportation, and anti-smuggling are not effective deterrents of irregular migration, and affirm the need to address diverse migratory causes across source, neighbouring, and transit regions. The researchers propose that deterrent policies are replaced by interventions that improve livelihoods and educational opportunities across source, neighbouring, and transit regions. 2. Revise migration and protection categories to reflect the multiple reasons that people are on the move: The research indicates that there is a strong need to have a better understanding of why people become migrants. Current protection mechanisms do not reflect (i) the diverse forms of violence and conflict that people seek to escape, (ii) the multiplicity of sites that people flee and (iii) the fragmented and fluid journeys involved. The academics propose that the categories of 'forced' and 'voluntary' migration are rejected in favour of diversified categories that are based on a deeper appreciation of international refugee and human rights law, and are more reflective of reality. 3. Open safe and legal routes for migration, and improve reception conditions and facilities: The team's findings demonstrate that current Search and Rescue mechanisms do not address the vulnerabilities of those migrating across the central and eastern Mediterranean, and that the relationships between those migrating and those facilitating migration are diverse and often ambiguous. They support calls to open safe and legal routes to the EU and to improve reception conditions and facilities at all arrival points across the EU, to ensure that human rights and international protection obligations are met in full. 4. Improve rights-oriented information campaigns across neighbouring, transit and arrival regions: Dr Squire and her team concluded that migrants should be provided with better information. They found that new arrivals have little understanding and information on procedural processes and reception conditions either before or after entering the EU. They propose the development of rights-oriented information campaigns that mobilise social networks in order to offer clear and accurate information on admission and asylum processes across neighbouring, transit and arrival regions. This briefing paper, which was presented at the University of Warwick Brussels Office provides an overview of research findings across each of the three sites - Kos, Malta and Sicily in Phase 1 - and proposes policy suggestions on the basis of the analysis to date. The research findings provide insights into migratory journeys and experiences across the three sites, and shed light on policy effects by addressing the knowledge and expectations informing migrant/refugee decision-making. Dr Squire said: "Current policy interventions urgently need assessing in light of unprecedented levels of migration and a catastrophic increase in deaths across the Mediterranean. "EU Member States have struggled to adopt a unified approach to handling the issue. It is in this context that the European Agenda on Migration, proposed in 2015, needs to be reviewed. Our research produces a timely and robust evidence base as grounds for informing policy interventions." The academics' analysis will be developed in Phase 2 of the project to capture changing migratory dynamics and to deepen the understanding of policy effects. This briefing will be supplemented by further papers and organised events in November 2016 and again in the spring/summer of 2017. ### The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has chosen Fiamma Straneo, a physical oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), to deliver the Sverdrup Lecture at this year's meeting of the Ocean Sciences section held in New Orleans from February 21-26, 2016. The lecture is one of the highest awards the section bestows on its members. The Sverdrup Lecturer is selected for exemplifying the work of pioneering geophysicist Harald Sverdrup with "outstanding contributions to the basic science of the atmosphere and the oceans and/or unselfish service promoting cooperation in atmospheric and oceanographic research." Lynne Talley, president of Ocean Sciences at AGU, said Straneo was recognized for the strength of her research on ice sheet/ocean interactions and on the overturning circulation in the subpolar North Atlantic--an area of special importance for the large scale ocean circulation. Straneo's research focuses on the role of the high latitude oceans in climate, including the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere and the cryosphere--ice sheets, glaciers and sea-ice. Over the past eight years, Straneo has been conducting fieldwork in Greenland where glaciers have been retreating and thinning at an accelerated pace since the mid-1990s. Her research investigates the role played by the ocean in triggering these changes as well as the impact of these changes on the ocean. "The glaciers are not just melting," Straneo said. "The glaciers are moving a lot faster, they're thinning, they're breaking up, and they're retreating. They are changing how they work, and understanding those changes is crucial to improving predictions of climate change and sea level rise." Straneo's lecture will highlight advances in understanding the mechanisms leading to rapid ice loss based on her field observations at the edge of massive calving glaciers in Greenland, where she and her colleagues have utilized helicopters, icebreakers, fishing vessels, and autonomous vehicles to access the region's iceberg-choked fjords. "Working at the edge of glaciers requires ingenuity and no small amount of courage," said WHOI President and Director Mark Abbott. "Fiamma has demonstrated creativity and persistence to demonstrate the role of warm ocean currents in undermining glaciers and accelerating calving. She has brought a wide range of conventional and unconventional methods (moorings, helicopters, kayaks, autonomous vehicles, etc.) to study this important interface between the ocean and ice sheets." The lecture will be given on February 24, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The Ocean Sciences meeting, which is held every other year, attracts more than 4,000 scientists from around the globe and is sponsored by the AGU, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and the Oceanography Society. The Harald Ulrik Sverdrup Lecture honors the life and work of Sverdrup, who served as scientific director of Roald Amundsen's polar expedition aboard the vessel Maud (1918-1925). He worked extensively on meteorology, magnetics, atmospheric electricity, physical oceanography, and tidal dynamics on the Siberian shelf. "It is a great honor to be chosen to give this lecture," Straneo said. "Almost 100 years after Sverdrup set off on the Maud Expedition to explore the Arctic, the challenges of understanding the interaction of the ocean, the atmosphere and the cryosphere in the polar regions persist. And the urgency is even greater now because of the rapid, ongoing changes we're experiencing due to climate change." A native of Italy, Straneo completed her Laurea in Physics at the University of Milan. She received her Ph.D from the University of Washington. Straneo first came to WHOI as a postdoctoral scholar in 1999. She joined the Institution's staff as an assistant scientist in 2002 and rose through the ranks of the Department of Physical Oceanography. She was promoted to senior scientist in 2014. In 2013, she was chosen to participate as a fellow in the prestigious Leopold Leadership program. The program provides training to outstanding academic environmental researchers to help them engage effectively with leaders in the public and private sectors to integrate science into decision-making. Straneo currently serves as co-director of GRISO (Greenland Ice Sheet-Ocean Network); co-Lead of the SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) Land-Ice Panel and is a member of the US AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) Science Team. She was a fellow at the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research in Norway from 2002-2006. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, ### and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. For more information, please visit http://www.whoi.edu. Series & TV La temporada 2 de Los Anillos de Poder ya ha presentado a su gran villano... y no es Sauron The successful achievement of the implementation day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran (JCPOA) on January 16 gives us an opportunity to clarify the complex and confusing issue of the acronyms used not only in these nuclear negotiations but also in the UN and in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) context. The text of the JCPOA identifies the counterparts of Iran in this negotiation as E3/EU+3, an acronym which also appears in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, a document conferring UN legitimacy to the JCPOA. The justification for an acronym that looks more like a mathematical equation goes back to 2003 when the E3, an informal troika of European countries (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) initiated negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. They were later joined by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the /EU in the equation) and finally by China, Russia and the United States (+3). In the press and in national statements the seven partners which form the E3/EU+3 group are often referred to as P5+1to indicate the permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States) plus Germany. Under this label the E3/EU, namely the three original European negotiators, and the High Representative (today Ms Federica Mogherini) who acted as the principal counterpart of Iran, disappear from the picture. Based on these distinctions, and because the core negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal took place outside the UN framework, the term E3/EU+3 is more appropriate than P5+1. The fact that both the texts of the Plan of Action and of UN Security Council resolution 2231 adopt this acronym confirms this to be the correct term when referring to the partners of Iran in the JCPOA framework. Why does this apparent technicality matter? The heart of the problem is the role of the five permanent members of the Security Council and the link between possession of nuclear weapons and management of the international system more generally, and non-proliferation crises particularly. As the victors of the Second World War, the P5 have played a leading role in governing all United Nations matters and, in particular, nuclear matters. They sit permanently in the Security Council, they have a veto right on resolutions and candidacies to the main positions in the UN. Their influence includes a permanent presence in subsidiary bodies dealing with nuclear matters such as the sanction committees on DPRK, Iran, Iraq, and even in the Advisory Board of the UN Secretary General on Disarmament Matters. Their power was further strengthened in 2004 by the entry into force of Resolution 1540 in which the P5 play a dominant role. This text legalizes the principle that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a threat to international peace and security and is now a key instrument in the struggle against the dissemination of weapons of mass destruction. The institutional pre-eminence of the P5 on nuclear issues had been further enhanced by the entry into force, in 1970, of the NPT. This treaty makes a fundamental distinction between the five Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) and the remaining Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS). The first have the obligation not to transfer to NNWS nuclear weapons which only NWS are entitled to possess; the latter have the obligation not to receive such weapons. Article 9 of the NPT provides that a nuclear-weapon State is one which has manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967. Under this definition, all the five UNSC permanent members also fall into the category of NWS under the NPT. Yet, we need to make a distinction between these two separate hats: the acronym P5 should be used when referring to the permanent members of the Security Council whereas N5 should be employed when indicating the five NPT nuclear weapons states. It is in their N5 capacity that they act when dealing with nuclear issues in the Treaty context. In particular, in 2010, these five countries were, for example, called upon by the NPT Review Conference to report on disarmament measures undertaken to implement Article 6 of the NPT. In that same capacity they presented such a report in 2014 and also made a common statement at the 2015 Review Conference. On the other hand their nuclear activities within the UN Security Council framework (such as Resolution 1540 and other sanctions resolutions) would clearly fall under their P5 hat. The fact that the P5 and the N5 are the same countries must be considered coincidental. Based on a proposal made in 2008 by then UK Secretary of State for Defense Des Browne during an unprecedented visit of a Defense Minister to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States have been meeting regularly to coordinate their positions on nuclear issues in a format that is referred to as the P5 process. Considering that these countries participate in these meetings as Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States and not as permanent members of the UN Security Council, it would probably be preferable to call this process the N5 process. The main rationale for not automatically identifying the UN P5 with the five NPT nuclear weapon states is to preclude two possible precedents: firstly that permanent membership in the UNSC gives the right to possess nuclear weapons and secondly that the possession of such weapons is a prerequisite to permanently join the UNSC (should an enlargement of the Security Council ever occur). Also, as the Iran negotiations showed, supranational and international organizations, as well as states other than the P5/N5 group can play an important role in solving international nuclear non-proliferation crises. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or any of its members. The ELNs aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europes capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time. Theres a pair of matching, bookended myths about intelligent design one pertaining to its origin, the other to its purported demise. Darwinists claim ID goes back about as far as Michael Behes 1996 book Darwins Black Box and that a judge in Pennsylvania finally ruled it out as science in 2005. Therefore a lifespan of just under ten years. Even most dogs live longer than that. Weve pointed out before that judges even federal ones appointed by President G.W. Bush dont get to decide, for all time, huge questions of science like whether nature reflects purpose. Science historian Michael Flannery addresses the corresponding myth of IDs recent origins. Others have pointed to Plato and Aristotle as design proponents, but Professor Flannery traces it back to a Pre-Socratic, Anaxagoras. In a conversation with Todd Butterfield for ID the Future, Flannery discusses an article for Evolution News on that historical background: Download the episode by clicking here: Excavating IDs intellectual roots is a bit of a theme here this week, as Michael Denton similarly recovers the structuralism of Richard Owen, isnt it? Image: Anaxagoras, Nuremberg Chronicle, via Wikicommons. Most companies are on the Internet these days, but many also keep an internal network called an intranet for passing messages within the organization. In both respects, flowering plants and conifers are similarly equipped. They send and receive messages through the air in the form of volatile organic compounds, and through the soil by networks of fungal hyphae. A tree under attack by beetles, for instance, can send out distress calls that other trees in the forest can pick up, giving them time to shore up their defenses. The plant intranet is where things really get interesting. When you think about it, a plant has to keep in touch with itself. The roots underground need to know how things are going up top. The leaves and branches, in turn, need to know if there will be enough water and nutrients in the soil to proceed with costly enterprises like flowering and fruit bearing. Plants have a remarkable communications system that allows rapid signaling and response, comparable to an automated email system. The messages come in the form of molecules that travel through the vascular bundles in the stems and roots. A paper in Current Biology by Chinese scientists explains part of what happens. In effect, they opened a plants email and read it. The message was in the form of a transcription factor named HY5, a protein that binds to a gene and controls its transcription rate. Wikigenes says that HY5 binds directly to the promoters of light-inducible genes, promoting their expression and photomorphogenic development. The email says, Turn up the heat, guys the economy is booming! But HY5 should not turn up the heat if the roots arent ready in the supply room down below. Heres where long-distance communication comes in (long distance, that is, in the context of a small plant). The Chinese researchers found that HY5 migrates from the shoot to the root with its message. They list these four highlights of their findings: HY5 is essential for light-responsive coordination of the growth of shoots and roots. Shoot-to-root translocated HY5 mediate light-activated root growth and N uptake. Carbohydrate photosynthate-induced NRT2.1 expression and N uptake depend upon HY5. HY5 contributes to maintain balance of C and N metabolism at varying light fluence. [Emphasis added.] Did you catch that word translocated? Thats the email system. HY5 travels down the plants phloem vessels from shoot to root from top to bottom. Watch for the intranet analogy in the summary of the paper. (Gene names are italicized; protein names are not.) Coordination of shoot photosynthetic carbon fixation with root inorganic nitrogen uptake optimizes plant performance in a fluctuating environment. However, the molecular basis of this long-distance shoot-root coordination is little understood. Here we show that Arabidopsis ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), a bZIP transcription factor that regulates growth in response to light, is a shoot-to-root mobile signal that mediates light promotion of root growth and nitrate uptake. Shoot-derived HY5 auto-activates root HY5 and also promotes root nitrate uptake by activating NRT2.1, a gene encoding a high-affinity nitrate transporter. In the shoot, HY5 promotes carbon assimilation and translocation, whereas in the root, HY5 activation of NRT2.1 expression and nitrate uptake is potentiated by increased carbon photoassimilate (sucrose) levels. We further show that HY5 function is fluence-rate modulated and enables homeostatic maintenance of carbon-nitrogen balance in different light environments. Thus, mobile HY5 coordinates light-responsive carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and hence shoot and root growth, in a whole-organismal response to ambient light fluctuations. The key to any intranet is movement of information-bearing signals. In human email systems, each message has a header of metadata signifying the sender and receiver and other information, so that the router on the communications channel knows what to do with it. Then there is the body of the message. The plants messages, of course, are different from human email written in alphabetic text; theyre more like signals indicating on/off or speed up/slow down. They are encoded, though, by molecular text the language of DNA. Notice that theres nothing about HY5 that looks like or smells like the meaning of the message. The meaning involves a pre-ordained convention about what the presence of the signal indicates. Its notable that the same signal can take on different meanings depending on context. The signal causes one reaction in the shoot, but a different reaction in the root. We also see a To and CC convention. HY5 lands on two genes: HY5 and NRT2.1. Theres a unique aspect of this plant intranet in that its fluence-rate modulated, i.e., sensitive to message flow: the more signal, the more the response. Maybe thats like getting a flood of tweets. Most importantly, the message is mobile and routable. HY5 has to carry its message over long distances and traverse numerous branching points to get to the intended recipient. As a result, just as with a corporate intranet, the plant benefits from whole- organismal response to what we might call the business environment. Just as a manufacturing plant needs to adjust its production to the availability of raw materials, a living plant must adjust its production to the availability of sunlight and soil nutrients. The paper reads like a detective story. When they shined light of varying intensities on shoots, the roots grew. Intrigued by the rapid response of a distant part of the plant to the conditions at the top, they thought, Aha! Shoot illumination promotes root growth, most likely via shoot-to-root signaling. Its no wonder that in the introduction to the paper, the scientists described it as long-distance shoot-root communication. The hunt was on to find the emails. Experiments honed in on the answer. Mutant plants that didnt grow stronger roots when illuminated were found to have a broken HY5 protein. Other tests confirmed that HY5 is the information-carrying molecule. But does it really travel long distance? To test that, they ran some experiments that first suggested HY5 transcripts, HY5, or a HY5-dependent signal moves from shoot to root. Then they narrowed it down to HY5 itself. One clever test was fastening two other molecules onto HY5 in the shoots, and finding that none of them made it to the root. Why? Most likely because its relatively large size prevents shoot-root mobility i.e., the bigger emails clogged the communication channel. But then, when they sent along a molecular scissors that cut off one of the hangers-on, the custom messages did arrive. Conclusion: HY5 is a shoot-root phloem-mobile signal. From there, they studied what the recipient of the CC email does (i.e., the gene NRT2.1). The second recipient, they found, promotes a gene that increases nitrate uptake. In the conclusion, the authors recognized that what they were seeing was a case of real communications networking. The shoot is not just sending some sugar down the pipe for the roots to eat so they will work harder; sucrose is involved, but the HY5 protein transcription factor is a bearer of information. Heres how they express it in scientific jargon: Although a previous study implicates phloem-mobile sucrose as a cotyledon-derived signal to control primary root elongation during early seedling development in Arabidopsis, the molecular mechanism of the shoot-root long-distance signaling regulating lateral root growth and N uptake remains unclear. Here, we show that HY5 is a shoot-root mobile signal that mediates light-regulated coupling of shoot growth and C assimilation with root growth and N uptake. This coupling is achieved via HY5 regulation of C fixation in the shoot and via sucrose-enhanced promotion of HY5-dependent N uptake in the root. In consequence, HY5 mediates homeostatic regulation of whole-plant C versus whole-plant N status. HY5 is already known to integrate multiple phytohormonal (e.g., abscisic acid) and environmental (e.g., low temperature) signaling inputs in the control of plant growth and development. Our discovery that HY5 is a mobile signal adds further dimension to this knowledge. This is so cool; everyone should get a chill out of thinking that plants have email. They pass signals coded by a genetic language. They send them through communications channels to recipients. The recipients know what to do with that information. The resemblance to email is uncanny. When ID advocates see very similar concepts to email employed in living organisms like the humble rockcress, we have ample justification to celebrate. Youve got mail! Image credit: tobyc515 / Dollar Photo Club. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The county judge who cited natural causes as the culprit in the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stayed within the boundaries of Texas law when she pronounced his death over the phone and without seeing his body. Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara declared Scalia dead after conferring with law enforcement officials who had responded to reports of a death Saturday at Cibolo Creek Ranch, a 30,000-acre luxury resort in West Texas. Texas has no coroners, and most of its rural counties, including Presidio, lack a medical examiner, a dual predicament common in sparsely populated areas of the country. The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure assigns the duties of a county coroner to a justice of the peace. Authorities followed the codes guidelines on inquests by contacting Presidio Countys two local judges to seek a declaration of death. Both were out of town, and as stipulated by the code, officials then contacted the county judge. Guevara said Tuesday in a brief interview that authorities, who included deputies from the U.S. Marshal Services office in San Antonio, found nothing indicative of foul play. She also spoke with Scalias doctor, identified in news reports as Brian Monahan, the attending physician for members of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, who told her the judge had a heart problem and other chronic ailments. Based on information from those sources, Guevara, who also was traveling Saturday, pronounced Scalia dead over the phone shortly before 2 p.m. In making the determination, she hewed to the states criminal procedure protocol, which states that a justice of the peace can conduct an inquest at the place where a death occurred, where a body is found or at any other place determined to be reasonable by the justice. (A county judge has the same authority when performing the role.) Guevara has pulled back from earlier statements that Scalia died of a heart attack. But she reiterated Tuesday that he succumbed to natural causes and that she intended to complete his death certificate pending a written statement from the judges physician. I stand by my decision, she said. Vincent Di Maio, a former longtime chief medical examiner in Bexar County, said Guevara appeared to adhere to the criminal procedure code by talking with authorities and Scalias physician to determine the absence of foul play and that he suffered from chronic health conditions. The pronouncement of death is a formality that doesnt require a doctor, he said. A justice of the peace or a county judge, in this case is within her rights to do it. Guevaras statements are unlikely to quell speculation from conservative critics, who continue to question the manner in which she declared Scalia dead, his familys decision to forgo an autopsy and the sparse details about the circumstances of his passing. The scene Scalia, 79, had arrived Friday at the resort some 40 miles south of Marfa. He joined three dozen other guests invited by the owner, Houston businessman John Poindexter, who previously told the San Antonio Express-News that the judges demeanor at dinner that evening was very entertaining. The next morning, after Scalia failed to show for breakfast, Poindexter and a friend of Scalias discovered him lying in bed with a pillow over his head, his body cold and without a pulse. The remoteness of West Texas dictates the need on occasion for long-distance declarations of death, with judges unable to report to the scene every time a dead body turns up. State guidelines on death pronouncements differ across the country, with the duty typically handled by coroners and medical examiners. In many rural jurisdictions, owing to a shortage of funding that deprives counties of hiring medical examiners, local law enforcement officials take on much of the responsibility of assessing the cause of death. Its a question of resource management, said John Fudenberg, past president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners and the chief coroner of Clark County in Nevada, which includes Las Vegas. Though unaware of another state that allows for a declaration of death over the phone, he added, That doesnt mean its not fairly common. In an email interview, Lindsey Thomas, an assistant medical examiner in Minnesotas Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, noted that even in larger jurisdictions, such as ours, much or sometimes all of the investigation may be done over the phone depending on circumstances. Concern over pillow Right-wing critics, calling for an autopsy of Scalia, who was regarded as perhaps the Supreme Courts most conservative member, have accused Texas authorities of botching the response to his death. In a video posted to Facebook, radio host Alex Jones said, The question is, was Antonin Scalia murdered? Ray Starmann, who runs the website US Defense Watch, asked in an online essay, Who dies with a pillow over their head? On Tuesday, Poindexter sought to clarify his description of what he saw when he entered Scalias room. He had a pillow over his head, not over his face as some have been saying," Poindexter told CNN. The pillow was against the headboard and over his head when he was discovered. He looked like someone who had had a restful night's sleep. Di Maio dismissed suspicions over the pillow theory. You dont die that way, he said. People sleep under blankets all the time when its cold and they dont die. Scalias family, as permitted under the states criminal procedure code, waived an autopsy. William Gheen, head of the political action committee Americans for Legal Immigration, took to the groups website to demand that authorities conduct a postmortem. Anytime a head of state, member of Congress, or the most conservative member of the U.S. Supreme Court is found dead, an extensive autopsy and toxicology examination should be both immediate and mandatory, Gheen said. Most states provide broad discretion to a coroner, medical examiner or other deciding official on whether to conduct an autopsy if a death is attributed to natural causes. Thomas, a board member of the Minnesota Coroners and Medical Examiners Association, said that in the deaths of most 79-year-old men, it is unlikely that an autopsy would be necessary, assuming that the scene appeared natural and the person had a history of medical diseases and no history of prior suicide attempts, injuries or drug misuse. She added that there are ways in which high-profile deaths are treated like any others, in that the familys wishes are taken into account, and ways in which high-profile deaths may be treated differently. mkuz@express-news.net image2.jpg The City of Gautier honored its top public safety officers during the city council's Tuesday meeting. Pictured are (left to right) Police Officer of the Year Brandon Price, Firefighter of the Year Brad Rayborn, and Mayor Gordon Gollott. (City of Gautier) GAUTIER, Mississippi -- The City of Gautier honored its Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year for 2015, chosen by their peers, during the city council's Tuesday meeting. Brandon Price was named as the Police Officer of the Year. Price is a native of Biloxi and graduated from Ocean Springs High School in 2010. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and saw duty in the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom and other operations. Price joined the Gautier Police Department in September 2014. He has attended the Southern Regional Public Safety Institute and recently the Mississippi Tactical Officer Association SWAT course. Gautier's Firefighter of the Year is Brad Rayborn. Rayborn is a Gautier resident and is engaged to be married to Ashely Davis. He has been a Gautier firefighter for two years and holds various certifications in emergency response and hazard mitigation. His additional training includes Firefighter 1001 1-II, emergency medical technician and others. Rijeka Airport anticipates year-round Croatia Airlines service Rijeka Airport is hoping to benefit from Croatia Airlines' network expansion with the launch of year-long flights to Germany. The head of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county, Zlatko Komadina, says the airport is in talks with the Croatian carrier over a three weekly service to Munich. "We are considering joining forces with Croatia Airlines and for Rijeka to get scheduled year-long flights to Munich, which would operate three times per week. At least that way, Rijeka would be linked with a major European hub throughout the year and passengers would have onward connections to the rest of the world", Mr Komadina said. Rijeka Airport has no scheduled flights during the winter with exception to the recently launched four weekly service to Ancona and Rab, operated by the sea-plane specialist European Coastal Airlines. Croatia Airlines introduced seasonal three weekly services from Rijeka to Munich last summer, operated by the Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft. Furthermore, it maintains summer flights from the port city to London Heathrow Airport once per week. Rijeka Airport handled 133.564 passengers in 2015, an increase of 31% compared to the year before. Local authorities expect for figures to grow some 10% in 2016. The Croatian government has approved plans to subsidise low yielding domestic routes between March 27, 2016 and March 28, 2020. Among them are the Osijek - Rijeka - Osijek and Rijeka - Split - Dubrovnik - Split - Rijeka service. Croatia's Trade Air will make use of the subsidies and will introduce two weekly flights from both Osijek and Split to Rijeka. The airline will publish its official summer schedule next month. Croatia Airlines will boost operations this winter with the arrival of a regional aircraft, which is expected to enter service in the coming months. As a result, along with the Rijeka - Munich route, the carrier plans to resume flights between Dubrovnik and Frankfurt next winter season following a three year hiatus. "Talks are currently being held between all interested parties regarding the resumption of flights between Dubrovnik and Frankfurt. We have reached an agreement in principle for the introduction of nonstop services between the two cities during the 2016/17 winter season. Negotiations regarding other conditions, such as frequencies, are ongoing". the airline said recently. This summer, Croatia Airlines will introduce seasonal flights from Pula to Zurich and Dubrovnik, from Dubrovnik to Tel Aviv and year-long services from Zagreb to Milan, with additional new routes planned from the Croatian capital. 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Saturday, January 23 * Michael Cagle, 30, was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and public drunk for an incident at 6801 Highway 90. Sunday, January 24 * Laterrance Summers, 35, was charged with DUI test refusal at Second St. and Hedgewood. * Police responded to a call of a burglary of an automobile, truck, trailer, or boat at 5025 Oakwood St. * Police responded to a call of a burglary of an automobile, truck, trailer, or boat at 5013 Oakwood St. Monday, January 25 * Police responded to a call of a burglary at 7214 Frank Griffin St. Tuesday, January 26 * Police responded to a call of motor vehicle theft and 4712 First St. * Police responded to a call of burglary, breaking and entering at 4019 River Rd. * Darron Chambers, 26, was charged with false ID and possession of paraphernalia at 6820 Highway 613 Wednesday, January 27 * Candace Parker, 22, was charged with possession of a controlled substance at 7200 Tanner Lane * Police responded to a burglary of an automobile, truck, trailer, or boat on 7001 Highway 63 WATERFORD, Ohio Dairy farmer Earl Schaad has gotten a lot done in his 90 years of farm life. And his successful efforts were usually through cooperating and working with others. He and his wife, the late Dorothy Schaad, raised 13 children and operated a dairy farm in Washington County that is still doing well today. In January, he received a special honor from the National Farmers Organization known as the Presidents Award for his commitment to NFO and the collective bargaining concept. Hes been a member of that organization since 1964, and continues to be a proponent of working with other farmers, to secure profitable returns for the milk and other products they sell. Thats how this country was built, was by working together, he said. Economic driver He sees agriculture as the main pillar of the economy, and believes the nation can best protect itself, by protecting the commodities farmers produce. If agriculture is the biggest industry that we have, and it in turn generates more money than any other commodity, does it not make sense that we can stabilize our economy, by pricing our raw materials? he said. Schaad grew up on a farm family in Morgan County. His father died when he was only 2, but he carried on the familys love of animals and land, and in 1968, the family relocated to their current farm, on the banks of the Muskingum River, in the Washington County community of Waterford. Production numbers At that time, they had 40 cows. Today, they milk 400 Holsteins and farm about 1,500 acres in Washington and Morgan counties. Schaad will turn 90 in April, and is mostly retired, but still involved with the decision making. The dairy is operated by his sons, Paul and Joe; grandsons Sion and Matthew; and various part-timers who help with milking and haymaking. The Schaads milk three times a day, in a double-12 parlor, and are making good use of a newer, 520-foot cow barn they had installed in 2013. They bed with sand, and are seeing good production numbers, averaging more than 90 pounds of milk per cow, per day. Years of service Earl Schaad served about 20 years as a county NFO president, and about 10 years on the state board. The biggest reason he has stayed with NFO, he said, is because the organization negotiates and collectively bargains to get farmers a fair price. The organization follows a basic principle that buyers of farm commodities will always react to the organized movement of supply. NFO has helped organize supply in various ways over the years, including twice asking farmers to dump their milk in an effort to reduce supply and increase the price. Milk dumpings were held in 1962 and in 1967. Earl credits the latter dumping with ending steep losses and says it drove premium milk prices upward for 22 consecutive months. Earl was given the national award Jan. 27 at this years NFO convention in Peoria, Illinois. It was a surprise up until his name was called, and his family came from all over to watch, from as far away as Texas. Inspiring story The president of NFO, Paul Olson, visited the farm many years ago, and was impressed not only by the operation but the operator. This guy inspired me, he just inspired me, Olson said. He served his country (World War II), raised a wonderful family, did what he enjoyed farming and did a heck of a job of it. Earl is happy with where the family farm is at today, and doesnt see a lot of expansion in the future. For one thing, theyre a little landlocked, with the Muskingum River running through their property, and small fields that require them to truck manure away from the farm. What Earl does see for the farms future is work. Not only the farm chores, but the need to protect and continue a profitable way of farming. National concerns He also has a lot of concerns at the national level that the government isnt doing enough to support farm prices and profitability for private landowners. He said hed rather see the government focus on better prices for farm goods than award subsidies. Hes also concerned that more resources and freedoms are shifting over to the government, and that the country is drifting away from President Thomas Jeffersons idea that land should be in the hands of many. If you have to depend on somebody else for your food, then youre a slave to that entity, he warns. I think the land needs to be diverse, because how easy would it be to move into a dictatorship with the government. Another issue, he said, is the ongoing battle with environmental regulations, and the fact that a fewer number of farmers means they have less political voice today. You need the government just as we were instituted: Of the people, by the people and for the people, he said. Faith and farming While Earl has some strong opinions about government, his main focus is still his own farm and his faith in God. Dairy farming has given him a lot of opportunities over the years, and it continues to do the same for his sons and grandsons. Paul said being able to farm with his father for so many years has been invaluable especially considering that Earl never got to farm with his own father. Theres somebody higher that youre accountable to and its just kind of the way we were brought up, Paul said. I guess Dad looked to God, and we looked to (Dad). As son Joe puts it, their father is a source of wisdom and lessons are still being learned. Youre never too old to learn, and when you can fall back on the wisdom that my father has, its something you can bank on, he said. "This action taken by the supporters of Mr Marsh was all about trying to halt and curtail the advancement of this technology in WA which is vital to WA grain growers' profitability and success," he said. MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- The massive wildfire which has burned in Mississippi and Alabama over the past six days is now 90 percent contained. According to Brittany Petersen of the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, a Tuesday reconnaissance flight indicated a total of 4,246 acres had been burned -- 3,113 acres in Mississippi and 1,133 acres in Alabama. Out of the total acres burned, 2,208 where on the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Wednesday's actions will include firefighters continuing mop up operations such as removing hazardous trees, rehabbing fire lines, monitoring roads, and watching for hot spots within the burned area. Bayon Heron Road is fully functional and is open to the general public. Resources and personnel from the Mississippi Forestry Commission, Alabama Forestry Commission, Jackson County Emergency Management Services and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources have been used to battle the fire. Pitts: Mailer for Fayetteville council change misleading, say opponents A former councilwoman who is Black, supports Vote Yes is wrongly depicted as a Democrat. Organizers say it was a mistake; opponents think otherwise. The SEC Tuesday said it used its first deferred prosecution agreement with an individual in an FCPA case. FCPA civil charges will be deferred for three years against Yu Kai Yuan, a former employee at PTCs China subsidiaries, as a result of significant cooperation he has provided during the SECs investigation. On Tuesday, PTC Inc. and two China units settled FCPA enforcement actions by paying $28 million. The China units paid a $14.5 million criminal penalty to the DOJ, and PTC paid $11.8 million in disgorgement and nearly $1.8 million in prejudgment interest to the SEC. The companies admitted violating the FCPA by paying for recreational travel for several China officials. They hid the cost of the trips by overcharging for PTC Chinas software sales to the state-owned entities whose employees went on the trips. PTC-Chinas books and records were consolidated into PTCs books and records, thereby causing PTCs books and records to be inaccurate, the SEC said. Yuan, 47, a Chinese citizen, lives in Shanghai. From 1996 until 2011, he worked as a sales executive at Parametric Technology (Hong Kong) Ltd. and Parametric Technology (Shanghai) Software Co., Ltd. The SEC alleged that Yu caused PTC to violate the books and records and internal control provisions of the FCPA. Yu didnt admit or deny the SECs allegations. But he offered to accept full responsibility for his conduct and to not contest or contradict the SECs factual statements, the agency said. The SEC signed the DPA in December after Yu signed it in November. The SEC didnt announce the DPA until the PTC enforcement action was finished and made public Tuesday. The term of Yus DPA runs from February 16, 2016 to February 15, 2019. The SEC said, DPAs facilitate and reward cooperation in SEC investigations by foregoing an enforcement action against an individual who agrees to cooperate fully and truthfully throughout the period of deferred prosecution. The SEC used its first deferred prosecution agreement with an individual in November 2013. The respondent was former hedge fund administrator Scott Herckis. He helped end a fraud involving a hedge fund manager who was stealing investor assets. The agency first resolved an FCPA case using a pre-trial agreement in April 2013. Ralph Lauren Corporation paid $1.6 million in combined penalties to the DOJ and SEC in exchange for two non-prosecution agreements. The company admitted its Argentina subsidiary paid bribes to government and customs officials. The DOJ often uses deferred prosecution agreements in criminal cases to encourage individuals and companies to share information and help in subsequent investigations. In return, the DOJ refrains from prosecuting the defendants for their own violations if they dont commit further offenses. A copy of the SECs deferred prosecution agreement with Yu Kai Yuan is here (pdf). ______ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here. Ive talked about the challenges of doing business in Kazakhstan because of its high levels of corruption and rapidly changing legal environment. In this post, Id like to provide some tips to American companies contemplating potential investments in Kazakhstan or other emerging markets. Comply with the FCPA At the risk of stating the obvious, American and other companies subject to the FCPA must undertake all the necessary efforts to comply with the law. This includes setting the right tone at the top that corruption will not be tolerated, establishing the necessary compliance structure, performing a thorough FCPA-related due diligence on any foreign investments, suppliers and agents, investigating any red flags of potential corruption and making the necessary disclosures to the SEC and the DOJ, and ensuring that all employees, business partners and agents are properly trained concerning their obligations under the FCPA and understand the severe consequences if they fail to comply with it. The costs of a foregone opportunity are a lot smaller than the potential FCPA-related imprisonment, fines, the risk of debarment from U.S. government or World Bank contracts, and reputational damage. If things have a bad smell, its better to walk away. Comply with local law Too many times multinationals go into a developing country and try to act like they own the place. Just because Kazakhstan is an emerging market does not mean that its laws and regulations should not be respected or complied with, no matter how difficult or impractical they may seem to a multinational company. The laws frequently change and can be vague and sometimes contradictory. Red tape is a major hindrance. But thats the nature of doing business in an emerging market. If the country had already developed and was functioning perfectly, it would no longer be an emerging market and there would be significantly fewer opportunities. Youre in Kazakhstan, not in Kansas or Canada. Your company must comply with local law on your home turf, and you should do the same in doing business abroad. Dont try to game the system Corrupt foreign officials often see bribery opportunities when a company wants them to ignore or bend the applicable local law. Thats the surest way to run afoul of the FCPA. To stay FCPA compliant, sometimes its necessary to forgo that tempting state procurement opportunity or pay more foreign taxes or customs fees than you would otherwise prefer. Dont take risky tax deductions or misclassify goods to reduce customs duties. If youre local-law compliant, corrupt officials will have less leverage, and they may have much to lose if you expose their wrongdoings to their superiors or the state prosecutor. Kazakhstan has its own anti-corruption legislation and numerous local officials have been prosecuted. Last December, a former prime minister was sentenced to 10 years in prison on corruption-related charges, along with a bevy of other, lower level officials. Kazakh officials dont want to go to jail. Act in a risk-averse manner, and youre more likely to stay safe. Ill discuss more emerging-market guidance in the next post. _____ Alex Nisengolts is a Chicago attorney focusing on cross-border M&A, electronic discovery, and investments and operations in Kazakhstan. He first traveled to Kazakhstan in 1994 as a legal advisor on a USAID-sponsored legal reform project and has been involved in Kazakh matters for the past two decades, for U.S. and Kazakh law firms and as a manager and senior manager for a Big Four international accounting firm. He can be reached here. We love Idris Elba here at FemaleFirst and it is always exciting to see him back on the big screen... thankfully, we are not going to have to wait long as he is set to lead and an all-star cast in Bastille Day. Idris Elba in Bastille Day We already know that Elba is a bit of an action hero and he looks set to cement that status with this new film, which sees him team up with filmmaker James Watkins for the first time. Bastille Day is the third feature film for Watkins and the first since his terrific adaptation of The Woman In Black back in 2012. It is great to see him back and tackling a very different genre. The first official trailer for the film has arrived and we have it for you to take a look at. It looks like it is going to be another action packed ride with Elba at the helm. Check it out: A great cast has been assembled for the film as Bastille Day also sees Richard Madden land his first big role in an action movie of this kind. I really cannot wait to see Madden and Elba join forces. The duo is joined on the cast list by Kelly Reilly, Charlotte Le Bon, Eriq Ebouaney, and Jose Garcia. Michael Mason (Madden) is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar (Elba), the field agent on the case, soon realizes that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy. Going against commands, Briar recruits Michael to use his expert pickpocketing skills to help quickly track down the source of the corruption. As a 24hr thrill ride ensues, the unlikely duo discover they are both targets and must rely upon each other in order to take down a common enemy. Bastille Day is released 22nd April. by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on We were treated to some great new Disorder images over the weekend and now we have the new poster for you to take a look at. Disorder Disorder marks the return of Matthias Schoenaerts to the big screen - he is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand actors around. We have already seen him in The Danish Girl and A Bigger Splash and it is always great to see him back in another leading role. The movie sees Schoenaerts team up with actress Diane Kruger while the film sees Alice Winocour in the director's chair. Disorder is the second feature film of Winocour's career and comes four years after she made her debut with Augustine. The movie is set to receive its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival on 21 February ahead of the film's release at the end of March. Following a tour of duty, Special Services soldier Vincent (Schoenaerts) takes a job in security for a wealthy Lebanese businessman and his family. During a lavish party at the family's luxurious 'Maryland' villa in the South of France, Vincent senses that something is amiss. When his employer is urgently called away on business Vincent is left to ensure the safety of his wife Jessie (Kruger) and their child. Suffering from post-traumatic stress, Vincent battles his own paranoia whilst clinging to the certainty that Jessie and her family are in real and immediate danger, unleashing a hell-bent determination to protect them at all costs. Disorder is released 25th March. by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on 781 shares Today, The HSUS announced the April release of my forthcoming book, The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals. Im excited about embarking on a national tour to speak about the themes of the book, and in many cities Ill conduct book events in conversation with luminaries in politics, journalism, business, and other key domains in our world. Its my hope to draw these and other thought leaders into a discussion about our society fully embracing animal protection ideals. As you can tell from the title, I offer a special focus on a new economic analysis of animal protection issues, arguing that companies that cause harm to animals are going to face fierce headwinds in the years ahead. Its just not a sustainable business model to disregard the interests of animals; on the other hand, its an enormous advantage for companies to show they are attending to the needs of animals, or shifting entirely away from harming animals as innovation and alternative methods allow them to do their work humanely and more efficiently. Whats more, I argue that so many companies, governments, and individuals who do harmful things to animals just transfer costs to the rest of society. Take, for example, the case of the Canadian government and the upside-down economics of the commercial seal hunt. The fisheries department is spending millions of dollars each year monitoring a slaughter with a landed value of just a fraction of that amount. The federal Department of Fisheries has concealed data on the commercial seal hunt in various ways, and today, many people are unaware that the value of the slaughter has declined from more than $20 million in 2006 to less than $1 million last year. How did this turn around? Through a campaign of awareness that exposed the cruelty of the enterprise. The consuming public, once it knows about the exploitation of animals, wants no part of the bloody business. Its astonishing that the government of Canada is still defending the seal hunt when its a money loser for the nation and taxpayers foot the bill for something that generates almost no revenue whatsoever. On a different front of action, The Columbus Dispatch reported that the number of exotic animal owners has declined dramatically in the state, just three years after Governor Kasich signed a bill banning private owners of wild animals after a mass release and killing of privately held animals in Zanesville. The state has had to pay for the care of relinquished exotic animals, and animal welfare groups have long taken in the discards from the exotic animal trade our affiliated sanctuaries have provided care for many over the years, suffering from various ailments. The costs run into tens of millions of dollars every year, for government and for our movement. So why would any state allow people to have these animals, almost assuredly guaranteeing bad outcomes for the animals and immense costs that taxpayers and animal welfare groups endure when people give up the animals because they are in over their heads. Finally, I also want to note today an editorial in USA Today about the Westminster Dog Show, which picks its champion tonight at the celebrated New York show. The editorial laments the genetic and hereditary problems that plague so many purebred dogs who are not bred responsibly in particular, the English Bulldog. So many enthusiastic dog people acquire these purebreds because of their mystique and beauty and temperament, but many of them develop major health issues, dealing the animals and the owners emotional hardships and costing caretakers thousands of dollars in often complicated, unending veterinary procedures. Responsible breeders dont breed animals just for exterior characteristics and saddle the animals with health problems at the expense of the future owner. The Humane Economy touches on so many big ideas, but one of them is that cruelty just doesnt pay in a world when we are increasingly alert to the needs of animals. I hope youll check out the book, and join the conversation about advancing a more #HumaneEconomy on Twitter. 781 shares Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) held a meeting with the visiting delegation of European Union (EU) to discuss the development of Bangladesh's garment sector, according to BGMEA website. BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman briefed the EU delegation about Bangladesh readymade garment industry, its safety improvements and ongoing remediation work. The EU delegation expressed satisfaction over the progress on safety of workers in the Bangladesh readymade garment industry, but called for more initiatives for labour rights and wages, said Siddiqur Rahman after the meeting in a press briefing. They are happy about the improvements we have made in the structural, electrical and fire safety, he added. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) held a meeting with the visiting delegation of European Union (EU) to discuss the# The delegation, led by Jean Lambert, member of the European parliament, comprised Ivan Stefanec, Mayaudon Pierre, Frederic Maduraud, Mario Ronconi, Abu Syed Belal, Katarzyna Kaszubska and Othmar Okx. (NA) Fibre2fashion News Desk - India The Maharashtra governments new Retail Trade Policy provides for online registration for small enterprises with less than nine employees, and also allows farmers to sell directly to retailers, bypassing market of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), a statutory market committee constituted by a State Government APMC markets.The new policy also allows retailers to operate for almost 24 hours and provides part-time and full-time employment opportunities to housewives and students.The Retailers Association of India (RAI) which represent big retailers, has hailed the new policy as a win-win situation for all, but small traders feel the retail policy is loaded in favour of big retail businesses.While the RAI was invited for the unveiling ceremony, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) was not extended the same courtesy, its president, Viren Shah said.Shah said the FRTWA represent 96 per cent of traders across Maharashtra while the RAI represents only 4 per cent of the retailers. RAI on its website said, "All retailers have welcomed the policy, acknowledging it as a memorable occasion for entire retail industry and a great initiative undertaken by the Maharashtra government to provide retail with an industry status. Shah said the main objective of the government through this policy is to strengthen mall shopping in India. The maximum benefit will go to the organised sector and the policy does not do anything to fulfill one of the government's objectives in the policy of strengthening the unorganised small retailers to face globalisation," he said. The policy does have some things common to both the organised and unorganised sector such as extended hours for conducting business, end to inspector raj, simplification of procedures to obtain licenses and renewals, self-declaration, online registration, no fees to be charged for trade name and no permission required either. But Shah pointed out that there are several clauses that benefit only the big retailers such as extra floor space index 70 per cent higher ground floor coverage, additional height, extra parking facilities free of FSI, change of user within a mall can be carried out, recreation ground can be used for recreation facilities etc. Shah feared that such clauses will eventually make the policy tilt heavily in favour of big retailers. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BVCPS) has signed a new partnership with Quality Lab, a Portuguese laboratory specialising in analytical, physical testing and fibre analysis for the textile industry.This partnership reinforces the footprint of BVCPS in Portugal where textiles is one of the oldest industries in the country , generating 9 per cent of Portuguese exports, a BVCPS press release revealed. Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BVCPS) has signed a new partnership with Quality Lab, a Portuguese laboratory specialising in analytical# According to BVCPS, employing in excess of 100,000 people, the Portuguese textile industry continues to develop and is focusing its efforts on innovative and quality products.Founded in 2009 and located in Trofa, Quality Lab has established a strong technical reputation in the textiles industry.Equipped with modern testing equipment, with a team of highly skilled employees, the laboratory can perform physical and chemical testing to assess the safety, compliance and quality of apparel and textile products.Quality Lab is accredited by the Portuguese Institute for Accreditation (IPAC), the press release added.Mark Agius, vice president, EMEA at BVCPS said, "I am delighted to welcome Quality Lab as a business partner, enabling Bureau Veritas to better serve our softlines clients in Southern Europe.Portugal is a region where many of our retail clients are sourcing from and it is a logical step for us to develop our network wherever our clients need," he too added.Founded in 1828, BVCPS has more than 66,500 employees in 1,400 offices and laboratories located in 140 countries. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Developer of innovative textiles, Duvaltex Inc said it has acquired True Textiles Inc, which includes its business units like True, Guilford of Maine and Teknit.Duvaltex also currently owns Victor Textiles Inc., a leading North American textile manufacturer, a press release from Duvaltex stated. Developer of innovative textiles, Duvaltex Inc said it has acquired True Textiles Inc, which includes its business units like True, Guilford of Maine# As a result, Duvaltex has become the largest manufacturer of commercial or contract interior fabrics in the US and Canada, serving the office furniture, institutional, healthcare and hospitality industries.According to Duvaltex, this acquisition will provide significant value to the customers of both Victor Textiles and True Textiles, which will continue to operate as independent business units.The companies will maintain the same commitment to quality, emphasis on unique products, and focus on customer service that has made them industry leaders, it added in the press release.Duvaltex management expects the company as well as its customers to benefit from opportunities to create synergies and efficiencies across the organisation.The company plans to improve each operation's competitive positioning by leveraging the individual strengths of each business unit across the organisation, the company informed.True Textiles offers high performance fabrics for applications such as panel, upholstery, acoustic and privacy curtains, to multiple market segments including corporate, healthcare, education, and hospitality.True Textiles is vertically integrated and has expertise in fabric design, yarn production, weaving, weft knitting, finishing and performance enhancements.The company offers an industry leading open line assortment through the Guilford of Maine collection, and unique weft knitted solutions through Teknit.Victor Textiles is a North American-based textile company specialising in sustainable and innovative fabrics designed for the corporate, healthcare, apparel, and specialty markets.The company operates state-of-the-art mills in several Canadian locations, a design studio in New York City, and utilises service-and-warehouse facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Founded in 1947, family-owned Victor Textiles has a long history of servicing the North American textile and office furniture industries with environmentally responsible fabrics."This acquisition brings together two of the industry's most established and successful companies, recognised for their dedication to innovative product design and sustainability ," Duvaltex president Alain Duval said."The True Textiles brands are respected worldwide, and we are looking forward to continuing to maintain that reputation, while also exploring new opportunities for growth and diversification, he added.We believe customers of all the brands will see the benefits as we move forward to this exciting new chapter for both companies,' Duval observed. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Linen fabrics will be the catalyst for Jaya Shree Textiles to drive growth. A unit of Aditya Birla Nuvo, Jaya Shree Textiles has drawn up ambitious plans to open more linen stores across the country "We want to focus on linen garments. Linen garments would be key growth driver for Jaya Shree Textiles," the company's CEO S Krishnamoorthy told reporters at the launch of its second Linen Club store in Kolkata recently. Linen fabrics will be the catalyst for Jaya Shree Textiles to drive growth. A unit of Aditya Birla Nuvo, Jaya Shree Textiles has drawn up ambitious# Jaya Shree Textiles which now has 127 stores, plans to raise the number to 134 by the end of the current fiscal. The company has plans to open 40 more stores next fiscal, Krishnamoorthy said. With India's linen garments sector expected to grow at nine to ten per cent annually, the company seems intent to ride the wave.The company's factory located at Rishra in West Bengal is the only integrated mill for manufacturing linen garments in the country, he said.Linen contributes Rs 800 crore out of the company's turnover of Rs 1,500 crore while the remaining Rs 700 crore comes from wool . (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Advanced weaving machines producer, Picanol Group's sales soared 26.6 per cent year over year, to 529.34 million in 2015.In 2015, the Weaving Machines division experienced a high global demand, which meant, the group had to focus strongly on flexibility in order to handle production peaks, a Picanol press release said. Advanced weaving machines producer, Picanol Group's sales soared 26.6 per cent year over year, to 529.34 million in 2015. In 2015, the Weaving # In 2015, Picanol introduced a number of new weaving machines to the market which includes the OptiMax-i, the TerryMax-i and the TERRYplus Summum.This enabled Picanol to once again project itself as the technological market leader in rapier and airjet weaving machines, the company added.The higher demand in the Weaving Machines division resulted in a turnover increase for the Industries business division last year, it informed.In 2015, Picanol's net profit rode higher at 60.6 million compared to 40.67 million in 2014.Additionally, Tessenderlo Chemie NV contributed 25.09 million to the net result in 2015 compared to 11.73 million in 2014.The group closed 2015 with a net result of 85.69 million as against 52.4 million in 2014, Picanol informed.Picanol further added that to deal with production peaks, it is currently looking for some fifty additional employees for its production facility in Ypres.The order book is well-filled for the first half of 2016 and for full year 2016; Picanol Group expects to realise a turnover in line with the turnover of 2013, which was the best year in the history of the group.The board of directors will propose the payment of a gross dividend of 0.1 as in the previous year at the annual general meeting on April 20, 2016, which will realise in a total outgo of 1.77 million.On December 16, 2015, Tessenderlo Group and Picanol Group announced their plans to combine the industrial activities of both companies into one larger group named, Picanol Tessenderlo Group NV.The deal involves the transfer of the current industrial activities of Picanol into Tessenderlo.The Tessenderlo board of directors would call on shareholders to issue 25,765,286 new Tessenderlo shares at 31.5, to compensate for planned transaction to Picanol NV, based on a valuation of Picanol activities at 811.6 million. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India In a big relief to Pakistan's textile industry, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced zero-rated tax regime for the export sector to help it overcome liquidity crunch, and eliminate corruption in payment of refund claims.The regime will take effect from July 1, 2016, Pakistani newspapers reported.The PM took the decision at a meeting with leading businessmen to discuss the issue of pending tax refunds to exporters. Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also attended the meeting.The zero-rating regime was proposed to the PM by the business delegation led by the Punjab Chief Minister, who is said to have played a critical role in the scheme's approval.A few years ago, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) introduced the zero-rated regime for five export sectors, namely textile, sports, leather, carpet and surgical sectors. However, the scheme was reversed on a plea that exporters were also selling products in the domestic market which needed to be taxed.The FBR currently charges tax on both imported and locally manufactured raw materials. As per law, the authority is supposed to refund all these taxes after export proceeds have been made.But in practice, the tax department normally delays issuing refunds which causes liquidity problem for exporters the premier was informed that Rs 200 billion refunds/rebates of exporters were stuck with the FBR.Pakistan's exports fell in double digits in the first seven months (July-January) of this fiscal year.By some estimate, the total impact of zero-rating on the export sector would be around Rs 6 bn to Rs 10 bn.The estimate also considered cases where some exporters, especially the textile sector, sell their products in the domestic market, which are originally meant for exports.According to a businessman who attended the meeting, the prime minister was also informed about the past arrears of the refunds/rebates. Three options were discussed for the clearance of pending refunds.It was decided that small refunds should be released immediately while banking bonds would be issued for large ones. However, the issue would be discussed with stakeholders to reach a workable solution, he added.The prime minister was also informed that clearance of Rs 200 bn in one go would also lead to reduction in share of taxes to provinces under the divisible pool. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India This annual consultation is the third that the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs have held. The fourth consultation will be hosted by Minister McCully in NZ next year. Suva, 17 February Fiji's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, and the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Murray McCully, signed a Development Cooperation Arrangement following their ministerial consultation today at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.The Development Cooperation Arrangement will see New Zealand assisting Fiji in three priority areas, namely economic development, skills training or workforce development, and the creation of institutional linkages. The overall goal of the New Zealand development assistance programme is to contribute to Fijis sustainable economic development. The Development Cooperation Arrangement arose out of the need for both countries to enhance their bilateral relations and put in place an overarching framework of cooperation.The two Ministers acknowledged the value of the DCA in targeting assistance to Fiji that may not necessarily be within the current scope of NZ's aid programme. This was considered important to ensure that the partnership and areas of cooperation between the two countries remain relevant and beneficial to their peoples.During their consultation, Minister Kubuabola thanked the New Zealand government for its assistance towards the Fijian agriculture sector and expressed the hope for further assistance in the future. In this regard, Minister McCully will be touring the Koronivia Agriculture Station to explore opportunities to assist the Fiji Diary Sector Programme.Under NZ's aid programme for 2015-2019, a sum of NZ$33 million has been allocated for assistance in the areas of agriculture value chains, skills training and building capacity in the public sector.In acknowledging the need to work together to address the root causes of climate change, the two Ministers agreed to explore assistance that will enable Fiji to access clean, efficient and affordable energy sources through direct investment and technology transfer to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. Minister Kubuabola expressed Fiji's appreciation for the assistance provided by the NZ Government in supplying solar lanterns to some informal settlements that have no access to electricity.The two Ministers acknowledged the need to continue the education assistance provided to Fiji under the NZ Scholarship study awards. For 2016, 20 scholarships are being offered to Fijians in various programs, which is an increase from 10 over the last two years.In view of the long-standing historic ties on defence and security cooperation between Fiji and NZ, the two Ministers agreed to enhance existing cooperation and revive programmes of assistance that have benefited Fijians in the past.Another area that the two Ministers agreed to work together is in the preparation for Fiji's hosting of the Triennial Global Oceans Conference in June 2017.The two Ministers also discussed areas of cooperation on regional issues and multilateral matters of priority to them. Virat Kohli and Deepika Padukone just had the most nice converation of Twitter. Before you jump to conclusions and think the two are having an affair, let us tell you how and why Deepika and Virat are now family. Virat Kohli took to Twitter to make an announcement, he posted a picture of himself wearing the Tissot watch and wrote, "And it is official. I am honored and privileged to be the new brand ambassador of @TISSOT #Grateful." To this Deepika replied, "Welcome to the family @imVkohli !!!" and Virat thanked her for the sweet wishes. So this is how Deepika and Virat have now become part of a family, The Tissot Family. Years ago, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli had met each other the same way when they had become the brand ambassadors to a hair shampoo brand. ALSO READ: 12 Quirky Moves By Shahrukh Khan From Fan Anthem That Will Become A Rage This Year Hopefully, nothing brews between Deepika and Virat when they start working together. Although, one would never end up leavw a boyfriend like Ranveer Singh for any other guy on this planet. WORK FRONT: Professionaly, Deepika Padukone is busy in Toronto, shooting XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage along with Vin Diesel, Tony Jaa, Ruby Rose and others. Earlier today she even shared a picture with another co-star from the film and captioned it, "with Kris Wu and D.J. Caruso on the sets of #xXx! Are you excited to see them together on the big screen for #TheReturnOfXanderCage?" Virat Kohli on the other hand is keeping mum and not responding to any media about his rumoured break up with Anushka Sharma. If the couple have not broken up, Anushka surely will end it with him, if she sees these old photos of Virat Kolhi. "Great Commission Sunday," the March 6th missions' celebration at Beaverton Christian Church, 13600 S.W. Allen Blvd., will focus on the church's involvement in reaching the community and the world. George Bajenski, the church's missionary to Eastern Europe, will challenge the congregation to become a part of Christ's global cause at the 9:15 a.m. worship service. "This is the weekend when the church specifically honors all of its missionaries and the ministries we support," said Executive Pastor Dan Ferguson. "Our priority to reach the world is as close as our own neighborhood and extends around the world." "George Bajenski has faithfully served as a missionary to his home country of Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe for over 50 years, a feat which will be celebrated during this year's mission program at Beaverton Christian Church," Ferguson said. Bajenski grew up in Poland during World Word II but later moved to the United States to pursue theological training. After graduation, with the Iron Curtain still in place, he found it most effective to share God's words through radio broadcasts he produced and sent in to Poland and other parts of eastern Europe from the outside. As the cold war waned George eventually had freer access to countries previously under Communist rule. Ferguson noted that Beaverton Christian is meeting the basic needs of the community through a year-round church food pantry and additional community partnerships that benefit local schools. He said the church also offers several local outreach events throughout the year that include hosting an annual holiday festival in November and a neighborhood party in the summer. "Beaverton Christian is making an impact around the world through short-term mission trips, and by providing financial and prayer support to eight full-time missionaries located in Africa, Asia and Europe. We offer training in evangelism and discipleship in order to equip and mobilize our church family in relation to the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20)," Ferguson said. "Today, every disciple of Christ has a mission of being a witness for Jesus Christ wherever in the world God places them. For some that means in places like Zambia, Japan or India, but for most of us it means right here in our neighborhood - at work, at school or at play. But in one sense we are all called to participant in Christ's global cause whether we go or stay," he added. For more information on the Beaverton Christian mission program, contact the church office at 503-646-2151 or visit www.bcc.org. March will be a landmark month in Myanmar's history, as military rules gives way to a democratically elected government. But the historic handover of power also marks a deadline for the development of the country's stock market. The Myanmar Securities and Exchange Commission, which is controlled by the outgoing administration, wants the first companies listed on the fledgling Yangon Stock Exchange by the time the government leaves power. Six companies were named as listing candidates at the launch of the exchange in December (see table). But while the SEC is pressing ahead, theres little certainty about which company will list first, or exactly when. Indeed, few of the organisations slated to list appear ready. Click for full view The companies are still making important preparations, such as due diligence, corporate governance structure and other legal requirements, Daw Tin May Oo, an official at the SEC, told the Myanmar Times on January 21. She estimated that only one or two companies would be ready to list shares and begin trading by March. The government will want to list at least one company before it leaves but thats only a few weeks away, a private equity executive who is closely watching Myanmars market development told FinanceAsia. So far weve seen no announcement and no prospectuses, in a market that is unfamiliar with stocks. The lack of information is particularly concerning for two reasons. First, local companies typically reveal limited financial information, and the lack of a credit bureau plus the existence of a large informal banking sector makes it hard to ascertain their solvency without more information. Secondly, most of Myanmars larger businesses form part of even larger conglomerates, some of which are run by individuals still on US sanction lists. In April 2015 Washington removed Win Aung, founder of two companies and head of Myanmars Chamber of Commerce, from the list. He is just the fourth person removed since 2012 from a list of over 100 names. A major constraint to stock listings here is that some big conglomerates wont want to go public, while some mid-cap companies may struggle to find the means to do so because it could cost them around $500,000, said the private equity executive. Plus, the accounting books of some firms may require extensive auditing work. Whats more, the YSX hasnt even made clarified its minimum financial hurdles for listing companies. Company law in Singapore requires listed companies to have a certain level of turnover and assets, Michael Sien, a Yangon-based lawyer who advises many foreign companies, told FinanceAsia. This is not yet clear here. In fairness, the Myanmar Accountancy Council oversees a 2010 version of the International Financial Regulatory Standard and the SEC has said locally listed companies must abide by them. But these rules are five years behind modern standards. TOO MUCH, TOO SOON Even if the 10 approved and budding brokers are all ready and the six designated companies are fit to list (which most arent), a stock exchange only functions well when supported by an engaged investor base. Myanmar doesnt have any institutional investors, while foreign investors wont be let in until after the nations Foreign Investment Law and the Myanmar Citizens Investment Law are combined (Msien said a draft version of the combined law is ready to be approved). Added to this, the countrys due diligence frailties are likely to slow the entrance of institutional and corporate investors alike. The need for due diligence here is substantial, if foreign investors are to take a larger role, said Nick Freeman, a Yangon-based consultant who advises Myanmar Capital Partners. If multinational enterprises want to do business here and not risk falling foul of remaining sanctions, they must expect to do more due diligence work than they might in most other countries. And some of the shareholding networks here are quite complex, so its not always abundantly clear whats under the hood. As a result, it will be up to local retail investors to support the exchange for the time being. The country already has an over-the-counter stock market, which trades shares in several companies. So the concept of shares isnt entirely unfamiliar to the Myanmarese. But a senior businessman advising a company that is considering listing said the SEC has made minimal efforts to educate the populace about how publicly-traded shares work. I dont think local investors are ready yet, he said. Instead, brokers and law firms have conducted roadshows to help train would-be investors. Takashi Takahashi, deputy director for Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre, said MSEC has conducted five open seminars on stock trading, four in Yangon and one in Myanmars second-largest city of Mandalay. About 200 to 300 people attended each one. But five million people live in Yangon and 1.2 million are in Mandalay. Its very unlikely all potential buyers will have been briefed by the time the first stocks trade. Union Medical Healthcare took advantage of the improvement so far this week in market sentiment to kick off pre-marketing on Tuesday for an initial public offering in Hong Kong that could raise as much as $150 million for the aesthetic medical service provider. The investor education exercise follows Monday's strong rally in global stock markets, led by Tokyo, where shares surged by 7% on expectations of extra stimulus measures. The gains continued into Tuesday, with Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index adding another 1.08% after posting its biggest daily surge in five months on Monday. The market bounce has given market participants a sigh of relief after a dismal start to the year following Chinas controversial introduction (and subsequent suspension) of a circuit-breaker mechanism that inadvertently helped to aggravate rather than calm market volatility. The mood in the run-up to the Chinese New Year holiday had been downbeat after data showed the Chinese economy grew in 2015 at its slowest rate in 25 years and as deflation worries diffused globally after crude oil prices hit a 13-year low in late January. Against that market backdrop there have not been any sizeable listings in Hong Kong, the world's biggest IPO hub last year, so far in 2016. Goodbaby China, which sells baby and childrens products, attempted to build books for a HK$1.25 billion ($161 million) IPO in late January but pulled the deal earlier this month citing the volatile market conditions. Premarketing of IPOs typically takes around a week but Union Medical Healthcare was advised by sole sponsor Credit Suisse to conduct two weeks of premarketing to better gauge market sentiment before officially launching the trade, a source familiar with the situation told FinanceAsia. That means the Hong Kong-based medical beauty group will not decide on the launch until early March and any listing will not materialise until late March. Business Union Medical Healthcare claims to be the largest aesthetic medical service provider in Hong Kong in terms of revenue in 2014. It offers plastic surgery as well as traditional beauty services under the Dr Reborn brand. Over the last two years the company has recorded stellar earnings growth. In 2014 it booked HK$81 million ($10.4 million) in net profit, reversing a HK$33 million loss a year earlier. That was followed by another 115% improvement last year when Union Medical Healthcare made a net profit of HK$174 million. The strong growth in earnings was largely driven by the provision of aesthetic surgical medications, including breast augmentation, liposuction, and double eyelid surgery procedures. Over the past three years, sales from this division grew at a compound annual growth rate of 26% to HK$281 million and accounted for about 45% of the firms total revenue last year, according to the companys preliminary prospectus. By comparison traditional beauty services such as facials and massages grew at a CAGR of 19% during the same three-year period. So their contribution to the companys total revenue dropped to 16% last year from 26% in 2013. In recent years Union Medical Healthcare managed to improve its cash positions significantly due to the increase of prepayments from clients. Pre-sales of medical packages accounted for 38.7% of total revenue last year, up from 13.3% two years earlier. Similar to other aesthetic medical service providers, Union Medical Healthcare operates a light-asset model and leases all its 23 service centres and clinics in Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangzhou. It also has 22 full-time registered doctors and hires several other doctors on a part-time basis or through subcontractors. Such a business model allows the company to expand rapidly but also makes it more vulnerable to rental adjustments. In 2015 rental and related expenses amounted to HK$65.8 million, a 92% increase from two years ago. Another concern investors might have is the relatively short history of the company, particularly in the riskier medical surgery segment. Union Medical Healthcare was founded in 2005 but it was not until 2011 when it began offering aesthetic surgical procedures. Valuation and comps Sources familiar with the matter said Union Medical Healthcare plans to issue 25% of its enlarged share capital before greenshoe, equating to a valuation of around $600 million and a fair valuation range of 18 times to 24 times forecast earnings for the 2016 financial year. Syndicate analysts have taken the likes of Bloomage Biotech and Shanghai Haohai Biological Technology as Union Medical Healthcares closest comparables in the domestic market although their businesses are different in nature. Bloomage Biotech and Shanghai Haohai, which manufacture biomedical materials for medical and cosmetics purposes, are in the upstream of the healthcare industry while Union Medical Healthcare is largely a medical services provider in the latter stages of the value chain. Shares of Bloomage are down 12.5% in price year-to-date and trade at 23.8 times earnings on a rolling 12-month basis, while Shanghai Haohai's are down 12.9% and trade at 22.15 times earnings. The choice of peers by syndicate bankers reflects the absence of a sizeable Hong Kong-based medical services provider, which makes benchmarking fairly difficult. Modern Beauty Salon Holdings, which operates beauty centres in Hong Kong, is a direct competitor to Union Medical Healthcare but the shares are highly illiquid and its market capitalisation is expected to be just one-tenth of its rival. Medy-Tox, a Korean supplier of botulinum, toxin, therapeutics, and Korean biomedicine manufacturer Alteogen are taken as global comparables. Medy-Tox is trading at a hefty 57 times forecast earnings this year, while Alteogen is expected to remain in the red this year. Hong Kongs aesthetic medical services market is highly fragmented. Union Medical Healthcare was the largest provider by revenue last year but only commanded a 6.84% market share. That leaves a lot of room for expansion, potentially through mergers and acquisitions. The market is also expected to get bigger in Hong Kong due to the rising acceptance and growing affordability of aesthetic medical services, with total revenue expected to nearly double to HK$6.95 billion by 2019 from HK$3.52 billion in 2014, according to Frost & Sullivan. Still, how investors value the company may depend on its perceived ability to expand in China in the long term, given the lower penetration rate of aesthetic medical services there. At present, the company operates one clinic in Guangzhou versus 20 in Hong Kong but it is planning to open a second mainland clinic in Shanghai in the near future, according to the preliminary IPO prospectus. But there are also inherent risks associated with these expansion plans, particularly in terms of regulations and new competition. "Our expansion plans, particularly our plans to expand our business in various locations of the PRC, Macau and Taiwan, are subject to uncertainties and risks and we may not be able to replicate the success we have [achieved] in Hong Kong or successfully manage our expanded operations, the company said in the prospectus. How long before the first major default of a Chinese corporate or of one of their expensively assembled acquisitions? Those questions must linger unpleasantly in the minds of bankers as a succession of mainland Chinese companies come to market with debt-reliant M&A bids for international companies. The latest was Zoomlion, which on Wednesday confirmed that in January it had made a $3.3 billion tilt at US crane maker Terex, in an unsolicited effort to muscle in on the companys merger discussions with Konecranes of Finland. Zoomlion said it would use bank debt to fund 60% of its proposed bid, which values Terex at $30 a share -- a 100% premium to the value of its shares before the offer. Thats a hefty slice of debt to add to the book. While Zoomlion has cash around $2.3 billion, according to the Financial Times it also has a debt-to-Ebitda ratio of 43 times. Its far from the first debt-laden Chinese company to decide to pile more red onto to the balance sheet to make offshore purchases. China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) has made a $43 billion bid for Switzerlands Syngenta that will be supported by huge amounts of debt, including huge acquisition financing lines from HSBC and China Citic Bank. The New York Times estimated that ChemChina could throw nearly $16 billion onto Syngentas balance sheet, so it would need to find a further $28 billion itself to finance the deal. Thats punchy for a company that had Rmb232 billion ($35.5 billion) in debt and cash of Rmb29.8 billion at the end of September. The amount of debt being clamoured for by acquisition-hungry companies looks set to rise a lot further. All-told Chinese companies announced 598 outbound deals worth $112 billion in 2015, according to Thomson Reuters. This year the tally of announced M&A already stands at $55 billion, as more companies respond to Beijings desire to acquire more technology, expertise, and products to help upscale the countrys manufacturing capabilities and improve local consumerism. According to the Financial Times, complaints are emerging that the levels of debt support underpinning some of these deals are emanating largely from local banks with an apparently fathomless level of risk appetite. That offers the companies an artificial advantage over international rivals that utilise far shallower levels of leverage. At the same time, concerns are mounting about the state of China's banking industry as the world's second-largest economy slows and non-performing loans rise. The China Banking Regulatory Commission said on Monday that 1.67% of commercial bank loans in China last year were non-performing, while 'special mention loans, which many consider to include effective bad debt, hit 3.79% at the end of December. All-told, official NPLs in the banking sector totalled Rmb1.22 trillion in 2015 versus the Rmb1.59 trillion in profits collectively made, according to the CBRC. The official NPL figure is probably also a major underestimate of the true scale of the problem. Hedge fund manager Kyle Bass of Hayman Capital Management has said his firm is betting against the renminbi, arguing the country's banking system cannot have grown "1,000% in 10 years and not have a loss cycle." UBS economist Tai Wang disputes such doomsday scenarios but even she takes a 10% NPL level as a worst-case scenario, notably higher than the official rate reported today. Bad debt drain Chinas banks are accelerating their lending too, to help offset slowing economic growth. In January the banks lent Rmb2.51 trillion of new loans, a record monthly high and far more than anticipated. McKinsey Global Institute reported this month that Chinese indebtedness quadrupled from 2007 to 2014, from $7 trillion to $28 trillion, taking total debt to 282% of GDP. That offers a concerning mismatch. Chinese companies are using piles of debt on sometimes already leveraged balance sheets to support M&A bids, even as the banks offering them the money see bad debts mount and their balance sheets become more stretched. The assumption among most M&A targets, their investors, and the shareholders of all the Chinese companies making these bids is that the Chinese government is the ultimate backstop to this debt. After all, its in large part due to its urgings that companies are heading out to buy assets and in the process putting additional pressure on their balance sheets. President Xi Jinping told Reuters in a written interview in October that China overseas investment would reach $1.25 trillion in the coming years in the coming decade. "The Chinese government supports Chinese companies in going global," he said. But that doesnt mean all risk is shed. Instead it heightens the danger that some of Chinas major companies, able to lean on seemingly limitless credit lines, overbid for assets and then struggle to make them work. That could in turn force NPLs in the banking sector to continue upwards as the companies borrowing opt to renegotiate the payments on these debts and the state banks feel unable to foreclose on companies that buy in line with Beijings urgings and to which they have enormous exposure. At a bare minimum it suggests more bank balance sheets could get loaded with the overseas debt of large companies, reducing their capacity to lend onshore. That, in turn, could crimp efforts to improve local liquidity. Chinas companies dont possess a particularly good track record when it comes to acquisitions either, in part because so many were expensive resources-focused purchases and the commodities markets have since slumped. One example is oil and gas major Cnooc, which conducted an $15.1 billion acquisition of Canada's Nexen. The purchase, which was funded through $4 billion in bonds as well as cash, has been a very expensive flop. It was conducted when oil was valued at $100 a barrel. It's now nearer $30 a barrel, so the company faces an uphill struggle to execute oil-sands projects. Chinas banks and company investors had best hope the countrys latest round of acquisitions are conducted with more strategic sense and sensible valuations. But given the juicy premium being offered by Zoomlion, the latter at least might be a forlorn hope. Chinas huge acquisitive interest in foreign semiconductor assets is not going as smoothly as it would wish after Fairchild Semiconductor turned down a $2.6 billion joint bid from a Chinese consortium on Tuesday. The American chipmaker rejected a $21.7-per share bid from a consortium formed by China Resources Microelectronics and Hua Capital Management, casting some doubt over whether it would be approved. The board concluded that there is some non-negligible risk of a failure to obtain an approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, Fairchild said in a statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, is an inter-agency panel led by the Treasury Department that assesses major foreign investments into the US that might potentially harm national security. Instead, Fairchild looks set now to proceed with a merger deal agreed in November with US peer On Semiconductor at $20 per share. After taking into consideration the risk that CFIUS approval might not be forthcoming, Fairchild said it had concluded that the Chinese bid is not superior to Fairchilds existing agreement with On Semiconductor. "Specifically, the board believed that the consortiums proposed $108 million CFIUS reverse termination fee would not adequately justify risking the company stockholder premium present in the ON Semiconductor transaction," Fairchild said in its filing. Reuters, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter, reported that Fairchild's board is open to another offer by the Chinese. National security concerns The failure of the Fairchild bid is another example of the growing concerns in the US as China Inc ventures overseas in search of technical expertise and assets it can buy in sensitive sectors such as technology and communications. Such concerns have also arisen in Taiwan, a frequent destination for Chinese semiconductor buyers. Silicon Precision Industries (SPIL) last year entered into an agreement to sell 25% of its enlarged share capital to Chinas state-owned Tsinghua Unigroup. The deal was strongly opposed by industry competitors, government officials, and some prominent politicians including current president-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who claimed the sale posed a serious threat to Taiwans semiconductor industry. Tsinghua Unigroup has also offered to purchase a 25% stake in each of Taiwanese memory chipmaker Powertech Technology and Chipmos Technologies. Chinas huge foreign acquisitive interest in overseas semiconductor assets stems from Beijings desire to reduce its reliance on foreign semiconductor suppliers. In October 2014, Beijing established the National Integrated Circuitry Industry Investment Fund and encouraged local companies to acquire foreign chip making companies by offering capital support. Tsinghua Unigroup and Hua Capital are considered the most aggressive buyers. Regional governments have specific mandates to acquire foreign semiconductor assets, George Chang, head of regional technology research at Yuanta Investment Consulting, told FinanceAsia. Many of these companies are placing bids without considering the chance of success because it is simply a way to showcase their work to the central government. Supported by cheap financing and government initiatives, Chang believes the likes of Tsinghua Unigroup and Hua Capital will continue to target US and Taiwanese semiconductor companies despite their setbacks. A top wealth management executive left Deutsche Bank, which recently agreed to sell its U.S. Private Client unit to Raymond James. Chip Packard, who was recently promoted to head of Deutsche's U.S. wealth management unit, quit on Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter. A spokeswoman for the firm declined to comment on his departure. Packard joined Deutsche in 2006 from Credit Suisse, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records. He initially served as co-head with Haig Ariyan. When Deutsche announced the sale of the Private Client unit in December, Raymond James said it would operate the unit under its old name, Alex. Brown, and that Ariyan would move with the advisors in order to serve as the unit's new president. Meanwhile, Packard was to stay with Deutsche, and in January, he was promoted to head of Wealth Management Americas at the firm. It's not clear where Packard is now headed, but his departure is the latest in a string of top executives leaving the helms of their wealth management firms. In December Bob McCann stepped down from UBS. In January Greg Fleming quit as president of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and John Taft announced his retirement as CEO of RBC Wealth Management-U.S. Packard could not be reached for comment. Deutsche Bank's U.S. private client unit has approximately 400 employees, including advisors and support staff. Most of the management team is expected to make the move to Raymond James, according to statements from the two firms when the deal was announced. Raymond James recently reported in an SEC filing that it expects to spend about $420 million, including retention bonuses, to purchase the unit. Read more: Most advisors occasionally encounter couples who cant agree on a significant financial decision. Indeed, money issues are a leading cause of stress in romantic relationships, according to a survey released last year by SunTrust Bank. While 35% of respondents experiencing relationship stress said the cause was money, only 25% claimed annoying habits to be the culprit. Given the central role money plays in even healthy, loving relationships and marriages, planners need to develop strategies to work effectively with couples who disagree. A big part of our role as financial counselor is, to some extent, behavioral psychologist, says Jake Barnes, CFP and vice president with Financial Advisory Service in Leawood, Kan. Everyone enters relationships with their own ideas about money. Moreover, most of us tend to assume others share our beliefs, says Holly Thomas, the founder of financial planning practice Holly P. Thomas in Tampa, Fla. Of course, thats not always the case. When two partners beliefs contradict each other, disagreements can result. Helping two arguing partners reach agreement often starts with a basic step: asking questions. Many disagreements about money actually reflect deeper fissures within the relationship. Kate Holmes, the founder and CEO of Belmore Financial in Las Vegas, was working with a couple deeply in debt and whose budgeting efforts were stalled. Previously, theyd enjoyed two incomes, but one parent now stayed home with the kids. Holmes pushed the papers aside and asked, What was the conversation when you decided to have kids? The partner who worked outside the home began crying, and stated she had no idea that, five years after they became parents, the other would still be at home; shed assumed theyd more quickly return to a dual-income household. The other partner hadnt realized the pressure the working partner felt. The issue wasnt just budgeting, Holmes says. After the conversation, the stay-at-home partner began a part-time job. This relieved some of the pressure on the other. OBSERVING BODY LANGUAGE Of course, few planners want to intrude, even as they try to determine whats keeping their clients from reaching agreements. One way to discern a clients true feelings is by observing body language. If Thomas sees an eye roll or a client turn away from his or her spouse, shell say something like, I guess thats not sitting well with you. Often, acknowledging their feelings prompts clients to open up and civilly discuss a point of contention. A tactic used by Richard Colarossi, a planner with Colarossi & Williams Financial Advisory Group in Islandia, N.Y., is to separate the partners, then ask each to write down the others goals along with several pros and cons of each. The partners then read aloud what theyve written. Often, theyre able to use a gentler tone of voice than they would have had the oral argument simply continued. And when one partner says, Yeah, he or she is right about that, its a sign theyre starting to accept the others insight. That helps begin the compromise, Colarossi says. Edward Gjertsen, vice president with Mack Investment Securities in Northfield, Ill., will ask each partner to list the reasons for or against a particular idea, such as one spouse retiring early. Hell then look for common areas between the lists. Its trying to find the compromise, he says. For instance, perhaps the spouse doesnt retire early, but does cut back on working hours. When working with partners who disagree, its critical that planners avoid focusing just on the more vociferous spouse, says Gil Armour, a planner with SagePoint Financial in San Diego. The partner who feels he or she hasnt been heard may not fully agree with the plan developed, yet will hesitate to speak up. In the future, however, his or her discontent may spark further disagreements. PEDALING IN MUD When emotions threaten to prevent a couple from agreeing on a financial goal, advisors can try to calm passions by presenting relevant facts. Information is always sobering, says Rick Martin, a senior planner with Szarka Financial in North Olmsted, Ohio. Conversely, its hard to argue people out of their emotions, Martin says. Say one partner attended a small, private college and is adamant the couples kids do the same. Its probably going to be tough to convince him or her of the benefits of larger, public universities, Martin says. But the advisor can estimate the costs of the private school and show how covering the expense will impact the couples ability to save for retirement, or leave their offspring with debt. When clients tempers continue to run hot and show no signs of moderating, the planner may need to stop and schedule follow-up meetings. Kashif Ahmed, president of American Private Wealth in Woburn, Mass., often meets with the two partners individually. The reason? When the two are together, theyll probably continue to state their positions, but skip over the reasons for them. The argument becomes a repeat of the ones theyve had many times before. As he says, If you keep pedaling in the mud, the bike wont move forward. Separated, most spouses tend to feel freer to articulate the reasons for a particular position. Ahmed then brings them together and talks through the reasons each has been holding onto a belief. When provided with the explanation, each typically can see the rationale behind the others position, he says. The two often are more willing to find common ground. At times, the best solution is to structure a plan in which each partners assets are treated separately, Armour says. For instance, two partners may disagree on the asset mix needed to meet an objective. Hell segment the portfolio into two portions: one emphasizing growth, and one, income. Each can oversee his or her own portion. If they cant come to agreement, work out parallel paths, Armour says. RELATIONSHIP COUNSELING While planners often can help arguing couples reach agreements acceptable to both, at times the rift between the partners is so intractable its apparent they need more help than a planner can reasonably provide. Many planners say theyve encountered one or two couples who needed relationship counseling before they could work through their financial differences. One sign a relationship may be at this point: contempt. When its clear one partner feels contempt for the other, its almost unworkable, says Gayle Colman, CFP and cofounder of Colman Knight Advisory Group in Carlisle, Mass. Joe Krier, president of Krier Wealth Management in Jacksonville, Fla., has worked with several engaged couples who disagreed so strongly he asked them if they truly wanted to be together. On two different occasions, the couple didnt tie the knot, he says. They both thanked me. While portfolio management and number crunching are, of course, critical to any planners success, theyre only part of the role, Financial Advisory Services Barnes says. Just as important, he says, is helping people understand the implications of the numbers, the decisions, the disagreements and how working through them helps the future. Read more: CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/16/16 -- Long Run Exploration Ltd. ("Long Run" or the "Company") (TSX: LRE) is pleased to announce that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") has recommended that Long Run shareholders vote in favor of the arrangement involving Long Run, Long Run securityholders and Calgary Sinoenergy Investment Corp. (the "Arrangement"). ISS is a leading independent provider of corporate governance and proxy voting analysis, whose recommendations are relied on by many major institutions and securityholders to assist in making informed proxy voting decisions that are in the best interest of shareholders. In recommending its clients vote in favor of the Arrangement, ISS stated: "The all-cash transaction makes strategic sense as it provides certainty of value and near-term liquidity to company shareholders in a challenging energy commodities environment and the company's current constrained financial position." After an extensive review of the Company's strategic and financial options to improve its capital structure, Long Run's Board of Directors and management believe that pursuing the Arrangement is in the best interest of Long Run and its stakeholders. Long Run's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders and debentureholders vote in favor of the Arrangement. Long Run has scheduled a special meeting (the "Special Meeting") of securityholders to vote on the Arrangement to be held at 2:00 pm (Calgary time) on February 29, 2016 at the Livingston Place Conference Centre, 222 - 3rd Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta. Securityholders may attend the Special Meeting in person or be represented by proxy. Further details can be found in Long Run's information circular and proxy statement dated January 29, 2016 and the addendum thereto, each filed on SEDAR. For more information or assistance in voting your Long Run securities, please contact D.F. King at 1-800-833-2158 (toll-free), 201-806-7301 or by email at inquiries@dfking.com. ADVISORY Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this press release, including information and statements which may contain words such as "could", "plans", "should", "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "will" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the proposed Arrangement and timing of the Special Meeting. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Long Run's control. Completion of the Arrangement is subject to a number of conditions. Failure to satisfy any of these conditions, the emergence of a superior proposal or the failure to obtain approval of Long Run's shareholders, optionholders or debentureholders may result in the termination of the arrangement agreement. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risks that could affect completion of the Arrangement will be set forth in the information circular, which will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The actual results, performance or achievement of Long Run could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Long Run will derive therefrom. Long Run disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Contacts: Long Run Exploration Ltd. William E. Andrew Chair and Chief Executive Officer (403) 261-6012 Long Run Exploration Ltd. Corine Bushfield Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (403) 261-6012 Long Run Exploration Ltd. Lauren Kimak Manager, Investor Relations (403) 716-3222 or (888) 598-1330 information@longrunexploration.com www.longrunexploration.com CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/16/16 -- Northern Frontier Corp. (TSX VENTURE: FFF) ("Northern Frontier" or the "Corporation") announces that it has received an extension of its previously announced temporary waiver (the "Waiver") from its lenders (the "Lenders") of certain financial covenants under its credit facilities for the period ended December 31, 2015. Management has negotiated a Waiver of the previously announced anticipated breaches from its Lenders. The Waiver terms include: -- the Lenders waive compliance by Northern Frontier of the senior funded debt to EBITDA ratio covenant; -- the Lenders waive compliance by Northern Frontier of the fixed charge coverage ratio covenant; and -- the Waiver expires on March 31, 2016 (the "Waiver Period"). The Waiver is conditional on, among other items, Northern Frontier entering into amended credit facilities on terms satisfactory to the Lenders on or before the expiration of the Waiver Period. The Waiver is a temporary solution to allow management and the Lenders additional time to amend Northern Frontier's credit facilities. About Northern Frontier Corp. Northern Frontier's strategic objective is to create a large industrial and environmental services business through a buy and build growth strategy. Currently, the Corporation provides: civil construction, excavation, fabrication and maintenance services to the industrial industry, bulk water transfer logistic services and installs and dismantles remote workforce lodging and modular offices in western Canada. The Corporation's common shares and common share purchase warrants are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "FFF" and "FFF.WT.A", respectively. Reader Advisory Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements that constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements in respect of: -- expectations of future financial performance of the Corporation; and -- the Corporation's ability to successfully negotiate amendments to its credit facilities on terms satisfactory to the Lenders. These statements are only predictions and are based upon current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, which the Corporation believes are reasonable but which may prove to be incorrect and therefore such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. In making such forward-looking statements, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, industry activity, the state of financial markets, business conditions, continued availability of capital and financing, future oil and natural gas prices and the ability of the Corporation to obtain necessary regulatory approvals. Although the Corporation believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. By its nature, forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements set out in this news release, except as required by applicable law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Northern Frontier Corp. Chris Yellowega President and Chief Executive Officer 587.293.7230 cyellowega@nfcorp.ca Northern Frontier Corp. Monty Balderston Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 587.293.7230 mbalderston@nfcorp.ca Northern Frontier Corp. 400, 435 - 4th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 3A8 www.nfcorp.ca NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - February 16, 2016) - ICMediaDirect.com, a leading public relations and reputation management agency, has outlined powerful strategies that companies can implement for building a strong online brand and controlling search results. This year, digital marketing will see a significant reform, with new trends emerging through different platforms. In an ever-changing marketplace, the company has stated how careful social media planning and video advertisement will help industries seeking an improvement in how they are viewed by the public. According to ICMediaDirect.com, online reputation management has become one of the most important digital marketing strategies in 2016, enabling businesses to control online results and gain credibility among consumers. Research suggests that companies with a strong content marketing strategy will see 67 percent more engagement among Internet users on a monthly basis. By building trust through strategic messaging, companies can get more customers by communicating their core values and brand voice. Experts at ICMediaDirect.com advise that the use of video and brand messaging will rise in 2016. As more Internet users embrace visual content, social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter are making it easier for brands to successfully grab their audience's attention through silent autoplay videos. Tech giant Google has already started to display in-SERP video ads, boosting brands' online visibility and helping them engage more users at the same time. By communicating information with a more graphic method, videos can capture audiences quickly while increasing brand recognition and ensuring reliability. Personalization is expected to become the norm in 2016 and companies will refine each message with potential customers. This cannot be achieved without a strong understanding of search engine optimization, mobile marketing trends, and new technologies that will aid in reputation management efforts. ICMediaDirect.com recommends incorporating the use of storytelling techniques to communicate brand messages with an increased use of video advertisements. A personalized mix of visual storytelling will have more impact and raise engagement, allowing businesses to build trust with potential customers. "Stories help brands target the customer's emotional core, which results in a more positive response to reputation messaging," states the firm's spokesperson. Micro-targeting is predicted to improve in 2016, with companies like Facebook already providing advanced targeting options to advertisers. Specialized ads inspire more people to search for a product, making them twice as effective as non-targeted, generic advertisement campaigns. Companies that want to stay ahead of competition should also be mindful of analytics, as marketing data will become critical to powering reputation management campaigns. With large amounts of data already available, companies will make better decisions with respect to their budgets and brand-building techniques. ICMediaDirect.com is a PR and reputation management agency based in Washington, DC and New York City. Being two years older than Google, ICMediaDirect.com provides quality online repair services that help improve brands' presence and reputation. With their skilled strategies and in-depth knowledge of today's modern media dynamic, the firm was recognized by the Small Business Institute for Excellence in Commerce (SBIEC) as a company that demonstrates a high regard for honoring business ethics and corporate values. IC Media Direct - PR and Marketing News: http://icmediadirectnews.com ICMediaDirect.com - CrunchBase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/icmediadirect-com IC Media Direct - Leads the Market in Google Brand Repair: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ic-media-direct-leads-the-market-in-google-brand-repair/ar-AAcZjWT Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/17/11G083208/Images/ICMediaDirect.com_-_Offers_Strategies_To_Build_Suc-c7efe2e2d57598a29de47408168783f6.jpg Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QHOeY8qAM Contact Information ICMediaDirect.com TEL: 1.800.595.0821 www.ICMediaDirect.com pr@icmediadirect.com CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The New Zealand dollar edged down against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday. The NZ dollar fell to 0.6555 against the U.S. dollar and 74.67 against the yen, from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.6575 and 75.00, respectively. Against the euro and the Australian dollar, the kiwi edged down to 1.5712 and 1.0834 from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.5665 and 1.0804, respectively. If the kiwi extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 0.63 against the greenback, 72.00 against the yen, 1.63 against the euro and 1.10 against the aussie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. While it is always news when a larger corporation or retailer is hacked, there are many more untold stories of SMBs suffering from unwanted intrusions. According to the National Small Business Association, 44% of small businesses in 2013 were attacked. More recently, Travelers noted that 60% of all hacking target attacks struck SMBs. Moreover, the cost of such attacks has been estimated at $8,700 each for small businesses. Therefore, it has become important for SMBs as well as enterprises to strengthen their ability to prevent unauthorized access. When employees accessed system using company equipment and company approved or built networks, managing authorized users and access to information was anything but simple. Implementing complicated systems caused users to develop high security risk work arounds to avoid system restrictions and constraints. Simplifying systems exposed businesses to a larger number of types of attacks. IT managers and developers have a very difficult and oft times unthankful job of protecting critical business information using inadequate or point solutions. With the increase in mobile workers comes the need to provide access to critical business systems over open networks and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) adds yet another layer of complexity and uncertainty. Understanding who is accessing your business systems and managing their access to information is more difficult than ever and the risk of loss or manipulation of business information greater than ever. CloudRoute and other Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers are delivering an integrated alternative to the point products attempting to address these dramatic growth of the mobile workforce, numbers of networks and variety of access devices. The Enterprise Mobility Suite addresses identify management by providing: Conditional access policies for enhanced single sign-on security Mobile Device Management Microsoft Identity Manager Single sign-on security provides access to multiple applications (internal, cloud, and mobile) with a single user name and password. Access is then based upon the specific access policies applied to the user. Typical Conditional Policies include: CHICAGO, IL and SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 02/16/16 -- Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) has named Anthony Couse Asia Pacific CEO, succeeding Alastair Hughes who has announced that he will leave JLL on July 1, 2016. Couse, who is currently Managing Director of Shanghai and East China, and Head of Capital Markets for China, will work closely with Hughes to ensure a smooth transition before assuming the Asia Pacific CEO role effective June 1, 2016. He will report directly to JLL CEO Colin Dyer. "During his 28 years with JLL, Alastair has made major contributions to the firm's growth both in EMEA and in Asia Pacific," said Dyer. "During the nearly eight years Alastair has been Asia Pacific CEO, we have doubled our revenue and increased profits seven times. We have cemented our leadership position in the market by opening many new offices, completing numerous strategic acquisitions and building a team of talented real estate professionals who provide high quality services to our clients every day." Hughes joined JLL in 1988 and served in a range of increasingly senior positions, including Managing Director of the firm's UK business and CEO of the EMEA region, before being named CEO Asia Pacific in 2008. Dyer continued, "I have enjoyed working alongside Alastair since I joined JLL and thank him for his valuable service." Couse joined JLL in London in 1989, moved to Hong Kong in 1993 and then to Shanghai in 2006. His expertise includes leasing, consultancy and capital markets. He has been responsible for the firm's strategic growth in East China, which includes the Yangtze Delta region and extends further west to Wuhan and Changsha, including opening new offices in Wuhan and Nanjing. He also has been responsible for the overall strategic direction and day-to-day management of JLL's Capital Markets business in China. Additionally, Couse oversees the firm's Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for Asia Pacific. "I am fortunate to have had a long and enjoyable career with JLL and now is the right time to hand on the mantle," said Hughes. "It gives me great pleasure to know that the business will be in Anthony's highly capable hands as the region continues to be a source of growth and momentum for the firm as a whole." "Alastair and the APAC management team built a very strong platform across the region, and I am confident that we will keep driving significant growth for the firm," said Couse. "I am excited to work with existing leadership to continue to develop our platform and deliver exceptional value for clients." About JLL JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. A Fortune 500 company with annual fee revenue of $5.2 billion and gross revenue of $6.0 billion, JLL has more than 230 corporate offices, operates in more than 80 countries and has a global workforce of more than 60,000. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4.0 billion square feet, or 372 million square meters, and completed $138 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2015. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $56.4 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2964825 Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2964710 Contact: Eva Sogbanmu Phone: +65 6494 3572 Mobile: +65 8376 3109 Email: Eva.Sogbanmu@ap.jll.com Gayle Kantro Phone: +1 312 228 2795 Mobile: +1 312 450 5948 Email: Gayle.Kantro@am.jll.com Regulatory News: Today Euronext (Paris:ENX) (Amsterdam:ENX) (Brussels:ENX) announced its results for the full year of 2015. Successful achievement of the IPO objectives undertaken for 2016 a year in advance: Third party revenue of 518.5 million, while IPO objective was to reach 500 million by the end of 2016 Cumulated efficiencies of 83 million net (run-rate), while IPO objective was 60 million then revised up to 80 million net by the end of 2016 Full-year EBITDA margin of 54.7%, while IPO objective was 45%, then revised up to 53% by the end of 2016 Consistent dividend policy, with a 1.24 per share dividend proposed for approval at the AGM on 12 May 2016, which represents an increase of 48% compared with 0.84 per share paid last year "Our strong results in 2015 were underpinned by a supportive Eurozone economic environment; macro uncertainty has been a solid driver of volumes on Euronext's markets. Our revenue performance, combined with a rigorous approach to cost control, allowed Euronext to achieve, a year ahead of schedule, the objectives set out at its IPO. We are pleased to be in a position to improve the value we deliver to our shareholders, proposing for approval at our AGM in May the payment of 1.24 dividend per share, an increase of nearly 50% compared to last year. Trading activity in 2016 has been resilient so far; Euronext is well positioned to benefit from volatility emerging from the current environment. I look forward to presenting, in the course of the second quarter of 2016, our new strategic plan. This plan will be structured on two key pillars: revenue growth and cost discipline," said Stephane Boujnah, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext NV. Financial performance Third party revenue increased by +10.1% on an adjusted basis to 518.5 million (FY 2014 adjusted: 470.9 million), and by +13.1% on a reported basis (FY 2014 reported: 458.5 million). 2015 has been a strong year for the listing business, as well as for cash trading. Buoyant market conditions, resulting from the ECB Monetary Policy and from some economic uncertainties (Greece in the first half of the year and China in the third quarter), resulted in strong trading volumes. In 2014, Group revenue included 34 million of transitional revenue and other income from ICE, reflecting primarily (i) the IT support services provided to LIFFE for the operation of its derivatives exchanges in the UK and in the US, and (ii) the impact of the Cannon Bridge House sublease rent in London. These services and related revenues terminated on 1 January 2015. The transformation of our cost structure resulted in a -14.3% decrease in operational expenses excluding Depreciation Amortization (FY 2014 adjusted: 274 million), to 234.7 million, and in a -12.1% decrease on a reported basis (FY 2014 reported: 267.1 million). As a result of these strong improvements, both on the revenue and on the cost sides, EBITDA increased strongly in 2015 to 283.8 million, representing a margin of 54.7% compared to 41.8% on an adjusted basis (FY 2014: 197 million) and to 45.8% on a reported basis (FY 2014 reported: 225.4 million). Depreciation and Amortization increased by +2.6% in 2015, to 17.1 million. This was mainly due to some accelerated depreciation of assets in conjunction with our relocations in France and Belgium. Operating profit before exceptional items for the year was 266.8 million, an increase of +47.9% compared to 2014 on an adjusted basis, and of +27.8% on a reported basis. 28.7 million of exceptional costs were booked in 2015 compared to 44.6 million in 2014. These costs include restructuring costs for 22.6 million. Exceptional costs not linked to restructuring include 5 million of provision for AMF litigation. Cumulated restructuring expenses for the period 2014-2015 stand at 67.2 million. The effective tax rate for the full year has been limited to 27.6% due to the release of a 13.9 million provision for uncertain tax in the last quarter of the year. Income tax recognized in 2015 thus amounted to 65.9 million, compared to 44.1 million in 2014. As a result, the net profit for the year 2015 was 172.7 million, increasing by +46.1% compared to 2014. This represents an EPS of 2.47 basic and 2.46 fully diluted, compared to 1.69 both basic and fully diluted in 2014.The number of shares used for the (basic) calculation was 69,851,603 for 2015 compared to 69,998,908 in 2014. The Supervisory Board, upon the recommendation of the Managing Board, has decided to propose for approval at the Annual General Meeting on 12 May 2016, the payment of a dividend of 1.24 per share. This represents a pay-out ratio of 50% of the net profit and is based of the number of outstanding shares at the end of the period. This is a +48% increase compared to the 0.84 dividend per share that was paid to shareholders last year. As of 31 December 2015, the Group had cash and cash equivalents of 158.6 million, and total debt of 108.3 million. As anticipated in the release our Q3'2015 results, a cash tax payment of 58 million took place in the last quarter of the year. Business highlights Listing The Listing business has delivered a strong performance in 2015, with 12.4 billion raised in primary activity. Companies from a large diversity of sectors and segments joined Euronext markets in 2015, from SMEs to large-capitalizations (such as ABN Amro, Amundi, Grandvision, Intertrust) and large cross border deals took place (Altice, LafargeHolcim,etc.). As a result, revenues were 70.5 million in 2015, an increase of +14.2% compared to the 61.7 million achieved in 2014. EnterNext, our subsidiary dedicated to the promotion and growth of small and medium-size companies, sustained its development, with a growing number of SMEs listings for the fourth consecutive year. There were 34 new listings and 1.2 billion raised in equity during the year (FY 2014: 29 new listings and 740 million raised). In total, 111.7 billion in equity and debt was raised on our markets in 2015, compared to 104.4 billion in 2014. 52 new listings took place in 2015, raising 12.4 billion compared to 45 listings for 11.2 billion in 2014. Trading Cash trading Cash trading delivered solid annual revenues of 197.2 million, up +19.1% compared to the 165.6 million achieved in 2014. Average daily volumes for the year reached 8.3 billion (+27.8% compared to 6.5 billion in 2014). This robust performance was largely driven by buoyant market volumes due to the ECB Monetary Policy, and to successive rounds of market volatility during the year, resulting from uncertainties on some economies. Market share for the year was over 63% for 2015 despite intense competition for high volume yet mobile, low yield flow. The balance of market share and yield has been nurtured throughout the year, with carefully planned evolution of our liquidity schemes. Activity on ETFs was particularly dynamic in 2015 with an average daily transaction value at 613 million, up 74% compared to 2014. Warrants listings grew to a record level in excess of 50k. Fixed income activity was subdued due to the low rate environment. Derivatives trading Derivatives trading revenue decreased by -4.3% in 2015 compared to 2014, to 44.5 million. Commodities benefited from higher volumes (+8.6%) due to the situation in Ukraine in the first quarter of the year, and to adverse weather conditions in both Western Europe and in the Midwest Plains causing uncertainty on the harvest campaign. Volumes, however, slowed down in Q4, as expected, given the volume upload in Q3. During the year, 14.3 million lots were exchanged in Euronext commodities markets, an absolute record since their start in 1994. Financial derivatives suffered from lower volumes in 2015 (-4.8% on index products -9.9% on individual equity products), in line with volatility and competition in The Netherlands. As a result of the fee cut in The Netherlands to address competition, market share was brought back to 60% on average. Our single stock futures complex is showing signs of traction with open interest at 75,000 lots at the end of January 2016, exceeding the combined open interest of AEX, BEL and PSI Index Futures for the first time. Market data indices Revenue from market data and indices in 2015 were up +6.9%, to 99.8 million (FY 2014: 93.3 million), benefiting both from sustained market data activity, and from the promising start of our new global index server, which debuted at the end of September. Our new index processor has already delivered six new index families, and 50 new indices in total. A new online corporate action data portal and associated pricing was launched on 1st October. 80 clients for Cash and Index notices have been signed so far. As of 31 December 2015, there were over 7,000 ETPs (Exchange Traded Products) linked to Euronext indices listed on our markets, an increase of 25.3% on 2014. ETFs linked to Euronext indices had a net inflow of assets under management (AUM) of 1.15bn, on a total AUM growth of 1.4bn, leading to an all-time high of AUM of 6.5bn. Post-trade Clearing Clearing revenues were positively impacted by the favourable product mix in our derivatives trading franchise, and specifically by the good performance of our commodity franchise. Revenues for the year were 51.9 million, up +7.2% compared to 48.5 million adjusted in 2014 (FY 2014 reported: 36 million). Settlement Custody Revenues for Interbolsa in Portugal in 2015 were 19.7 million, down -7.3% compared to the 21.3 million in 2014 due to a reduction in settlement instructions, corporate actions and private debt assets under custody in Portugal during the year. Interbolsa remains on track to go live in Wave 2 of T2S at the end of March 2016. Market solutions other Revenues from market solutions increased by +2.1% in 2015 compared to 2014 (from 33.4 million to 34.1 million). This increase was mainly driven by the recognition of 1.5 million non-recurring revenue, offsetting the reduction in solution revenue. Corporate Highlights Capital requirements On 17 December 2015, the District Court of Rotterdam rendered its decision in the appeal procedure, and decided that the new capital requirements imposed in the June 2014 license were not applicable any longer. The court ruled that the June 2014 License granted by the Dutch Minister was cancelled and replaced by the precedent one of March 2014, pending a revision of that license into a new and final license. Under the March 2014 license, Euronext NV has to confirm and demonstrate annually to the AFM that it has sufficient financial means to run its business during the coming 12 months and that it will be possible to meet its financial obligations during this period. The court also ruled that in view of the revision of the March 2014 license, Euronext has to demonstrate to the Dutch Ministry of Finance that it has at its disposal sufficient financial means to promote the orderly operations of the market. On 17 December 2015, Euronext issued a press release stating that pursuant to this decision, it will maintain its dialogue with the Minister of Finance with a view to continue complying with all applicable requirements in the most transparent manner in order to best serve its clients. On 28 January 2016, the Ministry of Finance lodged an appeal against the decision taken by the District Court of Rotterdam, which appeal has no suspensive effect. Therefore, the applicable license for capital requirements remains the one of March 2014, with no particular capital requirements at the holding level, pending a revision of this license into the new and final license. AMF litigation In connection with an investigation by the AMF into the trading pattern of a member firm using algorithmic trading strategies, the AMF notified Euronext Paris on 25 July 2013 that the exemption from certain fees granted in a non-public way to the trading firm under investigation may have been a violation of the General Regulations of the AMF by Euronext Paris in its capacity as a market operator. Euronext Paris contested the position of the AMF. On 8 December 2015, the Enforcement Committee of AMF sentenced Euronext Paris to pay a fine of 5.0 million for alleged wrong-doing in the HFT pilot program launched by NYSE Euronext in 2009 and discontinued in 2010. After reviewing the ruling of AMF's Enforcement Committee, Euronext announced that it would appeal against the decision, and has effectively lodged an appeal in front of Conseil d'Etat on 8 February 2016. As per IFRS rules, however, Management has recorded a provision of 5.0 million in its financial statements. Mid-term objectives Euronext has achieved its IPO mid-term objectives as an independent Company a year in advance. At IPO Euronext announced that it anticipated: Revenues to grow by a CAGR of 5% over the period 2013-2016 it has delivered 9.5% CAGR over the period 2013-2015; Costs to be reduced by 60 million net on a run-rate basis by the end of 2016 (upgraded to 80 million in February 2015) it has delivered 83 million net on a run-rate basis at the end of 2015; EBITDA margin to stand at 45% at the end of 2016 (upgraded to 53% in November 2014) it has delivered a margin close to 55%. Euronext will provide the market with a full set of mid-term objectives in the course of Q2'2016, upon the completion of the strategic review initiated by the CEO following his arrival on 16 November 2015. Within this framework, it is expected that in 2016 Euronext will incur selected expenditures to continue to reposition the Company, that might offset part of the additional cost saving measures undertaken in 2015. Therefore, we expect our cost base for the year to be stable compared to 2015, re-iterating our 80 million of net cost reduction by the end of 2016. As of year-end 2015, out of the 90 million of restructuring costs announced at IPO time 67.2 million have been spent. Several potential development options are currently being assessed by the Company as part of its strategic review. As a result of this process, part of these unspent restructuring costs could be used in 2016 for the implementation of these options. Governance On 16 November 2015, Stephane Boujnah joined Euronext as CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board. On 28 January 2016, Euronext announced that Luis Laginha, Chairman and CEO of Euronext Lisbon and Interbolsa and member of the Managing Board of Euronext NV, had resigned and would step down from his role as CEO. This departure was agreed mutually based on Luis Laginha's desire to pursue other professional interests. He will continue to fulfil his responsibilities until the shareholders' meetings of both entities have taken place on 22 February 2016. A replacement for Luis Laginha will be recruited in the coming months. Until such time as this recruitment process is finalised, Isabel Ucha, currently member of the Board of Euronext Lisbon and Director of Local Market Development, will be appointed interim CEO of Euronext Lisbon. Rui Matos, currently Board Member of Interbolsa, will be appointed interim CEO of Interbolsa. In addition, Hugo Rocha will be appointed to the Board of Euronext Lisbon. All these appointments are subject to prior non-objections from relevant market authorities. Refreshment of trading system As mentioned in earlier results communications, Euronext is investing in its core technology, under the programme Optiq. We are investing to enhance the performance of our systems, the time to market of new products and services, and the stability and security of our core markets for our members and issuers. This programme will ensure we will stay at the forefront of our industry and is part of the continuous improvement Euronext is making to its business and its infrastructure. Non-IFRS financial measures For comparative purposes, the company provides unaudited non-IFRS measures including: Operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization; EBITDA, EBITDA margin. We define the non-IFRS measures as follows: Operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization as the total of salary and employee benefits, and other operational expenses; EBITDA as the operating profit before exceptional items and depreciation and amortization; EBITDA margin as the operating profit before exceptional items and depreciation and amortization, divided by revenue. Non-IFRS financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable IFRS measures and should be read only in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements. Adjusted 2014 for Clearing revenues and expenses and ICE transitional revenues For comparative purpose, for the twelve month period ending 31 December 2014 the revenue, expenses and the subsequent impact on revenues, operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization have also been included when adjusted for (i) the new derivative clearing agreement with LCH.Clearnet, and (ii) the termination of ICE transitional services starting 1 January 2015. Clearing revenues and expenses were included based on our estimate of the amount of revenue we would have received and the amount of associated expenses we would have paid under the Derivatives Clearing Agreement, based on our actual trading volume for the periods presented and assuming the Derivatives Clearing Agreement had been in effect starting on 1 January 2014. Financial calendar Q1'2016 results 12 May 2016 Annual General meeting 12 May 2016 Q2'2016 results 28 July 2016 Q3'2016 results 9 November 2016 About Euronext Euronext is the primary exchange in the Euro zone with more than 1 300 listed issuers worth more than 3.0 trillion in market capitalization as of end December 2015, an unmatched blue chip franchise consisting of 25 issuers in the EURO STOXX 50 benchmark and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets. Its total product offering includes Equities, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. Euronext operates regulated markets, Alternext and the Free Market; in addition it offers EnterNext, which facilitates SMEs' access to capital markets. Disclaimer This press release is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities. This press release is provided "as is" without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronext's subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext. This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is located at www.euronext.com/terms-use. 2016, Euronext N.V. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216006541/en/ Contacts: Euronext Media Caroline Nico, +33 1 70 48 24 41 cnico@euronext.com or Analysts & investors Stephanie Bia, +33 1 70 48 24 17 sbia@euronext.com February 17, 2016 AkzoNobel today has made an agreed offer to acquire BASF's Industrial Coatings business for 475 million. The transaction would include technologies, patents and trademarks, as well as securing supply to customers worldwide. Two manufacturing plants - one in the UK and one in South Africa - would also be transferred to AkzoNobel. The business generated revenue of about 300 million in 2015 and supplies products for a number of end uses, including coil, furniture foil and panel coatings, wind energy and general industry, and commercial transport. "This proposed acquisition will strengthen our position in the important coil coatings market and fits well with our existing business, allowing us to offer essential solutions to our customers," said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Buchner. "We are continuing to deliver on our strategy to achieve our vision of leading market positions delivering leading performance." The planned transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016, subject to regular consultation with employee representatives and satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approval. - - - AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. Calling on centuries of expertise, we supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and sustainable technologies designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 45,000 people in around 80 countries, while our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability, we are committed to making life more liveable and our cities more human. Not for publication - for more information Corporate Media Relations Corporate Investor Relations T +31 (0)88 - 969 7833 T +31 (0)88 - 969 7854 Contact: Diana Abrahams Contact: Lloyd Midwinter Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements which address key issues such as AkzoNobel's growth strategy, future financial results, market positions, product development, products in the pipeline and product approvals. Such statements should be carefully considered, and it should be understood that many factors could cause forecasted and actual results to differ from these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, price fluctuations, currency fluctuations, developments in raw material and personnel costs, pensions, physical and environmental risks, legal issues, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. Stated competitive positions are based on management estimates supported by information provided by specialized external agencies. For a more comprehensive discussion of the risk factors affecting our business please see our latest annual report, a copy of which can be found on our website www.akzonobel.com 20160217 Media release AkzoNobel (http://hugin.info/130660/R/1986550/728916.pdf) This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Akzo Nobel NV via Globenewswire HUG#1986550 PRESS RELEASE February 2016 WENTWORTH RESOURCES LIMITED ("Wentworth" or the "Company") Directorate Change Wentworth, the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: WRL) and AIM (AIM: WRL) listed independent, East Africa-focused oil & gas company, announces the resignation of Non-Executive Director, Richard Schmitt, with immediate effect, in order to allow Mr. Schmitt to pursue his other business opportunities. The Company would like to thank Mr. Schmitt for his valuable contribution over the past five years and wish him every success in his future endeavours. -Ends- Enquiries: Geoffrey Bury, Managing Director gpb@wentworthresources.com (mailto:gpb@wentworthresources.com) +1 403 993 4450 Wentworth Lance Mierendorf, Chief Financial Officer lance.mierendorf@wentworthresources.com (mailto:lance.mierendorf@wentworthresources.com) +1 403 680 8773 Katherine Roe Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com (mailto:katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com) +44 7841 087 230 Swedbank First Securities Broker (Norway) +47 23 23 80 00 Ove Gusevik Jarand Loenne Crux Advisers Investor Relations Adviser (Norway) +47 909 808 48 Jan Petter Stiff Carl Bachke Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited AIM Nominated Adviser and Broker (UK) +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Callum Stewart Ashton Clanfield FirstEnergy Capital Broker (UK) +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 Hugh Sanderson FTI Consulting Investor Relations Adviser (UK) wentworth@fticonsulting.com (mailto:wentworth@fticonsulting.com) +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 Edward Westropp Tom Hufton About Wentworth Resources Wentworth Resources is a publicly traded (OSE:WRL, AIM:WRL), independent oil & gas company with: natural gas production; exploration and appraisal opportunities; and large-scale gas monetisation initiatives, all in the Rovuma Delta Basin of coastal southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking information. The words "expect", "anticipate", believe", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "forecast", "plan", and similar expressions are used to identify forward looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made in light of management's experience, current conditions and expected future development in the areas in which Wentworth is currently active and other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Wentworth undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcome will not occur, including some of which are beyond Wentworth's control. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in exploration, development and production, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, the imprecision of resource and reserve estimates, assumptions regarding the timing and costs relating to production and development as well as the availability and price of labour and equipment, volatility of and assumptions regarding commodity prices and exchange rates, marketing and transportation risks, environmental risks, competition, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and changes in applicable law. Additionally, there are economic, political, social and other risks inherent in carrying on business in Tanzania and Mozambique. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. See Wentworth's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2014, available on Wentworth's website, for further description of the risks and uncertainties associated with Wentworth's business. Notice Neither the Oslo Stock Exchange nor the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange has reviewed this press release and neither accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. 2016 02 17 Press Release (http://hugin.info/136496/R/1986632/728906.pdf) This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Wentworth Resources Limited via Globenewswire HUG#1986632 Regulatory News: NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES Reference is made to the stock exchange release from Axactor AB ("Axactor" or the "Company") (STO:AXAO) published yesterday regarding the contemplated private placement of new shares in the Company. The Company announces today that it has raised NOK 106.1 million in gross proceeds through a private placement consisting of 59,600,000 new shares (the "New Shares") at a price of NOK 1.78 per share (the "Private Placement"). The Private Placement took place through an accelerated bookbuilding process after close of markets yesterday. The Private Placement, which was substantially oversubscribed, attracted strong interest from both existing shareholders as well as new high quality institutional investors. The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for acquisitions of non-performing loan portfolios and platforms as well as for general corporate purposes. The New Shares will be settled through a delivery versus payment transaction on 19 February 2016, by delivery of existing and unencumbered shares in the Company that are already listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange pursuant to a share lending agreement between the Company, the Managers (as defined below) and certain existing shareholders. The shares delivered to the subscribers are thus tradable from allocation. Notification of allotment will be sent to the applicants today. The New Shares will be issued based on a Board authorisation granted by the Company's extraordinary general meeting on 23 December 2015. Following registration of the new share capital pertaining to the Private Placement, the Company will have an issued share capital of SEK 328,107,180, divided into 656,214,360 shares, each with a par value of SEK 0.50. Carnegie and DNB Markets (the "Managers") acted as joint bookrunners in the Private Placement. Important information: The release is not for publication or distribution, in whole or in part directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia). This release is an announcement issued pursuant to legal information obligations, and is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States. The issue, exercise, purchase or sale of subscription rights and the subscription or purchase of shares in the Company are subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assumes any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release. Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216006898/en/ Contacts: Axactor Endre Rangnes, Chief Executive Officer Mail: endre.rangnes@axactor.com Tel: + 46 8 402 28 00 Cell Phone: +47 48 22 11 11 or Geir Johansen, Chief Financial Officer Mail: geir.johansen@axactor.com Cell Phone: +47 477 10 451 AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY.PK, AKZOY) said it has made an agreed offer to acquire German chemical giant BASF SE's (BFA.L, BASFY.PK) Industrial Coatings business for 475 million euros. The company noted that the acquisition of the unit will strengthen its Performance Coatings business. The transaction would include technologies, patents and trademarks, as well as securing supply to customers worldwide. In addition, two manufacturing plants - one each in the UK and South Africa - would also be transferred to AkzoNobel. The business generated revenue of about 300 million euros in 2015 and supplies products for a number of end users, including coil, furniture foil and panel coatings, wind energy and general industry, and commercial transport. The planned transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016, subject to regular consultation with employee representatives and satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approval. Ton Buchner, CEO of AkzoNobel said, 'This proposed acquisition will strengthen our position in the important coil coatings market and fits well with our existing business, allowing us to offer essential solutions to our customers. We are continuing to deliver on our strategy to achieve our vision of leading market positions delivering leading performance.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. AES Netherlands Advancion Energy Storage Array Unveiled at Ribbon Cutting Celebration in Vlissingen The AES Netherlands Advancion Energy Storage Array was officially unveiled to the public yesterday at a ceremony attended by representatives from the European Commission, transmission system operator TenneT, senior leaders from The AES Corporation, and representatives from key suppliers and partners. The unveiling of the array, located in Vlissingen, features Advancion 4, the largest and most advanced energy storage platform operating in both Europe and globally. The array will enable greater levels of renewable energy integration, enhance grid reliability and reduce emissions and costs by providing fast response balancing services to the electric grid. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005491/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) "An ever growing number of renewable energy sources in Europe will require breakthrough technologies for grid stabilization and balancing. Electrical energy storage can play a key role in the enhanced use of renewable energy and development of smart grids in Europe. Emerging market models such as AES', will be pivotal for large scale deployment of electrical energy storage in Europe," said Ms. Andreea Strachinescu, European Commission Head of Unit for New Energy Technologies, Innovation and Clean Coal. Advancion 4, the latest Advancion design revealed in November 2015, is a complete, battery-based alternative to traditional peaking power plants and pumped hydroelectric storage projects that provides a dependable, smart and cost-competitive means to modernize power systems. It features best-in-class Advancion pre-certified suppliers, including Samsung SDI, who supplied the array with more than 45,000 batteries in its first Advancion deployment. Additional project suppliers and partners include inverter supplier Parker Hannifin and balance of plant provider DELTA Infra and its subcontractors. "We are proud to have our advanced battery technology selected to be part of this Advancion array," remarked Sewoong Park, head of ESS Business at Samsung SDI. "We look forward to further participating in the Advancion platform as it is expanded in Europe and elsewhere." "Our power conversion systems are highly scalable and can be customized for a number of applications, making them ideal for use with the AES Advancion solution architecture," said Jim Hoelscher, General Manager, Parker Hannifin's Global Energy Grid Tie Division. "We are happy to build on our long history of working with AES." The Advancion array provides 10 MW of interconnected energy storage, equivalent to 20 MW of flexible resource to the grid. The array competes weekly with traditional generators to provide balancing services to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria via the TenneT system. According to Ms. Gineke Van Dijk, Senior Manager of Customers and Markets at TenneT, "This AES investment fits perfectly into TenneT's vision that grid stability should be less dependent on large conventional power plants in the future. If wind and solar energy continue to increase, batteries will be an excellent alternative to take over this role of power plants." To expand the availability of its award-winning Advancion energy storage platform more broadly in Europe and around the world, AES recently announced an alliance initiative with select leading companies who will offer Advancion directly to utilities and other energy participants. "Advancion is infinitely scalable, geographically dispersable and a smart, modern and low-cost solution to today's grid challenges," said Steve Corwell, AES Europe Vice President. In addition to the Netherlands array, AES recently completed its Kilroot Advancion Array in Northern Ireland, also providing 10 MW of interconnected energy storage, equivalent to 20 MW of flexible resource. AES Advancion now powers the largest fleet of advanced energy storage projects in Europe. Globally, AES works with customers to integrate energy storage into eight different power markets and AES' energy storage solutions represent the world's largest advanced energy storage fleet, with 116 MW and three million megawatt-hours of delivered service. AES has announced construction or late stage development of an additional 268 MW of interconnected energy storage. About AES Energy Storage Solutions AES is a global leader in commercial energy storage solutions, which unlock value from existing power infrastructure, improving flexibility and reliability of the power system, and providing customers with a complete alternative to traditional peaking power plants. The company's Advancion 4 energy storage solution is available for sale to leading utilities, power markets, renewable developers, and independent power producers, and AES can manage installations from concept to operation with a market-proven solution that integrates best in class battery and power conversion technologies. AES introduced the first grid-scale advanced battery-based energy storage solution in commercial power market service in 2008 and operates the largest fleet of battery-based storage assets in service today. The company works with utility partners and other customers to deliver the value of advanced storage around the world. To learn more, please visit www.aesenergystorage.com or @aes_es on Twitter. About AES The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) is a Fortune 200 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 17 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce of 18,500 people is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world's changing power needs. Our 2014 revenues were $17 billion and we own and manage $39 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005491/en/ Contacts: Media Nikolay Peychev, +359-884-045-966 GSMA Announces First Details of Mobile 360 Series Privacy Security Event; Expanded Partnership with Metro Area Chamber Sets the Stage for North America Event The GSMA today announced the schedule and locations for the 2016 GSMA Mobile 360 Series, a regional thought leadership conference series for executives in the mobile industry, as well as key regulatory and government representatives. This year, the GSMA is again expanding the scope of the Mobile 360 Series of conferences, with seven conferences around the world, including one focused specifically on privacy and security issues. "We're excited to further broaden the Mobile 360 Series to include additional geographies and also to focus on specific subject areas, with the addition of Mobile 360 India and Mobile 360 Privacy Security," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "The Mobile 360 Series conferences provide a focused forum through which attendees can not only explore the most pressing issues facing the mobile industry, but engage in a substantive dialogue that will help drive action." In 2016, the GSMA will host the following Mobile 360 Series conferences: Mobile 360 Series Conference Location Dates Mobile 360 Series Privacy Security The Hague, Netherlands 10-11 May Mobile 360 Series Europe Brussels, Belgium 14 June Mobile 360 Series Africa Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 26-28 July Mobile 360 Series Latin America Mexico City, Mexico 20-22 September Mobile 360 Series Middle East Dubai, United Arab Emirates 17-18 October Mobile 360 Series India New Delhi, India 26 October GSMA Mobility Live! North America Atlanta, United States 1-2 November Introducing Mobile 360 Series Privacy Security The first event in the 2016 Mobile 360 Series, Mobile 360 Series Privacy Security, will be held at the Hilton The Hague. In cooperation with The Hague Security Delta and The Municipality of The Hague, Mobile 360 Privacy Security will explore the state of digital security and data privacy today and examine best practices across a variety of industries. This two-day event will include a combination of keynote presentations, panel discussions, technology demonstrations and in-depth case studies that address the growing importance of privacy and security across the globe. Speakers currently confirmed to present in the conference include: Jim Bailey, Senior Managing Director, Accenture Mobility Evelyn Tjon-En-Fa, Partner, Bird Bird Thomas Whipp, CISO, Charles Taylor PLC Alvin Khodabaks, Partner, Clifford Chance Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA Gert-Jan Schenk, Vice President EMEA, Lookout Rimma Perelmuter, CEO, Mobile Ecosystem Forum Deputy Mayor Ingrid van Engelshoven, Alderman for Knowledge Economy, International, Youth and Education, Municipality of The Hague Karsten Nohl, Chief Scientist, Security Research Labs Chris Roberts, CSH and Security Consultant, Sentinel Global Dr. Ulf Gartzke, Managing Partner and Founder, Spitzberg Partners LLC Chris Roberts, CSH and Security Consultant, Sentinel Global Oscar Mancebo Ortiz, Head of Mobile Connect, Telefonica Group Charl van Niekerk, CEO, Thuthukani Technology Solutions Oliver Blower, CEO, VoxSmart For additional information on Mobile 360 Privacy and Security, including speaking and sponsorship opportunities, as well as how to attend, visit www.mobile360series.com/privacy-security/. New Developments for North America Event The Mobile 360 Series returns again to Atlanta, with the city hosting the North American event 1-2 November 2016. In a very exciting development, the GSMA and the Metro Atlanta Chamber have joined forces to create GSMA Mobility Live! North America. This new conference merges the previous Mobile 360 North America and Mobility LIVE! events to deliver a platform for exploring the key trends impacting the mobile industry as well as adjacent industry sectors. "We are pleased to be partnering even more closely with the Metro Atlanta Chamber in creating a dynamic event that will attract mobile industry leaders from not only the greater Atlanta area but across all of North America," commented O'Hara. Further information on the entire Mobile 360 Series of events is available at www.mobile360series.com/. Follow developments and updates on Mobile 360 (mobile360) on Twitter @GSMA and on Facebook www.facebook.com/Mobile360Series. -ENDS- About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005095/en/ Contacts: For the GSMA Charlie Meredith-Hardy +44 7917 298428 CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com or GSMA Press Office pressoffice@gsma.com LONDON, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NewVoiceMedia will leverage 1% of product and employee time to improve communities around the world NewVoiceMedia announced today that it is among the first U.K. companies to join Pledge 1%, a corporate philanthropy movement, which launched in the U.K. this week. Founded by Atlassian, the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, Rally and Salesforce.org, Pledge 1% empowers companies to donate 1% of product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to improve communities around the world. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140910/705584-a ) NewVoiceMedia is one of the first to join Pledge 1% U.K., which has more than 25 companies joining the movement at the time of launch. NewVoiceMedia is joining an impressive network of entrepreneurs and companies across the globe that have committed to philanthropic efforts through the Pledge 1% movement. By pledging 1% of its time and product, the business is demonstrating a commitment to philanthropic leadership. NewVoiceMedia is a leading global provider of cloud technology which helps businesses sell more, serve better and grow faster. Its intelligent communications platform integrates seamlessly with Salesforce to connect organisations with their customers worldwide, enabling them to deliver a personalised and unique customer experience and drive a more effective sales and marketing team. Comments on the News -"We are delighted to be part of the Pledge 1% movement. We're proud to be able to contribute to the efforts of creating social impact on a global scale, while enabling our employees to support the causes that are important to them", said Jonathan Gale, CEO of NewVoiceMedia -"Salesforce.org is dedicated to changing the way companies think about corporate philanthropy", said Suzanne DiBianca, president, Salesforce.org. "Today, we're excited that NewVoiceMedia is joining us in giving its resources back to the community. This is another great example of the power that business has to effect positive change". -"We are thrilled that NewVoiceMedia has joined the Pledge 1% movement and is committed to sharing its success with the community", said Scott Farquhar, co-founder and co-CEO, Atlassian. "Employees, shareholders, customers, and the community all benefit when a company builds giving back into its DNA. It's one of the best decisions we ever made". -"We believe Pledge 1% is a great step for businesses to become a force for good in the world", said Ryan Martens, Board Chairman EFCO & Founder/CTO, Rally, now part of CA Technologies. "We applaud NewVoiceMedia for committing a portion of its success to its community stakeholders and social impact". About NewVoiceMedia NewVoiceMedia powers customer connections that transform businesses globally. The leading vendor's award-winning cloud customer contact platform revolutionises the way organisations connect with their customers worldwide, enabling them to deliver a personalised and unique customer service experience and drive a more effective sales and marketing team. With a true cloud environment and proven 99.999% platform availability, NewVoiceMedia ensures complete flexibility, scalability and reliability. Spanning 128 countries and six continents, NewVoiceMedia's 500+ customers include PhotoBox, MobileIron, TNT, Lumesse, JustGiving, Canadian Cancer Society and Wowcher. For more information visit http://www.newvoicemedia.com or follow NewVoiceMedia on Twitter @NewVoiceMedia. About Pledge 1% Pledge 1% is an effort spearheaded by Atlassian, Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, Rally for Impact, Salesforce.org and Tides to accelerate their shared vision around integrating philanthropy into businesses around the world. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, product and employee time for their communities, because pledging a small portion of future success can have a huge impact on tomorrow. Pledge 1% offers companies turnkey tools and best practices, making it accessible for any company to incorporate philanthropy into their business model. To learn more or to take the pledge, please visit http://www.pledge1percent.org . ### Salesforce, Salesforce1 and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. BELFAST, Northern Ireland, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Adoreboard, the market leader in the provision of software tools to help those who create or analyse text to understand the tone and emotion expressed within that text has today released a completely new solution -Toneapi- designed to help with the rapid improvement of content. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333865 ) Toneapiis a revolutionary tool that helps the user to write better by optimising the content for emotion. During the private beta phase of the product introduction over 1,000 world-wide professional organisations and individuals signed up to gain experience of the solution in action. The software is aimed at those who create, manage or analyse text such as Content Marketers, Bloggers, Data Analysts, Brand Managers, Educators, Market Researchers, Digital Executives, Sales Executives, and PR Executives. Toneapi has been adopted by many of the global agencies including Havas. Mark Thomson Head of Data at Havas Helia said: "Emotions play an increasingly important role in understanding customer preferences enabling brands to create content, which aligns more closely with these. The outcome of which is to create messaging which is more accurate or leads to high impact communication that people respond to in a more empathic way." Conran Design Group who are also part of Havas, have applied the technology to major clients including Cancer Research UK. Data scientists at Adoreboard have devised mathematical algorithms, which enableToneapito identify over 20 emotions expressed in content. So feelings such as love, hate, anger, surprise, annoyance and trust can be identified and compared within content. The technology also includes an emotional thesaurus or Content Optimiser which provides users with recommendations on how the content can be optimised for different types of emotion. The technology is simple to use and cloud-based. It can deliver substantial value extremely quickly and did so repeatedly during the pre-launch trial phase for a broad range of organisations. Chris Johnston, CEO of Adoreboard said"Toneapi has already proven its ability to drive value and improved results to a very wide range of users and organisations. We are delighted to see it formally launched today. Its speed and ease of use - for all user types - is a critical differentiator. We look forward to accelerating its adoption for everyone involved in improving or understanding all forms of content." Toneapiis available with immediate effect and is accessible athttp://www.toneapi.comto implement a free, 14 day trial . In addition, due to high demand, an initial 'first in a series' Webinar is scheduled forWednesday, 2nd March 20167:00 PM GMT / 2:00 PM ESTwhere industry experts including the former editor of Press Association and Conran Design will be sharing their findings from the operational use oftoneapi. Full information available athttp://www.toneapi.com NYPD Rookie officers Peter Liang and Shaun Landau were conducting a vertical patrol on Nov. 20, 2014, inside the Louis H. Pink Houses owned by New York Housing authority. At one point, while inside a pitch dark stairwell Liangs gun accidentally discharged after Liang was startled by a loud noise. Akai Gurley, who was floors below them, was hit by the ricocheted bullet and died. The death of Mr. Gurley was a tragic accident, very similar to that of Timothy Stansbury Jr. who was shot and killed January 24, 2004 by NYPD officer Richard S. Neri Jr. when conducting rooftop patrol. Officer Neri, then twelve-year veteran officer continued his employment with NYPD and was not indicted after the accident. However, in 2016, inexperienced officer Liang, was indicted and convicted of five counts of charges including second-degree manslaughter. The contrast is shocking. In that very tragic night of Nov 20, 2014, many things went wrong. The notorious Pink house owned by New York Housing Authority had no lighting in the stairwell. According to topix, a resident forum, many accidents and crimes happened in those dark stairwells. NYPDs officer Lynch told the press that the poor conditions of the public housing create fertile ground for violent crime while the constant presence of illegal firearms creates a dangerous and highly volatile environment for police officers and residents alike. According to officer Lynch, the Pink houses are among the most dangerous projects in the (New York) City and their stairwells are the most dangerous places in the projects. How many more people have to die before New York Housing Authority would change the light bulb? The brass of NYPD sent two young officers to a dangerous area for vertical patrol. Apparently those officers were inexperienced. Neither Liang nor Landau had received adequate training before being assigned to such dangerous task. I am not trying to tell NYPD how to assign tasks to their officers but common sense says an inexperienced officer should partner with someone seasoned. Only one week before Liangs verdict, two young NYPD officers were shot in another New York Housing Authority project during vertical patrol. It is hard to comprehend why young officers were sent to such area without being appropriately prepared for the job. In the years 1999-2014, at least 179 people were killed by NYPD on duty officers. Liang is one of four cases prosecuted. I am particularly disturbed by the prosecuting attorneys closing argument to the jury, which implied officer Liangs shooting was deliberate and that Police Officer Liang pointed his gun at the victim- while none of the evidence provided in the trial supported such an argument. The system has failed both Mr. Gurley and Mr. Liang. It is truly tragic Mr. Gurleys life was lost. For officer Liang, there may still be a chance for a fair treatment by the judicial system. LONDON, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blabar, a New Nordic Lifestyle store has just opened its first concept store & cafe. It is located in the fashionable and trendy area of Putney, South West London. Inspired by the hybrid cafe and retail concepts commonly found in Scandinavia, Blabar showcases unique homeware and accessories from up and coming designers, vintage furniture and own branded products all in a cafe environment serving great coffee, open sandwiches and fika. The emphasis is on creating an authentic setting, for customers to enjoy wholesome, fresh, Nordic inspired foods and drinks in a relaxing and contemporary designed space. The organic coffee and loose teas are from the Swedish speciality coffee roasters and tea merchants Johan & Nystrom. On the menu is an assortment of fresh, real food including homemade breakfasts, healthy salads, and smoerrebroed (open top sandwiches) on Rye or Sourdough, with toppings such as Gravad salmon, meatballs, and avocado. The treats are not to be missed, especially the Swedish cinnamon buns. The partners behind Blabar are Sandra and Oliver. Sandra moved from Sweden to London 10 years ago and has worked as a product manager introducing Scandinavian brands to the UK. She also introduced the Nordic culture and lifestyle to her partner Oliver, a Londoner, who has a design & art background. An Art Director by profession, he has worked on feature films such as Pirates of the Caribbean & Love Actually. Oliver, being influenced by Nordic nature, has designed the contemporary space in Putney. Materials, such as the wood for the coffee bar, has been brought over andre-used from Sandra's family country home in Sweden. The space will showcase the best from a new generation of Nordic designers comprising a collection of tasteful homeware, interior details and lifestyle products.A focus for Blabar is quality and sustainability, so by working closely with the makers and designers many products are unique and one of a kind. Almost everything in the space will be available to purchase - from the furniture & lighting to the cups and plates in the cafe.The lighting comes from the Swedish brand Watt & Veke (incidentally from Sandra's hometown) and the furniture is either from the Danish design studio Frama, vintage / upcycled, or has been designed by Oliver under the Blabar brand. By constantly renewing the range, the space becomes ever-evolving. Sandra says: "The Nordics is so inspirational, and we are excited to create a space allowing people to experience the lifestyle. In a laidback atmosphere we are welcoming people to discover unique design, meet with friends for a coffee, or just grab a cinnamon bun on the way to work." NOTES TO EDITOR About Blabar Blabar is a Nordic concept store and cafe, to open in Putney February 2016. The store has a select range of homeware, accessories and furniture from up and coming Nordic designers, as well as vintage items and products from Blabars own collection. The cafe serves Swedish coffee and tea, a range of pastries and cakes, and a section of open top sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. Sandra West +44(0)7983438552 sandralinneawest@gmail.com B l a b a r _ N o r d i c L i v i n g a. 3a Lacy Road, Putney, London SW15 1NH e. hello@blabar.london w. http://www.blabar.london Commercially Deployed SaaS Solution Works with All Mobile Phones Tango Networks, a leading provider of Business Mobility Solutions, today announced the availability of its commercially deployed Mobile Call Recording (MCR) as a Service which will be demonstrated live at Mobile World Congress February 22-25 in Barcelona. Tango Networks' Mobile Call Recording software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution: Works with all mobile phones including Apple iPhones Includes voice and messaging services Complies with MiFID II and Dodd-Frank regulations in the European and US markets Guarantees enforceable corporate policy for financial institutions Deploys in a hosted cloud or integrates with on-premise recording systems Integrates with recording and analytics platforms from ASC, CTI Group, Cognia, GWAVA, NICE, Oracle, Verint, among others "Tango Networks specializes in providing compliant mobile recording solutions that are inherently enforceable because they center on the native dialer," said Ian Maclean, COO of Tango Networks. "Combined with our commercial SaaS model and flexible deployment options, we enable service providers and financial institutions to rapidly meet wide-ranging regulatory requirements." Tango Networks' MCR service is just one use case of its uniquely differentiated Mobile Unified Communications (UC) solution that integrates the native dialer with the enterprise UC environment to enable seamless mobility for enterprises, without the need for UC mobile apps. BYOD and COPE models are supported through Tango's multi-line capability, separating the corporate enforceable line managed by the enterprise from the personal number managed by the employee on the same device with a single SIM card. Tango Networks will be in booth UW7.4, located in the upper walkway to Hall 8 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 22-25. To schedule a meeting and view a live demonstration, contact sales@tango-networks.com. About Tango Networks Tango Networks enables service providers, channel partners and enterprises to offer Mobile Business Services to their customers and workforce. Using its unique and patented federated design, Tango Networks' award-winning Mobile Edge Computing services platform offers specialized service capabilities across 4G IMS/VoLTE, 3G and 2G networks that work with all mobile phones, providing value to service providers, channel partners, SMB and enterprise customers. Solutions include Mobile Unified Communications, Mobile Call Recording, SIP Trunking, Business Messaging Service, Business Continuity, Multi-line, Mobile PBX, Mobile Policy Control and Responsible Driver System. Tango Networks' customers include Tier 1 service providers in North America and Europe and a rapidly growing base of channel partners, enterprise and government customers worldwide. To learn more about Tango Networks, please visit http://www.tango-networks.com or follow Tango Networks on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tangonetworks. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005271/en/ Contacts: Tango Networks Brian Rice, +1-469-229-6094 brianrice@tango-networks.com BRUSSELS, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe's leading experts, medical specialists and patient advocacy groups on hepatitis announced their intention to work towards the elimination of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Europe by 2030. The 'Hepatitis C Elimination Manifesto' was presented at the first EU HCV Policy Summit, organised by the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association, and supported by the main European patient and clinician groups. Signatories of the 'Hepatitis C Elimination Manifesto' pledge to: Make hepatitis C and its elimination in Europe an explicit public health priority to be pursued at all levels an explicit public health priority to be pursued at all levels Ensure that patients, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders are directly involved in developing and implementing hepatitis C elimination strategies Pay particular attention to the links between hepatitis C and social marginalisation Introduce a European Hepatitis Awareness Week Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, delivered a keynote speech at the event, commenting: "Hepatitis C has in the past been referred to as a "silent" epidemic within the European Union. It is high time that we brought this "silent" epidemic out of the shadows and into the light, so I welcome initiatives such as this Summit and the Elimination Manifesto to create momentum for action, for raising awareness and for stimulating discussion". After twenty five years of research, scientists have delivered the means to effectively cure hepatitis C, paving the way for elimination in Europe within the next decade. "What would have taken a hundred years for us to achieve, is now at hand! This is a unique opportunity, but political action is needed to make this happen", stated Prof Angelos Hatzakis, Co-Chair of the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association. "Our 'Elimination Manifesto' is a rallying platform for policymakers and advocates. If we act now, Europe will be hepatitis C free by 2030", continued Prof Hatzakis. The specific challenges of hepatitis C require holistic, people-centred, health system-wide approaches to disease awareness, prevention and integrated care, with all stakeholders combining their diverse skills and resources in a unified response. "Succeeding against hepatitis C in Europe is even more important given the current international crises and refugee flows towards our countries", explained Cristian-Silviu BuAYoi, Member of the European Parliament and Co-chair of the Parliament's Friends of the Liver group. BuAYoi continued: "Elimination strategies need to take into consideration the links between hepatitis C and marginalised groups, such as recent migrants, people who inject drugs and others." "The Manifesto sets out our vision and commitment to eliminate hepatitis C in Europe", declared Prof Michael P. Manns, Co-Chair of the Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association, "concrete actions at all levels must follow to achieve our goal". The Manifesto will be presented to national and local governments as well as to the European institutions to encourage action. Signatories The Elimination Manifesto is supported by the following organisations: European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) The Correlation Network The International Center for Migration Health and Development (ICMHD) The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) Hepatitis B and C Public Policy Association About Hepatitis C in Europe In the EU more people die each year from HCV than from HIV. from HCV than from HIV. HCV is 7 times more prevalent than HIV in Europe . in . An estimated 15 million Europeans are chronically infected, including 5.5 million living in EU ; each year there are 27,000-29,000 newly diagnosed HCV cases in the EU/EEA. ; each year there are HCV cases in the EU/EEA. Existing evidence shows that, for some European countries, annual deaths from HCV have quadrupled over the past 20 years. About the first EU HCV Summit The EU HCV Summit was organised by the Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association in partnership with European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), the Eurpean Liver Patient Association (ELPA) and the Correlation Network. It was financially supported by AbbVie, BMS, Gilead and MSD. The Summit, which was attended by 120 policymakers and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond, was officially endorsed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the International Centre for Migration, Health and Development (ICMHD), the European Parliament Friends of the Liver Group and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). About Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association The Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association was founded in 2009 by a group of leading European scientists, public health experts and patient advocates. We aim to urge and facilitate the formulation of public policies at national and international level for the communication, prevention and management of viral Hepatitis B and C. The Association's unique approach in furtherance of this aim is to gather together, and work in partnership with, the major stakeholders in the field of these diseases including regulators, patients, clinicians, public health and civil society communities and the private sector. For more information about the Association's activities please visit http://www.hepbcppa.org For more information, please contact: Ann Fox, Hepatitis B & C Public Policy Association afox@hepbcppa.org 19 rue Eugene Ruppert L-2453 Luxembourg Tel: +39-339-65-96-105 INNSBRUCK, Austria, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Austrian-based antivirus test-institute AV-Comparatives (AV-C) has released its Summary Report for 2015. The report provides an overview of the results of tests on consumer security products for Microsoft Windows carried out by AV-C in 2015. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334054 ) Twenty-one companies participated in AV-Comparatives' 2015 main test series. Based on the cumulative test results AV-Comparatives namedKaspersky Lab as "Product of the Year". Bitdefender was a very close runner-up with an identical score. In addition to the Product of the Year award, AV-Comparatives also gives a "Top Rated" award to a number of products which have scored highly in the year's tests. Product of the Year: Kaspersky Lab Top Rated Products:Avast, AVIRA, Bitdefender, Emsisoft, eScan, and ESET. Further recognition of excellence in AV-Comparatives' tests is provided in the form of awards for the individual test types, namely the Real-World Protection Test, File Detection Test, False-Alarm Test and Performance Test (all compulsory), as well as the Proactive Test and Malware Removal Test (both optional). For each test type (this may be one individual test or a combination of two separate tests in the same year), there is a Gold Award for the product with the best result, and Silver and Bronze awards for second and third place respectively. Gold Award recipients are shown below: Real-World Protection: jointly to Bitdefender and Kaspersky Lab and File Detection: jointly to Kaspersky Lab and Bitdefender and Lowest False Positives: Microsoft Performance (speed): Avast Proactive Protection: Bitdefender Malware Removal:Kaspersky Lab The 2015 Summary Report includes a table with a summary of each product's score in all the year's main tests. "We believe that our awarded Real-World Protection Test provides the most extensive and relevant individual test of Windows security software," said Andreas Clementi, CEO of AV-Comparatives, "and that the wide variety of tests we perform each year represents the most comprehensive examination of such products in the industry." "We appreciate the work done by AV-Comparatives. Their highly professional testing helps security solution vendors to continually perfect their products - making protection more effective and improving usability. And it's good to see that we are successful at this: our flagship product, Kaspersky Internet Security, has now been honored with its third 'Product of the Year' award," said Timur Biyachuyev, Anti-Malware Research Director at Kaspersky Lab. As with all of AV-Comparatives' public test reports, the Summary Report 2015 is available for download at http://www.av-comparatives.org. About AV-Comparatives AV-Comparatives is a certified independent organization offering systematic testing that checks whether security software, such as PC/Mac-based antivirus products and mobile security solutions, lives up to its promises. Using one of the largest sample collections worldwide, it creates a real-world environment for truly accurate testing. AV-Comparatives offers freely accessible results to individuals, news organizations and scientific institutions. Certification by AV-Comparatives provides an official seal of approval for software performance which is globally recognized. Certifications: AV-Comparatives is ISO 9001:2015 certified and certified as the only EICAR trusted Test-Lab, the datacentre is ISO 27001:2013 certified. Metsa Group Press Release 17 February 2016The core of Metsa Group's bioproduct mill, under construction in Aanekoski, lies in the world's most efficient pulp mill, with an annual capacity of 1.3 million tonnes. Expanding this core with the production of numerous new bioproducts is a leading principle behind Metsa Group's bioproduct concept. The development of the bioproduct concept has now advanced to the stage of the first implementation decisions."Our action plan aims at incorporating new bioproducts and partnerships into our developing and competitive pulp business in phases," says Ilkka Hamala, CEO of Metsa Fibre, a part of Metsa Group.The first step in implementing the bioproduct concept was taken in April 2015, when Metsa Group made the investment decision concerning the bark gasification plant. The bark-derived product gas is produced for the bioproduct mill's own use, whereby the mill becomes fully free of any fossil fuels. The renewable product gas will replace some 45,000 cubic metres of heavy fuel oil a year. The gasification plant will begin production at the same time as the bioproduct mill, in the third quarter of 2017.The bioproduct concept is complemented by the agreements made in February 2016 with biogas manufacturer EcoEnergy SF Oy and biocomposite producer Aqvacomp Oy.The biogas plant that EcoEnergy SF Oy will build at Metsa Group's bioproduct mill in Aanekoski is the first in the world to make use of the sludge generated in pulp production. The plant, set to be completed in 2017, produces approximately 20 gigawatt hours of biogas a year, which is equal to the annual fuel consumption of roughly 1,800 passenger cars. The possible uses of the biogas include transport fuels. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted EcoEnergy SF an investment aid from the government's spearhead programme funds for carbon-free, clean, renewable energy. Furthermore, a letter of intent on making use of the biogas produced by the plant has been signed with Gasum Oy.Aqvacomp Oy is investing in a plant that produces biocomposite. The biomaterial, which combines pulp fibre and plastic, can be used in the electronics and automobile industries as a substitute for plastic, for example. The production plant that Aqvacomp will build integrated to Metsa Group's Rauma pulp mill will begin operating in the beginning of 2017. Aqvacomp is also exploring the possibility to build a bigger plant in Aanekoski once the bioproduct mill is operational.The bioproduct concept is further developed along several avenues. Metsa Group is, for instance, developing a concept, in which the odorous gases of the bioproduct mill are converted into sulphuric acid, to be used as a raw material by the mill instead of sulphuric acid bought from the market. A sulphuric acid plant connected to the pulp production process would represent a significant step towards more closed chemical cycles.Textile fibres made from softwood pulp is another central development project in the context of new bioproducts. The new, environmentally-friendly production process for producing textile fibre from wood is based on ionic liquid technology developed in the research programmes of FIBIC Oy. Metsa Group has continued the development in cooperation with the Japanese Itochu Corporation. The first garments produced on a laboratory-scale, utilising this new production process, are now ready, and will function as a basis for considering a shift to pilot-plant scale.The research concerning the processing of lignin into new products continues. Lignin-based products will be manufactured in a pilot plant during 2016.METSA GROUP Group CommunicationsFurther information: Ilkka Hamala, CEO, Metsa Fibre Oy, tel. +358 50 598 8617 Juha Laine, SVP, Communications, Metsa Group, tel. +358 10 465 4541Photos for media use.www.metsagroup.comMetsa Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products' main raw material is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. Metsa Group is a forerunner in the bioeconomy. We focus on tissue and cooking papers, fresh forest fibre paper-boards, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. Our high-quality products combine renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and innovation. Metsa Group's sales totalled EUR 5 billion in 2015, and the company employs approximately 9,600 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsaliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsa Group and is owned by approximately 116,000 Finnish forest owners. Jim Rogers Delivers Blunt Reality Check to AmericansJim Rogers is foreseeing a severe financial crisis up ahead that could trigger a U.S. stock market crash in 2016.Speaking with CNN, the billionaire investor blamed the global central banks for putting the world economies in jeopardy. Bearing the recent stock market crashes and corrections of China, Europe, and the U.S. in context, Rogers said that the central banks have no clue of what they are doing. According to Rogers, central banks are too focused on the equity markets, rather than the larger. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Cartel Blue Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL) is pleased to introduce Paul Saye as its National Sales Manager. Launching several of today's best known U.S. made premium denim and collection brands into top tier stores, Paul Saye has successfully managed sales to key specialty doors and major accounts for nearly 20 years. Paul Saye has been employed by such well-known brands as Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace as a National Key Account Executive and by Hugo Boss and Earnest Sewn as Senior Account Executive West Coast. Paul Saye has also been in sales management for such companies as Jacob Davis, Ever, William Rast and Diesel. Additionally, Paul Saye has contributed to the success of premium denim and collection brands by taking leading roles in managing product development, merchandising strategy, developing new systems for placement of orders, and replenishment, and national sales campaigns. Speaking on his current position as National Sales Manager for Cartel Blue, Paul Saye said, "I am excited to take on this new opportunity. In my many years of managing top industry denim brands, I have only come across a few that I have felt immediately confident in the product being rapidly successful. Cartel Blue is that brand. Beautiful fabrications, spot on fits and authentic Americana details make Cartel Blue premium jeans some of the best I have come across!" The Company's President, David Rhodes, said, "I feel confident that with Paul Saye's many years of experience as a National Sales Manager he will swiftly build a sales team and profitable sales for Cartel Blue's current finished and future men's and women's premium denim jean and sportswear production." About Cartel Blue, Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL) Cartel Blue, Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL) is a Los Angeles California based eco-friendly apparel line that utilizes high quality fabrics and designs with contemporary and edgy marketing strategies advocated by popular and unique celebrities in the film, television, and music industries. Cartel Blue, Inc.'s mission is to bring its unique sportswear to consumers concerned with high quality fashion and/or social-issue change that enlarges their personal freedoms. Being a collection driven company, our vision is to become the preferred option for customers in the premium denim and sportswear market. Please visit us at www.CRTLinvest.com for more information. Safe Harbor Disclaimer This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Cartel Blue, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. For information regarding capitalization and corporate data, please make reference to www.otcmarkets.com Cartel Blue, Inc. Investor Relations E-mail: info@crtlinvest.com BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- ProGreen Properties, Inc. (PROGREEN) (OTC PINK: PGEI), is pleased to announce that the company has entered a phase of reducing debt, in order to dramatically improve its balance sheet. A first step in this process consists of the company having reached an agreement with its major shareholder, EIG Venture Capital Ltd (EIG), to assume a 13.5% convertible note due to Rupes Futura AB (Sweden). The outstanding principal, together with two years of accumulated unpaid interest for a total of $608,031, will in effect be removed from the company's balance sheet. EIG will be compensated by the issuance of a Class A Preferred Stock. "This first step in our plan to eliminate debt dramatically improves our balance sheet and we are very pleased with EIG showing its support for and belief in the future of the company," says Jan Telander, President. About ProGreen Properties, Inc. PROGREEN PROPERTIES, INC. (PROGREEN) (OTC PINK: PGEI) based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is engaged in the business of acquiring, refurbishing and upgrading residential real estate into modern affordable homes, some being aimed at the local real estate market and some sold to European Property Investors. The company has also recently entered into property investments in Baja California, Mexico. The company expects this will be a sustainable and growing activity for the company for many years to come. This press release might contain information, which may constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 'Forward-looking statements' are based upon expectations, estimates and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of uncertainties. Contact: Jan Telander President & CEO Phone: (248) 805-3652 Fax: (248) 731-7407 Email: jan@progreenproperties.com SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) -ZeaKal, a biotechnology startup focused on improving agricultural productivity, today announced a $5.3 million Series B financing round -- bringing total funding to date up to $9.1 million. In conjunction with the financing, ZeaKal also acquired Algenetix, an industrial biotechnology company developing renewable materials and energies from plant-based sources. The oversubscribed round was led by Finistere Ventures with participation by Middleland Capital and several leading family office investors. With this funding, ZeaKal will expand its PhotoSeed' product development pipeline and bring its lead soybean product into field trials this May. "The need for innovation in the farming and food sector is important not only for farmers and consumers, but also for AgTech itself," noted Arama Kukutai, Partner at Finistere Ventures. "The current consolidation among the big AgTech companies and low farm commodity price trends are cyclical. When these conditions change, there will be strong demand for new technologies to fill that innovation void. We back game-changing companies that deliver value from farm to the consumer in a sustainable manner and think ZeaKal is a revolutionary technology play in plant sciences." Plants are notoriously inefficient at converting sunlight into biomass with levels between two to three percent. Making matters worse, under hostile environmental conditions (especially higher temperatures), plants work much harder and yield much less. Improving resource management is the first step, but ZeaKal's founders are adamant that the world needs better biology to cope with increasingly severe environmental pressures. "As the world population increases to more than nine billion people by 2050, we need to develop the next generation of crops that can cope with the food supply demands," added Dr. Henry Nguyen, Curators' Professor of Genetics, National Center for Soybean Biotechnology at the University of Missouri." "Both conventional breeding techniques and biotechnology will be needed to increase the genetic gain in yield and improved drought tolerance in response to climate change. However, this is an extremely complicated area of research that has yet to make significant breakthroughs commercially. ZeaKal's impressive out-of-the-box technology approach to increasing photosynthetic efficiency and carbon fixation addresses the shortcomings of previous science strategies." ZeaKal's PhotoSeed' technology is an example of next-generation biology that can address these pressing challenges. Rather than focus on pest and weed management that often require more chemicals to improve yield, the technology increases plants' intrinsic photosynthetic capacity. PhotoSeed' plants can harvest more sunlight, fix more carbon dioxide and do so with less water. For farmers, this means better seed and grain yield with forecasted yield improvements by as much as 20 percent. "We need to rethink the way we feed and fuel the world. The problems of population growth, increasing climatic volatility and dwindling natural resources are not going away, and farmers around the globe will need new tool sets," added Han Chen, CEO of ZeaKal. "As daunting as these problems are, technology can be equally powerful in solving them. Startups such as ZeaKal are leading the next innovation wave. Our mission is not just agricultural productivity for this year. We aim to build a photosynthetic future to sustainably feed the world for generations to come." For ZeaKal, improving efficiency does not end at the lab or field. It carries through to the boardroom. The company is charting a new course for biotech startups with its capital-light, public-private partnership business model. The science behind PhotoSeed' was first conceived in collaboration with research funded by the New Zealand government. As the science matured, ZeaKal migrated the program to the University of Missouri to further augment its access to world-class talent, research infrastructure and expertise. "Investments in agriculture biotechnology have been limited largely by investor misconceptions that it takes hundreds of millions of dollars to build a successful company," added Chen. "While this may have been true 15 or 20 years ago, the rapidly dropping cost of computing and biotech tools has created a new paradigm for innovation -- and, therefore, investments. Biotech is experiencing the same trends that software did, and these trends will carry over to agriculture." Arama Kukutai, Managing Director of Finistere Ventures, Scott Horner, Managing Director of Middleland Capital, and Bryan Wilson, former President of United Agri Products will be joining the ZeaKal Board. Dr. Amy Curran will also be joining the company as the new Chief Operating Officer. About ZeaKal ZeaKal is a plant science company developed from the incubation pipeline of Kapyon Ventures. The company is focused on developing, PhotoSeed', a next-generation biotechnology trait that has been proven to increase the photosynthetic capacity and stress tolerance of several major crops. Visit www.zeakal.com. About Finistere Ventures Finistere Ventures, is a leading California-based agricultural technology and life sciences venture capital investor, with offices in Palo Alto and San Diego. Their team has developed and invested in some of the most successful AgTech companies of the last 20 years. Visit www.FinistereVentures.com. About Middleland Capital Middleland Capital is a private investment firm focused on global early stage opportunities in agricultural technologies. Leveraging a unique breadth of geographic and industry experience, the firm seeks long-term partnerships with exceptional management teams to commercialize innovative technologies, accelerate growth and build long-term value around the world. Visit www.middlelandcap.com. Media Contact: Erica Camilo Connexa Communications for ZeaKal C: 610.639.5644 Erica@connexacommunications.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Bob Dylan is recording the follow up to his 2015 album, Shadows in the Night. The 74-year-old eleven time Grammy-winning musician is recording in Studio B at Hollywood's famed Capitol Studios, reported Billboard. Shadows engineer, Al Schmitt, is also working with him. 'It's going along great. He sounds great. His mood in the studio is fabulous. We're having a good time. We're like two old shoes together now, we're so comfortable with one another now.' Schmitt said. Dylan is also producing the record and the engineer praised him for his intelligence. He's extraordinarily smart and he's so aware of everything that's going on, so he knows what's happening at every moment, he said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Race to Nowhere" www.racetonowhere.com challenges current thinking about how we prepare our children for success. This remarkable new film shines a light on the price our kids pay for this race to nowhere. Cheating is commonplace, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and ironically, young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people who have been pushed to the brink and educators who are burned out and worried that students arent developing the skills needed for the global economy, race to nowhere points to the silent epidemic running rampant in our schools. Beyond Measure www.beyondmeasurefilm.com challenges the assumptions of our current education story. Rather than ask why our students fail to measure up, this film asks us to reconsider the greater purpose of education. What if our education system valued personal growth over test scores? Put inquiry over mimicry? Encouraged passion over rankings? What if we decided that the higher aim of school was not the transmission of facts or formulas, but the transformation of every student? And what if this paradigm-shift was driven from the ground up? By students, parents, and educators? By all of us? Beyond Measure offers a positive picture of whats possible in American education when communities decide they are ready for change. MONTREAL, CANADA and NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) (Knight) and Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Medimetriks) announced today that Knight has agreed to issue a secured loan of up to US$20 million to support Medimetriks' acquisition of the exclusive U.S. development and commercialization rights for OPA-15406 from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a global healthcare company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. OPA-15406 is a topical, non-steroidal phosphodiesterase IV (PDE-4) inhibitor that is part of a new treatment class for atopic dermatitis, a disease that affects up to 18 million people in the U.S. In addition to the secured loan, Knight and Medimetriks have entered into a license and distribution agreement whereby Knight will be Medimetriks' exclusive distribution partner in Canada, Israel, Romania, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean for future Medimetriks products. Medimetriks currently does not have rights to any products in these territories. The secured loan, with an initial tranche of US$18 million, will bear interest at a rate of 13% per annum for a three year term. A second tranche of US$2 million will be issued by Knight upon the FDA filing by Medimetriks of an NDA for Ozenoxacin, a novel, bactericidal non-fluorinated quinolone in development as a topical treatment for impetigo, Medimetriks expects to submit the NDA for Ozenoxacin in May 2016. As part of the transaction, Knight has been issued 3.6% of the fully-diluted common shares in the capital of Medimetriks, plus other consideration. The loan is secured by a charge over all the assets of Medimetriks, which include 10+ key commercial brands that are currently generating gross revenues of over US$35 million per annum. "Medimetriks is thrilled to partner with the Knight team," said Bradley Glassman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medimetriks, "We are pleased that Knight, a leading specialty pharma and strategic lender that understands the specialty pharma business, shares our enthusiasm about the potential for OPA-15406 to be a best-in-class treatment for patients suffering from atopic dermatitis." "Knight is pleased to support Medimetriks and its acquisition of OPA-15406, a promising treatment for a disease that affects millions of children and adults in the U.S.," said Jonathan Ross Goodman, President and CEO of Knight. "Medimetriks is a leading independent U.S. dermatology company with the development and commercial capabilities to take advantage of this opportunity. We look forward to working with Medimetriks to bring future innovative dermatology products to patients in Canada and abroad." About Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals Inc. Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading independent branded dermatology company focused on the development, licensing and commercialization of innovative prescription skincare brands. The company is dedicated to addressing unmet physician and patient needs with unique therapies that advance patient care. For more information, please visit: www.medimetriks.com. About OPA-15406 OPA-15406, discovered by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., is an investigational non-steroidal topical anti-inflammatory PDE-4 inhibitor in development for the potential treatment of atopic dermatitis. OPA-15406 is hypothesized to exert anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting the production of cytokines and chemical mediators thought to cause the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis. About Knight Therapeutics Inc. Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the company's web site at www.gud-knight.com or www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Statement This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time they were prepared, but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2014. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law. Contacts: Knight Therapeutics Inc. Jeffrey Kadanoff, P.Eng., MBA Chief Financial Officer 514-484-GUD1 (4831) 514-481-4116 (FAX) info@gud-knight.com www.gud-knight.com NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Troymet Exploration Corp. (TSX VENTURE: TYE) ("Troymet" or the "Company") reports a new drill target in the North Target area on its Wildcat gold-silver project in Juab County, Utah. The 2015 exploration program of prospecting, mapping, BLEG sampling and soil sampling, in conjunction with detailed analysis of the airborne magnetics, identified the North Target area as a potential drill target. The target is clearly recognizable in Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the rock chip geochemistry (Figure 1) and it has a strong gold and tellurium signature (Figure 2 & Figure 3). PCA analysis is a technique used to bring out strong patterns in a dataset to make data easy to explore and visualize. In the case of the rock geochemistry dataset (49 elements + geology), PCA analysis shows geology to be the first factor (Factor 1). Heavy metal geochemistry comprises the second factor (Factor 2) and it shows a strong focus on the Core and North Target areas. Structural complexity in the North target, created by intersecting faults, appears to have created the necessary porosity and permeability for the emplacement of mineralization, as evidenced by the rock geochemistry. The North target appears to be an extension of the Core target. Together the two zones cover a distance of approx. 1,000 metres. Troymet plans further work in this area once field work resumes. Website Links: Figure 1: Principal Component Analysis-Factor 2 Figure 2: Gold in Rock Chips Figure 3: Tellurium in Rock Chips Troymet's rock and soil samples are analyzed by ALS Global in Reno, Nevada, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited facility. An application for a permit to conduct a 2016 drill program on the Wildcat project has been submitted to the State of Utah and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (news release dated January 6, 2016). Qualified Persons All technical data, as disclosed in this press release, has been verified by the Company's qualified persons Kieran Downes, Ph.D. P.Geo., and Mark Coolbaugh, Ph.D., CPG. Both are Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Troymet Exploration Corp. Troymet Exploration Corp. is a junior exploration company with a solid treasury and with projects in British Columbia (Redhill and Golden Eagle), Manitoba (McClarty Lake) and Utah (Wildcat). Troymet operates the Wildcat, Redhill and Golden Eagle projects. Hudbay Minerals Inc. is the operator of the McClarty Lake joint venture and must contribute $1,151,052 in joint venture expenditures before Troymet is required to fund its participating interest. Troymet retains a 2% net smelter returns royalty (NSR) on the Key property, British Columbia, which was sold to New Gold Inc. in 2013. TROYMET EXPLORATION CORP. Kieran Downes, Ph.D., P.Geo., President, CEO & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release may contain certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in respect of: the Wildcat Project, including the exploration potential and analogous deposit potential of the Wildcat Project; future data analysis, sampling plans and exploration plans on the Wildcat Project; and exploration targets and the potential of such exploration targets. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information reflects Troymet's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Troymet and on assumptions Troymet believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the current share price of Troymet's common shares and the ability to raise future equity financing, if needed, at prices acceptable to Troymet; Troymet's current and initial understanding and analysis of the Wildcat Project; the ability of Troymet to discover viable exploration targets and the results of exploration on the Wildcat Project; Troymet's general and administrative costs remaining constant; and the market acceptance of Troymet's business strategy.Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Troymet to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the early stage development of Troymet and its projects, and in particular, the Wildcat Project; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; capital market conditions and market prices for securities, junior market securities and mining exploration company securities; commodity prices; the actual results of current exploration and development or operational activities; competition; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents and other risks inherent in the mining industry; lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting Troymet; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of other assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of other risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Troymet's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Troymet does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Troymet Exploration Corp. Anthony Zelen Investor Relations 888-456-4952 or C: 778-388-5258 anthony@senergyir.com www.troymet.com edesaulniers@nouveaumonde.ca) or by phone (819 923-0333). Nouveau Monde would also like to announce that it was invited by BMO Capital Markets to attend its 25th Global Metals and Mining Conference, held in Hollywood, Florida from February 28 to March 2, 2016. BMO Capital Markets hosts a number of conferences each year that bring together institutional investors and corporate/ government entities that require capital. Nouveau Monde is eager to share its latest results from its Tony block at the event, and also at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention to be held in Toronto, Canada from March 6 to 9. The Tony Block is located in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints area, some 130 km north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An extensive trenching and drilling (totalling over 10,000 m) program was initiated in June of 2015. The objective of the work was to define before year-end a Mineral Resource Estimate, completed in accordance with the NI 43-101 guidelines, for the South-East and South-West zones (see December 15, 2015 press release). Regarding the West Zone, the resource estimate is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2016. A preliminary economic assessment regarding these three mineralized zones is expected during the first half of 2016. The following 2015 project overview map is available for download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tylkot26kjardcr/PR_Tony_Block_20160209.pdf?dl=0. This news release was prepared by Eric Desaulniers, MSc, P.Geo., President and CEO of Nouveau Monde and qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction or approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by such statements. Nouveau Monde will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Nouveau Monde. Contacts: Nouveau Monde Mining Enterprises Inc. Eric Desaulniers, M.Sc., P.Geo. President and Chief Executive Officer of Nouveau Monde (819) 923-0333 edesaulniers@nouveaumonde.ca CHARLOTTE, NC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- 2016 Blue Sphere Corp. (OTCQB: BLSP) (the "Company" or "Blue Sphere"), a clean-tech waste-to-energy producer that develops, manages and owns waste-to-energy facilities globally, announced today that on February 15, 2016 the Company closed on a private equity investment round with three current Blue Sphere shareholders for gross proceeds of US$1,925,000 through the sale of the Company's common stock ("Shares") and warrants ("Warrants" together with the Shares, the "Securities") to purchase shares of Common Stock (the "Private Placement"). The Securities were purchased at a price per share equal to the closing price for Blue Sphere's Common Stock as of February 12, 2016, or $0.055 per share. Additionally, the investors were each issued Warrants to purchase an amount of Blue Sphere's Common Stock equal to fifty percent of the Shares purchased by the investors in the Private Placement. The Warrant exercise price is $0.10 per share of common stock. The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used by the Company to accelerate its growth and for general business activities. The Company's goals for 2016 include a potential up-listing to a major exchange, expanding its base of European assets with guaranteed EBITDA beyond the four fully operational biogas facilities previously announced (valued at over $26 million), and seeing the two previously announced and under-construction US biogas facilities ($46 million construction cost) with 15-year power purchase agreements come online. The Company sold the Shares and Warrants to investment funds affiliated with Lazarus Management Company LLC, which had previously purchased the Company's common stock, as disclosed in Lazarus' Schedule 13G filing, dated January 7, 2016. Shlomi Palas, the Company's CEO, commented, "We are very pleased to complete this financing with some of our valued shareholders. The proceeds will allow the Company to act more aggressively on the full pipeline of opportunities at hand. 2015 was an important year for the Company in terms of acquiring and developing assets including its four Italian facilities which the Company expects to generate approximately $4.1 million in annual EBITDA. We are working hard to build on these accomplishments in 2016 and beyond." Maxim Group LLC acted as exclusive placement agent for the Private Placement. For more detail on the Private Placement, please refer to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 17, 2016 The Shares and Warrants and shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants, and any other securities offered in the above described Private Placement or any other securities to be offered in any proposed future private placement (collectively, the "Securities") have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. Because the Securities are not registered, the Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. This press release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act and shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, nor shall there be any sales of the securities mentioned in this press release in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. About Blue Sphere Corporation Blue Sphere Corporation, is a diversified waste-to-energy producer that develops, owns, and operates clean-tech, renewable energy facilities in the United States and abroad. The company primarily converts organic waste into electricity, but also has the ability to generate heat, natural gas and organic byproducts through various technologies. Blue Sphere facilities; eliminate waste that would normally be disposed in landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect water quality, helping to solve important global environmental issues. Blue Sphere is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and has operations in the United States and Europe. For further information about Blue Sphere, please visit the Company's website: www.bluespherecorporate.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are subject to risks and uncertainties and may change at any time. Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including, without limitation, (i) uncertainties regarding general economic and market conditions, (ii) uncertainties regarding changes in the Clean tech sector, (iii) uncertainties regarding implementation of the Company's business strategy, and (iv) other risk factors as outlined in the Company's periodic reports, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As such, there is no assurance that the initiatives described in this press release will be successfully implemented or meet expectations. Forward-looking statements in this document speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statements that may become untrue because of subsequent events. Contact Information: Stanley Wunderlich Launchpad IR 1-800-625-2236 swunderlich@launchpadir.com www.tacticalgrowthpartners.com www.launchpadir.net HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Propell Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: PROP) (the "Company"), an oil exploitation and production acquisition company with a proprietary Plasma Pulse well treatment, will be presenting at the SeeThruEquity & The Brewer Group 2nd Annual Innovations Investor Conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Miami on South Beach on Monday, February 22, 2016. C. Brian Boutte, Propell's new CEO, will be presenting at 10am and will be having one-on-one meetings during the conference. Those interested in a one-on-one may call (713) 766-5546 or email investors@propell.com. "We're pleased to be the only oil/gas related company presenting at SeeThru in Miami this year," stated Boutte. "It reflects our confidence that our plan to capitalize on low oil will be attractive to growth investors." Propell recently released an updated corporate presentation which Mr. Boutte will deliver with Q&A at the conference. About Propell Technologies Propell Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: PROP) is an oil exploration and production (E&P) acquisition company which intends to build and grow a base of producing assets by leveraging M&A and operational expertise, and by using advanced technology including a Plasma Pulse well treatment which uses no acidization, hydrofracking or other chemicals. Its plan is to further benefit from a corresponding development of untapped hydrocarbon reserves once oil supply/demand rebalances and prices rebound. www.propell.com About SeeThruEquity Since the company's founding in 2011, SeeThruEquity (STE) has been committed to its core mission: providing impactful, high quality research on uncovered and undercovered microcap stocks and hosting investor conferences throughout the year. STE has been able to grow its research universe to over 176 names. STE conferences are the ultimate event for publicly traded companies with less than $1 billion in market capitalization because it augments the conference experience with the firm's research which is part of Wall Street consensus and available across industry leading platforms including Thomson First Call, FactSet, S&P CapitalIQ, Yahoo! Finance and Bloomberg to name a select few. STE has hosted 20 investor conferences which have showcased over 350 companies, attracted over 4500 attendees and have included over 1,700 1-on-1 meetings. For more information please visit www.steconference.com. SAFE HARBOR This investor update includes forward-looking statements of our current expectations and projections about future events. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," and similar expressions. These statements are based upon current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and include statements regarding the transformative changes we expect this year, the opportunities available to acquire and operate quality undervalued assets at low prices, our ability to optimize our assets value through increased production and proved reserve volumes from operational efficiencies, plasma pulse applications, drilling/workover programs, prudent capital allocation and general cost cutting, our ability to close an acquisition expeditiously with greater value for lower costs, and our ability to use our technical and operational skills to achieve higher profits and a greater return on capital, leverage our balance sheet to establish superior technical and operational capabilities and otherwise achieve our second quarter objectives. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements include, among others, our ability to effect the transformative changes we expect this year, find suitable acquisitions, optimize our assets through increased production and proved reserve volumes from operational efficiencies, plasma pulse applications, drilling/workover programs, prudent capital allocation and general cost cutting, use our technical and operational skills to achieve higher profits, leverage our balance sheet to establish superior technical and operational capabilities and the other factors described in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and our other filings we have made or may make with the SEC. The information in this press release is provided only as of the date written, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Propell Technologies Group +1 (713) 766-5546 investors@propell.com CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) - https://www.w3.org/ -- Recognizing the critical role of strong authentication in securing the Web experience for everyone, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announced today that it is launching a new standards effort in Web Authentication that will offer a more secure and flexible alternative to password-based log-ins on the Web. For many Web users, passwords are annoying to use and offer weak protection for their interactions -- they're too often forgotten or set to weak, and easily-guessed combinations. Even strong passwords can be lost in data breaches or targeted for replay in phishing attacks. W3C's new Web Authentication work, based upon the member submission of FIDO 2.0 Web APIs from the FIDO Alliance, will enable the use of strong cryptographic operations in place of password exchange. "When strong authentication is easy to deploy, we make the Web safer for daily use, personal and commercial," said Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Web Inventor and W3C Director. "With the scope and frequency of attacks increasing, it is imperative for W3C to develop new standards and best practices for increased security on the Web." Web Authentication Complements Current W3C Web Security Activities According to W3C CEO Dr. Jeff Jaffe, the Web Authentication effort will complement prior W3C work on a Web Cryptography API, currently in Candidate Recommendation status, and on-going work on Web Application Security specifications. The WebCrypto API provides a Javascript API to a standard suite of cryptographic operations across browsers. Work in WebAppSec includes improvements to the HTTPS experience and updates to Content Security Policy (CSP), enabling application authors to set policy for what active content is permitted to run on their sites, protecting them against injection of unwanted or malicious code. "Our goal is to raise the entire Open Web Platform to a higher standard of security and to collaborate with industry, academic experts, and other standards organizations to ensure that specific Web security needs are met," Jaffe said. "We invite broad participation to work together on this top priority to keep the Web as secure as possible today and in the foreseeable future." Wendy Seltzer, Technology and Society Domain Lead, says she expects the new Web Authentication work to close an important gap in the Web platform. "We've seen much better authentication methods than passwords, yet too many Web sites still use password-based log-ins. Standard Web APIs will make consistent implementations work across the Web ecosystem. The new approach will replace passwords with more secure ways of logging into Web sites, such as using a USB key or activating a smartphone. Strong authentication is useful to any Web application that wants to maintain an ongoing relationship with users," Seltzer commented. FIDO 2.0 Web APIs to Jumpstart Web Authentication Work The W3C's Web Authentication technical work is being accelerated thanks to a W3C member submission of FIDO 2.0 Web APIs from members of the FIDO Alliance. The submitted APIs are intended to ensure standards-based strong authentication across all Web browsers and related Web platform infrastructure. "Our mission is to revolutionize authentication on the Web through the development and global adoption of technical specifications that supplant the world's dependency on passwords with interoperable strong authentication," said Brett McDowell, executive director of the FIDO Alliance. "With W3C's acceptance of the FIDO 2.0 submission, and the chartering of this new Web Authentication Working Group, we are well on our way to accomplishing that mission." The new Web Authentication Working Group's first meeting will take place 4 March 2016 in San Francisco, conveniently timed for people who are also attending the RSA USA Conference. All W3C standards activities take place in Working Groups that are open to participation by W3C members and provide public mailing lists and repositories for public comment. "The developers and engineers involved in W3C's efforts to improve Web security are keenly aware of the need to upgrade protocols without breaking the Web that billions of people rely on," said Seltzer. "We very much encourage those interested in helping W3C to build a more secure Web to get involved." About the World Wide Web Consortium The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C primarily pursues its mission through the creation of Web standards and guidelines designed to ensure long-term growth and stewardship for the Web. Over 400 organizations are Members of the Consortium. W3C is jointly run by the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) in the United States, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) headquartered in France, Keio University in Japan and Beihang University in China. W3C has Offices in Australia; the Benelux countries; Brazil; Finland; France; Germany and Austria; Greece; Hungary; India; Italy; Korea; Morocco; Russia; Southern Africa; Spain; Sweden; and the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more information see http://www.w3.org Read testimonials from W3C Members. Media Contact Karen Myers W3C w3t-pr@w3.org Mobile: 1.978.502.6218 Testimonials from W3C members Nok Nok Labs Nok Nok Labs, Inc. Urban landscape designed in cooperation with the City of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland, 2016-02-17 14:45 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SATO Corporation, Press Release, 17th February 2016 at 3:45 pm135 new SATO RentHomes will soon be available in one of the last undeveloped areas of Helsinki's seafront district of Herttoniemenranta. Fresh and exciting plans for the set of residential blocks in Laivalahdenkaari 1 were sought on the basis of an architectural design competition. Based on invitations, the competition was won by the architectural firm Arkkitehdit Soini ja Horto Oy (AS&H) with its entry called 'Kutteri' ('Cutter').Land Acquisition Manager Maarit Tuomainen from SATO:- SATO and the City of Helsinki wanted to find a design plan for the sites and the park between them that is of high architectural standard and inspiring for the residents. The winning entry by AS&H is fresh and modern: it fits effortlessly into its environment yet at the same time draws positive attention.- Herttoniemenranta is a fantastic location for the residents. Located within walking distance from the metro, these rental homes are sought-after and much-liked and therefore are an excellent match to the SATO housing portfolio. The new homes will also be help respond to housing demand in terms of their size: the majority of the apartments will be studios and 1 bedroom SATO RentHomes.The construction of the Laivalahdenkaari 1 block is due to begin before the end of 2016 and the rental homes are estimated to be completed in early 2018. The block will also house a business space for a grocery store of Suomen Lahikauppa Oy.For more information please contact:SATO Corporation Maarit Tuomainen, Land Acquisition Manager, p. +358 201 34 4402 or +358 40 757 8868 Antti Aarnio, Director, p. +358 201 34 4200 or +358 40 164 7052www.sato.fiSATO is one of Finland's leading rental housing providers. SATO's aim is to offer comprehensive alternatives in rental housing and an excellent customer experience. All told, SATO holds roughly 23,600 rental homes in Finland's largest growth centres and in St Petersburg.In our operations, we promote sustainable development and initiative-taking, and work in open interaction with our stakeholders to create added value. We operate profitably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our housing property through investments, divestments and repair work.SATO Group's net sales in 2015 were 323.4 million, operating profit 196.5 million and profit before taxes 159.4 million. SATO's investment properties have a value of roughly 2.8 billion.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=547251 Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Venezuela have agreed to freeze production. Will this finally help to support oil prices? Not yet. Skepticism abounds. Even if Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed to freeze oil production, the markets had expected an actual cut in production. The current arrangement provides for a less exciting prospect. The four countries are not to exceed January 2016 production. Regardless of cuts, the gains are short-term and the risk of economic collapse remains.The ministers discussed measures to support the market a one-and-a-half years after the price. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Broadband, Colfax and DSCon to Provide Agilio Server-Based Networking Solution in North America, Western Europe and Russia Netronome, a leading provider of high-performance intelligent networking solutions, today announced partnerships with Broadband, Colfax International and DSCon to bring the Agilio Server Networking Platform to end-users in North America, Western Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Broadband, Colfax and DSCon join existing Netronome worldwide channel partners in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. "The Agilio server-based networking platform enables businesses of all sizes to dramatically increase the efficiency of their Cloud, SDN and NFV-enabled data center compute infrastructure, delivering up to 5X higher throughput while reducing CPU requirements by up to 80 percent compared to traditional NICs," said Ken Way, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Netronome. "Our worldwide channel growth will enable us to work closely with key partners to deliver the efficiencies of mega-scale data centers to conventional server networking-based customers across the globe and drive further revenue growth." "Our customers are faced with an almost unmanageable pace of demand to deliver new applications and services faster, and in more agile and secure ways, all the while driving down overall TCO," said Magnus Granfelt, business development manager at Broadband. "The Agilio server networking platform will boost our customer's data center infrastructure efficiency and improve their overall ROI by moving networking intelligence into the server." "Agilio server-based networking platforms enable us to offer our customers a highly efficient, scalable and flexible solution to offload server-based networking data paths, accelerating data throughput while dramatically decreasing server workloads," said Gautam Shah, CEO and President of Colfax International. "With Netronome solutions, we can enable our customers to accelerate and scale their critical server-based applications, minimizing the tax on network bandwidth and compute capabilities and improving their TCO." "In order to keep pace with the demands placed on them, too often data center operators are forced to choose between innovation and performance, not wanting to sacrifice one or the other. As we continue to see high growth in SDN and NFV applications, the requirement for increased performance delivered at a much faster pace of innovation is not slowing down," said Igor Berin, CEO of DSCon. "As we observe an increasing interest to the evolving concepts of SDN and NFV among data center operators in Russia, DSCon, following its strategic mission as a technology trailblazer, aspire to bring an innovative no compromise server-based networking solution that is software-defined, brings the benefits of hardware acceleration and can evolve rapidly as application needs change." Supporting Resources More information about Agilio software products: http://netronome.com/products/agilio-software More information about Agilio CX products: http://netronome.com/products/intelligent-server-adaptors/agilio-cx/ Netronome Server-based networking: http://netronome.com/what-we-do/ Agilio data center solutions: http://netronome.com/solutions/agilio-server-networking-solutions/overview/ Agilio CX and Software product benchmarks: http://netronome.com/solutions/open-vswitch-applications/overview/ About Netronome Netronome enables customers to increase the efficiency of their modern data center infrastructure, ultimately allowing them to generate significantly more services revenue per server. Server-based networking has enabled rapid innovation and transformed the economics for data center compute and networking. Such deployments however are facing significant scaling and efficiency challenges with the rapid adoption of 10GbE and higher bandwidth network infrastructure. Netronome products bring back the much needed scale and efficiency, without compromising speed of innovation or flexibility needed in today's cloud networks running businesses of all sizes. Netronome is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. To learn more about Netronome and its products, please visit www.netronome.com Netronome, the Netronome logo, and Agilio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Netronome Systems, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners in the United States and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005895/en/ Contacts: Netronome: Brian Sparks, +1 408-802-2775 VP Marketing Communications Brian.sparks@netronome.com or 10Fold Communications: Gary Good, +1 707-837-1718 netronome@10fold.com Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc.'s (NYSE Paris Euronext: PM) Chief Executive Officer, Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Scientific Officer, Manuel Peitsch, and President, Reduced-Risk Products, Miroslaw Zielinski, address investors today at the CAGNY Conference in Boca Raton, Florida, accompanied by Jacek Olczak, Chief Financial Officer and Peter Luongo, Vice President, Treasury Planning. The presentation and Q&A session are being webcast live, in a listen-only mode, beginning at approximately 9:15 a.m. ET, at www.pmi.com/webcasts and on the PMI Investor Relations App. An archived copy of the webcast, together with presentation remarks and slides, will be available on the same site and the App. The presentation will cover topics including: The strength of PMI's business fundamentals, including the successful transformation and growth of Marlboro The rigorous scientific substantiation behind PMI's heat-not-burn iQOS Reduced-Risk Product (RRP)* technology; and Reduced-Risk Product (RRP)* technology; and An explanation of PMI's route-to-market strategy for iQOS and an update on its performance in Japan and other launch markets. PMI also reaffirms its guidance, announced on February 4, for 2016 full-year reported diluted earnings per share to be in a range of $4.25 to $4.35, at prevailing exchange rates at that time, versus $4.42 in 2015. Excluding an unfavorable currency impact, at then-prevailing rates, of approximately $0.60 per share for the full-year 2016, the reported diluted earnings per share range represents an increase of approximately 10% to 12% versus adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.42 in 2015. This guidance does not include any share repurchases in 2016. The company will revisit the potential for repurchases as the year unfolds, depending on the currency environment. Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.42 in 2015 are calculated as reported diluted earnings per share of $4.42, plus the $0.03 per share charge related to asset impairment and exit costs, less the $0.03 per share benefit related to discrete tax items. This 2016 guidance excludes the impact of future acquisitions, unanticipated asset impairment and exit cost charges, future changes in currency exchange rates and any unusual events. The presentation, related discussion and this release contain statements that, to the extent they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and expectations, and are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on management's expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements in the presentation, related discussion and this release include those described under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in PMI's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PMI does not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in the normal course of its public disclosure obligations. Reduced-Risk Products ("RRPs") is the term the company uses to refer to products with the potential to reduce individual risk and population harm in comparison to smoking cigarettes. PMI's RRPs are in various stages of development and commercialization, and we are conducting extensive and rigorous scientific studies to determine whether we can support claims for such products of reduced exposure to harmful and potentially harmful constituents in smoke, and ultimately claims of reduced disease risk, when compared to smoking cigarettes. Before making any such claims, we will rigorously evaluate the full set of data from the relevant scientific studies to determine whether they substantiate reduced exposure or risk. Any such claims may also be subject to government review and approval, as is the case in the U.S. today. About Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI") PMI is the world's leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of Reduced-Risk Products ("RRPs"). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products with the potential to reduce individual risk and population harm in comparison to smoking cigarettes. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005416/en/ Contacts: Philip Morris International Inc. Investor Relations New York: +1-917-663-2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 or Media: Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. President Barack Obama doesn't believe Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump would be elected US President because it's a 'serious job'. Being a president is tougher than hosting a reality show and Americans are too sensible to elect him, Obama told reporters after the first ever US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California, Tuesday. Trump fired back, saying that Obama would not have been re-elected if he had run last time in place of GOP nominee Mitt Romney. Obama also criticized other Republican presidential aspirants. In a dig at Marco Rubio, Obama said the Florida Senator who sponsored a bill to solve the immigration problem is now running away from it. He accused all Republican candidates of not making any proposals to mitigate climate change at a time other countries around the world count on the United States being on the side of science and reason and common sense. Notwithstanding Obama's skepticism, Trump continued to lead in the Republican polls in South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for Saturday. At a campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump was highly critical of Obama's record in office. He claimed Obama has done a lousy job on spending, national defense, health care and immigration. 'You look at our budgets, our spending, we can't beat ISIS. Obama Care is terrible...we're going to terminate it,' said the 69-year-old billionaire real estate tycoon. You look at everything. 'Our borders are like Swiss cheese. This man has done such a horrible job, he's set us back so far', Trump said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BARRIE, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Editors Note: There is a video and two photos associated with this release. Dubbed as Canada's most innovative incubation program, the 2016 smOffice contest is now accepting applications until April 15th from across Canada - this time, providing not one, but three budding entrepreneurs with the chance to receive over $60,000 in prizes, professional advice, office space and seed funding to fuel their startup or small business dream. "We're looking for creative entrepreneurs who want to launch their great idea within a collaborative startup community. We can accelerate their business in ways they could never do on their own," said Chad Ballantyne, owner of The Creative Space, who is hosting the contest. Last year's contest saw entrepreneur, Shelby Taylor of Stayner, Ontario take her organic line of pasta, Chickapea Pasta, from concept through to manufacturing. "We have been moving along like crazy, we've gone from an idea to production in just six months," said Taylor. During her incubation with smOffice, housed in Barrie's downtown entrepreneur hub TheCreativeSpace, Shelby was able to take advantage of grant money, focus groups, product refinement, video services, branding and package design, PR and Social Media marketing, legal and accounting advice, all from companies in the Barrie area, including a local manufacturer. Today she is hiring staff and working to fulfill orders for a growing base of new customers including eight local retailers who pre-ordered the product. "The smOffice contest was instrumental in connecting me with mentors, sponsors and just giving me the confidence to go forward and connect with the people I needed to make this happen," she said. Each 2016 contest winner will be set up in Canada's smallest office steps from the Barrie waterfront, full entrepreneur centre, $1,000 in seed funds, mentorship from Profit Top 50 companies, access to a Sonders e-bike for transportation, and deliveries of Topper's Pizza to fuel the creative process. In addition, the out-of-town winner will be set up with six months of free accommodations. This year boasts 26 smOffice Sponsors including The Faris Team, Baldwin Planning, Busch Systems, Rhubarb Media, Catalyst Communications Choreography and Tyger Shark all getting behind the concept of a national entrepreneur contest. Winners move into their new smOffice May 1, 2016. How To Apply: smOffice application For more information: www.smoffice.ca or follow @smoffice_barrie To view the video and photos associated with this release, please visit the following links: https://youtu.be/IKhFayEjaLM http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160216-1043223a_800.jpg http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160216-1043223b_800.jpg Contacts: Media info: Amanda Sutton 705.791.7209 amanda@catalystcc.ca smOffice Contest info: Chad Ballantyne 705.812.0689 chad@thecreativespace.ca Company to feature industry's most comprehensive end-to-end IoT services at Mobile World Congress Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced it is adding dashboarding, built-in network steering and remote device management to the Telit IoT Portal. These new capabilities are consolidated under the Portal's Application Development and Connectivity Management functions providing Telit portal users a unique and powerful set of tools to configure, manage and optimize both devices and connections from an intuitive Cloud-based service. The new dashboarding tool features built-in graphing and visualization, quick and easy customization and real-time data intelligence. As an integral part of the IoT Portal, dashboards make it easy to transform and translate data into usable information. Telit's Connectivity Management lets customers manage a connection life cycle, analyze connection quality, and set all provisioning and data plan parameters improving overall performance and data cost management in real time. The built-in CDP integration (unveiled in late 2015) aggregates federated data across multiple wireless networks a valuable capability when operating IoT deployments in different countries and regions around the world. The new "Switch" feature is a roaming network steering tool to offset the financial and technical risks posed by mobile network failures or degraded performance. The IoT Portal is enriched further by Device Management functions to remotely configure and troubleshoot IoT devices. For the tens of millions of Telit modules that are already deployed in the field there is no device-side application integration required. The functionality may also extend to non-Telit embedded devices through the deviceWISE agent technology and API. "Telit is always on the forefront of IoT Innovation as illustrated by these advanced functions that help our customers dramatically improve the performance and cost management of their entire IoT deployment from a single web interface," said Fred Yentz, President IoT Platforms. "The developer-friendly Telit IoT Portal provides instant and full access to unmatched tools and resources for any IoT project." The Telit IoT Portal, reduces risk, time-to-market, complexity and cost of deploying solutions for monitoring and control, industrial automation, asset tracking and field service operations across all industries and market segments around the world. Developers can connect, collect, and control anything with a single, standardized API set that is common across device integration, connectivity management and application development. Additionally, customers enjoy professional maintenance and support and ongoing upgrades to new features and capabilities. Access a free trial of the Telit IoT Portal. Telit will demonstrate the IoT Portal in booth 5E61 throughout the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Interested parties are invited to schedule a meeting in advance. About Telit Telit (AIM: TCM), is the global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) enablement. The company offers the industry's broadest portfolio of integrated products and services for end-to-end IoT deployments including cellular communication modules in all technologies, GNSS, short-to-long range wireless modules, IoT connectivity plans and IoT platform services. Through the IoT Portal, Telit makes IoT onboarding easy, reduces risk, time to market, complexity and costs for asset tracking, remote monitoring and control, telematics, industrial automation and others, across many industries and vertical markets worldwide. Copyright 2016 Telit Communications PLC. All rights reserved. Telit, Telit Wireless Solutions, Telit Communications PLC, telit.com, telit2market, Telit Technical Forum, secureWISE, deviceWISE and all associated logos are trademarks of Telit Communications PLC in the United States and other countries. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005965/en/ Contacts: Telit Jack Indekeu, +1-561-982-9898 ext. 133 VP of Marketing, IoT Services jack.indekeu@telit.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- KGIC Inc. ("KGIC" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: LRN) wishes to update shareholders on the following key matters affecting the Company: -- The Company has entered into an amended and restated forbearance agreement with the Bank of Montreal ("BMO"), a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (the "Amended Forbearance Agreement"). The Amended Forbearance Agreement requires the Company to exercise all avenues of liquidity in order to meet its obligations to BMO. In connection therewith, the board of directors of the Company has initiated a review of strategic alternatives to determine the best course to satisfy the Company's obligations under the Amended Forbearance Agreement and to enhance the Company's value. G.S. MacLeod & Associates Inc. has been retained to act as exclusive financial advisor to the Company in connection therewith. Strategic alternatives could include a reorganization of capital or the sale of all or some of the assets of the Company. There can be no assurance that this strategic review process will result in the completion of any transaction or other alternative. The Company does not intend to comment further regarding the review process unless a specific transaction or other alternative is approved by the board of directors, the review process is concluded or it is otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law. The Company will continue to operate in the ordinary course during this review process. -- BMO has advised the Company that it is supportive of the Company's approach in this regard. In connection therewith, the Company has entered into an amended and restated credit agreement with BMO, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (the "Amended Credit Agreement"). Under the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, BMO has agreed to provide the Company with a discretionary, non-revolving demand credit facility in the amount of up to $3,000,000 (the "Facility"). Each advance under the Facility is at the discretion of BMO. The Facility may be used by the Company only for working capital and general corporate purposes. Subject to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, the Company shall only be entitled to obtain advances under the Facility until April 22, 2016. All advances will bear interest at BMO's prime rate plus 3.75% per annum. -- The Company has elected to not proceed with its previously announced preferred share offering and will instead explore the possibility of a debt offering as part of the strategic review process noted above. There can be no assurance that any such offering will be completed. -- The Company has made a continued effort to stabilize its school campuses and improve on reporting and operating standards and enrollment. About KGIC Inc. KGIC owns and operates private English as a Second Language (ESL) Schools, Career Colleges and Community Colleges in Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. Forward-Looking Information and Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information and statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein includes information concerning the ability of Company to continue as a going concern. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results including, but not limited to, risks relating to: the Company's ability to successfully raise sufficient additional capital in order to allow it to continue as a going concern on terms acceptable to the Company or at all; the Company's ability to successfully complete any other form of transaction as part of the strategic review process noted above; the Company's ability to service its outstanding indebtedness and the impact of that indebtedness on the Company's ability to raise additional capital, fund and maintain operations or meet business objectives; the Company's ability to comply with the terms of the amended and restated forbearance agreement and amended and restated credit agreement with BMO and the consequences of any breach or default thereunder; the Company's ability to successfully exit forbearance; the Company's ability to satisfy the demands of, or successfully negotiate improved terms with, its existing creditors; the fact that new management and directors of the Company, including the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, have had limited experience with the Company and its operations and have not had sufficient time to fully analyze all facets of the Company's business; the impact of negative or unfavourable rumours in the marketplace on the Company's brands and student enrollment; any of the Company's announced or proposed acquisitions failing to close or becoming delayed before closing; carrying on business and activities in international jurisdiction where Canadian laws do not apply; any loss of certain key personnel; levels of student enrolment; delays in rolling out online education programs; delays to the completion of any planned initiatives or the inability to complete those initiatives; competition in the educational services market; and currency fluctuations. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information or statements contained in this press release. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information that is contained or referenced herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: KGIC Inc. Dr. Alex MacGregor (416) 969-9800 amacgregor@loyalistgroup.com Company grows its coverage to over 600,000,000 customers worldwide; delivers engaging results with total net revenue increase of over 3%, NPS increase of 40% and churn reduction of 15%. TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Pontis, the worldwide leader in providing Digital Customer Engagement solutions, introduces Pontis Engage Version 10. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334042 Pontis today is enabling businesses revolutionize their Digital Customer Engagement with over 600,000,000 customers worldwide. These businesses are already achieving engaging results with Pontis. On average, they are seeing a total net revenue increase of over 3%, NPS increase of 40% across their customer base, and churn reduction of 15%. These results accompany dramatic improvements in the flexibility and efficiency of their marketing programs aimed at engaging customers. Pontis Engage Version 10 is a completely integrated solution that provides the ability to: Manage the real-time customer state: leverages real-time big data analytics to provide a unique, unified, and real-time contextual view of the status of every customer. The system continuously analyzes real-time, structured and unstructured data streams coming from internal and external (3 rd party) data sources. This enables businesses to adapt engagements in real time and make an impact. leverages real-time big data analytics to provide a unique, unified, and real-time contextual view of the status of every customer. The system continuously analyzes real-time, structured and unstructured data streams coming from internal and external (3 party) data sources. This enables businesses to adapt engagements in real time and make an impact. Deliver adaptive individual customer experiences: leverage a new approach to planning and managing a continuous customer journey with an intuitive, drag-and-drop visual interface. The product embeds advanced machine learning and predictive modeling to automatically adapt the execution of every engagement to the specific context of the individual customer, ensuring an optimal experience while achieving the business goals. leverage a new approach to planning and managing a continuous customer journey with an intuitive, drag-and-drop visual interface. The product embeds advanced machine learning and predictive modeling to automatically adapt the execution of every engagement to the specific context of the individual customer, ensuring an optimal experience while achieving the business goals. Allbound customer engagement: Pontis Engage enables the execution of a consistent and coherent experience by centrally managing Digital Customer Engagement for both inbound and outbound engagements and across all channels and touch points. Pontis Engage Version 10 is a complete product that offers real-time dashboards and reports, and is available both on premise and in the cloud. With over a decade of experience in driving Digital Customer Engagement with over 600,000,000 customers worldwide, Pontis designs, executes, and optimizes customer behaviors and engagements for leading businesses all over the world. This experience and expertise is embedded in Pontis Engage. This can be found in the application user interface and functional levels, in the analytical models, as well as in the pre-packaged implementations for leading use-cases and scenarios. Udi Ziv, Pontis CEO, says, "Businesses all over the world are seeking to be more meaningful in their customers' lives. They want to build more trusting and personal relationships. Digital Customer Engagement is the key to achieving these goals. It enables them to keep up with customer needs, preferences, and expectations and deliver value with superior experiences." "Pontis Engage Version 10 is a complete, cutting-edge solution that embeds over a decade of experience with Digital Customer Engagement, and enables our customers to revolutionize the way they engage with their customers. This is why we are seeing impressive growth for our company, expanding our base with new strategic customers who selected Pontis for the unique combination of our product, expertise, and experience - which deliver proven, engaging results. We are also working closely with our partners worldwide to further expand, and are moving into a number of different verticals, including financial, media and content application providers, and more" Ziv continues. Pontis will be presenting Pontis Engage Version 10 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 22nd- 25th, Hall 2, Booth 2E46. To schedule a meeting with one of our experts and see Pontis Engage Version 10 in action click here. About Pontis Pontisis the worldwide leader in providing Digital Customer Engagement solutions for revolutionizing how businesses engage with their customers. The company has over a decade's worth of experience and expertise in driving Digital Customer Engagements with over 600,000,000 customers worldwide. With extensive experience and domain expertise Pontis enables businesses to achieve engaging results and improve strategic KPIs such as improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, and increasing revenues. For more information visit www.pontis.com. Contact: Harriet Shakked harriet.shakked@pontis.com CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- South African insurance group, Telesure, has appointed Manny Rios as its new Group CEO with effect from February. Telesure Group owns and operates several of South Africa's leading insurance brands and operates a multi-channel, multiple-brand approach through direct sales, broker sales, aggregators and affinity partnerships. Manny is from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA but grew up in Kansas, and has worked throughout the States during his career. Prior to starting with Telesure, he was President and CEO of American Modern Insurance Group, a subsidiary of Munich Re, one of the world's largest insurers.Prior to this he was Chief Underwriter at USAA. Manny brings huge experience to Telesure, having worked in both large scale and start-up environments. His unique combination of technical expertise and outstanding leadership qualities will be a great asset to Telesure. Manny will be relocating to Johannesburg. Commenting on his appointment, Manny Rios said: "I'm delighted to be joining Telesure at such an exciting time. What attracted me was the Group's focus on wanting to find better ways to do things, its reputation for being first to market, and its strategy of using technology to make it better and easier for the customer." Stephen Klinkert, Group Chairman, Telesure, said: 'We have spent significant time searching for a Group CEO with extremely strong credentials to take the helm and I am delighted that we have been able to attract a candidate of Manny's calibre. He will be a great addition to the Telesure leadership team and I look forward to working with him. Notes to editors Telesure Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd (Telesure) was established in 1998 to house the South African interests of the Guernsey-based international financial services group, Budget Holdings Ltd. The group owns and operates several of South Africa's leading insurance brands and stands out with its multiple-channel, multiple-brand approach through direct sales, broker sales, aggregator sales and affinity partnerships. All of the companies in the Telesure group target different segments of the insuring public. They are geared to assess the needs of the market they service and provide products and distribution channels to best suit those needs. Telesure is recognised as one of the most profitable short-term insurance groups in South Africa and has never made an underwriting loss in its history. No other insurance group can make such a claim, which is outstanding given the phenomena of the insurance industry's boom-and-bust underwriting cycles. WARSAW (dpa-AFX) - Poland's producer prices declined at a faster pace in January, which was also a more severe fall than expected, figures from the statistical office showed Wednesday. Producer prices decreased 1.2 percent annually in January after a 0.8 percent decline in December. Economists had forecast a 0.7 percent slump. The biggest decline in prices were registered in the mining and quarrying sector. Compared to the previous month, prices fell 0.5 percent in January following a 0.2 decline in December. Economists were looking for a 0.1 percent drop. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. NEW WATERFORD, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Health Outcomes Worldwide (HOW), one of Canada's top e-health software solution providers, has been awarded a significant contract, which will see the company manage phase one of a Provincial Wound Care Program Redesign. The Provincial Wound Care Program Redesign will aim to provide an integrated and harmonized model of wound care management, with the goal of improving the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care in Nova Scotia. This project will focus not only on patients; but also clinicians, long term care facilities, home care workers, care givers, physicians and acute care providers. HOW will also develop comprehensive educational materials, consult with industry leaders to consider formulary adjustments, analyze wound care funding models and recommend legislative and policy changes. Phase one of the project commences immediately. "We applaud the province of Nova Scotia for being one of the first in North America to consider a program that will undoubtedly improve wound care management for patients and health care providers alike," said Corrine McIsaac, HOW Founder and CEO. "Our team is absolutely thrilled to be playing a key role in this process," she added. HOW is headquartered in New Waterford, Nova Scotia with satellite offices located in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The company has made previous headlines with their award-winning software, how2trak, which gives healthcare providers real-time, evidence-based direction wound care management. HOW also has the largest wound care database in Canada and has developed groundbreaking technologies that ensure patient care follows the Gold Standard of best practice. For more information, visit www.healthoutcomesww.com. Contacts: Health Outcomes Worldwide (HOW) Monica Brewer Manager of Customer Solutions 902.862.8704 (o) / 902.577.5730 (c) monica.brewer@healthoutcomesww.com www.healthoutcomesww.com The European Commission is providing 1.7 million to Joule Assets Europe to develop the SEAF Tool, which will improve access to funding for energy efficiency projects, spurring job creation and the growth of SME service providers. BRUSSELS, Feb. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Joule Assets Europe successfully hosted the Kick-Off meeting for its newest project, the Sustainable Energy Asset Evaluation and Optimisation Framework (SEAF) February 3rd and 4th. The 1.7 million SEAF project is funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020, the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme. Joule Assets' SEAF project aims to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing energy efficiency and other energy-related services to gain access to project finance. This will be done through a streamlined software platform that enables independent project valuation, insurance and design standardisation. The overall objective of the SEAF tool is to support millions in energy efficiency investments for European SMEs, job growth and increased energy and CO2 savings. Jessica Stromback, Chairman of Joule Assets, Europe states, "With over 8 billion of viable energy efficiency projects left undone in Europe, we are truly excited to develop this platform to support market development by lowering barriers to project finance. We look forward to supporting SME contractors and other small enterprises to reach their potential, for energy efficiency, job creation and healthier working environments." Dave Worthington, Managing Director of Verco says, "We're excited to be working on the SEAF tool. Verco's involvement in the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe complements this effort, and shows the European Commission's commitment to scaling up the market for energy efficiency retrofit across Europe." Paul Cullum, Product Development Manager at HSB Engineering Insurance commented, "This is a great opportunity to bring energy efficiency projects and investors together. By providing access to asset performance insurances, we will be looking to enhance the credit worthiness of projects and improve investor confidence." Led by Joule Assets Europe AB, SEAF gathers together expertise from the University of Manchester, the insurance company HSB Engineering Insurance Limited, and Verco from the UK, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Servizi Energia Ambiente S.r.l (SEASRL) from Aquila, Italy. The kick-off meeting included presentations from each member as well as a presentation on best practices for H2020 projects from Bjorn Zapfel of EASME (the European Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). About Joule Assets Europe AB: Joule Assets delivers financing solutions for energy efficiency and demand management initiatives and projects. Through its first-in-kind Joule Energy Reduction Asset (ERA) tool Joule Assets leverages its proprietary database, market analysis software, and extensive industry expertise to deliver a secure financing option for vendors and untapped revenue streams for investors. You can learn more about Joule Assets Europe and the ERA Fund at: http://www.jouleassets.com/ About Verco: Verco is an award winning sustainability and climate change consultancy focusing on low carbon growth, energy efficiency & clean energy development. We have over 26 years' experience in high-level policy and strategy work, deep technical analysis and project implementation. http://www.vercoglobal.com/ About Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe: ICP Europe is developing a suite of Commercial and Multifamily Energy Performance Protocols that aim to reduce transaction costs by assembling existing standards and practices into a consistent and transparent process. The purpose of ICP Europe is to enable a marketplace for building owners, project developers, utilities, public programmes and investors to trade in standardised energy efficiency projects. About HSB Engineering Insurance (HSB): HSB Engineering Insurance, as part of Munich Re, is a leading specialist provider of engineering insurance and inspection services. We help clients reduce risk through a range of innovative engineering insurance products tailored specifically for the renewable energy, construction and manufacturing industries, as well as for the general retail, commercial and public sectors. HSB is the UK-based arm of Hartford Steam Boiler, one of the world's leading equipment breakdown insurers. http://www.munichre.com/HSBEIL Corporate Communications Dept Tel: +62 21 2560 1069 Fax: +62 21 2560 1068 Email: corpcomm@garuda-indonesia.com SINGAPORE, Feb 17, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Garuda Indonesia Group and Airbus signed today a Memorandum of Partnership covering enhanced Maintenance Training support to GMF AeroAsia, the maintenance and repair subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, and a plan to study together a revitalisation plan for the Garuda Indonesia Airbus fleet. The agreement was signed by M. Arif Wibowo, President and CEO, Garuda Indonesia and by Fabrice Bregier, President and CEO, Airbus.Since the signature of an agreement for Maintenance Training Collaboration in 2011, GMF AeroAsia and Airbus have developed a mutually beneficial collaboration for strategic maintenance training in Indonesia. With this agreement Garuda Indonesia Group and Airbus look into developing further their joint activities with GMF AeroAsia."Airbus support and expertise in the training field have been proven of great benefit for the development and success of Garuda Indonesia Group," said Arif Wibowo. "This new agreement will help Garuda to provide better service to our Customers and to improve our capabilities. Moreover, today our partnership goes a step further as Airbus will support our Airbus fleet restructuring plan, for both single aisle and widebody aircraft, reinforcing the basis for a long term partnership."In the fleet area, the agreement includes Airbus commitment to support the revitalisation of Airbus fleet at Garuda Indonesia. In this area Airbus will focus in particular on the suitability of the newest Airbus aircraft, the A320neo and the A330neo, in line with Garuda's future needs."Today, Garuda Indonesia Group is setting the standards among full service airlines, LCCs and MROs," said Fabrice Bregier. "We are extremely pleased to be part of Garuda's current and future success. Airbus newest aircraft, like the A320neo or A330neo will offer the Garuda Indonesia Group the highest levels of comfort and efficiency available in the market and would be the perfect tool to sustain your growth and your success."Airbus produces the world's most modern and comprehensive family of airliners, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats and has sold over 16,300 aircraft to more than 380 customers. Furthermore, through "Services by Airbus", Airbus offers end-to-end fleet lifecycle solutions for all its customers. The portfolio ranges from standalone services, to the most complete integrated solu engineering & maintenance, flight operations air traffic management, and material management services.About AirbusAirbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer whose customer focus, commercial know-how, technological leadership and manufacturing efficiency have propelled it to the forefront of the industry. Headquartered in Toulouse, Airbus is owned by EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. This group - which is comprised of Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter, in addition to Airbus - has a presence on every continent, and employs a total workforce of more than 119,000. For more information, please visit www.airbus.com.PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.Presenting a new level of service excellence in air travel, Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, seamlessly connects more than 75 destinations worldwide to not only one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia, but also an array of exotic locations in the beautiful archipelago of Indonesia all at once. With close to 600 daily flights and a fleet of 169 aircraft with an average age of less than five years old, Garuda Indonesia proudly serves its passengers with the award-winning "Garuda Indonesia Experience" service, which highlights Indonesia's warm hospitality and rich diverse culture.The airline continuously strives, through its ongoing transformation program, to provide better and more convenient services with one of the youngest fleets in the sky, which should grow to around 190 aircraft by 2015. The progress of Garuda Indonesia's transformation program can be seen from achieving a Skytrax's 5-star airline rating, one of the world's 10 best airline, as well as winning the prestigious "The World's Best Cabin Crew" award for two consecutive years in 2014 and 2015, and "The World's Best Economy Class" award in 2013, also from Skytrax. Garuda Indonesia is a member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance with 20 members, providing access to an extensive global network with over 16,320 daily flights to 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.Garuda Indonesia is listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange [IDX:GIAA]. For further information, please log on to www.garuda-indonesia.com, follow @IndonesiaGaruda on Twitter, like our Facebook page at PT.GarudaIndonesia, or subscribe to youtube.com/GarudaIndonesia1949.Source: PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.Contact:Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Welltec, a world leader in the development of innovative well construction solutions, is pleased to announce that its award winning Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) has been selected by Total E & P Congo as a completion component for the upcoming wells in their deepwater, Moho Nord project. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140219/671153 ) Sufficient quantities of WAB's were purchased to achieve multiple barriers per well during the drilling and completion of the 17 wells planned for development of the Moho Nord field. The wells will be completed in water depths of 450 to 1200 meters producing from the Albian reservoir via a tension leg platform. "The Moho Nord project is the biggest oil project to date in the Republic of Congo. Total E & P Congo are determined to deliver this project efficiently while assuring integrity of the wells for their full life. Welltec has supported our operations in Congo for years with their technologies and methodologies for well interventions," states Philippe Labrugere, the Project's Drilling Manager. "So when Welltec introduced the WAB to us, we immediately identified the advantages it could offer to improve efficiency, assure integrity and successfully deliver such a complex project." The Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) is an expandable, metal barrier which can we used for well integrity, zonal isolation or cement assurance applications. It won the OTC Spotlight on New Technology in 2015 as one of the latest, most advanced technologies that are leading the industry into the future. In addition to being rugged, it is full bore, expands on command with surface control, can be rotated during installation in high angle wells and has high expansion and Delta P capabilities. "This is a milestone award," explains 'Gbenga Onadeko, Senior Vice President, Africa. "Our clients in the region have previously used Welltec Completions products to address drilling and production challenges but this is our biggest single award so far. We are excited to secure this significant order on the biggest, highest profile oil project in Congo. It is an opportunity to introduce and demonstrate to Total E & P the advantages which the WAB can provide, setting up future completions successes around the globe for their organization." To read more about the WAB or Welltec's innovative Flex-Well completion approach, download the new 2016 completion brochure at http://www.welltec.com/solutions/completion-solutions/ NEW YORK, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The global telematics market is expected to grow from an estimated $26,314.4 million in 2015, and reach $140,100 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 28.5% during 2016 - 2022. The growth of the global telematics market is being driven due to several factors, including government initiatives to include advanced technology in public safety on roads, increasing demand for premium passenger cars and growing demand for connectivity in vehicles. The use of telematics has been constantly increasing in insurance sector for tracking the driving conditions to calculate precise vehicle insurance premium. North America dominated the global market; however Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest pace during the forecast period. The high cost of telematics equipment and hacking threats are the key restraints in the global market. The poor internet infrastructure in the developing countries is also hindering the adoption of telematics. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150727/756778 ) Explore Report with Detailed TOC at:https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/global-telematics-market The information and data in the publication "Global Telematics Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2022" represent the research and analysis of data from various primary and secondary sources. A bottom-up approach has been used to calculate the global telematics market by solution, application, end-user and distribution channel. P&S Market Research analysts and consultants interact with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every value of data presented in this report. The company bases its primary research on discussions with prominent professionals and analysts in the industry, which is followed by informed and detailed, online and offline research. Ask for Sample Pages:https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/global-telematics-market/report-sample With the advancement in technology, the demand for connectivity is increasing everywhere. Vehicle telematics, trailer tracking, and container tracking are the common application areas of telematics. They are used to transform automobiles into communication objects. Earlier telematics were integrated only on premium vehicles; now it's either offered as standard feature on select vehicles, or as an option for the low-priced vehicles. It also enables patient's health tracking while travelling. Browse Related Research at:https://www.psmarketresearch.com/industry-report/automotive-and-transportation In order to assure vehicular safety, the government in several countries has been promoting the use of telematics in vehicles. For instance, eCall project promoted by European Commission (EC) was adopted in Europe in 2013. eCall is targeted to provide assistance to motorists, who have met with road accident and are unable to speak due to injuries. It is applicable for the vehicles in which telematics is installed. The government of China rolled out a program in 2014 that promotes the use of fleet management solution in every vehicle. In Brazil, a program known as SIMRAV has been introduced to monitor and control crimes associated with vehicles. This program is also operated with the help of telematics. The key competitors in the global telematics market include Verizon Communication Inc., Harman International Industries Inc., TomTom International BV, AT&T, Vodafone Group Plc, Ford Motor Company, BMW Group, Telefonica SA, MiX Telematics, Trimble Navigation Ltd. GLOBAL TELEMATICS MARKET SEGMENTATION By Sector Commercial - By Application Solutions Fleet/Asset Management Navigation Infotainment Insurance V2V & V2I Tele-health Remote Alarm & Monitoring Services Design & Consulting Integration & Deployment Maintenance & Training - By Distribution Channel Aftermarket Embedded Portable OEM Embedded Hybrid - By End-user Logistics & Transportation Insurance Healthcare Media & Entertainment Automotive Manufacturers & Dealers Government Agencies & Utilities Consumer - By Application Solutions Fleet/Asset Management Navigation Infotainment Insurance V2V & V2I Tele-health Remote Alarm & Monitoring Services Design & Consulting Integration & Deployment Maintenance & Training - By Distribution Channel Aftermarket Embedded Hybrid OEM Embedded Hybrid -By End-user Passenger Car Insurance Healthcare Media & Entertainment Automotive Manufacturers & Dealers Government Agencies GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTATION By Geography North America By Application By Sector By End-User Europe By Application By Sector By End-User Asia-Pacific By Application By Sector By End-User Rest of the World (RoW) By Application By Sector By End-User Browse More Published Reports by P&S Market Research Global Connected Car Market -https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/connected-car-market Global Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Market -https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/intelligent-transportation-system-market Global Electric Bus Market -https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/electric-bus-market About P&S Market Research P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals. As one of the top growing market research agency, we're keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions. SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - February 17, 2016) - The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the Zephyr' Project. This open source collaborative effort will unite leaders from across the industry to build a real-time operating system (RTOS) for the Internet of Things (IoT). Early support for the Zephyr Project includes Intel Corporation (including its acquired business groups Altera Corporation and Wind River), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (including its recent merger with Freescale), Synopsys, Inc. and UbiquiOS Technology Limited. Zephyr Project is inviting others interested in this technology to participate. Industrial and consumer IoT devices require software that is scalable, secure and enables seamless connectivity. Developers also need the ability to innovate on top of a highly modular platform that easily integrates with embedded devices regardless of architecture. While Linux has proven to be a wildly successful operating system for embedded development, some IoT devices require an RTOS that addresses the very smallest memory footprints. This complements real-time Linux, which excels at data acquisition systems, manufacturing plants and other time-sensitive instruments and machines that provide the critical infrastructure for some of the world's most complex computing systems. "Developers today have many choices when it comes to platforms. The Zephyr Project will offer a modular, connected operating system to support the smallest footprint for IoT devices," said Jim Zemlin, executive director, The Linux Foundation. "We invite developers to contribute to the Zephyr Project and to help advance a customizable embedded open source RTOS to advance IoT. By hosting this at The Linux Foundation, we look forward to the cross-project collaboration among Linux and this community." Modularity and security are key considerations when building systems for embedded IoT devices. The Zephyr Project prioritizes these features by providing the freedom to use the RTOS as is or to tailor a solution. The project's focus on security includes plans for a dedicated security working group and a delegated security maintainer. Broad communications and networking support is also addressed and will initially include Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4, with plans to expand communications and networking support over time. The Zephyr Project aims to incorporate input from the open source and embedded developer communities and to encourage collaboration on the RTOS. The project will also include powerful developer tools to help advance the Zephyr RTOS as a best-in-breed embedded technology for IoT. The Zephyr Project will include broad architecture support over time with the following platforms initially supported: Arduino 101 (Intel Curie' Module containing x86 and Synopsys ARC EM cores); Arduino Due (Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU); Intel Galileo' Gen 2; and NXP FRDM-K64F Freedom board (Kinetis K64F ARM Cortex-M4 MCU). The Zephyr Project will also host a booth at Embedded World 2016, in Nuremberg, Germany, to showcase the technology through demos and in-booth sessions. A presentation titled, "An open source RTOS to change the face of IoT" will also be held in Session 19 on Wednesday, February 24 at 10:30 a.m. (CET). To learn more about how to connect with the project in person, please visit Booth 4-349. For those interested in the Zephyr Project, please visit: www.zephyrproject.org. Comments from early supporters of the Zephyr Project Intel "Intel believes the Zephyr Project can make a significant impact in the connected and embedded device market. By providing a scalable, customizable, secure and open source OS, the Zephyr Project will address the evolving needs of connected device development. We plan to work with the Zephyr community to develop a best-of-breed OS that moves innovation forward." Mark Skarpness, vice president, software and services group director, open source technology center embedded operating system engineering at Intel NXP "We fully expect Zephyr will become one of the leading, easy-to-use IoT platforms, designed specifically with security in mind for the connected world. We are committed to providing developers with best-in-class tools and support needed to develop innovative solutions." Geoff Lees, senior vice president and general manager of microcontrollers at NXP Synopsys "The Zephyr project addresses the growing need for an industry-supported, open-source RTOS that meets the requirements of today's resource-constrained and secure IoT devices. We are pleased to participate in this collaborative effort and contribute to advancing the project, including providing support for Synopsys ARC-based IoT IP platforms." John Koeter, vice president for IP and prototyping at Synopsys About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and commercial adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org. The Linux Foundation and Linux Standard Base are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/17/11G083217/Images/RGB_logo_zephyr_colored_positive_big-cf32e6d3ea6ba988b8cc3cf3e625080d.jpg Media Contact Jennifer Cloer The Linux Foundation 503-867-2304 Jennifer@linuxfoundation.org LONDON, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 1.2 million young adults have ignored a payment such as a mobile phone or a household bill, according to free credit check service ClearScore. Nearly a third (31%) of 18-34 year olds have been rejected for a financial product such as a mortgage, mobile phone contact or store card because they have defaulted in the past. This is despite the average missed bill being just 7.60. Defaulting on any payment - big or small - can cause financial rejections because of the negative impact it has on someone's credit score. Young people are most likely to ignore mobile phone bills: 16% of young people admit to ignoring the last payment of a contract. This figure is three times higher than the proportion of older people who admitted they had done this. Lack of knowledge could be the problem: 62% of the UK population don't feel informed about the repercussions of missing a payment and this number rises to 70% amongst the Millennial generation. The most common reason people gave for missing a payment was that they already thought the final payment had been paid (27%) but almost a quarter thought it didn't matter (23.4%). CEO and founder Justin Basini comments, "The consequences of defaulting on a payment - even it's only small - can be huge. A lender will take into account the information in your credit report before giving you a mortgage or a credit card. This isn't just about how much you owe or earn, but how you have managed your credit in the past. Unless it's a bank or credit card firm, organisations aren't legally required to let you know you're about to default on a payment. The onus is therefore on us to keep track of what we owe to whom. If you're not sure whether there could be an unpaid bill lingering, arm yourself against the disproportionate punishment of being rejected for credit by checking your credit report online for free." [1] Based on Censuswide poll of 2021 adults aged 18+ over period 5-10.2.16 and ONS population data 2014. According to ONS there are 14,632,713 18-34 year olds [2]Of the 637 18-34 year olds which responded to the survey, 31% responded that they had been rejected for either a mortgage, store card, personal loan, mobile phone contract or car finance KINGSTON, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- The Empire Life Insurance Company (Empire Life) announced today it has signed an agreement with MetLife Expatriate Benefits to administer its new Voyageur Global Benefits program for expatriate medical, disability, and life insurance. "We're delighted to be launching Voyageur Global Benefits and working together with MetLife. With nearly 60 years in the market, they have vast experience when it comes to expatriates benefits," said Steve Pong, senior vice-president, Group Solutions at Empire Life. "MetLife administers the employee benefits of thousands of expatriates around the world. They have the breadth and depth of experience required to deliver the service excellence that both of our organizations are known for." The number of Canadians living abroad has increased substantially in the past two decades, which has increased demand for expatriate benefits. Recent reports estimate 2.8 million Canadians are living abroad.1 Voyageur Global Benefits will offer world-class benefits for Canadians working abroad.2 A key feature of this new suite of benefits is the MetLife Regional Service Centre model. Located in key areas around the world, this puts local resources closer to members while on assignment. Experienced staff provides local expertise and understanding of regional differences, making it easier to obtain quality medical care, get services paid, and receive local support. "Working abroad can be both exciting and challenging for expatriates and their families," said Dan DeKeizer, senior vice president, Global Employee Benefits, MetLife. "With Voyageur Global Benefits, customers will have access to more than a million healthcare providers in over 180 countries, which helps deliver peace of mind no matter where they are in the world. We are very pleased to be working with Empire Life, and together, look forward to bringing innovative solutions to the Canadian market." About Empire Life The Empire Life Insurance Company (Empire Life) offers competitive individual and group life and health insurance, investment and retirement products. Empire Life is among the top 10 life insurance companies in Canada3 and is rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company4. Our mission is to make it simple, fast and easy for Canadians to build wealth, generate income, and get the insurance and group benefits coverage they need. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. About Voyageur Global Benefits Voyageur Global Benefits is a Canadian group insurance benefit program that is governed by the laws of Canada and that is underwritten by The Empire Life Insurance Company (Empire Life), an insurance company domiciled at 259 King Street East, Kingston, ON K7L 3A8. Empire Life is the Canadian insurance company that provides the benefits under the insurance policies it issues. Voyageur Global Benefits is administered by Delaware American Life Insurance Company (MetLife Expatriate Benefits), a MetLife, Inc., affiliate domiciled at 600 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, U.S.A., and MetLife Expatriate Benefits has agreed to provide administration services to Empire Life with regard to Voyageur Global Benefits. (1) Courtesy APF Canada 2011. (2) Voyageur Global Benefits will be available in Quebec at a later date. (3) The Globe and Mail Report on Business Magazine, June 2015, based on revenue. (4) As at May 19, 2015. Tweet this: EmpireLife signs agreement with MetLife to provide Voyageur Global Benefits Contacts: Catherine Hardwick, Empire Life Group Solutions 613 548-1890, ext. 4210 catherine.hardwick@empire.ca Brenda C. Mendoza MetLife Global Communications 212 578-3967 bmendoza1@metlife.com BOGOTA, Colombia, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stockton Group (STK), a leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of plant extract based biopesticides, today announced that its Timorex Gold Biofungicide obtained from the Colombian Agricultural Institute - ICA a label extension to include a broader array of crops and diseases, such as Passionfruit (Granadilla, Maracuya, Curuba) (Rona - Alternaria sp. + Cladosporium sp.), Carnation (Fusarium oxysporum) and Potato (Phytophthora infestans ). "This label extension marks another key milestone in our efforts to bring comprehensive innovation solutions to our agricultural sector," explained Jose Antonio Estevez, Country Manager of Stockton Colombia SAS. "Colombian growers using our product Timorex Gold will be able to comply with the import requirements of the United States, Europe and some Asian countries, where their products are being sold." Timorex Gold is a biofungicide that can be used as a standalone product or in rotation with other synthetic fungicides or in a tank mix, while reducing the chemical load. Timorex Gold is the smart way to grow! About the Stockton Group The Stockton Group (Stockton) specializes in the development, manufacturing and marketing of plant extract based bio-pesticides. Its core focus is on their integration alongside conventional chemical products into conventional agriculture spraying programs and creating a balanced, cleaner and healthier agricultural environment. Stockton has an active R&D program for the development of future natural products for crop protection. In this area, the Group has a unique research and development center in Israel and invests substantial resources in developing Bio Control products. Stockton has a variety of products adapted to regional needs, biological parameters and regulatory guidelines, and is active in more than 35 counties worldwide. Stockton's flagship product Timorex Gold is used to control a broad spectrum of crop diseases. The product demonstrates an efficacy similar to that of chemical fungicides, and is suitable for use with both conventional and organic crops. Timorex Gold is registered and sold in over 30 countries. Stockton is an international company established in 1994 as a privately-owned company and has a staff of 40 employees in Israel, and around 120 employees worldwide. The company has offices in 20 countries and operates in about 40 countries. PUNE, India, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report"GaN Power Devices Marketby Technology (Semiconductor Materials, Transistor Application Technologies), Wafer (Wafer Processes, Wafer Size, and Design Configuration), Device (Power Discrete, Power ICS), Products, Application & Geography - Global Forecast to 2022", published by marketsandmarkets, the global market is estimated to reach USD 2.60 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 24.5% from 2016 to 2022. Browse 92 market data Tables and 97 Figures spread through 201 Pages and in-depth TOC on"GaN Power Devices Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/gallium-nitride-wafer-market-93870461.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Three major segments which show tremendous growth are satellite communication, RADAR, and wireless application due to the new launches of GaN power semiconductor devices for these application segments and continuous technological developments to improve the power handling capacity and increasing the switching frequency. This report analyzes the Global GaN Power Devices market with respect to market drivers, opportunities, and trends in different regions. Emergence of new technologieswill drive the growth The development of GaN-on-Silicon technology, with GaN deposited on highly doped silicon substrates in the end of the previous century, facilitated development of high-brightness and ultra-high brightness LEDs. Several other technologies facilitated development of organic and phosphor LEDs, leading to production of several blue, violet, purple, UV, and white LEDs throughout the past decade. The latest development that aids this field is quantum dots (QD) technology. The biggest advantage and driver for the GaN semiconductor devices market is the continuous emergence of technologies to overcome the challenges faced at every stage, thereby increasing the production volume every year. Information communication technology and consumer electronics segments contribute maximum market share The ICT sector combines both Information technology and communication (including all forms of communication, such as RF, satellite, and telecommunication) sectors. The technological evolution of the GaN semiconductor devices is accelerating the usage of GaN-enabled devices in this end user sector, primarily owing to increased demand and extensive industry focus on various types of RF and wireless applications. Consumer electronics is one of the major revenue contributing end use sectors, with significant revenue for GaN opto-semiconductor devices. The revenue growth is slowly gaining pace with slow penetration of GaN power semiconductor devices for various consumer applications. Japan expected to contribute the largest market share for GaN Wafer Market Japan is expected to have the largest market share and dominate the GaN wafer market from 2016 to 2022. The market in Japan is driven by the rise in applications in this region and continuous developments taking place in the semiconductor industry. Japan stands second among all geographical regions, in terms of key player distribution, with several players being headquartered in this country. Some of the major players in Japan for GaN Power Devices Market are Renesas Electronics (Japan), ROHM Company Limited (Japan), Nichia Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Toyoda Gosei Limited (Japan), and others. Some of the key market players in the GaN power devices market in this report are Fujitsu Ltd. (Japan), Toshiba Corp. (Japan), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), Texas Instruments (U.S.), EPIGAN NV (Belgium), NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (Japan), RF Micro Devices Incorporated (U.S.), Cree Incorporated (U.S.), Aixtron SE (Germany), International Quantum Epitaxy plc (U.K.), Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Japan), AZZURO Semiconductors AG (Germany) among others. Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=93870461 The scope of the report covers detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the GaN power devices market such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been carried out to provide insights into their business overview, products and services, key strategies, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, collaborations and recent developments associated with the GaN power devices market. Browse Related Reports Power Electronics Market by Substrate Wafer Technology (GaN, SiC, and Others), Devices (Power IC, Power Module & Power Discrete), Applications, and Geography - Analysis & Forecast to 2014 - 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/power-electronics-market-204729766.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog@ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: + 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global light weapons market report. This research report also lists numerous prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global light weapons market is characterized by the presence of well-diversified international small and medium-sized vendors. The competitive environment in this market is expected to increase with product extensions, technological innovations, increase in the number of contracts and mergers and acquisitions. International players will grow organically during the forecast period by acquiring smaller players. According to Abhay Singh, a lead analyst for defense at Technavio, "It is expected that increased utilization of 3D printed guns will offer growing opportunities for commercial suppliers to enter the military market, which will further increase competition among the existing players and new entrants to offer optimum solutions." Request sample report: http://goo.gl/lk2MVb BAE Systems BAE Systems was established in 1999 out of a merger between the defense arm of General Electric, Marconi Electronic Systems, and British Aerospace. The company operates in 40 countries across the globe and is headquartered in London, UK. In the global light weapons market the company provides a comprehensive array of munitions, explosives, gun systems, and artillery systems across the globe. It also provides naval gun systems, artillery systems, munitions, and missile launchers. In addition, the company operates and manages munitions facilities for supporting critical national capabilities. The company markets its products to the US, the UK, and other countries. FN Herstal FN Herstal was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Herstal, Belgium. The company designs, manufactures, and markets small caliber firearms and associated products across the globe. It operates as a subsidiary of Herstal Group. In the global light weapons segment, FN Herstal provides small arms, integrated weapon systems, ammunition, and associated products and testing services for global military, law enforcement, and special combat forces. Orbital ATK Orbital ATK was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, US. The company manufactures and markets defense and aviation-related systems and products across the globe. Its product portfolio includes launch vehicles, propulsion systems, composite aerospace structures, satellites and associated components, tactical missiles, defense electronics, precision weapons, armament systems, and ammunition. The company's defense system is the major provider of precision weapons, missile-warning products, tactical rocket motors, and ammunition and gun systems for the US military and its allies. Raytheon Raytheon was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, US. The company, along with its subsidiaries, provides innovative technologies, products, services, and solutions to defense and other government markets across the world. In the global light weapons segment, Raytheon provides precision weapons such as missiles, torpedoes, precision guided munitions, close-in weapon systems, and a complete line of military tactical weapons globally. Rheinmetall Rheinmetall was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany. The company engages in automotive and defense business across the globe. Rheinmetall, through its defense segment, provides vehicles, force protection equipment, weapon systems, infantry equipment, air defense system, network-enabled warfare devices, electro-optics, and simulation technology. The company supplies over 700 different products, comprising systems and equipment for ground military forces, as well as naval, air force, and tactical law enforcement forces. Browse related reports: Global Non-lethal Weapons Market 2015-2019 Global UAV Payload and Subsystems Market 2015-2019 Global Military Support Vehicles Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005040/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1-630-333-9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Just days before Nevada's Democratic caucuses, the results of a new CNN/ORC poll show former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in a virtual tie. Forty-eight percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers said they support Clinton, while 47 percent said they support Sanders. The one-point gap is well within the poll's margin of error. The results suggest Sanders has seen a significant jump in support since October, when a previous CNN/ORC poll showed him trailing Clinton by 50 percent to 34 percent. The poll found that 25 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers are still trying to decide on a candidate as the Saturday caucuses loom. CNN noted both candidates carry their demographic strong points from prior states, with Clinton leading among women and Sanders leading among voters under age 55. The Democratic race in Nevada is much closer than on the Republican side, where real estate tycoon Donald Trump holds a commanding lead. Trump is the preferred candidate of 45 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers, up from 38 percent in the poll conducted in October. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., comes in a distant second at 19 percent, followed closely by Senator Ted Cruz, R-Tex., at 17 percent. The poll showed a significant drop in support for retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has fallen to just 7 percent from 22 percent in the previous poll. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans said they have definitely decided on a candidate ahead of next Tuesday's GOP caucuses, while 26 percent are still trying to decide. The CNN/ORC survey of 1,006 adult Nevadans was conducted February 10th through 15th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The poll included 282 likely Democratic caucus-goers with a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points and 245 likely Republican caucus-goers with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points. (Photo Credit: Nick Solari) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recent global potassium nitrate market 2015-2019 report. This research report also lists numerous prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global potassium nitrate market is dominated by chemical majors from North America, Europe and Latin America such as SQM, Haifa, and URALCHEM. These companies have expanded their portfolios of fertilizer products with integrated upstream capacities and are relying on their captive sources. They have manufacturing locations across the world and operate through strategic partnerships and joint ventures. According to Chandrakumar Badala Jaganathan, a lead analyst for specialty chemicals at Technavio, "The market in certain geographies is dominated by state-owned players, which enjoy preferential treatment and cheap access to feedstock. Their interests are also advanced by the states to acquire assets in strategic regions for business expansion and food security." Request sample report: http://goo.gl/2YZe9q Arab Potash Company Arab Potash Company was established in 1956 in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a pan-Arab venture. APC operates under a concession from the Government of Jordan that grants it exclusive rights to extract, manufacture and market minerals from the Dead Sea until 2058. In addition to its potash operations, the company also invests in several downstream and other industries related to Dead Sea salts and minerals, such as potassium nitrate, bromine and other derivatives. Arab Potash Company has established its presence in the agrochemicals and fertilizers sector with a range of product offerings such as potassium nitrate fertilizers and dicalcium phosphates, animal feeds, and nitric acids. Haifa Haifa was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Haifa Bay, Israel. Haifa is a multinational corporation engaged in the manufacture and supply of potassium nitrate, specialty plant nutrients, and food phosphates. Haifa is owned by Trance Resource, a US based holding company. Haifa's operations span more than 100 countries across five continents with three production plants and 12 subsidiaries. Its main production plants are located in Israel and France, with a combined annual potassium nitrate production capacity of 0.5 million tons. Migao Migao was established in 2003 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Migao is a producer of potash-based fertilizers for the Chinese agriculture market. The company's primary products are potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate. The company leverages its patented technology to produce specialty potash fertilizers (potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate), along with co-products ammonium chloride and hydrochloric acid respectively. SQM SQM was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. The company provides specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, and lithium and its derivatives. The company also provides iodine and derivatives, potassium chloride, and potassium sulfate. SQM operates through its subsidiaries and has a widespread distribution network in 110 countries. URALCHEM URALCHEM was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The company mainly undertakes the distribution and production of mineral fertilizers. They are a leading producer of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, primarily in Russia. URALCHEM was formed by the acquisition of controlling stakes in Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Works, and Azot. The major production facilities of the company are located in Moscow, Perm, and Kirov regions of Russia. ROW include countries in BRIC and in Southeast Asia. Yara International Yara International is a provider of industrial, environmental, and agricultural products worldwide. Some of its offerings include ammonia, nitrates, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPKs), crop nutrition solutions, and reagents and other chemicals. The company sells its products to over 150 countries, has production facilities on six continents, and operations in over 50 countries. Browse related reports: Global Potash Market 2015-2019 Global Nitrogenous Fertilizer Market 2015-2019 Agrochemicals Market in Brazil 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005038/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com Technavio analysts expect the global printed circuit board market to exceed USD 68 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 3%, according to their latest report. The global printed circuit board (PCB) market is expected to grow at a steady pace since the mobile devices and automobile market is undergoing a huge market growth. According to Asif Gani, a lead research analyst at Technavio for semiconductor equipment "The semiconductor industry is driven by growth in sales of mobile devices, automobiles, and other industrial devices. In addition the growing popularity of emerging technologies, such as IoT and wearables (smartwatches and smart eye-wears) will further boost the demand for PCBs." Technavio's lead hardware and semiconductor market research analysts have identified the following three factors that will drive the growth of the global printed circuit board market: Advent of HDI technology Growing electronics market in APAC Vehicular safety requirements in automotive segment Advent of HDI technology The growing trend for compact devices is resulting in an increased need for faster data transfer, thinner packaging, and low power consumption. This has led to the miniaturization of electronic components. High-density interconnect (HDI) substrates comprise of high density circuits, making them ideal for internal electronic components to be mounted on the PCB and transmit signals among themselves. HDI eases the PCB design flow, making it compatible for the latest electronic devices. This technology also reduces the total cost of manufacturing PCBs. HDI will have a relatively high impact on the customer segment as it makes PCBs compatible with the trend of miniaturization of components for electronics. Growing electronics market in APAC The growth of the electronics market in APAC is expected to have a moderately high impact on the PCB market, as electronics manufacturing companies will have high demand for PCBs. APAC is the largest manufacturer and consumer of the electronic devices. China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are the key countries contributing to the growth of PCB industry. The major reason behind the growth of the electronics market in this region is the availability of cheap land, labor, and lower manufacturing costs. In addition, countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are also showing a high growth rate in production of electronics, thus increasing the demand for PCBs. Presence of dominant players in the consumer electronics and mobile devices industry, such as Samsung, Sony, LG, Toshiba, and Panasonic, boosts the consumption of PCBs in this region. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Vehicular safety requirements in automotive segment Due to increasing awareness about vehicle safety and demand for vehicle automation, the automotive segment is witnessing a significant increase in the usage of PCBs. PCBs are used in applications such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS), electronic computer unit (ECU)/car computers, global positioning systems (GPS). "Therefore, as the automotive products market is expected to grow during the forecast period, it will indirectly trigger the demand for PCBs," says Asif. Browse Related Reports: Global Semiconductor Packaging and Assembly Equipment Market 2016-2020 Global Wafer-level Manufacturing Equipment Market 2016-2020 Global Semiconductor Dielectric Etching Equipment Market 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005044/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1-630-333-9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com Technavio's latest report on the global salicylic acid market provides an analysis of the key trends expected to impact the global salicylic acid market through 2015-2019. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. The global salicylic acid market is expected to exceed USD 472 million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of over 8% during the period 2014-2019. According to Chandrakumar Badala Jaganathan, a lead research analyst for specialty chemicals at Technavio, "The global salicylic acid market is expected to grow at a moderate rate during the forecast period because of increased consumption of salicylic acid in pharmaceuticals, food, and preservatives. Rising demand for artificial flavors in beverages and packaged foods is expected to fuel the global demand for salicylic acid." In addition, approval from regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India will further spur the extensive use of salicylic acid in the US, Europe, and APAC. The top three emerging trends influencing the global salicylic acid market according to Technavio's chemicals and materials research analysts are: Market consolidation Increasing competition in the pharmaceutical industry because of the emergence of generic drug majors, is leading pharma vendors to seek business opportunities in complementing sectors. Upstream integration will give them economical sourcing and insulate them from raw material fluctuations. As a result, we can expect to see consolidation in the production of salicylic acid where the weaker and mid-sized players that are unable to sustain consistent R&D expenditure will be taken over by the leading players or pharmaceutical majors. Increased preference for preserved F&B Consumers increasingly prefer foods preserved with natural additives because of increasing health concerns about synthetic food additives. Increasing preference for natural food additives is expected to have a positive influence on the production and consumption of salicylic acid, thereby leading to new and innovative products being launched in the market. There is an increase in use of salicylic acid in functional foods, which are foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition. The use of salicylic acid in functional foods helps in preventing diabetes and improving health, among patients. The demand for functional foods is high in APAC and North America due to the growing trend of healthy living in these countries. Growth in consumption of processed packaged foods Economic development and urbanization have resulted in radical changes in lifestyle and food habits. The modern lifestyle is characterized by time constraints and preference for convenience leading to greater dependence on packaged and processed food products such as soups, jams, and jellies which are fresh, farm produce. This nutritional transition is resulting in various lifestyle ailments such as obesity and diabetes. "Therefore, to address these ailments, food processing companies are increasingly using salicylic acid in processed food to combat health disorders such as reduced digestion and a lower metabolic rate," says Chandrakumar. Some of the top vendors in the global salicylic acid market, as researched by Technavio analysts are: Alta Laboratories Alfa Aesar Novacap Sigma-Aldrich Zhenjiang Gaopeng Pharmaceutical Co Ltd. Browse Related Reports: Global Formic Acid Market 2015-2019 Global Phosphoric Acid Market 2015-2019 Global Monochloroacetic Acid (MCAA) Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005050/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630-333-9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com LONDON, February 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PDL Finance Limited, trading as Mr Lender, granted full authorisation for consumer credit within the UK Today (17 February 2016) The Financial Conduct Authority has fully authorised Mr Lender (http://www.mrlender.com), one of the UK's leading short-term credit providers. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334302LOGO ) Full authorisation confirms Mr Lender as one of the most responsible short-term lenders in the UK, following an assessment process which involves looking in detail at the business to ensure consumers can borrow safely with confidence. As a leading FinTech company operating from its technological hub in Essex and employing over 180 people, Mr Lender has been one of the pioneers of the evolution of online financial services - creating innovative financial technology products. As a business Mr.Lender provides customers with flexible loans of up to 1,000, repayable up to six months. Announcing the news, Adam Freeman commented "It has always been my vision that Mr Lender leads the way in the short-term consumer credit market, and this is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for us. We offer one of the most competitive loan products in our sector and we aim to keep raising the bar so that our customers benefit from the most responsible, affordable and transparent service. Today's news is a result of the hard work, contribution and commitment of our team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that as a business we continually deliver the best outcomes for our customers." Notes to editors: Mr Lender is a leading UK-based short-term credit provider, offering instalment loans of up to 1,000 which can be repaid up tosix months. As a responsible lender the company is committed to providing simple, flexible and affordable products for its customers. Website: http://www.mrlender.com Enquiries: Marc Petherick, Head of Marketing t: +44(0)20-8532-1969 press@mrlender.co.uk Technavio analysts expect the global small UAV market to reach USD 1.86 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 6%, according to their latest report. Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are largely being used by the military in conflict regions around the world. Small UAVs can be classified as mini UAVs and micro UAVs. During military operations, they can be launched as portable air-defense systems by infantrymen. The cost effectiveness and ease to acquire and operate these small UAVs in comparison to manned aircraft (and other larger UAVs) has led to an increase in the demand from multiple sectors such as military, industrial, agriculture, and real estate. According to Abhay Singh, a lead research analyst at Technavio for defense "A major factor influencing the growth of the global small UAV market is the rising demand from emerging markets, mainly from the Middle East and Asia. Emerging countries, such as Brazil, China, and India, are using small UAVs for different military and civilian applications." Technavio's lead aerospace and defense market research analysts have identified the following three factors that will drive the growth of the global small UAV market: Demand for small UAVs from emerging markets Increased demand for civil-commercial applications Utilization of small UAVs for military applications Demand for small UAVs from emerging markets There is a growing demand from the emerging markets in APAC, South America, and the Middle East for small UAVs for military applications. For example, in India, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) designed and developed Imperial Eagle, a small UAV used by Indian National Security Guard, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force in 2012. The Indian Directorate General of Infantry sought information for 600 sets of small UAVs to be employed by the Indian Army. Apart from this, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard also wish to utilize small UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, monitoring sea lines of communications, search and rescue, and in anti-piracy roles. Similarly, there has been a tremendous demand for small UAVs in China where in addition to military use, they are also being employed for different applications such as environmental inspections, rescue missions, aerial photography, and geographical surveys. Increased demand for civil-commercial applications Improvements in technology, economical acquisition and ease of operation have led to the rapid growth of the small UAVs market for commercial applications. Commercial UAVs are mainly used for surveying, scanning, aerial photography, 3D mapping, oil and gas pipeline monitoring, wind turbine blade inspection, real estate survey, and many other similar applications. "Some of the major industry segments that are already using UAVs are mining industry, agriculture, civil construction, oil and gas, energy services, energy transmission and distribution, telecommunication, engineering firms, movie industry, and real estate," says Abhay. Utilization of small UAVs for military applications In recent years, advances in technology have enabled small UAVs to overcome critical deficiencies (such as navigational issues and automated operation) and become an integral part of the military applications. UAV technology has come to the point where UAV models are economical and highly capable. Military operations mandate increased reliability and proven effectiveness in any new technology. Another major use of small UAVs in the military has been for information, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and spy missions. The low-radar cross section area and diminished acoustic and infrared signature of small UAVs make them suitable for most tactical missions. Military UAVs are also engaged in operations such as disaster management, communications applications, search and rescue, and security. Browse Related Reports: Global Multirotor UAV Market 2015-2019 Global UAV Payload and Subsystems Market: Research Report 2015-2019 Global Military Manpack and Vehicular Radios Market 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005052/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com Washington D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 17, 2016) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged biopesticide company Marrone Bio Innovations and a former executive with inflating financial results to meet projections it would double revenues in its first year as a public company. Marrone Bio agreed to pay a $1.75 million penalty to settle the SEC's charges. The SEC alleges that former chief operating officer Hector M. Absi Jr. concealed from Marrone Bio's finance personnel and independent auditor various sales concessions offered to customers, leading the Davis, Calif.-based company to improperly recognize revenue on sales. Absi allegedly profited from the fraud. He resigned in August 2014 shortly before the alleged fraud came to light and the company's stock price plunged more than 44 percent. In a parallel action, the U.S Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California today announced criminal charges against Absi. "We allege that Marrone Bio misled investors to make itself look like a fast-growing new public company," said Jina L. Choi, Director of the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office. "Public companies and their officers should know better that taking shortcuts to recognize revenue in the near term is harmful to investors and can be damaging to a company's long-term success." According to the SEC's complaint filed in U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California: In November 2015, Marrone Bio restated its results for fiscal 2013 and the first half of fiscal 2014, reversing approximately $2 million of previously reported revenue. Absi previously inflated Marrone Bio's revenues by offering distributors "inventory protection," a concession that allowed distributors to return unsold product. Absi also inflated Marrone Bio's revenue by directing his subordinates to obtain false sales and shipping documents and intentionally ship the wrong product to book sales. Absi abused Marrone Bio's expense reporting system to pay for personal items, including vacations, home furnishings, and professionally installed Christmas lights for his home. Absi falsified his bank and credit card statements to make it appear as though he had incurred the expenses for legitimate business purposes. Absi personally profited from his scheme, receiving more than $350,000 in bonuses, stock sale proceeds, and illegitimate expense reimbursements. The SEC also instituted a settled administrative proceeding against Marrone Bio's former customer relations manager Julieta Favela Barcenas for violations of the books and records provisions of the federal securities laws. Favela entered into a cooperation agreement to assist in the SEC's investigation and ongoing litigation against Absi. As required by Section 304(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Marrone Bio CEO Pamela G. Marrone has reimbursed the company $15,234 and former CFO Donald J. Glidewell will reimburse the company $11,789 for incentive-based compensation they received following the filing of Marrone Bio's misstated financial statements. They weren't charged with any misconduct. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Joseph P. Ceglio and John A. Roscigno and supervised by Tracy L. Davis, and the litigation is being led by Robert L. Tashjian and Jason M. Habermeyer of the San Francisco office. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continued his defense of the controversial interrogation technique known as waterboarding in remarks on Wednesday and suggested his administration would go much further. During a town hall event in Bluffton, South Carolina, Trump reiterated that he would 'absolutely' reinstate waterboarding, which was discontinued by President Barack Obama. 'I'll approve it immediately, but I'll make it also much worse,' Trump said. 'And don't tell me it doesn't work. Torture works.' The real estate tycoon's claims are contradicted by a Senate Intelligence Committee report published in 2014 that found the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques was not an effective means of acquiring intelligence. The use of torture is also banned by the Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by the U.S. as well as nearly every other country in the world. Trump has repeatedly defended his support for the use of enhanced interrogation techniques in recent days, accusing Republican rival Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., of being weak on the issue. In an op-ed piece in USA Today on Monday, Trump stressed he would do whatever it takes to protect and defend the nation and its people. 'I cannot imagine knowing that something could have been done to save American lives and then not taking those actions,' Trump wrote. He added, 'Ultimately, the president must live with those decisions, and I know that the American people would expect me to act with intention, will and courage on their behalf.' A Pew Research Center poll released last year found that 58 percent of Americans believe the use of torture against suspected terrorists to try to gain information about possible attacks could be justified. Seventy-three percent of Republicans said torture can be justified against people suspected of terrorism, compared with 58 percent of independents and 46 percent of Democrats. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Technavio's latest report on the haircare market in the US provides an analysis of the key trends expected to impact the haircare market in the US through 2016-2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. The haircare market in the US is expected to grow to USD 12 billion by 2020. In the US, the consumer consumption pattern of hair care products is changing. Consumption of hair care products is increasing among youth as they continue to become more fashion conscious. According to Brijesh Kumar Choubey, a lead research analyst for cosmetics and toiletry at Technavio, "The increase in organized retail has contributed to the market's growth. The wide range of products and brands available in retail stores encourages end-users to try different products." The top six emerging trends influencing the haircare market in the US according to Technavio's consumer and retailresearch analysts are: Changes in customer expectations The importance of hair care products, especially hair colors and hair styling products, has increased in recent years. Individuals want to portray their individuality and develop a unique look that will set them apart from the crowd. Consumers also expect salon-like results at home after using hair care products. This change in customer expectations has led to many technological advances and new product launches such as Henkel's Schwarzkopf Professional Essensity, Procter Gamble's Clairol Natural Instincts, and L'Oreal's L'Oreal Paris Prodigy, which in turn is expected to drive the hair care market in the US in the future. Use of natural ingredients Consumers are now moving toward the use of natural ingredients in hair care products and this has led to the growth of herbal hair coloring agents. These products are ammonia-free and are less harmful than synthetic color products. This particular product category of hair care is expected to drive market growth in the near future. Some natural hair colorants introduced in the US market include Henkel's Schwarzkopf Professional Essensity, Procter Gamble's Clairol Natural Instincts, and L'Oreal's L'Oreal Paris Prodigy. E-tailing and social media marketing In this era of online shopping, hair care marketers are also offering their products online with the help of e-retailers. They provide product offerings at multiple price points through third-party portals and their own online shopping portals. Another aspect is social media marketing. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube are the most powerful social media platforms for product promotion. Some successful social media campaigns include Procter Gamble's "Tressed Out", Henkel's "Hairy Facts Contest", and "Schwarzkopf Search for Australia's Most Beautiful Hair". Introduction of products with enhanced value The hair care market in the US is dominated by the shampoo segment. Vendors have started advertising the benefits of washing hair regularly and have been successful in increasing the frequency of shampoo usage among consumers. In 2014, Procter Gamble conducted a test about the daily use of the anti-dandruff shampoo from its brand Head Shoulders on different hair and scalp types, getting positive results. The company is now strongly promoting the shampoo brand as a daily hair care item that can protect and enrich hair. Trend of 3-D color services in hair color market 3-D technology is one of the best innovations of the 21st century and has been applied by multiple industries. The hair color market has also benefited from this technology. 3-D color services can provide a 3-D view of the color applied to hair. It is similar to 3-D printing and uses 3-D colors. Some of the 3-D hair colorants available in the market are Clairol 3-D Color and Wella Professionals Illumina Color by Procter & Gamble and 'L'Oreal Paris Feria by L'Oreal. Vendor partnerships with salons Apart from applying hair care products at home, people also utilize salon hair care services. Marketers of hair care products are now targeting professional salons to reach their end-users. Companies are also coming up with their own professional salons. Some of the popular salons by these companies include L'Oreal Paris Professional by L'Oreal, Schwarzkopf Professional Salon by Henkel, and Wella Professionals Salon by Procter Gamble. Some of the top vendors in the haircare market, as researched by Technavio analysts are: L'Oreal Group Procter Gamble Unilever Henkel Kao Corp. Browse Related Reports: Global Hair Color Market Market Analysis 2015-2019 Global Hair Care Market 2015-2019 Global Hair Conditioner Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217005058/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1-630-333-9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com SAN ANTONIO, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Vincero, San Antonio's premier marketing firm, has come out swinging in 2016. The end of 2015 marked two of the most profitable years the firm has ever seen. Moving into the new year, the management team at Vincero has set their sights on the 'business trifecta' solidifying their profitability for their clients. Director of Operations and Regional Consultant, Joe Eckhart and his team of leaders have been revolutionizing the way their clients reach target markets since 2004. In the last two years, Vincero is aiding in the expansion of more than 42 locations across the nation. The organization was recently recognized as one of the top three producers for their global based clientele. "The opportunity for career growth and the training program that we offer to each of our employees is second to none," says Joe. "The key to our overall success throughout the years has been focusing on the fundamentals of training individuals into management. Our clients are unbelievable at what they do, but they don't have a brick and mortar store to walk into. That is where we come in. We oversee the daily operations and provide classroom and hands on training to ensure the individuals we hire are truly the best at what they do." The event based marketing firm plans to open 25 locations throughout the nation by the end of the year. This massive expansion will put Joe Eckhart next in line for a well-deserved promotion to National Consultant. Another one of Joe's biggest goals is to help a fellow associate achieve the title of Regional Consultant. Vincero's entire management team must first shift their focus to driving production and development, securing the number one spot in the nation for San Antonio. This is a feat Joe suggests will unfold within the next few months. Vincero has surely proven itself within the event based marketing realm, but as Joe explains, none of this success would have been possible with out the passion and drive instilled in him from his family and close friends. The driving force behind his dedication to the Vincero team has been Joe's wife Rebecca and their two children Roberto and Rebecca Marie. "Even before I had a family of my own, I would dream about providing for my wife and children and making sure that they would want for nothing. I worked hard because I wanted to be that father, and that provider for my family. Looking back, it is unbelievable to think about the strides that we have made in the organization because of the passion that we have." Eager to push for 75 offices spanning across the nation by years end, Vincero continues to seek new up-and-coming talent. If this is the opportunity that you have been waiting for, contact HR today. Contact: Vincero, Inc. HR Department Naomi Figueroa 210-875-7181 Email Contact www.vinceroinc.com On Tuesday, seventeen governors of U.S. states produced a joint pledge to work together to move their states to a clean energy future, including renewable energy, grid modernization and clean transportation. "Our states will plan for this energy transition" reads the accord, echoing the language of Germany's Energiewende and France's call for a "Transition Energetique". The Governors' Accord for a New Energy Future specifically calls for expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy "in a cost-effective way", as well as "integrating more renewable energy into electricity grids". In sharp contrast to widely propagated myths about the integration of renewable energy, the accord notes that more renewables can "improve the flexibility of these grids". A second section deals specifically with grid improvements, stating that modern transmission and distribution grids are necessary to "give consumers more control over their own energy use". In terms of implementation, the accord calls for states to "support each other in developing, refining and implementing" state energy plans through sharing technical expertise, but all benchmarks will be set by the individual states. Signatories include the governors of Hawaii, every state on the West Coast and all but one state in New England, but also three Midwest states and another three on the Atlantic Coast. No governors from Plains States and only one governor from a state on the edge of the U.S. South (Virginia) signed the accord. ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BOSTON, MA and PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- theCUBE, the leading live interview show covering enterprise technology and digital innovation, today announced that it will cover six Big Data events in 2016. theCUBE is expanding its coverage of Big Data to help audiences navigate the complexities of using data to achieve positive business impacts. "theCUBE is excited to be adding Spark Summits to our upcoming schedule and we look forward to increasing our European presence in 2016. Our Spark Forecast, which we will be releasing next week, underscores Spark's significance in the Big Data ecosystem and its importance in the evolution of the data-driven enterprise," said David Vellante, co-host of theCUBE. theCUBE: Live and On-Demand theCUBE covers leading enterprise technology events and delivers insight to its audience with unscripted interviews from the show floor, live and on demand. theCUBE has built a large community of customers, practitioners, journalists, analysts, bloggers, and opinion-makers -- the "Do-ers" in our business. It produces a variety of media assets -- including interviews, CUBEgems, CUBEcards, and more--that showcase the vision, products, technologies, and people from events. We create a "body of evidence" in the form of independent high-quality content assets and social interactions that help define the narrative, document an event, and deliver value long after the close of the event. CUBE Event Details 1.) SparkSummitEast at Spark Summit East Spark Summits, the premier Big Data event series dedicated to Apache Spark, assemble the best engineers, scientists, analysts, and executives from around the globe to share knowledge and receive training on the open-source powerhouse. When: Wednesday, February 16 - February 17, 2016 Where: Sheraton Hotel, New York, NY Website: http://siliconangle.tv/spark-summit-east-2016/ Panel: The Customer Journey - Danny Rogers CEO, Terbium Labs, Beth Logan Sr Director of Optimization, DataXu Moderator: George Gilbert, Big Data & analytics analyst from Wikibon Cube Guests: Ian Stoica, CEO at Databricks; Matei Zaharia, CTO at Databricks; Ali Ghodsi, VP of engineering and product management at Databricks; Arun Murthy, founder and architect at Hortonworks; and Ken Tsai, VP, head of cloud platform & data management, product marketing at SAP. Details: After the presentation of the Spark forecast report, a panel discussion will describe different visions of customer journeys, emphasizing vendors' different value propositions for a range of customer needs. The Hadoop vendors want to coopt Spark with their management and storage layers. Databricks wants to be the nexus of the ecosystem. Public cloud vendors want to use their operations expertise to democratize access to the technology. Hear from several customers -- who are well into their journey with Spark -- which value propositions match their needs and why. 2.) BigDataSV 2016 (concurrent with BigDataWeek2016 & Strata Hadoop World West 2016) @theCUBE presents our sixth year covering this important BigData event, (concurrent with Strata + Hadoop World) where Big Data and new business imperatives intersect. We dive into the business impacts of data-oriented technologies, where guests share insights, use cases and best practices in data applications. When: Tuesday, March 29 - March 30, 2016 Where: Fairmont San Jose, San Jose,CA Website: http://siliconangle.tv/bigdatasv-2016/ 3.) HS16Dublin Hadoop Summit Europe After covering Hadoop Summit San Jose for four years, @theCUBE heads across the pond for its first Hadoop Summit Europe, featuring luminaries, practitioners, and thought leaders covering a range of business and technical topics. When: Thursday, April 13 - April 14, 2016 Where: Dublin, Ireland Website: http://siliconangle.tv/hadoop-summit-dublin-2016/ 4.) SparkSummit Spark West @theCUBE will follow up its live coverage of Spark Summit East by broadcasting from the larger Spark Summit West, the premier Big Data event series dedicated to Apache Spark. Spark Summits assemble the best engineers, data scientists, analysts, and executives from around the globe to share knowledge and receive training on the open-source powerhouse. When: Monday June 6 - June 8, 2016 Where: Union Square Hilton, San Francisco, CA Website: http://siliconangle.tv/spark-summit-west-2016/ 5.) HS16SJ Hadoop Summit San Jose @theCUBE will return to Hadoop Summit San Jose for the fifth consecutive year. theCUBE will interview guests from feature sessions, which are voted on by the public and selected by a committee of industry luminaries. Topics range from deep-dive technical content across a wide range of advanced and basic topics and projects to more business-focused presentations. When: Tuesday, June 28 - June 30, 2016 Where:Convention Center, San Jose, CA Website:http://siliconangle.tv/hadoop-summit-2016/ 6.) BigDataNYC 2016 @theCUBE presents the seventh year at this BigData event, (concurrent with Strata + Hadoop World) where Big Data and new business imperatives intersect. We dive into the business impacts of data-oriented technologies, where guests share insights, use cases and best practices in data applications. When: Tuesday, September 27 - September 29, 2016 Where:Pillars 37, New York City, NY Website: http://siliconangle.tv/bigdatanyc-2016/ About theCUBE TheCUBE is the leading live interview show covering enterprise technology and innovation. It features top industry analysts and practitioners, technologists, and consultants dedicated to improving the adoption of technology and business systems through open-source sharing of free advisory knowledge. In 2015, theCUBE covered more than 48 large shows and an equal number of smaller events, interviewing 1,000+ guests on the mega trends disrupting IT including cloud, mobile, social, Big Data, DevOps, hyper-scale, virtualization, next-generation data centers, and the consumerization of IT. Connect with theCUBE Watch the live show - http://www.siliconangle.tv/ Explore the archives - http://www.siliconangle.tv/thecube-alumni/ Follow us on Twitter - @theCUBE @Furrier @DVellante Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/siliconangle Listen to our Podcasts - on Soundcloud and iTunes Visit us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesiliconangle Find us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/siliconangle-media-inc- Media Contact Jennifer Leslie jleslie@10fold.com (925) 271-8213 Weekly net asset value ("NAV") is calculated as of the close of business on each Tuesday and posted on the following business day. In the event that Tuesday is not a business day, the Company will calculate the close-of-business NAV as of the business day immediately preceding that Tuesday. The end-of-month NAV is calculated as of the close of business on the last day of the month and posted on the following business day. For weeks that include a month-end NAV report, PSH will provide only the month-end NAV and not report the Tuesday NAV. Monthly NAVs are published in accordance with the Decree on Conduct of Business Supervision of Financial Undertakings under the Wft (Besluit Gedragstoezicht financiele ondernemingen Wft). Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. (the "Manager"), the manager of Brookfield New Horizons Income Fund (the "Fund") (CSE: BIF.UN), announces that the Fund's forward agreement (the "Forward Agreement") will expire on April 1, 2016 (the "Expiry Date"). The Fund currently obtains exposure to the portfolio (the "Portfolio") held by New Horizons Master Fund (the "Reference Fund") through the Forward Agreement. The Portfolio is focused on, but not limited to, investments in high yield corporate debt, and publically-listed securities in infrastructure and real estate companies. The Income Tax Act (Canada) was amended in December 2013 to implement proposals that were first announced in the March 21, 2013 federal budget regarding the income tax treatment of character conversion transactions (the "Tax Changes"). Under the Tax Changes, the favourable tax treatment of character conversion transactions will be eliminated. After a prescribed date (the "Effective Date"), gains (and losses) realized by a fund under certain forward purchase and sale agreements will be treated as ordinary income (or loss) rather than a capital gain (or capital loss). The Expiry Date for the Fund is the Effective Date. Upon expiry of the Forward Agreement on the Expiry Date, the Manager intends to continue to pursue the Fund's investment strategy directly without the Forward Agreement. Subject to obtaining the required regulatory approvals, the Fund's investment objectives will be amended on or about the Expiry Date to remove all references to the use of the Forward Agreement to gain exposure to the Reference Fund, to delete references to "tax-advantaged" distributions and to clarify that the Fund will invest directly in securities similar to those held by the Reference Fund. The Fund's declaration of trust will be amended in accordance with its terms to reflect the termination of the Forward Agreement and other necessary amendments associated with the change. The investment objectives of the Fund after the amendments will be: (i) to provide holders of units with quarterly cash distributions targeted at a rate of the average 10-Year Canadian Government Bond Yield plus 4.00%; and (ii) to preserve the net asset value of the Fund. Following the termination of the Forward Agreement, a greater portion of distributions paid by the Fund will be taxable as compared to distributions prior to the Effective Date. However, it is anticipated that the Fund, and therefore its holders, will save approximately 0.50% of net asset value per annum by not employing the Forward Agreement. The aggregate management fee received by the Manager from the Fund will remain the same as received from the Fund and the Reference Fund prior to the Expiry Date. The termination of the Forward Agreement will not affect the status of the Fund as a "mutual fund trust" under the Tax Act. Brookfield New Horizons Income Fund (the "Fund") seeks to provide holders of units with a source of tax-advantaged income by obtaining exposure to a portfolio that includes, but is not limited to, investments in high yield corporate debt and publicly-listed securities in infrastructure and real estate companies globally. Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc., an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is the manager and investment manager of the Fund. Brookfield Investment Management (the "Firm") is an SEC-registered investment advisor providing real assets public securities strategies including global listed real estate and infrastructure equities as well as corporate credit and securitized credit. With nearly $17 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2015, the Firm manages institutional separate accounts, registered funds and other investment products for clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net-worth investors. Headquartered in New York, NY, the Firm and its affiliates also maintain offices in Boston, Chicago, London and Toronto. The Fund uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfieldim.com. Brookfield Investment Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over $200 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2015. For more information, go to www.Brookfield.com. Contacts: Brookfield New Horizons Income Fund Investor Relations (855) 777-8001 funds@brookfield.com www.brookfieldim.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said the nation's biggest banks remain too big to fail and pose significant risk to the economy. 'While significant progress has been made to strengthen our financial system, I believe the [Dodd-Frank] Act did not go far enough,' Kashkari said in a speech at the Brookings Institution. 'I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy.' Kashkari urged the Congress to consider to solve this problem once and for all. 'Large banks must similarly be able to make mistakes-even very big mistakes-without requiring taxpayer bailouts and without triggering widespread economic damage. That must be our goal,' Kashkari. Kashkari said Congress must consider breaking up large banks into smaller, less connected, less important entities. They should also turn large banks into public utilities by forcing them to hold so much capital that they virtually can't fail. 'Taxing leverage throughout the financial system to reduce systemic risks wherever they lie,' Kashkari said. Kashkari said the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is launching a major initiative to consider transformational options and develop an actionable plan to end too-big-to-fail banks. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/17/16 -- Canoe Financial (Canoe) today announced completion of its acquisition of the O'Leary Funds management contracts and related assets. The acquisition continues Canoe's trajectory as the fastest-growing independent mutual fund company in Canada. "In addition to Canoe's impressive organic growth since launching its first mutual funds in 2011, this transaction will result in an enhanced offering of investment solutions to serve both investment advisors and their clients," said Canoe chairman W. Brett Wilson. "Success in this business is driven by the quality of our people, and we are particularly excited about bringing Canoe's award-winning investment management expertise to even more Canadian investors." "We have never wavered from our vision to be a leading high-quality, independent asset manager and a first choice for Canadian investors with asset management needs," said Darcy Hulston, president & chief executive officer, Canoe Financial. "With this strategic acquisition, we have added to our sales team, expanded our distribution channels and enhanced the depth and breadth of our investment solutions at Canoe." Stanton Asset Management Inc. will continue as sub-advisor for Canoe Canadian Corporate Bond Fund (formerly O'Leary Canadian Bond Yield Fund), and Aegon USA Investment Management, LLC (AUIM) has been appointed sub-advisor for Canoe Floating Rate Income Fund (formerly O'Leary Floating Rate Income Fund), Floating Rate Income Fund and Canoe Floating Rate Portfolio Trust (formerly O'Leary Floating Rate Portfolio Trust). AUIM also continues to act as sub-advisor for Canoe Global Income Class/Fund and Canoe Strategic High Yield Class/Fund. Canoe will no longer be re-designating Series A (USD) and Series F (USD) units of Canoe Floating Rate Income Fund (formerly O'Leary Floating Rate Income Fund), Canoe Tactical Income Fund (formerly O'Leary Tactical Income Fund) and Canoe U.S. Strategic Yield Fund (formerly O'Leary U.S. Strategic Yield Fund) (the "USD Series"), as set out in the management information circular sent to O'Leary investors on December 18, 2 015. Investors in Canoe Tactical Income Fund and Canoe U.S. Strategic Yield Fund will continue to be able to purchase units of the USD Series until such funds are merged into an existing Canoe mutual fund. Series A (USD), and Series F (USD) units of Canoe Floating Rate Income Fund will be unavailable for purchase by new investors or for subsequent purchase by existing investors shortly following the closing. However, on that date, Canoe will be introducing a US dollar purchase option for this fund, so that investors in a USD Series of Canoe Floating Rate Income Fund will continue to be able to purchase and redeem units of the fund in US dollars. In addition, effective immediately, Series H, Series H (hedged), Series H (USD), Series FH and Series FH (hedged) units of each of the former O'Leary funds will not be available for purchase by new investors or for subsequent purchase by existing investors. Series A and Series F units of Canoe Global Balanced Fund (formerly O'Leary Global Infrastructure Income Fund) will not be available for purchase by new in vestors or for subsequent purchase by existing investors effective on or about February 18, 2016. The hedged Series A and Series F remain available for purchase. All other material changes to the former O'Leary funds, as previously announced by O'Leary Funds Management LP in the management information circular dated December 18, 2015 and in Amendment No. 1 to the Simplified Prospectus of the O'Leary Funds dated November 27, 2015, will take effect as described therein. About Canoe Financial Founded in 2008, Canoe Financial is an employee-owned investment management firm focused on building financial wealth for Canadians. Canoe is Canada's fastest-growing independent mutual fund company and currently manages more than $3.3 billion in assets across a diversified range of award-winning mutual funds and private energy equity products. Canoe has expanded from its Calgary head office across Canada, including a significant presence in Toronto and offices in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. To learn more about Canoe Financial and its investment products, visit www.canoefinancial.com. Important information regarding the Canoe mutual funds, including conditions of purchase, investment strategy, distribution policy, management fees, and expenses, are set out in the funds' Simplified Prospectus, Annual Information Form and Fund Facts which are available on Canoe Financial's website at www.canoefinancial.com or SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed and their values change frequently. This communication is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as a public offering to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Investors should consult with a financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. Contacts: Canoe Financial Investor Relations 1-877-434-2796 info@canoefinancial.com www.canoefinancial.com Its time for our next installment of Creativity Over Coffee, a series which focusing on creativity and how to find it in your own lives. Today, Im sipping coffee and chatting with my friend and author, Melissa Schorr. I first met Melissa through our newcomers club and we were quite active in book club together and our kids also had many playdates. Melissa is a YA author and a widely published freelance journalist. Her first novel was the interfaith romantic comedy Goy Crazy inspired by an essay she wrote for GQ magazine, and she also contributed to the YA anthology Dear Bully. Her new novel, Identity Crisis, is about catfishing and cyberbullying. She is currently contributing editor at the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and edits the popular Dinner with Cupid column. Im so glad shes here to share her writing genius with us! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your creative journey? Melissa: Maybe its the Gemini in me, but I always dabbled across the arts writing, drama, music. But unlike many creatives featured here, Im completely deficient in the visual gene. Ive never have that natural aesthetic sense to design websites, craft images, or choose paint colors. For me, its all about text on a page. As a child, I tore through books and always dreamed of being a novelist. In fourth grade, I started writing little stories and by high school, I was writing original musicals and taking creative writing. To their credit, my parents never discouraged me or told me to do something more pragmatic with my life. Still, I was on the school paper and for college, I went to journalism school at Northwestern, thinking that would be the most practical way to start a career in writing. I love interviewing people and hearing their stories. Eventually, it worked a personal essay I wrote for GQ magazine led to the publication of my first novel. Your new novel Identity Crisis is about cyberbullying and your first novel Goy Crazy was about young love and possibly falling for someone out of your tribe. Did you draw on real life for these books? If not, how did you come up with the subject matter? Melissa: Goy Crazy was incredibly personal; it was basically my own life story. My Jewish grandmother did tell me to only date Jewish boys and I had huge angst sneaking around with Christian boys I thought my parents wouldnt approve of. My new book, Identity Crisis, looks forward instead of backwards its my angst about the environment my own two daughters will be experiencing any day now, when they become tweens and begin to navigate dating and friendship in the scary new age of social media. Even when a book is a light read, when youre an author taking on a project, I think there has to be an underlying theme that matters deeply to you, something that drives you to complete the project. When do you feel most creative or happy? Melissa: The summer I was awarded a weeklong stay at a writers retreat on Marthas Vineyard. That was pure nirvana: a beautiful seaside setting, a room to myself, time to write without daily distractions, and nightly chat with other writers. Who or what inspires you? Melissa: The world. Story ideas come from everywhere. Little moments in our personal history. Reading a chance news article and wondering, what if?With Identity Crisis, Id read sad and even tragic news reports about adults and teens getting catfished, and kept wondering what would motivate someone to do that. Do you ever get in a funk? Melissa: Yes, of course. Who hasnt? Usually, for a writer, its from getting a bad review. Or, worse, in a way, no reviews at all feeling like youre sending your work out into the void. Booze and chocolate work in the short term. The best way to break out of it is receiving a fan letter, someone telling you your words made all the difference to them. What do you enjoy more creative writing or writing columns? And why? Melissa: Both, really. Im one of those writer cliches who dreads writing but loves having written. So getting my butt in the chair and into the mindset is hard, I really need to clear my head from my daily chatter and figure out what I want to say. But once I manage to do that, things generally flow and the hours fly by. What is your favorite color? Do you have a color you dont like at all? Melissa: I love certain color combos, like my daughters room of lilac/light green, or my living room of soft tan and turquoise. Id have to say I dont like maroon. Just the sound of it is such a turnoff. Thats why I always despised my kitchen cabinets, which were a deep cherry red wood. One of my happiest decisions was when I finally summoned up the nerve to have them repainted white. (See the before and after pics?) Now, I adore the space. I just need to figure out what to use as a backsplash Im agonizing between a classic white subway and this gorgeous mother of pearl white tile. Please help me decide! Oooh, your kitchen looks fabulous and I love all the white! Hmmm, thats a hard one with the tiles. I love white subway tiles as they are classic but those mother of pearl look lovely too. Perhaps, my readers would like to give you an opinion. What do you guys think? Should Melissa go with subway or mother of pearl? How has social media impacted your work and the art you create? Melissa: As in everything, its good and bad. Social media has let me connect with other authors and feel a part of a writing community that you dont always find in your own neck of the woods. But the constant twitch to keep up can be so distracting when youre trying to immerse yourself in the world of your book. Also, its still not natural to me to tweet or post off the cuff maybe because I came up during the time of print, when everything had to be honed to perfection. Within the world of novel writing for teens, social media has made things so tough, because the technology teens use connect is constantly evolving, so its become tricky to not date your story. How do you balance creativity with the need to make money? Melissa: I always knew going into this profession that Id never make much money, but as a journalist Ive had unique life experiences I never would have otherwise Ive danced at a Governors Ball, interviewed celebrities, and um, once visited a nudist colony. So its paid off in other ways. Luckily I also have a partner that doesnt mind being my patron. Can you give us a snip it of what a day in the life of Melissa is like? Melissa: Nowadays, very humdrum. Wake up, mad dash getting kids off to school, return home to pile of chores (laundry, dishes, often, dog vomit to wipe up yes, so glamorous). Then, carve out time to research/edit/write straight through until 2:30, when after school chaos descends. Dinner, reading, bedtime and collapse. (Oh, and pray no one gets sick or theres another snow day!) Rinse, repeat. How do you balance it all? Melissa: Poorly. Im sure my daughters teachers wonder if we ever brush her mop top head of curls. (I do try). Most days, it feels like we are barely treading water. Id love to crank out novels at a faster pace, but it seems that life is always getting in the way with some crisis or other. Ive grown to accept it and just do what I can. Book Cookies from the Identity Crisis Launch Party What advice would you give to someone who is interested becoming more creative or would like to go into writing? Melissa: Dont become a writer because you want to do it, do it because you have to do it. It can be such a heartbreaking existence, Id only want someone to pursue this if they felt compelled, that no other path in life would make them truly happy. If so, dont listen to the naysayers. Full speed ahead! Growing up I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO. At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions: 1 What is your favorite word? reconnoiter 2 What is your least favorite word? boogers 3 What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Water views 4 What turns you off? haters 5 What is your favorite curse word? Im trying to bring back baloney, as a G-rated substitute for bullshit. 6 What sound or noise do you love? The ice cream truck jingle. 7 What sound or noise do you hate? The 7 a.m. iPhone alarm. 8 What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Broadway musical director/producer/playwright. 9 What profession would you not like to do? Theater critic. I tried that, but it completely ruined the pleasure of watching shows. 10 If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Dads been waiting. A huge thank you to Melissa for joining me today! Please be sure to follow along with her: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Profile Hope you call join us again soon for another serving of Creativity Over Coffee. Baimos Technologies, a Munich, Germany-based company specializing in secure mobile communication and authorization management for smart devices, raised a seven-digit funding round. Backers included HCS Beteiligungsgesellschaft, High-Tech Gruenderfonds and Bayern Kapital. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations. Led by Mr Philipp Spangenberg, CEO, Baimos Technologies is a developer of BlueID device authentication and authorization technology which enables objects to securely connect and interact with smart phones and smart watches. The technology, which integrates into apps, back-end systems and existing hardware with applications including ones in tech trends such as Connected Cars, Smart Home and Sharing Economy, works with communication standards like Bluetooth Smart, NFC, Wi-Fi and the mobile Internet which places it well in the developing IoT and M2M market. The company partners with such companies as Marquardt, Emerson Network Power, eQ-3/ELV, Microsoft and noris network while clients including Audi, Daimler, Sixt, MobydoM and LMU Munich, among others. FinSMEs 17/02/2016 Kontakt.io, a Krakow, Poland-based beacon manufacturer, raised $5m in second funding round. Prague-based VC firm Credo Ventures joined previous investors Sunstone Capital. The company intends to use the funds for further product development and global expansion. It is actively growing its personnel in existing offices in Krakow, New York, Shenzen, and Guadalajara as well as in a new one in Berlin that will focus on growth and business development. Led by Szymon Niemczura, CEO, Kontakt.io is a Bluetooth Low Energy beacon maker. Apart from further developing its technology, the company plans to use the funds to enrich and diversify its hardware and software products releasing two new types of hardware. It is also working on new services, including business model integrations, OEM offerings, embedded engineering, and global support for its customers. FinSMEs 17/02/2016 Legalbase, a Berlin, Germany-based legaltech startup, has launched with a seven-digit seed funding round. Backers included LegalZoom, a US-based provider of digital legal solutions, Amsterdam and London-based venture capital fund Orange Growth Capital and Norselab, a Norwegian start-up incubator. Co-founded in Berlin in 2015 by Daniel Biene, Christoph Jenke, and Peter Schink, Legalbase operates Legalbase.de, a digital platform allowing businesses and consumers access to legal services for a fixed price provided by a network of independent attorneys. The platform currently covers common legal issues including employment law, corporate law, and trademark law. Reviewing employment agreements, drawing up documents associated with forming a company, and filing a trademark can all be handled through the platform. FinSMEs 17/02/2016 Sprout Social, a Chicago, IL-based provider of social business and advocacy platforms, received $42m in funding. Backers included Goldman Sachs, Merchant Banking Division, and New Enterprise Associates. In conjunction with the transaction, Jason Kreuziger, a Vice President in the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs, will join Sprout Socials board of directors. This investment will enable Sprout to continue its expansion of both its products and customer base. Led by Justyn Howard, CEO, Sprout Social offers social media engagement, advocacy and analytics solutions for agencies and brands, including Hyatt, Uber, Marvel, Zendesk, Microsoft and Zipcar. The company provides: an engagement platform available via web browser, iOS and Android apps that enables brands to communicate on social channels and collaborate across teams; Bambu by Sprout Social, a platform for advocacy that allows employees to share curated content across their social networks to amplify a brands reach and engagement. A Twitter Official Partner, Facebook Marketing Partner, Instagram Partner Program Member, LinkedIn Company Page Partner and Google+ Pages API Partner, the company currently serves more than 3,000 agencies, 8,000 small businesses and 5,000 mid-market and enterprise customers around the world. FinSMEs 17/02/2016 International venture capital firm Target Global has opened a new office in Berlin. Run by general partners Yaron Valler and Shmuel Chafets, who joined the firm in 2015 and collectively hold more than 20 years of investment experience. They will be identifying investment opportunities across Europe with a focus on Germany, Israel and North America. Valler has invested in companies including Panaya (sold to Infosys), Fyber (sold to RNTS Media), led the Series A and B rounds for GoEuro and was one of the first investors in Delivery Hero. Chafets investments include iZettle, Hansoft and DreamLines. He also founded GPV, a venture investment vehicle in Warsaw with a special focus on software and internet security technology. With more than $300 million in assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Berlin, Tel-Aviv and Moscow, Target Global focuses on investing in digital-enabled B2C and B2 SMB companies in ecommerce, fintech, travel, software and mobile. Current portfolio compnies Delivery Hero, Go Euro, Dream Lines and Prosper. In addition to the opening of the new office, the firm has also announced investments in German startups including online rental platform nestpick, online insurance broker Clark and online real estate agents McMakler. These operations add to the investment in Missbeez, an Israeli startup providing on-demand beauty services. FinSMEs 17/02/2016 Nitin Seth has joined Flipkart, Indias largest online marketplace, as its Chief People Officer. In his new role, Seth will lead the human resource function and partner with the leadership team to build an organization for the future that is versatile and adaptable and bring about a distinctive culture that will fuel business performance, a company release said on Wednesday. Seth will report to Binny Bansal, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Flipkart. Seth comes with over two decades of experience in various organizations. Prior to joining Flipkart, he was the managing director and country head of Fidelity International in India, where he was responsible for the companys offshore operations in India and Tunisia. Prior to Fidelity, Seth worked with McKinsey as director. That apart, Seth has also dabbled in entrepreneurship by setting up ActiveKarma Ventures, a technology solutions company, whose primary focus was to leverage the Internet to offer innovative health and lifestyle solutions. Commenting on Seth's appointment, Binny Bansal, CEO of Flipkart said, Nitin brings with him a unique mix of cross sectoral experience, deep understanding of business, entrepreneurial DNA and a long track record of building and nurturing winning teams. "I am confident that Nitin will play a key role in enabling the team at Flipkart to fulfill our long-term mission of transforming commerce in India through technology," Bansal said. Seth said he was excited to be part of organization that is using technology to transform how a billion customers shop online and creating a massive impact in the country. Seth chairs the NASSCOM Regional council for Haryana, where he worked for the development of the start-up ecosystem, and the creation of a forward-looking IT Policy for the state and infrastructure improvements in Gurgaon, the release said. Seth set up and chaired for over three years the NASSCOM forum for Global In-house Centers (GICs) for North India and has led a industry-wide initiative to develop the vision and strategic roadmap for GICs. Presently, Seth is the Chairperson of the National GIC Council and is part of the NASSCOM Executive Council. The results of the banking sector in the third quarter (October-December 2015) have, as expected, revealed a flotilla of public sector banks floundering on a sea of red ink. Collectively, they have lost Rs 10,727 crore, even while their private sector counterparts reported almost an equal level of profits, around Rs 11,218 crore. More horrendous is the level of bad loans they are staggering under. The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of public sector banks are just under Rs 4 lakh crore, and they collectively account for 90 percent of such rotten apples in the countrys banking portfolio. In terms of net NPAs, their share is even higher at 92 percent of the total bad loans reported so far in the banking system. And since we can expect more bad news in the next quarter, when the Reserve Bank has asked banks to disclose the real story of their bad and stressed assets, we are really talking about a sick banking sector. Sick does not mean there is no remedy. But remedies call for bitter medicine, and this depends on whether the patient will be willing to swallow it. Dr Raghuram Rajan may have helped with the diagnosis by refusing to let banks hide the symptoms, but the persons in charge of the patients, Mr N Modi and Mr A Jaitley, have to accept the prescription and do something about it. To be sure, Dr Rajan has not actually prescribed any medicine beyond asking banks to admit they have a serious problem on their hands. But remedies are easily available in the over-the-counter non-prescription market, and these include privatisation, closure or merger. If privatisation is not on due to legislative hurdles, at the very least management autonomy and privatisation of management must be attempted. Once that is done, the rehab plan can include giving the patient health supplements like additional capital and equity. Some patients should, however, be given over to surgery and euthanasia. Broadly speaking, the NDA government needs to follow a tough rule-of-thumb while deciding what to do with the open wounds Dr Rajan has left it to attend to. First, there is no point wasting capital on banks that are fundamentally stretcher cases. Any bank which has net NPA proportions above 5 percent must be sent for critical care, or euthanasia. The banks in this category include Indian Overseas Bank (8.32 percent), Uco Bank (6.51 percent), United Bank of India (5.91 percent), Dena Bank (6,68 percent), Bank of Maharashtra (5.52 percent), Central Bank (5.3 percent), and two biggies Bank of Baroda (5.67 percent), and Bank of India (5.25 percent). It is net NPAs which matter, since gross NPAs include bad loans on which provisions have already been made and thus cant cause further damage. The first six need to be merged, closed or forced to become narrow banks where they cannot lend sums beyond a limit till their NPAs come down. These banks should be starved of capital and forced to become competitive or merge with stronger banks. As for Bank of Baroda and Bank of India, they are both among the Big 5 public sector banks, and they are too big to merge or abandon. BoB under private sector CEO PS Jayakumar has indicated that the worst is over for it, having taken the bad loans hit fully in the third quarter. The CEO also says he does not need further capital, and one can assume that the bank only needs close monitoring in the coming quarters. Bank of India, on the other hand, needs to be capitalised more strongly, which means the government must subscribe to the additional capital and make sure it has a competent management team in place to pull itself up by the bootstraps. Second, even the so-called stronger banks State Bank, among them are not that strong. With gross NPAs at a massive level of Rs 72,792 crore, the sheer volume of rotten apples in SBIs basket is huge and capable of contaminating others; its net NPA basket harbours Rs 40,249 crore, enough to sink most private sector banks. SBI is not vulnerable only because it is the one bank which has a tacit 100 percent sovereign guarantee. No government can afford to let SBI get into trouble in terms of depositor confidence. In fact, this is broadly true of most of the bigger public sector banks. Which is why fixing these banks is even more important than addressing the issues of sickly losers like Indian Overseas Bank, Uco Bank and Dena bank. The big banks are broadly proxy for the economy (these include SBI, BoB, Punjab National, Bank of India, and Canara Bank, apart from the private sector ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank). If they are looking unhealthy, it means the economy is itself unhealthy, and incapable of recovering too soon. Also, fixing strong banks will have better payoffs than supporting weak banks. The law of the jungle says it is the strong which must survive, not the weak. Logically, the big banks must be encouraged to revalue their undervalued assets, and sell off their non-core subsidiaries. The State Bank, for example, should be able to raise money by diluting stakes in some of its bank subsidiaries, not to speak of its insurance arm, SBI Life. Its real estate should also be monetised. For those without the ability to raise capital internally through asset sales, the government will have to provide the capital, but this should be given with the strict understanding that future capital for expansion should be generated internally. Third, the worst performers in the banking sector should be declared as bad banks and all other banks capable of reviving should be asked to unload their bad assets at discounted prices with these bank. As things stand now, Indian Overseas Bank whose balance-sheet is more undersea than overseas, qualifies as the ideal candidate for becoming the first bad bank. Uco Bank is another. These two banks should sell their liabilities (deposits) and assets (good loans) to the banks that seem worth reviving, and be asked to chase bad loans with a vengeance. A bad bank should not be the place to dump bad employees. In fact, bad banks need the best and the brightest from the private sector to focus all their efforts on collecting unpaid dues from the recalcitrant, and, if needed, force the closure of units that are technically bankrupt. Modi must put his A Team of bankers to head bad banks. Fourth, none of this can work without the government legislating the bankruptcy code, which is currently being vetted by a joint committee of parliament. It is best to get this legislation done in the budget session of parliament, so that by mid-April, the bad banks can get going. Speed is of the essence. Even though the banking crisis is a legacy of the UPA, the NDA compounded it by failing to realise the seriousness of the problem in its first year in office. Indradhanush, the plan to slowly recapitalise banks, has been overtaken by events. The market crash has ensured that the entire valuation of the public sector banking industry does not equal even that of HDFC Bank (currently valued at Rs 2,44,000 crore). The governments capital contribution to the worthy must be raised quicker and in larger dollops as the rot is spread deep in public sector banking. Surgery is vital, as Dr Rajan noted the other day. Data compiled by Kishor Kadam To: The Bar Council of Delhi New Delhi What we have witnessed in the last few days, the incidents concerning the students of JNU and the scuffle outside the hallowed corridors of our court rooms in Delhi, will leave a stain upon the legal fraternity like no other single event or incident in the history of our country as an independent nation. Lawyers had not only played a pivotal role in the struggle for independence of our country, but also shaped the very Constitution that forms the fabric of our democracy. Our democracy is like no other. Unlike the United Kingdom, where the Parliament is supreme, in our nation that role is played by the Constitution. The Constitution takes precedence over all three wings of our government the executive, the parliament and the judiciary, with the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of our Constitution. There is a Chinese curse, may you live in interesting times and we do live in interesting times indeed. The events that transpired at the JNU campus in New Delhi and thereafter in the Patiala House District Court Complex will be seen by future generations as dark days for our Constitution, just as we now view the emergency. I am neither concerned with the politics of the incident, nor the rationale behind the charges levelled, and whether such activities are considered as anti-national or not. I still have full faith in the judicial process and I will leave such disputed questions of fact to be decided in the Court of law instead of subscribing to a trial by media, when we have presumed certain persons to be guilty before they are found to be so by a fair trial. I am a practicing advocate in Delhi and I frequent District courts and I am concerned with the image lawyers will have after these incidents have been televised on national television for all to see. The practice of law and the image of our profession has debased remarkably from its past colonial glory when we had the likes of MK Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, C Rajagopalachari, Dr BR Ambedkar, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak just to name a few. They were all eminent lawyers fighting for the freedom of our nation in their own different ways with their own differing opinions and ideologies. The Supreme Court of our land had stated in the case of the Supreme Court Bar Association versus the Union of India, that the Bar Council, which performs a public duty, is charged with the obligation to protect the dignity of the profession and to maintain the professional standards and etiquette which every advocate must subscribe to. An advocate is not an ordinary member of the public and I would still like to believe in the sanctity of our profession and that such persons who took part in the incidents that transpired in Patiala House were not in fact advocates. I therefore, most humbly, call upon the Bar Council of Delhi to initiate a suo-moto enquiry and especially to look in to whether these persons were in fact enrolled as advocates with the Bar. We are all, as advocates, comrades in arms. We cannot allow such a disservice to our profession go unnoticed, much less un-enquired. I hope that my fellow members of the Bar will agree that at a time like this, we must rise above the politics of the state of affairs. We are not just advocates, in fact, we have the privilege of practicing in the very capital of our country, the very same capital where we have not just our Parliament but also the Supreme Court, the protector of our constitution and the very fabric of our democracy. We have an opportunity to rewrite history and I hope when future generations read of these events in their history books, they will remember us in the same manner we remember the lawyers who fought for our freedom. Dhruv Banerji Advocate The author is a practicing advocate in New Delhi and can be reached through his website. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo in Arunachal Pradesh as its summoned original records pertaining to the disqualification of 14 legislators by the then speaker Nabam Rebia in December 2015. The status quo order effectively forestalled revocation of the President's Rule and, for now, no new government can be sworn in. The constitution bench headed by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, while directing the parties to the litigation before it to maintain "status quo", asked its secretary general to facilitate the "implementation of the instant order" seeking original records relating to the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress lawmakers before 10:30 am on Thursday. "In the meantime, the parties before this court shall maintain status quo. For further consideration," said the court as it directed the listing of the matter on Thursday. Referring to the post lunch proceedings, the constitution bench that also comprises Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice NV Ramana, in its order, said: "We are of the view, that it is essential to peruse the original record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs." The "record pertaining to the proceedings conducted by the Speaker Nabam Rebia under the Xth Schedule of the Constitution pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, held on 14 and 15 December, 2015, be produced in this court in a sealed cover at the earliest, preferably by 10:30 am on 18 February, 2016, by the secretary of the state legislative assembly, in whose official custody, we are informed, the original record is available". The bench further said that "some part of the above record, is also in the safe custody of the Gauhati High Court, and has been retained in a sealed cover". The court directed that the registrar general of the Gauhati High Court to "ensure, that the sealed record pertaining to the disqualification of the 14 MLAs, assailed, is produced in this Court at the earliest, preferably by 10:30 am on 18 February 2016". The court order came after the post lunch session, during which senior counsel Fali Nariman told the court that efforts were on to install a new government by revoking the President's Rule wherein 14 MLAs who were disqualified would be counted for the purposes of majority support in the government formation. He said the High Court had, by an interim order, stayed their disqualification and the same order is in challenge before the apex court, and argued till the court decides on their fate, they could not be counted for the purpose of forming the new government. IANS New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been at loggerheads with Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi over a range of issues, on Wednesday skipped the At-Home reception organised by the city police chief. Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had on Tuesday also not attended the 69th Delhi Police Raising Day parade. "Both Kejriwal and Sisodia today skipped the At-Home reception hosted by the Commissioner. The reason behind them not attending the event is the growing bitterness in their relation with Bassi, over issues including women's safety in the city," a source said. In October, Kejriwal had attacked the Delhi Police saying that "Jungle raj" was prevailing in the national capital which was a matter of "deep concern". In retaliation, Bassi had said, "There is no jungle raj in Delhi. If such a thing has been said, it is definitely wrong. It may be due to lack of knowledge or insight on crime situation." The AAP government has been demanding from the BJP-led central government to hand over the city police to it. Taking on the Arvind Kejriwal government, Bassi had said, "It would be a very unfortunate day in the history of the national capital if the Delhi Police comes under the city government" and that its functioning under the Centre's jurisdiction was "perfect". PTI Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has now spoken of making the larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) an Economic Capital Region without indicating fully what he meant by it. It would have been better if he had, because the old aspiration of Mumbai a part of the MMR to be a Hong Kong, a Singapore, a Shanghai, or even a financial centre has not been realised. However, it appears what he meant was a region well-connected with jobs for the population, because there was a mention of a comprehensive mobility plan, which we will update for seamless connectivity throughout the region. This, of course, the first time anyone is hearing about it. Then, there is this yet-to-be-listed conglomeration of 22 smart cities around the new airport near Panvel. Of course, as gleanings, they sound good. The best thing however devoid of fine details it was is that a chief minister was speaking of an entire region, which according to the Census 2011, qualifies to be a Mega City. It is a triangle with the three points being Alibaug, Virar, and Cuffe Parade. Minus the Mumbai that extends up to Dahisar, Mulund, and Mankhurd, the MMR is nine times the size of Mumbai and hosts a population equal to half of Mumbais municipal limits. That is, as per the Census 2011, it works out to be a total of 1.8 crore, and by now, perhaps much closer to 2 crore a size of humungous proportions. However, despite the thinner spread outside Mumbai city, it is home to as many as eight cities run by municipal corporations and nine municipal councils plus around several villages. Interestingly, only six percent of it is rural. That is, it is vastly urbanised, as commonly understood. Whatever the grand plan Fadnavis has in mind, it is time the MMR received some attention, including from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and even the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (Mhada). Between them, the focus has been more on Mumbai, less on the outlying areas, though they have been crying out for attention for a long time. And although slowly executed, what is done in Mumbai is visible. In the rest of the vaster area, changes are awaited. The effort all along has been to provide a transport link between Mumbai, especially its southern part, and rest of the region, mainly along an axis provide by the Western, Central, and Harbour commuter train services. As the suburbs grow, and the demand for jobs remains essentially in Mumbai, the trains remain crowded and the Bombay High Court on Monday said in an obiter that people depended on their fate to return home so common are the accidents involving local trains. Locations that provide livelihoods and places where the livelihood seekers reside are getting farther and farther because the larger MMR has not seen the kind of job generation that could lock the populations down to their own cities and towns. And the travel along the three axes and between them is tortuous, the railways as yet unable to meet the demand. East-west connectivity is improving in Mumbai, but it is nowhere in the planners sights yet in the MMR. Job-creation and providing transport is a primary requirement to optimise the use of manpower across the region. Neither have been conceptualised yet in any meaningful manner for the region to look forward to. Improving the existing transport system which are standalone systems in various parts of the MMR hasnt been a priority. It perhaps is a weak idea at the back of the governments mind and remains there. Who has heard of any tangible moves by an authority the Unified Mumbai Metropolitan Transport Authority that talks of intra-MMR transport minus Mumbai? It was set up in 2008, a council was appointed in 2010, and the announcements have been about projects within Mumbai, which is welcome of course. Its website is instructive in that it lists only one standalone non-Mumbai project, a metro for Kasarvadavali-Thane travel. Even that has been foggy, and needless flyovers in the same city have been planned. Transport is the key to industrial development in the MMR and transport is the weakest part of the existing narrative. Some cities like Thane, Kalyan, Vasai-Virar, and Navi Mumbai civic corporations operate buses meant to serve their own populations but poor management of these systems hobbles the intra-city movement. Curiously, they focus on links to Mumbai mainly because the BEST of the Mumbai civic body runs away with their potential revenue on the inter-city routes. And yes, on such a weak infrastructure in a critical sector, one now awaits the chief minister's roll-out of his master plan, such as it is to develop the Mumbai Economic Region. It would be equally interesting to see how soon the various components are spelt out, and executed of course, because the speed is the key here. Otherwise, it will be one more dream sought to be sold to the long-suffering residents of the region. Tu Hai Kaun, Tu Patrakar Nahin Gaddar Hai (Who are you? You are not a journalist but a traitor)... These were the words of the goons in black coats before they assaulted me at Patiala House court today. JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced in court and like other journalists, I was there to cover the developments. I reached the court around noon and everything was normal. Security was tightened following the Supreme Courts instruction to the police in the morning to ensure safety for Kumar. The policemen deployed there were frisking and checking everyone before allowing them entry into the court. I was talking to a few journalist friends outside gate number two of the court when we heard slogans being raised from inside the court. We saw a group of 40-50 lawyers marching outside, waving the national flag. They raised slogans like 'Gaddaron, Bharat Chhodo' (Traitor, Leave India) and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' (Long Live, Mother India). I went to one of the lawyers of the group and asked who these traitors were. The man told me they were journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt, Bhupendra Chowbey, etc. I asked his name but he refused to be identified. The group marched outside for a few metres and then returned to the court, raising the same slogans. At gate number two, they were confronted by a smaller group of lawyers who asked them not to raise such slogans and let the law take its course. When the former refused to budge, the second group also began raising slogans like "Tanashahi nahin chalegi' (dictatorship won't prevail) and 'Kanhaiya tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain' (Kanhaiya you continue with your struggle, we are with you). As a scuffle broke out between the two protesting groups, I moved a few steps into the court campus and stood in the row where policemen stood in large numbers to the left, on the other side of the gate. Since I was asked to send live updates from the spot, I was typing into my phone. Suddenly, the 'nationalist' group of lawyers turned violent and pulled at one of the most outspoken lawyers of the other group. They began to beat, punch and kick him mercilessly. He lost his balance and fell to the ground close to the gate. There is a wooden cabin, perhaps for security personnel here. He was lying in the narrow space between the cabin and the boundary wall of the court campus as he was being kicked by the lawyers. I went near where he was being assaulted and clicked a photo. Someone from the crowd spotted me and he snatched my cell phone and quickly deleted the photograph. I turned to him and asked for the mobile phone. Meanwhile, the attention of the entire mob turned to me. They started shouting, "Yeh kaun hai, ise pakdo" (Who is he? Catch hold of him). I told him that I am a journalist and showed them my ID card. When they learned that I was from Network 18, they began to shout: "Ise maro, yeh Rajdeep Sardesai ke channel me kaam karta hai" (Beat him. He works with Rajdeep Sardesai's channel). I tried to reason with them, making it clear that Sardesai is no longer associated with the group, but to no avail. "Barkha, Rajdeep aur Bhupendra jaise rashtra virodhi log tere jaise patrakar ke icon hote hain" (Traitors like Barkha, Rajdeep and Bhupendra are icons for journalists like you), one of them said. Meanwhile, some of them grabbed my right hand, held it tightly and pulled me deep inside the campus. I resisted but soon others joined them and began to beat me up. A few lawyers intervened and escorted me to the gate. The policemen were initially reluctant to open the gate to let me out. Journalists who stood on the other side of the gate began to shout in my defence, asking the policemen to get me out. That was when the gate was opened and I came out. I recognised one of the attackers (advocate Vikram Singh Chauhan) who first pulled at me [Editor's note: Chauhan is believed to have led the attack against journalists at Patiala House on Monday]. There was heavy police presence inside the court premises when the skirmish took place but nobody acted or offered to help me despite my pleas. I suffered minor injuries to my face. Amazon takes on the lord almighty. Switzerland goes underground to develop a national logistics network. And DOT rings in its golden anniversary. Amazon Building Global Delivery Business to Take On Alibaba Bloomberg Business reporter Spencer Soper got ahold of an internal report from Amazon that envisions a global delivery network. Called Dragon Boat, this project is continuing as planned, according to internal sources, and would spur the launch of a new venture called Global Supply Chain by Amazon. Source: BloombergBusiness Revolutionize your product packaging strategy in 2016 While many companies overlook their packaging supply chain, there are huge opportunities to reduce lead times and cost by creating a customized packaging supplier network, according to this article from Steve Schoultz, vice president of Sourcing and Packaging for the packaging company InnerWorkings. Source: Packaging World Companies are reimagining business processes with algorithms This Harvard Busines Review article discusses how some business are using machine reengineering to quickly redesign their processes. The redesigns are based on the predictive capabilities of machine-learning algorithms. The article discusses a global consumer food company implemented a collision avoidance system that helped alert delivery drivers of potential dangers. Source: Harvard Business Review Real estate executives predict logistics rents to peak in 2016 Industrial property is at a premium, vacancies are at all-time lows, and rents have been steadily rising. But that multi-year cycle may end this year as developers begin to add large amounts of supply, and more so-called spec property hits the market. Source: National Real Estate Investor Under the mountains for the Swiss supply chain Switzerland is planning a mega-project called Cargo sous terrain that is envisioned as a nation-wide, underground, autonomous transport network. Specifically the system comprises a three-lane network hosting electric, drone delivery capsules. The vehicles are to be designed around the standard cargo Euro-pallet (being able to hold two), and will travel via an induction rail process at 30 kilometers per hour, 24/7. Switzerland has long been at the crossroads of pan-European transport, but its mountainous terrain has posed unique challenges. Source: Global Risk Insights FedEx ramps up its charitable giving FedEx Corp. rolled out a charitable giving program, FedEx Cares, which will invest $200 million in more than 200 communities over five years. The Memphis-based delivery giant increased its corporate giving budget by 35% to meet the goal during the fiscal year that began July 1, said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president, FedEx Integrated Marketing Communications. FedEx officials said $50 million of the commitment would be in donated shipping and logistics services for disaster relief efforts and special transportation. Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal via Transport Topics DOT holds golden anniversary celebration The U.S. Department of Transportation was created in late 1966 and started operations in early 1967. Getting a jump on the commemoration, DOT held a 50th anniversary celebration last week hosted by Secretary Anthony Foxx and featuring six of his predecessors, including 93-year-old Alan Boyd, the first DOT secretary. Source: Transport Topics In all probability, a person who brazenly assaults people at court premises on two separate incidents while the Delhi Police shamelessly looks on will have some powerful friends. As it turns out, Delhi High Court lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan, who assaulted a CPI(M) activist on Monday and Firstpost reporter Tarique Anwar on Wednesday, has some powerful friends in many political parties. On Wednesday, Anwar was assaulted and beaten up by lawyers who are protesting anti-national comments by Kanhaiya Kumar outside the Patiala House Court complex in New Delhi. "There were two groups of lawyers. One was shouting slogans like Gaddaron ko bahar karo, and there was another group who supported the JNU student and were yelling 'Kanhaiya tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain.' I went inside and stood next to the police. I took out my phone to send an update to the office and saw the scuffle between the two groups. I took a photo when the group of lawyers protesting against Kanhaiya took my phone, deleted the photo and took me inside and assaulted me. All this happened in front of the Delhi police," Anwar said. Such an attack usually takes place because of people who believe that they have enough power due to which no can harm them. Here are some of Chauhan's powerful friends: Rajnath Singh People like Vikram Singh Chauhan usually think they can just start beating up people on the road for having a different point of view when they are good friends with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. LK Advani Chauhan hangs out with one of the (former) most powerful people in the BJP, LK Advani. We're really wondering, though, why Advani has his hands folded in the picture. Anurag Thakur, Kailash Vijayvargiya Chauhan is seen with BJP MP Anurag Thakur and BJP leader Kailash Vijayviargiya, the politician best known for calling Shah Rukh Khan 'anti-national' and claiming that Khan's 'soul is in Pakistan'. Nirmala Sitharaman Among Chauhan's friends in the NDA government is Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman. JP Nadda Chauhan looks pleased as he poses for a photo with Health Minister JP Nadda. With the kind of political support that Vikram Singh Chauhan has, one gets the idea of the kind of political power which emboldened him to attack journalists and activists in court premises. And it also tells us that the assault was driven by anything but nationalism. New Delhi: The Home Ministry has asked Delhi Police to submit a report today itself detailing the Patiala House court incident. "I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner and asked him to send a detailed report on the Patiala court incident today itself," Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters here. His comments came hours after a group of lawyers assaulted journalists and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House court. "If anyone violates law, action will be taken," he said. Asked about earlier attack on mediapersons on Monday, Mehrishi said investigation is going on into two FIRs registered in that connection. "Action will be taken as per law," he said. On Monday, journalists, students and teachers of JNU were attacked by people wearing lawyers' black robes in Patiala House court. Yesterday, hundreds of journalists hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in police presence and sought Supreme Court's intervention for protecting freedom of speech. Official sources said police would seek help from media organisations to provide video clips of 9 February incident at the Jawaharlal Nehru University to gather additional evidence against those who were involved in raising anti-national slogans and delivering inflammatory speech. Asked about reports that Delhi Police would not oppose the bail plea of arrested JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, they said perhaps police would like to incorporate everything in the charge sheet. PTI New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday recommended adopting Brazil's Zika virus awareness model to combat dengue, which has emerged as a leading cause of death in India. Dengue's incidence is drastically higher in countries with poor sanitation as compared to the developed nations. In 2015, 97,740 cases were registered in Delhi, the highest to be recorded in the city. The subsequent death toll was 200, said SS Agarwal, the National President of IMA. "IMA suggests that India consider the model adopted by Brazil to raise awareness on Zika virus for its fight against dengue. Educating and raising awareness is an integral part of the Brazil model. With the help of the government and armed forces, the society can be informed about the causes and consequences of dengue and its preventive measures, which need to be adopted," he said. IMA Secretary General KK Aggarwal said, "The transmission of dengue is actually a cycle, if the person suffering from dengue is bitten by mosquito, that mosquito gets infected and goes on infecting other healthy people and thus the cycle continues." "A major factor that results in the spread of the virus is through travelling, and with Delhi being the nation capital, it is a constant tourists hub all year long," he said. Brazil has deployed over two million armed force personnel to fight the Zika disease. These have been accompanied by mosquito control teams and community health agents to help educate people about how they can eliminate mosquito breeding zones in their neighborhood. The teams have an ambitious target of visiting 30 lakh homes in 350 cities to hand people explanatory pamphlets, Aggarwal said. "It is alarming that India still hasn't been able to terminate the root causes of Dengue since 2010. This year, one of the Indian states, if not all, should adopt this type of campaign and declare war against the Aedes mosquito," Aggarwal said. PTI New Delhi: Scores of Indian Youth Congress and NSUI workers were on Wednesday detained by police in New Delhi as they attempted to march from the IYC headquarters to the Prime Minister's Office to protest the police "crackdown" on JNU campus in the wake of a controversial event in the campus. "A group of 100-150 IYC and NSUI workers were marching on the streets on way to the PMO to demonstrate there but we detained them in front of Krishi Bhawan. Some of them dispersed after we disallowed them to go any further," a senior police official said. While IYC is Congress's youth wing, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is the party's student unit. The detained workers were taken in two buses to the Parliament Street Police Station, he said. The protesters carrying IYC flags and placards shouted "anti-Modi" slogans and denounced police action on the students of JNU. "We are also protesting against those who raised the alleged anti-national slogans, but why target the entire university for the mistake of a handful of students," a protester said before being taken away in the bus to the police station. They were also protesting against the attack on students and teachers in Patiala House Court complex in police presence on Monday where the sedition case against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar was to be heard. PTI Innocent till proven guilty is an inviolable principle of the Indian justice system. Those supporting the government action against Kanhaiya Kumar ignore this basic tenet of law in their hurry to dole out certificates of patriotism and to segregate nationalists from the anti-nationals in their private courts. Perhaps, in their hurry to label others anti-national, they do not mind being anti-humanity, whose very survival would be threatened if lynch mobs were to be let loose on people merely on the basis of an accusation. Those advocating strict punishment for Kanhaiya, president of the JNU students' union, have put out many arguments, including the demand for spanking the students for their crime, an advice BJP legislator OP Sharma and his thugs seem to have taken seriously. But, amidst the swirl of noises, one argument that needs serious deconstruction is this: That we have been too tolerant of intolerance and the government is right in taking action against those who indulged in "anti-national" activities . This position has been outlined cogently in a piece by Jaideep Prabhu for Firstpost. "Perhaps the only thing more vexatious than the farce being enacted on the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are the columns in defence of the rabble-rousers. Despite several videos surfacing that clearly show slogans not only expressing sympathy for a man, Indian courts , including the apex one , have repeatedly declared a terrorist but also calling for the Balkanisation and destruction of India, the Indian chatterati have rushed to lambast the government for taking excessive measures against the rabble-rousers," Prabhu writes. This is a valid argument, at least in principle. Even if the law does not consider such hooliganism, slogan-shouting and "anti-nationalism" as seditious, it is morally reprehensible to condone it. As citizens of this country, we are entitled to several rights, but we are also expected to perform certain duties. And, I reiterate, we may be legally allowed to get away with such freedom of speech, but it would be difficult to escape the charge that it is immoral to denigrate one's own country. But, the problem with this argument is that it ends up negating itself in Kanhaiya's case. Yes, there may be a lot of videos floating around showing a lot of slogan shouting in the JNU campus. But, which one of them shows Kanhaiya raising anti-India slogans or threatening India's barbadi? So, why target him? Is it just because, as the argument goes, he was at a meeting where some unidentified persons shouted anti-India slogans? Yes, by all means take action according to the law of the land against those who were behind the slogans, hang them for sedition if the law permits that. But, why brand Kanhaiya an anti-national, a deshdrohi, ironically, on the basis of the "several videos" that do not indict him? Or, is it because somebody tweeted solid evidence from a fake account irrefutable evidence of Kanhaiya's guilt? The government's cheerleaders are, of course, guilty of double-speak. Though they want us to applaud the government for its swift action on the basis of "adequate video" evidence, their heart doesn't bleed for the "more-than adequate" evidence against the goons who attacked journalists and students in the premises of a court, in the presence of cops. Did somebody, for instance, ask, why the police have not made a single arrest when these thugs have been boasting about their hooliganism on TV, claiming they could have killed people if a bandook was available? If shouting slogans is tantamount to sedition, isn't an admission of murderous rage tantamount to homicide? If students can be panned for subsisting on public money, can somebody tell us how is the public money being put to good use by legislators like OP Sharma? Should his parents pat his derriere for being such a sanskari MLA? The truth is that there is a lot of obfuscation happening, facts are being twisted with vacuous jargon added to words like majoritarianism, collective conscience and nationalism. Take for instance the liberal use of the word rabble-rousers? In the JNU case, who exactly is the rabble-rouser? Is it Kanhaiya? If yes, how? Are the ones who protesting his arrest the rabble-rousers? If yes, why? Or, are the ones who are trying to brand an entire university anti-national because some unidentified persons and fringe elements shouted nasty slogans and argued in favour of a hanged terrorist, the real rabble-rousers? If the fringe is the core, what does that make the BJP when its patriots like Sakshi Maharaj want Nathuram Godse to be called a patriot, or refuse to end their kar seva for a temple even when the case is pending in the courts? Saugandh Ram ki khaate hain, remember? Answers? Finally, here is some food for thought for those who denounce the liberal values of the West and its stable democracies and see Singapore and Malaysia as role-models for a democracy. Writing in The Indian Express, eminent lawyer Fali S Nariman argues that being anti-national is not a crime and certainly not sedition. But he also narrates an anecdote, fans of the Singapore/Malaysia-model of democracy should do well to remember. "At a conference held some years ago in Kuala Lumpur, a prominent retired judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia said to a crowded hall of 500 delegates (at the International Bar Association conference held there): Our written constitution guarantees freedom of speech (loud applause). He then paused, and went on to frankly say: but it does not guarantee freedom after speech. Is this where we are headed? His poll numbers have fallen quite a bit from last years peak, but pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson is still in the presidential race as South Carolina prepares for its primaries on Feb. 20. So where does Carson stand on various K-12 and other education issues? Here are five things you should know before the Palmetto State contest: 1. Yes, Ben Carson has an education plan. On his website , Carson says, The American education system is failing our children, and points to student test scores from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developments PISA exam as evidence. (Fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump also addressed those numbers recently .) Whats Carsons solution? He wants more school choice; empowerment for parents and districts and not Washington mandarins; innovative ideas for education; new block grants to allow states to reward good teachers; and a streamlined and transparent student loan process. 2. About college affordability, though: Carson is no fan of free college. You may have heard about Democratic contender and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders plan to make public colleges and universities tuition-free. But Carson is having none of that. During a previous GOP debate, he dismissed the idea as unrealistic and misguided, as did rival Sen. Ted Cruz. He does, however, want a reduction in tuition costs, because student debt ultimately impacts the nations global economic competitiveness. 3. He once said that property taxes contribute to inequitable education, but later clarified what he meant. In 2014, Carson told Politico that because affluent neighborhoods generate more revenue for schools, that tax structure perpetuates a system that doesnt help upward mobility : Wouldnt it make more sense to put the money in a pot and redistribute it throughout the country so that public schools are equal, whether youre in a poor area or a wealthy area? But when asked about those remarks last year, Carson said to CNN that he didnt favor significant wealth redistribution as a general principle , saying that the great divide between the haves and the have-nots is education. On Facebook last year , Carson also said, I do not support the national pooling of property tax receipts. 4. Carson is a fan of Title I funding. In that same Facebook post, he also expressed support for Title I funding, the U.S. Department of Educations single largest grant for K-12 that is targeted at disadvantaged students. He wrote that he supports Title I in order to raise up poor inner-city and rural schools to a level where these children can get the education they deserve. Carson didnt specify, however, whether he wants more Title I money for education than what schools currently receive. 5. Confronting gunmen like the Oregon community college shooter, Carson says, is the right idea. After a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon that left 10 people dead last October, Carson said that people in the middle of such attacks should not be passive . I would say, Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he cant get us all, Carson told the Associated Press. That remark proved to be controversial, and led to, among other responses, a post about his comment from Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers on the Leadership 360 blog at edweek.org. BONUS: Since 1996, the Carson Scholars Fund has awarded $1,000 college scholarships to students demonstrating strong academic achievement, and has also supported Ben Carson Reading Rooms in schools to promote students independent leisure reading. Over the past 20 years, the organization has donated $4.2 million in scholarship awards. Photo: Republican presidential candidate, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson addresses supporters at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Mich. last September. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . In his work The psychology of judgment and decision making, Scott Plous explains a curious phenomenon called confirmation bias. Also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, it is the tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms ones beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities. While firing from the shoulders of Fali S Nariman, eminent jurist and senior advocate at Supreme Court, Indias liberalatti has reduced a constitutional debate to a tu tu main main, served best with poha and hot masala chai. The cognitive favouritism is yet again on display in the way celebrity opinion-makers have cherry-picked on certain statements made by Nariman and produced it as conclusive evidence for their version of ultimate truth over laffaire JNU, displaying towards contrarian views the same intolerance which they accuse the government of showing while taking up the cudgels in favour of free speech. Let us see what exactly Nariman, the constitutional jurist, wrote in Indian Express on Wednesday: Sedition in India is not unconstitutional, it remains an offence only if the words, spoken or written, are accompanied by disorder and violence and/ or incitement to disorder and violence. Mere hooliganism, disorder and other forms of violence, though punishable under other provisions of the penal code and under other laws, are not punishable under Section 124A of the penal code. Likewise, mere expressions of hate, and even contempt for ones government, are not sedition. When a person is dubbed anti-Indian, it is distasteful to Indias citizenry, but then to be anti-Indian is not a criminal offence, and it is definitely not sedition. (It only means that you are a freak, and that it is high time to have your head examined!) If Nariman says being anti-Indian isnt a criminal offence and does not merit a charge of sedition, he also calls for the sloganeering students heads to be examined. But the senior Supreme Court advocates nuanced opinion has now been watered down to a validation of one sides victory over the other. It is also interesting to note eminent lawyer Soli Sorabjee's take on this issue. While talking to news agency ANI, the former attorney general said: If someone says Afzal Guru ka conviction galat tha thats not sedition. But if it (someone) goes further, (and) says Afzal Guru ko galat faasi diya, dekhega abhi, yeh sab state mein jawab dena padega, thats sedition, he said to the news agency. But if it goes further, says Afzal Guru ko galat faasi diya,dekhega abhi,yeh sab state mein jawab dena padega,that's sedition- S Sorabjee ANI (@ANI_news) February 16, 2016 He weighed in on the debate again during an interview with India Today. Replying to a query whether application of sedition charges against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar is correct or not, Sorabjee says: It all depends on facts. First of all, let's understand what sedition means. Any criticism of the government, any disapprobation of the measures of the government, however strongly expressed is sedition. Considering the validity of the Section 124A, in the Kedarnath case, the section is limited to acts or words or deeds, which have a tendency to disrupt public order, or which incite violence. On slogans such as Afzal, hum sharminda hain, tere qatil zinda hai, Tum kitney Afzal maroge, har ghar mein Afzal niklega, Sorabjee says: This would be incitement. This is not a borderline case, but it has to be proved. This has to be established, according to the report. When two of Indias most sagacious minds deliver nuanced opinions, trust our liberals to turn their reasoned views into a confirmation of their bias. My truth, after all, is whiter than your truth. New Delhi: A series of incidents that turned violent rocked the Patiala House Court in New Delhi on Wednesday, and compelled people to ask these two questions: Patiala House Court lawyers ko gussa kyun aata hai? (Why do Patiala House Court lawyers get angry?) Why did the Patiala House court suddenly turn into a kangaroo court on Wednesday? The court virtually turned into a fortress due to heavy deployment of police force right from Wednesday morning. All entries to go inside the court were blocked. And the court witnessed a replay of the incident on Monday when a group of lawyers had beaten up journalists inside the court premises. The lawyers turned violent once again, raising slogans and physically assaulting JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in the presence of the police. They allegedly pelted stones at and heckled a team of senior lawyers, including Kapil Sibal, sent by the Supreme Court. In between, a few lawyers also attacked Firstpost journalist Tarique Anwar. At around 4 pm, a group of advocates emerged on the other side of Gate No 3 and started raising slogans: Bharat Mata ki Jai; Desh ko thodne walon ko baahar karo; Desh ke gaddaron ko baahar nikaalo. But what actually happened inside the court premises? Speaking to eyewitnesses and advocates who were present inside the Patiala House Court premises, Firstpost tried to find out what incited law-abiding advocates to take up law in their own hands and convert the court premises into a kangaroo court. Attack on Kanhaiya Kumar The showdown took place in the court premises during the first hour, when a police team entered through Gate No 4 on the backside along with Kanhaiya Kumar. The JNUSU president was to be presented in a court for hearing of the sedition case registered against him. I was inside the court complex as I had to hand over some documents to my daughter, who is an advocate. I saw a police team enter through Gate No 4 accompanying Kanhaiya Kumar. A large number of advocates were present there. Till then, I wasnt much aware of the situation, as things seemed normal. But what caught my attention was that a section of lawyers suddenly pounced upon Kanhaiya Kumar and started beating him badly. He fell down but lawyers continued with their assault. Police tried to prevent him from getting thrashed but it didnt help much. The lawyers outnumbered the police, 71-year old Dhirendra Sharma narrated this account to Firstpost, after coming out of the court premises. Lawyers were more than 100, whereas policemen were only a few. The court should use its CCTV camera footage to find out what happened. Itll reveal the truth. Its really surprising how in a democratic system and inside court premises, lawyers blatantly break the law. Kanhaiya Kumar is not a terrorist, rapist or a murderer; but just a student union leader, added Sharma, who was visibly perturbed by the incident. Condemning the act of his colleagues, advocate Pritam Bishwas, who was present inside, told Firstpost, Its a trickle-down effect of Mondays incident. Today, when Kanhaiya Kumar entered accompanied by police, a youth in black coat who looked like a lawyer started lobbying for Kumar. He started saying that Kanhaiya Kumar was innocent and he shouldnt be tried, etc. Inside court premises, we all know each other by face. Apparently, this youth looked like he was new and he was from Sonepat and wasnt a lawyer. He was an AISF activist. This suddenly enraged a group of lawyers and in the heat of the moment, they attacked Kumar, which was very bad and an unfortunate incident. Bishwas also recounted the incident on Monday. On Monday, when the hearing related to this JNU issue was supposed to take place at the Metropolitan Magistrates court, JNU students, activists and teachers gathered and some of them occupied chairs inside the courtroom meant for the lawyers, as the latter sit and wait for their turns. When a few lawyers requested them to vacate the chairs, one lady faculty member of JNU shouted at us, Tum log Modi ke dalle ho and used abusive language. This led to Mondays fiasco. It was again a shameful incident, claimed Bishwas. Stones hurled at SC-appointed panel Following instruction from the Supreme Court, a five-member advocate panel as Court Commissioners visited Patiala House Court in the second half to assess the situation on developments in Kanhaiya's case. A group of lawyers inside court premises shouted slogans and pelted stones at the advocate panel that had Kapil Sibal in it. They shouted that those trying to save the traitors should be thrown out. It was horrifying, a young advocate who was also present on the spot later told Firstpost on condition of anonymity. "It was again condemnable. The lawyers who did that werent aware that the team was sent by the Supreme Court, and they thought that they have come to plead for Kumar, justified Bishwas. 'We're not BJP followers,' say lawyers A group of lawyers appeared on the other side of the locked Gate No 3. They first gave slogans and then gave sound bytes to channels. In between, they had heated arguments with a few reporters. We came out to tell the public why people who hate the country where they live, earn livelihood, are bona fide citizens and have valid passports should not be allowed to raise anti-national slogans like Bharat ki barbaadi tak...etc. If these students, who are thriving on subsidised education which comes from taxpayers money, have so much hatred for their nation, they should leave it. As law abiding citizens, we cant let this happen. And its your media which asks us whether were Sanghi and BJP followers. Were not and as an Indian, we wont tolerate this, said advocate Kumar Ranjan, who was also a part of the group. As lawyers, we know the law, the Constitution and what freedom of speech, which is never absolute, means. Former PM Indira Gandhi curbed the freedom of press and many others. Now, the government isnt doing anything like this. It doesnt allow anyone to raise such slogans and support terrorists like Afzal Guru or Kasab. This is the reason why lawyers are so angry, added Bishwas. However, the lawyers dont have the answer to this question: Under which right of the Constitution, can they hold a Kangaroo court within the court premises? Prominent academicians and scientists from many of India's prestigious institutions on Wednesday expressed their dismay on the recent events that threw the academic atmosphere at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi to the winds. The spate of violence both within and outside the campus have gripped the entire nation's attention on the nationalist versus anti-nationalist debate. "A total of 379 Indian scientists and academics have written a letter to the VC of JNU expressing their dismay at the recent events there," said Suvrat Raju, faculty member at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences. The signatories of the letter expressed their "deep disappointment" with the actions of the JNU Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and called on him take "urgent corrective steps to ensure that the police releases the arrested students, and also to ensure that it drops the unsubstantiated charges against them." Raju said that the fact that so many members, of what is otherwise an apolitical community, signed this letter within about 24 hours indicates the level of outrage that these events have generated. JNU Letter to VC By Tarushikha Sarvesh The Jawaharlal Nehru University incidentinvolving the alleged anti-India slogans by students, which in turn provoked extreme reactions by the Central government in the form of a sedition charge on the JNUSU president (Kanhaiya Kumar) is a perfect example of the mockery of Indias legal system. It wouldnt be wrong to say that both the parties are feeding on the lack of knowledge of legal provisions by a majority of our countrymen. In an ideal world, such sensitive issues should have been handled with much more care. The main and overhyped issue in this debate was nationalism. To begin with: every government needs to understand that nationalistic sentiments cannot be imposed without preparing a reasonable ground for it in terms of basic facilities to enhance human agency including the platforms and right to protest. The debates on TV media are rife with terms and phrases like freedom of expression, misuse of free speech, sedition laws (and their misuse), and so on. A basic question is: What makes someone anti-national? If the state is unable to provide inclusive citizenship, in turn failing to imbue nationalist sentiments, isnt the state itself to be blamed for? The state has to address the discontentment: Quick-fixes like putting people behind the bars would only exacerbate this discontentment. For democracies to flourish they have to face the citizens disenchantment with the state. The state is not a monolithic entity; the strength of a state is revealed by its reactions: a state becomes visible through its symbols, its institutions and its reactions to the discontent. Taking extremely repressive actions without sufficient evidence reveals the intolerance of the state; in doing so, it also risks misguiding its citizen on many pressing issues. Stopping debates and nipping discontent restricts the opportunity of much needed conceptual clarity on various issues. A student is not merely an individual whose responsibility ends with attending lectures: all good universalities everywhere impart all-round development, which includes understanding and participating in the political events local and global. A student can be many things at once a learner, an activist, a debater, a thinker, a future statesman. (Ironically, the present NDA government too has many JNU alumni serving at crucial posts.) We problematise the idea of a student by perceiving politics in separation to society. In this case, JNU, famed for its vibrant debating culture and its powerful students' agency, became a victim of two diametrically opposite ideologies. Students' radicalism has met with even stronger state radicalism in the current situation, not entirely surprising since Left has always been Sangh Parivars ideological bete-noire. This incident gave the state an opportunity to un-apologetically crush the dissent from the opposite block. That said, one cannot deny that radicalism of any sort spoils the cause and derails the process of social justice. In Development as Freedom, Amartya Sen talks about freedom and capacity-building of citizens in general and students in particular. According to Sen, some of the most common sources of what he calls unfreedom are tyranny, intolerance and over activity of the repressive state: these are huge obstacles in the development process of any society. The Narendra Modi-led BJP government got its largest mandate of last 30 years on the plank of development. Its high time Modi realizes that development would come about only if these basic criteria of development are also adhered to. The author is a faculty member at the Centre for Women Studies at Aligarh Muslim University. New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday attributed the violence at the Patiala House court to the anti-national sloganeering at Jawaharlal Nehru University, saying the latter was the "trigger" and no country in the world allows it. Even as journalists and JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar were again attacked inside the court premises in defiance of Supreme Court order, Javadekar said that any kind of violence was "unacceptable" but the basic trigger is JNU and what happened in Jadavpur University is "unpardonable". "My first reaction to the first event (sloganeering) which is the trigger of all other happenings. It is about JNU event where some Naxalites, some separatists and students, altogether gave anti-national slogans Jung Jung chalegi Bharat ki barbadi tak (war will go on till India is destroyed). "No country allows such slogans anywhere in the world. Show me a country and give me some reasons to allow such things. This is never allowed and should not be allowed," Javadekar told NDTV when asked about his first reaction on the assault which took place inside the court. His remarks come on a day when Kanhaiya Kumar and some journalists were attacked in the court complex here by rowdy lawyers in brazen defiance of the orders of the Supreme Court, which was forced to step in. Despite instructions by the apex court to ensure security at the Patiala House Court, where violent men in black robes had attacked journalists on Monday, Delhi Police failed to prevent the attack on Kumar, accused of sedition, who was brought for remand proceedings. "As far as I know, the Supreme Court has appointed a five-member committee. So the matter is subjudice. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. But the basic trigger is JNU and what happened in Jadavpur University yesterday (Tuesday) is unpardonable and unacceptable. "We must stand united to condemn what happened in JNU and Jadavpur University(JU) and we all must stand by the government to find out the truth," Javadekar said. A day after pro-Afzal Guru slogans were raised in JNU, posters calling for 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were on Wednesday found in the campus even as two rival groups of students brought out rallies in the varsity premises. "Yesterday, JU students were calling for independence. What is going on? This is sedition we are witnessing. It means some separatist forces and anti-national forces have come together to infiltrate into the students and make them say these kind of slogans which is absolutely unacceptable," Javadekar said. Terming the sloganeering as an "assault on India", Javadekar said that he condemned both the violence in the court and at the same time the anti-national sloganeering. "I condemn every violance and also the anti-national slogans. First incident is of JNU, second is JU and third is Patiala court. SC itself has taken note of it and appointed a committee. So they will do justice. "Why are we not concentrating on the critical issue of who destryoed the nation's image, who gave the slogans. We all as a nation should be siezed of the matter where students are raising such slogans. I am really surprised," he said. Accusing the Congress of "assaulting" the freedom of press in 1975, Javadekar said that he went to jail which is why media is getting its freedom today. "We went to jail to preserve the freedom of press. But now I cannot stand these slogans. Now it is the duty of media to find out who are the culprits and who gave the slogans and stand by the police. "Assault on press freedom was done by Congress in 1975 for which we went to jail and that is why you are getting freedom today. But one must use that freedom to find out who the culprits are who gave anti-national slogans," he said. Asked why the police on Wednesday said that they would not oppose bail to Kanhaiya Kumar, he said this question needs to be asked to the police commissioner. PTI On 1 September 2014, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary was stabbed to death in Kannur district of Kerala. All of 42, Elanthottathil Manoj was brutally murdered by CPM workers. The BJP and RSS called for a 24-hours bandh following the murder. This brazen killing of an RSS functionary was not an isolated incident. Political killings form a part of the folklore in this volatile region. An opinion piece in The Hindu, talks about how such violent incidents are an integral part of the BJP-CPM politics in the district, especially the southern region including Thalassery, Panur and Koothuparamba. The blood-feud began with CPM luring one of the top leadership of the BJP in the district on to their side who was at loggerheads with the party, the article said. Although the reasoning behind these killings are not so linear. The article lists out several reasons behind this unabated gore which ensues in the most literate state of India. Revenge is one of them. The killing of E Manoj was not a random murder. He was one of the accused in a case where the the present CPM district secretary P Jayarajan was stabbed by BJP-RSS workers in 1999. In response, a school teacher K T Jayakrishnan who was also Bharatiya Jana Yuva Morcha leader was brutally murdered in front of his students. The violence is almost cyclical. The article noted that the spirit of competition is not a new phenomenon but something which was embedded in the cadre since the Emergency. "The legacy of previous political hostilities between the communists and the socialists in some of these areas assumed a new violent form as CPI(M) and BJP-RSS workers started treating their areas of influence as their 'party villages'." Since 1980, almost 180 people have been killed in the BJP-CPM cross firing. In 2012, Idukki district secretary of the CPM, MM Mani took pride and announced during a public rally that the Communist Party "had systematically eliminated political rivals in the 1980s." Another report in The Hindu, observed how the admission of crime by one of the senior party members in full public view was not out of guilt. Mani took pride in accepting that the murders were political and his party was directly involved in them. It brings forth the fact that politics is just not about polity anymore. Most political outfits in Kerala have lost many on account of this violent culture. But Mani's statement brought out the fact that these killings are not merely on the party worker level but maybe the top leadership is involved and it is all a part of strategy. The rival political parties had access to country-made bombs and what is worse is that they tried to give these murders the colour of "primitive revenge killing." Rival groups feed the residents with false theories to relate violent incidents in the district to "warfare" between warring groups. "In the narrative of the CPI(M) leadership, the history of political violence has had its roots in the communal riots that broke out in Thalassery in 1971 when CPI(M) workers were reported to have come to the rescue of the Muslim community. Primarily, however, the culture of political violence has been nurtured over the decades by the leadership of the rival parties." In late 1980s, BJP and CPM took a break from the animosity and killings when a new kid in the block Congress took up the task of fighting with CPM. New rivals meant more deaths. The otherwise unaffected Kannur district experienced bomb attacks when the Congress and the CPM fought to control the region. But once Cong-CPM wars slowed down, the BJP-CPM battle started with renewed fervour from 2007. The article reports that 41 people have been killed in more than 10 years in the district with 14 deaths happening in 2008 alone. The recent killing of Manoj has stoked fresh fears that retaliatory killings might start again in the district. With Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister, it might seem to be an added advantage for the Sangh parivar workers in Kerala but the CPM cadre is too boasting of giving a strong competition to the BJP-RSS thus checking their clout in the region. This is the first in a two-part series. The debate over what early math should look like and what should be included in the Common Core State Standards for math is one of the most contentious in education circles. Bethany Rittle-Johnson is a professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee who studies early math and specifically the importance of teaching young children about patterns. Patterns were mostly left out of the common core math standards in the early grades (kindergarten and 1st grade) due to a lack of evidence that they helped children understand later math concepts. Rittle-Johnsons research on what children take away form learning repeating patterns, however, along with the research of several others that has come out since the standards were written, suggest that patterns should be added back in. We spoke with Rittle-Johnson at length about both her work with patterns and the more wide-ranging question of what math should look like for preschool students. Should students use objects, called manipulatives, to practice addition? At what point should they begin to learn symbols? Is counting important? How do students figure out math rules? Our conversation was so engaging, that it will be published on Early Years in two parts. The first part, edited for length and clarity below, is on best practices for early math. Can you give an overview of what you research and explain why its interesting to you? I study how children learn math. I find that mathematics is a great topic to study with childrens learning because it tells us a lot about how kids think and it has implications for how we can help them learn the important school subjects. Theres a debate raging right now, a debate that has been raging for many years probably, about whether its best to memorize math facts in early childhood or whether its best to learn about the concepts undergirding mathematics. Which camp do you fall into? Actually, I think its a silly argument because the evidence is pretty clear that children really need to do both things. Understanding is super-important, but understanding relies on knowing enough that you can understand it. If you have to spend all your time figuring out what two plus three is, then you cant notice relationships between number pairs, [for example]. What we really need to do, and what Ive done all my career, is think about how we can help kids learn facts and strategies as well as understanding how those two things actually support each other instead of work against each other. Can you give me an example of a way that those two things might work together, say, when solving a math problem in 1st grade? Its really important that you figure out that you can add [numbers] in either order and its going to get you the same answer. When you figure that out, you understand something important about addition and you have half as many things to remember. Its not very effective to just tell kids that, though. They have to have experiences with it. So if kids can start noticing these patterns like, Oh boy, when I add two plus three, I get five, and when I add three plus two, I get five. Those kinds of experiences can help them understand this idea that the order you add in doesnt make a difference. But if Im spending all of my time going 1, 2, 3 . . . 1, 2 . . . 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to figure out that three plus two is five, then that takes up all my resources, so I dont have time to sit back and realize these relationships. And then also recognize that its not true for subtraction. Because some kids decide the order doesnt matter for addition so it must not matter for subtraction and of course it matters a great deal for subtraction. We cant just hope that kids notice these [math rules], so how we structure problems matters. [For example,] you want to put three plus two and two plus three next to each other [on a worksheet]. If the problems are randomly distributed, thats not going to help as much as if theyre together. Very interesting. Can you give me another example? A colleague of mine, Nicole McNeil, [a psychology professor at the University of Notre Dame], has done really nice work on how the way we have children practice arithmetic facts can help them understand the equal sign and get some basic knowledge thats foundational to algebraic thinking. As the kids are practicing solving these problems theyre learning their arithmetic facts, and they learn them just as well. [But instead of doing all the addition problems for adding two,] they might work on all the problems that add up to six. So instead of two plus two is four, two plus three is five, two plus four is six, theyre going to focus on getting six? To get to six, two plus four or three plus three or five plus one? Perfect. Its about the results. And another thingkids actually make this very smart inference that just happens to not work very well long-term, which is that the equals sign means: Add up the numbers. Weve read those textbooks, Nicole [McNeil] and I and others, and 97 percent of the problems [students] see have the equal sign at the end when theyre in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. So they think oh, it just means. Get the answer. And we have really clear evidence that that messes them up when they get to algebra, where you need to understand the equal sign means each side is the same as the other side. And we see a lot of middle school kids who still dont really understand the equal sign. Theres some nice evidence by Nicole McNeil and Eric Knuth, [an education professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison], and others that kids in middle school are still struggling with the equal sign. They sort of get it, but not really, so they really struggle in [algebraic] equation-solving. That makes complete sense, but I wouldnt have thought it through. The nice thing that Nicole [McNeil] has been showing in her work with 2nd graders is that the kids learn the arithmetic facts just as well [when problems are arranged by sums, not addends] but they understand the equal sign a lot better. [Note: That is, instead of seeing a series like 1+6, 2+6, 3+6, etc., students would see 1+5, 2+4, 3+3, etc., because in the latter set, each problem adds up to six.] Practice can support understanding, but we dont get that for free. If we can set up practice in smart ways, then we can really help kids understand better. How important do you think it is for kids in preschool through 1st grade to do this kind of practice with physical manipulatives as opposed to practicing with problems written out on paper? Thats been an interesting debate, too. I dont think Im 100 percent sure of the answer on this, and its actually not work I do myself. But Nicole McNeil and some others do work on this. My sense is that there are advantages to [working with] concrete manipulatives, but there are a lot of advantages to not [working with] them, too. Theres this idea called concreteness fading, which is that you start with [hands-on manipulatives] but then you fade them away until you switch to just the symbols. I did this work with patterns with these cute plastic bugs, and sometimes the kids just wanted to play with the bugs. Manipulatives can distract kids or they can get them to pay attention to things like color when its irrelevant. So we do need to help bridge kids to abstract symbols. Kids actually can learn a decent amount from abstract symbols. I think there are some parents out there who would hear about this and say, Oh, its more advanced at an earlier age. Weve got a ton of 5-year-olds doing pencil-on-paper math computation, and thats terrible. What do you think about that? I mean Ive got to tell you, Im hearing about kids doing worksheets as 3- and 4-year-olds. And I have not done research on this, but it strikes me as a terrible idea. I think this concern, which is very legitimate, that if kids are just dealing with abstract symbols and theyre just a bunch of gobbledygook to them or just a bunch of memorized thingsthats going to cause some pretty big problems and also maybe make them start to hate math at a younger age. Little kids dont hate math. Thats why this concreteness fading is a nice way to think about how were going to be having these concrete, physical things to ground it and give it meaning. But were going to push away from that. Im trying to think if that research of pushing away to abstract has been done before kids are 5. And I actually dont know if it has been. So what should math look like for a preschooler? The idea that theres real mathematics in the world that 3- and 4-year-olds can be thinking about is an important message. And there are some nice curriculums out there for preschool math, and you might hear the word curriculum and think, Oh my God. But, you know, theyre preschool curriculums. Theyre not 2nd grade curriculums that were just dumbed down or something. So they involve a lot of activities and sense-making. Some of them have nice computer software where kids are engaging with virtual things. So theyre getting kids to be thinking about and making sense of what theyre doing. So number and numeracy is super-important, and thats whats getting a lot of attention. Numeracy means knowing that if theres two dolls on the ground, thats two dolls and not three dolls? Is that what you mean by numeracy? Yeah, I do. I think that a lot of people would find it surprising that when children count objects, they dont know that that last number that they say indicates how many there are. I mean, children do memorize [numbers]. We really support kids memorizing the count sequence and counting, pointing to objects and counting them. And if they count and I say, Okay, how many are there? They just count over and over again. They dont actually know: Because I just counted to four, there are four objects. If you say, Can you give me four? they give you a random handful. Then when you say, Oh, thats not quite four, they just randomly give you more. So you really need to understand what four is. You need to understand four objects, the verbal number named four, then eventually the written symbol four. And thats important, and it doesnt come for free. Just because your child can count objects and recite the count word sequence, as we call it, that actually doesnt mean those words have any meaning to them. And so thats really important. Thats the big push. Middle-class children get a fair amount of support for that knowledge, and thats certainly something that we see that children from less-advantaged backgrounds can need extra support because theyre not counting 50 times a week and kind of figuring it out. Numbers and the names and the symbols and the quantities that go together, oftentimes we call that numeracy. Then eventually learning that six is more than four, so the relative size of numbers is a really important idea that kids really need to get. And I think it gets a lot of attention these days, and I think it deserves a lot of attention. But I have to say that math is more than numbers. Which brings us into your research on patterns, right? Yes, thats why Ive been looking at this research on kids thinking about repeating patterns. Part two of the series continues here. Photo: Bethany Rittle-Johnson, courtesy Vanderbilt University Srinagar: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav met PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar on Wednesday for the first formal talks over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been under Governor's Rule for over a month. Madhav, who arrived in Srinagar in a chartered plane, drove straight to the residence of Mehbooba where the two held one-on-one meeting for nearly an hour, highly placed sources said. The BJP leader, who was instrumental in firming up the coalition government under late PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed last year, did not speak to the media after the meeting and left for the airport to return to Delhi. This was the first formal meeting between senior BJP and PDP leaders over government formation in the state, which is under Governor's Rule since 8 January, a day after the sudden death of incumbent Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba, who is seen as the successor to her father as the Chief Minister, had recently talked tough over government formation, demanding that BJP's government at the Centre should take some "confidence building measures" to address the "core" political and economic issues of the state within a set timeframe. Some of the issues on which the PDP wants the Centre to take steps include revocation of AFSPA, dialogue with separatists in the state, sanctioning two smart cities for Jammu and Kashmir and return of power projects to the state. However, recently senior PDP leader Muzaffar Beigh spoke in conciliatory terms, saying the party only wants implementation of the Agenda of Alliance in a timeframe. Madhav's visit was kept a closely-guarded secret as state leaders of the BJP and other leaders of the PDP were reportedly unaware about it. But, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dropped hints about Madhav's visit by tweeting about arrival of an "unscheduled" flight at the Srinagar Airport. "Unscheduled flight VTJSG just landed in Srinagar after normal operation hours. Something is cooking with the PDP-BJP government formation," Omar tweeted. Unscheduled flight VTJSG just landed in Srinagar after normal operation hours. Something is cooking with the PDP-BJP government formation. Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 17, 2016 PTI New Delhi: Faced with mounting criticism for slapping sedition charges on JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi on Wednesday asserted there was "adequate evidence" against him. "We have adequate evidence against him," Bassi told reporters while emerging from the PMO. Bassi was asked about reports citing inputs from security agencies that Kumar may not have raised anti-national slogans or made an inflammatory speech at the JNU event which is at the centre of a raging controversy. He said he had come to the PMO to invite some officials for the At Home programme being hosted by him in the evening. The Police Commissioner said there was no question of giving clean chit to the JNUSU president. "Not at all," he said when asked whether there was no clean chit to Kumar, who was arrested last week on sedition charges. Police claimed he had raised anti-India slogans at an event in the university. PTI New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday charged the Delhi Police with being "hand in glove with miscreants and goons of BJP" and demanded that police chief BS Bassi should be removed and not given any post-retirement placement. Talking to mediapersons, party leader Ajay Maken alleged that Delhi Police did not act during violence witnessed in Patiala House court premises over the past three days. Referring to incident involving Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, he said that "a person under police custody" was beaten in the court premises and so were media persons. "Police was sitting pretty and were not doing anything. Delhi Police is hand in glove with these miscreants and goons of BJP. "The Congress demands that the police commissioner should immediately be sacked and no post-retirement placement should be given to him," Maken said. IANS Kanpur: Police on Tuesday refused to register an FIR against Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on the ccomplaint of some BJP leaders in Kanpur for supporting students protesting in JNU saying, it was out of their jurisdiction. Terming Gandhi's act of support as 'anti-national' BJP president Surendra Methani along with other leaders marched to the police station to lodge an FIR. But Circle Officer Rajendra Dhar Dwivedi said since the incident happened in Delhi, he refused to take the FIR. PTI Jaipur: In dramatic developments reflecting intense feud in Rajasthan BJP, Leader of the Opposition Vasundhara Raje today threatened to quit the party objecting to a political campaign proposed by senior party leader Gulabchand Kataria who later decided to give up the move. At a meeting of the state party core committee, Raje said she would resign from the party's membership if Kataria did not withdraw his decision to take out the "Lok Jagran Yatra", after which Kataria announced not to go ahead with his proposed 28-day event. At the meeting attended by senior party leaders, Raje was understood to have objected to Kataria's plan to take out the 'Yatra' which was seen by a section in BJP as Kataria's move to project himself as the party's chief ministerial face in assembly elections due next year. Kataria was Rajasthan Home Minister in the previous government headed by Raje. Raje's supporters, including BJP general secretary and MLA Kiran Maheshwari and others, had complained to BJP central leadership about Kataria's proposed yatra, after which party chief Nitin Gadkari had called Kataria and other leaders recently and asked him to postpone the yatra till 5 May and asked the state leadership to take a decision in a core committee meeting which was held on Saturday. Raje said party workers are always important and if they are not happy with any decision, such a decision should be dropped. Raje told reporters before leaving the party office that she would resign from the party if Kataria did not withdraw his decision. JP sources said that after differences with Kataria, Raje said in the meeting: "I should resign" and left. Soon after that, Kataria also came out of the meeting and announced he will not take out the Yatra "in the interest of the party". "I am a disciplined member of the party and I am not above the party. The party members are unhappy with my decision. So, I announce cancellation of the Yatra in the party's interest," he said. BJP leaders, including national secretary Kirit Somaiya, state president Arun Chaturvedi, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ghanshyam Tiwari, MLA Kiran Maheshwari were also present at the meeting which began in the evening. After the meeting, Maheshwari, MLA Kalyan Singh and a few more office-bearers announced their resignation from the party's membership in support of Vasundhara Raje. "If Raje resigns, we also resign from the party. Along with me, party's office-bearers Srichand Kriplani, Dhan Singh Rawat, Dhanraj Sharma (Pratapgarh district BJP president), Gajendra Chauhan (Dungarpur district president), C. Joshi (Chittorgrh district president) and Bhagwat Puri (Banswara district president) also announced they would resign," Maheshwari told on Saturday night. She said Kataria should have taken the party in confidence before announcing the yatra. "When the party members are not happy with his yatra, which he made an ego issue, why did he not cancel the yatra earlier?," she said. Asked why she and others with her resigned even after Kataria's announcement to cancel the yatra, she said "it was not his own decision. He announced under pressure when Raje said she would resign. It is not acceptable," she said. PTI Washington: The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same, President Barack Obama has said, as he called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the South China Sea. "We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarisation of disputed areas," Obama told reporters yesterday at the end of the two-day US-Asean Summit in Sunnylands, California. "We will continue to help our allies and partners strengthen their maritime capabilities, and we discussed how any disputes between claimants in the region must be resolved peacefully, through legal means, such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas, which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said. "Mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and political independence of all nations by firmly upholding the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter and international law," Obama and the 10 Asean leaders said in a joint statement. "Freedom of navigation must be upheld, and lawful commerce should not be impeded. I reiterated that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said. He said one of his main messages over the past two days has been the commitment of the US to Asean and its people. That commitment is and will remain strong and enduring, he added. "With our strategic partnership, we have a framework to guide our ties for decades to come. Here at Sunnylands, we agreed to a number of key principles, including the principle that Asean will continue to be central, in fact indispensable, to peace, prosperity and progress in the Asia-Pacific," Obama said. "When Asean speaks with a clear, unified voice, it can help advance security, opportunity, and human dignity, not only for the more than 600 million people across Asean, but for people across the Asia-Pacific and around the world. And I'm pleased that here at this summit, Asean's strong voice allowed us to make progress on multiple fronts, the president said. The summit agreed to do more together to encourage the entrepreneurship and innovation that are at the heart of modern competitive economies, he added. PTI Washington: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has secured a big lead among party voters nationwide, according to a latest US opinion poll. The real estate tycoon has support of 39 percent of Republican voters, his highest total so far, and is followed by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 19 percent, who is almost locked in a tie with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas with 18 percent, said the Quinnipiac University National Poll. Ohio Governor John Kasich has six percent with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at four percent each. Nine percent are undecided, the university said releasing the details of the poll. In the Democratic race nationwide, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has 44 percent, with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 42 percent, and 11 percent undecided, unchanged from 5 February, it said. "Reports of Donald Trump's imminent demise as a candidate are clearly and greatly exaggerated. Like a freight train barrelling through signals with his horn on full blast, Trump heads down the track towards a possible nomination," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "Trump's raw numbers are formidable, but he trails the pack on some 'from the gut' character measurements. And the kind of bright spot that Jeb Bush supporters, few as they be, may grab hold of. The former Florida governor polls best in the pack on 'experience'," he said. "Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton are neck and neck. But while Bernie has the trust, Hillary has the experience. Two different measurements of two dissimilar candidates," Malloy added. Trump has a good chance of winning the November presidential election, 77 percent of Republican voters nationwide say, while 61 percent favour Rubio and 60 percent back Cruz. PTI The South Dakota Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make the Mount Rushmore State the first to approve state-level restrictions on the bathrooms and locker rooms that transgender students use at school, potentially setting its schools up for legal battles with federal officials. In a 20-15 vote, the state senate approved H.B. 1008, which would r equire students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their biological sex , defined as the physical condition of being male or female as determined by a persons chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth, even if that sex doesnt match the gender they identify with. The bill has already passed the South Dakota House. A spokesman for Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, said Daugaard will decide whether to sign the bill after reviewing testimony and discussions from legislative hearings. Proponents of the measure, including its sponsor, argued that it became necessary to set state-level legal guidelines for the use of school facilities after federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education, began asserting in recent years that Title IX applies to sexual orientation and gender identity , as well as sex and gender. The federal Education Departments office for civil rights made such an assertion in an agreement with an Illinois district last year over a transgender girls access to school locker rooms. This only asks us to contemplate what we feel is appropriate related to our law regarding the co-mingling of biological sexes in, I guess I would say, rather intimate settings..., said state Sen. Brock Greenfield, a Republican. Do you feel it is appropriate for a 13-year-old girl to be exposed to the anatomy of a boy or a 13-year-old boy exposed to the anatomy of a girl because of decisions weve made here? Greenfield said new concerns about student privacy in schools were the product of recent decisions that have been made at the federal level. Democrats who argued against the bill suggested it would open school districts up to potential lawsuits and put them on the hook for damages if those lawsuits were successful. Out-of-state, politically conservative law firms have agreed to represent South Dakota in potential suits, but those law firms agreements are not legally binding, so they provide little assurance to school districts who fear repercussions if the law passes, lawmakers said. The federal Education Departments interpretation of Title IX is not legally binding. A federal judge in Virginia ruled against Title IXs application to transgender students last year, but the plaintiff in that case, a transgender boy, asked for a new judge, claiming the current judge is biased against transgender people. An appeal of that decision is pending before a federal appeals court, and a group of states have weighed in , arguing that the civil rights law does not apply to gender identity because it doesnt explicitly mention it. As Ive written before, school districts around the country have said they are uncertain about their legal obligations to transgender students . Students and LGBT advocacy groups also spoke against the South Dakota bill, arguing that it would stigmatize and hurt transgender students. Some lawmakers agreed. Maybe this bill was not intended to be disrespectful, but I would suggest this: If an entire community says that we are hurting them, who are we to say that we arent? said Sen. Angie Buhl ODonnell, a Democrat. This ultimately tells these kids that they arent welcome in this state to be who they are, she later added. South Dakotas bill calls for reasonable accommodations for students who asserts that the students gender is different from the students biological sex, as long as the students parent or guardian consents to that assertion in writing to a public school administrator or is an adult or an emancipated minor. A reasonable accommodation may not include the use of student restrooms, locker rooms, or shower rooms designated for use by students of the opposite biological sex if students of the opposite biological sex are present or could be present, the bill reads. A reasonable accommodation may include a single-occupancy restroom, a unisex restroom, or the controlled use of a restroom, locker room, or shower room that is designated for use by faculty. The requirement to provide a reasonable accommodation pursuant to this section does not apply to any nonpublic school entity. LGBT student advocates and federal officials have said that such accommodations are inadequate and stigmatize transgender students. Related: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. China has deployed long-range anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, a media report said on Wednesday, even as US President Barack Obama called for "tangible steps" to settle territorial disputes in the resource-rich region. Satellite images showed two batteries of eight surface-to-air HQ-9 missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, Fox News reported. According to the images, a beach on the island was empty on 3 February but the missiles were visible by 14 February. A US official said the imagery showed the HQ-9 air defence system with a range of over 200 kilometres, which would pose a threat to any civilian or military airplane flying close by, the report said. It is the same island where a US Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. Woody Island is part of the Paracels chain, under Chinese control for more than 40 years also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. The missiles arrived over the past week. The move comes as President Obama hosts 10 Asian leaders in California, many of those concerned over China's recent activity in the South China Sea. The US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same, Obama said yesterday, as he called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the disputed and natural resource-rich South China Sea. The Pentagon was watching the developments closely, a defence official told the news channel."The US continues to call on all claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarisation of features in the South China Sea," the official said. In the past two years, China has built over 3,000 acres of territory atop seven reefs in the area. There are a total of three runways built on three of the artificial islands, the report said. China has said that it has a historical right to all of the South China Sea. Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land feature in these potentially resource-rich international shipping lanes. Taiwan said on Wednesday that China had positioned anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island claimed also by Taiwan and Vietnam and watched closely by Washington. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement it had "grasped that Communist China had deployed" an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. The move would follow China's efforts to build new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. The most dramatic work has taken place in the Spratly Island group, where the militaries of four nations have a presence, although similar work has also gone on at Woody and other Chinese holdings in the Paracels. "The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments," the ministry's statement said. Relevant parties should "work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions," the statement added. China's move is likely to rattle Vietnam the most because of its proximity to the Paracels and because of a history of maritime tensions with China that culminated in 2014 with a standoff after China moved a massive oil rig into disputed waters. China's moves to assert its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea are expected to be discussed during a visit by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to Beijing on Wednesday. In an interview Monday on Japanese TV, Bishop said Australia called on all parties to cease construction work and militarization of the islands. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded by saying Australia should adopt an "objective and unbiased attitude" toward South China Sea matters. Inputs from agencies WHY DONT YOU READ THESE? EL PASO, Texas As many as 200,000 Catholics are expected to cross four bridges from El Paso, Texas into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday to see Pope Francis in a massive pilgrimage likely to choke roads and immigration offices, U.S. officials said. The visit to the northern Mexican city has been a huge draw in neighbouring El Paso, where school districts, city government offices and businesses plan to shut ahead of what many in the city with a large Hispanic and Catholic population view as a once in a lifetime chance to see the leader of the Catholic Church. Local estimates put the number due to cross the border at 150,000 to 200,000. On an average weekday, 30,000 vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians cross through the El Paso ports of entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The federal law enforcement agency said those numbers should at least triple as crowds gather to greet the pope during his motorcade along the streets or attend the Mass at "El Punto," a large field near Benito Juarez Stadium. Extra border patrol agents and security measures are in place to keep up checks in El Paso and other parts of the border, he added. A day ahead of the visit, the patrons at Lucy's Cafe near the border were buzzing about "El Papa." "We'll wave 'hola Papa' while we work," said cook Elva Ortiz. Businessman Stan Okes wants to avoid the papal frenzy sweeping El Paso. "I may get out of town," Okes said. "I can watch him on TV anywhere." The pope is travelling to crime-plagued Ciudad Juarez on the last stop of his six-day tour of Mexico. He will pray for migrants and victims of violence at a Mass a few hundred feet from the border. A platform built next to the border fence will allow Pope Francis to address El Pasoans watching from the United States. The Catholic Diocese in El Paso said it gave an estimated 10,000 tickets for free to parishioners for the Papal Mass. On some Internet sites, those tickets were selling at more than $150. For those who could not score a ticket for the Mass, the El Paso Diocese created a Two Nations, One Faith viewing party at the Sun Bowl Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000 people. Through a two-way live stream broadcast, the Argentine pontiff can view the thousands of attendees and issue a formal blessing. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Editing Jon Herskovitz and Cynthia Osterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Rabat(Morocco): Delegates from rival Libyan factions proposed a new unity government Sunday for the chaotic country, after months of UN mediation and the rejection of a previous Cabinet proposal. If approved by Libya's internationally recognized parliament, a new unity government could eventually seek international military intervention against Islamic State extremists who have taken advantage of the country's political vacuum since 2014. However, it's unclear whether the new proposal will have greater chances at success than previous efforts. The Unity Presidential Council announced the 18-member government late Sunday in the Moroccan city of Skhirat. The council was formed after negotiations in Morocco last year, with the aim of forming a unity government. The proposal needs approval from the internationally recognized parliament based in eastern Libya, which rejected an earlier proposed unity government last month. Sunday's announcement did not mention needing approval from the rival Islamist-dominated parliament based in Tripoli in the west. The rival factions are each backed by different militias and tribes. The Unity Presidential Council, headed by Fayez Sarraj, includes representatives from the rival parliaments and governments, as well as delegates from other factions. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Sarraj last week, urging him to submit a new list soon. UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler tweeted his congratulations, calling Sunday's announcement "a unique peace opportunity that must not be missed." Ibrahim O. Dabbashi, Libya's permanent envoy to the United Nations, tweeted that the proposed Cabinet includes people close to the Gadhafi regime, and that "will only give parliament a reason to reject it." NATO carried out airstrikes in 2011 against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's military after a crackdown on Arab Spring opposition protests. But after Gadhafi was killed, swaths of the country sank into lawlessness, human trafficking and Islamic extremism. Small teams of US military members have gone in and out of Libya in recent months as part of an effort to establish ties with local groups and leaders. Italy, France and Britain are also keeping a close eye on Libya's unrest. Islamic State extremists in Libya have claimed responsibility for deadly attacks and are trying to take control of Libya's oil network. There are concerns that continued chaos and violence could lead to a greater influx of refugees to an already overburdened Europe given Libya's close proximity to Italian islands. AP Lahore: At least seven Taliban and LeJ terrorists were killed in a fierce gun battle between police and militants in Pakistan's Punjab province, police said on Wednesday. A gang of at least 12 terrorists were making their way to Sharqpur near Lahore when exchange of fire took place between the militants and police personnel, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police said. The militant resorted to firing on seeing the police, leading to an intense encounter in which seven militants were killed, while the rest of them escaped due to darkness, police said. Police also seized 2kg explosives from the possession of the terrorists. Officials said that the killed militants were linked with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and anti-Shiite Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group. Pakistan has increased anti-militants operations after recent attack by Taliban at a university in Charsadda town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where 21 people were killed, mostly students. PTI Jammu: Some Pakistani groups in Britain are "successfully" running a vicious campaign against India with regard to Kashmir and the "lies" should be countered by providing facts to British lawmakers, a visiting MP from the UK said in Jammu. Robert John Blackman, MP from Harrow East in the UK, asserted that "Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved," echoing India's position. He said the Pakistani groups present a "propagandist" picture on Kashmir and the British lawmakers feel "helpless" in contesting that as India does not provide the facts to present the real picture. "Some Pakistani groups in Britain have successfully launched a vicious campaign against India as far as Kashmir is concerned. The Pakistani diaspora has been reflecting a propagandist picture on Kashmir in UK," he said during an interaction with Kashmiri Pandits on Tuesday night. "The government of India should take a call on this. They should provide the MPs in UK with facts and figures to contest the false claims and lies spread by Pakistan on Kashmir," he said. The MP, better known as Bob Blackman who is on a three-day visit to the state, asked the displaced Kashmiri Pandit diaspora to come out and fight the vicious campaign of Pakistan on Kashmir in UK and the West. "We try to get facts and figures on Kashmir from India, but it does not usually come to us. We feel helpless to uncover the Pakistan propaganda," he added. Asserting that "Kashmir is integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue which has to be solved", Blackman said, "the accession of Kashmir with India was final because the 'Instrument of Accession' was signed by none less than the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir." Blackman, who along with some NGOs of Jammu and Kashmir is trying to present the Kashmir issue in proper perspective before the British Parliament, said the UK MPs have started the process of using diplomatic means to present the real picture of the issue. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in building better relations with Britain and said his country stands shoulder to shoulder with India in facing the challenge of terrorism. Talking about the "problem of radicalization", he said it is not confined to Britain or India but was a global issue. "Radicalization among younger people is a worldwide trend and it is high-time for the world community to come together and solve this problem," he said. PTI UNITED NATIONS A Saudi Arabia-led coalition and Houthi rebels fighting in Yemen are both restricting humanitarian aid access in the impoverished country where more than 80 percent of people need help, United Nations aid chief Stephen O'Brien said on Tuesday. The Saudi coalition began a military campaign in March of last year to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels from taking complete control of Yemen. The Houthis and forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of a war of aggression. O'Brien said the Houthis were inconsistent in allowing access and movement of humanitarian goods and personnel, while a recent warning by Saudi Arabia about the safety of aid workers in "Houthi-controlled areas" caused delays to key missions. "The parties to the conflict have a duty of care in the conduct of military operations to protect all civilian persons and objects - including humanitarian and health care workers and facilities - against attack," he told the U.N. Security Council. "I remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate humanitarian access to all areas of Yemen," O'Brien said. Saudi Arabia, which is leading air strikes against the Houthis and their allies in Yemen, warned the United Nations and international aid groups to protect staff by removing them from areas near rebel military bases. "U.N. agencies and NGO partners are delivering assistance under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous circumstances," O'Brien said. "Just this last Sunday, a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a building 200 metres away from the Diplomatic Transit Facility, accommodating U.N. and diplomatic personnel." He said more than 6,000 people had been killed in the past year, of which about half were civilians. He said more than 700 children had been killed and some 1,000 injured. U.N. sanctions monitors said in a report last month that the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels have targeted civilians and that some of the attacks could be a crimes against humanity. Yemen relies almost solely on imports, but the conflict has slowed shipments to a trickle. O'Brien said a World Food Programme ship carrying humanitarian supplies and headed to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah was diverted by coalition forces on Feb. 11 to the Saudi port of Jizan. He said a U.N. verification and inspection mechanism for shipments had now been launched in a bid to boost commercial imports and that the United Nations has asked the Saudi coalition and Yemeni government to appoint representatives to a steering committee by Feb. 22. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Bernard Orr) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A suicide bomber attacked a military camp in southern Yemen on Wednesday, killing at least nine soldiers, military and medical sources said. "A man detonated his explosive vest among soldiers" at the camp in the southern city of Aden overseen by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, a military source said. The soldiers were attending training run by Sudanese forces belonging to the Arab coalition, another military source said. "So far, the bodies of nine soldiers and several wounded were brought to the hospital" in Aden, a medical source said. The attack took place at the Ras Abbas military camp located in Aden's western Buraiqa district, the first military source said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes just a day after Aden's governor and its police chief escaped unharmed from a gun attack by Al-Qaeda militants on their convoy. Three of the attackers were killed and four guards protecting the convoy were wounded in a gunfight, according to the governor's aide. Aden has seen a growing jihadist presence, with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, long active in Yemen, and the Islamic State group apparently vying for influence. The jihadists have claimed several attacks against government and coalition troops since the loyalists pushed the Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies out of the port city and other southern provinces last July. The Saudi-led coalition has been supporting President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognised government with air strikes, weapons and troops since March last year. The United Nations says more than 6,100 people have been killed and 29,000 wounded in Yemen's conflict since the coalition began its raids, about half of them civilians. WASHINGTON Islamic State militants are believed to be responsible for sulphur mustard gas attacks in Syria and Iraq last year, the United States said on Wednesday. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Islamic State insurgents were responsible for a mustard gas attack in the town of Marea on Aug. 21 "largely based on photographic evidence as well as Syrian opposition description of the event." A confidential Oct. 29 report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, concluded that at least two people were exposed to sulphur mustard in Marea, north of Aleppo, in August. Syria is supposed to have completely surrendered the toxic chemicals 18 months ago. Their use violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Toner also said that based on available information, the United States believed that the Islamic State group was responsible for mustard gas attacks in Iraq. It is the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. A source at the OPCW confirmed that laboratory tests were positive for sulphur mustard after 35 Kurdish troopers were sickened on the battlefield in August. Sulphur mustard is a Class 1 chemical agent, which means it has very few uses outside chemical warfare. Used with lethal effectiveness in World War One, it causes severe delayed burns to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Toni Reinhold) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Flint Water Crisis Could Result in Criminal Charges Officials could face criminal and civil charges for failure to warn Flint, Michigan residents of lead poisoning in the drinking water, state special counsel, Todd Flood, told reporters last week. Appointed by the State Attorney-General to investigate the case, Flood suggested that some people could face involuntary manslaughter charges if linked to recent deaths, as suspected. Flood gave no time frame for the investigation, according to The Detroit News. "We're here to investigate what possible crimes there are, anything to the involuntary manslaughter or death that may have happened to some young person or old person because of this poisoning, to misconduct in office. We take this very seriously." Better Late Than Never? Michigan officials are scrambling to seem proactive, having previously ignored the lead poisoning problem they are now reacting to. There's reason to scramble. Apart from the AG's special counsel's investigation, there are already other cases being filed against state and local officials in courts, as the impact of lead poisoning on children in Flint has been quick, and the outrage widespread. Lawyers have already filed complaints of injury from lead poisoning on behalf of individual kids, as well as class actions. And the action is just starting, as special counsel Flood says. He and the investigative team are still trying to untangle who knew what and when. Flood's investigation will target private and public agents, anyone who has breached a duty to Flint residents may end up paying restitution, he said. Paying for Top Shelf For now, it is Michigan that is paying, namely for this investigation, using a team of 9 full-time staff including former police officers. The investigators will reportedly make as little as $20 an hour, while Flood, the special prosecutor, will be earning 20 times that amount, at $400 an hour. Attorney General Bill Schuette has assembled what he calls a "top shelf" team. But Flood and his investigators do not yet know how long it will take or where the trails will lead, it seems. In other words, the waters are still very murky when it comes to the contaminated water crisis in Flint. Accused? If you or someone you know has been accused of crime, speak to a lawyer. Many criminal defense attorneys consult for free or a low fee and will be happy to assess your case. Get Help. Related Resources: Osna Air Base: Four US F-22 stealth fighters flew over South Korea on Wednesday in a clear show of power against North Korea, a day after South Korea's president warned of the North's collapse amid a festering standoff over its nuclear and missile ambitions. The high-tech planes capable of sneaking past radar undetected were seen by an Associated Press photographer before they landed at Osan Air Base near Seoul. They were escorted by other US and South Korean fighter jets. Pyongyang will likely view the arrival of the planes as a threat as they are an apparent display of US airpower aimed at showing what the United States can do to defend its ally South Korea from potential aggression from North Korea. The United States often sends powerful warplanes to South Korea in times of tension with North Korea. Last month it sent a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber to South Korea after North Korea defiantly conducted its fourth nuclear test. The international standoff over North Korea deepened earlier this month when Pyongyang ignored repeated warnings by regional powers and fired a long-range rocket carrying what it calls an Earth observation satellite. Washington, Seoul and others consider the launch a prohibited test of missile technology. Foreign analysts say the North's rocket launch and nuclear test put the country further along it its quest for a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the US mainland. South Korea's president on Tuesday warned North Korea faces collapse if it doesn't abandon its nuclear bomb program, an unusually strong broadside that is certain to infuriate Pyongyang. In a speech at parliament, President Park Geun-hye said South Korea will take unspecified "stronger and more effective" measures to make North Korea realize its nuclear ambitions will result only in accelerating its "regime collapse." Park made the speech while defending her government's decision to shut down a jointly run factory park in North Korea in response to the North's rocket launch. Pyongyang retaliated by expelling all the South Koreans there, put its military in charge of the area and cut off key communication hotlines between the Koreas. It is unusual for a top South Korean official to publicly touch on such a government collapse because of worries about how sensitive North Korea is to talk of its authoritarian government losing power. Pyongyang has long accused Washington and Seoul agitating for its collapse. After the rocket launch, Seoul announced that talks would begin with Washington on deploying a sophisticated US missile defense system in South Korea and that the allies' annual military drills in the spring will be the biggest ever. The deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, is opposed by North Korea, China and Russia. Opponents say the system could help US radar spot missiles in other countries. Pyongyang has also called regular US-South Korea military exercises a rehearsal for a northward invasion. The allies say their drills are defensive in nature. Mexico City: The Vatican defended Pope Francis's "human reaction" after he briefly lost his temper when an over-enthusiastic admirer in Mexico tugged him over on top of a child in a wheelchair. The 79-year-old pontiff was greeting worshippers Tuesday in the city of Morelia when a member of the crowd pulled him forward by the hand, causing Francis to fall on top of the wheelchair user. The pope straightened up with the help of his bodyguards and smiled briefly before his face turned stern and he told an excited admirer: "Don't be selfish." He soon started to smile again and hand out rosaries. "It was a normal human reaction" to certain admirers' "excessive enthusiasm," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters late Tuesday in Mexico City. The pope has said in the past that he is prone to anger but that his bad tempers do not last. Earlier in the celebration, he had warmly embraced two girls with Down's Syndrome who ran towards him on the stage where he had appeared to the crowd. AFP Brasilia: International experts, including World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, are visiting Brazil this week and next to check out a major increase in Zika virus infections, which have been blamed for birth defects. Chan, whose organization has declared an international emergency over the mosquito-transmitted virus, is expected in Brazil on 23- 24 February. Experts from the US Centers for Disease Control are already in the country and officials from two other US bodies, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, are due to arrive, the Brazilian health ministry said. Zika often has few symptoms, but Brazilian scientists say they have found a direct link between the virus and a serious birth defect called microcephaly in babies born to women who were infected while pregnant. There is no vaccine for Zika and cases have shot up across Brazil and much else of the region, raising fears for local people and visitors, including during the August Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian authorities have launched a national campaign against the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries the virus. Military personnel have reinforced health authorities in a door to door campaign against mosquito breeding spots. "We have a very effective fumigation campaign across Brazil," Health Minister Marcelo Castro said Tuesday after meeting 24 EU ambassadors in the capital Brasilia. "As happened in previous years, we hope that the mosquito opulation will be even lower," he said, noting that by the Olympics the southern hemisphere winter will see a sharp drop in mosquito numbers. The European Union delegation head to Brazil, Joao Gomes Cravinho, said: "The international community has many worries over Zika." AFP Where and for What Will 'El Chapo' Be Tried? Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was in jail in Mexico. And then he wasn't. And then he was again. And then he wasn't. And then he talked to Sean Penn, and now he's back in a federal prison in Mexico. But that might not be where he'll stay. U.S. Department of Justice officials are planning to extradite El Chapo to Brooklyn, New York to face 21 criminal charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder. Will the breakout artist really make it to New York? And if so, will it be in police custody? Extra Extra Extradite! Mexico does have an extradition treaty with the United States, although that process can take some time. And it also takes some cooperation on behalf of Mexican law enforcement. The New York Daily News is reporting that a Mexican federal law enforcement official said, "Mexico is ready" the to extradite El Chapo, but said formal extradition may not begin immediately. Experts warn that his attorney may battle the extradition in court, which could mean it will be even longer before El Chapo sees New York. Plenty of Charges to Go Around The notorious drug kingpin has also been indicted in Chicago, Manhattan, and Miami among other cities where his cocaine network is alleged to have operated. Justice Department officials believe the Brooklyn indictment, however, is the strongest, giving prosecutors the best chance of getting a conviction. (It doesn't hurt that Brooklyn was former office of current Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.) But an El Chapo trial in Brooklyn, or anywhere else, is no slam dunk. First, the Mexican government hasn't officially signed off on extradition, which could require U.S. officials to promise not to pursue the death penalty. Second, a legal challenge to extradition could take years to complete. And finally, even if El Chapo loses that battle, he could plead guilty to charges in Mexico (a common kingpin tactic), and nullify any pending extradition. Related Resources: Small Businesses Targeted by Office Supply Rip-Off Scheme Just when you thought it was safe to order office supplies ... Well, actually, ordering supplies for your office is probably pretty safe, just as long as you're not ordering from a few unscrupulous vendors in California or Maryland. The Federal Trade Commission just charged 12 companies in those two states for ripping off non-profit organizations and small businesses, and "tricking them into paying for overpriced office and cleaning supplies they never ordered." So how do you avoid the same fate as some of these victims? Know What to Look out For The FTC has charged companies in California for an elaborate "backorder" scam. The defendants would allegedly call businesses with offers of deals or free samples of items like art supplies or office products. Then they would ask customers to accept additional shipments by falsely claiming they were backorders -- part of previous purchases that the customer already paid for -- and then billing the customer again. If customers refused shipments or payment, the defendants would threaten to send them to collections. In Maryland, defendants would also target customers with offers of free samples. They would then also contact someone else in the same company who handled invoices, and who didn't know merchandise had not been received, and pressure them for payment. The FTC said that both scams targeted "child care centers, educational institutions, churches, and hospitals." Know Who Not to Buy From The two FTC cases are against twelve total defendants: In California: Telestar Consulting Inc. (AKA, Kleritec and United Business Supply) and Karl Wesley Angel; and In Maryland: American Industrial Enterprises LLC, Easton Chemical Supply Inc., Lighting X-Change Company LLC, LMS Lighting & Maintenance Solutions LLC, Werner International Enterprises Inc., Benjamin Cox, Vincent Stapleton, and John Tharrington. According to Jessica Rich, Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, "The defendants lied to small businesses, charities and churches to get them to pay for overpriced supplies they didn't order. That's not only shameful," she said, "it's also illegal." Small business owners would be wise to avoid these vendors, and if you've already encountered them, you may want to contact the FTC or an experienced commercial attorney to see if you have a claim. Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Google+. Related Resources: What Happens When a Supreme Court Justice Dies? Supreme Court justices are appointed to life terms, which in some cases means they serve on the court until they die. This is what happened over the weekend when 79-year-old Justice Antonin Scalia passed away at a ranch in Texas on Saturday. So what does the Court do now? How will Justice Scalia be replaced, and what will happen to the cases pending in the Court until then? Read It for the Articles Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the terms limits for the justices. Section 1 states that justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour," meaning until they pass away, retire, or are impeached. Article II of the Constitution grants the president of the United States power to "nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme Court." Therefore, it is President Obama's obligation to appoint a replacement for former Justice Scalia, and up to the Senate to confirm that nominee or not. Some, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have suggested, "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President." But other presidents have made appointments on the last year of their presidencies. In fact, Ronald Reagan appointed Justice Anthony Kennedy 1987 before leaving office. And Obama has already announced that he will nominate Scalia's successor. Reading the Tea Leaves In the meantime, the Supreme Court will continue to hear and decide cases with eight justices instead of the usual nine. However, if any of its decisions are deadlocked at four votes on each side, that would mean the lower court ruling, whatever it was, would remain, but only for that particular jurisdiction. This means that a long delay in confirming Scalia's replacement could have an enormous impact on some important cases. This includes a challenge to Texas's restrictive abortion laws and a challenge to the University of Texas's affirmative action policy. As far as who will replace Scalia on the bench remains ripe for speculation, although some experts have tagged D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judge Sri Srinivasan as an early favorite. Related Resources: Apple has withdrawn iPhone 4s and 5c smartphones from India, as per a report from the Economic Times. The move comes from the company as it bows out of the sub Rs. 20,000 smartphone segment in the country to bolster its falling average selling price (ASP). The company is discontinuing the iPhone 4s and 5c models that were selling for Rs 12,000 and Rs. 20,000 respectively. Apple was selling both these handsets for a lower price in a bid to attract users and increase its market share in the country. The company slashed price for the iPhone 5s in December in India and the phone is available for as low as Rs 24,999. The report goes on saying that Apples ASP in India increased sequentially during the last quarter of 2015 due to the new iPhone 6s series, but it declined 20 per cent compared to that a year ago. The sub Rs 10,000 and 20,000 smartphone segment is among the fastest growing in India. As per analysts, with Apples exit from this category, the likes of Samsung and other Chinese smartphone makers will see an increase in the market share. Meanwhile, Apple is looking forward to sell refurbished iPhones and is inching closer to open single retail brand stores in India. Last month, Apple merged its product division and made some leadership changes. As per current reports, Apple is all set to introduce a 4-inch iPhone 5se on March 15 which will be a mid-ranger. From America to Asia, there are plenty of traveler's favorite foods from around the world. If you are a foodie, here are the best cities to explore! Brussels, Belgium Formally, Brussels is the head quarter of European Union administration. Other than that, Brussels offer the best dining scenes. This city takes food seriously that even choosing the sauce for your French fries can be a head-spinning. On the dessert, nothing beats Belgium waffles topped with humble whipped cream and berries. Istanbul, Turkey Turkish delights offer much more than just its doner kebabs. From the mouthwatering Borek to that pretzel-alike called Simit. From sausage to pickles and from ketchup to olives - Istanbul is the center of spices with all specialties scatter throughout the city. Mexico City, Mexico The capital of Mexico is famous for its antojitos - the street foods. Mexicans love street foods as much as we do. Stalls serving freshly squeezed juice, churros, and tacos hawking the street - these are just some of the varieties you can snack around. Looking for more choices for your food cravings? Head to Mercado San Juan in La Merced and you'll find a haven for foodies. Marrakech, Morocco Morocco might be the place to find ceramics and tapestries but among the ancient markets, Marrakech becomes an important destination for specialty chefs. Flavorful spices and grains - the aroma of mouthwatering foods can be smelled as you step in the Djemaa el Fna square. Things to try here: seasoned meats and a bowl of chickpea soup to warm the day. Penang, Malaysia From the Assam laksa that's hot and sour - to the soupy koay teow with fishball meats, Penang boasts authentic Asian foods influenced by the diversity of its culture. Penang becomes one of the best cities for foodies according to the Virtual Tourist readers. They praised how delectable Penang's hawker foods are - particularly the ones in Georgetown and Little India. What: Shares of renewable energy company SunEdison Inc (SUNEQ) jumped 18% late in trading Tuesday as investors tried to find a silver lining in the stock. So what: Despite the fact that Axiom Capital and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch both put out negative analyst notes about the stock, the market is looking to the positive. Reuters reported today that hedge funds Visium Asset Management and Sand Grove Capital Management both disclosed stakes in the company of 1.3 million shares and 272,000 shares, respectively. Adage Capital Partners added 9.2 million shares to its stake, which totaled 17 million at year-end. While hedge fund ownership can sometimes be a bullish sign for a stock, keep in mind that SunEdison is down 68% in 2016, even after today's bounce. If each of these funds held onto their positions until now, they've each lost millions in value in SunEdison. Now what: Renewable energy stocks in general are up big today, partly because Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to "freeze," which could eventually lead to rising oil prices. This gave the market, and particularly energy stocks, a reason to cheer today, and with SunEdison's volatility, it's not surprising the stock is up. Long term, the company has financial problems that go far beyond what a bullish hedge fund or two can fix. Even though the stock popped today, the future still looks dim, just like the long-term price chart for SunEdison stock. Who Gets to Publish State Laws? When you need to look up a state code, where do you turn? Westlaw? FindLaw? (Our California and New York state codes are excellent and newly updated, by the way!) The state's website? For some states, like Georgia, where you turn for state laws depends on who has the exclusive rights to publish those laws, but a new court battle between legal publishers is putting those agreements in question. You Can't Copyright the Law Two smaller legal publishers recently took each other to court over the right to publish Georgia's state laws. In January, the legal research company Casemaker, through its parent company Lawriter, sent its competitor, Fastcase, a letter demanding that Fastcase remove the Georgia Administrative Rules and Regulations from it offering. Casemaker had an agreement with the Georgia Secretary of State granting it exclusive rights over those rules and regulations, Law Sites reports. On February 3rd, Fastcase sued in the Northern District of Georgia, seeking a declaratory judgement that the agreement between Fastcase and Georgia is invalid. The Georgia regulations are "public law published under statutory mandate," the complaint explains, "and are in the public domain. Defendant cannot claim any exclusive right in, to, or in connection with, the Georgia Regulations." They cite a host of precedent to support their position, from the Supreme Court's 1834 decision in Wheaton v. Peters, finding court opinions to be outside copyright protection, to the USPTO's current refusal to grant protections to published law. Additionally, Casemaker hasn't made any improvements or additions to the laws which would otherwise render them copyrightable, Fastcase alleges. A Continuing Battle -- Against Terrorists? If Casemaker's claim that only it can publish Georgia's regulations seems extreme, it pales in comparison to Georgia's position. In July, the state sued free information activist Carl Malamud, describing him as a terrorist for publishing the state laws online. On his website, Public.Resource.org, Malamud provided a free, searchable version of the entire annotated state code. The state described that as an attempt to "terrorize" Georgia into publishing the laws "under Malamud's terms." While the claims of terrorism are ridiculous, to say the least, Georgia has made a stronger case than Casemaker. Malamud published the laws along with annotations created by LexisNexis. Legal publishers like Lexis and Westlaw (FindLaw's sister company) employ armies of attorneys who key, comment on, and connect laws, generally giving them their gloss. Both cases are ongoing, but could seriously impact access to state codes in the future. Related Resources: Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company will oppose a federal judge's order to help the Justice Department unlock a phone used by a suspect in the San Bernardino, Calif., attack. In a strongly worded letter to customers posted on Apple's website early Wednesday, Mr. Cook called the order an "unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers" with "implications far beyond the legal case at hand." The order, reflected in legal filings unsealed Tuesday, marks a watershed moment in the long-running argument between Washington and Silicon Valley over privacy and security. In the order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym agreed with a Justice Department request that Apple help unlock an iPhone 5C once used by Syed Rizwan Farook. The order calls on Apple to disable certain security measures on the phone, including a feature that permanently disables the phone after 10 unsuccessful tries at the password. Such measures have kept agents from reviewing the contents of the phone, according to the filing. When the phone is locked, the data is encrypted. Apple said it has cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the investigation, complying with valid search warrants and subpoenas. Apple said the government now effectively wants it to create a new version of its iPhone software that bypasses important security measures. The order, Mr. Cook wrote, asks the company "for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create." "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements which protect our customers--including tens of millions of American citizens--from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals," said Mr. Cook. "We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack." In the statement, Apple also questioned the U.S. government's use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to "justify an expansion of its authority" through the request. "The implications of the government's demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone's device to capture their data," wrote Mr. Cook. Apple said it isn't opposing the order lightly nor does it question the FBI's intentions, but it feels that the government has overreached. In her order, Judge Pym gave Apple five days to appeal. Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at Daisuke.Wakabayashi@wsj.com Boeing Co's (NYSE:BA) top executive reaffirmed on Wednesday the company's outlook for strong growth and cash flow over the next five years, dismissing concerns that the aviation business cycle is on the cusp of a downturn and predicting profitability will rise. Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg, speaking at an investor conference, also said the company is "very confident" in its accounting for 787 costs. They were his first public remarks after it was reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission was looking into the company's use of the program accounting method with the flagship 787 program, which has run up about $30 billion in deferred costs. He declined to confirm that the SEC is looking into Boeing's accounting. Muilenburg, who took over as CEO last July 1, is in the spotlight. The company's stock has fallen 22 percent this year amid concerns the commercial aviation cycle is heading into a downturn and questions about Boeing's strategy for its defense business, where sales are flagging. Muilenburg said little about defense at the conference organized by Barclays. On commercial aircraft, he acknowledged some customers in Russia and Brazil had canceled or deferred jetliner orders, without giving details. But he said passenger traffic will continue to rise faster than economic growth in China and other developing markets because those countries have too few aircraft, and incomes are rising. Boeing's book of jetliner orders now amounts to seven years of production, and that unprecedented backlog gives the company confidence the commercial aviation cycle is different from those in the past, Muilenburg said. The backlog is "fundamentally different than anything you have seen in history," he said. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott in Madison, Wisconsin; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) Seven years after President Obama signed the second TARP stimulus into law, the man who led the first TARP program and newly appointed Minnesota Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said the U.S. is still at risk for another financial crisis. The biggest banks are still too big to fail. We do need to take transformational actions, and we in Minneapolis are going to bring experts together from around the country, put all the options on the table and give Congress a chance, and weigh in, and hopefully go further, he said during an interview with FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo. The 2008 financial crisis led to many bank failures during a time many say the nations biggest banks took on too much risk. At the height of the crisis, JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM), at the behest of the U.S. government, acquired the now-defunct Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, which were on the brink of collapse. Kashkari acknowledged JPMorgans role in helping the industry during the crisis, adding that some banks were begging for help. Though the nations biggest bank by assets was not one of those in dire need of capital, Kashkari said it shouldnt be credited with saving the banking industry. If all of JP Morgans major trading partners had gone in bankruptcy because the U.S. taxpayers didnt step in, how would JP Morgan be doing? he said. While TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, was enacted to unleash $700 billion in emergency funds to the financial system and encourage lending, Kashkari says Congress didnt address all the risks. The banks are stronger today than they were 8 years ago, they do have more capital, they do have better liquidity, but have we taken the risk of financial crisis off the table? No we havent, he said. More on this... Minneapolis Fed Chief Compares Big Banks to Nuclear Power Plants Though large banks are the typical means of financing for multinational companies, Kashkari says smaller banks will grow and expand if we transform our biggest banks. Big companies do business in countries all around the world -- and they manage thousands of part suppliers all around the world. Youre telling me they cant manage a few dozen banking relationships? The Minneapolis Fed president advocates for splitting up the nations biggest banks, and explained why he believes such a move wouldnt put the U.S at a disadvantage to some of the Chinese and Asian banks. He said for now, the U.S. should focus on the U.S., and not risks other nations take on. We should start by doing whats right for our country, for our taxpayers, for our citizens, for our economy. And then maybe we could get other countries to follow. At the end of the day, if other countries want to take extreme risks with their financial systems, thats up to them. Lets protect America, and maybe we could lead the world in a safer direction, he said. Kashkaris remarks on FBN come a day after he spoke at the Brookings Institution, making headlines for his sharp remarks about Wall Street reform. He said he did not speak to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen about his prepared remarks ahead of his delivery. As for his thoughts on the central banks monetary policy strategy, he said while there may be differences of opinions among members on the fringes, for the most part, all members agree on the overall direction. I look at her testimony last week in Congress and she said we have made progress, which I agree with, but its too soon to declare victory, which I also agree with. There may be differences of opinion around the margin, but I look forward to getting her feedback and working with her, Kashkari said. Oil prices surged Wednesday after Iran's oil minister called the pact struck among Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Venezuela and Russia to limit oil production a "first step" toward stabilizing the market. The minister, Bijan Zanganeh, said Iran would support any action to help oil prices recover, according to the country's oil ministry website Shana. But Iran didn't commit to requests from fellow OPEC members to limit its production to help raise crude prices, dealing a blow to hopes of coordinated action among the world's big petroleum producers. "This is a first step and more steps must follow," he said. "But this beginning of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC member states for the recovery of market is a cause of happiness and we also support any action for the stability of market and recovery of prices." Light, sweet crude for March delivery gained $1.96, or 6.8%, to $31.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent, the global benchmark, gained $2.44, or 7.6%, to $34.62 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. It had traded as high as $35.55 a barrel. Mr. Zanganeh also said other producers understand Iran's special circumstances. The country is trying to rapidly increase production now that economic sanctions are no longer blocking its exports. "We discussed with the oil and energy ministers of Iraq, Qatar and Venezuela [about Iran's return to the market in post-sanctions era] and they looked at this reality logically and I hope that with the efforts that have begun we will witness the recovery of the market in the future, " he said. Several OPEC members, headlined by Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday announced a preliminary deal with Russia to freeze production, but many investors and analysts have said the deal may not happen because Iran and Iraq are unlikely to take part. Traders around the world have been looking for an OPEC-Russia deal to jump-start oil prices. They are down more than 70% in less than two years because of a surge of production left a glut building up in storage around the world. While there is some skepticism about whether a freeze will help, some have said it could be the precursor to broader cooperation at curtailing production and rising prices. "Short-term, if OPEC is able to agree on anything, that's a step in the right direction," said David Meaney, portfolio manager at BP Capital LP, an investment firm run by Oklahoma oil man T. Boone Pickens. "People believed that Iran would blow up the agreement." The perception of risk is important to oil traders right now in part because the market is so volatile, investors said. Even though Iran declined to commit, they are still meeting and calling for more. And so many traders have bet on prices falling, there is a strong chance they bail out on news like this just as a precaution, said Tim Rudderow, president of Mount Lucas Management, which oversees $1.7 billion. "This is a momentum-driven world," said Mr. Rudderow, whose positions would benefit from oil trading between the high $20s and low $40s. "People get in and out of positions like crazy based on short-term volatility because they're afraid to lose money." While Iran was under sanction, Russia and Saudi Arabia moved in on its customers, especially in Europe, where the two leaders in global production started a fierce battle to sell more for less. In January, Russian production averaged a post-Soviet record of 10.88 million barrels a day, while Saudi Arabia averaged 10.23 million barrels in the same month. "There's no way Zanganeh could defend a freeze in output at pre-sanctions levels to either the Iranian public or the government," said Emma Richards, oil analyst at BMI Research. "They've also lost a lot of market share in the past few years, in particular in Europe, and they will be moving to take that back." Even if oil producers all agreed to a global production freeze at January levels, the world would still have about 300 million more barrels a year than needed. "A freeze is not the same as a cut, and somewhat disingenuously, keeping crude production at January levels actually implies higher-than-expected annual output from the four participants and so can hardly tackle the current market oversupply," analysts at JBC Energy said in a note to clients. Oil prices won't recover until stockpiles stop building, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note about the deal. That isn't likely to happen until the second half of this year, according to its forecast. And even if OPEC and Russia did agree to production cuts, that could just create room for U.S. producers to step in, the bank added. "While an agreement could create the perception that more could be achieved, such as production cuts, we believe this would not be sufficient to set a floor on prices," the Goldman analysts wrote. "More broadly, we remain of the view that a broader production cut would be self-defeating." Traders will be watching for clues on stockpile trends later Wednesday when the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, reports its data on inventory levels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration gives its official update on Thursday. Domestic stockpiles are above 500 million barrels, a level that hasn't been seen in eight decades, and analysts expect a further increase. Gasoline futures recently rose 5.6% to $1.0252 a gallon. Diesel futures gained 5.2% to $1.0808 a gallon. Jenny W. Hsu and Benoit Faucon contributed to this article. By Timothy Puko and Georgi Kantchev Oil prices rose on Wednesday as efforts led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to broker a deal to freeze production levels and ease a global glut turned to Iran, which signaled a tough line. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was due to meet his counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar at 1030 GMT in Tehran. An Iranian official earlier said Iran would continue increasing its crude output until it reached levels seen before the imposition of international sanctions. "Asking Iran to freeze its oil production level is illogical," Iran's OPEC envoy, Mehdi Asali, was quoted as saying by the Shargh newspaper. A freeze in production from the near-record levels in January would do little to relieve the glut, analysts said. "The market needs a cut, not a production freeze," said PVM analyst David Hufton. Brent crude was up 92 cents at $33.10 a barrel by 1105 GMT, after settling down $1.21 in the previous session. U.S. crude rose 68 cents to $29.72 a barrel. Under a proposal that could lead to the first global oil production deal in 15 years, major producers would freeze their output at January levels. But Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the deal depended on the cooperation of other big producers. Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' fourth-largest producer, might be offered an exception as it seeks to ramp up production following the removal of sanctions over its nuclear program last month, said Ildar Davletshin, analyst at Renaissance Capital. Moves to freeze output at January levels will make little difference to the overall supply-demand balance this year and not be enough to clear the 600,000 barrels per day surplus projected for the year, analysts at FGE said in a note. "It could pave the way for further action to be taken should the likes of Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia deem it necessary," FGE said. Still, a deal would signal a change in Saudi Arabia's stand. "The deal doesn't add much to rebalance the market, but it is still important that the parties talk. The Saudis are no longer saying they are fighting for market share but that they are ready to discuss a deal," Davletshin said. Investors are also eyeing U.S. oil inventory data later on Wednesday and on Thursday for further direction on prices, with a poll of analysts suggesting a gain of 3.9 million barrels in crude oil stocks last week. (Additional reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Dale Hudson and Adrian Croft) Don't think for a minute if there was a Republican lame duck president in office right now with a democratically controlled Senate we wouldn't be hearing the same thing from the left that we're now hearing from the right -- how dare a President in his last year pick a justice he wants. Fox News alert -- every president tries to pick candidates with whom they are ideologically aligned. What I find far more interesting is how sometimes those picks end up not being what thought they would. Case in point, Chief Justice John Roberts. Then Senator Barack Obama voted against Roberts -- and yet in an ironic twist -- Roberts not once but twice saved Obamas signature domestic policy -- Obamacare. Its also interesting to note what Justice Scalia may have wanted in a successor. In a largely overlooked part of his dissent from the Supreme Court's decision in June saying yes to same sex marriage, he talked about the make-up of the high court saying, "The Court consists of only nine men and women, all of them successful lawyers who studied at Harvard and Yale Law School." "Four of the nine are natives of New York City. Not a single South westerner". Maybe Scalia was saying in making such important decisions, Supreme Court Justices should be just a little bit more like the rest of us. Russia is already winning a new Cold War in the Mediterranean by re-establishing a permanent air and naval base on the Syrian coast under the guise of helping Bashar Assad fight terrorism. That bold move is a geostrategic disaster for the U.S. and its allies, and President Obama has shown only very modest concern about it while trying to treat Russia as a partner in Syria. The ships and aircraft Russia has moved there already threaten one NATO ally, Turkey. But they will menace many other NATO members in years to come, as part of Vladimir Putins larger effort to undermine and ultimately break the alliance, and claim a permanent Russian role in the Mediterranean Sea. The Russian redoubts will soon force the U.S. to deploy more ships and planes of its own simply to maintain our ability to operate in what has been a NATO lake for more than a quarter-century. And if we fail to do that, even worse scenarios could emerge. Suddenly, history has slid backward. During the old Cold War the Soviets projected power in the Middle East through a variety of ports and airfields in Syria, Egypt and Libya. When the Soviet Union collapsed, all those ships and planes withdrew, leaving the U.S and NATO to operate freely with significantly fewer ships and aircraft of their own. Vladimir Putin began Russias resurgence in late 2011 when he announced that he was sending ships and aid to the Syrian port of Tartus to help Assad with what was, in fact, a popular revolt against his brutal family-run dictatorship. Helping Assad was never the main goal. It was part of a broader Russian strategy to rebuild its strategic position. Adm. Mark Ferguson, the head of Naval Forces Europe-Africa, recently noted that the Russians have openly "talked of establishing a permanent presence in the Mediterranean, and breaking out from their perceived military encirclement by NATO, economic sanctions and political isolation." The Russians have deployed weapons to Syria that have nothing to do with the war against terrorism. They have reportedly sold a highly capable anti-ship cruise missile to the Syrians and deployed advanced air defense systems there. The terrorists of ISIS have neither ships nor planes. These systems are aimed at denying NATO the ability to operate freely in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as helping to crush all opposition to Assad. Syrias Russian-supplied air defense system ranges well into Turkey, and is as close to an offensive air-defense system as can be imagined. It could be used to challenge Turkeys and NATOs ability to fly even in Turkeys own airspace. Putin has also deployed long-range air-superiority fighters that can operate all along the southern NATO flank. He has just sent an advanced surveillance aircraft to join them, creating the nucleus of a sophisticated long-range air-defense and precision-strike complex. Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic is returning to Cold War levels, according to NATO officials. It is only a matter of time before those operations move to the Mediterranean, where the Soviet base in Tartus could provide them with a robust maintenance facility. Russian submarines can threaten both seaborne and land targets and if they range the entire Mediterranean, no NATO capitol is safe. These moves will be a problem for the alliance, not only strategically, but in terms of the war on terror. NATO has long relied on its ability to strike terrorist targets along the North African coast and throughout the Middle East from Mediterranean-based ships, subs and aircraft. We havent had to worry about an air or sea fight in the Mediterranean since 1991. Now we do. With the U.S. armed forces already badly over-committed and facing shrinking budgets, that will mean either buying more ships and planes or robbing other theaters -- the Persian Gulf, the Western Pacific -- that have no capacity to spare. Putin has found a brilliant way to impose either great cost or great risk on the U.S., to pressure and possibly even split NATO, and to start re-establishing Russia as a global military power -- his stated strategic objective. He has persuaded President Obama and even a Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, to accept this geostrategic setback. That, comrade, is an impressive strategy indeed. We continue to think this way at our great peril. Vice Admiral John Miller (USN, Ret.) was most recently commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in and around the Persian Gulf. Frederick W. Kagan is the director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute. History will remember Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouaziz. He was an unknown Tunisian street vendor who set himself and the Arab World on fire, on December 2010, in an ultimate protest of harassment and humiliation inflicted by his own government. His name would soon be on the lips of surging masses onto the streets of the Middle East, launching the Arab Spring. Tragically, the Arab Spring has morphed into a deep freeze of hopelessness and despair that has seen millions flee the Middle East for Europe and helped swell the ranks of ISIS. Today, the unabating scourge of global Islamist extremism spurs the key question: Where are the Muslim moderates? In fact, amidst the terror and fear, there are some rays of light and hope. President Obama hit the right note in an inspiring speech during his first visit of his presidency to a mosque. He argued that If were serious about freedom of religion . . . we have to understand an attack on one faith is an attack on all our faiths. The president had his critics. Some were unhappy it took seven years; others with his choice of venue -- a center tainted by its extremist connections. Still, Obamas pointed commitment to religious freedom resonates just as powerfully with Americans outside the mosque -- who daily read and worry about the slaughter of religious minorities around the world. President Obama was correct in arguing that Americans attitudes toward Muslims and Islam are too often linked to jihadist terror and extremism. But he could have assuaged some of the fear and mistrust by highlighting the likes of American Muslim reformers like Dr. Zuhdi Jasser who, after 9/11, founded the American Islamic Forum for Democracy with a clarion call for moderation and unflinching rejection of extremism in the name of Allah. The president also could have highlighted the religious tolerance on display in at least one Muslim country. Most Americans never heard of Azerbaijan. Its a 95 percent Muslim country adjacent to Iran, where Christians pray in their churches, Jews have a school for hundreds of children, and Sunnis and Shiites share mosques. About the time President Obama delivered his message, hundreds of Imams -- Sunni and Shiite -- from all over the Muslim world were making history as well. They were brought together under the sponsorship of the King of Morocco to explore guidelines about the treatment of others. Christian and Jewish observers joined them. Remarkably, the participants went beyond PC pablum and instead they issued the Marrakesh Declaration, a statement of principles and actions that embraces the right of religious minorities in Muslim countries to follow their consciences unmolested. The declaration is far from perfect. Its not binding. It doesnt deal with the rights of Muslim minorities in countries controlled by Muslims of a different persuasion. Also of concern was that the declaration was modeled on the ancient Charter of Medina, a quasi-constitution that kept the peace between Mohammad and a number of Jewish and other tribes working with him. History shows that the charter did not offer much protection; several of the tribes were slaughtered a short while later. Clearly, the framers of the declaration felt that they needed the gravitas of founding Islamic practices reflected in the Charter of Medina to convince hundreds of millions of Muslims to embrace religious tolerance in 2016. The Marrakesh Declaration is an impressive effort of authoritative insiders to reclaim the soul of Islam from dangerous fanatics. How critical is the need for reformers to prevail within Islam was brought home by a little-noticed story of a Muslim-on-Muslim confrontation in Africa. When al-Shabaab terrorists recently ambushed a bus in Kenya, they demanded that the Christians and Muslim passengers separate. Somalia-based Al-Shabaab has a long record of slaughtering civilians who could not recite passages from the Koran. This time the terrorists were challenged by Muslim men on the bus who went out to argue with the terrorists and by Muslim women who gave their head scarves to Christian female passengers. Kill us together, or leave us alone, they demanded. This time, the terrorists backed off, but not before they murdered one Christian who tried to escape, and Salah Farah, a 34-year-old teacher, whom they shot multiple times and who later succumbed to his wounds. Before he died, Salah declared: People should live peacefully together. We are brothersLet us help one another and let us live together peacefully. President Obama has strived to connect Americans with their communal instincts of inclusion. The Marrakesh religious scholars introduced a better conceptual framework for multi-faith tolerance. But the greatest hope comes from a Kenyan teacher. If only we could reverse engineer the decency of Salah Farah and his fellow Muslim passengers. What gave them the inner strength to do the right thing with no regard for personal safety? How did their understanding of Islam differ from the others? If Salahs heroic sacrifice inspires Muslims, along with Christians, Jews and Hindus, the world will surely be a safer and better place. Lets hope young people use social media to make Salah Farah a global household word and digitally embody Gandhis paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible, The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience. Hillary Clinton hit the campaign trail last weekend with a long-time adviser who allegedly helped steer funding to an illegal pro-Clinton shadow campaign in 2008. Minyon Moore, a political consultant who led Clintons black outreach efforts in 2008, joined Clinton in Nevada on Saturday where the candidate met with African American business owners. The Clinton campaign has been vigorously reaching out to black voters ahead of Super Tuesday. Moore has been a key adviser to Clinton throughout the 2016 primary race and a member of her National Finance Committee, but has largely avoided the spotlight. A Clinton spokesperson declined to comment on whether she is currently being paid by the campaign. Dewey Square Group, a consulting firm where Moore serves as a senior consultant, is on the payroll of pro-Clinton super PACs Correct the Record and Priorities USA, according to records. Moore is mentioned, although not by name, in the federal criminal cases against D.C. businessman Jeffrey Thompson and political organizer Troy White. Thompson pleaded guilty in 2014 to conspiracy to violate federal campaign finance laws, and White pleaded guilty to failure to file corporate tax returns. Thompson told the court that in 2008 that he personally financed an off-the-books $600,000 shadow operation for the Clinton campaignwhich is also not identified by name in the court documentsin the Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, and Puerto Rico Democratic primary races. White said he used Thompsons money to organize and pay street teams, to hand out Clinton campaign materials and try to drum up enthusiasm for her candidacy against Barack Obama. Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon. EXCLUSIVE: One of the classified email chains discovered on Hillary Clintons personal unsecured server discussed an Afghan nationals ties to the CIA and a report that he was on the agencys payroll, a U.S. government official with knowledge of the document told Fox News. The discussion of a foreign national working with the U.S. government raises security implications an executive order signed by President Obama said such unauthorized disclosures are presumed to cause damage to the national security." The U.S. government official said the Clinton email exchange, which referred to a New York Times report, was among 29 classified emails recently provided to congressional committees with specific clearances to review them. In that batch were 22 top secret exchanges deemed too damaging to national security to release. Confirmation that one of these exchanges concerned a reported CIA asset means the emails went beyond issues like the drone strike campaign. Democrats repeatedly have said some messages referred to this, reinforcing Clinton's position that the documents are over-classified. Based on the timing and other details, the email chain likely refers to either an October 2009 Times story that identified Afghan national Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half-brother of then-Afghan president Hamid Karzai, as a person who received regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency -- or an August 2010 Times story that identified Karzai aide Mohammed Zia Salehi as being on the CIA payroll. Ahmed Wali Karzai was murdered during a 2011 shoot-out, a killing later claimed by the Taliban. Fox News was told the email chain included then-Secretary of State Clinton and then-special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and possibly others. The basic details of this email exchange were backed up to Fox News by a separate U.S. government source who was not authorized to speak on the record. Its unclear who initiated the discussion Clinton, Holbrooke or a subordinate or whether the CIA's relationship with the Afghan national was confirmed, because the classified documents are not public. Holbrooke died in December 2010, during his service as a special envoy. A CIA spokesperson told Fox News they had no comment on the email chain. A spokeswoman for the Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General also had no comment. The U.S. government official's account of the Clinton email chain dovetails with a Feb. 3 interview on Fox News America's Newsroom, where Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, a member of the House intelligence committee, said, "I have never read anything more sensitive than what these emails contain. They do reveal classified methods. They do reveal classified sources and they do reveal human assets." Stewart added, "I can't imagine how anyone could be familiar with these emails, whether they're sending them or receiving them, and not realize that these are highly classified." While the Clinton campaign claims the government classification review has gone too far, Executive Order 13526, in a section called "classification standards, says, "the unauthorized disclosure of foreign government information is presumed to cause damage to the national security." Fox News was first to report that the Clinton emails contained intelligence beyond top secret, and some of the information was deemed "HCS-O" a code that refers to human intelligence from ongoing operations. National security and intelligence experts emphasized to Fox News that security clearance holders are trained to not confirm or deny details of a classified program in an unclassified setting, which would include a personal unsecured email network, even if the classified program appears in press reports. The rules of handling classified information dictate if something is reported in open source [news reports] you dont confirm it because its still classified information, said Dan Maguire, who spent more than four decades handling highly classified programs and specialized in human intelligence operations. As secretary of state, Clinton signed at least two non-disclosure agreements (NDA) on Jan. 22, 2009, and received a briefing from a security officer whose identity was redacted. As part of the NDA for sensitive compartmented information (SCI), Clinton acknowledged any breach could result in termination of my access to SCI and removal from a position of special confidence and trust requiring such access as well as the termination of my employment or any other relationships with any Department or Agency that provides me with access to SCI." It is remains unclear how classified materials jumped the gap from a classified system to her personal server. On Feb. 12, Clintons national press secretary Brian Fallon emphasized that classified information would have been marked as such. I think when this review plays itself out, at the end theyll find that what we have said is true, he told CNN. Nothing was marked classified at the time it was sent. Fallon also attacked the State Department inspector general, Steve Linick, for what he described as fishing expedition-style investigations since Clinton decided to run for president. There is no basis. It is intended to create headwinds for her campaign, but it is not going to work, Fallon said. He leveled a similar allegation against Intelligence Community Inspector General I. Charles McCullough, III, after his office notified Congress the emails contained information beyond top secret. Inquiries by Fox News to Clinton's attorney David Kendall about the status of or changes to her security clearance, and access to classified information, have not been returned. Hillary Clinton ratcheted up Democrats criticism of Senate Republicans in the debate over filling the Supreme Courts sudden vacancy, suggesting Tuesday that those calling on President Obama not to nominate someone are motivated by race. Republicans fired back on Wednesday, calling Clinton's comments a "new low" in the debate. The Democratic presidential candidate had accused Republicans of talking in coded racial language during remarks in Harlem, tying that to the ongoing battle over who should replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia and who should nominate that replacement. Many Republicans want Obama to defer to the next president to name a successor; Obama has rejected those calls and plans to nominate a replacement, he says, in due time. Clinton, speaking about race issues in Harlem on Tuesday, lit into Republicans over their position. Now the Republicans say theyll reject anyone President Obama nominates, no matter how qualified. Some are even saying he doesnt have the right to nominate anyone. As if somehow hes not the real president, she said. You know, thats in keeping with what weve heard all along, isnt it? Many Republicans talk in coded racial language about takers and losers. They demonize President Obama and encourage the ugliest impulses of the paranoid fringe. This kind of hatred and bigotry has no place in our politics or our country. The conservative Newsbusters accused Clinton of playing the race card. The Republican National Committee challenged Clintons comments on Wednesday, saying the debate is about the American people having a say and not about the president or the nominee. Hillary Clinton and President Obama set the standard for obstructing Supreme Court justices, by voting against Roberts and filibustering Alito. Invoking race to sweep her own hypocrisy on this matter under the rug is a new low, RNC Director of Black Media Orlando Watson said in a statement. Clintons comments come as she and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders battle for support from minority voters, ahead of the South Carolina Democratic primary. In that same speech, Clinton took some implicit shots at Sanders, suggesting he only recently started paying attention to race issues. She said candidates can't just start building relationships a few weeks before the vote." Sanders, though, has been meeting with black leaders and discussing race issues frequently on the campaign trail and on the debate stage. Ted Cruz is daring Donald Trump to sue him over an ad running in South Carolina that questions his record on abortion, rejecting the billionaire businessmans complaints and vowing instead to run the ad more frequently because voters deserve to know the truth." "You have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life," Cruz said Wednesday. "Even in the annals of frivolous lawsuits, this takes the cake." The Cruz campaign adamantly defended the ad after the Trump campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding the campaign stop running it. Trump earlier this week also threatened to sue the Canada-born Cruz over his eligibility to run if he does not take down his false ads and retract his lies. Their feud has only escalated since then, with Trump regularly calling Cruz a liar and the Texas senator now ridiculing Trump over his lawsuit threat. At a press conference in South Carolina on Wednesday, Cruz read from the cease-and-desist letter, calling it one of the most remarkable letters I have ever read, and challenged Trump to go through with his threatened suit. Cruz, who graduated from Harvard Law School and previously worked as Texas's top lawyer, said he would like to take Trump's deposition himself and that a lawsuit against the ad has no chance. The ad in question features footage of Trump in a 1999 interview saying hes very pro-choice. The ad makes reference to the current debate over the vacancy at the Supreme Court and says, We cannot trust Donald Trump with these serious decisions. Trump's attorney sent Cruz a letter on Tuesday saying the ad was "replete with outright lies, false, defamatory and destructive statements" and Cruz could be held liable for damages if it's not taken down. In its own letter, the Cruz campaign called the threats laughable and said: Are you seriously suggesting that the voter should not be allowed to hear what Mr. Trump has said or know what Mr. Trump has done? Trump, though, stood his ground and reiterated that he is now pro-life. I have been clear about my position on this issue for years. If I want to bring a lawsuit it would be legitimate. Likewise, if I want to bring the lawsuit regarding Senator Cruz being a natural born Canadian I will do so. Time will tell, Teddy, he said in a statement Wednesday. Cruz is also feuding with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio over alleged dirty tricks leading up to Saturdays South Carolina GOP primary. Cruz on Wednesday denied being involved with anything untoward and called for anyone with evidence to come forward. Rubio was asked Wednesday to come up with evidence that Cruz's team was behind a fake Facebook page wrongly claiming that U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy had switched his endorsement from the Florida senator to Cruz. "It's just a pattern of people around his campaign that have continuously done things like that," Rubio said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Donald Trump has surged to new heights in the Republican primary race, building a 2-1 national lead over the rest of the field, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday. His 39 percent support marks his highest in the survey to date. "Reports of Donald Trump's imminent demise as a candidate are clearly and greatly exaggerated, Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll, said in a statement. The poll tells a different story for the once-unquestioned front-runner on the Democratic side. In that race, Hillary Clinton is now locked in a virtual tie with Bernie Sanders, edging him 44-42 percent. Its just the latest poll to show the Vermont senator eliminating Clintons national lead, after she narrowly won the Iowa caucuses and lost the New Hampshire primary. Trump also went one-for-one in the first two contests winning New Hampshire but placing second in Iowa but has not lost his national lead. While the Quinnipiac poll puts him at 39 percent, the next-best showing is from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, with a distant 19 percent. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz comes in at 18 percent, a slight drop from an early February survey. Trump is building his lead as the candidates head next into the South Carolina primary this Saturday. The billionaire businessman has escalated his attacks on rivals Cruz and Jeb Bush in recent days, accusing Cruz of lying about his record and going after Bushs former president brother for his security and foreign policy record. The disputes have raised concerns about the general tone of the GOP primary race; Trump was booed repeatedly at last weekends debate as he criticized George W. Bush over 9/11 and the decision to invade Iraq. But Trump told Fox News hes not worried about the fallout. I tell the truth. The war in Iraq was a disaster, Trump said Wednesday. Trump, while taking shots from his GOP rivals, also took heat Tuesday from President Obama during his press conference in California. Obama said he doesnt believe Trump ultimately will be elected, because I have a lot of faith in the American people. Of being president, Obama said, Its not hosting a talk show or a reality show. The Quinnipiac pollsters note there are some trouble signs for Trump. Several rivals outperform him on the questions of which candidates voters find most honest and trustworthy (Rubio leads), and which candidates are seen as sharing their values (again, Rubio leads). The surveys were taken Feb. 10-15. The poll of 602 Republicans had a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The poll of 563 Democrats had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points. The mayor of a southwestern Texas city was arrested and hauled away outside a council meeting Tuesday night, in a raucous scene just weeks after he and other top officials were hit with a federal indictment on corruption charges. Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez was arrested after allegedly "inciting a riot" during a city council meeting recess, in which he got into a heated dispute with an angry crowd -- the latest headache for a city that has seen virtually every top official indicted. "I think the whole town has gone crazy. This has never happened before," Dora Paloma, a former municipal judge, told The San Antonio Express-News. Tuesdays meeting reportedly turned ugly when a city clerk told the council a five-day period for Lopez and two other councilmen to resign or face recall elections had ended. Lopez reportedly argued the five-day period had only started that day, and recessed the meeting to go home and collect documents that he said would back him up. When he returned, he was involved in a scuffle with the crowd, leading to his arrest. The Express-News reports that hundreds cheered as he was bundled into a police car as TV cameras rolled. Only in Crystal City, Police Chief Jesus Lopez, not related, told KSAT-TV in San Antonia as the mayor was led into a police car. Mayor Lopez is currently facing federal corruption charges after he was indicted earlier this month -- along with the city manager, mayor pro tempore, one of three current councilmen and a former councilman in a corruption and bribery probe. Another councilman is charged in a separate case of smuggling Mexican immigrants, leaving only one council member not under indictment. The towns leadership is accused of using their position to enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting payments and other things of value. Also charged was Ngoc Tri Nguyen, alleged to be an operator of illegal gambling rooms, who was nicknamed "Mr. T." Mayor Lopez is accused of taking $6,000 from Nguyen to buy a vehicle. In return, the indictment says, he waived taxes for Nguyen and had employees close competing casinos that violate state law but exist informally throughout South Texas, The Associated Press reported. City Manager William James Jonas and Mayor Pro Tempore Rogelio Mata are accused of giving a contractor a $12,000 payment "in exchange for payments and other things of value. And Lopez, Rogelio Mata, current councilman Roel Mata and former councilman Gilbert Urrabazo are accused of voting to keep Jonas as city attorney and city manager at a salary reported by local media to exceed $200,000. In exchange, Jonas provided payments and other illegal benefits to the four leaders, the indictment alleges. "I'm just sorry it's such a fiasco," former mayor Frank Moreno told the Express-News. "It's not good for our community. The Zavala County Sheriff's Office said the mayor would remain in custody overnight until a magistrate sets bond. Crystal City, a town of about 7,000 people and located 50 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, was once billed as the Spinach Capital of the World. Its logo features a cartoon of Popeye, and a spinach festival with a cook-off and a beauty pageant draws tens of thousands of people each year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Vatican responded late Tuesday to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Francis' plan to visit the border wall that separates Mexico from the U.S. The pope is scheduled to visit the fence between the border cities of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas Wednesday. He is expected to stop at the fence, give a blessing in honor of asylum-seekers on the other side and pray for those who died trying to get there. In an interview with Fox Business Network last week, Trump said that he did not believe Francis understood what he called "the danger of the open border we have with Mexico." "I think Mexico got him to [visit the border] because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is because theyre making a fortune and were losing," Trump added. In a statement, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said, "The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace." Immigration is a theme close to the pontiff's heart. He has demanded that countries welcome those fleeing poverty and oppression and denounced what he calls the "globalization of indifference" toward refugees. The pontiff touched on the issue in his address to Congress this past September, when he urged lawmakers not to be fearful of foreigners and reminded them that many are descended from immigrants. It's a message that hasn't gone down well with some in the U.S., at a time when border apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors rose significantly in the last three months of 2015. Trump has repeatedly vowed to build a wall along the entire border with Mexico and make Mexico pay for it. All along, he's made combating illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, claiming credit for kickstarting the debate which now features heavily in the GOP primary race. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Who would have thought, nearly eight years after he left the White House, that George W. Bush would become a pivotal figure in the 2016 campaign? Yet Donald Trump has aggressively whacked the former president, who responded for the first time in a South Carolina appearance for Jeb. It was striking to see W., whos a more gifted speaker than his brother, because he has so doggedly avoided the limelight since leaving office. The fact that Jeb Bush brought him in, along with their mom and Laura Bush, shows that he finally sees no choice but to embrace the family name. I first saw Jebwho had been running with just an exclamation point!--declare hes proud to be a Bush in New Hampshire, and he seemed more comfortable doing it than the awkward distancing act he had previously attempted. But obviously the 43rd president is both asset and liability. George W. left office quite unpopular after the Iraq war and the financial meltdown, creating something of an albatross for the man who would be the third President Bush. But W. is popular among Republicans in South Carolina, where his brother badly needs a strong showing after a campaign thats been far more successful at raising money than winning votes. Trump has made the calculation that tarnishing Bush 43 will tarnish the man who wants to be Bush 45. Or perhaps he just got angry in the CBS debate. On that stage, Trump not only hit the former president for a big, fat mistake in invading Iraq, he said they lied about whether Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. In doing so, he sort of echoed the Bush lied, people died line of liberal extremists, and the next day Trump retreated a bit on the Bushies having prior knowledge that their WMD claims were false. When Jeb said his brother kept us safe while Trump was creating a reality show, the billionaire hit back with the twin towers coming down on Bush 43s watch. He has said this before, reviving talk of those intelligence warnings in 2001, but in a debate it was unusual to see a Republican candidate attacking a Republican president. The former president didnt mention Trump by name, but his target was unmistakable when he said in South Carolina: I understand that Americans are angry and frustrated, but we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and frustration. The pundits, having been burned so many times before, still wondered whether this time Trump had gone too far: He looked angry, he sounded like a Democrat, he even offered qualified praise for Planned Parenthood. Joe Scarborough acknowledged that he thought Trump would lose 20 points after the debate, and so far that hasnt happened. (A PPP poll conducted after the debate shows Trump still leading in South Carolina with 35 percent, followed by Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio at 18, John Kasich at 10, Ben Carson at 7, and Jeb at7 percent.) Rush Limbaugh said that there were a number of occasions where Donald Trump sounded like the Daily Kos blog, where Donald Trump sounded like the Democratic Underground, sounded like any average host on MSNBC. But Rush said this may have been part of a strategy to appeal to Dems and independents in South Carolinas open primary. What Trump is doing is not just dominating the news cycle, but jamming all the communications channels. Hes generating multiple stories, so if journalists dont like the appetizers, theres a sizzling steak over here, some fried chicken, and irresistible deserts. The other candidates hit back, and that keeps the narrative going. Even when the coverage is negative, it revolves around Trump. So was it wise to take on George W. Bush? By reminding voters of the negative side of his presidency, especially Iraq, Trump implicitly argues that his brother would bring the same brand of military interventionism. And if that makes Trump sound a bit like a Democrat, well, remember that hes running against the Republican establishment as well as the other party. Trump made a mocking reference to Bushs Mission Accomplished moment, the aircraft carrier landing that seemed impressive at the time but later became a symbol of overconfidence and arrogance. We may know on Saturday whether that line of attack helped accomplish Trumps mission. Click for more Media Buzz. The top White House spokesman said Wednesday that President Obama regrets his 2006 decision to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court after being accused of hypocrisy for blasting obstructionist Republicans now vowing to block his next high court nominee. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was pressed on Obamas 2006 vote, as a U.S. senator, at the daily briefing. Looking back on it, the president believes that he should have just followed his own advice and made a strong public case on the merits about his opposition to the nomination that President Bush had put forward, he told reporters. Earnest said that Republicans are going further than Obama did, with a pledge to not consider anyone the president nominates. There is a pretty stark difference here. What Republicans are advocating is wrong and is inconsistent with the requirements of the Constitution, primarily because the wording of the Constitution is unambiguous and does not provide an exception for election years, he said. Earnest also argued that the 2006 filibuster of Alito was different, because it was not likely to succeed since the votes already existed for him to be confirmed and was based on substance. What the president regrets is that Senate Democrats didn't focus more on making an effective public case about those substantive objections, he said. Instead, some Democrats engaged in a process of throwing sand in the gears of the confirmation process. And that's an approach that the president regrets. Obama, in his most extensive remarks on the vacancy since the 79-year-old Scalia was found dead at a Texas ranch on Saturday, rejected widespread calls by Republican lawmakers and 2016 candidates to defer to the next president to fill Scalias seat. There is no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off-years. Thats not in the constitutional text, Obama said at a press conference Tuesday, blasting what he called an obstructionist Senate. In 2006, then-Senator Obama tried to filibuster the nomination of Alito, who ultimately was confirmed. When asked about that seeming discrepancy, Obama did not answer directly, noting that senators are sometimes worried about primary elections and a backlash from supporters, and take strategic decisions. He also brushed off his own opposition to Alito, saying hes on the bench now, regardless of which votes particular senators have taken. An amateur archaeologist's discovery of 16th-century Spanish pottery shards has led to the unearthing of a long-lost settlement in the Florida Panhandle. "There it was, artifacts from the 16th century lying on the ground," said Tom Garner, a history buff whose discovery has made him a celebrity in archaeological circles. According to experts, Garners find at a newly cleared lot along the Pensacola Bay was the landing site of a doomed 1559 expedition led by Tristan de Luna. The discovery bolsters Pensacolas claim as the first European settlement in the modern-day United States, six years before Pedro Menendez founded St. Augustine on Floridas Atlantic coast. The Luna expedition was scuttled by a hurricane that sank five ships in September 1559, shortly after the fleet arrived. Part of Lunas doomed fleet was discovered in Pensacola Bay in the 1990s. But the exact site where Luna and 1,500 soldiers, Mexican Indians and Spanish settlers lived for about two years had eluded searchers until now. Many believed Lunas settlement had been washed away in storms or was entombed beneath centuries of land development. Archaeologists from the University of West Florida are now digging in the quaint, waterfront neighborhood of homes and businesses. John Worth, an associate professor of anthropology, specializes in Spanish colonial history and has studied Luna expeditionary documents. The university confirmed the find this fall and announced it to the archaeology world just before the beginning of the year. "This gives us a whole new window on early Spanish colonialism here in the United States," he said. Luna was ordered by Spain's King Philip II to construct a village that would include a church, government house, town plaza and a residential site. Archaeologists hope to find out how far the work progressed. Worth said if Luna's colonization attempt had succeeded, it would have changed the history of North America. A lasting Spanish foothold in the Panhandle could have checked later French influence on the region, he said. Cal Halbirt, city archaeologist for St. Augustine, said the discovery should add new understanding to Florida's colonial past. "Having actual, tangible remains from the Tristan de Luna site is very important," he said. "I think, from a level of wow factor, it ranks right up there." Meanwhile, St. Augustine proudly maintains its claim as the oldest continuously occupied European settlement city in the present-day U.S. "There is definitely community pride because of that," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. In what would make for a decent episode of The X-Files, the Chinese government is forcing more than 9,000 residents from their homes in order to better search for alien life in the cosmos. China started work on FASTthe Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescopeback in 2011, Xinhua reports. It's scheduled to be completed this September. But first 9,110 residents living within three miles of the project need to be relocated in order toin the words of one Chinese official"create a sound electromagnetic wave environment." According to the Guardian, such relocations are a "Communist Party specialty," with millions having been moved in recent decades to make room for infrastructure projects. Relocated residents will receive a little more than $1,800 each for their trouble. Once complete, FAST will be the largest radio telescope in the world200 meters greater in diameter than the current biggest in Puerto Rico. One scientist on the project explained its size in terms of wine, for some reason, stating that if FAST were filled with wine, all 7 billion people on Earth could each fill five bottles from it. The Chinese government hopes to use the telescope to look for signs of extraterrestrial life and study the origins of the universe. Its size will make a difficult job slightly easier. "A radio telescope is like a sensitive ear, listening to tell meaningful radio messages from white noise in the universe," the Guardian quotes a FAST scientist as saying. "It is like identifying the sound of cicadas in a thunderstorm. Time reports FAST will cost $180 million. (Maybe we can't find aliens because they don't evolve quickly enough.) This article originally appeared on Newser: China Removing Thousands From Homes to Hunt for Aliens More From Newser New research conducted on artifacts from Easter Island is questioning the theory that the ancient civilization there was destroyed by warfare. Experts from Binghamton University studied hundreds of ancient items found on the shores of Easter Island, which is also known as Rapa Nui. Previously, the artifacts were thought to be spear points, but analysis reveals that they were likely general purpose tools. Carved from obsidian, or volcanic glass, thousands of the triangular objects, known as mata'a, litter the surface of the island. Related: Amateur archaeologist discovers lost Spanish settlement in Florida Panhandle We found that when you look at the shape of these things, they just don't look like weapons at all," explained Carl Lipo, professor of anthropology at Binghamton University and study lead, in a press release. "When you can compare them to European weapons or weapons found anywhere around the world when there are actually objects used for warfare, they're very systematic in their shape. They have to do their job really well. Not doing well is risking death." Lipo and his team analyzed "the shape variability" of a photo set of over 400 mata'a. "You can always use something as a spear. Anything that you have can be a weapon, said Lipo. But under the conditions of warfare, weapons are going to have performance characteristics. And they're going to be very carefully fashioned for that purpose because it matters...You would cut somebody [with a mata'a], but they certainly wouldn't be lethal in any way." Related: Ancient Roman brooch contains 'lovely' palindrome Some scientists have estimated, that, at its height, Easter Islands population may have been as high as 20,000, but fell over centuries after the islands trees and palms were cut down to build canoes and transport its famous giant statues. One theory suggests that the deforestation led to soil erosion, impacting the islands ability to support wildlife and farming, and the collapse of its civilization. When the Dutch arrived at the island in 1722, its population was 3,000 or less. Only 111 inhabitants were living on Easter Island by 1877. Other experts, however, have questioned whether Easter Island ever supported a large population, citing instead the arrival of Europeans, who brought diseases and took islanders away as slaves. Related: Ancient 4,500-year-old boat discovered in Egypt "What people traditionally think about the island is being this island of catastrophe and collapse just isn't true in a pre-historic sense, said Lipo. Populations were successful and lived sustainably on the island up until European contact. The Binghamton University study was published in the journal Antiquity. WASHINGTON The January figures are in, and Earth's string of hottest-months-on-record has now reached nine in a row. But NASA said January stood out: The temperature was above normal by the highest margin of any month on record. And January set another record: Arctic sea ice reached its lowest point for that ice-building winter month. NASA said January 2016 was 2.03 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which calculates temperatures differently, said last month was 1.87 degrees, which is the second biggest margin in history. NOAA said the greatest was this past December. January's average global temperature was a record 55.5 degrees Fahrenheit, easily beating the old January record set in 2007, according to NOAA Records go back to 1880. There were colder-than-normal patches in parts of the United States, Europe and Asia in January, but they were overwhelmed by incredible "off our chart" warming in the Arctic region, according to NOAA climate scientist Jessica Blunden. Siberia, northwest Canada, and a lot of Alaska were at least 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal, she said. That heat was why there was record low sea ice in the Arctic for this time of year, when sea ice grows, Blunden said. January Arctic sea ice averaged only 5.2 million square miles in January, which is 90,000 square miles below the previous record set in 2011, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. It's also 402,000 square miles about the size of Texas and New Mexico, combined less than the 30-year normal. The string of nine consecutive record hot months matches June 1997 to February 1998, which was the last time Earth had a large El Nino. It is still behind the 10 straight months of record heat in 1944, Blunden said. It's likely we'll tie that record in February, she said. The current El Nino an occasional natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather around the world and spikes global temperatures is tied with 1997-1998 for the strongest on record, according to NOAA. And while it has been predicted to ease soon, it has not lessened yet, said NOAA Climate Prediction Center deputy director Mike Halpert. NASA chief climate scientist Gavin Schmidt blamed the record heat mostly on man-made climate change, with an assist from El Nino. A space observatory that allows scientists to peer into monster-sized black holes and the remains of titanic explosions of stars was successfully launched by Japan on Wednesday. Named ASTRO-H, the observatory includes five specialized X-ray space telescopes and detectors developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This allows scientists to examine cosmic sources of X-rays at unpreceded resolutions and explore the most energetic and mysterious phenomena in the Universe, involving particles at energies that can't be readily produced in Earth-based labs. Related: Atlas V rocket successfully launches with Air Force satellite In a statement, JAXA said the launch of ASTRO-H on the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 30 was successful and that the satellite which it nicknamed Hitomi was currently in good health. The launch took place at Tahegashima Space Center on the Japanese island of the same name at 5:45 p.m. (3:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time). The launch was originally scheduled for Feb. 12 but postponed due to bad weather. The project, which includes contributions from the United States, Europe and Canada, is nothing short of ambitious. According to JAXA, the goal is to study the structure of the universe and physics in extreme conditions and answer several questions critical to astronomy how do black holes develop? How are galaxy clusters created? When were heavy elements in the universe created and how much? Related: NASA transports Orion spacecraft by Super Guppy cargo plane Dark matter within these (galaxy) clusters traps X-ray emitting hot plasma with gravity, and measurements of the energies from turbulence, collisions, and shock waves of hot plasma will lead to a more complete understanding of galaxy cluster evolution and energy distribution, JAXA said in a statement ahead of the launch. First, NASA captured what looked like one of Saturns moon almost on top of the other in a bulls-eye formation. Now, its released a stunning image that appears to show one of its moons almost crashing into the planets rings. In the image shot by NASAs Cassini spacecraft, the razor-thin rings appear to cut Dione in half. The scene was captured from just 0.02 degrees above the ring plane and taken at a distance of about 1.4 million miles. Related: Cassini probe takes 'cosmic bulls-eye' of Saturn moons Enceladus,Tethys It was shot by the spacecrafts narrow-angle camera on Dec. 25 but only released this week. The bright streaks of Dione's wispy terrain are seen near the moon's limb at right while the medium-sized crater Turnus (63 miles wide) is visible along Dione's terminator. The Dione picture is the latest in a series of a stunning space images from NASA. Last month, NASA released an amazing image of the haze layers in Plutos atmosphere taken by the New Horizons spacecraft. And in December, the space agency released the latest batch of images of Encleadus, an icy moon near Saturn. Related: NASA releases stunning image from Cassini's final close Enceladus flyby The Cassini-Huygens mission concludes in late 2017, with the spacecraft repeatedly diving through the space between Saturn and its rings during its final year. Apples decision to fight an order to help hack the phone of a shooter in the deadly terror attack in San Bernardino, Calif., in December adds another twist to the ongoing encryption battle between the tech industry and government. The [tech] industry is not known for its courage, but they will really get behind Tim Cook the whole industry is happy to have Apple be the champion on this, Roger Kay, president of tech research firm Endpoint Technologies, told FoxNews.com. Apple and the rest of the tech industry will dig in their heels. Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, said that Apples move will keep the encryption debate in the spotlight. I think that this case could become the trigger for a bigger discussion around encryption and backdoors, but its very hard to tell how it will all go, he said. Related: Hollywood hospital hit by ransomware attack, hackers demand $3.6M Ron Gula, CEO of Tenable Network Security, told FoxNews.com that if Apple is compelled to break its own security protocols it will negatively impact American firms who sell products and services overseas. In particular, data privacy is a major issue for Europe, he noted. "The perception outside the U.S. is that many U.S.-based companies work closely with the U.S. government to share customer data," Gula explained, via email. "If Apple works or is compelled to work with the U.S. government, it will make it more difficult for U.S. companies to claim that their product or services wont be exploited by the U.S. government." The tech giant announced Wednesday that it will fight a federal magistrate's order to help the Obama administration break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in last December's San Bernardino attack that killed 14 people. In a statement posted on Apple's website, CEO Tim Cook said the order by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym "has implications far beyond the legal case at hand." Related: Hackers could throw off our power grid by manipulating our AC units "We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good," Cook's statement read in part. "Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone." Americas tech titans have already voiced their concern about creating so-called backdoors into encrypted devices for government. In the wake of the Paris terror attacks last November, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), which includes Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Twitter, rejected calls for weakened encryption. Weakening encryption or creating backdoors to encrypted devices and data for use by the good guys would actually create vulnerabilities to be exploited by the bad guys, which would almost certainly cause serious physical and financial harm across our society and our economy, it said, in a statement. In a letter sent to President Obama in July 2015, the ITI also warned officials about the risks that weakening encryption technology would pose to security, commerce and the economy. Related: Stolen Netflix passwords can be bought for 25 cents on the black market, Symantec warns Cook's statement Wednesday was published hours after Pym's first-of-its kind ruling, seen as significant victory for the Justice Department in the battle between digital privacy and national security interests. Endpoint Technologies Kay does not expect Apple to seek out any middle ground over the encrypted iPhone. You will never get Apple to compromise they are not going to do that, he said. What they are going to do is make the government force them the government will have to decide how far it wants to push. Greg Nojeim, director of the Freedom, Security and Technology Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, applauded Apples stance. Related: Why protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks is a global emergency The court is ordering Apple to create a backdoor into an iPhones operating system, citing a law adopted in 1789, he said, in a statement. If the order stands, Apple and other technology companies could be ordered to build backdoors essentially defects into other devices, rendering them insecure and vulnerable to attack by law enforcement and by others as well. We will fight against this result. However, Jackdaw Researchs Dawson told FoxNews.com that noise from the U.S. tech industry will not influence the row over the encrypted iPhone. If this was happening as part of the legislative process, then companies could line up alongside Apple and it could arguably make a difference, he said. But in this particular situation, the judge will make his decision based on the specific merits of the case. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers Malia Zimmerman and the Associated Press contributed to this report. An Indiana education official was allowed to suggest edits and changes to a report summarizing an independent investigation into the state's new, unpopular standardized student exam. The Associated Press obtained a Microsoft Word file through a public record request showing that State Board of Education executive director John Snethen suggested altering language in the report. Some passages he asked to change had reflected poorly on the decision by Gov. Mike Pence and his GOP allies to substitute the exam for one based on national Common Core standards. A spokesman for the State Board of Education said any suggested edits made a difficult and technical report easier to understand. Snethen did not respond to a request for comment. Indiana was the first state to withdraw from the Common Core standards. The Latest on the clemency hearing for a Georgia death row inmate scheduled to be executed this week (all times local): 6:25 p.m. The state parole board has held a clemency hearing for a Georgia death row inmate scheduled to die this week but did not immediately reach a decision. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles heard Wednesday from supporters of 41-year-old Joshua Bishop, as well as from those who believe he should be executed. Spokesman Steve Hayes says the board will issue its decision Thursday, the day Bishop is scheduled to die. Bishop was convicted of murder and armed robbery in the 1994 beating death of Leverett Morrison in Milledgeville. The parole board is the only entity in Georgia authorized to commute a death sentence. Bishop, Morrison and Mark Braxley had been drinking and smoking crack on June 24, 1994. Prosecutors say Bishop tried to steal car keys from Morrison, who was sleeping, and he and Braxley beat Morrison to death when he woke up. ___ 4:45 a.m. The state parole board plans to hold a clemency hearing for a Georgia death row inmate who's scheduled to die this week. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles plans to hear Wednesday from supporters of 41-year-old Joshua Bishop, as well as from those who believe he should be executed. Bishop was convicted of murder and armed robbery in the 1994 beating death of Leverett Morrison in Milledgeville. His execution is set for Thursday. The parole board is the only entity in Georgia authorized to commute a death sentence. Bishop, Morrison and Mark Braxley had been drinking and smoking crack on June 24, 1994. Prosecutors say Bishop tried to steal car keys from Morrison, who was sleeping, and he and Braxley beat Morrison to death when he woke up. He really chose to mess with the wrong guy. An accused thief was exposed on social media Monday after being caught on camera swiping birthday presents off the porch of a Navy intelligence analysts home. The man who might have been feeling remorseful came back sometime during the next day and returned some of the stolen items to the Paulding County, Georgia, home, Fox 5 reports. Homeowner Eric Truitt said his daughters birthday present was inside the package along with another present from her brother. Truitt said the thief left an apology note and cash with the returned items, found in a garbage bag outside the home. "So sorry hope this helps," the note said. "I know I can't make it right but I want to try." Guy in black mustang just stole Amazon box off son's porch on Mt Tabor Church Rd in Dallas, GA. Reward to catch him! pic.twitter.com/u1nbSfQAbl Me (@TruittTJ) February 15, 2016 The family handed the bag over to investigators so they could look for fingerprints. "I think someone talked some sense into him," Truitt told Fox 5. Truitt, a veteran intelligence analyst with the Navy, spent hours tracking the thief after he was picked up on cameras at the home. He posted a video of the incident on social media and alerted police and news agencies. "It really gets your blood pumping. It makes you feel a little bit helpless. I was actually at work at the time, but my family was home," Truitt told WSB-TV. Makes you very angry." Paulding County police said two people in a black Mustang -- the car believed to be used by the thief were arrested in an unrelated case and are being interviewed about the package theft. Click for more from Fox 5. By Louise Kinross This is a grim piece today. It's a reminder of the ugly, sometimes violent, discrimination that exists in our communities against those with disabilities. Social media lit up a few days ago when Stevie Wonder demanded inclusion at the Grammys. "We need to make every single thing accessible to every person with a disability," he said. Everyone got behind him, celebrities, media pundits. Meanwhile, these were the dark realities flashing across my screen. Indeed. Can you imagine what it took for these parents to contact the media after having their son thrown in the garbage? Who will speak for this boy? First I read this story about a 13-year-old Winnipeg boy with an intellectual disability who was attacked by men and thrown in a dumpster where he languished for hours in the freezing cold before someone heard his cries. "You don't jump a kid in daylight and nobody see it," his father told The Toronto Star . "My son can't identify them. But somebody can...Be my son's voice, somebody."Indeed. Can you imagine what it took for these parents to contact the media after having their son thrown in the garbage? Who will speak for this boy? Then there's the 26-year-old man with autism and developmental disability who's been living in an Ontario hospital for two years at a cost of $1,250 a day. He isn't able to care for himself and there's no housing for him in the community. He had to be put under to have 26 teeth removed, many of them in painful abscesses that caused a fever. No one noticed that his teeth had rotted. This man is one of three with autism living in the psychiatric unit of the hospital. South of us s tudents with behaviour and emotional problems at a Boston school were restrained "more than 200 times last year, the result of a 'systemic failure' by staff and senior administrators that led to repeated, improper uses of excessive force, according to a state report," reports . The students, in Grades 4 to 8, were "slapped, tackled and yanked out of chairs for refusing to stand." More than 40 times students were restrained face down on the ground. Big surprise? Staff often didn't inform parents. And here's a story about an acclaimed mathematics professor who moved his family from Belgium to New Zealand in 2011 because he heard it was a great place to raise a child with autism. After winning a prestigious New Zealand research award, he's returning to Belgium because his 13-year-old son with autism has been denied residency. He doesn't have "an acceptable standard of health" the family was told. The stories didn't stop there. As I scrolled through Facebook and Twitter they kept popping up. But I didn't have the heart to include anymore. Apple will fight a federal magistrate's order to help the Obama administration break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in last December's deadly San Bernardino terror attack. In a statement posted on Apple's website early Wednesday, CEO Tim Cook said the order by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym "has implications far beyond the legal case at hand." "We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good," Cook's statement read in part. "Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone." Cook's statement was published hours after Pym's first-of-its kind ruling, a significant victory for the Justice Department in a technology policy debate that pits digital privacy against national security interests. Nobody can build a phone that we cannot get in under unique circumstances. Why should Apple be allowed to build a phone that does that? a federal agent involved in the San Bernardino terror investigation told Fox News. The right should not supersede our ability to keep people safe. Its why we are not finding others, encryption, and, specifically in this case, we cannot connect the dots. The agent said the phones carrier, Verizon, wouldnt be able to provide authorities with the necessary information. The information we need is on that phone and cannot be accessed by Verizon, the agent said. FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress last week that encryption is a major problem for law enforcement who "find a device that can't be opened even when a judge says there's probable cause to open it." The ruling Tuesday tied the problem to the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in a Dec. 2 shooting at a holiday luncheon for Farook's co-workers. The couple later died in a gun battle with police. Federal prosecutors told the judge in Tuesday's court proceeding which was conducted without Apple being allowed to participate that investigators can't access a work phone used by Farook because they don't know his passcode and Apple has not cooperated. Under U.S. law, a work phone is generally the property of a person's employer. The judge told Apple to provide an estimate of its cost to comply with her order, suggesting that the government will be expected to pay for the work. In his statement, Cook said, "this moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake." Apple has provided default encryption on its iPhones since 2014, allowing any device's contents to be accessed only by the user who knows the phone's passcode. Previously, the company could use an extraction tool that would physically plug into the phone and allow it to respond to search warrant requests from the government. The ruling by Pym, a former federal prosecutor, requires Apple to supply highly specialized software the FBI can load onto the county-owned work iPhone to bypass a self-destruct feature, which erases the phone's data after too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. The FBI wants to be able to try different combinations in rapid sequence until it finds the right one. "The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake," Cook wrote. "Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control." It was not immediately clear what investigators believe they might find on Farook's work phone or why the information would not be available from third-party service providers, such as Google or Facebook, though investigators think the device may hold clues about whom the couple communicated with and where they may have traveled. The couple took pains to physically destroy two personally owned cellphones, crushing them beyond the FBI's ability to recover information from them. They also removed a hard drive from their computer; it has not been found despite investigators diving for days for potential electronic evidence in a nearby lake. Farook was not carrying his work iPhone during the attack. It was discovered after a subsequent search. It was not known whether Farook forgot about the iPhone or did not care whether investigators found it. The phone was running the newest version of Apple's iPhone operating system, which requires a passcode and cannot be accessed by Apple, unlike earlier operating systems or older phone models. San Bernardino County provided Farook with an iPhone configured to erase data after 10 consecutive unsuccessful unlocking attempts. The FBI said that feature appeared to be active on Farook's iPhone as of the last time he performed a backup. The judge didn't spell out her rationale in her three-page order, but the ruling comes amid a similar case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Investigators are still working to piece together a missing 18 minutes in Farook and Malik's timeline from Dec. 2. Investigators have concluded they were at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group; Malik's Facebook page included a note pledging allegiance to the group's leader around the time of the attack. Fox News' Adam Housley and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is looking for a good home for a historic North Little Rock bridge before it builds another one to replace it. The department says it will give the Locust Street Overpass away to any government or entity that will move it and accept ownership. Need (or want) a bridge? There's one North Little Rock that's up for grabs https://t.co/C1eFYC9vfu #arnews pic.twitter.com/gZOG5lf2Jt Jessica Seaman (@jessicaseaman) February 16, 2016 The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that federal law requires the department to unload the 80-year-old bridge because it's eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The department says that whoever takes it must preserve its history and take on financial responsibility for maintenance. The owner won't receive preservation reimbursement money, which is sometimes available. The deadline to express interest in the bridge is Sunday. The department hasn't received any inquiries yet. California gun owners who have already passed background checks should not have to endure a 10-day waiting period every time they buy another firearm, according to Second Amendment advocates who are fighting the state in federal court for a second time in two years. Blanket application of the Golden States longstanding waiting period was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in August 2014, but Attorney General Kamala Harris has kept it in place while the state appeals the ruling. At issue in Silvester v. Harris, argued last week before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, is whether applying the waiting period to already-vetted gun owners serves a valid purpose. "There is no government public safety interest in a waiting period if you already own a gun and have gone through a background check, Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told FoxNews.com. This is clearly only about a right delayed being a right denied. "There is no government public safety interest in a waiting period if you already own a gun and have gone through a background check. Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation Gottliebs group and The Calguns Foundation filed the original suit in 2011 on behalf of gun owners Brandon Combs, who is Calguns executive director, and lead plaintiff Jeffrey Silvester. Californians who have passed background checks and who have been issued a state Certificate of Eligibility or a California License to Carry are being deprived of their Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights in being made to wait for each new purchase, according to the lawsuit. Harris, whose office declined to comment, argued in the initial case that the Founding Fathers would not have been troubled by the waiting period, given that citizens in their time lived on isolated farms and often traveled for days to make purchases. Harris also asserted that the waiting period makes it more difficult for straw purchasers to buy guns for criminals. Waiting periods also are known as cooling off periods and have obvious benefits in preventing suicide, according to Ladd Everitt, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. He noted that suicide attempts using guns are much more likely to be lethal than other means, and said a waiting period can often stop an impulsive act that cannot be undone. In the lower court decision, District Judge Anthony Ishii ruled the California waiting period law violated Second Amendment rights of citizens and should be replaced with the Federal National Instant Criminal Systems (NICS) adopted by most other states. Ishii concluded that there was no evidence that the waiting period for a newly purchased firearm would prevent impulse acts of violence by individuals who already possess a firearm. Waiting periods have typically gone down as the technology for performing background checks improved, according to California-based firearms instructor and risk analyst Dennis Santiago. Chris Eger of Guns.com told FoxNews.com that the federal government stipulated in 1994 that waiting periods should only last three days, and that most checks done through the FBIs NICS system take only a few minutes to process. As it stands, nine states and the District of Columbia have waiting periods that apply to the purchase of some or all firearms. But only California, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia impose a statutory waiting period on all firearm purchases, even by buyers who have already been screened. Silvesters attorney, Don Kilmer, said victory at the district court level does not mean an appeal will be upheld. A decision could be months away. We won in trial court because the trial judge was not persuaded by the evidence submitted by California that the waiting period would have any public safety benefits, he said, adding that the case is itself a microcosm of conflicting gun laws. One department finds a gun legal. Another finds it illegal. Conflicting opinions are expressed. Authorities worked Wednesday to identify at least four people who attacked and robbed a decorated former Marine at a Washington, D.C. McDonalds, leaving him in the restaurant unconscious. Christopher Marquez, 30, an Iraq War vet, told the Washington Post he was eating in a back corner of the restaurant on Friday when a group of teens and young men approached his table. "They saw me and crowded around ... and they started asking me if I believed black lives matter, Marquez told the paper. I was ignoring them, then they started calling me racist." At that point, Marquez said he left the McDonald's, but was knocked unconscious by a blow to his head. When he came to, his pants were ripped and his wallet, which contained $400 in cash, three credit cards and VA medical card among other items, was missing. DeAnthony Mason, manager of the McDonalds, reviewed security footage and told Marquez that he was hit on the side of the head before the other teens converged on his body to take his belongings, The Daily Caller reports. Credit card transactions reviewed by The Daily Caller revealed that Marquezs cards later were charged more than $115 at a liquor store, Five Guys and a Walmart. The teens involved in the attack were being sought by police for a previous incident, Mason said, according to Marquez. But the D.C. Metropolitan Police told FoxNews.com Wednesday that they are still working to identify the four people in the video. According to the Daily Caller, which first reported the incident, Marquez was able to take a cab back to his apartment, where building employees called police. He was treated at George Washington University Hospital for head trauma. Marquez served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2011. He was awarded the Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device for valor during the battle for Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004. Marquez is one of two Marines depicted carrying then-1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal out of the so-called "Hell House" in a famous photograph. When I was in the Marine Corps, I served with people from many different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and races, Marquez told The Daily Caller. Like all Marines, I fought for the freedom of all Americans and not just one particular group. Marquez made an unsuccessful 2014 run for Congress as a Democrat in California. He currently studies at American University in Washington D.C. "I believe this was a hate crime and I was targeted because of my skin color, Marquez, who is Hispanic, told the Daily Caller. Too many of these types of attacks have been happening against white people by members of the black community and the majority of the main stream media refuses to report on it." Click for more from the Daily Caller. FoxNews.com's Greg Norman contributed to this report. The last thing Matthew Marr texted his son, Zachary Marr, was I love you. That was Friday night. Matthew hasnt heard from Zachary since. The last known image of Zachary is from surveillance video near a Boston bar, the Bell In Hand Tavern. Zachary left his coat in the bar and went outside to smoke a cigarette about 1:50 a.m. What happened next to the 22-year-old is unknown. They were having a great time, Matthew told The Boston Globe. There were some snapchats, saying we ought to do this again. This is great. They were out on the dance floor, celebrating his birthday in the big city. Why would he ditch his cousins after that? Amanda Marr, one of Zacharys cousins who was out with him on Friday, told WBZ she got a text from Zachary shortly after he left the bar saying that he couldnt get back in. Maybe he got jumped, Matthew said. Maybe they took his cellphone. The Bell In Hand, however, disputed that Zachary wouldnt have been able to get back in. The video clearly shows that Zachary did not try to re-enter the Bell In Hand, the tavern said in a Facebook post. It does, however, shot several other customers leaving and re-entering. He would not have been denied access. Other video has shown he was last seen in front of the garage heading towards surface artery. Regardless, Amanda said when she went outside to check on Zachary he was gone. Numerous calls to his cellphone went directly to voicemail. As he hopes to see his son again, Matthew, who resides in Harvard, is blanketing the Boston area with missing posters. Its a good, loving family, and all of a sudden its like day and night, Matthew said. If the outcome is having to go to a funeral, were all going to be devastated. I dont want anybody to blame themselves for what happened. A South Florida teen was arrested Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without a license after allegedly setting up a fake medical practice and passing himself off as having a Ph.D. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested after he allegedly performed an examination on an undercover agent and offered medical advice. Love-Robinson was released from jail Wednesday on $21,000 bond on charges of practicing medicine without a license, fraud and grand theft. The Palm Beach Post reported that a cease-and-desist order showed that Love-Robinson had operated a medical office in West Palm Beach since Jan. 26. The teen allegedly named his practice New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care and claimed to be a doctor of psychology. The center's website listed Love-Robinson as one of three staff members and included a statement that described him as "a well rounded professional that treats, and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases treatment of physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the human body." The paper also reported that Love-Robinson had been investigated at least twice before. In January of last year, he allegedly donned a doctor's coat and roamed the halls of a local hospital. No charges were filed after it was determined that he did not enter patients' rooms or perform medical procedures. This past October, Love-Robinson was issued a cease-and-desist order after he allegedly operated another fake medical practice in Boynton Beach. At the time of the initial investigation in January 2015, Love-Robinson's mother told police her son had been diagnosed with an illness and was not taking his medication. The precise illness was redacted from public documents. Click for more from the Palm Beach Post. Click for more from WFLX.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. An Oregon woman who got frustrated about her emergency room care is now in jail facing arson charges after she triggered the sprinkler system and flooded several hospital rooms, police say. Note to self: flooding the ER will not shorten my hospital stay but will result in my arrest https://t.co/HBZtXnhvY2 pic.twitter.com/wwsPMYweW9 Gresham Police Dept. (@GreshamPD) February 16, 2016 Laura Samuel, 33, was taken to Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham Friday morning for an evaluation, Fox 12 Oregon reports. Police say she was frustrated with how long it took for her to get discharged, so she first broke the telephone in her room. "Not drawing the attention she desired Samuel appears to have then used the phone's battery to break a fire alarm light in a nearby hallway bathroom," according to a Gresham Police Department release. Breaking the alarm light did not set off the fire alarm, so investigators say Samuel turned to the sprinkler system. Police say Samuel used some kind of heat source to damage a wax plug on a sprinkler in the bathroom. That started the alarm and sprinkler system, unleashing 60 gallons of water per minute into two bathrooms, three hospital rooms, and the hallway. The cleanup efforts made three rooms unusable for several hours. Samuel was arrested on charges of arson, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Click for more from Fox 12 Oregon. One week before Kathleen and Drew Barton were deployed to Afghanistan in 2014, the Mays Landing, New Jersey, couple were still searching frantically for a temporary home for their two large dogs. Their original pet care plans had fallen through and they were desperate for a new solution. All their family and friends had their own pets to take care of, and putting the dogs in a kennel was far too expensive. Thankfully, I found PACT, or People, Animals, Companions, Together, said Kathleen Barton. I was blown away at the love and compassion they had for my dogs. A nonprofit that helps military personnel find foster homes for their animals while they serve overseas, PACT was created by retired lawyer Buzz Miller. In less than 24 hours Miller found a temporary loving home for the Bartons two dogs, Sasha and Vada. "They are risking their lives," Miller said about American military servicemen and women. "Now, they have one less thing to worry about. And they get regular email updates about their dogs from the dogs foster parents." Miller founded PACT in 2010 out of his Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, home. He and his wife have been rescuing cats and dogs for years. They both volunteer at a local rescue. "I remember seeing these big burly guys, about to be deployed, sitting on the floors of shelters crying their eyes out because they had to leave and had no alternatives for their pets. Most of these shelters were kill shelters." PACT started out locally and now helps military personnel all over the country. Petra Torri was determined to find a temporary loving home for her mini Cocker Spaniel, Coco, and her Jack Russell Terrier, Bella. The Florida native has lived with Coco for 6 years and Bella for 7. She found PACT online. "I was going to train at the Office of Military Intelligence and couldnt bring my dogs with me," she explained. "My boyfriend is also in the Army, and he could be deployed during that time. My friends and family either have dogs or are serving in the military and cant foster. And pet sitters charge a lot for the seven- or eight-month period I would be training. It was too expensive." "Buzz (Miller) asked if I would fly my dogs up to Pennsylvania," said Torri. "Within a day he put me in touch with Lorrie and Michael Manacchio, who agreed to foster my dogs." The Manacchios found out about PACT from a news segment on TV, and wanted to foster. They have two large dogs, Pluto, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever, and Gracie, a 10-year-old Chow mix. "I was a bit concerned about leaving my small dogs in the company of a family with two large dogs," said Torri. "Buzz assured me he checks out the homes of every foster family, and would never put a dog in a dangerous situation. In fact, they dont work with aggressive dogs." Torri also liked the fact that Michael Manacchio is a veteran. "I spoke to Michael, and since he served in the military, he understood the stress I was feeling about leaving my dogs behind," she said. "He assured me that he and his wife, Lorrie, would take good care of Coco and Gracie." The Manacchios took the day off from work when Torri, Coco, and Gracie arrived in Pennsylvania. "I wanted to be here to meet Petra, Coco, and Gracie," said Lorrie Manacchio, who works for a pharmaceutical company, as does her husband. "Buzz was concerned Michael and I work full time. He wanted to make sure someone would be here to watch and take care of the dogs while we were at work." Lorrie Manacchio's 83-year-old father, also a veteran, lives nearby and comes up every day for breakfast and lunch to walk the dogs and spend time with them. "He has a standard Poodle, and when he retired from teaching, he became a dog trainer," said his daughter. Torri could tell that all of the dogs got along well from the photos and e-mails the Manacchios sent her. In some of the photos, the dogs were taking turns sitting on Lorries lap lounging on an inner tube while floating in the Manacchios pool. Other photos showed the dogs playing with toys and balls. "We now feel like our family has expanded, thanks to PACT," said Lorrie Manacchio. PACT doesnt charge for its services. However, the group asks pet owners to provide enough money for veterinary care. Often the host family pays for pet food, and all pets in the program must be spayed or neutered. Buzz Miller doesnt take kindly to people who give up their cats, dogs, birds, or other animals because of a move, a divorce, or tiring of caring for their pets. "Adopting a pet is a commitment," he explained. "You just cant toss aside a family member. People in the military often have no other choice." Miller also spends time looking for funds to help defray the operating costs for his small staff. PACT has received grants from Petco, Banfield, and the Dreyfus Foundation. More from LifeZette.com: Marine Walks Again, with a Little Help from Tech Smart Money Lessons for Kids Youve Had a Baby. Great. Now Make Some Friends. 10 Smart Brands and Their Good Causes Missions work doesn't always involve traveling abroad, and the inexperienced don't have to have all the answers in order to get started. That's the message that Rev. Dr. Paul Osteen, brother of Lakewood megachurch Pastor Joel Osteen, wants to impart through the Mobilizing Medical Missions Conference. "We don't have to have all the answers; we just have to do our part," Osteen told to The Christian Post Monday. "There are so many opportunities available locally, and so many opportunities all across the nation, and then so many opportunities globally. So you don't have to go to the interior of Africa to do medical missions." Doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical professionals interested in medical missions might be surprised to learn that they don't have to leave the U.S. in order to contribute. Osteen says missions workers can donate their time at a local clinic or even help to sort medical equipment to be sent to different locations around the world. Held at Lakewood Church in Houston on Feb. 19-20, the Mobilizing Medical Missions Conference will feature guest speakers who are "active and in the trenches and making a difference," including missionary doctor and Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly, Restore International founder and best-selling author Bob Goff, and the director of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons Dr. Russ White, along with 32 other speakers who will share perspectives on medical missions. Over 70 missions organizations will offer exhibits that range from helping to heal the sick and drilling for clean water, to fighting against human trafficking and caring for orphaned children all with the purpose of providing "tangible, practical ways that people can get involved," and to help attendees discover what mission is right for them. Osteen describes missions service as a broad "spectrum," ranging from those looking to get their feet wet, so to speak, with very short-term assignments, to others who feel a call to do missions full time. Click Here to Read the Full Story at ChristianPost.com Members of a military family in Washington state said Tuesday they were heartbroken as the government kicked them out of their dream house because it is in danger of plunging into a river. The Carrs, who live on the banks of the swelling Nisqually River near Yelm, said recent storms and dam releases have sent the river straight up to their house, and Thurston County officials want to tear down the home before it falls into the water. "When I come out here, I can't help but cry," Heather Carr told Q13 Fox. She said the home was built about 100 feet from the edge of the river and the family of four planned to live there for a long time. Her husband, Johnny, reportedly served time in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. "It's heartbreaking." Heather Carr reacts to red tag on Nisqually River home. It could fall in soon. 5pm #liveonkomo pic.twitter.com/m5afIoutdK Keith Eldridge (@KeithKOMO4) February 17, 2016 But on Tuesday, officials nailed a red tag on the houses door and no one is allowed in as it could collapse at any moment. "Because if you lost another 5-6 feet it could take the deck and a portion of the house," Thurston County plans examiner Tim Rubert told KOMO News. "If somebody was in it they could die." The family moved out of the home weeks ago and is staying with friends, but is continuing to pay the houses mortgage. The county is seeking to obtain a Department of Ecology emergency grant to take down the home and find some way to compensate whoever the owner ends up being, said Andrew Kinney, an emergency manager coordinator. The Carrs are hoping the bank forgives the loan. A GoFundMe website set up to help with the mortgage payments raised nearly $20,000 by Wednesday. Click for more from Q13 Fox. Movies that celebrate the human spirit are about as common as the family melodrama. Usually, these movies are about someone in a precarious position who overcomes wild obstacles in order to achieve a goal. Every now and again a genuine film comes along and actually chooses to celebrate the little everyday joys that are often taken for granted. Hal Ashby's 'The Last Detail' starring Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quade is a genuinely heart-warming film about a young sailor on his way to the brig and the two officers assigned to escort him and their quest to ensure the kid has the time of his life. Serving in the Navy is supposed to be an adventure, not a job. For Billy "Badass" Buddusky, it's a job. As a signalman, Buddusky spends most of his time trying not be found by his commanding officer M.A.A. (Clifton James) to take on a crap detail. When M.A.A. gets a detail for Buddusky, Buddusky is less than thrilled to learn he's got an assignment - that is until he hears the finer details of the deal. Buddusky, along with Richard "Mule" Mulhall (Otis Young) is tasked with transporting Seaman Laurence Meadows (Randy Quaid) to the brig. Buddusky and Mulhall, at first, are delighted to have a week to do a job that only takes two days and enough per diem cash to live it up on the way back home, but the initial excitement is shortlived. The plan to have the time of their life goes sideways when Buddusky and Mulhall meet Meadows. The tall lumbering guy is just a kid, still in his teens and hasn't really lived a day in his life. When Buddusky learns the kid is getting put away for eight years for petty theft, he does what he can to pick the kid up and make him feel better about his dire situation. What starts out as getting the kid his first beer turns into a journey of self-discovery, not only for Meadows but for the jaded lifers Buddusky and Mulhall as they see there is more to the world than their daily grind. 'The Last Detail' is a bittersweet movie. It serves as a reminder that there are bad days and good days, and a lot of the time those bad days outnumber the good. But rather than dwelling on the sad situation Meadows is in and the depressing position Buddusky and Mulhall find themselves in having to escort the kid to his prison sentence, the film instead celebrates the small pleasures the men take in during their journey. At the center of 'The Last Detail' are three fantastic performances from Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid. It's easy to see how and why Nicholson and Quade earned their respective nominations considering the amount of energy and emotion they put into their roles, but it's also a shame to see that Otis Young wasn't nominated alongside them. Without him as a sort of moral compass, a reminder of real world responsibilities, 'The Last Detail' would have ended up being your run-of-the-mill wild and crazy road trip movie without any character nuance. Together, these three actors form a dream team of talent and make the film a wonderful watch. Hal Ashby is one of those filmmakers that we just didn't get enough from. As just his third feature film after 'The Landlord' and the wonderful 'Harold and Maude,' Ashby is in perfect form with 'The Last Detail.' Working from a script by 'Chinatown' writer Robert Towne from the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, Ashby allows the characters to breathe and be authentic humans with intricate complexities without forcing a message or an agenda. The film feels like a special reminder that no matter what our circumstances are, we should take the time to appreciate the little things, like a beer, an Italian sausage sandwich, or making sure your eggs are made just the way you want them. As a big fan of Harold and Maude, I've slowly worked my way through Hal Ashby's catalogue of movies. While not all of them are decisive winners, I love that he always worked little nuggets into his movies that suggest that life, in general, is to be celebrated and to enjoy the good things you have to take on a little of the bad. The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats 'The Last Detail' arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Twilight Time and is limited to a run of 3,000 units. Pressed onto a Region Free BD50 disc and housed in a standard clear Blu-ray case, the disc opens directly to the main menu offering traditional navigation options. Also included with the disc is a booklet featuring stills from the film and an essay by Julie Kirgo. New polling today on the race for the White House. New Quinnipiac polling out this morning shows Trump remains front-runner nationally.Trump gets 39%, Rubio gets 19%, Cruz 18% followed with single digits by Kasich, Bush and Carson. It suggests Bernie Sanders has caught Hillary Clinton nationally with Clinton at 44% and Sanders at 42%. New CNN/ORC polling shows Trump remains the front runner in South Carolina though his numbers have fallen. He gets 38% followed by Cruz at 22% and Rubio at 14%. That echoes new PPP polling showing Trump with 35% to Cruz and Rubio tied at 18% each. That CNN/ORC polling shows Clinton remains the dominant force in SC with 56% to Sanders 38%. PPP shows Clinton at 55% to Sanders 24%. Busy day on the campaign trail just three days before GOP voters head to the polls in the South Carolina primary. Several events for us to monitor during our hours. 1130EST -- OH Gov Kasich holds a rally. Bluffton Promenade, Bluffton, SC. LIVE via LiveU 1130EST -- Sen Cruz holds Press conference, Hampton Inn and Suites Seneca-Clemson Area 1011 E North 1st street Seneca, SC...FNC LiveU (Gallo) 1200EST -- Sen Cruz holds a meet & greet. Seneca Family Restaurant, Seneca, SC. LIVE via LiveU 1345EST -- Sen Rubio holds a town hall meeting. Odell Weeks Activity Center, Aiken, SC. LIVE via LiveU On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has an event at Noon. 1200EST -- Hillary Clinton holds a "Get out the vote" organizing event. Parkway Ballroom, Chicago, IL. LIVE via LiveU President Obama weighing in the presidential race last night. Christi Parsons and Michael A. Memoli writing in the Los Angeles Times, President Obama on Tuesday issued his strongest warning yet about the Republican candidates for president with a two-word message on why voters should choose solemnly: nuclear codes. Bluntly questioning front-runner Donald Trump's temperament, Obama said, "Whoever is standing where I'm standing right now has the nuclear codes with them and can order 21-year-olds into a firefight." A restive electorate ultimately will decline to elect Trump, he predicted. "The American people are pretty sensible," Obama said. "And I think they'll make a sensible choice in the end." Though he referred specifically to Trump, Obama also took care to warn about all of the GOP candidates."Not a single one of them" is talking about some of the world's biggest problems, he said. The words represented Obama's most energetic criticism of the Republicans running to replace him. For months, he has mostly kept a studied distance from the fray and resisted invitations to engage in political analysis. Hillary Clinton is campaigning today in Chicago trying to shore up support among the African-American community. Shell appear with the mother of Sandra Bland who died in police custody after a conflict with a police officer. Meantime, Clintons support in Nevada is being questioned as Bernie continues to surge. James Hohmann writes today in the Washinton Post: The Nevada caucuses were once considered a lock for Hillary Clinton. Just last month, campaign manager Robby Mook said she was ahead there by 25 points. But the dynamic on the ground has shifted rapidly in the wake of Bernie Sanders' 22-point victory in New Hampshire. "The Clinton panic is palpable," Jon Ralston, who runs a Nevada politics website, wrote in a dispatch on Tuesday. "Clinton spent Monday in Nevada and sent her husband to fill in at Florida events after her campaign clearly sensed the firewall buckling here. . . . There is a dearth of reliable public polling in Nevada, but no one on either side has asserted a victory is not within reach for Sanders. "Her staff repeatedly claimed that Nevada was as white as the first two early states," Ralston continued. "This was not only visibly false, but a clear sign that she wasn't just lowering expectations but showing real fear she could lose Nevada. Jeb Bush may be making his last stand in South Carolina.. he needs a win to convince the country can be the Trump alternative. His brother former President George W Bush making the case for him this week. David A. Graham in the Atlantic writes today: Time and again this election, Jeb Bush has been outshone by more charismatic candidates. On Monday, there was a slight variation on the story. Once again, Jeb was outdone by a much more talented politician, but this time, it was a backer and not a rival: Jebs big brother George W. Bush. It was the former presidents first appearance on the campaign trail this cycle, and it came just a few days before the South Carolina Republican primary, which is shaping up to be a make-or-break moment for Jeb. President Bush, along with his wife Laura and Senator Lindsey Graham, helped pack 3,000 people in for a rally in North Charleston. Its proof that his popularity endures in South Carolina, but its too early to tell whether that popularity will prove transferrable. President Obama says he will move forward with naming a replacement nominee to the Supreme Court after the death of Justice Scalia. He says there is no basis in the constitution for refusing to hold hearings on his nominee. Apple is refusing to help with the investigation of the San Bernardino terror attacks. Its rejecting a request to hack one of the terrorists phones saying it would create a backdoor to hacking other iPhones. A U.S. magistrate had ordered Apple to break into the phones encryption. Pope Francis wrapping up a five day trip to Mexico with a visit to the U.S. border today and a mass in Ciudad Juarez. 30,000 are expected to gather in El Paso at the Sun Bowl stadium to watch the mass going on across the border. The U.S. sent stealth jets over the Korean peninsula as part of a show of force in the face of aggressive moves by North Korea including a nuke test and a ballistic missile test. Tensions are extremely high on the border. China deploying missiles on contested islands in the South China Sea.. in an escalation of the border standoff. After a record heat wave in California, the Golden State getting hit with a massive storm today. 2 feet of snow could fall on the mountains.. desperately needed to help relieve a multi-year drought. An amateur archaeologist has found evidence of a 1559 Spanish settlement on the shores of Pensacola Bay. Well reach out to Tom Garner to see if he wants to come on to talk about his amazing discovery. For more news, follow me on Twitter: @ClintPHenderson Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the shootings of at least eight vehicles, including six Walmart trucks, on an Oklahoma highway, authorities said Tuesday. A statement from the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office said the teens were questioned and arrested after a man told authorities his son and a friend has been out hunting during the time some of the shots were reported, according to the Tulsa World. The teens were arrested on eight complaints of assault with a deadly weapon and eight counts of reckless handling of a firearm. Since Sunday, drivers had reported hearing something hit their vehicles as they drove along a stretch of U.S. 75 north of Tulsa and east Skiatook. No one was injured in the shootings. Wyatt Jefferies, a Walmart spokesman, told the Tulsa World that three vehicles were hit on Sunday and three more were struck on Monday. According to the paper, the trucks were coming and going from the Walmart distribution center near Ochelata. Police said the trucks were shot in both the trailer and cab areas. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Virginia woman was charged with murder after her son's remains were found in her car more than 10 years after he was last seen alive, according to documents revealed Tuesday. Tonya Slaton, of Richmond, was indicted Feb. 1 in Hampton Circuit Court on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her son, Quincy Jamar Davis, according to the indictment. The document alleges that Slaton killed Davis between July 24, 2004 and July 24, 2005. The Virginian-Pilot reported that Davis wouldve been 14 or 15 years old at the time of his death. Davis' remains were found in June in Slaton's car when she was driving on Interstate 64. Slaton was pulled over by a Virginia State Trooper conducting a traffic stop when he noticed a strong odor coming from her car. Davis body was found in the back of her Ford Mustang, according to the paper. The cause of death has still yet to be determined. Davis was never reported missing. According to the paper, Davis, who wouldve been 25 now, was attending school in Virginia Beach but was withdrawn prior to the start of eighth grade. Slaton has a long criminal history. She was convicted in 1997 of misdemeanor assault and battery for injuring her son when he was 6-years-old. Slaton was sentenced to no jail time on the condition of good behavior for six months, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Slaton was charged with domestic assault and battery in 2012, but its unclear where the case was filed, who the victim was in the incident and whether Slaton was convicted, the paper reported. In 2008, she was convicted in Hampton Circuit Court of felony attempted maiming and shooting at an unoccupied home. She was sentenced to four years in prison. Slaton is expected to be arraigned on the murder charge next week. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from the Virginian-Pilot. A search agency says the first Chinese ship to search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished almost two years ago is due to depart Australia soon for the southern Indian Ocean equipped with state-of-the-art sonar. Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement Wednesday that the ship has been testing its Synthetic Aperture Sonar off the west Australian coast in recent days and will drop off personnel at the port of Fremantle before departing Thursday for the vast search area to the southwest. The Chinese ship will become the fourth ship scouring a 120,000-square- kilometer (46,000-square-mile) expanse where Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is thought to have crashed in 2014. The Boeing 777 vanished after mysteriously flying far off course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing. An actor in Tokyo died after stabbing himself with a prop samurai sword during a play rehearsal on Monday, The Japan Times reports. 33-year-old Daigo Kashino pierced himself in the abdomen with the nearly 28-inch sword while rehearsing with other actors in the Taito Ward studio, police said. He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. Investigators said they would look into whether his death was deliberate or a tragic accident. Earlier this month, Italian actor Raphael Schumacher was declared brain dead after accidentally strangling himself during a hanging scene on stage. British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. With the stakes high and the issues complex, the AP explains the ins and outs of the UK-EU relationship. WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION? Germany, France and four other nations formed the European Economic Community in 1957, determined to banish forever the bloodshed of two world wars. The grouping became the EU in 1993 and has grown into a 28-nation bloc of more than 500 million people stretching from Ireland to the Aegean Sea, with substantial powers over member states' laws, economies and social policies. It has its own parliament, central bank and 19 EU members use a common currency, the euro. ___ WHY IS BRITAIN CONSIDERING LEAVING? Britain joined the bloc in 1973, but many Britons feel their island nation a former imperial power with strong ties to the United States is fundamentally different to its European neighbors. Anti-EU Britons resent everything from fishing quotas to fruit sizes being decided in Brussels. The anti-EU view is especially strong in the Conservative Party of Prime Minister David Cameron. It was partly to appease his party that Cameron promised to hold a referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prospect of Britain leaving the EU is known as "Brexit" short for British exit. ___ WHY DO SOME BRITONS WANT TO STAY? Supporters say Britain's economy and security are enhanced by EU membership. They argue that membership makes it much easier for British companies both large and small to import and export goods to other member countries with minimum hassle. Supporters say being part of the 28-nation bloc gives them many more options and makes it easy for them to live and work in other countries. Labour Party leaders also argue that European rules and regulations and European courts have improved the way British workers are treated. They say removing these protections could lower living standards. ___ WHAT ISSUES ARE SHAPING THE CAMPAIGN? The "remain" side, headed by the prime minister, argues that Britain's economy would suffer a tremendous blow if the country leaves the trading bloc. This position has been backed by many prominent business leaders who warn of a possible catastrophe. The "leave" side has focused on concerns about immigration from other parts of the EU since membership in the bloc gives residents of other countries the right to live and work in Britain. They argue that by leaving, Britain can take total control of its borders and set up its own entry rules. EU leaders have refused to compromise on the EU principle that citizens may live and work freely in other member states. But they have offered Britain an "emergency brake" that will allow it to restrict social welfare benefit payments for a period if it can show its welfare system is under pressure. ___ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The referendum's outcome is hard to predict, because there is little precedent Britain hasn't had a referendum on Europe since 1975. Opinion polls were notoriously inaccurate about Britain's 2015 election, and vary widely. Some show a lead for the "remain" side, while others put "leave" ahead. Two Russian bombers nearing UK airspace on Wednesday prompted British defense officials to scramble fighter jets to intercept the planes. A pair of Royal Air Force Typhoon jets, part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert, intercepted the supersonic bombers Wednesday afternoon and were escorting them south across the North Sea, according to Sky News. The Russian bombers did not enter British airspace, which extends 12 miles off the coast, but were in the "area of interest," according to a defense official cited by Sky News. The Russian bombers were Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjacks, an aircraft nicknamed "White Swan." They are the largest combat aircraft in the world. Several similar incidents have occurred during the past year as Russia has taken a prominent role in the Syrian conflict. China's top diplomat accused the media Wednesday of hyping Beijing's deployment of an advanced surface-to-air missile system to a disputed island in the South China Sea, saying more attention should be paid to what he called "public goods and services" provided by China's development of its maritime claims. Fox News reported Tuesday that satellite images showed two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, a part of the Paracel Island chain that is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. A U.S. official said the images viewed appeared to show an HQ-9 air defense system, which closely resembles Russias S-300 missile system. The HQ-9 has a range of 125 miles, which would pose a threat to any airplanes, civilians or military, flying close by. Following talks with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop, China Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he had become aware of the missile reports just minutes before. "We believe this is an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories," Wang said. He added that China's construction of military infrastructure was "consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that." Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the issue "concerns me greatly." "This could be an indication, if there are missiles there, it could be an indication of militarization of the South China Sea in ways that the president of China, that President Xi said he would not do," Harris said. The move follows China's building of new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and military installations. They are seen as part of Beijing's efforts to claim virtually the entire South China Sea and its resources, which has prompted some of its wary neighbors to draw closer to the U.S. The most dramatic work has taken place in the Spratly Island group, where the militaries of four nations have a presence, although similar work has also gone on at Woody and other Chinese holdings in the Paracels. "The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments," a statement from Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said. Relevant parties should "work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions," the statement added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The death toll from a suspected Russian airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders-backed hospital in Syria has risen to at least 25, the organization said Wednesday. Nine hospital staffers and 16 other people were killed, including a child, Doctors Without Borders Spokesman Tim Shenk said. The dead included patients. At least 11 people, 10 of them staffers, were injured. The previous death toll was 11. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, has said the airstrike on the hospital in the northern Syrian Idlib province appeared to be deliberate. Russia has denied the accusation its warplanes struck the hospital. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the hospital report was another case in which those who make accusations against Russia cannot back them up. MSF said the hospital in the town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province was hit four times in attacks that were minutes apart. The attack left the local population of around 40,000 without access to medical services, said MSF mission chief Massimiliano Rebaudengo. The Observatory and other opposition activists said another hospital in Maaret al-Numan was also hit Monday, most likely by a Syrian government airstrike. And in the neighboring Aleppo province, a missile struck a children's hospital in the town of Azaz, killing five people, including three children and a pregnant woman, according to the Observatory. A third air raid hit a school in a nearby village, killing seven and wounding others. Opposition official Abdulrahman Al-Hassan said the women's hospital in Azaz was hit by two surface-to-surface missiles, blaming the attack on Russia because "photos of the missiles have Russian language (and) because we haven't seen this kind (of missile) before the Russian intervention." The airstrikes came just days after Russia and other world powers agreed to bring about a pause in fighting that would allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the revival of Syrian peace talks. The projected truce agreed on Friday in Munich was to begin in a week, but there has been no sign it would happen. The Associated Press contributed to this report. As the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea lapped onto a clear sandy beach, normally a place for tourists to bathe and relax, exactly one year ago today 20 Coptic Christians and one Ghanaian were martyred at the hands of the brutal followers of Mohammed, known as ISIS or the Islamic State. The Copts, all Egyptians, were poor laborers. Like so many in the Middle East, they were forced to leave their countries to search for work, in this case, going into the anarchic failed State of Libya, to try to support their families back at home. They were kidnapped by ISIS for one reason: because they were Christians. They were executed by ISIS for one reason: because they were Christians. Accounts of their initial kidnapping speak of the ISIS demons moving through the facility where the Copts were living demanding to know where the followers of the cross were staying. ISIS, using what the great historian Christopher Dawson called the black arts of mass propaganda and suggestion, produced a slick, Hollywood-style video of the execution of the Copts. Dressed in orange jumpsuits, the Copts were made to kneel on the clear sand. Behind each one stood an ISIS executioner, dressed completely in black, because the devil cannot show his face. One of them, speaking with the guttural accent known as "street" in London, taunted the West, pointing his knife across the ocean, to the coast of Italy just across the sea. Given the latest estimates that up to 16,000 committed jihadists are now in Europe, mingled with the thousands of migrants who have poured over European open borders, those threats seem more real than ever. As unbearable and unacceptable as it is to actually watch the moment of beheading, this satanic act failed miserably in its purpose. It once again exposed the true face of evil, which a significant number of the followers of the prophet Mohammed accept as legitimate. It proved that the expression of a seventh century interpretation of the Koran is not, as so many wooly liberals say, "nothing to do with Islam." It has everything to do with Islam. But most significantly, and beautifully, it utterly failed as a means of propaganda and fear for ISIS, because it showed the faith of the martyrs. Twenty of the martyrs were, as we know, Egyptian Coptic Christians. The nationality and faith of the one African murdered with them was not known for some time. His name was Matthew Ayairga, a Ghanaian, although some have said he came from Chad. He was not a Christian, but, at the moment of execution, knowing he would die, he was asked by one his killers if he would reject Jesus. He turned to his companions and said, "Their God is my God." Not since the great persecutions of the early life of the church have we seen such a witness. All the Copts were seen to be saying the name of Jesus: "Jesus is Lord." They were, and are, "martyrs" witnesses, to the faith of the church glorious witnesses. On this, the first anniversary of the martyrdom of the "Saints of Libya," we should be affirmed in the strength and faith these men showed at the moment of death. As our culture sinks ever deeper into triviality and depravity, the example of these poor men, acclaimed by Pope Francis as true martyrs, should inspire all those who claim the name of Christian to greater courage and fortitude. It should also demand ever greater commitment, not only to defeat the forces of evil Islamic darkness, which perpetrates such crimes, but to aid, empower and liberate our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East who are facing a true genocide. Father Benedict Kiely is a Catholic priest and founder of Nasarean.org, which is helping the persecuted Christians of the Middle East. More from LifeZette.com: Marine Walks Again, with a Little Help from Tech Smart Money Lessons for Kids Youve Had a Baby. Great. Now Make Some Friends. 10 Smart Brands and Their Good Causes Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in his room at a luxury hunting ranch in Texas a few days ago, and conspiracy theories that he was assassinated are flying all over. Who among the current round of presidential candidates is doing the most to fan the flames of crazy? You guessed it, Donald Trump. Reports CNN, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday referenced a report from the scene about Scalia's body when asked on a radio show to comment on the possibility that Scalia may have been murdered and whether there should be an independent investigation into this death. "They say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow," Trump said on conservative radio host Michael Savage's show "The Savage Nation." Savage called for "the equivalent of a Warren Commission"-style investigation into Scalia's death. In a statement Tuesday, the owner of the ranch clarified to CNN what he meant when he told the San Antonio Express the judge was found with a "pillow over his head." "I think enough disclosures were made and what I said precisely was accurate. He had a pillow over his head, not over his face as some have been saying," John Poindexter, owner of the Cibolo Creek Ranch, where Scalia was found, told CNN over the phone. "The pillow was against the headboard and over his head when he was discovered. He looked like someone who had had a restful night's sleep. There was no evidence of anything else." A U.S. law-enforcement source told CNN: "There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in Justice Scalia's room. There were no signs of foul play." Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel. The Israeli government recently allotted nearly $26 million in this year's budget to combat what it sees as worldwide efforts to "delegitimize" the Jewish state's right to exist. Some of the funds are earmarked for Israeli tech companies, many of them headed by former military intelligence officers, for digital initiatives aimed at gathering intelligence on activist groups and countering their efforts. "I want to create a community of fighters," said Sima Vaknin-Gil, the director general of Israel's Ministry for Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, to Israeli tech developers at a forum last month dedicated to the topic. Initiatives are largely being kept covert. Participants at the invite-only forum, held on the sidelines of a cyber technology conference, repeatedly stood up to remind people that journalists were in the room. Among the government officials involved in the efforts are some of Israel's top secret-keepers, including Sima Shine, a former top official in the Mossad spy agency, and Vaknin-Gil, who recently retired as the chief military censor responsible for gag orders on state secrets. Israel has established itself as a world leader in cyber technology innovation, fueled by graduates of prestigious and secretive military and security intelligence units. These units are widely thought to be behind some of the world's most advanced cyber-attacks, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked Iran's nuclear energy equipment last decade. Each year, these units churn out a talent pool of Israelis who translate their skills to the corporate world. Now Israel is looking to harness their technological prowess for the fight to protect Israel's international image. Vaknin-Gil said her ministry is encouraging initiatives to expose the funding and curb the activities of anti-Israel activists, as well as campaigns to "flood the Internet" with content that puts a positive face on Israel. She said some of these actions will not be publicly identified with the government, but that the ministry will not fund unethical or illegal digital initiatives. Established about 10 years ago, the pro-Palestinian "BDS" campaign is a coalition of organizations that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organizers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence. The movement has grown into a global network of thousands of volunteers, from campus activists to church groups to liberal Jews disillusioned by Israeli policies. They lobby corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel. The movement has made inroads. U.S. and British academic unions have endorsed boycotts, student governments at universities have made divestment proposals, and some famous musicians have refused to perform in Israel. The BDS movement also claims responsibility for pressuring some large companies to stop or modify operations in Israel. In its latest push, it has urged top Hollywood actors to reject a government-paid trip to Israel being offered to leading Oscar nominees. Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, said "quite a few web pages" that BDS websites linked to have mysteriously disappeared from the Internet. "We assume Israel's cyber sabotage is ongoing, but we are quite pleased that its detrimental impact on the global BDS movement has been dismal so far," he said. Israel says the movement is rooted in anti-Semitism and seeks not to change Israeli policies, but ultimately to put an end to the Jewish state. Many online activists driving anti-Israeli campaigns on social media are tech-savvy, second- and third-generation Muslims in Europe and the U.S. who have grievances against the West and also lead online campaigns against European and U.S. governments, said Elad Ratson, who tracks the issue for Israel's Foreign Ministry and spoke at last month's cybersecurity forum. He said they often create code that allows activists to blast thousands of messages from social media accounts - creating the illusion that many protesters are sharing the same anti-Israel or anti-West message online. Israeli officials lobby Facebook to remove pages it says incite violence against Israelis, and there has been talk of advancing legislation to restrict Facebook in Israel. A Facebook representative met with Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan in Israel last week about the matter. Ratson said social media giants are beginning to close inciting users' accounts. Twitter said in a statement this month that since mid-2015, it has closed more than 125,000 accounts that were "threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to ISIS," the Islamic State group. But he said Islamist activists are simply moving to "Darknet" sites not visible on the open internet. Some Israeli tech companies are starting to build sly algorithms to restrict these online activists' circle of influence on the "Darknet," so activists think their message is reaching others when in fact it is being contained, Ratson said. Other Israeli companies work on forensic intelligence gathering, such as detecting digital or semantic signatures buried in activists' coding so they are able to track and restrict their online activity. Firewall Israel, a non-profit initiative sponsored by the Reut Institute, an Israeli think tank, is building an online platform to help pro-Israel activists around the world communicate about anti-Israel activism in their communities. At a recent event the initiative held at Campus Tel Aviv, a Google-sponsored event space for entrepreneurs, an Israeli web expert taught young activists how to mine the internet for BDS activities. "Delegitimizers are engaged in a Disneyland of hate," Igal Ram of Firewall Israel told seminar participants. "We want to act against the people who run the Disneyland ... and the useful idiots who help." Inspiration, an Israeli intelligence analysis company founded by Ronen Cohen and Haim Pinto, former military intelligence officers, launched a technological initiative some months ago to collect intelligence on BDS organizations in Europe, particularly Scandinavian countries, the U.S., and South America, Cohen said. He said the initiative aims to dismantle the infrastructure of groups he said were responsible for incitement and anti-Semitism against Israel. He declined to give specifics. "It's no different than an operation, which you sometimes read about in the newspaper, in Syria or Lebanon," Cohen said. "It's the kind of thing that, if you want to do it in the future ... you can't work in the open." Thousands of Kosovo opposition supporters have gathered in the capital, Pristina, calling for the government to resign, accusing it of violating the country's constitution in reaching deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Opposition supporters came from all over the country Wednesday on the anniversary of Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence in 2008. The opposition rejects a deal between Kosovo and Serbia reached last year, giving more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. In December, the Constitutional Court decided that part of it was not in line with the constitution. The opposition is also against a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and have called for a referendum or fresh elections. They have attempted to disrupt the work of parliament with tear gas, pepper spray and whistles. An explosion targeting Turkish military buses carrying personnel killed at least 28 people and wounded 61 others in the capital city of Ankara Wednesday, in what government officials called an intricately planned act of terror. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara activated "duck and cover" following the nearby explosion, a U.S. government source told Fox News. "We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. The buses were waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the "contemptible and dastardly" attack. At least two military vehicles caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. It was not clear who was behind the bombing. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack exceeds all "moral and humane boundaries," and that his country is determined to fight the "forces" behind the attackers. Data curated by FindTheData The U.S. State department also condemned the attack, adding, "We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed, and we wish a quick recovery to those injured." The explosion, believed to be a car bomb, occurred at the height of the evening rush hour in an area some 328 yards away from military headquarters, governor Mehmet Kilicer said. Also calling the bombing a "terrorist attack" in a statement, NATO's secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen offered his "deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to the Turkish people." Turkey's prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled a planned visit to Brussels in order to attend a security meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. In October, suicide bombings blamed on ISIS targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkey's deadliest attack in years. Wednesday's attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. The Turkish security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the southeast since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the United States to fight ISIS in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on that terror group. The Syrian war, meanwhile, is raging along Turkey's southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkey's border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border. Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has also been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats. Fox News' Kara Rowland and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A desperate hunt for highly dangerous radioactive material is on in Iraq, where officials fear it could be used to make a "dirty bomb" if in the hands of ISIS, according to a government official in Baghdad. The material, stored in a case the size of a laptop, disappeared from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra in November, Reuters reported. It was in the possession of Houston-based oil industry contractor Weatherford, according to a document obtained by the news agency. The document describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity belonging to SGS from a depot overseen by Weatherford in the Rafidhia area of Basra province." "A dirty bomb attack would be major news, regardless of how many immediate casualties occur." Ryan Mauro, Clarion Project Weatherford officials said SGS was repsonsible for safeguarding th materia. "Weatherford has no responsibility or liability in relation to this matter because we do not own, operate or control sources or the bunker where the sources are stored," the company said in a statement to Reuters. "SGS is the owner and operator of the bunker and sources and solely responsible for addressing this matter." The report comes on the heels of news that the Islamic terrorist organization has chemical weapons that it has used on the Kurds. A spokespwerson for the U.S. State Department said officials are aware of reports, but deferred to Iraqi government A spokesman for Iraq's environment ministry told Reuters he could not discuss the issue due to national security concerns. A Weatherford spokesman in Iraq also declined to comment. The missing material is used to test flaws in pipelines in a process called industrial gamma radiography, and was owned by Istanbul-based SGS Turkey, according to the document and officials. A senior environment ministry official based in Basra, who declined to be named as he is not authorized to speak publicly, told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams of Ir-192 "capsules," a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and could be lethal for someone exposed to it for a period of hours. Reuters could not say how potent the material is, which would depend on its strength and age. In the past, quantities of Ir-192 have vanished in the United States and other countries, raising concerns of a "dirty bomb," or a conventional explosive paced with lower-grade nuclear material. Even a lower-level radiation bomb could cause widespread panic and fear, said Ryan Mauro, adjunct professor at Clarion Project, a U.S. think tank that tracks terrorism. "Shaping headlines is essential to ISIS' jihad and beheadings, explosions and most brutal acts have become stale," Mauro told FoxNews.com. "A dirty bomb attack would be major news, regardless of how many immediate casualties occur. "It also leads to ongoing media coverage of the victims' conditions from the radiation exposure because audiences will want to know what actually happens if this worth to happen where they live." A security official told Reuters the perpetrators may have known what they were doing, noting there were "no broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry" at the facility. A spokesman for Basra operations command said army, police and intelligence forces were working "day and night" to locate the material. Besides the risk of a dirty bomb, the radioactive material could cause harm simply by being left exposed in a public place for several days, said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. "If they left it in some crowded place, that would be more of the risk. If they kept it together but without shielding," he said. "Certainly it's not insignificant. You could cause some panic with this. They would want to get this back." On Tuesday, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper confirmed that ISIS has manufactured and deployed mustard gas in Iraq and Syria. Clapper did not elaborate on where and when the chemical attacks occurred, though there has been mounting evidence the terror group was experimenting with chemical weapons. [The Syrian government] has used chemicals against the opposition on multiple occasions since Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention. ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent Sulfur mustard, Clapper said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Fox News previously reported on ISIS' potential experimentation with chemical weapons. Photos taken by the Kurds in northern Iraq last summer and reviewed by Fox News showed burns and blistering on skin following exposure to odorless, colorless agents absorbed through the clothing. Russia announced Wednesday it will sign a contract to supply a batch of fighter jets to Iran in violation of a U.N. ban, Russias News Agency RIA reports. A U.N. resolution passed on July 20, just days after the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., forbids Iran from making conventional arms sales for the next five years. The resolution specifically bans the sale of battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, [and] warships from being purchased by Iran without prior approval from the U.N. The deal, if carried out, would represent Irans latest violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution. Fox News was first to report that Iran carried out a medium range ballistic missile test on Nov. 21 from a known missile test site along the Gulf of Oman. The test led to strong condemnation from members of the U.N. Security Council. The controversial agreement to supply the Islamic Republic with Sukhoi Su-30SM multi-role fighter jets comes one day after the Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan met in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Fox News confirmed. Dehqan is accused of orchestrating the 1983 terror bombing that killed 220 U.S. Marines and 21 other service members in Beirut, Lebanon. Fox News Channel Producer Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. A Syrian rebel group has released a video showing what appears to be a massive underground command center used by the countrys brutal regime to direct its war operations, VOA News reports. The hidden multi-story underground city was used as a second building to rely on in case something happens to the main one inside the capital, Syrian analyst Oula A. Alrifai told the news outlet. It was also equipped with advanced security and intelligence technology, the Army of Islam rebel group claims. In the beginning we thought it was just a hideout, rebel Commander Abu Sami said, according to the media outlet. Our experts believe the regime had it for emergency situations to direct the war in the entire country. The rebel group, Army of Islam, reportedly seized the center in February after an intense September offensive against Syrian President Bashar al-Assads troops in the town of Harasta, northeast of Damascus. The group claims it was also able to locate secret military documents that belonged to the Syrian army, as well as an area designed to plan chemical weapons attacks. The seizure marks a major loss for the Syrian government in Damascus, where it has boasted control despite a slew of rebel attacks since the dawn of the civil war in 2011. But the rebels have struggled to gain ground in recent months as Russian airstrikes and Iranian-led ground troops rushed to help the Syrian regime fight back. Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan refused to stop his military's airstrikes on Kurdish forces in northern Syria despite pushback from around the world Wednesday, Israel National News reports. Turkish forces slammed Kurdish positions for four days in a row in order to prevent them from establishing a stronghold in the region. "They (the West) tell use to stop shelling, Erdogan said in a televised speech. "Forgive me, but there is no question of us doing such a thing." Erdogans comments affirm statements earlier this week by Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. According to Davutoglu, the Kurdish militants mission would uproot hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians and create a new humanitarian crisis" that would affect both Turkey and the European Union, Israel National News reports. Davutoglu added the situation could lead to a "new wave of hundreds of thousands of refugees. Michael and Margarita Tucker already own the Dickey's Barbecue Pit location in La Quinta, California and have now just signed a development agreement to open three more stores in Indio, Moreno Valley, and Redlands in 2016. The California expansion is on for the franchisee and the franchisor. Tucker is no stranger to franchising or success. The California entrepreneur owns several franchises of the Dallas-based convenience store brand 7-Eleven. He's even won 7-Eleven's prestigious Retailer Initiative award for three consecutive years. He says he's eager to expand with the Dickey's brand. "I have been a business owner for most of my life, but the support I receive from Dickey's makes all the difference," says Tucker. "Dickey's is not only a fun and happy place to work, it has systems and processes in place to support franchisees and is committed to our success." Dickey's has been growing out west and now boasts more than 530 locations in 43 states. California is second only to Texas in having the most Dickey's restaurants and the brand is busy expanding across the Golden State. "Dickey's experienced rapid growth from 2015 to 2016 and much of that growth took place throughout the West Coast," says Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "We are proud to announce our 100th store in California and plan to continue our expansion nationwide and abroad in the future." FASTSIGNS Looks To Grow Throughout Florida And The Caribbean Leading Global Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchisor Seeks Franchise Candidates at Graphics of the Americas Expo & Conference Feb. 18-20 February 16, 2016 // Franchising.com // CARROLLTON, Texas - FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the leader in signs, graphics and visual communications, announced today the company is recruiting franchisees to enable expansion throughout the state of Florida and across the Caribbean, with a focus on targeting conversion and co-branded locations. In 2015, the global franchisor inked more than 50 franchise agreements, opened more than 40 units and reached global revenues of $400 million in 2015. "FASTSIGNS is looking for qualified franchisees who have an entrepreneurial spirit and who can provide More Than whats expected for each and every customer as we increase our brand footprint throughout Florida and across the Caribbean," said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. "Last year alone, we opened our third location in Puerto Rico and four centers in South Florida, with plans to aggressively grow due to a high demand for visual communication needs." The fast-growing brand currently has 49 locations in Florida, three in Puerto Rico and one in Grand Cayman, but is looking to expand with additional centers throughout Florida, with emphasis on the Treasure Coast up to Jacksonville, as well as throughout the Caribbean Islands, including in Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago. To fuel development in these areas, FASTSIGNS is exhibiting at the Graphics of the Americas Expo & Conference Feb. 18-20 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach. Local entrepreneurs are invited to meet with the brands franchise development team at Booth #2014 to learn more about growth opportunities in South Florida and throughout the state. Due to FASTSIGNS dedicated $21 million in franchisee funding available, franchise expansion has continued to grow at a rapid pace through New Center development, as well as the companys Co-Brand and Conversion programs. With partners now in the print and photofinishing industries, the Co-Brand program accounted for 20 percent of the franchise agreements signed in 2015, a significant increase from prior years. Launched in 2012, the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand program helps independent business operators with print-related services add the FASTSIGNS brand and a full-suite of solutions, while retaining control of their existing business. Co-Brand franchise partners can join FASTSIGNS for a down payment of $10,000, saving them significant time, resources and money when enhancing their existing operations and service offerings. Co-Brand franchisees consistently report that the program has added value for customers, promoting long-term growth opportunities for their businesses. Due to the rising worldwide need for visual communications and digital signage technology, the company expects to open another 60 to 70 locations in 2016, as well as finalizing master franchise agreements in two new countries. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679) or download an eBook that explores the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity at http://amzn.to/1FrnDJu. About FASTSIGNS FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the worldwide franchisor for the more than 600 FASTSIGNS sign, graphic and visual communications centers in nine countries including the US (and Puerto Rico), Canada, England, Brazil, Mexico, the Caribbean, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). The largest sign franchise in North America, the independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers provide comprehensive visual communications solutions to help customers of all sizes across all industries meet their business objectives and increase their business visibility through the use of signs, graphics, printing, promotional products and related marketing services. The Franchise Research Institute has named FASTSIGNS a top sign and graphics franchise and has awarded the company certification as a 2015 World-Class Franchise for four consecutive years. FASTSIGNS was also recognized by USA Today, Military Times magazine, G.I. Jobs magazine and Franchise Business Review as one of the top franchises for military veterans. For more information about FASTSIGNS franchise programs, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679) or visit http://www.fastsigns.com/. SOURCE FASTSIGNS Media Contact: Sloane Fistel Account Executive Fish Consulting, LLC O: (954) 893-9150 C: (954) 789-0432 ### Add to Request List Added Request Information Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Kumon Math and Reading Centers Expand in West Coast Markets Six new Kumon Centers open in Southern and Northern California TEANECK, N.J. - Feb. 16, 2016 // PRNewswire // - Kumon, the world's largest after-school math and reading program, opened new centers on the West Coast this month. Thousands of parents in Southern and Northern California will now have access to nearby Kumon learning centers for their pre-school to high school aged children. New centers have opened in the following cities: Southern California: Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Laguna Hills, Yorba Linda andYucaipa Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Laguna Hills, Yorba Linda andYucaipa Northern California: Fair Oaks "We are excited to bring the Kumon method of learning to even more families throughout California," said Larry Lambert, vice president of franchise recruitment at Kumon North America. Kumon has seen a 28 percent increase in student enrollments in the West region in the past five years. With nearly 300,000 students enrolled in math and reading programs at 1,500 Kumon centers nationwide, Kumon continues to lead the way in the education franchise industry. Kumon has seen a 25 percent growth in the number of franchise Kumon Centers opened in the U.S. during the last five years and a 44 percent growth in the last decade. Today in 49 countries and regions, the Kumon Method is helping millions of children succeed in the classroom and in life. The Kumon Method empowers children to become self-learners and is designed to advance children's math and reading skills while fostering a love for learning. Kumon sparks critical thinking, establishes a pattern of success and builds confidence that can lead to accelerated learning throughout life. Parents can visit kumon.com to find their nearest Kumon center. About Kumon Math & Reading Centers Kumon is an after-school math and reading enrichment program that unlocks the potential of children, so they can achieve more on their own. As a comprehensive program, Kumon serves children in preschool through high school. Founded inJapan in 1958, the learning method uses an individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of math and reading skills. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration, and develop better study skills. Kumon has 26,000 centers in 49 countries and more than four million students studying worldwide. The company's North American headquarters is located in Teaneck, N.J. Visit www.kumon.com to learn more. SOURCE Kumon North America ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Xeni here, professional fangirl. I have long been a fan of Barry Eisler, former CIA covert operations guy turned novelist, and did we mention he's also a martial arts master? The dude is a walking futuristic spy story protagonist, and would fit neatly inside one of his own books. The latest of these is The God's Eye View, and I'll be discussing it with him on stage in Santa Monica, CA, Monday, February 22, 2016 at 8:00pm. It's an intimate venue. Buy your tickets before they sell out. Barry Eisler in conversation with Xeni Jardin William Turner Gallery, Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Monday, February 22, 2016 8:00pm PURCHASE TICKETS $40 Reserved Section seating + Book $20 General Admission * A book signing follows the event. About the event, and about Barry and his new book: Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center along the way. Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when he's not writing novels, blogs about torture, civil liberties, and the rule of law. He is the New York Times bestselling author of ten thrillers. His two series, the first featuring anti-hero John Rain, a half-Japanese, half-American freelance assassin specializing in "natural causes," and the second featuring black-ops soldier Ben Treven, have received rave reviews, won numerous literary awards, hit various "Best of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. The Matrix star Keanu Reeves is set to produce and star in Rain, a globe-trotting television series based on Eisler's books and being developed by HBO/Cinemax. More on Eisler at his website. Xeni Jardin is journalist, hypertexter, adventurer, founding partner & co-editor of award winning blog Boing Boing, and host of Webby-honored "Boing Boing Video," in-flight on Virgin America. She is a contributor, present or past, to NPR, Wired, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, CNN, MSNBC, and others; tech expert in broadcast news. She is founding board member, of Freedom of the Press Foundation. She loves music, Zero-G, named a plane and is multilingual. Jardin is a fan of Eisler's fictionand Eisler gets his story ideas from publications like Jardin's Boing Boing and Freedom of the Press Foundation. So this should be an interesting conversationnot just about the nature of our metastasizing national surveillance state, but also about the complicity of the establishment media and the role of fiction and television in shaping the public's understanding of what the government is doing in our name. The God's Eye View is CIA veteran Eisler's 11th novel, a story of mass surveillance, whistleblowers, and an intrepid Intercept reporter. Enthusiastic reception includes a boxed review in Publishers Weekly ("Eisler's expert knowledge of spy craft and hand-to-hand combat combine with his ultra-deep distrust of government intelligence to propel this suspenseful yarn into the front ranks of paranoid thrillers"); a starred review in Booklist ("When Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove was having its run, service people left the theater muttering, 'That wasn't a satire. That's what they're like.' So it is with Eisler's fine thriller"); and some kind words from Barrett Brown, Chelsea Manning, Jesslyn Radack, and other journalists and whistleblowers. Knowledge is powerand they know everything. NSA director Theodore Anders has a simple goal: collect every phone call, email, and keystroke tapped on the Internet. He knows unlimited surveillance is the only way to keep America safe. Evelyn Gallagher doesn't much care about any of that. She just wants to keep her head down and manage the NSA's camera network and facial recognition program so she can afford private school for her deaf son, Dash. But when Evelyn discovers the existence of an NSA program code-named God's Eye, and connects it with the mysterious deaths of a string of journalists and whistleblowers, her doubts put her and Dash in the crosshairs of a pair of government assassins: Delgado, a sadistic bomb maker and hacker; and Manus, a damaged giant of a man who until now has cared for nothing beyond protecting the director. Pancheros Dominates Des Moines Market With 6th Location Burrito Chain Celebrates Opening With $1 Burrito Event on February 23 February 16, 2016 // Franchising.com // CORALVILLE, Iowa Pancheros Mexican Grill (www.pancheros.com), a fast casual Mexican restaurant setting the standard for better-built burritos, announces it will be opening its newest location in Des Moines on Tuesday, February 16. In honor of the citys fifth Pancheros, the restaurant will be hosting a $1 burrito event on Tuesday, February 23 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pancheros flavor-packed menu features a variety of selections such as burritos, tacos, quesadillas and burrito bowls with a choice of marinated grilled steak, slow-roasted pork carnitas, chili-tamarind marinated chicken or season-marinated veggies. The chain offers a unique experience by expertly crafting each burrito with the restaurants famous plastic spatula, Bob the Tool, which evenly mixes ingredients to ensure uniform flavor in each bite. Fans wanting to add more spice to their creations can choose from any of Pancheros proprietary hot sauces including Flavocano, made with seven different peppers for a smoky kick, and Greenade, for a more tangy bite. The Des Moines community always welcomes Pancheros with open arms each time we bring a new restaurant to the city, said Rodney Anderson, president of Pancheros Mexican Grill. Were confident our newest location will be a great addition to the Ingersoll-Grand corridor by providing burrito enthusiasts with a go-to spot to grab lunch or dinner. The new Pancheros is located at 2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. The store will be open on Sunday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. To reach the Des Moines Pancheros, please call (515) 777-2898. About Pancheros Mexican Grill Founded in 1992, Coralville, Iowa-based Pancheros Mexican Grill is a fast-casual, fresh-Mexican franchise. Known best for their homemade, fresh-pressed tortillas, Pancheros has set the standard for burritos that dont start from a bag. Along with their amazing burritos, the menu also includes quesadillas, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads. Pancheros currently has 65 locations in the United States and the company plans to have 75 restaurants open across the country by the end of 2016. For more information, visit www.pancheros.com. SOURCE Pancheros Mexican Grill Media Contacts: Christina Erwin cerwin@konnect-pr.com Emily Johnston ejohnston@konnect-pr.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus New Pet Store Brings Family Fun To Grove City Petland To Host Grand Opening Celebration February 27th February 15, 2016 // Franchising.com // Chillicothe, OH The pet counseling team at Petland in Grove City will open the doors to customers at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 27th at its Grand Opening Celebration. The store, located across from Meijer at 2740 London-Groveport Road, will be giving away t-shirts, bags, coloring books and product samples with additional door prizes given away throughout the day. The ribbon cutting ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday and then the fun begins! Safari Stan, the #1 pet counselor, will be on hand to greet pet lovers of all ages and offer refreshments for people and their pets! In addition to prizes and giveaways, several Grove City area Girl Scout troops will be selling cookies on both Saturday and Sunday. Petland is also excited to host two special guests at the Grand Opening. Grove CityPolice Officer Brian Kitko and his K9 partner Max, a Belgian Malinois, will be on hand to visit. The Petland store in Grove City will be providing a feeding program for Max, which will include monthly supplies of food and other necessities. A portion of Saturdays proceeds will also go to the Grove City K9 fund. Petland stores in Central Ohio currently feed more than 22 K9 units. Max makes 23. The regular store hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. 6 p.m. Grove City residents have been shopping our central Ohio Petlands for years so we are excited to be able to be a part of the community and offer customers a wonderful selection of pets and pet supplies, said Vice President Tony Samples. At the 3,500 square foot store in Grove City, Samples says they are dedicated to fulfilling Petlands Mission. We will help match the right pet with the right customer and meet the needs of both, said Samples, explaining that part of the fun will be to work within the community to enhance the human-animal bond. We know that pets make life better at all stages of peoples lives. Petland is proud of its history in central Ohio and is excited to celebrate 49 years with the community. Guests will also get the first look at Petlandss brand new design. This event will allow an opportunity for the community as a whole to learn more about our store and what we stand for as a company that is dedicated to pets and pet care, said Samples. We anticipate a great turnout. "Pet lovers can come into our store and touch, talk and play with the animals, General Manager Billy Everetts said. The socialization is healthy for our guests and our pets, and, of course, our pet counselors look forward to showing all our guests just how fun and life-enriching pets can be." Petland will carry a wide range of pets adoptable mixed breeds and registerable puppies and kittens, fish, birds and small animals. In addition to hundreds of finned, furry and feathered friends, the store also will offer upwards of 3,000 pet supplies, all designed to enhance the health and comfort of each pet and to maximize the quality of the relationship between the pets and their owners. Everetts is eager to work with local animal shelters, pet rescue groups and members of the local community to find homes for homeless pets via the Adopt-A-Pet program at his store in Grove City. Petland cares for and helps to place homeless petsfrom local animal shelters and pet rescue organizations as well as families in the community, who may have accidental litters. Since 1998, stores nationwide have collectively placed more than 350,000 abandoned or unwanted pets through their Adopt-A-Pet program. Any rescue or shelter interested in partnering with Petland can contact Billy Everetts, the stores general manager at 614-957-5110. Petland is also a proponent of the spaying and neutering of pets, noting that Pet Counselors in Grove City will be working to educate new puppy and kitten owners about their individual responsibility to control pet overpopulation. Spay/Neuter certificates will be provided to customers bringing home a new family member. The health and well being of its pets is the #1 priority at Petland. Our puppies and kittens come from professional and hobby breeders who have years of experience in raising quality family pets. Petlands puppies and kittens are examined by at least two veterinarians before being offered to customers. Our puppies and kittens also come with extensive health warranties. With its Pets for a Lifetime program, Petlands goal is to see that none of our pets end up homeless or in animal shelters. Petland does this by microchipping all puppies and kittens for identification purposes and by using its many in-store resources to assist pet owners in finding new homes for pets they can no longer accommodate. Petland also provides new puppy owners with Resource Kits, offering obedience-training lessons on DVD and free lifetime consultations with canine behavior specialists. About Petland, Inc. Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador. For more than 47 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com. SOURCE Petland, Inc. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus St. Louis Businessman Launches Areas First Ever @Work Franchise National staffing franchise expands with first St. Louis location. February 17, 2016 // Franchising.com // ST. LOUIS, Mo. - @Work Group, an award-winning national staffing franchise, continues to flourish as company expands into the St. Louis, Missouri area. Craig Athmer, a St. Louis native, along with the help of a recruiter, Spring Ramsey, opened an all-new @Work Group franchise in the Gateway City to help serve the areas staffing needs, particularly within clerical and the light industrial sectors. His first @Work territory location has opened at 11520 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, Missouri with plans to expand soon after. To excel at staffing from the candidates point-of-view, you have to make note of the details such as their interests and hobbies, career goals, and skills to ensure the best opportunity for them. For employers, you must fully understand why theres a need. You need to know the past, present and future of the position they wish to fill, said Athmer. Its this understanding of both viewpoints and our emphasis on customer service that will help create better business relationships in St. Louis. Were ecstatic to contribute to the growing job market in our city and foster those relationships. Athmer comes to @Work Group as a business owner, supplementing his office with more than 15 years of staffing agency and business experience. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with a bachelors degree in accounting, Athmer has devoted his career to building better business relationships. He has worked in all areas of the staffing industry including staffing coordination, account management, business development and operations. Thorough research within the staffing and recruiting industry and networking with industry experts led Athmer to discover @Work and its business opportunities. He was drawn to @Work because of the companys focus on growth and the attitude towards building rapport with potential candidates and the areas businesses. Athmer currently staffs light industrial and clerical positions in the St. Louis County area and aims to expand his territory and his staffing offerings to include the medical and home care industries. St. Louis is growing and is currently experiencing staffing needs in the bio-science, health care and education industries, said Jason Leverant, president and COO of @Work Group headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alongside Craigs exemplary work ethic and determination, @Work Group will grow its presence in the St. Louis area and meet the needs of this burgeoning job market. @Works St. Louis franchise is open and will provide the companys signature personnel service in order to supply area companies with temporary, temp-to-hire, payroll and full-time placement services. @Work provides companies with flexible employment solutions with the highest level of service available and was recently named No. 349 on Entrepreneur Magazines 2015 Franchise 500 List, as well as an Inaveros 2014 Best of Staffing Client Award winners list. @Work Groups list of accolades also includes: Workforce Magazines Temporary Staffing Providers Hot List for 2013, the Staffing Industry Analysts Largest U.S. Staffing Firms List for 2013, the Franchise Times Next 300 Franchise Systems, and a 2015 Inc. 5000 ranking. For more information about @Works franchise opportunities, visit www.@Work.com/@Workfranchising/. About @Work Group Leading the staffing industry since 1992, @Work Group has grown its franchise to more than 90 locations nationwide. Each location provides employers and employees with the @Work range of services including: @Work Personnel Services, @Work Medical Services, @Work HelpingHands Services, and @Work Search Group. @Work has been cited as one of Staffing Industry Analysts' top U.S. staffing firms. They rank on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2015 "Franchise 500" list, the Staffing Industry Analysts' "Largest U.S. Staffing Firms for 2015" and "Fastest Growing Staffing Firms" lists, and the "Inc. 5000 2015" list. @Work Group's remarkable growth is fueled by the vision of founders John and Glenda Hall: "Think ahead, create opportunity, give exceptional support to franchise offices and always look for the better way, every day." For more information, visit www.@Work.com or call 800.383.0804. SOURCE @Work Group Media Contact: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 hripley@ripleypr.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Court documents indicate Tonya Slaton, 44, of Richmond was indicted Feb. 1 in Hampton Circuit Court on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her son, Quincy Jamar Davis, who would now be 25. Davis attended elementary and middle school in Virginia Beach, but media outlets report that friends didn't see him after seventh grade and he was withdrawn from school in 2003, when he would have entered eighth grade. Media outlets report that the indictment alleges Slaton killed Davis between July 24, 2004, and July 24, 2005, when he was 14 or 15 years old. Davis was never reported missing, but his body was found in Slaton's trunk during a traffic stop in June. The medical examiner hasn't determined the cause of his death. Media outlets report that a search warrant states that the trooper who pulled over Slaton in June noticed a large white spot on the floorboard behind the driver's seat that Slaton said was from bleach. When the trooper opened the trunk of the Ford Mustang, he smelled rotting flesh and Slaton threw clothes on top of the spare tire, which is where bags containing the Davis' remains were found, the warrant states. Slaton was scheduled to appear in General District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on the charge of concealing her son's body, but prosecutors declined to pursue the charge. An arraignment on the murder charge is scheduled on Feb. 25. When reached by phone Wednesday, Chief Deputy Public Defender Richard Johnson declined to comment on the case. The Virginian-Pilot reports that in 1997, Slaton was convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery for injuring Quincy when he was 6 and sentenced to no jail time on condition of good behavior for six months. The first-grader had cuts and bruises on his chest and back, according to documents filed in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. A Virginia Beach Department of Human Services spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Child Protective Services investigated Slaton for the incident. Media outlets report Slaton was convicted of felony attempted maiming and shooting at an occupied dwelling in Hampton Circuit Court in 2008 and sentenced to four years in prison for firing a gun at her boyfriend during a fight. The Virginian-Pilot reports Davis would have been 17 when Slaton went to prison, but he does not appear in any public court documents from the case. Rachel "Datapunk" Kalmar is a brilliant data scientist with a background in neuroscience, connected devices, sensors, and wearables. In a must-listen interview (MP3) with the O'Reilly Hardware podcast, Kalmar describes the (usually invalid) assumptions implicit in the fitness tracking sensors and the conclusions they generate. Kalmar describes full-stack problems with the sensors, APIs, interoperability, transparency, and analysis these yield. In this new episode of the Hardware Podcast, David Cranor and I talk with data scientist Rachel Kalmar, formerly with Misfit Wearables and the founder and organizer of the Sensored Meetup in San Francisco. She shares insights from her work at the intersection of data, hardware, and health care. Discussion points: * The need for a "data ecosystem" approach: it's important to understand the entire stack from acquisition through storage and analysis, and where security and privacy become concerns. * Analysis and insight as the real value in data: consumers get very little from raw data. * Authentication for smart devicesand an experiment (let us know if your lights went out during this podcast by e-mailing hardware@oreilly.com). Las Vegas Low Voltage Named Authorized Toshiba Dealer By Toshiba Telecommunication Systems Division Now authorized to sell Toshiba VoIP Business Telephone Systems: VIPedge Cloud-Based and Ipedge & Strata CIX On-Premise Systems -- Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division (Toshiba), www.telecom.toshiba.com, is pleased to welcome Las Vegas Low Voltage into its Authorized Toshiba Dealer network. Las Vegas Low Voltage is now authorized to sell Toshiba's VIPedge cloud-based business telephone solution, IPedge IP business telephone systems, Strata CIX(TM) IP converged business telephone systems and Toshiba's extensive offering of call center, unified communications, mobility and other applications. "We are pleased to welcome Las Vegas Low Voltage to our family of Authorized Toshiba Dealers," said Brian Metherell, vice president and general manager of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division. "Toshiba has one of the most loyal dealer networks, with more than 100 dealers having been in the industry's network for 10 to 30 years." "Toshiba has one of the most respected national dealer programs in the VoIP telephone systems industry, and we are pleased to join this network to bring Toshiba's IPedge, VIPedge and Strata CIX solutions to our marketplace," said Chad Stone, CEO of Las Vegas Low Voltage. About VIPedge Cloud-based Business Telephone Solution VIPedge delivers the benefits of Toshiba's on-premises IPedge VoIP system but in a cloud solution that provides feature transparency for up to 500 users in a single or multi-site deployment. With VIPedge, Toshiba manages the entire telephone system in the cloud, so users only need to answer their phones. VIPedge is compatible with Toshiba's Call Manager unified communications solution, including Call Manager Mobile for Apple iOS and Android(TM) users (free applications available from the respective app stores). With Call Manager Mobile, users are empowered to take their office calls and instant messages on their mobile phones, just as if they were at their desks. Call Manager also features enhanced presence features via Microsoft Exchange Calendar information among other sources. Call Manager also delivers single and group instant messaging. VIPedge is also compatible with Toshiba's IPMobility solution, delivering single-number reach for both incoming and outgoing calls. About Toshiba's IPedge IP Business Telephone Systems Toshiba's IPedge accommodates multiple unified communication applications on a single Linux server, including call processing, voice mail and unified messaging, meet-me conferencing with Web collaboration, Call Manager(TM) unified communications, native SIP line and SIP trunk support, mobility, survivability, networking with other IPedge and/or Strata CIX systems, centralized administration, and feature-rich telephone endpoints. Plus, add-on applications, including uMobility Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Contact Center solutions, are available with additional servers. IPedge systems support from eight to 1,000 users. About Toshiba's Strata CIX IP Converged Business Telephone System Toshiba's Strata CIX systems provide converged solutions for small to medium-sized businesses that want a mix of IP, digital and analog endpoint devices connected to their systems, combined with IP telephony and unified communications applications. Strata CIX systems are compatible with collaboration tools and customer relationship management tools as well as Microsoft OCS and Microsoft Exchange for integrated office solutions. Applications include call processing, voice mail and unified messaging, meet-me conferencing with Web collaboration, Call Manager unified communications, native SIP line and SIP trunk support, mobility, survivability, networking with other Strata CIX and/or IPedge systems, centralized administration, and feature-rich telephone endpoints. Plus, add-on applications, including uMobility Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Contact Center solutions, are available with additional servers. Strata CIX systems support from eight to 1,000 users. About Las Vegas Low Voltage Las Vegas Low Voltage and its parent Division PC911 are a Las Vegas; Nevada based commercial technology and low voltage solutions provider. We are a Microsoft Certified Small Business Solutions Provider. We are a C2-D Low Voltage, Nevada State Licensed Contractor, providing data / voice wiring, phone systems and custom commercial surveillance systems. With over 1 decade serving the Las Vegas Valley, PC911 and Las Vegas Low Voltage Las Vegas' combined technical experience of over 75 years in the IT and low voltage industry, we can provide all technology solutions that any small to medium business needs. About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division is one of the three business units of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS) and offers business communication solutions for SMB enterprises and enterprises with multi-site or regional locations. Toshiba's VIPedge cloud-based business telephone solution supports up to 500 users, and the IPedge and Strata CIX systems support from 8 to 1,000 users and offer Voice over IP, voice mail and unified messaging, conferencing and collaboration, unified communications applications, networking, mobility and more. Together with Toshiba's PCs, tablets, copiers, and surveillance video cameras/recorders, Toshiba's Telecommunication Systems Division helps enterprises maximize business efficiency in communications and mobility. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. For more information, visit www.Telecom.Toshiba.com. About Toshiba Toshiba Corporation is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 590 consolidated companies, with 206,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 5.8 trillion yen (US$61 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm. For an Authorized Toshiba Dealer, visit www.telecom.toshiba.com. solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 590 consolidated companies, with 206,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 5.8 trillion yen (US$61 billion). Visit Toshiba's website at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm. For an Authorized Toshiba Dealer, visit www.telecom.toshiba.com. Teri Sawyer, T&Co. 714-801-1687 terisawyer@me.com To subscribe to the Toshiba Telecom Blog, visit http://blog.telecom.toshiba.com/. Follow us on Facebook (ToshibaPhoneSystems), Twitter (toshibaphonesys) and LinkedIn (Toshiba-telecommunication-systems-division). For more information about us, please visit http://www.lowvoltage.vegas/ Contact Info: Name: Chad Stone Organization: Las Vegas Low Voltage Address: 2480 North Decatur Blvd #180, Las Vegas, NV 89108 Phone: (702) 309-1911 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/las-vegas-low-voltage-named-authorized-toshiba-dealer-by-toshiba-telecommunication-systems-division/104114 Release ID: 104114 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Lombardi Media Corporation Subsidiary Strengthens Editorial Team with the Addition of New Copy Editor and Health Writer Lombardi Media Corporation subsidiary Doctors Health Press expands its editorial team with the addition of a new copy editor and health writer. -- Lombardi Media Corporation (www. LombardiMedia.com), a holding company that owns a group of businesses involved in financial and health publishing, digital media development, customer contact services, product fulfillment, and direct marketing, is pleased to announce the hiring of Alethea Spiridon as health writer and Leo Graziani as copy editor for Doctors Health Press. Doctors Health Press (www.DoctorsHealthPress.com) is a leading health news and advice web site that provides readers with the most current and up-to-date health news, breakthroughs and advice, with a particular focus on natural and alternative health advice. "These are key hires for Doctors Health Press. Alethea has an amazing ability to break news and explain a complicated industry to a layperson, and Leo's wealth of experience covers a large number of industries," says Adrian Newman, publisher for Doctors Health Press. "We are excited to have Alethea and Leo join the Doctors Health Press team." Spiridon comes to Doctors Health Press with more than 15 years of industry experience. She was most recently the senior editor at a major literary publishing company; prior to that, she was an editor and copywriter with an international marketing and advertising company. Spiridon received her Bachelor of Liberal Arts in English/Literature from the University of Saskatchewan and a graduate certificate in Creative Writing from Humber College. She is currently studying to become a holistic nutritionist. Graziani has forged a career of more than 10 years as an associate editor, assistant editor, web editor, and copy editor. Prior to joining Doctors Health Press, Graziani was the associate editor for a general interest city magazine in the GTA. Before that, he worked as a web copy editor for an online media company and as a copy editor for a health and fitness magazine. Graziani earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from McMaster University and received a certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing from Centennial College. Founded in 1986 by entrepreneur Michael Lombardi, Lombardi Media Corporation owns a diverse group of businesses employing hundreds of people in the financial and health publishing, digital media development, customer contact services, product fulfillment and direct marketing industries. More information on Lombardi Media Corporation can be found at www. LombardiMedia.com. For more information about us, please visit http://www.lombardimedia.com Contact Info: Name: Wendy Potter Organization: Lombardi Media Corporation Address: 7000 Pine Valley Dr, Vaughan, ON L4L 4Y8 Phone: 905 856 2022 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/lombardi-media-corporation-subsidiary-strengthens-editorial-team-with-the-addition-of-new-copy-editor-and-health-writer/104105 Release ID: 104105 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Achieve Test Prep Wins a Spot among Top 100 Telecommute-Friendly Companies For Second Year in a Row, ATP Makes FlexJobs' List alongside Apple, Amazon -- Achieve Test Prep, a leading provider of standardized test preparation courses, was recently honored by FlexJobs, an online job board that specializes in flexible schedule and work-from-home positions. The list was compiled based on an analysis of job postings from over 30,000 companies, between January and December of 2015. This marks the second year in a row that Achieve Test Prep was recognized. "Remote work options are an important part of our company culture because they parallel the kind of opportunities we want to create for college students," explains Mark Olynyk, CEO of Achieve Test Prep. "Modern technology means we're no longer limited by the logistics of travel or physical workspace. In the same way that students don't need ivy-covered academic buildings or lecture halls in order to learn, we believe smart and engaged employees needn't report to an office park, in order to contribute great things. And in fact, we believe both groups--students and employees--can benefit tremendously when those formalities and their requisite costs are removed." Achieve Test Prep is an organization dedicated to creating faster, more affordable paths to college completion. ATP prepares students to pass a variety of standardized exams (CLEP, DSST, UExcel), which are now widely accepted by all types of colleges and universities. Achieve Test Prep also helps students leverage previous coursework and professional training, then apply these credits in order to bypass expensive, semester-length courses--particularly general education courses. It's a model that can save students thousands, regardless of their chosen institution. Achieve Test Prep even delivers savings to students who are already enrolled at their college of choice. "Our students are laser-focused on their career goals," adds Olynyk. "They're eager to learn the material that will inform their professional work, but understandably leery about wasting huge sums of money and time on busy work components--term papers, group projects, discussion board posts that are often required several times per week. These are hoops that students shouldn't have to jump through. If they can prove their mastery of College Algebra, or Spanish, or Psychology 101 via a single exam, versus four months of classes, costing thousands each, we think they should have that opportunity." The strength of Achieve Test Prep's message and the value in its offerings has helped the company grow rapidly. Now based in 36 states, and providing online test prep courses as well, the company says it's proud to assist so many students, as they work toward accelerated college degrees. Being able to scout and hire exceptional employees--regardless of geography--is helping them keep pace with America's demand for tuition-saving options. "When you look at the names of the other companies on this list, it's a very impressive group to be part of," says Olynyk, reflecting on the FlexJobs' distinction. "As more students explore how credit by examination works, or begin to think about 'testing out' of non-essential courses, this is one more reason why our team stands out as the best partner in that process." About Achieve Test Prep Achieve Test Prep is committed to providing faster, more cost-effective paths to college completion. By preparing students for standardized exams in a matter of weeks versus months, Achieve Test Prep helps them bypass the added cost, class time, and busy work of a traditional college program. Achieve Test Prep's classes are uniquely effective in that they are taught by live instructors--either onsite or online--so students always have access to real-time interaction. Classes are available during days, nights, and weekends to provide students with the most convenient scheduling options. Achieve Test Prep is not an institution of higher education; it simply facilitates the transfer credit process between students and hundreds of well-known colleges and universities. Achieve Test Prep maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information visit www.achievetestprep.com For more information about us, please visit http://www.achievetestprep.com Contact Info: Name: Shane Best Email: shane.best@achievetestprep.com Organization: Achieve Test Prep Address: 228 Park Ave S #29831 New York, NY 10003-1502 Phone: (317) 939-3599 Release ID: 103827 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) New Single Release "Funk Mambo Remix" by Jesse Jones Jr at Funkatology Records About Funkatology Records LLC: Funkatology Records LLC is the World's Premiere Funk, Jazz and Soul Groove Record Label | the Detroit - Miami Axis. For more information, visit http://funkatology.com -- Funkatology Records LLC, an established leader in exciting Funk, Jazz and Soul Grooves, today announced the the debut of the New Single "FUNK MAMBO REMIX" by Jesse Jones Jr., "Funk Mambo Remix" is a brand new master on a classic "Scat-Hop" track with a whole new sound. Featuring the one and only Jesse Jones Jr. on flute, also saxophone and vocals with other Miami music notables such as Joe Collado on Latin percussion, Ike Woods on rhythm guitar and Dennis Sierra on lead guitar. Hugh Hitchcock holds down the bass, acoustic piano and hammond B3. Produced by Hugh Hitchcock at Funkatology Studios, Miami. Jesse Jones Jr. is a Miami Jazz Hall of Fame inductee who frequently tours Europe and Asia with his well-loved brand of Jazz and Soul music. The producer/instrumentalist of the track is the executive producer Hugh Hitchcock who originally hails from the Detroit area, but now runs Funkatology Records in Miami. Joe Collado is known as having been honored as Miami's new times "Percussionist of the Year". Ike Woods, known in Miami as the "legendary" Ike Woods is an international recording artist who performs regularly with his Ike & Val Soul Revue. Dennis Sierra recently released his own CD after coming off tours with Miami's KC and the Sunshine band. According to Funkatology Records LLC Executive Producer Hugh Hitchcock, the New Single "FUNK MAMBO REMIX" by Jesse Jones Jr. will be available for purchase on immediately and can be instantly downloaded from its dedicated website at http://cdbaby.com/cd/jessejonesjr22. "Funkatology Records starts the new year with several new releases, starting with 'Funk Mambo Remix' by Jesse Jones Jr.," said Hitchcock. "Jesse is totally off the hook on these tracks," Hitchcock continues, "his sax playing is absolutely full of soul and deep down feeling. Even more enticing are Jesse's off the cuff 'Scat Hop' style vocals. But don't forget the other amazing musicians on this record, such as Ike Woods, Dennis Sierra and Joe Collado, Miami's Percussionist of the Year. I'm sure you will absolutely dig this track." Check it: More About Funkatology Records LLC Founded in 2008, Funkatology Records LLC has published a wealth of exciting Funk, Jazz and Soul grooves. In fact, the company's mission statement is "Remember Folks - Ain't Nothin' But a Groove!". To learn more about Funkatology Records LLC, call (305) 490-5338 or visit them online at http://funkatology.com. CONTACT INFORMATION Funkatology Records LLC Attention: Hugh Hitchcock PO Box 61-2552 Miami, Florida 33261 Phone: (305) 490-5338 Fax: (305) 359-5499 Website: http://funkatology.com Email: info@funkatology.com For more information about us, please visit http://funkatology.com Contact Info: Name: Hugh Hitchcock Organization: Funkatology Records LLC Address: PO Box 61-2552 Miami, Florida 33261 Phone: (305) 359-5499 Release ID: 104181 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Streamline Dental Solutions Welcomes New Las Vegas Dentist Rana Faranesh, DMD Streamline Dental Solutions Welcomes New Las Vegas Dentist Rana Faranesh, DMD Streamline Dental Solutions has a reputation for outstanding patient care and top quality results, and has added a new dentist to their team who can help them outshine their own great reputation. Las Vegas, NV -- February 17, 2016 (FPRC) -- Dentistry is both art and science, responsible for improving peoples health and wellbeing through both medical and cosmetic dentistry. Getting this balance right is a true talent, and Steamline Dental Solutions has been looking for the perfect candidate to help them extend their premier dental care to more patients than ever. Streamline Dental Solutions ( www.dentistoflasvegasnv.com ) has just made a new appointment, enlisting Rana Faranesh, DMD to help them continue to deliver the highest quality of dental care available in Las Vegas. She first studied her undergraduate bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Nevada, graduating in 2004. She then undertook her doctorate of Dental Medicine at UNLV, graduating in 2008. Since then, she has committed herself to a constant professional development to stay on the cutting edge of her craft. Her professional associations include the Southern Nevada Dental Society and the Nevada State Board of Dental Medicine. Dr Faranesh said, As I became a dentist, Ive realized many more qualities that I truly love about this type of work, and look forward to the challenges and relationships Ill make in the future. It is a wonderful profession and I find myself happy going to work every day. I love dentistry, I love meeting new people, and building relationships with all of my patients. A spokesperson for Streamline Dental Solutions explained, We are thrilled Dr. Faranesh is able to join us at Streamline Dental Solutions and cant wait to work closely with her to provide the highest possible standard of cosmetic and health dentistry for patients in and around Las Vegas. Her commitment and passion for the craft shine through in every piece of dental work she performs, as well as making a real personal connection with her patients. We cant wait to work together. About Streamline Dental Solutions: Streamline Dental Solutions of Las Vegas is a full service dental and oral health care provider for patients of all backgrounds and ages. Streamline Dental Solutions offers patients convenient options for appointments, choices for financing dental procedures, as well as a wide array of general and cosmetic dental services. For more information please visit: http://dentistoflasvegasnv.com/ 7545 W Sahara Ave #200 Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 660-1921 Send an email to Karl Hirsch of r 888-764-1294 Recent Press Releases By The Same User ShapeHost Launches New Spring Sale Offering Savings Of Up To 35% On VPS Packages (Tue 8th Mar 16) Paypro Finance Launches their Consumer Financing for Small Business Program (Mon 7th Mar 16) Kuber Ventures Publishes New Infographic To Show Difference Between EIS for Pensions and SIPP (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Pregnancy Exercise Publishes New Guide Into Training For Fitness While Pregnant (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Centex Hosting Launches Newly Redesigned Website To Herald Expansion Into VPS Hosting (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Royal Cliff Receives ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Certification (Wed 2nd Mar 16) The Holdy Realty Team Congratulates Tim Holdy On Being Ranked 3rd Of 140 Real Estate Professionals Holdy Realty Teams Tim Holdy was ranked 3rd out of 140 Florida REALTORS at Real Estate of Florida for gross commissions earned in 2015, making him one of the regions most successful real estate specialists. Jensen Beach, FL -- February 17, 2016 (FPRC) -- Florida real estate is an investment and a gift that keeps on giving, as well as being a way to buy into a lifestyle that is loved by all generations, whether retiring or starting a family. Finding the perfect piece of Florida real estate can be a real challenge, especially for those moving to the area for the first time. The Holdy Realty Team at Real Estate of Florida is a well-established favorite in the area, and team leader Tim Holdy is known for being one of the very best real estate agents. That reputation has been reinforced recently after he was ranked number three out of a hundred and forty REALTORS at Real Estate of Florida for gross commissions earned in 2015. The gross commissions reflect the number of property transactions Holdy has brokered on behalf of both buyers and sellers, helping people invest and get the best from selling their assets at the right time. Being ranked third puts him above one hundred and thirty eight other real estate professionals. Whether helping individuals buy Jensen Beach Homes or sell Sewalls Point Homes, his knowledge of the communities is unparalleled and deeply personal, and combined with his wide range of certifications and accreditations, puts him on the leading edge of the realty industry. A spokesperson for Holdy Realty Team explained, The Holdy Realty Team is thrilled to be able to congratulate Tim on such an impressive ranking. We know that he has worked tirelessly on behalf of clients to help them settle for nothing less than their ideal, and we know that his commissions, while impressive, reflect his commitment to his customers rather than a goal in itself. At the same time, we know how driven he is to be at the top of his game, and so there are two more spots he will be looking to outdo in 2016. About The Holdy Realty Team: The Holdy Realty Team at Real Estate of Florida is a team of licensed Florida REALTORS that strive to deliver honest, trustworthy and knowledgeable service to all their real estate clients, both buying and selling. They specialize in Martin County, Florida homes for sale including Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, Palm City, Stuart & Sewall's Point as well as covering South Florida real estate from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. For more information please visit: http://www.holdy.com/ Send an email to Tim Holdy of r 772-500-0000 Recent Press Releases By The Same User ShapeHost Launches New Spring Sale Offering Savings Of Up To 35% On VPS Packages (Tue 8th Mar 16) Paypro Finance Launches their Consumer Financing for Small Business Program (Mon 7th Mar 16) Kuber Ventures Publishes New Infographic To Show Difference Between EIS for Pensions and SIPP (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Pregnancy Exercise Publishes New Guide Into Training For Fitness While Pregnant (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Centex Hosting Launches Newly Redesigned Website To Herald Expansion Into VPS Hosting (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Royal Cliff Receives ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Certification (Wed 2nd Mar 16) Niroomand Law Offers Alternative Family Resolution For All With a focus on family and divorce law and other related legal services for people in the Greater Toronto Area, Niroomand Law is excited to announce that the law firm offers mediation and arbitration services for people. -- Toronto, ON - With a focus on family and divorce law and other related legal services for people in the Greater Toronto Area, Niroomand Law is excited to announce that the law firm offers mediation and arbitration services for people looking for alternative means to use through each step and process of their divorce proceeding. These two services are effective methods for resolving disputed matters without having to go to trail and appear in front of a judge. Many people often assume all separation and divorce processes have to be resolved in front of a judge during the divorce trial. However, this is not the case and divorcing couples are free to initiate separation and divorce agreements on their own with help from their divorce lawyers in Toronto. Utilizing one or both of these effective methods can help avoid having to wait the one-year mandatory period required by the courts to resolve outstanding issues and matters. Mediation is an effective process to use in cases where the divorcing couple is on amicable terms, or at least willing to negotiate and attempt to come to agreements on their own, by communicating through their divorce lawyers and, if needed a third party mediator. Divorcing parties are not required to be in the same room, and if they desire, can be kept in separate rooms if needed, while communicating their intentions through their lawyers. Arbitration is another effective process that helps keep divorcing couples out of the courtroom, but the process is conducted similar to a divorce trial. The main advantage to using arbitration is it is held in a private forum. In addition, the parties can remain in separate rooms, while their lawyers communicate information between their respective clients and the arbitrator. Although, the final decision of the arbitrator is binding, just like the decision was made by a judge during the divorce trial. Besides offering family and divorce law-related legal services, Niroomand Law also provides legal advice and representation for personal injury and disability law matters. The law firm understands the challenges and stresses disable people face while attempting to resolve related legal matters. The highly experienced and skilled lawyers, paralegals, and other legal professionals at Niroomand Law are very familiar with the intricacies required in personal injury and disability law matters. The entire legal team at this law firm provides compassionate and caring support, while ensuring their clients obtain the best results possible. For more information about Niroomand Law and the law firm's various family, divorce, personal injury, and disability law legal services, please feel free to visit their official website at www.niroomandfamilylaw.ca or contact the law firm directly by phone at 647-560-3007. About Niroomand Law Founded in 2003 by Hossein Niroomand, Niroomand Law started as a general law firm practice. Over the years, the firm has evolved from initially offering a diverse range of legal services, like wills and estates, family law and personal injury, into a law firm that now focuses on specific family law and other legal areas where their clients require the most assistance. Today, the family law firm in Toronto continues to provide legal assistance to people of all backgrounds in family law matters including divorce, child custody, support, and visitation, as well as legal representation for personal injury and disability law matters. For more information about us, please visit http://www.niroomandfamilylaw.ca/ Contact Info: Name: Hossein Niroomand Organization: Niroomand Law Address: 401 Bay Street , 16th Floor Toronto, Ontario M5H 2Y4 Phone: +64 7-560 3007 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/niroomand-law-offers-alternative-family-resolution-for-all/104048 Release ID: 104048 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global V Bank Filters Market 2016 Industry size, Share, Growth, Forecast of CAGR Global Market News has released report on Global V Bank Filters Market 2016. Deerfield Beach, FL, United States of America February 17, 2016 /GlobalMarketNews.us/ The market report, titled V Bank Filters Market 2016, is an analytical research done by QY Market Research study based on the V Bank Filters market, which analyzes the competitive framework of the V Bank Filters industry worldwide. This report Worldwide V Bank Filters Market 2016 build by the usage of efficient methodical tools such SWOT analysis, the V Bank Filters industrial 2016 study offers a comprehensive evaluation worldwide V Bank Filters market. Do Inquiry Before Purchasing Report Here : http://www.qymarketresearch.com/report/52149#inquiry-for-buying Global V Bank Filters Market 2016 report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global V Bank Filters market. The V Bank Filters market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report. Whereas the V Bank Filters market key segments and the geographical distribution across the globe is also deeply analyzed. Various V Bank Filters market dynamics such as growth drivers, restrictions, and the future prospects of each segment have been discussed in detail. Based on that, the V Bank Filters market report determines the future status of the market globally. This report covers every aspect of the global market for V Bank Filters , starting from the basic market information and advancing further to various significant criteria, based on which, the V Bank Filters market is segmented. Key application areas of V Bank Filters are also assessed on the basis of their performance. Get Free Sample Report : http://www.qymarketresearch.com/report/52149#request-sample The V Bank Filters industrial chain, existing policies,and rules and regulations are studied in this V Bank Filters Market report. Key manufacturers, their manufacturing chain, products, V Bank Filters market price structures as well as the revenue. The report also evaluates the production capacity, dynamics of demand and supply, logistics, and the historical performance of the V Bank Filters market worldwide. About QY Market Research QY Market Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. QY Market Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. Contact us: Joel John 3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138, Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USA Tel: +1-386-310-3803 GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714 USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651 email: sales@qymarketresearch.com The post Global V Bank Filters Market 2016 Industry size, Share, Growth, Forecast of CAGR appeared first on Global Market News. For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Global Retro-Reflective Sensors Market 2016 Industry Size, Trends, Demand Review & Forecast 2025 (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Research on Global Quatrz Oscillator Market 2016 Industry Analysis, Review & Forecast 2020 (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Global Private Branch Exchange(PBX) Market 2016 Industry Size, Trends, Research, Demand & Forecast (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Global Print Mark Sensor Market 2016 Industry Size, Research, Trends, Growth & Analysis 2022 (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Global OLED Lighting Device Market 2016 Industry Trends, Demand, Analysis & Review Forecast 2020 (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Global Network Card Market 2016 Industry Size, Research, Trends, Demand Review & Forecast 2020 (Thu 3rd Mar 16) Pet Bereavement and Divorce Ceremonies Among New Services Offered by Oregon Holistic Therapist Holistic therapist meets the needs of clients with new areas of focus and new website services. -- Dr. Carol Landesman, Integrative Life, Health, and Wellness Holistic Therapist in Gresham, Oregon is pleased to announce the addition of several new areas of focus, designed to meet the specific needs of clients in Gresham, Sandy, Troutdale, Boring, and Portland and surrounding areas. Pet bereavement therapy is designed to help people who are dealing with the death of a beloved pet or their life-threatening illness. It helps clients identify and resolve the many issues that may arise from the loss of a friend. After this type of loss, people may feel misunderstood, isolated or even devalued by others who do not understand the depth of grief that may occur when a pet dies. When asked about the changes to her practice, Dr. Landesman said "I felt I needed to break out specific services so that I can better customize the approach needed by my clients. The grief a person can feel when their pet dies may be deep and masked by other issues. By specifically offering pet bereavement, individuals who are suffering can easily see that I take this type of loss very seriously and understand what they may be going through." Divorce Ceremonies Many people may look to couple's therapy to help stay together, but Carol knows that when couples decide to break up, the repercussions may be severe. Divorce ceremonies can help all the parties who are negatively affected when a couple divorces. Carol describes divorce ceremonies as "a symbolic celebration and ritualized expression of the fact that a new and significant change has taken place in the party giver's life, a public acknowledgment that he, she or they are moving into a new stage of their lives." These ceremonies can help both parties move forward in their new lives. To make it as easy as possible for her clients to reach her, Carol now offers Skype sessions. To learn more about the services provided by Carol, visit www.drcarollandesman.com. About Integrative Life, Health, and Wellness Therapist Carol Landesman Holistic therapist Carol Landesman helps clients learn the best techniques to find and maintain emotional and physical well being. Through a broad, intuitive, multidimensional, holistic approach, Carol helps groups and individuals with anxiety, chronic pain, codependency, coping skills, couple's counseling, depressed mood, divorce, eating disorders, emotional disturbances, adolescent therapy, family conflicts, grief, infidelity, obesity, self-esteem, sleeping, stress, trauma, weight loss, and pet bereavement. Carol's approach is tailored to meet the individual needs of her clients in a comfortable and uplifting atmosphere. Call Carol Landesman at 503-663-7767 now for a free consultation. For more information about us, please visit http://www.drcarollandesman.com Contact Info: Name: Carol Landesman Organization: Dr. Carol Landesman Address: 8347 SE Orient Dr. Gresham, OR 97080 Phone: 503-663-7767 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/pet-bereavement-and-divorce-ceremonies-among-new-services-offered-by-oregon-holistic-therapist/104177 Release ID: 104177 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more. But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be and shouldnt be bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre. Have an interest in what youre writing about Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show. If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating. Include fascinating details Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. 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Borrow some creative writing techniques Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting. consider your own opinion Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others. Cut the waffle Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem. Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose. employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them. You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect. Avoid repetitive phrasing Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable. Use some figurative language Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know. As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy. Employ rhetorical questions Anticipate the questions your reader might ask. One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration. Proofread Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them. Cardiff-based protection specialist Vita has created a brand charter, boosted its social media profile and has reinvested profits into developing a sophisticated system to help its clients and advisers. It has also created a new website, that will include educational tools and quizzes to help consumers, and, in addition, has broken into the social media world with its first Twitter and Facebook accounts. The firm, which was founded six years ago by Paul Reed and Barry Pappin, now has 11 members of staff, comprising nine protection advisers, one team manager and a policy administration manager. Speaking at the Legal & General Business Quality Awards, where the firm won a Special Recognition award and a commendation for Outstanding Customer Outcome, Mr Reed unveiled some of Vitas plans for growth and development, including the creation of a brand blueprint that encapsulates the firms brand vision and values. Mr Reed said: Our vision is to be trusted as the fairest and most credible protection adviser with the specialist knowledge to give the best advice, and the people who genuinely care about getting the right solution for each customer. He also listed the four brand values as: fair, knowledgeable, personal and efficient. The aim is to make sure that each customer gets the right package, tailored to their personal needs, and that the customer feels listened to and understood. L&G Business Quality Award winners Outstanding Performance Award - John Charcol Best Reinstatement Performance Award - Top Quote Best Customer Retention Performance Award - Live Life Protected (protected.co.uk) Customer Excellence Award (Firm) - Thameside Associates Customer Excellence Award (Network) - Mortgage Advice Bureau Special Recognition Award Vita Outstanding Customer Outcome LifeSearch Vita is also in the process of developing a processing platform, a bespoke customer relationship management system that it claimed would help it deliver to clients in a more sophisticated and efficient way. Mr Reed said: Our new system will enable us to have regular touchpoints with our clients and enable them to review their policy details online, engage in live chat with advisers, and receive monthly updates from Vita about different products and services that may be of benefit to them. For our advisers, a central knowledge base of underwriting guidelines, a digital replication of our process, and document creator will help save time and further enable excellent customer service. The website, which is set to launch within a fortnight, can be found at www.vita.co.uk. Its social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook can be accessed via @vitainsure and www.facebook.com/vitainsure respectively. Industry view Mark Holweger, managing director, partnerships, at Legal & General, said: The winners of this years Business Quality Awards demonstrated an exceptional standard of customer service and retention. Recognising best practice in this way will hopefully encourage the industry to continue to deliver excellent service in the future. Investor sentiment has fallen to its lowest point in two and a half years, according to Lloyds Investor Sentiment Index. The index, released today (16 February) shows how sentiment has taken a significant hit following 2016s turbulent start. Actual market performance of most asset classes dropped again this month, leading to the lowest level of investor sentiment since May 2013, dropping by over six percentage points (a 6.88 per cent reduction) in the past month to a level of 6.38 per cent. The UK isnt the only country to experience investor depression, however, with US equities experiencing a similar dip in sentiment, falling by 6.59 per cent during the month to -0.8 per cent; the lowest level since November 2013. Both UK and US equities also experienced their biggest ever year-on-year falls in February, with sentiment towards these two asset classes plummeting by 22.73 per cent and 18.31 per cent respectively. Markus Stadlmann, chief investment officer at Lloyds Bank Private Banking, warned investors against panicking, suggesting that this is a time for calm heads and careful research. As the trend of growth investing dissipates, we may now be entering a period where investors have a preference for sectors with more predictable earnings. Now more than ever, identifying buying opportunities in the equity market requires a deep understanding of company valuations and how markets work. Mr Stadlmann adds that to counteract the risk, investors have been moving their attention towards lower risk assets such as government bonds, which have seen performance improve over the last month. This asset class has experienced a 3.4 per cent improvement in value over the past six months, making it the top-performing asset class over this period. However, investor sentiment has not reflected this, with confidence in government bonds dropping by 3.87 per cent this month, following a fall of 4.08 per cent in January. Andrew Wilson, head of investment at Towry, said the surprise is not that optimism has been tempered, but that it was previously high for so long. Clearly a belief in the omnipotence of central banks persisted, although it is now obvious to most market participants that stock markets struggle to progress in the absence of QE from the Federal Reserve. Its not all doom and gloom though, with gold being the stand-out performer when looking at actual market returns, something reflected in investor sentiment rising by 8.57 per cent over the month. In 2016, gold has overtaken UK equities as the second-most favourable asset class behind UK property. The European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma), the Europe-wide body that is the guardian of a single rule book for EU financial markets, has raised concerns about the practice of closet indexing. It found that up to 15 per cent of active equity funds in its study of 2,600 funds appeared to just track their underlying market index between 2012 and 2014. Esma is concerned that investors are paying high fees and not receiving the service or risk/return profile they expect. It said it will continue to work with national regulators to determine further actions, as the analysis gives only a first indication of whether particular funds are closet index trackers. It has suggested that fuller investigations on a fund-by-fund basis will be needed. Closet indexing, also known as index hugging, refers to the practice of fund managers claiming to manage portfolios actively and charging high fees when in reality the fund stays close to or hugs an index. Esma conducted research to determine whether it could find any indication of closet indexing at an EU-wide level following press and customer group concerns. Quantitative metrics, such as the percentage of a Ucits portfolio that does not coincide with the underlying equity benchmark was used basically, is the fund the same as the index or is the manager taking active bets? There has already been a class-action lawsuit filed against Swedens second-largest fund house, Swedbank Robur, over allegations that it had mis-sold investors closet trackers. More than 2,500 investors signed up to the lawsuit, which was initiated by the Swedish Shareholders Association. And it is not the first time. A report in 2015 found investors had been overcharged in at least 20 of the worlds largest investment markets. That intensified calls for regulators to put an end to a systemic mis-selling crisis in the fund industry. The report showed that in two countries Sweden and Poland more than half the assets in domestic equity funds had been funnelled towards managers that charge high fees for active management but closely follow their index. It suggested the phenomenon was also rife in Canada, Finland and Spain, where more than 40 per cent of the assets in local equity funds are in so-called benchmark huggers. Carl Rosen, chief executive of the Swedish Shareholders Association, said it was no surprise that the level of closet tracking was so high in Sweden, a market he described as dominated by large banks with a strong distribution capacity. It seems that investors in Sweden are getting a poor deal it sounds like a good reason for them to have a strong IFA sector. Or maybe with only 30 stocks in the OMX Industrial Index it is actually quite hard to take an active position? One major issue for regulators will be trying to prove a manager is a hugger when they have actually been active. What happens if they have met their risk targets? What if the manager was active in the first half of the year and then hugged the index in the second half? Or a manager that was positioned for growth and then moved to value over the period the net position was the index, but at any point they could have been far from it? Smith & Williamson is planning a European equity long/short fund for Giles Worthington as the firm continues to build up its retail proposition. Mr Worthington currently runs the firms long-only European Equity fund. The product being planned is pencilled in for the second half of 2016. The long/short strategy will match that of the Smith & Williamson Enterprise fund, its flagship 120m UK equity vehicle managed by Rupert Fleming, Mark Boucher and Mark Swain. Mr Worthington joined Smith & Williamson in November 2014 from RiverCrest Capital. He previously managed several European equity funds at M&G Investments and was head of European equities. Ed Rosengarten, head of funds business at Smith & Williamson, said the European long/short fund would provide an alternative to the established European equity funds available in the market. The firms Enterprise fund aims to provide positive returns on a rolling 12-month basis with low risk and low volatility. The European version will follow a similar mantra. The fund will give clients exposure to the underlying asset class without the volatility of a long-only portfolio, Mr Rosengarten said. Since taking over the 24m European Equity fund, Mr Worthington has returned 2.3 per cent compared to the Investment Association Europe ex UK sector average of -0.2 per cent. The Enterprise fund, which launched in 2006 but relaunched as a Ucits fund in 2010, has returned 16 per cent over three years, compared with 4.1 per cent for the FTSE All-Share index, according to FE Analytics. Mr Rosengarten said the firm would continue to build its reputation among the intermediary community, with smaller, focused funds in the active management space, but without straying far from popular and liquid markets. You want to be in a position where you have a presence in the marketplace. So as the market polarisation between passive and higher-performing funds continues, we can be part of the latter in liquid markets. Judging the impact of a Brexit from an economic perspective represents a bogus argument, Neil Woodford has claimed. With a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU drawing near, Woodford Investment Management has commissioned a report into the likely impact of the decision - and Mr Woodford said he broadly agreed with a conclusion that the outcome would have relatively little impact either way. The manager acknowledged that the vote, which now looks likely to take place this June, could produce uncertainty and a weaker pound in the run-up to the decision, but said the long-term effects would be minimal. Ive heard both views...either that staying is incredibly beneficial or leaving would be very damaging, and Ive heard the opposite argument from an economic point of view, he said. I think its pretty clear that thats a bogus argument. I think its really hard to see any significant credibility in an argument to stay or to leave constructed around economics. I think its a nil sum game, frankly. If we stay or we leave, the fundamentals of the economy will be relatvely unmoved. Mr Woodford also asserted his investments would not be unduly affected by the vote. He did, however, note that a Brexit would be politically, a significant event in both the UK and further afield. The managers comments accompanied the publication of a Capital Economics report into the economic impact of a Brexit. The forecaster is headed by noted eurosceptic Roger Bootle, but the fund firm said the report represented an independent look at possible outcomes. The study questioned the economic importance of a British departure from the EU, noting: Although the impact of Brexit on the British economy is uncertain, we doubt that Britains long-term economic outlook hinges on it. Areas which have been suggested as potential victims of a Brexit, such as financial services, the London property market, and foreign direct investment more generally, would only see short-term costs which may be offset by long-term opportunities, the report said. While a modest negative impact on growth and job creation is possible, the opposite is slightly more plausible, Capital Economics added. The authors said: We continue to think that the United Kingdoms economic prospects are good whether inside or outside the European Union. Britain has pulled ahead of the European Union in recent years, and we expect that gap to widen over the next few years regardless of whether Brexit occurs. Mr Woodford, meanwhile, has previously warned that the likelihood of a referendum on British EU membership could put a brake on external investment and international investment in the UK. He said last March: It will create uncertainty in the same way a Scottish referendum created uncertainty. Only 68 financial advisers responded to the hotly-anticipated Financial Advice Market Review, according to figures from the Financial Conduct Authority. In total, the FCA received 270 responses, with 27 of these coming from financial services providers, following a Freedom of Information request. The figure of 68 does not include trade bodies, but even if all financial advice industry representatives are added to this list including Apfa, Libertatem, the PFS and the Cisi that would only mean 72 responses were sent in on behalf of the advice community. The remaining 171 responses, it is estimated, came from other industry representatives. The number of responses to the FAMR consultation represents only 0.22 per cent of the 30,600 financial advisers who are currently registered with the FCA. But it represents 1.2 per cent of all firms which are registered to provide advice. As part of the FAMR process, the regulator has held 102 meetings with industry representatives, totalling 109 hours. Of these meetings, 28 were with financial advice providers, while seven were with banks and 10 were with life companies. Only two were with fund management firms. It is the old story that if you do not bother to vote, you do not have much right to complain. Ken Davy, SimplyBiz However, the FCA said the figures are from the meetings held at its headquarters and do not reflect all the meetings that have taken place to date as part of FAMR, as some were not organised by the FCA and it does not hold records of the all attendees affiliations. As part of its FoI request, Financial Adviser also asked how many expert panel meetings have been held and whether each member of the expert panel has been in attendance at each meeting. But the regulator said it does not hold details of the number of FAMR expert panel meetings that took place or the number in attendance at each meeting. It said this is because the panel is independent from the main review and does not carry out responsibilities on behalf of HM Treasury or the FCA. The regulator did say that it has not paid for accommodation for expert panel members, but has paid 1,252 in transport costs for members to attend expert panel meetings. In January, SimplyBiz founder Ken Davy used his column in Financial Adviser to urge advisers to use the consultation to influence the outcome of the FAMR. He said: It is the old story that if you do not bother to vote, you do not have much right to complain. Of course the outcome of FAMR is unknown, and will probably remain so for a few months. However, it is vital that financial advisers pay very close attention to the results when they do emerge, as they are likely to have a profound effect on the way the sector works. Adviser view Sebastian Van Mook, a financial adviser with Shropshire-based Abacus Associates, said: From a personal point of view what will be, will be. You can spend a lot of time blowing hot air and making your feelings known to no avail. MILLER Please accept my sincere thanks for the ones who sent cards for my 90th birthday and also the ones who planned the party at the Tower. Also, thank to... Farmers in Lincolnshire have just days to reach a compensation deal with a renewable energy company that wants to bury 35 miles of high-power electricity cable on their land. Some 120 farmers are at loggerheads with energy firm RWE Npower, the company behind the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm project in the North Sea. The two sides have until midnight on Monday 22 February to reach a provisional agreement on the issue, or face the prospect that they could both lose out. Electricity from the wind farm would be connected to the national grid through six cables buried across a 60m width under Grade 1, 2 and 3a agricultural land. Cabling from up to 288 turbines would come ashore at Anderby Creek, near Mablethorpe, and stretch to a substation at Bicker Fen, south-west of Boston. The amount of compensation on offer to landowners is confidential. See also: Lincs wind farm project will damage land, warns NFU But the farmers have voiced concern over the long-term impact of the cabling on drainage systems and on land values, as well as on cropping. Michael Scott, who farms at Brothertoft, said: It will come straight across five fields and it will mean a lot of disruption over the period it is being constructed. But our main gripe has been the way the whole thing has been approached. The company had seemed largely unaware of the impact on drainage crucial to agriculture in the Fens was at the forefront of farmers minds, said Mr Scott. Farmer Hugh Whitehead said plans to bury the cable 1.2m under ground were not deep enough. We would like them to go a lot deeper, but it would cost them a lot more money. RWE insists the cabling would be sunk deeper than most regular agricultural operations. However, without an agreement, the government could effectively pull the plug on the project by refusing permission at great cost to RWE Npower. But the government could equally grant the go-ahead, while imposing less favourable terms on farmers than otherwise might be agreed. NFU rural surveyor Louise Staples said it was important to emphasise at this stage that any deal would be provisional rather than final. But farmers who wanted the reassurance of a site visit from RWE Npower representatives should not sign up to a provisional agreement if they still hadnt had one. RWE has said it is the companys strong preference to reach mutual agreement with all affected landowners in order to secure the rights required. More than 40 Gaffney High students will compete for titles in the 2023 Miss Cherokeean Pageant being held this Saturday, Oct. 22. The pageant will begin at 6 p.m. in ... How should you pay for short-term financial goals? As you go through life, you will likely have longand short-term financial goals. But how will your strategies for meeting your long-term goals differ from those needed for your short-term... Story Highlights Cellphone ownership highest in Nigeria, lowest in Madagascar Vast disparities between urban and rural communities Cellphone owners more likely to send financial help to others WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mobile phone ownership varies greatly across sub-Saharan Africa, from fairly ubiquitous ownership in Nigeria (87%) and Botswana (85%) to relatively scarce ownership in Madagascar (21%). These disparities underscore the digital divide that still exists in Africa -- despite the recent explosion of technology -- and show where this divide is likely a substantial barrier to future development. With mobile subscriptions reportedly closing in on the 1 billion mark, it is safe to say that cellphones have become commonplace in many Africans' lives. The median for ownership across the 28 countries surveyed is 61%. In most of the countries Gallup polled, majorities of residents said they own a mobile phone, and at least three in four residents in Nigeria, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana and South Africa report having one. However, less than half of residents of eight countries say they have such a device. Slightly less than half of residents in Rwanda and Sierra Leone own a mobile phone, while about four in 10 residents of Malawi, Niger, Chad and Congo-Kinshasa do. Mobile ownership is least prevalent in Ethiopia, where about a third say they have a mobile phone, and in Madagascar, where the rate of ownership is about one in five. In both countries, most residents live in remote areas. Gallup's data on cellphone ownership generally align with the World Bank's data on mobile cellular subscriptions. Gap in Remittances Sent by Mobile Phone Owners and Nonowners For many Africans, a mobile phone can be a lifeline through which they send financial help to their families and others abroad, or within their own countries. Africans who wish to send money, for example, can do so easily with the use of a mobile phone, while those without a phone might have to seek out other, more complicated ways of doing so. In all of the sub-Saharan African countries Gallup surveyed, residents who own a cellphone are more likely than those who do not own a cellphone to have sent help in the form of money or goods to others in the past year, whether within their country or abroad. Mobile Phones More Prevalent in Urban Communities In all but a few sub-Saharan African countries Gallup polled in 2015, urban residents are significantly more likely to own a cellphone than residents of rural areas. The exceptions are in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Botswana and Kenya -- each of which has a majority of mobile phone ownership in both urban and rural communities. The differences between urban and rural communities in these four countries are all less than 10 percentage points. But in most countries, the urban-rural technological divide is far more pronounced. The most drastic difference between urban and rural communities is in Sierra Leone: While 83% of urban Sierra Leoneans have cellphones of their own, only about a third of rural Sierra Leoneans do. In several other countries -- Ethiopia, Liberia, Congo-Kinshasa, Mali, Guinea and Madagascar -- the urban-rural divide in cellphone ownership is nearly as large, with gaps ranging from 30 to 46 points between the two types of communities. Bottom Line In myriad ways, cellphone technology continues to transform the manners in which Africans live and contribute to their local economies. But the disparities in cellphone ownership illustrate how many countries and communities are not yet fully benefiting from new technology, and the need for better access -- especially in rural communities. Mobile phone technology has great potential for Africa's future, as it precludes the need to establish and maintain expensive landline infrastructure. Increased cellphone access not only could benefit the lives and financial well-being of millions of Africans, but also could serve as a springboard to the United Nations' goal of reducing the barriers and costs of remittance transactions. Gallup finds that sub-Saharan Africans who own a cellphone are much more likely to have sent money or goods to others in the past 12 months, suggesting that their access to a phone makes the process of sending remittances easier, both logistically and economically. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results are based on face-to-face interviews with at least 1,000 adults, aged 15 and older, conducted in 2015 in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo-Kinshasa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Zimbabwe. For results based on the total sample of national adults in each country, the margin of sampling error ranges from 3.4 percentage points to 3.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. Story Highlights 14% of Americans have a favorable view of Iran 30% of Americans approve; 57% disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal 9% of Republicans approve of deal versus 51% of Democrats WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Iran's long-standing negative image in the U.S. remains unchanged, even as the deal designed to limit Iran's nuclear program has come into effect. Fourteen percent of Americans say they have a favorable view of Iran, essentially unchanged from a 2015 poll conducted before the nuclear deal was finalized but just a hair above the 11% average favorable rating the country has received over Gallup's 27-year trend. Iran was once a close U.S. ally, when the former was ruled by the autocratic Shah, but the 1979 Iranian Revolution birthed a "new" Iran, one ruled by a theocratic government and guided by staunchly anti-American convictions. The protracted U.S. hostage crisis that stemmed from the revolution undoubtedly sullied Iran's image in many Americans' minds. When Gallup began polling about Iran's favorable ratings in 1989, 5% said they saw the country favorably, a rating that would only modestly improve in the ensuing years. Iran's highest favorable rating of 17% was recorded in 2004, when the U.S. occupied Iraq, the two countries' common enemy. These results are based on a Gallup poll conducted Feb. 3-7. Iran also retains its position as one of the least popular countries and territories of the 21 that Gallup measures on an annual basis. Only Syria and North Korea have lower favorable ratings this year, at 12% and 8%, respectively. Republicans Most Negative Toward Iran Republicans, Democrats and independents all view Iran unfavorably, but Republicans' views are the most negative. Currently, 4% of Republicans rate Iran very or mostly favorably, compared with 18% of Democrats and 19% of independents. Independents' views of Iran are more positive than last year, but Republicans' and Democrats' opinions are basically unchanged. Three in 10 Americans Approve of Iran Nuclear Agreement One clear reason that the Iran nuclear deal has done nothing to bolster Iran's image in the U.S. is that most Americans don't approve of the agreement. Nearly twice as many Americans disapprove of the deal as approve, 57% versus 30%. Fourteen percent have no opinion. Approval of the Iran nuclear deal varies significantly by party. Just 9% of Republicans approve of the deal negotiated by the Obama administration, compared with 30% of independents and 51% of Democrats. In stark contrast to Americans' views of the nuclear deal, Gallup has found that a clear majority of Iranian adults are optimistic about it. More than two-thirds of Iranians believe their national leaders negotiated a good deal for their country. And 51% of Iranians believe the deal will improve Iranian-U.S. relations -- a hope that seems bleak, given Americans' still-dismal views of Iran. Americans nonetheless implicitly agree with the Obama administration's overarching aim in negotiating this deal, namely, stopping Iran from producing nuclear weapons. But the reaching of and the implementation of the agreement appear to have done little to assuage Americans' concerns about Iranian nuclear weapons. Three-quarters of U.S. adults say the potential development of nuclear weapons by Iran represents a critical threat to the vital interests of the U.S. in the next 10 years. This is nearly equivalent to the 77% who answered similarly last year, prior to the finalization of the deal in July 2015. Only when it comes to international terrorism do more Americans see this as a critical threat than Iran's possible production of nuclear weapons, across 12 existing or emerging threats Gallup tested. Of Americans who consider the development of Iranian nuclear weapons a "critical" threat, 23% approve of the Iran deal. For those who say the development of such weapons is an important but not critical threat or not important at all, 53% approve of the nuclear deal. Bottom Line Last month was a historic one for Iran -- the International Atomic Energy Agency officially verified that Iran has taken significant steps to curtail its nuclear program. With this verdict, Iran is freed from the devastating effects of international economic sanctions. Iran is already re-engaging the global economy; the country shipped its first oil to Europe in the post-sanctions era several days ago. Additionally, the U.S. waived some sanctions against Iran, allowing the latter to rejoin the international financial system. But these milestones notwithstanding, Gallup's data suggest that American perceptions' of Iran have not changed. Iran retains its spot as one of the least popular countries in the eyes of U.S. adults. Congressional Republicans' fierce opposition to the nuclear deal, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's disapproval, may have helped shape the sour national mood on this issue. But whatever the cause of Americans' skepticism, it may take years of demonstrated Iranian compliance with the terms of the deal before most U.S. adults come around to the agreement, if they ever do. Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Feb. 3-7, 2016, with a random sample of 1,021 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how Gallup Poll Social Series works. Story Highlights 25% of Illinois residents confident in state government North Dakota residents most confident, at 81% Residents in larger states have less confidence, on average PRINCETON, N.J. -- One in four Illinois residents are confident in their state government, the lowest among the 50 states by a significant margin. Rhode Island (33%) and Connecticut (39%) join Illinois as states with less than 40% government confidence. North Dakota residents are the most trusting; 81% say they are confident in their state government. These results are based on Gallup's 50-state poll, conducted March through December 2015. Gallup asked respondents whether they do or do not have confidence in their state's "government in general." The full data for each state appear at the end of this article. Illinoisans' lack of confidence likely stems from the state's long history of political corruption, with several recent governors having been found guilty of crimes. The state is also in the midst of an eight-month-long impasse over the 2016 state budget between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic legislature. Corruption and challenging economic times likely contribute to other states ranking among the least confident in their government. Louisiana, like Illinois, is renowned for corruption in politics, and many of the other lower-confidence states have had high-ranking elected officials convicted of crimes in recent years. There is a strong positive relationship between residents' ratings of their state's economy and their confidence in state government. In addition to Illinois, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Kansas all rank among the states in which residents are the least positive about their state's economy. North Dakota, Utah, Minnesota and Nebraska are four states in which residents rate their state's economy positively and express high confidence in their state government. Gallup also conducted a 50-state poll in 2013, which included a question asking respondents how much "trust and confidence" they have in the government of their state to handle "state problems." Despite the differences in question wording between the 2013 and 2015 polls, there is much overlap between the top-ranking states and bottom-ranking states in the two studies. Illinois residents also had the least trust in their state government in 2013, with Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Louisiana among the lowest as well. North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah and Nebraska ranked among the states with the highest levels of trust in their government in 2013, just as they do in the current study. State Size a Factor in Government Confidence Gallup's 2013 analysis of state trust in government found a negative relationship between state population size and trust in government, meaning residents in less populous states tended to have greater confidence in their state government than those living in states that are more populous. That relationship is also apparent in the current data. An average of 64% of residents in the smallest 10 states have confidence in their state government, compared with an average of 51% confidence among residents in the 10 largest states. More populous states contain a mix of urban and rural areas and a more diverse population financially, including areas with high concentrations of poverty. Thus, these states likely have greater challenges in delivering needed services to residents than do smaller states, which tend to have more homogeneous populations. On a regional basis, residents in Western states tend to express the highest confidence in their state governments, largely because no Western states rank among the lowest states while Wyoming, Utah and Montana are among the states with the most confidence in government. The Midwest's average score is held down by Illinois' low level of trust, but the Midwest still ranks second among regions at 58%. The East has the lowest average confidence score, as it is home to five of the states where residents have the lowest confidence in their state government. Politics Not Strongly Related to Trust The Illinois budget impasse is an example of the political gridlock that can ensue when states have a governor and legislature of opposing political parties that fail to find common ground on pressing state issues. In general, however, divided party government or unified party government has little relation to confidence in state government. On average, 58% of residents in states in which the same political party controls the governorship and both houses of the state legislature have confidence in their state government, compared with 55% of those in states in which party control of the government is divided. Similarly, there is little difference in confidence in government depending on whether the governor of the state is a Republican or a Democrat. Average confidence is 58% in states led by a Republican chief executive and 55% in states led by a Democrat. Confidence is higher, on average, in the 22 states that have a Republican governor and GOP majority in both houses of the legislature (60%) than in the seven states that have a Democratic governor and Democratic majority in both houses (52%). The Democratic state average is held down by Rhode Island and Connecticut. Delaware (65%) and Vermont (60%) are two Democratic-controlled states with higher confidence. Many of the Republican-controlled states are less populous states such as Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota. Implications In all representative forms of government, residents of a city, state or nation elect officials to conduct business and pass policies on their behalf, for the betterment of all residents. Trust in elected officials is essential to making the system work, but it is severely lacking in many U.S. states. Given the strong relationship between residents' perceptions of their state's economic health and their confidence in state government, some of the states with less confidence could see that turn around if economic conditions in the state improve. And by the same token, states that have higher trust in their government could see that erode if the state's economy worsens, something that bears watching in energy-producing states like Wyoming and North Dakota, where residents are less optimistic about the direction their economy is headed. In other states, particularly those with a long history of corruption such as Illinois and Louisiana, there may be cultural or institutional hurdles to overcome, and it may take more than an improving economy to engender confidence in those states' elected officials. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted March 30-Dec. 22, 2015, with random samples of approximately 500 adults, aged 18 and older, living in each of the 50 U.S. states. Data are weighted to account for unequal selection probability, nonresponse and double coverage of landline and cellphone users in the two sampling frames. Data are also weighted to state estimates of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education and phone status (cellphone only, landline only, both, and cellphone mostly). For results based on the total sample of adults in each state, the margin of sampling error is 6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each state sample includes roughly 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. gamershell.com expired on 08/21/2022 and is pending renewal or deletion. Backorder Domain A Pinch of Salt: To vote now or to vote later that is the question Painter Thomas Kinkade, who characterized himself as a painter of light and gained fame for his pastoral scenes, died in 2012, but his family and friends have envisioned a way for his legacy to live on through his remaining artwork. The Kinkade Family Foundation and foundation board member Charles Chuck Kelley will exhibit a collection of the artists unseen original pieces and the creative process behind them at Oregon State Universitys Giustina Gallery starting on Tuesday. What Will Last is the first public showcase of Kinkades work put on by the foundation since he passed. The exhibit was facilitated by Kelley, a mid-valley artist who has been featured in the gallery before. Kelley is a pastor and founder of the nonprofit organization Bridge Builders International, based out of Philomath. He met Thomas Kinkade and his wife, Nanette, in 2003, when Kelley spoke at a church in San Jose. Kinkade, who was involved in many charitable organizations, wanted to contribute to Kelleys outreach efforts in Latvia and also wanted to go there to paint. The Kinkade family traveled to Latvia, where they visited orphanages and held an art camp, Kelley said. During the trip, the two became friends. Kelley said Kinkades humanitarian heart was evident. I was inspired to learn to paint by hanging out with Thom for a week, and at age 50, I began that quest, he said. When Kelley proposed a Thomas Kinkade exhibition at Giustina Gallery to curator Tina Green-Price, she had reservations. Green-Price said the gallery does not do one-person shows, and mostly focuses on Willamette Valley artists. We really feel like we are a community gallery, so artists in our community have an opportunity to show, she added. Besides, its not as as if reproductions of Kinkades work havent enjoyed popularity well beyond traditional art circles. But Kelley was pitching something different than a show of Kinkades greatest hits: He was pitching a Kinkade exhibit that displayed original art and focused more on the artists humanitarian side rather than the commercial one. That appealed to the gallery, Green-Price said. The collection includes 43 pieces, 41 of which are Kinkade originals selected by Nanette and her daughters Merritt, Chandler, Winsor and Everett. It presents the evolution of Kinkades sketches from pencil, ink and watercolor into the detailed studio pieces he is famous for, including The Bridge of Faith. Merritt, the eldest daughter, says the foundation mission is to share her fathers art collection in new ways that shed light on who he was as an artist and a man. She said the exhibit is in three segments. The first segment features the humanitarian inspiration for Kinkades art, whether the works were for a fundraiser or pieces he did to support an organization, Merritt said. Since were working with Chuck Kelley, theres five pieces that Thom did while our family was in Latvia, she said. That leads up to two originals of Winsor Kinkade that are from a trip our foundation went on to Peru in December. Winsor, a junior studying art and communications at the University of San Francisco, paints landscape images and finds, as did her father, that humanitarian efforts inspire the art, Merritt said. The second segment is Kinkades European plein air paintings, which show his creative process, and a different style of his work. His plein air work is just gorgeous, Green-Price said, This will give people a different view of him. The last segment is plein air, studio pieces and sketches that highlight San Francisco, the familys hometown. Giustina Gallery will host an artists reception on Wednesday, March 9, and the Kinkade family plans to attend. The evening includes a music and art presentation titled Crescendo of Color, in which Winsor will paint, while Latvian pianist Reinis Zarins accompanies her on piano. Zarins will perform a concert the following night at Austin Auditorium for a Bridge Builders International fundraising banquet. Nannette Kinkade will speak at the reception with a presentation called The Hidden N: Living with the Painter of Light. The main theme of What Will Last is basically what has remained after Thoms passing and what is living on, Merritt said. Our hope, says Greg Anderson, half of the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo, with everything we do is that well excite and energize audiences of all types. Its not unusual for classical musicians to make similar statements but a quick look at the program the duo has on tap for a Sunday concert in Corvallis suggests that the duo is serious about the claim. Sure, the program includes classical selections Mozart and Busonis Duettino Concertante, Schuberts Ava Maria, Ravels La Valse, Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Virtuoso Hungarian Dance No. 5 but youll also see some pieces that dont often get played inside the concert hall: Daft Punks Lose Yourself to Dance, for example, or Michael Jacksons Billie Jean, or What a Wonderful World, all arranged for the duos two-piano attack. Its the sort of risk-taking that has characterized the duos work since Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe met in 2000 as freshmen at Juilliard, and it shows not just in the duos repertoire, but in its appearances and frequent video work. The Anderson & Roe Duo almost certainly is the only classical music ensemble to have appeared both on public radios Performance Today and MTVs Total Request Live. And, in fact, the groups most recent video, posted on its website, www.andersonroe.com, is a two-piano arrangement of Taylor Swifts Shake It Off. Despite the range of music on the program for Sunday, concertgoers will notice a dance theme running through the selections, Anderson said in a recent telephone interview with The E. The Daft Punk selection, for example, is Lose Yourself to Dance. Jacksons moonwalk, of course, was a trademark of Billie Jean. Ravels La Valse, of course, is dance music for the destruction of society. I think all music tends to stem from the idea of dance, Anderson said. And that certainly applies to the three pieces on the program from Astor Piazzolla, music that Anderson called extremely spicy and seductive and dangerous. The dangerous part applies as well when Anderson and Roe perform one of the pieces in four-handed mode that is to say, with the two pianists at the same piano. Anderson still recalls a time during one of those four-handed performances when his elbow caught his partner full in the face. I said, Im so sorry, do you want to stop? I mean, my elbow hurts. Roe did not want to stop. The concert continued. Its that kind of moment although, preferably, one without injury that keeps the duo energized for live performances. We love the thrill and surprise of a live concert, Anderson said. People dont know what to expect. That (moment) might only happen once. We have to find new ways to keep them on the edge of their seats. Hopefully, we have a lot of ideas. Oregon State University has received a $400,000 grant that it will use to study how to assist students who are English learners and also have disabilities. OSU received the grant from the Chicago-based Spencer Foundation. The OSU project will be led by Karen Thompson, an assistant professor in the College of Eudcation. The grant will help the university continue work it began in 2012 when it established the Oregon English Learner Alliance. The alliance works in a partnership with the Oregon Department of Education. The number of English language learners in Oregon has grown dramatically during the past 20 years, and 30 percent of those who have not yet reached English proficiency also qualify for special education services. That has implications for English learner education as well as for special education services, which are open quite separate, Thompson said. Ultimately we have to partner with districts to design and pilot new tools for this group of students. One possible solution Thompson and others are trying is to initiate a dual language program to prepare teachers to teach content in two languages. The Spencer Foundation money is the second such grant OSU has received to work on the issue. In July 2014 the university received grant funding of more than $400,000, which included $399,000 from the federal Department of Education and $29,000 from WestEd, a nonprofit research agency. The earlier grant funding expires July 31. Aug. 15, 1931 Feb. 6, 2016 Edna McCall Schultz of Corvallis passed away on Saturday, Feb. 6, after a brief illness. Edna was born in Silverton to Edna (Steen) and H. Gordon McCall. She was the youngest of three children. As a young girl, her family moved to Portland. In 1949, Edna graduated from U.S. Grant High School and in 1953 she received her degree in education from Pacific Lutheran College (now PLU) in Tacoma, Washington. After graduation she taught in the Portland school system for three years. In 1954, while on a train going to Tacoma, she met H. Wayne Schultz, a young soldier returning to Fort Lewis from Portland. The following year they married and moved to Iowa City, Iowa, for Wayne to complete his graduate studies at State University of Iowa (now UI). While living there, daughters Linda and Karen were born. In 1959, Wayne was employed by the Oregon State University School of Pharmacy and they moved to Corvallis, where their third daughter, Meg, was born. A few years later, Edna returned to teaching. She taught at Philomath Elementary School until both she and Wayne retired in 1991. During those years they enjoyed traveling with family and friends through much of the United States. Post-retirement, Edna and Wayne continued their U.S. adventures and added many international destinations. After Waynes passing in 2008, Edna cherished frequent travels to Mexico and Hawaii with her daughters. Survivors include Linda and Peter Sekermestrovich, Karen Rasmussen Lee and Ron Lee, Meg Aulerich, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one cat, Kit. A private graveside service will be held at Oak Lawn Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Lutheran Church Foundation, marked for Schultz Family Youth Fund. Please leave your thoughts and memories for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com. This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise. Corvallis Police Department SUNDAY, FEB. 14 BAR FIGHT: 12:52 a.m., 1425 N.W. Monroe Ave. Officers responded to the Impulse Bar and later arrested and charged Hunter Nelson, 21, of Corvallis with disorderly conduct after he allegedly punched a bouncer in the back of the head. FRIDAY, FEB. 12 DISORDERLY CONDUCT: 2:49 p.m., 2655 N.W. Aspen St. Officers responded to a report of a fight at a home and allegedly found Marty Dorland, 51, no address given; Faustina Dougherty, 48, no address given; Mathew Rosen, 32, no address given; and Sean Mogg, 35, of Corvallis, fighting in the front yard. All four were charged with disorderly conduct and booked into the Benton County Jail. Dorland was later transported to the hospital after reportedly smashing his face into the cage in the back of the patrol car. DUII: 6:08 a.m., 3600 block of Northwest Witham Hill Drive. Lukas Victor Steirer, 21, of West Linn was arrested and charged with DUII after officers reportedly found his truck crashed into a telephone pole on the side of the road. Steirer reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent. THURSDAY, FEB. 4 DOMESTIC ASSAULT: 4:59 p.m., 2000 block of Northwest Van Buren Avenue. A woman reported that Dustin Michael Houghton, 27, address not given, kicked her in the back of her leg and pushed her against the wall during an argument. The woman also reported that Houghton had, on a separate occasion, choked her, slapped her and punched her in the face during a previous domestic dispute. Houghton was later arrested and charged with strangulation, fourth-degree assault, harassment and attempted fourth-degree assault. In case you werent paying attention, heres a brief summary of what happened Monday in the Oregon House of Representatives: Representatives themselves took turns reading the full text of proposed bills, to fulfill the requirements of a rarely invoked constitutional rule that each bill be read in its entirety before lawmakers can vote on the measures. (The House could have suspended that requirement with a two-thirds vote, but Republican legislators, angry over how Democratic leaders are pushing through major policy initiatives during this short session, declined to provide the necessary votes.) It took three hours on Monday, for example, to get through the 51 relatively noncontroversial pages of House Bill 4014, which would allow out-of-state businesses to enter Oregons growing marijuana industry by removing a two-year residency requirement. The House approved that measure on a 48-11 vote. Oh: Did we mention that the House also read and passed the 18 pages of House Bill 4036, a measure that would make sweeping changes to Oregons energy policy by eliminating coal power in Oregon by 2030 and doubling the states renewable energy standard by 2040? But, you know, it was near the end of the day, and representatives didnt have much time to debate a bill that would affect every resident of Oregon. This is the same bill that was negotiated behind closed doors by representatives of Oregons utilities and environmental groups. Utilities were worried about the prospects of a possible ballot measure this November that could have presented even more aggressive goals; in essence, Pacific Power executives told us recently, the company felt it needed more time and flexibility to make the transition away from coal power than the ballot measure would have allowed. We also can understand how Pacific Power would want to avoid a campaign in which radio and TV ads would constantly try to link the company with dirty coal. But at least one representative admitted on Monday that he didnt understand the bill, and were confident he wasnt the only one. Maybe the Senate will offer additional opportunities for understanding. Perhaps the Senate will be able to discover how much more Oregonians will pay for power under the bill and whether it will have any appreciable impact on Oregon emissions of greenhouse gases; both, to some extent, are still open questions. But if this is what legislative leaders mean when they say they need to occasionally use these short sessions to tackle complex matters to keep potentially harmful ballot measures at bay, well, we have to start wondering whether we wouldnt be better off with the heat and dust of an election campaign. At least then those of us who dont have the luxury of having bills read to us would have adequate time to actually read and research the proposal on our own. Dr. Ray, as Oregon State University president, thank you for taking responsibility for the many consequences of the 21 percent increase in students since 2010. Yes, your mindless pursuit of increased enrollment caused this mess. It is your responsibility to solve the problems. If you are serious, take these steps. First, cap the number of students at 24,000 right now. Second, recognize that students need to be housed on campus to reduce the ever-rising, huge, adverse, impacts on our city. The disturbance, traffic and parking can all be ameliorated best by on-campus housing that is attractive to students. It should be beautiful, functional, imaginative, sustainable architecture. Keep the enrollment cap on until this attractive housing is completed. Undergraduates who choose to live on campus should be rewarded with lower tuition rates. LAS VEGAS When rancher Cliven Bundy faces a federal judge in Oregon on Tuesday, it wont be because he is accused with his sons of having a hand in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife preserve that ended last week. Instead, the 69-year-old patriarch will be answering charges stemming from a 2014 armed standoff that forced federal officials to release cattle being rounded up near his Nevada ranch. Bundy is the first to face charges in what some advocates hailed as a victory in the fight to turn over federal land to state control. U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden in Las Vegas isnt saying why it took so long to arrest the elder Bundy. He has said only that the investigation is continuing. Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said there could be many behind-the-scenes reasons for the arrest. Negotiations, investigations, safety concerns, administrative concerns, Levenson said. There could be an ongoing investigation that could include a grand jury. They could have been waiting for the safest time, the most opportune time. Bundy was taken into custody last Wednesday as he stepped off a plane at Portland International Airport. Family members said he was on his way to visit his sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, who are jailed and accused of organizing the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that lasted nearly six weeks. They had demanded public lands be turned over to locals. Cliven Bundy is charged in the Nevada case with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapon use and possession, extortion to interfere with commerce, and aiding and abetting. If convicted of all six charges, he could spend the rest of his life in federal prison and face more than $1 million in fines. Officials wont say if a grand jury has been hearing evidence in the Nevada standoff. But additional arrests are widely expected. Bundy and his sons could still be indicted. The criminal complaint refers to at least four co-conspirators, but not by name. It accuses Bundy of unlawfully directing them and more than 200 followers to stop federal agents and contract cowboys who were trying to enforce a court order to round up about 400 Bundy cattle. Federal authorities said two years ago that Bundy owed more than $1.1 million in fees and penalties for letting cows graze illegally for decades on public land near his ranch. An updated accounting has not been made, a Bureau of Land Management spokesman said last week. Bundy asked for a court-appointed attorney at his first hearing last week, but the judge said she wanted to see financial documents first. Its a complicated case, and collecting evidence has likely been painstaking work, with results presented in secret to a grand jury, said Richard Pocker, a former U.S. attorney in Nevada. Theyve probably been working up to this by talking to a lot of people who showed up as followers, and making deals and trying to get cooperating witnesses, Pocker said. Its really hard to get folks in these movements to cooperate with a grand jury. Pocker won convictions in 1987 of five members of an anti-government group accused of threatening the lives of Internal Revenue Service agents and a Nevada state judge. He is not connected with the Bundy case. Pocker said federal prosecutors will want strong evidence, because the case is likely to reach trial. Defendants with a political message may find trial is an opportunity to talk about their credo, Pocker said. But no matter how they wrap it up in constitutional dressing, the underlying crimes are serious crimes. Global minded NGO : Bonn and Germanwatch celebrate 25 years Partnerschaft: From left to right: Karsten Sach, Udo Schluter, Klaus Milke, Ingrid Hoven, Ashok Sridharan und Richard Kinley. Foto: Barbara Frommann Bonn Bonn and Germanwatch gathered to celebrate 25 years of partnership. The NGO promotes global equity. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken About 200 guest from the political, scientific and economic scene gathered yesterday to celebrate the long-standing partnership of Bonn and Germanwatch, an NGO which promotes global equity. Mayor Ashok Sridharan said all governments, societies and nations must pull together to implement the sustainable development agenda set in the climate conferences in Paris and New York. Speaking in the old City Hall, Sridharan said, Germanwatch and Bonn this has always been a win-win situation. Since 1991 when the organization was founded, they have contributed to Bonn becoming a city which promotes sustainability. They have been partners with the city in symposiums and exhibitions and the annual United Nations Day. The Mayor thanked the NGO for all of its efforts and work in the past years. Klaus Milke, the CEO of Germanwatch said he was pleased that the city valued their efforts and that the NGO has always felt at home in Bonn. He said the NGO was established 25 years ago when they felt the need to monitor Germanys role in the world since it was now unified and even bigger than before. Today, their motto is Observing, Analysing, Acting for global equity and the preservation of livelihoods. Germanwatch also has an office in Berlin. Fire in Troisdorf : Major fire at the Harry Brot bakery Foto: Jens Kleinert Troisdorf Harry Brot, a big bread maker in the region burst into flames Tuesday evening when a fire broke out in the oil supply room. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Smoke detectors set off an alarm at the Harry Brot (Harry Bread) bakery at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday evening as firefighters were called to the scene. When they arrived, they saw huge flames over the production hall. Apparently, the fire broke out in a room housing the oil container, with 4,000 liters of oil. The oil supply was used to fuel the production line. Workers were evacuated from the building and no injuries were reported. All fire trucks in the area were called to the scene. More than ten fire vehicles were on sight with 180 firefighters. The heat was so intense that firefighters couldnt gain access to the area at first. It took one and a half hours to get the flames under control. By 9:15 p.m., the fire was completely extinguished. Harry Brot bakes and delivers bread to numerous bakery branches in Bonn and Rhine-Sieg county. It is not yet known how high the damage costs will run. Investigators are looking into the exact cause of the fire. Binational marriages : One of nine marriages in Germany is binational Bonn Marrying across nations and cultures is a growing trend. One out of nine marriages in Germany is binational. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Statistics of the German federal office showed that every ninth marriage in 2014 was binational with an upward trend. German women preferred partners from Turkey, Italy and the U.S. while German men tended to be married to women from Poland, Turkey and other east European and Asian countries. Of the marriages in 2014, 85.9 percent were between German couples and 14.1 percent between bi-national pairs. Divorce rates were higher in German-German marriages than in binational marriages with around 90.5 percent of divorces being between German couples and 11.4 percent of divorces between binational couples. Stefan Raffelsieper and his wife Alma de la Cruz are just one example of a bi-national couple in Bonn. The German man and his Colombian wife met as Erasmus students in Bilbao, Spain. She said it helps that her husband speaks very good Spanish and understands her culture. She has also learned the German language thoroughly. A cultural difference that Raffelsieper finds a bit difficult is that the man always has the last say in South America and he doesnt want that for himself. For her, it is still gnawing when she sees plates being left completely empty at the end of a meal. In her culture, the polite thing to do is leave a little on your plate. Caritas leads a discussion group for binational parents to help them overcome the unique challenges they face. Sofia Sombra de Longwitz leads these groups and says she hears often that people feel as though they have lost a part of their identities when they come to Germany because they have tried so hard to blend in here. She says everyone has the right to their own identity and growing up with two cultures is a benefit for children. They can automatically learn two languages when their parents expose them to both in a regular fashion. When it comes to child-rearing, it is difficult for de la Cruz to let their son, Luis run around on his own outside. The dangers of Bogota live in her mind and she feels the need to protect her child. The compromise: dad accompanies Luis to the playground. Discussion rounds for binational parents are offered at Caritas regularly, involving four sessions. They are free of charge and held at Hans-Iwand-Strae 7. Child care is also offered. (0228) 223088. Asked if any of the sessions were conducted in English, GA English was told the sessions were mainly in German and the discussion leader speaks Spanish as well. Russia to Supply China With Nine Multirole Helicopters Sputnik News 12:50 16.02.2016(updated 12:52 16.02.2016) Russia and China have signed a deal on the supply of seven Russian-made Kamov Ka-32A11BC and two Mil Mi-171E choppers, the Russian Helicopters company said Tuesday. SINGAPORE (Sputnik) According to Russian Helicopters, the multirole Ka-32A11BC is perfectly suited for China's densely-populated cities and its varying climate. It can operate in both urban areas and hard-to-reach mountainous and forested regions, as well as having the capability to land on small vessels and unprepared terrain. 'China is one of the biggest operators of Russian helicopters, and Chinese companies are traditional and important strategic partners of our holding company in the Asia-Pacific region,' Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev was cited by the company as saying. The Fire Department of the Qingdao Public Safety Department in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong will receive the first two Kamov helicopters with a firefighting modification in 2016. Two more Ka-32A11BCs will be supplied later this year to the Chinese company Jiangsu Baoli, followed by another two in 2017. Easy Best Group will receive one Ka-32A11BC. The China General Aviation Service company will be supplied with two multirole Mi-171s, also this year. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 16, 2016) - Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:ANZ) ("Alianza" or the "Company") announces that it has sold its three Mexican properties to Almadex Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:AMZ) ("Almadex") for a 1% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR"). Jason Weber, President and CEO of Alianza stated, "With the sale of our Mexican properties to Almadex, a company with great experience in exploring in Mexico, Alianza streamlines costs while remaining focussed on our early stage and generative projects in Peru, Yukon, and Nevada." The three properties sold to Almadex are the Yago, Mezquites and San Pedro properties. In return, the Company will receive a 1% NSR which is capped at $1 million. About Alianza Minerals Ltd. Alianza increases the chances of success in mineral exploration by using the "Prospect Generator" business model, focussing on gold and copper exploration in Latin America and Nevada. The Company has 13.8 million shares issued and outstanding, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE:ANZ). Mr. Jason Weber, BSc, P.Geo., Alianza's President and CEO is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. TSX: GPR NYSE MKT: GPL VANCOUVER, Feb. 17, 2016 /CNW/ - Great Panther Silver Ltd. (TSX: GPR) (NYSE MKT: GPL; "Great Panther", the "Company") announces a ten-day extension of the due date for the next option payment on its Guadalupe de los Reyes ("GDLR") Project in Sinaloa, Mexico. Great Panther holds an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the GDLR Project from a subsidiary of Vista Gold Corp. ("Vista"). Further to the initial one-month extension announced on December 23, 2015, Great Panther and Vista have agreed to extend the date of the current US$1.5 million option payment from February 15 to February 25, 2016. The extension is intended to allow Vista time to review the interpretation of the 2015 drill program that is being used for the purpose of preparing an updated Mineral Resource Estimate and an internal economic evaluation. ABOUT GREAT PANTHER Great Panther Silver Ltd. is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE MKT trading under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned mining operations in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex, which includes the San Ignacio Mine, and the Topia Mine in Durango. The Company holds a two-year option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Coricancha Mine Complex in the central Andes of Peru and holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the advanced stage Guadalupe de los Reyes Project in Sinaloa, Mexico. Robert Archer President & CEO CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's plans for production at its Guanajuato and Topia Mines in Mexico, exploring its other properties in Mexico, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risks involving the Company's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, physical risks inherent in mining operations, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of silver, gold and base metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2014 and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. SOURCE Great Panther Silver Ltd. SHARE By Joseph Pisani Ap Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) Headed overseas for summer vacation? Its easy to get hit with extra fees and expensive exchange rates when switching currencies. Some currency exchange tables in airports and tourist areas offer bad rates, taking more of your money. And some credit cards and banks can add fees when you buy something with your card. Your best bet is to bring a credit card that doesnt charge currency exchange fees and some cash for backup. Most purchases should be done on the credit card, says James Gambaccini, a certified financial planner at Acorn Financial Services. Thats because credit cards offer fraud protection. If you lose cash, or it gets stolen, you wont get it back. Lost credit cards, or fraudulent charges, are easily replaced or fixed, says Gambaccini. Walking around with a money belt and a large amount of cash is not relevant anymore, he says. Here are five tips to maximize your dollars: 1. GET AN APP Before boarding the plane, download a currency converting app on a smartphone you plan to use on vacation. You can open up the app to see if youre getting a good deal when exchanging money. With the apps, you type in the amount you want to exchange and it will calculate a figure in the new currency. There are several free ones to choose from, including XE Currency and GlobeConvert. 2. ASK BEFORE YOU EXCHANGE Be wary of currency exchange places that say they dont charge fees or advertise really good exchange rates. Dont trust it, says Stan McGahey, an international tourism professor at Saint Leo University in Florida. Often, they will offer you a worse exchange rate to make up for the low fees or have caveats that they dont advertise. Instead of just handing them your money, ask how much you would get for the amount you want to exchange first, McGahey says. That way you will know exactly what youre getting. And always do currency exchanges in the country youre visiting. Youre likely to get a better rate than if you do the exchange at home, McGahey says. 3. FIND THE RIGHT CARD Get a credit card that doesnt charge a foreign exchange fee. Some will charge a 2 percent to 3 percent fee for every purchase made with a foreign currency, says Matt Schulz, a senior analyst at credit card comparison site CreditCards.com. There are many that dont. You can find a list of them on websites such as CreditCardInsider.com, CreditCards.com or Bankrate.com. Not sure if your card charges a fee? Call and ask. If you dont have a fee-free card, it may be worth applying for one, says John Ganotis, founder of credit card comparison site CreditCardInsider.com. As long as youre not charging more than you can afford to pay, it could be a better deal than exchanging cash. Most credit cards designed for travelers let you earn benefits, such as miles or points to use for a future trip, Ganotis says. Another benefit: credit cards often will offer exchange rates that are an average over the past month. That could be helpful if you are traveling to place where the currency is volatile, including some South American countries, Gambaccini says. (Incidentally, you should call your credit card company before traveling to let it know where you are going. If the credit card company doesnt know youre traveling, it could think it is being used fraudulently and temporarily block your card from making charges.) 4. SAY NO TO HOTEL EXCHANGES If a hotel or another business asks if you want them to convert the bill into American dollars for you, decline. The exchange rate can be bad, Gambaccini says. Instead, let the hotel bill you in the countrys currency and let your credit card do the exchange. 5. CHECK OUT CHECKING ACCOUNTS As with credit cards, make sure your bank doesnt charge foreign exchange fees if you plan to use a debit card. Some may charge a flat fee for using a foreign ATM on top of a percentage for currency exchanges. Checking accounts at online banks, such as Capital One 360 and Charles Schwab Bank, dont charge foreign transaction fees. Call your bank and ask if youre not sure if they charge fees. Personal finance website NerdWallet.com publishes a list of banks that dont charge fees. SHARE By Perry Flippin After 41 years, Houston McCoy of Menard will return Thursday as Austin's City Council honors his heroism during the darkest episode in the history of the University of Texas campus. "It wasn't me alone," the 67-year-old ex-policeman said last week in a telephone interview from the home of his daughter in Copperas Cove. "A lot of people were involved in stopping the killing." Indeed, McCoy's daughter, Monika, pressed the Austin City Council to present Distinguished Service Awards to 14 key participants ? some now deceased ? who braved Charles Whitman's deadly sniper fire from the 28th-floor observation deck Aug. 1, 1966. The council's action is intended to pay tribute to the brave officers and civilians who risked their lives to protect students and others in harm's way that day. McCoy, then 26, is credited with killing the former Marine sharpshooter, whose bloody rampage left 17 people dead, including Whitman, and 31 wounded. It has been conclusively determined that McCoy fired the fatal shot that ended Whitman's rampage. Both McCoy and fellow policeman Ramiro Martinez ? along with 12 other unsung heroes ? will receive awards and the city's thanks during ceremonies Thursday in Austin's council chambers, 301 W. 2nd St. For McCoy, a Menard native who returned home in 1973, memories of that dramatic day have never faded. He can still recount, almost minute-by-minute, how he drove to the north side of the university tower and listened to gunfire ricocheting around the Forty Acres. After conferring with other officers and civilians at the campus police station on Speedway, McCoy and four others were led through underground maintenance tunnels into the tower building. "I was the only one with a shotgun, so I led the others," McCoy recalled. The lawmen were still thinking an army of revolutionaries might be barricaded atop the tower. They found two people dead and two wounded in the hallway between the 27th and 28th floors. "When we got up there, I saw Officer Allen Crum and Officer Martinez," McCoy said, adding that Martinez was on his knees. Martinez tried to kick open a door to the observation deck, but it was blocked by a dolly. "Crum and I went out the south side," he continued. Martinez was kneeling next to the door on the south side. McCoy told Crum to stay by that door and shoot anything coming around the southwest corner. "When I turned back around, Martinez had disappeared," McCoy continued. "The only place he could be was the east side. "When I went around, he started crawling on all fours toward the northeast corner. I was with my back to the wall kinda hunched down, scooting one foot in front of the other about 3 inches from his feet. "His position allowed me to shoot over him without worrying about him being in the way." At the northeast corner, Martinez jumped out and rapidly fired all six shots he had. "While he was doing that, I was jumping outside of him, which put me to his right," McCoy said, adding that big light standards running down the parapet walls partially blocked his view. "I saw this head looking right at me with a white headband around it," he continued. "I just shot that white headband, and his head started bouncing. I didn't like the shot. I stood up a little taller and got better angle and fired again. "His head was still bouncing when I hit him in the left side. I hit him full in the face the first shot. "He kinda slithered down in slow motion and was laying on his back," McCoy said. Martinez grabbed McCoy's shotgun, stood beside the body and fired another round point-blank into the body of the 25-year-old shooter. "I got him! I got him! I got him!" Martinez exulted. With ground fire still ricocheting off the tower, McCoy directed another officer to notify the police dispatcher and announce to Austin's news media that the bloody siege was over. University of Texas officials dedicated a memorial pond in 1999. Family members of the victims organized a memorial service to pay their respects Wednesday on the 41st anniversary of the shooting. McCoy and his daughter came to pay their respects. Heroes Following are the names of people to receive Distinguished Service Awards during ceremonies Thursday in Austin, followed when applicable by the name of the person taking their place: * Officer Billy Paul Speed, the only peace officer slain Aug. 1, 1966. Jennie Speed Shone, widow. * Officer Phillip Conner of Austin, ex-Army medic administered first aid and covered the west window while officers went onto the observation deck. Phillip Conner Jr., son. * Officer Jerry Day of Universal City, moved a wounded victim out of the line of fire and went to the top of the tower alone. * Lt. Marion Lee, the gunner in the airplane piloted by Jim Boutwell. An Austin Police Department representative. * Officer Ramiro Martinez of New Braunfels, made his way onto the tower deck and was the first to spot and fire upon the sniper. * Officer Houston McCoy of Menard, fired the fatal shots into the sniper, thereby ending the UT Tower tragedy. * Officer Harold Moe of Marble Falls, was instrumental in saving the lives of two gunshot victims and used the only portable two-way radio to notify police that the siege was over. * Officer George Shepard, was instrumental in saving the lives of two gunshot victims. Vicky Shepard, widow. * Officer Milton Shoquist of Fair Oaks Ranch, was instrumental in saving the lives of two gunshot victims. * Department of Public Safety Agent W.A. "Dub" Cowan, made his way to the top of the tower and was instrumental in setting up communications and removing people from harm's way on the 27th floor. Kay Cowan, daughter. * Civilian Jim Boutwell, volunteered his airplane and piloted it slowly above the tower to gather information and to help subdue the sniper. Louise Boutwell, widow. * Civilian Allen Crum, first-floor supervisor of UT Co-op, made his way atop the UT Tower and, with Agent Cowan's weapon, assisted Officer Martinez and backed up Officer Day on the south side of the observation deck. Brian Jewell of the Co-op. * Civilian Frank Holder, elevator mechanic for Otis Elevator Co., led officers up the tower and assisted them in negotiating the stairs leading to the observation deck. Danny Holder and/or Frank Holder Jr., son. * Civilian William Wilcox, engineer for UT Physical Plant, led officers through the underground tunnels to safely enter the tower building, assist the wounded and subdue the sniper. John Wilcox, son. If you go - What: Presentation of Distinguished Service Awards. - Where: Austin City Council chambers, 301 W. 2nd St. - When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday - What else: Free parking in underground garage, entrance on Lavaca Avenue. - What else: Broadcast on Cable Channel 6 (in the Greater Austin area). On the Net Visit detailed accounts of the 1966 University of Texas tower shootings at: tsha.utexas.edu/ handbook/online/articles/WW/ fwh42.html. SHARE By Rashda Khan The Texas Business Women of San Angelo's candidate forum was well attended Tuesday. Each candidate had three minutes to share his or her platform, and then answered questions, including: What mandates are required by the state for the county to do? Ralph Hoelscher running for re-election as county commissioner of Precinct 1 answered, "Over 70 percent of our budget are state mandates." He named of some items, "all the courts, operating the jail, judges, providing indigent health care, appointed county lawyers and so much more." His opponent Willie Ruiz was asked what he'd do different from the long term incumbent. Ruiz answered: "I'd listen. I'd seek out the holes, seek out the areas that have been ignored." How old is the jail? Hoelscher answered that the jail was built in three different stages and that two of the oldest parts have been condemned by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the Commissioners Court has studied the issue and decided to build a new jail at a new location, while still continuing to use the remaining non-condemned portion of the jail. County Clerk Liz McGill, who was present at the forum, helped him narrow down the dates the oldest part was built in the 1970s, while the newest portion was completed in 2001. "To rebuild downtown it would have cost us $95 million, but to build on the county property we picked is costing half that, about $45 million," he said. "And we did not raise taxes." Is the Constitution a living document? The question was directed to the two candidates running for the 391st District Court. "I'm what you'd call a strict constructionist," said Carmen Symes Dusek. "I think if you follow the black and white letter of the law, it's fair to everyone." Her opponent Brad Goodwin said,"When I was a prosecutor I dealt a lot with the constitution because you're called to do justice, not just get convictions. You want someone who can read the black letters of the law and apply them to the facts of the case." Many took the opportunity afterward to ask Jeff Betty, the incumbent Republican Party Chair in Tom Green County, questions about the elections. "Remember we're not a closed primary state," he explained. "You can vote in the Republican primaries and still vote for a Democratic president or vice versa." There's plenty of blame to go around for the disaster in Flint, Mich. Officials at every level failed to do what they needed to do to protect the people of Flint. The result will be years, even decades, of suffering for thousands of families exposed to lead and other contaminants in the water. But while we can point to different people, different agencies and different moments in time when someone, somewhere, should have acknowledged or fixed the problem, what we need to identify is the fundamental root cause of the disaster.The poisoning of Flint's residents isn't some out-of-the-blue occurrence. It isn't a coincidence. It's a consequence of a governing philosophy that puts austerity first and people last. It's a consequence of letting our infrastructure crumble. It's a consequence of an economic ideology that regards public services as costly and unnecessary, as though a clean, healthy and safe community isn't the essential right of every citizen.From the day he took office, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder had his sights set on big cuts to public services. He gutted police budgets, health programs and schools. And one of his first cuts was to Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality, the very department charged with keeping drinking water safe. At the same time, he passed hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate tax cuts through the legislature. That, combined with cuts in revenue sharing, meant that local governments like Flint that depend on the state faced severe shortfalls.The result was inevitable: The city of Flint suffered a terrible tragedy because the governor of Michigan doesn't like government.The decision to temporarily switch to the Flint River for the city's water supply was a cost-cutting measure imposed by an unelected "emergency manager" appointed by Snyder. Whatever Flint saved will now cost the city and the state much more in emergency response, infrastructure improvements and damages for those affected for years to come. It's not just Michiganders who will pay the price; a likely federal bailout could put all American taxpayers on the hook for this costly experiment in austerity.The corroded pipes that leached lead into Flint's water supply have also corroded the trust that people nationwide have in their governments. That, too, is no coincidence, but a direct consequence -- and even a goal -- of that same philosophy of austerity.Politicians like Snyder come into office urging mistrust of government and a belief that it is fundamentally ill suited to the task of, well, governing. They then set out to prove their beliefs correct. Snyder used a combination of budget cuts, tax cuts and unelected emergency managers to render the governments of places like Flint ineffective. Then they suggest privatizing services like schools, prisons, and yes, even the water supply. But privatization doesn't make these services any more effective. It only serves to enrich the privateers.There are certain fundamental things we depend on government to provide in order to give all Americans a level playing field. We expect public schools to provide an education to every child. We expect safe roads so we can get from place to place. And when we turn on the tap, we assume the water that comes out is safe to drink. Instead, we have crumbling, moldy schools, bridges collapsing and water that poisons our children. In turn, Americans trust government less and less. It's the perfectly predictable result of our obsession with austerity.There's a better way. Instead of trying to cut our way to prosperity, we should focus on supporting and growing the middle class. Raising wages. Securing entitlements and the social safety net. Making sure Wall Street and big business don't continue to squeeze every last breath from workers for stagnant wages that buy less every year, while pocketing bigger and bigger profits. And spending what we need to spend to provide the infrastructure that enables our communities to be prosperous and safe.Anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist famously said he'd like government to be small enough to drown in a bathtub. With pro-austerity politicians like Rick Snyder in charge, you may not have to bother drowning the government. The water in the tub will already be poison. Top Ranked States in Each Category Every year, one out of every three dollars governments spend goes toward purchasing something -- from photo copier ink to new vehicle fleets -- to help provide services. This very large chunk of the budget would seem to make procurement the most obvious area to look for new ways to save taxpayer money. Yet for the billions spent every year in state procurement, many central offices have long remained mired in old techniques. Theyve been unable to take a big-picture view when it comes to spending, and theyve only dabbled in using data and new technology for more efficient purchasing.The examples of what can go wrong are many. Take Mississippi, which has a high reliance on no-bid contracts. In 2014, the commissioner of the Department of Corrections (DOC) resigned and became the subject of a federal investigation for allegedly taking $2 million in bribes in exchange for steering prison contracts to a former lawmaker. In Colorado, an audit last year found poor oversight of more than one-third of the contracts surveyed in the states health exchange. The lack of follow-through to make sure vendors were complying with contract requirements was partially responsible for more than $400,000 in questionable costs.When these problems make headlines, the response from lawmakers is usually swift and targeted. Last August, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant issued a pair of executive orders requiring more transparency when awarding contracts and requiring professional training for procurement officers in the DOC. While these legislative responses might tackle the specific problem at hand, such one-time fixes to procurement rules have led to a hodgepodge regulatory structure that makes sweeping overhauls daunting.On a grander scale, the bad publicity for procurement offices tends to reinforce old-fashioned ideas that have built a stagnated culture. Many states would rather stick with their established processes for soliciting and choosing vendors than initiate reforms that could raise the spectre of favoritism. They often choose to take the safe path rather than the best strategic path, says Old Dominion University professor and public procurement expert Stephen B. Gordon, because theyve been punished before and they could be punished again.For years, these factors have held a vise grip on the ways in which states buy things -- until now. Recent years have seen sweeping reforms in certain states, leading to greater purchasing flexibility, more attention on vendor performance, better tracking of how contracts are executed and new technology.While many states are slogging through the beginning stages of these reforms -- and some havent changed at all -- a handful are clearly ahead. In an in-depth survey over the past year, the Governing Institute assessed state purchasing processes and ranked 39 state procurement offices, weighing factors such as contract management and effective implementation of technology. ( View the survey's highlights here .)Six states stood out as top performers: Georgia, Virginia, Minnesota and Utah filled out the top four slots with Massachusetts and Ohio tied for fifth. What these states have in common is an effort that began more than a decade ago to modernize their technology and use it to introduce new ideas. Another common denominator was the full support of top-level officials, including governors, who viewed the procurement office as a place to advance the states goals rather than an enforcer that simply ensures the state is buying by the rules. As other states across the country are now engaged in their own overhaul efforts, these states offer an effective blueprint for better buying.the way most of us buy things has changed dramatically, thanks to new technology. Trips to the store and orders from catalogs have shifted to one-click purchasing and smartphone swiping that allows for quick comparison-shopping to find the best prices. Consumers assess how often they run out of household products and sign up for monthly bulk shipments to save money and keep from running out. Private-sector companies have used technology to buy more effectively and track how well their money was spent.But the Governing Institute survey suggests that the tech-fueled purchasing revolution has been slow to catch on in most governments. Only 35 percent of respondents, for example, said they have up-to-date spending information and market metrics in their databases even though nearly two-thirds cited such areas as critical to success.Many states are now taking steps to better track procurement from start to finish, but implementing those changes isnt always smooth. For instance, Colorado Central Purchasing recently installed a new financial system that tracks the money attached to a project from requisition all the way to vendor payment. But a lack of training on how to use the system -- and the rigidity it placed on the process by requiring budget approval before the solicitation -- has created headaches. Often this pushes purchasing and sourcing into a get-it-done situation, Colorado's IT department said in the survey, with a shortened time for vendor marketing, research and specification/requirements review. (The state's central purchasing office later toldthat characterization is innacurate.)Some states have been early adopters, and its these places where working with state procurement offices has become more intuitive and efficient. In 2001, Virginias procurement office contracted with a company to develop a software service that was tailored to the states buying needs. That service was the basis for what is now eVA, the states e-procurement platform. Contracting with a company to provide a service, not necessarily just the software, gives the procurement office the flexibility to meet new needs quickly, says Robert Gleason, the states purchasing director. For example, if the governor issues a new executive order creating a new type of category for minority-owned businesses, the procurement office wouldnt have to go through the process of adding that onto their contract with their e-procurement software provider, as in some states. Instead, Gleason forwards on the new specs to his service provider. Theyre primed and ready to go for the next change, he says, so I can meet the governors objective on the fly and its already covered under the existing cost structure.States like Virginia that have a well-established relationship with technology are not just more nimble. They are also finding new and effective ways to develop their solicitations. Georgias central procurement office has a team of business analysts they call mathletes who analyze spending data to help structure future solicitations so that the state can get a more favorable price. Lisa Eason, Georgias deputy commissioner for procurement, says the team has shaved off $61 million a year over what would have been paid -- representing an 11 percent annual savings rate.Technology can be important, but effective procurement still requires good management. Thats become a challenge in recent years, as many state offices report a loss of talent due mainly to retirements and more competitive salaries in the private sector. According to research by the National Association of State Procurement Officers (NASPO), 40 percent of offices report being understaffed compared with the workload requirements. That can leave little, if any, capacity for getting creative and trying new ideas. Customer service has also suffered, although many procurement officers seem to be more optimistic on that front than is likely warranted. Nearly 90 percent of respondents said state agencies are usually pleased with the central procurement office, but fewer than half of the offices even have performance measures for their customer service to these agencies. Only about one-third of offices even ask for formal feedback in the form of evaluations from agencies. And few states have customer service groups dedicated entirely to agencies needs.Georgia has used enhanced training as a way to address its human resources issues, particularly the concern that its staff retain its skill and institutional knowledge as more and more baby boomers retire. In addition to high training requirements, the states office is constantly tailoring its trainings to be relevant. For example, it pays special attention to any repetitive staff errors that may crop up, and shares that information with other divisions responsible for training and policy. That information can lead to tweaks in the state training curriculum and even revisions to state policy, if needed.Georgias approach to training has also made it a leader in an area where most states are lagging behind, the survey found. Contract administration -- following through to make sure the vendor and the state stick to their agreements -- is one of the most significant challenges facing state procurement today. Only a few states have made real inroads in this area, and that progress has come only recently. In 2014, Georgia developed a contract training course for procurement officers in both its central office and in state agencies to help contracts run more smoothly. A lot of our contract administration was very reactive, when someone would call and complain, says Eason. So wed have to react instead of being proactive.Florida and Missouri also have new offices that oversee contract management, but most places do not. Fewer than half of state procurement offices in the Governing Institute survey even publish a contract administration manual, and less than one-third have a consistent way of tracking contract performance that they share with project administrators.This lack of attention leads to mistakes and details slipping through the cracks, particularly in cases where the central procurement office is responsible for handling the solicitation but hands over the project entirely to a state agency after finding a vendor. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found in 2013 that the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities overpaid a contractor by more than $1.1 million because it based payments on budgeted expenses rather than actual expenditures. In 2012, a Florida audit of a publicly funded jobs agency found that it ignored or overlooked state and federal financial reporting guidelines, leading to more than $15 million in questionable costs.Much of what can go wrong with contract administration can be traced back to a lack of focus on designing the project and objectives early on. Too often, says Old Dominions Gordon, procurement regulations focus on the middle stage of finding a vendor and writing the contract. Thats too late, he says. Contracts are awarded and often forgotten, he says. Theyre just allowed to drift.Part of smart procurement means using technology to find innovative ways to connect the state to new suppliers. Thats a key area in which most states are lagging, the survey found. But there are some bright spots. California is unique in using civic engagement methods already popular in cities to identify and connect with new potential vendors. Last fall, California launched its Green Gov Challenge, a competition that asked participants to create apps, visualizations and other tools to help improve government sustainability practices. The state awarded cash prizes to participants that came up with the best ideas and has the option to develop a contract with any of the winners. Virginia in 2012 became the first jurisdiction to launch a mobile app for suppliers to connect with state buyers. Business owners interested in contracting with the state can register, download the app and get notifications when the state bids out for work in their field. A new feature introduced in recent months allows small businesses to connect via the app to bid on a project together.Some states are using technology to help promote more diversity among suppliers. Here, Minnesota has launched a unique effort to support and promote businesses that reflect the makeup of the community. Last year Gov. Mark Dayton issued an executive order establishing an Office of Equity in Procurement and a Diversity and Inclusion Council to promote this goal. On recommendations made by the council, the state now has representatives who conduct in-person recruiting of minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses to bid on state contracts. The procurement office is also developing an online portal where small businesses can apply for all their minority certifications, with the goal of eliminating the confusing paperwork many small businesses face when first working with the state.But it can be difficult to balance those kinds of policy priorities -- supporting minority-owned businesses, for example, or small businesses in general -- with a states responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. Often, the goals may not align, raising concerns of a state playing favorites by prioritizing certain kinds of suppliers over others. For instance, part of Minnesotas procurement strategy is to participate in cooperative purchasing with other governments as a way to take advantage of economies of scale and get the best price for a solicitation. By nature, that eliminates most small business participation because they dont have the infrastructure to compete. Its just this big cauldron of issues you throw into a pot and sometimes theyre completely conflicting, says Betsy Hayes, Minnesotas chief procurement officer. And trying to balance all those issues is what really makes it all fascinating.To help achieve that balance between value and policy promotion, its useful to have clear objectives for each project and a transparent selection process. But the truly important factor is support from the top down. With a consistent message from the governor through to agency heads and front-line workers, its easier to see how each new project fits into the states goals. In many states, leaders have begun to view procurement as part of their overall strategy, not just a place to hand down regulations. The key, says NASPOs DeLaine Bender, is for leaders not to be overly prescriptive that they make it so difficult to reform and add that flexibility.public-sector procurement is changing. Starting in the 1990s, states began taking a smarter approach to the way they buy things. In the past decade, advances in technology and data -- along with growing economic pressures -- have led to more strategic purchasing processes in some states.The bad news is that states, by and large, have struggled to take full advantage of technology to improve procurement. The good news is that that seems to be changing. With a small handful of states leading the way, procurement offices are demonstrating that its possible to maintain accountability and spend public money responsibly while also pursuing new tech innovations and promoting stated policy goals. A generation ago in procurement, no one wanted subjectivity, says Hayes, it had to be completely black-and-white. I think thats why its taken a long time for the safeguards and the processes to be developed where these more sophisticated procurement methods are accepted. Gov. Christie, making his first public appearance since dropping out of the GOP presidential race last week, returned to the Statehouse on Tuesday and proposed a $34.8 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.That's up by $1 billion from the budget he signed into law in June and includes no new tax increases or cuts, according to the governor.In his annual budget address to the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Christie called on lawmakers to eschew partisan politics for the remainder of his term and "bring relief to our overburdened taxpayers.""I am standing here to tell you I am willing to continue to fix the remaining problems," Christie said, standing on a podium in front of Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson) in the Assembly chambers."Let's take the next steps to insure our future. Let's lower taxes to stop people leaving New Jersey," Christie said. "Let's build infrastructure in a way that is fair to our taxpayers. Let's fix our pension and health benefit system in a way that will not divide our people and burden our taxpayers but will bring closer together the real world and the excesses of the government world."The projected increase in spending for fiscal year 2017 is driven almost entirely by debt service and the growing costs of pensions and health benefits for public employees, Christie said.He proposed $1.9 billion for the pension system for the next fiscal year. Democrats welcomed that idea."Guess what we've been saying now for the last couple months? You can make the pension payments without raising taxes," Sweeney told reporters.Christie attacked Democratic plans to pass constitutional amendments that would require the state to contribute more money to the pension system for public workers and nearly double the minimum wage to $15 an hour."I am ready to work with you if you are willing to stop the partisanship and the reckless amending of our constitution just to score political points," Christie said. "We can sit and reason together for the next 630 days [of Christie's term], or we can fight for the next 630 days, and we will leave our citizens devoid of hope. That's not my preference." Ever since taking office in one of the first states to let unauthorized immigrants get driver's licenses, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has battled lawmakers to reverse that policy. After five years of fighting, the two sides finally struck a compromise on Monday.The deal is a testament to both the governors efforts and to pressure from the federal government for states to comply with the once-divisive Real ID Act.The Real ID Act mandates that states implement new technologies and processes to make methods of identification more secure. The law was enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but states have been slow to adopt it. In states that fail to comply, residents won't be allowed to use their driver's licenses to board commercial flights starting two years from now. New Mexico had been on a short list of states (along with Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Washington) not on track to meet that federal deadline.The reasons for states' noncompliance with Real ID vary. In New Mexico, the culprit has been the state's practice since 2003 of letting unauthorized immigrants obtain licenses.The bill awaiting Martinezs signature lets both the Republican governor and advocates for immigrants claim victory. Unauthorized immigrants and others without Social Security numbers will no longer be able to get standard New Mexico licenses, but they can still qualify for a different type of document -- one that will let them drive, but can't be used as identification.The estimated 90,000 unauthorized immigrants who currently have licenses will automatically retain the right to drive under the new legislation, but new applicants must submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. That information cannot, however, be shared with federal immigration agencies.Meanwhile, standard New Mexico licenses will get a security upgrade and the state will issue Real ID-compliant licenses within six months.As one of the first states that explicitly allows undocumented immigrants to drive, New Mexicos approach was rare. States that later granted driving rights to unauthorized immigrants often used the two-document approach that New Mexico is adopting.Finally, Martinez wrote on her Facebook page after the bill passed, New Mexico will stop giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants!" Undocumented immigrants will still have the right to drive in New Mexico, but they won't be able to get a traditional driver's license.For five long years, I have fought hard to do what the people of New Mexico have demanded -- to end this dangerous law that made our state a magnet for illegal immigrants from all over the world," Martinez wrote. "Tonight, we accomplished that goal."Somos Un Pueblo Unido, an advocacy group supporting immigrant rights, offered a starkly different take on the vote."Today, the legislature voted overwhelmingly to keep our families licensed and New Mexicos roads safe, the group wrote in a statement. The governors my way or the highway approach did not work. We are proud that legislators continued to stand up to her anti-immigrant agenda and successfully coalesced around a non-discriminatory, practical and compassionate approach.Stumbling blocks other than immigrant status have kept states from complying with the Real ID Act.For example, Illinois' troubles stem largely from the fact that it needs between $50 million and $60 million to buy equipment for records maintenance. The state also has to revamp its process for making licenses because of the way Real ID requires states to handle photos, said David Druker, a spokesman for the Illinois secretary of states office. Securing that money is easier said than done, because of a dispute that has left the state without a budget for the last eight months.In Minnesota and Missouri, legislators voted years ago to block their states from obeying the Real ID law. That was a common move back when Real ID first passed Congress, with both conservative and liberal groups worried about the laws effects on civil liberties. State officials also objected to the large unfunded mandate.The Washington State Department of Licensing faces restrictions under that state's laws, and it also lets unauthorized immigrants qualify for standard driver's licenses. (Washington, does, however, offer an enhanced license that is Real ID-compliant.)More than a decade after Congress passed Real ID, 22 states have fully complied with the law, while another 23 have been granted extensions to do so by the federal government.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has already started requiring Real ID-compliant licenses for entering military bases, federal buildings and nuclear power plants. It announced last month that air passengers with licenses from states that dont comply with Real ID or haven't been granted an extension will have to provide other forms of ID, such as a passport, starting in January 2018. Worldwide network Early warning Another system in works (TNS) -- Scientists at UC Berkeley began mobilizing a global smartphone network Friday to detect earthquakes and someday send out life-saving early warnings before dangerous temblors shake the distant ground.In a crowdsourcing program called MyShake, the scientists released the first quake-detecting mobile app for Android phones, available free on Google Play, and said a second app for Apple iPhones will be available soon.The MyShake app has been tested with 300 volunteer smartphone users across an area of nearly 4,000 square miles, and it showed that the quake-detection system performed well, said Richard M. Allen, director of UC Berkeleys Seismological Laboratory who is leading the project.But we would need many more than that in the real world, he said. About 3,000 would be a good number, and the system will always be better the more phones there are participating.The next step, he said, is to refine the system to send out alerts seconds to minutes before dangerous seismic waves shake the ground.Modern mobile phones contain built-in motion sensors called accelerometers that can detect a phones smallest vibrations. The phones also contain GPS systems that activate periodically to determine their precise location.When an earthquake ruptures the ground, smartphones with the MyShake app can sense the first shaking, analyze it, and instantly relay the information to a specialized cloud server that collects it from other phones in the system and determines the quakes magnitude, Allen said.A ground-based early-warning network called ShakeAlert is being developed and tested with hundreds of traditional seismic stations in California and the Pacific Northwest.MyShake wont replace traditional seismic networks for quake detection, Allen said. But we think it can make earthquake early warnings faster and more accurately in areas that do have a traditional seismic network, and could provide life-saving early warning in countries that experience many destructive earthquakes but have very few conventional seismic detectors.Crowdsourced networks of mobile phones could prove to be the only option for many quake-prone regions of the world where seismic stations are rare and populations are dense, but smartphones are widely used, Allen said.For example, Allen noted that an estimated 1.6 billion mobile phones are now in use around the world, and more than 80 percent of them run on the Android operating system. In Nepal alone, he said, some 6 million smartphones are in use and 600,000 of them are in Kathmandu, the nations densely populated capital.A violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck there in April, killing more than 8,000 people. Its epicenter was some 50 miles from Kathmandu.There are hardly any conventional seismic stations in the region there, Allen said, but a network of mobile phones in full operation would have detected that quake and, based on its distance from the capital, the network would have provided 20 seconds of early warning that could have saved many lives.At the UC Berkeley seismology lab that Allen directs, graduate student Qingkai Kong developed the first quake detection algorithm for MyShake smartphones and tested its ability in the strong vibrations produced by 45 simulated earthquakes at the universitys large seismic shake table at the Richmond Field Station.This cutting-edge research will transform seismology, Kong said. Using smartphones with low-cost sensors will give us a really good, dense network in the future.Allen announced the MyShake project Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington. A report on its progress is published in the journal Science Advances.Developing the MyShake system is supported by a $1 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and other essential algorithms were developed by Silicon Valley programmers at the Deutsche Telekom Innovation Center in Mountain View.We do telephones, we write code, and now we do seismology, said Louis Schreier, vice president of the center who is also a co-author of the report in Science Advances.Another system linking smartphones to dangerous earthquake detection and early warning of ground shaking is being developed by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, and early versions are being tested in Chile. A slight change Tensions at the hearing Whats next? (TNS) -- State regulators dealt another blow to the solar industry today after they unanimously approved a ruling that would not allow about 17,000 Nevadans with rooftop solar, some of whom had adopted the technology as early as 1997, to be shielded from a recent commission decision to increase billsTodays ruling put an end to a months-long process during which the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada had been required by legislative mandate to develop long-term rates for solar customers, who source their electricity from both NV Energy and rooftop solar systems on their properties.Solar advocates have argued that the new rates, implemented Jan. 1, eliminated the industry here, as several companies pulled operations from the state and laid off more than 700 solar employees.While the commissions role is effectively over, parties to the case have 30 days to appeal the decision in District Court. Solar advocates have also pledged to fight the decision with a ballot measure that would bring back the prior rates and have urged legislators, before the November general election, to convene a special session to propose a short-term fix.For nearly a year, legislators and regulators, not only in Nevada but across the country, have been wrestling with the issue of how to integrate solar customers with the grid. Going solar is an option that has become increasingly popular in recent years, as rooftop solar technology has improved, a development that has both decreased the costs of solar systems and increased their efficiency.In December, the three-member panel increased bills for solar customers by tripling a fixed service charge over four years. The commission also slashed the value of credits customers earn by generating excess electricity under a program known as net metering.The commission had argued that the new rates were necessary to ensure that solar customers, who do not purchase as much energy from the grid and avoid paying some of the fixed costs wrapped into electricity rates, were not shifting costs to other ratepayers.One of the most controversial aspects of that decision was not to include a grandfather clause. Despite requests from NV Energy and the states consumer advocate to shield existing customers from the new rates for at least 20 years, the commission voted today against doing so. It argued that the cost shift would be unreasonable and unfair to other ratepayers.The commission also believes that all solar customers should be treated the same.Today, the commission tweaked its December decision slightly. After hearing public comment that lasted three hours and turned emotional at times, the commission made a change in how the new rates would be implemented for all customers.It increased the implementation period for the new rates from four years to 12 years, with rate changes every three years.Commission Chairman Paul Thomsen framed this as a compromise that balances the interests of solar customers and other ratepayers.Rate-making is a zero-sum game, he said, arguing that groups of ratepayers are always hurt by different changes. He also said that this could encourage the industry to innovate. But the rate calculations would not be any different.NV Energy charges most customers a fixed service fee of $12.75. By 2028, that fee will rise to $38.51 for all solar customers. NV Energy had reimbursed solar customers about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour for excess energy. By 2028, the value of those credits will gradually reach 2.6 cents.We want to bring solar back, Thomsen said at one point during deliberations.Several members of the audience replied: No you dont.That exchange characterized the tenor of todays hearing.Before the hearing, hundreds of solar advocates gathered outside the utility commissions Las Vegas headquarters, urging the quasi-judicial body once more to reconsider the new rates. They held signs with slogans, such as Dont be shady PUC and Dont take my sunshine away.Dozens of solar advocates also offered public comment. One of the more moving moments of the hearing came from Marilynn Dudley, the 7-year-old daughter of a SolarCity employee who lost his job.Im speaking for all kids and the future of solar. Solar is our future, she said to the commission. My dad and a lot of other people lost their jobs because of your decision. So please PUC, make the right decision today and bring back solar to Nevada.Additional security measures were in place at todays commission meeting. After commission staff reported low-level threats over the past week and two people were found with open-carry weapons at a hearing Monday, commission staff required that attendees pass through metal detectors before entering the office. Staff passed out leaflets saying it was a weapons-free zone.This has nothing to do with the order, said Lina Tanner, the commissions general counsel. It has do with keeping the public safe and the public servants who work at the commission safe.One solar company, Sunrun, which pulled the majority of its operations from the state, has already announced plans to sue the commission."This decision is clearly unjust and unacceptable for Nevadans. We will sue to overturn the anti-solar rules, and we will win," Lauren Randall, the companys manager of public policy, said in a statement following the decision.The industry also plans to take other actions.It plans to continue calling for a legislative session and expect momentum to pick up in that effort after todays hearing, given how popular a grandfather clause for existing customers had been.A number of state lawmakers, from Senate Democratic Minority Leader Aaron Ford to Republican Assemblyman Derek Armstrong, had asked the commission to let existing customers keep their prior rates. And today, several public commenters, conceding that the commission was unlikely to change its mind on the issue, said they would be calling on their representatives to bring back the prior rates.In an interview last month, former Gov. Bob List, who lobbies on behalf of the solar alliance behind the ballot measure predicted that if the PUC did not adopt a grandfathering proposal, that there (would be) a good likelihood that (lawmakers) Ive spoken would be supportive of a special session.Gov. Brian Sandoval broke his silence on the commissions deliberations after the decision. Though he did not call for a legislative session, he said the state's Committee on Energy and the New Energy Task Force should come up with recommendations "to ensure that Nevada has a stable energy policy that allows renewable energy in Nevada to continue to thrive.Sandoval also explained his silence and criticized the decision."While I have respected the commission and its deliberations by not influencing its process, the PUC did not reach the outcome I had hoped for, he said. "I remained optimistic that the commission would find a solution that considered the economic consequences to existing rooftop solar owners. Today's decision does not go far enough to protect their interests.Congressional leadership, including Sen. Harry Reid and Nevada Reps. Dina Titus and Joe Heck, had also urged the commission to grandfather existing customers.Presidential candidates have taken notice of the issue.Sen. Bernie Sanders is scheduled to hold a meeting in Reno with rooftop solar employees who have been laid off. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she supported a U.S. Senate amendment making it harder to change rates for existing customers.The same alliance behind the solar industrys ballot measure had already indicated it would continue its vocal campaign through the presidential caucuses, forcing solar as an issue for candidates. The group announced an ad buy of at least $250,000 for a commercial on TV and digital. Specialized attacks In 2012, the Government Accountability Office issued a report stating that a number of intentional security threats could exploit vulnerabilities in implantable medical devices and called on the Food and Drug Administration to consider the risks in its approval process. In 2013, the FDA issued a cybersecurity memo to device manufacturers and health care facilities with recommendations on evaluating devices and network security. In 2014, the FDA issued final guidance on premarket medical device cybersecurity, and regulators held a workshop to push the issue forward. Last summer, the FDA and Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to hospitals about a drug-infusion system with a flaw so serious that it could give hackers entree into the devices. Just last month, the FDA issued draft guidance for medical device manufacturers to begin administering their own vulnerability disclosure programs allowing outside researchers to easily flag weaknesses. That advice was tied to another workshop in Washington. Thorny issues Treating patients Better off (TNS) -- A Southern California hospital fell victim to hackers last week offering a glimpse at one of many digital threats facing health care.Criminals reportedly infected Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center computers with ransomware malware that cryptographically locks devices. The thieves have demanded 9,000 bitcoins, the equivalent of $3.65 million, to unlock the machines, according to sources who spoke with Los Angeles television stations Hollywood Presbyterian is at least the hospital this year to be reportedly affected by ransomware.Though there are no recorded patient injuries or deaths tied to cyberattacks, digital security in hospitals, and, perhaps, more importantly in medical devices such as pacemakers and MRI machines, has become a growing concern in the industry.When Avi Rubin began taking tours of East Coast hospitals in the 1990s, he found myriad reasons to worry.Sloppy password protections at computer labs, practices vulnerable to tampering, and drug dispensing robots controlled by software.What if something went wrong with that software? said Rubin, a Johns Hopkins University computer science professor, at the Enigma Conference, a security gathering in San Francisco last month.What if someone were attack this system and cause all the drugs to be wrong?If those changes werent noticed, thousands of people could receive incorrect dosages or medication. They could die.The Hollywood Presbyterian incident isnt nearly that severe.Ransomware has long been a threat for Internet users, with thieves generally holding up individuals and businesses. The recent attack at Hollywood Presbyterian proves that the risk is real in the medical world as well.Its hugely significant, said Rubin. Its a demonstration in the wild of the kind of thing thats possible.Its one thing to say that hospitals are in the sights of criminals. ... Its another when someone does it, and you see its not just theoretical.While medical care providers face the same type of threats as anyone who uses a computer, medical device makers are shoring themselves up against the risk of specialized attacks.In recent years, the medical device industry and regulators have taken action:Balancing innovation against regulation is crucial, said Scott Erven, a medical device IT security consultant and associate director with the consulting firm Protiviti, who attended and spoke at that FDA workshop.Knee-jerk reactions arent a good thing, he said. If (manufacturers) stop bringing devices to market that would ultimately cost more lives.These are thorny issues for regulators and controversial ones for those in the industry. Even the FDAs attempts to establish disclosure programs have generated debate.When I talk to lawyers, they think that these disclosures are a terrible idea, said Rubin. It kind of gives the hackers a blueprint of who is more vulnerable, because if youre having to share that youve been hacked and youre doing it more than others, (criminals) may say: These guys are easy to hack. Lets go after them.And they may be right.Physicians rules of first doing no harm apply equally to doctors, as well as cybersecurity practitioners, said Kevin Fu, the director of the Archimedes Center for Medical Device Security at the University of Michigan.As cybersecurity in hospitals has evolved, patient safety is taking precedent over computer hygiene.The priority has always been treating patients. Thats different than, say, in financial services, where the immediate risk of loss of cash has provided a strong incentive to focus on cybersecurity.They are more concerned with introducing a change with a (software) patch that could cause harm to human lives, said Andrew Hay, the chief information security officer at DataGravity, a data management and storage startup.For example, Fu explains, pacemakers are now adjusted wirelessly where once patients and doctors risked infections by calibrating a recipients heartbeats manually by periodically inserting the equivalent of a rod into their armpit to reach the device.Patients are far better off with these devices than without them, he said. If I was prescribed one of these devices today Id take it in a heartbeat.For sure, no pun intended.Even though Im a researcher, I consider (cybersecurity) a secondary factor in (medical device) safety. ATA Gearing Up For Its Grand Silver Jubilee Conference American Telugu Association [ATA] the 25-year old premier national organization of Telugus in North America is gearing up to unveil its Grand ATA Conference to mark the celebrations of its silver jubilee on an unprecedented scale to showcase the rich enduring Telugu culture in the form of art, music, dance, literary, religious, social, economic, health forums from July 1-3rd 2016 in Chicago at Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. In this great monumental effort, ATAs top tier team from all across the country converged at Westin Hotel in Princeton, New Jersey to take demonstrably significant measures to host an epic silver jubilee convention with each regional teams from various U.S. cities expressing unrestrained passion, energy and commitment to move forward proactively the largest Conference in Chicago to celebrate the 25 year milestone journey. With the formation of over 70 important committees served by 70 chairs and 100 Co-Chairs with over 200 Members /Advisors and over 300 vendors all are geared up to host this mammoth convention. Several busloads of families from many cities are expected to arrive in Chicago this summer to join the unprecedented gathering of Telugus at the convention. Joining this mammoth effort, Telangana government has announced that it will send a 15-member cultural troupe to augment the ATA festivities at the convention. The main order of the business in Princeton, New Jersey entailed the election of K.K.Reddy as Conference Director and Chandrasekhar Reddy Palvai as Conference Convener; while Krishna Mushyam and Jagan Bukaraju were elected as Conference Co-Conveners -- all of this front line team was unanimously chosen with acclamation. ATA Board of Trustees also appointed a new Treasurer Vinod Koduru and five new Trustees who were administered oath immediately. Mahidhar Musukula was appointed as Office Coordinator. Sudhakar Perkari, ATA President in his welcome remarks thanked and congratulated the outstanding ATA team for their hard work and unmatched commitment. Sudhakar Perkari thanked the Telangana government and ATA team for helping host ATA Vedikalu in Hyderabad to show the spirit of ATA. President Perkari emphasized that among ATAs principle goals it remains stoically committed to social and charitable mission. Chandrasekhar Reddy Palvai, Conference Convener said that there is a new momentum, new energy matched by robust determination among the Telugu families in the United States to be a historical part of the silver jubilee ATA convention. Chandrasekhar Reddy assured that the ATA convention will be hosted on a scale and magnitude never undertaken. K.K.Reddy, Conference Director eloquently spelled out the dynamics and the scope of the convention and unveiled the giant strides made in putting together a team of most committed people to undertake the enormous tasks for the ATA Convention. K.K.Reddy assured the ATA members that the Chicago ATA Convention will go down in the history as one of the grandest festival ever undertaken to richly showcase the landmark journey of ATAs 25 years and predicted that every effort will be made to attract over 12,000 attendances from all across the U.S and other countries including India. K.K.Reddy outlined steps undertaken to mobilize funds to defray the enormous costs associated with hosting such a gigantic convention and challenged every ATA team from various cities to remain fiercely competitive in outraising funds keeping in view the convention and the long-term humanitarian mission of ATA. Kamala Chimata, Conference Coordinator said the goal of the convention is to promote literary, cultural, educational, religious, social, economic, health and community activities of the people of Telugu origin. Iftekhar Shareef, Reception Chair disclosed the plans to rope in VIPs, dignitaries and elected officials both from India and the United States to grace the convention and added that some have already expressed keen interest in attending. Hanumanth Reddy, ATA Founder in his statement said American Telugu Association will host the ATA Conference in Chicago in a way to show the triumphant journey of ATA which earnestly began in Chicago 25 years ago and today it has grown exponentially. Karunakar Asireddy, President-Elect, Madhu Bommineni, Secretary, Soumya Kondapalli, Jt.Secretary; while Parmesh Bheemreddy, Dr. Parushuram Pinnapureddy, Ajay Reddy, Arvind Reddy Muppidi, Ravi Patiola, Sridhar Banala, Venu Sankineni, Dr. Sandhya Gavva, Krishna Dyapa, Vija Kundur, Mahidar Sanapareddy were some of the board members who actively took part in formulating important decisions at the meeting. . Some of the others who presented their conference reports and updates include Iftekhar Shareef Reception Chair, Ramesh Garapaty of Cultural Committee, Chelma Reddy Bandaru of Political Action Committee, and Keerthi Ravoori of Media Committee. The ATA meeting concluded with a grand evening banquet held at The Pind Restaurant in Kingston, New Jersey. For more information, please visit ATA website: http://ataworld.org 'Garam' Review: Thanda Thanda Bore Bore Movie: Garam Rating: 2/5 Cast: Aadi, Adah Sharma, Brahmanandam, Naresh, Prudhvi, Tanikella Bharani, Posani, Shakalaka Shankar, Jayaprakash Reddy, Chaitanya Krishna, Madhunandan, Nasser, and others Banner: Sreenivasai Creations Story, dialogues: Sreenivas Gavireddy Music: Agasthya Cinematography: T Surendra Reddy Editing: Karthika Srinivas Action: Thriller Manju, Venkat Produced by: P Surekha Directed by: Madan Release Date: Feb 12, 2016 After a long gap, Aadi has done this movie and he has teamed up with writer turned director Madan who is better known for hit movie 'Pellaina Kottalo'. There weren't many expectations on this movie but it has been advertised that the movie would give Aadi much required boost to his career. Lets find out whether this movie can help him revive his career. Story: Varaalu (Aadi) is weak in studies where as his neighbor Ravi (Chaitanya Krishna) excels. Varaalus father scolds him constantly comparing him with Ravi. For further studies, Ravi leaves their village for city. To escape from constant reprimands from his father, Varaalu and his friend (Sakalaka Shankar) also leave for Hyderabad and Varaalu falls in love with a muslim girl (Adah) in first sight. After few songs and many lame jokes later, it is revealed that Varaalu didnt come to Hyderabad for his fathers reprimand but in search of Ravi. Why? What is that twist? Artistes Performances: Aadi is energetic guy but he still hasnt developed a proper acting style. He should stop moving right to left and left to right when mouthing dialogues. To be fair, he is good at dancing and in action sequences. Adah Sharma has not improved a bit even after acting in several movies. Chaitanya Krishna has been doing similar roles in every other movie. Tanikella Bharani as Aadis father, Naresh as Ravis helpless father and Nasser impress us. Shakalaka Shankars jokes are pretty lame. The character of Brahmanandam as Mr. Google is silly. Technical Excellence: The film also has low standard technical values both cinematography and music doesnt help the movie in any way. Highlights: Interval bang Drawbacks: Outdated jokes Boring screenplay Old style direction Substandard making Weak performances by lead actors Analysis: Thirty minutes into the film, the first thought comes to mind is that have the writer and director already thrown their hands up helplessly with no clue to run the story till the interval bang comes. Written by Gavireddy Srinivas who also recently directed boring Seetamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu, there isnt any story in the first half. Outdated jokes fill the gap. Even the jokes are taken from Santa Banta. Sample.. A girl: My father is a scientist Another girl: My father is also scientist and has invented many things Shakalaka Shankar: My father is also scientist Girls: What did he invent? Shakalaka Shankar: He created me. (Girls slap him) Throughout first half you find such lame jokes. Brahmandam comes in the avatar of PK as Mr. Google and does nonsensical things. One feels sad that even today movies with such outdated scripts are being made in Tollywood. Adah Sharmas role is so bad and the romantic track between Aadi and Adah is also not properly developed. There are some twists in the second half, but by that time we disconnect with the happenings on screen. Added to it, the music and the chemistry between Aadi and Adah dont excite. All in all, Garam is an outdated movie from Madan and Aadi. Bottom-line: Outdated And Half-baked Movie KCR Riding High On '2 BHK Scheme' But Where Are Funds? Though Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao might have made hundreds of promises to voters during elections, but one promise that made all the difference for him and TRS is 2 BHK scheme for poor. KCR had promised to build two double bedroom houses for all poor in Telangana by spending Rs 7 lakh on each house/ flat. This promise created such a euphoria in entire Telangana that TRS has been winning all the elections with bumper majority since then while Opposition parties lost their existense in the state completely. Just by constructing 400 2BHK houses in IDH colony, Hyderabad during his 20-month rule and publicising them, KCR swept all the polls, be it Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll, recent GHMC elections or Naranyankhed Assembly bypoll. Their only poll plank was if they vote for TRS, they would get Rs 7 lakh worth 2BHK for free and they will lose their 2BHKs if they don't vote for TRS. To know how this campaign worked, the results are here to see for all. So far so good, but the problem now being faced by KCR and TRS government is how to mobilise thousands of crores of funds to build lakhs of 2BHK houses for poor and allot them for free without collecting a single rupee from beneficiaries. KCR has promised to build 2 lakh 2 BHK houses in 2016 itself. Of them one lakh are in Hyderabad and the remaining one lakh in other districts. Housing minister A Indrakaran Reddy who convened meeting with officials to know how much amount would be required to build these 2 lakh 2BHK houses/ flats, they informed him that Rs 14,500 crore would be needed. When he asked how much is the budget allotted for housing this year, they told him that it was Rs 1,500 crore but not even Rs 500 crore was actually realeased or spent. The government is now trying to secure loans from banks to mobilise funds but how can it repay the loans amounting to Rs 14,500 crore, without getting anything from beneficiaries. If for 2 lakh 2 BHK houses, Rs 14,000 crore is required, how many thousands of crores would be needed to build houses for all homeless in Telangana as promised by KCR. Even God can't answer this question. Naidu Gets Beggarly Treatment Again Andhra Pradesh had asked for Rs 2000 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund for taking up relief works in the drought hit mandals of the state. The Central government after considering the issue has sanctioned Rs 280.19 crore. Even when Vizag was ravaged by Hudhud, Naidu had asked for around Rs 70000 crore. Modi made an aerial inspection, sanctioned Rs 1000 crore and left. The State has received only around Rs 400 crore of the promised sum. Whether Naidu was justified in asking for such a huge amount is another matter altogether. What is significant is that this sort of treatment has become quite common. Do the BJP not trust CBN at all or are they worried that Naidu will walk away with all the credit for any development? And why does CBN put up with this sort of treatment? Why cant he show some self-respect and walk out of the NDA? Is it because he is indulging in corruption on such a huge scale in Amaravathi and elsewhere that he needs to be on good terms with the Centre to escape any indictment or enquiries later even if it means that APs self-respect is trampled on? Are there not CMs like Nitish Kumar, Jayalalitha and Mamata Banerjee who openly oppose Modi? Are the people of those states starving? If Naidu is clean, then there is absolutely no reason why he should continue to be part of the NDA and continue with being treated like a beggar. Jagan Dares Naidu To Seek Fresh Mandate Hyderabad: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has dared the TDP to seek a fresh mandate in wake of the anti-people policies and reiterated that the Party will go ahead with the no-confidence motion against the Speaker for the way in which he was conducting the assembly proceedings. Speaking to reporters after submitting memoranda to the Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday, the Leader of Opposition said: it is for Chandrababu Naidu to keep his flock together which he failed miserably in Telangana and to cover up this shortcoming he has been using his friendly media spreading rumours that our party leaders are willing to join TDP. When our Party leaders hit back at him there would be a lull for some days and the charade pops up again. Instead, I dare Chandrababu Naidu to go for fresh elections which will show the relative strengths, he said adding that no wise person will join TDP as it is a sinking boat. He reiterated that the Party will move the no-confidence motion against the Speaker. The other issue is about the arson at Tuni during the Kapu Garjana. Chandrababu Naidu has miserably failed on the law and order front and did not take adequate measures where over one lakh people have congregated and the mass hysteria has led to arson. Instead of accepting his failure, he has been shifting the blame on others and foisting false cases on political opponents and innocent people. This was categorically mentioned to the Governor. The other issue was that of the failure of setting of Tribes Advisory Committee by the TDP Government as our Party has won six of the seven seats reserved for STs. Though it is a constitutional obligation, the government has been ignoring it, he said. We will also take up the issues at the Central level, he said. Riversimple plans to offer the car to motorists through a sale-of-service model. For a fixed monthly fee and mileage allowance, similar in expenditure to leasing and running a new family-sized hatchback, the company will cover all repair, maintenance, insurance and fuel expenses. Customers will simply exchange or return the car at the end of the ownership period. Riversimple Movement Ltd. unveiled the Rasa, a road-legal engineering prototype of its first two-seater hydrogen fuel cell road car, built for full European type approval. ( Earlier post .) Supported by a 2-million (US$2.9-million) grant from the Welsh government in 2015, the Rasa was designed for lightness, strength, affordability and safety. Led by Riversimples Founder, Hugo Spowers, the Rasa has been engineered by a team from carmakers, Formula 1 teams and aerospace engineering companies. Its lines were styled by Chris Reitz, one of Europes leading car designers. With a total curb weight of 580 kg (1,279 lbs)nearly half of a small carit features a carbon composite chassis and only 18 moving parts in the entire powertrain. Riversimple will adopt an open-source approach to its technology and componentry to encourage the proliferation of its technology and economies of scale within the sector. The Rasa uses a small 8.5kW fuel cell (the size currently used in forklift trucks, equivalent to 11 hp) to power the motors positioned in each of the four wheels. More than 50% of the kinetic energy produced under braking is recovered and turned into electricity to boost acceleration via a bank of super-capacitors. The result is a range of up to 300 miles (483 kg) on 1.5kg of hydrogen and a top speed of 60 mph. Starting later this year, following funding to match a 2-million (US$2.23 million) EU grant, Riversimple will be conducting a public 12-month Beta trial of 20 Rasa prototype cars as part of the continued development of the first full production model which will come to market in 2018. It will be offered to individuals in a strategically planned phased roll-out by region in order to support a low risk, commercially practical introduction of profitable hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Headquartered in Wales, Riversimple was founded in 2001 (under the previous name of OScar Automotive) by the Oxford and Cranfield University graduate, and automotive engineer, Hugo Spowers, with the primary purpose of pursuing, systematically, the elimination of the environmental impact of personal transport. Collaborating with the Morgan Motor Company on their first hydrogen fuel cell car (the LIFECar) in 2008 (earlier post), Riversimples small Hyrban technology demonstrator was launched the following year (earlier post). The arrival of the companys Rasa engineering prototype in 2016, sees Riversimple take a hydrogen-powered commuter car from the laboratory to the road in only 8 years. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers have recently tapped into the power of the Titan supercomputer there ( earlier post ) in two separate lignin-related investigations, both intended to benefit the production of cellulosic biofuels. One was an investigation into the basic mechanisms of lignin inhibition; the other an investigation into an experimental pretreatment. In nature, the resilient lignin polymer helps provide the scaffolding for plants, reinforcing slender cellulosic fibersthe primary raw ingredient of cellulosic ethanoland serving as a protective barrier against disease and predators. Lignins protective characteristics persist during biofuel processing, where it becomes a major hindrance, surviving expensive pretreatments designed to remove it and blocking enzymes from breaking down cellulose into simple sugars for fermentation into bioethanol. Mechanism of lignin inhibition. To understand better exactly how lignin persists, researchers created one of the largest biomolecular simulations to datea 23.7-million atom system representing pretreated biomass (cellulose and lignin) in the presence of enzymes. The size of the simulation required Titan, the flagship supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, to track and analyze the interaction of millions of atoms. The research, led by Jeremy Smith, director of ORNLs Center for Molecular Biophysics and a Governors Chair at the University of Tennessee (UT), revealed in atomistic detail why lignin is such a problem: Not only does it bind to cellulose in the preferred locations sought by enzymes, but lignin also attracts and occupies the cellulose-binding domain of the enzymes themselves. That impedes the mechanism the enzyme has to anchor to cellulose. Thus lignin binds exactly where it is least desired for industrial purposes. This detailed knowledge of lignin behavior can guide genetic engineering of enzymes that bind less to lignin and therefore produce bioethanol more efficiently. ORNL staff scientist Loukas Petridis Beyond the scientific knowledge obtained from the simulation, the teams biomass system advances computational biophysics shift toward complex, multicomponent systems, a move enabled by leadership-class supercomputers. During pretreatment, acid, water, and heat work to remove non-cellulosic biomass from plant material. Lignin, however, sticks around, clustering into aggregates around the cellulose and impeding enzymes from reaching cellulose. Researchers used experimental data to create a 23.7-million atom biomass model featuring cellulose (purple), lignin (brown), and enzymes (green). (Image credit: Mike Matheson, ORNL) Click to enlarge. To model this crowded environment accurately, Smiths team used experimental data to create a representative sample of pretreated biomass and enzymes. The model took into account details such as the ratio of cellulose to lignin, type of lignin, and relative amount of enzymes. In total, the simulation tracked nine cellulose fibers, 468 lignin molecules, and 54 enzyme molecules in a rectangular water box. The team built the model using a molecular dynamics code called GROMACS under an allocation awarded through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment, or INCITE, program. With a complete model, the team turned to the Cray XK7 Titan, Americas fastest supercomputer, to supply the necessary computing power to observe the system in action. During its largest runs, the biomass simulation scaled to nearly 4,000 of Titans 18,666 nodes, producing roughly 45 nanoseconds of simulation time in one day. Over the course of a year, the team amassed 1.3 microseconds of simulation time, a significant length of time in the world of computational biophysics. In addition to lending insight to the challenges of next-generation biofuels, the teams simulation pointed toward potential pathways that could help mitigate lignins impact. Specifically, the simulation demonstrated that lignin does not bind as much to less-ordered, or amorphous, cellulose fibers, meaning it competes less with the enzymes there. Industrialists knew amorphous cellulose is more easily broken down by enzymes, but what we show is that its not only the inherent properties of amorphous cellulose that makes it easier for the enzymes but also that lignin is less of a pest. Loukas Petridis To maximize their time on the OLCFs flagship supercomputer, Smiths team tweaked GROMACS to streamline communication across thousands of Titans CPU cores. Additionally, the team doubled the time interval GROMACS used to calculate the motion of the biomass system. By implementing a more computationally efficient method to track long-range interactions between atoms, the team was able to increase its timestep from 2 femtoseconds to 4 femtoseconds, or 4,000 trillionths of a second, without losing accuracy. The resulting data was transferred to the OLCFs High-Performance Storage System until it could be analyzed. Typically, analysis is carried out in serial, or one event a time, but growth in computing power and simulation size has created an analysis bottleneckit just takes too much time. To get around this constraint, Smiths team worked to equip GROMACS with the capability to conduct analysis in parallel, meaning thousands of Titans processors could work in tandem to carry out analysis tasks. For example, running parallel analyses on 2,000 CPU cores, the researchers could obtain results 2,000 times faster than conventional methods. In collaboration with the ORNL team, Josh Vermaas, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, contributed significantly to this effort as a DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellow at ORNL. The new capability not only helped the team reduce its time to solution, but it also paves the way for analyzing similar large-scale simulations in the future. Analysis was one of the stumbling blocks for simulations at this scale. With parallel analysis, its now more feasible and will make leadership-class simulations easier. team member Roland Schulz, a UT postdoctoral researcher As supercomputers allow for larger and more realistic systems, the ambitions of researchers and the realism of their biological systems continue to rise. Summit, the OLCFs next leadership-class supercomputer, will offer at least five times the computing power of Titan. For Smiths team, that means its biomass models have room to grow in complexity to further probe biofuels challenges. Were trying to reach the complexity that is found in nature and industrial conditions. Eventually, we would like to construct a simple model of a plant cell wall that we could process in silico, or via computer simulation, and see how it changes during pretreatment. Loukas Petridis This research was supported by DOEs Office of Science. Pretreatment. Jeremy Smith and colleagues also used Titan to gain insight into the effectiveness of an experimental pretreatment developed by BESC researchers in California called Cosolvent Enhanced Lignocellulose Fractionation, or CELF. Recent studies have shown CELF to be more than three times as effective as conventional dilute acid pretreatment in maple wood. To understand why, the team simulated lignin, a problematic molecule for biofuel production, in a two-component CELF solvent consisting of water and tetrahydrofuran (THF), an industrial chemical commonly used in polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, manufacturing and varnish. The simulation results, published in Green Chemistry, suggest that THF, which binds favorably with both water and lignin, acts as a barrier between the two, making the undesired, water-repelling lignin easier to remove. In pure water, lignin adopts a globular conformation (left) that aggregates on cellulose and blocks enzymes. In a THF-water cosolvent, lignin adopts coil conformations (right) that are easier to remove during pretreatment. Click to enlarge. With conventional pretreatment, the simulations showed that lignin clumps up because it wants to limit its interaction with water. It aggregates and binds to cellulose, the substance that is converted into ethanol, and poses a physical barrier for the enzymes, preventing them from reaching cellulose. In the presence of THF, however, lignin opens into long coils, which can be more easily removed when the biomass is washed. Furthermore, our simulation showed that THF prefers to solvate close to the surface of lignin, meaning it likes to interact with the molecule. This helps explain why CELF is good for removing ligninTHF acts like a shield protecting lignin from water. Loukas Petridis Smiths team constructed its 250,000-atom model under an allocation on Titan, awarded through DOEs Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) Leadership Computing Challenge, or ALCC, program. The model, built using GROMACS, consisted of a 61-unit lignin polymer submerged in a 2.1-nanometer cube of the THFwater cosolvent. GROMACS calculated the motion of the lignincosolvent system in time steps of 2 femtoseconds, or 2,000 trillionths of a second. At this timescale, researchers could comfortably obtain 4050 nanoseconds of simulation time per day on Titan, a Cray XK7 with a peak performance of 27 petaflops (or 27 quadrillion calculations per second). Thats about 10 times faster than we could run otherwise, said team member Micholas Smith, a postdoctoral researcher at the UTORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics. The team ran the simulation for 200 nanoseconds, storing the resulting 18 terabytes of data in the OLCFs High-Performance Storage System. To see how lignin responds under slightly different conditions, the team tested the lignincosolvent system using three different THFwater solvent ratios and four different temperatures, mirroring conditions carried out in experiment. Results indicated that the cosolvent was just as effective in low temperatures as it was in high temperatures. Thats important because high temperatures are an expensive part of pretreatment. Biofuel engineers could lower the pretreatment temperature and know that it would not be detrimental to CELF. Loukas Petridis Although THF excludes much of the water from reaching lignin, the ORNL team found that it also traps water near lignin sites that are easily broken by acid. One way is that it may make the sites more available for the acid to access and break the bonds. On top of that, THF may help facilitate the chemical reaction that cuts lignin loose. If we could work out the mechanism by which it breaks apart, maybe we could come up with a catalyst to help that. Micholas Smith Testing such a hypothesis requires the simulation of chemical reactions and chemical bonding, a computationally demanding task that depends on a different kind of molecular dynamics code capable of accounting for the subatomic interactions of the lignincosolvent system. Our current simulation confirms that THF facilitates lignin bond-breaking. In the future, we hope to take the next step and explore how that process works in greater detail. Micholas Smith Future simulations of biomass, lignin, and pretreatment processes is being carried out on Titan under a 100-million core-hour allocation awarded to Jeremy Smiths team as part of the 2016 Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program. The research is funded by the BioEnergy Science Center, a DOE Bioenergy Research Center supported by DOEs Office of Science. Resources Thanks to bestselling author James Patterson, students at Sedgefield Elementary School will have new books for their library. The school was selected to receive a $1,000 grant to buy books the schools population would find relevant. Given that funding is such that libraries do not see much of a budget, new books are golden, said Julie Hebert, Sedgefields media specialist. We have a diverse school, and we need a diverse selection of books if we want to get our students excited about reading. Best known for his novels featuring psychologist and detective Alex Cross, Patterson has personally donated $1.75 million through the Scholastic Reading Club to school libraries across the U.S. These grants are my humble acknowledgement of some of the terrific work taking place in libraries, Patterson said on the Scholastic Reading Clubs website. As of January, Patterson has sold more than 350 million books, including Along Came a Spider, which also became a film, and Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. In addition to the $1,000 grant for the library, Scholastic Reading Club also matched that amount for a teacher. Hebert chose Sedgefield fourth-grade teacher Jennifer Todd to receive the additional money. Shes a relatively new teacher, third year, and I thought she could use help building her classroom library, Hebert said. For the school library, Hebert will buy mostly multicultural picture books for the schools Read Aloud program. When Hebert applied for the grant, her school was in the middle of a 40-day reading challenge in which each teacher was challenged to read aloud one book every day for 40 days. As we were in the middle of this challenge, we found a shortage of great picture books that our very diverse population of students could identify with, Hebert said. Research shows that reading aloud is very important to growing readers and often gets overlooked at school, and we have found that many of our students we are Title One and have free breakfast and lunch for all do not have much, if any, read-aloud time at home. The grant from Patterson will allow Hebert to help the Read Aloud program and buy 50 to 60 hardcover books. We like hardcover, though more costly, because they last so much longer, Hebert said. Her list of books she plans to buy include African American, Hispanic, Chines, Vietnamese and Japanese stories, as well as books that discuss the Festival of Eid al-Fitr/Ramadan. Our students love new books, and they will love the different stories from different cultures and perhaps connect with them, Hebert said. Hebert learned about the book grant online. I applied because I am always one to try to get new books, and I love James Patterson, she said. Hebert said she is constantly on the lookout for grants. I would love to say I had a part in creating lifelong readers, she said. I hope that these new multicultural books will tell stories that envelope students, are stories they can identify with, encourage them to read more books and give us all something to talk about. Principal Michele Meley agreed and is excited about the long-range benefits of acquiring new books. Books and reading are the gateway to becoming college or career ready, she said. We start here in elementary and build for our futures, so having a variety of books to share throughout their elementary years is critical to a successful school experience. MORELIA, Mexico Pope Francis urged Mexico's priests on Tuesday to fight injustice and not resign themselves to the drug-fueled violence and corruption around them, issuing a set of marching orders to shake up a Mexican church known for its cozy ties to the rich and powerful. Francis traveled to a hotbed of Mexico's drug trade for a Mass with the country's priests and nuns. It was the first event of a daylong visit to Morelia, the capital of Michoacan state, that includes a meeting with young people, a fixture of papal trips that often produces some of the most memorable and spontaneous moments. Francis' visit was also a symbolic vote of confidence for the city's archbishop, Alberto Suarez Inda. Like Francis, Suarez Inda has called for Mexican bishops to be closer to their people and not act like bureaucrats or princes. Last year Francis made him a cardinal an unambiguous sign that Francis wants "peripheral" pastors like him at the helm of the church hierarchy. In his homily, Francis admonished the priests and nuns to not become resigned to the problems around them or give in to paralysis, which he called the devil's "favorite weapon." "What temptation can come to us from places often dominated by violence, corruption, drug trafficking, disregard for human dignity and indifference in the face of suffering and vulnerability? What temptation might we suffer over and over again when faced with this reality, which seems to have become a permanent system?" Francis asked. "I think we can sum it up in one word: resignation." It was a clear reference to the situation in Michoacan, a major methamphetamine production hub, as well as the nation at large, where gangs and drug lords have thrived thanks in part to the complicity of police and other public authorities. That corruption came to light most recently in the case of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who escaped for a second time from a maximum security prison in July, and was recaptured after an October meeting with actor Sean Penn. Rather than give up in the face of such corruption, Francis urged the clerics to look to the model of Vasco de Quiroga, a 16th-century Spanish bishop who came to New Spain and founded Utopian-style indigenous communities where agriculture and handicrafts were taught. A Franciscan, he was affectionately known as "Tata Vasco," or "Father Vasco" in the Purepecha language. Francis said that when Vasco de Quiroga saw Indians being "sold, humiliated and homeless in marketplaces" due to colonial exploitation, he did not resign himself to inaction but rather was inspired to fight injustice. Since beginning his Mexico trip Friday night, Francis has repeatedly taken to task the Mexican church leadership, many of whom are closely linked to Mexico's political and financial elite and are loath to speak out on behalf of the poor and victims of social injustice. "Sometimes the violence has made us give up, either out of discouragement, habit or fear," said Fausto Mendez, a 23-year-old seminarian who attended Tuesday's Mass. "That's why the pope comes to tell us not to be afraid to do the right thing." On Saturday in Mexico City, Francis scolded what he called gossiping, career-minded and aloof clerics, and admonished them to stand by their flock and offer "prophetic courage" in facing down the drug trade. In an inscription in a seminary guestbook, he urged future priests to be pastors of God and not "clerics of the state." "Although on Saturday he spoke strongly to the bishops, it was also directed at us," said Uriel Perez, 20-year-old seminarian at Tuesday's Mass. "Because the pope is demanding and he wants us to be prepared and on the streets shoulder to shoulder with our flock." Priests have also been victims of the violence. Since 1988, 38 priests have been killed and two more are missing, according to the Catholic Multimedia Center, which tracks violence again religious people in Mexico. The vast majority 28 were killed since 2006. Suarez Inda clearly backs Francis' program, echoing the pope's admonition that "pastors should not be bureaucrats and we bishops should not have the mentality or attitude of princes." In 2013, at what was perhaps the height of the violence in Michoacan, Suarez Inda led eight other bishops in signing an unusually outspoken letter accusing government authorities of "complicity, forced or willing," with criminal gangs. It urged priests to "do whatever is in your power" to help people in an atmosphere of kidnappings, killings and extortion and to "carry out concrete actions in favor of peace and reconciliation." He has called for Mexico's church leaders to put aside their comfortable lives and become pastors with the "smell of their sheep" a reference to Francis' often-repeated call for bishops to accompany their flock closely through life's ups and downs. The pope "shakes up the conscience of priests in order that we not be mediocre installed priests who simply seek social promotion, but rather that we truly live our calling to serve the people with great generosity," Suarez Inda told the Mexican newspaper El Universal last month. Suarez Inda was also part of a group of clergy from Michoacan and neighboring Guerrero state who prepared a report on Mexico's drug violence last year that he said left Francis "very shocked and impressed." Much of Michoacan is part of a region called Tierra Caliente, or the Hot Lands, known for both its blistering temperatures and brutal tactics by gangsters eager to control lucrative drug-production territory and smuggling routes. By 2013, the pseudo-religious Knights Templar cartel was widely kidnapping and extorting money and dominating the state's economic and political scene, so much so that local farmers took up arms against them. But the uprising by the vigilante-style "self-defense" forces brought little peace to the state, with the groups fighting among themselves even as new criminal gangs sprang up or tried to muscle their way into Michoacan. "I'm excited about the pope's visit, but the reality is that people are afraid. Right now there is a festive atmosphere and a lot of police, but in the day-to-day it's not that calm. Crime has risen," said Yulisa Duran, an 18-year-old nursing student sitting with her boyfriend in Morelia's main square. "I lived in a tiny town that was very gentle, and then the (cartel) came in," Duran added. Francis wraps up his five-day visit on Wednesday by traveling to Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for a cross-border Mass expected to focus heavily on the plight of migrants. Introduction Honor made a last minute swipe at CES and blew us away with what its 200 dollar phone could offer: a metal body, a large 3000mAh battery, quick fingerprint unlock, and a 5.5" 1080p screen. Honor is also entering the US market with the launch of the Honor 5X, selling it as an unlocked and dual-SIM smartphone. Honor is a sub-brand of Huawei, but it is not a totally separate company seeing as the charger in the box says "HUAWEI" on it. Also, as seen on some of the built-in apps, "Huawei" and "Honor" are used almost interchangeably. The Honor brand has grown quite fast and will grow even more with its US launch. As of now, Honor only sells the Honor 5X through Amazon, Newegg.com, and directly from Honor's own online store. Honor has since focused on making mid-to-low end hardware for the low-cost markets. With this iteration of Honor's X Series, there is a fresh new design language and a reason for it. It wants to give you bang for your buck. The Honor 5X is targeted at the millennial demographic, younger adults who would like to individualize themselves while also making a statement (or maybe college students who can't afford an iPhone). Key Features Dual-SIM functionality Full metal body design 5.5-inch LCD IPS 1,080 x 1,920px resolution, 401ppi Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 - Octa-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 w/ Adreno 405 Android 5.1.1 with Huawei's EM UI 3.1 on top (plans for Android 6.0 Marshmallow) 13MP rear-camera sensor, f/2.0, dual-LED flash, 1080p@30fps video, 5MP front-facing camera sensor 16GB of storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD LTE Cat.4 150 Mbps, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.1, FM radio 3000mAh battery Fingerprint reader Main Disadvantages No NFC No 5GHz Wi-Fi No Marshmallow (yet) No Quick Charge support For this price, the lack of 5 GHz Wi-Fi and NFC are more than forgivable, though the lack of the latter would mean no Android Pay support. We can live with both, but we wish this device came with support for Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0. Some might wish it had a removable battery, that's one compromise you would have to accept. While the Honor 5X currently does not have Marshmallow, the company has promised an update down the line. On the positive side, the Honor 5X has a fingerprint scanner and a metal backside, features that other phones of this price range do not offer. The Honor 5X comes in 3 colors: Silver, gold, and gray (not pictured). The gray unit is the only one that has a black front side which the metal backing is a few shades darker than the silver unit. Gold variant has a beige face Compared to the Honor 4X, its predecessor, the 5X comes with a bump in the display resolution from 720p to 1080p, increased internal storage of 16GB, a modest increase in processing and graphics power, and greatly improved hardware design that no longer looks generic and boring. For better, or worse, today's mobile scene is pretty much dominated by the typical "slate" design approach. And while it does have a lot going for it, it is admittedly a bit boring and an interesting take on the form factor is increasingly hard to come by. That being said, we often pick on Vertu for its profoundly elitarian approach to handsets, but we have to give credit, where credit is due and admit that their design language is definitely different and quirky, if not necessarily elegant by all standards. Copying the look of the high-end brand is nothing new and the practice has been around even before the smartphone era. Chinese manufacturer Ulefone seems to be the latest company to experiment with the approach, as evident by a leaked shot of its upcoming device. Other than the obvious, lets say inspiration, drawn from the Vertu line, leather and all, nothing is known about the mysterious device yet, not even its name. However, it is worth noting, that the new design language is an obvious departure from the rest of Ulefone's lineup, so maybe it is going to be a one off thing. Last, but not least, industry sources speculate that the new phone might be showcased at MWC 2016 in Barcelona. Seeing how the show is just a few days away now, it won't be too long before we see for ourselves. Source Today Samsung has chosen to unveil its next mobile chipset destined for mid-range smartphones. It's the Exynos 7 Octa 7870, and it's produced "using the company's most advanced 14-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology", according to the official one-paragraph information on it. Unfortunately no other details about the Exynos 7870 have been shared by Samsung at this time. Thankfully though, the 7870 has already been caught in a couple of benchmarks while powering the upcoming Galaxy J7 (2016). If the info tabs from those benchmarks aren't lying, then Samsung's newest mid-range SoC features a 1.7 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU and a Mali-T830 GPU. The Exynos 7 Octa 7870 is probably meant to be the successor to the Exynos 7580 which has been seen in the first Galaxy J7 phone from last year, for example. Hopefully Samsung will decide to share every single tidbit about the 7870 once the new J7 becomes official. Source | Via While Sony is still tight-lipped on PlayStation VR's launch time-frame, we now at-least have some idea on when the headset could arrive. This is all thanks to GameStop CEO Paul Raines, who said in a recent interview that they "will launch the Sony product this fall." Keep in mind, however, that the actual launch could happen earlier than the 'fall' time frame revealed by Raines given that it isn't yet known whether or not the retailer will start selling the headset immediately at launch. As for the price, there was no word on it from Raines. But we do have some idea on the headset's pricing - last month, it was spotted listed on three different Swiss online retailers, carrying price tags in the range of CHF 499 - CHF 552.45, or $505 - $560 at current exchange rates. Coming back to Raines, aside from revealing the launch time frame for PlayStation VR, he also said that the company is "in discussions" on carrying Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets, too. Via Today is a pretty big day for owners of three Android smartphones sold by Verizon. That's because the carrier has started rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates for the HTC One M9, LG G3, and LG G4 - all at the same time. As always in these cases, it may be a few days before you see the update hit your particular device, as the rollout is staged. That said, if you're impatient you can always manually check by going to the relevant section in Settings. For the HTC One M9, the new software version is 3.37.605.7, while the LG G3 gets VS98546A and the G4 will run VS98624C. Of course you can expect all of them to pack the latest goodies included by Google in the Android 6.0 release - Now On Tap, the new permissions system, Doze mode (for battery savings), direct sharing, and many more smaller things. The LG G4 is also getting support for Wi-Fi calling. Via Are you looking to jumpstart your creative juices? You might want to try playing around in a different tuning, such as open D. This particular tuning has been hailed as [] Since the Feb. 5 agreement reached between outgoing President Joseph Michel Martelly and the presidents of the Parliament, Jocelerme Privert (Senate) and Cholzer Chancy (Chamber of Deputies), there was no doubt that the interim president would be Jocelerme Privert. Both the 1987 Constitution and the Group of Eight (G8) opposition presidential candidates called for a judge of the Supreme Court (Court de Cassation) to fill the presidential vacuum. So the Organization of American States (OAS) Washingtons Ministry of Colonial Affairs in league with the outgoing Martelly clique and Haitis ruling class, had to find a formula with a veneer of legality and compromise. Moreover, they needed an interim president who could act as a fireman to pacify Haitis streets while at the same time neutralizing Haitis formal and informal opposition groups, particularly the G8. Since Feb. 7, when Martelly handed the presidential sash to Privert (then President of the National Assembly), the theatre in the halls of power is just to blunt and bluff the revolutionary upsurge that has been boiling across Haiti and assure a smooth transfer of from one neo-colonial regime to another. The majority of parliamentarians came to their seats through the same violent, fraudulent elections of Aug. 9 and Oct. 25, 2015 that have sent the masses into the streets demanding their annulment. So the supposedly democratic debate in this rump Parliament is only to fool the naive, silence the recalcitrant, and open the door to haggling for ever-coveted ministerial posts. What drama they were able to generate with a very tight first vote in the Parliament! In the Senate, Privert got 13 votes and Edgar Leblanc Fils, of the Struggling Peoples Organization (OPL), 10. Among the Deputies, Privert got 45 votes and Leblanc got 46. There was one blank ballot and not one vote for Dejean Belizaire, a former Senate president in 1991 before the coup detat against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Suddenly and inexplicably, in the second vote of the 50th Legislature on the night of Feb. 13-14, everything changed in favor of Privert, who received 77 votes, to Leblancs 33 and only 2 for Belizaire. Now, according to the Feb. 6 accord, the mandate of the Temporary President lasts up to 120 days from the date of installation, which was Feb. 14. Where appropriate, the National Assembly [both Parliamentary houses] will take the appropriate measures. In other words, all power has been given to the rump Parliament. New elections have been projected for Apr. 24, and a new presidents inauguration for May 14, but that schedule can only legally be established by an independent Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). The fact that Priverts mandate is for 120 days instead of 90 seems to confirm what everyone suspects: the process of rebooting Haitis elections is going to take longer than anticipated. For many Haitians, Privert is seen as close to Aristides Lavalas Family party, because he was Interior Minister under Aristides Prime Minister Yvon Neptune in the days leading up to the Feb. 29, 2004 coup detat. Both Privert and Neptune ended up spending about two years without trial in the National Penitentiary after being accused by Haitis post-coup government of directing the supposed La Scierie Massacre in St. Marc in February 2004. The allegations of that massacre have been discredited by United Nations investigators, among others. However, after his release from prison, Privert became an advisor to former President Rene Preval and then a six-year senator for Prevals party, Lespwa. Furthermore, Privert began his career as an official in the tax collection agency (DGI) of dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in the 1980s and represented the Haitian state at a 1992 International Monetary Fund (IMF) colloquium in Washington, DC on the neo-liberal reform of Haitis economy. Therefore, it is clearly too hasty to say that Priverts will be a Lavalas government. It is true that Privert is seen as a moderate of the Lavalas people, and Im not sure how much of his relationship is still with Aristide or whether his relationship is more with Preval, said Dr. Francois Pierre-Louis, a long-time Haitian activist and professor at CUNYs Queens College, in an interview with The Real News. Pierre-Louis also points out that during his time as a senator, Privert worked well with Martelly. Do not underestimate the relationship Privert may have had with Martelly, because ... Privert was very helpful in helping Martelly on a series of domestic agenda issues. Indeed, Privert never publicly criticized President Martelly and even sat next to Martelly and Haitian Archbishop Chibly Langlois during the signing of the infamous El Rancho political accord in March 2014. As a result, Pierre-Louis warns, we still have to wait to see if this compromise of Privert being interim president comes out of a pact between Martelly and some sector of the Lavalas movement. Especially in a de facto regime, the president is principally a symbolic position, except that he does choose the prime minister, who wields state power. Therefore, it is certain that Washington is most concerned about who the prime minister will be. Some of the leading contenders are Evans Paul, Martellys last prime minister, Mirlande Manigat, the center-right presidential candidate who lost to Martelly in 2011, and Edgar Leblanc Fils, whose party, the OPL, has historically been fiercely opposed to Aristide and the Lavalas Family. The supreme irony in this scenario is that the G8 and the Lavalas Family originally condemned the OAS-brokered Parliamentary solution which trumped the Constitution and G8's proposal. However, on Feb. 14, almost all of the opposition parties had delegations at Priverts swearing-in ceremony at the National Palace. The Lavalas Family even sent its presidential candidate Dr. Maryse Narcisse accompanied by Aristides wife, Mildred Trouillot Aristide. (Former Sen. Moise Jean-Charles declared on Feb. 15 that high-ranking members of his party, Dessalines Children, were at the ceremony on their own and not representing the party. Dessalines Children is a central, if not the principal, component of the G8.) Also in attendance at the ceremony were the ambassadors of the U.S.-led Core Group and the United Nations occupation force, MINUSTAH. Is it possible for genuinely anti-occupation pro-democracy pro-sovereignty opposition figures to applaud the same solution that imperialist representatives do? Later on Feb. 15, the G8 put out a statement saying it has followed with interest the scandalous procedure observed by a national assembly performed outside the constitutional framework to achieve the election of the interim president. The rump Parliaments move, with OAS backing, is an attempt to trivialize the victory of Haitis people on Jan. 22, 2016 where the anti-democratic forces were forced to back down on their plan to complete a flawed electoral process not respecting the verdict of the polls. It is a clear desire to swallow the results of the 2015 elections. The G-8 said that the present crisis, far from being a mere presidential succession crisis, is a deep crisis that reflects the disadvantaged masses refusal to be excluded from the country's political life. The eruption of the masses on the political scene as a major player reflects their rejection of a spent system. Any attempt to force the Haitian people to accept the unacceptable can only be a thorn that might aggravate the crisis. The G8 note was signed only by Samuel Madistin, the presidential candidate of the Popular Movement of the Dessalinien Opposition (MOPOD), as was the case for the G8's transition proposal in late January. The huge demonstrations which were a constant over the past three weeks have now died down, which means the Privert gambit has worked so far. But one should expect protest will flare again soon as Washingtons game becomes clear. The nascent revolutionary organizations emerging from the Haitian masses say they will continue to organize and prepare for the months of struggle ahead and are urging the masses to rely on their own strength, not follow the often opportunist agenda of political candidates mostly concerned with securing a salary, jobs for their friends, and a state vehicle. Haiti - Politic : Jocelerme Privert very busy Monday at the National Palace, the President a.i. Jocelerme Privert, held several working sessions to learn about the state of some records of national interest. In the morning, the Head of State met with the monetary and financial authorities, including Wilson Laleau, the outgoing Minister of Economy and Finance, Jean Dubois Baden, the new Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16105-icihaiti-politic-new-board-of-directors-to-the-brh.html and the other members of the Board of Directors of the Bank. The discussions focused on the country's financial and economic situation. In the afternoon, a Council of Ministers to the Extraordinary took place to allow Jocelerme Privert to learn about the situation of public administration as well as on the country's overall situation. Ardouin Zephirin, the Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) and Lyonel Valbrun, the Minister of Agriculture Natural Resources and Rural Development announced that various emergency measures were adopted to deal with floods that occurred in the North https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16594-haiti-security-flooding-in-the-north-the-government-mobilizes.html and mitigate the effects of drought https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16607-haiti-agriculture-the-country-hit-by-the-worst-drought-in-35-years.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16361-haiti-agriculture-drought-emergency-situation.html prevailing in several regions of the country. President a.i. Privert took the opportunity to reiterate its commitment to the requirements of the Constitution and its willingness to continue the implementation of the Agreement of 5 February 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/article-16533-haiti-politique-les-details-de-l-accord-de-a-a-z.html in order to achieve in due time to a normalization of political life in the interest of the Nation. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Mirlande Manigat proposed as Prime minister Tuesday, the President a.i. Jocelerme Privert met several political leaders. He received at his private residence, Moise Jean-Charles, presidential candidate under the banner "Pitit Dassalin" and at the National Palace among others Me Andre Michel presidential candidate under the banner of the JISTIS and Mirlande H. Manigat (separately), the General Secretary of the Rally of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP). At the conclusion of his meeting with the Head of State, Mr. Andre Michel said he proposed to President Privert the candidacy of Mirlande Manigat as Head of the Transitional Government. He is convinced that the political course of Jocelerme Privert and Mirlande Manigat should pose no problem of cohabitation. However, he ignores if Mrs. Manigat would accept the position of Prime Minister, confirming only that the latter had met the Head of State the same day. Furthermore he stated that the meeting also focused on the establishment of a provisional Electoral Council and a Commission of administrative inquiry into the management of former President Martelly. Tuesday, after having met with Provisional President Jocelerme Privert in the context of the implementation of the agreement of February 5, 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/article-16533-haiti-politique-les-details-de-l-accord-de-a-a-z.html Mirlande Manigat indicated she had exchanged with the Head of State "on the situation and the difficulties faced by the country," adding "He implement the Agreement, which says that the government's formation should be done with the strong forces," without giving any information or evidence relating to the position of Prime Minister mentioned by Me Michel... TB/ HaitiLibre You've reached your limit - Register for free now for unlimited access To read the full story, just register for free now - GET STARTED HERE Already subscribed? Log in below Code of conduct; Confidentiality; Conflict of interest; Working conditions and Leave requirements. >by Alan McDonald, Managing Director of McDonald MurholmeWith the ever changing environment of a modern workplace, there is an increased need for clear and concise HR policies and procedures.Employers need to ensure all employees are aware of their role and accompanying responsibilities in the workplace to facilitate a smooth running and productive environment.A key factor to these procedures is ensuring that each employee has a clear position description and their tasks are clearly communicated to them from the commencement of their employment.A position description is vital to the productivity of an employee as it ensures the employee knows what is expected of them and what their responsibilities are. Position descriptions are also fundamental in that they provide key criteria that an employee can expect to be evaluated on.Without a clear position description being agreed upon by an employer and an employee, confusion and disagreements can arise if performance management was to occur.With the demands of a developing workplace, many positions are known to change to accommodate the growing needs of a business. It is integral to ensure that should an employees role or responsibilities change, their position description is amended as well.HR policies and procedures allow companies to be consistent with their values whilst following their legal obligations as an employer.Often, many workplaces encounter issues where staff were unaware of a particular policy that they have breached, with lack of communication being a common excuse.It is imperative that workplaces have accessible and well-communicated HR policies and procedures which allow employers to properly manage staff conduct. These policies do not need to be particularly complex or numerous merely effectively communicated and adhered to.A comprehensive employee induction and regular training sessions on HR policies and procedures minimise potential misconduct within the workplace.Where the policies reflect the legal requirements placed upon the employer by the Fair Work Act 2009 (cth), they ensure that both the employee and employer comply.Otherwise, there is a risk that the employee can hold the employer to ransom where the employer has failed to comply with the Act.HR policies and procedures encourage employers to operate efficiently and effectively.They facilitate a cohesive workplace that supports consistent treatment of staff, fairness and transparency.The following areas are most common for companies to focus their policies and procedures on:Such policies and procedures also allow management to make decisions that are consistent, uniform and predictable.If an employee of your company breaches a company policy, we recommend seeking legal advice to ensure you follow your legal obligation as an employer. Ahtisaari estimated that the ability of the global community to resolve the long-running conflict in Syria is contingent on an agreement between Russia and the United States: The resolution hinges on two countries: Russia and the United States must find an agreement, he underscored. President Martti Ahtisaari offered his frank assessment of a variety of global and national issues at a lunch event organised by the Finnish Association of Political Journalists on Tuesday. He reminded that the recent agreement to seek a cessation of hostilities Syria is only a small step in the right direction and called attention to the importance of formulating a concrete roadmap for a political transition in the conflict-torn country. The Nobel Peace Laureate insisted he is nevertheless not an advocate of ousting President Bashar al-Assad. I haven't proposed that Assad be ousted but that parliamentary elections be organised. What's needed is a democratically elected body to determine the role of Assad, he pointed out. The stakeholders in the conflict received little praise from Ahtisaari. A more strategic approach could've established peace as early as in 2012, he argued. Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, warned earlier this week that the world is sliding towards a new Cold War. How exactly should Finland conduct itself in regards to his statement and Russia in general? We always have to maintain a business-like approach, replied Ahtisaari. It's been claimed in Russia that the West and Nato pose a military threat to Russia. That's absolutely not true in my opinion. The West has offered its partnership to Russia. The offer has sometimes been taken up, sometimes not. Nato isn't even capable of threatening Russia. Russia itself is the cause of the problems, he said, referring to the instability in Syria and Ukraine. The European Union should according to him continue its diplomatic efforts to find a rational settlement that is in the best interest of all stakeholders. Ahtisaari was similarly frank in his assessment of Paavo Vayrynen, a Member of the European Parliament, and his recent announcement to withdraw from the decision-making bodies of the Centre Party and establish his own political party to pursue an exit from the European Union. I would've rather hoped that he would start advocating his own exit from politics. That'd be the best service Paavo Vayrynen could do, he slammed. Ahtisaari also commented briefly on two of the candidates in the running to take over the White House, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump: The gentlemen are indeed very different. One says he's a social democrat, the other is talking through his hat. The United States, he estimated, is no longer the model country it was in 1977. Saying look at the United States as an example is hard these days. The opportunities are better in the Nordics, if they only look after the welfare state, he argued. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Roni Rekomaa Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Fernleaf Charter School breaks ground FLETCHER - Local officials, educators, business leaders, and families gathered to officially break ground for FernLeaf Community Charter School Wednesday at the schools 26 acre site on Howard Gap Road. The new, tuitionfree public charter school will open this Fall and provide students with engaging, hands on, experiential learning opportunities. In its inaugural year, the school will serve students in kindergarten through third grade adding one grade each year until 8th grade. Todays groundbreaking is the culmination of nearly four years of effort by dedicated teachers and parents who wanted to bring another educational option to families in the Fletcher area. They have provided the vision and passion for this school throughout the planning process. Their vision is being brought to fruition today through the support of community leaders, businesses, elected officials, and volunteers. FernLeaf is being created by this community, for this community. said Kevin Tierney, Chairman of the FernLeaf Board of Directors, in a news release. Local business owner Charlie Owen donated the land just across from Fletcher Park where FernLeaf will open this August. Mr. Owen was onhand for the event along with Mayor of Fletcher Bill Moore and other members of the community including future students of the school. The ceremony marked the beginning of a four month construction period, possible because of the schools permanent modular buildings constructed by THHC Building Systems LLC of Durham. Site work and installation will be completed by Flat Rock based Cooper Construction who has agreed to complete the project on a condensed timeframe and at cost. Samsel Architects of Asheville donated substantial services and worked alongside local civil engineering firm WGLA to provide crucial support in obtaining Planning and Zoning approval from the Townof Fletcher. The buildings, installation and other startup costs are being financed by Bank of North Carolina. Enrollment is currently open for the 2016-17 school year and applications will be accepted until March 15. Families interested in learning more are invited to attend an upcoming Information Session on either February 20th at 10:30 am at the Hendersonville Public Library or March 5th at 10:30 am at REIs Community Room in Biltmore Park. For more information or to apply, visit fernleafccs.org. FernLeaf's Mission is to foster a rich learning environment that embodies the essence of community, understanding, and the human spirit. Grounded in humble respect for our surroundings, the individual, and the world as a whole, we seek to engage the unique passions and aptitudes of our school community so that in addition to achieving academic fluency, students become thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged. Residents living near Dublin Port have described their living conditions as "a nightmare" because of the noise created by ships unloading crates near their homes. A group of residents from Pigeon House Road began a High Court action yesterday against the Dublin Port Company, which controls the port, and container operator Marine Terminals Ltd (MTL) for noise nuisance and alleged breach of planning laws. Demented "This has been going on for years and it's an absolute nightmare," said one resident, who did not want to be named. "The cranes work all through the night. You can't sleep a wink. When one of the metal containers comes down, the vibration alone is enough to wake you. We're driven demented by the noise." Another resident said his family could not move away because it would be impossible to sell the house. "Who would want to live beside that?" he said. The High Court heard that the residents from the Ringsend neighbourhood are seeking an order to ensure that activities at the MTL facility should cease at 11pm and not resume until 7am. The defendants oppose the action and MTL, which is owned by the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Group, denies there has been an intensification of operations. Opening the residents' case, counsel Seamus Woulfe said they could not get peace to sleep for up to five nights a week because of MTL's activities. They have been complaining since 2002 but had got no satisfaction, he said. The court would hear evidence of "engines running, vehicles moving, cranes moving up and down, clanging and banging". Containers were being moved from ship to shore and vice versa day and night, said Mr Woulfe. The residents were not making a claim that MTL should stop, but simply that there should be no activity between 11pm and 7am. They were also claiming for distress. The case continues. A nurse facing allegations relating to the possession of crystal meth ordered Sudafed using the names of a number of his colleagues, a disciplinary inquiry heard yesterday. John Benedict Butalid de Lara, of Ballyfermot, who worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook from 2003 until 2014, is facing allegations relating to the possession of crystal meth, and of ordering Sudafed using the names of several colleagues. The ongoing disciplinary inquiry at the Nursing Board headquarters in Blackrock, Co Dublin heard in December that an ingredient in Sudafed, pseudoephedrine, can be used in the making of crystal meth. Yesterday clinical nurse manager Anne Dooley, who worked with Mr de Lara at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook for eight years, said she first heard about Mr de Lara, 45, ordering Sudafed in other people's names when a health care assistant approached her about the matter. Ms Dooley met with Mr de Lara on 30 June 2013 to discuss the matter. Mr de Lara admitted that he had ordered the medication in the health care assistant's name, as he had wanted to send some Sudafed home to the Philippines, where he is from originally. A year later, in 2014, Ms Dooley was told of a newspaper article reporting that Mr de Lara had appeared in court over charges in relation to possession of crystal meth. "I was quite shocked," said Ms Dooley, but she said she had never had an issue before with Mr de Lara's work performance. Mr de Lara's legal representative, barrister John McGuigan, told the inquiry that his client admits to ordering Sudafed in other people's names, so as to send it to the Philippines. Search Last December, the inquiry heard that on March 31, 2014 Mr de Lara was arrested by An Garda Siochana following a search of a flat on Marlborough Road in Donnybrook. Mr de Lara was charged with possession of a controlled drug, namely methamphetamine. The case was heard before the district court, where the charges against Mr de Lara were dismissed, after he paid 1,000 to a charity. The inquiry continues on Friday. Convicted extortionist Buffalo Billy Clare is believed to be at the head of the gang A gang of thugs terrorising business people in an "extortion scam" have demanded 20,000 from an entrepreneur after kidnapping his son. The businessman, who we have decided not to name, from Gorey, Co Wexford, said he has been subjected to a slew of threats from the mob who claim to be members of the Provisional IRA. The windows of the business man's shop in the town were smashed some days ago, and a petrol bomb was thrown outside. Other businesses in the town have also been targeted. Senior sources dismissed the Provisional IRA as suspects and said they believe the group, made up of local hoods, is led by former Continuity IRA (CIRA) thug 'Buffalo' Billy Clare. Speaking to the Herald, the businessman said it was a "very scary experience". "I have a business that is doing very well, and I have six or seven lads working for me," he said. "When they called first, they said they wanted 20,000. When they didn't get that, they rang 10 days later and wanted 2,500 within 24 hours. I told them they wouldn't be getting a penny from me. "Then they came back looking for 4,500, or they would kill my son. Sinister "They also said they were going to visit the shop. They came last week and broke the window and lit a petrol bomb outside. It could have been a lot more serious." The sinister warnings came after the businessman's son, who is in his early 20s, was grabbed by four masked men from a street in broad daylight three weeks ago. "Four lads in balaclavas grabbed him, threw him in the back of a van, tied him up, gave him a bit of a beating and dumped him in a forest," he said. The thugs told his son they would kill his girlfriend if the family did not pay. Garda investigations into all incidents are continuing. In an extraordinary TV interview last May, Clare threw down the gauntlet to members of the Real IRA, warning: "I see republicans in Dublin, the likes of the Real IRA, I class them now as a legitimate target." The convicted extortionist also described in chilling detail how former Westies thug Bernard Sugg was shot dead and left "squealing like a pig" by an INLA unit of which he claims he was a member. Clare was questioned in connection with the murder of father-of-three Stephen O'Meara, who was buried alive in the Wicklow Mountains in 2011. He served a sentence for membership of the CIRA after the Special Criminal Court heard he had extorted money on behalf of the organisation. It is understood the CIRA has since renounced him. The Labour Party has conceded that the prospect of a rainbow coalition involving the Social Democrats and Fine Gael is now the most likely outcome of the General Election. In a major new development in the campaign, senior Labour figures strongly indicated that Tanaiste Joan Burton is now open to talks with the newly-formed party, widely seen to have won this week's leaders' debate. Following Stephen Donnelly's stand-out performance on the RTE forum, the Social Democrats are now seen as potential kingmakers. The Herald revealed last week that the Social Democrats will be the first party Fine Gael will turn to after the election if it does not have the numbers to return the Coalition. A senior Labour source insisted the only "untouchables" for the party ahead of government talks will be Gerry Adams' Sinn Fein and controversial Independent TD Michael Lowry. "If we are short on numbers, we would be willing to do business with the Social Democrats," a senior Labour strategist said. Meanwhile, Mr Donnelly last night played down the possibility that the Social Democrats would be willing to go into a Coalition with Fine Gael and Labour. He said they were focusing on the "long game" and "the next Dail is a secondary consideration". "The important bit for us is establishing the Social Democrats as a credibile new party. We want to build the Social Democrats," he said. "The primary consideration is in the long game of politics. Is there an appetite for this new approach? The answer seems to be 'Yes, there is a lot of appetite for it'. So that's the most important thing. The best way to implement your policies is as a big party, not as a small party. That's more important." While Mr Donnelly said they would be open to conversation with any party after the election, it would have to involve a radical shift on the part of Fine Gael and Labour. "We're not having any conversation about retaining the status quo. I'd be very surprised if Labour-Fine Gael were willing to basically take a different direction," he said. Uncertain The future of the Coalition partners was raised repeatedly on the campaign trail as polls suggested the outcome of the General Election is increasingly uncertain. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he was leaving the door open to a coalition with Labour. However, he criticised the party's performance in government. "We have said we will not go into government with Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. That is as far as we have gone and that speaks for itself, but the bottom line is that Labour have a clear strategic position in the middle of this campaign. Labour has again wedded itself to the Fine Gael ship and I think they'll pay a heavy price for that," he said. "It's very hard to distinguish Labour from Fine Gael now. Essentially, it seems to exist to prop up a Fine Gael party that is very focused on looking after the wealthiest in society." Mr Martin was also vague on who he is willing to do business with. "That depends on the people and who they elect," he said. "I'm actually putting my trust in the Irish people and saying to you, you know I have a very dismissive attitude to polling, but it is interesting when you look around the country and you see some of the constituency-based analysis. You get a completely different picture than the national picture, so this is wide open," he said. "We would go in with people who would support our policies in terms of the prioritisation we have given to investment in public services. We're obviously out to maximise our numbers." J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park. BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. The Sullivan County Commission on Tuesday voted down appealing the dismissal of lawsuits the county filed against Bristol and Kingsport. In 2014, the county and Board of Education filed the lawsuits to try to collect more than $2 million in revenues from the cities liquor-by-the-drink tax. Separate suits, one for each city, were filed in chancery court to collect a percentage of the sales accrued by the cities between 1984 and May 2014. First District Chancellor John C. Rambo dismissed the suits on Feb. 2. The county claimed in the suits that 25 percent of the revenues collected from the tax have to be distributed for educational use to the cities and county, according to the average daily attendance formula, which requires county governments to allocate school funding to county and municipal school systems within the county based on student population figures. Therefore, the county stated that this compels a municipality to share the tax with the county school system... in the same manner that a county is required to follow. The commission held a lengthy executive session to discuss the suits. The vote for an appeal was taken after the commissions regular meeting reconvened. Commissioner Mark Vance, of Bristol, said he didnt want to support appealing the courts decision because hes always been against the county suing itself and because he is a resident and representative of Bristol. I think we have to move forward and go beyond this, Vance said. I think it sets a bad precedent of this County Commission. Commissioner John Crawford, of Kingsport, disagreed. Were facing our new school situation and part of this money is supposed to go to schools, he said. I think if theres any way that we can get any more money for our schools weve got to look at that option. Two other Bristol commissioners, Cheryl Russell and Bob White, also voted against the appeal. Commissioner Randy Morrell, of Bristol, voted in favor of it and Commissioner Bob Neal, of Bristol, passed. The motion failed with only 12 yes votes. In other business, Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski updated the commission on the steps that the Board of Education has taken with its proposed school facilities plan. The Board of Education put out two requests for qualifications for architects, one for a new middle school and one for a new high school, on Jan. 26. The deadline for submitting qualifications to the board closes at noon on Feb. 26. The school board also approved putting out requests for proposals from licensed buyers agents who can help in the search for land options for the schools. The deadline to submit proposals is at noon Thursday. If there is a viable candidate, Rafalowski said, the board could vote to hire an agent at a called meeting on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. If an agent is approved they will have 60 days to return to the board with land options. The first phase of the school plan is estimated to cost $140 million. The plan is the boards current solution to excess space in schools due to declining enrollment and to address many outdated buildings. If approved by the commission, the plan will be carried out in three phases. Details of phases two and three have not been provided. Under the plan, a 1,700-student high school with a career academy focus would be built in the central, western area of the county and a new middle school would go in the east zone. There would only be one other high school in the county, Sullivan East, which would be completely renovated. Sullivan North, Sullivan South and a portion of Sullivan Central high school students would attend the new high school, while the remaining Central High students would attend East High. The commission also approved temporarily closing Minga Lane in Kingsport for two to four years so crews that are working to repair Boone Dam will have a construction support area for heavy construction equipment. The Tennessee Valley Authority believes that closing the quarter-mile stretch will help keep motorists safe because the equipment wont have to travel a long distance to and from the dam. A resolution to redistrict the commission and constable districts that was supposed to be considered on second reading was pulled from the agenda at the request of sponsor Bill Kilgore. If the districts are changed, the commission districts would match the seven Board of Education districts. Currently, the county has 11 commission districts. The new districts would not take effect until the 2018 general county election so current commissioners terms would not be cut short, according to the resolution. The resolution also seeks to reduce the number of commissioners from 24 to 21. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed Wednesday for European Union countries to work with Turkey to curb the flow of migrants and vowed to continue searching for common ground. European Union leaders are holding a summit on Thursday and Friday amid deep differences over migrant policy. Merkel's open-door stance to asylum-seekers has been under increasing pressure both from abroad and at home, including from within her own conservative bloc. "We are used to certain things in Europe taking a certain amount of time but it is always worth ... working, and I will do that, to achieve common ground all the same," Merkel said at a news conference. Merkel reiterated that "the question of quotas is not at the forefront at present." She already has said it would be "ridiculous" to talk about new quotas of migrants for European countries to take in when initial quotas agreed upon still haven't been divided among the EU. "At the forefront now is a common position on how we want to protect our external borders and to do that, it makes sense to implement the EU-Turkey agenda," she said. EU countries, keen to stop refugees crossing to Greece on their quest to reach more prosperous nations, last year pledged 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. Earlier Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke out in favor of the chancellor's stance, saying Merkel "will outlast all of her current critics in office." Juncker told Wednesday's edition of the Bild newspaper that "chancellors have always been recognized for staying the course in turbulent times." He pointed to former Chancellor Helmut Kohl's efforts to reunite Germany, saying that "history has showed he was right and it will also show Angela Merkel is right." BERLIN (AP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed Wednesday for European Union countries to work with Turkey to curb the flow of migrants and vowed to continue searching for common ground. European Union leaders are holding a summit on Thursday and Friday amid deep differences over migrant policy. Merkel's open-door stance to asylum-seekers has been under increasing pressure both from abroad and at home, including from within her own conservative bloc. "We are used to certain things in Europe taking a certain amount of time but it is always worth ... working, and I will do that, to achieve common ground all the same," Merkel said at a news conference. Merkel reiterated that "the question of quotas is not at the forefront at present." She already has said it would be "ridiculous" to talk about new quotas of migrants for European countries to take in when initial quotas agreed upon still haven't been divided among the EU. "At the forefront now is a common position on how we want to protect our external borders and to do that, it makes sense to implement the EU-Turkey agenda," she said. EU countries, keen to stop refugees crossing to Greece on their quest to reach more prosperous nations, last year pledged 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. Earlier Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke out in favor of the chancellor's stance, saying Merkel "will outlast all of her current critics in office." Juncker told Wednesday's edition of the Bild newspaper that "chancellors have always been recognized for staying the course in turbulent times." He pointed to former Chancellor Helmut Kohl's efforts to reunite Germany, saying that "history has showed he was right and it will also show Angela Merkel is right." BRISTOL, Va. Nurses, artists, veterinarians, singers, doctors, an aerospace engineer all dream careers to which young girls in the Mountain Empire aspire. Gracyn Blackmore, this years Miss Virginia Teen USA, visited Girls Inc. in Bristol Tuesday to launch the platform she created called UNLOCK. "Its where I give the girls a sense of confidence," she said. "I want them to know that its OK to chase your dreams and thats what life is all about is going after what you want for most and not to give up." Blackmore added that she hoped her visit Tuesday inspired the girls and instilled goal-setting and confidence. She plans to visit other Girls Inc. facilities and some schools while she holds the title. UNLOCK is not an acronym, its capitalized to emphasize that all children can unlock their potential and learn to be confident when reaching their goals, Blackmore said. "When youre speaking in a sentence you use unlock because you want to unlock your dreams, you want to unlock your potential so thats something that is just a really powerful word to me," she said. Blackmore, whos 16, chose to raise money for Girls Inc. because she believes she can relate to the age group. "I have had the time of my life," she said. "It has been so much fun. I go to John S. Battle High School Im from the area ... so its really nice to be able to represent this area because I know a lot of pageant girls that go to the state pageant arent from here." She entered her first pageant in April 2015. "This was a dream of mine," Blackmore said. "This was something that I thought I couldnt do, but when I put hard work and effort into it, I was like, Man, I can do this. And I did it, so I want them to know that they can do the same thing." She said she decided to participate in pageants because she knows a lot of people who are involved. "They told me how much of an impact it had on them, how much it raised their confidence, how much it improved their speaking skills," she said. "They made so many friends so I just wanted to be a part of it." A group of nearly 30 girls gathered around tables to hear Blackmore speak then she had them make dream boards pictures of their dreams, like one of Blackmores learning to dance, on a piece of paper. The dream boards, she said, are to be displayed where it can be seen every day as a reminder of and encouragement toward achieving their dreams. Blackmore also gave the girls necklaces with a key on them and a note saying that the key is to remind them that they have the power to unlock their dreams. The note is meant to encourage them to share their message with others when they ask what the key is for then pass it along to the person to continue encouraging achievement. Taliyh Burks, 12, said she wants to be a nurse. Her immediate goals are to pass all of her SOL tests. Ella Duff, 7, said she wants to be an artist and plans to get into a good college. "Its amazing that her platform kind of goes along with our every-day thing that we do with kids," said Mary Shrader, a Girls Inc. board of trustees member. "We want them to be successful and unlock their dreams." 170216 Bikeathon for Haku Mens to raise funds By Joe Elijah Preparations are underway for a major fund raising event, organized by the Haku Catholic Mens Association. The fund raising event, scheduled for next week, will cover 56 kilometers from Haku to Tsitalato constituency, the organizers of the Bike Athon have included stop over at Hanahan Parish, Gogohe, Lonahan and Hahela Parish. The first stretch of the Bike Athon will allow the Bikies to over night at Gogohe Parish for a short break and continue on to Buka Town the next day. From the interest show, the event is believed to have attracted more than 60 bikies, from both the male and female categories, the number is expected to increase during the actual day of the Bike Athon. According to the Bike athon organizer Mr. Andrew Mani of Lontis Mass Centre, the event is basically to raise funds for the Haku Catholic Mens, which are expected to travel throughout Bougainville and carry out Violence against Men awareness in the three Regions of South Central and North Bougainville. Mr Mani said the event will cover two days to reach Buka Town; they will start from Kessa and finish at the old Buka Town Buai market. Mr. Mani is calling on the communities of Buka to sponsor a bikey, and give towards a worthy cause to illuminate Violence against Men Ends Two bills to overhaul the BVU Authority board of directors were unanimously approved Tuesday morning by the Virginia House of Delegates. House Bills 1255 and 1325, filed in January by Delegate Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, and Delegate Israel OQuinn, R-Bristol, respectively, deal with separate portions of Senate Bill 329, previously introduced by Sen. Bill Carrico, R-Galax. Carrico has said he filed the bill in response to the federal corruption probe of BVU that has sent former BVU executives and contractors to prison. City and BVU officials oppose the legislation and say steps have already been taken to make sure there is no corruption in the future. Pillions bill seeks to replace the current nine-member board of eight city residents and one from Washington County with a seven-member board with a maximum of three from the city. The change would mean one council member from Bristol, one Bristol citizen member appointed by the governor, one member of the Washington County Board of Supervisors, one Washington County citizen appointed by the state Senate, one Abingdon Town Council member and one Scott County citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House. Those six would then select a seventh at-large member from the localities served. The OQuinn bill, like the Carrico bill, would alter authority policies and powers, govern its broadband powers to provide cable TV and Internet service, addresses Freedom of Information Act exemptions and directs the state auditor of public accounts to examine BVUs finances by July 1. Some portions of the bill related to BVUs Optinet telecommunications division may be moot if the sale announced last week goes through. Board member Guy Odum said he thinks the bill is unnecessary. The board disagrees with the bill in its form and fashion, Odum said. Everything thats in the bill the board has already done. We have a three-year contract with the CEO, we have put a law firm on a retainer basis weve done everything we can to remove every smidgeon of corruption [from BVU]. He added, People dont understand that if there are seven members on this board only two will be from Bristol, Virginia. The rest of them will be from outside of the city and will control the water, the sewer and the electricity for the citizens of Bristol, Virginia. They are failing to see that the utility that was built by the citizens of Bristol will be controlled by Washington and Scott counties. Washington County is a BVU customer they have one voting member on the board they did not build the infrastructure the citizens of Bristol did. Carrico said the process of getting the bill signed into law has just started. Now the House will consider SB 329 and the Senate will consider the bills from Delegates OQuinn and Pillion, he said. Were only a third of the way out of the gate, but I have every expectation that the Senate bill will pass with little or no opposition. Odum said he hoped the General Assembly would put a pause button on the legislation for a year. 170216RAKAS NOISE By Tom Kathoa Vagrants or people without jobs residing on Sohano Island have been asked to consider returning to their original villages. The request was made by a member of the Sohano Community, Benson Raka in his radio awareness to people living on Sohano Island. Mr. Raka said most of the problems on the island are being caused by people without jobs and engaging in the consumption of alcohol. He also said that law abiding citizens are fed up with such behavior from people who have no regard for the well being of others. He said the use of dirty words by drunkards is unacceptable to the majority of the people on the island. And, he has strongly appealed to such people to stop this nonsense. Meanwhile, Mr. Raka has also called on liquor traders to make sure they are licensed and that they operate within the liquor laws. He warned that Illegal liquor traders would be prosecuted. Ends JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Tennessee and Virginia regulators will decide whether to permit a merger of the Mountain Empires two dominant health care systems after receiving applications Tuesday. Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance announced Tuesday that they have filed applications for a Certificate of Public Advantage in Tennessee and a cooperative agreement in Virginia that would enable the two organizations to create a new health system in the region. The Tennessee Department of Health and the Southwest Virginia Health Authority confirmed they received the applications on Tuesday. Both applications include a copy of the definitive agreement between the two health systems, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both organizations and signed on Monday by Roger Leonard, chairman of the Wellmont board of directors; Barbara Allen, chairwoman of the Mountain States board of directors; Bart Hove, president and CEO of Wellmont; and Alan Levine, president and CEO of Mountain States. Hove and Levine held a news conference Tuesday afternoon at MSHA headquarters in Johnson City. The definitive agreement is a binding legal document that outlines how the two health systems would unite their operations upon approval by the states. Both states are extremely interested in the prospects of the merger taking shape, Hove said. The states are especially interested in the possibility of raising the level of health care in the region, said Hove, who specifically mentioned obesity and cancer. In April 2015, MSHA and Wellmont officials announced they were working toward merging their hospitals and other health care facilities in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. In compliance with state laws, TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner will review all submitted COPA application materials. When the application is determined to be complete, a 120-day review period will commence, allowing the department to evaluate possible benefits and disadvantages of a cooperative agreement to merge, including how the proposed changes would affect overall population health in the service area, health care quality and availability and costs of services. The application has been submitted, and the authority will now begin the process of determining whether the application is complete, said Delegate Terry Kilgore, chairman of the Southwest Virginia Health Authority. Once the application is deemed complete, it will officially be received by the authority and the process of reviewing and commenting on the application will begin in earnest. There is a 150-day review period in Virginia. A number of public meetings are planned in Tennessee and Virginia. The two systems have worked extensively together over the last year in preparing the applications, reviewing everything from economics to Supreme Court case law, Levine said. An awful lot has been happening over the course of the last year, he added. Levine and Hove said they believe the two states will thoroughly review the applications. The reality is, two small systems like ours, staying independent, is very unlikely over the next two or three years, Levine said. He believes that if the two systems successfully merge, other health-care providers will use the merger as a model. The combination of the two systems would decrease costs, rather than increase costs, said Levine, who noted that the states will likely take that into consideration. The two companies cannot yet begin determining what services could possibly overlap or become redundant as a result of a merger. But Levine said the merger could potentially also create new jobs and investment. He noted that a new regional addiction recovery center, which is proposed, would add new jobs. If there was no merger, there would be fewer people working for us, Levine said. User rates of the two systems are decreasing, the CEOs said, which Levine added is a reason the merger makes sense. Levine said a name for the new organization has not been determined, but its unlikely that the names Wellmont and Mountain State Health Alliance would be used. This is going to be a new organization with a new name, Hove said. In addition to the two state health departments, the merger also depends on approval from the Federal Trade Commission, Levine said. No one can predict what the FTC will or wont do, he added. The CEOs noted that although the systems have a majority of inpatient care in the region, they hold a combined minority in outpatient care. Outpatient care in the region will remain competitive, Levine said. Levine and Hove said they believe they have support from both states, business leaders and the public. In Tennessee, the first public meeting will be held in Elizabethton. An advisory group listening session is scheduled on March 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carter County Health Department. Few people in modern history have fulfilled their oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution more than the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia was so well respected that the Senate voted 98-0 in 1986 to confirm him. These days it would be difficult to get a unanimous vote in support of Mothers Day. It doesnt take a fortune teller to predict the scenario that would present itself if the political dynamics were reversed and a Republican president were in the White House with a Democratic Senate majority. Democrats would be demanding no justice be confirmed until the next president takes office and they would make it a major campaign issue. That is what Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said in 2007: We should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court, except in extraordinary circumstances. That was 19 months before the 2008 election. It is a little more than eight months away from the next election. The president is not about to nominate a conservative and should not be expected to. Will he pick someone who is a closet liberal, daring the Senate to reject that person, or will he choose an openly liberal person and challenge the Senate to block his nominee? If ever there was a time for Senate Republicans to stand firm, this is it. Initial signs are good. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a statement that the next justice should not be confirmed until after a new president takes office. Senate Judiciary Committee ChairmanCharles Grassley (R-IA) said much the same. Some are speculating that President Obama, who quickly announced he will name a successor to Scalia in due time, might try to make a recess appointment after the current Senate session expires January 3, 2017, should the Senate refuse to confirm his nominee. How long would such a justice serve, and who would decide? When President Eisenhower appointed William Brennan to the court during a congressional recess, Brennan stayed for nearly 34 years. For the Left, this is an opportunity to impose a liberal agenda on the nation for perhaps as many as 40 years. For the Right, it will determine whether conservatives will have the power to stop an agenda they believe is proving ruinous to the country economically, legally and morally. The stakes could not be higher. Justice Scalia summarized his constitutional philosophy in a May 2011 interview with California Lawyer magazine: Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesnt. Nobody ever thought that thats what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that. If the current society wants to outlaw discrimination by sex, hey, we have things called legislatures, and they enact things called laws. You dont need a constitution to keep things up-to-date. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box. You dont like the death penalty anymore, thats fine. You want a right to abortion? Theres nothing in the Constitution about that. But that doesnt mean you cannot prohibit it. Persuade your fellow citizens its a good idea and pass a law. Thats what democracy is all about. Its not about nine superannuated judges who have been there too long, imposing these demands on society. It will be difficult for a Republican president to find someone as good as Scalia. If President Obama puts another liberal on the court, tipping its balance, that person is likely to undo all that Scalia has done to honor the Constitution. The Senate should push the hold button and let the presidential candidates take it to the people to decide in November. Justice Scalia would have approved of such an approach. In the first minutes after the shocking news spread Saturday that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley tried to be reasonable. It didnt go well for him. Grassley (R-Iowa), informed in a phone call from Des Moines Register reporter Jason Noble that Scalia had died, responded honorably, saying he didnt want to talk about replacing Scalia yet. I wouldnt make any prognostication on anything about the future because theres so many balls in the air when those things are considered, he said. But in the following two hours, those balls fell on Grassley. The conservative Twitterverse erupted with demands that the Senate refuse to confirm anybody nominated by President Obama to replace Scalia. Conservative firebrand Ted Cruz, the presidential candidate and a member of Grassleys committee, declared that we owe it to Scalia for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement a sentiment echoed by other Republican presidential candidates. Then, at 6:41 p.m., not two hours after the San Antonio Express-News broke the news of Scalias death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared that this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. About 40 minutes later, Grassley folded. The fact of the matter is that its been standard practice over the last nearly 80 years that Supreme Court nominees are not confirmed during a presidential election year, he declared. He added that it only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court justice. Grassley climbed down so quickly that he erroneously accepted a conservative claim, which was making its way around the Internet, that no nominee had been confirmed in a presidential election year; Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was, in 1988. Grassley corrected his statement to say nominated and confirmed. Observed Noble, the reporter who had spoken to Grassley earlier: Grassleys forceful statement marks a rapid rhetorical shift from less than two hours before. The swift reversal by the Senate Judiciary chairman was part of an unseemly but not unsurprising spectacle that greeted Scalias death. Democrats and Republicans alike rushed to dig in about whether a successor for Scalia should be considered in the next 11 months without even a respectful pause. Whether one loved him or hated him, Scalia was a towering figure, and he deserved at least a moment before the bickering began. McConnell, in his statement, said the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. But the people have already had their say. They reelected President Obama in 2012. And they elected a Republican majority to the Senate in 2014. That majority has every right to reject Obamas nominee. But McConnell and his colleagues appear to be asserting that they wont even consider a nominee no hearings and no vote. This is a grim commentary on the current state of dysfunction in American government. If Republicans refuse to confirm an Obama nominee, they will almost certainly break the record for the longest vacancy on the court since the court expanded to nine members in 1869. And that delay 391 days in 1969-1970, was because the Senate rejected two of Richard Nixons nominees, not because it wouldnt take up any. There was a longer vacancy 27 months in the 1840s, as the nation slid toward Civil War. Are we really at a similar point today? Its up to Mitch McConnell, and everybody else, to stop it. Its called delay, delay, delay, Donald Trump said to applause at Saturday nights GOP presidential debate in South Carolina. The proverbial before-the-body-was-cold pronouncements began nine minutes after the San Antonio paper tweeted Scalias death. Sean Davis of the right-wing publication the Federalist tweeted: If Scalia has actually passed away, the Senate must refuse to confirm any justices in 2016. Four minutes later, Conn Carroll, a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee member Mike Lee (R-Utah), tweeted that chances were less than zero of an Obama nominee succeeding. Another committee Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, tweeted a headline to justify inaction. Schumer in 2007: Dont confirm any Bush Supreme Court nominee, it said. But thats not what Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), the incoming Senate Democratic leader, said. I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm a Supreme Court nominee EXCEPT in extraordinary circumstances, Schumer said, and in the next breath explained: They must prove by actions not words that they are in the mainstream. Thats a fine standard. Force Obamas nominee to prove that he, or she, is in the mainstream. But unless the Senate wants to return to antebellum divisions, dont deny that nominee consideration. Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the implementation of the presidents Clean Power Plan. Twenty-four states were part of a coalition that sued; though neither Tennessee nor Virginia was among them. Immediately after news of the decision became public, Congressman Morgan Griffith published a statement lauding the decision of the Supreme Court, and reminding all of his consistent opposition to the unconstitutional overreach of the president and the EPA. In 2014, the solar industry created more jobs than in any other part of the energy sector. While the coal industry has historically created jobs in Appalachia, the peak of employment in the coal industry here occurred in the 1960s, and has been in a steady decline since. While the narrative that environmental regulations and protections are waging a war on the coal industry may make for a fun sound bite, the facts simply do not support that claim. There is no regulatory onslaught upon the coal industry, nor can the world economy or the U.S. economy be blamed. If you pick up any elementary science textbook and look up the term nonrenewable resource, it will explain why the coal industry is faltering: the resource itself is going away, and the industry has steadily become more mechanized. So, the question is: What does the Clean Power Plan do for Tennessee and Virginia? The EPA is projecting massive benefits both for people and the environment. The plan provides incentives and sparks investments in renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, jobs will be created in making homes and businesses more efficient. Perhaps most importantly of all, it represents a meaningful effort on part of our government to combat climate change. The question we should be asking of our political representatives is: What are they doing to ensure our future? MacKay Pierce | Bristol, Tennessee This weekend might be the last warm one we have in awhile NEWTON A Hickory man was in court before District Court Judge Amy Walker on Tuesday after he allegedly shot at a deputy Saturday with a shotgun. The man asked for a court-appointed lawyer, and Walker assigned attorney Scott Matthews to his case. Barry Talmage Hildebran, 45, of Hickory, faces charges of one felony count of attempted first degree murder, one felony count of assault with a firearm, one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon, one felony count of probation violation, one misdemeanor count of resisting a public officer and one misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon. Prior to the incident, a deputy attempted to serve Hildebran with warrants for five felony counts of failure to appear. According to Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid, Hildebran climbed out of a window and began to run. The deputy began pursuit, but retreated to his car when Hildebran aimed a shotgun at the deputy. The deputy called for backup, and took his long gun from his vehicle. The two men fired at each other, with the deputy hitting Hildebrans hand. The deputy was uninjured, and EMS transported the man from the scene to Catawba County Medical Center. I thought it was somebody out here target practicing, Steve Ikard said, who lives near the scene. According to Catawba County records, Hildebran also is charged with one felony count of breaking and entering, one felony count of larceny, one felony count of habitual breaking and entering and one felony count of possession of stolen goods, from an unrelated case. He is somebody that has been in our jail several times, Reid said after the incident. Hildebran will next appear in court March 11. The amendment to the Companies Act in 2013 made corporate social responsibility mandatory in India. A knee-jerk reaction to the obligatory nature of such an amendment is akin to the taxes enforced by the government on companies. But isnt it beneficial for a company to be able to contribute to society, on which it depends for progress? By the same token, isnt it the fiduciary responsibility of a company to weigh the cost-benefit tradeoffs of implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes? These two viewpoints seem to be paradoxical, but they are not. The challenge is to devise a strategy that positively impacts society and enhances a firms value. The seemingly complex paradox can be addressed if companies comprehend the goal of CSR, which is aligning a companys social and environmental activities with its business purpose and values. Simply defining the fundamental goal of CSR is not enough. It is also imperative to define the success associated with the goal. Since creating value and achieving success are essential, firms must develop measures for the social or environmental value addition and generating positive business results. There are several companies that administer CSR efficaciously. Take, for example, the guiding principle for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CSR initiative: Impact through Empowerment. As part of this, TCS has initiated adult literacy programmes, forged university alliances and has created web health centres (Med Mantra). TCS has ensured that the communities engaged in their CSR programmes are empowered. At a time when the world is battling climate change, many industries have aimed their CSR initiatives for ensuring environmental sustainability. They are working towards achieving zero waste to landfill, carbon neutrality, positive water balance, reduction in specific energy consumption and increase in utilisation of renewable energy sources. Social and environmental CSR influences perceptions and makes consumers feel good about the brand and its products. Such positioning helps companies to gain competitive advantage and increases profitability. Another area to focus on via CSR initiatives is education and developing socially excluded communities. The advancement of girls, youth, and farmers, through quality education and generation of livelihood opportunities, can transform lives. The CSR programmes can help in building a tolerant, healthy and a more connected society by providing quality education and fostering sustainable livelihoods for people from socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Dedicated CSR initiatives can earn laurels for a company, boosting its brand value along with the stock price. These are some ways to resolve the paradox underscored at the outset. CSR numbers in India are estimated to be around Rs 10,000 crore. To get the best results from this, companies should not get trapped in random acts of philanthropy, but align their social and environmental activities with their business rationale and values. That should deliver the biggest bang for the buck for society and the stakeholders. Faisal Patel is a social and business entrepreneur The views expressed are personal The worlds attention, which has been focused on West Asias macabre theatre of terror, has shifted to Syria from Iraq, and Aleppo has again become an important city not just for the Bashar al-Assad regime but for all the nations involved in the region. The Syrian army backed by Iran, the Hezbollah, other Shia militia and, most importantly, Russia is fighting rebel forces to take over Aleppo. However, in the garb of fighting the Jabhat al Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, the pro-Assad forces are attacking rebel groups allied to the United States. Washington has condemned Moscows air assault but short of any action, such a reprimand means nothing. Last week, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia said it was considering sending ground troops to Syria to fight the Islamic State. This move would further complicate the operations, especially at a time when there are reports that Turkey is attacking the Kurds and Syrian troops. It is not sure if this decision by Ankara and Riyadh will weaken the Assad government, because Moscow and Tehran have been systematically targeting anti-Assad forces. But what is certain is that Turkish and Saudi forces would weaken the Syrian Kurds who have played a vital role in fighting the Islamic State (IS) this will shift the focus away from the IS. A recent report by Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, on the threat posed by the IS to international peace and security, comes to the conclusion that the terror group is likely to grow this year. The report also raises major concerns about the influence and impact the IS foreign fighters may have as they return from Iraq and Syria to their homelands and use their skills and combat experience to recruit additional sympathizers, establish terrorist networks and commit terrorist acts. While the blowback rate the number of foreign fighters who return and attack their home country is relatively low, the report states that this could rise with the number of foreign fighters increasing. This has been a major concern for the West, especially Europe that have seen many lone-wolf attacks in the recent past. Many Right-leaning political parties in Europe are also subscribing to the view that citizens who have gone to fight the holy war in Syria and Iraq should not be allowed back to their home country. Such views find resonance in a claim made by Riad Kamel Abbas, the Syrian ambassador to India, in an interview to Hindustan Times in 2014. Abbas had said that some European nations had approached the Assad regime to take care of radicalised Europeans fighting in Syria. Intelligence chiefs of some European countries like France, Germany, Denmark and Britain had approached the Syrian government with a deal that if the Syrian government would take care of radicalised Europeans fighting in Syria, Europe would not press charges of human rights violation against Syria, he said. Closer home and of more concern to India, the UN report notes the IS growing influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The attraction of groups like the Tehreek-e-Khilafat to the IS ideology and the attack on the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, point towards developments New Delhi will need to keep a sharp eye on. The action in Aleppo, when read along with the UN report, shows how the IS is slipping off the terror radar. Washington has never been successful in tackling terror in West Asia. Today the region is a house of cards and nothing short of a policy nightmare. To weaken Assad the rebels have to be empowered, but empowering the rebels, especially the Kurds, would not be possible without antagonising Erdogans Turkey. Without Turkeys positive involvement it would be near impossible to check the IS not to mention the flow of refugees into Europe. Empowering the rebels would also mean weakening Assad, which Tehran and Moscow would oppose even Washington cannot deny the role Tehran has played in stopping the IS juggernaut in Iraq. But the Sunni powers in the region do not view Tehrans involvement favourably, further widening the Shia-Sunni divide. This complex web of interests often put countries that should be fighting together at loggerheads. The picture gets further complicated when the actions and interests of the United States, Russia and Israel are factored in. The focus of the war on terror needs to shift back on to the IS, and for this Russia and Iran need to stop empowering Assad at the cost of rebels who oppose the Syrian president. The US must persuade Turkey and Saudi Arabia to not further muddy the waters, but only after reaching an agreement with Russia. The UN must wake up before the current attack on Aleppo leads to a catastrophe. A failure at this point would benefit terror groups and further push the region into chaos. Views expressed by the author are personal. The author tweets as @vijucherian SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJPs strategy of not turning the Maihar campaign into a high-profile one, unlike the Ratlam Lok Sabha bypoll in November where it lost, seems to have paid off. Narayan Tripathi of the BJP won the by-election for Maihar assembly segment in Madhya Pradesh by 28,281 votes. Tripathi had earlier won the Maihar seat in 2013 assembly elections on a Congress ticket but had resigned from the party to join the BJP, necessitating the bypoll. Victory a shot in the arm for Shivraj The BJPs victory at Maihar is a shot in the arm for chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, since a whisper campaign had begun taking root in the state BJP insinuating that Chouhans popularity was on the wane, as reflected in the partys defeat in the Ratlam Lok Sabha by-election. The BJP victory proved poll pundits wrong, who had all along been giving the Congress an upper hand in Maihar. Sources in the BJP said a strategy was worked out to not make the campaign in Maihar a high-profile. In the post Ratlam defeat analysis, the party felt that by sending a large number of ministers and top leaders who moved around in the Ratlam campaign with all the trappings of power, the party had alienated the local people. Only two ministers, Rajendra Shukla and Lal Singh Arya were permanently in Maihar in run up to the polls. Other ministers visited Maihar but did not stay there long enough. The Congress made the same mistake in Maihar. All top leaders were invited in a show of unity but it did not serve any purpose, said political analyst Girija Shankar. The Congress could also have erred in working out its electoral arithmetic. The Congress felt that the vote secured by Narayan Tripathi in 2013 elections was the Congress dedicated vote which along with vote secured by Manish Patel in 2013 would ensure victory for Congress. That did not happen, said Shankar. In fact Narayan Tripathi could successfully take votes with him and also got the dedicated vote of BJP, he said. Cong was banking on Kurmi and Kushwaha community votes The Congress was banking on the Kurmi and Kushwaha community votes, along with a sizeable section of the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste community votes, besides Thakur and Muslim votes as well. Clearly, the SC community vote seems to have gone with the BJP along with the non-Kurmi, non-Kushwaha backward classes vote mainly from Yadav and Sahu community, helping the party romp home. Both the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party candidates, Ramlakhan Singh and Ramniwas Urmalia, secured only 9,892 and 8,982 votes respectively, and did not serve their expected purpose for either the BJP or the Congresscut into Kurmi and Brahmin votes. Third defeat for Ajay Singh in Satna This is a third defeat for Leader of opposition Ajay Singh in Satna- a district that lies in the area that was under the influence of his late father Arjun Singhs. Ajay Singh lost the Satna Lok Sabha election in 2014, his candidate lost the Satna municipal corporation polls in the same year and now the defeat in Maihar. The Congresss Ajay Singh- who had attributed his defeat in Satna Lok Sabha elections in 2014 to Narayan Tripathi working against him- had declared Maihar as a prestige contest for himself. BJP misused state machinery: Congress Congress state president Arun Yadav accused the BJP of misusing the government machinery to win the by-election. Yadav accused the BJP-led government of deliberately giving below poverty line (BPL) status to 17,000 families just two days before the election notification. The state Congress chief also accused the BJP of using the police force to illegally carry their election campaigning material, which was against the norms of the election commission. He also raised questions on the announcement of development projects worth Rs150 crore by the chief minister during his election campaign. Actor Shah Rukh Khan was in Delhi on Tuesday evening and his visit to the city was the opportune moment for the media to make him comment on the abduction of Snapdeal executive Dpiti Sarna, which was allegedly inspired by his 1993-film Darr. Read | Shah Rukh Khans DU visit turns ugly after ABVP protests Talking about films influencing real life, Shah Rukh said, Our work does affect people more than we know, but I think no filmmaker ever makes a story to inspire people in a negative way. I think truth is stranger than fiction. In the film, Shah Rukh played an obsessive lover, much like Devender Kumar, who had allegedly abducted Dipti. Shah Rukh went on to add, When you talk about Darr, its the love story of an obsessive man who could give his life for the one he loves and he does and it was never meant to encourage anything negative. At the end of it all, it is just a film, it cant change your life in any way and that is what we think. Read | Juhi Chawla on Snapdeal case: Dont blame Darr for abduction Shah Rukh Khan also visited Hansraj College (Delhi University) during his New Delhi trip on Feb 16. (IANS) The obsessive stalker with a criminal past that includes three murder cases was arrested on Monday for masterminding the kidnapping. The stalker, who is married, was convinced he was in love with Dipti Sarna, the 24-year-old Snapdeal employee whom he abducted in an auto on February 10 and let go, unhurt, two days later, apparently believing he had won her. Read | Darr, Sholay, Raanjhanaa and more: Bollywood films that flaunt stalkers as lovers Police said the prime accused and mastermind of the plan had been following her for months and was inspired by Darr. The accused had made 150 recces, bought 2 autos and then kidnapped her. Earlier, Juhi Chawla, filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Hansal Mehta said you cant blame Bollywood for this incident. The actors answers to media questions were constantly interrupted by loud cheers from his fans expressing their love, which prompted the actor to talk about the admiration that he has received from fans in his 25-year-long Bollywood career. I have never really understood what is it about me that they love so much. I am humbled by them. I dont know what is it that they hold on to so dearly about me, says the actor. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Salman Khan turned 50 on December 27 in 2015, his fans in Surat (Gujarat) baked a 400ft-long cake to celebrate the actors birthday. Now, the superstar is set to travel to the city on February 19 for a live performance, and he says he is excited about it. See: Salman Khan joins sister Arpitas baby shower celebrations I will visit Surat after a long time. I am very excited to perform in the city. I just love the [local] food, and, of course, the clothes, with beautiful work. It will certainly be a lot of fun [to perform in Surat], says Salman. Although the actor performs at awards functions, it has been a while since audiences have seen him dance live on stage. Apparently, Salman has personally chosen some of his popular tracks for the performance, which will include hits from his earlier films. Read: Salman Khan is not engaged to Iulia Vantur, confirms Arpita Khan Besides his stage act, Salman has other plans too. Ask him if he plans to go shopping in Surat, which is known as the textile hub of India, and the actor says, I definitely plan to pick up saris for my mother (Salma Khan) and sisters (Alvira Agnihotri and Arpita Khan Sharma) from the city markets. After returning from Surat, Salman will immediately start shooting for director Ali Abbas Zafars next. Follow @htshowbiz for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sonam Kapoors eponymous biopic on flight stewardess Neerja Bhanot is days away from release and its latest promo material will leave you choked. A new sound clip released by the films producer, Fox Star India, has Neerja making the flight announcement reportedly on board the ill-fated PanAm Flight 73 on 5 September 1986. She was dead a few hours later after saving the lives of 359 passengers from four Abu Nidal terrorists who hijacked the flight. She was 22. On Tuesday evening, Fox Star Hindi, presenters of the film, shared an audio clipping from PanAm Flight 73 on September 5. The producers shared a tweet with Neerjas last-ever flight announcement along with the post: The voice of our hero, the inspiration of a generation! #Neerja Bhanot. Read: Can Sonam Kapoors Neerja fly as high as these 7 Hollywood movies? Sonam Kapoor in a still from Neerja. Neerjas real voice, and reportedly her last flight announcement, can be heard in the 58-second long clip. Neerja boarded the Pan Am Flight 73 on September 5 and made her regular announcement before the plane was hijacked. She lost her life while saving the live of 359 passengers from four terrorists on board. She hid the passports of American passengers on the plane, preventing the hijackers from identifying and picking them off. She was killed while leading a group of children to safety. Read: Sonam may not but these actors did look like the people they played Neerja was the first civilian to be awarded Ashok Chakra, Indias highest peacetime gallantry award. The film is directed by Ram Madhvani. The film, which stars Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravijiani in pivotal roles, hits theatres on 19 February 2016. Shah Rukh Khan, who recently faced attacks in Bhuj while shooting Raees, was at the receiving end of protests once again on Tuesday evening when he visited Hansraj college in the national capital. The 50-year-old actor was in Delhi to collect his college degree and also launch the first song of his next, Fan. A group of students, believed to be affiliated to ABVP, staged a protest outside Delhi Universitys Hansraj College where Shah Rukh Khan came for an event and shouted slogans against the actor telling him to go back. The 50-year-old Dilwale star was in his alma mater to launch a song from his next, Fan, which is also set in Delhi, reported PTI. Watch protesters outside Hansraj college Around 10 students stood outside the colleges main gate and shouted slogans like Go Back Shah Rukh and Shah Rukh Khan murdabad. SRK visited the college to collect his graduation degree. SRK showing his graduation degree of 1989 which he received at Hansraj College. (PTI) Some students were protesting outside the gate for few minutes before Shah Rukhs arrival. We asked them not to do that and after a while they left. They were shouting slogans Go back Shah Rukh, a police official on duty said. According to a report in The Hindu, some eight to ten protesters were taken to Maurice Nagar police station. They were let off after an hour. Read: Not being secular is the worst crime as patriot, says Shah Rukh Khan The actor is facing a lot of backlash following his comment on intolerance last November. Recently, stones were pelted at his car in Ahmedabad, where he is shooting another film Raees. (With inputs from PTI) Follow @htshowbiz for more. While we wait to see his performance in the film this Friday, the trailers for MS Dhoni: An Untold Story have made us rather hopeful about Sushant Singh Rajput playing the Indian cricket team captain in his new film. Well, we do not doubt his acting chops after Kai Po Che and PK, but looks are another matter altogether. You can judge for yourself: Alright, he does look a lot like him and we accept it. But will he be as good as these other actors who played someone famous in a biopic with so much excellence? Heres hoping he does and if not, we wish he isnt as bad as the last few on this list. 1. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk Sean Penns performance in Milk won him an Oscar in 2009. He played the gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the biography and looked like his long lost twin. They had the same wavy hair, complete with a bony face and a thin frame. The iconic t-shirt also made sure the audience felt like they are looking at Milk himself. 2. Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Lewis played Americas most respected president Abraham Lincoln in this 2012 movie by Stephen Spielberg with incredible intensity. Also, you must have seen the poster of the movie and thought that oh, it is Lincoln himself because he looks so much like him in the side profile. They have the same longish face, light eyes surrounded by a pool of wrinkles. And yes, the iconic beard. 3. Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Bollywood still has a long way to go to learn how to make good biopics but this one was a gem. Farhan Akhtar toiled hard to look like like the Flying Sikh in the movie and all his hard work paid off in the end. His physique, face, mannerisms were so much Singh, the audience was left spellbound. 4. Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar in Narcos We are in the midst of the golden age of TV (okay, American TV), and the one name sure to crop is that of Wagner Moura. He plays Columbian drug lord, Pablo Escobar, with a precision rarely seen in a TV biopic. His curly, dark hair, his potbelly, light coloured suits, and a deep, sullen voice speak power as soon as he enters the frame. 5. Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto Che Guevara in Che Toro played the iconic Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara in this 2008 film. Critics were left spellbound at the precision with which Toro executed his role: Not only did he work hard on his acting (he was always great at it), he also surprised everyone with his appearance. He looks so much like Che in the movie that his bigger frame caused no distraction. Read: Not just Neerja, these Bollywood films that were banned in Pakistan too 6. Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie vs Julia Remember that beautiful movie where Meryl Streep played beloved TV chef Julia Child? While she may not have looked like her carbon copy, Streeps voice was unmistakably like Child. She took on the high pitch and kept it throughout the movie. Sure her dresses and curls didnt hurt either. 7. Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt in Rush Thor star and Australian actor Chris Hemsworth portrayed British Formula One racer James Hunt in 2013 movie, Rush. The film addressed Hunts rivalry during the 1976 Formula One season with another famous driver Niki Lauda. Lauda was portrayed by Daniel Bruhl. The film was a hit among the audiences, receiving a 89% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Chris Hemsworth had the right hair and brooding look for the part. 8. Joseph Gordon Levitt as Philippe Petit in The Walk While the movie was a fun watch, Levitts accent and his lack of resemblance to Petit did little to help his performance. While the two were pretty similar in their body, Levitt was still not as skinny in a bodysuit as Petit and his face was absolutely different as well. 9. Will Smith as Muhammad Ali in Ali Will Smith played one of the greatest sportspersons to walk the Earth, Muhammad Ali, in the 2001 movie, Ali. Fun trivia: Smith actually turned down the role when he was offered the movie. However, Ali himself called him upand asked him to reconsider. Ali thought Smith was the only one as good looking as him that could play the role. 10. Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom in Mary Kom What we wont let slide is this one. The two arent alike in any sense of the word. They dont look the same, talk the same or maybe even breathe the same. The producers basically tried to stretch out her eyes for the movie was near offensive anyway, too bad it did no one any good. The writer tweets @soumya1405 Follow @htshowbiz for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Global oil prices rose as much 7% on Wednesday, rebounding further from their lowest levels in a dozen years, after Iran voiced support for a Russia-Saudi-led move to freeze production in an oversupplied market. Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh met counterparts from Venezuela, Iraq and Qatar in Tehran for over two hours on Wednesday, saying the proposed production ceiling should be the first step toward stabilizing the market. Zanganeh, quoted by Tehrans Shana news agency, did not explicitly say that Iran would keep its own output at Januarys levels. But his tacit endorsement for what would be the first OPEC-non OPEC price support pact in 15 years spurred oil traders into pushing global benchmark Brent up more than $2 a barrel. Im pricing between $35 and $45 for Brent by summer, as we still have a daily surplus of up to 1.7 million barrels of oil to contend with, said Phil Davis, an independent crude trader at PSW Investments. But I dont see the panic move down below $30 happening again, Davis said. Thats just untenable. Brent was up $2.32, or 7.3 %, at $34.50 a barrel by 11:45 a.m. EST (1645 GMT). US crude rose by $1.90, or 6.4 %, to $30.94 a barrel. Crude prices have fallen from highs above $100 a barrel with little resistance for most of the past 20 months, thanks to near-record output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major drillers such as Russia. But after falling to 2003 lows beneath $30 last week, crude has been rising, surging 12 % on Friday alone after the United Arab Emirates said OPEC was ready to cooperate on an output cut. Under the proposal to freeze production, major producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia would restrict output at January levels. An Iranian official earlier said the fourth largest producer in OPEC would continue increasing its output until it reached levels achieved before the 2012 trade sanctions. The pact to freeze output will make little difference to this years overall supply-demand balance in oil. The market needs a cut, not a production freeze, PVM analyst David Hufton said. Investors are also eyeing US oil inventory data due on Wednesday and Thursday for further price direction. A Reuters poll of analysts showed US crude stockpiles likely rose 3.9 million barrels last week. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to furnish details of loans written off by public sector banks in the last five years along with the particulars of alleged defaulters who owe Rs 500 crore or more, terming such practices a fraud on the public. Thousands of crores are owed to public financial institutions, including state-owned banks while the promoters are enjoying, a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said, strongly disapproving of the banks policy to write off such debt. These are government banks. Isnt it a fraud on the people that you keep writing it off? the bench observed. Granting six weeks time to file an affidavit, the bench said the RBI must provide information of instances where banks have restructured loans since 2011 by waiving interest or extending the tenure in case of lent amounts of Rs 500 crore and above. It allowed the RBI to submit a sealed-cover report containing names of alleged defaulters after the counsel for the banking regulator said the particulars sought were confidential. Read | Tax notice on Vodafone shows disconnect within govt The direction from the bench came after advocate Prashant Bhushan drew the courts attention to a vigilance report pointing out how banks lent money to companies the RBI had declared ineligible. We direct the RBI to accept notice, the bench ordered when Bhushan requested it to make the regulator a party in the PIL pending since 2003 in which non-profit organisation CPIL accused state-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) of advancing loans to ineligible borrowers. The alleged scam led to irreparable loss to the corporation. The banking sector has been beset with non-performing assets (NPAs) that have risen due to slow growth and delays in project implementation. For 39 listed banks, gross NPAs rose to Rs 4.43 lakh crore for the quarter-ended December from Rs 3.4 lakh crore in the previous quarter. Most banks have reported a sharp slide in profits, pummelled by higher provisioning for NPAs. NPAs, shorthand for loans that have turned bad, have jumped sharply, forcing lenders to set aside or provision a greater amount to account for these advances that have stopped yielding earnings. Bhushan told the court that about Rs 40,000 crore of corporate debt was written off in 2015. These are big people running big empires. Why shouldnt the RBI disclose this information to the public? the CJI said, responding to the advocates allegations the RBI was not tough with defaulters. Read | Aam aadmi vs khaas aadmi: How rules differ when you default on loans Justice Thakur sought to know what writing off entailed. Does it mean that you write off and let the company go scot-free, he wondered. Solicitor general Ranjit Kumar explained under the procedure the assets of a company are first sold off and loans are recovered to the extent possible. What cannot be is placed in a separate head to ensure the banks books dont look bad as it affects their share valuation, he told the bench. Last week, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said the central bank and the government were determined to tidy up Indias problem of mounting bad loans by the next year but cautioned the solution might involve deep surgery. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The income tax (I-T) departments pay-up or we seize your assets kind of a notice to British telecom giant Vodafone have raised questions on whether the NDA governments top functionaries and the bureaucracy are speaking in opposing languages. Only last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured foreign investors that Indias controversial retrospective tax that had unnerved businesses at home and abroad was a thing of the pasta measure that would not be reintroduced by his or any other government. The assurance came as on the first day of French President Francois Hollandes visit to India. Many business representatives here raised the importance of a stable business environment and a predictable taxation system, Modi said in his address to the meeting where Hollande, the chief guest at the 67th Republic Day celebrations, was also present. We are working in this direction... Please believe that the retrospective tax is a thing of the past. Now that chapter will not ever be opened in India. It will not be opened by this government or by any other government that comes to power. We will put in place such systems I assure you, Modi had said. Read | Aam aadmi vs khaas aadmi: How rules differ when you default on loans Barely a week later the I-T department again asked the Vodafone Group Plc to pay Rs 14,300 crore in tax dues and threatened to seize assets in case of non-payment, potentially derailing the goodwill generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modis promises of an investor-friendly environment. The department says the tax is due on Vodafone International Holdings BVs $11 billion acquisition of Hutchison Whampoas India telecom business in 2007. Vodafone India has argued that no tax was due as the transaction was conducted offshore. But the tax departments contention is that capital gains were made on assets in India. The dispute is currently under international arbitration. We can confirm that we have received a tax reminder from the tax department that also references asset seizures in the event of non-payment, a Vodafone spokesperson said in a statement. The Indian government stated in 2014 that existing tax disputes, including ours, would be resolved through existing judicial process. In a week when Prime Minister Modi is promoting a tax-friendly environment for foreign investors, this seems a complete disconnect between government and the tax department, the Vodafone statement said. Read | SC seeks details of defaulters, loans written off by public banks Vodafones repeated run-ins with the taxman have again stoked fears about the countrys high-handedness in dealing with foreign investors. In 2012, India changed laws to impose taxes on older corporate deals such as Vodafones acquisition of Hutchison Whampoas telecom assets in India. Vodafone is fighting two cases in India. The first one involves a Rs 11,200 crore tax dispute that relates to 67% stake in Hutchison Essar it purchased for $11.1 billion in 2007 (about Rs 43,000 crore then) from the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoas Indian arm. The second relates to the I-T department imposing tax on Rs 8,500 crore income of Vodafone India Services Pvt Ltd involving a transfer pricing case of 2007-08. The government has decided not to pursue international arbitration in this case. Read | United Spirits seeks shareholders nod to report sick to BIFR Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys vice chancellor on Wednesday alleged outsiders were present at a campus event where participants on February 9 allegedly shouted slogans against India and supported Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The video which is with the JNU enquiry committee does show that there were outsiders were present at the event, said M Jagadesh Kumar at a press conference. Kumar said the enquiry committee will submit its report on February 25 after going through prima facia evidence recovered from university CCTV cameras. Kumar and JNU registrar Bhupider Zutschi said the university had allowed police to enter the campus because sedition charges had been levelled against students after the February 9 event. Eight students have been barred from the university for the event. He also appealed to all political parties to stay away from campus. We can solve the issue internally so I appeal to all to stay away from the campus, said Kumar. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON I am glad that finally a legal luminary of the stature of Soli Sorabjee has said with absolute finality that Bombay is not a dirty word. It never was and never will be. For, in fact, the origin of the word Bom is Portuguese, which means good (bay standing for port). The Portuguese had seized possession of the original seven islands from its ruler Shah Mohammad Sultan in the 16th century and had gifted the pieces of land as dowry to Charles II of Britain when he married Catherine of Braganza some years later. The British did not feel the need to change the name of the city, either. It was not a corruption of Mumba Devi, the resident deity of Mumbai, as the Shiv Sena would have us believe. Last week, though, the editor of the London-based The Independent, Amol Rajan, said, The whole point of Bombay is of an open, cosmopolitan port city ... If you call it what Hindu nationalists want you to call it, you essentially do their work for them. While I do not quite agree with the latter half of his statement, I am in tune with the first. Bombay went from being the smart financial capital of India to a somewhat dog-eared city in the years since the first Shiv Sena-BJP government effected the name change. But I have steadfastly refused to refer to it as Mumbai when writing in English, and I have good reasons for it. There would not be so much heartburn over this name change by the Shiv Sena and here is my reason had there not been so much hypocrisy involved in the decolonisation of various nomenclatures, starting with how the Thackerays spell their own name. Not just that. My reason also flows from how Thackeray referred to himself in English Thack-e-ray, the thack rhyming with hack. During a half-hour interview with me before his government came to power, he referred to himself and his family thus at least six times. But when, in 1995, the first thing he insisted on was the change of name from Bombay to Mumbai, I thought he would lead by example and change the spelling of his name in English to Thakre. When that did not happen, even as the Shiv Sena went on the rampage attempting to force Bombay Dyeing and Bombay Scottish School to switch to Mumbai, I could not help pointing to the hypocrisy of it all. For, it was Thackerays illustrious father, Prabodhankar Thackeray, a reformist and writer, who had anglicised his name as a tribute to the Indian-born British writer William Makepeace Thackeray (author of Vanity Fair), whom he admired. Hindu nationalist sentiment was definitely involved in Thackerays attempt to change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar, after Chhatrapati Shivajis son, who was brutally put to death by the Mughal emperor (the Supreme Court struck that name change down) but I believe there need not have been so much fuss about changing the name of Bombay to Mumbai but for this continuing hypocrisy. Decolonisation, after all, led Ceylon to change its name to Sri Lanka, Peking to Beijing and Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City. But if decolonisation was the ideal, why not Thackeray to Thakre? Thakre is no dirty word either -- it is a wholesome Maharashtrian name, after all, and many proudly bear it. Changing Calcutta to Kolkata, Madras to Chennai and Bangalore to Bengaluru has been accomplished - and accepted - with minimum fuss. No one even bothers if Pune is referred to as Poona in anything except postal addresses and official documents. But, I believe, the controversy over Bombay will continue to rage until the Thackerays embrace Thakre full and square. sanandan@hindustantimes.com Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi is back in the race for a post-retirement job. This time, he is in the running for the information commissioners chair. Bassi is among the 14 civil servants shortlisted for the three vacant information commissioners post by a search panel headed by cabinet secretary. The selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet soon to take the call for filling three vacancies. Apart from Bassi, others in the running include former I&B secretary Bimal Jhulka, former DoPT secretary Shyamal Sarkar and a retired high court judge Ravi R Tripathi. Earlier in January, the Supreme Court had given the government six weeks to fill vacancies in the information watchdog after some RTI activists moved court. The selection committee meeting could be held as early as Friday, just in time before the SC deadline ends. The 1977-batch IPS officer had set his eyes on the information watchdog around September last year. The chief information commissioners (CIC) post was due to fall vacant in December. Besides, there were three vacancies of information commissioners. Bassi who was due to retire in February-end had applied for the two posts. The CICs chair comes with the rank of a Supreme Court judge; the IC gets the status of a high court judge. Both posts, however, are on a five-year term. Bassis claim for the CIC didnt go anywhere. Last month, former defence secretary RK Mathur took charge as CIC. But trying to make it past the finishing line this time too might be much more difficult than battling with the Aam Aadmi Party government that often accuses him of letting the BJPs interests dictate his decisions, not public interest. It is an accusation that has grown louder in recent days after police slapped sedition charges on JNU students. It is not clear if the Congress would support Bassi, a posting that could be seen as a reward for the police action. Apart from government ministers such as Jitendra Singh, leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge is also a member of the selection committee headed by Modi that will take the call. The Delhi Police accelerated their search to arrest former students union leader Umar Khalid, allegedly the main organiser of the February 9 event on JNU campus where students reportedly raised anti-India slogans. Police also tried to identify and trace some outsiders, part of the group that shouted the allegedly seditious slogans. Former Democratic Students Union (DSU) leader Khalid became the polices target, soon after a city court sent JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to Tihar Jail. Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition. Neither the FIR nor the situation report prepared by the special branch of Delhi Police mentioned anybodys name for shouting anti-India slogans during the event. The FIR and police report only referred to Kumar and Khalid as those who led the students protest march. Khalid, originally from Bihar, allegedly absconded after a sedition case was registered in the incident and Kumar was arrested. His mobile number too was switched off the same day. Scrutiny of Khalids mobile number showed that it was used frequently between February 6 and February 9 and the calls were made and received outside Delhi. A senior police officer said they were questioning Khalids family members, relatives, friends and colleagues living in Delhi to find out his whereabouts. We are raiding areas in Delhi-NCR, Bihar and other states where Khalid could be hiding, the officer said. Similar raids are being conducted in West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, in search for ten more students who were allegedly involved in shouting anti-India slogans. The Delhi Police sought help from their counterparts in these states to trace the absconding students. Teams have raided several places in as many as five states in the past two days. The ten absconding students include at least five from the JNU while others are members of Left-supported organisations, a police official said. Police put their mobile phones under surveillance and airports across India were alerted about absconding students. Earlier in the day, Delhi Police chief BS Bassi said, People in huge numbers participated in it (the event), and we have already identified the ring leader. Now we are looking for all those who have been identified. Very soon, we will get hold of them. A man named Muzaffar, who is not a JNU student, led the group that shouted anti-India slogans during the Press Club of India event, former DU professor who was arrested on charges of sedition told police on Thursday. Police claim that Geelani did admit that anti-India slogans were raised during the event . Police said that Geelani told them that it was Muzaffar who had helped them organize the event and had brought some youths from his neighbourhood in Jamia Nagar to participate in the commemoration event. The interrogation also revealed that Muzaffar and others contributed in funding the event, and arranging posters and banners with photographs of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat. Ali Javed, member of the Press Club in whose name the hall was booked, has been asked to join the probe. The police will confront Javed and Geelani together as they have been blaming each other for organizing the controversial event where slogans like Pakistan Zindabad were being shouted. Geelani has claimed that he does not have details and contact numbers of Muzaffar and other organizers. He spilled the beans on Javed. We want them to confront each other before us, said a senior police officer. Meanwhile, raids are being conducted across Delhi-NCR to arrest Muzaffar and others who had shouted anti-India slogans. In a major blow to the Delhi government, the high court on Wednesday upheld a decision of a single bench judge restoring management quota in nursery admissions in private unaided schools. A division bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Jayant Nath dismissed an appeal filed by the Delhi government against the single bench order that stayed the governments January 6 decision which scrapped the management quota saying it was without the authority of law. As rightly held by the learned single judge, the modification/substitution of the admission procedure for pre-primary classes... can be affected only by way of an amendment to 2007 order, the bench said. The lieutenant governor alone is competent to make any such amendment to the 2007 order, it said. The HC agreed with the single bench verdict which held that Delhi governments January order was a mere executive/ administrative order which cannot replace the law enacted by the legislature. The single judge is justified in arriving at a prima facie conclusion that the order dated January 6, 2016 issued by DoE (Department of Education) is without authority of law, the bench held. The government had argued that the practice of granting admissions under the management quota was non-transparent and opaque. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on January 6 said the decision to scrap the management quota was taken to bring in more transparency in the admission process, while retaining the provision of 25 percent seats for students from poor families. Currently, schools keep about 20% seats under the management quota, while 25% seats are reserved for students from the economically weaker sections. The remaining seats are open for the general category. The DoE had in its appeal contended that its January 6 order was validly and lawfully issued to ensure that admissions to entry-level classes like nursery are made in a fair and reasonable manner. It said the objective was not to deprive private unaided schools of their autonomy, but to ensure that admission to entry level classes are made in a fair, reasonable, rational, transparent and non-exploitative manner. T he admission process, which began on January 1, concludes on March 31 with classes expected to begin in the first week of April. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the Bombay High Court order directing registration of an FIR against its cops who were allegedly involved in the shootout of gangster Sandeep Gagoli in a Mumbai suburb hotel. A bench of justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Misra accepted attorney general Mukul Rohatgis plea that the HC verdict was delivered without hearing the police version. Maharashtra government counsel Nishant Katneshwarkar also informed the bench that the state had never assured registering an FIR in the case. Katneshwarkar said during the proceedings before the HC, the state government had said that it will look into the allegations and take appropriate steps. After hearing Rohatgi and the Maharashtra counsel the bench quashed the HC order. It said in case the aggrieved approach the HC again, the latter cannot pass any order without hearing the Haryana police. Rohatgi said the FIR was ordered against the officials merely on the basis of the consensual statement given by the public prosecutor of Mumbai. Haryana police defended the shootout, saying a search operation was carried out by the police officials to nab notorious gangster Sandeep Gadoli of Gurgaon in Haryana who was named in as many as 40 FIRs since 1999. The said gangster was presently wanted in eight FIRs registered for heinous crimes in Haryana alone, of which in three FIRs, he was declared proclaimed offender. There was a reward of R1 lakh on the head of the aforesaid gangster by Haryana Police, read the state police appeal. It said the state officials were only discharging their official duties at the time of the aforesaid incident and carrying out a meticulous operation which lasted for almost 48 hours to nab a notorious gangster which can be verified and cannot be said to be a fake encounter. Consequently, the direction for registration of FIR against the police officials of the petitioner state is not only demoralising but shocking for the entire police machinery of the state. As such, if the second FIR will be registered against the innocent police officers of the petitioner, it will be causing undue harassment and embarrassment to them, the plea said. Devendra Kumar, who staged an elaborate abduction to make Snapdeal executive Dipti Sarna believe he was the good guy who helped her escape and thus win her heart, even managed to fool the police initially into believing he had been hired for the job by her friend. For two hours after he was caught, Devendra whom the police till then believed to be Rajvir, an alias he had made up had the Ghaziabad cops interrogate Sarnas friend Mr A as a possible suspect in her presence, police sources told HT on Tuesday. Mr A was with Sarna when Devendra saw her for the first time at Rajiv Chowk Metro station in January 2015, Ghaziabad SSP Dharmendra Singh had revealed Monday. He told us the victims friend hatched the conspiracy. He said he had seen him (Mr A) give money to Sheelu, who had hired him for the job, said an officer. Read | 2 mobiles, fake ID but real photo: How cops caught Snapdeal abductor Devendra, sitting on a sofa, pointed a finger at the friend, who stood terrified in a corner of the interrogation room, all eyes on him. Police sources said the friend was subjected to some hard questioning as a result. Devendra even told us to ask the victim (Sarna) if he had not supported and taken care of her during the abduction. She replied positively, the officer said. The police realized theyd been had only when Mohit Singh, another suspect, was arrested and brought to the interrogation room. Mohit named the mastermind as Leelu and identified Devendra as him a hardcore criminal from Haryana with 30 cases against him. There was no Sheelu, it was an imaginary character created by prime accused Devendra, an officer said. At this point, the interrogators came down hard on Devendra who then narrated the entire sequence of events from the first time he saw Sarna a year ago to the morning of February 12 when he put her on a train home, over 30 hours after he had abducted her. Devendra is a hardcore criminal and acted in a shrewd manner to save himself. His pointing a finger at the victims friend led us into confusion. But the swift investigation cleared the suspicion and the prime accused himself broke down, said SP Salman Taj. Mohit and Devendra come from the same Kami village in Haryanas Sonepat district. Unlike the other three accused who have been arrested, Mohit was the only one who knew of Devendras infatuation with Sarna and his plan to abduct and marry her, the police said. Read | Someone who knew Dipti was behind abduction, say cops SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The effort to recast the curricula in schools and inculcate a sense of desi values in students at all levels seems to have become an obsession with both the Hindutva forces and some BJP-led state governments. The latest is the Rajasthan government, which has decided to drop poems by John Keats, Thomas Hardy, William Blake, TS Eliot and Edward Lear, among others from school books. Additions to the curriculum include works like My visit to the bank and Sangita the brave girl. In another move, Banaras Hindu University has decided to undertake a year-long effort to educate students of the ills of western culture. Rewriting textbooks in Haryana was in the news, thanks to the initiative of Dinanath Batra, the man who shot to fame for his contribution to publishers pulping Wendy Donigers seminal work on Hinduism. It is no ones case that students should not learn about Indian culture or not study the works of Indian authors. But to restrict access to western literature is to deny them vistas of learning which will equip them to hold their own in a globalised world. Whether we like it or not, the knowledge of English is a great advantage when competing on the global stage and we are rightly proud of this. We should not fritter away this advantage due to some misplaced sense of nationalism. Why should students be denied knowledge or the sheer reading pleasure from the great works of English literature? Often, these decisions to chop and change the curriculum are motivated by political considerations. Many of our netas who advocate Indianisation of the curriculum or lecture people on the evils of western culture make sure that their own children get an English-medium schooling and higher education abroad. In Rajasthan both the Indian works and the English ones can be learnt by students, it should not be a case of one or the other. The main aim of education should be to enable and empower students as they progress through the system and into the job market. Today, the market is not limited by borders. In the past, state governments like that in West Bengal abolished English as a medium of instruction. This led to an entire generation for whom employment opportunities were restricted. Current dispensations should at least take a leaf or two out of past books where efforts to stamp out foreign influences have not paid off. The Madhya Pradesh government will make from this year admission under Right to Education (RTE) Act online to end complaints of irregularities in the selection process, a top official said on Wednesday. The RTE Act guarantees that every child has a right to full-time elementary education and mandates a minimum of 25% free seats for children belonging to weaker sections in all private unaided primary schools. Application forms are filled in January but this year the school department said the process will be delayed this year as it found loopholes in the lottery system. Rajya Shiksha Kendra (RSK) commissioner Deepti Gaur Mukherjee said back-end procedures of reimbursement were made online. Now, we want to create a fair and open system of admissions under the RTE Act, Mukherjee said. This year, there were allegations of fake admission to draw reimbursement of the 25% quota that the school department and the RSK provide to every child taking admission under the Act. RSK compensates approximately `3,500 for every child. The number of admissions under RTE Act in Bhopal reached 30,000 in the past four years but sources said the children attending schools through this quota were much lesser. Instead of manual lottery system, applications will now have to be filled online. The school education department ties up with National Informatics Centre to provide a portal for the same. No one can directly register in the schools, and admissions forms will have to be filled through the medium of Sankul Kendras and Block Resource Centre Coordinator. The RTE Act says documents like residence proof, birth certificate, distance certificate and BPL (Below Poverty Line) card or income certificate are to be submitted to avail of the quota. Also, SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer) and disability certificates will also have to be submitted if they are applicable. The school, however, will have the final say and can refuse admission if the documents are not in order. In 2014, Madhya Pradesh has 1,43,756 admission seats under RTE quota. With this move, the state will join the ranks of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan that have adopted the online admission process. Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh are also planning to make the process online. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As students in West Bengal staged a protest in solidarity with the students of JNU on Tuesday, various political parties also indulged in a war of words just before the crucial assembly elections. They have been demanding the release of Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested last week on sedition charges after a group of youngsters organised an event in protest of the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. A day after the students rally where they shouted pro-Afzal Guru and pro-Azad Kashmir slogans, state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scheduled to hit the streets in Kolkata demanding the arrest of the students who raised the anti-national slogans. Such slogans are anti-national. This is anti-India thought. We demand the arrest of those anti-nationals, Sidharth Nath Singh, BJP national secretary, said. There is a war between nationalist people and anti-national people now, even in Bengal, Rahul Sinha, BJP general secretary and former state president, added. On their part, Congress and CPI(M) have attacked ruling Trinamool Congress over its silence on the issue and alleged that there is a tacit understanding with the BJP. Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi are hand in hand. Therefore, it is obvious that Trinamool Congress will not raise its voice in the issue. There are laws. The central government and the state government should find out what happened, Md Selim, CPI(M) politburo member, said. Why Mamata Banerjee is silent over the issue. This is because she fears that by protesting Narendra Modi or BJP may be angry. She does not want to do that, Pradip Bhattacharya, former state president of Congress, said. Left Front-backed student bodies are also scheduled to hold a rally in Kolkata on Wednesday to protest against police highhandedness in JNU. A series of press conference are also scheduled to be held by different groups of students who are for and against chanting slogans in the name of Afzal Guru or Azad Kashmir. However, Jadavpur University -- which is in the eye of the storm after Tuesday evenings rally -- seemed divided on the issue. We protested and will protest against police brutality and the arrest of the student leader in JNU. However, by evoking nationalism, a section of the media is portraying it as a pro-Afzal Guru rally which is wrong, rally organisers Saikat Sit and Shounak Mukhopadhyay said in a statement issued late on Tuesday. Some other groups found nothing wrong with the slogans. Talking about Azad Kashmir is not wrong or anti-national. We uphold the peoples right to democratically condemn the governments policy in Kashmir. Kashmiri people will decide, Soumya Mondol of United Students Democratic Front, an ultra Left student outfit in JU, said. Delhi Police will not object to bail for Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys Kanhaiya Kumar but hasnt cleared the student leader of sedition charges for allegedly organising an event where anti-national slogans were shouted, city police commissioner BS Bassi said on Wednesday. He said JNU authorities were cooperating fully with the probe and that every person who thinks about the interest of the nation is supporting us. The situation at present reminds me of the verse Dekh tere sansar ki halaat kya ho gayi hain bhagwan, kitna badal gaya insaan (Oh Lord what has this world come to, how much has the man changed), he said. People in huge numbers participated in it (the event), and we have already identified the ring leader. Now we are looking for all those who have been identified. Very soon we will get hold of them. Bassi said the police have evidence people from outside also attended the February 9 event at JNU that triggered the sedition allegations. What we have found out is that people from outside besides those from JNU participated in the demonstration. Now what was the motive behind this is something we will look into. We are investigating all aspects in detail, he said. Read: JNU student leader Kanhaiya sent to judicial custody, attacked in court The Opposition and civil society members have repeatedly criticised the police for overreacting in its crackdown on JNU students, and that security agencies dont agree with the sedition charge. But Bassi dismissed these reports, saying investigators were looking at all aspects of the case. We arrested Kanhaiya Kumar on the basis of adequate evidence collected against him. I wont be telling you about the process of investigation and what all we have found out so far, said Bassi, after reportedly briefing the prime ministers office on the issue. Read: JNU row: All you need to know about Kanhaiyas sedition charge The sedition charges and subsequent police action have sparked a spate of protests across universities in the country, with activists alleging the police was working on the behest of the BJP to muzzle free speech. Not at all, he said when asked whether there was any clean chit to Kumar. The JNU students and teachers are on a strike demanding Kumars unconditional release. The police also summoned three lawyers and Delhi BJP legislator OP Sharma for allegedly thrashing journalists and students outside the Patiala House court two days ago. Read: JNU again? Afzal, Azad Kashmir posters at Jadavpur University Pics: Stones thrown, slogans shouted at Kanhaiyas bail hearing The rift within the largest Left outfit in the country, Communist Party of India (Marxist), widened on Wednesday over a proposal to tie up with its traditional rival Congress in West Bengal for the upcoming assembly polls. At a two-day central committee meeting that started on Wednesday, leaders from Kerala, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and some other states vehemently said no to the partys Bengal units demand to allow a state-level Congress-CPI(M) alliance. Assembly polls are expected to start from April. Sources said if the proposal for a formal alliance was defeated at the partys central level, the Bengal leadership of the CPI(M) would still go for an informal poll understanding with the Congress. The beleaguered Bengal unit, smarting under a series of electoral losses against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress received unexpected support from former Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan. But other members from Kerala opposed the proposed alliance on the grounds that it would dash the Lefts chances to win Kerala. Both states will go to the polls simultaneously. The CPI(M) has never been in an alliance with the Congress. Former Bengal minister Gautam Deb argued before the central panel saying such a pact could substantially help Left parties regain ground. The politburo of the party that met last Thursday also witnessed a sharp internal divide over the proposal of a Congress-CPI(M) tie-up. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A security guard who was hit by a speeding lorry in Bengaluru expressed a wish to donate his eyes moments before his death, police said. The 26-year-old man was on his way to work on a two wheeler when the mishap occurred near Nelamangala area of the city. The impact of the hit was such that his body was severed into two, they said. A video clip of the man lying in a pool of blood calling for help was broadcast by local channels. The man pleaded for help for some time, a person claiming to be an eyewitness, told a TV channel. Moments before he breathed his last while being taken to hospital, he expressed a wish for his eyes to be donated, police said. Police said the lorry driver was arrested and case booked against him under various sections of the IPC, including 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way). The BJP plans a Jan Swabhiman Abhiyan (peoples campaign for self-respect) between February 18 and 20 to stir up nationalism among countrymen to counter the threat of separatism and political conspiracy. The three-day campaign comes amid outrage over the arrest of JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans. The Opposition and intelligentsia have blamed the government for overreacting and curbing free speech. BJP stands for unity, integrity and development of the country. It faces challenge from separatism that is being promoted in name of freedom of expression. We want to alert people about this threat, a BJP functionary said. The party headquarters shot off a letter to state units to organise the event but left it to the local leadership to decide on the nature and scale of programme. It could be a street play, seminar, playing of nationalist songs at public places, meeting or anything. The aim is to highlight the cause of nationalism, the party leader said. This is the first time after coming to power that the BJP is undertaking a mass contact programme for an emotive issue and not to popularise the development initiatives of the Narendra Modi government. The party will also seek feedback from its cadre on the issue during the three-day event. Read More: JNU row: Lawyer caught in court attack on journalists has BJP links? A BJP source told HT the JNU controversy was discussed in detail during a meeting between Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP chief Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday. They agreed to remain on the offensive and spread the message of nationalism through a party event. The BJP anticipates an aggressive Opposition in the budget session of Parliament and is pinning its hope on the Abhiyans success to corner them. The BJP chief on Monday attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, asking if he supported separatists and wanted another division of the country. In a blog titled Is this Congress new definition of nationalism, Shah accused Gandhi of being unable to draw the distinction between pro-national and anti-national activities and asked him to apologies to the nation. The BJP feels the Congress is bracketing itself with communists in questioning the police action against anti-nationals. Its leaders insist such position will not find support from countrymen who stood united in mourning the death of nine soldiers in Siachen and praying for Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad who survived for almost a week buried under an avalanche. Countrys youth does not identify itself with the style of politics done by the Congress and the Left. They are getting alienated, BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav said. The BJP sees no harm in keeping the issue alive till the April election in four states and a Union Territory. It gels with the party aggressive nationalism plank in West Bengal and Assam where illegal immigration and changing demographic profile is a key poll issue. BJP leaders dont rule out possibility of the JNU controversy having contributed to its good show in byelection to 12 assembly seats in eight states. The BJP won seven of these. The voting took place on February 13, amidst a war-of-words between the BJP and its rivals over February 9 incident at JNU. Video footage of students shouting anti-India slogan went viral on social networking sites. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi police on Wednesday conducted raids in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir to hunt for JNU students accused of shouting anti-India slogans at a controversial event on February 9. Read more: Lawyers disrupt SC proceedings on court violence, shout Vande Mataram The cops are on the lookout for Umar Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya, Riazul Haq and Rubina Saifee -all of whom are DSU members. According to reports, the police claim to have identified all the students seen in the footage of the event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Police officers said raids began soon after the arrest of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. Search operations are on across Delhi-NCR and other states like West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and e in Jammu and Kashmir. The Delhi Police have sought help from their counterparts in these states to trace the absconding students. The family members, relatives, friends and colleagues of the students are also being interrogated. Police have already put their mobile phones under surveillance while airports across India have been alerted to monitor movements of the absconding students. Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi reached the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) on Wednesday to brief the Union Cabinet about the current state of unrest at the JNU. In a report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on its crackdown on a group of protesting JNU students on February 9, the Delhi Police said that Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by Umar Khalid raised anti-national slogans on that day. However, the report said that Kanhaiya Kumar didnt raise anti-national slogans but was just standing with DSU activists. Umar Khalid has been absconding since then. Kanhaiya Kumar will be produced before Delhi court today The Supreme Court has also ordered restricted entry into the court room at Patiala House where JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar is to be produced today. Kumar will again be produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate at Patiala House court complex which had earlier witnessed violence during his hearing. The petition was filed by ND Jaiprakash, who alleged that police were a mute spectator to this brazen display of violence and brute force being perpetrated on innocent persons. This petition merely seeks to assure safety of the accused, their relatives, friends, lawyers and journalists while discharging their legal as well as professional obligations. The surcharged and vicious atmosphere in the court premises would come in the way of the fundamental right of the accused for a fair trial, the plea said. BJP to be aggressive on JNU row, fire up nationalism debate Meanwhile the BJP has decided to strongly put forth its stand on JNU incident and also raise the testimony of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley during the upcoming Parliament session to counter opposition onslaught by firing up a debate over its core theme of nationalism. Party leaders said a decision has been taken to raise the Jawaharlal Nehru University row very aggressively in Parliament as they believe that there is no reason for the party to be defensive about the development and there is support for its stand on the issue among the masses. The party is also launching a three-day Jan Swabhimaan Abhiyan (campaign for peoples self-pride) starting on Thursday in which party leaders and workers will try to build up public opinion against the alleged anti-national activities in the central varsity and in support of action against people involved in it.( Read more here) Parents of the Mumbai engineer jailed in Pakistan for alleged espionage have requested authorities in the neighbouring country to show compassion and release him on humanitarian grounds. I appeal to Indian and Pakistani governments to see the case of my son with compassion and above politics, said Fauzia Ansari, mother of 31-year-old engineering and management graduate, Hamid Ansari. Hamid has been sentenced to jail for three years by a Pakistani court. Ansari had crossed over illegally to Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online and then went missing. He was later arrested and tried by a Pakistani military court that pronounced him guilty of espionage. Ansaris parents had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in a Pakistani court when they found out that their son was in the custody of the Pakistan Army, in January. He was convicted on Sunday in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and was shifted to the Peshawar Central Prison. On January 13, we came to know that our son was alive and was in Pakistan Armys custody and was facing a trial. We were hopeful that finally we will be able to get him back safe and sound. But the recent development came as a jolt to us and we will have to wait for more time to get our son back to India, said 55-year-old Fauzia. We are not giving up hope. We have faith in god. We have faith in the Indian government and judiciary and we will do all that is possible from our side to get him back safely, said Fauzia, who recently underwent an ankle surgery after she met with an accident. We are confident that both governments will agree that a human life is precious and an educated young man like him should not suffer in a Pakistani jail, she said. I am not sure what crime my son has committed. According to his Facebook chats with his friends from Pakistan before he went missing, he crossed over to Pakistan to help a girl who was the victim of a social evil, said Fauzia, who is a Hindi lecturer in a junior college in Mumbai. Ansaris father, Nehal Ahmed Ansari (59), is a retired bank manager and elder brother, Khalid Ansari (32), is a dental surgeon. For the second time since the year has begun, the ever cautious Union home minister Rajnath Singh has found himself in an embarrassing spot over his comments. As the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row began, the home minister said the event held in the university campus was supported by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the patron of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT). The comment was immediately picked up by the opposition to attack the government. As damage control, the home ministry spokesperson said the ministers comments were based on inputs from different agencies. But sources in the security establishment said they didnt have any such intelligence in this regard. We dont know on what basis, Rajnath linked Hafiz Saeed with the JNU incident. May be it was on the basis of briefing by the Delhi police, a security official told Hindustan Times. There seemed to be little respite when a Twitter handle, purportedly belonging to Saeed, mentioned the JNU incident. The Delhi police even posted that tweet on its official handle asking students to remain alert from such propaganda. But it turned out the account was not Saeeds. The Delhi police chief Bassi attempted to deflect the incident by shifting focus onto the content of the tweet. Dont go into whether the tweet is authentic or not. Go to the contents of the tweet. The content of the tweet was blasphemous, which could incite violence, and that is the only reason why we issued an alert. I am surprised that people are more concerned about the (authenticity of the) tweet than its potential impact. The twitter account is being probed, he stated. But the damage was done. Earlier in January, during the Pathankot attack, the minister prematurely tweeted about security forces neutralising all the terrorists at the airbase, a whole day and some before the offensive actually ended. The tweet, which was posted on on January 2, was later deleted. The exact number of Pathankot attackers has also become a controversial subject as it remains unclear how many terrorists actually laid siege to the airbase. Singh had posted that five militants had been neutralised while later reports said there were six. However investigators are waiting for forensics to confirm the exact number. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A week after the discovery of gravity waves first postulated by Albert Einstein a century ago, and to which India made a significant contribution, the union cabinet on Wednesday gave an in principle nod to set up the worlds their Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory. The other two LIGO detectors are located at Hanford and Livingstone. Stating that the LIGO-INDIA project will bring unprecedented opportunities for scientists, engineers and students in terms of science, technology and knowledge respectively, the official release read, The approval coincides with the historic detection of gravitational waves a few days ago that opened up of a new window on the universe to unravel some of its greatest mysteries. Setting up the groundbased detector assumes significance since it will be form a triangulate with the US detectors, that will help locate the source of the event that caused a gravitational wave. The US detectors cover an area of the sky equivalent to 2,500 moons. With the India detector, the area will become 100 times smaller. We are ecstatic, said Somak Raychaudhary, director, Inter - University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. Its essential and great for science, and essentially Indian science itself. LIGO cant be localised. Another detector at the end of the world will give rise to a new subject of gravitational wave astronomy that will give the nature of where the gravitational wave originated from which right now we can only speculate. The estimated Rs 1260 crore mega science project that was first floated in 2011 is piloted by Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with the LIGO Laboratory US- based Caltech and MIT. Its fantastic news. Now that the project has been flagged off, we can look forward to the challenges ahead. Weve done a lot of preliminary work, but now will put a central structure in place to take final decisions on site selection, prototype of systems, said Tarun Souradeep, scientist, IUCAA, and spokesperson for LIGO-INDIA. Souradeep added that Memorandum of Understanding with US counterparts will now be signed for creating joint committees. For the last four years, apart from IUCAA, Raja Ramana Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata have been involved in the groundwork for the project. LIGO-INDIA will be an international science facility on Indian soil. When there are big science projects overseas, Indian students aspire to go abroad. This project on Indian soil probing frontiers of science means a big day for Indian science and students, said Raychaudhary. Preliminary seismic and land terrain analysis has been done and shortlisted 22 potential sites are located in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. These are exciting times ahead, professor Anand Sengupta, physics discipline, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. Domain specific field of engineering will get a facelift. We will be able to involve students and researchers from many institutes on the project, and this is the direct effect of the governments approval. Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested on sedition charges for a speech he made on February 9. Heres the full translated text of the speech, accompanied by a video. The people who burnt the tricolor are the fans of (Veer) Savarkar. They apologised in front of the Britishers. The (Manohar Lal) Khattar government in Haryana, this government had named the airport as Shahid Bhagat Singh as he was a Sanghi. What we mean to say is that we dont need a patriotism certificate from the RSS. We dont need a nationalist certificate from the RSS. We belong to this country and we love the soil. We fight for the 80 percent of the poor population in the country. This is patriotism for us. We have full faith in Babasaheb, we have full faith in our countrys constitution and we want to strongly say that if anyone points fingers on the constitution of this country, be it Sanghi or anyone else, we will not tolerate that finger. Read more: Release Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy: Shatrughan Sinha on JNU row But, the constitution which is taught in Jhandewalan and Nagpur, we dont believe in that constitution, we have no confidence in the Manusmriti. We, have no confidence in the countrys racism and in the same constitution, Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar talks about constitutional remedies. Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar talks about abolishing capital punishment, Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar talks about freedom of expression, and we are upholding the same rules which is our basic right and our constitutional right, we want to uphold it. It is a matter of shame that today ABVP with the help of its partners in the media, is orchestrating this matter, diluting this matter. Yesterday ABVPs joint secretary said that we fight for fellowship. It feels so ridiculous to hear this. Their government... Madam Manusmriti Smriti Irani is eliminating fellowship and we are fighting for it; their government, in higher education has cut 17 percent of the budget because of which our hostel hasnt been constructed since the past four years; we dint get wifi and one bus was provided by BHEL and for that, even for fuel re-fuelling the administration has no money. The people of ABVP get pictures clicked like Devanand in front of the roller and say that we are getting the hostel constructed, we are getting wifi installed, we are getting the fellowships done. Read more: Cashing in on JNU row: BJP plans nationalism campaign for the masses They will be exposed if in this country, there will be discussions about the underlay. And I am proud of being a JNUite that we discuss about the underlay, we ask questions. (Subramanian) Swami says that jihaadis live in JNU, he says that the people of JNU spread violence. I want to challenge the RSS on behalf of JNU for a debate on the concept of violence. We want to question the ABVP that whose blood do you want to spread in this country? You (RSS) have opened fire with the Britishers in this country for Indias independence, you have fired at the freedom fighters. In this country, when poor talks about basic food, you people fire at them, you have fired at the Muslims. When a women talks about women empowerment, you say that all five fingers are different. Women should behave like Sita (agneepariksha). In this country, there is democracy which provides equality to all be it a student, clerk, labour, farmer or even a Ambani or Adani. All have equal rights. When we talk about women empowerment,they say that we are ruining the Indian culture. We want to ruin exploitation culture, racism culture, caste culture. Read more: Lawyer caught in court attack on journalists has BJP links? They have trouble when we talk about democracy, when people put blue salaam with the red salaam, when we take the name of BR Ambedkar their stomach starts paining. It is their conspiracy,they are followers of Britishers. File a case of defamation on me, I will say that their history is that they stood with the Britishers. Traitors of India are distributing patriorism certificates. Check my mobile friends, my mother and my sisters are being abused. What Bharat Mata are you talking about if my mother and your mother are not a part of it? I dont agree with the concept of Bharat Mata. My mother is an Anganwaadi worker, our family runs on Rs 3,000/- Im ashamed of this country because the mothers of this country are not a part of Bharat Mata. I will salute the mothers and sisters of India, salute the farmers, the labors and the adivasis. If you have the guts, say inqualaab zindabaad, say Sukhdev zindabad, say Babasaheb zindabad only then will we believe that we trust this country. You are dramatizing Babasahebs 125th jubilee. If you have guts then start questioning what Babasaheb use to question. This countrys problem is racism. Start reservation, start reservation in the private sector. A country is made of its citizens. Yesterday I was telling (Deepak) Chaurasia on a TV Debate that this is a serious time for this country. If in this country there is so much of racism, the media will not be safe. Read more: JNU row: 3 days on, no arrests over journos attacked at Patiala House Few media works were saying that JNU runs on the money from our taxes and subsidies and this is right! It is absolutely right that JNU runs from taxes and subsidies but we want to put up a question- what is a university for? A university is for the critical analysis of the societys consensus. If any university fails in doing this then the country wont be formed, nobody would be a part of this country. This country wont be formed if we do not involve the culture, constitution and rights of the people. We are standing with the country, standing with the dream of what Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh had written. I want to tell all the Sanghis that its a shame on their government and its a challenge for the Central government that whatever has happened in Rohits case it will never happen in JNU. We will stand for freedom of expression. Leave Pakistan and Bangladesh, we say that we will unite the poor all over the world. We have identified the people who are against humanity. We want to expose the face of racism, the face of subjectivity, the nexus of casteism and capitalism. We want to prove what real democracy is, what real freedom is and how everybodys freedom should be in the country. This freedom will come from Parliament, the constitution, the democracy and this is why I request all of you my friends, keeping the differences in mind our freedom of expression, our constitution, for our countrys unity we will be together. One last question before I finish my talk, who is Kasab? Who is Afzal Guru? Who are these people who today are in this situation of being suicide bombers? If these questions dont rise in these universities, I dont think there is any point of this university. If we dont define justice, if we dont define violence, violence is not only about firing, it is also about the rights not being given to the Dalits (which are in the constitution) by the JNU. This is institutional violence. Who will decide what is justice? When there was casteism, Dalits were not allowed to enter the temple and it was justice. When the Britishers were here, dogs and Indians were not allowed in a restaurant ..this was justice. We challenged this justice and even today we will challenge ABVP and RSSs justice. Their justice does not accommodate our justice. We will not agree to your justice, to your freedom. We will agree to the justice the day when every individual will get their constitutional rights. It is a very serious situation, in any case JNUSU doesnt support violence, terrorism, terrorist attacks or anti-national activities. This question is for JNU administration and ABVP, there are 1,000 kinds of activities happening in this campus, now you listen to the ABVPs slogan carefully. They say communists are dogs... (abuse, abuse)... they call them sons of Jihaadis. In this constitution, if we have the rights of the citizens, then calling my statements from a dog isnt it a violation of constitutional rights? I have this question for the ABVP, for JNU administration that who do you work for? Who do you work with? On what basis do you work? This is very clear today, that JNU administration seeks permission and then after they get a call from Nagpur, they get permission. This process of seeking and giving permission is same as the fellowship process of giving and taking, first they will announce fellowship and then they will say that fellowship is abolished. This is Sanghi pattern, this is the pattern of RSS and ABVP with which they want to run the country and with the same pattern they want to run the JNU administration. We have a question for JNUs VC that there were posters in the campus, pamphlets were distributed in the mess. If there was a problem then JNU wouldnt have given permission. If they had given permission, then who told them to cancel the permission... JNU administration should clear this question. Listen to the reality of these people, dont hate them because we cant hate... I pity them. They think the way Gajendra Chauhan is sitting, the same way Chauhan, Diwan and Pharmaan will sit. A UK lawmaker has said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including parts illegally controlled by Pakistan, were integral part of India. State of Jammu and Kashmir in totality is part of India, an integral part of India and it needs to be reunited and should come under the dominion of India, UK Member parliament and leader of ruling conservative party Robert John Blackman told reporters in Jammu on Tuesday during a meet the press function organized by the Press Club of Jammu. Blackman said Pakistan must vacate the territory of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by that country. The erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir had signed instrument of accession with India and given the control of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to India, it is Pakistan which illegally occupied its territory which it should hand back to India through negotiation, he said. Blackman said that as both the countries were nuclear power, so there was no question of them going to war for Kashmir, but Pakistan must itself vacate the territory and hand it over to India. The lawmaker from the Harrow East constituency in England said that in the past the Pakistan lobby had strong presence in the UK parliament but things have changed and people like him who are friends of India have been started speaking about India. He said that the ties between India and the United Kingdom have grown stronger even since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of power in India and his historic visit to UK last year has further strengthened the bond. He said India has been a victim of terrorism originating from Pakistani soil and it should take measures to rein in the forces that spread terrorism in countries like India. Asked why UK does not declare Pakistan a terrorist state, Blackman said he cannot speak on behalf of the UK government, but he was aware of the terrorist attacks that India faced and that originated from the Pakistani soil. He said that UK government was aware of the terrorism being faced by India and it stands shoulder to shoulder with India to combat terrorism. To a question on the ongoing debate of intolerance in India, Blackman said India was one of the safest countries for minorities in the world where people from all faiths get equal rights but said it was unfortunate that military had to be used to protect temples in Kashmir. India is one of the safest countries for minorities in the world, where minorities get equal rights and which unfortunately is not the case with Pakistan where every day minorities are being targeted attacked. On a question on the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, he said that steps need to be taken so that the community is properly rehabilitated and given full protection. Kashmiri Pandit community has been the worst victim of terrorism, Blackman said. Posters supporting executed convicts Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon appeared inside Jadavpur University on Wednesday morning, along with scribbled signs with messages such as Azad Kashmir, Azad Nagaland, and Azad Manipur. The posters bore the signature of RADICAL, an ultra-Left student outfit. These were subsequently torn by a rival group of students shouting Bharat Mata Ki Jai. The university in south Kolkata is besieged with widespread protests after the arrest of a Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader for sedition. Students were accusing the BJP-led NDA government of strangling free speech, and putting up posters and shouting incendiary slogans in defiance. The posters appeared on the campus after anti-India slogans were heard there the previous evening and the Union home ministry sought a report from the West Bengal government. Guru and Memon, hanged for the roles in the 2001 Parliament attack and the 1993 Mumbai bombings respectively, have become the rallying point for students trying to assert their right to freedom of expression. As did Kashmir, Nagaland and Manipur where separatists were fighting for independence. A poster in Bengali comments on the 2002 Gujarat riots. (HT photo) Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das condemned anti-national slogans but wont file a police complaint or call policemen to the campus. It is my responsibility to protest free speech. I met student leaders who told me they did not organise the rally on Tuesday. But some students were seen there. I will call and talk to them, make them understand. There were some outsiders too, Das said. He dismissed Tuesdays slogans as the handiwork of fringe elements. A police officer said the university incident was being thoroughly investigated as the BJP and Left parties have sought an answer from the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The students remained defiant. We support the democratic struggle of the Kashmiri people for freedom. There is nothing wrong in talking about it. We uphold peoples right to democratically condemn the policy on Kashmir, said Nilim Basu, a student of film studies and a leader of RADICAL. The BJP said that those who raised anti-India slogans at the university deserved a good thrashing. Its a shame that students raised anti-India slogans. It is only after a good thrashing that they will understand the true value of nationalism, said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. Three office bearers of Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) resigned on Wednesday in solidarity with the ongoing students protests against Centres handling of the row at the university. We, Pradeep, Joint Secretary, ABVP JNU UNIT, Rahul Yadav, President SSS ABVP UNIT and Ankit Hans, Secretary SSS ABVP UNIT resigning from ABVP and disassociating ourselves from any further activity of ABVP as per our difference of opinion posted former ABVP member Pradeep Narwal on social networking site Facebook. In a joint statement, the three leaders said have decided to quit ABVP as they have serious differences over the way the NDA government was handling the issue, adding there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti-national. They also expressed deep anguish over assault on mediapersons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House court complex on Monday as well as attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in the same court complex on Wednesday, alleging that the government was legitimising the action of right wing fascist forces. Read: Lawyers turn violent again, SC steps in to ensure Kanhaiyas safety We cant be mouthpiece of such a govt. which has unleashed oppression on student community Narwal added in the Facebook post. The JNU students are on strike demanding Kumars release. He was arrested on Friday last in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which vice-chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it. However, the organisers had gone ahead with the event. Read| JNU row: All you need to know about Kanhaiyas sedition charge (With PTI inputs) Two days after the attack on journalists, students and teachers of JNU in the Patiala House Court , the police are yet to arrest any of the perpetrators. Despite having conducted a thorough analysis of several video grabs , the police have failed to identify any of the accused. On Tuesday, a group of journalists approached senior police officials and identified one of the lawyers, who was seen attacking students in a video, as one Vikram Singh Chauhan, a police official said. Later in the day, the photograph of a poster surfaced on social media, suggesting that Chauhan is linked with BJP. However, the authenticity of the image could not be verified by the police. The police also claimed that they could not trace Chauhan and the allegations can be verified only when he is questioned. When contacted, Chauhan said ,Around 100 to 150 goons who claimed to be from JNU entered the court premises and occupied seats of lawyers. When we asked them to vacate the seats, they started abusing us and it were them who attacked us first. We could not tolerate such hooliganism. Under mounting attack over police inaction when journalists and JNU students were being thrashed in a court complex, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said the alleged negligence is being probed and the guilty will face legal action. Asked why policemen present at the Patiala House Court did not intervene when the assault was going on, Bassi said the issue pertains to people from two different lines of thought confronting each other in a charged environment. On Monday, groups of lawyers had beaten journalists and JNU students and teachers in the Court complex ahead of the hearing of the sedition case registered against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with an event at the university last week to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Following the incident, two FIRs were registered against unnamed persons under relevant Sections of the IPC, with the police taking suo motu cognisance of the entire episode. The JNU row will add to the woes of the Bhartiya Janata Party-led NDA government and cast a long shadow on the smooth functioning of the Budget session of Parliament that will begin on Tuesday. Though many parties, including those from the opposition camp, are opposed to disruptions, the Congress and the Left have made their intentions clear. They are going to make it tough for the government to run Parliament and have got fresh ammunition in the form of the ongoing controversy in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The government has a heavy legislative agenda, including the goods and services tax (GST) bill, real estate bill and key labour reforms, for the Budget session after the last two sittings Monsoon and Winter were virtually washed out. Parliament was paralysed in the Monsoon session over the Congress demand for resignations of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje for helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi get travel UK documents. It also wanted Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh to quit over the multi-crore Vyapam recruitment scandal and the rice scam respectively. The Winter session saw a near washout on issues like the Arunachal Pradesh crisis, the National Herald case, DDCA controversy and CBI raids on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals office. At the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government to rein in people holding constitutional posts and also those BJP leaders who were vitiating the atmosphere in the country. Had action been taken against them, then many things which we see today would not be happening, Azad said. Read more: I am PM of India, not of BJP: Modi offers olive branch, Oppn divided For his part, Modi sought to reach out to the opposition, saying he is the Prime Minister of the country and not of the BJP alone. He assured the opposition parties that the government will work to address their concerns and hoped that Parliament would function normally. The meeting saw political parties, including Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Janata Dal(United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK, DMK and Indian National Lok Dal, pitching for the smooth functioning of Budget session, insisting that disruption of proceedings was lowering the image of Parliament. But the Congress has already sounded alarm bells for the government, maintaining that the issues of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemulas suicide in University of Hyderabad and Arunachal crisis were high on its Parliament agenda for this session. It has also given a call to all non-BJP parties to raise in one voice the issue of coercive federalism in Parliament. On the Arunachal Pradesh issue, the Congress hopes to get the support of the BJD, AIADMK and other non-aligned parties as well. Several parties, including the JD(U), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), CPM, CPI, NCP and DMK, had termed the governments move to impose Presidents rule in the sensitive state as a murder of democracy. When the federal structure is dying, how can you run Parliament? When street fighting is going on in Arunachal Pradesh, where a majority is being reduced to a minority, how can you run Parliament? JD(U) leader KC Tyagi had warned. Mobs of lawyers heckled journalists and kicked and punched Kanhaiya Kumar when he was brought to court to face sedition charges on Wednesday, prompting the Supreme Court to ask officials to ensure the JNU student leaders safety. The Supreme Court asked authorities to evacuate Delhis Patiala House court and rushed six top advocates to assess the situation after two groups of lawyers violently clashed, attacking journalists and throwing stones at media vehicles. It also asked for reports on the violence from the Delhi high court registrar general and the city police. As Kumar stepped out of a police van, a group of lawyers lunged at him, landing kicks and punches, while officers quickly dragged him away. Although some 400 policemen were deployed at the court gates, Kumar was also slapped and abused by the lawyers shouting Bharat Mata ki Jai, leaving him seriously injured. A team of doctors was brought to the court to examine him after the hearing. JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar being taken to Patiala House court in New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT) Later, Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen sent Kumar to Tihar Jail till March 2. But he was kept in the courtroom till 5pm by when the crowd outside dispersed. This is the second time in as many days that the same group of lawyers has turned violent and beaten up journalists for supporting a traitor. We are shocked. There is an atmosphere of terror. Small stones were thrown on us, the six-member advocates panel told the top court. Read: JNU row: All you need to know about Kanhaiyas sedition charge Witnesses said a group of lawyers led by Vikram Chauhan -- who was also allegedly involved in roughing up students and journalists on Monday -- was shouting slogans inside the court premises when another group of lawyers from Sonipat heckled them, leading to a clash between the two groups. Kumar, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students union, is facing charges of sedition for allegedly commemorating on February 9 the execution of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on the university campus and shouting anti-national slogans. Kumar told the court that he had full faith in the countrys constitution and the judiciary. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there is no evidence against me, there should be no media trial, he said at the start of the proceedings. At JNU, students continued a strike in support of Kumar, gathering outside the administrative block and shouting slogans against the police and government. At a short distance, a professor held a lecture in the open, speaking on what is the nation. The open-air lecture is part of plans by teachers to hold classes on nationalism at the protest site. Read: I am an Indian, have full faith in Constitution: Kanhaiya Kumar The striking students are scheduled to march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday as the protests expand to other campuses across the country. At the Jadavpur University in Kolkata, posters calling for Azad Kashmir and praising Afzal Guru went up on the campus, triggering a counter-protest by the ABVP, a students body linked to the RSS. Wednesdays Delhi court chaos came despite heavy police presence and a top court order earlier in the day restricting the entry of lawyers, family members and journalists into the courtroom. Police was a mute spectator like the other day. I have photos to prove, said Tariq Anwar, a Firstpost journalist injured in the attack. But Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi refused to admit police inaction, saying Kumar was escorted by officers to protect him from assault. I dont think you can call that situation has went out of hand, I dont think he was beaten up. Read: Bassi says wont oppose bail but no clean chit to Kanhaiya Kumar Earlier in the day, lawyer Rajeev Yadav and his colleagues disrupted proceedings in the top court, shouting Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai, while the judges were hearing a plea on alleged police inaction against a mob of advocates that had attacked journalists on Monday. You should maintain some degree of moderation. This extreme stance will not help anyone, the judges told the lawyer. Yadav apologised in court after being reprimanded by a judge but told journalists outside he was moved by patriotic feelings. No I am not ashamed, he said. Read: JNU again? Afzal, Azad Kashmir posters at Jadavpur University Protests sparked by the arrest of a Jawaharlal Nehru University student on the charge of sedition have been widely covered by the global media, which said the incident reflected the growing debate within India on democracy and intolerance. The protests erupted after JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on Friday after some persons participating in a demonstration against the 2013 hanging of Afzal Guru shouted slogans about breaking up India into pieces. Tensions increased after lawyers purportedly linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party allegedly beat up students and journalists when Kumar was produced in court on Monday. At the heart of the row is a fight between the political right and left, the BBC reported in a piece headlined Why an Indian student has been arrested for sedition. Many students believe the arrest is a direct assault on their right to dissent, the article said. It added that the issue has divided India sharply with some coming out in support of the governments action. BBC noted that the JNU students union has close ties to Communist parties and that the entire opposition had come out in support of students because they believe Kumars arrest is an attempt by the BJP to push its Hindu nationalist agenda. Surajit Mazumdar, an economics professor, said the arrest was an attempt to terrorise the students into submission. Read: Journalists and teachers join JNU protests, govt tries to douse fire Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists protest against anti-national forces of JNU. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo) The Guardian newspaper reported that the reaction of authorities to the protests at JNU which is well-known for its politically active student body comes against a background of what critics say is rising intolerance in India since Narendra Modis BJP came to power. The government has repeatedly been accused of seeking to repress free speech and of encouraging extremist nationalists who systematically intimidate critics, it added. The Los Angeles Times reported that critics had pounced on the government for what they describe as a widening crackdown against student protests over the past year. BJP supporters had earlier clashed with lower caste students at a university in southern India and students at a prominent film institute who opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modis appointments to the schools governing body, it said. In each case, the student demonstrators have been accused by BJP officials and authorities of anti-national behaviour. Kumar is the first student to face charges of sedition, under a colonial-era statute that was enacted to protect the countrys former British rulers but is now often used to discipline government critics, the report said. The Los Angeles Times noted that home minister Rajnath Singh had caused the government some embarrassment when he said Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed supported the JNU student. A tweet in which Saeed purportedly backed the protest turned out to have come from a parody account, and the militant took to social media on Monday to needle the Indian government, it said. The Washington Post reported that Kumars arrest had snowballed into a tense standoff between the Indian government and a prestigious university, fuelling a heated debate here about democracy, treason and campus activism. Some analysts say that Modis government has deliberately tried to quell student activism on campuses in the past year, the report added. Read: Not anti-India: JNU teachers join strike, to take nationalism classes JNU students protest against the Centre demanding the release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in New Delhi. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo) Closer to home, the Pakistani media too covered the protests triggered by Kumars arrest. A report in The Nation daily was headlined Historic student protests rock India. In an opinion piece written for Pakistans The Express Tribune, Indian columnist Aakar Patel wrote that Kumars arrest was a repeat of the sequence in Hyderabad where the BJP acted strongly against students protesting the hanging of another man, Yakub Memon. That episode ended with the tragedy of one of the students hanging himself. Patel wrote that India reserves the death penalty mostly for Dalits and Muslims, with a study by the National Law University showing 75% of all death sentences and 93.5% of all death sentences for terrorism were given to Dalits and Muslims. Dalit and Muslim are also synonyms for poor. Afzal Guru got almost no legal representation in the trial court stage. Given the reality, it should not surprise us that Dalits and Muslims and their supporters are protesting against the government. They have every right to and are justifiably upset, he added. Read: Kick them out: HT reporter recounts mob attack outside Delhi court A six member lawyers panel assigned by the Supreme Court to assess the situation at Patiala House Court complex went through a harrowing time during their less than 30 minute visit on Wednesday. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Harin Rawal, Ajit Sinha and ADN Rao complained that they were not only abused in the filthiest language, but were also described as agents of Pakistan. We were called Pakistan ke Dalle, Dhawan told a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre that was visibly upset with the incident. He said the collective view of the panel was that the police did not do their job. In the morning itself, the court had given detailed instructions to restrict the entry of lawyers, media persons and Kumars associate into the courtroom. It had hoped that the atmosphere in the court complex would be congenial and serene. Delhi Police commissioner was specifically tasked with taking measures to avoid any law and order problem on Wednesday. But, at about 2:30pm the Supreme Court bench was forced to put its pending work for the day on hold when senior advocate Kapil Sibal rushed before it and informed it about the mayhem at Patiala courts. He said the advocates had attacked Kanhaiya when he was being produced before metropolitan magistrate Lovleen Kumar. The judges immediately summoned Sinha, the Delhi Police counsel, who personally spoke with the commissioner. He has taken personal responsibility to ensure that Kanhaiya is safe, Sinha told the court, at which the judges unequivocally told him: The commissioner is responsible for his safety and must see to it that he and those accompanying him leave the court premises without being hurt. At one point the bench suggested handing over the security of the court to the Central Reserve Police Force. The bench later formed a panel of the senior counsels and asked them to file a report by Thursday. The case will again be heard on February 22. The ripple effect of protests against the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students on sedition charges is visible in a wave of demonstrations in educational institutions across India. Delhi Police arrested JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar last week on charges of sedition for allegedly organising an event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Within a week, hundreds of students are on roads lambasting the police for their hasty action and premature crackdown. Many others, though, have supported the police action and decried the JNU students. On Wednesday, more Left Union student organisations plan to protest with a focus on their strongholds in West Bengal and Kerala, the two states going to the polls in April-May this year. Delhi University A group of Delhi University students are extending their support to the JNU protests and have organised a public meeting at the Faculty of Arts in North campus at 1pm on Wednesday. The Facebook page of the event has 625 people going for the meeting as of now. The organisers said they do not support the kind of slogans shouted in the February 9 event, but the governments action in JNU was unacceptable. Just because we have a union led by ABVP in DU doesnt mean we will keep silent. We cant let ABVP or BJP or RSS to dictate to us what to speak, issue us certificate on nationalism and assault us if we dont qualify, said Gaurav Jain, one of the organisers. The FB page of the event said, We cant let this happen to us. We must unite and stand firmly in support of JNU and its students union President Kanhaiya Kumar. Because if we dont, the brute force of this government and other fascist elements would reach our campus and swallow our freedom to express our opinion without any fear and challenge the high and mighty. The organisers maintained by showing solidarity with JNU, they are not endorsing anti-nationalism or siding with terrorism. We do condemn the anti-India slogans chanted at the JNU campus. However, Kanhaiya Kumar was not involved in either organising the event or chanting slogans. He himself has condemned the act. Then what qualifies his arrest? the organisers said. Meanwhile, the ABVP-led Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) said they will be protesting outside JNU. We demand arrest of Umar Khalid and nine more students who did the unacceptable act, said Satender Awana, president of DUSU. West Bengal In Kolkata, students of the Jadavpur University shouted slogans on Tuesday against Afzal Gurus hanging, and organised a torch rally to show solidarity with Kumar. The call for the rally was given by students affiliated to different Left parties but it resulted in a major controversy as there was a placard in support of Afzal Guru and slogans like Jo Kashmir Mange Azadi Jo Manipur ne Manga Azadi and Jo Ishrat ne Manga Azadi were also chanted. Watch | Jadavpur University students protest against the government In a quick damage control measure, the placard was removed and students shouting slogans in favour of Guru were asked to shut up. Sarnendu Barman, general secretary of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union (FETSU), said although FETSU didnt support the Pakistan zindabad or any such kind of slogans, but police atrocities on the students cannot be tolerated. As JU students have bitter experiences of police atrocities inside the university campus, they could relate to the JNU incident, they said. Jammu and Kashmir In Jammu, students belonging to the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad were on the streets claiming anti-India slogans by JNU students couldnt be tolerated and justified their arrest. Hyderabad At Hyderabads Osmania University, ABVP activists staged a protest march against the arrested JNU students, dubbing the premier Delhi university as anti-national. Mumbai The Joint Action Committee of students formed in Mumbai University after the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vermula has also been protesting against the JNU arrests. Many wore black head bands to show their anger. Students who have questioned capital punishment and hanging of Afzal Guru are being questioned by pseudo nationalists, the action committee said in a statement. Kerala: Left-backed student organisations held a solidarity march in Kerala University on Monday, the day journalists and JNU students were attacked in Patiala House Courts in Delhi. Chandigarh Students of Panjab University came out in support of JNU students, saying police should not have been allowed in the campus. There was also a minor scuffle between members of Students for Society and ABVP activists in the university campus when the former came out to protest against the arrest. A faculty member Janaki Srinivasan was also present during the protest and drew a parallel between JNU incident and suicide by Vemula, terming them as example of intolerance by the right-wing organisations. Uttar Pradesh While students of the Aligarh Muslim University staged a protest walk seeking the immediate release of arrested students in the campus on Tuesday, those from a technical education institute in Moradabad wore black clothes to describe JNU students as anti-national. A section of Twitter today attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for posting a cartoon which shows a Hanuman-esque figure assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi that public attention has been diverted towards JNU from other pressing issues. Kejriwal posted the cartoon, published in a leading national daily, on his Twitter account. Within minutes, #KejriwalinsultsHanuman started trending. A person lodged a police complaint against the Delhi CM in Hyderabad seeking appropriate action against him for hurting religious sentiments. The point of contention was a character sporting a tail which can be seen flying towards Modi while assuring him, Done Sir, all attention is on JNU. The PM is shown standing amid raging fires over several socio-economic and security issues, such as assembly polls, rupee slide and the Rohith Vemula case. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman. Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal must apologies unconditionally for mocking India & insulting Hanumanji, one Arvind Gupta tweeted. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman :: Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal must apologise unconditionally for mocking India & insulting Hanumanji Arvind Gupta (@buzzindelhi) February 16, 2016 Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJPs national IT department, tweeted, If Kejriwal is benchmarked to the logic seculars applied after the Charlie Hebdo act, he should at least be in jail. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman. If Kejriwal is benchmarked to the logic seculars applied after the Charlie Hebedo act, he should be atleast in jail. #KejriwalInsultsHanuman Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) February 16, 2016 Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay condemned Kejriwal for hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus by portraying their revered Hanumanji in bad taste. We feel that this bad portrayal has been intentionally done to please the Leftist section which is responsible for anti-national propaganda at Jawaharlal Nehru University, he alleged. Kejriwal must immediately apologize to the nation, especially to Hindus, for hurting the religious sentiments, he said. The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) vice-chancellor had allowed police to enter the university as they may deem fit, a communication between the JNU registrar office and Delhi Police shows. This comes a day after V-C Jagadesh Kumar claimed that he did not give a free hand to the police to enter the campus and pick up students. Police has sent a letter that an FIR has been registered and wanted our cooperation in accessing video/audio footage and gain entry to enquire about the incident. We only allowed them to enter as per the law to perform their duties, he had said. The letter dated February 11, Registrar, Bupinder Zutshi, said, The vice-chancellor has granted permission to the police force to enter the JNU campus if need be and as you may deem fit. The university is facing criticism from teachers and students for granting free access to police to enter the campus and conduct indiscriminate searches and arrest. The letter also said that security staff has been told to use CCTV cameras and cell phone cameras to record any such incident. The letter was sent in response to a communication from the Delhi Police on February 11. In the letter, Prem Nath, DCP (south) sought permission from the V-C to enter the JNU premises to take necessary steps and to use video coverage for covering the activities of such acts/expressions of sedition and anti-national speeches for legal action. The DCPs letter to V-C said that anti-national sentiments were voiced by some groups of students of the varsity on February. The DCP had requested the JNU authorities to inform them regarding anti-national expressions and seditious speeches. Apart from seeking permission to enter the JNU campus, DCP Prem Nath also asked the V-C to fix faulty CCTV cameras on the campus and brief security staff to use available video cameras to record any such events. you are also requested to install CCTV cameras at the entry/exit points and strategic locations in the interest of safety and security of the university campus, the letter by the DCP said. Delhis Patiala House court on Wednesday sent JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar to judicial custody till March 2. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court asked authorities to evacuate a local Delhi court, where Jawaharlal Nehru University student union president Kanhaiya Kumar was attacked amid violent clashes and slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai. A group of lawyers attacked a journalist and threw stones at media personnel stationed outside the Patiala House court in central Delhi, hours after the SC issued strict guidelines for a hearing of sedition charges against the student leader. The SC asked Delhi Police counsel Ajit Sinha to tell the magistrate at the Patiala House court to adjourn the hearing and evacuate those present. The top court also rushed six senior lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation but agencies reported that the team was blocked by a slogan-shouting mob. We are concerned about the law and order situation, the SC said. Watch | Kanhaiya Kumar manhandled in Patiala House court Rock thrown at Media persons stationed outside Patiala House court; No one hurt. @htTweets rocky soibam (@rocky_soibam) February 17, 2016 The incident came two days after the same group of lawyers and other leaders including BJPs Delhi legislator OP Sharma -- thrashed several journalists and students outside the court, calling them anti-national. People who said Pakistan Zindabad have been made heroes & we are being called gundas, said Vikram Chauhan, a lawyer who led the protests on both days. Lawyers assaulting a journalist outside Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Wednesday. (HT Photo) Senior counsel Indira Jaising informed the SC about the violence and the apex court asked Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. Police was a mute spectator like yesterday. I have photos to prove, said Tariq Anwar, a Firstpost journalist injured in the scuffle. 7 buses and 2 truck load of Police personnel & water canon rushed to Patiala House court before JNU leader #KanhaiyaKumar case @httweets rocky soibam (@rocky_soibam) February 17, 2016 Earlier in the day, the SC restricted entry into the Patiala House complex on Wednesday morning while hearing a petition into Mondays court violence but the strict norms failed to stop lawyers from clashing with each other. Also Read | Another scuffle at Patiala House: Lawyers protest, beat up journo JNU Turmoil: Full Coverage (With agency inputs) Three years after Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar erupted in riots, investigations into the violence that killed over 60 and rendered thousands homeless are triggering allegations of financial and political intimidation stalling the trials. Courts acquitted 32 people in 10 riot cases. Five of the six gang rape survivors turned hostile. The Special Investigation Cell (SIC) formed to investigate 534 riot cases cleared nearly half of the accused of all the charges, mostly in cases of arson and loot, mainly because the victims withdrew their complaints. Scores of victims filed affidavits to take back their cases. In the cases that reached the courts, many victims turned hostile. For instance, 10 people were accused in a murder case in Laakh and four in a gang rape case in Phugana. In both, the victims refused to identify in court the suspects named in the FIRs. Yes, we do have a problem in keeping the witness and victims motivated to fight their cases, said Dushyant Tyagi, the new district government counsel (DGC). I do not know why they want to back out. I have 80 cases committed in the lower and sessions courts. My job is to make sure that I get cent per cent conviction, he said. There are rumours of behind-the-scenes manoeuvres involving money and criminal intimidation. Tyagis predecessor Sajid Rana was dropped from the government panel of lawyers after 10 people were acquitted, amid allegations that he arranged a settlement between the accused and victims. Mohd Iqbal, who lost his son Aas Mohammad in the riots, said Ranas sloppy follow-up in the court led to the acquittal. He said he was threatened in Shamli multiple times. His wife, Salma, was disappointed but believed those who killed her son would be punished in the divine court. In this court, our cases are weakened, she said. File photo of Mohammad Iqbal, whose son was killed in the Muzaffarnagar riots. But Rana rubbished the charges. When the victims and witnesses are turning their backs on us, what can I do? I cannot stop them; I cannot be blamed, he said. The victims have seen nothing but abject poverty in life. This is what people are taking advantage of, says Asif Rahi, a social activist. The government felt the compensation it gave was enough, it didnt provide protection and left them (the victims) exposed to pressure tactics, he argued. Take the case of Shahpur, 20km from Muzaffarnagar, where many riot victims live in makeshift camps. But the men, mostly labourers, dont go out for work due to the fear of being attacked on the way. Many of us were stopped on the way, attacked, and told to withdraw the cases or face consequences, said Mohd Haroon, a victim at one of the Kandhla camps, 60km from Muzaffarnagar. They filed complaints with the Shahpur police but no arrests were made. Complaints to police have dried up in the last one year. There have been increasing instances of withdrawal of loot and arson cases. The victims are mostly from nine villages where no one from their community lives any more. Places of worship are locked and properties are in ruins. You know who makes the compromise offers. They are dreaded figures of the region. They give us a double deal: cash for taking the case back and some more (money) for the properties we left behind in the village we will not go back to, said a victim. People who struggle to earn ` 50 a day largely agree to the offer. They no longer want to suffer, he said. The husband of a gang rape victim, who was seeking justice for all other rape survivors, isnt speaking to anyone, not even the lawyers, since January. Before he went silent, a group of people belonging to a political party caught hold of him on the court campus. He was accused of brandishing a revolver though he said he did not possess such a weapon. He was taken to the civil lines police station in Muzaffarnagar. A mob wanted him to be booked for criminal intimidation but some social activists came to his rescue. The husband of another survivor said he and his wife were under immense pressure from other survivors and their spouses to give in. The husband who was heckled leads the pressure group. I have withstood all pressure. I will fight the case till the end, he tells HT. Akram Akhtar, a young lawyer from Kandhla, said, Acquittals have taken place in cases in which there was strong evidence. This trend is unlikely to get reversed unless the government instils confidence and provides proper protection to witnesses. As for the SIC, it allegedly hasnt responded to any RTI query that sought details of how many cases it expunged and why it cleared 3,000 of the 6,000 people named in the FIRs. Vinod Pandey, the SIC head and SP Traffic of Muzaffarnagar, said the details were not meant for public consumption. Less than three months after actor Aamir Khan found himself in the midst of an intolerance debate earning the ire of the right wing, the BJP-led state government has got the Bollywood star on board to partner with it for one of its flagship schemes. On Wednesday, Khan and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are expected to make a joint announcement of the initiative at Sahyadri, the government guesthouse. While government sources are tightlipped about the surprise announcement, officials admitted that the project will see Khan proactively work with the government for its Jal Yukt Shivar scheme, Fadnavis pet project that aims at making state villages drought free in five years through water conservation programmes. It will probably be one of the biggest partnerships of such a kind in the country. He will work with us through a structured programme to aid Jal Yukt Shivar. He will give us his time, focus and help in execution, said a bureaucrat. Officials said they were in talks with Khan since May last year and the actor was keen on working with the state government. Khan had also contributed Rs 11 lakh to the chief ministers relief fund as donation to the scheme in 2015. Following the actors comments on the issue of intolerance, the BJP government had ended his contract as the brand ambassador for its Incredible India campaign after 10 years. Five terror suspects, including a woman, with links to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were arrested on Wednesday from a rented house in Odishas Rourkela city area. The suspects were arrested after an exchange of fire that lasted three hours between 1 am and 4 am in a thickly populated locality of the steel city, police said. A search of the house yielded three pistols, five guns and 11 rounds of live bullets. The operation was conducted by Odisha police in collaboration with Telangana police and the Intelligence Bureau. The five arrested people were identified as Zaakir Khan, 32; Amjad Khan, 27; Md Salik, 32; Mehboob Khan, 27; and Mehboobs mother Nazma Bibi, 55; all from Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The four men, who had allegedly fled from Khandwa jail in 2013, were on the National Investigation Agencys most wanted list and had a reward of `10 lakh each on their heads. The terror suspects rented the house claiming to be flower traders, and unsuspecting neighbours said they rarely saw the residents because the house seemed locked all the time. After we heard sounds of firing, we came to know that some dreaded criminals were in our midst, said a neighbour. Odisha director general of police KB Singh said the alleged SIMI operatives were involved in terror activities in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. They had taken shelter in Rourkela under fictitious names with bank accounts, PAN cards and other papers under fake names. They were involved in at least 17 criminal cases including terror attacks, murder of policemen and bank robberies across the country, Singh said. The police linked the alleged SIMI members with several bank robberies, including one in Sundargarh district of Odisha in September last year, and were investigating their role in several train robberies. According to reports, the arrested group looted `48 lakh from a State Bank of India branch in Karimnagar district of Telangana last year and killed two policemen while trying to escape. They also killed a policeman in Khandwa. Salik was involved in a bomb blast in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh last year, according to the police, while several blasts in Chennai, Pune and Roorkee between 2014 and 2015 were also linked to the four arrested people. The house in Rourkela was one of the many shelters across the country used by the group. They hardly stayed together and were always on the move. Only Mehboobs mother was staying constantly in the house. Her role in their terror plans is being investigated, said a police officer. Police arrests over the last one year have shed light on Odishas growing vulnerability to terrorism. In January last year, a contractual photographer of the Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research Development Organisation in Balasore district was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence. Later, in November last year, Odisha police arrested Subash Ramchandran, a Tamil Nadu resident, for allegedly setting five train compartments on fire at the Puri railway station, and al-Qaeda operative Abdur Rehman was arrested from Cuttack district the next month. Four Indian nationals, including a man from Punjab, who are stuck in Kuwait for the past three years, have made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help them return home. Their appeal to the Prime Minister has come after they were allegedly denied legal papers and got no support from the Indian embassy in Kuwait. Savish Singh, who belongs to Bungal village in Punjabs Pathankot district, told Hindustan Times over the phone that his cries for help have remained unheard so far. We have sent messages to every minister concerned, including external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, but to no avail, Singh said. He said he had got a job at a firm called Abdul Rehman Mohammad al Brothers and Sons, serving in the Middle East, in 2013 as a merchant navy sailor after he got a degree in engineering. While carrying oil on one of the trips in my first year there, our ship was caught by the Kuwait police for lack of proper documentation, Singh said. Police arrested him along with four of his colleagues and took away their documents. They were released from jail a month later but were barred from leaving the country. They didnt even return our papers, he claimed, adding that their repeated visits to the Indian embassy have not yielded any results. Bharatiya Janata Party legislator OP Sharma has not been named in the two FIRs registered by Delhi Police in connection with the attack on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and journalists outside Patiala House courts complex in the Capital. Police on Tuesday registered two FIRs against unknown persons even though cameras clearly show Sharma and his supporters thrashing an activist outside the court premises. The BJP MLA has claimed to be a victim alleging he suffered a head injury in the attack. We have registered two FIRs against unknown persons. One is related to the scuffle inside the court while the other is related to the one which happened outside the court premises (in which BJP MLA OP Sharma was involved). We are in the process of identifying the people in the tape and will take action. In both the cases, police is the complainant, DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said. Police sources said they would also probe the identity of the people who had asked lawyers to assemble at the court. The photograph of one of the lawyers who was also caught on video thrashing students was widely circulated on social media as well. Photographs of Vikram Chauhan with BJP leaders reportedly at Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad functions and a poster of his photograph with Union home minister Rajnath Singh went viral. While students and journalists have alleged that the lawyers got violent and attacked them, Chauhan told Hindustan Times that it was the students and teachers of JNU who provoked them in the court. Narrating the sequence of events, he said, When we entered the court complex, we saw that all the seats had been occupied by the students and teachers. When we asked them to move, the students got agitated and started asking us to show our identity cards. It was then that one of my colleagues informed the police control room. The students started shouting Pakistan Zindabad. They also said Afzal tumhara naam rahega. We then shouted Bharat Mata Ki Jai. It was then that all hell broke loose and we got into a scuffle with them. When asked about his photographs which reportedly show him at BJP and ABVP events, Chauhan said that they were taken selectively from Facebook. The students have selectively used the photographs from my Facebook profile. The same album on Facebook has my pictures with JNU leader Sharad Yadav and also other Congress leaders. I belong to no party, he said. Sucheta De, former president of the JNU students union, questioned the decision of the police. Why are police not arresting the lawyer and the BJP leader caught on tape? This shows the intention of the government. Arguing that there are excessive rights in India, a top functionary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has said that controversies have arisen because it is seeking to stop the misuse of democratic rights. Sunil Ambekar, the ABVPs national organizing secretary, also claimed, in an exclusive interview to HT, that the violence in the Patiala House courts was a reflection of janakrosh, peoples anger. Brushing aside the criticism against the outfit for curbing free speech and using its proximity to state power to intervene in campus disputes, Ambekar, who serves as the link between the Sanghs top leadership and the student outfit, said they were not on the back-foot. When asked whether ABVP which stood for protection of democratic rights during the Emergency was in the forefront of now curtailing it, Ambekar claimed all democratic freedoms including that of political dissent was intact. He said in no other place would anti national slogans be given such space followed by a debate about it. I think people have got excessive rights sometimes and JNU incident is an example of that. Some people have got used to misusing the rights. That misuse is being stopped and so they are talking about all this. They were in the practice of misusing these rights in the name of freedom, human rights, feminism, secularism, freedom of expression. This is being stopped and should be stopped...We will be in the forefront of this, he said. Asked for his views on the violence in the court on Monday, Ambekar claimed it was a reflection of peoples anger. You see what happens there is an India-Pakistan match. You can feel how alert people are about national unity and integrity. Understand peoples hurt and anger. There are people who have lost their dear ones, who remain in fear about the next blast. In such a country, in a capital like Delhi, in a university like JNU, if such slogans are raised, there will be janakhrosh, peoples anger, Ambekar said. He did not condemn the incident, and said people should think more about those who support incidents supporting terrorism. Ambekar rejected the perception that the Sangh was deliberately targeting JNU because of its left dominated politics. He argued the university was receiving the same support that it did over the past two years of the Modi government; and the ABVP had not asked for the closure of any departments or any programmes. We have only pin-pointed specific program when there was a matter of celebrating Afzal Guru during the cultural evening. That is what we did at Hyderabad also how can you celebrate Yakub Memon. There can be no compromise with national integrity. Those who want to create trouble are using masks of Dalits, of Ambedkar, of free expression, of human rights, Ambekar said. But there was no evidence that the JNUSU president had attacked national unity and integrity. The ABVP official responded that those who had organized the event in JNU had published their pamphlets, and its intent was clear. Kanaihya was an important part of that gathering. Only an enquiry can tell us what video is available. What is clear is that despite being JNUSU president, he was a part of that program and led it, the ABVP leader said. He added that the slogan-shouting had to be seen in the context of Indias security threats, and appealed to the left leaders to enquire into their JNU units. They should expel Kanaihya and ask him why he went to this place, an evening for Afzal Guru and cooperate with investigation, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Madras high court on Tuesday directed Tamil Nadu government to provide a job to the sister of a Dalit who was hacked to death near Thuraiyur in this district in April last year, as per the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Justice T Hariparanthaman, allowing a plea by Sudha, the sister of Muthukumar, directed the government to provide job to her within four weeks. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the April 26, 2015 murder and cases registered against them. Earlier, Muthukumars father Palanisamy had sought a job for his daughter and submitted a petition to Tiruchirapalli District Collector on May 8, 2015. Sudha submitted that the collector had not taken any action and hence she was constrained to move court. The judge said that as per the Act, a relative of the murder victim should be given a job within three months or land to take up farming and a house and also Rs 1000 pension. As per the Act, government should provide a job for the petitioner, who is the sister of the victim. Besides the superintendent of police had also recommended a job for Sudha on Jan 27, 2016. Hence government should take steps and appoint her, the judge said. Taking the JNU issue to a new low, a BJP MLA in Rajasthan on Wednesday called Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi a traitor and said he should be either be hanged or be shot for siding with people who shouted anti-India slogans. BJP MLA from Baytoo in Barmer Kailash Choudhary, while addressing farmers during a kisan sammelan in his constituency, said the Congress leader whom his partymen call rajkumar had no right to be in India for having gone to the people who shouted Pakistan Zindabad slogans and idolized 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Rajasthans irrigation minister Dr Rampratap and other BJP MLAs from Barmer were present on dais while Choudhary made these comments against Rahul Gandhi. Later, while talking to Hindustan Times over telephone from Baytoo, Choudhary defended his statement and said it made his blood boil to see such leaders supporting anti-national people. Choudhary is also state president of BJP Kisan Morcha and is on a Kisan Morcha Aapke Dwar campaign across the state and was in Baytoo today to address farmers from Barmer. State Congress president Sachin Pilot, reacting to this comment, said it was highly objectionable and added that it exposes the real character of the BJP. The party should suspend the MLA immediately and a criminal case should be filed against Choudhary. Pilot said BJP leaders and workers are spreading hatred through their objectionable comments which is danger to integrity of this country. The Congress chief demanded a public apology from the BJP on this comment. Amidst contradictions and dilemmas, renewed efforts at cobbling together a coalition of regional parties as a national political alternative to the NDA have begun, with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar accepting INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala to address a farmers rally at Karnal on March 6. The Jat community in Haryana and adjoining states has reportedly been upset with the NDA government on account of the non-fulfillment of their demand for inclusion in the reservation in the OBC category and has also been demanding a higher remuneration as the Minimum Support Price for agricultural crops. After reaching the in principle agreement for a merger between JD(U) and Ajit Singhs RLD and establishing contact with NDA allies including Apna Dal, the Bihar CMs outreach in Haryana seems encouraging, but comes at a cost. Prakash Singh Badals SAD although an alliance partner of the BJP in Punjab has supported and campaigned for the INLD in past assembly elections in Haryana. Will the emerging axis between the JD(U) and the INLD disturb Chautalas equations with the SAD leaders? Similar issues seem emerging in Punjab, with Kumars election manager Prashant Kishor having decided to support the Congress prospects for the states assembly elections next year. AAP leaders have not taken kindly to the development. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had extended support to JD(U) in last years assembly elections in Bihar. We would expect the JD(U) to return the favour in Punjab, an AAP leader said. If it is Kumars aim to emerge the rallying point of the non-Congress and non-BJP parties, he will need Kejriwals support more than that of the Congress, argued an AAP leader. JD(U) spokesman KC Tyagi reasoned that the perceived or real contradictions between regional parties would evaporate in pursuance of the larger goal of providing an effective challenge to the BJP-led NDA. The phase of anti-Congressism is over. The current challenge is to confront and defeat the communal forces, he said. JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on sedition charges, may not have raised anti-national slogans or made an inflammatory speech at the JNU event which is at the centre of a raging controversy, according to inputs from security agencies. Home ministry officials have suggested that slapping of the serious charge of sedition against Kumar could be an act of over enthusiasm on the part of some Delhi Police officers. Security agencies have conveyed to the home ministry that even though Kumar was present at the event commemorating the death of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, he possibly did not raise any anti-India slogan nor did he speak anything anti-national that invites the charge of sedition. Officials said the anti-India slogans were raised by students belonging to Democratic Students Union (DSU), considered to be a front of CPI (Maoists). Kumar belongs to AISF, the students wing of CPI, while DSU is an extreme left group. A students organisation of a mainstream political party cant get along with an organisation of extreme left ideology, officials said. Besides, names of DSU leaders were only printed in the posters which were pasted in JNU campus, inviting the students to the event commemorating the death of Afzal Guru. Security agencies told the home ministry officials that Kumar did deliver a speech but it could not be considered as anti-national. The event was also backed by the Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPR), headed by former Delhi University lecturer SAR Geelani, who was arrested on Tuesday on sedition charges. Geelani was given charge of CRPR, which was originally floated by Maoist sympathisers, possibly to bring people with extremist ideology, including Kashmiri separatists and Naga separatists, into one umbrella group. Two lawyers filed complaints of sedition against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Allahabad and Varanasi on Wednesday while the partys Assam unit lodged an FIR against the state BJP over its smear campaign against the leader. The complaint filed in an Allahabad district court alleged that Gandhi took an anti-national stand by supporting protesting JNU students and will be taken up on March 1. In Varanasi, a lawyer filed an application to register a complaint against Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja and Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi under Sections 505 (1) B, 511, 124A and 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The court fixed March 12 as the next date of hearing. Taking the debate over the JNU row to a new low, Kailash Choudhary, BJP MLA from Baytoo in Barmer, Rajasthan, said Gandhi was a traitor who should be handed capital punishment. Choudhary is also the state president of the BJP Kisan Morcha. State Congress president Sachin Pilot said it was a highly objectionable comment and it exposed the real character of the BJP. The BJP should suspend the MLA immediately and a criminal case should be filed against Choudhary, Pilot said. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee lodged an FIR against the state BJP unit over the dirty campaign launched by the saffron party against Gandhi on the issue of his support to protesting JNU students. During Gandhis visit to the state on February 10 and 11, BJP cadres launched a poster campaign in Guwahati against the Congress vice-presidents support to the JNU protest. (With inputs from HTC Allahabad, Varanasi, Jaipur and Guwahati) Even though problems cannot dominate the India-US relationship due to its rich and wide content, South Block believes the timing of Washingtons announcement of the sale of eight F-16 fighters to Pakistan was insensitive and refuses to categorise the multi-role jet as a counter-terror weapon for Islamabad. Top government sources told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity that India had more convergence with the US on Southeast Asia than in the West even as there was pressure from Afghanistan and Iran on Pakistan to integrate with the rest of South Asia. India has conveyed to the Obama administration its strong reservations on the F-16 sale to Islamabad, which comes after Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists targeted the Pathankot airbase last month. Asked about the possibility of foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan in the near future, the sources said India would initiate dialogue at a time convenient to its interests. We have a new approach with Pakistan after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conceded the involvement of Jaish terror group within 11 days of the Pathankot attack. We will talk with Pakistan in the near future but when it is convenient. Development is important to us but security is essential, a senior official said. South Block also continues to be opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and is keenly watching Islamabads plan to integrate Gilgit-Baltistan on the one hand and keep the Kashmir issue alive on the other. China wants Pakistan to integrate Northern Areas so that it is confident in pouring in $46 billion in CPEC but at the same time wants to appease Kashmiri separatists by keeping the political issue alive with India, the official said. On the relationship with Russia, sources said a deliberate effort was being made to go beyond the existing unidimensional relationship of military hardware with Moscow to focus on trade and economic ties. We are also making consistent efforts to engage Iran and reaching out to the complex Middle East with special focus on the United Arab Emirates, sources said. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has said that Obamas administrations decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan should not be a cause of concern for India as the regional security situation was taken into account at the time of sale. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The signals from the assembly by-elections results show the rulling Samajwadi Party is on a sticky wicket in Uttar Pradesh just a year before the assembly polls. The bypoll results in three seats have made it clear that the party would have to content with anti-incumbency. The 2017 election is likely to be multi-cornered, unlike the assembly polls in 2007 and 2012 when the contest was largely bi-polarSamajwadi Party vs Bahujan Samaj Party. Here is what the results indicate for the SP: 1) Conventionally, bypolls almost always tilt in favour of the ruling party. This is precisely what happened in the September 2014 assembly bypolls that were held just four months after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But, in the bypolls, the SP won seven of all the 11 seats that were previously held by the BJP. This time, the SP lost two of the three seats it had held. This is a clear indication that despite ruling the state with an absolute majority, anti-incumbency was at play in all the three constituencies - Muzaffarnagar, Deoband (Saharanpur) and Bikapur (Faizabad). 2) The results are a shot in the arm for the Congress party which posted a convincing win over the SP in Deoband. The victory would re-energise the Congress cadres and the party leadership in UP. 3) The SP would have a tough time keeping all the Muslim votes to itself. In a scenario where the main opposition BSP did not even contest, Muslims in the Muslim-dominated Deoband went for the Congress instead of the SP. This means Musim votes would get divided. 4) Spending too much energy on local/panchayat polls and taking its eyes off the larger picture does not augur well for the SP. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav did exactly what BSP president Mayawati had done in her previous regime focus on sweeping the panchayat polls. The SP put too much emphasis on the panchayat elections that are not contested on the party symbol in the state. Mulayam, who hardly took any disciplinary action against leaders and cadre when the partys tally fell to a miserable five in the Lok Sabha elections, sent the cadre in a tizzy by engaging in expulsions and suspension on charges of indiscipline/anti-party activities vis-a-vis panchayat elections. 5) When the SP expelled two Akhilesh Yadav loyalist youth leaders and suspended five MLAs over the panchayat elections shortly before the bypolls, the effect was demoralising for the party cadre. Eventually, the party revoked these expulsions and suspension. 6) All the three seatsBikapur, Deoband and Muzaffarnagarfell vacant following the deaths of SP MLAs. The party, instead of selecting candidates on merit, gave tickets to widows and sons of those who passed away. The sympathy factor, however, failed to work. 7) Though the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Janata Dal(United) combine did not win a seat, their experiment of contesting the election together resulted in the alliance coming to a close second in Faizabad and a distant third in Muzaffarnagar. This indicates that if Sharad Yadav and Ajit Singh really go ahead and bring about an alliance in UP by taking more parties on board, the SPs applecart would be upset. The alliance would hurt the SPs traditional vote bank the backwards. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Local residents thronged the office of Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd, a little known mobile manufacturing company in Noidas Sector 63, to buy the Freedom 251 smartphone. People reached the office in the morning itself after seeing full-page advertisements of the 251 smartphone in Wednesdays newspapers. Smart phone buyers got confused with advertisements that informed that bookings for the Freedom 251 will open on February 18 at 6am and will close on February 21 at 8pm. Buyers thought they could directly buy the smartphone from its head office in Sector 63 and started visiting it, said an employee of Ringing Bells requesting anonymity. Bookings for the phone are supposed to start on February 18 at 6 am. The phone, which cost 251 (less than $4), is the cheapest smartphone the world. Watch | Freedom 251, worlds cheapest smartphone launched in India A police team had to be sent to the office as precautionary measure. We sent a team because a mob had gathered outside. It is our duty to ensure that peace is not disturbed in the rush, said Kiran Sivakumar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gautam Budh Nagar. My friend told me to go to Sector 63 to buy a smart phone for 251. I thought he was joking. When I came here to buy one, the staff told me book the phone online tomorrow, said Anil Khatka, 25, who works with a restaurant in Sector 63. A scrap dealer from Baghpat, Gulshan Rasool, 40, said: I thought what is the harm in buying a smart phone for 251. Thank God, the company has an office in Noida and it is not a fraud advertisement. I will book it online tomorrow. The security guard said about 5,000 people visited the office till 4 pm. We are irritated answering queries. We have asked our management to deploy a team to do that tomorrow, said Rupesh Kumar, one of the guards. He said the entire staff of the company had gone to attend launch of the phone in New Delhi. Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) handler Sajjad, who was held on February 2 after the arrest of another spy Irshad, was making his network in Punjab under which he had succeeded in roping a Moga youth, the interrogation has revealed. Sajjad, a resident of Surankot in Jammu and Kashmir, has also coughed up about the money he had received from his bosses sitting across the border in Pakistan in lieu of which he was sending pictures of the army establishments to them. During interrogation, Sajjad has admitted that he had gone to Pakistan on a student visa in 2013 via Attari border where he met the ISI agents, who assigned him the duty of sending pictures of the security set up in India. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pathankot RK Bakshi said, Sajjad has claimed about his links with ISI agents, who appointed him for this job. Sajjad was called by one Julfikar in Gujjranwala, Pakistan, for study. But later he was told that he wont get admission as his percentage was less. Later, a meeting for him was arranged with Pakistan local Majid, who was an ISI agent. Sajjad told that he was given Rs 15,000 cash on returning. After that he regularly kept on getting money through money transfers. He got nearly one lakh rupees from them for the job assigned to him since 2013. But, as Pakistan handlers were not getting desired good quality pictures, they had been asking him to be careful in sending the pictures, the SSP said. As he had started working in a call centre at Chandigarh, there he roped in Sandeep Singh of Moga and during this period they visited many towns of Punjab. The SSP said, We will produce him in the court on Thursday and would seek more remand for interrogating him. Sajjad was picked from Surankot after Irshad from the same village had named him as an ISI handler. Irshad was held from Mamoon Cantonment area when he was making a call to Pakistan on January 31. Continuing its action to freeze the assets of drug smugglers, Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday attached the property of an accused in the Jagdish Bhola case. The property carrying a total market value of Rs 4 crore belongs to accused Harpreet Singh. A shop-cum-office (SCO) in posh Urban Estate Market, a house in Officer Colony, and 7 acres in Patiala were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, which empowers the ED to take such an action against drug smugglers. Harpreet Singh, alleged to be one of the main suppliers of synthetic drugs to cop-turned-don Bhola, was among 12 names on the ED charge sheet in 2014. Looking into the assets of all accused in the Bhola racket, the directorate has also questioned several politicians and high-profile people. Last week, it attached the residential property of drug lord Bhola in SAS Nagar. Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday paid a secret visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan for a closed-door meeting with its head, Niranjan Dass, to seek Dalit support in next years state elections. Amarinder reached the dera at 5pm, discussed political issues with its head, and sought his wholehearted blessings for the Congress victory in the upcoming assembly elections, sources have said. Instead of Doaba Congress leaders, he took Patiala party activist Kabir Dass, who is close to the dera head, along. It was a top secret meeting to discuss all important issues concerning the state, and it went on for more than an hour. Nothing more can be revealed, said a senior member of Captains personal staff. Sources add that Captain told the dera head about the assurances he had given to the Dalits in a two-day conclave that ended in Ludhiana on Tuesday. He is reported to have also taken a few suggestions from the dera head about the welfare of the Dalits in Doaba. Inputs from the dera suggest that it was Niranjan Dass who insisted on secrecy. He barred even Amarinders media team from taking a photograph of their meeting. Dera Sachkhand Ballan has a good hold over Ravidassias, biggest section of the Dalit community in Doaba region, and its open support to any political party can upset the equation for others. It was Amarinders second meeting with the dera head in less than four months. Last October, apart from sharing the stage with Niranjan Dass at a public religious function, Amarinder was with him for another hour. Sources said the state Congress president was worried how to win seats in Doaba that in the last two assembly polls has gone with the Akali-BJP combine. In 2007 and 2012, the Congress managed to win only four and six seats, respectively, in the region, once its stronghold. In both defeats, the annoyance of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan followers was a big factor. The increasing clout of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) among the Dalits of Doaba has also unnerved Amarinder, who is also expected to visit Nurmahal-based Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) in the coming days. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Joe and Althea Cajero discuss their love of art, being and artist and being in love with another artist. Meet one of New Mexicos most dynamic and creative couples: Joe and Althea Cajero. They will share their unique story and perspective on their art the love they have for their art and working as an artist couple. Joe Cajero is an award-winning sculptor from Jemez Pueblo who works in clay and bronze. Althea Cajero is a renowned jewelry artist from Santo Domingo and Acoma Pueblos known for her cuttlefish cast contemporary jewelry. In 2014 the Cajeros received the prestigious Living Treasure Award from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture during its annual Native Treasures Arts Festival. Joe says, Were helping each other and supporting each other to push the envelope of our work even furtherWorking together in a studio is a lot like being in a relationship. Sometimes you know when to say something and sometimes you know when to not say anything at all. Underlying it all is their love for each other and for art. Joe says working together as a couple has made us both happier people. Free and open to the public. The Counter-Narrative is a onthly lecture series at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center that presents an Indigenous perspective on selected topics and subjects. With the Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) already facing criticism from various quarters for planning to set up Khalsa University, things again raked up on Tuesday when Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh made his way into the college and warned the governing council from going ahead with the project. The college authorities had blocked the main gate, security guards and heavy police force was deployed at the gate to ensure that Capt Amarinder doesnt enter the college premises. But, he came inside from gate number 2 and slammed the KCGC mentioning that its president Satyajit Singh Majithia had his own agenda. Talking to media, Amarinder said, I strongly oppose governing councils move. What is the logic behind setting up a university when we have Guru Nanak Dev University next door? Why cant they set up a university anywhere else in Punjab? The GNDU shares a common wall with Khalsa College and I fail to understand why they want to undermine GNDU. I just feel that it is an effort to take control of the things. The former CM alleged that the motive of Majithias and Badals appeared to be to undermine the GNDU and build their private university for personal gains. Warning the management, Amarinder said, In case the Akali government in Punjab decides to use its brute majority to go ahead with passing an act for the university in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Congress government will repeal the act in 2017 and restore colleges heritage status. Recalling his familys and personal association with Khalsa College, Amarinder said, While my grandfather Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and father Maharaja Yadvinder Singh were its chancellors from 1927 to 1952, I was its chancellor between 1972 and 1978. It is not I or my family alone, every Punjabi has a sentimental association with this College, which is one of the exceptional symbols of our great and glorious heritage, he said. Like the Badals destroyed government transport in Punjab to promote their private transport companies like Orbit and Dabwali transport, now they are planning to undermine the GNDU to promote their private university for petty and pecuniary interests. Enough is enough, and the time has come to call our bluff, the former CM said. Capt Amarinder said, It was my first visit to Khalsa College and certainly not the last one. If required I will hold protest and use all legal, democratic and constitutional means to save this great institution. Students welcome Capt, click selfies As Capt Amarinder Singh entered the college taking an alternate route, students welcomed him and interacted with him for some time. They also clicked photographs and selfies with him. With the arrest of four persons, police on Wednesday claimed to have busted a gang which was allegedly involved in the purchase and sale of newborn babies. The gang members comprising three women and a man were arrested on Tuesdays evening and and a five-day-old infant was recovered from them at Vardhman Chowk, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Narinder Bhargav told reporters. Police had contacted them through a decoy buyer to purchase a newborn. The accused had assured the buyer that they will bring a newborn to him in the near future, the DCP said. During preliminary investigation, the accused claimed that the male baby had been purchased at a price of Rs 2.30 lakh from a poor woman belonging to Arnia village in Fazilka district, Bhargav said. The gang used to be in touch with community health workers and registered medical practitioners (RMP) in villages and colonies of migrants from other states to locate needy and poor pregnant women who could not afford a child. They used to approach these women and strike a deal with them to purchase babies at Rs 2-3 lakh each, he said, noting the babies were later sold to rich couples at exorbitant prices. They also told the police that they have already sold four newborns to different couples in the recent past, Bhargava said. They had been arrested by the Faridkot police in 2015 in connection with a similar case, he said. The accused were identified as Tejvir Singh and his wife Rachpal Kaur (Moga), Baljinder Kaur alias Binder (Ludhiana) and Gurmeet Kaur (Faridkot), according to the DCP. The ongoing blockade of roads and rail tracks in Haryana by Jats over the quota issue intensified on Wednesday, even as the state government agreed to double the existing 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions for economically backward persons (EBP) in the general caste category and including Jats and four other castes under it. It was also decided to enhance the annual income ceiling from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to accommodate more people under the EBP quota. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said a committee formed under the chairmanship of the chief secretary to study all aspects of reservation for special backward classes (SBC) and suggest the best way forward, would submit its report before the forthcoming budget session of the Haryana assembly. He said the committee would consider all suggestions, including that of bringing an appropriate legislation in this regard. While Rohtak continues to be the epicentre of the protests, the districts of Jhajjar, Sonepat, Hisar, Fatehabad, Bhiwani and Jind are also feeling the impact of the agitation. The developments took place after four hours of parleys by Khattar with a group of Jat leaders at his Chandigarh residence. However, the agitating Jats seemed reluctant to pull out and end their agitation. Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) chief Yashpal Malik said: In my opinion, the state government is trying to mislead Jats of Haryana by floating this proposal. But the final decision about the agitation will be taken on Thursday. Malik said their demand was that the Haryana Vidhan Sabha should pass a Bill providing reservation to Jats. Mahender Singh Mor, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Samiti, told newspersons after the meeting in Chandigarh that they were not fully satisfied with the decisions taken and that their agitation would continue. Meanwhile, finance minister Capt Abhimanyu told mediapersons that the CM had agreed to increase the EBP quota (from 10% to 20%) and the annual income limit to make room for Jats, Jat Sikhs, Rors, Tyagis and Bishnois. He said the representatives were told that since the reservation under the SBC quota done by the previous Congress government had been stayed by the Punjab and Haryana high court, the EBP quota would be increased. Read: Jat protesters block national highway-10 in Hisar Read: Jat quota demand divides Haryana BJP Read: BJP guard in Haryana in a fix to resolve the crisis Read: Khattar invites agitating Jat leaders for talks Read: Jat agitation brings Rohtak to a standstill Along with his supporters, BJP leader and former vice-chairman of Pungrain Gurmahabir Singh, who has been in-charge of Patti unit, on Tuesday, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Tarn Taran. Aam Aadmi Partys zonal observer Parveen Parbhakar from New Delhi presided over the meeting held at the party office in Tarn Taran wherein he got the BJP leaders into the fold of his party. Gurmahabir Singh claimed that he had around 20,000 supporters in Patti assembly segment and they also supported his decision. Prominent among his aides, who joined AAP, included Ramandeep Singh Sonu, who claimed himself as former Mandal president of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Parbhakar said any political leader who carried good reputation and agreed upon the ideology of AAP is welcomed in the party. AAP is getting unprecedented support from every section of the society and no one can stop it from being victorious in the state assembly elections of 2017, he added. BJP district president Navreet Singh Shafipur expressed unawareness over the BJP leaders move of joining AAP. He was not active since the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib took place in October last year, nor he has any key post in the party presently, said Shafipur. He added, Once he had been close aide of SADs cabinet minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, but parted ways with him later. As he was inactive since past months, his decision will leave no impact on the partys base among people. It is notable that Gurmahabir has been sarpanch of Sarhali Kalan village since 1983. AAPs youth wing member Manjinder Sidhu and media secretary Harpreet Singh were also present on the occasion. States contribution to the central pool is likely to be higher than the last year in the upcoming Rabi procurement season that is expected to commence from April 1 onwards. Sharing the information, experts from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said, While states contribution was 103.44 lakh tonne in 2015 according to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), experts expect it to be around 110 lakh tonnes this year. This will be approximately 7 lakh tonnes higher than the last year. Low temperature for a longer period is being viewed as one of the core reasons behind the higher contribution. The temperature has been very low for several weeks, which actually favours wheat crop in its maturity. So, its simple: lower the temperature, higher the yield. Apart from this, timely sowing of wheat and appropriate irrigation has also helped, said economist Mohinder Singh Sidhu .Punjab has 18% share of wheat production in the country and 2.5% production of the world and like each year, Punjab will remain on top this year too as far as its central pool share is concerned. It can be said that food security of the country is in the hands of the Punjab farmers albeit they have been facing enormous stress and facing several issues for the last few years, Sidhu added. PAU former V-C SS Johal said, So far, wheat crop has matured well, which is why higher yield is obvious as compared to the last year. Grain quality will also be better, but we should hope that coming weeks as well also remain dotted with favourable weather for wheat till harvesting. It is rainy days along with high velocity of winds that can damage the crop. In March, the last month of maturing - weather should neither be very cold, nor very hot. According to field visits by different agricultural development officers in different districts, we are expecting a higher yield. It has also been agreed in a recent joint meeting of different district agriculture development officers, said Sukhpal Singh Sekhon, district agricultural officer. Meanwhile, in 2012-13 Punjabs contribution of 128.34 to central pool has been the highest from 1966 to 2015 according to the FCI records. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A lively debate on paid parking marked the SAS Nagar municipal corporation House meeting on Tuesday with the matter being finally referred to a five-member committee that is to submit its recommendation in 15 days. A three-member committee has recently had recommended that paid parking be extended to all 10 parking lots in the city from the three markets where it is operational now. The MC is expected to earn around Rs 30 lakh a month after paid parking in introduced across the city. Targeting mayor Kulwant Singh for thrusting paid parking on residents, opposition BJP councillor Arun Sharma said, We are against paid parking. During the elections, we had promised the residents that that it will be taken back. We have to consider residents protest over the issue. SAD councillor Kamaljeet Singh Ruby, said, Residents have witnessed harassment in the name of paid parking. There is need to regulate parking and shopkeepers can be allowed to advertise for revenue. To this, mayor Kulwant Singh had a counter. I have met representatives of market association and all are in favour of paid parking, but with certain conditions. To date, I have received no written representation opposing paid parking. However, I have several signed requests from market associations in favour of the concept. MC commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta, said, Parking regulation is the need of the hour in wake. We need to take this decision sensibly considering the future. If not today, two years down the line regulation of parking would become a necessity and nothing comes for free. The safety of the vehicles is ensured and the charges are minimum. Residents must realise that e policy is there for it sown good. Congress councillor Kuljeet Singh Bedi, part of the treasury benches, told the House, Residents are confused. We are answerable to the residents who have voted for us. So, a committee of elected members be constituted to revisit the issue. The five-member committee comprises Parkashwati from the BJP, Phoolraj Singh from the Azaad group, Amrik Singh Somal from the Congress, Paramjeet Singh Kahlon from the SAD and Taranjit Kaur Gill from the Congress. Incidentally, the contract of JTS Constructions that is managing paid parking in Phases 5, 3B2 and 7 comes to an end in April. The company was awarded the contract in 2015 and had been issued several notices for violations. Villages may be exempted from property tax Councillors demanded that the villages falling within the MC limits should be exempted from paying property tax. The mayor gave them an assurance on the issue. Certificate opposed A recent move by the House to make residents give a undertaking of having parking space before their cars could be registered came in for severe opposition. The issue is pending but GMADA has been asked not to pass building plans without parking facility. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday granted bail to Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal in a sedition case related to the radicals Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh congregation) of November 10 last year. The petitioners counsel, Gurvinder Singh Sidhu, said the single judge bench of justice MMS Bedi had on Wednesday allowed the petition for regular bail. The detailed order is awaited. Daduwal was appointed Takht Damdama Sahib head priest during the radical congregation at Chhaba village in Amritsar. He is in Hoshiarpur jail since November 13 since being arrested in this matter. His petition stated that the government had framed him, and the sedition law didnt apply, as he had not indulged in any illegal activity. It was also argued that the event was telecast live and its video still available on YouTube website could be checked to know if he had made any provocative speech. It alleged mala-fide intention on part of the government in booking and arresting him. About 100 journalists staged a demonstration here on Wednesday criticising the alleged inaction of the Delhi Police in the case of attack on reporters by some lawyers on the court premises in the national capital recently. The protest was held under the banner of the Chandigarh Press Club. Carrying placards and raising slogans, the journalists, who were on the way to Punjab Raj Bhawan, were stopped near Sector 7. The protestors demanded the resignation of Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi for the inaction of his staff, who remained silent spectators during the attack on the journalists. The clubs governing council, led by president Balwinder Jammu and secretary general Nalin Acharya, later submitted a memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee through the Punjab and Haryana governor. Jammu, who addressed the journalists at the club, demanded action against the accused who manhandled the journalists in the court complex. He said this was an attack on the freedom of expression. The Centre should act against the perpetrators of violence who tried to muzzle the voice of journalists, especially those on duty, said Jammu. The club governing council took strong note of another attack on a photo-journalist on Wednesday, saying: It is the height of complicity of the Delhi Police. The police could not provide security to the journalists, despite a group of hooligans once again targeting mediapersons covering the proceedings of the JNU sedition case. I own some agricultural land which was notified for acquisition in the year 2005. Since I did not receive any compensation till 2012, I approached the court of law for cancellation of the acquisition proceedings against my land. The matter was subjudice when the new land acquisition law was enacted. Will it apply retrospectively to my case? Would the land acquisition proceedings be considered lapsed against my land considering no compensation has been paid so far to me for such acquisition? Yes, the new Land Acquisition Act covers all the pending cases of the land acquisition under the old Act. If five years have lapsed since the land acquisition and no compensation has been paid then as per the provision contained in new land acquisition Act, namely, The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the land acquisition proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed. The genuineness of my grandfathers will has been challenged by my uncle in a high court. My grandfather had prepared an unregistered will, which was signed by him along with two witnesses. According to Will, there are two witnesses - one passed away but the other is ready for testimony. Can testimony of one witness validate our will? If not, then what should I do? In cases where only one of the witness is alive, a will may be proved by the evidence of one witness regarding the genuineness of the will. I own a freehold residential plot of land and building constructed thereon in Delhi. For purchasing a new house, I want to take a loan from a bank against my existing house by creating an equitable mortgage. What is the amount of stamp duty that I will be required to pay in this regard? For creating an equitable mortgage (i.e. mortgage by deposit of title deeds), it is sufficient to deposit the original title deeds / documents of the property being mortgaged with the bank/mortgagee. No stamp duty is payable in Delhi if equitable mortgage is created by simply depositing the title deeds. The author is senior partner, ZEUS Law Associates, a corporate commercial law firm. One of its areas of specialisation is real estate transactional and litigation work. If you have any queries, email us at htestates@hindustantimes.com. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to grant any interim relief to Peter Mukerjea, former media baron and an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, on a petition seeking a stay on the release of the Bengali film Dark Chocolate. Saying that the court could not interfere and issue gag orders unless it was convinced that ones Right to a fair trial was being affected, a bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and G S Patel held that the petition was premature. The petition was filed by Mukerjeas sister Shangon Dasgupta and alleged defamation saying that the film makers were openly promoting the film and its characters as those inspired by the Sheena Bora case. Read: Peter Mukherjea slaps legal notice on CBFC to stop release of film on Sheena Bora Read:10 true crime movies more scandalous than Sheena Bora case The bench, held that Dasguptas apprehensions were premature since she had relied only on the promos or trailer released by the film makers on the internet. The bench said that the petitioner should have gone through the entire film and its script before making any allegations. It said that the trailer alone could not be considered as adequate premise for the allegations of defamation and contempt. Besides, the bench said, Dasgupta should have stuck to inferring only whether her brothers right to a fair trial was being affected by the film or not. Read: Drugged Sheena Bora bit Rais thumb while being strangled: CBI Read: Peter Mukherjea faces murder, conspiracy charges in Sheena case In each of the past incident in which courts have restricted public viewings of films or television programmes, including the case of the film Black Friday, it has always been the accused persons who have personally approached the court. They have established that the complete plot depicts scene by scene the exact incident that took place and thus, prejudices their trials, the bench said. The court cant pass a gag order refusing a citizen the right to circulation, public viewing and expression on mere apprehensions, the bench said. Besides, the depiction of what is already in public domain doesnt necessarily prejudice you, it said. It also took note of the film director and producers submission in court that the film was still in the post production stage and was yet to apply for certification. A still from dark Chocolate. (YouTube) While restricting the film makers from releasing the film without informing the court and the petitioner, the bench also granted permission to Dasgupta to amend her petition and to make Peter Mukerjea a party in the petition. HC will take up the matter for further hearing in two weeks time. Follow @htshowbiz for more. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Marco Mueller is now director of the Macau International Film Festival, whose inaugural edition will run from December 8 to 13. This will be the second time in Muellers long and distinguished career that he would be creating and directing a movie festival. In 1978, he established the Electric Shadows Film Festival at Turin, which became renowned for presenting the history of Chinese cinema. Fluent in several languages, including Mandarin, Mueller would later in his life head the Beijing International Film Festival and programme the Silk Road International Film Festival at Fuzhou in China. Read: Refugee crisis is the highlight of Berlinale this year A celebrated movie critic and documentarist, Mueller headed the Rotterdam International Film Festival from 1989 to 1991, and Locarno from 1991 to 2000. However, his most talked-about assignment was the directorship of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest in the world having begun in 1932 basically as a propaganda platform for Fascist forces led by Mussolini and Hitler. When Muller took over Venice in April 2004, the festival was sinking -- having been clearly edged over by Cannes (whose remarkable stability at the head -- after its trying times in the late 1960s when students and workers revolt as well as financial impediments -- pushed it far ahead of Berlin and Venice). Read: Cannes Film Festival supremo Thierry Fremaux isnt quitting It is this tottering Venice that Mueller pulled out of the Adriatic Sea, giving the festival a fresh pump of oxygen. A time came during his eight-year stint at Venice when he had just about every film in the official sections as premieres. This was a fantastic achievement, given the fact that Cannes in May preceded Venice in September. And, many of the Venice premieres went on to sparkle at the Oscars the following year. Sadly, his stay at Beijing and Fuzhou (where he was head of programming) was limited to just a year. Hopefully, Macau will be different for Mueller. Read: Berlin Film Festival to open with Coens Hail Caesar! Organised by the Government of Macau and the Macau Film and Television Productions and Culture Association, the new festival aims at becoming a major centre of East Asian cinema and international movies. The festival plans to have a programme with a slant towards genre films. It will feature a competition section, galas and special focus categories, along with industry screenings and a co-production event. Macau is much like Hong Kong and is called a Special Administrative Region, administered by mainland China. Macau, which enjoys a high degree of autonomy, has a huge casino and gaming centres. There was a time when it boasted of revenues higher than Las Vegas. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Prime Minister David Cameron was engaged in last-minute talks before the European Council meets on Thursday and Friday to approve or not the controversial deal offered to Britain to stay in the European Union. If the council approves the deal offered by its president Donald Tusk a fortnight ago, Cameron is expected to convene an emergency meeting of his cabinet on Friday and announce the date of the referendum on Britains membership of the EU. If it does not, or if the perception is that Cameron agreed to a watered down deal (there are already charges the deal is not good enough for Britain), the momentum for the Leave EU campaign will grow before the key referendum. The issue of Britains membership is important for India and the more than 800 Indian companies who use their base in London and other parts of Britain as a gateway to Europe. A vote to leave the EU will have implications for their continued presence in Britain. There are several misgivings among EU member-states on the deal offered to Britain, particularly on state benefits for migrants who move to Britain. Cameron wants to stop or limit child benefit, among others, considered generous due to the strength of the pound. Poland and three other countries are reported to be resisting the benefits curbs, and France is said to be against financial regulation changes that would benefit Britain, which has retained the pound and not opted for the Euro currency. June 23 is said to be most likely date for the referendum if Cameron were to secure a deal in the European Council summit. He is keen to have London Mayor Boris Johnson in the Remain in EU camp, but the latter is yet undecided on the In/Out issue. On Tuesday, European parliament president Martin Schulz warned the support of members of the European parliament (MEP) for the deal could not be guaranteed, but Downing Street claimed the deal had the backing of MEPs. There are strong arguments being put forward by both camps and campaigning will begin in right earnest after the outcome of the European Council summit in the next 48 hours. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON French environment minister Segolene Royal said Wednesday she would head the UNs COP21 climate forum after a long-time political rival, former foreign minister Laurent Fabius, stepped down from that role. French President Francois Hollande offered me the opportunity yesterday to take on this responsibility, and I accepted, she told French television news channel iTELE. A spokesman for Hollandes office confirmed the appointment but said a date had not been set. COP21 is the acronym for the 21st conference of parties to the UN climate arena. Its president comes from the country who hosts the forums annual high-level gathering, and usually plays a key role in brokering agreements in the complex negotiations. Fabius, appointed in November, was hailed for shepherding the 195 nations to a historic deal in Paris that involves curbing carbon emissions and channelling hundreds of billions of dollars to poor countries exposed to climate change. He was pressured to relinquish the job on Monday after he stepped down as foreign minister and was named to head Frances constitutional court. Critics argued that he could not simultaneously be on the court, which is supposed to be above the political fray, and also in charge of the COP, where politics and powerful interests collide. Royal, Hollandes former companion and the mother of their four children, was among the first to raise objections, calling for the rules to be clarified on double postings. In her new role, Royal will guide the first steps for implementing the December agreement, which set the ambitious goal of capping global warming at well under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The 32-page deal also calls on rich nations to muster at least 100 billion dollars (90 billion euros) a year in climate aid from 2020. Just how that will happen has yet to be worked out. We cant let the momentum slip, Royal told AFP. Theres a lot to do. I have already started. Among her priorities, she said, are putting a price on carbon and climate action in Africa. Africa can be a laboratory for transitioning away from fossil fuels using solar, geothermal, hydroelectricity, she said. We need a systematic approach, and we have to get moving before the end of 2016. Royal will also seek to highlight a signing ceremony for the agreement on April 22 at the United Nations in New York. She has said Hollande will attend and encourage other heads of state to join him. France will hands on the climate baton to Morocco, which will organise COP22 in Marrakesh from November 7 to 18. Repairing ties that have soured since Nepal adopted a new constitution last year will top Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis agenda during a six-day official visit to India beginning on Friday. Bilateral relations have gone through a rough patch since September, when New Delhi asked Kathmandu to address the concerns of Madhesis, the residents of the Terai region bordering India, regarding the new statute. Some misunderstandings have emerged in Indo-Nepal relations. My visit will focus on removing them completely and build afresh based on mutual benefit and respect, Oli told parliament on Tuesday. This visit is to strengthen Indo-Nepal friendship. Not to look back and blame, but to develop trust and understanding. The statement is indicative of Kathmandus efforts to allay New Delhis misgivings of the past few months. Earlier, Oli and several senior cabinet members had accused India of imposing an unofficial blockade on Nepal to support the Madhesis, who have close cultural and family ties across the border. The blockade imposed by Madhesi parties unhappy with the constitution had affected the supply of essential goods for months. New Delhi denied any involvement. The standoff led experts to describe it as the worst phase in bilateral ties, less than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modis two hugely successful visits. Relations have thawed in the past few weeks since Nepal amended the statute to address some demands of the Madhesis, and the protesting United Democratic Madhesi Front ended its 135-day border blockade. The fresh demarcation of federal units as demanded by the UDMF remains unresolved but there is an unofficial agreement on creating a political mechanism to sort out this issue. India welcomed the developments, which in turn led to Olis visit. Oli will be accompanied by a 46-member delegation that will include the foreign minister, finance minister, home minister and leaders of major parties. This will be the first visit to India by a Nepali premier since a trip by former Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai in October 2011. Oli has been seeking advice from former premiers, foreign ministers, diplomats, senior politicians and businessmen to ensure his visit goes off without a glitch. New Delhi too is giving importance to the visit. Unlike his predecessors, Oli will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and not at a five-star hotel. Nepal expects Indian aid to build two hydropower projects with a capacity of 750MW, a road in Terai and a hospital in Kathmandu. There will also be discussions on how to spend the $1 billion that India pledged for reconstruction work related to last years earthquakes. Oli will visit Bhuj in Gujarat to see earthquake reconstruction work there and address a business conclave in Mumbai to seek investments. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistani authorities have withdrawn permission for the annual Lahore Literature Festival, citing security threats, but the organisers said on Wednesday the event would go ahead as planned during February 19-21. The administration of Lahore, the capital of Pakistans most populous province of Punjab, had issued a No Objection Certificate for the festival on January 21. A letter subsequently issued by the administration said permission for the event had been cancelled. We revoked the No Objection Certificate for LLF on January 30, government spokesperson Imran Maqbool was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune. He said the event could no longer take place. It is intimated that due to heightened security threats the NOC issued by this office vide letter No AO(C)/BA/1044 dated 21.01.2016 is hereby withdrawn forthwith in the larger public interest, the official letter said. It did not give details of the threats. Nusrat Jamil, a member of the festivals advisory committee, told the media that the organisers had not received any order from the authorities. We received the NOC from the government three months ago, she said, insisting the festival will begin as scheduled on Friday. Lahore Literature Festival founder and CEO Razi Ahmed said: The event will go ahead as planned and has not been cancelled. Several Indian personalities were set to participate in the festival, scheduled to be held at the Alhamra Hall. According to the programme, Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore was to feature in the first session of the festival. Filmmakers Pooja Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt, journalists Karan Thapar and Bachi Karkaria, lawyer AG Noorani and art historian BN Goswamy were also among the Indian participants. US President Barack Obama insisted on Tuesday that Russia had made a strategic error in propping up Syrian ruler Bashar al Assad, but said the conflict was not about him and Vladimir Putin. Predicting a quagmire that drains Russias assets, Obama said this is not a contest between me and Putin. The real question we should be asking is what is it that Russia thinks it gains if it gets a country thats been completely destroyed as an ally, that it now has to perpetually spend billions of dollars to prop up? Obama said. Putin may think that hes prepared to invest in a permanent occupation of Syria with Russian military. Thats going to be pretty costly. About three-quarters of the country is still under control of folks other than Assad. Thats not stopping anytime soon. Obama said an internationally backed ceasefire, due to take effect within a week, would be difficult to achieve --laying some of the blame at Putins door. Its hard to do, because theres been a lot of bloodshed, said Obama. If Russia continues indiscriminate bombing of the sort that weve been seeing, I think its fair to say that youre not gonna see any take-up by the opposition. Russian bombers have been supporting a Syrian government offensive on Aleppo, and Moscow is Assads closest ally. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday accused Ankara and Riyadh of dragging the entire region into war and said victory was imminent for his Shia Lebanese group and its Syrian regime allies. They (Turkey and Saudi Arabia) are ready to drag the region into a war, Nasrallah said in a video address to supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah bastion. He said the two countries have been pushing to send in international ground forces because they are not ready to accept a political solution to the conflict in Syria, which is why they want to continue the war and destroy it. Nasrallah said Riyadh and Ankara planned to intervene directly because their allies the Islamist rebels on the ground have suffered successive defeats at the hands of Kurdish and Syrian regime forces. He also said victory for President Bashar al-Assads forces, backed by Hezbollah, Iran and Russia was coming. In the days ahead and for the decade to come... we will proclaim victory alongside the Syrian army, he said. He also vowed to prevent Daesh (Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group), Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate), America, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their pawns from occupying Syria and Israel to realise their ambitions. On Saturday, Turkey said that it could, alongside fellow international coalition member Saudi Arabia, mount a land operation against IS in Syria. Syrias ally Iran, which has sent thousands of military advisers into Syria, warned Tuesday that the deployment of Saudi troops would violate international law. Harcharan Singh Sekhon, who employed five illegal immigrants at his Indian restaurant in Glasgow, has been disqualified by British authorities from being a director of a limited company for six years. An investigation by the Insolvency Service found that Sekhon, while a director of Kirkcrest Limited, failed to ensure the company complied with its obligations under immigration law (specifically, to make sure that relevant immigration checks were completed and copy documents retained). This resulted in the employment of the illegal workers. Following a visit from immigration officers, during which the illegal workers were discovered, the company was issued a 25,000 penalty notice, which remained outstanding. All the illegal workers were found to be paid less than the national minimum wage, official sources said on Wednesday. Sekhon, who admitted hiring the illegal workers and paying them less than the minimum wage, was running a restaurant called Bombay Blues. Sekhon admitted: I failed to ensure that Kirkcrest Limited complied with its statutory obligations under The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to ensure that relevant immigration checks were completed and copy documents retained resulting in the employment of five illegal workers. In addition, I caused or allowed Kirkcrest to breach the National Minimum Wage Act 1998. Several Indian doctors working in the National Health Service (NHS) who raised concerns about patient safety and unethical practices say they are victimised, often resulting in their careers being terminated, besides facing considerable trauma and economic hardship. Their experience was highlighted in the case of cardiologist Raj Mattu, 56, who was sacked after he raised concerns about patient safety at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry. He was even accused of being a sexual pervert, among other charges, but was cleared and awarded damages last week. Mattu, who is among several Indian doctors (who either trained in India or are of Indian origin and trained in the UK) to face the wrath of hospital managers, told Hindustan Times: The nasty experiences we have endured are significantly more common amongst doctors descended from the Indian subcontinent. All the data has consistently demonstrated this, but there is yet to be any actions formulated to address this problem by those in authority in the NHS, he said. His hospital reportedly spent 10 million to fight the case against him. Awarded 1.2 million in damages but facing a legal bill of 1.4 million, Mattu said the managers in his former hospital have been allowed to unlawfully end my job, rob me of my career and destroy my livelihood, and above all damage our lives. Ramesh Mehta, president of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (Bapio), said the organisation is setting up a new body to help whistleblowing Indian doctors who face victimisation and worse from managers. Ten Indian doctors have been trained to mediate between whistleblowing doctors and hospital managements that panic when details come out, he told Hindustan Times. Mehta said the vast majority of doctors in the NHS who trained in India 25,038 were valued and appreciated for their work, though there is a growing number of Indian doctors who continue to face discrimination and unfair punishment. Narinder Kapur, a consultant clinical psychologist at Cambridge when he was dismissed after complaining about using unqualified staff in the neurosciences clinic, said he was disappointed the Indian government has not taken up the issue with Britain, despite petitions. We are suffering, our families in India are suffering. We asked the Indian high commission that Prime Minister Narendra Modi raise this issue when he was here in November, but he did not do so, he said. NHS doctors who face complaints face fitness-to-practice (FTP) hearings of the General Medical Council. Figures show doctors qualifying in India and other non-EU countries are disproportionately represented in such hearings. Mehta said FTP hearings are humiliating and lead to considerable trauma over 100 doctors facing such hearings have committed suicide between 2005 and 2013; they reportedly include some Indians. There is a stark contrast in the way Indian and white doctors are treated for the same offence. There is a club culture among white managers and white doctors. As an organisation we are working for equal treatment for all, Mehta said. Robert Francis, who submitted a report on whistleblowing in the NHS in 2015, said: Repeatedly we hear of unaccountable managers protecting themselves and undertaking biased investigations, character assassination, lengthy suspensions, disciplinary hearings which resemble kangaroo courts, and ultimately dismissal of staff who previously had exemplary work records. Some senior Indian-origin doctors victimised in recent years # Raj Mattu # Malhar Soni # Narinder Kapur # Patrick Bose # Madan Samuel # Shiban Ahmed # Sarina Saiger # Vijan Jadhav # Sharmila Chowdhury (Source: Narinder Kapur, University College London) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High around 60F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Low around 55F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. More than 300 Brazilian companies have been fined by the country's Ministry of Labor for using methods that can be classified as modern-day slavery, including profiting from forced work, degrading labor conditions and giving little or no compensation to employees. The investigation into labor practices was instigated by the NGO Reporter Brasil and the Brazilian Institute to Eradicate Slave Labor (InPACTO), using freedom of information laws in order to have the information published and to "enforce society's right to transparency regarding corporate labor practices," as they explained in a press release earlier this month, according to TeleSUR. The published blacklist reveals 340 companies in both rural and urban areas that employed people in slave-like conditions in sweatshops, farms, cattle ranches and construction, from May 2013 to May 2015. In Brazil, slave labor is defined as work performed in degrading conditions or in circumstances that potentially threaten a worker's health or life. Forced labor and debt bondage-working without pay in order to recompense off debts-are also considered to be forms of slave labor. "The companies were fined by the labour ministry and those enslaved [have now been] released," Leonardo Sakamoto, director of Reporter Brasil, told Reuters. The blacklist, or "dirty list," has been integral in Brazil's ongoing fight against slavery, blocking companies from directly receiving government loads and finding as well as putting restrictions on product sales, as Reuters explains. If after two years the company has paid its fines and can prove that working conditions in its facilities have been amended, it can be removed from the list. In 2014, however, the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered the Ministry of Labor to stop publishing the blacklist prompted by an injunction from Brazil's Real Estate Developers' Association (Abrainc), which includes the South American country's most powerful construction companies, according to Reuters. Reporter Brasil is lobbying to make the list public again, as outlined on the NGO's website. in his discussion with Reuters, Sakamoto said that it is not yet known whether children were enslaved, nor whether the blacklisted construction companies are involved in building projects connected to the Olympics. It is estimated that around 21 million people globally are caught in some form of forced labor, which in turn generates profits that equal more than $150 billion (USD) a year, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Tuesday that GOP rival Donald Trump is free to file a "frivolous" lawsuit regarding the Texas senator's eligibility to run for the White House, but he "won't prevail." "Listen, Donald has been litigious for many, many years. He uses lawsuits to try to intimidate people and attack people," Cruz told conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt, The Hill reported. "If he wants to file a frivolous lawsuit, he can file a frivolous lawsuit." Trump has claimed in recent months that Cruz is not eligible for the presidency because he was born in Canada -- a claim that Cruz has rejected because his mother was an American citizen at the time of his birth. However, Trump escalated his attack on Monday, calling the Texas senator "unstable" and threatening him with legal action on the matter, according to The Washington Post. The billionaire businessman also called on the Republican National Committee to "intervene" in the matter. "Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual," said Trump in a statement. "He is the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous." However, Trump was not threatening a lawsuit over Cruz's words, but rather his citizenship -- a question that has routinely been raised in recent months. "One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and, therefore, cannot be President," said Trump, according to Business Insider. "If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me." Cruz, however, appeared less optimistic that the situation could be resolved. "I think the lawsuit would be frivolous, and he's not going to prevail," Cruz said. "But sadly, whether a lawsuit is frivolous or not has not historically dissuaded Donald Trump from hiring plaintiff lawyers to go to court." @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are neck and neck just days before Saturday's Nevada caucuses, according to a new poll. Among likely caucus-goers in Nevada, 48 percent of respondents said that they supported Clinton, while 47 percent said that they supported Sanders, a new CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday shows. Overall, Clinton holds advantages on most issues, as she is more trusted on foreign policy, race relations, immigration and health care, but likely caucus-goers are split 48 percent for Clinton and 47 percent for Sanders on the economy, The Hill reported. However, among those likely caucus-goers who call the economy their top issue in choosing a candidate, more support Sanders at 52 percent, compared to 43 percent for Clinton. Sanders has closed the gap with this poll since the last time it was done in October. Clinton led in that poll by 16 points in October with a 50 to 34 percent margin. However, it is unclear how representative the poll is. While Nevada is the third state in the Democratic primary schedule, it only has six public polls in the last year, The Wall Street Journal reported. In comparison, Iowa was polled nine times in January and almost 100 times in the year leading up to the early state's caucuses. Another poll that was conducted by The Washington Free Beacon last week found a tie between the two Democratic candidates, as well, each sitting at 45 percent. Nevada political columnist Jon Ralston said in a recent interview he doesn't trust the available polling in Nevada. "I don't consider those polls reliable or recent. The Clinton folks are saying it could be close and distorting Nevada's demographics (suddenly we are as white as Iowa and New Hampshire!) because they are worried about the Bernie surge. And I think they should be," Ralston told The Washington Post. The CNN poll, which surveyed 282 likely Democratic voters in Nevada from Feb. 10-15, has a margin of error of six percent. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, in a bid to attract military voters in South Carolina on Tuesday, unveiled a plan to remake the armed forces while also striking against what he called a culture of political correctness in the Pentagon. Cruz pledged not to provide gluten-free military meals as short-hand for that culture. "That's why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments -- or providing gluten-free MREs," Cruz said aboard the USS Yorktown, a World War II-era aircraft carrier now serving as a museum, using the shorthand term for Meal, Ready-to-Eat, CNN reported. A spokesman for the Department of Defense told TIME that the provision of gluten-free meals depends on the military branch. During his speech, Cruz evoked a Reagan-style military policy that he said he would return America to a global position of strength. "I am confident that if we put in the hard work we can, as Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s, rebuild our military so it will be so feared by our enemies and trusted by our allies that, God willing, we won't have to use it," Cruz said. "That is the essence of what President Reagan used to call 'peace through strength.'" While campaigning in South Carolina ahead of Saturday's primary there, many of the candidates have aimed to portray themselves as tough on military issues because of the critical voting bloc among veterans and active military members in the Palmetto state. The Rubio campaign criticized Cruz's record on military issues on Tuesday, including his votes in the Senate. "Throughout this campaign, Cruz has shown himself to be weak on national security and supporting the military," Rubio spokesman Joe Pounder said in a statement, The Washington Post reported. "Senator Cruz is the only candidate in this race who has consistently sided against our military and intelligence professionals and whose foreign policy vision changes with his poll numbers." In recent polling, Trump leads in South Carolina in the six-person Republican field. In an average of recent polls compiled by RealClear Politics, Trump has 35 percent support, with Ted Cruz in second with 17.5 percent support. Rubio is in third with 15.8 percent. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As the Nevada Democratic caucuses quickly approach, a group of sex workers who call themselves Hookers 4 Hillary are doing everything they can to help Hillary Clinton win, with some even offering discounts to customers who promise to vote for her. The group was started by Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch near Carson City, and many of the girls who work there shortly after Clinton announced her candidacy in April. It now includes some 490 sex workers from various Nevada brothels, such as the Kit Kat Guest Ranch near Carson City, the Love Ranch in Las Vegas and the Alien Cathouse near Area 51, according to The Huffington Post. The girls have ramped up their efforts ahead of the Feb. 20 Democratic caucuses in Nevada, championing Clinton for her pledge to protect Obamacare, her foreign policy experience, her opposition to conservative supply side economics and her support of agencies that protect the public's health. "Obamacare allows us to get health care without classifying us as illegal workers," Mae, 25, told HuffPo. "Not having it canceled is a big deal." Others are supporting her for her tough stance on domestic violence. "I'm for Hillary because she's cracking down on domestic violence," 26-year-old Entice Love told The Guardian. "I've been in a relationship for a long time where I'd been thrown down stairs, black eyes, fractured ribs... when I'm looking at who I want to pick for the presidency, I look at what are they doing that I can relate to that will be of benefit for me. That's why I was for Obama, now I'm for Hillary." To help trump up support for Clinton among brothel customers, many of the group members are offering a 25 percent discount to those who agree to caucus for her on Saturday. "If you tell me you're caucusing or voting for Hillary, I will give you a free lunch or 30 extra minutes to use however you like," Kisses told HuffPo. Clinton needs all the help she can get in Nevada. A new CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday shows her in a statistical tie with rival candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 48 percent to 47 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Now that a number of international sanctions against Iran have been lifted, Russia is expected to deliver its first S-300 air defense systems to its ally on Thursday, with further plans to sell up to $7 billion in offensive tanks, fighter jets and other military equipment. Russia will host a ceremony in the southern city of Astrakhan on Thursday, which will be attended by Iranian defense minister Hossein Dehghan. The missile defense system will then be sent through the Caspian Sea to Iran, according to Sputnik News. Iran agreed in 2007 to purchase five S-300 missile systems from Russia for $800 million, but the Kremlin froze the transaction after the United Nations Security Council placed an arms embargo on Tehran in 2010 until its nuclear program could be shown to have peaceful purposes, according to The International Business Times. The sanctions were lifted in January in exchange for Iran agreeing to not develop an atomic weapon, as laid out in the landmark nuclear deal signed between Tehran and six world powers in July. Moscow also plans to sell Iran an unspecified number of Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets, warships, diesel submarines, gunships, T-90 tanks and coastal defense systems, according to a report in Russian newspaper Kommersant obtained by NBC news. "Iran is also interested in Russia's Bastion mobile coastal defense missile system, equipped with supersonic Yakhont anti-ship missiles, along with Mi-8/17 helicopters and other arms," according to Iranian state-run media, reported The Washington Free Beacon. A high-ranking official in the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said Wednesday that the contract for some of the arms will be signed later this year, according to Press TV. Experts suggest that Iran may be looking to spend as much as $13 billion on Russian-made weapons, according to Sputnik. While the air defense systems are not banned under U.N. Resolution 2231, which was passed days after the nuclear deal was signed, the resolution explicitly forbids Iran from purchasing "battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, [and] warships" for five years, according to Fox News. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New research carried out by the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) has led to increased estimations on how many indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered in Canada. Patricia Hajdu, who serves as Canada's minister for the status of women, put the new figure at approximately 4,000, according to the Guardian. Hajdu had been touring the country with minister for indigenous affairs Carolyn Bennett to pave the way for an inquiry into the issue. She told reporters on Tuesday that the new number was based on a list put together by Walk4Justice, an initiative that collected names of murdered and missing women across Canada until 2011, according to CBC News. If accurate, this is a dramatic increase on the number previously given by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who put out a report in 2014 stating that approximately 1,200 indigenous women had disappeared between 1980 and 2012. Bennett stated that while the RCMP "did their very best," the testimony that she and Hajdu had heard from survivors and families across Canada suggested that the higher number was more accurate. President of the NWAC, Dawn Lavell-Harvard, claimed that some of the discrepancy between the two numbers can be attributed to a longstanding relationship of mistrust between native communities and the police, according to reports by CBC News. "Part of the challenge comes from the fact that very often many families, because of negative interactions in the past, because of racism, have not in fact reported when a loved one goes missing," Lavell-Harvard told CBC News, "There's a lack of willingness to trust police forces and to come forward." Both Bennett and Hajdu also pointed to underreporting and failures to investigate on the part of the police as likely contributing factors, according to the Toronto Star. "The problem is not about us fighting the numbers," Bennett told reporters on Tuesday. "The problem is making sure that these families that lost a loved one, these survivors that are still living, that their stories lead us to the kind of concrete actions that will actually put an end to their vulnerability and what has been going on." @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The author explores the connections between wellness and sustainability and uses this frame of reference to explain current trends in both soft programming and the physical design of resort hotel properties. Wellness and sustainability have very different definitions, but are often tied together in hospitality industry literature. In a foundational survey on wellness and its definition, conducted by Canyon Ranch, respondents most frequently associated the words hope, joy, and energy with wellness. These are words that are often used to describe travel and vacation experiences, especially vacations taken at resort properties. The full range of body, mind and spirit-enhancing activities constitute various dimensions of wellness. For example, one of the most popular wellness activities noted in a 2011 Values Study of Baby Boomers was simply "laughing with friends". Sophie Rayner Global Marketing Manager Horwath Minor Hotel Group (MHG), a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 145 hotels and resorts in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, announces its continued expansion in South East Asia with the development of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort. MHG has formed a 50/50 joint venture with Indonesia-based PT Wijaya Karya Realty on this USD 41.4 million development. Scheduled to open in 2019, the new-build Anantara Ubud will offer a total of 70 keys including suites and pool villas. In addition, 30 Anantara branded residences will be developed within the resort. Bali is one of South East Asia's key tourism destinations, with tourist arrivals growing annually over the past decade. The popular town of Ubud is located in the island's uplands and is well known as the centre of Balinese culture and home to many of the region's artisans. The surrounding rainforest and terraced rice paddies, dotted with Hindu temples and shrines, are among Bali's most iconic landscapes. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, "We are thrilled to be announcing our third Anantara resort in Bali. We are confident in the longevity of the island as a hugely popular tourism destination and the addition of Anantara Ubud will perfectly complement our existing resorts. We are looking forward to working closely with PT Wijaya Karya Realty going forward during the development of this new resort." "Wika Realty is very proud to be involved in this joint project, particularly in working with Minor Hotel Group which has a good reputation internationally and extensive experience in operating and managing hotels. Hence we are confident that Anantara Ubud will achieve its success, assisted by the strategic location in Bali", Imam Sudiyono, President Director of PT Wijaya Karya Realty added. MHG operates two Anantara resorts in Bali Anantara Seminyak and Anantara Uluwatu and an Anantara Vacation Club property. In addition there are currently two further properties under development which will see the debut of MHG's AVANI and Oaks brands to the island. About Minor International Minor International (MINT) is a global company focused on three core businesses: hospitality, restaurants and lifestyle brands distribution. MINT is a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of over 520 hotels under the Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Radisson Blu brands in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, South and North America. MINT is also one of Asia's largest restaurant companies with over 2,300 outlets system-wide in 24 countries under The Pizza Company, The Coffee Club, Riverside, Benihana, Thai Express, Bonchon, Swensen's, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King and Coffee Journey brands, in addition to over 1,000 outlets of MINT's strategic alliances (i.e. S&P and BreadTalk). MINT is one of Thailand's largest distributors of lifestyle brands and contract manufacturers. Its brands include Anello, BergHOFF, Bodum, Bossini, Charles & Keith, Esprit, Joseph Joseph, Radley, Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Minor Smart Kids. For more information, please visit www.minor.com. Natasha Rhymes Director of PR & Corporate Communications Minor It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home While a drop in ADR pushed year-over-year RevPAR comparisons into negative figures, STR Global analysts see lower rate in the market as an indicator of strong and growing occupancy levels. STR Globals preliminary January 2016 data for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, indicates solid occupancy performance and lower rates. Based on daily data from January, Abu Dhabi reported: increases in supply (+4.0%) and demand (+5.3%); a 1.3% increase in occupancy to 75.5%; a 6.6% decrease in average daily rate to AED519.75; and a 5.4% decrease in revenue per available room to AED392.44. While a drop in ADR pushed year-over-year RevPAR comparisons into negative figures, STR Global analysts see lower rate in the market as an indicator of strong and growing occupancy levels. January occupancy was boosted in the beginning of the month by increased vacation travellers from Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States. Abu Dhabi also hosted the World Future Energy Summit from 18-21 January. About STR Global: STR Global provides clients including hotel operators, developers, financiers, analysts and suppliers to the hotel industryaccess to hotel research with regular and custom reports covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and South America. STR Global provides a single source of global hotel data covering daily and monthly performance data, forecasts, annual profitability, pipeline and census information. STR Global is part of the STR family of companies and is proudly associated with STR, STR Analytics and Hotel News Now. For more information, please visit www.strglobal.com. The 66.6% absolute occupancy level would be the lowest for a January in London since 2013. According to STR Global analysts, the market continues to feel the effects of the November terrorist attacks in Paris, France. STR Globals preliminary January 2016 data for London, England, indicates negative performance when compared with the same month last year. Based on daily data from January, London reported: an increase in supply (+2.8%) and a decrease in demand (-1.1%); a 3.8% decrease in occupancy to 66.6%; a 1.7% decrease in average daily rate to GBP121.68; and a 5.4% decrease in revenue per available room to GBP81.04. The 66.6% absolute occupancy level would be the lowest for a January in London since 2013. According to STR Global analysts, the market continues to feel the effects of the November terrorist attacks in Paris, France. Negative RevPAR performance has been reported across all segments, and the steepest declines have come with group and contract travellers. About STR Global: STR Global provides clients including hotel operators, developers, financiers, analysts and suppliers to the hotel industryaccess to hotel research with regular and custom reports covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and South America. STR Global provides a single source of global hotel data covering daily and monthly performance data, forecasts, annual profitability, pipeline and census information. STR Global is part of the STR family of companies and is proudly associated with STR, STR Analytics and Hotel News Now. For more information, please visit www.strglobal.com. John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) today announced the addition of David (Dave) Bishop to the capital planning and asset management department in the companys Springfield, Mo.-based corporate offices. With 20 years of experience in progressive facilities management, Bishop joins JQH as corporate director of facilities management beginning March 1, 2016. We are pleased to add Daves unique education and experience to the JQH family, said Bill George, JQHs vice president of capital planning and asset management. His impressive track record for effectively completing a range of property projects and earning his associates respect will bode well in his role as director of facilities management for JQHs diverse national hotel portfolio. Prior to JQH, Bishop served nine years as director of facilities, buildings and grounds for the Springfield Public Schools R-12 district. While with Springfield Public Schools, Bishop managed 64 sites and more than 100 associates. He also secured approximately $10 million in a bond to construct FEMA-style safe rooms. His career also includes experience as facilities manager for Florida SouthWestern State College and as property manager in the retail sector for Madison Marquette Real Estate Services, where he managed large-scale, multi-million dollar property renovations. "JQH is the recognized gold standard in the hospitality industry. I look forward to complementing the companys efficient and successful facilities management team with my outside perspective and expertise, Bishop said. Bishop is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). He is certified in both LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) for existing buildings and the Green Building Initiative ? Green Globes-GGP (Green Globes Professional). He is a coalition member of the Springfield ? Greene County Office of Emergency Management and is a voting member on the technical committee of the Metropolitan Planning Organization that impacts Southwest Missouri. Springfield, Mo. based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) is a leading private, independent owner and manager of hotels in the United States, representing brands such as: Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Sheraton, IHG, Chateau on the Lake Resort / Spa & Convention Center, and Plaza Hotels Collection. With a portfolio of 35 hotels representing approximately 8,500 guest rooms/suites in 16 states, JQHs properties are dominant in their markets. Founded on the extraordinary vision of John Q. Hammons and built on his continued legacy of excellence spanning more than 50 years, JQH has become one of the most recognized and award-winning companies in the hospitality industry. Built to be the best, JQH continues to set the standard in hospitality management and hotel development. OVO duo Majid Jordan, made up of Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman, are about to embark on its first-ever North American tour. The tour will be in support of the duos self-titled debut album, released earlier this month. The tour begins midway through next month, on March 14, in San Francisco. Theyll play in L.A. in next night, before crossing the U.S. for 5 dates up and down the east coast. On March 30, the duo will be back north of the border in Montreal, and the tour will finish up the next week, with a hometown show in Toronto before the grand finale in Chicago on April 5. Majid Jordan is mostly self-produced, with additional credits coming from Illangelo, Ninteen85, and Noah 40 Shebib. The album strikes a fine balance between R&B and immersive deep house. Whos interested in catching the OVO boys on their first headlining tour? Tickets go on sale this Friday (Feb. 19) on Majid Jordans website. The out-of-nowhere success of Netflixs Making A Murderer speaks to audiences insatiable appetite for true crime. Ed Power dons his detective hat and investigates the making of a television phenomenon. In November 2005, Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi were leafing through The New York Times when a headline caught their attention: Freed By DNA, Now Charged With New Crime. The report concerned the arrest of Wisconsin man Steven Avery, who had two years previously been released from prison, after fresh evidence proved hed served 18 years for a rape, of which he was not guilty. Now, with a $36 million lawsuit pending against authorities in Wisconsin, Avery stood accused of murder. Hundreds of miles away in New York, recent film school graduates Demos and Ricciardi suspected this might be a story worth telling. They were just getting started in the industry and had no other work lined-up. What had they to lose? A decade on, their little shoe-string documentary has become a global phenomenon. Debuting quietly on Netflix on December 18 last, Making A Murderer is THE water-cooler conversation topic of the moment. Almost everybody, it appears, has an opinion on the guilt or innocence of Avery, who was indeed convicted of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach and is currently serving life with no hope of parole. When RTE flew Averys defence attorney Dean Strang in for a Ray DArcy interview recently, the presenters handling of the segment was a national talking-point (Ireland cringed as DArcy asked the strait-laced Strang how it felt to be a sex symbol). Making A Murderer has become a focus of mass obsession. It has been bigger than any of us anticipated, Jerry Buting, a member of Averys defence team, told the UKs Guardian newspaper. There are people all over the world who are really picking this case apart now. And they are finding things that we just didnt see. Ive never seen something that goes behind the scenes like this, to see what its like to prepare for a serious trial. That was the reason we agreed to participate in the first place. The public is given a sense of being jurors on this case: what would they do? That turns it into the ultimate reality show. With knock-out ratings has come intense scrutiny, however. Critics argue that Demos and Ricciardi crossed the line between journalism and advocacy and that Making A Murderer slants the truth, so that the audience is encouraged to believe in Averys innocence. Naturally, those close to the story quibble with that interpretation. The facts, they say, speak for themselves. The crux of the argument set forth in the documentary is that Avery was banged up a second time in order to spare local nabobs the embarrassment, and expense, of his $36 million wrongful conviction suit. Its a very unfair swipe at their integrity to suggest they turned editorial judgment on their film over to [the defence], Dean Strang told The Guardian. These two women gave Averys trial three hours of time. Thats more than is used in Doctor Zhivago to cover the entire Russian revolution. And I dont think its fair when the criticism is coming from people who were repeatedly invited to co-operate and repeatedly said no. Strang himself was initially cautious about co-operating in with Making A Murderer. In the end he did so only at Averys insistence. Our client wanted us to consider participating, he continued. We approached it warily, and over time it became clear that these were thoughtful film-makers, who intended to raise broader questions about the criminal justice system. They were honest with us. They werent intrusive. They used one small camera and went away when we told them to. Trust was built up over time and they have never betrayed that trust. We had no idea what story they would choose to tell. I found out with everyone else when it became available in December, and I sat down with my wife to watch it. In the centre of the whirlwind, Demos and Ricciardi come across as quietly shocked by the response to their little doc. A decade ago, they had no inkling as to what they were signing up to. They smelled a story. They did not believe they were about to create a zeitgeist-commandeering smash hit. Indeed for some time it seemed they might not even have a chance to give Averys version of events. Making A Murderer was rejected by HBO and PBS before Netflix came to the rescue. We anticipated we might be shooting for six months or maybe a year, Ricciardi told New York magazine. But we were out there more like two, two-and-a-half years. About four months into production, there was a huge development that spun things around and turned them in a new direction. We were actually packing up, getting ready to go back to our day jobs and raise some money, and we got a call there was going to be a press conference. It was the development with Brendan, the nephew. We went to that press conference and then unpacked our bags. The question of guilt or innocence was never our question, Ricciardi added. We chose Steven Avery as our protagonist because of this unique and valuable window we thought he could offer, onto the American criminal justice system. The success of Making A Murderer has not occurred in isolation. In 2015, HBO had a major hit with The Jinx, a documentary focusing on the alleged crimes of mogul Robert Durst. Meanwhile, the first season of the Serial podcast trained a spotlight on the conviction of high school student Adnan Syed for the 1999 killing of his girlfriend. We are, it turns out, just getting started. This month, FX debuts American Crime Story, a chronicling of the OJ Simpson murder trial (Cuba Gooding Jr is the accused, with John Travolta as defence lawyer Robert Shapiro and David Schwimmer as OJs bro, Robert Kardashian). And in March, James Nesbitt will star in The Secret, a retelling of the couldnt-make-it-up case of homicidal Coleraine dentist Colin Howell. TV truly is digging up the bodies. The public is drawn to true crime because it triggers the most basic and powerful emotion in all of us fear, wrote criminology professor Scott Bonn in Time last month. As a source of popular culture entertainment, it allows us to experience fear and horror, in a controlled environment, where the threat is exciting but not real. For example, the stories of real-life killers are often for adults what monster movies are for children. Moreover, he added, by following an investigation on TV, people can play armchair detective and see if they can figure out whodunit before law enforcement authorities catch the actual perpetrator. Coughlans of Cork and Dolan's of Limerick were among the other winners on a night that saw fine performances by Rocstrong, Saint Sister and The Academic at IMRO HQ... The Olympia Theatre is the Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year. The winners Maureen Grant, Kim O Callaghan and Noelle Fox (pictured) with Niall Stokes, were announced tonight as part of the IMRO Live Music Venue Awards. Hot Press also made two special awards on what was a night brimming with good music and great craic. They were presented to Coughlans in Cork and to Dolans in Limerick. There is a fantastic energy in Irish music at the moment, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said at the presentation of the awards, "with a huge number of brave and brilliant new acts coming through, who are ready to add to the already fantastically impressive success story of Irish music and Irish musicians. "It is really important that these enormously talented emerging artists should be nurtured and developed. And great live venues, festivals and events are hugely important to that process. Which is why everyone in Hot Press attaches such importance to the Live Music Venue Awards and why it is a privilege to present awards tonight to Coughlans in Cork, Dolans in Limerick and the overall winner of the Hot Press Readers Venue of the Year, the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. Meanwhile, the IMRO award for National Live Music Venue of the Year (via public vote) went to The Set Theatre, Kilkenny which has also been the recipient of a Special Commendation from Hot Press in the past. IMRO Chairman Keith Donald said of the awards, which are voted for by over 11,000 IMRO members: This is our annual chance to give a really big thank-you to promoters and venues across the country. The work they do is invaluable, as young bands and artists can't build up an audience without them. Advertisement Other IMRO winners in the regional categories were: Dublin Whelans, Wexford St. Rest of Leinster The Spirit Store, Dundalk Munster Levis, Ballydehob Ulster Allingham Arms Hotel, Bundoran Connacht Monroe's, Galway Also nabbing accolades were Longitude for IMRO Live Music Festival of the Year and Other Voices for IMRO Best Small Live Music Festival. Advertisement This year saw the introduction of two brand new categories. The award for Best Live Music Crew was presented to the backroom team in Vicar Street; meanwhile, Una Molloy (Turning Pirate) was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Live Music 2015. There were excellent performances on the night from hotly tipped Mullingar band, The Academic, the very harmonious Saint Sister and the very funky Rocstrong who was the 2014 winner of the Hot Press competition The Big Break.. Sadly, it is just one among many forces that are driving the world towards a scary place. No wonder optimism is currently in short supply This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading On Monday the stock of Clean Coal Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS:CCTC, CCTC message board) broke through the $1 mark for the first time since early-2014. Such prices proved to be too much for the company to support though and yesterday it suffered a heavy blow. The ticker opened at $1.09, which turned out to be its highest point of the day because it immediately began sliding downwards. By the end of the session CCTC had wiped 23% of their value closing at $0.80 per share. This means that at the moment the market cap of the company stands at $32.6 million. Is this valuation more in line with CCTC's fundamentals? Unfortunately, nobody knows. The company hasn't filed a single financial report for 2015 which led to OTCMarkets branding the profile page of the company with the Pink Limited Information warning sign. The last filed report came on December 24, 2014, and covered the quarter ended September 30, 2014. According to it back them CCTC were in a horrible financial state: $1,237 cash and total current assets! $4,352,182 current liabilities ZERO revenues $1,011,605 net loss A considerable amount of the reported liabilities consisted of convertible debt, a portion of which could be turned into shares at discounts ranging from 25% to 42%. CCTC has stated that since then all of the convertible debt has been either retired or restructured. Keep in mind however that earlier this year the company did increase its authorized shares - from 45 million to 150 million. Even the company's recent financing deals could potentially cause some concerns. According to the terms disclosed in the 8-K forms under certain conditions the three $500 thousand promissory notes could become convertible into units consisting of 1 common share and 1 warrant for the purchase of 1 share at $0.10. Yesterday CCTC announced that they will be hosting a corporate business update conference call and webcast on October 13. The company should provide investors with more details about its test plant in Oklahoma and its pans to commercialize the Pristine-M technology in the next two months. If this will be enough to keep the stock from crashing even further down in the coming days remains to be seen. CCTC has some serious red flags that should not be underestimated. Do your own due diligence and set appropriate time horizons for your trades. The public company that we now know as VitaCig Inc (OTCMKTS:VTCQ, VTCQ message board) came to be after mCig Inc (OTCMKTS:MCIG) spun off one of its subsidiaries back in November 2014. When the spin-off was completed, MCIG's management team tried to convince everyone that this move is in the companies' best interests. So, how have the two penny stocks been getting on? Not terribly well. Shortly after receiving the go-ahead to start trading on its own, VTCQ spiked hard, but excitement dissipated rather quickly and the ticker began to slide. In August of last year, it slipped in sub-penny land and since then getting out of it for a more substantial period of time has proven to be impossible. MCIG's performance is not exactly perfect, either. So, as far as the share prices go, the spin-off deal probably won't be remembered as the best decision ever made in the history of the OTC Markets. Unfortunately, in VTCQ's case in particular, the stock's reluctance to move can easily be explained with the disappointing figures in the latest 10-Q: cash: $3,367 current assets: $21,592 current liabilities: $95,807 quarterly revenue: $11,707 quarterly net loss: $67,105 Compared to the results recorded during the same period of 2014, the revenues are a whopping 86.4% down, and VTCQ's management team explains that this is due to a change in the products available for sale. Basically, it looks like a vast portion of the VitaCigs were simply pulled off the market, and this is something that hasn't been mentioned in any of the press releases. Now though, VTCQ want to relaunch the brand. Last week, the company announced that the products will be back online soon and yesterday, they said that a deal with a Chinese e-cig manufacturer has been signed. The corporate website was also redesigned and it's now in German which means that it's completely incomprehensible for the majority of the shareholders, but despite this, people are still excited about the relaunch. Over the last three sessions, VTCQ has managed to gain no less than 126% and yesterday, it reached a close of over $0.01 per share for the first time in over two months. People seem to be convinced that this time VTCQ will really manage to make a name for itself, but for the time being at least, estimating the odds of this happening is nigh on impossible. That's why, treading carefully is probably your best bet. Each year, Springfield/Branson-based Midwest Runway Productions (MRP) stages a large fashion show known as RunwayLOUD, but the organization is also involved with charitable activities and works to fulfill a wish of a selected young person. This year, a 5-year-old Houston girl will get her wish, as the organization plans to make Myka King a Ninja warrior and a hero all on the same day in June with the help of some folks in the TV world and some friends from her hometown. When MRP asked Myka who has cerebral palsy that affects her left side what her wish was, she replied, to be a Ninja. Future Ninja Myka King is held by her sister, Tiffany Courtney. I want to a Ninja that saves people, she said. You know, a good one! Mykas connection with MRP stems from being crowned Little Miss Southern Missouri at last years Miss Texas County pageant. MRP plans to team Myka up with a seven-time martial arts hall-of-famer to spend a day learning to be a Ninja, and shell ultimately be awarded her own Ninja uniform and certificate. Organizers are seeking local residents to join MRP actors and actresses to be part of the rescue mission (which will be recorded by video crews), and to have others cheer her on as she is paraded through the streets of Houston and encourage her to save her sister (who will be hidden in a designated location). We will need businesses and residents to take on being good guys and bad guys, said MRP senior director and producer Sharra Smith. In this childs mind, it is a big game of hide-and-seek. More details will be given closer to the to-be-determined event date in June. To get involved, email info.midwestrunway@gmail.com. By TIFFANY COURTNEY Myka was born at 26 weeks with her twin brother because of domestic violence. At three months of age, she was taken to the hospital due to nonstop crying. Doctors found she had been shaken, causing brain bleeding and broken bones in her ribs, back and wrists. After a month in the hospital, she and her brother were placed in their forever home. Myka moved home from the hospital with a feeding tube, sleep apnea and oxygen machines all keeping her going. We were told not to ever expect her to be anything but a vegetable. We put our trust in the Lord that Myka would be more than a vegetable. At two years of age, Myka and her twin were adopted by Michael and Tina King, making the King home complete. Up until last October, Myka had struggled with being able to eat anything more than baby food. Now after two more surgeries, she has been able to eat real food. Myka also still has a daily struggle with walking, wearing braces on both legs most of the time. Botox in her leg muscles every four months helps with the tone in them. Myka also has a seizure disorder that hits her from time to time. When it happens, we never know how long it will last or if shell require hospital time. Myka is a very excited to be a part of RunwayLOUD. She tells everyone she sees all about it. MRP is run by a team of driven professionals its members have no titles and consider it about family and friendship. Each year, this team puts their daily lives aside and volunteers to put on a memorable fashion show and fulfill wishes and make dreams come true. Community, faith and the strength of heart is what MRP strives for, and its goal is that each model young and old knows they are beautiful, just as God has made them. MRPs RunwayLOUD is the most anticipated fashion show of the year in the Ozarks. The show features live mainstream music, incorporated with a high end fashion show, along with local and international performers who raise money for the community. And each year, MRP also focuses on fulfilling wishes of selected children. MRP encourages individuals, businesses and entertainers to participate in giving back to communities and organizations that have given so much. All selected models are required to log in hours of volunteer work. During July, models, parents and volunteers sign up for community service. MRP feels teaching a strong grounding and faith in humanity is essential to a solid foundation for young adults to maintain throughout their lives. MRP models some with zero experience are specifically trained to strut the runway by experienced runway instructors and retired models who know the industry and love what they do. MRPs is to entertain and bring an exciting event that draws people together for a fantastic cause. This years RunwayLOUD show is set for Aug. 20 at Juanita K. Hammons Hall in Springfield. For more information, log onto www.runwayloud.com. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. How HR Professionals Can Mitigate the Impact of Divorce on Employees Posted by Hannah Whittenly on Wednesday, 02-17-2016 2:09 pm Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes Divorce represents an extremely turbulent time between two individuals. The romantic interest that once kept them together has likely turned into malice that can trigger some unsettling events. This becomes even worse when the two divorcees work in the same place. The good news is that HR professionals can help mitigate the problems that occur during this difficult time. This can reduce the number of events that occur, keep the workplace professional, and even help the two people at the center of the divorce collaborate while putting their feelings aside. The Need for Intervention by HR Professionals Before examining how HR professionals can help with tuning divorce into another process rather than a catastrophic event, there are a few things you should first understand. The first is that divorce is relatively common, and it becomes more common among older individuals. Roughly one-third of all married couples in the United States will experience divorce. The second thing to understa... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. 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You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 16-02-16 Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW No. 31/16 16.02.2016 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Kalyoncu complains of Turkey's treatment towards the regime's delegation to Ankara; Disagreement among CTP members [02] UBP gives to CTP an ultimatum regarding the water crisis issue [03] Ozyigit said that the water management should be done by themselves otherwise their hands at the negotiating table will be weakened [04] Akinci said that the Cyprus talks are going through a critical phase [05] Akinci met with the Czech Ambassador to Cyprus [06] Colak says that the single international identity is an indispensable part of the solution [07] Caglar: The target is a solution in the autumn [08] Siber confirmed that the "citizenship issue" was included into the agenda during the "parliamentary delegation's" recent contacts in Turkey [09] Durduran accused Akinci of drawing new red lines with his statements on bi-zonality [10] Burcu: Syria developments will not affect the Cyprus problem [11] Positions at the "immovable property commission" are open [12] Davutoglu vows not to allow the fall of Azaz in Syria [13] Turkey protests US over being lumped together with 'terrorist' PYD [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Kalyoncu complains of Turkey's treatment towards the regime's delegation to Ankara; Disagreement among CTP members Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (16.02.16) reports that Omer Kalyoncu, the self-styled prime minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus who comes from the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has said that the four self-styled ministers of the regime who had recently visited Ankara for talks on the water issue were not treated well in Turkey, pointing out that they were forced to meet with deputy under-secretaries of various Turkish Ministries. "There is a problem here", noted Kalyoncu addressing the "assembly" of the regime yesterday. He noted: "If the TRNC ministers visit Turkey and deputy under-secretaries sit before them, there is a problem. This is a product of the situation we are facing and of why we do not advance. These things should change [?]" Kalyoncu said that three issues were included in the text sent to Turkey and that there was not any issue that needed to be discussed for two days, but two days of bargaining was held without him understanding why. Noting that the discussion of whether sewage waters leaked into the dam in Turkey is continuing, Kalyoncu expressed the view that the build-operate-transfer model for the water brought to the occupied area of Cyprus from Turkey is possible, but it would not be correct to get ahead of the "municipalities". Kalyoncu said that the water resources will not be given to the private operator, but these will be controlled, as otherwise the aquifers could not be protected. Meanwhile, Halkin Sesi reports also that Sibel Siber, "speaker" of the self-styled assembly, who also comes from the CTP and visited Turkey last week heading a "parliamentary delegation", said yesterday that in Ankara they discussed the population policy. During her address at the "assembly", Siber referred to the way Turkish officials treated her delegation and noted: "We were treated with respect in Turkey. We mutually talked. Our discussions were held within the framework of the state and courtesy rules". Finally, the paper writes that in statements during one of his meetings yesterday, Birikim Ozgur, member of the CTP, self-styled finance minister of the regime and one of the four members of the Turkish Cypriot delegation which visited Ankara, argued that in Ankara they exhibited a "harsh stance" noting that they had sensitivities and interrupted the talks for a while saying that they would not sign the agreement. "We have shown a little bit harsh stance and the results we wanted were taken. We returned happy to the island", he said. (I/Ts.) [02] UBP gives to CTP an ultimatum regarding the water crisis issue Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (16.02.16) reports that the National Unity Party, the junior partner of the "coalition government" held a meeting yesterday under the leadership of the party's chairman Huseyin Ozgurgun. The paper argues that a decision to give to the "government" an ultimatum regarding the water crisis issue came out of the meeting. According to the paper, UBP will ask for the agreement reached with Turkey on the issue of the water administration to be signed by the "government"; otherwise it gives an ultimatum to the Republican Turkish Party (UBP) the other partner of the coalition" to leave the "government". In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (16.02.16) reports that Hasan Tacoy, the general secretary of the Democratic Party (DP) commenting on the tense relations between CTP-UBP stated that there is no need for new elections to be held since a new "government" can be formed from the current "deputies" and the other parties that participate in the "assembly". On his part, Hakan Dincyurek, "deputy" with the DP stated that "an open door was left for the forming of a government" between DP and UBP. (CS) [03] Ozyigit said that the water management should be done by themselves otherwise their hands at the negotiating table will be weakened. Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam (16.02.16) reports that the leader of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) Cemal Ozyigit stressed that it is important the management of the water to be done by their "institutions". During his visit to the occupied village Galatia, Ozyigit warned that to sell off from Turkish Cypriot "people" one by one their "institutions" in a period that the rotating presidency is being discussed at the negotiating table, may create an extremely dangerous situation for the future of the community, just as to weaken their hands at the negotiating table. Ozyigit wonders if they cannot administrate their own "institutions", like the water, electricity, schools, airports, with which people do they want the rotating presidency. He added: "In order to be able to insist on important issues for the political existence in the future of the Turkish Cypriots as the rotating presidency at the negotiating table, then it is very important to administrate by themselves their institutions". Underlining that from this point of view it is very important the administration of the water, Ozgiyit said that the management of the water by the Turkish Cypriot "people" and their "institutions" should be perceived as a natural result. (DPs) [04] Akinci said that the Cyprus talks are going through a critical phase According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 16.02.16), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has said that the much awaited settlement of the Cyprus problem could be reached this year. Speaking during a reception last night, Akinci said that the Cyprus negotiations process is going through a critical phase. "The work we have been carrying out has raised our hopes for a settlement. Although we have yet to discuss and settle important issues such as territory, the guarantees and security, significant progress has been achieved on the 4 chapters", he added. Akinci also expressed the hope that a mutually acceptable solution, one which both communities could embrace and comfortably approve could be reached. "Our goals are in this direction because we do not want to see a repetition of the situation in 2004 where one community voted overwhelmingly in favour of a settlement while the other rejected it. We are working with all our strength to get two yes votes?it's not easy. It's a challenge but we shall continue to try", he added. [05] Akinci met with the Czech Ambassador to Cyprus According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 16.02.16), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met this morning with the Czech Ambassador to Cyprus Helena Bambasova. The latest developments in the Cyprus negotiations process was discussed during the meeting held at Akinci's office. Akinci's political adviser Meltem Onurkan Samani and coordinator for foreign relations Deniz Birinci were also present at the meeting. No statement was issued to the press before or after the meeting. [06] Colak says that the single international identity is an indispensable part of the solution Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (16.02.16) reports that Emine Colak, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, has said that the single international identity is an indispensable part of the solution of the Cyprus problem. In statements to a television program yesterday, Colak argued that there will be a "state part of the federal structure" noting that this is confused in the head of some people. She said: "There will be a solution and there will be a single international identity. This is an inevitable precondition of the solution. Some persons have a sickly approach saying 'there will be a federal state with the Greeks, the Turkish Cypriot state is gone'. We will see this being clarified in time. We will not be like we are now". Colak pointed out that the Cyprus problem is still a difficult problem to solve and issues such as the property and the guarantees become more difficult as time passes. "I do not think that fake optimism is pumped into the positive climate", she argued. (I/Ts.) [07] Caglar: The target is a solution in the autumn Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (16.02.16) reports that Mehmet Caglar, self-styled deputy with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has argued that the parliamentary elections to be held in May in the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus is a factor which indirectly influences the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. Referring to a meeting they held last week in Strasbourg with a delegation of Greek Cypriot Deputies, Caglar said that the Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu had told them that if the communities agree on a text Turkey would not create a problem on the guarantees, but the security of the Turkish Cypriots is important for them. "The security of the Greek Cypriots is also important. I think that a formula will definitely be found on this issue", he noted and added: "Therefore, according to my prediction, this process will continue until the elections of the Greek Cypriots. I wish that even before the elections or even if there is no signature, the leaders will make a joint statement. The target is the autumn and my biggest wish is after the elections the issues of the territory and the guarantees to come onto the agenda [?]" Referring to the representation of the Turkish Cypriots at the Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe (PACE), Caglar said that this is really very important for them and it is the only place in the world at which the Turkish Cypriots are "officially" represented. He noted that during the past ten years they are represented at the PACE, the body's decisions on Cyprus have become "more balanced". (I/Ts.) [08] Siber confirmed that the "citizenship issue" was included into the agenda during the "parliamentary delegation's" recent contacts in Turkey Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (16.02.16) reports that Sibel Siber, "speaker" of the so-called assembly, evaluating yesterday to the "assembly" the recent contacts of the "parliamentary delegation" in Turkey, described them as very fruitful and recalled that the "delegation" met also with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Siber argued that Turkey supports a bi-zonal, bi-communal solution on the Cyprus problem and confirmed that the "population-citizenship issue" was also included onto the agenda of the meetings. "We held talks concerning our policy on the population issue", Siber said and added that the issue of those who have the "right" to be granted the "citizenship" and those who have not the "right" was included into the agenda. Siber said further that during the meeting they evaluated the articles of the current "citizenship law" in the occupied area of Cyprus. Also speaking, Zorlu Tore, "deputy" with the National Unity Party (UBP) referred to the contacts of the "parliamentary delegation" in Ankara and especially on the issue of the "citizenship" and said that the "citizenship" issue created a great discomfort in Turkey. Calling the "government" to bring into the agenda the issue of "general amnesty", Tore pointed out that there are thousands of illegal persons living in the "TRNC" and explained also that the workers from Turkey who live in the "TRNC" experience a lot of difficulties. Tore went on and stressed the need for those who live in the "TRNC" for 30 years to be granted the "citizenship" and added: "If we do this today, then the Turkish President would not have to do this kind of questions". Commenting Erdogan's statement "Do not give Morfou", Tore alleged that Turkey is protecting its Cyprus cause. He further said that the Turkish Cypriots will not withdraw from Turkey's active and effective guarantees. Referring also to the "citizenship issue", Mehmet Cakici, "deputy" with the Social Democracy Party (TDP) said that the "citizenship law" is very clear but is wrong. He added that since the "TRNC" is a small "country", it is not possible to grant "citizenship" to all those who are working there, pointing out the UK as an example. Cakici said that a new "law" is necessary on this issue and accused the Turkish Cypriot politicians of remaining silent on this issue. (AK) [09] Durduran accused Akinci of drawing new red lines with his statements on bi-zonality Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (16.02.16) reports that Alpay Durduran, member of the "central committee" of the New Cyprus Party (YKP), in statements during a press conference organized by the party, evaluated the latest developments on the Cyprus problem and criticized both leaders for their recent statements. "The problem cannot be solved with leaders who are not honest between each other. Their intentions should be the same with what they say. (?)", Durduran stated. Durduran called also all the political parties, democratic institutions and individuals who support the reunification of Cyprus, to resist and oppose to dishonest behaviors at the Cyprus negotiation process. Referring to the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci's recent statement who explained that the Federal Cyprus to be, will be established with the abolishment of the current Republic of Cyprus, Durduran pointed out that in comparison, Anastasiades spoke about continuing having control on the Federal Cyprus and wondered to whom Anastasiades was referring to. Evaluating also Akinci's latest statement who has stated "While speaking about bi-zonality we do not mean only the political majority. We will not approve any agreement which will not include clear majority in property and population in the north", Durduran said that with these statements, Akinci is putting forward new red lines and it proves that we are far away from the solution or peace. Durduran also accused Akinci of not briefing them directly on the Cyprus negotiation process and called him to brief the "assembly" towards the latest developments on the Cyprus problem. (AK) [10] Burcu: Syria developments will not affect the Cyprus problem Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.02.16) reports that the so-called presidential spokesman Baris Burcu was asked to comment on how the recent developments in Syria could affect the progress for the solution of the Cyprus problem, especially in the current period that Turkey is very involved in the issue. Burcu stated that Turkey is a big country that deals with many issues as regards its foreign policy. He also said that the Cyprus talks will not be affected by the Syria development; however he said if the Cyprus problem is solved it will create a domino effect that will influence in a positive way the developments in the area. (CS) [11] Positions at the "immovable property commission" are open Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (16.02.16) publishes an announcement by the "TRNC presidency" (translator's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) for the opening of positions at the "immovable property commission". According to the announcement, the positions of the "president", "vice president" and two "local members" are now open for applications until March 1, 2016. (DPs) [12] Davutoglu vows not to allow the fall of Azaz in Syria According to Ankara Anatolia news agency (16.02.16), Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Turkey will not allow the fall of Azaz district in northern Syria near the Turkish border. Azaz, which is part of Syria's Aleppo province, serves as a critical corridor that connects it with Turkey. "We will not allow the fall of Azaz. This must be clear to all in the world," Davutoglu told reporters Monday while en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. "For the moment, YPG elements have been driven out from Azaz's surroundings," he said, adding that a severe response will be made if the military wing of the terrorist PYD group tried to approach the Syrian district. He also argued that PKK and YPG terrorist organizations are being used as tools by Russia to put Turkey under pressure. "Today PKK in Turkey [and] YPG in Syria are open instruments of Russia". He called the two groups "pawns of [Russia's] expansionist policy", adding: "Therefore, our position has the most legitimate basis". The Turkish Premier also noted the attempts being made to destroy the moderate opposition in Syria and close the corridor between Aleppo and Turkey through YPG forces. Davutoglu said that Turkey's position towards the issue has been clear to all for a long time. "YPG will not cross to the west of Euphrates", he said, adding that the group will not be allowed pass to Azaz. He said Turkey is taking every measure to protect its own security. "No country has been affected by developments in Syria like Turkey," he said. "Therefore, we will not hesitate to take security measures", he added. Later, at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Davutoglu said that Russian airstrikes in Azaz region were continuing. "Even while we continued talks [with Ukrainian Premier], Russia attacked a school and a hospital in Azaz with ballistic missiles believed to have been fired from the Caspian; many civilians and children have lost their lives," Davutoglu later told reporters in a joint press meeting with the Ukrainian Prime Minister in Kiev. Turkish Prime Minister argued that the Syrian regime, Russia and YPG are committing crimes against humanity in Syria like other terrorist organizations. "They are openly violating international law in order to advance on the ground before solution [is achieved]," Davutoglu said. Davutoglu also said that Kiev is one of the backbone countries for stability in the Eurasia region, adding that Turkey sees the importance of stability and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He noted that Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Syria remained under threat by Moscow. He also reiterated Ankara's rejection of the Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula. "Turkey recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine but definitely rejects the annexation of Crimea. Crimea is a part of the Ukrainian territory and the natural homeland of the Crimean Tatars", he said. Moreover, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 16.02.16) reports that Davutoglu claimed that Russia is deliberately using the threat of a possible world war in order to dictate its policy in Syria. "Russia is consciously engaging in a perception operation to suggest 'there could be a world war.' By keeping this on the agenda, Russia continues to bother the world and dictate its policy," Davutoglu said Feb. 15 en route to Kiev. [13] Turkey protests US over being lumped together with 'terrorist' PYD; According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 16.02.16), Ankara has protested a statement by Washington classifying Turkey along with the "terrorist organization" Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in northern Syria, while also warning the Syrian Kurdish militia of a "severe response" if they advance toward Azaz. "We have received Kirby's statements, lumping its ally Turkey and a terrorist organization together, with astonishment," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said Feb. 15. Bilgic was referring to comments from U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby, who has urged both Turkey and the Syrian Kurds to focus on tackling the "common threat" of militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who control large parts of Syria. Kirby said that Washington was urging Kurdish forces and their allies "not to take advantage of a confused situation by seizing new territory" and calling on Turkey to cease its strikes. Turkey "strongly protested" Kirby's statement and conveyed its unease to U.S. officials, Bilgic said, vowing Turkey would not seek permission to fight against "any terrorist organizations". The spokesman also confirmed that the Turkish Armed Forces shelled positions of the military wing of PYD, the People's Protection Units (YPG), in northern Syria for a third straight day on Feb. 15, saying the move was in retaliation against alleged aggression by the YPG. "As a result of artillery fire and harassment from Syria toward our country since Saturday [Feb. 13], we have operated [in accordance with] our rules of engagement. On Saturday, Sunday and today, we have responded within the framework of our rules of engagement with retaliation in kind," he said. "Today, a response to an attack against a border outpost in the [southern] Hatay region was given retaliation in kind," Bilgic said. Meanwhile, according to Ankara Anatolia news agency (15.02.16), Turkey on Monday "strongly" condemned Russian attacks on civilians in Syria and called them war crime. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement and recalled the cessation of hostilities agreed in the German city of Munich on February 11. "It is deplorably observed that instead of halting their airstrikes, Russians especially have escalated these attacks in Syria and targeted civilians, hospitals, schools", said the statement. "With such crimes, the Russian Federation is causing the Syrian civil war to get deepened and a dangerous escalation in the region. If the Russian Federation does not end these attacks immediately - which remove peace and stability - it is inevitable that Russia will face bigger and more serious results", the statement added. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio (DPs/AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] PM Tsipras to discuss refugee crisis in Brussels ahead of European Council meeting [02] Fourteen Turkish fighter jets enter Athens' FIR without submitting flight plan [03] Alt FM: 'Our goal must be to control borders better, not close them' [01] PM Tsipras to discuss refugee crisis in Brussels ahead of European Council meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will depart for Brussels on Wednesday for a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of the European Council meeting on February 18-19, his office announced. The meeting with Juncker will take place at 18.30. The Council will focus on two issues: On finding common ground for Britain's concerns ahead of a referedum in the country to stay of leave the EU and secondly on developments on migration. On Thursday (Feb. 18), the prime minister will participate in the tripartite meeting between Germany, Greece and Turkey on the refugee crisis, at 11.00. Following this meeting, Tsipras will attend a second meeting on the cooperation with Turkey, along with the leaders of 10 EU member-states, Turkey and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. At 15.45 he will hold a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. He will then participate in the first working meeting of the European Council at 16.00. On Friday, Tsipras will attend the second working session of the Council at 10.00. [02] Fourteen Turkish fighter jets enter Athens' FIR without submitting flight plan Fourteen Turkish fighter jets, two maritime patrol aircraft and five helicopters entered Athens' FIR on Tuesday without submitting a flight plan, the Defence ministry said in a press release. In total, Athens recorded 10 violations of air traffic rules which developed into three violations of Greek airspace in the northeastern and southeastern Aegean. The Turkish aircraft were recognized and intercepted by Greek fighter jets. Four of the Turkish aircraft were armed. The first formation of 8 fighter jets which entered Athens' FIR is participating in an aerial and naval exercise conducted by the neighboring country southeast of Rhodes, while helicopters took off from Turkish ships. [03] Alt FM: 'Our goal must be to control borders better, not close them' The refugee crisis was the main focus of the talks between the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, in which Greece was represented by Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis. The meeting looked at preparations for the European Council summit meeting taking place this Thursday and Friday, on February 18-19. Xydakis presented Greece's positions to his European colleagues, stressing that the refugee crisis has now taken on existential dimensions for the EU itself. "The refugee and migration flows on the Mediterranean corridors, as well as the wider geopolitical turmoil, have led us inevitably to think in different terms. We need to realize that the larger part of Europe's borders are maritime borders. Our goal must be to control them better, and not to go back 60 years by closing them," Xydakis said in his statement Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] Farmers' rolling blockades of Athens-Thessaloniki motorway to disrupt transport [02] The refugee issue and the negotiations on the agenda of ND-leader in Brussels [03] 798 migrants and refugees from Mytilene and Chios arrive at Piraeus port [01] Farmers' rolling blockades of Athens-Thessaloniki motorway to disrupt transport Farmers at the roadblock of Mikrothives, near the city of Volos in central Greece, announced on Tuesday they will close the main Athens-Thessaloniki motorway for several hours each day as of Wednesday, as they continue to escalate their protests against the government's proposed social security and pension reforms. They said the blockade will include the side roads.The decision to close the road at noon and until 18.00 implies a complete disruption in transports between the north and south of the country, as it follows a second roadblock further north at Tempi Valley. [02] The refugee issue and the negotiations on the agenda of ND-leader in Brussels The refugee issue and the negotiations between the government and the institutions dominate the agenda of New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis' meetings in Brussels on February 17-18. On Wednesday Mitsotakis will meet the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. He will also meet EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, the president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Guy Verhofstadt, EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Pierre Moscovici, the Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, the Vice President of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen, and European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Mitsotakis calls on the government to meet its commitments and is against the closing of the country's northern borders as well as Greece's exit from the Schengen. On Thursday he will meet the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the EPP summit. [03] 798 migrants and refugees from Mytilene and Chios arrive at Piraeus port "Ariadni" ferry with 798 migrants and refugees from Mytilene and Chios docked at Piraeus port on Wednesday. In addition, "blue star 2" also transferred four refugees from Kos to Piraeus. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] Golden Dawn MPs expelled from Parliament [02] Mitsotakis, Schulz agree Greece's borders should not close [03] FM Kotzias to hold talks with his Italian counterpart Gentiloni on Thursday in Athens [01] Golden Dawn MPs expelled from Parliament Golden Dawn deputies Christos Pappas and Ilias Kasidiaris on Wednesday were expelled from the Parliament after verbally attacking Defence Minister Panos Kammenos during his speech on the refugee issue and the involvement of NATO. According to sources, the two deputies called the minister and the military staff participating in the meeting "traitors" while video recording the incident. All party deputies asked for their expulsion. However, they refused to leave the Parliament. Therefore, the president of the Parliament Nikos Voutsis implemented article 81 of the regulation of the Parliament. [02] Mitsotakis, Schulz agree Greece's borders should not close The refugee issue dominated a meeting between main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz on Wednesday in Brussels. Mitsotakis underlined that Greece's northern borders should not close and Schulz shared the same view saying that this is not the solution to the problem. The leader of the main opposition stated that everyone in Europe must undestand that Greece alone cannot solve the refugee problem as it also bears the burden of the economic crisis. On his part, Schulz stressed the importance of supporting Greece, but as he said, Greece should show signs that it does its best to meet its commitments. Both officials agreed on the key role that Turkey plays in the migration issue. However, they said that the cooperation with the European Union falls short of the expectations and its commitments. [03] FM Kotzias to hold talks with his Italian counterpart Gentiloni on Thursday in Athens Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will meet the Foreign Minister of Italy Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday, at 12:45, at the Foreign Ministry. After their one-on-one meeting, the two Ministers will make joint statements to the press. A working luncheon will follow. The two officials will discuss Greece-Italy's bilateral relation in all sectors but mostly they will focus on the refugees issue and the Dublin Treaty that affects both countries. Before his meeting with Kotzias, Gentiloni will have a meeting with President of Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos at the presidential mansion and afterwards will address the Greek-Italian Business forum on the issue "The cooperation prospects between Greek and Italian enterprises in teh agriculture and industrial sector" which will take place on Thursday in Athens. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] Tsipras will not be reproached at EU Summit because Greece has done its job -spokeswoman [02] Forensics lab to be created on Lesvos to deal with rise in autopsies [03] ND's Mitsotakis to Juncker: The solution to the refugee problem lies in Turkey [01] Tsipras will not be reproached at EU Summit because Greece has done its job -spokeswoman Greece has fulfilled its obligations towards the EU on managing the refugee crisis, so that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will not be reproached at the EU Summit meeting in Brussels on 18-19 February, government spokeswoman Olga Gerovalisi said on Wednesday during an interview with municipal radio station Epikinonia FM. "Today, we're in a position to say the country has fulfilled its obligations, has dealt with refugee flows in the best possible way At the EU Summit, the prime minister will not be reproached, but will reproach others," she was quoted as telling the station. Gerovasili also criticized the Visegrad Four (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) who are calling for a closure of the borders, noting that there are "other strong voices in Europe", such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel's, European Council President Donald Tusk's, EC chief Jean-Claude Juncker's and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann. "And this is the majority view in the European Union," she added. [02] Forensics lab to be created on Lesvos to deal with rise in autopsies In a grim reminder of the challenges facing the Greek island of Lesvos, the Justice ministry announced on Wednesday it will set up a forensics service on island to respond to the increasing needs that emerged due to the jump in refugee and migrant flows in the past year. According to a ministry statement, the large number of autopsies hitherto performed by the only specialist at Lesvos' hospital, but also "a timely response to modern forensic needs and humanitarian treatment of pain generated by the loss of life" requires immediate action. [03] ND's Mitsotakis to Juncker: The solution to the refugee problem lies in Turkey BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/ S. Goutzanis) The final solution to the refugee and migrant crisis facing Europe lies in Turkey and cooperation between the EU and the neighboring country is crucial in resolving the issue, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday after a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. "Cooperation with Turkey must reach a point where it can effectively manage refugee and migration flows. The final solution to the problem lies with Turkey and only through an honest dialog between the EU and Turkey can the problem be dealt with in its current dimension," Mitsotakis told journalists after the meeting. According to sources, the two officials agreed that closing Greece's northern borders will not resolve the refugee problem. "I reiterated to Juncker our consistent view that the closure of the northern border will not resolve the refugee problem," he said adding that despite initial delays, there is significant progress in fulfilling Greece's commitments towards the EU. "But the refugee problem will not be resolved simply with the construction of hotspots. Europe must also fulfill its commitments, especially regarding the relocation of refugees from Greece to European countries," he added. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article New Zealand is clashing with the countrys largest pilots union over contract terms the company claims are unfair now, the airline is appealing the original Employment Court decision that sparked the entire uproar.The national carrier is seeking to overturn a 2014 Employment Court judgement that it says lets the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association () to take specific clauses from collective agreements Air New Zealand made with other unions without having to accept the bad.According to BusinessDesk, the dispute centres on just one, particularly contentious, clause in NZALPA's collective agreement.Described as a ratchet clause, the parties confirmed that any agreement entered into by the company with any other pilot employee group which is more favourable than provided for in this agreement will be passed on to pilots covered by this agreement.The union later relied on this clause when it wanted to claim a more significant pay rise for pilots after Air New Zealand agreed with a different union the Federation of Air New Zealand Pilots (FANZP) to provide a pay rise of 13 per cent.Chief judge Graeme Colgan presided over the original case and interpreted the phrase any agreement in the NZALPA collective as encompassing both a collective agreement in total and its individual provisions.But Air New Zealand argue that the larger pay rise for the smaller union, FANZP, was accompanied by considerable concessions something NZALPA should also have to take on board. Asking what the deficit cap will be in next month's federal budget isn't the right question, Canada's finance minister suggested Tuesday. The remark was another shift from where federal Liberals stood in October, when they vowed that annual deficits would not exceed $10-billion and that they would return to balance within four years. Advertisement In the first question period in a week, Finance Minister Bill Morneau faced accusations from Conservatives that the Liberal government was preparing to spend irresponsibly and break promises. Conservative MP Lisa Raitt and Finance Minister Bill Morneau are shown speaking in the House of Commons Tuesday. (Photo: The Canadian Press) Morneau, in turn, reminded the official Opposition that Liberals were elected on a pledge to invest and will do so. Advertisement Tory finance critic Lisa Raitt rose to "do a little recap" on the three major promises Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's team made before forming government. "One was that any tax changes would be revenue-neutral. We know that not to be true," she said, pointing to revelations that income tax changes made in December will cost the treasury $1.2 billion annually over the next five years. "Two was that there'd be a $10 billion deficit, a modest one. We think that's not to be true. "Three, they said they would balance at the end of their mandate, which we understand from press clippings this week, that is not the case," she said, referencing Trudeau's recent admission that returning to balance will be difficult in a weakening economy. "My question to the finance minister is this. Can he at least tell us what the deficit cap will be in the budget?" she asked "When you're making serious promises to serious families with respect to middle income and how much money they're going to have at the end of the day, they better fulfill them." Morneau ducked the inquiry by hinting at more spending. "We believe that the right question to ask is, 'What are we going to do in order to improve the economy for all Canadians?'" he said, a comment that sparked jeers from Tories. "We were elected on a plan to grow the economy in order to help those Canadians that are struggling, that are most vulnerable, and those middle class Canadians to do better." Morneau said the government has already delivered the so-called middle class tax cut for nine million Canadians, and will move forward on its Canada child tax benefit and "significant" infrastructure investments to boost the economy. Raitt offers advice Raitt, a former senior cabinet minister in the last government, shot back with some advice. "When you're making serious promises to serious families with respect to middle income and how much money they're going to have at the end of the day, they better fulfill them because they're counting on them," she said. Raitt also asked Morneau to confirm that provinces won't be adversely affected by the Liberals' pledge to make their new child benefit tax-free. The minister would only confirm that the "money will go to the most vulnerable to help them to lead better lives." Advertisement Top Tory unimpressed with boost to summer jobs program Maxime Bernier, Tory critic for innovation, even poured cold water on Trudeau's announcement last week that the government will spend $339 million over the next three years on a program that helps students land summer jobs. Bernier said the prime minister celebrated his 100th day in office by "spending money, once again, that he doesn't have." He even called the investment a "completely hypocritical" move from a government he said will indebt future generations. Morneau shot back that Liberals will respect their election pledge to invest, but do so with discipline. "We always want to have a balanced budget, but we also recognize that the task will be difficult within this economy," he said in French. Shortly after question period, Tories released a statement warning that Trudeau was planning "massive deficits." Advertisement With a file from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost Jenny Bird, Creative Director And CEO Of JENNY BIRD Jewelry Courtesy Jenny Bird "You will often be told to 'follow your heart,' but it will be hard to know how to, since youll wonder, 'How do I hear it; what does it sound like or feel like?' It is your inner spirit you must listen to, your true self. It will vibrate and cause you to experience feelings that can be listened to. Like the feelings of being comfortable when things are right for you, and uncomfortable when things are wrong. If you stop when you feel joy and happiness to recognize your state of being, you will feel a warmth deep within yourself. You may also experience a feeling of fear. This is your inner spirit. In all relationships, activities and work, go towards the warmth, steer clear of the uncomfortable and face the fear. Sometimes it will be hard, but you will find your bliss. Then shine on! "Then I would pass along to myself my favourite quote from Marianne Williamson, "Our Deepest Fear": The former home of singer Celine Dion has sold after years on the market as the most expensive property for sale in the Montreal area, according to a report at La Presse. Realtor Sothebys didnt reveal the selling price, but the asking price when it went on the market two years ago was $25.5 million. Advertisement The house, located on a private island off the shore of Laval, Que., features six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a wine cellar, games room, an inground pool and an elevator. In all, it has 24,000 square feet of living space, on an island with 830,000 square feet of roaming space. Advertisement The house is sold. Thats all I can tell you, out of respect to Ms. Dion, realtor Joseph Montanaro told La Presse. Dion suffered a double tragedy in January, when her husband of 21 years, Rene Angelil, died of throat cancer. Her brother, Daniel Dion, died of cancer two days later. Photos: Sotheby's International Its possible the property sold for considerably less than the asking price. La Presse notes the previous most expensive house for sale in Quebec, a mansion on Lake Memphremagog, asked $25 million but ultimately got $13.25 million. When the house was previously listed for sale in 2013, it came with an even higher asking price of $29.7 million. Advertisement Dion is also selling a mansion on Jupiter Island, Florida, which she listed for US$72.5 million in 2013. The price was reduced to US$62.5 million in 2014. Check out more pics of Celine Dions former island palace in Laval. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, anxiety is the most common mental health issue among Canadian kids. Advertisement Unlike when we were growing up, children are bombarded with second-by-second real time news events that are often catastrophic, and it's really hard to protect them from the information and images when social media is all about that, Sara Dimerman, a Toronto-based psychologist, explained to CBC. On top of that, kids these days are growing up fast and often participate in activities beyond their age. According to Dimerman, this can also lead to mental health issues and panic attacks, as kids are not able to emotionally handle the shrinking years of childhood. If you suspect your child has anxiety, parenting expert Alyson Schafer is here to help. In the video above, Alyson shares tools and coping strategies for helping children overcome this common mental illness. Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the mental health crisis among children. Advertisement Also on HuffPost OTTAWA NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair will allow his MPs to vote their conscience on the coming doctor-assisted suicide bill, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not. During the election campaign, Trudeau promised that his MPs would have a free vote on everything except matters related to the Liberal platform, traditional confidence measures such as the budget, and anything to do with "our shared values and the protections guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms." Advertisement Trudeau asked all his potential candidates how they felt about the abortion issue before they were approved by the party to run, but he never asked them about physician-assisted death. Now, the government says a vote on its legislation is a charter issue and, as such, all Grit MPs must vote in favour of the bill. This vote will be essentially a vote that directly pertains to charter rights and therefore falls four-square within our policy, Sean Casey, the parliamentary secretary to the justice minister, told The Huffington Post Canada on SiriusXMs Everything Is Political show. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) Advertisement The other parties see it differently. NDP MP Murray Rankin, the vice-chair of the joint Parliamentary committee tasked with recommending how the federal government should respond to the top courts ruling, said he believes the legislation will address issues that are much broader than what the court covered in Carter vs. Canada. Last year, the Supreme Court struck down a prohibition on physician-assisted dying, ruling that it violated the right to life, liberty and security of the person as guaranteed under the charter. It gave the federal government until June 6 to come up with a new law recognizing the right of clearly consenting adults enduring intolerable physical or mental suffering to seek medical help in ending their lives. While the 1988 Morgentaler case on abortion was seen as a fundamental human right of women, Rankin said, he feels the upcoming legislation is an end-of-life decision that is wrapped up with a number of other issues. There are differences in how the Supreme Courts decision can be implemented, Rankin said. Are people with mental illness covered? People under a certain age, are they ever going to have the access to this conditional right? People should be able to vote their conscience and see if we got the balance right when the bill comes forward, he said. Advertisement Mulcair asks question during question period in the House of Commons, on Feb. 16, 2016. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) Mulcair told reporters that he thinks people should be allowed to vote freely on a subject this delicate. I have the intention of allowing our caucus to vote their conscience on this file. The NDP leader pointed to Quebec, where the provincial government allowed a free vote and members of all parties broke rank but the legislation sailed through. It is a theoretical question to suggest that legislation developed to address the Supreme Court ruling might not pass without a whip vote, he said. "This is quite contrary to what the Liberals campaigned on about having more free votes and making sure that their MPs can vote their will." The Conservative party, as with other conscience matters, will hold a free vote. Conservative MP James Bezan said he believes that MPs should be able to represent their constituents voices or their own conscience. Thats why you need to have free votes, he told HuffPost. This is quite contrary to what the Liberals campaigned on about having more free votes and making sure that their MPs can vote their will. All we see so far from the Liberals is that they are gagging them and they are controlling them. 'I want to see the legislation': Liberal MP Long-time Liberal MP Wayne Easter suggested Wednesday that he doesnt consider the direction from the party to be final. The Liberal caucus will discuss it, hear from colleagues on the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying, and consult constituents before making a decision, he said. Im not making any comments on anything thats going to be whipped at this point in time, Easter said. I want to see the report. I want to see the legislation and then well make that kind of decision. Advertisement The P.E.I. MP is among a handful of anti-abortion Liberals who were grandfathered when Trudeau demanded that all new candidates support a pro-choice policy in the House of Commons. I dont really have a comment until I see the report, because maybe it wont matter to me, I might be quite happy with it." Yukon Liberal Larry Bagnell, one of 50 Grit MPs who voted against a Bloc Quebecois bill in 2010 that sought to legalize euthanasia, told HuffPost he wasnt yet sure how he felt about the whip vote. I dont really have a comment until I see the report, because maybe it wont matter to me, I might be quite happy with it, Bagnell told HuffPost. Several current cabinet ministers Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Treasury Board President Scott Brison, Science Minister Kirsty Duncan, Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, and current Government House Leader Dominic LeBlanc, the man who announced the whip vote all voted against the Blocs bill in 2010. Advertisement But Casey told HuffPost that that comparison isnt fair. Parliament is not dealing [with] whether or not we should have physician-assisted death. That decision has been made by the Supreme Court, 9-0, he said. The only question before Parliament is how do we implement the decision of the Supreme Court. With files from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, is guest editor for The Huffington Post, with a focus on children's mental health. As a Canadian with two kids, I'd like to think our country ranks pretty high when it comes to the happiness of our youngest citizens. But a UNICEF study proves otherwise and reveals some concerning statistics. Advertisement In a 2014 report on child well-being across the world's richest countries, Canada came out firmly in the middle. Out of 29 countries, we're number 17, ranking just below the United Kingdom (the U.S. was near the bottom, in the 26th position). Who is getting it right when it comes to kids? The Netherlands, Norway and Iceland held the top three positions, respectively. "Only one in five Canadian children who need mental health services receive them." Read on to see why Canadian kids aren't as happy as they could be and where we could do better. 1. Immunization rates Health is one of the foremost factors in determining overall happiness and well-being. Shockingly, Canada scored among the bottom three countries in the category of health and safety according to the UNICEF study. Our low score is based in part on our immunization rates. While Canada's health care is heralded around the world as an example of what we're doing right, our vaccination program has faced a lot of propaganda surrounding the now disproved research linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Advertisement To provide adequate protection from the spread of deadly diseases, a 95 per cent immunization rate is required. This "herd immunity" is especially important for those who cannot be immunized for medical reasons. Our vaccination rate is delinquent by 11 per cent, leaving our kids at risk. According to the UNICEF study: "three of the richest countries in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] Austria, Canada and Denmark are the only countries in which the immunization rate falls below 90 per cent." 2. Mental health issues Canadian kids are also dealing with mental health issues, the instance of which are projected to increase by as much as 50 per cent by 2020. Sadly, only one in five Canadian children who need mental health services receive them, which could be part of the reason Canada's youth suicide rate is among the highest of developed countries and has remained unchanged for the past 10 years. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, "Canadas youth suicide rate is the third highest in the industrialized world." In fact, suicide is the cause of 24 per cent of all deaths among Canadians aged 15 to 24 years old. Advertisement By comparison, other countries, such as Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, have been able to successfully address the issue by implementing prevention strategies. "Canada's youth suicide rate is among the highest of developed countries." "For too long, the mental health of young people has not been a priority across Canada," reads a 2010 study by Evergreen and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. "For too long, child and youth mental health has been orphaned within a mental health system that is itself orphaned within Canadian health care. The time to act, to create positive change is now." 3. Obesity Regular exercise is directly linked to mental health. While the UNICEF survey places Canadian kids near the top of the pack in terms of physical activity (getting at least one hour of physical activity per day), only about 22 per cent of kids report that much exercise. This means the vast majority of Canadian kids get less than an hour of physical activity per day. Our kids also have one of the highest obesity rates of all countries studied over 20 per cent. 4. Cannabis Canadian youth have the highest rate of cannabis use in the developed world. Twenty-eight per cent of 11, 13 and 15 year olds reported using the drug within the previous year. What's disconcerting is that young people are more vulnerable to the negative side effects of the drug because their brains are still developing, putting them at a greater risk of cognitive and behavioural impairment, and mental health concerns. Advertisement However, we should note that cannabis use among Canadian youth has come down from 40 per cent in 2001. "Canadian youth have the highest rate of cannabis use in the developed world." 5. Relationships In the UNICEF study, Canadian kids reported some of the lowest scores across the board when asked to address the quality of three relationships with their peers, their mom and their dad. The study asked kids if they found their peers helpful and if they found it easy to talk to their mom or dad. About 66 per cent of Canadian kids agreed with those statements. By contrast, the Netherlands took top billing with nearly 85 per cent of kids reporting the closest relationships in all three categories. So what is the Netherlands doing to foster family closeness that Canada isn't? A lot. Dutch parents tend to spend more time with their kids owing to a viable part-time workforce that enjoys the same employee benefits that are available to full-time employees. Advertisement And it's not just moms who are getting in on quality time with the kiddos. Dads often also either work part-time or condense their work week into four days, leaving one day a week for Daddy Day (yes, it's a real thing!). 6. Further education In ranking "educational well-being," UNICEF looked at further education, which is the rate of kids aged 15 to 19 who are in school. This is another area Canada didn't perform very well compared to the other countries. Our further education rate is above 80 per cent, but it's still the sixth lowest ranking. And we're not alone: "Seven of the wealthiest OECD countries fall into the bottom third of the further education league table Austria, Canada, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States." "The roots of poor mental health in adulthood are almost always present in unresolved childhood challenges." So what does all this mean for our kids? Before deciding to pack up and relocate to one of the countries with the happiest children, keep in mind that in most categories in the UNICEF study only a few points separate those countries at the top of the chart from those at the bottom. Advertisement For example, the percentage of youth participating in higher education only varies by about 15 per cent from the top country to the bottom. And while the top countries have a 99 per cent immunization rate 84 per cent of Canadian babies are still immunized. This study does show that we could do better, especially when it comes to our kids' physical and mental health. "I was lucky. My parents and teachers provided me with a wonderful and secure childhood where I always knew I was loved, valued and listened to," the Duchess of Cambridge said in a public speech last November. "But of course, many children are not so lucky. Since beginning my work in areas like addiction, for example, I have seen time and time again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood are almost always present in unresolved childhood challenges." Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the mental health crisis among children. Also on HuffPost The business of piracy is no longer that profitable, thanks to a recent plunge in the price of oil. Last week, oil traded below US$27 a barrel for the first time since 2003. The drop has affected industries as diverse as transportation, telecommunications, and beer brewing and now even pirates are feeling the pain. With oil at a low bottom price of below $30 per barrel, piracy is no longer such a profitable business as it was when prices hit $106 a barrel a few years ago, the executive secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission told Bloomberg News on Monday. The frequency of sea crimes has significantly decreased because of the change, Florentina Adenike Ukonga said. Advertisement Attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf which is off the coast of west Africa along countries such as Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon have dropped by a third since 2015, Bloomberg reported. By the end of this year, the decline may be even more dramatic than that. Last year there were 190 total hijackings, boardings, and attempted attacks globally, according to the International Maritime Bureau. This year there have only been 10 pirate boardings and two attempted attacks. The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy around the world, received reports of 190 incidents in 2015. (Screenshot/International Maritime Bureau) The Gulf of Guinea recently became the most deadly waters in the world for sailors, surpassing Somalia for that title. The area has been dubbed pirate alley. Advertisement Militant groups there have targeted foreign oil companies for years, arguing that people in the area shouldnt be so poor when almost 2 million barrels of oil are exported from Nigeria every day. The International Maritime Bureau, a transnational agency that tracks piracy, has only reported 10 incidents so far in 2016. (Screenshot/International Maritime Bureau) Nigeria alone exports nearly $79 billion worth of petroleum every year, while 46 per cent of its population lives in poverty. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: A Canadian project that partly relies on a childs neighbours to help prevent mental health problems at a young age has been proving for more than two decades that early intervention makes a difference. Advertisement Better Beginnings, Better Futures (BBBF) was earmarked by the Ontario government in the early 90s as a demonstration project, according to researcher Dr. Mark Pancer, professor emeritus at Wilfrid Laurier University. That meant if it was deemed a success, pieces of its framework would have a better shot at being adopted into policy. Children up to the age of eight were recruited from five of Ontarios poorest neighbourhoods, areas residents described as physically unattractive and marked with high rates of crime and violence. One First Nations reserve was also included among selected sites. From the outset, one of the projects primary goals focused on curbing the development of preventable, long-term emotional and behavioural problems among children up to the age of eight. Advertisement Kids have fun at an event organized by the Shelldale Better Beginnings, Better Futures program in Guelph, Ont. Its holistic approach was, and continues to be, innovative. Rather than relying solely on professionals for special education, health care, social welfare and disability programs, the program linked children and their parents with neighbours. When you have that more integrated, connected community, youre likely to see a significant impact over time, BBBF researcher Dr. Geoffrey Nelson explained. The involvement of community residents as partners in program development, rather than merely recipients of programs, has produced a unique experience for all those who have been part of the project, reads a report Pancer co-authored in 1998. Stories reveal impact Instead of being subjected to a series of questions to be rehashed into a research paper, participants were asked to share a story about their life in the project. Advertisement One newly arrived Chinese immigrant described how the BBBF network helped her daughter find a place in a special needs program. I can see big changes in my daughter's social behaviour and language development, the unnamed woman told researchers, crediting program with making a big change her familys life. Significantly, the interconnected supports helped address the moms own mental health issues, leading to a healthier environment for her daughter to grow up in. I started to feel that the world around me wasn't so strange and fearful, and I was concerned about and taken care of by many people." The mothers lack in English resulted in a crippling fear of stepping outside her own door. She was left alone at home when her husband went to work. And when she became pregnant, the cumulative stress of all her personal and impending parenting problems were catapulted into focus. Advertisement I felt even lonelier and more hopeless. There was nobody to talk to or share my feelings with, she recalled. The BBBF paired her with a family visitor who began dropping by the house. She migrated to Canada three years earlier than I did, and spoke the same language and came from the same country as I did, so we freely shared our feelings and experiences together, the mother said. The walls began to disappear around her. I started to feel that the world around me wasn't so strange and fearful, and I was concerned about and taken care of by many people. I didn't feel lonely anymore, she said. A group of kids meet Santa at an event at the Shelldale Better Beginnings, Better Futures program in Guelph, Ont. Advertisement Kids enrolled in BBBF were separated into two age groups: newborn to four, and four to eight. Then researchers followed up with them in Grades 6, 9 and 12. The children had the opportunity to be involved in field trips and creative arts, for example, that they would have been unlikely to have access to without BBBF. They also learned to play and interact with other kids. The project found that kids raised in the community-driven network of support services were better adjusted than with peers from comparison communities. BBBF children showed fewer internalizing problems, signs of depression, and withdrawal behaviours. There were fewer special education needs. And the benefits were also observed among their moms and dads, who according to Pancer, grew better adjusted within their communities and in many ways became better parents. Advertisement One parent described how the children were destroying the house due to the lack of available affordable activities and they were at their wits end before being provided access to a psychologist. ... it was like hell. It was just like this situation with me and my kids, it was just all downhill, you know, because with the three older ones it was hard, you know, brother and sister fighting and not knowing how to play with each other but it's not like it is now. Before I didnt know [how to talk to] my own kids. Now I know how to talk with them. Before I get upset. Now, no, no, they are hyper you have to be cool. Then you can handle these kind of children. In the beginning, I didn't know that kind of thing. Under the program, 51 per cent of a childs support network relied on his/her community. That way, researchers put a priority and burden of expectation on people who lived there to come through with designing services tailored to their neighbourhoods. At one site where violence was rampant, neighbours established a club house an informal parenting group to bring their children and to socialize with each other. At other locations, house calls by a designated visitor from BBBF were preferred. Advertisement Because of the long-term scope of the study, community participants became frontline volunteers, and others were hired as paid staff members. Today, eight BBBF programs are still in operation in cities across Ontario. More than 5,000 kids from infant to eight years old are enrolled in Guelph, Kingston, Ottawa, Toronto, Sudbury, Cornwall, Etobicoke and the Walpole Island First Nation in Wallaceburg. Shifting priorities Ontario currently allocates $99 million to family-support programs, including BBBF. Our government is committed to providing the right supports to children, youth and their families when they need them to enable positive mental health and to eliminate addictions, said May Nazar, an Ontario ministry of education spokeswoman. UNESCO has featured BBBF as an "exemplary model" in a book distributed to 33 countries, but after more than 25 years, why has the early childhood program not expanded further? Advertisement BBBF is one of many evidence-based approaches that school boards may choose to review and consider, Nazar wrote in an email. Part of the success of Better Beginnings, Better Futures come from involving the community in designing programs. In Canada, educational and social support services get their funding from provincial governments. But because governments change every few years, new agendas get adopted and funding priorities ultimately shift, said Nelson. Some pilot programs, despite their success, never see wider implementation. Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne made full-day kindergarten a hallmark mandate which was also a political mantelpiece shared by her predecessor Dalton McGuinty. Before him, Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris tried to make early years education a top priority. Advertisement According to the province, approximately one in five children and youth face a mental health challenge. Last month, the Ontario government announced a $6-million investment for early intervention services. The money will help hire 80 new child and youth mental health workers, it says. When you have kids in dire need, its very tempting to put your money into helping those who are desperate. Though the provincial government has yet to decide to review BBBF, its cost savings may prove it worthy of a second look. According to researchers, for each dollar invested in a child in the project, $2.50 was saved in government services. I think there needs to be a lot more prevention, explained Pancer. When you have kids in dire need, its very tempting to put your money into helping those who are desperate. Advertisement Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the mental health crisis among children. Also on HuffPost Mark Zuckerberg hasn't responded to Kanye West's plea for a billion dollars, but Pizza Hut is here to help. Pizza Hut UK first tweeted about Kanye's album Monday morning. @KanyeWest Love the new cover, mate. Can't wait to hear the album. Hope Zuckerberg gives you the cash you deserve. pic.twitter.com/3b4LVwpl81 Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 Advertisement Later that afternoon, they offered the rapper a job. Stop telling everyone you need dough and try kneading some dough. We got your C.V. today. You start at 9am tomorrow. https://t.co/7ZnKzL38Q6 Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 They even made sure to follow up. @kanyewest Please give us a call about your job application. Thanks. Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 .@kanyewest We're sorry Kanye. We just can't accept this. Please give us a call. pic.twitter.com/NpuAX7vbry Pizza Hut UK (@pizzahutuk) February 15, 2016 The rapper tweeted Saturday that he was US$53 million in debt, and sent a plea to Facebook's CEO for US$1 billion to invest "into Kanye West ideas." Advertisement A former Facebook software engineer pointed out that Kanye might have a bit more luck with Zuckerberg if he didn't ask for money on Twitter. A Minneapolis man has also started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay down Kanye's debt. "We must be the Medici family to Kanye," the GoFundMe page reads. Also on HuffPost A lottery that raises money for Torontos Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has withdrawn one of the homes it was giving away as the grand prize because the neighbourhood evidently smells like marijuana. One of this year's prizes in the Princess Margaret Lottery was a $1.285-million home on Jeffrey Nihda Crescent in suburban Markham. But the lottery announced Wednesday that its replacing the prize with an equivalent cash prize. Advertisement A promotional shot from the Princess Margaret Lottery of the house at 39 Jeffrey Nihda Crescent in Markham, which the lottery has withdrawn as a prize. The owner of a home backing the prize property has a licence issued by Health Canada to legally grow marijuana for personal consumption, lottery organizers said on their blog. The growing of a large number of plants in the house has resulted in an intrusive odour in the neighbourhood. The issue came to the lotterys attention after parents in the Markham neighbourhood complained that their children were coming home smelling like pot, thanks to the legal grow-op in the area, which backs on to the former lottery prize house. Naturally, we are very disappointed that the prize had to be removed, said Christine Lasky, vice president of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. We believe our decision is the most appropriate and responsible action. Advertisement The lotterys grand prize this year a $3.7-million Kleinburg showhome is still available. A screencap from Google Street View of Jeffrey Nihda Crescent, in Markham Ont. Parents say children are coming home smelling like weed because of a nearby grow-op. According to Global News, the owner of the marijuana grow-op is Wei Gao, who is licensed by Health Canada to grow marijuana. Gao told the TV network he no longer lives in the property, but uses it to grow marijuana plants, of which he has 146. A new poll suggests the political fortunes of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley are declining steadily as her province is battered by plummeting oil prices and a resource sector in turmoil. But the numbers from Angus Reid Institute, released Wednesday, show that Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is not paying a similar price in his oil-producing province and is in fine shape ahead of an election that is just weeks away. Advertisement Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks to media after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Edmonton in February. (Photo: Jason Franson/CP) According to the firm, which tests the job approval ratings of provincial leaders each quarter, Notley has dropped 12 percentage points since December and now sits at 33 per cent approval. That represents a plummet of 20 per cent support from June 2015, shortly after the Alberta NDP captured a stunning majority government. Advertisement Notley's approval rating has dropped 20 percentage points from last June. (Photo: Angus Reid Institute) Still, Notley's approval rating is tied with that of New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant and higher than British Columbia Premier Christy Clark (31 per cent), Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (27 per cent), and Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger (19 per cent). But it pales in comparison to Wall perpetually Canada's most popular premier whose rating is statistically unchanged from last quarter at 62 per cent. The Angus Reid Institute pointed out in its poll summary, however, that Alberta's unemployment rate has grown three times as much as Saskatchewan's in the last year. Wall, who has ruled out a run for the federal Conservative leadership, is preparing for an election in April that he is widely expected to win. Story continues after slideshow: Least, Most Popular Premiers (Feb. 2016) See Gallery Advertisement Selinger in big trouble The same can't be said for Canada's least popular provincial leader, Selinger, who will also face voters in April. The longtime premier is hoping to extend the NDP government's nearly 17-year reign, but his rating is almost as poor as the 17 per cent support he had in December 2014. Advertisement Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball, the new leader of another struggling, resource-dependent province, appears to be enjoying a "honeymoon" since his Liberals formed government in December. Ball currently boasts 60 per cent support, but as Notley has shown, such adulation could be fleeting. For now, he's the second-most popular premier in the country. Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, who had an approval rating as high as 66 per cent in June 2014, now sits at 36 per cent. That's a 10-per cent drop since December, which could be related to the actions of his former top aide that the province's privacy commissioner has said broke the law. Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is holding steady with 36 per cent support. Canada's most and least popular premiers. (Photo: Angus Reid Institute) The Angus Reid Institute does not measure the approval rating of Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan because the sample size for that province is too small. The survey was conducted online among 6,294 Angus Reid Forum panelists between Feb. 2 to 10. Similar surveys have a margin of error of 1.2 per cent, 19 times out of 20. It was a ripe four o'clock in the morning, and it seemed my best ideas had stopped percolating with the third pot of coffee. I was putting the finishing touches on a story about the lack of plus-size male models, reflecting on how embarrassing and jarring it was that we as a society, industry and media had omitted a significant portion of the population from the fashion conversation. Shame on us. As I shut my laptop and shuffled into the shower in an effort to salvage my dignity, my brain kept spinning. Fumbling for the body wash, it struck me: I'm short. Advertisement Standing at an uninspiring 5'4 since the age of 14, this fact had dawned on me a decade ago. But through a sartorial lens, and a prodigious case of narcissism, I connected the dots fashion does not recognize shorter men. In the current parlance of diversity and body positivity, short men's absence is glaring. High Street to high end, there is nary a brand that even acknowledges our existence. Anecdotally, there are big and tall stores for men and petites for women. There are generally no stores, or even sections within stores, dedicated to shorter guys or taller gals. Fortunately for women of above-average height, there are statuesque supermodels like Gisele Bundchen to aspire to. There are few well-known male models, and none of them are diminutive. It seems in fashion, size truly does matter. Shopping options in North America for not-so-tall men include buying children's clothing, women's clothing or, most commonly, clothes designed for their taller peers that then need to be tailored. This added expense has been dubbed the "Tailor Tax" by Peter Manning, one of the few people producing wares specifically designed for gents 5'8 and below. He's actually trademarked the term. Peter Manning Advertisement According to Steven Mazur, co-founder of Ash & Erie (previously called Ash & Anvil), a brand that makes dress shirts for shorter men, approximately 33 per cent of the American male population is under 58. Thats about 40 million men, which is a lot of guys and money. Why arent mainstream brands being more accommodating? Well, the narrative of the short guy finishing last is rooted in reality. Evolutionary psychologists and anthropologists would argue that womens sexual preference for taller men is woven into our DNA and reinforced by thousands of years of cultural conditioning. Studies continually reconfirm this. Considering this, it should come as no shock that the hyper-idealized world of fashion hasnt embraced slighter men. Manning laughs, We had to find our models on Craigslist because no agency has male models under 510. Advertisement That said, capitalism is by definition ravenously opportunistic. If there is a demand, why isnt there supply? In the year since Ash & Eries inception, the response to the Detroit-based short guy brand has been overwhelmingly positive. Receiving $26,000 worth of pre-orders before a single stitch had been sewn, Mazur and business partner Eric Huang ambitiously set out to find the perfect fit for shorter guys. Within five weeks of their Nov. 19, 2015, launch, Ash & Erie had already sold out of their inventory. Currently only selling dress shirts, the brand is looking to expand their repertoire. We want to be be the best possible fit off-the-rack for shorter guys. - Steven Mazur, co-founder of Ash & Erie But its not just clothing theyre selling, its confidence. Noting the stigma many short men feel about their height and shopping, Mazur says, We want to be a brand that people arent embarrassed to go to and can relate to. We want to build a community. Its not a problem to be short, its a problem that the clothes that are out there dont fit you. Its not you, its the clothes, Mazur continues. Advertisement Outside Asia and Europe, brands that short men can wear like Ash & Erie are few and new, largely having appeared within the last decade and almost exclusively online. Speaking to me from his Brooklyn fitting room, Manning tells me demand for his namesake label has been steadily growing since he started in 2012 though his marketing has been limited mostly to press coverage and word-of-mouth. He laughs, noting that it helps when youre practically the only game in town. We want to be like J.Crew... Just for short men. We dont do anything differently, other than tailoring, Manning says. Nobody else is really doing this. There is a huge stigma around fashion for short men. New arrivals are coming soon! #petermanning #dumbo #Brooklynbridge #notsotall #clothesforshorterguys #mensfashion #menswear #mensclothing A photo posted by Peter Manning NYC (@petermanningnyc) on Feb 4, 2016 at 7:41am PST Marc Lafrance, associate professor, sociology, at Concordia University in Montreal, tells me, Even if there is a sense among short men that there is something wrong with the supply of clothing they have access to, many of this group are among the last ones who are going to draw attention to this and start a crusade. While women have historically been quick to hit the pavement around social causes in the West (see: feminism, employment rights, suffrage), heterosexual men are slower to mobilize. This is mainly because women are much more encouraged than men are to be communicative of things that upset them, says LaFrance. Men are steadfastly encouraged to suck it up and deal with it like a man. That means being stoic and economical with language. Advertisement Basically, straight, short men are not likely to speak up for themselves and demand change. I distinguish sexuality here because gay, queer and transmen have a track record of mobilizing around social causes, and have seen great successes doing so particularly since the turn of the century. Smaller gay men also can use their height as a form of social capital by identifying as twinks. In this space, their shortness actually makes them more attractive, as opposed to being attractive in spite of their height. Another reason short, straight men may be unlikely to call out for change is the stigma still associated with their height. Because of this silence, menswear brands can get away without accountability. There are practically no short male fashion bloggers, publications or online communities to meet the groups needs. Instead, there is just a wasteland of borderline-offensive guides on how to dress to look taller. Canadian actor and filmmaker, Xavier Dolan, stars in Louis Vuittons spring/summer campaign. He is 56. Advertisement Another issue Lafrance raises is the symbolic annihilation of smaller men from pop culture or the fact that they, much like certain minorities groups, are simply not seen on screen. The space short men occupy in media is often reduced to conniving, annoying or whiny side characters (read: George Constanza and every Danny DeVito role ever), or questing to destroy the One Ring. Excluding Aziz Ansari, short male celebrities often go to great lengths like heels or platform soles to hide their height. Its silence compounded by shame. These three factors stigma, unwillingness to rally, symbolic annihilation have combined to be a triple injunction against making [short men fashion options] an issue, says Lafrance. That said, things are changing. The mere existence of brands like Peter Manning and Ash & Erie spells hope for the short guy with a stylish eye. Quebecois film director Xavier Dolan is 56 and fronting Louis Vuittons spring-summer 2016 campaign. As the menswear market continues to grow, particularly online; as social norms evolve with millennials and more expressions of masculinity are accepted; as narratives of body positivity and diversity continue to flourish short guys may finally have the chance to wear their clothing unaltered and with pride. Also on HuffPost Justin Trudeau's three kids have been in the spotlight long before he was sworn in as the prime minister. Now past the 100-day mark of his office, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau says she's relieved to see how her children have adjusted to the media frenzy. Advertisement "Yes, of course I try and protect them as much as possible. But at the same time, I don't want to be overprotective. I am trying to find some balance with the whole situation," she said in an interview with The Huffington Post Quebec. Xavier, 8, Ella-Grace, who just turned seven, and Hadrien, who is almost two, are learning many coping skills from a supportive family who speak openly about mental health. The Trudeau family waves to the crowd at an event in 2015. (Photo: The Canadian Press) Gregoire-Trudeau has made no secret of the fact that she battled bulimia in the '90s. "Eating was my only way of controlling my life, or so I thought," she said in a 2012 interview. "When you are addicted or suffering from a mental illness, you think you're in complete control. But the opposite is true. You are, in fact, completely out of control." Advertisement The former TV journalist said, "I lived. I hurt. I had the right support to be strong. I got help. It's been my support network that has made all the difference." Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau speaks about her experience with bulimia during a 2013 event in Toronto sponsored by Sheena's Place sponsored event. (Photo: Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Her mother-in-law, Margaret Trudeau, went public with her own bipolar disorder a few years ago and has since become a spokeswoman for mental health awareness. Justin Trudeau now speaks about his mother's struggles with depression, but in the '70s, it was difficult to find the right words to talk about it, he revealed during a special episode of "The Social" on Bell Let's Talk Day. Advertisement It was only when he was in his 20s that the current prime minister made the connection between his mother's mental health and the problems his family was experiencing at the time. Justin Trudeau is seen with his mother Margaret in 2013. (Photo: The Canadian Press) Today, mental health is not a taboo subject in the Gregoire-Trudeau household. Despite a busy schedule, they always try and find the time to have "conversations that can sometimes be a little uncomfortable." Everyone has a role to play in building children's self-esteem, Gregoire-Trudeau told HuffPost. The words and actions of those in a child's close circle can influence them even at a young age. "Whether teachers, mentors, an uncle, and aunt, close friends, parents, brothers, sisters I believe we each in our own way send messages based on the image we have of ourselves." Advertisement Ella-Grace Trudeau, in pink, skips while holding hands with her parents in 2013. (Photo: Justin Trudeau Flickr) She tells about a moment when her daughter was flipping through a fashion magazine with her friends. Ella-Grace pointed to each photo, assessing if she thought the model was pretty or not. Gregoire-Trudeau immediately went to speak to her. "Ella-Grace is so empathetic and compassionate. She is not very judgmental, so when she said that, I thought, 'Oh, OK.' And we talked about it right away." As a busy mom, she can't control everything people say at home or at school, but she did help her daughter understand that her words could have been hurtful to other people. Advertisement "Our children are obviously our treasure. We care for their bodies, we make sure they sleep well, we take care of their nutrition and we are responsible for their brain health as well." "These are the types of conversations we have on a regular basis with our kids," Gregoire-Trudeau said. "We have to open ourselves to others to understand their pain, their weaknesses. I think to a small extent they are experiencing this openness through the adventure they are now part of, in spite of themselves. "What I try and do most with my kids is instil in them the idea of respect towards themselves. They're young, but they're already developing the idea that if they work hard enough, if they have courage, if they take care of themselves, if they are aware of their limits, they're able to accomplish what they want." Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau play with Hadrien at a playground. (Photo: The Canadian Press) Advertisement As a former spokeswoman for the organization, Anorexie et boulimie Quebec, Gregoire-Trudeau believes there should be more programs aimed at prevention and education from a young age, to eliminate the stigma of mental health in general. She also deplores the "structural" problems faced by treatment centres for eating disorders, reminding that the health-care system is a provincial responsibility. "In terms of beds for people with anorexia in hospitals, of young girls who should be in therapy ... there are not enough spots, enough beds." The Trudeau family picks pumpkins in 2015. (Photo: The Canadian Press) While the Canadian activist has taken on the issue of eating disorders, her American counterpart, Michelle Obama, has focused on promoting healthy eating and physical health. Advertisement "I see very close ties [between my causes] and the discussion Mrs. Obama is trying to have with Americans. I find it very inspiring and I'm anxious to meet her!" said Gregoire-Trudeau, who will be heading to the White House with her husband for a state dinner on March 10. Gregoire-Trudeau intends to use her visibility to reach as many people as possible and continue to spread her message of self-acceptance over the next four years. "Our children are obviously our treasure. We care for their bodies, we make sure they sleep well, we take care of their nutrition and we are responsible for their brain health as well," she said. "Whether as a mother or as a woman, I just can't handle the thought that a child is suffering. If I could, I would save them all!" Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the mental health crisis among children. Advertisement Also on HuffPost Jonathan Kirn via Getty Images Eleven-year-old girl walks into school bathroom. The Toronto District School Board will be implementing all-gender washrooms in public schools across the city to make the learning environment more inclusive for students. These washrooms will be available to all kids, regardless of gender identity or expression. In a statement, Education Minister Liz Sandals said the Ontario government supports the TDSBs plans. It is our governments priority to ensure all students feel safe and accepted at school. Our government has invested over $425 million in safe schools initiatives that are helping make Ontario's schools some of the safest in the world, she said. Advertisement The Education Act requires schools and school boards to provide safe, inclusive and accepting learning environments to support the achievement and well-being of all students, including students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Since then, the TDSB has worked towards placing all-gender washrooms in every public school across the city, in addition to boy and girl washrooms. Thus far, the publics response to the TDSB's plans has been overwhelmingly positive. One anonymous transgender boy, who was taken out of public school due to bullying, told CBC News that hes glad to see this positive addition to schools. Advertisement Everybody gets a chance to use the washroom, he said. If there's anybody who is gender-neutral or something, they can use that washroom instead of everybody teasing them about going into the girls or boys [washroom]. The TDSB does not yet have a timeline for rolling out the new washrooms across the citys remaining public schools. However, their initiative has inspired other Toronto-area school boards to take on similar initiatives. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: OTTAWA "What's your number, Mr. Trudeau?" NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair demanded to know last August during the first leaders' debate of the 2015 federal election. "You're not answering. You haven't answered. What's the number, Justin," Mulcair said, interrupting the Liberal leader's attempt to answer. Advertisement NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair scrums with media in Ottawa on Feb. 4. (Photo: Matthew Usherwood/CP) Mulcair wanted to know what number the percentage that would suffice for Trudeau to recognize a decision by Quebecers in a future referendum to separate from Canada. Trudeau said nine the number of Supreme Court justices who said the House of Commons should decide what number is sufficient after a referendum vote. Flash forward four months. Now it is Mulcair who is on the hot seat, unwilling to say what his number is. Advertisement Mulcair faces a leadership review at the NDP's convention in Edmonton this April. The NDP president, Rebecca Blaikie, told The Huffington Post Canada last week during an interview on SiriusXM that she thinks Mulcair's number should be 70 per cent. Rebecca Blaikie speaks after a meeting of the NDP federal council in 2011. (Photo: Fred Chartrand/CP) "I think it would be very, very difficult for him to stay on if he gets anything less than 70. And 70 will still be challenging," she said on the "Everything Is Political" show. But Mulcair himself is mum on what he think he needs or on what he wants to obtain. Weeks ago, the NDP leader suggested he needed more than 50 per cent plus one. On Wednesday, he told reporters that Blaikie was just repeating what he has also heard from party members across the country. Advertisement So does that mean 70 per cent is the threshold Mulcair wants for him to remain the NDP's leader? He won't say. Mulcair mum What he will say is that he's working hard to try to get NDP members to support him, and "the right number is going to be the best number that I can possibly get." "I'm there at the will of the members of the party. I continue to meet with them. I hope to have the best result possible," he told reporters. "So you'll take what you can get then, is what you're saying," a journalist asked. Mulcair shrugged. "I'm going to continue to work hard," he responded. He is encouraged by what he's hearing across the country, Mulcair said. "The right number is going to be the best number that I can possibly get." "There is a wellspring of support for the ideas that we put forward in the last campaign. There is a strong feeling that campaign that we put together can be repeated. We got very close closer than we have ever been, and people are convinced that it is there for us the next time. "They know that we have still a lot of work to do we are going to keep reaching out beyond our traditional base, talk to progressives of all political stripes and as things move forward and people realize that, one by one, the progressive promises of the Liberals are not being kept, they realize that we are the only ones with the sacred fire to continue the battles that we have always talked about in the past." Mulcair led the party to its second best result, 44 seats, in 2015, down from the 103 seats that former leader Jack Layton won in 2011. Advertisement The NDP holds a leadership review every two years. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: David Freund via Getty Images U.S. taxman only allows certain qualified preparers to contact them on behalf of clients In Canada, you can easily contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and get information whether you are a taxpayer or a designate for a taxpayer if you have the right paperwork and identification information. For U.S. taxpayers, the process is not so simple. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has rules for tax preparers and which ones can contact them on behalf of a client. It means if you want your tax preparer to handle anything with the IRS on your behalf, they need to have specific qualifications. Advertisement Anyone preparing U.S. tax returns and getting paid for it is required to have an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and to sign the paid preparer section of the tax form to prepare federal returns. Having a PTIN does not allow a tax preparer to contact the IRS on behalf of a taxpayer. As long as you pay your fee and complete the right paperwork, you can get a PTIN. It is not an indication of tax qualifications. There are only three groups with unlimited representation rights. Enrolled Agents, Certified Public Accountants and attorneys can represent their clients with the IRS on any matters including audits, payment or collection and appeals. Attorneys are licensed by state courts, the District of Columbia or their designees like the state bar association. And usually they have earned a law degree and passed the bar exam. They are generally required to complete ongoing continuing education and professional courses and can offer a range of tax preparation and planning activities. Certified Public Accountants are licensed by state boards of accountancy, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Certified public accountants must pass the Uniform CPA Examination. They have completed accounting studies at a college or university and also met experience and good character requirements established by their respective boards of accountancy. In addition, CPAs must comply with ethical requirements and complete specified levels of continuing education in order to maintain an active CPA license. Advertisement Enrolled Agents are licensed by the IRS and are subject to a suitability check. They must also pass a three-part Special Enrollment Examination which is a comprehensive exam that tests proficiency in federal tax planning, individual and business tax preparation and representation. Tax preparers who achieve Enrolled Agent status are federally licensed by the United States Treasury. There are only 46,000 practicing Enrolled Agents in the U.S. Only Enrolled Agents are required to demonstrate their competence to the IRS in all areas of taxation, representation and ethics before they are given their unlimited representation rights with the IRS. Unlike some attorneys and CPAs, all Enrolled Agents specialize in taxation. Some preparers without one of the above credentials have limited practice rights. They may represent clients whose returns they prepared and signed but only before revenue agents, customer service representatives and similar IRS employees but not in every circumstance. They cannot represent clients whose returns they did not prepare or in appeals or collection even if they did prepare the return in question. Starting in 2016, a tax preparer must have a PTIN and a valid "Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion" for the calendar year of the tax return. If the person does not meet this requirement, the IRS will only allow them to inspect or request your information with a signed authorization but they cannot speak to the IRS on your behalf or correct any outstanding problems. The ultimate designation is called the United States Tax Court Practitioner (USTCP). Since 2000, there are only 84 people in the world who have passed the exam to represent taxpayers in U.S. Tax Court without being an attorney. USTCPs must pass a four part exam that acts almost like a "mini" bar exam covering the Federal Rules of Evidence, Tax Court Rules and Procedures, and Legal Ethics as well as federal taxation. Advertisement If you are thinking none of this applies to you, you may be right. However, the Canada Revenue Agency is starting to require the U.S. equivalent of a Notice of Assessment to support all Foreign Tax Credit claims for taxes paid in the U.S. But the IRS does not provide Notices of Assessment. If your claim is reviewed, taxpayers will need to obtain transcripts for any U.S. returns that were filed. It will take a minimum of two weeks to obtain a federal return transcript and can take much longer for the state. None of these timelines include mailing time. Only qualified tax preparers with the right U.S. credentials can contact the IRS and most state tax authorities on your behalf to get this information. If you need to find a U.S. tax expert, the IRS does have a searchable database here. For U.S. citizens living in Canada, there are Enrolled Agents preparing returns in this country. Depending on your situation, it may be very useful to have someone who can speak to the IRS on your behalf or represent you if needed. Dealing with the IRS is more difficult than the CRA. Having someone who knows the system and the rules can make your IRS experience much easier. Loudwire recently reported that two members of the Iranian metal band Confess have been arrested for blasphemy. The band members -- ages 21 and 23 -- were arrested by the Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution on November 10, 2015. Iran's law permits the government to detain, torture, and execute so-called blasphemers. The band members are charged with "blasphemy; advertising against the system; forming and running an illegal and underground label in the satanic metal and rock style; writing anti-religious, atheistic, political and anarchistic lyrics; and interviewing with forbidden radio stations." For many metalheads -- such as myself -- heavy metal music is an opening into a grand intricate world of discordance and mesmerizing soundscapes. And it's puzzling when our peers don't recognize what we love as valid artistic expression. As a result, metalheads often feel alienated from and misunderstood by the rest of society. But to these young Iranian men, it has become far more than a mere feeling. Advertisement Confess has an online presence on Soundcloud. Please go listen, and you'll hear exactly why it is that protecting the basic and fundamental human right of freedom of expression is so important. Societal reform comes from a diversity of opinions being disseminated. If a government has the capacity to jail, punish, and kill people for sharing unpopular views, it attaches a price to what its citizens think. Expressing unpopular views in such an environment becomes costly, even deadly. Societies are only ever made worse off when a government has the ability to judge the value of what is expressed. And it's only the most horrible places in the world that capture their young men and kill them for speech "against the system." Now, you may not like Confess's music. You may not like that they've chosen to express themselves through a loud and vociferous medium. But that's just a matter of taste, not of principle. Consider this fundamental tenet of a free society: it is too dangerous to grant a monopoly over expression -- artistic, political, or otherwise--to any government. No political authority should be able to decide what qualifies as artistic expression or determine the value of that expression. That's society's role, and we should never give it up. It's easy to observe the travails of a far away metal band from the comfort of Canada. If I am being honest, their circumstances only bother me in a sort of intellectual way. But tyranny is only ever a generation away, and I worry that the current generation of Canadians lacks a principled appreciation of how important freedom of expression is. Advertisement In 2003, the Alberta Human Rights Commission decided that American death metal band Deicide did not violate the hate speech provision in the Alberta Human Rights Act. Although the commission came to the correct conclusion, it did so for the wrong reasons. Instead of offering a fulsome defence of freedom of expression and limitations on the government's authority to control artistic expression, the commission found that Deicide did not have a wide enough listening audience or popular appeal, even though the band had sold nearly 500,000 albums in the United States alone by that time. Further, to this day, Canada has a Criminal Codeblasphemy prohibition on the books. Although it has not been used for many years and is likely unconstitutional under section 2(b) of the Charter, this provision still permits the government to imprison Canadians for two years merely for saying unsavoury things on religious topics. I met with my former Member of Parliament regarding this law in 2013. He expressed his regret that repealing this law would not be politically expedient since it might upset some of his constituents. So here's where we stand in Canada. Those entrusted to resolve our disputes don't understand the importance of freedom of expression. Those elected as representatives don't find it inherently abhorrent for the government to control expression. And most troubling, the public probably doesn't get it either. Now, Canada is in no way remotely as bad as Iran. Saying otherwise would be pure hyperbole. But don't get too haughty. In Canada, a metal band has been forced to defend itself in legal proceedings for saying unsavoury things. In Canada, we have our own blasphemy law intended to punish people for being insufficiently respectful of religion. And in Canada, we have an impoverished understanding of important role that freedom of expression plays in the growth and maintenance of a free society. Our differences with Iran would seem to be a matter of degrees, not of principle. An exciting evening with New Mexicos leading crowdfunding experts. Contact: Amy Slater amy@creativestartups.org, 505-750-2295 Doors open 5:30 pm Online platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have revolutionized the way makers, gamers, app designers, and artists fund their new ventures. Crowdfunding has become so prolific it is set to surpass venture capital funds in 2016. Now famous brands such as Oculus Rift and Pebble Watch got their start on crowdfunding sites. And while crowdfunding may seem more accessible than raising money from seed or angel investors, successful crowdfunding campaigns require entrepreneurs to plan their campaigns thoughtfully. The evening begins with the New Mexico Securities Divisions Senior Regulatory Attorney, Brandon Toensing, explaining new regulations you need to know about when you launch your crowdfunding campaign. Next Nick Williams, Sunport, will share the strategies behind their successful 2015 campaign raising $120,599. End the night with a panel discussion with founders of New Mexicos top three funded projects: Level 99 Games, Sunport, and CENTS. These entrepreneurs' expertise will help you avoid pitfalls and maximize success in the wild west of crowdfunding. Brad Talton has launched 12 crowdfunded board game projects on Kickstarter, three of which are the top funded projects in the state of New Mexico. Making a feature film is costly, and Chris Boone successfully raised $61,468 in 2014 to help make CENTS into a full length movie. Tech startup Sunport reached their goal and is now able to produce the worlds first smart grid solar delivery device. New Mexico Securities Division takes a proactive approach, and provides information so New Mexicans can avoid white-collar criminals and be smart, safe investors. JackyLeung via Getty Images Calgary Downtown Alberta has done great work on the climate file. Phasing out coal, cleaning up the emissions profile of the oil sands and a carbon tax are all the right things to do. But there is a big chunk of the emissions pie that hasn't been addressed yet. Buildings. Our built environment accounts for around 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Advertisement Greening the building sector is one of the most cost-effective and economically beneficial ways to reduce energy demand and emissions while also supporting climate adaptation and resilience. These solutions exist and can be put into action right now. It's also a solid way to get a moribund economy moving. Everyone needs a roof over their head, and given the heating demand from our cold climate and how much time we spend indoors we should be experts at building healthy, energy efficient buildings. These 10 tips come from the incredible professionals at Manasc Isaac, one of Alberta's leaders and champions when it comes to green buildings. Advertisement Building Labeling The research shows that you are more inclined to reduce energy and water consumption when consumption is made visible. Signage, real-time information and yearly disclosures of real energy can raise awareness and inspire a change in behaviour. Retrofit Incentives As Carl Elefante said, "The greenest building is the one already built." Instead of demolishing buildings, we need to incentivize and encourage owners to retrofit and re-imagine them. There are vast amounts of embodied energy in a finished building, and we need to acknowledge that and protect our architectural and historical legacy. Alberta Infrastructure can lead the way by retrofitting and re-imagining their own buildings. Centre for Green Building Innovation Bring together postsecondary institutions, construction, engineering and architecture companies, and the Alberta chapter of the Canada Green Building Council to work with Alberta Infrastructure and other departments to establish a hub where green building products, processes and technologies can be tested and showcased. LEED By Example The province of Alberta needs to invest in green design and construction of all the projects that they fund. That includes schools, postsecondary institutions, health facilities, seniors housing and other public facilities. These are long-term public investments. We can't afford not to build healthy, energy-efficient buildings. A LEED Gold minimum for public buildings is a nice place to start. Green Building Education Let's integrate basic green building concepts into K-12 education. The Alberta curriculum could address design thinking, energy use, water conservation, the effects of building design on health and a bunch of related topics. Advertisement Grey Water We need to update our building code so we can use grey water to flush our toilets in commercial and institutional buildings. It's a cheap and easy way to reduce fresh water consumption and energy use and there are other Canadian provinces that already allow it. Green Leases Alberta Infrastructure leases an enormous amount of office and other space across the province. The provincial government needs to demand a LEED Gold minimum for buildings that it leases. This will encourage building owners to improve the energy performance and indoor environmental health of existing buildings. More distributed generation and micro-generation There are a few ways to incent more solar and combined heat and power systems in our buildings. A value-of-solar tariff: Solar on buildings actually helps the grid by reducing demand during the day when demand is high and by obviating the need for future transmission and distribution investments. Compensate solar PV system owners for this value. Austin, Texas and Minnesota both have value-of-solar tariffs. Re-jig the micro-generation regulation: Get rid of the need to tie the size of the system to energy use on systems under 30 kilowatts in size. Simultaneously we should also get rid of the one-megawatt cap on micro-gen projects. If you're a big energy user and have the demand, build as big a system behind the meter that you can. Procurement Practices The province buys a lot of building materials. We need to mandate in our procurement processes that we are actually purchasing materials that reduce our carbon footprint and ensure occupant health. Advertisement A Provincial Reuse Centre When commercial and industrial buildings are deconstructed there is no practical way for the materials to be removed, stored, inventoried and reused. A provincially run Reuse Centre would make it easy for architects and engineers to specify and procure salvaged materials for their projects. Picture a thriving and efficient hub for reclaimed materials. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: ASSOCIATED PRESS President Barack Obama walks to the podium to speak to reporters about the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at Omni Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. Scalia, 79, was found dead Saturday morning at a private residence in the Big Bend area of West Texas. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) President Barack Obama appears more popular with Canadians than Americans. In the United States, Obama has struggled with his approval ratings. Much of this is a function of his critics discomfort with his proposing such 'wretched' things as universal health care and gun control. Yet others blame him for America's ongoing economic woes. One sometimes gets the impression that the U.S. stock market correction that erased massive value from North American pension plans occurred during Obama's watch when, in fact, it was under the Presidency of George W. Bush. To his credit the president has been most dignified in his response and/or non-response to such vitriol. When they malign the president, supporters of the U.S. "Tea Party movement" purport to speak on behalf of America's grass roots. Undoubtedly, the sustained smear campaigns on the part of 'Obamabashers' have been effective. For some time after his election, his opponents sought to disqualify him from office by insisting his birth certificate was falsified and that he was actually born outside of the United States. Yet others charged that he supported fundamentalists that wished to impose Islamic law around the world. In fact in a 2010 Newsweek poll of Republicans it was revealed that a majority believed Barack 'Hussein' [they like to highlight his middle name] Obama is an Islamist sympathizer. To his credit the president has been most dignified in his response and/or non-response to such vitriol. Some 'Obamabashers' have not been good at knowing where to draw the line. Taking hyperbole to a new height, one-time Republican leadership hopeful Mike Huckabee likened the agreement on an Iranian nuclear deal to "marching the Israelis to the door of the oven." While it's legitimate to have misgivings about the Iran deal, analogies to the Holocaust are reprehensible and constitute a severe injustice to its six million victims. Israeli Ambassador to the United States described Huckabee's remarks as inappropriate. Condemnations of Huckabee by American Jewish community leaders were more forceful. Nonetheless Huckabee insisted that he received considerable support from within the Jewish community including from Holocaust survivors and their families. But his preying on the fears of Jews with such inadmissible analogies is a sad commentary on the state of politics in some parts of the United States. It's worth noting that an American Jewish Committee poll conducted in August 2015 showed that 50.6 per cent of Jewish respondents approved of the sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions deal between Iran and six major powers. Advertisement Frequently underlying the purported threat Obama represents to his own country is innuendo about his 'true' identity accompanied by allegations about the hidden Islamist tendencies. Given the absence of any proof to support such ludicrous assertions, 'Obamabashers' conduct whisper campaigns often around dinner tables or other social gatherings. Many revel in a good tirade against the president. When asked about the source of their claims, the typical response is "someone said so" and/or they read it in the paper. Obama bashing sometimes bears a resemblance to the McCarthyism of an earlier era. One would have hoped that this behaviour is behind our valued neighbors to the South. But that does not appear to be the case and it has been sad to observe the important number of Americans descend to the gutter politics that is driven by hyper-partisanship. Ideally, with less than a year left to the end of his term, rather than constant 'Obamabashing' several Americans need to identify a more constructive and dignified way of addressing their concerns. In the meantime, President Obama can take solace in the fact that he remains very popular in Canada and will always be welcome on this side of the border. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Daniel Day via Getty Images Mother and son (8-9) embracing, close-up By: Counsellor Sonia One question we often receive at Kids Help Phone is, "what can parents do if they need advice on how to support their child?" Advertisement Although Kids Help Phone is a counselling line for youth, I wanted to write this blog to help provide parents with some direction about how to be there for kids. It's difficult knowing the intense emotions that parents sit with, especially when they want to help their child but feel like they can't do anything for them that would make a difference. As a counsellor, I can appreciate how helpless parents feel sometimes, but one message that I wanted to share with you today is the metaphor of the oxygen mask. Advertisement Imagine that you're on a plane and all of a sudden there's a crisis and the oxygen mask drops down in front of you, urging you to secure it around your face. Your first instinct is to reach over to the chair next to you and assist the seemingly dependent child sitting there panicking. Imagine if you made that choice, the impact that it would have in the life of that child as you exhausted yourself in the process. As a parent you need to put on your own oxygen mask first in order to be in a position where you can support your child in the way that he/she deserves. Of course, this was a decision made purely out of selflessness, but in the process, you were unable to help in the way that you wanted to. Sure, you would have gotten the job done, but then you would have been too weak to participate in the journey... The point to that metaphor is that, as a parent, you need to put on your own oxygen mask first in order to be in a position where you can support your child in the way that he/she deserves. If you're stressing yourself out and worrying endlessly, you can't be helpful in the way that you want to. Although it's a difficult decision to make, it's just as important for parents to focus on their own needs. Here are some tips on how to do that ... Get some well-needed rest. Parents have a tendency to push themselves to do more and more but eventually that becomes counterproductive. Find ways to nurture all parts of the self (physical, emotional, social, spiritual). (Want to work on this together with a young person in your life? You might want to check out the Wheel of Well-Being.) Connect with your partner and/or other parents in the community for support. Do your research. There's a lot of helpful information online, but be mindful of the validity of the websites you're referring to. kidshelpphone.ca is a great place to start. Consult with a professional for your own support and self-care. Talk to your child; provide opportunities for non-judgmental, open communication. Parenting is not an easy task by any means, but try to remember to be gentle with yourself and trust in your child's skills and abilities -- which includes reaching out for support. Youth always have the support of Kids Help Phone -- you don't have to do it alone -- they can count on us too! Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the mental health crisis among children. To blog on the site as part of Young Minds Matter email cablogteam@huffingtonpost.com ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Photo: Barbara Philip When you read Barbara Philip's biography, it sounds like she has the best job in the world. She's a category manager for B.C. Liquor Stores, where she's responsible for buying European wines and she also runs a wine consulting business with her husband, Iain Philip. While sipping and swirling, Barbara can be found hosting wine events and judging competitions around the world, as well as recommending wines to CBC's On The Coast listeners. Want to be her? Here's how she got there. Advertisement This conversation has been edited for conciseness and clarity. Marlisse: What does a typical day look like for you in your job? Barbara: It really depends. For instance, today I was in the office, I was reviewing wine list applications. I tasted about 25 wines to see if they were suitable for the stores. Yesterday, I was in Victoria all day doing a tasting with product consultants and managers. I do a lot of training for B.C. Liquor Stores, but then I also spend a lot of time in the office. I don't know if there is a typical day! Of course I travel a lot, both to trade shows and going on trade missions, buying trips, educational tours, that kind of thing. M: Are you travelling mainly to Europe because you're the European buyer for B.C. Liquor Stores? B: For B.C. Liquor Stores I travel mostly to Europe. I also look for other opportunities with the consulting side of the business, to judge or to do work that takes me to regions outside of Europe. For instance, last year my husband and I went to Argentina on an educational trip and I was judging as well. I always look to do at least one of those a year. M: What are some differences between the European and B.C. wine cultures? B: It's easier. If you look at Spain or Italy or France or even in parts of Germany where they produce wine, wine is not such a big deal. It's a part of life. It's something on the table. It's another food group and people are not so nervous about it. In B.C. and North America in a greater sense, we think that it's something intimidating that has to be learned about. We think it's a big deal. It's much more casual in Europe. It's not seen as an everyday drink for us, yet. Advertisement M: Has wine always been your beverage of choice? B: Yes, it really has. Even when I was a university student, I always preferred wine. M: Did you grow up in a household where kids were allowed to sip wine with dinner? B: Definitely. My parents are from British descent, so we didn't have a wine-drinking culture as much as somebody from Southern Europe might have. There was always wine there, but it wasn't a huge culture. But certainly as far as alcohol and having a little bit of wine with meals, as far as I remember, I was always allowed to participate. M: How did you get into the industry? B: I took a degree in theatre at UBC. Of course, as I was working in theatre, I was always working in restaurants at the same time. It just happened that after years and years in the restaurant business I was gaining all the skills and also a real love for the wine industry. I met my husband and we were preferring to take vacations that were in wine regions. We were talking to producers; we were starting to take classes and really gain a knowledge and an appreciation about wine. My interest in the restaurant industry was always in the front of house. What presented the greatest pleasure and the greatest challenge intellectually was the wine, so I decided to dedicate myself to that and get proper training. M: I wanted to talk to you about your training. It's a phenomenal accomplishment. You're the first Western Canadian to receive the prestigious Master of Wine designation and the only woman in the country to have it. How did you decide to take that on? What was that process like? B: It's something that I always wanted, because I thought of it as the pinnacle of wine education. To lead up to it, I took the courses from Wine & Spirit Education Trust. It was seen as the prerequisite for starting a Master of Wine. That's where you get your basic knowledge about wine: the appellations of the world, wine-making and grape growing. Advertisement Master of Wine is not really an in-class program. You go to two residential seminars before you write the exam. They take the knowledge you already have and hone it so you can pass the exam. The exam is a series of essays. A lot of them are based on business and current events, and then the tasting. M: Have you always had a really good palette? Obviously you've worked on it, too, but is it something that you were naturally born with? B: I don't believe so. I think that wine tasting and recognizing things in wine is being able to put them together and come to a logical conclusion about the wine -- about its quality, or if you're tasting blind and trying to identify it. I absolutely think it's a learned thing. It's more about organizing your thoughts and remembering, doing the analysis of the characteristics, which most people can do. In my anecdotal experience, I haven't seen anyone who really can't get something in the wine... if they can't get it, it's just because no one has directed them or pointed it out to them before. M: When you received the MW designation in 2007, would you say that opened more doors -- or barrels -- to you? Advertisement B: It's hard to say, but with judging or a contract, people will specify they want a Master of Wine for it, so that does open those doors. Having said that, in North America in particular, because there are so few of us still, there isn't a lot of recognition yet. M: Ann Matasar writes in her book, Women of Wine - The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry, that historically appreciating wine was equated with masculinity. She gives the example that in Australia, women were excluded from being judges on wine tasting panels until 1983. Have you encountered any kind of bias as a woman in the wine industry? B: If it was a bias, it was a bias in my favour. When I first started pursuing wine professionally, it was about 20 years ago, there weren't many women established in Vancouver or internationally. It's always been a really strong point of difference for me, to my advantage. Maybe it's just timing. M: What advice would you give people looking to get into the wine industry in this province? B: Definitely education. People look when they're hiring for some kind of designation. People can look right away at your resume and know you have a basic level of knowledge. I also think it's not the whole picture. If people really are serious about getting into the wine industry, they need to work in it. If they're interested in being a sommelier, they need to get a job in the restaurant and that's probably not going to be running the wine list straight out of the gate. There are lots of jobs in retail where they can gain experience. For importers, they can work on a sales team. People are willing to take the education, but not always willing to get the on-the-job training. They want to come in as a buyer for B.C. Liquor Stores with no retail experience or be a sommelier without having worked at a restaurant. Advertisement M: What would be your last glass of wine, as opposed to your last meal? Probably a nice glass of Champagne. A little toast to a life well-lived. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Written by Jackie Marchildon Canada has some infamous homes around the country -- the 'crooked house' on Shaw Street in Toronto that was listed for almost $700K last year, the 'tiny house' that made an appearance on Ellen in 2007, the upside down house in Niagara Falls -- but you might not actually want to live in them. Luckily, Canada is also known for some of its incredible converted homes, like these converted church lofts (and a couple larger homes) that are just as unique as their infamous partners, but a little more enviable when it comes to real estate. The Abbey Lofts Formerly the Howard Park Methodist Church, this imposing 19th century church in Roncesvalles boasts limestone walls, refurbished stained glass windows, and one of the coolest terraces in the city. Advertisement Photos from loftenberg.com The Church Lofts These neo-Gothic church lofts are located in Dufferin Grove, just south of Bloor Street West. Their most notable features are the wood doors, vaulted ceilings and historic light fixtures. Photos from Toronto Life Victoria Lofts Located in the Junction, the Victoria Lofts' best attribute has to be the majestic circular windows that illuminate some of the units, followed closely by the rustic wooden beams seen here. Advertisement 40 Westmoreland Avenue Another favourite near Dufferin Grove in Toronto, 40 Westmoreland has all the things you'd hope for in a church conversion - exposed brick, arched wood ceilings and impressive windows and ceiling heights. Photos from BlogTO Former Dunbar Presbyterian Church This former Presbyterian church close to Ottawa differs from the rest on the list because it was renovated into a full family home. This stunning home has stained glass windows throughout, and the bell tower - currently used as an office - is accessed by ladders. Advertisement Photos from Ottawa Citizen Grand River church conversion Modest from the outside and glamourous from the inside, this notable home in Fergus, Ontario is another on the list that doesn't quite fall into the church loft category. It is a four-bedroom home with old beams, wood finishes and a cool dark spiral staircase - not to mention a great deck in the back. Photos from The Vancouver Sun Place Delacroix Montreal's church conversions don't stop at condos and homes - we've seen churches here transformed into renovated gyms, concert venues and community centres, just to name a few. This condo is no exception to beautiful Montreal conversions with its well maintained exterior facade and an elegant and modern interior. Photos from Kijiji Cornerstone A beautiful heritage church exterior meets a modern design on the inside of this church conversion in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The units offer unique window sizes and an interesting combination of old and new architecture. Advertisement Photos from clairrockel.com And coming soon... St. Leslieville Church Lofts The St. Leslieville Church Lofts will no doubt fit into Toronto's beautiful Leslieville neighbourhood. Decargani Development Corporation plans to retain as much as they can from a beautiful church that has been empty for the last 10 years. Based on these images, the windows and exposed brick will be the building's most noteworthy feature. Photos from stleslieville.com Read more at YPNextHome.ca. Almost a third of British parents feel they could look like a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem, according to exclusive research for The Huffington Post UK. Nearly one in three (32%) of parents said they would worry that a child with a mental health issue would reflect badly on them, according to the poll, published as part of our Young Minds Matter series, guest edited by The Duchess of Cambridge. Advertisement The results highlight the stigma that young people and their parents face, as experts warned it is "incredibly important" for parents to intervene if their child is feeling unhappy. Parents need to speak to their children about mental health without feeling it is "something shameful or something that cant be talked about," said Miranda Wolpert, director of service improvement and evaluation at the Anna Freud Centre. A third of parents feel a child's mental health issues will reflect badly on their parenting (stock image) Advertisement "Its a really major issue," she added. "Weve seen in research that people feel very blamed and that stops them seeking help, and stops them talking about it." The findings follow Prime Minister David Cameron's admission this week that more needs to be done to end the stigma around mental health, as around three-quarters of people facing problems receive no help at all. Infographic supplied by Statista More than 1,000 parents with children under 18 were asked about their worries over mental health problems for the survey, carried out by YouGov. Most parents also believe children are more prone to problems today than when they were growing up, according to the survey. Advertisement Two-thirds (66%) say problems such as depression and anxiety are more prevalent and most blame body image worries and pressure from social media. Four-fifths (81%) of parents blame social media for making their children more vulnerable to mental health problems. Infographic supplied by Statista Peter Fonagy, chief executive of the Anna Freud Centre, said that while children got many social benefits from using the internet, it could also be harmful. "The more electronic media is used by a kid, the poorer their outcomes are in terms of wellbeing," he said. "With each hour of computer use the likelihood of emotional problems goes up." Advertisement Body image was another major concern, with more than two-thirds (69%) of parents thinking their children faced more pressure than they did. Social media and body image are the biggest concerns parents had (stock image) Half of parents (49%) also highlighted the pressure of school work as a factor and a similar proportion (47%) felt children were more socially isolated than they used to be. Research from the Anna Freud Centre last year showed early concern about body image could relate to self-harm later in life for some children. Pressures to look a certain way often comes from other children, Fonagy said. "Most information to young people comes via peers," he said. "There is some from the media but the media probably influences other kids. One way or another, the media starts affecting the whole social group and one thing kids are very vulnerable to is what other children think. Advertisement From the age of six to nine, parents views become less important in a childs life than opinions from others in the playground. But parents still have a vital role in a childs mental wellbeing, he cautioned. "I want to stress that while the parents views may be less important, parental supervision of the child is incredibly important," said Fonagy. "If they are not supervised, even if they seem to be ignoring the views of the parent, that kid is much more likely to go off the rails." One in ten children suffers a mental health problem and half of all adult mental health problems begin before the age of 15, other research suggests. Advertisement The Duchess of Cambridge is guest-editing HuffPost UK's Young Minds Matter series Parents and teachers say more education and conversations are needed to intervene early and reduce the risks. Nearly a quarter (24%) of parents in the HuffPost UK survey worried their children were suffering from mental health problem. The vast majority (85%) said they often spoke to their child about their feelings and a similar proportion (83%) said they were confident in dealing with their childs mental health state. The Anna Freud Centre is calling for at least one member of staff in every school in the country to have some training in childrens mental health. "I think theres lots of really good things going on in schools but its not universal and schools need support, said Wolpert. Those schools that are pioneering need to be showcasing what they are doing." Advertisement "I think its excellent that The Huffington Post UK is doing this work, and more awareness is needed. I think its fantastic that the Duchess of Cambridge has chosen to give a voice to this group that all-too-often gets neglected." Wolpert called for a united approach across different services for children with mental health needs. "Theres an absolutely need for a step-change in relation to how we seek to radically improve the state of childrens mental health care in England," she said. "What we urgently need is to integrate mental health support and services into our education health and social care systems, with services being built around the needs of children and young people and their families and not around the institutions who deliver them." Without the internet, Rebecca believes her bullies would have lost interest beyond the school gates. But in the always online world of social media, her aggressors were able to track her down and continue their abuse outside the classroom. "I was getting bullied verbally face-to-face at school but I was also getting bullied online after school," says Rebecca, now 17. "There were people who would call me up and say mean things to me, and then they would go onto Facebook and write statuses that weren't very pleasant about me. Advertisement "But I didn't want to get off social media because everyone used it and I didn't want to be out of reach. I wanted to have my own online space." Children are spending ever more time on social media (picture posed by model) Yet as children spend more ever more time on social media, experts fear cases such as Rebecca's will become more common. A potent mix of cyberbullying, increased anxiety, stress and sleep deprivation are increasingly linked to mental illness in children, campaigners, doctors and psychologists have told The Huffington Post UK. Advertisement Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat take up an increasing amount of childrens spare time, latest research suggests. An exclusive poll for our Young Minds Matter series, guest edited by The Duchess of Cambridge, of parents found four-fifths (81%) of those surveyed blame social media for making their children more vulnerable to mental health problems. But, according to charity YoungMinds, children have become so used to the pressures of social media they dont recognise the anxiety its causing them. "If you ask young people, I dont think theyre aware of the stress theyre dealing with in terms of this online addiction," the charity's director of media and campaigns, Lucie Russell, said. Advertisement Sleep deprivation is increasingly linked to mental ill health in children (illustration: credit) Countless reports of cyberbullying and trolling suggest aggressive behaviour is worryingly common on social media, leaving young people open to abuse. "They are living their lives in the public domain, there is a constant need for reassurance, asking 'am I OK?' and 'do I look OK?'," Russell says. "A lot of what young people do online makes it a very public way of growing up. "Being online makes you more open to people finding you, bullying you, trolling you. People often think its not as bad as bullying face-to-face but one of the horrible things about it is the pack mentality. "Whole groups are devoted to abuse, particularly on Facebook." British children spend an average of three hours a day on the internet, up by an hour on a year ago, the 2016 Childwise Monitor report found. Among 15- to 16-year-olds, the figure rises to almost five hours. Most admit to visiting social media sites for much of their time online. But, as younger children adopt social networking into their daily routines, they become more and more exposed to the risks to their mental health, experts believe. Advertisement Rebecca now mentors other young people who are experiencing cyberbullying Last year, a University of Glasgow study of 460 Scottish school pupils found children as young as 11 regularly used Facebook and Twitter. Some did so on multiple devices well into the early hours. Researcher Dr Heather Cleland Woods says that her team expected to find that notifications would disrupt sleep through the night. But they quickly learned some children were using social media through the night. "With adolescents we know there is a link between social interactions and self-esteem, that they spend lots of time online and that a lot of that time is spent on social networks," she tells HuffPost UK. "During our study we saw the heaviest users of social media display negative consequences. "We asked the pupils series of questions and found that poorer sleep was linked to emotional investment in social media. Advertisement "The more emotionally invested in social media they were, the poorer sleep they had. "And we know that sleep impacts our health and that anxiety and depression are very closely related to sleep quality." In particular, the 'post first, think later' mentality has some experts deeply worried. "Young people often act first and think of the consequences afterwards; they do not consider how an act now can affect them in future years," Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at Birminghams Woodbourne Priory Hospital, told HuffPost UK. "This can have a profound effect on the self-esteem, mood and anxiety levels. "By posting pictures or comments on social media they open themselves to scrutiny from many more peers than they are used to when doing this in a classroom - and their comments and pictures are now permanent." Lucie Russell is director of Media and Campaigns at YoungMinds For parents, the research gets even more sobering. Almost half of 11- to 16-year-olds say they were bullied on social media, according to a study published by GirlGuiding last year (PDF). Advertisement The girls' biggest concerns were mental health, cyberbullying and not being able to get a job but felt that their mothers and fathers had more prosaic worries such as smoking, drug and alcohol use, and unplanned pregnancy. Dr Cleland Woods believes that such research raises many questions about the links between social media and child mental health. "There is a relationship there," she says, "although we cant say quite how these things are linked exactly without further study." The message for parents is clear: your children will carry on using social media and it will take vigilance and resolve to ensure it does not threaten their mental health. "We need to realise young people are on social media and thats here to stay," Russell says. "Now, its about giving them the skills to manage their online lives and the resilience to bounce back." Advertisement After seeing her sister similarly affected by cyberbullying, Rebecca now mentors other young people suffering distress at the hands of others online. "I decided that because of my own experiences it would be beneficial for me to be involved in mentoring other people about social media," she says. "I'm able to give help from my experiences about what I went through and how I got through it." If you or someone you know have questions about any of the issues raised in this article, get in touch with the Rethink Mental Illness Advice and Information Service Heres why Donald Trump will not be US president, spelled out by the current occupant of the Oval Office. Its not hosting a talk show, or a reality show, said Barack Obama on Tuesday. Its not promotion, its not marketing. Its hard and a lot of people count on us getting it right. Advertisement Obama answers questions during a news conference following the ASEAN leaders summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Rancho Mirage, California, Obama said: "I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people." The president did not say whether he thought Trump could land the Republican Party nomination, but did lambast the GOP for its savage rhetoric during the primary process that leaves foreign observers are troubled. The president said international observers were particularly troubled by the GOP's anti-scientific stance towards climate change and its flirtation with anti-Muslim bigotry. Advertisement In the UK, Trump's November suggestion to ban all Muslims from entering the US in the wake of the Paris massacre sparked a Commons debate on whether the business tycoon should be barred from entering British shores. According to ABC, Trump immediately responded to Obama's dismissal, calling it a "great compliment. Watch the video above... British Home Secretary Theresa May warned on Tuesday that militant extremists are exploiting mass migration and that the Five Eyes security group - the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - must work together to tackle the terrorist threat, alongside the UN and EU in counter-terrorism forces. "I am clear that defeating terrorism requires a global response, and that we will not succeed by acting in isolation, she said during a speech in Washington. This is the challenge of our generation," May added. "Extremism is spreading, threatening and taking lives, not just in our countries but in other lands. It thrives in the disorder created by fragile and failing states. It is contributing to, and in some cases exploiting, mass migration. It is turning the benefits of modern technology to its twisted ends." Advertisement Secretary of State for Home Affairs Theresa May delivers her speech to delegates in the third day of the Conservative Party annual conference at Manchester Central Convention Centre Civil war and the rise of the Islamic State group has sparked an exodus of refugees from Syria and Iraq in recent years, with some reports suggesting militants are using the migration to gain access to Europe. A January report by Europol said there was no "concrete evidence" to suggests terrorist are using the flow of refugees to enter the European continent, but said some refugee centres are being "targeted" by Islamic extremist recruiters. Advertisement May warned the Five Eyes partners that counter-terrorism was no longer the "two separate entities" of domestic and international. "If we are to deal with this threat effectively, we can no longer look simply to domestic solutions, she said. "There must be international co-operation, a common approach, free flows of intelligence and information, and the closing of technological gaps which the extremists exploit. Because it is no good arresting a person in your own country if they cannot be brought to justice in theirs," May added. The Tory Party MP argued that there is no point having world-class aviation security at home if people are not properly screened at airports abroad. BBC Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has said he will publish his tax return after facing a grilling over his tax status. "I think all candidates should in this election. If this is something the candidates agree to do then I will of course do that. I fully anticipate doing that," he told BBC Newsnight on Tuesday evening. Advertisement In response, a spokesperson for Labour candidate Sadiq Khan told The Huffington Post UK that Khan would also publish his tax return. Last night, Newsnight presenter Evan Davis asked Goldsmith whether his own tax affairs compromised his ability to speak out against the activities of multi-nationals, such as Google, which have been accused of tax avoidance. Until 2010, Goldsmith, a millionaire, held a non-dom tax status which he inherited from his father, Sir James Goldsmith. People with the status must pay tax on their UK earnings, but do not have to pay tax on any foreign income. The peculiarly British status is seen as the preserve of the rich - as it comes with a price in the form of an annual payment to the Treasury. Advertisement "I have always been tax resident in the UK," Goldsmith told Davis. "I have always paid full tax on my income in the UK since I've been paying tax since I was 18." "Let me just explain, my father died around 20 years ago. I became non-dom at age 20 or 21. Being non-dom allows you to make lifestyle choices to avoid paying tax." He added: "I've never been accused of not paying tax." During the interview, Davis pressed the Tory MP on why his family's office was in Geneva when he was running to be mayor of London - a city with a healthy financial services sector. "I have a huge family that covers every continent in the world, more or less. I am one of very many siblings and members of the family. My father was an international businessman. He established an overseas trust before he died," Goldsmith said. Advertisement "I am a beneficiary of that trust. I have absolutely no control over it. Goldsmith added: "What I do have control over is the income I get. And that income I get is subject to the full tax regime in the UK and has always has been." Asked whether he would publish his tax return in the course of his mayoral campaign battle against Labour's Sadiq Khan, he said: "Of course I will." "I think all candidates should in this election. If this is something the candidates agree to do then I will of course do that. I fully anticipate doing that," he said. Labour MP Neil Coyle told The Huffington Post UK: "Zac Goldsmith needs to come clean about his non-dom status and the offshore trust which he holds wealth and property in. "It's not enough just to say he pays UK tax - that's the minimum anyone expects of a candidate for Mayor. Londoners will want to be assured that the Conservative candidate for Mayor is not using any loopholes to gain an unfair advantage. Advertisement Apple CEO Tim Cook has written an astonishing open letter defying the US Government following a magistrate order that Apple build a 'backdoor' into the iPhone's operating system. Advertisement Tim Cook has published an open letter on Apple's website defying the government request. This would allow the FBI to access the phone belonging to one of the shooters responsible for the San Bernardino attack that took place last year. In the letter penned 'A message to our customers', Cook explains the specifics of the request that has been made and declares that the US Government have "asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create." The iPhone has a number of 'self-destruct' mechanisms built in which mean that if an incorrect passcode is entered more than ten times the key which encrypts the entire phone is destroyed. So far the FBI have been unable to access the phone without then risking the complete destruction of all the data held inside. Advertisement To try and get around these security mechanisms the FBI have demanded that Apple create a tool which will let them access the phone. The FBI want a 'backdoor' through the encryption which currently protects every iPhone. "Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features," explains Cook. The Apple CEO goes on to explain that, "In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession." Praising the FBI for their work Cook argues that Apple has done everything in its power to help. "We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them." Advertisement However in the last paragraph of the letter the CEO gives a damning evaluation of what this could mean for the future - calling the FBI's demands 'chilling'. "If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyones device to capture their data." argues Cook. "The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phones microphone or camera without your knowledge." "Opposing this order is not something we take lightly." This is not the first time that Apple, and indeed Tim Cook, have spoken up against the concept of creating a 'backdoor' into encrypted devices like the iPhone. Advertisement The new bill would give MI5 and MI6 remote hacking capabilities on phones and computers. In an interview with the Telegraph, Cook said there would be 'dire consequences' if the UK government's Investigatory Powers Bill attempted to include a clause which also required the existence of a 'backdoor' through encryption. Were walking through an "ivory tower", a few doors away from where the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, spent his final years. Advertisement The "tower", as Dr Dickon Bevington calls it, is the Anna Freud Centre, named after the great man's daughter and herself a founding figure in the study of children's mental health. Forget the caricature Hollywood psychiatrist in a pristine white lab coat, Dr Bevington couldn't be more approachable in his jeans and an open-necked shirt as he leads me past a colourful coat stand for children and into a room filled with Lego. On the left: Dr Dickon Bevington, medical director at the Anna Freud Centre. On the right: Anna Freud, a pioneer in the field of child psychoanalysis Advertisement "Thirty to 40 years ago we thought we could put kids into a childhood machine and they would pop out and we would deal with the problems later," says Dr Bevington, the centres medical director or, as he puts it, "the shrink". Downstairs at the Anna Freud Centre, which is at the forefront of research into child mental health, a roomful of health professionals are being trained to help young people deal with trauma. In the waiting area, a couple catch my eye and flash a nervous smile. The centre also offers assessments of families and children for court cases. "Very early in my career, I remember talking to an old acquaintance about mental health. The response was, 'Wouldn't it be better if these people were just put down?' You can't get more offensive than that," says Dr Bevington, laughing in disbelief. It's a theme which runs strong through my tour, part of The Huffington Post UK's Young Minds Matter series, guest edited by The Duchess of Cambridge. Advertisement Mental health experts have always had an uphill battle when it comes to asserting the importance of their work and research involving children has been neglected more than just about anything else. However, Dr Bevington is an optimist and he means to be encouraging when he says: "Mental health today is where general medicine was 100 years ago." Although this might not sound like progress, the more we talk, the more it becomes clear how far care for children has come. "Nearly 50 to 60 years ago babies weren't given anaesthetic during operations because it was thought they couldnt feel pain," he says, nodding (and smiling) in acknowledgement of my silent shock. The assumption was that the adolescent brain was the same as an adult brain, except it needed more training. Advertisement "The brain is the organ of the mind. We're just beginning to get to the point where we can really explore it on multiple levels," he adds. "Broadly speaking, we have a theoretical understanding." I spot a camera as we continue our walk through the building. Dr Bevington tells me it is used to capture footage that therapists can later analyse. Play areas in the Anna Freud Centre where therapists can meet with families and children to analyse and discuss behaviour. In the top right corner, a camera records each session Research is very much the heart and soul of the Anna Freud Centre. But work in the field is being held back because children with mental health issues don't have a voice, Dr Bevington believes. Advertisement While copious amounts of money pours into tackling higher-profile problems, such as cancer, research on mental health in children is severely underfunded. Most cancer sufferers are much older when they get ill and know how to articulate their stories, says Dr Bevington. "Mental health has always been massively stigmatised," he adds. "People are terribly alarmed at the idea and want to make it completely different from our ordinary lives. The reality is that one in ten children under the age of 16 have a diagnosable condition." Nonetheless, research into children's mental health is focusing on prevention rather than cure. Early intervention is crucial. "We're essentially growing the brain that will help the children navigate the rest of their lives," says Dr Bevington. "If you intervene early there is a real genuine hope to alter the trajectory of a young person's life in a way that, if you pick them up at 25 or 26, they're largely set in what they've got." Advertisement Dr Bevington's eyes light up as he talks about his patients. "The young people I work with - they're inspiring. They manage life situations that most of us would be crushed by." He is wonderfully apt at avoiding an 'us and them' mentality when talking about young people with mental health issues. "We know that all of us are vulnerable," he says. "Most of us had points in our lives where we have had crisis and know that we werent thinking as clearly as we should have." To explain how much progress is being made in the field, Dr Bevington likens the approaches used by mental health professionals to looking at the same problem through different lenses. "In the last five to ten years, we have realised that a lot of these models are quite different in the way they make sense of the problems," he explains. Advertisement The cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) model makes sense of human behaviour by diving into thoughts, feelings and behaviours. "If a child starts to have fearful thoughts this could make them believe the world is a dangerous place and, therefore, they choose to stay in their bedroom," says Dr Bevington. "A CBT therapist would approach this by helping them test the truth of some of those thoughts." A systemic therapist, however, believes this behaviour is part of a wider problem, such as alcoholic parents, which then demands a solution for the entire family and not just the child. Other therapists use a model which looks at a child's deep-seated fears. Inside a research room at the Anna Freud Centre But it's the models themselves that have often slowed progress in the field, Dr Bevington believes. "Twenty years ago we were invited to have more interest and expertise in the model than in the patient," he explains. Advertisement This led to a "tribal battle" between the models. Now, the emphasis is on a more collaborative approach, moving beyond these competing ideas. Dr Bevington divides his time between NHS work and the Anna Freud Centre and appears to have an endless supply of patience and understanding. He prefers a mentalisation-based approach to treatment. It is "a very conscious attempt to draw on all three models and bring them together with brain science", he says. "It makes sense of your behaviour by helicoptering my imagination into your shoes." Seeking a greater understanding of the approach, I call Dr Bevington the next evening. "Well, let's see," he says. "Why is Nitya calling me on a Saturday eveningwell, she must have a deadline and she must need to fix something." He begins to "mentalise" me and, though I'm grateful for a little psychotherapy, I start to get a sense of what his patients must feel when they visit him. Advertisement "Before 1996, 'mentalisation' was never a searched term in Google," he adds. "Now there are hundreds of thousands of searches. "The research is leading us to a brand that looks at the common factors that make these treatments effective." Critically, it is now more about the patient than the type of psychotherapy. Says Dr Bevington: "Whether or not you explain the problems by the CBT or systemic model is less important than a practitioner having a map to make sense of the problem and, more importantly, the therapist needing to create more trust between them, the child and family." EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) is among the emerging new therapies which lend themselves to helping primary school children. It helps them overcome "vivid, unwanted, repeated recollections of traumatic events," simply using eye movements. Advertisement "Why it works wonderfully well is that it doesn't require a complicated level of understanding or language," according to child therapist Nick Adams. "You're moving your finger in front of the childs eyes for 15 seconds and then you stop and ask the child to draw a picture of what is in their mind right now after the moment." With time, the negative imagery associated with a particular memory, decreases. The Anna Freud Centre Dr Bevington refers to these highly specialised areas of psychiatry as "magic bullets" part of the solution but not the entire answer. "Health professionals like me need to get more confident in how to spot key warning signs," he says. "You have to have more of a democratisation of mental health care rather than thinking 'it's a bit spooky, it's a bit frightening' and 'maybe the shrinks are madder than anyone else'. We've got to move beyond that." Advertisement One of the bigger disappointments in addressing mental health in children has been the pharmaceutical industrys offerings. "There are no game-changing new medicines available," Dr Bevington says, "partly because the pharmaceutical industry is not interested in developing drugs for children with mental health problems, because it's difficult to pay for trials for children." According to Dr Bevington, therapists are wary of using medications for fear the mental health condition might change. "I'm very pragmatic," he adds. "I prescribe medicine, when the risk of not prescribing is greater than the risk of prescribing." While some of the answers in solving this crisis may lie in sciences magic bullets, Dr Bevington has a bigger dream for how we address the problem. Advertisement "I would like to see mental health stigma addressed with a similar level of robustness and enthusiasm that has been applied to racism and sexism at the government, social and cultural level," he says. "Just creating an environment where you can talk about these things that is magic." Police have launched an appeal for a human sex trafficker of no fixed abode almost two years after he failed to show at court after being granted bail. Florin Radu was convicted in his absence of human trafficking, controlling prostitution for gain and assault at Minshull Street Crown Court in October 2015, but has been missing since March 2014. The 30-year-old was arrested at Luton Airport on March 6 of that year and later bailed to re-appear in court for trial - but he never turned up. Advertisement Police on Wednesday launched an appeal for the "predator", conceding he "truly could be anywhere". Police are hunting human trafficker Florin Radu who has been missing since March 2014 after failing to return to court after being bailed Greater Manchester Police said that sometime in August 2013 a 23-year-old woman came to the UK from Romania believing that she would be starting work as a waitress. Shortly after arriving in the UK the woman was introduced through a friend she travelled with, to Radu, in Dudley. Advertisement Over the following months, police said, the victim was moved around a number of residential addresses and hotels in the Midlands and North West of England including the Fallowfield, Oldham and Wigan areas of Greater Manchester where she was forced to prostitute herself. Radu took all of her earnings, police said, and any time she refused to engage in sexuality activity he beat her. While at an address in Oldham, in November 2013, the victim managed to escape and flag down a passing police car. She then recalled her "horrific ordeal" to officers. Police said Radu is believed to have links across the West Midlands, specifically the Dudley, Wolverhapton and Coventry areas, as well as Luton and areas across Greater Manchester. Detective Constable Simon Hurdley of the Greater Manchester Police Sexual Crime Unit said: We have been trying to trace Radu for some time and have exhausted all methods and so I would now like to ask for the publics help to find him. Advertisement He is a predator who preyed on a vulnerable woman who believed that she was coming to the UK for a better life before he got hold of her and made her life a misery, putting her through one horrific ordeal after another. We know he has links across the West Midlands and Greater Manchester as some other areas such as Luton so he truly could be anywhere." A breastfeeding mum of triplets has praised an airline for giving her a free First Class seat to pump milk during her flight. Jenna Mde explained how important it was for her to not miss a breast-pumping session, especially when travelling. She publicly thanked the airline on Facebook for making her time away from her babies "a bit more bearable". Advertisement Mde wrote on Facebook: "Yesterday, two flight attendants, Kaitlin K and Loretta, on my flight from Atlanta to Dallas-Love Field, allowed me to sit in an empty first class seat for more space and privacy while I pumped in flight." "They offered me snacks and provided tons of water during my pumping session," she continued. "Additionally, on my return flight this afternoon, the Dallas-Love Field gate attendant, Talesa, offered me an empty first class seat so I could do the same. "I am incredibly grateful for the lengths these individuals took to make my role as mumma much easier and impressed by the advocacy this company has provided for breast-feeding and pumping. Advertisement "Thank you Delta for making being away from my babies a bit more bearable." The post, which Mde wrote on 13 February, has been shared more than 3,200 times in four days. Delta Airlines noticed the Facebook post and thanked Mde for sharing her positive experience. "We are very happy to hear that Kaitlin and Loretta were able to be there for you when needed," they commented on the post. "We would love to recognise them and pass your kinds words along as we know they would be very touched and happy to know this. Thank you for choosing Delta, we hope to serve you well in the future." Mde's post encouraged other mums to share their positive experiences of the airline. Kari Cobham said that during a connecting flight in Miami, she was unable to find a place to pump. "There was nowhere but restrooms," she wrote. "It was getting painful and close to my flight. When I explained this to a Delta agent, she let me use the Delta lounge. And I wasn't even flying Delta. "I almost cried at her kindness. And guess what? I always fly Delta now unless it's not available. Thanks for being awesome to nursing mums." Advertisement Another person noted Delta's pro-breastfeeding policy, commenting: "Whenever we have flown with them they always make sure to tell me before take off 'also, we are pro-breastfeeding at Delta so if that is something you do feel free to at any time during your flight'. "Not that I needed the permission, but good for them for making the extra effort to make us feel welcome." Ed Miliband's office has postponed a scheduled talk at Oxford University's Labour Club following reports of anti-Semitism within the society. On Wednesday, a spokesman said the former Labour leader was "deeply disturbed" over accusations of bigotry, adding he will not speak at the society until an investigation had been concluded. Ed Miliband speaks at London's Methodist Central Hall, during a rally staged by community organising charity Citizens UK in 2015 Advertisement Many grandees from the Partys history have passed through the august body, including former Labour leader Michael Foot and former Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Ed Miliband was due to give a lecture on March 4. On Wednesday, John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, called on Jeremy Corbyn to "personally look into" the claims after undergraduate Alex Chalmers resigned as co-chairman, claiming many members "have some kind of problem with Jews" and some sympathise with Islamic militant group Hamas. Chalmers, who revealed his resignation in a Facebook post earlier this week, quit over the clubs backing of Israel Apartheid Week. The university's Jewish Society has also lodged complaint against the Club's alleged indulgence in anti-Semitic songs. Following the allegations of anti-Semitic behaviour at Oxford Labour Club, Labour Students have launched an immediate investigation. Labour Students (@LabourStudents) February 17, 2016 Advertisement A spokesman for the Doncaster MP told the Press Association: "Ed is deeply disturbed to hear of reports of anti-Semitism in the Oxford University Labour Club. It is right that the executive of the club has roundly condemned the comments and fully co-operates with the Labour Students' investigation. Ed and the Labour Club have agreed that his talk should be postponed until the investigation is resolved." On Wednesday, the Israeli embassy in London said it was "appalled" by the claims. We would not expect such disgraceful activity from any morally upright person let alone students at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, a spokesman said. Alex Chalmers: Members 'have some kind of problem with Jews' MP Louise Ellman, vice chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel, added similar regrets over the "troubling tone of the discourse" over the Israel Apartheid Week debate. Labour Students, which oversees the Oxford club, said it had launched an investigation, adding: We will fully co-operate with this and encourage any of our members to come forward with any information that will assist the process." Advertisement It is with the greatest regret that I have decided to resign as Co-Chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. This... Posted by Alex Chalmers on Monday, 15 February 2016 British Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, June 26, 2015. European leaders have tasked finance ministers from the euro countries with concluding a debt financing agreement with Greece over the weekend, just days before Athens has to meet a crucial debt deadline. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Virginia Mayo/AP On Friday David Cameron is expected to trigger the start of the European Union referendum campaign, with June 23 the most likely date for the vote. But do other European Union nations actually want Britain to stay? A poll of Europeans conducted by Lord Ashcroft and published today reveals the other member states' attitude towards Brexit. Advertisement A majority of people in all 27 other EU member states would prefer the United Kingdom remain part of the bloc. Overall 60% of those asked did not want to see Brexit with just 10% believing the EU would be better off without the UK. Of those asked, 30% said it did not matter whether Britain remained or left. People in Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Spain were the most keen for the UK to stay in the EU. While those in Austria, Cyprus, France and Luxembourg were happiest for Britain to quit the union. However while Europeans want British voters to choose to stay onboard, they are less keen on Britain being given special treatment in order to persuade it to remain. Advertisement The poll asked which of these statements was closest to the respondents view: "It is important that the UK should remain a member of the EU, so I would be happy for other countries to agree to change the terms of the UKs membership if that makes it more likely that the UK will stay within the EU." Or "If the UK does not like the terms of EU membership it should leave there is no need for other countries to agree to change its terms of membership." Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Romania were happy for the UK's membership to be changed if it would keep it in the EU. Calls from police for a man who is "begging" to be shunned and reported to the authorities has led to an overwhelming surge of offers to help him instead. The Wigan East branch of Greater Manchester Police sparked outrage on Tuesday when a post on the force's Facebook page asked people not to "encourage" the man's "behaviour" by giving him money. After hundreds commented on the post, police were forced to back track on Wednesday, admitting that they could have chosen their words more carefully. Advertisement Greater Manchester Police posted this message to Facebook on Tuesday The message read: "It has been brought to our attention there is a male begging in a public place near to Tesco, Hindley. "We request that members of the community do not encourage this behaviour by giving him money. "Sec 3 Vagrancy Act - Begging in A Public Place any person sighting persons committing this offence please contact the Police on 101." More than 800 comments have been left on the post so far, with many labelling it as "disgusting". Commenters also offered assistance to the man. Advertisement Katrina Lawrie wrote: "Who is up for getting a nice banquet together and going finding this fella who's heinous crime is being homeless and desperate for a few quid to get buy. "We could take a fold out table and all eat together. I'm not sure GMP could arrest us all." Bert Scernert added: "I live near tesco in hindley.[sic] "I'm gonna go down tonight and give the poor fella a couple of quid, cheers for the heads up." After the police's post there was a surge of offers to help the man [file image] Shelby Wills said: "What ever happened to human decency and a bit of compassion. These people don't chose to be homeless. Stop wasting valuable police time and catch some real criminals. "I'm sure you'd rather people volunteer to give them money/food than them have to steal and actually break the god dam [sic] law." GMP said that the post was well-meaning, but admitted that they could have been more careful with their choice of words. Advertisement A GMP spokesperson said: "This post was put online with good intentions, however the choice of words that were used could have been better. "Although we receive relatively few complaints in connection with aggressive begging and there is a clear distinction between those who beg aggressively and harass members of the public and those who do not, giving money to beggars can fuel this problem. "What the post should have said is that rather than giving money to people who are sat outside, we would encourage the public to donate that money to a charity that can provide these people with the support that they need." The man has been seen begging near to Tesco, in Hindley, police said. The Hindley store has a history of helping those who are homeless. Last year, Tesco donated food to the Brick charity, which helps homeless people living in Wigan Borough to access housing, advice and support. Food for homeless @Brick_Homeless thank you to Tesco Hindley pic.twitter.com/ohcvBq5cUl Sacred Heart RCP (@HindleyGrSacred) October 13, 2015 Advertisement For an adult suffering with a mental health problem, talking about how theyre feeling can be difficult. Advertisement So, for a child with limited language skills, opening up about their feelings can be almost impossible. Thats where art therapy comes in. It uses activities, such as painting, to help children understand and discuss thoughts they may find distressing. "We know that children who cant understand or name their feelings are more likely to 'act them out', so art therapy can provide relief to a child whose only previous option was to dissolve into tears or have an angry outburst in response to overwhelming feelings," explains Mary-Rose Brady, director of operations at the British Association of Art Therapists. "Art materials enable children to externalise troubling or confusing emotions, giving them form and enabling them to make links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, perhaps for the first time." Advertisement Art materials enable children to externalise troubling or confusing emotions (picture posed by model) Debbie Thwaites, founder of art therapy charity Shine Again*, believes it can help youngsters in a way regular talking therapy cant. She suffered from an eating disorder as a child and had "the kind of therapy where you sit in a room with a therapist and if you dont say anything, the therapist doesnt say anything". She adds: "Talking therapy didnt work for me at all. Kids arent able to intellectually discuss their triggers." Advertisement Thwaites didnt begin to recover from her eating disorder until she joined a church-led support group aged 18. Now a psychotherapist, she believes she would have recovered sooner if art therapy had been available to her. At Shine Again, Thwaites and her team run one-to-one sessions in primary schools with children who have been identified by teachers or social workers as needing extra help. "We have children with low self-esteem and children with selective mutism - usually something has happened and, as a result, they have chosen to stop speaking," she explains. "We also have children with depression and Ive had one year five child who tried to [take his own life]." During a session, a child comes into a room laid out with paints, instruments and puppets and chooses a task. Although Shine Again also offers music and dance therapy, Thwaites says most children will opt for arts and crafts. "One young boy I saw just wanted to paint poo. He wasnt able to say 'this person is making me feel like poo', but he was able to get all the brown and black colours out, make a big mess and say 'thats what I feel like'," she says. The therapists will chat to the child about what theyve drawn or made and sometimes suggest using puppets if theyre having difficulty expressing themselves. "Ive had a child using the puppets to demonstrate their mum getting drunk and another using them to show a parent taking an overdose," Thwaites says. Advertisement "Using puppets almost gives them permission to say these things out loud because theyre saying them in the context of a story." A group session at The Art Room, who practise what they call "art as therapy" In contrast to the one-to-one approach adopted by Shine Again, charity The Art Room works with three adults and eight children in each group. Founded by Juli Beattie, the charity works with children aged five to 16 experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some of them have become disengaged from school or are at risk of exclusion. Rather than focus on specific mental health issues that a pupil may or may not have been diagnosed with, Art Room practitioners take a holistic approach. Advertisement Pupils are encouraged to create artworks on objects, such as clocks and lamps, as its thought to be less intimidating than being handed a blank sheet of paper. "Its a really good way to get them to talk about themselves as theyll paint things on to objects that matter to them," Beattie says. Discussions are led by the children, with practitioners taking a step back to listen to the pupils interacting. Beattie explains: "A group of boys were painting clocks and one of them said 'Im going to give this to my dad'. Another boy said: 'But I thought you didnt like your dad, I thought your dad pushed your mum down the stairs'. And the first boy said: 'No, thats not this step-dad, that was my other step-dad'. "It gives us an opportunity to listen to their difficulties and it gives them an opportunity to say them but in a very safe environment." Advertisement Afterwards, a practitioner will talk to the group about relevant issues such as domestic violence and how that experience might make a person feel. Social services are informed if a child safety issue has been raised and pupils will sometimes go on to have more conventional individual therapy. "The children realise that we cant take away what has happened three or four years ago and we cant always change the environment they live in but we can give them the skills to be able to say 'something is wrong' or 'I dont feel well'," Beattie says. A clock decorated by a student at The Art Room The method works. The mother of one nine-year-old says The Art Room helped after her husband died unexpectedly in front of her children. Advertisement "My daughter refused to talk about her father and what she saw and, a week later, she just stopped talking altogether," she says. "After a few weeks at The Art Room she began to talk about her dad and him dying and how sad and angry and upset she was. "The box she made at The Art Room is beautiful and she put this on her father's grave. I think its really helped her to cope with our family's loss." Both Beattie and Thwaites believe helping children with their communication skills when theyre most vulnerable will limit their mental health problems as teenagers and adults. "Eating disorders and self-harm come from young children bottling up feelings," Thwaites says. "By sorting out problems early they are a lot less prone to these issues later on." Beattie adds: "This is not only about helping children affected by mental health problems, its about avoiding mental health problems." Advertisement Young Minds Matter is a new series designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the UKs mental health crisis among children. To blog on the site as part of Young Minds Matter email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com Many adults struggle to discuss mental health with their friends, so it's little wonder they find it difficult to talk to their children about it. More than half (55%) of parents in England have never broached the topic with their children, according to research on behalf of the Time to Change campaign. Advertisement But, as one in five children will have a mental health issue by the time they are 11, it's vital parents find ways to approach the conversation. As Dr Fiona Pienaar, from children's mental health charity Place2Be, explains: "Addressing issues as early as possible and helping children think about how to cope with difficult situations, can help prevent problems from spiraling and becoming more complex later in life." With this in mind, The Huffington Post UK sought the advice of child psychologists and children's charities to learn how parents can discuss issues such as stress, anxiety and depression in a way that ensures children feel loved, valued and listened to. Advertisement More than half of parents in England have never talked about mental health with their children (picture posed by models) Don't Underestimate Your Child Children are never too young to talk about mental health. We're not suggesting you try to get a four-year-old to add terms such as depression or bipolar to their vocabulary but there are age-appropriate ways you can discuss mental wellbeing. "Naming feelings such as sad, worried, excited, angry can help children think about and understand their own emotions, as well as how they cope when something is difficult," says Dr Pienaar. "You could say 'I've noticed it looks like youre feeling sad' or ask them open questions such as 'Tell me about something you found difficult today? How did you manage?'" Helping children develop the language necessary to talk about feelings is crucial. "Being unable to identify or discuss emotions can be a key factor in problems with mental health both in childhood and adolescence," says Dr Joanna Livingstone, head of psychological services at AXA PPP healthcare. Advertisement Feeling comfortable with the term "mental health" is also important, says 22-year-old Tamanna Miah, who became an activist for charity YoungMinds after experiencing depression and anxiety as a child. "The words 'mental health' almost never came up as a child and when they did, it was like they were describing another type of person 'a crazy person'," she explains. "Mental health was seen as a taboo subject, something that shouldnt be talked about openly. "I wish my parents had spoken to me about the issue of mental health and the underlying issues behind it such as abuse and bullying. "There was never an opportunity to be open and discuss important issues such as these. If there was, then things would have definitely have turned out to be better." Katharine Hill, UK director at charity Care for the Family, advises parents to describe mental health in terms children can understand. Advertisement "You could start by explaining that mental health is about our range of emotions and how we cope with our lives and that mental health can fluctuate, just like our physical health, from day to day," she says. "Try to dispel any myths surrounding mental illness such as 'only weak people suffer from it' and explain that it is just like other medical illnesses, in that help is available should they ever need it." Talking about mental health helps ensure children feel loved (picture posed by model) Don't Underestimate Yourself Children aren't the only ones who may struggle to find the right words. If youre worried that you dont know enough about mental health to talk about it with your children, take the pressure off. You dont have to be an expert. "Dont avoid these conversations because they make you uncomfortable," says Jeremy Todd, chief executive of charity Family Lives. Advertisement "You dont need to have all the answers, you just have to listen. In fact, the feedback children give us is that if a parent is simply seeking to resolve the situation, ultimately the child feels quite dismissed. "They just want to feel heard and know that if they need further support you will help them find it." Three Little Words When was the last time you asked your child: 'How are you?' It's a question you can't ask often enough. As hard as you may find it to broach the subject of mental health with your child, theyre likely to feel even more timid about bringing up their emotions with you. So, it's important to provide plenty of opportunities for them to talk. "Whether it's in the car or around the dinner table, creating a regular space for conversation about how your day has been can instill good habits in children, which will make it much easier for them to come to you if they have a problem in future," says Dr Pienaar. "Dont forget to comment when they talk about healthy ways they have coped with a challenging situation, such as asking for help, or trying a different approach." Advertisement How To Start Conversations About Emotions Graham Doke, founder of meditation and wellness centre Anamaya, advises: Finding Feelings: If your child is expressing a feeling, encourage them to describe it in detail. Let them try to find where it hurts physically in the body Guessing Games: Play a game in which you take turns to express emotions without using words. Instead, use facial expressions, gestures, or movements, while the other guesses the emotion Reading: When reading books, talk about the emotions the characters in the story must have experienced. Ask how and why they know the characters feel in that way Dont Go In All Guns Blazing Think back to when you were a child. How did you feel when your mum or dad wouldnt let something go? If your child's not ready to talk, don't push them. "Take it easy," advises Dr Bernadka Dubicka, vice-chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. "Slip in open questions initially, know when to stop, don't force it, remember children dont always want to tell parents everything. That's OK, but let them know that you are there if they want to talk." Emma Saddleton, YoungMinds helpline operations manager, adds: "Reassure your child by making it clear you are not angry, ashamed or embarrassed. Advertisement "Try to start a conversation when you are both feeling calm. Explain why you are worried and acknowledge your observations of any changes in behaviour, sleeping or eating. Explain that if the time isnt right today, your door is always open." Fight Your Urge To Wrap Children In Cotton Wool "None of us want our kids to be unhappy but all of us as adults accept that life is sometimes an unhappy place, so fighting that instinct to make everything better is best for your child," says Jeremy Todd. "Let them know its OK to feel sad, anxious or stressed and that you're there to support them." Dr Pienaar said that from Place2Be's work in primary schools she's learned young children are affected by a huge range of challenges, such as coping with a bereavement or illness, coming to terms with parents separating, bullying, witnessing domestic violence or substance misuse at home. Parents may think that by not discussing these issues with their children they're protecting them but the opposite is true. Advertisement "I've listened to eight-year-olds tell me in great detail about what they find stressful in life and the issues they describe are often remarkably similar to those faced by adults," said Dr Pienaar. "So it's important parents are aware that children are impacted by life's challenges, too, even if it's not immediately obvious from their behaviour." Conversations about mental health don't have to be formal (picture posed by models) Let Go Of Guilt "Parents may feel responsible for their child's unhappiness and this may make them become defensive and unwilling to engage," says Todd. "Parents need to recognise it's not about them. It's a normal part of the child's growing up and they need to feel safe to express a whole range of emotions." Advertisement Dont Wear A Mask "Parents may feel they have to hide their own emotions from their children but this can be counter-productive and risks encouraging them to do the same," explains Dr Pienaar. "If youve had a tough day at work, or you're feeling exhausted or worried about something, it's OK to tell your child without overwhelming them. "Make sure you explain what you're doing to cope with the situation and manage your emotions whether it's having a relaxing bath or perhaps chatting to a friend or even just having a big hug. "Looking after your own mental health and wellbeing is the first step towards supporting that of your child." You Dont Have To Go It Alone If you're struggling to talk to your child about mental health, don't give up. There's plenty of support available. Advertisement As Peter Fonagy, chief executive of the Anna Freud Centre explains: We somehow expect people to be able to parent intuitively or instinctively but it is actually a difficult job. "We know that various group-based parenting interventions are extremely helpful because they offer skills in managing difficult behaviour but also mutual support from other parents." For more help: Reach out to your childs school or GP Check out online resources at www.MindEd.org.uk Call YoungMinds Parents helpline: 0808 802 5544 (open Mon-Fri 9:30am-4pm) Call Family Lives free helpline: 0808 800 2222 or chat with other parents in the charity's forum The number of doctors applying for permits to leave the NHS and work abroad surged by nearly 1,700% on the day Jeremy Hunt announced plans to impose a new pay and conditions and conditions contract on them. The health secretary, who pioneered controversial measures that led to a spate of strikes, announced the changes on Thursday, coinciding with 300 medics requesting 'Certificates of Good Standing' (CGSs) in one day up from an average of just 17 a day in January. Advertisement Jeremy Hunt imposed the contract on NHS workers last week CGSs are the international-standard document used to evidence doctors' fitness to practice and are required by most big medical companies abroad to verify how long and at what level workers have been in the profession. Each junior doctor costs the taxpayer around 300,000 to train. If all those applying for permits to work abroad did leave the National Health Service, some 90 million worth of investment in medics would be lost. But the tide did not stop on Thursday - with Friday, February 12, seeing 109 applications for CGS from doctors, according to administrative body the General Medical Council. It means 482 people have this month applied for permits that will enable them to leave the country and work elsewhere. Advertisement Many medics rallied against the contract proposals Hundreds have already confirmed plans to ditch England and head for Wales or Scotland - some even saying they plan to head as far afield as Australia. After Hunt announced to the Commons his plans to impose the long fought-over contract on junior doctors, his opposite number on the Labour frontbench, Heidi Alexander, declared the health secretary and become "the recruiting segeant" for the Australian health service. Jonathan Barnes, one junior medic, told the BBC at the time that the number of young GPs and hospital doctors applying for overseas jobs was at an all-time high. "If these changes are imposed there could be a mass exodus of doctors," he said. The medic had his prediction almost immediately confirmed, with the Welsh government keenly stepping in to snap up doctors looking for work elsewhere. Advertisement #Juniordoctors from any part of the UK interested in working in Wales will find a very warm welcome here Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) February 11, 2016 In a statement, a Department of Health spokesperson told The Huffington Post UK: Medicine is an attractive career and the NHS is one of the best healthcare systems in the world. This is a fair, safe, reasonable contract 90 per cent of it agreed with the BMA. As we move towards implementation we hope junior doctors see the much improved offer on the table compared to their current contract. Changes to visa rules that mean firms would be taxed 1,000 a year for employing a skilled migrant from outside Europe would also lead to hundreds of UK doctors leaving the NHS every year, the BMA has said. Advertisement Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the first-ever Unite Scotland policy conference at the Golden Jubilee Hotel, Clydebank, Glasgow. Andrew Milligan/PA Wire A senior member of the Falkland Island's government has rubbished claims Jeremy Corbyn poses a bigger threat to the the overseas territory's sovereignty than Argentina. Michael Summers, who has represented islanders on the Legislative Assembly since 1996 and chaired several executive committees, smacked down the comments disparaging Labour's leader by defence secretary Michael Fallon. Advertisement Conservative cabinet minister Fallon insisted late last night: "The biggest threat at the moment isnt Argentina, its Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party who want to override the wishes of the islanders." Labour's official position is in fact to allow islanders self-determination rights, although Corbyn has said he wants to open a "dialogue" with the Argentinian government. A 2013 referendum on the matter found 99.8% of those balloted voted to retain allegiance to the UK. He later admitted to BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme on Wednesday that Corbyn had not called for "giving the islands up". Advertisement Fallon admitted Corbyn did not want to give up the islands But speaking today, Summers admonished the allegations peddled by Fallon. An ex-serving member of the governing 'Executive Council', he said on the biggest threat to remaining part of Britain: "It's undoubtably Argentina and the Argentinian general app to the Falklands. "Mr Corbyn has his views. We've been advising him to listen to Falkland islanders so he properly understands modern developments to our way of life. "But I don't think he's a threat." Fallon is in the Falklands today to pay tribute to British casualties of the Falklands War, becoming the first defence secretary to visit the territory in 14 years. Jeremy Corbyn's spokesperson told The Huffington Post: "Michael Fallon is inventing his own stories and commenting on them. Advertisement "Most of us have been brought up to believe we arent good enough and the brokenness we feel is our fault. And, if we work harder, we can fix it. "It is extraordinary how long this goes on for and how long it persists." These are the words of Dr Mark Williams, who is just about as big as it gets in the world of mindfulness. Advertisement When he utters them at a Mindfulness in Schools Project conference in London, hundreds of people from students to teachers - fall still as they recognise these words from within themselves. The conference brings together those who want to introduce mindfulness in their schools with teachers who practise it and students who have tried it. Students at Hall Meadow School in a mindfulness class Mindfulness for those who are unsure is the practice of being present in the moment. If that sounds too vague, it means giving yourself room to take a step back from what you are doing and breathe or, as Dr Williams would say, 'to examine the weather pattern in your head'. Advertisement In doing so, you create a pocket of calm and can put aside the problems you have had in the past or worries about those you may face in the future. In schools, which are naturally frenetic environments, advocates believe this can have a big effect on a child in terms of focus, kindness, empathy and self-understanding. Imagine the impact it could have on bullying and the ability to self-regulate at a much younger age, they say. In her report, 'Developing Mindfulness in Children and Young People', Katharine Weare, emeritus professor at Exeter and Southampton universities, said: "They come to see that thoughts are mental events rather than facts. "This gradually modifies habitual mental and behavioural patterns which otherwise create and maintain negative mental states, such as rumination, stress, anxiety and depression, and makes for greater mental stability, calm, acceptance, appreciation of what is rather than hankering after what is not, and thus higher levels of happiness and wellbeing." Advertisement Perhaps the most striking change in the mindfulness world is how it is fast becoming a key addition for schools which place student mental wellbeing at the top of the agenda. Cynics - or those choosing to place it in a 'nice if you have the time for it' box - cant ignore the positive effect wellbeing is having in school rankings. In January, Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, spoke at the Sunday Times Festival of Education, and challenged teachers to ask what they were doing to promote wellbeing and mental health among their students. Amy Footman, head of school at Stanley Grove primary school, says education is finally catching up with that. "In the new Ofsted framework there is a lot of talk about emotional and mental health," she says. "Every school has a fleet of first aiders and what (I am) hoping to do in (my) school is to prepare staff to deal with mental first aid. Advertisement "If you have mindfulness running through your culture, you are better at reading them in a much deeper way than just listening to their words." Mindfulness in Schools Project conference A couple of years ago mindfulness in schools was viewed as a nice add-on or, worse, a fad. Now, there is increasing evidence that it is helpful when used alongside other treatments for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. In other words, less of a handy extra and more of an essential. Since most mental health issues in adults first emerge when they are children, could mindfulness be used as well as other tools to help bolster childrens coping mechanisms, how they relate to each other and, in turn, how they relate to themselves? As emeritus professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford and director of the pioneering Oxford Mindfulness Centre until his retirement in 2013, Dr Williams has been at the forefront of research into its potential. Advertisement He is conducting a study called Myriad, across 76 schools and involving up to 5,000 students. It is one of the largest studies of its type. The study focuses on 11-year-olds because, Dr Williams says, "mental health difficulties really kick in at the age of adolescence thats when children who perhaps have been struggling a bit but who have managed before suddenly find that they cant manage". Dr Mark Williams He adds: "They get an adult-like problem, an adult-like anxiety or adult-like depression. Even earlier than that attention problems start and one of the things about kids is that they dont recognise they have a problem, so they dont seek help." Childrens mental health and, here, we are not just referring to illness but also mental wellbeing is at crisis point and figuring out how we address this could be critical to prevention in adulthood. Advertisement "One of the nice things about mindfulness," Dr Williams told The Huffington Post UK, "is its not a treatment as such, its a mental skills training for the mind and we know it affects wellbeing, we know it reduces depression, but thats a by-product. "Its a by-product of being able to learn with some stability, how to focus in the face of some very big external distractors that we all have even as adults - but also internal ones such as telling yourself 'youre stupid, that youre no good, you dont make friends' and so on." Even the bean-counters should be impressed by how much money would be saved by investing in supportive, preventative services in children against the fortunes spent firefighting mental illness in adults. Tim Loughton, MP for Shoreham and East Worthing and co-chair of the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group, said there were "good, financial imperatives for the government to act" particularly since the numbers of 16-year-olds diagnosed with depression has doubled. His wish is that practices such as mindfulness become the mainstream, not the add-on. Of course, mindfulness cant 'fix' things. Teachers and practitioners are keen to point out it is intended as a support, not a replacement for other types of therapy or medicine. Advertisement Richard Burnett, co-founder of the Mindfulness in Schools Project, helped to devise .B, a highly successful mindfulness programme taught in secondary schools. That is being followed by Paws B, which is aimed at seven- to 11-year-olds, after it was felt there wasnt much support for primary school children. Co-founder of Mindfulness in Schools Project, Richard Burnett At secondary level, this might involve 'beditation' which is a classroom of students all lying down for a short meditation session. For primary school children, they might use a 'weeble', which is a weighted toy that can wobble from side to side, which they can use to demonstrate their mood. Although he is a passionate advocate of mindfulness, Burnett says: "Mindfulness trainers in school have to recognise the limits of it. Advertisement "If you have a child who is damaged and psychotic and suicidal which happens, not irregularly actually you need medication and hospital and very close clinical care. "Mindfulness can help but it needs to be in very small groups with clinically trained professionals. Where I think it can make a massive difference is just in shifting the bell curve of wellbeing over towards the healthier end." Nine-year-old Lauren, who speaks at the conference, and has done Paws B says: "It helps the children in my class to be calm, usually after break." Outside the doors to the auditorium, the walls are strewn with drawings from children who have done mindfulness. "Ive used mindfulness to comfort me or when Im about to hit my sister," reads one, "but I stop and think of the consequences. Im about to shout but I stop and think." Advertisement Another child talks about how mindfulness helped her calm down before a big dance recital, and she even showed her friend how to do the right breathing and it worked for her too. One writes an affirmation: "Dont fight fear but train the mind to adapt to it." Sometimes it takes adults years to learn how to do this its pretty remarkable if a 10-year-old can grasp this. However, experts are also keen to stress that it isnt a panacea and it may not work with every child. Geography-teacher-turned-mindfulness-trainer Paula Kearney says: "I have had students who havent quite found it has worked for them but I also havent had anyone be really brutal about it and they can be about things they dont like." Cynicism among students is not as steep a barrier as many might think. Una Sookun, assistant head at an inner-city London secondary school, says there is a shift in how students perceive their own emotional stability. Advertisement "An awful lot of kids are exposed to mental health problems and they are definitely interested in their own health," she says. Amy Footman says the biggest impact is on self-awareness. A child, who might previously have had an angry outburst and then been excluded from class, is able to self-regulate much better. She says: "We know mindfulness isnt going to stop you having a violent outburst and Im clear with the children 'this isnt going to stop you feeling angry or sad'. "But it might help you notice when thats happening, and give you the space to make a choice to say: 'You know what Miss, I need five minutes. Im not able to talk right now, but I will be'." As for convincing parents it is a good thing, Paula Kearney finds students provide the best PR for it. Advertisement "So often its those who are tagged as a bit naughty or louder than the rest, who are really good advocates for how it works because they are a lot more open about how they use mindfulness and how it helps," she says. With the tide inexorably pulling mental health alongside physical wellbeing as a priority for schools, and a crisis of adult mental health problems, it is worth reflecting on why mindfulness and self-awareness can only be a good thing in the long term. "Studies have found kids who have difficulty with self-control often turn to be adults who have problems," says Dr Williams. "Mindfulness isnt the control of the 'top down' so just another instruction for children, but the sense of becoming captain of your own ship again. "The sense of being able to pause, to check in and notice. Then to take account of your own mood before taking the next step or action. And thats got to be good." Miriam Margolyes prides herself on being unshockable, but even she was dismayed when a young man at Waverley Train Station in Edinburgh refused to give up his seat for her. So indignant was the 'Harry Potter' star, in fact, that she emptied her water bottle on his head. READ MORE: Miriam, who was recently the undeniable star of 'The Real Marigold Hotel' on BBC Two, tells the Daily Mail that she was carrying a backpack, wheeling a travel case and hobbling with an arthritic knee, when she looked for a seat on the station platform. We should add - Miriam is also 74 years old, 4'11' and, by her own admission, slightly overweight. When he refused to give up his seat and pointed to one further down the platform, she was beside herself. Advertisement Miriam was left unimpressed when a young man refused to give up his seat for her at a train station She tells the Daily Mail: "I was really p****d off. It's really hard being old it's horrible. I was in pain. I was really hurting. "So I just thought, 'F*** you!' and I took my bottle of water out, took off the lid and poured it over his head." According to Miriam, a woman shouted at her, accusing her of assaulting the youth and called the police, "who did nothing". Advertisement The contrast was all the more marked for the actress, following her recent trip to Jaipur in India for the reality show, which saw eight celebrity pensioners trying out a life of retirement abroad. The show saw the group integrate themselves into local life, and all eight were entranced by the respect with which the local people treated their elders. Miriam joined seven other celebrities to experience what retirement would be like in Jaipur, India One of the group, Jan Leeming - who mentioned that her only son Nick lived in Australia, so she misses out on family life - was so bewitched by the life on offer, she began seriously considering the prospect of living in Jaipur for four months of the year, and immersing herself into Indian family life. Former darts champion Bobby George was also impressed and started looking at local accommodation. Other participants drew what they needed from the venture, with chef Rosemary Schrager going on a health kick and dancer Wayne Sleep rejoining in the spirituality on offer, which he said he would be incorporating into his daily life, wherever he found himself. The Real Marigold Hotel See gallery A mother has lashed out at "disgraceful" Transport for London staff after claiming she was refused help taking her pushchair down a flight of stairs. Tatiana Novaes Coelho said the Barbican underground worker told her "I'm not paid for this," leaving her to struggle single-handedly with the buggy and her five-and-a-half month old daughter. Advertisement The 40-year-old, who is a pilates instructor, said she begged the man to help her again, but he continued to decline her, saying "I am not a hauler". Tatiana Novaes Coelho said she was refused help from a Tube worker The mother of one, speaking to The Huffington Post UK, stressed how she was forced to wait at the top of the stairs until a woman came to help her. "I said to him, you are telling me that you are a TfL staff member that is meant to help and facilitate commuters and you will not help me?" Advertisement "Then I went my way and stopped on top of the stairs to wait for help and another mother with a pram with a small baby and another child said she would help me because TFL staff members never did. "She left her children at the top of the stairs and helped me down then went back up again," Coelho said. When asked how it made her feel, the mother told HuffPost UK: "I was just so annoyed. It's bad enough that most stations don't have a lift. With a wheelchair or buggy you are usually doomed anyway but I thought the staff were there to help. "It's a disgraceful service." A spokesperson for London Underground, Steve Griffiths, said: "We're sorry to hear of Tatiana Novaes Coelho's experience at Barbican station and we will investigate this incident. "Our staff are trained to help customers at all times where possible and we have modernised the Tube so that we have more staff available at stations to provide assistance." Advertisement Coelho's experience comes just a week after another expecting mother complained that no-one on the Tube would provide her a seat, despite her wearing a 'Baby-On-Board' badge. Miri Michaeli Schwartz used a hidden camera to capture the faces of the people who didn't stand up when she was travelling underground, before uploading the footage to Facebook. The Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) has been accused of "having a problem with Jews" by its former Jewish co-chair, who stood down from his role after the society voted to endorse Israel Apartheid Week. Alex Chalmers announced his resignation in a Facebook post saying there was an anti-semitic problem within the club. The OULC is the largest university Labour club in England, counting Ed Miliband and Michael Foot among its alumni. Advertisement Alex Chalmers accused the Labour club of anti-semitism Chalmers cited concerns over members using the term Zio a word that Chalmers claims is usually confined to the websites of neo-Nazis" - with "casual abandon". Chalmers expressed concern many members were declaring solidarity with Hamas, a group both the United States and European Union declare to be a terrorist organisation. The Oxford student also said allegations of anti-semitism had been rubbished by members of the society, with one former co-chair reportedly describing the allegations as just the Zionists crying wolf. It is with the greatest regret that I have decided to resign as Co-Chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. This... Posted by Alex Chalmers on Monday, 15 February 2016 Advertisement The OULC responded to claims saying the conduct of some members was horrifying and the OULC whole-heartedly condemns anti-Semitic behaviour in all its forms. Fellow co-Chair of the Club Noni Csogor declared in a blog post yesterday: Jewish students spoke on both sides of the debate this evening, but we take allegations of anti-Semitism in the club very seriously and I will be discussing, with my executive committee, how to deal with the kinds of statements Alex mentions, and what concrete steps we can take in future to preserve a club thats been a safe haven for Jewish students in the past. I understand Alexs position, but am looking forward both to running the events weve organised for the rest of the term, and to contributing to an ongoing discussion about the complex intersection of justice for Palestine and the safety of Jewish students. OULC Executive Committee member Ella Taylor, who is also Jewish, said: It [the OULC] is a vibrant, well led, diverse group. At its events I constantly meet interesting and inspiring people with a whole spectrum of views and whose opinions are well informed and interesting. Last night however, I witnessed a side to the club which was thoroughly unpleasant and I am increasingly becoming aware of some of the awful outbursts about Jews which have been made over the past 12 months. I am not used to eyes being rolled when I start a sentence with as a Jew. Advertisement The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) campaign manager Russell Langer described the claims of anti-semitism as "extremely concerning". These reports, along with the decision of OULC to endorse Israeli Apartheid Week, show that OULC are against the interests of Jewish students. I commend the bravery of former co-chair Alex Chalmers in his decision to resign from OULC and bringing this issue to the attention of the wider public. A spokesperson from Labour Students, the student wing of the Labour Party, released a statement which read: "We unequivocally condemn any form of anti-Semitism. We are taking these allegations very seriously and will do whatever is necessary to ensure every Labour Club is a safe space for Jewish Students. Following the allegations of anti-Semitic behaviour at Oxford Labour Club, Labour Students have launched an immediate investigation. Labour Students (@LabourStudents) February 17, 2016 Oxford University told The Telegraph that it "does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation including on the grounds of religion and belief". Advertisement Pope Francis scolded an eager crowd for being "selfish" after he was pulled over onto a man in a wheelchair during a visit on Tuesday. The pontiff was greeting fans during his visit to Mexico when someone pulled at his robes, causing him to fall onto a disabled man. Advertisement The Pope was toppled over by an eager crowd The pontiff was helped back up by his security detail and kissed the man in the wheelchair on the head. But his anger was clear when he stood back up, telling the crowd in Spanish "don't be selfish, don't be selfish". Advertisement Pope Francis told the crowd not to be 'selfish' The head of the Catholic Church was walking around a stadium in Morelia when the incident happened. He was visiting Mexico to talk about crime. During his five-day visit, which is due to conclude on Wednesday, Pope Francis focused on the injustices faced by Mexico's poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable, to the country's drug-fuelled violence. He is also taking the Mexico's political and religious leaders to task for failing to do good for their people, the Associated Press reports. RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft heading towards UK airspace on Wednesday. BREAKING NEWS: Two RAF Typhoon fighters scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers heading towards British airspace Ministry of Defence Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) February 17, 2016 An RAF spokesman said: The RAF can confirm that typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby Lincolnshire have been launched on a QRA mission. The mission is ongoing so we will not be offering any additional comment at this time. Advertisement RAF Typhoon aircraft are quick-response fighters (file photo) Incidents of this kind happen relatively often, with at least four similar events in the past year alone. In November last year, RAF jets were scrambled last night to intercept Russian bombers flying close to UK airspace. And in September 2015, RAF Typhoons intercepted two Russian Tu-160 aircraft in similar circumstances. Advertisement David Cameron lied when he said the Queen "purred" at the result of the Scottish referendum result, Alex Salmond claimed on Wednesday. Sky News caught Cameron telling former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg of the Queens delight at the No vote in 2014. "The definition of relief is being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and ringing the Queen and saying 'It's alright, it's okay'. That was something, Cameron said. "She purred down the line." Advertisement Alex Salmond takes part in his first live weekly phone-in on the radio station LBC in London The PM was subsequently forced to apologise for the remark. However Salmond told LBC radio on Wednesday that the Queen had told him it was not true. "Her Majesty the Queen assured me that wasnt the case," Salmond said. Who do I believe, Her Majesty the Queen, Queen of Scots, or a Tory prime minister?" "I believe Her Majesty the Queen," he added. Salmond also said he did not think "for a minute" that the Queen had deliberately intervened in the Scottish referendum. Australia is well-known for its deadly and strange-looking creatures, but a picture of the carcass of a prehistoric-looking creature on the shores of a well-known lake was too much for most people's imaginations. The beast, which appears to have a crocodile-like jaw but the body of a giant fish, washed up on a boat ramp next to Lake Macquarie, in New South Wales, prompting a local man to post a picture of it onto his Facebook account. Ethan Tippa shared pictures of the unidentified creature, leading to speculation on across the world. Advertisement He wrote: "This is at Swansea boat ramp. What the fuck is it?" to accompany the picture of the grotesque mystery. This is at swansea boat ramp. What the fuck is it ? Posted by Ethan Tippa on Sunday, 14 February 2016 The image divided opinion on social media with some suggesting it could be photoshopped, and others thinking it was a Loch Ness monster-esque creature. But one marine biologist attempted to squash the rumours, arguing instead that it could be a deceptively large pike eel. Advertisement Julian Pepperell said the species is frequently caught by fishers at night who get "the fright of their lives" when they reel in a powerful, thrashing predator with a nasty bite. "There are certainly people who are bitten by them in boats, "They have incredibly strong muscle and their teeth are geared towards inflicting slashing wounds," he told the Newcastle Herald. The biologist added that the creature was probably relatively old, and could have died from a net entanglement, been hit by a boat or died of old age. Advertisement A Japanese Pike eel "I think it's definitely a pike eel. The head is very indicative of that species," he said. He also said that the angle of the photo made it difficult to judge the creature's length, but that it appears longer than the species' average maximum of 1.8 metres (5.9 feet). Pike eels are not poisonous to eat, and are frequently sold in the markets of Southeast Asia. Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal salt water lagoon and is a popular spot for many families, who swim in the relatively shallow waters. The five things you need to know on Wednesday February 17, 2016 1) YOUNG MINDS MATTER In case you missed it, The Duchess of Cambridge is guest-editing HuffPostUK today, with a specific focus on childrens mental health. One of her key messages is that the subject has been such a taboo that parents are often too afraid to seek help. Advertisement In her lead blog, she writes: Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it. We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness. But the Duchess adds that for families short of time or money it is not always easy to know where to look for help and she says schools and communities need to do more. Just as Williams mother Diana was unafraid of tackling sensitive topics, his wife is determined to use her public profile to prove how modern Britain can change. If the future Queen of England says the British stiff upper lip has some downsides, maybe the message will reach a wider audience. We have a wealth of items on mental health today, with testimony from kids themselves, a poll showing parents feel ill-equipped to discuss the subject and stats on the cost to the nation of not dealing with it. Separately today, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has unveiled a new 1.5million fund driven by young people to help them develop support networks and talk about mental health. Were using the hashtag #youngmindsmatter all day today. 2) THE BATTLE OF VISEGRAD Forget Stalingrad, it looks like hand-to-hand combat with the Visegrad 4 (no, me neither) thats troubling David Cameron most today. The bloc of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic are upset at David Camerons plans for child benefit and other migrant benefit curbs. The Guardian and Indy both lead on the story, and it seems the Eastern Europeans are determined to dig in to prevent the child benefit cuts affecting existing migrants in the UK. Advertisement We will later get a clearer idea of just how the Tusk draft EU plan has changed since it was first published (ah, will all those square brackets be filled?). Its understood that there have been some substantive changes and if a new claimants only caveat is one of them, Eurosceps are bound to again say the thing gruel (copyright, Jacob Rees-Mogg) has been watered down once more. As it happens, the draft was silent on existing versus new claimants so No.10 may say nothing has changed. It also sounds like the Visegrad 4 (named after a nice Hungarian castle town, dontcha know) have already got their way on clarifying that the child benefit curbs wont apply to all member states incomers. It may apply to just the UK, Sweden and Ireland rather than affect Germany's own welfare for Poles and others. Is the PM worried or unruffled? An unnamed senior European politician is quoted by the Times saying Cameron is under "great pressure: "He was very stressed and usually is so very confident and relaxed. He told me that the reaction to the draft had already been very negative and if it is watered down further he will be torn apart by the press and his party." No.10 has squared MEP leaders to back him after the summit, but the brilliant Times Brussels corr Bruno Waterfield had the quote of the day from one source: "The Parliament is unpredictable. It can be monkeys with guns". The Infinite Monkey Rage, it's a new quiz show from Strasbourg. The Guardian has a nice piece on the sherpas who have been doing the heavy diplomatic lifting ahead of tomorrows big summit, pointing out the key role of young Tom Scholar, a former Brown aide who is tipped to lead the Treasury. A Sun has a Lord Ashcroft megapoll finding that 60% of the 28,720 people surveyed across the 28 EU member states have "pleaded" with Britain to stay - while just 10% said they'd prefer the UK to leave. Licence for Dave to dig in? Some in Government are confident this summit will be done and dusted by the early hours of Friday. But theres a hint of wriggle room for another meeting. One official tells the Times theres a 40% chance of failure. It will look like chaos and disaster, but there is almost a month to go until the last possible date for a deal that would still allow a 23 June referendum. Ah. Advertisement 3) THE GREAT BRITISH CAKE-OFF We at HuffPost couldnt resist pouncing on Emma Thompsons claim that Britain was a tiny little cloud-bolted, rainy corner of sort-of Europe, a cake-filled misery-laden grey old island. Yes, it was the bit about cake that got us all most excited. I mean, is there ever anything wrong with having cake and eating it? Thompson got the luvvie backlash pretty swiftly from Eurosceptics as she became as much of a caricature of the pro-EU camp as all those Union Jack jacketed little Englanders are a caricature of the the anti-EU camp. The Sun splashes with Shut Yer Cakehole, its Photoshoppers stuffing a Victoria sponge into her gob. In a tweet to my colleague Owen Bennett, ex UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom said of Thompson: May I volunteer to be the first to spank her silly bottom? Something her mother should have done years ago. No, really. Prince William was the other celeb in the EU wars yesterday, though the Palace insists his remarks about partnership have been wilfully misinterpreted. The Telegraph splashes the story but that decision is subtly undermined by Matts latest cartoon. BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR Watch Hillary Clinton bark like a dog. Surreal. 4) ARGY BARGY Michael Fallon is the first Defence Secretary in 10 years to visit the Falklands (though for half of that decade the Lib-Con Coalition was in power). And as well as announcing some new spending, Fallon has used the opportunity to give the Suns defence editor a nice juicy quote about Jeremy Corbyn: The biggest threat at the moment isnt Argentina, its Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party who want to override the wishes of the islanders. Advertisement This stems from Corbyns decision in a Marr interview to talk about dialogue with Buenos Aires, and his comms chief Seumas Milnes subsequent briefing about talks about sovereignty. Corbyn also stressed the Islanders wishes were paramount. On the BBC, Fallon admitted the Labour leader hadnt said he wanted to give the Falklands up. And the Chairman of the Falklands Legislative Assembly points out Argentina remains the big threat. But Fallon isnt afraid of committing a professional foul - as proved by his 2015 election attack on Ed Miliband for being willing to stab the UK in the back. John McDonnell last night used his latest economics lecture at the LSE to float breaking up the Treasury into a finance ministry and an economic ministry. But he also talked about Labour itself: People dont vote for a divided party. Weve got to learn some lessons about how to handle the media. He added that dissenting MPs were a small group. That may be tested at Mondays PLP. Meanwhile, many Labour MPs are truly dismayed that someone like Tom OCarroll, the ex-leader Paedophile Information Exchange could be allowed into the party (a great hit by the Times yesterday). They wonder just what checks took place on others. 5) MAYOR CULPA? The race for Mayor of London is getting dirtier by the day. Last night on Newsnight, Zac Goldsmith again underlined why hes not a natural at this politics lark (his backers say his unspun approach is a breath of fresh air, his detractors say it proves hes an amateur). After questions over his previous non dom tax status, the Tory candidate agreed to publish his tax return - as long as other candidates did. I wonder if Matthew Oakeshott, who first raised all this non-dom stuff, will resurface? Advertisement I also wonder if this all triggers Jeremy Corbyn to follow John McDonnells lead and publish his own tax return? He's weighing it up. As for Sadiq Khan, he again faces another links to extremists story in the Mail (picked up by the Sun) which reports that he took part in a speaking event at which audience members brandished the black flag of jihad. His supporters claim this is all part of a harder attack-dog campaign from the Tories. His line that London could have more infrastructure spending like Istanbul was translated (via a Sunday paper) into him saying the British capital should be more like Istanbul. If you play to the gallery of sectional interests, you get burned sometimes. But some in Labour are worried that poll lead could now narrow. If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox. UPDATE: The Labour Party has expelled Tom O'Carroll. A party spokesman told The Huffington Post: "Tom O'Carroll has now been excluded from the Labour Party." A convicted paedophile campaigner has said he will resign from the Labour Party as he did not want to embarrass Jeremy Corbyn. Labour yesterday suspended Tom OCarroll, a former chairman of the Paedophile Information Exchange, which campaigned for sex with children to be legalised, after fury from senior MPs that the 70-year-old had been allowed to join following the Labour leaders election. Advertisement Tom O'Carroll pictured in 1977 (left) and recently (right) Speaking to the North West Evening Mail, Mr OConnell, who was jailed in 2006 for distributing indecent images of children, said it was Mr Corbyn becoming leader that made him join, and agreed with his views on abandoning the Trident nuclear weapons system. The paper reported Mr OConnell went door-to-door with Labour in the run-up to the recent Risedale by-election in North Yorkshire, and spent two hours drinking and debating with Cumbria Labour MP, John Woodcock, in an event in a pub before Christmas. What's most alarming is that he isn't a man whose demeanour raises suspicion if you don't know who he is. Highly articulate and dangerous. John Woodcock (@JWoodcockMP) February 16, 2016 Advertisement Mr Woodcock, whose Barrow constituency relies on Trident-related jobs, said it was sickening beyond words that he could attempt to exploit Labour to prey on children. His office was contacted last week by the police over Mr OCarrolls history The convicted pervert denied he had intended to use the party as a way to push his beliefs regarding legalising sex with children. He told the paper: I am going to resign straight away as the last thing I wanted to do was embarrass Mr Corbyn. I joined because I supported him and his policies. I had a long conversation with Mr Woodcock at a Labour event at Cunninghams. I spent about two hours with him. Not one-on-one but with three or four other new members. I bought him a couple of pints and now he has said some terrible things about me. We had a lively debate that night talking about Trident and Syria. Im with Corbyn when it comes to Trident. It was a perfectly civilised debate and the atmosphere was very agreeable. Advertisement I was campaigning during the Risedale by-election and there was a safeguarding issue in case children opened the doors. He claimed he was always accompanied by another party member, adding: I will now step down from the party as I never wanted any of this or to embarrass Mr Corbyn in any way. What was PIE? The Paedophile Information Exchange was formed in 1974. PIE campaigned for the liberation of children's sexuality, presenting itself as a group concerned with the rights of children to participate in sexual relationships. It lobbied for the abolition or lowering of the age of consent and offered support to adults "in legal difficulties concerning sexual acts with consenting 'under age' partners". It's ultimate aim was to normalise sex with children. Mr Woodcock told the paper Mr OCarroll was part of a group he was discussing politics with at the Furness Labour Christmas party. He said: I had no idea who he was at the time but meeting him then allowed me later to match him with images of him in the public domain. Advertisement Looking back, the most disturbing thing about that meeting was how pleasant and articulate was the demeanour of this highly dangerous man - a million miles from the myth of the shifty paedophile who can be identified from his suspicious manner. The idea of him using Labour activities to get the opportunity to prey on children is sickening beyond words and I am glad that the national party moved swiftly after I became aware of his identity at the weekend. I will do everything in my power to keep people safe and am asking Labour and all other political parties to review their vetting processes in the light of this chilling incident. O'Carroll headed up the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE), formed in 1974, during which time he advocated the relaxation of the age of consent. The group argued that children as young as four should be able to make their own decisions about sex. He was imprisoned in 1981 for corrupting public morals and was jailed again in 2006 for the distribution of indecent images of children. Business people standing around empty chair OJO_Images via Getty Images Unemployment is Britains youths biggest threat, beating substance abuse and family breakdowns, according to new findings released by youth charity the Central YMCA. The research, published in the World of Good Report 2016, surveyed 1,600 16 to 25 year olds across the UK and sought to uncover the issues affecting Britains young people, and the factors hindering their ability to build better lives. Advertisement The results were compiled into an index with the most common responses receiving a score of 100. Unemployment topped the list with a score of 100, followed by the education system limiting achievement at 92, and body image-related issues coming in third with a score of 86. Government cuts mean funding for those students who have fallen out of the traditional education system is now more difficult to acquire," said Lady Andree Deane-Barron, managing director at YMCA Training. "For this reason, its an issue that is only set to worsen, as situations and issues facing young people and how they respond to education delivery become increasingly complex." Despite successful government efforts to lower the unemployment rate since the 2008 recession, young people still feel scarcity in the job market is their biggest threat. Fear of unemployment among youth is due to a lack of social mobility from birth, the report claims, while being in a low-income bracket is cited as the biggest barrier preventing young people overcoming unemployment. Lack of poor education and health issues - including mental health - come second and third on the list as barriers young people face. Advertisement Racism and sexism came sixth and ninth respectively, an improvement on previous years. "The relatively low harm perceived to be caused by sexual health issues and lack of access to training, may indicate the impact of recent efforts to tackle such problems through education and funding," the report says. High on the list of cited threats was body image. In an increasingly sexualised and social media-obsessed world, how young people view their bodies is constantly under scrutiny. Rosi Prescott, CEO of Central YMCA, added: "Body image issues show themselves in a multitude of ways; through (sometimes extreme) dissatisfaction with body size, weight, hair and skin type to name but a few examples all negatively affecting self-esteem and confidence in some way or other. "Body image challenges affect both men and women and struggling to overcome them can be a long and painful journey." Help from charities such as the Central YMCA is sometimes the only way young people like Sarah can help rebuild their lives after mental health difficulties. Advertisement Charities are becoming increasingly stretched in the face of government cuts to public services, especially after measures were taken to slash the NHS mental health budget. Low self-esteem issues relating to body image are increasingly contributing to deaths related to mental health, which as a whole are on the rise. Only today, there have been reports in the press over a rise in self-poisoning, especially amongst teenage girls, as a type of self-harm. Issues coming at the bottom of the list of concerns were the lack of political voice amongst young people with an index score of 5, a worsening environment at 14 and lack of access to training (e.g. apprenticeships and internship courses) scoring also 5. Rosi Prescott added, The challenges facing young people today are wide, complex and constantly changing, which is why its essential that we continue to listen to the needs of young people and find ways to address issues causing them harm. Interestingly, a separate section regarding which challenges were getting worse, showed that lack of affordable housing was what young people feared would most affect the next generation, the 11-15 year-olds. The future challenges section also stated that long-term challenges, those which wouldnt be expected to affect 11-15 year-olds so much, such as substance abuse and crime, came out high in the top ten. This shows that many young people believe there is a lack of any real strategy from the government being used to tackle the harm that these issues cause. Advertisement It never gets easier to hear the gut-wrenching stories of homelessness that families across the country have to deal with every day. Ordinary families whose lives have, through no fault of their own, taken a turn for the worse. Be it a sudden injury, an unexpected redundancy, a break-up with a partner, or simply soaring rents - all it takes is a single set-back to tip a family into a downward spiral that ends in the loss of their home. Advertisement Though councils have a duty to house families with children, the accommodation provided is often a million miles from adequate. Every day at Shelter we hear from desperate families crammed into a single bedroom of a B&B or hostel, miles away from their children's schools and support networks. The shocking effects homelessness can have on a child's mental health can't be overstated. Shelter recently visited a number of primary schools in London where school pastoral workers spoke about the anguish that their homeless pupils go through, and the stories we heard were quite simply heart-breaking. Teachers reported children sleeping in cars, getting ready for school in the toilets of a nearby supermarket, waking up at 5am to leave for school and then falling asleep in class. One teacher told us how children without a permanent home are visibly tired throughout the day and find it hard to concentrate. "The best thing that we can do for their well-being is let them sleep. We'll say, 'pick a teddy, get a blanket, and lie down and just sleep'." We heard about a boy whose family were about to be evicted. He spent the day walking in circles in the playground, worried he wouldn't be able to come to school, uncertain of where he would be living, who else would be there, and how his family would cope. He spoke about a constant 'feeling in his stomach'. We heard of another boy who stood sobbing, in a busy playground, as his peers ran around him playing. Advertisement Andrea, a primary school teacher who experienced homelessness herself as a child, explains: "When you feel insecure in where you live, it impacts on your relationships and on how you relate to other people. It not only makes children feel desperately sad, it affects their self-esteem so much that it's a huge barrier to them reaching their potential." She describes how some of the children at her school express worries about feeling excluded as a result of being new to yet another school with little or no understanding of what is being taught. "They are often frustrated and sad. These emotions have a negative effect on their ability to succeed." And the problems run deeper still. When we spoke to parents, an overwhelming number of them felt their children's mental health and emotional wellbeing had been affected by living in emergency accommodation. Many parents reported issues with anxiety in particular. One worried mother recounts, "My six year old has been going to the doctors because he's developed a nervous tick since we've been in that room. He was constantly nervous all the time. He's become violent to his little sister and he was never like that before. It's so upsetting to watch the way he's changed." We heard of children with eating disorders, or who were self-harming. A child who became so bad he was hitting his head on the wall, biting himself and ripping his hair out. Other children became tearful and clingy, not wanting to be in a different room from their parents. Advertisement One mother said of the transformation in her daughter: "She was so outgoing before. Very bubbly, had lots and lots of friends and could talk to anyone. Now she's withdrawn, she gets quite scared and she's wetting the bed. She's been out of nappies since she was 18 months old. She's now seven and she's wetting the bed." Parents expressed their guilt, helplessness and heartbreak at watching their children go through this. While the pastoral workers were doing all they could to minimise the impact on children, from providing food, clothes, or bedding to making referrals to child psychologists, there was only so much they could do to help. A shocking 100,000 children woke up homeless on Christmas morning last year - and unless we deal with Britain's chronic shortage of affordable homes, this number will only rise. And until the government builds the homes that are truly affordable for ordinary people to rent or buy, Britain's brutal housing crisis will continue to do irreparable harm our children for generations to come. Shelter has been fighting bad housing and homelessness for 50 years. Join us and together we will not rest until everyone has a place to call home. Visit shelter.org.uk for information on how to get involved and support Shelter. Image copyright Shelter ARIF ALI via Getty Images I am the president of the Bicycle association, which aims to help families of bipolar children and adolescents. As a society we like to pretend these children don't exist. However, every year, more than 200 families get in touch with us. Advertisement Bipolar disorder refers to the presence of violent mood swings, which alternate between manic highs and depressive lows. People with bipolar disorder may put themselves in danger, and have a tendency to become irritable, angry, or spirited. They may also become withdrawn and experience suicidal thoughts. We have a very difficult time trying to convince families, friends, doctors, psychologists, schools, and social workers that bipolar disorder is different from ordinary moodiness. Certainly, a child who handles their frustration poorly and throws a tantrum is normal! It is not normal though when this occurs on a regular basis, when no educational strategy works for longer than two weeks, and when this keeps happening beyond the age of 7. It is not normal when they hit their head against a wall, break your furniture, or cut themselves. But it's not true that parents are to blame. What we see through our work at Bicycle is that many different families have the same problems. In France, there is a reluctance to acknowledge this problem in children younger than 14 or 15. Many people tell us that acknowledging the problem would mean sentencing the child to an illness, and that it is dangerous to "stick them with a label." But there is a threat of an onslaught of negative and misleading labels if they are not diagnosed. Society may describe them as being spoiled, losers, outcasts, manipulators, perverse narcissists, or even psychopaths. Doctors may decide that the child has an attention disorder along with a behavioral disorder, an attachment disorder, or other types of disorders. So why not simply speak of bipolarity? In any case, a diagnosis is always revisable, and can be revisited when the child grows up. A failure to diagnose children with bipolar disorder can lead to one of the following scenarios. Parents may believe that they have done something wrong, and blame themselves for their child's problems. In this case, the family becomes fragmented; faced with a failure to understand the child's problems, guilt and suffering become pervasive. But it's not true that parents are to blame. What we see through our work at Bicycle is that many different families have the same problems. In families with multiple children, only one child may be bipolar. Bipolar disorder can be traced to a hormonal imbalance that makes the child function poorly when faced with stress; it's not a factor of child-rearing. However, it is necessary that the families adapt their parenting to the particular needs of the child. Advertisement Secondly, and most importantly, is that without diagnosis, the proper care will not be given. This can be extremely dangerous. When the diagnosis comes, it is a difficult moment. But it is the solid basis on which to act. All families agree that psychoeducation is the most important treatment. Psychoeducation relates to learning how changes in moods and emotions takes place in the brain, and how to manage daily life through anticipating mood changes and improving quality of life. Such skills are indispensable. Without a diagnosis, how would you explain to someone that the higher the highs, the more severe the subsequent lows will be? Without a diagnosis, how do you understand the hyperemotionality that halts the brain's reasoning capacity, and the impact that can have on daily life? Doctors should be wary of prescribing certain medications, which could be as strong as they are ineffective, maybe even dangerous! Yes, some of our children need a little medicated help. First of all, they need it to regulate their moods. But to prescribe an antidepressant or psychostimulant (mood-enhancing medications) may be risky; some children have had very severe crises as a result, at times requiring hospitalization. Very few psychologists prescribe small doses or change the dose regularly so that the child does not feel like they're under a chemical straitjacket. Some children are significantly overmedicated. Advertisement With time, the disorder may be regulated, and bipolarity fades into the background, superseded by their intelligence, their creativity, their empathy, and their courage. Refusing to see bipolar syndrome often means misinterpreting behaviors associated with the disorder. For example, the child is suddenly seen as a slacker at school during his depressive phase. A day later, he might undergo a manic phase, acing his test but insulting the teacher. I am not insinuating that it is necessary to diagnose every temperamental child as bipolar -- the disorder requires the presence of precise symptoms. When the diagnosis comes, it is a difficult moment. But it is the solid basis on which to act; we know what we're fighting against, and that allows us to better evaluate what mental state the child is in, and to act effectively to avert a crisis. If we can successfully avert crises and the child's hospitalization, and if we can help the manage their disorder, that would be a very important change for society, and for their lives. And since bipolar disorder is only one characteristic among many others for children, with time, the disorder may be regulated, and bipolarity fades into the background, superseded by their intelligence, their creativity, their empathy, and their courage. Advertisement Young Minds Matter is a new series meant to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood. Launched with Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge, as guest editor, we will discuss problems, causes and most importantly solutions to the stigma surrounding the UK's mental health crisis among children. To blog on the site as part of Young Minds Matter email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com Last week I joined heads with Adam Smith Institute research associate Holly Mackay to try and establish whether small business outcry over changes to Sunday Trading hours (which, it was announced this month, could be extended from Autumn 2016) is warranted. As with many new government proposals, status quo bias is to be expected. Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, shops with a floor space of more than 3,000 sq ft are currently subject to the six-hour restriction. It has meant smaller shops - like convenience stores - can set their own hours and, should they choose, open for longer than their competitors. The government's plans would see prohibitions limiting large stores from opening on Sundays for more than six hours lifted in certain circumstances. The decision would be devolved to local leaders across England and Wales (Scotland and Ireland already have powers over Sunday trading devolved to their regional parliaments). Advertisement Here's what Mackay and I concluded. 1. Increased competition benefits us all. James Lowman, CEO of the Association of Convenience Stores, may bemoan the loss of a "small but important advantage," but most small business owners are used to finding new and innovative ways to outsmart their larger rivals. Competition has been proven to drive innovation: if you're the only player in your field, it can be difficult to improve. Westfield London provides an interesting comparison. Prior to its opening in October 2008, a number of local retailers voiced concerns that the development would negatively affect their business in terms of lost customers and sales. Such concerns have proved unfounded - in fact, we saw increased footfall and a positive sales impact. Not to mention the benefit to small, independent retailers (such as bakeries) which opened inside the mall. The vacancy rate in Shepherds Bush, for example, is around 5 per cent - far lower than Britain's average rate of 12.5 per cent. As for the public, there's a reason they gave resounding support to longer Sunday hours in a recent YouGov poll. Our shopping habits have changed; flexible hours mean large chunks of the public are suited to shopping outside the traditional hours. Retailers, therefore, must adapt in order to better compete for our trade. 2. Our ailing high streets, and even small retailers, will be better off. When Sunday trading laws were suspended during the Olympics, sales outside London increased by 6.2 per cent. In the capital, the increase was smaller (2.8 per cent) which, while still an increase, can be attributed to government warning us off the crowds. Increased sales suggests more customers to go round for everyone. A fifth of respondents to the YouGov poll said they would do more shopping on a Sunday were the changes implemented, and there is evidence that transactions for Sunday shopping are actually growing faster than those for Saturday. The more stores that are open on Sunday, the more consumers will choose to redirect expenditure from other segments (theatres, cinemas, bowling alleys etc). Advertisement Despite what the TUC would have you believe, this move will not mean the death of independent retailers. As detailed by Genakos and Danchev (2015), opening hours are only one of many strategic variables (in addition to price, location, advertising, personal advice or services) available to competitors who wish to protect and expand their market share. Indeed, in Australia, there appears to be no relationship between the proportion of small retail businesses and the stringency of trading hours regulation in each state. Further, regulation does not appear to have had any deleterious effect on the viability of small businesses. 3. Devolution, more broadly, is good for Britain. Surely local councils have a greater understanding of the problems facing their local areas than Whitehall? As one of the most centralised states in the world, the UK is ripe for devolution in a range of policy areas - from taxation to healthcare and infrastructure. The Chancellor was right to devolve business rates in the Autumn Statement; and the government is again right to put its faith in local councils, who are best positioned to tackle the decay of their local high streets. Devolving Sunday trading hours will also allow councils to "zone" any relaxation, so they will be able to prioritise city centres. Published on 9 February, only a day after a Prime Ministerial announcement about reforms to adult prisons, Charlie Taylor's interim report of emerging findings from the review the youth justice system makes good reading. The ambition shown in Michael Gove's plans to reform adult prisons earlier in the week is much in view in Taylor's, which has an important starting point: that children who offend must be treated differently from adult offenders. He states that while the youth justice system must seek to repair harm and protect communities, there should also be an ambition for children who offend to be helped to overcome their difficulties. This is a simple concept, but one that has not been voiced readily to date. Advertisement Taylor's review comes at a time of real potential. Few members of the general public will be aware that the number of children in custody has declined dramatically in recent years from around 3,000 in 2008 to its lowest ever level: in December 2015 there were just 929 under 18-year-olds in custody in England and Wales providing an opportunity for root and branch reform of the system. The number of girls in custody is currently around 40. But before we congratulate ourselves too readily, we should note that the number of children in prison in Finland rarely rises above five. Whatever your view on youth custody, there are clearly options as to how we choose to treat children at risk of getting into trouble with the law. Taylor's report tells us that, of the children who remain in custody, shockingly: almost two-thirds reoffend within a year of release; around 40% of the under-18s in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have not been to school since they were 14 and most - nearly nine out of 10 - have been excluded from school at some point. The report also found that children in YOIs only receive around 17 hours of education per week against an expectation of 30 hours. Notwithstanding arguments that the children who remain in custody tend to be the most challenging and have the most complex needs and that reoffending rates within a year of release may not be the very best measure of success because they do not differentiate between minor and serious offences, these statistics remain alarming and indicate the need for major reform. Advertisement Knowing Charlie Taylor's background with its emphasis on relationships, children's behaviour and the importance of a growing a sense of aspiration for each child, we should not have been surprised about the scale and ambition for change. The question now is whether it can be delivered. The building blocks for change outlined are significant: re-designing the youth estate so that it can cater for a smaller, but more challenging, group of children in custody. placing education at the centre of youth custody, by drawing on the culture of aspiration and discipline which is evident in the best alternative provision schools. replacing youth prisons with smaller secure schools which help children master the basics in English and maths, as well as providing high quality vocational education in a more therapeutic environment. giving local areas greater say and more involvement in the way children involved with the law are treated by devolving responsibility, control and money from Whitehall. Advertisement My team's regular visits to the secure estate confirm that children in the youth justice system tend to be very vulnerable: many come from traumatic backgrounds, similar to children in the care system, and many have learning disabilities or suffer from mental ill health. Despite some good intentions, the current regimes struggle to go much further than containment. Our recent research found that too many children are spending time in isolation in a system which is closer to crowd control than the ambitions of personal development and recovery that we see in Taylor's report. The report is a good interim staging post but the hard work now begins to make it a reality. We have an opportunity to set sights high. If we offer the right help early it should be possible to ensure many children find an alternative to offending. The Troubled Families programme has started some of this work, but we need to be in this for the long game. The focus on education needs to come good. It should be combined with an increased focus on the provision of individualised care and therapeutic support to help overcome the trauma of childhood experiences and build resilience, self-regulation and life skills. It sounds trite to say it, but it's very hard to describe the experience of being in Davos unless you have been. From the outside, it's portrayed as a kind of mass love-in of the global elite, getting together in a posh ski resort to laugh at everyone else's misfortune. And I guess it is like that in part - stories of Russian oligarch parties certainly linger near the surface, and the overall demographic statistic of 82% male betrays a reality that is some way from the image that the founder Klaus Schwab would like to portray. But. If you wanted to (and I did), you could experience something very different. I would describe what I was able to find as the ultimate conference experience: every subject of contemporary importance under the sun, with the best qualified speakers in the world; a meal-time programme of Chatham House rules debates and conversations that enabled serious engagement with the biggest issues you can imagine; and a participant group that spanned a wide range of gender, ethnicity, and worldview. While holding a background sense of discomfort at the very concept of where I was, I learned, connected, and saw the world differently at a level and with an intensity that I cannot imagine would be possible anywhere else. Safely if surreally back at home, I'm making sense of what I now see as being where we find ourselves as a society, and have formed it into the following five reflections. This won't reflect everyone's experience of Davos, but if I have learned anything, it is that Davos, like all of us, contains multitudes. Advertisement #1 The story is broken - and pretty much everyone knows it The two most compelling experiences of my week were poles apart in manner of experience, but almost identical in what I learnt from them. The first was an immersive theatre experience run by the Hong Kong based Crossroads Foundation, entitled A Day In The Life Of A Refugee. It lasted 75 minutes. Within 20 I could not have told you my name or where I was. When the facilitator called out "the simulation is over", and I sat with CEOs and politicians to reflect and hear from those who have lived for real and for years what we had merely tasted for a matter of moments in the basement of the Davos Hilton, I cried in a way I haven't for nearly 30 years. The second was an afternoon consisting of two panel sessions, one on fossil fuel futures, the other on the governance of the internet. In both, small group conversation revealed a total dissatisfaction with the status quo. The software giants - or at least some of them - actually seem to know full well that private ownership of platforms which have become key public infrastructure (facebook, google, and so on) can only be a bad idea; but they also quite rightly reflect that the obvious alternative, of public ownership through states, is hardly better. Likewise senior individuals from fossil fuel companies will quietly confirm they know they need to transform their businesses; but as soon as a bigger group comes together, they declare 'the future is gas'. They have to, of course: say anything else and a global economy that is deeply dependent on their share prices shakes at its core. Advertisement What these two sessions and the intense experience of the refugee run add up to in my mind is this: we are stuck. Very badly stuck. The story we have been living in may have worked for a long time, but there is now extremely widespread recognition that it has itself created monsters that we cannot deal with from within its structures. At the very highest levels and with the most serious consequences, the story is now so clearly broken there are very few who claim otherwise - at least in private. #2 A new story is rising - and a small but growing number of people get it This breakage was the big and near-universal backdrop, and for most, the idea that something might be rising to replace it seems to remain invisible. But there was a new story that seemed to be growing in volume and momentum through the week, perhaps building through whispers in bars and hotels and in the lounges where time passed between sessions. This was the story of New Power, the framework that Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms first put out into the world in the pages of the Harvard Business Review just over a year ago. I may well be biased, as the New Power hypothesis is clearly very closely related to our own work on the Citizen Shift. But one key aspect of Davos seems to be that it represents an opportunity for those who never truly have (or take) time to reflect and digest new ideas and their significance to do just that. And my sense was of a buzz of near-tangible energy and intrigue around the sessions where the idea of New Power made an appearance, whether explicitly, as in a Mastercard-sponsored dinner on the Friday evening, or implicitly, as in the panel on Modern Faith where the very new-power presence of young Frank Fredericks totally stole the stage from figures as august as the Archbishop of Canterbury and the illustrious Buddhist Mathieu Ricard. This idea of New Power offers us, at least in potential, a different way to think about how we might organise and indeed who we are - something that makes the unmistakeable crisis feel at least a little bit like an opportunity. It is a story which recognises that the changing media landscape of our lives does more than just offer us new tools with which to do the things we did before, but in doing so massively democratises access, voice and agency. While it can, as Heimans recognises, be co-opted, it is a story of great hope. I strongly recommend everyone check it out. #3 The biggest thing we have to fear is fear itself As this story of New Power rises though, Old Power is reacting with anger and fear, perceiving the new as a threat. Against the backdrop of the broken story, and as all people claim new levels of agency to organise in ways that disrupt the old order, there are manifestations which are deeply threatening to all of us - the most obvious example being IS - and there are many more manifestations which are threatening to the dominant story. The WEF themselves reported this in the form of a global risk analysis which cites "world protest intensity" as having returned in the last five years to levels not seen since the 1980s (think poll tax, Tiananmen Square, etc). Advertisement The reaction is a pervasive clampdown, restricting freedoms and compromising human rights at an almost unprecedented rate. The annual CIVICUS State Of Civil Society Report, also launched in Davos, contained evidence that in the previous year "there were serious threats to civic freedoms in at least 96 countries around the world." The list of countries included the UK, France, and the USA. As one Tunisian activist put it, "What hope do we have of pushing our government to maintain human rights when yours, which you push us to see as models, are abandoning them?" The compelling case that was made in several places in Davos (perhaps most eloquently by Amnesty International's Secretary General Salil Shetty) is that the core problem is that we are not even shooting the messenger; we are shooting the medium. By clamping down on freedoms, and on the digital technology which underpins them in the 21st century, rather than embracing them, finding ways to integrate them and the constructive voices behind them into global governance, and ultimately using them better and more creatively than people like IS, we are driving more people into their arms. #4 Some (Canadians) are making a stand for hope and openness For all this doom and gloom, and for all that Will.i.am, Leonardo di Caprio, and others were present in Davos, the most sought after selfie partner was definitely Justin Trudeau (no, I didn't get one). The newly elected Canadian Prime Minister and his delegation all but turned up with boxes of immigration forms, on an implicit recruitment drive to bring the smartest brains in Davos to Canada to be part of the project to show that a progressive nation can succeed in the 21st century - embracing diversity, accepting and responding to climate change, and revelling in the reclamation of Canada's global role as everybody's friend. My personal favourite moment of Davos came at a 'What next for Canada?' lunch, at which I couldn't get a seat, but stood and listened as the five ministers in the room gave their opening remarks. The Trade Minister, Chrystia Freeland, went last, and picking up a key WEF theme of diversity as driver of economic growth: "I want to apologise," she said, "as I have realised there is one significant demographic group not represented among the five ministers before you: straight white men." Advertisement I for one hope their honeymoon continues. #5 Culture and creativity matter deeply The final reflection I came away with is reflected in this Canadian optimism. Trudeau, in his platform speech to the Congress Hall, talked of Canadian culture as having been critical factor in his election: the idea that Canadians wanted to be again - and be spontaneously known again, as I remember being the case when I was at school - a positive, welcoming, optimistic nation. As he put it, "My predecessor wanted Canada to be known for its resources; I want Canadians to be known for their resourcefulness." This idea of the importance of culture and personal identity came through in what you might call the under-programme, a series of Arts and Culture sessions featuring names like Icelandic/Danish/German public artist Oliafur Eliasson and Turkish novelist Elif Safak, alongside academics like UCL's Beau Lotto, and key culture sector players like Martin Roth, Director of the V&A in London. The very presence of such people at Davos was deeply interesting, their message even more so. Culture, they were saying, is a fundamental human need, a root source of the creativity and imagination we will need to get through this deeply difficult period of human history, to redesign every system we have, from health to education, and to embrace the opportunities that await us if we can get through to the other side. In a time when so much culture is being destroyed, ignored in the priority funding or action list as mere stones, it was a powerful message. Problems with mental health often start when children are still at school - three quarters of adult mental health problems are thought to have their roots in childhood. It seems obvious, then, that one of the best ways to tackle poor mental health effectively is to offer help when mental health issues first emerge at school. Schools are the ideal places to respond to students' mental health and emotional needs. They offer a safe environment to address such issues as low self-esteem, bullying and exam anxiety as well as to identify and tackle problems when they first emerge. Advertisement Through The Children's Society's work with children and young people, we know that there is a link between the issue of unmet emotional and mental health needs and their risk of going missing, falling into gangs or being groomed for exploitation. Poor mental health can also be a warning sign of neglect, abuse or other traumatic events in a child's life. That is why we are backing calls from Place2Be and the National Association for Head Teachers for all schools to provide high-quality counselling services to help deal with emerging mental health problems. It is clear that many schools across the country are already spotting signs of mental ill-health. The Children's Society's recent report, Access Denied: A teenager's pathway through the mental health system, found that nearly one in 10 (8%) referrals made to specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in a 12-month period came from schools and further education colleges themselves. But more can be done to support teachers through proper training and guidance. The alternative is too costly to be allowed to continue. Failure to recognise the signs and provide speedy and appropriate support early on can contribute to serious long-term ill-health and financial costs. For a young person who has experienced significant trauma, such as sexual abuse, the lack of support may be even more destructive. Advertisement In recent years only a tiny fraction - just 6% - of total spending on mental health services has been allocated for children and young people . The sad reality is that many children and young people who have pressing mental health issues are made to wait to get the help they need - if they are able to access help at all. Our report found that children and young people wait an average of 66 days for an initial assessment by specialist mental health services. In some areas waiting time for conditions including severe depression and anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and psychosis, stretch to 140 days - almost five months. This is unacceptable. The mental health needs of the most vulnerable young people in particular are too often overlooked when they are crying out for help to deal with the emotional impact of abuse and neglect. For example, we found that less than half of mental health trusts (47%) have clear processes in place for children who have experienced sexual exploitation despite the recent national focus on child sex abuse and its impact. The Government's commitment to invest 1.25billion over the next five years in order to improve children and young people's access to mental health support is of course a welcome step. But following years of underfunding even this may not be enough to secure the extensive improvements needed to make sure children get crucial early support and for vulnerable children to receive the specialist mental health care they need. The Children's Society's practitioners, who deliver a range of counselling, befriending and emotional support services, including in schools, tell us that mental health needs among young people are significant and growing, particularly for vulnerable young people who have experienced abuse. This week's focus on children's mental health is as good an opportunity as any to again make the case for a sharper focus from government, and schools, on what more can be done to help young people when they need it most. Advertisement School children's mental health difficulties reflect the complex interplay of factors that contribute to both healthy and distressed child development. The important influences on a child's development range from parental factors to family, neighbourhood, school, peer and wider societal elements. Children growing up today might experience additional stressors that can negatively impact on a their development. These include the rising number of family separations; the tensions imposed by austerity cuts affecting the most deprived socioeconomic groups; the increasing pressures of school attainment; and the host of, as yet, poorly understood but concerning influences of social media on self-esteem and self-identity. Advertisement There have also been some positive changes, primarily the decrease in stigma associated with mental illness. Although mental illness remains one of the more stigmatised areas of health care, the improved understanding and acceptability of seeking needed care, has improved the likelihood of mental health difficulties being identified and provided for. These two factors in conjunction - rising exposure to potential stressors, and reduced stigma associated with accessing mental health support leads us to the 'crisis' we find ourselves in today - with concerns being raised in all spheres of the poorly addressed mental health needs of children in school. The evidence that mental health problems impact on school attendance and achievement has been demonstrated in a number of studies. Furthermore, difficulties in school and the pressures of academic attainment can also impact on mental health. Therefore the two are, if not interdependent, then very closely related. The problem therefore lies in how to address the mental health needs of children in school? Although a renewed research agenda has much to contribute in understanding what the best interventions are, when the best time to intervene is and who is best placed and most acceptable to deliver the intervention; in practice the question of responsibility is of equal importance. Is the provision of mental health support a key aspect of education services or does this lie in the realm of statutory health services? Advertisement At present, schools provide a broad range of, in some cases, poorly evaluated services. Schools decide for themselves if they choose, with their limited budgets, to provide a school counsellor or bring in innovative services that usually lie within the charitable sector. They often have to make this choice against providing additional academic support, on which they are invariably judged by inspection bodies and league tables. Yet, this post code lottery, as to which schools decide to support children's mental health needs and which choose not to provide anything in addition to statutory provision cannot be in the best interests of the majority of children that might benefit from better access to mental health support. At a minimum, and as a first move to address this problem, school should be given additional, ring-fenced resources, to be used for emotional and behavioural support within their schools. The schools will then be able to decide what would be needed for their children - by, for example, developing resources for the whole school as well as trying to address the needs of their more vulnerable populations. The current unmet mental health needs of our school children will need a greater commitment by central government as well as by local statutory bodies to ensure that health and education are able to work together to support children within schools. In an ideal world, social services would also be integral to our planning for school services. The training of staff in each sector should include better appreciation of these complementary professions - in my training to become a child psychiatrist I rarely entered a school and I had little exposure to the range of academic difficulties teachers have to manage. Likewise, no trainee teacher has joined me in my work. This, alongside improved access and availability of appropriate services would be basic first steps in enabling us to provide what children and families often want - holistic, comprehensive, and thoughtful support in the place where they are spending most of their time - at school. It's a personal priority of mine to tackle children's mental health issues; to give every child the support and care they need to have strong mental wellbeing while also shining a light on unspoken concerns and giving children the confidence to speak out about their worries. It's hard to admit, but sometimes adults aren't the ones young people turn to for help. Every now and again, we have to confess that children might be in a better position to help their friends or classmates on things that are worrying them, or keeping them up at night. It's often school friends who will spot the signs of when something is wrong, whether that's a friend who is skipping lunch or someone who may be self-harming. And it's often their school friends who young people will confide in when something is concerning them. Advertisement Which is why, today, the government is announcing a 1.5million fund driven by young people to help develop support networks. Those networks can be anything from informal buddying schemes to group support sessions. This fund can be used to provide online advice, training and workshops for young people to help set these groups up. Training will help young people spot the signs of mental health issues - in themselves and their peers - and provide a space to talk openly and honestly. It is heart-breaking to think that one in five children will suffer from some form of mental health illness during their childhood. Even more so when we know that more than half of mental health issues in adults first began before they were 18. This is why it is so important to get mental health right and ensure young people have open and frank conversations about it. I recognise that the world children are growing up in is a very different place to the one I grew up in. It's never been easy being young, but today there are tonnes of new pressures from the digital world that quite simply did not exist when I was young. The internet is a huge force for good but it also presents new and worrying challenges like cyber bullying, online pornography and trolling. That's why making the internet as safe a place as possible for young people is imperative. Advertisement Part of the support we're launching today is a new digital innovation fund, which will help counter negative influences online and provide easily accessible support and information for young people, potentially in the form of apps and other media young people engage with. These apps can help young people to connect with those suffering similar problems and get support from peers who've been through these issues in the past. All of this will be developed with young people at the heart of it. We know that young people don't want to be talked down to, they have real honest opinions and we want to hear them. That's why we are also launching a call for evidence via social media, schools, and community groups. These are platforms where the conversations we want to hear about the pressures on young people are happening. Whether a friend helped their classmate with overwhelming worries about their exams, or a best friend supported another through a serious bout of depression - we want to hear what young people think works when tackling mental health, and how support schemes can be rolled out nationwide. I have also set up a Peer Support Advisory Group. This new group will be supported by a wide group of experts, including headteachers, youth leaders and charities. But even more critically, it includes young people themselves and will look to engage with vloggers and YouTube stars. This will ensure young people are empowered to shape these solutions. Combining this group's thoughts together with insights from young people, we will build a strong and invaluable network of peer support across the UK that is based on 'best practice' and what really works. Advertisement We know that some schools are already using peer mentoring. For example, Sandon School in Essex has an excellent and inspiring mentor programme. Here, wearing a badge signifying your role as mentor is doubled as a badge of honour. I want to see more of this as peer support programmes are rolled out across thousands of schools across the country. Earlier this week, the NHS' Mental Health Taskforce identified clear links between work and good mental health. Young people need good mental health, character and resilience to be able to succeed later in life. I want to see a social movement for mental health that results in a nation of strong and resilient young people that are not afraid to speak about mental health and are champions of their own wellbeing. And as adults, we will be there every step of the way to help achieve this. One child suffering from issues of mental health is one too many. So while we empower young people to help themselves, we will continue to provide the best possible health care and guidance that will support children to overcome whatever issues they face. This is why I appointed Sam Gyimah as the first minister in the Department for Education to have specific responsibility for mental health. And why we embarked on a wider set of work aimed at tackling children's mental health issues. Advertisement This includes the introduction of new eating disorder waiting times and teaming up with NHS England to establish a new multi-million pound joint mental health pilot scheme for hundreds of schools. Centred upon setting up a single point of contact for mental health in schools, this pilot will encourage a joined-up way of working across schools and health services to ensure our children receive the best possible support consistently. We're also investing in character education, so that we promote young people's wellbeing and resilience. My uncle Seyoum Tsehaye was an extraordinary man living an ordinary man's life. He had been a war photographer during Eritrea's independence war, famous for his iconic footage capturing some of the most beautiful and brutal aspects of the conflict. When the war had ended, he became a journalist advocating on behalf of the rights of his people in the newly formed nation, Eritrea. After dedicating his own life to the 30 year long war for independence, the ordinary life was long awaited. He was married, had one daughter and another one only two months away. He was hopeful for the future. Then one day, there was a knock on the door. And his life changed forever. That was 14 years ago. About a week after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Eritrean government shut down all independent media and imprisoned all journalists and politicians that had advocated for human rights and democratic reforms in the country. With the whole world's attention riveted on New York City, all of this occurred unnoticed. Advertisement Seyoum Tsehaye was one of those imprisoned that day. I was six years old when I first heard about my uncle's fate. I instantly shared the story to my friends. When our parents came to pick us up after school, they found us asking people to donate money into the plastic cups we were walking around with on the school yard. One parent asked their daughter what she was doing. She replied: "Vanessa's uncle has been imprisoned in Eritrea, but he didn't do anything wrong. So we are collecting money to buy a plane ticket to go the prison, release him, and bring him to Sweden." Never underestimate the power of sharing a story. I was very young, but with one simple story I had managed to inform, touch and engage. Today, more than 14 years have passed. Until this very day, my uncle has not been granted a trial or any judicial justification to why he has been kept imprisoned for all this time. For more than 14 years, no one, not his daughters, wife, siblings, mother, friends or lawyers have been allowed to visit him. Advertisement For more than 14 years, he has been held isolated with his legs and hands tied up, in a cell in the middle of the desert where it is blazing hot during the day and freezing cold during the night. For 14 years, he has been stripped of his humanity. Robbed of the chance to speak up. For many this is completely unbelievable. And it is. It is despicable and a disgrace to humankind that these kind of brutal practices are going on, and that they are going without many of us knowing. That is what the main problem is; the plight that Seyoum literally has dedicated his whole life and freedom to, is being forgotten. But the reason I started fighting for my uncle was because I realized that the ending of this story still is unwritten. I know that 14 years have passed, but I also know that it is not yet too late to make a change. We need to share his story, because by sharing his story we can actually free him. We need to share his story because his plight needs to be heard, and supported. We need to share his story, because we need to make sure that he is never going to be forgotten, and make sure that the Eritrean government feel the constant pressure from us demanding his release. We need to share his story, because he is not alone. Because hundreds of people like him have been imprisoned without a trial and have still not been granted justice. We need to share his story because it speaks for the millions of people that are victims of the Eritrean dictatorship my uncle tried to challenge. I am sharing his story, not only because I am his niece, but because it is so easy. There are so many ways you can do it; through social media, at your college campus, workplace, the dinner table, to a friend. By sharing this article. Everyone is different, but everyone knows someone. We can all share his story through whatever means we have available to us. Advertisement I am sharing his story because had it been me I would have wanted every single person that could, to share my story. I would have wanted people to fight for me. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, Kanye West gestures to the audience at the unveiling of the Yeezy collection and album release for his latest album, Digital media company Carat has apologised and taken responsibility for the Virgin Australia tweet which called Kanye West a "douche". The tweet surfaced on social media on Tuesday evening and was swiftly deleted, but not before a few tweeters caught a glimpse. Advertisement The Australian airline told the rapper to "EAD you douche" in response to Yeezy claiming his album was "30 out of 10". This was after music site Pitchfork rated the album nine out of 10. EAD is slang for, er, "eat a d***". Carat's Sydney Managing Director, Dan Sinfield, told The Huffington Post Australia the tweet was posted by a junior staff member who is "completely distraught" as the company assesses the fate of their employment. "At this stage we're just reviewing the situation and looking into the appropriate steps to take in consultation with Virgin," Sinfield told HuffPost Australia. Advertisement "The person came forward straight away.. it's a human error and a horrible situation." Carat Australia apologises for a recent Tweet that we mistakenly posted on Virgin Australias account. We regret any damage possibly caused. Carat AUNZ (@CaratAUNZ) February 17, 2016 The digital media company has worked with Virgin Australia for eight years and shares responsibility for the airline's social media accounts, looking after most advertising-related posts. When asked whether the company will continue working with Virgin Australia, Sinfield said "we absolutely hope so". filo via Getty Images Scientist's Hands Grabbing White Mouse Professor Doug Hilton is proud of the way his institution conducts animal research and testing. As director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, he's proud of their track record of caring for animals and he's proud of the advancements he's been directly involved in, like the discovery of immune-boosting hormones used by thousands of cancer patients each year, which were first observed in mice. If pride and animal animal testing seem incongruous to you, here's a deeper look into why Australian scientists believe animals are still crucial in advancing medicine and science but also why animal rights groups don't think it's the right way forward. Advertisement The researchers and technicians that work with animals, in my experience, feel a remarkably deep sense of responsibility that comes with the privilege of being able to work with them, Hilton said. [Its a] sense of care for those animals that permeated the whole organisation." These facilities have been in the spotlight recently as a private members bill was introduced to the Senate by Greens member Lee Rhiannon in September last year seeking to ban the importation of primates for research in Australia. In introducing the bill, Rhiannon said it was designed to address the "cruel and inhumane trade in intelligent, live primates caught in the wild and sold to a booming research market". It's a debate that sparks emotional responses and Nonhuman Primate Breeding and Research Facility Board chair James Bourne said those strong opinions often impacted on researchers' family lives. Advertisement "Why dont researchers speak up more? First and foremost is personal and family security, so many researchers internationally have been targeted by groups and forced into a corner where they're unable to work anymore and this is a travesty. "There are many examples in the UK where researchers have been sent bombs to their home or been targeted in the street. "I personally have been threatened by emails and letters." Bourne however, said it was important for institutions to speak up about their research involving animals -- because the outcomes have led to Australian discoveries like the Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine, the cochlear implant, a stent announced last week allowing the brain to 'talk' to bionic limbs and more. Of the 106 Nobel Prizes in physiology and medicine of course which rewards the greatest medical advances, 94 were dependent on animal research, and that includes every prize in last 30 years," Bourne said. If we just look at whats happening today weve got the Ebola and Dengue Fever Viruses, which to get that rapid response, these viruses requires the use of primates and those vaccines are currently being tested in primates." Advertisement Bourne said there were incorrect claims these primates imported for research purposes in Australia were caught in the wild. "They're bred in captivity," he said. "The whole idea that were actually importing animals that have been wild caught are actually totally unfounded. There's no truth in that at all." Ebola posed a global pandemic risk in 2015 and currently, a vaccine is being tested on primates. The Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animal Association president Malcolm France said he'd like to see research institutions and animal rights groups cooperating more. "Transparency has to be a two-way street," France said. "I think research institutions often ... become too risk adverse. When an institution receives an inquiry from an animal protection agency, it's seen as a threat. Advertisement "I think that's a sad mistake." France said these animal rights groups were a starting point for correcting misinterpretations of the animal research industry, but that they also needed to gain researchers' trust. "There's often quite a flagrant misrepresentation of what goes on in animal research institutions," France said. "Theres really been no cosmetic testing in Australia for many, many years but it still features regularly in campaigns." He said research institutions needed to commit to greater transparency and animal rights groups needed to show leadership in correctly reflecting animal research. Humane Research Australia chief executive Helen Marston said it was not a case of researchers vs animal rights groups. Advertisement "Theres a bit of a misconception there that it's us against them -- they want to test on animals and we don't want them to," Marston said. "The bottom line is we both want same thing -- we both want cures for cancer and other disease, it's just that we do not believe animal models are the best way to achieve that. There is actually a lot of common ground there." Marston said she didn't accept the argument that institutions would not be comfortable talking about research for fear of safety. "Its an easy thing for them to say to avoid being held accountable," Marsden said. "One of the major issues is there is no transparency or accountability in this issue. Let's get the information out there so we can know what's going on. "I think people opposing animal experiments don't do it with any sense of aggression. It's about addressing the scientific arguments behind it. Advertisement "It's not just a cruelty issue, it's a question of the scientists being accountable and they need to show that what they're doing is working because there's a lot of peer reviewed studies that show that animals aren't predictive for humans." As the debate on animal research continues, Bourne said there was one thing he wanted people to keep in mind. "Researchers are always looking for the alternative," Bourne said. "When it comes down to the facts, were just trying to make moves ahead in medical research and science. Communist Party of Australia The Communist Party of Australia plans to run senate candidates in every state in the upcoming federal election, running on a platform to defend the rights of workers and oppose cuts to penalty rates and working conditions. The CPA has been in existence since 1971, originally forming as the Socialist Party of Australia from breakaway members of the much older (original) Communist Party of Australia. The original Communist Party dissolved in 1991, and the Socialist Party changed its name to the Communist Party of Australia in 1996. Advertisement General secretary of the CPA, Bob Briton, told The Huffington Post Australia the party had around 1000 members around the country. "The original party went on a reforming parliamentary road, and our party sees value in parliamentary work and starting an alliance of left and progressive forces for a new type of government, like in Venezuela and Chile," Briton said. "We would like to see a step toward socialism, state power of the working people. We see parliament and elections and electioneering as part of that educative process, but the main change will be led by workers in their workplaces and communities." Help The Communists register for the 2016 Federal Election! --->https://t.co/GihLw1LV95pic.twitter.com/u8Vnk5CLgG Communist Party AU (@communist_au) February 3, 2016 Advertisement While the party currently does not appear on the Australian Electoral Commission's list of registered parties, the CPA is looking to meet the registration requirements to run candidates at the upcoming election, which include a membership of at least 500 people and a $500 application fee. Briton said the party has had limited interest in elections in recent times, but did field a candidate in South Australia in the 1998 and 2001 federal elections. Briton himself ran for the seat of Lee in 2010, polling 2.9 percent of the vote. The party's sole elected representative, Tony Oldfield, was part of the Auburn council in Sydney that was recently suspended and replaced with administrators. "Compared to the big parties, [the party's polling numbers] are modest, but we feel it's a good way to put our politics before people, politics they don't get at other times," Briton said. "Even if they say they're disinterested, they look at material in the media and so on, so wed like to put a socialist alternative before them, about changing the system and not just having Labor or Liberal." Advertisement He said the CPA plans to field senate candidates in all states around the country at the federal election later this year, saying he was buoyed by the successes of independent and minor party senators like Jacqui Lambie, Ricky Muir, Glenn Lazarus and Nick Xenophon who had been elected without the backing of major parties. "They give us confidence. They're a mixed bag of progressive and reactionary people, but I think a senate with the voice like the CPA would be very good for public debate and discussion. There is this consensus about neoliberal economic policy that needs challenging," Briton claimed. He said the party would campaign on "workers rights, attacks on trade unions" with their top issue the fight against calls to reform penalty rates. The party's website also outlines policies including, "Equal rights for women, migrants and refugees; Aboriginal land and human rights; Improved public health, public education, public housing and public transport; Laws to force polluters to stop killing our planet; Higher pensions and improved welfare services; Peace and a cut to military spending to pay for socially needed projects". "Im not delusional about these things, but I think capitalism is having an image problem. Young people are not being born into the great Australian dream of affordable housing and so on," Briton said. "When you talk about socialism, and our support for education, housing, work, childcare and so on, young people are really receptive. There is that history around communism, and a lot of it has been misrepresented." Advertisement The "history" he alludes to is, of course, the 1950s-era scare campaigns around communism and socialism, "reds under the bed" and a "red tide" that Australia feared would sweep the country from Asia. He said such negative perceptions of socialism and communism were rare in today's society. "Because that was so long ago, it is less common, but there is that problem of perception and image in a segment of the population. However, I think if you can get into a nice long conversation with a younger person, they are quite well disposed to what were on about," Briton said. "Were the Communist Party of Australia, not of some other country. On a lot of issues through history, weve been on the right side -- aboriginal issues, trade union, workers rights, positions on wars. The negative opinions are diminishing." Such a fear campaign was revived last month when Labor MP Anthony Albanese launched his re-election campaign and took pot shots at the socialist background of his Greens challenger, Jim Casey. Advertisement "The Greens political party candidate who has been chosen in this electorate has spent more time in the international socialist organisation than he has in the Greens political party, and if if he was fair dinkum he'd run as an international socialist and see how many votes he got there," Albanese said. Briton said he was disappointed to hear such comments from a politician supposedly on the same left flank of the political spectrum. "He wants to smear and disparage the idea of socialism. In the 1970s and 80s, we were a united front in the trade unions; the Communist Party and Labor Party worked well together. That type of Cold War language, the sledging, is not good." As for the next step? Briton says the CPA's members -- "hardly old hands at this sort of stuff," he laughed -- are drawing up plans. Michelle Smith / Fairfax Media As Australia's population pushes beyond 24 million, Infrastructure Australia plans to keep cities moving with a "user-pays" system that would see people charged based on how often they drive and whether it's in peak hour. The 15-year Australian Infrastructure Plan released Wednesday highlighted more than 90 priority projects across the country including high-speed rail connecting cities on the east coast and local projects like Canberra's plan for a tram as well as small tweaks like real-time road information systems and improved traffic light synchronisation. Advertisement The report said the current road system of using taxpayer dollars to fund road upgrades was "unfair". "The system sees taxpayers subsidise all users, while those who use the network less are in effect paying a subsidy to support those who use it most," the report said. "Users in the bush driving on poorly maintained roads ultimately pay for a share of capacity on capital city roads they do not use." The other issue, the report outlined, was the fact that the roads were congested a few hours a day but with "excess capacity" most of the time. Advertisement "Employing available technology, a reformed charging framework for roads would see all existing taxes and fees removed and replaced with direct charging that reflects each users own consumption of the network, including the location, time and distance of travel, and the individual characteristics of their vehicle such as weight and environmental impact." Australian Automobile Association chief executive Michael Bradley supported the idea. "Australian motorists currently pay close to $28 billion in taxes and charges every year, however the allocation of funding into road, rail, and public transport infrastructure needed across Australia remains ad hoc, unfair, and lacking in transparency," Bradley said in a statement. The AAA strongly supports Infrastructure Australias call for a public inquiry into road funding reform and how we can replace current taxes with a fairer road user pricing mechanism." Car festival Summernats general manager Russell Avis told The Huffington Post Australia the system could go either way. "My question is how it would affect owning a second car," Avis said. "For people who have two cars and only take the second one out a few times a year, it could save money. For taxi drivers or truck drivers, well they're already taxed a lot. If you've got a local truck delivery business and you don't travel far, maybe it's a big win, but maybe you'd pay rego, then you'd pay again for driving it. Advertisement "Somewhere along the line, someone has to pay." The infrastructure plan also flagged a need for growth in smaller capitals like Darwin, Adelaide and Hobart to relieve larger cities as well as faster internet and commuting options for regional areas. The report said that while "it is not governments role to direct people where to live", the right infrastructure could attract young professionals and skilled migrants away from increasingly populous major cities. "Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast are close to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane," the report said. "With the right infrastructure, such as high-speed broadband and high-frequency public transport connections, these cities could enable more Australians to live in a smaller city and access employment opportunities in one of our major metropolises." Our largest cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, meanwhile, are flagged for high-density inner development as opposed to sprawling new suburbs on the outskirts of the city to reduce reliance on cars and commuting. Advertisement Between the four cities, the report estimated 500,000 to 700,000 additional dwellings needed to be built in the next 15 to 20 years. Chairman Mark Birrell said that while the plan outlined a system where drivers paid for the privilege, it was designed with the user in mind. "In developing the plan, we have prioritised the user -- the commuter waiting for a train, the family paying their electricity bill and the business looking to capitalise on overseas markets," Birrell said in a statement. By completing the major reforms to infrastructure markets the average Australian household will be almost $3000 better off every year. Advertisement Jupiterimages via Getty Images Mother and daughter looking out window When a young mind encounters a mental health issue, early intervention is the key to a positive outcome. Advertisement While the rise in adult mental health issues is well-documented, a lesser-known statistic is that 14 percent of children and adolescents (aged 4 - 24) are likely to experience a mental health problem, the most common being depression, anxiety, substance abuse or dependency and eating disorders. Sadly, of this group only about 25 percent receive assistance. As a mental health clinician working with children, youth and their families, I know that a positive impact can be made on a young person's life if professional assistance is sought early on. Through evidence-based practices as well as the identification and targeting of risk factors and individual circumstances (protective factors of intelligence, socio-economic status, support networks, help seeking behaviours etc...), mental health professionals can make a difference which can help these kids turn their lives around and lessen the impact that mental health issues will have on their adult lives. Take the example of a concerned parent who sought help from a local community health centre because their four-year-old was lacking in social skills and they were worried about the child commencing school. This parent did the right thing. Their child was placed in a group where they learnt to play and socialise, and their parents were given some handy hints on how to facilitate the learning of such skills. This led to a much easier transition to school and may have avoided what could otherwise have been a continuing downward spiral of antisocial behaviour, which may have effected their learning for who knows how long, perhaps even permanently. I know many parents avoid getting help because of a stigma attached to reaching out for assistance, but these parents weighed their own anxieties and fear of the unknown with the overall welfare of their child and came up with the right answer. Advertisement What about a family who worry that their child is not on par developmentally with other kids the same age, or concerned with either their child's cognitive, language, emotional, behavioural, social and/or physical development. In Australia we are so fortunate. That family can receive a comprehensive developmental assessment with multimodal practitioners who work together (paediatrician, psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapists, audiologist) to determine whether there is or isn't a deficit. Once this is determined the appropriate intervention can be offered if required. At the very least the family will have gained a lot of helpful information they can use in their daily lives to help facilitate their child's development. For example, parenting strategies that are helpful in managing difficult behaviours, speech therapy that facilitates a child's ability to learn and communicate with others and develop friendships, or the improvement of fine and gross motor skills which can also influence learning and socialising. In many instances they will have kicked off a series of events that will turn the parents and their child's lives around for the better. There was a 17-year-old girl concerned her HSC studies were being impacted as she was spending an inordinate amount of time washing her hands, rewriting sentences (as they just weren't quite right) and avoided eating as foods were thought to be contaminated. This led to family arguments, a teenager feeling depressed and even contemplating suicide. Then there was the 16-year-old male who was in trouble with his parents and school as he was always irritable and his grades had dropped. They were concerned with his recreational drug use and had noticed some scratches on his arm. The parents were particularly concerned as there was a family history of alcohol dependence and mental illness. In both of the above cases, once these two individuals and their families were educated that what they were experiencing was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Depression respectively, and given skills to manage their unhelpful thoughts and maladaptive behaviours that were maintaining their moods, they made a complete turn-around. Both teenagers were able to complete their schooling. Advertisement The girl went on to study law at university and reported being able to manage her anxiety and obsessive tendencies so that they didn't get in the way of what she wanted to be doing. She said she no longer thought of suicide and that, with hindsight, she first felt anxious and down many years earlier and she wished she had broken her silence (she was worried others would see her as different) and asked her parents to get her help back then. The boy was able to make healthier choices to address his feelings rather than numbing his emotional pain with the use of substances and self-harm. Through working with the family they were able to turn their relationships around and he was able to continue living in the family home. Through my experience it is abundantly clear that the earlier someone gets help the better. A child's brain undergoes rapid cognitive growth and development, which includes impulse control and emotional regulation, and is highly malleable to positive experiences and learning. Attitudes towards health behaviours, such as risk-taking behaviours, may be influenced in the maturing adolescent brain (brain development continues for a young person right up until their mid-twenties). Therefore, the sooner help is sought the better. This stops all parties worrying and wondering "if" there is a problem and provides timely intervention so as not to impair the person's educational and social experience. A report from The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists says there is robust evidence that "the prevention and intervention of mental illness in childhood and adolescence is critically important, both to improve children and young people's mental health and to help prevent the onset of mental illness in adult life." Advertisement If you're a parent wondering if your child needs help, or if you're an adolescent or young person wondering if there's something not quite right, don't hesitate in getting help. Just do it. The only harm that can be done is not doing so. __________________ Strahan Tasmania Australia, January 2012. Robert Glasser, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Credit: UNISDR By Robert Glasser* Just as the worst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa seemed to be over, the mosquito-borne Zika virus has led to the declaration by WHO of a public health emergency of international concern following a steep rise in congenital malformations and neurological complications among new-born children of infected women. The lack of vaccines and reliable diagnostic tests have been cited as causes for concern, and the most important risk reduction measures are control of the mosquito populations and prevention of mosquito bites in at-risk individuals, especially pregnant women. Brazil's move to deploy 220,000 soldiers for mosquito control is a welcome step. Advertisement The numbers of affected people continue to rise as the virus spreads rapidly through the Americas, and the long-term consequences could be severe in terms of the human cost, but also in economic losses, which may accrue. Ebola not only claimed over 11,000 lives, but also inflicted major economic losses, amounting to 10% of GDP, on the impoverished countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. These public health emergencies underline the urgency of taking action to avoid recurrences and to respond to the real danger of future epidemics and the possibility of a global pandemic. Last year, UN Member States agreed to extend the scope of disaster risk management beyond the range of natural hazards which normally occupy national disaster management agencies, to cover biological threats including pandemics and epidemics. Advertisement These are included in the first milestone text of the post-2015 development agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction -- which also recognises the importance of resilient health systems to achieving substantial reductions in mortality and the numbers of people affected, injured or disabled in disasters. This need was brought home to those who drafted the Sendai Framework partly because they were doing that work in parallel with the unfolding crisis in West Africa which revealed major weaknesses in the public health systems of the countries concerned and a need to improve epidemic preparedness regionally and globally. Political commitment has always been vital to the success of disaster risk management. We have recently seen practical demonstrations of this from the President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, and the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, who both went on television and social media to alert their respective populations to the dangers of large storms. Behind those efforts, both countries are striving to reduce disaster risk through legislation and practical measures which also avoid the creation of new risk. Because 90% of all disasters are now climate-related and there is so much focus on them, deaths are being avoided in many weather-related disasters. This sense of urgency and action among political leaders in disaster-prone countries has taken root since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami became the world's first truly global natural disaster claiming over 220,000 lives from many countries across the world. The political fall-out from major disaster events such as this has helped to spur politicians at all levels. Advertisement In contrast, are we burying our heads in the sand when it comes to the threat of epidemics and pandemics? In a world with only 1.8 billion people, one-third of the population became infected and 50 million or more people died in an influenza pandemic in 1918. HIV/AIDS has taken over 35 million lives. Significant death tolls and economic losses have also been associated with more recent outbreaks of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), H1N1 avian flu and MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future has issued its final report. Commission Chairman Peter Sands points out that "While there are certainly gaps in our scientific defences, the bigger problem is that leaders at all levels have not been giving these threats anything close to the priority they demand." The Commission's report builds a convincing case for investing more resources in national public health infrastructure as the first line of defence against pandemics. This is especially important given that 67% of WHO member States, of their own admission, fail to meet the requirements of the 2005 International Health Regulations for the prevention and control of public health emergencies. Apart from the obvious question of human security with so many lives and livelihoods at risk, the Commission calculates that the annualised expected loss from potential pandemics is more than $60 billion. To mitigate and reduce these losses, the Commission proposes a range of measures, chief among them an annual investment of $3.4 billion in upgrading national health systems. The Commission also recommends $1 billion investment in research and development and up to $155 million for WHO to establish a dedicated Centre for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response. Advertisement The return on investment will be significant in many ways, not least the co-benefits of improved surveillance and treatment of endemic diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. It's time to act. _________________ Earth to the pundits and wonks in the beltway bubble, earth to the nodding heads in the media, we're not impressed by your transparent attempts to smear Senator Sanders. We're not amused by your condescending attitude toward us, either. We are not naive, sexist, or racist, nor are we all college students. We won't be confined or controlled by demographics, polls, and marketing strategies. We are supporting Bernie, because he has been fighting for us (the little guys that your corporate success forgot in the dust) his entire adult life. He has done it against all odds, winning as an independent against a largely corrupted two party system. He is the longest serving independent in the history of the US Congress and has successfully pushed for numerous important legislative initiatives, like auditing the Federal Reserve for the first time. Before that he was a successful mayor. Even if we don't subscribe to all his particular policy proposals, he is what we wish all politicians in Washington were, humble, caring, dedicated, and effective. He is easily the most experienced of all the candidates that are left running for President, and he's laid out the most detailed plan for how he's going to accomplish his goals. Let that sink in. Advertisement Do you remember Franklin Delano Roosevelt? You've heard of him, no doubt. When you look around this country which has fallen into such disrepair, when you look and see the inequality everywhere, how can you not see the need for this political revolution? We badly need a new deal. Oh, that's right. That's what it means to be in a bubble. Around you, there are cranes crowding the skyline. Well educated and well heeled people are everywhere, laughing and being important. The good times are rolling in Washington, on Wall Street, and in corporate boardrooms. Congratulations. Unfortunately, we are the pragmatists. We have seen that things cannot continue as they have since the Clintons and their allies turned the Democratic Party into a doormat for the financial industry and multinational corporations. The oligarchy isn't working. The American people can't take it and neither can the planet. We deserve functioning infrastructure, a fair playing field, and perhaps some decent healthcare for when things go wrong. It's not too much to ask. We don't want free stuff. We just want the wealth back that's been syphoned away from the real economy, the one back here in the dust. We want to restore democracy and justice. Will Bernie be able to make it happen? Advertisement No, not by himself, but that's why he's got us. Note: Our accounts contain the personal recollections and opinions of the individual interviewed. The views expressed should not be considered official statements of the U.S. government or the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. ADST conducts oral history interviews with retired U.S. diplomats, and uses their accounts to form narratives around specific events or concepts, in order to further the study of American diplomatic history and provide the historical perspective of those directly involved. On May 7, 1999, during NATO's intervention in Yugoslavia, U.S. warplanes accidentally dropped laser-guided bombs on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. The strike was meant to target a warehouse storing Yugoslav munitions, but the maps given to NATO were out-of-date. Three Chinese citizens were killed and twenty were wounded. Despite apologies from President Bill Clinton, the Chinese blamed America for deliberately bombing the embassy. This account was compiled from a 2002 interview by ADST with Paul Blackburn, Public Affairs Officer in Beijing at the time of the bombing. You can read the entire account on ADST.org. Advertisement BLACKBURN: On the Saturday morning of the bombing, the embassy held an Emergency Action Committee meeting at the Embassy. The Regional Security Officer [RSO] told us there would be a demonstration in the afternoon. We were instructed to tell our American staffers and their families to stay in their apartments in the diplomatic compounds, exercise proper security precautions, and await further news of developments. I rode my bike to a street corner by the embassy where I could watch - all the while trying to look like a harmless senior-citizen foreigner. The demonstrations were orchestrated by the Chinese authorities, who worked through the Communist Party cadres assigned to the universities. Two busloads from each of the major Beijing universities came, each with similar banners and slogans to chant, and each bearing a petition to be delivered to Embassy authorities. At first the demonstrations were peaceful, and the embassy sent representatives to the gate to accept petitions. But the protests got more and more hostile as the afternoon progressed, and the marchers started throwing items such as glass bottles, stones, bricks, paint, and eventually Molotov cocktails. As it turned out, I had left just ten minutes before the Embassy was completely shut down for the next three days. During the first day and a half of the crisis, many of our colleagues, were in significant danger. Officers engaged in a full-scale destruction of classified materials that might fall into the hands of demonstrators should the Embassy be overrun. In hindsight, it appears the danger was never that close, but several Chinese did jump the compound wall and had to be confronted by Marines in full battle gear before they were persuaded to jump back over the wall.Except for Shanghai, with its own Marine guard contingent, the other Consulates were protected only by Chinese security guards. In Chengdu those guards were of virtually no help. Advertisement Demonstrators climbed the compound wall, set fire to the Consul's residence, and smashed their way through the outer door of the Consulate. They were using a bike rack to try to crash into the interior - while screaming that they were going to exact vengeance - when city security forces finally arrived and routed them. Happily, in the end no Americans anywhere in the country reported suffering any physical harm. One Australian and I think a Canadian - who to no avail protested that they were not Americans! - got roughed up, but only slightly. Canadian lapel buttons were in wide use by U.S. citizens during those days. Throughout the ordeal we maintained contact with the USIS Chinese employees, especially those with email. The Fulbright professors were another major concern. I was convinced that, with campuses all over the country erupting with anger at the U.S., many of the Fulbrighters and their families would want to be evacuated as soon as possible. But none of them did request to go home. To their great credit, they all hunkered down for those first tense days in their campus apartments... Throughout the crisis, we were able to maintain the embassy website. It was regularly under attack by hackers, but our contractors somehow managed to fend them off, or to quickly get it back up whenever it was taken down...We used the website in many ways besides just communicating with each other. For example, I wrote a statement for the Ambassador, expressing his regret about the mistaken bombing and calling for continued good relations between the two countries. We put that up in both English and Chinese. The embassy's Gunnery Sergeant, an excellent photographer, took a widely used picture of the Ambassador looking forlornly out through the broken glass of the front door of the Chancery. Another he took showed our American flag through an upstairs broken glass window of the Chancery. We put both these photos, and several others, on our website, and the news organizations picked them up from there. Chinese media handlers I talked with later told me they felt very resentful when they saw what we had done. They said we should have also carried pictures of the devastation and deaths at the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. I explained that that was not our job, but that we had carried numerous statements conveying our regret for the tragic mistake. Advertisement A few of us had gone in earlier to try to clean up some of the dirt and glass shards, but we couldn't fix the broken windows and there were limits to what we could do to make the premises presentable before the main body of the staff returned. It was pretty bad. Everybody, especially the Chinese, was deeply disturbed by what they saw. Though we were not the primary target of the demonstrators, our compound was directly on the main route the demonstrators walked along. The USIS facility lost about 85 broken windows, while perhaps a ton of rocks and other debris had been thrown into our office space. Besides returning to depressingly messed up offices, the Chinese staffers were still suffering the effects of having had their families and friends urge them to get DSB to transfer them to new embassies and away from the contemptible Americans. On the first day we were all back, I called the staff together and said, "Look. This is what happened, as best I understand it. Many Chinese think we bombed their Belgrade embassy on purpose. It was not done on purpose. It really was a mistake. We understand that Chinese media and party cadres put that unflattering interpretation on the accident, and that all Chinese feel very angry right now. The mistake was a terrible one, and we are deeply sorry it happened. "At the same time, you should realize that Americans are insulted and upset with Chinese who accuse us of doing it on purpose because we feel some kind of hatred toward China and the Chinese people. As you can see, some Chinese felt justified in attacking Americans and causing all this damage to our facilities. We in USIS just have to deal with this tense bilateral atmosphere and get on with our work. After all, we are the Chinese and Americans who every day try to strengthen the basic fabric of relations between our two countries. That is our job, so let's get on with it. But first let's have some meals together and try to relax a bit." And that is what we did. Q: Did U.S.-China relations suffer permanent damage? BLACKBURN: Sure, it was harmed, but in most respects it bounced back pretty quickly. In the days immediately following the bombing, the Chinese showed that they did not want the emotions of the moment to overwhelm the benefits China gains from the bilateral relationship. From the get-go they were anxious to protect economic relations and tourism. In fact, American tourists were going about their usual activities through the whole episode - and came up against no particular hostility, as far as I know. And the American business community was strongly encouraged by the Chinese authorities not to pull out either people or investment. Advertisement They also wanted to keep our educational ties going. Following the Tiananmen Square tragedy in June of 1989, we suspended the Fulbright program. People in both of our countries remembered that, and thought it had been a big mistake. When relations are sour, that is not the time to cancel educational exchange activities; you need them all the more. So both at the Ministry of Education and on the campuses, officials made a special effort to emphasize to the Fulbrighters and other foreign teachers, especially Americans, that their presence was very welcome. Military-to-military contacts stayed on ice for quite a while, but educational ties and media relations soon were much like they had been before the bombing. After a couple of months, the overall climate of the relationship improved substantially. We sent a delegation to give senior Chinese officials an explanation of how the targeting mistake came to be made. Another delegation worked out what we would pay the Chinese for the loss of life, injuries, and property damage sustained in Belgrade - and the compensation we expected for the damage done to our facilities in Beijing and elsewhere in the country. We finally agreed on a payment of about $30 million to them. And they agreed to give us about $3 million. Q: Did we have a good explanation of what had happened? BLACKBURN: We said that it was a faulty map, and using some charts and maps, explained to the Chinese leadership in some detail how things went wrong. Those charts and maps have never been made available to the American public! I felt, and still feel, that we did a very poor job of providing a satisfactory public explanation. The Chinese kept insisting that we had done it on purpose, and we had no hard documentation to use in rebutting them. Unfortunately, bureaucratic butt-protecting kept us from admitting our mistakes - except through leaked information that appeared in the New York Times. That put new Ambassador Joseph Prueher and the rest of us in the very odd position of referring our Chinese interlocutors to a newspaper article, rather than giving them an official document - or, better yet, a White Paper - that laid it all out. Advertisement A Bahraini protester takes cover during clashes with riot police following a protest against the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Shiite opposition movement al-Wefaq, in the village of Sitra, south of the capital Manama, on January 29, 2016. / AFP / MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH/AFP/Getty Images) On Sunday, police in the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy of Bahrain arrested four American journalists as they were reporting on the political situation in the country. Of the four, only Anna Therese Day has been identified, but all were charged with "unlawful obstruction of vehicles and attending unlawful gatherings." After two nights in detention, they were released on Tuesday and deported back to the US. Although the crew's release is cause for joy, many more Bahrainis remain behind bars in this tiny Middle Eastern state that is also a close ally of the West. Of the many prisoners of conscience, there are at least 10 Bahraini journalists in prison, their only crime having been challenging the absolute monarchy's rule. Dozens more have been detained, tortured, harassed, or forced into exile over the last five years, in addition to the thousands of activists and ordinary people who have wound up in jail as well. Advertisement The repression is part of a larger policy of crushing dissent that the Bahraini government has followed since 2011, when hundreds of thousands joined a popular uprising demanding freedom and democracy. The American crew was arrested on the fifth anniversary of the day it all began, Feb. 14, 2011, when by some estimates around half of the country of 1.3 million people took to the streets. The uprising was by far the most widespread in modern Bahraini history, bringing together many different sectors of society - secular and religious, Shia and Sunni, from all different class backgrounds - united in the hope that their homeland could taste freedom for the first time since independence from British rule in 1971. But the regime - controlled by the al-Khalifa family, which has been in power since 1783 - had different plans. The Bahraini regime took action against protesters quickly, as demonstrations grew larger in the capital, Manama, as well as in towns and villages across the country. Dozens were killed in the weeks that followed, as police broke up demonstrations, tore down protest camps and beat up demonstrators, arresting thousands who took part. In April 2011, Saudi Arabian forces even got in on the act, entering the country at the regime's behest to help crush dissent. More than 80 were killed over the next two years, as local protests persisted on an almost daily basis. Advertisement Over the following months and years, hundreds of dissidents fled the country in fear, as their colleagues were locked up and the bounds of acceptable public speech were drastically curtailed. Doctors and nurses were even jailed for treating protesters wounded by the police, in a horrific perversion of justice that offered a startling indicator of how dangerous and repressive the Bahraini government really was. All of this occurred with the support of the United States, which maintains a major military base in Bahrain and steadfastly opposed any moves that might destabilize the country - which any expansion of freedom for the country's citizens would undoubtedly do, given the current regime's repressive nature. In the months before the uprising began, the US even sold $200 million in weapons to the regime. The US thus helped crush a popular revolt for freedom in Bahrain and supported its ally Saudi Arabia in carrying out the dirty work. The United States was not alone in this regard - the United Kingdom is also notoriously close to the Bahraini regime, having sold the country more than $60 million in weapons since the outbreak of the Revolution. Today, amid the ongoing conflict in a number of countries across the region, it is easy to forget that things were not supposed to end up like this. The example of Bahrain shows just how much the desire for freedom and democracy is widely shared across the Arab World, but how in many places it has been quashed by repressive forces with the complicity of the Western powers. Having been for the last five years beaten, tortured, exiled, and killed by their leaders and ignored by the world community, Bahraini dissidents are today left with few options for reforming their country. Advertisement And yet, in Western political discourse it is sometimes asserted that Arabs or Muslims are unready for democracy. What more could Bahrainis have done to show how ready for democracy they are than leading months of protests and articulating very clear demands for greater liberty? It is an extreme irony of our present situation that in countries like the US where government support for repressive Arab regimes has been greatest, many still blame the victims of those same regimes for the repression and violence they are forced to endure. The consequences of ignoring the Bahraini revolution have been grave for the region. The Bahraini government is ruled by a small clique dominated by Sunni Muslims that refuses to offer the Shia Muslim majority of the island equal access to opportunities, jobs, and political representation. To add insult to injury, the regime even sponsors Sunni Muslim citizens of other countries to move to Bahrain and become citizens in exchange for loyalty, in order to help change the demographic balance in their favor. Because of the country's demographics and the fact that they bear the brunt of government policies, the majority of protesters were Shia Muslims. While many in the West - including President Obama - have a tendency to imagine sectarian divisions in the Middle East as dating back thousands of years, the example of Bahrain reveals how much the conflicts across the region today are a product of very specific political decisions taken for very specific reasons of political interest and gain. Behind many of these decisions is US support. And if there is one thing that Western governments should know by now, it's that supporting repressive regimes in the Middle East will always come back to haunt them. Anna Therese Day and her crew were in Bahrain to help offer a voice to the hundreds of thousands of Bahrainis who took the streets only to see their dreams crushed. Despite Bahraini government allegations, it seems the crew's only crime was to film the many activists who continue struggling underground for change. Advertisement While we celebrate the journalists' release, let us not lose sight of the larger picture, and of those bearing the brunt of US support for Bahrain's autocracy. The cemeteries are empty The movements underground The is no one left for me Down in Johnsontown I've learned the art of being lonely Just a painting on the wall - Saad Omar, The Swan Song In 2010, I took a trip to Chicago to visit the Art Institute's new section on Matisse, titled 'Radical Invention'. While there, I stumbled upon a large biographical work on this early 20th century artist and his philosophical approach to art. Included within this voluminous monograph was a dialogue between Matisse and one of his students. The master and disciple seemed to disagree on the proper way to approach an object of painting, which in this context was a fish. Matisse wanted his student to make the fluvial interlocutor his own by dominating it through his creativity and artistic style. On the other hand, the student wanted to stand aloof as an observer and hearken for that moment when the fish reveals its true self to the artist within him; he wants to be a listener, not a voice who speaks on behalf of life. After a lengthy debate, Matisse sought to inculcate in his student a powerful message that circumvents their relationship as teacher and student. He informed his disciple of Cezanne's recommendation to any beginning artist: that they should visit the Louvre and stand solemnly at each and every work of art and hearken respectfully until the deceased spirit of the artist speaks through the traces and accepts this wanting seeker as a student. Indeed, this seems to have been a lofty spiritual taste among the artists' in pre-modernity. For it is said that at his death bed, Leonardo Da Vinci embraced the Mona Lisa tightly to his bosom. As Da Vinci had breathed his last, the painting was left in his grasp for a while, so the artist's spirit can fully permeate his work. At the highest level or expectation, we might say that the modern man visits museums in order to heighten their artistic sensibility. Certainly, very few would say that they regard such an architectural enclosure of relics and artifacts as a cemetery and seance space where they can commune with the dead. Be that as it may, there is another aspect of museums that is delicately interwoven with both modernity and the spirits of the dead. As Louis Ruprecht mentions in "Caught between Enlightenment and Romanticism", the idea of a national public museum was a necessary catalyst in the formation of nationhood and a national identity. Although the Parthenon in Greece was no longer the site of ritual sacrifices to the heavenly Zeus, it was still the site of a different sacrality; one where memories are reconstructed through the relics of the past in order to define what it means to be Greek. In this way, the gods of mount Olympus continue to shape the daily lives of the masses. From this point of view, the modern museum appears to be further possessed by the spirits of the dead. As Engseng Ho informs us in Graves of Tarim, the descendants of the Muslim saints in the Indian subcontinent return to the lands of their ancestors in modern day Hadhramawt, Yemen in order to negotiate their identity at the entombed flesh of their 'pious predecessors'. As Derrida also informs us in Of Hospitality, l'etranger (the 'foreigner' from a 'foreign' 'abroad') can only find serenity and identity at a place of death, not birth. This is so because for a mobile traveler, only death can provide the necessary stasis for reflection. This type of identity, one that goes beyond a simple social affiliation, but rather an inner gnosis is also precisely what Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-Arabi perceives to be the quintessence of hajj (pilgrimage), as he eloquently states in his poetry: "And at Arafat araftu (I knew) the One ... You seek and so I became impatient". The name Arafat becomes, for the Andalusian mystic, a linguistic pun of ontological proportions: it is so called precisely because it is the spatial sine qua non of marifa (gnosis). From the temple mount, Arafat, mount Olympus and the hearkening heart of a beginning artist at the Louvre, the spirits of the dead seem to gain more agency post-mortem. Their form is no longer constrained within a static flesh, but rather has now flexibly pierced and overwhelmed the imagination of every interlocutor who seeks them in the world of the, still, materially living. As my dear friend and artist of language, Saad Omar, so beautifully composed in the lyrics mentioned above, "the cemeteries are [indeed] empty". This evocative adjective, empty, as found in the modern Greek adeios, comes to mean "free from fear" or "unoccupied". The spirits of the dead are incessantly moving in silence, to and fro. These are motions that, as Saad informs us, take place underground; beyond the narrative of the painting or sculpture but just at the threshold of the meta-narrative of the spirit of the artist that brings the work to life. Perhaps Saad and Cezanne are also in agreement that just when the seeker has gone on the pilgrimage, mastered the 'art of being lonely' and becomes a solitary 'painting on the wall' ... only then will they be able to commune with the spirits of creativity and find the master within and without. Of the two most popular epics in Indian literature, the Ramayana and the Mahabharat, the Mahabharat is the longer and more intriguing. Filled with insights into human nature, depicting every kind of human being from the highest to the lowest, from the most despicable to the most noble, it presents the entire gamut of humanity, encapsulated into one story. At 110,000 verses, it is also the longest epic in human history. Though the Mahabharat is more popular at the moment, thanks to numerous television serials and movies, the Ramayana is unique in its own right. At 24,000 verses, it may seem small, but only in comparison to the Mahabharat. It is still longer than Homer's Greek epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, combined! The story of the Ramayana is quite unlike the Mahabharat's story. The Mahabharat is a "game of thrones", a battle between two factions of a family. The Ramayana is cast more in the mode of a single man's quest to rescue his wife Sita, after she is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. War and battle are present, but they are part of the story of Rama, rather than the other way round. Rama as the protagonist, displays many wonderful qualities of a true leader. For example, despite the ignominy of the kidnap, he still retains his dignity and composure. No revenge or hatred color his heart. His love for his wife is tremendous. Indeed, he traverses the length of the subcontinent in his quest to save her. Rescue her he must, and if he must fight a war to do so he will, but not out of thoughts of revenge or hatred. Advertisement In fact, in many versions of the story, Rama is pained at having had to kill Ravana. For example, in Goswami Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, Rama explains that Ravana had to be killed because of his many bad qualities. At the same time, the demon king had several good qualities. If only they had been nurtured instead of the bad, Rama says he would not have had to kill Ravana. Rama expresses how there is no need to condemn a person just because he displays certain qualities. By all means condemn the qualities and work to change them, but there is no reason to condemn the individual itself, and all future possibilities he or she may hold. This is something that anyone in a managerial or leadership position would do well to implement. Another aspect of Rama is his ability to go through even the most extreme situations with grace and dignity. It was bad enough that he was exiled to the forest with his wife. But then his wife was kidnapped. To handle such situations with a level head, walk through life with dignity, and still do whatever is need to rectify and fix these situations is quite a feat. Even one the architect's of India's constitution, and a critic of the Ramayana, Dr. BR Ambedkar acknowledges this point. This is an important aspect of any leadership role. Being a leader naturally exposes us to a variety of situations, many of which may not go as we plan. Unless we are able to walk through these untouched, we will not make very good leaders. So what is a Millennial? And, what is all the fuss about? It seems as though every article written about the future of the workforce involves some discussion about Millennials. You can't discuss social media, TV viewing habits or the state of the workforce without an in-depth analysis of this group. Can one group really command this much attention? The answer is a resounding yes. So again, who are they? A Millennial is generally considered someone who was born between 1980 and 1999. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are more than 80 million Millennials in our country. They are the most technologically advanced, diverse and tolerant generation in history. They are larger than their predecessors, Generation X and the Baby Boomers, and they are now entering the workforce in record numbers. Their entry into corporate America will challenge management to create innovative strategies in an effort to engage and develop an entire generation. To me, management is understanding, adapting to, and in some cases, adopting new ways to inspire and lead, which in the end will make your organization more successful. With this in mind, challenges will, inevitably, ensue as this generation of Facebookers, SnapChatters, and YouTubers take their seats in cubicles across America. Let's explore ways to manage and fully integrate this generation into the workplace - a generation of which this the author is a proud member. Advertisement Perspective ''They don't always trust the old ethic that if they work hard everything will come out right.'' A quote that could have been said by a modern day industrial psychologist explaining how Millennials feel entering the workplace, instead, was said by L.E. Joines in 1982. Joines, who was director of human resources for the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, was quoted by The New York Times contributor Thomas Friedman in "The Baby Boom Comes of Age," an article concerned with how difficult Baby Boomers were finding the workplace. As the children of the Greatest Generation, Boomers did not conform to the social norms set out by the previous generations. There was a natural conflict between the two. Further research during this time period illustrates that hiring managers and those in the C-Suite had to, in many ways, change how they viewed and trained the newest additions to the workforce. Long hair, bell bottoms and a sense of entitlement were all workplace challenges that needed to be addressed. As Baby Boomers continued their rise up the corporate ladder, they enacted many changes. Formal training programs, sexual harassment policies and diversity positions in the workplace were made possible due, in large part, to the leadership of Baby Boomers. However, time has a way of inverting roles, responsibilities and sensibilities. Today, Baby Boomers find themselves looking at an advanced version of themselves. And it is scary. Boomers hold the keys to the C-Suite and have developed social norms and business practices of their own. In order to manage effectively, one must have an understanding that the wave of Millennials in the workplace and the fact that they want/demand certain things is not unusual. In fact, it is a continual - generational -- process. Viewing it in this light should give a more rounded perspective to what is sometimes a very contentious issue. The Risk The workforce of the future will be dominated by Millennials. This is not something that can be avoided, and companies large and small will need to adjust to this reality. A recent Inc.com article highlights places like Silicon Valley, where companies are adapting to Millennials - and they are flocking to them. Firms that can quickly adapt to the needs of this generation will garner the best talent, and those that do not adapt will not be in the race. Not being able to provide a work environment that this group will be able to thrive in will mean dollars and cents to the bottom line or lack thereof. In a recently released Deloitte Millennial survey, 44 percent of Millennials said if given the choice, they expect to leave their current employers in the next two years. That figure increases to 66 percent when the time frame is extended to 2020. This is a risk to companies both large and small. Looking deeper into this survey, we find that leadership opportunities and the social responsibility of an organization play major roles in how this generation feels about their work and if they are going to remain with a company. Organizations such as LinkedIn are at the forefront of changing their onboarding and talent management processes so that they remain an attractive place to work for Millennials. Advertisement A Different Approach In The Millennial Generation Research Review, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that some studies suggest that the generation is rewiring the brain with extensive multitasking training. Simply put, Millennials can look at Facebook, listen to music AND do their assigned tasks at the same time. While this flies in the face of many traditional business norms, Millennials have found a way to make it work for them. Easing policies, whether they be explicit or implicit is one approach to retaining Millennial talent. Additionally, Millennials want to see a path for growth. During onboarding, it is important to show career paths within your organization and ways to get there. Furthermore, these discussions need to be ongoing. This generation wants to know that their hard work will pay off and they need to see it displayed. The involvement of senior management is key to the overall success of this strategy. For example, employing a mentor program that is not just in name only but is focused on the new hires' future is a way to increase retention. Finally, your organization must invest heavily in technology. This is the generation that grew up playing the highest definition video games. They have always paid their bills online and put their thumb on a button to open their phones. This is the level of technology they know and expect in the business world. Continuing to invest in your firm's technological capabilities will not only help to retain Millennial talent, but will also improve internal company functions. From Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, usually weighing less than 100 pounds when fully grown, to the leatherback, the largest turtle on earth, all seven species of sea turtles living in U.S. oceans are listed as endangered or threatened with extinction. These animals contribute to the biodiversity of our oceans and the health of their ecosystems, and yet thousands die unnecessarily in our country's waters each year. Fortunately, a clear opportunity exists right now to help these animals, as a simple policy change could make significant progress in reducing the number of sea turtles killed each year. After hatching on land, sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean, where the most significant threat to their survival is unintentional capture in fishing gear, or bycatch. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that U.S. shrimp trawlers could capture and kill more than 50,000 threatened or endangered sea turtles each year in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. To catch wild shrimp, large trawl nets are dragged across the seafloor, indiscriminately capturing shrimp and anything else that happens to be in the area. The nets use small mesh netting, making it difficult for larger species like sea turtles and finfish to escape. As a result, Southeastern shrimp trawls produce the most bycatch of any U.S. fishery, wasting two-thirds of their total catch. Fortunately, the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) offers a solution. These are specialized metal grates which, inserted in trawl nets, can allow captured sea turtles to escape. Testing has demonstrated that these devices are 97 percent effective at preventing the deaths of captured sea turtles. Advertisement As part of a new campaign to increase the number TEDs and protect more sea turtles, Oceana and One More Generation (OMG) are calling on the next generation of sea turtle lovers to write a letter or draw a picture telling President Obama and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker why they love sea turtles and why they should be protected. The groups will collect these letters and deliver them to the President and the Secretary of Commerce on World Sea Turtle Day (June 16, 2016). Oceana and OMG will call on the federal government to require universal adoption of TEDs, as to date, the U.S. has only mandated them on certain types of shrimp trawls. By requiring TEDs on all shrimp trawls, thousands of additional endangered and threatened sea turtles could be saved each year. When sea turtles are needlessly killed as bycatch, ecosystems -- and the ocean as a whole -- suffer. Sea turtles have played vital roles in maintaining the health of the world's oceans for more than 100 million years. Green sea turtles, for example, are one of the few large species that eat seagrass; their grazing helps improve the productivity and nutrient content of seagrass beds, which in turn helps nourish the rest of the local food web. Hawksbill sea turtles help maintain productive reef ecosystems by eating the sponges that aggressively compete with coral. Leatherback sea turtles, to the benefit of both fish and swimmers, help keep jellyfish populations under control. And when sea turtles of all types return to their ancestral nesting sites to lay eggs, the broken shells left behind deliver essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes. Advertisement Requiring the use of TEDs will also provide economic benefit to the industry. Due to the lack of protections for endangered and threatened sea turtles, seafood buying guides currently warn consumers against shrimp caught by more than 2,400 Southeast skimmer trawl vessels. A TED requirement would alleviate these concerns and help ensure that shrimp caught by skimmer trawls is no longer "red-listed," allowing fishermen to sell their shrimp to additional markets. The U.S. government has the authority to issue a fishery-wide Turtle Excluder Device requirement in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Doing so would immediately address a threatened population and help keep our oceans healthy and abundant. With World Sea Turtle Day approaching on June 16, there is no better time to act. ----- To learn more about Oceana's work protecting sea turtles, as well as download materials to send your own letter, including a factsheet and letter and drawing templates, please visit usa.oceana.org/turtles. . Please send your letters no later than May 23, 2016 to either of the addresses listed below. Letters may also be scanned and emailed: Oceana Attn: Save Sea Turtles 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW 5th Floor Washington, DC 20036 lsnyder@oceana.org The National Coalition of Girls' School 2016 Global Forum on Girls' Education, Creating a World of Possibilities, took me to NYC last week. It was a conference full of hope and possibility; in some ways, the world has never felt smaller to me, headmistress of a girls' school in Ohio, connected to 900 other educators passionate about girls and education. As always, I think about what I can carry back to the girls in my school. How can inspirational keynote addresses affect the work we do at Laurel School? Gloria Steinem opened the conference. Much of what she said pertained to the work she has done all her life on behalf of girls and women. At 81, she is articulate, elegant, the opposite of strident. I've admired Gloria since I was old enough to know who she was--journalist, activist. The girls' school from which I graduated in 1978 gave us copies of Ms. Magazine. We were proud, eager to be feminists. In the late 70s, convinced we were going to change the world, we understood that feminism was about equity. For my students, Gloria is a name, a relic. For me, she was and continues to be a beacon. Forty years later, Gloria is a touchstone, a living symbol of struggle and optimism. She's not giving up. I can't either. Gloria (I use her first name on purpose because she insisted during the Q and A that she be addressed as Gloria) invited us to pretend we were sitting in a circle. The arrangement of an auditorium in which audience members see each other's backs and face the speaker is based on hierarchy rather than inclusion. She reminded us that the founding paradigm for Native Americans was a circle. There is no word for gender in Iroquois. As human beings, we are linked, not ranked. Linked not ranked. In our country, it seems all too easy to forget that white people are not superior to black people; that wealthy people are not superior to poor people. Man's inhumanity to man is built on the premise of rank, not on the concept of connection. Advertisement Gloria spoke epiphanies as if she were talking about the weather. Movements are not silo-ed--feminism, civil rights, environmentalism, she explained. They are all interwoven and are all linked, based on respect and equality. Whenever there is racism, females are more restricted. Restriction is the opposite of freedom. This resonates with me as the leader of a school that both seeks to empower young women and that prizes interdisciplinary thinking as essential in our curricular philosophy. It's our job to help girls understand the ways in which concepts are connected. Few ideas exist in isolation. But listening to Gloria, I find myself curious about our girls' understanding of the ways in which concepts are linked. Women continue to be paid less than men in the United States. Does that make girls angry? Do they wonder why that reality persists? Or do they not yet know enough about how economics and cultural norms can be braided? When asked what advice she would offer young women, Gloria was unequivocal: Vote. It was children who got their parents to stop smoking, she reminded us. Young people serve as an important conscience for society. She suggested: "If you have more power than others, then you need to learn to listen. If you have less power, then you need to learn to talk. This may be hard; you may be used to hiding." This wisdom feels important. My mind travels back to my own school. I muse about the need to draw attention to patterns and be intentional about changing them. At Laurel, we want girls to claim their voices and change the world. Do we listen enough? Are there ways in which we can better encourage agency? risk-taking? Are they so focused on their futures that they neglect the present? Do we do all we can do to let laughter bubble up? Laughter, I heard Gloria explain in a talk she gave more than a year ago in Cleveland, cannot we compelled. It's authentic, unforced. She tells the crowd, "If you are part of a group that doesn't let you laugh, leave." I am lucky to lead a school where laughter is plentiful, shared. Listening for laughter is a good reminder for every teacher; even when girls are working hard, it's important to hold space for laughter. Advertisement At NCGS, Gloria challenged us to use technology on behalf of literacy, to unite rather than divide, but she reminded us, too, that empathy doesn't happen over a screen. Both Gloria and Arianna asked us to balance social media with all five senses. In closing her talk, Gloria counseled us to listen to each other, to behave as if everything we do matters. We must instill what we hope for in all we do. Little things turn out to be big. All great teachers know this, but I am glad to be reminded of impact, both that we predict and that which is unforeseen. The next day, Arianna Huffington came out swinging about self-care and the importance of sleep. She urged us to keep our bedside tables sacred--a single flower, a candle, a real alarm clock, a real book. She excoriated us for taking better care of our iPhones than of ourselves, and I grimaced, knowing she is right, knowing that I was, in that very moment, concerned that my phone had little charge left. Where could I plug it in? When? When do we re-charge ourselves, she asked us. When will we change the starting time of school? At Laurel, we hope to begin a half hour later one day a week next year for our older girls, but that feels insufficient. We have so much work to do in terms of reorganizing school to encompass wellbeing for girls, but I am proud of what we have accomplished in getting girls to stop using their beds as command stations, in underlining the importance and value of sleep--even though they don't yet get enough of it. Finally, educator and social activist Kakenya Ntaiya closed the conference with the story of her own remarkable quest for an education in Kenya, a quest that required tenacity and courage and a gutsy capacity for risk-taking that left me feeling awed and insignificant. Unstoppable, she came to college in the United States, earned her doctorate and has established a girls' school in Kenya, a job for which I have no qualifications, but in that moment, I wanted to race to a country where education for girls is not yet a given and get to work. Impractical to be sure, but that I, at 55, am still an idealist is a good thing; we need our capacity to dream, to possess the desire to effect change, to advocate for girls all over the world. And for the girls to know her story, to watch her TED talk and learn of her resilience, her activism and her advocacy for the girls of her country. If you can see it, you can be it, we tell them. I want them to see Kakenya. Don't date a girl who travels says this video. Do date a girl that travels says that article. But what about the girl who travels? Who does she want to date? Does she even want to date? Have you ever asked one? I am a girl who travels. Whether you want to date me or not doesn't really matter to me, at least, the question is not keeping me up at night. Unless, of course, I like you and I am eyeing the idea to date you. In that case, I may wonder if you like me too, but most likely the thought that me traveling has anything to do with the matter wouldn't have occurred to me. That was until my mother asked me a few months ago if I'd stopped traveling if I met a guy I fell in love with. I really didn't understand the question, it seemed so silly to me ,and so my reply was, "Why the heck would I do that?" (Sounding even less eloquent in German.) Only later did it dawn on me, that there might actually be guys out there who, A) actually spend time thinking about the pro and cons about dating a girl who travels a lot; and B) who subsequently might not want to date one. Advertisement She's the one with the messy hair. I was a bit baffled because I never thought in terms of such... practicality, I guess you could call it. I travel and I have blue eyes; I make great pizza and like giraffes; I love scuba diving and don't mind plane food and not one of these things does define me more than the other, at least, that's what I always thought. Would you not want to date me because you don't like giraffes and your most burning desire is not to go dive with a Mola Mola? Probably not, so why would the traveling part be any different? I have close friends in so many different countries and don't love them any less just because they are far away -- the idea of dissing someone because of proximity seems rather odd to me. Then again, I haven't had a relationship to speak of for a while, so maybe I'm getting this all wrong. She's tasted life and it marked her with flaws. The truth is, though, that dating as a traveling introvert ain't easy. I don't like the concept of dating much to begin with, but now how to approach someone if you dislike crowded bars, hostels, full-moon parties and crowds in general? Or should I actually stand in a museum hoping for a handsome stranger to stroll by, stopping next to me, mesmerized by the same painting and/or me? Does the old line of, "Can you put sunscreen on my back?" still get used, and does it work besides warding off cancer? If I could manage to find someone with any of the above or other unbeknownst ways, how do I date and always leave? How can I not rejoice that someone is committed enough to want me as their "plus one" for a summer wedding, when in fact I have no idea where I will be in summer? I think we can all agree, avid travelers or not, that communal wedding attendance is huge in a relationship, but so is a trip to Iceland or New York. How do you hide the fact that the idea of Bali and Mola Mola gives you more butterflies than the person you are lying in bed with, and who -- hopefully -- just gave you multiple orgasms? How can you explain to someone that they really do need to let you go in order for you to come back to them? Not once, not twice, but all the time. Maybe it really is me and not you, but that brings me back to the beginning... what about the girl who travels, who does she want to date and how will that work for her? Advertisement She follows her heart. The other day, I read a wonderful post about a girl just like me. Who travels and who still dares to dream about finding love. Who still believes against all odds of the space-time continuum that she will find this person, and that time and space will not matter when she does. That her travels are irrelevant to a connection that can be made, that one shared moment will be enough to find it/him. Call me a fool, but I believe it too. Oh well, now that I've admitted to the internet, a.k.a. the whole world, that I am looking for love, I may as well tell you what I did next because while this is all well and good in theory, I thought fate could use a little help. So I started to wear mascara on long distance flights (not the greatest idea!) and waterproof mascara on diving trips (no mascara is that waterproof it turns out). I also started to look up from my Kindle once in a while when I'd go for dinner on my own to see if there was anybody out there. That was probably a better idea if it wasn't for the fact that I am apparently the only person in this world to ever go to dinner alone when traveling. Single guys who travel, do you not eat? I also started to be generally more friendly and chatty to tour guides, salesmen, and taxi drivers to gain some flirting practice and collect karma brownie points which usually resulted in proposals of all sorts: camels, marriage, marriage with goats as dowry. After I turned down a Morrocan carpet salesman who offered me 600 camels for my hand in marriage, something I was actually quite chuffed about, me being in my thirties and not blonde, I realized that I needed to be more active. Men don't grow on trees, and they definitely don't just fall into your lap either. Advertisement When the waves are calling, life stops. With that realization, I decided that more concrete action was needed and I downloaded Tinder onto my phone. Well, actually first I contacted a South-African ex who I remembered fondly while I was in Cape Town. Though he was initially keen, he then realized that the trauma of his last relationship was still too daunting to see me for an open-ended drink. I must admit I was quite bummed when he canceled, and so I do blame him for ending up on Tinder. Believe it or not, Tinder treated me well enough. The offers weren't too creepy, no unsolicited dick pictures were sent -- and then I even met HIM. European, my age, former diving instructor, travel designer, and a beard of note (lately I have added "beard" on my ideal guy wish list). The perfect guy on paper and he seemed to feel the same way about me. After a week of messaging we met. There were drinks, there was food, we kissed, we ended up at his place (kids, don't try that at home!) and then I left too quickly. Something was not quite as perfect as I would have liked it. Every place a reminder, she must let go. And she goes. We met once more and that's when it hit me -- was I maybe secretly hoping for someone to rock my world so much that I would want to stop traveling? That I actually couldn't believe my own sentiment that it would be possible to do both, to love and to travel, to love both equally, to not crave one more than the other? As we lay in bed we talked about diving. About Indonesia, sharks and buoyancy. He talked about things he had seen, I spoke of creatures I ached to meet. Then I left, again, too quickly. I wanted to hide my glow. A glow that didn't come from his touch but his words, not from his actions but from him fueling my dreams. While he wasn't meant to be the one to love, he was the one who pushed me to go further -- in my travels, my dreams, my pursuit of having it all. Donald Trump could destroy his base Time for Trump to talk about 9/11, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama President Barack Obama held a news conference but seemed to focus on Donald Trump which begs the question -- if Trump cannot be elected, why obsess about him? Part of the reason is that he makes a convenient target when President Obama is playing the elder statesman role, as when he suggests that Senate Republicans should not obstruct and oppose his Supreme Court nominee, as he, Sen. Obama, himself did when he opposed President George W. Bush's nominees. But each time President Obama attacks Trump, he solidifies Trump's base. He also will provide Trump with the opportunity to reply and go on the attack against him. Trump likes the prestige position of being attacked by the President and going against him. In short order, I'll outline why criticism of Obama should go all the way back to the roots of 9/11 and President Bill Clinton, and then end up at the collapse of Iraq and the rise of ISIS> Advertisement Earlier I saw Jeb Bush simulating Trump on the attack against him. He almost seemed to suggest Trump was barking before ending up with the word "Jeb" or "Bush." And before that, I saw Donald Trump who reported to his audience that he turned on the television and saw Hillary barking. He would not, he assured his audience to laughter, replicate it. Funny stuff aside, if Bernie keeps raising money and making inroads among nonwhites, she is likely to go sharply negative. In New Hampshire, Hillary lost, Trump won, both big time. Trump, who is less threatened than Hillary, goes negative nonetheless. In his grand strategy, he has his eye on November, so he already tries to distance himself from the Republican Party by his frontal assault on the Bush family. But he went way too far. Now, he needs to get the discussion back to how 9/11 happened, and turn the dialogue to less about Bush and more about Hillary. Trump is, after all, running for the Republican nomination. There is a range of opinion on the Iraq War, and Donald Trump has crossed a line from which he ought to turn back. In his rhetoric he has gone beyond questioning the judgment and competence of former President George W. Bush. Trump aims to be the standard bearer of the Republican Party, but he has questioned the integrity and good faith of the party's most recent president. Trump even flirted with the leftist notion that Bush should have been impeached. Viewed by the extreme Left, the war was an exercise in conspiracy. Big Business and the Military Industrial Complex colluded with Big Oil. Advertisement Contrary to J.A. Hobson and Karl Marx, capitalism does not require perpetual war for prosperity; actually, the opposite is true -- war misallocates resources and impairs organic economic growth. Imperialism is not a consequence of capitalist economies using military might to conquer nations for raw materials. Instead, it is a corollary to an ideology of expansionist collectivism, such as communism or Nazism. A democratic republic is unlikely to initiate war if it follows constitutional safeguards. Finally, if the goal of the Iraq War were oil, it would have been easier (and less costly) to buy it. We turn to former Marxist and New Left intellectual Ron Radosh for insights from his analysis https://pjmedia.com/ronradosh/2016/02/15/is-donald-trump-a-leftist-in-disguise/ on Donald Trump's observations on 9/11. Mr. Radosh has been on the side of freedom for more than a generation, but he was a member of the Communist Party and is well qualified to dissect the Left. With the provocative title "Is Donald Trump a Leftist In Disguise?"Radosh sees Trump as "a man closer to the far Left and the Democratic Party than he is to any conservative or Republican." Does Trump believe he can seduce hardcore leftists into supporting him, to compensate for the erosion in the Republican base that if he continues this way, by the general election, might find him unacceptable and too much of a gamble? In contrast to Radosh, David Horowitz, also once a major domo of the Left, and now a good guy, writes writes http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/261825/election-fog-david-horowitz while Trump is a "recklessly ill-informed" candidate whose "misreading of the Iraq War is a serious political fault," Trump's statements are "the result of ignorance rather than malice against his country." Leftist Van Jones on CNN expressed astonishment that Trump, a candidate in the Republican primary, attacked Republican George W. Bush for 9/11 and the Iraq War, but not Democrat Bill Clinton (for passing up at least one opportunity to kill Osama bin Laden and thus prevent 9/11) or Democrat Barack Obama (for squandering the post-surge Iraq he inherited and thus enabling ISIS). Instead, Trump did not even mention Clinton or Obama, but solely excoriated former President George W. Bush, and not simply for the "mistake" of the Iraq War but for lying. Reasonable people disagree about the wisdom of that war, but only the extreme Left sees a conspiracy with Bush as liar. Well, not quite: there are the Pat Buchanan inspired paleoconservatives at The American Conservative [sic] who see Bush as a liar, in service to the Jews in America and Israel. Never mind that American Jews were among the least supportive of the war, and that Israel's concern was with Iran, not Iraq. As America's ally, Israel backed the U.S. but was hardly enthused about what Trump retrospectively and accurately calls an intervention that "destabilized the whole area." Advertisement Incredibly, Trump has suggested that President Bush knowingly deceived the American people. If I were Trump, I would not want the praise of Code Pink's Bernie Sanders, Medea Benjamin ("Trump has gone farther than Sanders") and so many other leftists with whom Trump, as Radosh notes, now has in common the refrain, "Bush lied, People died." These are either people who would never support any U.S. military action, anywhere, anytime, or they now, at least implicitly, sympathize with the Islamo-Fascists, just like they sympathized with the Communists. That's what Bernie Sanders did when he was known as a "Sandernista" for his support of the Communists in Central America. These folks praising Trump are not what we used to call "Reagan Democrats" or the "silent majority" that could be part of any Trump coalition. David Horowitz explains that Saddam was able to hide weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) such as sarin gas-filled rockets in buried stage tanks now in the possession of ISIS. But even without that datum, many Congressional Democrats were privy to the same intelligence information available to the president and other foreign leaders who supported the war, information that exaggerated the magnitude of the WMDs threat. Some of the intelligence reflected intercepted communications within Saddam's hierarchy that falsely inflated WMD capability and inventories. We had the same problem in the former Soviet Union, in which communist operatives touted dubious economic and military data for their own self-promotion. Consider another regime where good news was a career booster, and the bearer of bad news might be demoted, or worse -- Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser. For example, during the start of the 1967 Six Day War, no one would tell Egyptian leader Nasser that Israel had destroyed his air force. Trump is wrong on the facts of how President Bush made his decision or, as Horowitz suggests, he does not know the facts. Certainly, "W" was not a liar. As Peter Wehner noted, Bush relied on the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) as well as his daily intelligence briefings. Bush pressed CIA director George Tenet who famously said the reliability was a "slam dunk." Intelligence agencies from other countries had independently concluded that Saddam had inventories of different WMDs, and even that they were operational or easily so. Advertisement Wehner says Trump is a "menace" who is "unhinged," the term Trump has applied to Cruz, who also is a "basket case." It is one thing for the candidates to trade insults and call each other liars. It is quite another for Trump or anyone else to give credence to the Far Left in its historical revisionism on the origins of the Iraq War. Whether Trump is hurting himself politically in the short term remains to be seen in the results in South Carolina. But he could have made some of the same points without assaulting George W. Bush's charter. Trump needs to calibrate. It is reasonable to challenge Jeb as a convenient proxy, to demonstrate that he, Trump, would be, among the candidates, the best commander in chief because he, Trump, is strong and decisive. So, it's okay for Trump to say: "It's not about keeping us safer after 9/11. It's about keeping us safe before 9/11." You don't have to be a conspirator to legitimately question why the U.S. did not pick up on the signals that a 9/11 was coming. And questioning whether the Iraq War served the self-interest of the United States is reasonable. If Horowitz is correct, and it's simply ignorance, then Trump should get advisers who can brief him on 9/11. We are reduced, though, for discussing the politics of it all. Trump knows that in chess you can't take back moves. But he doesn't always deliberate sufficiently before making his political move. He is not known to have political advisers who tell the boss what he needs to hear, rather than what he wants to hear. In his political operation, Trump does not suffer fools or dissenters. Otherwise, Trump would not have skipped the Fox debate, and he would have had the required "ground game" in Iowa, and he might have won. And he needs to walk back his character assassination of George W. Bush. Already, Trump has said that "others" raised the possibility of Bush's impeachment, that he did not advocate it. If Trump keeps on his present course of bashing Bush and Cruz, the benefactor would have been Marco Rubio, except that now he is in the "liar' colloquys. And if Trump keeps catering to the bottom feeders of the Left, he will eventually disillusion even his Republican base. Advertisement Trump would do well not to further erode the Republican Party's brand. It could become his. People already in the club feel it still has redemptive qualities, and Trump aims to lead the party. As has been the case for a long time, Trump behaves not like the leader among the primary candidates, but as someone desperate. Trump is, by nature, a risk-taker, but he does not grasp the unknown cumulative effect of rhetorical, even repugnant excess. He can't keep exposing the Republican electorate to allergens, because voters may at some point reach a threshold, with a reaction. Trump realizes that his populist message resonates with certain voters who would otherwise not vote Republican. He aims to make it socially acceptable for them by not merely "self-funding" his rebellion against the Establishment, but proving his bona fides by a frontal assault on the family of the last two Republican presidents. This evidently is part of Trump's grand plan for November. As a matter of strategy, this gambit of taking on the Bushes is quite brilliant, but he could have done so without going overboard, or shall we say, waterboarding. The other candidates and prominent elected Republicans did not properly defend George W. Bush, except for Marco Rubio who at least spoke up. Trump may belittle Sen. Lindsey Graham who, after Saturday, now telegraphs he would not support Trump in a general election. But the way Trump attacked George W. Bush has crossed a line, and he needs to pull back before he, Trump, self-destructs. Trump can still have the proverbial cake and eat it too. He can explain how Bill Clinton blew it -- how Clinton's Justice Department prosecuted the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 as a civilian crime, rather than a terrorist act, and how Clinton was AWOL when it came to killing bin Laden. Then he can put Hillary on the defensive. And he also can fault George W. Bush for ignoring intelligence warnings about a major attack by bin Laden. All that is fair game. The background to 9/11 is covered in the controversial, accurate, and critically acclaimed ABC docudrama, The Path to 9/11 written by Cyrus Nowrasteh. This dramatic and engrossing miniseries is aptly subtitled, "the years that led up to it, everything that might have prevented it." It aired in on the attack's fifth anniversary in 2006. The miniseries traces the origins to the Clinton years. Fair and even-handed, it points fingers at both the Clinton and Bush administrations. That's what Trump needed to do, and must do now. Disney owns ABC, and the Clintons -- then looking toward Hillary's 2008 campaign, pressured the liberals who run ABC's parent corporation to abandon plans for DVD distribution. For years, Disney has not relented and the superb dramatic history of 9/11... the DVD, remains censored, as if it were pornography. Advertisement There is a graceful way that Trump can turn back the clock from what he did in the Charleston debate on Saturday, and his continued over-the-top attacks that offend even some of his supporters. Trump would do well to turn the 9/11 attack now against the Clintons; Bill Clinton for too long has been given a free pass on 9/11. Trump can highlight the 9/11 issues in a positive way that clearly separates him from the "losers" -- the "stupid" people who are "incompetent" and running our government. One veteran political journalist has told me that Trump cannot go beyond his, say, 35 percent, without some more conventional conservative support. Attacking President Bush as he did makes it harder for Trump to attract the rest of the Republican party.. His name-calling with Cruz does not help. He needs to get back on message, and that means 9/11, and The Path to 9/11. In short, Trump can redeem himself and make everyone (except Hillary and Lindsey Graham) happy by following my counsel: Buy the rights to The Path to 9/11 DVD and distribute it. Sell the DVD, and give the proceeds to the vets. Or buy time and put it on the air. He can make an offer for a "deal" with ABC. It rejects. He proposes negotiations. If ABC refuses, he attacks. He can find a friendly major stockholder or stockholders. As someone with a background in media concluded, ABC would look like it's hiding the movie." This movie is sitting there for Trump to pick it up and run with it. Do something. After his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, more and more people in our communities are asking: Who IS Bernie Sanders? Last week, Congressional Black Caucus Members were asking it openly as they watched Rev. Al Sharpton host Bernie in Harlem, just hours after Bernie had the most decisive victory in the history of the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary. Advertisement Yesterday he met with students at Allen University in South Carolina, and Morehouse in Atlanta. Later this week, major black civil rights leaders will be sitting down with him to discuss his agenda. Who is Bernie Sanders? Who is this man that keeps upsetting our nation's most powerful political dynasty at the polls? Let me take a moment to answer that. He was born in Brooklyn. He beats every leading Republican in the polls, and often does better against them than his opponent. He does what he says he'll do. Indeed, he has a lifetime history of doing the right thing. He has a vision for change and, yes, social revolution that is directly inspired by the example and words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advertisement Bernie began his political life as a civil rights organizer. He got arrested fighting to integrate university housing in Chicago in the early 1960s. (If John Lewis did not see Bernie Sanders in the Civil Rights Movement, it may just have been because Bernie had his back. John became national chairman of SNCC in 1963. Bernie joined CORE at the University of Chicago in 1961, according to national reports. As chairman, he then led the group in its merger with the campus chapter of SNCC in 1962, and was arrested in 1963. Bernie was one of the few elected officials in Vermont to endorse Jesse Jackson for president of the United States in 1984. Today, he has a 100 percent rating from the NAACP. He also has the best platform for ending mass incarceration, improving community policing, and advancing racial justice. Bernie protested the War in Vietnam as a young man. He voted against the foolish and very expensive war in Iraq, which has robbed us of funds -- and more importantly, of young lives -- that might have help lift up our communities and our nation. Speaking of lives, Bernie is also the only candidate who has been willing to lose a major election fighting for an assault weapons ban (as he did when ran for Congress in 1988). Advertisement Today, he has a courageous plan to end gun violence, and has a D-minus rating from the NRA to show for it. (An F would be even better... but he's working on that.) Meanwhile his opponent, who like Bernie is running to the left on guns this year, hopes we will forget that she ran to the right of President Obama on the same issue eight years ago. Bernie understands that gun violence is about more than just guns. He understands the larger social and economic reality faced by our Black and Brown young people, who are the most likely to shoot each other (just as our unemployed white and Native American working class young people are the most likely to shoot themselves). In other words, Bernie knows that nothing stops a bullet like a job. Bernie Sanders often expresses his outrage over the real unemployment and underemployment rate for Black youth with high school degrees, which is a shocking 51 percent, in front of crowds of every color. He has a plan to create a million youth jobs to help solve that problem. Bernie is committed to fighting the Wall Street greed that has decimated Black and Brown communities. He understands that people accumulated their wealth in housing in the 1990s, then lost it in the 2008 crisis after being redlined on lending rates and exploited by predatory lenders. He knows that the rules are rigged by banks that became too big to fail after President Clinton helped eliminate the Glass-Steagall Act and deregulate Wall Street. There is no question that Bernie Sanders will do more to rein in Wall Street's greed and fraud, end its destructive behavior, and rebuild our communities. He has never taken a dime from their lobbyists, and has built his campaign on the urgent need to rebuild and unleash our economy from the bottom up. Advertisement He has the best racial justice platform of any presidential candidate -- but every part of his platform helps African-Americans. His infrastructure plan creates or preserves 13 million good jobs. That helps African-Americans. Providing tuition-free education at public colleges and universities opens the door to opportunity for young people. That helps African-Americans. He has a plan to protect and expand Social Security -- that helps African-Americans. Moreover, Bernie Sanders knows how to get things done. In these highly partisan times, he has repeatedly reached across the aisle to get results for the American people -- on issues as fundamental as strengthening how we care for our veterans, providing heating oil for the poor, and making sure the Federal Reserve system is as strong as possible. But, above all else, Bernie Sanders strives to bring all Americans together with his belief that we are one nation and one community, and the fierce urgency with which he is helping to build a movement that will defend the American dream. This article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. On February 10th, Silicon Valley legend and Facebook board member, Marc Andreessen sent out a tweet: I now withdraw from all future discussions of Indian economics and politics, and leave them to people with more knowledge and experience! How did Andreessen arrive at such a moment? His Twitter fumble was in fact part of an important week for Facebook, India, and the debate over internet access in emerging markets. It started on February 8th when news broke that India's telecom regulator had decided against allowing Facebook's Free Basics service arguing in part that it would make it hard for smaller providers to compete and that the service violated basic principles of "net neutrality," which is the idea that all internet traffic should be treated the same. The Facebook service was designed to offer free access to a select set of websites to those without internet access -- but Free Basics had been equated to colonialism by its many critics. Andreessen's part began when he sent out a very ill-advised (and now deleted) series of tweets, including one that read: "Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for the Indian people for decades. Why stop now?" Not surprisingly, a firestorm of criticism followed. Mark Zuckerberg himself called the message "deeply upsetting." Advertisement Andreessen's misguided actions are a lesson for Silicon Valley innovators preparing to win over the next billion users: more than just coding intelligence, you need "contextual" intelligence; the complex histories, economic disparities, politics, and socio-cultural mindsets in the developing world shape success just as much as the product does. The factors that define the "context" are different across the developing world, but, more significantly, they are different from the environments in which digital innovations are developed -- whether it is in Silicon Valley or in Boston or in tech enclaves in India and China. In these high-tech pockets, context is almost invisible: institutions function, data is the coin of the realm and a digital application's "killer" value proposition rules the day. In this way, tech companies operate from a distance; they are not usually embedded within the local environments. In contrast, consumer product companies like Unilever or Nestle are often well woven into local environments with sales, logistics, and channel relationships in small towns and rural areas. And even if they do open a local office tech companies like Facebook often lack experience navigating the complexities of local politics and regulations. For digital players, operating within bubble-like office environments, the developing-world context can seem very far removed. As I've written previously, there are good reasons to like Facebook's Free Basics initiative; I have argued that it is better for a society to provide even limited access to more people, than the status quo where close to 80 percent of the population has no internet access at all -- as is the case in India. Facebook's expensive gamble with Free Basics offers an important opportunity to talk about digital innovators can be more inclusive in their approach to the developing world. Here are a few things to remember: Advertisement Context is just as important as code: Facebook did try to simulate aspects of the context of the places it was trying to serve with Free Basics for its employees; it instituted initiatives, such as 2G Tuesdays, where its employees in places far away from the developing world could only use 2G service and personally experience the slow speeds and constraints that will affect the next billion users' internet experiences. But simulations only go so far, especially when there's a world of high-speed internet right outside your door. Companies will have to do more to embed themselves with these future users and understand their day-to-day lives, including their biggest hopes and fears along with their history and culture. Simply having admirable intentions won't be enough to win support for your big idea in developing markets -- even if you're bringing the best code in the world. Regulators have to weigh both laws and emotions: Digital players must contend with varying regulatory frameworks in every country. In India, for instance, regulations are an outcome of a mix of "rational" economic and legal arguments as well as the country's history and political climate. Indians are particularly sensitive to Western companies that arrive to do business in seemingly innocuous ways -- consider that The British East India Company arrived with good intentions of trading with India, which made way, eventually, for India's colonization. And despite being a country rife with economic inequality, egalitarianism is a concept that matters in India. These kinds of factors are critical to how regulators make their decisions. The Free Basics service had the added misfortune of arriving in the thick of growing sentiment in favor of net neutrality and seemed to violate those norms. India's regulators would have faced difficulty going against popular sentiment on this topic. Marketing messages must be consistent with the product: When an initiative is presented in one way -- philanthropy, as was the case with Free Basics -- and the service itself contained a "lite" version of Facebook and a selection of other sites, suggesting a different motivation, i.e. to secure profitable future customers, the tide of opinion can turn very quickly. Facebook's attempts to shape the debate and win over regulators by launching a massive marketing campaign ultimately backfired. To get the right message out about your idea, you need to know clearly what you want to accomplish. Even if it's more than one goal, communicate those things in ways that people can trust. Advertisement As an example of an alternative, more context-appropriate approach, consider Google's partnership with the Indian Railways to install 400 Wi-Fi hotspots at the busiest railway stations, estimated to give Wi-Fi access to more than 10 million people even with a 100 hotspots. Google's initiative has been received more favorably than Free Basics. The key was Google's promise of a product that seemed to be equitable -- full internet and high speeds, similar to the product enjoyed by those who could pay for it. Logically, there is an irony in that without Free Basics or the Google initiative, the inequality is even greater with 80 percent of the population without any internet access. However, given the context, the logic is lost. Facebook will need to recover from the setback in India, its second largest market. Andreessen, Facebook's leadership, and other digital innovators could take a page from Steve Jobs, who once said: "... technology alone is not enough -- it's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing." Jobs was talking about the iPad 2, but he sounds particularly prescient today as digital innovators consider how to grow in the world's developing markets, with contexts so different from their own. The digital world seems to support a whole host of freelancers and I thought it would be great to get in on that. Companies such as Buffer and Treehouse fascinated me. People were earning a living whilst working from anywhere in the world! After travelling a little through South East Asia before University, I got the travel bug and I've long had ambitions to head back there. However until now it seemed the only way to do that was by saving up, going "backpacking" for a set amount of time and then heading back to reality. But what if I could work whilst on the move? Soaking up exotic destinations whilst working from my deckchair on the beach? That's the sort of stuff dreams are made of, and I wanted to make it a reality. I'm still getting to grips with trying to live whilst on the move but here are a few of my findings so far ... You don't have to be a developer to earn money remotely The internet is awash with remote developer jobs. I even tried to learn how to code on Treehouse and Code Academy before I left London to get around this. I learnt a lot and developed a really strong understanding of what goes into the development process but the truth is, I'm just not that interested in coding at a professional level. It doesn't excite me enough to pursue it as a career. Advertisement Exploring the world of online employment though brings up some interesting results. PeoplePerHour and Elance are prime examples of marketplaces where the online hustle can be seen in the open. Looking at what others were making money from online encouraged some deep reflection on what exactly my skill set is. I'm an honours graduate in Anthropology from a top UK University, why wasn't I using this to my advantage? It took some time to actually understand that I had plenty of marketable skills. It's difficult working whilst everyone else around you is on holiday The beers are flowing, the music's blaring and good-times are being had all round. However, you better not get carried away, you've got work to do. This aspect of remote working sucks. It is a huge problem that's tough to overcome. It's a bit of a catch-22. It's tough connecting with people here because they have different aims to you. You have the tourists who are here for their two weeks of sun who just can't understand how or why you'd work here. Then there are the backpackers, living on a meagre daily budget, staying in sub-par hostels and who are all about the "good vibes" without a worry in the world. It's difficult to relate. A lack of high speed internet is a constant worry My Macbook Air is my new workspace. Without internet connectivity, your money-making abilities are severely limited. Walking out of the airport terminal in Bangkok, the first thing I did was buy a local sim loaded with plenty of data, just in case the WIFI was non-existent. Luckily so far this hasn't been an issue if I'm honest. Asia's internet infrastructure has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and in major cities it rivals speeds in Europe. It's been a huge shock that even out on the islands, it's not terrible. I even found some 20mb internet in a place I was staying on the tiny island of Koh Tao. Although it didn't stay that way for long, it still did happen! Advertisement Working from the beach is possible, but not sustainable It sounds idyllic, the turquoise water in eyesight and the warm breeze passing by. You will work harder right? Wrong. After trying to work on the beach a couple of times, I've found it is possible, but not usually as pleasant as it sounds. With beaches come people and with people come distractions. When you are constantly faced with others relaxing it's a bit of a de-motivator. The humidity and 35 degree heat sounds great, but when you're sweating profusely, work is the last thing on your mind. Air conditioning is my friend here. The cold air keeps me awake and dispels the lethargic tendencies I have. The sandflies/mosquitos/general bugs are not and will annoy the hell out of you. Have you ever got sand underneath your keyboard? It's not ideal. Time management is the most valuable skill I have There are temptations all around you here and no one to tell you what to do. Your time is your own and it would be easy to take time out and put the work off. At the moment I'm in an exotic part of the world, but I need to be disciplined. When you need to work, you need to work. I've had to adjust to tackling things head on a little more, procrastination is not going to help me now. In the same breath though, time has to be taken for exploring. It's difficult to ease up on yourself, but one of the reasons I left the office environment was to have a better quality of life. I'm in a tropical paradise and it would be a huge shame not to explore whilst I'm here. I'm conscious I need to switch off from work and just enjoy life from time to time. My Conclusion So Far Working remotely is hard. But there are some huge rewards to be had by doing so. I'm seeing the world and developing a better quality of life as I go, and for that reason I think making the move is the best thing I've ever done. Family and friends looked at me funny when I told them my plans, but it's all been worth it so far. I've got more time to explore my passions and develop different skills. Although I can't wait to see what the future brings, I'm increasingly enjoying the present more and more, which is all I ever wanted. Advertisement --------------------------- Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. speaks during a campaign stop at Daniel Webster Community College, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) As Bernie Sanders' chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination have increased, so have the attacks. Hillary Clinton advocates argue he has no chance of delivering the fundamental change he touts. Nonetheless, Bernie can do it. Sanders has been remarkably consistent about what his objectives are and how he plans to accomplish them. At the January 17th debate, he said, "What my first days [in office will be] about is... to tell the wealthiest people in this country that yes they are gonna start paying their fair share of taxes, and that we are going to have a government that works for all of us and not just big campaign contributors." Advertisement At the February 11th debate, Sanders explained, "This campaign is not just about electing a president. What this campaign is about is creating a process for a political revolution... What this campaign is not only about electing someone who has the most progressive agenda, it is about bringing tens of millions of people together to demand that we have a government that represents all of us and not just the 1 percent, who today have so much economic and political power." While Sanders has policy differences with President Obama, his fundamental criticism is on process: Sanders feels that, in 2008, Obama built a movement ("Change we can believe in") and then failed to harness its energy to make fundamental changes to the U.S. economy. The Sanders process model is not the Obama campaign but rather the civil-rights movement led by Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK also talked about revolution, calling for a revolution of values: "We must rapidly begin ... the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." Sanders advocates a shift in values, where capitalism is subordinated to democracy. University of California Economics Professor Robert Reich Reich described Sanders' perspective as a kind of "agitator-in-chief, " where the president mobilizes "the public to demand [big things] and penalize(s) politicians who don't heed those demands." Advertisement If Sanders is going to assume the role of "agitator-in-chief" it has to start before the November 8th election day. Bernie has to mobilize voters to support his presidential campaign as well as that of like-minded candidates for the house and senate (and state legislatures and other elective offices). He has to generate an election tsunami that will sweep "business-as-usual" politicians out of office. Many thoughtful Democrats don't believe this will happen. Writing in The Daily Kos "jhannon" observed" "Bernie is talking about a political revolution in ways that make no sense to me....I can't imagine him leading as much as a change in the majority party in the House and there is no way any of his more dramatic proposals have any chance of passing give the composition of Congress." Writing in Slate, Michelle Goldberg said, "Bernie is a mensch whose politics are more or less my own, but I'm convinced he'd be eviscerated in the general election.... As long as I have been following politics, it has been a left-wing fantasy that legions of disconnected non-voters will suddenly flood the polls if they're offered a sufficiently progressive candidate." I believe these writers have been discouraged by the history of the Obama administration which started out as a revolution, and quickly became business as usual -- particularly with regards to Wall Street. Moreover, these writers are ignoring the civil-rights progress made over the last sixty years where the progressive movement has accomplished objectives -- such as the legalization of same-sex marriage -- that were once thought impossible. Most progressives agree that reducing the power of the one percent must happen. While I'm sure "jhannon" and Michelle Goldberg support getting big money out of politics, they don't believe that Bernie can accomplish it and they fear that in the process he will be "eviscerated" in the general election . Consider this: Bernie Sanders has a higher favorability rating than any other candidate. In head-to-head matchups Bernie Sanders defeats any Republican candidate. (Many observers believe that Sanders matches up particularly well with Donald Trump.) Advertisement 53 years ago, Martin Luther King Junior wrote forcefully about the necessity for direct action: We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." On February 3, the New York Times quoted the desperate plea of a Yazidi, a member of an ethnic-religious group facing communal extermination at the hands of ISIS jihadi terrorists. In simple, but moving terms he summed up the plight of his people, whose ancestral lands in northern Iraq was conquered by the ISIS "Caliphate" in the summer of 2014, "Please help us. They are killing us and kidnapping our women and children." In case you missed the story of the ISIS fanatics' conquest of the Yazidis' ancient homeland in August 2014, a recap is essential for understanding the plight of this endangered community that has faced centuries of what can only be described as a genocidal assault. This assault has historically been carried out by surrounding Arab and Turkish Muslims who have falsely accused the Yazidis of being "devil worshipers." It is a tragic tale of the followers of a peaceful religion--with origins that are lost in the mists of time in Mesopotamia--whose very existence is now threatened by a combination of fanaticism on the part of ISIS, and indifference on the part of Western powers. "Devil Worshipers" or Believers in the Peacock Angel? To understand the secretive religion of the Yazidis, my colleague Professor Adam Sulkowski, who had previously joined me in exploring the mountain realm of the ancient Kalash pagans on the Afghan-Pakistani border, decided to journey with me to the holiest place in the world for Yazidis, the stone temple complex at Lailish. Lailish is nestled in a narrow valley in the hills of the autonomous realm of Iraqi Kurdistan, a few miles from the frontlines with ISIS. Our guide for the trip was a gregarious Yazidi named Thamer Alyas who was eager to give us an insider's tour of this sacred spot that has for centuries been closed to outsiders. Advertisement As we drove through the mist-covered hills of Iraqi Kurdistan with Thamer, he explained that his people worshipped one Creator-God, just like the surrounding Muslim Kurds and Arabs as well as Christian groups (These ancient Christians, largely known as Assyrians, have also been targeted for annihilation by Al Qaeda in Iraq and ISIS and their community has dwindled since the 2003 U.S. invasion from 1.5 million to about 200,000 today). The Yazidis' God is known as Khude and is all forgiving and merciful. God-Khude created himself and seven archangels led by Melek Tawus, the Peacock Angel. Melek Tawus was sent to earth to create life from the primordial chaos and act as an intercessor between man and God. The first human had been created without a soul, so Melek Tawus blew the breath of life into him. He then turned Adam towards the Sun, symbol of the Supreme Creator, which Yazidis, like ancient Mesopotamians, still worship. There are many other archaic aspects of the faith that indicate it may be among the world's oldest and their calendar dates back 6,756 years, nearly 5,000 years further than the Christian or Gregorian calendar and nearly 1,000 years further than the Jewish calendar. So far we felt this story seemed innocuous enough. There is nothing in this ancient myth of creation that warrants centuries of repression by Ottoman Turkish authorities and now slaughter by ISIS. Advertisement But it is the sad fate of the Yazidis that the story of Melek Tawus has eerie parallels with the story of Shaytan, the fallen jinn (genie) of Islam who is known in English as Satan. According to Yazidi tradition, Melek Tawus was told by God-Khuede not to bow to other beings. Then God tested Malak Tawus by creating man out of dust and ordering Melek Tawus to bow to Adam. Melek Tawus replied "How can I submit to another being! I am from your illumination while Adam is made of dust." After forgiving him for rebelling, God made him the ruler of earth after he cried for 7,000 years to extinguish hell with his tears. Unfortunately, in the Islamic tradition, Shaytan or Iblis was a jinn who similarly refused God's order to bow down to Adam. For this sin of pride, God-Allah cursed him and expelled him from heaven to earth. Starting in the fifteenth centuries, surrounding Turkish and Arab Muslims came to equate Melek Tawus, the primary being worshipped by Yazidis, with Shaytan the Tempter. Thus began centuries of slaughter and persecution that saw the Yazidis flee to the mountains of northern Iraq. There, this people, who are ethnically Kurdish and speak the Kurdish dialect of Kurmanji, have long been protected by fellow Kurds who have a tradition of moderation and hospitality towards repressed minorities. Kurds believe that they were all once believers in the ancient Yazidi faith and see this minority as the living memory and conscience of their people. In essence, they feel that Yazidis are repositories of their pre-Islamic traditions. There is some truth to this as many of the Yazidis' customs, such as their belief in angels, sacred trees, and the purity of earth, air, fire and water, come from ancient Mesopotamian and Iranian-Zoroastrian belief systems. But the Yazidis' sanctuary among the Kurds was to be threatened by the rise of fanatical Sunni Arab jihadist groups which rose up to resist the overthrow of their sectarian group by the Americans in 2003's Operation Enduring Freedom. These groups would declare a jihad on the Yazidis as "devil worshipers" and launch an assault on this ancient community that the U.N. would describe as "genocide." The Secrets of the Yazidi Faith. As it transpired, Baba Chawish was a member of one of three castes that all Yazidis belong to, he was a holy man from the highest sheikh (priest) caste. He led a life of piety and celibacy and had authority over the shrine. He was assisted by the feqrayyat, (celibate 'nuns') who are unmarried or widowed and also care for the sanctuary. The other Yazidi castes consisted of pirs (elders) and murids (disciples), with most Yazidis belonging to the latter caste. Membership in both the sheikh caste and the pir caste is hereditary and is said to often come with special abilities. Each sheikh and pir family, for example, possesses some healing ability and some families are said to be able to cure snake bites, others madness, fever, headache, arthritis, etc. Within the sheikh caste one finds kocheks or "seers" who are blessed with spiritual gifts, such as clairvoyance. The kocheks can psychically diagnose illness and they are even said to know the fate of a soul after it leaves the body of the deceased. There are also kawwals or reciters who specialize in the playing of religious music on sacred instruments, such as the daf (frame-drum) and sebab (flute), and in the recital of the sacred hymns known as kawals. At the top of the Yazidi community one finds the Mir (Prince), the temporal ruler of the Yazidis, and the Baba Sheikh (Father Priest), the religious head of the community. Both of these leaders belong to the sheikh caste whose members are descended from the Six Great Angels who assisted Melek Tawus. The sheikhs officiate at circumcisions, weddings, funerals, baptisms and religious festivals. Religious holidays play a key role in the Yazidi faith and several of them have roots traceable to antiquity. Advertisement The most important Yazidi festival is the Feast of Seven Days which takes place in the beginning of October. During this festival the seven archangels, including Melek Tawus, are believed to visit the shrine of Lailish. Yazidis attempt to make a pilgrimage to Lailish at this time in order to rekindle friendships, affirm their religious identity and partake in the seven day festival. The two most important events of the Feast of Seven Days are the Evening Dance and the Sacrifice of the Bull. The Evening Dance is performed by sheikhs every evening just after sunset in the courtyard of the temple complex. Fourteen priests dressed in white, the color of purity, parade to the music of kawals (the reciters). They proceed in procession around a sacred torch that represents both the Sun and the Supreme God Khuede. The Sacrifice of the Bull takes place on the fifth day of the festival. It signifies the arrival of Fall and carries with it the Yazidis' prayers for rain during the coming winter and a bountiful Spring. After guards fire a special gun salute, a small bull is let loose from the main gates of the Sanctuary. The bull is chased by men of the Qaidy tribe up a nearby hill to the sanctuary of Sheikh Shem. There, the bull is caught and subsequently slaughtered. Afterwards, the meat is cooked and distributed among all the pilgrims present at Lalish. The sacrifice of a bull harkens back to the worship of the Iranian sun god Mithras who was worshiped with the sacrifice of a bull. As for their beliefs, Yazidis do not believe in eternal damnation. Instead they believe in reincarnation or transmigration of souls through a gradual purification cycle. The souls of sinners are reborn as animals for a probationary period before passing into human form again. Ultimately, their souls ascend to heaven. Yazidis do not accept conversion into their faith and those who marry outside of the community are banned. Yazidis are also forbidden from wearing the color blue, eating lettuce, and saying the word Shaytan. In addition to venerating the sun, Yazidis, like Zorastrians, consider fire to be sacred and are not allowed to extinguish it with water or to speak rudely in front of it. They celebrate the new year in April with colored eggs and also have a Feast of Sacrifice, when a sheep is slaughtered by the Baba Sheikh and torches are lit throughout the valley of Lailish. Advertisement There are many more aspects of the faith that we did not have time to learn during our visit to the shrine at Lailish, but the window we were given into this secretive religion that has recently opened its doors to outsiders was fascinating. As we said our farewells to the protector of the shrine, Baba Chawish, and left this enchanting place that was the "Mecca" for the estimated 700,000 Yazidis in the world, we had a newfound appreciation for this beautiful belief system that seemed to belong to a different age. The valley shrine of Lailish had been a place of calming meditation, serenity and contemplation and we were touched by how welcoming and eager to interact with outsiders the Yazidi worshippers had been. In a part of the world where the mindless destruction of pre-Islamic communities and pagan antiquities seems to be the norm, it was a reminder that there are still living remnants of ancient faiths in the Muslim world, such as the dwindling number of Parsi Zoroastrians in Iran, Kalash pagans in Pakistan's mountains, and Yazidis, Mandaens, Shabaks, and Assyrians in Iraq, who face the very real risk of extinction in our time. Having made a life-changing pilgrimage to the holy sanctuary of one of these endangered faiths and seen for ourselves the beauty of this timeless world, we can safely say that the world would be a less colorful place should the ancient Yazidi people disappear from the pages of history as so many other ethnic-religious groups in the region have over the centuries. Professor Brian Glyn Williams worked for the CIA's Counter Terrorism Center in Afghanistan and is author of The Last Warlord. The Life and Legend of Dostum, the Afghan Warrior who Led U.S. Special Forces to Topple the Taliban Regime. For further photographs from his journeys in the mountains of Kurdistan among the Yazidis and Kurdish peshmerga fighters, see his website here. Advertisement Adam Sulkowski is Associate Professor of Law and Sustainability at Babson College, see his website here. Are you good at spotting innovation within your industry, or are you constantly playing catch-up? Executives spend a lot of time talking about innovation and creativity in company pitches, but studies show that more often than not, it's all talk and little follow-through. Executives and managers frequently shoot down creative ideas that would help a company grow in a new direction or capture an existing marketplace, reports Inc. Creating a workplace culture that drives innovation is tricky. Case in point: Kodak. Back in 1989, the company's engineers built the first DSLR camera. Executives panicked. Bringing the camera to the marketplace would cannibalize film sales and undermine business. Executives failed to realize the importance of first-mover advantage and seize the marketplace first. Of course, their plan to delay the inevitable was a fail. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012, the same year that sales for the four major camera makers (Olympus, Sony, Nikon and Canon) topped $31.6 billion, despite continued competition from smartphones. Every day, it seems like a new product or service launches with a truly "WOW!" impact. As a solopreneur focused on digital marketing, I keep a close eye on innovation within the digital marketing space. But sometimes it's nice to step away for the chatter over the latest social media network or local mobile SEO tactic and check in on what other industries are doing, too. These four ideas are poised to transform their respective industries and are worth watching in 2016: Advertisement Industry: eCommerce and banking Idea: digital gold with BitGold Canadian startup BitGold is advancing the digital payment revolution with a simple mission: help people securely acquire, store and spend gold. This includes offering customers a prepaid card for spending their gold or converting gold payments into currency at any ATM machine. While BitCoin has failed to take off partly because consumers don't fully understand the product's value, BitGold's founders are optimistic their product will find a broader mass-market appeal. They've got one thing already going in their favor: as an elemental unit of accounting for the past, present and future, gold is a natural unit for online savings in the age of global trade and currency fluctuations. Industry: technology Idea: parent-friendly smartphone monitoring with Pumpic App Today's teenagers live online: 92% use their phones to go online daily and, shockingly, more than half of all children report being a victim of cyberbullying. Worse, the majority of cyberbully victims never inform their parents. Constant, unrestricted access to chat apps is correlated with an uptick in everything from teenage sexting to cyberbullying. Tragic cases like the recent death of a 13-year old Virginia girl who allegedly met her abductor online are a reminder that parents must step up to protect their teens. Pumpic app is a multi-feature parental control app that allows parents to monitor text messages, call history, contacts, emails, and popular messaging apps including Kik, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. A remote control panel allows parents to set restrictions and unobtrusively check in on their children. Industry: healthcare Idea: child-friendly thermometers with Fever Scout VivaLNK's Fever Scout is a flexible patch that provides continuous temperature monitoring. For young children, the soft patch is barely noticeable. For busy parents, it's a lifesaver. The patch sends continuous data directly to a smartphone app that tracks and alerts parents to a change in the child's temperature. Customizable notifications alert parents when a child needs attention. The flexible patch will start shipping in Spring 2016. Advertisement Industry: auto Idea: In-vehicle diagnostics and car-to-car communication with telematics Telematics - defined as the blending of computer and wireless telecommunications technologies - is transforming cars into smarter, safer and better-connected vehicles. While most of us are already familiar with basic telematics features like GPS and infotainment, new telematics services like in-vehicle diagnostics and vehicle-to-vehicle communication are poised to transform driving as we know it. Get ready for pay-per-use and premium subscription services that control everything from content streaming to maintenance diagnostics, reports Robert Prime, the founder of Telematics.com. Got a Big Idea? How to Evaluate Your Innovation for Success While we can't see into the future (yet), we can use a set of metrics to evaluate which ideas are likely to be game changers and which will just fizzle away into the world of 8-track tapes, (remember those?) and Segways. Take a page from the late Ohio State University Professor Everett Rodgers (who coined the term "early adopter") and consider these questions: What is the product's relative advantage compared with the marketplace? If your idea has a clear positive advantage over the existing marketplace, people will try it. How compatible is the product with the status quo? Being too ahead of our time or current infrastructure will hinder marketplace adoption. How complex is the idea? If a layman can't understand its value or grasp a new paradigm, you may struggle to achieve mass adoption. How easy is it to test your product? If you can't test out your idea on a small scale without the resources of Elon Musk or Apple, it's less likely to be adopted on a larger scale. How observable are the product's benefits? If your product is easy to use with an immediate quality-of-life benefit, your innovation is more likely to be viable. Bottom line: Nun praying My first encounter with nuns was in the first grade. We moved to Ann Arbor, MI when I was five, and after Kindergarten at St. Francis -- what I would consider to be a normal Catholic school, my mom switched us to Spiritus Sanctus Academy, where I wore a red, white, and blue, plaid jumper, saddle shoes, and got more than one detention for forgetting to wear socks. Sister Mary Samuel was the principal. She gave 30-40 minute lectures after daily morning mass. Those hours were the ones in which I matured the impish side of my character. I would pick blades of grass on my way in to chapel and pet them on the edges of my fellow first graders' ears in the pews in front of me. They thought the place was infested with flies for years. Advertisement All to say -- the nuns at SSA were Dominicans -- the stereotypical nuns that you most likely envisioned when you read my title. White habits with long sleeves, draped to just above the ankles, and black veils, creased at the crown of the head. They were strict, but also fun. Sister Mary Samuel went sledding with us in the winter. But, she was always trying to keep me in check. A few too many visits to her office and notes sent home culminated in her politely asking my mom if we would leave the school because I "had too much personality." Lame. My encounter with nuns sprinkled through my adolescence but the interest didn't consciously surface until last year, when Natalie Heneghan asked me if I would help her host a film screening on campus through Mac Catholics of the documentary, Band of Sisters. At first, my childhood taste of nuns made me skeptical of the idea. But when Natalie explained the premise of the film, and her interest in the social justice work that nuns are doing today, I got on board. The plot line was about the development of nuns from the traditionally cloistered to the post-Vatican II diverse orders and lifestyles. Before Vatican II, nuns had to be cloistered, which means living insularly in a convent. But then, Vatican II unleashed them, allowing nuns to work and be active members of society, in a variety of contexts. When Natalie and I were meeting to plan the event, it occurred to me that Jill, a Sister of St. Joseph, who is our Catholic chaplain -- was a nun! She was just so different from the Dominicans... it was hard to associate the two together under the same category of 'nuns' in my mind. Many people at my school think of nuns as an archaic idea. "Nuns still exist?" My roommate asked the other day after I told her I was going to visit the Visitation Sisters of North Minneapolis. YES! Nuns exist and they are badass. Nuns are thriving and doing so much good -- healing so many facets of their communities and the people in them who are hurting, who were destined to the margins, who are poor. Nuns are social justice warriors. Advertisement The Visitation Sisters were founded in 1610 in Annecy, France by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. They were a cloistered order originally, but in 1988, a group of sisters discerned to start an urban monastic community in Minneapolis where they would live an active apostolate by expressing their mission by committing themselves to the economically challenged and marginalized. Their mission is to "Live Jesus." Their Salesian spirituality is based on spending time in prayer - heart to heart, with God. Their focus is simplicity. They seek holiness through relationships. Their ministry is a ministry of presence -- to be a positive light in their neighborhood. Their website states: Our mission has remained constant, while the focus has shifted with varying neighborhood needs, demographic changes and emerging gifts and talents of the individual sisters. When we came to Minneapolis' North Side, our initial outreach was toward neighborhood children. We would hang a colorful windsock on our porch six days a week to signal to the children that they were welcome to come and visit, play and pray with the sisters and one another. Over time, we expanded our ministry to families. We presently offer education sessions, such as cooking and nutrition, finance and budgeting, college preparation, etc. for neighborhood teens. We are closely connected to supporting neighborhood groups engaged in advocacy for nonviolence. The members from their community presented them with a homemade, honorary plaque that said:"'To the nuns in the hood from the community." And their photo gallery is proudly labeled: Nunz in the hood. I paid them a visit last Sunday. I am interested in their internship program, which is a year of service working with an organization in the neighborhood and engaging with the sisters in their spirituality and mission. "You're not going to become a nun, are you?!" My friend Rach said when I told her that I was looking into the program. Advertisement I don't know what I am going to become. I know that for most young adults, the thought of becoming a nun is probably a weird one -- uniforms, celibacy, no family, no thank you. Probably a misunderstood one -- with little knowledge about who contemporary nuns actually are and what they do. But think about it... Being a nun opens up a unique way of life. One in which you can actually throw your whole self into your neighborhood, your work, your service. It's a communitarian way of life, but in a way that's freeing, not scary, since you choose the lifestyle, mission and spirituality of the order. Your fellow sisters become your family, your home base. The money you make is put into a communal pot -- you never see your paycheck. You eat together, pray together. You support one another in the work each is doing. "But don't you want to get married, have a family?" Rach continued. By Charlie Wood & Isaac Astill, 350.org Australia For too long, the corridors of power in our parliament have been polluted by corporate Australia, not least big coal and gas. For too long, the shadow of the coal and gas industry has loomed large over so many of our politicians' decisions on climate change. We've seen the crippling impacts that stem from this polluted relationship. As billions of dollars change hands via fossil fuel subsidies and political donations, the mercury rises ever higher and the tragic climate legacy we leave our children grows ever greater. The symptoms of our polluted politics are everywhere to be seen. We have air pollution so thick that asthma and kids go hand-in-hand. Dirty coal mines are dividing our communities. Our precious drinking water is being poisoned by gas wells. And climate change is burning and washing away entire towns, taking homes and memories with them. Advertisement Fossil fuel companies are driving this destruction. But they can't do it without their foothold in Canberra. Over the past three years, fossil fuel companies have donated $3.7 million to our major parties. This financial year, those same companies are due to get $7.7 billion back as hand-outs from our politicians. That translates to a return on investment of over $2000 for every dollar donated to politicians over the past 3 years. Not bad if you're a big polluter. But devastating if you're anyone else. As citizens in a democracy, we're entitled to expect our politicians to serve the people they were elected to represent - mums and dads, workers, traditional owners and communities. Not the interests of a wealthy and powerful few. Yet as our politicians continue to cash up big coal and gas companies, that's exactly what they are doing. From ministers giving coal licenses to friends against departmental advice; expensive bottles of wine buying mining approvals; and lavish overseas trips for MPs funded by mining barons. So deep is this relationship, that sometimes it's hard to tell where the polluters end and our politicians begin. Advertisement The revolving door spins round and round. A former advisor to Australia's biggest and baddest coal project, Adani's Carmichael mine, is now the Opposition Leader's Chief of Staff. The NSW EPA's Chief Environmental Regulator went on to become the Deputy Director of the Australian Coal Association. Our former Climate Change Minister is now an advisor to Santos and AGL. Our former Environment Ambassador and Chief Negotiator on the Kyoto Protocol went on to be head of the Australian Coal Association. Even one of our richest coal barons is a sitting parliamentarian. The ledger of benefits that the big polluters receive from this cosy relationship with Canberra is embarrassingly long. Money and time that could be spent on healthcare, education, indigenous rights, and a transition to the clean energy solutions that will benefit all of society, is instead being funnelled into projects and companies that deliver no benefit to any of us and instead leave our kids with a legacy of pollution, rising seas, angry summers and dirty great holes in the ground. But it needn't be this way. Politics follow people, and people are getting angry. They are getting angry about the unbridled influence that big coal and gas companies have over the people who are meant to run this country. They are getting angry about how this influence is wrecking their health, their homes, communities, and the planet. They are drawing the links between what a coal company does in Canberra and the climate-fuelled bushfires on their back doorstep, between what a gas company does to their water and what their MP fails to do when leaned on by a fossil fuel lobbyist. And when enough people get angry, they can transform the political landscape in dramatic and exciting ways. If our politicians expect to maintain the trust of the people they were elected to represent, then they must show that they are serious about protecting them from the harm wrought by coal and gas companies and the climate damage that these companies create. But we can't trust them to do that so long as they continue to cash up the big polluters. Advertisement With a federal election year upon us and tragic climate impacts unravelling at a freakish rate, now is the time to call on our politicians to choose between the people they were elected to serve and the big polluters. And one of the ways they can show us where they stand is by saying no to taking donations from fossil companies and no to giving fossil companies billions of dollars in hand-outs. Over the coming year, voters across the country will be calling upon their local representatives to do just that. They'll be demanding that we get the polluters and fossil fuel money out of our politics, so that our politicians are free to act in the best interests of all Australians, without the dark shadow of coal and gas companies hanging over them. Over the coming year, Australians everywhere will come together to shine a light upon the politicians who are propping up the big polluters most. People like Cory Bernardi who, funded by our hard-earned money, has spent his time in Canberra questioning the Weather Bureau and running "grassroots" campaigns to axe the carbon price; people like Angus Taylor who describes human-induced climate change as "religion" devoid of facts; and people like former oil and gas executive Gary Gray who helped found one of the world's most notorious climate denialist think tanks. If we're serious about protecting Australia from climate change and fossil fuels, these are the people who need to be named and shamed. The overwhelming majority of Australians know that climate change is real and demands our attention, yet dozens of our elected representatives are fence-sitters at best and denialists at worst. A number of them are, or have been, connected to the coal and gas industry and out of touch with the needs of everyday Australians, let alone the needs of future generations, whose fate they are determining every day they choose to ignore physics and morality. Advertisement In Paris, the world came together to say yes to ending climate damage and the era of fossil fuels. Yet back home, our politicians continue pandering to the big polluters, taking millions of dollars from coal and gas companies and handing them billions of dollars back, approving massive new fossil fuel projects which will drive community devastation and turning a blind eye as companies tear up our land and pollute our air and water. So let's start holding them to account. This election year, find out where your politician stands on climate change and fossil fuels and join us to get the polluters out of our politics. Despite what our politicians would have us believe, coal and gas money buys influence. Let's show our politicians that coal and gas money won't buy our vote. When E. Coli was detected in the water supply of Wellesley, Massachusetts in August 2014, the official response was swift and comprehensive. Urgent emails were sent, warnings were posted, and duct tape blocked off public water fountains. Signs outside of supermarkets reassured panicking yuppies that more bottled water was en route, in the event the mountains of Perrier started to run low. The Starbucks in the center of town was regretfully reduced to a pastries-only menu. Concerned neighbors went door-to-door. It was something to talk about -- there was no chance anyone had missed the memo in the onslaught of phone calls and emails. Within two days, the boil-water order was lifted. The ethos of a town in distress was captured in a single tweet: "The long nightmare is over. #WellesleyWater." Full disclosure: my family has lived in Wellesley for the past few years. When I visit them, I walk around the manicured, Tesla-lined streets in a state of mild anxiety, convinced I am loudly emitting student-debt-riddled, single-mom vibes. The Boston suburb is 84.6 percent white, has a median household income of $159,167 and is the second-highest educated town in America, according to Forbes. Welleslians played to type as they weathered the contamination event in full capitalistic glory, subsisting bravely on croissants and cake pops, reassured by the apocalyptic levels of bottled water at Roche Bros. Case in point: Credit: Flickr/Aurora Amidon Looking through Twitter feeds from the fateful two days, it's hard to separate satire from reality. Rich people can be enigmatic that way. Residents tweeted about running into their neighbors as they bought water at Whole Foods, frustrated and annoyed by the lack of local government transparency. It seems transparent, however, when DPW workers heroically dash through town, taping shut every visible public water source -- no cloak and dagger municipal dealings here! State and city governments will not let the affluent professional classes go without clean water. And rightly so. This is America, where we enjoy efficient plumbing and clean, drinkable tap water. In the words of billionaire rap mogul Jay-Z, "Water is free." Right? Actually, wrong. It may feel free to those fortunate enough to drink designer bottled water, leaving that tap stuff for washing dishes and watering the plants. To be sure, people of all socio-economic classes expect that water from the faucet will not poison them. In April 2014, Flint, Michigan's water supply switched its source from the freshwater Great Lakes to the Flint River, a historically stinking repository of industrial runoff. This was all in the name of "fiscal responsibility." By summer, residents started complaining about this new tap water. It smelled foul. It tasted foul. Children broke out in rashes after bath-time; ears bled after showers at the YMCA. In early September, a boil advisory was issued. Even after the city had reportedly flushed out water contamination, it was clear that something was very, very wrong. General Motors stopped using water from the river after they saw car engines eroding. By the time serious testing took place and dangerous levels of lead were detected in Flint's water supply -- it was too late. The effects of lead poisoning are irreversible. The population never had a chance. Flint is a poor city. Over half of the residents are African American (as opposed to Wellesley's 2 percent). According to the U.S. Census, 41.5 percent of the population of Flint lived below of the poverty line between 2009 and 2013. A mere 11 percent of Flint's inhabitants have a bachelor's degree. Researching the crisis, there's not a wealth of potentially satirical tweets about Whole Foods to sort through. The people of Flint can't gossip and joke and revel in the melodrama of a boil-water order, because they are poor and they are trapped. This is the end result of the anti-tax, "let's shrink the government" rallying cry of the Republicans. Mothers in Flint cried for their children's lives. Not for days, or months, but years. Nobody listened. This is a human right's crisis. The burden has fallen on the disenfranchised men and women who will carry the effects of this toxic water into the next generation. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder remains in power, free to trample over the lower classes with impunity (as long as he says he's sorry -- eventually). He is even praised by fellow bigwig Republicans like presidential nominee Jeb Bush. Welcome to America 2016, a country so blatantly rigged in favor of the wealthy that it reads like a dystopian novel. If you're poor or African-American in the sweet land of liberty, watch out for poisoned rocks and rills. I'm not proud of it. A view of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey Last week I gave a presentation in front of a group of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The title of my lecture was "Religious Pluralism in Islam: Analyzing Prophet Muhammad's Covenants with Christians". The Prezi is available here. As is the case with academic presentations, there was a short question and answers session towards the end of our time slot. One member of the audience pushed back on my assertion that Prophet Muhammad's Covenants with the Christians of his time promoted religious pluralism. This particular person argued that the Covenants foster mere tolerance, which is distinct from religious pluralism. To frame my argument early in the presentation, I turned to Harvard scholar Diana Eck who notes that religious pluralism has four ingredients. The first is an energetic engagement with diversity. To be clear, religious pluralism is not simply "diversity". Reaching a pluralist "state" or "mindset" requires genuine social interactions and the building of authentic relationships. Tolerance, however, is more "stand-offish" and allows people and groups to stay in their isolated bubbles with little cross-cultural interaction. Advertisement The second part of religious pluralism according to Eck is seeking to understand across religious lines. Religious pluralism is active in the sense that it encourages exposure and dialogue; tolerance, however, reproduces old patterns of division due to distance among social groups. As such, Eck argues that tolerance "is too thin a foundation for a world of religious difference and proximity". Her third element of religious pluralism is encounter of commitments that requires things like formal and informal agreements, formal contracts, trust, and principles. Lastly, religious pluralism requires give and take, criticism and self-criticism. This last component demands inter-religious dialogue and involves finding common understandings and recognizing/understanding real differences between faith groups. The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of his time are an excellent starting point to discuss pluralism in the Islamic tradition. The point of my presentation - as well as my recently published paper in Religions - was to distinguish between tolerance and pluralism and to highlight Muhammad's egalitarian vision for the ummah, or "Muslim nation". Instead of reiterating the claims laid out in the presentation and paper, my aim in this piece is to turn to the delegation of the Najran Christians to shed light upon Muhammad's preference for pluralism over toleration. The visit of the Christians of Narjan to the city of Medina in 631CE is perhaps the most important noted interfaith interaction between Christians and Prophet Muhammad. At this time Muhammad had sent letters to different communities and their leaders, encouraging them to embrace Islam. In the case of the Narjans, who lived near Yemen, about 450 miles south of Medina, the Prophet sent Khaled ibn al-Walid and Ali ibn Abi Talib to deliver the letter. Advertisement At the time of this diplomatic endeavor, Najran Christians had a highly organized religious system. As such, after considering Muhammad's letter, it is unsurprising that few Christians embraced Islam. In reaction to this "failed attempt" of conversion, Prophet Muhammad sent another representative to Najran, Mughira Ibn Shu'ba, who was meant to elaborate on this new religion called Islam. Intrigued by Ibn Shu'ba's message, the Najran Christians sent a delegation of sixty people to visit the Prophet in Medina. The delegation consisted of about forty-five scholars and fifteen assistants. When the Christians of Najran arrived to Medina, Muhammad allowed them to pray in Nabawi mosque where the Muslims also prayed. This invitation was not only the first example of Christian-Muslim dialogue, but it was the first time that Christians prayed in a mosque. While Prophet Muhammad and the Najrans were not able to reach common ground on all theological issues, he nonetheless gave them a place to stay near his home, and even ordered Muslims to pitch their tent. Upon leaving Medina, the Najran Christian leaders told Muhammad: "O, Abu al-Qasim, we decided to leave you as you are and you leave us as we are. But send with us a man who can adjudicate things on our properties, because we accept you". The Christians left Medina with a written guarantee that Prophet Muhammad would protect their lives, property, and freedom to practice Christianity. The visit of Najran Christians to Medina is one of the first examples of religious pluralism in Islam. Recalling Eck, religious pluralism embodies 1) energetic engagement with diversity; 2) understanding across religious traditions; 3) encounter of commitments; and 4) interfaith dialogue. Each characteristic is on display during the meeting between the Najrans and Medinans. The Prophet engaged with these Christians in a theological conversation about the nature of Islam and Christianity. Both groups sought to understand the perspectives and narratives of the other side. Muhammad opened the doors of his mosque to give Christians a safe space to pray, an unprecedented example of engaging with religious diversity. And when they left Medina, the Najran Christians had an agreement with Prophet Muhammad that protected their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It shouldn't have been such a difficult issue. After all, defendants on trial for mass murder in a death penalty case often aren't happy with how things are going. That may include being disappointed with their lawyers. But that's in federal court. The military commissions are different. The problem with the commissions is that the system itself, combined with the imprisonment of the defendants at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, make a defendant's complaints much more complicated. These problems raise a key question that could haunt this case, even if it one day gets to trial and the defendants are convicted: Can legal representation in the military commissions ever be effective? Accused 9/11 conspirator Walid bin Attash has been complaining about his lawyers for months now. In October, the military commission judge, Army Col. James Pohl, ruled he couldn't fire his lead lawyer, Cheryl Bormann, because he hadn't shown "good cause" to do so, which the Military Commissions Act, or MCA, requires. But more recently, bin Attash has decided he no longer trusts Bormann or his former military lawyer, Michael Schwartz, who was so committed to his client's defense that he resigned from the military so he could continue to represent him. But that was back when bin Attash still trusted him. This week, bin Attash, accused of training the 9/11 hijackers, told the judge that even though he's just been assigned a new military lawyer, he won't talk to him, either, because all of the defense attorneys talk to each other. On Wednesday, bin Attash didn't even want his lawyers sitting next to him. "That's fine with us," said Bormann, clad in a full-length black Abaya to honor her client's religion, explaining to the judge why she was sitting in the back of the courtroom instead of at the counsel table beside her client. Despite her efforts, she said, by Wednesday morning it had become clear she could no longer continue to represent bin Attash. If he wasn't going to speak with her or even come to court, she was going to have to withdraw from the case, she told the judge. Judge Pohl has been patiently presiding over an endless list of unprecedented and often convoluted procedural issues since the Obama Administration began this case against the five alleged plotters of the 9/11 attacks in the military commissions in 2012. Bormann didn't blame her client. "Of course he thinks I'm ineffective if I can't do anything for him," she told the judge. Because of the prison camp's rules, her correspondence with bin Attash has been searched by the government, she's been unable to arrange family visits, and she hasn't even been able to get him adequate medical care, Bormann said. "He's been effectively in solitary confinement since 2003" and has also been tortured, she added, eliciting an objection from the prosecution that his treatment was irrelevant. "This is the only penal institution in the world that doesn't allow face-to-face visits with family members," Bormann continued, explaining that her inability to help him see his family or improve his conditions of confinement had undermined her credibility. Bin Attash's mother passed away recently, Bormann said, and she "couldn't even get him a phone call with his family." Perhaps most damaging to the attorney-client relationship, she said, was that her promises to her client that their communications were privileged and could not be viewed by the government (a standard professional obligation in attorney-client relationships) had been repeatedly broken. Although that privilege would have been honored in federal court, she said, it was not at Guantanamo. Indeed, over the past three years, defense lawyers have at various times learned that the meeting rooms where they interviewed their clients were wired for surveillance; that the microphones in the courtroom could pick up confidential attorney client conversations transmitted to an unknown government agency monitor; that the defendant's personal and legal documents were regularly searched when they left their prison cells; and that the government had access to the defense teams' computer data. On Wednesday, Bormann read to the court from a motion she filed in December 2013, in which she predicted that the "ill will created by JTF GTMO's interference" would destroy her relationship with her client. That's exactly what has happened, she said. "The system itself is the problem," said Bormann. "I'm just a judge," responded Pohl, who's been hearing these complaints about the system for years. "I didn't pass the MCA. I didn't make the rules." Would anyone be able to effectively represent a defendant in the military commissions, in her view? he asked Bormann. No lawyer who had promised confidentiality to her client could be effective in this system, she said. The government, which has been trying to move the case along, objected to Bormann's being allowed to withdraw. Prosecutor Edward Ryan said Bormann has already invested a huge amount of time and effort in the case, and a new lawyer would effectively have to start all over. To allow Bormann to withdraw, he said, would be allowing the defendant to manipulate the system, and cited a federal court case where a defendant asked for a new lawyer a week before trial and the court refused. Of course, the 9/11 case is nowhere near trial. There isn't even a trial date set yet. But more importantly, cases from the civilian federal court system aren't particularly relevant to the military commissions system, which has the unique set of problems Bormann described when it comes to attorney-client representation. Not only aren't the federal court cases binding precedent, but in the civilian justice system, there's a long history, tradition, rules and case law designed to protect attorney-client confidentiality. Those don't exist in the Guantanamo military commissions. Guantanamo was created as an interrogation facility, with 24-hour pervasive surveillance. It was not designed to facilitate bringing detainees to justice. What's more, the commissions lack the experience to even understand the role of defense attorneys in a capital case. Bormann at one point told Judge Pohl that his questioning of a junior attorney on her defense team about the team's rules of conduct was inappropriate and undermined the lawyers' credibility with their client. As a military judge, Judge Pohl has no experience handling capital cases, and seemed unaware of the usual practices of defense lawyers in these matters. Judge Pohl eventually ruled that for now, he wasn't going to allow Bormann to withdraw from the case, because she hadn't filed the proper legal papers to support her request. He said she was free to do so, however, and after the government had a chance to respond in writing, he would reconsider his ruling. As the rightly acclaimed tv series Downton Abbey unspools its final episode some fans have criticized the producers decision to devote so much time to a debate about the future of Downton's Cottage Hospital. The show makes the issue mostly personal with delightfully snippy exchanges between Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham who speaks for a way of life that is passing, and her cousin Isobel, widow and daughter of physicians and trained as a nurse during WWI, who is the voice of modernity. But underneath the repartee lies a serious and persistent issue: what should be the relationship of the community to the emerging age of a high tech, highly capitalized and highly specialized medical system? As Mary Kay Clunies-Ross, Senior Vice President of the Washington State Hospital Association, who has taken a keen interest in the show told me, "They're asking the right questions. Who will be in charge? Will someone tell me what to do? Will we be able to continue to provide free care?" The US and British health systems, while dramatically different, have had to grapple with these same questions. And in their exploration they've discovered that case can be made for big and for small but the weight of evidence suggests that the optimum medical configuration is when high tech and specialization is in service to responsible and accountable community hospitals. Advertisement In 1859, in real life, Albert Napper opened the first cottage hospital in Cranley. As Doctor Irvine Loudon at Oxford University observed, it was "built explicitly as a warm, clean idealized version of the farm labourer's cottage in order to reassure patients." A familiar doctor would treat people in a familiar atmosphere. Communities rallied around the concept. Hundreds of cottage hospitals sprang up and over the decades evolved into relatively sophisticated operations, often with state-of-the-art medicine and surgery. In a very early episode in the series a farmer John Drake was admitted to the hospital with a terminal case of Dropsy. Isobel suggested to a Dr. Clarkson they use a very new technique. He reluctantly agreed and Drake promptly revived. By 1925, the year in which the final season of the tv series is set, voluntary hospitals constituted about 40 percent of all hospitals. They were largely supported by contributions and staffed with volunteers. There were government hospitals as well: The infirmaries that grew out of the much-despised workhouses of the 19th century. But to many people these remained unwelcome venue. In 1913 the liberal/labour coalition passed a law that gave a cash benefit to workers ages 16-70 who earned below the poverty level and the right to receive medical treatment at no cost. (These benefits did not extend to their spouses or children.) Early in the series Isobel asks Robert, Earl of Grantham, how the Downton Cottage Hospital was financed. He notes that his father had given the land and building and established an endowment and then he adds, "Mr. Lloyd George's new insurance measures will help." Violet is aghast. "Please don't speak that man's name, we are about to eat," she archly announces. Advertisement In 1925, despite the federal money cottage hospitals were still suffering losses. Demand was up while charitable contributions were stagnating, in part the result of the decline of the landed aristocracy. Meanwhile the price of medical equipment was climbing. Most hospitals filled the financial hole by introducing subscription medicine, a form of local and self-insurance. Many of these were based in the workplace. Some doubled down on their efforts to gain contributions. The Granthams have responded by opening their castle to paying visitors as a benefit for the hospital. Some cottage hospitals merged with bigger regional hospitals. That is the focus of the ongoing debate in Downton Abbey. Will their cottage hospital merge with the larger Royal Yorkshire Hospital? Some communities converted their voluntary hospital into a municipal hospital. That is what happened in real life when the city council of Bradford, located about 30 miles south of Downton's village of Ripon took over the running of hospital services in 1920. Socialized Medicine and Community Hospitals A Gallup poll in July 1944 found that 85 per cent of former patients were satisfied with their hospital treatment. Two-thirds of these had been patients in voluntary hospitals. But the question of sustainable financing remained. Over 71 percent of Britishers said they would prefer a state financed hospital system to one supported by contributions. At the stroke of midnight on July 4, 1948 they got their wish. The National Health Service came into operation. Hospitals became government hospitals. Doctors became employees or contractors. It was Violet's worst nightmare. In the series she declared another reason why she wants to maintain local control of Downton's Cottage Hospital, "For years, I've watched government take control of our lives. And their argument is always the same---fewer costs, greater efficiency. But the result is the same too--less control by the people, more control by the state. Until the individual's own wishes count for nothing. That is what I consider my duty to resist...Your great grandchildren won't thank you when the state is all-powerful because we didn't fight." Advertisement That the NHS began operation on the American day of Independence would probably have struck Violet as a cruel joke. For to her it was a declaration of slavery, a sentiment that would make her at home with current Tea Party philosophy. Indeed, in 1961 Ronald Reagan opposed Medicare with a rant that would have made Violet proud, "One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism has been by way of medicine....If you don't do this (oppose Medicare), one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was like in American when men were free." The NHS made it possible for cottage hospitals to survive. But it didn't make that survival inevitable. Health policymakers were unsure about community hospitals. At almost every turn they undervalued their benefits and overvalued the benefits of centralization. In the 1990s the NHS announced a wave of closures. Communities fought back with equal resolve, writing petitions, packing public meetings, marches. Some were successful. Others were not. In Odiham a four-year battle against the closure of its community hospital resulted in its becoming financially independent. The town of Rye, East Sussex, after discovering that its pleadings fell on deaf ears in Whitehall, took matters into its own hands, bought the local hospital and land, improved it and managed it. That protest had the benefit of being led by a local resident named Sir Paul McCartney, who gave a million pounds to the community's initiative. "My mother was a nurse," McCartney told the Independent. "I've got a lot of time for nurses and doctors because of what I saw her go through. The NHS is something our tax money buys. It's like education. That was the deal, I always thought. We're finding now that it isn't quite the deal...." British support for community hospitals has waxed and waned and waxed. In 2006 an Independent headline reported "Cottage hospitals to make a comeback." Eight years later a headline in the Guardian announced, "NHS must end mass centralization, says new boss" Advertisement But even while criticizing large, impersonal institutions for robbing people of "dignity and compassion" the Conservative government cut another 20 percent from the NHS budget. Dr. Mark Porter, the Chair of the British Medical Association's hospital consultants committee worries that the happy talk about reviving community hospitals is simply a justification for turning the clock back and not in a good way. "Very deliberately the government wishes to turn back the clock to the 1930s and 1940s, when there were private, charitable and co-operative providers. But that system failed to provide comprehensive and universal service for the citizens of this country. That's why health was nationalised." Community Hospitals in the United States The United States hospital system began much as it had in the United Kingdom--as a charitable, often church-related institution governed locally and staffed by volunteers. A bill for national health insurance made significant headway in Congress about the same time the British Parliament enacted their first worker-based health insurance benefit, but ultimately failed when WWI made all things German, Kaiser, distasteful and after WWI the Red Scare undermined any further efforts. In 1946 Republicans took control of Congress in 1946, in part by charging that Truman's proposal for a single egalitarian medical system that included all classes (and races) was socialism. After Truman's surprise victory in 1948, he doubled down on national health insurance. The American Medical Association assessed its members an extra $25 each and launched the most expensive lobbying effort in American history. One of its pamphlets echoed Violet's warning, "Would socialized medicine lead to socialization of other phases of life? Lenin thought so. He declared socialized medicine is the keystone to the arch of the socialist state." If you think that sounds an awful lot like Ronald Reagan's rhetoric 13 years later it should. The AMA wrote his speech too. At the same time the British were rolling out the world's first free universal health system that was based on citizenship, not premiums or payroll taxes, Truman's plan died in Committee. No political party in America ever again embraced a universal, national health insurance system. Advertisement After World War II Congress appropriated billions of dollars to build hundreds of mostly rural community hospitals. Many of these are now threatened. Since 2010 more than 50 rural hospitals have closed and over 280 across 39 states are vulnerable to closure. In big cities Community hospitals built a century before are closing. Detroit boasted dozens of hospitals in the 1960s. It now has four. Since 1988, Milwaukee County has lost its public hospital and five city hospitals. Since 1990 New York has lost more than 20 hospitals even as its population has grown. From 1999 to 2008, according to the American Hospital Association the number of independent hospitals fell by 290 by mergers and bankruptcies. Adding insult to concentration, most closures are occurring in poorer communities and in communities of color even while new fully equipped hospitals continue to open in the wealthier suburbs. Federal rules are complicit in undermining the financial stability of community hospitals. The original health care law required states to expand Medicaid and the law reduced federal payments to hospitals that had been used to cover their costs of providing care to the indigent because the federal government believed many of those poor patients would now be under Medicaid. Tragically, the Supreme Court declared that provision unconstitutional and almost half the states have refused to expand Medicaid. The result is that in 2016 their hospitals will begin to lose federal revenues, putting a significant strain especially on many fragile rural hospitals. In states that had expanded Medicaid 8.5 percent of rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, nearly doubled in non-expansion states, where 16.5 percent of rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, according to iVantage Health Analytics. Advertisement Hospital administrators complain about too low reimbursement rates from federal health care programs. As one administrator told USA Today, "Commercial insurers reimburse the hospital $1.33 for every $1 spent on a patient, on average, while Medicare pays about 83 cents for every dollar spent, and Medicaid pays 80 cents for every dollar spent." Many independent hospitals lack the clout to get higher payments from insurers and steeper discounts from suppliers because they aren't part of larger hospital systems, another peculiar aspect of the U.S. medical system. The Benefits of Local Some argue that the closure of community hospitals has not negatively affected health outcomes but those working in these hospitals vehemently disagree. One community hospital physician responded that the study "does not resemble my real world." The medical profession talks about the "golden hour" after heart attacks, trauma and stroke in which treatment is needed to prevent loss of heart muscle and brain tissue. Closing community hospitals often eliminates the ability to provide critical medical care within that hour. The anecdotal information about the health impacts of closing community hospitals is not insignificant. Stewart-Webster Hospital had served the small town of Richland Georgia and surrounding farms for more than six decades. With only a week's notice it shut its doors in 2013. Advertisement A month after it closed Farmer Buren "Bill" Jones, 52, died of a heart attack. His family had to wait about 15 minutes for an ambulance to take him to a hospital 22 miles away, where doctors couldn't revive him. The closed hospital was 9 miles from his house, a distance his wife or daughter -- who performed CPR on him at home -- might have driven. "I have heard our little hospital called a Band-Aid station," But that little Band-Aid station saved my father's life two times after heart attacks," says Mike Pryor, judge-executive of Nicholas County Ky., which lost its small, rural hospital a few months before. Six days after a nearby hospital closed in Bellhaven, North Carolina Portia Gibbs died while waiting to be airlifted to a big-city hospital 80 miles away. A rural hospital that recently closed in Nevada moves the nearest hospital 100 miles away. Empirical evidence suggests that smaller and more localized institutions increase operating efficiencies while not reducing quality. In 1976 one British doctor commonsensically addressed the economics of centralization, "If the small hospitals are closed it means that the district hospital will have to cope with all the patients suffering from ordinary uncomplicated complaints and needing comparatively simple operations. The district hospital is geared to deal with the most complicated type of case. It has sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic equipment which may be totally unnecessary and wasted upon such patients. The cost per bed in the district hospital is vastly greater than that in the cottage hospital. There will be no economy." To which one might add that new clinical and technological developments mean that services such as kidney dialysis, ultrasound and MRI scanning can be offered in small hospitals. Advertisement Studies that have looked at the comparative efficiency of big and small hospitals ignore the direct and indirect economic impact of a community hospital. Directly it tends to be one of the largest employers in town, especially in rural areas. Indirectly, economic development is hurt because of the negative image to businesses of communities lacking a hospital. Studies also ignore the substantial community-wide out of pocket savings of more localized medical attention. (e.g. extra driving time and expense) And they ignore the also substantial collateral damage of community hospital closures. In 2005 University of California researchers looked at hospital closures in L.A. County between 1997 and 2002. Joe R. Hicks, Vice President of Los Angeles based Community Advocates Inc. writes, "They found that the closures overwhelmed staff and facilities at the county's four general hospitals. The closures triggered a stampede of patients to doctor's offices, clinics and emergency rooms. They increased the time and distance that patients had to travel to get to a healthcare provider. That meant that fewer patients saw doctors, fewer children had checkups, patients were less likely to seek and get preventive care, and there was a jump in the number of deaths from injuries and heart attacks. This virtually guaranteed that the number of people who suffered from acute illnesses would climb. These ailments are more costly to treat." And then there is the unquantifiable satisfaction from the peace of mind of having a medical facility nearby where you know the personnel. Doctors too have lost their independence and autonomy. Hospitals have been on a buying spree of physician practices for a decade. Why? Federal rules allow an office visit with a physician in a hospital outpatient department to be reimbursed at a rate 80 percent higher than the same procedure performed in a physician's office. In May 2013, the Denver Post reported on a patient who received the same cardiac stress test twice from the same cardiologist. The first time the physician was independent. The test cost about $2,100. The second test, performed a year later after the practice was purchased by a local hospital, cost more than $8,000, mostly because of an added facility fee by the hospital. Advertisement "Hospital acquisition of physician practices leads to higher prices," the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded in 2012, and had not improved quality. It also concluded that physician-hospital consolidation has not led to either improved quality or reduced costs. Consolidations are undertaken "primarily for the purpose of enhanced bargaining power with payers." "Doctors really don't want to sell their practices," says H. Christopher Zaenger, CHBC, chief executive officer of Z Management Group in Barrington, Illinois. "They do it kicking and screaming." Nevertheless, so many did that as of 2012, the majority of physicians were employees instead of owners. In 2014 Medical Economics magazine intriguingly asserted, "Put simply, fighting to preserve physician autonomy may be one key to help rein in America's enormous medical bills," Obamacare and Community Hospitals All of which brings back the key question: what is the optimum configuration of a medical system? Most might embrace the vision of a network of well-equipped and locally owned or controlled hospitals that are part of regional networks of larger more capital-intensive hospitals that focus on specialized treatments. The new buzzword in the medical community is "affiliation". The key, as both Violet and Isobel might agree, is how to affiliate in a way that maintains local control and patient intimacy while adding the access to specialized treatments and expensive technologies. Cooperative agreements come in hundreds of varieties. Mary Kay Clunies-Ross of the Washington Hospital Association notes a common joke among health policymakers, "If you've seen one affiliation you've seen one affiliation". Advertisement One of the key strategies the Affordable Care Act has embraced to reduce health care costs is by encouraging Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), networks of doctors and hospitals that share financial and medical responsibility for providing coordinated care to patients in hopes of limiting unnecessary spending. The focus is on Medicare because it is a single payer insurance program where the government can establish the rules directly. Each ACO has to manage the health care needs of a minimum of 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries for at least three years. At the heart of each patient's care is a primary care physician. While ACOs are touted as a way to help fix an inefficient payment system that rewards more, not better, care, some economists warn they could lead to greater consolidation in the health care industry, which could allow some providers to charge more if they're the only game in town. Kaiser Health News observes, "ACOs have become one of the most talked about new ideas in Obamacare." Some applaud it as a way to help fix an inefficient payment system that rewards more, not better care. But as Kaiser notes, "some economists warn they could lead to greater consolidation in the health care industry, which could allow some providers to charge more if they're the only game in town." Teachers gather near a statue of Jawaharlal Nehru during a protest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University against the arrest of a student union leader in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Students, journalists and teachers protested in the Indian capital Tuesday after a student union leader's arrest and subsequent violence by Hindu nationalists.The uproar has once again sparked allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party are displaying intolerance and cracking down on political dissent in the name of patriotism. (AP Photo /Tsering Topgyal) Police have now taken control of one of the premier universities in India and charged its student leadership with sedition, provoking statements of support for the students and faculty from at least 40 other universities in India as well as a worldwide protest from international scholars. But why should we in the US see this as more than a denial of free speech elsewhere, far far away? What possible connection might this have with our own universities? What is happening both in India and in the US is that Indian nationalism is exerting undue force in pushing certain ideas and silencing others, all in the name of nation and religion. In India this has taken the form of attacking dissident scholars as traitors; in the US we find outside organizations attempting to determine who gets hired at American universities -- setting conditions as to their religion, ethnicity, and intellectual beliefs. Advertisement In India, the latest episode was set off by an event planned by students. Earlier this month, the students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) had organized a memorial for Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was executed on February 9, 2013 for conspiracy to attack the Parliament of India, waging war against India, and murder in December 2001. Several human rights organizations in India and abroad protested the execution, claiming serious flaws and irregularities. Amnesty International asserted: "He was tried by a special court designated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), a law which fell considerably short of international fair trial standards and has since been repealed, in 2004, after serious allegations of its widespread abuse." Seven student organizers and JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar have been "debarred" from taking part in any activities at the university; Kumar was arrested earlier this week "after a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy was registered over holding of the event on the campus at which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised." Home Minister Rajnath Singh warned of "'strongest possible' action against those involved in the 'anti-Indian' sloganeering. HRD [Human Resources and Development, which includes Education] Minister Smriti Irani also said 'the nation can never tolerate any insult to Mother India.'" It should be noted that "anti-India" is a catch-all phrase--it can be interpreted as questioning the will of the government, questioning Hindu "values," or as in this case, backing people in Kashmir who have been agitating against the way Indian state has treated them. But the JNU student organizers insist that the inflammatory rhetoric was imported from outside; they assert the interference of outside agitators from the ABVP [Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad or "All India Student Organization"], the student wing of the BJP [the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party]: Advertisement It is important to note that the slogans were not raised by members of Left organizations or JNU students. In fact, when such sloganeering took place, it was the Left-progressive organizations and students, including JNUSU office-bearers who asked the organizers of the programme to ask the people who were raising the slogans to stop slogans that are regressive... The JNU administration, acting on the diktats of the ABVP, cancelled the permission for the program which it had earlier granted. This clearly points out that the administration is acting under ABVP's pressure to silence any kind of differing view point. Universities are spaces of dialogue and discussion and, if a group is holding a peaceful programme, the administration cannot act under the pressure of one political group to silence another... Those people or organizations who differ with ABVP are being branded "anti-national"... ABVP has said that they would approach ministries to ensure "punishment" for various activists, once again suggesting that the ministries would accept their narrative uncritically and witch-hunt students. The India Express draws the connection between the ABVP and the Indian government: The fury with which the home minister and HRD minister intoned on defending "Mother India" and wiping out anti-national events, suggests several things. This was a political decision taken at the highest levels of government. It represents an open declaration by government that it will not tolerate any dissent. It clearly put on display this government's imperiously presumptuous claim that it has the monopoly on nationalism. It was meant to be a display of brute force against a speech that was not in any way an immediate instigation to violence. The crackdown was an act designed to revel in ignorance of the law of sedition. Indeed, this sedition law is a carry over from colonial times. Ironically, the Indian Prime Minister for which JNU is named, Jawaharlal Nehru, once said, "as far as I am concerned that particular Section is highly objectionable and obnoxious and it should have no place in any body of laws that we might pass. The sooner we get rid of it the better." And yet it has remained on the books. Against this backdrop, we find this statement of support for the students and protest against the action signed by hundreds of international academics, including Aijaz Ahmad, Meena Alexander, Tariq Ali, Wendy Brown, Judith Butler, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Partha Chateerjee, Natalie Zemon Davis, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak : Advertisement We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the students, faculty and staff of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi against the illegal ongoing police action since February 9, 2016. With them, we affirm the autonomy of the university as a non-militarized space for freedom of thought and expression. Accordingly, we condemn police presence on campus and the harassment of students on the basis of their political beliefs. The charge of sedition, under the guise of which the police have been given a carte blanche to enter the JNU campus, to raid student hostels, arrest and detain students, including Kanhaiya Kumar, the current president of the JNU Students Union, is an alibi for the incursion of an authoritarian regime onto the university campus. Under Indian law sedition applies only to words and actions that directly issue a call to violence. The peaceful demonstration and gathering of citizens does not constitute criminal conduct. The police action on JNU campus is illegal under the constitution of India. An open, tolerant, and democratic society is inextricably linked to critical thought and expression cultivated by universities in India and abroad. As teachers, students, and scholars across the world, we are watching with extreme concern the situation unfolding at JNU and refuse to remain silent as our colleagues (students, staff, and faculty) resist the illegal detention and autocratic suspension of students. We urge the Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University to protect members of the university community and safeguard their rights. Crucially, this episode is to be connected with larger human rights issues and politics in India. Vijay Prashad argues in Countercurrents that this recent episode is part of a larger, violent attack on the Left: In the marrow of the Extreme Right is a demand for discipline enforced by violence. Anyone who strays from the authority of its world-view - Hindutva - is either anti-national or a terrorist. Political murders of well-regarded intellectuals and activists, such as Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, and MM Kalburgi, put the nation on alert... When Richa Singh, the new student leader at Allahabad University, invited senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan to campus to talk about free speech, the Extreme Rights's students' group (the ABVP) blocked him. They called Varadarajan, who had been the editor of The Hindu, a "Naxalite" (Maoist) and "anti-national." This is the chosen vocabulary. Singh later said, "There is a surge in intolerance in this country. The ABVP leaders are not willing to listen to anyone who contradicts their ideology." Now this crackdown on "anti-Indian" speech may be coming home to the United States, but coded as the protection of a certain way of teaching about Hinduism, the religion of the ruling class in India. The fusion of religion and nationalism provides a potent means by which the government can argue for the hegemony of one state based on religion and oppress other religions and political movements at once, labeling them "anti-Hindu," "anti-India," and "anti-national," which are used as synonymous. In December Inside Higher Education featured a story which told of possible interference with academic appointments here in the US. The story explains: "In May, UC Irvine celebrated a $1.5 million gift from the Thakkar Family and Dharma Civilization Foundation to establish a chair in Vedic and Indian Civilization studies. The university subsequently announced another $4.5 million in gifts to establish three additional endowed professorships, one on modern India and India diasporic studies funded by the Dharma Civilization Foundation and two additional chairs on Jain and Sikh studies funded by individual families. All four gifts are under review." Since then many have raised serious concerns about the level of donor influence over who, exactly, is to be named to these chairs, and what the litmus test will be. In response, the University has said that it wants further investigation into the matter, including "more detailed questions about the organization's relation to other parties or interests in India." It asserts that it wants these appointments to "be free of donor influence." One would hope so, and that this case would serve as a warning signal to any administration offered such a deal. One should have learned well in advance what the Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF) actually is, and how much it wishes to influence who will be appointed to these prestigious chairs and what their perspectives might be. This is all out in plain sight. A reading of the Foundation's response to the question, "How do we ensure that the University will honor the "intent" and "spirit" of the donor?" produces a detailed answer. Here are the three most salient points: First, before entering into a relationship with the University, the Donor must ensure that the recipient institution is hospitable to the intent of the donor, and not just the donor's money. Secondly, at the time of giving the gift, the donor must enter into an agreement with the recipient, in which the intention and purpose of the donor is clearly documented and stipulated. This is a legal document, and is binding on the University. If the gift agreement is not drafted clearly and leaves open room for interpretation, it could be misrepresented. Third, we must ensure that the University's Faculty search process recruits a professor who is intimately suited to the fulfill the intention of the donor. This aspect is a key element in honoring the intent and spirit, of the donor. A Professor whose academic interests are at variance with the donor's commitment, may jeopardize the very intent of the gift. Inside Higher Education reports that Kalyan Viswanathan, the foundation's executive vice president said that "'in a subtle way the source of funding does in fact impact the orientation of these scholars -- even though by and large scholars will claim complete academic independence... I'm saying something which will not go over well with the scholarly community because they do believe they are objective in their research and by and large they are objective and we want to promote that objectivity. We are not against the objectivity of scholars but at the same time I think the sources of funding do matter in terms of how the chairs get set up and what kinds of scholarship emerges from those chairs.'" This is slippery language indeed. "Objective" and yet highly selective objectivity, selected in advance. By the time we get to the end of the statement, it is patently clear that the donor's "intent" will trump even that quaint scholarly notion of objectivity. And "what kinds of scholarship" might be involved are particularly narrow. As Inside Higher Education notes, "The Dharma Civilization Foundation criticizes 'the application of Freudian analytical techniques to explain Hindu gods, goddesses and gurus' and says that the fact that many scholars of Hinduism are not adherents to the religion has "resulted in widespread incidence of misrepresentations of Hinduism, and mischaracterization of the traditions and practices within the Hindu fold.'" Again, what is of particular concern is the blurry line between religion, nationalism, and politics. It is not impossible that a critical view of Hinduism might be taken as a criticism of the state, or vice-versa. And stipulating that the recipients of these chairs stay within the "intent" of the donor means that certain points of view will simply not appear. This kind of interference in the academic appointment process is simply unheard of at this level. In response, an Open Letter has garnered the signatures of some of the most eminent scholars in the field, who point out the violations of academic process and the troubling connection between religion and nationalism: Prevailing normative codes at public Universities and standard academic procedures require an advertised search where qualified candidates are vetted by established scholars selected from a wide pool of academic expertise. Reshaping academic selection via criteria based on ethnic origin or religious belief opens the door to discriminatory practices that are consequential for educators and students everywhere, not just at UCI... The DCF is part of a right-wing Hindu group of organisations that has been known to undermine Indian pluralism through an agenda that seeks to redefine true "Indianness" in terms of a historically-fabricated continuity in "Indic" religions (a list of religions that excludes the sub-continent's traditions of Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism), and a privileging of upper-caste, "Vedic" Hindu identity. The DCF, although registered as a US non-profit organisation, is directly tied, through its office holders and its ideological roots, to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (hereafter RSS), an organization that is the main proponent of the political ideology of Hindu nationalism, or "Hindutva." In India there are constant references being made to the United States---some BJP commentators have argued that such kind of campus activities as we found at JNU would never be tolerated in the United States, and they have used this argument to justify the sedition charge. But others have pointed out that in the US the First Amendment protects precisely the kind of debates that take place in JNU and which are being attacked as seditious. JNU teachers have decided that while on strike they will hold classes on nationalism, because at stake here is both the freedom of universities and also the meaning of nationalism as well as free speech. Last week, Secretary of Education John King and Undersecretary Ted Mitchell announced the creation of a new enforcement division, headed by an experienced Federal Trade Commission lawyer, to crack down on deceptive practices by colleges, particularly in the abusive for-profit college sector. It was one of those days when it looked like the Department, long the lapdogs of the aggressive lobbyists and lawyers for for-profit colleges, and of the Members of Congress in the pockets of that industry, was finally facing up to its responsibilities to protect students and taxpayers. This morning, at the Department's second round of negotiated rulemaking regarding student debt relief and related issues, the Department seemed to return to Planet Lapdog. After months of senior Department officials expressing a strong interest in students being made whole after being deceived and abused by predatory for-profit colleges, the Department unveiled draft language for new regulations that seemed to sharply narrow the rights of students to seek loan forgiveness and their practical ability to get relief. For example, the language would allow students to raise only narrow categories of school misconduct -- breach of contract and substantial misrepresentations -- which, pro-student negotiators wrote in a memo last night, "do not begin to capture all of the misconduct that is covered under state law." Advertisement The Department's proposal also includes a two-year statute of limitations for students to raise defenses to repayment, even though it takes many students much longer to realize that they have been deceived, and even though there is no time limit on the ability of debt collectors to go after students. One negotiator, Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Mike Firestone, called the proposed two-year statute of limitations on student defenses, as well as other aspects of the Department proposal, "out of step" with and "antithetical to" what the multi-state group of attorneys general investigating the industry had urged. Negotiator Margaret Reiter, who worked for 20 years as a consumer law prosecutor with the California Attorney General's office, was even more blunt. She called the proposals "despicable" and "outrageous" in increasing barriers to student debt forgiveness. As Department officials sought to clarify, it seemed their intentions were perhaps not as bad as their draft, and Reiter said she now understood the proposal better but still did not like it. Advertisement Negotiator Dennis Cariello saw an opportunity to jump in. Cariello represents for-profit colleges in the discussions. Which is fitting, because he has long represented companies in this industry. Recently, Cariello served as an expert witness for the awful for-profit Globe University, and he represented another supposed expert, Mark Schneider, in an industry lawsuit to defeat the Obama Administration's "gainful employment" rule. One of the clients at Cariello's former law firm DLA Piper during his tenure there was Corinthian Colleges, the now-shuttered fraud that was receiving as much as $1.4 billion a year in taxpayer money, and the one company that even industry advocates mostly have stopped defending. Cariello pointed to the enormous, nearly $1 trillion federal student loan portfolio, and he said that student debt forgiveness, if it reached 5 percent of the loans, would be an "astronomical" amount of money. He called on the Department to bring some of its budget staff to the rulemaking sessions to talk about the financial implications of not making students pay back loans for fraudulent college programs. Cariello's industry has not seemed so concerned about taxpayer money as it has taken up to $32 billion a year in federal dollars, and as it has fought aggressively against rules that would hold colleges accountable for deceptive practices, sky-high prices, and poor student outcomes. Technically, it is taxpayers, not the schools, who will be on the hook for forgiveness of federal student loans. But for-profit colleges are clearly concerned that the Department might go after individual schools for money if large numbers of student want their money back because of school misconduct. Department negotiator Gail McLarnon quickly echoed Cariello, naming the first of three priorities for the rulemaking to be the Department's interest in protecting the "federal fisc." After that she mentioned "due process." And, third, the interests of students. Advertisement There is a still a ways to go in this rulemaking process, and the Department tends to swing back and forth, like your great aunt who always takes the side of the last person she talked with. One critical issue is a new proposal by student advocates, echoed by a group of U.S. Senators, to condition a school's receipt of federal aid on the school not restricting the rights of students to bring claims against the school to court - a proposal that would go along way toward deterring abusive behavior and thus that is sure to be freaking out some for-profit colleges. But the tone set today is worrisome. Near the start of the session, the mediator hired by the Department to run the process made a statement asking that the negotiators not make reference to particular schools during the meetings. The reason she cited was that the companies who own the schools were calling and emailing the Department to complain, creating work for Department staff. Negotiators offering concrete examples of conduct by particular schools would seem like a helpful way to discuss policy issues and to inform the public. Barring such mentions, just to avoid hectoring calls from industry lawyers, seems like a return to the bad old lapdog days, where school interests were prioritized over those of students. As if to confirm that, the mediator proposed that negotiators refer to schools by a name used moments earlier by Cariello in discussing a hypothetical school: The University of Nowheresville. UPDATE 02-18-16 12:50 am: I wrote about the afternoon part of this meeting here. The story usually goes something like this: You finally get to go for lunch with a friend you haven't seen in a while. You meet. You kiss. You take a seat. You order. And then those three words come out of his/her mouth: "What's new?" And unless something big is happening in your life, you'll say something like: "Not much," or "No news. Good news." But whom are you kidding? No news is no news. Period. You just have to come to grips with the fact that nothing much is going on. And maybe you are just fine where you are, which is pretty cool. But if it's not fine, it's not the end. Quite the contrary. 'Cause this could be the beginning of your life change. And by a life change, I mean something more radical than simply changing jobs or moving house. I mean something more like moving to another country. An all-in-one change. Moving to another country will add a totally different dimension to "what's new." As everything will be new. Everything will be different. Yourself included. Advertisement But how different is different? Please define. 1) You will no longer speak one language. Unless you are moving to an English-speaking country, chances are you'll be learning how to speak the language of your destination like a local. Minus the accent. You may have already learned quite well Italian, French or Spanish. But there's nothing like the real thing. Like living and working in Milan or like having to talk with local authorities in French. Eventually, you'll find yourself thinking in your second language. Even if this means thinking in British-English. Oh, blooming 'eck, it's a lorry, not a truck! 2) You will leave as X and come back as Y. If not anything else, working abroad is a transformational experience. There will be so many things you will learn about yourself when moving abroad. Learning how to deal with everything on your own, x-miles away from home helps you grow a "can do" attitude. You will be forced to become self-dependent and self-confident. And on top of that, you will learn how to love spending time alone with yourself. No, the grass is not always greener on the other side, but will that keep you from giving it a try? 3) You'll find out that the world goes round in more ways than one When you travel you just skim along a country's surface. You know nothing about it unless you live there for at least six months. Six months is a good amount of time to understand a country's cultural scripts, but also start questioning your own beliefs. You will meet local people who don't necessarily think and act like you do. This can feel awkward at first. In time, you'll realize that there is no such thing as right or wrong. There are just different ways of looking at the same thing. And suddenly (your) world will take on a whole new meaning. Advertisement 4) What you hate the most will become what you love the most. Living abroad makes you develop a taste for things you hated before. I know you are most likely to believe that eating raw meat comes with risk. Or even perhaps that it's gross. But spending some serious time living in France can make you fall for steak tartare. (Rawness at it's best!) And the same goes for your style. Have you ever imagined yourself wearing red moccasin shoes? Yes, I know the answer to this question is a big fat: NO WAY! Yet your taste will evolve in surprising ways. When in Rome, (you will want to) do as the Romans do. Red moccasin it is! 5) You'll have a neon flashing resume. Working abroad experience helps you stand out from a growing pile of CVs. People who have worked abroad are viewed as adaptable, open-minded and patient with good communication and problem-solving skills. All of which are important in today's workplace. What's more having mastered another language than your native one gives you an edge over the others. Foreign languages and hands-on understanding of cultural and business differences could open doors that would otherwise be locked. So work abroad and then slide to unlock. 6) You'll grow an attitude of gratitude. Once you get past the pains of the adjustment period, you'll learn to live with a positive attitude. You'll be thankful for what you have. Well, I guess what they say is true: Sometimes you have to be far away to appreciate your family, friends and even the grumpy weather back home. Buying this and that will no longer be your thing. Not only because you can't squeeze everything into your suitcase, but also because you would rather "invest" in experiences. Not things. And that's a good thing. Living and working abroad is like a domino. Once you knock down the first (hop-on-a-plane) domino, there is no stopping the rest from falling in succession. Just the thought of it makes your blood run cold. I am not saying it is an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy decision. But it can be life-changing in so many ways. For your information, there is no such thing as good timing to work abroad. However, there are some signs you should not ignore. During the Cold War the People's Republic of China lobbed artillery shells at nearby islands controlled by the U.S.-supported Republic of China, based on Taiwan. Twenty years ago the PRC shot missiles into nearby waters to discourage Taiwanese support for independence-minded candidates. Neither policy aided Beijing's objective of reunification. Since then the mainland authorities have changed course, encouraging commerce to tie the two peoples together and pointing to Hong Kong as a model of "one country, two systems." Outgoing ROC President Ma Ying-jeou--representing the Kuomintang Party whose leader, Chiang Kai-shek moved his government from the mainland to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war--supported economic integration, reaching more than a score of agreements with Beijing. The PRC now accounts for 40 percent of Taiwan's exports, while the number of mainland visitors exceeded four million in 2014. However, last month the Taiwanese people voted overwhelmingly for Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party, which formally advocates an independent Taiwan rather than "one China" encompassing both mainland and Taiwan. The DPP also took control of the Legislative Yuan, which it lacked under the previous DPP president. Advertisement The result was a brutal judgment on Ma's policies and the PRC's goals. Not only do the vast majority of Taiwanese believe their nation to be independent. They fear growing economic interdependence threatens the autonomy which their nation has maintained despite significant Chinese pressure. In fact, in 2014 the student-led Sunflower Movement occupied the Legislative Yuan's chamber to protest another trade pact with China negotiated by the Ma government. Only recognition that a declaration of independence would risk a PRC military response has maintained Taipei's formal acquiescence to the "1992 consensus" of "one China" (interpreted differently by each state). In 2014 just 7.3 percent of Taiwanese supported reunification, barely a third the number in 2003. Most dramatically, China has lost the young. They never lived in the PRC, have no memory of the mainland, and see nothing attractive in Beijing's governance. Instead, they see ethnic Chinese in what the PRC's model of coexistence, Hong Kong, futilely demanding the kind of democracy that currently exists in Taiwan. Even the dramatic meeting last November between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ma in Singapore, the first inter-China summit, had no apparent impact. Although the two leaders referred to each other as "Mr." to avoid bestowing legitimacy on the other, it was the PRC which made the real concession, treating Taiwan as an equal. No new policies were advanced, only a warning issued by Xi. Anyone retreating from the 1992 consensus of "one China" risked causing cross-strait relations to "encounter surging waves, or even completely capsize." Taiwanese voters ostentatiously ignored his counsel. True, Tsai promised not to risk anything which would sink Taiwan: "We must ensure that no provocation or accidents take place." She nevertheless insisted: "Our democratic system, national identity and international space must be respected." And she rejected the "one China" formulation, which sets the two states on a possible collision course. Advertisement After Tsai's victory in what the PRC termed a "regional election," Beijing made its sentiments clear. The Foreign Ministry insisted: "There is only one China in the world, the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will not brook being broken up." Official media outlets declared independence to be a "hallucination" and that movement toward independence was "poison." The Taiwan Affairs Office expressed its willingness to engage "any parties and groups that recognize that the two sides belong to one China" and rejected "any form of secessionist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence'." Xi knows Taiwan, having served in Fujian Province across the strait from 1995 to 2002, the last three years as governor. Yet that might not be a benefit. His experience is dated: Taiwanese sentiment has since hardened against reunification. Moreover, his appearance of knowledge, as well as his centralization of power, reportedly limits the advice that he receives on the issue. The U.S. State Department responded circumspectly to Tsai's victory, proclaiming America's "profound interest in the continuation of cross-Strait peace and stability." But Washington's current ambiguous commitment to Taiwan creates more risks than certainties. The two countries retain an unofficial relationship; America is committed to providing "defensive" weapons. The U.S. has left unsaid whether it would intervene militarily in a conflict. Washington hopes China will assume yes while Taipei will not feel safe enough to antagonize the PRC. Under the last DPP presidency, however, the ROC authorities appeared to take American support for granted while Beijing believed Washington to be bluffing: the U.S. wouldn't risk Los Angeles for Taipei, opined one Chinese general. "Strategic ambiguity" is proving to be a particularly dangerous game to play with a rising, nationalistic power over interests it views as vital. A clash over empty rocks in the South China Sea would be dangerous enough. A fight over Taiwan, a vibrant democracy of 23 million people with globe-spanning economic ties, would be catastrophic. Even if America was not directly involved, its relationship with the PRC would be wrecked. Global markets would panic, even the Europeans would be forced to impose economic sanctions, China's neighbors would inaugurate an arms race, interest in nuclear weapons would rise in Japan, and Beijing's quest for international acceptance would crash. That would be a very high price to pay for physical reunion with the recalcitrant island, especially if no fundamental Chinese interests were being threatened at the time. Advertisement Which suggests a need for informal discussions about a long-term modus vivendi. Put formal reunification to the side, since it won't happen quickly or peacefully when at least 80 percent of Taiwan's population opposes the idea. Then what? First, everyone affirm their commitment to a peaceful solution. Taipei would announce its neutrality, including in any conflict involving the U.S. Thus, China need not worry about Taiwan being used as a base of operations against the mainland. The U.S. would indicate that while it plans to continue supplying Taiwan with defensive weapons, it has no intention of intervening in a cross-strait conflict, despite its historical ties to the ROC. The PRC would affirm that it expects to settle the sovereignty issue peacefully and dismantle missiles currently positioned to strike the island. As the Taiwan-China relationship improves, U.S.-Taiwan arms sales should diminish as an issue. Second, Beijing and Taipei would continue to expand commercial relations, encourage tourism, and engage in political talks. The two also would preserve the present informal compact, which restricts the ROC's international stature but preserves its existing space. In areas of health and safety the PRC would back an increased international role for Taiwan. Nonpolitical contacts would continue to expand rapidly while political ties would be left to develop more slowly and cautiously. Third, other nations would maintain robust economic ties with Taiwan and emphasize to China the importance of a peaceful resolution of any cross-strait issues. While no one, whether in Asia, Europe, or elsewhere, would want to take sides in a war, many nations would find it impossible to maintain a "business as usual" attitude after PRC aggression. The threat of economic and diplomatic retaliation would help ensure that the "prize" was not worth the price. In contrast, Chinese forbearance would demonstrate that Beijing was moving into an increasingly important global leadership role. It's hard not to admire the Taiwanese, determined to elect who they wish rather than who their large neighbor next door prefers. Hopefully this democracy with Chinese characteristics will provide a model for people on the mainland. Advertisement Love letters hanging on clothesline. There are many uncomfortable truths about life and live that we could talk about, but we will limit it to 7 here, as that is probably all any person could be expected to handle in one sitting. Life is not perfect, things don't always go our way, and sometimes our heart get broken. Life owes you nothing, you actually have to work for your accomplishments. The people we like are not necessarily going to like us back, and we don't always live happily ever after. 1. Things will not always go your way in life, no matter how you hard you work. The truth is that no matter how hard we work, no matter how many extra hours or effort we out in, things will not always go our way. We may have worked long and hard assuming that things will somehow work out is we just keep going. This is not always the case, in fact this is often not the case. Some of the most successful people in this world were epic failures the 1st or 23rd time around. The difference was that they kept picking themselves up and trying new things, until they finally achieved what they were trying for. Imagine if Michael Jordan or Steve Jobs had just given up the first time they stumbled? Imagine a life without Einstein or Franklin. We have many of the necessities, memories, and luxuries because of these people who did not stop when things did not go their way. Advertisement 2. Sometimes the person you like/love does not feel the same way about you, and your heart will be broken. As is actually the case more often than not, the person that we like/love does not feel the same about us, or vice versa. Until we meet "the one," dating will be a series of relationships where one person likes the other person more than the other, and the other person ends up hurt and heartbroken. Sometimes you are on the giving end, and sometimes you are on the receiving end. It never feels good, but it is the process we all have to go through in our search for the right fit. 3. Despite what we believe, life owes us nothing, we have to work for the things that we want, and even those are not guaranteed. Were you bestowed with the idea that life owes you something? That there are things that you are guaranteed just for being you? Well, sorry to break it to you, but life owes us nothing. There are no promises, and there is no roadmap for riches and success. The best we can do, is the best we can do, and hope that this is enough. If we have a good work ethic, a kind heart, and the right intentions, things just might go our way. In the end, that is all we have control over, and the best that we can do. Advertisement 4. No matter how much we love each other in the beginning, we do not always end up with happily ever after. I like to believe that most couples who get married, or promise to be together for life, mean it when they say it. Whether it be to each other, or in front of 500 of their closest friends. Even the best couples, the couples that everyone thinks will be together forever, can have a series of unfortunate events that strip away at the fabric of their relationship. After years of adversity, animosity, and trying to repair what is now broken, the couple decides they cannot continue on. This has nothing to do with intentions, it is not one parties fault, but sadly, it is the reality of 50% of couples. 5. You are responsible for you and you alone. You cannot change anyone else, you can only change how you let them impact you. Many people go through life believing they are going to fix or change others. The fact of the matter is that you have to deal with the reality that in almost all cases, you are getting what you are taking. Be realistic about what you are getting yourself into, or about the people in your life. The relationships that you hold out hope can change, the lifelong habits that you are sure someone is suddenly going to stop, are not going to happen. The only person in this life we are responsible for, or have any control over is ourselves. So decide how you are going to let people and things impact you, and close the chapter on the belief that you can control anything else. I promise you will have more peace and calm if you can accept this one fact. 6. Most people are making it up as they go along. Not many people are as together and perfect as they appear. Advertisement Most of us are just trying to do the best we can. We get up, shower, try to make ourselves presentable, and go to work and try to make it through the day without any major catastrophes. While some people may be able to put off a vibe of self-confidence and put togetherness, they are likely just playing the part too....they have just perfected it. Do you know all those social media pictures of perfect people, with their perfect relationship, and their perfect family? FAKE! This is the presentation that they want you to see of them. Most people only post the best moments of their lives, and not the day to day realities. Their lives are just like ours, they just don't show us that part. Take solace in this, they are just as imperfect as you! 7. Bad things happen to good people for no reason. By: Sheryl Huggins Salomon Fifty years after the founding of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, the agenda and style of the legendary Black revolutionary organization remains relevant in today's public discourse. An end to "police brutality and the murder of Black people," central to the Black Lives Matter movement, was laid out in the Black Panthers' 10-Point Platform five decades ago. Both acclaim and condemnation erupted when their iconic black berets made an appearance recently in Beyonce's half-time show performance during the Super Bowl. It's telling that America is still grappling with many of the same racial inequities and injustices that it did 50 years ago - and that Black pride remains a controversial topic. Not so to renowned scholar, activist and feminist icon and close associate of the Black Panthers Angela Y. Davis. "If one looks at the 10-point program of the Black Panther Party, one sees that the very same issues that were raised in the aftermath of slavery are at the center of a program that was formulated in 1966," said Davis, now a professor emeritus at University of California, Santa Cruz. "In 2008 when Barack Obama was elected, those issues had not been sufficiently addressed, certainly not yet solved, so therefore the election of one person to political office was not going to automatically reverse a history of a racist inspired economic oppression, which isn't to say that it wasn't important that we elected Barack Obama, but those struggles continue." Advertisement While in Spain last week advocating for the release of imprisoned Basque separatist politician Arnaldo Otegi, Davis took a few moments with EBONY.com to discuss contemporary issues like Black Lives Matter, the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and details from her latest book, Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement (Haymarket Books, 2016), edited by human rights activist Frank Barat. "I've been involved in the Palestine Solidarity movement for a very long time," explained Davis. "When the Ferguson uprising happened a year and a half ago activists on the ground in occupied Palestine were the first to tweet support and advice to protesters in Ferguson. Out of that has come a very interesting, a very rich development of connections across the ocean. A delegation from Palestine visited Ferguson. Black Lives Matter and Ferguson activists, [as well as members of] Dream Defenders, Black Youth Project 100 made a trip to Palestine over about a year ago to express their solidarity." More highlights of what Davis said are in the Q&A below. EBONY.COM: What's the message of your new book? Angela Davis: I am particularly interested in [having] activists associated with the Black freedom movement to realize that our struggles never would have achieved this universality that they have achieved without solidarity that has come from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and Australia. Our struggles are global, therefore, it is important for us to incorporate this global vision into our on the ground battles against police crimes and the prison industrial complex. Since I was very young I have been involved in organizations-- the Communist Party, the Black Panther Party-- that have had this global perspective. EBONY.COM: As you note in your book, events in Ferguson after the police shooting of Michael Brown exposed the militarization of police forces. Where is this push toward militarization headed and how can it be stopped? Advertisement Davis: If one looks at the history of policing, especially over the last 15 years in the aftermath of 9/11, one can see the emphasis on the shifting of resources from the military to the police. This actually has a much longer history if one looks at the way in which the Vietnam War resulted in an impact on local police. The S.W.A.T. squads emerged as a result of using techniques and technology that were used by the Green Berets in the Vietnam War. The Los Angeles Police Department was the first to use such tactics against the Black Panther Party. We have also seen the emergence of privatized policing corporations. In the book, I refer to G4S (Group 4 Security), which is a private security corporation that has spread policing and prisons all over the world. It's important not only to look at the ways in which these moments of inflicting terror have been taken up by police departments, but it's also essential to look at the economic dimension by such processes. G4S, of course, is the third largest corporation in the world, and it is the largest employer on the continent of Africa. It is connected, historically, with the privatization of prisons in the U.S. and in other places. I would like to point out that corporations such as G4S have already recognized what feminists call intersectionality. G4S spans from private policing to the transportation of immigrants to private prisons to the deportation of people from Mexico in the U.S. to the Mexican border, the deportation of Africans from Europe to countries in Africa. I think [G4S has] also taken up the question of sexual abuse of women and so they have these agencies that address women at risk and women who have suffered from sexual assault. I mention this because there's a lesson to us that the feminist notion of intersectionality is one that should be incorporated into our work as well. I like to talk about the intersectionality of struggles, and how important it is to link the struggle against gender violence with the struggle against state violence, police crimes, and crimes against women's bodies. EBONY.COM: You talk about how the foundations that have already been laid can enable today's mass movements to be effective. However, many of today's millennial-led activist groups actually reject traditional organization structures, so how can those foundations enable them to create effective change? Advertisement Davis: Young people are searching for forums through which they can express an urgent need for radical change. They are questioning the assumption that leadership has to be individual or that leadership has to be male. They are working with new collective models of leadership. One has seen the rise of many women in leadership. Of course, there are the three women who created Black Lives Matter-- Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza-- who have raised many interesting questions about what it means to build leadership. In Black Youth Project 100 there is Charlene Carruthers who is a powerful spokesperson but she always makes it clear that she is a spokesperson for a collective. In the Dream Defenders, they are challenging hetero-patriarchal forms. They are questioning the impact of sexism and homophobia and all of these ideologies on their generation. To people of my generation, their processes often seem unfamiliar, but of course, the Civil Rights Movement developed differently from movements before that. The movements of the 1930s that were led largely by Black communists (the history of which has been erased precisely because of anti-Communism) challenged the leadership that had come before it, so this is a process that happens. It's very exciting to witness what may come of this current moment. EBONY.COM: What do you think of Campaign Zero activist Deray McKesson running for mayor of Baltimore? Davis: [The aforementioned groups] have had an impact on the way the national elections are conducted and evoked criticisms about how the candidates have not addressed questions of racism and the way in which the police continue to brutalize people and communities of color. Activism has to happen in all arenas including the electoral arena. It is not productive to assume that everything points in the direction of electoral politics. But certainly, it is important to have individuals who have progressive experiences or experience within radical movements to be elected. Advertisement EBONY.COM: Is there a particular candidate you're supporting in this presidential election? Davis: My approach has always been to emphasize independent, more radical politics, but I do think that it is important that Bernie Sanders has been raising issues that otherwise never would have been taken up within the context of the campaign between the two major parties. It's absolutely essential to raise the issues of decommodification of education and [the need for] free education. And of course, he is calling for tuition-free education at our public universities, which incidentally have a history of no tuition. [They] are now as privatized as the private universities. The history for the call for public education in relation to the Black freedom struggle holds important lessons. Former slaves called for free public education in the South, thus creating the context for poor, White students to get an education. Of course, there is the healthcare question. I absolutely agree that we need free, single-payer healthcare. Then there are larger questions about the prison industrial complex that have not been sufficiently raised. We not only need to bring about an end to mass incarceration, we need to question the racism that is embedded in the whole history of punishment in this country. Sheryl Huggins Salomon is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer, editor and digital media consultant. Follow her on Twitter @sherylhugg More than any single event of his presidency, the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Gregory Scalia presents Barack Obama with the most concrete opportunity to actualize his presidential campaign promise: "Change We Can Believe In." Mortality has intervened and forced America into a direct collision with the most visceral and authoritative factor in a "post-Civil Rights era." President Obama's announcement that he will nominate a successor for Scalia "in due time" gives him potentially three appointees to the court, placing him on par with Ronald Reagan and shadows efforts once made to shape the U.S. Supreme Court as a conservative political failsafe made by every Republican president over the last five decades. Obama's two previous appointees have been justices with direct or intellectual ties to Thurgood Marshall. Elena Kagan clerked for and revered Marshall personally, although her judicial opinions do not exhibit her hero's blend of reliance on precedent, socially transformative judicial interpretation and personal experience. In contrast, Sonia Sotomayor's judicial opinions, public statements, and activities seem to more closely extend the legendary Civil Rights icon's judicial predilections, political acumen and persona. Advertisement Speculation on potential nominees is quickly focusing on "confirmable" candidates such as the Indian-American D.C. Circuit Judge, Sri Srinivasan, Merrick Garland or Patricia Ann Millett. Each of these candidates was confirmed by bi-partisan votes in the U.S. Senate. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, current California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Judge Paul Watford of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have emerged as early African-American short-listers, each of whom would have an arguably winning case to be made for appointment in a world not colored by the racially-tinged Obama hatred that currently courses through the veins of the GOP and its most visible leaders. If any Presidential nomination is made in the next month and is not given a hearing, yet another anti-Obama obstructionist precedent masquerading as "Washington business as usual" will be established. Currently, the nominee to wait the longest for a confirmation vote was Louis Brandeis in 1916. Brandeis was eventually confirmed after 19 public hearings and 125 days. Obama's nominee, if confirmed, may ensure that the next wave of jurisprudence coming from the court will directly confront the legacy of the "Reagan Revolution." Reagan appointees chipped at America's post-World War II social revolutions. Appointee Sandra Day O'Connor extended Justice Lewis Powell's 1978 definition of Affirmative Action as an interest in Whiteness-enhancing "diversity" rather than state-sanctioned remedy for structural and historical discrimination. Nixon appointee and loyalist William Rehnquist was elevated to Chief Justice by Reagan, where he consistently championed "states' rights," questioned any right to "privacy" and found jurisprudential conceptual logic for his often racist and sexist personal perspective, with the assistance of law clerks like the current Chief Justice, John Roberts. Advertisement Barring any unexpected political shifts or scheduling re-arguments for the next court term (both unlikely), the four-vote "liberal bloc" on the Court will prevent vital decisions in the current term from overturning some key appellate court rulings. At worst, it seems, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling allowing the California teachers union to collect fees from all teachers to cover collective bargaining costs in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association is more likely to stand. Plaintiffs in the voting rights case, Evenwel v. Abbott, seek to redefine "one person-one vote" to a standard that requires that states only count "eligible voters" rather than all people when determining legislative districts. A three judge district court panel rejected this argument, and that ruling will likely be upheld now. On the other political side of the equation, two rulings by the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals are also likely to be upheld. The first, ruling that President Obama exceeded his authority in ordering the Department of Homeland Security to defer deportation of over 5 million immigrants in United States v. Texas is likely to stand, as is Texas's draconian abortion law, upheld by the Fifth Circuit in Women's Whole Health v. Hellerstedt. The affirmative action case before the court, Fisher v. University of Texas, will rely once again on the vote of Justice Anthony Kennedy to prevent the reversal of the Fifth Circuit's re-endorsement of how the university currently uses race as one factor in college admissions. Although Kennedy has never completely ruled out the use of race as a factor, a 4-3 ruling (Kagan has recused herself because she appealed the case while U.S. Solicitor General) against the plan is likely. Scalia's now-famous comments during last fall's oral arguments in Fisher, that perhaps Blacks belong in "less-advanced, slower-track schools" will thankfully be only his personal, and not potentially his legal, valedictory on the subject. Casual Court observers will, however, be able to see that Clarence Thomas, long unfairly derided as Scalia's intellectual puppet, is in fact, a more iconoclastic jurist than he is given credit for. Much in coming months will depend on the political climate. Five so-called "Blue State Republicans" in the U.S. Senate have already begun signaling their willingness to line up behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who declared that no Obama nominee will receive a hearing in the U.S. Senate. Opening gambits aside, GOP senators Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Mark Kirk (Illinois), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) will nevertheless have to choose between the possibility of losing re-election and punishment in an increasingly marginalized national legislature. Whether pressure can be brought to bear on them or others will be determined by the fortitude and efforts of so-called "leaders" of Civil Rights organizations and their allies. Voters matter, perhaps now more than ever. Both GOP and Democratic Presidential candidates have leaped into the debate. Ted Cruz, if anything, more ideologically rigid than Scalia, has expectedly declared that he would filibuster any Obama nominee. Marco Rubio, a frenetic ball of ambition, offered a nonsensical statement that "it has been over 80 years since a lame duck president appointed a Supreme Court justice," ignoring that presidential term limits have only existed since 1947's 22nd Amendment. Both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have, of course, endorsed an Obama nomination but surely harbor dreams of making a selection of their own should they win the election. Either way, history means little in contemporary American society, and even less in the current political ring. There is no historical precedent for not giving an Obama nominee a judicial hearing particularly in the example of Franklin Roosevelt's end-of- second term nomination of Frank Murphy (confirmed) Lyndon Johnson's nomination of Abe Fortas for Chief Justice (withdrawn) or Ronald Reagan's nomination of Anthony Kennedy (confirmed). At best, Barack Obama will find in this watershed moment a successful strategy for elevating his relevance past two historic presidential elections, a flawed but significant expansion of health care, a series of executive orders that have tested the parameters of presidential power, and a badly-misunderstood representation of his cultural and political significance as a race "leader." Advertisement Fate has presented him an opportunity to fortify gains with the generation that made his election possible. Antonin Scalia's legacy will live far beyond his death. Tensions attendant to forming "a more perfect union" will as well. So does our responsibility to grapple with them, as Scalia did, to the best of our abilities. The fate of the American experiment remains, as always, in our hands. Spectacle surrounds me. The majesty of the land, sea and skyscapes almost overwhelms. It is hard to process the sensory assault of sights, sounds and smells, the frigid touch of the air, the taste of salt on my lips. The vistas that addle the eye, the moist hollow exhalation of a humpbacks breath, the fishy farmyard tang of penguin guano. But this is not just data. It is raw, visceral and emotive. The most incredible thing about Antarctica is how it makes you feel. Insignificant. Miniscule. Perhaps shrunk from our egotism we feel our real size, vulnerable hair-less apes don't seem so big and clever in a blizzard. Antarctica is so immense, both in terms of its expansive geography and riotously rugged topography, you can't help but feel small. Our cruise has barely brushed the tip of the proverbial ice-berg, the slender finger of the Peninsula that reaches out to tickle Tierra del Fuego. The mountainous Trans-Antarctic massif is massive, but almost entirely buried beneath a smooth all consuming cloak of ice often thousands of metres thick. Whisk it away and Antarctica is not a single land mass but a vast archipelago of mountains and basins. I feel infinitesimally tiny. Transitory. The ice is hundreds of thousands if not millions of years old in places. Air trapped in cores drilled out from the sheet shows us the mix of gases in our ancestral atmosphere. Up to six hundred thousand years ago. At that time our hominid heritage was still grubbing about with rather rudimentary intelligence somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. I am but a blink in the eye of this ancient world. I feel stupidly young. Advertisement I am touched by beauty. The creativity wrought by the elemental pairing of hydrogen and oxygen is astonishing. I see the bonds between them that make up the majority of me, us, unleashed to a world-shaping potential. It is exhilarating as monstrous glaciers grunt and grind over the rock before calving to build castles in the sea. And what castles. Nature is a restless sculptress. Her tools are primary forces; the wind, waves and sunshine. Even the bubbles trapped in the ice carve grooves as they're released. The ocean bristles orgiastically with flamboyant but ephemeral creations. Bergs like enormous cuboid edifices of blocky brutalism. Pinnacled cathedrals. Frozen ramparts and battlements of fortified ice, or the sinuous, sensuous curves of sleek-surfaced transports of delight. With nine tenths of their mass underwater in shallow bays the bergs ground, littering the horizon like a compromised armada. They list, heel, roll, right themselves again, crack, split and fragment. Shattered faces scatter light. Compressed ice shines deep bottle blue from within. Textures range from gritty composites to scalloped delicacy. I am inspired by the timeless artist's imagination. Of course I feel cold. This is obvious but important. Unlike the Stygian sub-zero savagery of winter the summer is mild. Temperatures hover around freezing. However the chill contains a thinly veiled threat, knowing that a sharp-toothed wind can bite deep into your bones in minutes. Advertisement Fear occasionally surfaces. This is forbidding and foreboding territory. Perhaps it is but a healthy respect for our interloper status? I feel alien. An imposter. Ill-equipped. This is not home. There is no warm embrace of earth. No green reassurance. Ice scours the land of almost all life. The only terrestrial growth to speak of is the incredible engine of icy locomotion that flows from the shores. In contrast the sea teems. The water is olive-tinged with the explosive growth of planktonic diatoms. Crab-eater seal fur and Orca skin glistens verdantly due to the attached algae. Krill graze this harvest, and they power a bounteous marine food chain of gargantuan productivity. I am astonished by the rich fecundity. Above all else I feel unbridled joy. Hope. Not all planets can be as beautiful as this one. Antarctica is like stepping into another world. I sense that same shift in consciousness that explorers or even astronauts feel. The overview effect of interconnection, interdependence and indivisibility writ large. My heart expands, fills with elation. I stand outside myself and know that in this moment there is only exquisite splendour. It feels amazing. Follow Ed Gillespie on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frucool and via #pole2soul Today, I want to talk about a few artists whose art made me stare, think, and wonder. I'm talking about artists whom I got the chance to meet in the last couple of weeks and ask some questions. And all of them are smart, eloquent, and courageous women. That's why I prefer to think about them as "Ladies Who Dare." On the stage of UCLA's Royce Hall the other day, I spoke to two members of Russian punk group, Pussy Riot, famous for their riotous performance in 2012 at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, where they screamed, danced, and yelled "Mother of God, put Putin away!" Virgin Mary, unfortunately, didn't heed their prayer, but Mr. Putin promptly responded by having two of them arrested, tried, and sentenced to two years in prison. But even there, these ladies managed to fight authorities over the inhumane treatment of women in prisons by initiating and winning several legal battles. Today, the original members of Pussy Riot are joined by a number of other activists who fight for legal justice, which currently in Russia is in short supply. The Los Angeles Times review of Farrah Karapetian's exhibition at Von Lintel Gallery astutely states, "Mysteriousness is Karapetian's specialty." And indeed, looking at her unique works with their recognizable brushstrokes and splashes of paint, one wonders if these are photographs or abstract paintings. Some of them contain images of inflatable rafts floating in dark, dangerous waters. These photographs are made not with the help of a camera, but through an amazingly messy and adventurous process. Farrah puts various objects on a sheet of specially treated paper, shines light on them, splashes water --sometimes leaving ice to melt on top, --and happy accidents lead to magic. Advertisement I've been following the career of well-known Los Angeles artist, Lita Albuquerque for close to three decades. And still, her art never ceases to surprise me. Her current exhibition at Michael Kohn Gallery consists of a series of mysterious monochromatic square panels, with silver moons and golden suns occupying their centers. But the longer you stare at her paintings, the more you realize that each color is far from monochromatic. There is a slow movement --something that I would describe as breathing --within each color. In a rare coincidence, there is another exhibition of Lita Albuquerque's art right now, this one at USC Fisher Museum of Art. For years, Lita has been travelling around the world to do projects spanning from Egypt to Antarctica. Her latest project, 20/20 Accelerando, occupies three of the museum's galleries: each has large-scale videos projected onto the walls. One gallery has its floor covered with several tons of white salt. We hear the voices, and slowly understand that the mysterious story is about a female astronaut "on a mission to spread interstellar consciousness. Crash-landing on Earth, she forgets her mission, prompting her to embark on a journey of remembrance and self-discovery." Once again, here is art that mystifies you and lets you experience moments of danger. This young astronaut we see gasping for air... is she drowning? Or is she emerging into the light at last --her life no longer in danger? As usual with Lita's art, many questions linger in the air... and it's up to us to find the answers. Advertisement To learn about Edward's Fine Art of Art Collecting Classes, please visit his website. You can also read The New York Times article about his classes here, or an Artillery Magazine article about Edward and his classes here. ___________ As a horrifying wave of stabbing and shooting attacks against Israelis producing an almost daily body count, the United Methodist Church has decided to take decisive action. A boycott aimed at Israel. The church has announced that it will not allow its $20 billion pension fund to invest in five Israeli banks that have financed construction of housing in the West Bank. In the wake of UN leader Ban Ki-Moon's suggestion that violent Palestinian frustration is only a result of "human nature" and the Obama administration's consistent policy that building apartments is as bad as or worse than terrorism, this particular approach to the problem should not surprise. Other churches have flirted or grappled with similar boycotts, including the Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Mennonites, the Church of England and the World Council of Churches. Academic and student groups, and even a grocery co-op in Brooklyn have put resolutions past their members, and some musical performers, notably Roger Waters, have declared they won't appear before Israeli fans on either side of the Green Line. Advertisement There are many double standards at play here. Let's take stock of them. First, when it comes to so-called moral voices trying to impose peace, the onus always falls squarely on Israel, because the more powerful side is always assumed to be the one at fault. As mentioned before, it's hard to place any economic pressure on the Palestinians, given their trade status. But what if the UN and EU, as a precondition to development funding, took a serious stand to push them to, at minimum, come to peace talks without preconditions? Maybe they could also crack down on violent incitement of youth who, no longer able to smuggle explosives past the security barrier, are now resorting to stabbing attacks. Second, there are no such boycott, divestment and sanctions movements against countries that oppress their own people or others that match the scope and intensity of the boycott push against Israel. Third, these moralists would like to pick and choose what they boycott. If you're in, go all in. Don't just boycott Israeli universities and banks and food products made on the West Bank. Boycott the research pouring out of those universities every day that stand to greatly alleviate or cure diseases, from cancer and diabetes to malaria. Advertisement Boycott pharmaceuticals patented by Israeli companies like Rafa or Teva that greatly control symptoms and improve quality of life for the sick or injured. Boycott the Pentium chips, Motorola phone systems and Microsoft OS technology developed in partnership with those companies by Israelis. And if you're in California, stay thirsty rather than drink the water from the San Diego desalination plant Israelis are building to help alleviate the drought there. Does it not seem disingenuous to denounce a country as belligerent and in great need of moral rectitude while availing yourself of all the wonders resulting from Jews unencumbered by fear of being chased out of their jobs, universities, homes and countries? That scenario happened to their parents or grandparents, and there are even those who experienced it personally, either in Europe or Arab countries. Perhaps the Palestinian boycott organizers would also like to declare that they won't use Israeli hospitals, like Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, which recently helped save the life of a 17-year-old suffering from a rare endocrine condition. Not likely. Even stick-in-the-mud Hamas will look the other way when it comes to quality Jewish medicine in the Middle East. Relatives of top Hamas officials have sought, and received treatment for serious diseases. Israel's government sees the BDS movement as nothing short of an effort to destroy the country as it exists today in favor of an untenable two-state solution that would leave the Jewish half within impossible borders. There may be some well-meaning activists who naively believe something positive can be accomplished by applying economic pressure on one side of the equation (the less violent half.) Advertisement But on the whole it seems plain that the pro-boycott movement isn't after a just outcome in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, as much as a reversal of fortune for the Jews and an end to their contemporary self-determination. If those folks really want to make a difference in the world, they should start by cleaning up their own house. Because when people are being stabbed to death in the streets, or on the receiving end of rocket attacks, and your only reaction is to pull money out of their banks, something's not quite right with your moral center. ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson (center) and Vice President of Public Affairs Kenneth Cohen (right) claim their company has supported a carbon tax since 2009. Before Kenneth Cohen retired from his post earlier this year as ExxonMobil's longstanding vice president of public and government affairs, he published a blog reasserting the company's support for a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Cohen's December 2 column was part of a broader public relations campaign to deflect allegations that ExxonMobil had downplayed evidence its own scientists uncovered about climate change and defrauded its shareholders and the public at large. Cohen stressed that ExxonMobil believes "the risks of climate change are real and ... warrant constructive action" and traced the company's support for a carbon tax back to a January 2009 speech by company CEO Rex Tillerson. Since then, Cohen said, ExxonMobil has been actively promoting it as the most viable way to curb carbon emissions in its communications with shareholders, journalists, government officials and -- most especially -- federal lawmakers, who are in a position to do something about it. "ExxonMobil executives," he said, "have echoed that message in countless private briefings with members of Congress on carbon tax policy options." Advertisement Is that right? A cursory look at just who ExxonMobil funds on Capitol Hill and how they vote tells a very different story. That funding is significant. From 2010 through 2014, the company spent $6.4 million to elect lawmakers and another $64.2 million -- more than any other oil and gas company -- to lobby them. Given this largesse, one would expect a significant percentage of ExxonMobil's beneficiaries to support its position on a carbon tax. That's usually how it works. There may not be a demonstrable quid pro quo, but contributions guarantee access, and access guarantees influence. In this case, however, an overwhelming majority of ExxonMobil-funded senators and representatives consistently oppose a carbon tax -- as well as other measures to address climate change. That makes me wonder: Just what have ExxonMobil lobbyists been telling Congress during those countless private briefings? Encouraging Inaction Although neither the House nor the Senate has voted on a stand-alone carbon tax bill in recent years, since 2010 legislators have voted on a handful of amendments that put them on record on the issue. The vote tallies speak for themselves. In March 2013, for example, Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse -- who has never received ExxonMobil money -- offered a budget resolution amendment that would ensure that "all revenue from a fee on carbon pollution is returned to the American people." That's exactly what ExxonMobil claims to support: a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Advertisement Whitehouse's amendment was defeated by a 58 to 41 vote. Forty-eight of the senators on the floor that day received campaign contributions from ExxonMobil between 2010 and 2014. Of those, 39 -- 33 Republicans and six Democrats -- opposed the amendment. In other words, more than 80 percent of the legislators ExxonMobil funded voted against the company's stated position. Five months later, the House approved an amendment that would prevent the Obama administration from imposing a carbon tax without congressional approval. Steve Scalise, an ExxonMobil-backed representative from Louisiana, tacked the amendment onto a bill that ultimately died. His amendment passed on a 237 to 176 vote, and nearly 90 percent of the representatives who voted for it -- 204 Republicans and eight Democrats -- received ExxonMobil contributions. More recently, in March 2015, the Senate voted 58 to 42 in favor of a budget resolution amendment introduced by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt prohibiting a carbon tax. Thirty of the 40 senators who received ExxonMobil campaign contributions, including Blunt, voted in favor of the amendment. Besides these amendment votes, another way to gauge where ExxonMobil-funded lawmakers sit on this issue is to take a look at what they cosponsor -- or ignore. Here again, the record is clear. In March 2013, for instance, 156 House members cosponsored a resolution introduced by Rep. Scalise expressing "the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to American families and businesses and is not in the best interest of the United States." Including Scalise, 146 cosponsors -- 93 percent -- were funded by ExxonMobil. Conversely, when Maryland Rep. John Delaney introduced a revenue-neutral carbon tax bill in May 2015, none of his ExxonMobil-backed colleagues signed on. The bill would tax carbon emissions and use revenues to reduce the corporate tax rate, assist displaced coal miners, and offset any increased energy costs for middle- and low-income households. Presumably ExxonMobil would approve. Neither Delaney nor the three other bill cosponsors received campaign contributions from the company. Advertisement Currying Favor with Key Members Two committees in each chamber of Congress have jurisdiction over carbon tax-related bills. Between 2010 and 2014, ExxonMobil contributed to at least 50 percent of the members of each one. On the House side, the company supported 24 of the 39 current members of the Ways and Means Committee and 35 of the 54 members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Notably, 38 of the 59 ExxonMobil-funded lawmakers on the two committees are climate science deniers. On the Senate side, ExxonMobil gave contributions to 16 of the Finance Committee's 26 members, nine of whom reject climate science. The company also funded half of the 20 members of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Seven of the 10 are deniers. Given the track record of ExxonMobil-funded lawmakers on climate bills and amendments, it's unlikely that a carbon tax bill could ever get off the ground in any of these committees. And if, by some miracle, such a bill managed to attract a sizable number of cosponsors, it would still die. That's because the chairmen of these four key committees -- who have the ultimate say over a bill's fate -- have refused to schedule a vote on anything remotely related to a climate bill. And perhaps it is no coincidence that all of them have received campaign contributions from ExxonMobil. In the House, the company supported the campaigns of Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, and Texas Rep. Kevin Brady -- consecutive chairmen of the Ways and Means Committee over the past five years -- and Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. In the Senate, it funded Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Finance Committee, and Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee. Most of these chairmen -- Ryan and Upton in the House and Hatch and Inhofe in the Senate -- dispute mainstream climate science. Inhofe, perhaps the most outspoken climate science denier in Congress, has called climate change "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." By donating money to these strategically placed lawmakers, ExxonMobil's actions belie its professed support for a carbon tax. As long as they remain in place, no carbon pricing bills will ever get to the House or Senate floor, let alone to the president's desk. Fueling Gridlock Of course, Congress' refusal to address climate change can't be blamed solely on the machinations of one company. There are a number of other fossil fuel industry players besides ExxonMobil -- Koch Industries and Chevron immediately come to mind -- that also spend millions to influence Congress. And then there are the ideological, theological and pseudoscientific rationales lawmakers hide behind to justify doing nothing. Advertisement Even after taking these other factors into consideration, however, ExxonMobil still bears a good deal of responsibility for the climate stalemate on Capitol Hill. After all, over the last 20 years, it has been a leading sponsor of a network of think tanks, advocacy groups and trade associations that has been peddling lies about climate science, even after the company's own scientists warned decades ago that the consequences of global warming could be catastrophic. And the company continues to finance members of Congress who oppose taking action to address climate change. At the conclusion of his December 2 essay, Kenneth Cohen pledged that ExxonMobil "will continue to pursue effective and efficient policy options using the established scientific knowledge as the foundation for the things we advocate." That may sound reassuring, but empty rhetoric doesn't take us where we need to go. If ExxonMobil thinks anyone is going to believe that it is sincerely interested in combating climate change, it needs to do more than talk. If the company really supported action on climate, it would stop funding groups that spread disinformation about climate science and renewable energy. And if it really supported a carbon tax, it would stop funding lawmakers who don't and only fund lawmakers who do. In other words, ExxonMobil, put your money where your mouth is. NORTH DARFUR, SUDAN: Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) militants wait to receive the African Union mediator in the Darfur conflict, Salim Ahmed Salim, at the SLA-controlled Galoul locality in Jebel Marra area in North Darfur State, 31 August 2005. 'The SLM leaders declared their commitment to the peace process and their acknowledgement of the role being played by the AU troops in Darfur,' an AU spokesman said, in reference to 6,000 peacekeepers on the ground. AFP PHOTO/SALAH OMAR (Photo credit should read SALAH OMAR/AFP/Getty Images) On February 11, 2016 the New York Times published my brief and summary account of the current crises in Darfur, most particularly the extension of Khartoum's genocidal counter-insurgency campaign to the west--from "East Jebel Marra" in North Darfur to the Jebel Marra massif itself, in the very center of Darfur (the eastern tip of Jebel Marra juts far into North Darfur). Fighting today remains undiminished and some of the implications and consequences of this onslaught, which began in earnest in mid-January 2016, are already clear. UN figures suggest that many tens of thousands of people--overwhelmingly children and women--have already been displaced, many to harsh areas with little or no humanitarian relief capacity. Some 40,000 have fled to East Jebel Marra, the site of so much genocidal violence over the past three years. Others have fled west and south. Radio Dabanga (see below) reports that by the third week of January, "At least 60,000 people from 40 villages around Soreng in Rokoro locality in Central Darfur, fled their homes." The UN reports that altogether almost 50,000 civilians were displaced in January alone. We may be certain certain that well over 100,000 civilians will have been displaced by spring planting season, and thus unable to grow critically needed food. Advertisement What do the consequences of this onslaught look like? What happens when the regime carries out its massive attack on the African populations likened by Hassabo to "insects"? I have written extensively about recent violence in East Jebel Marra, and we may be sure that the nature of the attacks I chronicled there is unchanged: large numbers of girls and women are raped; farms and foodstocks are destroyed; livestock are looted or killed; whole villages are burned to the ground; men and boys are murdered without mercy. Because Khartoum allows no journalists or human rights reporters into areas of fighting in Darfur, and because humanitarian access to Jebel Marra has so long also been denied by Khartoum (as has access for UN/African Union "peacekeepers"), we must gather our news from sources in the Darfuri diaspora, most prominently the remarkable Dutch-based news organization Radio Dabanga. Just a few of the recent headlines from this daily news source must compel us to ask why the UN, or the international community independently of the UN, does not compel humanitarian access. Some of the dispatch titles speak for themselves, but I have excerpted a few key sentences from some: Aerial bombardments, long-range artillery, and heavy weapons were used during the attacks on villages in Jebel Marra: Leiba, Niama, Kara, and adjacent settlements. A still unknown number of civilians were killed by bombs or shelling. Hundreds of villagers have scattered and taken shelter higher up in the mountains, a witness informed Radio Dabanga. "Their humanitarian and health situation is dire," he explained on the phone. Eleven children reportedly died of malnutrition while taking shelter in one of the highest peaks in Jebel Marra, at the end of January. Three women died at childbirth. Returning militiamen spark fear among residents in western Jebel Marra. February 10, 2016, 'Sudan air raids target displaced, block trade in Jebel Marra'https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-air-raids-target-displaced-block-trade-in-jebel-marra January 24, 2016, Darfur: Strafing continues in Jebel Marra war zone About 100 villages west of Golo and south of Kotoronek have been abandoned too, multiple sources reported from the western part of Mount Marra. They could not give more information because "moving around is too risky because of the continuous bombing and shelling," one of them said. They reported that the majority of the villagers fled high into the mountain, "where they must be suffering dire humanitarian conditions." The sources said that all the roads to the mountain are still blocked. "The markets and shops are closed, so no one can buy flour or sugar," a resident of Golo noted. Three children were killed and five others were wounded following aerial bombardments on villages in Darfur's western Jebel Marra on Monday morning. The area of Golo, in the upper part of Central Darfur, has been under attack by the Sudanese Air Force since Saturday. These are but a few snapshots of the suffering and destruction that has gone largely unreported by international news agencies, excepting chiefly Agence France-Presse (AFP) and those who have picked up AFP's two dispatches. The UN in New York has been especially tepid, as have Western governments; this sends a clear signal to Khartoum that it can continue with genocidal counter-insurgency warfare without paying a significant price. It is a signal that has been sent continuously for over a decade, as countless UN resolutions are flouted, UN/AU peacekeepers with Chapter 7 authority are abused, obstructed, and murdered, and humanitarian access is entirely at the discretion of a regime notorious for using the manipulation of relief aid as a weapon of war. The many tens of thousands of newly displaced persons add to Darfur's grim totals: 2.7 internally displaced persons, some 380,000 Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad, and more than 500,000 dead from the and direct and indirect consequences of thirteen years of intense, ethnically-targeted violence in the region. Far from having "decisively cooled," as the New York Times reported four years ago, Darfur is in the midst of some of the greatest violence we have seen in a decade. AFP (February 7, 2016) reports the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan as declaring: "[The displaced of Jebel Marra] are basically in need of everything." The surge in violence "has seen, as a result, the worst civilian displacement that we have seen in the UN in the past decade" in the Jebel Marra area, where there were also heavy clashes in previous years. (emphasis added) An inevitably invidious but necessary comparison with Syria forces a difficult question on Western governments and news organizations: Why are you essentially ignoring a catastrophe that on any human or humanitarian scale must be seen as comparable to that in Syria? None of the answers speaks well of how policy and news attention is apportioned. Just over a decade ago, EDF and Walmart launched a groundbreaking partnership -- one that's delivering powerful results and helping to scale sustainability across the retail supply chain. About 20 years ago, I got on a plane to Bentonville, Arkansas, home of Walmart. Buoyed by the success of EDF's pioneering partnership with McDonald's, which did away with the company's polystyrene packaging and reduced waste by 300 million pounds in the first decade, and by our continued success with other leading brands, I hoped that the world's largest retailer might become our next big corporate partner. Big companies can leverage big changes. But the visit flopped. The leaders I spoke with at the time wanted to focus on their core business, so we didn't get the partnership going for another 10 years. By 2005, however, a new generation of Walmart leaders had become convinced that sustainability should be a core business principle, right alongside low prices and great customer service. EDF helped awaken Walmart to the possibilities. Advertisement I invited Lee Scott, Walmart's CEO at the time, to join me on a climate study tour. It began in New Hampshire, with a trip to the summit of Mount Washington. For decades, scientists there had braved minus-50-degree temperatures to chip ice off gauges hourly to get good readings, 24/7, even in gale force winds and ferocious storms. As we ascended the mountain, the temperature dropped 50 degrees. At the top, safely indoors, we had a simple supper with the observatory's scientists and talked about how Walmart could become a force for environmental progress. I wasn't sure what Lee would decide, but out of that evening came his welcome commitment to lead on these issues. Though it had taken some time to begin working with Walmart, we soon learned that the company generally moves quickly. To get things done, we had to be in the room. So we opened up our own office in Bentonville, which remains an effective base of operations to this day. In the early days of the partnership, we were eager to demonstrate that big goals could drive big innovation, and big results. This was too rare a convergence of market power and environmental opportunity to approach timidly. Walmart, to its credit, stepped up and set ambitious goals: to power its operations with 100 percent renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain people and the environment. EDF also convinced the company to publicly embrace an initial climate goal: to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain by 2015. Advertisement True to EDF form, we stuck around after the public commitments. And we've been on the ground with Walmart for the past ten years, driving results through an extensive process of trial and error. We started out by looking at Walmart's retail operations, but soon recognized that the biggest opportunities were to be found in its vast network of suppliers. Supply chain accounts for 90 percent of the company's total greenhouse gas impact. EDF helped the company realize that by taking simple steps, such as encouraging suppliers to make efficient use of raw materials, it could drive change on a grand scale. One example: optimizing fertilizer use on farms that grow the corn used in so many Walmart products. This idea proved to be contagious. Six major brands, including Coca-Cola, Smithfield Foods and Cargill have now committed to optimize fertilizer use on 20 million acres of U.S. farmland by 2020. Walmart's purchasing and convening power creates a ripple effect across the retail sector. Three years ago, EDF helped Walmart create a first-of-its-kind chemicals policy that led to the phasing-out of ten chemicals of concern in over 10,000 home and personal care products sold by Walmart. The phase-out soon expanded to major manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive, and even led to a collaboration with Target to encourage industry-wide adoption of safer products. This private sector leadership was critical in driving support for the strong chemical-safety reform legislation that recently passed the U.S. Senate and could reach the President's desk this year. Our work with Walmart is still gaining momentum. While we surpassed by 30 percent our goal of reducing 20 MMT of GHG from Walmart's supply chain, we see the potential for much greater reductions. And the partnership is just beginning to go global: from improving energy efficiency in supplier factories in China through our Climate Corps program, which trains graduate students to help companies mange energy use, to sustainably sourcing commodities from deforestation free zones. Walmart is no stranger to controversy, and EDF's decision to enter into this long-term partnership has not gone unchallenged. But the scale and purchasing power of Walmart couldn't be ignored 10 years ago, and it can't be denied today. By working with Walmart we are driving a level of environmental progress that has surpassed our original expectations. Advertisement I am proud of the persistence and ambition that both EDF and Walmart have displayed over the past ten years, and I look forward to the even more ambitious goals that Walmart will set for the next ten. If history is any guide, the decade ahead will prove transformative. JFK with General Abboud, this picture is taken from: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-10-04-C.aspx. On October 4, 1961, the Sudanese president General Abboud was on an official state visit to the United States that lasted for 11 days. The US media and the White House of President Kennedy welcomed General Abboud under banners that read, "America Welcomes President Abboud of Sudan." In his official speech, President Kennedy praised his distinguished Sudanese guest and his country as a model of peace in Africa. That was in 1961; however, the United States has imposed severe economic sanctions on Sudan since 1997. More than 117,000 individuals have signed a petition to the White House requesting that President Obama lift the sanctions but the White House has archived this petition because it failed to meet the signature requirements as stated by Obama administration. Petition organizers referred to an article published recently in the magazine Foreign Affairs stating that although the sanctions did nothing to weaken the Al-Bashir regime, they proved to have detrimental effects on Sudanese people. With this argument, the petitioners have attempted to distance themselves from the Al-Bashir government and represent their call for lifting of the sanctions strictly in the best interests of the Sudanese people. Advertisement The economic sanctions were imposed by the Clinton administration based on concerns regarding the flow of many Islamist fighters to Sudan in the early 1990s. The presence of Osama bin Laden and some of his close associates in Sudan during the early 1990s, and a subsequent failed assassination attempt against the former Egyptian President Mubarak at a 1995 summit of African leaders in Addis Ababa, further alienated Sudan from the West. In 1998, President Clinton ordered a series of controversial missile strikes destroying the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan and Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. Presidents George W. Bush and Barak Obama did not change the course of US policies toward Sudan even though the Al-Bashir government had signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, which ultimately led to the separation of South Sudan in 2011. Furthermore, Sudan gained almost nothing from its close cooperation with the Bush administration in the areas of security and intelligence after the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001 on US soil. According to Khalid Musa Dafalla, a senior Sudanese diplomat and a former spokesperson of Sudan's ministry of foreign affairs, the U.S sanctions were aimed at building leverage and influence the political approach and attitude of the Government by restricting its ambitious political Islam agendas and help supporting the liberation movement of South Sudan led by late John Garang. Despite the continued sanctions, there is a kind of one-sided love-hate relationship beneath this apparent hostility as characterized by the lyrics of the Celine Dion song, I Love You Then I Hate You, which say, I hate you, then I love you, then I hate you, then I love you more. When General Al-Bashir seized power in 1989, backed then by the National Islamic Front, popular anti-US political slogans were adopted by some hardliners within the Al-Bahsir government. This anti-American political rhetoric was fueled by Sudan's disapproval of the US-led coalition against Iraq in late 1990 and Western support for the rebel fighters of southern Sudan. Nevertheless, many Islamist leaders returning to Sudan after Al-Bashir's coup d'etat were US-educated professionals who had spent several years studying at top American graduate schools. Some of these Islamists expressed enormous admiration for the US model of free market, borrowing heavily from Milton Friedman's books on the free market. They influenced permanent and comprehensive liberalization of Sudanese national economy rather than opting for a gradual implementation of free market reforms. The results of these reforms were disastrous, with tremendous increases in poverty and the income gap between the rich and poor. Free education and healthcare became a distant memory for millions of Sudanese, the Sudanese currency deteriorated significantly, and the agriculture and livestock sectors suffered from a lack of sustainable government subsidies. Despite all these problems, Al-Bahsir's government never abandoned the US free market model. Al-Bahsir adopted a federally structured political system similar to that of the United States, dividing Sudan into smaller federal units in the mid-1990s to further decentralize power and boost economic development. Sudan was divided into 26 states, nearly half the number of states in the US. As with many American state capitals, some Sudanese state capitals were located in small, remote towns and cities. Advertisement The creation of these states added heavy financial burdens to the federal budget and led to an expansion of government unprecedented in the history of Sudan. The decentralization of power contributed to reassertion of local ethnic identity and the Sudanese spirit of tribalism. In addition, the Al-Bashir government initiated a revolution of higher education with an eye toward the US expansion of public higher education during the 19th century to rural and remote areas. New public colleges and universities were established outside Khartoum and college enrollment jumped from 5,000 in 1989 to more than 143,000 in the 2011-2012 academic year. The irony is that Sudan's esteem for the US remains one-sided, with no prospect for change in the near future. According to Sudanese professor of journalism and writer Uthman Abu Zayd Abu Zayd, it is unclear why the United States continues economic sanctions in spite of Sudanese efforts toward reconciliation between the two countries. For professor Abu Zayd there are no legal justifications for putting Sudan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Mr. Khalid Daffalla warns of the dire consequences of continuing this regime of sanctions. He argues that the Even without knowing it was Mardi Gras season, I was excited to rejoin The Happiness Walk in Baton Rouge. We were headed west toward Houston, right through Lafayette, Louisiana -- the Happiest City in America. Since the Happiness Walk is all about gaining a deeper understanding of individual happiness, we made Lafayette our headquarters for a week. Let's just say I didn't lose any weight. Clearly, food is a big part of the happiness recipe here. One woman told me, "If we're not eating, we're planning our next meal." From beignets to etoufee, shrimp gumbo (did you know you can put potato salad in gumbo instead of sour cream??) to boiled crawfish and white chocolate bread pudding, and other delectables I enjoyed tremendously but don't remember how to pronounce or spell, Louisiana food is heavenly. Savoring is a highly recommended happiness strategy, and lots of savoring goes on in the Lafayette environs -- even an ordinary convenience store was filled with enticing aromas, emanating in part from the tastiest onion rings I've ever eaten. Additionally, food here seems often to be created and dished out lovingly, as well as received gratefully. Pleasure and kindness combined. All good. Advertisement Is it really coincidence that five other Louisiana cities made the top 10 list in a 2014 academic report? The researchers used data from the highly respected Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. In contrast, my food assertion is founded largely on non-scientific, non-rigorous personal experience -- which also tells me there's more to the story than food. A Listening Tour: Let me back up and explain a bit about The Happiness Walk, which is part of GNHUSA. Essentially, this step-by-step enterprise is one big qualitative research project. From Stowe, Vermont in August 2012 to Washington, D.C., down the eastern seaboard to Jacksonville, Florida before turning west, The Happiness Walk records thousands of interviews with "regular" people all along the way. By the time we hit Los Angeles, then Seattle, and finally arrive home in Vermont in late 2018, we will have listened to many, many thousands of people share what matters most to them in life. The interviews will be transcribed, and the data analyzed by academics. Our listening is heartfelt, and the interviews are voluntary. Not everyone wants to interact with us, so our findings are not scientifically valid. Still, we all agreed that Lafayette is especially happy. We even have some data to back up our personal observations: in Lafayette, we had more offers of hosts, meals, and drivers than we could actually use. That has never happened before. Though individuals are amazingly generous to us wherever we go, the collective Louisiana generosity reached a new level. In addition to food, rides, and housing, we received: Gifts of time, as groups of locals joined us on the Walk and evening gatherings; as groups of locals joined us on the Walk and evening gatherings; Gifts of knowledge , with arranged walks to NUNU (which is pioneering a shared arts economy and reviving the area's French heritage) and to Avery Island, where Tabasco Sauce is made (and where we sampled jalapeno ice cream); , with arranged walks to NUNU (which is pioneering a shared arts economy and reviving the area's French heritage) and to Avery Island, where Tabasco Sauce is made (and where we sampled jalapeno ice cream); Unsolicited cash donations; and donations; and A surprise trip to a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, topped off with a souvenir gold lame pantsuit! Beyond the data, there was an intangible joie-de-vivre (joy of life) on this trip. Everywhere, the motto seemed to be laissez les bons temps roulez (let the good times roll) -- no matter life's very real challenges. That spirit was on full display when we arrived at our host Jeannette's house just in time for a party with gumbo, etoufee, and King Cake. Many of the guests that night belong to the "Bluebirds," a breast cancer survivor's group. They were celebrating one Bluebird's birthday -- but they were also celebrating and grieving Cecile, another Bluebird who had died of breast cancer just a month earlier. This is not fake, pasted-on-smiles happiness. These folks are not in denial of the bad stuff life dishes out. Since Lafayette is an oil town, and that industry is struggling, the area is facing serious economic turmoil with foreclosures and lay-offs. We heard all too many cancer stories. And we were told of widespread poverty in the region. There's plenty to cope with. Letting the good times roll seems to be a well-tuned coping mechanism. I'm not an anthropologist, and we were only there for a week. That said, here are other factors that seem to be at the core of Louisiana happiness: Heritage. The whole trip, we were in the thick of French Acadian, or Cajun, culture. At Jeannette's party, I asked one of the guests how other people could be as happy as they all seemed to be. "You have to be born here," was the reply. Advertisement Families. Everywhere we go, we hear how important families are, but there was a different flavor here. Seemingly, Acadian families stay close together -- all the better to let the good times roll. We met a man in nearby Krox Springs who was paralyzed from the chest down in an automobile accident. Yet he told us he is a very happy man, in part because he's built a wheelchair accessible party room and deck, with space for boiling crawfish with all the grandchildren. Fun. Then there was Andrew in Arnaudville. He showed us his newly-renovated family homestead, complete with a huge deck and covered cooking area, and camper hook-ups, so his whole family can come have fun together. And let us not forget the distinctive Cajun music and dance, which we enjoyed very much on a night out with Jeannette. Faith. We hear this a lot, too, especially in the South. Here, though, people didn't seem to wear their faith on their sleeves as much as other places, perhaps because Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion. It all felt much more laissez-faire. Co-author: Yulia Arkhipova Right after Putin's third term, and especially after the Maidan revolution in Ukraine followed by the Russian annexation of Crimea and the subsequent military conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the Russian authorities dramatically increased the anti-opposition campaign. They keep adopting a new restrictive legislation, have unleashed an unprecedented global disinformation war and created the atmosphere of hatred, intolerance and bigotry produced by the state-owned media. Under these circumstances, many Russian civil and political activists have been forced to flee from Russia. For many of them the most natural and desirable destination is Ukraine. Some Russians have to move to Ukraine due to political persecution at home. Some escape to Ukraine by their own choice inspired with opportunities for change and reforms. Others go there to wear military boots and fight with Vladimir Putin's aggression. However, if you are a Russian and even if you share a Ukrainian dream and fight for the independence of Ukraine, it doesn't mean you won't face strict emigration regulations. Advertisement According to Sergiy Gunko, the Ukraine's State Migration Service's spokesman, in 2015 eighty-six Russian citizens applied for political asylum, while only four got it. According to the statistics presented by the United Nation's Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2014 approximately 140 Russians applied for political asylum in Ukraine. In the first six months of 2015 this number grew by fifty people more. The number of Russians who were granted political asylum is so insignificant that it isn't even mentioned in the statistical data. At the beginning of 2015, the Ukrainian President Perto Poroshenko expressed his concern about this problem. In February of 2015, the bill to simplify the asylum procedure for specific categories of foreign nationals was introduced in the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian Parliament]. The bill was supposed to ease the legalization in Ukraine for those who took part in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in Eastern Ukraine, as well as for those whose civil rights and freedoms were violated due to their standpoint or activities in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. However, it has only passed the first hearing and is on hold at the moment. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Migration Service does not show any desire to soften its policies without a political decision of the head of the state refusing to grant asylum to Russian political asylum seekers in the absolute majority of cases. Here are a few examples of the most egregious cases: Alexey Vetrov, an opposition activist from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. He fled to Ukraine under the risk of criminal prosecution and applied for political asylum in 2014. Later, Alexey was refused to get his legal status in Ukraine. The Migration Service of Ukraine offered quite a perplexing reason for such a refusal. They ruled out Russia was a democratic country; therefore Mr. Vetrov couldn't be persecuted there. The dozens of misdemeanor charges of Mr. Vetrov for participating in anti-Putin protests were, according to the migration officials, examples of "hooliganism" and "failure to comply with lawful demands of [Russian] police officers." For 1.5 years, Mr. Vetrov has been unable to be granted asylum. Currently, he has appealed for the Migration Service's decision to the Ukraine's Supreme Administrative Court. However, the common practice of the Migration Service decision appeals shows that courts keep sending the asylum cases back for reconsideration to the same officials who had denied granting asylum in the first place. Advertisement Pavel Lyubchenkov, an activist from Krasnodar, Russia. He was repeatedly summoned to the Federal Security Service for "talks" about his public pro-Ukrainian position. He was one of the activists who organized the Kuban federalization march in Krasnodar. The organizers were charged with extremism and calls for separatism under the Russia's Criminal Code. One of the organizers, Darya Polyudova, has been sentenced to two years of the penal colony despite the Amnesty International and other organizations' support. Another organizer, Vyacheslav Martynov, was granted asylum in Ukraine. Mr. Lyubchenkov, however, was denied political asylum for three times. Later, in December 2015, the Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs officials informed about an extradition request from Russia and announced their intention to arrest Mr. Lyubchenkov and transfer him to the Russian authorities. Those Russians, who had been fighting in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) for Ukraine, faced similar problems getting a Ukrainian citizenship. One such Russian, Sergey Petrovichev, was seriously wounded in the ATO in the late summer of 2015. Sergey's leg was amputated, in part due to the fact that he was unable to leave Ukraine for his treatment. Volunteers helped Sergey through all the stages of a citizenship procedure. However, the President of Ukraine hasn't signed the decree granting him citizenship yet. Needless to say, Sergey faces criminal prosecution in Russia. These cases are getting more public attention by Ukrainian and independent Russian media outlets and international human rights watchdogs. Nevertheless, there hasn't been much response so far. Advertisement At the same time, on the other side of the Ukrainian border, Russia is entering the federal election cycle. It's quite easy to predict that the election campaign of 2016 in Russia will increase a constantly rising number of people running away from the Russian authorities. This is a very urgent issue that raises two fundamental questions to address to the Ukrainian government. The first one is humanitarian and requires the Government to prove its commitment to the European values. The Ukrainian authorities need to show their political will to help those Russian people who were supporting the Ukrainian independence in a very unpleasant and dangerous environment for such actions. They need to embrace those, who have left their homeland to join the Revolution of Dignity and who have to experience all of the "benefits" of an old-fashioned Soviet bureaucracy in an after-revolutionary Ukraine. It will require to pass a new legislation and to reform the migration authorities, which probably act this way not only with Russians, but as they haven't been reformed generally since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And the second question is political and way more complicated to ask: are President Poroshenko and his allies ready to prove by word and deed that pro-democracy Russians are allies of Ukraine and are welcome in their country? After a heart-breaking tragedy that happened to Vlad Kolesnikov, a Russian high school student, who was publicly supporting Ukraine, and who later committed suicide due to huge harassment from his classmates, his hurray-patriotic family, and federal media outlets, the question of need for a safe harbor for Russian activists has become as acute as ever. Advertisement ...a new memoir from Democratic congressman Jim Clyburn includes a recounting, according to U.S. News, of the late night phone call he received from an angry Bill Clinton during the 2008 campaign season, when Clyburn was publicly criticizing the Clinton campaign and the former president personally for "bizarre" comments on African-Americans... Back then, The Wall Street Journal reported that after hearing about Clyburn's remarks, Clinton called him over the phone, argued, and "called Mr. Clyburn an expletive." Well, score one for the "politician actually delivers on a promise" column, because here's how Clyburn recounts that conversation, which took place at around 2 A.M. "If you bastards want a fight, you damn well will get one," Clinton thundered. As Clyburn tells it, the former president phoned to pin blame on the congressman, vent his frustration and seek an explanation on how his wife got whipped so badly [in South Carolina]... "I had kept that promise. I asked him to tell me why he felt otherwise. He exploded, used the word 'bastard' again, and accused me of causing her defeat and injecting race into the contest," Clyburn writes. College is more expensive than buying a new Mustang every year for four years. As a student in the midst of finishing my bachelors' degree, I cannot express how incredibly thankful I am for Federal Student Aid; attending school at a private university in New York city is the epitome of over-the-top college expense. My tuition alone is $40,400. My university, The New School, has generously granted me $26,100 in scholarships, but I'm only able to take out so many federal loans to make up for the gap. As someone who pays for her own tuition, the Federal Pell Grant program is the five thousand dollar difference that makes my education possible. This is true for many self-funding students; I am one of millions of students who truly could not be in college if it weren't for the funding provided by my university and FAFSA. The cost of college is incredibly high, generally averaging $22,958 per year at a public four-year university. Political debates from all points of view emphasize the importance of an affordable education. In the midst of these debates, however, a significant portion of the population of American young people in desperate need of an education is completely ruled out of the conversation: student prisoners. Advertisement For many young adults in prison an education is nearly impossible to attain because existing policies prevent prisoners from being eligible for financial aid, but some programs are being launched to fix this dire situation. The Newark State Prison recently implemented something called a Second Chance Pell Pilot Program; this will provide financial aid to student prisoners. While the program just began, it is causing a ripple in policy discussion. As of now, an incarcerated student in a federal or state prison is not eligible for federal student loans, or Federal Pell Grants. Nor is he or she able to get federal work-study funding, or any other form of federal education funding. In fact, the Restoring Education And Learning Act of 2015, was introduced this past summer, does exactly that. The Act would amend the Higher Education Act by removing title four, which prohibits prisoners from being eligible for financial student aid. Opponents of the bill believe that federal grant programs are privileges, to which criminals have waved goodbye upon incarceration. From their perspective it feels wrong to give money to imprisoned students when so many non-imprisoned students fail to qualify for financial aid as it is, but while it may seem counter-intuitive to provide college funding to someone being punished by the prison system, this funding would actually be a more cost-effective solution in the long run, and actually benefit society. The job market is difficult for all American young people, and stats show that the higher the educational level of an individual, the less likely he or she is to become unemployed. The value of education in relation to employment is especially important to people in the prison system, because it is even more difficult for them to find jobs after establishing criminal records. When prisoners are released into the "real world" it's much easier for them to adjust to life outside by getting jobs, but often they can't. Advertisement It's not surprising then, given their lack of educational opportunities, that about two out of three inmates sadly return to prison within three years of having been released; this recidivism is expensive, and the average inmate costs about $31,000 per year. Compare this figure to the cost of a Pell Grant, for which the highest award is only $5,775 per school year. If we can reduce the number of people returning to prison by paying for their education when they're in financial need, we can reduce the number of people for whom taxpayers are paying far more to re-incarcerate. Once a freed inmate gets a job, he or she starts contributing to everyone's tax revenue. This "virtuous cycle" will help save the state a lot of money in the long run -- even though it will drain profits from those who benefit from building and filling the prison system. This is about more than just money, however; this is about rebuilding former criminals into functioning members of a better society. After all, isn't that what prisons are supposed to do? Studies show that those who have had a higher education are more likely than their peers to do volunteer work, vote and donate blood, among other contributions. Educating prisons is far better solution to social ills than throwing people into prisons for merely punitive. By helping to fund college education for student prisoners, we'd be investing into socially engaged citizens. Thus programs such as the Second Change Pell Pilot Program are an amazing first step at accomplishing these goals; Pell Grants, and other forms of federal funding need to be available to students regardless of their criminal status. We can redeem young lives by starting with changes to the Federal student aid program. We need to be helping prisoners get back on their feet, reducing spending by decreasing recidivism, and building more engaged members of society out of former criminals. The Restoring Education and Learning act does all of this. There are so many young people in prison due to minor misdemeanors, and with the given inequalities the least we can do is offer them a second chance. A large video monitor shows former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the U.N. Secretary-Generalas special envoy for cities and climate change, address the biennial "Investor Summit on Climate Risk" on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) In April, the world will come together to talk about drugs. The United Nations will host a General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS), the most significant high-level international drug policy event in almost two decades. At the last UNGASS in 1998, the international community met under the slogan "A drug free world - We can do it!" and committed itself to this unrealistic goal. Fortunately, we've come a long way since then. This time, when global leaders meet at the UN to discuss drugs once again, the farce of a drug free world will be far away. Influential voices from around the world are calling for new approaches to drug policy, countries and cities are experimenting with innovative reforms, and a global movement has emerged calling for an end to the failed prohibitionist policies of the past. From April 18 to 21, people from all over the world will be descending upon New York City to demand change. Advertisement The UN shapes international drug policy. National drug laws must adhere to three UN treaties on drugs that prohibit the production and supply of certain drugs, and criminalize people who use them. The most significant of these treaties, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, was ratified in 1961, over half a century ago. These treaties represent an outdated framework from a bygone time. There is ample evidence of the overwhelming failure of drug prohibition, and the human costs associated with it. This includes mass incarceration for drug offenses in the US, hundreds of thousands killed in drug war violence in Latin America, insufficient access to treatment and harm reduction services around the world, environments and livelihoods destroyed in forced crop eradication, and thousands executed for drug offenses, not to mention the fact that neither drug use nor supply has diminished. At the 1998 UNGASS, instead of using the opportunity to critically evaluate the global drug control regime, countries decided to perpetuate the failed policies of the past. But things have since shifted. There is growing consensus even within the UN that these policies do not work. And we have a strong movement of individuals and groups affected by the war on drugs that will come to NY in April to appeal to the UN to use the historic opportunity of this UNGASS to charter a different path for international drug policy. These groups will be rallying under Stop the Harm, a diverse, broad, and powerful movement of organizations from around the world who have united around one common purpose: rectifying the catastrophic failures of the current global drug policy regime through campaigning for a new course firmly grounded in health, compassion, and human rights. Advertisement Faith leaders taking lead will kick off the week of February 15th in Houston, Texas during the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference where hundreds of African American faith leaders will be educated on the UNGASS and will connect with drug policy reformers around the globe, uniting under the Stop the Harm umbrella to call for a more compassionate and just global drug policy. They will also be developing a multi-faith statement on drug policy reform, holding high level faith and policy events in New York and Washington DC, and utilizing important religious holidays and observances to highlight the plight of those impacted by the global drug war. Making drug war devastation visible, encouraging debate, and demanding change are at the heart of the Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice, comprised of families whose loved ones have disappeared or been killed in mindless drug war violence in Latin America as well as indigenous peoples, faith leaders, rights defenders, policy experts, health workers, student movements, farmers, and informed citizens all working together to end this war. The Caravan will begin in Honduras on March 28and travel to El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Texas before flying to DC and continuing on to NY, arriving on April 18 for a day of protest, reflection, and prayer on the eve of the UNGASS. Dedicated to amplifying the voice of the global youth on matters of drug policy, Students for Sensible Drug Policy is bringing hundreds of students to NY to demonstrate their opposition to the drug war, and its harmful impact on communities in the US and around the world. They will be hosting a series of art installations representing the harms of the drug war at Bryant Park on April 18 and holding events at Foley Square and the UN along with their allies. The crowd gathering in NY will be joined by International Families Against the Drug War, a global coalition of family members that have lost loved ones to overdose, incarceration, violence, and other harms associated with drug prohibition. Families involved with Anyone's Child: Families for Safer Drug Control and Moms United to End the War on Drugs will join with others from Canada, Mexico, Kenya, Afghanistan and the Philippines. They will hold a press conference at the UN to tell global leaders, face-to-face, that their drug policies are harming our children and relatives, and that current drug laws are causing far more damage than the drugs themselves. The leading US organization working to dismantle the drug war, the Drug Policy Alliance will host an invite-only meeting of its allies and partners, national and international, at Columbia University over the weekend preceding the UNGASS, to consider the most important work to be taken up after the UN session has concluded. Advertisement Prominent high-level individuals will also be adding their voice to the UNGASS debate. The Global Commission on Drug Policy, comprised of former presidents of Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Switzerland, Poland and Portugal, along with other notable figures such as Richard Branson, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, will be advocating to current world presidents, both before and at UNGASS, to redesign policies to reflect a more humane and effective way of dealing with the negative impacts of the current strategy. Global Commissioner and Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, recently wrote an article urging Europe to pull its weight on the international stage for drug policy reform. Not only will be people be mobilising on the ground ahead of the UNGASS, but online, too. Already individuals from around the world have started to demand action from their governments at the UNGASS through a series of videos, highlighting the urgent need for reform, from ending the death penalty, to implementing an approach based on compassion and human rights. Women too are calling for an overhaul of global drug policies as rates of incarceration of women skyrocket across the world. A group of more than 50 organizations representing every continent have joined in a Women's Declaration calling on the UN to consider harms women and their families face under punitive drug laws, and demanding change that promotes women's human rights. Support. Don't Punish is a global advocacy campaign that brings together activists, affected communities and policy makers under a common message: that the harms caused by the war on drugs can no longer be ignored - it is high time to adopt drug policies that protect the health and human rights of people who use drugs. As part of the Support. Don't Punish global advocacy campaign, activists will mobilize at the UNGASS to call for the end of the war on drugs and promote policies grounded on health and human rights. Over 1,000 individuals and organizations have endorsed the Harm Reduction Decade Declaration, launched by the former president of Switzerland Ruth Dreifuss. Signatories include the Kofi Annan Foundation, Richard Branson, the Elton John Foundation and UNAIDS Asia and Pacific. The Declaration calls on governments to adopt harm reduction as a key principle of drug policy throughout the next decade and to redirect 10 percent of the resources that they currently spend on ineffective punitive responses to harm reduction. Advertisement And just last week, the largest national Latino online organization, Presente, launched a petition asking President Obama to address the UNGASS and "call for a change of direction from the failed "War on Drugs" towards common sense drug policies that prioritize public health, harm reduction, and human rights." With decades of experience collecting evidence on the catastrophic outcomes of drug policies, scientific experts from around the world are calling on the UN and national governments to put the needs of communities first. Instead of basing success on the number of drug busts or seizures, drug policy should be evaluated on its health, safety, development, and human rights impacts. Such an evaluation would undoubtable show that we need an entirely different approach, one based on evidence, not ideology. UNGASS 2016 is going to be a watershed moment. It is time that the health, safety and rights of human beings take center stage in the international drug control regime. Current UN drug treaties maintain that the "health and welfare of mankind" is their primary objective, but it is clear that this cannot be achieved if governments continue to criminalize, stigmatize, penalize and incarcerate people who use drugs. We must use this momentum for change to demand evidence-based policies that effectively deal with the risks associated with drug use and misuse, while maintaining respect for human rights and our compassion for individuals everywhere. Company culture -- it's something we want to create, cultivate and form. Sometimes this is done consciously and deliberately, other times it develops out of the nature of the industry, company history, market forces and local leadership, without thought or planning. The Seed & Spark Team In the absence of the deliberate creation or influence over your corporate culture, your organization could fall victim to any one of a number of demoralizing actions that drive out your best people and destroy your credibility on the street (not Wall Street - Main Street, where your customers and employees are). Advertisement I connected with Emily Best, CEO and Founder of Seed & Spark, a crowdfunding platform for film and one of the amazing women spearheading the reinvention of the film world. She believes that filmmakers should be allowed to pursue their art AND make money while doing it (revolutionary, I know!). I want to begin our discussion with some of the cultural practices Emily has put in place in her company (versus starting with all that's wrong with the corporate world). Here we go. Oh and in the vain of full disclosure and transparency, a few four letter words do follow: A FEMINIST WORKPLACE To some, this may sound like Utopia. To others, a frightening arena where the cubicle and standing desk merge with bra burnings and protests. Here is what we are talking about. For Emily - a feminist CEO - she wanted to create a very different type of corporate culture at her company. "So I was really bummed out by the New York Times expose about Amazon's workplace because no matter how the majority of Amazon employees feel, most workplaces run similarly: top down institutions with no mercy, a lot of fear of being fired, and very little room to be a human. This hurts women especially. Our bodies, in order to be the carrier of the species, are, in fact, different. But we have to keep our unrestrained humanness out of the workplace as much as possible. Well, what a hostile fucking environment for women! I have been obsessed with the idea that perhaps we could build a more equitable workplace by doing a few things differently, as bosses, employees and as people." Advertisement To begin, the paradigm shift in culture happens when someone who can impact change decides things should be different and makes choices from a place of caring about the human beings who work in that organization. What kind of things did Emily implement that are so different? Glad you asked. Here are just a few examples of different approaches and philosophies that have made Seed & Spark so successful: Open door policy to talk about the things most corporate cultures tell you not to talk about (i.e. periods, miscarriages, etc.). Respect your co-workers. You will likely spend more time with them than your romantic partner. In meetings and discussions, show respect and inclusion for the thoughts and contributions of others in the organizations (see her refusal to use "Yes, but" during any discussion at her blog) Create a culture where people are allowed to make mistakes and recover from them (without being lashed or pummeled with shame) For more of Emily's approach in her own words, visit her blog, "A Feminist Way to Work?" Emily's thoughts reminded me of the story of a friend who was pregnant at work in a large corporation in the communications sector. The Director at her office asked her when the big day was. She told him her due date and he replied with, "I meant, when will you hit your quota?" This lack of respect for women and human life, and working full time while pregnant, is exactly the thing that should be banished from corporate culture, not accepted as the norm. Additionally, a corporate culture that allows room for failure and mistakes from their employees is more likely to see innovative ideas, risk taking, honest feedback and constructive ideas from its employees. When making a mistake is considered a catastrophic event that is followed by lashings and punishment, you are guaranteed that some critical issues are being swept under the rug to avoid the blame game. This type of culture - a feminist workplace - also makes it more likely that employees will contribute value to the company in a real way that could improve the bottom line (versus not saying anything or only towing the popular and acceptable company line). WHOA! THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM MY EXPERIENCE Yeah. If you are like me you're thinking, 'that sounds different than every single company I've ever worked for.' It turns out a feminist workplace is also a place that is better for men too (they are human beings, after all). When people feel appreciated and have space to grow and shape their work, they contribute more. When there is room for us to be human and vulnerable and feel supported as we grow, it is a better place to work. When this occurs in sales organizations - or organizations that have a substantial sales component - this can also impact how customers feel. When the employee is just a number, so usually are the customers they sell to. As if we need them, here are some counter examples: Generic company communications: My friend received a letter from the company he worked at. It arrived from someone in the organization's leadership team (someone he had never met). I will pick a line out indiscriminately from the letter (and for confidentiality's sake): "Looking ahead, we are planning enhancements to our business to benefit our clients and all of you who work with us." Hmmmm, could be almost any company on the face of the earth. Very impersonal, generic and useless. The only reason the letter isn't crumpled up in the trash is because I had informed my friend I was writing a piece about corporate culture and wanted to use it as "exhibit A." *To build a strong culture, you must care about and connect with employees from a genuine place. Generic communications fall on deaf ears. *To build a strong culture, you must care about and connect with employees from a genuine place. Generic communications fall on deaf ears. Performance only driven culture: Of course productivity and performance are important. But in roles from B2B sales to analysts, companies are spending thousands of dollars to send their people to out of state trainings, flights, hotels, per diem and other expenses. Then if, within six months, they aren't the best producer they let them go or ride them so hard they almost crack. Why invest thousands and then refuse to allow your investment to bear fruit? *To get the most from your people, especially after investing large sums of money for their training, have a time horizon of at least one year to get them up to speed. Be prepared to genuinely invest in their success and onboarding to the company. *To get the most from your people, especially after investing large sums of money for their training, have a time horizon of at least one year to get them up to speed. Be prepared to genuinely invest in their success and onboarding to the company. Never Enough! The culture of "more, more, more" is a brutal blow to humanity. A friends' company, that already works them 60+ hours per week, wants them producing even more. Another colleague of mine who is a skilled B2B salesperson loved her job in a mid-sized tech company, until it was swallowed up by a global organization and things went to shit. What had worked culturally and driven her productivity and loyalty became a numbers driven corporate wasteland. *To drive your people, you cannot eliminate what fed them, even after a merger. For a large, global company, running segments as smaller companies within a larger company may help to achieve a positive culture that has space for the qualitative as well the quantitative. *To drive your people, you cannot eliminate what fed them, even after a merger. For a large, global company, running segments as smaller companies within a larger company may help to achieve a positive culture that has space for the qualitative as well the quantitative. Many large corporate cultures, especially publically traded entities, have devolved into the destroyers all things human, equitable and qualitative. With the sole driver being numbers to report - which can lead to a culture of corruption and deceit (think VW scandal) what actually appears to drive revenue growth, actually in fact, hampers profits in the long run. Advertisement By destroying morale, loyalty and productivity (as well as the reputation on the street with customers as you churn employees, diminish long terms relationships and relegate customers to a number) you are actually driving down the collective good will of an organization over time. If profits truly do decline over time, than the only way to reverse that trend is to provide something unique in a valuable way that others do not have the patience to do. Female Sales Assistant At Checkout Of Clothing Store One year ago today I gave birth to my little girl, Quinn. I also gave birth to a business. I left my much loved, salaried career as a Psychotherapist for a University in order to pursue entrepreneurship. I had spent many years working and going to graduate school when my two boys were younger and I decided that I wanted to be a more mindful, present mother with the flexibility that entrepreneurship would provide. As new parents we often have very shiny (and unrealistic) expectations. Did anyone else think that the house would be lemony fresh and your baby would sleep while you shopped at Target and sipped a Latte? Me too. Alas, society similarly portrays entrepreneurship. Four Hour Workweek, Anyone? Advertisement I am here to shine light on these societal expectations and bring you an honest, messy and perfectly imperfect recap from the top ten lessons I learned my first year as an entrepreneur. 1. Action Cures Fear. You don't need to buy 44 courses and read 12 more books before you take the big leap. Start before you feel ready and once you take inspired action the confidence will come. Fear will try to masquerade as a huge excuse telling you that you need more to begin. You are complete right now. 2. Your Passion leads to Profit. The word entrepreneurship is often thought of as being synonymous with dollar signs and pictures of people throwing money out the door of their private jet. Those things are absolutely wonderful and they are every reason you should not become an entrepreneur. When you follow your passion instead of profit and concern yourself with relationships instead of numbers, the revenue comes and in a big way. 3. Remember Your WHY Entrepreneurship can be really exhausting if you spend your day needing everything to be perfect. Too often we can get so bogged down in details that we forget why we even began and we try to control how it will happen. This is your sign to surrender. When you stay focused on the WHY, the how's come. The people you need show up and the clients you dream of email you. Advertisement 4. Every client is not a right fit for you either. When first beginning a new business we can be so eager for clients that we give off the energy of a middle schooler on a dodgeball team. Pick me! Pick me! Relax, not everyone is going to love you and it's ok; Not everyone is meant to. You wont be the right fit for everyone and not every client is the right fit for you either. You can trust that when you surrender a client that is not right for you, the Universe will send two more who are. 5. There is no Shame in Self Promotion. I have grown to abhor the term "shameless self promotion" because that inherently implies that there is shame involved in sales. There is never shame when you are sharing your passion from a heart centered place. My mentor, Gabby Bernstein, taught me to share instead of sell. When people feel your passion they can't help but want to work with you. The world needs what you have to offer. 6. Working from home is not always sexy. Working from home means space for yoga and folded laundry, right? Nope. I do, however, stare at the laundry as I work. It's not sexy, friends. I have learned on any given day that you do what you can and let go of the rest. 7. Comparing Leads to Despairing. There is always someone else that will be cheaper, have a perceived better website and the perfect tagline. When you focus on others and compare your beginning to their middle, it leads to despair and can tank your energy. Focus on your strengths and gifts. No one else is you and that is your superpower. 8. Don't Listen to the Naysayers. People may tell you you're crazy to follow your passion and leave the stability of a 9-5 job. When someone tells you that you can't do something, what they are saying is "I Can't Do Something" and they are projecting their own fears onto you. When you encounter a naysayer, take a deep breath, say thank you (or as we say in the south, "Bless Your Heart") forgive them and move on. Advertisement 9. It is ok to go slow as long as you don't quit. This applies to all of life. As an Aries, I have a tendency to want to achieve 100 things on any given day. However, there is no race or competition. Go as slow as you need to as long as you are present, mindful and never quit. There is power in Focus and it is true; where your focus goes, so does your energy and potential success. 10. Attitude is Everything. If you think you can you're right. If you think you can't you're right. Good things take time, patience and perseverance. Focus on what you do want, not on what you don't. Celebrate every small success and you will have more success. Focus on everything that has gone right and find gratitude each day for every new accomplishment. It may take time but it is on the way. Throughout all of the ups and downs of this past year there isn't one thing I would change. The trials, when perceived as opportunities for growth, became just that and ultimately each overcome obstacle has led to beautiful success. For a growing business, a blog is a vital marketing tool, offering a place to highlight news, educate readers about your products and services and show off your expertise. But what is the benefit of a blog that is not read? Here are 5 surefire ways to boost your blog visibility. 1. Repost Top Content on LinkedIn Although LinkedIn is often considered suitable only for B2B companies, don't forget that every professional is a person too! They have pets, get married, go on vacation and shop online just like everyone else. LinkedIn is a great place to reach them where your competitors might not be. EConsultancy did a study that found that LinkedIn is responsible for 64% of all visits from social media networks to corporate websites. While this will vary from site to site, this statistic shows the potential power LinkedIn has to drive traffic to your business blog. However, to some, the thought of reposting on LinkedIn is confusing, particularly after Google updated its algorithms to punish sites publishing "excessive duplicate content." Should you publish on LinkedIn or your blog? Can you publish the same content on both? Advertisement According to Matt Cutts, the head of webspam team at Google, there isn't cause for major concern. "For the largest part, duplicate content is not really viewed as spam. Rather, it is treated as content we need to cluster properly and Google tries to make sure it is ranked appropriately." HubSpot recommend reposting 1 in every 5 of your articles. Another option is to post on LinkedIn first, and then repost on your own blog, attributing source to the LinkedIn article by using the rel="canonical" tag. This is a useful tactic if you have a strong LinkedIn audience that brings you more potential clients than search engine traffic. Top Tip: When posting content to LinkedIn, add a powerful call to action at the bottom of the post directing readers to your site for more information or resources. 2. Add Visual Elements Add photos, graphics, videos or infographics to your articles to break up the monotony of text and potentially boost your views by 94%. Studies consistently show that blog posts and social media updates that include visuals get substantially higher views than plain text. Advertisement Not only do visuals spice up your content, but they capture your visitors' attention and more easily transfer information. Jerome Bruner, a psychologist at the University of New York, reports that "people remember only 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and a staggering 80 percent of what they see." We also process visual information a whopping 60,000 times faster than text! Visuals are particularly important if you are conveying a lot of instructions or complex information. Top Tip: Be sure to include alt text for your videos and images. This is best practice to help both search engines and visitors who cannot view the images better understand their context. 3. Schedule Social Posts More Than Just Once Too many small business owners invest considerable time in crafting quality content, only to share it once with their networks and never mention it again. Advertisement Share links to your content at multiple times to make sure as many people see it as possible. Vary the title slightly each time you share, and post at different times. If you use a social media management tool such as Hootsuite you can easily schedule several posts about your content over a period of time. Top Tip: Review the performance of your content once a month and re-share the most popular posts. This is a great way to maintain momentum on content that is working well for you. 4. Network with Other Bloggers and Experts in Your Niche One of the great things about being a small business owner is that you belong to a friendly community of like minded people. Building relationships with other businesses lets you tap into each other's networks and create a win-win marketing opportunity. Start a list of businesses that complement, rather than compete, with yours. Look at their websites to see if they have regularly updated blogs and health, active social media profiles. Begin a relationship by following them on social media and sharing their updates. Leave comments on their blogs. You will often find that they will reciprocate, sharing your updates with their own followers and fans. Advertisement Top Tip: Before reaching out to other bloggers write a blog post about their business. Include comments about why you admire their work and chose to feature them on your blog. Most business owners will appreciate the free publicity and be open to you publishing a guest post on their blog. As well as expanding your audience, this is a good SEO strategy to build natural backlinks to your website. 5. Promote on Facebook Facebook boasts one of the most powerful advertising platforms available to small business owners. It allows you to be extremely detailed in choosing who should see your ad, letting you invest in reaching your ideal target customers. Even a small campaign can hugely increase the visibility of your post. The quickest, easiest and most affordable way to start with Facebook ads is to select the "Boost Post" option when you share your latest blog posts on your page. For as little as $20 you can choose to promote a post to people who match criteria that you select, significantly increasing the number of people seeing your post. Top Tip: Given the huge volume of Facebook posts that appear in a person's timeline each day, your update is likely to disappear from feeds within a short time after posting. Choosing to boost your post to people following your page will also helps the update to remain visible in people's newsfeeds after the first initial post. Try one or more of these simple, low cost ways to boost your blog visibility and experiment to see which ideas work best for your business. Advertisement This year I decided to conduct an experiment, and like most experiments it's a bit dangerous. I'll be going back to the fantasies that first shaped my love of the genre, that I got lost in when very young, and evaluating them with new (yes, older) eyes. I'm doing this in part because I want to understand how these books captivated me. But there's another, less critical element at work: I've in recent years become immersed in non-fantasy fiction and nonfiction, and doing that, it's easy to forget what made me fall in love with fantasy in the first place. This is true even as I'm as involved in the genre as anyone can be, with one fantasy book out and another on the way. Sometimes the best way to comprehend the nature of a journey, when you're in the middle, is to look back to its beginning. The danger is that I'll inevitably see problems that I didn't see when I was just starting on the writing road. There's a temptation to let the works stay limned with nostalgia. A corollary to this new clarity is that I'm now in a better position to appreciate the authors' strengths, the things they get right. So this begins what I hope will be a monthly column, and first up is what was a huge favorite and inspiration, Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown. It wasn't easy to choose which of her books to use for this experiment--I might love The Outlaws of Sherwood even more. But Hero was the first McKinley book I read, and I fell into it headfirst, re-reading it for years after to absorb its beautiful language and intangible magic. Advertisement These are still some of the most striking elements of The Hero and Crown, years later. The writing is meditative and rich, leavened with wry humor and lines of dialogue like, "Having exposed one of my most embarrassing shortcomings in an attempt to deflect you, you refuse to be deflected." Yet it is too dark to be described, as books with such dialogue often are, as "delightful." There is banter and wit, but the atmosphere of the book is brooding. Damar is "a land with a shadow over it," the protagonist Aerin's life is isolated and fractured by loss: these elements taken together make for an aura of melancholy that persists even until the end. But back to the language. One thing I'm learning in the course of this project is that while I loved many fantasy novels growing up, the ones I feel impelled to revisit have this trait in common--the words and sentences matter. This may seem an obvious observation, but it's not; there are plenty of fantasies I enjoyed that I'm content to leave where they are, because they would probably not have new gifts for me. Robin McKinley's stories are not the reason to keep returning to her, strong as they often are: the writing is what sets her books apart. People sometimes refer to authors as "prose stylists" and this brings to mind, for me, a hairdresser; but language is not the hair on a novel's head--it's the bones and blood. It's impossible to talk about The Hero and the Crown without remarking on how feminist it is, yet for me that's a new response; as a teenager I honestly didn't notice. I'm not sure if that's because of, specifically, the sort of teenager I was, or because most girls at that age are not as aware of the nonsense that is prevalent--though on another level I was most certainly aware, heaping scorn on weak-willed female characters, not to mention the more obvious embodiments of male fantasy (just what size was her bosom? Just how attractive was she when angry? Yawn). Yet the remarkable characteristics of Aerin as a feminist protagonist escaped me, perhaps because the depiction is subtly rendered. It's all in the title: it's not The Heroine and the Crown. We never forget that Aerin is a young woman, and it's mentioned that her strength doesn't match that of her cousin Tor (who is in love with her--another reminder of her femininity) but otherwise her actions simply flow naturally from her character and her gender is beside the point. Determined to accomplish something worthwhile with her life, Aerin sets out to formulate herbs that will render her immune to dragonfire so she can dispatch the dragons that plague the countryside. Layered under this determination for significance is a deep-seated pain: as the "witchwoman's daughter" Aerin has been summarily rejected and ostracized, despite being the king's daughter too. She has never known her mother and her father, though benevolent, tends to emotional distance. Moreover, she lacks the magical Gift that is otherwise inherited by those of royal blood. Advertisement Aerin's impulse to become a hero is not solely born of alienation, but the way she goes about it--by re-training the disgraced, damaged royal charger, Talat--is a mirror to her state of mind. Aerin and Talat are both outcasts, each with a flaw that makes them unfit for their assigned roles. So the princess turns to slaying dragons, which is very much outside her role; and the stallion who once bore the king into battle now carries--with undying loyalty--the witchwoman's daughter. The first half of the book, which details Aerin's determined quest to become dragon-killer, is utterly compelling. A large part of this is the immersive, psychological depiction of the Damarian court: McKinley is at her best when employing her facility with words to describe complex shades of emotion and interaction, ranging from dark to comic. What people wear, in which ceremony they participate in and where they stand when doing so, are all important nuances; yet it is unfailingly presented in a manner that is interesting rather than petty. Tor's love of Aerin is a prevailing tension, yet never takes center stage; he represents domesticity and family duty, things Aerin is not yet ready to accept--the larger battle, for her soul and for Damar, still awaits. There is a wedding, gowns, and dances; but there are also politics, the threat of war, the tragic sense of grandeur nearing its end. It would have the feel of a romantic comedy if the pall of impending destruction did not hang so strongly on the land of Damar and Aerin's heart. It's a complicated tone that McKinley pulls off beautifully. This first half lays the groundwork for Aerin's magical quest, a quest which did not draw me in quite as much. Interestingly, this was just as true twenty years ago, which leads me to wonder how much tastes really do change over time. One thing that stands out in the second half is how far McKinley is willing to go to traumatize her protagonist; what happens to Aerin when she confronts the great dragon Maur is truly frightful, and recounted in painfully visceral detail. It's a quality that shows up in many of McKinley's later books: the tribulations of the physical body are made concrete, rarely glossed over. We experience Aerin's agonies, just as in The Outlaws of Sherwood the romance of Robin Hood is mercilessly pierced by the realities of medieval combat. Ultimately, the world McKinley creates through her inimitable prose, together with a memorable heroine, ensure that The Hero and the Crown remains a fantasy classic. Aerin's matter-of-fact and unshakeable courage, together with her unflagging sense of humor, enshrine her in the canon of enduring fantasy heroes. This is a book that rewards upon a re-read, and reminded me, too, of the wisdom of young people: Even while first forming our taste, we can recognize a gem when it comes along. Advertisement Ilana Teitelbaum's writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Salon. Her epic fantasy debut, Last Song Before Night, was published in October 2015 by Tor/Macmillan under the pen name Ilana C. Myer. Credit: Alamy With the goal of harnessing the untapped potential of Iranian-Americans, and to build the capacity of the Iranian diaspora in effecting positive change in the U.S. and around the world, the West Asia Council has launched a series of interviews that explore the personal and professional backgrounds of prominent Iranian-Americans who have made seminal contributions to their fields of endeavour. We examine lives and journeys that have led to significant achievements in the worlds of science, technology, finance, medicine, law, the arts and numerous other endeavors. Our latest interviewee is Fay Arjomandi. Fay Arjomandi joined NantWorks in August 2014. She is an entrepreneur and currently serves as the CEO of NantMobile, a leader at the intersection of mobile technology and digital health. She creates platforms and solutions to empower patients and their families to adopt more active lifestyles and become more knowledgeable about and involved in day-to-day disease management. Prior to joining NantWorks, Fay was the CEO of Vodafone xone where she brought an extensive wealth of expertise as an entrepreneur to Vodafone's quest for innovation. Fay successfully launched Vodafone xone in Silicon Valley in September 2011 and established a global incubation center for Vodafone Group and the beta brand for Vodafone consumer in the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and Egypt. Prior to Vodafone, Fay was the co-founder and CEO of three start-up companies: L3 Technology, Mobidia, and Disternet (now mimik). Advertisement In 2006, she received the distinguished Business in Vancouver's "Top 40 under 40" award presented to outstanding leaders in their chosen fields. In 2007 she was the Canadian technology and innovation representative to the White House. In 2013, she was named as one of the most influential women business leaders in Silicon Valley by San Francisco Business Week. For more details, please click (here). Where were you born and raised? Can you walk us through your background? I was born in Shiraz and graduated from Reza Shah High School. I was in grade six when the revolution happened, grade seven when the war between Iran and Iraq broke out, and left the country when I was 17, right after high school. I lived in a few countries before finally migrating to Canada where I enrolled in Concordia University in Montreal and completed my electrical engineering degree. I moved to Vancouver and worked for a company called MDSI and, after a year, started my first company called L3 Technology in 1998. I then founded Mobidia, which was recently acquired by Appannie and, finally, created Disternet, which is now rebranded as mimik. I joined Vodafone in 2011 and l'm currently the CEO of NantMobile. Has there been a particular person, place or event that you count among your key influences to date? I'm a child of revolution, war, and migration. I guess you can say that the Iranian Revolution impacted me, and others in my generation, more than anything. It is difficult to point to one specific person or place as the most influential, but my life experiences as a young and independent Iranian woman looking for freedom and opportunity have shaped who I am today. However, the process is still ongoing. Advertisement Who has been your greatest mentor and why? I admire traits and not individuals. Some examples include my admiration for Mahatma Gandhi for his passionfor humankind, humility, and dedication; Steve Jobs for his obsession with user-centric design, and Albert Einstein for his intellect and analytical skills. Additionally, I am inspired by Simone De Beauvoir for her refusal to accept women as the second sex. NantMobile is committed to bringing consumer solutions to the health and wellness marketplace by empowering patients to take a more active role in their approach to their day-to-day health, wellness, and disease management. Can you tell us three important projects that the company has worked on so far? NantMobile is part of NantWorks' ecosystem of companies. Started by the visionary scientist and successful entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, its main goal has been personalizing the treatment for cancer and infectious diseases. We recently announced the Cancer Moonshot 2020 program . Our goal is to achieve new treatments that are more individually tailored and less toxic to cancer patients. I started as the CEO of NantMobile in February 2015 after I left Vodafone xone with the vision of "consumerizing" healthcare, which means empowering the end users. We empower consumers or patients to take a more active role in their health and wellness on a daily basis, whether it is general wellness, lifestyle decisions, or disease management. Today healthcare is a black box to average people. We don't know what questions to ask of our physicians and specialists. Our health records are fragmented and spread across multiple health care providers, locked in country-specific systems and regulations. As an example, I have moved many times so I have lost a big piece of historical information that could be vital to my survival, especially when it comes to fighting nasty diseases like cancer. What are the most important benefits that your technologies bring to patients? Today, we are required to answer physicians' questions about our health history, our wellness, our test results or procedures, and our family history. We tend to do this mostly from memory and do not have the tools to access accurate and detailed information. We often lack the information to ask relevant questions from our health care providers. We don't have the ability to request a second opinion or to know what other options are available to us. This prevents us from making an informed decision based on a comparison of options. What we have today as patients is our sketchy memories of events, perhaps copies of our latest test results if we kept them, and what we communicated with our physicians in our visits or through email. There are provider portals that some of us use on certain occasions depending on our provider but that information is often not available when we change providers or relocate. Furthermore, there are countries that allow digital communication with care providers and countries that don't, so if we move internationally we are at the mercy of local policies. Advertisement While none of this may matter when we are healthy, it can mean life or death when the surprisingly common occurrence of cancer or other serious diseases knock on our door. Cancer is an unfortunate fact of life. I have experienced this with my close relatives three times and too often I hear the news of a relative or close friends having been diagnosed with cancer. The news is frightening and to most of us it feels like a death sentence. According to National Cancer Institute, in 2016, roughly 1.7 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States alone, and 600 thousand people will die from the disease. According to American Cancer Society, by 2030, the global cancer burden is expected to nearly double, growing to 21.4 million cases and 13.2 million deaths. Nobody is immune to this. Every one of us is prone and these numbers could include us, our family members, friends, and colleagues. At NantWorks, we use the latest technologies, solutions and platforms to detect diseases early in their cycle and use evidence based personalized procedure for more effective treatment of diseases. My job as the CEO of NantMobile is to develop and roll out the right tools to arm patients with information and to help them win their battle with cancer. Patients need information in order to ask the right questions and demand the right treatment. We are using our knowledge and expertise in scalable software systems and telecommunications to connect patients with curated, personalized and validated knowledge, to latest available clinical trials and treatments, to their family members and supporters during the journey of treatment, to the other patients with similar disease and to care providers. These tools will give them hope, help with proper diagnosis, and significantly improve their course of treatment. I should point out that we have opened up the platform to third party developers through APIs so that anyone with a passion for treating cancer and infectious diseases can use the platform. Our only competitors are diseases, not other companies. How can we better fight cancer if you look to the future? As Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong always says, cancer treatment should be re-evaluated from today's high dose chemotherapy. We need to arm the patients' immune systems with knowledge to target the cancer cell and effectively kill it (check here). We used to wrongly believe that cancer is a single clonal disease (like a homogenous network) so two patients with breast cancer effectively have the same cancer and should use the same treatment. It's now proven that cancer is a multi-colonial disease (like a heterogeneous network). As a result of genetic mutation, every single tumor is formed of thousands of sub-tumors with different characteristics, some active and some dormant. Therefore, two tumors can contain completely different sub-tumors in a single patient's body. In other words, two patients with the same stage of breast cancer don't necessary have the same cancer. Therefore, every single cancer is unique and rare disease in its own right. With traditional chemotherapy, we take the one-size-fits-all approach that works like bleach and targets and kills all good and bad cells together. At times, traditional treatments activate some of the sub-tumors that were dormant, making them even more resistant to drugs and even worse. By bleaching the body, we weaken the immune system and the natural killer cells that could have fought the disease. Ideally, we should treat every case of cancer as a special case and provide treatments that are personalized and orchestrated through time and space throughout a patient's life. To do this, we need to utilize technology to interrogate cancer from genomic, proteomic, immunologic and metabolic level, starting with whole genome sequencing versus partial markers. We need to identify the proteomic profile and its unique protein ID to identify the best drugs and treatment (check here) that will be delivered via a patient's own natural killer cells. We need to ensure that patients are aware of these options, including targeted "combinational immunotherapy." For example, when a patient receives a blood transfusion they receive the information and can track their progress along with their family and friends throughout the process. Besides the latest diagnosis tools, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery systems, surgical and non-surgical procedures, and treatments, we need timely, constant, and real-time flow of information between patients, their families and care providers. This requires sophisticated communication solutions, platforms, and applications. You enabled start-up companies to develop, test, and prepare for commercial deployment in global markets. Can you elaborate on Vodafone xone's motto of "build it, beta it, scale it"? I started the incubation for Vodafone where later we branded at Vodafone xone. The "x" in xone stands for embracing the unknown and exploring new opportunities. Vodafone xone is where venture, incubation, and disruptive product delivery merge to provide an end-to-end system. We found companies, fund them via venture capital, and deliver them to market. Vodafone xone is a brand for start-ups and a beta brand for consumers in Italy, Spain, Germany and Egypt. I was responsible for the end-to-end process. This included Vodafone Ventures the strategic corporate venture capital arm of Vodafone Group. I also led the Vodafone Americas Foundation, which is bringing mobile telephony to new regions of the world through funding innovative concepts and products that spur social change and contribute to the common good. For example, Vodafone and its partners are improving the lives of women and children in remote villages of Africa by things as simple as empowering them to ask for medication via a text message. Mobile technology's advances are part of what you called an "ecosystem tsunami" of change that has helped transform the world. Can you tell us how far the mobile communication industry will further transform our future? Mobile communication has already transformed our lives. We feel paralyzed without our mobile phones and we will become even more dependent on them. We will witness them become more useful tools as time goes by. They will replace many physical objects such as plastic credit and loyalty cards or home and car keys. They will have many more sensors and will understand our context, provide services that we need, and will become our personal networks operation center from where we can get access and control every piece of information that we own. We are really at the very early stages of a mobile communications revolution and huge transformational changes are under way. As an Iranian-Canadian and Iranian-American entrepreneur who has been successful in Silicon Valley, the most important tech hub in the world, how can you give back to your homeland of Iran? While on the Upper East Side doing a special New York Fashion Week project, I just had to stop at The Met. Even with all of the new collections from the menswear shows, to the womenswear presentations, which begin this week, my mind was still on grand vintage fashion. When Vanity Fair profiled the French countess a few years ago, Jacqueline de Ribes is quoted as saying that people said she looked like Nefertiti. No doubt, her elongated neck and bold eyes could have pushed the argument further (opposite a tan) in that direction. But this observation couldn't have been more than a whimsical happenstance because in order to get to her exhibit in the Anna Wintrour Costume Institute, one has to travel through Egypt and its old ruins. Such is the excitement with pomp and circumstance all built around Jacqueline. While on the Upper East Side, I checked into The Mark and was immediately transported to old Paris. It was if I was having an Owen Wilson moment a la Midnight in Paris. The black and white aesthetic with gold and silver accent seemed uber-rich, as if it had been reimagined from an early atelier from Mademoiselle Chanel -- when Boy Capel became her business partner. Advertisement The Mark had so many opulent elements that it had been consistent, to me, with the spirit to which Jacqueline would get dressed. Every moment, was a moment -- to costume. Her favorite seemed to be parties, which she always commanded with her mere presence. There, in Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, she made women want to dress like her. And I was instantly inspired. The bathroom at The Mark is striped with black and white, but the French cabinets are lined in silver. Famed interior czar Jacques Grange has his signature all over the hotel -- so-to-speak, with his bold trademark of French sensibility. For the next few days, the room and all of its French glory were to be mine. I remember thinking that Grange really was the perfect person to call on for such an ambitious project. And anything on the Upper East Side, when started, is an ambitious project. Grange had already made a name for himself having worked with some of Jacqueline's fashion friends including Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino Garavani and Karl Lagerfeld. It became clear to me that at The Mark, it's about the experience which is similar to how Jacqueline felt about her closet. When she first married her husband, she only owned two dresses. She's the epitome, like Gabrielle Chanel, of fashion's Cinderella. When I made the realization that I wanted to work in fashion, I had only owned three looks, due to a series of unfortunate circumstances that belong in another essay. Things aren't complicated at The Mark. There's a pedicab flanked in the hotel's signature black and white that shuttles guests to Bergdorf Goodman. In fact, it would only make sense, I suppose, that Bergdorf Goodman be associated with the hotel intimately, which is why there's a 24-hour concierge service available to guests that allow them to shop from the collections at Bergdorf with free delivery. They've made shopping luxury -- a luxury experience. And in New York, such isn't always the case. Advertisement Walking through Jacqueline's exhibit, one might think that her life was always wrought with luxury and stories of fantasy and leisure, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. What does a girl who survives a war, separation from her parents, and the tragic deaths of loved ones, do when she grows up -- become a fashion icon of course. Prior to the exhibit, I thought Jacqueline's story to be all-French, and with good reason I suppose. But at her sartorial core, her New York pedigree, which had a lot to do with Diana Vreeland, helped shape who she would become aesthetically. New York City and the U.S. as a whole, were her most avid supporters in the 80s when she produced her first fashion line, with more Jacqueline de Ribes collections opening in U.S. stores than anywhere else. She was the first brand-driven label. She knew that her power was in her lineage and standing as a proper French dignitary. And people would buy in to that story the same way I did when watching "Gossip Girl." So she created accessible and non-intimidating garments. Jacqueline de Ribes stores all over the world had built and modeled their brick and mortar after her own living quarters in Paris. People who shopped the collection were getting a taste, intimately, of the pinnacle of French high society and glamour. WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 17: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia waits for the beginning of the taping of 'The Kalb Report' April 17, 2014 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The Kalb Report is a discussion of media ethics and responsibility at the National Press Club held each month. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Criminal suspects lost an unexpected ally this week. Heralded as one of the most outspoken conservative jurists and legal scholars in history, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was also known to side with the Court's liberal bloc on a number of legal issues expanding the rights of criminal suspects. Scalia's profound skepticism about the powers of government along with his fervent advocacy of what he perceived as the original intentions of the constitution's founders created a perfect storm to occasionally count his vote in a way that favored criminal defendants. Scalia's distrust of government was most visible in the landmark Fourth Amendment search and seizure decision he authored in 2001: Kyllo v. U.S. In Kyllo, federal law enforcement agents believed an Oregon man was growing quantities of marijuana in his home. The agent obtained a thermal imaging device that allowed him to determine unusual heat levels in the building. Commanding a narrow 5-4 majority, Scalia wrote a decision that eliminated the critical thermal imaging evidence, finding that the search did not meet constitutional standards. The search could not meet the rule that mandates judges review search warrants before allowing an invasion of privacy into the sanctity of the home. Advertisement The justice said the Fourth Amendment's time honored protections needed to adapt to new technology: "It would be foolish to contend that the degree of privacy secured to citizens by the Fourth Amendment has been entirely unaffected by the advance of technology." In 2004, Justice Scalia authored two more groundbreaking important opinions vindicating criminal defendants' rights. Crawford v. Washington interpreted the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause to exclude reliable testimonial hearsay unless the defendant had been able to cross-examine the evidence. In Blakely v. Washington he required juries and not judges find, beyond a reasonable doubt, all facts that trigger sentences above ordinary sentencing-guidelines ranges. As with many other justices, it's hard to pigeonhole Scalia's criminal law and procedure beliefs as either pro prosecution or pro-defense, liberal or conservative. He was a vocal critic of parts of the "criminal procedure revolution" of the 1960's that expanded the of the rights of criminal defendants such as Miranda v. Arizona (restricting coerced confessions) which he called a "milestone of judicial overreaching" and Gideon v. Wainwright (the indigent right to counsel) and was of the belief that capital punishment was constitutional. Yet, Scalia mounted a long-term battle against criminal laws he felt were unconstitutionally vague. For example, his efforts to have the Armed Career Criminal Act struck down was ultimately successful in 2015 and he often weighed in against other criminal laws he felt were so vague as not to give the citizens adequate notice of what conduct was illegal. He authored the landmark decision that struck down a St. Paul hate crime ban as conflicting with the First Amendment's protection of freedom of expression. Advertisement Hands typing on laptop computer, high angle view Somebody is reading your Google search history. It's me. But don't feel the need to jump quickly into justifying why you've spent a good deal of time Googling 'hedgehog bath time" or, you know, other things...because this is public knowledge in the form of Google trends. Used worldwide by researchers, businesses, and social media marketers like myself, Google Trends is a dive into the population's collective brain; the digital equivalent of hovering over somebody's shoulders as they browse the net. And this is one set of eyes that we can't swat away, Google has been watching patiently as we turn to the search bar for answers. And it turns out we're all asking the same questions, again and again. Advertisement The top charts of Google Trends read like the best and the worst of humanity. The worst ranging from deeply painful questions that speak towards immensely complicated and distressing issues to shamefully embarrassing trends like the Kylie Jenner lip challenge. Weighty questions like "what is ISIS?" or "what is Ebola?" sit at the top of the 2015 stats representing a global desire to make sense of the world, to leave the cushy comfort of ignorance behind. Sandwiched together in the top charts, the superficial and the earth-shattering, I can only imagine that one day these trends will be unearthed like a time capsule containing our darkest secrets and awkward obsessions. Where things get weird however, and yes it does get weirder than the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, is that over the years the deepest questions of our existence have snuck into the list too. We might be wondering "how to twerk?", or "who is Gossip Girl?", but we've also been Googling "what is the meaning of life?" and "what is love?" Every year these questions sneak into the top trending searches worldwide, exposing that at some point in time, a good many of us have turned to Google with our existential questions; questions that we might have once taken to a mentor, a parent, or an elder. What a testament to our dedication towards the internet. Advertisement Instead of turning towards elders in the community, people who have actually lived and loved, we've taken to sitting cross-legged at the feet of a search engine as we try and turn web pages and information into something meaningful or life-altering. In any case, individuals are turning towards the internet to answer life's biggest questions and I'm curious to know why. Is it simply boredom? Or are people trying to shortcut their way through life? Instead of following the steps most of us take in order to find meaning, such as, travel, exploring spirituality, spending time time with people, the world first turns toward the internet. Are they expecting a Wikipedia page (there is one), or a quick blogpost (we uncover the meaning of life so you don't have to!) or was God going to reach through the screen offering up a stone tablet of answers? Exactly what is it that we are looking for at the end of a desperation-laden Google search? " We wouldn't survive if people didn't trust us", Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google said about the company. And certainly, it seems like they have that. Not only are we trusting Google with a great pancake mix or a new hairstyle, but our humanity too. So what exactly comes up when you Google "what is the meaning of life?" A Wikipedia article, a handful of motivational quotes, and a smattering of religious/philosophical websites. Searching for "what is love?" brings up Haddaway's 1992 hit song (You know the one: "what is love, baby don't hurt me"). Besides Haddaway's questionable relationship, there are also a couple of articles trying to capitalize on Google stats and algorithms, not exactly the answer a disheartened Googler is searching for. Advertisement Despite my cynicism, I'm pretty sure that at some point, perhaps after an eight-hour Netflix binge where my brain has turned fleecy and my eyes swollen, that I have typed a similar plea into Google. I asked myself why I would do that, perhaps I was hoping for justification that life is in fact meaningless and that my Netflix binge was A-OK, or that what I was doing was all wrong and that I should be frolicking through SE Asia or spending all my time outdoors. Regardless, thinking about it now, it was a desperate move. A lonely move. It's sad to think that those same feelings of seeking connection or meaning are behind those questions at the top of Google trends every year. Especially when the answer ironically lies in friendship, family, and human connection -- all of which cannot be found at the end of a 0.61 second search. Egypt can be a rough place to visit. There's pollution, crazy traffic, lots of hassle, and much much more that can turn your trip of a lifetime into a week full of stress and aggravation if you don't plan well. Comfortable accommodations can especially be a real challenge for visitors, since what we would consider a two or three-star hotel in the United States and Europe is very often called a four or five-star hotel in the developing world. However, a trip to Egypt for most is truly the trip of a lifetime. It's at or near the top of virtually everyone's bucket list. And as someone who has stayed in many hotels in Egypt and traveled all over the country many times, my first recommendation for travelers to Egypt is always to start your planning by investing in a top quality hotel for your stay there. Believe me - it's totally worth it in time, convenience, and reduced stress. After long rough days exploring the Pyramids, museums, markets, and tons of other sites and experiences to be had in Cairo and beyond, you'll thoroughly appreciate coming back to your luxurious oasis to unwind and recharge. Advertisement In my more than two dozen trips to Egypt over the past 13 years, I've stayed in all of Cairo's major name-brand international hotels, and by far my favorite place to stay when I'm taking guests to Egypt for the first time is the Four Seasons. There are actually two Four Seasons properties in Greater Cairo, and each has its own character and advantages for different types of travelers. After three years away from Egypt, I recently returned with a friend to show him around this amazing country I've come to love so much. And knowing how aggressive our touring itinerary was going to be, I made sure to book our first few nights in Cairo at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza and our last few nights, after we returned from a quick overnight trip down to Luxor, at the Four Seasons First Residence. At only 12 years old, the Four Seasons Nile Plaza is still Cairo's newest and most luxurious hotel property. Unlike many other hotels in this ancient city that are renovated and remodeled versions of older buildings and properties, the Four Seasons Nile Plaza was built from the ground up specifically to be a fabulously luxurious and modern hotel. Situated along the Nile in the heart of downtown Cairo, on clear days you can actually catch a glimpse of the Pyramids of Giza out in the distance from the rooms on the river-view side of the hotel. Many of Cairo's main downtown attractions are easily walkable, including the Egyptian Museum, home to most of the unbelievable treasures that were excavated from King Tut's tomb in 1922. Tahrir Square, the site of the famous protests that brought about the Egyptian Revolution, and Abdeen Palace, a beautiful but decaying former residence of Egypt's last king, are also within walking distance. Advertisement But aside from what's outside and nearby the hotel, it's really what's inside that makes the Four Seasons Nile Plaza such a special place to stay when visiting Egypt. Immediately upon walking in and being greeted by their famously oversized floral arrangements, you really feel like you've stepped into a true seven-star hotel. If you've ever been to the world's only "allegedly" seven-star hotel in Dubai, you'll recall that it actually resembles a tacky movie set at Universal Studios or MGM. But inside the Four Seasons, you get a sense of true, genuine class and sophistication that automatically relaxes you, puts your mind at ease, and melts away the stresses of the day and the rigors of touring around a country like Egypt. When you're ready to strike out and start exploring what you came to Egypt to see and explore, take my advice and hire a guide and driver before you leave the hotel. You'll be hassled relentlessly if you just try to taxi out to the Pyramids and you are guaranteed to get ripped off in multiple ways if you're on your own. Even with as many times as I've taken friends and guests out to Giza to visit the Pyramids, I still get an Egyptian guide and driver to avoid the hassle and to enrich the experience. I would recommend booking both through the hotel concierge. If you try to find one online, chances are it's going to to be hit or miss. And you never want to pick one up off of the street, no matter how relentless they are or how honest they may come across. Even the other major hotels in Cairo will stick you you with one of the large but still shoddy local mass-tourism companies. But the Four Season is the only hotel I've seen there that uses truly first-rate service providers. Egypt is too important of a destination and too valuable a journey to have it soured by tourism predators. This, like with your accommodations, is 100 percent worth the investment of a little extra money to ensure that your trip of a lifetime is truly magical and worthwhile. On my most recent visit, my traveling companion and I broke up our stay in Cairo with a two-day, one-night trip down to Luxor to visit the temples to the gods and tombs of the pharaohs that dot the landscape around this ancient capital further south. There is an overnight train to Luxor from Cairo, but again take my advice and avoid it if you can. Even though they have sleeper cars on the train, they're uncomfortable and slow and you won't arrive refreshed. Advertisement Luxor has a lot of sites to visit, and you want to be well rested and energetic during your limited time there. So it's smart to just pay a little extra money for the 50-minute flight between Luxor and Cairo (as opposed to the 10-hour bumpy train ride). EgyptAir has quite decent domestic jet service within the country. I've flown it satisfactorily dozens of times, and I'm often accused of being an airline snob Once we were finished taking in the ancient sites in Luxor, we flew back to Cairo and checked into the Four Seasons First Residence for the last leg of our stay. This Four Seasons, located diagonally just across the Nile from the other Four Seasons, is technically in the city and governate of Giza just across the river from central Cairo, but it's still right in the heart of what most people think of as downtown Cairo. All of the same downtown sites are still just a very short and cheap taxi ride away, but local transportation in Egypt is so inexpensive that you could honestly hire a nice black sedan and a professional driver from the hotel for about the same rate that you'd pay for a 20-minute taxi ride in a major city back home in the U.S. and Europe. If you do decide to hail a taxi, know that there are two types of taxis you'll find roaming the streets. Cairo is one of the few places where taxis are perhaps more ubiquitous than in New York City, but check out this quick primer on the differences between the two types of Cairo taxis over at EgyptTravelBlog.com (Taking the Right Type of Taxi in Cairo). Whereas the Four Seasons Nile Plaza is more glitzy and busy, the Four Season First Residence across the Nile has a more calm and subdued elegance about it. It's a smaller property, which gives it more of a boutique hotel feel. And it also has a 24-hour casino, which only foreigners are allowed to patronize. You'll want to make sure you have or can withdraw U.S. dollars if you're going to play here, though, as they don't accept or use local currency in the few casinos in Egypt. Whether you only have a few days in Cairo or you're in Egypt for extended adventures and explorations, trust me when I tell you that investing in a nice, comfortable hotel is an essential ingredient to getting the most out of your experience there. Save the budget hotel thing for Europe and North America. The developing world is not where you want to take a chance on a Bates Motel experience. Advertisement You deserve to thoroughly enjoy and soak up every thrilling moment of your trip to a wonderful and fascinating place like Egypt. So live it up, and enjoy exploring 7,000 years of remarkably preserved history while indulging in modern luxurious comfort that would make even the Pharaohs proud and envious. The only thing keeping Hillary alive right now is the large faction of Democrats who prefer Bernie's platform but think Hillary is more electable. The belief in Hillary's electability is based in a set of theories about the American electorate that held true from roughly 1968-2006, but have since lost their explanatory power. The conventional political wisdom says that Americans will always believe themselves to be capitalists waging a Cold War with communism. It says that Reagan ushered in a permanent conservative political era, and that leftist candidates are forever doomed to lose McGovern style. It says that to win the presidency, politicians must appeal to the "center" and get the financial backing of the corrupt, corporate establishment. Advertisement This is no longer true. The times have changed. In the past 15 years, we've had the failed Iraq war, the crash of 2008, and the blossoming of the internet; climate change has become an undeniable fact and gay rights and marijuana legalization have become mainstream. These factors, and many more, have contributed to a total re-shaping of the American political landscape. The American ideological distribution has polarized. Centrists are rapidly evaporating. And this is in spite of the fact that there are now almost as many independents as Republicans and Democrats combined. In the past 8 years, we've seen 5 massive political movements: Obama in '08, the Tea Party in '09, Occupy Wall Street in '11, Black Lives Matter in '15, and now Bernie's movement in '16. We haven't seen political movements like this since the 60's. What this all points to is a widespread and deep dissatisfaction with centrist, establishment politics. The success of Sanders, Trump and Cruz is evidence of this fact. They offer the two competing explanations for why establishment politics and economics have failed. Advertisement The explanation on the right is that Bush, Bush Sr., Reagan and Nixon all weren't conservative enough. They believe it is all these immigrants, gays, PC-liberals, Muslims, blacks and Mexicans that are destroying America. They believe we need to make America great again by returning to the "good 'ol days" (aka white-man America). Needless to say, the right is wrong. The explanation on the left is that the past 40 years have proven the failure of neo-liberal economics and hawkish foreign policies. The belief is that we need to return to European/Roosevelt style economics and diplomacy based foreign policy. Needless to say, the left is right. Millenials are the first generation to accept this fact. We are Bernie's internet army. We are the reason Bernie has continued winning, even as the entire mainstream media has only ignored and mocked him. Creative commons courtesy of Gage Skidmore Millenials are really good at collectively spreading Bernie's message and destroying counter-narratives. Consider that in just 9 months we have succeeded in making democratic socialism a permanent fixture of American politics. We got the DNC to reverse their decision overnight on locking Bernie's campaign out of the voter databases. And it took us about a week to squash the narrative that Hillary is the choice feminist candidate. Advertisement Politics is now real time. As media narratives arise, the internet responds to them - and very effectively. The establishment may control TV and newspapers, but millenials control the internet - and that's why we are winning. We control the comment sections. We have thousands of prominent pro-Bernie social media pages that are generating millions and millions of views every single day. Howard Dean was heralded in 2004 for revolutionizing politics by using the internet. Obama was similarly hailed as a digital innovator in 2008. Bernie has now broken Obama's fundraising records. He raised $3M in the 24 hours after Iowa and then $6.4M in the 24 hours after NH. He received more votes in the NH primary than any politician in history. So let's be clear, it never was Dean, Obama or Bernie that broke those records and revolutionized politics; it is the internet-left that has repeatedly started these movements. We are the ones changing the rules of politics. Conventional political wisdom said that Obama, a black man with Hussein as a middle name, couldn't become president. It said Trump couldn't win Republican primaries while insulting veterans, making sexist comments about Fox News anchors, and saying racist things about blacks and Mexicans. It said that a Jewish democratic-socialist could never be more than an obscure fringe candidate. Conventional political wisdom is dead. In the new political world, Hillary is no longer the safe bet; she is the liability that embodies the failed political past. Advertisement It's one thing to fight against Bernie's revolution because you don't believe in the cause. It's another thing to believe in the cause, but to fight it because you believe in an outdated set of theories about the American electorate. The rules of politics have changed. "The intersection of the tragic dangerousness of the War on Drugs in Central and Latin America with criminal justice and drug policy reform in the United States has never been clearer." I made that observation months ago in a blog on how Latinos fared under our broken criminal justice system. The intersection is even clearer today. In 2012, I witnessed the Caravan for Peace that emanated from Mexico, traveled 6,000 miles and stopped in 20 cities in this country before arriving at the steps of New York City Hall. The delegation was not received by Mayor Bloomberg, but by the current City Council President Melissa Mark Viverito. Their message to the country -- the world's biggest consumer for illegal drugs -- was clear: Please change your approach and stop this war. I also witnessed Mexican mothers shed tears at a vigil at the foot of the Washington Memorial in the Capitol in November of 2015. Their message was equally clear: Help us stop the killings and the missing bodies and stop this war. Advertisement And in April of this year, I will witness and enthusiastically receive a caravan of families that will start in Honduras and work their way through Guatemala and El Salvador and Mexico to end in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on global drug policy. They will join forces in solidarity with the mothers of Great Britain and Canada, and advocates from the Caribbean, to ask, again, for an end to the drug war. These voices from Central and Latin America will make the effects of the war on drugs palpable. They will articulate the pain and suffering of so many families of innocents. They will inform this country of the over 60,000 people murdered, tens of thousands missing and many more displaced -- in Mexico alone. At the same time, Latinos in the U.S. -- from the same regions of Central, South America and the Caribbean -- suffer from the effects of a radicalized and broken criminal justice system. Those are the consequences of failed prohibitionist policies that the U.S. has adopted for decades. The following practices barely get mainstream notice: The 34,000 bed quota in immigration detention centers that Congress mandates and that the executive branch abides by feeds the greed of the private sector that owns the centers and creates perverse law enforcement paradigms that often focus on marijuana possession or traffic violations to funnel Latino bodies into the deportation pipeline. This arrangement from hell is condoned with no objection. Advertisement Pretrial and bail adjudications as noted by the Pretrial Justice Initiative often disfavor Latino criminal defendants at rates that sometime exceed that of African-Americans because the stereotype of the Latino defendant charged with drug possession is that he or she is involved in the drug cartels. New York City where Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic minority is also the marijuana arrest capital of the world. Improvements in policing in the last year or two show potential but more has to be done. It is no surprise then that for Latinos, as for African-Americans, the worst effects of the War on Drugs is a civil rights issue. Indeed, a human rights issue. All of this is occurring against the backdrop of criminal justice and sentencing reform debate that is taking root in the U.S. Senate, at the White House and nationally. It occurs as the lexicon of drug "addiction" is morphing into "substance abuse disorder" because the face of addiction, especially for heroin and prescription drugs, is now increasingly white. To the extent that shifts the paradigm away from prohibitionist models to health and treatment models, I'll take it. I'll also take it because we finally have a president who gets it. A president who actually visited a prison -- the first ever. A president who talks about racial profiling and how it affected him and his peers. A president who admitted to his youthful indiscretions and experimentation with drugs. A president who openly speaks of the racially disparate outcomes of the entire criminal justice system: from stops and frisks, to arrest, to bail determinations, to convictions, to sentencing, to incarceration and to its collateral consequences. Advertisement But President Obama cannot stop there. Indeed, the president must address the biggest engine in our insatiable drive to punish via mass incarceration. He must address the War on Drugs. So I urge the President to address the UNGASS session on global drug policy slated for April at the United Nations. President Bill Clinton addressed that body at its last session on drugs with a message that finds no place in today's parlance. President Obama should elevate this discussion with modern approaches to the use of drugs. Indeed, I urge him to finish the job of highlighting the worse aspects of our criminal justice system by connected the cause and the effects. I ask that he reaffirm the national approach towards a public health and harm reduction approach as the best way to address persons who have substance abuse disorders. I urge him to reaffirm a national change away from the tried, but failed, prohibitionist paradigm. In short, I ask the president to listen to the voices of reform from Central and Latin America. To hear their plea, their lament, their humanity. And then echo it on a world stage. Eddie Anderson, a notable acting and musical talent who became famous as Jack Benny's sidekick Rochester, died in 1977. He specified that upon his death, his home--a spacious mansion built in the West Adams district of Los Angeles---should become a rehabilitation center for at-risk and homeless substance abusers. Anderson's son, Eddie Anderson Jr., took responsibility for creating a foundation and gaining the needed approvals for the rehabilitation center his father envisioned. In 1989, the mansion opened its doors to fulfill that purpose. Fees were on a sliding scale. But Eddie Anderson Jr. had bigger plans to honor the memory of his dad. The Anderson Estates Since that time, Eddie Jr. has created the Anderson Estates. He has purchased and fixed up several homes in the area, all of which are rented out to guests. His father, who was known to welcome the neighborhood kids when the family was using the pool, would very likely think this was grand. Advertisement Two of the homes are in the same cul de sac as the mansion. Two more homes are nearby. The ones that are further from the main office at the mansion are for longer-term rental, and both are accessible to those with disabilities. The mansion itself and the other homes in the cul de sac bill themselves as short-term rentals for artists, musicians, and actors. (Minimum stay is three days.) Its listing as a hostel on some websites brings the occasional tourist who needs an inexpensive bed-and-breakfast while visiting Los Angeles. Since Los Angeles is a mecca for people interested in the arts, there are plenty of guests who are happy to have found affordable lodging from which to pursue their careers. (Prices range from $20/night for a bed in a dormitory room to $75 for a private room.) Drew Bradford is just that kind of artist. He is a photographer who was looking for a temporary home base while getting situated in Los Angeles. When he arrived at the mansion, he fell in love with the legacy of the place. "People need to be reminded of Eddie Anderson and what a great performer he was," says Bradford. Advertisement Bradford selected the dormitory-style housing in a building adjacent to the mansion. "The vibe is young, and a lot of us work late into the night. Because we're in a separate house, we don't bother anyone." Anderson Estate Amenities All short-term tenants at the Anderson properties have access to the swimming pool, the exercise equipment, and they can come for the complimentary breakfast. The breakfast is held in high regard. While some type of egg dish is usually served, the house specialty is sweet potato waffles. (Currently the kitchen is run by Nora who spent many years living in Asia. She provides healthy, appetizing meals, many of which reflect the cooking she learned in the Far East.) An additional touch of home is provided by Ruthelen is an elderly dog that lopes around the property. Eddie Jr. travels for business some of the year, but when he is in town, he stays at the mansion. Also in residence in one of the rooms is his mother, Eva, Eddie's second wife and mother of three of the children. Advertisement The properties are managed by Joanne Muwanga, a young woman who obtained her law degree in Uganda. After moving to the States and living in the northeast for a time, she gravitated to Los Angeles for the lifestlyle and climate. The West Adams Location West Adams is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. As early as the 1880s, it attracted doctors, lawyers, and business people because it was convenient to downtown. Soon it was known for its gracious Victorian homes and became one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in L.A. Change began to occur in 1910 with the development of Beverly Hills and the residential parts of Hollywood. These new areas lured the upper class white families away. Well-to-do African Americans began buying in the neighborhood. Over time, the area became known as Sugar Hill, and it has been home to many celebrities of the 1940s and 50s: Hattie McDaniel, Joe Louis, Sweet Daddy Grace, Little Richard, and Ray Charles whose recording studio was located on nearby Washington and Westmoreland. Eddie Anderson's New House By the late 1930s Eddie Anderson was one of the best paid African American performers in Hollywood. When he was ready to settle in a home that was befitting of his status in life, he knew he wanted the famous African American architect Paul Williams to design it. Anderson's skin color limited the neighborhoods where he could live in the 1930s, so he acquired several West Adams lots with smaller homes. These were taken down in order to build the much larger homer Paul Williams designed for Anderson. Advertisement The house is located in a quiet cul de sac fittingly renamed Rochester Circle. The other homes in the area are well-kept bungalows. Eddie Anderson the Man As Drew Bradford said, "Eddie Anderson is a talent who deserves to be remembered right up there with Lucille Ball." Anderson was a vaudeville performer who got a call to play a Pullman porter on Jack Benny's radio program in 1937. His gravelly voice made him easy to identify, and the show received many requests to invite him back. A permanent role as Jack Benny's valet make him an integral part of every program. A typical skit showed Benny being the foil to Rochester who tended to get the better of his boss. The two men worked beautifully together, and became great friends. Together they forged an on-screen and off-screen relationship of equals. To read more about Eddie Anderson's career, click here. Family Man When Eddie Anderson Jr. recalled his dad, he didn't speak of his work in show business or his father's hobbies, he talked of familial love: "When he came home, he was just a dad." If Eddie Anderson were to return to the Rochester Mansion today, he would likely feel quite at home. The people who are there are still warm and welcoming---the kind of people who would be happy if a neighbor stopped by to visit for a while. Advertisement For information about the Rochester Mansion or Anderson Estates, click here. The Instagram feed is RochesterMansion; Twitter is @RochesterHostel, and on facebook information can be found at Anderson Estates. The reason the far right has been able to capture so much of the political apparatus relative to their small numbers is their mastery of two things: grassroots organizing and the importance of ideas. In 2007, tech savvy Obama campaigners took critical insights gleaned from Howard Dean's insurgent campaign and put them to good use. His successful campaigns erased the grassroots edge of conservatives, at least in presidential election years, and both Clinton and Sanders have adopted these data-centric methods in the current primary contest. But, in the main, Democrats have shown no similar appetite in taking on conservative ideas. We still live a neoliberal idiom (including its paradoxical heavy state investments in the military and the prison-industrial complex or "carceral" state). Advertisement The 2016 race features one Democratic candidate willing to challenge that. Surprisingly, it also has one Democratic candidate who not only avers from doing so, her attacks on her rival serve to further entrench conservative ideas. When Bernie Sanders calls for an end to mass incarceration, he is articulating an important idea: this country has over-criminalized to its own detriment, and must shift state investments from punishment to support. I am only one of a small army of scholars who would endorse this view -- and I am certainly also among the many who understand that state governments imprison by far the most people, and the president has no power to rewrite individual state criminal codes. Acknowledging this very real fact does nothing to undermine Sanders' call, it adds urgency to it: we will only wrest control of social policy from the carceral state, and invest more in social services, in the context of a general consensus -- that is, a national movement that embraces this idea. For the Clinton campaign, however, Sanders' call to end mass incarceration is an opportunity to attack his presumed naivete. In my view, this is an invidious and truly regrettable tack. To denounce progressive ideas as "unfeasible," the Clintons are, wittingly or not, reinforcing the discursive landscape that shapes what is politically possible. This sustains a comparative "idea" advantage for the right and helps to keep in place the very dominance at the other levels of government that Clinton decries as an obstacle to ending mass incarceration in the first place. I can't decide whether this is more absurd than it is stupid. It's as if John Kerry denounced Howard Dean for renovating antiquated voter-mobilization methods. If proffering the value of government, and shifting its ambit away from enforcement and towards services, is an approach that will ultimately strengthen the Democratic party, then politically expedient attacks upon it should be seen for what they are: self-serving, and coming at the expense of progress. Advertisement Hillary Clinton is a sufficiently able student of history to know that when unions led a national movement calling for an 8-hour work day, a minimum wage, or the right to organize, all of these policy goals required state legislatures to act. No progressive ally of the unions mentioned this fact in order to silence these campaigns; if anything, this made organizing more exigent, not less. When Franklin Roosevelt and his advisors took on the complicated task of negotiating a federal-state relationship in unemployment insurance, they never checked their ambitions in decrying the absence of a social security net. They fought harder, made their pleas more impassioned, and articulated their evidence more persuasively. Like these progressives who came before him, Bernie Sanders is not out to just implement a policy, he is out to change a political landscape. And, unfortunately for incrementalists (like myself), in the face of Republican obstructionism and the prevailing orthodoxy of neoliberalism, changing the political landscape is what is truly necessary. After all -- and I have raised this question before -- if the status quo remains in place, exactly what political skill does Hillary Clinton claim she has to secure policy achievements that Barack Obama, a politician who beat her in a primary race, does not? Over the past few weeks, the nation watched as the communications efforts around the water crisis in Flint, Michigan were grossly mishandled. The timeline of events leading to the crisis shows an unethical string of communication and public relations mistakes - ranging from cover ups regarding the amount of lead found in the water to blatant denial of the problem by government officials. The result? Very sick families, a state of emergency and a pending federal investigation. In the case of any crisis there are two options. The first option is selfish - avoid blame, point fingers, deny the problem exists and try to 'quiet' a noisy, unhappy constituency. This is taking place in Flint right now as government officials resign from their positions or attempt to distance themselves. The second option is fearless - walk directly into the fire, address backlash and resolve the issue. Option two means rolling up sleeves and fixing the problem, quickly -the only way out is through. In Flint, Governor Rick Snyder has very recently retained a public relations firm to assist in communications efforts. Too often in cases like this, PR firms are hired in the hope that they will execute option one - manage and fix the problem, remove culpability and smooth over negative backlash. There is tremendous value in hiring an expert and we can hope that these efforts will be done in an ethical and transparent way - supporting a strategy that is focused on quickly restoring safety and providing aid to Flint residents. But, what is happening within the community while the governor's communications team polishes their approved messaging? Who is making sure that action is being taken right now to address public health and safety? Advertisement Enacting a traditional crisis communication plan is irrelevant in Flint right now. The damage is done, the crisis has already happened and continuing to talk about it won't fix it. The people of Flint don't need an apology or a press release or a well-crafted FAQ on a city web page - they need a hero. The crisis strategy for Flint right now is a straightforward one - do whatever it takes to fix the problem and communicate the plan to the community. This includes: Getting clean water to all of the people of Flint. This is the number one priority. Every government official and involved organization needs to work together to get clean water for Flint residents right now. Communication to residents should focus on how they can obtain clean water for their family, where they can seek medical care and how the government will support this effort. It's important to remember that this is a short and long term effort - bottled water may work today, but it isn't a plan built to last. Officials need to take action to make sure that every home in Flint has running, unquestionably clean water. Initiating town halls and meetings to directly address community concerns and fears, even if some of the answers remain unclear. These meetings should be done face-to-face. There is no excuse for government officials to not show up to critical events and hearings. These meetings won't be positive and they won't be easy, but they are essential to ensuring public safety. Advertisement Changing the conversation from one of blame to one of action. The residents of Flint continue to live in fear, pipes still aren't replaced and there is no excuse for it. It is critical that all communications coming from the local, state and federal government are focused on fixing the problem. The conversation needs to shift from one that questions why the problem happened in the first place - that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that every involved party is taking action and communicating directly to the people of Flint. Providing ongoing support and assistance to sick and suffering members of the community. The people of Flint should not have to seek out their own resources and assistance for medical treatment due to lead poisoning. Parents should not feel helpless or hopeless when their children test positive for lead. The government needs to provide crystal clear instruction directing members of the community on where they can receive support and education around health issues. It is a fact that in the year 2016, the majority of young people in Greece are trapped in the whirl of unemployment and illegal labor. However, there are also cases of youngsters who manage to stand out, one way or another. In this article I am going to talk about the efforts made by Dora Bitsi and Elpidoforos Chrisovergis, two young people of 28 years old, who have devoted their lives to volunteering. Two years ago they crossed eleven African countries within six months, offering voluntarily their help to foundations, orphanages and other charities. Therefore, with the money they raised through internet campaigns, they managed to help orphanages and infirmaries in South Africa, Tanzania and Ethiopia, establish a school in Kenya, and built a well in Sudan, thanks to which, more than 1.200 people have now access to drinking water. Advertisement However, crossing Africa with a means of transport is not easy, as there are a lot of dangers. The most frightening journey for them up until now, has been the one towards the central part of Mozambique. As they informed me, it is a place where the guerillas had been fighting the government for a long time, something that made their travel quite difficult. "Being accompanied by military forces, we crossed the danger zone with a car that we had hitchhiked a while ago, and then we went on walking towards the peaceful Malawi". From London to Athens on a bike for a good cause Nevertheless, their need for offering did not stop there, as a few months ago, Elpidoforos and Dora travelled from London to Athens on a bike. The aim of this effort was to raise money to help the "Flame", an association made by parents, whose children are suffering by some neoplastic disease. And indeed, they did it, as the sum exceeded 10.000. They also intended to raise the awareness of people in general on childhood cancer. Helping the victims of the earthquake in Nepal These days Elpis and Dora find themselves in Nepal, where they have already put into practice their project entitled as "AsiaQuest". Their aim is to travel in ten countries of Southeast Asia (India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and China) within six months, with their rucksacks being their unique equipment. "What we are planning to do, apart from one more documentary on travelling, are three very important projects that we are organizing in Nepal, Campodia and Vietnam for humanistic purposes. We always try to combine our love for travelling with our passion for volunteering" they say. Advertisement As they claim, their experience in Nepal was the one that has, by now, touched them most in this travel. The devastative earthquake that we all watched terrified from our TVs last April, caused the death of 9.000 people and made millions of people lose everything. After this incident Dora and Elpis promised that they would do everything they could to help as many of the inflicted residents as possible. "And so, in collaboration with the local organization YUWA we established the #TheGreenhouseProject in Takure, a village which is located in the area of Sindhupalchok, where 99% of the houses have been destroyed. Our aim is to create a huge greenhouse containing coffee and avocado trees, which will be distributed to the local people to cultivate them, sell them and on this way, gain an income that will enable them to build their houses again". So, with the assistance of 239 individuals they managed to raise the 5.500 required for the construction of the greenhouse, and after working full-time on a daily basis for three weeks, they finally did it! As they told me, the residents of Nepal are indisputably some of the kindest and friendliest people they have ever met and despite having lost everything, they are still grateful for being healthy and they never stop smiling. "They often used to invite us at their homes for a meal or a tea, as they wanted to thank us for what we were doing for them" they add. Advertisement But how can they make so long and long- lasting travels? According to them the answer is simple: "We started raising all the money we needed for our travels much earlier. By staying in a tent, being supplied with cooking utensils and having a very low daily budget, we managed to visit many places and organize many projects". Travelling constitutes the best educational means for Dora and Elpidoforos, as it has given them feelings they have never had before. They end up saying: "What we felt when we built the classroom in a slum in Kenya, the well in a village in the middle of the desert in Sudan and in other places, cannot be compared to anything else in the world. And we'll go on, having love, smile and solidarity as our guides. When you see somebody smiling and you know that the reason is you, this provides you with a unique energy which spreads around you and makes the world beautiful". Democratic Socialist American Jewish Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won New Hampshire's February 9th Democratic presidential primary with 60 percent of the vote. Why has that historic victory -- by the first-generation American and Brooklyn native -- received such a muted response from the 70-plus percent American Jews who consistently vote for Democrats? The warm embrace and celebration American Jews gave in 2000 to Democratic VP nominee Joe Lieberman is obviously missing. All those labels attached to Sen. Sanders may provide the answer. Few Americans, let alone Jews, understand the term Democratic Socialism, which makes them uncomfortable and concerned. Fewer still understand why a Brooklyn transplant to Vermont -- who's always run and won office as an Independent -- seeks to carry the Democratic Party's presidential banner. And although Sanders doesn't distance himself from his Jewish upbringing, observance of traditional Jewish rituals and support for Israel are secondary to his political identity. It's a conundrum. Israeli journalists recently discovered a Hebrew language article covering a 1990s Sanders interview in which he identifies his college days experience living and volunteering on northern Israeli kibbutz Shaar Ha-Amakim (Gateway to the Valleys). Founded before WWII and the Holocaust, this was one of many early Jewish settlements with deep political/social egalitarian values and practices. Early eastern European Zionists were attracted to the opportunity of creating a utopian agrarian-based society in the historic Jewish homeland. Political movements succeeded in attracting young idealists who were both rebelling against stifling paternalistic Jewish society and escaping anti-Semitic communities back home. Advertisement Israel's War of Independence in 1948 was successful due to the leadership, commitment, creativity and resourcefulness of that first generation of kibbutz settlers, who by then had nowhere else to go. They fought for their lives, their ideals and their traditional homeland. And although they identified themselves as Jews, religious observance was seldom in the forefront. When a college-age Sanders volunteered on the kibbutz in the early 1960s, his own values were imbued with an Israeli imprint. Ironically, some 50 years later, American Jews are having trouble recognizing Sanders' values-based political philosophy as Jewish. Contemporary Israel has left that illustrious and romanticized idealism largely behind. American Jewish supporters of Israel identify with an entrepreneurial Israel that is a strategic asset, bulwark of Democracy on the front lines of conflict with Islamic jihadists. Thus when Sen. Sanders declares discomfort with Israel's military response in Gaza to Hamas missiles back in 2014, and promises an "even-handed" approach to U.S. relations with Israel, if elected, many Jewish Democrats squirm. Advertisement The fact remains that the Sanders presidential campaign is drawing tremendous support from Millennials, Jews included, who have helped him become a serious contender to Hillary Clinton. The idealism behind his core message of economic and social justice, has strong roots in mid-twentieth century Israeli kibbutzim and has found fertile American ground. EL PASO, Texas and CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - When Pope Francis visits Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday, city officials hope that the international attention will change its reputation as the homicidal, lawless capital of Mexican drug violence. Five years ago, at the height of the city's instability, it registered over 3,000 homicides annually. But that was before a renewed push for less corrupt policing, the local victory of the Sinaloa cartel and a retreat by the current Mexican government from a militarized approach to defeating drug cartels. In 2015, the city recorded just 311 homicides, the lowest murder rate in nearly a decade. Philadelphia, by contrast, with roughly the same population, recorded 277 homicides in 2015. Advertisement But it's not just Juarenses who hope the papal presence can rebrand the city. It's also El Paso, which lies just across the border, and which is one of in the United States, even at the height of the violent battle between the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels. In fact, Beto O'Rourke, who has represented the 16th Congressional district that includes El Paso since 2013, had hoped to work with Mexican officials to use to visit to highlight U.S.-Mexican relations on a far grander scale. "There was an attempt that we were part of, short-lived, that was ambitious, to construct at small bridge across the [Rio Grande] to allow the Pope to sort of walk across and put his hand on the border fence," O'Rourke said in an interview late last month. "I spoke to the diocese, to the bishop. I think that would have done so much to bring home to people how connected our two countries are. It would have been a powerful message." Though the plans fell through, O'Rourke will attend this week's papal mass in Juarez, and he hoped that many El Pasoans will have a chance to see Francis, the first Latin American pope, as he drives along a border that divides one community into two cities that belong to two countries, the Apollonian yin of El Paso counterbalancing the Dionysian yang of Juarez. In snowy New Hampshire, voters endorsed another view about the U.S.-Mexican border last week when Donald Trump swept to a crushing victory in the Republican presidential primary. When he announced his candidacy for the nomination last June in the lobby of Manhattan's Trump Tower, the businessman attacked Mexico as an enemy of the United States, a country "killing us economically," and he painted the vision of a southern border overrun with immigrants "bringing drugs" and "bringing crime," labeling many would-be migrants as "rapists," even while conceding that some "are good people." "If you are living on the border and you know the history, that propaganda is very evident," said David Dorado Romo, a local historian who wrote a local history of the Mexican Revolution from the perspective of both cities. "It's just so clear the contrast between what we're seeing with our eyes and what we're hearing with our ears, you know it's just a huge disconnect.... The center intervenes in the periphery, using that propaganda, and makes things worse, without understanding the complexities." Advertisement There's a long history of American cultural sensationalism about life along the U.S.-Mexican border. In Orson Welles's Touch of Evil, a 1958 film noir improbably starring Charlton Heston as a Mexican prosecutor, Heston's character states that "all border towns bring out the worst in a country." In last year's crime thriller Sicario, director Denis Villeneuve paints a region overrun by drug violence and a Juarez where shootouts routinely happen in open daylight and where the bodies of innocent victims hang from bridges in the center of town by the half-dozen, an image that met with fierce criticism from Juarenses and Mexican Americans alike. But if the image of Juarez today is outdated, so is the state of migration across the border. Statistics show that Mexican immigration started to wane in the mid-2000s and accelerated in 2008 and 2009 during the Great Recession. Even today, more Mexicans are still leaving the United States than arriving. An in-depth study from the Pew Research Center published at the end of 2015 calculated net migration of 140,000 from the United States to Mexico between 2009 and 2014. More fundamentally, it's hard to square Trump's dystopian description of U.S.-Mexican relations and Mexican immigration with everyday life in El Paso and Juarez. Studies show that cities with relatively higher numbers of immigrants have lower crime rates, and El Paso is no exception. El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar, a Democrat, has spoken out often about the disconnect between the reality along the border and the rhetoric in American politics. "For a long time, that's what the border represented for these candidates: an opportunity to incite fear," she said. "What has already been frustrating for all of us who live on the US-Mexico border, and for people who know and understand the US-Mexico border... it's not what xenophobes would make it out to be. But facts frequently just don't matter to them." El Pasoans are not, as you might expect from the rhetoric of a Trump rally, living under armed guard to protect against would-be rapists and criminals. Rather, the two cities function as a symbiotic, bi-national metropolis. El Paso's current mayor, Oscar Leeser, was born in Chihuahua, and many Juarenses have family in El Paso and vice versa. El Paso is neither completely "American" nor is Juarez completely "Mexican," and the borderlands have given rise to a unique community that transcends both worlds in complex ways. Gloria Anzaldua, who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and became a leading 20th century scholar of Chicano/a studies, queer theory and feminism, famously wrote that the border is a "herida abiera," an open wound, "where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages again, the lifeblood of two worlds merging to form a third country -- a border culture." Advertisement For centuries, the two cities that today comprise El Paso and Juarez were one city. It was only after both the American annexation of Texas and the cession of territory from Mexico at the end of the U.S.-Mexican War that the tiny splinter of land in Texas's far western corner, wedged between New Mexico to the north and the Mexican state of Chihuahua to the south, became part of the United States. The settlement on the northern shores of the Rio Grande soon took the name of El Paso, stealing the Mexican city's name, which in turn renamed itself in 1888 after Mexico's first indigenous president, the liberal reformer Benito Juarez. Though history cleaved the city into two halves, the two never stopped interacting as one metropolitan community. Unlike San Diego and Tijuana or Tucson and Nogales, the centers of both El Paso and Juarez merge at the border. You can easily go from El Paso's sleepy downtown business district, meander through the historic Mexican-American neighborhood of Segundo Barrio that abuts the river, cross the international border by foot, and make your way to Juarez's Plaza de Armas in a leisurely hour's walk. Today, Juarenses study, work, live and play in El Paso, crossing the border on a daily basis, just as they have for centuries. Gary Edens, vice president for student affairs at the University of Texas at El Paso, says around 500 of the school's 23,000-strong student body commute daily from Juarez and around 400 Juarenses live in El Paso in family or at the university. Under the Programa de Asistencia Estudiantil (PASE), Mexican nationals with demonstrated economic need are entitled to receive in-state tuition at UTEP and other public universities. "It used to be a lot easier to cross between the U.S. and Mexico," Edens said. "After [the 2001 attacks], it became much more difficult, and the security and the inspections that are happening on the bridge became tighter and the time to get into America, specifically, increased quite a bit." Advertisement A Trump-style border wall would represent only the latest in a series of escalating border security hassles, though it's unlikely those hassles would break the interaction that historically defined the two cities. Pancho Villa and other Mexicans and Mexican Americans helped plan the Mexican Revolution from El Paso's sanctuary, and many El Pasoans took to the roofs of El Paso's downtown to watch the Battle of Juarez in 1911, even as Juarenses fled their city to find greater stability in El Paso. Until 1917, however, there wasn't even a formal border between the two countries. American worries during World War One about German infiltration at the southern border and the Zimmerman Telegram gave rise to stronger national controls that, over the years, became stronger yet, most recently after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Even in 1996, then-president Bill Clinton bragged during his reelection campaign about increasing the border patrol, specifically on the Mexican border, by some 40% in his first term. But just as Mexicans found relief in El Paso from the revolutionary chaos of the 1910s, Americans found relief in the bars and saloons of Juarez in the 1920s during Prohibition. At the height of the cartel wars in Juarez, Mexicans sought refuge in El Paso, swelling the city's population. El Paso's economy depends on shoppers from Juarez, who often find lower prices for consumer goods on the American side of the border. There's a darker side to the symbiosis. American corporations employ Mexicans at low-wage maquiladoras that ring the sprawling outskirts of Juarez, often without the kinds of labor protection that American workers enjoy. At a facility operated by Lexmark International, a Kentucky-based printer company, managers fired around 90 workers shortly before the Christmas holiday after they pushed for a $0.35 wage raise. Both before and after the cartel wars, women working at maquiladoras have long been vulnerable to sexual violence and a decades-long wave of femicides, with the bodies of murdered, often abused, women left in fields not far from their factories. Many Americans today, even after the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, go to Juarez for dental and medical checkups, and dental clinics outnumber bars on the main avenues leading into Juarez from El Paso. O'Rourke, a progressive who came to office after defeating long-time Democratic representative Silvestre Reyes in a 2012 primary contest, is one of just a handful of Texan officials who have not yet endorsed a candidate in the 2016 presidential contest (Texas votes as part of "Super Tuesday" on March 1). He argued that both parties, including Democrats, are responsible for misconceptions about the border. "Even [President] Obama says that, 'Before we can do anything else, we must secure the border,' and so Trump is only singing the same tune, only louder and uglier," he said. "I don't think they are bad people for doing that. I think they are just really uninformed about the border. And it really is not easy to get here. There are no direct flights from D.C. We are very isolated, Austin is a nine-hour drive. The nearest city of any significance is Chihuahua to the south and then Albuquerque to the north." The distance between Austin, Texas's state capital, and El Paso might explain why even state politicians, including Ted Cruz, the Texas senator who won the Iowa caucuses on February 1, has now echoed Trump's calls for a border wall. Just one decade after a sitting Republican president tried to pass legislation for comprehensive immigration reform, the 2016 election has only made a policy path to reform more difficult, even while the Trump and Cruz campaigns perpetuate a vision of Mexico steeped in misconceptions. A screenshot of a post on Rhys Bufford's blog, +Things That Are Good. As I usually write about incredibly serious subject matter--war, international crisis and disaster--and the media projects that depict them, when given the chance to write about something lighter, I jumped at the chance. Never mind, the recommendation came from a close friend, Tom Starker, a restauranteur and entrepreneur who had also been a charismatic, substantive figure in NYC club scene in the 80's and 90's, and featured in Andy Warhol's diaries. When he's impressed by someone, I tend to listen. "Rhys is the son of a good friend of mine. And he's brilliant." Rhys Bufford is brilliant. And multi-faceted. Bufford, originally from the East Coast and a Yale graduate--now a transplant to Los Angeles--is mostly known for his blog, +Things That Are Good, which features fashion and lifestyle products, with both humor, and to my delight and amusement, what to some might be obscure philosophical, literary or historical references. Advertisement It elevates the "fashion blog" form to a kind of artful commentary that at the same time, doesn't take itself so seriously that the reader is repelled by the kind of hauteur typical of certain "poser" contingents whose solipsism runs obnoxiously rampant. Bufford knows what he's talking about and can make it accessible, without dumbing anything down. That's one hell of an accomplishment for subject matter people with a different kind of hauteur might consider vapid. Rather, Bufford recognizes that something done well can be an art form unto itself. Never mind, he has the intelligence and self-effacing, genuine charm that is wonderful to see from someone who is so multi-talented and faceted. He also has a wickedly wry sense of humor. First, could you give me a brief bio beyond what is on your site--you went to Yale, are from the East Coast, and now are in L.A.. You write music, screenplays, and have a fashion blog. Would you care to expand? Advertisement RB - I was raised in New Jersey. I like to lead with that because it lowers expectations. I went to school for a while, culminating in a heretofore largely unused Theater Studies degree, and now I'm a person that attempts to be a writer in Los Angeles. And I'm an awful autobiographer, but that's probably obvious. Comparing New York (or the NYC area) with Los Angeles, and East Coast vs. West Coast (really, Los Angeles) can often be a cliche, but as a transplant, do you have any commentary regarding your reasons for moving to the Los Angeles area, and what it has provided in terms of inspiration vs. your east Coast experience? RB - I went to college about seventy miles from where I grew up and stayed there for four years after graduation, so I had already worn out my East Coast welcome, when my wife and I were robbed and beaten during a gunpoint robbery, on our way home from our friends' apartment. I turned into an agoraphobe overnight. Everything terrified me. So I wrote a screenplay, trying to exorcise all the horrible thoughts and fears that were running around in my head, and I had one of those elusive Eureka! moments, where I realized that I wanted to write movies. A few months later, we moved to Los Angeles. I had never even been to California before and I didn't have a driver's license. Now I drive everywhere, complain about traffic, and wear a wool beanie whenever the temperature dips below eighty. I guess aside from the gun-to-the-head part, I'm living out the transplant cliche. I noticed that between Yale, and you referencing The Atlantic on your blog--in addition to the nuance and intelligence of your writing--it's important to bring into your blog not just aspects of popular culture, but truly intelligent commentary about fashion, and what is trending. Have you had a response among readers of your blog about bringing in certain ideas, articles, or commentary that many in a lifestyle genre might not be familiar with or read as readily? RB - I'm drawing on a limited data set here, but many of my frequent readers seem to come to my blog for a quick laugh, rather than fashion or lifestyle advice, which is probably for the best. Most people, myself included, aren't in the market for eleven-hundred dollar Visvim jackets, but everyone's on the hunt for distractions from the constant noise pumped in through our cable news networks and Facebook timelines. If I can provide that, I'm happy, because I'm far too lazy to ever write about anything other than the things I'm enjoying at that moment. As your interests focus on more than one area (music, writing, fashion)--though all are creative at their base--what at the moment most inspires you? RB - Right now I'm heavily into watching Cops. For a writer, it's a free lesson on crafting naturalistic dialogue. One of the characters in the screenplay I'm working on is a police officer, so I write it off as research. Not to oversell it or wax poetic, but that show is a window into our society and human nature. You learn things from watching Cops, like how bad the average person is at lying and how many of our countrymen are currently driving around shirtless, armed, and high on meth. Do you have a personal philosophy that you live by, how did it come into being, and how has it influenced what you most choose to create, including the works closest to you? RB - I wish I had something as solid as a personal philosophy. I've always just made whatever felt right at the time, whether it's fashion blogging or death metal. At this point, I'm focused on writing and not getting shot. So far, so good, but the close calls have been highly unpleasant. Regarding fashion: what do you think are the strengths in the world of fashion right now, and what are its biggest weaknesses? RB - The fashion world has well-documented problems with labor, but it seems like consumers are taking greater interest in the backstory behind the things they buy and that helps grow the market for ethically-made products. So that's a weakness in the process of becoming a strength. I think the harder-to-solve problem is textile production. Cotton is an extremely water-intensive crop and it accounts for something like half the fiber used for clothing worldwide. Since agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, we're all but guaranteed to see a drop in cotton yields and a corresponding spike in prices. I'm neither an economist, nor a climatologist, but I have to assume that will mean problems for the world of fashion -- not unsolvable problems, although I would recommend cozying up to synthetic fabrics, if you haven't already. Who in fashion most inspires you right now, and why? Are there old favorites among designers or brands that you always go back to, and why? RB - If I had to choose one, my favorite brand would be this little label from Japan called orSlow. The clothes are painstakingly made and just great looking. Straightforward, but perfectly detailed. I listened to an interview with the designer behind the brand, Ichiro Nakatsu, and his approach is super simple: combining his personal style with classic materials and methods of construction. He loves basic pieces and denim, so he's a man after my own heart. To be fair, the interview was in French and I only understood about three-quarters of it, so maybe I missed something important. Either way, he seemed cool to me. How has the media and information age (or what some are now calling the "technosphere") affected "lifestyle" branding--does it reflect, influence, or both? Are you noticing any specific trends? RB - I don't think the information age has done much to fundamentally change lifestyle branding, but it has made it easier for brands of all sizes to find their demos. As a kid, I was a skateboarder and we received all that shared skate culture via dogeared magazines and bootleg VHS tapes. Even without the reach of social media, those brands were making money selling kids across the world on living a California lifestyle through skateboarding. Then the internet put subcultures on steroids and that can be a great thing for lifestyle brands looking to connect with low-percentage groups like skateboarders or denim aficionados or Bronies. Now we can go from metrosexuals to lumbersexuals to dandy wildmen so fast that I barely know what any of those things even mean. But I'm still putting money in the pockets of a beard balm manufacturer and that's all that matters. Are there any social causes or issues you like to advocate? Have they ever affected what you choose to write about on the blog, or in what you feature? RB - Even though I have an opinion on everything, I've tried to keep the blog as apolitical as possible -- which isn't that hard, considering that modern menswear and things like the war in Syria rarely dovetail -- but a couple of the issues that occasionally pop up are worker treatment and intellectual property rights, because there are a bunch of clothing companies with poor records in both arenas (overlap is not uncommon). Unfortunately, these are often companies that make affordable and widely available clothing, so they can be difficult to avoid. It's unrealistic to expect an overthrow of fast fashion in the near future, but we can all vote with our dollars and put a little pressure on bad actors in the industry to behave in a less dickish manner. What is your view regarding the age-old dilemma in terms of what creative souls are almost always up against: passion vs. what is trending? Do you think they have to be mutually exclusive? Advertisement RB - I wrote up a poncho on the blog, a few weeks back, so I'm definitely not above a trend or two. I'd like to think that the operative distinction is between trends and fads -- fads being short-lived and baseless by definition. I'm not sure it's entirely impossible to rise above trends, as trying to rise above trends is a trend in itself. In my defense, I do write horror movies and those haven't really been on trend since the mid-to-late 80s. Last but not least (a kind of Proust questionnaire-type question)...what is your favorite quote, and by whom? Why is it your favorite? RB - I'm not good at recalling quotes, but I've been watching stand-up since I was a little kid, so I've always had a fondness for jokes. The late Mitch Hedberg was a genius and it's difficult to pick out his best one-liner, although "I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it" has to be one of my favorites. As anyone still reading this is sure to agree, I'm frustratingly long-winded and I greatly appreciate Hedberg's economy of words. I'm realizing that nothing's worse than explanations of humor, so I probably should have gone with something else, like one of Twain's pithy aphorisms, but it's too late for that now. And for the record, I'm not anti-picketing, just pro-jokes. Words, Words, Words Part 1: Transgender and Genderqueer Enjoying 'winter' everyone? And now for another edition of: From A to T: the semi-regular feature in which I address questions from youth and adolescents who identify as trans, transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, genderfluid, gender expansive, androgynous, agender, bigender, demigender or otherwise nonbinary, as well as from families, educators, school counselors, therapists or any other allies. Today's topic: Words, Words, Words: What is 'transgender,' and what is 'genderqueer'? Sometimes it's all about language. Today I'll start a sub-sub-blog... an ongoing, occasional and semi-regular feature examining some of the different terms in use by the trans and gender nonconforming community. Trans, transgender, transsexual (not generally acceptable anymore), genderqueer, genderfluid, bigender, agender, demigender, androgynous, two-spirit, 'gender unicorn,' and countless others... the terms are evolving faster than their Wikipedia entries. For outsiders, it can be confusing. (Even for insiders.) Advertisement But labels convey who we are. They help us define our identities, capturing in a single word or phrase the many nuanced aspects of our selves. They make it easy for us to relate ourselves to those around us, and to find community. But they can also trap us within the bounds of the generally accepted meaning of the term itself. It's important to remember something from Communication Theory: two people using the same word don't necessarily mean the same thing. "I have an apple" could refer to a Red Delicious, a Granny Smith, a Braeburn... or a laptop computer. It's necessary to make clear that everyone in the conversation has the same understanding. Yet again, the obligatory pseudo-legal disclaimer: These are for general guidance only. I'm a therapist, but probably not your therapist. Please use the better judgment I know you have, and decide for yourself if my comments work for you. If you need more specific information, seek out a therapist or doctor. --- Question 42: Everyone now is genderqueer. I was just getting used to 'transgender' and 'transgendering.' What does it mean??? Advertisement 'Transgender' is the most common term used nowadays, having gradually replaced 'transsexual' since the '90s. Some felt the latter was stigmatizing and derogatory: a medical term to diagnose us, or a pejorative to shame us. 'Transgender' is primarily used as an umbrella to describe the community as a whole and anyone who feels or expresses a gender other than that of their birth, while a smaller number of people think of it as referring only to someone who changes their gender from something relatively binary to something relatively binary (i.e. 'male' to 'female') and those who have 'fully transitioned' (whatever that may mean) with hormones and surgery. 'Trans' is shorthand, but generally used only by those within the community. (IMPORTANT NOTE: 'transgender' is not a noun or a verb, but an adjective. One is not 'transgender,' nor does one 'transgender.' They are a 'transgender person' who 'changes their gender.') But not everyone feels 'transgender' fully captures who they are, so some have been using 'genderqueer' to describe those in a subset of the 'trans experience.' As a term it is about twenty years old, started by activists looking to expand the possibilities of gender identity. And like many of the other words, genderqueer also has more than one possible meaning. Some use it to refer to anyone who understands or expresses their gender in nonbinary ways. This is another umbrella term, covering all people who don't clearly identify as 'male' or 'female.' Advertisement But for some of us the term is far more political. I identify as genderqueer, and to me it means that I am actively 'queering' gender: playing with norms, problematizing them, forcing my gender in others' faces and demanding it be recognized. Dressing as I do is comfortable for me, but also it is intentionally provocative. If I, as a genderqueer trans woman, wear a shirt, tie and vest despite having undergone 'male-to-female' transition, what does that suggest about my own gender or how our society understands gender? If someone transmasculine dons a dress and cosmetics, does that invalidate his? Maybe instead genderqueerness highlights that the norms we have all come to accept in society, that 'men' are to dress a certain way or that 'women' are to dress a certain way (never the twain to meet), are artificial. Maybe what those of us who identify as genderqueer are demonstrating to the world is that gender is far more broad and nuanced than we otherwise might believe, and that the traditional understandings we have internalized are breaking down. For the better. Maybe we, as the trans and gender nonconforming 'community,' can lead our world into a deeper understanding of gender as a facet of the human experience. And so when a stranger first calls me 'sir,' then stumbles, unsure what honorific to use, I smile. Does that help? --- Time to say goodbye for today. Feel free to email questions at Laura@LauraAJacobs.com so I have material for future columns. You can find information about me as a psychotherapist, speaker, writer and activist at my website: www.LauraAJacobs.com. See previous columns here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-a-jacobs-lcswr/ Here in New York City there are no complaints about the lack of snow, though we are well aware that global warming will someday have its' revenge. (I drove the convertible top-down on Christmas Eve.) Have faith; spring is coming. Photo courtesy Meow Parlour By Madeline Buxton for Life by Daily Burn If you feel like every time you refresh Instagram, there's a new type of yoga out there, you're not alone. Over the past few years, the number of regular yoga practitioners has grown exponentially, with the latest national study showing that 36.7 million Americans will be getting their Warrior on in 2016 compared to just 20.4 million in 2012. And as the yogi population grows, so does the number of classes that are cropping up to cater to them. Think: yoga with animals, yoga to dubstep and more. Why the rise in out-there trends? "Yoga as an industry is growing and people are starting to get creative with, 'What else can we do?'" says Amy Apgar, a New York City-based yoga teacher at Prana Power Yoga who also teaches cat yoga in the city. (Yup, cat yoga.) "There's a novelty aspect for sure, but if that brings someone into a class who might not normally have wanted to try it, that's great." Whether you're a seasoned yogi who loves your Vinyasa flow or just want to mix up your routine, here are a few fun, new approaches that might be worth trying. Advertisement 4 Types of Yoga to Mix Things Up on Your Mat 1. Animal Yoga Yup, yoga is going to the cats and dogs. Doga, offered at studios around the country including Austin Doga in Texas and BKS Yoga in Naples, FL, is all about increasing the connection between you and your pooch. You'll massage your pup while practicing gentle poses -- but don't expect an intense sweat session. The same goes for Cat Yoga classes, like those offered by Apgar at the New York City cat cafe, Meow Parlour. You'll move through your flow with cats as bystanders running around, snuggling up to students, and watching the poses that are taking place. "No one's there for a super intense workout or a spiritual experience," Apgar says. "It's just fun and funny. Plus, there's the added challenge of balancing in a pose with a cat running around at your feet." The animal classes don't stop with cats and dogs, either. Now, even equine yoga -- posing on top of a horse! -- is a thing. 2. Yoga Raves Dubstep and downward dog? It's an unlikely combination, but one that's gaining followers thanks to events like Daybreaker, a substance-free morning rave that kicks off with yoga. Other classes, such as Glowga, are set to loud, chanting music. Darkened rooms lit with glow sticks set the scene with a vibe that is more club-like than it is spiritual (although some could argue the two are one and the same). Sound Off Yoga takes a silent disco approach to the practice, with yogis wearing headphones while they flow. While these kinds of classes might require an open mind for those accustomed to getting their "om" on in less beats-heavy environments, they may also offer a boost of energy and motivation comparable to a cardio session. Advertisement 3. Aerial Yoga Who needs a mat? Christopher Harrison, a former Broadway dancer, dreamed up AntiGravity Yoga, where participants perform movements in a hammock suspended above the ground. Meanwhile, the chiropractor-owned studio Aligned Brooklyn takes a slightly different approach to helping you achieve liftoff, using its Great Wall (and a harness) to suspend participants above the floor as they perform standing poses. This trend has some scientific weight to support it, too. A recent study from The American Council on Exercise found that aerial yoga may help improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lower blood pressure. 4. Yoga For, Well, Anything There's truly a type of yoga for everyone these days. Ganja Yoga, aka yoga for those with a medical marijuana card? Yep, that exists. As does coed naked yoga, SUP yoga, hip-hop yoga and laughter yoga (a mix of yoga breathing techniques and laughing exercises). The newest take: 305 Fitness' upcoming class "Yoga 4 Better X." What exactly is that elusive X? "You can define and achieve your own X, whatever that X is to you," says Shira Atkins, the "Yoga 4 Better X Program Director" at 305 Fitness. "Our classes will be geared toward specific Xs such as sense, feel, body and sex, [but] it is ultimately up to you to find your own X." Atkins says that the class is "equal parts dance and yoga" with feel-good music from artists like Martin Solveig. And let's just say we bet more types of yoga will pop up before you can say "savasana." And while the workout quality might be questionable for some, they all offer up a major fun factor that might be worth a shot, if only for the crazy Instagram pics. Also on HuffPost: This is Rubio's quote at the recent South Carolina GOP grudge match: "Well, let me first talk about Justice Scalia. His loss is tremendous and obviously our hearts and prayers go out to his family. He will go down as one of the great justices in the history of this republic. You talk about someone who defended consistently the original meaning of the Constitution, who understood that the Constitution was not there to be interpreted based on the fads of the moment, but it was there to be interpreted according to its original meaning." So, we need to parse Rubio's line here. Whether Scalia will go down as one of the great justices in the history of the republic is clearly debatable. If one knows absolutely nothing of the truly great names in SCOTUS history (e.g. Brandeis, Frankfurter, Warren, Douglas, Cardozo, Marshall) then one might be inclined to think Scalia would be in that category, but that'll be left to SCOTUS scholars. My feeling is, he won't simply because he was adamant that his brand of originalism was flawless. Regardless, Rubio's statement echoes Scalia's in that the "Constitution was not there to be interpreted based on the fads of the moment, but it was there to be interpreted according to its original meaning" seems patently ridiculous to me based upon the rhetoric of the time. Advertisement Language counts. Rubio should know that a "fad" is, as we learn from the OED, "a crotchety rule of action; a peculiar notion as to the right way of doing something; a pet project, esp. of social or political reform, to which exaggerated importance is attributed; in wider sense, a crotchet, hobby, 'craze.'" So, what kind of a fad is Rubio referring to? Certainly many of his policies could clearly be considered faddish if one were to believe in the origin of the word, the earliest of which came in the first third of the 19th century. And since he's such a stickler for notions of "originalism," then he should know that. The entire notion of "interpretation" is up for debate here since there's no one interpretation of most anything and the specious idea that one needs to interpret the Constitution "according to its original meaning" is beyond Rubio's intellect. See Derrida. If one doesn't know what a fad is then one can't be expected to know what the original meaning of the Constitution is since it begs the question who has access to privileged meaning? See Derrida again. To even begin to interpret the Constitution's original meaning suggests that one not only knows the rhetoric of Constitution, but the rhetoric of the time. My guess is that Rubio (if not Scalia) has no bonafide notion of that, but even if he did, how does one take an 18th century document and use it to comply with 21st century "fads" without there being a rhetorical if not a political disparity? Not sure Jefferson, who read Homer in Greek for leisure, would agree with Rubio. If Rubio is adamant about a strict interpretation of the original meaning of the Constitution then one might think his notions of originalism should apply to his thoughts on Scripture. After all, what was good for the ancients should be good enough for us as well. At the Family Leadership Summit that was held in Iowa, Rubio along with the other Republican presidential candidates spoke about their faith and how they care for issues such as marriage, religious freedom and defeating Islamist terrorism. "The candidates spoke to the crowd and faced questions from the moderator, Frank Luntz, a political consultant and Fox News contributor, and the audience, with a Bible placed on the table next to them. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the first presidential candidate to address the annual event, picked up the Bible and read from Luke 12:48: "... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Advertisement It's an interesting quote especially when one considers he didn't really quote it correctly. And if we're going to be originalists about everything, why not the Bible? According to the Living Bible, Luke 12:48 reads: "But anyone who is not aware that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater." Apparently, Rubio was quoting from the King James Version, but regardless he "blasphemed" by misquoting the text which brings up the entire notion of "originalism." Is misquoting the Bible consequential? Absolutely. According to its derivation blasphemy may mean any species of calumny and abuse: see (1 Kings 21:10; Acts 18:6; Jude 1:9) etc. Blasphemy was punished by stoning, which was inflicted on the son of Shelomith. (Leviticus 24:11). If we're going to be Biblical originalists, then that failure by Rubio should be exercised and I'm wondering if Rubio's handlers are now looking when they can rent out Sun Life Stadium for that stoning event. Of course, the advantage to reading the U.S. Constitution is that it's written in English albeit 18th century English. Unless Rubio is adept at reading Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin etc. then how does he know what he's quoting is the original? Even the Bible Gateway offers no fewer than 55 English versions of Luke 12:48 so which one is the original? One version of Leviticus 20:27 states: "'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.'" That would put a lot of psychics out of a job including Dionne Warwick and the Psychic Friends Network. What a blood bath that would be. Then there's Leviticus 20:13: "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads" which is what a lot of Cruz supporters must agree with. Who can forget the memorable passage from one of Cruz's staunchest supports, Pastor Kevin Swanson, who has said in the past that Christians should attend gay weddings and hold up signs telling the newly married gay and lesbian couples that they "should be put to death." Hundreds of TNC trustees visited Capitol Hill last fall to discuss conservation issues with more than 100 members of Congress. Mike Olliver Mark Tercek is President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy and author of Nature's Fortune. Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkTercek. This piece originally appeared in the February/March 2016 issue of Nature Conservancy Magazine. There's a secret to the Nature Conservancy's success. Without it, our ambitious science-based conservation activities around the world would likely be much less successful. Advertisement We don't try to keep our global network of 1,325 volunteer trustees a secret, but their behind-the-scenes actions are often under the radar. Nevertheless, their collective efforts are absolutely essential to everything we do. Trustees are the committed community leaders from our state, regional and country programs who open doors and build relationships with the diverse private and public institutions with which we work. They are the civic activists who help advance our policy efforts. They create networks of influence. They introduce us to new philanthropists. They enable us to remain a grassroots organization with global reach. Our trustees bring a wealth of local connections, life experience and real-world savvy to bear on advancing conservation--in their own backyards and around the world. And, frankly, they inject passion and compassion into the day-to-day aspects of making conservation happen. I recently had the opportunity to witness our trustees in action. At TNC's annual Advocacy Day last fall, hundreds of trustees convened on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to engage more than 100 members of Congress on such topics as practical climate change solutions and resurrecting the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Trustees from other countries met with leaders at the World Bank, USAID and various foreign embassies to discuss how human well-being depends on nature-friendly development. Advertisement The trustees put a face on conservation for these members of Congress. They were not seen as part of a special interest group or as professional lobbyists but as constituents--well-informed, influential and concerned citizens. And for the international funding organizations, the trustees demonstrated real-world support for TNC programs. Furthermore, the energy and vitality of our trustees is contagious. On Election Day 2014, our trustees were instrumental in the success of 27 U.S. ballot measures that TNC supported across the political spectrum--in both red states and blue--that will raise more than $29 billion for open spaces, water protection, parks and trails. In most cases, people voted to raise their own taxes to pay for conservation. Although the men and women who make up our trustees range from young professionals to retirees, oftentimes it's the most elderly folks who are the most energetic, happy and youthful people in the room. Why is that? I can't count the number of times my wife, Amy, and I have noticed this, especially when we roll up our sleeves and work with TNC supporters. Morgan State University recently announced a $5 million gift from retired UPS senior executive Calvin Tyler and his wife Tina. This is one of the largest individual gifts given to an HBCU and the largest individual gift to Morgan State. What I found most interesting about Tyler's gift is that he did not actually graduate from Morgan State. The first person in his family to attend college, Tyler enrolled at Morgan State in 1961 to pursue a degree in business. Just two years later, Tyler had to leave the Maryland institution due to financial hardship; a story that is quite familiar to low-income, first generation college students. A dedicated and hard worker, Tyler easily climbed up the corporate ladder, eventually serving as senior vice president at UPS until he retired in 1998. As I've been researching alumni giving at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for decades, Tyler's story is particularly interesting to me. To date, I have interviewed over 1,000 alumni about their giving habits and Tyler is different. What we know is that those who don't finish college rarely give back to an institution. We also know that alumni giving rates at HBCUs are low -- with those at public HBCUs hovering near 5-6% and those at private HBCUs near 9-10%. Morgan State is doing something different and it's paying off. Advertisement Last year, I wrote an essay for the Huffington Post pertaining to Morgan State's alumni giving rate of 17%, which is substantially higher than that of the majority of public HBCUs. What I found is that the institution was employing myriad best practices in the area of fundraising and being deeply purposeful about its alumni interactions. Along with the fundraising staff, Morgan's president David Wilson, is educating alumni on the benefits of strong alumni participation, incentivizing alumni to give more and regularly, and meeting alumni where they want to give. For years, research has told us that African-Americans, and especially HBCU alumni, prefer to give toward scholarships. The leadership at Morgan State is giving more and more of these opportunities to alumni. The case of Calvin Tyler is connected to this effort even though he did not graduate. Tyler, through his endowed scholarship fund, is helping those like him -- who may not be able to afford college -- to succeed. His focus is on students from Baltimore who have at least a 2.5 grade point average and have demonstrated determination to persist in college. President Wilson and his team were able to cultivate Tyler in ways that spoke to his interests, his experience, and his life. From my vantage point, as a researcher studying HBCUs for over two decades and as the author or editor of many books on fundraising and two pertaining to fundraising at HBCUs, specifically, Morgan State is providing leadership for other public HBCUs. Unlike private HBCUs, public HBCUs are newer to the fundraising world -- just as most public institutions are. Alumni are often confused about the importance of their gifts due to the 'public' nature of the institutions. Morgan State is communicating the importance of alumni voices and contributions directly to alumni and it's working. In recent years, I have seen quite a few public HBCUs increase their fundraising potential -- from North Carolina A&T University to Florida A&M University to Prairie View A&M University to Alabama State University. I am hopeful that the alumni giving rates of public HBCUs will increase in the years to come and that more individuals that have achieved great success like Calvin Tyler, will remember where they began their careers and consider creating opportunities for others. Unless HBCU alumni support their alma mater, it is nearly impossible to convince others of the value of these venerable institutions. OPINION Amid the eight months of non-stop acrimony that preceded Gov. Bruce Rauner's 2016 Budget Address, it's easy to forget that -- almost exactly one year ago -- Rauner actually did offer a budget proposal for FY 2016. At first glance, it appeared to be a document woven from fantasy. It contained $2.2 billion in "savings" from a pension plan that had virtually no chance of surviving a constitutional challenge. It proposed Medicaid cuts of more than $850 million, but those savings were derived largely from re-implementation of a slew of failed savings efforts from a major Medicaid reform law passed in 2012. To maintain human services funding at FY 2015 levels would cost an estimated $5.7 billion in FY 2016. Rauner's budget called for $5 billion. Finding $700 million in cuts from this most sensitive of areas -- it covers services for the disabled, the elderly, the disadvantaged -- would be politically fraught and, as stories of real people suffering emerged, heartbreaking. Advertisement But on Feb. 18, 2015, Rauner's cuts-only budget felt like the opening move in a chess match that voters had scheduled when they elected their new governor. Back then, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were keenly aware that the state faced major fiscal hurdles. First up was a $1.6 billion shortfall in the FY 2015 budget. Looming larger, though, was a $6 billion gap between what it would take to maintain government services at 2015 levels and what the state would bring in during its first full budget year under income tax rates that had fallen by 25 percent on Jan. 1, 2015. Illinois' anemic economy was either a cause or an effect of its state fiscal policy, but it was there regardless. By year's end, Illinois would be one of the few states to see its economy contract. Illinois needed strong medicine and Rauner, the consummate deal-maker from the complicated and cutthroat private equity field, was the man chosen to get the deal done. A return to orderly, sensible government from a state best known for filling federal prisons with ex-governors was what Illinois needed most. A year later, we're still waiting for that deal. Orderly government? Please. The state's largest social services provider, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, in January cut 750 jobs and 30 programs because the state hasn't paid its bills. Businesses that longed for a stable tax and regulatory regime under a new administration instead have received tumult as the nearly 8-month-old budget impasse takes its toll on non-profits and higher education. (I urge you to spend a few minutes listening to small business owners and others tell their stories in this video from the Reboot Illinois/Small Business Advocacy Council town hall meeting last week.) Advertisement The Democrats who control the General Assembly aren't without fault, of course. House Speaker Michael Madigan's insistence that Rauner abandon "non-budget issues" -- workers' compensation reform, term limits and legislative redistricting reform among them -- in budget negotiations is laughable to those familiar with budget negotiations. Anything can be fair game when it comes to forging a budget deal. And Rauner is absolutely correct that the budget the Democrats sent him last May was wildly out of balance. By his estimate, $4 billion out of balance. But it wasn't that much more out of balance than Rauner's own budget proposal three months earlier. And the Democrats missed their mark by over-spending, not by concocting an imaginary $3 billion in pension and Medicaid savings. Don't fall for Rauner's rhetoric if, in his second Budget Address, he tries to claim, again, that he vetoed all but one bill of the Democrats' budget because it was "unconstitutional." The Illinois Constitution does not call for the General Assembly to hand the governor a balanced budget. For the record, here is what the Illinois Constitution says about the budget: The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The budget shall set forth the estimated balance of funds available for appropriation at the beginning of the fiscal year, the estimated receipts, and a plan for expenditures and obligations during the fiscal year of every department, authority, public corporation and quasi-public corporation of the State, every State college and university, and every other public agency created by the State, but not of units of local government or school districts. The budget shall also set forth the indebtedness and contingent liabilities of the State and such other information as may be required by law. Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget. (b) The General Assembly by law shall make appropriations for all expenditures of public funds by the State. Appropriations for a fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year. Had Rauner signed the Democrats' full budget as passed, we would have had a constitutional problem. In throwing out all but one of the 20 bills sent to him, Rauner rejected a chance to rewrite the budget to his liking -- and thus bring on full-bore negotiations -- in favor of a non-stop tour of ideological grandstanding. I know as well as anyone that Rauner is looking at the long-term here. He believes that today's damage is for the greater good in years to come. The problem is, today's damage matters. A student who has to put college plans on hold, even for a semester, because promised state financial aid was withdrawn has suffered a serious disruption. Families who lost vital services from LSSI and other private agencies are struggling with tomorrow, not some abstract future. Too often during this budget crisis, Rauner has seemed tone deaf to the immediate and very real fears of middle- and lower-income Illinoisans who are bearing its brunt. Advertisement An example? Here's Rauner's reaction in January when asked about the plight of Chicago State University, which is on the verge of closing its doors next month if state funding doesn't arrive: That's right. Maybe we should just take all that state funding and give it to Chicago State students so they can go to school somewhere else. A nice thought, unless you happen to be a Chicago State student in your second semester at the moment. Or if, like the majority of Chicago State students, you chose that school because it's close to where you live and you can afford it. How about this response, governor: "I want to reassure the students of Chicago State that their education will not be interrupted." Would that be so difficult? I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Illinois can't afford much more fiscal dysfunction as state government flies on auto-pilot into ever higher reaches of debt and unpaid bills. Advertisement Early word in Springfield is that Rauner in his second Budget Address will reaffirm his commitment to increasing funding for early childhood and K-12 education. That's a laudable goal. Our children are our future. And at the rate we're going, they'll need a solid K-12 education to achieve the high ACT scores necessary for colleges in states that have not run their public universities into the ground. Please, governor, hold the slogans on Feb 17. The campaign ended on Nov. 5, 2014. You won. You're the leader now. Please lead. HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 16: A Syrian refugee girl and a toddler, fled from Assad Regime's assaults with their families, are seen outside of the makeshift tents near a cemetery in Turkey's Syrian Border city Hatay's Kirikhan District on February 16, 2016. Approximately 125 Syrians, including 35 children, fled from civi war and lives in harsh conditions in their tents. (Photo by Burak Milli/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) In fiscal year 2016, the United States aims to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees. Canada, on the other hand, is on track to resettling 25,000 Syrian refugees--from November 2015 to March 2016. The stark discrepancy is amplified by the fact that the United States has a population ten times greater than Canada's. How is it that a nation with almost one-tenth of the population and a more modest GDP is far more willing to accept more Syrians fleeing violence and persecution? Advertisement There are three key reasons for this: overflowing compassion from the Canadian people and lawmakers, a streamlined refugee screening process, and the use of private refugee sponsorship. Clearly, there is a lot United States can learn from Canada. First, Canadian lawmakers have demonstrated great courage and empathy in accepting refugees from war-torn areas. A new report finds that 470,000 Syrians have died in the war since 2011. American politicians have fallen prey to fear as they call to reject refugees--a rejection of the classic American ethos of welcoming the most vulnerable. Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a powerful voice championing refugee resettlement, even greeting new arrivals at the airport with hugs and winter jackets. Second, Canada has aptly sensed the urgency of the Syrian crisis, and accordingly has sped up their refugee screening process. Five hundred additional Canadian officials were sent to Jordan and Lebanon to screen candidates. The entire operation, from the original application to ultimate arrival in Canada, is only a 10-month process--far more expedient than the United States' two to three-year ordeal. And no evidence suggests their approach is any less safe than ours. Indeed, Canada is relying on American intelligence and databases for its own reviews. The third crucial component is that the Canadian resettlement process empowers humanitarian organizations, community actors, and individual donors to play a pivotal role in aiding refugees. Since 1979, the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program has resettled 235,000 refugees from over 140 countries with private resources. Advertisement From November 2015 to the end of March 2016, the Canadian government seeks to resettle a total of 25,000 Syrians. Ten thousand of them--40 percent of Canada's goal--will come via private sponsorship. This means that the Canadian private sector will resettle more refugees in four months than the United States government will in 12 months. Private sponsorship works because it links compassionate Canadians to refugees. It enables Canadians to sponsor their families, friends, and strangers that have been caught in the crossfires of turmoil. And it fosters lifelong relationships between refugees and sponsors. According to a 2007 study conducted by the Canadian government, privately-sponsored refugees become self-supporting far more quickly than those sponsored by government. Privately-sponsored refugees also report higher levels of satisfaction with their resettlement experience. Private refugee sponsorship is endorsed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, among other scholars and think-tank officials. Influential billionaires, like George Soros, have also expressed their approval of the idea, suggesting significant funding may also be available in the United States. The Obama Administration should show the world that the United States once again is a champion of refugees and vulnerable people. While Canada deserves a humanitarian round of applause for their resettlement program, the United States could respond similarly. The president should pop the cap off American generosity, streamlining the refugee process and legalizing private refugee sponsorship. Advertisement Scotch bourbon whiskey drink cocktail on bar counter. Whiskey has been witness to the roots of American history dating back to before our country's founding. Heck, whiskey even started its own Rebellion in 1791 pitting rye farmers against George Washington over the first ever federal tax on a US made product. Taxation without libation doesn't sound very democratic to us. For the curious or unfamiliar (or the just too shy to ask), whiskey is a distilled alcohol made with fermented grains like barley, corn, wheat and rye depending on what's local to each whiskey-making region. It turns out that what originally grew best in the South was rye, which also offered a signature spicy flavor. Like every libation that's lasted hundreds of years, Southern whiskey has occasionally fallen out of favor when the next shiny Red Bull cocktail comes along. But classics are classics and whiskey has recently surged back in vogue with a vengeance including both distilleries that have been around since the beginning as well as a crop of newer boutique micro-distilleries that are reviving this historic craft (with the help of some very experienced mixologists). Advertisement So if you're looking for a sure-fire way to get your cocktail hour started in the right direction (or to impress your guests) here are three simple-to-follow recipes for iconic whiskey cocktails straight from the distilleries themselves. As we whip ourselves up some whiskey classics, one thing we'll be happy for are the farmers in 1791 who fought to keep making whiskey! The Sazerac Cocktail hails from New Orleans (from an historic distillery) and is often referred to as "America's First Branded Cocktail". This classic drink was originally created by Antoine Amedie Peychaud, a local apothecary owner (and a natural mixologist) in 1850 using Sazerac French brandy, absinthe and a dash of his own Peychaud's Bitters. The drink became very popular and was served in the local "coffehouses" (code for bar back in the 1800s), most closely associated with the wildly popular, Sazerac Coffee House. In 1850, Sewell Taylor, the owner of the Sazerac Coffe House, institutionalized the recipe made with Sazerac French brandy and Peychaud's Bitters and became the first "branded" cocktail. With the rise of rye whiskey distillation in the US, in 1873 brandy was replaced by rye whiskey and a dash of absinthe was added. In 1940, the official Sazerac Cocktail was founded including a French pastis made of wormwood known as Herbsaint that would become the official absinthe for the this historic cocktail. Finally, in 2000 the last modification of the official recipe below was made with the use of Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Since the late 1800s the Sazerac Company has distilled an ever-increasing line of fine spirits, and today remains independent and American-family owned. Would you expect anything else from a company that owns and operates many of America's most venerable distilling companies including Buffalo Trace Distillery, A. Smith Bowman, Glenmore Distillery, Barton, Fleischmann, Medley, and Mr. Boston? Cheers to that! Advertisement Ingredients: 1 cube sugar 1 ounces Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon ounce Herbsaint 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters Lemon peel Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud's Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube Add the Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel The Manhattan is a beloved classic on a roaring comeback. Once a drink associated with the more "distinguished ages", this simple cocktail is once again showing off its timeless versatility. The Manhattan has an ambiguous history with its roots most likely connected to the New York City-based Manhattan Club, a swanky social club for political and financial powerbrokers in the 1870s. However, there were similar recipes from other locations including the South. Regardless of origin the original Manhattan drink consisted of a mix of American whiskey, Italian vermouth, and Angostura bitters (also used in an Old Fashioned cocktail). Since the original concoction there have been lots of iterations. This spin on the classic is from Lyon Distilling, a new and fast-growing player in the boutique market for small batch whiskey (and rum) distillation located in Talbot County, Maryland in the historic, waterfront town of St. Michaels. After Prohibition several Maryland-based whiskey distilleries came and went. Founded in 2013, Lyon Distilling is the first whiskey distillery to open its doors on the Eastern Shore in forty-two years to bring back the historic craft. Maryland Manhattan Cocktail Advertisement Ingredients: 3 ounces of Lyon Free State Maryland Rye Whiskey 1.5 ounces of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth Dash of DC Aromatic Bitters Mix all of the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a coupe glass One of the best things about classic whiskey cocktails is that many of them don't have roots in the South at all. Some after 100 years have taken on flavors and twists from around the country. All of which is a testament to the appeal of American whiskey drinks in the first place. The Pennsylvania Derby was inspired by the classic Brown Derby drink that originated in the early 1920s and was named after the Brown Derby restaurant located in Los Angeles, California in the early Hollywood days. This modern-day version comes from Heaven Hill Brands, America's largest independent and family-owned distilled spirits company located in Bardstown, Kentucky. Their National Brand Educator Lynn House says it's the fan favorite at any time of year. But what's with the name? Shouldn't it be the Kentucky Derby? The Pennsylvania Derby is named after the state where the signature Rittenhouse ingredient hails from, which along with Domaine de Canton, gives this modern spin its classic honey flavor with ginger notes as a compliment. One more insider secret: House recommends a ruby red grapefruit juice. Which also pair perfectly with brunch. Pennsylvania Derby Ingredients: 2 ounces Rittenhouse 1 ounces Domaine de Canton 1 ounce grapefruit juice When I listen to noted scientists Steven Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson, or try to comprehend the immense impact of the recently discovered gravitational waves, I quickly get overwhelmed by both the subject matter and its preceptors. I am in awe of the intense genius that came up with these ideas in the first place, the brilliance of those who disseminate it, and grapple with how far short my above-average mind falls. Scientists must be really, really smart, I think to myself. And if I'm thinking it, you can bet my students are too. "I'm just not good at math," they explain. ' In the classroom, math mistakes result in low grades. At NASA, math mistakes such as not converting between English and metric units cost the loss of a $125 million dollar Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft. For both students with high aspirations and scientists alike, neither of these consequences is acceptable. So, just how smart do you have to be to become a scientist? The better question is, "How hard am I willing to work to become good at science and math? There's a belief in the United States that there are two types of people -- those who are good at math, and those who aren't. And yet, studies have shown very few, if any, genetic differences between a strong mathematician and someone "not good at math." The reason is clear. Everyone has the capacity to be successful at math. However, by labeling ourselves from an early age as either "good at math" or "bad at math," these labels become self-fulfilling prophecies. Sure, on occasion, there have been extreme math geniuses in our midst, but for the most part, math skills are the direct effect of two things -- diligence and confidence. Advertisement I used to teach in a rural largely Hispanic high school. Halfway through the year, a new student from China joined our Physics class. My students teased the class's top student that he would now be relegated to second place. Clearly, they were invested in the Asian stereotype, even if they had never met an Asian person before. Joining a new school in the middle of the school year is difficult for any student, especially one with a poor command of the language. I sent everyone home with a new assignment that day, that built on a previous lesson. The new Chinese student asked me questions after class about the homework assignment, making it apparent that he had very limited prior content knowledge. Imagine my surprise when he returned the next day with the completed assignment in hand. It was all the more surprising when only one other student in the class completed the assignment, the "formerly" top student. To my students, the Asian myth was perpetuated, commenting in awe about the new genius in their midst. From my vantage point, I saw something totally different. I saw a student, unfamiliar with the subject matter or the previous lesson, who did what was necessary to learn the new material and return to school prepared. In the book Intelligence and How to Get It, Richard E. Nisbett writes about how Chinese, Japanese and Korean educational systems focus more on hard work than on natural abilities. Here are some of Nisbett's findings. Advertisement Children in Japan go to school 240 days a year, as opposed to the 180 days our American students attend. Further, Japanese high school students in the 1980s studied at least 3 and a half hours a day, which is likely to have increased over time. American students, on the other hand, spend more of that time online, using social media and chatting with friends. Asian students see intelligence as malleable, meaning that it can be acquired. American students see intelligence and aptitude as something you're born with. When Asian students perform poorly, they work harder at it. When American students perform poorly, they often blame the test, the teacher, or their own inabilities. Rarely do they attribute poor performance on lack of effort. Finally, Asian culture values persistence in the face of failure, and criticism as a guiding force toward self-improvement. American students, especially the most privileged, are rarely allowed to fail, thereby lacking the valuable lessons that failure teaches, and ward off criticism as attacks on their fragile self-esteem. I am from Sierra Leone, although a friend insists that by making my home in the UK I am insufficiently committed to creating change in a country that has bore the brunt of war, disease and decades of poverty. He's from Ghana - the country we jokingly call Africa for beginners, or Africa Lite. Unfortunately, if the Sierra Leonean version of Africa is the real thing, then the joke's on us. Ghana has well-stocked supermarkets, clean streets, good schools and universities, and economic opportunities that the majority of Sierra Leone's citizens can only dream about. But dig beneath the surface and Sierra Leone's potential to be the second Africa Lite becomes very clear. I recently launched a Sierra Leonean focused business and investment magazine. It's the country's first, and seeing as it was launched a few months ago, it remains the country's only. Freetown Insight came about, not just because there is a gap in the market, but because quite frankly I've been startled by the entrepreneurialism of Sierra Leone's business community - to say nothing of their dogged persistence and nerves of steel in the face of all manner of threats. They are simply jaw-dropping. Why many more of them aren't in demand on the lecture circuit, or the subject of MBA case histories, I really can't say. In the magazine's four months of existence, I've spoken to business people who have weathered the most extraordinary of business conditions, only to keep on doing what they are doing. Take James Sanpha Koroma who returned to Sierra Leone after several years of political exile to set up Union Trust Bank. This was at a time when every other private bank in the country had gone into receivership, and the country was sinking deeper into civil strife. As well as exile, his CV includes trumped up corruption charges, forays into public service, public honours and 20 years of banking success in a country that has stubbornly refused to budge from the bottom 10 or so of the Human Development Index. Advertisement Or Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of IDEA (UK) and team - who are dead set on bringing the Hilton to Sierra Leone. Hilton Cape Sierra is a project they started in 2011. Thus far, they have raised millions of dollars in investment, given up dependable well-paid jobs, sold their homes and watched the project almost slip through their fingers when in the face of Sierra Leone's highly unreliable water and electricity supply, Hilton insisted on desalination and power plants. If IDEA had opted for Holiday Inn instead of Hilton, they would have a going concern by now, but their vision for Sierra Leone wouldn't accept anything less. "Hilton is the most recognised name in the hotel industry globally. We chose Hilton because we want the best for Sierra Leone," Yvonne says. Our private sector produces people of outstanding calibre, who will fill the pages of Freetown Insight for many years to come. This is good news for Sierra Leone's post-Ebola recovery, which makes private sector development an economic priority. It also begs the question - why with such impressive business people does our economy languish so persistently in the doldrums? There are the obvious answers - corruption, a not particularly enabling environment, many years of war, a crippling skills shortage and of course Ebola - to name just a few. With political will these can be remedied. Indeed, Sierra Leone's Post-Ebola Recovery Plan makes a priority of health, education, social protection, private sector development, energy, water and governance. Harder to dismantle will be the suspicion felt by many of Sierra Leone's business men and women towards innovation, especially when it comes from outside. The business community which has survived threats that would cripple most other businesses, has bonded through adversity. And as one well-intentioned initiative after another has foundered and failed, their solution to risk has become defence instead of change. They have been under siege for so long, they have circled the wagons. Advertisement But to be effective in Sierra Leone's post Ebola economic development, the private sector has to become an agent of change, opening itself up to innovation, adopting standards and practices that encourage international competitiveness. James Sanpha Koroma created a banking institution in the unlikeliest of times by seizing the opportunity of change. The team who are bringing the Hilton to Sierra Leone, also saw and seized an opportunity for change. The results speak for themselves. Message to media pundits: "It's the Corporatocracy, stupid!" Government has been coopted in service of the corporate bottom line, bought by the likes of the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council which writes model laws to supplant democracy and overcome the common good. Sen. Bernie Sanders is the one candidate who speaks the truth about subversion of democracy, the cooption of government to serve corporate elites -- government by and for the corporations instead of the people. The most recent "trade deal," the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- named "NAFTA on Steroids" -- has little to do with trade. Every trade agreement in recent history, including NAFTA and Korea, has resulted in increased U.S. trade deficits -- more imports and fewer exported goods, and increased offshoring of jobs. TPP is primarily a means to global governance, placing multinational corporations in charge. Corporations will be permitted to establish a separate global court system intended to bypass the sovereignty of nations, to circumvent U.S. democracy, its courts, legislature and Constitution. It will enable corporate enterprises to sue cities, states or nations to overturn laws and regulations in order to recover expected future profits. It is the ultimate corporate power grab. Advertisement ALEC's Triple Assault On Democracy The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) acts as a catalyst, bringing together legislators and their corporate funders in common cause to write legislation in service of their corporate bottom lines. Achieving corporate goals begins with suppressing voter participation, creating barriers to direct democracy, and pouring massive amounts of money into campaigns, initiatives and litigation. ALEC membership reportedly costs legislators $50 to $100 annually, while corporate members pay $10,000 to $25,000. ALEC is also subsidized by direct grants from corporations - Exxon Mobil reportedly gave $1.4 million from 1998-2009. Foundations like that of the Koch family also bestow generous grants. ALEC works hand-in-glove with industry to write corporate-friendly model legislation. Some examples: Prison Industrial Complex Writes Immigration Law Model legislation written by ALEC with member Corrections Corporation of America, the largest private prison corporation in the country, augments CCA profits made from imprisoning immigrants. "Breathing while brown" legislation passed in Arizona and promoted in other states, permits police officers to stop anyone they think may be undocumented, and to imprison anyone whose papers are not in order. ALEC & Utilities Promote Climate Change Denial & Suppression of Solar Energy Actively promoting climate change denial, ALEC has drafted model legislation in Florida to depress incentives for rooftop solar by ending net metering (the ability to sell excess electricity back to utility companies). At the request of the Florida's Utility Companies, the state Public Service Commission voted to end Florida's solar rebate program at the end of 2015, and to slash the previously adopted energy efficiency goal by 90 percent. In December 2014, the Public Service Commission reportedly gave Florida Power and Light permission to collect $191 million from customers, to use to enter the fracking industry with a natural gas venture in Oklahoma. Preemption of Local Gun Laws Beginning in the 1990s ALEC worked with the gun industry to enact preemption of gun laws in almost every state. Additionally, "super-preemption" legislation pushed by the industry creates "private right of action" allowing individuals or groups the right to sue local governments or local officials if they believe they are enforcing local firearms laws. Advertisement In 2003, a mere four years after the Columbine High School carnage, a state bill to preempt local gun safety laws (SB-03-25) was signed into law by Colorado Governor Bill Owens, rendering numerous local gun ordinances across the state unenforceable. Denver is the only Colorado city to challenge the preemption law in court. Subsequently its existing bans on assault weapons and open carry of firearms were upheld on a tie vote by the Colorado Supreme Court in 2006. Crushing Participatory Democracy by Supplanting Voter, Worker & Local Power As conservative courts have pursued judicial activism in recent decades to reverse the power equation between corporations and the people who created them, unlimited cash has come to dominate and corrupt politics, exacerbated by the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and decades of policies that effectively transfer wealth upward. All that is left for friends of oligarchs is to crush participatory democracy. A primary goal of ALEC and its local government subsidiary, the American City County Exchange (ACCE) has been to limit voting and subvert democracy, while ensuring unlimited corporate campaign spending in service of their conservative agenda. They have purposefully erected barriers to voting in the form of photo ID laws and proof of citizenship requirements, intended to disenfranchise voters least likely to support right-wing candidates. In addition to controlling who gets to vote, ALEC and ACCE seek to control what people get to vote on, as they work to preempt local laws and to place the ballot initiative process out of reach. Karen Moreau of the American Petroleum Institute ironically lectured local leaders at one ACCE gathering about the dangers of local control, comparing the rise of fascism in Hitler's Germany to opposition to fracking in local communities. The better to exploit workers, ALEC-allied corporations seek to ban collective bargaining for public sector unions. Further crippling unions, so-called "paycheck protection" laws prevent the use of union dues for political purposes without annual reauthorization from each member. ALEC-promoted "right-to-work" campaigns undermine private sector unions. Still more worker assaults preempt minimum wage increases, and require a higher burden of proof in workers' compensation cases, while removing no-fault provisions, effectively compelling a worker who loses a claim to pay the employer's legal fees. Advertisement ALEC and ACCE target local government regulations that "hurt economic growth," a euphemism for overcoming unobstructed corporate profits. So, too, do efforts to privatize public services (ostensibly "to promote limited government") transfer the Public Commons to corporations, boosting the corporate bottom line at the expense of the people. Some prime targets of privatization include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, public schools, state pensions, etc. Preemption of local governance violates core conservative and democratic principles, effectively stripping power from locally elected officials, and denying voters democratic process. Hailed by ALEC, Michigan's Emergency Management Laws permit a single governor-appointed Emergency Manager to replace all locally elected officials in a municipality, granting him power to destroy collective bargaining, to lower wages for public workers, to break public employee contracts, and to sell off public assets to the private sector. In such a capacity, a Flint, Michigan Emergency Manager triggered one of the greatest toxic water emergencies in the U.S. by switching Flint's water supply from Detroit's system to the contaminated Flint River "to save money." One-Two Punch: Preemption Laws & Litigation Because it is easier for industry to work their money and influence in 50 state legislatures than in thousands of municipalities, ALEC creates model state preemption laws to directly or retroactively block local laws and ordinances. Preemption laws strip the right of local governance surrounding every conceivable issue, including minimum wage, paid sick leave and benefits, pensions, rent control, community broadband, cyanide heap leach mining, high-volume slick-water hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), pesticide and GMO restrictions, plastic bag bans, gun safety laws, factory farming, or anything else industry desires to control. ALEC and ACCE were spurred to swift action against municipal governments after successful efforts in cities including Seattle and Los Angeles to increase wages in 2014, as well as the passage of an Earned Sick Days ballot measure in Trenton, New Jersey that was challenged in court by six trade associations. ALEC allies pursue a dual-track strategy of direct or retroactive preemption legislation plus litigation, a one-two punch intended to intimidate and frighten other localities from enacting progressive policies. So, too, did the oil and gas industry swiftly file a lawsuit in reaction to a 2014 ballot initiative banning fracking in the town of Denton, Texas. State legislators responded with a deluge of preemption bills to prohibit local authority over public health and safety, and to subject local ballot initiatives to pre-approval by the state attorney general. A Republican Texas legislator and ALEC national chairman has called for another tactic favored by industry, a "fiscal impact" assessment of the cost in tax revenue of any local regulation of oil and gas - a largely subjective exercise likely to be narrowly defined by and for industry. Advertisement Oil & Gas Industry Targeting of the Citizens Ballot Initiative Process The ultimate takedown of direct democracy has been the targeting of citizen ballot initiatives, placing the process out of reach for all but the wealthy elite. In response to proposals for worker protection or industry regulation, ALEC advocates making it harder to qualify referendum language, and requiring super-majorities to pass fiscal ballot issues. A 2006 ALEC Resolution asserts, "The legislative process should be the principal policy-making vehicle for developing state law" -- the legislature being the point at which corporate lobbyists exert maximum influence, and citizens the least. Several municipal fracking bans and moratoriums in Colorado since 2012 have also been met with industry lawsuits. Fracking-restrictive ballot initiatives in 2014 prompted stepped-up challenges to the citizens ballot initiative process by oil and gas front groups. Called a preemptive strike against anticipated 2016 ballot measures to moderate or ban oil and gas drilling in local communities, HB15-1057 was promoted by the group Colorado Concern, the primary force behind two 2014 Colorado pro-oil industry ballot measures - Amendment 121 and Amendment 137. The latter served as the model for HB15-1057. It required any group seeking to ban commercial activities such as oil and gas drilling, to post a "fiscal impact" statement on every initiative petition - obviously intended to be a narrow, industry-sanctioned statement. The prescribed statement would no doubt disregard costs to air, water, human health, or economic, environmental and social costs of industrial operations near schools and neighborhoods. Bill language states that any "dissenting" opinions on the fiscal impact note are to be posted on a "Legislative Council website" - largely out of public view. The two 2014 industry ballot measures were eventually withdrawn - traded in the compromise between Gov. Hickenlooper and Rep. Jared Polis that killed Polis' ballot measures, Amendments 88 and 89, respectively establishing 2,000 foot setbacks for oil and gas wells, and the environmental right of cities and counties to clean air, pure water and natural scenic values. Advertisement Heavily promoted by Gov. John Hickenlooper and sponsored by Democratic Rep. Lois Court and Republican House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, HB15-1057 was acknowledged to be redundant, as a Blue Book evaluation with a fiscal impact analysis of each ballot initiative is already sent to every voter. Rep. Court said fiscal impact should link limitations on fracking with reduced tax revenues and consequent reduced funding for public services. The president of the Colorado Petroleum Association Stan Dempsey laughed at the notion that a fiscal impact statement on petitions would impede signature gathering, because signature gatherers "are paid anyway." Only initiatives with considerable money behind them can afford to pay signature gatherers. No Colorado citizen initiative in recent decades has made it to the ballot without substantial money behind it. Dempsey is among industry advocates quick to invoke school funding in their cause, arguing that a larger setback for oil and gas drilling will result in lost property tax revenue that would go to fund schools. The Incestuous Web of Oil and Gas Front Groups Vaunting its "unprecedented access to opinion leaders and elected officials," Colorado Concern's website describes the group as "the colossal powerhouse of invisible politics," "an exclusive alliance of top executives," and an "invitation-only" group comprised of "more than 110 private sector CEOs and civic leaders." The website states, "Colorado Concern promotes an environment that maximizes business profitability and certainty," and boasts of "its ability to financially support issues and candidates that positively impact the state's economic well-being." A thinly veiled cover for promotion of industry at the expense of democracy, CC's professed mission "..is to ensure that the decisions that are made by our elected leaders, and through direct democracy at the ballot box, are aligned with a vision that leads to a healthy, robust and growing economy" -- translated, "approved by industry." With two full-time lobbyists, Colorado Concern's former president Tamra Ward counted hers among 38 groups promoting HB15-1057. A member of interactive oil and gas front groups, Ward has also served on the 2014 "Leadership Team" of Coloradans for Responsible Reform; the Board of Directors of Vital for Colorado; and the Advisory Committee for Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development. CRED was founded and primarily funded by the two largest oil and gas companies operating in Colorado -- Anadarko Petroleum and Noble Energy, who finance endless media ads touting good things that fracking brings to life. Advertisement Like Colorado Concern,Coloradans for Responsible Reform (CFRR) regard their primary mission "to support or oppose ballot measures having a major impact on Colorado's economic vitality and quality of life." Any effort to address health and environmental effects of oil and gas drilling CFRR portrays in industry vernacular, as "a serious threat to Colorado's job base and economic recovery." The group decried the notion of "local control" that might increase existing 500 feet setbacks between new wells and homes "up to a half-mile." Gov. John Hickenlooper joined CFRR in vowing to defeat Rep. Polis' 2014 Initiatives 88 and 89. Declaring "an attack on even one industry is an attack on the state's economy," CFRR wrote a news release in May of 2014 announcing that its self-described folksy-sounding "Citizens' Brigade" had in less than a week raised"over three-quarters of a million dollars" to defeat "anti-business questions" - namely, ballot initiatives intended to mitigate the effects of fracking. Group member Mayor Tom Norton denounced local control as "local tyranny," an attempt to "shut down any business someone may not like." Seven maps reveal the intersection of Oil and Gas influence in Colorado -- an incestuous web of oil and gas front groups that heavily influence activity under the Capitol Dome. Branded by some "frackademia", the term describes the industry practice of funding and directing its own environmental and economic studies. The Colorado oil and gas industry and its allies have funded and orchestrated studies and the selective release of their data by the Colorado University Leeds School of Business at Boulder. One such study - the 2014 Fracking Ban Report -- took the industry position that regulatory power by communities affected by fracking would hurt Colorado's economy. The report, funded by another industry front group, the Common Sense Policy Roundtable (CSPR), did not reveal the group's financial ties to the fracking industry. Such reports are swiftly and strategically leaked to industry groups, often quoted by the same industry insiders who directed and funded them. An earlier 2014 House Concurrent Resolution sponsored by Rep. Court would have required double the number of voter signatures to place a citizen initiative on the ballot, as well as a percentage of signatures from each of Colorado's seven congressional districts. A similar measure being advanced as a 2016 ballot initiative by yet another group, Building a Better Colorado, is likely to require a super-majority (2/3 vote) to pass a state constitutional amendment, and a percentage of signatures from each congressional or legislative district. Advertisement Some cite the harmful effects of the Colorado TABOR Amendment as reason to cripple the ballot initiative process. They fail to acknowledge that TABOR was a complex multi-subject initiative that passed in 1992, before a single-subject rule was instituted in Colorado. Complex multi-subject initiatives are no longer permitted on the state ballot. Among other effects, TABOR cripples Colorado's budget by consistently ratcheting down the amount of taxes collected, depleting school funding (among other items) so that the state ranks 42nd in the nation for per-pupil spending. TABOR needs to be addressed on its own merits or lack thereof. Similar ALEC model legislation has been introduced in other states, including Florida in 2011. Too many in the political class have been unwilling to challenge anti-tax demagoguery advanced by groups like ALEC. When the wave of violence that hit Ciudad Juarez intensified in 2008, our city underwent startling changes. We saw some of our neighbors and local businesses leave the city; going just a few miles north to our neighbor El Paso or to other cities in Mexico. We also saw our city's communal spaces and neighborhoods shut down, dramatically taking a toll on the heart and soul of our city. However, in the last couple of years, we have witnessed an incredible feat taking place in Ciudad Juarez. We have seen our city fight to reclaim its soul and restore safety and security for its residents. As an entrepreneur, I was among many that understood the negative economic and social impacts that violence could bring to our city. Ciudad Juarez, after all, has always been a strategic city for people interested in doing business on both sides of the border and for people looking to visit the United States or Mexico. Advertisement We didn't want to lose that advantage because people were too scared to visit, settle or do business in Juarez. That's why when the violence escalated; local leaders from various sectors came together to form La Mesa de Seguridad y Justicia, a roundtable that brings residents and business leaders together with government officials to talk about how to collectively address crime and restore public safety. La Mesa serves as a place where mediation between government, residents, and the business sector takes place. It's also the platform through which citizens raise concerns about public safety in their own neighborhoods. The results? In the last five years, we have seen the number of reported homicides drop from 3,057 in 2010 to just 311 in 2015 consistent with most large cities. And this month, Juarez was officially removed from the list of the most dangerous cities in the world. Advertisement I wish La Mesa de Seguridad y Justicia--and other sister organizations in Juarez--could take credit for our city's progress, but the reality is that it has been a collective effort on many fronts. The business community has brought innovation to Juarez and new training opportunities for our workforce to compete in the global economy. This year, Technology Hub, a seed accelerator and business incubator in Juarez will be expanding its campus to give Juarenses access to the latest technologies they'll need to innovate and create new products. If you walk through TechHub you think you're in Silicon Valley and it gives you hope that the next tech boom could happen in Juarez. The philanthropic community has found ways to give youth and residents hope to see a future here in Juarez and the ability to congregate in public spaces once again. La Fundacion Comunitaria de la Frontera Norte has brought philanthropic organizations together to focus on Juarez's youth, helping them connect with career development opportunities as well as focusing on their well-being. Simultaneously, new public spaces such as a world-class children's museum in the heart of Juarez as well as old public spaces such as the central markets people shop on the weekends at, have become places where Juarenses interact and build the future of our city. Advertisement I could go on forever because the changes that have occurred in the last five years are incredible and worth telling. However, many of these changes have gone unnoticed by outsiders, even by our neighbors just a few miles to the North. Popular narratives continue to paint Ciudad Juarez as a lawless city running wild with violence and news outlets focus on the once held title as "murder capital" more so than the progress we are making. With Pope Francis' visit to our city, there is an opportunity to celebrate the progress our city has made towards rebuilding peace and safety for our citizens. Eiffel Tower at park, Paris, France When living abroad, you will undoubtedly experience anxiety, loneliness and an overall sense of displacement most of the time. Even when you finally feel settled in and comfortable, when you finally start to make friends, and when you finally no longer feel like a visitor, you will long to connect with people from your background. You will long to connect with "home" in some way. That was my experience when living in St. Etienne, France for an entire academic year. I was beyond thrilled to be living in Europe as it was my dream since I was 10 but I wanted so badly to just... see another American or Jamaican, like myself. Advertisement Over the past 20 years, we have seen technology take-off from having massive computer monitors that worked on a dial-up modem in your house (that you could only use if nobody was on the house phone) to being able to access the internet on small portable devices almost everyone has in their pockets. If I were living in France now instead of 14 years ago, perhaps my loneliness wouldn't have been so strong. So here's a list of the 8 things I wish I'd had while living in France. 1. High Speed Internet In my earlier paragraph, I mentioned a "house phone." To the millennial babies out there, a house phone is one that would plug into the socket where your Internet router goes... in your house. If, and only if, your family could afford the very large, very expensive computers back in the day, you could not get on the Internet if someone was on the house phone! And once you could get online, the computer would have to dial a number to gain a connection that would take a few minutes before it became strong enough for you to surf freely. It was annoying to say the least. I remember afternoons spent in the Internet lounge at my university in France, all due to the lack of high speed Internet. It was an event, sending an email. I didn't have a computer in my dorm (remember, they had enormous monitors and were quite pricey back then. There was no way I was hauling one across the Atlantic), so my American friends and I would journey down the hill and across campus to where the computers lived. I believe we called it "computer heaven" because it was a room filled with computers that the students could access for studying and research purposes. We used it to email home. But what a headache! Sometimes 15 minutes would pass before we could finally get logged on to the Internet. That's also assuming we did not have to wait for a computer! Therefore we didn't go to computer heaven often but when we did, we had lots of long stories to tell in one sitting. High speed Internet, whether in an internet cafe or on my phone, would have been such a blessing back then. I would've written my family and friends more if I could've gotten connected faster and plus, I would have felt connected to the world as well. Advertisement 2. Smart Phones Which leads me to the next item on my retro wish list: Smart phones. Having a cell phone is helpful if you're having an emergency, running late for an engagement or working remotely, but when living in a foreign country, its simple purpose of communicating with your loved ones at home holds the most importance. But having a smart phone takes all of the aforementioned values to another level. If I'd had a smart phone in France instead of my simple Nokia cell phone, I would have been able to send those lengthy emails from my phone instead of waiting in line at my campus's Internet lounge and crossing my fingers for a stable Internet connection. Traveling around France and neighboring countries would have been easier as well because I would have had access to the train schedules and maps. 3. Streaming How did we ever survive without streaming? If I had to go a week without watching TV, I think I would implode due to boredom. So as someone living in the PC -- Post Cable -- era, I rely heavily on streaming. I watch Hulu for my sitcoms and TV dramas that I cannot watch in real-time and use Netflix for movies, off mainstream shows and for catching interesting documentaries. Just the other day when I wasn't feeling well, I could watch my church service online (thank you streaming), watch the episode of Black-ish I missed that week and then a movie on Netflix that evening. How convenient! God bless you Apple TV and Amazon Fire Sticks. 4. Social Media I am sure the benefits to having social media available while studying abroad are obvious. Though sometimes misused, social media can be a magnificent tool for keeping in touch with people you hold dear to your heart. Whatever your purpose, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram can make you feel closer to home. If they were around when I studied abroad, the desire to remain connected would have been pacified a bit through my use of social media. If I had Instagram in 2001, I could have instantly posted photos of my excursions to the French countryside or weekend trips to Lyon and Paris. People would be able to see the things that perhaps my 35mm camera's film couldn't capture, due to filtering and photo editing. I wouldn't have had to pay Eckerd's to have my 200+ photos physically developed upon my return to the USA and placed in an actual photo album, but instead digitally store them without fear of the inevitable aging and acidic discoloration that printed pictures often encounter over time. 5. Blogging Blogging is a great way to let your voice be heard, quickly and for an audience. I wouldn't have had to draft novel-length emails if I had a blog site for all of my friends and family to see. And due to the complexity of sending emails back then, it would have been easier to simply post to a site and have my friends read it at their leisure. Nowadays, one could get a domain name for free and set it up within minutes! A blog site would be very beneficial for all students studying abroad, because it could be treated as an electronic journal that can be easily accessed by everyone at any time. Those printed memories would live forever because hey, it's the Internet. Advertisement 6. Texting Not everyone was walking around with cell phones in their purses when I was living abroad. We did not have apps; we barely had funky ringtones, ring-backs and text messaging capabilities. When I was living in France in 2000-2001, people were texting but it wasn't like it is now: Each number on your phone's keypad had at least three letters on it, and you'd have to double-tap the #1 button to get a B instead of an A or a C. Texting was annoying and it took forever if you had a lot to say! There was no such thing as an emoji or text language like LOL, IDK or SMH. The number symbol did not reflect a trending topic. People weren't texting instead of calling, like they do now. My classmates and I knew that in order to speak with our families, we had to purchase phone cards for long-distance calls and when we ran out of minutes, we would have to purchase more. Time literally was money. But texting itself has evolved since then. It's not difficult anymore because the keypads have changed. People with iPhones can send iMessages over a Wi-Fi connection. It has grown to become quite convenient instead of a hassle. And texting in general could have helped circumvent those phone call expenses seeing as it is a lot cheaper to text than it is to call overseas. Which leads me to #7... 7. WhatsApp WhatsApp is great for those living abroad. I use it habitually to text my friends and family in Jamaica as well as in Europe, without paying a dime. This free app has the same capabilities as texting, meaning I can send pictures of my new car and they can send me videos of my cousin's first birthday party. WhatsApp also has some different functions like the capacity to make phone calls through the app itself, over a Wi-Fi connection. 8. FaceTime All of the above inventions are well and good but with the creation of FaceTime, communicating with technology was brought to another level. The loneliness I mentioned at the beginning of this post was partly due to not being able to see the people I missed. The happiness I would have felt if I were able to make a phone call that allowed me to see their faces is indescribable. And how cool would it have been if I could FaceTime my sister from the Eiffel Tower or take my brother along with me as I strolled down the Champs-Elysees? Missing those closest to you are what you miss the most when you're living in a foreign country, so being able to see a smile or even a tear could make a big difference with how one copes with such separation. Also on HuffPost: I've noticed that when I'm at LGBTQ functions, and I say, "Oh, I'm the son of an immigrant mom from Mexico," and some will joke, "Was she illegal?" I had to sort of step back for a second and comprehend that just because people are LGBTQ, doesn't mean that they're fully progressive or fully up to date on all issues affecting all communities, such as the immigrant community or other groups. I had to respond, "Well, yes, I was the son of an undocumented immigrant, but she has her papers now and is a U.S. citizen." Ford Motor Company confirmed to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that it is cutting ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that has drawn heavy criticism for promoting climate change denial and for opposing the development of renewable energy sources. "As part of our annual budget review, we have adjusted our participation in several groups. We will not be participating in ALEC in 2016," wrote Christin Baker, a Ford spokesperson in an email to CMD. Its products might be "Ford Tough," but in making the decision to stop funding ALEC, Ford executives are responding to consumer concern over its membership in the controversial, Koch-funded ALEC, which has both an extreme anti-worker agenda as well as an anti-environmental agenda. Advertisement The departure makes Ford the 108th identified company to cut ties with ALEC in recent years. One of the largest auto makers in the world, with many union plants in North America, Ford has tried to present itself as as a leader on worker relations, climate change and fuel efficiency. Ford touts itself as "forward-thinking" and "environmentally responsible," and advocates "science-based" strategies for addressing climate change. Ford also participates in the United Nations Global Compact, which requires corporations to address key principles such as human rights, labor standards, and the environment. Ford claims that the company "is committed to doing our share to prevent or reduce the potential for environmental, economic and social harm due to climate change." CMD first reported on Ford's funding of ALEC in November 2015 at a time when other companies were fleeing ALEC. Google announced it was leaving ALEC in September 2014, calling its membership a "mistake." Chairman Eric Schmidt told NPR's Diane Rehm that ALEC climate deniers were "making the world a much worse place... they're just literally lying." The departure of Google lead to a corporate exodus and the Koch-ALEC war on renewable energy has generated a great deal of public attention, most recently with an expose in Rolling Stone. Advertisement The Koch-ALEC role in promoting controversial anti-union legislation, like "right to work" passed in Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia, may have also caused concern for the union firm. Since CMD launched the ALEC Exposed investigation in 2011, 108 corporations and 19 non-profits have left ALEC, including BP, Shell, Visa, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, McDonald's, and Google (now Alphabet). In 2015, CMD/PRWatch co-launched a website that documents the teaching of climate change denial to legislators at ALEC conferences: ALECClimateChangeDenial.org. When Bill Babbitt realized his PTSD-afflicted brother Manny had committed a crime he agonized over his decision -- should he call the police? Our short documentary Last Day of Freedom (currently nominated for an Academy Award) tells Bill's story as he stands by Manny, a war-ravaged Vietnam Veteran, through his arrest, trial and execution. Advertisement Created from over 30,000 hand-drawn images, the film is a portrait of a man at the nexus of the most pressing social issues of our day -- inadequate Veterans' care and mental health access, deep-seated inequality and racism, and the reality of a broken criminal justice system. Bill's powerful narrative unfolds like a classical tragedy, revealing Manny's trial and execution for what it is -- one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in the modern era of the death penalty. The animation illustrates Bill's remembrances and visualizes the inexorable process that brought Manny from his childhood home in Massachusetts to San Quentin prison, by way of Vietnam: Manny and Bill dig for clams on the Cape Cod seashore; Manny is hit by a car in adolescence and is never the same after; Manny signs up for the Marines at 17. "He couldn't pass the test," Bill says, "so they gave him the answers. He found himself at war." Returning from multiple tours in Vietnam (where he saw some of the worst fighting in the entire conflict at Khe Sanh), Manny begins the now familiar march of combat-traumatized Veterans towards homelessness. Advertisement He suffers hallucinations of helicopters and bombings. He is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and institutionalized repeatedly. Without a viable support network, he lives on the streets before relocating across the country to live with Bill in Sacramento, a move that would ultimately prompt Bill to make his fateful decision. And though he questioned whether he was doing the right thing, Bill went to the authorities with his suspicions about what Manny had done. The police, who Bill trusted entirely, hailed him as hero and offered assurances that Manny would get the help he desperately needed. With Bill's assistance, Manny was arrested. He was charged with a capital offense and sentenced to death by an all-white jury. His lawyer was reportedly drunk throughout most of the trial. Finally, after a lengthy appeals process, he was executed on his 50th birthday -- leaving Bill to live with the double burden of the preventable horror of his brother's crime and the guilt of his execution. Bill's story is particularly heartbreaking but his situation is not extraordinary. The details of Manny Babbitt's life reflect the data about who gets the death penalty in America: Manny was Black. Bill describes his brothers' lawyer: "I asked the lawyer 'I don't see any Blacks being seated on the jury.' He said he did not trust -- he used the N word. I guess he figured he could use the nigger word and feel comfortable" Advertisement According to the Death Penalty Information Center "the odds of receiving a death sentence are nearly four times higher if the defendant is Black." As such, since 1982 not a single year has gone by without a Black man being executed in the USA. When the same group of researchers calculated the influence of race on sentencing it found that "the capital sentencing statute has operated as though being Black was not merely a physical attribute, but as if it were one of the most important aggravating factors actually justifying the death penalty." Manny was a Veteran. "Manny traded his hooch in Vietnam for a cardboard box on the streets of Providence Rhode Island." Much has been made of the VA's many public failures; to these many grim statistics (47,000 homeless Veterans, nearly half having served in Vietnam like Manny, about 45 percent black or Hispanic despite making up around 14 percent of the total Veteran population), add the November 2015 report which estimated that there are "at least 300 veterans are on death row nationwide, representing about 10 percent of the nation's death row population." Like many of these individuals... Manny suffered from TBI and PTSD. "Manny traded the war on the battlefield for the war in his head...my little brother was out there in limbo land, fighting these battles." The relationship between trauma and subsequent violence is well documented. This connection is particularly conspicuous on Death Row. Recent research indicates that "nearly all Death Row inmates suffer from brain damage due to illness or trauma, while a vast number have also experienced histories of severe physical and/or sexual abuse." Manny was poor. Almost without exception, the common denominator among death row inmates is poverty. The ACLU states that "economic disparity is the chief determining factor between those who live after being accused of a crime and those who are executed." Advertisement By Michelle Schuman for the Orbitz Travel Blog The proverbial underworld isn't always a dark, dank place--these 11 caves hidden in jungles, lakes and mountains all over the world are proof enough. Check out these far-flung corners, from Scotland to Malaysia to New Mexico. A post shared by Orbitz (@orbitz) on Jul 16, 2015 at 3:20pm PDT Batu Caves - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Batu Caves draw you in to their 400-million-year-old caverns with an entrance shrine and towering statue of the Hindu deity Murugan. Inside, you'll find scores of paintings and more statues celebrating Hinduism. The cave is easy to get to from Kuala Lumpur via train, but getting into the caves is another matter--you'll have to climb 272 steps first. Advertisement Blue Ice Caves - Skaftafell, Iceland Yes, Iceland's Svinafellsjokull glacier sounds like something from a fantasy novel (or it may just look impossible to pronounce), but inside, it's otherworldly all the same. Stunning, domed, translucent-blue ice walls were formed by dripping rain and meltwater, and the weight of all that ice forced out any air bubbles; as a result, light streams into the cave, creating a beautifully eerie look. Benagil Sea Cave - Algarve, Portugal Technically, the Benagil Sea Cave is a grotto, but it's stunning none-the-less. You can only get there by water, which is half the fun--boats and kayaks are the most popular way, but you can take a SUP paddleboard tour to this attraction as well. Once inside, relax on the soft, beautiful beach and get a tan while watching the clouds pass over the grotto's naturally formed skylight. Just make sure you plan to head in (and out) during low tide. Photo credit: Flickr CC: 2ilorg Waitomo Glowworm Caves - Waitomo, New Zealand As if New Zealand wasn't pretty enough, it's also home to one of the world's coolest natural phenomenons--the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. This underground cavern is lit by millions of phosphorescent insects, giving it an ethereal appearance. The cave and its delicate ecosystem are well protected, so a limited number of people are allowed to tour each day. But if you manage to snag a coveted spot, you'll get to explore all three levels and the glowworm grotto. Tham Lot Cave - Mae Hong Son, Thailand You'll know it when you've reached the Tham Lot Cave in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province--the entrance is five stories high. As you travel deeper into the cave--on foot or by kayak along the Nam Lang River--you'll pass through wide caverns with ceilings covered in stalactites and flowstones (stalactites and stalagmites that have grown together). Travel deep enough, and you'll also discover carved, teakwood coffins that date back almost two-thousand years. Advertisement Marble Caves - Patagonia, Chile Six-thousand-plus years of crashing waves have created a stunning sight in the middle of Chile's Lake General Carrera. A remote glacial cave rises high above the water, but what's beneath it is the main draw: marbled chambers that arc gracefully above crystal waters. Explore the caves by boat, or kayak, in good weather. Reed Flute Cave - Guilin, China China's Reed Flute Cave is a naturally formed beauty, so named for the reeds that grow at its entrance. But it's the manmade aspect that makes this cave so spectacular. Multicolored lights hidden in the cave's cracks and crevices cast a dramatic glow, turning it into a riotous, colorful work of art. Refugees fleeing Japanese forces during WWII are credited with discovering this cave, but keep your eyes peeled for signs of previous explorers--some hidden ink writings thought to be travelogues and poems date back to 792 A.D., during the Tang Dynasty. Cango Caves - Western Cape, South Africa What's more than 150,000 years old and 29 feet tall? The Cleopatra Needle, a massive dripstone needle hidden within the Cango Caves. This stunning formation tucked beneath South Africa's Swartberg Mountains is made of illuminated dripstone caverns and vast halls that were first discovered during prehistoric times. Serious adventurers can tackle the Devil's Chimney, a route that challenges cavers with extremely tight caverns, twists and turns. Fingal Cave - Staffa, Scotland According to legend, Fingal Cave marks the end of a bridge that once stretched to the Irish Giant's Causeway, built by Irish giant Finn McCool so he could face his Scottish rival, Benadonner. The reality is almost as unbelievable: the sea cave's perplexingly uniform columns are naturally formed, created by an ancient lava flow, dating back some 60-million years. The cave's only reachable by boat, but one you're inside, you'll need to hike your way through--you'll also see why it's also called the 'Cave of Melody', thanks to the eerie sounds made by echoing waves. Son Doong Cave - Quang Binh, Vietnam Clocking in at five miles long, some of Son Doong's caverns are large enough to park an airplane. It also has its own climate, a river, a jungle, and plenty of sunlight for anyone bold enough find it. This cave isn't for the faint of heart--you need to rappel down 250-plus-feet to enter, and likely camp out for at least a night to conquer most of this huge cave system. Advertisement Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico It took nearly six-million years to form what Will Rogers once called the "Grand Canyon with a roof on it." The 100+ limestone caves that make up the Carlsbad Caverns live up to that nickname, sprawling beneath the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico. And they're as easy to navigate as they are gorgeous. Trails are paved and have handrails, and guides are on hand for tours. Even cooler: from late Spring to early Fall, thousand of bats fly out from the entrance to forage for food. Also on HuffPost: About forty years ago, I sat with my colleagues listening to a gentleman offer a training to our faculty. About twenty minutes into his presentation, I turned to my wife, who was also a member of the faculty and said, "This guy will have to break both my arms in order to get out of my life!" She squinted with a glare, suggesting it was no time to get weird. At lunch, I explained that I was sure that I was in the presence of a man who understood things that I needed to understand. Later, that would translate into being in the presence of wisdom. That evening I left him a voice mail suggesting we might have dinner together. I spent the next six years under his guidance, with all my limbs in tact and my suspicion that he possessed a level of wisdom being confirmed. As a 29-year-old philosophy professor, I likely carried enough sentiment and idealism to imagine what it would have been like to walk the streets of Athens with Socrates. Not yet having succumbed to academic protocol, I still believed in something greater than intellectual pondering. For me, it was like searching for the perfect lover. I didn't quite know what she looked like; I only knew that excessive cogitation was like a one-night stand, it didn't feed my soul. There are some questions that can at least open us to the possibility that there might be something greater than a one-night stand. Would you have some inkling that you were in the presence of wisdom? Have you ever wished for such an experience? How would such an encounter likely make you feel? Do you know anyone who seems to possess a quality of wisdom? Do you want some? Advertisement In regard to something as boundless as wisdom, it is likely not advantageous to ask: "What is it?" Rather, we might ask, "How is it?" or "How do we remain faithful students of wisdom?" There are several basic steps we can take that ready us to be touched by wisdom. Interrupting An Adversarial Relationship With Life It is only too easy to see life as either something to conquer or be conquered by. We can succumb to feeling victimized by life when circumstances appear to impede the fulfillment of our gratification. This can especially be true when we have experienced a great deal of time and effort toward the realization of some goal. However, being the conquered can quickly morph into striving to be the victor. The goal is now winning and it's easy to believe that with enough ingenuity and strategy, we will prevail. The ego easily gets trapped into believing it is larger than life, which is typically a set-up for a series of defeats, with life demonstrating its prowess. Getting caught in the pendulum swing from conquered to conquer is often the compost for growing cynicism, depression, addiction and anxiety. Cynicism happens as the bitterness of defeat seizes the soul. Depression is also a reaction to defeat. Its voice might sound like, "I'm taking my ball and going home. I refuse to live life on life's terms. If I don't play, then life can't win." Addiction has a similar voice as depression, "A couple of drinks of this or a couple of hits of that and life will happen on my terms." Anxiety is a lot like a car alarm that won't shut off. Its voice might sound like, "I'll simply stay forever vigilant. With my psyche engaged in constant surveillance, I can minimize how often life defeats me." In each case, the strategy created generates more pain than simply accepting that life is sometimes about suffering. And in each case, learning from life and about life get seriously blocked. Advertisement Making Peace With Life To begin making peace with life is a very useful beginning place for allowing life to instruct us in deeper ways. It is a sizable undertaking to minimize seeing ourselves as life's victims or pretentiously holding command over life. As victim and victor have less of a hold on us, we can claim our place as students of life. However, wisdom won't come because we registered for life's lessons. Some of the teachings will be frightening and arduous. We will need fellow travelers, also devoted to learning from life as well as mentors providing needed modeling and guidance, especially as it pertains to looking internally. Around 425 B.C., Socrates reminds us of the starting place for wisdom which he describes as living a self-examined life. 2,500 years later, Carl G. Jung will concur with Socrates, suggesting that Individuation or a commitment to reveal our essential uniqueness is where to begin. Both of these visionaries point us toward the interior world. I am reminded that the word superficial is typically used in the vernacular to mean trivial or insignificant, when its actual definition is external or exterior. It is as if the actual meaning of the word has been augmented to remind us that an external focus will lead us away from what is most meaningful. We ultimately make peace with life by making peace with what lives in us. Here are a few wisdom practices that keep us focus toward the interior world. Wisdom Practices * Being Mindful Being mindful means allowing ourselves to see and accept what lives in us. There will be sources of light such as compassion, grace, humility and resiliency, as well as sources of darkness such as lethargy, arrogance, cruelty and deception. Mindfulness is the most effective way to understand what it means to travel the journey of life and therefore some illumination about life itself. * Willing To Be a Fool The fool may be the great consort of wisdom. It suggests that we are willing to step into life uncertain and vulnerable to making mistakes. Making mistakes and not getting life right deepen our sensibility about the journey. Life's challenges and the contours of the human condition become more luminous. Once we protect ourselves from looking foolish, we close down three significant paths to wisdom: curiosity, wonder and awe. We literally decommission life as an source of education, likely comforting ourselves with sources of trivia. Advertisement *Willing To Be Present Remaining a devoted student of life is challenging. Its teachings and our lessons happen in the here and now. However, feeling vulnerable and getting hurt also happen in the here and now. Hence, we learn to protect ourselves from being present by keeping our attention either in the past or in the future. We must dare to return to the present, feel what awaits us there, deepening our mindfulness regarding how we create our internal landscape with emotion, suffering, story, and products of our imagination and intuition. * Accepting Loss Since life is non-permanent, making peace with loss is a critical wisdom practice. We learn from loss by asking: What is this loss asking of me? What seeks new life because of this loss? Loss can be a powerful catalyst, interrupting whatever may be an impediment on the wisdom path. Recently, I suffered a loss that I was initially angry about. However, it became clear that the loss was asking me to diminish my attachment to looking good. A loss that originally seemed only unfortunate was inviting me to lessen the weight of my vanity, and open the way to more self-compassion. The path to wisdom appears to have been forgotten, or at least replaced by a fascination with data. Or, maybe it wasn't ever popular. However, a problem exists when data is used as mortor in construction of an edifice to the ego's opinions and strategies. Such a structure is aimed at attempting to gain control over one's destiny. Nixon called the head of the F.B.I. in '71 to say he wanted to literally outlive Justice Byron White. (Nixon apparently did not say, :"Could you make that happen?") [unknown photographer] The White House tapes show it vividly. President Nixon was hopping mad about a Supreme Court decision that said the government had no authority to stop The New York Times and other newspapers from publishing the so-called Pentagon papers. The 6-to-3 decision came down on June 30, 1971. Within hours, on July 1st, Nixon was venting on the phone to the head of the F.B.I., J. Edgar Hoover. Advertisement "I wanted to tell you that I was so damned mad when that Supreme Court had to come down -- I didn't like that decision. That was unbelievable, wasn't it?" Hoover, acting like a yes-man and sounding like an echo chamber, agreed. "Unbelievable," said Hoover. "Those clowns we've got on there, I tell ya, I hope I outlive the bastards," said Nixon. "I hope you do, too," said Hoover. "I mean, politically, too," Nixon said, underlining the fact that he meant "outlive the bastards" quite literally. "Because we've got to change our Court." "There's no question about that whatsoever," said Hoover. "If I had thought there was a possibility of a five to four..." Hoover doesn't finish his sentence, though Nixon gives him the space to do so and doesn't interrupt him. The sense of what Hoover is saying is, "If I had thought there was a possibility of a five to four, I would have done something about it." Advertisement "I thought we ought to get [Justice Byron] White," says Nixon. The President's meaning is apparently, "We should have won White's vote on this case," but the ambiguity of "get White" is attention-getting in this context. And Hoover agrees, saying White is "in with the whole Kennedy crowd." White, of course, was the only Justice on the Burger Court appointed by Nixon's one-time arch-nemesis, President John F. Kennedy. Hearing the tape today, it's hard to deny that Nixon's remarks to Hoover sound a bit like a threat of extra-legal action against Byron White. After all, the president is speaking to the head of the F.B.I., choosing his words carefully, one assumes, so as to not send the wrong signal. Nixon could have expressed his anger with many different phrases: "I've had it up to here," "I'm sick of those guys," "The Court is killing me," etc. But instead he chose to say and repeat the unusual phrase, "I hope I outlive the bastards." Then he underlines his meaning by saying that he's not stating that merely figuratively. And singles out White. (And one also has to wonder why Nixon was even talking to Hoover about this particular subject. Was the head of the Bureau the appropriate person for Nixon to have talked to about this?) And Hoover, ever the lacky, agrees with Nixon and even leaves a phrase dangling unsettlingly. Was Nixon subtly signaling to Hoover he should "get White," perhaps by, say, using the apparatus of the FBI to arrange some sort of dirty trick or even something darker? (Nixon, of course, was known to have used both dirty tricks and government agencies against people he perceived to be his enemies.) The July 1, 1971, Nixon-Hoover tape is included with other raw audio footage in the "extras" section of the documentary "The Most Dangerous Man in America," though the film makers do not raise any of the questions that I'm raising in this piece. The audio is also included on this website: http://nixontapes.org/jeh.html Although, like everywhere in the world, the debate is on just how much Polish cities can do to, there is no doubt among mayors of big cities that we should do our share to help. Many residents of Gdansk are interested in supporting refugees. On the photo: the meeting "Become a mentor for a refugee". Photo: J. Pinkas There are, of course, active groups of citizens in Gdansk who claim that security concerns override any other interests in resettling refugees. The majority, however, including city authorities, says that accepting refugees and immigrants comes with cultural and economic benefits. Gdansk's model of integration of immigrants and refugees follows proven European activities International cooperation in the field of immigrant integration policy started with the deepening of relations in the framework of Eurocities. It is a consortium of major European cities with an active Forum of Social Affairs, which focuses, among others matters, on sharing best practices of thirty European cities most experienced in the field of integration policy for migrants. We joined the group and obtained a very good overview of the migration policy in Europe. Inspired by the experience of delegates from Oslo, we decided to visit the capital of Norway, which is one of the leaders in the integration of foreigners in Europe. We went there on a study visit. Advertisement Deputy mayor Piotr Kowalczuk on the opening of a new headquarter of the Immigrant Support Center in Gdansk. From the right: Klaudia Iwicka, teacher of Polish and Marta Siciarek, manager of the Center. Photo: G. Mehring In the meantime, Bremen, the twin city of Gdansk, invited us to pay a visit to observe their experiences. While working on the Gdansk model of immigrant integration we now use the years of experience of these cities. Besides our engagement in Eurocities, we submitted an application to take part in a European project entitled "Cities GroW". Several experienced European cities will be able to mentor Gdansk in the implementation of our immigration plans. After Lublin, we are the second Polish city to participate in the project.What did we learn from the Norwegians? In Norwegian multicultural society, whose foundations were created back in the 70-ies, "integration of immigrants" is no longer working as a separate concept. It is now simply a part of everyday politics: social, educational, cultural, and communal; it is a fragment of integration as a whole. Advertisement In a homogenous Gdansk and Poland, we are considering the integration of immigrants as an additional, new action. And the understanding of the integration processes of foreigners should be an integral part of social policy as such. We need to learn that the process of incorporating immigrants into a society reflects the state of the society as a whole. Are we, as a society, inclusive? How well do we integrate the poor, the disabled, the elderly, the homeless? And, finally, the strangers - the immigrants. Debating on Gdansk model of integration. From the left: Patrycja Medowska, deputy manager of the European Solidarity Center, Pawel Adamowicz, mayor of Gdansk, Marta Siciarek, manager of the Immigrant Support Center. Right: Carolina Lopez, representing immigrants in Gdansk. Photo: J. Pinkas In our discussion about immigrants often we need to talk about ordinary, everyday situations. Am I, as a neighbour, ready to welcome the Syrian to live in my house? Will my children at school be friends with foreign students? As an employer, would I give a job to foreign job seekers? In Gdansk a conference will take place 7-8 March, in which we will try to address these questions. The challenge of admitting refugees from Syria and African countries "fell" on the local communities in Europe rather suddenly. Is has not been preceded by a debate about a global phenomenon, which is migration. And yet, we are all its participants: the borders are open (for some), millions of Poles had left the country, thousands of foreigners live in Poland. The meeting will be a part of Open Cities Smart Metropolis cycle. It will consist of two parts: The opening with - among others - Director of European Solidarity Centre, Basil Kerski, Gdansk University professor, sociologist Cezary Obracht-Prondzynski, Adam Bodnar, Poland's Commisioner for Human Rights and dr Ziad Abou Saleh, sociologist from the University of Wroclaw. Advertisement The second part of the conference will consist in the presentation of the Polish experience in the area of migration: how many immigrants and refugees did Poland admit in recent years? How have they integrated? What are the successes, the challenges? How to prevent conflicts on ethnic and religious grounds? An election with only one candidate? Sounds like a stitch-up. But with nominations just closed, the one candidate in the forthcoming poll, Madame Lagarde, will be re-elected as Managing Director of the IMF regardless. To many, this may seem unremarkable. Mme Lagarde is stylish, engaging, and a welcome breath of fresh feminine air among technocrats, politicians, and her predecessors. She's doing an earnest job that, in the global scheme of things, doesn't really matter, except to people who don't really count. And among those who do count, the charge that her credibility is compromised by selection bias that excludes Americans and others is of little concern. We could do, and have done, much worse. Let it go. If that is how you think too, you might want to think again. Given that prevention of another Great Depression is the IMF's founding mandate and task, it is notable that the case for her reappointment makes no reference to her work on those matters. That is doubly notable because the global, euro, and China crises are not so much in recent memory as still ongoing. Advertisement So it is far from self-evident that the IMF does not matter or that it has done its job. Indeed, multiple global developments within just the past week say otherwise. Take China. Barely a moment elapsed between Mme Lagarde's plaudits--culminating in folding the renminbi into the "gold standard" IMF-SDR currency basket and tweaking IMF voting rights in Beijing's direction--and the melt-down of Chinese equity and foreign exchange markets, taking emerging and global markets with them. Last week, this even forced pushback in the US Federal Reserve policy rate "lift-off". Or, take Greece. Her predecessor may have set matters off on the wrong foot, but it was her Greek program that saw the biggest default to the IMF, ever. Mme Lagarde insisted on the "debt is sustainable" fiction through late 2014 and--as evidenced by further breakdown of negotiations just last week over pensions--has yet to clarify what exactly should be done about Greek debt. More widely in the eurozone and Europe, she backed the across-the-board write down of Cypriot bank deposits in 2013, all but reigniting the euro crisis before that proposal was scuttled. And her support for monetary austerity for the eurozone in 2011 and against its fiscal manifestation in the UK in 2013 both had to be unceremoniously withdrawn within a year. Unchastened, and despite the findings of IMF research, she continues to endorse qualified austerity in the Euro area and worldwide even as every vintage of her global forecasts subsequently has had to be revised down. Or, take Ukraine. After decades of program starts and stops there, last year Mme Lagarde approved further IMF billions over three years, assuring all that reform prospects were better than they had been in decades. But just last week, a key reform minister resigned protesting continued debilitating corruption, forcing her to call time on her much-hyped program there, yet again. Advertisement Or, take financial stability. In recent years, she backed revival of securitisation--the very activity which precipitated the global crisis--and cheered formulaic increases in liquidity and bank capital requirements in the eurozone and worldwide underpinned by bail-ins and CoCos, all said to avert further crisis. But within just the past week, Deutsche Bank has tottered, CoCo's have crashed, and the "doom loop" between euro banks and sovereigns has resurfaced. All this is exactly what is to be (and was) expected from the Lagarde-blessed solution to Euro and global financial fragility emphasizing bail-in rather than base capital. And to cap all this off, Mme Lagarde is a senior eurozone politician, representing them at the IMF. As the eurozone is now by far the IMF's largest debtor, this establishes a direct conflict of interest. It is elementary common sense that credit institutions, like the IMF, should not be run by their main debtors. And not just common sense; its import is evident in the litany of failings of IMF work on Europe summarised above. With her reappointment, that conflict of interest and the associated failings will continue to dominate the anchor global credit institution. It is testament to her PR and elan that, in the rush to acclaim Mme Lagarde's re-election, it feels almost unseemly even to mention these things. But in any other context, such a record would prompt a thorough review not just of the incumbent's performance but, alongside the poor record of her predecessors, of the "are-you-one-of-us?" and selection-biased appointment criteria for her post. And its not as if there are no other options, candidates who are not Europeans, not politicians, and who possess the necessary professional qualifications and standing. Names such as Christina Romer, Ragu Rajan, Hyun Song Shin, Mohammed El-Erian, and even IMF-insider Abebe Selassie, immediately spring to mind. But no one protests. In the week of the New Hampshire primaries, in which US economic fragilities and role in the world swept two populists to victory, the US Government was unperturbed. Neither the IMF's hat-trick of global early-warning failures (Lehman's, the Euro, and now on Madame Lagarde's watch, the China crisis) nor, despite being its major creditor, the takeover of the IMF by its biggest debtor, nor the pre-exclusion of Americans from this post sufficed to stir Washington. Rather than insist on accountability for and correction of these global early-warning, conflict of interest, and eligibility matters, the White House merely said last week that the US would give its determining vote to Mme Lagarde in the forthcoming poll, and has already turned its attention to the Supreme Court nomination. Advertisement Likewise, in the week that Mr. Cameron from Downing Street is pressing for approval of his semi-reset of UK-EU relations, loudly insisting on "no UK contribution to Euro bailouts", he also backed Mme Lagarde, even though the sizable past and future UK contributions to all Euro bailouts will thereby once again pass through a Euro-managed IMF. And the developing world, seeing all this but knowing it is always outvoted, bites its lips. So Mme Lagarde's re-election is a done deal. It will be celebrated in ostentatious style--joyously, unanimously, and oblivious to the panoply of events, even in just this past week in China, Greece, Ukraine, financial markets, Hew Hampshire, and Downing Street, which underscore how brazen and subversive her reelection is for an institution whose founding mandate is warning and prevention of global economic catastrophe......CoCo's; a primer. Bank for International Settlements. http://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1309f.pdf Comments on proposal to ensure the loss absorbency of regulatory capital at the point of non-viability. Anat Admati. http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/research/documents/AdmaticommentsforBaselCommitteeOct12010.pdf The Bank of England must think again on systemic risk. John Vickers.http://on.ft.com/1U0Qauf Four signs another eurozone financial crisis is looming. Wolfgang Munchau.http://on.ft.com/1U0NVXZ I'd just like to let it be known that I played a small but significant role in rescuing a classic #1 hit from musical obscurity. When Olivia Newton-John guested on KTLA the first time (1991), she was all decked out in leather, sporting the final days of her sensual Soul Kiss look. Just before we shot the interview, we found ourselves alone as she was touching up her flawless face in the makeup room. I was sitting on the floor nearby, my shirt carelessly unbuttoned, quizzing her on her upcoming concert tour. Turning to look at me in an alluring, come-hither pose straight from the Totally Hot album cover, she asked, "So Ray, which of my old songs would you want to hear in concert?" Without question, I said, Have You Never Been Mellow. Surprised, but in her playful Aussie accent, she said, "Really? You don't think that song's so dated?" Advertisement "No way Liv", I said barely above a whisper as I rested my hand on my ripped, exposed chest. "It takes me back to a more melancholy place and time". For a misty moment, our eyes locked...both of us confusing our passion for music with our passion for, well... Her eyes glazed over as if caught up in a dream sequence featuring the two of us as Bohemian lovers. But when she returned to reality, briefly breathless, all she could utter was, "Hmmm, interesting", breaking our eye contact as she quickly turned back to the mirror - her hair splashing in slow motion around her reddened, angelic face. Ever since those private moments between Olivia and I, she's opened every one of her concerts with the sweet strains of Have You Never Been Mellow. Perhaps it's musical Morse Code. Message received, Olivia! Advertisement The current leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran are celebrating thirty-seven years of oppression in my country by sponsoring celebrations in schools and airing fabricated stories on Iranian history. Meanwhile, scholars and historians view the establishment of the Islamic Republic as the darkest moment in Iran's rich, long history. Thirty-seven years ago, the forward progress of the nation ceased, and Iranians began living under tyranny, oppression, and shocking human rights violations that have sadly been the norm for thirty-seven years. Thirty-seven years have passed since the Islamists seized on the popular uprising and the established the Islamic Republic in our country. These ideologues cleansed the nation of any progressive thinkers and opposition, ushering in a tumultuous, bloody period. They possess a shocking inability to manage the functions of state, and the list of failures is long: the country's environment has been systematically destroyed; political corruption, bribery, substance abuse, prostitution, economic injustice, youth crimes are rampant; and suppression of women, irreverence for military veterans and heroes, arbitrary imprisonment, humiliation, torture and execution have been the norm. In addition, millions of Iranian citizens have been rendered homeless while others have been displaced abroad. The Islamic Republic's record in international relations is just as bad. In the name of religion and the struggle against western imperialism, the Islamic Republic raised its flag in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, and has destabilized the region. Advertisement The popular uprising of 2009 gave the world ample evidence that Iranian citizens feel that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not an acceptable and legitimate form of government. The government managed to stay in power with brutal oppression and efforts masquerading as government reform. History has repeatedly proven that unity, nationalism, and aspirations for change can overcome even the harshest of regimes, as evidenced by countries such as India, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary and Chile. So, too, will the totalitarian regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran come to an end by the will of the people. Currently, it is in our best interests to abstain from participating in any of the Islamic Republic's elections so as to not legitimize their government. Let us not forget, not voting is a powerful vote against the Islamic Republic. Not voting will show the entire world that we are saying 'no' to the whole entity of the Islamic Republic's regime. We can liberate ourselves from the oppression and build the government and society we want in Iran. With unified national aspirations built upon our national will and our shared, long Persian identity, we will achieve what is necessary and worthy of the great Iranian nation. The persons selected to be the 2016 Vice-Presidential running mates for the Republican and Democratic parties may be far more important than their senior running mates and even more significant to our nation's future than anyone properly perceives today. 2016 could be the election that shows the catastrophic defects in our Constitution. Neither the President nor the Vice-President are actually elected on Election Day. Instead, a list of Electors are chosen in the individual state elections; those Electors being the voters who actually elect both the President and the Vice-President. The candidate for President who gets a majority of the votes in the Electoral College is the winner and next President of the United States. The same procedure is followed to elect the Vice-President. If, however, no Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate receives an Electoral College majority then the deciding votes are cast by the House of Representatives or the Senate for Vice-President. And in the House each state delegation, regardless of size or the state's population, gets one vote. Advertisement Should the 2016 election end up in the House and Senate the individual state delegations there are limited to choosing the President from the top 3 Electoral College vote winners. The Vice-President can be chosen only between the top 2 Electoral College candidates for that office. Here, enter Chaos. In the worst of possible circumstances, where the Senate may quickly agree on a Vice-President (having only the choice between 2), but where the House may be endlessly deadlocked in arriving at a majority for President (choosing here among 3 or maybe more), the Vice-President so selected, according to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, will be sworn in and proceed immediately to act as President. If and when the House votes in the majority for a new President, the acting President will return to the Vice-Presidency as the new President takes office. However, it is possible that never happens. Should no President be formally selected by a majority of the states voting in the House, the Vice-President who will already be acting as President throughout this period of indecision, may well continue to serve as the President until the next Presidential election, which would not be until 2020. So, if no candidate receives an Electoral College majority after the 2016 Presidential election, we might very well end up with either the Republican Party or Democratic Party candidate for Vice-President assuming the "Acting" Presidency in early 2017, and very possibly keeping that office. Advertisement If you don't think this could happen - and happen more easily than you think - consider this: 249 of the necessary 270 Electoral College votes are totally unbound to vote for anyone, regardless of their state elections and certifications. In 24 states there are no legally binding obligations placed on Electors(*1). The 249 number increases to 262 Electoral votes when you count the 13 Electors in Virginia who are bound by a very vague state law rather than a strict requirement. They might simply rebel without consequence. If many Americans find themselves dissatisfied with the eventual nominees of their party, especially if those dissatisfied are among the most influential, wealthiest and well known Americans, the real electoral battle next fall may be to end up as the #3 in line for President when all the Electoral College votes are officially counted. Remember, the House gets to pick only from the top 3. And what if there were a tie for 3rd? What if three or four or even more otherwise legally eligible candidates receive the same number of Electoral College votes and finish all tied for 3rd place behind the candidates of the two major political parties? In this scenario the House, voting by state - which means Wyoming has the same vote as California; North Dakota the same vote as New York; Delaware the same vote as Texas - may be selecting from among a half-dozen candidates, at least some of whom may actually have never run for the office. Chaos would probably win out should this situation come to pass. But only in choosing a President. Despite the various difficulties facing the House in picking the next President from among a number of candidates, the next Vice-President is certain to be either the Republican or Democratic parties' candidate because only the top 2 are eligible. So, the next Vice-President may end up as the next President. After giving all this some thought, we need nobody but ourselves to devise a slew of feasible conspiracies; and who's to say which would have value and which wouldn't? If, as has been said, there are many ways to skin a cat, there are quite a few too to "elect" or "chose" or "install" a President. It sure looks like the easiest may end up being running for Vice-President on one of the two major party tickets. Before we think we are both sure and unworried how this will be resolved, we ought to give serious thought to the very real dangers our own constitution, and its Twelfth Amendment, have set in the path of electing our next President and Vice-President. --- Advertisement Refugees and migrants massed onto an inflatable boat reach Mytilene, northern island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on February 17, 2016. / AFP / ARIS MESSINIS (Photo credit should read ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images) War in our neighborhood has resulted in great suffering at multiple levels impacting the individual as well as the community at large. It has destroyed children's dreams, separated family members, and increased the number of homeless people. Lebanon has faced a huge influx of Syrian refugees since the beginning of the war in Syria in spring 2011; several initiatives were launched in the country to support refugees and help them cope with their new situation namely those living in camps in difficult conditions and lacking access to basic needs. Advertisement I was on maternity leave when I heard about a mobile clinic that I could join and help refugees have access to some of their primary health care needs. The main mission of the mobile clinic was to provide "school health" services to refugee students in informal schools in the camps. I decided to join the mobile clinic upon my return to my residency program in family medicine following my maternity leave. I made thirteen visits to refugees' camps in different areas in Lebanon. During each visit, I learned something new; I learned a life lesson to remember and share with others. Life Lesson 1:It was in January and it was so cold in the refugee camp. Despite wearing my warm coat, I was slapped by the 6 degree Centigrade temperature on the tip of my nose and fingers. Yet, I saw kids with no socks and no coats! Their dry skin and freezing hands were telling the full story! I was conducting my examination in a robotic manner, but their innocent smiles touched me deep inside. During that visit, I felt that I was faced with an unusual situation. I learned that dealing with underserved population is not similar to being behind a desk in an elegantly arranged clinic and treating people. It is in reality much harder, and it requires a prior training and preparation. This can be ensured through establishing training partnerships between community health centers and family medicine residency programs as shown in a survey that included several family medicine residency directors in the United States.1 Life Lesson 2:I went earlier on that day as the destination of the team was a bit far. I was more emotionally prepared than in the previous visit and I started understanding more of what I was actually doing. Advertisement Here was the transition from the robotic, repetitive way of asking questions and performing tasks to being more comfortable in communicating with the kids. Faces, eyes, smiles, skin, hair, and nails, all could tell a lot about the children there: Their past, their present time, and maybe their future. As a member of the community, I learned the importance of volunteering. In fact, volunteering unites people from different backgrounds to work together for a cause. It also raises one's self esteem and creates a balanced personality. It is a way to try to respond to the community needs. A survey that included around 500 family physicians in North Carolina showed that more than 85% of them have been recently involved in volunteering activities.2 Life Lesson 3:My son did not wake up early on that day. I touched his forehead with my lips, left the pumped breast milk, and went to join the mobile clinic. We reached a camp which was worse than the previous ones. There, I met "Amal," a 9 year-old girl whose name means "Hope". Her story was different! She was talking to me in a disgruntled tone complaining of pains with main emphasis on her chronic daily headache! I was shocked of such a complaint coming from a child. She continued talking about her life in the camp and her regret of leaving her old house in Syria. She said: "I hope I could be happy! I am always sad! I left all my souvenirs there! I do not even have a photo. We came here running away from war in our country, but there is no place better than home! Here I always have headache, my knees hurt me, and everything is painful!" In fact, the association between chronic daily headache and anxiety and depressive disorders was shown in the literature.3 Advertisement Amal taught me how primordial the role of empathy is in such situations. Helping hopeless people and caring for their suffering should be one of the priorities of a physician. Life Lesson 4:The team was in harmony. We examined a large number of "students" in the camp during that visit. I was leading the team composed of three nurses, an otolaryngologist, and a pediatric resident. Commitment and enthusiasm are the keys for being an excellent team player. Balancing between kindness and firmness is the cornerstone of the success of the team leader.As a team leader, I learned to believe in the capabilities of all the members to create the power of coordination among them, and to ensure accomplishing effective tasks in limited time. Life Lesson 5:At this level, I was able to differentiate between two groups among the children: the "shy" group and the "rebellious" group. The first group includes the very calm children who look depressed, while the second group comprises the more violent children. Both groups were possibly traumatized by the war and the poor living conditions. Here comes the essential role of family physicians in dealing with mental health issues in underserved population.4 Life Lesson 6:"Amira" is a beautiful girl whom I examined during this visit. "Amira" means a "Princess" in Arabic; and in fact this little brunette girl was a real beautiful princess with light green eyes. Amira did not belong to the group of shy children or to the rebellious one! She was something different. When I finished examining her, I gave her an inflatable colored balloon, which we were distributing to all children there and I said "goodbye". She smiled at me and went away to return few minutes later with a piece of homemade date cake that she handed to me; this was her way of saying "thank you", and it happened to be my favorite type of cake! I realized at that time that generosity is not necessarily linked to rich people. Poor people have also their kind ways to say "Thank You." References:1-Morris, Carl G.; Lesko, Sarah E.; Andrilla, Holly A.; Chen, Frederick M. Family Medicine Residency Training in Community Health Centers: A National Survey. Acad. Med. 2010 Oct;85(10):1640-4. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181f08e2b.2-Goldstein, Adam O. Calleson, Diane. Curtis, Peter. Hemphill, Brian. Gamble, George. Steiner, Beat. Moore, Thomas K. Community service by North Carolina family physicians. J Am Board Fam Pract. 18(1):48-56, 2005 Jan-Feb.3-Juang, Kai Dih. Yang, Chin-Yi. Psychiatric comorbidity of chronic daily headache: focus on traumatic experiences in childhood, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality. [Review]. Current Pain & Headache Reports. 18(4):405, 2014 Apr.4-Xierali, Imam M. Tong, Sebastian T. Petterson, Stephen M. Puffer, James C. Phillips, Robert L Jr. Bazemore, Andrew W. Family physicians are essential for mental health care delivery. JABFM. 26(2):114-5, 2013 Mar-Apr. Advertisement 2016 is off and running, and guaranteed to be a dynamic presidential election year. Along with a new administration in Washington, five broad cultural and economic trends are sure to impact sectors across America--affecting our work in the arts in the coming years. Candidates at all levels of government will need to evolve positions on each of these trends so we can work more strategically to ensure that the arts continue to thrive and enrich the lives of every American. 1) Nonprofits Are Being Expected to Play by For-Profit Rules Sixty percent of the revenue for nonprofit arts organizations comes from the sale of tickets, merchandise, and services. This means that they are operating more and more like small businesses. Current public and private funding trends are nudging arts nonprofits further toward more innovative ways of creating revenue while staying true to their mission, but too much focus on revenue generation can distract from the standing model of nonprofits as mission driven organizations for the benefit of society. Competition for audiences and resources. There are more arts organizations in America than ever before, and competition is stiff for audiences and resources. Some cultural leaders have suggested thinning the herd, but is that option viable when you consider arts organizations have diverse levels of public, private, and earned revenues, and of course, different missions? Historical circumstances have influenced who is funded and who is not. However, decisions about which community treasures go or stay are not necessarily best left up to only the marketplace. Advertisement Public support is coming, but not enough. We are seeing an increase in city government funding plans for the arts, and increases in dedicated tax revenues such as hotel-motel taxes and sales taxes. In January, the U.S. Conference of Mayors declared the arts to be one of 18 key advancement planks that they will recommend to the next administration. But public funding still falls short given its role as an important leveraging tool for arts organizations to acquire funding from other sources. Elected leaders need to see that the arts are essential components of their community. But so do the people in the communities, the constituents, who vote on where the funding goes. Private support for the arts is changing. Private funding for the arts today represents only about 30 percent of nonprofit arts revenue with two-thirds of that coming from individual giving. And the share of philanthropy that goes to the arts is decreasing as funders consolidate their issues. While the arts are valuable to society in and of themselves, it is also important to make the case that they are even better strategic, essential partners in solving many of the other areas of concern that private funders are targeting. This is especially critical as market volatility and economic uncertainty lead donors to be more strategic and conservative in their giving. 2)Target Markets Are Changing and Expanding Audiences are using the power of the market and social media to challenge the status quo. Advertisement Arts participation is evolving. Yes, studies show that there has been a declining share of the population attending an art museum or live performing arts event, but there is nothing traditional about the landscape of cultural consumption today. Downloads of classical music are at an all-time high. Art- and culture-themed shows fill the television airwaves. Fifty percent of the American public say they are makers of art in some way. More and more, the arts will be adapting to the new, broad landscape of multi-sector and multi-media opportunity. Digitally savvy arts marketers are increasing audience share. At our annual National Arts Marketing Project Conference, it seemed to be "all digital, all the time." Social media platforms, and even email, have created a new world of connectivity, citizen critique, and marketing opportunity. Yet, while these platforms remain essential tools, nothing has replaced the value of building strong relationships with your own audiences and the power of word of mouth. 3)Environmental Crises Are More Common Extreme weather events, natural catastrophes, and water crises are all near the top of the World Economic Forum's list of the top ten risks most likely occur in the next 10 years. Arts organizations will have to invest in disaster preparation. Organizations like CERF+, South Arts, and Americans for the Arts have been talking about the need for preparedness for a long time, but these events are happening more frequently and unpredictably. Not having plans in place could challenge an organization's ability to weather the next storm, so to speak. Advertisement 4)Tomorrow's Leaders Need Opportunities for Development and Growth Arts education seeps back into schools. At the end of 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. Some former roadblocks like relentless testing have been relaxed, and local leadership can redirect funds to what they believe will benefit the children in their communities. Leaders say that the outlook is much brighter for arts programs everywhere. Positive and enduring results will still rely on local leadership and persistent advocacy so that the arts don't disappear the next time the economy hits a bump. Slow pathway to leadership positions. Younger leaders among Gen X, Gen Y and Millennials will still see fewer current leaders in top positions moving on or retiring. Better health and continuing interest and passion on the part of Baby Boomers, along with challenged retirement portfolios, will keep more current leaders in place for now, suppressing opportunities to grow within established organizations. This in turn will continue the trend toward growing new startups and increasing the pool of nonprofit and for-profit arts organizations. 5)The Necessity of Collaboration No sector can solve the complex challenges that our communities face on its own, and no sector can create a thriving community alone. Therefore, many sectors are seeking partnerships to combine resources and expertise. Arts and community partnerships will be essential. Across the country, arts organizations are partnering with military and veterans organizations, urban equity programs, and businesses and helping to address homelessness, hunger, and other social issues. In San Jose the technology and science sectors partner with the arts. In Miami, design leaders, business leaders, tourism leaders, even the zoo management, collaborate through the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. DEARBORN, United States - When Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came to Dearborn, a city with one of the largest concentration of Arabs outside the Middle East, he mostly reiterated his message about economic inequality, stressing the need for reform on Wall Street. Although the senator from Vermont did not focus on issues specific to Middle Eastern Americans, it did not stop the hundreds of young Arabs in attendance from cheering enthusiastically for his statements. Sanders' message is registering well with Arab Americans, especially those under 30. Dearborn, a Detroit suburb of 100,000, is known as the capital of Arab America for its large Middle Eastern community. One of the most important focuses of the recent LA Art Show was a dialogue about the Los Angeles River and its relationship to art, moderated by Marisa Calchiolo, with guest speakers Edward Hughes, curator of exhibitions at the Museum of Latin American Art, Mexican-born painter Victor Hugo Zayas, and author, landscape designer, and professor at Pepperdine University, Wade Graham. The timing seemed appropriate, given that Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded a grant to the City of Los Angeles and three other cities to develop innovative art projects that engage and attract visitors, as a way to transform urban spaces. The Los Angeles project - LA Water Call to Action on Water Conservation Through Art - will commission up to fiften multidisciplinary artworks that will address water conservation and promote revival in once-decayed areas, as well as bring awareness to the city's inaugural Art Biennial. Moreover, with the announcement of Frank Ghery's comprehensive plan, although cloaked in secrecy, to collaborate with the River Revitalization Corporation on a social design that will focus on hydrology and urban renewal, the Los Angeles River has been receiving loads of attention. Kayaking through the river, the great annual clean-up, riverfront real estate, mixed-used properties, and Silicone River around the Arts District are just some of the other ideas circulating these days. That is the Los Angeles River of 2016, however, in the 1980's and 1990's, it was a place to be ignored due to its stigma of being a conduit for urban waste, a dumping ground, and crime-infested cesspool. Some low-income families even did laundry in the river bed, while in the mid-80's a serial rapist was dubbed "The Los Angeles River Rapist" by the Los Angeles Police Department. Blake Gumprecht, author of The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth, acknowledged that one of the first persons to see this arterial octopus as a potential life bearer, that stretches out in every direction of the metropolis was Lewis MacAdams, professor at Otis College and social activist who founded Friends of the Los Angeles River. Advertisement The Roman poet Horace once mentioned that great municipal projects, married to art programs, should be in service to the city-state to communicate empire-building, which is how the river became concreted to begin with in the WPA's heyday of the 1930's and 40's. The post-depression era created thousands of rare opportunities that provided a synthesis for civil works projects and the arts, which caused a renaissance-like environment, and in the post-recession era of today, we are experiencing a similar zeitgeist. I've heard people mention that Los Angeles is going through a transformation process and being compared to the 60's and 70's, however, based on the built environment, infrastructure, and history as a whole, it is more representative of the New Deal era. Wade Graham maintained that the City of Los Angeles must change its cultural perspective in regards to the Los Angeles River and how we coexist with it, which is the same phenomenon for rivers around the world, and its possible future design was first articulated by an artist/writer. Writers, artists, intellectuals, and other cultural visionaries have often provided society's blueprint for revolutionary change, while the engineers and urban planners have simply carried out those plans. One such visionary and artist who has been painting the Los Angeles River for about 30 years is Victor Hugo Zayas. He never intentionally set out to do that, it was more accidental since he had an art studio adjacent to the river and would walk to the river to absorb its emptiness and listen to its constant flow. Originally it was more as a form of escapism, to be distracted by the flora and fauna and such, but over time he surveyed its constant changes and decided to document it as a form of cathartic release. Many of his paintings were done around the 92 Los Angeles Riots, when palm trees, buildings, and other landmarks were set on fire and commingled with smog. According to Zayas, the color scheme of the landscape changed during this period, which is reflective in his paintings to convey bleak colors, i.e. grays and blacks, rather than the golds, greens and blues often associated with the region. The foliage and chaparral within the paintings resemble a drab olive tone, and are more in line with the artist's historical perspective of remembrance, although he sounds a lot more optimistic about the river's future. Advertisement Recently on view at the Museum of Latin American Art were the grid series and the L.A. River landscapes of Victor Hugo Zayas. The grid series paintings were inspired by a view from the LAX airport onto the cityscape below and how people functioned as industrious ants in an advanced capitalist state. The grid series looks almost post-apocalyptic because of its depth and somewhat coldness, yet it also looks futuristic, functional, and progressive. That phenomenon follows the Dark Progressivist line - to debunk the glamorous and booster-type myths of the region, to also include the shadowy ecology of the environment. Also on view were the river paintings, and I was fortunate enough to see the exhibition before it closed and do a walk-through with the artist and hear a first-hand experience of how Zayas has run into all types of situations while painting in the river, from gang threats to attempted robbery. However, it never deterred him from his work and he continues to paint the river and its fluctuating trajectory. Quite modestly, Victor Hugo Zayas maintains that although he's been painting the river for almost 30 years, he feels that only now is it revealing itself. Zayas' work cannot be compared to any other artist, he stands uniquely positioned with extreme discipline to paint it from a place of complexity as observed in its grid-iron like patterns. The LA Art Show had it right to include and recognize one of the most important artists of today in urban landscapes. He has shown in important galleries and museums throughout the United States and Mexico, and has important collectors as far as Australia and China. Keep an eye on this highly talented and well-educated artist. College students, recent grads, and parents who help with college expenses can pay less in taxes just by paying for school. Seriously! And it's easy, too -- all they have to do is claim one of these education tax credits or deductions on their federal income tax return. You may think "filing taxes" and "easy" don't belong together. However, we broke down your four main options to help you better understand them. You can't claim both education credits or a credit and the tuition and fees deduction in the same year, so crunch the numbers or talk to a tax professional to figure out which puts the most money in your pocket. Tax Credit Options Tax credits increase your savings by decreasing the tax you owe the government, regardless of what you did or did not pay during the year through withholding or tax estimates. Advertisement For instance, if you owed $4,000, a credit of $2,500 would shrink your bill to $1,500. Even better? Any refundable portion of a credit that exceeds what you owe goes straight to you. Students have two tax credit options to choose from: the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. Option #1: American Opportunity Credit Whom it's for: Students/parents can use this credit during the first four years of a post-secondary education (sorry, grad students -- you probably won't qualify). In addition, eligible students must: Not have a drug conviction. Not have already claimed this credit or the former Hope Credit for four years. Be enrolled in at least half of a full workload for one academic period during the year. Be a candidate for a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential. In addition, if you have a filing status of "married filing separately" or if another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return, you won't be eligible. Advertisement How much it's worth: This credit covers 100 percent of the first $2,000 of qualified expenses and 25 percent of the next $2,000 of qualified expenses, for a maximum credit of $2,500. If the credit brings the amount of tax you owe to $0, you can have up to $1,000 refunded directly to you! If you are a student under age 24, you likely won't be able to get the $1,000 refundable part of the credit unless you support yourself with income from your job. Expenses that qualify: Pretty much any expense required for enrollment and attendance. These include tuition, fees, and any course materials (including textbooks) that you paid during the tax year. Option #2: Lifetime Learning Credit Whom it's for: Students/parents who don't meet the requirements for the American Opportunity Credit, including grad students. You are ineligible if you have a filing status of "married filing separately" or if another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. How much it's worth: The credit is nonrefundable -- so you won't see any cash in your tax refund from it. It has a maximum yearly value of $2,000 or 20 percent of up to $10,000 of qualified expenses. While you can claim this credit an unlimited number of times, you can only claim it once per year -- regardless of how many students are on your tax return. Advertisement Expenses that qualify: You can claim this credit for qualified expenses for post-secondary degree programs or for programs taken to acquire or improve job skills. Qualified expenses generally include all costs to enroll in/attend an eligible educational institution. Things like books, supplies, and equipment generally do not qualify unless you must pay the school directly for them as a condition of enrollment. Tax Deduction Options Tax deductions increase your savings by decreasing the income that the government taxes you on. For instance, say you earned $35,000 in taxable income this year. Qualifying for a $4,000 deduction would decrease that taxable income to $31,000. That's $4,000 that you don't owe any taxes on! Students and their parents have two tax deductions available to them: the tuition and fees deduction and the student loan interest deduction. Option #1: Tuition And Fees Deduction Whom it's for: Any taxpayer who paid qualified education expenses. However, you are ineligible if you have a filing status of "married filing separately" or if another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. Advertisement How much it's worth: This deduction covers 100 percent of qualified higher education expenses up to $4,000. The actual maximum you qualify for will depend on your modified adjusted gross income (AGI). Expenses that qualify: Generally, qualified expenses include all costs that you have to pay in order to enroll/attend an eligible educational institution. Option #2: Student Loan Interest Deduction Whom it's for: Any taxpayer who paid interest during the year on a qualified student loan. How much it's worth: You can deduct up to $2,500. Loans that qualify: Generally, only loans taken out to pay for qualified education expenses are eligible; this includes Parent PLUS loans. Qualified expenses generally include the total cost of attending an eligible school of higher education (as either an undergraduate or a graduate student), as well as tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, equipment, and any other necessary expenses. In addition, you must have paid for or incurred these expenses within a reasonable amount of time from when you took out the loan. The expenses also must have been for the student's education during an academic period when he or she was an eligible student. To learn more about these deductions and credits, check out Publication 970 or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website. And remember, it's always a good idea to check with a tax professional to be sure you're claiming benefits correctly. What If My Employer Helps Me Pay For School? Advertisement Some companies offer to help pay your tuition costs as a way to invest in employee development. If your company offers this assistance: Generally speaking, you can receive up to5,250 toward undergraduate or graduate tuition, fees, and books totally tax-free (usually through reimbursement). Additional assistance may be taxable. Speak to your employer to find out more about your specific situation. Another rising trend is employers offering student loan repayment as an employee benefit. Depending on how your employer makes the payments toward your student loans, you may have a minimal tax bill if the payment is considered income. Your employer may deduct the tax directly from the payment or your paycheck, or you may be responsible for it when you file your tax return each year. Talk to your payroll office to learn more. This article was prepared for informational purposes only and is not meant to be tax or legal advice. Please see your tax professional for additional guidance. Doctor taking patients pulse Co-authored by Renee Randazzo, MS, and Dana J. Pardee, BS For trans masculine people -- an umbrella term referring to people assigned a female sex at birth who identify as female-to-male, transman, man, men, masculine of center, boi, genderqueer or another diverse non-binary gender identity and expression -- seeking healthcare can be a challenging and potentially traumatizing experience. We are hearing about all of it. At The Fenway Institute -- the research, education and training, evaluation and policy division of Fenway Health in Boston, Massachusetts -- we are collecting data from a diverse array of trans masculine people about their experiences seeking and accessing healthcare. Through a two-year-long research project funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, in collaboration with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (CoE) at the University of California, San Francisco, we are able to also study the sexual health of trans masculine adult patients. Advertisement We hear over and over again about the myriad of ways transgender patients can be hurt by, rejected or feel mistreated in healthcare settings and contexts, including by their medical doctors and other clinical care providers. We are finding that lack of cultural competence (trans-incompetence) in healthcare contexts and by providers themselves comes in many forms. One central theme emerging in our research is regarding nonbinary trans masculine people (who may not identify with the male/female or man/woman gender dichotomy) and binary trans masculine people (who may identify as men or males). Toward nonbinary individuals, healthcare providers may demonstrate confusion. Toward binary-identified transgender men, healthcare providers may be entirely dismissive or feel betrayed when finding out the patient is transgender having assumed he was a cisgender (non-transgender) male. "[There are] different version[s] of bullsh*t that trans guys get... I get the 'you-don't-fit-in-a-box-and-we-don't-really-understand-you-and-you-behave-differently-and-you-challenge-our-experiences-on-stuff.' So that's the version I get. Other trans guys get the 'you-lied-to-me.' I didn't lie to you. I just walked through the door, I didn't lie to you." - Participant, Clinical Visit When providers don't inquire about and honor individuals' preferred terminology for their gender and their body parts, the outcome is more than just discomfort. It exacerbates a potent source of distress--distress so intense as to be potentially life-threatening for the patient. It is alarmingly common for trans masculine patients in qualitative data from our study to report extreme anxiety, needing to dissociate in order to get through doctor visits and even avoidance of healthcare services altogether. This is particularly true in the context of sexual healthcare services. Advertisement "And my body was, like, looked as -- not as my own... it was just like really hard, like, mentally on top -- like because my body wasn't looked like -- wasn't referred to as, like, mine. So even when someone's like, not even about to perform a certain procedure and they're talking about it, I think language is very important. And so if I'm already anxious before, I'm like even more anxious than even if I'm going through the pain during the procedure. Like, so that kind of builds on and builds on top of each other." -Participant, Clinical Visit In addition to honoring individuals' terminology, there are simple guidelines healthcare providers can follow to ensure their clinical practice and patient interactions are healing rather than wounding. For example: Use transgender-inclusive paperwork. Train support staff in trans-competence. Avoid making assumptions. Provide non-judgmental space for gender identity and expression. Inquire about experiences of discrimination or prior mistreatment during intake/assessment. Integrate responsive therapeutic support into sexual health services by offering counseling and making appropriate referrals. Lastly, remember that a transgender person is just that, a person. The gender identity of any individual is merely one facet of a complex human being, and may or may not be relevant to any particular visit to the doctor. "Really, when I'm sick in the doctor's office -- all I want is the doctor to treat me like a human, any other human, and not bring up my trans status unless it is absolutely pertinent to the visit at hand. It may be easier to catch a unicorn, however, than achieve that in a doctor's office." - Participant, Online Focus Group Healing wounds may begin one doctor's visit at a time, but ultimately its scope is much larger. As one participant in our study noted, the work of healing must be embarked upon by the community as a whole -- those who fall under the transgender umbrella, loved ones, and allies and those to whom the community turns for care. "You've got a community that disproportionately doesn't like themselves very much and then we say OK, you have to do this [get sexual healthcare] because if not you're going to get sick and die. If you don't like yourself particularly much that's not the biggest motivating factor, bit is there a way to sort of reframe the whole discussion onto something far more positive?... And especially if you're talking about the health of parts that you're not super interested in having... Create a community that likes itself better, that feels more empowered, that focuses on sexual health and wellbeing dividends in the long run around sexual health of the community. I think that's some of the best work we can be doing in terms of improving sexual healthcare." -Participant, Clinical Visit As we at The Fenway Institute work toward enhancing what the trans masculine patient above refers to as "sexual health and wellbeing dividends," we invite those who meet the study criteria to consider participating in The Trans Masculine Sexual Health Collaborative. We invite readers to share information about this study with your personal and professional networks. Our hope is that this work will improve the landscape of trans masculine sexual healthcare, and will inspire healthcare providers to do their part in helping trans masculine patients "catch the unicorn" of gender affirming healthcare. Sari Reisner, ScD is Affiliated Research Scientist at Fenway Health; Associate Scientific Researcher at Boston Children's Hospital; and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. He is the Principle Investigator of CER-1403-12625. Renee Randazzo, MS is the Community Liaison for the Trans Masculine Sexual Health Collaborative with The Fenway Institute, and School-based Clinician with the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy. Advertisement Marc Andreessen famously said that "software is eating the world." But with an estimated 4.9 billion Internet-connected things currently in use, and the number of once-isolated or analog systems connected to the Internet growing at a breakneck pace, one might revise Andreessen's quote to say that "interconnected things are eating the world." In the excitement to connect everything in the world -- from pacemakers, to cars, to home security cameras -- security often is neglected, or seen as a later-stage rather than a critical initial component. But a lack of, or poor, security for these burgeoning technologies and newly connected devices can have a significant impact on business and society. Businesses and society could reap significant advantages if security problems are properly addressed through training, educating, and incentivizing the people that can most influence software security. Recent RAND research found that if the frequency of software vulnerabilities was reduced by half, the overall cost of cybersecurity to companies could decrease by 25 percent. Advertisement Despite the best efforts of security professionals within organizations and the broader security community to advocate for creating more secure software and regularly patching vulnerabilities, their voices may not be enough. More needs to be done to drive systematic change in how software is developed and vulnerabilities are addressed. Train Code is continually being developed and updated -- not just by developers with formal background in computer science, but by virtually every engineer, scientist and entrepreneur with a STEM focus. As the code bases of software and embedded systems people rely on in their day-to-day lives grow to millions of lines of code, software errors will inevitably occur. Take, for example, a simple iPhone app; it likely has a few thousand lines of code. In comparison, an operating system typically has more than 40 to 50 million. Estimates show even after vulnerability testing, approximately one bug remains per every 2,000 lines of code. That could be just one bug in that iPhone app to more than 20,000 in that operating system. When there is a gap between knowing how to code and knowing how to code securely, issues can occur. Vulnerabilities, poor implementation, or atypical use cases allow attackers to exploit a system for their advantage. Advertisement In order to avoid such blunders, those writing the code must understand security so they can create and secure the applications and systems. To do this, training employees can make a significant difference in keeping networks, systems, devices and applications secure. Training should go beyond those creating or implementing information technology, computers, networks, or security. Rather, companies must invest in all of their people. From the C-suite to the intern, every employee should be trained to have a security mindset -- identifying and detecting possible errors. One could liken it to companies training their employees to recognize unwanted strangers on a secured floor -- but extend it into the virtual world, a sort of human intrusion detection system. Educate Beyond preparing and training today's workforce, consider the next generation to fill the corporate world's shoes: students. There is a need to emphasize the importance of security to them. Secure coding is typically not a part of the core curriculum for computer science majors in college, and is rarely taught in lower levels of education. If this is the next generation of individuals developing the software, creating the devices and building the infrastructure -- in both the digital and physical realms -- how is security to be ensured? Where some may see an issue, we see an opportunity. In software development as in many other things in life, it's easier to teach good habits to newcomers than it is to break long-established bad ones among those who've been around for awhile. If the next generation is trained early about the importance of security and how to code securely, future generations will be much better off. There is great progress being made in this area, from the addition of conference tracks and breakout rooms, or "villages," at DEF CON and RSA security conferences to teach young people about security, to new programs with sites like Code.org that build security curriculum for high school students. Advertisement Though technology is thoroughly embedded within the average person's life, security is not emphasized to the general user. For example, kids who play games on their iPads or teenagers surfing the web on their phones -- do they understand how and when to patch their devices? According to some reports, as few as 20 percent of vulnerabilities get patched on Android devices when needed. Even in the physical realm, when was the last time you considered applying software patches to your toaster, fridge, lights, or home thermostat? Education is a critical part of solving this issue. By teaching the importance of security to young minds early on and continually bringing awareness to the broader public, technology-based attacks may start to be more tempered. Incentivize Realistically, vulnerabilities and edge (or unintended use) cases, will always exist in some way, shape or form. Like humans, technology has its imperfections and weaknesses. However, creating incentives for people can help tackle the software vulnerability issue. Bug bounty programs and in-company competitions are perfect examples. They help improve the general good of society while preventing security incidents. Bug bounty programs -- run by vendors like Microsoft and Facebook, or by third parties like HackerOne and BugCrowd -- offer rewards for uncovering software vulnerabilities or exploitation techniques, either through monetary incentives or by offering recognition, which is a valuable currency in many security research circles. In-company competitions can incentivize employees to keep their systems up-to-date and patched, or be vigilant for potential spear phishing campaigns. As the world becomes more dependent on technology, connected devices and networked systems, securing the underlying software takes on increasing importance. The need to understand these implications and take action is real. Advertisement Florham Park, New Jersey, approximate population 12,605. It is a neighborhood known for its small town feel, fine school system, library, community events and activities. In 1988, when Allison Josephs was a fourth grader, she liked living in this town where neighbors felt a kinship with one another and peers were well-acquainted at her local public school. While her classmates were poring over "Choose Your Own Adventure" books and knotting friendship bracelets, Allison's busy mind raced most nights, thoughts overpowering and too profound for a child her age. Allison could not make sense of the world, how it began and its infinite continuum. But it was not until tragedy shook the suburban Morris County community that Allison's thoughts took shape and an active form, when the potential met the kinetic and her life was forever changed. December 12, 1988 started off as an average Monday morning for Allison. She woke up, got dressed and went to school, but when she arrived, it was quiet and she spotted students in Homeroom crying. Immediately, she knew that something was off. As the story came together, it made little sense to the fourth grader and her friends. Angela Damiano, a kind and personable classmate, had been killed along with her brother by their father over the weekend. Albert Damiano, 40, had then turned the gun on himself. Advertisement Allison would later hear that there had been some warning signs about Albert, who suffered from severe depression, but no one imagined that he would not be able to babysit his children while his wife attended a birthday party. No one foresaw the calamity ahead of time. Allison would try to wrap her head around the occurrence many times while lying awake in bed: How could this have happened to Angela? What happened when a person died as far as the world at large? If Angela, just a child, could cease to be in this world, what did her life mean? If the world kept continuing....? Allison particularly thought about the continuum of life in this world, of birth and new lives, and she would revisit those thoughts when her mind raced at night, instead of considerately allowing her sleep. "Objects in motion will continue unless you change your course," Allison says now about her childhood reflections. Back then, her mind went deep in the dark of night, and not being extremely religious, but from a Jewish family, Allison thought about the God of her forefathers. What was his plan? Clearly there was something behind everything and the world...She would later conclude from discussions with her father that the world was infinite and the subject of infinity repeatedly gave her much pause. While some children grow up to become adults who toss the notion of a higher power and a Creator aside, who scoff at the idea of religion in a world that can seemingly disregard a little girl, Allison wondered about God and his designs. She would see his work through a flawless tree in Hawaii while on vacation years later with her parents. She would initially seize the tree up as if part of a superb painting, or a prop on a television set. But the tree was not a studio model, she would marvel, even if it seemed it had been created with a paintbrush! It was real and so seemingly miraculously, intricately detailed, a spectacular creation of this world. Allison's parents sent her to a religious high school program where she took classes a few times a week. Their intent was for her to meet nice Jewish boys, but she found herself drawn to a course on how the Chinese Tao Te Ching correlated to Judaism's Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers), how the uniquely worded lessons taught in two entirely separate cultures and languages could be interwoven and sound nearly identical. She began forming more connections about life and meaning and how, sadly, the death of Angela Damiano had set the wheels in motion for this inner monologue. Advertisement ...A monologue which became a dialogue. Spirituality and prayers came together for Allison as they do for one who sees meaning in, and a connectedness to, everything. When she approached her father and told him she was embracing Orthodox Judaism, he scoffed at the idea, but then agreed to study and really delve in to what he was rejecting for his daughter. After all, his daughter reasoned, in order to naysay what she wanted to take on, he should know what he was refuting. Surprisingly, Mr. Josephs would come back to Allison later and tell her that everything made sense, that he couldn't quite believe it himself but now he was a believer in Orthodox Judaism. Today, the family that Allison grew up with is orthodox. In her 30s, her husband and her children live the same lifestyle as her parents: They are all Torah-abiding, infused with spirituality and focused on learning and growing in Judaism. On the outside, Allison looks like a modest fashionista who you might spot at New York Fashion Week. She covers her hair stylishly, often with a customized wig, as many modern orthodox women do, adhering to the ruling that married women's real hair is to be seen exclusively by their husbands. She wears dresses that fall to the knee or below and are sometimes created by the likes of fashion designer Terri John. You can sense that Allison puts thought into her attire and as the British say, she looks "smart." All of that is woven with the internal Allison, the thoughtful, always connecting mind that forfeited nights of sleep as a child, tossing and turning while making sense of the world. Although it began with the tragic death of a classmate, she has never stopped to discover and understand things that pertain to life, the world in its infiniteness, Judaism, one's connection to God and how He (or She, readers) may operate. As someone who never stopped exploring as an adult, Allison founded Jew in the City, whose mission, according to its website, is to "publicize the message that Orthodox Jews can be funny, approachable, educated, pro-women and open-minded--and that Orthodox Judaism links the Jewish people to a deep and beautiful heritage that is just as relevant today as it ever was." Whether it be through comedic videos shared through social media or upscale events, Allison is focused on imparting the awesomeness of Judaism and showing others what is cool and unexpected about those in the Modern Orthodox and Orthodox Jewish community. Allison still reflects a lot on the tragedy that hit her town and how it might have affected the surviving Damiano relatives. She thinks of the sweet little girl who shared and was so likable as a classmate. She considers how lives are not wasted or in vain but purposeful and what she may have learned from Angela. If she can do one good thing in Angela's memory, if she has learned one thing from the little girl, Allison notes that she will do it. Aside from sharing, Angela wasn't one to complain and had traits that those living can exemplify on a daily basis. Advertisement Infinity, Allison thinks, remembering a conversation she had with her father about how the ocean waves keep coming and coming. While babies are born and people die, a new wave is formed, and then another. As the waves wash over the sand repeatedly, it is a part of the continuum of the world. "I give my thanks to you (each morning) for having returned my soul to me" go Allison's prayers upon waking up. She appreciates what it means for every living person to be a part of this continuum. Then she gets to work, savoring the purpose of her organization and her mission, inspiring other people to think deeply and discover the interconnections in life and the miracles around them that no paintbrush, other than God's, could create. new york, america, sogno, ragazza, orizzonti, futuro Three years, two apartments, one heartbreak, 200 happy hours, eight boats, 15 dates, one blog, 100 really late nights, 278 times being cut off, one tattoo, maybe five times total at the beach, one job, three lost tans, 50 empanadas, that one time at e11even, a handful of new friends, 56 times being mistaken for Hispanic, 900 mind-blowing sunsets, and one goodbye that will be my hardest one yet... Back in 2012, I was a senior in college dreaming about taking my big dreams to the big city. I saw myself at a fancy Manhattan ad agency. I envisioned myself living off of little sleep but many dreams. I pictured a tiny apartment but a city full of opportunity. I imagined a nonexistent budget but priceless memories. Advertisement Then something crazy happened -- I fell in love. I fell hard enough that I packed up my dreams for NYC in a little part of my heart and made a choice. Even though I lied to all my family and friends that it was really for my career... I had ultimately moved for a boy (much like the author of this Thrillist article). I then found myself in Miami -- a city I never, ever saw myself in before. It seemed like a good thing because I was crazy in love... until I wasn't. So I lost the love that had gotten me there, but I gained the opportunity to save myself and to become the best version of myself. Heartbreak was my muse, and really, it was just the beginning. So here I was in a foreign city (country). At first, I hated it. I really, really hated it. The people weren't as kind as I was used to. I couldn't speak Spanish. I was scared to drive. Making friends was hard as hell (and don't even get me started on dating). Then, slowly, I started to fall in love with the city. But no matter how much I loved it, there was always something missing. In truth, the life I built off of heartbreak's wake was something to be proud of... but then why wasn't I obsessed with it? I started to think, How much of a good thing is something that ceases to inspire you? What happens when you start to become uncomfortable with being comfortable? What if what I was meant to do here was already complete? Was I just stalling or wasting time? Advertisement Fast forward three years: I'm sitting at lunch with a friend talking about my five-year plan (you know, the one that changes every week). However, I found a common theme: I was always talking about leaving Miami. So then I actually did something about it, and lo and behold the universe did everything in its power to work with me (for once). I made the decision casually over lunch on December 22nd, and got the official relocation approval by February 2nd. It went by so quickly that it feels like it must be meant to be. I guess now that this three-year detour is nearing its end, I have to ask myself: did I make a mistake back then (you know, choosing love)? And why would I ever leave a good thing now? I think after all this time, I've finally found the answer to both of those questions: No matter what, you have to follow your heart. In the end, I can look back and say I am someone who truly believes in love and would do anything for it. I can say I'm someone who doesn't settle for something just because it's easy. I can say that I'm not afraid to leave something that looks perfect in the eyes of social media for something that's better in real life. Sometimes you have to leave a good thing because (maybe, just maybe) there might be something more for you -- more ways to love, more ways to grow, and more ways to live. Because you should never let a day go by without being inspired. Advertisement And even if there isn't more, and even if it turns out to be the greatest failure of your life... you'll never know unless you try. So here I am, leaving a good thing (and following my heart) for the small chance that there's more for me somewhere in the high-rises of NYC. Maybe this whole thing is dumb. Maybe it's naive. But so was moving to a city strictly because I loved a boy, and look where that got me? I'd never give up the stories and adventures I've had because of it. I am proud that I am someone who follows her heart, no matter what the risk is. In the end, I have no idea what's out there for me, but I'm enjoying being terrified to jump heart-first into the unknown to find it. Truthfully, it's kind of exciting -- you know, taking a chance on yourself for once. It's exciting to finally make your dreams come true. Once upon a time I moved to Miami because I loved someone enough to do it. Now I'm moving to New York City because I love myself enough to give it a shot. I'll see you in the city, baby. Truman and V-P Humphrey also check their watches to give LBS the Washington, D.C. time of the singing at signing of Medicare Bill in Independence, Missouri on July 30, 1965. (AP Photo) It Disrupted Jim Crow, but Otherwise the Transition Was Smooth Hillary Clinton and others charge that Bernie Sanders' Medicare-for-All plan would disrupt and threaten Americans' health care. But the smooth rollout of Medicare-for-Seniors in 1965 -- which many had also predicted would bring chaos -- belies that charge. Medicare, signed into law on July 30, 1965, went live just 11 months later. By then, 18.9 million seniors had signed up, 99 percent of those eligible. Advertisement To accomplish this feat (largely without computers) the Social Security Administration mailed an information leaflet and sign-up cards preprinted with each individual's name and Social Security number (see example below) to seniors on the Social Security and railroad retirement rolls, as well as Civil Service annuitants and a million other seniors identified through IRS records. Image: Social Security Administration History Archives To contact hard-to-reach seniors, the federal government reached out to nursing and retirement homes, employers, unions and civic organizations offering to help people apply; organized hundreds of local information meetings; and enlisted postal workers, forest rangers and agricultural representatives to help locate residents of remote areas. The Office for Economic Opportunity hired 5,000 low-income seniors who went door-to-door in their neighborhoods. All told, Medicare's overhead costs for the first year totaled only $120 million (equivalent to $882 million in 2015). By comparison, setting up the insurance exchanges for private coverage under Obamacare cost more than $6 billion -- about seven times as much. But even the modest figure for Medicare's start-up costs is an overstatement since it includes the cost of processing six months' worth of medical bills, not just the enrollment costs. Moreover, Medicare and Medicaid (which was passed at the same time) displaced several smaller federal health assistance programs, saving about $383 million (in 2015 dollars) on their overhead costs. Even as it became clear that Medicare enrollment was proceeding smoothly, many saw disruption ahead. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a group to the right of the American Medical Association (AMA), threatened that 50,000 doctors would boycott Medicare. (Today, the AAPS is sounding the alarm that Medicare-for-All would take away "what remains of your doctor's liberty.") Wall Street Journal headlines warned that "Most MDs Won't Cooperate," and foresaw a "Patient Pileup," as "flocks of Medicare beneficiaries ... suddenly clog the nation's 7,200 hospitals." Advertisement None of this came to pass. Doctors continued to care for elderly patients, mostly accepted Medicare payment, and soon came to rely on Medicare as an economic pillar of their practices. Even the AMA, which had spent millions fighting Medicare's passage (including an infamous ad campaign featuring then-actor Ronald Reagan) cooperated in the program's implementation. Hospitals ran smoothly, with only a handful reporting more than minor of problems. But Medicare did cause a major disruption, it disrupted Jim Crow hospital care. The 1964 Civil Rights Act banned racial discrimination in facilities receiving federal funds (which included most hospitals), but enforcement was lax until Medicare. Many hospitals, particularly in the South, still refused to care for black patients at all, while others relegated them to separate entrances and shabby basement wards. Black physicians were often barred from hospital staffs, and in many locales ambulance services were separate, and distinctly unequal. With Medicare on the horizon, federal officials made it clear to hospitals that segregated hospitals would be excluded from the program. In the spring of 1966, three months before Medicare took effect, 51 percent of American hospitals were still segregated. By August of that year, 99.5 percent had desegregated. While Medicare ended overt racial segregation in hospitals, segregation by insurance remains legal and common -- and often perpetrates de facto racial segregation. Most of New York City's prestigious academic medical centers -- and many hospitals elsewhere -- maintain separate clinic systems, and even separate wards, for Medicaid patients (the 33 million uninsured need not apply). Medicare-for-All would give all Americans complete and equal coverage, completing the disruption of hospital segregation that Medicare began a half century ago. Advertisement Aside from that welcome disruption, Medicare-for-All would greatly simplify life for hospitals and doctors. Instead of the laborious and expensive task of billing patients and their insurers for each Band-Aid and aspirin tablet, hospitals would receive a lump-sum budget, much as we pay for a fire station. Doctors would bill one plan, using one billing form instead of the dozens of complex billing schemes -- each with its own rules and redundant documentation requirements -- that we face today. Most important, Medicare-for-All would end many of the disruptions that our patchwork coverage system currently inflicts on patients. All Americans would, for the first time enjoy a free choice of doctor and hospital, and would never again be forced to change doctors merely because their insurance changed, or their doctor was dumped from their insurer's network. And patients' lives would no longer be disrupted by financial ruin from medical bills. While the middle class gay leaders of our community may applaud same sex marriage as our last great battle, they are insulting those who have been completely left behind, particularly in the midst of the LGBTQ+ youth homelessness crisis in the UK. "Crisis" may seem like a dramatic term, but there are several reasons I use it. The fact that anybody could be homeless is a crisis, but particularly for those who identify as LGBTQ+, as there are few services which are able and willing to provide appropriate support and advice. This means that LGBTQ+ youths simply have very few ways of being able to get out of poverty. Furthermore, a recent report by the Albert Kennedy Trust found that almost one quarter of all homeless youths identify as LGBTQ+ despite the fact that only around 3-10% of the general population identify as such. This is completely disproportionate and the true figures of LGBTQ+ homelessness are potentially being severely underestimated when youth homelessness is thought to be three to eight times higher than official government figures. Advertisement We may be living in a more liberal time than ever before, but family rejection is still a leading factor in LGBTQ+ youth homelessness. Legally, expressions of homophobic, bi-phobic or transphobic hatred and/or rejection are classified as hate crimes and yet there is no onus on parents to accept and support their LGBTQ+ children or relatives. It's seen as their right to reject somebody who is entirely deserving of love and respect. Youths who are rejected have very few rights; in a divorce, partners may be entitled to a certain percentage of wealth or assets, but young people are regularly turned out of their homes with nothing, simply for who they are. Even when renting LGBTQ+ people can find that they an unprotected legally as discrimination is actually allowed if one lives with a landlord in certain cases. There's also the risk that while more urban areas are breaking down traditional conservatism, rural areas are being left behind. There's a great disparity in the treatment of LGBTQ+ youths across the country. I live in the North East of England and have seen the delights of acceptance in certain parts of Newcastle's city centre but also know well that rural areas -- particularly former mining villages -- still have a strong culture of masculinity and can often be hostile and intimidating places for LGBTQ+ youths. Specific support services are also often concentrated in cities with little outreach being carried out in the places that need them most due to a chronic lack of funding. One should not have to move away to a new city simply to be able to come out and be accepted. LGBTQ+ charities are also often dominated by white staff and therefore a white centric culture where little outreach is done to people of color, particularly if they are from certain religious backgrounds. This means that inevitably LGBTQ+ people of color are at a higher risk of not being able to obtain support and so if they do become homeless it will be that much harder to get out of poverty. Advertisement LGBTQ+ youths who are homeless will often engage in survival sex or sex work. This is why it is imperative that the wider LGBTQ+ community supports sex worker rights. If any aspect of sex work is criminalised the result will be that vulnerable LGBTQ+ homeless youths will not only struggle in poverty but will potentially face arrest and prosecution. Even those who oppose sex work cannot sincerely claim that criminalization helps anyone; it only targets vulnerable people. LGBTQ+ youths will not stop their sex work activities because of the law; they still need to be able to pay for shelter, food, drink and so will not give up their one source of income. All criminalization ever achieves is criminalizing the vulnerable. The Tories may claim they believe in the politics of aspiration (while imposing austerity which has seen homelessness soar) the reality for the overwhelming majority is that once you're in poverty it is that much harder to get out of. Few realise just how expensive it is to be poor; debts accumulate quickly and rents are extortionate in this country. Savings should not be considered a luxury and yet they have become so with very few being able to give themselves a financial safety net in case something does go wrong. LGBTQ+ youths are most impacted by this due to their lack of employment history and saving possibilities to begin with. The Tories are also hitting young people with their cuts which particularly leaves LGBTQ+ youths at risk. They will not be included in the new living wage, university grants are being cut which means that choosing to go to university as a way of escaping family life is a much less likely option and most importantly housing benefit for 18-21 year olds is also being scrapped. This means that routes out of an abusive family situation are far fewer. No youth should have to choose between homelessness or abuse. LGBTQ+ homeless youths also often need to access multiple services. Many have experienced abuse and sexual exploitation and require support with PTSD, depression and other mental health issues, trans youths often need access to healthcare so as to be able to enable their transition and many also need support in figuring out how to achieve true independence after having to leave their family homes. It can be difficult enough to obtain appropriate support at the best of times with services facing cuts and long waiting times, but it is that much harder for it to be delivered to people who have no fixed address. The result is that the most vulnerable in society end up falling through the cracks. Additionally, different agencies and organizations tend to work against each other rather than in the best interest of the young person. Charities which care for the young person can often find themselves in conflict with the different demands of the police and social services when abuse with a family member has been involved. The different organizations rarely work together efficiently, each having their own clear goals which usually do not account for the others. This can cause great tension and that's when the organisations do pay an interest; a lot of the time there will be the other end of the spectrum where organisations will pass the buck. In some cases the police may claim a certain abuse issue may be up to social services and vice versa, forgetting that there is a vulnerable young person at the centre of all of this. Advertisement The fight for equality, legally and culturally, is far from over. LGBTQ+ youths are paying the price of the community's complacency but also of society's deep rooted rejection still to any LGBTQ+ identity. Equality can only be truly be viewed as achieved when youths aren't still being rejected by the people who are supposed to love them the most. We're a long way from achieving that and until it has we must ensure that better services are provided for these youths and greater attention is given to their needs. Research done by professors and their grad students in U.S. universities labs are being turned into commercial products and life saving drugs and devices thanks to an act of Congress - and the efforts of technology transfer offices in schools like Stanford and Columbia. How this research is transferred outside the university, and why this "tech transfer" process is important was the focus of an interview with two of the latest guests on Entrepreneurs are Everywhere, my radio show on SiriusXM Channel 111 (airing weekly Thursdays at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern). The show follows the journeys of founders who share what it takes to build a startup - from restaurants to rocket scientists, to online gifts to online groceries and more. The program examines the DNA of entrepreneurs: what makes them tick, how they came up with their ideas; and explores the habits that make them successful, and the highs and lows that pushed them forward. Advertisement Joining me in SiriusXM's studio in New York were: Listen to the full interview with Orin and Kathy by downloading it from SoundCloud here. (And download any of the past shows here.) Clips from their interview are below. -- As executive director of Stanford University's Office of Technology Licensing, Kathy Ku oversees the licensing of Stanford-developed technologies. From 1994-98, Kathy was responsible for Stanford's Sponsored Projects Office. She took a break from Stanford in 1990 and 1991, as VP of business development at Protein Design Labs, Inc. Prior to that, she spent 12 years at Stanford; worked at Monsanto and Sigma Chemical as a research scientist; administered a dialysis clinical trial at University of California; and taught chemistry and basic engineering courses. Kathy has been VP and trustee of the Licensing Executives Society (LES), and was president of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) from 1988-90. She received the AUTM 2001 Bayh-Dole Award for her efforts in university licensing, and is currently a member of the NIH Advisory Committee to the Deputy Director of Intramural Research. Advertisement Orin Herskowitz has been executive director of Columbia Technology Ventures since 2006 and is also VP of Columbia's Intellectual Property and Tech Transfer. In addition, Orin has served on boards or as the Principal Investigator for the NYC Media Lab, PowerBridgeNY, and the Columbia Coulter Translational Partnership. Prior to joining Columbia, Orin spent seven years with the Boston Consulting Group's New York office. Tech transfer is about far more than simply licensing technology, Kathy and Orin explained: Kathy: Tech transfer has a broader mandate. ... it's helping entrepreneurs, it's creating the culture, the ecosystem for fostering entrepreneurship and startups. I think our mandate is just getting broader and broader. Orin: ...The rap on tech transfer used to be that it was about picking the winners. The offices would only focus on (licensing) the one or two things that were going to be blockbusters. That is certainly not the case (anymore) at all. The mission of tech transfer is to get as much out of the (university) labs and into the market as possible, because you never know what's going to be a hit. You never know what's going to transform the world. I think what you've seen is an increasing effort among the tech transfer offices to professionalize, to try to make (the tech transfer process) as transparent as possible, as fast as possible, and as predictable as possible, so that the negotiations don't drag on for years, you're not asking for exorbitant rates, it's just easy and fast. Advertisement Steve: Kathy said a phrase I thought was pretty important for the future direction of tech transfer, and that is "tech transfer offices are helping to create an ecosystem around our universities." That is, instead of just looking inward, thinking that your job is to create the most amount of money for the university, it sounds like you're also now thinking your charter is to actually build the ecosystem around the universities. Kathy: For sure. I think many universities are feeling this pressure (to create a broad entrepreneurial ecosystem). I think there's ... pressure to do more applicable research with results that are useful to the public. The tech transfer mission has broadened, and it really literally is technology moving from the university sector out for the public good. ... it typically moves out with the smaller companies I would say. (Smaller companies - startups) are more risk-taking organizations. They don't have to worry about the quarterly report (or other) financial reports that the big companies have to do. Also I think that whole revolutionary technologies are hard to get into an old established company with a product to protect. To hear the clip, click here. Kathy and Orin provided a brief overview of what tech transfer does and how it works: Kathy: The federal government funds most of the research at universities ... (to the tune of) tens of billions of (dollars a year). (In the 20th century) the U.S. government research agencies (the National Institutes of Health The National Science Foundation, The Department of Energy, etc.) ... all had different patent policies (on what universities could do with the research that the government funded). ... Steve: Meaning if I was a government agency and i gave your researchers money, you had to follow my agencies rules; there was no national standard of what I could do with that technology. Is that correct? Advertisement Kathy: ... The law at the time said the government (not the university) owned these patents. Steve: (This was true) even though these were university researchers, because they got government money, the government owned the rights to this stuff. Orin: ...You can imagine what a priority that would have been for the government at the time ... to actively market these technologies and find venture capitalists and all that. (The government had no interest and/or ability to market these technologies and find venture capitalists.) Steve: Congress passed a law, which was called Bayh-Dole to solve this problem... what did the Bayh-Dole Act do? Orin: ... Essentially what the Bayh-Dole Act does is transfer the right to own these assets from the federal government, to the university that receives the research funding. Steve: That's a big idea. The government says, even though we've paid for this, even though we funded this research, here Stanford, Columbia, and any research university getting a grant, you guys go make money on this if you can figure out how. Is that what the Bayh-Dole Act said? Advertisement Orin: Essentially. The idea was ... (to) give the incentive to transfer the rights and obligations to do this to the people who have an incentive to try and make it work. Kathy: ...(Bayh-Dole) was a huge deal. (At Stanford) we had individual agreements with a few of the agencies, the NIH and NSF notably. We could take title (ownership) too those inventions funded by that agency, but the rest of them we had to go and fight each time and say, we wanted to take title or not. The agencies were all of differentiating ilk, and so they may or may not give us title. Orin: The thing to keep in mind, too, is that ... this initially was only relevant for the faculty members that were working on federally funded research. ... What most universities have done since then... is extended (tech transfer to include) to any research done on campus, that uses university funding, or university labs. Steve: (So it means today a university will try to license and commercialize more than) just the stuff that gets money from the federal government. Anything that the university would have claim for, now says we're happy to license and whatever, but oh by the way, if you did it on campus, we own it. Advertisement Kathy: Right. ... Bayh-Dole was not necessarily created to have the universities make money, but to incentivize universities to do this tech transfer thing. The government realized that all the patents that they had filed on, just sat in some repository, and never got used. To hear the clip, click here. Here's how Columbia and Stanford universities market their technologies: Kathy: Right now, what Stanford does is ... market our technologies to ... anybody who might be interested.... We put (these inventions and patents) out on the web or we contact companies etc. Steve: That means you have an invention that one of your professors have done that does x and y. Here's the description, is that what you mean by market? Kathy: ... and it might do this and it might be cheaper, faster, a better something ... (We basically say) come and tell us if you're interested in it (whether you're a startup or a large company). (But) The reality is most times nobody is interested. ...It's really too early. That's the sad thing. We have lots and lots of good technologies but it seems that our system is such that many of the large companies can't either recognize that or don't want to invest in this early stage stuff. Orin: ... (The problem of getting someone interested in University technology is even tougher than it sounds) ... take the role of a venture capitalist. ... In the average VC portfolio ... 1 in 10 companies (they invest in) will turn out to be a big hit. ... And if you're in the pharmaceutical industry, 1 in 100 compounds that start life with a big pharma will actually make it to market and be a big success. Advertisement Our science (we license) is early (for VC's and companies) because unlike a corporation, when the faculty members have a new idea, they are going to publish it in a journal (that's how academics get credit and recognition for their research.) So we file our patents very, very early on (often before the ideas get published.) The most successful moments for us, when we pop the champagne, is when we license something to a venture capitalist for a startup or to a pharma company to become one of those 100 things that might make it to market someday. To hear the clip, click here. Orin shared Columbia University's recent Eureka moments: Last year, we had roughly 200 faculty members who interacted with our office and (those 200 faculty members) created 400 new inventions. (Think of those as) roughly 400 Eureka moments by the faculty. Steve: These faculty say, we think this idea is worth patenting or licensing? Orin: (Nods.) (For) some of them it's very clear. They say, "I have a new compound that has never been seen before that I believe is relevant for this specific disease." In other cases, they might say, "I've observed this cool interactions between two things. I don't really know how it's going to be used yet." ... 200 faculty labs, 400 inventions... at Columbia at least, we file patents on roughly two-thirds of those, so 200 some odd patents get filed. We, last year, did 117 licenses with companies of which 27 were startups. To hear the clip, click here. Kathy offered insight into the process at Stanford: (At Stanford) here are close to 500 (new inventions that my office sees). I would say we file patents on about 60 percent of them... and we license about 25 to 30 percent. Advertisement (Non-exclusive licensing of any invention is essentially) "you go over my bridge, you pay my toll." We offer a mix of what we call non-exclusive licensing (we will license the same invention to multiple companies)- -- (We also offer) exclusive licenses (we'll license the invention to just one company. We do that as an) incentive for the company to invest the resources (to further develop the technology into a product). ... I would generally say (we do) 50-50 (exclusive and non-exclusive licenses.) We have a strong engineering school, strong medical school, but we're way more successful in licensing in the medical side of things. I think (it's because) the medical industry believes and realizes the importance of patents patents. They also understand the long R&D phase, much more than high-tech. High-tech is just trying to get a new product every 18 months out. Their patents are just a piece of their picture. To hear the clip, click here. Listen to my full interview with Orin and Kathy by downloading it from SoundCloud here. (And download any of the past shows here.) Next on Entrepreneurs are Everywhere: my interview with Grant Warner, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Howard University's College of Engineering Architecture and Computer Science, and co-founder of ConnectYard, in part 2 of this post coming later this week. Tune in Thursday at 1 pm PT, 4 pm ET on Sirius XM Channel 111. Want to be a guest on the show? Entrepreneurship stretches from Main Street to Silicon Valley, from startups to big companies. Send an email to terri@kandsranch.com describing your entrepreneurial journey. Advertisement UNITED STATES - JUNE 30 - A sign welcomes visitors to the front steps of the Supreme Court in Washington on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call) This story first appeared on Ecosystem Marketplace. Click here to view the original. Two days before US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in Texas, a group of leading environmentalists held a press conference to dissect the implications of the Court's decision to freeze President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan (CPP) pending the outcome of a lawsuit by 29 state attorneys general and some energy companies. Their conclusion? "The Paris Agreement is 100 percent on track," said the Sierra Club's John Coequyt on Thursday, expressing a sentiment echoed by David Waskow of the World Resources Institute, Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Joanne Spalding, also of the Sierra Club. Advertisement Reporters took the optimism with a grain of salt, and The Hill published a piece on the green "nightmare scenario" as late as Saturday morning -- not knowing that the court's most eloquent conservative voice was already gone. Scalia's death then launched a wave of speculation over the future of US climate policy and the CPP, and the consensus is clear: no one expects the Supreme Court to revisit last week's decision, but everyone expects it to hear the case upon appeal -- and by then, it will be a different court, so by then, Scalia's death will matter. IN DEPTH: The Atlantic offers a solid explainer on the Scalia fallout here. For all these reasons, the upcoming election-year appointment battle has import beyond the theater of the absurd that it's doomed to become, but don't let the melodrama overshadow the rational groundswell of activity that Coequyt, Waskow, and company were highlighting last week. If you listen to the audio (and I'll post it here soon), you won't hear four dejected people putting on their game faces to spin a bad situation as much as you'll hear four frustrated people wondering why we have to go through this idiocy. The attitude, in other words, isn't that of angels at the Battle of Armageddon. It's that of Sheriff Andy Taylor at the home of Ernest T Bass. They spoke mostly of the megawaves on which the GPP is riding: the growing support for clean energy, and the closing of loopholes for coal, and they referred repeatedly to the states that have endorsed the GPP or explicitly vowed to honor it no matter what the courts decide, but they glossed over the fact that most of those GPP-friendly states -- as well as corporations and cities within them -- have embraced the need for a price on carbon. Advertisement States are doing so because they know you can't manage what you can't measure. Who Wants Clarity? On the corporate front, a whopping 366 corporate leaders and investors endorsed the Clean Power Plan, and nearly two dozen of them slammed the Supreme Court's freeze the day it was issued, while more and more of them are using internal carbon pricing to guide business decisions, thereby internalizing the emissions that were previously treated as "externalities." For some, it's a moral decision, but it's the recognition of a clear and simple fact: namely, that we are at the beginning of a turbulent transition from a fossil-fuel economy to a clean-energy economy. It's a transition that the Governor of the Bank of England has identified as being the single greatest risk to corporations, and one that we ignore at our own peril. In just the last two years, the number of companies reporting an internal price on carbon to the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) tripled, from 150 in 2014 to 465 in 2015, with another 583 pledging to do so in the next two years. Their motives, again, are mixed: some are doing the right thing, but most are simply acknowledging that regulatory carbon pricing through policies like the CPP is coming. Among states, 18 filed briefs in support of the Clean Power Plan, while 14 states and six cities roundly condemned the Supreme Court's decision by endorsing a letter that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released last week. Coequyt pointed out that five of those states -- California, Colorado, New York, Virginia and Washington -- have gone beyond slamming the decision and explicitly announced they would comply with the CPP, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides. The Carbon Commonality Not surprisingly, four of the five states on Coequyt's list and 10 of the 14 on Schneiderman's are already implementing market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, or are very close to doing so. Advertisement More specifically, of the five on Coequyt's list, California and New York are currently participating in carbon markets: California under its own cap-and-trade program linked with Quebec, and New York under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Meanwhile, Washington state intends to link with California's market, and Virginia has a bipartisan bill to join RGGI, which already has nine members -- New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- that engage in emissions trading. Of the other two, Virginia is a coal-producing state whose governor, Terry McAuliffe, said in a statement that the CPP will help the state "reduce carbon emissions and stimulate our clean energy economy;" while Colorado is kind of an odd man out: on the one hand, it explored carbon trading through the Western Climate Initiative, and its (prosperous) city of Boulder uses a carbon tax to control emissions, while Governor John Hickenlooper sees clean energy as a pathway to growth. On the other hand, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is one of those who sued to stop the CPP, and the state doesn't have any real proposals for carbon trading. Of Schneiderman's 14, eight are trading carbon (the eight RGGI members, plus California). Throw in Washington State, and nine of the 14 are either trading carbon or close to it. Of the others, Oregon legislators are weighing a cap-and-trade bill, while both Oregon and New Mexico, like Colorado, were also part of the WCI, and Illinois is part of the Governors' Climate & Forests Task Force, a global linkage of states around the world looking to slow climate change by saving endangered forests. Of all these efforts, California's is the most advanced, and not only is it slashing emissions, but its economy has been on a terror since implementing cap-and-trade, which in turn is bringing about $1 billion per year into state coffers for emission-reduction projects. Riley Soward, founder of Campus Insights and student at Boston College With deadlines for summer positions right around the corner, you might be thinking of emailing faculty members about joining their research group this coming summer. Working with faculty members is one of the most productive ways of spending your summer and taking advantage of your university's resources, including receiving recommendation letters, graduate school support, and mentorship that extends through and far beyond your college years. In my case, one of my favorite professors even invited me to a Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Writing an email to a faculty member might seem hard, especially if you are just starting out and don't know what to say. Just remember: professors want to help students, and they especially want to help the ones that are genuinely interested and bright. Therefore, you must get acquainted with the faculty members' research interests, meet their colleagues and offer useful skills. Quality emails that show effort and care will yield quality conversations with faculty, a possible summer gig, and mentorship and support later on. Faculty members are not inherently disposed against responding to your emails; they just typically receive bad emails, often mail-merged to more than one faculty member, with minimal customization, understanding of their work, or mastery of their subject. Professors have famously busy schedules, often tight research budgets, and, due to their teaching experience, an ability to identify fake interest -- therefore you should offer them objective reasons to consider you for a position in their group. Advertisement Since we are about to ask for a research position, we should approach this problem scientifically. Let us think of a strategy to maximize the probability of response. Three key points will show professors you are a mature, interested candidate for a research position: researching the faculty members' most recent publications and classes, speaking with their graduate students and/or administrative staff, and displaying your own academic credentials in the email. 1. Thoroughly research their work One of the most common complaints that students have is that faculty do not get back to them; faculty, on the other hand, counter that students do not send them emails that are sufficiently targeted. Let us look at the issue from the faculty perspective. I spoke with Professor Scott Fahlman, Research Professor of Language Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University. "Try to put yourself in the shoes of the professor who gets hundreds of these mass-produced internship requests every year, mostly from India," said Prof. Fahlman. "Even sending an individual response to such a request costs the professor more time than you spent to send that message to the professor. So, as much as faculty members love to work with smart undergrads, they must treat most of these messages as a form of spam, and respond with a canned message, if they respond at all. If you want your message to stand out and maybe get a personal response, there has to be some indication that you spent some time preparing this specific request." Advertisement "Often the letter is not even minimally customized. It is addressed to "Dear Professor" and does not mention the project name or the university, even though you think my work is wonderful and desperately want to work with me. The letter gives no indication that the writer has spent even a few minutes looking at the online materials related to my work. And then these hard-working people, so passionate about my work, go on to say that they want to work with me on "algorithms, data mining, software engineering, and computer vision" -- not areas that I currently work in." - Quora response by Scott E. Fahlman. Therefore, your chances for obtaining a position with faculty member dramatically increase if you actually read their research papers and develop familiarity with their specific field before ever setting foot in the faculty member's office. The professor will not expect you to know everything, especially if you are an undergraduate, but you must put in your best effort to at least develop good questions and a sense of what the research process in the field is like. I recommend starting your email with "Dear Professor LAST NAME", briefly introducing yourself, your year and major, and then stating specific research areas that interest you. As noted above, "algorithms and data mining" is not specific enough. It is best to avoid generic buzzwords that show a superficial understanding of otherwise complex areas of academic research, such as "big data", "machine learning", "computational neuroscience". Mention a few recent publications (last year or this year is best) and projects the faculty is currently involved in. Intelligent, specific questions about their work are a brilliant way to signal genuine interest and technical aptitude: for instance, ask a question about data interpretation in a specific paper or think of an alternative experiment that could extend an existing result. You can also ask about the broader implications of their work in the field; read a few papers by other authors and think how they relate. Literature reviews, which are academic papers that cover recent advances in specific fields, are often written for non-specialists and are a great place to start. Various fields are different in terms of the amount of technical expertise you need in order to make an independent contribution. For instance, very few physics laboratories would expect an undergraduate to already be able to design and implement their own experiments (although in such labs many undergraduates learn through working on parts of existing projects), while in psychology groups senior undergraduates often create and run experiments independently. Use your common sense and your understanding of the field to place yourself accordingly within possible future projects. For research data sources, look at Google Scholar for publication search; National Science Foundation search of active research awards; and my start-up Project Lever for participating universities. 2. Mention their graduate students According to Joe Stujenske, graduate of a neuroscience PhD program at Columbia University, many laboratories ask graduate students to help recruit undergraduates. Once the undergraduate is accepted, graduate students or postdoctoral fellows often serve as mentors and are the members of the group the undergraduate spends most time with. Therefore, it is in your best interest to initiate conversations with graduate students and postdocs, whose emails are often listed on laboratory websites. Advertisement Therefore, before venturing to email faculty members, speak to graduate students that work with this faculty member, and ask for their advice. Does the laboratory even accept undergraduates? What kind of projects can you expect? What types of training would be required for you to meaningfully contribute in the lab? Once you have the answers to your question, you will be much better positioned to compose a winning email to the professor leading the research group. Once you spoke with a graduate student, mention it in the email to faculty. Say that you already touched base with a student and could see yourself assisting them with a project. The faculty will be very likely impressed with your dedication, and secretly grateful that you already found a place for yourself. 3. Display your own academic credentials. I spoke with Yan Luo, professor of engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, who receives hundreds of emails from prospective students, both domestically and abroad. Prof. Luo typically evaluates students based on their existing knowledge and credentials and asks to attach three pieces of evidence to the first email so he can gauge academic potential: 1) your resume; 2) your unofficial transcript; 3) optional writing sample of research work you have already done. In addition, you should mention any classes you have taken with the professor you are emailing, provided you did well. Especially when teaching advanced classes related to their research, professors often like to recruit from their best students, having already invested in them in terms of the skillset they are looking for. If you are currently in a class with a professor you would love to work with, then stop reading this article and simply show up to office hours; bring good questions and show you have explored past the course material. Don't be afraid to ask them directly about possible openings in their group. Always finish an email with thanking faculty member for their time, and state the ideal next step from your side. Would you like to come into their office for a conversation about a recent paper? Do you already know this faculty member and need a recommendation letter? Are you looking to explore the summer funding opportunities or thesis advising? Advertisement On average, if you put in the time to learn about their interests; spoke with graduate students, and prepared to show your own academic credentials, you are very far ahead of other students that mindlessly spam faculty members. Good luck! Let me know how it goes. CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 31: Demonstrators calling for an end to gun violence and the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel march through downtown on December 31, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The shooting deaths by police of a 19-year-old college student Quintonio LeGrier and his 55-year-old neighbor Bettie Jones and a recently released video showing the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke have sparked dozens of protests in the city. Yesterday Emanuel announced several changes that would take place in the police department with the hope of preventing future incidents. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Chicago Police Department officers walk down Michigan Avenue during a protest of last year's shooting death of Laquan McDonald. REUTERS/Jim Young The Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently investigating the Chicago Police Department. The high-profile police shooting of teen Laquan McDonald -- combined with the city's alleged efforts to prevent the public from learning about it -- prompted the investigation. Advertisement Given that the Justice Department is playing hardball with Ferguson, Missouri -- suing the city following its refusal to voluntarily enter into an agreement to reform its police department and courts -- advocates in Chicago may also expect something important to change as a result of DOJ involvement. In a recent paper, I analyzed 259 Chicago police shootings that occurred between 2006 and 2014. These are all of the incidents for which Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority had made a completed report of investigation publicly available as of last month. My analysis of these incidents suggests that police reform in Chicago, like that in Ferguson, must include a critical examination of the enforcement tactics that police departments use in poor, minority communities. Better discipline and training are part of the solution, but they are unlikely to make dramatic difference by themselves. To create meaningful change, we must look beyond officer shooters in high-profile cases like that of McDonald and Michael Brown. Advertisement We shouldn't just ask how officers might best manage suspects during an encounter, but why certain police-civilian encounters occur at all. Police shootings in Chicago REUTERS/Andrew Nelles Protestor versus police officer. Chicago, October 2014. REUTERS/Andrew Nelles There is no such thing as a "typical" police shooting, but many share common features. For example, in nearly 50 percent of the 259 incidents I reviewed, police officers shot during or immediately following a foot chase. In my view, not all of these chases were necessary. We expect officers to chase and subdue a murder suspect who fires shots at officers as was described in one of the reports I read. But we ought to feel differently when officers chase and shoot a young black man whose only offense was "looking in the officers' direction" or "grabbing his... waistband and turning away." Egregious high-profile shootings like McDonald's too quickly lead us to the conclusion that the problem is "bad apples" -- cops who use their badges as cover for racist aggression. The implication is that there are relatively few "bad apples" as compared to "good cops." And that those "good cops," with the right training, will only shoot when necessary. Advertisement Discipline and training are not enough In reality, it is hard to know how many bad apples there are in any given department because neither police departments nor unions are keen on divulging that information. This is just one of many obstacles to punishing police officers for misconduct. The public was rightly frustrated, for example, when it emerged that Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot Laquan McDonald, had a long history of civilian complaints for excessive force and racist slurs. Had Van Dyke been appropriately disciplined for any of his earlier brutality and racism, perhaps McDonald would be alive today. But in a city like Chicago where there are tens of police shootings every year, it is hard to argue that every cop involved with a shooting is a "bad apple." My review of the available cases reveals that it's not just racist cops who shoot. In the shootings I examined, the demographic profile of officer-shooters looks much like the demographic profile of the department as a whole. Police shootings cannot be reduced to a simple story about white-on-black racism because many of the police officers doing the shooting are black. Most police shootings in Chicago are unlike the Laquan McDonald case in that officers typically claim a firearm threat prompted them to shoot. In nearly 80 percent of the 259 reviewed cases, the individual who was shot had access to a gun. This does not mean that these shootings were unavoidable, but it does suggest that many were probably not as clearly unnecessary as McDonald's. Advertisement So, what if anything can be done about "good apples" who shoot? Better training, many say. There can be little argument that better training is desirable. Some police shootings in Chicago have occurred because officers were physically dragged along after having reached into running vehicles. Some involved officers firing from moving vehicles, or at moving vehicles. Such practices are unnecessarily dangerous and could be readily avoided if officers were better trained to avoid them. And of course, there is "deescalation," a buzz word in public discussion of police reform. Deescalation techniques are supposed to help officers defuse or withdraw from potentially violent incidents without jeopardizing anyone's safety. There is nothing wrong with providing officers with more of this training. But, the emphasis on individual officer training is shortsighted. Both discipline and training focus on how individual officers manage critical incidents. That overlooks an important question. How is it that an officer finds himself squared off with a potentially armed individual? To answer that requires thinking critically about departmental choices in particular neighborhoods, not just individual officers' choices in particular cases. It's where you live The likelihood of getting shot by the police is much higher in some Chicago neighborhoods than in others. Of the 259 police shootings that the IPRA has released information about, nearly 90 percent occurred in minority neighborhoods. That goes a long way in explaining why 80 percent of police shooting victims were black in a city that is only one-third black. Advertisement The police department and others might point out that the likelihood of getting shot by anyone is much higher in poor black neighborhoods than, say, middle-class white ones. Incidences of violent crime tend to be much higher in poor, minority neighborhoods. That would seem to explain why police shootings are also higher in those neighborhoods. Not so fast. The connection between neighborhood violence and police shootings would make sense if shooting victims consisted exclusively of persons who were suspected of violent crime. But in nearly a quarter of the 259 IPRA incidents, it was the police who stirred the pot. These police-civilian encounters began as traffic stops for minor violations, because someone made a "furtive movement," or just looked suspicious. Many of these stops were likely of the "stop and frisk" variety that have been controversial in New York City, Chicago, and other cities. The shootings that occur in the course of these kinds of encounters follow a general pattern. One of the stopped civilians flees and the police give chase. During or immediately after the chase, officers shoot in response to a perceived gun threat. Even if one believes the officers' version of an encounter's final moments when a suspect's threatening behavior prompted the police to shoot, we should ask whether the initial stop should have occurred at all. And, even if the answer to that question is "yes," we should ask whether a foot chase was justified, given the harmlessness of the misconduct that precipitated the initial stop. My review also revealed that plainclothes officers were responsible for nearly 40 percent of on-duty shootings. There is evidence from other departments that such officers are, per capita, responsible for more shootings than uniformed officers. This may be because more aggressive officers are drawn to such assignments. It also seems possible that people have a hard time distinguishing these officers from civilians who mean harm -- particularly when plainclothes officers break into an ongoing fight or melee. Advertisement Police departments and policymakers must critically examine the relationships between police shootings and stop-and-frisk, plainclothes policing and other enforcement tactics. Doing so will afford more insights into how to improve police-community relations in poor, minority neighborhoods. If this is truly reformers' goal, more aggressive discipline and better training should be components of the agenda, not the whole of it. One of the dumber debates in recent history has broken out in the wake of Justice Antonin Scalia's passing. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested that President Obama shouldn't nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia because Obama is in the last year of his final term. Opponents, including the president himself, have responded that the Senate has a constitutional duty to bring Obama's appointments to a vote and to confirm one, if qualified. Both sides are completely wrong. The President has the legitimate authority to nominate a successor on every day of his presidency, up to and including the very last day. That precedent was set by no less than the second president of the United States. As Elizabeth Warren astutely observed, Advertisement Article II Section 2 of the Constitution says the President of the United States nominates justices to the Supreme Court, with the advice and consent of the Senate. I can't find a clause that says "...except when there's a year left in the term of a Democratic President. But neither can be found the words "shall bring to an up or down vote" or anything to the effect that the Senate is required to take action on the President's nominees. The Constitution was deliberately constructed so that inaction would be the starting point in all matters. The reason for the separation of powers was to ensure that things didn't get done efficiently within the federal government, because efficient government is a threat to liberty. Democrats cite this latest controversy as another example of Congress deliberately "obstructing" the President, implying they are overriding the wishes of the people who elected him. We heard the same nonsense about the Democratic Congress during Reagan's presidency. It doesn't compute. The people who elected the president also elected the sitting Congress, in both cases. That Congress can in any way "obstruct the president" is a horrible, fascist, un-American idea. It assumes the lives of hundreds of millions of people are to be ruled by the wishes of one person, with Congress merely a procedural rubber stamp to legitimize the emperor's policies. This is autocratic thinking straight out of Hobbes' Leviathan, which asserted an elected assembly could be tolerated as long as it conformed without exception with the wishes of the absolute monarch. Advertisement The American republic supposedly rejects this idea. The U.S. Constitution assumes Congress is the supreme power, vested with the "sovereign functions of legislation," as Thomas Jefferson put it. The President is supposed to be a subordinate executor of its laws. James Madison actually warned his countrymen in Federalist #48 that the chief danger to liberty resided in the legislative body, because "the executive magistracy is carefully limited." The problem is nobody seems to think this way anymore, neither politicians, the media nor the electorate. Presidential candidates from both parties routinely talk as if they going to legislate, whether it is Republicans promising, as president, to "repeal Obamacare" or Democrats promising to make college "free." The media constantly represent presidential elections as far more important than congressional ones and social media posts from across the political spectrum cry out that only their candidate can "save the country." While the measuring stick is certainly a point for contention, the two presidencies Americans generally regard as the most successful in recent history, Reagan's and Clinton's, coexisted with openly hostile Congresses. Those considered most disastrous occurred when the White House and Congress were unilaterally held by one party. That should be telling American voters something. The Constitution has an amendment process that would allow more power to be transferred to the presidency if most Americans truly wanted it that way. But whether they realize it or not, they've usually voted to obstruct the president themselves, regardless of his party, quickly electing opposition in at least one branch whenever one party has controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. Advertisement What do you want to be when you grow up? When you were a little tyke, how did you answer this question? The most common answers: A veterinarian A pilot A doctor A teacher President of the United States Sure, we tell kiddos -- you can be anything you want to be -- even President of the United States. But can they really? What does it take to be a U.S. President? Do you have to be rich? Charismatic? Smart? Male? A good public speaker? In the midst of an election year, I thought it would be interesting to do a small review on U.S. presidential personalities. Celebrity in Chief John F. Kennedy's father ran a Hollywood movie studio. Kennedy grew up hob knobbing with stars in his parent's home screening room and hanging around sets at the studio. In his 20s, he began to study the stars. He wanted to know what it took to get famous. Why did some actors stand out and become famous while others were merely forgotten and left behind by the silver screen? Kennedy asked himself the question: Advertisement Are you meant to play the starring role or the supporting role? Slowly Kennedy began to cultivate his own charisma and model it after starring actors. According to presidential expert, Alan Schroeder, "Kennedy developed his charisma. He worked at it." In his book Celebrity in Chief, Alan Schroeder looks at the qualities that make up a president. Schroeder was kind enough to let me interview him about presidential personality research. Here's what he shared: What It Takes to Be President: What are the characteristics every president should have? These days, presidents have to deal with the media as much as they have to deal with foreign policy. They have to be a talented celebrity as much as they are an intelligent leader. Every president also needs to be the following: 1. Narcissist A president should never eat humble pie for breakfast. A healthy dose of ego every morning would do a wannabe President good. And I don't mean ego negatively. Ego is different than arrogance. No matter how smart you are, how many good ideas you have or how many people you help, as President someone will always be upset with you. presidents are the constant target of criticism, and they are constantly beat up by the press, enemies -- and even allies. Ego is the only way to survive it. "Being rejected is a president's full time job... in addition to running the country" -Schroeder Sure, you get support, but you also have to own the ego to put up with the unavoidable hate that comes with power. Advertisement 2. Pioneer For presidents, the campaign trail might as well be the Oregon Trail. Those who begin the adventure might not make it to the finish line. They might die or lose a limb on the way. They will sacrifice everything for the journey. And at the end, it's still the frontier. The finish is just the start. Campaigning is physically grueling work. Just because candidates are in suits and ties, don't forget that they are athletes. They make due on little to no sleep, have back-to-back events, speak to thousands daily and travel up and down the country every few weeks. Pioneers have to be willing to sacrifice time off, family time and vacations for their greater goals. 3. (Extrovert) This was the personality trait I had the hardest time with. I asked Schroeder directly: Do you think an introvert could be President? His answer: "Anything is possible, but likely? My gut tells me no." Schroeder argued that the last truly introverted president was Nixon. Much of being a successful president relies on your interactions with people. Not just public speaking, but behind doors schmoozing, political gaming and interfacing with other world leaders. Not to mention the need to rally an internal team, manage a cabinet and fundraise. As Schroeder says, "Introverts are usually weeded out because they wouldn't want to be president to start with." I think the answer is a bit more complicated. I think anyone can learn to optimize their personality to fit their goals. This idea is not something I made up; it's called: Free Trait Theory: Our ability to change our personality to reach our goals If a 6'5 man wanted to become a horse jockey (who are typically short), he would have to learn to ride fast as a tall person. He wouldn't cut off his feet, he would simply learn to ride another way. I believe any introvert can learn how to schmooze, chat and negotiate if their heart's desire is to be president. Just like any extrovert can learn to be a listener if they want to learn from a wise teacher. Sure, extroverts have built in qualities that will help them on the campaign trail, but I don't believe they are essential. What matters more than extroversion is 'celebrity.' Let me explain.... 4. Celebrity In our modern era, presidents have to love the limelight, not just tolerate it. Think back to the first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney. Obama nearly blew his campaign during that debate. Why? Romney felt comfortable. He relished the stage. He didn't seem rushed or hurried, and you can tell he felt it was a privilege to be there. See my full analysis of the debate here. Obama, on the other hand, seemed irritated and annoyed at having to be there. He came across as dismissive and superior as if he believed the debate was not worth his time and energy. It might not have been--he had other things to take care of like running a country. In that moment, he didn't need to show smarts, he needed to show celebrity. Schroeder describes this is a Showbiz Presidency. presidents of today have to be willing to go on talk shows, do reality bits and Funny or Die segments. They have to love the limelight. Advertisement "Presidents have to be comfortable in their own skin no matter what stage they are on. Any discomfort makes the audience uncomfortable." -Schroeder Voters can confuse a candidate's lack of desire for fame as a lack of desire to run. presidents either have to love every second of it or they have to be able to fake it. 5. Performer Reagan was once asked by a journalist about the transition from actor to president. He famously responded, "How can a president not be an actor?" No matter how much you like the spotlight, presidents still have to be able to perform on the spot. They need to be amazing at memorizing lines and full speeches. They have to be able to deliver impromptu anecdotes, they have to pretend to like people they despise and they have to be able to improvise through any situation. Acting is part of the job. "The politicians who fail begin to resent the fact that performing is expected of them. The only way they can succeed is if they embrace it. Acting is not just a side effect of the job, it is the job." -Schroeder Read a great essay on how all politicians are actors by the famous Arthur Miller: On Politics and the Art of Acting. Advertisement Nonverbal Power: Like actors, presidents are also nonverbally directed and scripted. In fact, bad actor candidates are often so buttoned up that they seem fake. Think about McCain's fake smile or the classic picture of President Nixon shaking hands while looking at his watch. The reason why we love watching a president's body language is because it is the only place where we might get something real. Anyone can read a teleprompter, but it is very hard to control our microexpressions and body gestures. Body language is often the only thing voters have to see truth leaks. 6. Husband (or wife) Running for president is a couple's race. President's give up every ounce of control over their privacy and home life. Their spouse needs to not only be on board, but prepping the living room for cameras. Spouses provide crucial support on the rise to Presidency: Social Proof: At the most basic level, a spouse shows the public that the candidate is loved. They are literally the #1 fan. When the candidate makes a joke on stage, the cameras always first pan to the spouse in the audience laughing. When the candidate makes an important speech, their husband or wife is right behind them smiling proudly. The spouse demonstrates how the public should feel about their significant other. Refuel: On the trail, a spouse becomes the home base. She or he is the rock where the candidate lays their head. They are the honest sounding board and the source of real feedback for the candidate to recharge. Teammate: One person can win a lot of votes, but two can win triple. You know how it's really hard to compliment yourself, but it's easy to brag about someone you love? This is even more important for presidents. Their spouses can fundraise, brag and show-off more than the president ever could. Schroeder shared one of the best stories about spouses. According to Schroeder, Bob Dole was a very serious speaker and had a hard time remembering to smile. During debates and presentations, his team placed his wife Elizabeth Dole right in his line of sight. She would sit their the entire time with a large smile plastered on her face so that when he saw her he would remember to smile. 7. Genius Yes, I put intelligence last. Why? Because it is the final ingredient that makes all of the others work. We have seen candidates who were incredibly charismatic and appealing on camera, but voters sniffed out the lack of intelligence. They couldn't last. This is the anchor puzzle piece. If you are missing this trait, the entire campaign falls apart. I don't believe intelligence has to be a high IQ necessarily, but it does mean being a quick learner and a strategic thinker. It means being able to learn lots of information rapidly, synthesizing it and finding the best possible answer. For many years, as president of a national honor society, I helped high-performing college students achieve their dreams. One of the most important ways we made a difference for these high-achievers was through financial support via scholarship awards. It's because of that experience that I worry about the very risky game Illinois lawmakers are currently engaged in. They apparently believe they can continually fight with each other over college scholarships for needy students and the students will just continue happily along with their education. But is it fair to those students--who should be focusing on their education and truly enjoying the collegiate experience--to have the threat of their education being underfunded always hanging over their heads? Advertisement The state leaders, who undoubtedly feel Illinois needs an educated workforce, must think it will all work out magically for these students. The truth is about to hit them. The standoff began last July when Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Legislature were unable to agree on a state budget. That means the Monetary Award Program, known as MAP, has had no money in it. MAP grant funding is awarded to students on the basis of financial need; they never have to pay it back. Last year, 125,000 students received the funding, for a total of $373 million in grants. Here is an example of where the rubber hits the road: Lewis University in Romeoville, just outside of Chicago, is a Catholic University rooted in the Lasallian tradition. Last fall, Lewis University had 1,397 students who were promised MAP awards by the state to help pay their tuition. The maximum MAP award for a full-time Lewis student is $4,720 a year or $2,360 per semester. But now, Lewis is bearing these students' tuition costs as the university awaits the MAP money. Another organization awaiting an outcome to the budget impasse is the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation. The Chicago-based nonprofit awards merit-based, need-based scholarships of up to $10,000 per year, depending on a student's financial need. But that is not enough to pay for college. Pullman Scholars also rely on MAP support; without it, they are learning they have some of the money needed for tuition, but not all of it. Advertisement Gov. Rauner and others say the state can't afford the cost of MAP. There is no doubt the state budget is tight. But if Illinois wants to help the next generation so that these young adults can go on and become taxpayers in the future, it must find a solution now. The clock is ticking. One year ago, Senator Bernie Sanders was just another old, white, male politician to most millennials. Two weeks ago, at the Iowa Caucus, the 74-year-old, non-Christian, and self-declared socialist won the youth vote by a grand 70 points. He received even greater support on February 9th, at the New Hampshire Democratic primary, where 84% of voters 18-24 chose him over Former Secretary Hillary Clinton. In comparison, President Obama won 66% of the votes of young people in 2008. Obviously, Sen. Sanders is appealing to millennials in a way that Clinton is not. Why? America's youth enjoy Sen. Sander's sincerity. In fact, the Brooklyn-native attracts voters the same way Donald Trump does. He isn't afraid of speaking his mind and doesn't come off as company-owned. The only difference between Sen. Sanders and Mr. Trump is that Sanders believes in rights and equality for all humans despite race, religion, gender, nationality, sexuality, and class. Alright, so maybe Sen. Sander's and Mr. Trump's doctrines are polar opposites, but the foundation of appeal is the same. Advertisement Sen. Sander's advantage is the digital revolution. Pictures and videos have surfaced all over social media of a young Bernie Sanders marching behind Dr. King on Washington, defending LGBT rights in Congress, and starring in his own cable access show in the 1980s. Young voters identify with Bernie Sanders because as a young adult he held the same views they do, and he still does. They find his diligence and dedication to key issues have spanned decades. Bernie Sanders was progressive when it wasn't cool, and it's paying off. However, retweeting a candidate's tweets, liking their slogans on Facebook, and blogging about their political movements aren't enough. I used to think they were. Last year, I swore I would never vote during an election. I spit the same argument everyone who doesn't vote does;"My vote doesn't matter." "All politicians are corrupt." "The Electoral College is the real voter." "I don't want blood on my hands." Advertisement That didn't stop me from being vocal about key issues like healthcare, foreign policy, gun laws, women's reproductive rights, education, and the economy. What I overlooked was this; I am privileged to live in a country that gives me the opportunity to voice my opinion and take a part in the election process. The Woman's Suffrage Movement made it possible for me vote, yet here I was claiming to be a feminist without taking advantage of the equal rights I already have. Here's the thing, if you don't vote, you can't complain. So I registered to vote. Like most millennials, I didn't affiliate with any of the major political parties. I couldn't find the party that held my principles and all my hopes for a candidate. Eventually, I came to realize that adulthood meant I wasn't going to enjoy every piece of chocolate in the chocolate box, but that didn't mean I had to give up chocolate. The youth of America don't just have an issue with political parties; they have an issue with politics as a whole. They are untrusting of political consequences, and they have a right to be. The U.S. has not seen a year without war since 1997. The last five presidents have all added to the national debt. Getting a full college education requires an arm and a leg, and mass shootings are a common news story. Millenials have accepted a future of chaos, but acceptance can't come with criticism. Even with the massive youth support, only 18% of voters in Iowa were between the ages of 17-29. Yet, you won't find many millennials who aren't complaining about student loans, the U.S.'s involvement in the Middle East, the gun epidemic, or healthcare. We complain, and we do it at full volume; on social media, in college classes, and while on the phone with Sally Mae. Advertisement Millennials, you need to go out and vote. Vote because you can, because you should, and because you can't complain about no change when you're not contributing to the process. We are the future. Nobody is going to change our future but us. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage across America because of the heightened pressure from new, vocal generations. America's youth initiated the Black Lives Matter movement, helped shine a light on climate change, and are standing up against rape on college campuses. We are changing the future, and can continue to do so by taking part in the democratic process. Don't just vote in general elections. Vote during the primaries. Vote in local elections. Find out where to vote. Many states have closed primaries, meaning you can only vote for the party you're registered for. Take advantage of your right to vote. Whether you agree with Former Secretary Clinton, Sen. Sanders, Mr. Trump, Sen. Cruz, or Dr. Carson; your vote matters. Even if you disagree with all of them, picking a lesser of two evils is better than nothing. I'm starting to sound like an Uncle Sam ad, so let me clarify something; I'm not saying you can't complain. By all means, go ahead and write to your representatives, tweet the candidates, yell at the TV during a debate; but don't let that be the only thing you do. I get it. The world we've lived in has never been a world of peace. It's been a world of war, hate, crime, and sadness. The person that gets the most votes doesn't always win. More money will get you more power. There is a price on education and a price on healthcare. It sucks. Advertisement Many hands putting coin into a piggy bank. Saving and investing money concept By Carrie Pink If there's one thing expectant moms lose sleep over, it's the exorbitant cost they're going to pay for childcare. Especially in cities like New York, where childcare costs can be comparable to rent payments. Unfortunately it's not surprising to hear NYC moms say they are paying upwards of $1,500 a month or even more for childcare. Disclaimer: I am a mom of five living in Brooklyn who's been through the childcare search quite a few times and have never paid more than $600 a month in child care. Maybe you would consider this kind of anomaly just pure luck, but since I've finagled it four out of five times so far, I'll let you in on my top secret tips to finding alternatives to expensive childcare. Advertisement Ask for recommendations from seasoned parents. New parents are likely to be stuck in the same conundrum as you hunting for affordable alternatives themselves, but seasoned parents with older kids in preschool or higher can be childcare information gold mines. When I was expecting my first child, I asked friends with kids (and friends without!) for suggestions and referrals. One friend mentioned my hunt to her mom, who referred me to a retired preschool teacher looking for a family to work with. After an interview and reference check, I hired her 3 months before my daughter was even born! (Ok, so maybe this one was a slight anomaly.) Explore in-home/family daycare. Licensed in home/family daycares are also a great affordable option. Again, the power of the referral will help you find the best of these facilities -- well-run, loving environments with experienced providers who truly love your children like their own and love to teach. A very important pro to mention? In-home/family daycares harbor a smaller cesspools of germs compared to traditional dayscare centers. Not having any luck with referrals? Keep your eyes peeled in your neighborhood. Look for the rows of stroller parking in front of private homes, or rows of cars doubled parked in the evenings, and ask a friendly smiling parent picking up little ones. Collaborate with another family. Really want a nanny but not sure you can afford it? Do any of your neighbors have a nanny for a child 9 months to 2 years older than yours? See if they are willing to nanny-share with you. Of course this works best if you are already friends with that neighbor, have similar standards of care, and can agree to your child spending time in between two homes. And I bet you'd be willing to make a new friend if it means cutting your costs in half. Have a spare bedroom? Consider a college student willing to exchange affordable childcare services for room and board or hire an au pair. With the cost of housing in NYC being just as exorbitant as childcare this could end up being a double win for both of you! The au pair process is managed by the State Department and they can only stay with you for up to a year, but a college student (only post this job listing through a college career office) can potentially be available to you for up to 3-4 years! You will have to do a little more homework coordinating that student's schedule with your needs, but if you are open to sharing your home, this can be an excellent solution for everyone. Have you been on the hunt for alternatives to expensive child care? Would you be willing to pursue any of these? Why or why not? This piece was originally published by Carrie Pink on Well Rounded NY. Carrie Pink is a personal finance blogger from Brooklyn and mom of five, who writes about ways you can blur the line between frugal and fabulous on her blog. Please share your opinion below! For more original content, check out Well Rounded NY. Follow Well Rounded NY on Instagram and Facebook. Mint via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - APRIL 30: BJP President Amit Shah during a press conference about BJP membership drive, on April 30, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images) NEW DELHI -- Congress Party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's show of solidarity for those Jawaharlal Nehru University students, who are accused of raising anti-national slogans on campus, has really ticked off Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah. In his blog published on Monday, Shah said that the Congress Party, devastated at the success of Narendra Modi, was failing to act responsibly, and unable to discern what is beneficial and detrimental to the country. Advertisement Shah was particularly irked at Gandhi's analogy between Hitler and Modi. The BJP President has five questions for Gandhi. 1) By endorsing anti-India slogans, has Rahul Gandhi joined hands with separatist forces in the country? 2) Does Rahul Gandhi want to give separatist forces the power to divide the country once again? 3) Does Rahul Gandhi believe that the central government should do nothing? By demonstrating in favor of those forces which divide the country, is he supporting traitors? 4) I want to ask Rahul Gandhi whether the 1975 Emergency displays the democratic value of his party, and whether he thinks Indira Gandhi's mentality is similar to Hitler's? 5) I want to ask Rahul Gandhi that by supporting those who hail Afzal Guru and support the separation of Kashmir, how is he paying respect to the ten brave soldiers who died in Siachen? Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost HuffPost India When reports emerged that noted Bollywood star Aamir Khan was likely to be the brand ambassador of a project by Maharashtra government to make the state drought-free, all hell broke loose on social media. The Twiterrati argued that Aamir Khan was not the right person to represent farmers issues better in the Maharashtra governments flagship scheme, Jalyukt Shivar. Whats more, they even nominated someone who they thought was better qualified: Nana Patekar. Advertisement Patekar, a National Award-winning actor has been donating 15,000 each to widows of the farmers who committed suicide in drought-hit Maharashtra through his NGO NAAM Foundation, since September 2015. The move by the BJP-led state government to get Aamir Khan on board for the scheme comes less than three months after the actor found himself in the middle of an 'intolerance debate'. In fact, following Khans controversial comments, the BJP government ended his contract as the brand ambassador for its 'Incredible India' campaign. Patekar, on the hand, has been in the news for his advocacy of farmers issues in drought-hit Maharashtra and has been urging people to join the cause and to contribute to the education farmers children. Advertisement At a recent event in Nashik, he announced that his foundation had started a medical card facility under which free healthcare services would be rendered to those who hold a NAAM medical card. Despite his involvement in this issue, Patekar has managed to stay surprisingly apolitical. In an earlier interview to a news channel, Patekar said that he did not blame any government. "Drought is a natural calamity, you can't blame the government or the authorities for it," he said. The actor, best known for his films such as Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), Agni Sakshi (1996) and Ab Tak Chhappan (2005), was recently seen in the critically-acclaimed Marathi film Natsamrat (2016) which was an adaptation of a famous play by VV Shirwadkar. Whatever social media may be clamouring for, though, AamirKhan and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are expected to make a joint announcement of the initiative at the government guesthouse on Wednesday. The year 2015 saw the highest number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra since 2001. Around 2,590 farmers ended their lives between January to October 2015, reported The Hindu. Advertisement ASSOCIATED PRESS An Indian student holds a placard demanding the release of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar during a protest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Students, journalists and teachers protested in the Indian capital Tuesday after a student union leader's arrest and subsequent violence by Hindu nationalists. The uproar has once again sparked allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party are displaying intolerance and cracking down on political dissent in the name of patriotism. (AP Photo /Tsering Topgyal) NEW DELHI -- The Jawharlal Nehru University crisis has sparked debate on the red line for free speech in India, and at what point does a student voicing dissent become a "traitor." The nation is deliberating whether praising a terrorist is covered by free speech, whether such an act invites a charge of sedition, who has a monopoly over nationalism and patriotism, and who is an "anti-national." The more immediate threat is to Kanhaiya Kumar, a student from Bihar, who was arrested on charges of sedition for a speech which didn't have any "anti-national" material. His arrest points to the irresponsibility of the Delhi police and the immaturity of the Modi government. Advertisement HuffPost India has put together leading commentary from national dailies, as well as our own publication, on these developments playing out in the national capital. Writing in The Indian Express, columnist Pratap Banu Mehta bashes the "rabidly malign and politically incompetent" government for committing an "act of tyranny" by arresting Kumar and cracking down on political dissent at JNU. "Some of the students may have been deeply misguided in the beliefs they hold. But a university is the space to debate them: yes, even the hanging of Afzal Guru. But nothing they said amounts to a definition of illegality that should befit a liberal democracy. As a society, we are also losing sight of a basic distinction: the threshold of justification required for using the coercive power of the state is not satisfied merely because someone disagrees," Mehta wrote. In his post in The Telegraph, Mukul Kesavan describes Kumar's arrest as the "near-lunatic overreaction" which is rooted "in a paranoid style of nationalism." Advertisement "The BJP's response to radical student activism, whether it is Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad or Kanhaiya Kumar in JNU, is uncannily like the fearful, vengeful reaction of Krishna's wicked uncle. The Krishna story shows us two ways of dealing with unbiddable youth: the love and nurture supplied by his foster mother on the one hand and the fearsome, but ultimately futile, use of power by his uncle on the other. In our story, Kanhaiya's mother, Meena Devi, who worked her fingers to the bone to give her son an education that she and her husband didn't have, is obviously Yashoda. The question we should all ask is why are so many in the BJP auditioning for the role of Kansa?," Kesavan wrote. Writing in Hindustan Times, Sushil Aaron begins his post by quoting a passage from historian Barbara W. Tuchman's book, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam: Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests? Why does intelligent mental process seem so often not to function? Kumar's arrest reveals that the Modi government is incapable of thinking about its own interest, let alone the nation, wrote Aaron. "It isnt easy to bully JNU -- it is not Kashmir, for example, where the State can aim to end student activism and impose surveillance without too many noticing or objecting. The right-wing pro-BJP army on Twitter, which has a little idea about how social science works and relentlessly lampoons JNU as a place for left-wing loonies, underestimates the universitys influence and reach," he wrote. Advertisement Writing in The Indian Express, eminent jurist Fali S Nariman explained that hooliganism, expressions of gate, and contempt of government is not sedition. Instead, Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code is only invoked if f words, spoken or written, are accompanied by disorder and violence and/ or incitement to disorder and violence. "When a person is dubbed anti-Indian, it is distasteful to Indias citizenry, but then to be anti-Indian is not a criminal offence, and it is definitely not sedition. (It only means that you are a freak, and that it is high time to have your head examined!)," he wrote. Writing in The Economic Times, Swaminathan Aiyar described anti nationalism as an empty abuse, and free society are those which allow their students to espouse extreme position. "Oxford University is very establishment. But in 1933, the Oxford Union held a famous debate on the motion, This house will in no circumstances fight for its King and country. The Union voted for the motion by 275 votes to 153. This Oxford Pledge was later adopted by students at the universities of Manchester and Glasgow. This sent shock waves through Britain. The students were denounced as morons, cowards, anti-nationals and communist sympathisers. But none dreamed of arresting the students for sedition, he wrote. Writing in HuffPost India, Sandip Roy likened the Modi government to a "bull in a china shop," while making the argument that this whole ruckus isn't over Kumar or Guru, but rather about 'taming JNU and showing upstart students that Big Brother is not just watching, Big Brother can throw you into lock-up." Advertisement "Patriotism might be a virtue but is the lack of patriotism a crime? Can you, should you, be sent to lock-up for being unpatriotic?," he wrote. Writing in HuffPost India, Shivam Vij pointed out that the British regularly used sedition against Indian freedom fighters, and Mahatma Gandhi once told a British judge that sedition was the highest moral duty of a citizen." Like Nariman, Vij pointed out that Kumar won't be found guilty because India's sedition law comes with caveat of violence or direct incitement to violence. "The 'logic of the situation' is nothing but the need to suppress political dissent, silence voices we dont want heard," he wrote. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 13: (L-R) AISA`s candidates Shehla Rashid Shora, Vice President, Rama Naga, General Secretary and AISFs Kanhaiya Kumar elected as President, pose during a photo call, at Jawaharlal Nehru University, on September 13, 2015 in New Delhi, India. RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won a seat in Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) polls after 14 years. ABVP outshone its opponents by huge margins and swept the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections this year despite predictions of a tough four-corner fight. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) NEW DELHI -- It has been a rough week for the Kanhaiya Kumar, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who is facing a sedition charge by the Modi government for making a speech which really doesn't seem to have any "anti-national" content. Advertisement Not only is he charged with a crime which is punishable with life imprisonment, the PhD candidate from Bihar, whose mother is an Aganwadi worker and his father suffers from paralysis, was assaulted by lawyers while he was making his way to the courtroom for his hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Even as he confronts the might of the state, contends with vigilante lawyers at the Patiala House Court, and is condemned by certain sections of the media, Kumar stood up in court and declared himself to be "an Indian who has full faith in the constitution." The JNU student, who is researching on 'Social Transformation in South Africa 1994-2005,' also told the court that he does not want a "media trial." "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country, Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen. Advertisement The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial, he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings, The Hindu reported. His statement was made in Hindi. Kumar was arrested for a speech he gave following an event at JNU to mark the third anniversary of Afzal Guru's execution on Feb. 9. Convicted of masterminding the 2001 attack, he was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2005 and executed in 2013. According to BJP President Amit Shah, slogans raised included, "Afzal we are ashamed because your killers are free,"War will continue until Kashmir's freedom," "Go India Go Back" and "Long live Pakistan," but it has been widely pointed out that Kumar's speech did not have objectionable material. People remain deeply polarized over the JNU crisis. While one side believes that slapping sedition charges against Kumar is a massive overreach by the authorities, the other side wants stern action against students who are accused off eulogizing a terrorist and raising anti-national slogans on campus. Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi also posted "an appeal by Kanhaiya" on Twitter. "I believe in the peace and unity of India and I do not endorse any unconstitutional activities. I oppose the unfortunate event which occurred in our university on February 9," he said in the appeal. Advertisement Calling for peace, Kumar said that he did not endorse the anti-national slogans which were raised by some students from JNU and some outsiders. An appeal issued by Kanhaiya pic.twitter.com/mzbSMQgkN4 BS Bassi (@BhimBassi) February 17, 2016 ASSOCIATED PRESS Lawyers shout slogans against Jawaharlal Nehru University student union president Kanhaiya Kumar outside a court where he was expected to be produced in New Delhi, India, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Kumar was arrested Friday on charges of sedition over a demonstration days earlier at the university to mark the anniversary of the 2013 execution of Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri man convicted of an attack on India's Parliament. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Complete mayhem broke out at the Patiala House Court in the national capital on Wednesday after a group of lawyers, acting as vigilantes, roughed up Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and journalists covering his sedition hearing, even as police reinforcements and water cannons were rushed to the premises to contain violence. The Supreme Court extended the police custody of Kumar by 14 more days and sent a six-membered team of lawyers to the court house to assess the situation. The lawyers openly defied a Supreme Court order to the police in the morning to ensure peace in the court. Advertisement NDTV reported that shouts of "goli maaro" (shoot him) were heard as Kumar, 28, was produced at the court. Despite his strong security cover at the behest of the apex court, the JNUSU president was assaulted by the lawyers shouting 'Vande Mataram'. The attackers also allegedly boasted "our job is done", the report suggested. SC sends Kapil Sibal, Dushyant Dave, Rajeev Dhawan, Harin Rawal, Ajit Sinha, ADN Rao to #PatialaHOUSE@the_hindu Krishnadas Rajagopal (@kdrajagopal) February 17, 2016 However, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi told reporters an hour after the incident that Kumar "was only jostled, not attacked". A medical examination of Kumar was ordered. Bassi sought to play down the violence by saying that the situation did not go out of hand. He said Kumar made a statement before leaving the courtroom expressing his confidence in the Constitution. The Patiala House Court directed the police to take necessary steps to prevent any harm to Kumar in custody. The Supreme Court adjourned Kumar's hearing till March 2. Advertisement "We are concerned about the law and order situation," a Supreme Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh informed the court about the fresh violence including the assault on Kumar when he was brought for remand proceedings, reported PTI. The court also also said it may appoint a local commissioner to take stock of the situation. The court asked Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. Journalist Tariq Anwar told Times Now that he saw a supporter of Kumar being beaten up by the lawyers, who were seen in television footage carrying sticks. When Anwar started to film the abuse, his phone was snatched away, the videos deleted and he was also beaten up. Among the many black coats present, Anwar identified Vikram Chauhan, a lawyer who was seen in media footage on Monday beating up a man, surrounded by his colleagues. No charges have been pressed against Chauhan even as his action was strongly condemned by social media users who posted photos of the assault. The Delhi Police today summoned three lawyers, including Chauhan, in connection with the incident. Bassi said BJP MLA OP Sharma, who beat up a political activist on Monday, has also been summoned. Advertisement People who said "Pakistan Zindabad" have been made heroes & we are being called "gundas": Vikram Chauhan pic.twitter.com/lwjcSzuCT2 ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2016 An unrepentant Chauhan, seen raining blows on a man at the court premises, claimed that the media has portrayed him as a hooligan. More security forces have been deployed at Patiala House Court premises. pic.twitter.com/gTfoCnFSJ5 ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2016 Lawyers including Vikram Chauhan raise slogans of "Vande Mataram" & "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" outside PH Court, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/XSWlFCFMZC ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2016 This is how journalists and social media users reacted to Chauhan's return to the court, leading colleagues in their so-called protests against they labelled "anti-nationals". Advertisement Lawyer-goon who led violence against media, students is back in court with mob. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/F9nTIHaZeS Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) February 17, 2016 Tariq Anwar, colleague from Firstpost says police was a mute spectator (while he was being beaten up). What signal is Del Pol sending? Rupashree Nanda (@rupashreenanda) February 17, 2016 And again journalists were beaten up as @DelhiPolice played mute spectator! #SaffronEmergencyhttps://t.co/jNuloiheRB swati chaturvedi (@bainjal) February 17, 2016 Vikram Chauhan, on camera beating people, leads the charge at Patiala Court again today. Boasts of pix with slew of prominent BJP leaders barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 17, 2016 Meet us the punching bags of Patiala court. First post reporter Tariq thrashed by lawyers @dnapic.twitter.com/exml25n8pC Azaan Javaid (@AzaanJavaid) February 17, 2016 This morning, the Supreme Court reprimanded a lawyer who shouted "Vande Mataram" in court. "Remember the oath you took as a lawyer? Should you resort to these kind of things as a lawyer? People have great faith in this institution, please work to protect this institution," Justice Chalmeshwar and Justice Abhay Sapre told lawyer Rajeev Yadav. Meanwhile, CNN-IBN quoted sources as saying that Bassi is likely to get promoted to become the next Information Commissioner. The premises turned into a battleground despite a direction from the Supreme Court to the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure adequate security at the Patiala House court complex. But members of the waiting media complained that the police were largely ineffective in controlling lawyers who went on a rampage. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost: ASSOCIATED PRESS People wear Samsung Gear VR sets during a virtual reality demonstration at CES International Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Just a few days before Samsung was to unveil its latest Galaxy S7 model at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), leaked photos that purportedly reveal the phone's pricing and features are doing the rounds. A website from Dubai called Dubizzle had the Galaxy S7 Edge listed on their website at AED 4500 (Approx. 84000) and Galaxy S7 for AED 4200 (Approx. 78000). Advertisement Recently, a dutch website Tweakers reported that Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is going to be priced at 799.99 (Approx. 53500) and Galaxy S7 is going to be priced at 699.99 (Approx. 61000) for 32 GB models. It is also rumoured that a Gear VR virtual reality headset might be included in the box. Also, the Indonesian arm of Samsung accidentally leaked out a video giving out more details about features of the upcoming flagship series. The video suggests both Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 might be waterproof and would have wireless charging capabilities. Advertisement Earlier, a lot of renders were leaked of the phone by prolific blogger Evan Blass. The pictures showed the various colours, including the black, blue and gold. A report also said that the pre-orders will begin on 21 February. Samsung is also expected to announce Samsung Pay to the UK in their event. Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 will be reportedly running on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, but their own Exynos processor can be thrown into the mix for some regions. The phone is rumoured to have a 12-megapixel camera at the back with BRITCELL technology. More details will be available after their event on 21 February just before MWC. It is unclear that when these models will be launched in India. Recently, Samsung launched their premium mid-range phones Galaxy A7 and Galaxy A5 in India. The company is doing really well after topping the market share in smartphones last year in the country with a 26% contribution. Advertisement Press Trust of India Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is now officially a graduate. 28 years after passing out from Hansraj College in Delhi, Khan finally took the time off his busy schedule visit his alma mater and, well, collect his degree. Advertisement Speaking at the occasion, the Dilwale actor told PTI, "This is a very special moment for me. I am back in my college, which I left in 1988. I am missing only one thing my children are not with me today, as I wanted to show them every corner of my college." Khan, who was born in Delhi, studied at St Columbas School and earned his bachelors degree in Economics from Hansraj College, Delhi University. The 50-year-old actor's visit, however took an ugly turn when a group of students, allegedly from ABVP, staged a protest outside the college and started shouting slogans, telling him to go back. Advertisement According to reports, around 10 students stood outside the college's main gate and shouted slogans like "Go back Shah Rukh". "Some students were protesting outside the gate for few minutes before Khan's arrival. We asked them not to do that and after a while they left," a police official on duty said. Recently, stones were pelted at his car in Ahmedabad, where he is shooting another film Raees. The actor had received a lot of flak from right-wing outfits for sparking off the intolerance debate with his comment, religious intolerance and not being secular is the worst kind of crime that you can do as a patriot. (With agency inputs) PTI The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure adequate security at the Patiala House court complex where JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, is to be produced before a metropolitan magistrate. The apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kanhaiya whose extended police custody of two days is expiring today. Advertisement Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said that the two family members of the accused, if present, will be allowed in the court room, otherwise one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused. The bench also restricted the entry of mediapersons inside the court room during the proceeding by limiting it to five journalists. It said that 25 journalists would be allowed to enter the compound and all the entries would be allowed only after proper identification and verification. The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound. It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to only today. The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court will meet at 2 PM today to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on February 15 at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists who were present in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case. The petition filed by ND Jaiprakash, an alumnus of JNU, who was hurt in the violence, sought action against the people involved in the violence and over "inaction" on the part of Delhi Police. Men dressed as lawyers and chanting patriotic slogans thrashed many members of the media present at the courthouse on Monday, accusing them of being "anti-nationals". Advertisement The petition also sought a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police to take preventive measures so that no violence takes place either inside the court room or within the court complex and the safety of journalists and lawyers ensured, reported the Indian Express. BJP MLA OP Sharma was also seen in media footage assaulting Communist Party of India (CPI) minority wing leader Ameeq Jamei. The Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Singh Bassi today told media that there were outsiders present on the JNU campus the day a students' group held an event to protest the hanging of Afzal Guru. "We are collecting evidence. We don't have prejudice against anyone," Bassi said. We have evidence, we will sift evidence, and take step according to law. We are unbiased, not prejudiced: BL Bassi pic.twitter.com/W2f9sPyyQj ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2016 In a new twist to the ongoing state-vs-students war at JNU, inputs from security agencies seemed to have suggested that Kumar may not have raised anti-national slogans or made an inflammatory speech at the JNU event. Home Ministry officials have suggested that slapping of the serious charge of sedition against Kumar could be an act of "over enthusiasm" on the part of some Delhi Police officers. Advertisement Meanwhile, in an interview to CNN-IBN, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, sought to play down the violence at the court house. "But there was a murder? I don't know. But I'm sure that police will take action. I have not gone into detail of that particular incident. What I'm saying there may be physical fight, it will not amount to sedition," he told the channel. The Delhi Police had apparently alerted JNU authorities about the 9 February event to protest the hanging of Parliament attack terrorist Afzal Guru and its "possible repercussions". The report also mentioned that 18 students, including Kumar, were "present" at the event which included a march from Sabarmati dhaba to Ganga dhaba around 7.30 PM and, in an hour, the crowd had dispersed "peacefully". The police, in its report, had said they got to know about the event on the morning of 9 February when they came across the posters inside the campus, following which "JNU authorities were alerted about the programme and its possible repercussions," sources told PTI. According to report, some students were alleged to have indulged in "unwanted activity" in the garb of a cultural evening. They shouted anti-India slogans and also those in support of freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. Advertisement "The authorities, even the office of the V-C, had no idea that the programme had nothing to do with cultural activities. They were timely alerted and the permission was denied," they said. In another report filed on 12 February, the police said as many as 16 JNU students, including a former JNUSU president, were under the scanner after they received specific inputs. (With inputs from PTI) Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost: Ex-officer was a churchgoer, family man. Police say he may be a serial rapist. The Allen family lived on the northwest side of Hutchinson, less than two miles from Rice Park, where several women said they were accosted. Guide To Being Your Own Music Publicist [Ariel Hyatt] Being your own music publicist is no easy task, and music journalists and writers are typically swamped with artists making demands of their time. Here we provide several valuable pieces of advice for preparing and sending a digital press kit that will stand out from the rest, and give you a fighting chance of being featured. _______________________________________________ Guest Post from Cyber PR Part 1 The world of music publicity is loud and overwhelming. There are thousands of people who will try to tell you what to do, and will offer advice whether you asked for it or not. With so many voices out there, its hard to tell which ones to listen to. Our team here at Cyber PR has years of experience helping independent artists become their own music publicists. Ariel wrote an article about this wayyy back in the late 90s that has helped a lot of artists get results. Obviously, things have changed a little bit over the past twenty years, so we have revamped it for 2016. This is the first installment of a 3-part series designed to help you execute your own effective music publicity strategy. The State of Music Publicity Now Music publicity has changed radically over the years, and will continue to change in the future. 90% of the music journalists Ariel used to know dont write anymore their publications went away years ago. So we ventured into the digital world, and cultivated relationships with thousands of music blogs online (and thousands more that crop up every year). Its not only about the media, though. Theres no question that music blogs, podcasts, and websites are important, but the internet has brought another huge change to music publicity: the ability to personally connect with fans through social media. Facebook, Twitter, email newsletters, Instagram however you want to reach your fans, social media makes it easy (and often free) to do so. Why does this matter? Because music publicity and social media are now intertwined. In order to get good publicity for your music, you have to have a good social media strategy. It can be challenging to get loads of press if the writers dont see that you already have fans. Music bloggers and journalists are trying to get people to come to their sites theyre not going to write about you (or even listen to your music, really) if theres no proof that at least some people already believe in what youre doing. Therefore, in order to run an effective PR/publicity campaign for your music, you first have to make sure that your social media strategy is solid. We could wax poetic on ways to make your socials great (check out posts on FB and Instagram), but for now, lets focus on the nitty-gritty of how to become your own music publicist. Music publicity, like building a fan base, takes time, dedication and effort. When you are in the throes of a PR campaign the effort sometimes feels Herculean compared to the result (if you gauge the result solely on how many placements you receive). However, with a bit of foresight, organization and grit, you can get good results. Lets get started! Preparing What to Send Your Digital Press Kit Writers are very busy people, constantly working for a deadline. They get hundreds of emails a day from publicists and artists. Therefore, you should never make a writer work to get any information they may need. A digital press kit will help organize your information so they can immediately access your music and quickly get a sense of who you are. Heres what your press kit should include: #1. Your Music As a general rule, most writers prefer to get music via Soundcloud links. Unless their submission policy specifically states to send an MP3, DO NOT send files to writers. It clogs up their computers, and quite often your email will just be deleted. Make sure you have your full album or EP (along with the artwork) on Soundcloud as one playlist. If the album is not yet available you can set it to private but test the link first! If you are leading with just a single, make sure the single is uploaded separately. If you have separate artwork for the single include that. If youre trying to get an exclusive premiere, send a private share link like the one above. TIP: On your Soundcloud profile, add a 100 200 word bio (the Sparknotes version of your Signature Story), and include all the links to your website & socials, as well as where to find your music on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, etc. Music blogs rarely include links to buy, because most new listeners just want to stream, but its always a good idea to have those links available just in case. #2. Your Signature Story Your Signature Story is the second cornerstone of your brand and your artistry (the first, clearly, is your music). This story shouldnt be bland and boring! It should be personal or painful or revealing in some way, and, of course, interesting to read. The idea here is not to eclipse who you are as an artist or songwriter, but to create a hook an angle that makes you relatable, and reels in a potential fan. A really strong signature story is not easy to create on your own. I strongly advise hiring a bio writer to help you. Include what your music sounds like towards the beginning of your bio. This way, if a writer is pressed for time, she can simply take a sentence or two from your bio and place it directly in the write-up. Make sure you add some comparisons and dont be afraid to include names. We suggest you name 2-3 soundalikes and at least 1- 2 specific genres that you fall into. TIP: Avoid vague cliches such as melodic, brilliant harmonies, masterful guitar playing, tight rhythm section, etc. These are terms that can be used to describe any music. Really think about what makes your music special! #3. Photos & Album Artwork A great photo is crucial. You need at least one photo that is clear, well-lit, and attention-grabbing. You want it to show off your personality and the vibe of your band. Try to avoid the typical band sitting on a couch or band standing up against a wall cliches music writers see about 500 of those a day. An eye-catching photo from Hero The Band. Make sure your photos are easy to locate and download (in hi res). Ensure that the file is properly named so that if the writer downloads it, it will show up easily in a cluttered file or on a desktop. TIP: Put several color images, both vertical and horizontal, as well as your album artwork on your photos page, so editors can choose the ones they like best and which work best for their specific formats & layout. #4. Your Socials Include links to your socials!! Not only does this give the media a better sense of your music and who you are, it also shows that other people give a damn. The bandwagon effect is a powerful tool in the music industry, and if a blogger sees that people are already excited about you (even if its just your friends!), then its a lot easier for them to get excited about you too. Just make sure that youre actually updating the socials you link to! And if youve gotten any sort of press in the past, make sure to publicize it on your socials. Showing your gratitude and support of the sites and journalists that feature your music makes it much more likely that others will want to feature you too. Prepare Your Kit Now that you have the elements needed for your digital press kit, you have a few options. Sonicbids and Reverbnation have wonderful tools to help you create a press kit. They then make it incredibly easy for you to submit it to music festivals, gigs, and other opportunities both through their websites, and over email. If neither of these is appealing to you, you can also just create an area on your website that houses all of this information. Make sure you update it regularly though! Theres nothing more unprofessional than sending a press kit with really old content. Thats one of the great things about Sonicbids and Reverbnation they connect to your socials, so a lot of your content updates automatically. Check out our article on making an affordable website HERE. Thats all for now! In Part 2, well show you how to start contacting and establishing relationships with music bloggers! Share on: After paying Oklahoma native Richard Perry almost $8,000 for repairs to his tornado-ravaged home, Farmers Insurance canceled the mans policy. The cancellation came at a poor time, at the onset of the regions storm season.Two tornadoes had struck Perrys home, the latest was last May."This whole side, every window, everything was just gone," Perry said of the damage.After paying for repairs on both occasions, Farmers send Perry a notification of his cancelled policyjust after two tornadoes.Because we live in too high risk of an area, and you've had past claims," quoted Perry from the letter he received.According to state law, insurance companies can drop customers for filing more than one claim, regardless of the cost of the claim."I looked at the claims that these people had and they're not exorbitant. They're not a huge problem. They're not too much, but they were non-renewed," said Buddy Combs, an associate of the Oklahoma Insurance Department. "Well, it could be that they've seen a lot of claims in one area," he said. "It could be because they see some homeowner or some area as a larger risk than others.Combs reassured that there are still other insurance companies that would welcome Perry and honor his policy. Vermont Drug Sweep Nets Two North Adams Women RUTLAND, Vt. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies made a massive drug sweep in southwestern Vermont on Tuesday that has resulted in 20 arrests so far, including two North Adams, Mass., women. One individual is still being sought and 10 more defendants are facing federal drug charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office as a result of arrests that took place during the past several weeks. Arrested were Cassie Morse, 26, and Shari Perras, 24, both of North Adams, both of whom are facing heroin charges. All of these arrests were the culmination of enforcement efforts over the past year, specifically targeting those individuals involved in the distribution of illicit drugs. Drug enforcement efforts continue to focus on the heroin/opiate epidemic and distribution networks operating in Vermont communities. The arrests were announced on Wednesday morning at a press conference in Rutland. "These arrests involved people coming to Vermont from out of state and bringing heroin, and bringing crack but they also involve the local infrastructure that facilitates the sale of drugs in Vermont," said U.S. Attorney for Vermont Eric Miller at Wednesday's briefing. "Unless we continue to go after both of those groups, we're not going to be effective in combating this crisis." Dozens of arrests have been made in the past 18 months of Vermonters and out-of-staters, mostly from Brooklyn, N.Y., he said, that have affected a loose organization of drug distribution. "We think we made a significant dent in the organizations through these joint efforts," Miller said. The Vermont Drug Task Force has worked collaboratively with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and local and county law enforcement agencies in southwestern Vermont to include state and federal prosecutors. Arraignments will be held in the Bennington County Superior Court on Feb. 29 at 1 p.m and Rutland County Superior Court on March 7 at 1 p.m. Chelsea Hill, 24 of Rutland, and Sherrie Fitzgerald, 52 of Rutland, will be arraigned at Rutland County Superior Court, Criminal Division on Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. Charges listed below are single counts unless otherwise indicated: State Defendants Colleen M. Keefe , 43: sale of cocaine , 43: sale of cocaine Robert S. Grady , 34: sale of heroin, three counts , 34: sale of heroin, three counts Timothy B. Euber , 38: sale of heroin , 38: sale of heroin Casey Clifford , 22: sale of heroin, two counts; sale of fentanyl , 22: sale of heroin, two counts; sale of fentanyl Anthony Courcelle , 21: sale of heroin , 21: sale of heroin Daniel Pyne , 30: sale of regulated drug (oxycodone) , 30: sale of regulated drug (oxycodone) Jerry Crandall , 46: sale of cocaine, sale of regulated drug (oxycodone) , 46: sale of cocaine, sale of regulated drug (oxycodone) Cassie Morse , 26: sale of heroin, two counts , 26: sale of heroin, two counts Candi Peters , 36: sale of heroin, two counts , 36: sale of heroin, two counts Shari Perras , 24: sale of heroin , 24: sale of heroin Andrew Onorato , 31: sale of heroin, two counts , 31: sale of heroin, two counts Chelsea Hill , 24: sale of heroin, two counts; conspiracy , 24: sale of heroin, two counts; conspiracy Sheri Fitzgerald , 52: sale of heroin, conspiracy , 52: sale of heroin, conspiracy Spencer Mumford , 23: sale of heroin , 23: sale of heroin Kevin Scully , 25: sale of cocaine , 25: sale of cocaine Felicia Ackley , 28: sale of cocaine, two counts , 28: sale of cocaine, two counts Christopher Nadeau , 26: sale of heroin , 26: sale of heroin William Manfredi , 36: sale of heroin , 36: sale of heroin Carlos Vasquez , 42: heroin trafficking, heroin transportation and conspiracy , 42: heroin trafficking, heroin transportation and conspiracy John Mason, 33: sale of heroin Wanted Richard Winnie, 42: sale heroin Federal Arrests Kevin Williams (aka Cap, Capone), 42: sale of heroin, three counts Jason Tiraboschi, 27: possession of a firearm Amanda Gibbons, 31, arrested 12/31/15, Indicted 1/7/16, charged with three counts of distribution of heroin, each count carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Patrick Lorenzo, 33, arrested 1/12/16, Indicted 1/20/16, charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Candace Alberti, 33, arrested 1/19/16, indicted on 2/3/16 charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Russell Gaspar, 32, arrested 1/19/16, indicted on 2/3/16 charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Mark McGinnis, 37, arrested 1/21/16, indicted, 2/11/16 charged with distribution of heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Jaiden Paige, 35, arrested 2/1/16, indicted 2/11/16, charged with distribution of heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Jennifer Webster, 26, arrested 2/1/16, indicted 2/11/16, charged with distribution of heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Kwasi Asante, 57, arrested 2/1/16, indicted 2/11/16, charged with distribution of heroin, carrying potential maximum sentence of 20 years. Solid Waste District May Receive Free Senior Help ADAMS, Mass. The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District may utilize the senior worker program to ease the transition to a new program coordinator. Program Coordinator Sandy Totter told the commissioners Thursday that the district may be able to hire a senior that she can teach before her retirement at the end of the year. This senior would still be on board when the district hires a new coordinator. "If we could get such a person lined up to be in our office that person would be here when the new coordinator comes on," Totter said. "I could teach that senior worker how to do the paperwork and somewhat how to deal with the public so there will be some continuity in the office." Totter said the program is federally funded and the district could have extra help for 20 hours a week. The worker could potential stay on for two years if the district can provide career education. Totter said the senior citizen she has been in contact with has an office background but would have to be taught computer skills. She thinks this would fit the criteria. This could potentially save consultant fees and the district may not have to bring her back as much to help the new coordinator. With someone constantly in the office, Totter said she would be free to work out in the field more and take off saved up time she has acquired before her retirement. Peru representative Peter Loboda said an extra person in the office would just be more responsible. "I think it is even a more responsible way to do business because if our coordinator, heaven forbid, got hit by a bus we would now be able go ahead ... and have a way to keep the office going," Loboda said. "Having two people in there is just more efficient." The commissioners voted to allow Totter to look into the program and sign up if possible. "It is a no-brainer if it works out and if it doesn't work out there is still no cost," Lanesborough representative Joseph Szczepaniak Jr said. "We aren't going to lose anything." As for the budget, Totter said towns should expect an increase in assessments by 50 cents per person. Adams, the largest town in the district, will see an increase from $21,551.90 to $25,794.40. She said the bulk of this comes from the 14 percent increase in health insurance and that the district has to continue to fund her insurance as well as provide funding for a possible family plan for the new coordinator. "You don't know if the person coming in will need a family plan or single plan, but you must be prepared to pay for a family plan," she said. "You might hire someone who doesn't need health insurance at all or with single insurance ... it's a jump because of the transition." The commission will vote on the budget next meeting. In other business, Totter said the state Senate recently passed a Paint Stewardship bill, currently in the House, that would dramatically decrease the price of paint removal because it would force manufacturers to pay the cost. "It wouldn't cover everything because it wouldn't cover spray paint, but it covers darn close to everything," Totter said. Currently the budget has $9,000 allocated for paint removal. The commission also voted to increase the removal rate for tires 20 inches and over from $4 to $8. Its costs the district $8 to remove the tires and the increase would balance the cost. Also, the commission gave Totter permission to purchase a 30 yard roll off to store paper for $6,358. Four More Shots Please S3 Review: This Old Wine In New Bottle Doesn't Get You Drunk As Easily Anymore We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector Edward Price Non-Resident Senior Fellow NYU Center for Global Affairs Contact email linkedin Edward Price, a former British economic official, teaches international political economy, financial systems and international relations at NYUas Center for Global Affairs. He is also an economic advisor for BritishAmerican Business (BAB). Educated at the London School of Economics (LSE), Edward holds an MSc in Finance and Economic Policy and an MA in German History. He has worked in both the British and European parliaments, was Americas editor at IFLR and has worked in the City of London. He speaks German, gets by in Italian and is a member of the Economic Club of New York (ECNY). The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: Imperial Valley News Center US Chamber of Commerce joins USDA in push to enlist veterans in agriculture Sacramento, California - The USDA has announced a joint agreement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to increase employment opportunities in the agricultural sector for military veterans and their spouses. The agreement establishes a new partnership between USDA and Hiring Our Heroes, a program that helps military veterans, transitioning active duty personnel, and their spouses and partners with training and opportunities to find meaningful employment when entering the civilian workforce. Since 2009, USDA has provided $466.8 million in farm loans to help more than 6,868 veterans purchase farmland, buy equipment, and make repairs and upgrades. Microloans offering smaller amounts of support to meet the needs of small or niche-type farm operations have also grown in popularity among veterans. Since it was launched in January 2013, USDAs microloan program has provided more than $25.8 million in support to help veterans grow their farming businesses. Recently, USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA) also expanded its collaboration with the Department of Defense to better reach the nearly 200,000 service members transitioning from military service to civilian life each year. Through a career training and counseling program, called the Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, USDA provides information on a wide variety of loans, grants, training and technical assistance available for veterans who are passionate about a career in agriculture. For more information on how USDA can help military veterans transition into agriculture as a career, visit www.usda.gov/veterans. Governor Brown Joins Bipartisan Governors' Clean Energy Accord Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today joined a bipartisan group of 17 governors in signing the Governors Accord for a New Energy Future a joint commitment to pursuing modern electric grids, cleaner energy and transportation solutions. With this agreement, governors from both parties have joined together and committed themselves to a clean energy future, said Governor Brown. Our goal is to clean up the air and protect our natural resources. Democratic and Republican signatories to the accord commit that their states will work together to continue diversifying energy generation, expanding clean energy sources, modernizing energy infrastructure, encouraging clean transportation options and securing a stronger national energy future. The full text of the Governors Accord for a New Energy Future is available here, along with statements from all participating governors. California's Leadership on Climate Change While California emits around 1 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, the state is playing a leading role in broadening collaboration amongst subnational leaders, spearheading the Under 2 MOU, a global pact amongst cities, states and countries to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius. A total of 127 jurisdictions representing 27 countries and six continents have now signed or endorsed the Under 2 MOU. Together, they represent more than 729 million people and $20.4 trillion in GDP, equivalent to more than a quarter of the global economy. The Governor last year traveled to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, the Vatican in Italy, the United Nations in New York and the Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto, Canada to call on others leaders to join California in the fight against climate change. Governor Brown also joined an unprecedented alliance of heads of state, city and state leaders - convened by the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund - to urge countries and companies around the globe to put a price on carbon. These efforts build on a number of other international climate change agreements with leaders from Mexico, China, North America, Japan, Israel, Peru and Chile and Governor Brown's efforts to convene hundreds of world-renowned researchers and scientists around a groundbreaking call to action called the consensus statement which translates key scientific climate findings from disparate fields into one unified document. Last October, Governor Brown signed landmark legislation SB 350 that codified the goals he laid out in his January 2015 inaugural address to double the rate of energy efficiency savings in California buildings and generate half of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. In the same remarks, Governor Brown committed to reduce today's petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent within the next 15 years; make heating fuels cleaner; reduce the release of methane, black carbon and other potent pollutants across industries; and manage farm and rangelands, forests and wetlands so they can store carbon. The Governor also issued an executive order last year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 the most ambitious target in North America and consistent with California's existing commitment to reduce emissions 80 percent under 1990 levels by 2050. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in California and will disproportionately impact the state's most vulnerable populations. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern Travel to Europe Washington, DC - U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern will travel February 16 19 to Brussels, London and Paris, where he will meet with European officials to discuss climate change. This trip is one of several long-planned post-COP21 visits, aiming to reinforce the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement and to taking action on climate change. Stern and his counterparts will discuss major international climate change objectives for this year, including the April 22nd signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will host in New York. On the Occasion of Kosovo's National Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the citizens of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of the Republic of Kosovo as you celebrate your eighth anniversary of independence on February 17. "During my visit to Kosovo in December, I applauded the recent progress your country has made toward Euro-Atlantic integration. This progress includes advancing the EU-facilitated Dialogue with Serbia, signing a border agreement with Montenegro, securing a compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union. These and other steps show your determination to become a full and productive member of the Euro-Atlantic community. The United States will continue to stand by Kosovo as it makes the difficult decisions necessary to move further down the path toward greater stability, prosperity and regional integration. "The United States values its friendship with all the people of Kosovo and congratulates you once again on this special day." Release of U.S. Citizens in Iraq Washington, DC - The Department of State welcomes the news that the Government of Iraq has secured the release of three U.S. citizens who were reported as missing in January. We sincerely appreciate the assistance provided by the Government of Iraq, and its whole-of-government effort to bring about the safe release of these individuals. Specifically, we express our gratitude to the Iraqi Security Forces, and in particular the Ministry of Defense and the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, for their role in achieving this outcome. In advance of the General Election, Gary Culliton heard the views and proposals of the various political parties on health one of the major issues of this campaign. It costs 90 million to provide medical education in Ireland. Yet, within 12 months of leaving college, in effect 60 million of that investment is gone out of the country, Fine Gael Senator Colm Burke has said. It is going to become more and more difficult to attract people back. It is something we need to tackle very fast, Senator Burke told an IMO seminar, which heard views from a number of political parties. In addition, doctors are getting jobs in our hospitals who would not have been shortlisted for those jobs five years ago. A major effort must be made to give GPs the level of support they need to deliver the sort of service they can potentially provide and that patients want. A system that forced GPs to direct patients unnecessarily to EDs needed to be re-examined, said Senator Burke. Difficulties in accessing diagnostics have meant GPs are having to refer people to be dealt with by less experienced doctors who might spend 12-to-18 hours arriving at the same diagnosis the GP had already made and noted. Prime the pump Greater support needs to be given to general practitioners, and long-term planning is vital in this context. Senator Burke cited a GP whose medical card income used to be 200,000. This has fallen to 120,000 a 40 per cent reduction. His costs, however, have remained the same. This is not sustainable, said Senator Burke. There is a lack of back-up for the services GPs can provide. Reassurance regarding management of certain patients can in some situations mean hospital admissions are avoided. An average of 120 million will have to go into the primary care budget over a five-year term, Fianna Fail believes. This will serve to prime the pump, with regard to services. However, there are some areas without a GP service, and in such instances GPs should be taken on as salaried employees of the HSE in rural areas (where there are no self-employed doctors), Fianna Fail has proposed. It also believes that doctor visit cards should not be given on the basis of age. According to Senator Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fail, universal GP care can only happen on the basis of need and the initiative must be sustainable. A specific programme must be established to redirect healthcare towards primary care, within the HSE Service Plan. The number of GPs and ancillary professionals required must also be gauged, with administration and IT supports provided. Universal GP care Primary care should have its own budget and its own Cabinet minister, the Labour Party has said. Labours health plan involves introduction of universal GP care. Smarter strategies for tackling the waiting lists crisis and ED crowding are also pledged. Labours ultimate aim is to provide a comprehensive system of primary care free at the point of access. Labour leader Joan Burton said she wanted to see full GP care for all in the term of the next Government. Labour will seek a plan to increase the number of GPs. The party said it will need to train more doctors, retain more doctors within the system and encourage some who have left the system to come back. Sinn Fein, meanwhile, is committed to universal free GP access. Each year, the financial thresholds on GP visit cards would be incrementally increased. Universal healthcare would be funded from taxation, said Sinn Fein Deputy Peadar Toibin. Sinn Fein has proposed an annual intake increase initially of 200 doctors into the GP training programme. The party has pledged to restore the Rural Practice Allowance in full, in one year, adding that salaried GP positions in certain rural and deprived areas will be introduced. Salaries would remove the challenge of the small business, said Deputy Toibin. There would be 200 salaried GP posts, he suggested. FEMPI took 160 million out of general practice. Rural and deprived urban areas are finding things difficult. A focus on doctor recruitment is needed and a larger role for pharmacies in the area of minor ailments is envisaged by Sinn Fein. A disconnect Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall said Ireland was not getting good value for money in health, nor were we getting the best outcomes for patients. The Social Democrats back a single-tier public health system. Reform and reorientation of the health service needs to involve frontline staff. Community Healthcare Organisations need to be aligned with hospital groups: a full health need and socioeconomic analysis of those areas is required. When ratios of public health nurses (PHNs), GPs and physios to population were considered, there was a wide variation, said Deputy Shortall. The services at acute and at primary care level do not align, she said. We cannot move forward while we have that disconnect. The capacity of primary care staffing and funding needs to be greatly expanded, according to the Social Democrats. A major recruitment programme for GPs and nurses, to attract them back from abroad, needs to be launched. Some 1,000 frontline primary care professionals, predominantly therapists and PHNs are pledged by the new party. Much of chronic disease work would be led by GPs and delivered by practice nurses: however, the appropriate primary care skills mix needs to be determined. Greater access to diagnostics for GPs is certainly needed. An analysis of the reasons people attend EDs also needs to be immediately carried out. For example, Much asthma service could be provided at community level, Deputy Shortall said. The HRB has appointed four new Research Leaders, providing them with funding worth a total 5.8 million in a bid to build capacity in areas of strategic importance for health delivery in Ireland. The HRB Research Leaders, who are in the areas of suicide prevention, safe prescribing, dementia care and team leadership in the health services, will also act as role models and mentors to help build a critical mass of people with the specialist skills required to conduct population health and health services research, and apply their findings into policy and practice. They are Prof Ella Arensman of UCC, who was awarded 1.4m over five years, Prof Kathleen Bennett of the RCSI (1.4m for five years), Prof Eamon OShea of NUI, Galway (1.6m for five years), and Prof Eilish McAuliffe of UCD(1.4m). HRB Chief Executive Dr Graham Love said: These awards are designed to address knowledge gaps in our health service. According to the lead agency in Ireland responsible for supporting and funding health research, the awards will ensure senior people have dedicated time to generate relevant evidence to inform decision-making in these key areas. The awards were expressly created to bring together some of Irelands best researchers and practitioners actually responsible for delivering care services. They will advance evidence-informed decision-making in the healthcare services. Along with the four posts, these grants will support more than 15 research personnel to underpin the various work programmes. Prof Arensmans project, titled Individual and Area Level Determinants of Self-Harm and Suicide in Ireland: Enhancing Prediction, Risk Assessment and Management of Self-Harm by Health Services, will improve the care provided in Irish hospitals for people who engage in self-harm, with the ultimate goal of reducing repeated self-harm and suicide nationally. It will examine predictive factors associated with increased risk of self-harm and suicide and implement a pulse system of early identification of emerging suicide and self-harm. Prof Bennetts Statistical Epidemiology in Population Health and Health Services Research: Quality and Patient Safety in Medicines will provide detailed information and evidence about adverse drug events (ADE) in primary care and hospital settings with a view to devising an evidence-informed approach to reduce ADEs in the Irish healthcare setting. Prof OSheas project, National Centre for Social Research on Dementia, in which he is partnered by Genio, the HSE Programme Lead for the National Dementia Strategy, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, and Nursing Homes Ireland, will provide the research framework to support the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy. This research programme will investigate optimal, person-centred pathways to care and placement for people on the margins of home care and residential care, as well as examine the economic, social and emotional costs of caring for people with dementia, with particular emphasis on non-pharmacological approaches to care. Prof McAuliffes project, Collective Leadership and Safety Cultures (CO-LEAD), will implement leadership development interventions for groups of leaders at different levels within the hospital groups and test the impact of these interventions on staff performance and patient safety. The overall aim is to support quality and safety cultures through the development of a new model of healthcare leadership that is associated with effective team performance. lloyd.mudiwa@imt.ie The RCPI has lent its support to a proposal for a no fry zone near schools in Wicklow as part of its new County Development Plan (CDP). The Colleges Policy Group on Obesity said Wicklow could lead the way for other counties by banning fast-food outlets that sell foods high in fat, salt or sugar from within 400 metres of schools, parks or playgrounds, excluding premises zoned town centre. It has made a submission as part of the consultation process on the CDP. The Co-chair of the Policy Group, Consultant Endocrinologist Prof Donal OShea, said the proposal was exactly the type of infrastructural change that Oklahoma City made when going from being the fattest city in the US to one of the fittest. County Wicklow has a real opportunity to lead by example in this case and to show the way for other counties in Ireland to introduce similar restrictions to ensure that children are protected from weight-related illness, Prof OShea said. He added that planning had a key role in supporting health within the community and ensuring the physical environment allowed for active, healthy lifestyles. Co-chair of the Policy Group Prof Catherine Hayes added it was important to make changes at community level to facilitate healthier choices for children and to make the healthy option the easiest option. The physical environment is central to this. Wicklow can now demonstrate leadership by committing to the long-term health and well-being of its local communities, she said. One-in-four Irish children is overweight or obese. Prof OShea said experience showed these children would become obese adults and immediate action was essential to reverse the statistics. As a result they will suffer health complications throughout their lives. Their potential contribution to the workforce will be impacted and their healthcare costs will be extortionate. niamh.mullen@imt.ie Since its establishment in September 2014, approximately 1,000 children from across Ireland have been admitted to Temple Streets Day of Surgery Admission (DOSA) Unit, IMT reports. A successful DOSA process can provide significant benefits for the patient and the hospital, Temple Street said. These include potentially fewer cancellations for elective surgery, cost efficiencies and a reduction in the rates of hospital-acquired infection. The DOSA Unit has also aided the introduction of a patient and family friendly admission process whereby the Surgical Ward staff can receive patients fasting on the day of surgery and admit them in a comfortable environment with their families rather than waiting for an available bed prior to going to theatre. Speaking on the day the 1,000th patient was admitted to the DOSA Unit, Sharon Ryan, Divisional Nurse Manager, Temple Street, said: The DOSA process guarantees an available waiting area where patients for admission can be prepared for theatre safely without the added time pressure of waiting for inpatient beds to become available. Patients go to the theatre from the DOSA Unit and return to a bed post-operatively elsewhere in the hospital. DOSA is a process recommended by the HSE and RCSI National Programme for Elective Surgery. The national target for Day of Surgery Admissions as outlined in the National Programme for Elective Surgery is 75 per cent of all planned admissions. Temple Street had achieved this target with the help of DOSA and regularly exceeded this target on a monthly basis, the HSE said. gary.culliton@imt.ie How YouTube Became This Chhattisgarh Village's Pathway to their Bollywood Dreams Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Nathan Barksdale, the former Baltimore gangster who inspired David Simon to create several characters in The Wire, has died in federal prison, The Baltimore Sun reports. A criminal nicknamed "Bodie," Barksdale rose to notoriety in the Eighties when he ran a heroin-dealing operation in a public housing complex - a ring that authorities claimed controlled the majority of the city's drug trafficking at that time. In 1985, he was convicted of torturing three people in the same housing complex. Barksdale inspired two characters in acclaimed HBO series The Wire: kingpin Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris, who interviews him in the below video) and Preston "Bodie" Broadus (JD Williams). Series creator David Simon revealed that, while an inspiration, no characters were based precisely on Barksdale: "There are some anecdotal connections between his story and a multitude of characters. "We mangled street and given names throughout The Wire so that it was a general shout-out to the Westside players." Barksdale since reformed, working alongside the city's Health Department on their Safe Streets program. However, in 2014, he pleaded guilty to his part in a heroin scam after falling victim to a DEA wiretap investigation. He revealed soon after he had lapsed back into a heroin addiction. In his lifetime, Barksdale was shot over 20 times and had his right leg amputated below the knee. Barksdale died in a North Carolina federal medical prison on Saturday (13 February). The cause of death has been undisclosed. He was 54. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Not many screenwriters walk so comfortably in such challenging territory as Guy Hibbert. You don't dramatise subjects as full-on as the Siege of Sarajevo, identity disorder, the Omagh bombing, murder, ricin attacks, drone warfare and the Troubles without, one hopes, off-screen outlets for lighter pursuits or a good therapist. In One Child, the British TV veteran pointed his pen and fondness for political drama to China, taking on, in one story, a daunting range of issues: capital punishment, corruption, globalisation, race and the recently ditched one-child policy. Culture news in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures 30 September 2016 An employee hangs works of art with "Grand Teatro" by Marino Marini (R) and bronze sculpture "Sfera N.3" by Arnaldo Pomodoro seen ahead of a Contemporary Art auction on 7 October, at Sotheby's in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 29 September 2016 Street art by Portuguese artist Odeith is seen in Dresden, during an exhibition "Magic City - art of the streets" AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 Dancers attend a photocall for the new "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany REUTERS Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 With an array of thrift store china, humorous souvenirs and handmade tile adorning its walls and floors, the Mosaic Tile House in Venice stands as a monument to two decades of artistic collaboration between Cheri Pann and husband Gonzalo Duran REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A gallery assistant poses amongst work by Anthea Hamilton from her nominated show "Lichen! Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The installation allows visitors a 3-D look into the museum which has twenty-two paintings belonging to the British Royal Collection, on loan for an exhibit from 29 September 2016 till 8 January 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Shiva performs on a chariot as he participates in a religious procession 'Ravan ki Barat' held to mark the forthcoming Dussehra festival in Allahabad AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Air Power', 1984, is displayed at the Bowie/Collector media preview at Sotheby's in New York AFP/Getty Culture news in pictures 25 September 2016 A woman looks at an untitled painting by Albert Oehlen during the opening of an exhibition of works by German artists Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen in Reutlingen, Germany. The exhibition runs at the Kunstverein (art society) Reutlingen until 15 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 24 September 2016 Fan BingBing (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival at Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain Getty Images Culture news in pictures 23 September 2016 A view of the artwork 'You Are Metamorphosing' (1964) as part of the exhibition 'Retrospektive' of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The exhibition runs from 25 September 2016 to 1 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 22 September 2016 Jo Applin from the Courtauld Institute of Art looks at Green Tilework in Live Flesh by Adriana Vareja, which features in a new exhibition, Flesh, at York Art Gallery. The new exhibition features works by Degas, Chardin, Francis Bacon and Sarah Lucas, showing how flesh has been portrayed by artists over the last 600 years PA Culture news in pictures 21 September 2016 Performers Sean Atkins and Sally Miller standing in for the characters played by Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell during a photocall for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children" at Potters Field Park in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A detail from the blanket 'Alpine Cattle Drive' from 1926 by artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is displayed at the 'Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Arts' in Berlin. The exhibition named 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Hieroglyphen' showing the complete collection of Berlin's Nationalgallerie works of the German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and will run from 23 September 2016 until 26 February 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A man looks at portrait photos by US photographer Bruce Gilden in the exhibition 'Masters of Photography' at the photokina in Cologne, Germany. The trade fair on photography, photokina, schowcases some 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and runs from 20 to 25 September. The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I AP Culture news in pictures 13 September 2016 Visitors look at artworks by Chinese painter Cui Ruzhuo during the exhibition 'Glossiness of Uncarved Jade' held at the exhibition hall 'Manezh' in St. Petersburg, Russia. More than 200 paintings by the Chinese artist are presented until 25 September EPA Culture news in pictures 12 September 2016 A visitor looks at Raphael's painting 'Extase de Sainte Cecile', 1515, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during the opening of a Raphael exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The first Russian exhibition of the works of the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino includes eight paintings and three drawings which come from Italy. Th exhibit opens to the public from 13 September to 11 December EPA Culture news in pictures 11 September 2016 Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd perform during Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration - Rehearsals at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia Getty Images for Otis Redding 75 Culture news in pictures 10 September 2016 Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers at the Last Night of the Proms 2016 at the Royal Albert Hall in London PA Culture news in pictures 9 September 2016 A visitor walks past a piece entitled "Fruitcake" by Joana Vasconcelo, during the Beyond Limits selling exhibition at Chatsworth House near Bakewell REUTERS Culture news in pictures 8 September 2016 A sculpture of a crescent standing on the 2,140 meters high mountain 'Freiheit' (German for 'freedom'), in the Alpstein region of the Appenzell alps, eastern Switzerland. The sculpture is lighted during the nights by means of solar panels. The 38-year-old Swiss artist and atheist Christian Meier set the crescent on the peak to start a debate on the meaning of religious symbols - as summit crosses - on mountains. 'Because so many peaks have crosses on them, it struck me as a great idea to put up an equally absurd contrast'. 'Naturally I wanted to provoke in a fun way. But it goes beyond that. The actions of an artist should be food for thought, both visually and in content' EPA Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures In the first of three episodes, screened as part of the BBC's China season, we met Mei (Katie Leung, of Harry Potter snog fame), a smart student adopted as a baby by cartoonishly middle-class liberal academic types, whose lifelong safe space was shattered when her birth mother made contact via a brave journalist in Guangzhou. Mei's younger brother (the boy her parents sought when they left her at an orphanage) had been sentenced to death for the murder of a Nigerian businessman that he only witnessed. Sure enough, the real killer is the playboy son of a wealthy factory owner. A reluctant, confused Mei travelled to the megacity to meet her mother, a factory worker, and hear her pleas for help. It was a decent sell sheltered Westerner discovers her identity and the meaning of family in a strange, hostile forest of high-rises and low morals. But between the dramatic sequences, when Mei realises she has to act, the plotting and acting felt at times too worthy, too much like 10 years of New Yorker articles condensed into a script, for the plot to breathe by itself. It was all very informative but if Hibbert's best work coats the topics he admirably tackles in drama of universal appeal, One Child didn't slip down so easily. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When broadcasters make big-money signings there is that awkward overlap when the player's pre-recorded work has still be to be shown. It would be like Ronaldo occasionally turning out at Old Trafford in the months after his move to Madrid. Sort of. In this case it was the last run-out for Robert Peston on the BBC following the economic man's lucrative move to ITV. In a 30-minute unwitting swansong he travelled to China and the more familiar surroundings of the Square Mile to examine the dragon economy's recent hiccough. His always engaging, inimitable analysis came as Britain forges ever closer economic ties with Beijing. Is it, as Peston asked in The Great Chinese Crash? "good business or mad, bad and dangerous to our prosperity?" To answer both questions, he travelled north of Beijing to Yingkou, one of dozens of cities built from nothing in the boom years on borrowed money and now unfinished or empty. His own hotel was deserted and the lights had gone out. Yet despite the shuttered foundries and ranks of unemployed, the city boasted of growth of three per cent. "To be frank," Peston said, "that's inconceivable." Recommended Read more Robert Peston offered kidney to stay at the BBC More depressing than the growing debt and stock market volatility still rippling beyond China were the stark predictions that any fix would require even more destabilising social and political upheaval and big trouble here while we cosy up to Beijing. "If China becomes more connected to us before stabilising its economy, its bust will be our bust," he warned. A good time, perhaps, for us all to find better-paid jobs. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A picture of a McDonalds Happy Meal, apparently made in 2010, has been widely circulated on social media as a "warning" against fast food. Jennifer Lovedahl from Anchorage, Alaska posted the photo on Facebook earlier this month which showed the meal along with a receipt dated at roughly midday on 8 January 2010. "Its been sitting in our office this whole time and has not rotted, molded [sic], or decomposed at all!!! she wrote. "It smells only of cardboard." Videos and images of fast food "not rotting" prove highly popular on social media. One chiropracter in Michigan has been saving a Taco Bell chicken taco and McDonald's cheeseburger for two years, while an enterprising hostel has a live video stream where you can watch the "last McDonald's hamburger in Iceland" rot - or not - on video. So, what is this apparent love of non-rotting food? Is it a desire to prove that McDonald's food is bad for your insides? McDonalds FAQ section already addresses issues of its food not seeming to rot, explaining that food needs moisture in the air for mould to form." And Dr Keith Warriner, programme director at the University of Guelps department of Food Science and Quality Assurance, has explained further: The reality is that McDonalds hamburgers, french fries and chicken are like all foods, and do rot if kept under certain conditions. Essentially, the microbes that cause rotting are a lot like ourselves, in that they need water, nutrients, warmth and time to grow. If we take one or more of these elements away, then microbes cannot grow or spoil food. What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Show all 6 1 /6 What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job High stress job "You get treated very poorly by customers and it's a high stress job at peak hours, but I believe this holds true for any fast food service job." What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Regimented "I was trained in the kitchen and every process was regimented down to the last little detail. I got a test at the end of my training that included questions like: How many pieces of diced onion do you put on a cheeseburger? (the answer was 17)" Copyright (c) 2009 Rex Features. No use without permission. What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Lifelong friends "Working at McDonald's was one of the most fun experiences in my life! I met lifelong friends while putting myself through college. I also got to eat there for almost two years everyday." What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Higher standards than most "The kitchens are clean and organised. They have a lot of checklists and protocols to make sure the quality of the food is top notch. They have higher standards than most companies when it comes to health codes and when something doesn't meet their standards they throw it away immediately." What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Well trained "An old boss of mine, at a very high-end boutique catering company, told me he always hired workers who listed McDonald's on their resume because he knew they were already well trained." What people who work in McDonald's really think of their job Big on cleanliness "I loved how big they were on cleanliness. I found out later that this is not the case at every location, but those two (especially the one in my hometown) were very clean." In the example of a McDonalds hamburger, the patty loses water in the form of steam during the cooking process. The bun, of course, is made out of bread. Toasting it reduces the amount of moisture. This means that after preparation, the hamburger is fairly dry. When left out open in the room, there is further water loss as the humidity within most buildings is around 40%. So in the absence of moisture or high humidity, the hamburger simply dries out, rather than rot. Food blog A Hamburger Today conducted an experiment to confirm that this phenomenon of non-rotting burgers was not unique to McDonalds. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One third of hot drinks served in high-street chains contain the same or more sugar than Coca-Cola, according to a campaign group. Action on Sugar said it analysed 131 hot flavoured drinks, including coffees, mochas, lattes, hot fruit drinks and hot chocolates among other drinks that are widely bought from some of the UKs best-known coffee shops and fast-food chains. Calling the findings shocking, a spokesman for the charity said that 98 per cent of the drinks tested would receive a red nutritional-value label for high-sugar content. A third of the hot drinks tested contained the same amount or more sugar than Coca-Cola, which contains nine teaspoons of sugar per can, the spokesman said. Action on Sugars chair, Professor Graham MacGregor, said it was another example of the scandalous amount of sugar added to our food and drink no wonder we have the highest rates of obesity in Europe. With a total of 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving, the worst offender was Starbucks venti grape with chai, orange and cinnamon hot mulled fruit, the campaign group found. The amounts of sugar in food and drink Show all 6 1 /6 The amounts of sugar in food and drink The amounts of sugar in food and drink Minstrels A 42g bag contains 28.9g of sugar The amounts of sugar in food and drink Dairy Milk A 49g bar contains 26.8g of sugar The amounts of sugar in food and drink Skittles 45g of Skittles (about a quarter of a large 174g pouch) contains 40.4g of sugar The amounts of sugar in food and drink Ribena A 500ml bottle of Blackcurrant Ribena contains 23g of sugar, down from 50g/500ml after it was reformulated to avoid the government's tax on sugary drinks The amounts of sugar in food and drink Coca Cola A 330ml can of Coca Cola contains 35g of sugar The amounts of sugar in food and drink Innocent Smoothies A 250ml bottle of strawberries & bananas Innocent Smoothie (the middle size) contains 26g of sugar Costas massimo eat-in chai latte was found to contain 20 teaspoons of sugar, while Starbucks venti white chocolate mocha with whipped cream was found to have 18. KFCs mocha and Starbucks signature hot chocolate both had 15 teaspoons of sugar per serving, while Caffe Neros drink-in caramelatte had 13, the charity said. A Starbucks spokeswoman said the company had committed earlier this year to reducing added sugar in its indulgent drinks by 25 per cent by the end of 2020. She said it also offered a wide variety of lighter options and displayed all nutritional information in-store and online. Sugar tax leaves sour taste Kerry Parkin, head of communications at Costa, said the company had already taken significant steps to reduce the sugar content of our ranges. She added: This April, we will be setting salt and sugar reduction targets for 2020. But Action on Sugar researcher Kawther Hashem said coffee-shop chains should immediately reduce the amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the extra-large serving sizes. She added: These drinks should be an occasional treat, not an everyday drink. They are laden with an unbelievable amount of sugar and calories and are often accompanied by a high sugar and fat snack. The research comes ahead of the Governments childhood obesity strategy, which is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. It will reportedly recommend that junk-food adverts should be banned from being screened near family programmes such as The X Factor and Britains Got Talent. A feasibility study is also likely to be launched to establish how a compulsory sugar tax could work if firms did not take adequate measures. Proposals for a sugar tax of up to 20 per cent and the threat of a levy to pressure companies into reformulating their products to reduce sugar content have been championed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, among others. Mr Oliver recently urged the PM to be bold in order to shift Britain away from an obesity crisis. CRUK backs sugar tax Findings: Supersize, super-sweet Starbucks venti Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Hot Mulled Fruit had 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving, Action on Sugar said. This was closely followed by their Hot Mulled Fruit Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Venti with 22 and Costa Coffees massimo eat-in Chai Latte, which the campaign group said contained 20 teaspoons of sugar. Starbucks venti White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream was found to have 18, while KFCs mocha and Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate both had 15 teaspoons of sugar. Caffe Neros drink-in Caramelatte had 13 as did Costa Coffees Mocha Massimo eat-in and Starbucks Chai Latte Tea venti, the charity said. Costas eat-in and eat-out Mocha Cortado and Chocolate Babycino were found to have three teaspoons each. Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto short and Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip Short were found to have four, along with Leons Hot Chocolate and Costas Roasted Hazelnut Latte Primo eat-in. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tim Cook has written a passionate letter to Apple customers, arguing that a US government ruling to break into a terrorists handset could threaten the security of Apple customers. Apple has been ordered to help the FBI break into an iPhone that belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in California last year. The order requires Apple to fundamentally alter the security of the iPhone in a way that could make innocent people more at risk, Mr Cook has claimed. Apple has helped the FBI by making available data that it has in its possession, Mr Cook said. The company has also helped with the agencys investigations by making Apple engineers available to advise on how best to proceed, he continued. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create, he wrote, in a passionate letter written hours after the judgement was made. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. Backdoors are weaknesses in the security of computers including phones, which allow their security measures to be circumvented. Intelligence agencies in the UK as well as the US have repeatedly asked that technology companies implement them, but the companies themselves have argued that such a requirement would make innocent and law-abiding citizens unsafe. Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation, he wrote. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. Modern security technology works by encrypting data, which scrambles it so that it can only be read by someone with the right key. That key is usually embedded into a device, meaning that only a specific phone can read messages that are stored on it. But backdoors work by adding weaknesses to the software that allow people to get around those checks. The FBI has argued that such backdoors would be kept safe, but Mr Cook said that once it was created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty We are challenging the FBIs demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country, Mr Cook wrote in his letter. We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications. While we believe the FBIs intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect. Apple has been unusually vocal about its opposition to government plans to weaken security on either side of the Atlantic. Mr Cook himself has spoken against legislation in interviews, and the company submitted documents criticising the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, which the UK Government hopes to use to give sweeping new powers to Britains spies. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tiny glass discs developed by British researchers are capable of keeping up to 360 terabytes of data safe for more than 13 billion years. Using nanostructured glass, scientists from Southampton University have pushed the boundaries of five-dimensional data storage, a technology which was was first experimentally demonstrated in 2013 when a small 300 kilobyte text file was encoded onto a glass disc. The technology has improved drastically since then, and the researchers hope the discs could one day be used by archivists and librarians to preserve the sum of human knowledge for future generations, in a durable, convenient format. The data is imprinted onto the discs using ultrafast laser pulses, creating nanostructures dots arranged into three layers which are five-millionths of a metre apart. These nanostructures change the way light travels through the glass disc, altering its polarisation. This modified light can then be read using an optical microscope and polariser. The information encoding inside the disc is realised in five dimensions - the size and orientation of the nanostructures, in additional to their three-dimensional positions inside the disc. The glass discs in which the data is encoded are naturally more durable and less prone to degradation than traditional storage formats. The Magna Carta, the King James Bible, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Isaac Newton's Opticks have all been recorded to the discs (Pic: University of Southampton) (University of Southampton) This means they have a virtually unlimited lifespan, and can be stored safely in normal conditions for a very long time. The researchers believe that each disc could preserve the data on it for up to 13.8 billion years - to put that in perspective, that's around the same as the age of the universe. The team have already successfully encoded a number of important texts in the format - copies of the King James Bible, the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Isaac Newton's Opticks have all been recorded onto the discs. The technology is in its infancy, and producing and using the discs is currently a fairly difficult task. However, postgraduate student Aabid Patel, who works on the project, told The Verge that the equivalent of a 'DVD player' capable of reading them could be developed within decades. Professor Peter Kazansky, from the university's Optoelectronics Research Centre, said: "It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve documents and information and store it in space for future generations." "This technology can secure the last evidence of our civilisation - all we've learnt will not be forgotten," he said. The team will present their research at the International Society for Optical Engineering Conference in San Francisco on 17 February. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} EDF, Europes biggest energy company, has fuelled concerns about blackout Britain after it cut its dividend, in effect tapped the French government for cash and failed to commit itself to the UKs biggest nuclear project. The UKs energy future was left up in the air after EDF dodged a decision on Hinkley Point C, the planned nuclear plant that is meant to provide 7 per cent of Britains electricity and employ 25,000 people by 2025. The French energy giant said the first phase of construction would be launched very soon, but failed to commit to a timescale or confirm whether it had funding in place casting doubt on the future of the project. Hinkley Point C is a strong project which is fully ready for a final investment decision and successful construction. Final steps are well in hand to enable the full construction phase to be launched very soon, it said. The Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has been trying to smooth the 18bn construction costs of the plant in Somerset by wooing Chinese investors. EDF has already sold a 33.5 per cent stake to China General Nuclear Power Corporation, but the dividend cut could ignite fears the energy giant lacks the firepower to execute the plan. The group confounded investor expectations by slashing the dividend to 1.10 for 2015, from 1.25 in 2014. The French government, which owns 82 per cent of EDF, will take shares instead of cash to give the energy group an extra 1.8bn (1.4bn) a cash injection, in effect, backed by the French taxpayer. The move was welcomed by investors as a bid by EDF to boost its finances, and its shares rose 12 per cent in Paris to 11.56. Lower prices in the energy market, particularly for electricity, have stretched the companys finances. Earlier this month EDF Energy, the UK arm, cut standard gas prices by 5 per cent. As a result, EDF has been forced to reduce operating expenses by 300m last year and will seek to take out 700m more within the next two years. It has also committed to keeping four of its eight UK nuclear power plants open for longer, with two Heysham 1 and Hartlepool shutting in 2024 instead of 2019, and two more Heysham 2 and Torness closing in 2030 instead of 2023. Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty Despite the changes, analysts said the plans of chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy lack clarity. There is no detail on the disposal plan, the cost-reduction plan does not have granularity, and Hinkley Point C has not been mentioned, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Martin Young. Our initial take is this falls far short of what is needed to reposition the company for the changing utility landscape. EDFs net income declined by 68 per cent to 1.19bn from 3.7bn the year before after it took impairment charges on assets in the UK, US, Poland and Italy. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The row over anti-Semitism within the Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) has intensified, with the Labour party announcing an investigation amid claims by a former OULC co-chair that the problem affects campuses across the country. Mounting allegations of anti-Jewish behaviour by senior figures at the club, ranging from supporting attacks on Israel to targeting a Jewish student for abuse, have promoted the Labour partys student wing to investigate the claims. In a statement regarding the club, which includes Ed and David Miliband among its former members, a Labour party spokeswoman said: Labour Students have launched an immediate investigation and the Labour party welcomes and supports this action. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has pulled out of a talk he had been due to give to the OULC next month. And Labour MP John Mann demanded the party suspend its links with the student club while the investigation is conducted. It is hugely embarrassing for the Labour party. This is something Jeremy Corbyn should personally look into, he said. The row reflects a wider problem, according to David Klemperer, a former co-chair of OULC. Anti-Semitism is a major problem in Britain, with increasing numbers of anti-Semitic incidents reported, he said. It is a particular problem on campus, where Jewish students often feel threatened and vulnerable, and have insufficient support from student unions, claimed the undergraduate at St Johns College, who served as a co-chair last year. In a motion supported by Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) President Becky Howe, which was debated during a meeting of the OUSU Council last night [Weds], he added: Jewish students are the only minority group which is not directly represented by any of the NUS liberation campaigns. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA Mr Klemperers motion stated: More needs to be done by institutions of higher and further education and by students unions to tackle anti-Semitism on campus. The row which has engulfed OULC was sparked by the resignation of Alex Chalmers, a co-chair of the club, on 15 February - after the club decided to support an Israel Apartheid Week. Many members have some kind of problem with Jews, claimed Mr Chalmers in a posting in Facebook. He also referred to senior members of the club expressing their 'solidarity' with Hamas and explicitly defending their tactics of indiscriminately murdering civilians. Ten hours walking in Paris as a Jew - London Live In a statement, the Oxford University Jewish Society (Oxford JSoc) said: We are grateful that Alex Chalmers has made the statement that he did and has brought the issue of anti-semitism to the fore in a way that Jewish students have so far been denied. More allegations came to light on 17 February, after disaffected OULC members passed details of incidents to the Oxford JSoc. They include a claim that former committee members sung a song Rockets over Tel Aviv and expressed their support for attacks against Israel by Hamas. One club member was formally disciplined by their college for organising a group of students to allegedly harass a Jewish student and to shout filthy Zionist whenever they saw her, according to a statement by Oxford JSoc. And an OULC member argued that Hamas was justified in its policy of killing Jewish civilians and claimed that all Jews were legitimate targets. In a statement, the OULCs executive committee said: The comments detailed in JSocs statement last night indicate a shocking pattern of hateful and racist behaviour by some Club members, and its of the highest priority that this be dealt with swiftly and lastingly. And Megan Dunn, NUS president, pledged: I will continue to work with Jewish students and their local students unions to ensure everybody feels safe on campus and that racism, fascism and anti-Semitism is always challenged. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A former City worker who took a 40,000 pay cut when he quit to become a teacher is the only Briton on a shortlist for a major international teaching prize. Colin Hegarty, 34, swapped Deloittes in the City of London to train as a maths teacher six years ago, taking up a job at Preston Manor school, an academy in Wembley, west London. He is now on a shortlist of 10 for the Global Teacher prize an annual $1m (700,000) award given to teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession. Recommended Read more Engineers and teachers top list of sought after graduates in 2016 Im not in things for money otherwise I wouldnt ever have changed jobs, said Mr Hegarty. His ability was quickly recognised and he won a UK award for the teacher who made best use of technology.He had set up a website that can help other teachers to teach maths a tool thats of vital use at a time when there is a national shortage of maths teachers. The website (HegartyMaths at mathswebsite.com), which he has taken a year-long sabbatical from his job to develop with the aid of the charity Shine, is used by 5,000 children a day in 200 different territories around the world. It provides questions for pupils to answer by themselves. 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Show all 8 1 /8 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Crossing the bridge Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 minute, 2 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge? Claire Backhouse/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Number magic If you multiply me by 2, subtract 1, and read the reverse the result youll find me. Which numbers can I be? Dustin Liebenow/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles One thousand monkeys A very big building in which one thousand monkeys are living is lighted by one thousand lamps. Every lamp is connected to a unique on/off switch, which are numbered from 1 to 1000. At some moment, all lamps are switched off. But because it is becoming darker, the monkeys would like to switch on the lights. They will do this in the following way: Monkey 1 presses all switches that are a multiple of 1 Monkey 2 presses all switches that are a multiple of 2 Monkey 3 presses all switches that are a multiple of 3 Monkey 4 presses all switches that are a multiple of 4 Etc., etc. How many lamps are switched on after monkey 1000 pressed his switches? And which lamps are switched on? Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles School lockers A high school has a strange principal. On the first day, he has his students perform an odd opening day ceremony: There are one thousand lockers and one thousand students in the school. The principal asks the first student to go to every locker and open it. Then he has the second student go to every second locker and close it. The third goes to every third locker and, if it is closed, he opens it, and if it is open, he closes it. The fourth student does this to every fourth locker, and so on. After the process is completed with the thousandth student, how many lockers are open? Brett Levin/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles One bulb, three switches You have three switches in a room. One of them is for a bulb in next room. You cannot see whether the bulb is on or off until you enter the room. What is the minimum number of times you need to go in to the room to determine which switch corresponds to the bulb in next room? JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Cheryl's birthday Albert and Bernard just become friends with Cheryl, and they want to know when her birthday is. Cheryl gives them a list of 10 possible dates: May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15, and August 17 Cheryl then tells Albert and Bernard separately the month and the day of her birthday respectively. Albert: I dont know when Cheryls birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too. Bernard: At first I dont know when Cheryls birthday is, but I know now. Albert: Then I also know when Cheryl's birthday is. So when is Cheryls birthday? Jessica Diamond/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Sunday's child Recently, somebody said: My grandfather was born on the first Sunday of the year. His seventh birthday was also on a Sunday. In which year was said grandfather born? Will Clayton/flickr/Creative Commons 8 of the very hardest maths puzzles Probability of having boy In a country where everyone wants a boy, each family continues having babies until they have a boy. After some time, what is the proportion of boys to girls in the country? (Assuming probability of having a boy or a girl is the same). WALTRAUD GRUBITZSCH/AFP/Getty Images He refines the website through an internship programme that involves 20 GCSE and A-level maths students coming to his home every day during the week and trialling the questions. They come in for three hours a day, Mondays to Thursdays, he said. They have helped with the questions on the site. Some of the teachers using it have said things like, Its the best system [for teaching maths] that Ive seen for years, he said. I dont want to take the maths teacher out of the classroom, though, so Id prefer it if it was used in conjunction with a teacher. He tells of one pupil who was in the bottom set of his school for maths and used the online aid with its questions for eight weeks and shot up by three classes during that period. It is not a gimmick, he said. It is the real deal. Mr Hegarty was the first person in his family to go to university and gained a first-class honours degree from Oxford in maths before going into the City. How to solve the Edexcel maths question His parents worked as a builder and a cleaner and he was brought up in a one-bedroom council flat. Despite the success of his online teaching aids, Mr Hegarty still loves teaching in the classroom. While he has been on sabbatical he has continued to teach his Year 11 GCSE pupils at Preston Manor. I felt I owed it to them. I miss teaching and I cant wait to get back to it, he said. Mr Hegarty will know whether he has won the award at a ceremony in Dubai next month; the global teaching prize is sponsored by the Varkey Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving education for underpriviliged children. I was quite flabbergasted when I heard Id been shortlisted, he said. I looked at the biographies of the other 10 and thought, What am I doing here? I dont let things go to my head, though. If he wins, the $1m prize will be paid in instalments over five years and he has to promise to stay in the profession for five years. He will, though, feature as an international role model for the profession. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Around 135,000 Glastonbury revellers could miss out on the chance to cast their ballot in the European referendum this June as there will be no polling station at the music festival. It is widely expected that the Prime Minister David Cameron will go ahead with the vote on Britains membership of the European Union on June 23 the second day of the annual Glastonbury festival, which is expected to draw in a crowd close to 135,000. The Electoral Commission, who are responsible for overseeing elections and referendums in the UK, said because of legal framework it would not be possible for a polling station to be set-up at Glastonbury for people to vote in person. They added: "As similar to other elections, each person would have to vote in their local area and if they want to vote in person, they would have to vote at the polling station they have been assigned. "It wouldn't be possible to turn-up to just any polling station and vote because the local authority wouldn't have the voter on their local electoral register and therefore would be unable to check if you were entitled to vote. However, a spokesperson for the Commission added that festival-goers would be able to apply for absentee ballots by opting for either a postal vote or nominating someone to vote for them. What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence. A Glastonbury spokesman added to the Bristol Post: "We are keeping an eye on when the final decision on the date for the referendum is announced and then we will look to put provisions in place." Coldplay have confirmed they are to headline the Pyramid Stage in the Sunday slot at the Glastonbury Festival this year. The band announced the news on Twitter with a photograph of the field in which they'll be playing on 26 June. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been arrested over a series of offensive Facebook posts about refugees arriving on a Scottish island. Police Scotland said the suspect, from the Inverclyde area, was arrested following reports of a series of alleged offensive posts about Syrian families living on the Isle of Bute. A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with alleged offences under the Communications Act, a spokesperson added. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. She said legal restrictions prevented her from confirming what was written in the posts. Migrants arrive in UK Inspector Ewan Wilson, from Dunoon police office, told the Guardian that the arrest demonstrated that such abuse will not be tolerated as Scotland continues to welcome hundreds of refugees. I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media, he said. Around a dozen Syrian families moved to the Isle of Bute late last year as part of the Governments scheme to resettle asylum seekers from camps in the Middle East. Local people have reported heart-warming tales of generosity and support but some criticised the use of Bute, which has few jobs and a shrinking population, as a destination. Syrian refugee families arrive at their new homes on the Isle of Bute on December 4, 2015 in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Getty Images) The Scottish government had pledged to accept 40 per cent of the 1,000 or so Syrians brought to the UK by the end of last year. Many of those arriving in Bute were housed in its main town of Rothesay, which used to be the summer destination for Glasgows working-class holidaymakers. The first families arrived in November, shortly after the terrorist attacks carried out by Isis in Paris. Mhairi Black, a Scottish National Party (SNP) MP, and Humza Yousaf, Scotlands international development minister, were among those raising concern about a spike in Islamophobic, racist and xenophobic abuse online. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. But Mr Yousaf has since praised the outstanding response of Scotlands local authorities, volunteers and residents to the new arrivals, saying he had been bowled over by the welcome extended to refugees. I am deeply proud of the Scottish people who have extended the warmest possible hand of friendship to our newest neighbours, he said. Ive heard heartwarming tales people walking up to refugees in the street and giving them hugs of welcome, offers of friendship, support and practical help, from arranging special community film screenings for refugees to giving them welcome gifts of food hampers, warm clothes and hot water bottles. There is much more work to be done over the next few weeks and months to support the refugees as they work to pick up the threads of their lives afresh in Scotland. But I am confident that our country, and in particular our people, are more than equal to this challenge. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Atheism is as natural as religion, new research suggests, throwing doubt onto the notion humans are preprogrammed to believe in deities. A new study by the University of Cambridge has discovered that, contrary to popular belief, vast swathes of the ancient world did not believe in Gods Largely written out of the history books, many atheists in fact thrived in polytheistic societies - those that worshipped multiple deities - according to a new book. The claims, made in Battling the Gods by professor of Greek Culture, Tim Whitmarsh, throw doubt into the idea we are hardwired to believe in a higher power referred to a religious universalism. Prof Whitmarsh, a Fellow of St Johns College, University of Cambridge, also counters the idea that atheism is a modern phenomenon. He said: These early atheists were making what seem to be universal objections about the paradoxical nature of religion the fact that it asks you to accept things that arent intuitively there in your world. The fact that this was happening thousands of years ago suggest that forms of disbelief can exist in all cultures, and probably always have. What marriage would be like if we followed the bible We tend to see atheism as an idea that has only recently emerged in secular Western societies. He suggests that atheism was not just common in ancient Greek or Roman societies, but rather it flourished more back then than it does now. The "Age of Atheism" only he ended, he suggests, when the generally tolerant societies were replaced by imperial forces that demanded the acceptance of one true God. He added: The idea of a priest telling you what to do was alien to the Greek world. Belief and the brain's 'God spot' Show all 19 1 /19 Belief and the brain's 'God spot' Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 145343.bin GETTY Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136185.bin Chris Jackson/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136187.bin Cate Gillon/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136205.bin Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136179.bin Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136177.bin DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136176.bin Toby Canham/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136173.bin Dave Hogan/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136164.bin ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136172.bin Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136171.bin OMARA GARCIA MEDEROS/AFP/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136162.bin Ian Nicholson - WPA Pool/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136170.bin MJ Kim/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136163.bin Tim Whitby/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136161.bin Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136169.bin Joe Corrigan/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136168.bin Katy Winn/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136167.bin Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Belief and the brain's 'God spot' 136166.bin Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Using around a thousand years worth of writings to prove his theory, some texts he cites date back to c.570 BC pre Plato. But he concludes it neither proves nor disproves the truth of atheism itself. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rural communities cut off from the internet revolution by poor broadband speeds are finally set to join the 21st century using the same satellite technology used at Everest Base Camp. Families and businesses in the Yorkshire Dales and other parts of North Yorkshire are set to be given vouchers to help them connect to the web using satellites that beam broadband signals from space. It could end decades of misery for local companies and business people who work from home, including some who are still using dial-up technology from the 1990s. Recommended Read more Cameron announces plans to introduce legal right to broadband by 2020 But some are worried about the cost of hooking up to the internet via space, even though they would be able to claim start-up vouchers of up to 460 via North Yorkshire County Councils broadband partner, Superfast North Yorkshire, to install it. Andy Ryland, community broadband development officer for charity Rural Action Yorkshire, said: Broadband is essential for rural areas. We have farmers trying to fill in forms online and housing associations tell us that people are finding it difficult to claim benefits because they cannot get onto the internet. The concern is that people are leaving rural communities because they are struggling to run their businesses due to a poor internet connection. They are withdrawing their children from school and moving away, and these communities are being undermined. David Cameron has been behind a drive for improved internet access for rural communities across the country, saying it should be considered the fourth utility. North Yorkshire has been set a target to ensure 95 per of the region will have superfast broadband by 2017. But the hills and moorlands of North Yorkshire have been an enemy of internet providers and around five per cent of the region is considered to be a broadband not spot. The Everest Base Camp uses the same satellite technology that will be implemented in North Yorkshire (Getty) (Getty Images) Research shows the cost of failing to reach global markets through poor communication links can be disastrous for small and medium businesses. Some fear the lack of broadband is also stopping city-slickers from escaping to the country to set up rural companies. Households and firms with a broadband speed of 2mb per second or slower will be eligible for the scheme. Users will pay a monthly subscription of up to 25 to the satellite service provider for the first 12 months. Superfast North Yorkshire is part of a government satellite broadband scheme and is financed by North Yorkshire County Council. The subsidy scheme is forecast to run until December 2017. Superfast North Yorkshire claims on its website that its efforts to connect people to the internet in the region have already contributed 36m to the local economy. It claims that this figure could grow to 220m in the next two years. On 17 February, North Yorkshire County Councils ruling executive recommended an increase in council tax, blaming in part a commitment to provide superfast broadband. The councils deputy leader Gareth Dadd said the council had no choice but to recommend a 3.99 per cent increase, adding that the council had a duty to prioritise frontline services but also to continue to invest in programmes such as superfast broadband. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA North Yorkshire County Councils recommended revenue budget for next year includes a one-off investment of 3m to further roll-out superfast broadband so that the county gets near to 100 per cent coverage. Ed Vaizey, the minister for culture and the digital economy, said in a report last month about new broadband options that everyone in Britain should be able to share in the modern digital age. Farmers in rural communities in some parts of the country are so fed up with the pace of internet connectivity that they have been building their own broadband networks and laying cables across their fields with the help of drainage contractors. In one of these home-gown scheme in Northamptonshire, locals set up a not-for-profit group to install broadband and managed to deliver speeds of more than 30Mb per second. Another project, Broadband for the Rural North, has been laying fibre optic cables up to the back door of rural homes in Lancashire, giving them download speeds of 1,000Mb per second. According to UK telecoms regulator Ofcom, the average UK broadband speed was 22.8Mb per second in November 2014. Rural speeds average a third of that, with some remote areas having to make do with speeds as low as 1MBb per second. Rishi Sunak, the Conservative MP for Richmond, who has been campaigning for access to satellite technology in North Yorkshire, said: Decent broadband is now important to so many aspects of modern life. Whether it is children doing their homework, farmers filling in their forms or just trying to run a business online, a fast internet connection is not just desirable, its essential. This is great news for those who have been struggling with a very poor or non-existent connection. Case study: It is not a luxury, it is an essential Kevin Pellatt, who runs an administration business over the internet from his home in the Yorkshire Dales hamlet of Angram, was left frustrated after his broadband speed fell to just 0.8Kb per second. Like many others in the region, he is now looking at satellite broadband, but is concerned about the cost. Broadband is more important to me than television, he said, in between talking to engineers by telephone while trying to re-connect to the internet, which sometimes reaches the dizzy heights of 1.2Mbps. It isnt a luxury, its essential. I cant run my business without it. When you go to London, its instantaneous. Sometimes I can just about get on Facebook or the BBC homepage. The connection is really bad today. Ive been told there is a problem somewhere down the line, but it just isnt good enough. I just cant run my business without the internet. Using satellites might be preferable in a place like this because cables would not have to be dug across the countryside, but my concern would be the cost. We have been told about the vouchers, but what will the cost be in two years from now. We need to have more options. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The man who burned himself to death outside Kensington Palace was an award-winning nurse who had recently been dismissed by a London hospital. Amin Abdullah, 41, was sacked from Charing Cross Hospital days before Christmas following a misconduct case over a letter and petition he wrote in support of a colleague. His partner, Terry Skitmore, told the Evening Standard he started suffering from severe depression and was being treated at the St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove, West London, when he disappeared on 8 February. Police were alerted when Mr Abdullah failed to return and visited his home in Notting Hill and two other properties in hours of searches. Mr Abdullah was found on fire near Kensington Palace, London (Getty) Just hours later, at 3am, officers found him on fire outside Kensington Palace, having apparently doused himself with petrol and set himself alight. Firefighters, paramedics and police battled to save Mr Abdullah but he died of his injuries at the scene, metres from the home shared by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said no one else was believed to be involved and the death was not being treated as suspicious. Mr Abdullah grew up in an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and completed a nursing degree at Buckinghamshire New University, while working at London hospitals. He was handed the Hannah Evans Award for Excellence in clinical knowledge and practice upon his graduation in 2014, the Nursing Standard reported, saying he was about to enter his post at Charing Cross Hospital. Mr Abdullah left the St Charles Hospital saying he was going to collect a change of clothes but never returned (Google Streetview) I just do my best at all times, Mr Abdullah said at the time. Now that the news has sunk in, I am delighted and proud. The Independent understands that the nurse wrote a letter and started a petition in defence of a colleague who had been in the subject of a patient complaint. But the letter, circulated in September and signed by more than a dozen people, was seen as highly defamatory by managers and sparked disciplinary procedures that led to Mr Abdullahs dismissal on 21 December. His partner of 12 years, Mr Skitmore, told the Evening Standard the nurse lived for his job and had only wanted to support his colleague. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2022 Flowers are placed at the gates outside Kensington Palace, London, the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales, on the 25th anniversary of her death PA UK news in pictures 30 August 2022 Edinburghs waste workers clearing mountains of rubbish at Forrest Road as they return to work following their 11 days of industrial action PA A spokesperson for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Charing Cross Hospital, said: We are saddened to hear of Mr Abdullahs death and would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. The Trust will engage fully with any investigations into Mr Abdullahs death. The Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, which operates St Charles Hospital, said it would work with other agencies to establish what happened. An investigation by Westminster Coroners Court continues and Scotland Yards Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. For support or information on mental health, call the Samaritans for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit the charity's website here. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A beach in Devon has been named as the best in the UK for the second year running. Woolacombe Beach has received the best reviews and ratings from travellers, landing it the number one spot again in the top 25 beaches category in the TripAdvisor 2016 Travellers Choice Awards. According to the review site, Woolacombe Beach is best to visit during the months of July and September. One person said: Three miles of heaven. In wild weather, it is beautiful. In good weather, it is a delight. Another said: Who would bother going to overrated Cape Town when this is on your doorstep? But with four entries, Cornwall was home to the greatest number of beaches in the top 10 of the TripAdvisor list. Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with its unbelievably clear water and white sugar sand beaches," was voted as the best beach in the world. It is located on Providenciales, one of the islands that make up the Turks and Caicos cluster, which sit south-east of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean. The top 25 beaches in the UK Show all 25 1 /25 The top 25 beaches in the UK The top 25 beaches in the UK 25. Castle Beach, Tenby The top 25 beaches in the UK 24. Goodrington Sands, Paignton The top 25 beaches in the UK 23. Barmouth Beach, Barmouth The top 25 beaches in the UK 22. Wells Next The Sea Beach, Wells-next-the-Sea The top 25 beaches in the UK 21. Nairn Beach, Nairn The top 25 beaches in the UK 20. Barafundle Beach, Stackpole The top 25 beaches in the UK 19. Crantock Beach, Crantock Thomas Tolkien The top 25 beaches in the UK 18. Porth Beach, Newquay The top 25 beaches in the UK 17. Gorleston Beach, Gorleston-on-Sea The top 25 beaches in the UK 16. Porthgwidden Beach, St Ives The top 25 beaches in the UK 15. Scarborough Beach, Scarborough The top 25 beaches in the UK 14. Whitby Beach, Whitby The top 25 beaches in the UK 13. Sandbanks, Poole The top 25 beaches in the UK 12. Filey Beach, Filey The top 25 beaches in the UK 11. Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth The top 25 beaches in the UK 10. Luskentyre, Isle of Harris The top 25 beaches in the UK 9. Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset The top 25 beaches in the UK 8. Perranporth Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall The top 25 beaches in the UK 7. Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall The top 25 beaches in the UK 6. Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall The top 25 beaches in the UK 5. Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall The top 25 beaches in the UK 4. Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea The top 25 beaches in the UK 3. St Brelade's Bay Beach, St Brelade, Jersey The top 25 beaches in the UK 2. Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset The top 25 beaches in the UK 1. Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon One reviewer said: If you ever dreamed of the perfect beach this is it, powder white sand, crystal clear blue water and no crowds. In Europe, the Playa de Ses Illetes on the Spanish island of Formentera, won the best beach accolade. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It is in Germanys national interest for Britain to remain in the European Union, the countrys chancellor has said. Angela Merkel said changes proposed to EU rules by David Cameron were justified and necessary and that Germany backed them. Far from being demands that are just for Britain they are also European demands and many of them are justified and necessary, she said ahead of a two-day meeting of leaders to discuss the package. Germany will make its contribution so that a result that satisfies everyone can be achieved, if possible already at the summit beginning tomorrow," she went on. I am convinced that it is in our national interest for Great Britain to remain an active member in a strong and successful European Union. The Government of other countries such as France and Ireland has also strongly expressed their wish for the UK so stay in the bloc. French president Francois Hollande said ahead of talks this week that the UK had a 'firm basis' for a deal, while Ireland's Enda Kenny has also been supportive. The statement by Ms Merkel comes the same day as an EU-wide poll showing the overwhelming majority of Europeans want Britain to stay in the EU. The survey, conducted by Lord Ashcroft and published in The Sun newspaper, found that 60 per cent of people want the UK to stay in the EU compared to just 10 per cent who want it to leave. 30 per cent said the answer did not matter or that they had no view. Germany was one of the more anti-Brexit countries in the poll, with just 11 per cent in favour of UK withdrawal and 59 per cent in favour of the UK staying. What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence. The same poll however found strong appetite in Britain itself for leaving with 50 per cent support for staying and 40 per cent for exit. The wider polling context in Britain is that of a shrinking lead for the remain campaign in the polls after a public rejection of David Camerons EU reform deal. Britain will hold a referendum on whether to leave the European Union before the end of 2017 though the plebiscite is now widely expected in June of this year. The Conservative manifesto pledged a renegotiation of the terms of membership of the EU, including rules on immigration and benefits. The PM is in and out of crunch talks in Brussels where he will have to get the 28 EU heads of government to agree to a draft package, which was drawn up by European Council president Donald Tusk. Mr Cameron faces several hurdles including significant opposition from eastern European countries like Poland whose citizens could lose out under the plan. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson has said he has not yet decided whether to support David Camerons campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union. The Mayor of London a possible successor to the Prime Minister held talks at Downing Street with Mr Cameron to discuss his position on the issue. Emerging from Downing Street he reportedly said that nothing had changed in his position. The delay in whether to back the PMs renegotiated position comes as Mr Cameron is locked in negotiations with European leaders over the nature of a deal to change Britains membership of the EU. After that deal is secured the PM plans to hold and in-out referendum on Britains membership of the bloc possibly as early as June this year. But Mr Cameron was told yesterday by eastern European countries including Poland that a draft plan to restrict EU migrants from claiming in-work benefits would not fly, however. Emerging from Downing Street after the talks, Mr Johnson told reporters: Ill be back no deal as far as I know. Sources close to the Mayor say he will make his position clear after the EU summit to determine the reforms to the bloc. EU referendum timeline - What happens if Britain gets the deal Mr Johnson is one of a number of favoured successors to Mr Cameron, who has said he will step down before the next election. Other contenders include the Home Secretary Theresa May, former defence secretary Liam Fox, and the Chancellor George Osborne. The Mayor has characteristically blown hot-and-cold on the EU issue in recent years, making statements that are sometimes interpreted as eurosceptic but also shying away from backing exit. What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence. At the weekend he said Britain should not be afraid of Brexit and last month he said Britain could have a great future outside the European Union. Last year he said he could vote to leave the EU but would wait to see how Mr Camerons negotiations went. Recommended Read more Tory battle lines harden as EU negotiations enter their final days A draft deal drawn up by European Council president Donald Tusk was hail by Mr Cameron as a victory in his negotiations but the deals proposals on restricting EU migrant benefits appeared to not go as far as previously suggested. Polls suggest the deal has been rejected by the public, most of whom believe it is a bad deal for Britain. Leading eurosceptics in Mr Camerons own party have described the plan as thin gruel and watered down. Despite the lack of enthusiasm for the plan at home Mr Cameron however faces and uphill struggle to get countries with large numbers of EU nationals coming to the UK to agree to it. He will attend a further summit in Brussels on Friday where he will discuss the situation with EU leaders. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government says it is banning public boycotts of Israeli goods because the practice undermines community cohesion and Britains international security. Ministers have now issued a so-called procurement policy note notifying public authorities that they would face severe penalties if they continue procurement boycotts on ethical grounds. The Government announced the policy on Monday and has now implemented it without any parliamentary debate or vote. Recommended Read more Boycotting of Israeli goods to become criminal offence Public procurement should never be used as a tool to boycott tenders from suppliers based in other countries, except where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government, the instruction notice says. There are wider national and international consequences from imposing such local level boycotts. They can damage integration and community cohesion within the United Kingdom, hinder Britains export trade, and harm foreign relations to the detriment of Britains economic and international security. As highlighted earlier, it can also be unlawful and lead to severe penalties against the contracting authority and the Government. The policy effectively means public authorities cannot take ethical considerations into account when procuring goods and affects campaigns against the arms trade, fossil fuels, tobacco products and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. A number of public bodies have ethical procurement policies that prevent them from buying or investing in certain kinds of products. Matthew Hancock is visiting Israel this week where he will discuss closer trade ties (Getty) In 2014 the Scottish Government published a contrasting procurement notice to Scottish Councils warning that it strongly discourages trade and investment from illegal settlements set up by Israel. Councils across the UK have also put pressure on suppliers to cease business with the country, which is illegally occupying and building settlements on Palestinian land, according to the United Nations. Labour controlled Birmingham City Council warned last year that it would not renew its waste disposal contract with French waste management company Veolia unless it pulled out of the West Bank. In 2014 Leicester City Council passed a policy of boycotting products produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Labour has criticised the new anti-boycotts policy as an attack on democracy, while the Campaign Against the Arms trade said it was an attack on the rights of all local people and campaign groups across England. Other criticial groups include Amnesty UK and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which said the policy was a gross attack on democratic freedoms. Minister Matthew Hancock is currently on a visit to Israel, the main target of the policy, where he is promoting business links with Britain. Israeli politicians have previously criticised moves to boycott, divest, and impose sanctions on Israel and the policy announcement will likely see Mr Hancock given a warm welcome. In June last year the countrys prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the UKs National Union of Students for boycotting Israel arguing that they should condemn Isis instead. The NUS had however passed a policy condemning Isis, in December 2014. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The number of doctors who applied for documentation to work abroad surged by over 1000 per cent the day Jeremy Hunt announced he would force a new contract on them, new figures show. 300 doctors applied for Certificates of Good Standing on Thursday 11 February up from an average of 26 a day in February before the announcement. Each junior doctor costs taxpayers around 300,000 to train meaning that on just the day of Mr Hunts announcement alone doctors who had received 90 million worth of training took concrete steps towards emigrating. Recommended Read more Jeremy Hunt event cancelled after junior doctors buy tickets The surge of doctors thinking about leaving has continued since the announcement, with 109 doctors requesting certificate the day after it, and figures on the weekend over double the previous weekend. Certificates of Good Standing, also known as Certificates of Current Professional Status, are a note from the GMC that there are no fitness to practise suits against a doctor. The certificates are required to get a doctors job abroad and can only be sent directly to another appropriate body overseas meaning some level of contact must have already established with employers aboard. The number of doctors applying to go abroad before the announcement already represented a significantly higher level than under Mr Hunts predecessors. In 2015, when the industrial dispute began, 8,627 certificates were issued to doctors up from 4,925 in 2014 and around 5,000 in the previous three years to that. The annual increase amounts to additional doctors with over a billion pounds in training looking to leave a year. Junior Doctors Contract Junior doctors, bewildered by the Governments new contract, have threatened to leave the country or the profession altogether if the plan goes ahead. The Government says the new contract will improve patient care at the weekends but junior doctors say it will incentivise unsafe staffing rosters and put patient care at risk. The Health Secretary makes his announcement in the House of Commons (Crown copyright) Two days of unprecedented strike action by junior doctors took place in the first months of this year, while the Health Secretary has set up an urgent inquiry into the morale of junior doctors. An unweighted survey reported by the Independent last week recorded around 90 per cent of junior doctors having misgivings about remaining working in the UK. The Royal College of GPs, the professional association which represents family doctors, warned after Mr Hunts announcement that it would almost certainly become more difficult to recruit enough doctors for the NHS under the new plans. Labours shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander has warned of a fundamental breakdown in trust between the Government and junior doctors. She accused Mr Hunt of acting as a recruiter for Australian hospitals. These figures show how let down junior doctors feel with the way Jeremy Hunt has handled this dispute, she told the Independent. Medical experts have warned that the decision by the Tories to impose the junior doctors contract could lead to a mass exodus of NHS staff to other countries. In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London Jeremy Hunt needs to come clean and explain to the public how he intends to be training the junior doctors and consultants of tomorrow when he is behaving like a recruiting agent for Australian hospitals. This whole sorry saga could have been avoided if Jeremy Hunt had decided to negotiate with junior doctors, rather than pick a fight with them. The apparent exodus follows predictions by leading medical figures, including doctor, TV presenter, and Labour peer Robert Winston, who said the NHS was losing some of our best and brightest. The General Medical Council, the public body that regulates the medical profession, said the request of a certificate was an indication that a doctor as thinking about leaving the country but that not all doctors ended up leaving. A 2012 Department for Health-commissioned study by academics at the University of Kent found that it costs 343,361 in total investment to train an average registrar, 269,527 to train a foundation level one doctor, and 294,164 in total investment to train a foundation level two doctors. All three of these classes make up the junior doctor category. These costs include tuition over lengthy training programmes, clinical placement costs, as well as salaries for on-the-job training years. A Department of Health spokesperson said: Medicine is an attractive career and the NHS is one of the best healthcare systems in the world. This is a fair, safe, reasonable contract 90 per cent of it agreed with the BMA. As we move towards implementation we hope junior doctors see the much improved offer on the table compared to their current contract. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} David Cameron is still facing opposition from other EU countries to four or five areas of his renegotiation demands, the Government has admitted, less than 24 hours before a summit of leaders in Brussels. A block of Eastern European countries are attempting to water down plans to restrict child benefit payment to EU migrants and are also looking to restrict Mr Camerons emergency brake on new welfare payments to foreign nationals. At the same time a group of other countries, led by Belgium, are objecting to altering the concept of ever closer union enshrined in EU treaties. France is also understood to still have concerns about the protections Britain is demanding for countries that have not adopted the euro. Mr Cameron is due in Brussels this afternoon for the summit that will discuss the British demands late on 18 February and again the following morning. Senior British officials admitted that there was a lot of work to be done but added that some of the areas of contention were ones which could only be signed off at leader level. They added that it should be clear by lunchtime on 19 February whether or not a deal was possible but refused to say what, if any, Mr Camerons red lines would be. There are some difficult issues, they said. We are seeking some pretty fundamental changes on the eurozone economic governance as well as on welfare. We are battling hard on all these areas on issues that really matter. Boris says no deal yet As negotiations continued over the details of the package, the PM was boosted by Angela Merkels declaration that most of his demands were justified and necessary. The European Council President Donald Tusk was due to circulate the latest draft of an agreement which will form the basis of talks on 18 February. However, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic said while he was ready to work to achieve a deal it could not be at the expense of his countrys citizens. Bohuslav Sobotka said the limit on benefits for workers that Britain is requesting should not be applicable to those who are already working in Britain, only for workers arriving in the future. A camera man films outside Europa House in London. Agreement at the summit would allow a referendum to be held as early as June (AP) We will not harm our citizens, he said. Agreement at the summit would allow an In/Out referendum to be held as early as June and open the door for senior Eurosceptic Tories to join a Brexit campaign. Among prominent figures yet to show their hand is London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was called to No 10 for talks as the PM seeks to secure his support for the remain camp. Mr Johnson remained tight-lipped on his stance as he emerged from the 40-minute discussion but senior sources said he would make everything abundantly clear by the end of the week if a deal was concluded by EU leaders. Nigel Farage and George Galloway Discuss UK EU Referendum They insisted he remained genuinely conflicted and rejected suggestions he was seeking to exploit the issue to maximise his chances of succeeding Mr Cameron as Conservative leader. If he secures a deal, Mr Cameron will return to the UK for a Cabinet meeting to agree a Government position and he has told ministers that collective responsibility will then be suspended on the issue so that they can campaign for either side. In a pre-summit speech to the German parliament, Ms Merkel said the changes being sought by Mr Cameron were far from being demands that are just for Britain and that it was in her countrys national interest for the UK to remain in the EU. They are also European demands and many of them are justified and necessary, she said. Alongside wrangling over the EU deal, Mr Cameron is also finalising new domestic legislation designed to assert the sovereignty of the UK Parliament. Agenda: 24 hours of talks 18 February David Cameron is expected to arrive in Brussels this afternoon. He will meet with the European Council President Donald Tusk ahead of the summit meeting at 4pm. Discussion of Britains demands will begin before dinner, where each country will be expected to outline their positions. Discussions will move on to the migration crisis over dinner. There could be further bilateral meetings. 19 February The summit will recommence at 9am with an informal Council session. This will allow the President of the European Parliament to participate whose support will be important if the deal is to succeed. The summit is due end at lunchtime. Government sources said it would be clear by then if a deal could be done. If the talks are successful Mr Cameron will fly back immediately for an emergency cabinet meeting to rubber stamp the agreement. A date for the referendum is also likely to be announced by at this stage. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government is set to signal that it intends to press ahead with plans to reduce the cost of politics by slashing state funding for opposition parties, according to details contained in a Cabinet Office document. Although a funding reduction on short money allocations which provides tax payers cash for the activities of opposition parties - had been trailed at 19 per cent of its current level, hopes of rethink by the Government appear to have vanished. Cost cuts of around a fifth of current levels are laid out. The documents details shown to The Independent, makes the case for making opposition parties face the same cuts levels currently being enforced at local and central Government levels. It calls for a cut in short money to take it back to 2014 levels, worth around 11 million over the current parliament. Recommended Read more George Osborne quietly cuts funding to opposition parties On the Cabinet Offices own calculations, this would see state funds given to Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party fall by around 1.5 million. When details are fully published on 19 February, Labour are expected to accuse the Government of gross hypocrisy. Despite promises by David Cameron that his new Government would reduce the costs of its own army of advisers, the cost of so-called spads special advisers rose by over 1m in the last 12 months to 8.4 million. The number of Government spads is currently 103, and expected to rise further between now and the summer. There will also be anger that the Cabinet Office have chosen to release the document during the parliamentary recess, a period when the majority of MPs are away from Westminster. The Independent has also learned the during negotiations with Labour, the Cabinet Office, according to Whitehall sources, tried to cut a deal with Labour that would have seen short money matched to the number of MPs rather the current system which reflects an allocation formula based on overall votes cast. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA The deal would have, according to one official, wreaked havoc among Liberal Democrats and UKIP who both ended up with a low number of MPs at the general election, despite receiving high levels of votes. One source said They tried to shaft the LibDems, but among Labour ranks there were no takers for such a deal. There is also understood to be disquiet in some Tory ranks, who believe the Government are unfairly trying to take advantage of their current strength, believing any chance of a return to opposition is so remote as to be negligible. Short money was named after the former Labour MPs, Ted Short, who belived opposition parties were entitled to state assistance to help create a level playing field. The Cabinet Office will give MPs till March 7 to respond to the plans. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Michael Fallon has said Jeremy Corbyn is a bigger threat to the security of the Falklands than Argentina as he became the first Defence Secretary to visit the islands in more than a decade. Paying tribute to the British casualties of the Falklands War, Mr Fallon said the prospects of relations with Argentina could thaw. Around 1,400 British service personnel are still stationed on the South Atlantic islands that have remained until recently at the centre of a bitter war of words with Argentina. However former president Cristina Kirchner left office two months ago, and her succession by Mauricio Macri has raised hopes of a thaw in relations with Buenos Aires. "I hope that opportunity can now be taken," Mr Fallon said. Ms Kirchner repeatedly raised the dispute with escalating rhetoric, asserting that the remote archipelago, known to Argentinians as the Islas Malvinas, should be returned. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Fallon criticised recent comments by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that Britain and Argentina should negotiate over the islands' sovereignty. He told the newspaper: "The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, it's Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party who want to override the wishes of the islanders." He added: "The issue is how we improve relationships with rest of South America and we have the election of a new government in Argentina that may open the door to that." Argentina has maintained Britain has occupied the islands illegally since 1833. After an Argentine invasion in April 1982 a British naval task force was dispatched by Margaret Thatcher to retake the islands. A total of 255 British lives were lost, with many hundreds more wounded. In Port Stanley on Tuesday Mr Fallon bowed before a memorial obelisk in remembrance of the British servicemen killed in the conflict. A handwritten note left on a wreath by the Defence Secretary read: "In grateful memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of these islands." In a 2013 referendum Falklanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory. PA Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The terror threat facing Britain is more serious than it has ever been. In the past year, our security services have foiled at least seven terrorism plots that could have brought carnage to UK streets. The atrocities in Paris last year were a grisly reminder of what happens if the attackers get through. Terror arrests have reached a record level and the police and MI5 are struggling to surveil the activities of at least 3,000 extremists who are said to be on the security radar. Given these exceptional concerns, it is perhaps understandable that teachers, social workers, immigration officers and a whole host of other public servants are being asked to help protect national security. This month, it has been the turn of the judges. In a case concerning a suspect who had been acquitted of planning a terror attack on London, the Court of Appeal was asked by the security services to do their bit: lawyers for the Government told a panel of three senior judges that they must suppress publication of the evidence in the case. It was an unprecedented request that goes to the heart of the principle of open justice. Erol Incedal, 28, a law student from London, had been convicted of possessing a bomb-making manual but was acquitted of the more serious allegation that he was planning a terror attack. The evidence against Incedal was so sensitive that most of his trial had be held behind closed doors. It was argued by the prosecution that if the media were allowed to publish details about his defence, national security would be threatened. The trial judge acquiesced and the trial was allowed to proceed in secret, with the limited concession that 10 accredited journalists could sit in on the less sensitive part of the case, provided they agreed not to disclose what they had heard. After two trials, the jury cleared Incedal of the main charge, although he was sentenced to 42 weeks imprisonment for possessing the bomb-making manual. Not since the Second World War has a British criminal trial been subject to such secrecy. Last week, more than three years after Incedals arrest and after he had served his sentence, it fell to three judges sitting in the Court of Appeal to decide whether it was safe for the public to be told the reason for all the secrecy. The prosecution argued that if the media published details about Incedal's defence, security would be threatened (Getty) (Getty Images) In a unanimous decision, the judges ruled against disclosure explaining that the nature of the evidence required a departure from the principle of open justice. The judges acknowledged that this has the consequence that any public accountability for matters relating to the prosecution cannot be achieved through the press in its function as watchdog of the public interest. Instead, they said it would be for Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee to fulfil the function of public accountability. And, in a worrying portent, the court said it expected more terrorism cases to be dealt with in this way. This is a dangerous precedent that is not only a serious erosion of the principle of open justice but may have opened the door to a new kind of secret justice in terrorism cases. It is not just in criminal cases that the courts are using secrecy to deal with matters of terrorism. In October last year, the head of the family courts issued guidance to help courts deal with a growing number of cases involving teenagers who have become radicalised. The guidance tells judges that they should consider excluding the media where appropriate and ensure sensitive material held by the security services remains secret. The Governments so-called snoopers charter, unveiled last year, tried to sneak vague terms into the bill that would benefit the security services while keeping everything secret. Britains newly developed policy on the use of drones to eliminate UK terror suspects in Syria also remains shrouded in secrecy. In times of emergency and threats of terrorism, the judiciary must stand firm against attacks on open justice. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA The Court of Appeals justification (or what we are allowed to know of it) for keeping secret details of a three-year-old counter-terrorism investigation appears not to hold up to the robust stands taken by judges who have recently faced similar questions about national security. Five years ago, the former Guantanamo Bay inmate Binyam Mohamed went to court to accuse Britain of complicity in his torture. Lawyers for the security services had argued that if the judges made public sensitive evidence in the case, it would threaten our intelligence-sharing relationship with the US. In that case, the Court of Appeal refused to accept the security services arguments at face value and said they had taken a stand against those who posed a threat to open justice. During the case, it emerged that Government lawyers had written to one of the judges, asking him to soften his criticism of MI5. That tactic spectacularly backfired when the letter was made public and the thrust of the judges comments was reinstated in his later judgment. The Government, rather than having the evidence made public, duly dropped its defence, and Mr Mohamed and the other British Guantanamo detainees each received a 1m pay-out. Similarly, in the months after 9/11 when ministers tried to impose indefinite detention without trial, the Law Lords stood firm. In dismissing the Government arguments, Lord Hoffmann ruled that there was no state of public emergency threatening the life of the nation. Instead, it was the anti-terror laws introduced by the Government that posed a threat, he declared: The real threat to the life of the nation, in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values, comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these. The trial of Erol Incedal is wrapped in secrecy, so we cant know whether the judges hearing that case have strayed from such exacting standards of judicial independence. But the casualness of the language in the courts judgement gives the unfortunate impression that the Court of Appeal is rubber-stamping the arguments of the security services. The suggestion that the role of the media in upholding open justice can simply be outsourced to the Intelligence and Security Committee during times of national emergency betrays one of the fundamental principles of democracy. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Extremism is both contributing to and exploiting mass migration, the Home Secretary has warned. Speaking in Washington, Theresa May urged the UK's partners in the Five Eyes security alliance - the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - to work together against terrorism. Ms May called for better information sharing and a more thorough exchange of terrorist finance details, saying tackling terrorism is the challenge of our generation. She asked the UK's partners to extend the successful co-operation between our countries on issues of national security which we have built over past decades. More than 10,000 child refugees disappear in Europe I am clear that defeating terrorism requires a global response, and that we will not succeed by acting in isolation, she said. She challenged the alliance to help vulnerable states improve their ability to respond to terrorism, prevent people becoming radicalised and develop a comprehensive and coherent response to terrorism. She added: Extremism is spreading, threatening and taking lives, not just in our countries but in other lands. It thrives in the disorder created by fragile and failing states. It is contributing to, and in some cases exploiting, mass migration. It is turning the benefits of modern technology to its twisted ends. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson has said that he will publicly declare his allegiances as in Inner or an Outer in the EU referendum on Friday with deafening eclat. Today he called at No 10, in an ill-fitting London Underground woollen hat, for a bit of last-minute persuasion. Davey old boy, how is one? Jolly voting weather, as we used to say at school. Its two degrees Boris. I refer, or referendum, in my preferred Latin, to the referendum, soon to be upon us in the merry month of Juno. Ah Juno, Queen of the Gods, patroness of marriage. Shall she bear witness to the continuation of most unhappy union or shall it be decree not so nisi? What are you talking about? Dave. Ive made up my mind. I shall state my case with the most deafening, the most creamy of all eclats. That is for certain. What my case shall be, I do not know. Persuade me. This is serious, Boris. People will lose their jobs. Small businesses will close. Surely even you are not so cynical as to exploit it all for your own political gain? You underestimate me Daveroo. Do you not remember the GQ Awards in 2013? When I poked my pea shooter right up the snozz of old Eddie Miliband? Most people didnt think bumbling Boris would dare to make a joke about gassed Syrian children just to score the cheapest of all political points. They underestimated me. Will you be brave enough to do the same? Actually, I dont care. Boris says no deal yet I beg most urgently your pardoning? You sound like Russell Brand, Boris. I said I dont care. If you want to spend the next four months hanging around with Chris Grayling and Nigel Farage and David Davis then go ahead. Youve spent the past 20 years going on about how dreadful the EU is. Youll look like a hypocrite if you dont. Ah, Prime Minister. But if you were to offer me a cabinet position Okay. Which one would you like? The only one Ive got coming up is Work and Pensions. Would you say youve got the face to be the Face of the Bedroom Tax? Now, now. This referendum is going to be as tight as a fag's fag end. This Leave Out the Grassroots lot couldnt organise libations upon a licensed premises but theyre still on 46 per cent. Now, if they had a voice? A leader? Vox populi. Vox dei? This referendum is about whats best the economy. Everyone knows that. If you want to turn it into the Cameron vs Boris show, I say go ahead. If I win, that will be the end of you. If you win, Im stepping down anyway. If you were lucky, youd get my job just in time to sort out the mess. The stock market crashing. The banks upping and leaving. Me, in quiet retirement. Maybe writing a book. 'Boris Johnson: The Tory Gordon Brown.' What do you think? Prime Minister, I have decided. You shall have my eclat. Prepare to be deafened. I thought I might. Now put your London Underground hat back on. Your cars outside. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In a legal collision that goes to the heart of the privacy-versus-national security debate, Apple, the computer and cellphone behemoth, said it was refusing to comply with a court order that it help investigators of the San Bernardino rampage to crack the code of an iPhone used by one of the shooters. Furious that the California-based company would not assist the FBI in accessing data contained in an iPhone 5C that was in the hands of one of the two San Bernardino shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook, the government eventually sought and won a court order compelling it to do so. Wasting no time, Apple said it would still demur, arguing that it was essentially being asked to build a special back door into the smartphone. Its case for not helping the FBI get to the bottom of the worst terror attack on US soil since 9/11 and ascertain, for instance, whether there was a wider network helping Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, was laid out by CEO Tim Cook on the Apple website. Recommended Read more Tim Cook blasts ruling requiring Apple to break into iPhones The feud between the government and one of the worlds most powerful private corporations could end up before the US Supreme Court before it is resolved. The issues involved are as confounding for ordinary citizens as they are for legal scholars with no one able to say who will win - or who should win. The case will be closely watched by other nations wrestling with the same conundrum, including China. The order was issued on 16 February by Judge Sheri Pym of the Central California District Court. It required Apple to bypass security functions on the cellphone that had been used by Farook. He and Malik, inspired by Isis, opened fire at a pre-Christmas lunch for employees of the San Bernardino health department, where he worked killing fourteen. Both assailants were themselves killed later by police. For Apple and Google, responsible for the technology in the vast majority of cellphones in America, data protection is of singular commercial importance at a time of heightened concern about identify and data theft. An iPhone will permanently disable itself after ten failed attempts to unlock it with an incorrect password. While locked, all the date on a phone is encrypted. Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook. The married couple died in a fierce gunbattle with authorities (AP) But if the country is newly on edge about terrorism it is because of San Bernardino. We have made a solemn commitment to the victims and their families that we will leave no stone unturned as we gather as much information and evidence as possible, the chief prosecutor for the Central California District, Eileen Decker, said of the Apple order. These victims and families deserve nothing less. But Mr Cook insisted in his letter posted on the Apple site that while the company has no sympathy for terrorists, what the government was asking was an unprecedented step, which threatens the security of our customers and which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. The court order relied on a less-than-contemporary law of 1789 called the All Writs Act. This, in part, is a result of the failure of the US Congress to revisit and update for the data age, the slightly less archaic Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act of 1994. 2015 - A year of Apple Presenting itself as the defender of everyman, Apple is contending that once the government has the means to hack into one iPhone, who can be certain it wont use it to hack into others in the future? The implications of the governments demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyones device to capture their data, Mr Cook wrote. The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers - including tens of millions of American citizens - from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe. We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack. The watchdog group The Electronic Frontier Foundation, quickly came down on the side of Apple. The government is asking Apple to create a master key so that it can open a single phone, it said in response to the court order. And once that master key is created, were certain that our government will ask for it again and again, for other phones, and turn this power against any software or device that has the audacity to offer strong security. Rights and wrongs: The legal situation The case for The US Attorneys Office in Los Angeles has filed a 40-page document requesting Apples help in finding relevant, critical data on the phone of Syed Farook, who murdered 14 people and injured 22 others with his wife Tashfeen Malik in San Bernardino. The FBI admits that despite having the phone in its possession, it has been unable to unlock the device perhaps testament to Apples security. The US Courts believe Apple should provide reasonable technical assistance to the FBI. It is believed that unlocking the phone could reveal who, if anybody, the couple were communicating with before they launched the attack. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The case against In a statement that very much reflected Apples ethos of data protection and transparency with customers, chief executive Tim Cook refused to unlock the device, claiming it would be a threat to the data security of all users. That claim, while potentially legitimate, opened the company up to accusations that it was failing to aid the investigation into a terror plot. Mr Cook ruled out creating a backdoor into the iPhone as the FBI had requested. He claimed the software did not exist to access the encrypted phone. He said the creation of such software would allow the creation of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks. Mr Cook calls the FBIs demands chilling and an overreach. Others disagree. The All Writs Act The Act was originally part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and authorises the US federal courts to issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law. The Act has been used several times recently, including in November 2014, when the US Attorneys Office in New York cited the Act to demand that Apple unlock an iPhone 5s as part of a criminal case. Jennifer Aldrich Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United States and Cuba reached a historic agreement on Tuesday to allow commercial flights between the two countries for the first time in more than 50 years. This move comes as the two countries continue to normalize relations and now many US airlines are working to secure the flights. The agreement would allow as many as 110 flights per day between Havana, or one of Cuba's nine other international airports, and the US, according to reports of the agreement. Anthony Foxx, US secretary of transportation, called the agreement "a critically important milestone," and Cuban Transportation Minister Adel Rodriguez said it signaled a "new era," the BBC reported. Nearly all major US airlines said they would apply to land commercial flights to Cuba. American Airlines, United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit were all mentioned in a USA Today report as being interested in offering flights. The deal gives US airlines 15 days to request the routes to Cuba, after which the companies would have to work with Cuban aviation officials to actually be awarded the flights. This process is expected to be completed this year. The US imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in 1960 and relations have been nearly non-existent since then. US President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, began working to normalize relations in late 2014. Despite there being no commercial flights between the US and Cuba for half a century, there are a number of charter flights between the two countries daily. Passengers still are required to give their reason for traveling to Cuba and tourism is not one of the accepted reasons. These restrictions figure to ease once commercial flights resume. Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A laser beam fired from the ground struck the plane carrying Pope Francis to Mexico for the start of his five-day tour, the airline has said. Italian carrier Alitalia issued a statement saying the plane's pilots had notified air traffic controllers over the incident. No one on board was harmed and the plane landed in Mexico City as planned, arriving in the country via Cuba on Friday. It is understood that a number of other planes arriving at the airport were also affected. Alitalia said: "The captain immediately informed the control tower of what he had seen, as per normal procedure. It is up to the control tower to inform the competent authorities." Pope shouts at crowd Laser beams can lead to temporary blindness in pilots and, in some cases, pilots have reported eye injuries that required medical treatment. Pilots in the UK have called for lasers to be treated as "offensive weapons" after a beam shone at a New York-bound plane forced the aircraft to return to Heathrow. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the use of laser beams against aeroplanes was a growing problem which requires government attention. Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images "This is not an isolated incident," said Jim McAuslan, Balpa's general secretary. "Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength." In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration said up to 20 aircraft flying over the US and its territories were being struck by lasers every night. Francis concludes his trip to Mexico on Wednesday, visting a prison and the US border. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} All over the country transgender people are fighting for the right to use a public restroom of their choosing, rather than be forced to use the one that pertains to their birth gender. Now, for the first time, transgender students will also have the same fight on their hands. Lawmakers in South Dakota have approved a bill by 20-15 to require transgender high school students to only use girls' locker rooms and toilets if they were born female and vice versa for boys. Recommended Read more Republican issues bill to put gender limits on public bathrooms If passed next week, this bill would be the first in the country to specifically address transgender students. Advocates say the bill respects students privacy, while critics argue the bill could lead to bullying and goes against citizens constitutional rights. The bill would require schools to provide a reasonable accommodation for transgender students, like a single-occupancy bathroom or the controlled use of a restroom, locker or shower room that is normally used by staff. Republican Senator David Omdahl has urged other legislators to support the bill to preserve the innocence" of young people. I'm sorry if you're so twisted you don't know who you are, Mr Omdahl said at a recent event when asked about the bill, as reported by CBS. I'm telling you right now, it's about protecting the kids, and I don't even understand where our society is these days. Critics of the bill have argued that his comments contribute to an "epidemic of suicide" in the transgender community. "Almost half of all transgender individuals attempt suicide at some point in our lives, wrote Chase Strangio, a transgender American Civil Liberties Union lawyer in a letter to lawmakers. Growing up is painful and isolating at times no matter who you are. The last thing we need is the government to take part in the bullying of our vulnerable kids," he added. Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard has said he will need to study the bill before making a decision. There are 11 states currently debating anti-transgender bills in the 2016 legislative session, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Most recently a Republican Senator in Oklahoma authored a bill to force transgender adults to use public bathrooms based on their birth gender. The same bill is being considered in Virginia and was passed by the state senate in Kentucky. It was defeated in Houston. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Apple has been ordered by a US court to help FBI investigators unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters and access its data. The order concerns an iPhone 5C that belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, the gunman who, together with his wife Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and injured 22 when they opened fire on a social services agency in California last year. Farook and Malik were both killed in a shootout with police. The FBI is treating the shooting as an incident of domestic terrorism and have been investigating Farook and Maliks potential communications with Isis and other militant groups. Recommended Read more Tim Cook blasts ruling requiring Apple to break into iPhones Apple has been told the company must provide reasonable technical assistance to investigators in their attempts to access the phones data. This means disabling the phones auto-erase function, which kicks in after an incorrect passcode has been entered 10 times consecutively, and helping the FBI to submit passcode guesses rapidly and electronically, as there are 10,000 possible passcode combinations that could have been used by Farook. The ruling is the latest step in a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the limits of encryption. US government officaials have warned that the expanded use of strong encryption is hindering national security and criminal investigations, but technology experts and privacy advocates argue that forcing companies to weaken their encryption would make private data vulnerable to hackers. In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: San Bernardino shooting In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A couple embraces following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility, in San Bernardino In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A victim is wheeled away on a stretcher following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility, in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Rescue crews tend to the injured in the intersection outside the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A survivor (2nd L) of the mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center meets her family after police questioning in San Bernardino Rex In pictures: San Bernardino shooting An armed police officer protects a busload of people who were inside the Inland Regional Center where gunmen shot and killed 14 people and injured another 14, to be escorted to meet relatives at the Rudy Hernandez Community Center in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting People wait at a community center for a family member who was near a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services center, in San Bernardino, California AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting In this image taken from video, armored vehicles surround an SUV following a shootout in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for the suspects of a mass shooting in San Bernardino Getty Images In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for the suspects of a mass shooting in San Bernardino Getty Images In pictures: San Bernardino shooting The Inland Regional Center complex is pictured in an aerial photo following a shooting incident in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Authorities prepare to search an area near a church, following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services center for the disabled in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Evacuees from the scene of a shooting at the Inland Regional Center hug each other as they wait inside the Rudy C Hernandez Community Center in San Bernardino EPA In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Omar Riopedre embraces his wife Diana, who was in the Inland Regional Center when the mass shootings took place, as they leave the Rudy C. Hernandez Community Center in the San Bernardino In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A Sheriff's Deputy runs after reports that suspects in the shooting at the Inland Regional Center were sighted in San Bernardino EPA In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for suspects in a neighborhood after a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino EPA After the Edward Snowden revelations in late 2014, Apple, Google and other Silicon Valley tech companies made changes to their encryption settings. This means that not even Apple is able to access the data on Farooks phone, the BBC reports. The Los Angeles court has given Apple five business days to contest the order if it believes that assisting the FBI in this manner would be unreasonably burdensome. Apples CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday released a message to our customers, stating that the US government has taken an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. His lengthy statement argues the need for encryption and says: We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. Apple has not responded to a request for comment from The Independent. Additional reporting by Reuters News Agency Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Neither the driving rain nor a prolonged coughing fit was going to stop presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton from delivering her speech targeted at black voters in Harlem. Less than two weeks before the next Democrat primary in South Carolina, Ms Clinton spoke of the dangerous slide back to re-segregation" within schools and pledged billions of dollars to fix the issue in an attempt to shore up support with African American voters. She pointed to the video which horrified the US as it showed a girl being thrown from her desk and dragged across the floor by a police officer in her classroom in South Carolina. There is more segregation now than there was in 1968, she told the audience. Its appalling and we have to fix it. She pledged to give $2 billion to historically black colleges and universities in order to reduce police discipline and overly punitive systems and to expand support for social workers and guidance councillors within schools. Lets not label students as problem students and let's help them instead, she said. Her comments at the symbolic Shomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem are part of her racial justice plan. She called out systemic racism in the US, highlighted by the polluted water supply in Flint, Michigan, which she said would never have happened in a rich, white suburb of Detroit. This is a civil rights issue and we cant ignore it any longer, she said. Also harking back to the civil rights era of 1968, Ms Clinton said more barriers were springing up across the country to block African Americans right to vote. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat, Dr King marched, and John Lewis bled, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind," she said. She also called for the end of the era of mass incarceration - as rival Bernie Sanders has done, who said he will end the US being the country with the highest number of inmates by 2020. Ms Clinton did not set a timeline, but specifically outlined proposals including to abandon the privatization of prisons, cut mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses in half and also eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. And when black kids get arrested for petty crimes yet white CEOs get away with fleecing our country, something is wrong, she added - a nod to critics who say she has a cosy relationship with Wall Street. Ms Clinton asked the audience to hold her to account and to judge her by her actions, not her words. In a reference which could have been directed to Republican rivals, she said: Its not about building relationships a few weeks before a vote. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Days after discussing the future of Syria with world leaders at last weeks Munich security conference, the US Secretary of State John Kerry has turned to another influential group to help combat Isis: the men and women who run Hollywood. Mr Kerry made a beeline for the heads of several major movie studios to kick around suggestions for how to disrupt Isiss staggeringly effective propaganda machine. After the 90-minute session at Universal Studios, Mr Kerry tweeted: Great convo w studio execs in LA. Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative. Daesh is an alternative term for Isis, employed by Western leaders to undermine the radical Islamic groups claims to statehood. The meeting on Tuesday was organised by Jeff Shell, the chairman of Universal, who is also the chair of the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), of which Mr Kerry is a member. The BBG is an independent federal agency responsible for overseeing any US government-sponsored, non-military overseas media output, such as the government-funded broadcasting network Voice of America, one of the outlets that might be used to counter Isis propaganda. One unnamed attendee described the meeting as a brainstorming session, telling Variety that several issues were discussed, such as how Hollywood and the government could collaborate in using film narratives to counter the persuasive Isis message, including involving storytellers in Syria, Iraq and other areas affected by the spread of Isis. Isis has already harnessed the power of film in its campaign to attract young recruits from across the globe, producing multiple propaganda videos with high production values. A recent Washington Post investigation found that the organisation prized its videographers and editors more highly than its rank-and-file fighters, paying them several times as much as other militants. The meeting included studio chiefs from Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox, Disney and Sony. It was also attended by Chris Dodd, the former Democrat US Senator from Connecticut who is now the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Mr Dodd and Mr Kerry have been close since they served together in the Senate, and Mr Dodd reportedly joined the Secretary of State on his flight back to the US from Europe, where he had been attending the Berlin Film Festival while Mr Kerry attended the Munich conference. Major Powers Reach Agreement on Syria Ceasefire - John Kerry Mr Kerry was travelling to Southern California to attend another international conference, the Asean summit, hosted by Barack Obama, which gave him the opportunity to drop in on Hollywood. Hollywoods war: Terrorism on screen Lions for Lambs (2007) Early responses to the war on terror included Robert Redfords liberal dirge Lions for Lambs, whose A-list cast (Redford, Cruise, Streep) could not enliven its ponderous musings on US foreign policy. Ibsen with helicopters, opined the New Yorker. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) Fell victim to one of the nastiest awards races in recent memory, savaged by its detractors including Senator John McCain for apparently implying that torture was crucial in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Revenge drama: Jessica Chastain, as CIA agent Maya, hardens as Bigelows film progresses American Sniper (2014) Starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in US military history. An unexpectedly huge hit at the US box office, but divided audiences between the patriotic and the jingoistic camps. 13 Hours (2016) Michael Bays action-packed drama about Benghazi is shorn of explicitly political content, but nonetheless gives Hillary Clintons opponents a new excuse to dredge up the past. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} China has reportedly deployed surface-to-air missiles on disputed islands in the South China Sea, in an apparent response to so-called freedom of navigation fly-bys conducted by the US. American and Taiwanese officials said missile batteries had been set up on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain that has been under Chinese control for more than 40 years but which is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese officials denied the reports, but foreign minister Wang Yi told reporters any self-defence facilities that might be stationed on the islands were consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law so there should be no question about it. A satellite image of what is claimed to be an under-construction airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea The deployment was first reported by Fox News in the US, citing American defence officials. Mr Wang said certain Western media would be better off focussing on Chinas construction of lighthouses to improve the safety of shipping in the region. It represents a ramping up of both the military presence and rhetoric in the South China Sea, where islands are variously claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and China itself. Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, said the missiles would not deter American freedom of navigation operations, but he did say they were a concern and contrary to Chinas promises not to militarise the region. Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert from the Centre for a New American Security, told Reuters the missiles were a considerable development in the dispute. If they have been deployed they are probably China's effort to signal a response to freedom-of navigation operations, but I don't think it is a totally unprecedented deployment, she said. Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said tensions were now higher in the region. "We urge all parties to work on the situation based on principles of peaceful solution and self-control," Tsai told reporters. Chinas most dramatic militarisation effort in the region has been on the disputed Spratly Islands, considerably further south from the Paracels towards the Philippines and Brunei. China's territorial disputes Show all 5 1 /5 China's territorial disputes China's territorial disputes South China Sea A satellite image of what is claimed to be an under-construction airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea China's territorial disputes South China Sea Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef China's territorial disputes South China Sea A Chinese Guided Missile Frigate Hengshui docked at a port in Yalong Bay in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. China's military compared its controversial island reclamation project in the South China Sea to ordinary construction going on in other parts of the country, such as the building of roads and apartments China's territorial disputes South China Sea The alleged on-going land reclamation of China at Subi reef is seen from Pagasa island (Thitu Island) in the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines China's territorial disputes South China Sea U.S. military forces aboard Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) manuevre on South China Sea near the shore of San Antonio, Zambales during the annual "Balikatan" (shoulder-to-shoulder) war games with Filipino soldiers in northern Philippines. The U.S. Marine Corps is bringing together foreign commanders from amphibious forces deployed mostly in the Asia-Pacific for a conference aimed at taking initial steps to integrate their operations, with China excluded from the event, according to officials and planning documents Satellite images there show on island which was little more than a reef has been turned into an enormous military base, complete with a deep-water sea port and airstrip. The deployment on Woody Island is suspected to involve an HQ-9 air defence system which, with a range of 125 miles, would pose a threat to any aircraft flying over the whole of the Paracel Islands chain. Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, defended Chinas move. Woody Island belongs to China, he said. Deploying surface-to-air missiles on our territory is completely within the scope of our sovereign rights. We have sovereignty there, so we can choose whether to militarise it. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Kim Jong-un must be investigated for crimes against humanity, a United Nations official has said. Marzuki Darusman, the special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, revealed unspeakable atrocities from murder and abductions to enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, persecution and starvation on an unparalleled scale in the secretive state. He concluded that the Supreme Leader and highest levels of his government were responsible for crimes against humanity and should be held accountable. North Korea seizes joint industrial complex with South In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, Mr Darusman recommended that an official communication be sent directly to Kim, signed by himself or the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. [It should] advise him and other senior leaders that they may be investigated and, if found to be responsible, held accountable for crimes against humanity committed under their leadership, Mr Darusman wrote. His report, dated 19 January but published this week, also said three experts should be appointed to find the best legal path to hold North Korea to account and find creative and practical ways to establish the truth and ensure justice for victims. While continually denying allegations of human rights violations, Pyongyang has refused Mr Darusman permission to visit North Korea for more than five years. South Korean demonstrators protest in Seoul after the reported test (EPA) Despite the publication of a Commission of Inquiry report into North Korea almost two years ago, he said little appears to have changed. Efforts to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK must continue, Mr Darusman added. In addition to continuing political pressure to exhort the DPRK to improve human rights, it is also now imperative to pursue criminal responsibility of the DPRK leadership. He stressed the importance of using the International Criminal Court but said it was able to handle only the uppermost leadership. The report, which saw UN experts meet with North Korean exiles, victims and the families of abducted Japanese citizens, will be considered by the Human Rights Council next month/ Only the UN Security Council can involve the court but North Koreas sole ally, China, has used its veto to repeatedly reject calls to tackle human rights in North Korea. Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A man cuts the hair of a young boy at an apartment building in Pyongyang. High rise apartments are a common form of accommodation for people living in the capital city AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans pause to give way for passing vehicles as they cross a road in Pyongyang. AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans wait for public transportation at a bus stop in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A woman and her daughter walk past a North Korean flag hung on a utility pole as part of celebrations of the Liberation Day in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea People attending the conference for national reunification as they observe their 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II, in Panmunjom AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A man looks at items at a stamp shop in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans participate in a closing event for its celebration of the 70th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, at the truce village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas in Panmunjom, North Korea. The country changed it's timezone on the occasion. North Korea introduced 'Pyongyang time' and pushed back its clocks by half an hour on 15 August, the same as before the Japanese occupation when the standard time used by the Korean empire was eight and a half hours ahead of GMT, instead of nine hours, which is Tokyo time EPA/KCNA SOUTH KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea People attending the conference for national reunification as they observe their 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II, in Panmunjom AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea Youths and students attending an evening gala at the Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation REUTERS/KCNAATTENTION EDITORS However, the Chinese government said on Friday that it would back a resolution to make North Korea pay the necessary price for recent rocket launches, with the aim of bringing Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. The Independent asked the UN whether any communication has been sent to the North Korean government but has not yet received a reply. The warning came as the US flew four of its most advanced stealth jets over South Korea in a show of force against its neighbour. Tensions worsened earlier this month when Pyongyang ignored repeated warnings by regional powers to fire a long-range rocket carrying what it calls an Earth observation satellite. Washington, Seoul and others consider the launch a prohibited test of missile technology. Additional reporting by AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A grieving boyfriend has implored people to treat your significant other like the king or queen they are after discovering that his girlfriend had been killed in a car crash. Darcey-Jaine Hopwood, 22, was killed on Saturday night while walking back from a friends wedding in Boneo, south of Melbourne. She had been walking with a group of friends when she was it by the car on a poorly lit road. The driver of the car, a 61-year-old man, stopped to help as Ms Hopwoods friends as they attempted CPR by the roadside, but she died at the scene Australias 9News reported. Please READ THIS, SHARE THIS. DO IT. Everyone, treat your significant other like the king or queen they are too you... Posted by Scott Riley on Saturday, 13 February 2016 Miss Hopwood was originally from Oldham but had had moved to Australia with her mother and siblings nine years ago. Her sister Jaide told the Manchester Evening News the 22-year-old had recently qualified as a nurse and had received her certificate the day before the crash. Boyfriend Scott Riley wrote a heartfelt tribute to his partner in a Facebook post, in which he shared pictures of the pair together, described their final kiss, and revealed he had been planning on proposing on their upcoming trip to Europe. Recommended Read more Widowed father pays emotional tribute to wife by recreating photoshoot Everyone, treat your significant other like the king or queen they are to you today, he wrote. Do it for me, because for me, I cant. In the early hours of this morning while I was planning my Valentines Day ahead for the love of my life I received a phone call telling me Id never be seeing my amazing girl again. EVER. As shed been taken away from me and is now with God. Appreciate the love you have around you, embrace and enjoy it. Please do it for me. Yesterday morning when I left I kissed her sweet lips goodbye but I never thought it would be the last time. I love you Darcy. His post has been shared nearly 50,000 times. Mr Riley told the newspaper he was glad it had been shared so widely. Im glad that post reached the world. Ive got thousands of messages of people telling me how well theyre going to treat their partner from seeing my post. And that was the aim. To appreciate your loved ones every damn day, he said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Investigators searching for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are reportedly preparing to revive theories that the plane may have been brought down deliberately. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been conducting its search of a 46,000 square mile area of the Indian Ocean on the assumption that the aircraft crashed when its fuel ran out after cruising on autopilot as a ghost flight with the pilots incapacitated or dead. That sequence of events is supported by data from Boeing and the British Inmarsat satellite communications firm but failure to find further wreckage will cast significant doubt. The 90 million search, which has been the most expensive in aviation history, will end in 10 weeks and passengers families are demanding answers. MH370: A timeline Were not at the point yet, but sooner or later we will be and we will have to explain to governments what the alternative is, chief commissioner of the ATSB, told The Times. And the alternative is, frankly, that despite all the evidence as we currently have the possibility that someone was at the controls of that aircraft on the flight and gliding it becomes a more significant possibility, if we eliminate all of the current search area. In a few months time, if we havent found it, then well have to be contemplating that one of the much less likely scenarios ends up being more prominent. Which is that there were control inputs into that aircraft at the end of its flight. Had a pilot or hijacker been in control of the Boeing 777 when it went off course on 8 March 2014, on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the area of ocean where it may have crashed is far larger. Australian investigators are only responsible for assisting search efforts for MH370, while the Malaysian government is working to establish why the plane disappeared. For search purposes, the relevant facts and analysis most closely match a scenario in which there was no pilot intervening in the latter stages of the flight, the ATSB said last month. The ATSB has neither the authority under international agreements nor the need for the purposes of its search to make statements about why the aircraft disappeared. MH370 debris - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French police officers carry a piece of debris from a plane in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island. AP MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion, in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion AFP PHOTO / YANNICK PITOUYANNICK PITOU/AFP/Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris The plane part is being taken to France for further investigation Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Johnny Begue, a member of a local shore cleaning association, in Saint-Andre, French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, holds the remain of a suitcase found the day before on the same site Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Searches continued on Friday for other possible MH370 debris along beaches on the island of Reunion AP A wing flaperon discovered in July on the island of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, is still being analysed by French judicial authorities. A Chinese ship, the Dong Hai Jiu 101, was due to depart from Australia on Thursday to comb the Indian Ocean with state-of-the-art sonar equipment. More than 32,800 square miles of the search area have been scoured since late 2014, with Australia and Malaysia sharing the cost. Most of MH370s 239 passengers and crew were Chinese, while Malaysians, Australians and citizens of 12 other countries were also on board. Update: A spokesperson for the ATSB told the Independent: It is not ATSB's role to put forward theories about what may have happened or why. As set out in the reports on our website, the ATSB is searching on the basis that there were no control inputs at the end of the aircraft's flight. "Any analysis or conclusion based on the results of our search are matters for the Malaysian investigations. Additional reporting by AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 18 people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected car bomb exploded in Turkey's capital Ankara, near the country's parliament building. The explosion follows an increasing number of attacks in the region over the last year, 12 January 2016 10 people were killed and 15 injured, including German tourists, in a suicide bomb attack in Istanbul. The Syrian attacker was affiliated with Isis and had entered Turkey as a refugee. (Depo/Rex Features) 23 December 2015 A cleaner was killed in an early morning attack on Istanbuls second airport, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility for the attack. It stated that the bombing was in response to the Turkish governments military actions against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 1 December 2015 Five people were injured when a parcel bomb was planted near Istanbuls Bayrampasa Metro station during the citys evening rush hour. No groups came forward to claim responsibility for the attack. 10 October 2015 103 people were killed and 250 wounded when two suicide bombers targeted a peace rally in Ankara. The protestors had gathered together to stand against violence between the Turkish authorities and the PKK. A bomb explodes behind dancing protesters (AFP/Getty) The attack was the deadliest in Turkeys history. Isis cell members Yunus Emre Alagoz and Omer Deniz Dundar were identified as the attackers. 10 August 2015 Seven people, including five police officers were injured as a result of a bomb explosion at a police station in Istanbul. The Istanbul governors office said that the PKK were behind the attack. Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Show all 8 1 /8 Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion People react near the site of the blast Getty Images Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Emergency services at the scene following a reported car bomb detonation. The attack targeted a convoy of military service vehicles EPA Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Smoke rises over buildings following the explosion in Ankara. Getty Images Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Turkish police officers close a street after an explosion in Ankara Reuters Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Firefighters try to extinguish flames following the explosion Getty Images Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion Turkish police officers block a street after an explosion in Ankara, Reuters Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capital Ankara explosion A fire engine stands at the site of the explosion Getty Images 20 July 2015 32 people were killed and over 100 injured in the town of Suruc by a suicide bombing, making it the second deadliest attack in 2015. Those hurt and killed were activists planning to travel to Kobane, Syria, to rebuild the town. Suicide bomber Seyh Abdurrahman Alagoz was an ethnic Kurd from Adiyaman and reportedly had links to Isis. Ankara Bomb site 5 June 2015 The bombing at a pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party rally in Diyarbakr, killed four people and injured over 100. The attack occurred two days before parliamentary elections in Turkey. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. 6 January 2015 Diana Ramazova, a female suicide bomber detonated her vest at a police station in Istanbul killing one officer and injuring another. The Marxist-Leninist Revolutionary People's Liberation PartyFront claimed responsibility for the attack. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A son of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under investigation in Italy for money laundering, in connection, it has been claimed, with the 2013 corruption scandal that rocked the Turkish political establishment. The Bologna public prosecutor has opened a file on Bilal Erdogan, 35, after a key opponent of the Turkish regime officially denounced the presidents son, alleging he brought in large amounts of money to Italy last September to be recycled. The claim was made by the political dissident and Turkish businessman Murat Hakan Uzan, whose brother Cem Uzan founded Turkeys Youth Party. The Italian Manuela Cavallo is investigating claims that the money may relate to the massive political corruption scandal involving Turkeys ruling AKP party. Bilal Erdogan has said he is in Italy with his wife and children purely to resume his PhD studies at the Bologna campus of Americas Johns Hopkins University, which he began in 2007. In 2013 his name surfaced in the massive graft scandal that hit the AKP and senior Turkish government officials. Turkish prosecutors said it involved an alleged money laundering scheme designed to bypass United States-led sanctions on Iran. They ordered the arrest of 52 people in December 2013 and went on to accuse 14 people including several family members of cabinet ministers of bribery, corruption, fraud, money laundering and gold smuggling. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Show all 8 1 /8 Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Just a week before he was elected President, he called Erdogan Amberin Zaman, the Turkey correspondent for 'The Economist', a "shameless militant woman disguised under the name of a journalist" after she had asked an opposition leader whether "Muslim society is able to question" the authorities. "Know your place," Erdogan said. "They gave you a pen and you are writing a column in a newspaper. "And then they invite you to a TV channel owned by Dogan media group and you insult at a society of 99 per cent Muslims," he said he said according to Today's Zaman newspaper. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Turkish people are pictured chanting slogans during an anti-government protest on Taksim square in Istanbul, on 29 June, 2013. The protests were sparked by brutal police action against a local conservation battle to save Istanbul's Gezi Park, and soon turned into nationwide demonstrations against the government. Amid the protests - the worst in Turkey for years - Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements. We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes During last years protests, activists used social media to organise and disseminate information. Several dozen tweeters were arrested following the protests, according to local media reports. Erdogan responded by calling the technology a "menace". "There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan said. "The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society," BBC New reported. Vladimir Astapkovich/RIA Novosti via Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Not helping to allay accusations of authoritarianism, after Turkish police detained 49 people, including well-known business people and those close to the ruling party, Erdeogan ominously told reporter that Turkey "is not a banana republic" that can be affected by unnamed "operations", according to Today's Zaman newspaper. People who are backed by the media and certain funders cannot change this country," he said. "People backed by certain dark gangs both inside and outside Turkey cannot mess with the country's path. They cannot change conditions in Turkey. Turkey is not a country that anyone can launch an operation into. The [Turkish] nation will not allow that. The AK Party, which is governing this nation, will not allow this." Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Friends and relatives of the miners who died in an explosion at the Soma mine are pictured praying following the burial in Soma cemetery of the last body to be recovered from the mine in May 2014. At the time, the then-Prime Minister badly misjudged the Soma mining disaster, in which 301 workers died. He told the relatives of dead and dying miners that "these types of incidents are ordinary things", following allegations that the government had ignored safety concerns about the privately owned mine, the Guardian reported. In his defence, Erdogan recounted in a separate speech a list of mining disasters which occurred abroad, including a British disaster in 1862, and one in America "which has every kind of technology". Oli Scarff/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Palestinians pictured attending Friday noon prayers in a destroyed mosque that was hit by Israeli strikes, in Gaza City. As Prime Minister, Erdogan has condemned Israel, accusing it of deliberately killing Palestinian mothers and warned that the it would "drown in the blood it sheds." Speaking to thousands of supporters during a rally in Istanbul ahead of the 10 August election, Reuters reported him as saying: "Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target." "They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill men so they can't defend their country ... They will drown in the blood they shed," he said. AP Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Amid the worst protests in Turkey for years which had spread across dozens of cities last June, Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. A demonstration to halt construction in a park in an Istanbul square grew into mass protests against a heavy-handed police crackdown and what opponents called Erdogan's authoritarian policies. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements," Erdogan said before departing on a trip to North Africa. "We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes In March 2014, Erdogan accused a 15-year-old boy who died from injuries sustained in last year's anti-government protests of being linked to terrorism. Berkin Elvan, who became a symbol of anti-government protests, had gone to pick up bread when he was hit with a teargas canister - sending him into a nine-month coma before he passed away. In a speech broadcast on state TV, Erdogan said of Berkin: "This kid with steel marbles in his pockets, with a slingshot in his hand, his face covered with a scarf, who had been taken up into terror organisations, was unfortunately subjected to pepper gas. How could the police determine how old that person was who had a scarf on his face and was hurling steel marbles with a slingshot in his hand? ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images The whistleblowers who tipped off the police claimed that the son of the then Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan was next in line for questioning. The subsequent release on YouTube of audio recordings in which President Erdogan was allegedly heard telling his son to urgently get rid of tens of millions of dollars ignited a political firestorm. Mr Erdogan has claimed the recordings were falsified but some experts have contradicted this. Both the Erdogans have denied any wrongdoing regarding the 2013 scandal. President Erdogan even claimed that a coup attempt was under way and reacted to the accusations by dismissing police officers, prosecutors and judges. In the complaint filed this week with the Bologna prosecutor by Mr Uzans lawyer, Massimiliano Annetta, it is claimed that 1bn (779m) is still unaccounted for as a result of the corruption, according to reports. Mr Uzan, who is currently in exile in France, also quoted anti-Erdogan dissidents as claiming that the presidents son flew to Italy in September with a large sum of money as part of a getaway operation. Last October, soon after Bilal Erdogans arrival in Bologna, the anonymous Turkish whistleblower known in the media as Fuat Avni, who has been a thorn in the side of the Erdogan government, claimed on Twitter that Bilal went to Italy with large amounts of cash, saying: They [the Erdogan family] are planning to keep Bilal in Italy until the [November] election. They will determine whether he will be coming back according to the situation after the election. According to the news agency Ansa, Ms Cavallo is also investigating claims that Bilal arrived in Bologna with an attachment of armed bodyguards who initially were not allowed into the country, until within a matter of hours they were issued with Turkish diplomatic passports. Giovanni Trombini, a Bologna-based lawyer representing Bilal, acknowledged that a criminal investigation involving his client had been opened but told The Independent that he was not prepared to comment until the exact nature of the accusations against his client were clear. The Bologna prosecutor was not available for comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} France is set to give all workers the "right to disconnect" from work emails as the scale of "burn-out" among employees draws government concern. Hidden hours of work outside France's well-known 35 hour week has led the country's labour ministry to want to preserve the sanctity of their private life in law. Myriam El Khomri, the labour minister, is still thrashing out the details of an idea first put forward in a report by Bruno Mettling, director general of mobile giant Orange, in a new raft of labour laws to emerge soon. "There are risks that need to be anticipated and one of the biggest risks is the balance of a private life and professional life behind this permanent connectivity," said Mr Mettling, according to The Local. Many of the proposed labour laws are designed to make the French labour market more flexible - but this one in particular is aimed at encouraging companies to join the small minority who already prevent employees from responding to emails outside the office. France's famous 35 hour week may not be as short as it sounds (Rex Features) "Professionals who find the right balance between private and work life perform far better in their job than those who arrive shattered," said Mr Mettling. Managers who worked at home between 8pm and midnight rose from a third to 52 per cent in just 10 years, according to Technologia, a French firm which aims to reduce risks to workers. The country's economic crisis has made many employees afraid of losing their jobs and work longer hours inside and outside the office as a result, according to the firm's director. The 19 best UK cities to live and work in Show all 19 1 /19 The 19 best UK cities to live and work in The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 19. Stoke-on-Trent The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 18. Brighton The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 17. Cardiff The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 16. Plymouth The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 15. Milton Keynes and Aylesbury The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 14. Swindon The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 13. Norwich The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 12. Preston The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 11. Portsmouth The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 10. Coventry The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 9. Leicester The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 8. Belfast The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 7. Bristol The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 6. Southampton The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 5. Aberdeen 2008 Getty Images The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 4. Cambridge The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 3. Edinburgh The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 2. Oxford The 19 best UK cities to live and work in 1. Reading and Bracknell Jean-Claude Delgenes of Technologia told The Local: "We have poor self-control when it comes to new technology. Work spills over into people's private lives. "The difference between work and social life used to be clearly distinct." Yet he warned the new law would have no real effect unless bosses also demanded less work of their employees. "If we introduce a right to disconnect but not reduce the workload for those under pressure, managers will just ignore it or find a way of staying connected," he said. A dispute over France's 35-hour week, which came into force under socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin in 2000, erupted in summer when its economy minister said the socialists had been wrong to think people's lives would improve if they worked shorter hours. "One shouldn't ask what your country can do for you, rather what you can do for the country's economy," he said in August last year, according to The Local. The prime minister, Manuel Valls, has confirmed there are no plans to change the 35-hour-week. Employees in the UK, meanwhile, are not supposed to work more than a 48-hour week. Ms El Khomri is due to present her package of labour reforms in the coming weeks. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} On May Day 2012, the Place du Trocadero in Paris was so packed with people that no one could move. An ocean of tricolour flags framed the Eiffel Tower. Some observers were reminded of the Nuremberg rallies of the 1930s. With the second round of the French presidential election a few days away, Nicolas Sarkozy told the crowd that 200,000 people had turned out. Police pointed out later that the maximum number who could fit into the square was 40,000. Mr Sarkozys cavalier attitude to arithmetic and the truth extended, it is both alleged and denied, to the vast sum that he spent on his campaign. On Tuesday night the former President was formally accused by a magistrate one step short of a charge of illegal campaign financing. No candidate in a presidential election is allowed to spend more than 22.5m (17.5m). It is alleged that Mr Sarkozys 2012 campaign spent at least 40m (31m) and maybe as much as 50m (39m) more than double the legal limit. Much of the money was spent on mega-rallies, like the meeting at Trocadero, for which Mr Sarkozys campaign hired trains and buses to bring supporters from all over France. Despite all this, it would be foolish to write off the former Presidents attempt to return to power in the presidential elections next spring. But his chances of becoming the first defeated head of state in the West to regain office now appear slender. Mr Sarkozy, 60, is already trailing 10 points behind his main rival, the former Prime Minister, Alain Juppe, in the primary to pick a centre-right candidate this November. Mr Sarkozys lawyer, Thierry Herzog, told Europe 1 radio that the investigation did not prevent his client running. I believe in Nicolas Sarkozys honesty, said Marc Le Fur, an MP from Mr Sarkozys Les Republicains (formerly the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire or UMP), denouncing judicial harassment against a man who has been targeted by a series of investigations but who has never been convicted of any offence. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Sarkozy has been placed under formal criminal investigation four times since he left office. Two of the allegations have already been dropped. Another allegation, involving the alleged offences of corruption and influence peddling could come to trial in the next few months. Frances highest appeal court, the Cour de Cassation, will decide on 22 March whether to accept, or reject, Mr Sarkozys complaint that this entire case is based on unconstitutional tapping of his mobile phone. Since Mr Sarkozy is accused, among other things, of trying to bribe a judge in the Cour de Cassation for information and influence, the court has little option but to reject his appeal. The new formal accusation against him announced on Tuesday night after almost 13 hours of interrogation may seem less serious. In a television appearance last week, the ex-President said that he had no idea that his campaign exceeded the spending limit. I would never have betrayed the confidence of the French people, he said. If I had had the slightest doubt about my behaviour, I would never have returned to politics. Mr Sarkozys problem is not just the accusation but also his line of defence. When last interrogated by magistrates in September, a leaked transcript shows that Mr Sarkozy pointed the finger of blame at the then party leader, Jean-Francois Cope and his friends. Since then, the two men have not spoken. Mr Sarkozy remains popular with the grassroots members of the party. His credibility with senior centre-right politicians, other than those in his immediate entourage, lies in tatters. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Referring to Nazi German death camps as "Polish" could be outlawed if the country's new right-wing government has its way. Polands deputy justice minister, Patryk Jaki, told reporters in Warsaw on Monday to: "Stop attributing to Poland the role of Holocaust author." According to the BBC, to suggest Poland "took part, organised or was co-responsible for the crimes of the Third Reich" would become illegal if a proposed bill is passed. Those found guilty of the new crime could face a jail sentence of up to five years. Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Show all 20 1 /20 Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau The main gate entering the Nazi Auschwitz death camp Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A warning sign is seen in front of a watch tower of the former Auschwitz concentration camp held by the Nazis in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Visitors walk between barbed wire fences at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Guard towers and barbed wire fences stand at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on the night prior to commemoration events marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the camp on 26 January 2015 in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Holocaust survivor Mordechai Ronen (C) from the US is comforted by his son as he is overcome by emotion standing next to President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder (2nd R) as he arrives at the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim on 26 January 2015 Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz and Belsen concentration camp survivor Eva Behar shows her number tattoo in her home in London Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A wall with historic photos is pictured at the memorial site of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau The 'wall of death' at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau General view of wooden bunks inside a destroyed barracks at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau View of the barracks of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau View of the barracks of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Empty Zyklon B canisters are displayed at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Prosthetic limbs confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Eyeglasses confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Children's shoes confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners lie in an exhibtion display at the former Auschwitz I concentration camp, which today is a museum, in Oswiecim, Poland Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Suitcases confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Enamel bowls used by Auschwitz prisoners Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau Visitor are seen walking behind barbed-wire fences at the memorial site of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim Holocaust Memorial Day 2015: Haunting images of Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkenau A cargo wagon is parked at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim The broadcaster suggests the law has been drafted in response to the term "Polish death camps," which is sometimes used in foreign media. Polish officials often request corrections from media outlets who describe death camps, such as Auschwitz, as 'Polish', but the new bill would allow the state to seek civil action and compensation. However, the BBC notes, Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party previously tried to table a similar bill in 2013 while in opposition, but it was rejected at first reading. Poland was heavily affected by the Nazi occupation, over 90 per cent of the country's Jewish population was murdered, and millions of European Jews were killed in Nazi-run concentration camps located in Poland. According to Agence France-Presse, Mr Jaki said of US president Barack Obama's refererence to "Polish death camps" in 2012: "We don't want diplomatic scandals. What we want is to stop these kinds of terms from being used." The press agency also reported that Auschwitz Museum has launched a "text corrector" application for Microsoft Word and Apple text editors which help writers to avoid the "mistake" of referring to Nazi German death camps as "Polish". For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The right-wing Polish weekly magazine wSieci (The Network) has caused outrage with its latest front cover. The publication features the image of a white woman, draped with the European Union flag, screaming as she is being groped and assaulted by dark skinned male arms. Twitter users have compared the images with fascist propaganda in Nazi Germany and Mussolinis Italy, which used images of women being attacked by Jewish and North African men. The image is a reference to the sexual assaults that have been claimed to have been perpetrated by migrant and refugee men against European women. The 1,000 reports of theft, sexual assault and rape of women at Colognes central train station on New Years Eve led to calls for stronger immigration controls. NYE celebrations in Cologne Recent news has revealed that only three of the 58 suspects arrested in connection with the attack were refugees from Iraq or Syria. The magazine headline reads Islamic Rape Of Europe. The newsstand blurb states that the edition will uncover the issues which the media and Brussels are hiding from the citizens of the European Union. Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Show all 13 1 /13 Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism outside Cologne Cathedral on 5 January after the assaults Oliver Berg/EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism in Cologne following the rash of sex attacks on New Year's Eve Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police initially failed to mention the assaults in report the following morning EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police officers patrol in front of the main station of Cologne, Germany AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks German far-right supporters demonstrate at Cologne`s train station (Reuters) Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police used pepper spray to control supporters of Pegida, Hogesa (Hooligans against Salafists) and other right-wing populist groups as they protested against the New Year's Eve sex attacks on 9 January, 2016 in Cologne, Germany Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use a water cannon during a protest march by supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016 Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use pepper spray against supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida, in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Artist Mira Moire protests naked in Cologne against the mass sex attacks on New Year's Eve AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks A demonstrator holds a sign in German that reads 'No violence against women' during a demonstration in the wake of the sexual assaults on New Year's Eve, outside the cathedeal in Cologne, Germany, 09 January 2016. EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Counter demonstrators hold up a sign reading "Against sexism, against racism" as they protest against a demonstration of the islamophobic movement PEGIDA at the train station in Cologne, Germany, on January 9, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Demonstration by a womens group on Saturday (AP) AP In the cover article, writer Aleksandra Rybinska states that issues with migration are the result of an unavoidable clash of civilisations between Islam and Christianity. He believes that whilst Muslims are actively promoting this war, Europeans are engineering their own downfall by ignoring the negative impacts of multiculturalism. Quoting historian Arnold Toynbee, he writes: Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder. Other articles in the magazine include Does Europe Want to Commit Suicide and The Hell of Europe. The news comes after Polands government - alongside Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia - stated that they will support Balkan countries to seal their borders with Greece in order to stem the flow of migrants and refugees. wSieci has a track record of controversial front covers, one depicting Angela Merkel as Mother Theresa and another portraying their then Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz wearing a burqa and carrying bombs. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The gift of a scapular is not your standard expression of affection even in my otherwise Catholic household but then, the 30-year relationship between the late Pope John Paul II and the Polish-born US philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka revealed to the world this week by the BBC's Edward Stourton could hardly be classified as standard. She was married and he had taken a vow of celibacy. What is clear, though, is that when the former Karol Wojtyla gave her the scapular he had worn since childhood a gift from his own father, and one of his few personal possessions he was reflecting the profound spiritual bond that existed between them. He may also, according to traditional Catholic teaching, have been providing her with a ticket for heaven. Pope John Paul II Show all 7 1 /7 Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II holds his arm around Mother Teresa as they ride in the Popemobile outside the Home of the Dying in Kolkata AP Pope John Paul II Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II as they meet at the Vatican, 2000 Pope John Paul II Jimmy Cater and family meet the Pope John Paul II in Rome, 1980 Getty Pope John Paul II Canonised: Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II visits Knock in 1979 Pope John Paul II Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger blesses the coffin of Pope John Paul II during his funeral mass in St Peter's Square at the Vatican City 8 April 2005. Pope John Paul II 2 February 1986: Pope John Paul II in New Delhi looks at a book entitled 'Opening The Eye Of New Awareness', written by Dalai Lama, Spiritual Chief of Tibetan Buddhists. The scapular started in the 7th century CE as two large pieces of material, joined over the shoulders (the word comes from the Latin for shoulder), which monks and nuns donned both as a symbol of their vocation, and as a cover-all apron. Today, some religious orders those that haven't opted for civvies still sport them. Much more common in Catholicism for centuries, though, has been the mini-scapular, such as the one John Paul bestowed on Anna-Teresa. Made up of two postage stamp-sized pieces of cloth, wood or laminated paper, featuring a prayer text or a devotional picture and linked by cords, it is also worn over the shoulders, with one image hanging on the chest, the other on the back. (Think of two ID passes on opposite ends of a long lanyard.) The prototype is said to have been handed by the Virgin Mary to the English Carmelite monk Saint Simon Stock, when she appeared to him in a vision in Cambridge in the 13th century. (Some Carmelite nuns still do a roaring trade in their manufacture.) Various styles of scapular are available (John Stephen Dwyer/Wikimedia) Thus, those who down the ages have worn a scapular under their clothes leaving it outside, on show, would have been spiritually vulgar were following in Simon Stock's footsteps by placing their lives in the hands of Jesus's mother. Their eternal fate, too; for Mary had reportedly promised Simon Stock that, if he wore the scapular continuously, he would not "suffer the fires of hell". In traditional Catholicism, it became one of several devotions that, if faithfully followed, allowed the laity to imitate the holiness of monks and nuns, and earn a happy death. Take the case of my Christian Brothers' school in Birkenhead in the 1970s: while we had no Confraternity of the Scapular, as others did, we were encouraged to attend mass on the first Friday of nine consecutive months to earn ourselves safe passage into paradise. I was one of many who did it, and there is still a part of me that vaguely hopes I may receive my eternal reward (though of course, if I don't, I won't be in any position to report back that I was short-changed). The wearing of the scapular was one of those time-honoured habits that has died off in the wake of the Church's modernising Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. However, there are still hundreds of varieties for sale online costing between 1 and 10 or hanging behind the counter in the bookshops of larger Catholic churches. Among those most likely to sustain the market are the so-called "tertiaries" of various religious orders, including the Carmelites, Franciscans and Dominicans. As well as those monks and nuns who take full vows and therefore get the chance to wear the full scapular each also has what is called a "third order" of lay people, who strive to live in keeping with the order's rules, but in the everyday world. They are, to put it crudely, mini-monks and nuns. Look out for them in the changing-rooms. Peter Stanford is a former editor of the 'Catholic Herald' For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} About 450 unaccompanied children are to have their temporary homes demolished in the next stage of the Calais refugee camp clearance amid growing concerns for their human rights and deteriorating mental health. The children, some as young as 10, have travelled thousands of miles from war-torn countries in the hope of seeking asylum in the UK. Many are orphans. It is believed that roughly half of the camp will be cleared on 22 February. Between 1,000 and 3,000 people are estimated to live in this area, yet alternative accommodation in the form of converted shipping containers has been provided for only 800. Included within the area marked for demolition is the women and childrens centre. Set up by the volunteer Liz Clegg last year, it provides an important haven within the camp not least for children with no parents. Alongside a large tent containing donated toys and teaching equipment, children play on a rudimentary playground. Many refugee families live nearby. The local police prefecture gave a weeks notice of the clearance plans. Volunteers have expressed grave concern at the lack of official provision for the unaccompanied children in the upheaval. Over the past six months there have been at least half a dozen incidents of missing children. Where is the UN? Why are there no NGOs here? Ms Clegg asked. Why are volunteers with no funding expected to deal with this situation? Liz Clegg with a young refugee at the women and childrens centre (Charlie Forgham Bailey) Medecins sans Frontieres, Medicines du Monde and a handful of charities help run the camp. But for the most part it has been left to volunteers. The UNHCR, Red Cross and other agencies have not been given the necessary invitation by the French government to enter the camp. Save the Children is believed to be in a similar position. The UN have guidelines, the French have guidelines, Ms Clegg said. We are not seeing them put into action. The only conclusion we can draw is they do not class these children as humans. Any refugee who has direct family in a country can ask to have their asylum case transferred there. Childrens claims are given priority. Last month, the Citizens UK campaign group co-ordinated lawyers in the test case of four young boys who successfully entered the UK under this legislation. More than 10,000 child refugees disappear in Europe The organisation has identified a further 200 unaccompanied minors with direct relatives in the UK. However, after the Home Office appealed against the test case, all requests for a transfer of asylum have been put on hold. Rev Dr Simon Cuff of Citizens UK said: The UK has a legal and moral duty to reunite those with their families in this country and to encourage the French authorities to process the claims of those seeking asylum quickly. No human being, especially a child, should have to endure the awful conditions of the jungle for any length of time, even more so when they have been fleeing the horrors of conflict and war. We ask the Government to do their legal and moral duty as quickly as possible. Stress and anxiety disorders are increasingly common among children and adults at the camp, as are outbreaks such as scabies. We are watching these children lose their minds and nobody is doing anything, says Joe Murphy, a director of the Good Chance organisation which works with many of the older children. One such example is Noorallah, 15, who has been in the camp for seven months. He left Afghanistan when the Taliban bombed his village, destroying his school and killing his father. The journey overland to France took him a year. He recited the countries through which he travelled by rote: Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, Belgium. Crossing the Iran-Turkey border, he spent six hours in the boot of a car with four other children. In Bulgaria, he and his friends were set upon by police dogs. Last month, bulldozers cleared a third of the Jungle camp, demolishing temporary structures along with three mosques and a church. However, the move to the converted shipping containers, accessed by a digital handprint, has been met with resistance from many refugees who worry that giving such information to the authorities could impede asylum claims. One thing is clear: nobody believes life in the Jungle should continue. Nobody should have to live here. It is an awful place, said Mr Murphy. All we are doing is calling on authorities to make sure things are done in a timely manner and that these children are given the legal and medical treatment to which they are entitled. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} French speakers have been scratching their heads in recent weeks over the alleged death of the circumflex. The news went viral that the accent, used in words such as gout (taste) or ile (island), was no longer necessary in many French spellings. It even sparked a new sister hashtag to last years #jesuischarlie on Twitter: #jesuiscirconflexe. Politicians, particularly those on the right and far-right, voiced their opposition and bemoaned the death of a diacritic the name given to accents such as the circumflex that they believe is integral to the French language and Frances identity. Recommended Read more Circumflex is spared in rewriting of French spelling rules But far from the language being watered down in a conscious effort to dumb down the school system, the changes are not new and probably wont make much difference anyway. Indeed, the way the words are pronounced wont even be affected. Whats certain is that the affair would have amused the French writer Georges Perec, who wrote a parody crime novel called La Disparition (A Void). In it, the mysterious Anton Vowl disappears and the letter e is not used a single time in the course of the 300-page novel. I cant help thinking that Perec would have written a good book about the curious incident of the disappearing circumflex. Do away with the hat In English, the circumflex accent only put in a brief appearance before the arrival of the Penny Post postal system as a means of saving paper and reducing the cost of postage o was used as shorthand for ough, so that thorough could be written thoro. While the tragic demise of any written accent seems an unlikely subject to stir up much passion, spelling reforms do raise all kinds of questions about how written languages act as repositories for their own history. They are also invariably bound in discourses on nationalism. American reformer Noah Websters changes to the spelling of words such as colour to color in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, were tied up with his nationalist pride and wish to be rid of the cultural imperialism of Britain. So it is hardly surprising that the French hard-right party the Front National made such a meal of the supposedly new reforms in France. Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices Show all 12 1 /12 Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501465.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501466.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501464.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501463.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501461.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501462.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501483.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501484.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501485.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501486.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501487.bin Joy Gregory Joy in retrospect: Lost languages and other voices 501488.bin Joy Gregory Yet the new French spelling reforms are not new at all. They date back to 1990 when the Academie francaise, not usually known for its progressive views, made a number of recommendations to simplify the French language to the Conseil superieur de la langue francaise (Higher Council for the French language). These included removing the circumflex accent on the letters i and u except in certain exceptional cases and verb endings, but also changing ph to f as well as taking away hyphens in such words as week-end. The spellings of certain other words were simplified. For instance: eczema (exma) became exema; cout (cost) would become cout; nenuphar (water lily), nenufar, and oignon (onion), ognon. Under the banner of the hashtag #jesuiscirconflexe, great jokes have been made about possible confusions that could arise if Je vais me faire un jeune was mistaken for Je vais me faire un jeune (literally: Im going to fast, or Im going to bed a youngster). Still, the jokes fall flat as these words would not have been affected because the circumflex on the letter e is not being reformed, precisely because of the confusion that might otherwise arise. Predictive text predicted this When informing my wife of the news of the circumflex change by text message, my smartphone (bought in 2010), was already aware of the new rules. Its predictive text did not seek to correct ognon. This has led me to wonder how much a generation that tends to type using different corrective grammar software will actually notice many of these changes. Its also not certain that the reforms will make the language any easier to learn for either French schoolchildren or foreign language learners. Is it really much simpler to spell portefeuille (wallet) than porte-feuille? Despite their vociferous attacks on the left-wing government of Francois Hollande dumbing-down schooling in France, the changes had actually been approved in 2008 when the right was in power. This approval has simply been reiterated in 2016 by the current government. With supreme political brilliance, the governments website quoted the former permanent secretary of the Academie francaise, Maurice Druon, when it said there was a need to be both firm and flexible in implementing the changes. This means that both the old and new ways of spelling these words will be acceptable. The publishers of all school textbooks have also decided to implement the changes in their updated editions for 2016, suggesting that they have more sway than the Academie francaise, an institution set up in the 17th century by Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to King Louis XIII. As for those protesting vehemently against the recommended changes as if the fate of the nation were at stake, I wouldnt mind betting they have left an accent or two off somewhere in the past and not been sentenced for treason. Dominic Glynn, Lecturer in French Studies, School of Advanced Study This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UKs former ambassador to Syria has likened the Governments intervention to a dog returning to its own vomit. Peter Ford, who served in Damascus from 2003 to 2006, blamed Britain as part of the US-led coalition for prolonging the agony of the Syrian civil war by supporting the opposition. In an appearance on the BBCs The Big Questions programme on Sunday, he argued that Bashar al-Assad must be engaged with in order to defeat Isis. Realistically, Assad is not going to be overthrown - this becomes more clear with every day that passes, Mr Ford said, hitting out at Western analysts for five years of wishful thinking. Cameron: Assad has to go "Its time to get real, we owe it to the Syrian people. The West has to stop propping up the so-called moderate opposition, which is not moderate at all, and it has to allow the Syrian army backed possibly by the Russians to deal with IS (Isis). David Cameron has repeatedly said the Syrian President has no place in the countrys future and has called for transition to a new government, in line with Barack Obama, Francois Hollande and other leaders in the US-led international coalition. Air strikes have not directly targeted government forces, but Kurds and other groups fighting the regime have been supported by bombing and non-lethal support, and training was given to selected groups in the early days of the conflict. Anti-government rebels have been rapidly losing territory under an intensified campaign by Assads troops backed by Russian air strikes in recent weeks, allowing Kurdish forces to seize more territory. Vladimir Putin's intervention has turned the war against rebels to Assad's favour (Reuters) Meanwhile, Isis has lost no major strongholds in Syria, despite American claims that the international campaign has driven the group from around a third of its territory in the country and neighbouring Iraq. Its a local problem that should be dealt with by local governments and they stand a much better practical chance of doing so, Mr Ford said. (Intervention) is just prolonging the agony. We should have backed off, we should not have tried to overthrow the regime. Despite the failures of this in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, like a dog returning to its vomit we go back. The former ambassador, who also represented the UK in Bahrain before resigning from the Diplomatic Service and joining the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also accused the Foreign Secretary of undermining a ceasefire agreed in Munich last week. British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Show all 10 1 /10 British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Pilots and ground crew prepare combat aircraft Panavia Tornados at RAF Marham at RAF Marham, UK Getty British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Eurofighter Typhoon jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet ahead of taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The air strikes were carried out within hours of a vote by MPs in the Commons to back extending operations against Isis from neighbouring Iraq British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Personnel work on a British Tornado after it returned from a mission at RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Two RAF Tornado GR4's, both with remaining weapons ordnance, approach RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as they return to the base after carrying out some of the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado takes off from RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria AKA RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri, Cyprus. The RAF has sent two further Tornado aircraft and six Typhoons to bolster aircraft now flying sorties to both Iraq and Syria When questioned about the Assad regimes atrocities, Mr Ford said the government had been brutal and made dreadful mistakes but that its removal would create chaos leading to further sectarianism and a situation even worse than today. General Lord Dannat, the former Chief of General Staff, was also on the panel and argued in favour of a ground operation to defeat Isis. But it was Mr Fords speech that was fuelling debate on Twitter today, with critics calling him an apologist for Assad and Vladimir Putin. The Foreign Office declined to comment specifically on Mr Ford's remarks but highlighted comments made by Philip Hammond last week. "The UKs position remains steadfast: a Syrian-led political transition and a genuine commitment to the UN-led peace talks are the only route to the peace so desperately needed by the Syrian people," the Foreign Secretary said. "Russia and the regime are deliberately targeting the opposition and thus strengthening Daesh (Isis)." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Fearing the escape of the spoils of their war, the jihadists of Isis have substantially increased the security surrounding thousands of Yazidi slaves after a series of dramatic rescue operations striking at the heart of the caliphate. Smugglers, government officials, lawyers and advocates all say that it will now be much harder to rescue the estimated 3,500 Yazidi women and children still trapped in Isis-held territory. Another potentially critical problem is the financial crisis engulfing Iraqi Kurdistan, which means less money for costly operations to spirit Yazidis through smuggling routes to Kurdish-controlled territory. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which is suffering partly because of the drop in the global oil price, was providing funds for rescue missions but that money is no longer available. Instead, Yazidi families are trying to borrow cash to cover the costs of Isis ransom demands and smugglers fees for safe houses and transport. So far, more than 2,000 Yazidi women and children have been rescued from Isis: by ransom, escape or release. Young Yazidi girl gives powerful speech at UN The captives were taken in 2014 as Isis seized control of Sinjar in north-western Iraq, home to hundreds of thousands of members of the minority religion Isis labelled infidels. Isis abducted younger women and children and murdered men and older women. Those who could not flee were killed and buried in mass graves. Layla (not her real name), 25, was rescued from Syria with the help of a smuggler network at the end of last year. Her family paid $25,000 (17,500) to her Saudi Isis captor for her release, and then smugglers took her across the frontline and back into Iraq. Now living in a camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, she spoke to The Independent as her children climbed over her in their small tent. After her capture in August 2014, she was transferred between prisons in Mosul with her children. She was taken to a school in Raqqa, Syria, and then sent to a slave market in the cellar of a house in Deir ez-Zour. Recommended Read more Former Isis sex slaves take up arms to wage war on their captors They put all females in line and Isis fighters came and if they liked one they would take her for themselves, she said. There were more than 40 women and girls in the market. Some were old and some were as young as eight or nine, Layla said. The prices depended on age and beauty, the most expensive costing $6,000. Layla was sold to an Iraqi fighter who locked her in his house and beat her. He then sold her to the Saudi fighter. She said: We hoped the air strikes would come and hit us and kill us and maybe we would be more comfortable. According to Dr Nuri Osman, an official with the KRG who has been involved in the rescue of hostages, Isis is responding to efforts to free Yazidis by hiding them more carefully, moving them from place to place and assigning guards to watch them. The operations were also getting harder because of a lack of cash, he said. Rescue operations cost us money, mainly for transportation and for safe places to keep them until we take them to Kurdistan. Usually we use smugglers and they ask for money because they are at risk among Isis. If they capture [the smugglers] they will kill them. Abu Shujaa, the nickname of a smuggler working to rescue girls from Syria, said girls in Mosul and Raqqa had to register at a neighbourhood security office and if they tried to escape they would be jailed for two years. This process was in place before, but now when he tried to call the girls, Isis was monitoring the phone network to try to find out who was calling them. The girls were encouraged to call the smugglers so they would be caught, he said. He added that the Islamists had become stricter, in part because of their shame after the rescue of 100 girls from Raqqa, the de facto Isis capital in Syria, earlier this year. Abu Shujaa said he has a network of 30 contacts working with him, and that 14 people from his network had been found, tortured and killed. He has also received threats from Isis, which contacted him via WhatsApp and Facebook, threatening to kill his family. They said, We know your place and how many kids you have because we have people in Kurdistan. His family are now in Europe. Yazidi worshippers at a temple in Iraqi Kurdistan (Getty) (Getty Images) Khalil Haji, another smuggler and former lawyer who runs a network in Iraq, told The Independent that the security measures in Syria had been increased. In Iraq it is OK, we can rescue them, but in our office there is no money. The families dont have the money and the government doesnt have the money. Smugglers report that the majority of the Yazidi hostages are now being held in Syria. Recommended Read more Isis training 400 abducted Yazidi children to be suicide bombers Matthew Barber, the executive director of Yazda, a Yazidi rights NGO, said Isis was getting better at securing its prisoners, adding that all those who could be easily freed had been. We are witnessing a drastic decrease in the frequency of rescues and escapes and I think it would take military action to change the conditions to allow more people to leave. Despite the dangers and the new obstacles, Abu Shujaa said he would continue trying to rescue hostages. If I rescue one girl I believe that I bring her back to life one more time, and for me I believe that one rescue is better than killing 100 Isis guys. Layla was relieved to be back and to spend the first night with her relatives. But, she said, my mind is with the rest of my family who are still with Isis. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year amid fears it could fall the hands of Isis jihadis. The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop, went missing from a US-owned storage facility in Basra last November, according to leaked environment ministry documents. An unnamed senior security official with knowledge of the theft said: "We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh (Isis). "They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb. The document, dated 30 November and addressed to the ministrys Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity from a depot...in the Rafidhia area of Basra province". An anonymous senior environment ministry official based in the city told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of Ir-192 "capsules", a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer. Members of the Kurdish peshmerga forces were attacked by Isis using mustard gas in August last year (Reuters) The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive by the International Atomic Energy Agency - meaning it can be fatal to anyone in close proximity to it in a matter of days or even hours. So far there is no indication that the material has fallen into the hands of Isis - who do not control this part of southern Iraq - but the group has begun using chemical weapons. The terror group attacked Kurdish forces with mustard gas during a battle near Erbil, the capital of the Kurds autonomous region in Iraq, last August with around 35 soldiers being taken ill. It is believed to be the first time chemical weapons have been used in the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. A "dirty bomb" combines nuclear material with conventional explosives to contaminate an area with radiation, in contrast to a nuclear weapon, which uses nuclear fission to trigger a vastly more powerful blast. A security official said the initial investigation suggested the perpetrators had specific knowledge of how to handle the material and how to gain access to the facility. An Iraqi pro-government soldier standing in the ruins of Ramadi. Isis currently only controlled territory in the north and west of the country (Getty) There were "no broken locks, no smashed doors and no evidence of forced entry", he said. An operations manager for Iraqi security firm Taiz, which was contracted to protect the facility, declined to comment, citing instructions from Iraqi security authorities. A spokesman for Basra operations command, responsible for security in Basra province, said army, police and intelligence forces were working "day and night" to locate the material. In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work Two Basra provincial government officials said they were told to work with local hospitals to identify possible victims on 25 November. One said: "We instructed hospitals in Basra to be alert to any burn cases caused by radioactivity and inform security forces immediately". Additional reporting by Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Plagued by clashes between government forces and militant groups, Aleppo, the largest city in Syria and the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey, has transformed into a battlefield. Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas of the city, while air strikes and bombardments reduce it to ruins. A picture, shared by the French-based NGO Syria Charity on 14 February, shows a father covered in dust, clutching his dead baby in the wake of an air strike that has killed five other members of his family Aleppo is dying reads the caption. We share these pictures so that people know what is happening on the ground in Aleppo, says Anfal Seddik, a spokesperson for Syria Charity, which has operated in the country since 2011, providing medical services and food packages for civilians and runs an orphan sponsorship programme. Air strikes are ongoing daily, sometimes several times a day. It is tough for the people, there has been a lot of fighting with government forces, with Isis and with members from the Kurds group and moderate rebels. It is really frustrating not to know what will happen in the city. On 15 February, around 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas of Syria, according to the United Nations, which labelled the attacks a blatant violation of international law. This included a mother and baby hospital operated by the charity in Azaz, north of Aleppo, which was destroyed after being hit in what has been called a deliberate attack by humanitarian organisations. Video footage, taken moments after the bombing, shows distressed new born babies crying in their incubators, surrounded by debris. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis The air strikes come after world powers agreed to a temporary cessation of hostilities to start within a week, along with the acceleration and expansion of aid deliveries. Baring the brunt of the bombardments, local people now have distrust in Western governments, she says. The media talk about Isis and about terrorists, but thats not the main point. Most people who are dying are dying from air strikes, they are not dying because of Isis. Last week there was an agreement for a cessation of hostilities, but still the Russians have been striking. It is not terrorists or soldiers who are suffering, just civilians, and the air strikes are getting worse. People on the ground do not expect anything from these talks. Syrian army tightens grip on Aleppo People leave the country because they are under constant fear, it is not safe anymore. However, many still have hope that things will get better. But if things do get better, most believe it will not be due to government action - it will be because of the people here. This hope for a better future has been witnessed by photographer Karam al Masri, who captures images of Aleppos people attempting to go about their daily lives in the conflict-zone. The 25-year-old, who lost his mother and aunt in the fighting and has previously been imprisoned by Isis, told CNN he tries to capture everyday moments in the city in an attempt to show normalcy. They have seen so much horror they are almost oblivious to it, he says, describing market stallholders who still sell produce, despite there being less stock and dramatic price rises, and children who still go to school, though often in makeshift, underground classrooms. The aftermath of Russian bombing in Aleppo (Getty) A 31-year old boxer, Shaaban Kattan, snapped by Mr Masri, holds a club for youngsters so they can escape the chaos. "I liked this story because I was able to show how people are trying to forget the war, cope, endure," says Mr Masri. There is little hope for the long-term peace, however, after President Bashar al-Assad vowed to retake control of the entire country by force. Despite the promise of ceasefires, the bombardments continue and have intensified says Ms Seddik, explaining the impact the conflict is having on a generation of young Syrians, faced with a devastated country to rebuild in the future. Its a traumatised generation, the children today, she says. They have lost their parents, their brothers or sisters, their homes. Their childhood is gone. When we first created the charity, she says, we thought it would be a quick thing and would not turn this way. We have been going one year after the other and now we dont know when this will end. The message from Syrian people to the world is we are dying says Ms Seddik. People are dying from hunger, people are dying from the cold, they have no more electricity, they have no more running water. We are dying and its like nobody really cares. Its been five years already, so what is the world doing? For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The University of Greenwich has apologised to students and announced it will be conducting an investigation after personal details about hundreds of students were posted online in an apparent breach of data privacy laws. In an investigation undertaken by the BBC - which was approached by a student who said details could be accessed via a simple Google search - students details, including names, addresses, dates of birth, mobile phone numbers, and signatures were all uploaded to the universitys website. As well as this, the site reported how, in some cases, medical details - including mental health issues - were referenced as a way of explaining why some students had been falling behind on their coursework. Also posted were minutes from the university department which oversees registrations and the progress of research students, as well as staff comments regarding student progress. In one case, BBC News reported how one Middle Eastern student was put at great risk after it was disclosed the student had a sibling who was fighting in an army in the region, where references were made to an asylum application. In an email to the Independent, university secretary Louise Nadal said she was very sorry that personal information about a number of postgraduate research students has been accessible on the university web site. She added: This was a serious, unprecedented error, in breach of our own policies and procedures. The material has now been removed. We are now acting urgently to identify those affected. I will be contacting each person individually to apologise and to offer the support of the university. At the same time, I am also conducting an investigation into what went wrong. This will form part of a robust review, to make sure that this cannot happen again. The findings and recommendations of the review will be published. Ms Nadal also added the university is committed to protecting confidential data, adding: We are co-operating fully with the Information Commissioner and will take all steps necessary to ensure we have the best systems in place for the future. An another email from the Information Commissioners Office - responsible for the enforcement of the Data Protection Act as well as for Freedom of Information - a spokesperson said: Were aware of an incident at Greenwich University and are making enquiries. According to a legal expert who spoke with BBC News, the university could face a financial penalty of up to 7.8m under new rules which look set to be adopted in Brussels next month. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} However todays European Union summit plays out, it would be a harsh critic who begrudged David Cameron an agreement capable of carrying a referendum in June. The merest glance at his diary over the past couple of months would induce weariness in even the most enthusiastic of travellers. He has visited corners of old and new Europe that, in some cases, he last visited as a student. He has given press conferences and speeches from Sofia to Hamburg, via Copenhagen. He has sometimes seemed to be commuting to Warsaw non-stop, only to receive an earful when he got there. But greeting Polands Prime Minister earlier this month, he said he was delighted to be back here in Warsaw, and almost sounded as though he meant it. At last weeks Syria donors conference he found time for bilateral meetings with wait for it his Bulgarian, Austrian, Slovak, Swedish, German, Belgian, Estonian, Polish and Greek counterparts. And he has done it all with a remarkably good grace, and flicks of cultural sensitivity a little digression on the Hanseatic League at the start of his Hamburg speech on Monday, a sentence or two in French at the start of his cross-channel visit after the Paris bombings that were not hitherto much in evidence. Personal pride, too, has counted for little, as he set about mending the same fences that he was at least partly responsible for destroying, first with Jean-Claude Juncker, whose appointment as President of the European Commission he opposed, and now with the European Parliament. The Parliament is probably not an institution to which Cameron would instinctively warm (its wasteful dual location does not help), but after alienating many potential supporters five years ago by taking Conservative MEPs out of their natural political habitat, Cameron held separate meetings in the European Parliament this week with all the major groupings; these appear to have been business-like, at least, if not actually cordial. So chapeau to the new Continental Cameron. Pragmatism calls. Reluctantly perhaps, but this most English of recent UK prime ministers has gone some way to becoming a European. An A* for effort but to what end? If this European summit runs true to form, the essentials of a deal should be clear by dawn tomorrow. Then Cameron faces the Cabinet the same afternoon, followed by Parliament on Monday, and the starting gun for the campaign will, at last, be fired. Boris, Theresa, Zac and the rest will all have to come down on one side or the other. If there is no deal, then Camerons European peregrinations go on, with all the ambiguities and the uncertainties that are so damaging to the economy and the UK body politic. Cameron might win points among sceptics for toughness, but that will rebound if he fails to extract terms they regard as better. He has little to gain by holding out. Whenever the referendum is held, however, there seems to be an ever greater mismatch between its historic significance and the small-print terms on which it will supposedly be decided. On the result hangs nothing less than the future direction of the UK and probably the future of the EU, too. Yet the decision will supposedly hinge on a few billion pounds spent (or not) on subsidies for incoming workers, and on how far the City of London can be insulated from the eurozone. Boris Johnson talks Brexit on Daily Politics It will not, of course. Corporate Britain has mostly made up its mind, while a few billion pounds here or there are not going to shift those who are viscerally opposed to the UK ever having been in Europe. On the other side, I doubt I am alone in having mixed feelings about the number of EU migrants in low-paying jobs, and objecting to a system where residency, rather than citizenship, is the qualification for most state benefits and yet child benefit for non-resident children is still paid. For all his frantic negotiating, the big question to stay or to go will not be swung by whatever Cameron brings back from Brussels. What will swing it? Deep-seated attitudes that predate the referendum by at least a generation; plus, I fear, a fused vision of EU workers and non-EU migrants and refugees rushing our shores. That the UK is outside the Schengen arrangements and has opted out of any EU quota system for refugees will count for little, so long as there are pictures of desperate people crossing more southern seas. Given the lack of public confidence in our national border and asylum system, the remain campaign will have to make the distinction between EU workers, non-EU migrants, and refugees much more cogently than it has done so far. Paradoxically, all this could perhaps have been avoided. If national sovereignty were the real point of contention, why not follow the German example and pass scrutiny of all laws to a constitutional court or similar. Such a change could have been handled by the UK Parliament with no need for a referendum, no need for haggling with Brussels, and no need for Cameron to traipse around outer Europe. Recommended Read more Accepting refugee children into the UK is a dangerous strategy It has been objected that the UK system precludes such a solution, but why? Our unwritten constitution may be a source of pride, but the mess that attempted reforms have brought from piecemeal federalism (devolution) to the creation of a Supreme Court cries out for a process that would speed our constitutional arrangements into the modern age. This referendum, however, is not primarily about national sovereignty. It is about something more small-minded: a grievance nursed for decades by those voters who feel that, on Europe, they were never asked. he 1975 referendum called only for an existing decision to be endorsed. Not until the in-out (remain-leave) question has been posed, can the country turn to the rest of its unfinished constitutional business. The sooner that happens, the better. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} What has become of public discourse in Britain? Are we so dumbed down that we cannot now have a grown-up debate about a serious matter? Has social media made us crude and dismissive in our judgements? And has the personal supplanted the political? I take as my evidence for this the reaction to the intervention in the Europe referendum question by a public figure whos extremely rich, well-bred and somewhat remote, an instantly recognisable national figure who has led a gilded life. No, not Prince William, but Emma Thompson. On one side, the Oscar-winning actress says that England is a cake-filled, misery laden, grey old island and that it would be mad for us to leave the European Union; on the other side, a selection of Tory MPs and rent-a-Europhobes have called her an overpaid Leftie Luvvie and an elitist Metropolitan snob. How elevating. How mature. Its a good thing that its a matter of such little consequence whether Britain is in or out of Europe. As it happens, I agree with Thompson. Not on her peculiarly downbeat characterisation of Britain as a tiny little, cloud-bolted, rainy corner of sort-of Europe (of which more later), but on her belief that Britains future lies as part of the EU. Hers is an emotionally driven response we should be taking down borders, not putting them up but is no less admissible for that. What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence. Many of those who are of the In persuasion, start from a position of sentiment, and given that the European Union itself has its origins partly as a psychological bulwark to halt the rise of the nationalism that had created two world wars, it is understandable that the concept of a confederation of nations of which we are a part plays to our hearts as much to our heads. I feel European, says Ms Thompson, and I know exactly what she means. So her views, while antipathetic to the cheerleaders of Brexit, should not be dismissed as the rantings of an unreconstructed Leftie. Thompson has spoken before about the plight of refugees, and hasnt been shy about taking an unpopular view, saying last year that the UKs response to the refugee crisis was shaming. Theres a natural resistance among the general public to give credence to the political opinions of a household name (again, Im not talking about Prince William). But Emma Thompson doesnt just talk the talk: she and her husband have adopted a son from Rwanda; she speaks up for Action Aid; she joined in a local protest against the opening of a new branch of Tesco. Shes politically engaged, and uses her fame to get publicity for her causes. Nothing wrong with that. Where anyone sensible would take issue with Thompson, however, is in her portrayal of Britain as a depressing, grey little place. I dont know exactly where she lives, but its not a portrait of the country that many of us would recognise. Ok, the weathers pretty terrible. But culturally, economically, architecturally, socially, strategically, or in terms of diversity, openness and opportunity, theres not another country in Europe and probably not the world which can touch Britain. No wonder they want us to stay with them in the EU. No wonder HSBC wants to remain domiciled in London. Whatever. This is not an argument to be had on such terms. Which way we jump on Europe rests on the careful exposition of nuanced political and economic points, and not on the hurling of insults over an ideological divide. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As the authors of the survey recently cited exploring the criminalisation of the purchase of sex (Prostitutes fear that criminalising clients would reduce safety, 17 February) we were deeply disappointed that your editorial of 17 February fundamentally misrepresents the debate, portraying an ideological and moralistic view of sex work rather than one that reflects evidence, including the evidence published in this paper. After an initial acknowledgement of the need to heed their warning about the safety implications of criminalising clients, the views of sex workers and expert practitioners seem to be dismissed in favour of a view of sex work that isnt founded in reality. Your editorial asserts that its people traffickers and abusers who should be targeted. Well guess what? Sex workers and specialist practitioners want police resources to target traffickers, abusers and violent offenders too. Your suggestion that we criminalise clients runs counter to your desire to reduce harm. The evidence is clear that criminalising clients will only make adults engaging in consensual sex work vulnerable to violence, predation, stigmatisation and marginalisation. It will also threaten the livelihood of many who sell sex for a living. How about listening to the experts the sex workers for once? Alex Feis-Bryce CEO, National Ugly Mugs, Manchester Dr Mary Laing Northumbria University Nice piece by Dean Kirby (17 February) on the survey of prostitutes, 96 per cent of whom were against criminalisation of buyers of sex. Shame about the editorial proposing the opposite. Dick Finch Chepstow Hospitals told to toe the line This week, Professor Ian Cumming of Health Education England (HEE) wrote to all NHS trust chief executives. He stated: Implementation of the national contract will be a key criterion for HEE in making the decisions on our investment in training posts. Clearly this amounts to holding hospitals to ransom, appearing to threaten the withholding of doctors in official, nationally recognised training posts from working in trusts which choose not to impose the new junior doctor contract in August. Such a threat is proof of the heavy-handedness and bullying tactics which junior doctors have experienced at the hands of this government for the past six months, which now appear to be extending to hospital chief executives. Holly Ni Raghallaigh Urology Registrar, London W14 David Cameron has spoken fine words about addressing our shameful failure to meet sufficiently the needs the mentally ill. Who can disagree with him? I just find myself wondering idly where he thinks he will find the doctors to deliver his admirable aims. Perhaps he will try to recruit from Canada, Australia, New Zealand... Beryl Wall London W4 Confidentiality under threat Some years ago I was part of a team advising probation areas on information security, including the Data Protection Act. A persons criminal record and personal circumstances are defined as personal, or sensitive personal information under the Act, and their revelation by the probation service to anyone without a genuine need to know could be a breach of that Act. The changes to probation offices being made by Sodexo (There is no privacy ..., 8 February) appear to make conducting a confidential interview impossible in the new open-plan offices. Probation officers (the nicest clients I have ever had) need to discuss drug habits, family abuse and violence issues, and any offences committed by the offender, in a secure environment. Any offender worried about being found by a previous abusive partner or relative could be overheard, or possibly the case file could be seen and partially read by another offender, and the information passed on or sold to interested parties. The Napo probation union should refer the matter urgently to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), and inform Sodexo that the ICO has the power to impose fines of up to 500,000 for breaches of the Act, preferably before someone is seriously injured or killed. (No Im not joking, the offender may be a petty criminal, but their stalker may be seriously violent.) Any offender could legitimately refuse to discuss their personal details in such an open environment, and potentially sue for failing to keep their personal information safe. If politicians object to spending money on this, maybe they would like to discuss the intimate details of their own private lives in public: I understand that Messrs Cameron, Johnson and Osborne are uncommunicative about their escapades as Bullingdon Club members, but I am sure the Probation Service would lend them an interested ear. Peter Slessenger Reading Cameron could lose the point of Europe On wonders whether anyone in Downing Street has really done their maths about voting intentions in the EU referendum. It is clear that David Camerons negotiations are unlikely to impress many Eurosceptics or persuade them to vote In. However there must be many who will now think of abstaining rather than voting In. This is because, by ditching Ever Closer Union, Mr Cameron will have ruined the whole idea. There must be millions, like me, for whom the overwhelming importance of the European project is that it has delivered peace and security to the vast majority of Europe for the whole of our lives. Scrap this basic tenet of membership and start to restrict freedom of movement and it loses all of its purpose, which is to bring people together. Rod Auton Middle Handley, Derbyshire David Cameron says the world would be a more dangerous place if Britain voted to leave the European Union. When we remember that the referendum was Camerons idea in the first place, and that he came up with the notion because of pressure and agitation within his own party, it follows that the Tory party itself is an existential threat to the peace and stability of the British nation. What does Cameron propose to do about this threat? Martin London Henllan, Denbighshire The most urgent task in Syria With Russia supporting the Assad regime, I think that the West should bow to the inevitable and accept that the moderate rebels wont win the war in Syria. Instead of providing military support to them, the western powers should concentrate their efforts on diplomacy to achieve safeguards for the Sunni community in Syria and ways of addressing its historic grievances, in return for allowing President Assad to stay in power for the time being. If such diplomatic efforts were successful, all concerned could then join forces to fight Isis, which is surely the most urgent task. Peter Nixon Richmond, Surrey Dangerous lasers and the law A compelling case can be made for the boneheaded possessors of super-powerful lasers which I understand are impossible to use indoors and cannot be excused as presentational tools to face stringent legal penalties for their misuse. Will it take the actual downing of a passenger jet, with the inevitably massive loss of life, to nudge our politicians into action? I suggest 10 years minimum for possession, life imprisonment if someones proven to have deliberately targeted an aircraft. But wait arent these superpower lasers imported from the Far East? Notwithstanding the proportion of product bought directly online by individual users, this disgusting government has a track record of doing business, come what may, with many of that regions more dubious regimes. I suspect convincing Tory trade ministers of the urgency for tougher restrictive laws will take more than an insignificant mass murder or two. Richard Butterworth St Day, Cornwall Who wants Trident enough to pay for it? If Trident, this monumental waste of money, is so important to the countries of Nato, what percentage of it are they prepared to pay and where are they willing to base it? If none and nowhere, then I suggest we do the same. Dr David West Upminster, Essex What price moral judgement? If, as the proposed boycott ban suggests, the Government feels that we should exercise no moral judgement in deciding from whom we purchase goods, whats to stop us importing cheap oil from Isis? Arnie Donoff London N11 Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Geneva peace process is dead in all but name. The cessation of hostilities its puny sequel has been brushed aside by Russia, Iran and the regime of Bashar al-Assad, ahead of a likely push to crush the rebellion once and for all. The promise of aid to besieged communities cannot mask the very real threat of the civil war entering its most barbaric phase yet: recent Russian air strikes have targeted Aleppos hospitals and schools. It is the opinion of Senator John McCain that the Kremlin has started to use refugees as a weapon targeting infrastructure with the aim of pushing another mass of displaced Syrians towards Europe. He is almost certainly right. What to do? There are two paths open to the West in attempting to gain some leverage. The first, pursued at one time or another by America, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf nations, is to provide more arms to the moderate rebel factions in Aleppo and beyond. Because Jabhat al-Nusra an offshoot of Al-Qaeda has often fought alongside the mainstream opposition, this is hard for Western publics to swallow which is why most of the US work is done clandestinely by the CIA. Even putting aside the likelihood of strengthening Al-Qaeda, there are questions over how much exactly further weaponry could achieve, against the might of the Russian air force and Iranian militias. On the surface, the second option promises to do more good in exchange for less mess. Angela Merkel is the latest world leader to float the idea of a no-fly zone, stretching east from Aleppo to the Turkish border, and providing safe haven for displaced civilians. It was no accident that Merkel mentioned this plan in the context of a discussion on refugees. If they can stay in Syria, they may not come to Germany. Recommended Read more The FBI finally got the Muslim killers it was waiting for But the Chancellor fell into the same trap that most no-fly zone advocates do which is, broadly, not giving it enough thought. Eight of the 10 presidential candidates support a no-fly zone: one, at most, shows any sign of understanding what it would entail. The Republicans chuck the words out because they want to seem tough. Hillary Clinton, who makes the best case, nevertheless first suggested that the zone would run in co-ordination with Russia a bizarre call, given that Russia has thus far been mowing down the same people it would protect. (Clintons mistake was, unfortunately, repeated by Merkel.) A no-fly zone is not impossible, but it requires a willingness to shoulder large costs and larger risks. Even if Turkey and Saudi Arabia can be convinced to provide the ground troops necessary to protect its borders, US planes would need to be on standby 24/7 to block off any Russian incursions. The most obvious fear is that a dogfight leads to a broader conflagration, and as Kremlin spokespeople keenly point out the start of World War Three. Clinton rather skirted the question of what she would do in the event of a Russian plane entering the zone (the first two times, you would warn them, she told NBC, but couldnt quite bring herself to voice out-loud the presumed punishment on a third run). Then there is the problem of what to do about rebel fighters. A no-fly zone is only likely to gain UN approval if it is explicitly and solely for civilians. That would mean trying to turn bedraggled rebel fighters many of whom the US supports away. The potential for conflict here spikes. If the groups were however to be allowed in to rest and restock, America would in effect be sponsoring a rebel state. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, claimed a fully US-led zone would require 70,000 soldiers and cost up to $1bn a month. The West must indeed do something. Canadian academic Michael Ignatieff rightly summarised Aleppo as the new Sarajevo, the new Srebrenica. But world leaders and potential world leaders who claim they are fully prepared to establish a no-fly zone should consider a third option. That is, to take all the political and financial will that it would require and apply it to providing safe havens for Syrians outside of the country. Take that $1bn or $500m a month and, instead of spending it on a hugely risky military endeavour, use it to set up zones in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan in which Syrians cannot only live but work. This plan belongs to world-renowned development economist Paul Collier: as of today, none of the four million or so refugees in the countries neighbouring Syria are allowed to take jobs. To convince Jordan and co to let them set up businesses of their own, and export goods to Europe, would cost serious money as would pump-priming the markets. But the result would be places where Syrians can live, learn and work in peace until such time as they can move back. Everyone likes to talk tough. Much of the US public backs aggressive military action. In Syria, a more aggressive policy is called for. But that aggression should be diverted to humanitarian ends, which means either taking in vastly more innocent civilians something Europe and the US are apparently not prepared to or paying for and overseeing the establishment of economically liberal safe havens in the Middle East. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} America is plagued by mass shootings. In 2012, 20 children and 6 teachers were mercilessly gunned down at Sandy Hook school. In 2013 a former Naval officer murdered 12 in Washington DC. The list goes on and on. In none of cases has the FBI thought it necessary to obtain the power to hack every iPhone in America and undermine the private lives of every US citizen. Yet, the San Bernardino massacre in California has given the FBI an opportunity to significantly extend its powers. The mass-murder at San Bernardino was committed by two radicalised Muslims, American citizen Syed Rizwan Farook and Pakistani Tashfeen Malik. As the FBI concluded, neither had any direct links to foreign jihadist movements, nor does it seem were they part of any wider conspiracy. As is far too often the case in the US, a few fringe individuals with a grievance committed a crime against their fellow Americans, with their desire to inflict as much damage as possible aided by the country's abundance of easily accessible guns. The FBI hasnt let the attack go to waste. It has demanded that Apple build a special version of the iPhone operating system neutered of its most important security systems that it would give to the FBI. This operating system would give the FBI the power to unlock any iPhone without a warrant from a judge. Worse still, the FBI has demanded Apple do this using an antiquated law from 1789, the All Writs Act. The FBI knows it couldnt win this argument in the US Congress, so its trying to use an old law to force Apples hand. In an open letter to its customers, Apple says it will comply with the FBI when it needs help in certain cases. "Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants, as we have in the San Bernardino case," it stated. "We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI, and weve offered our best ideas on a number of investigative options at their disposal." But this is different. The FBI want the ability to access the iphones of every American Apple user, whether innocent or guilty of any crime. Consequently, the San Bernardino case will make every Apple product less secure: less secure for internet banking, less secure against viruses and less secure against foreign governments. It will set a precedent that could open Apple up to having to un-encrypt the phones of people who really do need privacy: underground human rights activists in authoritarian states such as Azerbaijan, China or Saudi Arabia. In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: San Bernardino shooting In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A couple embraces following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility, in San Bernardino In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A victim is wheeled away on a stretcher following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility, in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Rescue crews tend to the injured in the intersection outside the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A survivor (2nd L) of the mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center meets her family after police questioning in San Bernardino Rex In pictures: San Bernardino shooting An armed police officer protects a busload of people who were inside the Inland Regional Center where gunmen shot and killed 14 people and injured another 14, to be escorted to meet relatives at the Rudy Hernandez Community Center in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting People wait at a community center for a family member who was near a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services center, in San Bernardino, California AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting In this image taken from video, armored vehicles surround an SUV following a shootout in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for the suspects of a mass shooting in San Bernardino Getty Images In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for the suspects of a mass shooting in San Bernardino Getty Images In pictures: San Bernardino shooting The Inland Regional Center complex is pictured in an aerial photo following a shooting incident in San Bernardino Reuters In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Authorities prepare to search an area near a church, following a shooting that killed multiple people at a social services center for the disabled in San Bernardino AP In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Evacuees from the scene of a shooting at the Inland Regional Center hug each other as they wait inside the Rudy C Hernandez Community Center in San Bernardino EPA In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Omar Riopedre embraces his wife Diana, who was in the Inland Regional Center when the mass shootings took place, as they leave the Rudy C. Hernandez Community Center in the San Bernardino In pictures: San Bernardino shooting A Sheriff's Deputy runs after reports that suspects in the shooting at the Inland Regional Center were sighted in San Bernardino EPA In pictures: San Bernardino shooting Law enforcement officers search for suspects in a neighborhood after a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino EPA Theres no evidence that the FBI even need this power. The key piece of information in this case that the shooters were radicalised was based on an un-encrypted Facebook post by one of the shooters praising Isis. If I were American, I'd be wary of giving the FBI creeping powers. While it does a tough job, it has periodically overstepped its powers. The FBI wrote letters to Martin Luther King urging him to commit suicide, after a long period where they placed the civil rights activist under a comprehensive surveillance and harassment strategy. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation points out, they even tried to break up Dr Kings marriage. If this can happen to one of Americas greatest leaders with a strong relationship with the president, it can happen to any law-abiding citizen. More recently, the FBI has been accused of facilitating terrorist plots in mainland America after major investigative exposes by the New York Times and The Intercept. The US isnt alone. The British government is planning to extend surveillance for the police and intelligence agencies through a new draft law, the Investigatory Powers Bill, which make the the FBIs demands look like a model of restraint. The Bill is so draconian that Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee, which is security cleared and has the closest working relationship with our intelligence agencies, has called for it to be significantly rewritten to protect privacy. The Committee found many of the powers in the Bill a step too far, in particular the governments power to collect the details of every single website we visit. Hopefully the Government is going to redraft the entire Bill. If it doesnt, Britain faces the most extensive system of surveillance of any democracy. It isnt clear why. Technology companies are sometimes painted by governments as aiding or abetting crime. Silicon Valley is the enemy, with its soft approach to terrorism, online bullying and cyber-crime. Yet, many of the people working in tech see the US and UK police and intelligence agencies and wonder why theyre so keen to extend their powers. Why do they need access to the iPhones of people who havent committed any crimes? Why do they need our web browsing histories? Until governments come clean and are capable of making the case soberly in Parliament and in Congress this tension isnt going away. Your smartphone may yet be the last defence of your privacy. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovs assessment of the situation in Syria as complicated must be the understatement of the year: it is three-dimensional chess with nine players and no rules, as one US strategic analyst said. The latest ray of light - the accord reached by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) last week in Munich, looks to be extinguished by Russias bombing of hospitals and schools in northern Syria, causing dozens of civilian casualties. The cornerstone of the accord is UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015, which also demands that all parties immediately cease attacks against all civilian objects, including medical facilities and personnel. Foreign Minister Lavrov has stated that the main result of the the accord is the confirmation of this resolution and has expressed a common determination to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. Unfortunately, these good intentions are undermined by actions on the ground. The situation is further complicated by the advance of the Kurdish YPG (Peoples Defence Units), not only from west of the Euphrates but also towards Azaz close to the Turkish border, north of Aleppo. Menagh airbase 6 kilometers south of Azaz has been recaptured and now the YPG is advancing on Azaz, which will cut the corridor supplying insurgents in Aleppo from Turkey. The Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has declared Azaz yet another red line for Turkey and has threatened with retaliation if Azaz is threatened. For four days, Turkish artillery has shelled YPG positions and at Russias request the UN Security Council has met to discuss the situation. All 15 members have expressed concern about Turkeys action and have called on Turkey to comply with international law. The EU and the US have also urged Turkey to show restraint. The US and Russia will co-chair a UN task force to work on a long-term, comprehensive and durable end to hostilities - but their task is complicated, not only by the targeting of civilian facilities, but also Turkeys sabre-rattling. The most ominous threat is Turkeys call for a cross-border operation, ostensibly directed at Isis, but which will forestall Kurdish plans for an autonomous adminstration along the Turkish border. Turkeys plans are seconded by Saudi Arabia and its gung-ho minister of defence, King Salmans son, Mohammed bin Salman, who is clearly not content with just the Saudis war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This is, in fact, President Erdogans last bite at the apple, as his strategy of overthrowing Bashar al-Assads Shia-backed regime has been thwarted by Russias intervention. Besides, Erdogan must have enough on his hands, dealing with the war against the PKK and the Turkish Kurds demand for autonomy. Last June with the capture of Tel Abyad on the Turkish-Syrian border by the YPG another piece fell into place for Syrias Kurds. Also for Turkey. President Erdogan declared that Turkey would never allow the establishment of a state in northern Syria,and the Turkish military was given instructions to prepare for a cross-border operation. This would have the added effect of bolstering support for the governing AK Party in a new election, as the AKP had just lost its overall majority in the June elections. However, the Turkish military demurred and insisted on a written directive. At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff pointed out that such a move needed to be justified under international law, not to speak of the reactions from the US and Syria as well as Russia and Iran. Consequently, Prime Minister Davutoglu announced Turkey had no immediate plans for such an operation despite a military build-up on the Syrian border. Recommended Read more Similarities between Putin and Erdogan have put them at loggerheads In October 2012, the Turkish parliament authorised cross-border military operations into Syria when necessary, and this mandate was prolonged last September. Erdogan has regretted Turkey didnt go into Iraq together with the US in 2003 and remarked: "I don't want the mistakes committed in Iraq repeated in Syria." There is the temptation to double down on his losses, but if Erdogan does, he will bring Turkey down with him. Robert Ellis is a commentator on Turkish affairs in the Danish and international press Top farmers who are 'poster boys' for supermarkets are failing Bord Bia quality assurance audits for "trivial" reasons, warned the ICSA. A long-awaited review of the schemes for lamb, beef and dairy is ongoing as the farm bodies call for farmers to be given time to address minor issues rather than be excluded from the scheme for three months in most cases. "This scenario, where today you are quality assured, tomorrow you are not, is not acceptable," ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch told farmers gathered at an ICSA sheep seminar in Teagasc's Mountbellew college. "You know the farcical thing about it is we have seen scenarios where farmers who would be poster boys for supermarkets failing over something trivial in Bord Bia inspections. That can't be right." Bord Bia figures show there are 45,723 certified beef farmers, 11,993 lamb and 10,532 certified dairy farmers, with over 14,100 applications received for the latest dairy scheme. With 35,000 audits carried out last year, Bord Bia confirmed the failure rate was 7pc, with record keeping the most common reason. "The same standard applies to all members of the scheme," a spokesperson for Bord Bia said. Under the dairy scheme, farmers are given time, or a 'close out' period of one month, to address a non-compliance issue. This is currently also being considered for the new revised beef scheme. Mr Punch said it was hitting people hard in the pocket and it was adding to the pressure from the whole inspections regime. "The bottom line from our point of view is that we can't have people's livelihoods ruined overnight. In a lot of cases now you can't get stock killed at certain times of the year at all if you are not quality assured. In other cases you lose the 12c bonus on the cattle. That is not fair to farmers," said Mr Punch. The ICSA stated they were looking for an automatic right to a second audit within a two month time-frame, and a period of grace to reassess issues. They also want the option of a second audit with a different auditor. People living at some remove from "the Pale" had understandable feelings of detachment as they watched the big funerals of Dublin gangland figures. Sure, all human life is precious. But we are also entitled to reflect that those who choose to deal in lethal drugs, which ruin young lives, and then engage in murder, may on occasion reap what they sow. So this week's Dublin funerals, which soaked up huge garda resources, can seem rather like a reality television version of the crime series, Love/Hate. But these two gangland killings inside four days did also have another unexpected spin-off: they put crime on the political agenda in the teeth of a surprisingly lifeless general election campaign. Yes, all the main parties knew they had to speak about crime. The series of meetings around the country, attended by hundreds of people frustrated and fed up with crime, told all mainstream politicians that they had to at least pay lip-service to the issue. But it was in there among a range of secondary, or even tertiary issues, and far behind the perceived key issue of jobs and incomes. Crime also ranked behind the serious problems afflicting housing, health services, the lack of fairness in spreading recovery benefits to remoter regions and poorer people, and perhaps was only trailed by disappointment sluggishness of real political reform. Now suddenly, the sheer effrontery and clinical brutality of the incident at the Regency Hotel, in Dublin 11 days ago bumped crime up the agenda. All the main parties suddenly began talking about delivering more gardai and smarter policing. The Regency Hotel incident, and the shocking reprisal which followed within days, proved to be a game- changer. It is regrettable that the other would-be "secondary" issues - especially the vital issue of spreading economic recovery beyond the big population centres - will not see a similar series of incidents which could put it at the heart of the election issues. Both Fine Gael and Labour have been keen to argue that the recovery is finding its way into provincial and rural areas. But even some within those parties quietly concede that this is not so. Last week Waterford Fine Gael TD, John Deasy, whose name rarely appears in print without the accompanying adjective "maverick," told this writer that it was only in the past six months that Waterford and the South East generally had seen any evidence of an economic pick-up. Deasy, who is based in Dungarvan and knows the problems of west Waterford in particular, said his focus was to ensure that areas beyond Dublin and Cork got their share of the development cake. In this matter the issue of rural broadband is crucial. This has been promised over and over again in the past decade. But the reality is that there are areas not 20 miles from O'Connell Bridge in Dublin which do not have reliable fast broadband. Once you go west of Mullingar it is lamentable. Mobile phone cover is also dangerously hit and miss. It is not good enough in the era in which we live as these facilities are essential to development. These are the neglected issues of this election campaign. Addressing them has the potential to transform provincial Ireland in much the same way that rural electrification did in the 1950s. These should be vital election issues - but they are not. John Downing is the Irish Independent's parliamentary correspondent Irish farmers are not seeing the impact of the global fall in fertiliser prices, the ICMSA has warned. John Comer, president of the ICMSA, said farmers are facing into a difficult 2016 and fertiliser suppliers, in particular the co-ops, must move to ensure prices reflect the drop in energy prices worldwide. Landowners hosting large-scale renewable energy developments are the target of a new range of investors looking to access green income. At present there is real investor frenzy in solar Photo Voltaic (PV) investment, but farmers need to be well-informed about what's involved when they are approached by developers. Renewable energy projects such as solar PV and wind will require farmers to enter legal agreements with project developers. Legal agreements only work where there is a good relationship between the land owner and the developer. The project is effectively a partnership. Exclusivity Agreement This is usually a very short form document which outlines the site with reference to a map and establishes the developer's interest. The developer will want the land owner to sign an Exclusivity Agreement for a specific period. If the land owner is in discussion with other third parties they are required to cease those discussions. In some cases there is no Exclusivity Agreement at this stage and it's sometimes built into a later stage Heads of Terms. Heads of Terms The exclusivity agreement usually progresses to a heads of terms if the developer wishes to proceed with the project. The Heads of Terms will outline the basis of the project. In most cases, developers will enter into an Option Agreement and that option should then lead to a lease. The Heads of Terms usually sketches the format of the Option and Lease agreements and the rights of the developer. The Heads of Terms will outline the period and term of the Option and the Lease. Most solar projects are seeing leases between 25 and 30 years and generally you are seeing Option periods of anything from one to five years. Most Option Agreements are for three years with a right to extend for another two years. The Heads of Terms usually sets out the details for upfront and renewal fees. It will also set out who is responsible for various aspects of the agreement such as insurance. The Heads of Terms usually have confidentiality clauses. Heads of Terms are not contractually binding. They are effectively an agreement to conduct business but other than exclusivity and confidentiality clauses, they are not binding and you can pull-out. Option Agreement An Option for Lease (Option) Agreement usually favours a developer rather than a landowner. It gives the developer the most flexibility in terms of what they are going to do. This reflects the time and resources the developer will be expending on the project. The developer has to be in a position where they can pull out if the project is not making worthwhile progress. Many landowners are being asked at the pre-Option stage to sign a letter of consent allowing the developer to apply to ESB Networks for a grid connection. Other issues which the developer will be exploring include: * Planning * Finance * Power Purchase agreements (PPA) * REFIT * Solar Panel procurement agreements These have to be nailed down by the developer and they must feel that they are in a position to achieve all of these moving parts. The Option Agreement will see a non-refundable fee paid upfront to the landowner. Effectively, the landowner is restricting their land use to some extent by signing this Option Agreement. During the Option Agreement period the developer will prepare and submit a planning application. The developer is usually required to consult with the landowner and show them copies of relevant documents. This will all be at the cost of the developer. The developer will require access to the site to carry out searches and surveys etc. The developer may bring machinery and equipment on the site during this time and the landowner should not be interfering with the developer in that respect. The landowner will not be allowed to enter any other agreements, leases or licences of their property once they have signed up to the Option Agreement. They must therefore make any third-party lease holder or owner aware of the implications of the agreement which they have reached with the solar developer. The Option does not usually completely restrict the landowner from assigning or transferring the lands. Most solicitors find this to be the number one concern of landowners at the initial stages of these transactions. Landowners will say that they intend to transfer the lands to their son or daughter and don't want to create potentially bothersome legal issues for the next generation. In the vast majority of Option agreements, landowners are allowed assign or transfer their lands subject to the developer's consent. The Option usually provides (and if it doesn't, you should insist that it does) that the consent of the developer 'shall not be unreasonably withheld'. The Option may request the landowner to help sell the project to the neighbours to some degree and to help deal with any of potential planning difficulties. There is, of course, clear limitations as to what a land owner can do in this regard. At any time during the Option Agreement the developer can decide when they are ready to progress the option to a Lease. This will have been agreed upfront when the Option is signed. The developer is required to provide the landowner with sufficient notice of an intention to enter into the Lease. This notice period will be agreed in the Option Agreement and is typically between one and two months. So, if the developer wished to enter into the Lease in July, the landowner would be given notice of same in May/June depending on what is agreed in the Option. Leases, rents, insurance and other issues Costs and leases Developers usually pay a contribution or all of the landowner's legal and any other professional costs (e.g. tax advisers, surveyors) when the landowner enters into an option. Lease terms are usually 25 - 30 years. The lease will deal with rights of entry on the land to construct the panels, ancillary infrastructure, and deployment of on-site security fencing. It may also provide for access to or way-leaves on other land owned or leased by the developer which could include access roads which may also be linking up with third party lands. The land owner has a right to retain usage of the lands but this will be restricted to uses such as grazing sheep. A tricky part of these leases from a farmer's perspective is that there can be fairly strong clauses preventing farmers from interfering with the solar project by, for example, letting livestock on to the project area or creating a shadow by planting trees or erecting buildings in proximity to the solar panel footprint. There may be an option in some leases for an extension for a period of time even at the end of the 25-30 year lease period. Comprehensive Due Diligence needs to be completed on the property. The land owner needs to satisfy the developer that he has not entered into other lease agreements. If there is a bank charge on the property, the farmer will have to get the bank's consent before signing a lease. Rent Clause Generally the rent is agreed upfront and landowners have the option of index-linked or turnover-based rental agreements. With some solar leases, the rent payment is whichever is the larger figure of these two options. In this scenario, the developer is required to provide the landowner with metre reading and turnover figures. Insurance Developers will usually insure the site for employer's liability and public liability. Landowners should also consult their own insurance companies to make sure their own insurances are in place. Site Maintenance The land owner may potentially earn more income by providing the company services such as grass-cutting and weed control. These services need to be covered by a separate agreement. Landowners should always seek tax advice both rental and maintenance service payments. Conditional contracts While Option and Lease agreements are the most common way of developing agreements there are two other ways of doing this. One is a conditional contract subject to specific conditions in that the land owner knows they have a deal if these have been fulfilled. The final one is one which we never see, an unconditional contract whereby the landowner has a deal and it's going to happen one way or the other. It's important for land owners to familiarise themselves with previous work completed by the developer and investigate their track record. It's important that the developer knows what they are talking about and can handle the complexities of such transactions. Farmers must enter into agreements carefully and seek expert advice to negotiate the best possible outcome. This article was prepared by Barry Caslin from Teagasc; Edel Traynor from Barry Healy & Co Solicitors (Monaghan and Phibsboro, Dublin) and Adam Hogg from Mahon, Hayes & Curran Law in Barrow Street, Dublin. For the past 11 years the Darley Flying Start Programme has produced some of the finest men and women now working in existing and emerging thoroughbred markets worldwide. From Dublin to Dubai, and Newmarket to Lexington, there are graduates from all walks of life living the dream within the world of the thoroughbred horse. In 2003 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai had a vision to develop the thoroughbred industry by nurturing potential leaders through a dedicated training programme. Since the first graduates emerged from the Darley Flying Start in 2005, no fewer than 120 of them have remained within the industry either by direct employment, or by branching out on their own, and in turn creating further employment across the board. Francis-Henri Graffard, who was among the first group of graduates in 2005, has already established himself as one of the most exciting trainers in his native France following the Group One success of Erupt last summer. A graduate in 2012, Northern Ireland native Michael Hardy now manages Margaux Farm in Lexington, while 2007 graduate Gerry Duffy is general manager of Kildangan Stud. "We also have graduates who have set up their own bloodstock agencies while Gina Harding is a well-known presenter on the At The Races and Channel 4 Racing," commented the programme's general manager Clodagh Kavanagh. In her role, Ms Kavanagh manages the recruitment and marketing of the programme and guides a team of coordinators who implement the programme at its five training locations of Ireland, UK, Australia, Dubai and the USA. Each August a total of 12 trainees are chosen from on average 100 applicants from across the globe. While basic requirements include experience with horses and third-level education, most of all, each applicant must demonstrate 100pc commitment to the thoroughbred industry. The programme is broken into several phases over two years, with trainees spending the first three months based at Kildangan Stud. From there they move to Newmarket for a further three months and then spend six months studying the industry in Kentucky. Australia and Dubai Another three months are spent in Australia and also in Dubai, where again trainees have the opportunity to gain work experience through the various placements available. The final three months of the programme are spent back at Kildangan Stud. Modules include equine anatomy and physiology reproduction through UCD, in addition to equine nutrition at the University of Kentucky, and organisational behaviour and leadership at the University of Sydney. "It really is an opportunity of a lifetime," Ms Kavanagh added. "It is a complete scholarship, in that all costs are covered, and our graduates are proving hugely beneficial to the industry worldwide." The closing date for applications for the 2016 programme is next Friday, February 19. See www.darleyflyingstart.com Course opens doors at home and abroad Graduate profiles Caroline Walsh, Winstar Farm, Kentucky Many young people involved in the thoroughbred industry today dream of landing that plum job in the Bluegrass country. For Caroline Walsh, Kentucky is now her second home. Since graduating from the Darley Flying Start Programme last summer", Caroline Walsh has been settling into her new role of selling stallion nominations at Winstar Farm. She entered the industry in her teens and it wasn't long before she developed a love for horses through her association with Mark Molloy of Crossogue Stud. "It was after that I decided to do equine science in UCD and some of my work placement took me to Kentucky in 2010," she said. As part of her final year in UCD she studied light therapy and worked closely with Dr Barbara Murphy. Together they are credited with devising Equilume, now widely used as a method of providing artificial light to mares during the breeding season. On graduating, Caroline applied for the Darley Flying Start Programme and was among the 12 new recruits in 2013. "For me it was a good time to apply as I was just 25," she said. Work placements took her to Winstar Farm and from there to Australia to spend time with trainer Gail Waterhouse. She also spent several weeks at the Tattersalls HQ in Newmarket. "For someone like me who was lacking in experience it was really fantastic to get to these places." At Winstar Farm, Caroline is involved in promoting some 22 stallions during the breeding season. "Some of these stallions also shuttle to Australia, so having been there too is hugely beneficial when it comes to being familiar with their stud season." Cathal Beale, Forenaughts Stud, Co Kildare Expand Close Arts graduate Cathal Beale is now an assistant manager at Forenaughts Stud in Kildare. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arts graduate Cathal Beale is now an assistant manager at Forenaughts Stud in Kildare. Cathal Beale did not take the conventional route to the bloodstock industry, but has nevertheless now landed on his feet as assistant manager at Forenaughts Stud. Owned by Dermot Cantillon the stud is home to some 30 thoroughbred broodmares. "Strangely enough I had no background in horses except for my grandfather Dan Beale who was a farrier," said Cathal. After completing his Leaving Certificate he went to UCD to study English and History and graduated with an Arts degree in 2004. From there he secured a job as a broadcaster with Paddy Power Bookmakers. "Even then I was not directly involved with horses but it was through this job I became interested and spent some time with Ken Bolger and well as Michael Murphy to get experience." The bug soon took hold and in 2007 Cathal applied for the course in the Irish National Stud. "I really enjoyed my time there and it gave me a wonderful grounding for what was to come." He successfully applied for the Darley Flying Start Programme that same year along with fellow Irishmen, bloodstock agent Michael Flanagan and Darren Fox who now works for Darley USA. Placement "The programme is unique in that it opens up so many doors. I was fortunate to have spent some of my placement with John Oxx during Sea The Stars' reign which was quite incredible. "I would never have had the opportunity if it were not for the programme." Married in Kildare to teacher Sarah and father to 10-month-old Charlie, it seems the 32-year-old has his feet firmly on the ground. David Walsh, Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket From the point-to-point and hunting fields of Ireland to the thoroughbred capital of Newmarket, David Walsh has come a long way in his 24 short years. A graduate of the Darley Flying Start in 2015, the Co Waterford native is now looking forward to his first breeding season as nomination sales executive at the world-renowned Darley Stud. David grew up surrounded by horses and was riding thoroughbreds by the age of 13. He held an amateur licence for several years and had some of his most memorable wins on the point-to-point field and on the track with the family-owned Ballyhampshire Man. In 2013 he graduated from UCC with a science degree, majoring in biochemistry. However, deep down he felt he would always return to the bloodstock industry in some capacity. "I remember I was working for Iverk House Stud while still in college and I met some graduates while at the sales. It was there and then I decided to go for it. "I said to myself: 'if you are not in you can't win' but I put a lot of effort into my application, and this is something I strongly advise for any prospective applicants." "For me the biggest highlight of the programme was the travelling and exposure to the international aspects of the industry." During the course of the two years he did placements with US trainer Kieran McLaughlin, James Harron Bloodstock in Australia, Zabeel Racing Stables in Dubai and with Godolphin trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor. He completed his European-based work placement with Goffs. "Between the hands-on approach and the academic end of it through the Michael Smurfit School, it covered everything." Globetrotting in search of the finest yearlings Barry Lynch, Lillingston Bloodstock, Co Limerick. Expand Close Barry Lynch / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barry Lynch Barry Lynch graduated from the Darley Flying Start Programme in 2012 and immediately secured a post with Lillingston Bloodstock in Co Limerick. Since then the Cork native has been involved in securing numerous top-class thoroughbreds for clients, the most recent being the Grade 1 winner Hillstar who has just joined the stallion roster at Garryrichard Stud. 2013 was also a landmark year for Kern Lillingston, as the organisation was involved in the sale of Immortal Verse, who topped the Tattersalls December Breedingstock Sale at 4,700,000 guineas. Having been born into a family involved in horses, as his parents bred the champion filly Lilly Langtry, he had a good grounding from the outset and furthered his knowledge by spending summer months working at both Castlehyde and Grove studs. Prior to attending the Darley Flying Start Programme he obtained a degree in Business and Law from UCD. "I had heard about the programme from several breeders and decided to apply at the age of 23," he said. "At that stage I was focused and knew this is what I wanted to do. Prior to doing the programme I had done very little travelling and I remember being in awe the first time I went to Kentucky. "The programme certainly gave me a wonderful foundation for the future as now I travel quite a lot. "In a few weeks I will be heading to the Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne to source yearlings for a client and from there I will travel on to the States," he added. Some interesting farm properties are coming on the market in Dublin and in the Greater Dublin Area, a region that, much to the chagrin of diehard Lilywhites, takes in North Kildare. Coonans of Maynooth are handling the executor sale of a 38ac farm with plenty of road frontage at Ballycahan, Kilcock. The farm is described by Phillip Byrne as the best of good free-draining land located 2km from Kilcock. Laid out in five fields divided by hedgerow, the holding is divided by the road into a 20ac piece and an 18ac piece. There is a small yard on the farm comprised of a haybarn and a collecting yard. It is hoped to bring the farm to auction later in the year when it will be guided at 10,000/ac. Maynooth Another piece of ground to be brought to auction later is a 6.5ac parcel of grassland at Ballygoran, Maynooth. Located close to the Intel plant in Leixlip and Carton House the land will be guided at 12,000/ac. Mr Byrne believes it will remain as agricultural ground and sell at agricultural prices. Nevertheless he expects huge interest: "There may be a possibility of getting one house on it, but as it stands it's a piece of farming ground," he said. Dublin A more substantial farm on the private treaty market is an 80ac holding on the outskirts of the city at Newcastle, off the N7. The non-residential holding guided at 12,500/ac or 1m. Located at Athgoe, Newcastle near the Blackchurch Inn and Rathcoole on the N7 the 80ac is all in grass and all in one block. Set on an elevated site, the place has fine views over Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. Philip Byrne of Coonans describes the land as free draining ground laid out in nine divisions - all surrounded by mature hedgerows fronting on to the Griffin river. The farm is all in grass with 265m of attractive stone frontage on to the public road. It comes with a small farmyard that includes a haybarn, lean to, cattle handling facilities and a number of outhouses. The property is well fenced and watered by the Griffin River and a mains supply. According to Mr Byrne, the holding could be transformed into a fine residential farm with the requisite planning permission. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has pledged support for the sheep sector in a form of a new scheme that could mirror the beef genomics scheme for the suckler herd. Both Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Mr Coveney said the party would always "prioritise" agriculture, as they hit out at opposition claims that they had presided over a two-tier economic recovery. On a visit to the Richardson sheep, suckler and tillage farm outside Tullow, Co Carlow, Fine Gael highlighted its plans to roll out a regional action plan to reduce unemployment to under 7pc in all regions. "There will be an upcoming mid-term review of the CAP and we will, of course, be looking at opportunities to build on some of the schemes we have already been rolling out to support the beef sector, to support sheep, to support dairy, particularly given the pressures on pricing over the last 12 months," said Mr Coveney. He said they were committing to a new sheep scheme that will be most likely similar to the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), to make farmers more efficient through better breeding. Amid criticism of the beef forum with the recent removal of the moratorium on weights above 420kg, Mr Coveney said he remained committed to continuing the forum and it was set up to talk through problems. "But that doesn't mean it can dictate to everybody, the beef forum was built on consensus," he said, adding it had been an "important tool". "People from outside the beef forum expect miracles from it, the beef forum does not dictate price - it can't," he said. As the campaigning continued apace on the election trail, Mr Coveney claimed Fianna Fail had "abandoned" young farmers in government by removing installation aid without warning. It follows Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin promising 200 a cow for the suckler sector in the form of an increased genomics payment on the first 20 cows and an increase in Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payments. Two-tier recovery "An unfair two-tier recovery has taken hold which has concentrated growth disproportionately in one location leaving the regions lagging behind," Mr Martin said as he addressed the IFA executive council. The opposition party said it was also looking at bringing in a coupled payment of 20/ewe in the CAP review. "The lack of action by the present government in ensuring a fair return to farmers for their product has been a common feature of this administration at home and abroad," said Mr Martin. Mr Martin promised a food ombudsman and the protection of primary producer in national law. However, Mr Coveney hit back at the Fianna Fail leader's comments. "When I see promises being made by Fianna Fail on the eve of an election, which aren't innovative or new thinking, which isn't about changing agriculture for the better, but simply just promising to give money to people - money that they actually don't have - on schemes that haven't been costed, within a Common Agricultural Policy that doesn't facilitate what they are proposing, well then I am very sceptical indeed," said Mr Coveney. He added that he would be happy to be returned to agriculture if Fine Gael was returned to office. Enda Kenny however, ruled out returning agriculture to a single portfolio if re-elected, as he stressed that he felt agriculture was a good fit with the defence and fisheries. Noel Furlong's drill of choice is a 3m Claydon. The drill requires 150hp out front and is priced at 52,000 plus VAT. Plough-based tillage systems still dominate in Ireland, but in recent years strip tillage has attracted a steady trickle of growers. Farmers are keen to assess the merits of strip tillage in terms of yield and labour costs over conventional tillage systems, and the concept is the subject of ongoing Teagasc research. Beef farmers have a choice - stage a 'revolution' and force the factories to pay a fair price or else remain at the bottom of the food chain. That's the verdict from Alison de Vere Hunt who runs a beef farm with her brother Robert and mother Annette in Co Tipperary. "Beef prices are where they were back in the eighties and what you get from the factories is nowhere near the actual value of the beef produced. I reckon the average beef farmer is working for 2 an hour at the moment and is only getting across the line, in financial terms, with their EU basic payment," she says. She believes the causes of this imbalanced market are the beef processors' tactics, fence-sitting by successive agriculture ministers and ineffective lobbying from farm organisations. A psychology graduate who also holds masters degree in business, Alison is well placed to make these calls. Not only does she help run the family's 200ac beef enterprise at Ardmayle, near Cashel, but she also runs the family's private mart as well as their thriving auctioneering business in the town. Alison took an active interest in the family businesses after her father, Philip, well known among the local farming community as "Vere', died three years ago. The family farm currently runs a herd of around 100 cattle and it is being restocked to take between 300 to 400 head, while the mart sells some 26,000 head of cattle annually, mainly through the Saturday sales. Alison is strictly management on the mart side and hasn't wielded the gavel yet despite local farmers mercilessly egging her on at every hand's turn. "My brother Robert and another auctioneer do that. I am not saying I won't do it. Maybe someday I will - if both of them are out sick," she says. The 31-year-old took the scenic route back to Cashel after leaving school. She decided to go on a world tour in her teens taking in South Africa en route to working on a dairy farm in New Zealand and then fetched up in San Francisco working as a 'sort of measures inspector' when Star Wars creator, George Lucas, was building his visual arts centre in the city by the bay. "I had to make sure the amounts of soil taken off the site and brought on to the site were correct. There were a lot of chancers on the site. It was a great job but I didn't meet the great man." Then it was off with her to Roehampton University for her psychology degree and on to Dublin IT for her master's degree in business and then back to the real world in Cashel. "My father was delighted. He knew I would come back to the business," Alison says. Cashel Mart does not collect levies for third parties and Alison believes the situation for beef farmers will not improve until there is a root and branch reform in sector and that includes marts collecting levies for the IFA, she emphasises. Similarly, she believes there is a "bubble" developing in the land rental market where she says that prices are "crazy" with young farmers trying to get on to the ladder competing for limited land with farmers trying to expand their enterprises. She believes Irish land rental prices - the highest in the world, she contends - are making farming less competitive. "Everyone will end up with bills they cannot pay," she predicts. And then she speaks of her misgivings about the traceability issue, querying how Polish beef can be imported for further processing and of her fears that Irish farmers won't rise up against the current TTIP talks. "If we want to keep farming in farmers hands then the TTIP should not be allowed pass," she says. Ireland's dwindling rural population is leaving farming families isolated and unless drastic action is taken now, rural life as we know it will cease to exist, a leading community activist has claimed. Jim Connolly set up Rural Resettlement Ireland over 26 years ago, a charity that assists families from over-populated areas in Dublin resettle all over the west of Ireland. Census figures reveal that most parts of the west are now down to less than 10 people per square kilometre, compared to less than 25 people per square kilometre in other rural areas. Only 120,000 of the 1.5 million rural dwellers are farmers but each is dependent on each other for sustainable communities with proper services. Mr Connolly says that rural Ireland has been failed by successive governments and action is needed now to address this crisis and prevent large swathes of the country from becoming 'green deserts'. He says only radical action now will save Ireland. Jim traces his interest in tackling rural decline to the 1970s, when he was living in Glenties in Co Donegal and teaching in the local comprehensive school. It was around this time he attended a public meeting where the conclusions of a three-year study on southwest Donegal that had been carried out by An Foras Forbartha was being discussed. Well-known rural rights campaigner Fr James McDyer of Glencolmcille was also in attendance. The study concluded that unless something was done, in 40 years there would be no one at all living there. "To cut a long story short, I got involved with him and a committee was set up to try and do something about it," Jim recalls. A few years later, he and his wife and family relocated to west Clare to Kilbaha on Loop Head, where they have been for over 40 years. "I found the exact problem there as there had been in southwest Donegal and the issue of falling populations was very strong. "Old people had paths worn to the graveyard and there were empty houses everywhere, no one following on and populations falling down. "I thought at that time that if people from over populated areas in Dublin could be attracted down - but the perceived wisdom was that if there wasn't jobs, what was the point," he says. The lack of jobs held him back for over 20 years until he changed his mindset. He thought if people were living on social welfare in Dublin, why couldn't they enjoy a better quality of life in the west. This was 1990 and Ireland had over 300,000 unemployed with the greater proportion of these in the Dublin area. Jim puts his thoughts to paper and sent it to a few people and it was picked up by The Gay Byrne Show on Radio One. That week, Jim received 100 letters of inquiry. Rural Resettlement Ireland was set up and since then it has helped over 800 families from Dublin settle all over the west of Ireland. Opposition "The key to its success was that it was never its intention to set up a ghetto anywhere," Jim says. "The available houses came in on an ad hoc basis and over time these were upgraded - so when families moved in there might not be another Dublin family within 30 miles and that's why it worked. "There was opposition from some people who said, 'why are you bringing down unemployed people from Dublin who are going to take the few jobs we have? "But depopulation creates unemployment. You're going to lose schools and lose services and where you have no people you have no potential whatsoever of development." The majority of the families that did relocate have stayed in the areas and Jim says the original settlers are now grandparents whose grandchildren are helping to keep the local schools open. "Some of them will go abroad like all our children but enough of them will stay and integrate into the local community and life goes on," he adds. Jim's own family are an example of this. He and his wife Kathleen first moved to the area with two small children and then had a third. Now it's a joy to them that their three children, their spouses and nine grandchildren are all living around them in west Clare. "My own family is proof of the net result of new families coming in to an area," he says. Another family that moved to Kilbaha from Dublin with the help of Rural Resettlement Ireland stopped the local school from becoming a one-teacher school, ultimately saving the school. "What happens is it gives the community a break. When the farmer's son settles down, there's a school there to send his children to and those families become totally integrated in the area and that's been happening all over Ireland," Jim says. Now aged 78, Jim Connolly continues to do what he's been doing for the past 26 years on a voluntary basis with no funding from government. Like any charity, it relies on fundraising but he says they do the best they can to assist families make that move. He still gets letters from school principals desperately in need of new families to save their schools. He believes in the wider picture of how communities thrive and this is dependent on them having a sustainable population that makes services possible. "There will always be farmers but they can't live in isolation and as time goes on there are fewer small farmers but more big farmers making lots of money but with no community to live in so where are all the services going to be for these farmers' children? "This is a crisis and one that we can see the end result of all over Europe and they call them 'green deserts'. And it breaks my heart to see rural Ireland and its culture going. "Successive governments have failed us utterly over the years in this respect and the slippery slope gets deadlier by the day. It's up to ourselves like never before to take action now," he says. 'The new family saved our school' Expand Close Jim Connolly with his grandchildren Brian, Hannah and Orla. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jim Connolly with his grandchildren Brian, Hannah and Orla. Jim Connolly with his grandchildren Brian, Hannah and Orla. Liam Woulfe, principal of Labasheeda National School in Co Clare, contacted Rural Resettlement Ireland for help when his two-teacher school was faced with losing a teacher. "Our numbers went down just as Ruairi Quinn's new pupil/teacher ratio came in and the numbers needed for a two-teacher school went up to 20. "We have numbers to come in the future but if we had gone down to a one-teacher school at that stage, we'd never have brought it back up again," he said. "We were in dire straits until Jim [Connolly] got involved and he got us a family and we managed to make the numbers on appeal to the Department of Education in May 2014. The school now has 27 pupils enrolled and the future is looking brighter. If the school had gone down to only one teacher it would have been extremely difficult for us to survive. "Rural Resettlement hasn't just benefited us, it's also a huge benefit to the families who come as well. "The school numbers are smaller but you're able to dedicate time to get to know the families that come in and a small school is also a very stable environment for children to learn," he added. From urban stress to new horizons in Kerry Expand Close Julie Moloney (right) with members of the Kerry Dark Sky Group. Photo: Don McMonagle. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Julie Moloney (right) with members of the Kerry Dark Sky Group. Photo: Don McMonagle. Julie Moloney (right) with members of the Kerry Dark Sky Group. Photo: Don McMonagle. Mother-of-four Julie Ormonde was faced with a dilemma over 20 years ago bringing up her children on her own in Dublin. Always a lover of peace and solitude, Julie took the plunge, uprooted her children aged 11, 9, 6 and 3, and moved to rural Co Kerry with the help of Rural Resettlement Ireland. She says her only thing she knew about rural Ireland was from Glenroe. Twenty years on and she has no regrets. Now living in Waterville, she has also made an invaluable contribution to her local community. Julie, a keen astronomer, secured an international designation for south Kerry as Ireland's first and the northern hemisphere's only Gold Star International Dark-Sky Reserve. She says: "The area I was living in Dublin had a lot of social problems and I reckoned that if I stayed there I'd lose at least two of my children to either drugs or crime, no matter how good a parent I thought I was." Julie heard Rural Resettlement Ireland founder Jim Connolly being interviewed on The Gay Byrne Show and it planted a seed in her head. Eventually, she says, they settled in but she learned that for this to happen she had to make the effort to get to know people. "I have no regrets at all," she says. "All my children got a very good education and went on to third-level. "Living down here, they went to school with the doctor's children, the farmer's children and the shopkeeper's children. There was no segregation." Now a grandmother, two of her children have since moved to the city but she has no desire to ever move back to Dublin. However, she advises anyone thinking of moving to make sure they like peace and quiet and won't miss the hustle and bustle of city life too much. A Union flag is raised ahead of the visit by Britains Prime Minister David Cameron to the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: Reuters European business organisations - including IBEC - are backing the UK Prime Minister's drive to make the EU more competitive. The Confederation of British Industry and its counterparts in Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and 15 other European countries have published a joint open letter backing the reform package that David Cameron wants to put to the British people. The prime minister must hammer out differences with fellow EU leaders at a summit tomorrow over a plan to reform Britain's relationship with the European Union. The letter from the business groups recognises that not all member states wish to be part of a drive for further integration, and that non-Eurozone states should have their position safeguarded. IBEC chief Danny McCoy said the EU needs to take steps to better compete with the rest of the world on jobs and growth. "The UK and Irish economies have incredibly strong bonds, but for firms to make the most of this it's vital that the UK stays in a reformed EU," Mr McCoy said. "It would be a major blow if the UK turned its back on the EU at a time when Europe needs to stand together to address very difficult, shared challenges." Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said the EU market cannot be taken for granted. "Improving the EU to make it more competitive in a global economy would be a real gain for firms of all sizes in the UK and across Europe," Ms Fairnbairn said. Meanwhile, a report published by Brussels-based CEEMET, an umbrella group which represents 200,000 manufacturers across Europe, said reduced trade and weaker industrial productivity could slow Britain's economic growth by 0.5pc a year for the next 15 years if it leaves the EU. A Brexit could reduce British economic output by more than 7pc over the next 15 years, Frederic Gonand, a professor at the University of Paris-Dauphine, said. On Monday Ms Fairairn said most of the firms she had spoken to recently had started to make contingency plans for a 'Brexit'. Irish renewable energy firm, Solar 21 has acquired the project rights to build a 22 megawatt (MW) biomass power plant in England. The plant will be built on a 64-acre site near Hull. The firm is looking to secure 60m through a fundraising round for the project, which has been under construction since October. Solar 21 chief executive Michael Bradley said there were investment opportunities available in this, the first of five pipeline projects with energy recover systems firm Heat Recovery Solutions. "This is a perfect opportunity for conscientious investors to participate in an ethical company while securing strong returns," he said. "Investors can make direct cash investment or make a pension investment through self-directed pension structures, such as Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs) and Approved Minimum Retirement Funds (AMRFs)." In recent years Hull has become a vital region of renewable activity in the UK with the vast major of industry players establishing a presence there. The firm joins Siemens and Dong Energy amongst the latest newcomers to the area. According to Solar 21, the investment returns on the Hull project are significant and the firm expects to continue its high return track record on the plant. "Since 2010, Solar 21 has delivered consistently high returns to our investors. "Our team understands renewable energy and we are acutely aware of the value to investors of a steady, above-average return," Mr Bradley said. Solar 21 also says that the plant will benefit from UK government-backed revenue once it's up and running. This is the latest development for an Irish software energy firm. John Mullins's Amarenco is moving its headquarters to Cork, creating 50 jobs. Patricia Byron, director general of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland; Sarah Ingle, secretary general of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland; and Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, reveal the sectors fears for the future in Dublin. Photo: Colm Mahady/Fennell Photography The future of Ireland's building industry is at risk due to a massive drop-off in the number of graduates emerging from construction-related courses. Next year just 38 civil engineers will graduate in Ireland, according to three representative bodies from the sector. The Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI), Engineers Ireland, and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) said that the country won't have enough graduates to meet the future demand of the construction sector. The representative bodies warned that the lack of college-leavers has become a "critical concern". Interest in construction-related courses plummeted following the crash. The director general of Engineers Ireland, Caroline Spillane, said the crash scared students away from construction courses in the same way that prospective students steered clear of computing courses after the dotcom bubble burst at the turn of the millennium. "In 2001 when the dotcom bust occurred, prospective third level students did not choose computing courses on their CAO applications and four years later there was a shortage. It is forecasted that in 2017 only 38 civil engineers will graduate in Ireland which is a direct consequence of the construction crash," Ms Spillane said. Ms Spillane said that there is a huge demand for various engineering skills to meet the criteria of the Government's house-building plan. "Civil, electrical, technological and construction-related engineering skills are in great demand to meet the requirements of our growing economy and to deliver on the Government's capital plan which includes major development of infrastructure and housing over the next six years and beyond," she said. With activity in the construction industry gradually gaining pace, it is anticipated that 2,000 jobs will be created in the sector by 2019. It's predicted that Irish graduates will only be able to fill half of them. The jobs will be created in order to keep up with the demand for housing that is growing in line with Ireland's economy. SCSI director general Patricia Byron said job creation will be spread across both construction and property roles. "Based on a conservative forecast of economic growth up to December 2019, over 2,000 new jobs are expected to be created across the surveying profession, split evenly across construction and property roles. "Looking at current student enrolments on surveying courses, there will only be enough Irish graduates to fill half of those positions," she said. The calls for more graduates comes ahead of the closure of the Central Applications Office (CAO) online facility on July 1. In 2015 the number of those applying for construction and property-related courses grew by 9pc. However, it is believed that the area still remains very male-dominated. The secretary general of ACEI, Dr Sarah Ingle, said engineering had yet to overcome its biggest challenge of attracting more females into the field. "We would like to particularly encourage young women to enter this exciting field, and to take the opportunity to make a very real and lasting contribution to Irish and international infrastructure and buildings." Technopath Clinical Diagnostics, the laboratory quality controls firm, has announced the creation of 60 new jobs over the next two years in Ballina, Co Tipperary, while a new nursing home was opened in Dublin, creating 140 jobs. The jobs at Technopath comes as part of a 5m investment in the firm that will see it treble its manufacturing capacity at its plant in Ballina. The firm is looking to meet international demand for its products, which are used in over 5,000 labs and 110 countries globally. "This significant expansion is the result of a combined effort by our team over the last 10 years to create a world-class range of third-party quality control products for the global healthcare market," said chief executive Malcolm Bell. The expanded facility was officially opened yesterday by locally-based Environment Minister. Hiring for the jobs is under way and will bring total employment numbers on site to 180. Meanwhile, Health Minister Leo Varadkar opened a new nursing home on the Finglas Road in Dublin yesterday, creating 140 jobs. The new home, Ardmore Lodge, will initially cater for 89 residents and will later care for 40 more. "This new nursing home will help support the care needs of the local population in North-West Dublin and is a notable economic boost to the surrounding community," Minister Varadkar said. Ardmore Lodge is being opened by nursing home group, Ardmore Care, which is headed by executive chairman Sean McNally and managing director John Martin. The group plans to deliver 500 beds nationwide. Virgin's broadband and television network is available in less than half of Irish homes and businesses and is concentrated in cities and urban areas. Virgin Media, formerly UPC Ireland, lost 10pc of its Irish TV customer base in the last year with more losses on the way, according to its latest financial accounts. As competition in the television subscription market intensifies, the company also disclosed it lost 22,000 Irish customers (4pc) in the last 12 months and over 41,000 (7pc) in the last four years. Its Irish broadband and home phone customer bases continued to rise, however, with gains of 2pc and 4pc respectively. The figures represent the sharpest fall in the operator's Irish television subscriber base to date, with a loss of 38,000 TV customers leaving its total TV base at 365,500, down from 403,500 a year ago. The company is due to see a further 22,000 TV customers cut off in April with the termination of its MMDS service due to spectrum reallocation. This will leave Virgin's television subscription base down over 20pc from where it was four years ago. In 2012, the company had 446,400 television subscribers but is down to 365,500 television subscribers today. The sharp fall in its TV customer base means that Virgin now has more broadband customers than TV customers in Ireland for the first time in the company's history. However, the company has managed to eke out more business from existing customers in that time, with the overall number of services (which the company measures as 'revenue-generating units') taken up by its subscribers increasing by 10pc in the last four years. The fall in Virgin's Irish television business comes at a time when aggressive competition in the sector has increased. The company's biggest competitor, Sky, has consolidated its television customer base at over 700,000 subscribers. Saorview, the free-to-air television service, has climbed to become the primary television service in 186,000 Irish homes. Eir's recently-introduced television service now has 45,000 customers, while Vodafone has just launched its own full-complement TV subscription service. Virgin Media Ireland's chief executive, Tony Hanway, has said that he believes the company has seen the worst of its TV subscriber losses. "It's stabilising," he told this newspaper last month. "I expect it to stabilise. That's what we're seeing. I think our platform has improved. I think our interface is better." The financial accounts also show that Virgin's broadband growth has slowed considerably, rising 2pc on the same time last year to 371,200. It is the company's slowest rate of broadband customer growth in Ireland since it introduced the service. However it is doing better in the growth of its home phone service, which increased by 4pc to 358,100 in the last 12 months. Virgin's broadband and television network is available in less than half of Irish homes and businesses and is concentrated in cities and urban areas. Mr Hanway said the company is to invest in an expansion of its network this year. Virgin also disclosed it has 7,600 Irish mobile phone customers since the launch of its virtual mobile service here. The company is adding approximately 2,000 mobile customers per month, according to its accounts. The accounts were published as Virgin Media's parent company, Liberty Global, announced a new 1bn deal with Vodafone that will give the mobile operator access to Liberty Global's fibre network in Holland. Sega is giving away Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, and Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit on Steam for free as part of its Make War Not Love promotion. Sega is feeling generous post-Valentine's Day and is giving away Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, and Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit on Steam as part of its Make War Not Love promotion. If you visit the Steam pages of these games, you will be presented with a prompt to download the entire bundle. These aren't the only games that will be free as part of this promotion; Binary Domain, Streets of Rage 2, and Condemned: Criminal Oranges will be free to download on Thursday from 6pm. There is a purpose to the Make War Not Love event; players are asked to choose a side based on one of three games that they'd like to play (Company of Heroes 2, Total War Attila or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2). Whichever game gets the most activity will then get free DLC. If you'd like to get involved and jump on a side, all three games are available from Steam at a 75% discount. Vodafone CEO Anne O'Leary pictured with Derry Gray, Partner, BDO and President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce for 2016 Vodafone chief executive Anne O'Leary has been nominated to the position of deputy vice president of Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Dublin Chamber said this will pave the way for her to become Chamber President in 2018. Ms O'Leary said she is looking forward to the challenges that the role will bring. "Between now and the start of 2018 it is estimated that the Irish economy will grow by 8pc," she said. "The chamber is a driving force in creating the right environment for sustainable growth, and I am excited to champion the needs of a thriving Dublin that will be at the heart of a return to a stronger, more stable economic future for Ireland." Also at the recent chamber AGM, Derry Gray of BDO (pictured inset with Ms O'Leary) was officially elected as President for 2016, while Brendan Foster of Grant Thornton was elected as Vice President. Dublin Chamber chief executive said Ms O'Leary's experience will help her to grow the organisation. Top oil exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed yesterday to freeze output levels but said the deal was contingent on other producers joining in - a major sticking point with Iran absent from the talks and determined to raise production. The Saudi, Russian, Qatari and Venezuelan oil ministers announced the proposal after a previously undisclosed meeting in Doha. It could become the first joint OPEC and non-OPEC deal in 15 years, aimed at tackling a growing oversupply of crude and helping prices recover from their lowest in over a decade. Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said freezing production at January levels - near record highs - was an adequate measure and he hoped other producers would adopt the plan. Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino said more talks would take place with Iran and Iraq today in Tehran. "The reason we agreed to a potential freeze of production is simple: it is the beginning of a process which we will assess in the next few months and decide if we need other steps to stabilise and improve the market," Mr Naimi told reporters. "We don't want significant gyrations in prices, we don't want reduction in supply, we want to meet demand, we want a stable oil price. We have to take a step at a time," he said. Oil prices jumped to $35.55 per barrel after the news about the secret meeting but later pared gains to trade near $33 on concerns that Iran may reject the deal and that even if Tehran agreed it would not help ease the growing global glut. OPEC member Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional arch rival, has pledged to steeply increase output in the coming months as it looks to regain market share lost after years of international sanctions. Those sanctions were lifted in January following a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme. "Our situation is totally different to those countries that have been producing at high levels for the past few years," a senior source familiar with Iran's thinking told Reuters. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh also indicated Tehran would not agree to freezing its output at January levels, saying the country would not give up its appropriate share of the global oil market. The fact that output from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia - the world's two top producers and exporters - is near record highs complicates any agreement since Iran is producing at least 1 million barrels per day below its capacity and pre-sanctions levels. (Reuters) One viewer complained to RTE about Dean Dixon's appearance on the Late Late Show Valentine's special. Enthusiastic Dean (25), a singleton from Coolock, was a massive hit with the audience and viewers on the show's one-night only version of Blind Date. Speaking on Breakfast Republic on 2fm on Monday, however, he admitted he had "had a few drinks" before the show and "embraced it". He said, "I woke up on Saturday morning and I looked at myself in the mirror and I turned on my phone and I'm not joking, I said, 'What have I done last night?'" Expand Close Amanda was gifted a gold card for Copper Face Jacks after her unsuccessful date on The Late Late Show / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amanda was gifted a gold card for Copper Face Jacks after her unsuccessful date on The Late Late Show He added that he had "probably made a show of myself". The lively Valentine's Special was the most-watched Late Late of the year so far with more than 612,000 people tuning in to watch an audience of 200 singletons taking part in games, kiss cams and power ballads. However, one viewer was unimpressed by Dean's appearance. Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Jason Lee said he complained over the "obvious use of an intoxicated guest on the show last Friday." Lee said he felt that producers allowing Dean to appear was "not appropriate for the guest himself." RTE has confirmed they received one formal complaint while ten viewers called in to offer feedback on the show. "To put that in context, The Late Late Show Valentine's Special attracted an average audience of 612,100 viewers representing a 46 per cent share of the available audience and 1.2 million people tuned into the show for a minute or more over the course of the night.," said a spokesperson for RTE. "In relation to formal complaints, RTE will respond to the complainant within 20 working days. We cannot comment further." Video of the Day Speaking on Monday about the general respons to the show, executive producer Larry Marster said, Friday nights show was great craic and the response we have had, especially from younger viewers has been phenomenal." ITV's This Morning has sparked controversy following a segment on whether or not pole fitness is a suitable exercise for children. Psychologist Emma Kenny argued that it sexualises children while pole fitness instructor Zoe Hardy and the mothers of children who partake in the classes said otherwise. However, the segment also featured children - Tilly May and Timea (8) and Mia (11) - demonstrating some pole fitness moves in black hotpants and white crop tops with gold bow ties. Hardy insisted it is 'pole fitness' and not 'pole dancing'. Lisa Grosse, mother of Tilly Mae (8) said, "Tilly was bullied at school for being fat and not interested in what the other girls did. [Pole fitness] was advertised adn I just asked her, it's another form of fitness, would you like to give this one a try? "Having tried other forms of dancing and other activities she never really stuck to it but she came to [pole fitness] and she's never looked back." Mia's (11) mum Lorraine Handbury added, "She's done competitive gymnastics in the past which is very similar to this. She's tried lots of activities, this was something new and she likes to challenge herself, so why not?" Many viewers were outraged by the inclusion of the demonstration in the debate. However, others defended pole fitness as a legitimate form of exercise for children. A young boy is in a critical condition after being crushed by an articulated truck on his way to school. The five-year-old was walking with his mother and older sister when the large vehicle, which was making a delivery to a local supermarket, collided with the two young children. The shocked driver attempted to move the truck as the boy was wedged underneath one of its wheels. Emergency services were alerted and members of the Garda Traffic Corps and paramedics rushed to the scene in Ongar, west Dublin. The young boy, believed to be a Polish national, was rushed to Temple Street Children's University Hospital. He is being treated for injuries to his chest and lungs and is described as being in a "critical but stable" condition. His older sister suffered minor injuries. The scene was sealed off while members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out an examination of the scene. It is understood a cursory examination of the truck found there were no technical defects. The driver was fully co-operative with gardai. "In the preliminary stages of the investigation, it seems that this was just a tragic accident, rather than fault being attributed to anyone," a source said. "Gardai feared the worst when they arrived at the scene but the child is currently in hospital in a stable but critical condition. "The driver was shocked but was very co-operative with gardai at the scene," the source added. Local Sinn Fein councillor Paul Donnelly expressed his sympathies to the young boy's family and described the incident as "absolutely tragic". "It is a truly horrible incident to have happened, but unfortunately it was an accident waiting to happen. "We constantly have the situation whereby parents and children are taking their lives into their hands every time they attend their local school," he said. "There is no parking or drop-off facilities and parents were advised to park in the car park in the village. "The problem is that massive trucks delivering goods to the shops also use the same car park, often double parking. We need a real solution to this" Gardai appealed for witnesses. The prison in Recife where Lynn has been held for the past 30 months as he fought against his extradition Michael Lynn at the school where he taught English in Brazil Fugitive former solicitor Michael Lynn should be back in Ireland imminently after Brazil's supreme court finally cleared the way for his extradition. The court first ruled the 47-year-old should be extradited in December 2014. But a series of delays drew out the legal process, even as Lynn remained in a dirty and overcrowded jail he said was making him ill. The decision comes more than eight years after he first fled from justice and almost 30 months since he was arrested in his beach hideout near the city of Recife. Last night, presiding judge Marco Aurelio dismissed the Irishman's final request to seek "clarification" of the original decision - a request on a technicality that was almost certain to fail. The other judges on the panel all endorsed his decision. The judge will now publish a written version of his decision and the case will then be handed over to Brazil's Justice Ministry. Officially, the ministry can overrule the court, but a spokesman said it intended to abide by the decision. Brazil's Federal Police will then negotiate the logistics of his 4,500-mile transfer from Recife to Dublin, which could happen within weeks. In legal documents presented to the court, Lynn's lawyers argued that irregularities in the extradition process rendered it invalid. They said that because of a translation error the Brazilian authorities incorrectly believed there was a "mandate for prison" for Lynn in Ireland. The delay in the final judgment was because of a backlog of cases at Brazil's highest court, which deals with 50,000 cases a year. The original judgment was made on December 16, 2014, but was not published until February 26, 2015. It was appealed on March 4, with the outcome delayed for nearly a year. But there was little doubt about the eventual decision. Legal experts say the court has never overturned its own ruling on an extradition. Lynn faces 33 charges in Ireland relating to an alleged 80m mortgage fraud, although some will be dropped as part of the extradition deal. The more serious charges, of theft, were crucial to his extradition and will remain. Lynn first failed to attend a hearing at the High Court in Dublin in 2007. At the time he had debts of 80m and his company was said to have 148 properties, 154 bank accounts and assets worth more than 50m. He arrived in Brazil in 2012 and lived openly in a villa near a beach while teaching English to the locals, joined a country club and dabbled in the property market. He and his wife Brid Murphy have permanent residency after she had a child born in Brazil. But his comfortable new life came to an end in August 2013 when federal police, acting on behalf of Interpol, swooped at a shopping centre near his home. The disgraced businessman has spent 30 months fighting extradition in the Cotel prison with alleged murderers. The prison, in the grim industrial outskirts of Recife, has a capacity of 700 but has up to 2,400 inmates held there. Fugitive former solicitor Michael Lynn will be extradited to Ireland 'imminently' following a ruling in a Brazilian court. Brazils supreme court finally cleared the way for his extradition this evening. The decision comes eight years after Lynn first left Ireland and more than 28 months after he was arrested near his beach resident in the Brazilian city of Recife. Lynn first failed to attend a hearing at the High Court in Dublin in 2007. Expand Close Michael Lynn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Lynn When he left Ireland, he had debts of 80 million and his company was said to have 148 properties, 154 bank accounts and assets worth more than 50 million. Read More He arrived in Brazil in 2012 and lived in a villa near a beach while teaching English to the locals, joined a country club and dabbled in the property market. He was arrested in a shopping centre near his home in August 2013 by Brazilian federal police, acting on behalf of Interpol. Originally from Crossmolina, Co Mayo, Mr Lynn used the birth of his son with his wife Brid to secure a permanent Brazilian visa in June 2012 because the child was born there. Expand Close Michael Lynn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Lynn Read More Having practised on Dublin's Capel Street, Mr Lynn was struck off more than seven years ago. While there is no extradition treaty between Brazil and Ireland, a temporary bilateral agreement was struck, meaning Mr Lynn can be extradited - and that if he is convicted and jailed here his time served in a Brazilian prison will be discounted. Last month, it emerged that the amount paid out in claims by the Law Society to compensate clients for solicitors who default rose 29pc to 3.67m in 2014. The most high-profile case in recent years was that of Mr Lynn, who cost his fellow professionals 2.6m in compensation paid out. L-R: Solicitor Caoimhe Haughey with Seamus Reilly, of Swan View, Dublin Road, Navan, Co Meath pictured leaving the Four Courts after the approval of a settlement offer in a Circuit Civil Court action taken by him on behalf of his daughter, Ruth.Pic: Courts Collins A five-year-old girl, who will be scarred for life after she struck her head against a wall in a creche, was today awarded 55,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court. Barrister Robert Crowley told the court that Ruth Reilly had been left unattended at Giraffe Childcare Creche, Athlumney Wood, Johnstown, Navan, Co Meath, in October 2013 when she fell and struck her head. Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke heard that Ruth, who was two-years-old at the time, suffered a deep laceration and had been bleeding heavily. The court was told an ambulance was called and after her wound was dressed on site, Ruth was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth, where it was stitched. Ruths mother, Angela Reilly, said the wound had left a visible and permanent scar on her daughters forehead, and she was very conscious of it. Through her father Seamus Reilly, of Swan View, Dublin Road, Navan, Co Meath, Ruth sued Giraffe Childcare Ltd, with a registered address at Adamstown Avenue, Castlegate, Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin, for negligence. Mr Crowley, who appeared with CM Haughey solicitors for Ruth, told the court that liability had been admitted by the creche. Hearing that Ruth will be scarred for life, Judge Groarke today refused to approve a 40,000 settlement offer by the defendant as he felt that it would not be enough to compensate her. The matter then proceeded as an assessment of the damages only. Judge Groarke, awarding Ruth 55,000 damages, said her scar was nasty and noticeable at a conversational distance. He said that although he was not criticising the way the defendant had handled the case, in his view the 40,000 settlement offer did not meet the full value of the case. A CHARITY is being sued after a ten-year-old boy set fire to a hotel after he allegedly absconded from a weekend trip for children, the High Court heard. The Society of St Vincent de Paul is facing the action brought by David and Mary Tozer, owners of the Pilgrim's Rest Hotel, Cappoquin, Co Waterford. Scouting Ireland, whose Cappoquin activity centre was used to accommodate the children, is also being sued. The Tozers are seeking damages for items not covered by their insurance policy for the fire which was set by the ten-year-old in a shed and spread to the hotel, in July 2010. There was no cover for contents and repairs to items such as paintings, the court heard. The defendants deny the claims and brought an application seeking to have the question of liability first decided by the court. Barry O'Donnell BL, for the defendants, said the Vincent de Paul brought the children on a weekend trip to a facility owned by the scouts. It was alleged that at a certain point, a ten-year-old boy absconded and went to the hotel where he started a fire in a shed which spread to the main building. The issue between the parties was whether there was a duty of care in terms of risk assessment and whether an organisation like the Vincent de Paul had to carry out background checks to ensure they would have been no risk from the children. There was also an allegation of insufficient supervision. For this reasons, counsel was seeking that the liability issue be first decided before the full hearing which is due to take place in April in order to save on costs and court time. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan refused to split the trial saying the application to do so had been brought far too late. He also said, in his experience, splitting a trial doubled the costs. However, he said, he would order the parties to exchange expert reports before March 1 in order to speed up the hearing in April. A psychological report on a man who raped a young woman with Down Syndrome will not be presented as part of his mitigation. Faisal Ellahi was convicted at the Central Criminal Court last year of raping the woman after luring her back to his home when she became separated from her mother on the street in June 2013. Ellahi's sentencing has been repeatedly adjourned to allow the defence prepare a psychological report to back up the claim the 34-year-old has a low IQ. Yesterday counsel for Ellahi, Padraig Dwyer SC, told the court "there won't be any further evidence of a psychological nature". Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned the case until March 14 and granted permission for Ellahi's victim to view sentencing via video-link. The defence had claimed Ellahi has an IQ level of 73, where below 70 indicates a mental disability. A YOUNG man has appeared in court on drugs charges following the seizure by gardai of an estimated 500,000 worth of heroin and cocaine in west Dublin. David Clancy (24) was remanded in custody this evening after no bail application was made on his behalf. Mr Clancy, with an address at Oatfield Avenue, Clondalkin, is charged with possession of both cocaine and heroin with intent to sell or supply. He is also charged with simple possession of both drugs. The offences, under Sections 3 and 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, are alleged to have taken place at Oatfield Avenue yesterday evening, February 16. At Dublin District Court, Garda David Charles of the Ronanstown Drugs Unit, said he arrested the defendant at 6.10pm yesterday. He brought him to Ronanstown Garda Station, where he was charged at 3.45pm today. He made no reply to any of the charges after caution and was handed copies of the charges sheets, Garda Charles said. Defence solicitor Michael French said he was not making any bail application and was consenting to the accused being remanded in custody, for the directions of the DPP. Judge Michael Walsh granted free legal aid to the accused after Mr French submitted a statement of his financial means. There was no garda objection. Mr Clancy will appear in Cloverhill District Court on Friday. A man convicted of raping a grandmother in a car park has won an appeal against his nine-year sentence. Senior judges reduced Lucasz Artur Kubik's term by two years - half to be spent in jail and half on licence - after finding no evidence the attack in east Belfast involved gratuitous violence. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan also held there was nothing to show the 31-year-old posed a significant risk of inflicting serious harm from similar offending. He said: "There was no material to indicate that this was other than a single impulsive act." Kubik, who is originally from Poland, returned to the Court of Appeal to challenge his sentence after failing in an earlier bid to overturn his conviction. He had been handed a nine-year term after being found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the 52-year-old victim in January 2013. The woman told of being attacked as she made her way home from a relative's house in the early hours of the morning. She had gone to a taxi depot in east Belfast, but it was closed. At that stage she spoke to a group of women and Kubik, who claimed to be a French man named Chris. With no credit on her phone, the victim agreed to go to their house to call for a lift home. She said that as they walked the other women disappeared after Kubik shouted something to them in a foreign language. He then asked if she wanted to work for him, adding: "I'll show you." At that stage he raped and molested her against a parked car, the court heard. Although she repeatedly told him she was a grandmother he was said to have persisted with the sex attack before eventually running off. Following his arrest Kubik, who has lived in Northern Ireland since 2006, denied any sexual contact with the victim. He then changed his account to allege the pair's encounter had been consensual, claiming he had not wanted his girlfriend to discover he had cheated on her. Ruling on his appeal against the sentence, Sir Declan accepted the attack involved violence, but not a gratuitous type. Turning to the issue of dangerousness, the Lord Chief Justice held that Kubik's actions were driven by alcohol and opportunism, rather than premeditation. "Rape is a very serious offence," he said. "It does not follow, however, that every perpetrator represents a significant risk of serious harm by the commission of similar offences. "We consider that it has not been demonstrated in this case that there is a significant risk of serious harm from similar offending." On that basis the court imposed a new seven-year sentence, split between three and a half years in custody and the same period on licence. A man who stabbed his mother to death over four years ago has been found not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity. Paul Henry (29) with an address at Ardsallagh, Athlone Road, Roscommon was charged with murdering his mother Ann Henry at Abbeystown, Ballyphesan in Roscommon town on September 17 2011. On Monday at the Central Criminal Court Mr Henry pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Henry by reason of insanity. At the beginning of the trial, defence counsel Mr Colm Smyth SC told the jury of eight men and four women that his client admitted he killed his mother. During the trial Mr Smyth called consultant psychiatrist Professor Tom Fahey to give evidence and he told the court Mr Henry suffers from a psychotic disorder which he called "delusional disorder". The court heard in Prof Fahey's opinion Paul Henry was "unable to refrain from committing the act" and this "propelled him" to acting in the way in which he said he did. Yesterday prosecution counsel Ms Caroline Biggs SC called forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright to give evidence and she diagnosed Paul Henry with "paranoid schizophrenia." Dr Wright said at the time Mr Henry did not have the capacity to form intent because of his mental disorder. The jury spent one hour 36 minutes deliberating before bringing in a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. After they had delivered their verdict, Mr Justice Tony Hunt thanked the twelve jurors for their service and the "pain staking approach they took." Mr Justice Hunt then addressed the jury saying: "You decided the verdict with great care and detail. Its a legally correct verdict on the evidence and a humane verdict. Mr Henry is a very unwell man and it would be inhumane to treat him as a criminal. I think it is 100% likely he will committed to a place where he will be safe." The judge then said that jury service is essential and he is always impressed by "the serious and considered approach jury's take." "You have to react in a cold way when dealing with hot issues," he said. Mr Justice Hunt exempted them from jury service for six years. The judge then ordered that Mr Henry be detained in the Central Mental Hospital and put in the matter for tomorrow morning at 10.30am. Opening the case for the prosecution two days ago, Ms Caroline Biggs SC told the court the evidence would be that on September 17 2011 Paul Henry "fatally assaulted" his mother by stabbing her in her house at The Spinney, Abbeytown, Roscommon. The barrister said the accused then continued "to kick and punch" his mother outside the house which was seen by a number of witnesses on the day. Ms Biggs said Mr Henry told gardai at the time: "It took a lot out of me to do this, I'm after killing my mother." The court heard that Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis said that Ms Henry had sustained ten wounds "some of which were to her thoracic aorta and right lung." Ms Biggs then called Detective Inspector Pat Finley who agreed with counsel on a summary of the facts and details of the case. The court heard that one witness said a man was pursuing Ms Henry as she ran towards the main road screaming with blood on her forehead. "He was shouting at her and going around her body kicking her in the head, ribs and back. She said he looked crazy, his pupils were huge," read Ms Biggs. Another witness said the man had a brush in his hands and started to hit Ms Henry's legs with it and when it broke he started to kick her. At 2pm on September 17 the gardai received a 999 call from a woman saying there was a violent assault taking place and Mr Henry was arrested for assault causing harm. The court heard when Mr Henry was placed in the rear of the patrol car he said to a garda: "It took a lot out of me." Ms Biggs said that in Ms Henry's house gardai noticed a "knife handle but with a blood like substance on the surface." Ann Henry was pronounced dead at 15.51 on September 17 and her cause of death was multiple stab wounds. After a consultant psychiatrist was called to the garda station, Mr Henry was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) and on September 18 he was formally charged. Det Insp Finley agreed with counsel that there had been "disturbed behaviour" and a "number of events that preceded the assault" including Ms Henry asking a doctor to admit her son as "a voluntary patient to Roscommon psychiatric unit." However, a mental health tribunal decided he did not fulfil the criteria to be detained at a psychiatric unit and Mr Henry was released from hospital in August 2011. Ms Biggs read that the accused had beliefs that his brother had "planted bombs in the house" and his mother "had put a cow in the road to stop him driving." During the trial defence counsel Mr Smyth called consultant psychiatrist Professor Tom Fahey to give evidence. Prof Fahey told the court it "remained clear" that Mr Henry suffers from a psychotic disorder which he called "delusional disorder." The court heard in the doctor's opinion Paul Henry was "unable to refrain from committing the act" and this "propelled him" to acting in the way in which he said he did. On Tuesday prosecution counsel Ms Caroline Biggs SC called forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright to give evidence. Dr Wright diagnosed Paul Henry with "paranoid schizophrenia" which is characterised by "delusions and negative symptoms." Dr Wright said at the time Mr Henry did not have the capacity to form intent because of his mental disorder. "Mr Henry did not know the nature or quality of his act and misunderstood the quality of his actions. He believed his mother intended to have him killed, he believed if he did not kill his mother that he himself would be killed. He felt he had to proceed with her death," said Dr Wright. A nurse who was accused of possessing crystal meth ordered Sudafed using the names of a number of his colleagues, a disciplinary inquiry heard. Stock Picture A nurse who was accused of possessing crystal meth ordered Sudafed using the names of a number of his colleagues, a disciplinary inquiry heard. John Benedict Butalid de Lara, of Ballyfermot, is before a fitness to practise inquiry at the Nursing Board, which previously heard that an ingredient in Sudafed, pseudoephedrine, can be used in the making of crystal meth. Mr de Lara (45) worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook from 2003 until 2014. Yesterday clinical nurse manager Anne Dooley, who worked with Mr de Lara at the hospital for eight years, said she discussed the matter with him in June 2013 after a healthcare assistant raised concerns about him ordering Sudafed in other people's names. The inquiry heard Mr de Lara admitted ordering the medication in the healthcare assistant's name, as he had wanted to send some Sudafed home to the Philippines where he is from originally. A year later, in 2014, Ms Dooley was told of a newspaper article reporting that Mr de Lara had appeared in court over charges in relation to possession of crystal meth. Those charges were dismissed in a district court after he paid 1,000 to a charity. "I was quite shocked," said Ms Dooley, who never had an issue before with Mr de Lara's work performance. "John was a good nurse." Dr Katherine Patterson, the pharmacist for the Abbey Healthcare pharmacy in the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, told the inquiry yesterday she became concerned about a spike in the number of orders for Sudafed in May 2013, particularly seven orders on one day. Her main concern, she said, was regarding "rebound congestion", a potential side-effect that can occur when Sudafed is used for more than one week. However, in the back of her mind, there were also concerns regarding the other issues relating to Sudafed, namely its potential use in the production of crystal meth. She said that while people may now be aware of the potential connection between Sudafed and crystal meth, thanks to certain television dramas, that connection was "only on the periphery of people's knowledge" in Ireland in 2013. Mr de Lara's barrister John McGuigan argued that the hospital had known Sudafed had been ordered in at least two people's names - and that the hospital dealt with the issue. He also maintained the Sudafed was ordered and sent back to the Philippines. The inquiry continues on Friday. Independent TD Michael Lowry is facing another legal bill over his failed bid to get a High Court order that the Moriarty Tribunal pay millions of euros for legal costs. Mr Lowry is appealing a decision made last month by Mr Justice John Hedigan. The judge rejected the argument that there be no order as to the costs of his High Court challenge or, alternatively, that he only make a contribution. Mr Lowry had only been awarded one-third of his tribunal costs. But he argued he should get full costs because he had co-operated in the inquiry. Mr Justice Hedigan found that as a result of Mr Lowry's conduct, the tribunal was frustrated and misled. When the matter returned before the judge, Lowry's lawyer argued that a no-costs order should be made because the case had been brought in the public interest, as well as in his private interest. Mr Justice Hedigan said this was clearly a case in the interests of Mr Lowry himself. He failed to see any great point of law in his case. A VISUALLY impaired woman died after she fell from a station platform and was struck by a train. Patricia Brennan (57) from Ashcroft, Raheny, Dublin 5 overstepped the platform edge at Raheny Dart Station on August 14 2014. She fell onto train tracks and was unable to get up, an inquest into her death heard. CCTV footage showed the train enter the station 20 seconds later. The north bound commuter train was not scheduled to stop at Raheny station, the inquest heard. Ms Brennan, whod been using the train station for 20 years, was on her way to meet up with members of a walking group for the visually impaired at Howth. Described as active and social, Miss Brennan had taken early retirement from the Bank of Ireland two years previously. She was always out and about. She used a white stick. She was very social and a bit of a chatterbox, her sister Marie Fogarty told the court. Miss Brennan would count her steps and feel the bumps in order to navigate the train station, Ms Fogarty said. The fall at Raheny Station was witnessed by a Venezuelan student, Dilia Zepra whos statement was read out at Dublin Coroners Court. I saw a woman fall from the platform onto the tracks. I shouted out to her, Are you okay? She said Yes, I just missed a few steps. She was trying to get up but was unable. Miss Zepra said she shouted to warn the woman to hurry, that she could 'hear something coming.' Then I saw the train coming and I shouted and waved for it to stop, she said. Commuter Joanne Cuddy arrived at the station and saw a girl on the platform shouting to indicate that someone was on the tracks. She went over and spoke with Miss Brennan. I asked her name and told her I was staying with her and help was coming, Ms Cuddy said. She was between the train wheels and the wall, partially under the wheels, she said. The commuter train from Pearse St to Drogheda had departed Connolly St and the next scheduled stop was Malahide. The train was travelling around 70kmph according to driver Paul Dias. Entering Raheny station I saw a girl waving her arms and I saw something move on the tracks and I knew it was a person. I hit the brakes and blew the horn, it all happened in seconds, he said. Garda John Doran said CCTV footage showed Ms Brennan cross the footbridge and onto the platform. She was using her mobility stick and moving towards the edge of the platform. She then began to walk sideways toward the edge, it appeared to me she was feeling for the platform edge with her foot. There was nobody near her at the time, Gda Doran said. Miss Brennan was rushed to Beaumont Hospital but was in cardiac arrest on arrival. She was pronounced dead at 3.15pm. The cause of death was chest and pelvic injuries consistent with being struck by a train. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. Lar Griffin, a district traction executive based at Connolly Station said there are six rows of raised bumps on Iarnrod Eireann platforms to warn the visually impaired they are approaching the edge. Mrs Fogarty thanked Gda Doran and Ms Cuddy for their actions and support, which 'meant a lot to her.' Paying tribute to his sister-in-law after the inquest, Jim Fogarty said Miss Brennan had travelled all over the world. She was bright, popular and she was a great mixer, he said. A woman who allowed her proud Japanese Akita type dog to starve to death has been spared jail but barred from keeping a pet for 15 years. Tracey Calenders tragically neglected dog was found emaciated and covered in its own excrement at the back of her north Belfast home. The citys Departmental Magistrates Court was told the dog was discovered by animal welfare officers who called to Calenders home in May last year. A solicitor for Belfast City Council explained that a post mortem on the dog determined that it had died from starvation due to neglect. SUFFERING The lawyer said that during interview Calender admitted not feeding the dog but claimed she did not notice the animal losing weight as she didnt venture out to the back of her house. She was charged with one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and a further count of failure to meet the needs of an animal. District Judge Ramsey said the case clearly crossed the custody threshold adding that Calender had shown a callous disregard for the suffering of her pet. He said she didnt go near the dog and failed to take it into her notice. A defence solicitor said his client was going through a period of significant personal trauma during the time of the dogs neglect. Judge Ramsey interjected saying that if Calender found she was incapable of looking after the dog all she had to do was call the USPCA to come and take it away. The judge added that it was hard to look past the picture taken by the animal welfare officers showing the emaciated dog covered in its own faeces. Starving to death is not a pleasant way to die. Her circumstances made her unable to look after the animal and she was probably unfit to look after herself, he said. SENTENCED Calender, of Etna Drive, was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for three years. She was also banned from keeping a pet or any animal for 15 years. She was fined 69 court costs. Addressing Calender directly, Judge Ramsey asked her: Do you realise how lucky you are not to be going to jail? Standing in the public gallery, Calender replied that she was aware she was fortunate not to be sent to prison. Ms Burton hit out at Mr Adams over his friendship with Murphy Tanaiste Joan Burton has accused Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of displaying "amnesia" in relation to the murder of Jean McConville and other "atrocities" carried out by the IRA. The Labour Party leader ramped up her attacks on Mr Adams, who she says relies on a "distinguished set of friends" which would "terrify the life out of most decent people". Ms Burton singled out Thomas 'Slab' Murphy, the tax cheat and former IRA chief, who Mr Adams and Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald have described as a "good republican". During the RTE leaders' debate, Mr Adams likened Ms Burton, as well as Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, to the "three amigos". But speaking in Limerick, Ms Burton hit out at Mr Adams over his friendship with Murphy. "I suppose Gerry will be talking to his amigo - amigo 'Slab'. He has a distinguished set of friends that I have to say terrify the life out of most decent people in Ireland. Not regarding the fact the man is apparently, as far as Gerry and others are concerned, a great friend," she said. "That's the irony of a Sinn Fein leader without any past, with amnesia in relation to what happened to people like Jean McConville and other dreadful atrocities." Meanwhile, Ms Burton declined to entirely rule out potentially doing business with Fianna Fail in the future. But she said she is currently "exclusively" focussed on returning the Fine Gael/Labour government. 'Is this a hatchet job?" asks Richard Boyd Barrett cheerfully, and indeed almost with a grain of hope. He wouldn't mind if it was, he adds mischievously, as we join him on a canvass of Cabinteely in his Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown constituency. But despite the public perception that he seems to be almost spoiling for a row at every given opportunity, the mouthy scourge of Government is aghast at the idea that he might be considered an "angry" sort of man. "Ah no," he scoffs. "That's just the stereotype." "I mean, I'm angry about injustices - I'm not angry as a general state of being." "I actually try and stay positive," he adds, enthusiastically agreeing that it's a state of mind you have to be in for the business of politics. And indeed he sounds almost startlingly positive as he states that Dail Eireann "is a totally different place" to what it was 10 years ago - and is now much better. He and his team are on their second round of doorsteps and Boyd Barrett is clocking up about 70 hours a week just over midway through this campaign. Canvassing is a task the People Before Profit politician enjoys, however. He likes the banter and finds doorsteps to be the place where you learn most about what is going on. Boyd Barrett walks fast and at one point, a worker has to beseech him to slow down so that the leaflets on an upcoming Irish Water protest next Saturday get a chance to make it there on time. Outrageous He meets Ann Flynn (69) - who tells him he "really deserves" to get in, and who expresses grave concern about the property tax. Her parents bought this council house outright and she feels to be taxed on it at this stage is deeply unfair - particularly to older people like herself. Boyd Barrett agrees it is "outrageous". A young man worries about the penalties for not paying the water charges. Boyd Barrett reassures him that he has until June before the 60 penalty kicks in. But he is confident that if there is a big turn-out at the protest on Saturday and they make enough noise, they have a real chance of getting Irish Water scrapped after the election. "Fine Gael and Labour are the only ones committed to it and they're not going to have a majority so everyone they talk to to form a government is going to put them under pressure to abolish it," he says. The reaction to him is overwhelmingly positive - though most people are not home at 4pm on a drizzly midweek afternoon. At his doorstep, voter Yan Cullen despairs that the larger political system is not paying due attention to another possibly looming global financial crisis. Along the way, Boyd Barrett shares his thoughts on Lucinda's comments on crime: "I don't think that's the answer to criminalise parents or lock people up and throw away the key - I mean crime is a serious problem - we've got to actually address it in a serious way and in a grown-up way." And on Alan Kelly's comments about politics being a drug: "They were mad," said Boyd Barrett simply. But he feels the remark worryingly reflects the feelings of many elected representatives. His birth mother, the actress Sinead Cusack who is currently working in London, may join him on the campaign "for a day or two". "She's very left-wing, very left-wing," he adds. On repealing the Eighth Amendment, he feels the government is out of touch with the people, but with another startling display of optimism, says he is hopeful it will be soon be made right. Sinn Fein have accused the government of failing to invest in social and affordable housing and said the housing crisis should be a more prominent factor in the election campaign. Launching the party's housing plan at Sinn Fein HQ on Parnell Square in Dublin, Peadar Toibin said the issue needs to be at the forefront of the election campaign. "Unbelievably in this campaign the housing crisis has become the background wallpaper of this campaign, rather than the standout humanitarian issue that it is," Peadar Toibin said at the launch. "This state is only emerging from the wreckage of a Fianna Fail and Green property crash and yet here we see Fine Gael and labour preside over another ferocious cyclical swing in his area." The Sinn Fein spokesperson said that it had gone beyond crisis point and it was now a "housing emergency". Sinn Fein have pledged 5bn between 2016-2021 to see the delivery of 36,500 social and affordable houses. As well as this, they outlined their plans to make "an additional 30m available to local authorities and homeless agencies to house the homeless in emergency accommodation in year one of the Government." Mr Toibin also attacked Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour but denied that the party had been involved in negative campaigning. "The records of the parties is the basis of trust," he said. "Fine Gael is at a polarity to Sinn Fein, they are the opposite of the spectrum," he said. He praised his party leader saying, "there is no doubt in my mind that Gerry Adams is one of the most successful political leaders of this generation. "If you look at the poll figures and compare them to the general election of 2011 - Gerry Adams has doubled the support of Sinn Fein, while the other leaders at best have tread water." The party spokesperson also ruled out "propping up" a Fine Gael or Fianna Fail government saying both party's were "two sides of the same coin". "The door is open for Sinn Fein in this election and we will talk to people who will implement our programme," he said. A woman has penned an open letter which highlights the ways she feels the Government has failed her and her family. A single mother - who lives 15 minutes from Taoiseach Enda Kenny - has written a powerful, open letter which highlights the ways she feels the Government has failed her and her family. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, lives in the same Mayo constituency as Enda Kenny. However with just "nine day to go" before the election, she says that has yet to meet a single politician at her door. So instead, she has written an open letter which voices the disappointment, isolation and frustration she feels as she struggles to pay her bills and take care of her family. The letter is the only way she can communicate with her politicians as they fail to visit her home. In the moving letter, the single mother details how the tagline "Let's Keep the Recovery Going" is nothing more than a "fantasy" for people like her; people who are "cut off" when they can't keep up with the bills, people who find "doors slammed" in their faces when they seek help, people who feel they are failing their families as the pressures mount - people who believe that the Government has let them down. Read the letter in full below: "There are nine days to go until voting day for the general election, on which I will cast my vote in the Mayo constituency, where the Taoiseach of our country lives less than fifteen minutes away from me. As I type this, I am wearing gloves, earmuffs and a scarf inside my house waiting for the first candidate in the county to knock on my door to try to win my vote. I have yet to meet any politician at my door. I have maybe four teabags in my cupboard and no coffee, so I hope if someone comes they will be content to drink tap water while I show them how the tagline Lets Keep the Recovery Going is simply a fantasy for those living on the poverty line. I will tell them how my young child went to bed last night with two pairs of socks on and a hat; while I wore my scarf under a hoody because we had no oil or coal to heat the house. I will show them how draughty my rented accommodation is and let them see their own breath as fog as they speak to me. I will tell them how Ive been juggling single motherhood and my education for the last seven years and how I am now qualified with a C.V. packed with voluntary work and community involvement. Ill show them my awards and professional references to prove that I am not the lazy, single mother the media paints us as when discussing welfare. I will them tell them how the years of pressure to juggle the maintenance of a household on an allowance which has been consistently cut during the austerity measures, with rising costs of childcare and increasing pressure to gain an education for employability; eventually caught up on me. I will outline how I would stay awake until daylight calculating how I would make 217.80 stretch far enough to pay rent, childcare, petrol costs, heating, food and bills. It never did. So I spent further time making negotiations over the phone with Electric Ireland begging them not to cut me off. Ill tell them how I also begged the welfare office to help me with subsidising childcare during the academic term and how I was refused rent supplement due to the fact that I had moved away from home for college. Ill tell them how those barriers and slammed doors, caused so much stress and pressure that I inevitably had a mental breakdown and fell into a state of immobilisation and minimum functioning. I will tell then tell them how the mental health system failed me over and over again refusing to acknowledge my immediate need for talk therapy and practical support. I will tell them how the health professionals simply prescribed medication for depression and anxiety and placed me on all sorts of waiting lists (that I still have yet to hear from a year later). I will recall a time twelve months ago when I began to truly believe I was a failure as a mother and an overall human and thus believed my child would thrive better without me. I believed what the government, the media and the internet trolls were saying. I believed I was a drain on society and that I was a waste of space and taxpayers money. In my medicated state, I decided the best thing to do was die and get out of everyones way. And so I tried that. Luckily I was unsuccessful in my attempt and brought to the local hospital by college staff. I will then tell the local candidate, how I was left on a trolley in a corridor in May General Hospital for hours, going in and out of consciousness, only to be sent wobbling out the door late that night and told not to do it again. I will explain that I am recovering now and doing so much better but that I have to make a serious effort to travel to Galway for the support I need, because the services in our own constituency do not have the funding to reduce their waiting lists to see me. Ill explain that this is why the house is cold today and why they can hear my stomach rumbling. Because this week I had to pay to travel to another county to get the support I need to maintain wellbeing and thus have to go without basic heat and food. Ill show them the pile of unpaid bills and open my purse to show them the forty cent to get me to the end of the week. Then I will tell them about a new, even scarier problem. I will tell them about how my child is now also starting to show signs of mental unrest as he struggles to come to terms with the fathers abandonment and continuous absence. I will tell them how my beautiful, sweet, intelligent child has begun to blame himself for a decision made by a grown man to ignore his existence. He is angry and sad and confused about all the overwhelming feelings and worries that he is going black on the inside. Ill tell them that our GP has identified a need for him to speak to a professional regarding his feelings immediately for effective early intervention, but that the public system again has long waiting lists for his age. Ill tell them that I have rang over twenty private practitioners in the county and how each of them charge amounts that I can certainly not afford while living on the poverty-line. And that in order for us to do so, we will have to cut our grocery shopping costs in half and say goodbye to heat entirely. Ill then ask them to explain to me how the slogan Lets Keep the Recovery Going is justifiable when the people on the ground in the Taoiseachs own constituent are being denied access to basic heath recovery. But then again. Will anyone even knock at all?" The son of councillor Sharon Tolan, Rory told Mr Kenny he was going to be a councillor as well. It's dog-eat-dog out there on the campaign trail - or if you're Fine Gael's Michael Ring, dog-eat-candidate. The junior minister was knocking on doors in Erris when a terrier dog took exception to his party's long-term economic plan. "He took a bite out of me. I never saw him coming," a traumatised Mr Ring said. "He left a good mark on it". The incident brought back the horror of his 1997 campaign. "On my first election the same bloody thing happened to me," the junior minister recalled. "Another terrier dog just nipped me." Mr Ring said he was fortunate after Monday night's incident. One potential voter was a nurse who disinfected the wound and he didn't have to get a tetanus injection. "It could be a good luck omen," Mr Ring added. "It didn't do me any harm last time." With all the candidates knocking on doors nationwide, the Mayo hopeful is surely not the only candidate to have a close encounter of the canine kind. Drop us a line - Floating Voter is interested in all cases of politicians being savaged by dogs. They said what... Fine Gael candidate Julie O'Leary: "Was given chocolate at one door tonight; canvassing in the rain ain't so bad when the reception is so good." The tweeting voter "Young people queue to register to vote after #leadersdebate Oh wait, no they're just going to pub for #DonegalTuesday Oliver Callan @olivercallan ***** It's never too early to show political ambition, and Rory Tolan (9) took his chance to make a bid to run for office when Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrived in the Kells office of local candidate Helen McEntee. The son of councillor Sharon Tolan, Rory told Mr Kenny he was going to be a councillor as well. "He loves working on the campaign," his mum said. "I don't come from a dynasty but I think I'm starting my own," she added, laughing. And Mr Kenny's advice for Rory? "Work hard." ***** It's former politician Ivan Yates's old stomping ground, but he was absent when the Newstalk election roadshow rolled into Enniscorthy. He missed out as a local shop delivered apple tarts to the battle bus where Wexford candidates were debating, refereed by his 'Breakfast' co-presenter Chris Donoghue. Local candidate Paul Kehoe tweeted a picture of the desserts, saying the town was "showing its welcoming spirit". "People are very kind when they hear Ivan is in Dublin," was the post on the Newstalk account. A former minister for children has defended his handling of concerns about the foster home at the centre of a child sex abuse scandal. Retired Fine Gael politician Austin Currie said he had believed the matter was "satisfactorily concluded" after it was brought to his attention in 1996. Mr Currie's involvement in the case only emerged in recent weeks when it was disclosed he and the then health minister, Michael Noonan, received letters about 'Grace', a young intellectually disabled girl attending the foster home. The South Eastern Health Board was seeking to remove her from the home at the time due to concerns of sexual abuse. But for reasons never revealed, she was not removed and remained there until 2009. It is feared she suffered horrific sexual abuse and neglect. Gardai are now investigating if health service officials involved were negligent. A fortnight ago the Department of Health confirmed that Mr Noonan and Mr Currie received representations from the operator of the home in 1996, seeking that Grace remain there. Mr Noonan, who is now Finance Minister, said that as the issue related to "the possible abuse of a child", it was referred to Mr Currie, the then junior health minister with responsibility for children. However, he said he did not know what happened after that. Breaking his silence last night, Mr Currie defended his handling of the situation, but declined to go into specific detail about what transpired. "All I know is that as far as I was concerned, the matter was satisfactorily concluded 20 years ago. I think that is all I want to say," he told the Irish Independent. "I can't remember all the details. It was satisfactory from my point of view in that the situation was clarified at that point in time." The one-time presidential election candidate, who retired from politics in 2002, declined to elaborate further. Last month, a senior Department of Health official said a reply issued to the foster home operator at the time indicated it was a matter for the health board. Separately, the department issued a statement saying neither minister sought to direct or influence the decision of the health board in any way. The care of Grace and 46 other children placed in the home between 1983 and 1995 has been the subject of two HSE-commissioned reviews and a number of Garda investigations. A fresh investigation, launched last autumn, is focussing on how health service staff handled sexual abuse concerns. A number of staff named in the HSE reviews are either working for the HSE or Tusla, the child and family agency. None has been subjected to a disciplinary inquiry due to the ongoing Garda probe. Tusla's new chief executive Fred McBride received copies of the HSE review reports late last week. In a statement, the agency said these were "in the process of being reviewed". It declined to say whether any action would be taken against Tusla staff members as a result of the findings. Tusla also declined to say whether or not any of the people named currently have direct responsibility for the care of children. A member of the Garda Traffic Corps has been injured in an incident at a routine traffic checkpoint. The incident occurred shortly after 6.20pm on Monday at Castlemitchell near Athy, Co Kildare. The officer, who is stationed in the town, was stopping cars to check tax and insurance details when, it is alleged, a female motorist grabbed the guard's arm before driving off, dragging him a short distance before he hit the ground. The officer was later brought by ambulance to Naas General Hospital. He was treated for his injuries and was released in the early hours of yesterday morning. A Garda spokesman confirmed that a female motorist "made contact" with a Garda before fleeing the scene. "We can confirm that a female motorist struck a member of the Garda Traffic Corps Unit," he said. "The officer is recovering well but suffered some very serious injuries. It's likely that he will be out of work for some time while he recovers. He has been left badly shaken. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident," the spokesman added. Lone female motorists have been warned to be vigilant following a number of attacks and reports of gangs impersonating gardai in recent weeks. Last week, a woman was badly beaten in Wexford after she stopped at what she believed to be a Garda checkpoint. The woman was driving to work shortly before 6.30am when she was stopped by a dark coloured Ford Mondeo. A blue flashing light was placed on the car to give the impression that it was a Garda car, but this was not the case. When the woman stopped at Corramacorra Junction, Murrintown, the passenger of the vehicle - who was impersonating a garda - approached her. He threatened the woman before stealing a sum of money from her. Gardai and the AA this month both warned female drivers travelling alone to be extra vigilant when stopping on secluded roadsides. Director of consumer affairs for AA Ireland, Conor Faughnan, expressed concern at what he called a "nasty pattern" emerging across the country. "There is a nasty trend emerging here and the best advice that we can give is to keep your doors locked at all times," he said. Gardai are appealing to anyone who witnessed Monday's incident to contact Athy Garda Station on (059) 863 1669, the Garda Confidential Line, 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Gardai plan to launch an extensive operation to ensure the safety of those attending the funeral of taxi driver Eddie Hutch Snr later this week. Bomb sweeps, the air support unit and the heavily armed Emergency Support Unit (ERU) will all be on hand for the service in Dublin this Friday. Senior members of An Garda Siochana were last night finalising plans which will again see a number of rolling checkpoints both in the north and south inner city. The operation will be overseen by officers from Mountjoy Garda Station. The plan will see similar tactics to those deployed during the funeral of slain drug dealer David Byrne in the Liberties on Monday. The extravagant 65,000 spectacle passed off safely and was manned by up to 100 officers, half of whom were armed. Garda snipers were seen on rooftops along the route as it moved from the Byrne's Raleigh Square fortress in Crumlin to the Church of the St Nicholas of Myra on Francis Street. Some of the most notorious names on the gangland circuit, including drug baron brothers Daniel and Christy Kinahan Jnr, attended the funeral. Eddie Hutch's younger brother - former crime boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch - is expected to be among the chief mourners on Friday. It is understood he will also be a target for Kinahan gang hit-men in the coming weeks. Eddie Snr (59), who was shot nine times by suspected Kinahan cartel gunmen in his Poplar Row home last Monday, is to be laid to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery following a service at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott Street. His nephew Gary Hutch - a former Kinahan gang member - was gunned down in Spain. He was also buried in Glasnevin following a ceremony in the same church. Senior security sources have said they are hopeful that the event will pass off peacefully after what they deemed to be a very successful operation on Monday. A spokeswoman for the HSE said yesterday that all 19 units will publish maternity safety statements before the end of the month and there will be no exceptions. Stock image The masters of the three main Dublin maternity hospitals lodged strong objections to plans by the HSE to publish monthly information on the safety of their services, the Irish Independent has learned. From the end of this month, the public will, for the first time, get statistics on areas such as newborn baby deaths and Caesarean section rates in each of the country's 19 maternity units. These include the busiest hospitals - the National Maternity Hospital (Holles Street), the Rotunda and the Coombe in Dublin. However, the masters of the three main hospitals, including Dr Rhona Mahony, Dr Sharon Sheehan and Dr Sam Coulter-Smith, who has since finished his tenure, wrote a firm letter to the HSE in September warning about the move. They said the kind of information to be included in the monthly statements would leave the hospitals at risk of "adverse publicity and media scrutiny". They also warned about the risks to "patient confidentiality" if hospitals are to report their data monthly and make it publicly available. "Where the number of events reported is small, the patient may be easily recognisable," the letter stated. "The risk of data misinterpretation is also of significant concern. "As tertiary-referral centres, the complexity of the patient cohort, of both mothers and babies, is far greater than other smaller units." Complexity They insisted that while there is merit in comparing units of similar size and complexity, there is little value in making comparisons with other units that do not look after complex mothers or babies, or transfer them to larger units. The letter said the "rates of stillbirth, early neonatal deaths and late neonatal deaths will be higher in these tertiary-referral centres, as the rates of congenital anomaly, prematurity and other complications will be far greater." The doctors stressed that "reporting bias" must therefore be considered and that they already report their data to several bodies, including the State Claims Agency. They also produce their own individual annual reports relating to patient safety and quality of care. One of the knock-on effects of this type of scrutiny could be an under-reporting of some negative outcomes, they said. The doctors sought a meeting with Liam Woods, the interim national director of the HSE's acute hospitals division. A spokeswoman for the HSE said yesterday that all 19 units would publish maternity safety statements before the end of the month and there would be no exceptions. She said the aim was to publish the data every month. The statement would include information on hospital activity, as well as the total number of clinical incidents reported per month. The need for this kind of information to be made public was recommended by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) following its investigation of Portlaoise Hospital, where a number of babies died over several years in similar circumstances. Health Minister Leo Varadkar has already voiced his support for the monthly statements, which will also include general hospitals over time, with different sets of data. Earlier this week, health watchdog Hiqa found patient welfare was at "high risk" in Holles Street because of poor hygiene controls and overcrowding. Vulnerable newborns in the intensive care unit are in danger of infection, Hiqa said. The newly opened unit was designed to accommodate 36 babies, but on the day of the inspection, 46 babies were there. Holles Street master, Dr Rhona Mahony, admitted the busiest maternity hospital in the country, with 9,000 births annually, is "not fit for purpose". Inspectors acknowledged the hospital was built in the 19th Century and faces infrastructural problems while coping with a high number of births. It's the hospital that hears the welcome cries of 9,000 newborns every year. But nobody is willing to put a firm date on when the National Maternity Hospital will see its own much-needed rebirth in a new purpose-built facility. Progress in moving the hospital from its archaic building on Holles Street in the inner city to a modern building on the campus of St Vincent's Hospital a few miles away remains slow. However, the warning by inspectors from Hiqa this week about the dangers posed by the 19th Century hospital's overcrowding and risk of infection to frail newborns has underlined the pressing need for no more time to be lost. The HSE said yesterday that the design process for the new hospital "will be concluded in the next few weeks". A spokesman said planning permission would then have to be submitted. This would be followed by another stage of tendering and other processes. The actual construction itself will take 36 to 42 months - at an estimated cost of 150m. The HSE declined to say how soon it would be ready. But it is likely to be 2020 if all steps go smoothly. Health Minister Leo Varadkar expressed disappointment that the planning application had not as yet been submitted. However, he said the money for the project was allocated in the capital plan. He met with boards of the maternity hospital and St Vincent's Hospital in recent weeks and he is hopeful that the design process will be concluded in the next few weeks. The maternity hospital estimates that it needs about 5m in funding for various upgrades and replacements between now and its eventual move. It needs to update wards and its emergency facilities, as well as the outpatient department. Since 2013, it has received 6.5m for capital works. Most of this was spent on a new neonatal intensive care unit which Hiqa inspectors found caring for 46 babies last October, although it was only designed for 36. With around 40,000 babies to be born there before it moves, Hiqa had insisted that the existing building cannot be left to languish because it will be seen as providing poor long-term investment and poor value for money. There is also an onus on the St Vincent's Healthcare Group, which owns the site of the new hospital, not to put any further obstacles in the way of progressing the new hospital. It has its own concerns and demands about how much say it will have in how the new hospital on its grounds will be governed and run. A spokesperson for St Vincent's said that "discussions relating to various aspects of the proposed relocation" of the hospital were ongoing. The project team is led by the HSE through its director of Estates Management. The HSE insisted it would continue to "provide ongoing and significant funding for minor capital projects and priority works and clinical equipment replacement at the hospital". But the extent of this investment still remains unclear. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was involved in an angry spat with RTE News at One presenter Aine Lawlor today as he responded to questions about his partys plans in the next Dail. The Fianna Fail leader was responding to criticism levelled at him by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar on Morning Ireland where he was likened to a character in Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Total Recall. In a testy interview, Mr Martin demanded that he be given time and space to answer his questions. When asked if he would play his part in putting together a Government after February 26, Mr Martin said: Aine, can I just make a point to you? I listened to Leo Varadkars interview on Morning Ireland today and he didnt have this aggressive intervening and interrupting I do every time I try to put a point across. I would appreciate it if I was allowed the same space that Government ministers are allowed on RTE programmes. A combative Mr Martin said that he felt Mr Varadkars attacks had veered into personal territory and were sad. Hes wrong. I think its a sad reflection on Leo Varadkar personally and an illustration of the panic and disarray in Government ranks that Leo has to go back to the fact that I was appointed to Health 16 years ago and use that as a launch pad for an attack to win an election. Meanwhile, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has launched a stinging attack on former health minister Micheal Martin, likening him to a character in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. Mr Varadkar was speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland today to respond to claims Mr Martin made in Monday nights leaders debate on RTEs Claire Byrne Live. He said the Fianna Fail leader is like Arnold Schwarzeneggers character in the film who manages to have alternative memories planted in his brain. It seems thats where we are with Micheal Martin who has created a whole fairytale about his period in health, and not dissimilar, his period in Foreign Affairs when he was responsible, or at least partially responsible for the agreement with the Troika and the European Commission that he seems also to have forgotten about. Read More Mr Varadkar said he had tried as Health Minister to be upfront about the situation. Some of those targets werent met, we came very close I totally accept that when it comes to health we didnt deliver on our promises. But he said: Micheal Martin has created a totally bogus, alternative, fairytale land which he lives in and thats his record on health which Ive totally exposed now as being dishonest and I could say something very similar about enterprise during the period when he was enterprise minister when Irish competitiveness fell from fifth place in the world to 29th and that was when the real economy was undermined before the property crash. In a statement, Fianna Fail said Mr Varadkars pathetic, personal attack on Mr Micheal Martin is a sign of desperation and a move to negative campaigning. Losing the argument of the future of the country, this is the best that Fine Gael can come up with. The party said it wont be facilitating Fine Gael or Mr Varadkars attacks in any way. The statement, provided to Morning Ireland, said Fianna Fail has offered to facilitate a one-to-one debate between Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin but the Taoiseach has refused. In Monday nights leaders debate, Mr Martin spoke about his record as health minister between 2000 and 2004, and that in 2004 more patients were being treated successfully than when the present Government came to power. But Mr Varadkar said: Micheal Martin is a very good debater but hes an even better deceiver, and he told quite a few untruths in the debate on Monday night. Im not usually somebody who goes personal [but] he actually encouraged such a challenge and what he said relates to health. He said in 2004 by any metric the health service was treating more patients more successfully than before this Government came to power. By any metric I challenge anyone to go through it. So I have gone through it and I got the figures as to where we were in 2004 versus 2014. Since then outpatient appointments are up by 30pc, thats the number of people who actually get to see the doctor, up from 2.45 million to 3.2m. Medical cards are up from 28pc of the population coverage to 38pc, that doesnt include doctor visit cards, its even higher if you add that. The number of ambulance calls that are responded to has gone up by 9.3pc and the number of surgical day cases done is up to 76pc and the number of patients treated in our hospital every year is up by more than 50pc, and thats all in health at a glance. Really what you have is an extraordinary statement made in my view made in two debates that is entirely untrue. Micheal Martin hit back at the Health Minister, describing his criticisms of the Fianna Fail leader in health and enterprise as a sad reflection on Leo. It is also an illustration or the panic and disarray within Government circles that they have to resort to personal attacks on the record of someone who was appointed as a Minister of Health 16 years ago. Were actually asking the Irish people to vote on the next Government from 2016 to 2021. Leo Varadkar is going back to 2000 to 2004, he said, adding that he rejected his assertions. I would respectfully say to Leo to have a reflection on his own performance over the last two years as Minister for Health, he said. He pointed to the escalation of waiting lists and reports into hygiene concerns in the countrys maternity units. He has adopted the strategy of being a detached commentator on crisis after crisis in health and he has presided over inadequate and insufficient budgets for hospital. It would be far better for him to reflect on his time in health than trying to attack somebody who made significant gains in a whole range of fronts in our health service between 2000 and 2004. Many of which including the smoking ban live on to the present day, he added. Mr Martin also insisted his party would not prop up Fine Gael in government. The Irish people have made it clear to me on my travels around the country, they do not want me to prop up Enda Kenny as the next Taoiseach or indeed a Fine Gael government so thats my answer to that, he said. Denise Kinahan - both Daniel and Denise were listed as directors of a number of firms in Ireland before relocating to the Costa del Sol Crime lord Daniel Kinahan ran a series of innocuous, everyday companies ranging from interior design firms to a cleaning business during his time in Ireland - none of which he ever filed any accounts for. Company records show that Daniel, the son of drug lord Christy Kinahan, declared himself to be an "upholsterer". His aunt, Denise Kinahan, was also listed as a director for a number of firms. Denise, who once held a prominent position on a taxi drivers' committee, now lives alongside her crime-lord brother in Spain. Both Daniel and Denise were investigated along with 22 other associates in Spain in 2010 during a massive police probe into the operations of the Kinahan cartel. Read More The pair, along with the other individuals involved, had their assets frozen by Spanish police. Other big names investigated at the time included her brother and his sons Christy Jnr and Daniel, John Cunningham, the late Gary Hutch and 'Fat' Freddie Thompson. All suspects were released on bail and no charges were filed. Read More However, Christy Snr, who is now believed to be retired, was later extradited to Belgium, where he served 18 months on old money-laundering charges. The Irish Independent can reveal that before moving out of the country, taxi operator Denise shared the directorship of three companies with nephew Daniel. None of the firms under their ownership ever filed accounts. Daniel is now believed to be pulling the strings of the expansive Kinahan cartel. Sources have revealed that the timing of the closures of Daniel's businesses in Ireland matched with the period when the family's European-wide drugs network was growing exponentially. "This was a key time for Christy," said a source. "It was the time they were on the cusp of hitting it majorly big. And they succeeded." One company, Fairfold Ltd, was set up by Daniel and his aunt on Monday, November 22, 1999, and operated from an address in Bluebell, Dublin 12. Denise (53), who listed a Drumcondra address, acted as secretary of the firm, which professed to be an "importers and exporters" company. Importers Listed in its memorandum of association, the company outlined its operations as being "importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of all classes and kinds of goods". The company dissolved in June 2002 after a change in directorship. The pair also operated a cleaning company from a base in Whitefriar Place. Green Clean Clinical Ltd was a business that traded between September 2000 and January 2004. It listed its principal activity as contracted cleaning services for "office and industrial spaces". Daniel Kinahan gave an address at a Rathfarnham apartment complex. The 38-year-old again was listed as a director, while his aunt was secretary. At the same time, the so-called business partners entered the interior design market with their firm the Curious Cat Ltd. Set up in October 2000, the business traded from the same address as Green Clean Ltd. It shut up shop in January 2004 - around the time most of the Kinahan family moved to their Costa del Sol bolthole. In the memorandum of association, the Curious Cat Ltd listed a number of objectives for which the firm was established. These included: "To carry on the business of interior design and decorating, supplying and installation of furnishings for shops, offices, houses, hotels, flats and other buildings." It also offered carpet and furniture repair services. During this period, Daniel Kinahan also sat on the board of another company. On this occasion, he listed his address as Oliver Bond House, Dublin 8. The company, a furniture specialist, operated from an address on Clanbrassil Street between 1999 and 2003. The last business to close linked to the Kinahans was a taxi firm run by Denise and another man. Neither Denise nor Daniel have run a company in Ireland since mid-2005. She may be safely home in the States, but Zoe Ireland Drake certainly won't be allowed to forget where she was born. This photo of little Zoe shows just how far she has come since she was born prematurely in the Rotunda Hospital last October. Expand Close Zoe Ireland Drake / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Zoe Ireland Drake Baby Zoe weighed just one pound and 13 ounces back then, but just look at her now nearly four months later. Her mum Jenny unexpectedly went into labour while on a transatlantic flight from Paris to North Carolina when she was just 25 weeks pregnant. The plane landed here and she gave birth shortly afterwards to Zoe. Expand Close Jenny Drake and Baby Zoe pictured flying into Nashville on an Air Med International critical care hawker jet / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jenny Drake and Baby Zoe pictured flying into Nashville on an Air Med International critical care hawker jet The family spent Christmas in Ireland, but a medical flight was required to bring them back home to the States. An anonymous donor made Zoe's trip home possible by contacting the Ray D'Arcy radio show and pledging 30,000 towards the cost of the special medical charter. Roots Jenny sent the photo of baby Zoe to the show to let everyone know how well she is doing, and that she is keeping in touch with her Irish roots. "Zoe Ireland Drake is home in Tennessee, out of hospital and thriving," the show said. Little Zoe was flown into Nashville on Saturday, 23 January, and brought to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. However, she was subsequently discharged just a few days later. Jenny told the Herald yesterday: "She came home from the hospital on January 26 and has been doing well. "She is up to 7lbs 3oz, as of her last doctor's appointment. "We have enjoyed the time at home together." 'We'll end up like Greece if SF, motley crew take power' is the headline on the front page of the Irish Independent this morning as Jobs Minister Richard Bruton warned voters of the damage to jobs if a "motley crew" of parties and Independents is elected to power. The Irish Times reports that major changes are to be made to a long-running investigation into a series of deaths at Portlaoise hospital with the line 'HSE seeks to reconstitute inquiry into baby deaths at Portlaoise'. Read More 'Drinking water for 400,000 people is contaminated' is the front page piece from the Irish Examiner as the paper reports that Irish Water has refused to directly inform those affected. The Irish Sun leads with 'Face the facts' as the paper's Red C poll reveals that Fine gael has slipped to a new low of just 26pc of voter support. Health Minister Leo Minister has been caught up in a dramatic robbery at his local Spar and it is this story that covers the front page of The Herad which runs with the headline 'Leo's armed robbery shock'. Read More 'Leo gets caught up in a gun raid' is the lead piece from the Irish Daily Mail which also covers the incident in the west Dublin store yesterday evening. The Irish Daily Star reports that Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has fled Ireland, just days before his brother Eddie is due to be buried. 'Monk flees' is the line as the paper reports that the former criminal left the country on Sunday afternoon. Read More In world news, Donald Trump will not become US president because the voters realise it is a serious job, Barack Obama said. Mr Obama contrasted the reality of being president with the rhetoric on the campaign trail, saying doing the job is not like hosting a reality show or a talk show. Read More China has positioned anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island, Taiwan said. Its ministry of national defence said it had "grasped that Communist China had deployed" an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. The island is claimed also by Taiwan and Vietnam and is watched closely by Washington. Read More Bill Cosby has lost an attempt to have sexual assault charges against him thrown out and the criminal case appears to be heading towards an evidence hearing. In a ruling on Tuesday, the judge who refused to dismiss the case earlier this month denied Cosby's appeal against that decision. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has once again appealed to the Irish people to return a Labour/Fine Gael coalition to power when they go to the polls on February 26. Mr Kenny said his proposition for the Labour/Fine Gael Government was a stable option for Irish voters. This was always going to be a dogfight. It was always going to be a challenge in every constituency. Every seat is a battle field, he told RTE's Today with Sean O'Rourke. Did anybody think this was going to be a cakewalk or a doddle? Maybe some people did but [not me]. I dont take much notice of polls, Im always an optimist, he said. His comments come as Fianna Fail's Dara Calleary has challenged Taoiseach Enda Kenny to sign up for a head to head debate with Micheal Martin. He said Mr Kenny should "come out of hiding and debate Micheal Martin one on one". "If he's so convinced of his case he should come out and do it," Mr Calleary said. Meanwhile, Mr Kenny said that Irish emigrants are returning back to Ireland which serves as proof that the recovery is in motion. There is a proposition on the table here for a clear stable Government that will deliver on a costed plan that will create benefits for everybody. I think the weakness that Ive had is to translate the recovery into what it means in every part of the country in peoples lives. And I can see that beginning to emerge with the people whove come back from Australia, and the father saying to me, the Christening was at home not away. But he said its not about monetary value, its emotional , reunification of family. Our challenge is that on the 26th there will be a general election. The people make a choice that they want. My proposition is for a stable Government to continue that recovery. In order to have a stable Government obviously youve got to have the numbers, but more importantly youve got to have the plan and implement it. Its not just a list of promises. This is a costed plan. The Taoiseach said Fianna Fail have not learned any lessons, and he reiterated that the coalition he's proposing will bring about the most stable option. My proposition is for the return of a stable Government. The Fianna Fail party have not learned any lessons. They left behind a programme that included 3bn payment in interest to Anglo Irish Bank every year. They left behind a programme that included an extra increase in income tax of 630m and they left on the table a cut in minimum wage to those who earn least and would suffer most. In 1997 the country was handed over in very good shape to Fianna Fail. Within ten years, theyd blown it. I offer [the Irish people] a very clear proposition here on Fine Gael and Labour here to continue to with a stable Government. Three suspects were today arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting last summer of gangland figure Christy Keane. Keane (55), a convicted drug dealer, was shot on the grounds of the University of Limerick on June 29, 2015 at 6.35am, as he parked his car. The attack left him seriously injured, though he survived. Gardai in Limerick arrested two men in their 30s early this morning in the Limerick area. They are currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Henry Street and Mayorstone garda stations. A third man in his 50s was also arrested in Limerick shortly before noon. He was detained at Roxoboro Road garda station under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act, 1939. Today's action brought to nine the number of people arrested to date as part of the investigation. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs speaks to students at NUI Galway about the power of forgiveness and mindfulness in powerful TED Talk. Photo: TED Talk. A former Death Row inmate - wrongfully convicted of a crime - has delivered a speech to Irish people about the power of forgiveness and mindfulness in a moving TED Talk. "It was the sound of the door slamming behind me that really brought the reality of my situation into sharp focus," said Sunny as she opened her speech. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs (64) was sentenced to death at the age of 28 for the murder of two police officers in Florida. She was 28 at the time and the mother of two young children. Her son was nine-years-old and her daughter was just ten-months old when was sentenced to death. A self-confessed hippy, Sunny was about "peace and love" and couldn't understand how she was convicted of such a heinous crime. "I had been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for a crime that I did not commit and found myself being locked in a cell, completely made of concrete... small... windowless," she told the audience at her powerful TED Talk. The talk, held at NUI Galway, was open to students and locals alike. Sunny was kept in complete isolation in a women's maximum security prison. Nobody was allowed to speak to her, not even the guards. Her tiny cell contained a toilet and sink combination that was six steps from the door and a thin metal shelf with a thin mattress that was intended to be her bed. With nothing to do and nobody to communicate with, Sunny mostly paced back and forth in her cell "in anger, fear and confusion" as she tried to make sense of her situation. However, the mother-of-two soon decided that she still had a choice left before "2,400 volts of electricity" passed through her body and she was pronounced dead. "I realised that until they figured out they realised they had made a mistake and let me go home to my children - or they did take my life for some comic reason that I didn't understand - that my life still belonged to me and I could still decide how it would be until that time. "Now they could keep me there, they could keep me locked up in that little cell and I couldn't be where I wanted to be or with whom I wanted to be with, but within the space that was allocated to me, in my little world, I could decide. She chose not to live her days in fear, misery and anger and worked on her spiritual side. In her speech, the 64-year-old told her listeners that "every challenge is an opportunity". "I had a choice between hope and hopelessness... actually, I learned more about freedom than I ever had before." Nearly 17 years after her arrest, Sunnys conviction was overturned on appeal as one juror "refused to be bullied" into following the beliefs of the rest of the jury. Watch below to see how she embraced her situation, always choosing to believe in hope. In her emotional and powerful story, Sunny shares her thoughts on how to achieve ultimate liberation... simply by changing your perspective. World cup winner Matt Dawson has revealed that he and his wife almost lost their toddler son Sami to meningitis and said his family has been through two weeks of hell. The BBC Question of Sport star took to Twitter this morning to share images of his childs battle with meningitis B to help raise awareness for the condition. Dawson (43) revealed that his son was lucky to be alive and credited the amazing staff of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London for his recovery. The former England rugby union captain shared frightening images of Sami on a ventilator, which he tweeted using the hashtag #VaccinateNow. The 2 weeks of hell we've just had cos of Meningitis. Sami lucky due to amazing people @GreatOrmondSt#vaccinateNOW pic.twitter.com/JMJ4X2h8r2 Matt Dawson (@matt9dawson) February 17, 2016 Meanwhile in the UK, more than 250,000 people have signed a petition which calls for all children in the state to be vaccinated for deadly Meningitis B through the NHS. Currently in the UK, the vaccine is administrated to babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months. Parents who wish to have older children vaccinated in the UK must pay privately. In Ireland the vaccine for Meningitis B, Bexsero, is licensed but parents hoping to vaccinate their children must do so privately at a cost of between 130 and 180 per dose, not including the cost of administrating the vaccination. Between two and four doses of the vaccine must be administered for the vaccine to have effect. Last year, the National Immunisation Committee advised that the vaccine be rolled out through the HSE, if it is provided at a cost effective price. According to the Meningitis Research Foundation, four cases of meningitis and septicaemia present in Ireland each week. One out of ten people die from the infection, which can be both viral and bacterial, and one in three are left its with life-altering effects. Panhard et Levassor was established as a car manufacturer in 1887, making it one of the oldest in the world. They were also present at the birth of motor racing when one of their cars was awarded joint first place in the Paris to Rouen Trial of 1894. Indeed, they were to reign supreme in racing events until 1908 when they withdrew from competition. As the motor industry developed between 1908 and 1939, Panhard were to the fore with innovative designs, particularly in the area of aerodynamics, then little understood by most manufacturers. Their startling 'Dynamic' of 1937 set new standards with a sleeve-valve six (coming in 2.5 litre, 2.7 litre and 3.8 litre sizes), backbone chassis, hydraulic brakes, worm drive, all-round torsion bar independent suspension, faired in headlights and wheel spats all-round together with a central driving position. When production resumed after World War II, Panhard changed direction, manufacturing cheaper models. The Dyna series was launched in 1945 using an air-cooled flat-twin engine of 610 cc driving the front wheels. Between then and 1955 when Citroen took an interest in Panhard, their cars gained a reputation for efficiency and performance from small engines. Panhards were assembled in Lucan for a period. A display of Panhards ranging from a 1902 Panhard et Levassor to some of the Irish assembled cars together with a Panhard Armoured Car once operated by the Irish Army, will be one of the highlights at the AXA National Classic Car Show on the weekend of March 5/6. www.classiccarshow.ie I know there is a lot of talk about election posters blocking views at busy junctions and I've seen a good few of them around. But have you looked closely (when safe to do so of course) at the pictures themselves? Put it this way; you'd feel like giving some seasoned old campaigners a few euro for their Confirmation they look so young. I know there's a lot of hot air in politics but these photos have been airbrushed to within an inch of their lives. Just listening to Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show (no I wasn't present) on Friday as he was outlining how Renault are giving away a car (a Clio). He said it was a brand new 'Sixteen One" Clio. Most of us say "One-Six-One". Which is correct? Have you any opinions on it? Germany is talking about carrying out unannounced emissions tests on all automakers - just like athletes. I think it would help restore confidence. Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who has been prominent in the Volkswagen scandal says: "There will be controls on vehicles in the style of doping tests [for athletes]. Unannounced and every year." It is reported they could use cars at rental companies. Sounds like a sensible idea. How the other half lives . . . I see where the first owners of the Aston Martin Vulcan travelled to Abu Dhabi last week for 'tuition' from a team of racing drivers, pictured) including the marque's Racing works' driver Darren Turner. The owners got tuition in the V12 Vantage S road car and the Vantage GT4 race car. And they took their own cars (with 7-litre 820bhp V12 engines) onto the Formula 1 circuit. There was 'passenger-side tuition' on every lap. According to Aston Martin "the customer's skills were tested throughout the day and into the night". I'm sure they were. Mercedes is all excited about its new 4cyl diesel engine. It says its first all-aluminium powerplant marks the debut of a ground-breaking family of engines. Good to hear that because, truth be told, some of their older diesels are beginning to sound their age. However, I love its claim: "Exemplary efficiency and emissions ensure that the premium diesel is future-proof while underlining the key role to be played by the diesel engine in achieving the challenging global climate targets." And here's one for the books. Prof Thomas Weber, a member of the Daimler Board of Management, says: "In our opinion, the diesel engine is indispensable in trucks and cars if we want to further reduce the CO2 emissions from traffic." SEAT's first crack at the crossover market: the Ateca Ray Kroc, whose brainchild was the fast food empire McDonald's, found his business stride when he was in his fifties. World renowned wedding dress designer, Vera Wang, only began dominating the fashion landscape when she was 40. Actor Samuel L Jackson's big break came in 1991 when he was 43. What I am driving at here, is that the proverbs "better late than never" and "good things come to those who wait" are proverbs for good reason. And both expressions are almost inextricably linked. At least, that is what SEAT will be hoping. At an exclusive first-look event in the port city of Barcelona, SEAT unveiled a new family member; called Ateca. This is the Spanish brand's first crack at putting an SUV into production and just like Kroc, Wang, and Jackson before it, SEAT is a little late to its respective party. However, the music is still blaring and there is an open bar. The medium SUV/crossover segment is by no means a saturated market. So far this year, one-in-every-five cars sold in Ireland was a mid-size SUV. Our voracious appetite for such vehicles is coming at the family/fleet saloon's expense, but without prominent representation in that segment, SEAT is in no danger of cannibalising itself with the Ateca. So then, this new SUV assumes the role of Spanish automotive conquistador and it sets about its business with an air of assuredness. The big reveal in Barcelona was a static launch, so there was no on-road time with the car. It was a shame because the new Traffic Jam Assist feature, which brings semi-autonomous driving to slow city traffic sounded like an intriguing concept. The show cars had the usual smattering of tasty technological features such large 8ins touchscreens, an automatic boot that opens when you wave your foot underneath the bumper, Lane Departure Warning Systems, Blind Spot Indicators, Adaptive Cruise Control, and wireless smartphone charging. The Ateca is handsome and sculpted. The doors close with a hefty, reassuring clunk. The interior is neatly arranged and the quality of the materials used is of a much higher standard than perhaps a lot of people give SEAT credit for. With the Qashqai, Sportage, Tucson et al firmly in its headlights, the Ateca is sized within a few millimetres in every direction to its rivals. There is head, leg, and boot space aplenty. Ateca is a big mid-size SUV. SEAT will offer the Ateca with a good range of engines and transmissions comprising 1.0 and 1.4 litre TSi petrols and 1.6 and 2.0 litre turbo diesels. Four-wheel-drive is an option with the 2.0 litre diesel. Expect to see a diverse choice of specifications from entry level S models to range topping 'Xcellence' and 'FR'. Exact spec and pricing have yet to be announced but delivery of the first wave of Atecas will land sometime in late summer/early autumn. Some might say it's a bit too late for SEAT, but then people might have said the same about Ray Kroc, Vera Wang, and Samuel L Jackson; and they turned out alright. Premium Ian O'Doherty Opinion For once, the UN is right were standing on the edge of a deadly nuclear precipice For those of us of a certain age, the last few months have felt as if we have somehow time-warped back to the 1980s. Stranger Things, which is set in that decade, has been the biggest show on TV. Kate Bush thanks, incidentally, to Stranger Things is now regularly played on the radio and she has reached number one in 2022 with the re-release of her 1985 hit, Running Up That Hill. Premium Mary Kenny Opinion A male contraceptive jab is on the way, but will it truly equalise reproductive control? It looks as though a male contraceptive vaccine will be available within the next year, according to Dr Amanda Wilson at De Montfort University in Leicester. The jab is called Risug, and it could obviate the demand for vasectomies which is falling anyway. The vaccine, which has completed its final trials, would be reversible, so it is not as radical as vasectomy. (Left) Cameron Diaz and husband Benji Madden and (Right) Nicole Richie pictured leaving The Merrion Hotel. Picture: Kyran O'Brien Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie sure made the most of their trip to Dublin. The Other Woman actress (43) and jewellery designer Nicole Richie (34) both jetted to the capital to support their husbands Benji and Joel Madden perform with their band Good Charlotte at the 3Arena. Cameron and Nicole were spotted soaking up the atmosphere at the Dublin leg of their European tour on Tuesday night, where the rockers supported pop punk band All Time Low. They were pictured leaving the five star hotel this morning and both went makeup free for the occasion. Cameron opted for her signature low-key look of leather jacket, jeans and an oversized scarf; while Nicole wore a similar look, hiding her hair under an oversized black beanie cap. The famous foursome took up residence in the five-star Merrion Hotel, where Nicole previously stayed on a 2012 trip here, and were pictured leaving this morning as they head to London for their next concert. Nicole brought her two children - Harlow (8) and Sparrow (6) - with her husband of six years, Joel, to explore the capital, while their oldest daughter enjoyed the concert with her mother and aunt. Expand Close Nicole Richie pictured leaving The Merrion Hotel. Picture: Kyran O'Brien / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nicole Richie pictured leaving The Merrion Hotel. Picture: Kyran O'Brien She was pictured in Manchester earlier this week with Cameron and will return to London tomorrow as the tour continues. Earlier, Nicole tweeted her congratulations to her dad after he was honoured at the 58th Grammy Awards. "So proud! Dad you are dope - so awesome. Wishing I was there and beaming from across the pond!" she wrote online. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge talks to children from the 'Real Truth' video blog that features on the Huffington Post website at Kensington Palace Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the 'News Room' at Kensington Palace on February 17, 2016 in London Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge chats to Hayden Pearce from the 'Real Truth' video blog that features on the Huffington Post website at Kensington Palace Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) launches a story on 'Early Intervention in Mental Health Care' watched by James Martin, Executive Editor of Huffington Post UK, (C) and Stephen Hull, (R) Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post UK, as the Duchess guest-edits the British edition of news website The Huffington Post at Kensington Palace Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge talks to children from the 'Real Truth' video blog that features on the Huffington Post website at Kensington Palace on February 17, 2016 in London, England. The Duchess of Cambridge has urged society to view children's mental health as being "every bit as important as their physical health" as she began her guest editorship of the Huffington Post UK. Writing a blog to mark her role at the helm of the news site, she spoke about the psychological well-being of her own children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, saying she and William "would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it". Kate sat down to a morning conference in Kensington Palace with Huffington Post UK editor Stephen Hull, his staff and some of the mental health charities she is associated with. She has commissioned articles, blogs and videos from leading figures in the mental health sector to raise awareness about the psychological well-being of the nation's children. Expand Close Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the 'News Room' at Kensington Palace on February 17, 2016 in London / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the 'News Room' at Kensington Palace on February 17, 2016 in London The Duchess wrote: "The mental health of our children must be seen as every bit as important as their physical health. "For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help, worried that the stigma associated with these problems would be detrimental to their futures." The Duchess went on to say: "We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. "We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness." Expand Close Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) launches a story on 'Early Intervention in Mental Health Care' watched by James Martin, Executive Editor of Huffington Post UK, (C) and Stephen Hull, (R) Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post UK, as the Duchess guest-edits the British edition of news website The Huffington Post at Kensington Palace / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) launches a story on 'Early Intervention in Mental Health Care' watched by James Martin, Executive Editor of Huffington Post UK, (C) and Stephen Hull, (R) Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post UK, as the Duchess guest-edits the British edition of news website The Huffington Post at Kensington Palace From a newsroom set up in a palace drawing room, Kate used a computer mouse to launch the news website's top story or "splash" - a piece titled Never Too Young, about the importance of early intervention for those with mental health problems. James Martin, a Huffington Post executive editor, asked the Duchess if she wanted to click the button to send the story live and told her: "This is the current splash which we have on the site which is your fantastic blog." Video of the Day He added: "We've prepared what we call a splash, which is a hangover term from the time of newspapers when you'd splash a story on a newspaper and it's translated here into digital." As she clicked the button Kate, who wore a Dolce and Gabbana skirt and shirt by Reiss, smiled and laughed. Expand Close Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge talks to children from the 'Real Truth' video blog that features on the Huffington Post website at Kensington Palace / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge talks to children from the 'Real Truth' video blog that features on the Huffington Post website at Kensington Palace The Duchess told all those in the room: "Can I just say a huge thank you to Stephen and obviously the huge team that's been involved in this, turning it around so quickly." Mr Hull made the group laugh when he joked: "You've been a good boss." Never mind the three date rule. The average Irish couple waits until the fourth date before sleeping with a new partner - which usually comes within a week after their first kiss, according to a new survey. Most couples wait until the second date for a smooch, but the first 'I Love You' comes after 14 dates, averaging at seven weeks. Cheating website IllicitEncoutners.com results the results of their findings, which says that Irish men are predominantly the first to say the L word, with 72% of men admitting they drop the love the bomb first, in comparison to just 28% of women. The women surveyed said the reason for their shyness is because they see it as a man's role to bring up love first, with more than half saying they would still stay quiet even if they thought they'd found the one. 17% of men have slept with someone on the first date in comparison to 14% of Irish women. Most couples say they'd wait an average of three weeks before introducing their new other half to friends and six weeks for family. At least 28 people have been killed in an explosion in Ankara, Turkey Turkey's president has condemned a car bomb attack in the capital which killed at least 28 people, saying it exceeds all "moral and humane boundaries". Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is determined to fight those who carried out the attack in Ankara as well as the "forces" behind the assailants. The attack during rush hour on Wednesday targeted vehicles carrying military personnel that had stopped at traffic lights. At least 28 people were killed and another 61 wounded. Deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus confirmed the explosion was caused by a car bomb. He said seven prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the attack, which he described as "well-planned". Mr Erdogan has cancelled a planned visit on Thursday to Azerbaijan following the blast. Instead he convened a security meeting with prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Mr Kurtulmus pledged authorities would find those behind the attack. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State (IS) group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. The attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. Security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south-east since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the US to combat IS in neighbouring Syria and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel sharply condemned the attack, saying she was horrified by it and that her thoughts were with the families of the victims and the injured. In a statement, she said: "I'm telling the Turkish people: we as Germans are sharing your pain." She added: "In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts we are on the side of Turkey." Donald Trump will not become US president because the voters realise it is a serious job, Barack Obama said. Mr Obama contrasted the reality of being president with the rhetoric on the campaign trail, saying doing the job is not like hosting a reality show or a talk show. The president was speaking after hosting a summit with south-east Asian leaders, and warned that foreign observers are "troubled" by the Republican primaries and debates. Mr Obama said other countries count on the US to side with science and common sense, and he criticised Republican presidential candidates for harsh talk about Muslims and immigration and for questioning climate change. Expand Close U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia during a statement delivered in Rancho Mirage, California February 13, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia during a statement delivered in Rancho Mirage, California February 13, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Read More He said: "This is not just Mr Trump." Mr Obama predicted that US voters will "make a sensible choice in the end". Mr Trump hit back, saying the president's prediction that he will not be elected to the White House "actually is a great compliment". The billionaire developer outlined his complaints about Mr Obama's presidency, saying: "You look at our budgets, you look at our spending, we can't beat ISIS. Obamacare is terrible ... Our borders are like Swiss cheese." Answering questions at a campaign event at a school in Beaufort, South Carolina, he said Mr Obama "has done such a bad job, he's set us back so far, that for him to say that actually is a great compliment". Mr Trump added that Mr Obama was "lucky I didn't run last time, when Romney ran, because you would have been a one-term president". A woman watches as Pope Francis blesses the child she is holding during his visit to the Federico Gomez Pediatric Hospital, in Mexico City. Pope Francis took his Mexican tour to the country's gang-infested heartland yesterday to bolster a message of peace and reconciliation in the face of a decade of bloodletting that the government has been unable to stop. Gang wars over the lucrative methamphetamine trade have torn the western state of Michoacan apart. Widespread kidnapping and extortion by gangs have sparked an uprising by vigilante groups. The pope was visiting Morelia, Michoacan's picturesque capital known for its Spanish colonial architecture, and his tour featured tight security given scattered outbursts of violence in recent months. "It's a miracle that he has chosen to come here to lift our spirits," said housewife Maria Hernandez (66). "Michoacan has suffered so much." On his five-day trip to Mexico, his first as pontiff, Francis is traveling to some of the poorest and most violent corners of the country. He has had some sharp words for a privileged elite that he accused of exploiting the nation's poor. In Mexico City, he chastised bishops for being gossips obsessed with coddling wealthy patrons and failing to denounce the evils of the drug trade. He shied away from any swipes at the capital's legalisation of abortion or gay marriage. Francis was set to visit Morelia's downtown cathedral yesterday evening, meet with youth groups, and celebrate Mass with tens of thousands of attendees at a nearby stadium. "Everyone is hoping he brings some comfort, something that makes the people react and see things differently," said Miguel Angel Ruiz, a 58-year-old industrial consultant. In early 2014, Michoacan nearly descended into a civil war as vigilante groups took up arms against the powerful Knights Templar drug gang. President Enrique Pena Nieto's government later sent in the army and forged an uneasy alliance with the vigilantes, offering them jobs in the police force, but progress was muted. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Mexico's drug war over the last decade. The abduction and apparent massacre of 43 trainee teachers in 2014 further battered the country's reputation. Michoacan borders Guerrero state, which is home of the missing students who the government says were killed by one of the gangs responsible for a surge in Mexican heroin production, in league with corrupt police. Lobbied Relatives of the students have lobbied for a meeting with the Pope, but he has held back so far. His spokesman has said he would address victims of violence as a whole on today when he visits Ciudad Juarez on the US border, once one of the world's deadliest cities. Michoacan is also the birthplace of Fr Marcial Maciel, the late founder of the Legionaries of Christ, a conservative religious order that attracted many wealthy benefactors who saw it as a bulwark against liberalism in the Church. In 2006, Maciel was exposed as living a double life as a paedophile, womaniser and drug addict, and the order went into Vatican receivership for several years. The photo has been shared by thousands of social media users across the world Photo: Ethan Tipper/Facebook Forget the Loch Ness Monster, this massive eel has apparently just washed up by a lake in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Father Ethan Tippa claims to have photographed the odd creature next to a boat ramp on the vast Lake Macquarie and later shared the image on Facebook. He asked: What the f--k is it? The photo has been shared by thousands of social media users across the world, with many speculating over what it could be and others claiming it has been digitally altered. Marine biologist Julian Pepperell told the Newcastle Herald she believed it was a nocturnal pike eel, which are common in NSW waters, but he admitted it was hard to tell how big it really was from the photo. "I think it's definitely a pike eel. The head is very indicative of that species," he said. It's hard from the photo to get an idea of the scale. He said the pike eel was probably quite old and would have given fishermen the fight of their lives if it was accidentally caught. Alternatively, it may have died of old age or if it was hit by a boat, he said. There are certainly people who are bitten by them in boats, he said. They have incredibly strong muscle and their teeth are geared towards inflicting slashing wounds. Australian Museum collector Mark McGrouther told Daily Mail Australia he also suspects it is a pike eel. This is the first time I have ever seen one of them in the flesh, he said. I suspect it was caught and discarded by fisherman who got more than they bargained for when they tried to reel it in. Dougie Boyd, of the Commercial Fishermen's Co-Operative in NSW, said he did not believe it was a hoax. I dont think its been photoshopped, he said. Ive seen some monsters, but none that big. Pike eels can grow up to 1.8 metres in length, they are nocturnal and difficult to catch. They are not poisonous to eat and sold in south-east Asia. Under the sea: The weird and wonderful creatures from the bottom of the ocean. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday that she would press for implementation of the EU's migration deal with Turkey at a summit this week, saying the alternative of closing borders to limit the flow of refugees to Europe would have dire consequences for the bloc. Speaking at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ms Merkel said the summit was not about agreeing new quotas for distributing refugees across Europe, saying this would be "laughable" given that less than 1,000 have been relocated under an existing scheme. Instead, she said it was about whether the EU-Turkey pact could successfully tackle the causes of the migration or whether the bloc should "give up and instead close the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border with all the consequences that would have for Greece, the European Union and the Schengen zone." "I will fight with all my strength on Thursday and Friday for the EU-Turkey agenda as the right way to tackle this," she added. Meanwhile, speaking in Athens, EU Council President Donald Tusk said excluding Greece from the open-border Schengen area will not solve the migrant crisis. Europe needed to improve the protection of its external borders, he told reporters after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens. That required more effort by Greece, but also more support from its European Union partners. Central European nations this week proposed drafting emergency back-up plans to halt the flow of migrants to western Europe through the Balkans, effectively ring-fencing Greece. Pressure "The migration crisis is testing our union to its limits," Mr Tusk said. "For all those talking of excluding Greece from Schengen, thinking this is a solution to the migration crisis, I say no, it is not." Greece - the main entry point into Europe for more than a million refugees and migrants since last year, many crossing the sea from Turkey - is under intense pressure from its EU partners to tighten border checks. EU ministers last week gave Greece three months to fulfil 50 recommendations to fix its borders. If it does not, the EU members of the free-travel Schengen zone can impose checks on internal frontiers for up to two years. Mr Tusk, who was in Greece to garner support for an ambitious EU reform programme designed to keep Britain in the EU, was echoing sentiments expressed by Ms Merkel, who said Greece needed help in meeting its border protection duties, and should not be shunned. "Let me be clear," Mr Tusk said. "Excluding Greece from Schengen solves none of our problems." Greece says the burden it is assuming in the migrants crisis is disproportionate, adding to the strain on a nation reeling from six years of deep recession caused by austerity under the terms of three international financial bailouts. Athens says the numbers are too big to handle, that it cannot turn back boatloads of refugees and migrants into the sea, and that Turkey should do more to stop the migrants at its shores. The leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia said on Monday there should be tighter controls on the borders of Balkan countries neighbouring Greece if attempts to limit the numbers from Turkey to Greece failed. An incident in which a laser was directed at a police helicopter, leading to a man being arrested and cautioned. Photo: NPAS/PA Wire Pilot Ollie Dismore, director of operations for the NPAS has been targeted at least 20 times with a laser and has said it is "quite an unnerving" thing to happen while in the air. Photo: NPAS/PA Wire An incident in which a laser was directed at a police helicopter, leading to a man being arrested and charged. Photo: NPAS/PA Wire A pilot who has been targeted at least 20 times with a laser has said it is "quite an unnerving" thing to happen while in the air. Ollie Dismore, director of operations for the National Police Air Service, who has been a pilot for more than three decades, said there were 108 reports of lasers being used against force helicopters last year alone. Calling the issue of laser attacks a "growing problem", especially with the powerful lasers that are now available, he said "you will not find a police pilot who has not been targeted multiple times". In a 23-year career as a police helicopter pilot, Mr Dismore said he has been targeted by a laser "many times" - estimating the figure to be well in excess of 20. He described being targeted with a laser while flying an aircraft as similar to walking through the beam of a high powered LCD presentation projector. "When this comes upon you in the dark it will come through one side into the canopy, which is a bit like a goldfish bowl, and bounces around the internal surfaces - you get a very distracting flickering effect of the beam inside the cockpit," he said. "It is quite disorientating because it is not a steady light that you can look at and your eyes adjust to, it is a flickering strobing effect. And if you are trying to fly the aircraft and look at the instruments then it is quite an unnerving experience." Police helicopter pilots are trained to safely turn away from the beam and the force have trialled laser eye wear protection. Effects of a laser being directed at the eyes can include flash blindness, after-image and glare, and in rare cases - such as with a BA pilot last year - significant damage to the retina. "It is made worse at night - your pupils are wide because light levels are low - so you can get quite a significant after image while you wait for it to clear. In extreme cases it is like having dust in your eye, and it will stream," said Mr Dismore. He said alongside police aircraft, commercial airliners and military jets, lasers are also being used against drivers from motorway bridges, as well as police on the streets and at demonstrations, and train drivers. With 100 pilots across the country spread over 17 bases, Mr Dismore said the force have a high rate of catching individuals because of the on-board technology. He said: "As soon as we get any bright light or a laser on our camera it links directly to a mapping system and gives us a pinpoint location of where the perpetrator is and their image is caught and recorded. "And if we can get ground units to them quickly we actually have quite a good success rate in terms of seizing the laser, and - depending on the severity of the attack - progressing it through the criminal justice system." He added: "There have been some six-month custodial sentences handed out." And it is this technology that is helping them work with the UK's largest airports to tackle the problem of laser attacks - with the helicopters deployed to locations such as Stansted, Gatwick and Manchester. "We have been asked in the past to go and become a target so that we can get those doing it on camera. We put the helicopter into the traffic pattern with the airliners coming in, and peel off when it is struck and find the perpetrators on the ground," he said. Mr Dismore said people need to understand the consequences of their actions when they guide a laser towards an aircraft, another person or vehicle - especially in light of an incident on Sunday that saw a New York-bound Virgin Atlantic flight turned back to Heathrow and the pilot taken to hospital. He said: "We don't want to be killjoys and make every laser pointer illegal, but people need to think before they point." Tanks stationed at a Turkish army position near the Oncupinar crossing gate close to the town of Kilis, south central Turkey, fire towards the Syria border yesterday. Turkey is asking allies including the United States to take part in a joint ground operation in Syria, as a Moscow-backed government advance nears its borders, raising the possibility of direct confrontation between the Nato member and Russia. A large-scale joint ground operation is still unlikely: Washington has ruled out a major offensive. But the request shows how swiftly a Russian-backed advance in recent weeks has transformed a conflict that has drawn in most regional and global powers. Syrian government forces made fresh advances yesterday, as did Kurdish militia, both at the expense of rebels whose positions have been collapsing in recent weeks in the face of the Russian-backed onslaught. The offensive, supported by Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias as well as Russian air strikes, has brought the Syrian army to within 25km of Turkey's frontier, while Kurdish fighters, regarded by Turkey as hostile insurgents, have extended their presence along the border. Turkish artillery returned fire into Syria for a fourth straight day yesterday, the defence minister said, targeting the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara says is being backed by Moscow. "We want a ground operation. If there is a consensus, Turkey will take part. Without a ground operation, it is impossible to stop this war," a Turkish official told reporters. "Turkey is not going to have a unilateral ground operation ... We are discussing this with allies." On Monday, Turkey accused Russia of an "obvious war crime" after missile attacks in northern Syria killed scores of people, and warned the YPG it would face the "harshest reaction" if it tried to capture a town near the Turkish border. Russian air support for the Syrian government offensive has transformed the balance of power in the five-year-old war in the past three weeks. World powers meeting in Munich last week agreed to a pause in the fighting, but that is not set to begin until the end of this week and was not signed by the warring Syrian parties. The UN Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, held talks with Syria's foreign minister yesterday aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities and said Damascus had a duty to let the world body bring in humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, Damascus says its objectives are to recapture Aleppo and seal off the border with Turkey that has served as the main supply route into rebel-held territory for years. Those would be the government's biggest victories of the war so far and probably end rebel hopes of overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad by force. Kurdish forces continued their push eastwards towards Isil-held territory northeast of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Kurdish-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) - of which the YPG is a part - took a village just west of the town of Marea. That is the last major settlement before a swathe of territory held by the radical militants stretching east across Syria and into Iraq. The Syrian army also made advances, with state media saying it had taken two villages north of Aleppo near the town of Tal Rifaat, which fell to the SDF on Monday. With the help of Russian air strikes it also advanced from the government-held coastal city of Latakia, continuing a push into rebel territory and fighting to take the key town of Kansaba. With hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in areas the government aims to seize, Turkey and others accuse Moscow of deliberately firing on civilian targets such as hospitals to force residents to flee and depopulate territory. Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas on Monday, according to the UN. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Our relations [with Turkey] are in a deep crisis. Russia regrets this. We are not the initiators of this." The advances by the YPG risk creating friction between Turkey and its allies, including the US. Ankara sees the Syrian Kurdish militia as an extension of the PKK, which has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey's southeast. But the US sees the YPG as one of few effective ground forces fighting Isil in Syria, and has lent the group military support. Washington has so far ruled out sending its own ground troops into Syria, apart from small numbers of special forces. A police officer clears the area of an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, after assailants exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing several people and injuring scores of others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of city, in an area close to where military headquarters and the parliament are located. (Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency via AP) TURKEY OUT A police officer gestures as he walks at the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURYEmergency workers help an injured person on the ground near the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. An ambulance arrives to the site of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. Police officers stand next to the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. At least five people were killed in the administrative heart of Turkey's capital Ankara on Wednesday when a vehicle laden with explosives detonated as military buses passed near the armed forces' headquarters, parliament and government buildings. REUTERS/Umit Bektas Firefighters work at a scene of fire from an explosion in Ankara, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A large explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb, injured several people in the Turkish capital on Wednesday, according to media reports. Private NTV said the explosion occurred during rush hour in an area close to where military headquarters are located as a bus carrying military personnel was passing by. Several cars caught fire, the report said. Ambulances were seen rushing toward the scene. The explosion caused a large fire and dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. (IHA via AP) TURKEY OUT At least 28 people have been killed and 61 others injured in an explosion that rocked the Turkish capital. The governor of Ankara Mehmet Kilicer said the attack - believed to have been a car bomb - targeted vehicles that were carrying military personnel. The explosion occurred during rush hour in an area some 300 metres away from military headquarters. Military officials said the military vehicles were carrying personnel. The vehicles were targeted as they stopped at traffic lights. Officials condemned the attack as "contemptible and dastardly". Earlier Mr Kilicer told the state-run Anadolu Agency: "It is believed that a bomb-laden car caused the explosion." Expand Close A police officer gestures as he walks at the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A police officer gestures as he walks at the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Mustafa Kirazli/Cihan News Agency TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. News reports said some cars caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. It was not clear who was behind the bombing. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State (IS) group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. The attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. Security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south-east since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the US to combat IS in neighbouring Syria and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. Expand Close An ambulance arrives to the site of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An ambulance arrives to the site of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. The Syrian war, meanwhile, is raging along Turkey's southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkey's border. Turkey, so far, has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border. Turkey's prime minister has cancelled a planned visit to Brussels following the explosion in Ankara. Ahmet Davutoglu had been scheduled to travel to Brussels later on Wednesday. Instead, Mr Davutoglu attended a security meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. SHARE Gowdy By Kirk Brown of the Independent Mail An Upstate congressman called Tuesday for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz to repudiate a fake Facebook posting that said he was backing the Texas senator. U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican from Spartanburg, has endorsed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in the GOP race for the White House. According to Rubio's campaign, a Facebook post was being circulated that said Gowdy was switching his support to Cruz. "Friends, it is official, I have changed my mind," stated the post falsely attributed to Gowdy. "To all my Christian and Conservative friends in South Carolina, I hereby formally endorse Ted Cruz for President of the United States." The item was posted on a Facebook page Monday that was taken offline Tuesday afternoon. In a statement Tuesday, Gowdy said, "As a prosecutor, and in Congress, I've devoted my life to the rule of law and truth. "The truth actually matters to me and to all South Carolinians," Gowdy said. "Unfortunately it appears that the campaign of Senator Ted Cruz may not place the same value on waging a contest based on the truth and facts. In the last week, we have seen a systematic effort by Senator Cruz and his allies to spread false information and outright lies in the hopes of winning votes by appealing to our lowest common denominator." Rubio's campaign also noted that the Cruz campaign was accused of spreading unfounded rumors that Ben Carson had dropped out of the presidential race on the night of the Iowa caucuses earlier this month. Cruz campaign spokesman Rick Tyler said Gowdy "should know not to make accusations without a shred of evidence." Tyler also said Rubio is "losing another state" and getting desperate. "So he and his consultants have decided that since they have no money and no ground game they are going to try and smear their way to the nomination," Tyler said. The Facebook flap is the latest political shenanigan in a state that has earned a notorious reputation for its rough-and-tumble presidential primaries. One of the best known examples happened in the 2000 primary battle between former U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. John McCain. Supporters of Bush mounted a smear campaign against McCain after he won the New Hampshire primary, including a scurrilous and untrue story that McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock. Bush went on to win the South Carolina primary, creating the momentum that led to his election as president. Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM By Nikie Mayo of the Independent Mail Amara, the blind dog found shot in Townville, has panic attacks at night, her rescuer said Tuesday. On a bad night, the 2-year-old boxer will wake 10 to 15 times, shaking and whining. Heidi Wagner, the founder of Boxer Butts and Other Mutts in western North Carolina, goes to Amara and holds her until she falls asleep. "She is starting to come around, gaining weight and beginning to shine," Wagner said in an interview. "But we have a long way to go." As Amara recovers from the wounds that left her totally blind and partially deaf, Anderson County officials say they are still getting messages of outrage from people in South Carolina and beyond who believe her owner should have been charged with shooting her. Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn discussed Amara's case at the end of the council meeting Tuesday night, expressing his own frustration about what has happened. "The bottom line is that if people want something done about this case, they have to go to their state legislators," Dunn said. "The County Council don't enforce state law. Legislators are the ones who can change the state laws. "If nothing else, it looks like the person who done this could have been charged with littering, because it seems like they left the dog in a place it wasn't supposed to be," Dunn said. "But that's not what happened. We have tried with county ordinances to do what we can for animals. But there's only so much that can be done from a County Council perspective. The legislators have to be the next step. This is really upsetting." Amara was picked up as a stray on Jan. 28 on Mystic Cove Lane in Townville. Investigators later determined that she was shot Jan. 9 and had wandered alone for days. Her owner, whose identity has never been made public, told investigators that he shot Amara because she was aggressive and had bitten his pregnant wife. He told investigators that when he shot her on a trail in the woods, he believed he had killed her. Then he saw the story of a blind boxer in local media. Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said in a previous interview that Amara's owner was not charged because of South Carolina law and because he didn't mean to be inhumane. "In our statutes, a dog is your property," Skipper said. "There is no statute that says you cannot euthanize your own dog." Wagner got Amara from Anderson County's animal shelter, Pets Are Worth Saving, days after an animal-control officer brought her there. Wagner said she is not done fighting for Amara or for other animals who may be in bad circumstances. "I believe something terrible is going on in Anderson County," she said. "Justice was not served for Amara and I have to wonder why. I don't think what happened to her was investigated properly or handled properly and I have to wonder if any abused animals there get real justice." Alan Jacob Gunter SHARE By Independent Mail A 23-year-old Easley man has been charged with attempted carjacking and with impersonation of a Greenvile County deputy. The Pickens County Sheriff's Office responded Saturday to a Pope Field Road residence in Easley following reports that a suspicious man was trying to take a vehicle by force, according to Sheriff's Office statement released Wednesday. Deputies found a man matching the description given by callers. The man was walking on Pope Field Road a short distance from the site of the reported disturbance. Deputies spoke with the man, who was identified as Alan Jacob Gunter. Gunter produced a Greenville County Sheriff's Office deputy's badge and said he was an employee of that Sheriff's Office. A Pickens County deputy contacted a victim who said the same man had tried to take his vehicle by force after reaching into the window of the vehicle and grabbing the driver by the arm. The assailant yelled for the owner to surrender the car, but the driver was able to break free and call for help. No one was injured in the encounter, according to the Sheriff's Office statement. Gunter was arrested at the scene and taken to the Pickens County Detention Facility, where he remained in custody Wednesday morning in lieu of bond, officials said. The Greenville County badge was seized and turned over to Greenville County authorities, who are investigating how Gunter got the badge. Nellie Mae Durham SHARE An Easley woman is accused of intentionally setting fire to her home to get insurance money stemming from a false claim. Nellie Mae Durham, 67, is charged with third-degree arson and presenting a false insurance claim in relation to the Feb. 2 fire, the Pickens County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. The Sheriff's Office, the Easley Fire Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated the fire, according to the Sheriff's Office. On the morning of Feb. 2, a homeowner reported a fire inside her home on Maple Way in Easley. Two rooms were damaged. A sheriff's detective presented information to a Pickens County magistrate on Feb. 8, and at that time warrants were issued for Durham. She was arrested Tuesday afternoon after turning herself over to authorities. She was temporarily detained in the Pickens County Detention Facility before being released on a combined $15,000 bond, according to the Sheriff's Office. Staff report Tata Motors, Bharat Forge & General Dynamics have come together to bid for $11 billion (Rs. 78,000 crore) project to design and build Fighting Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV).With the union of Tata Motors and Bharat Forge, number of bidders for the project have declined to 9 from earlier 10. The alliance now has a higher possibility to reach the final three prototype manufacturers.FICV contract is part of India's efforts to enhance its defense forces, which is still heavily relying on Soviet-era equipment. The Indian Army would require 2,610 FICVs to replace the existing Soviet-vintage Sarath BMP-II combat vehicles built by OFB and in-service for over three decades.Tata Motors knowledge of developing vehicle engineering and General Dynamics experience in making FICV is the reason for Bharat Forge to form a consortium with them.State-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and two private companies will be shortlisted for the final list of prototype manufacturers which then later will be put for immense evaluation and testing by the army before assigning the contract.Other companies who have expressed interest in the project are L&T, Tata Power (SED), Mahindra & Mahindra, Pipavav Defence, Rolta India, Punj Lloyd, Titagarh Wagons.These firms were reportedly asked to submit a proposal of FICV, a tracked, armoured battle-taxi, which will be operated by three crewmembers and carry eight combat soldiers into battle. 80 percent of the amount invested by the selected firms will be compensated by the defence ministry. From the two FICVs developed, one will be selected for mass-production to replace the armys fleet of obsolete 2,610 Russian BMP-2 carriers. Jindal Steel & Power Ltd: CRISIL Ratings has downgraded Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL) to below investment grade after the company reported a consolidated net loss of INR 573 crore for the quarter ended December 2015.Oriental Bank of Commerce: The Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has reported alleged mismanagement and siphoning of public money at a subsidiary of the Delhi-based Dalmia Bharat Group, reports a financial newspaper.Cipla: The pharma company said the government has approved an investment by Mauritius-based FIL Capital Investments in its subsidiary, Cipla Health Ltd.State Bank of India: SBI Chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya, states that NPAs are expected to rise in the next quarter and affect profits. She also states that the bank will evaluate the current NPA situation and look at how to deal with the rising NPAs after March.Ashok Leyland: Nissan Motor has sent a termination notice on Nissan Ashok Leyland Technologies - a 50:50 technology/R&D joint venture (JV) between the Japanese automaker and Ashok Leyland.Omaxe: Omaxe Ltd's sales booking surged by 16% to Rs. 1,335 crore in the April-December period of this fiscal.Coal India: Coal India is planning to hire 1,000 people in different streams this year, according to reports.HCL Tech: HCL Technologies has bagged the largest outsourcing contract in recent times from Swedish auto maker Volvo Group, with the deal valued at over $ 2.8 bn spread over five years.Punj Lloyd: The company announced winning oil & gas EPC orders worth Rs 2070 crore from Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) and Oman Gas Company (OGC) which are owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and Oman Oil Company SAOC.Bank of India: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said that it had revised its outlook on Bank of India to negative from stable.Bharti Airtel: Bharti Airtel has announced top-level leadership changes in its Africa arm and has also rejigged the organisation design there to boost operational efficiencies.Just Dial Ltd: The company in a filing, informed the exchanges that its buy-back offer of 10.61 lakh equity shares would open for subscription on February 25, and close on March 10.Thomas Cook: The company has inked a pilot partnership with Airbnb, the worlds leading community-driven hospitality company.Kesoram Industries Ltd: The company plans to raise Rs. 180 crore through preferential issue of equity shares to a promoter entity and issue of optionally convertible preference shares to IndusInd Bank.Tata Power: Tata Power, Indias Largest Indias largest integrated power company, has successfully operationalised the net metering for the Rooftop Solar PV (RTS PV) System installed at the premises of Vardhan Industries Limited, a Tata Power consumer, in Mumbai.TCS: Tata Consultancy Services announced the launch of a solution to enable Voice over LTE for virtualized networks using TCS Network Function Virtualization (NFV) ConcertoTM platform.United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd: United Breweries (Holdings) in which liquor baron Vijay Mallya is a majority owner, has said that Punjab National Bank has declared the company as a "willful defaulter".Inox Wind: The company has bagged 100-MW wind power project order from Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) at Rojmal, Gujarat.BPCL: BPCL has received clearance from the Environment Ministry for a Rs 3.3 bn project at its Kochi Refinery in Kerala.MIC Electronics: The company has alloted of 3,30,00,000 Preferential Convertible Equity Share Warrants to investors face value Rs. 2/- each at a premium of Rs.23/- issued at Rs.25/- each as per in-principal approval received from National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange through letters dated January 28, 2016 and February 04, 2016 respectively.Den Networks: The company is planning to demerge its broadband business into a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is also looking to demerge cable business of its 23 subsidiaries companies and merge them into itself. In this regard, the company has received its boards approval at the meeting held on 9 February 2016.Videocon Industries: The company is betting on sales network expansion and product launches to sell 600,000 air conditioner units this year that will help the company capture 15% market share in the segment.RattanIndia Power: RattanIndia Power Ltd has recently announced appointment of Mr. Venugopal Keshanakurthi as the Chief Financial Officer of the company with immediate effect.Tata Chemicals: The company said that its arm Bio Energy Venture - 1 (Mauritius) is in pact with Rademan Janse van Rensburg for sale of its entire stake in Grown Energy Zambeze Holdings Pvt. Ltd, Mauritius (GEZ Mauritius) for a consideration of $5.5 million. SIAM has asked the government not to accept the proposal from 28 blocs for reducing import duties on fully imported cars, as government is planning to resume India-EU FTA.Previously, the government used to take views from SIAM and ACMA for the auto industry. Now, they have started taking inputs from individual companies as well as the auto industry bodies SIAM and ACMA. The list includes all the auto manufacturing companies like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Hyundai, M & M, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW.Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia will be flying to Brussels to meet European counterpart on 22 February to check the progress of the pending negotiations.SIAM believes that if government approves this request of custom duty reduction, it will be against the core philosophy of Make in India. Ringing Bells will launch Indias most affordable smartphone called Freedom 251 for a price of Rs. 251.The bookings for the Freedom 251 will start from Thursday 18 February from 6.00 am in the morning and will close on 21 February at 8.00 pm. This is dual-SIM 3G capable phone.Handset costs have been coming down at regular intervals. Yes,the Apples and Samsungs of the world have managed newer models with higher pricing but if the Prime Ministers vision of empowering India to the last person and transforming India's growth story has to be achieved, India needs handsets that are affordable.Recently, Ringing Bells launched the Smart 101 smartphone with a 5 inch screen running Lollipop loaded with 1GB RAM and with 4G LTE support at Rs. 2,999.Established in 2015, Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd. is one of the fastest growing smartphone company in India. The companys website states that Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd has a complete in-house product testing set-up in India. With best-in-class features, BELL is the Indian smartphone brand at highly affordable prices.With the launch of our new Smartphone - BELL , released a few days ago, with amazing accolades and features, we will be the first Indian company to offer an incredible smartphone at a highly affordable price, the website stated.Connectivity of course is an issue even the high and mighty have to grapple with irrespective of the service provider they choose. In fact even the most powerful US President complained of bad WiFi connectivity within the White House. There is no escaping from the fact that the reach of affordable smartphones can bring about a meaningful change in the way communication takes place, business is done and money is transferred. Jennifer Renee Johnson desperately misses New Orleans during Mardi Gras. But the New Orleans she misses, she says, no longer exists. Johnson is one of thousands of native New Orleanians who, in this 10th Mardi Gras since Hurricane Katrina, have yet to move back after fleeing the 2005 disaster. For many former New Orleans residents, Mardi Gras cannot be replaced where they now live. I dont find other ways to celebrate, said Johnson. It makes me too sad. Johnsons post-Katrina story is a mix of missed connections, mishaps, fateful decisions and luck. A nationally recognized artist, better known as JRenee, her art and clothing store in the French Quarter was a gathering point for local creatives. Musicians who played at the nearby House of Blues often dropped by. She painted the first album cover for popular trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. Johnsons efforts to protect her staff and friends slowed her evacuation. I wanted to take care of vendors and employees who were also trying to get out and needed their money, Johnson said. A lot of store owners who rented, like myself, got into conflicts with landlords who also wanted to leave. Who is going to board up what? People underestimated the amount of preparation, whether you decided to stay or leave. The storm came too soon for her family to escape. Johnson had a car, but the keys were with a friend who already had sped off to Atlanta. This minor mistake proved a major problem. There were other people who were leaving but only had space for one or two. We had five, Johnson said. We had to make the decision to split up in the middle of a disaster or stay together. We decided to ride it out. The Johnsons sheltered with a friend on higher ground. They eventually re-entered a city that had changed forever. Near the Superdome, a chaotic refuge of last resort for some 30,000, cops re-directed the Johnsons to a stranger with a truck. We knew something had to be really wrong at the Superdome. The stranger drove them to Houston, where they stayed at a church. There, the Johnsons shared stories, and tears, with other displaced families. Using church-sponsored Amtrak tickets, they wound up in Washington, D.C., where they were assigned to the D.C. Armory with hundreds more evacuees. Johnson had artistic roots in D.C., as muralist in up-and-coming restaurants and nightclubs. It seemed like a good place to try a new start. After three months in shelters, Johnson returned to New Orleans. Though the French Quarter was less damaged than she feared, her shop had been flooded and looted. But oddly, they didnt touch the art, the most valuable thing. Johnson retrieved what she could and relocated to Columbia, South Carolina. It offers Johnson a much lower living costs, but one in which the culture, she finds, shares at least some similarity with New Orleans. Her reasons for not returning are emotional and financial. A lot of people have gone back, but they are on the outskirts. They cant afford to live in the city proper, Johnson said. People are charging $1,200 for a one bedroom. Pre-Katrina, the same thing would have been around $450. A house that would have cost $150,000 is now $450,000. What kind of jobs sustain the mortgage on a $450,000 house in a place like New Orleans? Some returnees still feel displaced because, they say, New Orleans is losing its culture. Johnson has returned for Mardi Gras only once, when her commissioned painting, For the Love of Zulu, became the official poster of 2012s Zulu Parade. When I had the chance to go back, the first thing I noticed is that lack of people who know the culture, Johnson said. When there was a second-line march, local people used to join inNow you have more people taking pictures than participating. It makes you feel self-conscious and less free to express yourself. Its a bit of a Walt Disney atmosphere. The real New Orleans, the one I send people to, is the black New Orleans. But truthfully, New Orleans is just not as black anymore, said Johnson. Though she has no plans to return permanently, New Orleans never has left her. She envisions a major new mural there, for which she is raising funds. But until then, shell be sitting Mardi Gras out. Everybody wants to be from New Orleans, said Johnson, but while they might appreciate the culture, its only true New Orleanians who can perpetuate it. A sportsperson, top notch model and an aspiring actress, Lin Laishram is not an ordinary woman. Facebook/Lin Laishram Lin has worked with some of the most prestigious names in the glamour world including top designers like Tarun Tahiliani, Shantanu Goenka and Rohit Bal. She has strutted down the ramp at a lot of fashion shows like New York 2008, New York Bridal Week fashion show and Wills India Fashion Week! This model and aspiring actress' first stint in cinema began with Omung Kumar's Mary Kom. She auditioned for the lead role, but unfortunately for her, it landed in Priyanka Chopra's kitty and Lin ended up playing Mary Kom's friend. But real talent never goes unnoticed, isnt it? Lin has bagged a role in Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon! Facebook/Lin Laishram This means the world to her and an excited Lin told media, "not just as an actor, but also for my people back home. My character in the film is very strong and also represents the women from my state." Lin, who was stereotyped for her North-Eastern looks during her struggling days in Bollywood, said: "Even though the concept of the typical Indian beauty hasn't changed, it is certainly evolving. I'm not bound by boundaries, or by looks. And to be cast in a movie with such dedicated and talented actors like Saif Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor does not feel like work. It's a treat for me." Congratulations girl! You truly deserved it. Here are 13 stunning pictures of Lin that prove she's certainly the right choice for Rangoon! Have a look: #1 A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Oct 23, 2015 at 9:57am PDT #2 Posing! #Manipur @Andro museum. A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Aug 24, 2015 at 10:10pm PDT #3 A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Jun 11, 2015 at 9:28am PDT #4 My Indian Avatar! #fav. Thank u @prabhuppal Photography and @nivrittichandra Make up #bindi #saree #longhair #tbthursday A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Jun 4, 2015 at 1:25am PDT #5 My all time fav B&W! I dont think i can get more sensual thn this :D #lingerie #longblackhair A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on May 23, 2015 at 10:23pm PDT #6 One more with Chandon. #vaishnavi #Manipuri Photo credit @nebenchand Styling and Make up Chitralekha A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on May 13, 2015 at 1:39am PDT #7 Blossoming!!! #sakuraaaaa #nyc A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Apr 30, 2015 at 4:01pm PDT #8 Once upon a time when i had lota hair on my head :D #longblackvirginhair A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Apr 24, 2015 at 12:15pm PDT #9 Red blossom!! #japanesesakurainspired #headshot #actorslife #manipurigirlinBollywood A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Aug 22, 2014 at 6:48am PDT #10 Come away with me#b&w A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Jan 2, 2014 at 6:28am PST #11 Love affair A photo posted by "believe ye took" (@linlaishram) on Nov 17, 2012 at 11:09pm PST (Photos: Lin Laishram's official social accounts including Facebook & Instagram) It wasn't an ordinary Tuesday for the students of Hansraj College, Delhi University. Everyone was super-excited to catch a glimpse of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. After a little delay, King Khan appeared and the whole atmosphere changed into a hooting and cheering session. An ecstatic crowd. A super-enthusiastic King Khan. A Fan-tastic environment. And, a Jabra-tastic graduation ceremony! In no time, the song launch and promotions for SRKs upcoming film Fan turned into his graduation ceremony. Almost 28 years after passing out from DUs Hansraj College, SRK received his graduation degree. A nostalgic SRK said, "This is a very special moment for me. I am back in my college which I left in 1988. I am missing only one thing- my children are not with me today, as I wanted to show them every corner of my college." Here's what SRK tweeted: What a beautiful day thank you university mates & faculty. Love to all for such a memorable emotional moment. pic.twitter.com/bNaQQLJmCn Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 16, 2016 Twitter Twitter Twitter Twitter That's not all! The crowd went crazy when SRK danced and sang his #FanAnthem. What a crowd-pleaser! Video : SRK performing on 'Jabra Fan Ho Gaya' at Hansraj College , Delhi .#FANtasticAnthem pic.twitter.com/9S69JpW2Uh TEAM SHAH RUKH KHAN (@TSRK_FC) February 16, 2016 Main Tera Fan Ho Gaya SRK @iamsrk at Hansraj College in Delhi For #FanAnthem launch... #FANtasticAnthem pic.twitter.com/Ummx79U3iI S R K (@kadey1122) February 16, 2016 That wasn't all. Amid all the hullabaloo, ABVP activists were detained outside the North Campus college when they tried to block Shah Rukh's car while he was entering the premises. The activists called him anti-national for his intolerance comments at an earlier programme. Police said they had to use mild force to remove the protesters. A senior police officer said, "They were first removed from the spot for security reasons and later detained when they tried to use force to get back there." Students attending the event said the protesters carrying placards saying "Go Back Shah Rukh" had even tried to stop some of them from entering the college. But all's well that ends well! Enjoy the #FanAnthem here. Aamir Khans comments on intolerance landed him in a lot of troubles. Apart from people bashing him, he lost out on a lot of deals as a brand ambassador. BJP government even ended his contract as the brand ambassador for its Incredible India campaign after 10 years. What followed later was Aamir losing out on another 'Dil Ki Deal'. Reuters However, now after almost three months, heres a news that will make his fans rejoice. Reports suggest that BJP-led state government is all set to partner with Aamir Khan on one of its flagship schemes. Reports suggest that an official announcement regarding the same would be made by Aamir and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri (the government guesthouse). Officials claimed that they were already in touch with Aamir since May last year & Aamir too gave his silent nod on the same. Aamir had made a contribution of Rs 11 lakh to the chief ministers relief fund as donation to the scheme in 2015. This surprise announcement must have left many government officials shocked but none of the members have commented on the same. Governments Jal Yukt Shivar scheme is Fadnavis pet project that aims at making state villages drought free in five years through water conservation programmes. A bureaucrat said, It will probably be one of the biggest partnerships of such a kind in the country. He will work with us through a structured programme to aid Jal Yukt Shivar. He will give us his time, focus and help in execution. However, in an interview with ABP news, Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Fadnavis has denied the reports of bagging Aamir Khan for the campaign. The tide of protest in Delhi against the crackdown on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University reached Jadavpur University here on Tuesday with students raising precisely those slogans that led to sedition charges against some JNU students including its students union president Kanhaiya Kumar. india "Geelani bole azaadi, Afzal bole azaadi, jo tum na doge azaadi, toh chheen ke lenge azadi! (Geelani and Afzal demanded freedom. If freedom is denied, we will snatch it!)," JU students shouted during a march inside the campus Tuesday evening. Slogans were also raised in favour of Ishrat Jahan, the alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba operative gunned down by cops in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in June 2004. Students also raised anti-Modi slogans: "Modi ka Hindutva nahin sahenge, Modi ke Brahmangiri nahin sahenge." The West Bengal government has not responded to the JU march yet. Although all major political parties have slammed the BJP and the Centre over the crackdown on JNU students, the Trinamool Congress has kept silent. The JU protest was led by Faculty of Engineering & Technology Students Union and Faculty of Arts Students the two unions at the forefront of several movements, including the Hokkolorob agitation for justice for an alleged molestation survivor. Justifying the sloganeering, former AllISA JU unit president, Arumita Mitra, said, "The death penalty to Afzal Guru involved a lot of conspiracy. The Kashmir issue has been kept suspended purposely so that the government can take advantage of it. Kashmiris want freedom... "We are absolutely against the state-sponsored murders of many like Rohith Vemula who pose a challenge to social problems like casteism. If Kanhaiya Kumar is a terrorist and anti-national, we're all same." He raised a temple from the proceeds of more than 100 burglaries carried out over 25 years and prayed to the presiding goddess before every strike. None of this could save V Kamalakannan when a police team caught him on Tuesday during a vehicle check in Anna Nagar. Represenatational image of temple A court later sent him to jail. The 47-year-old resident of Kannagi Nagar near Thoraipakkam was travelling in an autorickshaw he stole in Chengalpet a few weeks ago when he was nabbed. Kamalakannan, whose father Veeraghavan is a retired armed reserve constable, confessed to have been involved in three recent burglaries, including at a spare parts showroom in Ambattur. Police recovered 16 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 50,000 in cash Anna Nagar deputy commissioner of police Joshi Nirmal Kumar said, "Police teams had been closely monitoring his movements." Investigating officer S Ravi said, "We were armed with clear CCTV footage of Kamalakannan striking at the spareparts showroom in Ambattur." Represenatational image Kamalakannan, initial inquiries revealed, had taken to crime since he was a callow teenager staying in Chetpet. He later moved to Thoraipakkam and extended his area of operation to neighbouring and even ventured into the temple towns of Tirupati and Kalahasti. Narrating his modus operandi, a police officer said, Kamalakannan operated alone and struck only at locked houses or showrooms. In a few cases where he was surprised by the house owners or others, the khaki clad Kamalakannan would escape saying he was a TNEB staffer or a policeman. He had landed in the slammer several times during his long career. The last time he was arrested was when the Chetpet police nabbed him a few months ago. He had been detained under the Goondas Act nearly 16 times. During questioning, the intensely religious Kamalakannan told police that after being caught in several cases, he used built a Nagathamman Temple opposite his house in the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board colony in Kannagi Nagar. Before every strike, he told police, he would pray to the goddess, seeking her blessings. His brother-in-law looks after the temple, he said. Kamalakannan and his wife Kotteeshwari have two children, a son who is a Class 9 student, and a daughter who is in Class 7. Both go to a school in Kannagi Nagar. According to Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, set to lead Indias first all-women crew to sail the oceans, a boat or the sea can't differentiate between a man and a woman and there are no shortcuts to the physical and mental fitness required to sail the open seas. The ocean knows no gender, no creed, no race sailing pib Joshi, along with a crew of five women, will soon go globe-trotting after standing out at the recently concluded International Fleet Review (IFR) where the crew was on INSV Mhadei, a sail training boat of the Indian Navy on which they are currently training. We are training every day for the sailing and it requires a hard level of physical activity. You have to be physically and mentally very strong and there is no short-cut to it, Lt Commander Joshi said. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman, you have to do what you are required to do, said the sailor, who is a naval architect by training pib The crew is being trained by Commander Dilip Donde, the first Indian sailor to circumnavigate solo across the globe on INSV Mhadei. Commander Donde, in the same tone, said a sailor is a sailor, irrespective of gender. The sea does not differentiate between a man and a woman. A sailor is a sailor, Commander Donde told IANS. Asked about his guru mantra to the team, the commander said: Never let your guard down... You have to be on your toes all the time. Riding the open seas in a sailing boat is not an easy feat to pull off pib The crew needs to be aware of every inch of the boat, which they may need to repair themselves in case of damage. Weather in the open sea also remains unpredictable, and smaller boats face more challenges. INSV Mhadei had been used by Commander Abhilash Tomy for his own solo, unassisted, non-stop circumnavigation under sail. Lt. Commander Joshi was confident. This is certainly Mission Possible. We have been taking special training on circumnavigation since (last) April. The course included navigation, equipment, managing a crisis or distress situation and communication courses, she explained. The team sailed to Visakhapatnam for the IFR from Goa, and is now on its way back to continue the training. The boat on which the journey will finally be undertaken is at present under construction in Goa, and the crew has to familiarise itself with every inch of the vessel. Apart from Lt. Commander Joshi, the team includes Lt. Pratibha Jamwal and Lt. P Swathi in the core group, besides Lt. Vijaya Devi and Sub Lt. Payal Gupta. A sixth member is yet to be named. The continuing stand-off at JNU has now escalated to the cyber space. The website of the JNU Central Library was hacked by Bl@Ck Dr@GoN and H4x4rwow on Tuesday. The group also posted on their Facebook claiming responsibility for the hack. The act appears to be carried out by some group which is opposed to the student protest. They have also posted some messages on the now defaced website, which threaten to kill all anti-nationals. Following the breach, JNU authorities have taken the website down. The country's commercial capital does have a heart, after all. Responding to the plight of the state's distressed farmers, the Vadkes from Thane downsized their daughter's wedding and donated Rs 6 lakh to two villages in Jalna and Nanded. Besides, a railway engineer from Parel, Biman Biswas, has been donating almost 40% of his salary every month to farmers who live more than 700 km away. TOI The Vadke family is one example of how, despite their comfortable life, people from the city are responding to the severe drought in the state. Vivek Vadke (59) a chemical engineer has set an example for others to follow, by cutting down expenses on his daughter's wedding and donating the amount to two drought-affected villages in Marathwada. This region is the most-affected area in the state, with just 8% water stocks remaining. The family has donated to Padali village in Jalna and Dapshed village in Nanded. Vivek and his wife Vasanti have always been very active socially and connected with the Gram Vikas wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. They decided to not spend money on decorations and other unimportant things and saved Rs 6 lakh, which was then donated to two villages. The money will be used to desilt and widen rivers that run along these villages so that they are ready to accommodate more water during the monsoon. "We were quite aware of the situation in the state and did not want to spend money on things that are not too important like decorations," said Vivek. Their daughter, Jaai, a bio-informatics graduate, married Tejas, a fighter pilot on December 24 after which the sum was personally handed over to the villagers. "After visiting the villages, we realized that the best way to use the money would be to help deepen and widen the water resources in these villages to increase their capacity for the monsoon," said Vadke. As for Biman Biswas, a senior section engineer working with the Central Railway, he has been donating almost 40 per cent of his salary to support at least 10 farmers and their families in Marathwada. His philanthropy started out with supporting two farmers. When he realized that his donations were saving families, he increased the number of people he would reach. "All my leaves were used to travel to villages in Yavatmal and Beed. The issue of farmer suicide is beyond drought, fair prices, cultivation practices are all related," said Biswas, who is due to retire in six months and will be spending his post-retirement time to work with farmers. Biswas was very emotional while talking about his experience with the farmers and their families. He said that Rs 5,000 is all that it takes to keep a farmer from committing suicide. "It's a matter of small donations and we can save them. More and more people should start adopting families of farmers who are in need." If you live in New Delhi or surrounding areas, you better get in shape and make it quick. That's because in less than 10 days you will wish you had never fallen sick or at least had tons of money to pay private hospital bills. A scene from RML hospital in Delhi. Source: Indian Express On February 26th all major and minor government hospitals in the capital will face an amazing staff scarcity; the day marks the first 'mass casual leave' by government nurses in the past few decades. It's not just Delhi, nurses from all government hospitals across the country will be joining them. Just that the impact will be stronger in the capital because all state government employees are joining the central government employees; a move that means a complete shut-down of medical services. panoramio.com This means that hospitals including AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML), Safdurjung and GTB will be functioning with only skeleton staff and almost no nurses. 100% of AIIMS nursing staff has notified that they will be part of the mass casual leave Savour this, RML on a usual day has more than 600 of its 1000+ permanent nurses working across shifts manning 120 departments. On 26th, they will not have any permanent nursing staff to attend to over 7,000 patients who visit the hospital daily. You may feel angry at the nurses now; after all government servants they are. How dare they go on a strike? That too while handling patient care? Well, that's the only consideration which has delayed this strike till now The agitation which has been led by various nurses' organisations began around the time when the recommendations for the 7th Pay Commission were submitted to the government. The representatives for All India Government Nurses Federation have since agitated multiple times and requested meetings with government but no appointment was provided. vishvatimes.com Finally on February 12, they began a relay hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar - where nurses from various institutions are taking turns and doing hunger strikes. The organisation has also warned of an indefinite strike starting March 15, if their demands are not met which means that a temporary shut down of services. Here are some of the demands that the nurses have: *Risk allowance * Night Shift allowance * 5 Day work week for nurses in Railway Hospitals * Reinstatement of B. Sc and higher education allowances * Revisal of entry level grade pay Nurses are the primary level of health care and come in direct contact with patients and diseases including Ebola, Swine flue and more. Therefore, their demand for risk allowance can be considered legit. The fact that higher education is promoted in almost all government sectors with increased allowances, removal of B.Sc. allowance is unfair too. Nurses are also the section which witnessed the downgrading of nursing superintendents. Did you know nurses in Railway hospitals just get 4 weekly offs every month even though they put in more work hours than other central government employees. Government's reasoning for such pay commission recommendations Goverment has justified its recommendations saying that government nurses are already paid higher than private nurses. The nurses argue that the patient to nurse ratio is private institutions is also low with their highest ratio (1 nurse : 14 patients) even lower than their own lowest ratio in the wards (which is around 1 nurse to 20-25 patients). And even at this salary, nurses working in India get paid much lower than the international counterparts. This leads to massive brain drain. All this could have been avoided if Government just granted them a hearing We don't think government should give into any demands under pressure, but to hear them out is the least they could do. What's the point in stretching the entire episode so much that it becomes a confrontation. Also, any such agitation if handled wrongly can disintegrate into a free-for-all brawl involving all government servants. The government brands the nurses as 'Anti-Nationals' You are the government, some of the people - even your own - are agitating against your policies, what do you do? You call them Anti-nationals. AIGNF The same government which did take time out to sort the matter, took the easy route out and sent circulars to all major hospitals saying that any nurse who is part of this exercise will be considered as acting against the nation and in breach of ESMA (Essential Service Maintenance Act). This has further agitated the nurses who felt further insulted. As of now, many hospitals have received CL applications from almost 100 per cent of their nursing staff and the mass leave is on schedule. But the ultimate losers here will be the patients who will not have anyone to take care of them. A lot of times, real life incidents and events become an inspiration for Bollywood film-makers. These real-life stories mostly turn into biopics where filmmakers try their best to portray the truth. Not many know that vice-versa happens too. A lot of times what one sees on the big screen becomes an inspiration for a lot of people. In 2015, one such character and film was Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Salman Khan Films Salmans character inspired people to be humble, grounded and helpful. Taking a cue from the film, heres another incident that will surprise you. A seven-year-old mute girl was lost for three days until a Village sarpanch came to her rescue! Neha, a resident of Maskeen Nagar, Bhaura Colony, went missing while playing outside the house on February 11 and she mistakenly reached Bonkar Dogra village. Kashmiri Lal, village sarpanch found Neha outside Gurudwara Sahib. He took a sobbing Neha home. Kashmiri Lal said, I asked her about her name and address, but she was unable to utter a word. It had turned dark, so I decided to take her to home. The girl used sign language to convey, but it was tough for us to understand. I asked her to show directions of her village and followed her. We went many villages to trace her parents, but to no avail." The sarpanch provided shelter to this girl at his own place for three days and taking the little girl to nearby villages, she made efforts to trace her parents. HT After sincere efforts by the Punjab Sarpanch and the Police, parents of the girl were traced and she was safely handed over to them. Neha's father revealed that his daughter is mute from birth. What a heart-warming reunion isn't it? Currently in police custody for sedition charges, JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar gave a statement at the Patiala House court about the on-campus incident that has divided the nation. In his statement, he mentioned that he is not an "anti-national", doesn't support "anti-India slogans", and also did not support the February 9 event at the campus which was organised as a memorial to the militant Afzal Guru. He also has written a letter presenting, in detail, his side of the matter: In his words, transcribed from the court hearing by the Indian Express: 5.10 pm: Send me to jail if there is evidence against me. If not there should be no media trial against me: 5.05 pm: I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country. This was after he was beaten up by lawyers at Patiala House Court. Soon after Kumar was taken into custody after being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen. He said that he "had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event", the Telegraph reported. He also disowned association with any of the slogans chanted during this event. I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event" I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Kanhaiya told the court. He has named all the other people shouting slogans against the February 2013 execution of Afzal Guru, and claimed that he could identify JNU students present at the event. It seems like some lawyers in Patiala House Court think they are enforcers. A group of lawyers went on a rampage outside the court beating-up journalists and JNU students. The same culprit The ambush was once again led by Advocate Vikram Singh Chauhan, who was caught on camera for attacking journalists and students on Monday outside the same court. Chauhan who is allegedly close to the top leadership of the BJP had gone scot-free on Monday even while a number of TV cameras showed him beating up protesters outside the court. Once again the Delhi Police seems to bee unable to find Chauhan despite him going on an all out attack in the full view of a hundred TV cameras. Earlier, speaking to India Today, Chauhan remained thoroughly defiant and threatened to resort to violence once again in the future if people continued to raise anti-India slogans. Chauhan also admitted that it was he who sent out an invitation to others to join in the proceedings at Patiala House court when Kanhaiya was brought in for questioning on Monday. What happened today? Chauhan led the large group of lawyers who barged into the court complex carrying flags and shouting slogans of "Bharat Maata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". Despite SC rap,lawyers yet again turn violent at Patiala House court ahead of Kanhaiya Kumar's hearing #JNUCrackdownhttps://t.co/BeL3O4qICJ CNN-IBN News (@ibnlive) February 17, 2016 This was in blatant defiance of the Supreme Court order which restricted the number of people inside the courtroom, allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing. "People who said 'Pakistan Zindabad' have been made heroes and we are being called gundas," he said. As Kanhaiya Kumar was being brought to the court, lawyers started rounding him up and attacking him. Police who were mute witnesses of the blatant assault did the same on Wednesday too. JUST IN: Lawyers protest outside Patiala House Court, Delhi #AfzalVirus pic.twitter.com/uyNWFXhnVS TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 17, 2016 They also went after arrested JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar who was produced in the court on Wednesday. Kanhaiya Kumar manhandled at Patiala court stones pelted at media @dna pic.twitter.com/kGisTFyoYk Azaan Javaid (@AzaanJavaid) February 17, 2016 Kanhaiya bng dragged,pushed,beaten in Patiala House Court&he is in Police Custody?And Mr Bassi's Cops do NOTHING! pic.twitter.com/fMB065f8IE Rajiv Kunwar Bajaj (@rkbnow) February 17, 2016 If that wasn't enough they later turned against fellow lawyers and attacked them too. Once Again, Tension At Delhi Court For JNU Hearing #BREAKING: Journalist alleges he was beaten up by lawyers at Delhi court ahead of hearing on arrested #JNU student leader http://goo.gl/iKy29t Posted by NDTV on 17 February 2016 MoS Home, Kiren Rijiju had on Tuesday played down Monday's scuffle saying "was there a murder?" Following the incident, the Supreme Court (SC) rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the situation at Patiala House court. The SC then asked Delhi Police counsel Ajit Sinha to tell the Patiala House magistrat to adjourn Wednesday's hearing and remove those present in the court room. Following a court order that has directed Apple to help FBI in their investigation of the San Bernardino case, Apple CEO Tim Cook has penned an important letter, urging his customers worldwide to understand "what is at stake". Reuters As per the order, Apple has been instructed to assist the FBI decrypt (or hack) the iPhone of one of the shooters in the case. Ironically, however, the FBI doesn't want Apple to unlock the phone but allow the agency to gain entry into the device on its own. What the FBI really wants to do is this - use its "bruteforcing" method to unlock the iPhone by multiple password tries. This at the cost of losing the data they want to access, forever. Because in iPhones, ten failed attempts can either erase the data completely, or wipe out the very key that can be used to decrypt the phone. Read Tim Cook's response here. A Message to Our Customers The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake. The Need for Encryption Smartphones, led by iPhone, have become an essential part of our lives. People use them to store an incredible amount of personal information, from our private conversations to our photos, our music, our notes, our calendars and contacts, our financial information and health data, even where we have been and where we are going. All that information needs to be protected from hackers and criminals who want to access it, steal it, and use it without our knowledge or permission. Customers expect Apple and other technology companies to do everything in our power to protect their personal information, and at Apple we are deeply committed to safeguarding their data. Compromising the security of our personal information can ultimately put our personal safety at risk. That is why encryption has become so important to all of us. For many years, we have used encryption to protect our customers personal data because we believe its the only way to keep their information safe. We have even put that data out of our own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business. The San Bernardino Case We were shocked and outraged by the deadly act of terrorism in San Bernardino last December. We mourn the loss of life and want justice for all those whose lives were affected. The FBI asked us for help in the days following the attack, and we have worked hard to support the governments efforts to solve this horrible crime. We have no sympathy for terrorists. When the FBI has requested data thats in our possession, we have provided it. Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants, as we have in the San Bernardino case. We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI, and weve offered our best ideas on a number of investigative options at their disposal. We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone. Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software which does not exist today would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. The Threat to Data Security Some would argue that building a backdoor for just one iPhone is a simple, clean-cut solution. But it ignores both the basics of digital security and the significance of what the government is demanding in this case. In todays digital world, the key to an encrypted system is a piece of information that unlocks the data, and it is only as secure as the protections around it. Once the information is known, or a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge. The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable. The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers including tens of millions of American citizens from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe. heresthethingblog We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack. For years, cryptologists and national security experts have been warning against weakening encryption. Doing so would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data. Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them. A Dangerous Precedent Rather than asking for legislative action through Congress, the FBI is proposing an unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority. The government would have us remove security features and add new capabilities to the operating system, allowing a passcode to be input electronically. This would make it easier to unlock an iPhone by brute force, trying thousands or millions of combinations with the speed of a modern computer. The implications of the governments demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyones device to capture their data. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phones microphone or camera without your knowledge. Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government. We are challenging the FBIs demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country. We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications. While we believe the FBIs intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect. Tim Cook Aliens are more important to China than its own people, it seems, after the country decided to move nearly 10,000 people to install world's largest radio telescope to help them hunt for for alien life, state media reported on Tuesday. The 500-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), is situated between hills in the southwestern province of Guizhou, and will start operation this year. Local who are living within five kilometres of the listening device by September 2016. reuters The relocations will "create a sound electromagnetic wave environment", a top regional official Li Yuecheng said. Residents will receive $1,800 in subsidies for their troubles, with some getting extra support for housing, it said. The relocations will "create a sound electromagnetic wave environment", a top regional official Li Yuecheng said. Residents will receive $1,800 in subsidies for their troubles, with some getting extra support for housing, it said. homestaychina FAST, built at a cost of 1.2 billion yuan, will dwarf the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the world's largest radio telescope, which is some 300 metres in diameter. Wu Xiangping, director-general of Chinese Astronomical Society, said the telescope's high level of sensitivity "will help search for intelligent life outside the galaxy". In the past China has relocated hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals. Many complaint of poor compensation. The area surrounding the telescope is remote and poor. Xinhua had earlier said it was chosen as there are no major towns nearby the area. As well as upping investment in astronomy, Beijing is also accelerating its multi-billion-dollar space exploration programme, with plans for a permanent orbiting station by 2020 and eventually a manned mission to the moon. Meet Schnoodle Willie, a six-year-old schnauzer-poodle who has been travelling the length and breadth of the world - so much so that the little guy has already trotted 12 countries within a span of 5 years! And here we are, reading about traveller dogs while we cry a river inside. On a serious note though, Willie didn't always have a lavish lifestyle. The pooch was a neglected stray living on the streets of New Orleans all by himself. Until he was rescued, adopted and given the warmth of a loving home by Justin Bhagat from Ontario, Canada. And then started their world travels which Justin documented as travelogues on Instagram. Here, take a look. 1. Willie in Italy HotSpot Media 2. Willie in Pisa HotSpot Media 3. Willie in Paris HotSpot Media 4. Willie in Spain HotSpot Media 5. Willie in Sierra Nevada HotSpot Media 6. Willie in New York City HotSpot Media 7. Willie in Africa HotSpot Media 8. Willie in Philadelphia HotSpot Media 9. Willie in San Francisco HotSpot Media 10. Willie in Arizona HotSpot Media 11. Willie in Florida HotSpot Media 12. Willie at Niagra Falls HotSpot Media 13. Willie in Toronto HotSpot Media 14. Willie in Morocco HotSpot Media Bhagat told MailOnline, "After rescuing Willie, he naturally started coming with me on my travels. His calm and happy nature has made it easy to meet new people because he's just so friendly and full of love. "Wherever we go, he approaches everyone to say hello and regularly stops to sit with them. "He just completely trusts everyone that he approaches and it's opened my eyes to the amount of goodness in the world. I started Willie's Instagram page two years ago, and I'm really happy to be sharing his journey with so many people." We are totally digging the way Willie poses like a true boss in front of the world's most amazing landmarks. Even though we can't help but feel a small pang of envy, we love the love Willie has been showered with in his life! Follow us on apple to quit selling iphone 4s 5c models from india report New Delhi: Apple will soon withdraw its iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c models from the Indian market, suggested a report by Economic Times. It is done in a bid to increase their Average Selling Price in the country. The iPhone 4s has been selling in India between Rs 12,000 - Rs. 16,000 and the iPhone 5c is available at Rs. 20,000. According to the report Apple may be looking to completely exit the sub-20K smaretphone market in India. Even though there is no official statement by Apple yet, analysts are feeling that Apple is doing so to fix its falling average selling price. The 10,000-20,000 segment is among the fastest growing in India, after the 5,000-10,000 segment. "It's a step to improve the ASP (average selling price) which was falling since iPhone 4s was till recently one of their highest selling model in India due to its lower price," said Pulkit Baid, director at Great Eastern, a consumer electronics retail chain in eastern India. Since there has been no word from the company on both the devices, currently, the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c are available for purchase on ecommerce websites. It is expected that ecommerce sellers such as Amazon and Flipkart will now start pricing the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c higher, before Apple completely stops their shipment. "The recent price cut of iPhone 5s is in line with Apple's strategy of positioning this model as affordable in emerging countries and will continue to pull aspirational young audience looking to upgrade their smartphones in the midsegment," he said. Because of their sub-20K pricing, the iPhones have been quite popular in India. The iPhone 4s comes with a 3.5 inch display and runs on Apple's A5 chipset and the iPhone 5c features a 4 inch display and runs on the A6 chipset. Latest Business News Follow us on solar industries signs mou with maharashtra government to set up nagpur plant Mumbai: Industrial explosives manufacturer Solar Industries India has signed a pact with the Maharashtra government to set up a facility in Nagpur with an investment of Rs 1,550 crore to manufacture ammunition for armed forces. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was formalised by the company through its 100 per cent subsidiary Economic Explosives during the ongoing Make in India week here. The project will come up in Nagpur, a relatively industry deficit area of the Vidarbha region, and will generate more than 700 direct jobs. "This association will go a long way in addressing the hollowness of ammunition being faced by the Indian armed forces," Chairman Satyanarayan Nuwal said. The Solar Group entered the defence sector four years ago and set up India's first HMX plant in the private sector, a large composite propellant plant and facilities to produce various other products like Pyros and War Heads. The subsidiary company shall be building world-class facilities to produce Bi-Modular Charge Systems (BMCS), fully integrated rockets and a new generation of hand grenades. "While the facilities are being established with own strength of technical manpower and knowledge base, the know-how for the products shall be obtained from DRDO," he added. The facilities will be completed in 24 months and commercial production will start thereafter. Latest Business News Follow us on i m still straight manoj bajpayee after playing homosexual role for 65 days in aligarh Mumbai: Despite more than a month of preparation and shooting for a role that was homosexual in the film "Aligarh", actor Manoj Bajpayee says he is still straight. Social activist Harish Iyer, who was present along with the cast and crew of the film at a press meet on Tuesday, told Manoj: "I promise you that you will not become gay if you support this film." Manoj replied: "He is right. Thirty days of preparation, and 35 days of shooting for this role, I'm still straight." Manoj plays a professor who is homosexual, and who was filmed while he became intimate with another male. That video led the college management to suspend him, after which he pursues a court case and gets his job back, but loses his life in the process. "Gulzar sahab says that all characters, if you really play them seriously, leave a mark in your brain. Most of the actors who take their work very seriously and work in these kind of films, you'll find them having mood swings. It creates a vacuum inside you, your mind is bruised after playing so many various characters from theatre days till now," Manoj said. "It's quite taxing when whole day you're in the character, and if you don't do that, you'll miss the 'sur'. You have to be in the character and you have to be walking, eating like him," he said. "Aligarh", directed by Hansal Mehta and also starring Rajkummar Rao, is releasing on February 26. On how to come out of the character, he said: "If you want to be sane, then you really have to switch off. This is what my psychiatrist told me 10-15 years back. I didn't know how to do that but I started working on it, and now I reached a point that after pack-up, I just switch off. I like to unwind by disturbing Hansal Mehta by knocking his door 50 times." "Find people from the unit, sit with them, talk to them, just forget what you've done and look for the next day. At the end of the day have a glass of wine, play up some music, dance, that's what I do," Manoj added. Latest Bollywood News Follow us on cisf man shoots himself dead New Delhi: A CISF official deployed in the Delhi airport security wing allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself from his service weapon here. Officials said the incident occurred late yesterday when Assistant Sub Inspector Raj Singh (58) got issued his service weapon at the Central Industrial Security Force camp in Bijwasan area here around 8:00 PM. They said he was supposed to go for his night shift duty at the Indira Gandhi International Airport but he instead took the weapon and allegedly shot himself inside the camp area. Singh suffered three bullet injuries and was reported dead before being taken to a nearby hospital by his colleagues. Soon after the incident, senior CISF and Delhi police officials reached the spot for investigations. "It looks to be a suicide case.The exact reasons are being ascertained. A court of inquiry has been ordered," a senior official said. Singh had joined the paramilitary in 1980, they said. Latest India News Follow us on jnu row delhi police report silent on kanhaiya blames umar khalid New Delhi: The Special Branch of Delhi Police has submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs on its crackdown on a group of students protesting at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on February 9 to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The Delhi Police in its 4-page report blamed Democratic Students Union (DSU) activists led by 'wanted' student Umar Khalid for events leading to violence in the varsity campus. The group raised anti-national slogans after they were denied to broadcast a pro-Afzal Guru documentary on February 9 in the JNU, the report said, adding Umar Khalid has been absconding since then. Delhi Police also mentioned that JNU authorities were timely alerted and permission to organise the event was denied to the student group. The decision of cancellation of programme was passed on to student group through JNU security authorities. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) students had also idea about the cancellation and they started mobilising around the proposed programme venue, the report said. Earlier, it was reported that ABVP activist had alerted JNU authorities about the event but it was an officer of Special Branch (Intelligence Unit) of Delhi Police who saw a poster and alerted the authorities. "On February 9, around 5 pm, DSU students under the leadership of Umar Khalid, convener, DSU, gathered at Sabarmati Dhaba. Left-supported students were also present at the venue. They had carried with them equipment to show a documentary film on the history of occupation of Kashmir. Since the JNU administration had denied the permission, they carried the equipment back," the report reads. The Delhi Police report, however, said nothing about JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested and booked for sedition. "As far as JNU issue in general and Kanhaiya Kumar issue in particular is concerned, we have not reached on any conclusion. Matter is still under investigation. One more thing shouting anti-India slogans is not the only criteria for sedition...there are many other acts comes under the preview of that..as and when we will reach to any conclusion,we will share it with media," a MHA source said. Earlier, Delhi Police Chief BS Bassi had claimed that enough photos and video evidence are available to prove sedition charges slapped against JNU students including Kanhaiya and that no innocent was being made to suffer. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against hanging of Afzal Guru. On the same day, he was remanded in three-day police custody by a court here. On Monday, his police custody was extended by two days. The Special Branch of Delhi Police had been keeping an eye on DSU activities for the last few months and has found that the group mourned Afzal Guru's death and celebrated the killing of CRPF personnel in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh. Latest India News Follow us on pakistan must vacate the illegally occupied territory of j k uk mp Jammu: A British lawmaker on Tuesday said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including parts "illegally controlled" by Pakistan, were integral part of India. "State of Jammu and Kashmir in totality is part of India an integral part of India and it needs to be reunited and should come under the dominion of India," UK Member parliament and leader of ruling conservative party Robert John Blackman told reporters in Jammu during a meet the press function organized by the Press Club of Jammu. Blackman said Pakistan must vacate the territory of Jammu and Kashmir "illegally occupied" by that country. Blackman called upon the Central government to implement the resolution unanimously passed by the Indian Parliament to liberate parts of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan. Cautioning Indian Government against malicious campaign launched by some Pakistani groups in Britain, Bob said that Pakistani diaspora has successfully launched a vicious campaign against India in Britain as far as Kashmir is concerned. He said that Pakistani diaspora has been reflecting propagandist picture on Kashmir in UK and real picture was never exhibited before the people. "The erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir had signed instrument of accession with India and given the control of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to India, it is Pakistan which illegally occupied its territory which it should hand back to India through negotiation," he said. Blackman said that as both the countries were nuclear power, so there was no question of both the nations for going on war for Kashmir, but Pakistan must itself vacate the territory and hand it over to India. The lawmaker from the Harrow East constituency in England said that in the past Pakistan lobby had strong presence in the UK parliament but things have changed and people like him who are "friends of India" have been started speaking about India. He said that the ties between India and the United Kingdom have grown stronger even since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of power in India and his last year's "historic visit" to UK has further strengthened the bond. Invoking the Gujarat model of development he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to develop India as an economic and military power of the east and United Kingdom was ready to provide all possible support to India for attaining the goal. He said Modi has been working tirelessly to take India to "greater heights", he said. He said India has been a victim of terrorism originating from Pakistani soil and it should take measures to rein in the "forces" that spread terrorism in countries like India. Asked why UK does not declare Pakistan as a terrorist state, Blackman said he cannot speak on behalf of the UK government, but he was aware of the terrorist attacks that India faced and that originated from the Pakistani soil. He said that UK government was aware of the terrorism being faced by India and it stands shoulder to shoulder with India to combat terrorism. (PTI) Latest India News Follow us on india likely to select fighter plane under make in india manohar parrikar New Delhi: India is likely to select by the year-end at least one fighter aircraft that will be manufactured by the private sector under the 'Make in India' process for supply to IAF, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said. He said that there may be one or two more jet fighter plants, either operational or in the process of being set up, in India in the next three years or so. Asked if this meant HAL will set up more plants, Parrikar said, "It is private sector which will be required to supply to the air force. We need fighters. We may encourage...there are proposals." Parrikar said yesterday through "proper process", by year end "we might select few aircraft to Make in India. Which one? I don't commit. But there will be at least one, may be two also." Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the US, Saab of Sweden, Dassault Aviation of France and Eurofighter have offered to set up manufacturing bases in India along with transfer of technology if their fighter aircraft was selected for Indian Air Force. All the companies are also in talks with Indian private firms to select a local partner. However, they are awaiting a clear signal from the government before selecting their partners. Parrikar also made it clear that 'Make in India' does not mean just assembly of equipment but manufacturing through transfer of technology. The development comes as both India and France are in the last stage of concluding an Inter-Government Agreement on direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jet planes. The government has also decided to equip IAF, which is facing a severe fighter shortage, with indigenously developed Tejas combat aircraft. HAL is already in the process of increasing its capacity to manufacture 16 Tejas aircraft per year. Latest India News Follow us on india must raise voice against demolition of jain temple in lahore acharya lokesh New Delhi: Expressing deep anguish over demolition of a Jain temple in Lahore, Jain acharya Dr Lokesh Muni has asked Indian government to intervene in the matter and get it reinstated. A delegation of Jain monks led by Acharya Lokesh Muni met BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday and discussed future course of action after Pakistan's Punjab government demolished the remains of the already damaged temple. Acharya Lokesh said that if need be, he will lead a delegation consisting of representatives of all religions to Pakistan and raise the issue of protection to Jain temples and gurudwaras with PM Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain. BJP President Amit Shah assured the delegation that he will ask Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to speak to Pakistan High Commissioner and find a solution. At the time of independence, the two nations had decided that in case of any such issue related to religious shrines, they will consult each other. In this case, Pakistan did not consult government of India and the temple was demolished overnight, Amit Shah said. Read Also: Violating LHC's order, ancient Jain temple demolished in Lahore Acharya Lokesh pointed out that the demolition of the Jain temple is being opposed not only in India but Pakistan as well. Many social workers and human rights organisations of Pakistan are also protesting against the demolition. I would request both UNESCO and UNO to intervene in this matter, he added. Latest India News Follow us on former jnu students condemn anti india sloganeering in university campus New Delhi: Former students of JNU led by BJP MP Udit Raj have condemned anti-India' and pro-Pakistan' sloganeering in JNU campus. The condemnable incident of anti-India and pro-Pakistan sloganeering has raised concerns among the responsible citizens of the country and severely dented JNU's image as a premier educational institution of international repute. All over the country it has shown JNU in bad light and as a den of anti-India elements, a press statement issued by Ex-JNUites Forum' said. While saying that the culprits should be booked immediately and strict actions under the law should be initiated, we oppose any attempt to interfere with the ongoing investigation by the police in the issue.The incident in JNU should not be seen in isolation. It is not that a handful of students have come out and raised some slogans by mistake. Such incidents are part of larger design to weaken India and mislead its younger generation. Anti-India forces are trying to create such situation in different campuses in the country, it further added. Read Also: Hackers deface JNU website's library page, splash anti-Afzal Guru statements The Ex-JNUites Forum' also accused JNUSU office bearers of conniving with those who raised anti-India slogans. It's a shame that anti-India, pro-Pakistan slogans are raised in connivance with some JNUSU office bearers and the masked people shouting slogans are given not only protection but they added their voice to them. Enough is enough, we condemn this incident strongly and call for stringent action against them, they said. The forum has decided to launch Online Signature campaign by Ex-JNUites besides holding press conference and Ex-JNUites Solidarity Meet in Constitution Club, New Delhi to strengthen the hands of responsible students of JNU and members of the JNU community who are struggling hard to expose these elements. The press statement was signed by Udit Raj (MP), Dr. Shiv Shakti Bakshi, Dr. Monica Rathod, Sandeep Mahapatra, Swadesh Singh, Vikas Preetam, Abhay Kumar, Vikash Anand, Dr. Amit Singh, Dr. Manoj Kumar, Saurabh Dubey, Rajshekhar, Dr. Pranav Kumar, Dr. Anshu Joshi and Renu Keer. Latest India News Follow us on jnu row kanhaiya terms feb 9 incident as unfortunate condemns it New Delhi: Slapped with the charge of sedition, JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar today said that he condemned the incident at the JNU campus on February 9, terming the entire episode as unfortunate. Kanhaiya also told the magistrate court that he is an Indian who has full faith in judiciary and the Constitution, a statement the police latched on to say that it will not oppose his bail. The JNUSU leader, who was today produced at the Patiala House Court complex amid chaos, issued a hand-written statement issued by Kanhaiya. In the statement, Kanhaiya has called for peace and also condemned the February 9 incident at JNU campus, which witnessed alleged anti-national slogans being raised. On February 9, 2016, our university witnessed an unfortunate incident which I condemn. One can tell after going through videos from different sources that some students of JNU as well as some outsiders were raising some unconstitutional slogans. As part of my constitutional commitment, I do not support such slogans. I appeal that peace of the country, society and universities should not be disturbed in this regard," Kanhaiya's statement, written in Hindi, read. "I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country," Kumar had earlier told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings. Kanhaiya also flayed the media trial against him saying it was painful. " If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial," he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings. Kumar, who has been booked under sedition charge in connection with an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised last week, has been arrested by Delhi Police. He has been remanded to judicial custody till March 2. Reacting to the statement, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said if Kumar applies for bail, then police will not object to it. "I personally feel, a young person...perhaps be given bail," he told reporters. Kumar told the committee of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court to asses the situation in Patiala House Court that he was treated well by the police. "I have no complaints against the police. When I was brought to the court, a mob attacked me. Police was escorting me to the court room and they tried their best to save me from the mob. But still, I was beaten up. Even some of the police officials were assaulted," he said. The magistrate immediately ordered medical examination of Kumar by a team of doctors inside the court. The magistrate also ordered the DCP (Security) present in the court to ensure that there is no attack on him. He also directed the Superintendent of Tihar jail to ensure security of Kumar. (With PTI inputs) Latest India News Follow us on kanhaiya manhandled outside delhi court sent to jail till march 2 New Delhi: Patiala House Court today sent JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to 14-day judicial custody. It means that Kanhaiya will stay in jail till March 2. Earlier, the Supreme Court was today forced to step in after ruckus broke out once again at the Patiala House court complex when JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being produced in the court in a case of sedition against him. In an apparent act of blatant disregard to the Supreme Court's order earlier in the day, a large group of men dressed in lawyers' robes today barged into the Patiala House court complex and allegedly beat up JNUSU president Kanhaiya while he was being brought in to be produced before the magistrate. In view of this incident, Patiala House Court directed concerned DCP to ensure safety of the accused Kanhaiya Kumar till his transportation to jail. Jail superintendent has also been directed to take necessary steps to prevent any harm to the accused Kanhaiya Kumar. In the court room, Kanhaiya Kumar also made a statement that he was assaulted by the mob inside the court premises. The top court took stock of the situation immediately and formed a team of six senior lawyers who were sent to the Patiala House court complex to take stock of the security arrangements and also submit a report to the apex court regarding the incident. In light of the untoward incident, the second time in a row in this case, the SC also asked the current hearing in the case to be adjourned for now. Justice J Chelameswar of the Supreme Court personally spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner regarding security in Patiala House Court. The top cop has also been summoned for the hearing in the case. The apex court asked Delhi Police counsel Ajit Sinha to communicate to the Magistrate to adjourn the hearing and evacuate those present in the court room. The team of senior lawyers, comprising Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A D N Rao, Ajit Sinha and Harin Raval, have been sent to the court premises and submit the report within a day. The court is expected to give directions based on the report filed before it. In a repeat of the incidents that occurred two days ago at the same venue, a journalist and other supporters of Kanhaiya were allegedly beaten up by these men who appeared to be lawyers. Scuffle broke out when a group of lawyers tried to attack Kumar while was being brought to court. As many as 400 policemen have been deployed in the court premises and an additional team of 50 policemen accompanied Kanhaiya Kumar in his security. A journalist present at the spot was also allegedly manhandled by the agitated group, which could be seen raising slogans "Vande Mataram" and waving the Indian flag in the court premises. According to eyewitnesses, clashes erupted in the court complex despite heavy police deployment and the cops' presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students. Earlier today, the Supreme Court had restricted the number of people inside the courtroom, allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing. The apex court's intervention came based on a petition alleging that the police remained a "mute spectator to the brazen display of brute force" on February 15. On Monday, groups of lawyers had beaten up journalists and JNU students and teachers ahead of the hearing of the sedition case registered against Kumar. Yesterday, top editors of national media and hundreds of journalists had hit the streets demanding action against those involved in beating up members of their fraternity in the court complex in police presence. The journalists had also sought Supreme Court's intervention in protecting freedom of speech. Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has said that the matter is serious and the Home Ministry has sought a report into the incident. Here is the Video: Latest India News Follow us on kanhaiya not attacked claims delhi police centre seeks report New Delhi: Under fire over a repeated spate of violence in the Patiala House court complex, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today denied that JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar was "beaten up" and defended the handling of the situation, saying use of "heavy force" against lawyers would have been counter-productive and inappropriate. "I do not think he was beaten up. There was lot of jostling. We expected jostling and considering that he was escorted by a requisite number of police officers. He was taken care of by our officers. "I do not think you can call the situation (in the court complex) today went out of hand," he told reporters after the Delhi Police's handling of the situation at the Patiala House court complex came under intense scrutiny from the Supreme Court in the wake of attack on Kumar and journalists by a group of lawyers. He said the officers covered him physically and was protected from being assaulted. Scuffle took place on two occasions. Replying to questions, he said use of force would have been counter-productive. "Lawyers are officers of the court. When we are dealing with officers..., unless..use of heavy force would have been inappropriate in this case." Bassi cited earlier instances of violence involving lawyers in Madras High Court, Allahabad High Court and elsewhere to buttress his point that lawyers are to be handled carefully. "We have managed the situation. There was no breach of peace. We have followed norms of prudent policing," Bassi said. He said he had no idea as to what the Supreme Court-appointed lawyers have said in their report. "If they find me guilty, then I have a right to rebut." Referring to Monday's violence in which a group of lawyers had attacked journalists, JNU students and teachers, Bassi said three lawyers including V K Chouhan and BJP MLA O P Sharma have been summoned for questioning. He expressed hope that they will appear before the investigating officer and give their version of the events. Meanwhile, the central government has taken a strong note of the violence at the court premise and has asked the Delhi police to submit a report to it on the violence. (With PTI inputs) Latest India News Follow us on 10 controversial comments made by donald trump New York: Long before the New Hampshire primary victory came along, the flamboyant-yet-controversial real estate mogul, Donald J. Trump, has lived in the news owing to his over-the-top theatrics at presidential debates and irksome comments. Racist', sexist', bigot'or even worse than Voldemort' are only few of the references made about the Republican front-runner in the 2016 U.S Presidential Election. A man with a twitter following of over 6 million users and net worth of approximately 5.7bn, Trump has possibly become one of the most loved/hated GOP contenders running against the likes of fellow Republican and brother of former president, Jeb Bush and Former Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate. Having this reputation of being bold and brash, Donald Trump has made some of the most controversial comments during his presidential campaign. Here goes a list of 10 such comments made by Donald Trump: 1. "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?" -Trump tweeted on April 16. He took the tweet down soon after. 2. "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," - Trump made this controversial comment on Dec. 7 in South Carolina, during his speech regarding the banning of Muslims from entering the U.S mainland. 3. There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down.. -Trump made this outrageous comment, on November 2015, claiming he saw people in the U.S cheering 9/11. 4. "Hey, I'm not saying they're stupid I like China. I just sold an apartment for $15 million dollars to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike 'em?" - Trump said when he announced his bid for the presidency in June, 2015 on the topic of China ripping away U.S jobs and on the debate of having tougher negotiation position with the country. 5. Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and hispanics-a tough subject-must be discussed. -Trump tweeted on June 5, 2013. 6. How much money is the extremely unattractive (both inside and out) Arianna Huffington paying her poor ex-hubby for the use of his name? -Trump tweeted on April 7 about Huffington Post's co-founder, Arianna Huffington. This was in response to HP article critical of Trump. 7. Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" -Trump to opponent Carly Fiorina, in September 2015, during an interview with Rolling Stone. 8. "13 Syrian refugees were caught trying to get into the U.S. through the Southern Border. How many made it? WE NEED THE WALL!" -Trump tweeted on November 22 referring to his immigration bans on refugees piling in from Syria and other North African countries. 9. "They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction and there were none. And they knew there were none. There were no weapons of mass destruction.. The World Trade Center came down during your brother's reign. Remember that?" -Trump said on February 14, 2016, in a Republican candidate debate regarding Bush administration and 9/11. During this debate, Trump was, despite being booed (again) was considered to have finally gone too far in making a bold and provocative claim. However, this one could be among the harsh truth of the US government. 10. The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else's problems. When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending the best. They're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they're telling us what we're getting. - Trump commented about Mexican immigration in June 2015 during a speech made at his presidential campaign where he referred to Mexicans as rapists'. Latest World News Follow us on china claims to begin search for alien life with world s largest radio telescope to vacate 9000 residents Beijing: China will displace nearly 10,000 people to facilitate an ambitious search for alien life with the world's largest radio telescope, Chinese state media reported on Tuesday. The exploration is to begin with a five hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, arguably the world's largest, is to be located between hills in the south-western province of Guizhou and is ready to start operations this year. The radio telescope, which is some 300 metres in diameter, will cost around 1.2 billion yuan. The evacuation is facilitated by a proposal last year by several members of the Guizhou provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Xinhua news agency reported. The proposal asked the government to relocate residents within 5 km of the 500-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, to create a sound electromagnetic wave environment. The Guizhou provincial government is expected to resettle 9,110 residents in Pingtang county and Luodian County in four settlements by the end of September. Subsidy for residents from government Each of the involved residents will get 12,000 yuan ($1,830) subsidy from the provincial reservoir and eco-migration bureau, and each involved ethnic minority household with housing difficulties will get 10,000 yuan subsidy from the provincial ethnic and religious committee. Construction of the FAST began in March 2011 with an investment of 1.2 billion yuan. Upon completion, the telescope will be the world's largest of its kind, overtaking Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory, which is 300 metres in diameter. (With agencies) Latest World News Follow us on f 16 deal with pakistan should not concern india us Washington: Reiterating that the sell of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan was to help Islamabad in combating terrorism, the Pentagon on Tuesday said that the Barack Obama administration's decision 'should not be a cause of concern for India as the regional security situation was taken into account at the time of sale'. "We don't think it should cause concern for India," Peter Cook, Pentagon Press Secretary, said on Tuesday while responding to questions on India's disappointment over sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan. "This sale always took into account the regional security situation. We look at our relationship with Pakistan and our relationship with India as separate relationships. We think this is important capabilities for the Pakistanis to go after terrorists in that country," Cook added. The Obama administration had last week said decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets worth nearly USD 700 million to Pakistan despite mounting opposition from influential lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties. "We think this is a capability that will help Pakistan in its counterterrorism effort and we think that's in the national security interests of the United States," he said. India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its "displeasure and disappointment" over the decision. India disagreed with the US' rationale that such arms transfers help Pakistan in combating terrorism and believes the US military aid to Pakistan goes into anti-India activities. These additional F-16 aircraft will facilitate operations in all-weather, non-daylight environments, provide a self- defence/area suppression capability, and enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter terrorism operations, the Pentagon had said. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has moved for Congressional approval for financing the deal under the country's Foreign Military Financing (FMF) scheme. The administration has proposed to pay the bulk of the $699 million cost of the deal while Pakistan is required to pay $200 million. With PTI Inputs Latest World News Follow us on heart breaking starved nigerian toddler saved by a young charity worker Abuja: Heart-breaking images of a two year old starving Nigerian toddler being given water by a Danish aid worker is doing rounds on social media. He had reportedly been abandoned by his community, who accused him of being a witch. Nigerian boy, now named Hope, wandered on streets for eight months and survived on scraps thrown to him by passersby for eight months. His limbs were stick-thin from starvation and his belly bloated due to worms. Anja Ringgren Loven came to the poor boy's rescue and gave him food and water and took him to hospital, the Daily Mail reported. Loven is the founder of African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation, which she created three years ago to help children that have been labelled as a witch and therefore neglected and even killed by the members of their community. She named the sick child Hope and just two weeks after rescuing him she said his condition is now stable. Hope is getting so much better. Already gaining a lot of weight and looking so much more healthy, she wrote on her Facebook page. Now we only need him to talk. But that will come naturally when he is out of the hospital and starting his life among all our children. Children become stronger together. Latest World News Follow us on indian hue and cry over f 16 sale to pakistan unfortunate sartaz aziz Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has expressed regret on India's objection to sale of eight F-16 Block-52 aircraft to Pakistan. Underlining that strategic balance in South Asia is pivotal for regional peace, Aziz said that India has inked big arms deals with the United States, Russia, and other countries but it is making hue and cry over F-16 jets deal between the US and Pakistan. He said the United States has taken a very clear stance that the jets are being provided to Pakistan to combat terrorism. He was talking to a Pakistani News Channel. The Pakistan Foreign Office on Sunday expressed 'surprise' at the Indian government's disappointment over the United States' decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. A 'disappointed' India on Saturday summoned the US envoy in New Delhi, Richard Verma, to 'convey its displeasure' regarding the Obama administration's decision to notify the sale of the aircraft to Pakistan. "Their army and arsenal stock is much larger and they are the largest importer of defence equipment," Pak's Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement. Latest World News Follow us on indian origin couple in new zealand awarded longest married pair at 99 Auckland: Married for nearly 81 years, an Indianorigin couple, both aged 99 who have taken part in India's freedom struggle, have been awarded New Zealand's longest married couple by a group, media reports said on Tuesday. Auckland couple Jeram Ravji and Ganga Ravji, who will turn 100 in May and June respectively, will be celebrating their 81st wedding anniversary in two months. Mr. Jeram and Ms. Ganga were born in India on May 4, 1916 and June 6, 1916 respectively. The couple, whose family includes six children, 15 grandchildren and 25 greatgrandchildren all living in Auckland, were betrothed at the age of six in India and married at the age of 19. They were felicitated by Family First NZ, a Christian lobby group. Ms. Ganga said her husband was imprisoned for 10 months after joining Mahatma Gandhi's freedom struggle and fighting against the rule of the British government, NZ Herald reported. She was often beaten up by police during her husband's time as a freedom fighter to try to get information from her about her husband, she said. Ms. Ganga said that the key to a good marriage was to learn to make sacrifices and to take the good with the bad. [The advice] we would give to our children if they had difficulties with their marriage would be you have to work hard, you have to have tolerance that's the most important part, tolerance, Ms. Ganga said while speaking to the Herald through her daughter Bhanu Daji. The Ravjis said they love each other just as much now as they always have. He moved to New Zealand in 1928 when he was 11, five years after the pair became betrothed at age six in 1922. They married at 19 and lived as a family in New Zealand from 1953, first in Whanganui before moving to Auckland in 1981. Although we can only go on the nominations made, we are pretty sure that the Ravjis are New Zealand's longestmarried couple. As part of their award from Family First NZ, they will have a professional photo sitting with their extended family which includes 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren all living in Auckland. The last family photo was 10 years ago at their 90th birthday celebrations, Family First New Zealand Director Bob McCoskrie said. Despite fighting the British rule in India, Ravjis said they were looking forward to receiving their letter from the Queen when they turn 100 this year. Latest World News Follow us on global teacher prize 2016 stephen hawking announces mumbai teacher among finalists London: An Indian teacher who runs a non-profit school in Mumbai for girls from the city's red light areas was on Wednesday named in the top 10 short-list for a global prize for teachers. Robin Chaurasiya, founder of Kranti, will compete with teachers from the UK, US, Nairobi, Palestine, Japan, Finland, Australia and Pakistan to win the $1-million Global Teacher Prize 2016. "There was a teacher behind every great artist, every great philosopher, every great scientist. However difficult life can be, teachers have always been there, behind the scenes, showing us the way forward," said renowned scientist Professor Stephen Hawking as he announced the top 10 in London. "I wasn't the easiest person to teach. I was slow to learn to read, and my handwriting was untidy. But, at the age of 14, my teacher, Dikran Tahta, showed me how to harness my energy, and encouraged me to think creatively about maths. He made me wonder. He made me curious. He opened up new worlds to me. That is what a great teacher can do," he said. In reference to the founder of the prize, Kerala-born entrepreneur Sunny Varkey, he added: "Thanks to Sunny Varkey, and the Varkey Foundation. We need great teachers to grow great minds, or we will never solve the world's most pressing problems." The prize was created in 2015 as a kind of Oscars for the teaching profession by the UK-based Varkey Foundation. The Indian nominee, Chaurasiya, refers to her students as "Krantikaries" (Revolutionaries), who are aged 12-20 and include victims of trafficking and daughters of sex workers. They go on to become peer teachers and community leaders. Varkey said: "I want to congratulate Robin Chaurasiya for being selected as a top ten finalist from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers." "I hope her story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over India and throughout the world every day," Varkey said. "The thousands of nominations and applications we received from every corner of the planet is testimony to the achievements of teachers and the enormous impact they have on all of our lives," said Varkey. The top 10 have been narrowed down from 8,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries from around the world. Latest World News Follow us on arvind kejriwal raises jnu issue with rajnath singh New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and took up with him the situation in Jawaharlal Nehru University in the wake of the arrest of its students' union president in a sedition case. During the meeting that lasted 15 minutes, Kejriwal voiced concern over the prevailing atmosphere at the institution arising out of an event to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The President of JNU Students' Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, was arrested following that event. Sources said the Chief Minister told Singh that the issue got complicated due to police action against the students. The Home Minister told Kejriwal that police were probing the matter and action is being taken as per the law, the sources said. The Chief Minister also discussed with the Home Minister a few administrative issues relating to the Delhi government, they said. Follow us on delhi cm s tweet sparks row twitterati trend kejriwalinsultshanuman New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday landed himself in a fresh controversy after he uploaded a controversial poster on his Twitter handle. Kejriwal, who has ordered a magisterial probe into the Jawaharlal Nehru University incident where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised, tweeted. CM tweeted a cartoon by well known cartoonist Surendra, published in The Hindu today, to prove a point. In the cartoon, Surendra depicts how issues are deflected by politicians and used an arsonist with his tail set ablaze saying "Done Sir. All attention is on JNU" to PM Narendra Modi, thus directing all attention away from the fire at the Make In India venue. Soon after the CM faced backlash from many Twitteratis who trended #KejriwalInsultsHanuman Here are some of the tweets. Follow us on e tolling system on 360 plazas to be operational soon nitin gadkari Mumbai: The electronic tolling (e-tolling) system on 360 toll plazas will be operational before April this year, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. "We have already put this project on fast track and we expect the system to be operational before April this year," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said while addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing Make in India Week here. He said a special purpose vehicle will be formed which will include a government organisation and two banks, which will collect toll through the system. However, the Minister did not name the two banks which have agreed to assist the government in this project. Earlier, ICICI and Axis Banks, had tied up with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to provide electronic toll collection (ETC) chips and refilling the prepaid system. However, later the banks informed the Ministry about their inability to collect toll at the terms offered by the government, saying that they were 'not practical'. The idea to have ETC or E-Toll is to reduce the queues at toll plazas wherein a motorist can just drive the vehicle without having to wait to carry out the physical toll transaction. He further said the government will focus on hybrid annuity and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) models for developing new road projects. "We are looking at all the possible models for taking up road projects. Currently, we will be focusing on the hybrid annuity and EPC models. Going forward, if the market is favourable we will also look at awarding projects on build operate transfer (BOT) basis," Gadkari said. He also said the government has set a target of increasing the total national highways network to 1.52 lakh km in the next 3 months from the current 96,000 km. Apart from this, the government has also planned to develop 2,000 water ports and 350 ring roads. Besides, the government has also planned to develop transport nagars along national highways, which will house truck depots, petrol pumps and godowns, the senior BJP leader said. Follow us on jnu row three abvp members resign over government s way of tackling issue New Delhi: Three members of BJP's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), resigned on Wednesday in protest against the manner in which the Centre has handled the sensitive JNU issue. Pradeep Narwal, Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP, said he has quit the party. Rahul Yadav, President of ABVP unit of JNU's School of Social Sciences (SSS) and its Secretary Ankit Hans have also said they have quit. In a joint statement, the three leaders said have decided to quit ABVP as they have serious differences over the way the NDA government was handling the issue, adding there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti-national. They also expressed deep anguish over assault on mediapersons and JNU students and teachers in Patiala House Court complex on Monday as well as attack on JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in the same court complex on Wednesday, alleging that the government was legitimising the action of right wing fascist forces. We are resigning from ABVP and disassociating ourselves from any further activity of the party as per our difference of opinion over the current JNU incident and long standing difference of opinion with MANUSMIRITI (Smriti Irani) and Rohith Vermula incident. Anti-national slogans on February 9 in university campus were very unfortunate and heart breaking. Whosoever responsible for that act must be punished as per the law but the way NDA government is tackling the whole issue, the oppression on professors, repeated attacks on media by lawyers and Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises (today) is unjustifiable, the statement said. When contacted, a senior ABVP leader said the organisation has not received their resignation. The three students further said, We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire left as anti-national. We cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community. Every day we see people assemble at front gate with Indian Flag to beat JNU students, well this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can't do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism, it added. The JNU students are on strike demanding release of JNUSU President Kumar. He was arrested on Friday last in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Members of the ABVP had objected to holding of the event following which Vice Chancellor had withdrawn the permission for it. However, the organisers had gone ahead with the event. With PTI Inputs Follow us on rahul gandhi condemns attack on journalists in delhi says very wrong Sivasagar(Assam): Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today condemned the attack on journalists in the Patiala House court complex in Delhi yesterday, calling it "very wrong". "The way journalists were beaten up in the court is very wrong and we condemn it," Gandhi said in a media interaction during the course of his visit to poll-bound Assam. Several journalists and students were assaulted by lawyers and a Delhi BJP MLA inside and outside the Patiala House Courts where a sedition case against JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be heard. Gandhi also took on the NDA government over alleged suppression of voices of students in the country and on the issue of appointment of "RSS Vice Chancellors". "They(Government) are suppressing the voice of students in Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow. We'll not accept this, we will fight this," he said. "They are putting RSS VCs in every University and College, they are trying to suppress the voice of the students," he added. Follow us on rahul gandhi principal misleader of indian politics bjp New Delhi: Attacking Rahul Gandhi who accused the ruling party of muzzling the youth, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday called him a "principal misleader" of Indian politics and said it showed his "willingness" to "twist" the truth. Amidst the raging JNU row, the BJP also dismissed as "baseless and wrong" Mr. Gandhi's accusations that the party was muzzling the youth by branding them as "anti-nationals" and said the issue is not between the government and any institution but between the country and traitors. "On the JNU incident, Rahul Gandhi had levelled some accusations against our party. They are baseless, wrong and ineffective. Rahul Gandhi instead of trying to be a leader has become a principal misleader of Indian politics. "His remarks in Assam over arrest of (JNU students' union leader) Kanhaiya Kumar is a proof of his willingness to twist the truth. Kanhaiya was arrested because of remarks and slogans which he raised which were anti0national," BJP national spokesperson M J Akbar said. Observing that slogans referred to the division of the country, Mr. Akbar questioned Mr. Gandhi's nationalism and asked whether he was standing with those people who want partition of the country. "Entire country knows what was being said in the slogans. It was said that the country will be divided. We want to ask Rahul Gandhi, is he with those people who want to do partition of the country, not once but many times? "There were not one but many such slogans which were shouted. Where is your nationalism? We thought you would be angered by this but there is sympathy in you (for them)," he said. Mr. Rahul who was in Assam on Monday had attacked the RSS and the BJP over the JNU issue accusing it of muzzling the youth by branding them as "anti-nationals" and asserted that they will "stand up" and "challenge" them. Mr. Akbar said Mr. Gandhi should read the Constitution where it is clearly written that the freedom of speech does not mean you will support secession. "You (Rahul) are saying the issue is of freedom of speech. I request him to read the Constitution. It has been clearly written that freedom of speech does not mean you will support secession. And there cannot be a greater secessionist slogan than this," he said. Mr. Akbar also said that Kanhaiya had given another "small alibi" speech and Mr. Gandhi was trying to confuse it. "This issue here is not between the government and students or government or any institution. This is an issue between the country and traitors," he asserted. Follow us on bihar boy kanhaiya didn t say anything anti national shatrughan New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has been at variance with the party leadership over a host of issues, today came out in support of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on charges of sedition for raising anti-India slogans last week. The actor-turned-politician also called for the release Kanhaiya Kumar saying the 'Bihar boy has said nothing anti-national', a move contradicting his own party's stand on the issue. "Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti-national or against Constitution," the Patna Sahib MP tweeted. "Hope wish and pray that he's release soon, sooner the better," another tweet by Sinha reads. Stating that JNU was an institution of 'international repute, enviable record and history' Sinha said, "JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record &history." "It is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment," he added. Sinha also countered BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's remark describing JNU a hub of 'jihadis, terrorists and Naxalites'. "We need to be very cautious while making sweeping statements maligning an institution. They are our own children and our own students," he said. "If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by," his another tweet reads. The JNU has been on the boil over the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday. The controversy began when some JNU students organised a meet on February 9 at the campus to mark the anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging. Anti-India slogans were also raised at the event. Kanhaiya Kumar, a second year PhD scholar at JNU, was arrested and was slapped with sedition charges. Kanhaiya, whose police custody ends today, will be produced before the Delhi High Court today. Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. Syria: The Final Act Begins By John Wight February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Counterpunch " - In Ankara and Riyadh a decent nights sleep must be hard to come by nowadays, what with the prospects of the Sunni state theyd envisaged being established across a huge swathe of Syria slipping away in the face of an offensive by Syrian government forces that is sweeping all before it north of Aleppo, threatening to completely sever supply lines from Turkey to opposition forces in and around the city, and all but ensuring that its liberation is now a question of when not if. The success being enjoyed by government forces and its allies on the ground is a testament to their remarkable morale and tenacity despite the battering they have endured over five years of unremitting conflict. Key to this reinvigoration and success in routing opposition forces forces which only a few months ago were in the ascendancy has of course Russian air, communications, and logistical support. Moscows decision to intervene at the end of September last year may have been pregnant with risk, but so far it has been validated, and perhaps even beyond initial expectations. Moscow not Washington is calling the shots in the region now, announcing the birth of a multipolar world and marking an astonishing recovery given the parlous state of Russia throughout the 1990s as it struggled to recover from the demise of the Soviet Union. No sooner was the hammer and sickle flag removed from atop the Kremlin than a procession of crazed free marketeers descended from the United States, and elsewhere in the West, to impose neoliberal nostrums in return for an IMF loan that was necessary in order to avert complete economic collapse. The record shows that rather than this collapse being averted it was accelerated by the structural adjustment reforms implemented by Yeltsin and other Russian converts to the new religion. In Washington at the time end of history triumphalism reigned as oh how they laughed. Well, theyre not laughing now. Regardless, at this stage in the Syrian conflict neither the Russians nor anybody else with a vested interest in the countrys survival as a non-sectarian state will be prepared to predict victory. Not with the noises coming out of Ankara and Riyadh over the possibility of both countries sending in ground troops. Though they claim that any such troop deployment would be carried out with the objective of confronting ISIS, only those of a gullible disposition who could possibly believe it. In truth any such intervention would carry with it the primary goal of regime change in Damascus, staving off the complete collapse of opposition forces in and around Aleppo, with Turkey harbouring the additional objective of crushing the Kurdish YPG forces that have been enjoying inordinate success against both ISIS in the north east and rebel forces further west as part of the general tightening of the noose around the city. Saudi aircraft deploying to Incirlik airbase in Turkey, from where the US has been flying sorties over Syria in recent months, is a significant development, one that indicates the extent of panic in Riyadh at the way the conflict has turned against them since this latest offensive by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies began. The days when an American president could pick up the phone to Washingtons allies in the Middle East and have his bidding done have passed. The impotence of the Obama administration in the face of these developments has arrived as the culmination of a decade and half of disastrous overreach in Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving US power and credibility severely weakened. Even if the President wished to follow a vigorous and assertive policy towards the region and the conflict in Syria, the cost not just in money but political and public support at home negates it as a serious proposition. In Washington what was once known as the Vietnam Syndrome is now the Iraq Syndrome. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is acting safe in the knowledge that his popularity and support at home remains rock-solid, with a consistent approval rating of around 80 percent making him the envy his Western counterparts. It probably wont be until historians a generation from now look at this period and crisis, doing so with the benefit of hindsight and distance, that Putins political, tactical, and leadership nous will be properly appreciated. The same goes for his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, whos reduced his US counterpart John Kerry to the role of a hapless apprentice looking on in awe at the finished article. Proof of this comes with the outcome of the most recent talks on the conflict in Munich. Russia, in the person of Lavrov, arrived with its air campaign proceeding at full tilt, and left again having reached an agreement that it should continue at full tilt. The speed with which the narrative promulgated by the US and its allies has unravelled as a consequence of Russias presence is measured in the way they cling on to the fiction of moderate rebels. The most grievous example involved British Prime Minister David Cameron during last years Commons debate on British participation in the conflict. His claim there were 70,000 of these moderates in Syria, just waiting to install a nice and cuddly liberal democracy in Damascus the morning after Assad is forced out, met with howls of laughter everywhere apart from Syria, where Camerons moderates have turned a large swathe of the country into a living hell. It bears emphasizing: the only moderates fighting in Syria are the troops of the Syrian Arab Army, made up of Sunni, Shia, Alawite, Druze and Christians. They and their allies comprise the forces of non-sectarianism in the country and the region, engaged in a pitiless conflict against the most reactionary and retrograde current of extremism the world has seen since Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were rampaging across Cambodia. For Saudi Arabia and Turkey talking tough is one thing, backing it up is a quite another. The world already got the measure of Erdogan after a Turkish jet shot down a Russian bomber a few months ago. The Turkish president went scurrying straight to his NATO allies requesting that Article 5 of its treaty, committing its members to the collective defence of each when under threat, be invoked. His request was denied by Obama and, no wonder, given hes had reason to doubt Erdogans credentials as an ally since. Turkeys attempt to paint the Kurds of the YPG as a terrorist threat to rank with ISIS is not going down well in Washington, where the Kurds are rightly viewed as an invaluable ground component of the anti-ISIS struggle and have been receiving US and Russian air support with this in mind. With Russias military presence in and around Syria entrenched, and with the US increasingly disenchanted with Erdogans Janus-faced role in the conflict in Syria, not to mention the bellicosity of its Saudi client over Iran and a human rights record that makes every utterance in support for the kingdom a howl of hypocrisy, we are at the absolute tipping point when it comes not only to Syrias future but the future of the region. The stakes involved leave no doubt that the mounting threat of a Saudi-led invasion of Syria speeds the hour when Iran and Russia commit their own ground troops in significant number. The Glorification of Antonin Scalia By Tom Carter February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " WSWS " - The sickening tributes across the official US political and media spectrum to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 79, are a barometer of the putrefaction of American democracy. The universal deference towards Scalia from what passes for the liberal faction of the establishment is particularly repulsive. The statements of the Democratic presidential candidates, the supposed socialist Bernie Sanders no less than Hillary Clintonechoing similarly sycophantic drivel from the likes of the New York Timesare monuments to political cowardice. One would say these people lack the courage of their convictions if they had any convictions to lack! They have sprung into action to join their Republican counterparts in hailing Scalia as a towering figure in American jurisprudence. Virtually every description of the deceased justice includes the words brilliant and intellectual. One is reminded of the programmed acclamation of Sergeant Raymond Shaw recited by his brainwashed fellow soldiers in the film The Manchurian Candidate: Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life. Sanders took time off from his hollow calls for a political revolution to demonstrate his political obeisance to the ruling class, declaring, While I differed with Justice Scalias views and jurisprudence, he was a brilliant, colorful and outspoken member of the Supreme Court. Clinton praised Scalia as a dedicated public servant who brought energy and passion to the bench. President Obama called Scalia a towering legal figure. The New York Times Ross Douthat hailed Scalia for putting originalist principle above a partisan conservatism, and for his combination of brilliance, eloquence, and good timing. No one dares say what needs to be said. The object of their veneration was a black-robed thug and sadist who used his position on the bench to attack the basic civil liberties laid down in the US Constitution and Bill of Rightsseparation of church and state; due process; protection from arbitrary arrest, search and seizure; the right to trial by jury; protection from cruel and unusual punishment; the right to vote. His supposed juridical brilliance boiled down to starting with the political outcome he desired (invariably reactionary) and then cobbling together pseudo-legal arguments to justify his rulingoften with flagrant disregard for legal precedent and the unambiguous language of statutes and constitutional provisions. In one case last year, Scalia argued that a police officer did not use deadly force when he climbed onto an overpass and used an assault rifle to kill an unarmed man fleeing in a car. According to Scalias reasoning, it was not deadly force because the officer claimed to have been aiming at the car, not the person in the car. Perhaps the most infamous example of this methodabsurdly described in the media as constitutional originalismwas the 2000 Supreme Court decision Scalia engineered to halt the counting of votes in Florida and hand the White House to the loser of the election, Republican candidate George W. Bush. The 5-4 decision to steal the election all but acknowledged its own speciousness when it declared that the justifications it advanced could not be applied to any future cases. In his separate concurring opinion, Scalia declared that the Constitution did not give the people the right to elect the president. At the time of the theft of the 2000 elections, the World Socialist Web Site wrote that the Supreme Courts decision to stop the counting of votes, and the acceptance of that ruling by the Democrats and the entire political establishment, demonstrated that there was no longer any significant constituency for democratic rights within the American ruling class. The reaction to Scalias death is a measure of the further erosion of democratic sentiment in the ruling elite. Scalia personified the decay of bourgeois democracy in the United States over a protracted period of time. Appointed to the bench by Ronald Reagan, he flourished and exerted increasing influence in the decades of political reaction, militarism and Wall Street criminality that ensued, continuing without a hitch under Obama. Not only in the anti-democratic substance of his rulings, but also in his methods and bearing, he embodied the promotion by the ruling elite of backwardness, prejudice and outright cruelty. He was corrupt and made no bones about his corruption, proudly voting to remove limits on corporate bribes in elections and flaunting his private outings with Vice President Dick Cheney while the latter was a party in a case before the court. He was a bully, making a practice of baiting and harassing lawyers who came before him. Throughout his career, Scalia consistently advocated positions that can only be described as barbarous and fascistic. Fittingly, his last judicial act was to deny a stay of execution. He was a figure who relished the power and trappings of the state, openly defending torture and internment camps. Scalia worked tirelessly to break down constitutional and democratic limits on state power, infiltrating fascistic doctrines into Supreme Court jurisprudence. His theory of executive power, according to which the American president has unlimited and unreviewable powers for the duration of the war on terror, resurrects Nazi jurist Carl Schmitts state of exception doctrine in all but name. Scalias mere presence on the court testified to the advanced decay of American democracy. That decay is linked, on the one hand, to the extreme growth of social inequality, accompanied by the rampant parasitism and criminality of the ruling class, and on the other hand to unending war, which has its domestic reflection in the build up of the repressive state apparatus that Scalia championed. The bitterness of the disputes over his replacement is a reflection of the importance of his role in American politics over three decades during which the political establishment shifted violently to the right. The deference shown to such a figure from all quarters of the political establishment should be taken as a warning by the working class. The ruling elite fears above all the growth of social opposition and class struggle. It exalts the legacy of Scalia because it is preparing police state methods to defend its power and property against an insurgent working class. Copyright 1998-2016 World Socialist Web Site - British Public Being Sold Down the River in Democracy Deception By Graham Vanbergen February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " TruePublica " - The longest-running set of polls ever undertaken in the UK, which has been ongoing for over thirty years has been on trust in key professions with Ipsos MORI conducting surveys on the subject since 1983. Their surveys consistently show that public trust in politicians has always been low: at no point since 1983 have more than a quarter of the public ever trusted politicians to tell the truth. The lowest trust score was recorded in 2009 in the wake of the expenses scandal, when only 13% said they trusted politicians. Clearly, there must be a deception going on in our democracy. Last year, trust in politicians was 16% and this year there is a rise to 21%. In other words, this particular survey says that 79% of the population take the view that politicians lie to us all the time. The Tip of the iceberg In 2002, half of the British public thought that Britain was Americas lapdog. Back then just 13% of the public thought Blair was right in attacking Iraq. One third of Britains public thought that America was the greatest threat to world peace and 59% thought the reason for the attack on Iraq was the more about the threat to US control and influence in the Middle East. O n those accounts the public have proven to be right and the politicians proven so emphatically misguided and/or wrong. It appears that the government of 2015-20 will do exactly the same, that is; implement policies unpopular to the electorate. Out of 37,000 Independent readers, 79% were against British bombing of Syria, and that was just eight weeks ago. Even the right-wing Daily Mail stated that over half its readers were against Britain bombing a nation where Cameron inconceivably concluded that We face a fundamental threat to our security. David Cameron also lied to parliament with his 70,000 moderate troops ready to attack ISIS in his bid to join the coalition so as to not endure more embarrassment for failing to carry out Washingtons wishes. TTIP is one of the most dangerous policies to be backed by the government. Over 150,000 voters on people action website 38 Degrees were asked about TTIP with 98% stating they would help to protest against TTIP being adopted in Britain. This was echoed by an EU Commission survey of 150,000 residents of the 28 nation bloc the largest survey ever undertaken by the EU. Unsurprisingly, 97% were firmly against TTIP being imposed across Europe. The EU commission has since disregarded its own report and rejected action groups consisting of millions of people dissenting all across Europe. David Cameron is aggressively pushing for TTIP in Britain as are the unelected bureaucrats of the EU Commission amid strong protest by the public, Britain included. Fracking is another policy being aggressively pushed by Britains Conservative government, especially David Cameron. In its own survey just 32% of those polled agree with fracking. The Times has commissioned a number of energy reports through YouGov and when the reports went against the government narrative, they were not published. CarbonBrief corroborates this with their own report along with confirmation of the continuing decline in support of fracking by the public. George Osborne has a vested interest in fracking as his father-in-law heads up a shadowy fracking organisation. David Cameron firmly supports Israels right to defend itself and continues to allow billions of arms sales to Israel for the sole purpose of destroying Palestinian infrastructure in what has been described by many as the Colonisation of Palestine by Israel or more simply put genocide. However, just 12% of Brits agree with Israels actions in a YouGov poll with 62% of the public saying Israel were committing war crimes in its attacks on Gaza last summer. At odds with public sentiment, David Cameron has been described as the most pro-Israel British prime minister ever. Allowing the sale of British made weapons to regimes such as Israel constitutes an immorality unacceptable to normal British people. That has not stopped the government doing exactly as it pleases. Energy and rail privatisation has also proven to be a total disaster in the UK with the universal experience being dramatic price increases for no public benefit whilst providing huge profit windfalls for shareholders. Escalating energy prices has had savage consequences for household discretionary incomes and rail has been determined by a major UBS study to be the most costly transport system in the world. In a recent YouGov survey 68% of the public want renationalisation of energy and 66% of rail services. This is not something the government is considering, in fact, if anything, George Osborne is accelerating the sale of yet more state owned assets including energy and rail and will conclude the biggest privatisation programme in the history of Britain by 2020. How far from the public good could the serving government actually get? There is little comfort for the government when it comes to their relentless aspirations to privatise the NHS. Again, a YouGov poll finds overwhelming opposition by the public of the privatisation of the nations health service. In fact, 87% polled were firmly against, but worse, was that the same poll determined that just 7% of the public thought private healthcare was the way forward. The junior doctors strike is noteworthy as the public overwhelmingly blames Jeremy Hunt for failing to come to acceptable working conditions. The Independent article could not be more clear on the matter. Yet again, the government is not doing what the people elected them to do. A recent study conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism made for interesting reading. It started off with another survey that needed to be updated. In October 1969, Gallup asked a sample of Britons: would you describe Britain as a democratic country or not? Just over two-thirds (68%) said yes, but a substantial minority either said no (20%) or dont know (12%). The results today are quite shocking. Just 15% think the Westminster parliament does a good job on representing the interests and wishes of people like you. One third of the nation now thinks Britain is no longer democratic. One noteworthy finding is that 35% of the public cant pick a single feature (of political policy) to praise. Just 5% of voters like the quality of our political parties and just 3% like how peers are selected to be members of the House of Lords, likewise, just 3% for the quality of British MPs. In 1954, 67% of the public could name their MP that has slipped to 63% with 38% saying their MP did a good job in 1954 now sitting at 15%. An astonishing 62% of people agree that politicians tell lies all the time you cant believe a word they say. Greater familiarity with politics does little to dispel the view that MPs are liars with 57% of those who avidly follow politics thinking politicians are liars. The report concludes The decline in trust seems to be long-term. After each general election since 1987, British Social Attitudes have asked people how much they trust British governments of any party to place the needs of the nation above the interests of their political party. The proportion trusting governments just about always or most of the time has collapsed from 47% in 1987 to just 20% in 2010. And the decline has been remorseless, with the proportion at each election lower than the election before. This extensive report, an update from political attitudes dating back to the sixties was completed just three years ago. What all this indicates is that the reputation of Britains political system, its very legitimacy, democracy itself, is at risk because politicians continue to abuse the system whilst adopting little in the way of ethics and professionalism. Graham Vanbergen truepublica.org.uk 2010-2016 TruePublica Health, Tax, Yemen: Three UK Ministers and a Rudderless Boat without a Paddle By Felicity Arbuthnot do we provide training and advice and help in order to make sure that countries actually obey the norms of humanitarian law? Yes, we do. David Cameron, Prime Ministers Questions, January 21st, 2016 February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Dissident Voice " - It has been a bad week for Prime Minister David Camerons decimation-bent government at home and abroad. His Chancellor, George Osborne is hell bent on targeting, it seems, all but the mega-rich and the multi-nationals, determined to erase all affordable social housing in a country where the average salary before tax is 25,500 (2014 figure) and the average monthly rent for a modest flat is 816 and 1,000 in London. The disabled and ill are targeted by ever more draconian measures. A petition demanding the government publish the figures of how many ill, disabled and in need people had died or committed suicide has gathered a quarter of a million signatures so far, a publication the government has refused in spite or perhaps because of a spate of reports of heartrending tragedies in the media. According to current figures by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Britains poorest families, whether working or unemployed, were an average of 1,127 a year worse off since the implementation of reforms following the Conservative government coming to power in 2010. In 2013, the Taxpayers Alliance found that two hundred and fifty four tax rises has already taken effect and that taxes would have risen near three hundred times by 2015. However, it has now come to light that Osborne has received a share of 335,000 from his family firm even though it hasnt paid tax for seven years. Allegedly, the Osborne and Little Group has paid no corporation tax since 2008, a Sunday Times investigation claims. The London based company brought in 34 million in revenues in 2015 Troubles seldom come singly, thus in the same week George Osbornes brother, Dr. Adam Osborne, a psychiatrist, has been struck off (from practicing medicine) for life by the General Medical Council for a relationship with a patient of which the Medical Tribunal judged his conduct deplorable and profoundly unacceptable. In 2008 Dr. Osborne was also barred by the General Medical Council from working as a doctor for six months after he prescribed drugs to four people two family members, a friend and a cocaine-addicted prostitute he had an affair with. It was also alleged he tried to use a false name. Meanwhile Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has so enraged the country and most of all the medical profession that doctors across the country have gone on strike twice for the first time in forty years. Hunt has also been accused of misrepresenting health data by Dr Peter Holt, a vascular surgeon at St Georges University of London, who states he has written to Hunt, the Health Select Committee and Labours Shadow Health Secretary, Heidi Alexander, raising his objections, which include continually misrepresenting findings. Approaching 300,000 signatures (and rising) expressing no confidence in the Health Secretary are on a petition on the government website in just over four days. At 100,000 David Cameron has given a commitment that such petitions to the government must have a Parliamentary debate. Jeremy Hunt could face one of his most embarrassing days in office if the debate takes place. Given the public anger and that of many MPs including in his own Conservative Party, such a debate might be hard for even David Cameron to slither from. As he awaits the decision Hunt will be able to ponder having been voted Dick of the Year by viewers of Channel 4s Last Leg programme with over 80% of the vote. However, Osborne and Hunts woes might yet pale against those of David Cameron on whom the heat is rising regarding his arms sales to Saudi Arabia which is illegally bombarding its southern neighbor Yemen, obliterating all needed to support life: trade, agriculture, medical facilities, schools, manufacturing, food storage warehouses, markets, buses, civilian vehicles, plants providing water and electricity, the Capitols airport. According to the UN, camps for the internally displaced and refugees have also been targeted. On February 5th, speaking in London, in a rare intervention in the horrors inflicted by the West and allies in the Middle East and North Africa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated: Yemen is in flames and coalition airstrikes in particular continue to strike schools, hospitals, mosques and civilian infrastructure. He stated that Yemen was awash with weapons, adding: We need States that are party to (the) arms trade treaty to set an example in fulfilling one of the treatys main purposes controlling arms flows to actors that may use them in ways that breach international humanitarian law. He pointedly commented that permanent Members of the UN Security Council, which includes Britain, had special responsibilities in securing peace in complex disputes. As the Guardian reported: The normally mild mannered Ban made his pointed remarks in a speech in which he bemoaned the failure of major powers to live up to their promises to prevent massacres and human rights abuses on the scale of Syria, Rwanda, Srebrenica, Cambodia and Yemen. The promises of never again, he said, have become more muted. Moreover: A special UN panel report, leaked a fortnight ago, accused Saudi Arabia of making numerous breaches of international humanitarian law by conducting an indiscriminate bombing campaign in Yemen. The UK has admitted to training Saudi pilots involved in the air strikes, has military advisors in Saudi control rooms and has granted arms export licenses totalling near 3 billion in the last six months alone. Arms sales of 5.6 billion since 2010 include seventy-two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft worth a further 4.5 billion on completion, according to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade. Now, in addition to the UK Parliaments influential International Development Committee also having called on the Cameron government to suspend arms sales to Saudi the European Union has also weighed in with criticism over the arms sales. On February 25th there will be a vote in the EU Parliament on an EU-wide embargo on arms sales to Saudi which will be specifically critical of the UK. The European parliaments resolution condemning Britains involvement states that the Parliament strongly criticises the intensive arms trade of EU member states with various countries in the region, as in the case of the UK, Spain, France and Germany; calls for an immediate suspension of arms transfers and military support to Saudi Arabia and to its coalition partners. It adds: Saudi Arabia is the UKs largest customer for weapons and the UK is the biggest supplier of weapons to Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The UK government has to date ignored all calls for the halt of arms to Saudi Arabia, despite that countrys appalling human rights record and illegal onslaught on Yemen. However, Alyn Smith, a Scottish National Party Member of the European Parliament, says if there are no hitches and the vote goes ahead, it will certainly be passed. We are determined to drag this issue kicking and screaming into the daylight, he vowed. And many will be also fervently hoping that it will include Cameron and his Ministerial and other arms dealing friends. Felicity Arbuthnot is a journalist with special knowledge of Iraq. Author, with Nikki van der Gaag, of Baghdad in the Great City series for World Almanac books, she has also been Senior Researcher for two Award winning documentaries on Iraq, John Pilger's Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq and Denis Halliday Returns for RTE (Ireland.) 2007-2016 Dissident Voice and respective authors Russian Diplomat Drops a Bombshell: US Expected ISIS to Seize Damascus by October In an article in a British newspaper Russia's ambassador to the UK reveals the Russians were told by the Western powers that after the US proclaimed a no-fly zone ISIS would capture Damascus By Alexander Mercouris February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " RI " - Alexander Yakovenko, Russias ambassador to Britain, dropped something of a bombshell on Monday, though one that has gone completely unnoticed. In a piece in the print edition of the London Evening Standard defending Russian policy in Syria he made the following extraordinary disclosure: Last summer we were told by our Western partners that in October Damascus would fall to IS (ie. the Islamic State - AM). What they were planning to do next we dont know. Probably, they would have ended up painting the extremists white and accepting them as a Sunni state straddling Iraq and Syria. The summer - when these conversations between the Western powers and the Russians allegedly took place - was the time when the US was in discussions with Turkey and Jordan about setting up a no-fly zone and safe havens in Syria. I discussed in this article how no-fly zone is today simply a euphemism for a US bombing campaign. What Yakovenko is therefore in effect saying is that the US was planning in the summer to start a bombing campaign to overthrow the government of Syria in the knowledge that this would result by October in the victory of the Islamic State and its capture of Damascus. Russia Insider has previously explained that it was to stop the US proclaiming a no-fly zone - i.e. commencing a bombing campaign aimed at overthrowing the Syrian government - that Russia intervened in Syria. The fact Yakovenko says the US told the Russians this would result in the Islamic State capturing Damascus by October explains why the Russians felt they had to act as they did. Is Yakovenko however telling the truth? The first thing to say is that the British and US governments have not denied what he is saying. That however is not conclusive. It is not difficult to see why the British and US governments might think that in light of the incendiary nature of what Yakovenko is saying denying it would simply give his comments more publicity if they denied them and that the better approach is silence. If so, then the fact Yakovenkos comments have been almost entirely ignored shows this approach has worked. Is Yakovenko however senior enough to know the details of the discussions that took place in the summer between the Russians and the Western powers as he says? The answer to that question is almost certainly yes. Though London is no longer the most important diplomatic posting for a Russian ambassador in Western Europe, it remains an important posting, and any official appointed to be Russias ambassador to Britain is by definition a senior official whom Moscow will ensure is kept well-informed. If there were discussions of the sort Yakovenko says, he would almost certainly have been fully briefed about them. What Yakovenko says is also consistent with things we know. In the summer - having just captured Palmyra - the Islamic State was on a roll, making it not implausible that it might reach Damascus by the autumn. The Syrian army in the meantime had suffered a succession of heavy defeats, and had been forced to withdraw from Idlib province. In light of all this, in the context of a US bombing campaign, it is not implausible the US was telling the Russians in the summer that the Islamic State would seize Damascus by October. As for the USs discussions about setting up a no-fly zone and safe havens, there was nothing secret about those, and they were openly acknowledged. Why however would the US tell the Russians that they expected the Islamic State to seize Damascus by October? That is not a difficult question to answer. No-one in the early summer thought there was any likelihood the Russians would intervene militarily in Syria. The US probably thought it was not risking anything by telling Moscow its military plans and what their likely consequences would be. Probably what the US expected was that the threat of a bombing campaign leading to the seizure of Damascus by the Islamic State would terrify Moscow and persuade the Russians to force Assad to stand down, which has been the US objective all along. In that case the US seriously underestimated the Russians' resolve and their willingness to act to prevent what the US was threatening from coming to pass. Overall Yakovenkos disclosure makes sense, and is therefore probably true. What it shows is how reckless the USs Syrian policy had become. At the very time the US was pretending to fight the Islamic State it was in fact preparing steps that it knew would facilitate its victory. Even if this was intended as a diplomatic play it was an extraordinary thing to do. The families of US victims of jihadi terror would surely feel betrayed if they were ever find out about it, whilst it is not difficult to imagine the consternation and recriminations in Washington when the Russians unexpectedly pre-empted the US strategy by intervening in the way they did. As for the people of Damascus - spared not just US bombing but rule by the Islamic State - and the people of Europe - who would have faced a far bigger refugee flood if what Washington was telling the Russians had come to pass - they both have reason to be grateful to the Russians for making sure that things turned out otherwise. Collapse of Iraqi Kurdistan By Andre Vltchek February 16, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " RT " - It used to be presented as a huge success story. We were told that in the middle of a ravished Middle East, surrounded by despair, death and pain, a land of milk and honey was shining brightly like a torch of hope. Or was it more like a delicious cake surrounded by rot? This exceptional place was called Iraqi Kurdistan, or officially the Kurdistan Region. This is where the victorious global capitalism has been injecting massive investments, while the West was guaranteeing security and peace. Here, Turkish firms were building and financing countless projects, while their road tankers and later a pipeline, were moving mind-boggling quantities of oil toward the West. At the smart Erbil International Airport, European businessmen, soldiers and security experts were rubbing shoulders with UN development specialists. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, MEA and other major airlines were busy inaugurating flights to this new hip hub of the Middle East. Never mind that the government of the Kurdistan Region kept clashing with the capital city of Baghdad, over the oil reserves, over the extent of self-rule, and many other essential issues. Never mind that (as it often happens in extreme capitalist societies), the macroeconomic indicators were suddenly in frightening contrast with the growing misery of local people. As long as the oil was flowing, as long as this self-administered region was pledging eternal allegiance to the West. But then the economy began slowing down, and then it halted. All social indicators nosedived. The happiness of Western and Turkish investors, and especially of the political handlers, looked increasingly out of place, becoming almost insulting to those who were trying to make ends meet. And on the day that I was leaving, February 9, 2016, Iraqi Kurdistan suddenly exploded in series of violent protests, over austerity measures to avert an economic collapse. Reuters reported: Protests intensified in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Tuesday... A decade-long economic boom in the autonomous region came to an abrupt halt in 2014 when Baghdad slashed funding to the Kurds after they built their own oil pipeline to Turkey and began exporting oil independently. That left the KRG struggling to meet a bloated public payroll of 875 billion Iraqi dinars ($800 million) per month. The KRG has tried to make up the shortfall by increasing independent oil sales to around 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), but at current prices the region is still left with a monthly deficit of 380-400 billion Iraqi dinars ($717 million). But the dispute with Baghdad and the financial shortfall are not the only issues that led to the present situation. Social policies in the Kurdistan Region had long been grotesquely inadequate, and the welfare of the local population had never been considered a priority. One night, I met a UN education specialist, Ms. Eszter Szucs, who is based in Erbil. We had a short, intense talk: Iraqi Kurdistan is definitely not a social state. People are unhappy with the situation. They protest a lot, but it does not do them any good. Natural resources are privately owned. Social services are mostly extremely expensive: those who can afford it travel to get medical treatment in Turkey. The Kurdish Region is a very complex place. Not a paradise in the heart of the charred Middle East? I ask, ironically. Definitely not, she replies. There is of course really substantial investment flowing from abroad: mainly from the West and Turkey. But it is directed toward macroeconomic growth, through the oil industry. Not much comes back to the pockets of the ordinary people. I know that. I saw those ordinary people digging out dirty roots for dinner, in the middle of the villages located right near the oil refineries owned by KAR, the Kurdish oil company. On February 9, 2016, protesters flooded the cities and towns of Sulaymaniyah, Koya, Halabja and Chemchemal. Suddenly, it was clear that the success of Iraqi Kurdistan has been nothing more than a house of cards. It became unsustainable, and it began its gradual collapse. As we drove on Route 2, the road connecting the cities of Erbil and Mosul, I asked my interpreter: Why do you think there are no funds to pay salaries, pensions, even wages of the local armed forces, the Peshmerga? No money because the oil prices collapsed, and because of war with the ISIS, the interpreter says. Before, Baghdad was covering 75 percent of the costs of welfare for our people... Now it is sending nothing. I am wondering: But why should you get money from Baghdad, if you are much closer to Washington. You keep pledging allegiance to the West, antagonizing rest of Iraq, threatening to declare full independence. You even built a direct pipeline leading to Turkey... But Baghdad is still our capital... But you are severing links with Iraq, and the Middle East... Silence. Do you get any money, any substantial help from the United States? I ask. No. Do Kurdish people feel disappointed because they get no support from the West? Yes, very disappointed, replies my interpreter. We feel unsafe in our own land, especially lately. Everything could collapse at any moment. People here just want to get out of here go to the US or UK. Is this the end of euphoria? The road is surrounded by garbage dumps. Electric wires and high fences cut through the land. And the land lies idle; there is almost no agriculture left here. It is all oil, military bases, and inactivity and apathy. Our car is stopped at several checkpoints. My colleague is harassed, because she has a Syrian visa in her passport. I have Iranian visa in mine... As our documents are being scrutinized, Turkish trucks and road tankers are sailing by, freely, enjoying undefined but obvious privileges. South of Erbil, in the villages near Qushtapa, the road is severely damaged by Turkish and Kurdish tankers and trucks. On this thoroughfare connecting Iraq, Turkey and Iran, there seem to be more trucks and tankers than ordinary cars or buses. It is all about business, about trade. People hardly travel. A few days ago, outraged citizens blocked the road, demanding changes in social policies, and that the government take action. I make it all the way to the village of Degala. There, guards and local people look at me with suspicion. Why are you protesting? I ask. They try to avoid real issues first: We want our road to be fixed... I insist: Why, really? After a while, the ice is broken and one of the villagers begins with his lament: For six months we are not getting paid. On this road we see it clearly: there is so much business, so much money, but we get absolutely nothing. We are so angry! Trucks are carrying food and oil, but they dont stop here. We are abandoned. As we drive towards Erbil, I see again that total neglect: fields lie idle. There is no diversification of the economy. I ask my driver: Was it always like this? Was Kurdistan producing food under Saddam Hussein? Was there agriculture? Yes, he shrugs his shoulders. It was like... a different country. Better? I ask. Of course, much better. Then silence, again. And now, there is a war. One year ago, I managed to get all the way to the front line, just 7 kilometers from Mosul. I was shown the hills occupied by ISIS, I saw the destroyed bridge over the Khazir River, and then Sharkan village, Hassan Shami, and other villages bombed and ruined by the US forces. Battalion commander Colonel Shaukat from the Zeravani militarized police force (part of the Peshmerga armed forces), took me around, in his armored Land Cruiser. Machine guns, smokes and bravado everywhere... I asked him: How many civilians died in those villages? Not one, he replied. I swear! We provided great intelligence, so the US forces knew what to bomb. He treated me as if this was my first warzone. Hundreds died. It was obvious, and the relatives of the victims later confirmed it to me. There was hardly anything left of the villages. Most likely, most of the villages vanished during the attack. Colonel Shaukat was trained primarily in the UK. He knew how to talk. This time I speak to Omar Hamdy, the manager of the 5-star Rotana Hotel in Erbil: I am Iraqi, from Mosul. I lost my brother and uncle in that city, after ISIS took it. Of course ISIS were created and trained by the West and Turkey, but I also blame the Iraqi army 54,000 of them just threw away their weapons and ran away. I said: But they were most likely scared, knowing that behind the ISIS were the NATO countries. Yes, definitely, he replied. And what about Russia? I am actually very, very interested in Russia and what it is now doing in the Middle East. Russia truly fights against ISIS. The US they come; bomb the villages taken by ISIS, kill mainly civilians, and also by mistake drop the weapons to the area, so ISIS can get their hands on them... I have many friends who are actually fighting against ISIS, in Mosul, therefore I am always well informed. Families are on both sides of the line, and the mobile phones are working. It is possible to keep informed about the situation in Mosul, by simply calling relatives and friends. Then he continues: Even if Mosul would ever be freed from ISIS, there would be many different factions and perpetual conflicts. Not unlike the Libyan scenario? I interrupt him. Exactly. Not unlike the Libyan scenario.... Also, what worries me is what is happening to the children of Mosul; ISIS is heavily indoctrinating them. That happens in many countries that the West destabilized, I utter. He does not know. He only knows that it has been happening in his city and country. When I returned to my hotel, a British dude was practicing politics with a female receptionist. Military talk, about training local military folks, and then oil production talk it is all in vogue, or at least acceptable as a social interaction between hip locals and macho expats. There are all those private security experts, military men, instructors, intelligence officers and advisors. It is one huge mind-blowing medley of military bravado, openly paraded and spiced with turbo-capitalist dogmas. I am studying local sources. And more I do, it becomes obvious that things are going from bad to worse. Statistics Director in Suleymaniyah, Mahmud Osman, told recently BasNews: Compared to 2014, in 2015 the expenditure of each family has decreased by 30 percent - that it includes buying basic needs, home stuff, traveling and so on... the unemployment rate in the [Kurdistan] Region was 7 percent in 2013, but now it has risen to 25 percent... The poverty increased dramatically, too. And the Region has extremely lax ways of calculating poverty: if a family does not spend IQD 105,000 ($87) in a month, the family is considered poor. That is $21.75 per person per month, lesser than a dollar a day! Not to mention, that Kurdish families have, on average, more than four members. I ask my driver how much a family of five needs to survive in and outside Erbil. At the absolute minimum, $1,000 a month in the city, and $600 in the countryside. How many families are making that much? I wonder. Not even one half... Much lesser than half, he says. I am puzzled; I want to know, to hear from the people of the Region, whether their lives have truly collapsed. In Kawergosk village, an elderly man, Mohamad Ahmad Hasen, is chillingly frank about the situation: They [the government, the system] are not helping us with absolutely anything. And now we have absolutely nothing. There, look, see that huge oil refinery? They are on their own and we are on our own. There are no new jobs and we are living hand-to-mouth. In another village, I speak to one of many families that managed to escape from ISIS-occupied territories. They come from the city of Hammam al-Alil, near Mosul. They all agree that things were much better before the US invasion: During Saddam Hussein, Iraq was a proud and decent country. Security was good. Now we dont even know who our enemies are, and who is behind them. Next door, a woman shares her plight. According to a conservative culture of Mosul, she is not supposed to talk to us. But she has several children, all near starvation. She is fed up, and she says: Our men are in the Peshmerga. They are fighting ISIS. I have seven children. My neighbor has seven children. Nobody is working anymore. There is no help. Even the Peshmerga is not getting paid. It is all extremely difficult and I am not even sure how are we going to survive! But Turkish truck and tankers are moving up and down the roads, day and night. Not long ago, during our meeting in Istanbul, Professor E. Ahmet Tonak summarized the situation between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan: Turkey is very supportive of the regime in Erbil; if for nothing else, at least for economic reasons. Whoever goes there - to northern Iraq - or what we call southern Kurdistan, would notice that Turkish companies are dominating that Kurdish Region almost completely... There is oil there, obviously, but there is also another, political factor: the Iraqi Kurdish regime is the only friendly Kurdish force Ankara has in the entire area. But the allies of the Kurdistan Region do not seem to be too interested in the plight of local people. While the social system is collapsing, Erbil is turning into one of the most segregated places on earth: with 12-lane roads, fragmented communities, absolutely no public transportation, almost no cultural institutions, but plenty of malls for the rich, as well as luxury hotels for the expats. In the area where the majority of people live on less than $1 per day, a decent hotel room now costs over $350, and the daily rate for car hire from a hotel is around $400. There is great fear in the Kurdistan Region. And fear is feeding anger. And anger may lead to violence against the corrupt pro-Western regime. And what is Erbils solution? Reuters reported on February 11, 2016: Massud Barzani, de facto president of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, declared in early February that the "time has come for the country's Kurds to hold a referendum on statehood. Baghdad is watching and warning: Dont do it! You will not be able to survive without us. But the regime in Kurdistan Region appears to be too stubborn. As in all colonies of the West, it is business as usual: Profit over people. Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His latest books are: Exposing Lies Of The Empire and Fighting Against Western Imperialism .Discussion with Noam Chomsky: On Western Terrorism . Point of No Return is his critically acclaimed political novel. Oceania a book on Western imperialism in the South Pacific. His provocative book about Indonesia: Indonesia The Archipelago of Fear . Andre is making films for teleSUR and Press TV. After living for many years in Latin America and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides and works in East Asia and the Middle East. He can be reached through his website or his Twitter . Since Nigeria got her independence in 1960, a lot has happened in the polity called Nigeria. Since independence Sir A. Tafawa Balewa, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, Yakuba Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Olusegun Obasanjo (who ruled twice as a military and civilian head), Shehu shagari, Muhammadu Buhari (who also ruled as a military head and now as a civilian head), Ibrahim Babangida, Ernest Shonekan, Sani Abacha, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Musa Yaradu and Goodluck Jonathan have graced the seat of power in the country. Those are all who have ruled Nigeria, now, how about knowing those who didnt complete their tenure as leader owing to their demise. INFORMATION NIGERIA in this piece brings you the 5 people who ruled Nigeria but died while still in office Tafawa Balewa: Nigerias first Prime Minister ruled between 1960-1966. He was the first Nigerian head of government to die in office. Balewa, born in 1912 was murdered in 1966 as a result of a military coup spearheaded by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu. He was assassinated on January 15, 1966. That was the first military coup to be recorded in the history of Nigeria. Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi. He was assassinated on 29 July 1966, while still head of state as a result of the problem which occurred when Tafawa Balewa was ruling and the fact that Nigerians had started loosing confidence in his government. Irosi was said to have hijacked power and became the first ever head of state to reap the effects of a military coup in Nigeria but his administration which took over power 16 January 1966 was overthrown when he was killed 7 months later by a cohort of Northern military officers who ganged up against him. The circumstances leading to Ironsis death still remain a subject of much controversy in Nigeria. His body and that of Fajuyi were later discovered in a nearby forest. General Murtala Mohammed who became head of state in July 1975, was assassinated on February 13, 1976 , following an abortive military coup that transpired on February 13, 1976, he was murdered alongside his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa. The coup was spearheaded by Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka. Murtala Mohammed died at a young age of 37. General Sani Abachas administration (from 1993 to 1998) was alleged to have carried out widespread human-rights abuses. The exact cause of his death is not well understood but sources claim he died of food poisoning at the hands of two Indian prostitutes who poisoned him with an apple. Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential Villa in Abuja and was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. Umar Musa YarAdua died on 5 May 2010 at Aso Rock Presidential Villa. However, before his death, there were speculations that he had been unwell even before becoming president and was imposed on Nigerians by President Olusegun Obasanjo. On 23 November 2009, Yaradua left for Saudi Arabia due to a medical challenge attributed to pericarditis, a disease condition where there is inflammation of the membrane covering the heart and when he returned to Nigeria on 24 February 2010, people said he was still on life support while some said he was recovering but he never made public appearances until his death was officially announced. Nigeria is a very interesting country. Often referred to as the Giant of Africa, owing to its large population and economy with over 500 ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; these ethnic groups speak over 500 different languages, and are identified with wide variety of cultures. As of 2015, Nigeria became the worlds 20th largest economy, worth more than $500 billion and $1 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and purchasing power parity respectively. It overtook South Africa to become Africas largest economy in 2014. No matter how your opinion about Nigeria, there are some things you would hear about Nigeria, that would blow your mind. INFORMATION NIGERIA in this piece brings you 7 of them Nigeria is Africas largest private jets buyer and 2nd worldwide: As the the recent trend of rising private jet business continue, the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) estimates that there are already up to 600 business jets in Africa. According to them, although China leads the way globally, Nigeria is the second-fastest-growing market in the world and is home to more private jets than even South Africa. Nigerian film industry is the 3rd largest in the world: Nollywood has been ranked the 3rd biggest industry for films in the world after Indias Bollywood and Americas Hollywood. The 2nd Longest bridge in Africa: The third Mainland Bridge in Lagos was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed. We are not poor: A lot of Nigerians have the strong belief that Nigeria is a poor country owing to the low standard of living experienced by the bulk of her people, however, according to the world bank Nigeria is a middle low income economy. Africas richest man is a Nigerian: Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, owner of the Dangote Group is a Nigerian businessman born in Kano, Nigeria 5 of the 10 richest pastors in the world live in Nigeria: According to Forbes rating, David Oyedepo, Chris Oyakhilome, E. A. Adeboye, Matthew Ashimolowo, and TB Joshua are one of the worlds richest preachers with a net worth value of between 10 and 150 million dollars. One of the most corrupt countries in the world: Every Nigeria knows this and with the recent findings on Dasukigate we very well deserve our position in the world as 136th on the list of worlds least corrupt countries in the year 2015 according to Transparency Internationals corruption perceptions index released on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. Dont you just love this country???? The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Wednesday that President Muhammadu Buharis foreign trips were yielding fruitful results for the nations economy. Speaking while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, Mohammed stated that the presidents trips were reviewed during the FEC meeting, saying that the country had started witnessing influx of foreign capital into the economy. If you look at the various trips the president undertook towards the end of last year, that is the trip to Iran, it was a conference by gas exporting countries. Nigerian is more of a gas exporting country than actually an oil country and with the decline in the price of crude (oil) it was about time that Nigeria put much more emphasis and that was the meeting he attended. That meeting also provided the opportunity for the various heads of state also to even talk about the falling price of crude because dont forget that, incidentally most of the countries that export gas also export crude. So, it was an opportunity to address the falling price of crude. You see, the world today is so global that you cannot stay in your country and think that what is happening elsewhere would not affect you and you are supposed to be there also to contribute and let the people see it from the perspective of your country, Mohammed said. The minister said in the last nine months, the president has succeeded in addressing the fear of insecurity, corruption and terrorism being expressed by foreign investors. One thing that nobody can fault this President on is his determination to fight these ills. Mr Presidents presence in these fora is very crucial even to the economy back at home, he said. The Igbo people are an ethnic group of southern Nigeria directly indigenous to East and West of the lower Niger River, with very significant population found in the eastern side of the river. Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa and the transatlantic slave trade, which took place between the 16th and late 19th centuries, had huge effects on the Igbo because so many young people were taken, and warfare increased for the taking of captives. In recent times, there have developed many misconceptions about the Igbo people that may not really be true and INFORMATION NIGERIA brings you 6 of the most popular ones Igbos Prefer Business to Education: There is a popular belief that Igbos dont value education and mostly prefer business and money. The practise of sending young boys to big cities to go and learn a trade under a kinsman has heightened this belief. Igbos dont marry other tribes: There is the belief among many people that no matter how in-love an Igbo man/woman is with a person from another Nigerian tribe, he/she can not marry him/her and in very rare occasions when they do end up married, the marriage doesnt last because the Igbo partner would eventually go ahead and marry someone else from his place. Igbo people from Mbaise are naturally wicked: There are many negative notions people have concerning the Igbos from Mbaise in Imo state. A lot people believe everyone form Mbaise is wicked, selfish, tricky, corny and all sorts of evils . Igbos love money: This one is the most common one. The first thing an average Nigerian can tell you about an Igbo person is that he loves money and most of them would do anything just to get rich. Igbos are not generous: Some people are of the belief that most Igbos are tight fisted. That an Igbo man would rather die than give someone money. It is widely believed that an Igboman would rather starve than spend money on good food. Igbo not Ibo: The language and people is Igbo not Ibo, the pronounciation emerged because the Europeans had difficulty making the /b/ sound. What do you think???? The Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Tin-Can Island command, Tuesday intercepted arms and ammunition concealed in a container and arrested a suspect. Speaking while handing over the contraband cargoes, NCS Area Comptroller, Mr. Yusuf Bashar said that the healthy collaboration amongst security agencies working in the command led to the interception. Bashar also said that the Customs will continue to synergise with all relevant government agencies to ensure the security and safety of the ports and border stations. The seized items included 980 rounds of live 9mm ammunitions, one Taurus pistol with number THX43606, military ware, a pair of black boot, a military face cap, a pair of camouflage hand gloves and an army coloured plastic container. According to Bashar, the contents of the box are prohibited items not to be imported by any individual adding that these are material that can only be imported by the Army. We believe that there must a sinister reason for the importation of the prohibited materials. There is a network of moving and distributing these arms and ammunition. He said that the cargo was shipped from the United States were discovered in a one by forty foot container with number crhu452745/2. The suspect has been handed over to the Directorate of the State Security Service (DSSS) for further investigation. Republican Donald Trump will not be president because its a serious job, President Barack Obama has said. I continue to believe that Mr Trump will not be president. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, said Mr Obama. Mr Trump, a billionaire businessman, is the frontrunner in the race to be his partys choice for the White House. He has won one state primary already, and leads the polls in South Carolina, where Republicans vote on Saturday. Speaking at the Asean economic summit in California, the president was asked by a reporter about Mr Trump. The electorate will not pick him, said Mr Obama, because they recognise that being president is a serious job. Its not hosting a talk show or a reality show, its not promotion, its not marketing, its hard. Its not a matter of pandering and doing whatever will get you in the news on a given day. Mr Trump responded by saying it was a compliment to be criticised by a president who had done so much damage to the country. The New York hotel developers antipathy to Mr Obama goes back a number of years he used to demand that the president produce proof that he was born in the US. And his election campaign has continuously made headlines, for controversial remarks and policies. BBC. The immediate past Spokesperson of the Department of State Services, DSS, Marilyn Ogar, has dragged the Federal Government before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over her retirement from service. The case is slated for hearing tomorrow, Thursday, in Abuja before the NICN President, Justice Babatunde Adejumo. Ogar and others were demoted and compulsorily retired by the FG. It would be recalled that the former DSS spokesperson alongside 44 others were promoted in the twilight of the Goodluck Jonathan administration for reportedly doing a fantastic job. But the Buhari administration reversed the promotions, citing irregularities and breach of extant rules guiding such actions. Those named as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Director General, SSS. Ahmed Raji, SAN, who filed the suit on behalf of Ogar by way of originating summons, wants the court to nullify the former DSS spokespersons sack and reinstate her with all her ranks, salaries and benefits to the employment of the FG. She is further asking the Court to set aside her purported demotion from Assistant Director to Chief Security Intelligence Officer. Ogar is seeking a Court declaration that her employment with the SSS has statutory flavor and same may only be lawfully determined strictly in accordance with the relevant provisions of the public service Rules. The former DSS spokesperson is through her lawyer, asking the Court to determine whether she is a public officer and whether she can be lawfully demoted, sacked or retired by the defendants. The federal government has concluded plans to begin the verification and probe on claims of funds spent on federal roads by the various state governments, the Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has disclosed. Fashola, who spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said President Muhammadu Buhari has put in place an inter-ministerial committee to commence the exercise in earnest in furtherance of his anti-corruption crusade. Towards this end, he added that the federal government has commenced verification of federal roads constructed by Kwara State Government for reimbursement. He added that the federal government would reimburse Kwara and other states of the federation once their claims were verified. According to him, The federal government has identified Jebba-Ilorin road as one of the most strategic economic corridors in Nigeria that require urgent attention. Frantic efforts was been made to restore normalcy to the road in view of its strategic economic nature. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the office of the National Security Adviser paid N300 million to former National Chairman of PDP, Bello Haliru to fund election campaign. Mrs Roukayya Ibrahim, a forensic expert with the Commission made the statement while testifying before Justice John Tsoho. The bank account that was used belonged to Abbah Bello, son of the third defendant (Haliru Bello), Ibrahim said. between October and November 2014, a special Task Force was created to investigate Defence and arms contract. Allegation of financial misappropriation in the office of the NSA has been reported at the commission. After the Task Force was constituted, we studied intelligent reports and commenced investigation. During the course of the investigation, we invited relevant government agencies and banks to discuss with them. Specifically, we spoke with senior staff from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Central Bank of Nigeria. One of the discoveries was a letter from the Ministry of Finance to the CBN requesting the release of N100 billion on March 2, 2015. The money was actually meant for disbursement to agencies of government with the office of the NSA getting N30 billion out of the fund tagged to be used for security issues. On March 3, 2015, the Accountant-General of the Federation sent a memo to the Ministry of Finance in respect of the N30 billion. And on March 5, the Accountant-General of the Federation sent another memo to the CBN requesting urgent release of the N30 billion which was eventually paid into the NSA office account on March 11. On March 17, the N300 million was transferred from the N30 billion into the Sterling Bank account operated by BAM Project and Properties Ltd owned by Abba Bello. When Abba was arrested and interrogated, he denied knowledge of the transaction that ran through his bank account. Then his father, Haliru Bello was away in abroad, but the story changed when we spoke with him on telephone. During the course of the investigation, we got to know that Bashir Yuguda, former minister of State for Finance was used to actualise the transaction. During forensic analysis, we discovered that on March 18, disbursement of about N137 million was made to Kumugumu Ltd, on the same day, another N178 million was sent to North pole Ltd from the N300 million. On March 28, Abba transferred the sum of N163 million to Hijra Textiles Ltd on the instruction of his father, Haliru Bello. Abba who is the sole owner of BAM Project and Properties Ltd whose bank account is been used withdrew the sum of N20 million in two tranches of N10 million each. Then on May 28, Abba made another transfer of N50 million into another of his personal savings account. Abba and Haliru Bello are standing trial for alleged unlawful collection of part of the funds meant for arms purchase for the military. The matter will continue on February 23. The UN humanitarian chief has said a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Yemen with more than 21 million Yemenis in need of some form of aid. Stephen OBrien said on Tuesday that the situation was exacerbated by increased restrictions on efforts to respond to what he called the staggering needs of millions of people, including the diversion of a UN aid ship by Saudi-led coalition forces. OBrien said that more than 6,000 people had been killed since the beginning of coalition strikes against Houthi rebels in March 2015, of which about half were civilians. He said more than 700 children had been killed and some 1,000 injured. At least 7.6 million people were now severely food insecure and more than 3.4 million children were out of school, the official said. OBriens briefing to the UN Security Council, which was requested by Russia, was the first that focused on the humanitarian crisis sparked by the war. He said the Houthi rebels had been inconsistent in allowing access and movement of humanitarian goods and personnel, and that a recent warning by Saudi Arabia about the safety of aid workers in Houthi-controlled areas had caused delays to key missions. The UN official urged the council to demand that all combatants facilitate unconditional humanitarian access to all parts of Yemen. UN agencies and NGO partners are delivering assistance under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous circumstances, OBrien said. ALjazeera. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has dared President Muhammadu Buhari to arrest him, insisting the president has not shed his garb of dictatorship. Speaking on Friday in an interview on The Osasu Show, which was broadcast yesterday on AIT, the governor said: They say he (Buhari) is coming after me, I am ready. Mr. Fayose in the interview, also drew inspiration from the Holy Bible as he quoted from Hebrew 13: 6, saying it is very clear that because we have God, we fear not what men will do to us. The governor, who is one of the most vocal critics of President Buhari and his administration, said everybody cant belong to the same political party, and that he was entitled to his view. You cant silence everyone, he maintained. In the interview, Mr. Fayose questioned the capacity of Mr. Buhari to solve Nigerias economic crisis, saying the president was still in an analogue stage. I am saying it expressly, (that) the president does not understand the economy, said the Ekiti governor. If you understand the economy you can do everything simultaneously without rocking the boat. You go out telling the whole world that your country is corrupt, you destroy all your people, and you expect them (foreigners) to do business with your people? That is not how to operate, said Mr. Fayose. On the anti-corruption war, the Ekiti governor insisted that it was selective and political. According to him, When (former Nigerian president) Obasanjo left prison, did he declare his assets? The library Obasanjo has today, where did the money come from? His house in Abeokuta, where did the money come from? Even Buhari himself declared cattle and mud houses. He said he doesnt have money. From where did the (presidential) campaign money come from? Mr. Fayose said Nigerian leaders werent committed to the idea of diversifying the countrys economy. Each of them looks forward to another election rather than look forward to the future of the country, he said. The governor also identified lack of electricity power and other infrastructure, including lack of capital, as the major factors hindering economic diversification in Nigeria. If I want to diversify, for instance, the money I got for last month was N1.3 billion. And my wage bill is N2.6 billion, aside security, electricity, water and basic essential services to the people. Do I use this money for diversification at the expense of the people? No I cant! So, it is an uphill task. It is not impossible, but it an uphill task. My first counsel to the federal government is that they should stop the noise about corruption, and face this economy. They should be sincere more about the economy than playing to the gallery, Governor Fayose said. He also advised the federal government to make agriculture attractive to farmers all over the country. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said on Wednesday that it had commenced distribution of kits and equipment to fight spread of Lassa fever in the nine states in Niger Delta. According to a statement issued in Port Harcourt by Mr Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, the commissions Head of Corporate Affairs Unit, the commission is concerned about high occurrence of the disease in Edo, Ondo and Rivers. The statement which quoted Mrs Ibim Semenitari, Acting Managing Director of NDDC, said 1,800 pieces of kits, cold chains, sanitizers and personal protective equipment had been donated to the Rivers Central Medical Stores to distribute to patients in Rivers. We will also send kits to other states for prevention measures; so that the disease can be quickly contained if it spreads to other states. Distribution of Lassa fever kits and facilities to store vaccines is part of the commissions commitments to support the fight against infectious diseases and health challenges in the region. The commission will soon donate mosquito nets to states health ministries which will be distributed to people in rural communities, Semenitari was quoted in the statement as saying. President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that the country is in a sorry state today because it relied too long on mono-economic product oil. The president was speaking at the State House in Abuja yesterday while receiving a three-man delegation of British members of Parliament led by Honourable Chi Onwurah. Other members of the delegation were the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright. President Buhari said now with the fall in oil price, Nigeria had to go back to agriculture and solid minerals. Nigeria has found herself in a phase of development which is not a very welcome one. We are disorganized because we relied on mono-economic product for too long, and now that oil price is down, we have to go back to agriculture and solid minerals, he said. Tin, columbite, cocoa, groundnut, and others, used to be the basis of our economy, but then, oil came, and everybody began to look for cheap money. Now, we need to start all over again, the president said. Mr. Buhari said that Nigeria, in her rebuilding process, expected a lot from Britain owing to the affinity shared by both countries. Earlier, Onwurah had told Buhari that her team visited the country to promote positive engagement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom since we are stronger when we build on ties of the past. The Nigerian-born MP for Newcastle, added that her team was interested in how the Diaspora could support the economic progress of Nigeria as well as the promotion of trade and diversification of the nations economy. Punch Two former governors of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo and Chief Segun Oni, were among the 62 leading members of the All Progressives Congress, who met in Abuja, on Tuesday, as part of the moves to reposition the state chapter of the party. Vanguard ABUJA Former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, has said he was not ready for trial until the Federal Government complied with an order of the Federal High Court granting him bail. The Sun National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for sacking 26 directors general of parastatals, agencies of government and commissions. Thisday A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Ziadeke Akpolobokemi and others, Mr. Emeka Emenalo, on Tuesday informed a Lagos Federal High Court in Lagos that he did he did not solicit for the N221 million that was paid into his companys account by the agency. Daily Times A witness in the criminal trial of the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Mohammed Bello and his son, Abba Mohammed Bello, on Tuesday, told a Federal High Court Guardian A FORMER Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo has urged a Federal High Court, Lagos to quickly release its ruling to him so he can appeal the order of arrest raised against him by the court. Daily Trust Come this Saturday the 20th of February, 2016 just in three days time, the winner of the Benue South or Zone-C Senatorial seat at the red chamber of the national assembly will be decided between David Mark (PDP) and Daniel Onjeh (APC). Beyond electioneering, intrigues, machinations, and partisan politics are the overall interests of the Idomaland and her good people. All parties must avoid bloodshed, unnecessary bickering, character assassination, and deceptive electoral promises. The Idoma and Igede people of Benue South have suffered enough from the hands of ruthless politicians through neglects and impoverishment to the menace of Fulani herdsmen terrorizing their trembling flesh among other numerous challenges before them. To this end, elder statesmanship and altruistic leadership is badly needed in Idomaland more than ever and theres virtually no known figure playing such role or actually befitting of such at it stands. However, Senator David Bonaventure Alechenu Marks looks a perfect fit for such role-a unifying force and unmovable bastion of the Idoma nation; this he can only do outside mainstream politics or active partisan political office in government aside party leadership. It is high time David Mark thinks grooming the future by stepping aside after achieving incredible fits as the best and longest serving senate president in Nigeria aside having held many offices in the past right from his youthful age such as: Military Governor of Niger State; Minister of Communication; Director of Army Signal and many military appointments leading to his rise to the rank of a Brigadier General etc. The old general has indeed paid his dues and the master must not remain in the field longer than safe. The time is nigh! Comrade Daniel Onjeh has his flaws and finesses. He is the face of the future and has proved his mettle as a former NANS president. As the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, he drove shivers down the spine of the intransigent political class and tyrannical academic administrators, causing them to start taking Nigerian students and lecturers seriously without fear or favour. He is still considered the last NANS President of the good old days. It is time for Daniel Onjeh like David Mark to be given a chance to serve as a youth in the national stage and the time is now. We need to make #OnjehTheChange possible. The Idoma youths and elders interested in the future of the Idoma nation must see #OnjehTheChange as a clarion call to liberate the people from perennial socioeconomic and political stagnation. If David Mark loses, he will not be humiliated. David Mark needs to be encouraged to take up the befitting role of an elder statesman and guide the youths and Idomas in political offices accordingly in the overall interest of the Idoma and Igede people of Benue South. David Mark needs to play a fatherly role for the Idoma nation as their Jagaban and chief opinion maker by resigning and handing the senatorial seat to Comrade Daniel Onjeh to try his best under his guidance as the face of Idoma future. The following are among the many reasons why David Mark must let go to Daniel Onjeh and the younger generation come this Saturdays election: David Mark has been in the senate for over sixteen years and held the position of Senate President for eight (8) years under a ruling party (PDP). If he couldnt use his legislative influence to improve the lot of Benue South in terms of development or whatever, it will be more unlikely for him to help now as an ordinary opposition senator. #OnjehTheChange Daniel Onjeh is the face of the future of Idomaland; full of energy guts and enthusiasm and backed with the unalloyed support of the ruling All Progressive Congress federal might. #OnjehTheChange As an engineer by training, Daniel Onjeh is likely going to be a chairman or member of infrastructure based committees like works, power, infrastructure, housing, water, rural development, agriculture, which are badly needed to develop Benue South from which he will exert significant influence in channeling development. #OnjehTheChange The Failure of David Mark to achieve the Idoma prime dream of Apa State creation and the lack of development of rural infrastructure is enough reason to substitute him. He has actually done a lot in his own right. Let a new striker come in when the aging striker stops scoring. We mustnt wait until he starts carrying crutches in the senate. #OnjehTheChange The growing political hostility between Idomas and their Tiv brothers fueled by David Marks political machineries in order to emasculate the person of former Governor George Akume said to be the prime mover of Daniel Onjeh has to be halted before it spreads its tentacles irreversibly like cankerworm. We cant live in apathy. The Tivs are our brothers. We have been living together and watching each others back for centuries. No ones political ambition is worth the hatred.. #OnjehTheChange The inability of David Mark with his influences and connections as a serving senate president and ex-military general to protect the Benue south people particularly the Agatus from the marauding Fulani herdsmen who massacred them serially and destroyed their farms and villages is a strong indictment on his leadership. #OnjehTheChange Change, according to Hieracletus is the only constant thing on earth. And in the words of Albert Einstein, we cant solve a problem at the same level of thinking by which we created it. If Senator David Bonaventure Alechenu Mark has been representing Benue South for eons in the Senate without any significant progress in the economy, physical development, or wellbeing of the Idomaland then its plain commonsense to try someone else. #OnjehTheChnage Look at Otukpo, the so called capital of Idomaland how pitiful it looks even when flyovers and ultra-modern structures are beginning to adorn lesser known Nigerian towns. Look at the poor state of the few existing roads, no flyover, and no public water works, so bad an economy that a commercial bank like ECO BANK had to close down for lack of business, lack of agricultural development schemes etc. We need a new hero to fight for us. We need someone with energy we need #OnjehTheChange. CHRISTIAN OKWORI is The Technical Secretary of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Victoria Island branch, writes in from Victoria Island, Lagos. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @owoichoengine. +2348185799270 The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Tuesday gave insight into the reasons behind the recent gale of sack of 26 chief executives of parastatals and agencies on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari, saying they were all sabotaging the APC-led federal government. He also alleged that acts of sabotage were taking place in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Oyegun made the weighty allegation in a chat with State House correspondents after leading members of the APC National Working Committee to a meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to him, the APC was not particularly interested in filling the vacant positions but was concerned with the internal sabotage that were pervasive in the institutions. APC members were not concerned about the positions. We are concerned about the internal sabotage that is going on in a lot of the PDP filled positions which are critical to our national growth and development. It is happening in INEC, it is happening in a lot of other institutions and that is what is the concern of the party (sic). It is not necessarily taking over; we should take over and they should be people who believe in the change agenda. We have no apologies for that at all, that is it. When asked when the vacant positions would be filled, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said that it was up to the president to detemine that. On the controversy trailing the 2016 budget, he attributed it to the complexities arising from Buharis pruning of federal ministries from over 40 to over 20. He said: There is absolutely no confusion. This is a serious issue. I want you to please understand the complications that came from adjusting a structure from over 40 ministries to just over 20 ministries and the necessary adjustments of figures and movements of institutions that it entails. It was very complicated, so it is natural that adjustments have to be made to the process and that is just what is happening, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun explained. Speaking on their mission at the State House, the APC chair said they came because they needed to applaud the president on some issues. We just came to pay our respect to our President, and praised him on things that are going on and we also raised our concerns on one or two issues and altogether we had a very pleasant and rewarding meeting. To avoid unnecessary friction that may lead to tension in the area, President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to call for the immediate withdrawal of troops redeployed to some communities in the Niger Delta region. A human rights activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, who gave the warning said the presence of soldiers in these communities particularly in the Gbaramatu community of Delta state could be agitating and was capable of causing tension in the area. This is coming at a time when the Federal High court in Lagos ordered for the arrest of the ex-militant warlords for his refusal to honor several invitations by the EFCC. Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital at the weekend, Ann-Kio Briggs warned that if the idea of redeploying troops to the Delta community was to arrest Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, then They should go through the due process of arresting anybody. Tompolo has been doing legitimate business with the government over the years. I dont know which law stipulates how to do business or otherwise. If the federal government has any issue with Tompolo, they should go through the due process of properly investigating him. You cant send soldiers to destroy a community, arrest young men and rape women in the name of searching for Tompolo. If they claim that everybody in the Ijaw land is a criminal, does it also mean that everybody in the north is a member of Boko Haram? You cannot hold the traditional rulers responsible for Tompolos action or inaction. The attitude of the soldiers in the Ijaw communities is oppressive. The moment soldiers are restricted to a particular ethnic group in the country, it becomes very Ann-Kio Briggs who is the spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly, IRA, said it was fundamentally wrong for soldiers to invade any community in search of their target, adding that such action was not the way to address the issue of decades-long neglect of the Niger Delta region by every successive government. According to her, If Tompolo has been indicted for any wrong doing, he should be properly investigated but there are officials in this government who have been indicted of embezzlement of public funds, yet they are walking about as freemen. Speaking further, the activist corrected that the search for the arrest of Tompolo should not be enough reason for the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to cancel the Maritime University set up by the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Delta state. She described as anti-Nigeria the cancellation of the university by the minister, stating that this is capable of generating bad blood between the north and the people of the Niger Delta region. Tompolos issue is not enough reason for anybody to cancel the maritime university. This is a shame. We in the Ijaw land deserve the equal share of every good thing in this country. If an aviation university is to be built in the north, why cant somebody leave the maritime university in Delta! Jonathan built about twelve new universities in his tenure and five of these universities were in the north. Why should anybody contemplate of denying Ijaw people the right of hosting a university on their land?, she quipped Source: Today.ng The Nigerian Army on Wednesday said troops in continued offensive operations have destroyed remaining terrorist camps and enclaves around Alargarno and Sambisa forest. In a statement issued by its spokesman, Sani Usman, the Nigerian Army said troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion patrol team, cleared Boko Haram camps located at Komala, Dole, Kumshi and Moadori around the fringes of Alagarno forest Tuesday. The statement added that the troops killed two Boko Haram terrorists and captured 2 notorious terrorists; Mustapha Busuru (50 years old) and Usman Abubakar (56 years) at Dole village and brought down all Boko Haram terrorist flags hoisted in the village and destroyed them. Usman, a colonel, further said the troops recovered 2 Toyota pick-up vans, 40 motorcycles, Improvised Explosives Making Devices (IEDs), stockpile of foodstuffs and fuel dump. The patrol team also recovered horses and donkeys used for transportation by the terrorists, he added. The Army spokesman also said in response to a distress call of an attack by Boko Haram terrorists on Kuda village along Butuku road, troops of 143 Battalion swung into action, unfortunately the terrorists fled after setting the village on fire leading to the death of an elderly woman. He explained that the escaped insurgents regrouped and attempted to cross through Magar Bridge but they were pre-empted by elements of the Battalion, who killed two terrorists and wounded several others. Sadly, 3 soldiers and 4 locals sustained injuries, while the troops recovered 1 Toyota Buffalo vehicle mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun with registration number 081375, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with registration number 132042, a loaded G3 rifle magazine and 30 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunitions link, the army statement said. In the age of connected everything, it's easy for non-IT people to take for granted how an office comes together. Our company's managers definitely assume that either it will all work or IT will figure out a way. We have -- until recently. I work for a manufacturing firm that has continually expanded over the years. The new locations are generally in industrial parks. Early on we only required a dial-up connection at the sites to hook up a modem, but as the Internet exploded and new software was acquired, our needs of course shifted from phone lines to high-speed Internet access. Because these sites often were faraway, connectivity was very much a concern. I continually begged the COO to let our department check out a location first to see its viability before they purchased it, but my pleas fell on deaf ears, and we were usually informed only after a purchase had been made. Work your magic Our department was always able to establish a connection regardless of how many hoops we had to jump through. Sometimes we'd add a couple of telephone poles or pay to have a cable line extended. Management didn't care how we did it or how tough it was, as long as we got it done -- within budgetary reason, of course. This became a problem because management assumed that we could always make things work, no matter how lousy a situation we were put in. When the most recent acquisition popped up, it was very much a problem child. The location originally didn't need any access other than reception for the manager's cellphone and was already up and "running" before IT even had an address. I feared the worst as I looked up the location -- it was in a remote section of a state along an interstate highway with few neighboring businesses or residents. I checked for connectivity options, which varied from "terrible" to "worse." I prayed that the manager's cellphone would be sufficient. It was ... for four months. Then came the request to add a computer "or two." Limited choices I convinced the "best" option (dish to a tower four miles away) to make a site survey and verify it could get a signal through. The results came back: There were too many trees (of course on the adjoining properties), and connectivity could only be accomplished by erecting a tower at least 50 feet high. After reviewing construction costs, we went with one of the less desirable options, a cell Wi-Fi connection, and accepted that we'd have to deal with poor connectivity. Predictably, it wasn't long before even more problems cropped up. Getting a landline installed is supposed to be a fairly normal operation, but not in this location. The carrier at one time had a copper line run into the home that had existed on the site. Since we were not going to use the house, our line would need to be installed in the large warehouse on the back of the property. After the site survey, the carrier said it would need to extend the line in conduit from the last pole. It wouldn't have been a problem, except our property manager had already blacktopped the entire site. The carrier said it could install the new line but wanted written permission before digging in the freshly installed asphalt. I was unable to get management to agree, thus we are limping along with cellphones and a poor connection. Sometimes being too good can lead to bad results that are not of your own doing. I can only hope they strike gold or oil nearby and a town springs up overnight so that high-speed Internet comes in, but I'm not holding my breath. IBM is betting big on blockchain secure-records technology taking off beyond its traditional use in bitcoin and other financial transactions. The company is now offering a cloud-based service to allow developers to set up blockchain networks and test and deploy related apps. IBM announced a flurry of blockchain-related initiatives Tuesday, including developer services hosted on its Bluemix cloud. Developers can access devops tools to create, deploy and monitor blockchain applications on the IBM cloud, the company said. [ Simplify your security with six password managers for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. Find out which one prevails in InfoWorld's review. | Discover how to secure your systems with InfoWorld's Security newsletter. ] Blockchains, such as the public ledger of bitcoin transactions, are distributed records of events, each block in the record containing a computational "hash" of itself and of the previous block, like links in a chain. Blockchains make it difficult to modify or fake past transactions because such a change would require the modifications to be made on all subsequent blocks. Using a cloud service like IBM's, "in 12 seconds, a developer could have their own mini blockchain sandbox running," said Jerry Cuomo, vice president of blockchain technologies for the company. "A minute or so after that, they can have their first blockchain sample application up and running." IBM's Bluemix cloud service also offers integration with other technologies that developers "can start mashing up" into their blockchain apps, he said. "You can build mobile front ends, you can build APIs to the blockchain." IBM predicts companies will begin using blockchain technology in several new ways, driving up the demand for easy ways to test and deploy related apps, Cuomo said. For example, blockchain technologies, paired with the Internet of things, could give shipping companies new information about products on the move, Cuomo said. In addition to tracking a package, a blockchain ledger could track the condition of the contents and establish when they were damaged, he said. A shipping company could track a refrigerated container using blockchain and RFID sensors to find "where it is, whether the contents have been tampered with, and what the temperature is," Cuomo said. IBM's Watson Internet of Things platform will allow RFID sensors, barcode scanners and other devices to be used with its blockchain technology, the company said Tuesday. Another potential use for blockchain is in the car insurance industry as more self-driving and self-parking vehicles take to the roads, Cuomo said. A blockchain ledger could help the insurance company establish whether the driver or the automation was in control during an accident. The blockchain would be "a shared single source of truth" that the insurance vendor could use to establish fault, he said. In addition to its cloud and IoT announcements, IBM will also open offices -- the company calls them "garages" -- in London, New York, Singapore, and Tokyo, where developers can work with IBM blockchain experts on business applications. Cocoa (CC) Consolidating Near Weekly Chart Downtrend Resistance Tradable Patterns - Thu Oct 20, 11:48PM CDT Cocoa (CCZ22) bounced almost 1% yesterday, closing just below descending wedge resistance (on the weekly chart). A weekly close above the 38.2% Fib retrace of the February to September slide is moderately... CCZ22 : 2,314 (-0.60%) NIB : 24.45 (+1.12%) What to Watch Now Stock Market (and Sentiment Results) HedgeFundTips.com - Thu Oct 20, 9:04PM CDT I dont think they will get there without the credit markets forcing them to relent, but lets assume they do. How bad is it? Its so bad that the market has ALREADY PRICED IT IN. EU leaders divided on gas price cap at energy crisis summit AP - Thu Oct 20, 7:40PM CDT BRUSSELS (AP) European Union leaders struggled to find immediate practical solutions at their summit Thursday called to grapple with the energy crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine and maintain a united... $SPX : 3,665.78 (-0.80%) $DOWI : 30,333.59 (-0.30%) $IUXX : 11,046.71 (-0.51%) Russian, Ukrainian troops gird for major battle in Kherson AP - Thu Oct 20, 7:12PM CDT KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian and Ukrainian troops appeared Thursday to be girding for a major battle over the strategic southern industrial port city of Kherson, in a region which Russian President Vladimir... $SPX : 3,665.78 (-0.80%) $DOWI : 30,333.59 (-0.30%) $IUXX : 11,046.71 (-0.51%) Red Close for Cotton Futures Barchart - Thu Oct 20, 4:26PM CDT Front month cotton tried to reverse some of the sharp drop from yesterday, but the bounce faded and turned red. At the close futures were 18 to 89 points lower. The 2023 crop closed 29 points higher in... CTZ22 : 76.76 (-0.83%) CTH23 : 76.61 (-0.84%) CTK23 : 76.35 (-0.90%) Atlantic Philanthropies is going to stick around until 2020, but 2016 marks its 35th and final year of grantmaking. During Atlantics decades-long run, it has been operating under founder Chuck Feeneys ethos of Giving While Living. And Feeney didnt jump on the more recent trend of high-net-worth individuals pledging to donate their fortunes to the greater good while theyre still alive. Hes been at it since the mid-1980s, when he transferred nearly all of his sizeable assets to his foundation. At one point, Feeney was worth $7.5 billion. But enough with the backstory, already. Let's get to the fun stuff, like where the last big chunks of Feeney's money are headed. As the foundations official sunset date approaches, Atlantic has been making some pretty big financial bets in its five areas of grantmaking focus. When we talked a while back with Atlantic's CEO, Chris Oechsli, he explained that these so-called "culminating grants" were going out to groups or new initiatives that the foundation felt were best positioned to advance its goals in the decades to come. Landing one of the grants is a very big deal, and we've reported on several of themincluding a $15 million score by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Related: A Closer Look at Atlantics End GameAnd Where Its Putting the Biggest Money More recently came news of Atlantic's $40 million investment in increasing access to affordable, quality healthcare in Southeast Asia. The money funds the Transformative Leaders in Health Equity initiative, a 20-year fellowship program aiming to reduce health disparities and increase access to quality health care in the region by supporting the growth and development of new leaders in health equity. The initiative hopes to graduate some 500 new, innovative leaders over the course of the next 20 years. Oechsli said in a press release that the overall goals of the initiative are to raise the quality of health care, health outcomes and, indeed, quality of life across entire populations, without disparities associated with socioeconomic status. The initiative, which is launching in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi, is being further bolstered by the China Medical Board, which plans to contribute an additional $10 million. Atlantics founding chairman Chuck Feeney has been famously quiet, bordering on reclusive, about his fortune and his philanthropybut in a good way. During the early half of Atlantic Philanthropies activity, all of its grants were made anonymously. But the foundations ongoing conclusion is a much different story. Atlantics mission, philosophies, and strategies may have remained the same, but instead of quietly fading to black, this funder looks like its going out with an incredible bangand its not finished yet. As Oechsli has written, Stay tuned. The symphony is building and there are key movements to come. AXA Investment Managers and Credit Suisse are among the big players backing projects that seek to profit from protecting the environment. In early 2013, Gunnela Hahn, head of responsible investment for the 725 million ($811 million) portfolio overseen by the Church of Sweden, convinced her board of directors to take a leap of faith. The board voted to allocate 10 million to the inaugural fund offered by London-based Althelia Ecosphere, which aims to profit from investing in sustainable land use in Africa, South America and elsewhere. Part of a burgeoning field called conservation finance, Althelias fund appealed to the Swedish church for several reasons. I think the upside was very attractive, both financially and from a sustainability point of view, Hahn says. The diversification benefits were another selling point, she adds: We preferred it to private equity; its a real asset that you can see. At 100 million Althelia, the managers of the Climate Fund 1 look for opportunities that can generate multiple revenue streams. Among the funds investments: $7 million in financing for a $9.15 million farmer-owned cooperative that oversees the long-term protection of 570,000 hectares of rain forest in the Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru . Some of the money will go toward deploying sustainable agricultural practices at more than 1,100 small cocoa farms. When the project reaches full scale, it will produce at least 3,200 metric tons of certified deforestation-free organic and Fairtrade cocoa annually, Althelia claims. Over the next seven years, the investment will also prevent the emission of 4 million metric tons of carbon from deforestation, the firm says, providing more revenue in the form of carbon credits. So far, the Althelia fund has paid off for the Church of Sweden, according to Hahn, who says the return has been in the double digits. Other investors in Althelia include AXA Investment Managers and Credit Suisse Group. Paris-based AXA IM contributes via its 200 million AXA Impact Fund, whose investors comprise 14 insurance companies; Credit Suisse has taken a stake on behalf of its institutional and high-net-worth clients. In January the Swiss bank and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment published a report called Conservation Finance From Niche to Mainstream: The Building of an Institutional Asset Class . This follow-up to a 2014 study by Credit Suisse, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and the World Wildlife Fund focuses on the swift rise of conservation finance toward mainstream acceptance and examines what must happen to sustain that trend. Each year about $52 billion flows into conservation projects, the report notes, with the bulk of that total coming from public and philanthropic funders. The authors estimate that the world will need between $300 billion and $400 billion annually to preserve healthy ecosystems on land and in the oceans and that private capital will have to pick up nearly all of the slack. There are encouraging signs. In 2014, New Yorkheadquartered EKO Asset Management Partners (now Encourage Capital) and NatureVest , the impact investing branch of the Arlington, Virginiabased Nature Conservancy, surveyed 56 investors including fund managers, foundations and family offices on their appetite for conservation finance. Between 2009 and 2013 the private investors in this group more than doubled their allocations compared with the previous five years, from a combined $892 million to $1.9 billion. Sylvain Goupille, a co-founder and managing partner of Althelia, thinks policy discussions are a big driver of interest in conservation finance. Citing talks about sustainable land use and market mechanisms at Decembers Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, Goupille also credits the progress of pioneering nonprofits and foundations in developing conservation investment products . The market is moving from small, unique transactions toward more standardized, replicable and scalable transactions, he says. It might be too early to call it an asset class, but there is clearly a lot of interest from investors. Just ask Fabian Huwyler, a Zurich-based vice president in the sustainability affairs group at Credit Suisse who leads the banks conservation finance efforts and was lead author of its recent report. Huwyler points out that Credit Suisses annual conservation finance conference has grown from 30 participants at the inaugural event in 2014 to a sold-out crowd of 200 in New York this past January. Three years ago it was a niche topic, he says. Now we have mainstream investors and pension funds that see conservation as a topic that could be of interest. Theres far more willing capital than products to absorb it, observes Huwyler, who wants to see venture capitalists help conservation start-ups grow. He believes venture investors are ideal for conservation finance because theyre used to taking on high risk for potentially high returns. If you want to grow into an institutional asset class, you have to accept that you compare with traditional asset classes, stresses Huwyler, noting that the feel-good aspect of conservation finance doesnt matter to the mainstream investor: He or she wants to see the same returns. The insurance claims from the Victorian bushfires that hit the Great Ocean Road region on Christmas Day have soared to 1,200 with losses now amounting to about $150 million.The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) recently released these new figures but it expects the total damage bill to keep growing as people continue to lodge their claims.Other costs covering grant payments, emergency service response and accommodation for firefighters and emergency personnel will also increase the damage bill."We can't predict what the final bill will be, nor the final number of claims," The Age quoted ICA general manager for communications Campbell Fuller as saying."Claims are still filtering through and in some instances assessors are still working through the area talking to policyholders. And it's not unusual for claims to continue to filter through for many months after a disaster of this magnitude.Fuller said the claims would include destroyed properties, damaged houses and outbuildings, motor vehicle claims and some commercial losses."A high proportion of those claims relate to total property losses, he said.One of the most expensive disasters in recent months, the Great Ocean Road destroyed 116 homes at Wye River and Separation Creek.According to The Age report, the insured losses incurred from the Christmas Day catastrophe is already near the $170 million losses from the recent Pinery bushfires in South Australia which had roughly 2,000 losses."Fortunately it's not of the magnitude of Black Saturday, but it is definitely one of the biggest fires of recent years, Fuller said when asked how the losses compared with other Victorian bushfires. Clients to significantly benefit from deal, insurance boss says The Massachusetts Senate recently passed a legislative amendment that would open up home insurers rate filings for public discussion. The amendment was proposed by Massachusetts State Senator Mike Barrett, D-Lexington. The lawmaker said the measure would benefit homeowners who are currently kept in the dark until after the state Division of Insurance approves rate hikes requested by insurance companies. His measure would declare industry requests for home insurance rate increases to be public records as soon as they are filed and before they become effective. To give consumers a look at rate hikes in a convenient way, the amendment also requires all industry filings to be posted online within three business days. The amendment was attached to the Senates public records reform bill, S.B. 2127, which passed the Senate on Feb. 4. The bill seeks to establish faster timetables for state agencies to comply with public records requests and set limits on fees charged for requesting public records. S.B. 2127 is headed to a legislative conference committee, where differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill can be reconciled. A little transparency goes a long way, Barrett said. The state attorney general, interested legislators and concerned members of the public will get a timely look at new insurance rates. If any warrant additional study, we will now have a chance to do our due diligence. Last year, three of the states largest insurers raised premiums on Massachusetts homeowners after a harsh winter led to increased claims activity. Mapfre USA Corp., the states largest home insurer, increased rates by 8.9 percent on average; Safety Insurance, by 9.1 percent; and Bunker Hill Insurance, by 7.7 percent. Barrett said a slew of smaller insurers followed suit. Barrett said all the rate hikes were approved by the Division of Insurance without input from the public, legislators or consumer advocates. Average yearly increases in Massachusetts homeowners insurance rates have typically been around 2-3 percent. Topics Trends Pricing Trends Massachusetts Homeowners Ohio-based Demotech Inc. recently affirmed the financial stability ratings (FSRs) assigned to six self-funded public entity pools in the Midwest. Demotech reviews and rates more than 415 insurers, writing every line of property/casualty insurance in the US, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Self-funded public entity pools are one of the many clienteles served by Demotech. American Public Entity Excess Pool (APEEP) American Public Entity Excess Pool (APEEP), based in Michigan, was established in 1987 to provide the advantages of pooling on a casualty reinsurance basis. In 1997, APEEP expanded its scope to provide those same pooling advantages on property reinsurance. Both programs provide broad coverage to meet the unique needs of public entities and serve as a layer of insulation from the cycles of the commercial reinsurance marketplace. The result is a stable, cost-effective risk-financing mechanism for APEEP members, which currently consist of five public entity risk pools, IPARKS, ICAP, OTARMA, PIRMA, and PEP. Administrator: York Risk Pooling Services, Inc. Auditor: Plante Moran Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1987 Illinois Parks Association Risk Services (IPARKS) Illinois Parks Association Risk Services (IPARKS) is a local government risk pool that offers comprehensive liability and property coverage specially tailored to address the wide variety of recreational programs offered by Illinois park districts and recreation agencies and provides an alternative to traditional insurance programs. IPARKS differs from traditional insurers in that IPARKS is owned by its members and serves only its members interests. Administrator: York Risk Pooling Services, Inc. Auditor: Plante Moran Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1987 Illinois Public Risk Fund (The Fund) The Illinois Public Risk Fund (The Fund) is an Illinois general nonprofit corporation whose charter was issued on January 3, 1986. The Fund was established and operates to protect its members against liability or loss in the areas of workers compensation and related employers liability under Illinois law. The Fund has approximately 700 members, all of which are public agencies, local public entities, school districts, or other local governmental bodies existing under Illinois law. The Fund is not an insurance company subject to state regulation, because it is organized and qualifies as an intergovernmental risk management association or a joint self-insurance pool within the meaning of the Illinois Workers Compensation Act and the Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act. The Fund essentially functions as a mutual company where its members have joined together by contract to establish a cooperative program of risk management and loss coverage for governmental operations. The Funds members may participate in the return of surplus contributions or dividends based upon the experience of the Fund and the individual members. Returns of net assets or dividends and other related programs are determined by the board. Administrator: Boyle, Flagg and Seaman Auditor: Clifton Gunderson Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1993 The Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP) The Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP) is a local government risk pool that offers comprehensive liability and property coverage specially tailored to meet the needs of Iowa public entities and provides an alternative to traditional insurance. ICAP differs from traditional insurance programs in that ICAP is owned by its members and serves only its members interests. Administrator: York Risk Pooling Services, Inc. Auditor: Plante Moran Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1987 Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority (OTARMA) Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority (OTARMA) is a local government risk pool that offers comprehensive liability and property coverages specifically tailored to meet the needs of townships throughout the state of Ohio and provides an alternative to traditional insurance. OTARMA differs from traditional insurance programs in that OTARMA is owned by its members and serves only its members interests. Administrator: York Risk Pooling Services, Inc. Auditor: Plante Moran Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1987 Public Entities Pool of Ohio (PEP) Public Entities Pool of Ohio (PEP) is a local government risk pool that offers comprehensive liability and property coverages specially tailored to meet the needs of political subdivisions throughout the state of Ohio and provides an alternative to traditional insurance. PEP differs from traditional insurance programs in that PEP is owned by its members and serves only its members interests. Administrator: York Risk Pooling Services, Inc. Auditor: Plante Moran Current Financial Stability Rating: AAA Financial Stability Rating initially assigned: 1987 Demotech Inc. is a financial analysis firm located in Columbus, Ohio. Source: Demotech Inc. Topics Property Ohio Illinois Iowa Risk Management Sierra Club weighed into the controversy over fracking and increased earthquake risk with a lawsuit accusing a Chesapeake Energy Corp. unit, Devon Energy Production Co. and New Dominion LLC of triggering tremors in Oklahoma and Kansas. The environmental group said the companies practice of injecting liquid oil and gas waste into deep ground-wells contributed to a spike of more than 5,800 earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2015, up from an annual high of 167 in the years from 1977 to 2009, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Oklahoma City. The lawsuit, which follows more than 20 others since 2011 making similar allegations, comes after a 5.1 magnitude quake shook the region Saturday. The companies have contributed and continue to contribute to the increased seismicity triggered by the waste handling, transport, and disposal activities at the injection wells owned or operated by the defendants throughout the state of Oklahoma and southern Kansas, according to the complaint. Chesapeake disagrees with the Sierra Clubs claims and will address them in the appropriate forum, Gordon Pennoyer, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail. Devon declined to comment on the complaint and officials at New Dominion couldnt immediately be reached for comment. David J. Chernicky, chairman and founder of New Dominion, said in an interview last year with Bloomberg Businessweek that evidence tying underground wells to earthquakes is unreliable and expressed confidence New Dominion would prevail against an earlier lawsuit. The Sierra Club wants a judge to force the companies to curb the amount of waste being injected into the layers of rock just above the continents crust in order to reduce the risk of earthquakes. The court should also order the companies to reinforce vulnerable structures that current forecasts indicate could be impacted by large magnitude earthquakes during the interim period, according to the complaint. Oil Industry on Knees This is an unexpected risk coming at the worst possible time, said Peter Pulikkan, an energy analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. The oil industry is on its knees, the business models are busted. And now you have this threat of disposal wells being linked to earthquakes that could put companies with material exposure permanently out to pasture. Evidence linking oil and gas companies to seismic activity in the region is growing, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report. In 2015, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin acknowledged the relationship between the two, while state regulators have imposed new rules for fracking in an effort to reduce the quake risk. Chesapeake respects the Oklahoma Corporation Commissions regulatory authority and technical expertise and is complying with the commissions directives, Pennoyer said in his statement. Neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nor the state of Oklahoma has taken legal action to address the imminent and substantial endangerment to health and the environment of the fracking waste practices, according to the complaint. The case is Sierra Club v. Chesapeake Operating LLC, 5:16- cv-00134, U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City). With assistance from Meenal Vamburkar, Joe Carroll and Asjylyn Loder. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Natural Disasters Claims Energy Oil Gas Pollution Oklahoma Earthquake Dallas-based wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent, LevelFirst, announced that April Moeser has been named executive vice president. With more than 25 years of experience in commercial insurance sales, marketing, underwriting and claims, Moeser is charged with the primary strategic and operational responsibilities for the wholesale brokerage and MGA business units. Moeser comes to LevelFirst from Advanced E&S where she specialized in commercial property and casualty insurance products for the hospitality industry. Her experience also includes leadership roles with RCA Insurance Services, Axiom Insurance Managers, U.S. Risk and American International Group. The company also reported that Lisa Sherman has joined LevelFirst as services manager supporting both internal and external operations. Sherman brings more than 10 years of experience in the industry including operational and underwriting contributions to RCA Insurance Group, Towerstone Inc. and Advanced E&S. Owned by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, LevelFirst offers retail clients insurance product access in several areas of specialization including property, casualty, energy, transportation, hospitality and financial services. Source: LevelFirst West Virginia is a step closer to letting Uber and similar companies offer rides in the state. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a 94-4 margin Monday. It next moves to the Senate. The proposal would apply to Uber, Lyft and similar companies and would require companies to have a nondiscrimination policy and comply with nondiscrimination laws. The bill would require companies to have a Division of Motor Vehicles permit, car insurance, underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy, and driver background checks. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has introduced a similar bill. An Uber push in the GOP-led Legislature died last year. Among other issues, a pocket of House delegates opposed a provision to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender riders from discrimination. Topics Virginia Farmers Insurance has introduced rideshare insurance coverage for ride-hailing drivers in Tennessee. Mariel Devesa, head of product innovation for Farmers Insurance said Farmers has developed this Rideshare Insurance Coverage to offer Tennessee ride-hail drivers coverage options as part of their Farmers personal auto insurance policies. Farmers worked with representatives of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, legislators and leaders of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) to develop a product specifically designed for ride-hailing drivers and make available a type of insurance coverage specified in Tennessees new ride-hailing law. Under the new Tennessee law, ride-hailing drivers will be required to have insurance coverage from the moment they turn on their rideshare app. Since personal automobile insurance policies generally were not designed to provide ride-hailing drivers with coverage while they are working, the introduction of this new coverage will help to fill a potential gap in coverage. The Farmers Rideshare Insurance Coverage can provide Farmers customers coverage when a driver turns on the ride-hailing application and during the time the driver is awaiting a match. The Farmers Rideshare Insurance Coverage will extend a drivers Farmers auto insurance coverage until they accept a ride, at which point their TNC affiliates commercial insurance coverage would apply. Farmers Rideshare Insurance Coverage enables a driver to select the coverage that fits their needs; including comprehensive and collision coverage that can pay for damages to their own vehicle, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (in case they are hit by a driver who isnt insured or is underinsured), and medical payments coverage. While coverage choices and premiums will vary by individual, the additional coverage provided by the Farmers Rideshare Insurance Coverage endorsement will generally add approximately $15 per month to a customers premium. Existing customers and others interested in a Farmers policy who are rideshare drivers can secure this new coverage by calling their local agent or calling Farmers directly. Topics Agribusiness New Markets Tennessee A former Freedom Industries executive was sentenced Feb. 11 to one month in federal prison for a chemical spill that fouled the drinking water supply of 300,000 West Virginians. Dennis Farrell also was fined $20,000 in U.S. District Court. Im truly sorry for what happened, Farrell said prior to sentencing on pollution violations. My hope was, I wish I could go back with the knowledge I now have. I will never forget the lessons I have learned. The January 2014 spill of a coal-cleaning agent into the Elk River in Charleston got into a water companys intake and prompted a tap-water ban in nine counties for up to 10 days. Residents immediately cleared store shelves of bottled water, and many restaurants were forced to close or cut back services temporarily. Judge Thomas Johnston noted after environmental regulators intervened and plans were put in place for spill-prevention controls at a facility owned by Freedom in Nitro, about 14 miles west of Charleston, Farrell could have acted to ensure that similar precautions were taken at the Charleston facility. But Johnston also noted that the misdemeanors Farrell admitted to were those of careless omission. Before imposing the sentence, the judge heard a lengthy statement read by a former resident, Maya Nye, who said the spill was not a victimless crime. Farrell was a former owner of Freedom and served as its president from October 2001 through December 2013, after which it was sold and he continued to work for the company in a management role. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Wright said there was a cultural failure at Freedom, and Farrell was the one who set that culture. His focus was to make money, Wright said. But you have to do it responsibly. Four other ex-Freedom officials have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay fines. Ex-company President Gary Southern is scheduled to be sentenced next week. The company, which filed bankruptcy eight days after the spill, was fined $900,000, although a federal judge said the fine was more symbolic than anything. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Pollution Virginia Chemicals The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has responded to Floridas request to review the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) rates but it may not be as forthcoming and helpful as Florida officials had hoped. In a letter dated Dec. 29, 2015 (see below), FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator for Federal Insurance and Mitigation Roy E. Wright acknowledged Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCartys October, 2015 letter in which he asked FEMA to provide ratemaking data as it pertains to Florida to determine if the rates are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. FEMA is committed to ensuring its rate setting practices are fair, equitable, and transparent, and we appreciate your interest in supporting us in our efforts, the letter to McCarty states. Wrights letter mentions a phone call discussion with FEMA staff and McCarty on Dec. 21, that included two of FEMAs actuaries. We appreciate the collegial tone of that discussion and look forward to continue working with you in this effort, Wright wrote. As we mentioned during that phone call, FEMA is constantly reviewing and refining its rate-setting methodology and works to increase the transparency of that methodology. The letter outlines how FEMA has tried to increase the transparency of the rate-setting process, specifically since the passage of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. Wright also directed OIR to a June 2015 independent evaluation from the National Academy of Sciences that it says provides a strong foundation as we continue to evaluate and improve our rate setting. Wright concluded FEMAs response by saying that the agency is in its first steps of its efforts to increase transparency and ensure our rates are fair and equitable. Wright said he welcomed further discussions with McCarty on NFIP rate setting after McCarty has viewed the report. The response from FEMA, however, does not provide the rate information Florida lawmakers are looking for to ease the expense of the Florida flood insurance marketplace. The response they sent basically says we will eventually comply maybe someday,' said Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes, who has been leading the charge, along with McCarty, to offer more affordable flood insurance options in Florida. I am at a loss for why it is so hard for them to say either yes or noThe data is available. OIR said it is continuing discussions with NFIP on the issue. Brandes said he and other state lawmakers will allow some time to go by to see what FEMAs next response is. Brandes is confident that these discussions will move forward despite McCartys planned exit on May 2. OIR has made it very clear that this one of their highest priorities, he said. I think the next commissioner will absolutely continue to work for fairness for the Florida flood insurance market. Related: Topics Florida Flood More than 49 million personal information records of California residents were compromised in 657 data breaches from 2012 to 2015, state Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a report citing tips on how people and businesses can protect themselves. Harris issued the report Tuesday as she spoke on the subject at a conference at Stanford University. The retail sector accounted for 24 percent of companies whose data was breached, while 18 percent of intrusions were reported by financial firms, according to the report. Social Security numbers, payment card data and medical information were the top three types of data stolen over the past four years, according to Harris. Harris, a Democrat running to succeed U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, issued the report as data breaches worldwide mount. Hacks have been reported in the last three years at Home Depot Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., EBay Inc., health insurer Anthem Inc., and VTech Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong. Target Corp. has agreed to pay about $39 million to banks and credit unions to resolve losses from a 2013 holiday-season data breach. Following the large retailer breaches in 2013, Harriss office encouraged quick adoption of more highly secured, chip- enabled, or EMV, payment cards, according to the report. Unlike magnetic stripe cards, which can be used to create counterfeit credit cards, EMV creates a one-time code for each transaction. While 98 percent of payment cards issued by banks in the U.S. now contain chips, retailers have more work to do in upgrading their terminals to accept such cards, with a full transition to EMV not expected until the end of 2017, according to the report. To combat breaches, the report suggests organizations adopt security controls outlined by the Center for Internet Security, which says it relies on government and industry partnerships to arrive at best practices. Other recommendations include making multi-factor authentication available on consumer accounts and using strong encryption to protect personal information on laptops and portable devices. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics California Cyber A Montana jury has ruled against a woman who sought millions of dollars from health care providers that she said failed to diagnose her unborn daughters cystic fibrosis. Kerrie Evans of Gardiner had testified that she would have had an abortion if she had known her daughter, who is now 5 years old, would be born with the genetic disease. The mucus cells of a cystic fibrosis patient produce a thick and sticky fluid that damages the lungs and digestive system. While each case is different, many patients now live to be adults with proper treatment and care. Evans lawsuit, filed in 2011, initially sought $14.5 million in damages, including $10 million for her daughters medical care. However, during closing statements, Evans attorneys asked for just over $2.5 million, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. Jurors deliberated for about two hours before finding that nurse practitioner Peggy Scanson of Livingston and Dr. William Peters of Bozeman did not depart from the standard of care in their prenatal treatment of Evans. Evans testified last week that she was not given any information on cystic fibrosis carrier screening and that she believed the chorionic villus sampling test she requested would indicate whether her unborn child had Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis. If those tests had been positive, I would have had an abortion, Evans told jurors. She acknowledged under cross examination that she did not read a cystic fibrosis pamphlet she received during her first appointment with Scanson. The pamphlet said the first step would be a blood test to determine if the mother was a carrier for the disease. If so, the father would be tested. If both were carriers, there would be a 25 percent chance of them having a child with the disease. Attorneys for Scanson and Peters noted that both of those blood tests would have to be run before the lab doing the genetic testing would know which of the hundreds of mutations of cystic fibrosis to test for. Peters said he offered carrier screening to Evans before performing the CVS, but she declined. She ignored what she was given John Scully, Scansons attorney, said during closing statements. She ignored what she was told. And now shes here blaming others. Evans cant say she was glad her daughter was born and in the same breath say, I need money because I would have terminated, added Lisa Speare, attorney for Peters. Evans lawsuit also named Park Clinic in Livingston and Bozeman OB/GYN, but District Judge Mike Salvagni dismissed both as defendants earlier this week. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese. Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa. Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista. E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta. A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito. Bitcoin is more than a cryptocurrency used for payments or as an investment. There is an entire ecosystem at work behind a cryptocurrency. In fact, many such ecosystems are at work on the internet today, but because Bitcoin was the first, it's useful to understand how it functions. So how does Bitcoin work? Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that operates without the need of financial system or government authorities. It utilizes peer-to-peer transfers on a digital network that records all cryptocurrency transactions. This network is powered by the blockchain, an open source code that pairs (or chains) blocks of transaction histories to prevent manipulation. Because these transfers are confirmed directly between users and are located on a shared public ledger, Bitcoin eliminates the need for central facilitators, like governments and banks, to verify currency transactions. Learn what's going on behind the scenes in the Bitcoin network to help you further your understanding of this digital phenomenon and how it influences the world's finances. Key Takeaways A blockchain is a secured distributed ledger, a database disseminated between multiple users who can make changes. Mining is the process of validating transactions, which requires miners who are rewarded in bitcoin. You access your bitcoin using a wallet, a public key, and private keys. Bitcoin users pay small transaction fees in bitcoin to miners for processing the transactions. Bitcoin's weakness is in storage methods. The blockchain has reportedly never been compromised. The Bitcoin Blockchain The Bitcoin blockchain is a database of transactions secured by encryption and validated by peers. Here's how it works. The blockchain is not stored in one place; it is distributed across multiple computers and systems within the network. These systems are called nodes. Every node has a copy of the blockchain, and every copy is updated whenever there is a validated change to the blockchain. The blockchain consists of blocks, which store data about transactions, previous blocks, addresses, and the code that executes the transactions and runs the blockchain. So, to understand the blockchain, it's important first to understand blocks. Blocks When a block on the blockchain is opened, the blockchain creates the block hash, a 256-bit number that encodes the following information: The block version: the Bitcoin client version The previous block's hash: the hash of the block before the current one The coinbase transaction: the first transaction in the block, issuing the bitcoin reward The block height number: how far away numerically the block is from the first block Merkelroot: A 256-bit number that stores the information about all previous blocks Timestamp: the time and date the block was opened The target in bits: the network target The nonce: a randomly-generated 32-bit number Queued transactions are entered into the block, the block is closed, and the blockchain creates the hash. Each block contains information from the previous blocks, so the blockchain cannot be altered because each block is "chained" to the one before it. Blocks are validated and opened by a process called mining. Bitcoin Mining Mining is the process of validating transactions and creating a new block on the blockchain. Mining is conducted by software applications that run on computers or machines designed specifically for mining called Application Specific Integrated Circuits. The hash is the focus of the mining programs and machines. They are working to generate a number that matches the block hash. The programs randomly generate a hash and try to match the block hash, using the nonce as the variable number, increasing it every time a guess is made. The number of hashes a miner can produce per second is its hash rate. Mining programs across the network generate hashes. The miners compete to see which one will solve the hash firstthe one that does receives the bitcoin reward, a new block is created, and the process repeats for the next group of transactions. Bitcoin's protocol will require a longer string of zeroes depending on the number of miners, adjusting the difficulty to hit a rate of one new block every 10 minutes. The difficultyor the average number of tries it takes to verify the hashhas been increasing since Bitcoin was introduced, reaching tens of trillions of average attempts to solve the hash. As this suggests, it has become significantly more difficult to mine Bitcoin since the cryptocurrency launched. Mining is intensive, requiring big, expensive rigs and a lot of electricity to power them. And it's competitive. There's no telling what nonce will work, so the goal is to plow through them as quickly as possible with as many machines working on the hash as possible to get the reward. This is why mining farms and mining pools were created. Halving Halving is an important concept in Bitcoin mining. At first, the mining reward was 50 BTC for solving the hash. About every four years, or 210,000 blocks, the reward is cut in half. So rewards were cut to 25 in 2012, 12.5 in 2016, and 6.25 in 2020. The next halving is expected to occur in 2024 when the reward will reduce to 3.125, followed by a reduction to 1.5625 around 2028. The last bitcoin is expected to be mined somewhere around 2140. All 21 million bitcoins will have been mined at that time, and miners will depend solely on fees to maintain the network. Keys and Wallets A common question from those new to Bitcoin is, "I've purchased a bitcoin, now where is it?" The easiest way to understand this is to think about the Bitcoin blockchain as a community bank that stores everyone's funds. You view your balance using a wallet, which is like your bank's mobile application. If you're like many people today, you don't use cash very often and never see the money in your checking account. Instead, you use credit and debit cards, which act as tools to access and use your money. You access your bitcoin using a wallet and keys. Keys A bitcoin at its core is data with ownership assigned. Data ownership is transferred when transactions are made, much like using your debit card to transfer money to an online retailer. You use your wallet, the mobile application, to send or receive bitcoin. When bitcoin is assigned to an owner via a transaction on the blockchain, that owner receives a number, their private key. Your wallet has a public addresscalled your public keythat is used when someone sends you a bitcoin, similar to the way they enter your email address in an email. You can think of the public and private keys like a username (public key) and password (private key) used to access your funds. Wallets A wallet is a software application used to view your balance and send or receive bitcoin. The wallet interfaces with the blockchain network and locates your bitcoin for you. The blockchain is a ledger with portions of bitcoin stored on it. Because bitcoin is data inputs and outputs, they are scattered all over the blockchain in pieces because they have been used in previous transactions. Your wallet application finds them all, totals the amount, and displays it. There are two types of wallets, custodial and noncustodial. A custodial wallet is one where a trusted entity, like an exchange, holds your keys for you. For example, when you sign up for a Coinbase exchange account, you can elect to have them store your keys for you as custodians. Noncustodial wallets are wallets where the user takes responsibility for securing the keys, such as in your wallet application on your mobile phone. Storing keys in an application connected to the internet is referred to as hot storage. However, hot storage is the vulnerability most often exploited. You should always use a reputable wallet provider, like from a registered cryptocurrency exchange. Read reviews and research wallets to ensure you're choosing one that is reliable. To remedy this, the cryptocurrency community has developed methods for storing your keys offline. Most commonly, you'll hear about hot storage, cold storage, and deep cold storage. Hot storage is any wallet that stores your keys and has an active connection to the internet; this is the most vulnerable method. An example of a hot wallet is the wallet application on your mobile device. Cold storage is any method that is not connected to the internet. This could be a removable USB drive or a piece of paper with your keys written on it (this is called a paper wallet). Deep cold storage is any cold storage method that is secured somewhere that requires additional steps to access the keys beyond removing the USB drive from your desk drawer and plugging it in. Examples might be a personal safe or storage deposit boxanything that takes extra effort to retrieve your keys. Bitcoin Transactions A bitcoin transaction happens when you send or receive a bitcoin. To send a coin, you enter the receiver's address in your wallet application, enter your private key, and agree to the transaction fee. Then, press whichever button corresponds to "send." The receiver must wait for the transaction to be verified by the mining network, which can take up to 30 minutes because transactions wait in a mining queue called the mempool. (Minutes, 7-day average) The mempool is where transactions waiting to be verified go. The network, on average, confirms a block of transactions about every ten minutes, but not all new transactions go into the new block that is created. This is because blocks only hold a certain amount of information, and each transaction comes with a mining fee. Transactions must meet the minimum transaction fee threshold to be processed, and the transactions with the highest fees are processed first. This is why you may hear about the problem of rising fees. Bitcoin is so popular that demand for transactions has increased, allowing (or requiring) miners to charge higher fees. Transaction fees were established to create an incentive for people to become network nodes and miners. Bitcoin mining is also expensive, so fees help to offset the cost of equipment and electricity used. Once the fee is met, the transaction is transferred to a block, where it is processed. Once transaction information within the block is validated by miners, the block is closed, and all receivers collect their bitcoin. Both wallets display their appropriate balances, and the next transactions are processed. Bitcoin Security There are many parts that make up the Bitcoin blockchain and network, but it is not necessary to understand it all to use this new currency technology. You only need to know that you use a wallet to send, receive, and store your bitcoin keys; you also should use a cold storage method for security because non-custodial wallets can be hacked. Custodial wallets can also be hacked, but many who offer this service take measures to reduce the chances that hackers can get into the storage systems. Most are turning to enterprise-level cold storage techniques businesses use to store essential data for extended timeframes. For good reason, many people are concerned about Bitcoin's level of security, especially since it involves exchanging money for encrypted data ownership. However, it's important to note that the Bitcoin blockchain has never been hacked because of the community consensus mechanisms used. Wallets are the weak spot, so if you're looking to get involved in Bitcoin, it's essential to understand how to utilize cold storage methods and keep your keys out of your hot wallet. Frequently Asked Questions How Does One Make Money From Bitcoin? Bitcoin wasn't designed as a means for making money but rather as a payment method accessible by everyone. However, some people use it as an investment. This is very risky and should only be done after talking to a professional financial advisor about your financial circumstances. Can Bitcoin Be Converted to Cash? You can use some exchanges to convert your bitcoin to cash. There are also some ATMscalled Bitcoin Kiosksthat will allow you to withdraw cash in exchange for bitcoin. Is Bitcoin Worth Investing in? Bitcoin's price is very volatile, which means it rises and falls very often, sometimes in large dollar increments. You can generate significant returns investing in Bitcoin, but you can also quickly lose substantial money. It's best to speak to a professional investment or financial advisor about your financial circumstances before investing in Bitcoin. Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein. The annual impact of leaving the EU on the UK after 15 years (difference from being in the EU) EEA Negotiated bilateral agreement WTO GDP level central -3.8% -6.2% -7.5% GDP level -3.4% to -4.3% -4.6% to -7.8% -5.4% to -9.5% GDP per capita central* -1,100 -1,800 -2,100 GDP per capita* -1,000 to -1,200 -1,300 to -2,200 -1,500 to -2,700 GPD per household central* -2,600 -4,300 -5,200 GDP per household* -2,400 to -2,900 -3,200 to -5,400 -3,700 to -6,600 Net impact on receipts -20 billion -36 billion -45 billion *Expressed in terms of 2015 GDP in 2015 prices, rounded to the nearest 100 Adapted from HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives, April 2016. Leave supporters discounted such economic projections under the label "Project Fear." A pro-Brexit outfit associated with the U.K. Independence Party, which was founded to oppose EU membership, responded by saying that the Treasury's "worst-case scenario of 4,300 per household is a bargain-basement price for the restoration of national independence and safe, secure borders." Although Leavers stressed issues of national pride, safety, and sovereignty, they also mustered economic arguments. For example, Boris Johnson said on the eve of the vote, "EU politicians would be banging down the door for a trade deal" the day after the vote, in light of their "commercial interests." Labor Leave, the pro-Brexit Labour group, co-authored a report with a group of economists in September 2017 that forecasted a 7% boost to annual GDP, with the largest gains going to the lowest earners. Vote Leave, the official pro-Brexit campaign, topped the "Why Vote Leave" page on its website with the claim that the U.K. could save 350 million per week: "We can spend our money on our priorities like the NHS [National Health Service], schools, and housing." In May 2016, the U.K. Statistics Authority, an independent public body, said the figure was gross rather than net, which was "misleading and undermines trust in official statistics." A mid-June poll by Ipsos MORI, however, found that 47% of the country believed the claim. The day after the referendum, Nigel Farage, who co-founded UKIP and led it until that November, disavowed the figure and said that he was not closely associated with Vote Leave. May also declined to confirm Vote Leave's NHS promises since taking office. Brexit Economic Response Though Britain officially left the EU, 2020 was a transition and implementation period. Trade and customs continued during that time, so there wasn't much on a day-to-day basis that seemed different to U.K. residents. Even so, the decision to leave the EU had an effect on Britain's economy. The country's GDP growth slowed down to around 1.4% in 2018 from 1.9% in both 2017 and 2016 as business investment slumped. The IMF predicted that the country's economy would grow at 1.3% in 2019 and 1.4% in 2020. The Bank of England cut its growth forecast for 2019 to 1.2%, the lowest since the financial crisis. The U.K. unemployment rate hit a 44-year low at 3.9% in the three months to January 2019. Experts attribute this to employers preferring to retain workers instead of investing in new major projects. In 2018, the pound clawed back the losses it suffered after the Brexit vote but reacted negatively as the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit increased. The currency could rally if a soft Brexit deal is passed or Brexit is delayed. While the fall in the value of the pound helped exporters, the higher price of imports was passed onto consumers and had a significant impact on the annual inflation rate. CPI inflation hit 3.1% in the 12 months leading up to November 2017, a near six-year high that well exceeded the Bank of England's 2% target. Inflation eventually began to fall in 2018 with the decline in oil and gas prices and was at 1.8% in January 2019. A July 2017 report by the House of Lords cited evidence that U.K. businesses would have to raise wages to attract native-born workers following Brexit, which is "likely to lead to higher prices for consumers." International trade was expected to fall due to Brexit, even with the possibility of a raft of free trade deals. Dr. Monique Ebell, former associate research director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, forecasted a -22% reduction in total U.K. goods and services trade if EU membership was replaced by a free trade agreement. Other free trade agreements were not predicted to pick up the slack. In fact, Ebell saw a pact with the BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa) boosting total trade by 2.2% while a pact with the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand was expected to do slightly better, at 2.6%. "The single market is a very deep and comprehensive trade agreement aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers," Ebell wrote in January 2017, "while most non-EU [free trade agreements] seem to be quite ineffective at reducing the non-tariff barriers that are important for services trade." June 2017 General Election On April 18, May called for a snap election to be held on June 8, despite previous promises not to hold one until 2020. Polling at the time suggested May would expand on her slim Parliamentary majority of 330 seats (there are 650 seats in the Commons). Labor gained rapidly in the polls, however, aided by an embarrassing Tory flip-flop on a proposal for estates to fund end-of-life care. The Conservatives lost their majority, winning 318 seats to Labor's 262. The Scottish National Party won 35, with other parties taking 35. The resulting hung Parliament cast doubts on May's mandate to negotiate Brexit and led the leaders of Labor and the Liberal Democrats to call on May to resign. Speaking in front of the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street, May batted away calls for her to leave her post, saying, "It is clear that only the Conservative and Unionist Party"the Tories' official name"has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons." The Conservatives struck a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats, to form a coalition. The party is little known outside of Northern Ireland, judging by a wave of curious Google searches that caused the DUP's site to crash. May presented the election as a chance for the Conservatives to solidify their mandate and strengthen their negotiating position with Brussels. But this backfired. "The election served to diffuse, not concentrate political power, especially with regards to Brexit," wrote Sky News political correspondent Lewis Goodall. "Ever since election night, Brussels hasn't just been dealing with Number 10 but in effect, the House of Commons too." In the wake of the election, many expected the government's Brexit position to soften, and they were right. May released a Brexit white paper in July 2018 that mentioned an "association agreement" and a free-trade area for goods with the EU. David Davis resigned as Brexit secretary and Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary in protest. But the election also increased the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. The Financial Times predicted that the result made May more vulnerable to pressure from Euroskeptics and her coalition partners. We saw this play out with the Irish backstop tussle. With her position weakened, May struggled to unite her party behind her deal and keep control of Brexit. Scotland's Independence Referendum Politicians in Scotland pushed for a second independence referendum in the wake of the Brexit vote, but the results of the June 8, 2017 election cast a pall over their efforts. The Scottish National Party lost 21 seats in the Westminster Parliament, and on June 27, 2017, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her government at Holyrood would "reset" its timetable on independence to focus on delivering a "soft Brexit." Not one Scottish local area voted to leave the EU, according to the U.K.'s Electoral Commission, though Moray came close at 49.9%. The country as a whole rejected the referendum by 62.0% to 38.0%. But because Scotland only contains 8.4% of the U.K.'s population, its vote to Remain (along with that of Northern Ireland, which accounts for just 2.9% of the U.K.'s population) was vastly outweighed by support for Brexit in England and Wales. Scotland joined England and Wales to form Great Britain in 1707, and the relationship has been tumultuous at times. The SNP, which was founded in the 1930s, had just six of 650 seats in Westminster in 2010. The following year, however, it formed a majority government in the devolved Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, partly owing to its promise to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum That referendum, held in 2014, saw the pro-independence side lose with 44.7% of the vote; turnout was 84.6%. Far from putting the independence issue to rest, though, the vote fired up nationalist support. The SNP won 56 of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster the following year, overtaking the Lib Dems to become the third-largest party in the U.K. overall. Britain's electoral map suddenly showed a glaring divide between England and Wales, which was dominated by Tory blue with the occasional patch of Labour red, and all-yellow Scotland. When Britain voted to leave the EU, Scotland fulminated. A combination of rising nationalism and strong support for Europe led almost immediately to calls for a new independence referendum. When the Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 3, 2017, that devolved national assemblies such as Scotland's parliament cannot veto Brexit, the demands grew louder. On March 13 that year, Sturgeon called for a second referendum to be held in the autumn of 2018 or spring of 2019. Holyrood backed her by a vote of 69 to 59 on March 28, the day before May's government triggered Article 50. Sturgeon's preferred timing was significant since the two-year countdown initiated by Article 50 ended in the spring of 2019 when the politics surrounding Brexit could be particularly volatile. What Would Independence Look Like? Scotland's economic situation also raised questions about its hypothetical future as an independent country. The crash in the oil price has dealt a blow to government finances. In May 2014, it forecast 20152016 tax receipts from North Sea drilling of 3.4 billion to 9 billion but collected 60 million, less than 1% of the forecasts' midpoint. In reality, these figures were hypothetical, since Scotland's finances are not fully devolved, but the estimates were based on the country's geographical share of North Sea drilling, so they illustrate what it might expect as an independent nation. The debate over what currency an independent Scotland would use was revived. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who was Scotland's First Minister until Nov. 2014, told The Financial Times that the country could abandon the pound and introduce its own currency, allowing it to float freely or pegging it to sterling. He ruled out joining the euro, but others contended that it would be required for Scotland to join the EU. Another possibility would be to use the pound, which would mean forfeiting control over monetary policy. Upsides for Some On the other hand, a weak currency that floats on global markets can be a boon to U.K. producers who export goods. Industries that rely heavily on exports could actually see some benefit. In 2015, the top 10 exports from the U.K. were (in USD): Machines, engines, pumps: US$63.9 billion (13.9% of total exports) Gems, precious metals: $53 billion (11.5%) Vehicles: $50.7 billion (11%) Pharmaceuticals: $36 billion (7.8%) Oil: $33.2 billion (7.2%) Electronic equipment: $29 billion (6.3%) Aircraft, spacecraft: $18.9 billion (4.1%) Medical and technical equipment: $18.4 billion (4%) Organic chemicals: $14 billion (3%) Plastics: $11.8 billion (2.6%) Some sectors were prepared to benefit from the exit. Multinationals listed on the FTSE 100 saw earnings rise as a result of a soft pound. A weak currency was also a boon to the tourism, energy, and service industries. In May 2016, the State Bank of India (SBIN.NS), India's largest commercial bank, suggested that Brexit would benefit India economically. While leaving the Eurozone meant that the U.K. no longer had unfettered access to Europe's single market, it would allow for more focus on trade with India. India would also have more wiggle room if the U.K. was no longer under European trade rules and regulations. UK-EU Trade After Brexit May advocated a "hard" Brexit. By that, she meant that Britain should leave the EU's single market and customs union, then negotiate a trade deal to govern their future relationship. These negotiations would have been conducted during a transition period once a divorce deal was ratified. The Conservatives' poor showing in the June 2017 snap election called popular support for a hard Brexit into question. Many in the press speculated that the government could take a softer line. The Brexit White Paper released in July 2018 revealed plans for a softer Brexit. It was too soft for many MPs belonging to her party and too audacious for the EU. The White Paper said the government planned to leave the EU single market and customs union. However, it proposed the creation of a free trade area for goods which would "avoid the need for customs and regulatory checks at the border and mean that businesses would not need to complete costly customs declarations. And it would enable products to only undergo one set of approvals and authorizations in either market, before being sold in both." This meant the U.K. would follow EU single market rules when it comes to goods. The White Paper acknowledged that a borderless customs arrangement with the EUone that allowed the U.K. to negotiate free trade agreements with third countrieswas "broader in scope than any other that exists between the EU and a third country." The government was correct that there was no example of this kind of relationship in Europe today. The four broad precedents that existed were the EU's relationship with Norway, Switzerland, Canada, and WTO members. The Norway Model: Join the EEA The first option was for the U.K. to join Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein in the European Economic Area (EEA), which provides access to the EU's single market for most goods and services (agriculture and fisheries are excluded). At the same time, the EEA is outside the customs union, so Britain could have entered into trade deals with non-EU countries. But the arrangement was hardly a win-win. The U.K. would be bound by some EU laws while losing its ability to influence those laws through the country's European Council and European Parliament voting rights. In September 2017, May called this arrangement an unacceptable "loss of democratic control." David Davis expressed interest in the Norway model in response to a question he received at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "It's something we've thought about but it's not at the top of our list." He was referring specifically to the European Free Trade Association, which like the EEA offers access to the single market, but not the customs union. EFTA was once a large organization, but most of its members left to join the EU. Today, it comprises Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland; all but Switzerland are also members of the EEA. The Switzerland Model Switzerland's relationship with the EU, which is governed by around 20 major bilateral pacts with the bloc, is broadly similar to the EEA arrangement. Along with these three, Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association. Switzerland helped set up the EEA, but its people rejected membership in a 1992 referendum. The country allows the free movement of people and is a member of the passport-free Schengen Area. It is subject to many single market rules, without having much say in making them. It is outside the customs union, allowing it to negotiate free trade agreements with third countries; usually, but not always, it has negotiated alongside the EEA countries. Switzerland has access to the single market for goods (with the exception of agriculture), but not services (with the exception of insurance). It pays a modest amount into the EU's budget. Brexit supporters who wanted to "take back control" wouldn't have embraced the concessions the Swiss made on immigration, budget payments, and single market rules. The EU would probably not have wanted a relationship modeled on the Swiss example, either: Switzerland's membership in EFTA but not the EEA, Schengen but not the EU, is a messy product of the complex history of European integration andwhat elsea referendum. The Canada Model: A Free Trade Agreement A third option was to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU along the lines of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, a pact the EU finalized but didn't fully ratify with Canada. The most obvious problem with this approach is that the U.K. had only two years from the triggering of Article 50 to negotiate such a deal. The EU refused to discuss a future trading relationship until December of that year at the earliest. To give a sense of how tight that timetable is, CETA negotiations began in 2009 and concluded in 2014. But just over half of the EU's 28 national parliaments actually ratified the deal. Persuading the rest could take years. Even subnational legislatures can stand in the way of a deal: the Walloon regional parliament, which represents fewer than four million mainly French-speaking Belgians, single-handedly blocked CETA for a few days in 2016. In order to extend the two-year deadline for leaving the EU, Britain needed unanimous approval from the EU. Several U.K. politicians, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, stressed the need for a transitional deal of a few years so that (among other reasons) Britain could negotiate EU and third-country trade deals. But this notion was met with resistance from hard-line Brexiteers. Problems with a CETA-Style Agreement In some ways, comparing Britain's situation to Canada's is misleading. Canada already enjoys free trade with the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was built on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This means that a trade deal with the EU was not as crucial as it is for the U.K. Canada's and Britain's economies are also very different: CETA does not include financial services, one of Britain's biggest exports to the EU. Speaking in Florence in Sept. 2017, May said the U.K. and EU "can do so much better" than a CETA-style trade agreement, since they were beginning from the "unprecedented position" of sharing a body of rules and regulations. She did not elaborate on what "much better" looked like, besides calling on both parties to be "creative as well as practical." Monique Ebell, formerly of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research stressed that even with an agreement in place, non-tariff barriers were likely to be a significant drag on Britain's trade with the EU. She expected total U.K. foreign tradenot just flows to and from the EUunder an EU-U.K. trade pact. She reasoned that free-trade deals do not generally handle services trade well. Services are a major component of Britain's international trade; the country enjoys a trade surplus in that segment, which is not the case for goods. Free trade deals also struggle to rein in non-tariff barriers. Admittedly Britain and the EU started from a unified regulatory scheme, but divergences would only multiply post-Brexit. WTO: Go It Alone You want out? You're out. If Britain and the EU weren't able to come to an agreement about their relationship, they would have had to revert to WTO terms. But this default solution wouldn't have been straightforward either. Since Britain is currently a WTO member through the EU, it will have to split tariff schedules with the bloc and divvy out liabilities arising from ongoing trade disputes. This work has already begun. Trading with the EU on WTO terms was the "no-deal" scenario the Conservative government presented as an acceptable fallback, though most observers see this as a negotiating tactic. In July 2017, U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said, "People talk about the WTO as if it would be the end of the world. But they forget that is how they currently trade with the United States, with China, with Japan, with India, with the Gulf, and our trading relationship is strong and healthy." But for certain industries, the EU's external tariff would have hit hard: Britain exports 77% of the cars it manufactures, and 58% of these go to Europe. The EU levies 10% tariffs on imported cars. Monique Ebell of the NIESR estimated that leaving the EU single market would reduce overall U.K. goods and services tradenot just that with the EUby 2230%. Nor would the U.K. only be giving up its trade arrangements with the EU: under any of the scenarios above, it would probably have lost the trade agreements the bloc struck with 63 third countries, as well as progress in negotiating other deals. Replacing these and adding new ones would have been an uncertain prospect. In a September 2017 interview with Politico, Trade Secretary Liam Fox said his office, which was formed in July 2016, turned away some third countries looking to negotiate free trade deals because it lacked the capacity to negotiate. Fox wanted to roll the terms of existing EU trade deals over into new agreements, but some countries were unwilling to give Britain (66 million people, $2.6 trillion GDP) the same terms as the EU (excluding Britain, around 440 million people, $13.9 trillion GDP). Negotiations with third countries are technically not allowed while Britain remains an EU member, but even so informal talks have begun, particularly with the U.S. Impact on the U.S. Companies in the U.S. across a wide variety of sectors have made large investments in the U.K. over many years. In fact, American corporations have derived 9% of global foreign affiliate profit from the United Kingdom since 2000. In 2014 alone, U.S. companies invested a total of $588 billion into Britain. The U.S. also hires a lot of Brits, making U.S. companies one of the U.K.'s largest job markets. The output of U.S. affiliates in the United Kingdom was $153 billion in 2013. The United Kingdom plays a vital role in corporate America's global infrastructure from assets under management (AUM), international sales, and research and development (R&D) advancements. American companies have viewed Britain as a strategic gateway to other countries in the European Union. Brexit will jeopardize the affiliate earnings and stock prices of many companies strategically aligned with the United Kingdom, which may see them reconsider their operations with U.K. and European Union members. American companies and investors that have exposure to European banks and credit markets may be affected by credit risk. European banks may have to replace $123 billion in securities depending on how the exit unfolds. Furthermore, U.K. debt may not be included in European banks' emergency cash reserves, creating liquidity problems. European asset-backed securities have been in decline since 2007. This decline is likely to intensify now that Britain has chosen to leave. Who's Next to Leave the EU? Political wrangling over Europe is not limited to Britain. Most EU members have strong euroskeptic movements that, while they have so far struggled to win power at the national level, heavily influence the tenor of national politics. In a few countries, there is a chance that such movements could secure referendums on EU membership. In May 2016, global research firm IPSOS released a report showing that a majority of respondents in Italy and France believe their countries should hold a referendum on EU membership. Italy The fragile Italian banking sector has driven a wedge between the EU and the Italian government, which provided bailout funds to save mom-and-pop bondholders from being "bailed-in," as EU rules stipulate. The government abandoned its 2019 budget when the EU threatened it with sanctions. It lowered its planned budget deficit from 2.5% of GDP to 2.04%. Matteo Salvini, the far-right head of Italy's Northern League and the country's deputy prime minister, called for a referendum on EU membership hours after the Brexit vote, saying, "This vote was a slap in the face for all those who say that Europe is their own business and Italians don't have to meddle with that." The Northern League has an ally in the populist Five Star Movement, whose founder, former comedian Beppe Grillo, called for a referendum on Italy's membership in the eurothough not the EU. The two parties formed a coalition government in 2018 and made Giuseppe Conte prime minister. Conte ruled out the possibility of "Italexit" in 2018 during the budget standoff. France Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's euroskeptic National Front, hailed the Brexit vote as a win for nationalism and sovereignty across Europe: "Like a lot of French people, I'm very happy that the U.K. people held on and made the right choice. What we thought was impossible yesterday has now become possible." She lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron in May 2017, gaining just 33.9% of votes. Macron has warned that the demand for "Frexit" will grow if the EU does not see reforms. According to a February 2019 IFOP poll, 40% of French citizens want the country to leave the EU. Frexit is also one of the demands of the yellow vest protesters. When Did Britain Officially Leave the European Union? Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 31, 2020, at 11 p.m. GMT. The move came after a referendum voted in favor of Brexit on June 23, 2016. What Were the Reasons Behind Brexit? There were many reasons why Britain voted to leave the European Union. But some of the main issues behind Brexit included a rise in nationalism, immigration, political autonomy, and the economy. The Leave side garnered almost 52% of the votes while the Remain side received about 48% of the vote. How Many Countries Are Part of the EU Post-Brexit? Britain's departure from the European Union left 27 member states. They are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden, The Bottom Line The European Union was established in November 1993 with the Maastricht Treaty. The original members included Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Fifteen other countries would gain membership in the union. Rising nationalist sentiment, coupled with concerns over the economy and British sovereignty led the majority of voters in the U.K. to leave the EU. Britain left the union at the end of January 2020 in what is commonly called Brexit. But the move didn't come without challenges. It required two years of negotiating a deal and a year-long transition period before everything became final. As most investors have already discovered, there are several risks associated with investing in cryptocurrencies. But one that is not often discussed is the black swan risk, says Matthew Hougan, vice president of research and development at Bitwise, a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency asset management company. A black swan risk refers to the possibility of the occurrence of an unexpected event. The term was first popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, an economist and professor at NYU. According to him, a black swan risk has three attributes: rarity, extreme impact, and retrospective predictability. (See also: Black Swan Risks And Investment.) A black swan event can take on several forms within the cryptocurrency industry. As an example, Hougan cited a magnification of regulatory risk due to a majority of cryptocurrency trading occurring on exchanges within specific countries. A clampdown on cryptocurrency trading or on certain exchanges by governments in such countries could crash the virtual currencys prices. Ethereum faced such a situation until recently. Chinese exchanges accounted for more than 90% of trading volumes in ether, its cryptocurrency, until the end of 2016. The Chinese governments crackdown on exchanges at the start of 2017 helped disperse their trading to other exchanges, notably to ones in Japan and South Korea. Cardano is a similar case in point. It is traded almost exclusively on South Korean exchanges. A single exchange - Upbit - accounted for almost 70% of overall trading volumes in the cryptocurrency, as of 22:15 UTC this past Sunday. An exchange glitch or a crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges by the South Korean government could crash its price. There is already a precedent for such an occurrence. Cardanos price crashed by 30% after South Koreas Justice Minister Park Sang Ki said the government was preparing a bill to ban crypto trading through exchanges. (See also: Bitcoin Price Crashes On Fears Of South Korea Cryptocurrency Ban.) Impact on Institutional Markets According to Hougan, the black swan risk is part of a large and exogenous regulatory risk that has already produced results within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. For example, cryptocurrency exchanges have adopted self-regulation to prevent hacks and ensure minimum safeguards for customers while governments and regulatory agencies around the world understand and assess the impact of cryptocurrencies on financial markets. But it is the impact of cryptocurrencies on institutional markets that interests Hougan, a veteran of the ETF industry. Several firms have already filed applications with the SEC to start bitcoin ETFs. But the agency has pushed back and expressed concerns. (See also: SEC Blocks Bitcoin ETFs Again.) Hougan (pictured) has a measured take on the matter and says the agencys concerns resonated with him. According to him, bitcoin ETFs based on futures contracts could crash cryptocurrency prices. As an example, he refers to inverse volatility ETFs which recorded their steepest drop recently. That event had a domino effect on stock markets. (See also: The Market Is Crashing. Please Explain What All Of These Words Mean.) The possibility of a similar occurrence in cryptocurrency markets is high, especially given the low liquidity and trading volumes. If they gain sufficient traction and liquidity, bitcoin ETFs and ETNs could "overwhelm" spot markets, says Hougan. The other problem with bitcoin ETFs is the absence of physical custody for coins. Several exchanges have attacked that problem and begun offering custody services at premium prices to institutional clients. The ETF is a beautiful vehicle and investors are well-served by it but the SEC has taken a sound and steady approach, Hougan says. Meanwhile, the brief at his new job has kept him busy. Outside of the cryptocurrency community, the level of understanding starts and stops with bitcoin, he says, adding that it is important for investors, whether institutional or otherwise, to broaden their understanding beyond bitcoin. According to him, the cryptocurrency space needs significant academic style research. It's sort of true that anyone can launch an equity ETF, but its not true that anyone can launch crypto ETFs, Hougan said. He says institutional investors are still grappling with the positioning for cryptocurrencies in a long- term portfolio. Matthew Hougan is also aggressively testing out different approaches to product structuring to make accessing cryptocurrency markets as easy as possible for swathes of the investment community. How the markets are sliced and diced is still up in the air, he says. Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings ("ICOs") is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein. As of the date this article was written, the author owns small amounts of bitcoin. A nations division is not just a line on its geographical map; it carves through the hearts of its people. Those who were united for centuries stand separated, forced to acknowledge the political division over the bond of relations, language, and culture. Pictures from the heartwarming reunion of separated Korean families in February of 2014 reflects the pain of that the generation who witnessed the divide and were separated from their loved ones. Newer generations identify themselves as North Koreans and South Koreans. Today, what remains is the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North Korea and South Korea, and the two countries could not be more different from one another. Key Takeaways South and North Korea took dramatically different social, economic, and political paths following the end of fighting in the Korean War in 1953. The 38th parallel marks the so-called demilitarized zone that straddles the border of the two countries. Economists find it difficult to analyze the North Korean economy because data is either non-existent or unreliable; however, its authoritarian communist regime keeps economic output sluggish and outdated. Meanwhile, south Korea's economy is now one of the world's most advanced and productive in the wold. A Very Brief History The Korean peninsula was a united territory under the Josean dynasty that ruled over the region for more than 500 years, starting from 1392 after the fall of the Gorveo dynasty. This rule came to an end in 1910, with the Japanese annexation of Korea. As Japans colony, Korea was under a cruel Japanese rule for 35 years (1910-1945), a time when Koreans struggled to preserve their culture. During the Japanese rule, the teaching of Korean history and language was not allowed in schools, people were asked to adopt Japanese names and use Japanese as their language. The Japanese even burned down many documents pertaining to Koreas history. Farming was primarily directed towards fulfilling the demands of Japan. After Japans defeat in World War II, Koreans aspired to be a free nation but were little aware of what they were going to suffer next. The 38th Parallel The most pertinent questions regarding the split of the Korean peninsula are why did it happen, and who was responsible for it? Japan was on the verge of surrender in 1945, and the USSR was advancing ahead through Korea, crushing the Japanese army when the news of Japans surrender broke out. The US at that point did not have a base in Korea and feared full takeover of the peninsula by the Soviet forces. The absence of US troops was mainly due to a miscalculation of when Japan would surrender. To restrict the USSR from seizing the entire peninsula, the US suggested a temporary division of the Korean peninsula between the US and USSR. US army colonels Charles Bonesteel and Dean Rusk (the future US Secretary of State) were asked to review and suggest a dividing line on the Korean map. At that time, US troops were 500 miles away, while the Soviet troops were already present in Koreas northern region. The two US army officers were given about thirty minutes to suggest a dividing line. They picked the naturally prominent thirty-eighth parallel to mark the division of the region. The colonels tried to ensure that the demarcation was prominent enough and Seoul was on their side. Since the suggestion was accepted by the USSR, it restricted the Soviet troops to the thirty-eighth parallel while US troops eventually gained dominance in the South. At this point, the divide was meant to be a provisional administration arrangement and Korea was to be brought back together under a new government. The differing political ideologies that existed within Korea were further polarized under the influence of the respective superpowers in charge of the region; the Soviets backed communism and the US favored capitalism. In 1947, the United Nations was to oversee the elections in both North and South to form one democratically elected government. There was a significant lack of trust and the planned election could never happen successfully. The elections were blocked in North by the Soviets, who instead supported communist leader Kim II Sung as the head of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). The scenario wasnt very different in the South, where Syngman Rhee was supported by the US as the leader of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Ongoing Conflict Though both leaders believed in the reunification of Korea, their ideologies were not only different but also opposing. A year later, as a part of a UN agreement, both the US and Soviets were to withdraw their armies from the peninsula. Though it did happen, there was still a large presence in the form of advisors and diplomats from both the superpowers. The newly separated regions were often indulging in skirmishes across the dividing line but there were no formal attacks till 1950. In mid-1950, DPRK, backed by the Soviets, saw a chance to unite the entire peninsula under communist rule and launched an attack on ROK. The DPRK army in a span of three-four months engulfed the entire peninsula. However, as the UN intervened, troops from around 15 nations (with a majority from the US) came as reinforcement for South Korea. Matters complicated further when China backed DPRK. In 1953, fighting ended in an armistice, giving birth to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily guarded border almost along the thirty-eighth parallel. The Bottom Line Neither the planned moves by the superpowers nor the devastating Korean War could reunite Korea. Today, North Korea and South Korea are not only separated politically and geographically, but almost seven decades of separation has turned them into different worlds. South Korea is among the trillion-dollar economies while Norths population still survives on aid. The two nations have different citizens rights, laws and order, economies, societies, and daily life. But the history of thousands of years of Korea as a unified nation will always be a reminder of its arbitrary division. What Are Water Rights? Water rights pertain to the legal rights of property owners to access and use bodies of water adjacent to lands they hold. Different types of waters rights exist based on various forms of water that border or exist on a property. In the United States, water rights can vary in the eastern and western parts of the country. In general, the western states have historically followed the prior appropriation doctrine, which grants the right to divert water to the first person who started using the water. Most eastern states follow what is known as the riparian doctrine, which limits water use to the owner of the land adjacent to the water. Key Takeaways Water rights give landowners access to bodies of water adjacent to one's property. Riparian rights are a type of water rights that give landowners access and usage of flowing bodies of waters like rivers and streams. Littoral rights are a type of water rights that guarantee access to lakes, seas, and oceans. Water rights are regulated state by state and each municipality can enforce stricter provisions on water access and usage. Western U.S. states have historically followed the prior appropriation doctrine, which grants the right to divert water to the first person who started using the water. How Water Rights Work Riparian rights are a type of water rights awarded to landowners whose property is located along flowing bodies of water, such as rivers or streams. Landowners typically have the right to use the water as long as such use does not harm upstream or downstream neighbors. In the event the water is a non-navigable waterway, the landowner generally owns the land beneath the water to the exact center of the waterway. Littoral rights are a type of water rights that pertain to landowners whose land borders large, navigable lakes and oceans. There are tides and currents that affect these bodies of water, but they do not flow by the land in the manner of streams and rivers. Landowners with littoral rights have unrestricted access to the waters but own the land only to the median high-water mark. Water rights are appurtenant, meaning they run with the land and not to the owner. If an oceanfront property is sold, the new owner gains the littoral rights and the seller relinquishes their rights. Special Considerations An owner who holds land that includes a riverbank bordering on a flowing river can make use of the water for their needs, such as drinking, providing water for animals, bathing, or watering gardens. These are all considered domestic uses and are permitted. However, riparian rights might not allow the water to be pumped or otherwise removed from the flowing river or stream. Each state and municipality will have regulations and limits on the extent of water diversion that may be permitted. Depending on local laws, the water might not be permitted for land irrigation or for commercial needs. Some localities may allow for certain irrigation uses of the water. It may be possible to apply for water diversion rights that would allow for the transport of water away from its source. This would permit usage of the water for commercial purposes such as for mining operations or the irrigation of lands for agricultural operations. These limits are intended to reduce the impact that water removal could have on the surrounding environment. Water diversion rights may include stipulations that use of the water must be consistently maintained, or the rights will expire after a defined period of time. Eastern vs. Western U.S. Water Rights States in the eastern part of the United States follow the riparian doctrine of water rights, which allows landowners to make reasonable use of the watercoursesuch as a stream, lake, pond, or riveradjacent to their land. Reasonable use entitles the landowner to use the water as long as it does not interfere with the reasonable use of another landowner downstream. For example, a reasonable use might include using the water for irrigation, watering livestock, or drinking. Most eastern states have implemented a government-regulated riparian system. Individuals or companies must apply for a permit from a state agency and provide details about the projected use of the water. Before granting the permit, the state will determine if the projected water use is reasonable. In contrast, almost every state west of the 100th meridian uses the prior appropriation water rights doctrine. Prior appropriation began in the 19th century as settlers moved to the western territories. Settlers acquired water rights through a system that was called "first in time, first in right." Any individual who first appropriates a water source and puts it to beneficial use then has the vested right to continue to use and divert the water. By the 20th century, the federal government began enacting legislation that restricted and limited certain water rights acquired through prior appropriation. Some legislation focused on water and land rehabilitation. This legislation includes the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act. According to the Department of Interior, these restrictions have caused considerable conflict between the federal government and the western states. There are seven factors or variables that determine the price of an option. Of these seven variables, six have known values, and there is no ambiguity about their input values into an option pricing model. But the seventh variablevolatilityis only an estimate, and for this reason, it is the most important factor in determining the price of an option. The current price of the underlying - known Strike price - known Type of option (Call or Put) - known Time to the expiration of the option - known Risk-free interest rate - known Dividends on the underlying - known Volatility - unknown Key Takeaways Options prices depend crucially on the estimated future volatility of the underlying asset. As a result, while all the other inputs to an option's price are known, people will have varying expectations of volatility. Trading volatility, therefore, becomes a key set of strategies used by options traders. Historical vs. Implied Volatility Volatility can either be historical or implied; both are expressed on an annualized basis in percentage terms. Historical volatility (HV) is the actual volatility demonstrated by the underlying over a period of time, such as the past month or year. Implied volatility (IV), on the other hand, is the level of volatility of the underlying that is implied by the current option price. Implied volatility is far more relevant than historical volatility for options pricing because it looks forward. Think of implied volatility as peering through a somewhat murky windshield, while historical volatility is like looking into the rearview mirror. While the levels of historical and implied volatility for a specific stock or asset can be and often are very different, it makes intuitive sense that historical volatility can be an important determinant of implied volatility, just as the road traversed can give one an idea of what lies ahead. All else being equal, an elevated level of implied volatility will result in a higher option price, while a depressed level of implied volatility will result in a lower option price. For example, volatility typically spikes around the time a company reports earnings. Thus, the implied volatility priced in by traders for this companys options around earnings season will generally be significantly higher than volatility estimates during calmer times. Volatility, Vega, and More The Option Greek that measures an options price sensitivity to implied volatility is known as Vega. Vega expresses the price change of an option for every 1% change in volatility of the underlying. Two points should be noted with regard to volatility: Relative volatility is useful to avoid comparing apples to oranges in the options market. Relative volatility refers to the volatility of the stock at present compared to its volatility over a period of time. Suppose stock As at-the-money options expiring in one month have generally had an implied volatility of 10%, but are now showing an IV of 20%, while stock Bs one-month at-the-money options have historically had an IV of 30%, which has now risen to 35%. On a relative basis, although stock B has greater absolute volatility, it is apparent that A has had a bigger change in relative volatility. The overall level of volatility in the broad market is also an important consideration when evaluating an individual stocks volatility. The best-known measure of market volatility is the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), which measures the volatility of the S&P 500. Also known as the fear gauge, when the S&P 500 suffers a substantial decline, the VIX rises sharply; conversely, when the S&P 500 is ascending smoothly, the VIX will be becalmed. The most fundamental principle of investing is buying low and selling high, and trading options is no different. So option traders will typically sell (or write) options when implied volatility is high because this is akin to selling or going short on volatility. Likewise, when implied volatility is low, options traders will buy options or go long on volatility. Based on this discussion, here are five options strategies used by traders to trade volatility, ranked in order of increasing complexity. To illustrate the concepts, well look at a historical example using Netflix Inc. (NFLX) options. Buy (or Go Long) Puts When volatility is high, both in terms of the broad market and in relative terms for a specific stock, traders who are bearish on the stock may buy puts on it based on the twin premises of buy high, sell higher, and the trend is your friend. For example, Netflix closed at $91.15 on Jan. 27, 2016, a 20% decline year-to-date, after more than doubling in 2015, when it was the best performing stock in the S&P 500. Say that traders who were bearish on the stock could buy a $90 put (i.e. strike price of $90) on the stock expiring in June 2016. The implied volatility of this put was 53% on Jan. 29, 2016, and it was offered at $11.40. This means that Netflix would have had to decline by $12.55 or 14% from those starting levels before the put position became profitable. This strategy is a simple but relatively expensive one, so traders who want to reduce the cost of their long put position can either buy a further out-of-the-money put or can defray the cost of the long put position by adding a short put position at a lower price, a strategy known as a bear put spread. Continuing with the Netflix example, a trader could have bought a June $80 put at $7.15, which was $4.25 or 37% cheaper than the $90 put at the time. Or else the trader could have looked to a bear put spread by buying the $90 put at $11.40 and selling (writing) the $80 put at $6.75 (note that the bid-ask for the June $80 put was thus $6.75 / $7.15), for a net cost of $4.65. Write (or Short) Calls A trader who was also bearish on the stock but thought the level of implied volatility for the June options could recede might have considered writing naked calls on Netflix in order to pocket a premium of over $12. Assume that the June $90 calls had a bid-ask of $12.35/$12.80 on Jan. 29, 2016, so writing these calls would result in the trader receiving a premium of $12.35 (i.e. receiving the bid price). If the stock closed at or below $90 by the June 17 expiration of those calls, the trader would have kept the full amount of the premium received. If the stock closed at $95 just before expiration, the $90 calls would have been worth $5, so the traders net gain would still be $7.35 (i.e. $12.35 - $5). The Vega on the June $90 calls was 0.2216, so if the IV of 54% dropped sharply to 40% (i.e., 14 vols) soon after the short call position was initiated, the option price would have declined by about $3.10 (i.e. 14 x 0.2216). Note that writing or shorting a naked call is a risky strategy, because of the theoretically unlimited risk if the underlying stock or asset surges in price. What if Netflix soared to $150 before the June expiration of the $90 naked call position? In that case, the $90 call would have been worth at least $60, and the trader would be looking at a large 385% loss. In order to mitigate this risk, traders will often combine the short call position with a long call position at a higher price in a strategy known as a bear call spread. Short Straddles or Strangles In a straddle, the trader writes or sells a call and put at the same strike price in order to receive the premiums on both the short call and short put positions. The rationale for this strategy is that the trader expects IV to abate significantly by option expiry, allowing most if not all of the premium received on the short put and short call positions to be retained. Again using the Netflix options as an example, writing the June $90 call and writing the June $90 put would have resulted in the trader receiving an option premium of $12.35 + $11.10 = $23.45. The trader was banking on the stock staying close to the $90 strike price by the time of option expiration in June. Writing a short put imparts on the trader the obligation to buy the underlying at the strike price even if it plunges to zero while writing a short call has theoretically unlimited risk as noted earlier. However, the trader has some margin of safety based on the level of the premium received. In this example, if the underlying Netflix stock closed above $66.55 (i.e. strike price of $90 - premium received of $23.45), or below $113.45 (i.e. $90 + $23.45) by option expiry in June, the strategy would have been profitable. The exact level of profitability depended on where the stock price was by option expiry; profitability was maximized at a stock price by expiration of $90 and reduced as the stock gets further away from the $90 level. If the stock closed below $66.55 or above $113.45 by option expiry, the strategy would have been unprofitable. Thus, $66.55 and $113.45 were the two break-even points for this short straddle strategy. A short strangle is similar to a short straddle, the difference being that the strike price on the short put and short call positions are not the same. As a general rule, the call strike is above the put strike, and both are out-of-the-money and approximately equidistant from the current price of the underlying. Thus, with Netflix trading at $91.15, the trader could have written a June $80 put at $6.75 and a June $100 call at $8.20, to receive a net premium of $14.95 (i.e. $6.75 + $8.20). In return for receiving a lower level of premium, the risk of this strategy was mitigated to some extent. This is because the break-even points for the strategy became $65.05 ($80 - $14.95) and $114.95 ($100 + $14.95) respectively. Ratio Writing Ratio writing simply means writing more options than are purchased. The simplest strategy uses a 2:1 ratio, with two options, sold or written for every option purchased. The rationale is to capitalize on a substantial fall in implied volatility before option expiration. A trader using this strategy could have purchased a Netflix June $90 call at $12.80, and write (or short) two $100 calls at $8.20 each. The net premium received in this case was thus $3.60 (i.e. $8.20 x 2 - $12.80). This strategy is equivalent to a bull call spread (long June $90 call + short June $100 call) with a short call (June $100 call). The maximum gain from this strategy would accrue if the underlying stock closed exactly at $100 shortly before option expiration. In this case, the $90 long call would have been worth $10 while the two $100 short calls would expire worthlessly. The maximum gain would, therefore, be $10 + premium received of $3.60 = $13.60. Ratio Writing Benefits and Risks Lets consider some scenarios to evaluate the profitability or risk of this strategy. What if the stock closed at $95 by option expiry? In this case, the $90 long call would have been worth $5 and the two $100 short calls would expire worthless. The total gain would, therefore, have been $8.60 ($5 + net premium received of $3.60). If the stock closed at $90 or below by option expiry, all three calls expired worthless and the only gain would have been the net premium received of $3.60. What if the stock closed above $100 by option expiry? In this case, the gain on the $90 long call would have been eroded by the loss on the two short $100 calls. At a stock price of $105, for example, the overall P/L would have been: $15 - (2 X $5) + $3.60 = $8.60 Break-even for this strategy would be at a stock price of $113.60 by option expiry, at which point the P/L would be: (profit on long $90 call + $3.60 net premium received) - (loss on two short $100 calls) = ($23.60 + $3.60) - (2 X 13.60) = 0. Thus, the strategy would be increasingly unprofitable if the stock rose above the break-even point of $113.60. Iron Condors In an iron condor strategy, the trader combines a bear call spread with a bull put spread of the same expiration, hoping to capitalize on a retreat in volatility that will result in the stock trading in a narrow range during the life of the options. The iron condor is constructed by selling an out-of-the-money (OTM) call and buying another call with a higher strike price while selling an in-the-money (ITM) put and buying another put with a lower strike price. Generally, the difference between the strike prices of the calls and puts is the same, and they are equidistant from the underlying. Using Netflix June option prices, an iron condor might involve selling the $95 call and buying the $100 call for a net credit (or premium received) of $1.45 (i.e. $10.15 - $8.70), and simultaneously selling the $85 put and buying the $80 put for a net credit of $1.65 (i.e. $8.80 - $7.15). The total credit received would, therefore, be $3.10. The maximum gain from this strategy was equal to the net premium received ($3.10), which would accrue if the stock closed between $85 and $95 by option expiry. The maximum loss would occur if the stock at expiration was trading above the $100 call strike or below the $80 put strike. In this case, the maximum loss would be equal to the difference in the strike prices of the calls or puts respectively less the net premium received, or $1.90 (i.e. $5 - $3.10). The iron condor has a relatively low payoff, but the tradeoff is that the potential loss is also very limited. The Bottom Line These five strategies are used by traders to capitalize on stocks or securities that exhibit high volatility. Since most of these strategies involve potentially unlimited losses or are quite complicated (like the iron condor strategy), they should only be used by expert options traders who are well versed with the risks of options trading. Beginners should stick to buying plain-vanilla calls or puts. A company's prospectus is a formal legal document designed to provide information and full details about an investment offering for sale to the public. Companies are required to file the documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The prospectus documents must be made available to a prospective public investor prior to purchase. Investors are encouraged to read and understand the terms of the offering before making a purchase decision. Key Takeaways A prospectus is a formal document that is required by and filed with the SEC that provides details about an investment offering for sale to the public. This document is used to help potential investors make a more informed decision on whether or not to invest. EDGAR is a public online tool that allows individuals and analysts to search for and retrieve corporate prospectus filings. Investors may also seek to obtain a prospectus through their broker or by contacting a company's investor relations department. Mutual funds and hedge funds must also offer potential investors a prospectus; however, here we focus on firms' prospectus prior to a corporate IPO or secondary offering. What's in a Prospectus? Company prospectus documents have become increasingly accessible with the advent of the internet. Most companies have a corporate website with a section labeled Investor Relations that should have available a wide range of company documentation, including quarterly and annual reports. Many investment websites may also offer links directly to a company's or fund's prospectus documents. The prospectus document is issued to inform investors of the potential risks involved with investing in a particular stock or mutual fund. The information provided in the prospectus also serves as a form of protection for the issuing company against any claims that information was not fully disclosed or detailed prior to the investor putting money into an investment. Companies that wish to offer stock or bond for sale to the public must file a prospectus as part of the registration process with the SEC. Companies must file a preliminary and final prospectus. However, the SEC has specific guidelines as to what's listed in a prospectus for various securities. The preliminary prospectus (sometimes known as a red herring) is the first offering document provided by a security issuer and includes most of the details of the business and transaction. However, the preliminary prospectus doesn't contain the number of shares to be issued or price information. Typically, the preliminary prospectus is used to gauge interest in the market for the security being proposed. The final prospectus contains the complete details of the investment offering to the public. The final prospectus contains any finalized background information as well as the number of shares or certificates to be issued and the offering price. A prospectus will include the following information at a minimum: A brief summary of the companys background and financial information The name of the company issuing the stock The number of shares Type of securities being offered Whether an offering is public or private Names of the companys principals Names of the banks or financial companies performing the underwriting Some companies are allowed to file an abridged prospectus, which is a prospectus but contains some of the same information as the final prospectus. Investigating New Offerings The first offering is detailed by the preliminary prospectus provided by the security issuer, which outlines information about the company, it's business plan and structure, and the transaction in question. The preliminary document also discloses names of the company's principals, details about the amount the underwriters are earning per sale and specifies whether the offering is public or private. The final prospectus contains details and information about the finalized offering, including the precise number of shares or certificates being issued and the offering price of shares. In the case of mutual funds, a fund prospectus contains information on and details about its objectives, proposed investment strategies, perceived potential risks, projected performance, distribution policy, fees and expenses and fund management. Meet EDGAR In the U.S., all companies filing with the SEC must supply their documentation to a service known as EDGAR, or the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System. The EDGAR website allows you to get all the filings of a company, including its prospectus and annual reports, which include financial statements. The EDGAR database can be searched using the company ticker symbol. EDGARs Companies & Other Filers Search will list a company's filings with the most recent filings shown first. Most of the filings made through EDGAR are available for download or can be viewed for free. Canada has a similar website known as SEDAR, or System for Electronic Documentation Analysis and Retrieval, which provides company filings on the web. Like EDGAR, the SEDAR website provides easy access to public company documentation. Example As an example, the figure below, produced from EDGAR, shows a sample prospectus for the company PNC Financial Group's offering of corporate bonds maturing in the year 2024. We can see the following information listed: Securities offered, which are senior notes that pay 3.50% The maturity date of the notes, which is January 23, 2024 The issue date, which has yet to be determined How interest will be paid and denominations to be issued Use of proceeds or how the money raised will be spent, which might include financing operations, paying down debt, or buying back stock The underlying theme of the "Shark Tank" TV series is for either the Sharks (the investors) or the entrepreneurs (pitching their business) to convince the other side to accept the valuation of their business and negotiate a deal based on it. The entrepreneurs tend to come in with high valuations, and the Sharks counter with lower valuations. How entrepreneurs and the Sharks value businesses presented on the show varies, but a good valuation of a company takes into account certain factors such as revenue, earnings, and the value of companies within the same sector. Key Takeaways The Sharks on "Shark Tank" typically require a stake in the businessor a percentage of ownershipas well as a share of the profits. A revenue valuation, which considers the prior year's sales and revenue and any sales in the pipeline, is often determined. The Sharks use a company's profit compared to the company's valuation from revenue to come up with an earnings multiple. Understanding How a Business Is Valued on "Shark Tank" "Shark Tank" is a popular show on which investors (or Sharks) hear pitches from business owners who want funding from them. In exchange for their money, the Sharks typically require a stake in the business, which is a percentage of ownership and a share of the profits. In return for giving up a stake in the company, the entrepreneur gets funding, but often, more importantly, they get access to the Sharks, their network of contacts, their suppliers, and their experience. Determining the amount to invest in the company and the percentage of ownership that each is willing to consider comes down to forecasting revenue, earnings, and applying a valuation to the company. Revenue Multiple Typically, an entrepreneur will ask for an amount in exchange for a percentage of ownership. For example, an entrepreneur might ask for $100,000 from the Sharks in exchange for 10% ownership in the company. From there, the Sharks begin to determine whether it's properly valued. The Sharks will usually confirm that the entrepreneur is valuing the company at $1 million in sales. The Sharks would arrive at that total because if 10% ownership equals $100,000, it means that one-tenth of the company equals $100,000, and therefore, ten-tenths (or 100%) of the company equals $1 million. If the company is valued at $1 million in sales, the Sharks would ask what the annual sales were for the prior year. If the response is $250,000, it will take four years for the company to reach $1 million in sales. If the response was $75,000 in sales, the Sharks would likely question the owner's valuation of $1 million. However, if last year's sales were $250,000, but the entrepreneur recently entered into a sales agreement with Walmart to sell $600,000 worth of product, the valuation would be more attractive to the Sharks based on the sales forecast. In other words, the valuation doesn't only consider the prior year's sales and revenue but also what the company has in its sales pipeline. Earnings Multiple The companies on "Shark Tank" are not publicly traded, meaning they don't have equity shares or published earnings multiples for investors to consider. However, the Sharks can still use the company's profit as compared to the company's valuation from sales revenue to come up with an earnings multiple. For example, if the company is valued at $1 million and the owner earns $100,000 in profit, the company would have an earnings multiple of 10 or ($1 million / $100,000). However, we have no idea whether an earnings multiple of 10 is good for the company or not. This is where comparative analysis comes into play. Let's say in our earlier example that the company is a clothing retailer. The Sharks can compare the multiple to those of other companies within the same industry. For example, let's say the entrepreneur is pitching a clothing brand with $1 million in annual sales with $100,000 in profits. The entrepreneur could apply the metrics of the specialty retail apparel sector by using the sector's earnings multiples. Let's say the sector has an average earnings multiple of 12. At 12x earnings, this would value the business at $1.2 million or (12 x $100,000). Based on this valuation, the entrepreneur can justify the deal for a 10% stake in the business for a $100,000 investment from the sharks. Future Market Valuation A future valuation could also be calculated in the same way the revenue and earnings multiples are. The only drawback is that the numbers are forecasts and can be inaccurate. The Sharks would likely ask what the entrepreneur is forecasting for sales and profits in the next three years. They would then compare those numbers to those of other companies in the retail clothing industry. The entrepreneur might forecast that earnings in the next three years would lead to $400,000 in net income in year three. If the retail industry typically has a 14.75x forward earnings multiple, the future valuation would be $5.9 million in sales or (14.75 x $400,000). The Sharks ultimately want to get their investment back and earn a profit. If the Sharks agree that the company could possibly generate $5.9 million in business by year three, a 10% stake for $100,000 might be attractive. However, it's possible that the business might not generate $400,000 in profit by year three. As a result, the sharks would likely demand a higher ownership percentage, counteroffer with a lower loan amount, or propose some combination of both. The Intangibles of Valuation If the Sharks valued a company solely based on figures, then the show would be without drama or excitement. But the intangibles of valuation on Shark Tank is one of the reasons it is so popular. Much like other seasoned investors, the Sharks consider the whole packagenumbers, story, and experiencein their valuation of companies, though the numbers are often the most significant part of this exercise. But other intangibles are also important. For example, the storyboth, personal and product relatedcan help sway their valuation decision. If an entrepreneur has a compelling story of hard work and determination, then the Sharks might agree to his or her valuation, without much debate. The Sharks also ask a series of questions about the company. For example, they might ask what it costs to manufacture the company's product and its selling price. This will help them calculate product margin. They will inquire about other costs, such as marketing, and also ask for the previous year's sales and future sales pipelines to ascertain demand for the product. Increasing demand and sales is always a good sign. But if sales declined, remained stagnant, or increased by only a slight amount, then the Sharks will ask for the reason they did. If the reason is unconvincing, then the Sharks will opt out. Special Considerations: Risks to Valuation The Sharks might say they can't apply the same valuation to the entrepreneur's company based on valuation metrics from publicly traded companies. There are several distinctions between a small business and a public corporation. A large, established retailer might have thousands of stores worldwide, but a small business may only have a few locations. Though the growth rate is justifiably higher for the small business, the risk is much larger due to the risk of failure and liquidity risk in terms of an exit strategy. Liquidity is a measure of how easily an investment can be bought or sold. If there are many buyers and sellers vying for an investment, there is ample liquidity. If there are few buyers and sellers, there's illiquidity. The lack of liquidity creates more risk for the Sharks to bear, which entails applying risk-adjusted discounting to make the reward worth the risk. As a result, the Sharks have much more wiggle room to base their offers on a risk-adjusted discounted valuation. The Sharks could counteroffer with a higher stake in the company, say 30% ownership for a $100,000 contribution. Even if the valuation metrics (based on revenue and earnings) indicate that the Sharks should have a lower stake, the risk of loss from investing in an unknown company usually adds to the Shark's ownership stake. The Sharks could also increase their ownership stake based on the intangibles they bring to the table. Those intangibles might include their experience, access to retail outlets for selling products, or supply chains. When Did "Shark Tank" Premier on TV? The very first episode of "Shark Tank" debuted on Aug. 9, 2009 on ABC in the United States. The show itself, however, is the American version of the international show "Dragons' Den." The very first iteration of the format is though to be Japan's 2001 "Money Tigers". Who Is the Wealthiest "Shark" on Shark Tank? Mark Cuban is the richest of the Sharks on Shark Tank with an estimated worth in excess of $4.7 billion as of 2022. Top News - Investor Idea Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Continues Acquisition Path With Purchase of ELMS Assets Including Factory in Mishawaka, IN., Enabling EV Production for Retail and Commercial Vehicle Lines BREA, Calif. - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces the US Bankruptcy Court approval on Oct. 13th, 2022 of its acquisition of electric vehicle company ELMS's (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all cash purchase. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea EV Stocks Driving Higher: (NASDAQ: $MULN) (NASDAQ: $TSLA) (NYSE: $NIO) (NYSE: $F) Vancouver, Delta, BC - October 20, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV and automotive stocks releases a special report featuring Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), covering the continued growth of the EV market as government policy and infrastructure plans sync up with consumer and investor interest in the EV space. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore. Top AI Cybersecurity Stock News - Investor Idea AI Cybersecurity Stock GBT (OTCPK: $GTCH) is Researching the Development of a Machine Learning Driven, RF Cybersecurity System and Protocol San Diego, CA - October 13, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) is researching the development of a machine learning driven radio frequency (RF) cybersecurity system and protocol. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Dublin here, Dublin there! This year the Audi Dublin International Film Festival (ADIFF ) will tour its Irish shorts program to international locations that share the names Dublin - Dublin, Ohio; Dublin, Texas; and Dublin. Audi Dublin International Film Festival has a history of successful outreach programs and a fantastic reputation of working with festivals around the world. In 2016 the Festival will reach further afield, touring a program of the Festivals Irish shorts in international locations that share the name Dublin. Dublin, Ohio; Dublin, Texas; and Dublin, Virginia have each offered their knowledge, resources and venues to help share a program including Little Bear, Geist, The Break, Mechanic and Ode to Love, in order to connect communities and enliven Dublin communities globally, offering some of the festival magic that ADIFF can offer. Read more movie news here The project aims to strengthen the Festivals connection with Ireland and, and indeed Dublins diaspora, creating connections with these communities as well as sharing Irelands love of cinema. The 2016 Audi Dublin International Film Festival will feature over 80 films from 27 countries, and will welcome over 40 guests to the capital over this 11-day celebration of film. Book ended by highly anticipated Irish films, the Festival will open on Thursday 18th February with the European premiere of Sing Street, attended by director John Carney and cast members Jack Reynor, Ferdia Walsh Peelo and Lucy Boynton, and closes with director Paddy Breathnachs stunning Oscar longlisted Viva. Read more: What the author of TV drama Rebellion learned about the 1916 Easter Rising Humanitarian and screen icon Richard Gere will attend the Arnotts Gala screening of Time Out of Mind, joining a host of stellar guests including legendary acting talents Claudia Cardinale and Dame Angela Lansbury, alongside acclaimed directors Rebecca Miller with her comedy Maggies Plan, Ben Wheatley with his JG Ballard adaptation High Rise, Joachim Trier with Louder than Bombs and Neil Jordan for the 20th anniversary celebration of Michael Collins. Dublin Texas / Sat 20th Feb / Dublin Public Library Dublin, Texas, is located near the heart of the State. Known as The Irish Capital of Texas, visitors are welcomed to Dublin, Texas by huge shamrocks and a welcoming leprechaun at each of the four major thoroughfares into town. Dublin Ohio / Fri 26th Feb / Dublin Arts Centre Dublin, Ohio, is located just minutes from Ohios capital City of Columbus. Dublin Arts Council (DAC) is a thriving nonprofit community arts organization that engages the community, cultivates creativity and fosters life-long learning through the arts. Dublin Virginia / Fri 26th Feb / Pulaski County Library System Dublin, Virginia, is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, which are in fact a separate part of the same historical mountain range in Ireland today. Read more: How many Dublins are there in America? The SHORTS PROGRAM: Little Bear Director: Daire Glynn, Ger Duffy Writer: Daire Glynn A Short story of friendship, love and imagination. Starring Calum Heath (Love/Hate), Kieran O'Reilly (The Canal) and Kojii Helnwein (Project Runway). Geist Writer-directors: Ben Harper, Sean Mullen, Alex Sherwood A shipwrecked fisherman takes shelter in an abandoned house on a remote island, but soon realises he is not alone. The Break Directors: Dennis Fitzpatrick, Ken Williams / Ireland / 17 mins Writer: Ken Williams The Break is a story about a family: Tim and his two sons, Sean and Scott. Its post-economic-crash Ireland and theyre down on their luck. Mechanic Writer-directors: Tom Sullivan, Feidlim Cannon A mechanic at the end of his tether finds solace in old age... An Ode to Love Writer-director: Matthew Darragh A lonely man on a desert island explores the highs and lows of romantic love when a mysterious companion is washed ashore. For more visit www.diff.ie of search for #LoveADIFF. Read more movie news here Although the vast majority of climate scientists have reached consensus on global warming, arguments against the science of climate change have been on the increase, according to new research conducted by political scientists at Trinity College Dublin and University of Exeter. The research, recently published in the journal of Global Environmental Change, analyzed more than 16,000 publications about climate change produced by 19 major conservative think tanks in the US over the 15 year period from 1998-2013 the largest study of such material to date. Using methodological approaches from the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence, the study sheds light on the climate change related material being produced by North American conservative think tanks. The data suggest that the "era of climate change denial" is not over. Read more: Why the Democrats have it all wrong on climate change The research involved an examination of 8,300 articles, 3,000 reports, 100 interview transcripts, 680 press releases and open letters and 3,900 scientific reviews over a 15 year period. It focused on 47 themes ranging from arguments against climate science and scientific integrity to policy-related topics such as emissions reductions and international agreements. The overall level of material being produced by conservative think tanks about this topic has grown rapidly over the past decade and a half, reaching a peak during late 2009early 2010. The era of climate science denial is not over. Conservative think-tanks have not shifted from questioning the science of climate change to focusing on policy debates. Rather, the data reveals that challenges to the science of climate change have been on the rise in recent years. Read more: Secrets of 5,200-year-old Irish woman, 4,000-year-old men revealed in genome project Beginning in 2002, the researchers observed a steady rise in an emphasis on topics related to science and an attendant decline in policy-oriented themes. Discussion of scientific integrity began to overtake that of energy policy during 2006 and 2007which corresponds to a period dominated by Al Gores An Inconvenient Truth and his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prizeand proceeded to become relatively more prevalent in the post-climategate era. Dr Constantine Boussalis, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Trinity, commented: Our data suggest that the era of climate change denial is not over. If anything, challenges to the science of climate change have been on the rise in recent years. While the level of uncertainty surrounding the causes and consequences of climate change has decreased, the emphasis on climate science skepticism by conservative think tanks has increased over time. This is a disturbing trend, as a general acceptance of human-caused global warming is a necessary condition for a comprehensive agreement on climate change mitigation. Dr Travis Coan, Lecturer in Quantitative Political Science, Exeter University, added: "The vast majority of climate scientists agree that the earth is warming and that observed changes in the global climate are predominantly attributable to human activity. Nevertheless, a significant segment of the American public and many lawmakers in the US Congress continue to deny this reality. With the support of industry groups, fossil fuel interests, and conservative foundations, conservative think tanks have played a crucial role in generating the narrative of climate change skepticism and, by extension, obstructing climate policy in the United States." Read more: Trinity launch conference and online course for 1916 Rising centenary (PHOTOS & VIDEO) An average of 126 Irish students are signing up every month to an international sugar daddy service to pay their way through college. Over 3,000 mostly female undergraduates have joined SeekingArrangement.com over the past two years in a bid to find a wealthy older man to pay their tuition fees, clear their student debts and pay them thousands of euros a month in exchange for a secretive, no-strings-attached fling. Figures just released by the U.S.-based online dating website reveal 9,024 Irish college students are now members of the service, up from 6,000 less than two years ago. But it's not just hard-up students who are being matched up with middle-aged millionaires, as a total of 23,700 so-called sugar babies have now signed up from Ireland -- an increase of 8,700 over the past two years and almost five times the estimated 5,000 membership just five years ago. The controversial service, which specializes in pairing off attractive young 20-somethings with men often three times their age, has been criticized in the past as a seedy playground for ageing adulterers. But the service's chiefs insist that despite the huge age gap, relationships that are formed are mutually beneficial. And in the case of an Irish student, who receives an average monthly allowance of nearly $2,000 in return for companionship, they claim it could mean the difference between completing college or being forced to drop out. Further analysis of the figures reveals that of the total sugar baby membership from Ireland, 3,607 of those are male, both gay and straight, who are paired up with respectively with gay sugar daddies or so-called sugar mamas. A typical arrangement with a young Irish female student is likely to involve her being flown over to a luxury apartment in the U.S. for a weekend by her loaded partner, where she is showered with gifts and hospitality, before returning home back to college. The agency's chiefs have also noted the number of sugar daddies from Ireland is also on the rise, up from 6,100 in 2014 to 8,300 by last month, a trend partly attributed to the economic recovery. Spokeswoman Angela Bermudo said the average profile of an Irish sugar daddy is a 45-year-old, earning an average of over $300,000. Nearly one in four Irish sugar daddies are married, while most are registered in Dublin, followed by Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford. "Women are unfairly labeled gold diggers if they are vocal about wanting to pair up with a successful partner. The upfront nature of our arrangements -- being able to lay out exactly the type of person and relationship you want, without fear of judgment or stigma from potential partners -- is empowering, Bermudo says. If men are allowed to vocalize what qualities they want in a partner, say being educated and beautiful, then women should be encouraged to do the same for whichever qualities they value. "Fees at Irish universities are the second highest in Europe, which produces yet another hurdle for potential graduates. With the average Irish sugar baby receiving nearly $2,000 in monthly allowances and assistance, the allure of the lifestyle continues to attract students. "Ireland is a fast-growing market for SeekingArrangement and shows a promising growth rate. Currently, the country ranks 10th for overall membership globally." Read more: Student choirs mesmerizing rendition of ancient Irish song (VIDEOS) We were given a real cause to celebrate at IrishCentral this week as Huffington Post Business named us in the Top 10 Sites With the Most Social Shares in March 2015, around St. Patrick's Day. Placed in between media giants the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, we were proud to find ourselves among some of the industry's big-hitters. The complete top ten list included SoundCloud, NBC News, Time, YouTube, ABC.net.au, NJ.com, and BroBible. "For such a small, site compared to the giants, this is a fantastic endorsement," said Niall O'Dowd, founder of IrishCentral. "It is due to the fantastic work of the staff and the true affection for the Irish that in millions of American have in their hearts." The Huffington Post's "Content Calendar" is an annual feature designed to aid publishers, such as ourselves plan their offerings for the year. IrishCentral can proudly say that we are well within the top ten sites providing Irish people, and fans of Ireland the world over, with interesting, shareable content in the days surrounding the Emerald Isles official national holiday. Some of our success around Paddys Day in 2015 may have been down to the great response to the story of Kevin Westley and his battle against Walmart and their offensive t-shirts. Before St. Patricks Day 2015, Westley cleared his local Walmart of all the t-shirts bearing slogans such as Kiss me, Im drunk or Irish or whatever, or Im so Irish I sweat alcohol, or Irish car bombs make my clothes fall off to prevent others from donning them or the store from making a profit off such a negative stereotype of the Irish. Read more: Irish American buys all of Walmarts offensive t-shirts, will return them March 18 Placing all of the items on his credit card, the Irish dancing instructor from Long Island returned all the shirts to the store as soon as the festivities were over, where they went back out on sale for $2 a pop. Possibly not the result he was hoping for, but Westley has pledged to return each year until the t-shirts are taken off the shelves for good. Read more: Irishman returns $400 of offensive Irish t-shirts to Walmart after St. Patricks Day And that wasn't our only big story from March 2015 from our guide to the perfect places to spend the feast day to our coverage of all the drama surrounding the New York St. Patrick's Day Parade, to the reasons why you, our readers, are proud to be Irish, here are some of the stories you may have missed from last St Patrick's Day: Of course, we wouldn't have achieved this without those who share our content and keep coming back for more. Thank you IrishCentral readers, and here's to more great, shareable stories in 2016. Go maire sibh an chead! (That youll live a hundred years!) You can read more of our St. Patrick's Day content for 2016 here. If you have any suggestions for content you would like to see around St. Patricks Day 2016, leave your idea in the comments section, below, or send us an email at editors@irishcentral.com. We remember the long lines at ports and airports when Irish emigrants, at great personal cost, came home to vote in the marriage equality referendum, in May 2015. The sense was of a lost tribe returning to its roots and having a say in a critical decision for the Irish people. The Irish government did not make it easy. Polling stations could have been set up in embassies and consulates, a form of postal voting could have been introduced. Instead, many trekked thousands of miles, from as far away as Australia and California, to make their vote count. Yet, as Washington expert Kevin Sullivan wrote, only about 66,000 of the 280,000 who left after the Celtic Tiger collapsed were eligible to vote leaving the emigrant Irish with a much diminished voice when it came to the battle over human rights for all. About 125 countries around the world allow their citizens to vote in elections. Some countries, such as France, have seats set aside for the emigrants or emigres. Unless your voting card is up to date, which usually means you have left in the last 18 months, it is impossible to vote. But just to complicate matters college graduates can vote in the Seanad (or upper house) elections where their college sends members to the senate. There is clear discrimination there which could surely form the basis of a major lawsuit about equality if a non-college emigrant voter sought his or her equal rights. The Irish government appointed a Diaspora Minister, a great move and long overdue, but imbued him with little power when it came to the voting rights issue. Read more: The voices of the Irish living abroad have been silenced for far too long As the Emigrant Manifesto, a document put together after discussion with 150 organizations and people abroad, states Ireland is very much out of step. It reads, 123 countries allow their citizens abroad to vote including 25 of 28 EU countries. Ireland isnt one of them. When you get on a boat or a plane you effectively become invisible in the eyes of the state. Both the OECD and the EU have recently criticized Ireland for disenfranchising its citizens abroad." The Emigrant Manifesto lays out a five point plan which is clear and concise: - Extend the current 18 month period, in which emigrants can remain on the electoral register, to a minimum of at least one electoral cycle and allow votes to be cast overseas (in the UK this period is 15 years) - Beyond that, extend the right to vote in elections for the Dail to all Irish citizens abroad who are first generation emigrants (that is, who were born in Ireland and left) - That this be managed by a system of reserved constituencies in order not to swamp the votes of resident citizens (as happens in 14 other countries). These votes would not have a time limit - That all citizens abroad (including those of Irish descent who have become citizens) should be able to exercise the right to vote for the President - An Electoral Commission should be established in the first 100 days of the new government to begin this process These are all solid and practical ideas that would address this issue, long a running sore with many emigrants. The next government needs to end this issue once and for all. Read more: Ireland produces more immigrants than most other countries The court first ruled that Lynn, aged 47, should be extradited in December 2014. A series of delaying tactics by Lynns lawyers drew out the legal process, even as their client remained in a dirty and overcrowded jail that he said was making him ill. The decision comes more than eight years after he fled from justice and almost 30 months since he was arrested in his beach hideout near the city of Recife. Last night, presiding judge Marco Aurelio dismissed the Irishmans final request to seek clarification of the original decision a request on a technicality that was almost certain to fail on all major points. All justices on the panel endorsed his decision. The judge will now publish a written version of his decision and the case will then be handed over to Brazils justice ministry. Officially, the ministry can overrule the court, but a spokesman confirmed last night it intends to abide by the decision. Brazils federal police will then negotiate the logistics of his 7,200km transfer from Recife to Dublin, which could happen within weeks, with Irish authorities. In legal documents presented to the court, Lynns lawyers argued that irregularities in the extradition process rendered it invalid. They said that because of a translation error the Brazilian authorities incorrectly believed there was an arrest warrant for Lynn in Ireland, for example. The delay in yesterdays final judgment was because of a huge backlog of cases at Brazils highest court, which deals with some 50,000 cases a year. The original judgment was made on December 16, 2014, but was not published until February 26, 2015. It was appealed on March 4, with the outcome delayed for nearly a year. Lynn faces 33 charges at Dublins High Court relating to an alleged 80m mortgage fraud, although some will be dropped as part of the extradition deal. The more serious charges, of theft, were crucial to his extradition and will remain. Lynn first failed to attend a hearing at the High Court in Dublin in 2007. At the time he fled, he had debts of 80m and his company was said to have 148 properties, 154 bank accounts, and assets worth over 50m. He arrived in Brazil in 2012 and lived in a villa near a beach while teaching English to the locals. He joined a country club and dabbled in the property market. But his comfortable new life came to an end in August 2013 when Brazilian federal police, acting on behalf of Interpol, swooped at a shopping centre near his home. The disgraced businessman has now spent 30 months fighting extradition in the Cotel prison with alleged murderers and rapists. The prison, in the grim industrial outskirts of Recife, has a capacity of 700 but has up to 2,400 inmates held there. With nine days to go until polling day, senior ministers last night denied the party was now in the grips of panic given the sharp downward trend in support. There will be no panic in the ranks. This will motivate people to work harder. We have a very big party and everyone is on message, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney told the Irish Examiner. He said the bad result would instead make the party redouble its efforts. The election is far from over, [the] poll shows real risk of a prolonged period of political instability which would put all that weve worked for at risk. Look at Spain and Portugal, Health Minister Leo Varadkar told the Irish Examiner. But behind the scenes, there is increased unease over the failure of leading party figures including Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan to take control of the election campaign. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE This is because support for the Coalition is nowhere near the required level to be re-elected. Based on these poll numbers, the chances of a second election are now far more likely, as no clear Coalition options are emerging. According to the poll, Fine Gaels support has slipped to just 26%, which is a drop of five points in 10 days. It is also a full 10 points below of its 2011 share of the vote. The poll, which was conducted after the first televised debate of the campaign last week, is a major wake-up call for Enda Kenny who is seeking to be the first Fine Gael leader ever to be re-elected Taoiseach. The poll shows support for the Labour Party is up one point to 9%. Meanwhile, support for Fianna Fail is up one point to 19% and reflects the reasonably good campaign so far for the party. Sinn Feins call for abolishing the Special Criminal Court is one factor in the partys decline by three points to 17%. Overall, the Independents and others group have seen their support increase to 29%, up three points. Within that group, the Independent Alliance is at 5% an increase of two points. The Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit group are at 2%, down one point, while the Social Democrats are also down a point and now stand at 3%. Lucinda Creightons Renua Ireland party are at 2%, up one, while the Green Party are at 4%, up two. Reflecting on the poll, Mr Coveney noted that support for Independents had risen, which he claimed, showed there were still undecided voters out there. Simon Coveney The campaign would come down to one key message, the minister said, which would be who did voters trust to keep the country going in the right direction. What this says is that this election is not a foregone conclusion, he said. Theres a lot of work to do to make sure our message gets across for polling day. We can still have a good election. Theres still a lot of confusion on how people will vote. The poll was conducted between last Thursday and Monday night and was based on a sample of more than 1,000 people from across the country. Despite the best efforts of Mr Coveney and Mr Varadkar to play down the bad news, there has been scathing criticism about Fine Gaels campaign from the partys former director of strategy. Frank Flannery questioned where the young leaders of Fine Gael are in the election campaign, as he criticised the party for being complacent in trying to get its message across to voters. He questioned why young Fine Gael ministers, such as Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney, were not playing a dominant role in the campaign as opposed to the ghosts of old battles and old wars. Meanwhile, Labour leader Joan Burton is facing mounting criticism from within her party over TV debate performances, amid claims they could derail the partys re-election bid. After an under-par performance during the four-way TV3 debate last Thursday, the Tanaiste was seen to have been far off the pace during Monday nights seven-way RTE debate. Senior party ministers who spoke to the Irish Examiner said they are growing increasingly concerned Ms Burtons public interactions are damaging Labours chances as the race enters its final week. However, speaking to reporters during the launch of her partys education policy in Limerick, Ms Burton insisted she is performing well. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE Leo Varadkar caught up in armed robbery SIPTU members in disability organisations in the south east of the country are to hold a day of action next Tuesday. The protest centres around the non-payment of increments and will be held by workers in Ard Aoibhinn Services, County Wexford Community Workshop in Enniscorthy and SOS Services in Kilkenny. French magistrates have handed former president Nicolas Sarkozy preliminary charges over suspected illegal overspending on his failed 2012 re-election campaign. France had a ceiling on presidential campaign funding in 2012 of 22.5m. Conservative Mr Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012 and lost that year's election to Socialist Francois Hollande, is accused of spending 17m over that limit. Mr Sarkozy, now France's main opposition leader, was questioned by judges investigating the invoice system his party and a company named Bygmalion allegedly used to conceal unauthorised overspending. His party was then called UMP but has since renamed itself the Republicans. The Paris prosecutor's office said Mr Sarkozy was handed preliminary charges of alleged illegal campaign finance, and could later face fraud charges. Preliminary charges mean magistrates have strong reason to believe a crime was committed but give them more time to investigate before deciding whether to send suspects to trial. Several people close to Mr Sarkozy, including his former top adviser, face preliminary charges in the case. The former president has already been fined 364,000 for overspending in the case. Bord Bias Origin Green programme was selected as one of only three key topics for discussion as part of yesterdays opening ceremony. Irelands sustainability initiative was heralded as a global first when launched in 2012, and has become a model for proving the validity of environmental food production claims. Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter told the industry leaders in Abu Dhabi that Ireland has developed quality assurance systems for beef, dairy, and other food products, notably measuring carbon footprint. The measures taken in Ireland are closely aligned to the eco concerns of consumers and global food retailers. Nearly 24 months after France bailed out Peugeot jointly with Chinas Dongfeng Motor, the state is ready to dispose of its stake in the car maker. The companys full-year results, slated to be released next Tuesday, will provide a gauge for the state to determine the extent of the companys turnaround and help it decide on a possible exit. While the state will pocket a profit of about 600m if it sells the stake now, it may have missed an opportunity to have made a great deal more by not selling the shares in May, when the stock hit an almost four- year high. Since then, an industry emissions scandal together with tumbling global markets have pulled down auto stocks. Peugeot shares have sunk 35% since May 27. Changes to the personal insolvency legislation which removed banks ability to veto repayment solutions involving a persons home were announced last May. Less than three months earlier, however, Mr Noonan warned of the unintended consequences of adjusting existing legislation, adding that it would undo much of the progress made over the past number of years and risk having significant negative consequences for the economy as a whole. In correspondence from Mr Noonan to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in February 2015, seen by the Irish Examiner, the finance minister expressed concerns that fewer people might continue to make their mortgage repayments were the legislation to be changed. It also appears that Government ministers felt banks may have been about to step up efforts to repossess peoples homes. I understand from discussions at the recent Cabinet Committee on mortgage arrears and the subsequent meeting with the Insolvency Service of Ireland and a number of Personal Insolvency Practitioners, active consideration is being given by your Department to adjustments to the personal insolvency legislation in anticipation of potential action by banks on repossession, Mr Noonan wrote to Ms Fitzgerald. Any decisions from action in this area need to be carefully considered because of the risk of unintended consequences and a breakdown in general payment discipline. You will recall that arrears levels climbed dramatically through 2010 to 2013 at a time when there was much discussion on the possible construct of the revised personal insolvency framework where speculation was rife that some form of debt forgiveness may be on offer. Payment discipline suffered and the banking system struggled to deal with the growth of numbers in arrears The consequences of publicly proposing changes to the legislation will lead to expectations of debt forgiveness and a reversal in much of the difficult work that has been undertaken in this area over recent years. Mr Noonan also had harsh words for his Fine Gael colleague and her department, which he claimed had not met its deadline for reviewing the existing legislation, adding that a preliminary analysis did not contain the type of impact assessment necessary to guide decisions on proposed legislative changes. At this stage of the economic cycle, proposing changes to the regime without sufficient analysis of the issues risks a real breakdown of payment discipline with significant negative consequences for the financial system and the economy, he warned. The Insolvency Service of Ireland said last month that the removal of the bank veto has already seen financial institutions reversing some of their decisions to reject proposed payment solutions. The measures have faced criticism from opposition parties, however, who claim that the veto still exists due to some of the limitations of the legislation. To date, only a handful of cases have had the opportunity to benefit from the insolvency act that was passed last year, said Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath. Just as the Six Nations makes rugby pundits of us all, and the European Championships breeds prototype soccer panellists, an election breeds tax economists. The political parties are the worst culprits. Their only defence is that they have skin in the tax changes game. All of this punditry risks trivialising what is a very serious business. It is not a small thing for any nation to confiscate money from its citizens using threats, which is what a tax system does. Tax policy has to be done right. Renua, for example, is calling for political parties to receive State assistance when designing tax and economic policies. It is easy to be cynical about political parties calling for State assistance, but I think in this circumstance the call is justified. There is no point in anyone holding out tax policies to the electorate which are under-researched or not properly costed. When and if those politicians get into power, they will find out quickly that their election manifesto is not deliverable. Failing to deliver on a manifesto rarely ends well for anyone. Outside the hustings, the routine tax policy decisions underpinning the work of Government are made in a more mundane manner. A number of civil servants and political advisers belong to a group called the Tax Strategy Group; it meets regularly over the late summer and early autumn. Drawn from various government departments and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, they decide on the universal social charge, income tax, and other tax options to be offered to the Minister for Finance for inclusion in the budget the following October. Tight-lipped to a fault, the members would be unlikely to use #TaxStrategyGroup on Twitter. The Tax Strategy Group work is in complete contrast to electioneering. Advance knowledge of the contents of a budget confers considerable political and commercial advantage, so an obsession with secrecy is understandable. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, once the dust has settled on a budget the papers reviewed by the Tax Strategy Group are published. This year, the papers were published within a few days of the election being called so their publication did not receive much attention. The papers show that there is ongoing reference to the Programme for Government and to various pronouncements made by cabinet members in the previous few months. Much in the same way as election promises are discounted and dismissed, many of us tend to dismiss the public musings of senior politicians on tax issues. Nevertheless political comments, particularly those by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, are captured and brought into the mix at budget time. Another thing featuring in the mix is the submissions to Government by various social and representative organisations in advance of the budget. In July 2015, the public consultation process was institutionalised into the National Economic Dialogue, a two-day tax parliament with representative groups arguing why someone else should pay more tax. As these policymakers have the most current tax and economic information presented to them, some of the evidence considered by the Tax Strategy Group last year will have a considerable bearing on what our new government, however constituted, can and cannot do. The details of categories of taxpayers in particular are quite striking. Three-quarters of income earners earn less than 50,000. The remaining 25% of income earners pay 80% of all the income tax and USC in this country. If you count someone earning more than 50,000 as wealthy, then the tax system already taxes the wealthy. Because income tax and USC account for nearly half of all tax from all sources including corporation tax, property tax, excise, VRT and the like, that is a very heavy burden on relatively few backs. Most of the tax proposals currently being floated by the political parties, whether they involve USC reductions, new income thresholds or higher rates for higher earners, will result in even fewer taxpayers shouldering the overall burden of taxation. An even sharper divide can be seen in the amounts of tax paid by companies. A tiny number of large companies account for the bulk of the corporation tax receipts. These divisions in the share of the tax burden make future taxing decisions particularly critical. It is socially just to expect the better off to contribute more, but it is socially unjust to ask any group in society to contribute everything. There is no shortage of ideas on how to raise taxes to be heard at this election, but the ideas have to be right. * Brian Keegan is director of taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) praised the appointment of a startup commissioner and the regeneration of the Dublin Docklands and called for the capitals decisions to be mirrored in the UK. Plans to develop technology and advanced manufacturing hubs must be balanced with measures that ensure their growth is beneficial to the whole city or region in which they are based. The spotlight that fixed yesterday on Doha, Qatar where Saudi Arabia and Russia tentatively promised to freeze production in a step toward clearing the global oil glut is moving to Tehran. Iran and Iraq, the two Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) nations that are now critical to any agreement, will meet there later today with Venezuela, a broker of Tuesdays accord. Saudi Arabia and Russia said their commitment to cap output at January levels depends on the co-operation of other producers. While an Iraqi official said his country was prepared to back the plan, Irans oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh signalled some reluctance. Freed just last month to fully restore international oil exports after three years of sanctions, Tehran will bolster supply to recoup badly needed revenues, Commerzbank says. Iran and Iraq are critical to any agreement because they are the countries with plans to boost output, said Miswin Mahesh, an analyst at Barclays in London. Without their co-operation, any output freeze from other producers who are already close to the top of their bandwidth wont have a major impact. Iran will not forgo its share of the market, the oil ministrys news service Shana reported yesterday, citing Mr Zanganeh. He will meet with Iraqi oil minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Venezuelas Eulogio Del Pino, whose diplomatic tour of oil capitals from Moscow to Riyadh this month culminated in the accord announced yesterday. Iran, which was the second-biggest producer in Opec before sanctions were intensified in 2012, is seeking to boost output by 1m barrels a day and regain market share. The nation has loaded its first cargo to Europe, while Chinese and Spanish companies have also booked shipments. Its unrealistic to think that, after fighting for years to be freed from sanctions on their output, they will agree to sanction themselves, said Eugen Weinberg, the head of commodities research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. Iraq may be more open to halting further growth because its already boosted production to record levels. Output reached 4.35m barrels a day in January, according to the International Energy Agency. It aims to pump 6m barrels a day by the end of the decade. Iraqs Mr Mahdi said last month the country is willing to restrain output, or even reduce it, if fellow producers decide to cut their production. An Iraqi official, who asked not to be identified, confirmed the country is prepared to join in the Doha accord. Hailing the historic decision in Doha, Mr del Pino said he will keep working to stabilise the oil market and restore fair prices, according to a statement from the nations ministry of petroleum and mines. If Iran and Iraq are not a part of the agreement its not worth much, said Mr Weinberg. Mr Currie and current Finance Minister Michael Noonan are under fire after it emerged that they knew of sex-abuse allegations in relation to a Waterford foster home in 1995. Mr Noonan has refused to respond to claims he did a runner from abuse victims at Fine Gaels 1997 ard fheis. Minister Noonan has no additional information other than was provided at that time, said a spokesman. That foster home is now the subject of a government commission of inquiry, which was announced following a series of reports in the Irish Examiner. Mr Noonan has confirmed he and Mr Currie each received a letter from the foster father after the South Eastern Health Board decided to stop placing vulnerable people in the house in 1995. The foster father wanted a non-verbal woman with an intellectual disability, who has been given the pseudonym Grace, to remain in the house despite a decision to remove her. She remained there for another 13 years. Mr Noonan has said his understanding was that the person would be removed but subsequently there was an appeal and it did not happen. After that, data was given to Austin Currie. Im not sure what happened after that. I had no further contact. There was some kind of an appeal process and the decision, whoever took it down in the South-East, it wasnt implemented at that stage. Barrister Garry OHalloran, a former Fine Gael councillor and ex-chairman of the South Eastern Health Board, accused Mr Noonan of doing a runner from a meeting in 1997 to discuss concerns about sex abuse involving children. Mr OHalloran said he resigned from Fine Gael because of Mr Noonans actions. He said Mr Noonan had arranged to meet him and some abuse victims at Fine Gaels ard fheis in 1997. We arrived, he kept us waiting for hours, eventually I spotted him leaving the stage and heading for a door about 40m away. I was about 60m away and started to follow him in the direction of the door, Mr OHalloran has said. He spotted me and ran, I then ran but he got to the door and when I arrived I was met with a cloud of black smoke as his garda driver sped away. Mr OHalloran and his delegation then met Mr Currie, the junior health minister, who later concluded there was no substance to the claims of abuse. Mr Currie yesterday insisted he acted appropriately in dealing with the allegations: If there is a commission coming I will wait. I saw this situation was clarified 20 years ago, and there was publicity about it at the time and I have nothing further to say. Asked if he feels he handled the matter appropriately, Mr Currie said: Absolutely, yes, absolutely. Mr Noonan said he will co-operate with the commission of inquiry. Michael Murrays parents, Pauline and Peter, said they have drawn comfort and strength from the fact that so many people turned out in Ballincollig, Co Cork, to join searches after their only child was reported missing. Mr Murray, 33, who lived in Carriganarra and who was the head of IT at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, enjoyed a night out with friends in the Washington St area of the city last Thursday and took a taxi to Ballincollig in the early hours of Friday. Bishop Kevin Doran and Archbishop Michael Neary are the latest to issue pre-election statements based around the right to life of the unborn child. On Sunday, the Bishop of Cork and Ross John Buckley, in relation to the term fatal foetal abnormality, said there was no medical evidence whatsoever where a doctor could predict, with certainty, the lifespan of babies before they are born. Yesterday, Bishop Kevin Doran said some babies who are seriously ill only live for a very short time while others live significantly longer. For a Christian, however, there is no such thing as a life without value, he said. For as long as they live, children with life-limiting conditions are entitled to be loved and cared for like any other child and their parents are entitled to the support of proper peri-natal hospice services. He said some political parties and individual candidates had made no secret of the fact they favour the widespread availability of abortion while others have begun to talk about assisted suicide. We need to convince our politicians of the importance of supporting and promoting a culture of life that recognises the unique value of every human person, and we need to actively support those who do, he said. Meanwhile, I find it very difficult to see how any Catholic could, in good conscience, vote for a candidate or a political party whose policy it is to legalise abortion. For his part, Archbishop Michael Neary said that if life was not respected and protected, the very basis of our society is weakened. The Eighth Amendment guarantees the right to life of the unborn and the equal right to life of the mother, he said. Regrettably, some of those standing for election have declared their intention to work to remove this protection from our Constitution and laws. This simplistic approach to the most significant of issues is not only an outright attack on the unborn, but an affront to the charter of human rights enshrined in Irelands basic law. He said if an unborn child has a life-limiting condition, it would be inhumane to withdraw the protection of the Constitution to their right to life. The archbishop said being pro-life in contemporary Ireland means, more and more, being counter-culture, being radical. However we cannot ignore the consequences of abortion for the unborn, for the voiceless, he said. At this time we have a crucial responsibility to our future generations. Permitting abortion in difficult cases is like pulling a loose thread in a garment. There may be no definitive point at which the unraveling can be stopped. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE The case was due to open yesterday but could not proceed and has been rescheduled for hearing on Friday. Mr Justice Max Barrett heard that the Arts and Heritage Minister, Heather Humphreys, may seek injunctions restraining protests at certain Moore St buildings at the centre of the dispute. However, the States undertaking to refrain from demolition works will remain in place for the time being, he was told. The proceedings against Ms Humphreys have been brought by Colm Moore, as nominee of the 1916 Relatives Association, and are aimed at preserving any buildings in the Moore St area with links to the Rising. Mr Moore, of Sandyford Rd, Dundrum, alleges that several buildings on Moore St and Moore Lane are national monuments which must be preserved. The case arises after a terrace of buildings at 14, 15, 16, and 17 Moore St, believed to be the last buildings where leaders of the Rising gathered prior to their surrender and subsequent execution, were designated national monuments. Mr Moore claims the designation should include lands and buildings of the terrace at numbers 13, 18, and 19, plus all and any part of buildings, basements or cellars located on Moore St and/or Moore Lane. He brought judicial review proceedings and two sets of proceedings under section 160 of the Planning Acts. The case was listed for hearing yesterday but the judge was told by Conleth Bradley, for Mr Moore, it could not proceed due to delays on the part of the State side in filing its legal documents. His side had complied with the timelines set for exchange of legal documents. Seamus Woulfe, for the minister, said the delays arose from a combination of factors, including a conflict of interest on the part of one of its experts and a failure of the other side to raise certain planning matters from the outset. He argued that Chartered Land, which has permission for development of a major shopping centre in the Moore St area, should have been joined to Mr Moores proceedings from the outset. That development will incorporate the Rising commemorative centre, the judge heard. Mr Woulfe said protesters have been blockading the site and preventing a contractor coming out to it. It may be necessary to seek injunctions because what was involved was a national monument for the people of Ireland. Michael ODonnell, for Chartered Land, said it must be joined to the entire proceedings so as to protect its vital interest in its permission. This case was about several properties, including at 13 and 19 Moore St, that were outside the ministers ownership as she owned numbers 14-17, he said. Mr Justice Barrett ruled that Chartered Land should be joined to the entire proceedings. Having fixed deadlines for exchange of legal documents, he listed the case for hearing on Friday. Politicians were yesterday warned of the situation by Sharon OHalloran, the chief executive of Safe Ireland. Such services were unable to meet up to 14 requests for safe accommodation from women every day in 2014, new figures show. There were nearly 5,000 unmet requests from women over the full year, the highest figure recorded by the national organisation since 2008. Ms OHalloran said there had been a failure to face up to the reality and consequences of domestic violence and, in particular, the integral connection between domestic violence and homelessness. We can no longer support women to move on from refuge, there is nowhere for them to go, said Ms OHalloran. We hear stories about children growing up in hotel rooms. But now we are seeing children growing up in refuges, spending their formative years living in emergency accommodation. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald with Sinn Fein vice-president Mary Lou McDonald at Safe Irelands election manifesto launch in Dublin yesterday where the statistics on domestic violence were revealed. Picture: Jason Clarke The statistics show that 9,488 women and 3,068 children received direct support and/or accommodation from a domestic-violence help service in 2014. Safe Ireland is the leading national domestic violence organisation, working with 39 frontline members. Annamarie Foley, a general manager with Adapt Womens Refuge in Tralee, Co Kerry, said there were 200 occasions last year when it could not offer a place of refuge when asked. We can accommodate a maximum of six families at any one time. Last year we worked with in excess of 170 families across our services, said Ms Foley. We are doing our best to offer the best service to women but it is becoming increasingly difficult. There does not seem to be the political will to address the issue. There were 1,658 women and 2,309 children living in a refuge in 2014. Some 899 of the children were aged under four, including 217 babies. Some 422 were aged between 10 and 14. Ms OHalloran said the growing gap between rent allowance and rent prices, coupled with a dire lack of suitable housing stock, means that most women could not find homes to move on to live safely. Many women were left with little choice but to return to their abusive homes. Ms OHalloran said no woman was left without help and support from their member services but they were dictated by what was not possible rather than what was possible. Safe Ireland published the statistics at the launch of its election manifesto in Dublin yesterday. It wants the next government to commit to three actions within its first 100 days: Allocate an extra 30m annually from 2017 to address immediate gaps across all struggling services, from An Garda Siochana to housing, and to ensure prevention work; Appoint a minister, department, and cabinet sub-committee to spearhead a whole-of-government response to domestic violence; Enact legislation on domestic violence and victims rights, with a commitment to look at the definition of domestic violence. Politicians who attended the launch included Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, Sinn Fein vice-president Mary Lou McDonald, Labour TD Anne Ferris, and local councillors. READ MORE: Hozier unveils extremely powerful music video with Saoirse Ronan The excess of the chemicals, known as trihalomethanes (THMs), has been present in many public water supplies for years, and is caused by chlorine, added to purify water, mixing with organic matter such as leaves, timber, and peat. Long-term exposure to THMs include an increased risk of certain cancers, such as bladder and colon; reproductive problems such as miscarriages, birth defects, and low birth rates; and damage to the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, and central nervous system. The effects are not just from drinking contaminated water; THMs can be absorbed from steam in the air and through the skin from showering and washing. Most local authorities had committed to deadlines to get rid of THMs, or reduce them to what the World Health Organization and EU guidelines considers to be safe levels, but very few have done so. Following complaints from Friends of the Irish Environment, the European Commission had long discussions with the Irish authorities and, in December 2015, agreed a timescale to clean up the 79 water supply zones still affected by THMs. The action plan, with a final deadline of 2021, includes upgrading some treatment plants and shutting down others, and increasing monitoring and analyses of water. The affected water sources are in various parts of the country, with several in Kerry and Cork, Kilkenny City, Waterford, Wicklow, Meath, Mayo, Roscommon, Donegal, and Galway. Irish Water said it reports all cases of where safe THM levels are exceeded, pass on the information to the HSE, and request its advice in relation to protecting public health. It is upgrading its chlorine dosing systems for all 856 water treatment plants in the country, and aims to reduce the amount of organic matter. Because chlorinated water that is standing for six to eight hours begins to develop THMs and most Irish schemes hold water for two to five days, Irish Water says it plans to conduct a regular flushing of reservoirs and pipelines. A joint paper from the Environmental Protection Agency and the HSA submitted to the European Commission said they accepted that international research shows that there may be associations with human cancer, it said there was no immediate risk from the excess of THMs that merited informing consumers. Irish Water has ruled out directly informing consumers. Instead, it says it is planning a national awareness campaign to include what it is doing to improve the water quality, and says that people can check for themselves by locating a PDF on the Environmental Protection Agencys website. The commission has asked for an update in March. Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish Environment said: We are bewildered by the fact that customers are not being directly informed on their bills that the water they were paying for exceeded the recommended safe levels for any toxic chemicals. Customers cannot possibly be expected to find their way through two websites to find out if their water contains trihalomethanes. THMs can be removed using filters. Fine Gael would certainly like the public to think so. The party has denied that it is centrally managing the social media accounts of some of its candidates after a number of strikingly similar tweets were sent out by party members during Monday nights televised leaders debate. Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, and Arts Minister Heather Humphreys all posted similar sentiments to the social media site on Monday night, and in one instance posted the same message word for word. Micheal Martin has no jobs plan = no recovery = no investment in better services. #cblive Mr Flanagan posted at 9.49pm during the RTE debate in Limerick. Ms Fitzgerald posted the exact same message just over half an hour later at 10.24pm. Micheal Martin has no jobs plan = no recovery = no investment in better services. #cblive Charlie Flanagan (@CharlieFlanagan) February 15, 2016 Micheal Martin has no jobs plan = no recovery = no investment in better services. #cblive Frances Fitzgerald MEP (@FitzgeraldFrncs) February 15, 2016 Ms Humphreys posted a similarly worded tweet at 10.08pm, replacing Micheal Martins name with Fianna Fail. @fiannafailparty has no jobs plan = no recovery = no investment in better services #cblive, she wrote. Junior minister for skills, research, and innovation, Damien English was also on message during the debate. Unlike @FineGael MM/FF has no jobs plan, stalling our recovery and no investment in better services #itsallaboutjobs #cblive #leadersdebate, he wrote at 9:50pm just one minute after Mr Flanagans tweet along the same lines. Unlike @FineGael MM/FF has no jobs plan, stalling our recovery and no investment in better services #itsallaboutjobs #cblive #leadersdebate Damien English TD (@Damien_English) February 15, 2016 At 10.25pm, Ms Fitzgerald tweeted: Micheal Martin and Fianna Fail have zero credibility on the economy they denied bailout negotiations weeks before the troika landed #cblive. It came less than half an hour after Mr Flanagan posted the following: Fianna Fail have no credibility on the economy remember when they denied bailout negotiations weeks before the troika landed. #cblive. A spokesperson for Fine Gael would not explain the similar activities across its candidates accounts, but insisted that the party does not control its members accounts. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE Susan Collins, who has run Addiction Response Crumlin for 20 years, said such a structure must deal with the wider issue of intimidation of communities by drug gangs. Ms Collins, a near neighbour of murdered criminal David Byrne in Crumlin, south Dublin, said she feared it may be too late to stop the feud between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs. Its a bit like Northern Ireland was, she said. Someone kills my family, and the only thing you can do is kill someone from theirs. Thats how you keep your credibility. A board member of Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, Ms Collins called for more gardai, including community police, and investment in drug and youth projects. Her call came the day after Mr Byrne, a senior member of the Kinahan drug cartel, was buried and days before Eddie Hutchs funeral. Mr Hutch was shot dead at his home in Dublins north inner city last Monday week in suspected retaliation for the murder of Mr Byrne in the Regency Hotel the previous Friday. It was confirmed yesterday that Mr Hutch will be buried this Friday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean McDermott St. Similar to Mr Byrnes funeral, a massive Garda security operation will be put in place. Ms Collins said she was worried that the feud could replicate the infamous Crumlin-Drimnagh feud which claimed the lives of more than 15 people between 2000 and 2012. I think it could get that dangerous and I hope no innocent people get killed in all this feuding again, said Ms Collins. I hope young men realise that when they get into these gangs that they may not get out. She was speaking at the launch of a report on gang intimidation, entitled Demanding Money with Menace, commissioned by Citywide. Report author Johnny Connolly said that the State had failed in its responsibility to protect certain communities and urged a response by gardai, the Department of Justice and the Policing Authority. Citywide co-ordinator Anna Quigley said communities had been abandoned. Ms Collins said there had to be an answer to the feuding: It has to be about community empowerment. We need people with the will to drive it at senior garda level and also political level and include community groups, like Citywide. Theres no point having a conference, lets have seven people sit around a table and thrash it out and see what we can come up with. She called for a mini-Criminal Asset Bureaus in local communities. But two thirds of victims, both drug users and family members, did not go to the gardai, mainly for fear of reprisal. The research, conducted by development worker Lisa Buckley and Dr Johnny Connolly, a criminologist attached to Trinity College Dublin, found intimidation is particularly acute for mothers of drug users and young people . The study, conducted among 150 people affected, found that 76% of victims suffered verbal abuse. Some 46% said they had suffered physical violence; while 33% experienced damage to their property. In addition, 25% ended up either selling, holding, and running drugs, with a very small number, which the authors said was probably underestimated, threatened with sexual violence. Reports from focus groups suggest that females are often coerced into performing sexual acts to pay off drug debts, said the research. Also, it was widely reported in focus groups that young people are getting into huge debt over weed and then coerced into working the debt off by engaging in illegal activities such as holding or selling drugs, money or weapons and/or transporting drugs. The report read: Drug-related intimidation appears to have a strong gender dimension. Although it primarily involves young men as victims and offenders, this study highlights the reality that a great deal of the burden of responding to the problems of drug debt falls on the mothers of those caught up in debt. The research, commissioned by Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, said the mental stress on the mothers was extremely significant. The report said intimidation also had a wider purpose, to frighten and subdue a community so as to enforce gang control. Debts ranged from 50 to more than 10,000, with about half of them between 500 and 5,000. It said some young people were being intimidated in schools, and, in other cases, were doing the intimidation, often as part of a network. The report said there were reports of drug users being pressurised to shoot people to pay off debts. In order to pay off debts, some people had resorted to loan sharks and some had even sold their homes. It said 72% of victims who did not report the intimidation said it was due to fear of reprisal. The report said whole areas and communities can be silenced and controlled by gang intimidation. Dr Connolly said intimidation was causing immense distress for communities, but that the issue disproportionately affected certain areas. He said the problem largely goes unreported and unrecorded officially. He said the onus was on the players the gardai the Department of Justice, the Garda Inspectorate, and the new Policing Authority to seriously consider this issue and provide safety for these communities. Dr Connolly said the war on drugs had impacted most on deprived communities and urged a serious national debate on drugs. The library spoke out after the BBC, based on letters from its archives, detailed an intense 30-year friendship between the two. The BBC says there is no suggestion of a sexual relationship between the pope and Polish-born philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka but the letters reveal an intense bond between them. The statements made in the media have no basis in the content of the letters of John Paul II to Anna Teresa Tymieniecka which are in the National Library of Polands archives, a library spokesperson said. One of hundreds of letters that Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II sent to a Polish-American philosopher during the 32 years of joint work and friendship between the two, now kept at the National Library in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, 16 Feb. 2016. Picture supplied by Bill and Jadwiga Smith John Paul II was surrounded by a circle of friends including clergymen, nuns and laypeople with whom he stayed in close contact. Anna Teresa Tymieniecka was within this circle of friends. John Paul IIs friendship with her was neither secret nor extraordinary. Father Adam Boniecki, editor-in-chief of Tygodnik Powszechny Catholic weekly said it was not unimaginable that a married woman could have fallen in love with Pope John Paul II. Women fall in love with priests all the time, and its always a big headache... If she was in love with Wojtyla, she was most likely not alone, said Fr Boniecki, himself the author of a detailed account of the pope-turned-saints life. However, many believe the pair merely shared an intellectual friendship. In the beginning, Karol Wojtyla from Krakov, southern Poland, was a dynamic priest on the rise. Ms Tymieniecka was a married Polish emigre, living in the US. Pictures supplied by Bill and Jadwiga Smith Yet when they met in Krakov, to collaborate on an English version of a book he had written, something on some other level clicked. They began an exchange of letters that continued for the rest of his life. Her letters to him seemed to make him uncomfortable. You write about being torn apart, but I could find no answer to these words, Wojtyla said. Particularly the words, I belong to you. As he rose up the hierarchy a cardinal about to be elected pope they continue to correspond. The letters were sent in a way to avoid the Polish communist censors who could have used the whiff of scandal to undermine the Catholic Church. Its good you sent your letter by hand, it contains things too deep for the censors eyes, Cardinal Wojtyla wrote in 1978. They are so meaningful and deeply personal. The couple spent time together in Vermont where Ms Tymieniecka had a house. In Poland, they went on ski trips together. When Wojtyla was surprisingly elected pope, communication would become more difficult, but not impossible, Pope John Paul II soon wrote. Pope John Paul ll and Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka at the Vatican. Picture supplied by Bill and Jadwiga Smith I promise I will remember everything at this new stage of my journey. I am think about you. In my thoughts I come to Pomfret [her house in Vermont] every day, he wrote. She is said to have come to Rome to be at his bedside as he was dying, but she has been removed from official Vatican history. Edward Stourton, the senior BBC journalist who made a documentary about the letters, said more than 350 letters were found at the National Library of Poland. I would say they were more than friends but less than lovers, he said. John Benedict Butalid de Lara, aged 45, of Ballyfermot, who worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook in Dublin from 2003 until 2014, is facing allegations relating to the possession of crystal meth, and of ordering Sudafed using the colleagues names. A disciplinary inquiry heard an ingredient in Sudafed pseudoephedrine can be used in the making of crystal meth. Yesterday, clinical nurse manager Anne Dooley, who worked with Mr de Lara at the hospital for eight years, said she was alerted to him ordering Sudafed in other peoples names by a healthcare assistant. She met with Mr de Lara on June 30, 2013, and he admitted ordering the medication to send it to the Philippines. A year later, in 2014, Ms Dooley said she was shocked when Mr de Lara appeared in court in relation to possession of crystal meth. Barrister John McGuigan said it was within the knowledge of the hospital that Sudafed had been ordered in at least two peoples names and the hospital had dealt with the issue. Dr Katherine Patterson, pharmacist in the hospital, said she became concerned about a spike in the number of orders for Sudafed. She said it was a significant cause for concern for me that seven orders for Sudafed were placed on May 23, 2013. Her main concern, she said, was regarding rebound congestion, a potential side-effect but also had concerns relating to Sudafed, namely its potential use in the production of crystal meth. She said while people may now be aware of the potential connection between Sudafed and crystal meth, thanks to certain television dramas, that connection was only on the periphery of peoples knowledge in Ireland in 2013. Pharmacy technician Kae Torralba told the inquiry Mr de Lara attempted to place orders for himself and on behalf of other colleagues on three occasions in May 2013. She cautioned him he could not order any more and he placed seven orders in the names of other colleagues. Ms Torralba said Mr de Lara told her he wanted to send some Sudafed back to the Philippines. She advised him Sudafed was readily available in the Philippines, at a reasonable cost. Ronan Kennedy, legal representative for the CEO of the Nursing Board, asked Ms Torralba: Can you think of any reason why a person would order Sudafed here and then send it to the Philippines? She answered No. Several other former colleagues told the inquiry they had not placed orders for Sudafed in May 2013, and had not asked anyone to order the decongestant on their behalf. Care assistant Elena Tanig said she would never let anyone order medications in her name. Referring to Mr de Lara, she said: He is a good nurse, a good friend, and good for the patients. I didnt expect this would happen. I was really shocked. Mr de Lara was arrested following a search of a flat in Donnybrook. He arrived during the search and put a bag into his mouth which he later spat out at the request of a garda. The substance in the bag was later identified as just over 2.4g of crystal meth. He was charged with possession of a controlled drug, which was dismissed at Dublin District Court after he paid 1,000 to a charity. The inquiry continues on Friday. The Cork North Central candidate said he believes there will be significant swing back to Fine Gael and Labour. A poll for RedC and the Sunday Business Post saw 22% of 18- to 34-year-olds giving their first preference to Sinn Fein, although Fine Gael was most popular at 28%. Mr Murphy said he believes young voters understand Sinn Feins economic policies will wreck the recovery, and the good, well-paid jobs being created. Sinn Fein proposing marginal tax rates of 60%-plus will be a massive disincentive to work and people, whether young or old, have to educate themselves as to what Sinn Fein are proposing, he said. Ruling out any coalition with that party, Mr Murphy said that while young people have just to look at the fact that hard-left policies as espoused by Sinn Fein have failed in EU countries. We have a very articulate, well-educated young population in the country and I hope that many of them will while having a natural youthful desire for protest vote for parties that have a much clearer, much more positive vision for the good of our country, said Mr Murphy. Younger people did not have the same knowledge of the actions pursued by Sinn Fein and the IRA including some very senior members of both the politburo backroom staff that runs Sinn Fein, and indeed members of the current leadership. Gerry Adams The IRA leadership has refused to condemn those involved in crime and the murder of gardai, and do not explain how their back- room team influences the party, said Mr Murphy. He accused the party of not being democratic in how it elects its leadership, and said there were significant differences between those people who founded the State and secured independence, and those people who have been a subversive force in the island for very many years. Mr Murphy was in Brussels helping prepare tomorrows EU summit, where the main topic will be the deal to convince Britain to stay in the EU. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE The women, who have set up the Circle of Hope suicide support group on the northside of Cork City, issued their plea yesterday, as Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams met them and several other groups involved in suicide support programmes. They told Mr Adams, and his partys two candidates in Cork North Central, TD Jonathan OBrien and Thomas Gould, how five young people in one small area of Ballyvolane and Dublin Hill died by suicide within a few months of each other in 2013. It was a horrible year one after the other. Our group came out of that, said Lynda Haynes. Her son, Corey OCallaghan, died by suicide three weeks before his 21st birthday. Fiona Mackeys son, John, took his own life a few months later. He was 14. Ms Haynes said the pain never leaves, but having a support group, where people can talk and remember their loved ones, helps them cope. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE Everyone knew Corey. He was just an old soul. It was like he was here before. He gave his heart and time to everyone. He was so happy-go-lucky, she said. Corey left a note in which he said he had the best friends. But he also said he had pain pain we didnt see, said Ms Haynes. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams waving to some of the staff and children looking out the window from the Little Learners Educare room as he left following a visit to Togher Family Centre, Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane I think he just got tired. He counselled a lot of people. The one person he needed to help was himself. Ms Mackey said John left two notes for his family. He didnt do this to cause us pain. It was to get rid of his own pain, but we dont know what that pain was. Only for this support group. I wouldnt be here, she said. Both women told Mr Adams they want politicians to commit to mental health awareness campaigns. Money doesnt come into it. We fundraise ourselves. We just want them to commit to awareness, said Ms Haynes. Mr Adams praised the support groups and called for an all-island approach to tackling suicide, including the introduction of a sustained advertising campaign modelled on road-safety campaigns. These groups can take some succour from the fact that even though some of them have lost loved ones, they have saved a lot of other people by the work they are doing, he said. There are people alive today who would otherwise be dead only for the advocacy work and awareness work they are doing. Statistics show 459 people 368 men and 91 women took their own lives in Ireland last year, but the real suicide figure could be as high as 1,000. Despite the fact that 644,000 people one in seven adults have experienced mental-health issues in the last year, successive governments have neglected the mental health area, said Mr Adams. He said if Sinn Fein was in government, it would increase the mental health budget in year one by 35m, complete the rollout of suicide crisis assessment nurses, and reverse cuts to guidance counsellors. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE Paul Henry, aged 29, with an address at Ardsallagh, Athlone Rd, Roscommon, is charged with murdering his mother Ann Henry at Abbeystown, Ballyphesan, in Roscommon town on September 17, 2011. He has pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity. Forensic psychiatrist Brenda Wright told the court yesterday that she met with the accused on three occasions and he told her that, two years prior to his mothers death, he had thought the world of her. When Dr Wright interviewed Mr Henrys father, he told him his late wife was never willing to accept Paul was unwell and no matter what he did she was prepared to forgive him. The court heard the parents separation two to three years prior to Ms Henrys death was largely down to their different approach managing their sons behaviour. Dr Wright diagnosed the accused with paranoid schizophrenia, which is characterised by delusions and negative symptoms. She said his delusion was in part related to his mother and he thought she and others were conspiring to harm him. Dr Wright said at the time Mr Henry did not have the capacity to form intent because of his mental disorder. Mr Henry did not know the nature or quality of his act and misunderstood the quality of his actions, said Dr Wright. He believed his mother intended to have him killed, he believed if he did not kill his mother that he himself would be killed. He felt he had to proceed with her death. Dr Wright believed Mr Henry was unable to refrain from his actions and could identify no alternative form of action. In her closing speech, Ms Biggs told the jury that the views of the two forensic psychiatrists are wholly supported by the doctors who treat Mr Henry at the Central Mental Hospital. Counsel said Mr Henrys mental health deteriorated rapidly upon his release from prison 18 months before the attack. In looking at the facts and the evidence produced to you, you can derive comfort from the fact, that from the examinations and all the collateral history from 2013 to 2016, Paul Henry was resolute in his views that his mother had tried to kill him, said Ms Biggs. Counsel told the jury that the DPP supports the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity which is the one supported by the evidence. If retuned it will provide the optimum safety for society, she said. Defence counsel Mr Colm Smyth told the jury that both the prosecution and defence were singing off the same hymn sheet. His difficulties evolved into schizophrenia which was described by the two psychiatrists as a psychotic illness, he said. Mr Smyth said this has been a very sad case as this was obviously a loving mother who loved her son dearly and was prepared to sacrifice her own happiness and her marriage. The court heard that both doctors were satisfied that he knew what he was doing was wrong and couldnt refrain from doing what he did. Even in the middle of the act of stabbing his mother he felt compelled to complete it as if he didnt he felt he would be killed by his mother. Unfortunately Paul still has those delusional beliefs, said counsel. Mr Smyth called it an usual case as one would usually have parties in a case contending for different versions but in this case we are all on the one ship. I am urging upon you to come back with a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, he said. Mr Justice Tony Hunt then charged they jury before it was sent out to begin deliberations. The jury spent just under an hour deliberating before being sent home for the evening. Her 57-year-old assailant, Seamus Buckley of Ballyshonin, Berrings, Co Cork, was jailed for one year yesterday. He pleaded guilty to 26 counts of indecently assaulting her in the early 1980s from when she was aged six to 12. Detective Garda Maurice Leahy investigated the case following a complaint by the victim in November 2014. The abuse was described as consisting of fondling her vagina area when he masturbated himself. It never proceeded to penetration, there was never sexual intercourse, Det Garda Leahy said. The victim did not want to be named but she wanted Buckleys name to be published in any media coverage of the case. She said in the course of her victim impact evidence: I buried it away as much as I could until I saw my daughters growing up and it really all came back to me again. I look at their innocence and realise I was this age when Seamus Buckley abused me. I finally told my husband what was upsetting me in 2012. He was so angry as he knew the accused. In 2014, I told my siblings and this is when I had a breakdown. By November 2014 the injured party had made a formal statement of complaint to gardai and an investigation commenced. She said she was spurred on by the feeling that he did not appear to show any fear that she would ever tell anyone. Buckley pleaded guilty to the charges against him and co-operated fully with the investigation, Det Garda Leahy said. Judge Sean O Donnabhain said: In this case there was a significant breach of trust. Also there was an age difference between them [he was in his twenties at the time]. As soon as he was confronted he pleaded guilty. He avoided the necessity of a trial. His plea of guilty is a public vindication of the injured party. It is an acknowledgement to the victim that she is blameless and he is the aggressor. She said in her victim impact statement that it was some vindication. It is more than that, it is a public vindication that you [the injured party] were right and he was wrong. I have been asked [by the defence barrister] to impose a non-custodial sentence. I do not believe I can do that. I must take into consideration his plea. He is now 57. A lot of his life has passed by where he has been living an otherwise blameless life. The judge said he was impressed by a background report on the accused by an expert in the area who described Buckley as genuinely remorseful and that this feeling was constantly with him. Defence barrister Niamh Stewart said that the accused man had himself been the victim of sexual abuse in his own youth. He has this history of being sexually abused himself. He has no previous convictions. He is very remorseful. It would have been very hard to prosecute the case in the absence of his admission, Ms Stewart submitted during the defence plea in mitigation. Det Garda Leahy accepted this proposition. Ms Stewart said. He was very ashamed and remorseful. He said [there was] no blame at all attached to the injured party. He took full responsibility. He said there was nobody to blame but himself. The victim expressed her thanks to her husband and family and to Det Garda Leahy for their support and also thanked the ladies at Victim of Crime Support for their help, support, and words of wisdom. I started drinking at 16 to escape reality For a number of years I was sexually abused by a trusted family friend, Seamus Buckley. I didnt realise at the time that he was grooming me as he would always give me the best of presents at Christmas and at my birthday. I never felt safe at home because of him. He took every opportunity to get me alone, taking me to friends houses. When I told him to stop what he was doing he made me feel that it was my fault. I was 13 years old then. My parents sent me to boarding school. This was a great escape from him. I only came home at weekends and did everything to avoid him on the Saturdays. I feel my education suffered a lot from the abuse. I started drinking at 16 to escape reality. I did everything in my power to make my parents suffer. Now I realise this was wrong as my parents did not know what was happening to me because I hid it so well. It affected relationships with everyone due to lack of trust. I told my two girlfriends in 1995 when I started to realise how badly I was affected by it all. I always took jobs away from home to avoid being in his company. I used to get so angry when I would see him sitting at our dinner table. I met my husband in 1996 and started to feel some way normal. I buried it away as much as I could until I saw my daughters growing up and it really all came back to me again. I look at their innocence and realise I was this age when Seamus Buckley abused me. I finally told my husband what was upsetting me in 2012. He was so angry as he knew the accused. In 2014 I told my siblings and this is when I had a breakdown. I was on medication, sent for counselling, and then on for alternative therapy. My siblings had trusted Seamus Buckley also. I avoided going home to my mam and dads house. [Particular area where abuse occurred] still reminds me of the abuse. I want to assure my parents that they should not feel guilty because of what happened to me. How could they help me when they didnt know? I decided not to carry this alone any more. The fact that he had pleaded guilty gives me some vindication but I have lost many good years because of this abuse. I want to get on with the rest of my life and no longer be his victim. Catherine Murphy refused to single out issues the party would seek a guarantee on if asked to enter a coalition. The party yesterday launched its political reform proposals, which include better scrutiny on how senior state appointments are made and an overhaul of the funding system for TDs. Ms Murphy outlined several changes to the scrutiny of politicians, saying you cant have accountability without transparency. The party has set out measures it says would lead to more open government. These include the need for Oireachtas committees to vet senior State appointments; poverty-proofing budgetary decisions; and creating an anti-corruption agency. The new agency would also act as a standing commission of investigation to replace ad hoc tribunals. The party is proposing Oireachtas reform, including making the Dail and Seanad rather than government the primary drivers of legislation. Party whip systems for TDs should also be eased, it says. Politicians must also be required to declare their liabilities as well as their assets, it says. Ms Murphy outlined how funding for TDs should follow the politician rather than staying with the party they are elected under. This was an issue for some TDs during the last Dail who left parties. The party wants a separate system of State political funding (4.9m last year) spread evenly across parties according to their vote share and not just first preferences. Businesswoman and Dublin Bay South candidate Glenna Lynch said bigger parties were resistant to political reform. Bad governance is not victimless, she said. Ms Murphy refused to be drawn on what red-line issues the party had despite co-founder and Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly saying before the campaign these would be identified. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE Michael Healy-Rae transfers could elect brother Danny Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae stands a good chance of bringing his brother over the line in the general election in Kerry thanks to massive support for the outgoing TD, a new poll indicates. The TG4 poll shows Michael Healy-Rae is in a commanding lead in the new five-seat Kerry constituency and could well leave enough surplus votes to ensure the election of his brother Danny to the Dail. The Ipsos MRBI opinion poll on Kerry voters intentions shows Independents with 39% of support, followed by 27% for Fine Gael, 16% for Fianna Fail, and 8% for Labour. However, the poll identifies support for individual candidates and their first preferences. It finds that Michael Healy-Rae would get 33%, Jimmy Deenihan (FG) 13%, Brendan Griffin (FG) 13%, John Brassil (FF) 11%, and Arthur Spring (Lab) 8%. While Danny Healy-Rae is only predicted to get 4%, his brothers surpluses could help him win. Danny Healy-Rae only declared his candidature recently and the poll was conducted that morning. County council figures show new owners are usually found for homeless or stray canines. But, for unwanted horses regularly ends up doing a short stint on death row before summary execution by lethal injection. County councillors have expressed shock at the disparity between the number of stray dogs and horses being put down. Local authority dog wardens picked up 548 strays which were reclaimed or rehomed. In cases involving stray or unwanted horses, it was far different. In 2014, the council put down 157 but the number was cut to 119 last year. Despite the drop, councillors expressed concern at the continuing high number of horses being euthanised every year. In 2014, a total of 176 stray horses were impounded, while last year it was 155. However, the reasons for the decrease in putting down the horses might have to do with a number of factors, which seemed to focus fare more on money than compassion. Council director of environmental services Sharon Corcoran said the local authority no longer collects stray horses which are straying onto private land as its a civil matter and only rounds them up if they present a danger to road users. Ms Corcoran told a meeting of the councils Western Division in Clonakilty it had also become too expensive to get involved in looking after stray horses, especially as the Department of Environment had recently cut grant aid for such purposes by almost 50%. Fianna Fail councillor Christopher OSullivan said there was an animal rights issue surrounding the high number of horse killings and an alternative was needed. I would imagine a lot of these strays are picked up around the periphery of the city, he said. I dont know the answer honestly, its a tough one, but I think the public will be quite worried by the figures. Sinn Fein councillor Paul Hayes said the number of horses put down was unacceptably high. He asked if the problem was mostly related to Travellers and added that it might be a good idea for the council to liaise more with Traveller community representatives to reduce the number of horses not being cared for. Meanwhile, Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy wondered if the reasons for putting horses down was because they were in very bad condition health-wise. If not, he said, it was a very backward step. Ms Corcoran would not be drawn about the suggestion that it was Traveller issue, but said the biggest problem the council had with stray horses was around the northside of Cork City. She said it had become challenging for the county council to manage strays. We no longer pick them up on private property, she said. Its so expensive [to collect and process them] and were paying 50% of the cost. Were only picking them up if they are on a road and a danger [to the public]. On average, it costs the local authority around 1,000 to process a stray horse. The senior council official said that the council had to capture a horse, arrange transport, and then pay security at a designated pound to look after the animals. On top of that, the animal had to be attended to by a vet and electronically tagged. The council, she said, was only obliged to keep horses for five days. After this, if they are not reclaimed or a new home found , the council is forced to put them down. Ms Corcoran said it was unfortunate that the problem was bigger than the resources. The council, she said, is working with the donkey sanctuary in Liscarroll in north Cork and with other animal welfare groups. Ahead of a fresh poll yesterday leaving Fine Gael with a further loss of support and down to 26%, Mr Coveney said he disagreed with comments from lobbyist Frank Flannery that dynamic young politicians were missing from the campaign. Mr Flannery also said yesterday he thought Fine Gael and Fianna Fail might have to go into government together in the national interest despite the leaders of the two parties denying they would do this. Speaking to Newstalks Jonathan Healy, Mr Flannery questioned where the young leaders of Fine Gael are in the election campaign, as he criticised the party for being complacent in trying to get its message across to voters. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE He questioned why young Fine Gael ministers such as Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney were not playing a dominant role in the campaign. You look at the leaders lined up in front of you and thats not what you see, said Mr Flannery. You see the ghosts of old battles and old wars being fought from times long ago. The leaders have been around an enormous length of time, all of them. Theres no sign of young Ireland standing up there and I think theres a lack and its part of the disconnect between the official political position. Frank Flannery There are lots of dynamic young politicians in Dail Eireann but none of them are represented in the leadership were being presented in this election. He said the Governments approach to the general election had been processey. There is an assumption that the country knows that a recovery of a dramatic nature has happened, he said, adding that this was a complacent attitude to have. There is an assumption that the generality of the population understand what this recovery is about and that its real. For an awful lot of the public, that recovery is only a word that they hear. He said there was also a sense of complacency in the party about communicating with voters, without realising the recovery doesnt mean much to a huge number of Irish people, particularly in rural areas. Mr Flannery said that the final part of the campaign needed to have an effort to explain what the recovery was and not exaggerate it. I dont think Fine Gael has made the progress that people in Fine Gael hoped would be made, he said. On the possibility of a Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition, Mr Flannery said: I would personally think that that is an option. I know Enda Kenny has ruled it out, he said last night for the tenth time. The national needs have to come first and everybody has to revisit their perceptions when the counting is done. National interests must come first before all party considerations. Mr Coveney, speaking to the Irish Examiner, defended his party and also said that young ministers were out front and centre fighting in the campaign. He said he had taken part in many radio and TV debates. We have a very young team, including Simon Harris, Leo [Varadkar], and Paschal [Donohoe]. The Cork South Central TD said he disagreed with Mr Flannerys assessment, adding: Enda Kenny is a very experienced politician. He has led Ireland with a very steady hand and has installed energy into this Government. It is true he has been around a long time, but he is experienced. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE WITHOUT the presence of artists working in cities, there is nothing but commerce and consumerism with nothing for the soul to feed on. So says Bertrand Perennes, the artistic director of the former Camden Palace Hotel community arts centre on Camden Quay in Cork which is being taken over by new owners for development. From Cork to New York, and Berlin to Dublin, its a similar story. Artists who found it easy to get affordable or even free space during a recession begin to get squeezed out when the economy is on the up. Its simple economics. Perennes, who is currently looking at three alternative potential premises outside the city centre, believes artists working in urban spaces give a sense of community to people. Theyre good for business and for tourism. There is a lot done for business people through tax breaks. I would love to see as much done in the line of culture. Perennes, originally from Paris, says France understands the importance of artistic culture and the professionalism of culture which creates employment. He says that his arts group has not been able to find a suitable alternative in the city centre to their recently vacated building. The problem is that people think theyre going to make millions because of the reprieve in the property market. Bertrand Perennes of the former Camden Palace Hotel arts centre TAKE A SAMPLE Aideen Quirke, the artistic director of Sample Studios, housed in the former Revenue Commissioners building on Sullivans Quay, is also looking for alternative premises as an office block and hotel are planned for the site. Eighty-two artists currently use the building, as well as the Indie Cork film festival organisers. Its really difficult to find a new home, says Quirke, who praises building owner BAM for how theyve worked with the artists group throughout their tenancy. Weve been so lucky to have had this huge space in the city centre. The only place Ive identified that would be able to house all of us is in the Marina area. Its outside the city and its not really suitable as were talking about excessive rates for work spaces that are not ventilated or heated. But I am hoping to move our gallery [Gallery Tactic] to another city centre location that will be a hub where we will get footfall. At least some of the creative energy that exists along that stretch of the River Lee will continue when the CIT Crawford College of Art moves into the distinctive white building just across the footbridge on Grand Parade. Quirke also points to the model adopted by Creative Limerick, where they work with the city council to be offered disused spaces for short-term use. Space London, she says, is an artist-led organisation that works with business and corporations, to be offered disused spaces in degenerated areas, bringing vibrancy. That UK group has had mixed results. At least 35% of artists studio buildings in London are said to be under threat over the next 10 years. These spaces are can be profitably developed for residential use. They might once have provided space for creative activities. Dublin City Councils arts officer, Ray Yeates, estimates that the amount of studio space available in the city has fallen by 24% in recent years. The recent upsurge in the property market has led to the closure of a number of art studios last year. They include Broadstone Studios which housed 34 high-profile visual artists on Harcourt Terrace. Dublin City Council attempts to provide studios. It runs the Vacant Spaces Scheme which matches artists and arts organisations with properties available for short-term lettings. But its not enough. About 350 artists and organisations are on the Vacant Spaces Schemes waiting list. In Berlin, the creative re-use of buildings gathered steam since the fall of the Wall, attracting artists and musicians in the 1990s and the noughties. But for the past 10 years, foreign capital has been flowing into the city. The privatisation of publicly owned assets has changed the terrain of the city that was once so appealing and affordable to artists. AVAILABLE SPACE Back in Cork, the citys arts officer, Jean Brennan, says there are a number of possibly suitable sites within the city that are vacant or underutilised. Cork City Council would urge the [arts] sector to examine its needs and to model a number of options for themselves in terms of what they require. Cork City Council will work closely with the sector to see how these needs can be addressed through private, community interest or not-for-profit business models. Cork City Brennan says that the council has met with both Camden Palace and Sample Studios over the past few months to assist them. She also points to the Creative Cork Scheme which applies discretionary rates relief to premises which are occupied by tenants involved in cultural activity at the current vacant property reduction rate of 50%. Auctioneer, Frank Ryan of DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald in Cork, says there are still plenty of vacant premises in the city. Just walk along the streets. There are plenty of landlords whod be willing to help artists. Ryan points out that the most important thing artists can do is confirm they have insurance. If a landlord is giving them a premises for nothing or for nominal rent, the last thing he wants to find is problems with what you might call a charity letting. He also says that landlords in these scenarios do not want to be exposed to full rates. If City Hall comes on record for what one might call a short-term nominal rent letting, then theyll disregard it from a rates point of view. Artists must have an emphatic agreement that if the landlord wants possession of the building, theyll be gone [in an agreed time]. MOTOWN flowers, a reggae bumblebee, and a solitary bee influenced by Portishead: Bees! A Musical is creative childrens theatre that comes with a serious message about the plight of Irish bees. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan was launched last year in light of research that shows that over a third of Irish bee species are at risk of extinction. This year a companion programme aimed at children has been launched to coincide with a month-long run of WillFredd Theatre Companys Bees! A Musical at The Ark childrens theatre in Temple Bar, Dublin. Bridging the gap between arts and sciences, WillFredd Theatres methods uniquely positioned them to take on the challenge of making this particular piece of educational theatre for children. They specialise in working with interest groups; other projects have seen them work with palliative care workers, the deaf community, and racehorse trainers. WillFredds co-director Sophie Motley directed Bees, which is aimed at children over six. When we work with people we spend a long time getting to know what they do and why and how they do it; often that really understanding the science behind it. Our ethos is that the work needs to be factually accurate, she said. Motley had been aware of the plight of pollinators since working with an urban beekeeper for another WillFredd production, Farm, and was keen to team up with entomologists for a project on bees. Its a big issue, but once you get into rehearsal you cant think about the issue because its all about the characters and the songs. It has to be great fun and allow a seven-year-old to understand something as complex as the science behind pollination, so I suppose we had a bit of a challenge. We were funded by the Science Foundation Ireland and by the Wellcome Trust. That was really important for us as artists because it meant we really had to connect with the science. Motley and Bees scriptwriter Mark Doherty worked closely with scientific advisers, including Professor Jane Stout, a Trinity College botanist with a special interest in pollinators. Lovely audiences today for the first performances for the 2016 run of #BEES A Musical. More 2mrw & all mid-term! pic.twitter.com/g761zOWDAc The Ark Dublin (@TheArkDublin) February 13, 2016 Bringing the bee story to fruition while remaining scientifically accurate was not without its moments of hilarity: I had a really funny conversation with Mark where he had phoned up Jane Stout to ask her if it was feasible for a seagull to pee on a bee in mid-flight. She said its not impossible, so from my point of view as a theatre-maker its allowed; its in! Prof Stout says theres no doubt about Irelands pollinator crisis and, as a botanist, shes keen to emphasise the effect on the human food-chain. Bees and other pollinating insects are essential to the production of some crops, she says. Think of things like apples and strawberries that we grow in Ireland; without pollinators you simply dont get any yield. Professor Stout saw Bees when it was staged at Dublin Theatre Festival last September, and was very impressed with WillFredds interpretation of her field of study. It was absolutely brilliant, she says. I was grinning from ear to ear all the way through. I nit-picked at the script all along, but its incredibly scientifically accurate, which is really pleasing for a bee nerd like me. Sophie Motley hopes her audience of children, like pollinators themselves, will spread the conservation message of the musical into their schools and homes. With a capacity of 4,000 seats over the course of the month-long run at The Ark, the shows message, as well as the packets of pollinator-friendly seeds handed out at the end of the performance, have the potential to spread far. The performance is a catalyst for the dissemination of knowledge, Motley says. Im so proud of it; I think its the most important thing that WillFredd have done. Hopefully were leaving something tangible behind that will continue to affect the lives of children and the lives of pollinators for the future. Bees! A Musical runs at The Ark in Temple Bar, Dublin, until March 13 for families and schools Photo: Cormac Cahill, teacher, with pupils of multi-class A at Carrigaline Educate Together National School. From left: Jonathan Healy, Evan Hayes-Cummins, Martin Healy, Joan Murphy-Leane, and Tia Joya. Pictures by Denis Minihane Tia Joya has just finished writing a book called The Big Race. Ive just finished editing it, so I think Ill be publishing it soon, she says casually. Last year, Tia directed an award-winning animated movie. Tia is 10. The bright, airy, informal classroom occupied by multi-class A in Carrigaline Educate Together is like a glimpse into the future of education. The students, who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses, are moving freely around and interacting with their teacher, Cormac Cahill, and two special needs assistants (SNAs). Some of the class are working on iPads, like Tia, who is expertly swiping at her screen as she shows off her completed book, which Cormac will soon help her publish on iTunes. Cormac goes to the whiteboard to make an announcement: Great news: weve just reached 1,964 downloads! Joan, Evan, Jonathan, Martin, Leon, Callie, and Tia, who range in age from 10 to 14, and have varying educational needs, are delighted at the news. Cormac is one of 15 Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs) in Ireland. ADEs are teachers recognised for their use of Apple technology in the classroom, who also advise Apple on integrating technology into learning environments and devise new ways of using tools like iPads and a range of applications to enrich their students learning. There are about 2,000 ADEs worldwide at the moment, Cormac says. Last year we met in Holland to collaborate and devise projects. Its a support network; if I have something that I want to do and I dont know how, I can ask another ADE. Im hoping we can link up with other classrooms this year and do Skype calls. Joan Murphy-Leane, left, and Tia Joya with the classs Aileen MacKeogh and Production Design FIS Film Festival awards 2014 Cormacs enthusiasm for and delight in multi-class As achievements is reflected in broader recognition for their work; they have three awards from the FIS Film Festival, a national film project for primary school children. Last year they won the award for special effects for their animated Lego movie and the year before that they won the overall award for their Minecraft movie, Cormac says with palpable pride. He uses iPads in the classroom to teach his students how to create their own content: They do all the script-writing, storyboarding, and filming. I step in with some of the editing, but there are kids in here that run rings around me when it comes to technology. Their latest group project is on 1916. Callie has built a Minecraft replica of OConnell Street and theyll produce a book in comic-strip form in time for Easter. Cormac has produced an ebook summary of 1916 for the children, and will email it to them so that theyll know a few basics before setting to work on their comic. Cormacs class is a happy and creative environment, his students brimming with confidence. The Apple programme isnt specifically geared towards groups with special needs. Catherine Mangan teaches 28 senior infants in Holy Cross Mercy Primary School in Killarney and has been an ADE since 2013. Like Cormac, Catherine uses the iPads for film-making, story creation, and augmenting the curriculum by helping her class to generate their own content. Catherine is on the ADE Advisory Board for Europe and has published a course called Learn to read with iPad. I wanted to show parents and teachers how to use iPads in a constructive way, rather than just mindlessly sitting and playing games, she says. Jonathan Healy, left, and Evan Hayes-Cummins with the groups Special Effects FIS Film Festival award 2015. Catherine believes that the best way to avoid producing a passive generation of tech consumers is to fight back with good-quality technological education that generates a sense of agency and confidence in children. Theres a lot of bad use of technology in the classroom, she says. But she thinks that in Ireland, a lot of those problems are based on a reluctance on the part of schools to invest in technology that may quickly become out-dated, and a lack of available training for teachers willing to up-skill. We have to start thinking more creatively, she says. Ireland is too bound by textbooks; in the Nordic countries, the teachers build their own content around the curriculum. Here youre buying books and then struggling to get them finished. Thats ridiculous for juniors and seniors, who should be learning through play. As a giant global corporation, is Apples motive altruism or is it more likely to be profit-driven? Apple is using its distinguished educator programme to reach minds at a formative age and familiarise them with the Apple brand and user interface; by the time the platform becomes almost intuitive to those children, isnt Apple just ensuring that it has a fresh supply of lifelong consumers of its products? Catherine isnt concerned: Were not allowed to endorse Apple products. A lot of our kids are using other devices and products at home: its not a major concern for me. Ive researched other devices and they just dont offer the same opportunities. But what about recent concerns that screen-time is having a negative impact on childrens development? It was recently reported that in the UK, 18% of children are now presenting in primary school in need of speech therapy, and levels of dyspraxia (difficulties orienting oneself in space, manifesting as clumsiness) are also on the rise. Some developmental psychologists are claiming a link between these phenomena and childrens crucial play time being replaced with exposure to technology at a young age. Catherine gives short shrift to the Luddites, and believes that were experiencing a wave of educational scaremongering with a historical precedent: When the ballpoint pen was first produced, there were reports that it was bad for childrens handwriting. People will find ways to fault every new technology. Catherine ensures that there are collaborative aspects to her class projects so that they aid the development of communication skills instead of hindering them. One recent project involved the children producing a book about their parents countries of origin; her class is ethnically diverse and the book project gave children a chance to talk about their heritage. One child whose parents are Indian was so quiet in class that she wouldnt even put her hand up to ask to go to the bathroom, Catherine says. She could tell us all about India and she brought in videos about the area her parents came from. She came alive during that project. Back in multi-class A in Carrigaline, a lively conversation has broken out over whether horse riding is actually a sport. You just sit on the horse and the horse does all the work, so it isnt, Leon says, while Tia, who did a highly technical science experiment on an iPad to determine what speed a horse needs to be moving to complete a jump, doesnt agree. Its a far cry from learning tables by rote under threat of the bata. Fashionistas planning on attending the famous Liverpool horse-racing event on April 8 are being encouraged to dress more Ascot than the midriff baring, stiletto-clad look that has become synonymous with the day. Aintrees management has told racegoers to style up and has even coaxed them into raising standards by offering a 35,000 (45,300) Range Rover plus 8,000 (10,000) in shopping vouchers to the most stylish punter. In recent years unflattering photographs of orange-stained women tottering along in high-heels whilst swigging from bottles of booze were the order of the day for national newspapers. Recent ladies days have reportedly failed to sell out with suggestions regular racegoers have been put off by media coverage of some women taking advantage of the lax dress code, banned at other racecourses. Although there is no official dress code, smart is preferable, according to the official website. On the day, stylists will be on hand to offer advice and expertise on what women should be wearing as racegoers are photographed as they enter the grounds ahead of the prize giving. This year, sales are reportedly up on last year by 4,000 tickets after undergoing its makeover in a bid to refresh ladies day. John Baker, Aintree and North West regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses said he was delighted to raise the stakes at the global sporting event at the heart of Liverpools culture and social calendar. He said that the prizes on offer would replicate the class of the day yet he still wanted people to show off their individuality. Baker said: Ladies day is one of the biggest days in the racing social calendar so were delighted to raise the stakes even higher this year and provide our biggest style award prize ever. The prize on offer to the most stylish racegoer of ladies day is fantastic and replicates the quality and class of the day. It also shows our commitment to ladies day and our aim to make this fabulous day even better. A message on the Aintree website said: Aintree is a spectacle of colour throughout the year, with many using their trip to the racecourse as an opportunity to showcase their favourite race day outfits. An incredibly dull campaign has been kicked into life by the latest (almost daily) Red C opinion poll for todays Irish Sun, which shows Fine Gael down to 26%. There were denials from senior ministers that the poll has ignited widespread panic within the party, but it most surely has many of them sweating. Their expected re-election, which appeared assured, now seems to be slipping away from them. On the surface of it, you could argue a 2 point drop is not the end of the world, but for a party that was on 31% just 10 days ago in a poll in the Sunday Business Post, it is a disaster. And it is a disaster of Fine Gaels own making. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE A shambolic start to the campaign, typified by Taoiseach Enda Kennys gaffe about the electorate being too stupid to understand jargon , has now become crisis of confidence for the party that has for so long seemed destined to lead the next administration. Then there was the week-long confusion around the so-called fiscal space and again Fine Gael made a mess on an issue they have been rock solid on the economy. Finance Minister Michael Noonans proposal to abolish the universal social charge has also not gone down well as expected, with him having to counter accusations of being reckless with the public finances. In an instant, the image of him being the wise old hand at the till has been undermined. Then, Fine Gael the so-called party of law and order, were forced onto the back foot over the closure of garda stations and resources in the wake of the double gangland murder in Dublin. Since then, we have had two television debates, in which Kenny has failed to sparkle, but in which he didnt foul up either. But for a party selling the message of recovery, it is clear it is not working and the people are not buying it. Whether they have made up their mind on Kenny and his deficiencies, or whether they are seeing a Fine Gael which is arrogant and out of touch, three successive drops in the polls at this stage in an election campaign is very worrying. We have heard a lot about parties needing to build momentum in campaigns. Well, Fine Gael has momentum, its just going in the wrong direction. At 26%, Fine Gael is now a full 10 points shy on the vote it took at that historic election in 2011 and they are a long way shy of their desired target of 60 seats. At that last election, Fine Gael and Labour took power with 113 seats. Now we find ourselves in a position whereby the two parties by themselves would not have enough to retain power after the election. That is simply incredible. Such a slump would normally be the basis of a heave, and we could see movement in both parties should these numbers materialise. Even before the poll was taken, former Fine Gael director of elections Frank Flannery gave voice to the concerns within the party as to the stuttering campaign. Frank Flannery Flannery questioned where the young leaders of Fine Gael are in the election campaign, as he criticised the party for being complacent in trying to get its message across to voters. He questioned why young Fine Gael ministers, such as Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, were not playing a dominant role in the campaign as opposed to the ghosts of old battles and old wars. The ex-party strategist also told Newstalks Lunchtime show that Fine Gael and Fianna Fail might have to go into government together for the national interest despite both party leaders denying they would. There are lots of dynamic young politicians in Dail Eireann but none of them are represented in the leadership were being presented in this election. Where is Leo Varadkar, where is Simon Coveney, where is the young leadership of the party? Why arent they playing a dominant role in this debate, representing the new Ireland and the new generation thats coming up? While there is an element of lingering bitterness in Flannerys comments, given his forced exit from the party, there is no questioning of the merits of his arguments. With nine days left in this campaign before voters go to the polls, there is still time for the party to turn it around. Party sources last night have said they are now likely to abandon the daily press conferences in favour of more in-depth engagement with the media in a bid to stop the rot. But ultimately, we are now genuinely in a space where forming a government becomes impossible and a second election could be necessary. Fine Gael will have no one to blame for that imbroglio but themselves. For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE LITTLE of interest happened in East Cork without the late Willie Cox being among the first to hear about it. He was a veteran newsman based in Midleton and had contacts all over the region. It was not surprising one of those contacts should have telephoned him when a strange looking yoke was washed ashore in Ballycotton on February 17, 1966. Within the hour, Willie Cox and I had arrived in Ballycotton and were standing on the foreshore beside the torpedo-like object, which was about 12ft in length. It had fins on the tail and mid-body and these were covered in weeds that were not familiar to local fishermen. But it was the sight of an indicator handle beneath a US military marking which caused concern. For it carried the instruction that it was to be turned one way to arm and the other way to disarm. And so began a spate of rumours that linked the harbour community with a nuclear bomb missing off the coast of Spain. Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were high at the time. Both military powers were on alert. America alone had between 12 and 24 nuclear-armed B-52 bombers flying around the clock on top secret missions in an attempt to deter a nuclear first-strike by the Soviets. One of those bombers flew in a loop from a base in North Carolina and across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the borders of the Soviet Union on January 17 nearly six weeks before the Ballycotton discovery. A tanker aircraft took off from a base in southern Spain to refuel the bomber in mid-air before the return journey to the US. The January 17, 1966, catastrophe at Palomares was caused by an accident during the in-flight supplying of a US B-52 nuclear bomber above southern Spain. The planes collided and crashed during the routine re-fuelling at 31,000ft, accidentally dropping four hydrogen bombs near Palomares in southern Spain. Each bomb had 70 times the destructive power of the device dropped on Hiroshima. None of the bombs was armed and mercifully there was no nuclear blast that could have obliterated part of Europe. But conventional explosives in two of the weapons that fell to the earth exploded on impact and scattered radioactive plutonium over a large area. The third bomb landed in a dry riverbed and was recovered relatively intact. The fourth fell into the sea and was missing. All four crewmen on the refuelling plane died. Three of the seven men on the B-52 were killed. The four others managed to eject safely. There were no fatalities on the ground. America deployed a dozen aircraft, nearly 40 ships, including some from the Sixth Fleet, submarines, and the latest in technology to try and find the bomb. A modern B-52 bomber But despite that exhaustive search, which eventually cost $10m, there was still no sign of the H-bomb after almost six weeks. And that was the position when the strange object was washed ashore in Ballycotton, sparking an immediate probe by the gardai and Defence Forces. Speculation was rife that it was the lost H-bomb. Local residents were warned to keep a safe distance from the foreshore, which was sealed off and secured by the army. Defence minister Michael Hilliard said objects which come ashore could be potentially dangerous. It was incumbent on the military authorities to take the necessary precautions to safeguard life and prevent damage to property. The indicator on the object at Ballycotton pointed to arm. And it was not safe to let anyone near it until it was moved to disarm, a task which the army performed, he said. Colonel Bradford Butler, the US miltary attache in Dublin, discounted any link with the missing H-bomb in Spain, explaining the device was a type of navy communications buoy and was harmless. The whole thing threw us all out and it took us quite a while to identify the object. We assumed that the mention of arm or disarm referred to explosives but later it transpired that it merely referred to activating electrical equipment inside, he said. The device, which may have been dropped from the air into the sea to detect the passage of submarines and transmit data by radio, was removed to Collins Barracks in Cork. Eamon De Velera visiting Collins Barracks It was reported to have been worth 30,000, a huge sum 50 years ago. A spokesman for the US navy in London said the sinister looking device was not a missile and was definitely not dangerous, but the Irish army acted correctly. If you dont know what a thing is, it is always wise to treat it with caution, he said. Five days after it was washed ashore, the buoy was transported in a truck with a military escort from Collins Barracks to Cork Airport. It was put on board a US navy Dakota aircraft and flown to Prestwick, close to Holy Loch, the Polaris nuclear submarine base in Scotland. As the people of Ballycotton relaxed after the scare, the search continued off the Spanish coast for the missing H-bomb. It was eventually located by a mini-sub on April 7, 1966 80 days after the US planes collided. It was recovered from the sea, damaged but intact. US and Spanish security forces cleaned up the debris, decontaminated the land area, and fenced it off. Some 1,400 tonnes of radioactive soil and vegetation were shipped to the United States for disposal. But concerns about radiation levels in the soil resurfaced in recent years. These led last October to the US signing a statement of intent to assist Spain in finishing the clean-up of the crash site. The incident has largely faded into folklore in East Cork, but some older residents still remember the day their community was briefly linked, however tenuously, with the Cold War and the nuclear weapons that defined it. In December 2015, Harvards Nieman Fellows awarded Yang Jisheng for Tombstone, a 1,200-page account of the famine which he estimated claimed at least 36m Chinese lives and a decades-long government effort to whitewash one of the worst man-made disasters in history. Although more recent leaders have permitted, and sometimes even encouraged, the re-evaluation of Mao-era policies, any substantial discussion of national traumas such as the Famine can be highly sensitive. Mr Boutros-Ghali, the scion of a prominent Egyptian Christian political family, was the first UN chief from the African continent. He stepped into the post in 1992 at a time of dramatic world changes, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, and the beginning of a unipolar era dominated by the US. However, after four years of friction with the Clinton administration, the US blocked his renewal in the post in 1996, making him the only UN secretary-general to serve a single term. Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas of Syria, according to the UN, which called the attacks a blatant violation of international law. Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed Russia for at least one of the strikes, when civilians and children were killed in a school and hospital in the town of Azaz. The reported air strikes conducted on hospitals in northern Syria in recent days could amount to war crimes and must be investigated, said British foreign secretary Philip Hammond. I am appalled that the Assad regime and its Russian supporters are still bombing innocent civilians despite the agreement last Thursday to a cessation of hostilities... Russia needs to explain itself, and show through its actions that it is committed to ending the conflict, rather than fuelling it. Russia, which has said it is targeting terrorist organisations and their allies, does not have a vessel in its Caspian Sea flotilla that is capable of hitting a hospital in Syrias Idlib governorate, a defence ministry spokesman was quoted as saying. We categorically reject such claims, even more so because each time those who make such claims prove unable somehow to corroborate their unsubstantiated accusations, said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president. In a conference call with journalists, he said those making allegations should do as Moscow does and rely on the primary source official announcements from the Syrian government. He said Syrias ambassador to Russia said the hospital was destroyed by the US military. A US-led coalition is carrying out strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria. Frances new foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayraul, told lawmakers the immediate urgency was to protect civilians. All bombings must stop. Its unacceptable that hospitals and schools are targeted. These acts are flagrant violations of international law, he said. Last week in Munich, international powers agreed to try to bring about a cessation of hostilities within a week, and US secretary of state John Kerry accused Russia of hitting legitimate opposition groups with its bombing campaign. Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said the accusations were just not true. Mr Ayrault said the Munich deal must be respected. Of course, we talk to Russia, but we have demands and our demands today are for the respect of the commitments made in Munich. Russia, like other partners, agreed to end hostilities, end bombings and allow humanitarian aid. Given the magnitude of the zika crisis, WHO encourages affected countries and their partners to boost the use of both old and new approaches to mosquito control as the most immediate line of defence, it said. The WHO also highlighted the potential of releasing sterile irradiated male mosquitoes, a technique that has been developed at the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Zika, which is now sweeping the Americas, is transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which the UN health body described as an opportunistic and tenacious menace. Many scientists believe zika could be linked to microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in newborns and a serious neurological disorder in adults called Guillain-Barre syndrome. If these presumed associations are confirmed, the human and social consequences for the over 30 countries with recently detected zika outbreaks will be staggering, the WHO said. Fighting the infection at source by eliminating the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes responsible for transmission is moving up the public health agenda, especially as the same insects also spread dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. However, the concept of wiping out an entire mosquito species also raises serious ecological questions, since it runs counter to preserving biodiversity. Still, insect control expert Jo Lines at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has few qualms. This is an invasive species, so getting rid of these mosquitoes would, if anything, restore the natural ecology, not destroy it, he told Reuters. Like rats and pigeons, Dr Lines argues, Aedes aegypti has adapted perfectly to modern urban living by breeding in everything from discarded bottle tops and used car tyres to pet water bowls and vases in cemeteries. As a result, the diseases it carries are likely to be a growing threat to humankind in the years ahead. President Park Geun-hye was making a nationally televised parliamentary address defending her decision to shut down a jointly run factory park in North Korea. She said South Korea will take unspecified stronger, more effective measures to make North Korea realise its nuclear ambitions will result only in speeding up its regime collapse. Ms Park shut the park in response to the Norths recent long-range rocket test, which Seoul and Washington see as a test of banned ballistic missile technology. North Korea last month also conducted a nuclear test. Both developments put the country further along it its quest for a nuclear armed missile that could reach the US mainland. Ms Park said the North has diverted much of the Seoul payments to North Korean workers at the factory park to the Pyongyang leadership, which is in charge of nuclear and missile development. She said the South has sent more than 2bn in government and civilian aid to the North since the mid-1990s. Much of the aid was made when South Korea was governed by liberal governments seeking rapprochement with North Korea from 1998 to 2003. Ms Park said that South Korea must no longer provide large-scale aid to North Korea with few strings attached like in the past. Police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer says a lower and middle school were temporarily evacuated after a 14-year-old boy pulled out the grenade from his school bag. Once at the scene, police and firefighters quickly established that the ordnance was not live and was meant for demonstration purposes. Police say the boy, an immigrant from Romania, found it there years ago and brought it to school to show it off because his history class was focusing on the Second World War. Close encounter ARGENTINA: Thousands of earthlings descended on Capilla del Monte in Argentina for an annual international alien festival that has made the town a hotspot for UFO sightings. The festival in Cordoba province included a parade of neon lights with Star Wars characters, an alien costume contest, and shops selling green stuffed aliens with bulging eyes next to hooded ETs from the 1982 film. Some also attended workshops on everything extraterrestrial held near a local hill that is the site of a purported UFO sighting 30 years ago. The incident reputedly left a large burning mark on the hills grass. Puppy love USA: Three-year-old Labrador retriever Heart has won the premier US dog shows first-ever obedience competition with a crowd-pleasing, tail-wagging display of canine deportment that included fetching a few heart-print pillows. She beat 33 other dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club event, with rivals ranging from a toy poodle to a powerful Rottweiler. Owner and handler Linda Brennan, of Columbia, New Jersey, put Hearts victory down to the cute factor and described her dog as amazing. Gas glitch USA: A computer glitch led to a brief price war between two gas stations in northwest Ohio, allowing some drivers to fill their tanks for pennies per gallon. WTOL-TV reports that a computer malfunction dropped prices at one north Toledo gas station, and another across the street lowered its prices to stay competitive. Customer Taylor Kline told the station he filled his empty tank for just 26c. The extra-low pricing lasted at least three hours before returning to normal. A hollow victory ENGLAND: Work has got under way to fell the oak trees being used to ensure traditional methods are maintained for renovations to Nelsons flagship HMS Victory. Three Scottish estates have donated 10 oak trees and 11 elm trees towards the 15-year conservation project on the worlds oldest commissioned warship which is berthed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire. HMS Victory, which carried Nelson for his greatest and final battle at Trafalgar, was built 250 years ago from more than 5,500 oak trees and the ship inspired the royal navys anthem march Hearts Of Oak. Now the Aberdeenshire estates of Dunecht, Haddo, and MacRobert Trust have donated timber to continue the tradition as Victory, which was launched in 1767, enters its 250th year. The pipes are cooling ANTARCTICA: A piper who is travelling 80,000km to play 12 gigs at famous locations around the world in aid of charity has played a concert in Antarctica. Irene Robinson, a forensic nurse practitioner, is travelling across seven continents in 50 days with the aim of raising 50,000 (64,000) for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and Julias House childrens hospice. The 57-year-old, from Poole, Dorset, started her challenge last month on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth, Hampshire, and has so far played the bagpipes at New Yorks Radio City Music Hall, San Franciscos Alcatraz, and Brazils Christ the Redeemer monument. Her latest performance was at Antarcticas Paradise Bay and Neko Harbour. Enormous eagle ENGLAND: A gigantic bird of prey which had been on the loose since the weekend has returned home. Rex, the Stellers sea eagle, went missing during a flying display at the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation (EHWF) in Eynsford, Kent, on Sunday. EHWFs Nicky Hopkins, who described the bird as gigantic with an 8ft (2.4m) wingspan, said: Rex has come back all on his own. Famous, a song on Wests new album The Life Of Pablo includes lyrics that claim he propelled that b***h Swift to fame. While West tweeted that the pop singer had given her approval, a representative for Swift said she had cautioned him for misogynistic language in the song and had not been aware of the actual lyric. The American singer, 26, became the first woman to win album of the year twice, and had a message for all the young women out there. She told the audience in Los Angeles: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work and dont let those people sidetrack you, some day, when you get where youre going, you will look around and know it was you and the people who love you who put you there, and that will be the greatest feeling in the world. Swift won three Grammys, including one for best music video for Bad Blood, her collaboration with rapper Kendrick Lamar. He led the nominations with 11 nods in nine categories, and won five Grammys, including best rap album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Ed Sheeran won his first Grammy at the ceremony, triumphing in the best solo performance category for his single Thinking Out Loud. Collecting his trophy, Sheeran thanked his parents, saying: They have flown over the past four years to come to the Grammys, and every time they go: Maybe next year! Sheerans friend Swift, who was also nominated in the category for her hit Blank Space, leapt to her feet and cheered as his name was announced before he ran over to embrace her. British superstar Adele was accompanied by just a pianist for her performance of All I Ask from her album 25 but her performance was plagued with sound issues early on. She remained unfazed and ended it with a tribute to Lamar, shouting: I love you Kendrick, youre amazing. Later, she tweeted an explanation, telling her 25.2m Twitter followers: The piano mics fell on to the piano strings, thats what the guitar sound was. It made it sound out of tune. Shit Happens. X. The evening featured a string of tributes to artists who have died since the last ceremony, including Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, Eagles musician Glenn Frey, Motorhead frontman Ian Lemmy Kilmister, and David Bowie. Lady Gaga performed an emotional medley of Bowies hits in tribute to her hero, who died earlier this year. She opened the performance dressed as Ziggy Stardust, complete with red hair, singing Space Oddity before breaking into Changes, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Rebel Rebel, Fashion, Fame, Lets Dance and Heroes. She said paying tribute to Bowie was probably the most challenging thing shes done in her career because the icon influenced her greatly and helped shape her identity. She said performing in his honour was a bittersweet way to say goodbye to one of her inspirations. When I was 19 years old... I started to live my life like him. I began to consume art and fashion and art history and a combination of those things, performance technique... and I only hung out with people that were artists and that was the way that he was and I learned that from him, she said. What Im trying to say is theres people that love David Bowie, and then theres David Bowie fans, and theres Bowie kids, who live like him... and I cant express to you... I dont know who Id be if I didnt have (him as) a figure in my life. I dont know what my identity would be. Bowie died of cancer at age 69 on January 10. Gaga said she never met him but they were pen pals. Beatle bounced Asia 2 Foreign Suspects in Bangkok Bombing Plead Innocent Two Uighur Muslims from China have pleaded innocent to carrying out the deadly bombing of a Bangkok landmark last August. BANGKOK Two Uighur Muslims from China pleaded innocent Tuesday to carrying out the deadly bombing of a Bangkok landmark last year, with one mans lawyer saying his client claims to have been tortured to elicit a confession. The two menBilal Mohammad, 31, and Mieraili Yusufu, 27face eight charges related to the bombing, including conspiracy to explode bombs and commit premeditated murder. Twenty people, including 14 foreign tourists, were killed and more than 120 injured in the August attack, one of the deadliest acts of violence in Bangkok in decades. Bilal, also known as Adem Karadagthe name on a fake Turkish passport he was carrying when he was arrestedfaces two additional charges of violating immigration law by entering Thailand illegally. The defendants had refused to take a plea at an earlier court appearance because there was no Uighur (pronounced WEE-gur) translator available. Both men told the court Tuesday they were Chinese citizens of the Uighur minority, from the city of Urumqi in western Chinas Xinjiang region. Thai authorities have said the bombing of the popular Erawan Shrine was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown. However, some analysts suspected it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand in July had forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China, where they may be persecuted. The Erawan Shrine is especially popular among Chinese tourists, and many were among the victims of the bombing. I couldnt say what my exact address in China is because Im afraid of the Chinese government, Bilal told the court through a translator from Uzbekistan. Police are hunting for another 15 suspects in the case, but no progress has been announced. Bilals lawyer, Chuchart Kanpai, told reporters after the court session that his client said he had been tortured in late September, about three weeks after his arrest, to pressure him to admit that he was the person seen in surveillance video planting the bomb. Bilal claimed his captors poured cold water into his nose, threatened to send him back to China and had a barking dog frighten him. Chuchart said he filed a complaint with the court last month over the torture allegations. He was tortured by officials. He didnt know if they were soldiers or police because they were non-uniformed, Chuchart told The Associated Press on Monday. Back then, he confessed so that he wouldnt be tortured again. He was just saying it. The court on Tuesday appointed a military attorney to represent Yusufu, who said he wanted to find his own civilian lawyer, whose fees he would pay himself. Police say the case against the two men is supported by closed-circuit television footage, witnesses, DNA matching and physical evidence, in addition to their confessions. Police believe Yusufu detonated the bomb minutes after a backpack containing the device was left at the shrine by Bilal. The court set further hearings in the case to begin April 20. Military courts in Thailand have handled criminal cases deemed to involve national security since a May 2014 coup. Burma Anti-Poppy Campaigners Blocked by Authorities in Waingmaw A group of vigilante anti-drug campaigners on a mission to destroy poppy fields in Kachin States Waingmaw Township Wednesday were blocked by authorities. RANGOON A group of vigilante anti-drug campaigners on a mission to destroy poppy fields in Kachin States Waingmaw Township on Wednesday were blocked by authorities, according to members of the group. The team, reported to include up to 2,000 members, was seeking to reach poppy fields in Sadung and Kambaiti sub-townships of Waingmaw Township but were blocked at an army checkpoint near the junction of Sadung and Chipwi roads at noon. Mong Seng, one of the groups leaders, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday morning, We are still being blocked. Four more military trucks arrived this morning. We asked for a meeting with the commander, who is of colonel rank, but this has yet to happen. A week ago, Mong Seng said, the anti-drug team had requested security support from the Kachin State chief minister and from the military command, but on failing to receive a response, the group decided to carry on with its campaign plans. Local civil society organizations have been leading anti-drug campaigns to destroy poppy fields for nearly two years. The groups claimed to have destroyed over 3,000 acres of poppy fields in 2015 alone. Poppy destruction has focused on five townships in the northern state, Sumprabum, Putao, Chipwi, Tanai and Waingmaw. Last month, a teenage member of the anti-drugs group, known as Pat Ja San, was shot and killed while on a poppy eradication drive in Tanai Township, allegedly by a poppy plantation owner. Maran Ja La, a member of Hpakant Townships community drug-eradication team, told The Irrawaddy that campaigners want government support for people who voluntarily participate in the initiative to fight against poppies and other drugs, which discredit the country. Translated by Nyein Nyein. Burma Ethnic Media Coalition Demands Parliamentary Access, Journalistic Safeguards Ethnic media organizations discuss access to the regional legislature, future government funding and journalist protection at a conference in Arakan State. MRAUK U, ARAKAN STATE Ethnic media organizations discussed access to regional parliaments, future government funding and the protection of journalists at Burma News Internationals (BNI) 4th Ethnic Media Conference this week in Arakan State. BNI invited organizations from across the country to the ancient Arakan city of Mrauk U from February 14 to 16. About 280 representatives from various civil society organizations, political parties and media outlets participated in the conference. After three days of discussions, the conference culminated with the release of a five-point statement addressing future financial assistance, the advancement of women in ethnic media, and a demand to the Myanmar Press Council (MPC) and the government to enact laws safeguarding journalists. Nai Ka Sauh Mon, co-executive director of BNI, said that Burmas incoming government must ensure guaranteed access to information in the regional parliaments. As far as I know, in some regions, the small ethnic media houses were not allowed to attend the state legislature, said Nai Ka Sauh Mon, adding that ethnic media groups journalists often face Burma Army threats when they contact government officials to verify the news. Small ethnic media houses are also facing financial challenges, and conference participants broached the topic of future support from Burmas government. Some attendees expressed a willingness to receive such aid; the majority of organizations voted in favour of government assistance if it would not interfere with independent editorial policies of the media houses. But, according to Khine Mrat Kyaw, a member of BNIs board of directors, a decision on the issue has not yet been made. Nai Ka Sauh Mon acknowledged that BNI will need to make a policy for collaboration with the government. The Irrawaddy previously reported that the Ministry of Information had offered to provide financial support to ethnic media groups; BNIs co-executive director, Nan Paw Gay, pointed out that member organizations had never received such funds. Burma Hpakant Protesters Yet to Reach Agreement With Authorities Over Dumping of Mining Waste Negotiations failed to end in an agreement on Wednesday after villagers called for an end to the dumping of jade mining waste in their township. RANGOON Negotiations between authorities and locals in Kachin States Hpakant Township failed to end in an agreement on Wednesday after villagers called for an end to the dumping of mining waste in the area. Hpakant Township residents have been protesting since February 13 against the continued dumping of waste soil from jade mines. They issued a set of demands to local authorities and mining companies operating in the jade-rich region and created roadblocks to stop trucks from depositing more waste, but have suspended their activities during the negotiation period. Authorities agreed to a dialogue with the protesters on Monday, who came from three villagesLone Khin, Seng Taung and Sabaw. We demand that the creek [in the area] be dredged and some of the waste soil pile removed. If it is not done, it will collapse in the rainy season and block the creek, burying the old Seng Taung Village, Zaw Shan, one of the locals who took part in the negotiations, told The Irrawaddy. He said authorities are inspecting the waste soil piles, which are so high that they are at risk of collapsing. Despite the construction of a log wall to prevent soil waste from falling into the creek, Zaw Shan explained that the structure is not strong enough to save the waterway if a landslide occurs. [On Monday] I heard authorities telling the companies not to use their trucks in the area until an agreement has been reached, said La Htaw, a local resident. Hpakant Township saw at least six landslides in 2015 including one incident in November that claimed the lives of more than 100 local prospectors at the site of a jade mine. Locals also claim that dump trucks have caused traffic accidents in the area, killing as many as 20 people, while the irresponsible dumping of waste soil has blocked waterways. Translated by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Long Awaited Film on Burmas First Airplane Hijacking Premieres This Month With the Dawn, based on a 62-year-old true story, was recently shown to special guests at a Rangoon cinema and will be screened for the public this month. RANGOON The premiere of With the Dawn: Burmas Hijack, which is based on a 62-year-old true story, was shown to special guests and the press at Rangoons Thamada Cinema on Sunday and will be screened for the public later this month. The film was based on Burmas June 1954 hijacking when Major Saw Kyaw Aye and two other members of the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) took control of a Dakota passenger plane en route to Sittwe from Rangoon. The KNDO had formed in opposition to the Burmese government, campaigning for the liberation of Karen State. As it needed weapons to support its revolution, the group plotted a hijacking scheme to retrieve a suspected store of abandoned Japanese weapons from the mountains of Karen State. The KNDO members were unable to complete the mission due to a lack of fuel, and instead landed in Arakan States Gwa Township. On board the airplane were 14 passengers and four airline staff. The hijackers escaped with a small amount of cash. Saw Kyaw Aye, now 93, was present at the advance screening of With the Dawn, but did not speak highly of the project, which took nearly three years to complete. Im not very satisfied with the film, especially the fighting scenes, he complained. They might have done their best, but I think it is not enough. Again, there are many supporting roles in the films and am not very satisfied with the plot. He told The Irrawaddy in 2013 that he hoped any re-telling of the hijacking would be understood in the context of the ethnic Karen struggle against long term repression. Antony, the films director, told The Irrawaddy that the movie has political significance for Burma today. Now, we have got a good leader and the armed groups should cooperate with that leader, he said. We ourselves have gone through the miseries of war. I do not want the people to suffer anymore. This is the message I want to give the people and the armed groups, he said. Saw Kyaw Aye, after the hijacking incident, began working as a peacemaker between the Burma government and the Karen forces, something which Antony found noteworthy. I want other armed group members to enter the legal fold like Major Saw Kyaw Aye and join hands in nation building, because our country has lagged much behind the others, said Antony. Sai Lian, a new face in Burmas cinema, plays the role of Saw Kyaw Aye. Ive met Major Saw Kyaw Aye and read the novel [based on the hijacking] several times, he said. My favorite scene is threatening to defuse the bomb on the plane. With the Dawn is scheduled for a public screening on February 26. The director said that he plans to show the filmwhich was shot in Kyaik Don, Karen Statein other ASEAN countries, including Thailand, after screening it in Burma. Translated by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Salween Farmers Demand Government Accountability for Land Confiscation Participants at a land rights seminar in Mon State urge the incoming NLD-led government to address past practices of land confiscation. RANGOON Participants at a land rights seminar in Mon State urged the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government to address past practices of land confiscation with a special court dedicated to the issue. Mon States Salween Eastern Farmers and Land Users Seminar was held in Moulmein for two days, from February 14-15, with over 90 representatives participating from five Mon State townships and one Tenasserim Division township, all selected for their locations east of the Salween River. Also present were Moulmein-based farmers organizations and civil society groups focused on land rights. At the seminar, it was demanded that farmers should be able to bring land rights cases to a special court when conflicts over ownership occur. Participants also called on the government to create a policy that would give land users the right to own land rather than simply being allowed to work on it. The right to land continues to be an important concern in southeastern Burma. Based on complaints from farmers and indigenous communities, from 1999 until 2010, there were a total of over 60,000 acres of land confiscated in Mon and Karen state for military bases under the countrys previous military junta. If Tenasserim Division is added to these figures, some predict that the number would double. It would be over 120,000 acres including the 60,000 acres confiscated in Tenasserim for the Mawrawaddy Navy Base, said Naing Aung Than Lwin, director of Mon Area Social Development Organization. Farmers want their land back. If not, they want appropriate compensation for their crops. When their land is confiscated, they dont get crop compensation and they have to pay rent in order to cultivate the same land, he explained. It is noteworthy that much of the confiscated land in the region is used to cultivate rubber trees, which are often cut down by the military to make way for other projects. When the trees are spared, farmers often find themselves working as laborers, renting trees on land they once owned in order to harvest the rubber. These farmers have to produce rubber from their own land after paying rent [to the military]. Before, they had to pay about 1,200 kyats [rent] per tree [US$1] when rubber was priced well. This year, they had to pay about 400 kyats [US$0.30] per tree. I dont think its realistic to pay rent for your own trees to the military, Naing Aung Than Lwin said. The purchase of land for private projects at prices lower than the market value was also a practice documented in Mon States Kyaikmayaw Township in particular. We have also found out about the construction of a cement factory, without an EITI [Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative] process, without informing the locals, Naing Aung Than Lwin added, saying that such actions lack transparency. The two-day seminar in Moulmein explored the strengths and weaknesses of the current land laws, vacant land management laws, laws that protect farmers rights and national land use policies. Participants called on the incoming NLD government to review and revise laws based on this assessment, and to redistribute land to landless citizens, internally displaced people and refugees. Additionally, the seminar also asked for legislation rights for traditional and customary land management and a separate policy on the issue to be drafted in division and state parliaments. A network of land users from Mon and Karen states and Tenasserim Division will also be formed to work on land rights issues after the seminar. Burma Suu Kyi, Army Chief Hold Third Meeting in Naypyidaw Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing met with NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday in Naypyidaw, the pairs third known dialogue since the election. RANGOON Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing met with National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday afternoon in Naypyidaw, the pairs third known dialogue since last Novembers general election. Also present at Wednesdays meeting was the head of military security affairs Lt-Gen Mya Tun Oo, alongside Lt-Gen Ye Aung, who represented the Burma Army during peace talks with ethnic armed groups. NLD central committee member Zaw Myint Maung and Suu Kyis personal physician Dr. Tin Myo Win also joined the dialogue, according to the office of the commander-in-chief. The two sides frankly discussed matters related to the rule of law and approaches to be taken to build permanent peace, read a typically brief statement on the over one hour meeting issued by the commander-in-chiefs office. After the election, Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing met in December and again on Jan. 25. With the military controlling three powerful ministries and a quarter of legislative seats, relations between Suu Kyi and the army chief are seen as crucial. A new NLD-led government will assume power on April 1. The NLD won nearly 80 percent of seats contested in November and commands a sufficient majority to select the countrys next president. With Suu Kyi constitutionally barred from the position, much speculation has centered on whether the clause may be sidestepped, with the cooperation of the military. Burma Tensions High in Multiethnic Kyaukme after Recent Clashes Amid ongoing conflict and heightened ethnic tensions, thousands of displaced have converged on the northern Shan State town of Kyaukme to seek refuge. KYAUKME, Shan State Amid ongoing conflict and heightened ethnic tensions, thousands of displaced persons have converged on the northern Shan State town of Kyaukme to seek refuge after recent conflict between two ethnic armed groups. More than 10 Buddhist monasteries have been transformed into shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs), including both ethnic Shan and Palaung (Taang), who have fled ongoing clashes between the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The UN estimates that over 3,000 people have been displaced, including some 2,500 from Tauk San village, around 40 miles west of Kyaukme. Following the fighting, which first flared in November but intensified earlier this month, tensions in the multiethnic communities of Kyaukme Township have risen. An ethnic Shan motorbike taxi driver in Kyaukme told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that he no longer felt safe walking in the town at night. His comments reflected the level of distrust that has grown in the community in recent weeks. There were many TNLA troops in the town, he said. They are trouble makers. They have a powerful armed force and attacked the Shan. They also have an alliance with the Kokang and Kachin. When the taxi driver overheard this reporter speaking on the phone to a Mon friend, he questioned whether I was ethnic Palaung. His tone softened when I replied that I was Mon. There are many spies from the Palaung here, said a community leader sheltering in a monastery in the town who goes by the nickname of Dragon. We have to be careful when we talk. A Divisive Pact Several villagers and ethnic leaders who spoke with The Irrawaddy cited the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) as sowing the seeds for conflict between the two ethnic armed forces. The Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), also known by its political arm the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCCS), was one of eight signatories to the NCA in October last year. The TNLA, by contrast, was excluded from the negotiations. Several major armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), refused to sign the pact, in part due to Naypyidaws sidelining of several smaller ethnic armed factions including the TNLA. Soe Myint moved to Kha Hein village in Kyaukme Township around 20 years ago when he married his Palaung wife. A community leader, he is now sheltering in a monastery in the town after fleeing clashes. In the past, Shan and Palaung had got on well, he said. Leaders of the TNLA and the SSA-N had stayed on friendly terms and there had been few issues. But tensions rose late last year, according to Soe Myint, over territorial struggles. Those southern Shan [SSA-S] wanted to control areas where their ethnic Shan live. But the Palaung also wanted to control these areas. Therefore, there has been fighting, he said, hinting that neither side was blameless. In our village, both sides soldiers were killed, Soe Myint said. Our village held funeral services and donated food to the monks. But the villagers did not do anything for the deceased Palaung members. The Palaung then got very angry and threatened to destroy our village. Sai Su, a spokesperson for the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), the political wing of the SSA-N, cited Octobers peace pact as triggering tensions. Shan and Palaung stayed together peacefully for a long time in the community, but now they kill each other. Before the NCA, they could all [live] peacefully, he said. Watching a Cockfight Sai Su and other representatives of the SSPP visited several areas that have been affected by the conflict, including the village of Tauk San. I did not expect to see that so many people had fled their villages, he said. The Tatmadaw [Burma Army] need to maintain peace and stop the fighting between the two armed groups. The government and Tatmadaw have a duty to stop this fighting. Sai Su claimed that Burma Army soldiers were located near villages where clashes took place, but did not join the fighting. He compared government troops to onlookers at a cockfight, waiting to see which protagonist would emerge on top. They just watch, he said, adding that it suited the armys interests to let the two sides grow tired from fighting. Both the TNLA and SSA-S have traded blame over the cause of the fighting, and over civilian deaths. The TNLA has also accused the Shan armed force of cooperating with government troops, a charge the SSA-S has repeatedly denied. Sai Su related the alleged killing of seven people at the hands of the Taang group. We have evidence of three victims who were killed, but in total there were seven people [killed] according to their families. They were shot in the head according to photographic evidence, he said, adding that the families accused the TNLA of perpetrating the executions. Speaking to the Myanmar Times about the alleged killings on Wednesday, TNLA vice chair Tar Gote Ja denied the armed group was responsible. We dont do those kind of lawless activities. If they have evidence, then show it, he told the local news outlet. Sai Su told The Irrawaddy he condemned any side which committed abuses against civilians. Our country will have a transfer of power soon. We do not need this fighting, he said. Thousands of people have fled their homes during this time, this has no benefit for the country. Asia Charting the Contours of India-Burma Ties A new book on Indias relations with Burma helps highlight the regional heavyweights outlook at a time when Burmas internal politics are in flux. There is no shortage of books, articles, reports and academic papers about Burmas relations with China, which is understandable given the extent of bilateral trade between the two countries and Chinas long-standing involvement in ethnic and political insurgencies in the border areas. But this focus on Burmas northeastern frontier has come at the expense of any serious examination of the countrys other powerful neighbor: India. This neglect is surprising given Burma has historically had much closer ties with India than China. Buddhism came from the Indian subcontinent and so did the Burmese writing system. Connections with Indian kingdoms and empires remained strong throughout the reign of Burmas three main dynasties, Pagan, Toungoo and Konbaung. Many Burmese may not have forgiven the British for making their country a province of India after three wars in the 19th century, and the influx of Indian migrants remained a contentious issue throughout the colonial period. But nevertheless, Burmas independence movement was closely connected with Indias. Many Burmese were educated at Indian universities and the vast bulk of Burmas trade was with India even after it became a separate colony in 1937. After independence in 1948, India sent large quantities of weapons and other military equipment to Burma, which helped the besieged government of prime minister U Nu survive the onslaught of a myriad of ethnic and political insurgencies. After U Nu was deposed in a military coup detat in 1962, he spent most of his time in exile in Bhopal, India, until he accepted the militarys offer of an amnesty and returned home in July 1980. Today, India is once again turning its gaze on the region, first with its Look East policy, which was launched in the 1990s to bolster economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia and, since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, Act East, a more forceful version of the same concept. In brief, Indias newly aroused interest in Burma is motivated by four major concerns. Burma is the obvious link between India and lucrative markets in Southeast Asiaand the highway on which it one day will be possible to travel from India to Singapore will go through Burmese territory. New Delhis security planners also want to ensure that ethnic Assamese, Manipuri and Naga rebels are deprived of cross-border sanctuaries in the remote hills of northwestern Burma, from where they can launch raids into India and smuggle guns into Indias volatile northeastern region. Thirdly, Indias rapidly expanding economy also needs energy, and New Delhi has shown interest in importing more oil, gas and perhaps even hydroelectric power from Burma. Lastlybut perhaps most importantlyIndia wants to keep Chinas influence in Burma at acceptable levels. Rajiv Bhatias book, India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours, is therefore very timely and fills a huge gap in current literature about Burmas foreign relations. Bhatia, who served as Indias ambassador to Burma from 2002-05 and later became Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs, is well placed to describe and analyze the sometimes cordial, sometimes strained relationship between India and Burma. Anti-Indian sentiment was strong during the British colonial era, as merchants from India came to dominate domestic trade and moneylenders from the chettyar caste exploited Burmese farmers and in many cases took over their land. Before World War Two, the majority of the population of Rangoon was of sub-continental origin, either Muslim or Hindu, which, needless to say, caused resentment among the indigenous Burmans. Indians were referred toand still areas kalar, a pejorative for foreigners. (Interestingly, Caucasians are called kalar pyu, or White Indians.) Many Indians fled when the Japaneseaided by Burman nationalistsinvaded Burma in 1942. More left after independence in 1948 and, when the military seized power in 1962 and nationalized everything in sight, as many as 300,000 ethnic Indians were forced to migrate to India. This tragic development is described in the only other book of significance about Indo-Burmese relations, The Indian Minority in Burma: The Rise and Decline of an Immigrant Community, by Nalini Ranjan Chakravarti, which was published by Oxford University Press in 1971. Bhatia takes us beyond Chakravartis account of Indo-Burmese relations, through all the ups and downs in former and contemporary bilateral ties, and does so objectively and factually. He also describes how India provided support to pro-democracy activists during and after the 1988 uprising against the dictatorship and how that policy changed in the early 1990s, when it was realized that the military regime was there to stay. Indias policyalong with Western sanctions and boycottshad also had the undesired result of pushing Burmas military regime into the embrace of the Chinese. That, of course, was not in the interest of New Delhis security planners. A new approach was needed and encouraging trade was one way of providing Burma with an alternative to its heavy dependence on China on almost everything from the importation of consumer goods to the acquisition of military equipment. Gradually, relations between India and Burma improved. As Bhatia shows in graphs, border trade more than tripled between 2005-2006 and 2013-2014, from US$15.41 million to US$48.63 million. Overall bilateral trade showed an even bigger increase, and now rivals that between China and Burma. Bhatia opines that China and India will remain actively engaged in competing with each other in order to expand their areas of influence in Myanmar [Burma]. Indias problem, though, is its fixation with the western border. But very little is likely to change in Indias relations with its traditional foe Pakistan. Taking into account Indias four major concerns on its eastern border, it is actually Burma with its opportunities and challenges that should be Indias most important neighbor. Bhatias book helps us understand Indias point of view at a time when the dynamics of Burmas internal politics and external policy prioritiesaway from Chinaare changing the geopolitical landscape of the region. For many Burmese, it would also be a good read in order to overcome traditional prejudices towards India and Indians. Only then can Chinas still powerful grip on Burma be challenged, with India better able to link up directly and strategically with Southeast Asia. India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours by Rajiv Bhatia (New Delhi, London, New York: Routledge; and Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; 2015.) Economy Govt Urged to Prepare Rice Reserves Ahead of El Nino The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) is urging Burmas government to prepare rice reserves for a potentially extreme El Nino period in the months ahead. RANGOON The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) is urging Burmas government to prepare rice reserves for a potentially extreme El Nino period in the months ahead. Weather specialists anticipate El Nino, which has a 12- to 18-month cycle, to produce dangerous heat waves in the first six months of this year. As a result, the government is warning people to make adequate preparations, particularly those in the agriculture sector. Due to El Nino, the summer paddy will be cultivated late as we may face water shortages. There may be a rice shortage and as a consequence, rice prices would go up, Soe Tun, MRF vice chairman, told The Irrawaddy. Thats why were encouraging the government to prepare rice reserves. In Burma, the annual paddy-harvest runs from around June-July until September-October. This year Soe Tun said rice should be stored starting in April and May. The outgoing government has recently been calling on farmers to take the necessary steps to brace themselves for another El Nino, including more economical use of drinking and irrigation water, regular checks for irrigation leaks and improving irrigation channels. The government already appears to be heeding the rice federations advice. On Wednesday, a report in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar stated that the ministry of commerce had prepared over 40 warehouses for the storage of rice in Rangoon, Mandalay and Irrawaddy divisions, as well as Arakan State. Tun Lwin, considered Burmas most trusted weather forecaster after having served in the Ministry of Meteorology and Hydrology for more than 30 years, said recently that El Nino could soon ratchet up temperatures in Burma to 45 degrees Celsius. El Nino started mid-last year, and its expected to linger until about the same time this year. Well have to prepare for some of the highest temperatures yet this summer, he said. The majority of Burmas rice fields are located in Magwe, Pegu and Irrawaddy divisions, which could see temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius as early as this month. Rice is one of Burmas primary export items, but as a result of widespread flooding in July and August of last year, as well as an increase in crop prices, the commoditys trading power has experienced a dramatic decline. According to MRF estimates, more than 700,000 acres of paddy fields can be replanted out of the more than 1 million lost. Wednesday, February 17th, 2016 (2:41 pm) - Score 1,066 The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has joined a growing chorus of people and organisations calling for BT to be separated from control of their national UK broadband and phone (Openreach) network, which the group suggests could provide a market with a level playing field between all players. At present Ofcoms on-going Strategic Review of Digital Communications is said to be seriously considering the option of breaking up BT, which if appropriate would require the regulator to refer the operator to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Politicians seem to be divided on the topic, with many supporting such a split (here) and others, such as Ed Vaizey (Digital Economy Minister), suggesting that it has lots of potential to backfire and existing regulations have proved very effective (here). Meanwhile BT contends that it has continued to meet Ofcoms existing regulatory targets and that any attempt to split their business might tie the process up in legal battles. Questions also remain over how BTs debt / pension pile might be apportioned in the event of a split, as well as the impact on consumer prices from all of the related changes (better services cost more money) and what kind of market model might be adopted in its place. BT has also warned that their plans to roll-out ultrafast (G.fast) broadband could suffer, but that may be a moot point if FTTH/P ends up becoming the favoured course. Equally theres a risk that separating Openreach might harm investment in alternative network operators, since Openreach would perhaps be seen as the bigger target for investment. It also remains unclear whether smaller ISPs on Openreachs network would be winners or losers in such a market. In to this seemingly endless debate steps the CPS, which believes that separation of BT may be the best long-term fix for the United Kingdoms telecoms market. Daniel Mahoney, CPS Economic Bulletin, said: The UKs broadband infrastructure is falling behind international competitors. BT has abandoned attempts to rollout ultra-fast fibre to premises broadband infrastructure. Instead, BTs focus is on fibre to the network and sweating copper assets, which will provide comparatively slower speeds. Structural separation of BT Openreach must therefore be considered for the UKs broadband infrastructure. Regardless of whether there is merit in complaints about BT Openreachs service provision, the current broadband infrastructure market appears anti-competitive. The current broadband infrastructure system leads to a conflict of interest in two key ways. BT runs the UKs broadband infrastructure and service providers are forced to use this infrastructure. Furthermore, BT uses its own infrastructure to provide internet services to customers, which is a major disadvantage to its retail broadband competitors. Structural separation, however, could provide a market with a level playing field between all players, where the infrastructure that service providers rely on would not be owned by one company. This would be good for competition and good for consumers. There is every indication to suggest that a structurally separated BT Openreach with various investors might be more likely to invest in higher speed broadband provision. International precedents from Singapore and New Zealand provide favourable evidence for the structurally separated model. Ofcom should refer the issue of structural separation of BT Openreach to the Competition and Markets Authority later this month. The Competition and Markets Authority can then investigate the matter and suggest the best ways of increasing competitive pressures in this market. A delayed decision on this issue will be bad for broadband consumers and bad for the UK economys productivity. Previous delayed decisions on improving the UKs infrastructure such as that on Heathrow expansion have been detrimental to the UK economy. Ofcom must not follow in these footsteps. A short summary of the bulletin can be found online (here), which echoes many of the arguments that weve seen before and suggests that such a move would foster the deployment of ultrafast FTTH/P in favour of hybrid-fibre solutions like G.fast. However its worth noting that this would not solve the connectivity problems for rural areas since none of the major players seems to anticipate 100% FTTH/P coverage or even close to it. Ofcom aims to publish their findings by the end of this month, although it could still be delayed into March or later. At this point the weight of opinion seems to be moving in favour of those calling for BT to be split, but only the regulator can actually make the final decision and history shows that they tend to prefer a less aggressive approach. We shall see soon enough. UPDATE 4:49pm The official BT response is as follows. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (28) Westpac has collaborated with Octet, a proven supply chain management and financing platform built in Australia, to develop its Business Link trading platform. Westpac Chief Product Officer, Jim Tate said Business Link allows Westpac customers to use their existing credit cards^ to facilitate payment of goods from overseas suppliers at competitive real-time exchange rates, removing the need to disclose secure credit card information to suppliers or make upfront payments via traditional methods. According to Tate, Westpac Group - including St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA - is the first major Bank in Australia to offer businesses an online platform that facilitates credit card payments to pay overseas suppliers with support for ten foreign currencies, as well as enabling business customers and their suppliers to jointly manage their workflow. With the increasing number of businesses trading with suppliers in a global marketplace, particularly in Asia, Business Link provides businesses with a secure end-to-end platform, which facilitates payment to international suppliers.We know many Chinese exporters do not accept credit card payments due to merchant restrictions and, as a result, many Australian businesses are unable to utilise funds sitting dormant on their credit cards.By working with Octet, we can now offer business customers the ability to now use their credit card instead of tapping into cash reserves to make payments. This gives businesses the ability to free up their cash flow as well as having access to competitive real-time exchange rates, credit card interest-free periods and reward terms. It also enables businesses to make the most of early payment benefits.Tate said that previously only larger commercial businesses could afford to build supply chain management tools.Now, with Business Link, our customers also have access to such tools, which also encompasses the workflow between our customers and their suppliers. Business Link is another example of our continued investment to make Australian businesses stronger.Tate said Business Link builds on a proven supply chain management platform from Octet, which has been used to transact nearly $1 billion in supplier payments to date, facilitating transactions between Australian small businesses and tens of thousands of suppliers across more than 60 countries, including China and India.With Business Link, Westpac and Octet are making the supply chain management tools that have traditionally been the realm of large enterprises accessible to SMEs by making cross-border payments and transactions between businesses frictionless, Octet Managing Director Clive Isenberg said.Small businesses are bombarded each day with alternative funding but many already have a powerful tool in their pocket: their credit card. By using the credit cards they already have to facilitate suppliers both in Australia and abroad, small businesses could pay invoices earlier, negotiate potential discounts on goods with better credit terms, and may get reward points simply by going about their business. All while speeding up their supply chain significantly and removing the language barriers often faced when dealing with international suppliers.Tate said customer benefits of Business Link include: Frees up cash flow by using customers existing credit cards^ to support and facilitate payments for imports instead of tapping into cash reserves Provides access to competitive real-time exchange rates Saves time by consolidating the management of suppliers onto one platform - securely stores important documents such as purchase orders and invoices, as well as shipping and payment receipts. It also provides easy workflow and document management capabilities between customers and their suppliers Provides bilingual capability (English and Mandarin) Enables secure international payments to suppliers, processed by Westpac and deposited directly into the suppliers pre-registered bank account, without disclosing the Westpac customers credit card details to suppliers. Notebook shipments dropped significantly in 2015, mainly due to the impact of currency exchange rates and hanging back for Windows 10. According to the global market research firm TrendForce, worldwide notebook shipments (that is any clamshell-style regardless of operating system) totalled 164.4 million units, representing a year-on-year decline of 6.3%. The release of Windows 10 in the Q3 and Intels 6th generation Skylake CPU in Q4 also delayed notebook purchases to 2016. HP and Lenovo will again compete for the top spot in 2016, said TrendForce notebook analyst Anita Wang. HP has a good chance of holding the most market share this year and maintaining its leadership position because of the relatively stronger U.S. market. Dell will likely retain third place in the notebook shipment ranking for this year. As for ASUS, Apple and Acer, their struggle for the fourth, fifth and sixth positions in the 2016 ranking will be fierce since they have similar market shares of just around 10%. South Koreas Samsung (eighth place) will try to revitalize its notebook business already announcing support for Windows 10. New entrants such as Xiaomi and Huawei will also roll out notebook products however shipments will be limited this year because they will be just testing the market. HPs notebook sales were driven by strong U.S. demand from the beginning of Q2, 2015 though its shipments were smaller less than 2014. It kept its first place ranking with a 20.5% market share. Lenovos 2015 notebook shipments grew 6.9% annually with a market share of 19.9%. Despite the demand in Europe being generally weak, Lenovo continued to develop its sales channels there. By expanding its market share in Europe, the Chinese brand increased its overall notebook shipments. Dell retained third place in the 2015 ranking due to robust sales of its Chromebook in North America. The brand saw its notebook shipments grew 4.3% annually and took 13.7% of the global market. Apple managed to overtake ASUS and Acer to become the number four brand. New MacBook models and strong demand in the US drove Apples notebook shipments, bringing its global market share to 10.34%. ASUS focused its sales efforts on notebook during last years final quarter, resulting in a massive quarterly shipment growth of over 70%. ASUS accounted for 10.31% and fell to the fifth place in the ranking. Acers notebook business faced challenges in different regions during 2015. The Taiwanese brand lost market share to Lenovo in Europe, and its Chromebook sales in the U.S. were impacted by tough competition from HP and Dell. Consequently, Acers 2015 notebook shipments fell considerably by 16.6% from the prior year. It was sixth in the annual ranking or 8.9% of the global market. The .sydney domain space is now one year old how and where has it been used? Almost 9,000 domain names have been registered under .sydney. These include .sydney early adopters such as the City of Sydney (www.whatson.sydney), Barangaroo (www.barangaroo.sydney), Luna Park (www.lunapark.sydney), the Sydney Fish Market (www.fishmarket.sydney) and the International Wing Chun Academy (www.kungfu.sydney). Facts about one year of .sydney domain names 97% of all .sydney domain names are registered by Australians, with 77% of these registered to individuals and businesses located in New South Wales. The 10 suburbs with the most .sydney domain name registrants are (in order): Sydney, Parramatta, Surry Hills, Balmain, North Sydney, Dee Why, Alexandria, Baulkham Hills, McMahons Point and Paddington. The most visited .sydney domain names as ranked by Alexa (a website traffic monitoring tool) include: www.barangaroo.sydney www.fieldday.sydney and www.agentfinder.sydney 46% of all .sydney domain names are between 8 and 13 characters long. There is high availability of short and memorable .sydney domain names, with 98% of all possible three- and four-character domain names unregistered. The largest portfolio holder has registered 115 .sydney domain names. Neustar, Inc. processes on average 29 million Domain Name System (DNS) queries per month for .sydney domain names, which offers an insight into the amount of website traffic generated by these domains. This averages to approximately 900,000 queries per day. George Pongas, Director of Product Management at Neustar, Inc. said the milestone capped off a successful first year of operation. We are pleased with the consumer demand for .sydney domain names to date and look forward to seeing proud Sydneysiders and businesses serving the state warmly embracing the namespace as awareness continues to grow. Mr Pongas said he was particularly proud of the way businesses and individuals were using and promoting their .sydney domain names. He added that the namespace was serving the needs of the community, with 97% of registrations originating in Australia. Its encouraging to see the number of .sydney owners using their new domains in their marketing and advertising to connect to their city. This is a testament to their endorsement of the citys new home online. To celebrate .sydneys birthday, Sydneysiders can enjoy special birthday offers for a limited time courtesy of domain name retailers Crazy Domains, Melbourne IT and Netregistry. To register your .sydney domain name and take advantage of these special birthday offers, please visit our website: www.get.sydney In its latest market activity report to shareholders, Dubber says its November 2015 $5.7 million capital raising enables it to expand its business internationally, initially in the UK & Europe. Beyond the Australian market, Dubber says it is also working on commercial agreements with UK, European, Asian and telecommunication providers, and expanding distribution channels in UK & Europe. The opportunity is to grow our commercial interests during this calendar year, and having secured the requisite funding, Dubber has taken significant steps towards assembling the necessary team accordingly, said Dubber managing director, Steve McGovern. On Wednesday Dubber announced that Macquarie Telecom in conjunction Master Distributer GoCloudIT, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling Macquarie to pilot the Dubber platform with their customers for a 60 day period.McGovern said that under the MoU, a wholesale agreement will be prioritised, enabling Macquarie to deliver innovative cloud based call recording As a Service to its Corporate and Government customers.Macquarie is a unique and important player in the Australian Telecommunications market in that they provide services predominately to Corporate and Government customers. These are areas in which the Dubber platform can be the catalyst for creative solutions and add significant value, McGovern said.The ability to capture voice data on a large scale and keep it live and available, opens up new opportunities for businesses to better manage their customer relationships.Given Dubbers deployment advantage, the parties have decided to connect Macquarie customers under the framework of a pilot whilst the wholesale agreement terms are completed, thereby speeding up the overall procurement process. The initial focus will be in the call centre, financial services and IT sectors where Macquarie are particularly strong.According to McGovern, Dubbers Cloud Call Recording as a Service is a unique offering in the market place and the company has a goal of achieving a minimum of 20 telecommunication partner agreements by the end of calendar year 2016.Achievement of this goal, whilst augmenting with direct business customers in Australia, would see Dubber achieve significant market penetration.On Wednesday, Dubber announced the appointment of Simon Raynor as Cloud Architect to liaise with the technical and product teams of its telco customers to manage the connectivity and productisation of the Dubber service in both its production and Dubber Labs for Broadworks environments.Prior to his appointment, Raynor was Unified Communications Product Manager for Commander, part of the M2 Telecommunications Group. Through the partnership, Dropbox and DCC hope to help women enter industry sectors with traditionally low female participation and pursue rewarding careers. The initiative will see DCC receive ongoing support from Dropbox of their work in raising awareness about diversity and inclusion in Australia through educational events, campaigns, webinars and free resources. DCC is a social enterprise helping women pursue rewarding careers, particularly in sectors with high gender inequality rates. Charlie Wood, Managing Director of Dropbox ANZ, said that working with DCC aligns with Dropboxs local and international efforts to attract and retain top women and minority talent in the workforce.We want to be a company where Dropboxers from any background can build a career they love. Thats why were committed to building a team with diverse perspectives focused on creating innovative products that are used by more than 400 million people around the world. Were working hard to minimise unconscious bias in the workplace by changing how we recruit, retain and promote employees with unique life experiences."Dropbox joins DCCs list of pre-qualified companies championing action and change against these figures by creating supportive environments for women across a wide range of industries, including global professional services company Accenture, which has also been announced today as a supporting partner of the program.Other DCC endorsed companies include: PwC, IBM, EMC, Curtin University, Minter Ellison, Origin Energy, Cue Clothing, and ThoughtWorks.Accenture are proud to support DCC in their efforts to encourage diversity and equality in Australian workplaces. The diversity of our people is a key differentiator and critical for innovation. We welcome this opportunity to support and encourage more women to pursue rewarding careers particularly in industries with typically low female participation such as technology, said Jordan Griffiths, Accenture Australia Inclusion & Diversity Lead.Were absolutely humbled by the amount of support weve received both from the industry and the community since DCCs inception, said Gemma Lloyd, DCC co-founder. Diversity and inclusion are becoming a key focus with more and more companies, which is fantastic to see. He will work with the StartupAUS board to continue its mission to transform Australia through technology entrepreneurship. iTWires article is here. McCauley will take over from StartupAUS Founding Director and Interim CEO, Peter Bradd, who led the not-for-profit organisation and will continue on within the organisation as Chairman. McCauley joined StartupAUS in 2015 as Head of Strategy and Advocacy. He was responsible for developing StartupAUS' extensive contribution to the Federal Government's National Innovation and Science Agenda and the StartupAUS report on the outcomes of the national Innovation Policy Hack in October 2015. Prior to joining StartupAUS, he spent three years as an Australian diplomat in Tel Aviv. During his time in Israel, he led the Australian Embassy's strategy and analysis on regional security issues, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation policy. McCauley, said: I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to play an important role helping Australias economy work through this transformative phase. StartupAUS is an organisation that has a great deal to contribute to the future of Australia and I'm very excited to be part of that. Australia has come a long way recently in recognising the direction we need to take to safeguard our future prosperity, however there is a lot more to do. I look forward to continuing to work with all of our stakeholders to help make Australia one of the world's leading startup ecosystems. We need to think creatively and act boldly to allow us to take full advantage of the huge windfall technology can deliver. This year StartupAUS will release its most ambitious Crossroads Report to date. Were currently hard at work gathering examples of best practice policy from around the world in order to help Australia join the elite ranks of startup ecosystems in the US, Israel, the UK, and elsewhere. There is a political and economic imperative to ensure we take full advantage of the vast opportunities presented by emerging technology and StartupAUS will be at the forefront of those efforts, he added. StartupAUS Chairman and outgoing CEO, Peter Bradd said Alex has been an integral part of the StartupAUS team over the past six months. His extensive understanding of innovation culture, as well as his expertise in policy and advocacy can be greatly attributed to his former role as Australian diplomat in Tel Aviv, Israel. Alexs experience working closely with government and entrepreneurial personalities made him the perfect candidate choice for this leadership role. "As Chairman of StartupAUS, I look forward to continuing to work alongside Alex in what will be an exciting year of innovation, ideas and implementation from government, industry and the broader business community," he added. Minister for Industry, Innovation, and Science, The Hon. Christopher Pyne MP, congratulated Mr McCauley on his appointment as CEO. Organisations like StartupAUS play an integral role in working to accelerate the growth of Australian startups across the country, Minister Pyne said. General Manager at Fishburners, Murray Hurps, said: "StartupAUS has been instrumental in helping Australia understand the importance of startups, as well as the barriers to their progress. Peter Bradd will be missed, but the goal is certainly more important now than ever before. Alex has our full support, and best wishes." CEO of Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL), Yasser El-Ansary, said: StartupAUS has made a significant and important contribution to the innovation and entrepreneurship policy agenda that we have in Australia right now. Weve been collaborating with StartupAUS right from the time of its inception, and were very much looking forward to continuing that work with Alex in the period ahead. McCauley continued: We are in the process of finalising a range of corporate partnerships for 2016 to help us build our team so that we can meet the increasing need for trusted voices in the national conversation on innovation and startups. We have also received extremely generous support from two individuals - Co-Chairman of CHAMP's Board of Directors and Investment Committee, Bill Ferris, and Director and Co-Founder of Allen & Buckeridge, Roger Allen. The personal generosity of Bill and Roger has been very humbling; it's fantastic to have such luminaries of the Australian business community recognise the importance and quality of the work StartupAUS has been doing. On behalf of StartupAUS and the startup community more broadly I want to say a special thanks to both of them. WHO: Saul Caganoff, organiser of APIdays Australia, the Southern Hemispheres largest conference dedicated to APIs. WHEN: APIdays Australia will be held on March 1 & 2 2016 WHERE: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre,1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf VIC 3006 WHY: Banks are now recognising APIs as a way to collaborate and at times compete with fintech startups. At past APIdays events in Australia, banks were reticent to share their experiences, but organisers are now seeing a strong desire from banks to present and share their activities around API strategy. This year is already showing signs of increased action from banks on their API strategies. In the closing months of 2015, National Australia Bank (NAB) hosted a hackathon in partnership with Axway, where fintech startups were encouraged to create new products based off the NABs (sample) APIs. At the start of the month, the ANZ Bank announced a search for a Digital Banking Lead while talking about new partnership opportunities at a Melbourne-based fintech meetup. APIdays Australia is a unique opportunity to learn and connect with some of the worlds most influential thinkers on the transformative power of APIs, including: Senior Manager, Commercial Feasibility at NAB, James Bligh, Innovation & Digital Services at Barclays, Rana Peries, Head of Enterprise Architecture, Digital at ANZ, Tim Liddelow and Senior IT Specialist at Bankwest, Uli Holtel. Representatives from Telstra, CA Technologies, Google, Uber and Atlassian will also be at the conference. The APIdays Global conference team will also be presenting new research following its APIdays Banking APIs: State of the Market Report. The report is an industry survey featuring 22 banking executives around the world on their API preparedness and implementation strategies. PHOTO AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: Organiser of APIdays Australia, CTO at Sixtree, IT Architect and software expert, Saul Caganoff is available for interview now and during the conference. Speakers will be available for interview and photos during the conference from 1 - 2 March 2016. Speakers and Program: https://au.apidays.io/ About APIdays Australia: APIdays is a global conference series. The March event is the third event held in the Southern Hemisphere. Previous Australian and New Zealand events of the conference have sold out, drawing representatives from influential organisations in finance, telecommunications, media, utilities, healthcare, technology and government from start-ups to large enterprises. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will challenge Apple over the Error 53 debacle for alleged breaches to the Australian Consumer Law provisions. Error 53, as reported by iTWire this week will apparently irrevocably brick (kill) an iPhone 6/S/Plus if the touch sensor, flex cable, LED, or glass screen (or some random combination of these) is replaced by a non-approved Apple repairer and the phone subsequently upgrades to a later version of iOS as Apple want you to do. Co-founder of US based iFixit.Org Kyle Wiens contacted iTWire after the article saying It is an important issue and since you wrote about it I have updated my original article. For the record, the issue isnt non-genuine parts or independent repair. The Error 53' happens with Apple parts as well. Its a synching issue you could swap the flex cables between two brand new iPhone 6s and run into the same problem. The problem is that Apple hasnt released the tool to synchronize new parts with people's phones, he said. Manufacturers using their monopoly to block third party repair isnt a new issue auto manufacturers have also tried to lock out local mechanics. In the US it took Right to Repair legislation to force the automakers to do the same thing. Hopefully Apple is savvier than they were. But even if Apple dont cooperate, legislation has been introduced in four states (New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Nebraska) to force them to support local repair shops. Read on for other legislative and legal action being mooted. Australia The ACCC has stated that it now well aware of the practice and would pursue enquires with Apple. The ACCC is writing to Apple urgently seeking a response to the concerns that have been raised by consumers. The ACCC is examining whether this practice contravenes the consumer guarantee and false and misleading representations provisions of the Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC would also be concerned about any practices which restricts competition, including through access to parts or data, an ACCC spokesperson said. A noted Australian class action firm (that requested to remain nameless at this time) said that as the individual dollar value of the claim was too low it was unlikely a class action claim would succeed here however owners would be well within rights to pursue civil action via the courts for loss of use, and importantly loss of data if the claim could be proven. The ACCC is the best avenue for recourse at present. USA US legal firm PCVA said its investigating a potential class action suit and has called on affected owners to register their interest. They state that, We hope to find out why Apple implements a policy where end-users arent free to choose someone other than Apple to repair their devices. We believe that Apple may be intentionally forcing users to use their repair services, which cost much more than most third party repair shops. Where you could get your screen replaced by a neighbourhood repair facility for $50-80, Apple charges $129 or more. There is incentive for Apple to keep end users from finding alternative methods to fix their products. PCVA stated this is analogous to repairing ones car at a local mechanic. Under Apples strategy, your car would no longer start because you didnt bring it to an official dealership. They intentionally disable your car because you tried to fix it yourself. That is wrong, and we hope to prove that it violates various consumer protection laws in the United States. UK The Guardian reported that Apple is under pressure as lawyers pledge action over the Error 53 debacle. A barrister told the Guardian that Apples reckless policy of effectively killing peoples iPhones following the software upgrade could potentially be viewed as an offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. The act makes it an offence to intentionally destroy the property of another. Show me where, in consumer law, the vendor has the right to render inoperable the hardware you just bought, said one comment on the Guardians website. Comment If Apple persists with this policy, it could find itself fighting multiple legal battles in multiple countries. In the past week alone 6,800,000 (and counting) news articles about Error 53 have appeared and the vast majority are damning of Apples actions. Words like fury, outrage, cluster f^%k, euthanapple, iPhone killers, crippling, unfair, not covered by insurance, no warranty, rotten Apple have been used. But more damaging is an estimated 234,000,000 tweets and posts, many from disgruntled users. This will not go away. It is not so much that Apple, at least in Australia, does not have a reasonable approved service network, it is that there are places like Alice Springs where the nearest authorised repair centre is Adelaide or Darwin and I am told the local phone repair shop does a huge trade in iPhone repairs well used to. The sentiment that Apple has lost control over the controversial error 53 sums it up all too well. What is a Jew? Israeli museum attempts an answer JERUSALEMI was on a short visit to Israel and spent time with a friend with whom I have been engaged in a 30-year argument. Elli... When anti-Semitism rears its head, we must be ready to fight it Anti-Semitism is a force that is persistent as well as pernicious. When it occurs, it must be fought both by being confronted in real time... By of the Tuesday's primary results are the latest reminder that it's almost impossible to have a boring election in the current, overheated political environment. Three incumbents -- Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett -- failed to gain 50% of the vote in their respective contests. Now all three must face rejuvenated opponents -- and their supporters -- on April 5 to hold onto their seats. Here is my list of those who exceeded and failed to meet expectations in this week's primary: Winners State Sen. Chris Larson -- Who could have seen this coming? Except, obviously, Abele's pollster, who must have convinced the millionaire incumbent to start spending early and often on his re-election campaign. Yet, in the end, Larson bested Abele by more than 700 votes, despite constant turmoil in Larson's camp. Now the big question is this: How much will Abele spend to hang onto his seat? Insiders say $5 million is a low estimate. Milwaukee aldermen -- Despite the rush of candidates eager to land a $73,222-per-year job on the Common Council, all of the aldermen facing primary challenges cruised to victory in Round One, with all but one - Ald. Robert Puente - picking up a majority of the votes cast. The city of Milwaukee appears untouched by the anti-establishment fervor gripping much of the rest of the country. Wisconsin Working Families Party -- The new left-wing organization, headed by Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, saw all four of its candidates clear the primary. But the group was most effective in helping Larson with a late blitz of anti-Abele mailers that linked the Milwaukee Dem to everything from Republican Gov. Scott Walker to the city's high murder rate. Huh? Still, it appeared to work. "David beat Goliath," Dimitrijevic crowed of Larson's victory. Ald. Bob Donovan -- The south side conservative rode his law-and-order platform to a solid second-place finish in the Milwaukee mayor's race and a convincing victory in his re-election bid for a seat on the Common Council. One way or the other, Donovan is likely to remain on the city's payroll for another four years. Wisconsin voters -- It looks like we'll have competitive April contests in the races for Milwaukee mayor, Milwaukee County executive and state Supreme Court justice (not to mention the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries). Even one of the open aldermanic seats sets up a weighty matchup between Milwaukee County Supervisor Khalif Rainey and Milwaukee School Board President Michael Bonds. What's not to like? Voter ID -- So much for suppressing the turnout. Campaign officials were estimating that only about 30,000 Milwaukee residents would vote in Tuesday's primary. More than twice that number ended up going to the polls. As my colleague Christian Schneider points out, the numbers were equally impressive statewide. Now we'll have to see how voter ID works in a high-turnout election in April -- and November. Remington Research poll -- The conservative firm started by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's top aide came out with last-minute survey results that pretty much nailed it, predicting a solid victory by the Milwaukee mayor with Ald. Bob Donovan finishing second while signaling problems for the Milwaukee County exec. The poll was paid for by Milwaukeeans for Self-Governance. More on that group in a minute. Losers Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele -- The response from the state's political insiders was summed up by this veteran operative: "Chris Abele's statewide ambitions took a major hit (Tuesday)." Abele allies were quick to push back. Said one: "It's way more likely Rep. Dana Wachs" -- who? -- "runs for governor than Abele." Look for Abele to ditch his feel-good TV ads and lit pieces in favor of hit jobs focusing on Larson's shoplifting ticket and Senate record. "Abele will spend what it takes to win," said one Abele supporter on Wednesday. "There is no number on it." Must be nice to have deep pockets. Gov. Scott Walker -- Like it or not, the state Supreme Court race will serve as a referendum on the state's unpopular governor, who appointed Rebecca Bradley to the Milwaukee County circuit court, state Appeals Court and state Supreme Court. Her rapid political rise is a Walker creation -- even if you won't see him in any of her ads. On Tuesday, Bradley eked out a two-point victory over Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenberg. That even though Bradley's side outspent her two opponents and talk radio gave her a strong push. Third-party groups on both sides must be weighing whether to get in the race in a big way. Milwaukeeans for Self-Governance -- The newly created group enlisted the help of Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and former Ald. Michael McGee in an effort to unseat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in favor of, it appeared, Ald. Joe Davis. The group, led by GOP operative Craig Peterson, likely boosted turnout in the city and suppressed support for Barrett. But Davis, who got more attention for his Facebook photo with a bunch of gangbangers, finished a distant third in the mayoral contest. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett -- To be fair, the third-term mayor won by 13 percentage points -- a landslide in most civics textbooks. But Barrett has set high standards, having gotten at least 70% of the vote in his last two re-election bids. That will be hard for him to match, given the concerns about the city's crime rate, a topic that plays to Donovan's base. Still, Barrett's team is not panicked. He has an $810,000 nest egg, and a tumultuous Democratic presidential primary would likely help his turnout. Rep. Josh Zepnick -- It's been a rough few months for the Milwaukee Dem. First, Zepnick -- a vocal foe of impaired driving -- was arrested and ticketed for driving while intoxicated. Now Zepnick finishes third in a three-way aldermanic race, receiving only 9% of the vote in Tuesday's primary. "Probably because no one wanted him to give them a ride to the polls," sniped WITI anchor Ted Perry in a mini-Teditorial on Twitter. Ouch. Positive advertising -- Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and a GOP front group backing Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley hoped to snuff out their opponents with upbeat TV ads and fliers. It didn't work. Let the firebombing begin. By of the Add House Speaker Paul Ryan to the list of politicians being criticized by Republican Party presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Speaking Wednesday at a town hall meeting in Bluffton, S.C., the New York businessman sounded as if he blamed 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's loss on the selection of Ryan as Romney's vice presidential running mate. "That was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan," Trump said, according to a report in the Washington Post. "And I like him. He's a nice person, but that was the end of the campaign." The comment, which was made at a retirement community, came as Trump was responding to a question about Social Security, the Post said. Ryan, a Janesville Republican, has long been a proponent of entitlement reform. Democrats and their allies attacked Ryan's proposals on Medicare. "Every single other candidate is going to cut the hell out of your Social Security remember the wheelchair being pushed over the cliff when you had Ryan chosen as your vice president?" Trump said, referring to an attack ad. "That was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan. And I like him, he's a nice person, but that was the end of the campaign. I said, 'You've got to be kidding because he represented cutting entitlements, et cetera, et cetera.' The only one that's not going to cut is me." Asked earlier Wednesday by radio broadcaster Laura Ingraham why Trump is doing well in the polls, Ryan said "The only explanation I have is he is giving voice to the real and sincere anxiety that is out there. People are very, very panicked that the country that they knew and loved is leaving them. That the oppoortunity is not in front of them but it's behind them ... And that the political system, that the people who have been in charge, have failed them." "And so they are looking for someone to shake it up, who doesn't care, who doesn't yield to political correctness," Ryan said. "And who is going to call a spade a spade. And get on with fixing things. I think that's what people are hungry for and that's why I think they're being responsive to him." Ryan said he would "work with whoever our nominee is." According to the New York Times, Trump also spoke harshly about S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican who battled with Trump during the current presidential campaign before dropping out of the race. "The guy is a nut job, Trump said. He added, I think Lindsey Graham is a disgrace and I think you have one of the worst representatives of any representative in the United States. I dont think he could run for dog catcher in this state and win again. Polls show Trump with a double-digit lead in South Carolina heading into Saturday's GOP primary. SHARE Beda Bolzenius Johnson Controls By of the Johnson Controls Inc. said Wednesday that Beda Bolzenius, the president of the automotive business that is soon to be spun off, will leave the company by the end of March. The disclosure by Wisconsin's largest company based on sales was made in a filing with securities regulators. His departure was announced one month after the company announced he would be president and chief operating officer of the automotive business once it's spun off from Johnson. Bolzenius has run the company's automotive business since 2006. He joined Johnson Controls in 2004 after spending nearly 20 years with the automotive supplier Robert Bosch in Germany. The automotive business is the world's leading supplier of car seats, with 240 factories around the world and $20.1 billion in sales last year. Bolzenius ranked third among company executives in terms of pay last year, with total compensation of $6.5 million. Johnson Controls announced last year it would spin off the automotive business so it could focus on growth in its other businesses and shed its image as an auto-parts supplier. The company said in January that the automotive business would open for business in October and take the name Adient. Bruce McDonald, vice chairman of Johnson Controls, has already been named chairman and chief executive of the automotive business. Two weeks after that announcement, Johnson Controls announced plans to merge with Tyco International to combine its building and energy storage businesses with Tyco's fire and security systems businesses. The merger is expected to produce $150 million in annual tax savings because of the company's shift of its corporate headquarters to Cork, Ireland. In addition to his work in the automotive business, Bolzenius was one of two corporate officers who have been based in China as part of the company's plan to set up a second corporate headquarters in Shanghai. Bolzenius served as vice chairman overseeing Asia for Johnson Controls. As the world's largest automotive market, China is a significant source of sales and income for Johnson Controls. McDonald said last month that the company is opening a factory at a rate of one every two months. SHARE By of the Emerging companies can meet with established corporations to explore potential relationships at the Wisconsin Tech Summit in Waukesha in April. Established corporations that have committed to participate in the conference include AT&T, Aurora Health Care, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Johnson Controls Inc. and Rockwell Automation Inc., according to the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is organizing the day-long event. Emerging companies selected to participate will be assigned to pre-scheduled, 15-minute strategic meetings with more established companies. The Tech Summit will be be held April 25 at the GE Healthcare Institute. Emerging company applications are due by March 16 and must include a registration fee of $199, or $149 for members of the Wisconsin Innovation or Wisconsin Angel networks. Cost for additional team members is $79 per person. For more information, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com. This undated photo provided by the University of Wisconsin News Service shows Brittany Sue Zimmermann, a 21-year-old student from Marshfield who was killed in 2008. Credit: Associated Press SHARE The Madison apartment where Brittany Zimmermann was killed is shown in a May 2008 file photo. Mark Hoffman By of the Madison police have a "DNA match" in their investigation into the unsolved 2008 killing of college student Brittany Zimmermann, her parents said this week, but that alone does not appear to be enough to support charges in the case. "We are hopeful that someone will come forward with information that would bring the investigation to the point that an arrest could be made and charges be filed," Kevin and Jean Zimmermann said in a written statement released to Madison news organizations. Police Chief Mike Koval told the Wisconsin State Journal that investigators met with the family on Friday, but he could not confirm or comment on the DNA evidence, citing the active investigation. Brittany Zimmermann, 21, of Marshfield, was strangled and stabbed in her downtown Madison apartment, where she was living while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Police suspect someone followed her into the apartment and killed her after she returned from classes on April 2, 2008. Her parents have offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed her. "The person we believe responsible for Brittany's murder has been walking around free for almost all of the past 8 years. That is unacceptable to her family and all the people who loved her," they said in their statement to news organizations this week. "Our hearts are irreversibly broken and there will never be closure for us. We are not looking for any type of closure, just justice for Brittany." SHARE By of the In the latest chapter of a medical saga that sparks passionate interest among baby boomers, a clinical trial giving testosterone to older men with low levels of the hormone showed some sexual benefit. But physical function and vitality did not improve, and it remains unresolved whether long-term use of the hormone is safe. The issue has been heating up for about 15 years, as doctors have increasingly prescribed testosterone for middle-age and older men whose levels declined because of age. Until then, it had been used for decades mainly in rare clinical circumstances. These latest mixed preliminary findings, lack of safety data and the fact that several more areas of the trial still need to be reported mean the issue of widespread use of testosterone remains unsettled. "Sometimes the best studies raise more questions than they answer," said study co-author Thomas Gill, a professor of geriatrics at Yale University School of Medicine. "The jury is still out. I don't think the study shows testosterone should be used liberally." The issue is prominent enough that the new research was published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The ongoing trial involves 790 men ages 65 and older whose testosterone levels were well below the average for healthy young men. They were given either a testosterone gel (Androgel 1%) that is applied to skin or a placebo gel and were followed for 12 months. Four other areas of the trial (cognitive function, anemia, bone density and cardiovascular health) likely won't be published until late 2016 or 2017, Gill said. The study used a questionnaire to assess changes in sexual function over the course of one year. Areas such as sexual desire and erectile function showed modest improvement, but the benefit appeared to diminish somewhat by the 12th month and drugs such as Viagra are much better at improving erectile function, doctors said. Other areas of sexual function included sexual desire and sexual activity. The study was too small and too short to say anything about the safety of testosterone, said James Stein, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "I think this is a pretty limited study and it does not make me feel comfortable recommending this medication for routine use in otherwise healthy men," he said. "I would not be inclined to prescribe this medication." Concerns about increased risk of prostate cancer, blood clots and cardiovascular problems have been raised about testosterone in the past. Those concerns can't be addressed in a small, one-year study, said Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "Millions of men take testosterone, hoping for a fountain of youth," he said. "This therapy is too risky for widespread use until we have a definitive, large outcomes trial." At the same time, the overall sexual benefit was small and can't be applied to men under the age of 65, Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz, professors of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, said in a statement. "Since the trials were done in a very select subgroup of older men who had documented low testosterone levels and specific symptoms that really bothered them, these benefits may not happen in men with less severe symptoms," they said in an email. "And we cannot say anything about men younger than 65 the target of disease promotion campaigns like "IsItLowT" in the past." Schwartz and Woloshin, who have written about testosterone therapy, are co-founders of Informulary Inc., a for-profit firm that provides information about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs. In 2000, less than one million prescriptions for testosterone were written, according to a Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today investigation in October. By 2014, that had jumped to 6.5 million. The story also noted that drug companies had funded dozens of questionable doctor education courses involving testosterone. A review of 75 drug industry-funded courses found that half the faculty experts for those courses also received direct payments from drug companies as speakers, consultants and advisers. Critics said the situation raised serious doubts about whether doctors taking the courses are getting unbiased information about testosterone. The new research, known as the T Trials, was funded by the National Institutes of Health and AbbVie, which also provided testosterone and placebo gels. An editorial that accompanied the paper noted there were stringent requirements to get into the trial. Only 1.5% of the 51,085 men who were screened ultimately got into the trial. Their average age was 72, 90% were white and most were obese and had high blood pressure. More than one-third had diabetes and 20% had sleep apnea. "Therapy was not a panacea and the findings alone might be insufficient to support a decision to initiate testosterone therapy in symptomatic older men," wrote Eric Orwoll, a physician with the Oregon Health and Science University. SHARE By of the Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, a Milwaukee-based, minority-owned law firm with offices in several states, is closing at the end of the month. Firm chairman and co-managing partner Emery Harlan confirmed Tuesday morning that the operation was shutting down, and later issued a statement he said would be the firm's only on-the-record comment: "After considerable analysis and deliberation, the equity partners of Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan have voted to discontinue the operation of the firm effective Feb. 29, 2016," the statement said. "Our immediate concern is to our clients and working with our lawyers and employees to transition the legal services we have been providing to other firms or lawyers. "We remain proud of our ability to demonstrate that a law firm which truly values diversity and inclusion can compete with the largest firms in the country. "The lawyers and staff who were part of the firm will remain on the front line in this effort to ensure that women and minority owned law firms are afforded a full and fair opportunity to compete for legal work." The firm represents midsized to Fortune 1000 companies and governmental entities, including, as of 2013, Microsoft, DuPont, Harley-Davidson, Los Angeles Unified School District, City of Los Angeles, Prudential, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation, Shell Oil and Target. Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan was founded in 1989 and has 127 lawyers in offices in New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Calif., Phoenix, Nashville, Tenn., Washington, D.C., Wayne, N.J., and West Des Moines, Iowa. The Milwaukee office has 41 lawyers, and New York City has 22. All the rest have 10 or fewer, according to the firm's website. About a dozen are listed as equity partners, or owners of the firm, which was started by David Saggio and Jerry Gonzalez in Milwaukee. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis B. Butler Jr. is listed as a partner at the firm's Milwaukee office. Just last month, the firm held an all-lawyers meeting in Chicago where over a couple of days they discussed new initiatives and goals for the year, with no hint that the firm might collapse, according to one attorney who attended. Incumbent County Executive Chris Abele (right) and state Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) easily topped a four-candidate field in Tuesdays primary. Credit: Journal Sentinel files By of the It will be Chris vs. Chris on April 5 for the job of Milwaukee County executive. State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) and incumbent County Executive Chris Abele easily topped a four-candidate field in Tuesday's primary and will compete for the job of county executive on the April 5 spring election ballot. Larson had a more than 700 vote lead over Abele with 100% of the votes counted at the end of a night marked by several lead changes. Larson, leading with a slim margin, won 45% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, according to preliminary results. Abele received 44% of the primary vote to place well ahead of Joseph T. Klein of the Wisconsin Pirate Party and Steve Hogan, a carpenter. Larson, at the state Capitol late Tuesday where the Senate was wrapping up a floor session, said he was pleased with Tuesday's results. "I feel extremely positive," Larson said. "My reputation for standing up for working families is noticed by voters." "And despite being outspent nearly 20 to 1 by our opponent, tonight we showed that the race for Milwaukee County executive is tied as we head into the April general election." "We're just getting started," Larson said. "There's plenty of room on the bandwagon for more." Abele said he expected this to be a close race. "Now that we're past the primary, voters will have a greater opportunity to more closely examine the two candidates, our records, and our different visions for how best to continue the progress Milwaukee has been making over the past five years," Abele said. "This is also an opportunity for voters to ask specific questions about what each candidate will do in the next four years and how we plan to get it done," he said. "For five years I've asked voters to hold me accountable, not just for what I say I will do, but for what I get done. We have accomplished a lot in the last five years." In Tuesday's only primary election for a County Board seat, Patricia T. Najera and Dan Sebring moved ahead to the April 5 ballot for the open 11th District supervisory seat. Sebring, 58, is owner of Sebring Garage LLC, an auto repair shop on Milwaukee's south side. He won 60% of the vote, according to preliminary results. Sebring likely gained name recognition after unsuccessfully challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) in four consecutive races from 2008 to 2014. Najera, 47, is director of partnerships and fund development for the Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has served as an appointed member of the Milwaukee City Plan Commission since 1999. She gained 32% of the primary vote. Yaghnam F. Yaghnam, 40, a correctional officer with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, was eliminated from the supervisory race. In the county executive race, Abele spent $1.59 million of his own money in the last six months on broadcast and print advertising and other media services to promote his record in the office. Abele said his accomplishments include: reducing the county's projected deficit by more than $70 million since 2011; proposing balanced budgets five consecutive years without raising taxes; ending long-term institutional care of mental health patients at the troubled Mental Health Complex in Wauwatosa; supporting bus transit services by adding route miles without raising fares; and adding 150 acres of additional parkland since 2011. Abele said he created job training opportunities with new programs such as UpLift MKE. Abele, 49, was first elected in 2011 in a special election to fill the final year in Scott Walker's term after Walker was elected governor. Abele was re-elected to a full four-year term in 2012. His campaign for re-election had a cash balance of $904,193 as of Feb. 1, according to a pre-primary finance report. Larson has accused Abele of "power grabs" in the last four years, with the support of a Republican-controlled Legislature, that eroded the authority of the County Board. One example, Larson said, is an amendment to the state budget law adopted in July requested by Abele that removed the board from oversight and a decision-making role in the sale and lease of county-owned land not zoned for park use. Larson also has criticized Abele for accepting authority from the Legislature to appoint a special commissioner who could take over a limited number of underperforming Milwaukee public schools each year. Abele has said he does not intend to take control of any Milwaukee public school but will work with district leaders to provide additional services for students at underperforming schools. Larson has called for a reduction in bus fares and a boost in spending for maintenance of county parks. Larson, 35, a former county supervisor, was elected to the state Senate in November 2010. As of Feb. 1, the Larson campaign reported a cash balance of $28,227. He reported total contributions of $90,882 in the last six months. The Milwaukee County executive is paid an annual salary of $129,114. Beginning in April, county board supervisors will be paid an annual salary of $24,295, less than half the current base pay of $50,679. Milwaukee County executive (100% of units reporting) Chris Larson 48,258 Chris Abele (inc.) 47,550 Steve Hogan 6,541 Joseph Klein 4,685 SHARE By of the There will be at least two new faces on the Milwaukee Common Council come April, but all of the incumbents who are seeking re-election remain in the running after Tuesday's primary. Milwaukee Aldermen Bob Donovan, Robert Puente, Nik Kovac, Bob Bauman and Milele Coggs all led in their districts by significant margins. Donovan also survived the Milwaukee mayoral primary, running about 10 percentage points behind incumbent Tom Barrett. Milwaukee County Supervisor Khalif Rainey and Milwaukee School Board President Michael Bonds were the top vote-getters in the race to succeed 7th District Ald. Willie Wade, who is not seeking re-election. Advancing in District 2, where Ald. Joe Davis Sr. stepped down to run for mayor, are former Barrett staffer Chevy Johnson and longtime Davis aide Sherman Morton. Davis failed to advance in the mayoral race, coming in third place. Tuesday's primary featured candidates in seven of the city's 15 aldermanic races. The top two vote-getters in each race move on to the April 5 general election. Here's a closer look at Tuesday's races. District 3. Kovac, who was first elected in April 2008, finished first by a wide margin in his Riverwest-downtown district, followed by Shannan Hayden. Ira Robins, who worked as an investigator on the high-profile Laurie "Bambi" Bembenek case, was a distant third. District 4. Bauman, who was first elected to his west-side seat in April 2004, advances to the April election. The race for second between Andrew Shaw and Monique Kelly was too close to call with incomplete results late Tuesday. District 6. Coggs, first elected to represent the near north side and part of downtown in 2008, heads to the general election against second-place finisher community activist Tory Lowe. Ronny Thompson and Majungaray Watts failed to advance. District 8: Donovan led by a wide margin in his south side district, followed by Justin Bielinski, who works with special education students. State Rep. Josh Zepnick (D-Milwaukee), who has served in the Assembly for more than a decade, came in a distant third. District 9: Puente and Chantia Lewis, a board member for the worker rights group 9to5 Wisconsin, were the top vote-getters in their northwest side district. Four others failed to advance: Martin "Mac" Weddle, a Milwaukee County supervisor; Frank S. Emanuele Jr.; David D. King, founder of the Milwaukee God Squad; and Penny Sikora, a former legislative director for the local transit union. Bob Donovan (left) and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett have advanced through Tuesdays primary and will face off in the spring election. By of the Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and one of his most vocal critics at City Hall have advanced out of Tuesday's primary and will face off in the spring election. Barrett, who is seeking a fourth term in office, will go head-to-head with longtime south side Ald. Bob Donovan on April 5. Barrett placed first and Donovan second in the four-man race Tuesday, besting Ald. Joe Davis and political newcomer James Methu. Barrett won 45% of the vote while Donovan won 34%. "I'm going to continue to have a message of optimism and hope," Barrett said Tuesday night. "I believe in this city." Much of the debate between Barrett, 62, and Donovan, 59, is expected to continue to focus on public safety, jobs and education. Donovan, who was first elected to the Common Council in 2000, has called for new leadership in the city, repeatedly citing Milwaukee's 2015 spike in homicides. "This ought to be a wake-up call," Donovan said. "I think that the majority of voters voted for change." But Barrett defended his record, touting his administration's successes such as a surge in downtown development, an expansion in library services and progress fighting the foreclosure crisis. "I think even my harshest critics can agree we have a renaissance in development downtown," Barrett said. Donovan says that if elected mayor he would make public safety a priority, and would revamp the Milwaukee Police Department's vice squad, hire more officers, boost the number of beat cops and look at overhauling the city's current chase policy. A policy change nearly six years ago requires officers to have probable cause that someone in a car is committing a violent felony or is an immediate threat to the safety of others before pursuing them. "I want officers to be as much a positive part of the neighborhood they protect as the church pastor or the corner grocer," Donovan said. Barrett says that if he's re-elected he will keep working to create more family supporting jobs, give young people more educational and job opportunities, and build partnerships between police officers and neighborhoods. The mayor also says he wants to use downtown development to fuel neighborhood growth throughout Milwaukee. Donovan has said that until "we are able to get a better sense of safety," it will be difficult to improve in economic development and other areas. In an unusual move, Donovan is also simultaneously running for re-election to his seat representing District 8 on Milwaukee's south side. When he first announced his mayoral bid in July 2014, he said the city's greatest challenge was "timidity of leadership." Barrett far outraised his three challengers heading into Tuesday's primary. The mayor started this month with some $810,000 cash on hand, compared to Donovan with about $28,000. Davis trailed with $16,000 in his campaign coffers, followed by political newcomer Methu, who broke even, raising and spending about $6,000, recent campaign finance reports show. Barrett, who announced his re-election bid in early December, was first elected mayor in April 2004. He was re-elected with more than 70% of the vote in both 2008 and 2012. While he cruised to re-election as mayor in 2012, that same year he lost to Republican Gov. Scott Walker in a historic recall race. Walker, who also defeated the Democrat Barrett in the 2010 governor's race, became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall. Barrett has been in office for nearly 12 years, less than half the time that Milwaukee's longest-serving mayor, Henry Maier, spent in office. Maier was mayor for 28 years, from 1960 to 1988. Davis, 54, had called for an overhaul in the criminal justice system, citing "the mass incarceration of African-American males," and also said he felt Barrett's efforts have been too focused on downtown development. Davis was first elected during a special election in April 2003 after previously serving on the Milwaukee County Board. Methu, 30, has never held public office. Milwaukee mayor (96% of units reporting) Tom Barrett (inc.) 25,906 Bob Donovan 19,297 Joe Davis 10,487 James Methu 1,535 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks to Presbyterian Christian High School students in Hattiesburg, Miss., in 2004. Credit: Associated Press "There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one," wrote Alexis de Tocqueville in 1835. Nearly two centuries later, it is a statement that informs the upcoming fight to replace recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The existential battle over whether he should be replaced with a year left in President Barack Obama's term would likely have horrified Scalia, as he perpetually rued the expanded scope of authority the court had seized in recent years. As judges more frequently substituted personal preference for textual interpretation, the Supreme Court began to look more like a legislature, and thus more a part of the political end of the lawmaking process. "Now, something very fundamental has changed," Scalia said in 2005. "What we originalists...have been saying...for a long time is that you cannot adopt a theory that the Constitution is evolving and the Supreme Court will tell you what it means from age to age. You cannot do that without causing the Supreme Court to become a very political institution." It is this politicization that has landed America in the spot in which it is now mired. Following Scalia's death last week, U.S. Senate Republicans have vowed to block any replacement Obama might send to them for their advice and consent. Democrats, pretending that they wouldn't do exactly the same thing if it were a Republican president making a nomination to fill the seat of one of the nation's most legendary progressive justices, have feigned outrage. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has risibly implored Republicans to stop their "nakedly partisan obstruction," perhaps forgetting, for instance, Democratic attempts to filibuster the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito in 2006. In fact, historically, only 124 of the 160 nominations made by presidents have been approved by the Senate. Of the 36 who didn't make it, 25 never received any confirmation vote at all. Democrats are fond of pointing out that Justice Anthony Kennedy was approved in a presidential election year, but fail to mention Kennedy was only nominated after Democrats put the eminently qualified Judge Robert Bork through a wood chipper for four months. But this battle to the death only exists because as the court has evolved, Tocqueville's observation has become more intensely true. Who sits on the Supreme Court often determines who will live or die, who can own guns, who can speak during political campaigns, who can marry and who is allowed to be born. There are few nooks and crannies in which courts now refuse to stick their noses. And the more justices untether themselves from the original meaning of the text of the Constitution, the more crucial they become to the political process. "The question, 'What does society want?' Is not a lawyer's question," Scalia once said. "It is a legislator's question." And there is a cost to the court soaking up so many disputes that belong in legislatures, not in courtrooms. Arguments that should be had between voters and lawmakers are now co-opted by the courts, leaving the public less engaged and more poorly informed. Following a speech at Louisiana State University a few years ago, a student approached Scalia and told him he had named a pet fish after the justice. "Oh, you've named him 'Nino,'" said Scalia, citing his lifelong nickname. "No," said the student. "I've named him 'Justice Scalia.'" Another law professor interjected, asking the student, "Do you have other fish named after all the justices?" "No," said the student. "Justice Scalia ate all the others." In death, as in life, Scalia continues to dominate the public debate, both with his words and his prescience. He would have loved nothing more than for the nomination of his replacement to avoid becoming a political war. And it wouldn't be if more fundamental questions were left to politics, where he always knew they belonged. Christian Schneider is a Journal Sentinel columnist and blogger. Email cschneider@jrn.com. Twitter: @Schneider_CM Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's courtroom chair is draped in black to mark his death as part of a tradition that dates to the 19th century. Scalia died last weekend at the age of 79. Credit: Associated Press Antonin Scalia's death is an incalculable loss for American jurisprudence. Whether one agreed with his decisions or not and we frequently did not one had to admire his intellectual rigor and fidelity to the Constitution and his theory on interpreting our founding document. That rigor, often in dissent, frequently strengthened the majority's opinion, as his close friend and ideological opposite, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, noted after his passing last weekend. Now comes the weighty question of replacing him on the U.S. Supreme Court, a decision that could tip the balance of the court for a generation. That this decision must be made amid the tumult of an election year is unfortunate. But political tumult or not, the Constitution prescribes a process: The president "shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate" to appoint justices to the high court. President Barack Obama should do just that, and the Senate should, in good faith, evaluate the nominee and decide whether to confirm. Obama has 11 months left in his presidency plenty of time to fill the vacancy. No recent vacancy on the high court has taken so long to fill. Since 1975, the average time from nomination to decision is 67 days, according to the Congressional Research Service. But Republicans are signaling they will not do their part. Barely an hour after news broke of Scalia's death Saturday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) instructed senators not to confirm a replacement until after the 2016 election a sharp rebuke of Obama that was disrespectful to both the president and to Scalia's family. A Republican presidential debate was only a couple of hours off so perhaps McConnell was sending a signal to the candidates. "The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice," McConnell said. "Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president." In a statement the same evening, Obama promised he would nominate a successor to Scalia. McConnell is right on one point: Americans should have a say. And they will through a president they twice elected and through their senators. Republicans, including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who faces a difficult re-election battle this fall against former Sen. Russ Feingold, have quickly closed ranks around McConnell. Johnson's statement Sunday echoed McConnell. Senate Republicans are betting that slow-walking a nomination will cost them less than risking the fallout from the Republican base this fall if they are perceived to be soft on Obama. And, it's true, a change in ideological balance on the court is a big deal. But other "lame duck" presidents have nominated justices, and gotten them confirmed. President Ronald Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy to the bench in November 1987, and Kennedy was confirmed Feb. 3, 1988 an election year and the last year of Reagan's presidency. The confirmation came after the Senate had rejected two prior nominees. Along with 96 other senators, McConnell voted to confirm Kennedy. As much as Republicans may wish it were not so, the Constitution still says that presidents serve four years not three and it remains silent on when a president becomes a "lame duck." Obama should identify the strongest candidate for the job, but in such a sharply polarized time he must be mindful of the wishes of his opponents. That argues for a judicial moderate. One candidate to consider is Sri Srinivasan, a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Srinivasan, 48, clerked for former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and served in both the Bush and Obama administrations. He has argued before the Supreme Court numerous times and been praised by Republican senators, including presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. He was confirmed unanimously in May, 2013. Conservatives have lamented that Scalia, who believed in judicial modesty, would not want a pitched political battle to succeed him. That battle may come but it doesn't have to. Obstructing a nomination for purely political reasons is a risky political bet for Republicans and a poor outcome for the coequal third branch of government. Obama and the Senate must both do their duty. Representatives of eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces stopped at Waukesha Well No. 8 as part of a bus tour of sites related to Waukesha's request to use Lake Michigan water. Here, Dan Duchniak, Waukesha Water Utilitys general manager (center gesturing), showed the representatives the equipment at well that is used to treat water. Credit: Michael Sears SHARE By of the Waukesha Officials of several Great Lakes states and provinces Wednesday identified Waukesha's future water supply service area as a sticking point in approving the city's request for Lake Michigan water. The water service area, as delineated to comply with state law, would allow delivery of lake water to portions of the towns of Waukesha, Delafield and Genesee and the City of Pewaukee even though those communities do not have a current need for it. Several neighborhoods in the towns are facing well contamination problems and are expected to request municipal water in the future. The absence of their demonstrated need was the focus of questioning by Michigan representative Grant Trigger during a briefing Wednesday on Waukesha's plan held at Carroll University. If the Great Lakes states approve the plan, then it sets a precedent, Trigger said. The next municipality in the region to request a diversion of Great Lakes water outside the basin could argue that neighboring communities in its request would not have to demonstrate a need for the water because Waukesha's neighbors did not, he said. Eric Ebersberger, deputy administrator for environmental management for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, replied that the 2008 Great Lakes protection compact does not define a diversion area that could receive the water. The service area set out in Wisconsin law is one way to draw boundaries of a diversion area and set a physical limit on the distribution of lake water under the request, Ebersberger said. The DNR can place conditions on extending water beyond Waukesha as part of final approval of the city's request, he said. In an interview, Trigger said he would not describe the city's request as dead because of the broader service area, but Michigan has identified that as a "caution" in its decision making. At least 14 officials from the other seven Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec are in Waukesha for two days to view the city and learn more about its unprecedented request. The provincial governments are participating in the regional review of the city's application, and they will comment on the plan and recommend a decision. But only the states get to vote on it, under a 2008 federal law known as the Great Lakes protection compact. A decision is expected in late May or early June. Waukesha is the first community in the United States located entirely outside the Great Lakes basin to ask for a diversion of water under the compact. The compact prohibits Great Lakes water from being pumped beyond counties straddling the drainage basin under any circumstances. The City of Waukesha is in a straddling county, and its request can be considered. In forwarding Waukesha's request to the other states and provinces in January, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources concluded the city did not have a reasonable water supply option available to its west of the subcontinental divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. After more than five years of studying options, including continued use of deep wells or drilling more shallow wells, the DNR determined each alternative west of the divide would have adverse effects on wetlands, streams and inland lakes. Another alternative studied included drilling deep wells in western Waukesha County. Those wells would deplete groundwater now going to lakes and reduce the surface water levels by as much as one foot, said Shaili Pfeiffer, DNR water use specialist. The DNR also concluded that Waukesha could not meet its future water supply needs by decreasing demand through conservation efforts. The city's water conservation plan will reduce daily demand for water by 1 million gallons a day by 2050, according to Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak. DNR water officials said the application met requirements of the compact and could be approved by the other seven states. Unanimous consent of the eight states is required under the compact. Waukesha is asking the Great Lakes states to approve its request to divert up to an average of 10.1 million gallons of lake water a day by midcentury. An equal volume of water would be returned to the lake as treated wastewater, to comply with terms of the Great Lakes compact. In 2014, the city pumped an average of 6.6 million gallons of water a day from wells. If the eight Great Lakes states approve the request, Waukesha would halt use of 10 wells. Seven deep wells draw radium-contaminated water from a depleted sandstone aquifer. Those deep wells provided 85% of the water distributed throughout the city in 2014. Concentrations of radium and salts in water from the deep wells are increasing as water levels in the sandstone drop lower, officials said. The city is under a court-ordered deadline of June 2018 to fully comply with federal drinking water standards for radium. Before Wednesday's briefing at Carroll University, the representatives of Great Lakes states and provinces took a bus tour of the area, and the first stop was the city's sewage plant, currently in the middle of a $72 million upgrade. This is where Great Lakes water would be treated to comply with water quality permit limits before being returned to Lake Michigan, if the eight U.S. states unanimously approve the city's request for a Lake Michigan water supply. Waukesha has separate storm-water and sanitary sewers, so no storm water is treated at the plant, and there is no chance of invasive species from the west side of the subcontinental divide hitching a ride with the fully treated wastewater to the Great Lakes, officials said. The bus tour across Waukesha and Milwaukee counties included stops at a city well location, a proposed treated wastewater discharge location on the Root River and other major components of the city's plan. Local and regional environmental groups opposed to Waukesha's request for lake water have said it would be unnecessary if the city does not extend service to portions of neighboring communities in a state-required water supply service area plan. Then Waukesha could meets its current water needs with its existing wells, according to Clean Wisconsin, Midwest Environmental Advocates and other groups. On Tuesday, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, representing U.S. and Canadian mayors from Great Lakes cities, asked the states to reject the city's request. One reason for its opposition is the expanded water service area. At the Wednesday briefing, representatives of the states and provinces pushed Wisconsin DNR and Waukesha officials to justify the need for a water service area beyond the current city limits. Part of the answer was that state law requires a municipality requesting a diversion of Great Lakes water to have a water supply service area plan. Further, the Great Lakes compact does not identify all the ways that states could delineate areas to be served in a diversion request, such as a utility district or service area. The compact does require a diversion request to comply with all applicable laws. In anticipation of Waukesha's request for lake water, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission drew up a plan for the city in 2008 to be consistent with a long-standing regional sewer service area for the city, as required by state law. For that reason, the planning commission included portions of the City of Pewaukee and towns of Waukesha and Delafield in the water service area. Wisconsin DNR staff requested that a 4.4-square-mile area in the Town of Genesee be included due to groundwater contamination with disease-causing bacteria. Failing septic systems have contaminated a shallow aquifer used by private wells there. And Waukesha already pipes municipal water to 250 customers outside the city boundaries but within the future water service area. Most of those customers requested city water after their private wells became contaminated. Waukesha's water request Public comments accepted through March 14. Written comments on Waukesha's request for a Lake Michigan water supply can be sent by email to: comments@waukeshadiversion.org. Mail comments to: Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL 60606. For information on the request, go to the conference website: www.waukeshadiversion.org. State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley (left), Circuit Court Judge Joe Donald (center) and Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg faced off Tuesday in the primary for the state high court. Bradley and Kloppenburg advanced out of Tuesdays primary. Credit: Journal Sentinel files By of the Madison State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley and Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg advanced in Tuesday's primary and will square off in the April 5 election for a 10-year term on the high court. With 98% of the vote counted, Bradley had 45% to Kloppenburg's 43%, with Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Joe Donald finishing third. Donald conceded an hour after the polls closed. The race pits two ideologically contrasting candidates who in the next two months will make the case that, if elected, they will act independently and steer clear of partisanship on the bench. Republican Gov. Scott Walker appointed Rebecca Bradley to the Supreme Court in October to finish the term of Justice N. Patrick Crooks, who died in September. Walker had previously appointed Bradley to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2012 and the District 1 Court of Appeals in May 2015. Bradley said in an interview that she will use her same strategy through the rest of the race. "I am going to focus on my experience and qualifications and my judicial philosophy of saying what the law is and not what I may wish it to be." "I am very committed to that and I think that message is resonating across the political spectrum," she said. In an interview, Kloppenburg predicted Donald's votes will go to her, and she made it clear she'll link Bradley to Walker. "Rebecca Bradley appointed three times to three judgeships in three years by Governor Walker she has a long partisan background and a partisan approach to the law," Kloppenburg said. During the campaign, Bradley has won backing from conservatives, while liberals have been split between Donald and Kloppenburg. All three have argued they are independent and can appeal to the entire political spectrum. Both of Bradley's opponents used her ties to Walker against her, arguing she would follow his agenda. With Walker's approval rating below 40% in recent polling by Marquette University Law School, Bradley's links to Walker are likely to continue to be raised. Bradley has said she was pleased to have the appointments but wouldn't say if she thought Walker had done a good job as governor, saying her role is to interpret the law. Before she was appointed to the bench, Bradley was in-house counsel for software company RedPrairie Corp. and worked at the law firms Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek and Hinshaw & Culbertson. This is Kloppenburg's second run for state Supreme Court. She lost to Justice David Prosser in 2011 in an election that saw the first statewide recount in more than 20 years. The election came just weeks after Republicans in the Legislature approved Act 10, the law limiting collective bargaining for public workers, and it became a proxy fight over that measure. Kloppenburg was a longtime assistant attorney general at the time. She went on to win a seat in 2012 on the District 4 Court of Appeals based in Madison. Donald was appointed to the Milwaukee County bench in 1996 by GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson. He has won election four times without opposition, and this was his first bid for statewide office. During this campaign, Bradley has come under fire from her opponents for support she is getting from the state Republican Party and a group called the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform that spent about $1 million on a TV spot promoting her. That ad used footage that Bradley's campaign shot and posted online, prompting Bradley's opponents to question whether she had worked directly with the group. Bradley said she had not. Bradley has not attacked her opponents and said she is committed to running a positive campaign. In a statement, Donald said: "The influence of partisan politics and special interest money has a terrible impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and our entire judicial system, and I will continue to fight every day as a Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee and a community leader to reduce the influence of politics and deliver justice fairly." While out of the race, Donald said citizens and politicians must "seriously address the issue of mass incarceration." "Our criminal justice system is not working for all citizens especially people of color and it is tearing too many families apart at great expense to taxpayers all across Wisconsin." Donald said he wouldn't make an immediate endorsement of either Bradley or Kloppenburg. In the race, Kloppenburg criticized Donald for supporting Bradley in the past, arguing it showed voters couldn't know where he stood. Donald endorsed Bradley when she ran for a full term on the Milwaukee County court and swore her in after she won that election. He also agreed to be a reference on her application for the appeals court appointment but wrote a letter of support for another candidate. Patrick Marley reported for this story in Madison with Lee Bergquist in Milwaukee Full election returns To see full election results from Tuesday's primary, go to jsonline.com Supreme Court (98% of units reporting) Rebecca Bradley (inc.) 245,293 JoAnne Kloppenburg 236,116 Joe Donald 65,100 A Madison man says he wants to wear a colander on his head for his drivers license photo. Its a practice encouraged by the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose logo is shown in this illustration. Credit: Journal Sentinel illustration SHARE By of the For his Wisconsin driver's license photo, Michael Schumacher says he wants to wear a pasta strainer on his head because it's part of his belief in Pastafarianism as a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The state's response: Just be sure to tip that colander back far enough to show your face. It's part of a strange but not unprecedented legal battle that recently was won by the Madison resident, though to call it a battle may be an overstatement. After his attorney sent a letter Jan. 25 to the state Department of Transportation, the Division of Motor Vehicles responded by letter Feb. 4 to say his client's request would be accommodated. That decision has generated quite a bit of buzz, both in Wisconsin news reports and from atheist groups. Attorney Derek Allen playfully describes it as "my most famous case." Allen, who practices law about a half-hour south of Madison at Shannon Law Office in Evansville, said he took the case because he went to college with Schumacher's brother and had heard Schumacher was having trouble with the DMV frowning on his colander. It's a First Amendment issue, Allen said, and similar cases in Utah, Texas and Massachusets were resolved in favor of the Pastafarians. "I had actually heard of this issue," Allen told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "maybe spending too much time on the Internet." So, what is Pastafarianism? A website devoted to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (and bearing a spaghetti-fueled re-imagining of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam") insists that it's not a joke, that it is "backed by hard science." It teaches that religion "does not require literal belief in order to provide spiritual enlightenment." It also teaches that humans evolved from intrepid pirates and that the Pastafarian afterlife features a beer volcano and stripper factory. And it has been embraced by some in the Madison atheist community, who successfully argued in December 2013 for placing a Flying Spaghetti Monster display among the holiday displays at the Wisconsin Capitol. The specific "belief" cited by Schumacher is the one encouraging adherents to wear colanders in their driver's license photos. Because, as the website asks, "why not?" "It seemed to be most states had just sort of allowed it," Allen said. "I thought he was on pretty sound legal ground." That's because it's not up to the government to decide what qualifies as a religion, Allen said, and expressing one's religion through kitchen-ready headgear should be allowed at the DMV as long as it doesn't interfere with the purpose of the driver's license, specifically to identify a driver by face. "If the government wanted to get in the business of defining what is and is not a religion, just as a mental exercise it's tough to draw that line," he said. He noted in his letter to the DOT that other religious headwear, such as turbans, may be worn as long as they are "pushed from the forehead until a full facial image is shown." Deputy DMV Administrator Kristina Boardman acknowledged that guideline in her Feb. 4 response. "Your client, who claims to be a practicing Pastafarian, may wear what he described as his 'religious head covering' as long as he is able to comply with the requirement for a full facial image," she said. She told the Journal Sentinel that the agency's decision was made "in consultation with our legal counsel." Schumacher hasn't followed through with his plan yet, according to Allen, who last heard his client was traveling out of the country. Schumacher likely will go for his new driver's license photo after he gets back. As for Allen, he now can add "a little bit of Pastafarian law" to his legal resume. He also said he takes his client at his word and isn't interested in deciding whether any client's religion is legitimate. "It's not something I want the government deciding either," he said. Reddit Email 0 Shares Robert Rotberg | (The Conversation) | Terrorists are in it as much for the loot as for the ideology. . . . ISIS, could hardly exist, whatever its Islamist fervor, without hard cash from sales of pilfered petroleum, taxes on its subject population and kidnappings for ransom. Likewise ISIS- and al-Qaida-linked groups in Africa prosper by trafficking drugs across the Sahara and by offering protection to smugglers who have long been trading illicit goods throughout the continent. Although Westerners tend to think of these groups as driven by ideology, new recruits may be more attracted by opportunities to make money. Terror is big business, especially in the weak and fragile parts of the world. A growing market The market for narcotic substances is growing substantially within Africa itself. Until recently, the majority of powerful drugs in Africa passed through only on their way to Europe and North America. West Africa, for example, provides a convenient shortcut and stopover point for cocaine destined for markets in Europe. East Africa sends Asian heroin to both to Europe and North America. Hashish may be locally grown in Africa, but large quantities end up in Europe along with khat, a favorite of the Somali community. Too few social scientists have studied narcotics trafficking, particularly how drug profiteering influences and fuels terror and radical insurgent movements. My work on failed states, governance and civil conflict leads naturally to a consideration of such associations and relationships. In my view, understanding how plunder makes terror possible is fundamental to understanding how some nonstate actors are more mercenaries than servants of a cause. Defeating ISIS, al-Qaida and their offshoots will, in other words, depend more on cutting off their riches than countering their appeal to wide-eyed would-be fundamentalists. Drugs and militancy Various big-power intelligence services are looking into how the drug trade works in Africa, and the interconnections of drug routes and militancy. The most comprehensive work is being done by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which has agents in Africa and issues pointed reports about the trade. Nevertheless, given the clandestine nature of narcotics and trafficking, conjecture and speculation abound. With big money at stake, operatives have every reason to cover their tracks. Thanks to research done by the Strategic Studies Institute at the Army War College, we do know that cocaine arrives in Africa from South America on an almost daily basis. https://www.google.com/maps Stemming from growers in Peru and Colombia, some cocaine leaves Venezuela and Brazil by private jet aircraft bound for secret airfields in Guinea-Bissau. This small West African nation is widely regarded as Africas primary narco-state. In recent years, military coups and other forced changes in Guinea-Bissaus weak government have directly reflected competition for control of drug-fueled profits. Other loads of cocaine from Colombia arrive at proper international airports in Nigeria, Benin and Ghana, hidden in shipments of plantains or coffee. Corrupt airport officials and customs and police officers make sure that the valuable shipments are soon on their way by air or road to Europe. The fact is that today about 40 percent of the cocaine that reaches Europe annually comes via Africa. That is where al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), or several of the Islamist groups that have been active in raiding and destabilizing Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, muscle into the picture. They want their cut of the profits, either from being the major transporters of cocaine across the Sahara to Europe or from facilitating that traffic for a sizable slice of the returns. The competing groups battle, as they have for the past two years in Mali, for primacy and control. That competition also leads to the macho assertion of prowess, as in the raids on Timbuktu and, in January, in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkino Faso. Innocent bystanders lose their lives when the drug runners randomly invade hotels to boost their power and standing. Additionally, development suffers when drug traffickers threaten fragile governments. Nigeria and its neighbors Most analysts are unsure of the extent to which Boko Haram, the homegrown, now ISIS-tied, Islamist rebel movement in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, traffics in narcotics as well as uses them. What is clear is that Boko Haram guards one of the traditional long-distance trading routes northward to the Mediterranean. It also requires cash to purchase what guns and ammunition it cant obtained by overpowering the Nigerian military or raiding its barracks. The suspicion, therefore, is that Boko Haram, having killed thousands, kidnapped hundreds and destroyed 70 or so villages, fuels its growth and pays its new recruits from proceeds derived from the drug trade. On the other side of the continent, Asian-refined heroin derived from Afghan or Burmese poppy seeds flows by dhow sailing vessel and by air into Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. There it is redirected to Europe, and sometimes, via Nigeria, to Mexico and North America. Al-Shabaab, the Islamist, al-Qaida-affiliated terror movement of Somalia, derives much of its predatory income from the movement of Asian heroin and locally produced qat. Seleka, the Muslim insurgent group that captured and fractured the Central African Republic before being ousted by French and other militias, made money from transshipping drugs from south to north. Lebanons Hezbollah, which has always had side operations in West Africa among the Lebanese diaspora, also profits from narcotics dealings on the periphery of the Sahara. Whether al-Shabaab, or any of the other al-Qaida- and ISIS-associated movements in Africa, would continue to constitute serious threats to local and world order absent abundant incomes derived from smuggling drugs and other goods like charcoal and hashish is not known with any certainty. But, certainly, drug profiteering is an opportunistic pursuit that drives terror activities. Making trafficking more costly Interventions by French and local forces, backed by the United States and Britain, have made drug trafficking more costly in Africa. They have also threatened the rent-seeking from which the various Islamist insurgent groups derive steady incomes by controlling drug movements through ports and cities such as Kismayu and Merca in Somalia and Timbuktu and Gao in Mali. The U.S. and its allies also provide security for local administrations in beleaguered places like Somalia, Mali and Niger, thus countering the insurgents. But another, longer-term, way of depriving the terror groups of their cash and their influence is by legalizing the cocaine and heroin market in Europe. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annans Global Commission on Drug Policy is battling to have that obvious decriminalization proposal taken seriously, but so far with little result. His proposal, if adopted, would reduce consumer prices, make the product taxable and eliminate much of the incentive to ship narcotics clandestinely. In short, it would undercut terror movements. But, so far, there is no U.N. or national support for his sensible, albeit controversial, proposal. Combating terror in Africa, at least, now depends as much on cutting off insurgents from their sources of income as it does on defeating them on the battlefield a much longer, tougher and more costly pursuit. Robert Rotberg, Founding Director of Program on Intrastate Conflict, Kennedy School , Harvard University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Related video added by Juan Cole: Journeyman Pictures from last fall: The Drug Fueling Conflict In Syria Reddit Email 0 Shares By Baher Kamal | (Inter Press Service) | MADRID (IPS) When 25 million Syrianshalf of them refugees abroad or at home and the other half terrorised by daily bombing, learnt that major world leaders in their meeting in Germany launched an unprecedented confrontation threatening with unleashing World War III, instead of easily agreeing on a ceasefire to alleviate their inhumane suffering, they most probably fell into an even deeper desperation. See what happened. The biggest official warlords on Earththe Russian military apparatus and the US Pentagon and its alliesEurope, the US-led NATO, the Saudi Arabia-led Gulf countries, and Turkey, have just walked a step closer to the edge of the Middle East abyss over the weekend during their Munich Security Conference. Fighter aircraft from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the United States attacked oil refineries in eastern Syria controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Sept. 24, 2014. | Credit: DoD graphic. On the one hand, Moscow has just warned Washington and Ryad against starting a permanent war if they launch a ground intervention in Syria. Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev on 12 February told Germanys Handelsblatt newspaper that sending foreign troops into Syria could unleash yet another war on Earth. The warning followed recent statements from Saudi Arabia, joined later by other Gulf states and Turkey, that they were ready to send ground troops to Syria, should Washington lead the way. All sides must be compelled to sit at the negotiating table, instead of unleashing yet another war on Earth, Medvedev said. Any kinds of land operations, as a rule, lead to a permanent war. Look at whats happened in Afghanistan and a number of other countries. I am not even going to bring up poor Libya. The Americans and Arab partners must think well: do they want a permanent war? Do they think they can really quickly win it? It is impossible, especially in the Arab world. Everyone is fighting against everyone there, Medvedev added. A New World War? We must make everyone sit down at the negotiating tablerather than start yet another world war, the Russian prime minister added. Titled: Exclusive: Russias Medvedev Warns of New World War Handelsblatt ran the interview on the eve of the Munich Security Conferences International Syria Support Group meeting, where the cessation of hostilities in Syria became a top item on the agenda. On the other hand, the US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter was lobbying for an ample NATO participation in the so-called war on Islamic State (IS). The Pentagon-NATO Axis In fact, Ashton Carter on 11 February, following a NATO meeting in Brussels, said that this military alliance is considering joining the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Thanks to the leadership of NATO (secretary general) Jens Stoltenberg, we are exploring the possibility of NATO joining the coalition as a member itself, Ashton Carter said. The alliance can bring significant development and unique capabilities which include building partner capacity, training ground forces and providing stabilization support, he added. The day after, thats on 12 February, NATO member states agreed to send AWACS surveillance aircraft to gather intelligence on IS over Iraq and Syria, replacing US jets. According to Ashton Carter, this will increase the ability of the coalition to degrade and destroy the terrorist group. Syrias Battlefield Meanwhile, the military situation in Syria has been escalating, as Bashar al Assads army made further advances in the northern city of Aleppo. At the same time, the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces recaptured a former military airbase in the Aleppo province, from jihadists near the Turkish-Syrian border, reportedly with the support of Russian air strikes. NATO Warships to Aegean Sea to Combat Migrant Trafficking On 11 February, NATO sent war ships to the Aegean Sea to help Turkey and Greece deal with people smugglers and stem the flow of migrants, the alliances top commander has announced. Three NATOs military vessels have been ordered to start to move now and head for the Aegean sea to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on 11 February said. This is about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and refugees and coping with a very demanding situation, Stoltenberg said, describing the situation as a human tragedy. Stoltenberg also said that the alliances forces would be monitoring the land border between Syria and Turkey for people smugglers. Saudi Jets on Syria Parallely, Ankara announced that Saudi Arabia will deploy military jets and personnel to Turkeys Incirlik Air Base in the south of the country. The base is already used by the US Air Force for their sorties in Syria. The deployment is part of the US-led effort to defeat the Islamic State terrorist group, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. At every coalition meeting, we have always emphasized the need for an extensive result-oriented strategy in the fight against the DAESH terrorist group, he said, referring to IS by an Arabic-language acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Cavusoglu spoke to Turkish Yeni Safak newspaper after addressing the Munich Security Conference. If we have such a strategy, then Turkey and Saudi Arabia may launch a ground operation, he added. Furthermore, Saudi Foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in an interview with the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung on 13 February, said there will be no Bashar al-Assad in the future It may take three months it may take six months or three years, but he (al Assad) will not assume any more responsibility in Syria. Dont Go There, Russia, Iran Earlier, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates heralded their readiness to contribute troops for a ground operation in Syria on the condition that the US would lead the intervention. Syria and its regional ally, Iran, warned that such a foreign force would face strong resistance. And Russian prime minister called on his Western counterparts in Munich Security Conference not to threaten a ground operation in Syria, stressing that Moscow is doing its utmost to pave the way for a lasting peace in the war-torn country. Further on, Medvedev on 13 February said that the relationships between NATO and Russia have slid down toward a new Cold War, while describing NATOs policy as unfriendly and not transparent. Almost every day we are referred to as the most terrible threat to NATO as a whole or to Europe, America and other countries specifically, Medvedev said. Although actual threats that exist in our small world and I hope, you understand that are absolutely different. In short, in less than one week, largest military powers have been threatening with invasions in Syria and armed interventions in Iraq, as their answer to the ongoing human tragedy. Apparently there would be no problem with more unarmed, civilian populations being killed in all such military operationsit would probably be about a high official just saying: sorry for this collateral damage. Licensed from Inter Press Service Reddit Email 58 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | In a sign of Chinas increasingly powerful role in Central Asia and the Middle East, on Tuesday a Chinese train arrived in Tehran after a 14-day journey. The freight train just used existing rail links to go from China to Kazakhstan, then to Uzbekistan, then Turkmenistan, and thence to the Iranian capital, Tehran. It is a feat that had never been accomplished until yesterday. Historians argue that the vast expansion of railroads from 1880 and into the early twentieth century in Europe and North America constituted a Second Industrial Revolution. The rails allowed vast increase in industry, commerce, urbanization and population growth, and increased the velocity of the circulation of goods and money. Iran was prevented from having a railroad by Anglo-Russian rivalry until the late 1920s, and because of the rise of the Soviet Union it was cut off from its traditional markets in Central Asia. So the Second Industrial Revolution may now be coming to Central Asia and the Middle East, courtesy Beijing. h/t Deutsche Welle About a third of Irans trade is with China, and the two countries have plans to integrate their economies further. Chinese President Xi Jinping is promoting a policy he calls One Belt, one Road, aimed at improving trade and transportation infrastructure between China and its western neighbors. This New Silk Road is key to the development of northwestern China, which is distant from the southern ports of Shanghai and Hong Kong. (Urumqi is twice as far from Shanghai as from Karachi or Bushehr, ports on the Gulf). In the medieval period, the Silk Road was an overland route plied by merchants and pack animals, and which even then linked European markets for light luxury goods such as silk with Chinese markets. There are plans for new high speed rail links through Central Asia on which Chinese goods could be carried to Iran and thence to Europe. The two-week train journey of these goods through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan today was already less than half as long as the sea journey from Shanghai to Bushehr would have been. Asadullah Askarawladi, the head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, announced a few days ago that China will dedicate $20 billion in new finance to Iran in the coming years. The train that pulled into Tehran had traversed over 10,000 km. With the end of international sanctions on Iran because of the successful nuclear deal, Iran and China are seeking to intensify of their economic relationship. It is planned that the train will not have Tehran as its end point in future, but would go on to Europe through Turkey. (Back in the 70s I once took the train from Istanbul to Tehran, which was considered the last leg of the old Orient Express.) China is in the course of binding Central and West Asia to itself economically through long term trade deals and building infrastructure to thicken Chinese trade with this region. It seems highly likely that these economic relationships will turn at some point into politics. Related video: Ruptly TV: Iran: First Chinese train arrives in Tehran as part of New Silk Road Initiative Reddit Email 0 Shares By Rosa Burc and Burak Copur | TeleSur | The current war against the Kurds and oppositional voices is being waged to push an autocratic presidential system. The surprising electoral success of the pro-Kurdish HDP in last years June 7 elections denied the ruling AKP a majority for the first time since 2002 a majority the AKP needs in order to make President Recep Tayyip Erdogans dream of regime change come true. Early elections were set for Nov. 1, 2015. In the lead up, the Turkish state stepped up repressions against the HDP and its supporters, violently imposed military curfews in predominantly Kurdish cities, while ending the peace process with the PKK had ended. President Erdogans strategy of creating instability had worked. His country was put in a permanent state of exception so that voters turned to him in search of stability. There is an often recited formula about German politics: Crisis times are the chancellors times. The regained majority of the AKP in the Nov. 1 elections certainly has affirmed that formula. Yet Erdogan is still in need of a two-thirds majority in Parliament to change the regime into a presidential system officially. This time, however, he has bet on a concept of war, hoping to be as successful as in the last elections which he won because he had already systematically weakened the institutions of the state and freed himself from the shackles of parliamentary control. He brought the state institutions under his personal control, procured his own new instruments of power and has established a de facto presidential system. This is the interim report on a silent coup. The Erdogan Regime The pillars that bear the de facto presidential system consist of three forces: the legislative, executive, and the judicial an independent press can also be counted as a fourth force in many democracies. Erdogan already rules a majority of the Parliament, the Department of Justice, security departments, and media, besides civilian institutions, such as the powerful Turkish Foundation for Youth and Education (Turgev), which is largely run by Erdogans son Bilal. A deeper look inside this power machinery should facilitate understanding of the Erdogan system. The Department of Justice as Protective Shield Erdogan has set up a parallel justice system in 2014 to adjudicate on his Parliamentary AKP majority: the so-called suhl ceza hakimlikleri. Most of its offices are occupied by criminal judges who are loyal to Erdogan and decide on investigations and arrests in single judge rulings. These individual decisions target opposition figures and subversive journalists. One such criminal judge, for instance, has charged Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, two journalists from the oppositional newspaper Cumhuriyet, after they had published documents revealing Turkeys secret services to have sent arms to extremists in Syria. The prosecutor demands life sentences. Security Forces as Henchmen These illegalities, like aiding extremist groups in Syria, are only possible because Erdogan managed to coordinate the state police force with the Turkish intelligence agency MIT. The head of the intelligence services Hakan Fidan meanwhile does not act like a public officer with a duty to neutrality, but rather as Erdogans right hand man. The MIT is increasingly degenerating into something akin to the East German Stasi, a Turkish secret police, which only still operates under the command of Erdogans AKP. In the lead up to the Nov. 1 elections, it was the very same secret police that looked the other way during the attacks in Diyarbakr, Suruc and Ankara, when more than 130 people were killed. That was a total failure of the Turkish state. None of the presiding ministers took responsibility for the security of the country. No one has yet resigned. Erdogans henchmen are not limited to the national borders. During Erdogans visit in the Ecuadorean capital Quito, the last stop of his diplomatic tour in South America, a group of protesters in solidarity with the Kurds were attacked by his personal security guards, including Diego Vintimilla, a member of the Ecuadorean National Assembly. The scuffle started off after three activist women heckled Erdogan during his speech and were harshly grabbed by his security team. Erdogan however continued with his speech, referring to the incident by saying such disrespectful types will get the response they deserve. Similar to how he has been addressing opponents and protesters in Turkey. The Media as Instrument of Manipulation The current war against the Kurds and oppositional voices has also been possible due to Erdogans control over the private media landscape. It conducts AKP propaganda against opponents of the regime. The Turkish media inspection board, the Highest Radio and Television Board (RTUK), made certain that the loyalties lie with the states military operations. Media outlets that report critically on the war in the Southeast, the largely Kurdish part of the country, are charged with terrorist propaganda or threatened with the withdrawal of their broadcasting licence, as it is the current situation for the Istanbul based news channel IMC TV. Persecution of Critical Academics Its the same media landscape that has been running a witch-hunt against the academics that have signed the petition calling for peace in order to bring an end to the rising death toll in the Southeast of the country. The declaration was initially signed by 1,128 academics from 89 Turkish universities, as well as more than 300 scientists from outside the country. Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Etienne Balibar, David Graeber, David Harvey and Tariq Ali are among the most popular names of the many supporters. Now the Turkish academics are facing criminal and administrative prosecutions after President Erdogan called them actors of academic terrorism and the Council of Higher Education (YOK) announced an investigation against the scholars that support the initiative. More than 30 academics have been detained for terrorist propaganda. The Presidents Secret Accounts While the AKP propaganda machine is kept in motion, Erdogan has additionally accumulated a sizable state reptile fund of 170 million euros. This fund is subject to secrecy; no parliamentary record of it exists. The Reptile fund goes back to Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck, who organized such a secret fund to combat enemies of the statehe called them wicked reptilesand with this fund he financed operations including secret police measures. The institutional power of the president is fuelled by social support and an Islamic religious basis that is motivated by a strong Fuhrer cult. In Turkey, there are many Erdogan admirers, who are ready at any moment to die for him, to defend him, and to threaten critics of the government or even to beat up journalists. Even more unsettling is the fact that convicted former mafia bosses and ultra-nationalists of the 1990s era deep state like Sedat Peker now frequently appear in public, making statements of support for Erdogan. Peker publicly issued death threats against the academics, who called for an immediate and peaceful end to the curfews, saying: We will spill your blood and we will take shower with your blood. Will the War come to an End? All of this is a sign of a collapsing state that needs a division of powers. It is no surprise that the think tank Fund for Peace has ranked Turkey at 90th among 178 countries in its annual index on fragile states and posted a warning about it. Turkey is well on the way to becoming a failed state. Power mad Erdogan has in fact built a parallel presidential system and rules the country from an unlawfully built Ottoman-style palace. His electoral success after fuelling instability in the country has probably encouraged him to take it even further into a strategy of war in order to finally adjust the constitution to suit the power political realities. The heaviest curfews have been remarkably imposed in those Kurdish cities where Erdogans AKP was almost completely voted out and HDP preserved its electoral strongholds in the last elections. In violently imposing a shoot-to-kill curfews in a de facto state of emergency, the AKP state has not only put Kurdish cities under siege, but has also sabotaged any chance of peacefully negotiating a political settlement. Driven by a rabid anti-Kurdish ideology boldtered by nationalism, Erdogan has most certainly seen his war in the Southeast as a chance of killing two birds with one stone. Erdogan is rigidly using a concept of war as a means to win the support of the ultra-nationalist bloc, as well as to push HDP under the 10 percent threshold in order to constitutionalize his presidential system through a constitutional referendum or another early election. He also aims to weaken the resistance structures that have become more dominant in the Kurdish civil society, so that a possible rebellion as a response to Turkeys long wanted attacks against YPG and YPJ positions in Rojava (Northern Syria) is prevented already. Erdogans renewed war against the Kurds, which has already cost the lives of more than 500 people, will may eventually come to an end when his desired autocratic presidency is fulfilled. When Erdogan was speaking at a press conference on New Years Eve 2015, he was asked by a journalist whether Turkey would be able to keep a unitary state if a presidential system was implemented. Erdogan answered in the affirmative with the following statement, although his office later claimed this quote was distorted by the media: There are already examples in the world. You can see it when you look at Hitlers Germany. Rosa Burc is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the Department of Comparative Government, University of Bonn. Her research is on Nation-States and Theories of (Post-) Nationalism. Burak Copur (PhD) is a political scientist, Turkey expert and migration researcher at the Institute for Turkish Studies of the University Duisburg-Essen. Via TeleSur - Related video added by Juan Cole: Euronews: Turkey urged to stop assaults on Kurdish militias in Syria VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR; NYSE MKT: GPL) ("Great Panther"; the "Company") announces that it has received official notice allowing the Company to resume the use of explosives at its Guanajuato Mine Complex (the "GMC"). The Mexican regulatory authority responsible for permitting and regulating the use of explosives has now formally concluded its review of the previously announced theft of explosives from one of the mines at the GMC, and the Company has resumed full production at the mines. The Company is endeavouring to make up for the temporary disruption to production and, while this may have a minor effect on the first quarter's results, the Company's 2016 production guidance remains as previously announced. ABOUT GREAT PANTHER Great Panther Silver Limited is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE MKT trading under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned mining operations in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex, which includes the San Ignacio Mine, and the Topia Mine in Durango. The Company holds an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Coricancha Mine Complex in the central Andes of Peru and holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the advanced-stage Guadalupe de Los Reyes Project in Sinaloa, Mexico. Robert Archer President & CEO CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans for production at its Guanajuato and Topia Mines in Mexico, exploring its other properties in Mexico, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risks involving the Company's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, physical risks inherent in mining operations, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of silver, gold and base metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2014 and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 17, 2016) - Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX VENTURE:MMS) (the "Company" or "Macarthur Minerals") is pleased to announce that it has made applications for a further exploration licence in Western Australia to advance potential lithium projects. The Company has applied for four exploration licenses covering a total area of 383 square kilometres comprised of the following projects: Pilgangoora Projects, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia Edah Hill Project, in the Mid-West of Western Australia. Pilgangoora Projects As announced on February 15, 2016, the Company has made applications for three exploration licences (E45/4693, E45/4694 and E45/4702 - see Figure 1) covering an area of 269 square kilometres across three project areas in the world-class Pilgangoora district, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia that are considered prospective for lithium. Peer activity in the vicinity of the applications includes Australian Securities Exchange listed companies, Pilbara Minerals Limited and Altura Mining Limited, which have lithium projects in the region. The region is emerging as a world-class lithium district. Edah Hill Project The Company has made application for an exploration licence (see Figure 2) covering an area of 114 square kilometres at Edah Hill in the Mid-West of Western Australia. The Edah Hill project lies 50 kilometres east-northeast of Yalgoo in the Murchison province of Western Australia and approximately 250 kilometres from Geraldton Port. Lithium Market The global lithium market is growing rapidly due to developments in the technology and energy sectors, especially in the use of lithium-ion batteries for portable electronic devices, hybrid electric motor vehicles and storage battery industries. Industry experts comment that overall lithium demand may more than double from present levels through to 2025, while incumbent producers of lithium are limited in their ability to bring on additional supply to satisfy growing demand. Industry experts further comment that lithium has been one of the few commodities to enjoy recent price appreciation, and that they expect this pattern to continue over the next 10 years.1 The price of 99%-pure lithium carbonate imported to China more than doubled in the last 2 months to the end of December 2015, to US$13,000 a tonne.2 1 John Hykawy and Tom Chudnovsky, 'Industry Report//Lithium', Stormcrow Capital Ltd, May 29, 2015. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/535e7e2de4b088f0b623c597/t/55689238e4b09f7c8dacebf1/1432916536166/Stormcrow- Lithium+Industry+Report-May2015-Final.pdf 2 'An increasingly precious metal', The Economist Newspaper Limited (online), Jan 16, 2016. http://www.economist.com/news/business/21688386-amid-surge-demand-rechargeable-batteries-companies-are-scrambling- supplies Global Industrial Mineral (including lithium) Exploration and Mining Experts Appointed Complementary to the Company's in-house mining and exploration expertise, the Company has appointed Dr Andrew Scogings and Mr Graham Jeffress from CSA Global Pty Ltd ("CSA Global"), who are Western Australia based consultants with substantial experience in the field of industrial minerals exploration, including lithium and graphite. Further details of the expertise of Dr Scogings and Mr Jeffress are contained below. CSA Global will be initially undertaking technical evaluation of exploration targets for the Company's lithium projects as well as supporting their development over the coming months. The Company will continue to assess and identify further opportunities for potential lithium projects. Historical Exploration Pilgangoora district The broader Pilgangoora district has been the subject of extensive historical exploration for a range of minerals and is known to host many granitic pegmatites such as those discovered for the Pilbara Minerals Limited and Altura Mining Limited lithium projects. The largest concentrations of lithium- containing minerals, such as spodumene, are found in pegmatites. Due to its greater abundance, spodumene is considered the most important lithium-bearing mineral in pegmatites. The licence areas under application have most recently been explored by Australian Securities Exchange listed Fortescue Metals Group Limited for iron, base metals and gold. Previous soil sampling in the application areas has identified pathfinder elements, such as lithium, rubidium, and caesium, typically associated with lithium-bearing pegmatites. Edah district The Edah district lies in the Archean granite-greenstone terrane of the Murchison Province of the Yilgarn Craton. The Edah Hill project is within an extensive area of granitic rocks between the Yalgoo Greenstone Belt (20 kilometres to the west), the Dalgaranga Greenstone Belt (20 kilometres to the north) and the Mount Magnet Greenstone Belt (50 kilometres to the east). The surrounding Murchison region contains occurrences of pegmatites with tantalum, beryl and traces of other rare metals (tin, tungsten, lithium). The most notable deposit is the high-grade Dalgaranga tantalite mine about 50 kilometres to the north. Previous mapping of the application area and surrounding tenure reports numerous pegmatite dykes. Follow-up exploration work on the Pilgangoora Projects and the Edah Hill Project will focus on identifying, mapping and sampling the pegmatites to confirm the presence of lithium-bearing minerals. ABOUT CSA GLOBAL PTY LTD AND DR ANDREW SCOGINGS AND MR GRAHAM JEFFRESS CSA Global is a leading geological, mining and management consulting company whose staff includes geologists, mining engineers, project managers, data management professionals, and technical personnel. CSA Global has been operating from Perth, Western Australia since 1986. It is an independent company, with origins dating back to 1984 as part of the CSA Group founded in Ireland. CSA Global now has offices in the UK, Indonesia, Johannesburg, Vancouver, Darwin, and Brisbane. CSA has a high level of expertise in most mineral commodities gained from over twenty years' experience within the exploration and mining industry at an international level. It has experience in all stages of the mining cycle from project generation to production. For further information regarding CSA Global, please refer to the company website at www.csaglobal.com. Dr Andrew Scogings MSc, PhD, MAIG, MAusIMM, has more than 30 years of experience in industrial minerals exploration, geology, mining, product development, and marketing. During his time with CSA, he has undertaken project management and technical advice for a diverse range of industrial minerals exploration and mining projects including lithium, graphite, chromite, potash, mineral sands, silica, and REE in Australia, Africa, Greenland, Indonesia and Norway. Andrew is a regular contributor to Industrial Minerals Magazine (UK), SME Mining Engineering (USA) and Geobulletin (RSA) having published several papers on the requirements of JORC 2012 Clause 49, highlighting the need to report industrial minerals resources according to market specifications. Andrew was lead author for Industrial Minerals Research's recently published 'Natural Graphite Report- Strategic outlook to 2020'. He is a member of the AIG and AusIMM and is a Registered Professional Geoscientist (RP Geo.) specializing in industrial minerals. Mr Graham Jeffress BSc (Hons), FAIF, RPGeo, FAusIMM, FSEG, is a geologist with over 25 years' experience in exploration and management in Australia, PNG and Indonesia. Graham has worked in exploration (ranging from grassroots reconnaissance through to brownfields, near-mine and resource definition), project evaluation and mining in a variety of geological terrains, commodities and mineralisation styles within Australia and internationally. He is competent in multidisciplinary exploration, and proficient at undertaking prospect evaluation and all phases of exploration - sampling, mapping, prospecting and drilling through to resource definition; as well as project management including planning, budgeting, logistics, safety, people management, landowner liaison and project presentation. Additionally, Graham has completed numerous Independent Geologist Reports, Competent Person Reports, and Independent Valuation Reports. Graham was a Federal Councillor of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists for 11 years and joined the Joint Ore Reserves Committee in 2014. QUALIFIED PERSONS Dr Scogings, a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and Registered Professional Geoscientist (Industrial Minerals), is a full-time employee of CSA Global Pty Ltd and is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Dr Scogings has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. To view Figure 1 - shows Macarthur's exploration licence applications location relative to Pilbara Minerals' and Altura Mining's lithium projects in the Pilgangoora district of Western Australia, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/maca_fig1.jpg To view Figure 2 - shows Macarthur's Edah Hill exploration licence application in the Edah district of Western Australia, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/maca_fig2.jpg ABOUT MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED (TSX VENTURE:MMS) Macarthur Minerals Limited is an exploration and development company that is focused on identifying counter cyclical investments that complement Macarthur's capabilities. On behalf of the Board of Directors, MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED Cameron McCall, Chairman NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained in this press release may constitute forward -looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including whether the Transaction will be completed. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the timely receipt of required approvals, the reliability of information, including historical mineral resource or mineral reserve estimates, prepared and/or published by third parties that are referenced in this press release or was otherwise relied upon by the Company in preparing this press release. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in exchange rates and certain commodity prices, uncertainties related to mineral title in the project, unforeseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron ore demand or substitution by other metals or materials, the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron ore, uncertainty in successfully returning the project into full operation, and the general level of global economic activity. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. GATINEAU, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Feb. 17, 2016) - Nouveau Monde Mining Enterprises Inc. ("Nouveau Monde") (TSX VENTURE:NOU)(OTC PINK:NMGRF)(FRANKFURT:NM9) is pleased to announce that it will host an information meeting in the town of Saint-Michel-des-Saint, Province of Quebec on February 22, 2016 at 19:30 at 220 Chemin du Mont Trinite. The objective is to present up to date results from the 2015 exploration program for its Tony claim block, to discuss the next phase of exploration, as well as to develop a constructive relationship with nearby property owners, land users and local stakeholders. An open exchange session is also planned during the meeting to address any concerns and expectations as well as the project's potential impacts. For additional information on this event, please contact Nouveau Monde by email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or by phone (819 923-0333). Nouveau Monde would also like to announce that it was invited by BMO Capital Markets to attend its 25th Global Metals and Mining Conference, held in Hollywood, Florida from February 28 to March 2, 2016. BMO Capital Markets hosts a number of conferences each year that bring together institutional investors and corporate/ government entities that require capital. Nouveau Monde is eager to share its latest results from its Tony block at the event, and also at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention to be held in Toronto, Canada from March 6 to 9. The Tony Block is located in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints area, some 130 km north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An extensive trenching and drilling (totalling over 10,000 m) program was initiated in June of 2015. The objective of the work was to define before year-end a Mineral Resource Estimate, completed in accordance with the NI 43-101 guidelines, for the South-East and South-West zones (see December 15, 2015 press release). Regarding the West Zone, the resource estimate is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2016. A preliminary economic assessment regarding these three mineralized zones is expected during the first half of 2016. The following 2015 project overview map is available for download : https://www.dropbox.com/s/tylkot26kjardcr/PR_Tony_Block_20160209.pdf?dl=0. This news release was prepared by Eric Desaulniers, MSc, P.Geo., President and CEO of Nouveau Monde and qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction or approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by such statements. Nouveau Monde will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Nouveau Monde. Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / February 17, 2016 - Harvest Gold Corporation (TSX.V: HVG) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) dated February 16, 2016 with Canasur Gold Ltd. ("Canasur"), a private arm's length Nova Scotia company with mineral interests in Suriname. The LOI provides for the amalgamation of Canasur with Harvest (the "Amalgamation") by way of a three cornered amalgamation under the B.C. Business Corporation Act whereby Canasur would continue into British Columbia and amalgamate with a newly formed subsidiary of Harvest. In connection with the Amalgamation shareholders of Canasur would collectively receive 16,247,008 shares of Harvest, representing 2/3 of the issued and outstanding shares of Harvest prior to the completion of the equity financing detailed below. In connection with the Amalgamation, Harvest plans to complete an equity financing of up to $1,000,000 (minimum $650,000) by way of the issuance of units at $0.05, with each unit to be made up of a share and a warrant entitling the holder to acquire a further share of Harvest at $0.10 for a term of two years. Finder's fees may be paid in connection with the financing. On closing of the Amalgamation it is proposed that Joel Matheson, a director of Canasur, will be appointed to the Board of Directors of Harvest. The Amalgamation remains subject to completion of satisfactory due diligence, execution of a definitive agreement and receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange and the approval of the shareholders of Canasur. Harvest's President and CEO Rick Mark states: "This opportunity came to us through my relationship with David Mosher, who is on the Canasur Board and also sits on the Harvest Board (see news release of January 7, 2016). His personal history of discovery around the world includes his time as President and CEO of High River Gold in the West African Greenstone Belt in Burkina Faso in the late 1990's and early 2000's. He and his team extrapolated the rich gold belts of Ghana north through the Burkina Faso border believing there was no geological reason for the belt to stop there. Today, there are 6 deposits in production in Burkina Faso, two that High River discovered." "When Dave was approached by the Founders of Canasur, they had already begun to establish relationships and acquire sizable concessions in Suriname, a relatively unexplored, mining friendly country in South America. What was analogous to his High River experience in Burkina Faso was the continuation of that same rich West African Greenstone Belt, except here the continuation of the belt was separated by millions of years and the Atlantic Ocean, not a nearby border. Suriname already hosts two multi-million ounce gold deposits" "The timing regarding the recent rise in the price of gold is excellent for Harvest and Canasur shareholders. We are now raising initial capital to position ourselves as a public Company with a strong foundation in Suriname and a capital structure suitable to future financings in what we see as a continuing strong gold market. The Halifax group of investors is excited and looking forward to seeing their development efforts result in an effectively run, technically strong public Company primed for acquiring and developing assets and relationships in Suriname and surrounding gold friendly countries." About Canasur Canasur is a privately funded mining exploration company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canasur has three fully registered mineral concessions on properties in Suriname, the Goliat-Tibiti, the Gonini River and the Oelemari concessions. As result of the strong relationships built in Suriname by the Founders and Board of Canasur, a valuable 15 year exploitation license was granted in 2015 on their first project, Goliat-Tibiti concession. This solidifies the company's position in Suriname and enhances the prospects on Goliat-Tibiti. The Company also plans to renew its Gonini River and Oelemari concessions. The Goliat-Tibiti Project The Goliat-Tibiti Project is located in east central Suriname, South America in the district of Sipaliwini. The concession is located approximately 140 kilometers south of Paramaribo, the capital city of Suriname. It is at the favourable junction for gold mineralization near the break between the greenstone belt and the high grade gneisses of west Suriname. Significant historic and recent small scale gold mining of alluvial material has occurred on the concession. The primary target on the property is the structurally controlled gold mineralization, similar to the mines and multi-million ounce deposits at nearby Rosebel (Iamgold) and Merian (Newmont). The Gonini River Concession This concession consists of 14,000 hectares and is located in the South Eastern region of Suriname, in the Sipaliwini district, east of the Gonini River. It is approximately 230 km from Paramaribo, the capital city of Suriname. It lies adjacent to the Benzdorp gold district. A major structural zone that is gold-bearing elsewhere also passes close to this concession. The Benzdorp district is one of the more active areas of small scale mining by locals and Brazilians in Suriname and has a long history of mining. The Oelemari Concession This concession consists of 12,000 Hectares. It is located in the South Eastern region of Suriname, in the Sipaliwini district, adjacent to the Oelemari River. It is approximately 300 km from Paramaribo, the capital city of Suriname. This area has promising indications of gold. About Suriname Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. Suriname is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area and population in South America. The country is the only Dutch-speaking region in the Western Hemisphere which is not a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Suriname is extremely diverse ethnically, linguistically, and religiously; a multi-ethnic society of about 495,000 people, living in a country 3 times the size of Nova Scotia (163,800 km2). It is located on the Caribbean coast of South America, between Guyana and French Guyana. The official language is Dutch Suriname participates in the Amazonian Pact, a grouping of the countries of the Amazon Basin that focuses on protection of the Amazon region's natural resources from environmental degradation. Reflecting its status as a major bauxite producer, it is also a member of the International Bauxite Association. The country also belongs to the Economic Commission for Latin America, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Suriname's economy has been dominated by the exports of alumina, oil, and gold. Suriname is in the early stages of attracting large gold mining industry players, including IamGold and Newmont. Prior to IamGold's Rosebel Mine, all operations were for alluvial gold. Newmont is presently developing the Merian Mine at a cost of approximately $1B. Dr. Dennis J. LaPoint, a consultant to the Company, is the Qualified Person who approved the scientific or technical information contained herein. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information in this press release includes information about the completion and timing of the proposed transaction between Harvest and Canasur and the potential benefits thereof. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, the contemplated transaction not being completed as a result of a number of factors including , without limitation, the shareholders of Canasur not approving the transaction, or required regulatory approvals not being obtained, the possible failure to realize the anticipated expected benefits of the transaction; and other risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Harvest does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rick Mark, CEO Harvest Gold Corporation For more information please contact: Rick Mark or Jan Urata @ 604.682.2928 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Kang Ha Neul's new film "Dong Ju: The Portrait of a Poet" opens this week and viewers may shed some tears while watching it. It's a sad story as it follows the life of the idealistic poet Yun Dong Ju, who was imprisoned by the Japanese occupation government because of his involvement in the Korean independence movement. The Japanese occupation lasted from 1910 to 1945. Yun Dong Ju never published a single poem in his lifetime but a book of his poetry was published a few years after he died in a prison camp in 1945. He was only 27 when he died. He became involved in the resistance because of his lifelong friendship with Song Mong Gyu, played by Park Jung Min. The cousins grew up together and while Yun was interested in the power of words, Song advocated forcefully overthrowing the occupation government. Yon and Song were studying in Japan when they were imprisoned in 1942. Song only lived 23 days longer than Yon. "Dong Ju" was not an easy film to make and it was not just the sad subject matter that made it difficult for Kang. To play the imprisoned Yun Dong Ju, Kang lost almost 20 pounds, limiting himself to only one bowl of ramen a day. He had his head shaved in one scene and he had to memorize a lot of Japanese dialogue. "As I had to perform in Japanese for more than half the script, it was tough to memorize," said Kang in an interview with the Korean media outlet Korea Times. Lee Joon Ik, who directed "The King and The Clown" hopes that the black and white film will help more people learn about the poet's dreams and struggle. "Everyone knows him but we haven't had a chance to meet him in a film or drama," he said. Kang Ha Neul has worked almost non-stop for the past few years, appearing in the dramas "The Heirs," "Angel Eyes" and "Misaeng" and the films "Mourning Grave," "Empire of Lust" and "Twenty." The film, which also stars Choi Hee Seo and Shin Yoon Joo, premieres on February 18. They are called problem-solving courts and they could be part of the answer to Nebraskas prison overcrowding. Nebraska has 14 adult drug courts, two juvenile drug courts, six family courts and a young adult court in addition to the traditional county and district courts. Omaha Sen. John McCollister has proposed a three-year pilot to create a Veterans Treatment Court. The Legislatures Judiciary Committee has heard testimony on LB915, which would create the initial court in Douglas County. McCollister said that less than 1 percent of the U.S. population has served in the military, but veterans comprise 20 percent to 30 percent of the prison population nationwide. He said the Veterans Administration estimates 700,000 military veterans are in this countrys jails and prisons. Many of those served by the VA have averaged seven prior arrests, and 20 percent have spent a year or more behind bars. The good news is nationally 11,000 veterans are being diverted from prisons by more than 220 treatment courts, according to the Council of State Governments. While most veterans return home strengthened by their military service, McCollister said, one in five have symptoms of mental disorders or cognitive impairment from combat experiences. Post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, major depression, anxiety and insomnia often go unrecognized and unacknowledged. And those issues can lead to addiction, mental illness and other behaviors that often run afoul of the law. Nationally, the Virginia-based nonprofit group Justice for Vets says 264 veterans treatment courts are operating in 37 states, including South Dakota and Wyoming. They say as many as 13,200 veterans who would otherwise be in prison are involved in the problem solving courts. District Court Judge James Doyle of Lexington believes in problem-solving courts. As a judge of the Midwest Nebraska Drug Court and chair of the state Supreme Courts committee that oversees such problem-solving courts, he said he sees repeat offenders less often. With traditional sentences of probation and prison time, he said some offenders would return again and again. McCollister says the veterans court would use intensely supervised treatment programs, work requirements and frequent drug tests as an alternative to prison. But it would also focus on the unique mental health needs of veterans that might contribute to crime, such as PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and depression. Scott Carlson, the coordinator of such programs for the Nebraska Supreme Court, says there is momentum now in the Legislature to consider creating more problem-solving courts, including those that focus on mental health and re-entry into society from prison. A study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says the savings can be substantial. The 2012 study noted that the problem-solving court costs $12 to $46 per day, compared with up to $92 per day for a cell in a state prison. While the veterans treatment court could be a hard sell to the strict law-and-order segment who see incarceration as the only alternative, they can take solace in knowing that prosecutors and defense attorneys decide who are suitable candidates. J.L. Schmidt is the statehouse correspondent for the Nebraska Press Association. Pump prices likely on the rise in coming months Gas prices are likely to go back up following the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, starting in November.... Spindle Items .. ETERNAL HAPPINESS All of us are chasing happiness. None of us wants to be miserable, angry, frightened , depressed or the like. If... Out of the Past 25 Years AgoOct. 22, 1997 Zoning laws in the Town of Tonawanda received much needed updating Monday as Councilman Raymond Sinclair presented amendments in underground... Family fun for everyone Halloween is every kids dream holiday, with costumes and candy, tricks and treats. Some of my favorite memories with my family have centered around Halloween,... 623 Shares Share Its more important to know the patient who has the disease, than the disease the patient has. This was true when Hippocrates said it 2,500 years ago and it remains true today. Unfortunately, doctors no longer know their patients. GPs are overworked, underpaid, and must shuttle patients in and out of the office in less than ten minutes. Specialists tend to treat the test, not the patient, and earn their living doing procedures that often are unnecessary. Wherever I travel around the world, I find the same problem too few GPs, too many specialists. The doctor/patient relationship has lost its healing power. Doctors are too busy doing the wrong things. Patients have been reduced to a collection of lab test results. Medical mistakes are far too common because each specialist is treating (or more likely over treating) her own pet organ. No one is considering the whole patient to organize a global, integrated, safe, and effective treatment plan. The less time doctors talk to patients, the more unneeded, costly, and often harmful are the tests and treatments they order. How did medicine get so specialist dominated and what forces prevent primary care from assuming its proper central role? It all started with the Flexner report in 1910. Previously, medical education in the United States was a disorganized mess that promoted, rather than prevented, quackery. Rarely has one report had so much influence. Admission and graduation requirements became stringent. Medical education was based more on science, less on anecdote. Medical school teaching was standardized and quality controlled. More than half of then existing medical schools were closed. The Flexner reform of medical education resulted in such quick and dramatic improvements that soon the new US model became influential throughout the world. But there was a serious flaw in this otherwise wonderful and foundational medical reform a flaw that now haunts and distorts medical education and practice throughout the world. Flexner based his ideal model on the medical school at Johns Hopkins University, then and now a leader in medical education. Hopkins was one of the first universities in the U.S. and placed great emphasis on departmental specialization and research productivity. The most powerful departments in any medical school became the ones that attract the most research dollars and produce the most clinical revenue by doing highly reimbursed medical and surgical procedures. Primary care teaching and practice have always been deeply devalued by medical centers because it does neither. Primary care is best at the unglamorous and financially unrewarding task of taking good care of patients. Primary care is worst at promoting institutional prestige and profit. We have too many specialists and too few primary care doctors because specialists are highly valued by medical institutions, even though primary care doctors are more important for good patient care. Fadi Munshi is the director of postgraduate medical education at the Saudi Arabia Commission for Health Specialties. I have asked Dr. Munshi to discuss the imbalance in medical education and what can be done about it. Dr. Munshi writes: In 1961, almost half of U.S. physicians were general practitioners; by 2014 the fraction had declined to one third. The extreme shortage of primary care doctors around the world requires a strategy that addresses the workforce needs of each country, not just the preferences of its medical schools and training hospitals. Medical education at all levels is oriented to producing specialists, not primary care doctors. Most medical schools focus on hospital-based training and student testing organized around the various specialties. The curriculum plays a vital role in shifting the focus toward specialized training in hospitals and away from primary care conducted in the community. Postgraduate residency training is also becoming more and more sub-specialized. Typically, my fellow endocrinologists who have spent ten years or more in medical training will wind treating only those patients with very specific, and often incidental, thyroid problems. No wonder we so overtreat thyroid disease and undertreat so many more urgent medical problems. Does super sub-specialized practice improve population health in comparison to primary care practice? Or is a health care system that emphasizes primary care practice more effective and efficient in serving the needs of the general public? Collective evidence from multiple studies in different countries indicates that a primary care focus results in better preventive services, ease of access, and reduced cost. The optimal ratio of primary care doctors to specialists has not been precisely determined, but a system in which at least 50 to 60 percent of the physicians are primary care doctors is likely to have better health outcomes, fewer medical mistakes, lower cost, and higher patient satisfaction. This is what patients want and deserve easy access to health care; time enough with the doctor to know whats going on and participate in decisions; lower cost, and a workforce that is well distributed by specialty mix. When the health care is dominated by specialist practice, families are not regularly followed up by a primary care physician and treatments become atomized. This also places a burden on secondary and tertiary care doctors to do primary care work they are poorly trained to provide and substantially increases the overall cost of health care. Specialty dominated practice also leads to inadequate preventive health services, late detection of diseases, and difficulty managing common chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. I believe that undergraduate and postgraduate medical education should be better aligned with the needs of the health care system, less aligned with the preferences of the medical instututions. Undergraduate programs should promote a generalist competency-based approach in both teaching and testing. Clinical rotations should be more focused in primary care centers in the community, not specialty training on hospital inpatient units. Medical school testing should be comprehensive and integrated, instead of the current common practice of administering exams based on discipline. A typical patient does not present to a doctor with a label on his forehead that says I am a surgical case. Postgraduate medical education should also increase the flexibility of primary care training programs, both in their duration and design. A number of countries are experimenting with new models. Canada shortened family medicine residency training programs to two years. In Cuba, every physician must complete a 3-year family practice residency after six years of medical school. Only 30 percent of students specialize further. The decision whether to raise the ratio of primary to specialist doctors is too important to be left to the medical schools and specialist training programs. They have an inherent conflict of interest toward specialty care. The public health of any country should come first, and the incentives of medical schools and training programs should be aligned with the health needs of the country and the interests of the patients. Thanks so much, Dr. Munshi, for your clear analysis and practical suggestions for change: medical education should be patient (not procedure) centered; be more in community than hospital; focus on risk/benefit; focus on the needs of the country, not the medical institutions; and teach do no harm Flexner himself had expressed the public health ambition that doctors would become a social instrument whose function is fast becoming social and preventive, rather than individual and curative. Except for the hugely beneficial impact of the anti-smoking campaign, this goal had never been realized. The future is unclear. The promise of high tech medicine has never been greater, its actual performance has never been worse. We need to balance the real wonders and exaggerated hype of advancing medical science with a common sense appreciation of its risks and costs. We need to return the patient to the center of medical treatment, not focus so exclusively on mindless testing and procedure-driven medicine. And most obviously we need to change financial incentives. Primary docs should be paid more, specialists less. More reimbursement for talking to patients, less for testing and procedures. Disincentives for overtreatment; incentives for right care. If primary care doctors were paid according to their worth, there would be lots more of them. Allen Frances is a psychiatrist and professor emeritus, Duke University. He blogs at the Huffington Post. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The Capuchins arrived in Ireland in 1615 and celebrated their quadri-centenary in 2015. The Order has been associated with Kilkenny since the mid-seventeenth century, when Capuchin Friars moved there, following the burning by heretics of their Mullingar premises. Initially, they stayed in a rented house near St. Canices Cathedral. Subsequently, Dr. David Rothe (1573-1650), Bishop of Ossary (1620-50), gave them charge of one of the chapels in the Cathedral. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the Capuchins left Kilkenny but returned in the 1770s and re-established the Order in an alms house, known as the Poor House Chapel, on Friary Street (formerly Watkin Street). The first wing of the friary was built on the site of the Poor House in Friary Street c1873/4. The second wing was built in 1879, at right angles to the first, and extends along Pennyfeather Lane. The present Church of St Francis, which adjoins the friary, was built in the 1850s. It is constructed in a six bay double height Italianate classical style with six bay lean-to single storey side aisles. When it was being built by the Capuchins in Kilkenny, pillars, pediments and altar cornices were secured from the old Cathedral of St. Marys and installed in the new St Francis Church. From the outside, the Capuchin buildings are unprepossessing as they are tucked away in Friary Street, off the main street in Kilkenny, so could easily be missed. Inside, St. Francis Church is larger than one might expect and well preserved. There are twenty-four windows high up near the ceiling, twelve on either side of the nave. Eight of the twenty-four windows have stained glass, four depict the Sacred Heart and St Francis on the right-hand side, and the Virgin and St Patrick on the left-hand side, of the nave. They are possibly by William Earley (1872-1956). The other four stained glass windows are of particular interest as they were made in the studio of J. Clarke & Sons, North Frederick Street, Dublin between 1926 and 1929. Joshua Clarke (c1868-1921) had died and the studio was being run by his sons Walter Clarke (c1887-1930), who dealt with business matters, and Harry Clarke (1889-1931), who dealt with stained glass matters. Harry Clarke was born in Dublin and, during his short life, he was one of the first indigenous stained glass artists to achieve international recognition. He was also a renowned graphic artist. He was educated at Belvedere College, Dublin (1896-1903) and on leaving school joined the family business. He studied Art in Dublin (1905-10) and in London (1906). He won the gold medal for stained glass in the national competition, organised by the Board of Education, in three successive years (1911-13). In 1914, he was awarded a travelling scholarship and he used this to study stained glass in France. Harry was influenced by the medieval glass he saw at this time and by Continental artists, which is evident in his work. However, he developed his own unique style, with its exquisite drawing details and jewel-like colours, and succeeded in adapting modern European art to an Irish style. From correspondence contained in the Manuscript Library at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD), these four windows were produced in the Clarke Studio between 1926 and 1929, during the time when Harry designed and supervised the production of all windows for the Studio. The four windows are:- On the right-hand side of the altar, in the sanctuary area, is St. Louis, King of France (1214-70). He was the only king of France to be canonised. It has the inscription Munus Fratorum Tertii Ordinis S.P.N. Francisci 1928 (Brothers of the Third Order of St Francis 1928) (Fig. 1) On the left-hand side of the altar, also in the sanctuary area, is St Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-31). She was a princess and became a symbol of Christian charity. It has the inscription Munus Sororum Tertii Ordinis S.P.N. Francisci 1928 (Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis 1928) (Fig. 2) On the left-hand side of the nave is St Clare (1194-1253). She was one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi and was also the founder of the Poor Clares Order. The window was commissioned in 1928 and has the inscription - In Memoriam Michael & Hanora Murphy. (Fig. 3) On the right-hand side of the nave is St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). He is known as the saint for finding things and lost people. The window was commissioned in 1927 and has the inscription - In Memoriam Michael & Margaret ONeill. (Fig. 4) There are probably very few people in Kilkenny who realise that St Francis Church has such hidden gems. To coincide with their quadri-centenary, an exhibition is currently on display in the Capuchin Friary, until the 22nd February 2016 (inclusive). It is well worth a visit along with the four stained glass windows designed by Harry Clarke. Less than two years after the Thomas Hayes Trust was founded the doors of Teac Tom officially opened. On Saturday over 150 people gathered at the premises at 15 Ormonde Street to mark the occasion. The house will provide vital and badly needed services for those affected by suicide including counselling (available 24 hours a day), play therapy and information on other relevant services. Mayor Joe Malone officiated at the opening and was joined by All-Ireland hurler, Michael Kavanagh. I was involved from day one through knowing Angela and the family. It is a very worthwhile initiative as everyone is affected by suicide at some stage. The people of Kilkenny should be very proud for stepping up and treating mental well-being and suicide in this positive and pro active way. It is also fantastic that this is a local charity and that all the monies and resources stay within our community. he added. Mayor Joe Malone also made a 500 donation to the charity from monies raised from the Suicide Awareness Gathering, which was held recently at St John's Church. Angela first publicly spoke about the deaths of her husband and son to suicide at this event in 2013 and it was from here that the seeds of the Thomas Hayes Trust and Teac Tom were sown. Teac Tom is a premises offering 24-hour care - it is currently located on Ormonde Road but its permanent home will be off Johns Green (it is expected to be two years before this premises is ready). The house on Ormonde Road provides free one to one counselling to individuals and families, family support groups, free play therapy and training workshops geared towards a variety of groups concentrating on 11 to 16 year olds. Founder of Taxiwatch, Derek Devoy was also at the opening and praised the trojan work of Angela and her team. This is badly-needed. The demand for these services is getting busier all the time. The fact that we now have counselling available for people in distress, 24 hours a day, will undoubtedly save lives, he added. There are a number of upcoming fundraising initiatives for Teac Tom including the Croagh Patrick Walk with hurlers Michael Kavanagh and Tommy Walsh and the Liam MacCarthy Cup on March 12. Annual fundraising events including the 24-hour cycle will take place on June 3 and 4 and the Teddy Bears Picnic will take place on June 5. The Giving Light & Hope Walk will take place on September 10, the Symphony of Song will take place on October 21 and the Gala Ball will be on New Year's Eve. This was an emotional day for us. We are saddened that we had to experience our own tragedies in order to help others but when someone comes over and shakes my hand thanking me for this service and that it saved their life it makes it all worthwhile, said Angela Hayes. Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Community Affairs Bobby Aylward has said comments by the Communications Regulator on mobile phone coverage in Ireland defy the reality being experienced locally. If ComReg thinks mobile coverage across Ireland is strong and that people are happy with the coverage then they are completely detached from reality. I hear complaints weekly, that people in Carlow and Kilkenny are regularly experiencing dropped calls, problematic signal strength and issues connecting the 3G. The negative feedback on problems with 3G connectivity does not bode well for this nationwide super fast 4G roll out that we hear so much about through stylish television adverts. "These problems are intensified in rural communities that are expected to rely on second class services until the necessary upgrades can be carried out. We are now forced to accept a situation by which rural businesses and start ups find themselves playing catch up from the word go when it comes to mobile phone and broadband services which are essential to growing your customer base. We will never regenerate rural town centres and re-open the boarded up shop fronts unless we have reliable communication services that rurally based entrepreneurs and business can rely on to build, sustain and expand an SME. The Oireachtas Committee on Communications was informed that a recent EU report pointed to 4G coverage covering 87% of the Irish population. Upon reflection, I spoke with both rural and urban based colleagues around the country who contradicted this report absolutely. Some of them even said that mobile coverage has actually worsened in rural areas. Fianna Fail has constantly raised this issue and we have drawn criticism for doing so but the reality on the ground is not coming through in the data. I strongly support my party's call an independent audit of mobile phone coverage in the country that would examine dropped calls and patchy coverage. Such an audit is urgently required to ensure that the prioritisation of upgrade works is done fairly. It is only right that the areas which endure the worst standard of services are given preference for the basic upgrades which are required," concluded Deputy Aylward. You're lounging by the pool of your second home in Florida, chuckling as you think of your friends back home braving the blizzard in Massachusetts. And you're musing: Perhaps it's time to escape your state's tax bite as well as the bite of winter -- by claiming your Florida home as your permanent residence. Snowbird: Prepare for battle. Tax auditors in California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and other states that impose income taxes are unlikely to let you off the hook without a fight. Retirees who buy second homes in states with low or no income tax and claim they've changed their legal residence can face months of intense scrutiny from state tax auditors -- perhaps even litigation. If you're tapped for an audit, expect an aggressive probe into many corners of your personal and business life. "They'll ask for your bank statements, the clubs you belong to, descriptions of both homes and where you keep your personal items," says Philip Olsen, a tax lawyer at Pierce Atwood, in Boston, who represents clients who seek to change their permanent residence. Olsen is a former litigation supervisor for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Of course, most people who switch states are not targets of state audits. But if you are wealthy and keep your social and professional contacts and large homes in your longtime state, don't be surprised if tax collectors come calling -- especially if you decide one year to file a partial state tax return or no return at all. Many snowbirds, including a growing number of aging baby boomers, claim they're changing their formal residence for the relaxed lifestyle. But the tax savings can be a big enticement as well -- even more so as California, Maryland, Minnesota and other states have hiked income taxes on the wealthiest in recent years. In Illinois, for example, Steven Siebers, a lawyer in Quincy, says he knows many people who "started saying it's time to move someplace else" when the state income tax rose to 5% in 2011 (it dropped to 3.75% in 2015). "A 5% tax on $800,000 or $500,000 in dividend income is a lot of party money in Florida," he says. Whether they're looking for sunshine or a sunnier tax climate, these migrants are taking a load of tax revenue with them. More than 173,000 residents who moved from Illinois to Arizona, Florida and Texas, for example, took with them more than $8.5 billion in adjusted gross income between 2000 and 2010, according to an analysis of federal tax returns by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. Eyeing those numbers, state tax auditors have a lot of incentive to get tough. At the core of most audits: whether the taxpayer can prove that he has established a "domicile" in a new state, even if he keeps a residence in the old state. Although state laws and definitions differ, a domicile is basically the place where you intend to remain permanently and return to from your travels. If you own a house in Buffalo, but claim a domicile in Boca Raton, "you have to prove that in your heart you're not a New Yorker," says Allan Lipman, a lawyer who advises New Yorkers on domicile cases from his offices in Williamsville, N.Y., and Boynton Beach, Fla. (He claims domicile in Florida.) It's not enough to emote to hard-nosed tax examiners about your passion for your new state. If you get audited, you'll need to back up your state of mind with a suitcase full of cold facts. In Minnesota, the goal of its audits is to ensure "that taxpayers are reporting and paying the correct amount of tax -- no more, no less," says Ryan Brown, spokesman for Minnesota's Department of Revenue, which completed 488 residency audits from 2013 to 2015. In its 128-page guide for its auditors, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance suggests that they can collect bank ATM receipts that note the location of withdrawals, insurance policies that show where valuable items are kept, utility bills for both houses that "may reflect regular or seasonal use, employment contracts and personal calendars. New York conducts about 3,000 audits on nonresident income tax returns a year -- just a small percentage of the annual 1.1 million nonresident returns it receives. "We have historically taken tax compliance seriously, and we continue to do so," says Geoffrey Gloak, spokesman for the state's taxation department. States also are turning to technology for clues, according to lawyers and accountants in several states. Enforcers may scour online news accounts to see if a high-net-worth snowbird won a recent civic award in the high-tax state -- evidence of a deep connection. An auditor may use Google Earth to compare the size and features of houses in both the new and the old state. And examiners could check Facebook -- looking for public postings of travel plans and photos. [page break] Want to prove your heart belongs in income-tax-free Nevada? Spend a lot of time there. More than half the states go by a 183-day rule: Spend more than half the year in the state -- say, Minnesota -- and that's your home sweet home for tax purposes. "You are considered a full-time resident -- it's a bright-line test," says Joel Germershausen, a certified public accountant in Minneapolis who is a manager in the state and local tax practice for accounting firm Baker Tilly Virchow Krause. Even partial days count, Germershausen says. If a snowbird arrives in Minnesota at 10 p.m. on a flight from Florida, those two hours count as a full day. If you're challenged, you may need to document where you were on just about every day of the year. Besides reviewing plane or other travel records, auditors, in all likelihood, will review your credit card statements to see where you went out for dinner, bought gas and had your hair cut. Kelly Zarcone, a lawyer who works with Lipman, recommends that clients keep copies of their SunPass highway-toll statements "to prove you're in Florida on a certain date." Where Are Your Wedding Photos? Even if you show you spend less time in Minneapolis than in Miami, auditors may consider other factors to gauge the depth of your ties. And simply changing the location of your car registration, driver's license and voting registration may not be enough. Olsen recommends that his Massachusetts clients buy a cemetery plot in the new state (unless they already have one up north). Subscribe to local newspapers in the new state, and cancel ones in the old state. Open a safety deposit box in the new state, and transfer your valuables to it. Resign from clubs in the old community, or change your status to nonresident. Nothing is too small to consider. If you apply for a fishing license in the old state and check the "resident" box, you could be undoing your claim that you have moved. Also move items that are "near and dear" to you to your new home -- wedding albums, stamp collections and family heirlooms. And while auditors may understand that you need cars in both places, Germershausen says, "you should not have three cars registered in Minnesota and one beater in Florida." Your business ties can also come into play. If you're still involved in a business in the old state, an auditor could cast a wary eye if you are actively involved -- even remotely from poolside. The state may try to claim that you have not changed domicile -- or, that even if you did, you owe tax on the income you generated. Consider one of Zarcone's clients who had moved to Florida, leaving his son to run the family business in New York. If the father continued working, New York could claim that he owed tax on his income. Because he did not need the income, Zarcone says she suggested that he stop getting W-2 income and rely on his stock in the business. "If you sell the stock and you're domiciled in Florida, you don't pay New York state income tax on the capital gain," she says. If you're planning to sell a business and claim your domicile elsewhere, first seek advice from an expert. The capital gains could either be tax free in the new state or taxable in the old state -- or a combination of both -- depending on the structure of the business. Also, be careful of timing if you sell a significant amount of stock, Germershausen says. One of his clients made a big sale around the time he moved to Florida. Minnesota wants to tax the gain. "I'm claiming he was a Florida resident at the time of sale," he says. Unless you fail the 183-day rule, no single factor will tip the scales, according to auditing guidelines in several states. For example, while auditors look at the relative size of the two houses, Lipman says he's been able to persuade auditors that a larger and more valuable house in the old state should not be a deal breaker. In Florida, "the house may be in a gated community and the client owns a piece of the clubhouse with a swimming pool," he says. "So it's not just the size of the house but the amenities as well." Although some cases end up in court, it's likely the audit will end in a settlement, experts say. A retiree will make all the moves that auditors require to change domicile -- and make a big tax payment to the old state. (Kitco News) - Gold prices are near steady in early U.S. trading Wednesday, as a bit more profit-taking from recent gains is being countered by traders buying the dip and looking for a bargain. Increased trader and investor risk appetite in the marketplace so far this week is a bearish element working against the safe-haven gold market. April Comex gold was last down $0.10 at $1,208.10 an ounce. March Comex silver was last up $0.006 at $15.34 an ounce. Most global stock markets are seeing gains this week, on ideas crude oil prices may have bottomed out and can work sideways to higher in the coming weeks. Equity markets have been closely tracking daily movements in the crude oil market recently. Nymex crude oil prices were higher and trading near $30.00 a barrel in early U.S. dealings. Recent slumping oil prices have driven world stock markets solidly lower so far in 2016. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward higher openings when the day session begins. Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday, following news that Chinas central bank lowered the value of the yuan currency against the U.S. dollar, as well as injected more liquidity into the Chinese financial system. There is still talk in the marketplace about a proposal from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar to hold the line on their existing crude oil production levels, if other key OPEC nations will do the same. Iran and Iraq are the two countries seeing the most pressure from OPEC to agree to the plan. Principals are meeting in Tehran today to further discuss the matter. Still, many have doubts such an agreement can hold up. There is a heavier slate of U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday that could move the markets, including the producer price index, the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey, the Johnson Redbook and Goldman Sachs retail sales reports, industrial production and capacity utilization, and new residential construction. (Note: Follow me on Twitter--@jimwyckoff--for breaking market news.) Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating: 2.5 (Trader and investor market risk aversion is not elevated today.) (Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating is your way to quickly gauge investor risk appetite in the world market place each day. Each day I assess the risk-on or risk-off trader mentality in the market place with a numerical reading of 1 to 5, with 1 being least risk-averse (most risk-on) and 5 being the most risk-averse (risk-off). Technically, April gold futures prices are still in a two-month-old uptrend on the daily bar chart and the bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. However, prices have backed well down from the recent high to suggest the bulls became near-term exhausted. A bearish V-top reversal pattern may be forming on the daily chart. Bulls next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance a last weeks spike high of $1,263.90. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at $1,150.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,212.70 and then at $1,220.00. First support is seen at $1,200.00 and then at this weeks low of $1,191.50. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 6.0 March silver prices are in a four-week-old uptrend on the daily bar chart but the bulls have faded just recently. Silver bulls next upside price breakout objective is closing December futures prices above solid technical resistance at $16.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $14.64. First resistance is at $15.50 and then at this weeks high of $15.74. Next support is seen at this weeks low of $15.155 and then at $15.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.0. By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com Follow me on Twitter @jimwyckoff SHARE By Kitsap Sun Staff PORT ORCHARD A 37-year-old man accused in December of severely beating an employee of the Bremerton Salvation Army has been sentenced to three months in jail for assault. Desmond Eugene Malcolm had been living in a camper on the Salvation Army's property on Sixth Street and told Bremerton police that his wife, an employee at the social services agency, had been mistreated and harassed with racial slurs, according to documents. Malcolm also threatened to return and shoot employees and blow up the building. Malcolm pleaded guilty Dec. 18 to second-degree assault, and Superior Court Judge Bill Houser sentenced Malcolm on Feb. 12. Port Orchard sculptor Karsten Boysen gets a close-up look at his sculpture, titled Victory, after it was unveiled Wednesday on the Bay Street Pedestrian Pathway near Westbay Center. SHARE The sculpture was placed in a prominent location on Port Orchards waterfront trail. The Victory statue is unveiled by, from left, artist Karsten Boysen, City Councilwoman Cindy Lucarelli, Mayor Rob Putaansuu and Councilwoman Bek Ashby. Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu, left, congratulates sculptor Karsten Boysen after the unveiling. Fran Olin, of Port Orchard, takes photos after the unveiling of the sculpture. By Kitsap Sun Staff PORT ORCHARD A 6-foot-tall sculpture intended as a tribute to military veterans, and appropriately titled "Victory," was unveiled Wednesday at its permanent home along Port Orchard's Bay Street Pedestrian Pathway. The sculpture, made in 2012 of recycled and salvaged steel and other metals, is the work of local artist Karsten Boysen. It was given to Port Orchard by an anonymous donor in 2013. The sculpture is intended to resemble Nike, the Greek goddess who personifies victory. It was placed on the waterfront pathway at the east end of Westbay Center. Boysen previously told the Kitsap Sun that he hopes the sculpture will be an inspiration for military veterans who frequent the nearby Blue Goose Tavern. SHARE By Leonard Pitts This was three days before Antonin Scalia died. President Obama had just spoken before the Illinois General Assembly. Now, he and some old friends, all retired from that body, were being interviewed by the Los Angeles Times. Obama was talking about the legislative gridlock that has marked his terms and how he might have avoided it. "Maybe I could have done that a little better," he said. One of his friends wasn't having it. "They were afraid of you for a couple of reasons," said Denny Jacobs. "No. 1, you were black." Obama parried the suggestion, saying what he always says when asked about race and his presidency. "I have no doubt there are people who voted against me because of race ... or didn't approve of my agenda because of race. I also suspect there are a bunch of people who are excited or voted for me because of the notion of the first African-American president. ... Those things cut both ways," he said. Jacobs, who is white, was unpersuaded. "That's what they were afraid of, Mr. President," he insisted. Some might say his point was proven after the sudden death of the Supreme Court justice. The body was not yet cold when Republicans threw down the gauntlet. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the president should not even nominate a replacement and should leave it instead to his successor. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley seconded this, saying his panel would not open confirmation hearings, although Politico reported Tuesday that Grassley told Radio Iowa he would not rule them out. Understand: It's not uncommon for the opposition party to warn that a nominee better be to its liking. However, to declare before the fact that no person put forth by the president will receive even a hearing is not politics as usual, but rather, a stinging and personal insult without apparent precedent. It is simply impossible to imagine another president being treated with such malign contempt. But then, GOP contempt for Obama and his authority have been manifest since before Day 1. McConnell's refusal to do his job is just the latest example. On Twitter, a person who tweets as "Josh@bravee1" put it like this: "Mitch McConnell just needs to admit that he thinks President Obama was elected to three-fifths of a term." It's a great line, but what is happening here is more subtle than just racism. To be, as McConnell is, a straight, 73-year-old white male in America is to have come of age in a world where people like you and only people like you set the national agenda. One suspects, then, that people like him see in Obama their looming loss of demographic and ideological primacy in a nation that grows more multihued and, on many vital social issues, less conservative every day. Some people can handle that. Others would rather cripple the country, leaving it without a functioning Supreme Court for almost a year, and never mind the will of the people as twice expressed in elections: Barack Obama is our president. He has the right and duty to nominate a new justice. It's grating to hear Obama act as if the GOP's unrelenting campaign of obstructionism and insult were the moral equivalent of some African-American grandmother or young white progressive who were proud to cast their ballots for the first black president. Moreover, his attempt to shoulder blame for the hyper-partisanship of the last seven years suggests a fundamental misreading of the change he represents and the fear it kindles in some of those whose prerogatives that change will upend. It's well and good to be evenhanded and reflective, but there is a point where that becomes willful obtuseness. Obama is there. "They were afraid of you for a couple of reasons," said his friend. "No. 1, you were black." It's interesting that a white man in his 70s can see this, yet a 54-year-old black man cannot. SHARE David Neilson, Bainbridge Island Republicans overriding the Constitution The Republican Party has declared that President Obama shall be denied his constitutional duty to nominate the next Supreme Court justice. "The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president," Mitch McConnell said recently. The "American people" had a very large voice in selecting the next Supreme Court justice when they twice elected Barack Obama President of the United States. Are the Republicans now maintaining that Democrats should no longer be able to serve their full terms in office? A new President next year will have to start from scratch to nominate a replacement and then the Senate will have to schedule confirmation hearings which will no doubt be highly contentious regardless of which party is in the White House. If Mitch McConnell refuses to hold confirmation hearings this year Justice Scalia's position is likely to be vacant for well over one and a half years. And, if a Democrat is in the White House in 2017, will Mitch McConnell continue to refuse to hold confirmation hearings? The Republicans have decided that President Obama should not be allowed to perform his constitutionally mandated duties because he only has eleven months left in his term. Following this logic, every Republican legislator who is up for re-election this fall should be instructed to not vote again until they are duly re-elected in November. Doesn't that seem fair? Stuff reports: Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown was jeered in protests over the Island Bay cycleway at the suburbs annual festival parade. Emotions boiled over with boos, hisses and vocal barbs lobbed at the mayor, who was a key player in getting the controversial cycleway built. The cycleway was completed just before the festival began at the weekend, and has been a big source of agitation in the suburb. Club member Colin Peacock said there were strong opinions on the green about the cycleway, and about Wade-Brown. We are just so sick of the woman. The cycleway is just a waste of ratepayers money. Peacock said the cycleway was dangerous, and was causing massive problems with parking, especially for the elderly. Brian Easton writes at Pundit: Allow that we had to give away something, such as increased copyright extensions, for better access for our exports; the real issue for us in the TPPA is that it reduces sovereignty. To report my conclusion at the beginning: all trade and all trade deals reduce sovereignty to some extent. This has been going on in New Zealand since its first European economic engagement. The Investor State Dispute System (ISDS) is another step. As far as I can judge, the ISDS provisions in the TPPA do not represent a great loss of sovereignty but then the TPPA benefits from increased market access are not huge either. Id say the biggest sovereignity losses have been the Kyoto and Paris agreements on climate change. We are obliged to make dramatic changes to our industry to meet our global commitment. It is not just all trade agreements that reduce sovereignity to some degree every international agreement does from the Antarctic Treaty to the Convention against Torture. Modern trade increasingly requires a formal framework between the participants. To take a simple illustration: transaction costs between traders are reduced by common standards for weights and measures and the like. New Zealand is a signatory to various international agreements It did not have to adopt them but it would be troublesome for our exporters and importers if they had to keep converting local measures into international ones. Because it is a small country New Zealand has been very keen that there be an international framework based on a rule of law so that, typically, there are enforcement provisions in each agreement to make them work. On occasions they have definitely worked in our favour. For instance, we have had favourable WTO rulings in regard to apple access to Australia and lamb access to the US in each case a larger power was pushing us around but they had to give up some sovereignty and do what the WTO tribunal decided. They is a key point NZ has won cases against other countries using dispute mechanisms. If you are the good guy, you will probably win. When we are on the wrong end of a decision, we will also have to agree to something we do not want to do too. As far as I know we have never lost (a case against us) or even had one. No investor will absolutely trust the state legal processes since the law may be changed, the courts stacked. Thus investors seek a dispute resolution procedure outside the state even though New Zealand probably has a better reputation than most states. My ideal, would be a world court for investor state dispute resolutions, something like that proposed by the EU. But the US Congress will not countenance such a court system, and its fallback is an arbitration system between the state and investor. It is not be the first time we have agreed to an ISDS process in a free trade deal; it wont be the last. (Instructively, some who oppose the ISDS provisions in the TPPA are willing to take human rights issues to the international tribunals even though that represents a potential loss of sovereignty too.) I like the idea of a world centre or court for investor state disputes. And a good point that those against TPPA are often the same demanding some UN committee force NZ to behave differently. It is argued by some proponents of the ISDS in the TPP, that they already exist in other FTAs and that New Zealand has never had to a claim under one. I say, thus far. And it is also a matter of concern that the few cases involving other jurisdictions mean there is not a lot of case law. One cant rule out no claims ever but NZ generally behaves in a good way and doesnt nationalise foreign companies without compensation etc. The lack of case law is both a strength and a weakness the lack of cases means the threshold is high. So the ISDS in the TPPA reduces our sovereignty, or rather it reinforces the reduced sovereignty that foreign direct investment is already causing. In my judgement the reduction is not great compared to all the many international concessions New Zealand has already made. But the benefits from improved market access (offset by the copyright extension) are not huge either even though they are there. A very balanced view, and no one could ever accuse Brian Easton as being a neo-liberal economist! Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL Two employees walk toward the entrance of American Employer Group, a company that has relocated from Oak Ridge to Clinton. SHARE Michelle Lacy, director of Human Resources and Risk Management, stands in the new offices of American Employer Group, a company that has relocated from Oak Ridge to Clinton. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) By Bob Fowler CLINTON A building recently eyed as a possible location for an Anderson County Senior Citizens Center has instead become the new home of a company that provides business services to some 500 clients nationwide. American Employer Group, or AEG, with more than 90 employees, has moved into the 10,000-square-foot building at 439 S. Charles Seivers Boulevard and is "growing exponentially," said Anne Heath, vice president of operations and finance. The company is an affiliate of the AUI Inc. family of companies, and relocated from Appalachian Underwriters' headquarters in Jackson Tower in Oak Ridge. Heath said the move into the new location was completed in January. "Although we enjoyed our time in Oak Ridge, we needed a larger space due to our recent growth," Heath said. "We are excited to have the Clinton community be a part of our future success." AEG developed a "system of services designed to help clients protect their investment and increase their revenue," according to a news release. "A team of professionals was assembled from several fields." The firm offers clients covered under a master insurance policy a variety of services, from preparing payrolls to handling unemployment claims, tackling tax-compliance issues, taking care of risk management, and dealing with functions of human resources departments. The company "grew out of a desire to take the insurance philosophy of asset protections and expand it in order to provide a more-comprehensive approach to business services," according to the news release. AEG President Bill M. Arowood thanked the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, including executives Rick Meredith and Janet Hawkins, for its work in helping with the relocation. Iformation about the company is available at www.aegpeo.com. Tennova Healthcare, which owns Physicians Regional Medical Center and five other Knoxville-area hospitals, has been notified its hospitals will no longer be under contract with UnitedHealthcare insurance policyholders, effective March 1. ( J. MILES CARY/NEWS SENTINEL ) SHARE By Kristi L. Nelson of the Knoxville News Sentinel As of March 1, Tennova Healthcare hospitals in Knoxville will no longer be in-network for UnitedHealthcare insurance customers, unless the hospital system and insurer reach an agreement about reimbursement rates. Tennova on Tuesday began sending letters to its patients informing them of the potential change, which affects Physicians Regional Medical Center (the former St. Mary's), North Knoxville Medical Center, Turkey Creek Medical Center, Jefferson Memorial Hospital, LaFollette Medical Center and Newport Medical Center. PDF: Letter from Tennova to patients Jerry Askew, vice president of external relations for Tennova, said the health-care company had been negotiating with UnitedHealthcare for more than a year. "Patients who entrusted us with their medical care should have the option of choosing our hospital for any of their health-care needs," Askew said. "We continue to negotiate with United to come to a mutual agreement that will allow patients this choice." He said Tennova "hopes to have the issue resolved by the end of the month." Tracey Lempner, public relations director for the Southeast region at UnitedHealthcare, said Tennova's for-profit parent company, Franklin-based Community Health Systems, "refused the rate increase we offered for their Knoxville hospitals." Lempner said UnitedHealthcare "offered fair rates that are consistent with what other hospitals are paid for their services to ensure Tennova's continued participation in our network," and to give policyholders "uninterrupted access to quality care without significantly raising their costs." She said about 15,000 UnitedHealthcare commercial and Medicare customers have used Tennova facilities within the past year. Commercial and Medicare plans would be affected, but UnitedHealthcare's TennCare plan would not, she said. UnitedHealthcare customers could still use Tennova hospitals but would have to pay higher out-of-network rates that may not count toward deductibles. Askew said Tennova "has agreements in place with all other major health plans in our area," including BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Aetna and Humana. UnitedHealthcare members may have access to Tennova hospitals through other networks, including Beech Street, Multiplan and PHCS, said the letter, which urged patients to call United's sales director to "express your dissatisfaction with their decision." UnitedHealthcare and Mercy Health Partners, former owner of Tennova, failed to reach a rate agreement before, in 2010. After Mercy was sold to Florida-based Health Management Associates, HMA and UnitedHealthcare forged a new contract in 2011. Mountain View Youth Development Center where a prisoner escaped and was captured within an hour Thursday, Jul. 9, 2015 in Dandridge, TN. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE By Mamie Kuykendall of the Knoxville News Sentinel Authorities are investigating an alleged sexual assault of an inmate by a staff member at the Mountain View Youth Development Center in Dandridge, Department of Children's Services spokesman Rob Johnson said Wednesday. The sexual assault allegedly took place Saturday, Chief Carson Williams of the Dandridge Police Department said Wednesday. This is the second time in two months a staff member has been accused of a sexual incident with an inmate. On Jan. 26, a former nurse at the center, Rita Anette Dalton, 41, was charged with six counts of sexual contact and seven counts of official misconduct for having sex with an inmate in 2014, according to authorities. DCS fired Dalton in October 2014 with a "no rehire" stipulation in her file, according to Johnson. More details as they develop online and in Thursday's News Sentinel. SHARE By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel A University of Tennessee discipline hearing will go on as scheduled this week, despite attempts to prevent it by plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that alleges UT violated federal laws when responding to sexual assault cases. A Friday motion to prevent the three-day discipline hearing scheduled to begin Wednesday was denied Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger, who wrote that "the plaintiffs have known about this hearing for some time but chose to file this motion after business hours on the Friday afternoon before a 3-day holiday weekend." The motion was filed again Tuesday, but after university counsel responded, it was rejected by U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp. Tuesday's motions and court actions stemmed from the federal lawsuit against UT that was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Nashville by six unidentified women who are claiming UT has violated Title IX and other federal laws through "deliberately indifferent" actions that create a "hostile sexual environment." The motions were an attempt to stop a university hearing for plaintiff "Jane Doe III" from the federal lawsuit and her alleged assailant, "John Doe II," using a discipline process called the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedure Act. The process is described as "unlawful," drawn-out and favorable to student athletes in various court documents filed by the plaintiffs' attorney, David Randolph Smith. Five of the six women in the lawsuit are alleged rape victims and the October 2014 case of "Jane Doe III" is the only one in which a student/athlete is not being accused of sexual assault. The administrative process allows for the case to be heard by a university-appointed hearing officer with representation by lawyers, instead of the students going before a university board to decide the case. In its response, UT said it is required to offer administrative hearings because it is a state agency, and the plaintiff wouldn't face greater harm than others by participating. The motion was "last-minute" so the plaintiff and her lawyer "can participate on their own terms and dictate the type of hearing the university will use to discipline John Doe II," according to UT's response. The document also outlines how the investigation of the plaintiff's sexual assault was "thorough, equitable, and reasonably prompt" in the eyes of the university. UT lawyers also filed a motion Tuesday alleging the Middle District of Tennessee was the "improper venue" for the lawsuit and in the alternative, it should be transferred to the Eastern District of Tennessee. SHARE By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel KNOXVILLE A burglar who shot a mentally disabled Knox County man at point-blank range in the back of the head will die in prison. The nine-man, three-woman jury deliberated just more than an hour in Knox County Criminal Court Tuesday before meting out as punishment for Jeffrey Willard Wooten, 51, a life sentence without possibility of parole in the May 9, 2014, execution-style fatal shooting of Randy George Lands, 44, inside his West Knox County home. The same jury on Friday deemed Wooten guilty of not only Lands' death but a slew of crimes both before and after from the burglary of an uncle's home on Lonas Drive, to the break-in of the home Lands shared with his mother on Hunter's Ridge Way to the carjacking of Lands' sister and mother following the slaying. Punishment for the underlying convictions, which include especially aggravated burglary and carjacking, remains in the province of Judge Steve Sword. A separate hearing will be held to determine those penalties. Because Assistant District Attorney General Kevin Allen sought a sentence of life without parole in Lands' shooting death, only a jury can impose that fate and the law required a separate mini-trial at which Allen had to prove at least one aggravating circumstance to justify that penalty. He presented proof of three that Wooten already was a thrice-convicted armed robber stemming from a 1989 crime spree in Knoxville; that he was fleeing from a bizarre robbery by pitchfork of a Georgia Waffle House committed eight days earlier; and that he killed Lands, who was mentally disabled, to ensure he could escape without being identified. "There was only one reason Randy died that day," Allen said. "Randy could identify him." Lands did not know Wooten, but Allen said Lands saw him once a few years earlier when Wooten was doing work for a neighbor. Testimony last week showed Lands was unaware a burglar was even inside the home when Wooten walked up behind him, placed a gun to the back of his head and fatally shot him. Public Defender Mark Stephens and Assistant Public Defender John Halstead argued Wooten had a troubled upbringing followed by traumatic brain injury from a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler in 2005. Although the pair presented various witnesses on Wooten's behalf, including a psychologist and relatives, Stephens asked jurors to consider "what difference does it make" if they gave him a shot at parole in 51 years. "He'll be 100-years-old," Stephens said. "He is responsible for what he did. Jeffrey Wooten has not earned forgiveness. What he will ask for and he is asking for is your mercy." Lands' sister, Rebecca Garner, questioned in her testimony whether Wooten deserved even a sliver of hope of freedom. "After killing such an innocent person, how can you call yourself a human being?" she testified. SHARE Randy Mestre (Knox County Detention Facility) Kaitlyn Baumgartner (Knox County Detention Facility) By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE A local man and woman have been charged in two recent armed robberies and are suspected in a series of others, police say. Randy Mestre, 28, of Knoxville was taken into custody about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday after shoplifting a bottle of Pepto-Bismol at a Pilot station on Walker Springs Road, according to arrest warrants. The Knoxville Police Department said he was sought for questioning in at least five recent holdups. Mestre, who was wanted for violation of parole on a 2007 attempted first-degree murder conviction in Montgomery County, now is charged with aggravated robbery of the Conoco gas station, 8311 Kingston Pike, on Sunday. He also faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and simple possession of marijuana. Authorities also arrested Mestre's girlfriend, Kaitlyn Baumgartner, 25. She is charged with aggravated robbery of Sally's Beauty Supply, 8079 Kingston Pike, on Monday. According to warrants, Baumgartner allegedly drove the getaway car after Mestre robbed the business. She also faces charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and felony possession of a firearm. No one was hurt in either robbery. Police say additional charges against both arrestees are expected as the investigation continues. More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel. SHARE By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE A man is recovering after police say he accidentally shot himself in a workplace bathroom. Emergency responders were called shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday to the offices of Cityview Magazine, 6812 Baum Drive, to find the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg, according to the Knoxville Police Department. Bryan Starmer, 45, was returning his personal firearm to its holster after a visit to the bathroom when he shot himself, according to KPD Lt. Chris McCarter. "The round went right through the holster," McCarter said. Starmer, the magazine's creative director, was taken by ambulance to Parkwest Medical Center with what authorities described as nonlife-threatening injuries. Starmer has a state permit to carry a weapon, police said. More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel. The Knox County Sheriffs Office responds to the scene of a shooting at 604 Dryden Lane on Thursday. (Hayes Hickman/News Sentinel) By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE A West Knox County teenager has been charged with second-degree attempted murder in the shooting of his grandfather at their home last week, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office. The charge was announced following the 16-year-old boy's appearance at a hearing in Knox County Juvenile Court on Tuesday. The victim, 70-year-old Michael Lambert, was repeatedly shot at his home on 604 Dryden Lane about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. Sources say the boy, whose name has not been released, is Lambert's grandson and lives in the home with his grandparents. Lambert remained in critical condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Tuesday. Authorities have not released further details of the shooting. The boy is being held at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center. More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel. SHARE Michelle Jenkins By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel KNOXVILLE A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a woman to prison for embezzling nearly $800,000 from a Knoxville medical firm. Chief U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan sentenced Michelle Kathryn Jenkins, 46, to a two-year prison term as part of a plea agreement on a charge of embezzlement related to health care brokered between Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Davidson and defense attorney John Valliant Jr. Jenkins admitted stealing $795,810 from Mobile Images Acquisition's Center Park Drive location from 2007 until her thievery was discovered in 2013. Mobile Images provides mobile medical imaging services, such as X-rays, to nursing homes, doctor's offices, jails and mental health facilities. It has offices in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina. According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court, Jenkins handled the Knoxville office's accounting work. In 2007, she opened a bank account under her name with a business listing of Mobile Images Billing. She began stealing accounts receivable checks issued to her employer and depositing them in the account. She avoided detection by "manipulating the corporate accounting books," Davidson wrote in the plea agreement. Varlan noted in approving the two-year sentence that although Jenkins' prior criminal record was clean, "her current criminal conduct spanned six years." She also served up no explanation for her thievery, such as addiction, sickness or mental health issues, or where how she spent the purloined funds. The plea agreement states only that she used the money "for her personal use." Court records show Valliant had been negotiating a deal behind the scenes. Jenkins agreed in July to skip a grand jury review and indictment. In return, the U.S. attorney's office agreed not to prosecute her for related crimes, such as wire fraud, but insisted on a prison term on the embezzlement count. Varlan also ordered Jenkins to repay the money she stole, beginning with any earnings she might make while in prison. SHARE By News Sentinel Staff NASHVILLE Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Wednesday he would like to allow teachers the choice to include or exclude student results from the 2015-2016 TNReady assessment in his or her evaluation score, which usually consists of several years of data. The proposal keeps student learning and accountability as factors in an educator's evaluation while giving teachers the option to include this year's results if the results benefit them. Haslam said he will work with the General Assembly on specific language and a plan to move the proposal through the Legislative process. The TNReady assessment, administered online on Monday, Feb. 8, crashed and the state decided the tests would be administered going forward with pencil and paper instead. "Tennessee students are showing historic progress. The state made adjustments to teacher evaluation and accountability last year to account for the transition to an improved assessment fully aligned with Tennessee standards, which we know has involved a tremendous amount of work on the part of our educators," Haslam said in Wednesday's release. "Given recent, unexpected changes in the administration of the new assessment, we want to provide teachers with additional flexibility for this first year's data." The plan builds upon the Teaching Evaluation Enhancement Act proposed by the governor and approved by the General Assembly last year. This year is the first for TNReady, which is aligned with the state's college and career readiness benchmarks. "Providing teachers with the flexibility to exclude first-year TNReady data from their growth score over the course of this transition will both directly address many concerns we have heard and strengthen our partnership with educators while we move forward with a new assessment," Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said in the release. "Regardless of the test medium, TNReady will measure skills that the real world will require of our students." Tennessee Education Association President Barbara Gray applauded Haslam's proposal. "It is encouraging to see the governor listen to the widespread calls from educators, parents and local school boards for a one-year moratorium for TNReady data in teacher evaluations," Gray said in a statement Wednesday. Most educator evaluations have three main components: qualitative data, which includes principal observations and always counts for at least half of an educator's evaluation; a student achievement measure that the educator chooses; and a student growth score, which usually comprises 35 percent of the overall evaluation. On the first day of its rollout, the online assessment crashed because of networking glitches. State officials said those glitches were new and led to the decision to change the format. "This was a procedural problem with our vendor," McQueen said at the time. "This is not the fault of the districts. At this point, we have problems with the consistency of the platform to actually be able to have a positive student experience every day." The state contracted with Measurement Inc., a North Carolina-based company, to develop the assessment. McQueen said the state has paid the company $1.6 million for the tests' development and there will be no additional costs for printing and distributing the paper tests. The state will also review its $108 million five-year contract with the company over the next several weeks, she said. Tim Parrott, named director of schools for Anderson County. (ANDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS) SHARE By Bob Fowler CLINTON This search didn't take long or cost much. The Anderson County Board of Education has chosen longtime educator Tim Parrott as the next director of the county's 6,500-student system and will make its selection formal next month. Parrott, 54, of Anderson County's Bethel community, will step into the job on July 1 and succeed Larry Foster, who retires June 30. Parrott, a county native, now is deputy director of curriculum and instruction, and director of secondary and career and technical education. He recently obtained his doctorate in educational administration. "I think it would have been hard to find somebody better qualified," said Dr. John Burrell, chairman of the eight-member school board. The vacancy was advertised nationally on an educational website, and only Parrott and an educator from New Mexico who lacks a Tennessee educational certification applied, Burrell said. School board members from the onset made it clear that a local candidate was preferred. The board several years ago was "burned" after choosing an out-of-state educator as the director, and his brief tenure was disastrous, Burrell said. "It was the consensus of the board that if we had a good candidate in-house to stay local," he said. Parrott was the unanimous recommendation of a six-member search committee of school board members and prominent community residents, and the board recently voted without dissent to offer him the job. Burrell said the board will likely hold a special meeting on Feb. 25 with Parrott for a question-and-answer session. Burrell said he's appointed board members Dail Cantrell and Scott Gillenwaters and finance director James T. Woodward to draft an employment contract. Parrott will likely be offered a salary in a range equivalent to that of the current director. Foster said he's paid about $129,000 per year. Parrott worked his way up through the school system, starting as a vocational teacher before taking the assistant principal's post at Clinton High School and then the principal's job at the county's career and technical center. He's been in the school administration's central office since 2009, and his duties as deputy director were added last year. He was named the state's educational supervisor of the year in the 2014-15 school year. "I am humbled and excited to have the opportunity to be the director of schools for Anderson County and will work tirelessly to lead this great system forward," Parrott said. There are 17 schools in the county system. In a Dec. 29, 2009, photograph, James Reynolds, president of the Cancer Fund of America, is pictured at the charity's headquarters in Powell. On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission and all 50 states filed a federal lawsuit against four phony cancer charities - including the Cancer Fund of America - and their operators, accusing them of scamming more than $187 million from consumers across the country. (KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL ARCHIVE) By Megan Boehnke of the Knoxville News Sentinel The Cancer Fund of America, a Knoxville-based nonprofit that became the target of a historic lawsuit filed by the federal government and all 50 states last year as a "sham charity," has agreed to shut down its multimillion-dollar operation. PDF: Original lawsuit The Cancer Fund of America and its spinoff organizations gained a reputation as being among the worst in the country for spending lavishly on founders, family members and employees while offering little to the cancer patients whom telemarketers claimed the charities were helping. Now, according to a preliminary agreement filed this month in U.S. District Court in Arizona, the Cancer Fund of America and its founder, James T. Reynolds Sr., have agreed to a settlement with the government. As part of the deal, Reynolds and his charity would have to surrender all of the organization's property, documents and other assets to a court-appointed receiver in Nashville. Officials in all 50 states must sign off on the deal before it is finalized. Until that happens, a spokesman for Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said Wednesday he could not comment on the case. Doors to the charity's headquarters in an Powell industrial park were locked Wednesday, with two vehicles parked out front and a basket outside the entrance for mail service. The phone number listed for the charity rang repeatedly without answer. The Federal Trade Commission and all 50 states in May filed a joint lawsuit against the Cancer Fund of America and its three spinoff organizations. "Defendants, four sham charities and the individuals who run them, have engaged in a massive, nationwide fraud, telling generous Americans that their contributions will help people suffering from cancer, but instead spending the overwhelming majority of donated funds supporting the individual defendants, their families and friends, and their fundraisers," according to the lawsuit. FTC officials also announced in May the negotiation of more than $200 million in settlements with two of the charities and three of the people who ran them, including Reynolds' ex-wife, his son and a close business associate. The case against Reynolds remained unresolved at the time. Reynolds, who founded the fund in 1987, told the News Sentinel the day before the FTC announced the lawsuit that his charity had been under federal investigation for more than four years. "We've got probably over 150,000 patients," he said at the time. "The way it goes, they always love you, the ones you help. The ones who don't think you do, well, you never know." The lawsuit claims 87 percent of the $187 million raised by the charities over five years went to pay for the telemarketing companies that solicited donations and to fund salaries, lavish trips and personal loans for Reynolds, his family and his employees. The lawsuit details meals at Hooters, purchases from Victoria's Secret, memberships to gyms and dating websites, tickets to concerts and tuition for college. The tax-exempt nonprofit also took board members and employees on "training" trips on Carnival Cruises in the Caribbean and to Walt Disney World in Florida. The charity even paid for a baby sitter to come along. The rest of the money went to patient-care packages that consisted of sample-size soaps, Little Debbie snack cakes, Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks, plastic cutlery, women's makeup, iPod Nano covers, blank seasonal greeting cards and batteries. U.S. District Judge Neil Wake of Phoenix set a status hearing on the case for June. SHARE By Rick Locker NASHVILLE The sponsor of a bill requiring a woman to undergo a fetal ultrasound prior to an abortion in Tennessee withdrew the bill Tuesday after nearly half an hour of debate in a state House subcommittee. Rep. Rick Womick, R-Murfreesboro, took the bill off notice in the House health subcommittee and said he won't bring it up again before the Legislature adjourns in late April. The bill would have required a woman seeking an abortion in Tennessee to undergo a fetal ultrasound and the ultrasound be displayed to her in real time, except in medical emergencies. If a heartbeat were audible, the volume would be required to be turned up enough for her to hear. She would be required to sign a document saying the abortion provider had complied with the law. More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel. Nearly all Black KPD officers say they face discrimination "You cant start working on something if you dont first recognize you have a problem and a direction to go in." By Choi Sung-jin Japan is going ahead of Korea in the stem cell industry, opening ways for Korean makers to export their products, industry sources said. Biostar Stem Cell Research Institute, a stem cell maker run jointly by Nature Cell and affiliate R Bio, said Tuesday it acquired a license from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Feb. 10 to make specific cell-processed products. R Japan, Nature Cell's offshoot in Kyoto, won a production license from the Japanese government last June to cultivate adipose tissue-derived stem cells and has supplied them to a hospital in Kobe. Now that the headquarter company in Seoul has also obtained a Japanese license, it will be able to cultivate and supply stem cell products in large quantities, company officials said. It will begin to supply stem cells cultivated in Korea directly to the Japanese hospital, starting in March. As the products are yet to win the status of medicine, however, only hospitals with therapy licenses can prescribe them. Japan, which aims to emerge as a stem cell power, enacted the Regenerative Medical Law in November 2014, allowing businesses to cultivate and prescribe stem cells with the government's permission. This was because they could expect meaningful remedial effects from stem cells, although they have yet to win drug status, with little adverse effects. There is now a large stem cell market in Japan. Companies with government licenses can freely cultivate and supply stem cells while hospitals with therapy permits can treat patients with them. Prescription demand will rapidly grow for adult stem cells in particular, which can be made more easily and with less ethical controversy than those from human embryos, the sources said. At stake is how to cultivate healthier adult stem cells in larger quantities. In Korea, it is legal to extract adult stem cells but cultivating and prescribing them is banned unless they have drug status, forcing Korean patients to go to Japan to get prescriptions. Nishihara Clinic is the only hospital in Japan affiliated with Korea but the number of clinics cooperating is expected to increase to about 30, which is likely to increase sharply the export of stem cells made in Korea. Nishihara Clinic has won therapy permission to treat Burger's disease, degenerative arthritis and skin regeneration using stem cells. Biostar's main strength is its superior technology in mass-cultivating, storing and distributing stem cells. For instance, it has recently extended the refrigerator shelf life of stem cells to seven days, from three days, which means it will be able to export products not only to Japan but to the United States, the company said. SK Innovation's electric vehicle battery cell plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province By Lee Hyo-sik SK Innovation has signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz to supply battery cells for the German automaker's next-generation electric vehicles (EVs), which will debut in 2017, the company said Wednesday. But Korea's largest refiner and EV battery cell maker declined to unveil the size of the deal, citing a confidentiality agreement with Mercedes-Benz. SK said the latest deal proves its status as global leadership in the manufacture of lithium ion battery cells. It fiercely competes with LG Chem and Samsung SDI to strike deals with global carmakers. "Mercedes-Benz will form our battery cells into packs to use them for its upcoming EVs," an SK Innovation official said. "With our battery cells, the German premium carmaker plans to expand its clean-energy EV lineup in full scale. The latest deal shows that we possess globally competitive technologies and manufacturing capabilities for EV batteries." The official said SK Innovation will further strengthen its position in the global battery market with its differentiated performance and technologies. "We will also reinforce our relations with clients and make greater efforts to do business with others." Last July, the company doubled the production capacity of its battery plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. The plant has been operating at 100 percent capacity to meet increasing demand, it said. With the latest order from Mercedes-Benz and possibly more from other automakers, the company plans to expand its manufacturing capacity in Korea and China. SK Innovation projects the global EV market to reach 6 million by 2020 in line with strengthening environmental regulations in Europe, China and the United States. In particular, plug-in hybrids and battery EVs are expected to outgrow hybrid EVs. By Lee Hyo-sik Yoon Dong-han Kolmar Korea chairman Lee Kyung-soo Cosmax chairman Kolmar Korea and Cosmax, Korea's two major cosmetics original design manufacturers (ODMs), are feared to have reached their peak, according to securities firms, Wednesday. The two companies, which have been growing rapidly on China's soaring demand for made-in-Korea cosmetics, recently announced their fourth-quarter earnings results, which fell short of market expectations. With a poorer-than-expected performance because of China's slowing domestic market, brokerage houses have been rushing to lower target prices for the two firms. Shares of Kolmar Korea and Cosmax have been hammered this month, declining over 25 percent. NH Investment & Securities issued a report Wednesday, saying it is cutting its target price for Kolmar Korea, headed by Chairman Yoon Dong-han, to 100,000 won from the previous 130,000 won a share. "The firm's fourth-quarter results were much lower than market consensus," NH analyst Han Kook-hee said. "With the growing China risks in recent months, we have been lowering our outlook for the cosmetics sector. Accordingly, we are reducing valuations for Kolmar Korea. Its share price has fallen some 25 percent in February and may come down a little further." In the final quarter of 2015, the company posted a 12.9 billion won operating profit, down 6 percent from the previous year. Its shares fell 12.36 percent to close at 70,900 won in Wednesday trading. Cosmax, headed by Chairman Lee Kyung-soo, has seen its shares plunge in recent weeks in line with its sluggish fourth-quarter performance. The company earned 135.7 billion won in sales, falling short of the market estimate of 142 billion won. Its operating profit was 5 billion won, significantly lower than the market consensus of 11 billion won. On Wednesday, Daishin Securities cut its target price for Cosmax to 200,000 won from the previous 240,000 won a share, saying the shares are overvalued. "Weary of Cosmax's high price-earnings ratio and growing China risks, investors have dumped its shares over the past week," Daishin analyst Park Shin-ae said. "The stock may fall below 120,000 won per share in the coming months." On Wednesday, Cosmax shares plummeted 10 percent to 125,000 won from the previous close. Hana Financial Investment also cut its target price to 220,000 won from the earlier 266,000 won, citing the firm's slowing China business. "Cosmax's China unit has been grappling with falling orders from Chinese buyers in recent months," Hana analyst Park Jong-dae said. Samsung Securities also lowered the target price to 190,000 won from 240,000 won. "The firm's fourth-quarter results didn't meet market expectations because of its rapidly falling sales in China," Samsung analyst Park Eun-kyung said. "We also decided to lower the 2016 outlook for Cosmax. Investors should remain cautious for the time being." By Lee Hyo-sik Cheil Worldwide, Samsung Group's in-house advertizing agency, is denying market rumors that French ad giant Publicis Groupe would acquire a controlling stake from group affiliates. Before attending a weekly CEO meeting at the group headquarters in southern Seoul, Wednesday, Cheil Worldwide CEO Lim Dai-ki told reporters that he knows nothing about the sale of his company to the French ad firm. "There have been many news reports (that Samsung Group considers selling Cheil to a foreign advertising company)," Lim said. "Nothing has been confirmed and I don't know much about it." Foreign and domestic media issued reports over the past few months that four Samsung Group affiliates, including Samsung Construction & Trade, would sell a combined 28.44 percent stake to Publicis, as part of Samsung's ongoing drive to reorganize its business structures. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong sold the group's defense and chemical units to Hanwha and Lotte over the past year to focus on the three areas of business: electronics, finance and bio, and other new growth sectors. According to some media reports, Publicis reportedly wants to acquire Cheil for the Korean firm's large presence in China and other emerging markets. The French company also seeks to expand its business ties with Samsung Electronics, which spends billions of dollars on advertising in the United States and other countries. Hit by increasing uncertainties over its fate, Cheil Worldwide shares plummeted 11.08 percent to close at 17,650 won per share on Wednesday. By Choi Sung-jin Domestic oil refiners enjoyed good business last year amid rising demand for oil and high refining margins, in what industry executives called the "double rises." As the industry enters the low-demand season of February, however, they are now experiencing "double falls." Despite low international oil prices, Korean refineries recorded operating income of nearly 5 trillion won ($4.1 billion) last year, thanks mainly to a high refining margin, which hovered around $10 a barrel as recently as last month. Yet it has since fallen nearly 40 percent to $6, industry sources said Tuesday. They attribute the plunge to slowing growth in U.S. demand amid swelling stockpiles, a seasonal fall in demand for diesel and kerosene and overcapacity in some Asian countries, including China and India. "Refiners undergo shoulder season' between mid-February, when demand for heating fuel begins to sag, and late April, when demand for gasoline picks up," an analyst said. Local refineries expect Iran's resumption of crude exports will reduce their import costs, but not all will benefit from it, the sources said. For instance, SK Innovation, which had met 12-15 percent of its crude demand with Iranian oil but halved its imports from Teheran after the sanctions, plans to negotiate with Iran to restore its pre-sanctions import volume. Hyundai Oil Bank, another refinery with a business partnership with Iran, is also preparing to expand imports from the country to 30 percent of its demand. GS Caltex and S-Oil, however, are finding it not easy to diversify their import sources. U.S. oil major Chevron has 50 percent equity in GS Caltex, while S-Oil imports most of its demand from its parent company, ARAMCO of Saudi Arabia, Iran's rival. In addition, Iran's resumption of oil exports will push international prices further down, influencing the bottom lines of the industry as a whole, the experts said. By Choi Sung-jin China's electric car makers, including BYD and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC), will become competitive enough to emerge as global brands, a local think tank predicted Wednesday. "The government-led strategy to promote the electric car industry and Beijing's will to nurture an increasing number of global brands will help to strengthen the competitive edge of Chinese makers," LG Research Institute said. As major examples, the report cited automaker BYD that focuses on developing up-to-date technology, BAIC that is positive in introducing know-how in partnership with foreign competitors, and Chery Automobile that swiftly copes with market change with its advantage in smaller vehicles. China's electric car market grew to 200,000 vehicles last year, three times larger than in 2014. "Behind the rapid growth is the Chinese government's generous subsidies, construction of infrastructure and creation of other conditions favorable to Chinese makers," the report said. Beijing plans to increase production to 5 million electric cars a year, set up 12,000 charging stations and 4.8 million chargers, by 2020. China's central and local governments give subsidies up to 100,000 yuan (18 million won) to buyers, allowing them to have an electric car at half market prices. "Chinese electric cars lagged behind foreign models but have come to dominate their domestic market thanks largely to these extensive government supports," the report said. By Jhoo Dong-chan Hyundai Motor Group released Wednesday its design and construction plans for building a landmark auto building, the so-called Global Business Center (GBC), at former Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) site in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. According to the plan, the company will build its 105-story headquarter building as well as convention and exhibition centers, a hotel and an auto theme park on a total ground area of 928,887-square-meters. Each building in the GBC will be closely connected to one another, and pavements in the GBC are expected to be modeled on traditional Korean alleyways. Hyundai Motor's new headquarters will be a square-shaped tower, which a Hyundai official said, will be constructed in harmony with nature and the nearby surrounding environments. A number of experts in various fields including civil engineering and global marketing participated in the planning process of the GBC and nearly 30 leading scholars from home and abroad, including economist Daniel Altman, futurologists John Hagel and Peter Schwaltz, shared their expertise as well. The nation's first generation architect Kim Jong-sung, 82, was appointed as head of the multibillion-dollar project and will coordinate future construction for the landmark multipurpose business complex on the 79,342-square-meter site. Domestic and foreign firms are allowed to bid for designing buildings and facilities in the GBC. The GBC construction plan will be consulted and reviewed in detail with the government before it is approved. Hyundai Motor Group's move for building a skyscraper within the GBC is believed to show its commitment to take a leap forward as the world's No. 4 automaker and the group's chairman Chung Mong-koo's desire to create a landmark in Seoul. In September 2014, Hyundai Motor purchased a 79,342-square-meter tract of land from Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) for 10.55 trillion won ($9.05 billion) to build the GBC. "As an international landmark multi-purpose business complex, the GBC will satisfy not only business groups but also nearby residents' need," said an official. Actor Park Hae-jin will meet more than 4,000 of his fans to celebrate his 10th debut anniversary in April, his publicist said Wednesday. Park wants to express thanks to his fans and staff on this occasion, Ytree Company said, adding the event on April 23 will allow both Park and his supporters to look back on his acting career over the past decade. Park debuted on April 1, 2006, with a supporting role on the KBS soap opera "Famous Chil Princesses." He currently stars as Yoo Jung, the male protagonist, on the tvN series "Cheese in the Trap," which is based on a popular web cartoon of the same name. The meeting will be free of charge, with the venue to be announced later, Ytree Company said. (Yonhap) North Korean soldiers at the DMZ are seen from a South Korean post in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Kim Hyo-jin Prof. Kim Byung-yeon Additional economic sanctions imposed against North Korea are more likely to have a substantial impact on the country's economy than previous ones, according to an expert observer of the isolated state. Kim Byung-yeon, an economics professor and vice director of the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University, said that beginning last year, the repressive nation has experienced greater economic challenges, which has left it more vulnerable to external factors. "I think additional sanctions will have a big impact on North Korea because the country has already struggled with decreasing trade with China and falling hard currency revenue," Kim said during a seminar hosted by the East Asia Foundation, Tuesday. Its production of coal and iron, which accounts for 67 percent of the North's exports to China, decreased by 12.6 percent in 2015 due to sluggish demand and falling prices. Funds flowing into the regime by workers dispatched to Russia and China have also decreased due to depreciation of the ruble and the yuan, he noted. "Things have changed compared to between 2010 and 2014, when the soaring prices of natural resources absorbed the impact of previous sanctions by South Korea," he said, describing the period as a good time for Pyongyang's finances. The sanctions are a set of trade and economic restrictions put in place against North Korea by the South Korean government following the sinking of its frigate Cheonan on March 26, 2010. The only exception allowed under these sanctions was the continuation of business operations at the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC). But this was shut down on Feb. 10 in the wake of the North's long-range rocket launch, widely regarded as a ballistic missile test. Kim claimed that the shutdown of the industrial park could become an additional burden to the regime but added that China's cooperation is essential to ensure that the North's economy suffers maximum impact. "There's a demand for skilled and cheap North Korean labor in the Chinese textile industry. If the GIC workers just switch from working in the complex to working in China, then the hard currency inflow will hardly change," he said. Citing that Chinese firms normally hire North Koreans without work permits, Kim said Beijing could provide additional support by ending such employment. North Korea's trade with China is estimated to comprise 70 to 80 percent of its entire trade and account for 50 percent of its annual growth rate, according to Kim. The volume increased from $1.19 billion in 2010 to $2.84 billion in 2014, he said, stressing the figure indicates that the repressive country is now more heavily dependent on its major ally than before. "Beijing's tough hand on Pyongyang is highly likely to change the situation either through independent or U. N. sanctions," he said. Kim Byung-yeon, one of a small number of academics here who study the North Korean economy in South Korea, is a former member of the national economic advisory council and is also a member of the policy advisory committee for the unification ministry and the evaluation committee for the foreign ministry. Lt. Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, left, commander of U.S. Seventh Air Force and deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea, announces a joint statement with ROK Air Force Operations Command Commander Lt. Gen. Lee Wang-keon in front of an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Four F-22s performed a flyover to demonstrate the power of the Seoul-Washington alliance. O'Shaughnessy said the U.S. maintains an ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea. / Joint press corps 4 F-22 Raptor stealth fighters dispatched here By Jun Ji-hye Joint military drills by South Korea and the United States are becoming more offensive-oriented, shifting the focus toward infiltration and preemptive strikes away from defense against North Korean attacks. The changing objective of the joint exercises reflects worries that North Korea will never give up its nuclear ambitions. Recently, the allies displayed their strike power in response to the North's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and launch of a long-range rocket on Feb. 7. On Wednesday, four F-22 Raptor stealth fighters performed a flyover at Osan Air Base, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, becoming the third U.S. strategic asset dispatched to the Korean Peninsula since January. The allies are planning to apply their new joint wartime operational plan, dubbed Operation Plan (OPLAN) 5015, which reportedly includes a contingency for preemptive strikes against the North's key facilities, during the annual war game Key Resolve and the field training drill Foal Eagle, military sources said. The annual drills are scheduled to begin on March 7 and will run until April 30. The two nations signed off on OPLAN 5015 last June to replace OPLAN 5027 that was more oriented around defending the South. During the drills, Washington will also exercise a prompt dispatch of its overseas armed forces, comprised of a variety of elements including the Air Force and Navy, to the peninsula, according to officials. The naval forces of the two countries are also planning to hold the annual Ssang Yong (double dragon) amphibious landing training for marines and navy personnel early next month on a larger scale than usual. Parents of Danwon High School students distribute leaflets at a culture center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, demanding the removal of the belongings of students who died in the 2014 Sewol ferry accident from 10 classrooms, so that new students can use them, Tuesday, when the school planned to hold an orientation session for freshman students. The session was cancelled. / Yonhap Dispute rises over memorial space at school for Sewol ferry victims By Kim Se-jeong Tensions are high at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where the majority of the 2014 Sewol ferry victims were students, over whether to keep memorial spaces for the victims. Ten classrooms where the victims were students, have been kept with their belongings as a way to commemorate them. But parents of the new students at the school want the belongings moved to other memorial venues to make space for the new students in those classrooms. The school needs eight more classrooms to accommodate all the new students if it does not remove the memorial classrooms. On Tuesday, about 30 parents blocked the entrance of a culture center in Ansan where the school was to hold an orientation session for 301 new students, saying the school and regional education office should take action to solve the situation. The parents said the rooms, called "Classrooms of Remembrance," were afflicting other students in a bad way who attend the school. "Seeing the classrooms, other students, including the survivors, feel depressed and guilty. They cannot have a normal school life," one parent said. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education proposed the idea of turning the classrooms into memorial spaces in November 2014, in an attempt to console the victims' families. The original plan was to keep them that way until February this year, when the victims would have graduated had they lived. Then, the school could receive new students in those classrooms. But the idea was not accepted by the victims' parents, who argued there's no better place than the school for memorial space. "The fault is on the education chief, because he made an unrealistic promise to the victims' families," another parent said. "If nothing improves soon, we will sue the school and the education office." The orientation for the new students was finally cancelled, and the new students had to return home. On Wednesday, parents said they would file a complaint against Gyeonggi education chief Lee Jae-jeong for negligence. "As chief educator, Lee is obliged to keep students learning and studying. But he chose to rob the students of the space by keeping the classrooms as memorials," one of the parents said. "We will encourage the prosecution to look into the case." In response, Lee said that the classrooms are places where students learn and study, not spaces for memorials, adding that he is trying his best to solve the problem. The education office recently approached the victims' families with the idea of creating a new memorial hall, but the families turned down the offer because it was not on the campus. New students will start school on March 2. On April 16, 2014, the ferry Sewol carrying 325 students and teachers from Danwon High School capsized in the sea off Jindo on the southeastern coast. They were heading to Jeju Island for a school trip, and 262 of them lost their lives. The vessel is still under water, and salvage efforts are still going on. By Choi Sung-jin Between 50,000 and 60,000 North Korean workers overseas remit up to $200 million home a year, twice as much as the 54,000 workers in the now-closed Gaeseong Industrial Complex earned, Pyongyang watchers said Wednesday. And the bulk of it seems to land in the Workers' Party to fund the North's nuclear development programs, they said. North Korea has sent up to 60,000 workers to about 50 countries, mainly those that have high demand for construction workers, including 20,000 in Russia, 19,000 in China, 4,000-5,000 in Kuwait, 2,000 in the United Arab Emirates and 1,800 in Qatar, experts said. Given there are many more who do not fall into the statistics, the actual number may exceed 100,000. Since leader Kim Jong-un ordered that as many workers as possible should be sent overseas, the number has sharply increased from 20,000 in 2010, and their areas of work have also expanded to dressmaking, logging, health care and even IT, they said. "North Korea has few items to export, other than arms and mineral resources, the shipments of which have become difficult because of international sanctions," Yonhap News Agency quoted a government official as saying. "That forced its leadership to resort to sending workers abroad." Russia and China also prefer North Korean workers because they work long hours for low wages under the strict control of supervisors. Jang Seong-taek, Kim's uncle and mentor before he was executed, had been in exclusive charge of labor dispatch. Now, however, the cabinet, military and the party are competing to take part in the business, the official said, wanting anonymity. North Korean laborers abroad earn $100-$1,500 a month but get only 10-30 percent of it, with the other 70-90 percent going to the secretariat of the Workers' Party, or Office 39, responsible for managing foreign exchange earned by the party, administration and military, the experts said. This hard cash is used for nuclear and missile projects and buying luxuries for Kim and other North Korean leaders. This means the U.N. Security Council should include workers' foreign earnings in its targets for sanctions, the official said. North Korean authorities are doing all they can to increase labor dispatch but finding it hard because many of their host governments are moving to regulate it, either by canceling and reducing dispatches or preventing the exploitation of workers' income by officials in Pyongyang, the experts said. Court fines doctor W 15 mil. for spreading false rumors over mayor's son By Chung Ah-young Park Won-soon Seoul Mayor The Seoul Central District Court fined a doctor 15 million won ($12,240), Wednesday, for spreading false information about Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's son. The fine was much more than the 5 million won originally sought by prosecutors. Six other defendants were also fined between 7 and 15 million won on the same charges. The court said that Yang Seung-oh, 56, distributed groundless rumors about the military service-dodging scandal surrounding the mayor's son, Ju-sin, in an attempt to make Park lose the election on June 4, 2014. A group of doctors and conservative critics including Yang alleged that the junior Park dodged the military duty after submitting another person's medical records for his health check to the Military Manpower Administration (MMA). "There is no evidence that another person stood in for Ju-sin during his medical check, and it is obvious that the records he submitted to the authorities the second time were his own," the court said. "The accused had the intention of hampering Park's bid in the election. The crime is grave as Yang knew that the rumor was groundless, but nonetheless, claimed it to be true," the court added. Ju-sin joined the Air Force in 2011 but was sent home after four days when he suffered pain in his thighs. He then submitted medical records including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray data to the MMA. The administration found him unable to perform active duty due to a herniated disc and exempted him from military service. He was sent to perform an alternative service at a public organization. However, former lawmaker Kang Yong-seok and other conservative civic group members raised the suspicions over the junior Park, claiming that Ju-sin was exempted from military duty by fabricating the MRI data. To clear the suspicions, the junior Park had a second MRI test at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital in Seoul in 2012 and doctors confirmed that he had a herniated disc. The junior Park was acquitted of draft dodging charges in 2013. However, as Yang and the other defendants continued accusations against his son, the mayor filed a suit against them and prosecutors indicted them without physical detention in November 2014. Earlier, the court asked the younger Park to attend a hearing last year for another medical checkup to decide whether the medical records were really his. But Ju-sin, who has been in Britain, didn't show up at the hearing and instead the court ordered six medical experts to review the previous MRI data. By Kang Seung-woo Confusion is continuing to spread over whether President Park Geun-hye really meant that she would seek to overthrow the Kim Jong-un regime when she spoke about how to change North Korea during a National Assembly address, on Tuesday. A number of Korean language newspapers published headlines, saying "Park aims to overthrow the Kim regime," based on their interpretations of Park's vaguely-worded speech at one moment. What she said can be interpreted as either "I will change the regime" or "I will make the regime change." The newspapers and some analysts interpreted this as holding the first meaning. The confusion arose because of the vagueness of the Korean language, a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "The wording change' can be viewed in many ways, but you better understand it in the second way," said presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk, denying that she is seeking to overthrow the North's regime. She did make a comment about a regime change in the speech, but this did not mean that she will take action to overthrow the government in Pyongyang, as reported by the newspapers, Jung said. In her speech, Park told lawmakers that Seoul will continue to take harsh steps of its own to change Pyongyang. In addition, Park vowed to take stronger and more effective measures to make North Korea realize that its nuclear program will only hasten its collapse the first time that Park has mentioned a regime collapse. Moreover, others are questioning whether the South Korean government is really seeking to overthrow the North Korean regime. North Korea analysts said that the Park government appears to be aimed at subverting the North Korean regime. "President Park's address means the South's pursuit of the North's regime change rather than hoping for the North's reform and opening through regime transformation," said Namkoong Young, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, in a media interview. Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University, voiced a similar view. "If South Korea intends to change the North's behavior, the two sides need to meet and hold talks, but considering the current situation with the bilateral communication channels cut off, referring to a regime change means it is seeking to overthrow the North Korean regime," he said. Cui Ziyin, front row sixth from left, poses with students from Korea, China and Japan during the opening ceremony for the Campus Asia Program at Dongseo University in Busan in September 2013. / Courtesy of Dongseo University Students share ideas through Campus Asia Program Cui Ziyin, graduate from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies Jung Da-yeon, Dongseo University student Ikuko Yamamoto, Ritsumeikan University student Cho Hoon, graduate student from KAIST By Chung Hyun-chae Cui Ziyin, a graduate from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, China, said she has come to have a better understanding about sensitive historical issues facing Korea, China and Japan after joining a three-nation exchange program in 2012. She is sure that the Campus Asia Program has provided opportunities for students from the three countries to share their ideas and experiences as well as learn how to better understand each other. The program was started in 2012 to promote academic and cultural exchanges among the region's university students. It has received funding from the governments of Korea, China and Japan. "As part of the program, we had a lecture called East Asian Regional Study in which students discussed historical problems and territorial disputes. We made persuasive arguments by putting ourselves in other countries' shoes," said Cui who majored in Korean at her home university. "For example, Chinese students were given the task to support Japan saying Diaoyu Island is Japan's territory and studied and collected data to back our claim which we had never thought about before," she said. "I also learned a way to trust other people and respect different cultures." The discussions included sensitive historical issues such as Japanese cabinet ministers' visits to Yasukuni Shrine, war reparations and wartime sexual slavery. "Such activities have enabled us think why Japan, Korea and China behave that way, from their points of view, and I could understand them more," Cui said. "I realized that communication is the best way to solve the problems. Only communication can make us understand each other and find the way to make a better future." The program is designed to provide opportunities for university students to study and experience the cultures of the three countries while receiving credits or double degrees. Currently there are 10 teams comprised of three to four universities from Korea, Japan and China. Eight local universities including Seoul National University, Korea University, Sungkyunkwan University and Pusan National University have participated in the program with eight Chinese universities and 10 Japanese universities. The Chinese universities include Peking University and Tsinghua University and those in Japan include the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University. Cui's school has teamed up with Dongseo University in Busan and Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. "Actually, I got a job with a cartoon and toy company trading with Korea and Japan because I learned to speak both Korean and Japanese during the Campus Asia program," she said. "Thanks to this program, I became more independent, confident and broad-minded." She said she is preparing to enter Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Seoul to further pursue her dream of becoming an interpreter. As the students spent about two years together, living in each country for six months in dormitories, they became close friends. "Building friendships with Japanese and Chinese students, I could dispel prejudices about the two countries," said Jung Da-yeon, 23, a Dongseo University student majoring in Japanese and Chinese. Asked what the most impressive aspect of the program was, she cited a group project under which students formulate visions of East Asia's future. "Our group devised a plan to conclude a peace treaty among the three countries," Jung said. "Including this project, many lectures and projects allowed us to understand each other's countries deeply," she added. The program was created not only to help students exchange ideas but also to improve their language skills. "We enjoyed explaining things to Korean and Chinese students in their languages," said Ikuko Yamamoto, a 22-year-old Japanese student from Ritsumeikan University. Most students who took part in the Campus Asia Program passed the highest level of the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) although they had stayed each country for only six months. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon is running a project under the Campus Asia Program with Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The three universities exchange students while encouraging them to focus on research. "Unlike other students taking lessons or making presentations under international or exchange programs, I conducted research through the school's support," said Cho Hoon, a graduate student who is in a master's and doctoral course at KAIST. He added that he wants to work as an environmental technology consultant for the United Nations Development Program, a development agency headquartered in New York. Last month, education ministers of the three nations held their first trilateral meeting in Seoul to boost educational cooperation. During the meeting, the three ministers agreed to expand student exchanges, dual-degree programs and joint courses. They also discussed expanding the program to invite other Asian countries so that students in the region could actively interact with each other. "Like the Erasmus Program in the EU, we hope to eventually develop this into a joint program of all Northeast Asian countries combining their schemes for education and training," said Kim Young-gon, director general of the International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Education. The United States believes that the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system to South Korea would be an "appropriate step to take at this point" as it will enhance security in the region, the Defense Department spokesman said Tuesday. "The discussions about deploying a THAAD system will begin at some point this week. I don't have the exact day for you," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said at a briefing. "This is an effort to try and put in place a defensive system that will bolster security in the region. And we think it would be an appropriate step to take at this point." Shortly after North Korea's Feb. 7 missile launch, South Korea and the U.S. jointly announced they would begin official discussions on the possible placement of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. That ended more than a year of soul-searching by Seoul over how to deal with the issue amid Washington's desire to deploy the system and China's intense opposition to it. The North's twin provocations of its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and then a missile test a month later gave Seoul justification for the decision. China has claimed THAAD can be used against it, despite repeated assurances from Washington that the system is aimed only at deterring North Korean threats. Beijing expressed regret after the South and the U.S. announced the decision to hold THAAD talks. This week, China's Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui reiterated opposition to the THAAD deployment. (Yonhap) The South Korean government has prohibited all civilian exchange programs with North Korea since its nuclear test last month, a Unification Ministry official said Wednesday. The government has rejected a total of 17 private-level applications for inter-Korean contact, including cross-border trips and shipping materials to the communist country, the official said. North Korea conducted what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb test on Jan. 6, prompting the international community to push for additional sanctions. The North is banned from nuclear and ballistic missile activity under United Nations Security Council resolutions. A month later, the North conducted a long-range rocket launch, which the outside world denounced as a defiant ballistic missile test. "It is not the right time to discuss dialogue and cooperation as North Korea's nuclear test and long-range missile launch fomented a serious situation," the official noted. Right after the nuclear test last month, the Unification Ministry retaliated by freezing private-level inter-Korean exchanges and humanitarian assistance programs. Government-level exchanges between the countries were suspended in punitive measures South Korea took in May 2010, two months after North Korea torpedoed the Cheonan, a South Korean Navy corvette. (Yonhap) The floor leader of South Korea's main opposition Minjoo Party vowed Wednesday to enact a special law to reopen the troubled inter-Korean joint factory park at the center of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea has shuttered the factory park in the North's western border city of Gaesong as part of its measures to punish North Korea for its recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch. In return, North Korea expelled all South Koreans from the economic enclave and froze South Korean assets there. The tit-for-tat move doomed the last-remaining economic cooperation project between the two Koreas, which are technically still at war. "The Minjoo Party will enact a special law to revive the Gaesong Industrial Complex," Lee Jong-kul said in a speech at the National Assembly. Currently, the opposition party cannot unilaterally pass any bill as it has only 108 seats in the 293-member parliament, though its chance of approving a special bill could go up if it wins a sweeping victory in the upcoming elections. South Koreans are set to go to the polls in April to elect new lawmakers. A recent poll released by Yonhap News Agency and public broadcaster KBS showed that 54.4 percent of those polled are in favor of the government's decision to shut down the factory park. Still, Lee championed the factory park, describing it as a hope that could breathe new life into South Korea's economy at a time when South Korea cannot find momentum for future growth. The shutdown is like "removing a safety pin that prevented a full-scale armed conflict," Lee said. The sprawling project had served as a major revenue source for the cash-strapped North, while South Korea has benefited from cheap but skilled North Korean labor. On Tuesday, President Park Geun-hye strongly suggested that most of US$560 million South Korea provided in cash to North Korea for their factory park ended up in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Lee also called on the government to carefully review other options in national defense before deploying an advanced U.S. missile defense system in the country. South Korea and the U.S. have unveiled their plan to bring a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery into South Korea to counter North Korea's short-to-medium-range missile threats. "THAAD deployment should be based on the merit of the national interest," Lee said. (Yonhap) With less than two months remaining before the April 13 general election, leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties will meet Thursday to discuss bills pertaining to the electoral boundaries map and other contentious issues. Given that even the possibility of postponing the parliamentary polls is arising, the protracted talks on redistricting constituencies must be concluded this time. Redrawing the electoral map has been delayed because the governing Saenuri Party is seeking to link the public election bill governing the electoral map to the passage of the other contentious bills. The ruling party's position is understandable, considering its concerns that the main opposition Minju Party of Korea will ignore the urgent need to approve the other bills once the election bill is passed. But circumstances seem quite pressing. To hold the National Assembly elections as scheduled, it's imperative that the parties end their talks this week and approve the relevant bill during the Feb. 23 plenary session at the latest. The bipartisan spat over the electoral map comes in line with the Constitutional Court's ruling in 2014 that electoral boundaries should be redrawn to address unequal representation arising from population changes. The court then said that the ratio of the most populous electoral district to the least populous must be lower than two to one, compared with three to one at present. National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa on Monday warned that the quadrennial general election could be delayed without a quick decision on the election bill. In fact, the two main parties have already reached a consensus on key issues over the electoral map 253 district constituencies plus 47 proportional representatives. What remains to be seen now is whether they can agree on a decision. Most problematic with the delayed redistricting is that the National Election Commission can't begin drawing up the list of overseas voters on Feb. 24 on schedule unless the relevant law is passed until then. Parties' candidate selections have also been disturbed amid mounting complaints that political rookies have been at a great disadvantage due to restrictions in campaigning. It is sad that our political circles are unable to hammer out an agreement on the electoral map at a time when the nation is on high alert following North Korea's successive provocations and Seoul's ensuing shutdown of a joint industrial park. People are already fed up with politicians' irresponsible behaviors and partisan mudslinging. It's possible that not a small number of unsuccessful candidates might file petitions raising questions about the legitimacy of the election. It's long overdue for the parties to stop their futile political battle and perform their own duties. China should stop interfering with THAAD decision China is the most vocal critic about the possible deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Korea. During a recent Reuters interview, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized Korea and the U.S. for threatening its national security interests. Wang maintained that the coverage of the THAAD missile defense system, especially the monitoring scope of its X-Band radar, goes far beyond the defense needs of the Korean Peninsula. He also argued that by reaching deep into the hinterland of Asia, the THAAD deployment will not only directly damage China's strategic security interests, but also harm the security interests of other countries across the region. The way in which Wang expressed opposition to THAAD during the Reuters interview is preposterous. Wang used an ancient Chinese saying from the Chu-Han Contention (206-202 B.C.); "Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance as a cover for his attempt on Liu Bang's life." The saying comes from the Feast of Hong Gate in 206 B.C., during a power struggle for supremacy over China between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of Han dynasty. Xiang Zhuang, a younger cousin of the warlord Xiang Yu, attempted to thrust his sword at Liu Bang on numerous instances. The saying is used to describe a situation where one does something to disguise an attack on another person. Wang was metaphorically describing Korea as a subordinate of the U.S. acting on its instructions to hurt China. This kind of derogatory remark is an affront to Korea and its people. It shows that the top Chinese diplomat regards Korea as a client state of the U.S. and expressed his outdated perception through an irrelevant metaphor. For a foreign minister to voice such a view about a close neighbor, with which his country enjoys significant economic and cultural relations, is an unthinkable breach of diplomatic protocol. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should lodge a complaint about Wang's inappropriate description of Korea in the interview and make sure that such instances are not repeated. China sent its Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui to Seoul Tuesday to once again urge Korea and the U.S. to act prudently on THAAD introduction. China has a right to have its own position on THAAD. But it needs to understand that the THAAD decision is for Korea to make with the U.S. strictly in accordance with the two allies' own defense requirements. For China to voice repeated opposition is an encroachment in internal affairs. We urge Beijing to stop interfering in our security decision-making process. Seoul can take note of China's position, but it is by no means a deciding factor in any decision that Korea and the U.S. reach on THAAD deployment. The first and foremost criteria for deploying THAAD, as President Park Geun-hye said in her New Year speech, is our own national security and interests. Before asking Korea to remain defenseless against North Korea's weapons of mass destruction by opposing THAAD, China should ask itself what it has done for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States and China are moving forward in talks to adopt a new U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests, the U.S. national security advisor said. "China is obviously a critical player at the United Nations and it, too, has choices to make. We have had ongoing discussions with the Chinese in New York. President Obama has spoken to President Xi. I think these discussions are progressing," National Security Advisor Susan Rice said at a briefing Monday night, according to a pool report. For more than a month, since the North's nuclear test, the Security Council has been struggling in negotiations to come up with a new sanctions resolution on the North because China has been reluctant to impose harsh measures on Pyongyang. Amid the deadlock, the North flouted the Security Council again with a banned missile launch on Feb. 7. Beijing has condemned the North's nuclear and missile tests but has been lukewarm about calls for a stern response. Analysts have long said Beijing fears that pushing Pyongyang too hard could lead to its collapse, instability on its border with China and ultimately the emergence of a pro-U.S. nation. Chinese cooperation is key to any meaningful punishment as it is one of the five veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and the main provider of food and fuel aid to the impoverished North. "I think it unlikely that China wants to be seen by the international community as the protector of North Korea, given its recent outrageous behavior in violation of international law and U.N. Security Council resolution," Rice said. She also said that North Korea is a topic of interest to the entire region and the U.S. will "continue our work to contain and reduce the threat posed by North Korea," adding that the issue will also be discussed at President Barack Obama's summit in California with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian. (Yonhap) South Korea is looking to bring K-pop to Cuba. As tensions with Cuba and democratic nations thaw following the United States' historic move to normalize relations with the island nation, South Korea's government is bringing Hallyu (the Korean Wave). First up, a Korean language speaking contest. The winner of the contest, which is similar to others held around the globe by Korean embassies, will receive a month-long trip to South Korea where they will study the Korean language. The program, facilitated by South Korea's Hanyang University and Cuba's Jose Marti Cultural Center, is the first of its kind in Cuba but likely to be one of many such events. An official from the South Korean Embassy in Mexico, which also represents Cuba, said that there are many Cubans interested in learning about Korea and the Korean language. The Jose Marti Cultural Center offers a Korean language course to 100 Cubans, led by a teacher facilitated by the Korea Foundation, a non profit organization in Seoul that works closely with Korean government cultural offices to coordinate overseas activities. Last year, the Korea Times reported that Korean dramas are a hit in Cuba. South Korea promotes its culture and country abroad through a variety of competitions and Hallyu-related events. Contests, including star searches and educational based programs like the annual Quiz on Korea, bring international fans of Korean culture and K-pop, films, and television to South Korea each year. --- Top Korean actor Lee Min Ho wants you to come to Korea to gamble, but only if you're not Korean yourself. The hallyu (Korean Wave) star, who has broken records as the face of South Korea's Tourism Organization, recently became the face of a foreigner-only South Korean casino. For a year, Lee Min Ho will represent Seven Luck Casino. "Lee's identity asa hallyu star matches well with the brand image that the casino seeks," an official of Grand Korea Leisure said. The actor is widely popular throughout Asia due to his appearances in multiple Korean dramas and films, such as "Boys Over Flowers" and "The Heirs." Grand Leisure, the state-run operator of Grand Luck Casino, is co-owned by the Korea National Tourism Organization. Seven Luck Casino, like all but one South Korean Casino, is only open to clientele with foreign passports due to strict Korean gambling laws. The Seven Luck Casino deal is not Lee's only foreigner-related ad campaign. Last year, following the MERS outbreak in South Korea, the country's government reached out to Lee Min Ho to serve as an ambassador for the country to boost tourism. By the end of the summer, a video ad featuring Lee Min Ho titled "Korea. Your Story" became the most well-received ad campaigns ever launched by the Korean Tourism Organization. Last September, Lee Min Ho was announced as an official ambassador for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Lee Min Ho was a breakout star in the iconic Korean drama "Boys Over Flowers." His next roll is in the Korean-Chinese production, "Bounty Hunters." --- Launch of Consultations on Reconciliation Mechanisms Address by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera MP Jaffna, 12th February 2016. On January 8th President Maithripala Sirisena was elected on mandate for true national unity, reconciliation and accountability. In fact, point 93 of President Sirisenas 100 day work programme says, Since Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Statute regarding international jurisdiction with regard to war crimes, ensuring justice with regard to such matters will be the business of national independent judicial mechanisms. Later, after the new Government was elected, on behalf of the new Government, I requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to defer the publication of the OISL Report as the government needed to deliberate on and design the framework for truth seeking, accountability, reparations and non-recurrence. In September, after having formed a government comprising of the two main political parties for the first time in history, I outlined this framework for reconciliation and accountability at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva based on the four pillars of truth seeking, accountability, reparations and non-recurrence. Later Sri Lanka and all the other countries of the world represented on the UN Human Rights Council co-sponsored a resolution based on the contours of that speech. The Government of Sri Lanka, the President and the Prime Minister have over the last year repeatedly emphasized our commitment to reconciliation and accountability; and our unwavering commitment to the implementation of the Resolution. On Independence Day last year, President Sirisena, in a dramatic departure from the insensitivity, short-sightedness and orgy of triumphalism in the recent past, said The time and peace required for healing and building sustainable peace and security for all, is upon us. It is now for us to seize this opportunity to ensure the fruits of democracy and citizenship can be equitably enjoyed by all. A few months later on Remeberance Day, the 19th of May, President Sirisena observed that With the ending of the war on May 18 and 19 of 2009, we witnessed a period of peace. We have to ask ourselves with intelligence, experience, knowledge and wisdom; whether we have fulfilled the tasks we should have performed during the post-conflict period. I think we did not fulfil that responsibility. Prominence was given to the development of physical resources, and there was no importance given to the process of reconciliation among communities. Now Independence Day this year, he expressed his commitment in greater detail, It is now time for us to seize the current opportunity that is before us to implement the provisions of the Resolution, not because of international pressure, but because, as a nation, we must implement these provisions for the sake of restoring the dignity of our nation, our people, and our military, in order for Sri Lanka to regain her due position as a strong democracy among the community of nations. Even if there are many options available in the precise way by which reconciliation and accountability are to be achieved, there is widespread consensus throughout the Island that reconciliation and accountability are non-negotiable goals. In a two day debate in Parliament the two main political parties the UNP and SLFP - the parties representing the minority communities and other political parties all emphasized the need for reconciliation and accountability. In fact, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe recently said that our whole approach is reconciliation and accountability. We are not talking about accountability without reconciliation or reconciliation without accountability. This is because all Sri Lankans across the island, both in the North and the South, have suffered at the hands of those who have abused the power of the gun. I was recently told the story of a mother still living in an IDP camp here in Jaffna. Her story could be a metaphor for the immense suffering our country has endured during the last several decades. This mothers husband, who was not rich or educated but motivated by deprivation, discrimination and indignity took up arms with the LTTE to fight for what he considered freedom and was killed in battle. The mothers eldest son then took up arms in an attempt to avenge his fathers death. With this double loss, the mothers heart was broken and she suffered in silence for many years, struggling to provide for her two remaining sons. As the war drew to a close, the LTTE forcibly recruited both those sons both under 15. One of them was summarily executed by the LTTE for disobeying orders. No one knows what happened to the remaining son. There are many similar stories too in the South, of deprivation, discrimination and indignity leading to violence and suffering. In fact, this was one of the reasons for me entering politics in the late 1980s when I was convenor of the Mothers Front Movement - representing the thousands of mothers whose children had been killed or disappeared. Even today, there are many mothers of soldiers who are still looking for their children or trying to find out when, where and how they died. In the last year, the government has taken significant steps to address these grievances. For example, tor the first time in over six decades, the national anthem was sung in Sri Lankas two national languages as they are found in the Constitution. Over 3,300 acres of land in the North and East have been released. After a careful and systematic review by the relevant authorities, the Government de-proscribed 8 diaspora organisations and 269 individuals. Sri Lanka also signed the Convention on Enforced Disappearances which will help Sri Lankas white van culture from ever re-emerging. 39 prisoners held without charge have been released, and we plan to release or charge the remaining prisoners very soon. And in order to expedite the process of releasing those again whom there are no charged or pressing charges the Cabinet has already approved the creation of a special court. We have re-instated civilian administration in the North and East and the military has reverted to their peacetime professional duties. In addition, as the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law is restored those responsible for the atrocities at Viswamadu and Mirusuvil have been brought to book. In fact, by weeding out the undisciplined few, the good name and professional reputation of the security forces, which was tarnished over the years, can be restored. Protecting the good name of the armed forces as a whole by punishing the wrong doers is not a new concept to us. We remember the Manamperi incident in Kataragama and the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy murder in the 90s, when the Government of the day protected the good name of the army by punishing the few miscreants. We are starting this process of reconciliation not to appease international pressure or to keep the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid happy as some may think. We are embarking on this difficult journey because we owe it to the people of our nation to forge a new future where all citizens will be treated with equal dignity and respect so that the country can be truly united and move forward. In order for all Sri Lankans to move forward together, we must come to terms with the shortcomings of the past, we must all commit ourselves to ensure that the horrors and tragedies of the past is never again allowed to happen and the politics of extremism is not allowed to raise its ugly head ever again neither in the North nor in the South. But the short-term ad hoc measures outlined above are insufficient. So the government is also laying the ground for long term stability, reconciliation and peace through the development and adoption of a new constitution and the four reconciliation mechanisms namely the Office of Missing Persons, the Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-Recurrence Commission, the Judicial Mechanism and the Office of Reparations. The government wants to design mechanisms in a way that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our citizens and especially the victims of the senseless war. We want these mechanism to last until they fulfil the purpose for which they were created. The consultations for the new constitution have already begun. And today, I am very pleased to announce that we are starting the process of consultations on the design of the four reconciliation mechanisms. We have appointed eleven independent eminent citizens to the Consultation Task Force to lead the consultations process that will happen both through written consultations and in face-to-face meetings in all 25 districts. The Consultation Task Force will review and analyse the peoples input from across the island and will present the Government with a report that will also be made public, which will be used to make the final decision on the shape and form of the reconciliation mechanisms. So on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, I urge victims on both sides of the divide, religious leaders whose guidance is always appreciated, members of the public, the security forces, civil society, the public service, business-people, professionals to participate and contribute their ideas and experiences into the design of these mechanisms so that we can build a Sri Lanka that is truly reconciled and at peace and a Sri Lanka where equality, justice and freedom are a reality for all citizens. I am aware that there are many here today who still have fears and doubts. But I can assure you that the National Unity Government of President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremasinghe is committed to ensuring the successful completion on this process. While President Sirisena is leading the All Party Committee on Constitutional Reform to get the ideas and input of all political parties, I have met the Defence Secretary, the Chief of Defence Staff, (both of whom are here today) the Tri Service Commanders and the IGP, the heads of intelligence agencies, the commanders of the security forces and the police DIGs in charge of the North and some of those responsible for security in the East. I have also met the Governors of the North and East. They have all assured me of their fullest cooperation in ensuring that there are no hindrances in ensuring this consultation process takes place and that the security of all those participating will be ensured. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of dealing with the past in order to move forward and build a united, peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka. We cannot forget the tears of mothers still grieving for their missing sons thirty years later in Point Dondra and nor can we forget the mother in Point Pedro who is grieving for her LTTE combatant son killed in a senseless and brutal war. But these mothers and wives are not only crying for their lost loved ones, they are also crying for our country and the many opportunities we have lost. At Independence in 1948, we were set to become the brightest and the best in Asia. Instead, what was for many centuries known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean became known as its teardrop. Last year, a historic year for Sri Lanka, saw two major elections which were both victories for moderates, in the North and in the South, and which gave the country hope that it could once again become that pearl. Today bankrupt politicians, as well as the ghosts of extremism, are again trying to stir up the peoples passions resorting, as all scoundrels do, to whipping up racism. At this critical juncture, all moderates must unite so that Sri Lanka can at last have the future it truly deserves as a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural country with peace and prosperity. Allow me to conclude by quoting from my speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last September, Therefore, I say to the sceptics: dont judge us by the broken promises, experiences and u-turns of the past. Let us design, define and create our future by our hopes and aspirations, and not be held back by the fears and prejudices of the past. Let us not be afraid to dream. Let us not be afraid to engage in meaningful dialogue aimed at finding solutions to problems as opposed to pointing fingers, heaping blame and scoring political points at the expense of future generations. The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more PRESS RELEASE Syrian, Kurdish Forces Closing off Aleppo, Syrian Forces Moving Towards Raqqa Feb. 15, 2016 (EIRNS)The combined actions of the Syrian army and its allies, backed by Russian air support, are cutting off insurgent groups from the Turkish border. According to a series of reports in Al Masdar News, from yesterday and this morning, the Syrian army is preparing for an offensive against militant-held districts in north Aleppo while also moving ever closer to the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant. The power plant is about 26 km east of Aleppo city and its capture by the army would further squeeze those areas of the city and its environs even further. To the north of the city, the YPG (predominantly Kurdish Peoples Protection Units) is coming into the environs of Tal Rifaat, which brings them closer to the border town of Azaz. For the YPG, the eventual capture of Azaz "would allow them to be one border-crossing away from linking their lands in the east to the territory they control in the west," reported Al Masdar. Al Masdar also reports fierce fighting, this morning, in the village of Al-Bureij near the Sheikh Najar Industrial District (about 10 or 11 km northeast of downtown Aleppo city). These offensives by the army and the YPG will have the effect of cutting Raqqa, the self-declared capital of the ISIS caliphate, off from the Turkish border. According to various reports, the Syrian army is about 35 km from the military airport south of Al Tabqah, about 45 km to the west of Raqqa on the Euphrates River. According to RT, the Syrian army is working to take control of and secure the Salamiyah-Raqqa road "which leads directly into the Islamic State stronghold." PRESS RELEASE Eyewitness: Sirhan Sirhan Did Not Kill Robert Kennedy Feb. 15, 2016 (EIRNS)Paul Shrade (91), a trade union leader and supporter of RFK who stood next to Robert Kennedy in the Ambassador Hotel when he was assassinated, testified at Sirhan Sirhans parole hearing Feb. 10 that Sirhan could not have killed RFK. Paul Craig Roberts, former Reagan Administration official and current nationally syndicated columnist, provides a link to Shrades testimony, backing the evidence provided that there was another killer who actually fired the shots that killed Kennedy on June 5, 1968, immediately after hed won the California primary and clinched the Democratic nomination for President in 1968. Shrades powerful evidence included: Sirhan had an eight-shot low caliber pistol, which he fired, and hit Paul Shrade, who was standing next to RFK, and several others. The Medical Examiners report shows that Kennedy was shot from behind; Sirhan was always in front of him. Four bullets hit RFK from behind at point-blank range: the fatal one, in the back of his head; two bullets in his back, and one that passed harmleessly through his coat. Five other people were wounded. That makes nine bullets. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. requested that federal authorities examine the Prusynski Recording, the only known recording made of the assassination, which was uncovered in 2004 at the California State Archives by CNN Senior Writer Brad Johnson. Johnson recruited audio expert Philip Van Praag to analyze the Prusynski recording, and Van Praag found it showed a total of 13 gunshots; Sirhans gun held only eight. Van Praag also found what he calls "double-shots"meaning two gunshots fired so close togather than they could not both have come from Sirhans gun, and five of the shots were fired from an eastward direction, while Sirhan fired his shots from a westward direction. Two men from the hotel tackled Sirhan and put him in a headlock when he was in front of RFK, forcing him to fire his last six shots blindly. So Sirhan only had full control of his gun at the beginning when he fired his first two shots, one of which hit Paul Shrade, who testified at 71-year old Sirhans parole hearing Feb. 10 in favor of his release. Shrades statement also cites a memo by criminologist Larry Baggett, who investigated the Robert Kennedy shooting for the Los Angeles Police Department. The Baggett memo states that the bullets that hit Robert Kennedy and William Weisel, another shooting victim in the hotel kitchen, were not fired from the same gun. Sirhan was originally scheduled for release in 1984, but after intense political pressure, his parole date was rescinded. Sirhan, now 71, denied parole 14 times, was denied for the 15th time after the Feb. 10 hearing reported above. Click here for the Shrade statement and the Paul Craig Roberts Feb. 13 column. PRESS RELEASE No International Support for Turkish Cross-Border Shelling into Syria; Biden Called Prime Minister Davutoglu To Stop It Feb. 15, 2016 (EIRNS)Turkey is not getting much support internationally for its recent cross-border shelling into Syria, shelling thats targeting the Kurdish YPG militias, which are allied to the U.S. in the war against ISIS. Vice President Joe Biden called Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday to tell the Turks to stop it. "The Vice President noted U.S. efforts to discourage Syrian Kurdish forces from exploiting current circumstances to seize additional territory near the Turkish border, and urged Turkey to show reciprocal restraint by ceasing artillery strikes in the area," a White House statement said, yesterday, noting that Biden emphasized the imperative for de-escalation in the area. The French Foreign Ministry expressed similar concern. "France is worried about the deteriorating situation in the region of Aleppo and the north of Syria. We call for the cessation of all bombardments, those of the regime and its allies on the entire territory and those of Turkey in the Kurdish zones," the ministry said in a statement. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said this morning that "only a few days ago, all of us including Turkey, sitting around the table decided steps to de-escalate and have a cessation of hostilities." She said more fighting "is obviously not what we expect." PRESS RELEASE Vickers: U.K. Banks Vulnerable to Global Shock; Others Put Faith in Bail-In Feb. 15, 2016 (EIRNS)Sir John Vickers, former Bank of England Chief economist and former chairman of the Independent Commission on Banking, is warning that British banks are vulnerable to "external shocks," while others put their faith in the bail-in. "The Bank of England proposal is less strong than what the ICB recommended," Vickers told the BBC. He warned that the BOE watered down the ICB proposals to have adequate "financial buffers." The ICB had recommended that a 3 percent buffer for so-called systemic risks, was to be added to the capital of the bank, and a total capital holding of 18%, but the BOE refused to implement this, according to Vickers. "If banks run out of capital, all sorts of havoc could ensue. We want to be in a position where theres enough of a buffer to take any losses that might occur." Others are putting their faith in the bail-in. Martin Taylor, the former Barclays chief executive who sat on the ICB inquiry panel, recently told MPs he was happy with the rules. He said: "There is still a heck of a gap, as you rightly point out, between 13% and the Vickers Commissions 18%, but the Vickers Commission was operating on the assumption that there would not be bail-in-able debt, if I can put it that way, which we now have or shall shortly have." Taylor fails to say that it is just the new bail-in policy which has caused a collapse in the banks share prices. The Guardian points out that while the focus has been on the troubles of Deutsche Bank, whose share price has collapsed, the British banks are not much better; Standard Chartered is at 25-year lows and HSBC is at 2009 levels, the year of the great collapse. In the beginning of the bookish Internet, Jessa Crispin made waves with her irreverent online literary magazine, Bookslut. Shes gone on to publish another magazine, Spolia, as well as the 2015 book The Dead Ladies Project, a collection of essays that weaves her time abroad with research about displaced writers and artists of the 20th century. Many of Crispins dead ladies -- including writer William James and Margaret Anderson, who published James Joyces work in the The Little Review -- make cameo appearances in her new book The Creative Tarot (Touchstone: 327 pp., $22), out this week. Advertisement While The Creative Tarot is a guide to the fortune-telling cards and how to use them, the book is designed to spefically chart readings for working artists and writers. The tarot cards a person draws, Crispin suggests, can be source material, help guide a work in progress, or even indicate when its time to walk away from a project. We sat down to talk at Tianti Books, a specialty bookstore in Manhattan with titles on meditation lining its walls; the interview has been edited for length and clarity. You open the book talking about a down-to-earth tarot reader. Could you talk about that? I dont think I would have gotten into the tarot if it hadnt been for this woman. Because Id had readings before, and theyd all been super mystical woo-woo, which I have a very limited amount of patience for. Apparently you can wear some really nice pants and a button-up shirt and some lipstick and read tarot cards, and thats fine. That was the first time I realized, oh, this has a value outside of woo-woo land. The more I became a writer, the more my [tarot] readings became about my work. How did you create tarot readings specifically for creative people? Because of my job, because of Bookslut and Spolia and all the writers I know, all of my initial readings were about creativity. It was just kind of trial and error, [figuring out] what people wanted to know and what would be useful to them. I think its really helpful to figure out who you are in the situation. Do you have any power? Are you wandering off into the weeds, or do you kind of know what youre doing? I think thats an interesting way to start. What is it about tarot that helped you and your work, or has helped others work? Well, for my own work, it was more about how integrated my life was going to be with my creativity. Im trying to be thought of as an intellectual, and here I am reading tarot cards. I think the weirder you allow yourself to become and admit that you already are, then the more fun you have. But at the same time, public perception does change. Ive already gotten a lot of weird pushback about the tarot book, from mostly men, and when I wrote a piece about St. Theresa for The New York Times, I got weird email about how sorry people felt for her that she had this belief in God. And I was like, It worked out fine for her! She did a lot with it. Why not have critics writing about mystical topics? Im fine with being known as a mystical weirdo. Theres something really grounded about this book, though. Its extensively researched, talking about historical artists and writers and the ups and downs of creativity. I was 19 before I ever went to an art museum. It just was not valued in my family. The access you get then comes from biopics about artists, and always has this stupid narrative about genius, knowing from a very young age that youre meant to be a great painter or composer. But if you actually read people [describing] their process, you realize that its mostly trying, failing, trying, failing. That its not so mysterious after all, that its just a person doing work. I actually loved reading those stories. It was very reassuring to me. In the book, you explain that sometimes failure is necessary, because it gets you to another place. Yeah. I mean, it still feels like failure. It still feels like [the card] the Ten of Swords looks, which is totally gruesome and dire and terrible. ... I think the way we talk about art and artists and genius and creativity is mostly wrong, that there had to be some way of deconstructing genius and art, and whos allowed in and whos not. Even David Bowie was on the dole for a long time. What kind of support systems would you like to see artists have? I lived in Germany for five years, and I was a member of a writers union; I had half of my health insurance paid for, I had a pension. There was a subsidized transit system, subsidized opera, free art museums half the time -- it was just access. What would you know, those were my most productive years. What is the project that youre working on now? Its a feminist manifesto for Melville House called Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto. [This became public when] I was so incredibly stuck on it. It was going to be an obvious failure if I didnt finish. Swords all over it. Ten of Swords all over it. But maybe thats good because thats how I moved to Berlin. I sort of just told everyone I was moving to Berlin, and then it would be embarrassing if I didnt move -- then I had to go. Evans is a freelance writer who lives in Pennsylvania. If the old investing adage is true that the time to buy is when blood is running in the streets, then the time to buy into oil is now. The blood of oil investors is running thick indeed in the markets, so the smart thing to do may be to buy. At least that seems to be the thinking of master investors Warren Buffett, George Soros and David Tepper, all of whom have just disclosed stakes in the Houston pipeline company Kinder Morgan. Buffetts stake of 26.5 million shares, valued originally at $396 million, was disclosed in a public filing Tuesday. Kinder Morgan jumped by about 10% to $17.35 in morning trading on Wall Street on Wednesday, giving Buffett a paper profit of about $60 million. Until the recovery, the share price had fallen by about two-thirds in a year. Soros, who has been taking a generally bearish approach to the oil patch, has disclosed a Kinder Morgan stake of 50,700 shares, worth now about $887,000. Hedge fund manager Teppers disclosed holding is about 9.5 million shares, worth about $163 million as I write on Wednesday. None of them hold a commanding stake in the company: Buffetts shares come to about 1.2% of the total outstanding and only about one-third of a percent of the $130-billion portfolio of his Berkshire Hathaway holding company. Advertisement Two contrarian lines of thought probably motivate these investors actions, both based on the idea that when the mob is running in one direction, the smart investor runs the other way. One is that with oil trading near a 12-year low, the commodity is likely to be closer to the bottom of its price cycle than the top. The advice offered by Andrew Tobias in his classic book The Only Investment Guide Youll Ever Need is useful here: Ask yourself which would be more of a surprise: good news or bad news. News that is expected never has as much impact -- if any at all -- as news that is unexpected. With oil, news pointing to a bottoming or an upturn would be very surprising, so by Tobias lights, thats the way to bet. The second line of thought is that, whatever the direction of oil prices, Kinder Morgan has been unfairly punished. This is the notion offered by the companys executives, who argue that the market is making a mistake by valuing Kinder Morgan shares in tandem with oil prices, as has been the case throughout 2015. Kinder Morgan bills itself as the largest energy infrastructure company in North America, but oil production generated only 10% of its earnings before depreciation and amortization, the company says (see the slide below from a recent investor presentation). The rest is from natural gas, a segment where business is strong. That may be true, but theres hardly any question that the company has been hurt by the slide in oil prices and in its shares. Kinder Morgan cut its dividend by 75% in December to save cash. The companys profits slid 91% to $208 million last year, on revenue of $14.4 billion, hurt by a heavy debt load. Its proper to observe that the idea that pipeline companies are largely immune from the oil price declines has come into question over the last year. Thats the period in which master limited partnerships, which are bets on oil infrastructure and were therefore deemed cant miss investments despite their exposure to the oil industry, got slaughtered. Kinder Morgan itself was an MLP until it restructured in 2014 as a conventional corporation. That makes it a cleaner holding in tax terms, possibly enhancing its allure to big investors such as Buffett and Soros. If investors start to buy into the argument that the companys fortunes are independent of oil prices, or if oil prices recover, or both, the story on Kinder Morgan may change and Buffett, Soros and Tepper can boast of having been there first. Whether theyre pointing the way for the average investor is an open question. Buffett and his ilk have resources allowing them to survive a wrong bet, or to hang in for as long as it takes until things genuinely turn around. But their long-term records make it hard to fault their approach. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see our Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook has made no secret of his position on helping outsiders -- including the government -- access Apple users' information. Even before he said Wednesday that Apple would resist a federal judge's order to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters who killed 14 people in a December rampage, Cook has said repeatedly that his company has never worked with government agencies to "create a back door" in any of its products or services. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) If those of us in positions of responsibility fail to do everything in our power to protect the right of privacy, we risk something far more valuable than money. We risk our way of life. Tim Cook on Feb. 13, 2015, discussing companies that sell users' data (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) Weakening encryption or taking it away harms good people that are using it for the right reasons. And ultimately, I believe it has a chilling effect on our 1st Amendment rights and undermines our country's founding principles. Tim Cook on June 1, discussing Apple's decision to encrypt FaceTime and iMessage communications Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press) (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) If you leave a back door in the software, there is no such thing as a back door for good guys only.... If there is a back door, anyone can come in the back door. Tim Cook in November, according to Reuters (Luca Bruno / Associated Press) I don't believe that the tradeoff here is privacy versus national security.... I think that's an overly simplistic view. We're America. We should have both. Tim Cook in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Dec. 20 For more business news, follow @smasunaga. READ MORE Why Apple is battling investigators over the iPhone Apple opposes order to help FBI unlock gunman's iPhone Tim Cook's full statement: Helping the FBI is a 'threat to data security' Court order could force Apple to jeopardize phone security, experts warn Maxwell C. Agha and his wife, Michelle Diaz Agha, have pumped $15 million into their small San Diego TV station over the last two decades so they could broadcast Spanish-language news, Catholic shows and local programming. But KSDY-TV Channel 50 and many other small, low-power TV stations, which often broadcast foreign-language and religious programming, soon could be silenced knocked off the air involuntarily by the federal government with no compensation to their owners or alternatives for their often low-income viewers. The stations are the potential collateral damage of an ambitious attempt, set to begin next month, to transform the public airwaves for the mobile needs of the 21st century. Advertisement See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The Federal Communications Commission plans to use a complex auction to shift a huge swath of public airwaves from carrying TV signals to delivering wireless services to smartphones and other data-hungry mobile devices. Because of that effort, the Aghas could face the prospect of spending millions of dollars more to keep their station on the air by moving to another channel if one is even available after broadcasters are squeezed into a smaller chunk of the radio-wave spectrum. If there is no free channel available, KSDY would go dark. They awarded these licenses and asked people to invest and now they say they can just take this and auction it and keep the money, said Maxwell Agha, chief executive of International Communications Network Inc., which owns the station. Its a totally unfair process. The two-part auction, which begins March 29, aims to attract some of the nations 1,782 full-power broadcasters and 405 specially licensed Class-A low-power stations to give up their rights to those airwaves in exchange for a cut of the proceeds paid by wireless providers for licenses to use them. The auction could produce as much as $40 billion in new licensing fees from AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and other wireless providers. Proceeds of even half that could lead to a jackpot of hundreds of millions of dollars to some TV station owners who decide to give up their airwaves. But the auction could be a disaster for many of the smallest players in the broadcast world and their viewers: the 1,822 standard low-power TV stations. Its catastrophic, said Ravi Kapur, who owns a Chicago low-power station and founded a network that airs South Asian programming on low-power stations in Los Angeles and Houston. These stations will go off the air and there will be a whole lot of calls to the FCC and members of Congress and it will be too late. The FCC created low-power TV licenses in 1982 to provide opportunities for locally oriented television service. The stations are limited in their signal power, allowing them to broadcast on unused patches of the airwaves as long as they dont cause interference with full-power stations. Because they are easier to obtain and less costly to run, low-power TV stations have a much more diverse ownership. About 15% of the stations were owned by women, 10% by Latinos and 1.3% by blacks, as of 2013, the most recent FCC data available. That compares with 6.3% of full-power stations owned by women, 3% by Latinos and 0.6% by blacks. The FCC is obliterating the most successful program theyve ever implemented to diversify media ownership, said Kapur, who runs Diya TV, which is billed as Americas first 24/7 South Asian broadcast television network. The auction rules highlight that low-power stations are second-class citizens in the broadcast world. Unlike full-power station owners, low-power broadcasters wont get any of the auction proceeds. Low-power TV station owners also are ineligible for the $1.75 billion in federal money set aside to help broadcasters who want to stay on the air pay for the new equipment needed to move to another channel. In addition, the auction could cause thousands of other viewers to lose not just low-power signals but all over-the-air TV. Residents of rural areas, valleys and other locations that are difficult for broadcasts to reach are at risk because hundreds of signal-boosting transmitters, often owned by local governments, also could be pushed off the condensed broadcast airwaves. There are places where thats going to be devastating, said Michael Couzens, a communications attorney who does work for San Bernardino County. The county has five special taxing districts that own and operate TV towers with translator stations that extend Los Angeles broadcast signals. Many of the places we serve do not have cable because theyre too sparsely populated to lay the cable to, Couzens said. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has called low-power TV an important voice in the community, and the agency has taken steps to help stations, including translators, stay on the air. Those measures include permitting stations to share channels, using special software to squeeze as many channels into the remaining spectrum as possible and allowing stations to stay on auctioned airwaves until the buyer is within 120 days of using them. But physics, math and federal law still pose major obstacles. Theres a finite amount of public spectrum, so condensing it means channels for fewer stations, particularly in urban areas such as Southern California. Adding to the complications are the FCCs plans to set aside some additional broadcast spectrum for use by Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Low-power broadcasters are not allowed to cause interference with full-power TV signals, further limiting their options. The auction will cost the low-power TV industry about $1 billion in additional spending and lost investment, said Mike Gravino, director of the LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition, which advocates for the industry. Some low-power broadcasters have gone to court to challenge the auction rules. And the potential problems of low-power TV have raised concerns in Congress. The owners of these stations do provide a service, said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who asked the Government Accountability Office to study the auctions effect on them. They are licensed. They have invested their own money. Barton said Congress might need to pass legislation to help low-power stations if the auction produces major problems. At KSDY in San Diego, the Aghas are worried about the sliver of the airwaves they use to air programs such as Its Your San Diego and The Go Navy Show on Channel 50, as well as Latino and religious shows on three digital sub-channels. The government wants to take it and raise a lot of money and were not going to get a dime of it, Maxwell Agha said. He and his wife are particularly frustrated because their station already has spent millions of dollars to move its channel, which is further complicated because it has to avoid interference with U.S. and Mexican broadcasters. KSDY started out on Channel 61, but the FCC forced all broadcasters to move below Channel 52 as part of the transition to digital TV that began in the late 1990s. The Aghas said they conducted expensive engineering studies and were awaiting approval to move to Channel 38, but the Mexican government grabbed that channel. They applied to become a Class-A station, which would have given them a greater chance of finding a new channel and federal compensation to make the move. But the FCC denied the application in 2014. We are a minority-owned business and community-based, said Michelle Diaz Agha, chief operating officer of International Communications Network. All we want at the end of the day is to be the voice that weve been working for and investing in. jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com ALSO Beverly Center joins a rush for mall makeovers Restaurants are booming despite financial market turmoil SeaWorld San Diego plans to add a major aquarium-based attraction I first met Steven Stucky at Yaddo, the arts colony in upstate New York, in the summer of 1988. He was a 38-year-old composer just beginning to emerge on the national scene. He had been named composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and I had come to interview him for his first major newspaper profile. A native of Kansas who had grown up in Abilene, Texas, and taught at Cornell University, he agreeably combined an academics inner dry wit with a courteous aw-shucks veneer. See more of Entertainments top stories on Facebook >> I liked him instantly. But he had little experience with the West Coast or its music, and I couldnt imagine his L.A. association ever amounting to much. The piece he was best known for, Dreamwaltzes, was a sentimental Neo-Romantic take on Viennese waltzes of yore. The L.A. Phils then music director, Andre Previn, had conducted it the previous year. Advertisement Who knew that this affably backward-looking, backwater nerdish composer appearing unworldly even in the Victorian setting of Yaddo would play an indispensable role in making the L.A. Phil the hippest and most progressive major orchestra in America? I didnt. He certainly didnt. Previn couldnt possibly. In fact, Stucky, who tragically died Sunday, turned out to be an essential ingredient in the secret sauce of the Southlands new music ascendancy nationally and internationally. Death from an aggressive brain tumor seems hard to imagine, not for a brilliant brain like his that luxuriously processed information and allowed him to take delight in details the rest of us easily overlooked. Stucky was a late bloomer as a composer. He was also a late bloomer as a composer-in-residence. He took his time. He did make an excellent first impression, but it was only gradually that we got to understand what he really had to offer. Slowly, painstakingly, he brought the L.A. community up to speed, graciously and wondrously encouraging curiosity about what was new in music. He always made it feel one on one. Stuckys formal involvement with the L.A. orchestra continued for 21 years, and he remained a member of the L.A. Phil family after that. Clashing with the administration over the direction of the orchestra, Previn resigned in 1989, and the appointment of Esa-Pekka Salonen made it seemingly out of the question for Stucky to remain. The orchestra wanted a new, non-Previn image. And no one seemed less likely a colleague for a young Finnish modernist than a Cornell-based Kansan known for aping Viennese waltzes. That wasnt really Stucky, though. Dreamwaltzes happened to be a one-off, a summery commission for the Minnesota Orchestras Sommerfest. The longing for the past may have been intentional, but Stucky surrounded the waltzes in wistful musical mists delicately reminding us that this is all an impossible dream. Stucky did live in our time. He admired Witold Lutoslawski above all of his contemporaries and wrote an important book about the Modernist Polish composer. Proving conventional wisdom once more wrong, Stucky bonded with Salonen, who also looked up to Lutoslawski. The two young Luto-ites became and remained close friends. As a composer himself, Salonen obviously didnt need a composer-in-residence, but he did need someone to guide him through the American and the L.A. scenes, and Stucky was his man. By this time, Stucky had become immersed in West Coast music. While he continued to teach at Cornell, he became, in part anyway, one of us. He got to know everybody. He changed us, and we changed him. He gave the new music Green Umbrella series an alluring curatorial profile that has gone on to influence many other orchestras. He programmed music that he might not care for but that he believed needed to be heard. He then looked for ways to care for it. Steve Reichs repetitions put him off, but not the energy, so he focused on the energy. He had an open mind and a big talent for persuasion. As his musical palate broadened, so did his music. Everybody, and I mean everybody, liked Stucky. He wrote likable music too. It could be too likable, occasionally perceived as lacking in a strong stylistic profile, not always immediately identifiable as Stucky. But dig a little deeper. He went in for strong, bright orchestral colors, and the instrumental pigment has an inner grit that makes the sounds feel somehow alive and connected to the earth and the atmosphere. A gentleman composer, he consigned poignancy to the lower layers, which made the music all the more hauntingly expressive. I was on the jury that gave Stucky the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. It was a tough panel, with little agreement among us. The leader was the brilliantly cantankerous composer Gunther Schuller, who automatically dismissed every piece I suggested as we worked down the alphabet through more than 200 applications. It was my job to make the case for Stuckys Second Concerto for Orchestra, since it had been commissioned by the L.A. Phil for the orchestras first season in Walt Disney Concert Hall, and I had reviewed the premiere. We had been at this for a couple of days, and everyone was tired. Stucky was known but not well known to most of the jury. Yet a minute after we put on a recording of the Second Concerto, Schuller looked up from the score with a contagious expression of delight. Everyone instantly got over his own issues. We had a winner we could all happily agree on. Stucky brought us together. Stuckys last large-scale work was The Classical Style, a wacky, highly unlikely opera about dead white 19th century composers and musical analysis. It was given its premiere at the 2014 Ojai Music Festival. As he had 30 years earlier with Dreamwaltzes, Stucky looked back, this time in a hilarious pastiche. With his knack for accomplishing the unlikely, Stucky now could proceed from the ridiculous to the wistful to the utterly profound. His touch remained light and amusing as ever. But he made a meditation on the life and death of a musical style into a meditation on life and death. Too much of the operas astonishing depth went unrecognized in Ojais juvenile production. Still, it was apparent that The Classical Style belongs to the tiny but important handful of great American comic operas, the kind that can gently help us get through the day. Stuckys death is a shock to our musical system, and it must not go unattended. Would somebody please record the Second Concerto for Orchestra already? Its been more than a decade since its Pulitzer. We need an adult production of The Classical Style. Most of all, let the path Stucky paved in L.A. serve as an ongoing example to us and to all. mark.swed@latimes.com Secretary of State John Kerry met with Hollywood studio chiefs in Los Angeles on Tuesday to discuss various topics including Islamic State. Kerry uploaded a photo of the meeting on Twitter, saying, Great convo w studio execs in LA. Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative, deploying a term meant to undercut the terrorist groups claim to statehood. See more of Entertainments top stories on Facebook >> Advertisement The meeting -- which included executives from NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Walt Disney Co. -- was organized by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Jeff Shell. Shell is chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, of which Kerry also is a board member. The independent federal agency oversees all U.S. civilian international media. Its worldwide networks include Voice of America, which could play a role in countering propaganda from Islamic State, said one person familiar with the meeting. The attendees discussed a variety of issues, including perceptions of Americas image around the world, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Great convo w studio execs in LA. Good to hear their perspectives & ideas of how to counter #Daesh narrative. pic.twitter.com/AGhesmg1zK John Kerry (@JohnKerry) February 17, 2016 It was unclear what Kerry and the studio heads discussed specifically to counter Islamic State. The meeting at the Universal Pictures lot follows a terrorist attack in December in which a couple opened fire in the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, leaving 14 people dead and 22 wounded. One of the suspects in the shooting, Tashfeen Malik, had pledged her allegiance to the leader of Islamic State in an online post shortly before she and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, were killed in a shootout with police. An Islamic State propaganda magazine in January praised the couple responsible for the San Bernardino terrorist attack as martyrs and suggested the terrorist attack was inspired -- but not directed -- by the organization. Those assembled at Tuesdays meeting with Kerry included Motion Picture Assn. of America Chairman Chris Dodd, Warner Bros. Chief Executive Kevin Tsujihara, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, 20th Century Fox Chairman Jim Gianopulos and Sony Pictures film chief Tom Rothman. Dodd had joined Kerry on a flight from Europe, where the former U.S. Senator from Connecticut had attended the Berlin Film Festival. An MPAA spokesman declined to comment. A representative for NBCUniversal also declined to comment. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Richard Verrier contributed to this report. Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter for more entertainment business coverage: @rfaughnder ALSO: Islamic State is the preeminent global threat, U.S. intelligence director says Obama: Donald Trump wont be president and shouldnt be given the nuclear codes Once again, Islamic State suspected of carrying out mass kidnapping The California rail authority was told by its top consultant Tuesday that the projected cost of building the bullet trains Central Valley segment has increased $260 million, a 5% cost growth that comes after long-standing assurances the projects price tag was not rising. Projections by the consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff mark the first time the state has had to confront evidence of increases that have long been predicted by critics of the high-speed rail link between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The increase, coming so early in construction, is a warning sign that costs will continue to rise, say experts in large infrastructure projects. Advertisement The bullet trains schedule and cost were ambitious from the start, and encountering some setbacks now shouldnt be surprising, said Martin Wachs, a UCLA professor emeritus and a leading expert on transportation issues. Things like this happen all the time in large projects, Wachs said. Utility relocations are always a crap shoot, because things appear underground that you didnt know were there. When the state selected the Central Valley as the starting point for construction, officials argued that it would be an easier and cheaper way to start than either Northern or Southern California, where urbanization and mountainous terrain are major factors. But the state has run into a wave of lawsuits, combative landowners and problems with permits along its planned route from Merced to Bakersfield. The construction is running more than two years behind schedule, though the rail authority has said it has enough float to complete the work on time. Its own funding plan shows that it will not finish until 2019. The original plan was to compete the work in 2017, when federal grants expire. The $260-million cost increase is to a budget of about $5.2 billion for work in the Central Valley. Since the estimate was made, the state reduced the scope of that phase of the project. Instead of 130 miles of track, it included only 122 miles, eliminating eight miles from Shafter to Bakersfield. Those eight miles will be included in another phase of the project. Parsons Brinckerhoff said the project is facing several negative trends, including problems acquiring land, relocating underground utilities and reaching agreements with freight railroads that have nearby tracks. The warnings were delivered at the boards regular meeting by Jon Tapping, the authoritys risk manager, and Gary Griggs, project chief at Parsons Brinckerhoff. A potentially even larger percentage cost increase is looming on a subsection of the Central Valley work, involving construction of the first 29 miles of rail. Griggs told the board that it should increase its contingency account by $150 million to pay for potential cost overruns. Griggs did not elaborate on whether that is part of the $260-million budget increase or an addition to it, but Lisa Marie Alley, a spokeswoman for the rail authority, later said that the $150 million is part of the $260-million figure. The extra contingency, however, comes on top of a budgeted $160 million in contingency for the 29 miles, so the total for that segment is now $310 million. About $12 million has already been tapped. If the state ends up using all of that $310 million in contingency funding, it would be confronting a 24% cost overrun on the segment. Calculating that cost overrun is complex because the state has significantly changed its plans for work on those 29 miles since early cost estimates were made. In a March 2012 report to the State Public Works Board, the rail authority said it expected the 29-mile segment to cost $1.3 billion, including contingency funding. But it now appears that the cost will be $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion, including a $1-billion contract to Tutor Perini, $255 million for Caltrans to relocate Highway 99, $150 million for utility relocations and $310 million for contingencies. The disclosure of the projected cost increases is likely to trigger a new round of criticism. At an Assembly committee hearing last month, rail authority officials said reports of possible cost increases were not credible and that its contracts were running below budget in the Central Valley. Rail authority Chairman Dan Richard told lawmakers that the cost of building the entire system would decrease when he releases the 2016 Business Plan, expected this month. They were either incompetent or not telling the truth, said Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), who sits on the committee. If they didnt know, then they have a reporting system that leaves their board and their executive director in the dark. A Times story in October said a high probability existed that the rail authority could not complete 36 miles of planned tunnels and build an initial 300-mile operating segment as it had planned by 2022. The story quoted experts in public projects, construction and tunneling. The Times story also disclosed that in 2013, Parsons Brinckerhoff projected a 31% cost increase for the initial segment and a 5% cost increase for the entire system. The rail authority dismissed the projections as a draft document. Rail authority officials have not said that they can meet the 2022 deadline. Richard said at the recent Assembly hearing that the project was likely to take longer than planned. After Griggs gave his presentation, the board did not ask any questions or make any comment. It immediately adjourned the public portion of the meeting to privately discuss lawsuits pending against the project. Alley, the rail authority spokeswoman, said Griggs and Tappings projections and recommendations would ultimately have to be taken up by the board. Contingencies need board approval, and at this time we have not sought board approval to do so, she said. What we said is that we are forecasting a potential need to increase the overall [first construction segment] budget. Program budgets are projected and adopted in our Business Plans. The authority board also approved a $15-million agreement Tuesday to work with the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the use of Union Station for the bullet train. The MTA plans to reconfigure tracks at the station so trains can pass through it rather than spending as much as 30 minutes backing up to platforms. Join the conversation on Facebook >> ALSO City Council members grill LAPD brass on crime spike, police response After San Bernardino shooting, one doctor seeks ways to turn the golden hour of treatment into minutes Kamala Harris: I do not wish to be considered for the Supreme Court Good morning. It is Wednesday, Feb. 17. Is this the Twilight Zone? Was Paul McCartney really turned away from a Grammys after-party? How VIP do we gotta get? Heres what else is happening in the Golden State: TOP STORIES Encrypted device Advertisement Federal investigators have been unable to unlock the phone belonging to the San Bernardino terror suspects, so they asked Apple for assistance. When the computer giant declined, authorities sought and received a court order requiring Apple to help the FBI access encrypted data hidden on a cellphone. Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said in a statement Wednesday the company will resist the order. Los Angeles Times Murder trial The trial of the man accused of being the serial killer the Grim Sleeper is finally getting underway, six years after Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested. He is accused of killing women who were young, black and leading troubled lives. Prosecutors gave their opening statement Tuesday against the backdrop of graphic photos of the women, some of whom were found in alleys and garbage bags. Los Angeles Times Work of art L.A. is dotted with masterworks of modern architecture, but the Sheats-Goldstein house designed by John Lautner may be in a league of its own. Its such a piece of art that its owner has agreed to donate it to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA envisions eventually opening it for fundraisers, exhibitions and conferences, as well as collaborations with other museums. Los Angeles Times DROUGHT AND CLIMATE Rainy days: Forget the hot weather rain is on the way Wednesday. Forecasters say the storm could bring a quarter- to a half-inch of rain in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Los Angeles and Ventura counties could receive 0.10 to 0.25 inches of rain. Los Angeles Times L.A. AT LARGE Rising crime: Los Angeles City Council members grilled the LAPDs top brass Tuesday over the citys rising crime statistics. This is very serious. I know were all incredibly concerned, said Councilman Mitch Englander. Violent crime increased 20.2% in 2015 while property crimes went up 10.7%. Los Angeles Times Traumatic birth: Dramatic details emerged about the infant left in a toilet bowl at a Subway sandwich restaurant in West Covina. Theres a pregnant lady. She just gave birth in the restroom and she just walked out, so theres a baby crying, a female employee told a police dispatcher. In a 911 recording, a dispatcher urges the employee to get the baby out of the toilet and wrap him in blankets. Los Angeles Times Hospice care: Former L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl is receiving hospice care at his Mar Vista home. The Westside politician announced in 2012 he had cancer and would not seek reelection. LA Observed POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Not interested: State Atty Gen. Kamala Harris says she has no interest in serving on the United States Supreme Court. Her name was floated as a potential nominee in the wake of Justice Antonin Scalias death. Id like to see someone whos actually seen the impact of the court and the rulings of the court. Someone whos thinking of it not just in a way that is theoretical, but how these laws and these rulings affect real people, she said. Los Angeles Times Future of Compton: Can Compton Mayor Aja Brown make her city cool enough for the millennial generation? When I look at Compton and all of the great advantages we have here, the institutions in the region, its definitely poised for new investments and new growth and just expansion, Brown says. TakePart Toxic cleanup: A 60-acre site that was home to a sewer plant more than 50 years ago will undergo a second cleanup to remove cancer-causing chemicals. It may be the first time a site has been reexamined after the Department of Toxic Substances Control has deemed it complete. The Press-Enterprise CRIME AND COURTS Campus assault: A Cal State Long Beach student says she was sexually assaulted at a party at the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The Long Beach chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity has been suspended while authorities investigate. Los Angeles Times State investigation: The state Attorney Generals Office is investigating the L.A. County Sheriffs Departments handling of the Mitrice Richardson case, six years after the womans remains were found in a Malibu canyon. The decision comes just three months after the office rejected the initial request for such a review. Richardson was detained by deputies in September 2009 after allegedly skipping out on a dinner bill. She was released by deputies just after midnight, when she then headed out on Agoura Road without her car or purse. Daily News L.A. unprepared: Los Angeles is not prepared for a terrorist attack. That claim comes from some officers within the LAPD. Its frustrating we are telling the public we are ready for a terrorist-style attack when we havent even finished training to how to walk through a door, said one officer with the elite Metro Division. NBC Los Angeles Pedestrian death: A Los Angeles County judge who was an expert in communications law was killed Monday when he was struck by a vehicle while crossing a West L.A. street. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA CULTURE Suicidal thoughts: Fighter Ronda Rousey was at such a low point after her loss to Holly Holm that she contemplated suicide. I was sitting in the corner and I was like, What am I anymore if Im not this? she said of her stunning loss after 12 straight UFC wins. Los Angeles Times Missing artifacts: Careys Castle and El Sid Mine in Joshua Tree are closed to prevent additional problems with looters. Cultural artifact teams will take the next month or so to inventory the area. We had some looting at El Sid that started a few months ago. We actually bought some artifacts to replace the original ones and they got stolen, too, said park Supt. David Smith. Los Angeles Times In the pictures: Secretary of State John Kerry met with Hollywood studio chiefs in Los Angeles to discuss various topics including Islamic State and perceptions of Americas image around the world. Los Angeles Times Diversity in art: The Grammys were definitely more diverse than the upcoming Oscars. But did Taylor Swifts win for Album of the Year over Comptons Kendrick Lamar show the Grammys have their own issues? Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA ALMANAC San Diego will start the day with fog and reach a high of 72 degrees. Los Angeles will be foggy and 73. Riverside will be sunny and 78 degrees. Sacramento will be 66 degrees and rainy in the afternoon. San Francisco will have afternoon rain and a high of 62 degrees. AND FINALLY Todays California Memory comes from Ria Tanz Kubota: Arrived in San Francisco in 1980, met the love of my life. We roamed the Bay Area from Cliff House where seals barked, hiked cliffs over Ocean Beach including Sutro Baths ruins with ground squirrels popping out, endless trails. Pirates Cove clinking announced sea otters long before sighted. Toured Legion of Honor, Asian, Museum of Modern Art, and Oakland Museum. Lake Merritt with cormorants, egrets, pelicans amazed us. Camped Yosemite, Pescadero, Bishop. Old Faithful Geyser, mud baths, swimming at Calistoga. Presidio walks, Golden Gate Bridge and Park, Pier 39 performers. Fog. Freezing cold fog. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad. One step forward, one step back. Thats how Im summing up two developments involving the California Coastal Commission, which staged a clinic last week on how to insult coastal stewards, ignore the public and do its dirty work behind closed doors. As for the step forward, the stink from that hearing in Morro Bay traveled all the way to Sacramento, where reform legislation was introduced Tuesday. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Advertisement As for the step back, theres still a strong odor in Pismo Beach, which Ill get to in a minute. Lets start in Sacramento, where legislators introduced a bill to turn up the lights in the sausage factory. It would require the hired guns who represent developers to register as lobbyists and play by the rules of full disclosure that apply to every other state agency. As it is, the all-powerful players who come before the Coastal Commission represent billions of dollars worth of development projects, but they dont have to report who theyre working for until a formal application is filed. And they dont have to report what theyre being paid. The public has an incomplete record of those who make it their full-time business to influence commissioners, said Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), a former coastal commissioner. The bill was introduced by Stone, Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who Tweeted an apology last week for the circus in which commissioners fired Executive Director Charles Lester. It seems that Lester had made the fatal mistake of enforcing the Coastal Act rather than answer the whims of commissioners intent on greater control of the agency. Stone said he thinks the influence of these agents had something to do with the hatchet job on Lester, whom commissioners accused of being a lousy manager despite scads of tributes. Stone mentioned the notorious case of the agent/lobbyist who once bragged in emails that she was spoon feeding a commissioner to secure his vote on a controversial San Diego port project. That agent would be Susan McCabe, a former coastal commissioner whose McCabe & Co. website lists 219 Coastal Commission permit clients, including the Hotel del Coronado, Poseidon Resources, MacPherson Oil and David Geffen. McCabes company also represented a residential development in Pismo Beach known as Silver Shoals. As I mentioned in my Sunday column some Pismo residents had issues with that proposal which would block bay views from the highway and supported restrictions recommended by Lesters staff. They shared their view with Coastal Commissioner Erik Howell, who also serves as a Pismo Beach councilman. But as Ed and Chris Henry testified at the Morro Bay hearing last week, Howell allegedly told them the staff recommendation was dead on arrival because the project was represented by McCabe. And on the night before the commission vote on that project, the Henrys and their friends saw Howell, McCabe and the project director dining together. The next day, Howell voted against the restrictions and in favor of the project. If that wasnt galling enough, exasperated Pismo Beach residents got worked up all over again Monday evening. The Henrys daughter, Lindsey, a law school grad now studying for the bar, was researching Pismo Beach campaign records and came upon an interesting item. Less than two months before his vote on the Silver Shoals project, Howell received a $1,000 donation to his City Council reelection campaign from a person by the name of Antoinette DeVargas, according to disclosure forms filed with the state. Whos she? The form lists her as an individual donor whose job is operations manager for McCabe & Co. In the case of a campaign donation of $250 or greater, a commissioner must recuse himself for up to a year from voting on any matter involving the donor, says the commissions chief legal counsel, Chris Pederson. Pederson said he was unaware of the Howell situation and could not comment. So I asked the opinion of Ralph Faust, a retiree who served as the commissions chief counsel for two decades. I think its, at best, really problematic, said Faust, who wondered if the legal argument would be that DeVargas donated as an individual and not as an employee of McCabe & Co. But to me, thats really dubious. And to me, even if this donation was perfectly legal, that doesnt help with the stench. This is another reason the Coastal Commission needs a bigger overhaul than simply requiring agents to register as lobbyists. The commissioners are appointees, but half of them hold elective office, and their fundraisers are populated by lobbyists, developers and other politicians. Its all too cozy and too shady at the same time, and theres little or no cross-checking between local campaign donations and potential conflicts of interest at the Coastal Commission. Theres not enough regulation of this, Faust said. Its regulated by the [Fair Political Practices Commission], and they only investigate if someone makes a complaint. Its not looked at closely enough. I have reached out to Howell, McCabe and DeVargas offering them a chance to explain their position. They did not respond to my interview requests. So its not hard to understand why some Pismo Beach residents are assuming the worst. steve.lopez@latimes.com Twitter: @LATstevelopez MORE ON THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION Editorial: Coastal Commission needs more scrutiny in the wake of dubious firing Coastal chiefs ouster prompts bill to require transparency between lobbyists and panel Coastal Commission, an agency with populist roots, takes heat over secret-session firing of director Two animal activists accused of carrying out a cross-country rampage against the fur industry admitted having vandalized a San Diego fur shop and freeing mink from farms, according to plea agreements reached recently. Joseph Buddenberg and Nicole Kissane each pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Prosecutors and defense lawyers plan to jointly recommend a two-year sentence for Buddenberg and six months for Kissane, according to the plea agreement. The pair also admitted that their actions caused more than $100,000 in damage. They have agreed to pay $398,000 in restitution to the victims, including Furs by Graf, the San Diego business that was vandalized, and to seven mink farms and two businesses. Advertisement On July 15, 2013, Furs by Graf was tagged in spray paint with the words killer and murder. Acid was sprayed into the shop, glue was put on door locks, and windows were ruined with etching materials, according to the complaint. The pair also went to the homes of store manager Kimberley Graf and her parents in La Mesa and Spring Valley, causing destruction with acid, paint and paint stripper, authorities said. Next, they drove to Montana, Idaho and Minnesota, among other places freeing thousands of mink from commercial fur farms and targeting animal-product shops and others they believed were sympathetic to the fur industry. Vandalism included slashing tires and trying to flood the home of a fur auctioneer employee, according to the complaint. Authorities said the two tried to stay off the grid during the excursions, using only cash, avoiding phones and using encrypted email from public computers. Their activities were lauded on websites associated with animal-rights extremism, authorities said. In the San Diego attack, a Florida group posted a statement from the Animal Liberation Front that claimed responsibility. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Cybersecurity experts warned Wednesday that the battle over a court order requiring Apple to help the FBI access encrypted data on a cellphone belonging to the couple who killed 14 people in San Bernardino will have far-reaching consequences for the tech industry. The dispute, the latest chapter in a long-brewing battle between Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., over the tech industrys role in combating terror plots, will now shift from a philosophical disagreement to a very real courthouse fight after Apple said it would not comply with the order. In an open letter published early Wednesday morning, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook vowed to fight the directive issued earlier this week and said the FBIs call for the company to help defeat security measures on a phone belonging to Syed Rizwan Farook would be a major blow to customer privacy. Advertisement See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor, Cook wrote. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control. Apple plans to file an opposition to the magistrates ruling within the next four days, according to an executive familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. The court order marks the first time Apple has been asked to modify its software to access data sought by the government, the executive said. On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in Riverside directed Apple to help the FBI get around the phones passcode protection and the devices auto-erase function, which would permanently destroy any encrypted data on the phone after 10 unsuccessful login attempts. In a motion filed earlier Tuesday, the FBI argued that Farook intentionally disabled the phones iCloud backup function six weeks before the Dec. 2 terror attack at the Inland Regional Center. Any communications linked to the shooting, as well as location data that might help the FBI map the movements of Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, after the attack are accessible only through the phone itself, the government argued. Investigators want to unlock the phone by using a computer program to automatically guess numeric passcodes until one works, according to a court filing. But they say they require special access from Apple to attempt that on the phone without erasing data or getting bogged down in a long process. Investigators recovered the phone after executing a search warrant on one of the couples vehicles. Farook and Malik died in a firefight with police hours after the attack. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> In September 2014, Apple modified its encryption system in a move that made it more difficult for law enforcement to access data on its cellphones. Previously, forensic investigators could tap into a devices hardware port and gain access to a phones data independent of needing to try passcodes, according to Clifford Neuman, director of USCs Center for Computer System Security. That path into the device is no longer possible, he said. Pyms order would require Apple to write a new software program, a recovery bundle that would reboot Farooks iPhone 5C with different settings, allowing the FBI to repeatedly enter passcodes remotely without risk of destroying the data on the phone. The program also would allow agents to attempt to enter passcodes without incurring a delay between each incorrect attempt. Robert Cattanach, a cybersecurity attorney and former Department of Justice special counsel to the secretary of the Navy, said the governments request leaves Apple in a difficult position as the company is now thrust into the center of the battle to balance privacy needs against counterterrorism efforts. The FBIs request to a U.S. Magistrate for an order requiring Apple to disable the auto-wipe feature after 10 unsuccessful attempts represents the next step in the journey to find the holy grail of back door unencryption, and the next salvo in the ever-escalating battle between law enforcement and tech companies, Cattanach said. Gregory T. Nojeim, director of the Freedom, Security and Technology Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said the federal government is essentially trying to win access that it failed to gain through legislation in recent years. If this decision is upheld, it would mean the FBI could get a judicially mandated back door into any device to get access to its content, and it would mean a weakening of encryption in all those devices, he said. That back door potentially could be used on other devices too, making it a bigger deal beyond the terrorist case, according to Nojeim, who said tech companies likely will rally around Apple. I suspect that the entire technology industry, security professionals and technologists will all line up against this and urge the court to reject it, he said. The consensus of the technical community of backdooring encryption is phenomenal. Chenxi Wang, chief strategy officer at the network security firm Twistlock, said the court battle will be a seminal moment in balancing privacy and civil liberty against government data access. If Apple succeeds in fighting the court order, it will set up a high barrier for the FBI and the other government groups to access citizen data from now on, Wang said. This will absolutely have a ripple effect. Apple is now viewed as the flag bearer for protecting citizen data, and if they succeed, there will be a flood of other companies following suit. Alex Abdo, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the order risks setting a dangerous precedent. Civil liberties advocates fear that totalitarian governments such as China will demand Apple use a similar tool to open phones of opposition leaders and human rights activists. If the FBI can force Apple to hack into its customers devices, then so too can every repressive regime in the rest of the world, Abdo said in a statement. Apples refusal to assist the FBI may increase calls for a federal law that requires tech companies to design products that law enforcement officials can access with a search warrant. Any push for legislation would face stiff resistance from privacy advocates and technology companies, who say they are building products with encryption to protect users privacy and data from hackers, and because customers want it. The Obama administration, which has increasingly reached out to Silicon Valley over the past year, has not asked Congress to intervene in the hope that technology company executives would find a way to comply with search warrants in terrorism and criminal cases while still protecting their customers privacy. While Apples stance may, on its face, appear to be a defense of privacy and civil liberties, the company also could lose face in front of international customers if it cooperates with American law enforcement. We also should not forget that Apple derives a lot of its revenues from international sales, and Apple stands to lose much if they are viewed as a company that cooperates with the American government, Wang said. They stand to lose a significant amount, particularly in places like China. So its not a completely innocent thing theyre doing. In the governments motion, the FBI asked Apple to create a software package designed to function only on Farooks phone. But that may not be possible, experts said. The question then is whether Apple has the technology to allow the bypassing of the 10-tries-youre-out mechanism, Neuman said. Its my guess that Apple did not specifically design the device to do that. Other experts said the company is likely more concerned with the implications of creating software to defeat its own security measures than with the actual work required to do so. Its not the hardest thing in the world to deal with this issue, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, a technology advisory firm. Theyre worried about setting the precedent, of saying, Apple devices are incredibly secure, unless we get a subpoena. Apple has five days to appeal the judges decision. Presidential candidates began weighing in on the issue Wednesday morning. GOP front-runner Donald Trump said he was floored that Apple had not volunteered to aid the FBI. To think that Apple wont allow us to get into her cellphone who do they think they are? Trump told Fox News. No, we have to open it up. The phone was actually given to Farook by the San Bernardino County Department of Health, where he worked as an inspector. It did not belong to Malik, as Trump seemed to reference. Speaking to reporters in South Carolina, Sen. Marco Rubio said he hoped the tech giant would voluntarily comply with the governments request, but acknowledged the court order is far from a simple issue. Look, I think this is a tough issue. Theres no easy answers for the encryption issue. Because on the one hand, this encryption is designed to prevent people from having unauthorized access to your private information, he said. On the other hand, there are terrorists and criminals who are using encryption to protect themselves. So I really think this is going to require us to work very closely with the technology industry to find a solution. Lien reported from San Francisco. Bennett reported from Washington, D.C. Queally, Dave and Winton reported from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Seema Mehta in South Carolina and Joel Rubin in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Twitter: @traceylien @JamesQueallyLAT, @ByBrianBennett, @peard33 and @lacrimes ALSO Cyber extortionists zap computers at Hollywood hospital Why Apple is battling investigators over San Bernardino terrorists iPhone Chinese teens to be sentenced in kidnapping and assault of fellow parachute kid Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center was the target of a ransomware extortion plot in which hackers seized control of the hospitals computer systems and then demanded that directors pay in bitcoin to regain access, according to law enforcement sources. Ransomware attacks on business data systems are becoming an increasingly common form of cyber crime. The assault on Hollywood Presbyterian computers occurred Feb. 5, when hackers prevented hospital staff from accessing patient information, according to law enforcement sources, who were not authorized to discuss the details of the investigation. The hackers then demanded an unspecified sum of computer currency. Top hospital officials called the Los Angeles Police Department last week, according to Los Angeles Police Lt. John Jenal. Advertisement Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman, said the bureau has now taken control of the hacking investigation, but declined to discuss specifics of the case. The attack has forced the hospital to return to pen-and-paper for its record keeping, and cyber security experts are addressing system weaknesses, according to sources. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> Hospital officials did not return repeated telephone calls. However, a hospital voice message told callers that no patient records had been compromised in the cyber attack. Ransomware attacks typically infect files or download programs that encrypt the victims data before cutting off access. A message then appears on the victims computer screen demanding a ransom in bitcoin. Experts say hackers demand computer currency instead of traditional cash because it provides them with greater anonymity. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> For SoCal crime & investigations follow me on Twitter @lacrimes ALSO Apple opposes order to help FBI unlock phone belonging to San Bernardino shooter L.A. County judge killed while crossing the street in Pico-Robertson Chinese teens to be sentenced in kidnapping and assault of fellow parachute kid Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will resist a federal judges order to access encrypted data hidden on a cellphone that belonged to the terrorist couple who killed 14 people in San Bernardino last year. In a statement released early Wednesday, Cook said that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices. In the wrong hands, this software -- which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession, the statement said. Advertisement See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The judges order is aimed at removing what had become a barrier in the investigation of the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. Authorities are trying to determine the couples movements between the time of the attack at the Inland Regional Center the morning of Dec. 2 and their deaths in a wild firefight with police hours later. Last month, the FBI asked for the publics help in filling in an 18-minute gap in the narrative of the couples whereabouts. The FBI is also probing whether the couple received any help in plotting or carrying out the attacks. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in Riverside directed Apple on Tuesday to help the FBI get around the phones passcode protection and any auto-erase functions the device might employ. The government has been unable to complete the search because it cannot access the iPhones encrypted content, U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker wrote in a 40-page motion to the judge. Apple has the exclusive technical means which would assist the government in completing its search, but has declined to provide that assistance voluntarily. The device, an iPhone5, was given to Syed Rizwan Farook by the San Bernardino County Health Department and was used in his job as an inspector, according to the motion. It is the tech giants policy to require law enforcement to obtain search warrants or subpoenas before aiding in investigations. But the company sees the order as an overreach by the U.S. government, according to the statement. The health department gave the FBI consent to search the phone, according to the motion, but authorities have been unable to bypass the phones passcode lock for fear its operating system would destroy all data on the phone after 10 failed attempts. In its motion, the FBI said Apple should be able to turn off the devices auto-erase functions, allowing the government to submit test passcodes to the phone without the risk of destroying the data it seeks. The motion said that Apple routinely complies with law enforcement when presented with a search warrant or judicial order. The phone stopped sending backup information to the iCloud server on Oct. 19, 2015, according to the governments motion, and the FBI believes that Farook may have disabled that function in order to hide evidence. Any communications or data linked to the shooting after Oct. 19 would be accessible only through the device, according to the motion. Farook also used the phone to talk with Malik after that date, court records show. Investigators are hoping the data on the phone will help answer several questions that have persisted since the shooting. It remains unclear why Farook left a bag with several pipe bombs in the conference room where he and his wife opened fire, why the bombs were not detonated, or if the couple were plotting other attacks. Enrique Marquez Jr., a friend of Farooks, is accused of buying two rifles used in the shootings. Marquez has been arrested and charged with providing material support for terrorists and other crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. Location data on the phone, among other pieces of information, could also help investigators answer questions about the couples movements during an 18-minute gap in the FBIs timeline of their actions following the shooting. FBI Director James B. Comey first revealed the agencys struggles to access the phone data while speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> Several cellphone models, including Apples iPhone 6 and Samsungs Galaxy S6, use advanced encryption algorithms that scramble all the data on the device when a pin code is set. Encrypted cellphones and text-messaging apps have made it harder for investigators and intelligence services to track suspected plots in real time, or trace locations and connections once they acquire a suspects device, Comey said. Apple changed the way it manages phone encryption in September 2014, a move that makes it more difficult for law enforcement to access encrypted data on cellphones, according to Clifford Neuman, director of USCs Center for Computer System Security. Previously, forensic investigators could tap into a devices hardware port and gain access to a phones data independent of needing to try passcodes, he said. That path into the device is no longer possible, Neuman said. The change in the encryption method means Apple may not be able to decrypt the data, according to Neuman. The company could, however, bypass the access code system that would cause the data to be erased, and then grant the FBI access to the encrypted data. Federal investigators would then have to decrypt the data themselves, Neuman said. The tech industry and the government have long been at odds over how much access law enforcement and national security agencies should be given to private phone data. Recently, Comey, Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch and other national security leaders met with representatives from Google, Apple and Facebook in San Jose to try and find common ground that would help investigators gain crucial information about possible terror plots without compromising the privacy of the companies customers. In the wake of the San Bernardino attack, President Obama addressed the nation, urging high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice. Although the tech industry says it wants to help, its reluctant to give away private information and data to government agencies, arguing that doing so fosters user distrust and raises the risk of hacker attacks. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday said he agreed Apple should help the FBI. To think that Apple wont allow us to get into her cellphone who do they think they are? Trump told Fox News. No, we have to open it up. Staff writers Joel Rubin, Andrea Chang and Richard Winton contributed to this report. Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT and @ByBrianBennett ALSO Get the baby out of the toilet, dispatcher tells sandwich makers Kamala Harris: I do not wish to be considered for the Supreme Court Grim Sleeper serial killer trial begins, years after slayings terrorized South L.A. Los Angeles Countys chief medical examiner detailed gruesome wounds suffered by women believed to be among the first victims of the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer, as testimony continued Wednesday in the trial of a former police garage attendant accused of the slayings. Coroner Mark Fajardo described to jurors in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom the autopsy report of Debra Jackson, a 29-year-old waitress who was discovered in 1985 shot in the chest in an alley, and Henrietta Wright, who was found a year later with two gunshot wounds. Lonnie Franklin Jr. faces 10 counts of murder in the killings of nine women and a 15-year-old girl spanning more than 20 years. He also faces one count of attempted murder. Advertisement See the most-read stories this hour >> Franklin, 63, has pleaded not guilty. Fajardo was called to testify about his review of the autopsy records of eight of the women, whose postmortems were conducted by medical examiners who have since died or are unable to testify. On Tuesday, the jury heard testimony from two other forensic pathologists, who detailed the autopsies they conducted on other victims, 15-year-old Princess Berthomieux and Janecia Peters, 25, who was found inside a trash bag in a Dumpster. Former LAPD Det. Dennis Kilcoyne, who began his testimony on Tuesday, said it was Peters 2007 slaying that prompted the search for a serial killer after the attackers DNA matched two earlier cases. The match helped investigators identify a common theme, Kilcoyne told the jury. All three victims were young, black women who lived in the same area of the city. All of their bodies were discarded. Weve got somebody killing young ladies in South Los Angeles, Kilcoyne recalled saying at the time. The DNA match eventually would lead to the arrest of Franklin, a local backyard mechanic and former Los Angeles police garage attendant, who was arrested in 2010. Kilcoyne, who is expected to continue testimony later this week, said the connection made between the victims in 2007 led to the creation of a task force to investigate the three killings, as well as a mandate to expand the search for related cases. A series of killing in the 1980s soon emerged as sharing similar circumstances. Eventually, investigators began matching DNA with the killings from the 1980s to the more recent deaths. The apparent gap in time from the earlier cases to the later ones led to the serial killer being dubbed the Grim Sleeper. In 2008, officials collected DNA data from state prisoners, but were unsuccessful in finding a match with that of the Grim Sleeper. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> A year later, then-state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown approved a new technique called a familial search that allowed officials to check whether a crime suspects DNA partially matches anyone in the states offender DNA database. The search came up with a name: Christopher Franklin. His father was Lonnie Franklin Jr. Police began following the elder Franklin, and a detective, posing as a busboy, collected a half-eaten pizza crust, fork, napkin, drinking glass and cake crumbs discarded by Franklin at a restaurant. During her opening statement Tuesday, Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said that all of the victims were connected to Franklin either by DNA, firearm evidence or both. The Homicide Report: A story for every victim>> stephen.ceasar@latimes.com For more Los Angeles civil court news, follow @sjceasar. ALSO LAPD officers charged with sexually assaulting women while on duty Court order in San Bernardino case could jeopardize phone security Chinese teens get 6-13 years in prison for kidnapping and assault of fellow parachute kid A Central California school district this week agreed to change its dress code after settling a federal free speech lawsuit by a high school junior who was sent home after refusing to change out of a T-shirt that said, Nobody knows Im a lesbian. Taylor Victor, a 16-year-old junior at Sierra High School in Manteca, and her mother sued two school administrators after Victor was told to change out of the shirt because it was an inappropriate display of sexuality and violated the Manteca Unified School Districts dress code. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Victor, said it reached a settlement with the district that was approved by its school board Tuesday night. Advertisement Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> Under the terms of the settlement, the district and its administrators denied wrongdoing. The district agreed to change its dress code to clarify that students cannot be prohibited from wearing clothing supporting their or their classmates identities on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and other characteristics. Students continue to be supported in their right for self-expression in all of our high schools, Manteca Unified School District said in a statement Wednesday. Our number one priority continues to be the ability to keep our kids safe physically and emotionally. ACLU attorney Linnea Nelson, who represented Taylor, said in an interview that being a lesbian is an important part of Taylors identity, and she shouldnt be censored from talking about it at school. Students dont leave their rights to free speech at the schoolhouse gates, Nelson said. At the end of the day, the law on this is very clear, that public schools cant censor the personal beliefs of students just because they think it might be controversial. In August, Taylor wore her new T-shirt to class ironically: She was open about being a lesbian, having come out the year before. She was supported by family and friends and felt safe wearing it to school. The shirt made me laugh because pretty much everybody knows Im a lesbian, Taylor wrote in a blog post for the ACLU of Northern California. Throughout the day, other students complimented her on the shirt. But in third period, Taylors teacher noticed the shirt and sent her to speak with Vice Principal Greg Leland, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento in October. Leland, the suit says, told Victor to change her shirt on the grounds that she was not allowed to display her sexuality on clothing. Taylor refused to change and, with her parents permission, went home, the suit says. The next day, she met with Leland, telling him the dress code did not prohibit the shirt; he told her that she was not allowed to display personal choices and beliefs on her clothing and that it violated the dress code because it was disruptive and could be gang-related, the lawsuit says. Assistant Principal Dan Beukelman, who also is named as a defendant, said she could not wear the shirt because it was promoting sex and an open invitation to sex, the suit says. Beukelman told Taylor that even if the shirt were allowed at other district schools, it was prohibited at Sierra High School, court documents state. As part of the settlement, the district agreed to let Taylor wear her Nobody knows Im a lesbian shirt to school and to take reasonable measures to protect [Taylor] from any known harassment or bullying by other students or any district employee in reaction to the shirt or for bringing the lawsuit. The district also agreed to provide regular training to its high school administrators on student free speech and free expression and to pay the ACLU of Northern California $63,000 in attorneys fees and costs. In her blog, Taylor said she was happy with the result. Im very proud of who I am, she wrote. Thats the whole reason I wore that shirt. And its the reason Ill keep wearing it because after months of fighting this censorship battle, we won. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> hailey.branson@latimes.com For more California news, follow @haileybranson / Google+ ALSO Instagram cockfight videos spur police bust Court order in San Bernardino case could force Apple to jeopardize phone security Gov. Jerry Brown wants state to put $176 million toward Exide cleanup Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cooks stand against having his firm help unlock encrypted data on the San Bernardino shooters cellphone is part of a larger battle between the federal government and Silicon Valley. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in Riverside directed Apple on Tuesday to help the FBI get around the phones passcode protection and any auto-erase functions the device might employ. Read the latest Essential California newsletter >> Advertisement In a statement, Cook said that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used in the future on devices. Heres a breakdown from The Times reporting: How big a problem is encrypted technology? In general, prosecutors and intelligence officials say current technologies can make it impossible to examine suspects communications even if police have a court order. Law enforcement officials note that some tech companies have boasted to customers that when their technologies are used, nobody can gain access to their messages ever, including the government. The Manhattan district attorneys office said in a report issued in November that it was unable to execute 111 search warrants for smartphones over the last year because they were running on encrypted technology offered through Apples iOS 8 operating system. Several cellphone models, including Apples iPhone 6 and Samsungs Galaxy S6, use advanced encryption algorithms that scramble all the data on the device when a pin code is set. Encrypted cellphones and text-messaging apps have made it harder for investigators and intelligence services to track suspected plots in real time, or trace locations and connections once they acquire a suspects device, the FBI has said. Apple changed the way it manages phone encryption in September 2014, a move that makes it more difficult for law enforcement to access encrypted data on cellphones, according to Clifford Neuman, director of USCs Center for Computer System Security. Previously, forensic investigators could tap into a devices hardware port and gain access to a phones data independent of needing to try passcodes, he said. That path into the device is no longer possible, Neuman said. The change in the encryption method means Apple may not be able to decrypt the data, according to Neuman. The company could, however, bypass the access code system that would cause the data to be erased, and then grant the FBI access to the encrypted data. Federal investigators would then have to decrypt the data themselves, Neuman said. Is the federal government pressuring Silicon Valley? In the wake of San Bernardino, President Obama addressed the nation in urging high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice. Although the tech industry says it wants to help, its reluctant to give away private information and data to government agencies, arguing that doing so fosters user distrust and raises the risk of hacker attacks. Join the conversation on Facebook >> What has the government been trying to do? In January, federal officials announced the creation of a task force to help prevent extremist groups from using social media to radicalize and mobilize recruits. The interagency group will be led by the Homeland Security and Justice departments, but will include staff from the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center and other federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In addition, the State Department will establish a unit called the Global Engagement Center to work with allies to deter terrorists from carrying out attacks overseas. Why goes the government want to unlock the phone? Authorities are trying to determine the couples movements between the time of the attack at the Inland Regional Center the morning of Dec. 2 and their deaths in a wild firefight with police hours later. Last month, the FBI asked for the publics help in filling in an 18-minute gap in the narrative of the couples whereabouts. The FBI is also probing whether the couple received any help in plotting or carrying out the attacks. How did this get to court? The device, an iPhone5, was given to Syed Rizwan Farook by the San Bernardino County Health Department and was used in his job as an inspector, according to the motion. It is the tech giants policy to require law enforcement to obtain search warrants or subpoenas before aiding in investigations. But the company sees the order as an overreach by the U.S. government, according to the statement. The health department gave the FBI consent to search the phone, according to the motion, but authorities have been unable to bypass the phones passcode lock for fear its operating system would destroy all data on the phone after 10 failed attempts. Does this battle go beyond cellphones? Yes, terrorism spreading through social media has also been a major issue. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has led a push in Congress for legislation that would require social media companies to root out and report suspicious activity. Tech firms and privacy advocates beat back an effort by Feinstein earlier last year. ALSO Scalias death and lack of an autopsy bring out the conspiracy theorists Obama says being president is a serious job -- one Trump wont get Apple CEO Tim Cook explains why helping the FBI in terror phone probe is threat to data security Crews are within days of declaring that a leaking gas well in Aliso Canyon has been sealed, but the impact of the environmental disaster that began last fall will continue to be felt now that it has exposed how much work America has to do to protect itself from aging infrastructure, the U.S. Energy secretary said Tuesday in a visit to the San Fernando Valley. The leak in the countrys fifth-largest natural gas storage field underscores the broader themes of energy storage and infrastructure maintenance, Ernest Moniz told reporters after touring the site and meeting with local, state and federal politicians and regulatory agencies. The meeting and media availability took place at the Chatsworth office of the Southern California Gas Co. Advertisement These are issues that, I want to emphasize, have come to light particularly strongly here in Aliso Canyon and obviously are justifiably of huge local concern. But they also tell us about a problem we have to study more generally across the country and again that is part of why we are here, Moniz said. Frankly, gas storage fields need a fresh look in terms of some of the regulatory requirements, he said. The Aliso Canyon gas leak, which was reported Oct. 23, prompted the temporary relocation of thousands of residents in Porter Ranch and surrounding communities. Residents complained of symptoms related to the odorants in the gas. Small businesses struggled to remain profitable. And questions remain about the long-term impact on property values. Gas crews reached the leak Thursday. They injected fluids and then cement to seal the leak. Gas officials are now working with the state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources on a series of tests to confirm that the well is permanently sealed, according to a spokesman for the utility. Late Tuesday, the California Air Resources Board and Air Quality Management District announced an air monitoring plan for the Porter Ranch community. The two agencies will specifically monitor for methane, mercaptans, benzene and hydrogen sulfide released from the Aliso Canyon storage field. Infrared cameras and aircraft will also be used to determine whether methane is escaping from SS-25. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) announced last week that she wanted an agency, such as the management district, to conduct a study to determine whats in the air once the natural gas leak is sealed. The energy secretarys visit came just days after Boxer met with Porter Ranch residents about the leak. In an amendment to a federal energy bill last month, Boxer and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) asked Moniz to lead a federal review into the cause and response to the gas leak. Moniz said that Tuesdays visit will help shape that review, which may begin once the energy bill is approved. Lawmakers are already reevaluating the safety standards for natural gas storage fields placed near homes. A subsurface safety valve was removed from SS-25, the leaking well, in 1979. Southern California Gas Co. was not required to replace the valve because the storage field is more than 300 feet from the nearest home. A bill from state Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) would require the installation of such valves on all wells. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) went another step and suggested infrared cameras be set up to monitor the storage fields 115 wells. Data on how much methane and mercaptans are released should also be posted to a public website, he said. Weve learned what we should have known, which is even if youre a mile away, you have to be protected by safety valves and a host of other things, the congressman said. Twitter: @TheCityMaven CAIRO Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a veteran Egyptian diplomat who helped negotiate his countrys landmark peace deal with Israel but then clashed with the United States when he served a single term as U.N. secretary-general, has died. He was 93. Boutros-Ghali, the scion of a prominent Egyptian Christian political family, was the first U.N. chief from the African continent. He stepped into the post in 1992 at a time of change, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a unipolar era dominated by the United States. But after four years of friction with the Clinton administration, the United States blocked his renewal in the post in 1996, making him the only U.N. secretary-general to serve a single term. He was replaced by Kofi Annan of Ghana. Advertisement The current president of the U.N. Security Council, Venezuelan Ambassador Rafael Ramirez, announced Boutros-Ghalis death at the start of a session Tuesday on Yemens humanitarian crisis. The 15 council members stood in a silent tribute. The mark he has left on the organization is indelible, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. He said Boutros-Ghali brought formidable experience and intellectual power to the task of piloting the United Nations through one of the most tumultuous periods in its history. Ban pointed to Boutros-Ghalis landmark 1992 report An Agenda for Peace, on how the U.N. could respond to and prevent conflict. Many of his proposals are still used by the United Nations. Boutros-Ghali died Tuesday at a Cairo hospital, Egypts state news agency said. He had been admitted to the hospital after suffering a broken pelvis, the Al-Ahram newspaper reported. Boutros-Ghalis five years in the United Nations remain controversial. Some see him as seeking to establish the U.N.'s independence from the world superpower, the United States. Others blame him for misjudgments in the failures to prevent the genocide in Africa and the Balkans and mismanagement of reform in the world body. In his farewell speech to the U.N., Boutros-Ghali said he had thought the end of the Cold War would bring a new era for the United Nations. But the middle years of this half decade were deeply troubled, he said. Disillusion set in. In a 2005 interview with the Associated Press, Boutros-Ghali called the 1994 massacre in Rwanda in which half a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days my worst failure at the United Nations. But he blamed the United States, Britain, France and Belgium for setting impossible conditions for intervention. President Clinton and other world leaders were opposed to taking strong action to beef up U.N. peacekeepers in the tiny Central African nation, and to intervening to stop the massacres. The concept of peacekeeping was turned on its head and worsened by the serious gap between mandates and resources, he said. The Bosnian War also brought the same contentious mix of issues: U.N. peacekeeping, world powers intervention and limits, and the need to protect civilians from atrocities. During a December 1992 visit to Bosnias capital Sarajevo, under a brutal Serbian siege, he insisted to angry local journalists that upcoming peace talks were the solution and told them he knew of at least 10 places where conditions were far worse than Sarajevo the sort of answer that deepened his reputation for arrogance. He and the U.N. came under further fire after Serb forces massacred 8,000 Muslims in July 1995 in Srebrenica under the eyes of a U.N. force that was supposed to be enforcing a safe zone just before the end of the war. In 1999, families of the victims listed Boutros-Ghali as one of the international officials they wanted to sue for responsibility in the deaths. His legacy was also stained by investigations into corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq, which he played a large role in creating. Three suspects in the probe were linked to Boutros-Ghali either by family or friendship. His cousin, Fakhry Abdelnour, is the head of an oil company called AMEP, which was accused of getting oil concessions through the executive director of the oil-for-food program, Benon Sevan. Boutros-Ghali frequently took vocal stances that angered the Clinton administration such as his strong criticism of Israel after the 1996 shelling of a U.N. camp in Lebanon that killed about 100 refugees. After leaving the U.N., he accused Washington of using the world body for its own political purposes and said U.S. officials often tried to control his actions. He wrote in his 1999 book Unvanquished that he mistakenly assumed that the great powers, especially the United States, also trained their representatives in diplomacy and accepted the value of it. But the Roman Empire had no need for diplomacy. Neither does the United States. His opponents, in turn, accused him of being too sluggish in pushing U.N. reforms. Boutros-Ghali blamed slowness in reform on the lack of money and pointed out that the United States was $1.4 billion behind on payments. Noted for his dignified bearing and Old World style, Boutros-Ghali was the son of one of Egypts most important Coptic Christian families. His grandfather, Boutros Ghali Pasha, was Egypts prime minister from 1908 to 1910. Born Nov. 14, 1922, Boutros-Ghali studied in Cairo and Paris and became an academic specializing in international law. In 1977, then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat named him minister of state without portfolio, shortly before Sadats landmark visit to Israel to launch peace negotiations. Sadats rapprochement with Israel brought harsh criticism from across Egypts political spectrum. His foreign minister, Ismail Fahmi, resigned in protest at normalization with Israel. Sadat turned to Boutros-Ghali, naming him acting foreign minister and minister of state for foreign affairs. Boutros-Ghali played a major role in subsequent negotiations that produced the Camp David peace framework agreements in September 1978 and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in March 1979, the first between an Arab state and Israel. Israelis considered Boutros-Ghali a hawkish negotiator. But he also staunchly defended Egypts peace efforts against fierce Arab opposition. At one African summit, he sharply replied to Algerian criticism, saying, Algeria wants to fight Israel to the last Egyptian soldier. President Hosni Mubarak, who succeeded Sadat in October 1981, kept Boutros-Ghali in the same post. But Boutros-Ghali was never promoted to the post of foreign minister because it was considered too controversial to have a Christian in the key post of a Muslim majority country. After leaving the United Nations, Boutros-Ghali served from 1998 to 2002 as secretary-general of La Francophonie a grouping of French-speaking nations. In 2004, he was named the president of Egypts new human rights council, a body created by Mubarak amid U.S. pressure on Arab nations to adopt political and democratic reforms. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi issued an official statement regarding Boutros-Ghalis death, praising his role in returning beloved Sinai to Egypt. He was married to Lea, an Egyptian Jew. They had no children. Michael is a reporter for the Associated Press. Times special correspondent Amro Hassan in Cairo contributed to this report. A Nevada rancher who was at the center of a dramatic standoff with federal authorities in 2014 is a flight risk and should be held without bail, an Oregon judge ruled Monday. Judge Janice Stewarts ruling echoed the warnings of federal prosecutors who said Cliven Bundy might skip bail, hole up with armed supporters and hope for a violent end in his conflict with the federal government. Bundy, whose sons were among those recently arrested in connection with an armed occupation of an Oregon wildlife reserve, is being held on six charges stemming from a monthlong standoff with federal agents at his Nevada ranch in 2014. Advertisement See the most-read stories this hour >> On social media, his supporters said Bundy was flying to Oregon on the night of Feb. 10 to visit his jailed sons, Ammon and Ryan. He never made it. Bundy, minus his usual pair of bodyguards, was arrested by federal agents at Portland International Airport. Bundys arrest came 21 months after the end of the standoff at his ranch. In the most serious charge, prosecutors said he assaulted federal officers by pointing a weapon at them. His appointed federal public defender did not return calls and emails from The Times seeking comment. The standoff with federal agents began when Bundy refused to pay $1 million in federal grazing fees. Relying on a generally discredited legal theory, one that supposes the federal government has no constitutional right to own land, Bundy refused to pay taxes or abide by grazing laws. By April 5, 2014, the federal government was prepared to move in and seize Bundys cattle. Instead, they found Bundy and an armed group of supporters blocking the way. The standoff stretched on for a month, and sometimes came close to bloodshed. But for the courageous restraint of these officers, this violent assault would likely have met with violent and deadly ends, Assistant U.S. Atty. Charles Gorder wrote in a Justice Department memo opposing Bundys release on bail. In categorizing Bundy as lawless and violent, the Justice Department said he refused directives from the Bureau of Land Management to stop grazing his cattle on federal land. Bundy has declared a personal war against the BLM and the federal government, Gorder wrote. There has been no evidence adduced during this massive investigation to suggest that he has changed his mind about any of that. MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >> Since the standoff, prosecutors say federal agents interviewed hundreds of witnesses and went through thousands of pages of telephone records, as well as the volumes of text, audio and video generated by Bundy and his prolific supporters on social media. Bundy is a risk to the community if released, prosecutors said. In calling on about 400 people to face off with federal agents, Bundy risked their lives and the lives of the agents who responded, prosecutors said. That Bundy now faces a lengthy incarceration if convicted of the charges can only bode more dangerous conduct if he is released, Gorder wrote. nigel.duara@latimes.com ALSO Apple ordered to help FBI unlock phone belonging to San Bernardino shooter Donald Trump supporter in South Carolina: Were voting with our middle finger Scalias last moments on a Texas ranch quail hunting to being found in perfect repose He was 79 with high blood pressure, and his health was deemed too precarious for shoulder surgery. Yet the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is getting the full conspiracy theory treatment. For that, the blame starts with a Texas law that allows presiding judges without medical expertise to determine a cause of death and decide whether an autopsy is needed even without viewing a body. Add to the mix an ambiguous remark from the Texas millionaire who found the justice dead, a comment from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and speculation from conservative media figures. Advertisement Scalia was staying near the Mexican border at a remote Presidio County ranch owned by John Poindexter, who went looking for the justice when he didnt show up for breakfast Saturday morning. He found Scalia dead in his room. We discovered the judge in bed, a pillow over his head, Poindexter told the San Antonio Express-News. Trump seized on the comment, taking it to mean that a pillow had been found over Scalias face. Its a horrible topic, but they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow, Trump said in an interview Monday with conservative radio host Michael Savage. Savage said he wanted the death investigated to see whether it was an assassination. This is going to be bigger and bigger and bigger. ... We need the equivalent of a Warren Commission; we need an immediate autopsy before the body is disposed of, he said. No matter that Poindexter later clarified his remark. The pillow was between Scalias head and the headboard, the Texas businessman told The Times on Tuesday. Scalia looked peaceful, almost as if a model had been put in the bed, he said. After the discovery, the county sheriff and the U.S. Marshals Service arrived at Cibolo Creek Ranch. They found no signs of foul play, Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara told the Associated Press. FULL COVERAGE: Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies at 79>> It didnt help silence the conspiracy theorists when the Marshals Service said that Scalia had declined protection during his visit to the hunting ranch. Media personality Alex Jones, who has supported other conspiracy theories, called for a murder investigation. I was the first to come out and say this should be a murder investigation, and they better not not do an autopsy, Jones said in a video on his Facebook page Tuesday. Then hes found with a pillow over his face. The leader of the conservative Americans for Legal Immigration PAC also called for an autopsy, including a toxicology report. Any time a head of state, member of Congress, or the most conservative member of the U.S. Supreme Court is found dead, an extensive autopsy and toxicology examination should be both immediate and mandatory, William Gheen, the groups president, said in a statement Sunday. He noted that Scalia was loathed by many liberals and that his death could tilt the courts balance of power to the left. We do not contend there is a conspiracy, we contend that there should be no doubts, and the way authorities and the media are rushing conclusions will leave major doubts and legitimate concerns about a death that could lead to a radical political transformation of America to the left! Gheen wrote. Officials said Scalias family did not want an autopsy. There was nothing to stop local authorities from doing one anyway had they deemed the death suspicious, but they didnt. Scalias cause of death was declared by a county judge in a phone call. As unusual as that might sound and as tantalizing as it might be to conspiracy theorists it appears to be allowed under Texas law. SIGN UP for the free Essential Politics newsletter >> Many Texas counties, like Presidio County, are too vast and sparsely populated to have their own medical examiners offices, so Texas law requires either a county justice of the peace or a county judge to establish the cause and manner of death. Since the countys two justices of the peace were not available to determine Scalias cause of death, the job fell to Guevara, who was 60 miles away from the ranch when the justice was found. Before deciding against an autopsy, Guevara spoke with Scalias physician, who told her that Scalia had heart problems, high blood pressure and was recently deemed too weak to undergo shoulder surgery, she told the Associated Press. The family believed he died of natural causes, she said. I respected the wishes of the Scalia family. ... I did this based upon credible reports to me from law enforcement and from Justice Scalias personal physician, Guevara said in a statement. Bronson Tucker, an attorney for the Texas Justice Court Training Center, which trains justices of the peace, said that Presidio County officials appeared to have properly followed Texas law in deciding against an autopsy. The statute really gives the judge a lot of discretion in how they gather the information necessary to make that determination of cause and manner of death, Tucker said. He added that while Scalias stature might have made an autopsy a good idea, his importance did not translate to extra sway under state law. Tucker said it was not completely unusual for judges to do death inquests by phone, especially in West Texas, where some judges might have to drive up to 200 miles round-trip. If you have somebody whos 80 years old, whos overweight, those are all factors in deciding that a death is not worth an autopsy, said Tucker, who added that a lot of times the judges face pressures from their counties because the autopsies are pretty expensive, and especially rural counties dont have a huge budget for things like that. Had Scalia died in another state with stricter rules about death investigations, the conspiracy theories might never have had a chance to blossom. But he died in Texas, where the conspiracy may live on for 25 years. Under Texas law, thats how much time must pass before a death certificate is made available to the public. matt.pearce@latimes.com Twitter: @mattdpearce Join the conversation on Facebook >> MORE ON JUSTICE SCALIA Obama says he will follow original intent of Constitution and pick a Supreme Court nominee Justice Antonin Scalias body will lie in repose in Supreme Courts Great Hall Battle over Scalias seat feeds perception that Supreme Court is less neutral and more partisan Along pothole-pocked Route 160, campaign signs for Hillary Clinton appear every few miles, erected among gravel and weeds beneath towering billboards for fireworks and R.V. resorts. Such support for a Democrat is unusual in this community known for its deep conservatism, where residents sometimes shop at Wal-Mart with pistols holstered to their hips. Talking politics especially if youre a Democrat aint wise out here, Cliff Arnold, chairman of the Nye County Democratic Party, said as he sipped coffee on a recent morning at the Pahrump Nugget, a dank casino frequented by retirees who sit in cushioned seats and play 5-cent slot machines most weekdays. But were here and so are the candidates. Advertisement TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >> The presidential campaigns of Clinton and her rival for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have filtered out far beyond Las Vegas glitzy casino core to woo rural voters who will carry an outsized influence in Saturdays Nevada caucuses because of the way the party allocates precinct delegates. Though Democrats are sparse in these pockets of the state, rural counties are allotted more delegates than their population would be granted under a system of proportional representation. While 8% of Nevada Democrats live in rural areas, they account for 12% of caucus delegates and can be a fruitful target for candidates willing to traverse parched swaths of desert dotted by Joshua trees in search of support. Talking politics - especially if youre a Democrat - aint wise out here. Cliff Arnold, Nye County Democratic party chairman Candidates cant take any part of the Nevada for granted, said Rebecca Lambe, a senior strategist to Sen. Harry Reid, the states top Democrat, who is neutral in the contest. In a tight race, the delegates up for grabs in the rural areas will matter, Lambe said. The Clinton campaign knows it firsthand. In 2008, while Clinton won the popular vote in Nevada, she lost the delegate battle to Sen. Barack Obama, whose support in rural counties gave him the edge a fact, said Emmy Ruiz, Clintons state director, the campaign is seeking to reverse in Saturdays caucuses. For us, its really important to have a presence all over the state, said Ruiz. We have a campaign that is reflective of all Nevadans. Las Vegas is certainly really important to us but in the caucus process its important to build a statewide operation. After a double-digit loss to Sanders in New Hampshire, Clintons most obvious defense here to stave off her challenger is to win the support of Latino and black voters in Clark County -- home to Las Vegas and Henderson, the two most populous cities in Nevada. But her campaign has also been working to gather support in rural counties since she announced her candidacy last spring. Ruiz and other Clinton staffers went on a 1,200-mile listening tour of rural counties last summer, and Clintons team has opened field offices, held meet-and-greets at diners and dispatched top-name supporters including Clintons husband, former President Bill Clinton, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who trekked to rural northern Nevada this week. Clinton herself traveled Monday to Elko, a tiny gold-mining community in northeast Nevada with fewer than 5,000 registered Democrats. She addressed, among other things, guns and federal land rights; the U.S. government own 85% of Nevadas land. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Clinton is listening to us, said William Blythe, 44, who works odd jobs as an electrician, but since November has volunteered full-time for Clinton here in Pahrump, a town of 36,000 about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. A chain-smoking, cowboy-boot-wearing Democrat, Blythe believes Clinton is most qualified to help continue job growth, which has improved under the Obama administration. She has the chops to help get us jobs and work with Congress to get this minimum wage raised, said Blythe as he took a drag from his cigarette while standing outside the campaigns paltry local office. Dont get me wrong, Sanders is good better than the Republicans but hes just saying stuff that is unrealistic. Free college? Who will pay for it? Nothing is free. Sanders only recently deployed staff to corners of Nevada his campaign opened an office in Pahrump last month but has beefed up its efforts, flying in staffers who worked in Iowa and New Hampshire and dispatching them to rural outposts. Campaign signs supporting him appear sporadically through town. In Nye County, unemployment hovers around 8%, more than the state average of 6.4%, and Sanders aides see his message of income inequality resonating in rural Nevada. Were doing significant outreach and time and again, the No. 1 issue were hearing about is the economy, said Joan Kato, Sanders state director. People have concerns. Lynn Warner, a retired clinical neuropsychologist, traveled from San Diego in mid-January to volunteer for Sanders in Pahrump. She estimates walking more than 10 miles each day along gravel roads, knocking on doors of houses, some of which sit on more than an acre of land. People need jobs here. They want that gap between rich and poor to close, said Warner, relaying Sanders message. In interviews here, Democrats said the economy, access to better healthcare and higher wages are of importance. But for some, like Mary Kay Plesha and her husband, Gene, both retired, who moved from Las Vegas to Pahrump last year for a slower pace, the decision in Saturdays caucuses comes down to likability of the two candidates. Hes quirky and is a true progressive, Mary Kay said on a recent afternoon as she ticked off traits she liked about Sanders. But she [Clinton] is a woman and, I have to admit, I do want a woman president in my lifetime. Too much baggage, Gene interjected, noting the controversy that has dogged Clintons campaign over her use of private email to conduct government business while secretary of State. Bernie is the safer choice. Plus, I just think he really cares about people. kurtis.lee@latimes.com Follow @kurtisalee for political news MORE ON CAMPAIGN 2016 Obama says being president is a serious job -- one Trump wont get Donald Trump supporter in South Carolina: Were voting with our middle finger To the rescue? George W. Bush rolls into South Carolina to support Jebs struggling campaign Last year, Nevada college student Ivan Soto was one of about 800,000 Latinos in the United States who turned 18 and became eligible to vote. He and other millennials those born in the 1980s and 1990s make up nearly half of all eligible Latino voters and are increasingly seen as crucial to unlocking the Latino vote. A fervent Bernie Sanders supporter who learned about the Vermont senators campaign on Reddit and through Google searches, Soto reflects a growing generational divide in the Latino community that mirrors divisions in the wider electorate: Although many young Latinos are flocking to the Sanders campaign, many of their parents are backing Hillary Clinton. Advertisement The leadership that is older is all Clinton, but the younger Latinos, theyre with Sanders, said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, whose organization has been working in Nevada ahead of the states Democratic caucus on Saturday. Gonzalez said the rift is present in his own family. My daughters are Sanders people, he said. My wife is with Hillary. How that division plays out will go a long way toward determining who wins the caucus. The contest has shaped up as a crucial test of Sanders appeal to minority voters, whose backing he will need as the Democratic race moves from Iowa and New Hampshire, overwhelmingly white states, into a series of much more diverse arenas. In Nevada, Latinos and blacks are expected to make up about a third of voters. Although there has been no reliable public polling of the state, nationwide, polls have indicated that younger Latinos and blacks are significantly more likely to have a favorable view of Sanders than their elders are. Like their white counterparts, whose activism online and on university campuses helped propel Sanders from a long-shot candidate to the winner of last weeks New Hampshire primary, younger Latinos who back Sanders say they are drawn to him because he dreams big. TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >> Soto, who woke up early Sunday to see Sanders speak at a high school here, said he liked the candidates proposals to reduce deportations of immigrants in the country illegally as well as his promises for campaign finance reform and free college tuition. Hes not the same old, same old, said Soto, who called Sanders a role model. On the campaign trail, Sanders frequently argues that his proposals to redistribute wealth and tax Wall Street appeal across ethnic lines. In Las Vegas, he praised civil rights gains won by a variety of groups in recent years. But, he said, its clear to me that in one area not only have we not made progress, we are losing ground. And that area is economic struggle. Clinton has levied a counter-argument, telling minority voters that she cares about a broader range of issues than Sanders does. Not everything is about an economic theory, right? Clinton said Saturday at a union hall in Las Vegas. If we broke up the big banks tomorrow would that end racism? Clinton and Sanders have made overt appeals to young Latinos in Nevada, targeting high school and college students and battling for the endorsements of young immigrant activists in the country illegally. The activists, known as Dreamers, cant vote, but are recognized as leaders with considerable sway among young Latinos. The former secretary of State sat down with Dreamers at a North Las Vegas high school in her first public event in Nevada after she announced her candidacy in April. Afterward, Rancho High School teacher Isaac Barron, who is also a councilman in North Las Vegas, endorsed her campaign. But despite the attention from the Clinton campaign, Barron said, most of his students are in the opposite camp. Most of them are Bernie kids. Theres no doubt about it, he said. Potentially offsetting that deficit among younger Latinos, Clintons campaign has been making a big push to turn out older Latinas, many of whom say they have fond memories of Bill Clintons presidency and who would like to see a woman in the White House. That may be a smart bet. Previous election data suggest that older Latinos are more likely to vote than young Latinos. In 2012, just 38% of registered Latino millennials voted, compared with 55% of older Latinos, according to the Pew Research Center. Young Latinos trailed other millennial groups too, with 48% of white millennials and 55% of black millennials voting in 2012. (Asians had a similarly dismal turnout, with just 37% voting.) Young Latinos also lag behind other groups in voter registration. Several star-studded registration campaigns are seeking to change that before November. Last week, the group Voto Latino flew in Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera to help sign up new voters across the state. The focus of voter registration efforts now is all on younger voters, said Gonzalez, who heads one of the nations largest Latino voter registration groups. There arent any old unregistered Latinos of any relevance, he said. Getting younger Latinos to register and vote requires getting over some major hurdles, Gonzalez said. Although older people may vote according to union affiliation or because a leader in their community makes an endorsement, thats not how younger voters operate, he said. Latinos are in flux, he said. Were younger, and were less negotiated through institutions. We cant be brokered. Olivia Diaz, 37, has observed that firsthand. She proudly remembers casting a ballot for Bill Clinton in her first presidential election. Now a state assemblywoman, she is working hard to elect Hillary Clinton. Shes always been with us, Diaz said on a recent night to a roomful of mostly older Latinas who were calling voters in Spanish at a Clinton campaign office in a predominantly Latino neighborhood. But Diaz cant deliver the vote of her younger brother, Alejandro, 21, an engineering student who is wild about Sanders. Hes passionate and hes consistent, he said of Sanders. Both are seeking to influence the rest of their family. What people underestimate is the conversations that happen in the families, said Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who was in Nevada campaigning for Sanders over the weekend. Young Latinos influence their parents. kate.linthicum@latimes.com See more of our top stories on Facebook >> MORE ON THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE Obama says being president is a serious job -- one Trump wont get To the rescue? George W. Bush rolls into South Carolina to support Jebs struggling campaign Donald Trump supporter in South Carolina: Were voting with our middle finger Now that researchers have identified a tangible link between the Zika virus and fetal brain deformation, pregnant women and those of childbearing age in the Latin American countries hardest hit by the mosquito-borne virus will have to make tough decisions about their reproductive future. Use birth control? Abstain? Abort if theres evidence of potentially lethal birth defects? Or at least thats how it ought to go. In reality, women in many Latin American countries have almost as little control over their bodies as they do the weather. They are subject to rampant sexual violence, have received little or no sex education and may have limited access to birth control. When they do get pregnant, abortion is illegal in most countries, though some have exceptions in cases of rape, fetal impairment or danger to the life of the mother. In El Salvador the strictures are particularly harsh. There are no legal abortions, and women may go to jail for the crime of suffering miscarriage. Catholic leaders have said unequivocally that Zika changes nothing about the churchs stance against birth control, let alone its ban on abortion. Advertisement These realities make the paltry governmental response in El Salvador and like-minded countries warning women not to get pregnant until the Zika crisis is over all the more ludicrous. Just how does it help to scare women while offering no tools or information? Its unrealistic, and even irresponsible, to expect women to somehow stave off pregnancy when birth control isnt an option and rape is widespread. Although condoms are easily accessible, they can be unaffordable to poor women. Emergency contraceptives are even pricier or, in the case of Honduras, banned outright. The World Health Organization declared Zika an international public health threat Feb. 1 based on its explosive spread throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. At the time, medical experts strongly suspected that the virus was implicated in microcephaly in more than 4,000 newborns in Brazil and feared that might be related to an uptick in another neurological condition, Guillain-Barre syndrome. Since then, the evidence connecting Zika to microcephaly has mounted. Last week researchers in Slovenia confirmed microcephaly, brain injury and the Zika virus in the brain of a fetus whose mother had gotten pregnant while in Brazil. This week, researchers in Brazil said they found the virus in the brains of two infants with microcephaly who died just hours after birth. More studies will be needed before the Zika connection is certain, but its not looking good. Complicating the unfolding crisis is the assertion by a group of Argentine physicians that the rash of microcephaly cases is due to a larvicide, pyriproxyfen, used to control mosquitoes. Though theres not a shred of scientific evidence that this is the case, the Brazilian government has stopped spraying, which may only worsen the Zika epidemic in that country. Even before this new evidence came to light, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Latin American countries to repeal their policies restricting reproductive rights and give women the help they need to avoid pregnancy if they wish. It fell on deaf ears. With a stronger link established, other voices must join in the effort to persuade lawmakers to launch public awareness campaigns that target both men and women (men in Latin American counties are often averse to using condoms) and provide free birth control to any woman who needs it. Doctors and public health authorities also have a duty to appeal to their countries leaders to give women access to birth control and abortion at the very least until a Zika vaccine has been created or researchers rule out the virus as the cause of brain defects. That could be months or a year away. Their involvement is especially important, given that one pillar of culture in Latin America the Roman Catholic Church wont be offering any help. Catholic leaders have said unequivocally that Zika changes nothing about the churchs stance against birth control, let alone its ban on abortion. Nor has Pope Francis addressed the Zika crisis this week as he tours Mexico speaking out against economic disparity. Left unsaid is that the inability of women to control their bodies in a most basic way has a direct impact on their economic situation and that the Zika epidemic could make things even worse for them and their families. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook In October, the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed legislation to reform draconian federal sentencing laws particularly for drug offenders and begin to address the over-incarceration that has devastated poor and minority communities. Remarkably, six Republican members joined the committees nine Democrats in supporting the bill, known as the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. But enactment of the Senate bill is now threatened by exaggerated accusations that it would lead to the release of thousands of violent criminals and by a demand that the legislation include new and controversial language defining the criminal intent necessary for a conviction. Supporters of the legislation in both parties need to reject amendments that would cripple what would be a historic and humane reform of the federal criminal justice system. The bill would place limits on mandatory minimum sentences, which often are enacted by Congress in response to panic about perceived waves of particular crimes. It would increase the discretion of judges in sentencing and prohibit solitary confinement for juvenile prisoners except when their behavior poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm. (In January, President Obama banned solitary confinement of juveniles in federal prisons by executive action, but that could be reversed by a future administration unless Congress acts.) Advertisement Some of the bills provisions would be retroactive, meaning that inmates now serving time could petition for resentencing. One provision would make changes in mandatory minimums retroactive under the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which reduced the disparity between penalties for crack and powder cocaine from 100:1 to 18:1. The differential treatment of the two had disproportionately punished African Americans. Although many Republicans including Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa support the legislation, other figures in that party have been raising roadblocks. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a candidate for president who voted against the bill in committee, has claimed that its enactment could result in more violent criminals being let out on the streets, and potentially more lives being lost. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas claimed that the bill would lead to the release of thousands of violent felons. This is scaremongering. Although the bill would provide relief to some prisoners with violent offenses in their past, experts dismiss the claim that it would result in the release of large numbers of violent criminals. The second roadblock concerns an arcane but important question about what state of mind should be required for conviction of a crime. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) complains that some federal criminal statutes lack a mens rea, or statement of the required criminal intent. As a result, individuals can in some cases be convicted even when they didnt know that their conduct was wrong or unlawful or when they didnt act knowingly, willfully, recklessly or negligently. Hatch said that a person who mistakenly retrieves the wrong coat from the coat room should not be considered a thief, because he did not intend to steal. He also noted the case of a fisherman who was prosecuted for violating a law against selling sea otters to non-native Alaskans even though he didnt know the buyer wasnt a native. Hatch has proposed legislation to provide a default mens rea literally, guilty mind standard to govern cases in which a particular statute doesnt spell out the required state of mind: The defendant would have to have engaged in a criminal act willfully in order to be prosecuted. Ominously, Hatch suggested that any package of criminal justice reforms must include provisions to shore up mens rea protections. Disagreement over adding that could provide Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with a pretext for not bringing the bill to a vote. Criminal intent is an important principle. As Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. noted last year, under American law a defendant must be blameworthy in mind before he can be found guilty. At some point Congress may want to take up the issue of whether the intent requirement should be clarified. But there is no reason to hold this bill hostage to Hatchs proposal, which is opposed by members of Congress who fear it would make it harder to prosecute white-collar and environmental crimes. First things first. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook In early January, law enforcement in the Seattle area seized thereviewboard.net, a website where local sex workers posted advertisements and clients reviewed their services. In related police raids, people who ran and moderated the site were among those arrested and charged with promoting prostitution, a felony. That was just the most recent salvo in what human rights advocates call an ongoing war against sex under the guise of fighting sex trafficking. Last August, federal and state law enforcement officials in New York City shut down the gay escort site Rentboy.com and charged seven of its employees with promoting prostitution and laundering money. Earlier in 2015, the sheriff of Cook County, Ill., pressured MasterCard and Visa to stop processing financial transactions for backpage.com, a classifieds site, because it published ads for sex workers. (Backpage has since sued the sheriff.) And in 2014, federal authorities shut down myRedbook.com, a California-based site that allowed sex workers to post ads and share tips about doing sex work safely. Advertisement The ability to advertise online allows sex workers to more carefully screen potential customers, negotiate safe sex (i.e. sex with condoms), and work indoors. These closures represent a crusade to stamp out advertising outlets for sex workers. But thats not how law enforcement portrays it. They claim to be fighting sex trafficking, which federal law defines as the recruitment, harboring, transportation or obtaining of a person for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud or coercion. Shortly after the Seattle raids, for instance, Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett said that his men, working with the King County Sheriffs office and the FBI, had broken up a well-organized ring promoting sex slavery. Likewise, the Cook County sheriff called backpage.com a haven for pimps and traffickers. Theres one big problem with that narrative: Theres little evidence that these web sites abet sex trafficking. But we do know that shutting them down these makes life more dangerous for sex workers. The ability to advertise online allows sex workers to more carefully screen potential customers, negotiate safe sex (i.e. sex with condoms), and work indoors. Researchers conclude that when sex workers cant advertise online, they are often forced to work on the street, where they are more likely to encounter violent clients. They also are more likely be dependent on exploitative pimps to find customers. Now these women have one less safe advertising venue, Savannah Sly, a Seattle sex worker and president of Sex Workers Outreach Project, said after thereviewboard.net was shuttered. Ditto for the sex workers who advertised on Rentboy.com, myRedbook.com and Backpage.com. What the removal of these advertising sites do is remove low-risk clients from the client pool, Sly added. And because you have reduced demand, youre more likely to agree to see the guy who is more dangerous. That appears to be what happened in Sweden, after that country made it illegal to purchase sex services (but not to provide them) in 2000. Sex workers there were exposed to more violent clients when they lost many of their regular low-risk clients. Transactions with remaining clients also became more rushed, so sex workers had less time and ability to negotiate safe sex and assess potentially dangerous clients. And in the end, criminalizing sex clients in Sweden actually increased the overall number of sex workers, and did not reduce trafficking in the region at all. Countries that have decriminalized sex work and regulated it to some degree (such as the Netherlands and New Zealand) also report no increase in the sex trafficking of minors and illegal immigrants. At the same time, sex workers in those countries are better able to protect themselves from physical harm and sexually transmitted diseases. Because they dont fear police harassment, legalized sex workers are also more comfortable working with police to target traffickers and abusive clients. Targeting websites advertising sex work is also short-sighted for U.S. law enforcement. Websites like Backpage.com have, in fact, cooperated with law enforcement efforts to identify those advertising underage prostitutes or other trafficking victims. If Backpage.com is driven out of business, traffickers will simply gravitate to off-shore websites that are not so amenable to working with American law enforcement and trafficking victims will be forced further underground. If the American public wants to spend taxpayer dollars to prosecute people for operating adult websites, thats one thing. But its disingenuous for law enforcement to wrap these raids in the mantle of combatting sex trafficking because that is not whats going on here at all. Alison Bass is the author of Getting Screwed: Sex Workers and the Law and an assistant professor of journalism at West Virginia University. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook A U.S.-backed agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Syria is supposed to take effect at the end of this week, but theres been no sign of hostilities slowing let alone ceasing. Instead, Russias air force, Bashar Assads ground forces and even neighboring Turkey have all escalated attacks on the rebels whose five-year-long uprising against Assad is faltering. In northern Syria, missiles and bombs have hit two hospitals in the past week. With Russias help, Assads forces have nearly surrounded Aleppo, Syrias largest city and the rebels most important base. Meanwhile, Turkey has been shelling Kurdish rebel forces that are allied with the United States. And even after the non-truce formally goes into effect, both Russia and Syria have served notice that they will continue to attack rebels they consider terrorists, a label they have applied to almost anyone opposed to the regime. Advertisement As an attempt to stop the war, its fair to say that the cease-fire reached after energetic negotiation by Secretary of State John F. Kerry has already failed. So what happens now? Unless Syria and Russia change course, Assads army will surround Aleppo, cutting the city off from outside supply. Rebel supporters and their families, fearing capture, will head for the Turkish border as refugees in greater numbers than before. Already, more than 50,000 have fled the area around Aleppo in the past month. One Turkish official has warned that, in a worst case scenario, the figure could reach 600,000. The prospect of more refugees heading toward Europe has Turkey and the members of the European Union terrified. Turkey has long been pressing for a safe zone an area on its border with Syria where refugees could take shelter and rebels could regroup. This week, Europes most powerful leader, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said for the first time that she favors that approach, too. It would be helpful if there could be such an area where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks that is to say, a kind of no-fly zone, she told a German newspaper adding, somewhat improbably, that she hoped the Assad government would agree to the proposal. In an interview with The Washington Post, Kerry offered ... a public message to [his] boss, President Obama: We may need to try something new. Until now, President Obama has rejected the safe zone concept, which would require troops on the ground and protection from the air. The troops could be mostly Turkish, but Turkey has insisted that it wants U.S. participation, at least in the form of air cover. And that would raise the danger of a clash between U.S. and Russian warplanes. But if Germany and Turkey marshal European pressure in favor of the idea, Obama may have a more difficult time saying no. We in the United States arent thinking somehow were immune, Kerry reassured European leaders in Munich last week. The United States of America understands the near existential nature of this threat to the politics and fabric of life in Europe. In an interview with the Washington Post, Kerry offered an undiplomatic hint of what his next step may be. What were doing is testing [Russian and Iranian] seriousness, he said. And if theyre not serious, then there has to be consideration of a Plan B.... You cant just sit there. In Washingtonspeak, that was a public message to Kerrys boss, Obama: We may need to try something new. Short term, the Americans hope Kerrys cessation of hostilities, even if limited, will enable the United Nations to deliver food and medicine to Syrian towns that have been under siege for months. If that works, Kerry would at least deserve credit for saving some lives, noted Frederic Hof, a former U.S. diplomat who has been critical of Kerrys diplomacy. Longer term, Kerry still thinks theres a chance to persuade Russia and Iran, Assads chief foreign backers, that they should help force a change in Syrias government. But thats a distant possibility. Meanwhile, Kerry, at least, will be looking for alternatives to just sitting there including a safe zone. A safe zone wouldnt end Syrias civil war, but it would strike a blow against Islamic State (which controls part of the border zone) and potentially push Syria toward serious peace talks. The risks are no lower than before, but the costs of the war are mounting mostly in the form of those refugees heading north. This was a choice Obama hoped to avoid in his final year in office, but he may no longer have that luxury. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @doylemcmanus Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: After listening to Saturdays GOP presidential debate in South Carolina, I am almost embarrassed to be a citizen of a country that would put forth such a boorish group from which a nominee will be selected. (Republican debate ratings are growing again, with 13.51 million viewers on Saturday, Feb. 14) The name calling, chiding and constant interrupting were more reminiscent of an elementary-school playground than a presidential debate. If any candidate had a message to deliver or an agenda to offer, it was totally lost in the commotion. When I think of the statesmanship and maturity required of the leader of the free world, I just shake my head in wonder that there are people among us who would actually vote for members of this motley crew. Dissatisfaction with the status quo doesnt mean we have to lose our minds. Advertisement Alan Abajian, Alta Loma .. To the editor: Ben Carson declared at the last Republican debate that free college tuition at public universities was a non-starter. Perhaps such an idea is dead on arrival. But before closing the book on this idea, consider the following: What do 13 Nobel laureates, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Colin Powell have in common? They attended one of the City University of New Yorks colleges for free or close to free. So did Andrew Grove (Intel), Mario Puzo (author of The Godfather) and Felix Frankfurter (U.S. Supreme Court). The list of distinguished alumni goes on. Unfortunately, free tuition ended at the City University system in the 1970s. Also unfortunately, every time tuition at a public college increases, some poor person gets knocked out of the mix. Free tuition should not be a gift. It should be for deserving students. If properly administered, free tuition will heap benefit upon benefit onto our society. Rather than casually blowing the idea off, we need to consider the long term-benefits that free college tuition would bring our country. Karl F. Schmid, Los Angeles .. To the editor: As a proud Republican who was planning to vote for the partys nominee in November, after watching Donald Trump on the debate stage, Ive decided that if Trump is the Republican nominee, Ill sadly abstain from voting. Trump backers, while supporting an outsider who tells it like it is, would be sorely disappointed with a President Trump, who would likely serve without decorum or respect for others, and would likely be true to his liberal past. If forced to choose between two candidates, one who is crude and the other dishonest, Ill abstain, because neither would deserve my vote. George Nethercutt, McLean, Va. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Last time anyone looked, presidents were elected to a full four-year terms. Therefore, President Obama is fully within his rights to nominate a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Anyone stating otherwise is uninformed, disingenuous or both, especially if done for partisan purposes. (Nominating Supreme Court justices is Obamas job. Let him do it, editorial, Feb. 14) For Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to say the vacancy should not be filled until a new president is elected is preposterous. I remind McConnell that on Feb. 3, 1988, he (and every other GOP senator) voted to confirm Anthony Kennedy to the court and that was during Ronald Reagans final year in office. Hypocritical doesnt begin to describe this. Sharie Lieberg-Hartman, Oxnard Advertisement .. To the editor: I agree 100 % that it is Obamas job to nominate the next Supreme Court justice. The second sentence in your editorials second paragraph is this: The American people do have a voice in any nomination Obama makes. Few can argue that point. However, the American people, through their duly elected senators, also have a voice in who becomes the next Supreme Court Justice. The American people have elected a Republican-controlled Senate, and the American people, through those senators, have a voice in who is going to be the newest Supreme Court justice. William Lovelace, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Scalias death has set off strenuous objections to Obama nominating a replacement during his final year in office and refusals by Republican senators to act on any nominee who is inconsistent with Scalias philosophy. What would Scalia have said? The late justice described himself as a fierce advocate of democracy. He said in 2006, On controversial issues we debate with each other and persuade each other and vote on it. William Hsiang, Irvine .. To the editor: The editorials scathing rebuke of Republican obstructionism to any justice nominated by Obama is clearly short on acknowledging historical precedent. Yes, the president has yet to serve the remaining 11 months of his term and has every right to nominate a successor to Scalia. However, lets not forget that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) proudly pronounced in July 2007, with the Democrats in control of the Senate and with George W. Bush having 18 months yet to serve, that no Bush Supreme Court nominee should be confirmed. How Democrats must hate that the shoe is on the other foot. Vic Miranda, Agoura Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Judy Lundberg-Wafer scurried across the Santa Maria Fairplex convention center, cutting through the line for tri-tip at a agricultural forum on a path toward Justin Fareed, the former UCLA football player running to represent a large chunk of California's Central Coast in Congress. Putting her arm around the 27-year-old Republican candidate, the petite vegetable farmer declared, "I'm impressed." As someone snapped a photo, she added, "But people need to get to know you. We need some up-and-comers." (Javier Panzar ) Moments later, Fareed, a former Capitol Hill staffer who works for his family's sports medical devices company, was off to the next group, weaving around the lunch tables, shaking hands and passing out business cards as he went through the crowd at the forum here in the conservative stronghold of northern Santa Barbara County. A few yards away, another congressional hopeful was also at work. Gas station owner and state Assemblyman K.H. "Katcho" Achadjian of San Luis Obispo posed for photos with farmers next to their produce displays. The candidates shook hands as they crossed paths near a bright red bouquet of radishes. It is only February but this is a typical weekend in the Central Coast district as nine candidates have begun to press the flesh and work to earn recognition in a race that exemplifies California's "jungle" primary, in which the top two finishers advance to a general election. The 24th Congressional District race to replace retiring Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) does not have a clear front-runner and it's not a certainty which candidates will reach the threshold to appear on the November ballot, or if voters will give both a Republican and a Democrat the chance. The race is attracting national attention from political operatives, wealthy donors and interest groups hoping to influence the result. Democrats tend to come out to vote in higher numbers during presidential election years, and the party has a 3-point advantage over Republicans among registered voters. But since almost a quarter of voters state no party preference and a local tea party activist in 2014 came within 4 points of ousting Capps from the seat she had held since 1998, Republicans consider it a seat worth trying for. Among the major Democrats running: a boisterous Latino Santa Barbara County supervisor favored by the party's establishment wing, the wonky mayor of Santa Barbara, and an actor-turned-hay-farmer running in the mold of Bernie Sanders "It is a quintessential California race," GOP strategist Mike Madrid, who is not working for any of the campaigns, said of the diverse crop of candidates. "It is basically a coin toss on which way it goes, especially if Republicans spend money early and smart. All three of those [Democrats] are each pillars in the Democratic coalition." SIGN UP for our free Essential Politics newsletter >> The wide range of candidates fits the district, which spans nearly 200 miles of coast from Ventura to Ragged Point, north of San Luis Obispo, and runs inland to the Temblor Range at the edge of the San Joaquin Valley and south to Los Padres National Forest. Though the district has its share of coastal liberals and college students, there are also conservative voters among the ranchers and farmers in the inland area. Democrat Salud Carbajal, a 12-year-veteran of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, has earned the backing of 82% of local delegates to the state party convention, three former Santa Barbara mayors and Capps herself. His depth of support was on display on a recent Saturday when fans packed into a stuffy former bagel shop on downtown Santa Barbara's main drag, State Street, to christen his campaign's headquarters. The cramped store was filled with just about every constituency from newly recruited college students to old friends who had known Carbajal since his days as chief of staff to former county supervisor Naomi Schwartz in the 1990s. Carbajal smiled ear to ear as he walked the room with Capps, shaking hands. Democratic Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) greet Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Max Hokit. (Javier Panzar / Los Angeles Times) For all his local support, it is Carbajal's institutional power an endorsement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, for example that is making him a force to be reckoned with in the race. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus fundraising PAC, which contributed $10,000 to Carbajal's $1.38-million fundraising haul over the last year, strolled through the front door of the headquarters to offer his support later that day. The caucus wants to add to its ranks and considers Carbajal, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico with his parents when he was 5 and served in the military, a vital candidate to help them achieve that goal. "He will make us feel good about being Americans," Cardenas told the crowd of supporters before they went out to walk precincts as temperatures pushed into the 70s on this particular Saturday. About the only local Democrat not at the campaign headquarters was Helene Schneider, the mayor of Santa Barbara. That's because she is also running for the congressional seat, the only female candidate in the race. She is running what her consultant calls an "insurgent campaign." Schneider worked for Planned Parenthood in human resources management and was president of the Santa Barbara Womens Political Committee before she was elected to the city council and eventually to the mayoral seat in 2009. She has suffered political defeats in recent years, including when she introduced a ballot measure to increase the city's sales tax and tackle rising pension costs only to abandon the plans after heated local resistance from unions and fellow liberals. I'm not going to be someone who follows [the Democratic Party] lockstep on every vote and issue because someone tells me to. Helene Schneider, Santa Barbara mayor The move left some in the city with a bad taste in their mouths, said former mayor Marty Blum, who is supporting Carbajal but remains torn over not endorsing a fellow female. "She is a woman -- I should be endorsing her," Blum said. "She is not as much of a team player. But she is wonderful. I could be speaking to you about her in July." Schneider is seeking to use her executive experience and independent streak to contrast herself with Carbajal. During the first debate among candidates two weeks ago, she declared that she would not be a "yes man" on Capitol Hill. "I'm not going to be someone who follows [the Democratic Party] lockstep on every vote and issue because someone tells me to," she said in an interview over Arnold Palmers at the Santa Barbara Fish House. Schneider won't be a pushover in the primary. She has the endorsement of popular state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. She and Carbajal were tied in a recent poll released by Achadjian's campaign, which showed the assemblyman with an 8-point lead over the Democrats with 20% of the vote. (Though the main takeaway was that 38% of those polled were undecided.) Achadjian is longtime figure in San Luis Obispo County politics. His parents survived the Armenian genocide and settled in Lebanon before he came the U.S. to study at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He bought a string of gas stations and got into local politics. His office is on the second floor of a custom-built mini-mart at one of those stations just off U.S. Highway 101 in the small coastal town of Arroyo Grande. It is covered with plaques and kitschy awards (including a pair of large ceramic roosters from a local art auction) from local clubs he won during his time as a county supervisor. Though he has a conservative voting record in Sacramento (with a perfect score from the California Chamber of Commerce and siding with the California Labor Federation just 7% of the time, according to the California Target Book, a nonpartisan research document), he is known around the community for his moderate temperament and dedication to constituent services, said Michael Latner, an associate professor of political science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who is active in local politics. Achadjian drives his own SUV 300 miles to Sacramento and back every week. At the debate, he used his closing statement to flash a framed copy of a local newspaper editorial calling him a "shepherd of consensus." Fareed, the other top GOP contender, is billing himself as the "next generation" of Republican leadership in California. He has hired a top-shelf campaign staff, including veterans of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's presidential campaign, and boasts a growing campaign war chest. Then there is San Luis Obispo hay farmer William Ostrander. He was an actor in the '80s look for him in the 1983 film adaptation of Stephen King's cult classic "Christine" about the killer car before he worked as conservation activist in Africa. Now he is running his campaign for Congress out of a former cow-milking station he turned into a studio on a more than 300-acre farm, with a focus on campaign finance reform and taxing certain Wall Street transactions. He doesn't shy away from comparisons to Sanders, and says the "Feel the Bill" bumper stickers he ordered have just arrived. (Javier Panzar ) At the debate, Ostrander exuded energy, standing up as he gave his answers. He earned a healthy response from members of the crowd when asking them to raise their hands if they felt there is too much money in politics. Ostrander said he isn't accepting money from political action committees and hasn't so far, according to federal records. Instead, he is trying to tap into the same networks activating around Sanders' presidential campaign, both locally and online. A pro-Sanders concert last week netted him 90 signatures from young people interested in volunteering for his campaign, he said. On a recent ride around the property, Ostrander pointed to the knee-high grass growing and mentioned with pride that food activist and author Michael Pollan had recently tweeted out a link to a page on Ostrander's campaign's website dealing with climate change and sequestering carbon underground. Ostrander has hardly registered in early polls and had the least money in the bank of the five candidates in the race who had filed campaign finance paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission. But he said that if Sanders' message continues to resonate with voters ahead of the June 7 California primary and the congressional race stays crowded, he is banking on a wave of progressive voters to help him along. "I do intend to win this thing," he said. Follow @jpanzar For more, go to latimes.com/politics ALSO Why activists in these California swing districts are feuding with the national Democratic Party Celebrity donors pour money into this open California congressional seat As Porter Ranch gas leak lingers, candidates smell a political opportunity Despite objections from some prominent Burbank business owners, the City Council last week approved the renaming of a section of First Street in downtown Burbank to IKEA Way, in order to help reduce confusion among shoppers traveling to the Swedish retailers future store, which will be its largest in the United States when completed. Council members said the change would create a more favorable traffic pattern by diverting southbound traffic to the exit at Verdugo Avenue rather than Alameda Avenue and, together with way-finding signage, would help out-of-towners find the retailer more easily from the Golden State (5) Freeway. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in and around your neighborhood >> I think, ultimately, it does the community good, said Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy. Thats more important than this name or that name. However, some local business owners and residents objected to aspects of the proposal, which will affect the section of First Street between Santa Anita Avenue and Angeleno Avenue. The City Council had already approved naming a new segment of the street from Santa Anita to Providencia, where the stores parking lot entrance will be located, to IKEA Way in October 2014. IKEA did not request the extension of that street name, but it was suggested by former Traffic Commission member Ralph Herman, who said in a recent letter that it would enable the city to seek California Department of Transportation signs along the freeway pointing drivers to the Verdugo Avenue exit. Caltrans will not point specifically to a business, Herman and others said. Of the four businesses with First Street addresses in the affected area, Black Angus Steak House and Residence Inn favored the change, according to a staff report. The others, TrueGrain Inc. and Keller Williams, opposed it. Council members said the change would create a more favorable traffic pattern by diverting southbound traffic to the exit at Verdugo Avenue rather than Alameda Avenue and, together with way-finding signage, would help out-of-towners find the retailer more easily from the Golden State (5) Freeway. (Roger Wilson / Staff Photographer) The Traffic Commission, which includes three Keller Williams Realtors, voted against the proposal in December, voicing concerns that it would set a precedent for other businesses and might not comply with city code. A review by the City Attorneys office found that the commissioners who work for Keller Williams did not have a financial conflict of interest in the matter, the report stated. Michael Cusumano, co-owner of the Cusumano Real Estate Group, also opposed extending the new street name north of Verdugo Avenue, where his firm is in the process of developing two 14-story towers under a project dubbed Premier on First. Council members were not swayed by the business owners concerns, in light of what they felt were broader benefits for the new name. However, Burbank resident Sharon Springer argued for selling the naming rights for potentially millions of dollars and using the proceeds to ensure pedestrian safety along San Fernando Road. Its not something that we should give away, especially if were facing a deficit, Springer said. If IKEA wont pay ... I think we should sell it to someone who will. City Atty. Amy Albano and some members of the public expressed concerns that selling the rights could complicate the citys ability to refuse an undesirable name once the rights are purchased. The council declined to seek payment for the naming rights. Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes said Springers idea sounds good, but in practicality, I dont feel its going to work. -- Chad Garland, chad.garland@latimes.com Twitter: @chadgarland For the past few years, a group of UC Irvine students has been telling peers about human papillomavirus, also known as HPV. But the message isnt coming through lectures, films, pamphlets or other typical methods. The medium is a fotonovela, a photographic comic book that details misconceptions surrounding the sexually transmitted infection, which in some cases can cause health problems including genital warts and cancers. It also gives information about the vaccine. Fotonovelas are commonly used in Latino communities as public health tools. Theyre based off of telenovelas in that theyre fun, engaging stories but theyll also be educational, said Alvin Chan, a UCI medical student and fotonovela team member. Its a way to integrate health topics into a fun story. The projects director, Lorena Teran, and a team of nine undergraduates or medical students at UCI completed the fotonovela in 2014. It started when I was working with a group of students who were interested in this topic. They wanted to look at HPV and the Latino population, said Teran, who at the time of the project was a director of community engagement at UCIs Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. I also had interest in researching the Latino population and seeing why vaccine rates were so low. It all came from this desire to help the community. Before developing the story for the comic, the team released a questionnaire in 2011 through a clinic in Santa Ana. The study asked participants questions such as whether they knew what HPV was and whether they had been vaccinated. The vaccination is given as three shots over six months. We discovered that women, especially teenage mothers, didnt feel the need to be vaccinated, said team member Enedina Sepulveda. Moreover, it seemed they felt that since they were already in a relationship, they didnt need it. The team also noted that a lack of knowledge about HPV may be contributing to a low rate of vaccination in the Latino community. I do think its still a taboo in the Hispanic community to discuss sex, even if people have questions, Sepulveda said. Theyre embarrassed to ask. The vaccination rate also appears to be low nationally. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a national survey in 2014 showed that 40% of females ages 13 through 17 had received all three doses of the vaccine. Only 22% of males in that age group had received all three doses. Sepulveda said the results from the 2011 questionnaire eventually led to the story line for the fotonovela. The comic focuses on a main character played by team member Sarah Gonzalez. Her character, a young mother who is in a committed relationship, is unaware of how HPV is spread. Later, she decides whether she wants to get vaccinated. Shooting the scenes for the project took place near the UCI campus over a couple of days, students said. The photographer and graphic designer also were students at UCI, Teran said. To see the fotonovela, go to bit.ly/1LsMdYm. According to Chan, it will soon be live on the California Department of Public Health website. The team also is searching for other means of distribution, such as public health agencies and school districts. A former Alaska Airlines pilot from Newport Beach pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal charge accusing him of operating a jet full of passengers while under the influence of alcohol. David Hans Arntson, 60, was arrested in January, appeared in court in Los Angeles and was released on $25,000 bond. His case has been transferred to federal court in Santa Ana, where he is scheduled to appear in March, according to court documents. If convicted, Arntson could face up to 15 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors allege that Arntson had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.134% and 0.142% in random breath tests conducted 15 minutes apart inside a restroom at John Wayne Airport in June 2014,according to an affidavit by an investigator with the U.S. Department of Transportations office of inspector general. Arntsons attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. Arntson is being prosecuted under federal law, which considers commercial airline pilots intoxicated if their blood-alcohol concentration is 0.10% or greater. The Federal Aviation Administration has a blood-alcohol limit of 0.04%. On June 20, 2014, Arntson piloted an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Portland, Ore., and a flight from Portland to John Wayne, according to the affidavit. A technician who tests blood-alcohol levels was waiting for him when the plane approached the gate. Arntson was selected randomly for the test, the affidavit states. Arntsons co-pilot told federal investigators that when Arntson saw the drug tester waiting at the gate, he said, I bet its for me. However, Arntson told investigators that he didnt understand why he tested positive since he hadnt consumed any alcohol that day. Arntson said he ordered a beer with dinner the night before the flight from San Diego but took only a few sips. He said a blood test he had conducted the following morning showed he had no alcohol in his body, according to the affidavit. Crew members on the plane told investigators that they did not suspect Arntson had been drinking and did not smell alcohol on him in flight. Arntson, who had worked for Alaska Airlines since 1982, was removed from safety-sensitive duties the day of the initial tests, accordingto the airline. He later retired from the airline because of medical issues. Los Angeles Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report. Taking further steps to beef up its military presence in the already tense South China Sea, China has deployed antiaircraft missiles on a contested island in the region, Taiwans Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. The missiles have been deployed on Woody Island, also known as Yongxing, which is part of the Paracel chain, Taiwan said. Woody Island has been controlled by mainland China since the 1970s but is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Taiwan said its military would pay close attention to subsequent developments on Woody Island and urged relevant parties to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions. Advertisement Satellite images from ImageSat International, first reported by Fox News, appear to show two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island. Fox quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying the images seemed to show an HQ-9 air defense system, with a range of about 125 miles. China claims sovereignty over a large swath of the South China Sea and has been dredging sand and building facilities, including runways and ports, on various islets and reefs for the last several years. But other countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam, also have asserted claims to some of the specks of land in the region. U.S. officials are worried that China eventually wants to use the islets for military purposes and is ultimately seeking to push American forces out of what it regards as its own backyard. In recent months, the U.S. has sailed several warships close to disputed territory held by China in what Washington has characterized as freedom of navigation exercises. News of the missile deployment broke shortly after President Obama concluded a summit at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, Calif., with 10 Southeast Asian leaders. At the summit, Obama said he and the other leaders discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions, including a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarization of disputed areas. But a final declaration from the attendees contained no concrete measures for doing so. Asked about the missiles, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, appearing alongside Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at a previously scheduled news conference Wednesday afternoon in Beijing, at first said he had only been told of the reports several minutes prior. He suggested they were an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories. But later in the briefing, Wang said: As for the limited and necessary self-defense facilities China has built on islands and reefs where stationed Chinese personnel are stationed, that is consistent with the self-defense and self-preservation China is entitled to under international law. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei had told a regular news conference that China would deploy necessary national defense facilities on the islands. It does not impede freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea that all countries are entitled to under international law, he said. Although the missiles deployed on Woody Island are apparently defensive in nature, Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan, said that of course it means the militarization of the South China Sea islands, which China has promised not to militarize. Last month, speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing, Wang Yi had said that China has given a commitment of not engaging in so-called militarization, and we will honor that commitment. And we cannot accept the allegation that Chinas words are not being matched by actions. Huang said the missiles were intended as a message to Vietnam. Because if you put some anti-air facility in some place, you want to defend something, he said. Xu Guangyu, a retired Chinese military officer and consultant to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Assn., denied that putting antiaircraft missiles on Woody Island was a provocation, comparing it with the U.S. stationing military equipment on Guam. These are defensive missiles and the U.S. should not make a big fuss about it, he said. But Roger Cliff, author of Chinas Military Power: Assessing Current and Future Capabilities and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the placement of the missiles makes a mockery of the idea that China is not militarizing the islands. This is one more sign that China is moving away from the idea of resolving things through dialogue in the South China Sea, he added. Still, Cliff said he did not expect any kind of direct response from the U.S. immediately, noting that the antiaircraft missiles dont threaten American destroyers and other ships the Pentagon might elect to sail through the South China Sea. The U.S., he predicted, would continue with its freedom of navigation sailings in the region. The missile deployments, Cliff said, would be most irritating to Vietnam. This is not going to be received favorably in Hanoi, he predicted. This is rubbing their face in it and will probably push them toward greater cooperation with the U.S. Timothy R. Heath, senior international defense research analyst at The RAND Corp., said China is showing the U.S. it is willing to take risks to defend its sovereignty and territorial claims. Beijing resents U.S. efforts to challenge the legitimacy of those claims through freedom of navigation operations, Heath said. The missile deployment tells the United States and the region that China is willing to further militarize the situation to defend its position. At the summit in Sunnylands, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Monday called for Washington to have a stronger voice and bigger role in the demilitarization of the South China Sea, Reuters reported. Meanwhile Wednesday, Taiwans president-elect, Tsai Ing-wen, urged every party to uphold peace in settling the South China Sea dispute and use self-restraint. This is the most important thing. Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told reporters in Tokyo that he was unable to confirm the missile reports, but said the issue concerns me greatly, the Associated Press reported. If there are missiles there, it could be an indication of militarization of the South China Sea in ways that the president of China, that President Xi [Jinping] said he would not do, Harris said. Special correspondent Jennings reported from Taipei. Nicole Liu of The Times Beijing bureau and special correspondent Chuan Xu contributed to this report. Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from China Join the conversation on Facebook >> ALSO The babies who are called bad blood -- the sad legacy of Boko Haram The journey of two families in two countries, split by a chain-link fence Boutros Boutros-Ghali dies at 93; former United Nations secretary-general A rundown of some of the notable events leading up to Wednesday's news that China had put anti-aircraft missiles on Woody Island in the South China Sea: January 2015 China begins construction on airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef after land reclamation efforts in 2014. The airstrip will have an estimated final length of 1.93 miles, long enough to allow any Chinese military aircraft to land, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. May 20, 2015 A U.S. P8-A surveillance plane carrying a CNN crew flies over disputed territories in the South China Sea. The mission aimed to monitor Chinas island-building processes in the Spratly Islands, including Mischief and Fiery Cross reefs. According to CNN, the flight triggered eight warnings from the Chinese Navy, which demanded the U.S. plane to go away quickly. The plane crew told CNN that they see this every day, indicating that the U.S. had been conducting regular missions in the area for some time. The P8-A Poseidon is America's most advanced surveillance and submarine-hunting aircraft. May 29, 2015 In a speech in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter calls for an immediate and lasting halt to Chinas land reclamation projects. He says that China has reclaimed 2,000 acres, more than all other claimants combined. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, responded the next day that the U.S. has ignored history, laws, and facts. June 16, 2015 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang announces that as planned, the land reclamation project of Chinas construction on some stationed islands and reefs of the Nansha [Spratly] Islands will be completed in the upcoming days. He notes that after land reclamation is complete, China would continue to construct facilities on the islands and reefs. Sept. 2, 2015 In a sign of the expanding reach of Chinas navy, five Chinese ships are found to be sailing in international waters in the Bering Sea off Alaska. The apparent first for China's military came as President Obama was visiting the state. "We respect the freedom of all nations to operate military vessels in international waters in accordance with international law," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis says. September 2015 China completes a 1.93-mile runway on Fiery Cross Reef. Oct. 27, 2015 The U.S.s guided-missile destroyer Lassen sails within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef, held by China but also claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, testifying later before a Senate panel, says: "We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits and whenever our operational needs require." Chinese officials express strong opposition, with Chinas ambassador to the U.S. saying such operations are a very serious provocation. Chinese military spokesman Col. Yang Yujun offers similarly stern words about what he called "an abuse of freedom of navigation." Subi Reef is one of seven reefs in the Spratly Islands on which China has constructed artificial islands. Oct. 29, 2015 In a legal setback for Beijing, an arbitration court in The Hague says that it has jurisdiction to hear territorial claims the Philippines has filed against China over disputed areas in the South China Sea. China rejects the court's authority in the case and is boycotting the proceedings. Nov. 5, 2015 U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter visits the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea with Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. "Being here ... is a symbol and signifies the stabilizing presence that the United States has had in this part of the world for decades," Carter tells reporters. "If it's being noted today in a special way, it's because of the tension in this part of the world, mostly arising from disputes over land features in the South China Sea, and most of the activity over the last year being perpetrated by China." Nov. 8, 2015 Two U.S. B-52 bombers take off from Guam and fly around the Spratly Islands near Chinese-built artificial islands. According to U.S. Army Maj. Dave Eastburn, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command, Chinese air-traffic controllers on the ground reached out to one of the U.S. aircrafts by radio and warned it had violated the security of my reef. Eastburn says the aircraft was more than 12 nautical miles away from the Spratlys at the time of the radio call. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook says the aircraft continued that mission unabated. Nothing changed. Filipino protesters display placards during a rally outside Chinas consular office in Manila on April 17 against the countrys claim to islands and reefs in the South China Sea. (Jay Directo / AFP/Getty Images) Nov. 24-29, 2015 The Hague tribunal hears oral arguments in the Philippine case against China. Dec. 10, 2015 Two U.S. B-52 bombers get within 12 nautical miles of Chinas man-made islands in the South China Sea. Bill Urban, the Defense Department spokesman, says the planes mistakenly entered disputed territory on a routine training missions. He adds that the mission, unlike the operation of the Lassen in October, was not a freedom of navigation operation. The Chinese Defense Ministry accuses U.S. of flexing muscles and calls the incident a serious military provocation. Jan. 2, 2016 China says it has conducted a civilian test flight to Fiery Cross Reef. Vietnam says it has lodged an official protest with the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi over the action. Jan. 6, 2016 China says it has conducted a second test flights to Fiery Cross Reef. Two civilian aircrafts were flown from the southern island of Hainan to Fiery Cross Reef. The planes returned to Hainan later that day. Jan. 11, 2016 Chinese media report that China has finished construction on a second 10,000-ton China Coast Guard cutter destined for patrols in the South China Sea": the CCG 3901, dubbed the monster by the media due to its large size for a coast guard vessel. According to a report in the Diplomat, the vessel could have a displacement of 12,000 to 15,000 metric tons once all systems are installed -- bigger than U.S. Navys Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser by about 50%, and bigger than an Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyer (e.g., the Lassen), which displaces around 9,700 tons. Chinese state media say the CCG 3901 is equipped with 76mm rapid fire guns, two secondary guns and two antiaircraft guns. It also has a helicopter platform and hangar in the stern large enough to accommodate larger rotary-wing aircraft. In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou displays a locally grown fruit during his visit to Taiping Island on Thursday. (Associated Press) Jan. 28, 2016 Wading into choppy political waters, Taiwans outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou pays a visit to a disputed Taiwan-controlled islet in the South China Sea. Ma calls for peace among claimants of the disputed territories. The U.S. destroyer Curtis Wilbur is shown in 2010. (Jo Jong-ho / Yonhap) Jan. 30, 2016 The guided-missile destroyer Curtis Wilbur sails within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea, in what the U.S. says is an effort to counter attempts to limit freedom of navigation. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis says "no claimants were notified prior to the transit, which is consistent with our normal process and international law." China strongly condemns the move, and China's defense ministry says the U.S. action was "intentionally provocative" and "irresponsible and extremely dangerous." Feb. 13, 2016 New satellite images show what appear to be construction of Chinese helicopter landing sites at Duncan Island in the Paracel chain. According to a report in the Diplomat, these could be used to support to support anti-submarine warfare helicopters such as the ASW Z-18F. The images also show dredging and port work at Tree Island and North Island in the Paracel chain. Feb. 17, 2016 Taiwan says China has deployed antiaircraft missiles on Woody Island. Special correspondent Chuan Xu and Nicole Liu in the Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from China Assailants on Wednesday exploded a car bomb near vehicles carrying military personnel in the Turkish capital, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said. The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to where military headquarters and parliament are located. Buses carrying military personnel were attacked while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the contemptible and dastardly attack. Ankara Gov. Mehmet Kiliclar said authorities believe that the explosion was caused by a bomb-laden vehicle. Advertisement Join the conversation on Facebook >> News reports said some cars caught fire, and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. At least four of the injured were military personnel, private NTV television reported. It was not clear who was behind the bombing Wednesday. Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on Islamic State targeted a peace rally outside the main train station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkeys deadliest attack in years. Wednesdays attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges. A fragile peace process with the Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer. The Turkish security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the southeast since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas, and the fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey also has been helping efforts led by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the past year that were blamed on the terror group. The Syrian war, meanwhile, is raging along Turkeys southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkeys border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations. The country is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps across the border. Turkey, which already is home to 2.5-million Syrian refugees, also has been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers boats. After the attack, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled a visit to Brussels on Wednesday evening and attended a security meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. The government meanwhile, imposed a gag order that bans media organizations from broadcasting or printing graphic images of the dead or injured from the explosion. Turkey has imposed similar bans after previous attacks. Last month, 11 German tourists were killed after a suicide bomber affiliated with Islamic State detonated a bomb in Istanbuls historic Sultanahmet district. More than 30 people were killed in a suicide attack in the town of Suruc, near Turkeys border with Syria, in July. ALSO Apple refuses to help FBI unlock San Bernardino shooters phone Spaniard, 90, finally finds her father, killed by Francos forces 77 years ago Beijing deploys antiaircraft missiles on disputed South China Sea island, Taiwan says Iris Alondra Hipolito, a 17-year-old high school student from Los Angeles, didnt know what was coming. She and her brother Luis, 14, had traveled on an overnight bus to El Paso and arrived Tuesday morning as part of a group of Catholics and immigrant rights activists from Southern California. They came to see Pope Francis and to call for reform of U.S. immigration laws. The teenagers are U.S. citizens. Their mother, Maria de Lourdes Molina Garcia, once lived illegally in the U.S. and now resides in a small village in Oaxaca state. She hasnt seen Iris and Luis for more than two years. Advertisement We ask the pope to please help us keep families together, Iris said to members of the local and national media who convened at the bus station. The pope will visit Ciudad Juarez, El Pasos Mexican sister city, on Wednesday. Pope Francis visit to Mexico: Full coverage | Live updates Iris Alondra Hipolito is overcome with emotion after the surprise reunion with her mother. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Iris and Luis and more than half a dozen others from Los Angeles wore shirts with a picture of the pope. Papa Rescata DAPA y la Legalizacion que sea tu Bendicion! It was a reference to DAPA Deferred Action for Parents of Americans one of President Obamas executive actions designed to shield from deportation millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. The program is currently on hold during litigation. The T-shirts translation: Pope, please rescue DAPA and may legalization be your blessing. On their way to the Juarez airport, the group members worried they might arrive late. But going south proved easy and Iris, Luis and the others waited for the plane of fellow pilgrims to arrive. Then, there she was their mother. Molina looked a bit lost and looked for Iris and Luis when she walked into the airport. She held hands with her youngest son, 4-year-old Eddy. He was born in Mexico. At first, Iris didnt know what the commotion was about until she caught a glimpse of her mothers hair and earrings Oaxacan gold with magenta-colored stones. Luis ran to his mother. Soon all three were hugging. Though Molina knew her two eldest children would be at the airport, her arrival had been kept a surprise by the groups organizers. See the most-read stories this hour >> Iris Alondra Hipolito, 17, of Los Angeles, who has not seen her mother for two years, was reunited with her in Mexico on Tuesday. Iris traveled from the U.S., and her mother from central Mexico, to the border city Ciudad Juarez to see Pope Francis. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Iris, speaking in Zapotec, told her mother she had no idea they would be reunited, at least for a little while, this day. Mom, I didnt know, Iris kept repeating. I love you so much. I dont want you to go again. This was a surprise for you, her mother responded. God is great. Iris told her mother: I dont want to keep crying like this. El papa va hacer el milagro, her mother said, switching to Spanish. The pope will make the miracle. At one point, Luis knelt before his mom and she gave him a blessing in Zapotec. Many women in my village are without their children. There are so many women in my village crying for their children, she told the media. One woman died crossing the desert so she could go see her children. About an hour later, the group and the reunited mother and children piled into a van to grab some lunch and talk. Now that they were away from the crowds, Iris and her younger brother got a chance catch up, whispering to each other in Zapotec. Follow @thecindycarcamo on Twitter. MORE ON THE POPES VISIT A flash of anger from Pope Francis as he is jostled by enthusiastic crowds The journey of two families in two countries, split by a chain-link fence With Pope Francis border city visit, Texans rediscover Mexico -- and like what they see Pope Francis concluded an emotional, provocative journey through Mexico on Wednesday, symbolically tracing the path of migrants headed for the United States and ending up at the border that divides and unites two societies. Tens of thousands of people gathered on both sides of the border an election-year lightning rod that represents the tumultuous issue of immigration to say Mass with the pope and hear his message of the need for fair wages, human dignity and an end to the violence convulsing Mexico. An estimated 70,000 people formed a human chain along the route of the papal motorcade in Juarez. On the Texas side in El Paso, the faithful got as close as they could without leaving the U.S., gathering on a levee on the banks of the Rio Grande. Advertisement Before the Mass, the pope mounted a ramp overlooking the river, and the border, where one large cross and several smaller ones were posed to represent migrants killed in their attempts to reach the U.S. He said a blessing, with Texas on the nearby horizon. Those gathered on the levee waved and shouted, Te queremos, papa! We love you, pope. The pope did not cross into the U.S. but stayed here in the scruffy city of Juarez, once infamous for a sky-high homicide rate, especially among young women, many employed by foreign-owned factories along the border. But his message was clearly intended for both sides. He decried the global human tragedy that forces people to migrate unwillingly, risking death each step, a journey laden with grave injustices: the enslaved, the imprisoned and extorted. Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Reserving special mention for women unjustly robbed of their lives, Francis said migrants are the brothers and sisters of those expelled by poverty and violence, by drug trafficking and criminal organizations. Injustice is radicalized in the young; they are cannon fodder, persecuted and threatened when they try to flee the spiral of violence and the hell of drugs, the first pontiff from the Americas said. From his first public comments upon arriving in troubled Mexico five days ago, Pope Francis has spoken candidly and bluntly, telling those in power, including elected officials and even his own clergy, that they must not pursue wealth and material gains at the expense of the poor and needy. Mexico has one of the highest income gaps in the developed world. Wednesday was more of the same. Speaking to an audience that included workers from the maquiladoras, or factories, as well as their owners and other members of the business elite, Francis advocated for fair pay and reasonable work burdens. The minimum wage in Juarez is less than $5 a day, and hours are long. See the most-read stories this hour >> He listened as one woman, Deysi Flores Gamez, complained that parents toil such long days and nights that they cant care properly for their children, who often stray into a life of crime. God will hold accountable the enslavers of the day, he said, speaking, as he has throughout, in his native Spanish. And although the pope has denounced official corruption, drug trafficking and other Mexico ills, he did not, to the disappointment of many, mention specifically the town of Ayotzinapa, a code word now for the kidnapping and likely killing of 43 students by authorities in cahoots with a drug gang. The Vatican had said families of the students were invited to Wednesdays Mass, and almost to act as a reminder of their presence, a couple on the U.S. side of the border held up a yellow sign with the number 43 on it. 1 / 36 Pope Francis rides through the crowd at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 36 People stand quietly on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico near Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday as Pope Francis says a prayer during the final day of his trip to Mexico. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 36 Pope Francis rides through the crowd Wednesday as El Paso, Texas, looms in the background at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 36 People react as Pope Francis prays Wednesday in support of migrants from a cross-shaped altar looking over the Rio Grande toward El Paso, Texas, at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 36 Pope Francis rides through a crowd of pilgrims at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 36 A woman wipes perspiration from her check Wednesday while waiting for Pope Francis to arrive to celebrate Mass at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 36 Pope Francis stands near the U.S. border on a platform on the banks of the Rio Grande in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 36 Pilgrims wait in the harsh sunlight for Pope Francis to arrive Wednesday to celebrate Mass at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 36 A woman prays before Pope Francis arrives Wednesday to celebrate Mass at El Punto fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 36 Msgr. James Brownfield gives communion at the levee in El Paso, Texas, near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Wednesday during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the Mexican side of the border. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 36 People pray quietly on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico on Wednesday as Pope Francis says a prayer during the final day of his trip to Mexico. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 36 Bert Dunn of El Paso, Texas, prays on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Wednesday as Pope Francis celebrates Mass. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 36 Bishops look across the Rio Grande toward the altar in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where Pope Francis celebrated a Mass on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 36 Maria de Lourdes Molina Garcia reunites Tuesday with her children, Iris, right, and Luis Hipolito at the Abraham Gonzalez International Airport in Ciudad Juarez during Pope Francis visit to Mexico. Luis and Iris live in Los Angeles, separated from their mother, who lives in Oaxaca, Mexico. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 36 Prayers are offered as Pope Francis meets with young people in Morelia in Mexicos Michoacan state on Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 36 Pope Francis watches young people perform in Morelia in Mexicos Michoacan state on Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 36 People carry crosses as Pope Francis meets with young people in Morelia in Mexicos Michoacan state on Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 36 Pope Francis greets two young people with Down syndrome in Morelia in Mexicos Michoacan state on Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 36 Traditional dancers perform for Pope Francis as he meets with young people in Morelia, Mexico, on Tuesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 36 A women prays along the Popes route near the cathedral in Morelia, Michoacan. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 36 People stake out spots at dawn near the cathedral to see the Pope arrive in Morelia, Michoacan. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 36 A woman finds a quiet spot to sit in the early morning hours near the cathedral to see the Pope arrive in Morelia. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 36 Indigenous pilgrims wave to Pope Francis who flies overhead as he arrives by helicopter to conduct a Mass in San Cristobal de las Casas, in Mexicos southern Chiapas state. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 36 Nuns in the square at the Morelia Cathedral as preparations continue for Pope Francis arrival in Morelia, Michoacan. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 36 After a Mass that included several Mayan languages, Pope Francis is driven through San Cristobal de las Casas in southern Mexico. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 36 Selfies are taken in front of the Morelia Cathedral as preparations continue for Pope Francis arrival in Morelia, Michoacan. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 36 Young men are camped out across the street from the Morelia Cathedral as preparations continue for Pope Francis arrival in Morelia, Michoacan. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 36 Pilgrims listen to Pope Francis give the eulogy at a Mass for the indigenous at the Municipal Sports Center in San Cristobal de las Casas in southern Mexico. The Mass included several Mayan languages. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 36 Pope Francis kisses a baby while riding through a crowd of pilgrims, many from indigenous communities surrounding San Cristobal de las Casas. The Mass included several Mayan languages. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 36 Indigenous pilgrims from villages surrounding the southern Mexican town of San Cristobal de las Casas walk to the Municipal Sports Center, where Pope Francis will conduct Mass. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 36 People lining Pope Francis route wave as he and his motorcade arrive in Ecatepec, a suburb northeast of Mexico City. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 36 In Ecatepec, people arrive for a Mass with Pope Francis. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 36 Pope Francis in a room behind the altar to pray before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe while celebrating Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. (ALESSANDRO DI MEO / EPA) 34 / 36 Pope Francis motorcade arrives at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe during his visit in Mexico City. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 36 Pope Francis, center, arrives to celebrate a Holy Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. (GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP/Getty Images) 36 / 36 Pope Francis arrives at Mexico Citys main square, the Zocalo. (Christian Palma / Associated Press) Juarez sits across the Rio Grande from El Paso, where people were watching the pope via large television screens. Some approached the levee that marks the U.S. spot closest to Mexico on the rivers banks. Claudia Diaz, a 44-year-old woman without legal status who lives in New Mexico, walked onto the levee past Border Patrol agents and a highly fortified U.S.-Mexico border fence. She said she wasnt scared and instead focused on finding her seat in a VIP section the closest spot to the pope on the U.S. side. This right here, what the pope is doing, is a miracle because he has permitted for people like us to be at this place in these lands that are so guarded, so militarized, where so many have died trying to cross this river, she said, pointing to the Rio Grande, which was mostly parched. For us to be here at this moment is very big. After the popes blessing at the border, after Francis had headed back toward the Juarez fairgrounds for the Mass, Diaz and most of the people on the levee sat quietly but couldnt hear much. Diaz was weeping. It really was beautiful, she said. This is so unjust being here on this side and not to be able to cross and be over there with him, she said, gesturing toward Mexico. We just have to be content with being on this side. Diaz, originally from Juarez, said many of her cousins and friends and her mother-in-law were attending the Mass on the other side. A big banner with the message immigrantlivesmatter on the El Paso side of the border was visible from the levee. Thats our message to the pope, Diaz said. Retired Archbishop Roger Mahony of Los Angeles joined the crowd of about 500 people on the levee. Many were immigrant rights activists, and some were unaccompanied children from Central America who are in the country without legal status. I wanted to be on this side, especially with the young people who cannot be on the other side of the border because they are immigrants without papers, Mahony said. At one point he asked three young Guatemalan boys to pose along the border fence and reach out with their hands before he snapped a picture of them with a small camera. He said he wanted them to know, This is about you. Alex Diaz, 35, was born in Juarez and lives in El Paso, but returned for the Mass with her husband and three daughters, ages 16, 13 and 9. Their school didnt close, and she had to miss work, but she said it was worth it. This is history for them, she said. Her mother wont come to Juarez except briefly since her sons killing there in 2004, she said. He had become involved with narcos, and when his body was found, bearing signs of torture, Diaz had to accompany her parents to the morgue to claim it. She still remembers how the women working there made her family wait while they perused a shoe catalog. Diaz doesnt see that culture accustomed to brutal violence changing any time soon. But in the presence of so many joyous people at the Mass, she had hope. Im not going to say were going to get a miracle, its more changing the mentality, she said, and talked about her family watching at home in El Paso. Hopefully this helps my mom have more hope in her heart, she said, as she stood to catch a glimpse of the pope. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Earlier Wednesday, at his first stop in Ciudad Juarez, Francis visited a notorious prison, saying he could not ignore the most marginalized of Mexican society. He denounced a culture that incarcerates those trapped in a cycle of violence and crime. We have already lost many decades thinking and believing that everything will be resolved by isolating, separating, incarcerating, and ridding ourselves of problems, believing that these policies really solve problems, the pope said, after hearing a female inmate speak on behalf of the prisons population and embracing her. We have forgotten to focus on what must truly be our concern: peoples lives; their lives, those of their families, and those who have suffered because of this cycle of violence, he said. Inmates filed in a line to greet the pope individually, as a band played Besame Mucho Kiss Me a Lot. Inmates had spiffed up the facility before the popes arrival, painting and removing trash. They men and women wore identical uniforms emblazoned with the name of the prison. From inside this prison, the pope continued, you must work hard to change the situations which create the most exclusion. Speak with your loved ones, tell them of your experiences, help them to put an end to this cycle of violence and exclusion. The one who has suffered the greatest pain, and we could say has experienced hell, can become a prophet in society. Work so that this society which uses people and discards them will not go on claiming victims. In a moment of silent prayer at the end of his message, some inmates could be seen weeping. At the border Mass, the popes focus was on victims. Let us together ask our God for the gift of conversion, the gift of tears, let us ask him to give us open hearts, the pontiff preached, urging followers to be open to his call heard in the suffering faces of countless men and women. No more death! No more exploitation! he said. There is still time to change, there is still a way out and a chance, time to implore the mercy of God. Times staff writers Hennessy-Fiske reported from Ciudad Juarez, Carcamo from El Paso and Wilkinson from Washington. MORE ON POPE FRANCIS IN MEXICO An unusual offering for a pope: the worn, dirty shoes of migrants For migrants traveling to see Pope Francis, an unexpected reunion Families of missing Mexican students ask: Will Pope Francis speak of los 43' In September of 2014, modern Mexican history was severed into two distinct periods: before and after 43 students at a rural teachers college, Escuela Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa, disappeared. At least, thats how many Mexicans who identify with the humble families who lost their sons view the event, referred to simply as Ayotzinapa. On Tuesday, as Pope Francis neared the end of his trip to Mexico, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi was asked, yet again, why the pope had not addressed los 43 or their families. Advertisement This is the 20th time Ive been asked this, Lombardi said, sighing during a briefing for reporters in Morelia. I dont know that I have anything else to add. This is a papal visit ... five days, many different places. He has addressed the theme of migration very clearly and violence.... But he cant make an encyclopedia of problems. Francis has denounced violence and drug trafficking, along with corruption and materialism, since he landed in Mexico on Friday. He has embraced indigenous peoples, saying theyve been wrongly excluded from society, and he warned Mexicos bishops to stay on a righteous path. He has spoken of those lost to cartel violence. But the words 43 or Ayotzinapa have yet to cross his lips. Just as Lombardi was explaining to reporters that Francis isnt the solution to all problems, parents of the students were worrying that the pope would leave Mexico without addressing the 43, and the issue would be misunderstood as a mere subcategory under the umbrella of violence. Or worse, they fear that the same government which they feel impeded a truthful investigation into the disappearance of their children might also be blocking Francis from hearing their voices. Theyre afraid well tell him the truth of what happened, said Cristina Bautista Salvador, mother of Benjamin Asencio Bautista, who will be turning 21 on April 9, if he is still alive. For the Mexican government, its like nothing is happening in Mexico, everything is fine. The details that are known about the events of Sept. 26, 2014, paint a portrait of horror. After commandeering five buses that they planned to use as transportation to a demonstration they had planned to attend (a customary practice at the poor and underfunded school), the students were attacked by police. In the coming hours, six people were killed, 20 injured, and the remaining 43 disappeared. When a search for the missing students began, mass graves were uncovered in the hills of the region. None of the bodies belonged to the students, but the quantity of remains that emerged fomented outrage over the sheer magnitude of the countrys missing. An investigation by Mexican authorities concluded that the students had been killed by drug traffickers and burned in a fire at a garbage dump in the city of Cocula, about 15 miles from Iguala, where the buses were first attacked. Just days before Francis landed in Mexico City, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, a group independent of Mexican authorities, disputed the governments official explanation, concluding through an evaluation of the Cocula site that a fire massive enough to have consumed so many bodies could not have occurred there. The report affirms the conclusion of an earlier inquiry by a group of international experts created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Some Mexicans suspect the countrys military was well aware of the events on the night the students disappeared, but did nothing to stop them. For the families whose children are lost, Ayotzinapa is an open wound that bleeds every day in this country, according to their attorney, Vidulfo Rosales. The families hope to deliver a document to Francis with information about their case, even if they dont get to meet with him in person. For Meliton Ortega Carlos, whose son Mauricio is among those students, its about more than his son or his sons classmates. Ayotzinapa is symbolic of the larger epidemic of the missing. When he saw the thousands who joined him to march in Mexico City in remembrance one year afterward, he knew that the meaning of the case had not diminished. We believe that the objective of the government is that well forget the case once enough time passes, he said. We say, Until there is justice we will continue fighting. More than a year after the disappearance, reminders of the students are still written along highways crisscrossing the countryside. You took them alive, we want them back alive, some declare. Or, simply, Were missing 43. At a papal Mass on Tuesday morning at Venustiano Carranza stadium in Morelia, thousands of people raised their voices in an emotional homage to the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa. In a video of the scene posted by Mexican media outlets, the crowd counts out the numbers of the victims. 30, 31, 32 Some clergy members appeared to be leading the countdown, cuing the crowd with raised hands. The chanting began before Francis arrived at the stadium, which was filled with priests, bishops, seminarians and thousands of parishioners. Tillman is a special correspondent. Times staff writers Marisa Gerber and Richard Marosi in Morelia contributed to this report. Father Javier Calvillo Salazar arrived at the site of Pope Francis upcoming appearance carrying an unusual offering: a box full of migrants old shoes, worn and dirty. This is a monument dedicated to immigrants, Calvillo said after removing his own sandals to ascend onto a cement platform and arrange more than a half dozen pairs of shoes at the foot of an enormous cross facing the bridges that span the Rio Grande. Among them: a mans dust-covered black and red slip-ons, the pink-and-white sneakers of a woman and another red-and-blue pair, child-size. Advertisement Live updates: Pope Francis takes his message to the U.S.-Mexico border The Holy Father has said that he is coming to see this to console the people, the priest said after descending the platform where the pope is expected to deliver a blessing before Mass on Wednesday. What could be better than when he comes up here and sees lots of symbols, lots of signs of those who most need this love and care? Calvillo runs the local dioceses Casa del Migrante, a refuge for deportees from the United States, and migrants from the interior of Mexico, and from Central America. Father Javier Calvillo Salazar, second from right, arrived in Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday with migrants old shoes -- an offering for Pope Francis. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) Beside the shoes, Calvillo and those who have worked on the monument placed three three-foot-tall replicas of the 33- by 10-foot cross. These will be blessed by the pope and given to the three local dioceses, he said: Juarez, Mexico; Las Cruces, N.M.; and El Paso. Each bears the silhouetted image of a migrant family in transit, the father leading the pregnant mother on horseback just as Joseph led Mary, he said. During the popes visit here, close by the U.S.-Mexican border, the bishop of Juarez will also give him a small metal shoe engraved with a message from migrants, Calvillo said: Thank you for coming to see us. Thank you for having us in your heart. See the most-read stories this hour >> Migrants shoes not only symbolize their journey, Calvillo said. They have added significance because when migrants arrive at the Casa del Migrante, volunteers offer to remove their shoes and wash their feet, a ceremonial Roman Catholic practice of humility favored by Pope Francis that hearkens back to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. At first, the priest said, immigrants hesitate, ashamed of their rough feet, worried they have to pay for pedicures. But once volunteers start washing and trimming their nails, they relax, he said, and begin to tell the stories of their harrowing journeys north. This is why Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, Calvillo said, In that moment, he saw all that was inside them and restored their dignity. Its a therapy that helps open them up. They talk about what happened to them, what they lost. The center opened 35 years ago and there were 50 migrants there Tuesday. Their ranks have grown in recent years: they served 6,453 last year, about a thousand more than the year before. When Pope Francis celebrates Mass here, 2,100 migrants will attend, including 100 from the center, Calvillo said. Presenting the gifts of wine and Communion during the Mass will be an indigenous migrant family--a couple from the southern state of Oaxaca with a young son and teenage daughter, who came to Juarez about a decade ago, he said. They have roots in a state where a lot of indigenous people are struggling, Calvillo said. Some of the people Calvillo works with may get to meet the pope. There is a plan in the offing for Calvillo to join Pope Francis at the cross with three representatives of the center: a deportee, a Central American and a Mexican migrant. This is just a miracle that could happen, Calvillo said. He said he doesnt have a message for the pope, that he has faith the pope will carry migrants messages wherever he goes, especially to the seats of power, as he has so far during his speeches to leaders in the U.S. and Mexico. This is a pope who has us in his heart and on his lips, he said, He knows where he is. What he wants is for the world to know. Twitter: @mollyhf ALSO The Catholic Church and the irresistible power of Mexicos narco culture In a Mass in Chiapas, Pope Francis denounces the exclusion of Mexicos native peoples Families in Mexico and the U.S. got to meet and kiss each other -- through a chain-link fence All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc. End of preview - This article contains approximately 668 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Protestors took to the streets in downtown Chicago early Tuesday in an anti-deportation rally organizers say will not stop until Latino families are allowed to live in peace. Demonstrators blocked traffic for more than an hour, along the busy Congress Parkway at LaSalle Street, resulting in the arrests of at least 12 protesters. "We had a civil disobedience protest and those demonstrations will continue as long as we are the targets of immigration officials," Not1More Deportation activist Rosi Carrasco told Latin Post in a phone interview. "We were organized to do action because every single day in Chicago and across America we have seen deportations." Protesters Call for Dismantling of ICE On Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reported protesters stretched across the inbound lanes of Congress Parkway, holding a banner that read "Dismantle ICE. Defund the police." "ICE" refers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has offices on that block in Chicago. The agency has been conducting the nationwide deportation raids. As one man was hauled away by police, young children in the crowd chanted, "We love you; we've got your back." Still others were more demonstrative, chanting vulgarities like "F*ck the police," as the crowd began to swell, according to The Tribune. Beyond the verbal sparring, the protests remained peaceful. "I am here to say that there needs to be an end to raids and deportations," Francisco Canuto told Not1More Deportation. ICE Tactics Come Under Fire Canuto claimed his home was recently raided by ICE agents who were looking for someone else. "Agents entered my home under false pretenses, they fingerprinted me and my roommates, and took me into detention," he said. "I spent 13 awful days in a detention center that I don't wish on anyone." As it is, Not1More Deportation policy director Tania Unzueta insists the federal government needlessly spends more on immigration than all other law enforcement initiatives combined. "We have to invest in developing and nurturing our communities not deporting and incarcerating them," she said. "If these agencies have endless resources, they will find endless ways to target and harm our families. They need to be defunded and dismantled." Later, leaders from the group Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) called for an end to all raids, not just those that target Central American families. Other organizations participating in the action included Assata's Daughters, Black Youth Project (BYP) 100, Fearless Leading by the Youth (FLY), Palestinian Youth in Action, Centro Autonomo, People's Response Team and the Chicago Religious Leadership Network (CRLN). "Undocumented people in Chicago and nationally are living in fear daily of being taken from their homes and away from their families," Assata's Daughters said in a statement. "We, as Black American community organizers, can relate to that fear. Our communities experience that fear when Chicago Police Officers patrol our neighborhoods, stop and frisk us, occupy our schools, and arrest us in mass. Our struggles are distinct but connected. When enforcement is overfunded, that is money that is not being spent on services that actually keep us safe." The protest was at least the second held by local activist over the last several weeks. Latin Post previously reported pro-immigration advocates gathered at the nearby Daley Plaza for a march through the Loop. "Leave working families alone," chanted the Rev. Jose Landaverde. "They are just working to raise their children to give them a better life." Like Carrasco, protesters vowed that they wouldn't stop the protests until all the deportation raids had completely ended. "We're fighting for our life," said Carrasco. "This is so hard." A faction within a guerrilla group in Chile has declared that it will create a new formal political party. The Movement of the Revolutionary Left, or MRI, has resisted the cruel dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s-90s, according to teleSUR. The organization's decision to become a political party holds a significant change, especially for a group that has strongly criticized other leftist organizations for partaking in the country's party politics. "We have taken the decision to start our process of legalization, convinced that this instrument can be a contribution to the democratization process that is so necessary for Chilean society," according to a statement from the MIR's central committee in January, as reported by the news outlet. The MIR served as a major political force in Chile prior to and after the 1973 coup that ousted the Popular Unity administration of Salvador Allende from power, teleSUR noted. The leftist group, which was founded by Miguel Enriquez, supported Allende. When the 1973 coup ended, plenty of the MIR's members refused to go into exile and participated in an armed struggle to overthrow the Pinochet regime. On Oct. 5, 1974, Enriquez was killed in a gun fight with Pinochet's secret police, the news outlet added. Secretary General Demetrio Hernandez said that a group of representatives held a meeting with the Electoral Service of Chile to start the legalization process, teleSUR further reported. The group has a deadline in August to gather a minimum of 8,000 signatures to be eligible for legal status. "We want to turn to those honest men and women who really want change, who really want democracy in Chile. And we are going to ask them for their support, and we're going to ask that, in turn, they persuade others," said Hernandez, as quoted by teleSUR. Hernandez stressed that the new party plans to separate itself apart from the two political alliances in Chile that dominate the country's politics, teleSUR reported. He also said that the MIR aims to form a new coalition with other leftist organizations. Hernandez said that he is the legitimate heir of the young radicals who founded the MIR, which was an alternative to the traditional reformist leftist parties and was inspired by Argentina's Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution, LAHT wrote. The MIR had more than 1,200 of its members -- including its senior leaders -- killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. The remaining MIR members formally left the armed struggle when democracy returned to Chile in 1990, LAHT noted. Some guerrillas have joined labor, student, and grassroots groups that avoid parliamentary politics to promote the power of the people. United Airlines celebrated the historic signing between the U.S. and Cuba that allows commercial flights for the first time since the 1959 revolution, per an official press release. The Chicago-based company is one of many major airlines who will submit an application to the Department of Transportation to start operating U.S.-Cuba flights. "United intends to apply to offer service between some of its global gateways and Havana through the Department of Transportation's pending route case. Assuming service is approved, United customers will benefit from United's expanded global route network and new opportunities for leisure and business travel to Cuba," the statement said. Civil Aviation Agreement Signed According to the Associated Press, the civil aviation agreement between the U.S. and Cuba was signed on Tuesday, ending a 57-year embargo. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Transportation Minister of Cuba Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed the deal in an official ceremony at Hotel Nacional in Havana. "Today is a historic day in the relationship between Cuba and the U.S. It represents a critically important milestone in the U.S. effort to engage with Cuba," Foxx said. The agreement includes having 20 regular commercial flights daily from the U.S. to Havana while also adding routes to other airports in the Caribbean nation. "The adoption of this memorandum is an important step that will soon permit the establishment of regular flights between the United States and Cuba," Yzquierdo Rodriguez added. Competition from American Airlines and JetBlue Airways In a report by the Chicago Business Journal, American Airlines has the advantage over United and JetBlue because one of its major hubs is located at the Miami International Airport. Florida is just 90 miles from Cuba and could be a key for American to get the first commercial flights. As for United Airlines, they have previously hinted that their hub in Houston is the primary choice to have the first flights to Cuba. However, the state of New Jersey has the second highest number of Cubans after Miami, and United has two major airport hubs near the area in Newark and Washington, D.C. JetBlue Airways' main hub is located at JFK Airport in New York City, but also has secondary hubs in Boston and Orlando, per Centre for Aviation. Spokesman Doug McGraw told the Associated Press that they are willing to offer their services in "multiple" cities in the U.S. and Cuba. According to VOX Media, Delta and Southwest Airlines will also submit an application to the Department of Transportation. All airline companies have a 15-day window starting on Tuesday to bid for more than 110 approved daily flights. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters that represents maintenance workers including mechanics rejected United Airlines final contract offer, per a Reuters report. Teamsters and United have been discussing a new joint deal for a year and have not reached a new contract for its maintenance staff since 2010 when United merged with Continental Airlines. Teamsters Seeking Approval for a Strike According to Teamsters.org, 93 percent of over 9,000 mechanics voted to reject the final offer from United Airlines. General President Jim Hoffa revealed that they will be seeking an approval from the U.S. National Mediation Board to start a strike. "At a time when United Airlines is incredibly profitable, it is clear that mechanics deserve a better offer from the company," Hoffa said. He added that United has become a very profitable airline because of its workers and the company should take characteristics like dedication, passion and professionalism into account during their negotiations. Hoffa also said that Teamsters is looking for the best contract deal possible for all maintenance workers for United. Jerry Glass of F&H Solutions Group told Reuters that the National Mediation Board has the possibility to reject Teamsters' request to strike. However, if it goes in favor of the union, United Airlines and Teamsters will have only 30 days to reach a new contract agreement before the board or even the Congress intervenes to avoid a strike. The report also noted that it will take a while before the National Mediation Board permits the union to have a legal strike. Also, it's not all bad news for United Airline workers. United, PAFCA Tentatively Agrees on Contract Extension The Chicago-based airline announced on their official website that it has reached a "tentative agreement" with the Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA) to extend contracts of about 420 United dispatchers. The tentative contract extension agreement will extend the current contract of dispatchers until the end of 2021. "Our dispatchers do a superb job of keeping our passengers and crews safe and keeping our operations reliable, and I'm glad we were able to reach this tentative agreement within a short period of negotiations. I want to thank all of the company and union negotiators for working side-by-side to reach this positive outcome," United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a statement. However, the agreement still needs to be approved by United's dispatchers. United recently agreed to a contract extension to its pilots, a year before their current deal expires and are engaged in negations with the Association of Flight Attendants. The company is also opening negotiations with the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers that represents fleet technical instructors, load planners, storekeepers and ramp and passenger-service agents. An LGBT website for gay men looking to explore beautiful places in the world was launched last Feb. 16, 2016, per a press release via the Digital Journal. The site is called Mr. Hudson and it offers a variety of guides for selected destinations for gay couples or solo gay adventurers. Mr. Hudson All the content of Mr. Hudson was created with the help of different writers and photographers that specialize in art, design, food, style and travel. According to its official website, Mr. Hudson is not about the typical gay bar trips, but a whole different experience because of the stunning destinations and hotels that will give any gay couple or traveler a warm welcome. The website was founded by Bastiaan Ellen, a Dutch social strategist and digital marketing expert from Madrid, Spain. According to Ellen's LinkedIn profile, he has previously worked for companies like eBay, Hotels.com, Thomas Cook and Expedia. Mr. Hudson was named after English explorer Henry Hudson, who attempted to find routes from the Americas to China and India back in the 17th century. However, he did not find any passages to Asia but he was able to discover the harbor that eventually became New York City. The Hudson River and Canada's Hudson Bay were also named after him. A photo posted by Mr Hudson (@mrhudsonexplores) on Feb 4, 2016 at 7:16am PST Inspiration As someone who has worked in the tourism industry, and as a gay man who has traveled extensively, I was frustrated by the lack of relevant content about up-and-coming destinations, or hidden gems in larger cities, Ellen said as quoted by Digital Journal. He added that he did not like the offers from most LGBT travel sites that highlight the gay party scene. Instead, it led to the creation of Mr. Hudson, where gay people who want to experience great destinations, hotels, restaurants and shopping can learn from and book travel packages. Most gay travel sites are focused on the local gay scene. And generic hotel booking sites dont necessarily understand my requirements, or share my sense of style. So I decided to bring these things together in one place, Ellen said via Mr. Hudson's official website. The Dutch entrepreneur also mentioned that he was inspired by Henry Hudsons adventures that also inspired other explorers in his time. He said, What we love about Henry Hudson is that he was a gentleman driven by a passion for adventure and discovery. Ellen is hoping that his website and brand will also inspire gay men around the world. Five members of an American-Costa Rican family residing in Matapolo de Santa Cruz in Guanacaste were killed after a Nicaraguan man allegedly went on a killing spree over the weekend. The Tico Times reported that Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Police Director Walter Espinoza disclosed the details of the incident to the press during a media conference Tuesday afternoon. According to Espinoza, the deceased victims include three children aged six, eight and 12 years old as well as a couple, an American businessman and his Costa Rican wife. "All of them had stab wounds," Gustavo Mata, the country's Public Security Minister, explained during an interview with Telenoticias Channel 7 on Tuesday. The suspect, whom authorities identified as Nicaraguan Adrian Salmeron Silva, remains at large. A recent update from Costa Rica Star News revealed that authorities are under the impression that the suspect fled to his home country after the incident, leaving Costa Rican law enforcers no choice but to seek help from the Nicaraguan government with his capture. Initial investigations revealed that Silva and the 56-year-old victim had a personal conflict, which is currently seen as the primary motive for the crime. Coincidentally, authorities said that the 38-year-old wife filed a domestic violence complaint against the suspect. A report from La Nacion cited a statement from Silva's father, Salmeron, who confirmed that his son confessed to him about murdering his girlfriend and her family. Aside from the deceased, authorities also revealed that a seven-month-old baby and a four-year-old toddler were rushed to Nicoya's La Anexion Hospital after the fatal stabbing spree. According to La Nacion, La Anexion Hospital director Anner angulo said that the four-year-old child was in shock and nearly unconscious when they arrived at the medical facility. The victims were later transferred to the National Children's Hospital in the Costa Rican capital San Jose where director Olga Arguedas revealed that the toddler suffered from anemia due to blood loss from stab wounds in the chest. Since the child lost so much blood, the four-year-old underwent a blood transfusion prior to the transfer and was transported by land as air travel would have made her case worse. Meanwhile, the infant showed no signs of injury or wounds but suffered dehydration due to the length of time they waited before police officers arrived. Neighbors who called for the police said they heard children crying in the residence on Tuesday at around 8:40 in the morning. However, initial processing of the scene of the crime showed evidence that the killing spree occurred on Sunday, some 48 hours before it was reported. Colombian Police Chief Rodolfo Palomino welcomes Investigator General Alejandro Ordonez's probe on allegations that he is involved in a male prostitution ring in a bid to clear his name. On Tuesday, the country's prosecutor general revealed his plans to conduct a "disciplinary investigation" on General Palomino regarding his connection to the alleged male prostitution ring as well as other cases, including illicit enrichment and illegal wiretapping. Instead of condemning the probe, however, Palomino welcomed it, saying that he hopes to clear his name via the investigation. "I hope that the justice system can restore the dignity which has been taken from me through lies and infamy," BBC News quoted him saying. According to the outlet, the prostitution ring Palomino is accused of getting involved in is known as the "Community of the Ring." This group allegedly subjected young male police cadets to prostitution where they were forced to have sex with higher-ranking officers, according to the testimonies gathered by Ordonez's preliminary investigation. According to him, the accusations came from a police captain identified as Captain Anyelo Palacios, per Reuters. Palacios filed a complaint against the 'ring' which detailed how he was sexually abused by his superiors while he was still a cadet. Furthermore, Ordonez revealed that the police captain's claims are now being backed by a complaint from another police captain who is already retired. The probe has already gathered video footage that proves the existence of the prostitution ring. Apparently, the clip showed former Senator Carlos Ferro discussing sexual intercourse between males with Palacios, implicating him in the crime. However, the footage did not show or mention Palomino or any prostitution ring but Palacios claimed that some incidents happened "with the help and complicity of police officials, including the director-general [Rodolfo Palomino]." Despite this, the lack of physical evidence tying him to the crime made the police director-general confident that his name will be cleared. "I appreciate that the relevant investigations are going ahead, as I requested, and I'm sure they will lead to the truth of false accusations that have been made against me in a reckless and sustained manner," he said. Moreover, the footage appears to have been taken by Palacios without the then-senator's knowledge. Despite this, the police captain remains firm with his accusations that a prostitution ring, journalistically referred to as the "Fellowship of the Ring," has been running from 2004 to 2008 and has victimized countless cadets during that period. As for Ferro, a report from TelSUR revealed that he stepped down from being the vice minister of the interior on Tuesday without any explanation or reason. Latin America is a vast and developing market. That's why the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and the Canning House, a top U.K. forum on Latin American politics, economics and business, believed that the growth of Scotch showed what other European businesses can achieve in the region. During a Scotch Whisky Experience conference in Edinburgh earlier this month, the SWA and the Canning House explained the benefits of trading in Latin America. According to The Drinks Report, Colombia is working to promote exports and imports. In addition, the four nations (Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Chile) in the Pacific Alliance trading group have also formed a large market to facilitate the free movements of merchandises, services and capital in the region. When it comes to Scotch whisky, Latin America is already a significant market. As a matter of fact, it has become so popular among young middle class people in developing markets in the region, accounting for $657.42 million (460 million) in exports, or almost 17 percent of the industry's total sales, Harpers noted. Today, Scotch whisky forms a third of all Scottish exports to Latin America. "If you total up all of the middle class in Latin America, there are more than in India and China combined," Canning House chief executive Rob Capurro said. While SWA chief executive David Frost said, "Latin America is a big and growing market. That's why we took the lead in making the first Canning House event in Scotland happen." While Scotch whisky seems to be a promising trade in Latin America, it also faced major competitive hurdles such as unjust tariffs and customs duties in the region. Low commodity prices, political volatility and economic difficulties were also part of the challenges. Provincial distribution monopolies or favoring domestic distillers within Colombia were also cited as reasons of the aberration of the Scotch market in the country. And the SWA believed that lower tax rates in Colombia for spirits at 35 percent also give domestic producers an unfair competitive advantage. Despite the recent economic turbulence and the volatile markets in Brazil and Venezuela, the trends remains clear and good for Scotch Whisky in Latin America. And with the sustained growth of the Mexican and Colombian economies, the opportunities for Scotch are also promising, Herald Scotland reported. "GDP growth and favorable demographics will deliver good export prospects in the future," Frost said. "Scottish business should be ready to take that opportunity, to stay the course through turbulent times, and to invest in brands and markets. To make that happen, Latin America itself needs to keep becoming more open and market-oriented." The beauty of Uruguay is one of the recently-discovered secrets of Latin America. Dubbed among the best destinations of the year in Lonely Planet, the array of stunning beaches, colorful celebrations and quaint sceneries in the country will keep the travelers coming back for more. Here are five reasons Uruguay is the new must-visit vacation spot for all kinds of tourists in 2016 and beyond. Beaches The country's Atlantic coast boasts a wide variety of shores to choose from, according to a report from The Culture Trip. Capital city Montevideo has its share of great beaches from the picture-perfect Playa de los Pocitos to the family-friendly Playa Ramirez to the tranquil waters of Playa Malvin. Visitors seeking a great nightlife will head to Punte del Este's Playa Brava and Playa Mansa, while surfers and artists will likely enjoy the waves of Playa del Rivero in Punta del Diablo. Carnaval According to a report from CNN, it's not just Brazil that's known to throw a proper party on Carnaval. Uruguay also takes to the streets for the two-month celebration that kicks off at the start of the year. Their festival is a lively affair with a cuerda group and a lot of dancing by the locals, all of which are inspired by story of African slaves in 1800s who created the candombe music and dance to express themselves in their struggle. Adventure Surfing in the beautiful Punta del Diablo isn't the only adventure waiting for outdoor enthusiasts on their way to Uruguay. The expansive country offers a host of different activities for adventure junkies including hiking in Tacuarembo in the company of gauchos, according to CNN. The visitors who prefer the air to earth can take a hot air balloon tour over endless plantations instead to enjoy a natural high. Kitesurfing is also available at Laguna Garzon. Wine Wine production is a successful venture in this Latin American country, significantly getting a start when the Tannat from France was brought to the region by immigrants, according to a report from Wine Tourist Magazine. The variant, which was a perfect fit for the local soil and climate, developed into Uruguay's signature wine along with other kinds produced in the country. Ethical destination Finally, visiting Uruguay is ideal for the ethically-conscious traveler. As part of the list of most ethical travel spots of the year by Ethical Traveler via Earth Island, the country is a well-known champion of green energy, human rights, education and labor and sex trafficking. Animal rights is also being addressed in Uruguay with ban on circus performances and a decree offering protection for all animals, including those that work. Thousands from the Latino community are expected to unite and mobilize for A Day Without Latinos. An activist group in Wisconsin encouraged Hispanics to walk out from schools and offices to fight racism and immigrant rights, NBC 26 reports. A Wisconsin activist group named Unidos por un Futuro Mejor is urging the Latino community to increase awareness on social justice for immigrants in Northeast Wisconsin by calling on legislators to boycott two bills that may eventually become state laws. The group urged Latinos and their supporters to walk out of their jobs on Feb. 18 and join the protest at the state Capitol. The two bills that the group is fighting are Assembly Bill 450 and Senate Bill 533. Assembly Bill 450 aims to prohibit sanctuary cities from being created, which could serve as places of refuge for undocumented immigrants in Wisconsin. The bill further proposes that cities that hinder police from investigating a persons immigration status can be penalized. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 533 aims to prevent cities and counties throughout Wisconsin from issuing their own identification cards. According to Common Dreams, the mobilization, described as "a day without Latinos and immigrants in Wisconsin," will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. Supporters are requested to gather at the State Capitol in Madison at the entrance of State Street. The purpose of the activity stated that throughout January and February 2016, over 1,000 Latinos and supporters in Wisconsin have arrived to fight anti-immigrant legislation. After Senate Bill 533 and Assembly Bill 450/Senate Bill 369 have been passed, the full Assembly voted on the two bills on Feb. 16. The Senate is set to vote shortly after. Norys Pina, leader of Unidos por un Futuro Mejor, said that the bills are "unjust" and "anti-immigrant." She said that the Latino community should be aware of the racist and discriminating nature of the bills and have to fight for their rights. Aside from walking out, the group urged Latinos not to bring their kids to school, open their businesses or go to commercial areas. Non-Latino supporters were also encouraged to join the protest. One supporter mentioned that the Republicans are trying to remove local control, although they previously claimed to support it. Based on the same report by NBC 26, Republican State Senator Frank Lasee, co-sponsor of Senate Bill 533, said that the bill will actually help stop I.D. fraud. More updates and details on the protest are expected soon. A coalition of national Latino civic engagement organizations have united to further engage Latinos to vote. Motivating Millions of Unregistered Latino Voters On Wednesday morning, leaders from the National Latino Civic Engagement Table, comprised of the Hispanic Federation, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Latino Victory Foundation, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MFVEF), National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Voto Latino, gathered to announce a "strategic voter engagement partnership" to motivate the Latino electorate to vote. The National Latino Civic Engagement Table acknowledged that over 27 million Latinos are registered to vote this year, yet only more than 12 million of the aforementioned eligible voters will remain unregistered. "The Latino community is growing, but demography isn't destiny -- numbers alone are not enough. When Latinos and Latinas don't participate and don't vote, we are robbed of a voice and a seat at the table," said Latino Victory Foundation President Cristobal Alex in a statement on Wednesday. "And the old saying is true: If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. That's why we're all here. Because we want to ensure that our community is engaged, informed, registered, and ready to vote. Latinos have proven in the past that we can make a difference. 2016 won't be the exception." "The road to the White House goes through the streets of the Latino barrios," said MFVEF Executive Director Ben Monterroso. "Any candidate who aspires to represent us needs to engage in meaningful conversation with the Latino community on the topics that affect us: immigration, healthcare, education, workers' rights and climate change. We continue working diligently to convey to our community that by electing the government officials and representatives that will best fight for our families, our community and our country, we will take charge of our destiny and shape our future. It is time to say enough, enough of using our families and our ethnic and racial heritage as political pawns and scapegoats." According to Hector Sanchez, executive director for LCLAA and chair for the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), the Latino electorate has been a decisive element in previous presidential elections. The organizations are committed to expanding and mobilizing Latinos in order to have a "real impact" on Election Day again this November. For LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes, voting allows Latinos to fight back against the anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric coming from the presidential campaign trail. Turnout in Nevada Only two states have held their caucus or primary elections. While Iowa saw increased engagement among Latino caucus-goers, Nevada appears to be the true test of Latino voters. The rate of registered Latino voters once again increased to new heights, compared to the 72,000 Latinos who registered in 2004. As NALEO revealed on Tuesday, more than 194,000 registered Latino voters are expected to participate in the Nevada caucus. "During past presidential elections, Latinos in Nevada have played a significant role in deciding the winning candidate. In 2016 our organizations are working to ensure that the state's 328,000 registered Latino voters are well informed, not only on where to vote, but also on the candidates' views on issues that matter to Latinos. Our efforts in Nevada will build on our recent success in Iowa," said Wilkes in a statement. Wilkes' reference was to the fact LULAC contacted nearly 50,000 Latinos in Iowa through phone calls, mailers and caucus training, successfully reaching its goal in attracting more than 10,000 Latinos to participate in the Feb. 1 Iowa caucus. "In the end, we will demonstrate that the Latino vote matters and candidates who engage in hateful rhetoric will pay the price at the ballot box," he added. According to NALEO Executive Director Arturo Vargas on Tuesday, Nevada's Latino voters will play a decisive role in electing the next U.S. president, and the presidential candidates need to do a lot more than release Spanish-language advertisements. "Candidates and political parties will need to acknowledge the diversity of this increasingly influential electorate by engaging Latino voters in both English and Spanish on the issues that matter most," said Vargas. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. Confused and frightened Latino students in North Carolina have started skipping school in hopes of avoiding roving immigration agents. The deportation of Riverside High School senior Wilden Guillen-Acosta has left many of his classmates paralyzed with fear and several of his teachers worried about the general welfare of their students, ABC 11 reports. Soon after the new year, 19-year-old Guillen-Acosta was taken into custody near his home by Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents and now is in the process of being deported to his native Honduras. Fears Only Worsening In the wake of the incident and the chaos it has created within Riverside's walls, the Durham School Board quickly passed a resolution condemning ICE's actions. The board argues that responsible students like Guillen-Acosta should be off-limits from growing deportation raids and free to pursue their education. As well-intended as the gesture may have been, the measure has not been enough to allay the fears of students who feel targeted. ACLU North Carolina policy council representative Susanna Birdsong doesn't see that changing anytime soon. "One Spanish teacher shared she recently had eight of her 23 students absent from class," she told Latin Post. "Absent a stop to the raids altogether and assurances from ICE that such sensitive locations will remain safe for them, I don't see anything calming their fears." According to Birdsong, even students who are not undocumented themselves are reacting to the situation with fear. "Some of them are staying away from school and remaining at home because they have family members or friends who are undocumented and they fear returning home to find loved ones gone, taken away by agents," she added. Guillen-Acosta's parents insist their son escaped to the U.S. to avoid the deadly gang violence that now grips his homeland. They fear he will be killed if forced to return. Still, WRAL reports Hector Guillen was forced to look on in stunned silence as his son was taken away, paralyzed by the thought his other children might also be apprehended if he overly reacted in any way. The grief-stricken family is now keeping all of their other children at home and not allowing them to attend school for fear of another incident. American Progress Managing Director Philip Wolgin explained attendance at some local schools could be down by as much as 20 percent since Guillen-Acosta was taken into custody. "It's not just that," he told Latin Post. "There are reports of people not showing up for health clinic related services and other appointments that have to do with social services. Right now, there is just so much fear people are afraid to leave their homes for anything related to any of that." Guillen-Acosta is among thousands of children and teens who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally during the summer of 2014 who are now actively being sought by ICE agents. Besides North Carolina, recent raids have also rounded up scores of people in Texas and Georgia. In all, WRAL reports nearly half of the 20,800 cases involving unaccompanied children that have gone through immigration courts since the summer of 2014 have resulted in removal orders, making almost 9,700 children and teens across the country ICE targets. Initially, Guillen-Acosta went before an immigration judge in Charlotte when he arrived in the country. But he never returned to court over fear of deportation, prompting an order for his deportation nearly a year ago. Latino Population Increases in North Carolina By 2010, Hispanics composed 8.4 percent of the North Carolina population, about half the nation's overall average of 16 percent, according to the University of North Carolbina Charlotte Uran Institute. By 2011, that percentage had swelled to 8.6 percent, making the state's rate of Latino growth the sixth fastest in the country. At 44, Marco Rubio is the youngest GOP candidate vying for the partys presidential nomination. A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling has Rubio tied with Ted Cruz at 18 percent among South Carolina voters. With this in mind, Latin Post looks at where Rubio stands on core issues. Immigration, Border Security Rubio firmly advocates dealing with flaws he finds in the nation's current immigration system. According to Rubio's campaign website, if elected president, he would immediately eliminate federal funding for sanctuary cities, deport undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, and hire 20,000 additional Border Patrol agents. Rubio would also use high tech solutions to deal with undocumented immigrants by implementing an entry-exit visa tracking system, a mandatory eVerify system, and $4 billion worth of camera and sensor technology along the southern border. Despite his aim to increase border security, Rubios take on immigration is perhaps more nuanced than that of his fellow Republican candidates. He was one of the biggest Republican promoters of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" bill, the controversial legislation that offers undocumented migrants a provisional pathway to U.S. citizenship. As Latin Post previously reported, Rubio described the "Gang of Eight" bill as a starting point, which would be expanded upon once he had been elected president. When Im president, were not doing anything until illegal immigration is under control and weve secured our border, said Rubio. Taxes According to the tax section of Rubio's site, under a Rubio administration the current tax model would be simplified to three easily understood brackets: 15 percent (individual: 0-$75,000; joint:0-$150,000), 25 percent (individual: $75,001-$150,000; joint: $150,001-$300,000); and 35 percent (individual: $150,001+; joint: $300,001+). At a recent campaign stop in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Rubio continued promoting his message of tax reform. We will fix our tax code, so its no longer the most cumbersome, complex, and complicated and expensive in the developed world, were going to cap and limit and roll back the size of federal regulations on our economy," Rubio said at a rally. Education Rubio believes Americas higher education system is outdated and broken. Rubio explains on his website how expensive, time consuming and inflexible higher education is, especially for many working adults. If elected president, Rubio would seek to reduce the complexity of the federal financial aid application and make information pertaining to higher education easily available online. Rubio would also reduce the financial burden of student loan debt by establishing an Automatic IncomeBased Repayment (IBR) program. The IBR repayment method would empower borrowers to make loan payments in proportion to what they earn, and it would give graduates the option of consolidating existing loans into a simplified IBR system. Rubio would also like to reform the current academic accreditation system so course work from alternative institutions could be transferable more easily into the traditional college system. The candidate explained the need for education reform in an opinion piece for the National Review. It is time to turn the page on our outdated higher-education system and usher in one better fit for the 21st century -- a system that welcomes and promotes innovative pathways to a degree, one that will close the skills gap by offering financial aid to students who choose alternative providers, and one that allows students to earn credit for the existing skills and training they bring to the classroom, wrote Rubio. Healthcare According to his healthcare platform, Rubio believes ObamaCare is an example of big government interfering with the free market. The senator wants the government to scale back its role in health care and encourage competition in order to keep medical prices low and inspire innovation. If elected, Rubio promised he would repeal ObamaCare and replace it with consumer-centered health reforms aimed at expanding coverage and lowering medical costs. In an opinion piece for Fox News, Rubio outlined three ways in which he would transition ObamaCare into a more conservative framework. The first step would be for the U.S. government to provide a refundable tax credit for citizens who wished to purchase health insurance. The second step would be for insurance regulations to encourage medical innovation. Finally, Rubio would save Medicare and Medicaid by placing both programs on new fiscally sustainable paths. These consumer-centered reforms will advance that goal the only way it can be advanced: by channeling the power of our free market, wrote Rubio. Gun Rights Rubio views the Second Amendment as more than just an American right, but as an actual reflection of the nations founding values, his campaign website explains. A gun owner himself, Rubio boasts an A rating from the National Rifle Association. As a senator he voted to block the expansion of background checks and pushed to make concealed-carry permits function essentially like driver's licenses, so the rights of gun owners could extend from state to state. On a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Rubio said he would repeal Obamas executive orders on guns his first day in office. "All these executive orders he's gonna come out with tomorrow that are going to undermine our Second Amendment rights -- on my first day in office, they're gone," he said. Terrorism & Defense According to Rubios terrorism policy plan, the U.S. needs to take the lead when it comes to defeating Islamic terrorist groups such as ISIS. As president, he would accomplish this by working with Arab nation allies to defeat terror groups and destroy their safe havens. Rubio would build a multinational coalition of countries willing to send troops into Iraq and Syria along with U.S. forces. He would counter ISIS recruitment and propaganda by broadcasting U.S. victories to show ISIS can be beaten. The candidates website also indicates that Rubio would reform the current military benefit structure so high quality personnel are more attracted to military careers. In a piece for Time, Rubio called for U.S. involvement in regions prone to terror groups. The United States is right to intervene in Iraq to provide humanitarian assistance to persecuted religious minorities -- including the Yazidis currently surrounded by ISIS forces in northern Iraq and Iraqi Christians, who have been brutalized as ISIS has swept through their villages, massacring thousands and conducting forced conversions of those they do not kill, he wrote. A new poll shows Democratic voters in Nevada are virtually split between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders just three days before the state's caucus. The Race for Nevada Although Clinton has maintained a strong lead over Sanders in national polls, a recent CNN/ORC Poll shows the 2016 contenders are running neck and neck in the Silver State, with Clinton at 48 percent and Sanders trailing by one point at 47 percent. The poll, conducted from Feb. 10 to Feb. 15, shows voters were also divided when asked which candidate would better handle the economy: 48 percent selected Clinton while 47 percent choose Sanders. In addition, 50 percent of likely caucus goers said the former secretary of state best represents Democratic values, compared to Sanders, who earned 49 percent. The former first lady, however, has managed to win over a majority of likely female voters in the Nevada, along with their trust on important issues like foreign policy, race relations, immigration and healthcare. On the other hand, Sanders has a stronghold on voters under age 55. More people -- 50 percent -- also said he would do more to help the middle class; 47 percent picked Clinton. Turnout According to the poll, new voters are more likely to support Sanders, while previous caucus-goers are backing Clinton. This means Sanders will have a better chance of winning if he can mobilize new voters to the polls on Saturday. However, newer voters are not as sure they will actually participate in the caucus. The Power of Latino Voters Polling experts also point out the self-described "Democratic Socialist" can increase his likelihood of winning if young Latino voters participate in the caucus. According to Antonio Gonzalez, the president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, there is a generational divide between Hispanic voters in the heavily-Latino populated state. Many millennial Latino voters are flocking to Sanders, while their parents and older people support Clinton. "The leadership that is older is all Clinton, but the younger Latinos, they're with Sanders," said Gonzalez, whose organization has been working in Nevada, reports The Los Angeles Times. This division will have a significant impact in determining the winner since "Young Latinos are the largest potential block of Latino voters," said Gonzalez in an email to Latin Post. To win the state, both Clinton and Sanders have made increased their outreach efforts to appeal to young Latinos in Nevada, speaking at high schools and colleges. They have also secured major endorsements from high profile immigrant activists, including DREAMers, who have a strong influence on young Latinos. Gonzalez added that it's important for Sanders and Clinton to reach out to Latinos in Nevada in whole since "Latinos will comprise about 15% of all Caucus participants and as much as 30% of the Democrats." "Elections matter and the picking a Candidate of their choice is an important way for Latinos to pursue their values and interests as Americans. We've seen alot of anti-immigrant rhetoric in this election season so voting in the primaries is one way for Latinos to make their voice heard on the issue of immigration reform," he said. *This article has been updated to include direct quotes from Antonio Gonzalez, the president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.* A federal judge has ordered a defiant Apple to help the FBI crack a secure iPhone that belonged to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attack. What's going on in this showdown between the U.S. government and one of America's most powerful and popular companies? Apple Takes Itself Out of the Loop The immediate cause for the confrontation between Apple and the FBI started in 2014, when Apple released iOS 8. The update for the iPhone's operating system put a priority on privacy and user data safety, beefing up passcode security and encrypting data on the device by default. Apple's encryption measures are a reflection of the company's current top-line priority on user security, but also a self-conscious response to government surveillance and the legal power of its apparatuses to compel information from technology companies. That's because Apple effectively took itself out of the loop, putting up a firewall against legal pressure. As Ars Technica noted, on Apple's iOS 8 website at the time the company stated, "Unlike our competitors, Apple cannot bypass your passcode and therefore cannot access this data." A New Loophole for Backdoors The iPhone 5c that the FBI recovered from one of the shooters was encrypted and locked, and the agency wanted Apple's help. It asked Apple to make a new version of iOS that could be installed on the phone. This custom iOS would allow the FBI to bypass the security measures, which the company believes is another word for a "backdoor" to encryption. Obviously, given its stance on security since iOS 8, Apple hasn't been helpful. So on Tuesday, a federal judge in California ordered Apple to help the FBI unlock and decrypt the iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook responded late Tuesday with a public letter posted on the company's website. In it, he addresses the court order, arguing Apple's case for no backdoors to encryption. "Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help" the FBI, stated Cook. "But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create," he continued, referring to the custom encryption-bypassing version of iOS Apple was asked to create. "In the wrong hands, this software -- which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor," he wrote, rather forcefully for Cook's personality. A Very Old Loophole for Backdoors Cook later explained Apple's legal stance towards the court order. "We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack," he wrote. Apple has been arguing that creating the special version of iOS is like opening Pandora's Box. If a brute-force bypass were to exist, there's no guarantee that even in the FBI's hands, such a powerful digital weapon would be absolutely secure forever. If it were to slip onto the Internet, the software would destroy all of Apple's security measures, and could destroy the company. "We are challenging the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love for our country," said Cook. Apple is suggesting updating a 225-year-old law called the All Writs Act, which the judge cited in her mandate that Apple create a backdoor to its security. In Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym's 40-page filing, Pym cited the 18th century writ, which allows courts to issue a writ, or order, to compel a person (or in this case, a corporate "person") to do, basically, anything. It lets judges "issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law," to put it literally, if still nonspecifically. What's Next? The government has used that writ against tech companies before, but this is Apple, the richest company in history. And Apple is pushing back. The New York Times is saying this confrontation might end up in front of the Supreme Court -- whoever may be sitting on the bench when that happens. But that's up to an entirely different high profile showdown. New Mexico is now only one signature away from sealing the compromise that would make the state's driver's licenses compliant with federal REAL ID requirements to be accepted as valid identification at airports and other secure federal facilities. After receiving a 65-1 vote at New Mexico's House of Representatives, House Bill 99 only needs Governor Susana Martinez's signature to take effect. According to the Sante Fe New Mexican the bill establishes a two-tier system for acquiring driving permits. Under House Bill 99, U.S. citizens and legal immigrants can choose to apply for a driver's license that is compliant with the Real ID Act. Undocumented immigrants and those who do not want a Real ID-compliant license can apply for a non-Real ID-compliant driving authorization. The difference between a driving permit that is compliant and one that is not is that the latter is recognized as a valid identification by federal agencies. It can be used to gain access to secure federal facilities and for verification when boarding a commercial plane. ABC News reported the bill also requires undocumented immigrants to submit their fingerprints to the state's Motor Vehicle Division for a criminal background check before they can get new driving authorization cards. Immigrants who already hold driver's licenses are no longer covered by the fingerprint requirement. New Mexico legislators were prompted to lobby a bill that would impose compliance with the Real ID Act after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security enforced stricter regulations against driver's licenses issued by the state. Rep. Paul Pacheco of Albuquerque expressed confidence that the bill would promote public safety in New Mexico and throughout the country. "[House Bill 99] ensures that New Mexico will no longer be a magnet for fraud rings that peddle and sell driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants from all over the world," Pacheco stated. The passage of the bill is the result of a five-year debate on whether undocumented immigrants should still be granted driver's licenses. House Bill 99 is seen as a victory to immigrant advocacy groups since it guarantees that immigrant families will not be deprived of their driving privileges. British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande have agreed that the draft of proposals to reshape Britain's membership in the European Union is a strong formation for the negotiations in the Brussels summit this Thursday and Friday. The UK has been lobbying reforms to the current EU rules. The proposal includes regulatory measures on welfare benefits provided to migrants as well as afford protection to countries that do not use the euro. "[They] agreed that we are making good progress on the UK renegotiation and that the draft text from the European Council provides a firm basis to reach agreement at this week's summit," a spokesperson of Cameron said, as quoted by ABC. The representative added that Cameron and Hollande had "constructive discussions" on the UK renegotiation as well as matters surrounding the Syrian conflict. The European Union is under high pressure due to the debate over Britain's future in the bloc as the region faces the onslaught of a Eurozone economic slowdown and a boiling migration crisis. To avoid adding up to the already insurmountable difficulties, the EU is trying to come to agreeable terms with regard to reforms to Britain's position so as to avoid the "real" danger of breaking up the 28-nation bloc if ever Britain left. European Union chief Donald Tusk stated, "It is high time we started listening to each other's arguments more than to our own." British Foreign Secretary Philipp Hammond predicts that the European Union will "lurch very much in the wrong direction" if the so called "Brexit" (British exit) materializes following the summit. UK's EU referendum has developed a great divide between those who support Britain's membership in the bloc and those who are for Britain pulling the plug. According to Yahoo News, however the deal turns out in the European Union summit in Brussels, David Cameron could announce the date of the referendum sooner. PM Cameron is adamant that the EU strike an agreement close to UK's proposal. He had expressed his willingness to try again in the next summit in March if ever the agreement they arrive at on Friday fails to deliver on his demands. Eurosceptics, however, warns that the European Parliament could veto portions of Cameron's reform package once the EU referendum has concluded. In response, Downing Street is of the view that any deal that could come out the upcoming summit will be legally binding under international law and that the European Parliament will be expected to deliver on it. A new regulation regarding the requisition of students at state public schools to use restrooms and other facilities based on their physical anatomy at birth was passed by the Senate in South Dakota. The bill which could be the very first law of its kind is now waiting for the governor's approval. According to Sun Times Network, the bill has gained different reactions from the public. Supporters of the proposed law said the bill is necessary to protect their children's privacy. Critics, on the other hand, see it as a clear discrimination against transgender students. According to State Senator Brock Greenfield, who proposed the regulation, he only did what he felt was necessary. He said that it is not appropriate for girls to share restrooms and bathrooms with boys regardless of their sexual preference. But senators who are against the bill like Senator Bernie Hunhoff argued that this only creates fear and unfairness to the transgender youth. This will further create scenarios like bullying and will put children in danger at their own school, as reported by TIME. Opposing senators also claimed there have been no recorded accidents or problems of having comingling sexes using the same bathroom. They added that the simple laws of the school can actually handle these type of cases in case it happens. Another valid question that they asked is how they are going to enforce the law and if it entails a monetary consideration, who is going to cover it. Upon hearing these bill, the LGBT community, together with the Transgender Law Center, immediately reacted and showed their dismay on how the senators voted. They said that every child including transgenders should have equal rights. The Guardian reported they dubbed the bill as "disturbing" and "distressing". Another issue at hand is that several rulings have already been passed by the Department of Justice concerning these types of cases. They firmly believed that gender identity should be respected. If South Dakota will pass this law, the state's school districts might lose more than $200 million in federal funding's for not following the department's order. The Republican governor of South Dakota Dennis Daugaard's decision of signing the bill is yet to be established. Argentina's debt crisis is being addressed by the country by settling the US hedge funds' litigation that has been running for nearly 15 years. A court-appointed mediator said that Argentina has settled a class action lawsuit over the defaulted debt by offering $6.5 billion. Daniel Pollack, a New York lawyer handling the settlement, claimed that Argentina's debt crisis has been resolved partly with the nation's proposed offer early this month, Reuters reports. The deal is aimed at settling various proceedings by creditors of the defaulted bonds. It is not yet confirmed how many holders of the defaulted bonds will be covered. Pollack assured that holders who will participate would be paid with 100% of the principal and 50% of the interest. "This shows that the proposal is good and that we are continuing to advance positively. We hope that there will be more agreements in the coming days," said a source in the Argentine finance ministry. As Yahoo reported, Argentina's debt crisis has been settled about two weeks after Pollack said that two out of the six prime bondholders settled more than $1 billion claims. The $6.5 billion deal comes after President Mauricio Macri, who assumed his position last month from leftist leader Cristina Kirchner proposed paying the initial amount from its $100 billion default in 2002. Kirchner refused to pay the hedge funds and called the creditors "vultures," according to Business Plus TV.PK. "This litigation has gone on for nearly 15 years since the original Argentine default of 2001, and the proposal by Argentina is an historic breakthrough," Pollack said. Argentina's debt crisis settlement with US creditors follows Macri's settlement with Italian bondholders wherein his government agreed to pay $1.35 billion to settle their $2.5 billion in claims. Macri has expressed his desire to renew ties with foreign countries after the country suffered great loss under Kirchner. Former Minister Anibal Fernandez was charged by a Federal Judge in Argentina with fraud against the state. The judge said that the accused was benefiting from a government program that handed out baby cribs, clothes and medicines to poor families. Article 258 Criminal Code of Argentine Nation provides, "Any official shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of one (1) to six (6) years and perpetual special disqualification for exercising the function that the public, directly or indirectly, offers or shall bestow on a public official from another State or a public international organization, either on his own behalf or on behalf of third parties, sums of money or any object of monetary value or other compensation, such as gifts, favours, promises, or benefits, in exchange for which the official perform or skip perform an act in relation to the exercise of public functions, or to assert the influence derived from their office, in a matter related to a transaction of Nature economic, financial or commercial." The said judge also included the former health minister and the provincial governor to the charge. Moreover, they were also slapped on some of their belongings for about $23 million, as they also abused their power and neglected to carry out their public functions. Article 173 of the same Code stated that "xxx, shall be considered as special cases of fraud and will suffer the punishment he sets: xxx 9. The who sells or gravare as free goods, whatever they are contentious or embargoed or encumbered; and the who sells, or gravare arrendare as own, property extraneous." Fernandez and others accused said that the accusations are baseless and are expected to appeal. Fernandez, a lawyer and a certified public accountant, has been known to be the one of the close allies to both late President Nestor Kirchner and the former Cristina Fernandez. He has also served several cabinet positions, including the administration of former President Eduardo Duhalde. He was the implementer of the "Victims against Violence" program during his tenure as the Minister of Interior. When appointed as Minister of Justice, Security and Human Rights, he promoted actions and policies to fight the human trafficking and created the Office for Rescue and Support of the Victims of the Crime of Trafficking. Just last year, he was accused being the mastermind of the 2008 triple crime. Whereas, in December 2008, he was sued by the Labour Party for slander, libel, moral damage and impact on the party's image after blaming such party for acts of railroad vandalism. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (26) Feb 16, 2016, 5:23pm ET Police union speaks out against ticket quotas Montreal police have reportedly been offered performance bonuses based on ticket counts. A Montreal police union has spoken out against an alleged quota scheme orchestrated by the city and the police department. Officers have reportedly been offered performance bonuses based on several criteria, ranging from call response time to arrests and, controversially, the number of tickets written, according to a Montreal Gazette report. "We find this totally indecent and unethical," argues Montreal Police Brotherhood president Yves Francoeur. "We're not a company that sells hotdogs, we're working in public security." The report suggests the program was implemented in response to a drop in ticket infractions, and associated revenue, starting in summer 2014. The incentives are said to be worth up to eight percent of a senior officer's base salary, in some cases representing $12,000 annually. Ticket quotas are explicitly illegal in many US states including New York, California and Illinois. Some departments have been accused of circumventing the spirit of such regulations, however, by considering ticket numbers in officer 'productivity' or 'performance' assessments. The city of Los Angeles in 2013 paid $6 million to settle lawsuits filed by LAPD officers who accused the department of implementing a secret quota system for traffic tickets. NYPD officers have also claimed the department enforces an unwritten rule, described as a "20 and one" requirement for 20 tickets and one arrest per month, however officials have denied the allegations. Critics argue that quotas pressure officers to harass innocent citizens. Such programs also foment distrust among the population as the officers' roles in the community shift from policing to fund raising. "You have a policy that encourages police to create petty crimes and ignore serious crimes, and that's clearly the opposite of what we want our police to be doing," Radley Balko, author of Rise of the Warrior Cop, told Reason in a statement related to a 2013 whistleblower lawsuit. The Missouri Senate earlier this month voted to ban ticket quotas in the state, while similar legislation is being considered in South Carolina and Washington. Feb 17, 2016, 3:19pm ET Techrules to show 1,030-hp turbine hybrid supercar in Geneva The concept is claimed to offer a range of more than 1,240 miles. Beijing-based automotive R&D company Techrules is preparing to show a turbine hybrid supercar at the Geneva Motor Show. Known as the Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV), the car uses a turbine range-extending generator to charge onboard batteries. The setup is claimed to be good for 1,030 horsepower and a range of over 1,240 miles. The claims will certainly raise a few eyebrows, however the company is not the first to consider turbines as a power source for automobiles. General Motors, Chrysler and Toyota have worked on turbine-powered cars, though early examples all used the turbine to mechanically drive the wheels. Turbines are not viewed as an ideal form of mechanical drive system, due to throttle lag and reduced efficiency when running at low rpm, however a hybrid setup allows the turbine to run at its most efficient speed. British startup Bladon Jets has developed turbine-powered generators for telecommunications equipment, promoting the technology as lighter, smaller, more efficient, more power dense and cleaner than gasoline- or diesel-engine alternatives. Bladon collaborated with Jaguar on the C-X75 Concept, powered by two micro turbines -- each weighing 77 lbs and producing 94 horsepower at a constant 80,000 rpm. The turbines simply charge a battery pack, which then sends electricity to four electric motors capable of producing a combined output of 780 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. Jaguar never moved forward with production plans for the C-X75, however the project is said to have been killed by the recession rather than unsurmountable manufacturing difficulties. After resolving issues with producing a tiny bladed disk (blisk) and developing micro air-film bearings, Bladon is moving forward with production plans for standalone turbine generators. Despite the focus on cellphone towers, the company is part-owned by JLR parent Tata and still appears to be interested in the automotive market. "Today, you see thousands of gas turbine engines produced at a cost of millions of pounds," Bladon manufacturing director Philip Lelliott said last year. "Our vision is to turn that on its head and produce millions of gas turbine engines at a cost of thousands of pounds." Techrules could announce additional details of its TREV concept ahead of the Geneva show. Did you feel that? Landfill gas linked to tremors The entrance to IESI Bethlehem Landfill on Applebutter Road in Lower Saucon Township is seen Feb. 15, 2012. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Lower Saucon Township residents reported their homes shaking for several minutes Tuesday morning, due to a malfunctioning system at the IESI Bethlehem Landfill, according to township police. Police said they responded about 10:10 a.m. to the 2500 block of Ringhoffer Road for reports of windows and doors rattling. Residents said they felt what police described as tremors as far away as Sherry Hill Road, according to a news release from township police. The cause was the an issue with the gas-flare system at the landfill, 2335 Applebutter Road, police said. "Apparently an air intake which mixes with the gases to burn it off was taking in too much air," the release states. "The result was a steep rise in pressure, which caused the flare itself to emit a pulse which was transmitted through the ground." According to documents on the township's website, the landfill mechanically draws gases created from the decomposition of municipal solid waste via a blower system connected to gas collection wells. The flare is a backup to the 5-megawatt Bethlehem Renewable Energy facility on site that burns landfill gas to generate electricity. "A pressure valve was released by personnel on site and caused the shock waves to stop," police wrote. Al Schleyer, district manager for IESI, said that in addition to township police, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was also made aware of the incident. "At Bethlehem Landfill, we want to know and address the issues and concerns of our neighbors," Schleyer said in a statement Tuesday night. "Today, high winds created an influx of air into the gas collection system. "Our equipment continued to operate properly, however this influx of air created a noise that resulted from the mechanical louver controls system. "There was no threat to public health or impact to the environment." Township police ask any residents who believe the incident caused property damage to call the department at 610-317-3110. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Musikfest BOSTON 3573.jpg Boston performs during the final day of Musikfest 2012. (Express-Times File Photo) Rock band Boston will make another appearance in Bethlehem this summer as part of Musikfest 2016. The group, which appeared at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in 2014 and was part of Musikfest in 2012 and 2008, will headline Musikfest 2016 when it rocks the festival's Sands Steel Stage at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9. Tickets for the concert cost $45 to $69 and go on sale starting 10 a.m. Feb. 23 to ArtsQuest members and 10 a.m. Feb. 26 to the public. ArtsQuest, the nonprofit group that runs Musikfest, unveiled the headliner in a statement Wednesday. Boston is celebrating its 40th anniversary with its Four Decades North American Tour, according to ArtsQuest. "Fans can expect to hear all the classic songs they have grown to love, and be treated to some new additions to the group's set list based on recent requests," ArtsQuest said. The band's hits include "Rock and Roll Band, " "Smokin" and "More Than a Feeling." Tickets will be available at musikfest.org and by calling 610-332-3378. Boston is the second headliner announced for Musikfest 2016. In January, ArtsQuest announced Lady Antebellum will play Saturday, Aug. 13. Dates for the 33rd edition of Musikfest are Aug. 5-14. Email KJ at kjfrantz@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow lehighvalleylive.com on Twitter at @lehighvalley. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: The Monroe County Coroner's Office said the cause of death was pulmonary arterial thromboemboli and deep vein thrombosis in the right lower extremity. (What that means is a blood clot broke free in a vein in John Platia's leg and went to his lung). The manner of death was undetermined, likely because the medical incident couldn't be directly tied to the crash. INITIAL POST: When recounting a Feb. 9 accident on Route 33 in Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania State Police said 51-year-old John Platia was not injured. Four days later he was dead. The Monroe County Coroner's Office is waiting for test results in an attempt to determine if the crash or something else killed the 51-year-old Polk Township, Monroe County, man. "It's pending," Coroner Bob Allen said Wednesday morning. Platia died at 3:25 p.m. Saturday at Pocono Medical Center, where he was taken by ambulance after the two-vehicle crash, Allen said. Platia was being treated for crash-related injuries, Allen said. But police in their news release said he wasn't transported from the crash scene. Platia's wife couldn't immediately be reached for more information. An autopsy was done on Sunday, but because there are medical issues unrelated to the crash, further testing was required in an effort to determine a cause and manner of death, Allen said. It will still be a few days until that's figured out, he added. Platia was driving a 1998 Honda when he hit a patch of ice at 8:07 a.m. Feb. 9 near mile marker 14, police said. Platia struck the front of a 2003 Mack CH 600 truck, which was driven in the right lane by Dale F. Welsh Jr., 31, of Annville, Pennsylvania, police said. Both vehicles came to a stop in the grass center median, police said. Platia was cited with driving too fast for conditions, police said. Welsh was not hurt, police said. A gofundme page has been set up in an effort to raise $3,000 for Platia's wife and daughter. "If you knew John, you know that his only wish would be that his girls are given as much support and love through these difficult times," the site says. Nearly $2,000 had been raised as of Wednesday morning. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. John Brown.JPG Northampton County Executive John Brown (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Northampton County Executive John Brown, in the third year of his first term, is looking to move up to a statewide office -- auditor general. He is the only Republican who filed nominating petitions to run against the incumbent, Democrat Eugene DePasquale. The race for auditor general in Pennsylvania is low-profile affair, coming as it does in presidential election years. This year primary buzz will be focused on contested presidential primaries on both tickets, along with contested Democratic primary races for U.S. Senate and attorney general. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli is seeking the latter office; he lost in the 2008 general election to Republican Tom Corbett. Brown shows up as a long shot, but stranger things have happened. The former Bangor mayor emerged in 2013 to defeat Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan for county executive. In his first year in office Brown drew criticism for trying to restructure his administration with high-priced consultant contracts and proposing to borrow to fill a $20 million budget deficit, all while fighting with unionized employees as he sought to cut costs and downsize the county payroll. Maybe that's simply background noise to a statewide audience; name recognition and fund-raising are critical to getting any traction in a statewide race. Does Brown have a chance? Would you vote for him over DePasquale? Have a say in our informal poll. Feel free to join the conversation; explain why you think he is or isn't qualified for the job. UPDATE: Firefighter hurt in blaze at trash truck garage, police say A fast-moving fire and explosion struck a recycling-transfer facility Tuesday night in Warren County, authorities said. It was reported just before 7 p.m. at Sanico Inc., 5 Hutchinson Station Road in Harmony Township. New Jersey State Police at Washington confirmed the fire and said responders closed Belvidere Road (Route 519) in the area of the incident. Both police and Harmony Mayor Brian Tipton said they were unaware of any need for evacuations. "It's a transfer station, solid waste transfer station," Tipton said, adding that residential and commercial waste is collected and brought to the facility to be loaded onto larger trucks to be taken to landfills. Tipton said he drove up to the scene. "When I came around the corner it was completely lit up, the building on the property," Tipton said, adding later: "It sounded like an explosion. ... It was well on its way before the fire company got there." Sanico is located within an old gravel pit, surrounded by berms on all sides, Tipton said. "The closest residential property is a good distance away," he said. Editor's note: This article has been changed from its original version to reflect Sanico Inc.'s description of this facility as a recycling-transfer station. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A firefighter was injured in Tuesday night's blaze that struck a recycling-transfer station building with as many as 10 trucks inside, according to New Jersey State Police. The fire was reported at 6:57 p.m. at Sanico Inc., 5 Hutchinson Station Road in Harmony Township, state police spokesman Sgt. First Class Gregory Williams said. The fire struck an old barn converted into a garage for recycling and garbage trucks, he said. It was out as of about 10:15 p.m., and authorities had reopened Belvidere Road (Route 519) after closing it because of the fire and response, Williams said. The state police Arson/Bomb Unit plans to resume its investigation into the fire Wednesday morning, Williams said. Warren County fire Marshal Joe Lake said he'd be at the scene in the morning, as well. The firefighter suffered a leg injury and was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, Phillipsburg, according to state police. Sanico is a residential and commercial trash collector, and the Harmony facility is a refuse-transfer station set in an old gravel pit, township Mayor Brian Tipton said. The company did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday night seeking comment. Its Facebook page as of about 11 p.m. made no mention of service being affected but notes that phone lines were down and asked customers to communicate by email at mail@sanicoinc.com or via the Facebook page. Editor's note: This article has been changed from its original version to reflect Sanico Inc.'s description of this facility as a recycling-transfer station. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. La revelation des parcours 2023 du Tour de France et du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift aura lieu le jeudi 27 octobre a partir de 11h30 (UTC+2) au Palais des Congres de Paris. I was struck by a blog in my Facebook timeline this morning. It was actually written a year ago today by Becca Plenderleith, who joined the Lib Dems in the wake of the election last year. Shes already contributed so much to the Party, writing for our Scottish members newsletter, making thoughtful and insightful contributions on mental health and shes also written for LDV, too. We are very lucky to have her. In the post she shared this morning, she shared her experience of what passes for mental health crisis care in Scotland and it just simply is not good enough. The experience she had mirrors other peoples experiences. I have heard of Accident and Emergency doctors, who clearly have no training in mental health, berating a shut-down self-harming teenager and tell them that they are wasting their time. In that example, when the Child and Adolescent Mental Health people got involved, things improved remarkably, but it should never have happened in the first place. I am horrified that a young person in crisis could be treated in such a callous way. Im quoting from Beccas post here with her permission: The paramedics were some of the most understanding people Ive met in my life. Unfortunately, thats where my positive experiences with the NHS emergency services regarding mental health stop. I wont tell you how long I waited before I was seen because for I dont know. I dont remember. What I do remember is when I eventually got seen, my only feelings were that of I wish Id not phoned for help. I wasnt allowed my mother to stay with me in the room because the doctor wanted to ask me sensitive questions. Apparently thats code for I dont want witnesses to hear what Im about to say. Because the doctor told me that I was a drain on the NHS and that I wasnt an emergency and it clearly wasnt an accident so I had no right to ring 999. All this before he looked at my arm. When he eventually looked at it he said, very condescendingly, What do you expect me to do about this? Do you want a plaster? By this time my mother (a nurse) was allowed back in the room and I remember her saying Oh, that looks deep. It might need a paper stitch at least. I didnt get that. I got a dressing and sent on my way with the most random pieces of advice Ive ever been given in regards to my mental health and that was Dont drink caffeine after 12pm. Thanks, doctor. Im sure its the caffeine that made me want to cease to exist. Im not sure what the situation is in England, but I do know that Norman Lamb established a multi-agency crisis care concordat to ensure that people got the care that they needed when they needed it. On a day when the Duchess of Cambridge is doing so much to tackle the stigma around mental health, in much the same way that her mother-n-law tackled the stigma around HIV and AIDS by visiting a ward and shaking hands with patients without wearing gloves, we should reflect on the many ways mental health services are failing our children. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings Camerons rating and a jury advocates view on winning this case. David Camerons personal ratings have slumped in the wake of his re-negotiation, which was greeted negatively by the Conservative press, reports the Independent. It is my view that the Prime Minister cannot win the referendum if his rhetoric is I have made the EU less bad. He needs to make the case the EU is a good thing. In my day job as a barrister I would not expect to secure a clients acquittal by saying to the jury my client is guilty of the offence but not as guilty as the other side say. You cant win by saying, yes he stabbed the victim 50 times but the knife was smaller than they say it was. To get a not guilty verdict I need to say to the jury my client is not guilty and these are the reasons why or in the murder example something like he did not stab the victim, he was not there and there was no knife at all. We need to make what I would call a positive defence and not simply say the other side have failed to prove their case against us. Advocates for EU membership need to say membership is good, these are the reasons why and the evidence that supports it. Obviously, the reasons and evidence selected must make an emotional connection and not be too dry, academic or see the world through Brussels eyes. More evidence on the economic case for IN Travel industry leaders say that being IN is important for low prices and safety. HSBC have said they want the UK to stay in the EU and have hinted 1000 jobs would move to Paris in the event of Brexit. In a survey of Anglo-German firms, 80% want the UK to remain in and nearly a third expect to cut capacity (i.e. jobs) in the UK if there is Brexit. Cabinet, Brown and Salmond v Farage debate Cabinet collective responsibility may be suspended from Friday. Expect to see Ministers star to come out for one side or the other from then and other subsequent days. The Leave campaign are planning a large event on Friday when, undoubtedly, they will want to reveal big names. Gordon Brown has warned of a future of misery in the event of Brexit. There looks set to be a Salmond v Farage debate. Salmond is good debater and this will be an interesting contest. Bookmakers view Online bookies, Betfair, are giving Remain a huge lead but anticipate the odds narrowing closer to June. Obama intervention President Obama is planning to get involved in the debate. It is clear that he sees UK membership of the EU as important for the USA and possibly even greater than that. What the President will do is as yet unclear but a speech in the UK is possible. Opponents will say this is an unwarranted foreign intervention. But when you are making a big decision why not listen to a friend and neighbours thoughts before making your decision? The Leave side could always deploy their supporter Vladimir Putin to even things up? * Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup. Over the last few months the political media has been transfixed by David Camerons efforts to renegotiate Britains relationship with the European Union. Whilst Tim Farron quite rightly describes Camerons demands as having much more to do with keeping the Conservative Party together than fixing anything more fundamental about the EU, the reasons for making this effort are obvious: reassuring nervous eurosceptics that Britain still has influence in Europe and neutralising fears (however unjustified) that the British voice will be somehow overpowered. Nigel Farage responded by calling Camerons deal a slap in the face for Britain. So far, so predictable. Yet right at the core of eurosceptic complaints is so often the insidious, sometimes devious suggestion that nothing we hear from Brussels can be trusted. When Blair got an opt-out from the Euro, the sceptics said wed be forced in anyway. When Brown got an opt-out from the Fundamental Charter of Fundamental Rights, the sceptics claimed the European Court of Justice would simply ignore it. Cameron says we have protection from being overrun by the Eurozone? The sceptics claim it isnt worth the paper it is written on. In their deluded yet strangely persuasive form of paranoia, the Kippers argue that, even if it all seems reasonable on the surface, we can never trust the EU to keep their word and that our courts and our Parliament will be (supposedly) powerless to stop them. Liberal Democrats realise these claims are nonsense, but many voters believe them. Thats why, importantly but more quietly, the Government is toying with another set of reforms to reassure sceptics: plans to give British courts the right to override European ones. Yet, for all the nationalistic hyperbole over entrenching British sovereignty, a well-researched BBC News piece reveals these plans are actually far more subtle then they first appear: rather than claiming that British law overrules EU law (which would breach EU treaties) instead the Tories are considering giving the UK Supreme Court the power in exceptional circumstances to rule that EU courts have gone beyond the scope of EU treaties, and thereby refuse to follow their rulings. Lib Dems might, understandably, recoil from the nationalistic language of sovereignty. They may even agree with former Attorney General Dominic Grieve that the plan is pointless. Yet, ironically, the plan does make a certain amount of legal and political sense. As any good law student knows, eurosceptics view the ECJ as a political court precisely because the European Court of Justice does sometimes test its limits and has, at least for some legal scholars, seemed to go beyond what international law requires when interpreting the treaties. Britain would also be in excellent European company: the German Constitutional Court in 1992, the French Conseil dEtat as far back as 1978 and other national courts have all ruled that they have the right to reject EU decisions if they go beyond the scope of EU treaties including the UK Supreme Court itself in 2015. Putting it into statute might merely serve to reinforce existing legal precedent and give their lordships the political cover they need to provide checks and balances that could make the ECJ into a more measured and trusted institution. So, how should Liberal Democrats respond? I think, as a minimum, we should give these plans serious consideration eschewing the nationalistic sentiment, but welcoming enhanced checks and balances as well as reassuring nervous voters. But we can do one better we could go on the offensive to end the appalling situation where British ministers can go to the Council of Ministers, support a law in private before it becomes reported in the UK, then come home to Britain where they claim credit for it if turns out to be popular and blame Brussels if it is not. Let us follow the example of Denmarks European Affairs Committee and set up a joint parliamentary committee, broadly based, with powers to review all upcoming legislation that is due to appear in the Council of Ministers and have the power to order British ministers not to support a proposal unless it first been put to a vote in the House of Commons, enhancing at a single stroke both EU transparency and British parliamentary accountability. Both these proposals are technical in nature but both could be used to defend ourselves against baseless claims that European courts have too much power or that EU decisions are made undemocratically in smokefilled rooms. They could serve an important purpose in reassuring voters that it is British voters and British politicians that are at the heart of European decisions and in a tight referendum race, we will need all the reassurance we can get! * Chris Nelson is Vice Chair of East Midlands Liberal Democrats and was the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Wellingborough & Rushden constituency in the 2015 and 2017 General Elections. He writes in a personal capacity. Liberal Democrat peer Jane Bonham Carter has slammed the Tories plans to enforce age limits for pornographic websites as a sledgehammer to crack a nut. She said: In a free, democratic society the answer is not just to ban everything. This risks being another example of the Government using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The Government are jumping on poorly thought through proposals. Popular websites could easily fall foul of new rules when it is hard to define what should be blocked and even harder to technically do it. The Tories should look at their own track record in this area. When they introduced internet filters many LGBT websites were blocked too, cutting people off from vital information and advice. Rather than developing a banned-by-default approach we should be investing more in sex and relationship education at school to ensure that teenagers and young adults have a healthy understanding of relationships and sex to empower them to make good decisions. The Governmentsplans have already been dismissed as ineffective by industry experts. Nobody wants young people looking at stuff that they really shouldnt be accessing, but we live in the real world and our response should be more about building resilience and education. Its really disappointing that the David Cameron last week blocked compulsory sex education, despite many female members of the Cabinet protesting. The Independent report said: According to the report, the Home Secretary Theresa May, the Business Minister Anna Soubry and International Development Secretary Justine Greening all backed the change in policy. A government source told Ms Newman: Theres a divideFor me it gets to the heart of why we need more women in politics. Its not just because it should be fair, its just these are the sort of issues which they understand and the men dont. A source close to the Education Secretary, however, told the Independent they did not recognise any description of a row. It just goes to show that you do actually need more women in the room to make a difference. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings Last night in his annual speech to the David Hume Institute, Willie Rennie set out plans for a plan to help low and middle income Scottish earners by introducing a zero rate band of tax to go beyond the raising of the tax threshold. Because hes also announced a plan to raise income tax by 1p to secure a 475 million investment in education, this new tax plan is going to be revenue neutral. Both Liberal Democrats and Labour have announced plans for a 1p rise in income tax. However, Liberal Democrats are focusing on what you would get for it more college places, reversing education cuts, a pupil premium and more nursery education. Labours is so complex that everyone is talking about the tax part of it. Fair play to both, though, for actually trying to use the powers we have. Under Willies zero rate plan, Liberal Democrats would build on our record in government when we increased the personal allowance by over 4,000, helping to lift more people on lower incomes out of tax. Tax revenues gained by investing in education and boosting business by closing the skills gap would create a zero-rate tax band. Willie contrasted the progressive Liberal Democrat proposals with George Osbornes commitment to increase the Higher Rate threshold from 43,000 to 50,000 by 2020, giving record-breaking tax cuts to the richest and costing Scotland 400m. He said: Liberal Democrats in government from 2010 to 2015 raised the personal allowance from 6475 to 10,600, more than 4000. It saves low and middle earners 800 every year. It was one of the biggest and most progressive changes of tax policy for generations. It moved the country on from the botches and confusion of Labours 10p starting rate that came and went in the course of just a few years. Our change made sure work paid and that the benefits were gained by people on local and middle incomes. So I want to describe to you how there is the possibility to take that further in Scotland in the next five years. The new Smith powers open the door to that. These are big new powers and can do big new things. Tonight I am proposing a Zero-Rate band for the Scottish Rate of Income Tax. This will be in addition to the personal allowance still to be set by Westminster. The Scottish Zero-Rate will take more low paid people out of income tax completely and cut the taxes of people on low and middle incomes. It is a power that we specifically and purposefully argued should be in the Smith Commission proposals and is sitting there in section 13(5) of the Scotland Bill. It protects those on low and middle incomes and helps make work pay. So today I am setting the principle and committing the Scottish Liberal Democrats to a new Zero-Rate band of Scottish Income Tax. This sets us in clear contrast with other parties. The Conservative Governments priority is to raise the Higher Rate threshold from 43,000 to 50,000 giving the top ten per cent of taxpayers a tax cut of 1400. According to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre it would cost 400million in Scotland. The Scottish Conservatives have promised to match UK tax policy. So we know they will be wedded to that tax cut for the highest earners. I might also add that the Scottish Conservatives are planning 140million worth of stealth taxes and charges presumably including new charges for students, charges for bus passes and charges for prescriptions. The SNP have matched George Osborne every step of the way so far on income tax, on second homes and on the business rate poundage. And the SNP plan to undercut George Osborne on council tax and Air Passenger Duty. So it will be a hard job to persuade the SNP away from simply copying any proposals from George Osborne. And I remember that the SNP repeatedly opposed us in Westminster when we raised the personal allowance in government. So low paid workers cannot rely on the SNP. Tax cuts for the wealthy and secret taxes and charges for everyone else from the Conservatives. And inaction from the SNP. That is the contrast now with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Investing in education is our top priority. And as our investment in education delivers economic benefits and increased tax revenues, we will use those revenues to set the Zero-Rate band, cutting the amount people on low and middle incomes pay. When resources allow they should be used for a Scottish Zero-Rate band not for tax cuts for the very richest. What I have set out tonight, for the first time, is a radical reshaping of our tax arrangements. Setting the right, solid foundations from the beginning of Scotlands new tax system. A penny for education to transform Scottish education to be the best in the world once again. And the principle that the first priority for tax cuts should be a tax cut for workers on low and middle incomes. It is progressive, its fair and it is right for Scotland. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings LITs 3.5m plan to open another out-of-town campus by September has been placed in doubt after An Taisce lodged an objection to the proposal. The heritage groups Limerick branch is concerned at the negative impact on the city centre of sending hundreds of students to Coonagh Cross, on the periphery of the city. Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) secured permission from the Higher Education Authority to buy the site on the northside with support from the Department of Education. It is planning to build a new higher-education campus, in a move which could create 234 jobs in total. Some 550 students would be expected there by 2018, mainly from the discipline of precision engineering, with the first intake expected in September. But that timeframe is now under threat, with An Taisce objecting to the colleges planning application on eight grounds. Thomas Bibby, group spokesperson, said if developments like these were allowed we are sounding the death knell for the city centre. In its submission, the group points out the application contravenes both the Limerick City Development Plan and the much vaunted Limerick 2030 plan, a blueprint which contains plans for a city centre, higher-education campus. Mr Bibby said LITs move would undermine the focus on revitalising the city centre with the submission adding: The proposed development involves a new education presence on the very outskirts of the city, far from the city centre. Given that a major new city centre campus is planned involving the applicant [LIT] as one of the lead partners, this will free up space at the applicants current campus in Moylish, rendering the development unnecessary. If the development is approved, it will undermine the case for the city centre higher education campus as there will be more space on the current Moylish campus, the submission continues. An Taisce also fear that the development at Coonagh Cross could act as a precursor to more development in that area, at further cost to the centre. It also states the Coonagh Cross application is in an area which is deemed to be at high risk of flooding, being on a flood plain. Public transport provision at the location is insufficient, the group adds, with inadequate parking provision at the site beside Tesco Ireland. Council planners are expected to make a decision on the project by the end of the month. If approved, An Taisce will likely appeal this decision to An Bord Pleanala. In a statement, LIT said: LIT has submitted a planning application for a new Higher Education campus at Coonagh. This is part of LITs Campus 2030 Development Plan, which provides for the coherent delivery of new and enhanced education facilities across all of our campus locations. TWO young men from one faction of Limerick citys murderous feud were each sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for their role in a violent incident outside the Intreo offices on Dominick Street last April. Erol Ibrahim, aged 27, who has an address at Ceol Na hAbhann, Caherconlish pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder while Owen Treacy, aged 19, who has an address at Gillogue, Clonlara pleaded guilty to a charge of affray. Limerick Circuit Court was told the incident happened at around 2.25pm on April 14, 2015 after the defendants and two other men encountered members of a rival faction in the foyer area of the Intreo offices. During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Barry OGrady said members of two rival mobs moved outside and that the subsequent street fight, which was witnessed by a garda, lasted for several minutes. He said Owen Treacy whose father was stabbed 17 times and left for dead at Drombanna in 2003 was the main instigator and at one point took off his top and began making aggressive gestures. While no weapons were used during the fight, Detective Garda OGrady said there was shouting and roaring in the middle of the street and that members of the public fled the area out of fear for their safety. The main front doors of the Intreo offices were also closed until the violence subsided and the men had left the area. Michael Collins BL, representing Owen Treacy, said given his clients age he would have to have been a child prodigy to have played any role in the citys feud and he urged the court not to punish him because of who his family are. He added that Treacy, who is a talented sportsman, has no previous convictions for serious offences and has been offered a job by his grandfather who runs a bakery Eimear Carey BL, representing Erol Ibrahim, said the incident was spontaneous and that the various parties met by coincidence. Lawyers representing both men submitted the offence was at the lower end of the scale particularly as no weapon was used and nobody was injured. Imposing sentence, Judge Tom ODonnell said the behaviour of the defendants was unacceptable in a civilised society and cannot be tolerated. He sentenced both men to 18 months imprisonment backdating the sentences to the date they each entered custody. Another man Joseph Keane, aged 27, of Greenhills Road, Garryowen was previously sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for his role in the incident while two other men are still before the courts. MORE than 50 animal rights campaigners staged a protest on the last day of a circus which took place at the Castletroy Shopping Centre. A protest was set up by the Animal Rights Action Network (Aran) on Sunday lunchtime outside the circus, which was set up by Courtney Brothers. Aran founder John Carmody said they are demonstrating as part of the groups Stop Circus Suffering in Ireland' campaign. With the very best intention, these circuses cannot provide for the animals in their care. We are looking to bring attention to the suffering animals go through by being confined in circuses. These circuses are going for ten months of the year, pulling up on whatever land is available. The horses are tethered in small pens. When they are not in pens, they are in a very tiny exercise pen. Any scientist or zoologist would say that keeping animals in these conditions is not acceptable. It is not for what nature intended them to be, Mr Carmody said. He called on Limerick people to support non-animal act circuses. But a spokesperson for Courtney Brothers circus denied the claim, saying: Our horses are very well looked after. We cannot have animals starving. We are showing them to the public, and inviting people to see them. How could we abuse them? It does not make sense in any regard. A YOUNG man who assaulted a pensioner after a verbal altercation at a city bookmakers will have to carry out community service to avoid a prison term. Limerick District Court was told the row erupted after the 85-year-old was bitten by a dog which belonged to the defendant at Bambury Bookmakers, Thomondgate at around 12 midday on January 1, 2015. Garda Dave Nolan told Judge Marian OLeary that when he arrived at the bookie shop, the pensioner complained he had been knocked to the ground a short time earlier by the culprit, who he said had also kicked out at him. The victim added he had been bitten on the hand by an Irish Wolfhound belonging to the defendant. Jonathan Kinsella, aged 27, who has an address at Kenyon Avenue, Kileely admitted verbally abusing the 85-year-old after he complained about being bitten before pushing him to the ground. The dog, the court heard, was not on a lead and Mr Kinsellas licence was out of date. Garda Nolan said the incident was caught on CCTV and that Mr Kinsella made admissions when questioned. The pensioner, who became upset during the court proceedings, sustained cuts and scrapes on his hand as well as a graze on the side of his face during the incident. While he has some previous convictions, solicitor Darach McCarthy said Kinsella had not been in any trouble since 2007 and was genuinely remorseful. He added he was intoxicated on the date of the offence. Judge OLeary said she was not impressed by the defendants actions commenting that his behaviour warranted an immediate custodial sentence. However, noting he had not been in trouble during the preceding eight years she said she was willing to take a chance on him. She requested a community service report, indicating that she is considering a penalty of 240 hours in lieu of a six month prison sentence. She also warned Mr Kinsella that he has to keep his dog under control. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Lifestyle / Health by Martha (Karani) Musarurwa It is common for patients with brain tumors to experience headaches or migraines, but often sufferers of headaches worry that they are at risk to develop brain tumors. But a new study puts those worries at ease: migraine or headache in general is not associated with increased risk of developing brain tumors.The study, that was published in The Journals of Headache and Pain, was conducted among 39 534 middle-aged women, free of any cancer, and who provided information on headache history at baseline. Patients were monitored for the occurrence of medical record-confirmed brain tumors and researchers ran multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate associations between any headache, migraine, and non-migraine headache with the presence of brain tumors.The study also further evaluated whether migraine frequency and updated headache information during follow-up could be linked with brain tumors.A total of 13 022 (32.9%) women reported headache, of which 5 731 were classified as non-migraine headache and 7 291 as migraine. During a mean follow-up of 15.8 years, 52 brain tumors were confirmed, but those who experienced migraine six times per year were not at increased risk of developing a brain tumor.Dr. Elliot Shevel, a South African migraine surgery pioneer and the medical director of The Headache Clinic, says the study clearly shows people with migraines and headaches should not worry that it automatically causes brain tumors."The data should reassure patients with headache that brain tumor is not a long-term consequence of headache. The aim was to disprove the association and headache and migraine sufferers can now be reassured."When should I be concerned about my headaches or migraines?People should not leave a migraine untreated, warns Shevel. "It is imperative that you undergo a multidisciplinary investigation to diagnose the specific factors behind the recurring headache. It might not lead to brain tumors, but there might be other consequences and underlying problems. It is important to undergo a thorough examination."Please call us on 0861 678 911 or visit our website at www.theheadacheclinic.net for more information. Green vegetables can reduce stomach aches Drinking green tea can reduce inflammation in rheumatoid and poor dental health can increase risk of haemorrhagic strokestudies and research tips for a healthier you /news/talking-point/green-vegetables-can-reduce-stomach-aches-111651821430635.html 111651821430635 story Green tea can reduce inflammation in rheumatoid patients Green tea contains an anti-inflammatory chemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which can help people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The chemical can block TAK1, an important signalling protein from growing without affecting other cellular functions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines use TAK1 to transmit signals to cause inflammation and destroy tissues in rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers from Washington State University used a pre-clinical animal model of human rheumatoid arthritis and administered EGCG for 10 days. After 10 days they observed a significant reduction in swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disorder which initially affects joints in hands and feet. It causes painful swelling and leads to cartilage damage, bone erosion and joint deformity. The study was published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology. Read more here. Leafy green vegetables can reduce stomach aches Leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and cabbage contain a sugar molecule called sulfoquinovose which helps in the growth of gut bacteria, claims a British-Australian study. This makes gut bacteria more dominant and prevents bad bacteria from colonising the stomach. Most stomach aches occur due to bad bacteria. What makes sulfoquinovose unique is that it is the only sugar that contains sulphur, which plays a critical role in building proteins. Lead researcher Dr Goddard-Borger said, Every time we eat leafy green vegetables we consume significant amounts of SQ sugars, which are used as an energy source by good gut bacteria." The study was published in Nature Chemical Biology. Read more here. Poor dental health linked to stroke Poor dental health can affect the brain and even cause haemorrhagic stroke, a US-Japanese study suggests. When researchers at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka examined stroke patients who had experienced intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), they found a specific bacteria, CNM-positive S. mutans, in the saliva of 26% of the patients. The bacteria is common in the general population and is known for causing dental cavities. Researchers believe S. mutans bacteria targets blood vessels which are weakened by age and high blood pressure, causing arterial ruptures in the brain, which in turn leads to haemorrhages. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Read more here. Exposure to lead can lead to aggressive crimes Children living in a neighbourhood with high lead presence in the air are more likely to be involved in crimes of aggression in later life, an Australian study suggests. Lead exposure can affect brain development, academic performance and behaviour in children. It also leads to impulsive behaviour. Researchers from Macquarie University took air samples from six suburbs in New South Wales and examined the data on crime in the region in the last 30 years. The findings showed that lead was the strongest predictor in the study and was responsible for 29.8% of violence 21 years later. The study was published in the Environmental Health Journal. Read more here. Monetary rewards most effective when it comes to fitness motivation at workplace Offering monetary rewards instead of bonuses as part of workplace intervention programmes to encourage workers to be more physically active can fetch better results, a US study claims. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania examined 281 overweight or obese employees and divided them into different groups. The participants height and weight was taken before the study and a smartphone step-counter app was used to track their activity levels for 13 weeks. The findings show that workers in the monetary award group met their step goal on 45% of days, compared to the bonus group which met their goals on 36% of days. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more here. Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar News / Africa by Staff Reporter NINE people died of malaria in the northern regions by Wednesday last week while 425 cases have been reported, said health minster Bernard Haufiku.The Namibian reported that Haufiku was speaking in Windhoek during a parliamentary presentation last week.He said the ministry is calling on all Namibians and those travelling to the northern part of the country to take all necessary precautions to prevent malaria.Haufiku said malaria cases have increased across the southern African region in recent years, despite the former health minister Richard Kamwi who is also the ambassador of the 'Elimination 8' initiative in southern Africa, having said progress was being made before he handed over last year.The E8 are Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.In Haufiku's statement, it shows that in 2013 Namibia recorded over 4 000 cases and in 2014 15 000 cases. Over 10 000 cases were reported last year."Compared to previous years, increased cases are specifically reported in Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto regions," Haufiku said.He said the malaria symptoms include fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills and sweating, fatigue, nausea and vomiting."Community members experiencing the symptoms listed above are urged to immediately visit the nearest health facility for care," Haufiku advised.The minister said as preventative measures, the ministry conducts household spraying with insecticides free of charge to reduce the mosquito populations that are responsible for malaria transmission.Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are also distributed free of charge to all populations in the affected regions.For personal protection, communities are advised to use repellents, clean water around the household to prevent mosquito breeding and wear long sleeves to protect themselves from mosquito bites.Haufiku said the ministry has secured enough anti-malaria medicines, and all health facilities are well stocked to treat all patients diagnosed with malaria."Malaria elimination is the responsibility all Namibians," he asserted. News / Africa by Staff Reporter JEALOUSY drove a woman to inspect her husband's private parts to ascertain whether or not he was cheating on her, the Matero Local Court heard.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Patrick Mkandawire, 36, of Chisamba told Senior Court Magistrates Lewis Mumba and Pauline Newa that Ivy Phiri, 28, was so possessive that the two would end up fighting whenever he spoke to another woman.Mkandawire was sued for divorce did not object because their marital problems had reached the limit.The couple got married in 2009 and that they have a child together. No bride price was paid."Phiri also monitors my phone calls. If I come home late from work, Phiri thinks I was with another woman. At times she locks me out and only opens the door if my explanation to why I am late is convincing. Phiri also drinks and smokes," he said.Mkandawire told the court that one time during a marital dispute, Phiri pulled his manhood and that he was unwell for two weeks.And Phiri told the court that she wanted a divorce because she could not cope with Mkandawire's promiscuous behaviour."When my pregnancy was almost due, I went to live with my relatives. While away, Mkandawire started taking his girlfriends to our house," she said.Phiri said Mkandawire is so promiscuous that he even impregnated a neighbour's 14-year-old daughter."He was arrested for defilement and detained at Chisamba police station but later released after paying K1,000. We have been on separation for more than two years. I am tired and just want out," she said.However, the court dismissed the case because no bride price was paid The young man was buried in a vertical pit in a 8,500-year-old cemetery, one of the oldest ever found in Europe. A Mesolithic site in Germany has revealed the 7,000-year-old remains of a young man buried there in a strange upright position. Placed in a vertical pit, the body was fixed upright by filling the grave with sand up to the knees. The upper body was left to decay and was likely picked at by scavengers. The unique burial was found near the village of Gro Fredenwalde, on top of a rocky hill in northeastern Germany, about 50 miles north of Berlin. Skeleton of Burnt Witch Girl Found in Italy Dating back 8,500 years, the site belongs to the Mesolithic era when Europe was inhabited by hunter-gatherers who rarely stayed in one place. Nine skeletons have been excavated so far, including five children younger than 6 years and the 8,400-year-old skeleton of a 6-month-old infant, with arms still folded across the chest. According to Thomas Terberger, the excavation director at the Lower Saxony Department of Historic Preservation, the site was one of the first true cemeteries in Europe, used by native central European hunter-gatherers and fisherman from about 6400 B.C. to 500 B.C. It is evidence for a more stable way of life some 8,000 years ago, Terberger said. Oldest Dentistry Found in 14,000-Year-Old Tooth Detailing their findings in the journal Quaternary, Terberger and colleagues describe the skeleton buried upright as without any parallel in central Europe. From the arrangement of the bones, the researchers speculate the young man was put probably dead into a 5 foot vertical pit. Leaning with its back against the wall of the grave, the body was fixed in standing position by filling the pit with sands to a level above the knees. The pit was then left open or was preliminarily covered and subsequently carnivores were able to get at the corpse and gnaw on some of the arm bones, the researchers wrote. 1,500-Year-Old Prosthesis Found With Skeleton After decay, the upper body fell apart. The grave was then filled and sealed with a fire lit on top of the tomb. The burial is unique in central Europe and therefore it is difficult to find a specific reasons for such treatment, Terberger told Discovery News. The young man also received grave goods and this is indicating an unusual, but honorable treatment of the body, he added. On this background, I see no good argument to interpret the burial as a kind of punishment. The outstanding preservation of the nine skeletons will allow researchers to carry out scientific analyses, such as ancient DNA tests and isotope studies. We will be able to better characterize the native population at that time, before and after the first farmers immigrated to Central Europe from Southeast-Europe about 7,500 years ago, Terberger said. Originally published on Discovery News. Phil Newell writes on the intersection of climate, science and clean energy for Nexus Media. Newell contributed this article, a response to "10 Reasons California Is 'Greener' Than New York," to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Frank Sinatra, the epitome of cool, said that if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere. But what if you can't make it there? Well, then, you'll probably run away to California, like so many others before you. With its ample sunshine and eco-friendly reputation, California does provide New York with some stiff competition when it comes to doing what's right for the environment. But while Cali may have the, like, totally organic-free-range-vegan-gluten-free reputation, New York has done more to lead the way to a cleaner future. With its no-nonsense attitude and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic, New York has been turning the Golden State green (with envy) by making serious greenbacks and by doing a great job of going green. Here are the top 10 reasons those who <3 the Earth <3 New York most. 1) No fracking Posted signs protest fracking. (Image credit: Melanie Blanding) In December 2014, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation published its report on fracking. It provided all of the reasons necessary for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban fracking in the state of New York something activists in California are still hoping Gov. Jerry Brown will do, as well. From polluting the air, to polluting our water, to warming our climate, to potentially causing earthquakes, the report was clear that fracking is a significant threat to health and the environment. But maybe Cuomo was just worried about making the Hulk angry. 2) Public transit trumps EVs The 4 train inside a New York City subway station. (opens in new tab) via Shutterstock) (Image credit: NYC subway image via Shutterstock) To its credit, California is trying to ramp up electric-vehicle (EV) use which is great, since the electricity that powers them in Cali is pretty clean. (Elsewhere, where coal powers the grid, the issue's less clear-cut.) But California has to go big on EVs because the state is utterly dependent on cars, whereas New York City has one of the biggest public transit systems in the world. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority keeps 700,000 cars off the road every day. As writer David Owen, for Yale Environment 360, noted, New York's per capita gas consumption is equal to the national average in 1920! And while California may brag about its clean buses, the fact is that eight times as many New Yorkers take public transit , bikes or walk to work as Angelinos. 3) Solar Gigafactory Contractors install solar panels on a residential roof. (Image credit: Dennis Schroeder, NREL.) Cali may be installing more solar, but once SolarCity's new Gigafactory is running this year, the panels will be made in Buffalo, New York! The factory will be more than a million square feet, making it the largest facility of its kind not just in the United States but the entire Western Hemisphere. Once fully operational, it will pump out as many as 10,000 solar panels a day and will create an estimated 5,000 jobs across the state. 4) Lowest emissions per person Thousands of people cross the Brooklyn Bridge each day on foot or in other foot-powered ways. (Image credit: Thierry Cohen and Danziger Gallery) According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), New York state has the lowest per capita emissions in the country (except for Washington, D.C., which doesn't really count because it's not officially a state, despite how much the residents may resent that.) This means that while New York is home to a little more than 6 percent of the U.S. population, it emits a little less than 3 percent of the country's greenhouse gases and consumes only 1 percent of the nation's industrial power. So California's efforts at green energy are commendable but they're still playing catch-up to the Empire State. 5) Biggest emissions cuts (opens in new tab) located in the northeastern part of New York. In this region, the fall foliage peaks during the last two weeks of September. This magnificent view shows the multihued beauty of the Adirondacks, a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York. In this region, the fall foliage peaks during the last two weeks of September. (opens in new tab) shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: Elena Elisseeva Again, New York beats California in actually cutting emissions. According to the EIA, New York achieved the greatest absolute decline in fossil fuel emissions between 2000 and 2013, shrinking its footprint by a full 25 percent for a total of 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions cut. How much is 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide? That's about a trillion miles driven in an SUV that gets 17 miles per gallon, which is a lot, even for a Californian! 6) New York gets its money's worth Greenhouse gases are an area in great need of reduction. (Image credit: Shutterstock) In addition to making the biggest cuts and leaving the smallest footprints, New York also proves that a thriving economy doesn't need to be dirty. New York has the most energy-efficient economy in the country, boasting the best GDP-to-emissions ratio (how much wealth is produced per amount of greenhouse gasses emitted) of any state, according to the EIA. California is close, but New York still wins, producing half the emissions per GDP as the U.S. average. 7) Bringing activism home The People's Climate March in New York City consisted of 300,000 participants, making it the largest climate action in history. (opens in new tab) , GFDL) (Image credit: By Beyond My Ken - Own work , GFDL) When the People's Climate March became the largest climate action in history, with more than 300,000 participants, its home base wasn't California; it was New York City. That's because New York is home to a broad coalition of activists from diverse backgrounds and with varied goals, all of which tie into climate change. Out of that success, the NY Renews coalition has emerged as a powerful force for change the good kind, not the climate kind. California may have activists, but apparently, they're not as good at drawing a crowd as New York! 8) Cleaner electricity New York is making continuous strides toward being fossil-fuel-free. (Image credit: mattwalker69 via flickr http://bit.ly/1dK8srs) Cuomo's 2016 budget proposes phasing out all coal power plants in the state. This would put New York even farther in front of California when it comes to fossil-fuel-free electricity. According to the EIA, just half of New York's electricity comes from fossil-fuel sources, whereas almost 65 percent of California's electricity comes from dirty fuels primarily natural gas. [The True Costs of Renewable Energy ] 9) Better buildings New York is making large strides in using less fossil-fuel sources. (Image credit: Patrick Theiner Creative Commons) Heating, cooling and lighting New York City are big tasks, and account for almost three-quarters of the city's emissions. So, Mayor Bill de Blasio's Built to Last policy, which will retrofit 3,000 city-owned buildings to be more energy efficient and spur improvements in private ones, is a huge step to a cleaner future. That's why C40, a cities-based initiative for climate action, gave New York the Building Energy Efficiency Award last December. Over the next 10 years, NYC will spend a billion dollars on making buildings more efficient, saving 3.4 million metric tons of emissions a year the equivalent of taking more than 700,000 vehicles off the road. 10) Cuomo's $5 billion for clean energy Wind energy production increased by 16 percent in the United States from 2011 to 2012. (opens in new tab) Shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: S.R. Lee Photo Traveller To replace fossil fuels in New York's power mix, Cuomo has launched a whopping $5 billion for clean energy investments. That's huge equivalent to the total amount the U.S. federal government spends on all energy research and development, according to a report from the American Energy Innovation Council. So, that size investment would not only secure New York's place as a clean energy leader, but by investing so much in renewables, the state would go a long way in helping to make the technologies cheaper and easier for others to adopt. If you're a topical expert researcher, business leader, author or innovator and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here It's obvious, then, that New York is greener than California. New York's people have smaller carbon footprints, the state's electricity is cleaner and its buildings are just plain better. But please, don't paint us as hippie greens. We're perfectly happy letting California have the hippy dippy reputation we're too busy getting the real work done. Either way, with two of the biggest economies in the US ramping up clean energy efforts, its clear that the renewable energy revolution is underway. By bringing prices down as clean tech scales up, regardless of which state goes further faster, this beef benefits all of us. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science . News / Africa by Staff Reporter Police in Botswana has said they will not leave any stone unturned as investigations into the death of Abo Kgwarae, a key state witness in a murder case who was assaulted and left for dead last week, continue.Kgwarae (42) who was expected to testify in the murder case of former Fairground CEO, Michael Montshiwa, was allegedly beaten to a pulp by unknown culprits and left in the bush near Kgale junction along the Lobatse road.His vehicle, according to the police, had veered off the road and knocked a tree and was impounded with a damaged bumper and right fender.A female companion is said to have reported the matter and took the police to the scene where she disappeared while the police were still busy attending to the incident.Kgwarae who had sustained head injuries was then taken to Block 9 clinic and was later referred to Bokamoso Private Hospital.A bloodstained stone is said to have been recovered at the scene while another was found on the passenger seat.Superintendent King Tshebo of Old Naledi Police confirmed that Kgwarae was certified dead on Friday by doctors at Bokamoso. "We however are still investigating the matter and we are yet to establish how the accident occurred," he said. People who belong to social groups such as book clubs or church groups after they retire may live longer, a new study suggests. In fact, the benefits that belonging to social groups after retirement has for longevity are comparable to those of regular exercise after retirement, the researchers said. "If you are in the process of retiring and don't belong to any group, join one," said study author Niklas Steffens, a postdoctoral research fellow in psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia. "If you belong to only one or two groups, you might want to think about how to make the most of these and what other groups you may want to join." In the study, the researchers looked at 424 people in England, ages 50 and older, who were about to retire. They asked the people how many organizations, clubs or societies they belonged to, and also asked them about their overall quality of life and physical health. The researchers then followed these people for the next six years, and looked at whether the people continued their memberships of social organizations during this time. They also tracked which participants died. It turned out that 28 of the people in the study died within six years after retiring, and that the strongest predictor of death during the study was a person's age: At age 55, the average risk of death among the people in the study was 1 percent, compared with an 8 percent risk of death at age 65. [Extending Life: 7 Ways to Live Past 100] But the number of social group memberships that the people maintained after retiring was also a significant predictor of death within the same period of time, according to the study, published Feb. 15 in the journal BMJ Open. For example, if a person was a member of two social groups before they retired, and maintained these memberships over the next six years, their risk of dying during the study period was 2 percent. However, the risk increased to 5 percent if they gave up the membership of one of the groups, and increased to 12 percent if they gave up both memberships. Similarly, if a person exercised vigorously once a week before they retired, and maintained this frequency after they retired, their risk of dying over the next six years was 3 percent. However, the risk increased to 6 percent if they reduced the frequency of exercising to less than once a week, and to 11 percent if they stopped exercising altogether. "People invest a lot of energy and effort into planning their finances, medical care and physical exercise as they look ahead to retirement," Steffens told Live Science. "Our research shows that 'social planning' that is, planning to maintain or develop new social group memberships may be equally important in promoting health and well-being in retirement." The researchers noted that the people's physical health at the start of the study, based on their own subjective assessment, was not a significant predictor of death within six years after the people retired. The new research shows that it really doesn't matter what kind of social group a retired person belongs to, whether it is a church group or a group of people who meet to play cards, as long as it is "an organized, scheduled activity," said Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein, director of geriatric education at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, who was not involved in the new study. However, it is important that people actively participate in social activities on a scheduled, regular basis. Merely belonging to a gym or a social group, without participating regularly, will not benefit their health, Wolf-Klein added. The researchers said they don't know for sure why belonging to social groups after retiring appears to be linked to a longer life. However, previous research has shown that belonging to social groups helps people form a sense of identity, and this sense of identity may be critical for people's health, Steffens said. Follow Agata Blaszczak-Boxe on Twitter. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. Jeremy Deaton writes about the science, policy, and politics of climate and energy for Nexus Media. You can follow him at @deaton_jeremy. Deaton contributed this article, a response to "10 Reasons NY is 'Greener' than California" to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. "Go West, young man," wrote Horace Greeley. "No, seriously. They have burritos over there." When Greeley penned those words (the first few, anyway), he fired the first shot in a bicoastal battle for supremacy that still rages today. Some young Americans did indeed head west, to California, where they enjoyed surfing, sunshine and salsa. Others stayed east, in New York. I assume they went into banking. From then on, it was New York versus California. Knicks versus Lakers. Bagels versus burritos. A new front has opened up in this ongoing war. Both California and New York are tackling big problems like climate change, air pollution, safe transit and access to renewable energy. But while the Golden State sails to a greener future on a tide of cutting-edge clean-energy technology, New York is caught in the doldrums, struggling to catch up. Here are 10 reasons why West is best. 1) Electric cars California was recognized with three of the top four best regions for driving an electric car. (Image credit: ChargePoint) Don't like paying for gas? Want to get an electric car? Move to California. ChargePoint, a network of electric-vehicle charging stations, put out a list of the best places to drive such a car. The results speak for themselves. Three of the top four regions are in California: the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. New York didn't even crack the top 10. Californians are paving the way for electric cars and trucks. In 2012, California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order to fund the construction of 200 fast-charging stations and 10,000 plug-in units across the state. [The Energy Debates: Electric Cars ] 2) Super-quiet and -clean buses The LA Metro has begun its upgrade to an all-electric bus fleet. (Image credit: Luis Inzunza/Metro) Can't afford an electric car? Try an electric bus! The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) recently became the first major transit property in the country to start upgrading to an all-electric fleet. In April, LA Metro rolled out its first five electric buses, with more to come. At last, Angelinos can re-enact the final scene of "The Graduate" without the din of an internal combustion engine to muddy "The Sound of Silence." 3) Wind power California makes the best use of wind power. (Image credit: Department of Energy/NREL) Californians know that wind is for more than caressing your golden locks while you cruise down Sunset Boulevard. The Golden State is churning out roughly four times as much wind power as New York, despite having just twice as many residents. California ranks as the No. 2 state for wind-generating capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Wind-rich New York doesn't even break the top 10. 4) Solar energy California has the highest possible capacity for solar energy production. (Image credit: SEIA/GTM Research U.S. Solar Market Insight Report) Californians have long associated sunshine with warmth, tanning and anthropomorphic raisins, but now Golden Staters are also looking to the sun to generate electricity. Today, the solar-generating capacity of California dwarfs that of every other state, including New York, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Observers can expect California to widen its lead. In October, Gov. Brown signed a law requiring the state to generate half of its energy from clean sources like solar by 2030. 5) Starting a green business California, by far, has the most investment dollars available for green businesses. (Image credit: Cleantech Group with Clean Edge Analysis) It should come as no surprise that the state at the forefront of solar power is also leading the country in venture capital funding for green technology. Whether you're electric car magnate Elon Musk or solar technology magnate Elon Musk, you know that California is the best place to hunt for investor cash. In 2014, California accrued roughly half of all U.S. venture capital dollars for clean technology, upward of $2.5 billion, according the Clean Edge 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index. New York barely made the list of top 10 states anyone else seeing a trend here? 6) Hyperefficient homes Californians put a high priority into saving energy. (Image credit: Pujanak/Wikimedia) With the ongoing drought out West, water conservation has become a moral mission. Californians have resorted to"Game of Thrones"-style shaming for water wasters and put additional effort into saving energy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimate of state-by-state per-capita residential energy use, Californians consume less energy at home than do residents of nearly every other state, including New York. Now, California is mandating that homes and businesses double their energy efficiency by 2030. 7) Wind-powered subways Turbines in subway tunnels will produce power from the wind created by passing trains. (Image credit: Rosenberg/Metro) This fall, the NY subway system landed a supporting role in a viral video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza into an underground station. That was fun, but while New York City transit authorities test out rodent-powered pizza transport, LA Metro is experimenting with placing wind turbines along subway tracks to produce power from the wind moving trains create. No news yet on how this technology might be implemented, but it's a promising development that wind produced by underground trains could be used to generate more than just iconic moments with 1950s starlets. 8) Bikes Biking is a popular passtime on the west coast. (Image credit: Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock.com) Forget what you've heard about fixie-bound Brooklynites; New York isn't the place for cyclists. According to a report from the League of American Bicyclists, California ranks among the most bike-friendly states in the nation (8th out of 50). New York came in at a pitiable 29th. California's success is due in large part to investments made in bike infrastructure. In 2014, Gov. Brown signed into law legislation that encourages the construction of protected bike lanes and bike paths. 9) Sustainable cities San Francisco has lofty goals for going green. (Image credit: sxc.hu) Last year, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to ambitious reductions in carbon pollution possibly in an effort to distract from Pizzagate, wherein de Blasio consumed the city's signature dish with a knife and fork. Now, New York is now charting a path to 100 percent clean energy, though it's unclear when New York expects to reach this goal. Meanwhile, in California, San Diego has made a legally binding commitment to 100 percent clean energy by 2035. San Jose expects to go completely renewable by 2022, while San Francisco is aiming for 100 percent clean energy by 2020. 10) High-speed booze train to Vegas A high-speed train, such as this one in China, is planned to connect LA and Las Vegas. (Image credit: Chris Hale) Las Vegas may not be the most environmentally friendly city on the planet, but the way there is about the get a whole lot greener. If you live in Los Angeles, you're no stranger to the spur-of-the-moment Friday-night trip to Vegas. You're probably also no stranger to the full-of-regret Sunday afternoon drive home. Soon, that drive may be a thing of the past. In September, XpressWest and China Railway International USA announced a joint venture to build 230 miles (370 kilometers) of high-speed rail connecting LA to Las Vegas. It won't be long before you can nurse your hangover at 150 mph (240 km/h) without worrying about the radiator overheating. [What Are the World's Fastest Trains? ] If you're a topical expert researcher, business leader, author or innovator and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here Is there hope for the Empire State? Of course. Both California and New York are aiming to lower greenhouse gas pollution to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The two states will remain at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, and their rivalry will continue to push them toward their shared goal: fostering cities that are the best places in the world to live, work, play and write songs about. Whether California or New York comes out ahead, in the competition between East and West, everybody wins. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science. Archaeologists recently raised a nearly intact medieval shipwreck from the bed of a river in the Netherlands. The wooden ship, which was found at the bottom of the Ijssel River near Kampen, was at least 600 years old and was in rather pristine condition, with an intact brick oven and glazed tiles found in the galley. [Read the full story on the Medieval trading ship] Medieval origin The wooden, flat-bottomed ship was first discovered in 2012 while a national organization was carrying out investigations to preserve water safety in the Dutch river. The ship was found along with a river barge and a punt, a vessel used especially for navigating river deltas. All three boats were submerged in the Ijssel River, in the Netherlands. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Herculean effort Getting the massive ship out of the river intact proved to be an extremely involved project. A huge platform was built around the shipwreck (shown here in 3D reconstruction). (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Characteristic cog The ship had characteristic construction found in a medieval ship called a cog. Those features included the length-to-width ratio, the steep, straight prow and stern and deck beams that jut out through the outer skin of the ship. The large ship (shown here in 3D reconstruction) had been submerged in the frigid waters for at least 600 years. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Stunningly preserved The cog was stunningly preserved; some of the caulking used to seal the ship, and many of the nails, were still found in place. Because the boat was held together with metal support structures, such as nails, it didn't collapse into a pile of wood, as the barge did when it was lifted from the water. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Deliberately sunk? While archaeologists don't know for sure how the Ijssel cog wound up at the bottom of the river, one likely possibility is that it was deliberately sunk, along with the two other vessels. During the 1500s, the river was filling with silt, which was creating large sandbanks that prevented ships from making port. To counteract that problem, medieval maritime engineers may have attempted to dam the river or divert its flow slightly away from those sandbanks. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Large ship The cog itself was nearly 65 feet (20 meters) by 26 feet (8 m) wide and weighed a whopping 55 tons (50 tonnes). The boat had been stripped of much of its original glory, but the team did find anchors and dredges, as well as a stay support, a metal structure designed to hold the ropes that support the ship's mast. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Careful extraction The effort to extract the ship was monumental. It involved suctioning out the site underwater, bracing the ship bottom with a kind of basket made of straps, then carefully inching the boat out of the water on a crane. Each of the straps has its own computer guiding its motion, which allowed the excavation team to have fine-grained control over the boat's removal. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Stunning details While archaeologists originally though the boat was completely dismantled before being sunk, it turned out the cog still harbored its ancient galley, complete with a glazed tile deck and a brick oven. The bricks, a traditional Dutch type known as "klostermoppen," date to the 13th century. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Preserving the boat Now that the boat is outside the water, researchers have placed it on a pontoon, where it will be encased in a protective frame. From there, the boat will be moved to Batavialand in Lelystad, the Netherlands. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Keeping cool To protect the ship from damage, the team has created both wet and dry stations nearby at the Nieuw Land Heritage Centre. The climate-control system will keep the boat wet all the time. Here, a worker wets some of the wreckage found from the site. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Public viewing If the boat is in good enough condition, the team hopes to eventually dry out the boat for display in a museum, a process that could take three years. However, if the boat is too fragile to be dried out, it will be thoroughly studied and mined for its medieval secrets, then destroyed. (Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands) Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter and Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. A weird world of warlike ants and well-armored termites has been found preserved in amber. The insect fossils, entombed in Burmese amber from Myanmar, date back 99 million years for the ants and 100 million years for the termites. The fossils reveal the startling sociality of these insects very early in their development. The ants cluster together with others of their kind and, in one case, engage in pitched jaw-to-jaw battle. The termites show different body adaptations for soldiers and workers, a hallmark of specialized roles. "Up until now, the oldest [termite] soldiers that we knew about were 20 million years old, so we have 80 million years longer of a record," said study researcher Philip Barden, a postdoctoral scientist at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York. [See Photos of the Battling Ants and Termites Trapped in Amber] Tough termites Termites are the oldest known social animal group, Barden told Live Science, and fossil and genetic evidence suggests they emerged in the early Cretaceous period, between 146 million and 100 million years ago. Termite fossils older than 100 million years have been found, he said, but only of winged reproductive termites. The Burmese amber specimens, which are housed in the AMNH collection, are the oldest evidence of castes. Termite colonies today, just like in the Cretaceous, are made up of reproductive individuals with wings, workers responsible for constructing tunnels and collecting food and soldiers responsible for defense. Workers and soldiers are easy to tell apart, Barden said, because workers are soft and featureless, and soldiers have hard, distinctive heads and strong mandibles. [Gallery: Out-of-This-World Images of Insects] "A worker is just very killable, and the soldier is like an armored tank of a thing," Barden said. Reporting online Feb. 11 in the journal Current Biology, the researchers christened one of the newly discovered species found in the amber Gigantotermes rex. The termite was nearly an inch (2 centimeters) long, with thick mandibles. Another new species. Krishnatermes yoddha, got its name from the late termite researcher Kumar Krishna and the Hindi word "Yod'dha," or warrior. All three castes of K. yoddha were found, including a thick-headed soldier, a far more fragile worker and a reproductive termite with diaphanous wings. It's interesting to find such a clear delineation of roles so early in termite development, because ants termites' main nemeses were not yet ecologically dominant 100 million years ago, Barden said. "It seems that the termite soldier caste isn't necessarily to deal with these early ants," he said. "It was already well-developed when ants were kind of taking their baby steps." Ancient ants Those ant baby steps were outlined in a companion paper, also published online in Current Biology. Barden and his colleagues examined Burmese amber fossils of ants from 99 million years ago, only 1 million years younger than the oldest known ant fossils, which were found in France. Ants probably evolved some 50 million years before these fossils, in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous, but no fossils have been found from that period. The new fossils reveal that by 99 million years ago, ants were social; though they make up a mere 1 percent of the insect fossils found in the amber, they cluster together far more often than would be expected by chance. For example, the likelihood that one specimen that held 11 Gerontoformica spiralis ants and one Haidomyrmex zigrasi ant would exist by mere happenstance is 1 in 31 quadrillion, the researchers reported. Another piece of amber contains 21 ants of three different species. Another newly described species of Cretaceous ant from Myanmar, Gerontoformica mauradarus,had fierce mandibles. (Image credit: Copyright AMNH/D. Grimaldi and P. Barden) One of the most stunning fossils captured workers of two species, G. spiralis and G. tendir, locked in mortal combat with their jaws clasped around each other's appendages. Before either could emerge victorious, amber enveloped the battle, freezing it in place. The discovery of ant "warfare" is just one line of evidence showing complex social behavior in these insects, Barden said. The researchers also found fossilized workers and queens, revealing that these specializations already existed in ant colonies in the Cretaceous. The discovery was also exciting, Barden said, because the ants are so alien compared with the pests raiding kitchen cabinets today. Take the Haidomyrmex genus. These now-extinct ants had huge mandibles that may have snapped shut to impale their prey, Barden said. Haidomyrmex (which means "hell ant") survived for at least 20 million years, and its specializations suggest it may have depended on a particular, but unknown, type of prey. Another species, newly described from the Burmese samples, had a camel-like head and bizarre mouthparts covered in pointy hairs. "It looks almost like 'Predator' from the movies," Barden said. These long-lost lineages are to today's ants what dinosaurs are to modern birds, Barden said early adaptions that have now been lost. He and his colleagues are now studying more Burmese fossils as well as the genetics of modern insects to understand how these creatures and their social structures evolved. "The fossils can be really illuminating for learning about things that are alive today," Barden said. "And the things alive today and the genes within them can be really illuminating for learning about how these early things lived." Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitterand Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article on Live Science. Right now, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating with researchers in Brazil studying Zika virus. The scientists aim to figure out definitively whether the rapidly spreading mosquito-borne virus is harming the developing brains of fetuses, leading to infants born with smaller heads and smaller brains. In a recent press briefing, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said that "with each passing day, the association between the Zika virus and microcephaly is looking stronger and stronger." Now, to further investigate whether there is indeed a cause-and-effect link between the virus and microcephaly, researchers will use a key type of research study called a case-control study, Frieden said. Early evidence of a causal link is emerging: The CDC recently analyzed specimens of brain tissue collected from two infants with microcephaly in Brazil who died shortly after birth, and two pregnancies that ended in early miscarriage. All four mothers had signs of Zika infection, such as fever and rash, in the first trimester of pregnancy. Those lab results showed the presence of Zika virus in the brain tissues of the babies and placental tissues from the miscarriages. This suggested a strong connection between in-utero exposure to the Zika virus and microcephaly, according to a CDC report published on Feb. 10. [Zika Virus News: Complete Coverage of the 2016 Outbreak] To further investigate a causal link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, one of the key methodologies that researchers will use is a case-control study, Frieden said. A case-control study could provide stronger evidence of a link than the preliminary research gathered so far, he suggested. Using this type of study, the researchers will identify infants who definitely have microcephaly, considered the "cases," and babies who don't have the birth defect, considered the "controls." Once the investigators have a large enough number in each group, the scientists can then compare many of the characteristics of the infants and their mothers, looking at environmental exposures and laboratory test results, to tease out which differences between the groups may signal a causal connection. Searching for clues Currently, the CDC is working to rapidly accumulate information and carefully evaluate all the scientific evidence that could help establish the full picture of the link between Zika and microcephaly, said Peggy Honein, an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities in Atlanta. A planned case-control study of Zika and microcephaly is starting soon in Brazil, and a field team from the CDC has traveled there to help in this research, Honein said. The CDC also hopes to start a similar study in Colombia, and is working on reviewing cases in Puerto Ricol, Honein added. This digitally-colorized image shows particles of Zika virus, which is a member of the family Flaviviridae. The virus particles are colored red in the picture. They are 40 nanometers (0.00004 millimeters) in diameter. (Image credit: CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith) For the Brazil study, the researchers hope to enroll a total of 400 to 500 women who had babies in the last few months, including both those babies with microcephaly (as cases), and those without the condition (as controls), Honein told Live Science. The researchers will examine risk factors, such as whether the women had symptoms of the Zika virus during their pregnancies, which trimester they had these symptoms, and whether the women had other potential prenatal exposures, such as to rubella or environmental toxins, that might be strongly associated with an adverse birth outcome, including microcephaly, Honein said. Whenever possible, researchers will also look to see if there is any lab confirmation of these infections, but the scientists may need to base their assessment of whether the infection was present on the symptoms experienced by the women, Honein said. Between mid-2015 and January 2016, about 4,800 infants born in Brazil were reported as having suspected microcephaly, whereas fewer than 200 cases were reported per year in the country prior to the Zika outbreak, according to a recent paper in the journal Lancet. The outbreak began in the northeast region of Brazil in early 2015. However, although there has been a huge increase in suspected cases of microcephaly, the number of actual microcephaly cases in Brazil may be much lower. The number may drop when lab tests, imaging exams and rigorous investigations by health professionals are completed, the authors of the Lancet study said. Why case-control studies could give clues Microcephaly can be a difficult birth defect to monitor, because there are different criteria and definitions used to diagnose it, Honein said. She also said that researchers are looking at examples of other viral illnesses that can cause health problems in infants if the infections occur during pregnancy, such as rubella and cytomegalovirus infections. The researchers are trying to use this information to understand more about the Zika virus and its possible mechanisms of causing microcephaly. [Video: What You Need to Know About Zika Virus] An Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species that transmits the Zika virus, viewed through a microscope. (Image credit: Luis Gerardo Sandoval Ortiz/CC BY-SA 4.0) Case-control studies are widely used, especially for studying infectious diseases, said Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, who specializes in studying emerging infectious diseases. Such studies are easy to do and are efficient for gathering data for rarer diseases that have a relatively small number of cases, he said. Case-control studies are valuable when researchers want some quick answers, and the studies are an appropriate place to start accumulating information in these circumstances, Morse told Live Science. "But the trick is finding appropriate matched controls as a comparison group," he explained. Other types of studies such as cohort studies, which are used to evaluate the cause of a disease in a group of people over time based on their exposure to risk factors can take a long time to complete for a rare disease, such as microcephaly, Morse said. A case-controlled study could probably be completed in a few months, he said. Learning more information from a case-control study can help strengthen the evidence of a causal relationship between Zika infections in pregnant women and microcephaly, Morse said. Researchers will collect information from pregnant women in Brazil about numerous factors: their age; socioeconomic status; living conditions; nutritional status; exposure to toxins during pregnancy, such as pesticides or lead; and infections experienced during pregnancy. By doing so, the researchers can sort out whether the Zika virus alone or in combination with other risk factors may be contributing to this birth defect, he explained. Little is currently known about the prevalence of Zika virus infections in the Brazilian population at large or in pregnant women, so there is a need to understand what percentage of pregnant women who were exposed to the Zika virus had babies born with microcephaly, Morse said. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. New genetic research suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred about 100,000 years ago, which is much earlier than thought. Neanderthals and modern humans may have interbred much earlier than thought, with ancient liaisons potentially taking place in the Middle East, researchers say. This finding supports the idea that some modern humans left Africa long before the ancestors of modern Europeans and Asians migrated out of Africa, scientists added. The Neanderthals were once the closest relatives of modern humans, living in Europe and Asia until they went extinct about 40,000 years ago. Scientists recently discovered that Neanderthals and modern humans once interbred; nowadays, about 1.5 to 2.1 percent of DNA in people outside Africa is Neanderthal in origin. Last week, researchers reported that the genetic legacy of the Neanderthal has had a subtle but significant impact on modern human health, influencing risks for depression, heart attacks, nicotine addiction, obesity and other problems. Based on the fossil record, Neanderthals diverged from modern humans at least 430,000 years ago. Previous analysis of a Neanderthal genome from a cave in the Altai Mountains in Siberia suggests the two lineages diverged between about 550,000 to 765,000 years ago. Subsequent research suggested that interbreeding led Neanderthals to contribute genetic material to modern humans outside Africa about 47,000 to 65,000 years ago. [In Photos: Neanderthal Burials Uncovered] Now researchers find there may have also been gene flow in the opposite direction, from modern humans to Neanderthals. These findings suggest that modern humans and Neanderthals may have met and interbred about 100,000 years ago, much earlier than thought. DNA from this 40,000-year-old modern human jawbone reveals the man had a Neanderthal ancestor as recently as four to six generations ago. (Image credit: MPI f. Evolutionary Anthropology/ Paabo) "We find a rather ancient signal of gene flow from modern humans into the ancestors of Neanderthals from the Altai Mountains in Siberia, suggesting that early modern humans had already migrated out of Africa by the time Neanderthals from Europe moved eastward," said study co-author Sergi Castellano, an evolutionary biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. The scientists analyzed the genome of a Neanderthal from the Altai Mountains, as well as DNA from two other Neanderthals, one from Spain and one from Croatia. They also scanned the genomes of two modern humans, as well as one from a Denisovan, an extinct human lineage related to Neanderthals whose fossils were also discovered in the Altai Mountains. The researchers found that a group of modern humans contributed DNA to the ancestors of Neanderthals from Altai about 100,000 years ago. In contrast, they did not see this genetic contribution in Neanderthals in Europe, nor in the Denisovan genome. The scientists noted that the modern human DNA found in the Altai Neanderthals came from a group that diverged from other modern human populations about 200,000 years ago, about the same time the ancestors of present-day African populations separated from one another. The modern human group that interbred with the Altai Neanderthals apparently later went extinct, and are not among the ancestors of present-day people outside Africa, who left that continent about 65,000 years ago, the researchers said. Castellano and his colleagues speculated that the episode of interbreeding they detected may have occurred in the Levant, the eastern Mediterranean region that includes Israel and Syria. Previous research suggested that modern humans and Neanderthals were present in the Levant as early as 120,000 years ago. Another potential location for this interbreeding was Southern Arabia and the area around the Persian Gulf, they added. "The exact place where the gene flow occurred is not settled, but the Near East fits the fossil evidence we currently have," Castellano told Live Science. The scientists detailed their findings in the Feb. 18 issue of the journal Nature (opens in new tab). Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. Months after seeing evidence of looting from space, Parcak and her colleagues went to look at the looting pits in Dahshur for themselves. This one was 10 meters (33 feet) deep. As economic and political instability rocked Egypt, looters increasingly plundered the country's archaeological sites, leaving holes across the nation's ancient landscapes. That's the trend reported today in the journal Antiquity by archaeologists who used satellite images to monitor sites in Egypt from 2002 to 2013. For the last several years, "space archaeologist" Sarah Parcak, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has pored over satellite images to discover lost pyramids, tombs and cities buried in Egypt. (She's even detected the network of streets and houses of ancient Tanis, the city featured in the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark.") In her latest study, Parcak didn't analyze ancient features, but rather looked at modern ones in Egypt: the holes in the ground left by tomb robbers and antiquities thieves. [Reclaimed History: 9 Repatriated Egyptian Antiquities] "Simply staggering" pits Parcak and her colleagues looked at satellite images for 1,100 archaeological sites in Egypt's Nile Valley and Delta between 2002 and 2013. The researchers found that the first spike in looting actually came before the political uncertainty of the Arab Spring, the wave of uprisings that began the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. Looting levels at least doubled from 2009 to 2010, in connection with the global economic crisis, and then doubled again from 2011 to 2013, following the revolution that began in Egypt in January 2011. If looting rates continue at their current rate, all 1,100 sites examined in the study will be looted by 2040, Parcak and her colleagues wrote in the new study. This satellite image of Dahshur, the site of the pyramid of Amenemhet III, was taken in September 2014. (Image credit: Antiquity/Parcak et al, courtesy of DigitalGlobe) "The number of looting pits dug during 2009 and 2010 is, in our opinion, simply staggering," Parcak and her colleagues wrote. They counted 15,889 looting pits in their 2009 satellite data, and 18,634 in the 2010 data. For comparison, just 3,247 pits were visible in the satellite data from 2008. Looting thengrew even worse after the onset of the Arab Spring. On average, the researchers counted 38,000 annual looting pits from 2011 to 2013. Nearly three-quarters of the total damage the archaeologists documented in the study took place during this three-year period. This trend was borne out at individual sites, such as the area around the crumbling Middle Kingdom pyramid of Amenemhet III at Dahshur, south of Cairo. The site showed no signs of looting in 2009. But by May 2011, satellite images of the same area show a dozen or so looting pits. By September 2012, the site was pockmarked with holes, and by May 2013, the situation was even worse. When Parcak and her colleagues went to examine the site on foot in December 2014, they saw the looting pits up close. Some of holes were up to 30 feet (10 meters) deep, the researchers said. What happens after looters find treasure? Parcak and her colleagues aren't the only ones tracking looting from space; other researchers have applied the same technique to sites in Syria and Iraq, where conflict has left archaeological sites vulnerable to destruction. "What satellite imagery has done is show us the scale of the problem," said David Gill, a professor of archaeological heritage at the U.K.'s University Campus Suffolk. Gill, who was not involved in the study, noted that the striking images of looting holes should prompt some further questions: How much material must be coming out of these sites, and what's happening to these objects? Are they being stored in warehouses? Or are they entering the market? [In Photos: Amazing Egyptian Artifacts] Polygons were drawn over each pit to measure the extent of looting. (Image credit: (Antiquity/Parcak et al)) Auction data compiled by Gill shows that the total value of Egyptian antiquities sold at Sotheby's in 2002 was about $3 million, but then during the 2009-2010 period, this value was more than $13 million. Parcak and her colleagues noted that the increase in the market mirrors the increase in looting evidenced by the satellite data, which suggests there might be a connection. "My hunch is that what we need to do is more analysis of what's coming onto the market," Gill said, adding that auction houses and galleries need to have more rigorous "due diligence" tests to authenticate Egyptian antiquities and make sure these objects have legitimate collecting histories. A stricter market might also discourage looters. "If you can't sell it, it's not worth looting." Satellite imagery could also play a role in the search for illicit antiquities on the art market, Parcak and her colleagues wrote. For instance, if the data from space show that an Egyptian New Kingdom site has been heavily looted, a generalized international watch list could be created to make dealers and auction houses aware of the kinds of mummy masks and other antiquities that should raise suspicion. The researchers mentioned another needed area of study: on-the-ground ethnographic work to understand who is looting these ancient sites and why. (For instance, are the looters desperate locals or members of opportunistic crime cartels?) Citizen space-archaeologists Parcak also wants to enlist members of the public in her fight against art crimes and her quest for undiscovered monuments. She was awarded the 2016 TED Prize, and last night at the TED Conference in Vancouver, she announced what she plans to do with her $1 million award: turn citizens into space archaeologists with a platform called Global Xplorer. "I believe there are millions of archaeological sites left to find," Parcak said, according to TED. But searching vast areas with satellite data takes a long time. Parcak said she hopes to tackle this problem with a citizen-science platform. Her plan for Global Xplorer is to give citizen archaeologists an online tutorial on how to look for never-before-studied ancient features as well as signs of looting. Then, these participants would be sent a series of satellite images to analyze. "We'll be treating sites like human patient data, and not revealing GPS points or showing you where your image is on a map," Parcak said. "The data will only be shared with vetted authorities, to create a global alarm system to help protect sites around the world." The model sounds similar to other crowdsourced projects that have emerged in recent years that ask citizen scientists to do things like count craters on the moon, identify features on Mars, transcribe British war diaries and categorize animals in camera trap photos from the Serengeti. (Those are just some examples from the dozens of projects that can be found on the citizen science portal Zooniverse.) "A hundred years ago, archaeology was for the rich. Fifty years ago, it was mainly for men. Now, it is primarily for academics," Parcak said in her talk. "Our goal is to democratize the process of archeological discovery and allow anyone to participate." Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. A pair of elongated, whiplike legs that are actually sophisticated environment sensors distinguish an unusual arachnid known as the whip spider, also called the tailless whip scorpion. Scientists recently described eight new species of this long-legged spider that are native to Brazil, nearly doubling the number of known species in the genus Charinus. Whip spiders use only six of their eight legs for walking, reserving their "whips" which can reach several times the spiders' body length for exploring the world around them and locating prey, through a combination of touch and chemical signals. Thanks to the new species discoveries, Brazil now boasts the greatest diversity of whip spiders in the world. But the forest ecosystems where these new species live are threatened by human development, and the researchers suggested that stronger conservation measures are urgently required in order to protect the whip spiders' habitats, and to discover more species before their habitats are destroyed. [Ghoulish Photos: Creepy, Freaky Creatures That Are (Mostly) Harmless] There are 170 known species of whip spiders found all over the world, mostly in tropical areas in the Americas. According to the researchers, the Amazon region known for its diverse habitats, plants and animals was long suspected of hiding many more whip spider species than were previously known. Though some whip spiders measure up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) at the fullest extension of their "whips," most are less than 2 inches (5 cm) and are hard to spot, hiding in leaf litter, under stones and tree bark, and in caves. To identify the new species, the researchers turned their attention to specimens from the collections in four Brazilian natural history museum collections: the Butantan Institute, the National Museum of Brazil, the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, and the Museum of Zoology of the University of Sao Paulo. What does it take to describe a new whip spider species? Days, weeks and ultimately months of scrutinizing the spiders' body parts under a microscope and comparing them with other known species in order to find unique and differentiating characteristics, said study co-author Gustavo Silva de Miranda. Details of whip spider Charinus carajas (Image credit: Alessandro Ponce de Leao Giupponi / Gustavo Silva de Miranda) De Miranda, a graduate student at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science that he and his colleagues performed exhaustive inventory of the spiders' features, including the number of segments in the whiplike limbs, the prey-catching spines at the tips of their legs, the groupings of their eyes, and the shape of the females' genitalia, called gonopods. "If we compare all these things and see that it's very unique, then we consider it a new species," de Miranda said. Genital structures turned out to be quite an important point of comparison, de Miranda explained. In each whip spider species, the female's gonopod shape corresponded very specifically to the shape of the male's sperm sac, for perfect alignment. Female (AF) and male (GH) genital organs of the new whip spider species. (Image credit: Alessandro Ponce de Leao Giupponi / Gustavo Silva de Miranda) But even as new whip spider species are described, their behavior and habits in the wild remain elusive, de Miranda said. One study, he said, detailed confrontations between males competing for females or territory the spiders extend and display their head appendages, squaring off without actually fighting, and the loser (the one with the smaller display) retreats after a 20-minute stare-down. "But there is still a lot to be discovered," de Miranda said. "We're trying to understand the evolution of the group, their relationships, how they are so widespread, their morphological evolution." He said this makes it imperative not only to find new species, but to preserve the fragile ecosystems where these spiders live. "If they are not protected, they will vanish from nature," de Miranda said. The findings were published online today (Feb. 17) in the journal PLOS ONE. Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitterand Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. A recent report claims that a pesticide in Brazil's drinking water could be the culprit responsible for the country's recent alarming rise in microcephaly, but experts say there is no evidence to support this claim, and furthermore, that such a link is not biologically possible. The report, compiled by a group of doctors in Argentina called Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), appeared online Feb. 9, claiming that Brazil's clusters of microcephaly a congenital condition that causes babies to be born with undersized heads and face lifelong impairments, and which is widely suspected to be linked to the Zika virus outbreak are in fact caused by a pesticide called pyriproxyfen, which targets the growth of insect larva, including the larvae of the mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus. PCST suggested that since pyriproxyfen inhibits the mosquito larvae's growth, it could have a similar affect on a developing fetus. "The evolution from zygote to embryo, from embryo to fetus and from fetus to newborn, is not far from the development process of the mosquito affected by pyriproxyfen," the report said. But experts disagree. Ian Musgrave, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine Sciences at the University of Adelaide in Australia, explained in a statement that although pyriproxyfen does regulate growth, it "is not plausible" that the substance could cause birth defects in humans. "Pyriproxyfen acts by interfering with the hormonal control growth cycle of insects from hatching, to larvae, to pupa," Musgrave said. "This hormone control system does not exist in organisms with backbones, such as humans, and pyriproxyfen has very low toxicity in mammals as a result." [Zika Virus News: Complete Coverage of the 2016 Outbreak] Scientists have also conducted extensive testing in animals to investigate the effects of pyriproxyfen on reproduction. "In a variety of animal species, even enormous quantities of pyriproxyfen do not cause the defects seen during the recent Zika outbreak," Musgrave said in the statement. Public health researchers have not yet proven a link between Zika and microcephaly, but are rapidly accumulating evidence that points to a connection, with several studies revealing Zika DNA in amniotic fluid and in the tissues of fetuses with the condition. Pyriproxen was introduced into drinking water reservoirs in Brazil during the second half of 2014 by the Ministry of Health, in order to cope with a growing mosquito problem. As water access in poor communities in northeastern Brazil can be intermittent, many people stored water in their homes, creating favorable breeding conditions for the Aedes mosquitoes. The pesticide interrupts the growth cycle of the Aedes group of mosquitoes, which spread Zika as well as other viruses. In the U.S., pyriproxyfen is not permitted to be used in drinking water, according to a statement emailed to Live Science from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, when the EPA assessed pyriproxyfen in 2015, the agency found that "no risks of concern were identified" in pyriproxyfen exposure resulting from a combination of food, water and residential uses. According to an agency representative, the "EPA has thoroughly evaluated all registered uses of the pesticide pyriproxyfen in the United States and has determined that it is safe for developing mammals, including humans, and for the wildlife, fish, plants and endangered species." On Saturday (Feb. 13), authorities in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul in Brazil issued an announcement saying that they were suspending the use of pyriproxyfen in drinking water, due to the concerns raised by PCST. However, abandoning the pesticide could carry serious consequences for human health, according to Andrew Batholomaeus, a consultant toxicologist from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Canberra in Australia. Batholomaeus said in a statement that this would likely lead to more illness and deaths from mosquito-borne diseases. "If these reports and suggestions are motivated by anything other than ignorance and poor scholarship they are deserving of the most strident condemnation," he said. Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. News / Education by Staff Reporter Hundreds of Ordinary Level graduates mostly from private boarding schools risk failing to further their education to Advanced Level after headmasters at their former schools have refused to issue them their November 2015 public examination results due to outstanding school fees.Ordinary Level results were released by ZIMSEC two weeks ago and schools are in the process of enrolling learners for Advanced level classes that resume next week Monday. However a considerable number of learners remain at home as parents have not been able to clear fees at their previous schools due to the harsh economic conditions in the country.Parents who sent their complaints through to Bulawayo24 News claim that the schools insist that all outstanding fees be fully paid before results are released to the learners. The schools are reportedly even refusing to issue confirmations of subjects passed so the pupil could proceed with their education while the school sorts the issue of unpaid fees with the parents.The parents further claim that most schools do not even want to enter into a payment arrangement with the schools which would allow release of the results to facilitate their children to proceed with schooling while they settle the fees."My daughter is crying at home not sure what her future is going to be while the school refuses to release her results," says a parent with a child who was at a school in the outskirts of Bulawayo."I am a teacher and a single mother of two and owe the school $485 of which I was hoping to reduce considerable with the December bonus which still hasn't been paid and gradually clear the balance while she learns but the school won't release my daughter's results," said the parent."She will have to remain home for the whole year and go for her A levels next year when I have fully paid the school. There is nothing I can do if the school can not give us the results. I have spent two days at the school trying to reason with them but they just won't listen, I can't talk any more.""I can only pray she doesn't fall pregnant in the year she sits idle at home" she added.Comment on the matter could not be obtained from the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education but in previous statements the Ministry has warned schools against taking outstanding fees issues on children's and deal with parents even if it means taking legal action against they parents. TNT is set to pull out of the Iran market as a direct consequence of the Dutch companys impending takeover by FedEx, highlighting the disadvantage US firms face in this potentially significant economy. A company spokesman said: We have analysed the compliance requirements that would apply to TNT after completion of the FedEx offer, including the restrictions arising from US economic and trade sanctions. Although EU sanctions have been lifted, US sanctions remain at this time. This means that we will no longer be able to offer a delivery service to/from Iran after completion. The FedEx offer to acquire TNT is anticipated to close in the first half of 2016. Considering the increasing likelihood of successfully completing the acquisition, we have informed our local business partner about the need to terminate our arrangements. We are also informing our customers about the upcoming change. TNT does not have its own operations in Iran in terms of a road network or flights, working instead through an agent. But the company stressed that the intended FedEx-TNT combination would bring considerable benefits to our customers in terms of geographic coverage and breadth of service. News / Local by Staff reporter Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association national executive member Francis Zimuto, whose Chimurenga nom de guerre was Black Jesus, has dared First Lady Grace Mugabe, telling her she was just a "young girl", whose behaviour was "unmotherly" and in sharp contrast to her predecessor, the late Sally.Zimuto said Grace should "ship out and go home to cook for her husband, instead of meddling with the army, war veterans and the party".Zimuto said Zanu-PF and war veterans were inseparable. Save Zanu-PF Campaign national co-ordinator Godfrey Tsenengamu challenged Grace to stop abusing her position as Women's League secretary to publicly dress down senior party officials. Estanislao Tanis Zamora Jr., 64, was called by the Lord on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Left to cherish his memory is his mother, Margarita Zamora; children, Veronica (Gilberto Pedraza) Zamora, Estanislao (Amanda) Zamora III, Isabel (Jose) Lopez, Monica Zamora, Daniel (Anabelle Vargas) Zamora, Gerardo (Alondra) Zamora, Noel (Marissa Maribel Martinez) Zamora; 28 grandchildren, one great-granddaughter; brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. The family will be receiving guests Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Gamez & Sons Funeral and Cremation Services, 1029 Bob Bullock Loop, where a rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, where a funeral mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Interment will follow at the Laredo City Cemetery. Funeral services are under the arrangements of Gamez & Sons Funeral and Cremation Services, 1029 Bob Bullock Loop, Laredo, TX 78043. For more information, please call (956) 701-3459. You may sign the guest book, buy flowers, or leave condolences to the family online at www.gamezandsons.com. Press Releases By Allison Gayne Published: February 17 2016 NYLD Infrastructure New York Leak Detection, Inc. Vice President and Director Mark Manzari recently addressed Long Island water commissioners on leak detection strategies and technologies at a recent Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association meeting. (Pictured L to R) NSWCA 1st VP Andrew Bader of the Plainview Water District, NSWCA Pres. Raymond Averna of Massapequa Water District, Guest Presenter Mark Manzari of NYLD Infrastructure, Past NSWCA Pres. Thomas Hand of Massapequa Water District, Past NSWCA Treasurer Karl Schweitzer of Hicksville Water District, & NSWCA 2nd VP Vincent Abbatiello of the Westbury Water District at a recent meeting. Farmingdale, NY - February 17th, 2016 - At a recent Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association (NSWCA) meeting, Guest Presenter NYLD Infrastructure New York Leak Detection, Inc. Vice President and Director of Operations Mark Manzari discussed with Long Island water commissioners subsurface utility engineering, particularly within the context of leak detection and field-to-finish infrastructure data collection. During the meeting, Mr. Manzari addressed how water districts can utilize state-of-the-art location and mapping technologies to deliver on site, real time utility location and depth information, as well as leak locations and condition assessments. Several Long Island water districts already utilize these services including Hicksville, Glenwood, Manhasset-Lakeville and Franklin Square.Detecting leaks is the first step toward repairing them, which conserves natural resources and contains costs, Mr. Manzari pointed out. Savings in terms of labor, cost and time are often realized and infrastructure integrity is preserved. Advanced location technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar are being used to verify locations of waterlines, resulting in more accurate identification of potential or existing problems. Long Island, with thousands of miles of aging subterranean infrastructure, is a prime candidate for this technology. NSWCA President Raymond Averna of Massapequa Water District commented, NSWCAs Continuing Education Series connects expert professionals with our NSWCA Commissioners who are closest to Long Islands water supply. We greatly appreciate Mr. Manzaris informative presentation and firsthand perspective on such services as potential conservation tools in our efforts to enhance the protection of Long Island residents and our sole source supply of water. About Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association Organized and chartered in 1981, Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association (NSWCA) is comprised of water commissioners from 21 Nassau and Suffolk County water districts. The NSWCA is dedicated to promoting environmental excellence and best practices as well as maintaining the highest standards of water quality and supply. NSWCA sponsors regular educational meetings on topics that include the environment, security, economics, rules and regulations, among other related issues. For further information on NSWCA, please contact NSWCA President Raymond Averna via phone, 516-650-5880, or via email. News / National by Stephen Jakes ZimFirst leader Maxwell Shumba has accused former Vice President Joice Mujuru of participating in various political disturbances that rock the country mostly committed by the government of Zanu PF since 1980.In a Facebook post without mentioning Mujuru's name, Shumba said she was there when all this happened."When in early 80's Gukurahundi happened and about 20 000 innocent people were massacred in Matebeleland she was there," he said."When people fit as a fiddle claimed 98% disability to enable them to loot the War Veterans Compensation Fund, she was there, in fact she was one of them."He said when mayhem visited the commercial farming sector which changed Zimbabwe's fortunes from bread basket to basket case, she was there."When in 2005 the inhumane operation of cruelty euphemistically dubbed Murambatsvina that left thousands of our citizens homeless in Harare was launched, she was there," he said."When in June-July 2008, over 500 innocent opposition members were murdered in cold blood to keep Mugabe in power she was there. When elections where rigged at every election cycle she was there. When people where asking to have an honest, accountable and people first leader for the past 35 years but brutally denied, she was there. Who is she?" Press Releases By Phil Andrews Published: February 17 2016 Erna Blackman, Founder of Butterflies BBI and Queens County Director of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. will be receiving the Sojourner Truth Award which is the clubs highest honor bestowed on ... Queens, NY - February 17th, 2016 - On Saturday, March 19, 2016 The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Womens Club, Inc. The Laurelton Club will be presenting its Thirty Ninth Founders Day Awards Luncheon. The Founders Day Luncheon will begin at 12 PM, and end at 4 PM. The Awards Luncheon will be held at Autuns Banquet Hall located at 96-43 Springfield Blvd, Queens Village, NY 11429. Erna Blackman, Founder of Butterflies BBI and Queens County Director of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. will be receiving the Sojourner Truth Award which is the clubs highest honor bestowed on a recipient. Other honorees include Heddrick McBride, Professional Award, Wilbur Pack Jr., Business Award, and Karen Clements, Community Award. To purchase tickets or to place a journal advertisement call 718-978-2527, or send an inquiry in via email. About The Sojourner Truth Award The Sojourner Truth Award, established in 1948, is the highest honor bestowed by the NANBPWC and is given to a woman who has exemplified outstanding community service and whose life parallels the life and qualities of Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth was a woman who spoke for women's rights and equality. She also had an interest in the community, justice and community service. She was a strong woman. With that being said, it is an honor and my pleasure to accept such a prestigious award." said Erna Blackman. About Erna Blackman LIAACC Queens County Director/Founder, Butterflies, BBI, Inc. Erna Blackman was born in Queens and attended Grace Lutheran Elementary School in Malverne, NY. In 1984, she graduated from Jamaica High School and subsequently received a BA in journalism from Delaware State University. In 2012, she founded Butterflies BBI, which is a nonprofit organization that provides free hair replacements and solutions to children with medical hair loss. Erna Blackman is a 2015 to 2016 inductee into the NAPAW VIP Women of the Year Circle. She was recognized with this prestigious distinction for leadership in business. At Butterflies BBI, a special interest is given to inner-city children as they are a group that is often overlooked. Blackman is married and the mother of two children. Erna Blackmans work has been featured in Newsday People on the Move, Press of Southeast Queens, on LongIsland.com, Harlem Community News Queens Edition, Queens Courier, Long Island Business News and Times Newsweekly. Erna Blackman recently appeared on WABC Here and Now Hosted by Sandra Bookman; Interview can be viewed online here. To view the chambers recent interview on WABC Here and Now, click here. About Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. The Mission of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., is to advance and promote economic development for business, and to advance responsive government and quality education on the behalf of all small businesses, with emphasis on African Ancestry, while preserving the Long Island community." Long Island means the New York State counties on Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Kings. A Chamber of Commerce is one of the most well-known and recognizable organizations in the country chartered to stimulate business in local and regional areas where they are designated to serve. For more information regarding membership, corporate sponsorship opportunities, or to be placed on the Email list of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. us today on email or call 347-475-7158. You may also log on to www.liaacc.org for online membership or to contact the chamber. Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: February 17 2016 Gifted Hearts, a charity founded by kids for kids was launched in March of 2015 by brother and sister, TJ and Isabella Manfuso, to provide pediatric care packs and school supplies to children locally and ... Huntington, NY - February 17th, 2016 - Gifted Hearts, a charity founded by kids for kids was launched in March of 2015 by brother and sister, TJ and Isabella Manfuso, to provide pediatric care packs and school supplies to children locally and around the world. They are currently preparing for upcoming medical mission trips to Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Haiti. Legislator William R. Spencer, M.D. was happy to join them recently at Ben and Jerrys in Huntington where they were busy assembling backpacks with school supplies. I was so impressed with the giving hearts, vision and organization of these young people. Its inspiring to see them taking the lead to provide for the needs of other children throughout the world, stated Legislator Spencer. To learn more about this charity organization, log onto GiftedHearts.org. Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: February 17 2016 Legislators say bill would end Skelos Scam and prevent corruption. Rockville Centre, NY - February 17th, 2016 - Today, Assemblyman and former federal prosecutor Todd Kaminsky - joined by Assemblymembers Charles Lavine and Michaelle Solages - announced legislation to protect taxpayer dollars and prevent public corruption by increasing oversight of local government contracting. The lack of appropriate vetting for local contracts allowed Dean Skelos to manipulate the Nassau County contracting system, misappropriating taxpayer money in order to enrich his son, Adam. Due to a lack of mandated oversight, there is still no system in place that would flag a questionable and unnecessary contract such as the one arranged for by Adam and Dean Skelos on behalf of AbTech Industries. Kaminskys bill, which mirrors a plan already introduced in the State Senate, would force all municipalities to create a vendor responsibility system and fully vet all contracts over $10,000. In the Assembly, Kaminsky and Lavine will push to require local governments to use systems similar to New York Citys Vendex systeman electronic database designed to create maximum transparency in the citys contracting process in order to prevent corruption and the misappropriation of taxpayer money. At Wednesdays press conference, Kaminsky said: It is our responsibility to ensure that the scam pulled by Dean and Adam Skelos is virtually impossible to get away with ever again in New York. As a former federal corruption prosecutor, I took down politicians for manipulating and abusing government contracting practices - and it is clear to me that, by simply shining some sunlight, we can prevent the corruption in the first place. It is time to end this era of graft, when a vendor can get a government contract through a no-bid, fixed, and corrupt process. This plan will save taxpayers money and ensure that Long Island families are never again the victims of a crooked politicians abuse of power. The current process by which municipalities award contracts is undermining our democracy at every level, said Assemblyman Charles Lavine. We cant open our local newspapers without reading about a contract that was awarded to some political insider with no oversight. This bill will ensure that all municipalities have a system in place to make the contract awarding process more transparent and fair. Fraud and waste must be eliminated from the municipal contracting system, stated Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages. This legislation will prevent individuals from having political influence over the contracting process as well as facilitate a streamlined approach to the various phases of contracting. This will provide taxpayers with public transparency and accountability. I commend Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky for taking a bold step towards changing the culture of municipal procurement. Suffolk's Mandia on The Hill to Speak About Climate Change Nature & Weather, Local News, Local Experts, National & World News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: February 17 2016 Suffolk County Community College Professor of Physical Sciences Scott Mandia, of Miller Place, recently met with U.S. Representative Lee Zeldi in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2016 Climate Science Day on The Hill. Washington DC - February 17th, 2016 - Suffolk County Community College Professor of Physical Sciences Scott Mandia, of Miller Place, recently met with U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, at left, in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2016 Climate Science Day on The Hill. Mandia also met with US Senator Charles Schumer and four other representatives. Mandia, representing the American Geophysical Union, was the only community college representative in attendance from a dozen scientific groups addressing legislators and advocating for climate change legislation. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases News / National by Staff reporter Commerzbank AG has asked local financial institutions to close their nostro accounts with the Frankfurt-based financial services group.Nostro accounts are foreign currency accounts of a bank opened abroad for settling transactions involving international movement of funds such as exports and imports.Sources said the local financial institutions have been given notices to move their funds.Commerzbank is the second largest bank in Germany and the state owns 15 percent stake. Another source said the Commerzbank might be taking a precaution to avoid punishment.Local banks are required to keep not more than 10 percent of total deposits in nostro accounts. News / National by Staff reporter Joice Mujuru former Vice-President and leader of the new political outfit known as Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) says she is ready for the country's rugged political terrain.Mujuru, who was purged from Zanu-PF in 2014 on allegations of trying to topple President Robert Mugabe, told Voice of America's Studio 7 that the internal turmoil bedevilling her former party did not surprise her.Her official re-entry into the country's political minefield signals the beginning of what could be an interesting run-in to the 2018 elections at a time when Mugabe's Zanu-PF is literally at war with itself. Mujuru described her tormentors as "thugs and liars". News / National by Bloomberg THE South African Reserve Bank said rand notes found on a cargo plane impounded in Zimbabwe this week after a dead body was discovered on board should be returned home."The aircraft currently detained at Harare Airport is carrying a consignment of South African banknotes that was produced overseas as part of the SARB's annual production plan," the Pretoria-based central bank said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.The bank is working with authorities to ensure the shipment will be released and delivered to South Africa, according to the statement.The aircraft, owned by Western Global Airlines, has been at the airport in Harare since Sunday, and the body is presumed to be a stowaway. The plane was traveling to South Africa from Germany and had landed at the Harare International Airport to refuel to refuel.Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi met with diplomats from the U.S., Germany, South Africa and Pakistan to help resolve the matter, according to Joey Bimha, the secretary for foreign affairs.Investigators are still waiting for the autopsy report into the death, Charity Charamba, police spokeswoman, said in a text message.A small percentage of South Africa's banknotes are printed outside of the country as part of the central bank's contingency plans, SARB said, without disclosing how much money was in the plane. News / National by Thobekile Zhou The speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda has said MDC legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga is envious of MP Joseph Chinotimba's wife after the couple won a kissing contest.Buhera South legislator Chinotimba and his wife Vimbai celebrated Valentine's Day in style after winning the longest kiss competition organised by the Book of African Records.Chinotimba's kiss lasted for 10 minutes and 17 seconds.Speaking in Parliamnet on Tuesday, Misihairabwi-Mushonga applauded Chinotimba saying he was a good male role model.She said "Mr. Speaker Sir, I move under the Privileges and Immunities, to commend Hon. Chinotimba for having won the kissing competition. [Laughter]- I say so Mr. Speaker, because particularly as women Members of Parliament, we were tired of reading day-in day-out male Members of Parliament that are being taken to court for maintenance and for failing to look after their children."So, to be able to see a male member who is showing a good sight of being a good male model should be commended. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir,".In response, Mudenda said " order. I would want Hon. Members to refer to their Standing Orders and the Act on Privileges and Immunities."There is no romance in our Privileges. I take it that the Hon. Member was trying to be humorous and I am not sure whether you were envious of Mrs. Chinotimba,".The video showing Chinotimba kissing his wife has since gone viral on social media.The contestants were married couples and had to kiss continuously with lips touching at all times.If the lips were unlocked then the couple was immediately disqualified.Rest breaks were not allowed. A Jund al Aqsa fighter raises an al Qaeda-style black banner in Morek, Syria last November. Twelve jihadists who are purportedly senior figures in Jund al Aqsa, an al Qaeda-linked group, have joined Al Nusrah Front. The dozen jihadists explained their decision to join al Qaedas official branch in Syria in a statement that was released on social media earlier today. Their declaration has been translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Our leave from the Jund Al Aqsa group and joining [Al Nusrah] is a response to the Command of Allah the Almighty to be firm and unite the ranks, and in obedience to the scholars of the Ummah and the scholars of jihad, and to strengthen the ranks of the mujahideen, the signatories explained. Like many other jihadist organizations, Jund al Aqsa offers little transparency with respect to its leadership hierarchy. Judging by the reaction from jihadists on social media, it appears that the twelve men are senior figures in the group. But it is noteworthy that none of them are described as being Jund al Aqsas overall emir, or leader. The short descriptions contained after the signatories names indicate that they are a mix of sharia (or religious) and military officials. The authors urge the mujahideen of all factions and names to seek unity because their real enemies are the Shiites and the atheists. As The Long War Journal first reported, Jund al Aqsa has been a front for al Qaeda, as senior operatives loyal to Ayman al Zawahiri have served in its ranks. One of them was Adel Radi Saker al Wahabi al Harbi, a Saudi who was likely a member of al Qaedas elite Khorasan Group. Before relocating from Iran to Syria, Harbi served as the deputy to Muhsin al Fadhli, who planned external operations (attacks against the West) on behalf of the Khorasan Group. As Fadhlis deputy, Harbi helped manage al Qaedas network inside Iran. After he was killed in April 2015, Harbi was publicly identified as Jund al Aqsas military commander in Syria. [See LWJ report, An al Qaeda front group in Syria.] In May, another seasoned al Qaeda member, Said Arif, was killed while leading Jund al Aqsas forces. Arifs death was reported by multiple jihadists on social media. He was allegedly killed in an airstrike conducted by the US-led coalition. [See LWJ report, Another al Qaeda veteran reportedly killed while leading Jund al Aqsa in Syria.] Jund al Aqsa was founded by Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Qatari, who reportedly fought for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and is believed to have been close to Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri. Qataris corpse was found in Syria in late 2014, months after he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Disagreements within Jund al Aqsa On Oct. 23, 2015, Jund al Aqsa announced its split from the Jaysh al Fateh coalition in Syria. The move raised eyebrows in the jihadist community as Jaysh al Fateh was co-founded by Al Nusrah Front, al Qaedas main arm in Syria, and Jund al Aqsas own ties to al Qaeda are easy to see. Jund al Aqsa played an important role in some of Jaysh al Fatehs key battles in northwest Syria in 2015. During the battle for the city of Idlib, for example, its suicide bombers struck checkpoints manned by the Assad regime early on, thereby paving the way for other fighters to stream in. Idlib fell to Jaysh al Fateh in just several days. Jund al Aqsas break from Jaysh al Fateh threatened to weaken the jihadists unity. However, it did not mean that the entire organization had left al Qaedas ranks. There have been significant disagreements within the group. Jund al Aqsa has butted heads with other jihadists fighting in Syria as well. It is widely suspected that some members are sympathetic to the Islamic State, Al Nusrahs chief jihadist rival. There have been multiple reports over the past several months that the Islamic State has used cells embedded within Jund al Aqsa to attack Al Nusrah officials and their allies in Idlib and elsewhere. When it announced its departure from Jaysh al Fateh last year, Jund al Aqsas leadership said it objected to some of the tactics adopted by Ahrar al Sham, which is closely allied with Al Nusrah and has also had senior al Qaeda members in its upper ranks. Officials from Ahrar al Sham fired back at the group, saying its criticisms were unwarranted. Jund al Aqsa added that it had misgivings about fighting the Islamic State, even though it rejected Abu Bakr al Baghdadis self-declared caliphate. Jund al Aqsas statement announcing its withdrawal from Jaysh al Fateh was also translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. In it, Ayman al Zawahiri was described as the sheikh of the mujahideen of today and his eminence. Jund al Aqsa prayed for Allah to preserve and protect [Zawahiri], and let him hold firm to the truth until the day of meeting Him [Allah]. By praising Zawahiri in this manner, Jund al Aqsa clearly signaled its continuing loyalty to al Qaeda. Even while suffering from internal dissent, Jund al Aqsa continued to fight alongside Al Nusrah Front. On Oct. 26, 2015, Jund al Aqsa tweeted a eulogy for three fighters killed by a mine. At least one of the three, known as Abu al Zubayr al Ansari, was a member of Al Nusrah. Todays statement confirms again that at least part of Jund al Aqsa has remained in al Qaedas camp. It is not clear how many of the organizations fighters have also joined Al Nusrah, but it is likely the signatories have foot soldiers willing to follow them. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. News / National by Thobekile Zhou Zanu PF MP for Chipinge Central Raymore Machingura has called for a ban on girls frequenting public places such as night clubs so that they don't go into relationships with elderly men.Machingura said failure to pass a law prohibiting girls from going into public places will fuel early child marriages.He told Parliament "It is pleasing to note that Parliaments from the SADC region passed such good resolutions as presented by Hon. Dr. Mukanduri."I will begin by dwelling on child marriages. Which definition is being used when we talk of child marriages? Is it because a young girl is staying with a man?"I would like to advise our Parliaments to pass a law which prohibits young girls from going to public places such as bars and are into relationships with elderly men."If you do not pass this law, the young girls will run away from homes and go to public places where they fall in love with elderly men," reads part of his contribution seen by Bulawayo24.com.Machingura was responding to MP Samson Mukanduri's report of the 37th plenary assembly of the SADC parliamentary forum.He said the Plenary Assembly noted with deep concern the prevalence of child marriages in Southern Africa with about 40% of children being married before they are 18 years of age and that two of the SADC Member States are among the 10 countries in the world with the highest rates of child marriage, where over 50% of children are being married before they reach the legal age of 18. Regent Hotels Announces Return to U.S. in Boston & NYC The luxury hotel brand signed an agreement with prominent North American real estate development and management company Cottonwood Management at a press conference yesterday, which will see Regent's return to the North American market following a ten-year absence.The Boston development will span over one million square feet with three towers, all anchored by a central courtyard as the focal point for the development, and will include approximately 900,000 square feet of Regent branded residences and serviced apartments, as well as 125,000 square feet of retail space. The property will also feature Regent's new Dining Club concept: a social club offering fine dining experiences and a luxurious place for relaxation. Regent Boston residences and serviced apartments are expected to commence development by fall 2016.Now is an exciting time for Regent Hotels & Resorts, as the brand will also be opening Regent Chongqing this October, as well as properties in Xian, Harbin and Jakarta over the next two years.Visit website: News / National by Staff Reporter OUTSPOKEN Kariba church leader, Patrick Mugadza, who attracted global attention in December after he staged a solo demonstration at the Zanu-PF national conference in Victoria Falls is back in the spotlight.Mugadza has other passion than campaigning for Mugabe to step down, so it seems.The man of the cloth is a sex manic - with prostitutes.On Monday, Mugadza hired two well-known Harare prostitutes for a steamy encounter and booked at a hotel.He promised to pay Molly and Nelly $60 for all night sex session- including filming.However, things tuned nasty for Mugadza as he caused a stir on Tuesday morning at the hotel."He wanted to have an encounter with the two of us and we taught him a language he understands better because he wanted me to watch his sex session with Molly," said Nelly."We agreed on $60 for the one night stand and he started with Molly until 2am and I was recording their sex session."He spotted me recording after he discharged".The man changed his mind of engaging sex with me, refusing to pay me and I demanded payment since he had wasted my time and taken me as a spectator of his sex session with Molly," added Nelly.Commotion broke out and Magadza called in hotel security to eject the ladies of the night."He came with security guard and they forced us out of the room but I am not here to be used by somebody from Kariba after all he admired us saying we look sexier than Kariba ladies,' added Nelly.Mugadza claimed that the pair wanted to extort him."These ladies are after tarnishing my image and I spotted one of them recording and I know they want to post such material on websites to tarnish my image"."I came here not as church minister but for business talks with a certain Indian man and one of the guys came with the ladies."We had a meeting in their presence and I ended up accommodating them in my room unaware that they were on a mission to tarnish me."After suspecting their evil thoughts against me I left the room and asked the security guards who were on night duty to help me flash these hookers out of my room."In December, the Remnant Church leader Mugadza, 45, travelled more than 300 kilometres to protest outside a luxury hotel in Victoria Falls where Mugabe and 6,000 delegates from his Zanu-PF party were holding an annual conference.He silently held up a poster on which he had written:"Mr President, the people are suffering, Proverbs 21 vs 13."Mugadza spent 18 days in remand prison after failing to raise the required $500 bail. Remember Apples ill-fated Newton, the first personal digital assistant (PDA) to offer handwriting recognition? Cupertinos original mobile device unfortunately didnt do a particularly great job of converting handwritten text into typewritten words, prompting Steve Jobs to drive a stake through its heart soon after his triumphant return to the company in 1997. Newton for iOS Flash-forward to present day, and Paragon Software has resurrected Newton-style handwriting recognition for a new app called PenReader. This time, the universal app has been designed for modern iOS devices, where it can be used as a third-party keyboard inside any app for converting handwritten input to text. PenReader works well for converting shorter words into typewritten text (like the handwritten read shown here), but for anything more complicated, the results were disappointing. The handwriting recognition technology behind PenReader supposedly dates back to 1968, but unlike Newton, no stylus is necessary. Instead, users write with the tip of a finger. The app is smart enough to work in 38 different languages, each requiring a $1 in-app purchase following a 14-day trial period; all languages can be unlocked for $10. Individual languages can be purchased for $1 each, or users can install all 38 for only $10. PenReader offers four handwriting styles: Letter-by-letter, where all characters are recognized as one; Cursive, for natural writing of full words or sentences; Separate, for those who prefer to write words as separate letters; and Smart Recognition, a hybrid of all three methods. Paragon marketing hypes PenReader as a perfect match for Apple Pencil and iPad Pro, which is what initially sparked my interest in the app. But in my tests, I discovered that my finger worked just as well as Pencil did, which is to say, not so much. Recognition mission PenReader 1.0 is a mixed bag in actual use. Theres nothing particularly intuitive or convenient about it and the so-called handwriting recognition failed to produce the desired results a majority of the time. Regardless of mode or input method, the accuracy rate was astonishing low in my unscientific tests. For example, after switching to Cursive modewhich must be done by from the PenReader app, rather than the keyboard itselfI tried entering an upper-case letter J several times. The software repeatedly recognized that input as either r or e, no matter how I tweaked the app settings. The app did fare better on Russian language handwriting, including cursive, so its worth a look for those who speak one of the 37 languages other than English. I had slightly better luck with foreign languages, thanks to the assistance of my wife. She was able to input Cyrillic letters and words (including cursive) in her native Russian and Ukrainian that were considerably more accurate than my own English writing, suggesting international customers will have better luck with PenReader. (Not entirely surprising, considering Paragon hails from Germany.) Accuracy wasnt the only issue: Although spacious enough on iPad Pro, the handwriting input field feels cramped on smaller devices, even in landscape mode on iPhone 6s Plus. Although you can switch to other keyboards anytime, PenReader would be more useful if the app included an option to temporarily switch to full typing mode, rather than just symbols and punctuation. Theres also a setting to automatically enter a space after entire words are recognized, but I could never get it to work properly. PenReader offers a generous space for writing with or without Apple Pencil on iPad Pro, but things get cramped quickly on smaller devices. Bottom line Unless your first language is something other than English or you want to revisit the days when Newton reigned as king of the marginal handwriting recognition castle, PenReader isnt a particularly accurate, intuitive, or easy to use keyboard app. On Tuesday, the United States District Court of California issued an order requiring Apple to assist the FBI in accessing a locked iPhone ( PDF)and not just any iPhone, but the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. The order is very clear: Build new firmware to enable the FBI to perform an unlimited, high speed brute force attack, and place that firmware on the device. Apple is not only fighting the request, but posted a public letter signed by Tim Cook and linked on Apples front page. Make no mistake: This is unprecedented, and the situation was deliberately engineered by the FBI and Department of Justice to force a showdown that could define limits our civil rights for generations to come. This is an issue with far-reaching implications well beyond a single phone, a single case, or even Apple itself. As a career security professional, this case has chilling implications. Why now? Ive been writing about Apples role in our digital civil rights since 2014, and specifically addressed why Apple is at the center of the battle over encryption last month on TidBITS. The short version is that Apple is one of the only companies with the technologies, high profile, and business model to both find themselves in the cross hairs, and take a strong position. Make no mistake, Apple has a long history of complying with court orders and assisting law enforcement. Previous to iOS 8, they could extract data off devices. Even today, data in most of their online services (iCloud, excluding iMessage and FaceTime) can be provided upon legal request. This case is different for multiple reasons: Apple is being asked to specifically create new software to circumvent their security controls. They arent being asked to use existing capabilities, since those no longer work. The FBI wants a new version of the operating system designed to allow the FBI to brute force attack the phone. The FBI is using a highly emotional, nationally infamous terrorism case as justification for the request. The request refers to the All Writs Act, which is itself under scrutiny in a case in New York involving Apple. Federal Magistrate Judge James Orenstein of the Eastern District of New York is currently evaluating if the Act applies in these cases. Thats why this is about far more than a single phone. Apple does not have the existing capability to assist the FBI. The FBI engineered a case where the perpetrators are already dead, but emotions are charged. And the law cited is under active legal debate within the federal courts. The crux of the issue is should companies be required to build security circumvention technologies to expose their own customers? Not assist law enforcement with existing tools, but build new tools. The FBI Director has been clear that the government wants back doors into our devices, even though the former head of the NSA disagrees and supports strong consumer encryption. One reason Apple is likely fighting this case so publicly is that it is a small legal step from requiring new circumvention technology, to building such access into devices. The FBI wants the precedent far more than they need the evidence, and this particular case is incredibly high profile and emotional. The results will, without question, establish precedence beyond one killers iPhone. The technical details The court order is quite specific. It applies only to one iPhone, and requests Apple create a new version of the firmware that eliminates the existing feature that erases the iPhone after 10 failed attempts at entering the passcode. It further asks Apple to allow passcode attempts to be performed as rapidly as possible. Apple has been prompting users to choose longer and more complicatedand harder to crackiPhone passcodes. Beginning with iOS 8, devices are encrypted using a key derived from your passcode. This is combined with a hardware key specific to the device. Apple has no way of knowing or circumventing that key. On newer devices, the hardware key is embedded in the device and is not recoverable. Thus the passcode must be combined with the device key in a chip on the phone, and that chip rate-limits passcode attempts to make a brute force attack slower. Reading through the order, it seems the FBI thinks that a modified version of the operating system would allow them to engage in high-speed attacks, if the 10-tries limit was removed. The request indicates they likely cant image the device and perform all the attacks on their own super-fast computers, due to that hardware key. With a four-character passcode the device could probably be cracked in hours. A six-character code might take days or weeks, and anything longer could take months or years. Dan Guido over at Trail of Bits posted a great explanation: As many jailbreakers are familiar, firmware can be loaded via Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) Mode. Once an iPhone enters DFU mode, it will accept a new firmware image over a USB cable. Before any firmware image is loaded by an iPhone, the device first checks whether the firmware has a valid signature from Apple. This signature check is why the FBI cannot load new software onto an iPhone on their ownthe FBI does not have the secret keys that Apple uses to sign firmware. This opens up a few questions. Could this work on newer devices with the enhanced encryption of the Secure Enclave? How can Apple pair the device and replace the firmware in the first place? Would they be using the shooters computer? An over-the-air update? Apple says that all devices (with or without the Secure Enclave) are vulnerable to this kind of attack, but declined to comment on the specific technical methods, a position I initially disagreed with, but on reflection is probably the right move for reasons we will get to in a moment. Thus the FBI wants a new version of iOS, signed by Apple and installed on the device, that removes limitations on their attempts to brute-force the password. Why this matters Legal precedent is like a glacier, slowly building over time until it becomes nigh unstoppable. Major issues like this are first, and sometimes ultimately, decided on a series of small steps that build on each other. Its the reason the NRA fights any attempts at gun control, since they fear a slow build, not a single small law. The crux of this round of the encryption debate is if companies should be forced to build tools to circumvent their customers security. If the answer is yes, it could be a small step to should they just build these tools into the OS from the start? I have no doubt the FBI deliberately chose the highest-profile domestic terrorism case in possibly a decade. We, average citizens, want the FBI to stop this sort of evil. We dont necessarily see this one case as applying to our lives and our rights. Why the big deal? What if the FBI could find the terrorists contacts and stop other attacks? What matters is if we have a right to the security and privacy of our devices and communications. But the truth is, no legal case applies in a vacuum. If this goes through, if Apple is forced to assist, it will open a floodgate of law enforcement requests. Then what about civil cases? Opening a phone to support a messy divorce and child custody battle? Or what about requests from other nations, especially places like China and the UAE that already forced BlackBerry and others to compromise the security of their customers? And once the scale of these requests increases, as a security professional I guarantee the tools will leak, the techniques will be exploited by criminals, and our collective security will decline. It really doesnt matter if its the iPhone 5c or 6s. It really doesnt matter if this is about dead terrorists or a drug dealer. It doesnt matter what specific circumvention Apple is being asked to create. What matters is if we have a right to the security and privacy of our devices, and of our communications, which are also under assault. If we have the right to tools to defend ourselves from the government and criminals alike. Yes, these tools will be sometimes used for the worst of crimes, but theyre also fundamental to our civil rights, freedom of discourse, and our ability to protect our digital lives from the less impactful, but far more frequent criminal attacks. This situation was engineered by the FBI and Department of Justice for the maximum impact and chances of success. Apple is fighting, and as a security professional its my obligation to support their position, and stronger security. News / National by Staff Reporter The government has secured 150 000 tonnes of maize from Zambia and 500 000 tonnes from Ukraine.Chairperson of the Food Security and Nutrition Committee Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the hunger and drought situation experienced in Zimbabwe is under control.Mnangagwa has revealed the government has secured funding from the Exim Bank of China and has procured more than 650 000 tonnes of maize.He added logistics are underway to transport the maize."We are aware of the drought situation and government has moved in to purchase maize from friendly countries. We have secured 150 000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia and 500 000 tonnes from Ukraine," said Cde Mnangagwa.There has been speculation that Zimbabwe might be affected by Zambia's decision to ban the exportation of maize but Cde Mnangagwa says everything is in place.The food security and nutrition committee has worked out the quantity the country might need this season to 1.4 million tonnes for the government to feed the over three million people who need food aid. Pinot Noir cluster in a Dundee Hills vineyard (July 2014) I have a special fondness for old-fangled winemaking, and for winemakers who work their craft by hand. (Or mostly by hand, because it helps to have a truck and a forklift.) Their fingernails are perennially stainedbrown with soil, black with pruning, red with grapesas they follow their wine around the wheel of the year. Old-school winemakers had to work this way, following the laws of parsimony. New-school winemakers can choose to work this wayor not. Oregon is a new wine region in the global schema, but when I visited in 2014, a guest of the Oregon Wine Board, I found a lot of first- and second-generation makers working in this old-fangled way. Many seem as passionate about ecology and human systems as they are about the wine itself. They truly care how their wine comes to be. They respect both the land and the people working it, because both are their legacy, and both are their (and our) future. In the Pacific Northwest, such passion for paying attention, for working within limitsyou might call it sustainabilityis codified by program called LIVE. The effort, started in 1995, certifies producers committed to environmentally and socially responsible winemaking, and so far forty wineries and three hundred vineyards have been certified. Salmon Safe, a sister certification aimed at keeping agricultural runoff from fouling fish habitat, often rides along. Below are notes on four Oregon producers committed to sustainable winemaking. Three own LIVE-certified and Salmon Safe estates, while the fourth, a bootstrap effort without vineyard land, buys fruit from sustainable growers. All of the wines reviewed here are Pinot Noir (including a surprise White Pinot), but everyone also works with other fruit. Some of the farming is organic or biodynamic, extending the commitment further. Certification, in other words, isnt the point. The point is that process matters. TASTING NOTES First, a word about the recent Oregon vintages: 2011 was slow and cool, and the wines tend to have a steely, serene character with an iron mineral edge. The 2012 vintage was warmerit was a superlative vintage up and down the West Coastand these wines tend to be riper, with more rounded red fruit. The 2013 vintage was somewhere in between, with a smiling summer followed by rain at harvest; growers who picked early did well. The Bayliss family has stewarded 234 acres of land in the Yamhill-Carlton region since 1906, historically producing livestock, grain, and fodder. Grapes were planted only in 1999, but are currently the only cropand its all Pinot. The vineyard is overseen by consultant Buddy Beck; winemaker Eric Hamacher works with the estate fruit using ambient yeast and gravity in the cellar. Fourth and fifth generation Baylisses still live on and manage the property. 2013 Ghost Hill Cellars Pinot Noir Blanc Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton This White Pinot Noir (right) is essentially a rose that gets its color and phenolic flavor compounds from skin contact. The clusters were pressed, moved to stainless, then, after some maceration, racked off and fermented dry. The process imbued it with a lovely pale salmon color and gave it a fragrance of strawberries and hay. The body is soft, with notes of apple skin, spring berries, and fresh pear. At first it felt somewhat unrealized, but with some aireven a day in the fridgeit became more elaborated, suggesting macerated strawberries and pear skin, plus a new whiff of mint. Its curious and very pretty. 590 cases made. 13.5% abv | $25 2012 Ghost Hill Cellars Pinot Noir Prospectors Reserve Yamhill-Carlton The Pinot is a mix of Wadenswil, Pommard, and Dijon clones, grown in the oldest part of the estate vineyard. It was treated to a small portion of new French oak, and this cuvee is a blend of six selected barrels. It is an elegant and finely articulated Pinot Noir, with handsome aromas of brushy herbs that drift toward mint, while the fruit suggests spring berries. The words that linger in my mind: charming, lissome, lithe. 148 cases made. 13.5% abv | $55 Winemaker John Grochau spent a decade selling wine in Portland, Ore., before turning to winemaking. He apprenticed at Erath Winery and Brick House before launching his own label with the 2002 vintage. Grochau Cellars is the only non-estate producer among the four here, but they source fruit from seven growers who farm organically and follow sustainable viticultural practices. Pinot Noir is the spine of the small production, but Grochau also works with portions of other fruit, including Gamay, Melon de Bourgogne, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah. 2012 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir Dundee Hills A Pinot thats fresh and rosy on the tongue, with raspberry and cherry, but inflected with a faint tawny anisette note, too. The fruit was grown in the Anderson Family Vineyard in the Dundee Hills, with its iron-rich Jory soils, and fermented 40 percent whole cluster with native yeasts. The wine spent six months in French oak, about half new, where it picked up a silky texture and notes of baking spice. The result here is a delicate, finely articulated wine that suggests crystalline flowers and fruit. 175 cases made. 14.1% abv | $30 2012 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills This Pinot was grown in the Eola-Amity Hills, and soils here are leaner than in the Dundee region ten miles north. Since these vines struggle more, the fruit is more concentrated, and this wine does seem to prove the point; compared to the Dundee Hills bottling, its more rounded and luscious, more textural, with deeper red fruit. Not that its heavy, its just not as thin-skinned and delicate. After fermentation on native yeasts (30 percent whole cluster), it was moved to 30 percent new French oak, a treatment that deepened its dimension and texture. Lay this one down for three to five years. 150 cases made. 14.1% abv | $30 Oldest vineyards in the Willamette Valley, planted own-rooted in 1966 at Eyrie Vineyards in the Dundee Hills (July 2014) Winemaker Wayne Bailey and his family purchased a hilltop property in McMinnville in 2003, and the estate currently consists of an eight-room B&B surrounded by twenty acres of biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. The land lies within twenty-five miles of the ocean, but the coastal mountain range offers a moisture shadow. Still, their vineyard is planted to clones that can endure cooler temperatures. The two blocks tasted hereJordan and Natashaare named after two of the Baileys three daughters. 2011 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Jordan Block, Willamette Valley The fruit was harvested on 2 November to try to guarantee ripeness, and the wine is ripe but barely so, with fruit that skews cranberry rather than strawberry or cherry, and top notes of mint and green herbs. Its generous with its acid, a thin, tonic line, and the finish is stridently pure. Overall it feels refreshing and fresh-washedcool upon cool. 297 cases made. 12% abv | $40 2011 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Natasha Block, Willamette Valley This fruit was also harvested on 2 November, although it clocked in at a mere 19.2 degrees Brix. The result is lean and fiercely acidic, a rhubarb-stained wine with inflections of cranberry and barely ripe strawberry. As with the Jordan Block, its about verticality, linearity. Still, it offers rosy top notes and an underpinning of earthy iron and minerals, and the finishing effect is slightly more floral. 327 cases made. 11.5% abv | $40 The Hagge family, Vicky and Don (Vidonget it?) purchased land in the Chehalem Mountains in 1999 and planted it to ten acres of Pinot Noir and a smattering of other grapes. Production is two thousand cases annually. Chad Vargas, who manages Adelsheims vineyard, oversees the vines, while Don Hagge makes the wine. Fruit is hand-worked and the wine is moved in the cellar by gravity. 2011 Vidon Vineyard Pinot Noir Three Clones Chehalem Mountains The body is brilliant garnet with a clear rim, and suggests the fragrance of mountain air, cranberry, plum skin, and pink flowers. Silky textured with lively berry fruits, the wine offers supple, powdery tannins and demure acidity. Its restrained but nicely evolved; drink soon. 518 cases made. 13.9% abv | $45 2013 Vidon Vineyard Pinot Noir Three Clones Chehalem Mountains The 2013 is naturally more youthful, its garnet body saturated but also lightly cloudy. After twenty minutes in the decanter it yields a fragrance of tart raspberries, wet rocks, and deep woods. The body is tingly and red-fruit dominant. This wine seems nervy and tightly wound, but its chutzpah makes it age-worthy. Right now its mostly about fruit and acida good thing. 480 cases made. 14.3% abv | $45 Many thanks to Wine Business and Terroirist for recommending this article to their readers. All wines were samples for review. View my Sample Policy. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.